Argh!

(I post the following lest anyone think my previous

post gave me some false sense of confidence.)

Today I feel like I live with a pirate. Every time I've tried to get Brooklynn to eat something, she has respond sternly, "That be yucky!" I should have clued in that today just wasn't going to be a food day after she said that even Chick-fil-a "be yucky!" Yet I persisted. Tonight, I even went against my firm resolve to never serve cereal for dinner and gave her a bowl full after she requested it. Two seconds later, she had dumped it all over her tray and then proceeded to feed it piece by piece to the dogs. Well, I certainly didn't want to clean it up, so like the good mom I am, I chose that as the time to turn around and load the dishwasher.
In other news, Ian tried green beans for the first time tonight. I grabbed the camera to capture his "this is the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted" face but in typical Ian fashion, this is what I got instead:

Isn't he scrumptious?!

A Little Help from Dr. Seuss

Yesterday I was eating my leftovers from Bistro 829 (so nummy!) and trying to get Brooklynn to eat along with me.

"Come on," I said "it's fish!"

"Want tuna fish!" she says

"This is kind of like tuna fish. Its snapper!"

"I want snack." (apparently snapper sounds a lot like snack)

With each exchange I tried to get my fork in her mouth but she kept clamping it shut and shaking her head. Finally, I said:

"Brooklynn, remember in Green Eggs and Ham that guy didn't want to try any but then he did and he really liked it?"

She looks at me for a second and then opens her mouth wide! Before long, she says "Mmmm! More, please!"

Thanks, Dr. Seuss!

Christmas

Brooklynn and Ian in their cute Christmas outfits! (Brooklynn wouldn't cooperate for a family shot).

We had a little picnic around the tree on Christmas Eve and read stories and sang songs. I was surprised that Brooklynn paid attention and stayed with us throughout. Afterwards, Brooklynn and I headed outside with the telescope to look for Santa and then set out cookies for him and an apple for the reindeer.

When Brooklynn awoke Christmas morning, she seemed to have forgotten all the excitement from the previous night. We read the Christmas story in Luke and then Brooklynn insisted on eating breakfast. We were finally able to convince her to go in the living room to see the presents. She took to her new kitchen right away. As usual, John was much more patient than I was and was willing to let her play with each present she opened before moving onto the next. I tend to get a little bored. Ian was his usual happy self and had a ready smile for every picture (when he wasn't chewing on his presents, that is).

The Baeza's and Cherry's joined us for dinner and a little cousin gift exchange that night (which of course, I don't have pictures of). Its always fun to watch the kids run around and the babies (Skyler, Ally, and Ian) are all getting so big!

New Years Eve was completely uneventful which I was quite happy about since I barely had enough energy to get off the couch that day. John and I watched a movie and actually drank our Martinelli's in bed at midnight (so luxurious!).

Nighttime Escapades

As an addendum to the post below, I thought I'd give you a play by play of our night last night.

I went to check on Ian around 1:00 am. John put him to bed and I forgot that he orients him the opposite way I do in his crib and scoots him further down so when I went to put my hand on his tummy in the dark to make sure he was breathing, I actually put my hand on his face and woke him up. I figured he would just babble in bed for awhile and finally fall asleep so I went back to bed. Awhile later he started "singing" loudly so I went and changed his diaper and hoped that would do the trick. When I got back in bed Gunner (dog) and Asia (cat) were on my side of the bed so I climbed in the middle (not the best place for me because I like my feet to have an escape route in case they get too hot). Before long, I heard Brooklynn's door slam shut and knew she was on her way down (1:48 am). She climbed in bed and told me she wanted her Special Milk. My new tactic is to not give her any (I figure maybe that will curtail her early morning visits). I told her she could have water instead and got her a sippy but she started to throw a fit. Before long, Ian started singing again so I left Brooklynn to John and went to feed Ian a few ounces. After I put him back in bed, I climbed in the guest bed (next to his room) to wait for him to fall asleep so I could make sure his blanket was still on him (I'm paranoid he'll be too cold at night). Gunner was waiting for me on that bed so I snuggled up to him but apparently eating an entire container of sour cream which he had stolen after dinner didn't agree with his digestion and I was enveloped in a none-too-pleasant smell. About 10 minutes later I heard John bringing Brooklynn back to her room and Gunner left me to follow John back downstairs (maybe he thought the smell was coming from me but I'm here to tell you that it wasn't). After another 15 minutes, Brooklynn's door slammed shut again and she headed back to our room. I decided to stay in the guest room and had the entire bed to myself for about four hours! It was pure bliss!

I'm happy that Brooklynn is playing at the Bonds this morning and now that Ian is taking a nap I can't decide what to do with my free time--whether to sleep, clean, or watch John and Kate + 8.

Sleeping Arrangements

Just because it's sleep it doesn't have to be dull . . .

One reason we finally decided to change Brooklynn's bed from a crib to a day bed (and no, we don't let her sleep naked, she took off her diaper and threw it in the diaper pail, climbed out of her crib and then started clapping because she was so proud of herself!)

She started climbing out all the time and getting in all kinds of mischief. Here she is COMPLETELY covered in Vicks Vapor Rub (she had also smeared it over every conceivable surface in her room. The whole house reeked for days.)

Her last night in her crib.

She didn't take to the daybed arrangement immediately either. (Yes, that is lotion she smeared all over the floor and I know, we're all asking ourselves why I leave these things within reach.)

Remy seemed to like the new arrangement more than Brooklynn. This is what we found one day when we went up for a nap

As I was getting the camera to take this picture, Brooklynn wandered off. This is what I found when I went to get her:

A few days into the daybed arrangement, we had another complication. Brooklynn had her first nightmare. She said there was a lion in her room "raring" at her. She was very upset and wouldn't even go in her room for a few days without me holding her. She either slept with us or I slept on her floor until we convinced her that Daddy took the lion to the zoo and that Remy and Gunner don't let lions in the house. So much for reading Maurice Sendak

Apparently, stickers are another sleep time fascination.

I'm starting to wonder if we should just pack up the bed all together and call it a day. I found her like this one night when I went to check on her.

Brooklynn has recently learned to open doors so nearly every night around 2:00 am she climbs into bed with us. I don't particularly mind except when she starts demanding Special Milk (Carnation Instant Breakfast) or that I tickle her non-stop.

Even before Brooklynn was trying to sleep with us every night I had my own problems. John and I both enjoy snuggling with the animals and have a hard time kicking them off the bed. At one time, Gunner used to sleep at the foot of the bed. But now he likes to sleep in between us and I end up hugging his backside (good thing I'm skinny and that he hasn't been farting lately).

This particular night, I had just taken the above picture and went to put the camera away. When I returned, this is what I found:

Nights like this I end up sleeping diagonally or go out on the couch. But even when I retire to the couch, someone usually finds me. Apparently, I'm pretty snugly myself (John took this picture of me and Remy in the wee hours of the morning).


Not to be outdone, here is our sweet little Ian (who thankfully has been sleeping through the night since he was about two months old and wakes up singing and happy every morning). This picture is from a few months ago. He fell asleep while holding his toys on his playmat.

We finally moved Ian from the portacrib in our closet to a crib in his own room (upstairs and across the house). He had a hard time falling asleep for the first couple days--I don't think he was used to all the space. But now he sleeps just fine. I still have a hard time with him being so far away and check on him several times during the night.

His first night in his new digs.

So if you ever can't sleep in the middle of the night (or are in need of some stickers), give us a call. You're sure to find someone awake.