Wuv

Marea, stop bugging the cat!  "but i wuv him!"

Marea, stop bugging baby evie! "but i wuv her!"

Mama sitting on the couch looking at the computer while Marea watches Little Bear...."mama, i wuv you".  Now what could be better than that?

Christmas just happened.  This was the first Christmas that Gary and I have ever woken up in our 0wn house, and I was pretty excited about it.  Just like she wanted, Marea got a bunch of puzzles.  She was pretty excited.  At first she wanted to open the presents one by one and open each one and play with them, but that was taking her a long time.  So Gary and I introduced her to the joy of ripping open present after present right in a row.  I think she got the idea.  Christmas still wasn't a big thing for her.  By the end, she was getting it....'Oh, more presents!'  Of course I don't want a kid who just loves Christmas for the presents.  But I remember feeling like that as a kid, and what's the harm?  I mean, really, that's the best part about it.  All the new toys!  And I turned into a pretty good adult who loves Christmas for the season and the friends and family and mostly, the food.  Especially the cookies.  And in my past life, the wine.  Someday.....

What I won't miss about Christmas is FROSTY.  I must of listened to that song at least a hundred times in the past month.  As long as I kept it playing in the car, she was quiet.  And since quiet is pretty hard to come by these days, I somewhat happily played it over and over and over, so I could have my own thoughts for a bit.  That is, if Evie wasn't screaming.  Boy, that kid HATES the car.  She goes nuts in the car!

Merry-Making

Is it Christmas time again?  

The merry making around here is going slow and steady.  Which I have found to be quite fun!  Instead of getting a tree decorated in one session, it took us at least three sessions.  It took a few extra days to get the stockings hung.  We worked on the gingerbread house over the course of several days.  Today we went and made cookies with grandma Carole and auntie Sam.   I still have my baking to do. Christmas didn't happen quickly.  Everything is unfolding slowly around here.  Because we are busy, mostly caring for the kids.  But I think I like it better this way.  It's like savoring the experience.  The one thing that I haven't started yet is the wrapping.  And I have to say, i'm a bit stressed about that part.  

I wonder how Marea is going to react to Christmas this year.  I'm excited.

Marea is getting so good at playing by herself.  She has come up with whole new games with all of her old toys.  I feel like it happened suddenly...like one day she just changed.  But it's probably been happening slowly, it's just that I've been consumed with Evie and didn't notice it as much.  I really enjoy watching her play.  I think her favorite thing to do right now is make up games with her farm animals.  She gives them roles and seems to imitate life with them.  A lot of the time it involves them going potty.  Marea's favorite TV show is Little Bear.  It's a great show, it's very simple and fun.  And now Gary and Marea often play  Little Bear.  She's the little bear, he's father bear, etc. , and they play games and call each other with those names.  And Homer is Cat of course.  And i'm mother bear.  

Evie is taking off right now.  She's starting to reach and grab at things, and of course, put them straight to her mouth.  She's a big wet drooly mess a lot of the time too.  I wonder if it's teeth?  It's early, but it could be happening.  Or maybe it's just the beginning of the oral phase.  She's laughing now too.  It's so cute.  She is so verbal and social, it blows me away.  She likes eye contact, and she'll coo and giggle and smile for as long as I stay engaged.  One thing Evie doesn't like is the car.  The child FLIPS on most car rides.  It drives me crazy.  I think it's just the car seat that she hates.  But sometimes it's necessary!  I also tried to give her a bottle of formula the other day and she absolutely would not have it.  The kid is addicted to the boob.  I don't blame her.  Those boobs made those sweet cankles!

Bits O Fun

Evie is such a talker!  I love it.  She coos endlessly, and is now starting to giggle.  She gets a huge smile, and then a somewhat serious look on her face, and then an 'ah'!  Her eyes beam with such an intensity sometimes.  We have a whole conversation ritual that we go through on the changing table.  Wiping butts can be so much fun sometimes.

She is starting to get interested in toys.  I brought out the toy elephant last night and she really looked at it and started trying to get it with her hands.  I'm excited to start introducing her to all the fun toys we have.  

