Simple Laughs

Dearest Angels~

Well little lady .... you were up and nursing at 4:40am this morning.  You had noodled into our bed last night.  So, I slept with you and daddy stayed with Joshua.  He appeared to sleep a little better last night.  I hope his congestion goes away soon!

Everyone was up early this morning.  Daddy had to be at work early, so you two woke up as he started to stir in the house.  The two of you were cleaned up and in the play room by 7:30 (clean diapers, teeth brushed, and clean outfits).  I ran your laundry this morning so we would have some fresh items for the week.

Joshua, you had your occupational and speech therapy appointments this morning.  You didn't have a fever, and you were playful, so I decided to take you (even though you had a runny nose and cough).  :-P

You did well little man.  Mary Beth was impressed with you since you did so well with the finger paints.  We've been practicing at home!  You still need to work on jumping and improving your leg strength.  You also did well with Kim.  You made some more sounds/noises.  Sometimes it even sounds like a word.  ;-)

We were home my 11am.  I cooked some veggies, pasta, and sausage and prepared it all for a casserole for dinner.  We only needed to bake it.  :-)  We were upstairs with clean diapers and nursing Grace by noon.

Afterward, we swept and vacuumed the downstairs and emptied/reloaded the dishwasher. As you two were playing, I was thinking to myself .... no matter how hectic our days are, there's always something that one, or both, of you two will do that will make me laugh! What a blessing!  Today, Joshua was walking around with a hat on his head smiling and laughing.  That simple act made me stop and laugh!  What a joy!

Joshua, you were napping by 2:30pm.  I read and nursed Grace. Little lady, you really fought nap time!  I even tried to rock you .... I almost rocked myself to sleep!

After nap time, we had art time and baked our casserole.  It was good!  I think it turned out better this time.  :-)  Daddy was home late again (around 7:30pm), so we were all fed by the time he got home.  I also gave Grace a quick bath after dinner.  Her eye is still red, so I'm hoping that will make her feel better.  Daddy picked up more medications in his way home this evening.  I hope we all feel better by this weekend .... if not sooner!

This evening we relaxed.  There was a late UNC basketball game on.  We recorded it.  We'll probably watch it on friday.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Lots Of Lucy

Dearest Blessings~

Grace, you were awake at 4:30am nursing.  Everyone (except Grace) still felt pretty crappy this morning.  I don't even think running the humidifier worked.   Ugh.  :-P

This morning we all took it easy.  We had some art time together while watching some 'I Love Lucy' episodes.  We used the crayons and markers.  I didn't feel like cleaning finger paints.  :-P  Joshua, your little nose was runny all throughout art time. 

You were still very playful, so I decided to go ahead and bring you to speech therapy since it was near the house and only a 30 minute appointment.  I out Vicks on Joshua's chest before leaving the house.  You did well with Kim and made a few noises/sounds.  Of course, you did well as expected being sick.  :-P  Kim gave us some more flash cards with 'harder' words on them.  Grace, you and I played in waiting room and saw some other little children.

We watched some more 'Lucy' after lunch and rested.  I got some DVDs for Christmas so I figured we could watch them together while we're trying to get better.   

Joshua, you were napping by 2:30pm.  I nursed Grace and read.  Poor little Joshua woke up coughing and coughing after.  :-P

Once everyone was awake from napping, we went downstairs to make dinner.  We made tacos!  Yummy!  I fed you two and had a snack.  I waited until 6:30pm, but then I had to eat dinner because I was hungry.  Daddy was still at work.  He didn't get home until close to 7:30pm, but he didn't mind that I had eaten without him.  :-P

Grace, your left eye was really red and crusty again today.  Perhaps it was red because I kept wiping it?  I hope you don't have an infection.

I hope everyone feels better tomorrow.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

So Sick

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Ugh!  No one felt good today .... except Grace.  My ears were clogged, my throat and teeth hurt, and I was so tried.  Daddy felt the same way.  Our entire bodies ached.  Joshua, your nose was runny all day and you're still congested.  We pretty much stayed in all morning and tried to rest.  It's hard to tell a toddler that he needs to rest to get better.  Daddy and I almost fell asleep several times.  :-P  We're just a sick little house right now.  Something must be going around. 

It all started at 1:50am.  Grace fell asleep early last night, so she woke up early hungry.  Joshua, you also woke up then coughing and unable to breathe.  I felt so bad for you little man.  I wish you could rest and sleep.  Grace, you were back up again and nursing at 5:55am. 

Joshua, you were napping by 2:30pm.  Daddy read next to you.  I nursed Grace and ended up falling asleep for about an hour.  I still felt sick when I woke up though.  Plus, I kept feeling 'hot' and then 'cold' .... yuck. 

When Joshua woke, daddy took him downstairs for something to eat and drink.  Joshua, you ended up throwing up.  Ugh.  Daddy gave you a nice bath and I ended up taking Grace to Harris Teeter for some medications.  I hope everyone feels better soon. 

Grace, your left eye has been crusty all day.  It's been a long time since your eye has been teary and crusty.  You woke up with it crusty and it's pretty much stayed that way all day.  I hope that clears up so that you won't have to have that procedure in a few months to clear your tear duct.

We all watched the UNC basketball game this evening.  We won!  Yippie!  Joshua, we gave you some more tylenol before bed and then ran the humidifier in your room.  I hope that helps!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

11 Months

Dearest Angels~

Happy 11 months little lady!  In one month you'll be celebrating your very first birthday!  I can't believe you're almost a year old!  Wow!  Time has flown by!  :-)

Well, I was nursing Grace at 3:23am this morning.  Joshua, you woke up at 5 something.  Grace, you were back nursing at 7am.  My oh my! 

Ok, so I must have done something with my back recently.  I had to take more motrin when I got up this morning.  This is no fun.  Perhaps I'm picking you two up too much.  I'll try to hold off on 'lifting' over the weekend and see if that helps.

