It's been a big week for the Loewens! G-Ma and Baba (that would be my mom and her husband, Bob) came to visit! We had a great time during the 4 days they were here, even though I had to work 2 of the days. They were good sports and met up with us during our work day on two different field trips! And with three kids under three, I appreciated the extra sets of hands! We spent our evenings at the hotel swimming and eating, and then on Saturday, we all (including Reg!) headed up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a wonderful trip, and included live music, picnics, swimming, hiking, shopping, playing, reading, and of course, plenty-o-eating. Hooray!
G-Ma and Izzy watching as Bob mysteriously disappeared into the indoor part of the swimming pool! Where did he GO?!
Kicking, kicking...
Isabelle's first experience with a french fry and ketchup was a raving success.... like mother, like daughter.
The girl was equally delighted with her first taste of blackberry frozen yogurt!
Hiking in RMNP... nice view from up there!
Throwing rocks into the lake with Daddy!
Finding letters in the store names on the main drag in Estes Park.
Silliness at the Cherry Store on the way back from Estes Park.
We all had a great time and hope G-Ma and Baba will come visit again soon!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Bappa, Lulu, and Uncle Ethan
We had a wonderfully full house over Memorial Day Weekend! Reg's family, Wes, Lou & Ethan came to visit, and Reg's cousin Kyle also spent two nights here, as he had a weekend class here in Ft. Collins. We were pretty cozy, but had a grand time all together! Here are some highlights:
Showing Grandma Lou ("Lulu") and Grandpa Wes ("Bappa") all of the family pics on the fridge:
Snuggling with Uncle Ethan:
Exploring with Grandma Lou:
Going for an exhausting hike on Daddy's back:
And just generally delighting in the warmth that comes from being with family:
Hooray for long weekends! (And relatives who don't mind long roadtrips that shorten the long weekends!)
**Also, pics are courtesy of my awesome father-in-law, as I went camera-less for the weekend. Thanks Wes!**
Showing Grandma Lou ("Lulu") and Grandpa Wes ("Bappa") all of the family pics on the fridge:
Snuggling with Uncle Ethan:
Exploring with Grandma Lou:
Going for an exhausting hike on Daddy's back:
And just generally delighting in the warmth that comes from being with family:
Hooray for long weekends! (And relatives who don't mind long roadtrips that shorten the long weekends!)
**Also, pics are courtesy of my awesome father-in-law, as I went camera-less for the weekend. Thanks Wes!**
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Rocky Mountain High
Well, we have officially been here three weeks now. Crazy. Slowly but surely, boxes are getting emptied, items are finding homes, and Isabelle is beginning to sleep on a schedule again. Thank goodness. :)
One item we have been saving up for is a decent kid-carrier to transport our beloved into the mountains regularly. Reg ordered one a couple of weeks ago, and we had the chance to try it out last week on a short hike up in the foothills, called Horsetooth. The bad news- we kept it short due to lightning and thunder in the distance, and due to mom's post-pregnancy lack of fitness (yes, we'll call it post-pregnancy even though it's been a year and a half, shh....). The good news- she loved it!! Hooray!
We went about a mile up, and although we went through about two cups of cheerios and twenty-seven verses of Old MacDonald, we all made it without shedding a tear! It was wonderful to be in the mountains, with our baby on our back (and by 'our' I mean Reg's) and our puppy by our side. We look forward to many, many more hikes in the years to come!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Breathe.
Well, this morning at 6:03 a.m. my wonderful in-laws pulled out of our driveway, FIL driving the U-Haul trailer, and MIL following in my little Chevy Tracker. Yesterday was a crazy day full of lifting, taping, grunting, sweating, feeding toddlers (and by toddlers I mean Izzy), more lifting, more sweating, well, you get the picture....
We all fell into bed (aka a couch and two cots) at 11 p.m. utterly exhausted. Thankfully all three adults were slightly more peppy when the alarm went off at 5. After the 'rents left, with "COLORADO OR BUST!" written on the windows (ok, not really, but that was the sentiment!), I got busy scrubbing baseboards, filling trashbags, and moving the Goodwill items into the sunroom. I got close to an hour of work done before the bean starting wailing. So we did a quick diaper change/cup of milk, and then continued our work, literally attached at the hip.
