Tidbits

It's been a long winter so far--ice, sleet, snow, frigid temps. Between the weather, taking it easy to keep my blood pressure down before Sierra was born, Sierra's being born, recovering from a C-section, having a newborn, and Isla being sick....I've spent much more time at home the past 2 1/2 months than I ever have. I was actually looking forward to going back to work this week. Of course Mother Nature had other plans and left us with a layer of ice Tuesday that kept me from going back Wednesday but my mom came over Thursday so I could go in for most of the day. Then last night our basement flooded from the water from our water heater so Friday isn't going as planned either. Plus the university is still closed because of the ice so Isla's preschool is closed. Right now I'm waiting for the repairman to come back with our water heater so I can shower and go to work. If I'd known everything was going to be able to be fixed this morning, mom could have stayed here with the girls and the repairman and I could have gone to the gym to shower and gone on to work. But we didn't know so mom took the girls to her house and I'm here. Might as well update the neglected diary of our lives.

Sierra has always smiled at us (not just gas!) but now she's doing so responsively. She loves Isla talking to her and gives her the most beautiful smiles in return. Isla asked the other day what Sierra's name will be when she grows up. "You know, her other name." I had a hard time convincing her that her name will always be Sierra. She said she wants to call her Rosie (like grandma does).

Sierra is still waking up frequently at night to eat. The past few nights, she's slept 4 hours, then 3 hours, then 2 hours, taking most of a 3 ounce bottle each time she wakes up. The last wake up is usually around 4 and it's hard to get her back to sleep before she's up for the day around 6. She'll take a 4 ounce bottle some time in the morning, then 3 ounces every 2-3 hours through the day. She's staying awake more during the day most days, although she still has some days that she seems to sleep all day. Guess it's tiring growing so big. She has her 2 month check up and shots in about 10 days so we'll see how big she is then. I've been reading about people whose babies are 4 and 5 pounds over birth weight by their 2 month appointment. Sierra hasn't grown that much, but she's definitely doing better with weight gain than her sister did. Momma is much less stressed. My guess is that she'll be about 9 1/2 pounds at her 2 month check up.

It's just amazing to hear Isla talk these days. She's always been so verbal and talks constantly but the things she's saying floor me sometimes. One day this week she told me I worry too much. Yesterday she wanted me to help her color her Valentine for grandma and I told her she could do it. "But she's YOUR mom." She has an imaginary family of cats. The mom is Sing-along Seraphina and went to the gym with us yesterday. The dad and the babies stayed home because the babies are so small they'd get stepped on.

Isla is so loving to Sierra. Not always at convenient times, but I'm not going to tell her not to hug and love her on baby sister. Isla's had a cough off and on since Sierra was born so we often keep kisses to the top of Sierra's head, but Isla is good with that.

Isla is going to be a planner--she sees me making lists and makes her own lists. She was planning a hoedown a few months ago. That one didn't happen although the Daddy Daughter Dance P took her to the other day at one of the local churches was a barn dance so she got to go to a hoedown. I'll post some picks of her in her cowgirl outfit. Last week P came home and she started telling him about the sleepover with 12 friends she's planning. He wasn't sure if this was something momma was on board with our not (NO!) so he was being very cautious in talking to her about it.

Isla and I have been to see Frozen 3 times. (I've never seen a movie 3 times in the theater--there are only a few I've seen twice in theater. P said he's never even seen a movie 3 times in the theater!) We went with daddy, then grandma, then we took A when she came to visit. I bought the soundtrack so the past week Isla and I have been having cuddle times listening to the music. She's starting to pick up the lyrics and likes talking about what was happening in the movie for each song. She remembers parts of the movie better than I do!

There are things everyday I want to write about, but finding the time is hard. Hopefully I can do better with it and actually get those pictures posted!