Sleep is going pretty well.  Evie can usually stay awake for an hour and then she needs to sleep again, so this kid needs lots of sleep.  This doesn't mean that it's always easy to get her to go to sleep, and she often doesn't nap for very long...but i'm working on getting some longer naps out of her.  I think a daytime 'schedule' is starting to emerge.  Nights are not as good as they were when she was tiny and a fuss monster (i guess she's not wearing herself out as much!)  but hopefully those will straighten out.  That's what i'm hoping.  She does a 3-4 hour stretch followed by a few 2 hour stretches till morning.  I feel fairly well rested most days so that's good!

Marea has been doing and saying the funniest things lately.  Like the morning when I got up and she told me that I was smelly.  I just can't say what happened next, but it will be in my memory forever.  And how she loves the raccoon story....and has to hear it over and over again.  The story of how the raccoons came in our house and gary had to chase them off and throw pomegranates at them.  And she loves running around in her raccoon hat, saying, i'm a raccoon and i'm gonna get you!

Time

Where does the time go?  Have I asked this question here before?  I guess it just doesn't get any easier to understand how the days fly by me.  And with each passing day, my girls are growing up.  I am watching it happen right in front of my eyes, every single day.  I can't stop it.  I'm excited for the future, because I know it holds so many fun and wonderful times for all of us....but sometimes I just want to stop time, so I can soak up the joy of babyhood and toddlerhood in a way that only a mother can understand.  I am really trying to make a conscious effort to savor this time, this experience, that I am probably having for the last time.  This time of evie's coos and giggles, of breastfeeding, of roly poly arms and thighs and vaginas; the last of marea's baby-ish sounding voice, her obsession with rubbing my hair to soothe herself, how adorably cute she looks when she's running...all these things.  Things that I am going to miss so much, that I am going to try and store in my mind, memories of such wonderful things that I love about my babies, who are both still babies.  Deep down I know that the feelings that I have now about my babies will grow and change and still be wonderful...but the pure rush that the their little baby faces bring will not be the same.  Now I understand why every older mother adores a new baby.   It gives them a chance to, for a moment, feel that feeling all over again.  That feeling that is so big, so beautiful, so amazing, that it is beyond words.

Locked up!

First it was our bedroom door, which we had to use a hammer to break off the door knob to get her out.  THEN it was the bathroom, and that took it to a whole new level.  When I called locksmiths, they said it was a liability with a 2 year old stuck in the bathroom, so I had to call the police to come and try and get her out.  None of their tricks worked, so they ended up kicking in the door (which shattered into many pieces) to get her out.  Before they did that, I told her to go climb into the bath tub so she wouldn't be in the way.  But she couldn't climb in because her jammies were down around her ankles.   My poor baby!  She was definitely not happy to see those three men dressed in black standing there either.  But now we look at the door and talk about it, and she seems to find the humor in it.  

I''m frus-er-ated!

The cutest phrase ever!  And she even uses it correctly.  It's so much nicer to have her yell 'i'm fruserated!' than her usual frustrated reaction, which is to throw things.

Look Evie, a giant sticker!

Could that be what Marea was thinking when she stuck a maxi pad on evie's head?  I know what I was thinking...I hope it doesn't pull her hair out!  Yikes!

Adventures with Evie

So not much time to write, life is BUSY right now.  Here's some stuff I want to remember...

-Our trip to the doctors office when Evie was fast asleep, and they made me wake her up and undress her to get weighed-I was so mad!-and she sprayed POO all over the scale, counter, equipment, and floor.  Take that, evil doctors!

-Our other trip to the doctors office where I only brought in two diapers, which she pooped in, and she also pooped all over her clothes, and I had to drive her home in just a diaper that I got from the dr. office.  At about a week old!  Mom of the year, i'm telling you!

-Our field trip with Marea's class to Tanaka farms, when it was 90 degrees out, and dusty, and windy...well, Evie did great, sleeping most of the time, through the obnoxious tractor ride, and the super stinky petting zoo, but she then woke up after we got lost in the corn maze (another adventure in itself with a bunch of crying toddlers), and I had to change her diaper and nurse her on a hay bale.  Is there anything we mothers won't do?????