Once people were ready for the day, the four of us went to Shane's Rib Shack for lunch.  Joshua, you ate some fries and mac and cheese.  Little man, you tried to feed yourself with a spoon!  Wow!  Good job!  Grace, you ate some fries too.  ;-)

Afterward, we went to Target for groceries.  Joshua, you ate two cookies while there.  Grace, you fell asleep on me in the carrier.  I had you on my back.  Joshua, you fell asleep during the car ride on the way back home.  You continued to nap ounce home.  Grace, you were awake and playing.  As Joshua napped, daddy and I tried to organize the front bedroom some.

What a beautiful day!  We went to the park for about an hour before heading back for dinner.  I took some photos of you all playing.  Joshua, you were fussy when we got back home.  But, you calmed down when you had some art time with daddy. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Motrin

Dearest Angels~

Little lady, you were up at 4:50am nursing.  I was tired.  :-P

Today was a rainy morning.  So, we cleaned a little downstairs after breakfast.  Then, I ran you all's laundry and we played upstairs.  Joshua's nose was crusty when he woke up and he's still congested.  Poor little man.  I wish you would clear up soon.

While you two played, I took some more photos of you two.  My goal is to post one photo a week of you two online to learn from, and for possible critique.  The online forum that I'm a member of has already seen two of my photos and commented.  :-)

Afterward, we had story time.  By mid morning, I had swept and vacuumed the downstairs.  Oh, and I cut Grace's nails.  I'm so amazed at how fast those nails grow! 

Joshua, you and I had a lot of art time this afternoon.  We used your finger paints, crayons, and markers.  Your hands and fingers got to messy!  I tried to wipe them off as best as I could.  :-P

Joshua was napping by 2:15pm.  I was folding laundry and he started to rub his eyes.  My back was really hurting at this point .... so once he went down, I took some motrin.  Ugh.  Grace played around for a while and then I nursed her.

Joshua, you woke late from your nap.  It was close to 5:30pm.  But, I didn't mind since you haven't been feeling well.  Ideally I don't like you sleeping that long though so that you'll sleep at night, but since you've been sick I didn't disturb you .... though Grace tried to crawl on you a few times.  :-)

Daddy got home late.  He brought us some chicken, a salad, and bread for dinner.  Yummy!  Joshua ate a lot of gold fish crackers and chicken.  Grace also ate some Cheerios and gold fish crackers.  After dinner, daddy gave Joshua a bath.  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Open House

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Joshua, you poor little man .... you were whimpering and congested at 12:15am.  Daddy ended up sleeping with you as I slept with Grace.  You do need to sleep in your own crib one of these days little lady!  I was nursing Grace by 4:30am. 

The good news is .... I got to play and kiss you both before going to work!  Woo hoo!  I always hate to leave you two .... but at least you all are in good hands with Penny!  :-)

You all had fun today with Penny.  It was nicer, so you all got to get out of the house.  Which, is nice since I'm sure that helped with Joshua's congestion.  

We had an open house at work.  Different 'community partners' came by from 11:30am-2pm.  They saw the remodel that was done (paint, carpet, floors), and there were tours.  I was able to bring some food home that was left over from the open house.  That's always nice!  ;-)  My nose was running all day at work though .... I hope we all don't come down with something.  :-P

This evening was another UNC basketball game.  We won .... woo hoo!  Daddy put some more Vick's on Joshua before bed.  I hope your congestion clears up soon! 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

No Fever

Dearest Blessings~

I ended up sleeping with Joshua all night after I took my shower last night.  I only wiped his nose once during the night.  Grace, you had noodled into our bed so daddy stayed with you.  I woke you on purpose though to nurse you before heading to work.

Penny was impressed with Grace today.  She said that Grace 'stacked one block- yeah!  She will let go to hand me a block and she will bang two together!  Good girl!'  Way to go little lady.  Penny also mentioned that you didn't drink as much mommy milk as usual .... are you weaning?

Joshua, Penny was a little scared when you woke up from your nap.  You were crying and congested.  She took your temperature and you had no fever, but she almost called me. 

This evening Joshua had art time with daddy as I nursed Grace.  Oh, I noticed that Joshua will take a few steps up the stairs without holding on to people or the railing.  Wow little man! 

Tomorrow's another work day, but I'll come home as fast as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Congested

Dearest Miracles~

Joshua, you were coughing and congested all night.  :-(  I heard you at 2:30am and then at 5am.  Poor little man.  Daddy stayed with you all night and I stayed with Grace .... who had noodled into our bed to sleep.  I was nursing her by 6:30am.

Joshua, once you woke up, daddy and I gave you some tylenol.  I was also congested today and my ears were popping.  I guess you and I are coming down with something.  :-P 

You were still relatively playful, so I took you to your occupational and speech therapy appointments with Mary Beth and Kim.  You did well!  You're getting more adventurous with Mary Beth concerning activities and 'messy' play.  You continued to make some sounds and noises for Kim.  I stayed in the waiting room with Grace and played with toys.  We met a precious little boy who's between your ages .... he can't walk yet independently and is in occupational and physical therapies.  My heart really went out to him and I just kept thinking how blessed we all are.

We were home earlier.  The therapy office asked us to change our tuesday appointments to an hour earlier, so we were home an hour earlier than normal.  You two played as I cooked some potatoes and veggies for lunch today and for work. 

At lunch, Grace sneezed on me while I was feeding her some garden veggies .... good thing I had on daddy's sweatshirt!  Ha!  ;-)  I vacuumed after lunch.

After lunch, we went upstairs for playtime.  I took some photos of you two and then tried to organize.  We also had some art time together and I read to Joshua.  Joshua, you were coughing with a runny nose all afternoon. 

Joshua, you were napping by 2:20pm.  I sang to you again.  You were very congested while sleeping.  I read and nursed Grace. 

Daddy had a late meeting after work.  So, we went to Gigi's for dinner.  I put some Vick's on Joshua's chest before we left.  Little man, you ate a cheese sandwich for Gigi!  We also saw Uncle James, Grandpa Jim, and Lois.  Grace, you played peek-a-boo with Lois.  Too cute!  We stayed and visited until 8pm.  Oh, and you two like to wave now .... so cute! 

