Ella's Legos

Ella is taking very good care of her legos today. She's holding them and rocking them and squealing at them as if she's teaching them. She just put them into the stroller and took them for a spin around the living room. She's very proud of herself. That's the best part.



Kristin •motherhood is not for sissies•

Swinging

Clare is pushing Bodhi and Kate, her "majigal" friends. These kids
love to swing.

Pumpkin Patch

We drove out to Elgin today to go to the pumpkin patch. It was simply amazing. We got to pet a goat and a bull and some tiny horses. We saw ducks and llamas and chickens, oh my. We rode a train and took a hayride. And then we painted a pumpkin. There were swings and sausage wraps and puppies for adoption. When we had had our fill, we washed up and went for a picnic. Everything we ate was orange (in honor of Halloween and UT). It was the perfect day to be outside. It was cool and crisp and sunny and lovely. We had a blast with Evey, Kristy and Brian and we can't wait to go back for Christmas!

We saw hundreds of snout butterflies on the way home. Apparently all this rain has them flitting about looking for food. It was incredible to see so many swirling around our car at once. It made it a bit hard to focus on the actual business of driving.

Here are a ton of photos from the day. It's too hard to pick just a couple because they were all so good. So if you're reading this on Facebook, you'll probably have to go to the blog to see them all...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

love, the girls :)

Ella rockin'

At music class this morning...

Ridin Sophie

What a great engine!!!

The Bloodbath

This is the dear sweet face of a baby who has had a very rough day. A baby who could only be soothed by Baby Guy. I took her to the pediatrician today for her 9 month well check. At nap time. That sweet baby put up with measurements and discussions and exams and more discussions asking repeatedly to go to sleep. She signed it to me, she yelled it at me, she sighed with resignation. Until finally she just fell asleep mid-squawk in her sling with her head lolled on my chest. Her sweet safe spot. 

So I guess I wasn't thinking when the nurse came in with the needles and the capillary tube for collecting her blood. I knew she was getting her finger pricked and I did my best to wake her. In the end, I let her sleep and settled for informing her in her sleep what was going to happen. Biggest mistake of motherhood so far. Her eyes snapped open with pained accusation at the prick of that needle. We got the blood we needed while she screamed in my ear and put the cotton on it to help with the bleeding. Only it wouldn't stop. For 10 minutes we held that cotton on while she screamed. We were holding her hand and squeezing her finger which pissed her off more. We finally elected to stop so that we could get the shots done. 

*gasp* 

The screaming and wailing and blubbering that ensued after that I will never forget. And at the same time, I hardly remember it. Because with each new breath, her tiny balled up fist emitted another tiny stream of blood. After 10 MORE minutes of screaming and holding, we finally put a precarious band-aid and cotton wad on the tip of her tiny finger and made it to the car. I'm sure you can hear the sobbing for breath that only a wee one can make after a good, long fit in your head. It was so sad. And just as I put her in the car, she ripped that band-aid right off. And the bleeding started all over. And so did the screaming, because (oh the injustice!) I wouldn't let her eat that band-aid. 

So I did what any good mother would do. I took her back in and made them fix her. They did the CBC at this point to make sure she had platelets. She did and after another 2o minutes of screaming and chasing her with a huge wad of tape and gauze, they decided to work. We left with what looked like a mangled boxing glove coated with liquid Tylenol and every cootie up in that place. That bandage made it all 10 minutes home where I had to tape it again. Thank God I had left Clare here with sweet, wonderful Callie. Thank God she was calm and that I had supplies and and and.....

My friend Kristy handles those appointments better than I do, I think. And yet even she says "well every time one tear sneaks out." And she's right. One tear always sneaks out. And it's really all we can muster. The tiniest release in the moment is all we get sometimes as parents. We can fall apart for one, fleeting tear of a moment and then we have to pull it together and get through it, because if we don't, who will? It's the hardest part to me. I'm learning it slowly and often without much grace. But I'll keep at it. It is why I was put here. Until I'm good at it, I'll rely on nap time to recover and know that a trip to the park can fix just about anything. Well, that and Baby Guy! 

