The love, the hate, and the testing

Sibling relationships are definitely different than any other relationship in your life. I have 2 sisters and a brother and we all have different relationships with each other; some healthy, some not so much.

Because of my own issues, I have always worried about what kind of relationships my children will build or destroy between each other. It was one of my main concerns having 2 girls since girls are truly more drama than boys. My sisters and I are in our thirties and drama is probably the best way to describe our relationships.

Sibling relationships was one of my main reasons for wanting children close in age. Calan will never remember a time when he was without Maisie. They are together for better or for worse.

My children have finally gotten to the age where they can love each other one second, hit each other the next, and then love each other again. The roller coaster has started.

Some times it is so amazing to watch them together and watch how Calan as the older, protective brother takes care of his sister. He always makes sure that she has what she needs (as long as it isn't something he wants.) He definitely sees her as a playmate.

Maisie adores Calan. She usually wakes up before he does from nap time and gets pretty upset when we can't go get him. She'll keep going to his bedroom door till it is time to wake him up too. She follows him every where.

However, they have also gotten to the age where fighting has started. Maisie is not the "give up whatever Calan wants" type of girl anymore. If she is playing with something and Calan tries to take it, she clearly yells no. If he gets it, she tries to grab it back. If that doesn't work, she cries and gets me. Calan on the same note won't give up a toy for Maisie and if she grabs it from him, he bops her on the head.

Oh, the fun we are having right now.

Two of our family rules are 1) Speak nicely to each other and 2) Never hurt one another. So the fighting, usually ends in time outs and apologies. Pretty sure as their mother, the time outs and apologies are basically useless since they fight 2 seconds later, but it is the best thing I have right now. After each time out, they have to apologize to the other and give a nice touch whether that is a hug or a kiss. Both of them have no problem apologizing and they both love hugging each other, so no big deal there either. I love how Calan always runs to Maisie saying "Sorry Maisie Daisy."

It is hard to stay on top of their fighting since they really are over it 2 seconds later. They really never seriously hurt each other, but if I am not addressing it now, I feel like it will only get worse as they get older. My thought is that their sibling is their first friend and should be treated better than other friendships. So, if they aren't speaking nicely or acting nicely toward each other, they need to be corrected by me.

I know that I will never be able to stop sibling rivalry, but I also want them to know how important it is to treat each other with respect and kindness. If I can instill that in them, I hope that they will build a healthy relationship well into the future.

They decided to lay down in the kitchen and pretend to sleep. Calan made the "beds"
with their blankets.

Night time quiet time. Calan sharing his blue blanket with Maisie since hers was in
their room. 

The Most Random Post Ever

My silence is not because anything bad is happening or that I am feeling bad from this pregnancy. It has just been that - Silence.

I've been spending a lot of my free time sewing, which has left me not in the mood to blog. Sorry. I wish I had a better excuse, but I the fact is when I am not in the mood to blog, I'm just not in the mood.

But I know that many of my friends and family near and far read to know updates on our lives so here is a very random update on our lives:

• Calan is basically potty trained. YEAH. We have issues with the big No. 2, but he is getting there. We have not had him in a diaper since the day we started potty training. We have had good days and bad days, but I am happy to say the bad days do seem to be behind us. He knows when he has to go No.2, but unfortunately won't sit long enough to do his business, so we are back and forth to the potty a ton when he has to go and it literally is a game of rouilette if we make it or not. This morning was a success; 2 days ago, not so much. It is different having only one kid in diapers. I have to make myself do diaper laundry since I have so many diapers to choose from I never run out. 
• I am officially in my third trimester. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow and I am so done being pregnant. I wondered if I would feel done with this third pregnancy and feel like our family was complete. Well, let me tell you, I know that I am done. I am so over being pregnant and so ready for this little girl to get here. The days and weeks are ticking by so slowly. Winter is not helping either. This pregnancy is not any worse than my others, but being pregnant for basically 3 years is enough. I am done. I am ready to move on from this part of our lives. I am ready to just focus on our family and develop our family bond. (Now if something were to happen, we would be happy about it, but there will be no more planned Wilsons.)
• Maisie is talking and learning new words every day. My favorite is the way she says thank you. It comes out "dank ooo." She is really starting to come into her own. She is definitely a little momma's girl. I am sure that when her sister gets here that is going to be a little bit of an issue, but I love all the hugs and kisses I get from her now. She is seriously adorable. (I'm bias, I know). 
• We've been taking the kids to swim lessons on Saturdays at our local high school. We have all really enjoyed it as a family. Maisie is quite the little fish and took to everything really well. Calan takes a little while to open up in the water. Bob and I have both really enjoyed do this as a family. I guess these are the things that will be hard to give up once we are out numbered. I am so glad we did it while we could. 
• We are looking forward to transitioning Calan to a big boy bed. He is ready. His rocking is way better, but he still does it when he wakes up and it is usually accompanied by loud singing as he pounds into the rails of his crib. I am praying that transitioning to a big boy bed resolves the rest of the body rocking issue. We are moving our full-size bed that is currently in our spare bedroom since the spare bedroom will now be the nursery. Once the bed is moved, I'll be able to start setting up the nursery. Yeah. 
• I am so excited about this little one's nursery. I am basically making everything. I have been sewing up a storm and I am loving everything. I can't wait to share it with all of you. Everything that I am making should transition perfectly into a room that the girls will share in about a year or so. 
• Have I mentioned I've been sewing? If you follow me on Instagram, you've been bombarded with my sewing pics. I am completely obsessed. I have sewn bibs, burp cloths, clothes, nursery items, etc. I just can't seem to stop. Tonight I hope to make a pillow for the nursery. I am going to miss my craft space once it becomes the nursery. I am going to have to figure something out. It has been a great stress reliever and creative outlet for me. I don't think I will be able to give it up at this point.

Life is just moving along. We are all doing really well. I am counting down the days till winter is over with. Bring on the sunshine and warmth.

Calan got this helmet at the grocery store and kept calling it
his "football hat." Can you tell we are Spartan fans? Go Green. 

We took the kids down to the park one snowy day. They had fun, we froze.
I can't wait for spring. 

Here's Maisie just talking on the phone. She jabbers away. (P.S. I made
the shirt she is wearing and made a matching dress for her sister.)

Here's Calan waiting patiently to go golfing. It was a random 60 degree day
in January, so we had to take him to the range to test out his Christmas
present. He loved it. He kept cheering for himself, Bob, and everyone
around us. He doesn't quite understand that golf is a quiet sport.

Here's a sneak peek at one of my nursery projects. These will be fabric
bins that will hang above her changing area and hold things like wipes
and creams.

