It's been a minute.

Well my mom reminded me that I ever did this so I guess I am due for an update especially because I'm the main one with the kids so Eric doesn't even see most of these pics.

Saturday started with a trip to our favorite library.  They love the toys, and always make a little friend or two!

I mean who doesn't want to be friends with the girl sporting the cool purple sunglasses??

We love taking a few books and sneaking of to the cute little nooks.

In the afternoon we did the light bright!

Sunday our highlight was a play date with the Grefes.  They are OBSESSED with"Baby Chris."  

Pardon my messy basement here, but they loved the trampoline and didn't hesitate to get their fill.  (By the way that's how you know a good friend- you don't care if they see your yucky rooms.)

A little tube fun with Alivia!

This was the best part - they gave me a puppet show.  Alivia was the official stage manager, tending to the curtains, giving staging advice...

Bobby was on the left as the giraffe, Elaine was the elephant and lion, and the stage manager was doing her thing.

After they left, Elaine had a fun idea to eat at their play table.  She called it the "honors table" which is some sort of preschool thing.

And while I prepared dinner, the concert began.  Elaine directed her fans to the carpet.

She even got the audience involved.  Show woman indeed!

And here is Maddie imitating Leslie (to a T) when she was tending to "Baby Chris."  Steal my heart.

Beauty of Ballet

Tonight I bought Elaine her first ballet shoes in preparation for her class which starts soon.  We swung by the Pointe Academy as we often do on our way home from the farmers market.  This time... We went INSIDE!  For the next 20 minutes I got to watch Elaine in awe of the dancers.  The music.  The tempo.  The grace and simplicity of a ballerina.  It was almost an out of body experience to see her almost bloom in front of my eyes.  I was reminded of all the things dance brought to my life.  Focus. Calmness.  Discipline.  Effort.  Humbleness.  Poise.  Patience.  Perseverance.  Confidence.  

April Showers bring May Flowers

It's hard to believe it's been 8 months since my last post!  Boy how our lives have changed in the last 8 months!

Highlights:

• Elaine is completely potty trained.  No more night pooping!  Phew!  Thank you to her teacher for the brilliant sticker chart and Leslie for the suggestion to download the Potty Book on the iPad.

(Now I know why - as soon as I got on the computer just now, Elaine marched over with her laptop and demanded to sit in my lap and "do like mommy!!")

• Madeline still has no teeth but eats baby food twice a day and has a first course of Cheerios and puffs (which she gags on about a third of the time).
• We just lowered her crib yesterday because her latest trick is getting to standing position using the crib bumper.  She gets SO excited!
• Maddie army crawls and rolls to get place to place.  Good thing we never took down any babyproofing stuff - we sure need it it again!
• Elaine is very sweet.  She tells us she loves us, says "I need a hug" and anytime one of us is laying on the couch, she asks with huge eyes:  you not feeling well?

Life with two is certainly more exciting!  Their interactions really melt our hearts and watching them make each other laugh - well life just doesn't get any sweeter.  We continue to work on "sharing" and listening.  We are very excited to watch the flowers grow along with our girls!

 

See a trend?  We have a pretty awesome big sister!

 

Introducing Madeline Audrey Morse!

Interestingly enough, I went into labor the day AFTER Labor Day, just the day after my last blog post, which was filled with emotion and deep thoughts about #2.  Contractions and spotting started at work around lunch time.  I was able to get through them without a ton of pain, but after arriving home at the end of the day, they really picked up in intensity to the point where I could no longer stand up while they were coming.  This was when the phone call went out to Julie Morse and Julie Day, our helpers for Elaine.  Julie Day dropped everything and came right over, and Julie Morse jumped in her car, got Mike in Lacrosse, and drove straight here as well  (arriving after 2:00am)!

 

Good thing they did because Madeline was born at 9:14pm, via C-section.  It was an uncomplicated birth, and I remember those first baby cries and Eric announcing, she's here, she's here!!  This time he tried to peek past the curtain but the moment she arrived, his eyes were permanently locked on this 6 lb, 10 oz little bundle.  The question I called out over and over was, what color is her hair?  Sure enough, just like I had been visualizing for all those months, was our dark haired beauty, just the same shade as her daddy.  She even has his matching dimples in both cheeks.

