12 days of Christmas

Last weekend was huge - we got our tree, decorated our tree, and made our visit to see Santa.  Sylvie cut down the tree with Uncle Mark, and I think it is perfect.  It fits just right in the corner of our family room. Now that it is decorated, cookie monster hangs out near the bottom with a beautiful fairy, and big bird sits high above with the sparkly angel.  In between there are lots of personalized family ornaments, soccer balls, guitars, princesses, and lots and lots of shiny and sparkly balls.  Here is Sylvia's guided tour of the tree:

Just before we took our trip to see Santa, Sylvia said she was worried about next year.  "Santa only has 2 legs, not 3, where is baby brother going to sit?"  She then informed me that she would let Santa know what Stella wants because Stella is too little and doesn't know what she wants.  She's got this big sister thing mastered. 

In the end Stella hyperventilated a little and screamed a lot, so I have no idea what Santa and Sylvia talked about.  I know she let him know which pillow pets she and Stella each wanted.  Last night she made this list:

Translation: 

Sylvia:  Pillow Pet, Doll, CD, Ball, Ruler, Tools, Surprises

Stella:  Doll, Pillow Pet, Surprises

She told me this morning that she had two additions:  a horse names Thumpy and a robot. Luckily, I know these fall way below pillow pet in order of priority

I leave you with two ridiculously cute videos of Daddy and his girls singing the 12 days of Christmas.  If you're reading this in e-mail, it is definitely worth going to the blog to see these videos.  There is nothing better in the world :)

 

Lots of love, 

Keri

Christmas cheer

We went to a beautiful Christmas musical Sunday night at the church where Sylvie goes to pre-school.  Our neighbor and some of Sylvia's pre-school friends were in it, and both girls really liked watching.  Stella was amazingly well-behaved through a 1.5 hour show for a 1.5 year old.  Sylvia may end up debuting in her first musical this time next year - mark your calendars now :)

I love, love, love this time of year for a million reasons, and it is really, really fun to have the girls to share the excitement with.  Stella loves the lights and the music, and Sylvie loves all the decorations and projects.  She knows all my secrets for presents :)  I'm not sure how well she'll keep them, but it's sooo much fun to let her in on the presents and projects, so I don't mind if a few slip out. 

Sylvia has been asking me for days to hang up the stockings, because she couldn't remember what hers looked like.  I finally got them up late this week.  When I asked Sylvia what she thought, she said, "I think I'm gonna cry!".  We've been listening to Christmas music almost non-stop.  Sylvia sings a lot of them now, and Stella joins in on one particular one....the dogs barking to jingle bells.  Sylvia was listening to that one closely the other day.  "The dogs are singing?....wow!"  Then she listened for a little while and said "Wow, they're playing the guitar too!".  

Tonight after the girls were in their pj's they listened to my favorite Christmas CD of all time - John Denver and the muppets.  They were unbelievably cute dancing to the songs - I HAVE to get them on video next time.  And we found the second Christmas song Stella will sing along with - she sings the part of Beaker in the 12 days of Christmas "Me me me me me me me". 

Quick baby update:  He is moving ALL the time and you can frequently see my belly dancing these days.  I had a doctor appt last night with Sylvie's favorite doctor, so the girls and John went along because Sylvia knew Dr. Barton would let her help and operate the doppler machine.  My blood pressure and weight gain were great and baby's heart beat was perfect.  He was moving all around even as we listened to his heart.  8 weeks from tomorrow is the scheduled day - although someone just told me today how their baby boy decided to come a week or so before his "scheduled day".  Something tells me these 8 weeks are going to fly by... 

Lots of love, 
Keri

pictures at the park

We had beautiful weather last week, so my neighbor and I took the girls to Valley Forge Park to get photos of the girls and some pics of the "baby bump".  I spent a few minutes explaining to Sylvia what a "baby bump" was and why my neighbor wanted to get some photos by a sign that said "Bump", and she seemed to understand.  Later, when she saw the little bumps the top of my jeans made under my shirt, she said "Oh, NOW I see the baby bumps!".  So funny.