Oh regular life, I have missed you, but you are hard

It is just never easy to get back into the swing of things after a holiday or vacation. Today is no exception.

There has been yelling, there has been punishments, there has been headaches, there has been anything other than peace.

I think both the kids and I woke up knowing that Bob was going back to work. Everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

They are now in their beds for nap time and I am finally enjoying a cup of coffee. I am hoping our afternoon goes 100 percent better. Not sure all of us will survive if it isn't.

We have been nonstop all holiday. They haven't had a regular day at home in 2 weeks and I can tell.

I am working to get us back on routine and my wonderful 2-year-old is not enjoying it.

But who would? Life with dad around is a lot more fun. A day home with mom is lots of rules.

We are working on it. I know when we have a rough morning that it is just that, ONE rough morning. I know that my kids will turn it around and I will be refreshed and the rest of the day will be fine. To be honest before nap time, they were already starting to listen and do what they are told.

They are my cutie pies and I love being around them, but toddler monsters need to stay at bay.

I know once we are in the flow of things we will all get along a ton better.

So I will sit and enjoy my cup of coffee. Sit and relax. Relax and refresh. Refresh and breath.

For I will [fully] satisfy the weary soul, and I will replenish every languishing and sorrowful person. Jeremiah 31: 25

Beat the winter BLAHS

I think every stay-at-home mom dreads the upcoming winter like the plague. Between bad weather, germs, and bundling everyone, going out is not easy, but staying home can drive a mother INSANE.

So what's a mother to do?

Make a plan and buck up.

Here are somethings that we are doing to help beat the winter:

1. Activities classes: We are continuing to be part of the activities class that the kids currently attend. The class is for 1- to 3-year-olds, so it works for us. Plus, it is only 2 blocks away. I really can't beat location and price, so till the kids out grow it, we are going once a week. We also signed the kids up for swim lessons at our local high school on Saturdays. I would not be able to take them by myself, and the kids will love doing this as a family. (Yes, I will be very pregnant and in a swim suit. Anything for the kids, right?)
2. Craft/Play date swap: I mentioned this before, but a friend and I are each hosting a craft and play  date and lunch for the kids once a month. That is then at least twice a month the kids are doing a little more than the normal play date. Adding the craft to it, really spices up the norm. 
3. Daily routine: I can not stress enough how important having a daily routine is for our family. We play in different rooms and different toys in different ways all through out the day. If we are stuck at home, I feel like this completely helps the day pass by smoothly. When we are stuck in one room, doing the same thing, the day drags, the kids whine, and I want to scream. The more routine we are the better everyone is and the MORE I get done too.



Maisie and Calan playing together at the library. We don't
 let our kids play with our computer at home yet, so the
library computer is a special treat for them. 

4. Turn on the music: I have recently realized that when we play kid-friendly music throughout the day the kids play so much nicer and Calan is not sitting there asking (whining) to turn the TV on every 2 seconds. If the music is on, he knows that it is play time. Plus, Maisie LOVES music. She could sit and listen to music all the time. Everyone is just more pleasant with "Wheels On the Bus" playing in the background. 



The kids playing at Detroit Kid City, a wonderful play area
close to us.It offers so many different things for the kids
to do and role play with. 

5. The good ole library: Seriously, who doesn't love the library with young kids. There is nothing like it in their lives. Free, fun, education, etc. the list goes on. Not only going to libraries in your area, but visit other libraries for their story times. It keeps it all interesting and fun for the kids. 
6. Special day/morning trips: There are so many play areas in our area for young kids, but they all, of course, cost money. So, for us, they are not any every week kind of thing, but we can enjoy them here and there when we need to do something more. 

So, that's the plan. The fact is my house is only 1,230 square feet and some how in the winter that feels like 600. We will try to get out regularly, pray that sickness stays at bay, and enjoy as much time as we can as a family. 

What's on your winter agenda?

Morning at home

The kids have the beginnings of colds, so we are taking it easy. I doubt it will be gone by tomorrow, but hopefully they don't get any worse.

Calan's new favorite game: Pretending to sleep, complete with
snoring noises. 

Maisie was being quite the ham this morning and not sitting still
for a second. The girl is just all over the place. 

Do you ever feel like the day before Thanksgiving is the last day of normal till the New Year? I hope today is as normal as possible and we enjoy and feel grateful for the time we get to spend together.

Let the holiday fun begin.

My meal go-tos

I am by no means a great cook. I am by no means a chef. I am by no means original when it comes to meal planning, but there a few staples in my kitchen that make any dinner easy and ready to go.

I have gotten a lot better over the last year about planning ahead of time of what we are going to have for dinner, but there are just some days where either 1) I don't feel like cooking or 2) There weren't as many leftovers as I thought there would be.

So, I have learned to have a few things always on hand to make life just easier on myself.

Here are my easy go-tos that can make any meal easy:

1. Bell Peppers: I always make sure that I have peppers on hand. They are to me one of the easiest foods to make into a meal. They add an extra touch to any spaghetti sauce, or they easily make an easy stir fry in a pinch. Plus, it is one of the few vegetables that I don't have to argue with Calan to eat. 
2. Lemon Pepper & Rosemary: I swear any chicken or fish seasoned with a little lemon pepper and rosemary tastes amazing. I love throwing a whole chicken into our Crock-pot for 3 hours on low seasoned with lemon pepper and rosemary with a cup of chicken broth. Then put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to crisp-up the skin for the perfect tasting chicken. We eat it for dinner and then it makes great sandwiches for the week. 
3. Italian Sausage: I always try to keep bulk Italian sausage in my freezer to be used in spaghetti sauce. Adding browned Italian sausage instead of ground beef makes the spaghetti 100% better. I can not tell you how often I get asked for my spaghetti sauce and all I do is by whatever sauce is on sale and add Italian sausage to it. If I have them on hand, I also will throw in drained canned diced tomatoes to it as well. Instant amazing spaghetti sauce. 

4. 

   Homemade pizza has become an easy family favorite. 

   Yeast packets: Ever since learning how to make my own pizza dough, it has become a regular meal in our house. Calan loves helping me make the pizza from the dough to the toppings. I always make enough for 2 pizzas, so that we can cook one that night and freeze the extra dough for the next time I need a meal in a pinch. 
5. Tacos: I swear tacos is the meal that keeps giving. One night it could be tacos for dinner, then taco salad for lunch, and then maybe quesadillas another day that week. When I know that we are going to have a busy week, I include tacos so that I have an easy go-to leftover meal if I did not have time to make a new meal. 

So those are just a few things that I keep on hand that definitely help making meals for my family 100% easier. Having two toddlers running around does not give me a lot of time to prepare meals, so having some easy tricks makes dinner possible on a daily basis. 