We were back home by 8:30pm.  I can you two in clean diapers and in pajamas with teeth brushed by 8:50pm.  I put more Vick's on Joshua' chest and back.  I nursed Grace while sitting next to Joshua in his bed to help him drift to sleep.  You were still congested .... I felt so bad for you.  I hope you feel better soon! 

I had both of you two sleeping by 9:15pm .... that's not too bad for being by myself!  :-)  I stayed in Joshua's bed next to him and held Grace until daddy got home at 9:30pm.  I hope Joshua feels better in the morning and that Grace doesn't get sick. 

I ended up sleeping with Joshua all night ....

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Pants

Dearest Blessings~

Well .... Grace you did pretty well last night.   I didn't have to nurse you until 6am.  You did, however, noodle into our bed though.  Joshua, you woke up at 3:30am.  Daddy put you back to sleep.

The three of us had a little bit of playtime and then left early to go to the bank before Joshua's speech therapy appointment with Kim.  The bank didn't have a drive thru, so I brought you two inside to the teller.  :-)

Joshua, you did well with Kim today.  You made 'b' noises for baa, ball, and boo boo.  Also, you made a 'p' noise for papa.  You appeared to say 'open' along with signing it.  She sent some flash cards home with us to practice with.  This was the first time I've stayed in the waiting room with Grace and didn't go back with Joshua.  She and I played with blocks in the waiting room.  They have a lot of toys out there for the patients. 

We were home by lunch.  You two helped me pay the mortgage.  :-P  This afternoon we had music and play time together.  Joshua fought a nap, so I tried to organize the front bedroom some.  I'm thinking of a way to make it more functional since we don't 'need' a guest room right now .... perhaps we can create a 'hobby/play' area there.

By late afternoon we went downstairs for snack time.  I swept and vacuumed downstairs.  You two also helped me wash all the bedsheets, pillow cases, and comforters. 

Joshua, you finally went down for a nap at 4:50pm!  You really fought it man!  I sang to you until you fell asleep.  Then, I nursed Grace to sleep.  I read and then closed my eyes.  Joshua was awake in an hour.

Oh, Joshua, I didn't put you in rompers today, or overalls.  I tried you in some pants.  And, I didn't see you stick your hands down your diaper all day!  Woo hoo!

This evening you two had art time with daddy as I was in the shower.  Then, we all went to bed. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Relaxing Walk In Mall

Dearest Angels~

Ok little man .... you woke up at 4am and came whimpering into our room.  Daddy put you back to bed and fell asleep next to you.  Grace, you woke up at 6:30am crying and hungry.  I nursed you back to sleep. 

Once everyone was settled this morning, you two helped daddy clean the kitchen.  Then, we played in the bonus room and did some laundry. 

By 12:30pm, we were out of the house and met Mimi and Grandpa Mike for a quick lunch.  Daddy and I wanted to stretch our legs, so we met them half way between our house and the mall. 

We walked around the mall afterward.  We went to a different mall than last week for a change of pace.  It was a cold day, so this was a way for us to get some exercise without having to walk outside in the chilly air.  :-)  Joshua, daddy pushed you in the stroller.  Grace, you fell asleep on me in the carrier.  Joshua, you fell asleep during the car ride back home and continued to nap once home.  Daddy read next to you as I nursed Grace and then played with her until you woke up.

We had our pasta bake casserole for dinner.  It was pretty good for 'making up' the recipe!  :-)  Go us!  We'll have to make it again some time!

Sleep tight little ones!  

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Never Napped

Dearest Miracles~

Grace, you did pretty well this morning.  The first time I nursed you wasn't until 6am.  Joshua, Uncle James had to sleep with you all night so you wouldn't get up in the middle of the night.  But, you ended up sleeping in until 8am!  Whoa!  

Grace, Gigi and I did try to put you in the crib last night after you fell asleep nursing.  However, you woke up a few minutes later crying and crying.  Ugh.  How are we going to correct this?  You ended up sleeping between Gigi and myself in our bed.  :-P  

We all woke to rain this morning.  It was also chilly.  It ended up warming up this afternoon, but it stayed rainy.

You two helped me make a casserole this morning to bake for dinner later on.  We made a pasta bake with sausage and veggies inside.  :-)  We also organized the downstairs.

We all had play time and art time this morning.  Joshua, you stacked some blocks with Uncle James and then used some finger paints.  Grandpa Jim helped me put a guard rail up against the banister so you two can't throw toys down the stairs anymore.  :-P  Then, I gave you both a bath before lunch.

After lunch, Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James left.  The three of us had some music time upstairs.  I nursed Grace and then we played.  By mid afternoon we had snack time and called Gigi to test out our 'face time' on the phone.  :-)  You two got to see her through the phone and vice versa! 

Daddy and Uncle Brennan were home by 4pm.  You two were happy to see them both!  At this point, we didn't have any groceries in the house (Grace ran out of food), so I nursed her and then we headed to Target for some food for the week.  Since we went out late, we didn't bake our casserole from this morning.  We'll eat it tomorrow then!  :-)

We all played this evening and then headed to bed.  Joshua never napped all day, so I wonder how well he'll sleep tonight. 

Oh, guess what .... I officially earned enough money to pay for the new camera!  Ha!  In 21 days I sold enough things around the house to upgrade our camera and not have to use any extra funds!  Go me!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Fighting Sleep

Dearest Miracles~

Well, we were back to nursing at 4:20am this morning little lady.  You apparently cut your nose during the night with your nails.  So, daddy ended up cutting your nails this morning.  He also did Joshua's nails.  :-)

Daddy and Uncle Brennan left for Roanoke around 9am this morning.  Before they left, you two got to see some deer in the backyard that daddy pointed out to us!  Once they left, the three of us went upstairs and watched last night's UNC basketball game.  We won!  Woo hoo!  ;-)  Then, we swept downstairs and cleaned the kitchen.  We also vacuumed the downstairs.