7:45 a.m: Enter G-Mama (hooray for G-Ma's!!!!). With an extra set of hands to feed the baby- I mean toddler- breakfast and help me throw away odds and ends, we pounded out most of the rest of the cleaning by about 11:30. Oh, and I should mention that during that time, G-Ma and Isabelle took two loads of crap- er, stuff- to Goodwill and a load of luggage to her house for the evening, giving me some blessedly productive bonding time with the baseboards and cobwebs here in our humble abode.
Once I almost passed out from hunger (literally!) at 11:45, we went to G-Ma's house, grabbed some lunch, then headed to the pediatrician's office for Izzy's ear infection follow-up. Once home, Busybelle promptly sacked out, hopefully for a good long last nap at the Hamilton House. G-Mama just left to take a load of baby stuff to a shelter in Lansing, and I am taking ten minutes to sit and breathe on the couch before reuniting with my beloved baseboards.
It's sort of surreal that 24 hours from now we will be through Detroit airport security, and 30 hours from now we will once again be residents of The Centennial State. Seeing that in print makes my heart start racing with excitement to see Reg/sadness about moving away from family/stress of the next 24 hours, but I read some wisdom on a poster the other day. Keep calm and carry on. So calm I will keep, and on I will carry. Okay, it's go time.
We all fell into bed (aka a couch and two cots) at 11 p.m. utterly exhausted. Thankfully all three adults were slightly more peppy when the alarm went off at 5. After the 'rents left, with "COLORADO OR BUST!" written on the windows (ok, not really, but that was the sentiment!), I got busy scrubbing baseboards, filling trashbags, and moving the Goodwill items into the sunroom. I got close to an hour of work done before the bean starting wailing. So we did a quick diaper change/cup of milk, and then continued our work, literally attached at the hip.
7:45 a.m: Enter G-Mama (hooray for G-Ma's!!!!). With an extra set of hands to feed the baby- I mean toddler- breakfast and help me throw away odds and ends, we pounded out most of the rest of the cleaning by about 11:30. Oh, and I should mention that during that time, G-Ma and Isabelle took two loads of crap- er, stuff- to Goodwill and a load of luggage to her house for the evening, giving me some blessedly productive bonding time with the baseboards and cobwebs here in our humble abode.
Once I almost passed out from hunger (literally!) at 11:45, we went to G-Ma's house, grabbed some lunch, then headed to the pediatrician's office for Izzy's ear infection follow-up. Once home, Busybelle promptly sacked out, hopefully for a good long last nap at the Hamilton House. G-Mama just left to take a load of baby stuff to a shelter in Lansing, and I am taking ten minutes to sit and breathe on the couch before reuniting with my beloved baseboards.
It's sort of surreal that 24 hours from now we will be through Detroit airport security, and 30 hours from now we will once again be residents of The Centennial State. Seeing that in print makes my heart start racing with excitement to see Reg/sadness about moving away from family/stress of the next 24 hours, but I read some wisdom on a poster the other day. Keep calm and carry on. So calm I will keep, and on I will carry. Okay, it's go time.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Worth two thousand?
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth.... two thousand? At least. I'll let it speak for itself. As an unbiased mother, however, I have to say I am completely charmed by this toddler. :)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Siren Prayers
A highlight of motherhood thus far:
Tuesday afternoon when we got home, we settled onto the living room rug to play, as usual. Living around the corner from the fire department definitely has its perks (I never have to worry about our house burning to the ground!) but it also means that we get several sirens every day-- or night, as the case may be.
Predictably, just before dinner we heard the sirens start. Predictably, Isabelle started sirening right along with the ambulance. However, unpredictably, and before I even had a chance to mention it, she simultaneously folded her hands, ready to pray for those people with owies. So we prayed- me with words, Iz with howling, but we prayed and prayed as those fire trucks and ambulances zoomed off to take care of the people who needed it.
After we finished howling- er, praying, I thanked God for this chance to be a mother. My one-year old prompting me to pray for the people in the ambulance was one of the most poignant experiences I've had so far, and I am humbled and amazed by this child, and who God has made her to be. What an honor, to be entrusted with such a treasure, and to help guide her on her journey in faith and in life. I have a feeling I have much to learn about childlike faith in the coming years and I cannot WAIT.
