my 'baby' turns two!

They wern't kidding when they said time flies by! It's really hard to believe that Charlotte is two-years-old. She is a full-blown toddler but seems to amaze us each and every day. Sometimes we can't believe the things she is able to comprehend and understand (even though she doesn't always listen or obey). Here's a quick look back at my little baby girl.

going home

2.5 months

1 year

Here's some of the things she can do/say/understand - the list seems endless!

• Eat with a fork and spoon
• Drink out of a cup
• Let us know after she went potty (it's a start!)
• Say her ABC's - almost without error
• Count to 12 or 13 - usually without error, but sometimes she still counts in the wrong order
• Talk in 4-5 word sentences
• Run all over the place
• Put puzzles together that say "Intended for children 3+"
• Insist on sleeping with 10 plastic animals, 20 blankets and 30 books
• Sleep 12 hours straight in the big girl bed
• Share with her friends
• Know when somebody is happy, sad or even hurt

Looking back I can hardly remember the struggles we had in that first year with her. That's how I know time really does move quickly. We couldn't imagine life without this little spunk. It still breaks my heart to know there are people out there that never wish to have kids. I respect this decision but don't understand it. I really can't imagine what my life would be like without Charlotte. It might not be as stressful, but it sure would be without much of the joy I've encountered over the last two years.

We love you Charlotte and can't wait to watch you grow into a young girl. But please, don't do it too fast or your mom and dad might have a heart attack! And, please don't teach your little sister everything naughty that you know...

very smelly night

Gretchen wasn't the best going down last night. I was trying to go to bed early (7 p.m.) and it just wasn't happening. Kevin was rocking her and when she'd be asleep, he'd put her down and she'd wake up. Finally I told him he has to just hold her so I could get in a measly two hours or else I was going to be mega bi*ch in the morning. I got to finally sleep from about 8-10:30 p.m.

Charlotte has had some of the smelliest, ickiest diapers. I guess Kevin changed one around 10 p.m. which is after she's been in bed. This is rare. Now that I know this, it's no wonder when I was up around 11 p.m. nursing Gretchen that I thought it smelled like the dog pooped in the house. (He didn't.)

Then I was up at 1 a.m. nursing Gretchen and it still smelled. I also heard Charlotte talking in her bedroom, which sometimes happens. I continued to nurse Gretchen to get one kid out of the way and went to tell Charlotte to go back to bed (it's now 1:30 a.m.) I turned on the light and to my surprise there is puke, chunky, smelly puke, in her bed and all over her.

I whisked her to the bathroom, stripped her down and threw her in the tub. She was shaking and smiling and smelled terrible. At the loss of $5 - I tossed her jammies. Yes, they were that bad. Bad enough. I rinsed her off and shouted for Kevin to get out of bed and give me a hand. Slowly he woke up and came to help. He took care of Charlotte, gave her a bath, dried her hair and I tackled the bedroom.

Let me start by saying I'm glad she didn't have her entire bedroom in her bed last night. We got away pretty darn good considering. However, we did say goodbye to her pillow (it was really old) and cupcake pillowcase. Yes, it was THAT bad. Unfortunately, I had to wash Rufus and she wasn't happy about going to bed again without him. She got fresh sheets and managed to fall asleep just after 2 a.m. I threw everything in the wash and we headed to bed as well.

But of course, I'm wide awake now and didn't exactly fall asleep. Wouldn't ya know, Gretchen woke up at 3 a.m. ready to eat again. Yippie, another shitty night of no sleep. I am really going to have to try and take a nap today. And, since Charlotte puked, I really can't take her to play with any friends. The "rule" is keep you kid away for at least 24-hours. Bummer. We'll be locked inside all day....

I sure hope this is a minor bug. Her second birthday party is Saturday and I'd hate to have a sick kid, especially on her birthday! She was pretty chipper when going to bed so I think she'll be ok.

What's really funny is two days ago I was just telling some of my friends that Charlotte has never puked in bed and somehow I was a lucky one. Boy, I sure put my foot in my mouth then. I guess I can welcome myself to the club...

string quilt

I have all 20 blocks pieced together for Gretchen's quilt. I just love how it turned out and can't wait to start quilting it sometime. This will be straight-lined quilted following the diamond shape. Yippie!

