Z. and mama

I love that big, baby girl. She's still sleeping like a champ at night. Still fights naps most times during the day. I was SICKO early this morn...from 2ish to 6ish (more tummy trouble...thanks, H. Pylori?), so I'm functioning slowly today. And no, the pix. weren't taken today...I'm still in p.j.s. I just rarely have a photo op of Z. N. mom like I did with L. N. mom.

Zora wora hat

here's a cute pic of a hand-me-down from Tosca (Savannah).

silliness

Here are a few pix of the fam...taped noses & failed attempt to get both (or either!) kid to look at the camera. Enjoy!

Macomb water...our own third world country

This was our bathing water one night. I turned on the warm, went to get L. a towel & wash cloth, & came back to this "river water" bath. Yuck. We've had several boil orders during the past year, but this was NOT during one of them! B. has gotten sick from drinking our water one day just before a boil order was announced & I have a mysterious H. Pylori stomach infection...we now purchase drinking water & take lots of showers.

Sometimes it's sweet...a pre-nap par-tay

This is what I heard as I prepared ("fixed") :) L's naptime milk cup one afternoon. We do "family nap" in the afternoons...which means I nurse Z. & L. has some form of soy or cow's milk as I read to both kiddos (milk time for all!) & then I pray that they both go to sleep within a few min. of one another. Most days it works out okay. :)

Mop heads & Monkey tails

Barclay sometimes calls Langston a "mop head." Being the 3-year-old that takes all things literally, guess what he did when the spilled some tea a week or so ago? Yep, you guessed it. I wasn't quick enough to stop the instant downward dog followed by the swishing around on the floor *sigh*, but when I said, "Son, what are you doing?," he looked at me with these serious eyes & said, "Dad always says, 'You have a mop head!'" Thanks, dad.
Also, recently when Z. was crying L. told me that she might have an "industry." Sometimes babies get "industries" according to him. (Industry=injury, for those unskilled in toddlerese.) He also still says, "they're" instead of "they," as in "They're said we're all going to Bonkers." ;)
**And here's a good one. So, if you read post "Thing 1 & thing 2," you know that all L.'s toys were in time out a few nights ago. Well, he was busy w. a tissue box, a stool that he uses to climb into bed, & that plastic piece (monkey tail). He came into the living room, where B. & I were talking, sat on that stool, crossed his legs (ankle over knee), & proceeded to smoke the monkey tail. (!?) I whispered, "I think he's smoking something." So B. asked, "Son, what are you doing?" (he gets that question a lot!) He answered, "Just smoking." We asked where he had seen someone smoking (we don't even have a t.v.!). He says, "In Alabama." Okey dokey. We then had a health lesson on how it isn't good for one's body to smoke, blah, blah. He stopped. For now. I'm guessing that we might have to revisit that lesson quite a few times over the next decade or so. That's okay. We'll offer the same wisdom as a few nights ago. And hope that he doesn't smoke more than monkey tail in the future.

Thing 1 & Thing 2

Thing 1 (Langston Hadley) has officially been all over Thing 2 (Zora Gwendolyn) & therefore driving me NUTS! He loves her, protects her from other curious toddlers, must see her (esp. when she's sleeping or when he comes in from school), feeds her, "holds" her, "reads" to her,...but that is not all, no, that is not all. For some reason he also smacks her around. **And here I would like to insert that we talk to him quite a bit about what is good & not so good to do with or to sister. We also try to make him realize that he is a "big boy" to her; she looks up to him. He wouldn't want a "big boy" to him (& we name his favs, Uncle Spence, Josh, etc.) to be mean to him...he seems to "get it" for a moment, but he's 3 & that moment passes. Before she was born I would think, "L. might be jealous, but he'd never abuse Zora." Ha, ha on me. A few days ago he twisted her ear (she'd been crying for a while & I think he had ENOUGH...it was naptime on his 1st day of school, aka, worn out L.). He got a 1.time out 2.spank (which is rare in our house) 3.no story telling before nap. Later on that evening he punched her (not hard, but still...) in the tummy! I couldn't believe it! Who was this scoundrel & what did he do with that sweet boy that I knew?! Anyway, I resorted to the same 1.& 2. punishment, but 3. was loss of all toys for the rest of the night. This meant he played with a cup in the bathtub & an empty egg carton & small piece of plastic that is suppose to be a monkey tail (all he could find in his room). He's been better since then, so I think that the extreme discipline has worked for now. I know he's jealous (mainly about nursing time), but I've done all the things I know to do (read while nurse, let him "help," talk about how much Z. loves him/loves to watch him, remind him that she can't eat/do what he can...& more) & yet it's tough. I'm hoping that in the coming weeks/months, when she interacts more, he'll dig this whole having a sister thing & we'll stop the hate. The love-hate thing is rough for the parents. And I guess for the kids, too.