Tuesday afternoon when we got home, we settled onto the living room rug to play, as usual. Living around the corner from the fire department definitely has its perks (I never have to worry about our house burning to the ground!) but it also means that we get several sirens every day-- or night, as the case may be.
Predictably, just before dinner we heard the sirens start. Predictably, Isabelle started sirening right along with the ambulance. However, unpredictably, and before I even had a chance to mention it, she simultaneously folded her hands, ready to pray for those people with owies. So we prayed- me with words, Iz with howling, but we prayed and prayed as those fire trucks and ambulances zoomed off to take care of the people who needed it.
After we finished howling- er, praying, I thanked God for this chance to be a mother. My one-year old prompting me to pray for the people in the ambulance was one of the most poignant experiences I've had so far, and I am humbled and amazed by this child, and who God has made her to be. What an honor, to be entrusted with such a treasure, and to help guide her on her journey in faith and in life. I have a feeling I have much to learn about childlike faith in the coming years and I cannot WAIT.
Monday, April 18, 2011
14 months
Our Iz has become so very toddlerish lately, in her words ("nonononononoNO!"), her actions (picture mashed potatoes being flung at the wall), and her facial expressions! She is growing up, and it is simultaneously amazing and nostalgic- mostly just amazing though. Here are a few lovely moments from the other day, for your viewing pleasure. She and I were discussing various farm animals and objects out the windows. The bottom teeth kill me.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Knock Knock, Who's There?
We have had a wonderful weekend! My stepmom, Michelle ("Mimi") came up Friday evening for an evening of wine, sushi, and movies, followed by a slumber party and a Saturday full of crafting, playing with Busybelle, and drinking coffee! Needless to say, Saturday night when I went to bed it felt awfully quiet around here! So imagine, to my dismay, when I awoke at 3:40 to the sound of rustling in our driveway. I peeked out, but saw no one. Whew.
A minute later, though, the front door to the sunroom started ratting. Definitely NOT okay. So, I quickly flipped on the front light to scare away any would-be prowlers. Once again it fell quiet. The next 3 minutes or so were some of the longer of my life, sitting there on the couch and ready to claw someone's eyes out if they tried to hurt my girl! Thankfully, I think the porchlight scared him off, and I was getting ready to doze some more when all of a sudden, the prowler was around on the east side of the house trying to get in the window to the sunroom! It was definitely loud, and definitely scary! So I whipped out the cell and promptly dialed 9-1-1. The conversation that ensued:
Dispatcher: 9-1-1, how may I help you?
Me: Someone is trying to break into my house and my husband isn't home!
D: What's your location?
Me: Hamilton Road!
D: Okay, an officer is right in the area pulling out of Meijer; I'll stay on the line until he's ready to make contact.
Me: Okay! Oh he's trying to get in the window on the side of my house!
D: Which side?
Me: The east side where my baby daughter sleeps!
D: Okay, two officers are pulling up right now. Stay on the line with me while they search the premises.
Me: (heart POUNDING) Okay.
About 3 minutes later (meanwhile, 2 other cop cars are circling the block looking for the bad man who has run off by now with all the commotion....
D: Okay, an officer is ready to make contact. You can disconnect now.
Soooo, cautiously I tiptoed out into the sunroom, unbolted the front door, and let Officer Slack in.
"Ma'am, we found who was making noise at your house. You've got a raccoon. But if you hear any other suspicious activity and think it might be a real person, don't hesitate to call. Have a good night."
Oops. Well, I'll say this much. Any raccoon who dares to scratch his way into my girl's side of the house better hope he doesn't meet ME in a dark alley.
A minute later, though, the front door to the sunroom started ratting. Definitely NOT okay. So, I quickly flipped on the front light to scare away any would-be prowlers. Once again it fell quiet. The next 3 minutes or so were some of the longer of my life, sitting there on the couch and ready to claw someone's eyes out if they tried to hurt my girl! Thankfully, I think the porchlight scared him off, and I was getting ready to doze some more when all of a sudden, the prowler was around on the east side of the house trying to get in the window to the sunroom! It was definitely loud, and definitely scary! So I whipped out the cell and promptly dialed 9-1-1. The conversation that ensued:
Dispatcher: 9-1-1, how may I help you?
