To Lorelei on Her 4th Birthday

Dear Lorelei,

Today you are 4. Every year, it seems, goes by in a flash. It is so surreal to have a 4 year old. That's not a baby anymore, or even a toddler. You are a kid now. And I find that terrifying! This year, you have come into your own, for better or worse. Before, you were a tiny person. Now you are an actual person with ideas and opinions!

You are Creative
If anything this year, you have shown us that you are an artist at heart, or maybe a storyteller. You love nothing more than an art project. Unless it is playing with your princesses. You will play with them for hours and hours at a time. It's amazing. You create your own little world with them, reenacting experiences you are going through or the plots of your favorite movies. I love how you can just immerse yourself in whatever reality you are imagining!

You are an Amazing Big Sister
I love how you interact with Amelia. You are one of her very favorite people and she is one of yours! You are protective of her with other people--always telling them "that is MY sister." You give her hugs and kisses and will even share some of your prized toys with her. Mostly, you just want to make her happy and smile!

You are Silly
You love to crawl around and bark like a dog and meow like a cat. You will spin in circles just to get dizzy and fall down. Your new favorite game is "Hide and Sneak" but you are TERRIBLE at hiding! You just cover your head with your little tushy in the air! You think it is hilarious when you tell your Daddy that you have stolen his seat--even though you have been sitting in that chair for three months!

You are Independent
This has been the key word of the year. You want to be BIG GIRL so much. You want to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. Call it Type A, call it bossy, call it stubborn, call it independent or being a future CEO, call it what you will, it's all you. And that has made this a CHALLENGING YEAR. Everything from taking off your diaper in the morning to picking your clothes to getting dressed to brushing your teeth and putting on pajamas to reading a bedtime story is a battle. On the one hand, you so want to please (this shows at school in reports from your teachers), but you also want to be in charge and in control and to DO IT YOURSELF. There have been a lot of time outs this year, and a lot of tears and tantrums.

You are You
You will be the first to tell anyone that you are a princess. And you are. You are our princess with scraped knees, big hugs and tons of cuddles. And we can't wait to see what this year brings!

6 Weeks

1 Year

2 Years

3 Years

4 Years

Letters To My Girls: 8 Months

Dear Orth Ladies,

Yeah, you know that whole 7 months deal? I realize that post is missing. Because I blinked and December was gone! Oy! And now we're halfway through January and I'm just now posting! The life of a mom, eh? This pretty much sums up our life these days: blink and you'll miss it!

To Lorelei: You are being a rock star with going to the potty. You haven't had an accident since before Christmas! Knock on wood! Also, I love how much you love your sister. You've decided she is big enough to play with now, and you are so good about giving her toys to play with--even sharing some of your prized toys with her!

To Amelia: I knew it. I absolutely knew it. I told your dad that you were going to start crawling at Christmas, when the floor is covered with tiny pieces of paper and tape and boxes and toys. And what do you know? You start crawling on Christmas Eve! You are now crawling and scooting yourself all over the place, and boy are you fast! If it's small and shiny or bright, you want it and you are going to  get it! You've also started loving solids. It's hilarious and messy and you still don't like texture, but I'm pretty sure you haven't encountered anything you don't like! The list of things you've tried (and loved): butternut squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, avocado, beets, apricots and yogurt.

We love you so much!
Mom and Dad

Letters to my Girls-Six Months

Dear Orth Ladies,

It will be Thanksgiving in 3 days and I haven't even done this month's post. This shows just how crazy busy this month has been!

To Lorelei: Are you 4 yet? Because really, I've had enough of this "Threenager" nonsense. Every day you're pushing limits, seeing how far you can go and what you can get away with. Basically, driving your poor mom crazy! Side note-you're working on your pronouns and it is hilarious. You keep switching "her" and "she". As in: "her no want the cookie" and "that is she's milk". I try to repeat with the correct pronouns, but listening to you is so funny!

To Amelia: aka Miss Grabby Fingers. You are awake so much more now, which is fun, but boy do you want to grab everything! The doctor gave us the okay to start introducing solids, which you currently have no interest in. But boy do you love the kitchen table. And spoons. And the dogs. And everything that is not actually food! Also--you are sleeping through the night! In your own crib! Woot woot!

Love,
Mom and Dad

Letters to My Girls-Five Months

Dear Orth Ladies,

Another month just passed in the blink of an eye! It seems like just yesterday it was summer and now it's October! We just keep trucking, negotiating our way though the next day and disaster! This month we have been dealing with ant invasions, mouse invasions and a broken dishwasher! Oh my!