Big girl

weighing in at 17lb. 13oz. (no chart plotting for this girl!)...
reaching new heights of 26" tall (okay, okay, that's only 97%)...
Zora at 4 months!

foods for 1st time...foods for the very 1st time!

Z. just tried rice cereal for the first time! Thus far I have mixed it w. breast milk, formula, & water. She makes the "ugh, gross" face with all three. (Maybe less with the breast milk, but I can't want to pump unless I must). Brother really got into the act. Barclay filmed on our camcorder. He's the shortened video via camera version of the event. I'm still learning my camera, so this film is done in a color-funky way. Enjoy!

Wagners visit Macomb

Our old neighbors, Lynn, Tanya, & their new baby, Keaton, came back to Macomb for Tanya's brother's wedding. We got to visit for just a moment & hold each other's baby. Z. made two of Keaton, who is average size. (I finally realized how Mel used to feel when I asked to borrow a diaper & Dais was 2 sizes ahead of L. Zora's in size 3; Keaton is in a 1.). :) Keaton was such a cute, deep dark tan guy! He was all smiles at my kiddos (and poor Zora was grumpy from fighting naps that day). Overall, it was a great time. I really miss Tanya. It was fun being pregnant with my across-the-street neighbor. She & I had dr. visits on the same week & we always compared "notes" after we both saw Sherrie/Dr. Eckman. L. and I spent the night at their house once, they babysat for us a couple of times, & we dog sat for them. I got to hand-me-down some of L's cute stuff. I'm sure we would have so many stories to tell & things yet to do, had they lived here longer, but that 30+ weeks of pregnancy *together* sure was a nice. We miss you, Wagners!

Saving for the Sipahhs

As I have mentioned before, L. does "chores" (putting away his laundry, helping clean toilets, take out his "little trash...") & gets a quarter here & there. He always puts his earnings away in a "train" bank (from Tim & Debbie...thanks!). He also puts away whatever birthday $, or holiday $ he gets & saves it for a "special" thing. So far, he has gotten 1.bubble gum, 2.play-dough, 3.a spiderman baseball cap, 4.pink milk straws. He saw the last item on the list in the grocery one day with Barclay. B. reminded him that was a "special" & he'd have to bring his $ back to get it. So, the next grocery trip, he got a handful of quarters & was ready! At first I thought he was going to be a little short, so I got out my change, but the older guy at the check out was so impressed by L's "earnings" that he said he'd cover whatever it was. ;) L. had enough $ & was "tickled" (as we say down South) with his straws.

the Grandmothers

Barclay went to TX for research for a week. My mom & Grandma Donna came to visit. Langston had a blast baking cookies & doing (glitter!) crafts. We all enjoyed Il Spazio (one of the nicer restaurants in Macomb) one evening, and the Brigham Young singers one afternoon (they were so cute, Jessie!). Mom & Grandma enjoyed the thrift shopping...the Salvation Army store in Macomb probably never knew what hit 'em! Thanks for doing that long drive for us, y'all.




Langston loving on one of Pappaw's watermelons. We cut it the day after mom & grandma left & finished it today. Yum!

4 big months old!