Me: Someone is trying to break into my house and my husband isn't home!
D: What's your location?
Me: Hamilton Road!
D: Okay, an officer is right in the area pulling out of Meijer; I'll stay on the line until he's ready to make contact.
Me: Okay! Oh he's trying to get in the window on the side of my house!
D: Which side?
Me: The east side where my baby daughter sleeps!
D: Okay, two officers are pulling up right now. Stay on the line with me while they search the premises.
Me: (heart POUNDING) Okay.
About 3 minutes later (meanwhile, 2 other cop cars are circling the block looking for the bad man who has run off by now with all the commotion....
D: Okay, an officer is ready to make contact. You can disconnect now.
Soooo, cautiously I tiptoed out into the sunroom, unbolted the front door, and let Officer Slack in.
"Ma'am, we found who was making noise at your house. You've got a raccoon. But if you hear any other suspicious activity and think it might be a real person, don't hesitate to call. Have a good night."
Oops. Well, I'll say this much. Any raccoon who dares to scratch his way into my girl's side of the house better hope he doesn't meet ME in a dark alley.
Monday, April 4, 2011
da-DA!
Well, the bean is getting braver. Her walking is quickly improving and she now ventures onto the hardwood floors and around corners (see below). Mommy's getting a workout chasing the Busybelle and keeping her off the furniture! We can't wait to get to Colorado so Daddy can chase and Mommy can cheer (feet propped up, of course, and lemonade in hand)...
Other adorably newsworthy anecdotes of late include:
* When Izzy looks up (no less than 5x/day) from playing and blurts out "da-DA!" while sticking her finger westward as far as it'll reach. It's pretty much the cutest. Ever. Yep, Izzy, Daddy's still in Colorado... we get to see him SOON!
* Walking into her classroom to find her at the sink, by herself, scrubbing scrubbing scrubbing her hands in the sink. SO CUTE!
* Sweeping after food fights- uh, I mean meals- now that Wolfie doesn't act as the resident vacuum cleaner. Oh wait, this is NOT an exceptionally adorable anecdote.
* Isabelle "dancing" to any and all music with her huge (relatively speaking) cloth diapered bottom bopping up and down...
Those are a few highlights of the week. Now for some eye candy...
Other adorably newsworthy anecdotes of late include:
* When Izzy looks up (no less than 5x/day) from playing and blurts out "da-DA!" while sticking her finger westward as far as it'll reach. It's pretty much the cutest. Ever. Yep, Izzy, Daddy's still in Colorado... we get to see him SOON!
* Walking into her classroom to find her at the sink, by herself, scrubbing scrubbing scrubbing her hands in the sink. SO CUTE!
* Sweeping after food fights- uh, I mean meals- now that Wolfie doesn't act as the resident vacuum cleaner. Oh wait, this is NOT an exceptionally adorable anecdote.
* Isabelle "dancing" to any and all music with her huge (relatively speaking) cloth diapered bottom bopping up and down...
Those are a few highlights of the week. Now for some eye candy...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Scholastic Happenings
I've decided that x22022 is my lifeline. I call Izzy's classroom no less than 3 times daily to check in. Her teachers are probably pulling their hair out from my persistent mommyness, but they sure act nice about it! Today is her best day so far (3rd day's a charm?). Even though she wails for a few minutes at drop off, her primary teachers- Ms. Jenna ("Nennah!") and Ms. Mandi- tell me that she does really well after about 5-10 minutes- hooray!
Isabelle's "quiet spot" is in the book corner- shocking- our little bookworm! I guess she likes to read when she's sad, and that couldn't make me happier! Let's see... what else?
Oh, this morning was the first time it was warm enough to play outside. Mandi said she liked being outdoors, but got sad when it was time to come in, so she trotted off to her book corner for a few minutes to collect herself. Today is also the first day she didn't take a morning nap... might've had something to do with the fact that she slept 11 1/2 hrs straight through last night... :)
In any case, life is good for Miss Izzy, and it will be even better once her molars are fully in, her congestion dissipates, and her Amoxycillin is all finished. Woohoo!