I took some more photos of you two and then we had some music, play, and snack time by mid morning.  I've posted some photographs that I've taken of you two on a photography forum online.  I've gotten some constructive criticism.  This is definitely a learning process and humbling.  It's not easy to hear criticism, but it's helping how I think about photography.  And, you two are wonderful subjects.  ;-)

We continued to play downstairs after lunch.  I called the pediatrician office and made Grace's once year check up appointment.  I can't believe she's almost a year old .... next month!  Wow! 

Joshua fought his nap but he was sleeping by 3:20pm.  I read him some stories before he went down.  I nursed Grace to sleep right after.  I activated my new phone and backed up my computer as you two slept.

Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James came over for dinner.  We all played downstairs and then upstairs after dinner.  Uncle James read Joshua his bedtime stories but he continued to fight sleep.  It was 9:30pm and he was still awake!  We helped Gigi activate her new phone so now we can 'face time' each other!  Yippie!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Home Early

Dearest Blessings~

Ok little lady .... you did a little better this morning.  I was nursing you at 4:40am.  That's still pretty early, but at least it was about 30 minutes later than the previous morning!  :-P 

You two had fun with Penny today.  Joshua, you got to play with the finger paint as Grace napped.  Penny also said that you 'ate well' today.  I hope that continues!  She also said that you brought her 'a diaper to indicate that he needed changing' .... wow little man!  Good job!

I was able to get home early today!  Yippie!  I was home around 6:15pm!  When I got home from work, I was able to freeze 3.5 containers of mommy milk for Grace!  Woo hoo!  Now that you're getting more teeth, are stronger, and almost a year old (wow!), we're going to start thinking about weaning you little lady.  Honestly, I'm going to miss nursing you, but you do have to wean at some point.  :-P 

We played in the bonus room this evening until bed time.  I went to nurse Grace to sleep and Joshua fell asleep in his bed.  There was a late UNC basketball game on, but we recorded it.  I'll watch it tomorrow with you two.  Daddy stayed awake to watch it this evening.  

Tomorrow daddy and Uncle Brennan will be driving up to Virginia.  Daddy has to file (Great) Uncle Ned's Will at the courthouse there.  They'll stay over night there so I'm sure we'll either go to Gigi's house, or she'll come here.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

New Phones

Dearest Angels~

Oh little lady .... 4:11am is never a fun time to wake up.  But, that's what time I found myself nursing you.  :-P  I was so tired.  I rested for about an hour and then got up to get ready for work.  I did get to play with you both before leaving for work though! 

 

Today we had a cold and wet morning.  But, the sun eventually came out this afternoon.  You all didn't make it to the park, however, with Penny.  You all had art time, story time, and lots of music time today though.  :-)

I got to read to Joshua once I got home.  Grace had fallen asleep on me from nursing.  Oh, daddy and I got new phones in the mail today!  Woo hoo!  Daddy activated his, but I'm going to wait another day or two.  We ordered cases for the phones and they haven't arrived yet, so I want to be sure I keep it safe before messing with it too much.  :-P  These phones have a 'face time' feature, so you all will be able to see Gigi, Uncle Brennan, and Aunt Katie on the phone (they also have this feature on their phones).  How cool!  I wonder what cellphones will be like when you two read this.  ;-)

I'll try to rush home as fast as I can tomorrow!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Fighting Naps

Dearest Miracles~

Little man, you came whimpering into our room at 1:45am and kept crying and crying.  I got up to put you to bed but you fussed until daddy got up instead.  We were all wide awake at that point so I ended up nursing Grace.  :-P  But, oh little lady .... it didn't stop there.  We were back nursing at 6:15am and then at 7:30am.  Ugh.  :-P

We barely made it to Joshua's feeding team appointment with Krista at Rex Hospital this morning at 9am.  :-P  Today's appointment was very different from last week's appointment.  It was so frustrating .... you only ate about half an ounce of applesauce and you ended up spiting everything out.  Ugh.  You have your upper GI endoscopy scheduled for monday, february 6th.  We'll likely get your biopsy results back 3 days later.  I hope we get some answers you start eating better soon! 

We were back home by 10:30am.  We had a quick snack time and then I nursed Grace.  After lunch we played downstairs.  I made my lunches for work for tomorrow and thursday.  Then, we went upstairs for more play time and music time.  I took some photos of you two as well.

Joshua, you fought naptime again .... surprise!  You ended up falling asleep at 3:30pm in the rocking chair in the play room as I nursed Grace!  I picked you up and placed you on a pillow and blanket on the floor.  Then Grace fell asleep on me.  I read.  :-)

Daddy was home late this evening.  It was close to 7pm.  We ate together and then played in bonus room this evening.  It rained as we were going to bed.  Grace, you were fussy this evening.  It was almost 11pm before you fell asleep! 

Tomorrow's another work day so Penny will be here!  I'll come home as soon as I can!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you so much!

~Mommy

Cheerios

Dearest Angels~

Grace, you really surprised me little lady .... you woke up at 4:10am this morning hungry.  I was surprised since you ate a good amount of solid food yesterday.  You were awake again a little after 6am.  :-P

We had some play time this morning in the bonus room before Joshua's speech therapy appointment.  I also took a few pictures of you two playing around.  :-)

Joshua, you did well for Kim today for speech therapy.  You made some sounds and noises, but no words.  You have trouble doing the 'b' and 'p' sounds and 'popping' your lips.  We'll keep working on that.

Since today is a holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr Day), we went over to Gigi's for lunch (she had off from work).  Grace, you surprised us both because you started to eat cheerios.  You're getting stronger little lady!  Oh, you're also getting teeth #E and #F!  Woo hoo!

Joshua, you played with Uncle James's 'Star Wars' potato head toys.  Though, we did have to put some toys out of reach since you wanted to chew on them.  :-P

I ended up nursing Grace to sleep at 3pm.  Joshua, you were still fighting a nap at that time!  You eventually went down for a nap with Gigi at 3:30pm.  You both woke at 4:45pm and we left at 5pm.  Daddy beat us home! 

