September

Sierra's first trip to the beach!

She loved digging her feet in the sand!

Daddy braved the cold water with her

She had absolutely no reaction to the freezing cold water

Jumping in the wet sand is so much fun!

So is having her legs buried!

And a smooch on the beach for mommy.

Flying with daddy

He's a pretty special guy

REALLY enjoying her bowl of blackberries

Helping dad dig for the garage

And move some rock with her matching wheelbarrow

Second trip to the coast this month.  This time we visited the aquarium

Sierra loved looking at all the fish

"It's Nemo!"  she says

She also fell in love with these wooden turtles 

A break for a little rock climbing 

Those are some BIG teeth!

Enjoying some blackberries again.  We have a patch just down the driveway,

and we took full advantage of the berries daily. 

Trying to get in as much outside/park time as we can since I'm starting to have some better days

and while the warm weather lasts.... 

I'm starting to have some better days mixed in with the bad ones.  This is a good sign that the end of the pukes is near.  I hope.  My belly is growing rapidly despite the sickies - and some days I fear this child will weigh 20 pounds when born.  I didn't feel movement with Sierra until 21 weeks, but have been bombarded with kicks since right before 16 weeks with this baby.  Jesse and I were sure we were going to have another girl (why we assume things like this is hard to tell) and so when we found out at the end of the month that we were having a boy we both were kind of confused and a little terrified.  We are used to the idea of a girl because that's what we've raised the last two years.  So it seems like we are not only starting over with two instead of one, but with a whole new species altogether:) 

Sierra is not quite sure what to think of having a baby brother.  Some days she acts excited, other days she says "No I not have baby brother.  He be naughty."  We really don't push the subject much because it is still a ways off and we want her to get used to the idea slowly.  I can tell you she is getting sick and tired of me being sick and tired and says, "Mommy get up!"  or asks me if I'm done yet about 20 times while I'm throwing up.  So much for sweet sympathy:)  But I'm pretty sick of it too and would much rather be done with all the nausea and able to frolic with Sierra like normal.  Like I said, I am starting to have some better days and we've been able to go out and do a few things again which makes the weeks pass by a little quicker.

We took two trips to the coast this month.  Sierra's very first experience with the beach.  She fell in love with the sand and the freezing cold water.  It was hard to get her to leave.  Jesse followed her around and I sat and watched in awe of my two favorite people on this universe.  So many pictures I take are of the two of them because when daddy is around, I try to let them be.  I am with her all day long every day, and it's good for her to have fun and realize that someone else on this earth can play and help her.  Besides the fact it's just plain beautiful. 

The second trip to the coast involved a trip to the aquarium and another short trip to the beach.  The weather was not as nice for the second trip and luckily she was preoccupied enough with the sand and all the playmates she had (grandpa and grandma lee, amy, ben, and mommy and daddy) that she didn't even try to venture out into the water.  She really liked the aquarium but we kind of zipped through it because she was constantly ready to see what was next.  It's ridiculously priced if you ask me.  It's a tenth of the size of the zoo and costs more!  But an exciting experience for her and something we don't do often. 

Sierra is able to communicate more and more like a child instead of a toddler.  We have actual conversations and I feel more and more like I am talking to a person instead of a baby.  She can ask and answer questions and is really starting to be able to tell me what is wrong or what she did if she spent a couple hours with grandma or what she saw while she was on a walk with her daddy.  She is learning the art of manipulation as well.  If mommy says no then she will take a pouty face to daddy and ask him or vice versa.  And sometimes she can bring on the alligator tears with an ease that scares me a little.  She is quite dramatic in all that she does.  She's tough though - I don't mean to say that she cries easily.  If she gets hurt, she rarely cries for long.  Even if blood is involved - once I check her out she's usually done fussing in less than 30 seconds.  If it's before bedtime/dinner/or a nap things usually are a little more extreme.  But she is a tough cookie.  Like all children, she doesn't enjoy hearing the word no, and though she expresses her distaste in the decision she generally is very obedient. 