One other thing I want to note-Evie's obsession with staring at the blinds.  I don't know what it is, I guess it's the way the light comes through them, but they always catch her attention when we're laying in bed.  It's funny.

Marea the Baby Whisperer, and Letting go of Expectations

After spending a long time pacing the house with Evie this morning, who was tired and fussy, I decided that I had to put her down and do a quick shower before our dr. appt.  So I put her in the car seat, took her in the bathroom, and called Marea in and showed her how to gently rock the car seat.  I scrambled into the shower, and watching through the glass, noticed that within a few seconds, Evie was sound asleep.  I peeked my head out and thanked Marea for doing such a great job putting Evie to sleep, and she was so proud of herself.  

Marea and I have started a "Parenting Preschool" class at Coastline Community college.  I was really hesitant about signing up for the class because baby Evie was coming and I was worried juggling the two kids and maintaining a commitment to a class once a week.  However, Kate assured me that it was very laid back and worthwhile and I am so happy that I decided to do it!

The first night before the class I was worried....would Marea do okay?  Would she be able to separate from me for the parent education part?  I really didn't think she would be able to.  Would she be hungry when it wasn't snack time?  Would she have an accident?  What the heck am I going to do when she goes to Kindergarten???  But mostly, I was worried that Marea would not be able separate from me, and although I was assured that this was okay, and that the kids were able to come and sit with their parents, I was still worried.  She's always seems to stay really close to me and is slow to warm up to new things.

I knew right when I walked in the door that I was going to love the class.  The classroom set up was perfect-lots of great things for the children to explore, including a dress up area, many shelves with different activities, art activities, and things for them to climb on.  The outside area has a great sandbox, ride on toys, water play, paints...all kinds of wonderful activities that are changed all the time.  Marea dove right in.  She wasn't hesitant at all, which she usually is in new situations.  She took to the environment right away and really seems to enjoy it!  She especially seems to like the things she can climb on.  She is definitely interested in testing her physical limits these days, spending a lot of time climbing on things.  It's fun for me to watch her explore the room and all the different activities.  She's not too interested in interacting with the other kids yet, but I guess that's pretty common at this age.  I see little bits of that coming more and more these days.  How fun it will be when she's having conversations with other kids!

The most enlightening moment for me was on the first day of class when I went inside for the parent education part and Marea stayed outside the whole time!  She had absolutely no problem separating.  I was expecting her to wander in and want to sit with me, but she didn't.   I was so pleasantly surprised.  It really made me feel good to know that she was perfectly happy, playing and having fun without me.  I guess one of the first things  I can learn from this preschool class is, that Marea will always be a great teacher.   I am learning so much from her every day, and i'm loving every minute of it.  

Miss Evie Mae is here!

Baby sister is finally here!  Mama's belly went 'crunch crunch crunch' and the baby came out.  It was as easy as that.

Life has been crazy since Evie arrived.  It's a mixture of pure joy and exhaustion.  I don't feel too exhausted in terms of the sleep deprivation, it's more of a mental exhaustion that I feel because i'm trying to juggle two kids now!  I'm sure the sleep deprivation makes the mental exhaustion worse.  Luckily Gary has been taking over with Marea so I can spend lots of time bonding with Evie and getting to know her and her personality.  It's been great.  Except that I feel a bit disconnected from Marea right now and that is SUPER hard.  Marea doesn't seem to be taking it too hard, although she's not the type of kid that would act out agressivly or throw tantrums.   She seems to be taking it all in mentally and processing it in a very thoughtful way.  It's so hard for me to describe, especially because i'm exhausted right now.  But what i'm trying to say is, that Marea is very aware of what has occurred and is handling it very well, and not trying to control the situation or change things, but rather just accepting life as it is now with an understanding that things are very different now.  Pretty deep perspective on a toddler, huh?  That's one of my favorite things about Marea.  She can be so thoughtful.  

Baby Evie is doing great.  She sure sleeps a lot.  I don't remember Marea sleeping this much.  Maybe i'll get a good sleeper this time!   She's definitely starting to wake up a bit more now and be a bit more alert, which is fun. She's got the cutest little temper.  When she gets mad, she gets real mad!  When she wakes up in the night and is ready to eat, she wants a boobie ASAP or she's screaming!  I barely have time to go to the bathroom.  I am enjoying lots of cuddle time with her and we're sleeping together.  The little bugger knows when I put her in her bassinet so we're doing the old 'nurse and roll' in my bed.  It works, so i'm sticking with it.  