BG goes to costco with dada

Clare left Baby Guy in the van. Oops. Then dad left for Costco. Double oops. And it's nap time. I'm holding my breath. I explain to the big girl that Baby Guy wanted to go to Costco and Dada said yes because BG took a nap in the car when we went into craft time at Lakeshore. With a sad and brave face, we head upstairs. We get Bitty Baby and Hello Kitty and climb into bed. We sing a few songs and turn on the mushroom light and we do our best. We text Dada to let him know what happened and we lay quietly in the dark thinking about how tender we feel about all this. And then the phone buzzes. It's an email from Dada. She's still giggling. I can hear her from here. It is a rare and wonderful man that will shop with a dolly in his cart for the sweet, tender sake of his daughter. I love that man.

•Kristin•

Motherhood is not for sissies.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Allen Smith 
Date: September 12, 2009 2:10:48 PM CDT
To: Kristin Braun 
Subject: BG goes to costco with dada

Allen Smith

Chubby roo likes watching TV with her sister

Clare hardly ever watched TV at this age. If she did, it was a Baby Einstein for 20 minutes. And even then, maybe twice a week, max. But Clare is so hooked on "Sesameet" that there just is no way around it. Most of the time, I put some toys on the floor and she's relatively distracted. But every now and then she is like a moth to a flame and I give in and plop her on the bed. And then the three of us get our complete and utter fill of the furry red monster. 

LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA LA....

So help me if her first word is Elmo.

Eating breakfast

Sister has been very impatiently awaiting the start of finger foods. She has been begging to feed Ella since she was "BlaBla" in-utero. Now, bless her, she cannot even finish her meal because she is so anxious to sit in front of her and feed her little bitty pieces of whatever. Precious girl. This morning she got bit. And she giggled with tears running down her face. Sharp little puppy teeth...

Garden panty

Oops, I meant party! I wonder what the neighbors think of our
pantsless shenanigans?

Grace

So we had our first accident. Though I must admit to a small twinge of disappointment when it happened, I am so glad that it did. I wouldn't take that moment back for all the diapers in the world. 

Clare was looking out the window at Dada, distracted by his lawn skills when she started to loose it. She squealed "Oh NOOOOOOOO. I'm tinkling!" and I rushed over to get her to the bathroom ASAP (which is how this program works) and we ran all the way there. We got her panties down and she looked absolutely crushed. I was so unprepared for the sadness I felt when she saw her wet panties. Her face fell in disappointment and her little voice said simply "now they wet." 

But she sat on her potty anyway and in just a moment she was going again. And in that very moment, she threw up her hands and said "I so sowwy. I went on you floor, mama. We clean it up, OK?" and with complete and utter grace and forgiveness she said to herself, "We do it nest time. Maybe later."

If we all had that much grace in the presence of our own learning, this world would be a much different place. 

Cutie McPanties

Just after breakfast, Clare squealed with delight "YAY! I GET TO WEAW BIG GIYL PANNIES!" She jumped up and down, I kid you not. She has just collected all her diapers and is riding down the street on her tractor to deliver them like a diaper fairy to a little boy who can wear them. 

She is so excited. 

We have just embarked on the boot camp that is "3 Day Potty Training". Wish us luck. The only downside so far is that "the big giyl pannies get stuck in my big giyl bottom." If only I knew how to fix that. 

Cooking breakfast

Who knew she'd be making her own at 2? She's very good at what she does.

A birder in the making

She came downstairs all atwitter. She was thrilled to have seen a
mama bird and a dada bird and a baby bird upstairs from the window. I
laughed so hard when I turned around to see her binoculars.

Monkies at the Library

This is my friend, Harrison. He and I go waaaaay back. We went to story time at the library today and rocked the craft. Then we ate smarties. Good times.

no TRY. only do.

Clare was yelling at the TV this morning. I got there in time to hear Elmo say "keep trying". So Clare yelled back "Don't TWY, Misser Noodles! Do your best!"

Ahhh. Like father, like daughter.

OMG

Ella just told me she was sleepy.

After she ate I changed her diaper and asked if she was sleepy, using the sign.  She just smiled at me so I let her play for about 20 minutes.  Then after awhile she gave a little grunt and I looked up and she had her hand up to her face.  But she wasn't rubbing her eyes like usual, she was doing the sign.  She was sort of pinching her cheek with her hand.  I asked her if she was sleepy, she got a big smile, I took her upstairs and she was asleep before her head hit the blankie.