One thing we do struggle with is her listening when we ask her to come here.  Whether it's to get dressed, eat dinner, go to town, or whatever, the phrase come here tends to make her want to do the opposite.  This is something that drives me absolutely bonkers.  I'm sure she knows this and that is a factor in why she is determined to disregard what I say, but it is something we are continually working on.  We are also constantly working on learning to share.  She is making a great effort and sometimes when we are at the park and a child goes towards her favorite slide and she runs to it and says mine, she will look back at me and say, ok I will share.  This is a huge step when she realizes this on her own without a word from me.   I always praise her for that and we talk later about how it was good that she is learning to share with others.  It really takes a lot of reminding though,which can be exhausting. But it makes you realize there are so many selfish and violent behaviors that we come by naturally, and if you do not work on them, they become lifetime habits.  It's scary sometimes to realize we aren't born as innocent as it would seem. 

Sierra's sense of humor is also starting to really shine through.  She is a riot.  I love her silly side and the three of us have so much fun goofing off together.  Recently she tooted and I asked her "Did you toot?"  "Nope," she said, "my biscuits(our term for bottom) just burped."  Another time she pretended to hand something to daddy.  This happens frequently and usually she says she's handing us a cookie or sandwich.  So Jesse, not really thinking about it, pretended to eat this "thing" she handed him.  As soon as he did this she said, "No daddy, no!  Spit it out!"  I asked her why and what she had pretended to hand to her daddy.  "It was poop." she said and then started to giggle uncontrollably.  Not all of her funnies involve bodily functions, but those were some pretty funny ones.  She also recently sat on the potty by herself while I was in my closet getting dressed.  I could hear her calling me so I stepped out to hear her yelling from the other room, "Meg, Meg, I need a wipe."  I still laugh when I think about that. 

The other thing that really cracks me up is her intense sensitivity to smells all of a sudden.  If something stinks she says, "I smell something" and will actually start to gag sometimes.  Something sticky or gooey can also make her gag.  She'll play with worms, snakes, bugs, and dirt, but a soggy noodle from last night's dinner makes her gag reflux start and her eyes water.  Speaking of noodles, we are still going through a stage where she will pretty much only eat macaroni and lentil soup.  All of the things she used to eat, she now refuses.  She will eat any kind of fruit and most veggies (she still prefers them raw) but getting her to eat meat is almost impossible.  Luckily she does love nuts and her lentils, so we try to get her as much protein that way as possible.

I am continually astounded by Sierra's memory and her ability to grasp concepts that seem well beyond her 2 year old mentality.  She is so bright and I love watching her little mind work.  My birthday was this month and we've been asking her lately what she would like to pray for before we put her to bed.  Usually she wants to thank Jesus for our safe home, her bed, toys, etc.  But on the night of my birthday she stated that she wanted to pray for Mommy on her birthday.  It of course made me weep and was the most precious memory I have of that day.  Who needs gifts when you have the love of child?

August

How does your garden grow?  Ours is full of green tomatoes.

We spent lots of time at the fair.  Sierra LOVED the small animal barn.

Cotton candy was not a hit.  She actually gagged after taking a bite. 

She loved grabbing the ducks but cried when she realized her prize was

 a silly stuffed frog and not the actual ducks that she picked.

Her first fair ride (with my friend Lindsey) 

Blueberries straight from the garden.  What could be better? 

Making a "birthday cake" out of play dough 

Trying on the clean clothes on laundry day 

One of my favorite things ever: black caps!  We picked several handfuls a day

for several weeks.  We were all very sad when the season was over. 

Finally some warm weather = fun times in the pool with daddy 

Is that a naked child in the corn?  Why yes, yes it is. 

We broke ground on the garage this month.  Another building endeavor.  Yay. 

Sierra actually did most of the work. 

Less lawn and more holes.  Yay again. 

A fun day at Otter Beach with Grandma Lee 

She did excellent in the water! 

She gets this attitude from her father:) 

Fall is coming?  No way!  Summer just started! 