What are your tricks?

Long overdue update: 2 years 4 months / 1 year 3 months

We've had our ups and downs over the last few months, but right now (today, this week, etc.) we are on an incredible up. The kids are doing great and being great. It is just simply great.

I am pretty sure it has something to do with second trimester bliss, but the last 10 days have been so great. I am not tired. I am engaging with my little ones and I am really seeing how much this affects their good moods. I hope I am not jinxing myself here.

Here's their latest update:

Eating

Calan: He is doing so much better with eating. He isn't perfect and definitely eats around vegetables if he can avoid them, but he will always take at least 3 bites when told, which is good for me. I know that their will always be foods that he prefers over others, but as long as he is eating some of the rest, I am a happy mom. Meal times have been going so much better. There is way less struggle, fighting, and time outs. We have hit a happy groove that I hope maintains.
Calan is doing well with forks and spoons. He still uses his fingers often, but will use his spoon and fork often. Over the next month, I hope to start introducing a regular drinking cup at meals. Hopefully, he picks up quickly with little spills (a mom can hope right).

Maisie: She is my amazing eater. She loves food and likes lots of it. We were struggling for a little while where she was tossing food and screeching loudly during meals. We had one horrible eating out experience that left both Bob and I wondering where our sweet innocent little girl went and this loud, disobdient monster had come from. Luckily it seems to be a short lived phase. We discovered that she likes to have her whole plate on her high chair tray so that the food supply is all right there in front of her. Discovering that really helped with the loud noises. We also realized that when she is done, she is done, which is why she was throwing food off her tray. So, we quickly taught her the all done sign and when we see it, we quickly (and I mean quickly) take her plate a leftovers away.
Maisie is finally drinking well from several sippy cups. She hasn't figured out straws yet, but she is at least drinking from cups instead of bottles. It was a slow process, but she finally got there.

Sleeping

Calan: He is doing so much better with his rocking. His still has bad days, but overall the rocking is minimal. He rocks mainly as he is waking up. He rocks very little has he is going to sleep. Dare I say that I can see a light at the end of the body-rocking tunnel? I have not taken him to see a neuroligist about it and not sure if I am going to waste my time. He is getting better and sooner rather than later we will be moving to a twin bed, and hopefully that will stop the rest of the rocking. If it doesn't then maybe then I will go see someone.
He is still napping from 12:30 till about 3 or 3:30. Every once in awhile he has a bad nap that takes him awhile to go down, but overall napping has been the smoothest it has ever been.
He is also sleeping better at night. Though I still hear him sometimes in the middle of the night, overall he has been sleeping from about 8:15 at night till about 7 in the morning. He still takes a little time to fall asleep at night (bedtime is 7:30), but he isn't rocking. We leave a book or a few small toys in with him and he usually sets down in about 40 minutes.

Maisie: I have been truly blessed with a perfect sleeper when it comes to Maisie. I rarely have any issues with her. However, while her molars where coming through there were several nights where she would only sleep with me. It wasn't every night, but it was probably 2 weeks of off and on sleeping with us. Since, I knew it wasn't a habit and that she just need some extra love, I was fine with it.
We have dropped her morning nap, so she is just sleeping in the afternoon usually from noon till 3:30. She still sleeps in a pack-and-play in our room. Naps are just easier in different rooms. While both kids are napping perfectly lately, I don't want one bad nap to wreck the other. It just isn't worth 2 cranky babies.
Maisie still uses a pacifier to sleep, but only uses it in her crib or pack-and-play. Since her use of it is already limited, not sure when we will actually tackle that habit. I am just going to play that one by ear. Good sleep is just too hard to let go of.

Activites

Halloween: The kids had a great time on Halloween. Calan went up to about 20 houses and loved running with older kids in the neighborhood although he couldn't keep up. Maisie went to a few houses and then just hung out in the wagon while we walked around. Kids really do make these holidays come alive again for adults. It was nice night spent with family.

Classes: We joined a play class at our local community center. Calan took the same class last year at this time. It is crazy to see how much more into he is. He pays attention to directions, participates in the craft, and loves shaking the parachute. Maisie is hit or miss. She is one of the youngest in the class that is for 1- to 3-year-olds. However, she does listen to the story and like singing songs with the group. I don't expect her to do everything, but I am happy with what she has been doing.
I also joined MOPS this fall at our church. It is for 2 hours every Tuesday. The kids play in childcare while I get 2 hours of child-free learning and talking with other moms. Both kids have done great. Maisie, who cried every time we dropped her off at MOPS or our church nursery on Sundays, has now become a happy baby ready to go play when she gets dropped off. Calan for the most part still runs to play. Every once in awhile he has a freak out being dropped off, but overall he has very little seperation anxiety.

Friends: To say Calan loves his friend Gavin might be an understatement. He has really learned to play with other kids nicely, but no child compares to Gavin. I probably get asks 40 times a day if Gavin can play. We do see each other often, but it seems to never be enough. It is sweet to me to watch him develop little relationships. He is really becoming a little boy who loves to play and explore.
He has not hit or hurt any children in a long time. I think we solved that issue quickly. I think prepping him before he goes to play with others has helped a ton. Before we go somewhere to play like church, we talk about how we play nicely with friends and he usually tells me how to play nicely with friends that includes "no hit, no pull hair, share toys, take turns." We have not had a bad report in about a month.

Milestones

Maisie: Maisie is FINALLY WALKING! She still crawls, but is walking probably about 40% of the time. She still crawls more quickly than walking so if she needs to get somewhere quickly, she crawls. But, we are finally getting somewhere. 

She is saying a few words like Doggie, Momma, Dadda, Hi, and Banana. 

Maisie loves getting kisses. She loves walking or crawling over to me and and saying "mmmmm" with her lips together to get a kiss. She also blows tons of kisses if I am too far away. It is pretty sweet. 

Calan: Not much is new with him in terms of milestones. We are starting to consider potty training, but with the holidays on their way, I think we are going to hold off till January. But over the next month or so, I am going to start prepping him, so hopefully it all goes smoothly. Am I crazy that I am not looking forward to this? Diapers seem so much easier than potty training. I obviously keep you posted on how it goes. 

Schedule

7/7:30 - wake up

8 - breakfast

8:30 - TV time (Dinosaur Train)

9 - Room time / pack-and-play time

9:45 - Sibling time / learning time* 

10:30 - blanket time

11 - free time 

11:30 - lunch

12 - Maisie nap / Calan TV time (Caillou)

12:30 - Calan nap

3:30 - wake up / snack

4 - afternoon errands / playing downstairs (building toys, train table) / learning time*

5 - Free time / TV time

6 - Dinner

6:30 - Bathtime

7 - Daddy time / story time

7:30 - Bedtime

*I am starting to try to get some learning time in for Calan. He doesn't sit for the longest time, so get through my lesson or craft or story or song or whatever we are doing, I break it up into shorter time periods. We don't do it every day, but probably 2 days a week. 