Isabelle's "quiet spot" is in the book corner- shocking- our little bookworm! I guess she likes to read when she's sad, and that couldn't make me happier! Let's see... what else?
Oh, this morning was the first time it was warm enough to play outside. Mandi said she liked being outdoors, but got sad when it was time to come in, so she trotted off to her book corner for a few minutes to collect herself. Today is also the first day she didn't take a morning nap... might've had something to do with the fact that she slept 11 1/2 hrs straight through last night... :)
In any case, life is good for Miss Izzy, and it will be even better once her molars are fully in, her congestion dissipates, and her Amoxycillin is all finished. Woohoo!
We love you, Daddy!
We'll let the video speak for itself. This post is dedicated to Daddy, who is in CO right now. We miss and love you, Daddy! xoxoxo
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Off To School
Day one of day care: 6.5 hours down, 1.75 hours to go. Whew. The umbilical cord is officially stretched.
7:35 a.m. Drop off went remarkably well-- the little bean toddled her way right over to the huge blue bunny on the floor and gave it a good, tight squeeze. Then she made her way over to a new friend, Addie, and introduced herself by patting Addie on the head (pics to come). Good start, Iz!
8:30 a.m: Call #1 (What?! It had been almost a whole hour!) I could hear her wailing in the background, but Ms. Kalynn assured me it was only because she got up to get the phone that Izzy was "a little bit sad." Fair enough.
10:05 a.m: Call #2. Ms. Kalynn reported that she was sleeping peacefully in the nap room. Apparently at 9:30 she decided she'd had enough, and crawled into the lap of Ms. Kathy, curled up, and went to sleep. That's our girl.
1:01 p.m: LUNCH! Picture me at a full sprint across the parking lot to my car. Yep, it's true.
1:08 p.m: Peeked around the corner of Izzy's classroom, where she was being cuddled next to her cot by her teacher. Her eyes were getting sleepy, and I got to just stand there and spy on my sweet girl for a good ten minutes while she drifted off to piano lullabies. Like mashed potatoes for my soul, I tell ya. Once I looked at the time and abruptly came back to reality, I hustled out of there and zoomed back down the highway, to arrive at my desk only 2 minutes late. SWEET!
2:17 p.m: I am one proud mama. Our girl is being so brave and so big at her new school! My heart is bursting, my eyes are watering, and only 103 more minutes til I get to pick her up. Not that I'm counting, or anything...
7:35 a.m. Drop off went remarkably well-- the little bean toddled her way right over to the huge blue bunny on the floor and gave it a good, tight squeeze. Then she made her way over to a new friend, Addie, and introduced herself by patting Addie on the head (pics to come). Good start, Iz!
8:30 a.m: Call #1 (What?! It had been almost a whole hour!) I could hear her wailing in the background, but Ms. Kalynn assured me it was only because she got up to get the phone that Izzy was "a little bit sad." Fair enough.
10:05 a.m: Call #2. Ms. Kalynn reported that she was sleeping peacefully in the nap room. Apparently at 9:30 she decided she'd had enough, and crawled into the lap of Ms. Kathy, curled up, and went to sleep. That's our girl.
1:01 p.m: LUNCH! Picture me at a full sprint across the parking lot to my car. Yep, it's true.
1:08 p.m: Peeked around the corner of Izzy's classroom, where she was being cuddled next to her cot by her teacher. Her eyes were getting sleepy, and I got to just stand there and spy on my sweet girl for a good ten minutes while she drifted off to piano lullabies. Like mashed potatoes for my soul, I tell ya. Once I looked at the time and abruptly came back to reality, I hustled out of there and zoomed back down the highway, to arrive at my desk only 2 minutes late. SWEET!
2:17 p.m: I am one proud mama. Our girl is being so brave and so big at her new school! My heart is bursting, my eyes are watering, and only 103 more minutes til I get to pick her up. Not that I'm counting, or anything...
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunshine On My Shoulders....