To Lorelei: You have become a fantastic hiker! Really! Over the last month, we went on three different three to four mile hikes and you have come through it like a pro! You love to explore, draw in the dirt and look for rocks, leaves (and mermaids, if we are on the water!) Our newest favorite hike is to Mori Point. We eat lunch in the back of the Explorer, then walk one of the dogs out along the boardwalk or up the hill to the point. Either way, the view is fantastic!

To Amelia: You just want to be held. All. The. Time. You are such a happy girl, as long as you are being held. Otherwise, all bets are off. We've successfully transitioned you to the Pack and Play (more or less), but you hate napping in it and really hate being alone. You seem happiest strapped to mommy's back! You are so much more aware now--always looking around. You can't sit up or roll over yet, but you are on your way!

A few extra pics from this month's photo session:

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Letters to My Girls: Four Months

Dear Orth Ladies,

It's been a crazy, busy month. Preschool has started and we've been enjoying the last bits of summer, with lots of trips to the park, the beach, the zoo and even a family trip to Gilroy Gardens and apple picking at Gizdich ranch. We finally got a new car--mama's little car just wasn't cutting it anymore. Now we've got a nice big Ford Explorer with enough room to haul two girls, two dogs and all our stuff to Grandma's house! In more exciting news, the quail have hatched. We started with 24 eggs, 14 hatched and we lost two, So  now we have 12 balls of feathers and fluff living in Amelia's room for a few weeks!

To Lorelei:
You have been giving us emotional whiplash these days! You can sit for hours playing with your sticker books, princesses and doll house. Then you turn around and are the clingiest little girl, needing tons of cuddles and holding on to our legs, refusing to let go! I hear a lot of "Mother! I NEED you!" Not going to lie, it is exhausting!

To Amelia:
You are bundle of smiles. A smile machine, as it were. While your sister was stingy with her smiles--you really had to work for them--you give grins to everyone who looks your way! You are getting more into a routine. You take three naps a day: morning, afternoon and evening, then you sleep at night. You are ALMOST sleeping through the night. Although, you have absolutely no interest in moving out of the bassinet. I keep trying to introduce you to the Pack and Play and crib and you do not like them at all. You have a bit of a cold, so I'm going to try introducing them again when you aren't so congested.

We love you bunches,
Mom and Dad

Letters to my Girls-3 MONTHS

Dear Orth Ladies,

We just keep on doing. Just as we get into a routine, it changes! Mama's back to work and Lorelei is back at preschool! Working in the PJCC garden is great, but I also feel a bit like I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Trying to get the garden back in shape, making schedules for the preschool classes, planning volunteer days...it's a lot of work! Especially when I only had two to three hours three days a week to do it. Now that preschool has started, I get a solid four hours, which should be great.

And because we don't have any other projects going on right now, we've also decided to expand our family...by about 20 to 24! We bit the bullet and decided to raise a flock of quail. We've been talking about it for a year now and we are all very excited.Well, Amelia doesn't really know what is going on, but the rest of us are excited! It's going to be a great first taste of responsibility for Lorelei. Her job will be to collect the eggs and check the food and water. Right now, we have 24 eggs in our incubator. Lorelei has been dutifully checking on her eggs every day, every day saying "my eggs hatch today?" It's super cute!

To Lorelei: I love you, but some days you make me CRAZY! We've been having a run of No Naps. This makes mama very sad, as I treasure that quiet time to eat a quiet lunch, get things done or take a nap myself. Normally, I just let you play quietly in your room for an hour or so. But today, during your quiet time, you peeled the paint from your bedroom door! What the heck, friend?! Most of the time you are this amazing, loving little girl though, so I'll take the occasional bouts of crazy!

To Amelia: Every month it feels like you are changing and growing more and more! You are awake and alert so much more these days and are meeting so many milestones. You hate tummy time, but you can push up on your arms to look around! You are discovering your hands and will just stare and analyze them for ages! You are also a Clingy McClingerpants! You always want to be held and fed and will fuss and fuss until you get your way. Speaking of which...I think you need to be fed again!

