Tid-Bits X

I love finding the word of the day. You know, the special word that results in uncontrollable and inexplicable laughter in babies. A list of magical words that worked for Ellie can be found here, but so far I've only found one for Addie and that is BLECH-BLECH-BLECH.

I love how whenver Ellie puts on a skirt or dress and is transformed into a princess, she giggles to herself as she spins and watches her dress flare out. In that moment, she is all alone and she knows she's beautiful.

I love how if Ellie is concerned that I'm not thinking she's funny enough, or that I'm not happy enough, she'll ask "why are you not smy-ler-ing?"

I love those evenings when I'm trying to put Addie to sleep and all she does is make me laugh. She'll nurse for one or two sucks and then stop, looks at me and gives me a great big goofy grin. Couple sucks. Stop. Goofy grin. It's impossible for that not to penetrate anyone's thick skin. Laughing is my only option.

I love Ellie's pretend conversations on the phone. "Hello? How are you today? I'm doing good. I'll talk to you later. Bye bye!" She speaks so fast that the whole conversation might last 5 seconds - tops!

Life's Lyrics

I originally heard this song as the background to this blog (scroll to the bottom and then click through the songs if you want to hear it) that I'm totally addicted to now. I would love to add songs to my own blog, songs that make me think of my children, but I hesitate in doing so because I know how annoying it is to open a website at work only to be blasted with music.

Anyway, I love the lyrics to this song and in reading them this morning I found myself thinking of one particular good friend of mine. I hope others, but my friend in particular, find the lyrics touching too. Maybe they will help, even if just a little.

"Dream" by Priscilla Ahn

I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream

Times are tough

In this economy, we all have to do things to save money, right? Ellie found one of our parenting books that happen to have lost its cover. She started ripping out pages and bringing them to us one by one. A moon page for Mommy and a baby page for Daddy (looking at the few drawings in the book), etc.

When we finally asked her what she was doing, she responded with "I'm jus getting lots of newspaper for a pwodject to make a snowman so we haf enough money to go to da store."

Oh. That's what I thought.

The wonders of a toddler mind

Right before bedtime, Ellie is prancing around naked, holding one of Addie's pacifiers...
Daddy: Ellie, please don't put the pacifier between your legs.
Ellie: But why?
Daddy: Because that's yucky. That's where you pee pee from.
Ellie: But... but... but... den I can't be a duck!

Improving our fort building skills

We built our second fort the other day (I'm not sure why we don't do it more often). I must say that Mommy's fort building skills have improved quite a bit. This fort has everything anyone would want in a house...

It has the standard bed.

It has a closet to put your friends into.

It has a living room expansion,

complete with bookshelf,

skylights and fridge.

It has a dog.

It even has a cute baby!

Needless to say, I'm sure Ellie was quite impressed (hence the nice compliment I wrote about the other day). Even Addie seemed impressed and took lots of notes.

Wordless Wednesday XXXIII

Worthy of it's own post

Yesterday, while laying in Ellie's fort, she leaned over to give me a great big hug and told me "I'm so pwoud to be your Lori-lelle." I think my heart may never recover. Not that I would want it to.

Ellie, if only you knew how true the reverse is...