Ahhhhhh. The first taste of spring is always SO refreshing- the tulip bulbs, the GREEN blades of grass, and even the mudpuddles (better than ice patches!). We have taken every opportunity to soak up the glorious sun this week-- in the evenings after I get home from work, in the front yard exploring tree bark with Daddy, on a walk-run Saturday morning, at the playground this weekend... It's been a long winter, weather-ly and emotionally speaking, and we are more than ready to delight in the sunshine and new life that accompanies spring. Also, perhaps it's coincidental, but Isabelle seems spunkier than ever recently... she now struts down the sidewalk with glee, exploring each blade of grass, tree trunk, and twig. She still insists on holding on to somebody's finger while walking, but I have a feeling that, with all the new things to explore outdoors, she'll be on her own any day. Craziness.
Speaking of change, we've had an abrupt shift, well, acceleration in our plans this weekend. Reg got a call last night asking if he could come interview for a management position in Fort Collins this week. After some thought, prayer, and a lot of discussion, we decided it would make sense for him to drive out there this week, and spend some time interviewing and networking. Isabelle and I look forward to joining him as soon as possible... In the meantime, I will continue to work, and Izzy will make her entrance into the world of preschool. Again, CRAZINESS. How is our little girl ready to march off to school by herself every day? (Okay okay, it's just the one-year-old room at daycare, but it feels like she's getting on the school bus with her lunchbox, or- GULP- walking into her freshman dorm. I need to go get a tissue!).
Thankfully, it won't be EVERY day, as Saint- I mean Uncle- John has volunteered to spend 1-2 days a week with his niece here at our house. Hopefully this will ease the transition for her, although it will still be a HUGE change, as she's been with her dad almost every week day for the last 10 months. Hopefully she'll be more adaptable than her mother. My Grandma Shirley says the Norwegian in us hates change. I have found this to be comically and painfully true in my own life... Norwegian though I may be, it's one trait I am not proud of! But, I read a quote recently that said, “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." So onward we march, and I will try to pry my heels up out of the dirt and put one foot in front of the other as we enter this new phase. And I know that no matter what time zone we are in, tomorrow the sun will rise just like it did today, and we will be blessed with love, and emerging tulips, and God's grace.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Museum fun!
Last weekend we had a playdate with our friend Kean from church, and Kean's momma, Anna. We decided to check out Impression 5 Science Museum, which has a baby area called First Impressions. SO FUN!!!! The babes got their first experience at a water table, where we spent over half of our time! We all left fairly damp, but it was so worth it! They also had some pretty cool manipulative toys, and a fun book area. We had a blast exploring!! Our friend Kean is 7 months, so for the first time, Izzy was the "big kid" and it was so strange/awesome to see her in that role! It was seriously cute to watch her get toys off the shelf to "share" with Kean, and watch her do laps around him on the floor. She has also taken to giving all sorts of smooches, pats, and rubs, namely on Kean's bald little head.
It was during those blessedly work-free days I took off while Reg was away, and I got so spoiled- not only by being with Busybelle every day, but by getting some awesome fellowship and quality time with other mommas. Spending time with some new friends and their kiddos definitely made me realize how much I need to stay connected with other moms. The support and connectedness I felt last week was AMAZING! And don't get me wrong, I have a great husband and great family, but gosh, to have contact with other moms was beyond wonderful. I am making an April resolution to seek out more time with friends... Anyway, a short post, but just wanted to document the fun we had checking out one of the 'hot spots' in the hot spot that is Lansing, Michigan. Hooray for play dates!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Less Clutter + More Time = Happy Mama
Last week, Reg flew out to CO to spend a few days job hunting, and a few days skiing with his bro, Ethan. Isabelle and I were left to our own antics, and I had the delight of taking a few days off work to accompany Busybelle on activities such as Storytime at the library, Mom2Mom group at church, a playdate at a local science museum, and lots of time to just BE, here at our humble abode. The quiet, computerless evenings prompted me to deep clean and organize our house, and led me on a mission to make our lives simpler, less cluttered, more financially responsible, and hopefully more ecofriendly. Enter cloth diapers and no more paper towels. Huh? That's right, we've
gone paperless (except in the TP department, in case you were worried), thanks to these cuties I found at Ikea, 10 for $3.99. A pack of these babies + a $1.49 Command Hook = an endless supply of hand towels for less than a $8.99 value pack of paper towels (and we go through at least 10 a year, making a savings of roughly $90-100 a year)... waHOO! Who would've thought that putting a little loop of ribbon on a simple white washcloth could be so novel? Needless to say, I'm relatively, well, thrilled with the discovery. We also switched over to cloth diapers, which should save us somewhere between $800-$1000 in the next year or so until we move on to the big girl potty. Think of all the money that can go toward other things now- groceries, paying off debt, date nights, the 529 fund, etc. Hooray!