Overall

Getting through my first trimester left us a little off track, but slowly but surely I am getting us back on track. I am trying to keep us active and engaged as much as I can. I am not perfect, but I am trying. I can see over the last 2 weeks my efforts are playing off. I seem to be way less at the end of my imaginary rope. I feel more at peace and the kids are just happy and growing right along. It is still fun to have 2 babies. I love being with them and wouldn't trade this time in my life for anything, ever. 

A blur of a week

How is it already Friday? I feel fried. I feel tired. I feel like I need to do something to get me out of this slump.

We have been busy this week. I can't exactly remember what we did Monday, but every other day has been full of fun things. From MOPS on Tuesdays, Playaway (activities class) and trick-or-treating at a local nursing home on Wednesday, and a Moms Club Halloween party plus my car battery dying and our parenting class on Thursday, it has been a full week.

It is finally Friday and I am trying to catch up on everything. I'm cleaning. This pregnancy zaps most of my energy, so cleaning has not been a high priority in my life and you can tell. My house is a disaster most of the time. I would really like to start the weekend off with a clean house, so that is my focus and goal today. So far so good. A few loads of laundry done, bedding changed, and rooms dusted. It is not always easy to get things done around my two toddlers, but a momma's got to do what a momma's got to do. And it WILL get done.

It is finally nap time and once Calan is asleep I will tackle my bathroom including my tub, which is a disaster and needs a good ole fashion scrub down. How do things get so bad so quickly?

Still in my pajamas. Probably should shower at some point as well. How is it already 12:45? This day is flying by. Thank goodness.

The kids have been pretty good today. Though this week has been full of ups and downs with Mr. Calan. Our wonderful toddler flushed an object down our toilet costing us quite a bit to have a plumber come out on a Saturday to fix it (when you only have one bathroom, there really isn't an option). He destroyed his room during a room time this week dumping over his diaper pail with dirty diapers and dumping baking soda all around it. Plus, he has been biting his sister. It has been a trying week to say the least.

But there have been some great moments as well. Maisie is FINALLY starting to walk. She is about a 60/40 right now, walking about 40 percent of the time. I really was starting to give up hope, but she is getting there. Calan has been pretty obsessed with playing with his good friend Gavin that he has started to pray for Gavin and to be able to play trains with him. It is so stinking cute.

The kids are filled with fun and craziness. I am tired a lot of the time, but their smiles do make life a lot better. Love being a mom to these 2 babies. Oh baby number 3, you have know idea what you are in for.

The kids a local farm for our church's family night. The both loved the hay pile and Maisie did not freak out at the farm animals. 

A little Halloween preview from this weeks trick-or-treating and party. 

2 years / 11 month update

I am the mother of a 2 year old. Seriously, Calan is 2. I thought his first year went by quickly, but this year has flown by. Maisie is going to be 1 soon. Seriously, soon I will be the mother of 2 toddlers and not 2 babies.

This morning Bob had to go to work early, so it was just me and the kids and we sat on our large chair snuggling. I loved every second of it. I love being a mom and love watching them get so old. Though it does make me sad. Time is going by too quickly. I think every mother feels that way. So much happens so quickly those first years, I am so happy that I have been here for everything!

Eating

• Calan is still my finicky eater. I swear he regresses all the time. It is always 1 step forward and 2 steps back with him. I do get him to try everything at dinner, but man is it a battle the whole way. Not sure if it is the time of day or what I am feeding him, but it is just the worst meal. I dread it completely. His appetite is still less, which means at least meals aren't too long. (Yeah.)
  I am working on getting him to stop playing with his food. Everything is either a boat or car and then he makes the hugest mess. Again, such a pain. I just wish meals were easy. One day, right?
• Maisie is an amazing eater. She does not even question it. If it is on her tray, she eats it. Though if after a few bites, she isn't a fan, she starts to drop it on the floor. The little stinker literally smiles at me when she does this. She is eating basically everything that we are. No more purees, which is making life a lot easier. She drinks four 6 oz. bottles of formula each day. I am behind on introducing a sippy cup, so hopefully she transitions OK in a couple weeks to milk. I just have to start being consistent about it. 

Sleeping

• Calan is sleeping a hundred times better. He still rocks, but 2-hour wake ups are becoming fewer and fewer. I can only remember 2 or 3 this month versus 2 or 3 a week. He has been taking a longer and longer time to fall asleep. We have started to give him a sippy cup of water and that helped a little, but now has become another thing he stays awake with. I have started going in there not saying a word and just resetting him and that seems to have helped a little. 
• Luckily, Miss Maisie sleeps through it all. She is out quicker than I can turn off the light. She is awesome when it comes to sleeping. Down at 7:30 and up just after 7 in the morning. No peeps, no rocking, no nothing; just pure sleep. She is still taking 2 naps, an hour in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. They still nap separately and I probably won't change that till Maisie drops her morning nap. 
• Room sharing is still going great at night. No complaints there. 

Milestones

• Maisie got glasses this month. Little cute pink ones that will hopefully strengthen her right eye so that she doesn't go cross-eyed while focusing. She does really well with them and leaves them on her face most of the time, and to my utter shock, Calan leaves them alone too and tells me when they have fallen down. Crazy right? She will hopefully only need them for a year or 2. 
• Calan's birthday was a success. We had family and friends over for a fire truck birthday party and he loved it. The kid loves his trucks to say the least. 
• Maisie is up to 7 teeth right now and I am pretty sure all of Calan's 2-year molars are in (it is impossible to get in his mouth to check). 
• Maisie is clapping, repeating noises, and dancing (shaking her head or butt to a beat). No words yet. She is pretty quiet, so not sure when that will happen.
• Calan is fearless at all the parks we have been too. Love how active and fun he is. 
• Maisie is getting a bit more balance, but is still just walking along furniture. What is it going to be like having 2 walking kids? I'm a little scared.

Schedule

Still a bit all over the place with so much going on, but here is our base schedule:

• 7/7:30 - wake up, 6 oz. bottle for Maisie
• 8 - breakfast
• 8:30 - Pack-and-play time for Maisie and room time for Calan
• 9 - Maisie nap; Calan free play
• 10:30 - Maisie up; outdoor play or playdate usually. 
• 11 - 6 oz. bottle for Maisie
• 11:30/12 - lunch
• 12:30 - nap
• 3:00- wake up / snack; 6 oz. bottle for Maisie
• 6 - Dinner
• 6:30 - Bath and dad time
• 7:15 - stories
• 7:30 - Bedtime. (Calan usually falls asleep closer to 8 or 8:30, but Maisie is out like a light at 7:30)

Overall

Our summer is off to a great start. We are taking full advantage of the weather and where we live. We are having as much fun as possible. I am already dreading the winter months. Let summer last forever. 

