January 25

Right now, all I can think about is my deep desire to trade my baby in for one that sleeps.

That's an option, right?

She's been sick for nearly a week now, and it's just miserable for all of us. Last night, she was awake from about 11 pm to 3 am. Sure, she slept some of that time, but only if she was being held.

Tonight, Chris is off playing racquetball. I put Lily down at 7:30, then again from 8-8:30, then again from 10-10:30. It's frustrating and exhausting and an exercise in crushed hopes and expectations, made especially hard by the fact that she's miserable. Boo, I say.

But this morning, we had some fun. Chris and I decided to take a family excursion to the Fete de Glace, where there would be an ice carving competition. Hooray! The forecast told us that it would be in the mid-30s and dropping, but we were still under-prepared.

Something I am learning about Daisy: She is the kind of girl who will always stick her head in the cut-out photo-opp things. Always. 

I love that about her.

As we drove toward the Fete de Glace, we saw dark clouds. Clouds that looked like they were dropping rain on the area immediately north of the festival. As we unloaded kids from the car, it began snowing.

Ever a good sport, Caleb practiced catching snow flakes on his tongue.

Daisy did, too.

(How is it possible that she always has a curl around her eye? It is so cute!)

It snowed HARD!

Can you see Lily's little pink-hooded head peeking out from Chris' coat? He wore her in the ERGO and buttoned his coat around her. She slept the whole time!

This was the best family picture I got. Caleb was saying "No pictures!", Daisy wasn't willing to cooperate, and Chris was freezing because he had left his hat and gloves at home.

We stopped in a coffee shop to warm up and get some beverages. 

Lily stayed asleep.

We found some prime seats for the kids where they could drink their hot cocoa and watch the ice carving at the same time. Of course, my kids in a big picture window was more than I could resist, and I bopped outside to take a few pictures.

She's quite photogenic, no?

Again with the lovely faces.

Oh, Daisy.

Aren't they funny?

Caleb was pretty excited about his hot cocoa.

I was pretty excited about the dramatic lighting, and I took too many pictures.

Mmmm. Hot cocoa.

This was the kids' favorite ice sculpture: a dragon carved from five blocks of ice.

Daisy wore her boots, and she took every opportunity she found to splash in a puddle.

We were ready to leave, but Daisy asked if she could dance on the stage. How could we say no?

Lily made up for her Ice Festival sleepiness by being absolutely darling when we got home. While the kids napped, she and Chris had some quality time.

She thinks her daddy is pretty funny!

Look at her. She knows she has him wrapped around her finger.

Who am I kidding? She knows she has us wrapped around her finger.

Now if only the child would sleep!

January 24

After a pretty busy week and a really rough night for Lily last night, I was relieved to have a completely unscheduled day today. I was hoping to get a head start on making Valentines, but Caleb and Daisy weren't interested in that game. They were, however, interested in making "Get Well" cards for our neighbor. It may have had something to do with the fact that Chris and I explained to them that the neighbor had "robot surgery" (laproscopic surgery, for grownups). The kids were fascinated, and worked diligently on their cards.

Daisy was quite proud of her handiwork. She is working on her scissor skills, is pretty adept at gluing, and clearly has rockstar stickering abilities.

Caleb had a vision from the moment I said "Get Well cards". He knew that he wanted to make a medical droid.

You know, a medical droid? From Star Wars? He's kind of obsessed. His current Star Wars library book is all about droids, and features this image of a medical droid:

(click image for original source and more info)

This was his version: 

I helped him cut a shape out of aluminum foil, and he did the rest. Did you notice the long arms? Did you notice that he put a band-aid at the end of each arm? Honestly, I was really impressed by Caleb's vision, and by his execution of his vision. This boy knew what he wanted to create, and worked until it was done!

He knows it's good.

(Isn't that a great feeling? To create something and know that it's good?

Lily watched happily from her spot at the table. She got her hands on Daisy's card at one point, and may or may not have ingested a few gold stars. Luckily, there were so many stars on that paper that no one was the wiser!

Also, look at poor girl's nose. She is just miserable with her cold: glassy-eyed, coughing, uncomfortable... Luckily, she's been so cheerful, despite the cold. We are blessed to have such a happy baby!

Just for fun, here are a few pictures of Daisy, who really enjoys the "take my picture/no don't take my picture/but really take my picture and I'll pretend that I don't want you to" game.

Goodness, I love her.

I also chose this lazy morning to introduce the big kids to video games. Namely, MarioKart.

They were terrible at it, and they loved it!

At lunch time, I took my fussy baby and practiced another back carry with her. It's getting easier for me, and she was really happy back there! (Though I did end up with a wet spot on the back of my shirt and some soggy hair from the poor girl's drool and snot...)

Today is Friday Pizza Day, so the kids helped me make their (gluten-free) pizza for dinner. 

