My Girls

Seriously I am disgusted with my lack of postage on the blog recently. I'm not sure what my problem is. Stuff is happening. Perhaps too much stuff yet nothing of much actual interest? Another reason that comes to mind is that Baby B has been taking the notion to switch off the power bar while I'm on the computer recently. Just one of the many charming things she's been doing of late. Which leads me nicely into the first subject of this post.

B. Seriously. This kid is MAKING ME NUTS! I know this is redundant because I mentioned it in my last of infrequent posts but it bears repeating because crap sakes she really, really is. I am trying so hard to enjoy her right now. You know, because that is what people tell you you should be doing because "they grow up so fast, before you know it they'll be grown up." Honestly, I know this. I have a living, breathing, vibrating with energy example of this in my 4 year old daughter. Evidence that they do indeed grow up and learn to entertain themselves in constructive, rather than destructive ways. Right now B is in this majorly mischievous phase. I feel like I have to sneak around my house sometimes so that she won't follow me and get into trouble. We keep both our bedroom and bathroom doors closed at all times now because she cannot be trusted. She seems to be magnetically attracted to everything that she isn't supposed to touch.

I realize I'm coming across like a first time mom here. Or a mother whose first child was a perfect angel (subjectively) who always did what she was told, sat quietly and played with her toys etc... which of course any of you who've been reading since A was a toddler, know that I didn't. But I can honestly say, as shocking as it might seem to any of you who remember A's shenanigans, that B is more active, more curious, more... exhausting. Peter and I have discussed this whilst shaking our heads wondering aloud how we created yet another child who is this wild.

I am so happy that A is in preschool because it allows her to have a break and be able to do things without her sister climbing on top of her to get to her toys or food or craft or whatever. Other times she just goes in her room and closes the door so she can have a little undisturbed playtime. I am amazed at how loving and patient she can be though and I try to take some inspiration from her in that department because it seems my patience is running dangerously low these days. When I lose it with B I can see that it upsets A which in turn upsets me both for losing it and for upsetting both kids... Ah, good times. As difficult as she is right now, she is also a sweetheart. She's fun loving, good natured, and hilarious. Oh yeah, and she still doesn't sleep worth a darn.





And then there is Miss A. I have been having many of the opposite kind of moments with her lately. Moments where I am astounded, and stupidly saddened, by how grown up she is. I watch her doing something amazing and remember that she was once this tiny helpless squawking baby in my arms. And then I'm struck by the fact that I am one of the people responsible for bringing her to the place she is today. This incredible little person that I helped to shape.

The other day we were heading to the optometrist for her yearly eye examination. I was asking her if she remembered what the eye doctor did during the exam. She had him confused with our regular doctor. Then she piped up about this dream she had about a bad doctor and how "he took off all my skin and drank my BLOOD!!" I, as I often am when she tells me about her dreams, was flabbergasted. I told her that sounded like a terrible dream. She agreed and told me that once she woke up and saw that she still had her skin and blood she was okay. I swear that I don't allow her to watch horror movies in her spare time. I have no idea where this stuff comes from. I fear that she has inherited the vivid dreams from me. I recall having nightmares often as a child but I always thought it might have had something to do with my tumultuous childhood. It seems I would have had them regardless just as A does.

She is loving preschool and gymnastics and the kids seem to flock to her in both places. I'm happy to say that she stands her ground and sticks up for herself when the need arises which was never something that I was good at (I'm still not very good at it) and I feel is an important skill to have. Her teachers have given me excellent feedback about her without me needing to ask which I take to be a good sign. She is still a very intense person but she seems to be getting a better handle on her emotions all the time under normal circumstances. If she is tired or hungry however, it's an entirely different story.



I am completely comfortable saying that we are done, our family is complete. I know in my soul that I do not have it in me to do it again. I have reached my limit. I am not cut out to be the mother of more than two. Sometimes I doubt my ability to be the mother of two but I think (hope) it's normal to feel that way sometimes.

Also, 29 DAYS UNTIL NEW MOON!!!!

More Watching And Waiting

My last post was regarding Baby B's eye issue. I've been meaning to write about the other appointment we had last week. We saw a podiatrist. Why? B's left foot (to match her left eye, coincidence??) turns in rather severely as she walks. I was a bit concerned because it hasn't been improving as she has been walking longer and sometimes her toe drags as well. It seemed like yet another thing I should have checked out. The podiatrist told me she's walking that way due to a bowed tibia. The good news is that she'll very likely grow out of it although she figured we'll probably need to put an orthotic in her shoe when she's around four. Fine with me, as long as we get it straightened out. Literally and figuratively.

Poor kid though. Seriously. I know this stuff can be character building but honestly it pains me to think about the razzing that she could suffer if we are still dealing with this by the time she goes to school. sigh.

