They are getting to be so big!

Ava officially moved to a booster car seat this week. I had been trying to figure out how to arrange the van to accommodate three little ones. Yes, it has plenty of room for them all, but how to we best set it up so we can easily access all three to help buckle them in. I figured out Ava would have to go in the back, so I moved seats around a bit to make it easy for me to buckle her in. And it worked!

I had tried to find a cheap booster deal via CraigsList, but when that didn't pan out I went to Plan B - buy one new, but do my homework and find a sale/deal/coupon. Plan B fell flat too! It looked like I was going to have to stick to around $40 for a model, but I didn't take this too badly. With all of the money I have saved on baby gear over the last three years, this is a small price to pay. Then I thought of a Plan C - head over to the new Target store, which opened on Sunday. Perhaps they would be having some in store special or coupon I could use to take the edge off the purchase. Sure enough we hit the jackpot! A booster seat I had ruled out due to price had been temporarily reduced by almost 1/2 and was now in my price range. As Momma Kay said, my streak remains unbroken.

I had pumped Ava up for the shopping trip by telling her she could help pick it out and she picked all right - the bright, hot pink seat with "Girls Rock" written all over it. (To be fair I only gave her this and a plain black seat as options; who wouldn't pick the cool one?) She loves it! And she loves being in the backseat too. She feels like such a big girl, having her own cupholder, a place to put her sunglasses, and above all else she can undo the seat belt buckle to let herself out, saving me another chore. Woo hoo! We are so excited for her, but a little piece of my heart breaks to think she is growing up so much!

Lily too is growing by leaps and bounds. She speaks so much these days and I can usually figure out exactly what she wants. She also has to do EVERYTHING her sister does, which is super cute and sometimes a little annoying. After three days of Ava complaining about her thumb (probably a scratch), I broke down and gave her a Band-Aid. Lily witnessed this and threw a fit until she got a Band-Aid too, which I just plastered on the side of her arm. She walked away a happy camper. Last night Ava wanted to have some "nekky time" (i.e., naked time, they get to run around in diapers), so I let her since I had to change her anyway. Lily saw that Ava was sans clothes and started tugging at her one-piece saying "nekky girl". She had to do it too! Of course I obliged, that request was easy.

A request that wasn't so easy was yesterday afternoon, when she asked to watch Signing Time. Yes, she can actually say "Signing Time" in her own way and I knew what she wanted it. It's her favorite show, and although wholesome and completely educational, the answer still had to be no since they had already watched a bit of TV that morning. When I told her "no" that was the end of her world. She proceeded to cry, drool, scream, blubber, and generally lose it completely while I tried to hurry and fix lunch. Which she then wouldn't eat, so off to bed she went. The combination of "no" and tiredness is not a great pairing. She has been melting-down more recently though when she is not instantly gratified, like when lunch is not ready when she wants it. Isn't she a little young for this? Oh well, I treat her like I would treat Ava, or any fit-throwing toddler - I ignore them or try to send them away/to time-out.

I had to actually take a small video of the moment to share with Elliott when he got home from work, so I guess I will share it with you too, in all its un-glamorous glory. Don't feel too bad; it's only because I told her "no" to something she wanted:

Lily and her Baby Doll

Last week Lily discovered baby dolls. Now she asks for them and carries, cuddles, and overall loves on them. I can't wait for her to meet our new baby!

This is how much...

Lily hates getting her picture taken at the mall. Now add more drool and more snot and you have our experiences, both times!

And now this is a picture of her about 10 minutes later at the play area, not a tear in sight. Doesn't she look like such a big girl here? Almost breaks my heart to think she's growing up so!

Four Weeks and counting...

Tick, tick tick....

Only four more weeks until Piper makes her appearance. The midwife's visit yesterday revealed that she is in position and my body is tuning itself up, so we are progressing nicely. She grows stronger (painfully so at times) every day. I find I get so worn out with the littlest effort these days - a feat that is really annoying me! Today, I am typing this because I did an enormous amount of baking and am so worn out, but can't quite let myself sit quietly. Your gain!

I went to the eye doctor on Monday. I know that pregnancy can change your eyesight, so I was trying to wait for my annual exam until after the birth, but an irritating left eye forced my hand, as I have been wearing my glasses for about a month now, trying to give my contacts a break but to no avail. Turns out I did have a slight infection, but discovered I have a fun new pregnancy symptom - thickened corneas. I had no idea this was possible! But it had effected the way my old contacts fit and they were really doing a number on my eyes. So the doctor put me in a new pair, which feel so much better, which have the ability to stay in (night and day) for 30 days straight, which will be such a help with middle of the night feedings. Yeah!


We are in the middle of monsoon season here in Vegas - yes, that's a real season. The ground is so dry that the slightest rainfall can cause flash flooding, so there are constant warnings (including billboards) to stay alert and not get caught in a flash flood. The last week we have seen some lovely lightening storms, rumbly thunder, and just a few sprinkles to go with it. The horrid side effect is the rise in humidity, which the rest of the country will think I am a complete baby for making a fuss over, but we are just not used to it here. Combine that with 100+ degree weather and it is just not my favorite. The lightening storms are pretty though.