I love that they're getting better at decorating their pizza and working together. Several times I heard one say to the other, "No cheese mountain! Spread it out!" or "Don't eat all the cheese! Put it on the pizza!" It was a good reminder to me that I can't expect them to do things well the first time, but if I give them enough opportunities to practice, they'll figure it out. My instinct is always to hover over them, correcting and fixing and scolding and generally being a bossy mom. I love that I have been able to step back in this small thing and allow them to explore and learn and work together. It's kind of wonderful

And Lily? She watched and learned. By the time she gets to help, she'll be a pizza-making pro!

January 23

It was a busy day for us: preschool for Caleb, and a MOPS meeting for the girls and me in the morning. Then lunch, long  naps (another day of all three kids napping for three hours at the same time!), and just enough time for me to get dinner together and some laundry folded before my mom arrived to watch the kids so that Chris and I could go to a work event. Whew!

I snapped this picture this morning, though:

That would be my still sleepy-eyed boy, who just stumbled out of bed and is drinking his "good morning coffee" (aka milk). On his hands? 

Socks.

At bedtime last night, he insisted that he wanted to wear socks on his hands. Chris told him no at first, but then realized it was a very little thing, and allowed Caleb to go to bed with socks on his hands. Apparently he kept them on all night long!

Since we were so busy, I only have some on-the-go cell phone pictures of the girls today.

It was sunny, sunny, sunny this morning, so Daisy asked for her sunglasses after we dropped Caleb off at preschool. Ever the thoughtful big sister, she also requested a pair for Lily. Luckily, we happened to have a spare pair of sunglasses in the car, so sweet Lil got to wear sunglasses for the first time!

Also, can you see the poor girl's runny nose? She is just miserable with a cold, but she is being so sweet about it!

And there are my two girls, in their matching sunglasses and hats. Aren't they funny?

January 22

This morning, this happened:

Amber and I had nearly resigned ourselves to being internet-only friends during cold and flu season; with seven children between us (!), it seemed that we were constantly cancelling playdates due to one sick child or another. But today, she and all four of her children descended on our house, where among the seven children (!), there was only sweet Lily with a nasty cold.

I am blessed beyond measure to have friends who love my children (and me!) so much, and to have friends who are content with a playdate that involves piling on Daisy's bed and reading every.single.book.we.own.

The two children missing from the pile-up were only missing because they are capable of reading independently. I love that Mary is sitting in the sunshine, reading Winnie the Pooh in a tutu.

I love that Catherine is sitting on the other side of the bed, reading with a focus so intense that she is able to block out the chaos right next to her.

and I love, love, love this.

Also, this happened last night and was so funny that I had to share: 

That would be Daisy, drinking hot cocoa sans pants. 

She was going to the bathroom when I announced that the hot cocoa was ready. Never one to miss her cocoa, she came running without even pausing to put her pants back on. Luckily, she knows my rule that bare bottoms are not allowed to touch anything other than the toilet, and so she perched like this the whole time she drank her cocoa.

January 21

Despite the fact that I am just now starting to write this blog post at 10:15, today was a good day.

In fact, it was a really, really good day.

Lily has a cold, and a nasty one at that, so she woke up at 6 this morning, played with Chris for an hour, and was ready for a two-hour nap at 7:15. While she slept, Daisy and I made muffins, and Caleb and Daisy played happily and didn't need me at all. That is a miracle in itself. Then Emily, Billy, Max and Jace came over for a playdate/photo shoot, and after they left all three kids took three-hour naps - at the same time! It was amazing. I might have heard angels sing. While they slept, I edited the photos I took on Saturday of a friend's newborn. Lily woke up just as I was sharing the finished pictures. It really was like God smiled down on me!

Of course, this evening was challenging; it can never be a fully good day. Lily made me work for about an hour to get her to bed tonight. But now she's sleeping happily, just as I hope to  be soon.

Sweet Lily this morning. Not a great picture, but I love her little shirt. Prepare to see it nonstop, since Valentine's day is only... four weeks away.

Caleb took this picture of Lily. I kind of like it!

Remember what I said a few days ago about not rushing solids? I lied. Anytime we're eating something that might be appropriate for Lily, I've been giving her a piece. Today, it was cucumber sticks. She didn't actually eat any of it, but she really, really liked them! She also has a great gag reflex.

And finally, just for fun, here's a video of Daisy dressed as Superman and Caleb dressed as Batman, singing "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells."

I love that they're holding hands the whole time.
Best part of your day, right? You're welcome.

January 19

Today was doubly great - a bank holiday, and Lily's 6-month checkup!

Since Lily's appointment was at 8:30, we decided to all go out for breakfast, and then Chris and the kids would join us at the doctor's office. (Our doctor shares office space with my midwife, so the office is lovely and very familiar to the kids. They love the toys and books there, so it was a treat for them!)