We all played in the bonus room this evening.  Grace, you had the hiccups and Joshua had some art time with daddy.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Two Car Garage

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Whoa .... I wasn't expecting a 5:20am wake up call little lady.  But, there we were nursing at that time.  Joshua, you had woken up earlier than that.  Daddy had to go sleep with you in the middle of the night so that you would fall back asleep.

Joshua, you will now 'pull', or 'hold onto', Grace's arm or sleeve to help her walk.  It looks like you're guiding her to where she needs to go.  Though, you usually pull too hard.  :-P  It's really cute though.  ;-) 

You all helped prepare the crock pot this morning for dinner.  We made a pot roast and it was good!  We chopping up potatoes, apples, onions, carrots, garlic, corn, and broccoli.  :-)  After that was cooking, we cleaned the downstairs. 

After lunch, daddy and I wanted to stretch our legs but it was another cold day.  So, we all walked around the mall and took our time looking around.  It was fun!  Daddy got a coffee and I got a tea.  Joshua, you ran around, but behaved yourself.  Grace, I held you around me in the carrier.  You two fell asleep in the car on the drive back home.  Joshua, you kept napping once we were home.  Grace, you woke up, so I played with you and then we nursed.  Daddy cleaned the garage and now we can get both our cars back in!  We still had stuff in there from when we moved everything out for the hardwoods to be done over Thanksgiving!  :-P  So, now we can fit two cars in our two car garage!  Ha!  ;-)

This evening was pretty relaxing.  Grace, you fell asleep after we nursed and daddy put a movie on for Joshua to watch with us. Tomorrow you have a speech therapy appointment and then we'll see Gigi for lunch!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Bad Loss

Dearest Angels~

Whoa .... I was nursing Grace at 12:40am since she woke up screaming.  Ugh.  I went to bed at 11pm last night, so I wasn't expecting the early morning wake up call.  :-P  Joshua, you woke up at 3am.  Daddy went to sleep with you.  Grace, you were awake again at 6:20am.  :-P

You two helped with some chores this morning.  We vacuumed the kitchen this morning .... we have to vacuum under you all everyday now since food gets everywhere.  :-P

Once everything was cleaned up, we made a quick trip to Target for groceries.  We were home by lunch.  We made tacos since we haven't had that in a while.  Yummm!  Then, we swept and vacuumed the downstairs again.  :-P

Daddy and I took down the door between the kitchen and the dining room.  We were tired of you two slamming the door and getting fingers caught.  The door wasn't serving any purpose, so it's now in the garage.  :-)

We went upstairs to watch the UNC basketball game this afternoon.  Boy, we really stunk it up!  Needless to day, we lost .... bad.  I hope we bounce back for the next game.

Joshua was really fussy this afternoon and fought a nap.  I finally got him to nap at 4:30pm.  I had to sing to you and laid beside you in your bed.

I took photos of you all this afternoon and evening.  I love the new camera and now I'm learning in manual mode!  Daddy played some banjo for us.  :-)  We also had art time this evening and I cut Grace's nails.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Earned 74%

Dearest Gifts~

Well little man, you woke at 2am so I put you back to bed and ended up falling asleep next to you.  You woke up again at 4am thirsty.  Luckily, you had a water sippy cup near the bed.  Grace, I was nursing you at 5am. 

You two helped me get some chores done this morning downstairs.  Joshua, you were frustrating .... all you wanted to drink was water.  You didn't even want the milk.  I hope you start to eat and drink more. 

Once we got upstairs, I did some laundry and then we had some art time with the finger paint and markers. 

By mid-morning we had snack time.  Little man, you ate over half a hotdog for me!   However, you only drink water.  I got you drinking a boost later, so I put your medications in that sippy cup.  Which reminds me .... I finally heard from UNC.  Joshua, your upper GI endoscope will be on monday, february 6th.  They'll call me closer to that date to set the time, but it will be early in the morning.  It will be done at the Children's Hospital at UNC.  I really pray we get some answers after that on why you're not eating.

We made a quick errand at lunch.  I sold a chair/ottoman set, which, by the way, daddy bet me that I wouldn't be able to sell!  Ha!  I negotiated with a guy and got $10 more than what daddy bet me!  Woo hoo!  I'm getting really close to saving enough for a new camera.  Well .... I have a confession .... I found a good deal on the camera I was looking at (used, but practically new since the guy didn't take many shots) .... so I bought it!  :-)  But, I'm still determined to earn the rest of the money to pay for it.  It's a game now .... I bet I can sell enough things around the house (things that we're not using) that will be enough to pay for the camera.  I've already earned 74% of the money in just a few weeks!  ;-)
 

We were back at the house by 1:30pm.  You two took quick naps in car and were awake when we got home.  So, we had a snack and then went upstairs to play.  Our memory card came in the mail today, so I used our new camera to take some pictures of you both!  ;-)

Joshua can now climb up onto the reading bench area in the playroom to play with the blinds.  We'll have to work on that.  I don't want you all hurting yourself on the strings.

Grace, you ate a little 'stage three' gerber's spaghetti this evening.  You gave a funny face, but you need to start eating more solid foods.  :-P

We all had more art time this evening and play time.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Learned A Lesson

Dearest Miracles~

My oh my .... at 2am everyone was awake!  Joshua, you came in crying and wouldn't stop.  You wanted to get into our bed, and when daddy brought you back into your room, you wouldn't stop crying.  It was hard for everyone to fall back asleep after that.  Grace, you woke up at 4am crying.  I nursed you back to sleep.  At 6am, my work alarm went off .... whew .... I was so tired!  :-P

I had a pretty good day at work, despite the lack of sleep.  I did a really nice root canal treatment on a teenager for tooth #8.  :-)  We also had some tours at work from people coming to look at the organization.  

There was some excitement this evening before I got home from work.  Joshua, you apparently shut Grace's finger in the bathroom door.  Grace, you screamed and screamed!  Daddy calmed you down.  Then, Joshua moved Grace clear of the door before closing it.  Did you learn a lesson this evening?

