Little Misses,

We started off the new month with Twig on the inside and ended with her outside. It’s surreal to think of it that way.

Peanut and I spent the first 19 days of the month having all the mommy-daughter time we could in anticipation of no longer being a family of three and all the changes that brings. We watched movies and cuddled on the couch, we went to the library, we cleaned house together, and we watched lots of birth videos. You loved watching the birth videos and talking about how the baby was going to come out of mommy’s tummy soon.

On the 20th, Twig decided to grace us with her presence and she certainly did it with a bang. Less than three hours of labor and nine and a half pounds of bang. Peanut was there and helping through the whole labor and was instantly in love with her new baby sister.

The rest of the month was spent adjusting to being a family of four. Peanut had a bit of a hard time and there were lots of emotional outbursts and some defiance, but none of it was ever directed at Twig. Quite on the contrary, Peanut, you wanted to spend all your time kissing, cuddling, and especially nursing with Twig.

Twig, you seem to be very content with life outside the womb. You nurse like a champ and you love spending most of your day being held by mommy in a carrier. Of course, you spent most of the end of January sleeping, but when you were awake you were amazingly alert. Everyone’s astonished how well you hold up your head for a newborn and at your two week appointment (technically in February) you had already gained 1 pound and 1 ounce.

Just like everyone said it would, my heart swelled when Twig was born, giving me the amazing ability to love both of you each individually as much as I loved Peanut before, then some more on top of that to be able to love the both of you as sisters too. I had absolutely nothing to worry about in that department. I’m so happy that I have two beautiful little girls and I know that your love for each other will just grow with time. I’m ecstatic that we’re opening this new chapter in our lives.

Love,
Mama

Photos by Cat Palmer.

Hello my little darlings,

It feels like so much has happened over the last two months! School ended for both myself and Peanut at the beginning of December. I can tell you miss your preschool friends Peanut, but I also think you’re happy to be home with Mama all day. We spend the day doing puzzles (your current obsession), helping Mama with house work (you love to sort socks, put away the silverware, and feed the dog), and watching Dinosaur Train.

Oh boy, do you love Dinosaur Train. You request it many more times a day than you’re allowed to have it. You’ve convinced both of your sets of grandparents to DVR so you can watch it at their houses (more than Mama likes, but that’s how everything is with grandparents, right?), which has never happened before because generally you have a specific show for a specific household. You love to sing the songs from the show even when it’s not on (like stomping around the house screaming “I’m a T-rex! I’m a T-rex! Stomping ’round the forest, ty-ran-no-saur-us rex!”) and you got mad when Mema called you her “buddy” because you’re not Buddy, that’s a dinosaur. You also tell people you’re a Pteranodon.

Here’s a video of you running around the basketball court Daddy is playing on “exercising” and pretending to be a Pteranodon:

You also quite love Tangled. You got a doll and dress-up dress from your Mema and Pop Pop for Christmas and that doll goes everywhere with you. We keep talking about how her name is Rapunzel, not Tangled, but you still call her Tangled. You’ll eventually get it.

As I said earlier, you love puzzles. You got puzzles from all your grandparents this year because they all know how much you love them. The other morning you were begging Daddy to wake up and do one of your puzzles with you. The same puzzle that we’ve literally done about a dozen times since you got it a week ago.

You also love to do your “trick” with putting on your coat. Apparently they taught you at preschool. You lay the coat flat and put your hands into the arm holds (hood of the coat closest to you) and swing it over your head to put it on. It’s actually pretty nice because you no longer fight getting your coat on, but you also have to show everyone your new trick. You also love showing people how you can play Angry Birds (better than Mama can) and Plants Versus Zombies (not very well at all) on Mama’s phone.

You’re back in our bed, which you actually have been for months and I think I’ve just forgotten to mention on here. I think it’s partially nervousness about the new baby coming and partially Mama not wanting to lay in your bed to nurse you to sleep. While I could deal with less kicks to the belly from the outside (and really from the inside too, mind you), I do love cuddling with you every night. Hopefully your nursing and co-sleeping helps all of us transition to a family of four easier.