Is it a toddler thing or a girl thing????

We're going through some issues which some may label as part of the 'terrible twos'.  I prefer not to call it that, since I am finding that two is so much fun and I understand exactly what is going on with Marea and her new found independence.  But that doesn't mean that some things arn't driving me crazy....like, her inability to make up her mind!  She has become the queen of making a decision, changing her mind, then changing it again, and again, and again.  And all the while, fussing and whining about it.  The funny thing is, she can usually have whatever it is that she wants, it's just that she changes her mind in the middle of getting it and then fusses and whines because it's not what she wants anymore.  I guess she's just exploring her ability to affect change and make decisions.  Or maybe she's testing the limits of my patience.  I don't mind that she changes her mind back and forth between two things a bunch of times, but I just can't stand the whining and fussing!  I think Gary gets the worst of it in the  morning, when she's just gotten up and she wants her milk and something to eat. (In fact, it often revolves around what she wants to eat.)  I often hear a lot of whining coming from the kitchen in the mornings.  And i'm so grateful that it's Gary who is dealing with it because, lord knows, mornings are my absolute worst time!  

But overall,  I still know that we are the luckiest parents.  Today while wandering around Ikea I I heard and saw several toddlers crying.  Marea doesn't ever do that.  She may test and push limits and be very secure to express herself at home, but when we're out and about, whether it be our playgroup, or shopping, or with friends or family, she is always the most delightful and well behaved kid.  And I know that other people think that too, because I am always told how easy and what a great kid she is.  I agree!  

slumber party!

Marea and Jackie had their first slumber party over the weekend.  It was also Marea's first time spending the night with Grandma and Grandpa Frost.  From what I hear, they had a fabulous time, complete with watching a movie in bed and falling asleep within 20 minutes.  Grandma said that at one point she went in to check on them, and Marea was trying to put a paci in Jackie's mouth.  The next morning I picked her up at HB pier where we watched Sara play volleyball for a bit.  Marea looked very happy, she was running around with Jackie and Emily having a good time.  She fell asleep within 2 minutes of being in the car.  I like it when she's nice a tired!  I hope there are lots more slumber parties to come.

Our summer is managing to still be super busy, despite the fact that I am 4 weeks away from having this baby.  We have been really busy with our moms group, hanging out at the beach, lots of trips to the pool, toddler birthday parties, etc.  Marea's vocabulary is getting even better...it's truly amazing.  She can communicate just about anything.  Maybe that's why she's going thru her little autonomy stage right now....because she knows she can affect her choices!  She's definitely been very opinionated about how she wants things to be these days, and at times it can be frustrating, I know how important it is to support them in this, so I try to be patient and make it fun and easy for everyone.  I hope I can continue to give her the same amount of care and attention when baby #2 arrives!  I know she's excited for her baby sister, and I think that will help.  She talks about her sister a lot, about all the things she wants to do...change her diaper, feed her, kiss her, hold her.  It's super cute.  But i'm still not sure that she knows what's coming!  

On the topic of potty training...I think we're almost done!  Marea was doing great, and then there was a bit of a regression, but it seems that we're back on track.  Now I just need to get up the nerve to put in her big girl pants all the time.  But it's hard because I don't want to have to clean up any messes!  

my favorite words

I thought I better jot a few of these down before Marea starts saying them correctly.  Cuz we've been working on pronunciation a bit, although some words she's just starting to say correctly on her own.  Like, 'gwa-wa' is 'grandma' now.  And 'melmo' is 'elmo'.  Without my help!

Anyways, here's a few faves:

'goggy' -doggy

'shower'-flower

'yegos'-legos

'yight'-light

'pu-cakes'-cupcakes

'skuck'-stuck

'mountain'-fountain

there's lots more, i'll add them as i hear them!

Hair

What is it about my hair?  Or, actually, anyone's hair?  When it's time to go to sleep, Marea absolutely must have some hair to rub.  I try not to be annoyed as my hair gets twisted, pulled and tangled into an obnoxious mess, but sometimes I just can't help it.  And now i'm noticing that I have a lot of broken hair and i'm sure that it's because of Marea's dirty habit.  Baby girl, I love you more than anything in the world, but WHY the hair fetish?  After she goes to sleep, she often tugs and rubs her own hair.  I hope that as her hair gets longer, she relies more on her own hair for soothing.  Otherwise we may be getting her a wig real soon.

The Countdown

Well we managed to have an awesomely fun summer so far.  After Marea's birthday we went to El Capitan Canyon in SB for some plush 'camping', which was just perfect for all three of us and exactly what we needed.  We played at the beach all day, bbq'ed at our camp in the early evening, (fighting off the 'meat bees'), and then it was into the jacuzzi tub and the fancy beds for a night of good sleep in the great outdoors.  What could be better than that? We will definitely be going back next summer, as a family of 4 of course.  Marea loved 'camping', in fact, yesterday she said that she wants to go camping again.  I'm sure in a few years we'll give her a taste of some 'real' camping.  But for now, this is just my speed.

We hosted our first Fourth of July party for the family, which turned out really nice.  It was a lot of work, mostly because of my condition, but it was great to finally be able to host something and have everyone over.  Marea even stayed up for fireworks, and she wasn't scared.  After that party I decided that it was time for me to slow down a bit and spend the rest of the summer relaxing.  Good thing I was already there mentally, because physically, my body started to really slow down.  It was perfect timing.  Although i'm a bit sad that i feel physically limited right now, i'm learning a big lesson in letting go and taking it easy.  I feel very pregnant right now, and i'm wondering how i'm going to manage for these last 7 weeks. I know i'll be okay, but I have to say, the sooner the better!  Marea is talking more and more about baby sister, and i'm starting to talk to her a lot more about the baby coming and all the things that we'll do to take care of the baby.  I'm totally curious to see how this all works out when we come home with a real live baby!  So in the meantime, while we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby sister, we're filling our last weeks of summer with lots of playdates with the moms group, hanging out with Mia and Sean at their pool, and playing with Madison (some of Marea's fave friends), lots of pool days at Grandma and Grandpa's house (with popsicles after swimming), beach days, bike rides with daddy, eating the yellow tomatoes off the bush in the backyard, playing in our blow up pool, enjoying the company of Auntie Sam and Uncle Robbie now that they're back, music in the park and at the zoo, and on and on.  A perfect life!

Celebrating Two

To my Sweet, Adorable, Loving Little Miss Pie on her 2nd Birthday:

Two years ago today, on the very first day I kissed your sweet little cheeks, I had no idea how much joy you would bring to my life.  I'm practically speechless.

Watching you grow and change over this past year has been absolutely amazing.  You have grown from a baby into the most delightful toddler I have ever known.  You can talk up a storm, you can express what you need and want with pleases and thank you's, you can build tall towers with blocks, blow bubbles, sing the ABC's, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle, run and jump and climb like crazy, you have created your own relationships with so many people (all your grandparents, cousins, aunties and uncles and our new baby friends), and you're still as cuddly as ever and love a good snuggle and hair rub with your mommy and daddy.  One of my favorite things about you is that you are so easy-going.  You're usually up for just about anything and you always able to have a good time no matter what we're doing.  I could go on and on about the wonderful things about you, and how happy you make me and your daddy. And I know that you are going to be an awesome big sister.  That little girl in my tummy has no idea what is in store for her!

I know that our future holds wonderful things and I am looking forward to being there with you every step of the way.  

Happy Birthday Miss Pie!

Summer of Fun

It's not even officially summer yet, but we're off to a fantastic start.  I'm trying to squeeze in as much fun as we can possibly have before I get too big and the baby comes.  So we're doing lots of stuff!  Here's how we spent last week (just one week!)

Right after Utah, we had Grethe's wedding.  Marea associates Grethe with the kitty jumpie now because I got it for Grethe's bachelorette party, but Marea got to enjoy it the whole next day.  So when we were spending time with Grethe before her wedding, she would always say, "Jump in kitty".  Marea was quite the dancing queen at the wedding.  She really busted out of her shell and spent a lot of time tearing up the dance floor with all the other kids.  It was super cute. 

Then we headed off to Disneyland, with our friends Kate and Madison,  for her first visit.  It was definitely more for me than her, but she really enjoyed it.  Her favorite things were the Jungle Cruise, Winnie the Pooh ride, the play area at Toon Town, the train ride and the parade.  She's definitely not a disney manaic, *thank god*, because she's a little too young and I really haven't pushed any of the disney stuff.  And i'm super happy about that, I hope it stays that way!  

After that it was off to the Long Beach Aquarium with Auntie Conny, Jackie, Emily and Lauren.  It was fun to see her enjoy it in new ways since our first visit last summer.  She's definitely more interested in different things now.  Her attention span for the fish is better, and she likes learning the names of different animals, since she loves words and talking so much.  She really liked the seals this time.  And the touch tanks.  

THEN we saw ELMO LIVE!  It's so funny because she actually refers to it as "elmo LIVE".  I'm not really sure how she picked up on the 'live' part, but it's funny.  She really enjoyed that, especially the part where they sang Itsy Bitsy Spider.  

All that stuff happened in a week.  Now is it any wonder why I don't get much written down in this blog?  Time flies when you are having so much fun!  Lots more is coming too....we have lots of great stuff to look forward to!

Marea is also moving into a big girl bed.  I hope this goes smoothly....it probably will, she's so easygoing, i feel so fortunate that everything seems to go smoothly!

Another Edition of Marea's Faves

Playing Farm.

Going for walks around the neighborhood while I push her on her trike.

Talking about Wow, usually in the car, and most recently, about taking him to the doctor.  

Hiking.  We just got back from Utah and we did a lot of hiking.  She's also talking about 'ew-ta' a lot! 

Potty Time.  Oh my god, how she loves that freaking video.  (speaking of which, she's pretty much potty trained now!)

Playing with cousin Jackie.  Will that ever get boring?  A common morning conversation is, "Marea, what do you want to do today?" and her answer is "Jackie".

Singing the ABC's song.  She's almost got it now.  At least the first 10 letters.

Cashews. She just calls them nuts.  

A Toddler's Life

Marea is a happy kid.  She's got so much going on in her world right now, and she's loving it.  Her coordination and vocabulary are skyrocketing, and she's figuring everything out.  

She loves singing in the car.  She's starting to memorize the songs and will often belt them out while we're driving.  Like, 'winkle, winkle, wittle shar'; 'H I A, H I A, MMMMP'; and the itsy bitsy spider...which i don't know what she is saying but i recognize the song and her hand motions that go with it are absolutely hilarious.  She talks about Homer all the time.   More commonly known around here these days as 'wow' (still) although she also knows his name is Homer now.  She'll always ask 'where's wow?' or talk about 'wow sleeping on bed', or just meow or hiss like him really loudly.  She also pretends to be putting her babies/stuffed animals/any animal or person toy to bed all the time.  She can do that a lot.  She'll wrap them up in blankets or towels and make them go night night.  She even makes a bed out of her blocks and puts her farm animal toys to sleep.   The kitchen and food toys are getting a lot of use. She likes to make different meals and present them to us.  The bread and peas sandwich is my favorite.   And she still absolutely loves playing with Mr. Potato Head.  That one has been a favorite for a long time. 

The backyard is awesome.  She just loves playing out there.  She likes the toys that she has, especially the swing, but for the most part she's just happy digging in the dirt or playing with her watering cans or finding rocks.  I think she has the most fun following me around and doing whatever i'm doing, like watering or planting seeds.  We often sit out there and have lunch together.  She doesn't mind getting dirty at all.  I often strip her down before she comes in the house because she is such a mess.

Marea just went on her first fishing trip in Utah.  We went to Sand Hallow resevoir with grandpa and daddy and she hung out on the boat, playing with the worm bait.  She wasn't very interested in the fish when it was caught, but we talked about the fishies afterwards and she liked that.  We introduced her to 'hiking' which at this stage involves her walking around the house.  But she thinks that is pretty darn cool....hiking around the perimeter of the house, checking out all the beautiful red sand, carrying around rocks, looking for bugs,  and watching out for the 'owie' cactus. 

