Our Memories for Today ~ A 2-month old, a melt-down and crying, crying, crying

Let me start off by saying that Harper Quinn turned 2 months old today ~ a fabulous memory to start off the day!  Riley was still snoozing (final wake-up time: 9:15am) and Sophie helped make funny faces at her as I took a zillion pictures.

That may have been the last memory for the day.  Oh ... except for the memory of Sophie having a day-long meltdown that began around 5:15am when she shot out of bed, angrily demanding mac and cheese that very instant.  Aside from a 30-minute glimpse of happiness from her one or two times throughout the day, it was a seriously slow motion cry fest for nearly the entire day.  Sophie cried and screamed a lot, too.  (In fact, she looked a lot like this, although this was over a year ago when she brought this moment upon herself, getting stuck in a baby doll high chair and instead of helping right away, I found my camera to capture the moment.  Today, I wasn't so quick to capture anything):

So now my great memory is bed time.  My hubby has been taking on the bulk of bedtime duties with the older two each night and I thought that maybe Sophie just needed some one-on-one mommy time.  We went upstairs, brushed teeth, went potty, put on jammies and picked out some special books and climbed in her glider together.  She laughed!  We were reading in funny voices, having fun and then something hit her ...

"Waaaaaait.  Mom put me in pajamas.  And my teeth are clean.  And crud, my curtains are closed and my bed sheets are pulled back and .... AUUUUGHH!  This is BED TIME!!!!".

Our serene book-reading came to a screeching halt, but then I found myself in a place I haven't been in quite a long time.  I was rocking my not-so-baby, singing lullabies, and running my fingers through her hair.  While I rocked her nearly every night throughout my pregnancy with Harper, I wasn't able to hold her on my stomach and really cuddle her ... and since Harper has been born, I haven't been as present with her bedtimes.  So there we were - rocking away.  And although she was crying and protesting, I just held her tight and continued to sing.  Soon, her little tired body gave in to what she most likely needed all day - sleep.
Off to bed I head, with high hopes of better memories to be made tomorrow ...

Our memories for today ~ September 29, 2013

I visit here often.  You wouldn't know it, seeing as how my last post was ages ago.  I come here to write, then feel ashamed for how long it has been and I back away.  Tonight as I was getting the girls all ready for bed, I was thinking back over our day and the memories that we made in just 12 hours of time together.  It hit me that I must start writing these down ... because I cannot remember some of our conversations just 24 hours later, so the vivid details of these memories will be fleeting and I know I want to preserve them.

Did you know I had a third baby?  Sure did.  Harper Quinn.  She will be 2 months old tomorrow.  She is perfection and deliciously yummy.

I would love to begin capturing one memory with each girl per day and preserving it here.  This way my posts can be short on the days - like today - when I am much too exhausted to write or even think much, but I can stay active with this blog once again.  So ... for today's memories ...

Riley Elayne ~ 4 years old

As I was putting Riley down to bed tonight, she proudly proclaimed, "Mommy, I have a plan for us.  Here is my plan.  One night last day (her way of saying this week), we are going to watch a movie at night - just me and you.  Oh, and popcorn, too.  Just us, mama".

This little girl can pull tears out of me faster than anyone I know.  I cannot wait for our movie date night.

Sophie Noelle ~ 2 years old

I went grocery shopping this afternoon on my own.  When I pulled into the driveway, there stood gorgeous Sophie at the front door, waving enthusiastically with the largest smile on her face.  She came out the front door and I handed her the bag of groceries that contained her newly found favorite treat: Disney Fairies fruit snacks.  They are the only fruit snacks she likes and she gets so excited over them.  She heaved the bag up onto her little shoulder and ran for the front door, yelling "Daddy!  I got fairy fruit snacks!".  However, she wasn't done.  She came back to the car for another bag of groceries and carried it to Daddy at the door.  She did this over and over until all the groceries were carried in.  She was such an enthusiastic little helper and I just stood and watched her smile and beam as she proudly helped us.

Harper Quinn ~ 8 weeks old:

Harper began cooing and smiling several weeks ago, but she doesn't just hand out smiles freely and I had yet to get a huge, gummy grin from her.  This afternoon, as Daddy watched Sunday afternoon football games with her on his chest, I came up behind them to see her.  There it was - her head rose up at the sound of my voice, we locked eyes, and that mouth opened so wide and creased into a huge smile and her eyes just lit up.  It was total mama recognition and melted my heart.

Our Day ... Thursday, August 2, 2012

I have been away from the blog again ... For much too long. I know this should be one of my top priorities as to preserve memories and milestones of my girls, but it has fallen to the wayside. However, each day I continue to take countless photos of my girls, doing things throughout our day. It occurred to me that I should simply begin posting these pictures on here at the end of each day and our stores, memories and milestones can be told through pictures! So here we go ...

Our day began with egg white breakfast sandwiches. Originally this was mommy's, but the girls fell in love with it and decided to share one.

After this, we took a trip to Sam's Club. This is always a gamble and I'm not sure if it ends successful or stressful, but it was a fabulous trip and the girls loved their bakery cookies.

I had used a trip to the neighborhood playground as a bit of bribery for good behavior at Sams, so I had to stay true to my word.

The girls ate a great lunch and it was soon nap time. Riley had been pleading for me to play dolls with her, so I made her a deal that she could trade her nap in for an early bedtime and we would use the time to play dolls. We shook on it. That made it official.

Riley drew me a picture while I tended to a fussy-and-no-napping-Sophie.

Soon we were outside playing while dinner finished up in the crock pot and we waited on Daddy to come home from work. Nothing more fun than some sidewalk chalk, a sprinkler and a water table!

My heart is so warm

My parents are in town this week, watching the girls while we are at work. I just spent a few minutes outside of Riley's bedroom door, eavesdropping on she and Grandma's bedtime chatter. Listening to my mom recite an updated version of The Three Bears (I believe it was just "The Three Bears and their Stinky Feet"), my heart grew so warm. I still remember crawling into my mom's lap when I was young for her to tell stories to me; hearing her do the same with Riley just warms my heart right up. No one's love compares to the love of a grandma and grandpa!! Love my parents.

Proudest Mommy-Moment to Date

It isn't often that you'd find me at my desk at work, crying (although believe me - I've been on the verge many, many times). It happened today. But today they were happy tears. Thankful tears. Tears that came from validation that hubby and I are doing something completely right with our babies ... Or even more, that God is working thru us and them.

My husband sent me an instant message at work (we are employed by the same company) that he had just talked with his mom, who watches our girls. His first message to me was "Amazing Riley". This is of no surprise to me, as she is always amazing. But then his words that followed ...

"Riley was playing with a Polly Pocket and a Spiderman figurine today. Poly was yelling "help! Save me!", trying to escape Spiderman. Mom told her that Spiderman is a good guy and he saves people, to which Riley replied:

"No. GOD saves people".

Thank you Jesus. Thank you for working thru our daughter and having such an effect on her life. I can't begin to imagine what the Lord has in store for her. God is good.