The girls were tired and cranky, my neighbor was balancing her camera while chasing her own toddlers, and there were people all over the place, but somehow she got some GREAT shots!!  (Did I mention, she made the adorable hats and cuts all of our hair too!?)  Thanks Kris!


Sylvie and I are are working on a wreath for Thanksgiving called a "Gratitude Wreath".  When I asked her if she knew what gratitude was, she said "Yeah, it's when something drops.".  I was so impressed that she knew what gravity was!  With a little luck, we'll have a photo of that wreath......soooooon!

Stella has been teeting horribly lately, and is crazy attached to me.  Sylvia, on the other hand, has been crazy attached to John.  I'm hoping this phase for both lessens a bit and passes before baby brother arrives.  Baby is doing great, kicking A LOT, and has a probable name.  I'm a little afraid to commit to the name - each time I did with Stella, I changed my mind 2 seconds later.  It's Isabel, no wait, Emily, no wait....But, baby J has a probable name.  John and Sylvie have started to refer to him by it, so I better commit soon!


Stella is talking a little more each day and sings ALL the time.  She wakes up each morning singing for a few minutes before shouting "Mom, mommy, mom, mama!!"  I love it!  And as she learns to talk and sing, Sylvie is slowly learning to read and write.  I always have her trace letters, but didn't realize she could almost write her name on her own.  Yeah, the "S" looks like a "2", but check out the rest! 

And finally, if you couldn't see that video in the last post, here is the link: http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/wncRayNBRiQuDFd2

Sylvie is obsessed with it. 

Lots of love, 

Keri

early Happy Holidays

I couldn't help myself :)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Lots of love, 
Keri

good health and first hair-cuts

"Hey Mom, hear this!  CORN-UH-COPIA!!"  The girls are finally both healthy and back to normal schedules, including school and some fun play-time outside. Both girls are still loving soccer, but Sylvie has started to ask me about when she can take dance class again.   I think she misses wearing her tutu's out of the house.

Stella got her first hair-cut last week, although she was very focused on dipping pretzels in yogurt at the time, so I'm not sure she even knows it happened.  It looks so cute!
  

I took both girls with me to my gestational diabetes test, which went amazingly well.  They had to sit at the lab with me for over an hour, but Sylvie watched TV (some HORRIBLE cartoon), and Stella ate cheerios.  I passed the test, and baby is measuring just right, has a heart-beat right in the middle of the expected range, and is kicking all day everyday.  Life is good :)

Lots of love,   

Keri

Happy Halloween

  I always used to wonder how my mom could tell if I had a fever by putting her hand on my forehead.  I could never do that...until I had kids.  Maybe it is some magic mom skill like having eyes in the back of your head.  I've got those now too - ask Sylvia!!

Sylvie hasn't been to the doctor for being sick in 2 years and Stella has never been....until today.  Both girls got sick at the end of last week (just in time for Halloween) and were put on antibiotics today for upper respiratory infections.  Let the healing begin!  Poor things have been so miserable.  Good thing I got some pictures early last week.

I've always loved the girls' pediatrician.  He is super knowledgeable, including how my medicines and such for Crohn's could impact the babies and the breast-feeding process, and he has a close working relationship with Childrens Hosp of Philadelphia, which is awesome.  However, we've been less than thrilled with the office.  It has been challenging to get flu shots there, the front office staff is not all fabulous, there is only one doctor there now, and today they screwed up Stella's prescription.  Somehow, between pregnancy brain and dealing with two cranky, sleepy, sick children I caught the mistake, but just barely, and that really freaked me out.  Stella's antibiotics dose was twice what it should be and the pharmacy showed me the paperwork to prove they filled it exactly according to the physician assistant's directions....which was wrong!!!  Ugh, I hate to be finding a new baby doctor just as the new baby is on the way, but that's too much.  We've had issues with antibiotics before with accurate dosage - thank goodness the kids have been so healthy.