Poor Lily is teething right now, probably her canines, and is just a bit miserable at the moment. She is extra fussy and needy, not wanting to eat much or even have her normal bottles. Oh well! I just try to make her comfortable and recognize whatever can make her happy is OK, like watching TV. The girls discovered Disney's Cinderella for the first time this week - and they love it! Lily cries out "La-Lella!" when she hears me talking about it and makes a run for the couch.


The girls are officially bunked up together at night and doing great! Lily's teething has put a slight cramp in the smoothness, but they are used to each other now. Ava loves having Lily in her room and being the big sister. She would love for Lily to take her naps in the room too (right now I separate them), but they aren't quite ready for that. I try, but Lily does need her quiet at naptime (she can't tune Ava out like she is able to at night) and Ava still likes to climb out and play around in the dark at naptime. I have explained to Ava that when she can stay in her bed Lily will come back and sleep with her. Until then....

In other big news - Elliott and I listed out house for sale about 6 weeks ago and we have an accepted offer! We are having to short sell our house, since the Vegas housing market has sunk right out from underneath us, so it has gone to the bank for approval, a process that can take up to 80 days (plus an extra 30 after that to close). The potential buyers though seem to be very upstanding and delighted with our place, so hopefully everything will work out swiftly and smoothly. We are planning on renting a larger place in the city for the next few years, so no exciting plans for crossing state lines or anything. I have thoroughly appreciated being able to let things get a bit messy around here, instead of having to keep the toys picked up all of the time in case people drop in to look. And I also am really glad that we are now able to simply focus on having the baby and getting ready for her arrival, not worrying about the house at the moment. After the birth maybe I will shift focus to packing, but nothing pressing at the moment.

Elliott has been working long hours this month, right in the middle of budget season and we miss him! Ava told me that the other day, so I try and schedule naps and bedtimes as late as possible to give him as much time to see them as possible each night. One of the upsides (if you can call it that) with the girls rooming together is that they get up early, allowing Elliott to see them before he goes to work. I hope that he is able to get alot of the work done before the baby, so that he can take it a bit easier in the days afterward to spend time with us.

Portrait Session

Yesterday I decided to visit a portrait studio in our mall; I won't say which because I am sure that I am not legally allowed to post this photo for copyright purposes, so nobody turn me in. Anyway, they were having a coupon deal where I could get a portrait package completely free. I decided to try and take advantage. Of course Lily was a happy camper before and after the session, but during was completely melting down and clinging to me, crying for her life. Oh well! I picked out this shot, which was one of only four to choose from, and they edited out her snotty nose and teary cheek.

How sweet is this photo? I love it!

Although I am extremely happy with the moment captured here, while at the studio I signed up for another promo event and am heading back next Thursday for a free beach-themed shoot and free 8x10 photo. Hopefully Lily will do better. I plan on having more sugary snacks in reserve, as well as an earlier sitting time. Combined, hopefully they will do the trick and Lily will produce some results. (Ava wass such a ham this time around, I am not at all worried about next week.)

I have some extra wallet photos of this picture, so if anyone is interested, let me know and I will mail one to you.

34 Weeks Update

I am officially at the 34 weeks mark now, only 6 more (or less) weeks to go! I have been feeling very fit, but I do tend to get tired out more frequently. I forget how big I am and am constantly finding myself being unable to lean over the kitchen counter or sidle sideways down the hall due to my waistline. I definitely feel heavier as well as much more cumbersome. You can tell the baby is in position and I have had a few pangs down there, so I am sure everything is progressing as it should. I recently was reminded about the value of Red Raspberry Leaf for preparing my body for brith, so I picked up some capsules at the health food store and have been trying to remember to take them.

I have been "nesting", I suppose, cleaning the house from top to bottom and being much more motivated to finish books and projects that I have wanted to complete for awhile. It wears me out to tell you the truth, but I just can't sit still.

The girls have been transitioning too. Lily has been moving towards one nap rather than two and Ava has been slipping out of her crib at naptime, playing in her darkened room rather than sleeping. Tonight we are going to move Lily into Ava's room, as we need Lily's room as the guest room for visiting parents soon, and I would rather tackle this change with a little more energy, which means doing it now rather than later in my pregnancy. Lily still gets up almost three hours before Ava, but bedtimes have synced up, so we will see how it all works. I think Ava will just sleep through me getting Lily up in the morning, based on the fact that when I have had to go in and wake Ava up in the mornings, she is always passed out cold and it is hard to stir her. We'll keep you posted!