I'm a little behind on absolutely everything in life.  My house is not as clean as I'd like (this is not a new phenomenon), my fridge is empty because I haven't gotten groceries in too long, my hair needs cut, I need a shower, everything outside needs watered, and a billion other things.  Why am I so behind?  Yes, because I have a two year old, but also because we are expecting again in February.  Life has become a series of delirious days where I try to stay afloat and keep up with my energetic Sierra May.  The first 5 months of pregnancy for me is like five months of day after day of the worst hangover you've ever experienced.  The problem is, the nausea and vomiting don't go away the next day - they last and last.  And there does not seem to be a time of day that is worse or better - it's literally days of surviving and questioning why in the world I let this happen again.  I love Sierra beyond measure, and she was obviously worth it, but good grief I was hoping to have it easier the second time around.

Speaking of my dear child, she has been a champ.  We found out mid June that I was expecting and I started getting sick before we could even confirm with a pregnancy test.  At first Sierra was confused but very caring.  She was generally fine as long as I'd lay on the floor beside her, wherever she was playing.  She'd ask me "Mommy what's wrong?  You not feel good? Your tummy hurt?  I will rub it for you"  And frequently while I was bent over the sink or toilet she'd call from the next room, "Excuse you mommy, you feel better now?  You ready to play chase?"  Considering I am her only playmate most days, she has handled the transition extremely well.  We haven't explained too much about why mommy is sick, because in Sierra time, February is a lifetime away and we will explain a little more as the due date approaches. 

When deciding on whether or not to have another baby, a huge consideration is your first child.  We have always wanted to have two children (I will admit to being terrified for Sierra's first year of whether or not I would be ready again - and still have my moments of wondering how in the world I will get both fed, clothed, and kept happy) and saw a sibling as a true blessing to our only child.  The funny thing is as soon as I found out I was pregnant, my first reaction was a feeling of guilt.  Will Sierra be okay with this change, will she still grow and flourish when she only has part of my time, will she feel less loved and be angry?  I just had all these overwhelming thoughts that I had NOT expected.  Maybe I'm a little more sensitive to her being that I'm an oldest child myself, but really what it comes down to is I'm a mommy who loves her daughter more than life itself and I constantly worry how things will affect her.  I know in the end that having a sibling will prepare her more for the real world and the fact that life does not revolve around her.  I also realize she will have a constant playmate, and another person in her life that will love her to pieces and mostly like idolize his or her big sister.  I just hope and pray that she feels just as loved and cherished as she does right now.

So aside from the hormonal musings of a pregnant woman, summer finally arrived in Oregon this month!  Thank goodness.  Our garden has been super slow this year but we did get some blueberries and peas.  We had an excellent crop of black caps this year but our raspberries continue to be a lost cause because they are not fenced in and the deer completely demolish them.  After 6 years of living here, and my landscaping and garden being ravaged yearly by the deer, I no longer look at them as cute and innocent bambies.  I look at them as garden terrorists and am all for hunting season!

I still cannot quite believe that I have a big two year old on my hands!  Her language skills continue to improve every day.  We started working on left and right this month.  Living out of town can be really frustrating, but a 30 minute ride to town is full of learning possibilities.  We practice our lefts and rights, talk about the different kinds of trucks/cars there are, count the arrows around corners, sing a song, discuss the fact that red means stop, yellow means slow down, and green means go.  So we practice lots of things on a trip to town, and usually still do A LOT of singing.  The girl loves to sing and instead of singing in a tiny quiet whisper like she used to, she can really get going at times.  I love to listen, but most of the time I am required to sing too.  And if daddy is in the car, he must sing also.  So be prepared if you ever ride anywhere with Sierra, she may demand that you sing with her.  Her favorites right now are Baby Beluga, Baby Moon, and Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me.  Wheels on the Bus continues to rate highly, but I try to sing a different song if at all possible.