Joshua, you got a bath tonight .... after you peed on yourself .... from sticking your hand down the front of your pants.   :-P  Ugh!

Tomorrow's friday so we get to have some fun!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

No Park

Dearest Blessings~

Grace, you made it in your crib for 1 whole hour last night before noodling into our bed.  :-P  Joshua, you ended up waking up at 3:30am.  I put you back in your bed and then fell asleep next to you.  I was able to nurse Grace before heading to work.  :-)

You two had fun with Penny as usual.  It was a really wet and rainy day, so you all did not make it to the park.  It was also a little colder.  :-P  Joshua, Penny brought over some finger paints, and you had fun playing with that!  You left us two pictures for when we got home.  :-)

You all got to see Uncle Brennan and our friend Michael this evening.  Daddy is helping them put some things together to start a brewery business.  I was able to see them briefly when I got home from work.  

The pediatric department at work had a representative come in and bring food for lunch today.  There were lots of leftovers, so I was able to bring some sandwiches home for dinner this evening.  That was nice since wednesday evenings are always busy and late.

I hope the weather is better tomorrow so you all can go to the park!  I'll come home as fast as I can!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

25 Minutes

Dearest Blessings~

Little man, you whimpered into our room early this morning.  I don't even know what time it was.  :-P  Daddy pulled you into our bed and Grace had already noodled into our bed too.  So, all four of us slept in the same bed all night!  Good thing we have a king sized bed.  ;-)  Grace, you were nursing by 5:10am.

The three of us played together and I took some photos of you two this morning.  Then, we all got ready for Joshua's therapy appointments.

Joshua, you had occupational and speech therapies today.  First, you saw Mary Beth for OT.  You went on the swing and trampoline to 'wake' your body up.  Then, you worked on your fine motor skills and the played in the rice/bean bucket.  Then, you had Kim for ST.  You made a few sounds for her.  You did 'ma', 'da', and 'na' .... I can't wait until you talk more.  I want to hear you (and Grace) say 'mama' and 'mommy' to me.  :-)

We made a quick stop after Joshua's appointments to get some milk for the week.  We were home by 12:30pm.  You two fell asleep in the car ride home.

When you woke up, you two helped me straighten the downstairs.  We vacuumed the big rug and took down the Christmas decorations .... late, but at least we got it done.  :-P

This afternoon you two played for me long enough to get 25 minutes completed on the elliptical in the bonus room.  The first 15 were a little 'hit or miss' and I had to keep stopping every 5 minutes.  But, you two were pretty good for the last ten minutes.  I know that's not a lot, but I needed it since I haven't been working out recently.

Then, we all had music and play time together.  I read you two some stories and Joshua and I had art time with the crayons and markers.

Joshua, you were very fussy this evening.  Daddy and I can't tell if you're still hungry .... and you won't eat for us.  Your lack of eating has become very frustrating little man.  I pray that you eat better soon!

There was a late UNC game tonight.  Daddy stayed up to watch it.  But, I nursed Grace to bed and then I went to lay down.  We recorded it though, so we'll probably watch it on friday since we'll be home together then.  Though .... spoiler alert .... I already know we won! 

 
Tomorrow's another work day.  Penny will be here.  It's suppose to be rainy all day.  I'll come home as fast as I can.
 
Sleep tight you two!
 
I love you both so much!  :-)
 
~Mommy

Applesauce

Dearest Miracles~

Joshua, you woke up at 2am.  I slept with you until 4:50am.  Then, I nursed Grace back to sleep.  I was so tired.  But, it was much better sleeping in your room with the bed and box spring set up. 

We didn't have a lot of time this morning to play around .... in fact, we were rushed to get out the door in time.  Joshua had a feeding team appointment at Rex with Krista this morning at 9am.  

Joshua, you did pretty well this morning.  You ate 2.5-3 ounces of applesauce from a spoon from me as Krista 'distracted' you as you ate.  Obviously some of your lack on eating is behavior, but there's something else too because of the amount of food you take in.  She still thinks you should have an upper GI scope, so now I'm just waiting to see when UNC can get us on their schedule.

We were home by 10:30am.  Everyone had a clean diaper and we were playing by 11am.

Today was a cold and wet day.  So, we did some laundry.  I needed to wash all the bed sheets.  Joshua, it looks like your diaper leaked the other night.  :-P

We had some music time downstairs after lunch.  You two helped me sweep and vacuum the downstairs.  Then, we cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes.

Joshua, you were napping by 2pm and with no fuss!  I put a blanket on the floor of the playroom with a pillow.  I told you to put your head on the pillow and you did without complaining!  This was the first time you didn't fuss with me!  Whoa! 

Daddy came home late, so we had a late dinner.  No one seemed to mind though.  :-)  We all played in the bonus room this evening.  Oh, you both got new toothbrushes tonight.  I brushed Grace's two teeth for the first time this evening.  Grace, your toothbrush is orange and Joshua, your brush is green.  :-)

I just have to say that I absolutely love your giggles back and forth to each other.  It warms my heart!  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Baptism

'Behold, children are a gift of the LORD'

Psalm 127:3

Dearest Blessings~

Everyone was awake at 5am .... I guess you two were excited about today's events .... Grace's baptism!  :-)

What a blessing today is!  Grace, your God-parents are Matt and Mandy Ritter.  They also went to UNC and we've known them for years.  They were at our wedding and we went to theirs.  :-)  They have a little girl, Savannah, who's one month younger than Grace.

Three people total were getting baptized today .... Grace, you were the youngest.  The other two were around 4ish.  Fr. Gibson did the sacrament.  :-)  Several people came out to see you get baptized today.  We saw Great-Grandma, Great-Grandpa, Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, Mimi, Grandpa Mike, and Betsy (Aunt Katie's mommy).  Uncle Brennan and Aunt Katie were sick, but they were there in spirit.  :-)

We ate lunch at the mall afterward and then walked around for a little bit.  Grace, you fell asleep in daddy as we were walking.  Joshua, you fell asleep in the car ride back home.  You stayed napping when we were back at the house.