Gretchen's String Quilt

Fabric is Patricia Bravo's Paradise Collection. I used 18 fat quarters but came a little short on the fabric so I would suggest using 19 or 20 fat quarters for this size. It finishes at 46" x 57.5" - I used 12" blocks and scrapbooking paper to complete the paper piecing method. Each block should finish at 11.5". Stay tuned!

today, heaven gained an angel

Last evening my friend lost her husband to brain cancer. Nobody should have to bear this kind of loss at the age of 30. She is a strong woman and needs all the prayers you can send her. It was a peaceful death as she was able to spend those last moments with the love of her life at their home. He leaves behind two beautiful daughters as well. He will forever watch over these girls from the heavens above.

I can't even imagine how life continues after this moment in time, but I know she will find the strength to do so. She has a tremendous network of family and friends that love her and are there to help out.

Take a moment today to tell the special people in your life how much you love them and appreciate them. It's not until a tragedy that many of us remember to appreciate what God has given us and how quickly it can be taken away.

feeling a little better

Yesterday I learned what a relief saline nose drops are for little noses. Too bad it only took me two years to find out what they were. After a few sprays up Gretchen's nose, the boogers have melted and I was able to squeegee them out. She hated it but could breathe afterwards!! I also bought a good humidifier yesterday and that's now running too. With all the new remedies, Gretchen pulled two 3-hour shifts and a 2.5-hour shift. All three of us took killer naps yesterday too. This makes for one happy mama on this Tuesday!

Tomorrow also marks Gretchen's four week birthday! Has it been that long already? She is getting so strong and can hold her head upright for a good amount of time when she's on your shoulder. We love this peanut!

It dawned on me the other day I never asked Kevin what he thought of expanding the family even more. (Don't worry, we aren't there yet!) So, I asked him if he felt our family was "complete." Good thing he said no...so...there will be more kids in the future!

baby's first cold

My poor little Gretchen. Mommy gave her a cold. I guess it's better than getting Dad's stomach bug he had last week. When she breaths, she sounds like a little pig snorting; only her right nose hole works. I've tried to squeegee her nose, but the plunger hardly fits up the nostril! Despite this, she is still able to sleep -- thank goodness! Here's to a speedy recovery on the cold...

today i feel like super mom

Today I feel like super mom! A last minute decision, I took both girls to the Milwaukee Public Museum with two other moms friends and their toddlers. I threw the double stroller into the car, packed the diaper bag with plenty of snacks and headed out of the house.

Charlotte was a great kid for me this morning! She loved being at the museum and seeing her two friends. She was also cooperative in using the stroller when I needed her to sit in it. The stroller, I might add, was extremely easy to maneuver and wasn't too heavy-- even when I had to push with one had and nurse Gretchen in the other while walking. Yes, I feel like super mom!

Charlotte didn't know what to think of the dinosaurs. She was a bit scared of them, perhaps a bit too life-like for her. I think she prefers her books. Both girls fell asleep in the car on the way home. I was able to transfer Charlotte to her bed without her waking up. Unfortunately, she just woke up and it's only been 45 minutes. Rats. That was only enough time to nurse Gretchen, get her to sleep again and shove a PBJ down my throat. I'm not sure Charlotte is going to stay in her room. After reading her a book she's still screaming for another one. Rats.

Last night, Gretchen slept good again - in 2.5/3 hours shifts. Unfortunately, she didn't go down until 11pm. That means from about 6pm to 11pm she didn't really sleep and was fussing a lot. This also means that I didn't get to go to bed early (8pm) and get the extra three hours that I needed. My throat has been scratchy too. I've also noticed that one of Gretchen's nose holes seems a little plugged. I think she caught it from me. Hopefully that will go away soon. I'm sucking down tea and honey.

day 23 (after a bath)

But, at least I felt like super mom taking the girls out this morning!

please pray for my friend

It's hard to imagine losing one of the people you love the most. For many of us, our spouse is our other half and raising a family without that person seems like a challenge. However, this is the reality for my friend, D.T. She is going through a very difficult time, she is losing her husband to a brain tumor. Unfortunately, it seems as though time is running out.

I cannot imagine what she is going through. Luckily she has many, many friends and family at her side. I'm willing to bet, even with such a support network, it almost seems unbearable. It's now that she and her family need your prayers more than ever. Pray for their strength and for their love.