The other big accomplishment of the week started as an attempt to create some order (read: SANITY) out of a cleaning routine, or lack thereof. I came up with a master schedule that I can easily tweak each month. Basically, each day has the same 5 basic tasks: wiping counters, doing dishes, sanitizing toys that get flung out of the Pack-n-Play, doing one load of laundry, and general decluttering of surfaces. Then each day of the week is also assigned a weekly task (i.e. Monday-dusting, Tuesday- trash, Wednesday-refridgerator, Thursday-vacuum, Friday- weekly menu, Saturday-bathroom, Sunday-groceries).
Finally, each day also has a once-a-month "deep cleaning" task such as cleaning the freezer, disinfecting light switches & doorknobs, or cleaning out the car. The list is taking about 30-40 minutes of each day, which is doable so far, and SO worth it just to know that it WILL all get done. I don't have to flip out today that the microwave has grease spatters on its walls, because I know they'll be gone on Thursday. Whew. The moral of the story, and the reason I'm doing a whole post about this on a blog devoted to Isabelle Grace, is that these simple changes have made vast improvements in my stress level, time management, and general demeanor, meaning I have more mental/emotional capacity and time to spend with my sweet girl (and, as an added bonus, less waste and a cleaner house). And now that Reg is home to assist with The List, it means even more time for family time... Yesssss!Monday, February 28, 2011
The Little Girl Who Could
She turned one. No more baby. (sniffle, sniffle). Our little girl is so capable, and independent all of a sudden, it's unbelievable! Aside from getting tooth #7, and eating (and loving!) cheese quesadillas, six days after her first birthday, Belles TOOK TWO STEPS!!!!!!! She's on the move, folks! This accomplishment has been accompanied by a plethora of emotions (for her mama, at least), but all in all, it's an amazing and wonderful milestone. "Watch out, World," is pretty much our new mantra.
Another blogworthy event of the week was Izzy's first birthday party last Sunday, which, incidentally, was held on Daddy's birthday (happy 32nd, Reg!). Somehow we crammed 12 beloved ones into our little 8'x12' living room to celebrate with us. Amidst the cupcakes and balloons and wrapping paper, the very best part of the day was all the love that was crammed into one tiny house (we even had "virtual love" coming from grandparents who weren't able to make it). Seriously, it was palpable. Our girl is so very blessed.
The birthday bash concluded a VERY busy and celebratory weekend, having celebrated G-Mama and Bob's matrimonial bliss the day before. (and, as a humorous sidenote: when we went to get her black MaryJanes to complete her flower girl ensemble, we tried on her normal size 2.... no WAY. Size 3- well, picture Drizella Tremaine trying on the infamous glass slipper... Size 4- nope, her poor little foot fat was still squeezing out the top of her MaryJane (which, by now, was about twice as long as her little foot!). SOOO, we went for black suede booties instead, complete with rhinestones on the sides- and plenty of elastic.) Anyway, I digress....
On this side of the weekend of (joyful) insanity, Isabelle is beyond thrilled to have a zoo of new friends in her room now, including Helga the Hippo, Georgia the Giraffe, Luellen the Ladybug, Pierre the Polar Bear, and Cleo the Kitty. Oh, and a barnyard of Playskool friends that reside in a shiny red barn. It's a party around here, let me tell you.
Although there are about 54 other topics I could go on and on about right now, I am reminded of the fact that late night is not my most eloquent -or succinct- time (right, Jen?). So until I am more rested,
xoxo
Christy
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Birthday Ponderings
It is quiet. Isabelle has just had her early morning *sippy cup* and is now slumbering in bed for a couple more precious hours. Yes, that's right, no more bottle for our big girl. 365 days ago at this time I was hoisting my largeness into the Tracker and driving with Reg towards Sparrow Hospital, to begin the greatest adventure of our lives. How has a year passed? Unbelievable.