Letters to My Girls-2 Months

Dear Orth Ladies,
Our lives seem to be growing and changing every day since Amelia joined our little crew. I wasn't planning on returning to work after Amelia was born. In fact, the plan was that I would stay home, pull Lorelei out of preschool and homeschool, and rent out the guest room to make up the difference. But as I said, things keep changing. I was offered a position as the garden manager and preschool garden teacher, which I could do while Lorelei is in preschool. When I am just doing the gardening, I would be able to keep Amelia with me--strapped to my back--and in J-Care while I'm actually teaching. The cost of this--minus the cost of preschool--would equal the amount that a renter would bring in. Basically, I would get everything I wanted: still working a bit, Lorelei could still be in preschool, I can keep Amelia with me, and we don't have to rent out a room (and I'd get my office/sewing nook back!) Win win win!

To Lorelei: We seem to have fallen into a groove this month. It was hard at first, really hard, but you are enjoying the activities I have planned for us. Every day, you ask me where we are going today! You're getting more used to having your sister around and have even changed your opinion of the dogs. While before, you never wanted them near you, they are now your best buddies. You love to pet them, chase them and have them join you in your bed at night!

To Amelia: You are growing so fast! Stop it! But not really. It's so fun to see you develop. You are great at holding your head up and love sitting up with help from us. You are even trying to stand up--your legs are so strong! You are going to be an early walker for sure!

Love you both bunches!

Mom and Dad

Letters to My Girls-1 Month

Dear Orth Ladies,

You have been sisters for over a month now. It seems incredible, but it's true! It's been amazing watching your relationship--granted, Amelia isn't contributing much yet, but we've been loving watching you learn and grow, Lorelei! As for your dad and I, we are learning and growing, too. We've really started seeing what's important. Not in some sort of metaphysical "important," more like "what is necessary to get through the day". Mostly, it's a question of how much something is worth to us. Is it worth it to buckle both kids in the car, get where we are going, unbuckle them, put Amelia up in her wrap, and wrangle Lorelei (and at least one My Little Pony) to get something. Which is why mommy is still out of rock sugar for my tea and coffee, coarse ground pepper, and translucent makeup powder.

To Lorelei: Big Sister-hood has not been the easiest transition for you (which has made it more challenging for your mom and dad!) You love your new sister, it's obvious, and you want to hold her and kiss her and play with her. Unfortunately, you also have had to deal with not being the center of attention any more. You show this with being more aggressive with the dogs--either chasing them, or hitting, kicking and throwing things at them--and being more defiant with mom and dad. There has been A LOT of time out time. You especially want more Mama Time. I've been working hard on having Lorelei and Mommy time--doing activities together, like baking treats, doing projects and just cuddling.

To Amelia: We are still getting to know just who you are, but let me tell you, it was love at first sight! At first, we thought you look just like your sister, but you've been working to show us how different you are! Physically, you are looking more like your mama with a rounder face, delicate features and more chunk to your body. Personality-wise, you hate to be left alone. While Lorelei was happy to sit in her swing for hours, you will only tolerate it for about thirty minutes, before you want to be held again. While it's difficult to get things done, there is something so amazing about cuddling with a warm, soft baby!

We love you to pieces, our two best girls!
Mom and Dad

Letters to Amelia--Your First Week

Dear Amelia,

Today, you are three days old, and you have been home for more than two of those days. It's strange and surreal actually having you here, instead of in my tummy. I was going through my calendar and saw that I have a prenatal appointment scheduled in two days. Guess that's what happens when you show up a week early!

You remind me so much of your sister at times and other times, not at all. I remember being so NERVOUS those first weeks with your sister. We were co-sleeping, since that was the only way she would sleep, and I kept reading so many contradicting opinions about why we should/shouldn't co-sleep. Then I was worried about whether she was eating enough, whether I was making enough milk, blah blah blah. With you, we've had to hit the ground running. We're co-sleeping again--since, like your sister, you won't sleep any other way (except of course for the middle of the afternoon, when you will sleep in your swing just fine. What's that about?)--but this time, I'm not terrified I will roll over and smother you. You're nursing like gangbusters--pretty much whenever you aren't sleeping you're nursing. Mostly though, we're figuring out how to balance taking care of and bonding with you and being there and not letting your sister feel left out or neglected.

While we are still learning all about you, there are a few things we've discovered that, of course, melt our heart:
-you have long, long fingers and toes, just like your daddy
-you absolutely hate being cold. It's May and we've had you in a long sleeve onesie and socks, with a pair of pajamas over those!
-when you sleep and right when you wake up, you make the mouse-y squeaky noises that are just too cute.