Elliott is smack-dab in the middle of budget season, which means he works late nights and we don't see him as much. We miss him, but I hope that he can complete the majority of the work before Piper's birth, so that he will be able to adjust his schedule accordingly and be able to be with us more often in the early days. I have tried to keep him cheerful through yummy treats and fun dinners when he is home, and have tried to keep the girls up later so he gets some cuddles and hugs to greet him when he comes home. Ava has gotten much more cconversational of late and will tell daddy all about her day and what she has planned for tomorrow (even if it's sometimes inaccurate it's amusing; she told him that the other day she and I went to library but Lily stayed home because she was too little and needed to take a nap. No folks, I didn't leave Lily at home, she came to the library with us.)

Anwyay, I asked Elliott to take a photo to document "my growth" and he captured a few other fun shots of me and the girls as well. Enjoy!

Why I Don't Do Spaghetti...

... because then it's bathtime and now the high chair is stained. But she loved it!

(By the way, Lily saw the camera coming and started posing, saying "cheese!")

The Last Few Days

The replumbing is done! It took five days, rather than three, and one of those days I almost lost my cool when they were here until 8pm and I had kids to put to bed, but it is over and behind me. Whew! I have to say, I don't really notice any difference. We didn't have any noticeable problems before with lack of pressure or anything water-related, so there has been no positive side-effects that I can see. Since our house would've been up for replumbing sooner or later, we opted for sooner. I don't have any after pictures to post at the moment, but everything looks like it did before. They patched and painted, doing an admirable job with only a few things I would notice (Elliott didn't until I pointed them out and he wasn't bothered.)

We were able to enjoy our new plumbing for a full two days before we awoke yesterday morning to a busted water heater and flooded garage. Sigh! Honestly, Elliott and I both knew the water heater was on it's last legs, we were just hoping to make it a little longer. God's timing is good though. Even though dealing with a busted water tank is the last thing I want to be doing on a Monday morning (and one that was already packed with appointments), if it had to happen the timing couldn't have been better. Our neighbor across the street is a plumber and was actually in his driveway when I rolled up the garage door and the water poured out. He hurried over and turned our water off then offered to go to Home Depot and install a new one for us that morning. Praise the Lord! He and his teenage son had the new one installed and garage cleaned up by 11am and hot water was restored! Whew! Come to find out when chatting with him that they are moving next week, so if this had happened in a week I would have been completely lost!

Yesterday afternoon I went in for another ultrasound to make sure the baby wasn't getting too big. We wrestled a bit with insurance to make sure they were going to pay for this procedure and then went in for a sneak peek. Piper was very active during the first half of the ultrasound, movin' and groovin' in there, and towards the end fell asleep. It was actually quite amusing to see it all on film, because at the end she was just perfectly still and you knew she had worn herself out. Everything looks perfect and the doctor says we are on track for another 9lb baby or so. Right now Piper is measuring 5 lb 3 oz, so I am a little ahead of schedule, but nothing to be concerned with. Only 6 weeks to go, unless I decide to induce a few days early. Wow, did time fly or what?

I have to tell you a funny story - a boy came to our door Sunday afternoon during lunch. He must live in the neighborhood but I don't know him. He said "can I have 2 or 3 dollars for ice cream? My mom and dad said no." Ha ha! I told him I didn't have any cash right now, sorry. "Do you have change?" he says. I told him then that if his mom and dad said no then I can't give him any money either. Elliott was amused by the boy's gumption then worried that his girls' would someday wander the neighborhood asking random strangers for money.

And lastly, here are a few Ava-isms for your enjoyment:

(Big yawn from me.) Why are you so tired Mom? We're just talking!

Ava it's naptime in 5 minutes. I told Daddy 'no naps'. Well, I'm sorry but Mommy is the boss of naptime and she says you will take naps. 5 minutes. (Ava went off to nap without any incident.)


Sitting on the couch, reading a book she says sweetly and serenely as Lily is melting down, Uh-oh. I think somebody needs a nap.

The Other Baby Blankets

In case you were curious, here are the other two baby blankets that I created for Ava and Lily:

Lily's baby blanket. I got the pattern from a quilt my grandma made for Ava. Lily has a fuzzy blanket that she likes to sleep with more than this one, but I am hoping that one day she will enjoy it and use it.

Ava's baby blanket. The embroidered squares have names of states and the state flower. I found them in an antique store years ago and eventually found a good way to put them to use. I *did not* embroider them myself.

Ava loves her baby blanket. She likes to be wrapped and cuddled in it every night, enjoys

relaxing on the couch with it, and is fiercely protective of it when Lily finds it interesting.

Our Replumbing Mess

Our house is being totally replumbed this week. Due to a defect in all of the pipes used in every house in our development (and several other developments across the city), they are replumbing every house - and this week it was our turn. Today is day three and supposedly the last day. It has been a bit of an inconvenience to try and corral the girls either on the couch or in their bedroom and not let them wander throughout the house, but we have made do. And I have gotten halfway through "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" again, just because I too am limited in my movements and it is easy to sit in their bedroom supervising their playtime and reading my book. So overall, I can't complain too much. But I am glad it will be over soon!