My girls

visited my sister & my cousin was in town from GA

Met my great cousin Lydia (3yo) for the 1st time. Lydia is on the left, Lys is in the middle & my nephew/ God-son is on the right. These are the younger kids there. There were more but going crazy in the basement

7mos today

Baby Brie is 7mos today. Where has the time gone???

She just about ready to get herself into a sit postion on her own. She's been sitting unsupported since 5mos. She's just about got crawling down in the last 2 days. Today she figured it out how to get it going for 2 cross crawl arm movements b4 she falls then she army crawls the rest of the way, which she only got good at yesterday.

I've found her in her crib asleep & up on her hands & knees rocking in her sleep, silly girl. So I have started to roll her in a blanket like a bug in a rug to start out her arms being restrained a bit. She likes this. Forces her to relax & give up practicing her new moves for a bit. Much better sleeping after I went back to this form of swaddling. She gets herself outta of it but all I want to use it for is the falling asleep part.

We have started our 2nd week of swim classes with both girls. Lyssa is in her own class with a girlfriend of hers & Brie & I are taking a mommy & me class. Lyssie has taken off. She's now not afraid to put her face under the water & she's blowing bubbles. Big change fromthe girl on the way to class said that no way no how that she was gonna do that til she was 5yo. Brie has gone under the water too. We are working on her relaxing int he water which she does pretty well. I can get both of her ears under & she even got her arms & legs moving for a basic swim movement.

Last thought- still no teeth but preteething since 3mos.

Gotta love toothless baby grins.

Daddy's girl

diaper shoot

Mommy work is so hard but wouldn't trade it for the world

Brie's latest accomplisments...
my 6mos 1 wk old is now getting on her hands & knees. Sleeping is becoming a little more difficult for her but she's still sleeping much better than her sister ever did. She has learned how to turn on her bird & butterfly mobile after I showed her. I was amazed to watch her turn it on & off as she was in her crib. Then today I heard the music coming through the monitor the other day. She had a good long dry spell today where we even caught her pees with ECing- poos still catching those. Teething- still teething no teeth in yet. She's been pre-teething since 3mos, I would have thought a couple would have broken through by now.

Alyssa & I had a big go around this evening. She's been waking really early like 5am. She wants to climb into bed with mommy. Then she's flip flopping all around. She gets outta bed at night telling me she's scared. Maybe she is a bit but really I think it's an excuse. She wants to be with mommy & that's the main reason. So I started taking one of her dolls every time she got outta bed. That was a good idea for about 2 days then she started coming down stairs & handing me a doll as she asked what ever she wanted. Tonight I took all the dolls. Then she started crying. I don't wanna hear it but told her she can cry as long as she did it behind closed doors. That lead to screaming, banging & kicking the door. Door is coming off next. I also told her today since she's been getting outta bed so early int he AM. That she can do it but it's not fair to mommy. So for every minute she gets outta bed b4 7a, she owes me in her room in the afternoon when Brie takes her nap. If we are out running in the afternoon she goes to bed that amount of time earlier. This is my plan for nights & I'm praying we can turn the corner.

She's testing me all day long & I feel like it's a constant battle. I'm feeling like she's split personality one minute she tells me she loves me & the next she tells me I'm the meanest mommy in the world.

Dinner is back to being a battle. We had about a 6mos reprieve on that one. She doesn't have to eat but she needs to try everything. Then I require her to tell me no thank you. I'm no longer making her anything else (ie cereal or a salad like I did b4). It's her choice to eat or not to eat. She must sit at the table with me & Brie. However one day this week she screamed bloody murder about the food she had before her & I put her on the steps for a time out & that's where she stayed til I finsihed eating. I'm tired of listening to her screams & whines.

Alyssa is a bright, loving, sensitive girl just very head strong. I want to bring her up right now & her not be a brat as she becomes older & we have bigger issues.

Brie is easy for me. Her needs are basic & she's a happy child. Alyssa is just in a very trying time right now.

This mommy work is very hard but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Bubble magic

Brianna @ 6mos

Brianna's birthday 2/18/09
7lb 10ozs & 21 in long.

Today 6mos old: 8/18/09

16lbs 26 3/4in long

Time is just flying by! Where has my little newborn gone? My heart aches that I'll never have this again but also at the same time is over joyed by what God has blessed me with.