Side note: Gretchen is 3 weeks old! Today she weighed 9 lbs. 15 oz. What a chunker she is!

top mommy blogs

So, I took the plunge. As long as I'm doing this, I may as well do it all the way. I've decided to join the Internet sensation Top Mommy Blogs. There are so many other moms out there doing the same thing I am and often times, there's a lot of useful information! In the wee hours I'm nursing Gretchen, it gives me something to do. Browse the web for things to read and blog about. (Although, I usually just blog about my own life.)

Here's the link to Top Mommy Blogs:

If you click on it, you'll move me up higher in the ranks, whatever that means. I'm just happy to share my crazy life with others, mainly because I love reading about other people's lives and struggles with being a parent and a wife. I tell ya though...I wouldn't trade my life for anything!

This is just a list of blogs/topics to read on:

• Adoption Blogs
• Art & Decor
• Contests & Givaways
• Crafts & DIY
• Graphic Design
• Eco-Friendly
• Family Life
• Fashion & Style
• Frugal Living
• Food & Drink
• Humor
• Health & Fitness
• Hobby
• Home & Garden
• Home Schooling
• Marriage.... the list goes on and on! Enjoy!

year of the girls

Many of you know I have two groups of "mom" friends. These women have been wonderful friends to have the last two years of my life. I'm not sure I would have made it this far without their friendships. I've also mentioned that many of them are having their second/third children as well -- this makes having a second one myself much more enjoyable.

This past week I found out that two more friends are having girls this summer!! You'd appreciate my enthusiasm knowing that most of Charlotte's friends are boys, yes, boys. There's nothing wrong with this, but she needs to have some girlfriends too. Hopefully the playing field will be a little more even now.

Lately Charlotte has been a bit of a beast at home. When we are at friends' houses she is wonderful and always shares, but at home, it's the opposite. Luckily today was a good day. She's usually very persistent in what she wants and it's hard not to give in. I never thought my patience would be tested this much. I better pray to keep getting more patience or it's bound to run out soon. Each day Charlotte also asks to hold Baby Scretchen...it's sooo cute! She's already a GREAT big sister.

She sure is adorable though...

19 days old

the start of a basketball team

Today I successfully took both girls to the doctor for their check-ups. Yes, I'm proud of myself. They were both great kids and made me look good. A side note, I took both girls in the double stroller to the hospital yesterday and again, they made me look like mom of the year! I felt awesome and proud that I could take them out in public and not cause a catastrophic event.

It helped that neither kid needed shots today. That would have made things significantly harder. Charlotte also got an Elmo sticker. Charlotte is 36" tall (97%) and weighs 28 pounds (70%). There's an old tale that says take your 2-year-old's height, double it, and that's probably how tall she's going to be. Do the math. She's on track to be SIX FEET TALL! You go girl!

Gretchen is 21 inches (90%), up one inch in one week, and 8 lbs. 6 oz. (70%). Yes, this beefcake gained a little over a pound in a week. She must be getting some good milk from mama.

day 14

I'm so happy that my girls are healthy and growing strong. I really try hard to make sure they are eating right and getting exercise. This just proves that they are!

mr. doodie

Mr. Doodie.

He made and unexpected appearance at our home this evening. Twice. Not the happy kind.

I was giving Charlotte a bath AND cleaning the toilet, Kevin was doing dishes and Gretchen was starting to squirm in her swing. Charlotte said, "Oh no, poo poo." I looked in the tub and we had a tootsie floater. I said, "Oh Charlotte!" I whisked her out of the tub, dripping wet, put the potty chair on the toilet (which was covered in toilet cleaner, don't worry, I use organic stuff) and stuck her on the potty. As I'm draining the tub she was unrolling the TP. Because she was wet, it was sticking to her, all over.

I cleaned the tub with disinfectant and started to fill it up again. Gretchen is now crying to eat and Kevin is trying his best to console her. I got Charlotte off the pot and told her to stand until I could get the tub ready for her again. Kevin walked into the bathroom as I'm scrubbing, "Oh no, Charlotte!" I turned around and saw more poop ON THE FLOOR! And, she stepped in it. Crap.

I put Charlotte in the tub and rinsed her off. Sat her down, rinsed her foot. Got her out of the tub and rinse the tub again and stuck her back in to actually finish what started out as a bath. Meanwhile, Gretchen is still screaming to eat. I started to clean the floor up, it was smeared all over. Finally I got Charlotte back in the tub and gave her hair a quick wash. We were NOT going to prolong this bath time any longer.