The girls were excited for Trick or Treating despite not feeling 100%.  We all dressed up (thanks for the pirate stuff Brock!!), and along with Grammy Lou, Uncle Mark, and Aunt Chrissy, we visited the closest houses.  The kids haven't been interested in candy yet, but they did have fun.  We celebrated with hot cocoa afterwards, of which Sylvie would only have one sip and Stella refused to try, even when we told her it was her beloved "Yoo Hoo".  Oh well.  Hopefully, we'll be celebrating full recoveries and full night sleeps with candy and cocoa by week's end :)   As I write this, Sylvie is resting for the first night without taking Tylenol in several days, and Stella has made enough sad coughing sounds in her bed to earn her a comfy spot on the sofa next to Daddy to watch the World Series.  I think she faked a few coughs to cheer those Texas Rangers on.  As Sylvie said, "We're the Tex's, so those are our Rangers, right?  That's our team!"  Anyone playing those creepy Giants is our team; Go Rangers :)

 Sylvie posing with her teacher and friends after her school parade:


Here we are with our neighbor boy - not sure if he is scared of my hook or Peter Pan's legs!!:


Lots of love,

 Keri

quick baby update

I'm feeling good, getting big, and the baby is moving around lots.  Sylvie, Aunt Chrissy, and Daddy have all felt him move so far, and I feel him a little stronger each day.  We got the bedding below [Migi Alphabet], and I love it.  Stella loves all the animals and Sylvie likes finding all the letters, so I think it is a hit.  As much as Stella would love to escape her crib NOW, we're not ready for that yet, so we'll save the bedding for when we are ready for her to officially move to the "big girl room". 


Lots of love, 

Keri

digging up the dahlias

It's not time yet, and the way the weather is today, I don't know when it will be time, but for those of you who have dahlias and want to save them for next year, here is the info I looked up and plan to use (from http://www.ehow.com/how_172132_dig-store-dahlia.html)

1.  Wait to dig up dahlia tubers until the foliage has turned brown in the fall. Cut the foliage down prior to digging, making sure to leave a few inches of stem above ground.

2.  Dig around the drip line of the dahlia with a shovel or spading fork. (The drip line is imaginary line around the outside perimeter of the foliage.) Dig carefully to avoid damaging the potato-like tubers.

3.  Lift the clump of soil gently so that the tubers are exposed. Shake out excess soil.

4.  Wash the clump of tubers under a gentle stream of water to remove the dirt, being careful not to damage the outside skin. Use a shower head instead of a strong jet sprayer hose attachment.

5.  Use a sharp knife or clippers to separate tubers into individual pieces, leaving a two-inch piece of stem on each one. If the stem is removed completely, the tuber will not sprout next season.

6.  Lay the prepared tubers on sheets of newspaper in a single layer. Allow them to air dry in a sunny location for one week.

7.  Dust the prepared tubers with sulfur powder to prevent fungus disease and rot. Sulfur powder is available at nursery supply stores.  [I'm thinking I may skip this step and see what happens...]

8.  Store tubers in a cool, dark, dry location. The tubers can be stored in single layers in a cardboard box or nursery flats lined with newspaper.  [I've also read that storing in old panty-hose works well.  I plan to keep mine in the garage.]

9.  Plant tubers in the spring after the soil has warmed. 

Sounds easy enough.  I am in no rush for the cool weather, (unlike a certain little munchkin) but I do love this time of year.  In the past few weekends we went to a beautiful fall wedding, a pumpkin patch, and a picnic in the park just as the leaves were at their very brightest.  That all makes for lots of fun pictures for some new posts....if only I had enough free time to sort through ALL the pictures AND write updates.....

a few of the never-ending questions / comments from my Sylvie girl:

- do stink bugs have belly buttons?

- why did that baseball player (Cody Ross) paint eyebrows on his cheeks?