Even though it's still a lot of work, sometimes I wish she could stay this age forever.  Because it's so much fun to watch her enjoying life so much.  I know that she will always enjoy life, it's just her nature....but their is nothing like the carefree world of a toddler.  

3, 5!

Marea recognizes numbers.  She sees them on her kitchen set, and in other various places.  She also understands that when there is more than one of something, that you can count them, like when she wakes up with a bed full of paci's, or sees a bowl full of strawberries.  When she see numbers, or when she wants to count, she happily exclaims, '3, 5'!  

Now I have tried and tried over and over again to get her to understand about 1 and 2.  But she's not having it.  In her world, 3 and 5 are good enough for now.  I promise she won't go to kindergarten only knowing 3 and 5.  

It's pretty cute, sometimes I will start and say, '1, 2,' and then she will happily yell out '3, 5!'.  Hey, we're a team, right?  

Speaking of numbers...7 is such a beautiful number.  Marea has been letting us sleep till about 7 for a few days now.  Funny thing is, I never would of appreciated 7 without being subjected to 5 for so long.  I am going to relish in this grace period before 2 arrives.  

Lots of Big Changes

It's been a busy few months.  We finally have a new house, and we had three back to back colds and we have a NEW BABY ON THE WAY.   Who has time to write with all the boxes to go through, runny noses,  4 canine teeth all at once, major loss of sleep, and the nausea to keep at bay?  Things are settling down a bit, although i'm starting to think my fantasy of a time when we'll just be 'coasting along' will never be a reality.  It seems like life just keeps giving us more and more these days.  Thankfully it's almost always good things.  I think the best thing lately has been a giant backyard, lots of warm sunshine, and some super garage sale finds which has turned our yard into the perfect little playground for the little miss.  She loves it out there, and I do too.  We already started on our garden.  This weekend we planted some seeds, which Marea helped with of course.  Gary and I did the tomatoes and zucchini, and Marea planted all the sunflowers by herself.  Just knowing that she picked up the seeds and pushed them into the dirt makes me that much more excited to watch them grow.  

I think Marea is having a growth spurt.  Is she growing out of her clothes? Not really....but she's been so darn clumsy lately!  It has to be that she's unsteady with her body right now.  She trips and falls and wobbles and crashes.  She's got a black eye, two bruises on her forehead and a skinned knee to prove it.  The fingernail that she's losing is not from the growth spurt though.  That's from a sailboat injury.  She's taking all of it like such a champ.  It hasn't slowed her down one bit.  Maybe that's the reason for all the injuries.  Nothing can slow her down, and she's getting more and more able and willing every day.  She really seems to be loving life and all her new found independence.  And she's putting 4 word sentences together!  Like, "look, daddy, wow poop!" 

Wow

This is not a post about something that Marea did that makes me go 'wow'; or about how Marea will exclaim 'wow', or anything related to the traditional meaning of 'wow'.

This is 'Wow':

She doesn't call him that because the things he does makes her say 'wow'. It's just his name, because that's the noise he makes. Sometimes she'll chase him around the house saying, 'woooooow' or 'woooowowooow'. It's just what she calls the kitty. It's hilarious.

When we drive home in the car, we talk about who will be at home. She says, 'gwa-wa'; 'pa-pa'; daddy, and wow. (and sometimes melmo)

did christmas just happen?

Holiday faves:
-driving around with mom and dad to check out all the lighted up houses.
-baking cookies with grandma carole and great grandma dorothy.
-the over the top decorations at the frost grandparents house-especially the singing snowman and 'rocking around the christmas tree' tree.
-frosty the snowman. i bought her a book about with the frosty song, and then a frosty ornament, and frosty soon became a hit.
-favorite gifts: the baby doll from fran and debbie, and the stroller and bottles from auntie laura and family, were definitely the biggest hits. other favorites are the giant elmo ('hi, melmo!) and the tricycle.

the best part about christmas, now, and hopefully always, was that she was more into the decorations and the seasonal stuff than the gifts. i really hope that those feelings never change. i guess that's another challenge for gary and i as parents. i hope that our family can develop some strong and lasting family traditions that will always make the holidays more than just christmas.