For the second year in a row, we managed to stay super healthy during flu season, and then catch 2 summer colds right in a row.  There was no fever involved, but a seriously snotty nose, and some nights of restless sleep for all of us.  Luckily we have a humidifier, and it is a lifesaver.  So anyone expecting or that has a new baby I would highly suggest you run to the nearest drug store and buy one to keep on hand.  It's kind of rough in the summer because it's already warm, and that warm steam can really heat the room up.  But it sure helps tremendously, and usually after the first night or so, she sleeps quite well.  We also discovered how well a couple spoonfuls of honey (only for age 1 and above) can soothe a cough. Our neighbor is a beekeeper and so we are able to get fresh local honey to enjoy. 

I sure love summer and am not ready for fall.  I love the abundance of berries and other local fruit, the warm sunny days, and some really great evenings.  Oregon summer evenings are pretty spectacular.  It's usually just the perfect temperature for being outside.  Sierra and her daddy spend most evenings playing outside, getting quite dirty, and then heading in for a bath.  Daddy is a lifesaver, and tends to take over when he gets home so that I can lay down and feel a little bit sorry for myself.  After her bath we generally watch about 20 minutes of a Disney movie, or her recent favorite, Season 1 of Ducktails.  After that we both go upstairs with her, say a prayer, and put her in her bed.  She usually talks to her trusty stuffed Thomas, or sings for a while, and then she drifts off to dreamland.  I'm terrified to transition her to a big girl bed because I don't want to start having to fight with her about going to sleep.  And, she does some serious acrobatics in her sleep.  I imagine her tumbling out of bed nightly.  She also has NEVER tried to crawl out of her crib.  I've never put her in there for anything but sleep, and generally after she wakes up we go in there pretty quickly to get her.  But even when we've had some issues getting her to go down for a nap, she has never tried to launch herself out.  I may just be making more and more excuses for reasons to keep her in her safe crib.  But generally in her lifetime, I try to make a big step when she shows that she is ready.  And right now, she seems perfectly content to sleep in her crib.  So we will see what happens in the next couple of months - because eventually baby #2 is going to need his or her big sister's crib.

That's all for now.  I have another month to catch up on!

23 Months and Sierra's 2nd Bday

A trip to the zoo!  Helen and Kevin met us there.

So did Amy and Ben

Daddy was there of coarse:)

She had a great day, got a new toy, and passed out immediately on the way home.

This girl loves to pick all of my flowers

Her visit to Dr.Byrne's office

Throwing pop pop's on the 4th

Our garden is finally starting to take off (taken at the beginning of the month)

Philomath Frolic Parade

Being patriotic!

Scaring Uncle Kevin with a play dough snake

Having fun with Auntie Helen

A new basketball hoop from Grandma and Grandpa Skaggs

Happy girl!  Loved the pink car from GG.

Opening presents with GG and John 

Trying to blow some bubbles

This was serious business

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

How in the world can my baby girl be 2?  It does not seem possible.  I still so clearly remember the early days of feeding after feeding, and wondering if she would ever sleep through the night.  I remember her first smiles and giggles and when she discovered her fingers, toes, and nostrils.  Her first steps seem like just yesterday.  Sometimes when I carry her up the stairs after she's fallen asleep in the car on the way home, I sit with her for just a minute in her rocking chair and cannot believe that this girl is the same tiny helpless infant that we brought home.  For one, she hardly fits on my lap anymore (when she is laying down).  Her long limbs drape over either side of me and as I look down at her sweet sleeping face I seriously cannot believe how fast it has gone. 

That was something we were told over and over: cherish these days, they go so fast.  I will admit that  I wasn't good at cherishing much at first.  I was exhausted, and she cried so much.  I really did want time to just move forward sometimes - to a time and place in which I was well rested, and she could do something, anything but cry.  And here we are two years later.  I wouldn't say that I want to go back to those first months, but I do wish that time didn't move quite so quickly right now.  Sierra is a true joy.  She is so smart and loving.  She has a wonderful silly side and I am constantly proud of her social skills.  I believe that being a people person is a gift.  It was not a gift I was born with or ever developed.  I despise large groups or crowds, talking in front of people makes me want to barf, and even the thought of going to a class reunion or any other large group event literally makes me sweat.  My Sierra on the other hand, loves people.  If we go to a park that is crowded, my first instinct is to turn and run.  She runs towards the crowd, seeing a chance to make new friends.  This scares me, and exhausts me, and constantly puts me out of my comfort zone, but I also see it as such a beautiful gift for her in life.