Princess Night

I've got to say that watching these two girls grow up together has been a lot of fun. They are just so darn cute when they get together and obviously adore each other! But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Last Tuesday was Princess night at Chick-Fil-A (I LOVE that place). I picked Ellie up from school and showed her the dress I brought for her to wear. I love how as soon as she put on her princess dress, she did a quiet little giggle to herself and then spun in circles. It was obvious that at that moment in time, she was certain she was a beautiful princess. She did not care about the fact that we were in the boys' bathroom in front of the stalls (maybe I *should* have taken a picture of that moment after all).
It's not always smiles and giggles with these girls. There are times when they hurt each other's feelings by not wanting to sit next to the other, or not wanting to share their breakfast with the other. But in all honesty, those times are few and far in between. They really are great to each other. Ellie loves to share with Brynnie and we often bring an extra spoon just for that purpose.
Anyway, moving on with the princess evening... they painted the girls' nails. And there were crowns to decorate. The place was a mad-house, filled with princesses and only one little knight. It was fun, even if exhausting.
And here she is... Princess Kenna, often mistaken as Princess Ellie. I just love this little girl. A couple weeks ago I admitted to wondering if we were finally starting to experience the consequences of delaying the "terrible twos" but she's been much more like herself this last week. She's been so much fun and so sweet that it's hard to imagine there's even a monster side to her. God, she's beautiful.
She wanted to meet only two princesses. Snow White was one. I loved seeing how shy and nervous she was to meet her.
This picture makes me laugh because I always thought similar pictures of other people's kids looked so goofy. Ellie just doesn't know what to do next to the princess, does she? She just wanted proof that they met. It looks so awkward but now I'm the proud Mommy owner of such a picture.
And last, but not least, there is Sleeping Beauty. Ellie's most favorite. In fact, we have half a dozen pictures of Ellie with Sleeping Beauty because she kept wanting to go back for more.
Ellie insisted that we take a picture of her AND Brynn with Sleeping Beauty. Poor Brynnie was terrified of the princesses - why that was will remain a mystery forever.

So that was our night in the enchanted kingdom of Chick-Fil-A... I hope you enjoyed.

Sitting pretty

A few days ago, Addie decided (quite suddenly) that she can sit on her own! Isn't she just oozing with pride and drool?
And her timing couldn't have been better. The weather here is gorgeous! My poor baby has been stuck inside all winter and doesn't know what to think of that great big bright ball in the sky. It's a whole new world out there, baby, and this is just the beginning!
Things look so different when you're sitting. It's like she suddenly realized that there were things to see and touch aside from just Mommy, Daddy and Ellie.
But no matter what goofy sounds I made, getting a smile out of this girl while she's concentrating on sitting was just hopeless. I guess it's just not physically possible right now. Wanna see the result?
Baby down! Baby down!
Ummm... a little help here please?

Addie finds her prince

How you doin'?

Do you come here often?

I think it's just you and me now.

Could you give us a few moments alone?

Wordless Wednesday XXXII

The Baby Who

I always assumed that if we had a second daughter, there would be tons of examples of pictures where the two of them look exactly like each other. That doesn't seem to be the case. But I do have my moments when I think, "Wow! Which baby are you?"




Oh, yeah. You're the wonderfully chubby one. Yummy.


You're the baby who gives me great big smiles first thing in the morning. In fact, you give me great big smiles whenever I appear. When you're not happy, you're content. It takes a lot to get you upset and is usually because you're either hungry or tired. But you give us an overly gracious warning period where you start talking up a storm just to give us a heads-up that you will have a break-down in approximately 15 minutes. That's quite a wise idea because your well-meaning parents are often preoccupied with your sister.


You're the baby who loves the car seat that your sister despised and isn't too keen on the baby carriers that she loved (We'll have to work on that since you're getting so big). You aren't too sure what to think of the swing that your sister loved, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.


You're our little thumper. You love to kick your legs up and down whenever you get excited. If you're bored and trying to put yourself to sleep, you'll kick the floor so hard that it makes the entire house thump. Who knew such a little person could do that? And yet, somehow, you still haven't discovered your feet.


You're the baby who is content to just sit and watch what is going on around her, especially if your big sister is anywhere in sight. You have very little need for toys. You love being held, without requiring the additional effort of bouncing or walking. When Mommy or Daddy hold you, you relax instantly like you just want to melt into our arms. After rocking you for just a few verses of Twinkle Twinkle, you're already to pass out. We can lay you down ofter just minutes of singing and you will fall asleep. ON. YOUR. OWN. You must feel so confident and secure. But you should come with a warning label: Do not wake me up. You give the worst evil glares whenever someone wakes you before you're ready. But you're all talk. You're the baby who understands that just because Mommy is sleeping next to you, it doesn't mean it's play time. I never knew how peaceful it could be to sleep next to a baby.

