Every night Brooke starts to get antsy around 5pm. She knows that Dustin will be home soon, she knows that dinner will be ready soon, and she knows that she will get some one on one time with either Dustin or myself. But last night it was an annoyed antsy. The kind where she starts whining and asking for things that either don't exist or are in another language. All of her wonderful toys are suddenly boring and me merely suggesting we read a book ends up in it getting thrown across the room. So we improvised.
Molly has been trying to roll for a few days now but yesterday morning she successfully rolled from her back to her belly. It takes her a minute to get her arm free [which you see her trying to do in the video] but she is a pro! Every time I lay her down on her back she rolls right to her belly. She can roll to her back as well but she would rather cry and complain until I come and correct her position. And then she rolls right back to her belly again.
It is a good day if I can get Brooke to take a nap. I am not sure where she gets all her energy from but she can go from 9am-9pm with out so much as an eye rub. I do make her have at least an hour of quiet time in her room. I remove her wipes [lesson learned] and lock up her dresser cabinet before I shut her door. She normally reads books, plays with her little people toys, and if I am lucky, she will fall asleep on the floor for a while. But every now and then I forget to lock up the cabinet and she takes her revenge out on me.
:: insert shrieky horror music here ::
Apparently she didn't want her pants nicely folded and put away... Hair bows/clips EVERYWHERE Stuffed animal carnage, littered with random clothes and hair bows/clips The culprit.
Lena asked me to share more about how Dustin and I came to be. I don't think I have ever shared this story on here so I am dedicating a whole post to it. I give partial credit for us meeting to the varsity baseball coach at my high school. You may be thinking, "But I thought you met in college?" Why yes, yes we did. But when I was a mere freshman the coach approached me and said "Jess, how would you like to keep stats for the baseball team?" Baseball, boys, and getting out of class early? Yes please! I spent the next four years keeping stats for the baseball/softball teams and when I got to college I decided to see if I could carry my skills over. I emailed Taylor's head baseball coach and he said he would be happy to have a baseball manager. The rest of the credit goes to Dustin's best friend, Trent. See they were both on the Taylor baseball team so they knew who I was at that point [being the only girl on the field] but past numbers and baseball hats I couldn't tell Adam from Eve. Trent invited me and my roommate to come hang out one night and that is where I met him. Dustin. A tall, funny red head in serious need of a hair cut [which he eventually got].
Our first official picture together. Hello back of throat!
This about sums up our relationship...
From this point it is a lot of me pursuing him and him being clueless for a few months. I still did things with my friends and participated in Freshman activities to become better acquainted with the school. But when I could I would show up places he was, or stop by his room during open house just to say hi. He eventually, with the help of his wing mates, caught on to me fancying him. I think the final thing that pushed us into becoming a "couple" was when he invited me home with him during J-term. A huge ice storm hit our county and our school had to close for a few days due to no power or running water. So Dustin and I, along with one of my friends and a few of his teammates, headed north for a few days. It wasn't long after that that we become official...
Fast forward 2 years to Christmas 2006.
I was at home anxiously wishing it was the 27th because that was the day Dustin was flying into Philly. My dad had to go "into work" for something that afternoon and my mom spent a good amount of time being angry at him for it. We were going to my Uncle and Aunt's house that night so being the fashionable person I am I put my hair up and threw on sweatpants and an Eagles jersey. Yeah, I looked awesome. At some point my dad wandered into the house and went upstairs to talk to my mom. A few minutes later the doorbell rang. I am thinking "Who the heck is here?!" I wait for either my mom or dad to come down and answer the door but all I hear is, "Jess, can you answer that?" As I get closer to the door I see someone in a suit. I figure that it is a Jehoviah's Witness and prepare myself to kindly turn him away. I open the door and there stands Dustin, dressed in a suit. Because I was oblivious at the time I opened the door and said, "What are you doing here?" He then proceeds to propose to me. I don't remember what he said, and I do know he forgot to get down on one knee, but I remember being over the moon happy! We went inside to greet my parents who were in on the whole thing. My dad's trip to "work" was a trip to the airport. My mom even had to lie to my Aunt and tell her that we could only come for dessert because they chose to not tell a soul about our coming engagement.
This was a reenactment, by the way....
And almost 3 years after we started dating, we were married....
So there you have it. Wuv, twu wuv. Mawwage is what bwings us togethew. [The first person to reference where I got this from gets a free headband from me. I'm not even kidding, this is how much I love it...]
Can you feel it? I can. The days are still warm but the nights are starting to get cool. It's the type of weather where you need to come home and throw on a sweatshirt before heading outside, and maybe you even have a hot drink in your hands. I love it. Fall means the leaves change, bonfires are plenty, and Thanksgiving is on the way. We have plans to take the girls to the pumpkin patch. This will be Brooke's second year but a first for Molly. We also have their Halloween costumes already. I am not a big Halloween girl but I cannot pass up the opportunity to prance my girls around in adorable costumes!
Molly turned 3 months old yesterday! Time sure is flying by. I still need to weigh and measure her but I would not be surprised if she is over 12 pounds at this point. The girl spends the majority of her day eating. She is smiling all the time now, it doesn't take much to get a grin from her. She is on the verge of a giggle but right now it sounds more like a squeal. She is doing pretty good at holding her head up but when I lay her on her belly she prefers to suck on her arms. If only she would take a pacifier, I think she would be pleasantly surprised. Here are some 3 month pictures I took of her yesterday...
1. Do you have a daily routine with your girls? If so what is it?
I like to call my daily routine "organized chaos". We do have certain activities we do on a daily basis. Every morning when I open Brooke's door she puts her paci on the dresser and says "Thank you! Diapee change?" I get her dressed and bring her out to the main room for breakfast, which is normally a waffle, a banana, and milk. Sometimes Molly joins us for this, sometimes she is still sleeping. We alternate TV and playtime in the morning [Brooke has a few favorite shows we watch on PBS]. Sometimes we go out and run errands to Target or Meijer, which doesn't happen often now that I have two! Lunch is around 12:30 and I try to start Brooke's nap around 1pm. She doesn't really nap much anymore so I make her have at least 1-2 hours of quiet time. Mommy needs a break too! When Dustin comes home Brooke revolves around him for the night. They play outside together, take walks together, and he does her whole bedtime routine. Her bedtime routine includes a bath, milk and bed time stories, brushing her teeth, and then her falling asleep on the floor. Molly doesn't really have a schedule just yet so I can't really include her in much of this.
2. What do you think is the hardest thing about 2 under 2?
Not having enough time. I used to get things done during Brooke's naps/quiet time but now there is a 50/50 chance that Molly will be awake during that time. She also prefers to be held when awake so chores are often left undone.
3. Is it harder or easier than you thought?
Right now it is easier. I still mange to run errands even if sometimes I want to leave the store in chores. I still manage to do dishes and clean bathrooms. And somehow I still mange to keep my sanity despite waking up 3-4 times each night.
4. What's the hardest thing about being a SAHM to 2 under 2?
Well, this just seems like a repeat of #2. :) With the SAHM aspect I would say just not having much adult time. I spent part of my day trying to have a normal conversation with Brooke and interpret her answers. The rest of my day is spent gooing and gahing at Molly.
5. How are your girls alike/different?
Well, so far they baby stage has been pretty similar. Molly has acid reflux [that requires medication] just like Brooke did. Molly is a bit high maintenance just like Brooke was. Molly is a boob girl, just like Brooke was. Molly has the cutest smile, just like Brooke did and still does. Differences? They look nothing alike.
Laura asked:
Does Brooke get jealous of Molly sometimes? If yes, what does she do and how do you handle it?
Not really. She has yet to act out because of Molly, or attempt to hit/push her. For the most part if Dustin is holding Molly and Brooke wants him to do something she will pat the baby bouncer and say, "Baby down". Brooke could care less about what I am doing with Molly. I am interested to see how this changes as Molly gets older and more interactive.
How did you lose the baby weight (for future reference for me personally.)?
Oh stop, you will be the cutest pregnant lady ever! But really, with Brooke it just took time. I lost weight in increments and it didn't seem to matter how much I exercised or tried to eat well. I lost all 40lbs just before Brooke turned 1. With Molly I still have about 15-20lbs to lose but I am being patient this time around. I know it will happen eventually. Of course I still eat well and exercise when I can, a little effort goes a long way!
I logged on to my blog this weekend to find the design all messed up. There was a photobucket error message even though I don't have any background images. I removed some codes I didn't recognize and in the process ruined my table settings and background color, so it is a little bland right now. I'll fix it sometime this week if I can figure it out. Hopefully the white isn't blinding anyone!
Our weekend was pretty good. Friday we went out with friends for pizza and ice cream. Saturday I went shopping at Old Navy. [Sidenote: They are having their baby sale this week so get over there if you can!] The majority of our weekend was filled with football. Unfortunately all of the teams we were rooting for lost. And when you have a family that favors three different pro teams and one college team, that is pretty disappointing. Thankfully is was a good week for my fantasy football team though.
Also, if you notice to the left I am having a major sale on bows and headbands. Everything is majorly cheap, and not because they are bad quality... but because I want my craft cabinet emptied!
Dustin, his mom, and I took the girls to the zoo on Sunday. We could not have picked a better weekend to go. It was sunny and 75 with a light breeze. There were a lot of people there but we were able to make our way through and see all of the exhibits. And thanks to the wonderful weather almost all of the animals were out and active.
"Look Mommy, a ge-waff!" "Zee-bahs" Sitting on the monkey
Notice the resemblance? She loved the goats Not so much the draft horse Best family picture we could manage Molly woke up for the end of the trip Happy Girl
"I am one stomach flu away from my goal weight." If you have seen The Devil Wears Prada you know what I am talking about. Now, I am about 5 stomach flus away from my goal weight but that isn't the point. After last week's motivation post I caught the stomach flu from who knows where. It was a bad, bad day in our home but thankfully Dustin has a flexible job and was able to come home for part of the morning, while his mom helped with Brooke in the afternoon.
BUT it did help jump start my weight loss. I lost 5 pounds that day, which I partially gained back because of the dehydration, but I am now down 5 pounds total! 15 more pounds to go until I am at my comfortable weight, 20 pounds to my goal weight. I find that getting started with weight loss is the hardest part. Who wants to eat right and exercise?! Okay, maybe some of you... but not me. Once I saw that movement in numbers on the scale, I suddenly felt motivated. I can lose weight. I can do this. I have had a good week of walking and eating well, now I just need to make it through week two.
I know those aren't the most exciting words but they are all I could think of in relation to this weekend. Dustin has off on Monday but he is going into work tomorrow, so does it really count? I would rather just come out and be honest, this weekend is going to be a disappointing one. Just like most of our weekends. The amount of stress I feel right now has caused an uncomfortable lump to form in my throat. You know that feeling where you just need a break but you know you probably won't get one for a really long time? I have it.
To add some positive to this post, here are some newer pictures of the girls!
A mom, wife, friend, Christian, chef, maid, and nurse. I love reading, walking, drinking tea, and watching old TV shows on Netflix. My most recent passion is photography and though I do not do it professionally, I am having a blast practicing this hobby with my girls. I love crafts of any kind and have an Etsy shop for hair bows and head bands.
Dustin
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Brooke
Also known as Brookie or Boo. She is a sassy, fashionable 3 year old with a love for all things pink. She is into Princesses, painting her nails, and putting on pretend make up. She likes to pick out her clothes each morning and which shoes she'll wear. She is also my sweet and sensitive girl, and loves a good cuddle at night.
Molly
The newest addition to our family! Our little Molly Moo is learning and growing by the day. She has stunning blue eyes that she got from her Nonna, and everything else comes straight from her Daddy. She is such a flirt and will smile at anyone who glances in her direction. She may look just like Dustin but she is definitely a Mommy's girl. She always finds me in a room of people just to make sure I am still there.
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