Growing Girls

Wow! Where does the time go? Carolyn is already 5 months old and I have been back to work for a few weeks.

I feel bad that I haven't had as many posts of the girls up lately, but it seems that there is never enough time in the day. I did get a new camera for Christmas and wasn't sure if I was going to keep it at first, but I have been testing it out and I think it will work nicely. I just need to get a different memory card to keep up with the girls.

Here's an update on Carolyn:

Miss Sugar Baby has a very easy-going personality. She is a happy baby, but definitely doesn't smile as much as Johanna did. She is a little more sober but once she gets going she has the cutest laugh. She actually laughs the most at Johanna, she can really get her giggling, and she is ticklish on her tiny tender tummy.

We are working on rolling over and sitting up. She can roll from her belly to back no problem, but needs a little help going the other way. That is pretty normal, though. She also LOVES to sit up - hates to recline - and it is so cute to look back in the backseat of my car and see her fuzzy little head reaching up to see what Johanna is up to. Carolyn also loves music and likes us to dance around with her. She thinks Johanna's dancing is hysterical.

Now, here's the thing about Carolyn that is way different from when Johanna was a baby. This kid is a LIGHT sleeper. She is still waking up every 3-4 hours at night to eat. I have tried to wean her, but when she gets mad she gets capital M.A.D.! She will SCREAM at the top of her lungs for a very long time. She won't take a pacifier either, and she rarely falls back asleep on her own. At six months she is supposed to be sleeping through the night but I seriously doubt that is going to happen. It makes for one tired Mommy who is now getting up at 5:50 a.m. Oh well - eventually we'll figure it out. Other than that, she is a joy.

Johanna Update:

Johanna is three going on six (or even sixteen somedays). She is really loving being back at her school and she is currently really into ballet dancing, ice skating across our new floors, and eating the valentine candy we bought to give to her friends. :) She's very curious, as we all know, and asks a lot of questions. If Vince and I laugh at something on T.V. she wants to know what we are laughing at. She can tell she's missing something and wants to know what she missed.

She has also become more self-aware. A few weeks ago she took a HORRIBLE spill at Sears face first into the metal wheels of a shopping cart. She ended up being OK, even though at first I thought she had bit through her mouth. The next day we were getting her ready for Sunday School and she starting sobbing saying that "Everyone was going to laugh at her" because she had a band-aid on her face. Needless to say, it broke my heart. However, we convinced her that there was no worry because she could tell her friends how strong and brave she was even though she had an accident. Another day was supposed to be "Pajama Day" at her school but she didn't want to wear her Pj's because none of her friends were going to wear theirs. Lo and behold, she was right. No one else participated.

Johanna has also discovered words and letters. She knows quite a few letters know and wants to know what things say. Yesterday she was looking at her Dove chocolate before she ate it and wanted to know what it said. She also loves to find letters in Store Signs. She likes to call out the "J" in Trader Joes when we drive by. She is SMART!

She still loves to throw temper tantrums but is getting better at being patient. Someone told me they heard on NPR that the reason some kids get so upset is not because they are mad, but because they are feeling and overwhelming sense of sadness, whether that be they can't wear the dress they were wanting wear or they can't watch anymore kid's shows for the time being. The report said to just leave them alone until the calm down and then make sure to give them big hugs to let them know it's OK and not a big deal. I have been trying to remember this - go to timeout until you calm down and then big hugs from Mommy. It seems to work most days, however, Johanna can really pull out all the stops when it comes to throwing a fit. Serenity now. :)

Johanna is also going....POOP ON THE POT! Cue the hallelujah chorus! It finally clicked and she isn't holding it in for weeks at a time. Phew...no child psychiatrist. She loves to play baby with me and I get to feed her, burp her and cuddle with her. That's always fun. Love that kid.

Update on Vince and Shelley: We are good. We're enjoying our new kitchen and actually went on a date a few weeks ago to a church social gathering for "young" adults. The age range is 25-35 and it is sad we are closer to the end of the spectrum. Oh well, getting older is actually not too bad some far. My job is great - glad to be back to work and Vince is still loving his job.

Well - I will sign off for now. Love to all. Shelley