mamamamamamamamamama

coconut DEFINITELY has at least one word.
mama.
mama.
mama.
it's pretty frustrating.
it's pretty constant.
it means -
mama pick me up, mama i'm all done, mama i want something/anything/outta here, mama she's bothering me, mama he's bothering me, mama i see you, mama are you there, mama i'm not sleeping, mama i wanna sleep, mama i don't wanna sleep, mama i wanna eat, mama i don't wanna eat, mama where are you going, mama when are you going to be back, mama i love you.
that's the best one...when you pick her up and she pats you on the back and says "mama".
the speech-language pathologist in me was really excited to hear her first words.
the mommy in me is really excited to listen to her say mommy.
the individual in me gets really tired when i hear it constantly.
i forgot how many times mommy/mom/mama could be used in a 24 hour period. (i'll calculate that for tomorrow...wait, no, i'll calculate that on saturday when we all together for 24 hours...or more excitingly...i'll calculate that both tomorrow AND saturday and we'll have a comparison).
oh, now a reader will check back to see if i actually did it.
know where to get one of those counter thingys that people use? i have a feeling i'm gonna need one - paper and pencil just won't work - and the mommy brain will NOT remember it.
oooo, it's a cliffhanger...check back.

4 years...4 reasons why i love you.

happy birthday baby. i can't believe that it's been four years since you were born. i can't believe that four years ago, i was eagerly awaiting your arrival into this world. i knew you...but didn't know who you were. i was thrilled beyond belief that you were my little GIRL. i was so excited to give you your name. i loved every inch of you...and swore i would never do it again (we all know that didn't happen). speaking of that...you are amazing at everything you do...including being a big sister. you make me proud every single day.

i love everything about you...but here are the top four today.

1. your imagination...you love to pretend and you are always trying to figure this world out on a consistent basis. we pretend that we have babies, we pretend that we are going to the zoo (and watch you in a dolphin show), we pretend to scuba dive around the house (and look for dog-fish and cat-fish), we go to stella's fish cafe at least once per week...

2. your attitude...you have the most fun and silly attitude. you love life and you love making people laugh. you share your energy and love with so many people.

3. your girliness...you are the girl that i never was. you love pink. you love dresses and skirts. you love things that twirl and sparkle. you love princesses and babies.

4. your independence...as much as it frustrates me at times. you are becoming an independent thinker. you have your opinions and you make them known. you stand up for yourself. you are a talker and a thinker...and always want to discuss things that may be bothering you.

keep it up baby. keep being independent and silly. keep imagining and dreaming. stand up for the things that you believe in - and always believe in yourself. i love you as big as the universe (or galaxy...whichever is bigger).

yipee!

last night i actually created a list with all of the things that i need to write about on here sometime during my spring break. it looked like this:

- easter (and how we hopped around - thanks v...that makes me laugh)

- birthday plans (for my belly's party)

- spring break (and all the not-so-exciting things that i have planned)

- my good friend becoming a mommy (and me breaking down when i think about it)

- giving your marriage a spark (sounds interesting doesn't it?)

but all i really want to shout from the rooftops right now is:

COCONUT SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!

i know i know...all the baby books say that it should have happened earlier. but belly didn't sleep through the night until she was 3...yes, you read that right - 3! so at 10 months my baby might not be as active (walking) or as verbal (talking) as her big sister...but i might just be able to have a stretch of sleep that i so dream of! don't worry - i just knocked on wood. (oh - and add a discussion on my favorite pieces of furniture from my favorite store). it was lovely...i actually awoke at 7:00 before both of the girls! and now i have some time to do something like this! yeah me! now i get to actually plan my day before getting immersed in it...wow...neat concept! and drink a cup of coffee?? oh my goodness...

hmmm....let's see. girls dressed and to daycare (i know...horrible mommy...but i have so much i want to get done - and it is SO much easier minus girls)...fabric store (for belly and for a baby that i can't wait to meet)...paint store (to look at samples for my new craft area in our house...thank you...oh maybe a discussion about that too)...home to pick up a little...work out...and pick up girls. full day...best get going! oh and i'm hearing a "mommmmmmmmy..." but it's from belly...maybe i should check on coconut too?? see ya.

happy easter

happy easter!

we are enjoying family and friends today...

sick

ugh.

i think that sums it up.

i have come to realize that i have been harboring each and every germ that my little girls have once held in their bodies and these germs have been uniting and finally overcame my white blood cells. i have felt like crap for one week now and i continue to feel like crap. each day when i "wake up" after 6-8 straight hours of coughing...i feel like crap. my voice - is - nonexistent. which, as a speech-language pathologist that is needing to give the listening test...sucks.

have i complained enough today?

thankfully, husband thought he was coming down with the "crap" and so he stayed home. without him, i think i would be in the fetal position in a corner of my house crying - actually, i'd probably be coughing.

oh well...life goes on. KNOCK ON WOOD...the girls haven't gotten it this go-around.

i will get better soon...i will start to feel good...my body is healing itself...i will not coug---(oh well, 3 outta 4 isn't bad)

miss you

not sure if you will read this...
but,
we miss you captain-daddy...
come home quickly!

growing up

i cannot believe that my oldest "baby" will be turning 4 (-F-O-U-R-) on the 28th. she is too quickly moving to being a big person and i'm not sure i'm ready for that. belly reminded me last night, after i begged her to stay 3 for at least another year, that her birthday is coming rather quickly (we counted 19 days).