This girl is smart.

WOW!!

A

The Frog Prince

Hello everyone, this is The Blonde-headed Stepchild, AKA Allen. I'll post from time to time with some experiences I have with our beautiful little girls.

The other night Clare is giving me flack at bedtime and not laying down in her new big girl bed. It's already an hour and a half past her bedtime and I'm ready for all the little people to be asleep. So I just stand there and give her a daddy stare, you know the kind that puts the fear into all little children and they do what daddy wants? Well instead of fear Clare looks at me with fortitude and says (plain as day) "Dada, don't look at me like a frog". Needless to say I couldn't contain myself and told her she was the cutest little girl. Do you think I'm inciting this behavior?

Sailing...

We went to craft time yesterday. Imagine Clare's joy when she found out that she could make a sailboat out of that bowl she'd been carrying around ALL MORNING. That girl has some serious insight. I don't know how she knew she'd need that bowl. Damn, it made a great sailboat!  Miss Raquel takes very good care of her at craft time. She always opens an extra bag of giant gemstones for us. Cause she knows my girl likes it GAWDY. 

Why do you want to be naked?

"So I can get some air out of myself."

sweet, sweet Clare

I love my lollie

Two peas, one pod. Sass and sassier.

Thank you, gwamma

Clare is making Gwamma a picture with the stickers she sent and the beautiful crayons she loves sooooooo much. You made her week!

Vacation is sometimes HARD

"I don't want to!"

That was all we heard for the five minute walk from our room to this beautiful photo site. She wanted to be carried. Perpetually and exhaustively carried on this whole trip. Perhaps we need to get out and walk more. She just wasn't prepared. We offered the stroller, to no avail. It was dada or nothing. So she cried and yelled and screamed and cried some more. And no one batted and eye. Hats off the the YMCA for creating the kind of place where kids can be kids and parents can relax and let them. Fits and fun and screaming of all kinds were absolutely acceptable. Making weapons out of sticks was not. Tromping and climbing and wailing was great. Picking things was not. Nature and love in perfect balance. We were feeling it even if Clare wasn't.  ;)

Maestrella

If she's becomes a concert pianist I'll be thrilled to have this video. If not, I'll make fun of her for trying to eat the piano. Dang she's precious!

No more bouncy seat for you!

Ella did this in her bath chair tonight to, threatening to go ass over teakettle in the tub. She only learned to sit up unassisted two weeks ago and already she's rocking on all fours. She is so close to crawling and only 7 months old. As soon as we return, we will have to batten down the hatches. We never had to baby proof the house with Clare, but this girl will be on the go a wee bit earlier, I think. And the word no holds no meaning for her. At all. Hang on for the ride...

Clare Braun, traveller

This one's for you, Baby Guy.

Safe travels in your new packpack. Clare will be responsible for carrying her own things onto the plane for our trip to Colorado. In this bag she'll have Baby Guy, her blankie and a washable coloring book and markers. She'll also be holding for Ella. It's a big responsibility. Thank goodness it's a big packpack.

When Baby Attacks

A tiny raptor.

This is baby Ella. She looks real sweet and in fact took quite a bit of poking from Elian. But once she became curious about his face she went in for the kill. The poor boy never knew what hit him.

I so essited

Sister cannot wait to pack this suitcase.  She is beside herself.  All she can talk about is Colorado.  As an adult, I find it hard to slog through the every day when there is an adventure looming. But I tell you, it's twice as bad with a sweet toddler reminding me every 10 minutes in a squealy voice how esssiting it is that we get to fly on a airplane.  I feel like I might pee in my pants!

The iFoot

Is this thing on?

Can you hear me now?

I love summer mornings

Clare loves to hang the laundry.  Too bad she doesn't know how to work the clothespins.  Her socks just keep falling off the line. 

Harry Potter Cheerios

Today is all about Harry Potter.  

It's opening day and my parents are going tonight.  I get to stay with Drew and Uncle Bret.  

Cheerio.

Dinner at the pool

We had noodles (duh).

E-I-E-I-O

P.Tailos

My pigtails are so cute they'll break your heart.

In two.