9/4/10 - Hitting the To-Do List Hardcore!

Today, we hit the to-do list big time. It was time to be productive, and we REALLY needed to get some stuff done.

The girls were both up, bright and early. YAY. We decided that fast food breakfast was in order, so Christian started the day off by picking up some McDonald's. YUM. After breakfast, it was time to get to work.

Since Amelia has been so clingy and refusing to nap on her own, I decided to try out chores with her strapped to me to see if it would kill two birds with one stone. So, I put on the baby carrier, loaded her in and was on my way. I had to finish laundry...just had the kids' clothes left to do. Got that going. Jumped on the computer to balance the checkbooks and address Amelia's birth announcements (finally). Got that done. I also finally organized all of our pictures on the computer...that was quite a task!

While I was busy with all of that, Christian and Olivia started cleaning up the house. They picked up the living room and started vacuuming the upstairs and the stairs. Finally Olivia was down for a nap, so Christian took to his outdoor chores and mowed the lawn. Brrrrr. After nap time, he and Olivia continued cleaning up the outside while I cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes.

Finally, Christian started dinner....chicken and potatoes on the grill. YUM. While Amelia FINALLY napped on her own for a while, I played with Olivia outside until dinner was ready. We all ate, played a little, then it was time for baths and bed! Christian and I finally got a little alone time once the girls were down. He started a fire and we had some s'mores and chatted for a while. It's been a long time since we could do that!

So, it was a long, and very busy day, but it felt so good to get some stuff checked off the list! Here are a couple pictures of Olivia today. First, swinging, and all of a sudden her baby goes everywhere with her. Also, she had to try out dad's sweet head lamp :)

9/3/10 - It's Friday!!! Apparently...

Like usual, the days just basically blend for me right now. According to the calendar, it's Friday. So, just by rule, I'm excited! It will be nice to have Christian around for a couple days...it's even a holiday weekend (again, apparently), so we get an extra day!

Amelia actually let me sleep in this morning! But, she was up REALLY late last night. She refused to go to bed, so I had to finally just hold her...so I fell asleep. Christian eventually woke me up and we got her down in the bassinet. Ugh, it's exhausting! Good thing Olivia spent the night at Grandma's, otherwise she probably would have been up pretty late too! And, thank goodness, she seems to have just had a little 24-hour bug, because she's doing MUCH better today!

It's actually cold out....COLD. YAY. I think it was 52 degrees when I woke up this morning. The dog of course just about had a panic attack when I sent him outside. Poor thing, he really isn't going to last through the winter! I think he needs to head south for a few months! It's crazy...it was 98 degrees on Monday...that's quite a change in a matter of a few days!

Today was pretty low key. Amelia slept most of the day (making up for her complete LACK of sleep yesterday I suppose), so I rested most of the day. Finally, it was time to get ready. I'm actually leaving the house today, and spending time with my BFF. I was so excited! Once Christian got home, Olivia and I were off to dinner with Kari and her sister Amy...at Khan's, of course. YUM, even Olivia actually ate a little bit while we were there! It was so nice to get out of the house! I needed it.

After dinner, we made a quick stop at Target, then were home for the evening. It's going to be an early night for our household, everybody is BEAT! I got this little wink and mischievous smile out of Amelia today...

9/2/10 - 20 Months!

Holy Moley...our "baby" is 20 months old today...she will be TWO in 4 months, I can't believe it. With the holiday's and our crazy lives right now, her birthday will be here before we know it. I just can't believe it.