You're the baby who goes along for the ride, no matter what the plan is. You do not get tired of spending all day in the house. As long as you're with Mommy, you're entertained enough.

You're the easy, cuddly baby. You're the baby who makes me question my decision to stay at work. We just mesh well during the days and instead of getting a break, I miss you when I'm gone. However, after a long day at work, I can always count on the big smile you give me when you see me again to re-energize my energy.


You're the baby who, from the moment you were born, makes me feel like my life is complete.

Jinxing it

I wanted to announce that today, Monday March 15, 2010 it appears as though no member of my family is sick. The first time since the beginning of January. Mark your calendars because this is a very special day for everyone. Ellie is no longer sick - in fact our weekend was much much more pleasant than the previous one and she seems to be back to her normal mostly pleasant self. Addie woke this morning with a clear nose and I'm sure she was surprised that I did not have to suck her brains out of her nose. Michael hasn't been sick since returning from the UK a week or so ago. And me... I think I'm finally over my cough.

Yay! I just wanted to mention the good news in case it goes away.

UPDATE: Bah! My husband just reminded me that we had baby vomit to deal with last night but I'm nearly certain it's because we over stuffed the poor thing. I don't think she's really sick... but I'm taking that as yesterday's news and today we're all healthy! Let me have this one. Please????

I love the look people get...

... When my sweet Ellie takes them by surprise.

Last week we had another dentist appointment. Ellie was quite concerned about it and kept confirming with me that she would like the dentist:
Ellie: We going to da dentist?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: She's a nice dentist? I like her?
Mommy: Yep, she's very nice and you were her favorite kid.
Ellie: We going to da dentist?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: She's nice?
And so on and so on. Once there, she did a wonderful job again. The dentist told us that we were doing a good job keeping her teeth cleaned and that one in every 3 children her age have cavities. When she was done looking at Ellie's teeth, Ellie said "Dank you for counting my teef," and gave the dentist a big hug. There is the look.

On our way out the door, Ellie saw a boy sitting in a chair getting his teeth cleaned (with the loud tools and everything).
Ellie: What's wrong?
Mommy: Nothing, he's just getting his teeth cleaned.
Ellie: Can I watch?
Mommy: Uh... No.
Ellie: I want my teeth cleaned!
Mommy: Maybe next time.
Ellie: How about now? Please.
Mommy: I don't think they have time to clean your teeth.
Ellie: How about one?
Mommy: Ok, let's go ask the lady.
Ellie walked up to the lady and asked very nicely if she could get her teeth cleaned too. She was terribly surprised by the fact that a little girl would be asking for such a request. They don't usually try to clean a child's teeth until they're 3.5 or 4 years old because a child is typically too scared. But here Ellie was and the oral hygienist wasn't going to turn her away. She sat Ellie down and started to show her the equipment... the hose that squirts air and water, Mr. Thirsty who sucks the water up and Mr. Tickles who tickles the teeth while cleaning them. I thought for sure that Ellie would get too scared to continue, but the lady asked her if she still wanted her teeth cleaned. After a nervous nod, she went ahead.

Ellie didn't flinch once, but get this... when the lady was done cleaning her teeth, Ellie turned to her and said "Dank you for cleaning my teef" and gave her a huge hug! The look... there it was again.

It's the same look I see when a coworker isn't sure how to respond when Ellie hugs them after having just met them. It's the look I see when one of my friends gets charged by Ellie ready to give hugs. It's the look I see when she wants to be friends with the waitress. I LOVE that look. It tells me that I really do have the most amazing little daughter, even if I'm a little biased.