we have always encouraged finding someone or something to support for her birthday...it limits the # of gifts (toys!) that enter our small space and encourages her to make a discovery that giving is often better than receiving. in the past, we've helped zebras and bunnies...and this year she wants to help horses (that's my girl!) but...i have to say that this has been the HARDEST year to encourage this giving spirit. belly wants to help, but wants to GET presents too. i understand it completely (it's also fun to get sometimes)...and we don't completely eliminate ALL gifts...we just try to reduce the incoming and increase her ability to realize that there are people that need more than she/we does/do. the organization that we found this year, is so thankful and has agreed to let her bring by her donation so that she can meet some of the animals that she will be helping. she has also asked if she can buy them some things (here we come, fleet farm). so we will be making some horsey-related purchases too...i hope that will help her realize what a good thing she is doing.

so in the same blog - i have wished for her to mature enough to make the understanding that giving is good and indicated my desire that i want her to stay little and innocent forever. i can't have both...so i guess i'll just have to be thankful for what she is...right now.

if you ever leave me...

so i've decided that i'm going to use this blog (which is constantly evolving)...to keep track of funny things that kids tell me...i hear so many funny things every day and have always wanted to keep track of them...but haven't ever done so.
so here goes:
belly says to me, calmly i must add, "so, i was thinking, if you and daddy ever forget me at home, but take -coconut- with you...i can eat cereal and goldfish crackers and bars and apples...but i can't drink anything because i don't have any cups down low and i can't pour."
i responded with (note: i was very tired), "well, we'll have to put a cup down low and teach you how to pour then."
i realized my mistake - oops - "oh, yeah, and would mommy and daddy ever leave you home alone?? no, we would never do that...but i still think it might be a good idea to learn how to pour yourself something to drink. and who could you go to for help if we weren't here or something happened?? you should remember that you can go to a neighbor's house if you ever need help."

i can't believe that i actually responded that i would teach her how to pour before acknowledging that we wouldn't ever put her in that position! and that she would try to fend for herself rather than finding someone to help! we have plenty of neighbors that she knows really well. silly girl. i'm sure she's spent the last few nights lying AWAKE in her bed thinking/planning what to do. i sure love her.

remembERing

argh...coconut threw us for a loop on tuesday, when she was misdiagnosed with pnemonia at her regular clinic (103 temp with crackily chest congestion)...send home with antibiotics and steroids. came home, napped (while moaning the entire time) for 1 1/2 hours. i went in to check on her and she was lying there with her eyes open (usually she would be sitting up, smiling, standing...something). i reached down to grab her and could immediately feel the heat radiating off of her. checked her temp...104.8! immediately gave her tylenol to break the fever and an hour later, it hadn't dropped. nurse line said to go into the ER. belly screamed, "are they going to cut her open?"

off to the ER we go, with good friend kris in tow (sorry, you missed a good dinner!) after getting belly situated with a neighbor and the promise of boppa coming soon. arrived to a very crowded lobby of the children's ER...and waited for our turn.

long story short...

after a catheter, blood draw, x rays...no pnemonia, but a uti. we got an antibiotic in her and were able to go home to catch...oh, about 3 hours of sleep before belly awoke. then dealt with her having a stomach bug (or is it just the awful cherry taste of her meds that she can't keep down?)

kids...no one else can emote such great love and terror within your heart at the same time.

with and without...

remember my task of going through coconut's clothes??

this is me trying to accomplish the task with baby -

notice the neat clothing piles being carelessly, yet joyfully, strewn about? we were listen to the "where were the mormons in the 80s?" soundtrack from some dear friends (who employ creative mormon titles on their monthly soundtracks now that they have moved to slc...). apparently coconut likes 80s music and this was some visually entertaining flag/ribbon dance move that she learned in some past life. either that or mommy's dance moves were wildly motivating. we built this city...

ahhhh, now that makes the job easier! though, she's not as happy about it...

but we have completed the task, and i actually got through belly's clothes too! yeah, me (with daddy's supervision of the babes)! now, some shopping to fill in the gaps (pajamas for coconut, pants for belly...) and we'll be good! hey, that's the fun part! especially if it means mommy gets out minus the girls for a little alone time!

fast forward...

so that last entry had a relatively OLD picture included. now that i've let a few people know about this *blog* (AKA glimpse into our household)...i thought i should include a newer picture!

this was taken by a good family friend, who has just started a new photography "business" (i put that in quotes because i'm not sure how "business" oriented he's trying to make it...) chad - let me know if you want me to include your website. he's good at what he does! we really enjoyed our photo shoot and had so many pictures to choose from...i'll try to include more later.

his business name is Chad Bailey Photography

here is one of our favorites from the shoot (taken at the zoo - one of our favorite places to be!)

hopefully, i'll have more exciting stuff to share in the near future...

have a great day!

trying it out...

coconut is still asleep and belly is at g-ma's...i already did the dishes...

i'm just going to see how/if i can get a picture in here...

don't worry.

nothing too interesting and kinda old (10 months ago on monday, crazy).

BIG sister with BIG blue eyes.

it worked!

coconut is getting restless...gotta go. and now i can finally go through her clothes - she's moving out of some and into others. husband will be so proud (not of her...of me...for finally going through her clothes and getting the bin back into the basement).

do i really want to do this?

i have a few favorite blogs that i look at on a regular basis...but just decided to try my hand at starting my own. feels kinda weird putting it all out there.

i'm kinda looking at this as a way to keep out of state friends/family involved in our family's going ons. but...do i really think that people will venture into internet space to see more about us? probably not, we really aren't that exciting. but maybe this will just be a good place for me to vent...without having to drive my husband crazy. i tend to talk too much...about things that he just wishes i would fix - rather than discuss. it's a male/female thing. i know...we just read the female brain by louann brizendine, md. i think the male brain is supposed to come out soon. i should check on that.

well...another day.