The new jungle gym - our family room chair. 

First wagon ride around our neighborhood

My mini Elton John on our way to the park

The birthday boy!

Anything to do with water and my kids love it!

Cooking for 4

Teriyaki chicken with green beans and roasted potatoes.

I am now cooking for our family of four. We cut out Maisie's purees about 2 weeks ago. We kind of went cold turkey and just stopped giving them to her. She has done fine with all types of food and is seriously the best eater.

I still struggle to get Calan to eat different types of foods, but for Maisie, the second we put it on her tray, it is in her mouth. She doesn't even question it. If it is food, she is good to go. 

I am hoping Maisie's eating influences Calan's stubbornness. His toddler picky-ness is killing me. I am so tired of every mealtime turning into a battle. I promise him every night that my food won't kill him. The continuous playing with his food rather than eating it lands him in a time out, but does not seem to fix the eating issue at all. I dread dinners with him. So frustating. But, I keep trying. 

Maisie only has a month till we start phasing out her bottles. I can't wait to buy my last container of formula. I still need to work on sippy cups, but I know that she will get there. 

As we gear up for our summer vacations, it is nice to know that food is not something I need to worry about. I will be able to find something for Maisie wherever we go. And I know that she will eat basically everything too. So nice.

Cooking for my family is just another sign of how big my babies are getting. (Sniff, Sniff, Tear)

Long overdue 7 month / 20 month update

Well, this month is almost over, and Calan will be 21 months in 9 days, but I still haven't shared everything that has been going on for my 7- and 20-month-old. So here it is:

Sleeping

• I would love to say that Calan's rocking is done, but it is still going strong. I feel like a little bit of a broken record about it, but I just wish it would stop. We have tried intervening and we have tried ignoring; nothing seems to help. Though I have found that during nap time, if we get to him right as he starts, he will stay asleep his full nap. So, that is a little victory. His naps were hit or miss this month with some only an hour and a half and others a nice 3-hour nap. But his night sleep (besides rocking) has been good.
• Maisie is still sleeping upstairs. I thought I would try letting them nap together, but I found that one of them would ultimately wake up the other one too soon, so that was short lived. Just the other week, we tried night sleeping together, but unfortunately they got sick, so that was short lived. Maisie is great about missing a nap and making it up later. Calan was never like this. Most kid activities are during her morning nap, so if we are out and about, she usually doesn't nap. However, she takes a great 2.5- to 3-hour-nap in the afternoon and if needed, she will take a catnap from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. My girl is a great sleeper other than ending up in bed with us each night around 4 a.m. till 7 a.m.

Eating

• Again, I sound like a broken record with Calan on eating. He loves his carbs and fruit, but meat and veggies are hit or miss. I try to hide them and he just eats around them. He would eat 20 bananas a day if I let him. There really haven't been any new foods; just trying to get him to eat vegetables. He has started to eat with a fork and spoon. He makes a mess, but he will eat more veggies if they are on a fork or spoon.
• Maisie is doing a lot better at eating solids. Though she still won't eat plain cereal. I usually just mix it with whatever veggies or fruit she is having with it. She has had bananas, pears, sweet potatoes, and peas. I have tried giving her Cheerios, but she does not seem interested in self-feeding yet. She still makes a bit of a mess with the solids, but at least they are being eaten.

Activities

• Well, TV watching is still more than I would like, but with the weather changing, I think this problem will fix itself. However, we have been doing more out of the house. We joined the Royal Oak Mom's Club and between that and other friends and outings, we have kept ourselves pretty busy. We have gone to a few indoor play centers and he really loves going down slides. He is such a social little guy. He loves to play chase with other kids. Some little 3- or 4-year-old usually matches up with him and let's him chase them around. He grins and laughs the whole time.
• Maisie is doing her thing. She is starting to move. She pushes herself around in a circle and scotches backward. She loves to be on the ground, and actually holding her is quite difficult because she twists and turns to be put down. She loves to be talked to and smiles and grins and kicks about when you just look at her. Cracks me up.

Schedule

• 7/7:30 a.m. – Maisie and Calan wake up. Maisie eats and gets dressed. Calan slowly rises and either plays with some toys or watches TV and drinks milk
• 8 a.m. – Family eats breakfast (even Maisie eats with us at the table).
• 8:30 a.m. – Bob leaves for work. I do a few chores and make some coffee and we play for a bit in our family room.
• 9 a.m.- Maisie naps and Calan plays in his pack-and-play. I either shower or do chores or just enjoy some me time.
• 10:00 a.m. – Calan and I play. I usually try to do some activity with him, but he usually does what ever he wants.
• 10:30 a.m. – Maisie wakes up.
• 11 a.m. – Maisie drinks a bottle.
• 11:30 a.m.- We have lunch (all of us).
• 12 p.m. – Calan and Maisie have blanket time. This means Maisie is usually on her play mat.
• 12:30 p.m. – Calan and Maisie naps. I do whatever needs to be done (me time, shower, blog, chores, etc.)
• 3 p.m. – Calan wakes up
• 3:30 p.m. – Maisie wakes up and has a bottle and Calan has a snack.
• 4 p.m. – We play or do some errands.
• 5 p.m. – I start cooking dinner, so either Calan continues playing well or if he is cranky, he has been playing in his pack-and-play again.
• 5:45 p.m. – Dinner for everyone.
• 6:15 p.m. – Bath time
• 6:45 p.m. – Maisie has her bottle
• 7 p.m. – Maisie and Calan bedtime
• 11 p.m. - Maisie has a small bottle
• 4 a.m. - Maisie tends to wake up and moves into bed with us (a HORRIBLE habit that we are going to try and break this weekend)

Overall

• Calan still is the happiest kid I know. Every time we are out and about, strangers comment on how smiley he is and ask if he is always that way. And besides when he is a bit cranky, he really is ALWAYS that smiley. If you just start laughing, he starts laughing. Cracks me up. He has become a great big brother and really has been amazing with Maisie, but I have noticed a little jealousy. For example if I am holding her in my lap, he tends to move on to my lap as well. He is learning to share a little. He knows the word, but says it as he takes whatever he wants or if we try to take back something, he holds tight saying, "share, share." Better than nothing I guess.
• Maisie is really on the move. She is inching her way to mobility. Not sure what I am going to do when I have 2 mobile children, but many mothers before me have done it, so I am sure I will be just fine. She isn't very vocal and hasn't started saying and sounds yet. She does giggle and coo, but no "ba, ba, ba" or "da, da, da" yet. She is really observing so many things. She has really started to study the world around her. Love her smile and her two little teeth that show when she grins. She melts my heart.
• As a mom of two little guys, I would say that since 6 months life has gotten increasingly more difficult. I feel a bit stretched. It probably hasn't helped that Bob is working a ton, so I am doing a lot by myself. However, I am starting to get use to my new routine and as the weather keeps getting better, life seems to be getting better. Can't wait for more.

