Windows of Opportunity

It took only one morning for Abby to figure out that the 20 minutes it takes for me to nurse Katie present just the perfect opportunity to open doors, cabinets & drawers that are typically off limits. It's amazing (& scary) how creative little minds can be! So, if you have a #2 on the way, put together a nursing box where you stash some new toys, books, activities that you pull out for your toddler to play with only when you are nursing... anything to keep his/her attention... also, I discovered that nursing in the toddler's room with a gate on the doorway is a great way to make sure that slippery little one does not slide right out of your sight into mischief. To illustrate my point, here are a few stories...

My first morning nursing Katie at home when Jake was in the backyard mowing, I realized it was awfully quiet in the house, so I hollered out to Abby "what are you doing?"

Abby's response: silence

Mommy: again, "what are you doing?"
Abby's response: again, silence

Mommy: "Abby, come see Mommy RIGHT NOW!"
Abby's response: little feet running down the hall...

Mommy: "Abby, what are you doing?"
Abby's response while standing in the doorway to my room: "standing"

Mommy: ughh, "No, what where you doing in the KITCHEN???"
Abby's response: a question instead of an answer (already!)... "what is Katie doing?"

Mommy: "Katie is eating breakfast! What is ABBY doing in the kitchen?"
Abby's response: "Eating dinner"

Mommy: "What are you eating for dinner?" (it is 10:30 am by the way)
Abby's response: "Stuff"

Mommy: ugh, "WHAT stuff?"
Abby's response: (after a long thoughtful pause and with her thoughtful finger in the air) "I go call Jake" "bye-bye Mommy. bye-bye Katie" and then she tears off in a hurry down the hall

So, I was forced to get up from nursing and investigate what "stuff" Abby was eating for "dinner" in the kitchen. Shockingly, I found that she had pushed a chair to the kitchen counter & pulled down a pan of cherry cobbler that Aunt Joyce had made, which she then perched on the windowsill so that she could eat it with her fingers while watching Jake mow the yard... wow! didn't see that one coming...

1. ahI find myself sometimes struggling with a little sadness that my firs 1. what are you doing Abby? standing... what were you doing in kitchen? what is katie doing? no, abby, tell me what you are doing in the kitchen. eating dinner. (10:30am). what were you eating? stuff. what stuff? hmmm, bye-bye mommy. no, abby, tell me what you were eating. hmmm, I go call jake (with her finger in air)

Messy Milestones

Potty training continues forward in a relaxed kid-driven fashion around here... no pressure from Mom or Dad yet. On Saturday morning when I was on the phone with Mimi, Abby came running in with more than the typical amount of excitement to break some exciting news! She interrupted my conversation several times to holler at Mimi "come see Mimi"... Mimi told her to ask Mommy to take a picture to send to her (thanks a lot, Mimi!). When I followed her to the bathroom with the camera, I was stunned to see a large deposit in her potty. It turned out that there was a real reason for new excitement! After I did the potty victory dance with her, she insisted on calling everyone. Here is the clip from her report to Daddy! If you are thinking that this post is just too much information, please take note that I did not post the close-up photos we took for Mimi! :-)

Sisters

For two nights in a row now, Katie has slept through the night... so I am finally feeling awake enough to post a few blog updates. After a two-month blog hiatus, I have lots of good material. I could not wait to share this one! It is a pretty cute little peek into the blossoming sisterly love... The first Saturday home with Katie, Jake offered to take Abby "shopping". "Shopping" has a specific unique meaning to Abby... to her, the word immediately implies a trip to Whole Foods where she can push a toddler sized cart around the store loading up with her favorite things. As they were heading out the door, Abby came running back to our room to tell Katie good-bye and make sure she knows how much she is loved... all on her own initiative.

Welcome to the World, Katie!

Sweet Abby

Sister Shirts

Just like when I was pregnant with Abby, my "nesting" instinct in the final weeks of pregnancy leads to more craft projects than cleaning and organizing... well, here is the fruit of today's project. We are all so excited around here to meet Baby Katie!