On a less sympathetic note regarding the little one... SHE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY RIGHT NOW!!! Honestly. She climbs up in to her high chair repeatedly and then can't get out. She has started messing with the computer which looks cute in the picture but in reality... She is always trying to steal her sisters food, which, often she can't eat anyway because she only has THREE TEETH! (all of which you can see in the last photo!) She is becoming increasingly bored with mushy food so I'm finding I have to get continually more creative with what I am feeding her. And finally I still need to use the living room as her second bedroom halfway through the night otherwise she wakes her big sister too frequently resulting in a very grumpy Miss A and thus a very grumpy Mama. On the bright side, for the most part she's keeping her clothes on.

So Far So Good!

Our appointment regarding Little B's Ptosis went well. You know it's a good sign when after the physician asks you to remind him why you're there and you explain "Her eyelid is droopy." and he replies "Well, hardly at all." Also, sitting in the waiting room for one and a half hours seeing all sorts of other children with various, often more serious eye conditions, is very humbling and has a tendency to put things in perspective. I kind of couldn't help feeling a bit silly for being there at all actually. The doctor did a variety of things during the examination both before and after the pupil dilating drops were given. (Which I swear made her cranky, I had to have those once and they made me feel almost ill, it's such a weird sensation.)

He seemed to think that things look fine for the moment. He brought up the possibility of surgery but it didn't sound as though it was anything he'd even want us to consider for some time. He thinks that it will improve as she ages and wants to see us in another 6 months. Whew! Glad to have that appointment behind us for now. It is a relief knowing that her eyesight is not being compromised in any way and that it isn't hindering her development.

By some cool coincidence one of my friends was also there for an appointment with her kids. The neat part about it was that we both have to travel about two hours to the office so the likelihood of us being there on the exact same day at the exact same time was strange. It was so nice to see a familiar face and talk to someone who "knew the ropes" so to speak. Peter and I were a little frazzled when we arrived because we weren't completely sure where we were going and accidentally cut it a little short for time. We ending up getting there exactly on time but it was nerve wracking just the same.

B was really well behaved in her incredibly busy kind of way. Having had this sort of toddler already we are always prepared to take turns following her around as she is constantly moving from one thing to the other, climbing, wandering, smiling and poking at random people. Understandably she did not enjoy getting the eye drops but she did very well all things considered.

Before heading home we treated ourselves by going here which is a restaurant we don't have in our city and one we highly enjoy. The best part is that though the food tastes gourmet it is delivered at the speed of fast food, therefore it is perfect when you have an impatient toddler tagging along and you don't have any time for dilly dallying. She enjoyed gnawing on garlic bread sticks and sampling my portabello mushroom ravioli. Mmmm! She also traveled well napping some on the way there and the way home, which is a welcome change to the crying for two hours straight she did last time we came home from the city.

Unknown

So next Wednesday we have our appointment (finally) for Baby B with the pediatric ophthalmologist. I am both excited and nervous. Excited to finally be seeing a specialist who will either reassure us that it is really nothing to be concerned about or that it is problematic and we can finally DO something about it. That's where the nervous part comes in. Doing something.

I'd like to be prepared for the appointment. I've read up on Ptosis, seen photos of different severities and treatments etc. We are seeing one of two doctors. Apparently one is quite nice and the other, while being an excellent doctor/surgeon is kind of an @ss. It honestly doesn't matter to me which one we see except that my experience dealing with 'difficult' physicians is that you really need to be on top of your game, so to speak. As in, know the questions you want to ask, get to the point, don't waste his time, etc. And the thing is because I have no idea what he is going to say about her eye, I find it very hard to be prepared.

I have given a lot of thought to the possibility of surgery. If it is recommended, how would I feel? What would I want to do? It is really difficult to say. I'd really have to weight the pros and cons. If the cons are really not all that great I may consider putting it on hold until later when she could actually make the decision herself. There are possible side effects to surgery that would be unpleasant and almost make it not worth doing.

Sometimes I look at her and think her eye looks perfect. That we'll be told that it's really not worth doing anything about. And other times, when I'm doing red eye reduction on a photo or when I'm holding her and see her reflection in a mirror, I realize I must simply be used to the way it looks now and only when I see it in a different way do I notice how droopy it really is. All I want is the best for her, and we'll do whatever we need to do to make sure that happens.

Yippie

I'm ALL about 1:34. I mean COME on!



That's what I'm talking about.

Party of Insanity and First Day of School

So. I'm not sure what got into me but for some reason planning Miss A's fourth Birthday Party turned me into some sort of crazy person. It all started with the booking of a wonderful lady who I hired to come to the party dressed as the Fairy Godmother. She brings with her tons of pretty dresses, shoes, gloves and jewelry. She paints their faces and does a magic show. All this for $60! Anyway, I kind of took that theme and ran with it. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

















King Edwardo and Princess Rainbow Cinderella



Helping perform the final magic trick by dancing around a pot where candy necklaces magically appeared for her friends!





