Dance With the Nutcracker

We found this cute little performance of The Nutcracker for the younger audience that actually allows you to participate in the show!  I remember going to see The Nutcracker with my Grandma around the holidays so I was super excited to introduce this show to Kate.

The audience all sat around this big dance room while the performers danced and acted out the "key" parts of the ballet.  This short, 45 minute "involved" performance was a great introduction to this classic ballet and I think Kate and Maya both loved seeing all the dancers!  Hopefully we can catch this next year and make it a holiday tradition!

Looks like the tickle bug is coming out!

In an effort to see Kate's lovely smile, no doubt!

My little love bug!

Live and up close!

Adorable!

My blue eyed babe!

Spoiler Alert: The Table Won...

Listen, I am pretty careful when it comes to my babies, but I also don't keep them in plastic bubbles or require them to wear padding around the house.  I set up obstacle courses that involve walking on chairs and balancing on couches.  I sit my bigger baby on blankets and run around the house while pulling her on it (and will probably do the same with my littler baby once she's my bigger baby!).  I set my babies on the counter to be close to me while I'm in the middle of chopping, cooking, eating, etc.  But all of these things are done under complete supervision and require very good listening skills.  If we are not listening or cooperating, the fun stops.  And it's back to normal living...with no obstacle courses, no flying carpet rides, and no baby bottoms on our counter tops.  BO-RING.

I also carry both of my babies - one in each arm - and Kate and I call this my "challenge".  One day I'm going to wake up and not have an arm full of babies so I am all about these challenges.  Unfortunately, last night we had a little mishap.  And I kind of blame myself for setting unclear expectations.

You see, it was time to go upstairs and go to bed.  I had Maya in my arms and I was sitting on the couch gently reminding bargaining with Kate that it was time to go up for bed.  In an instant she hopped on my back to give me a challenge.  I am up for babies in my arms.  I am NOT up for a nearly four month old on my front and a just turned three year old on my back.  I stood up almost exactly as she spider-monkeyed me and immediately asked her to hop down...several times.  I thought for sure she would listen but she wasn't.  And we all fell down.

Literally.

All of us.  (I could've titled this post "London Bridges".)

I was able to protect my front baby.  She didn't make a peep.  She just looked at me like what'd you do that for?  But I was not able to protect my back baby, my little spider monkey.  I don't even remember what happened to me but I didn't care about any of my pain anyway.  I was too worried about my big girl who was crying those big tears and big cries that you hear when you know something really hurts.  When I turned around, I clearly saw a mark on the left side of her face that had just missed her eye.  Thank goodness for that.  She had bumped her head right on the corner of our little table in our living room.  And it was swelling up big time.

Question: Why do these things happen right before bedtime?

I put Maya down and immediately went to tend to Kate.  I iced her bump which was now a swollen, purple-y bruise and I called the pediatrician after hours because head injuries scare me and I'm that Mom.  I just want to know what I need to look out for and what is/isn't normal from their mouths, not from something I can look up online.

My poor baby.  (Sitting on top of the counter for examination too...)

I jerry-rigged my robe tie with a ziplock of ice to keep pressure and cold
on the spot.

Smiles from my girl despite the circumstances.

After icing, after staying up an extra hour, more bruising and swelling.

The on call pediatrician was not very kind and basically told me that she would probably get a black eye and that it would look worse before it looked better.  Kate stayed up with me an extra hour just to make sure we were clear of any concussions or anything scary like that.  And then we went to bed.

When we woke up the next morning, Kate's eye was definitely swollen and bruised.  Girlfriend hit the table, but the table hit harder.

My black-eyed beauty.

But that didn't stop us from snuggling with sis!

And kissing/nibbling on her ear!

After nap, it was definitely turning into a real shiner.
Her first official one.

Of course this happens when Brian is out of town.  I should mention that Brian is [totally] more of the careful/cautious parent who tells me to "be careful" when we have obstacle courses up and blanket rides on the hardwood floors and tushes on the tables...

...So I immediately think he is going to think this is a result of my careless, irresponsible behavior and try to defend myself over the phone.  Fortunately, I think he got the right story and I think he understands that accidents happen...

Of course you never want to see any of your babies get hurt, but it's unrealistic to think that they won't.  It breaks my heart seeing my baby in pain and if I could do anything to rewind five seconds or take the pain away, I would.  But I can't, so we will accept this shiner for what it is and thank our lucky stars that it is no worse.  My poor, sweet baby.


On a completely separate note, Maya is SUPER MOBILE.  She wants to MOVE!  It is not uncommon that I set her under her play mat and find her on the hardwood floors like this after I run into the kitchen.