The night ended semi-normally. I got Charlotte out and in a clean diaper. Kevin finished getting her dry and in jammies while I tended to Gretchen (who was probably starving by this point).

Mr. Doodie. Please don't come back unless you plan on residing in the toilet.

tickle bears completed

twins!
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

The twin tickle bears are finally completed. They turned out really good, a few errors here and there, but overall, they are soft and cozy! Hopefully Gretchen will grown to love them just as Charlotte and I love Rufus.

My luck, she'll take to something else and these two will be added to the pile of animals in their bedroom. A little over a week into Gretchen's life and I'm already noticing how different these two girls are going to be. (That's a good thing, I'm fairly certain.)

Charlotte had a horrible first week at home, Gretchen was super. Charlotte loved to be swaddled (until 9 months!), Gretchen wants to be free. Charlotte took a nookie within the first 12 hours of being born, Gretchen hates it and spits it out every time. I'm sure the list will go on.

That's one of the best things about raising children. They all grow into individual people with similarities that siblings have. I can't wait to see what the future holds. I know we are really enjoying the addition to our family.

smiling!!

smiling!!
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

So I know it's not a real smile, because that doesn't happen until month three or something, but she still cracks a smile here and there. Especially when she's sleeping. (That's when she's talking to the angels.)

We are so in love with Gretchen! She is making my life easy and I need easy right now. My body is definitely telling me to slow down. However, there's nobody to clean my house before company comes over and there's nobody to change Charlotte's diaper and play with her and there's nobody to cook me dinners each night. So, how can I take it easy? Somehow, I must.

Grandma and Grandpa LaPean are here Thursday/Friday. They brought the family a fun Super Bowl gift. Mom and Dad have T-shirts, Charlotte has Packer jammies and Gretchen has a Packer onesie. Don't worry, I'll make sure we get a photo of the family! GO PACK GO!

first project sans prego

gretchen's carseat strap cover
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

Gretchen needed some new things too. Everything can't be a hand-me-down. Best of all, I had all these supplies in the house and the project only took about 45 minutes. I made Gretchen some new carseat strap covers to protect her little neck. They are super fuzzy!! The inside is floral corduroy. I used my bias tape maker for the first time (rocked!) but it ended up being too narrow. I made it work, but I probably need to get a larger size for other projects.

gretchen's quilt

This is what I've been waiting for. Children to make quilts for. Now that we know the baby is a GIRL, I can start planning on what she is getting that "mama made," as Charlotte would say. I've decided her toddler quilt is going to be a string quilt, paper pieced. Here's a beautiful example of one.

photo/quilt by teaginny

Next is finding the perfect fabric combination. Unfortunately the fabric in the above photo is a little old and you can't find it anymore (with the exception of a few bolts here and there). So, I've resorted to the colorful combination of Patricia Bravo's Paradise collection. Love it! This is such a fun hobby. In knowing that the girls can share clothes, I've realized that each one will need their own blankets and stuffed animals. After all, those are things you keep throughout your lifetime. I know Charlotte is playing with old stuffed animals of mine like Rainbow Brite and her horse, Starlight.

Patricia Bravo Paradise Bundle

day 6, 3rd night

Wow! Let me say that again, wow! Good things do come in small packages. 7 pound 10 ounce packages. Gretchen is fitting right into this noisy house, starting with sleeping through EVERYTHING. Last night was our third night at home. She nursed every 3-4 hours for me. Now, I know this won't last, especially when we hit a growth spurt, but for now, me likey!

Charlotte was just the opposite. Still fighting to go to bed. She wants to read the whole library 3x before bed. Charlotte woke up twice last night reading to herself in bed. We had to tell her that it was still night and that we'd read in the morning. Luckily, her waking had nothing to do with Gretchen.

How about the blizzard we are getting!? Gretchen must have known it was coming. I was scheduled to be induced tomorrow, Feb. 2nd. It sure would have been a challenge for us to get to the hospital by 6 a.m. and for all of our parents to make it there as well.  It's a good thing she did come early. Atta girl!

All else is good at the LaPean house. I feel fantastic but still need to remember to take it easy. My body can tell I did too much yesterday. Take it easy girl, take it easy.

Side note: Charlotte's newest phrase is "Oh goodness!" She says it all the time. I'm sure you know who she picked that up from...me. At least she's not saying something like "Oh, shit!" I feel this is an improvement on my mom language. I'm doing the best I can. Besides, it's kinda cute when she says it.