Six years?!

Its hard to believe it was six years ago already that Darren and I were married on that warm Saturday afternoon in August.  It feels like yesterday, yet at the same time so much has happened over the last six years it feels like a lifetime ago.  Over the last six years, we're lucky enough to have had more laughter than tears.

Let's see... We've gotten to take a few vacations: Mexico twice and Las Vegas once.  Also numerous weekend getaways.  I hope the next six years will bring us more vacations and memories.  We've bought four vehicles, three of them being for me.  We've moved twice and purchased one home.  We got a dog, Sophie who has caused stress, joy and laughter all at the same time.  We've had tears of sorrow in with the death of three of our grandparents.  (Darren's grandma Ruby in January 2010,  my Grandpa Pecha in January 2011, and most recently my Grandma Meinders in January 2012.)  We struggled with infertility, but somehow got through it and got the most beautiful little girls, Ava and Ella.  We've argued.  We've kissed and made up.  We've seen each other at our best and at our worst.  I couldn't have picked a better life partner and father for my children.

Our anniversary was on a Sunday this year.  Pair that with having a six week old baby at home, doesn't call for the most romantic of get-a-ways, but we had a good day.  We met some friends at church in the morning and then went with them and the girls out for lunch.  After lunch, we came home and relaxed and played for a few hours before we went on our date.  We had originally planned to eat at one of our favorite local restaurants, the Brown Bottle, but decided instead (because it was so nice outside) to take our bikes and ride to Pepper's and eat and have a drink.  The ride was a little long for two 30-something, out of shape parents, but we managed.  It was nice to have the time just the two of us for a few hours.

Weekday fun!

This week Ava went to Grammy and Grandpa Malcolm's for a couple of days.  Ava got spoiled by Grammy and Ella and I got some quality one-on-one snuggling in.  I asked Ava what she did at Grammy's house.  She  said, "I play."  And play they did.  Grammy is at Ava's beck and call, no wonder she loves going there!

I was also able to go have dinner and drinks with a couple of girlfriends on Wednesday evening while Daddy got some one-on-one Ella time.

One Month Old!

How is it possible my little princess is one month already?  How can the past month have flown by, yet the last month of pregnancy felt like it was never ending?  Ella has fit right into our little family.  Ava loves her so much and is such a good big sister!

No doctor's appointment this month, so I weighed her on our scale this morning to see where she was at.  Our little sunshine weighs in at 10 pounds, 6 ounces.  I didn't even attempt at getting a measurement for length, so we'll have to wait to see how much she's grown until her two month checkup at the doctor.

At one month, Ella:

• Can lift her head for several seconds while doing tummy time or when you are holding her chest to chest.
• Doesn't mind tummy time, but usually falls asleep so we haven't been doing it very often.
• Enjoys laying on the floor or on her boppy near wherever Ava is playing.
• Really enjoys her bouncy seat and has started liking her swing more and more this week.
• Takes a bottle really well.
• Doesn't mind bath time now that she can be fully emerged in the water.  Although, she screams when getting her out.  (Ava loves helping with bath time.)
• Loves to be held and snuggled to sleep.
• Is a very loud sleeper.  She does a lot of grunting and groaning while sleeping.
• Rarely cries when she wakes up, she usually just lays there and looks around making noises.
• Wakes up once to eat (usually between 3 and 5 am) and then up for the day between 6:30 and 8 am. She has gone long stretches of 7-7.5 hours three different times!
• Still spends a majority of the day sleeping, but is starting to be awake for longer stretches. 

Ella is currently wearing size 1 diaper.  I've been using size NB to use them up the past couple of days and she is running out of room in them!  We have also dabbled into using cloth diapers sometimes, but that will be another post entirely.   Ella is currently wearing size NB and 0-3 month clothing.  The NB clothes are getting a bit more snug, but they are still fitting her fine.  

Ella's eyes are still a dark blue-grey in color and haven't changed.  I am assuming I will have another brown-eyed sweetie, but being that they haven't changed yet it makes me wonder.  Of course, I can't quite remember when Ava's changed.

Maternity Leave Fun

We are having so much fun on my maternity leave!  I'm so thankful for the nice weather so that we are able to go out and about and do things together.  Ava has been going to school (daycare) two days a week, but on the days she's home I try to take her to do something fun.  Sometimes its just the neighborhood park and a walk, or the blow-up pool in the backyard, or going to Rachel's house to see Baby Kai.

We've been to the Splash Pad a couple times.  Ava is always pretty timid with all the other kids, but as soon as she warms up she has tons of fun!

Yesterday we went to the local movie theater for their $2 morning kids movie.  We saw Pirates: Band of Misfits.  Ava loved it and was really good.  Ella cuddled with me the first half of the movie, wide awake and looking around.  She didn't make a peep the entire movie.  Once she fell asleep I put her back in her car seat so that Ava could sit on my lap.  After the movie we walked around the mall for a little bit.  Ava got to throw some pennies in the fountain and ride on one of the cars in the middle of the mall.  She thought she was pretty big stuff.  She's also been talking about her birthday a lot lately, so we stopped in the store My Dress Up Shop so that she could look around and I could get some ideas.  The entire time we were in there all I heard was, "That's so cute!"  "This is so beautiful!" "Maybe I get this for my birthday?" "How 'bout this for Baby Ella?"  She is the sweetest!