Olivia, hand full as she is, still amazes us every day (of course). If seems like her vocabulary has grown a TON. And, it's not just "words" to her anymore, she actually knows what she's saying,a and the proper times to say things. Her most often used words right now include: Grandma (bupa), Daddy, Mommy (yes, she finally says it a lot), Puppy (along with "woof woof woof"), Duck (along with "quack, quack quack"), Cow (along with "moooooooo"), Monkey (no sound effect), Love You (my FAVORITE), Bye Bye, Hi, Kitty (again, no sound effect), Milk (which she calls "baca" for some reason...), All Gone, All Done, Bath, Stop It and Get Down. This her her list of favorites. She also love to help out cleaning around the house all of a sudden, picking up, throwing stuff away. She is our certified diaper fetcher. She goes down and lets the dog out of his kennel when we ask her to. She knows the difference between my car and dad's truck, when we're going in which vehicle, and climbs into her car seat all by herself (which by the way is still rear-facing, and she is still loving every minute of it. So glad we will definitely be making it to two years, maybe even more if I can convince dad...). She loves to hold the baby, and finally knows she has to sit down first, so she sits down randomly and holds out her arms to ask for baby all the time now. It's cute.

Here is a TMI mom moment right here...One of the best things is that when she goes potty, she actually comes to us, says "poo poo" and lets us know that she has gone and needs her diaper changed. YAY, first step in potty training...showing that she no longer can stand a dirty diaper! So, I think in the next couple of weeks we'll be getting the potty out. I know that it's (typically) a lot of work, but I'm really excited to start potty training. I'm glad we didn't force it a couple months ago like we planned...she's actually showing signs of readiness on her own now, thank god!

So, that's our little girl now days. She doesn't seem so little anymore. I just can't believe it. She can do so much, it's just amazing! Today she spent the evening at Grandma's house because mommy and daddy needed a little break. Unfortunately, I got a call this morning from the other Grandma letting me know she wasn't eating or drinking and felt very warm. I packed up Amelia and we went to check her out. I took her temperature, and it was a little high. I decided it was best for her to stay there because with the baby I couldn't give her the attention she needed. And, I decided to go ahead with her staying at Grandma's house like we planned, since, again, she could get much more attention out of her than us right now. Hopefully it goes alright tonight, and I really hope she's feeling better tomorrow! She was perfectly fine last night, so I have no idea what could have happened :(

9/1/10 - Bad to Good Back to Bad

Well, today was a roller coaster! The morning was rough...Olivia was home with Amelia and I today. My mother in law got a chance to go to the fair with some friends, and she never gets to go, so I offered to keep her home with me. It was NOT a good experience this time. Both girls woke up, very early, and very crabby. Amelia cried all morning and Olivia was just difficult as can be. She whined, refused to eat, kept trying to sit on Amelia every time I was trying to feed her. It was horrible. I finally packed them into the stroller and walked down to the park. Luckily there were some other kids there, so Olivia ran around the played with them for a while. When we got home, she finally ate some food, and went right down for a nap. Amelia even went down for a nap. The day was taking a turn for the better. Then, the mail showed up...including the new lamp for the stupid TV and Amelia's birth announcements. I just LOVE the announcements, and I can't wait to get the TV up and running again....oh how I've missed my DVR!

Christian had a doctor appointment this morning. He has these growths on his ears, not sure exactly what they are, but he's had them removed a couple of times and the keep coming back. One isn't too bad anymore, but the other one is worse than ever right now! I finally convinced him to see a new doctor about them, and today was the day. They are doing to do a couple rounds of steroids, then remove it again, and after the removal they are having him use some cream that is supposed to help the healing. I sure hope it works this time!

The girls woke up from their naps, ate some "lunch" and then Christian was home. We pretty much just did the usual, eat, play and hang out. We did get a little yard work done since it's cooled off a bit. We trimmed the plants up a bit and just did a little cleaning up.

Once they were down for bed, Christian went down to fix the TV. Then, things turned back to bad...the lamp was NOT the problem. So, not only did we just waste the money buying the new lamp, the TV is still broken! From our research, it's looking like the only other option is that the TV's color wheel is broken. And, one person we talked to said it would cost $600-$900 to replace. Ummmm, we could get a new TV for that! Are you crazy!!! So, now who knows what's going to happen...and this was NOT a cheap TV either, so it just adds to the pain. It's never ending, I swear!

Here's a picture of Christian and the girls before bed time :)

8/31/10 - August, Out

The last day of August, how can that possibly be?!? It seems like just yesterday we were gearing up for Olivia's 1st birthday, I was barely pregnant, and it was winter! Now it's about to be September! WOW!