Calan and Maisie at 6 months. 

P.S. This is my 200th blog!

Up in the air

With my brief day and a half trip away from home, I am still playing a bit of catch up, and that includes figuring out my meal plan and events for the week. So, hopefully, I will have that posted soon.

So instead I'll share a little about what's been going on around here:

• Calan is finally over his cold! Seriously a toddler's snotty nose is gross and so frustrating since he won't let you wipe it. It was an interesting fine line. I wanted to wipe is nose just enough to help, but not too much that he would cry and increase his snot production to nullinvoid the fact that I wiped it in the first place. It was pretty frustrating. He got to the point that he was wiping it off with his hand and shirt so I wouldn't wipe it. That habit will be fun to break later. 
• Maisie is getting so big. I never thought her 3-6 month clothing would ever be tight on her, but they are starting to be. I can't believe it. I guess it is time to figure out the next wardrobe for her. I have some cute stuff already, but what girls doesn't need more. 
• Maisie has learned to roll from her back to her stomach, which is great except some how in the process she has forgotten how to roll over from her stomach to her back, so she gets stuck. I am getting excited for her next milestone, which should sitting up. She is still pretty wobbly, but she is getting better. 
• Bob did a great job as Mr. Mom while I was gone. He even tried to take the kids out to lunch by himself, but once he got all ready and the kids in the car, unfortunately Calan's door wouldn't shut, so he had to take them back in. But I think that it is impressive that he even tried. 
• My trip to see my grandmother was good. I am glad I went.It wasn't easy, but it was good to see her and my family. It was hard to leave, but life does go on. 

Next week, I'll be writing the kids' monthly update, so I will share more about them then. Every month seems to go faster and faster, but this one I am glad to say goodbye too. It has not been fun, but I survived, the kids survived, and hoping this month will be a ton better. 

Anything goes Thursday: 18 month / 5 month update

Phew! We made it through Christmas and the kids were champs. It was a nice holiday. We felt a bit rushed and actually Maisie didn't open her presents till the 26th because of us rushing around visiting family.

Our kids were of course spoiled by family and Calan is loving all cars, trucks, and trains. Total boy. Maisie has discovered her feet, so little is competing with those, but I am sure that she will love all of her toys as well soon enough.

We are visiting my parents right now, finishing up our holiday celebrations. And of course, Calan is sick. I had a good 18-month streak of healthy kids, but yesterday Calan had some kind of stomach bug and today he is just whiny. We are surviving and he seems to be doing much better. And thank God for baby Tylenol.

Here's what the kids have been doing this month:

Sleeping

• Calan -He is still half waking up a couple times in the middle of night, so between Maisie and Calan I am up quite a bit for short periods of time. It kind of stinks, but not sure what else I can do other than ignore it. However, when he got sick the other night, I did not rush in at all and wish that I had. I am so use to him waking up that it is hard to know when something is really wrong. Because of the holiday, his naps have been a bit off too. I am hoping when we get home they go back to being 2.5-3 hours. He needs it, and so do I.
• Maisie - She successfully sleeping in her pack-and-play for all naps. She is longer sleeping with a blanket on her head. She sleeps so well for naps. I love it. I just wish her night sleeping was as good has her day sleeping. She wakes up each night at 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. mostly to just comfort nurse. I am realizing that now that she is gaining weight and eating a lot during the day, it is officially time to start training to get her to sleep through the night. We are hoping that it is just going to take a few nights and are going to try this weekend. Fingers crossed.

Eating

• Calan - Veggies are still a struggle, but I just keep offering them and I just don't give him more of what he likes unless he eats some of the veggies. He is doing better. He isn't starving to say the least. Over the holidays, he obviously was not eating very well and was pretty distracted with all the people around. With him still a little sick today, we are sticking to the BRAT foods (Banana, Rice, Apple, Toast).
• Maisie - SHE IS GAINING WEIGHT! Yeah! Maisie is breastfeeding and drinking formula at most meals. She nurses and then drinks a 4-oz. bottle. In the middle of the night I am just nursing and if we are out, she just gets formula. Our doctor would like us to start solids, but I think that we are going to hold off a little longer. She just doesn't seem ready to me. Probably by the end of January though we will start. Calan was 5.5 months when we started with him and I am going to probably wait till at least then too with her.

Milestones

• Calan - He is learning every day. He just seems like a toddler and not a baby anymore. His vocabulary continues to expand by leaps and bounds. He is getting really good at following simple instructions. We have really started to utilize time-outs for him, which isn't a milestone that I am too happy about.
• Maisie - Maisie's feet are her pure enjoyment right now. Little is competing with her feet. She is loving her voice as well and is laughing and smiling all the time. We are loving it as her parents. She just gets so excited and happy that she shrieks with joy. Love it. She is so close to rolling over back to stomach. She gets 3/4 of the way over, but just can't seem to get her arms out of the way to get there completely. Hopefully soon she will be rolling all over the place. I can't wait till she is taking toys from Calan.

Activities

• Calan - I have been doing a lot of little crafts with Calan. Some he has likes like bath paints and some he has not. But I have noticed that he is getting better with painting and coloring than he was in the past, so something is working. He is pretty cute with his toy golf clubs. We say "1 hand, 2 hand, Swing," and he holds the club with two hands and hits the ball. He is so cute looking like a little golfer and Bob just loves it. He even lets the club slide through his hands like his dad. Love it.
• Maisie - She is getting really active with her floor mat and hanging toys. She loves to grab toward them and batting at everything. We have tried the exersaucer, and she likes it a little bit, but still looks a little uncomfortable in it, so we haven't been using it much at all.