Oh, Joshua, you like to wave at things and people now.  If we say 'bye Joshua' you'll start waving!

You two helped make a lasagna for our neighbor Sarah and then we dropped it off.  It sounds like our neighbors are going through a divorce.  It's so sad.  We're keeping them in our prayers.

We cut Grace's nails tonight.  Then she got a bath.  I'm still putting aquaphor on your back and shoulders since they're still red and dry.  

What blessings you two are in our lives .... and what a blessing it was to have Grace baptized this morning! 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you two dearly!

~Mommy

Beautiful Day

Dearest Miracles~

Joshua, you woke up at 3am this morning.  I put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  Grace, you slept in your crib for about one hour last night and then you woke up crying and crying.  You noodled into our bed to sleep.  I was up nursing you at 7:30am. 

We all went for groceries this morning.  Joshua, you ate three cookies while at we were at Target.  Grace, you fell asleep in the car and continued to nap when we got home.  We were home for lunch.  After we ate, daddy played some guitar for us in the play room.  Oh, I sold a few more books this afternoon.  We're so close to getting a new camera!  ;-)

We changed Joshua's bed this afternoon.  We moved the futon mattress out into the spare bedroom and put a full sized box spring and mattress in his bedroom on the floor.  This will help our backs out!  Each time we go in and sleep with Joshua (which is every day) we wake up with backaches.  :-P

What a beautiful day it was today!  We all took a family walk this afternoon.  We went up to the shopping center near our house and back (about 2 miles round trip).  Grace, you slept through the entire walk.  Joshua, you were awake as we were going up to the shops, but fell asleep when we got back home.

Oh, Joshua, you tried to put your shoes on by yourself this afternoon.  It was so cute.  :-)

We watched the UNC basketball game this evening.  As the game was on, you two had some art time with daddy.  UNC won!  Woo hoo!  :-)

Tomorrow's a big day .... Grace is getting baptized!  We're so excited!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you so much!

~Mommy

Met With The Preacher

Dearest Angels~

Joshua, you noodled into our room at around 10:30pm last night!  Daddy ended up sleeping next to you all evening in your room.  If this keeps up, we're going to have to change your mattress to help our backs.  Right now, you're on a futon mattress on the floor.  We might have to change that to a real twin mattress and box spring if you continue to need someone next to you.  Grace, I was nursing you by 6:40am. 

You two helped me sweep the downstairs this morning .... these floors get dirty quick!  We also saw deer in the backyard.  We played downstairs and then came upstairs to the play room.  I did laundry as you two played.

Oh, Grace, you can stand up, bend over to touch your toes, and then stand back up again without hanging on to anything or have any help!  Wow!  I can't believe how strong you are at such a young age!  :-)

We had some music time downstairs with snacks this morning.  You both love the 'crunchie' crackers that we give to Grace.  :-P

After lunch, we saw Grandpa Jim briefly.  I had to drop off a box at his office on the way to see Fr. Gibson.  We got Gigi a CD player since hers died over the holiday.  It came in the mail yesterday, so I wanted to pass it along to her.  :-)

Daddy met us at the church so we could all meet with Fr. Gibson to discuss Grace's baptism this Sunday!  Woo hoo!  I'm so excited!  Fr. Gibson is the preacher who married daddy and I, baptized daddy, and baptized Joshua!  Fr. Hale baptized me.  You two slept through the entire meeting.  Daddy went back to work afterward and the three of us were home by 2pm.

This afternoon we played downstairs.  I took some pictures of you all playing and tried to set up the timer so that I would be in some too.  Then we went upstairs for some music time.  I put some songs on as you two helped me fold the laundry.  Grace, you helped by walking around with some socks in your mouth.  :-P

You two 'helped' me make a penne pasta dinner with a sausage meat sauce.  You two were a little fussy when I was cooking .... good thing it didn't take long to make!  The good news is .... Joshua ate well!  He ate sausage, cheese, and onions from a fork .... that I cooked!  Woo hoo!  I was so happy!  :-)

This evening you two had art time with daddy while I took a shower.  He also read you two some stories.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Scream Game

Dearest Blessings~

Little lady, I was nursing you at 4am this morning.  It's been a while since you woke that early.  I ended up nursing you twice before heading to work.

Grace, you are really walking more .... and you're getting faster!  You sometimes look like an old lady though shuffling those legs back and forth.  As Penny says, it looks like you have 'a hitch in your giddy up' when walking!  It's too cute!

You two have a game that you play together .... it's a screaming game.  :-P  You scream back and forth while looking at each other to make the other person giggle and laugh.  You two crack me up.

Grace, you fell asleep nursing on me this evening.  I put you in your crib and you woke up a millisecond later!  Needless to say, you noodled into our bed.  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both dearly!

~Mommy

Back To Work

Dearest Gifts~

Ugh .... today I go back to work.  ;-)  It was so nice to be on vacation for the holidays!  I got use to that!  Ha!  

Joshua, you woke up at 3am whimpering into our room.  I put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  I got ready for work at 6am and then nursed Grace before I left.  I hated to leave you two!  But, I was able to play with you two and kiss you both before going to work!  :-)

You two had fun with Penny today.  You had your art time, story time, play time, and nap time.  No trip to the park though .... it was too cold.  :-P

Guess what I had done today .... I got my teeth cleaned at work!  Ha!  There was some 'down time' this morning, so I got the hygienist to do a prophy on me.  I've done a restoration on her in the past, so she 'owed' me!  Ha!  ;-)  It was so weird being on the 'other side' of the procedure.  And, boy, did I need a cleaning!  :-P

I was so glad to see you all when I got home!  It was a long day since the afternoon picked up.  I came home with a headache, but seeing you two and daddy made it all go away .... and an extra strength tylenol.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you so much!