Brie's eyes are changing from the blue they were to a ocean water green. Who knows if they will stay this form of hazel or go completely brown like mine. Alyssa's are blue all the way. Brianna is sitting up on her own. Definately will go after what she wants. She rolls around to get where she wants to go. Still having some great success with our ECing. She's all smiles & will just brighten for anybody but mommy always has her eye.

She's started food. She's allergic to banana & had to call the pedi one night to get a Benadryl dosage to give her. I pray that she doesn't end up with severe food allergies like her sister. Her skin is very sensitive & has excema. Sleep wise she does very well & can go sometimes 11hrs a night without eating. She's still pre-teething since 3mos old & I thought atleast 1 would have broke through by now. We are still exclusively breast feeding & that is going well for us. She doesn't take a bottle very well so starting to think cup now & just skip the whole bottle thing.

My heart is just bursting with love for my little suprise miracle, Brianna Lynn.

kids- some big milestones in this house.

Lyssie has slept in her bed ALL night long for the past 3 nights, no bribes, melatonin, nothing! Even putting her to bed was easier last night than it has been in a long time. Her mouthiness is still horrible. Trying to work dilegently on that one. She's a very head strong, sensitive gal.

Brie in the last 2 days has been attemptiong to stand. I'm trying to get a pic of it but it's a fleeting moment that she pulls her self up to a stand. How can an almost 6mos old do this??? She's sitting on her bunny potty. Next she pulls up with her arms on the handles & then locks her knees out. Thus she stands! She's really having fun with this but it only lasts a moment. In the past few days I've watched her sitting up with the weeble wobbles- engaging her stomach muscles. Now she can do it steadily for a few minutes b4 she topples over. Also since 2 days she started banging her toys. Also Brie slept through the night again. 1st time for 2 wks. Yay mommy got more than 2 hrs in a row of sleep!!!!

Thoughts on Brie & her ECing @ almost 6mos old

Brie on the potty @ 5mos

The above 2 pics are Brie on her potty @4mos.

Her stools are loosing their bm poo look & now becoming more solid since we've started solids a bit more regularly. The girl likes our ECing (elimination communication) & really chooses to poo on her little bunny potty. She may start to have a poo in her diaper but if I catch it she really will let it finish it on the potty. In the past 3mos I can count on 1 hand how many poo diapers I had to clean up! YAY!

Pee usually we have a wet diaper but if I put her on her potty she will use it for pee too.

It's amazing if you pay attention & act on it what you find your babies communicating with you! For those who find it hard to understand. Don't you watch your little ones for when they are tired? hungry? wanna play? They also have signals to let you know they have to eliminate too. Those signals change as they get older & mature. No they can't do it on their own for quite a while but they can't feed themselves in the beginning either. It's just about watching your child & choosing to act on those signals & if we have a miss communication, no big deal. I just think of ECing as saving one diaper at a time & my daughter not having pee or poo next to her sensitive bum for a long period of time.

Mom, I REALLY don't like cereal

'They' say that it takes up to 10 times for a child to taste something before they will accept a new food. Well, we are way over that now & Brie still doesn't like her cereal. Give the girl water, puffed millet or frozen fruit pops the girl will scream when you take it away & dive bomb you. But I can't get her to eat cereal. I've tried rice & oatmeal both are not a fav in her book. The closest I can get her to eat her cereal is with pear juice to thin it out. Not even breast milk which is what the above pic is with.

visiting with my grandparents

Mom-Mom with Brie @ the lake.

Mommy with her girls. Lyssie is finally getting over some of her fear of water & Brie just enjoyed herself splashing in the lake. It's a spring fed natural lake outside WInchester VA in my parents mountain community. They just put down new sand each year to keep it fresh. THe water was crystal clear & very comfortable (except where the springs fed in & it was freezing).

Lys on the sand coming outta the water,. The divit behind her is the spring leading to the lake.

Brie with her Great Grandmother.

Lyssie & Brie with their Great- Grandfather. What a blessing to see all these generations under one roof.

Rats, didn't get a pic of newly thined out PopPop with his girls. Will have to do next time. Finally my dad had soem energy & really actually played with Alyssa. She loved the attention from her Pop-Pop & it was great to see the joy on his face.

different perspectives

tried to change the focus of the shot. I think it turned out nicely.