Today we took advantage of the Dollar Thursday at the Phelps Youth Pavilion.  We had never been but I had been wanting to go and with admission only $1, its a great opportunity to check it out!  We were there for two hours and Ava didn't want to leave!  She had so much fun doing the artwork and playing pretend in the barn, the market, and the garden.   They also have an area where you can visit several different countries and learn about the culture there.  They even have little costumes.  She learned how to roll a burrito in Mexico and eat with chopsticks in China!

Splash Pad

She loves to climb...

and swing...

and slide!

Daddy got stuck in the tunnel slide!

She wanted to stand and watch the movie.

Ella slept right through the movie!

Driving the bus in the mall!

Digital painting at the Youth Pavilion .

 Ella watching what's going on.

 Planting vegetables and flowers.

 Driving the bus.

 Learning how to use chopsticks in China.

 Love her!

Mini golf.

The flu... boo!

We woke up Sunday to rain so it was the perfect day for snuggling and watching movies, which we spent most of the day doing.  Sunday afternoon Ava wasn't acting quite like herself.  She was very lethargic, her eyes look glazed over, she was a little whiny and she felt quite warm.  I got out the thermometer and sure enough... fever.  Oh no!  

After finally getting her to take some tylenol by holding her down and hearing her scream (seriously, this girl hates medicine!)  We snuggled up together in the recliner once again and before I knew it, Ava was vomiting... all over herself and me!  After she stopped we got her stripped down and in the bath tub and actually, she was doing much better and the temp had already come down.  She seemed much better when she went to bed that night, however around 4 am she woke up to go potty and started vomiting again.  Again, we got her cleaned up and sheets thrown in the laundry, gave her more tylenol and a drink and back to bed.  She slept Monday morning until 9 am.  

We spent Monday in our jammies and pushing the fluids.  She was doing a lot better, still a little glassy in the eyes and didn't want to eat.  I also spent Monday washing the bedding and Lysol-ing everything in sight.  I'm now praying that Ella and I don't get sick.  I can't imagine a 4 week old baby with the flu and I can't imagine having to take care of two little girls if I get it.  

Fun Saturday!

Saturday morning Ella and I met my mom and Rachel and Kai at the weekly downtown Farmer's Market.  I've only ever been once before but had been wanting to go, especially to check out a new local business Mama Made that makes homemade baby food, cloth diapers, and other baby-related items.  Ava stayed home and had a Daddy day, going with him to Blaine's to get my oil changed.  Darren said she had a lot of fun at the "tire store" going up and down every aisle looking at everything!

After the Farmer's Market we met Darren and Ava as well as my dad for a quick lunch before heading to Evansdale for the skateboard competition that my brother was in.  It was pretty hot that afternoon sitting in the sun, so we used an umbrella to keep Ella shaded.  My brother ended up placing 3rd in his division!  WAY TO GO JOSHY!

Baptism

We had a busy weekend this past weekend. The festivities started on Friday when I went over to Rachel's house to help her clean for the weekend events that were taking place at her house. Saturday we spent the morning hanging out at home and then the girls and I ran over to Rachel's house to bring over some things for later that evening. We had Kai's dedication Saturday afternoon. At Tyson and Rachel's church rather than do infant baptism they choose to do a dedication where the parents make the commitment to having him brought up in the church and when Kai is older he can make that decision himself, and then will be baptized. After Kai's dedication we ate pizza together in the cafe at their church and then attended the Saturday evening service. Kai looked so handsome and was his normal, happy self. Ava and Ella looked so pretty in their dresses as well.

After the service we went back to Tyson and Rachel's house for drinks and snacks. Rachel and I also had to finish our cakes for the next day. Oh, the cake... Let's just say when I was about done frosting it and ready to decorate I dumped mine on Rachel's kitchen floor. I shed a few tears and was very upset. I'm so lucky to have Ava to lighten the mood and make me laugh, she saw the cake on the floor but then when we cleaned it up she said, "Where's the cake?" I showed it to her in the garbage and then she said, "But we need it for the party!" My dad and Darren told me to go to Hy-Vee and buy a cake, but that wasn't going to cut it. I made a homemade cake for Ava's baptism, darn it, and I was going to do it again! So at 10:00 pm I sent Darren and my mom to Hy-Vee for more ingredients. Thank goodness we don't live in a rural area and there are grocery stores open all night!

The next day was Ella's big day! She looked so beautiful, just like a little doll, in her white dress. The dress has become very special in my family, worn by me, Rachel, Ava and now Ella. I hope many, many more little girls will get the opportunity to wear this very special dress. As I learned on Sunday that it was purchased for me by my Grandma Meinders, its even more special now. After the baptism we headed to Rachel's house for the lunch and CAKE that we had prepared.

I'm a lucky Mommy, I've got two pretty girls that love to snuggle!

Sisterly Love

Ava has been very loving towards Ella, but still a little nervous to get too close. I am thankful that she hasn't been too over-bearing, as I have some friends who have told me their older child has tried picking up his/her younger sibling. But still, I couldn't wait for those lovey pictures of big sister holding/kissing/loving up little sister. And today I got it! I asked her (as I had been asking daily) if she would like to hold Ella, and in true Ava fashion she replied "Sure." Doesn't she look so happy and so proud?