Peddlin!

Monday morning I was awaken early by little Miss Mallory which started me in a funk.  So I got all the kids ready (and myself) and we went for a walk (to walk away the funk) before I had to go to work and Mrs. C showed up.  When we got back I was hot (it is a lot of working carrying a 12 pound child on your front while pushing a I-don’t-know-how-much-pound stroller), so we stayed outside too cool down and Mallory rode around on her bike. 

We have been trying to get her to peddle for a long time.  She couldn’t grasp it.  Well after the weekend of riding bikes with the cousins she was putting one foot on the peddle and pushing with the other.  So while her and I were outside on Monday morning I had her put both feet on the peddles and I pushed her a little and before we knew it I wasn’t pushing anymore and she was peddling!

She was so excited and shouted “hooray! I peddlin!”   She rode in a circle for the rest of the morning!  : ) 

Max sat in the stroller and blew bubbles.  I kept trying to get him to smile…

… and Mally said she would smile for my picture. 

While Max refused to smile for me. 

blowing bubbles was way more fun for him.

Making a Yard!

We finally got to finish our yard on Saturday.  It has been dug up since last fall.  We couldn’t finish it until the electrician and the cable guy came back to burry their cables.  They finally came a few weeks ago and we could even out the ground and plant grass seed!  It was very exciting for us because we were sick of looking at our muddy (when raining) yard.

I had my sister spend the night so she was here during all the excitement.  Her little guy is really into machinery and such.  When Jesse’s Dad showed up Friday night to unload his skid steer… Garrett said “dats a coo back-hoe”. 

Ellyn got the first ride in it on Saturday.

She was as proud as a little peacock in there! 

After naps we gave Garrett a turn and well I guess “back-hoes” are only “coo” from a distance.  He didn’t like it.  He screamed and cried!

Max sat in his chair and started to hold onto his toys.  This poor boy and all his girly hand-me-down toys!  : )  He has his monster truck shirt on though for the dirt diggin day. 

Side tracked… I planted pots for the patio and this one is my ultimate favorite!  I don’t remember any of the names of plants besides the center one (king tut) so hopefully I can come back to this picture next summer and recreate it again.

I didn’t take a before picture – completely forgot about it.  But this is all after.  Looking up towards the new garage from the back of the yard.

We really like this little nook behind the garage and we are thinking of putting our firepit back here. 

Mally thought it was a fun game to let her ball roll down this hill and then point at it and say “go get it momma”.  I told her I wasn’t a dog and I don’t play fetch. 

Mally running in the dirt with no shoes.  You will find this child barefoot a lot!  Shoes can’t be kept on her!

Side tracked… see the outfit Mallory is wearing?  Cute right?!  I’m at Target searching the 75% off clearance rack for myself and I see this cute outfit that is a strapless one piece shorts outfit for $3!!  I was like, how ugly can this be for three dollars?!!  I must try it on… maybe I could just wear it around home.  Well folks!  It was gross!  I couldn’t even get it for $3.  I couldn’t get it if it was free!  Ick! 

Looking up towards the house from the back yard.

Our garage patio.  I have three pots of flowers that sit on here – but they were moved for the making of the lawn.  : )  I still haven’t found the perfect patio furniture for it.  Well I take that back.  I have found perfect patio furniture – but I don’t like its price tag.

Standing at the house looking back towards the field.

Then I decided to step into the office that Jesse built for me to work in – so I am not in the house while the nanny is here.  This is in the new garage…

My desk for when I work at my Oregon job.  A little messy – I have been really busy there and papers tend to stack up.

This is my FreyMoto desk that Jesse and I share.  : )  For the most part we share really well… because I’m usually gone doing my mom role when Jesse is working in here.  My Oregon desk sits just to the right of this desk (behind it) and I can slide my chair back and forth between the two stations.  Perfect set up for me!  It helps me keep my brain separated when working with customers.  I have been known to answer the phone using the wrong greeting.

It is a cozy little office and I really like working out here.  Only trouble is there is no restroom.  : )  We still need to put a clear sealer on the wood.  Jesse got this wood [cherry wood] from his Mom except it was rough cut… meaning the bark was still on it.  So he had to cut the wood into useable strips and then plain it smooth!  It was a HUGE job and it was very MESSY job.  But it turned out great!!

Shannon found a toad in the dirt.  Can you see it?

Now can you see it?

Now we just water and wait for the grass to grow! 

Pokey Mallory

Mallory is slow moving.  She doesn’t have much pep behind her.  Most of the time I hear myself saying “hustle girl” to her a lot. 

My sister and the kids came over on Friday to help me out and watch my kids while I worked.  My sitter had the day off and Shannon thinks she wants a daycare.  It was so nice out that we sent the kids outside to ride bikes.  They were racing down the patio.

Here is Mallory getting her bike up to the starting line.  (pictures curtsey of Shannon)

All lined up, but Mr. Garrett took off already.  He is a boy and doesn’t have much patience for these pokey girls.  Elly is a little pokey herself.  : )

Elly is long gone and here comes Garrett, he is already on his way back.  Mally… she is just starting.