At the restaurant, Lily got to sit in a high chair for the first time. She rocked it, and was happy as a clam as long as we kept her supplied with spoons to chew and throw on the floor.

Caleb and Daisy were happy, too. We eat out so seldom that it's a big deal for them. My big relief is that, even though restaurants are a rarity for us now, they still know how to behave. I'm also pleased that we trained them to use glass cups at home, so they can be trusted with them at restaurants.

Funny things about this picture: Caleb is wearing Daisy's gloves. She wore them in the car, but when we got to the restaurant and she didn't need them anymore, she handed them to him. Even though he didn't need them, either, he was genuinely happy that she gave them to him!

Also, I finished knitting Daisy's scarf during Downton Abbey last night. By "finished", I mean "ran out of yarn and decided to stop knitting." Daisy was so excited when I gave it to her this morning!

Lily's checkup went well. She clocked in at 15 pounds, 4 ounces, which is 40th percentile. She's slowly dropping weight percentiles, but our doctor isn't concerned.  She was 25.25 inches long, which put her in the 60th percentile for height, and her head was 17.25 inches in circumference, which is 80th percentile. I was a bit concerned that she is behind in gross motor development, but the doctor assured me that she's actually fine. We talked about introducing solids, and then...

Lily got her first shot.

Well, technically not her first - she got a vitamin K shot at birth. But we chose to delay vaccinations for Lily, just because I'm not entirely comfortable that all of the ingredients in them are really in the best interest of my children, but I'm also not entirely comfortable skipping vaccinations. After much research, Chris and I decided to do a selective, delayed vaccine schedule. So Lily got one shot today, and will go back in a month to get another, and in another month to get a third... While we end up going in to the doctor's office more, Chris and I feel much more comfortable allowing her body time to process the toxins in vaccines before we give her the next one.

See the little spot on her thigh? That's the only proof she got a shot. Otherwise, she's been her happy, normal self! (Also, we just found this tag blanket I made when Caleb was a baby. Lily is just the right age for it now, and she loves it!)

Hi, cutie!

Oh, and say hello to my shiny new running shoes! When the kids woke up from naps this afternoon, we went on a family run. Caleb insisted he could run with me, because he is a boy and boys are faster than girls. Finally, Chris decided that he would come, too, and push Lily and Daisy in the BOB. Caleb could run as far as he wanted, and then hop in the stroller for a rest. It worked out perfectly! We only covered 2 or 2.5 miles, but it was a step in the right direction for me. I never thought I'd say it, but I miss running. I can't wait until it's easy again!

January 19

Today, sweet Lily is six months old! She's still very much a baby, but there's something about the six-month milestone that sends bells ringing in my head, warning that she's getting bigger every day.

We went to church this morning, where Lily was a perfect angel. She refused to nap, and stayed wide awake for the 25-minute drive home. When we got home (and she'd been awake for five and a half hours!), I tried to feed her and put her down for a nap. 

Nope.

An hour and a half later, I tried again.

Nope.

The girl was clearly exhausted, but she fought sleep like it was nobody's business. Finally I laid her down in her crib and let her fuss for a few minutes until she fell asleep.

Whew!

But that only lasted for forty-five minutes. 

And so it goes with us.

But I did manage to take some six-month pictures of her.

Hi, cutie patootie!

Does that outfit look familiar? You may remember a similar ensemble from Daisy's nine-month birthday photos. When Daisy was nine months old, she weighed 16.1 pounds. I expect Lily to weigh about 15.5 at her six-month checkup tomorrow. Funny, isn't it?

I love that, though the outfits are the same, the girls are totally different.

Look at sweet Lil making faces in the mirror! Also, look at how huge her little legs are! Love it!

My mom and Ryan stopped by on their way home from church, and we were all so happy to see them! Lily was especially happy to chew on Grandma's finger, pull her hair, and attempt to grab her glasses.

Later, I tried to get a few more photos. If this outfit is familiar, it's because you remember it from Daisy's six-month photos. It's amazing how little Daisy looks compared to Miss Chunk!

I'm not sure if she's smiling with delight or wishing she could bite my face. Either way, it's cute.

Then she discovered the curtains.

I think Lily has a new passion.

I can't blame her, though. Curtains are fun!

Happy six-month birthday, Lily!

After we finished pictures, I tried to make dinner. Lily wasn't happy, though, and was reaching for anything she could find on the counter. Finally, I grabbed a celery stick that happened to be laying right there. She was pretty happy! 

I'm sure it felt interesting on her gums: cool, bumpy, smooth...

But she seemed a bit unhappy with the flavor!

Still, that didn't deter her and she continued to gnaw away. Finally, I realized she was chewing because she was hungry and I sat down to nurse her. Even though she's six months old, we're not going to rush the solids. It will happen eventually, and I guarantee celery will not be her first food!