Today was a very frustrating day. Today was one of those days where you ask yourself "what the hell was I thinking?!?". The animals have officially gotten on my last nerve. Chloe is the only one I can stand, and that's because she just hides all of the time. Frank cries constantly, and scratches/pounds on the bedroom doors at night. Rico also cries all night, but more importantly throws up ALL THE TIME, all over the house (including on OUR bed the other day, which soaked through all the way to the mattress....um, ICK). And Chuy, OMG Chuy. Today was the last straw. He's been back to going to the bathroom in his kennel again...twice today. I can't take it. We take him outside, he'll be out there for hours, but still goes inside. Never barks or cries to let us know he has to go outside, just goes to the bathroom whenever he feels like it. I was so upset this morning, he literally spent the entire day and evening outside. I just don't know what to do. On top of Amelia's fussiness and Olivia's craziness, we cannot handle the out of control animals! A few people have told us to put him in a smaller kennel, one where he just has enough room to stand up, and turn around. So, I suppose we'll have to try that out.

Other than the verge of insanity I was feeling, the day was pretty normal. Christian has been working some overtime lately, including today. By the time he gets home we just have to eat quick and get the girls to bed. We're usually not far behind them either. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day! At least I got to see a bit of this today...

8/30/10 - Shopping Trip, Take Two

Today was a pretty low key day. Amelia was great today, and FULL of smiles. She really seems to recognize me and my voice these days. She turns when she hears my voice, and she smiles when she sees me. I LOVE it! She was pretty good today, napped well, wasn't horribly fussy when she was awake. YAY!

I got brave and decided to try out a trip to Target today. And...it went GREAT! I got all of our shopping done, with no crying whatsoever! I felt like I'd won the lottery when I walked out of the store with everything we needed!

After Target, we both took a nap and waited for the rest of the family to get home. It was a low key evening...which was much needed!

8/29/10 - Busy Family Day

Today was a busy day. The morning was off to a rocky start with two crabby, refusing to nap children. NOT FUN. We finally had to "force" Olivia to nap (which did not last long), and had to just take turns holding Amelia so the other could get ready for the day.

Finally, we were all ready and on our way. Our first stop was over to my dad's house. My step-mom's sister from Utah was in town, so they decided it was a good chance to get the family together. The main reason for the get-together was so they could do a 5-generation photo. My niece, Rachel, had a baby, Allyse, a few days after Amelia was born. With Allyse, there is currently 5-generation of women in their family (Allyse, Rachel, my sister Chris, my step-mom, and my Grandma Berg). Crazy! It was fun to see my sisters and all of the crazy kids...let me tell you, it's a mad house there when all of the kids are together! Whoa. Olivia had a blast playing with all of them though.

Everyone started to leave, so we were on our way as well. We stopped over to Christian's parents' house for a little bit. He wanted to catch up with them for a little while...I just sat inside, feeding Amelia, and watching Big Brother (I'm a horrible guest....).

Finally, we were on our way home. Both girls were exhausted and went to bed...as will we! Weekend over, and it was a crazy one!

8/28/10 - Fair Time!!

It's the day I've been waiting for...for SO long! It's fair day. Oh the fair, how I love thee. We were excited to head out to the fair today and see what Olivia thinks of everything. She was pretty young last year, she didn't really know what was going on, so we figured this year should be tons of fun for her. However, we were a little nervous about Amelia, and how she'd take it.

The weather was pretty good. It was REALLY hot in the sun, but there was a nice breeze, so if you could find some shade, it wasn't so bad. Of course there were tons of people there, but that's to be expected. And, of course we spent way too much money, but also to be expected. We ate most of our usual yummy treats...pronto pups, footlongs, cheese curds, mini donuts, a milk shake, lots of lemonade and Australian potatoes. YUMMY! I'm sad we won't be going again, because there's a whole lot more I'd like to eat!

After chowing down for a while, we checked out some of the barns. Olivia is currently obsessed with Cow's, so she enjoyed the cow barn. Of course the Miracle of Life barn was a hit as well, just love those baby animals! After the bars, we stopped into the kidway for some rides. Of course our little dare devil had the time of her life...she loved all of the rides, and of course wanted to go on all the rides she couldn't go on! So fun.