Amelia Margaret, the Day You Were Born

Well, I always had the feeling that our little bean was never going to wait until May 15th. Just like her sister before her, she was eager and ready to see the world!

The day started normally enough. I knew it was going to be a busy one. It was a Thursday, so I was up early moving the car (fie on those street cleaning mornings!) And then I was cleaning the house. Just a bit of sweeping and organizing, since we were going to be visiting with Brian's Grandma Lou and Great Grandma Ellie that afternoon. Lorelei and I hit the farmer's market, then headed down to Foster City for a prenatal massage. It was a full hour of heaven. I may or may not have fallen asleep for part of it! The night before had been rough. Miss Amelia had kept me up kicking until about 1 am, and I woke at 6 to move the car. We got home with enough time for Lorelei to take a short nap before our guests arrived.

Much to our surprise, it wasn't just BeeBee, Grandma Lou and Aunt Ellie, but Melissa, Logi and Edson as well! Suddenly, our house was filled with toddlers running around and causing mayhem and a whole bunch of us adults there to watch them do it! It was as if someone was looking down on me and saying "Are you ready for this!?!"

That night, after dinner, I wasn't feeling too awesome. I chalked it up to a long day, and a lot of french fries (we took the kids to The Habit for dinner). So I went to bed with the plan to wake up, take Lorelei to school, go swimming and finish up some work I had to do. Clearly, Amelia had a different plan.

I woke up at 1 am feeling like I had to pee. I got up and peed on the floor. Not normal. I went to the bathroom, cleaned up the bedroom floor and walked around a bit. No contractions. So I went back to bed. About 20 minutes later, the same thing happened. Had to pee and dripped all over the floor. Now while my bladder control hasn't been fantastic lately, that is not my normal thing. But still no contractions. So I put on my robe and walked around a bit more. Packed Lorelei's lunch. Emptied the dishwasher. Folded some clothes. And then the contractions started. I called in to Kaiser and they wanted us to head in. So...I called in the team!

Mom hopped in the car and headed in from Sacramento to be with Lorelei. Bonnie hopped in an Uber to join us at the hospital. Albert knew he was on call for Lorelei in case she woke up. We let Lorelei know that we were going to the hospital because the baby was ready to come, and we were on our way.

By the time we got to the hospital and got ourselves all checked in to our room, it was almost 4:30 am. I'd been in labor for about three and a half hours, and the contractions were very manageable. Just breathe through them. Since I had GBS, I needed to have an IV and antibiotics right away. They plugged me in (after considerable effort, I might add. They had to put the IV into the top of my hand instead of my arm, which was uncomfortable at best.) Then they hooked me up to the fetal monitoring. We had requested intermittent fetal monitoring--which means two very different things to us and the hospital staff. To them, intermittent fetal monitoring means 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off. During which I needed to be lying down. Not ideal for laboring. Anyway, the point was moot, since I also needed to be in the bed to get the antibiotics which would take an hour to administer the first dose. Brian and Bonnie stretched out on the pull out couch, and we all fell asleep for about two hours.

We woke around 8, and we all had some snacks. The nurse came in and disconnected me, which was great because A) I had to pee, and B) the contractions were getting stronger and I really wanted to be out of the bed. Over the course of the next few hours, the contractions went from every 5 minutes to almost on top of each other. I labored on my yoga ball and I labored while hanging on to Brian, with Bonnie rubbing my back (which was awesome). I really wanted to get in the shower, but just as we were about to do that, the nurse came back in for more fetal monitoring and my next dose of antibiotics--which was only supposed to take 30 minutes.

Those were the longest 30 minutes ever.

By the time I was done with the antibiotics, I was swearing and I felt like I was frothing at the mouth. I needed to get OFF the IV and I needed to get OFF the monitoring. Luckily my midwife (who was fantastic) told them to get me off of them and to use the biometric monitoring instead--which we had requested initially, a request which had been ignored by the first nurse. I was ready to get in the shower, when I felt like I needed to push. Somewhere amid the grunting and the swearing, I found the serenity to calmly state "I would like to be checked. I feel like I need to push." My midwife came in, took a look and said (against our request to not let me know how far along I was ) "You're at a 9, but the cervix is really soft. Listen to your body and push if you need to." Then she told the nurse to get everyone in the room. Now.