Her vocabulary is so well developed for a 2 year old.  Every once in a while she still comes up with something that I don't understand, but the girl can say most anything.  She still uses me instead of my and other normal toddler mistakes, but she is doing very well.  She knows all her colors, her alphabet (and is starting to recognize letters), can count to 16 or 20 depending on the day:), knows all her shapes including the difference between a square and rectangle, and she even knows what an octagon is. 

Her imagination is a wonderful thing to experience and as long as I am in the room, she can play by herself with her animals or dolls for long periods of time.   I love to hear the things that she comes up with as the toys interact among themselves.  Sometimes if she has gotten in trouble for something that day, she will reprimand them in a stern voice telling them to listen.  Or she might spout off something like "Super goof to the rescue"  from an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Whatever it is, I love to watch it.  And often times I am part of it too.  Some days I get to decide what my toy will say, other days, when she is feeling particularly bossy, she tells me what to say. 

Our big girl is completely potty trained now and I can't remember her last accident (now that I say that one is bound to happen).  She is dry for naps, and dry in the morning.  Despite being dry for several months, we would still put a pull up on her at night because we were sure the first night we decided to leave her in her panties, she would have an accident.  One night, Jesse put on her pull up and she pointed to it and said, "No big panties!  I want little ones."  We laughed and decided it was time.  So she now wear's her "little" panties to bed without a problem.  She also decided that she didn't need to be rocked before bed anymore.  She started requesting to be put straight to bed.  So we now say a short prayer. get kisses and hugs, and she gets put down in her crib.  I miss those few minutes of rocking but am proud of her for letting us know when she is ready to do things on her own.  Thanks baby girl, for pushing mommy and daddy to do what they were afraid to do on their own:)

We saw her Gastro Specialist at the beginning of July and he released her from his care.  He took her off of her acid reflux medicine, and unfortunately her bowel problem is likely genetic and it is possible she will need to be on a fiber/laxative supplement for her whole life.  It is amazing the amount of fruit she can eat, and NEVER get the runs.  So we are monitoring this closely and hopefully can keep her from having the issues that chronic constipation can cause.  Her weight at the appointment was 26.5 lbs (50th percentile) and 35 1/8 inches (85th percentile).   

She also had her first fever this month.  It was a high one.  For 72 hours she had a fever from 101-104.5.  She was lethargic and wouldn't eat a bite, but had no flu like symptoms of any kind.  Her fever finally broke on the the fourth morning she started to show signs of a rash.  Classic Rosoela symptoms.  It typically hits between 9 and 18 months.  I cannot imagine having a 9 month old with that high of a fever.  She recovered well though, and we still feel pretty lucky that she made it to almost 2 before she had a fever.

Another big deal: 2 year molars are coming through without fits and sleepless nights!  This is the first time that Sierra has cut teeth without some serious  Mr. Hyde-like behavior.  She's been sleeping like normal and may be a little short tempered at times, but nothing like we are used to.  I am so proud of her for reacting to these big molars like a big girl.

We had a small birthday party for Sierra the day following her birthday.  Several days before her birthday my hip went out and then locked in the "out" position which also locked my sacrum (very bottom of spine).  I could barely walk, couldn't hold Sierra, couldn't bend without weeping, pretty much couldn't do anything at all.  Luckily, the Chiropractor saw me for a second time the evening before her party, and my hip stayed in that time.  So on the day of her birthday it felt much better.  I have had trouble with my hips/knees since high school but I have never had it go out that bad.  It was totally debilitating and I hope I that never happens again!  Needless to say, I was glad for a simple party.  She had a wonderful time though and got some fun new toys.

I feel like there is so much more to say to sum up not only this last month, but the fact that she is two years old.  But I won't go on and on.  I'm proud of my big girl and I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for us!  Happy birthday my sweet Sierra May.