Sweet Zora just turned 4 months old! Life with 2 babies is blurring by. She's now rolling over on her side, talking (babbling) up a storm (she says "mahmmah" when she's hungry), reaching for things (esp. her body parts, my hair, & her toys), lifting her head & turning in all directions, laughing & giggling when we tickle her, & getting into a small bit of a schedule. :) She loves to watch Langston (which is great bc he loves to entertain). He's still jealous, but now that he sees her smiling & laughing at him, he likes her more. :) I know that once she can interact with him more, the love will come more easily. Just this past two nights she has slept her old 6 hour chunk, which is great...she was back into the 3 hour "naps" at night, too. I'm still going for 3 naps a day w. her & most of the time she does great w. at least 2 of those. OH! And (drum roll, please) she has fallen asleep twice within the past three days in her crib, by herself, at naptime. I nursed till she turned away (didn't want anymore) & then turned on her fan & laid her in her crib. Ten minutes later, she was out cold. Now this approach didn't work so well the last time I tried it, but I'm not giving up. Langston NEVER went to sleep like this. I think that some kids just don't do the "lay me down...I'll self soothe," but I am willing to try whatever might work...knowing that all babies are different...praise be! This one sleeps!
ps) Thanks for the dress, Jessie! I bet you thought she'd be walking around in the 12 mth. size! :) I did!

School Days

Mr. Scott was a fav. & the playground was a huge hit as well! :)


School days were not what we expected. Langston started part-time (2 days a wk.) this summer. We visited 3 times during the school year & he seemed to be nothing but excited (on Open House day he told me to leave!).
Then came the "real deal." He cried pretty much everyday (not all day long, but sometimes every time they changed activities. That was SUPER tough on L. , as well as mom & dad. I called everyday around lunch to check on him. We concluded the worst part was nap time w/o mommy, so we'll begin half days in the fall. (He'll nap at home again.) I will say that although I was sad that he was sad, it was a break from saying, "shhh! Sister's asleep! Don't put boogers on her head!," as well as attempting to give both kids my undivided attention while getting anything else done (I still have yet to scrapbk my pregnancy or finish Thank Yous). Sometimes just daily chores are a task with both babies underfoot.

One of the other wonderful things about pre-school was all the activity L. got to do (things that I am not able to undertake at this moment!). They did a unit on "pond life" this summer which included building a pond (from digging in dirt to putting in the fish), lily pad cupcakes (all the baking by kids), frog counting games, walking field trips to local ponds & marshes, live "pets" who live in ponds, & all kinds of other stuff. He came home filthy, worn out, & telling all kinds of tales on the days he went to school. :) OH, and I cannot do a post like this wo mentioning Ms. Ann. She was wonderful to help L. through his sad, "mommy missing" times. I know that she held him a lot & he missed her when she was gone. When I asked her about his day, she always told me how he seemed to "feel," which I liked bc I knew she was paying attention to what he wasn't saying. Insightful people are usually also attentive people & I felt like she & Scott were both. Scott once told me that Langston was "okay until he sits down & thinks about where he is (& where you are)." L. & one other little "thinker" were having the same mommy-missing issue. Playing wonderfully one min.; remembering, "Oh! My mommy's not here!" the next. We are hoping for a better fall since he claims to be missing school already! :)














Langston made many new friends. Elana, pic in the semi-blurry pic was his fav.
Madeline is an "old friend." Although she was in the "baby class" (0-2...she'll be 3 in the fall), he loved to play w. her on the playground. Her parents are super...fellow Gators. :)

professional pix

We did the professional pictures as a family thing. Please see shootingstarsphoto.net , then click on proofing, & use "key" as the password to see the pix. It was an experience to attempt cute, smiling photos with a Zora (just healed from a cold, 2 days after shots, needing a nap...) & a Langston (waking Zora, crying bc the photographer needed to take pix of just sister...). Barclay was great. He really helped, but no amount of "help" could've made it go smoothly. David, our photographer & the owner of the business, was super. He's such a sweet guy. He got Z. to smile, even after she was woken up by big brother. :) After all was said & done, we got a few good ones.