I'm going to Virgina to visit my parents & Grandparents for a few days so I'll still take my pics for 365 but won't be posted til Thurs @ the earliest.

messy Brie

She's finally starting to enjoy her food. Today it was carrots with cereal. The cereal was flavored with pear juice. She liked that alot! Lyssie even got into some of the action & helped feed her sissy.

A Dutch Wonderland Day

We finally went to Dutch Wonderland. WE had a ball. Brie even was able to go on 2 rides with us as a family. It did rain & even rained heavy but we already had our bathing suits on & trying to find a seat around the lagoon when the rain started. Brie & I found a place we could sit outta the rain & we enjoyed watching Lys run around & play in the rain & water. Brie was a very good baby & really didn't fuss much at all. Maybe b/c we were constantly on the go. I got a greta pic of Lyssie crying over not getting her seat she wanted on the Whip ride. She could have had pink but NO she wanted a princess on the back of her car. That's pic # 3 from above. I just can';t believe how much that girl can get herself worked up over something like that.

We ended up our day at a wonderful Chinese Buffet. We all enjoyed it but this was the time Brie decided to melt down but who could blame her it was 7p & her bedtime. We all got home @ 9:30p & Lys was still up @ MN. Silly girl!

Change of plans.

Today was a mess. Hoping to do Dutch WOnderland for the 2nd attempt but raining in Lancaster PA. So figured we'd do Harford County Farm Fair. I've never been & wanted to check it out this year. Rain came down so very hard. So went went to the YMCA to tour for possible membership. Looks like I'll be joining & Kevin will stay at Bally's. Then we decided to goto the Farm Fair but was met with a wall of rain. So we went to Chuck E Cheese instead. Lys had a very good time there & Brie was excellent. She also had her 1st MErry Go Round ride & really all she wanted to do was eat the poll. Oh, Brie ate some crust of pizza for the 1st time & she really enjoyed it.

So tomorrow is attempt #3 at Dutch Wonderland in about a week.

visited MIL at Nsg Home today

Today was a busy day. Had to take my car into the shop to get tire looked at & basic up keep. Then had a friend from high school & her 2 boys over for a quick play date. Finally to the nursing home to celebrate MIL's 81st birthday that was yesterday. Today was a bad day for her. She told me that "they" were coming to get her. 7 men. I asked why 7 & she said that's what it took. She was also teary eyed today too. Which in the past was her norm but int he past year we haven't seen that part of her. Finally she agreed to go to the beauty parlor that is on the premises. She's been telling me for the last year & 1/2 that she'll get her hair cut & permed when she gets home. Poor thing. She hasn't been home in a year & still doesn't realize where she's at is her new home. Her birthday celebration was pureed shrimp salad & fudge. Hard to figure out what to get a woman that no longer does the things that she always loved to do.
Dear Lord, I so hate Alsheimers.Brie @ 22wks visiting G-ma. Drool is her constant companion.

The birthday girl. PTL she agreed finally to get her hair done!

Lyssie & her daddy sharing a laugh.

7/28/09 difficulty with taking pics without flash

This is my attempt of taking a pic of me & my girls. I turned the flash off & turned on the lights on in the room. This is what typically happens when the flash is off, the pic is more fuzzy/ hazy. Any ideas why with the flash it would be crisp but without it has this look?

BTW- can anyone find the baby in the pic?

She's in my BabyHawk carrier. Tonight she was screaming her head off tired & teething. I sure do hate teething & can't wait til these pop through. Well, I guess Brie does too. ;-)

trip to Dutch Wonderland cancelled

Today we planned to goto Dutch Wonderland. However it looks like rain up the entire East Coast. So nope, not happening. We do need the rain though so my garden & grass is very happy for today.

Told Lyssa that the trip was cancelled & what typically would be a meltdown was a dissapointment. I mentioned that we could goto Port Discvery @ the Inner Harbor & she was excited about that. Hopefully some other time this week we can take our trip to Dutch Wonderland. Oh, why does Lyssa want to goto Dutch Wonderland Vs Sesame Place that we mentioned too was because she can have story time with a pricess & you can't get that @ Sesame Place.