Jumbo Bumbo!

Oh my word Olivia Kate is already big enough and strong enough to sit in a Bumbo seat!!! If you're wondering what in the heck that is its this nifty and light little seat that is designed for infants to sit in and it's great support for the ones who can't quite sit up and it keeps the ones that are wigglers and can sit up, stationary!

All about her...

What's new with Hannah? Well... Where do I begin?! Hannah has evolved into quite the little girl these days.  She's become a complete chatter box and no longer babbles but actually makes 3 word sentences! I actually understand most of everything she says! I'm totally baffled by how much her personality has blossomed in the last 6 months especially since Olivia has been around. 
Hannah acts just like a little girl... You're probably thinking... DUH! But in all seriousness she has totally become a D.R.A.M.A. Q.U.E.E.N!!! She tells me that she doesn't like the shirt I've picked out, she tells me that I need to put a bow in her hair, what she wants to eat (which by the way is ALWAYS Mac&Cheese).  She has become even more independent than 6 months ago... If that is possible! She's developing this silly personality and is becoming quite the comedian.  I remember how I was when I was in Elementary school and I can see Hannah doing just the same things I did and pulling the same mischievous acts I did as well. 
Hannah is incredibly fun to be around and can be a total goof ball.  I've been out of work for almost 11 weeks and I can't seem to muster up the "want" to take her to daycare.  Being around her is addictive and every morning that comes I wake up with the plan of taking her to school but then like most mornings I'm driving down the road only to find myself back home again, both kids in tow.  I know she NEEDS to go to school and most weeks she gets there 2 to 3 days a week and believe me I don't like HATE paying for a full week when she only attends 2 or 3 days. 
These days Hannah is talking and saying things so much and I am copying Kim Carrigan's blog by posting some of the newest things Hannah has been saying. It's a great idea to put these things down that way when Olivia is 2 years old I can look back and reminisce on what Hannah said and how she said them!

• Me: Hannah how old are you? Hannah: I two old.
• Me holding up a fork: Hannah what is this? Hannah: Pork! 
• As I'm standing up she will repeatedly ask the question "Where mommy go? Where mommy go?" I think she means Where is mommy going? But it's so cute to hear her ask where mommy go, especially when I still standing right there lol 
•  Me: Point at Olivia and say Hannah who's that? Hannah: Sissy
• She says Pease instead of Please
• She says tank ouuu, welcome, pwetty (pretty)
• When we are eating dinner she wants to be a big girl and not sit in a high chair or booster she says "Sit on knees" 
• She calls my sister and BIL (Josh)... Nini and Dosh
• Hannah can't pronounce her L's or V's quite yet so she says Obibia instead of Olivia or she'll say Bibby instead of Livvy 
• When she wants to play she says: Pway here!
• Another of her new things is she'll ask as she is pointing in a direction "Dat way?" 

I know you've heard this a thousand times because I'd heard it that many times too... But the love you have for your children is an amazing thing and it never stops.  I know that without a doubt I'd trade my life for anyone of my children especially if I knew it would give them a better life.  And if I have love this big for my husband and my kids I can't imagine the kind of love God has for us.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by that love that I feel my heart might explode out of my body. To think that God gave up his very own son to save us is quite the sacrifice. I truly feel like that is the only reason we know true love because that is how he felt about his son and now us.
.... Just thought I'd get a little emotional on ya! :) 

Hannah's 2nd Birthday Party!!!

This was such a fun party to plan and decorate! Hannah is in love with Elmo!

A good friend of mine made the adorable and tasty cupcakes!

Treat bags and marshmallow pops for the kiddos!

Food table! We served Pizza, gold fish, sausage balls, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, peanut

 butter cookies!

Trying and not succeeding in telling Hannah how to blow out the candle...

Hannahs favorite boy-friend Austin!!

Hannah loved her "car" as she calls it

Both of my girls worn out from a busy fun filled day

This was such a cute gift idea from her great uncle and aunt!

Visiting Great Grandparents!

 

We took a little trip up to the mountains to visit my grandparents.  Since they live almost 2 hours away its difficult to get us packed up and make a "quick" trip up there.  If we go up, spending the entire day is a must.  So up we went, me and Lydia with our 3 kids!  Luckily Olivia slept the entire way, Hannah fell asleep about 1 hour into the trip and Braylon slept some and fussed some too.  The trip up wasn't near as exhausting as it was coming back.  All the kids were tired of being cooped up in their car seats and pretty much fussed the entire way home.  It was a great trip over all, my grandpa isn't doing so well and since I'm out of work (maternity leave) I feel it's important to take the kids up to see them. 
I'll let the pictures explain the great time we had!

We also took the kids to see my other set of grandparents and they thoroughly enjoyed the visit as well!

During the 2nd Month!