~Mommy

Profit

Dearest Gifts~

Well well well little lady .... you didn't make it long in that crib of yours!  You woke up crying at 12:45am and then noodled into our bed.  What's up with you two not wanted to sleep in there?  Is our bed that much more comfy?  :-P  Joshua, you were awake at 3am.  Daddy put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  Grace, you and I were up nursing at 6:30am. 

We didn't have much play time this morning.  Daddy had to go back to work today, but the rest of us were in the car by 8:15am for Joshua's 9am feeding team appointment at Rex Hospital with Krista.  You ate some things for us .... it wasn't a ton.  You did well with the spoon and even had some apple sauce!  Your weight at this appointment was 24 pounds 3.3 ounces.  I wish you'd eat more.  I believe they want to schedule an upper GI scope by the end of the month. 

Afterward, we made a quick trip to the Post Office.  Then, we were home by 11am.  Everyone had on a clean diaper and I was nursing Grace by 11:30am.  :-) 

Guess what I picked up at the Post Office .... it was a used camera lens that I bought!  Woo hoo!  I put it on the camera we have at the house and it works great!  I'm so happy.  The focusing motor is a little louder than the other lens, but that doesn't bother me since I'm not photographing wildlife and need something quiet.  It's a wider angle lens, so I can get more of the room in the shot when I photograph you two!  I saved up my birthday and Christmas money to put towards it.  And, since I got an 'off brand' used one, it was cheaper .... but works great!  Now, we can focus on learning photography more and saving up to upgrade our camera!  ;-)



We played in the bonus room after I nursed Grace.  I took some photos of you to playing. Then, we all went downstairs to play, eat, and to make my lunches for the week. I can't believe I have to go back to work tomorrow! It feels like this vacation went way too fast!  :-P  Were playing upstairs by 2:15pm.

Joshua, you fought a nap this afternoon.  I finally got you sleeping by 3:45pm.  I had to read and sing to you in order to get you to sleep.  Then, I rocked Grace in the play room.  She wasn't sleepy, so I eventually put her down.

Little man, you woke up crying at 4:30pm and continued to be fussy for about an hour.  I don't know why you fight sleep so much .... adults love to sleep!  I wish I could have a nap time everyday!  ;-)

All four of us went to 'Barnes and Noble' after dinner.  Is this store still around by the time you read this?  It's a book store.  Anyway, I made another sale and I met the person there as a neutral location.  And, guess what .... I actually sold something at a profit!  Woo hoo!  I now have a little over half of what I need to upgrade the camera.  Go us! 

Oh, we now have a name for your new second cousin .... Madelynn Grace Corl.  I can't wait to meet her!  :-)

Tomorrow I head back to work.  I hate that I'll be leaving you two.  Penny will be here.  I'll rush home as soon as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Another Second Cousin

Dearest Angels~

Well, I can't even tell you what time Grace woke up crying from her crib this morning.  Daddy picked her up and she fell back asleep in our bed.  :-P  Joshua, you woke up at 5am.  I laid down with you on your mattress and we both fell asleep.  I was nursing Grace by 7:30am .... you really slept in little lady!

We all had music and play time this morning.  Daddy had off today, so he also watched Grace as I took Joshua to his speech therapy appointment with Kim.  Mary Beth is out of town, so we didn't have occupational therapy.

Joshua, you did really well little man!  You attempted to imitate the 'b' noise.  You did the 'm' noise twice and you said 'da' twice!  Also, it sounds like you're trying to say the words 'all done' when signing it.  I'm so proud of you!  You know, sometimes I think you two are talking to each other when playing .... it so cute!

We all went to Kohl's after lunch.  We got Joshua some one piece pajamas and a pair of overalls.  This will help him not put his hands down is pants/diapers so much!  Joshua, you fell asleep during the car ride back home and stayed napping once home.

Daddy and I played with Grace while Joshua napped.  Grace, you sure are getting stronger.  You're walking around a lot more (slowly) and you're getting better with your balance.

Today was a colder day!  And, tomorrow's suppose to be even colder!  Brrr!  You two had art time with daddy after dinner and then everyone had a bath.  

Here's the excitement of the day .... cousin Stephanie had her baby girl today!  You two have another second cousin!  Woo hoo!  Cousin Charlie now has a little sister.  Joshua, you can teach him all about that.  ;-)  As of right now, they still don't have a name for her.  I'll keep you two posted on what her name is.  Charlie called her 'apple juice' while Stephanie was pregnant with her.  So, if nothing else, we can always call her that!  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Happy New Year

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Happy New Year!  Today is Uncle Brennan's birthday!  We called and wished him a happy birthday!

Whew .... am I tired!  Daddy and I stayed up last night and watched the ball drop to ring in the new year.  You two were sleeping.  Then, I had insomnia since I was awake!  Grace, you woke from your crib at 1am and noodled into our bed.  Joshua came whimpering into our room at 1:45am.  I laid down with him back in his room since I was still awake.  I think I finally fell asleep around 2:30am this morning.  I woke Grace on purpose to nurse at 7am. 

This morning you two helped me prepare the crock pot for dinner.  We made a beef, potato, and veggie soup.  It was good!  And, it was a nice and healthy way to start the year.  :-)

Guess what .... I sold a camera bag this morning that I wasn't using.  Woo hoo!  We're getting closer to upgrading our camera!  ;-)

We all had lunch at (Great) Uncle Laurence's house.  Your Great Grandfather and Rosemary were in town from TN.  Also saw (Great) Aunt Marti, cousin Erik, cousin Mia, (Great) Uncle David, Kevin, Gigi, and Uncle James.  Joshua, you loved playing with cousin Erik's cars!  We visited for about 2 hours before heading home.

We were home for the UNC basketball game and Joshua took a nap.  He was getting fussy at (Great) Uncle Laurence's house so we knew he'd fall asleep in the car.  He continued to sleep once in the house.  Grace played while the game was on.  I nursed her during the second half and she fell asleep.  I decided to close my eyes too since I was so tired!  ;-)

I took photos of you all this evening as you two were playing in bonus room.  You two and daddy really cleaned and organized the bonus room tonight.  I wonder how long it will stay that way.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

Happy New Year!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy