We extended our trip to the beach for one more day so that we could see my parents and siblings.  We went to the swimming pool by my parents future home.  I think everyone had fun...it was a hot day and the pool felt really good!  I don't think I will write too much more, but let you look at the pictures instead!

Derecho Strikes - July 2012

 If you have been keeping up with the news, then you have probably heard about the major storm that stretched across West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and northward.  It was a derecho, a horizontal wind storm, and there was some severe damage.  West Virginia was in a state of emergency and as I write this there are still people in my county that don't have power.  Fortunately we had no damage to our home, but knew we would be without power for a while, since the damage to our power lines was pretty bad.  In addition, there was only a limited number of gas stations working on generators, so it was difficult to get gas.  Then after about three days the generators stopped working on the water and many people were without water in our county.  After two days in the extreme heat, sleeping on our living room floor and trying to help Ella relax in the heat, we decided to leave town. 

I think Joe and I could have handled it, since we were used to camping, but it was really hard on our little baby girl.  Even Jack was managing well.  Then one day as we were headed to the lake, we made a quick decision to pack up and get out.  With the kids still asleep in the car, we quickly grabbed what we thought we would need for a week at my grandparents house.  I had to pack dirty laundry, since we couldn't clean anything, and then we also packed up for beach trips, since they live right next to the ocean! 

Overall, it was a great trip and I am so glad that we were able to get away to see our family.  The power came back on a few days before we got home and we are so glad too, since it is still quite hot outside.  Below are the pictures from our impromptu trip!  So thank you derecho for allowing us to get to the beach this year!

We were able to see the parade and fireworks in Southport, NC (home of the largest 4th of July festival in NC).  They were filming a Nicholas Sparks movie so scenes from the parade are going to be in it and there was a camera crew that filmed us cheering.  I doubt we will make it in the movie, but oh well!  Jack was in heaven during the parade.  Actually he had a serious look of concentration on his face the whole time.  It must have been due to the fact that there were fire trucks, motorcycles, horses, and boats, which are all his favorites as of right now.  

 We also took the ferry over to Fort Fisher so we could go to the NC Aquarium.  It wasn't that big, but it was a great experience for Jack.  He was able to see fish, alligators, sharks, and so much more.  It was a good day, and we followed it with a trip to the pool, but those pictures will follow in another post. (Check out the fear in Jack's eyes as Joe is putting him next to the bronze alligator...that picture is priceless!)

A Few Things

This post is full of little bits and pieces of things I have been thinking about.  I hope you enjoy! 

Ella has started on solid foods this week.  We tried bananas first.  I decided that she doesn't need to start with rice cereal, but we will probably incorporate that into one of the first foods this month.  She is still unsure of what to do, and gagged a little bit.  Today she did much better and I actually think she was excited to be sitting at the table with everyone else!






Jack has watched me breastfeed Ella a lot.  So I guess it was no surprise when I pulled out a baby doll that he would try to feed the baby.  I finally decided to capture it on video!  It is too cute and I'm sure it will be extremely embarrassing when he is a teenager!

 
While we were visiting my family this past week, we made a trip to the zoo.  Last year my  mom bought us a yearly parking pass to the zoo, so I have tried to make it worth the cost by going every time I came up for a visit.  This time, we decided to make the trip in the morning.  I wanted to beat the heat of summer and also to make sure we were able to get a parking spot.  The night before I got everything ready that we would need, like snacks, clothes, and diapers.  We decided to wake up at 5:30 am and get the kids in the car while still dressed in their pajamas.  By 6:30 we were at the zoo, we fed and dressed the kiddos and were off to see some animals.  At this point there were very few people there.  Most were running through the zoo, but I read online that the mornings were the best time to see the wolves, horses, and pandas.  Exhibits and buildings did not open until ten, but I knew it would be cooler so more animals would be outside at this time.  We decided to stay until 9:30am, since it was starting to heat up and the kids were getting tired again for a morning nap.  However, we were able to have an unobstructed view of the pandas (I have never been to the zoo without the panda building being a mad house) and we saw the wolves (something I had never seen before).  So I think it was a great success and from now on, any summer trip to the zoo will start that early!  I know this might not be appealing for others, but since we are already early birds I was happy to bypass traffic and get there early.













We have cardinals that are nesting in our front bush.  Actually this is their second nest.  I read online that they have two broods a year and the first brood was nesting in another front yard bush.  I love that I can watch Jack play with his toys and also listen to the baby birds as they chirp.  I took a picture of the daddy (he was watching me since I was right next to the bush with the nest).




I found these pictures of Jack and Joe on my camera the other day...Joe is always taking random pictures and for whatever reason, this was my favorite of the bunch.  I think Jack decided to wake up his daddy!

Recently we took Jack out in the kayak at Summersville lake.  He loves and boat quickly became a new word in his vocabulary.  He loves riding with daddy the best, but I look forward to a few early mornings with him on the water this year!  I have included a video of his very first trip with Joe and also a picture where we let him sit in the boat by himself. 

Ella is 5 Months Old

I need to find more time this week.  Joe and I are working on projects all summer and since we just got home from visiting family last week, we are straight back to work.  So this might be a bit brief, but I will definitely get through the stats.

Nicknames:  Ella Bella and Little Miss Wiggles

Weight and Length:  We don't have another doctor's appointment until next month, but I believe she is about 15 pounds.  We just recently increased her bottles to 6 oz. at each feeding.  She usually eats right when she wakes up, also at 11am, and then 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm.  I also nurse at least five times too. Although most nights she sleeps through the night, sometimes she will wake up and I usually give her a bottle then, since I know she will sleep a little longer in the morning if I do that.

Temperament:  It seems to me that Ella is becoming a happy baby as she gets older.  She still lets us know when she is not happy, usually she will grunt or growl if she doesn't like what is going on, but for the most part she is a smiley baby.  Ella is very ready to learn how to crawl.  She can roll all over the floor and she can turn around in a circle, but she hasn't quite figured out the forward movement yet.  I am going to give it a month, since she moves all over the room.  I don't remember Jack ever being like this and it is so fun to see her explore the surroundings.  It makes her so happy too (unless she gets stuck somewhere and then she will growl).  In addition, she got a new toy, which not only keeps her busy for a very long time, but she gets so excited to play in it (Jack gets jealous and wants to use it too).

First Experiences:  When I knew that my mom was going to be making a trip to Canada, I asked her to pick up a jolly jumper, which can only be purchased there.  You can ship it to the United States, but the shipping costs are super expensive.  So luckily the timing was just right and we saw my parents the next week and we were able to pick it up.  She LOVES it.  I have yet to find a toy that keeps her interested and she loves that she can be in a standing position.  I enjoy seeing her smiling face too.  It has already come in handy, since we used it at my parents house this past week, then at the rest stop on the drive home and about three times since we have been home.  Maybe I'm the one that loves it....

Ella was also blessed in my church this month. I was so worried that she was going to scream bloody murder through the entire thing, because she is older and I figured she would be so aware that she might freak out!  Fortunately, she was quiet and the message was very sweet and special to me.  I was thankful to have so many family members there too.  And she was wearing my dress from when I was little and baptized as a Catholic! What a little cutie.

 Items/Toys That We Love:  Of course I have already been raving about it, but Ella loves her jolly jumper.  She is also a big fan of a little butterfly that is very tactile and makes lots of crinkly noises.  And since she is moving around so much lately, she is starting to grab at her brothers toys as he leaves them on the floor.

I'm looking forward to the next month, since we will be giving Ella food for the first time.  OMG time is going by so fast, and before I know it I will have a two year old and a one year old!!

Parenting Ups and Downs

Things are going really well for our family as of late.  I am so excited for Joe to be home for summer break this year.  I feel like it has become much harder to be motivated to exercise with little ones around and I'm looking forward to more time to be able to get out on my own.  Maybe then I will finally lose this last bit of baby weight!  Here is a bit of an update on our little ones:

Parenting Ups:

1.  Jack has started to learn a few words. This has been super encouraging, since he has a little friend he plays with (a week younger than him) who knows at least 100 words.  Just hearing him try to sound things out and discovering that he is saying a few new words, just makes me so happy.  As of now Jack can say the following words: hi, bye bye, night night, Dada, mine, beep beep, and bike.














2.  Ella has started to sleep through the night.  I hope I am not jinxing myself, but for the last two weeks she has slept from 8pm until 5-6am.  I think I have had to wake up twice for a feeding at night.  This has been so great.  I am still waking up because of Jack, but it just feels nice to not have to train her to cry it out and learn to fall asleep.  I love that she is learning to self soothe!  Oh, and she always wakes up happy in the morning just calmly making noises in her crib.  Then she greets me with a big smile. 

Parenting Downs:
1.  Jack still does not sleep through the night.  He finally has his own toddler bed, and he will go to sleep there each night, but he wakes up around 1am every night and cries because he wants to be in bed with us.  At this point, it is a habit and we let him into our bed for the second half of the night.  I have a goal to eliminate this trip to our bed each night and also to have him stop using the pacifier for naps and bed.  I want to get this done during the summer...I'm just dreading the cry fest that we are going to experience when he learns to sleep through the night.  Maybe I will get rid of the pacifier first.  Ugh, it is already ripping at my heart strings.


 2.  Sometimes being a parent makes you fight with your spouse.  I hate that there are times when we argue about how much free time we each get or if we should just let Jack cry it out at night without any comfort.  Life would be easier if there was one perfect way to raise your kids.  A simple manual to point out how to make it work.  Yet we all know that it doesn't work that way and we are still figuring out our needs.  Thankfully I know that I married a man that is a great father and wants to make his children happy.  That will always make me smile!

Ella is 4 Months Old

I am staying up late to complete this (late is past 9pm...I go to bed early these days) since I can't seem to find any time during the day.  Jack has been taking very short naps lately, so that time is usually taken up with cleaning.  So here I am now, in the quiet of our living room typing away.  Time really seems to be flying by and my little girl is not so little anymore, she sprouted a few extra pounds!  Here we go with the updates!

Nicknames:  Little Turtle, Ella Bella, Wiggle Worm
Weight: Ella has gained quite a bit since her last weight check.  She was 14 lb 3 oz. when she was weighed last week.  She has definitely become a chunky monkey.  I'm happy about that though, because she looks so cute and content.  Right now she eats about every four hours.  I breastfeed first and then give her a 5.5 oz bottle.

Temperament: I feel like she is becoming an easier baby.  She still has her moments, for example, she cried a lot on our drive back from Northern Virginia this past month.  It was rough.  She just wanted some company and since she was learning to move more, I think being stuck in the car seat did not make her happy.  We still haven't heard a full laugh yet, but she smiles and wiggles with excitement all the time.  Her favorite thing is to be held, so as long as she is in someones arms then she is quite content.  If I lay her down on a blanket to play with toys she will only last for a few minutes before she wants attention.  Usually it is because she has rolled over and can't quite make that full rotation and she doesn't like being stuck on her belly.

 My grandparents made a visit to finally meet Ella this past month.

First Experiences:  She has had quite the learning curve this month.  Ella learned how to roll over in both directions (tummy to back and back to tummy).  It is quite impressive that she has learned so early, however it wrecked a little havoc on our sleep patterns since she kept waking up trying to roll.  I would have to go back into the room and re swaddle her to sleep.  She is still being swaddled, although I usually take one arm out during nap time.  She just does better when she is wrapped up at this point.  Ella also learned how to make a new noise with her mouth, almost like she is blowing bubbles and cooing at the same time.  She does it all the time, especially if she is happy.  We also broke into her 3-6 month clothes. 