And so...I pushed. I was on the very edge of the bed on my side, clinging to Brian's neck and grabbing him for every contraction and every push. It was hard and it hurt. And I wanted to be DONE. Since Brian was occupied supporting the rest of me, Bonnie grabbed my leg and held it high (and pretty much got a front row seat for the rest of the show). After two rounds of pushing I heard them say "she's crowning" and I reached down and felt the head. Knowing I was so close, I pushed as hard as I could and I was finally done! All said and done, it took 9 hours. It was 10:15 am. She weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 21 inches long.

They put Amelia on my tummy and with the help of our midwife and the nurse, the cord was clamped and cut (by Brian) and I pushed the placenta out. I don't really remember that hurting as much as it did!

We were transferred to the Mother and Baby rooms and had visits from Grandma Chris and Lorelei, Poppy Jeff, BeeBee and even Auntie Mel, Logan and Edson! My required food of choice for admission: a Lobster Roll from the Lobster Shack across the street. After 9 hours of labor, it was the MOST delicious thing ever! They even tossed in a free pink strawberry soda, when they heard that I had just given birth to a baby girl!

The next step--and probably the most difficult one, outside of actually giving birth--was getting out of the hospital! While our midwife was fine with us leaving after 6 to 8 hours, the pediatrician on staff...not so much. She wanted to observe Amelia for the next 15 hours. Hourly checks all night, uncomfortable beds, plus hospital food? No thanks. After many dire warnings about checking out AMA, and promises to come back in the morning for a pediatrician appointment (with OUR pediatrician) and the heel stick test, plus a full two hours to get all the paperwork done, and we were out of there!

Our first night was pretty fantastic. During the day, Amelia slept most of the time and wasn't too interested in nursing. When we got home, she continued to sleep. We set up the Rock and Play next to our bed, strapped Amelia into a swaddle and set the timer for 3 hours. Every 3 hours, I would get her up, nurse her, then strap her back in. I think I got more sleep that first night than I had for the entire two weeks before!

So far, Lorelei seems pretty enamored with her little sister. She wants to hold her all the time and loves singing to her. She's also a little jealous, which is natural. We're making sure to give her lots of mommy and daddy time, but it's still a lot of changes for her, which is hard...for everyone!

It was an amazing, long day and it is still a little surreal not to be pregnant any more!

Pictures from our first two days:

Dear Small Fry--28 Weeks

Dear Small Fry,

Today is not any sort of prenatal milestone. In fact, I'm still not 100% exactly how many weeks pregnant I am. 28, I think. And such is the life, I gather, of the second child!

Today is the day when I realized that it's okay to take time for me...and then to actually do it. I mean, I KNOW it's okay for me to take time for myself, and in fact it's very important to do so. I've read the books, the articles, the blogs, etc. But knowing and doing are two VERY different things. Today, I took a 5 minute nap on my 10 minute break. It seems so simple, but I felt absolutely rejuvenated when I got up the vaguely uncomfortable couch in our staff office.

So far, this pregnancy has been harder than our first. And while it's easy to say "uh oh, signs of things to come" I don't really think so. I think that it is more that I have been pregnant in winter and have a ton of stuff and responsibility on my plate. Way more than with your sister. For instance, I can't just sleep until 9 every day. Heck, I can't sleep until 7:30--since I am usually getting up earlier to get your sister ready for preschool. I am pretty proud of myself though, your room is mostly done!

Things really are getting real though! We've scheduled our Meet the Midwives class at Kaiser, to see who we may be working with when you are born. I've also scheduled a sibling preparation class for your sister. It's exciting and terrifying all at once!

I'm now going to finish my evening taking time for myself by going to bed early. I finally don't feel terrible (it seems like the last two weeks has been the worst ever), but I really just want to lie down in my bed and be comfy. So that's what I'm going to do.

See you soon!

Love
Mama

3 Years Old!

Dear Lorelei,

Today, you are three years old. I find that an awe inspiring and terrifying idea. How did that happen so quickly??? It seems as if this year has gone by in a flash, yet you are so different from your two year old self that I remember so well. Your personality has definitely developed this year and you are very much your own person.

You are Adventurous.
Seriously. You are not afraid to try new things and you warm up to new people and situations really well. You adapted to school like no one's business and are even (dare I say it) very popular among your classmates. This totally throws me, since your dad and I weren't terribly popular in school. You are also physically adventurous--willing to climb to new heights and do things that terrify me! At the park last week, you mastered walking across a balancing bridge and even jumped off a three foot tall platform by yourself!