In the last year, which feels like a week and a decade all in one, this precious one has gone from a snuggly, sleepy little stranger to a precocious, talkative, independent, fiercely affectionate, capable little girl who loves to give smooches, put her socks "on" her feet, pat all of her animal friends, eat broccoli and chicken, and babble to anyone who will listen. A year ago I could hardly imagine the day when she would hold her own head up, and now she does "somersaults" over my legs. A year ago the only sounds she made were coos, cries, and burps. Now she says words like mama, dada, tooth, juice, done, and cheese. A year ago our idea of "playing" was mama holding a book or a toy in front of her to examine, if she was awake for a few minutes and doing some tummy time. Now she would rather "read" her own books and pretend to give her baby a bottle than (heaven forbid), have to take a nap. A year ago I had no idea how we would ever teach her all that she would need to know, the essentials like how to hold her head up, eat solid food, sit up on her own....
And yet somehow, through the too-short nights, and the spit up, and the panicky moments of "how do I know if I'm doing it right?," our girl has grown up just as she should, and she has taught me how to be her mom. And though the days of her sleeping for hours curled up on my chest are fleeting, they are being replaced by new precious moments of seeing her eyes light up as she learns a new word or concept, and moments of watching her sense of humor forms as she tries to tickle my toes, or "hide" from me behind her book, or make me laugh with funny noises only Isabelletheglorious can make. So although I'm not a big one for change (let's face it, that's the understatement of the century), I am learning, through Mommyhood, to embrace it. The change is SO worth it.
Well, it's a long -and wonderful- day ahead (not only is it Belle's birthday, but G-Mama is getting hitched today, too!), so it's probably time I up and arm myself with some waterproof mascara. But in the words of Paul Simon, "These are the days of miracle and wonder." How blessedly true.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Time flies...
I've decided, this week, that it's time to get my act together and create some order in the chaos that has become life. This has included two trips to Goodwill, 12 new Sterilite storage containers, and now, posting regularly on this blog to keep you, our loved ones, up to date on our little corner of the world. I commit to at least one post a week. Please feel free to hold me accountable :)
That said, life has been crazy busy for us Loewens here in Okemos. Somehow, time has flown and Izzy is rapidly approaching her first birthday. Reg wins the award for Stay At Home Dad of the Year, as he has spent the year teaching Isabelle things like how to identify animals in her books, faithfully participating in library story time every Wednesday, playing round after round of Patty Cake, and changing more poopy diapers than he ever imagined. It's a tough job being full time parent and caretaker, but he has stepped up to the plate and knocked the proverbial ball out of the park!
To bring the blog up to speed, Isabelle spends her time right now pretty much cracking us up. She loves singing "duets," by doing call-and-response songs on a syllable of her choice, usually "na," "da," or "ma." She also loves breaking into random fits of giggles and guffaws, frequently in her crib during naptime. When she's not singing or laughing, she can usually be found contentedly eating broccoli, giving her doll excessively wet "smooches," or feeding Cheerios to her best friend, Wolfie.
Oh, and I should mention that Isabelle, unlike either of her parents (wink, wink), is quite the verbose one! Exploring new syllables is a favorite activity, and we've pretty much mastered da, ma, ga, deh, wa, ka, noo, doo, and no. Works, I mean WORDS, in progress include juice (pronounced 'tseuss'), cheese ('tsesch'), and Cheerio ('cheh'). All in all, it's pretty much the most charming thing ever and we could probably spend the rest of our days listening to her babble away happily.
Before signing off for tonight, one more topic: food. Just like her parents, she LOVES it. Any type. Any flavor. Any texture. (well, except whole kernel corn). Her list of favorite foods is quickly expanding, and to date, includes cantelope, peas, pears, yogurt, peaches, avocado, cucumber, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, cheese, lefse, chicken, hamburger, cheerios, Gerber puffs, applesauce, and her two favorites: bananas & broccoli. Speaking of which, it's about time to de-pea the little bean's high chair tray ...
until later,
xoxo
christy
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