Our Sweet Little Flower Girl

Practicing at the rehearsal:





Driving her potato around on the table at the rehearsal dinner ("vroooom"):



Luckily, she was seated by one of her best friends - Opa! (I love that sweet expression on her face below):



Getting ready for the big day:



Examining the bud she just picked off the bride's bouquet:





A hole in her stockings on the knee, chocolate on the other ankle, and missing one shoe:



Some quiet time with Elmo after a long, exciting day:

First Roll

I was just feeding Jacob on our bed. Lily started fussing, so I rolled off the bed to go check on her. When the bed shifted, gravity pulled Jacob from his side to his tummy. He was far enough towards the middle that I left him there. When I returned, he was on his back!

Our little boy is growing up so fast...

Wordless Wednesday

Just Stop Screaming Already

It's been one of those mornings. The kind of morning where you actually think about pulling the car over and getting out...anything to make that awful noise in the backseat just go away. I KNOW you're tired. I KNOW you wanted another donut. I KNOW you're upset that I took away the orange juice you stole from that other little girl. I KNOW you didn't want to leave all your friends.

But you're not the once who gets to call all the shots. You're not the one who can't take the screaming anymore and knows that putting you in your crib with your bottle and your pacifier and your blanket for a good long nap are the only way I am going to regain my sanity and not completely lose my cool with you. Because Mamas need a recharge once in a while, too, especially after temper tantrums that seem to last ALL DAY. I could see it in your eyes this morning when you woke up that you were just going to have one of those days. And today is not one of those days when I will be able to handle it with exemplary patience and compassion.

Today? Today I am going to lose it from you losing it. So please get it together - or at least pretend and hold it together until your Dad gets home and there is another adult here to vent to so I don't take it all out on you. I'm sorry I didn't kiss you or tell you how much I loved you before putting you in your crib. I'm sorry I yelled at you in the car at the top of my lungs - trying to be louder than your screaming, maybe to scare you into submission. Mama hates feeling like this, because she is even-natured and not normally a screamer and you were not raised to act this way and oh my goodness we have not even hit age 2 yet. Just because this behavior may be "normal" doesn't mean I have to like it. That doesn't make it OK or easy to ignore.

And I have no idea how your brother slept through all the wailing the whole way home, and is still asleep in his car seat downstairs. I guess one for two ain't bad.

*Addendum*
Jacob woke up shortly after I finished writing this. I went downstairs and took my smiley, hungry boy out of his car seat to find that he was covered with poop. Yellow, runny, doesn't-eat-solids-yet poop. He thought it was fun and squishy. I guess this is how Jacob contributes to my day...

Jacob Have I Loved

I am constantly amazed by how much I love my little guy. I went to my cousin Heidi's bridal shower Saturday, and Ryan went to my folks' house with the kids. The whole time I was there, I felt like I was missing an arm because Jacob wasn't there with me. I felt awkward - not myself - without my baby by my side. I couldn't wait to get to my parents' house and squeeze my little smiler. He must be the best baby ever. So happy, smiley, social, and content. God couldn't have blessed us with a better #2. Especially with a rambunctious little #1.



Now only if he'd learn how to sleep at night, everything would be perfect ;)

But Saturday left me wondering if I'm losing myself in my kids. If I'm not someone's mom, who am I?

At the Park with Daddy

Last Friday night, we all took a walk to the park after dinner. Lily helped push the stroller until Ryan put her on his shoulders, where his ears served as her perfect little hand-holds.



Here's a video of Ryan making Lily giggle to distract her from his ears:



She loved Daddy pushing her on the swing:



Mama (with her new short hair!) carried Jacob in her new Ergo carrier:



(love it!)



He promptly fell asleep. Mama's little sweetie. What a great way to end the work week.

Don't Tell Jacob...

Mama's hair clip, Lily's pink bouncer.



Poor little man with all that scrumptious hair. Home alone with two females all day. (Three, including the cat.)

Wordless Wednesday

At the Zoo

Lily had such a great time on her first trip to the zoo! There were so many interactive things for her to do, such as feeding the birds in the aviary:



Feeding and petting the sheep:







Riding the carousel:





(Her hair flew up when the penguin flew down)



Riding the train:





(Three of the four Mamas with three of their five babies)



(Kirsten enjoying the ride)

And just exploring in general:



Here are Eowyn (yes, like Lord of the Rings!), Jacob, and his cousin Jeffrey:



She got pretty tired...



...and conked out the moment we got in the car:



(More photos to come, as taken by Marisol and Pam!)