Oh, and Kate is nearly sitting on the table that hit her too...

I feel bad because it seems so uncomfortable, but she doesn't
complain.  I think she's proud of herself.  I'm proud of her too, but I have
no clue how she gets over there that fast!

And watercolors for the win because painting just makes everything better!

I'm hoping this little incident clears up quickly.  We've had a rough few weeks with "incidences" so we could use some down time from getting hurt.  Get better soon, my love!  And, Maya Bear, no crawling just yet!!

Coos in the Night

Maya continues to impress me.  She is the sweetest little baby I have ever known.  And I'm not the only one that has said this.  She gets compliments left and right on her calmness and her sweet demeanor.  Her toothless, gummy smile simply melts my heart.  And she smiles with her entire face!  Her eyes, her cheeks, her little nose and mouth all smile at once.  Those little smiles that I see throughout the day make all the troubles in my world melt away.  These are the moments that I live for.

Recently, not only has Maya been pleasant during the day, but she has also been pleasant at night.  There have been several times that she has woken up in the morning or from one of her naps where she just wakes up and then starts looking around.  It's not until I look at the monitor to see that she is awake or hear her start cooing away that I know that she is really up.  During the night, however, she usually wakes up with a few fusses, wants to be fed, and goes peacefully back to sleep.

Last night was a new exception.  Sister Bear woke up around 3:45 am.  I had just gotten Kate back into her bed - a semi-new thing - and gotten settled back into our bed.  Nearly 15 minutes later I started hearing the sweetest little midnight coos ever coming from the bassinet next to me!  I was tempted to lay and listen to what Maya had to say but I also didn't want her to get to unhappy in the middle of the night so I scooped her up, cuddled her in my arms for a moment, shared some perfect smiles, then got her fed and back to sleep again.  My little darling.

Seriously.  I cannot get enough of this little love.

I worried our entire pregnancy on how I would love another as I did with my firstborn, Kate.  What I've realized is that having a child does not fill your heart with love.  Instead it teaches your heart how to love, how to hold love, how to accept love, how to give love, and the children you bear after your first only reap the benefits of an experienced heart.

My love for these two little ladies is DEEP, people.  Deeper than I ever knew imaginable.

I wouldn't want it any other way.

Maya Bear!  My sweet, sweet baby.

Good Morning, Little Sis!

Little Sis gets a bright welcoming every morning.  And this little video captures it.  That smile and the way her Big Sister loves her so absolutely melt me. These are the days.

Puzzle Power

Kate has been all about puzzles recently.  One minute our house is littered with puzzle pieces and the next they are neatly placed together in a complete puzzle.

It amazes me how quickly she puts these puzzles together and it seems the 50 piece puzzles are the perfect size for her.

I love my little puzzle maker to pieces.  And I absolutely love this view while I'm feeding Maya and putting her to sleep.  Kate sits in the closest lit spot possible while putting a puzzle together quietly.

My puzzle princess.

On another occasion.

And another.

I love her.

Three New Angels

In the last five weeks, Brian and I have had three of our Grandparents pass away.  On Thursday, September 24th, my Granddaddy (my Mom's Dad) passed away.  He lived in Florida and had been battling cancer voraciously until he could fight no longer.

On Friday, October 23rd, Brian's Grandpa (his Dad's Dad) passed away.  He had his fair share of ups and downs over the last year but it was surprising how quickly he passed with his last battle.  I don't think anyone expected that time to be it.

Then, on Tuesday, November 3rd, my Dad called to let me know that my Grandma (my Dad's mom) had passed.  She had been battling Alzheimer's and put up a tremendous fight.  But, ultimately, that horrible disease won.  She was 95.

I debated on what to title this post because of all the sadness.  These three lives touched more lives than I know and I am grateful for the time that I had with them.

My Granddaddy lived in Florida for as long as I can remember.  At some point he was in Maryland for a while, but in my living/remembering years he was in Florida.  My family and I would typically caravan down to his place in Florida and spend time with him and his family at his house.  I distinctly remember multiple trips where my cousins, Jamie and Brooke, and my Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Ricky made the trek down with my Mom, my Stepdad, Scott, my Brother, Travis, and my Sister, Amy.  (James had not been born yet!  I'm not leaving him out!)  Sometimes we made a stop in Orlando and spent some time at Disney.  Other times, we simply visited him at his house.  He had a one level house with a screened in pool.  My cousins and siblings and I jumped in the pool for hours and hours on end!  We could not get enough of that pool!  And the fact that he had a pool to us Marylanders was AMAZING!  (We didn't realize that when you live in Florida, having a pool is like having a bathroom in your house.  Essential.)  We made so many memories together in Florida.