One of the local radio stations has a "Lactation Station" set up at the fair..with lots of comfy chairs, fans, changing stations and a play area for older kids. We stopped there to feed the baby and change diapers...what a life saver!

Finally, after hours and hours, it was time to head home. Both of the girls did amazing! Didn't even hear a peep out of the baby! Olivia passed out on the car ride home, and we put her straight to bed when we got home...at 6:30...hopefully that doesn't mean a super early morning for us!

Amelia had a rough evening...she's been crying and fussy all night, we just couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. She finally passed out around 10:30, poor thing. Christian and I watched the Vikings game...they won...YAY! And I passed out as soon as Amelia did. LONG DAY!!! But, of course tons of fun!

8/27/10 - D-Day

So, today was the day I've been dreading for a while. My first day home with both girls, all day. I seriously thought I was going to have a panic attack there for a while. I have such little patience, and Olivia gets to be such a handful, I didn't know how I would handle it. BUT, I must pat myself on the back, because it went SUPER well!

Amelia woke up first, so I fed her and got her settled in. Olivia woke up shortly after. We ate some breakfast and did some playing for a while. After Amelia ate again, I got both of the girls dressed, loaded up the brand new double stroller and we were on our way down to the park. Amelia slept the whole time we were there, so Olivia and I ran around. She loves to climb up all of the stairs and poles and go down all of the slides...she MUST do it by herself though. She does not want any help...that's my girl! She eventually noticed the gaggle of geese at the other end of the park, and took off after them. So, once I finally caught her (after taking some pictures of course), it was time to head off. We took a nice little walk and were on our way home. Olivia had a quick lunch and played while I fed Amelia and put her down for a nap. Olivia went down shortly after, and they both slept for about 4 hours...FOUR HOURS! It was amazing. I cleaned up the house, took care of the checkbooks and bills, ate some lunch and had plenty of time to relax. So, our first time all alone went amazing!

Christian took straight to the yard when he got home from work. After naps and yard work, we all ate some dinner and just took it easy for the evening. It was a long day, and I am exhausted!!! it's going to be a very busy (and hot) weekend as well, so a good nights sleep is definitely in order!

8/26/10 - 1 Month...and Out and About

First of all, my sweet baby girl turns 1 month old today...I cannot believe it's already been a month! She's doing really well. Her crying and fussiness has not been nearly as bad lately, I'm sure the pacifier plays a big role in that. She still sleeps very well at night, she always gives us 3-4 hour stretches, sometimes longer! She was able to hold her head up a little bit even when she was born, but she's very good at it now. She's focusing more and more, you can tell she's actually looking at you now and trying to figure things out. And, I have managed to get a couple of REAL smiles out of her this week. It's amazing how quickly they develop and grow. She's still a little peanut, and of course cute as can be!

As far as today goes...I decided today was a good day to finally be productive! We have so many little things that need to get done, it's time I get on it. Amelia and I woke up...she ate (a couple times), I ate, then it was time to get ready for the day.

First up, we had to run up to "the city" to deposit some checks, then right back to our neck of the woods. We made a quick stop at the post office to mail some medical bills (which by the way are a million times cheaper when you don't have surgery...YAY for that), we stopped to get some gas and much needed Diet Dew, picked up some drive thru for lunch and finally we were home. After lunch, Amelia went down for a nap and I jumped on the computer. I was able to find a replacement lamp for our stupid TV for pretty cheap, and ordered that. I also made up Amelia's birth announcement and ordered those. I scheduled Amelia's 2-month check-up appointment for next money and talked to a church down the road from us about having her baptized there...and scheduled that! It felt SO good to finally get all of this little stuff done and taken care of...It felt good to finally do some productive stuff (other than cleaning and taking care of Amelia of course).

Once Christian and Olivia were home, I made some dinner, he played outside with her for a little while and it was an early night for the entire house! Doing stuff makes you tired...