Schedule

• 7 a.m. - Maisie wakes up and eats.
• 7:30 a.m. - Calan wakes up
• 8:00 a.m. - Calan eats breakfast has milk.
• 8:30 a.m. - Calan playtime in his pack and play. Maisie starts her nap.
• 9:30 a.m. - Calan dress, helps with some chores with me.
• 10 a.m. - Maisie eats, Calan sits and "reads" books or puzzles
• 11:30 a.m. - Maisie naps / Calan eats lunch
• 12 p.m. - Calan blanket time
• 12:30 p.m. - Calan naps;
• 1 p.m. - Maisie eats / Maisie & mom time
• 2:30 p.m. - Maisie nap
• 3 p.m. - Calan wakes up / snack
• 4 p.m. - Maisie wakes and eats
• 4:30 p.m. - free time (this could be errands, dinner prep, sibling time, anything to fill till dinner)
• 6 p.m. - dinner
• 6:20 p.m. - bath time
• 6:40 p.m. - Calan gets ready for bed; drinks milk
• 7 p.m. - Maisie eats
• 7:30 p.m. - Calan and Maise bedtime
• 10:30 p.m. - Maisie eats
• 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.- Middle of the night feeding for Maisie

Overall

• Calan - Calan was so good during the holidays and with so many different schedules and environments. We were a little exhausted chasing him around, but with everything said and done, he was so god for an 18-month-old.
• Maisie - Love her and love the fact that she is breaking out of her hermit shell. She is full of smiles and laughs. She is growing so quickly now there is no stopping her. I can't wait to see all the milestones she hits this month. Can't believe that next month she will be 6 months. Crazy.

Monday Game Plan: U.P. bound

I can't believe that it is already 12:30 on Monday. I have been running around like a crazy person trying to get us all packed for our trip up north to my parent's house. It is about a 5.5-hour trip without kids; with the kids it takes us little over 6.

We are officially in the car on our way up. Praying Calan falls asleep quickly and stays asleep for most of the trip. I am hoping to only stop once, but we usually have to stop twice. Once we are up there, it is pure relaxation. I mean, who takes better care of you than your mom?

So here is the plan:

Goal: To have fun and relax as a family and hopefully have fun in some snow.

Monday: Packing and driving up to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to visit my parents and relax.

Tuesday: Take the kids to Tequanimum Falls.

Wednesday: Go visit my grandfather (who is in a nursing home up there) and head to Grand Marais for dinner at Bob's favorite brewery.

Thursday: Relax and pray that there is snow to play in. We will head home at some point depending on weather and what we are doing.

Friday: I have a doctor appointment in the morning and then just spending the day at home catching up. Probably grocery shopping and laundry.

Saturday: Pack up Christmas decorations. Probably just staying home for New Year's Eve. We just use family members for babysitters and hate to ask them so we can go out, so home it is.

Sunday: Home sweet home. Relaxation. Our church is not having services, so we will have a well deserved pj-type of day.

I don't have meals planned for this week since we are obviously on vacation. But, I will be making us at some point the baked egg muffins I made for us on Christmas Eve. I am seriously in love with them.

Have a good week!

Monday Game Plan: Holiday week is here

All Christmas shopping is done, all presents are wrapped, and now it is time to get all loose ends tied up before Sunday. Bob is on vacation this week and next. This week we are getting some loose end items taken care of and getting ourselves ready for the holidays.

Here is this weeks game plan:

Goal: To stay organized and not feel rushed through the holidays.

Menu

• Monday: Italian sausage with sauteed green peppers and onions over brown rice. 
• Tuesday: Baked chicken with butternut squash and sliced apples
• Wednesday: Chicken tortilla soup
• Thursday: Leftovers
• Friday: Chinese takeout after church
• Saturday: Christmas Eve
• Sunday: Christmas 

Events

• Monday: Wilson/Hewines' women cookie exchange. (I made Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies. The easiest cookies to make and a family favorite.)
• Tuesday: Meeting Eleanor M., friends' daughter who is a week younger than Maisie. Also, my parents fly back from Boston and are spending the night.
• Wednesday: Search for Christmas outfits for myself and Bob. (Of course the kids are all set.)
• Thursday: Clean house and start packing for our trip to the UP (we leave Monday). 
• Friday: Visit with the Pisano/MacLachlan family. Christmas service at Kensington Church.
• Saturday: Christmas Eve. Morning exchange with Wilson siblings. Evening dinner at Bob's aunt's with all of my father-in-law's family.
• Sunday: Christmas. Brunch with my mother-in-law. Finish packing for UP. Dinner with my mother-in-law's family. 

Here's to a good and busy week! Merry Christmas. 

Time-outs are in full swing

I guess it is a little amazing to me how quickly babies really do understand what they are suppose to do and what not do. Calan is not allowed to touch several mainstays in our home - our phones, remotes, computers, Christmas tree, etc., etc. He is a smart little bugger though. It amazes me that if my phone or remote are in easy access, he beelines for them instantly knowing that he is not allowed to touch them. Human nature really is to go against authority to say the least.

Therefore, we have started time-outs. In our house that means, he is placed in his crib for a minimum of 2 minutes. He has to be sitting in his crib for timeouts to begin and has to be sitting quietly for timeouts to end after the 2 minutes are up. I thought that he would be more upset or opposed to timeouts, but really he just does his time for lack of a better way to say it. Though he seems to not have an issue doing timeouts, they do seem to stop the behavior that I am trying to correct (till the next time he does it). 

It is a little hard for me to discipline him. I know that it is best to correct his behavior now rather than try and reteach him later, but some how in our society discipline has become a taboo topic. If we want our children to act a certain way, there has to be consequences for when they don't. I am not expecting or desiring Calan to be perfect. He is a toddler, I get that, but the saying "kids will be kids" only goes so far. Kids become tweens become teens become adults. 

Is discipline still a bad word in mommy world? How and when did you start? 

Sleeping doesn't come easy

Do you have a good sleeper? Did it just come naturally for your child or children? Or was it, like me, a fight to the finish?

I have mentioned many times in blogs my napping up and downs with Calan. It seems every time we get into a routine something like teeth or a growth spurt or Calan's just plan stubbornness got in our way.

I am a believer in sleep training. I do think our children naturally want to sleep, but they don't know how or when and that is where parenting comes in.

There are a lot of sleep transitions in a baby's first year. It seems like you are always preparing to drop another nap. Currently, Maisie takes four naps that with three about 90 minutes long and an evening nap about 60 minutes. Calan takes one 3-hour nap. Obviously, in the early months napping is directly linked to eating. By that I mean, how many times I feed Maisie during the day is basically how many naps she has up to 7 p.m. After that, it is night sleep and just eating and sleeping without waketime.

At our house, our days are based on an eat-play-sleep cycle. This breaks the needing to nurse to sleep that many mothers get trapped in. However, with Calan, he was never one to go down for a nap without a fight. If I put him down to early or to late, he would play in his crib for his whole nap. This literally started around 4 months when he discovered his feet and couldn't get enough of them. Maisie is actually a pretty good day sleeper naturally. She does require a few extras like a blanket in order for the nap to go smoothly, but for the most part, if she plays during her waketime, she is out like a light when it is nap time.