Speaking of our family of four, you’re super excited for your new brother or sister. Lately you think it’s a brother. You love to give the baby a hug and kiss goodnight through my belly and put your hand on my belly to see if the baby is kicking. Usually you give up after about two seconds and tell me the baby is sleeping. You also keep smelling my belly, which is kind of weird, but whatever.

Twig, you’re just chugging along. According to my emails, you’re the size of leek right now. I’ve never had a leek, but it looks like something Bunny would like. You’re also kicking like crazy, though I can’t blame you considering your head is stuck way down low in my pelvis. That certainly can’t be comfortable.

It’s amazing to me that the next time I write one of these, you’re going to be outside of my body. Wow. We thought you might be coming the other night, but it turned out to be a false alarm. In the end it was a good thing though because it made is kick into high gear with preparing for you. We’ve already finished a ton of things on our list and I feel like we’re truly ready for you to come at any point. Of course though, keep cooking in there as long as you need to. I’m certainly not going to rush you out. Though I’m starting to really want to know if you’re a boy or girl.

I love you both so much I could cry,

Mama

Hello Peanut and Twig!

Wow it’s been a few fun and busy months! I hadn’t even realized that I haven’t written to the two of you since May! We’ve had a great summer and I’m sad to see it end, but I’m also excited for all the new things happening this fall.

First off, the summer. We started off June by taking our first family vacation. We drove 7 hours down to Vegas for your great-uncle and great-aunt’s wedding. It was not fun driving for that long, but you were much better than I would suspect you would have been a year ago. This trip is a big part of what prompted us to buy a minivan a few weeks ago and I’m certain that the next trip we take will be much less bothersome of a ride.

We spent so much time outside and it was wonderful. We got season passes to Lagoon and have used them thoroughly. You liked the fireworks this year, but were a little afraid still. You also love the dinosaur park even though you sometimes get afraid of the dinosaurs that make noise. Your favorite friends in the world are Sophie and Idella.

I’m happy to say that we found out today that you are no longer allergic to peanuts. Either it was a false positive (which the doctor seemed to think not) or you outgrew it. Either way, it’s certainly made my day. We stopped for a donut treat on the way home since we can have them now.

You’re doing really well with your colors now (even more so now that we’ve started playing Candy Land and you tell everyone which color they got and how many). You’re also amazing with your letters and always spell the words on signs and menus, then immediately demand to know what it spelled. You’re also speaking amazingly well. Everyone who sees you thinks you’re older for how many words you know. The nurse today thought it was the cutest thing in the world that when she asked you something you responded with “Of course!” I personally love how you perfectly enunciate cro-co-di-le.

You started preschool last week and while you have had a bit of crying in the adjustment period, you’re really liking it. You love Teacher Lisa and you tell me all the things that you get to do while you’re there. Since it’s on campus, Mama spends lots of time watching you through a one way window and it’s great to watch how you interact with other kids without me there. Your teacher says you love to command the play by telling everyone what they’re playing with and how and that’s great for your age.

You love talking to Twig in my tummy. You rub your nose on “the baby” like you’re giving Eskimo kisses (I’m not quite sure where you got this idea, but it’s really cute). It seems as though you think the baby can see out my bellybutton because you like to show the baby whatever you’re playing with and I haven’t bothered to correct you. I figure there’s no harm in you thinking Twig is watching along with listening. You also make me lift my shirt up every time you want to talk to Twig as if he/she can’t hear you through the layers.

Speaking of you Twig, you’re quite a mover and a shaker. You like to make appearances when I’m studying or when I’m reading before bed at night. I swear I have a little octopus in there. You’re the length of a banana now and I certainly notice it. Daddy and Peanut haven’t been able to feel you yet, but they keep trying. Well actually, Peanut claims to feel you, but considering that Daddy can’t I’m guessing she’s just hopeful.

Love you both!