Bad credit is hereditary

On the radio the other day, the OPP caller was wondering if she was a bad parent for borrowing $100 from her son to pay for bills. It ended up being another OPP where the topic quickly turned away from the original person and focused on one of the callers. This person called in to say that in order to make ends meet, she has put many of her bills in her children's names. Since the phone and electric companies do not check the age of their costumers, she can do that. Then when she can't pay the bills, they don't go after her. It extends the amount of time she has electricity for another 3 months or so.

She actually said, "I have bad credit and chances are my children will too, so it makes no difference if it starts now."

I'm appalled by the idea that these kids will grow up and already be behind before they can even start. I think it's unbelievably selfish of the mother to do and the idea to use my children's identities like that would never ever occur to me as an option.

Then again, I've been lucky enough to have never found myself quite that desperate. It makes me wonder how low I would go if it was absolutely necessary.

Ellie's Voice

Love it. I simply LOVE it. I also love how much she uses her hands to talk. I'm not sure where she gets that from. Not me.

The video is a month or so old but it's still adorable and since I don't get many opportunities to capture her talking voice on video (this one started out trying to video Addie), I'm posting it anyway. I'm sure that the day will come when I look back on videos like this and think fondly on how innocently sweet my little Ellie was.

I feel a change in the air

And I'm not talking about the spring weather that my entire body has been aching to see. No, I'm talking about the fact that most of my stories are about Ellie and few of them are about Addie.

We've considered ourselves very lucky that Ellie never seemed to experience any major "terrible twos" stage. She's always been just so much fun and pleasant. We've also always been able to explain things to her before she's ever had a meltdown.

However I've heard from many other parents that if the Twos are pleasant then they make up for it when they're Three. They call it the "Terrible Twos" because they don't have a similar cute name for what happens during the Threes. I'm beginning to fear that this is happening to us.

Ellie is still cute as all heck but for the last week or so she's been having many more meltdowns than usual. She's also been more confrontational than usual. At first we thought it was because she was sick but it's been over a week now. I hope I'm not jinxing it by saying this but I kind of fear the Ellie that *could* be.

On a happier note, Addie is simply adorable and smiles tons... so maybe I'll focus on her for a change.

Wordless Wednesday XXXI

My eye hurts

Ellie: My eye hurts.
Mommy: Oh no. Do you have something in your eye?
Ellie: (in a pathetic, worried voice) Yeah. I have my eyeball in my eye.
Mommy: Your eyeball!?
Ellie: Yeah, can you get it out?

Weekend in a nutshell

Just a few odds and ends from my weekend:

We're so sick and tired of being sick and tired. You have no idea (unless you do) how heart breaking it is to see a toddler (or is she closer to little girl), who prides herself for being potty trained, deal with having diarrhea. She seems so down on herself for not being able to make it to the potty on time. And the whole time she feels so sick and miserable. It's hard to watch. At one time, she told me she was sorry and that she won't have an accident when she goes back to school. Oh, sweet little girl, where did you ever get the impression that Mommy would be mad about this? I think we managed to explain to her that it wasn't her fault because by the end of the day she was saying "diarrhea, cha cha cha" and feeling much better.

I don't know how society (lol) can expect a baby to function with a stuffed up nose. Poor Addie can't breathe through her nose so how is she supposed to breast feed? Huh? Tell me that? We're constantly sucking out her nose and it's apparent that she doesn't understand what she did to deserve such punishment.

Oh are we ready for spring and warmer weather! I find myself getting pissed at the clouds if they have the nerve to present themselves on any given day.

Michael and I had a date night on Friday! It was nice. On our way out the door, though, he was explaining it to Ellie:
Daddy: We're going on a date tonight.
Ellie: But why?
Daddy: Because today is a special day for Mommy and Daddy.
Ellie: But why?
Daddy: Because 8 years ago today Mommy and Daddy kissed for the first time.
Ellie: (eyes get bright and wide) Are you going to get married now?!
Daddy: (laughing) You know your stuff, don't you? Yep, then we got married!