On the flip side, Calan was and is a pretty good sleeper at night where Maisie's night sleeping is less than desirable. But, until her weight is where it should be, I'm not working on extending her night sleep. I take it for what it is.

It took me awhile to except the fact that I just can't make my children sleep. I can do everything to make sure that they have the best opportunity to sleep (well fed, dry, comfortable, etc.), but I can't make them sleep.

Calan is a decent sleeper (minus his annoying body-rocking thing), but I wasn't a lucky mom. It was hard fought. It took time and consistency.

My advice is to hang in there for any mother who is struggling with naps. Don't let your children decide their naps. You know how important sleep is for them and they need it. Even being in their crib playing is more restful than being overstimulated with their toys, and let's be honest, you need the break too. Don't stress if there are ups and downs with naps. As long as you stay consistent and expect age-appropriate napping, things should work out.

Now I'm off to get Miss Maisie to sleep.

Which didn't take long and didn't require a blanket over her face. 

17 month / 4 month update

The holiday season is upon us and life is getting pretty busy around here. The days just seem to wiz by between meals and naps, it is getting a little harder to get out of the house. Plus, I'll be honest the rainy, cold weather hasn't helped.

Thanksgiving went really well. The kids were pretty adorable and behaved very well. Calan wasn't the biggest fan of turkey, but since I can't stand turkey, I didn't blame him.

Here's what's going on with the kids:

Sleeping

• Calan - He has successfully transitioned to one nap a day. He usually sleeps from 12:30 till 3. It is great how consistent and predictable that nap has become. However, it does limit my time to run errands in the morning, as well as lunches with Bob during the week. On the bright side, he wakes up pretty happy, rested, and content. It also gives me a full wake time with Maisie just her and I. At night, Calan is still rocking way too much. He seems wake up to a half sleep and rocks back and forth against his crib. He wakes up happy and does seem rested in the mornings, so it doesn't seem to affect him there, but I just wish he wasn't doing it all.
• Maisie - She is getting a little harder to get to sleep. She is starting to not want her blanket on her face, which I would totally be OK with if that meant she could fall asleep with out it. We are about half and half falling asleep with a blanket over her face and half without it. Hopefully by next month, she will totally not need it at all. You can tell she has developed more of an awareness to her world because it is a little harder to get her to sleep and she is very much more awake when she is awake. As for night time, she is no where close to sleeping through the night. Because of her lack of weight gain, anytime she wakes up in the middle of the night, I am feeding her even if she probably does not need to eat. It is important for me to give her as much food as I can until she starts to show gains. I usually feed her 10:30/11 p.m. before I go to bed and she is waking 1:50ish and 4ish in the morning. She then wakes in the morning between 7 and 7:30.

Eating

• Calan - His appetite seems to have tapered off a little. He eats pretty decent meals at breakfast and lunch and then a smaller dinner meal. His dinner meal is probably smaller because I try to feed him more vegetables during that meal and he usually fights me on it. However, he is still a fruit lover and bananas are definitely his favorite. He can down a whole banana in about a minute.
• Maisie - If you are following along with the blog, you know that Maisie is not gaining weight like she should be. She has only gained 4 ounces since Sept. 27. We are now supplementing my breastfeeding with formula. She is nurses and then I give her a 2 oz. bottle after her day time feedings. I just nurse in the middle of the night. We are suppose to also be mixing a little cereal in her bottles, but she refuses to drink a bottle that has cereal in it. Since it is more important for her to take the formula, I have forgone the cereal for right now. But, my mother just offered a new way to try and get her to take the cereal today, so I will try to give her the cereal again tomorrow. Hopefully, it works. We go in for another weight check Dec. 14.

Milestones

• Calan - His vocabulary is jumping leaps and bounds. He seems to pick up a new word every day. He is really working on communicating with us and is realizing that words get him what he wants or needs much better than whining. We have also transitioned Calan to a booster chair for meals. It isn't too much different from the high chair, but it is nice to have the 3 of us around the same table and I don't have to sit sideways to feed him as well.
• Maisie - She is really becoming aware of everything around her. She is exploring touch and grabbing things pretty easily to her mouth. She takes her pacifier out and holds on to and then tries to get it back in her mouth.

Activities

• Calan - He is successfully doing blanket time for 30 minutes. He stays and plays and reads his books and I rarely if ever have to remind him to stay on the blanket. Our next step is to test blanket time out in public to see how well he listens. Calan loves to sing and dance as well as play with his golf clubs and trucks.
• Maisie - Her activities are still a bit limited. Because her feedings take a bit longer and then so she doesn't spit everything back up, she is still not on the ground as much as she should be. However, she does love to play on her floor mat and playing with the toys. She is getting pretty good at grabbing the toys with both hands.

Schedule

• 7 a.m. - Maisie wakes up and eats.
• 7:30 a.m. - Calan wakes up
• 8:00 a.m. - Calan eats breakfast has milk.
• 8:30 a.m. - Calan playtime in his pack and play. Maisie starts her nap.
• 9:30 a.m. - Calan dress, helps with some chores with me.
• 10 a.m. - Maisie eats, Calan sits and "reads" books or puzzles
• 11:30 a.m. - Maisie naps / Calan eats lunch
• 12 p.m. - Calan blanket time
• 12:30 p.m. - Calan naps;
• 1 p.m. - Maisie eats / Maisie & mom time
• 2:30 p.m. - Maisie nap
• 3 p.m. - Calan wakes up / snack
• 4 p.m. - Maisie wakes and eats
• 4:30 p.m. - free time (this could be errands, dinner prep, sibling time, anything to fill till dinner)
• 6 p.m. - dinner
• 6:20 p.m. - bath time
• 6:40 p.m. - Calan gets ready for bed; drinks milk
• 7 p.m. - Calan bedtime/Maisie eats
• 7:30 p.m. - Maise bedtime
• 10:30 p.m. - Maisie eats
• 1:50 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.- Middle of the night feeding for Maisie

Overall

• Calan - I can see why toddlers are so exhausting, but it is still such a fun time. I love that he is talking more and more. I can't wait for the day when we are having conversations. He is still very much a daddy's little buddy. He loves me, but there is no one like dad for him.
• Maisie - We will continue to feed, feed, and feed some more till Maisie starts gaining weight like she should. While eating formula has made her a little more fussy, she still is easily settled by me. Just like Calan adores his dad, Maisie is quite the mommy's girl and I am loving all the cuddles and snuggles.

After a little bit of a battle, Maisie is taking a bottle from me.

Calan loves playing outside. I, however, can't stand the cold. 

Calan looking through and singing with his favorite book. 

She might be little, but she is pretty cute.

Always trying to be like daddy.