You are Opinionated.
There are things you like and things you very much do not like, and you are not afraid to let us know which is which! While this sounds like many three year olds, it makes us laugh. You do not like for us to sing or dance at the dinner table or in the car or while you are watching a movie. We need to dance in the living room, to specific music, at specific times (usually before bed, when you are supposed to be brushing your teeth). You also have very definite ideas about what to wear. You refuse to wear jeans or cords at all. Only leggings or tights. You want things to "match" but not in the way most people think of matching. Today, you wore your Frozen shirt with hearts on it with your coordinating black leggings with turquoise hearts and your black rain boots with hearts on them--they matched because they all had hearts. It was not okay, however, that Mommy was wearing a yellow sweater with my blue shirt and jeans. Mommy needed to wear a blue sweater.

You are Kind.
You are well loved by your classmates and teachers. You adore your cousin Logan (something which is mutual). You love giving hugs and kisses to everyone--even the dogs! You pushed down your friend Ruby at a playdate, just to give her an apology hug after. You are looking forward to being a big sister, and love practicing tucking your babies in, giving them bottles and changing their diapers.

You are so Grown Up.
You are mostly potty trained at this point. While you still have accidents--usually when you are too busy playing and having fun to bother stopping--they are few and far between. You have even been consistently waking up from naps dry and have even woken up a few mornings with a dry diaper! You want to read so badly--our bedtime story has become very challenging lately! You want to read me the story, nevermind that you can't actually read. It seems we have a nightly negotiation where Mommy reads the words and Lorelei turns the pages. I guess we may start being a little more proactive in teaching you your letters and sounds! You want to do everything yourself. You pick out your jammies and diapers at night, and put them on by yourself. You want to pick all of your clothes and shoes and do it all yourself, because you are a "Big Girl". But sometimes, you still want to be my baby.

We are very proud of the little person you are becoming. Happy Birthday to my Best Girl!

 

Dear Newbie-18 weeks

Dear Newbie (what I'm calling you this week),

You are 18 weeks along this week. I'm finally FINALLY feeling better. I had a few weeks there where it was seriously touch and go. I'm back to eating meat, mostly. Thanks for giving me a break! Now can you explain the cheese thing? I mean, I love cheese, but I seriously cannot get enough of it right now. Particularly fresh mozzarella. And eggs. I could eat mozzarella, hard boiled eggs and toast with butter for every meal and be a happy camper.

Things are definitely getting real. I actually look pregnant (in a big way. It was like I "popped" overnight)! And I just got our first package in the mail for you--7 brand new cloth diapers, to replace some of the old, ratty ones your sister wore through. So if you are a girl, and 99% of your stuff is hand me downs from Lorelei, you will at least have 7 brand new diapers bought just for you!

I've been thinking about your nursery a lot. Of course, right now it is covered in boxes and presents and Christmas decorations. Then it will be full of birthday stuff for your sister. But then...then it will be your turn and I will finally have the time to actually get stuff going for you! I've been thinking of a woodland theme, but subtle. Lots of natural wood objects, images of deer, rabbits and foxes. Robin's egg blue, gray and a kind of yellow-green (not quite chartreuse). I've got a few ideas up my sleeve...

We'll be seeing you (in about 155 days!)

Love
Mama

November

Favorite Activity: Going to preschool, watching her favorite shows and movies (Daniel Tiger and Pocahontas/Mulan), painting

Favorite Food: applesauce, "shiny bunnnies" aka Annie's gummy bunnies, "square cheese" aka Tillamook colby jack slices.

Favorite word or phrase to say: "Lorelei good helper!"

Cutest Moment: Getting so excited to see "Super Grandma" for Thanksgiving, stealing whipped cream off of her (much older) cousins' dessert plates at Thanksgiving, following her cousin Natalie around like a puppy.

Naughtiest Moment: Epic meltdowns

How Mom's Feeling: Wait. It's December? And I haven't done this yet? This is how my month has been! Crazy! I honestly don't even remember November. Some things happened. Thanksgiving. We survived our first road trip with a toddler. It actually went very smoothly. We made a few stops, came up with some baby names--Zebulon Archimedes and Zelda...something or other :)
The best, and most surreal moment, was sitting on the beach in Ventura on Thanksgiving morning in our bathing suits, building sandcastles. Such a classic southern California Thanksgiving! And now we're almost halfway into December and we've jumped into Christmas (and Hanukkah at work and preschool). Oy veh!

Dear Itty Bitty-15 weeks

Dear Itty Bitty,

(I've decided at this point to call you Itty Bitty until we know who you are. It's either Itty Bitty or Zebulon. And if you're a girl, Zebulon certainly won't work!)