So cute, so very cute how whenever the topic of kissing comes up Ellie understands that getting married soon follows. After that, everyone lives happily ever after. She's such a sweet thing.

Flipping your fins you don't get too far

Ellie: When I get older, I'm going to meet my prince!
Mommy: Oh yeah?
Ellie: Yeah. Den I will marry him! And den... and den... I will get my legs!
Mommy: Your legs?
Ellie: Yeah. I don't haf legs until I marry my prince.
Mommy: Oh, you mean like Ariel?
Ellie: Yeah! I get my legs when I marry my prince and den I can dance wif him!
Mommy: Ok, but no legs until you're married.
Ellie: Ok. Dat's a good idea, Mommy.

New Blogs I'm reading

Salina posted about a new blog she's reading. When she said that this birth story was the best she had ever read I couldn't help myself. I had to go check it out. It took me a long time to read the birth story. Partly because it was long, but mostly because I couldn't see through my tears. It was beautiful, guys. Absolutely beautiful. I actually don't even think that word gives it justice but I read it and couldn't help but think that the world was a wonderful place. And her photos... OMG! It just looks like they come from magazines and movies. You know the type... the photos that are just too perfect that you can't imagine how they can be real. You HAVE to check it out. Enjoying the Small Things

I'll try to keep a new list of blogs that I've stumbled upon to read. Keep checking them out if you like.

A clue! A clue!

Those who have seen Blue's Clues would appreciate this one:

At the muffin place Ellie saw a clue. It was a school bumper sticker on the side of the toaster oven and looked like a cougar's pawprint. She said "A clue! A clue! See, Mommy! It's a clue! But... But... but... where is our handy dandy notebook?"

Big Sister Quote of the Day XXVIII

Ellie has always had a difficult time accepting the fact that two people can like the same things. For example, if she likes the blue ball then Mommy can not. Mommy must like the green one. I guess she figures it's the same with our feelings towards our children.

Ellie: Mommy, you love Addie or me?
Mommy: I love you both.
Ellie: No. You love Addie and Daddy loves me.
Mommy: Daddy loves Addie too, though.
Ellie: Ok. Daddy loves Addie and you love me.
Mommy: That too.
Ellie: Is dat right, Mommy?

Tid-Bits IX

I love Ellie's colors: bleew, wed, lellow, white, pink, gween, purple, and my personal favorite: silverware.

On the way to the park Ellie said, "Look! I found da park! Dere it is! Let's go cats it!"

I love how what started out as a simple special rock to keep Ellie safe has turned into a full-fledged treasure location. At this moment in time, she has the following treasured items under her pillow:
- 1 special rock
- 2 plastic bangle bracelets
- 1 real rock
- 3 princess headbands
- 2 glass bead necklaces
- 2 plastic Mardi Gras necklaces
- 3 barrettes
- 4 plastic glass flowers
- 1 nylon butterfly
- 1 coaster
- 1 baby teething ring
Hmm... maybe we should look into cutting back.

No matter how hard I try, I just can't get the technique of tucking Ellie in quite right. Daddy knows how to do it. According to Ellie, he does it like a square and I do it like a triangle. We've yet to figure out what she means.

I love how everything is about princesses. Daddy thinks it's weird, but there are princesses everywhere. Recently we made a big deal out of staying up late at night to watch the princesses dance on ice for the Olympics. Ellie LOVED it.

I love watching Ellie and Brynn's friendship develop...
Brynn: Ellie's here!
Ellie: (running up to Brynn and sticking her face right in front of Brynn's so to know she's paying attention) I get to watch princesses dance on ice tonight!!!!
Brynn: I got a haircut!!!

I love how concentrated Addie looks whenever Ellie is in sight. Addie just stares and stares and stares. She already knows that this little girl is going to be something to look up to.