And yesterday she started the first day of her last year of preschool! Ack! I can't believe it. I can't believe the difference in her in only one year. Frightening. It was strange going back even for me as the parent, with so many different kids in her class and therefore different parents to sort of get to know. I'm excited for her though. I think it's going to be an amazing year for her. Her teacher already told me today how smart she was. Which is, you know, always nice to hear.

Celebrate

Today was my seventh Anniversary. It's hard to believe we've been married that long already. We celebrated by going out for Sushi (I ate eel!) (not a fan!) and then going to the laughable Final Destination 3D. (which officially proves I am the best wife ever!) It's nice to know that when we get the time alone, strip away the stress of kids, work, everything... that we really truly have a great time together and enjoy each others company just as much as we did when we first started dating twelve years ago, right around when this picture was taken. (babies?) (I have this tendency to smile with every single tooth when I am REALLY happy. It's kind of weird, don't you think?)



These are from our wedding day. Which was a very nice day indeed. Happy Anniversary to my sweetie!

Summer

I am such a blog slacker. I think it's coming from my inability to balance my time. Also, I am freaking out a little because last week I started going back to work on Fridays. This means several things. It is the first time I've had to leave my baby with a sitter for the entire day. I have to get up early TWO mornings instead of just one, regardless of the amount of sleep I get. And when I say get up early I mean, get up early and have to get my butt and the small butts in gear and out the door. It's going to be an adjustment. The only positive that I can see is the added cash that I'll be making. I'm finding the whole 'baby at the sitter' thing a lot easier this time because her big sister is with her which I'm sure will make it less traumatizing and also because I LOVE the sitter we have lined up. I am fighting the urge to be pessimistic and think that it's too good to be true...

So. Here are some photos I've been wanting to post but I've been too lazy to get around to posting. They pretty much catch you up on the goings on of our family this summer.

Bathing Beauty



Miss A aka Fish



Ready to Bike!



Miss A never fell asleep in the highchair once. B does it frequently.



When wall climbing is easy, do it backwards!













Happiness is...



What I did on my summer Vacation





The Zoo







Riding Bobbi the Pony (led by an extremely unenthusiastic boy)



The Childrens Museum

And There Goes Another Year

I just finished editing my profile to say I am a THIRTY THREE year old Mama. Yep. Another year older today. This is what Mama D at 33 looks like.



I don't believe I've ever done it previously but I took holidays this week. So we are all having a lazy dazy day. My sister is babysitting for us so we can go out for an early supper (LOBSTER!!!) and then I will be heading to the Y to attend a Zumba class followed by a class to learn to teach it.



Miss A is having a sleep over at her Grandma's tonight so we just have the night owl with us tonight. I think it's going to be a really nice day.

Dork Post

I can't seem to write anything of importance lately. Instead I'll pass along this information... The other dolls didn't do anything for me but these... It's my Barbie Doll weakness, I can't resist...



And I can also use the excuse that I'm buying them for Miss A. And I might even let her play with them... under supervision of course.

Also, I'm loving this series at the moment...

The Little One

So I'm feeling kind of bad that I didn't write too much for B's birthday. I think about when it was just Miss A and I blogged so much more, recording so much more of what she was doing and what she was like. Obviously I don't have the same kind of time that I did back then but I also seem to be a bit lazy about it. I'll try to make up for that a bit now.

Here are some pictures from B's birthday. Here she is, not really eating her cake because my mom stuffed her so full of food that cake did not appeal to her.



Opening presents.



And here she is just being her usual charming self. This picture perfectly represents her sweet personality and when I look at it I feel a tad less bitter about the entire year of sleep that I have missed out on.



The girl still does not have ONE. SINGLE. TOOTH. Any of you who were reading my blog back when Miss A was a baby will remember the dozens of posts I wrote obsessing over her lack of teeth, whether or not she actually had any teeth, wondering if I should be worried and possibly taking her to the dentist, and WHERE THE CRAP ARE HER TEETH ANYWAY? And this time I haven't complained or mentioned it once. I guess that goes to show how much more laid back you are the second time around. I'm not concerned at all. I know they'll turn up eventually. I'm slightly impatient because I secretly wonder/hope that once they start to come she'll start sleeping like a normal human being and therefore so will I.



She is a total blankie girl. I'm not sure why, but this took me by surprise. I guess because Miss A has her 'baby' the soft little pink dolly that she is attached to. I think I expected B to become attached to something similar rather than a blanket. The blanket seems to be a far more dangerous thing to be attached to since she often slips on it while dragging it around with her and sometimes takes pretty rough tumbles followed by plenty of crying. The most hilarious thing she does is walk around with her blankie on her head. She wanders around like a tiny drunk person, bumps into things and falls on her bum. We simply shake our heads.





These days I am feeling more and more like our family is whole, certain that we are 'finished'. Though it is a hard thing to finalize. Baby B is the perfect addition and completion for us. And that gives me a great feeling of peace and satisfaction.