She keeps going though! 

Somewhere along the way she catches back up with Elly… or was she lapped and this is Elly’s second time back? 

Garrett and Ellyn at the end…

Mallory at the beginning getting her bike back up.  Now cut the girl some slack… look at the bike she has been given to ride compared to the other two.  No wonder she is in last place.  : )  She is a good host though and gives the nicer bikes to the visiting cousins.

Where’s Max?  Taking a nap!

By the end of the day on Friday (they all spent the night) we had cured Shannon’s desire for a daycare!  She’ll keep her day job!  : )  And when we finally got all the kids in bed we busted into the ice cream and chocolate and watched Kate + 8… because we just didn’t have enough of rowdy running yelling kids.  : ) 

Max–Two Months

Little Man is two months old already.  I say already, but it feels like Maxwell has always been with us.  I am not really sure who he looks like.  We pulled out Jesse’s baby pictures this weekend and he does not look like him.  Jesse had a more oval shape face and Max is round.  Jesse had light hair and Max has dark.

He is starting to get rolly-polly and the nicknames are coming.  I tend to call him ChubbaLubba… which Mally hears and then calls him ChubbaLubba.

Cooing and Smiling.  He really likes to be talked to and coos back when we talk to him.  I heard him giggle once, in his sleep.  It was adorable.  I would giggle back and he would giggle again, all in his sleep.

Jesse always tells him he has bad Nuk Control.  He can’t seem to keep his nuk in his mouth.  I have caught him sucking on his fingers quite a bit lately.  Either the middle two fingers or his first two fingers.  When he is really hungry his fists are in his mouth and you have to pry them away to get to his mouth! 

He is no where close to sleeping thru the night.  I’m just craving a night of sleep and waking in the morning when I want to wake up.  I’m tired of being woke up by a little person.  Mally has now been waking up and coming in our room and she comes on my side (Max sleeps on my side in his own little bed) and she yells “Maxwell is waking up!  Maxwell is waking up!”  I finally get my eyes open to see that, no Maxwell was not waking up, but he is now.  Thankyouverymuch!  Max is getting up around 2am/3am and then again at 5am… but at 5 I can usually pop the nuk back in (several times) and get him to “sleep” until 5:45/6.  He is kind of like hitting the snooze on the alarm clock… If I give him the nuk I can get a few more minutes of sleep.  : ) 

He stays with the nanny now.  When I was still pregnant I didn’t think that I would be leaving Max with the nanny for a few months.  Ha.  I think it was the third week of her being here and when she got here he was sleeping so I left him and she brought him to me when he woke up hungry.  We did that for a week and then I tried him on a bottle and he did great with it.  So now she gives him bottles.  At this time he can do both – take a bottle and nurse without any troubles.  Unlike Mallory who refused a bottle. 

Maxwell even goes to story hour at the library on Tuesdays with everyone!  I felt so proud of myself when she took him the first time.  Obviously I trust and really like our nanny.  : )  And so do the kids!  Mallory still squeals every morning when they show up.

Max is fussy.  There are even times when I put him down and he watches me out of the corner of eye and when he can’t see me anymore he cries and cries and will not stop until I come back and pick him back up.  He can be trouble sometimes!  : )  Even Mrs. C will say that “he screamed at me until I carried him around.”  : )  Trouble Mr. Max!  You are trouble!  You are only two months old and already you know how to work the system.  ; )  However, Mrs. C told me that her mom always told her you can’t spoil a baby and we both laughed.

Max has to have the last word.  There are times where Max will be crying, but I can’t get to him because something else is going on and when I get over by him and while I am picking him up he stops crying instantly.  Then I put him on my shoulder (his favorite spot) he gives out one last cry/yell.

He is still not a scheduled baby.  Drives me crazy!  I am such a routine person – and he is not. 

Mallory at two months.

Testing...

Does this really work?  Got a new phone where I can blog from...

Max’s Orange Balloon

After Mallory’s birthday party we had balloons and we realized that Max loved looking at the balloons.  So we kind of named the orange one… Max’s Orange Balloon.  If he was getting fussy or needed a change of scenery we would get the balloon for him.

Now the balloon is flat and they think we should go get Max another one.

I also have started letting Max sit in the bumbo chair for a few minutes.  We usually have to fight Mallory for it – she loves to sit in it.

I was loving the red stripped pants he was wearing.  They made me giggle.  Oh and his bare feet sticking out – Cute!

On the verge of losing it…

D.O.N.E.  Momma just hold me and feed me.  I’m done.

Life with Two

There are days where I have moments and I go… what did I do when it was just Mallory and I?  Life must have been so boring.

The other day I was taking a shower.  Now, that I have two kids – I am lucky if I get a shower in the morning.  Lucky.  Well the other day I wanted a shower.  I put Maxwell in his bouncy seat and bring him with me.  I turn on Sesame Street for Mallory and tell her I am going to take a shower.  Few minutes in – Mallory charges into the bathroom leaving the door WIDE open saying “I open da door.  Hi Momma!  Hi Momma!  Hi Momma!  Hi Momma!  I open da door.”  Yes, Mallory, you opened the door.  Now shut it!  Takes a few moments of me repeating “shut the door, Mallory” and then she finally shuts it.  Comes to the shower and now is opening my shower door.  I explain how we have to keep this door closed because water goes everywhere when you open it and say hi to me.  She plays around for a bit and finally gets bored and leaves.  And actually closes the door when she leaves!  Ah, a moment of silence!

Now guess who’s turn it is to act out.  Maxwell!  He is no longer content and starts crying.  Guess what I do next?  Call Mallory back into the bathroom!  Mally!  Come give Max his nukers!  She comes running in to give Max his nuk and she is funny when she does it.  She tries and tries to get him to hold on it… he is sometimes hard to get to take his nuk.  She says “momma can’t get it.”  Max continues to cry.

Shower is over!

- - - -

So, I have recently purchased a new workout DVD (post pregnancy by Tracy Anderson) because after having baby #2… things just are not pretty.  And one morning (5am) I was up nursing Max on the couch (which I never do – I usually stay in bed and hope to go back to sleep for a bit.) and decided to turn on the TV and there was a Tracy Anderson’s infomercial on her new exercise dvds.  I was hooked!  I watched the entire infomercial!  I sent Jesse an email and said – I’m getting these videos!  Then saw she had a post pregnancy one and it was so so so much cheaper – so I got that one. 

Now the tricky part is doing this video and finding the time.  I have attempted to do it and Mallory will do it with me until we get to the part where we lay on the floor and start working our abs (about 5 minutes in) and she comes running and jumps on me and starts using me as her personal jungle gym!  The first night I was giggling so hard at her.  About 15 minutes later she is done with this and says, “momma do a project?”  So I stop – I need to start out slowly anyways, right?  : )

The second night she climbed on me again – but I really wanted to exercise so I told her she could do it.  I also decided to put her in real underpants for a bit – so I keep saying every 3 minutes, Mallory you can’t go potty in these special big girl pants.  You will get wet and make a mess.  Do you have to go potty?  To which she keeps telling me no.  Max keeps spitting out his nuk and he wants it back – I’m stopping to put the nuk back in his mouth.  Then Mally walks by me and I check her and she is WET!  Ugh.  Into the bathroom we go for new pants – and back to the pull-ups.  Come back out and do a few more moves (I just let the dvd keep going).  And then Mallory wants to do a project.  Done. 

However, the few moves that I am getting in are working because it hurts to sneeze.  And my allergies are so bad right now that I am sneezing a lot and my abs hurt!!!

BTW:  Mallory has been doing pretty good with potty training.  I haven’t changed a poopy diaper in a very long time and she pees on the potty too – just not every time.  She only goes when you ask her.  She use to tell us when she had to go – she rarely does now.

Alright, Mr. Max is making a nest and I want his nest to be in his bed – because he has been a bad sleeper the last couple of nights.  He thinks he needs to eat every hour after 2am.  I’m not a fan!  Mommy wants some sleep boy!  So this morning I just pulled him into bed with me and we both fell back asleep and at 6:50 I hear “Mommy I have to go potty!  Mommy I have to go potty!  Mommy I have to go potty!”  So I scramble out of bed and get her in the bathroom and she DOESN’T GO!  Talk about an early morning rush for nothing.  : )  She never wakes up and tells me she has to go potty… it is usually… Mommy snuggle me.  Mommy I wants some juice.  Mommy I opened da door.

Nighty Night!

Braids and Cribs

If you were to see Mallory in person you would notice how very thin her hair is.  Like extremely thin!  Also for some reason her hair grows towards the front instead of the back.  So she constantly has hair in her face.  It drives me crazy!  It also drives her crazy and she yells “my hair in my face!” and starts trying to push it out of the way which just makes a bigger mess and puts more in her face.  You would think she would let me put a “pretty” in hair after this meltdown… but nope.  She runs away!

I usually have to get to her hair while she is distracted watching Sesame Street. 

One day I decided to give her a single braid and it was so cute… but it looked like a little rat tail in the back.  So the other day I decided to try two braids.

It worked!  However, her hair parts really funny and so one was bigger then the other and it wasn’t center… but it was SO CUTE!

She looked like such a big kid with her braids.  They actually stayed in the whole day and even thru a nap.  I did put a touch of hairspray in – but just a touch.

Then I tried to have Max take a nap in his crib.  He hasn’t slept in his crib yet – he still sleeps in his Amby swing in our room at night and during the day he sleeps wherever.  He slept in here for a bit (not sure how long because I went to work and Mrs. C took over). 

P.S. Jesse got my internet back up and working so I should be back in business again.  : )