My cousin, Jamie, and I are three years apart.  We had always been close growing up and we always stuck together on these types of trips.  We have so many memories together!  There was that time when I wasn't supposed to get my ear wet because I had an ear infection and Jamie and I were playing by the pool, tempting fate trying to capture the floating pool ball.  Long story short, I fell in...and may or may not have gotten that ear wet.

There was that other time where my Uncle Tommy and I and Jamie and Travis were on the dock in the back of my Granddaddy's house.  He lived right on a canal and it was not uncommon to see an alligator in that canal.  My Uncle Tommy told us that the alligator lived under the dock and if you leaned all the way over you could see him.  I promptly fell for the trap and leaned a tad too far and...fell in.  (I'm starting to see a common theme here...) He got in trouble for that and I swore I was going to get eaten by an alligator who, by the way, I found out did not live under that dock.

Then there was that time that Jamie and I met Trace.  He was one of my Uncle Tommy's friends and, boy, was he a sight for sore eyes!  Jamie and I both had crushes on him.  He was way older than us being a high school kid an all, but he was handsome as all get out and that didn't stop us girls from talking about him!

And, like I mentioned, the hours and hours of pool play.  We jumped in, we swam, we dove off the diving board, we relaxed by the side, we lounged.  Jamie and I even slept outside by the pool on the chaise lounge chairs one trip when room space was limited.  I swore the alligator was going to figure out a way into that screened in porch and eat me then too.

And my Granddaddy, well, if ever there was a joke to be heard, he was the one to tell it.  He was always joking around.  His jokes were sometimes a lot of times below the belt and/or inappropriate, but that was who he was.  And I never really talked politics with him.  He had a very strong opinion about politics and I knew I wouldn't even stand a chance in that arena.  But he loved all of us, his Kids and his Grandkids, dearly.  We even had a chance to introduce him to Kate in the Summer of 2014 when we went to visit while we were in Florida.

I'll miss his little cards sent up around Christmas for all of his Grandkids with a little bit of Christmas cash.  I'll miss the poolside and the house to visit.  I'll miss the stories and the jokes.  I'll miss him.  But I am grateful for the memories and those I will cherish.

Rest in peace, Granddaddy.  ❤

I didn't know Brian's Grandpa very well, only for the fact that I didn't have as much time with him as others.  I met him in 2009 when I moved to Ohio and was introduced to Brian's family.  I know that he held a special place in a lot of people's hearts and in the short time that I did get to know him, he really was a wonderful man.  The last several times we were together he was very grateful for the time that he had with his family.  He was a man of few words, at least from what I knew of him he was, but when he did speak, he spoke with authority and thoughtfulness.  I distinctly remember celebrating his last birthday with him this past June.  I asked him how old he was turning that day.  His prompt reply was, "One day older than I was yesterday."  Which had us all laughing!  That was him - to the point, no extra fluff, just straight forward, and full of love.  Even though I didn't get to know him very well, I knew he was full of love.  You could see it in his eyes when he said hello or goodbye or when you spoke to him.  You knew he cared about you regardless.  I know he meant a lot to Brian and I will cherish the time that I had with him as well.

One day older than he was the day before.

Rest in peace, Grandpa Hendricks.  ❤

The last of Heaven's three new angels is my Grandma Lauchman - Pauline Wagoner Lauchman - my Dad's Mom.  She went by Polly and lived in North Carolina.  My Grandma was incredible.  She learned to type and held several respected and reputable jobs when women were not typically in the working world.  She was the most amazing cook.  She could whip up anything and it was always delicious.  She was so kind and loving.  She had the biggest garden in her backyard.  I remember chasing butterflies back there with my brother and capturing them between two laundry baskets, one flipped on top of the other creating a semi-enclosed space for them.  The flowers were beautiful and that garden grew and grew.  She had a vegetable and fruit garden as well that prospered.

My brother and I would visit her in the summer and sometimes around Christmas and we always had a blast.  My Dad told me that my Grandma had always wanted to have a little girl.  I've been told that she loved the name Penelope so I imagine she may have named her little girl that if she had one.  But she had two boys - Richard (my Uncle) and Paul (my Dad).  Apparently, when my Mom and I came along, she was in heaven having us girls around!  She sewed so many dresses for me a lot of which I still have.  She was an incredible seamstress.  And piano player too.  Everything she did was so amazing, at least through her Granddaughter's eyes it was.