So again, Dear Itty Bitty,

This week you are 14 weeks. Or maybe it's 15. I don't know. And I'm pretty sure that doesn't make me a bad mom. It's just that life is so crazy right now. I'm chasing (literally) after your big sister Lorelei, teaching preschool gardening classes three mornings a week and teaching afterschool Kindergarten 5 days a week.

Your existence is, well, a little surreal. I guess it's why this is the first time I've written to you. When your sister was conceived, we saw ultrasounds of her every week. I was taking hormones and pills and injecting my tummy with meds. And I was throwing up all the time. She didn't (and still doesn't) stay in the background.

You on the other hand, came quickly and unexpectedly. It was almost too easy. I expected the other shoe to drop. But it didn't. And I felt nausea, and I've thrown up (and am still feeling rather sick), but nothing like with your sister (thank god). And suddenly, I'm in the second trimester.

You don't like meat. What's up with that, kid? With the exception of fish, I can't eat beef, pork or chicken. I've gone virtually vegetarian. Which is fine, except I still need to cook meat for the rest of the house. I was thinking I wasn't having any cravings, really, except this morning I realized that I'm completely obsessed with grilled cheese sandwiches and could probably eat one a day. So, you don't like meat but love a good grilled cheese.

Your big sister is very excited about you. We've been watching a lot of Daniel Tiger episodes about having a new baby. She thinks you are going to be a baby sister. Until she thinks you will be a baby brother. It's very cute to see.

Your daddy and I are having a little more fun with your pregnancy than with your sister's. With Lorelei, we were so excited about everything that we couldn't wait to share it with the world. With you though, we're having fun keeping everything a little close to the vest. We waited the full 12 weeks before announcing I was pregnant. And then we did it by dropping clues with music videos. We'll probably find out if you are a boy or a girl, but we might not tell everyone else. Or we might. We're definitely keeping your name a secret. We're not planning on having more kids, so we're going to have as much fun as we can with you!

Time is flying fast. We'll see you in May!

Love,
Mama

October

Favorite Activity: Going to preschool, looking for the tortoises in the preschool garden, reading in the library before school

Favorite Food: crackers, berries, pears

Favorite word or phrase to say: "Lorelei go to preschool!"

Cutest Moment: After mommy had a meltdown at the kitchen table, Lorelei patted me on the shoulder and said "It's okay Mommy. It's okay to cry sometimes."

Naughtiest Moment: Throwing things at the dogs, then putting herself in time out.

How Mom's Feeling: Exhausted. So, so exhausted. We have officially announced that we are expecting our second little one, and I am so thankful. Now I have an excuse for why I am so tired All. The. Time. I already have a lot on my plate, along with being in my first trimester (which is fortunately just about over). Poor Lorelei has been feeling the effects of a tired mommy. Dinners tend to be a bit later, and on weekends, there has been less fun time and activities and more quiet time. Looking forward to having a bit more energy so we can get back into doing some of our regular fun outings and projects!

So far, Lorelei seems pretty excited about being a big sister. We've been watching a lot of Daniel Tiger episodes, especially the new ones about having a baby sister. Lorelei has been announcing that she is going to have a baby sister, and even likes carrying around a picture of the sonogram. She's also been playing with her baby dolls a bit more.

September 2014

Favorite Activity: Going to preschool, eating/making challah, playing with Teacher Mark in PE

Favorite Food: Apples and Pears

Favorite word or phrase to say: "Lorelei go to sleep, wake up, play more!"

Cutest Moment: After taking Lorelei to get a physical for work, she has been obsessed with checking my "heart beep!" Thinking this little girl needs a doctor's kit for Christmas (ahem, Auntie Toffy!)

Naughtiest Moment: Trying to ride the dogs like ponies.

How Mom's Feeling: First off, how is it already October 9? When did THAT happen? Anyway, it has been a crazy busy month! Lorelei LOVES preschool. She gets excited about going to preschool the night before. "Lorelei go sleep, wake up, go PRESCHOOL!" It seems like she just spends the entire day doing things she loves: painting, check; blocks, check; cooking, check; playground (with slide, of course), check; water table, check; sandbox, check; jumping around in PE, check. I definitely think she was ready for preschool. She comes home talking about her friends and her teachers. So many of her classmates have a hard time with separation, lots of tears when mommy says good bye, but not Lorelei! In fact, sometimes the other parents will tell their kids to "go find Lorelei. What's Lorelei doing?" Which is usually being at the challah making table or the paint table. She's at school for a long time, which I initially was worried about. But she's handling it like a champ. She starts at 9:15, then goes to nap at 1, then is at Stay and Play until 6. It's lucky that several of her classmates are in Stay and Play with her. And she seems to have made friends in her afternoon class, too. She is always waving at someone and saying "Hi Friend!"