Eric went to get food while she had to go under a heat lamp for an hour, and I was wheeled back to recovery for monitoring and to wait for my official room.  During this time, I called Julie Day, who was at our house and had been joined by Leslie Grefe, who brought her dinner and wine.  We had a really fun 45 minute conversation, and I'll never forget the laughter, the excitement, and the joy I had in knowing everyone was safe, happy, and HERE.  I am so grateful to have a Des Moines family of friends, who are willing to do things like this, and who answer the call when the time is here!

 

Some funny trivia -

Elaine was born on a Tuesday.  Maddie was born on a Tuesday.
Elaine weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz.  Maddie weighed 6 lbs, 10 oz.
Elaine was born 15 days early.  Maddie was born 18 days early (3 days, 3 oz - see the connection?)

The next morning, Mike and Julie arrived with Elaine to meet her for the first time.  It was so heart-melting, I can't even put it into words.  Elaine is VERY into her little sister and wants to be a part of every moment - who can blame her?  It's pretty exciting!!

 

 

"MY hold her!"

 

 

And here we are packing up to go HOME on Friday!!

 

Labor Day, labor thoughts!

Well, with this Labor Day I am consumed with deep thoughts about the arrival of our second daughter.  I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of anticipation, knowing in two weeks, I will be holding this little firecracker in my arms.  I say firecracker because I know she already is.  She is already communicating with her sister from the inside, delivering wildly dramatic kicks and jabs to her mother.  She already has that fire in her to be a little sister, demanding to be noticed but strong enough to keep up with her older sis.  I am emotional today, as Eric and I have an extra day at home to enjoy our Elaine, to give double kisses, to play ring around the rosey (6 times in a row) in the kitchen, and to watch Sesame Street with just her in the middle.  The structure of our family is never going to be the same again.  This idea both overjoys me but has tears streaming down my face. 

I am nervous.  I am intimidated to do the newborn thing again.  I'm anxious to know how Elaine will react to having to share her throne.  I'm sad to know I won't get to witness her every first because I'm watching the other one have one of HER firsts.  I'm scared she'll be lost without us while I'm in the hospital and I'm very nervous about my recovery in such an active time of Elaine's life.  I'm scared Eric and I will never sleep again, for once they are out of diapers, they'll certainly be doing sleepovers and talking to boys on the phone.   They'll live out of each other's closets, they'll fight dirty but love fiercely.  They'll tattle  on each other but keep the biggest secrets of the others lives.  They'll always have a friend on family vacations to walk the beach with and roll their eyes with as their parents belt out tunes from the front seat. 

I know the fears I have will soon be replaced by an overwhelming sense of family, of the same sense of love I had watching Eric hold our firstborn.  Watching someone assume a new role, be it father, mother, sister, grandmother, is such a beautiful thing.  Already Elaine plays mommy, putting all her stuffed animals under blankets telling them it's nap time.  I can only imagine the things she will mimic when the new baby is here and she has a front row seat to it all.

I know I should be so proud of her (and us) for how far we've come in the last year.  Getting her adjusted to a big girl bed, helping her with potty training, watching her take tumbles, scrape knees, seeing her dive effortlessly into a new room at daycare with a whole new curriculum and teachers and kids.  And watching things like her hair grow, her feet, her tiny little hands.  Listening to her personality, watching her squeal with delight and also sometimes in fear.  Watching her command a situation or just relax knowing she's loved.  I am so thankful for 9 months to be able to come to this day of clarity, of mixed emotions, of excitement.  And I know we will all happily make room for one more on our couch, one more in our ring around the rosey, and someday we'll get to be triple kissed.

Until then...   2 more weeks of looking at tiny sonogram pictures dreaming of our firecracker-to-be!

Overdue post!

The best way to find out who reads your blog is to stop posting for a while! Here are some overdue photos from the last few months!

Lets all go for a walk outside

The weather was finally decent for a walk and some park action, so we got to enjoy it! Here are some pics!!