Back in 2000 or so, she was diagnosed with dementia and later Alzheimer's.  She fought long and hard against that horrible disease, over 15 years, but it ultimately took her life.  It was hard seeing her slowly wither - slowly forgetting who I was, who she was, where she was.  I have so many good memories with her and in North Carolina that I get that automatic happy feeling whenever someone mentions North Carolina.  And, quite frankly, when I went down to her funeral yesterday North Carolina felt like home.  It was strange because I wasn't there very much.  When we would visit, it was only a couple weeks at a time, but it still felt like home.

Ironically enough, the hotel room that Maya and I stayed in smelled just like my Grandma's house did.  It made me feel like she was there and perhaps my Granddad was too, who passed when I was about 15. It was oddly comforting.  I've missed her immensely over these last 15 years, but I miss her even more now that she's really gone.

She and the memories I have of her will always hold a special place in my heart.  It warms my heart knowing that she is no longer suffering.  My Grandma would love my girls.  LOVE THEM.  When I was pregnant with Kate, we stopped by to see her on our way back from the beach, but a huge part of me believes she has now met them from above and is smiling from ear to ear, beaming with pride over her two Great Grandgirls.  Kate and Maya would adore her, just as I did, and just as she would them.

Proud Grandparents with new baby Erin!
Also, Maya looks IDENTICAL to me in this photo!

4 year old me, reading Thanksgiving in Strawberryland to 1 year
old Travis.

Grandma and Granddad visit us in Maryland!

Grandma and Travis.

I remember playing with Grandma's nativity
scene many a times on that hearth by the fireplace.

Picking flowers from Grandma's garden!

The best garden.

Me, Granddad, and Travis at the North Carolina house.

Travis and I dressed up as Granddad and
Grandma, respectively.

Rest in peace, Grandma, until we meet again.  I love you.

Maya's first flight!

Waiting under blue lights for our rent a car.

Me and Travis, my brother, at the barbeque place where we all convened to
celebrate my Grandma.  It was so nice to see so many people.

Granddad and Maya!

I love them!

Headed back to the airport

Maya's second flight!

Fluffy, puffy clouds as far as the eye can see!

Meanwhile, back at the homestead, Kate and Daddy get a
special Rapunzel doll!

Three Year Olds Are No Joke

Listen, my three year old is my pride and joy (so is my three month old if we're being honest), but some days I don't know what I've gotten myself into with this stay at home business.  Three year olds are no joke.  They can be a sweet as pie.  But they can also test some limits like nobody's business.  This is the phase we are in.

I saw this meme on some social media outlet and I literally laughed out loud.  I don't know what show/movie the image is from but I completely played out this secret tribe in my head with this look.  And it is so true.  Luckily, most days our public outings don't involve screaming toddlers but, listen, I still get it.  Us Mamas have to stick together.

Here's the thing: I know this is how kids learn.  We are right where we are supposed to be and I'm not wishing any time away.  Just wishing for more "pie" moments and less "testing" moments, but I will take everything that is handed to me for I know these babies don't keep and before I know it they will be out with their friends and driving and off to college.  #somebodyholdme

We had Kate's three year well visit today at the doctor's office.  She is growing wonderfully and right in line with where her growth chart has projected her.  She weighs 31 pounds (54th percentile) and is 37" tall (50th percentile).

She is super smart and kind and polite and is still totally a Mama's girl.  (I am all about this!)  She loves playing and being imaginative and creative and melts my heart on the daily.  I am constantly amazed and impressed at who she is becoming and thank my lucky stars every day that she is mine.  Seriously, I am one lucky Mama.

We love you so, SO much, Kate.  Happy 3rd birthday!  Keeping being you!

Checking on her little sister.  #sosweet

My girls!

Playing with the train set!

Sleepy ladder climbing!  We know we only have a little bit longer
where going to the doctor in your pajamas is acceptable!

A lollipop at 8:30 am?!  Why not?!

She was super excited about that!

Maya is bright eyed and happy for Kate's well visit!

Frozen and Tinkerbell stickers for the win!

Sleepy, sleepy sis.  They both make me melt.

Trip to MD

I had mentioned in our previous post that we were headed to Maryland right after Kate's birthday party.  I was not kidding.  Saturday afternoon, October 24th, we all piled into the car and drove to Maryland.  We had a few plans while we were there: my Granddaddy's (my Mom's Dad's) Celebration of Life ceremony which happened to be the very next day (October 25th), Halloween, Kate's birthday, James' Eagle Scout Ceremony, Amy's birthday, and my Grandma's birthday.

We saw and did a lot but mainly enjoyed the people we were with.  Click below to view our trip in photos.

Here!