Mama

Peanut,

Oh my goodness, the terrible twos! Dun dun dun. Actually, I have noticed a difference. Not necessarily always terrible, but you’re certainly full of it. You’re really into running away from Mama and Daddy when we’re trying to get you dressed. You think it’s hilarious. You just run away giggling your head off and hide while continuing to giggle your head off. Yeah, you’re not too good at hiding yet. You also think it’s funny to play “keep away” when we’re trying to get your legs in your pants or things like that. I guess it’s really my fault in the end because we used to play games so you wouldn’t hate getting dressed. Now you’re just big enough to really play those games.

Your full-of-it-ness has also resulted in some pretty amusing stuff. Case in point:

and:

(gotta love how she gets distracted with her own reflection at the end of this one)

You’ve also suddenly found out what the word “mad” means. You think it’s pretty funny to tell everyone that you’re mad at them. You cross your arms and make a “mad face” and say you’re mad at people. Of course, you do understand that you’re pretending. I got a pretty funny video of you telling me you were mad at everyone on Mama’s side of the family:

You’re also talking even better than before. I’m seriously amazed with your talking skills on a regular basis. Now you mostly talk in 3 word sentences. You’re telling us what to do “Scoot me in” (referring to your chair) and asking us “what you doing?” generally followed by “why?” You love talking on the phone with anyone who will listen. Really, you just love to talk in general it seems. It’s like you figured it out and now you have to get out all of the words you were building up for so long! You’re never going to shut up (and I think I’m actually pretty happy about that!)

Love, Mama

Hello Little Miss,

I can’t believe that you are 2 years old. 2 years! Thinking back through this last year, I sometimes find it hard to believe that you are the same child you were then. You’re so much bigger. You’re so much less of a baby. You’re so much a tiny human!

Peanut eating her birthday cake 1 year ago.

You’ve taken huge strides in talking. A year ago, you were barely starting to sign. Now, sadly, you don’t even remember most of the signs. You barely stopped signing please every time you said it and that makes me sad. I was hoping that you would continue with signing and it would become a second language for you, but for now you’re running full force into speaking.

Peanut passed out nursing at 16 months.

Speaking of speaking, you’re an amazing little talker. I lost track of how many words you know months ago because you’re showing me multiple new ones every day. Sometimes I am absolutely surprised by the words that you do know. You use tenses (sometimes you say the kitty is “pur-hing” like it’s two syllables) and you even know some letters. Today you pointed to daddy’s shirt and told him he had an O. We asked you what other ones you knew and you pointed to the S and said “sss”. Wow, child, just wow.

Peanut passed out on Daddy's back at 18 months.

Of course with this being a blog about breastfeeding, I do have to mention how that’s changed. You still nurse and sometimes it feels like it’s a ton, but you’re much less reliant on it now. I thought we’d never get to the point where you didn’t nurse to sleep every night, but now-a-days you don’t nurse to sleep most nights. You don’t nurse during the night at all anymore. You either nurse and then unlatch and cuddle to sleep or you nurse and want either me or daddy to read to you until you fall asleep.

21 month old Peanut and Daddy at lunch on Christmas Eve.

You love to read Cat in the Hat. You call him “Cat Hat”. It’s almost like Pavlov’s dogs how you are ready to pass out the second we start reading that book. You love Dr. Seuss in general. You also love Clifford the Big Red Dog. Really, you love to read anything. I hope that you keep that love throughout your life. Nothing can replace a good book.

Peanut wearing Daddy's shirt at 24 months

You still love to dance, but now you love to sing too. We’ve taken Music Together for a while now and have just decided to stop, which is bitter-sweet. It’s just simply too far to drive every week and on top of that pretty expensive. You love music and you sing, but we will continue to sing at home. You absolutely love singing Marry You as sung by the cast of Glee. It is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. You sing “no no no no no” and “yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah” and “go go go go go” and hold out all of the long notes. You even try to jabber along with the rest of the lyrics sometimes.

Peanut at the park at 24 months.