Olivia is 2 months old ALREADY! Time flies with one baby but when you put 2 in the mix it's gone twice as fast.
I have so much to update about my sweet Olivia.  Besides the fact that she's seriously an amazing baby, she's growing at insane rates!  She smiled her first smile at 6 weeks old.  And ever since she has worked so hard to perfect this new talent. Olivia has learned how to kick her feet and wave her arms around when she's excited or happy.  I've been working hard to get us all into a routine and the best place to start (for me) was working on a feeding schedule. Olivia is not a fussy baby at all and hasn't been from day one. THANK GOODNESS! She's been very content and loud noises don't bother her unless its unusual...
Since she's started smiling it absolutely makes days a lot sweeter.  I can't wait for her to wake up after her naps so I can see her smile again. She started holding her head up really well at about 6 weeks and we put her in the Bumbo seat at 7 1/2 weeks she did very well but only tolerated it for a short amount of time.  I try to let her nap on her belly but if she's on it when she's wide awake that lasts maybe 10 minutes before she screams her head off because she can't look up and around.
Things that I have fallen in love with and have been very useful since she was born are:
~My Breast Friend (breast feeding pillow)
~Sling (to carry her around in)
~Fridge togo (to carry milk and bottles if she gets hungry while we're out)
~A mini Pack-n-Play
~Bumbo seat
~Zipper or Snap onesies
~Mittens
~Medela breast pump (I cannot explain how much I love this pump!)
~Olive Oil... It's actually great to use on the pump and it supposedly has some sort of healing agent)
~Victoria secret bras! Wow I'd forgotten how much I missed them because I was making due with the bra's I used with Hannah (cheap) and I gave in and bought one the other day and it's more than comfortable! So well worth the money in my opinion!!!  ;)
~New Born Enfamil... I am breast feeding but when she hits those growth spurts it sure is nice to supplement with formula to give my poor boobs a rest! lol
Olivia is cooing and smiling more and more every day!  She is still eating every three hours that includes night time too but occasionally she will sleep 4 hours at night.  Most nights she will go right back to sleep after I feed her so I am able to get pretty good sleep.  I cannot explain in enough words how amazing it is having been blessed with one beautiful little girl who is such a happy individual but to be blessed with two happy and healthy little girls makes me speechless.  God is good ALL the time!

Happy 2 months old Olivia and Happy Valentines Day to my sweet girls and my hunny!

Life with 2... The Big Adjustment

I'll admit it, I am no super mom... meaning adjusting to two children in the house instead of one has been quite interesting for me.  My mom and dad brought Hannah up to the hospital the night Olivia was born and she was absolutely terrified of me.  Maybe it was the machines that I was hooked up to and the beeping sounds or maybe it was just the overall busy-ness in the room.  Either way she wanted nothing to do with me and all though I pretty much expected that reaction it still hurt.  I wanted to be able to scoop her up into my arms like I'd done that morning but I very obviously couldn't especially with the epidural still in my system.  So right then and there was the beginning of the Big Adjustment.
The next day Hannah was a little more herself (I wasn't hooked up to anything! Yay!).  She wanted me to pick her up still and wanted my attention 100% of the time.  I got a couple of pictures of her sitting on my lap with Olivia but before, during, and after the pictures she would say "I don't like it", talking about Olivia of course.  That day was the beginning of MANY temper tantrums.  She wanted to roam all over the hospital and the second we wouldn't let her she pitched an unholy fit.  And when she wanted me and I couldn't carry/hold/pick her up the tantrum escalated.  It ended after about 10 minutes but it wasn't pretty while it lasted.  

We were sent home the next day (Friday) and luckily had the weekend before Kyle had to go back to work.  He took Hannah to daycare that week and I stayed home trying to get used to having a new born again.  The evenings were difficult because for the first two weeks because I wasn't supposed to lift anything heavier than Olivia and Hannah was so used to me doing everything for her (baths, getting her dressed, playing with her etc.) and at that point I wasn't feeling up to doing a lot of playing around.  I know it makes me sound like a bad mother but those first couple of weeks are difficult enough getting used to one baby, but it's even more difficult when you have to entertain a VERY active almost 2 year old.  Hannah wanted me to do everything which was normal.  She depended on me for every need.  So when she had to depend on her daddy that was another part of The Big Adjustment that she wasn't all that crazy about either. 
I think the hardest part for me during The Big Adjustment those first two weeks was the fact that I felt so incapable of doing anything, I felt like I should be able to help and I couldn't.  I couldn't stand the fact that I couldn't lift Hannah up and put her to bed like I always had done.  Just things like that were a Big Adjustment for me as well!

After those first two weeks I learned that I am capable of taking care of two children and I've learned a whole new level of patience that I thought I'd NEVER have.  God will never give you more than you can handle and I know that for sure now!
Each day after those two weeks The Big Adjustment doesn't quite seem so BIG... Don't get me wrong we have our bad days and we have our great days, but those great days happen more often than the bad ones.  Every day gets a little more easier. Now Olivia is 8 weeks old and I can't believe it.  I enjoy having both girls home and most days I find myself wanting to keep Hannah home with me and the days we send her to school (which is only because we have to pay for it anyway) I end up picking her up early.  I love this life, the life as a mother and especially a mother of two girls! They bring such joy and light to my life.  Each day that draws closer and closer to me going back to work I find myself keeping Hannah home from school and we spend the entire day together. Just the 3 of us occasionally my sister will join us and some days my nephew will "play hookie" (please note he is only 6 months old) from school and we will have a play date!
The Big Adjustment turned out to be Not So Big and even though it's tough right now I know that having my girls this close will one day make them the best of friends, just as me and my sister are!
Life with 2 has been no walk in the park but I will say I am still learning and each day reminds me of what a blessing they are and how precious they are.  I am one lucky individual to be blessed with such.  I'm definitely learning to take it ONE day at a time. 

Baby Comparisons!

Hannah 1 month old

Olivia 1 month old

 I just love how they were wearing the same outfit!!! Hannah was  a little bit chunkier.  I see a lot of similarities but they still look very different!