Ella seems to be grabbing at toys quite a bit and will now grab for things that are in my hands if I am also holding her.  I was trying to eat some ice cream tonight and she kept reaching for the spoon, maybe she is trying to tell me that I need to eat better.  I will have to watch her around hot things!  She especially loves to grab my hair.  I have officially decided that a high ponytail/bun is the best option at all times.  Today we also had a first when Jack decided to bring toys to Ella.  He has seen me giving her different types of rattles and today he was trying to hand them to her, but he didn't have much patience to wait for her to steady her hands onto each object.  It was still cute to seem their first playful interaction.
 
Who doesn't love a little baby cleavage?

While my parents were in town this past weekend we made a day trip to Hawk's Nest and took a ride on the aerial tram.  She loved it, well, she didn't cry, unlike her brother.  It was a fun experience and I will definitely have to do it again! Oh, Ella also got to meet her first cousin.  Joe's sister had her baby and we made a quick trip home to meet him.  It was amazing to me to see what four months difference could do with babies.




Items/Toys We Love: Let's see, the stroller has seen a lot of use lately.  We try to take a walk most days.  I think it makes Jack happy, but Ella enjoys the outside time as well.  I have also tried out the activity jumper and even though her feet don't touch the ground yet, she seems to like it.  Baby rattles are a big hit right now too, since she is trying to hold them.  I must admit I also really love her calming sounds stuffed animal that puts her to sleep every night.  I also bought black out curtains for her bedroom (it works wonders I tell you!). 

That's all I can think of for the moment.  On the bright side, I remembered to take lots of pictures and video of both children this month.  I will be posting a few more videos and such with Jack too.  Tonight he is sleeping in his toddler bed (we finally painted the frame)!

Parenting Ups and Downs

Right now we seem to be getting ourselves into a family routine.  Joe and I are learning to trade off our free time so that each of us can get some exercise and play time.  So since I have been having a good week, I thought I might be able to find some time to write on my blog.

Parenting Ups
1.  Yesterday Jack cried because he didn't want to take a nap.  Although that wasn't so much fun, after letting him cry it out, I gave him a hug and sat him in my lap for a short snuggle time.  He melted into my arms and actually fell asleep within a minute and I just kept thinking, I love my baby boy.  We are constantly thinking he is so big, because we now have Ella, but really he is just another baby and that little moment it was just him and I.  It was a great moment.

2. I love my little girl. This morning, as I sat on the couch, grumpy and tired after waking up at 5 am, I just looked at Ella.  She has the cutest cheeks and a button nose.  Her smile can make me so happy even when I am tired.  Her lips are so little and perfect.   Honestly, do they ever make a baby that doesn't just melt their momma's heart?  I just love her to pieces.

3.  Jack was awesome at music class and Ella was great too.  We go every week and almost every week there is an obstacle.  Last week Jack knocked over a curtain and seemed so uninterested.  The week before I was chasing him in circles or trying to balance two babies in my arms.  Sometimes I wonder if it is worth the effort to go.  Then today, it was like every thing clicked just right for our little family.  Ella watched  everything in wonder and my friend Harriet helped hold her a few times so I could spend a little one-on-one time with Jack.  And Jack was great.  He danced, or sat in my lap when he was asked to, and he loved playing with all the instruments.  It made me so proud!

Parenting Downs:

1.  We are still figuring out our sleeping situation.  Ella is starting to kick her way out of a swaddle, but if I leave her arms our then she wakes right up.  I'm not sure if I should keep her in a swaddle and go into the room every other hour to re wrap her up or if I should just endure a few rough, ROUGH days until she just learns to sleep that way?  Ugh, I just don't know what to do.

2.  Jack is hitting a lot.  All the time!  He hits when he doesn't get his way or just because he thinks it is fun?  I don't know what is causing it, but I hate it.  He will hit me during a diaper change, or hit Ella when she is on her play mat, or even hit the dog just because he wants to.  We have been using time outs, but it just feels like this is getting worse!  I hope it is just a phase and he will learn that we mean it when we ask him not to hit.  I try to protect Ella as much as possible, but he is fast and I feel terrible any time he gets her.  This is definitely a challenge for us right now.  Darn these terrible twos!