I love how Ellie's favorite name is Kenna. What's your bear's name? Kenna. What's your baby's name? Kenna. What's your name, Princess? Kenna. Honestly, I like the name too. It's a shame she could only came up with Kyle when asked what her baby sister should be named.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how Addie smiles when she sees me. She just simply calms down and knows that everything is going to be ok now that Mommy is here.

I love how as soon as Ellie puts on a dress or a skirt, she is transformed into a princess. "I'm a pwincess! I'm a pwincess!" as she spins and skips through the hallway.

I love how Best Buy stores are boats to Ellie. Actually, now that she's older she acknowledges that it's just a building that wants to be a boat. Still, she points them out whenever she sees one.

I love the intense look on Addie's face whenever she is staring at Ellie. And that happens A LOT. It's like she's trying to determine why this person is smaller and maybe even trying to figure out how to be more like her when she gets older? Perhaps.

Wordless Wednesday XXX

Big Sister Quote of the Day XXVII

Mommy: I know sometimes it's hard having a baby around.
Ellie: Yeah.
Mommy: But soon Addie will grow big just like you and you can play with her and have lots of fun.
Ellie: When... when... when... Addie grows big, will I still be Lori-lelle?
Mommy: Yes, you'll still be Ellie, but you'll be bigger too.
Ellie: And I can play wif Add-a-line?
Mommy: I hope so!
Ellie: I hope so too.

News Flash: Local Mommy saves the sun

Ellie: Oh, oh! Look at what da sun is doing!
Mommy: What?
Ellie: Is stuck!
Mommy: It's stuck?
Ellie: Da sun is stuck behind da cloud. See?
Mommy: Oh, I do see! Do you think it will be ok?
Ellie: No, it can't move! Can you fix it?

Later that day the sky was clear of all clouds and I thought "I wonder if Ellie thinks I played a part in saving the sun." It's nice to be reminded that even without Mommy having much sleep, there are people who think she's capable of doing anything.

Second Daughter

When Ellie was born, it took me by surprise how difficult a little baby could be. Anyone who was witness to Baby Ellie's first 8 months could testify that she was by far more difficult than the average baby. We all agree that the changing moment in her life was when she learned how to crawl. Suddenly a whole world of enjoyment was opened up to us. She was kind and thoughtful and sweet and funny. We could not get enough of Ellie. I could not take my eyes off of her. It was like seeing a fantastic new movie in the theaters. You just want to watch it over and over again. Remember the movie Titanic? Yeah, I was guilty of seeing it 9 times in the theater. Ellie was like that - I just couldn't stop watching her. I couldn't soak in enough of the entertainment she gave me every day, even if any given day had the same beginning and ending as the one before. I knew I had something good and I wanted to watch over and over again because each time I would notice something new. Something amazing. And I wanted to write about it all, share it all with the world because I knew that eventually everyone would agree with me - this little girl was something special, something the world has never seen before.

Telling the world about Addie has been more difficult. I'm not nearly as stressed with her as I was with Ellie. Instead of focusing on how I am going to make it through this moment, I find myself reveling in every moment with her. It's peaceful. It feels like I've already known this baby for much longer than her 4 months. We just click without even trying. She's like a classic movie - one that just always has been a favorite and you can't quite remember the first time you watched it. Princess Bride, anyone? It's not surprising or new, but it's familiar and comforting. And just as entertaining. I don't feel like I need to tell the world about how wonderful she is. They just already know. She's perfect. Anyone can see that without me explaining it to them. And I almost don't want to. I find that I want to keep her all to myself. I treasure every moment I have alone with her, knowing that the moments won't last long. She's already 4.5 months old and I feel like if I keep her to myself then it will slow time down just a little more.

Having Addie in my life is like a reminder that you can indeed have more than one favorite movie. There may be other movies that catch your attention and keep you entertained, but they're not like this one. Every one is unique. This one happens to be a classic. This one is, and always has been, a favorite. Doesn't it just make you want to sit back, relax, curl up on a couch and snuggle and just sit and stare?