Along with no longer taking our music class, we decided to start you in tumbling. We just joined My Gym and you loved your first class. We took a tumbling class in the past and you showed everyone your new flip and roll for weeks. I’m certain that you’ll continue to enjoy this class and I hope that you grow to be a happily physically active adult.

Daddy, Mama, and 17 month old Peanut at a BBQ at home.

Sweetheart, I love you so much. You have done so many things to make my life better since entering this world. I could not have hoped for a better, more awesome little girl than you. The fact that you’re two simultaneously makes me feel like crying in sadness and delight. I am so excited to continue to watch you grow and develop into a wonderful human being.

Love, Mama

Peanut,

Can you believe that next month you’ll be 2? I certainly can’t. You certainly do act “like a two year old”, but it’s still hard to believe that it’s been two whole years since you were born. You’re such a big girl already! You are continuing to be an absolute blabber mouth. Most of the time you’re chatting constantly. I can’t understand a lot of it, but you’re certainly making sure that we hear you! Of the stuff I can understand, you’re saying full sentences. Even when I can’t understand you, you’re still saying full sentences!

You absolutely love your Music Together class. You love singing the songs in the car, you love going to class and dancing, and you especially love when I make up new lyrics to songs. We sing “Dea wore lotion on her arm, on her arm, on her arm…” to the tune of Mary Wore a Red Dress at night when putting on {you guessed it!} your lotion.

You’re also really into babies. Out of all of your stuffed animals that we got rid of one that I knew we had to keep was your puppy. For whatever reason, your puppy is a baby. You have done everything from making mama make a diaper for puppy (so you’d stop stealing yours to put on puppy) to making mama nurse puppy to pushing puppy around in your little play stroller. You still love your baby, but puppy seems to be used for the same function  now.

Speaking of puppies, you actually understand how to play with Curie now. Well, for the most part. You still occasionally try to just run away with her rope rather than playing tug-o-war. You also think she’s trying to tickle you when you put your head on the floor and she stiffs you. You think it’s hillarious!

Love ya,

Mama

Hiya Peanut,

Oh boy, we’ve had an eventful month!

First off, there was Christmas. You LOVED Christmas. Honestly, you mostly loved unwrapping the gifts. You were meticulous in making sure you got Every. Single. Piece. of wrapping paper off. Of course, you were tremendously spoiled. Is anyone surprised? You love your new kitchen and play with it daily. Of course you also love the shopping cart you had fits about.

{Too} shortly after Christmas, Mama started school again. Last semester was a huge battle for the first few weeks where you simultaneously clung to me constantly while absolutely hating my guts. This semester I’m going part-time again an you’re loving it. Going over to one of your grandparents’ houses a couple times a week seems to suit you fine. I worked out my schedule so I’d have time between classes to do homework, so most of my time at home is homework-free. I also was able to mostly figure my schedule around a reasonable nap time, so I think that helps you stay cheerful.

Of course, in the second week of Mama’s school, we all got the flu. It was the first time you’d really had a cough and you weren’t a happy camper. Luckily, Mama got sick before you and gave you some immunities, so you didn’t get nearly as sick as Mama. Also luckily we’re still nursing because it was the only think you’d eat for a while and it kept you busy while Mama hung out on the couch.

Lastly, we started watching Squeed once a week while her Mommy is in a night class. We’ve only watched her once so far, but you were thoroughly happy about it. Of course you both had troubles sharing (especially with the immensely coveted shopping cart), but that’s to be expected. I’m sure you’ll both get better with time. Hopefully this will help teach you some patience for when you get a new brother or sister.

Of course, you still have a mind of your own. You’re quite demanding. The other day you wanted cereal for dinner. Daddy told you we don’t have any milk, so you slapped him on the face and said “No! Cereal.” It was so hard not to laugh! You’re still obsessed with all forms of transit. You love taking the train to music class and you love your music class. You have great tone!

Mama loves you so much. You’re such a cute little tiny human.

Mama