August

Favorite Activity: Going to the Zoo!, Watching Winnie the Pooh, collecting leaves

Favorite Food: "Pooh Yogurt" Plain whole milk yogurt with honey mixed in.

Favorite word or phrase to say: "Lorelei good helper!"

Cutest Moment: After getting her hair cut, Lorelei has been practicing "cutting" mama's hair--complete with putting on the cape, and grabbing different tools for cutting.

Naughtiest Moment: Multiple meltdowns when we don't let her do what she wants, bedtime procrastination

How Mom's Feeling: Excited for what's coming next. This was a great month. I started back at work part time, and I've spent the month planning for the year, going on little trips and activities with Lorelei and getting her ready for preschool! I'm going to be wearing a lot of hats this year: Treehouse Teacher, Preschool Gardening Teacher and Room Parent! We've already had one preschool playdate before school started, a welcome breakfast and a classroom tour. For the two weeks before school starts, we have been reading books all about preschool, getting Lorelei excited about storytime, having her own cubby and making new friends.

July

Favorite Activity: Playing with her playdough, going swimming

Favorite Food: fruit and yogurt

Favorite word or phrase to say: "My do!"

Cutest Moment: Tucking her babies into bed, then giving them a kiss and telling them "sweet dreams!"

Naughtiest Moment: Trying to ride the dogs ("Apparently riding the dog like a horse is frowned upon in this establishment"), throwing things at daddy and the dogs (which got her a swift time out)

How Mom's Feeling: Happy...but tired. The end of July marked the end of my stay-at-home-momhood for the summer. It was a fun six weeks, but very exhausting. We did get into a sort of routine, which helped, and we did a lot of fun stuff! Tide pools, Children's Museum, San Francisco Zoo, Pier 39, Tilden Park and a few playdates at different playgrounds, plus swim lessons every Monday morning! I feel so proud to see her confidently (maybe too confidently) climbing into the swimming pool each Monday morning. Her teacher has already told us we can move her up to the next swim level next session.

Speaking of confidence, she has it in spades. Along with independence. Everything is "My do!" She wants no help in picking out her night time diaper, putting on her clothes, walking up and down the steps to the house, or climbing in the car, carseat and stroller. But she will tell me "Carry you" after taking 5 steps and I absolutely cannot do anything else while she is doing something. I have to sit and watch. I think I'm looking forward to preschool starting next month a little too much!

June

Favorite Activity: Playing on the iPad, helping mom cook

Favorite Food: fruit and yogurt

Favorite word or phrase to say: "Play Gummies!" or "1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10! Yay!" or "Hold you!"

Cutest Moment: So many! After being gone after a long day (in which I didn't see her for over 24 hours) "I miss you!" and randomly running up to me, hugging my knees, and saying "I love you!" then running away.

Naughtiest Moment: Pushing mommy into the kitchen and telling me to "Do Dinner!" so she can play on the iPad.

How Mom's Feeling: Exhausted. For the last two and a half weeks, I've been doing the stay at home mommy thing, and my hat goes off to all those ladies (and men) who do this year round. It is really hard! And it's a constant struggle to balance the free time/guided play/activities/playdates/screen time. I've found it's easier if we just get out of the house in the morning to do something--swimming, playground, playdate, "adventure", come home, eat lunch, naptime (for everyone. Seriously, I haven't done this many naps in the middle of the day since she was a newborn), then a planned afternoon activity at home (cooking project/playdough/painting/art activity), free time, then either some episodes of a show or a movie while mommy makes dinner, bath time (maybe) then bedtime routine. You can see why I'm so exhausted (and there are parents who do this ALL THE TIME). And sometimes I just think "screw it" and we watch shows in the morning, or she gets extra iPad time, and maybe we'll watch a movie in the afternoon. I'm okay with that.

Potty training is going ok. She backslid a bit when she came down with a cold, and now pooping in the potty is pretty hit or miss. She used to tell me when she had a "poo poo coming!" but not anymore. I try to let it go and remember that she won't be going to college with poop in her pants.