- are there bones in your eyebrows?

- are there bones in your brain?
- why do Weebles wibble wobble, but they don't fall down?

- why does Aunt Chrissy call Uncle Mark "honey"?  (haha!) She asked that when she recognized "Somewhere over the Rainbow" on the radio as their wedding song.

- WHEN am I going to see Aunt Chrissy again?  (that lasts from the time she leaves until she returns :)

- Can Brock and Mama Mia come for dinner tonight?  (asked almost everynight)

- Mommy, mommy look!  (at the flags around the car dealership outside our car).  The flags are dancing to our music!!!

Sylvie and Stella both sing and dance to all music, and are convinced the whole world is dancing with them.

Lots of love, 

Keri

for Ally

Two years ago today, my dear friend lost her sweet little four year old, Ally.  Even though Ally spent much of her life in and out of hospitals, John and I were lucky to have had time spent playing games, dressing dolls, and painting pictures with little Ally.  I am so thankful to have known her and incredibly thankful for my own healthy children.

I get to spend every day with my kids and am so grateful.  By the end of the day I usually feel like I got run over by a truck and lately, I'm so tired I can't stand up.  The days are LOUD and sprinkled with temper tantrums and dirty diapers.  But the days are magical and filled with all of those little moments that we try to share on this site.  The girls grow and change each day, and I'm constantly impressed with how smart, funny, and loving they both are.  There is nothing like having them reach up to me, with their big, beautiful eyes and say "Mama".  I am so very thankful.

We miss you so much Ally.

Lots of love, 
Keri

Groundhog's Day

We had a routine baby doctor's visit tonight, and all is well.  John came with both girls, and the appointment was with Dr. Touey, so Sylvie got to meet the doctor who delivered her and Stella, and will most likely deliver baby boy.  John and I both have a list of "maybe" names we would consider - about 25 per list with some in common - so now we just have to get together and narrow them down.  So, we may not know his name quite yet, but his birthday will most likey be 2-2-11 according to the doctor and their process for scheduling c-sections.  Nothing is written in stone, or even on a schedule for that matter, but we may end up with a little groundhog's day baby :)

The heart-beat was loud and strong, and makes me incredibly happy each time I hear it.  I have my glucose test for diabetes in 3 weeks or so, and at my appointment in 4 weeks I'll get my Rhogam shot that is needed because John's blood type is positive and mine is negative.  And after that, it is just routine check-ups of blood-pressure, weight, belly measurements, and heart-beats at appointments every TWO weeks.  It just seems so soon to be going every two weeks; that means we are nearing the arrival of baby.  Yikes!!

Lots of love, 
Keri

the dancing tissue

Miss Stella is sitting on top of the world - or at least on top of the potty!  We've been putting her on there a few times a day, and that child knows what she is doing!  :)  I started Sylvie around this age too, but it was a sssssllllllooooowww process that took a huge step backwards when Baby Stella hit the scene, so I have had no plans to rush Stella - but she has been a super star.  And as proud as we are of her, no one is as proud as she is of herself.  (She has a very special little naked bottom dance that she does to celebrate).  Go Stella!!

We had lots of fun playing with Brock and Aunt "Ra-ra", as Stella says, this past weekend.  It was so nice to see Sylvie hanging with her best bud Brock as if they still see each other every week, even though it is more like once every month or two now. 

I have no issues doing whatever it takes to get a cute picture of the kids, including, but not limited to, tickling them with my feet, singing silly songs, and telling goofy jokes.  Here is the BEFORE JOKE picture:

And here are the AFTER JOKE pictures:

So why WAS the tissue dancing??

It had a little boogie in it!  ......whatever works, right?

p.s.  (to Brocky boy):  Sylvia was pulling spinach leaves off of my dinner plate and gobbling them up so that she'll be able to run faster than you by the next time she sees you - look out!

Lots of love, 
Keri

updated measurements

That last one is an actual quote.  Too funny!!
Lots of love,
 Keri