November 18, 2019 by Stephanie

To My 2.5 Year Old

Daphie,

Today you are half way to three. You have grown so much in the last six months.

First of all your vocabulary has exploded. You used to say bangkock for blanket and potholes for Paw Patrol. While there are still times, I am not sure what you are saying, you get clearer by the minute. Your sentence structure amazes me most days.

You are in love with every stuffed animal that crosses your bath. You have a zoo in your crib, and you make me tuck everyone in before kissing you goodnight. And then every morning, you pick out a bow for yourself and your bunny friends. This makes me think that you will have your own rescue shelter in your adult life. Rarely are you without a stuffie to love and hold.

You are a complete puzzle master. You are able to keep up with your brother on finding the next piece. You love putting the pictures together, and you rarely need guidance anymore.

You love to create art. Painting is your favorite, but you love working with play-do and crayons. Every night you direct us to look at the wall of art that you have created with so much pride. You could sit at the kitchen table for hours with your art.

Much to our dismay, you have become a picky eater. You hardly eat meat, but love carbs and fruit. But you also know how to bribe your daddy to give you treats in secret by taking him to the pantry and saying “shhhh.”

While you don’t stray far from your people, you can tell you will be fierce and are not afraid to try new things. You love to test your physical limits to keep up with the big kids. I know when you commit to something, you are all in.

You know exactly what you want out of your day, and I feel that you will always live every moment to the fullest. You don’t let much get in your way. And I love and admire that about you.

You refuse to go to the church nursery, and you love to try to add a little color to the hymnals and talk to the pastor all through the sermon.

You also love your brother fiercely. I think you push yourself to reach his level, which has been amazing to see you try to catch up to someone who is three years older.

At the same time, you are a force with him. While most of the time you are George’s shadow, you put him in his place when he is being ridiculous. For being half his size, you hold your own against that big brother of yours. I pray every day that your relationship makes you stronger and give you the skills to command any room that you are in.

Your laugh and smile light up the room, but you definitely make people work for them. You don’t give up your love for free (unless it is for a stuffie) which is something I hope that you continue to expect when you get older.

I knew having a girl would make me grow, but I never knew how much it would change me. Being around you Daphne is a constant reminder of how I hope to be as a woman and as a mother. It has helped me with my own self talk, because I never want you to hear the things I used to say to myself.

I love our daily mantras:

You are brave.
You are smart.
You are strong.
You are kind.
You are funny.
You are capable.
You are Daphie.

You are my perfect little girl, and I love every bit or your toddler self.

March 3, 2019 by Stephanie

Grit and Grace Review

Reading has been something that has been very difficult for me lately, however when this book review came to me, I knew I needed the challenge.

I received this devotional for my honest review.

Grit and Grace

This book is a 90-day devotional geared towards mothers. I knew I was going to like this devotional after the first page. One of the authors went into a story about being late to church and the frazzled feeling when you take your kids anywhere. She is my people.

There are a couple things to note from this book that I really like:

The two authors are at different stages of motherhood. One has young kids (like myself) and one has older children and is able to provide perspective from the other side of being in the weeds of toddlerhood.
With that being said, it does seem that this book is geared more towards mothers who are in the younger kid stages. I don’t mind it, and I think there is still much to glean from it. However, many of the stories are from this time.
The book is separated into daily devotionals, and let me tell you they are easily digestible. First they are fairly short, so each day could be read in 5 minutes. For someone who falls asleep within a matter of a few pages of any book, this is a must. I also loved that they included the full text of the scripture in each chapter as well as a short prayer. This easy access is great for me to connect with God and have a little guidance that gets me started with the word and prayer. I am all about some given structure in my chaos of days.

All that is great, however, what I loved most about it was how relatable it was. It is so easy to feel like you are alone and feel like you aren’t doing things right. Just this morning I mumbled under my breath that I do not have the patience to be a mom as both kids were crying at me for reasons that are still unknown. The stories that were shared were experiences that I have had. They shared thoughts that have gone through my head. They spoke insecurities that are deep in my soul. They are me. It is devotionals like these who talk about the mess and the realities of the imperfection that help me to connection with God. In these stories we can embrace grace through the love that is given, and I so appreciated the words that were spoken through this book.

I do not think this will be a book that I just read once. It might be one of those that I read yearly just to remind myself how wonderfully and fearfully we were made for motherhood. God made all this possible, even if sometimes it is a little messy.

He also provided us with a little Grit and Grace.

You can find the book here.

September 18, 2017 by Stephanie

Daphne-4 Months

Daphie Girl is four months old today.

Weight: 13 lbs. Half of that is in her cheeks.

Health: She has been doing pretty great. We do not have to go to physical therapy anymore for torticollus. She has a slight bump on the right side of her head, which does mean she has to work harder to roll over. However the PT said that she is so strong and moving so well that they are confident that will subside as she grows. It is not noticeable to really anyone who doesn’t see her every day. We are still doing daily exercises with her to make sure that she doesn’t lean more on the right side and get lopsided. Overall she is doing really well with them.

Diet: I am really proud of myself. At this point with George, we had to start supplementing with formula because I just wasn’t making enough. I have been doing really great with keeping up with her demands so far. Since she sleeps through the night I also pump an extra time before I go to bed. That’s mostly so my boobs aren’t rocks in the morning, but it has been nice to stock up some with that extra pump (or fill in when I had a low pump).

Clothes: She is still in 0-3 month clothes. She is in a size 2 diaper.

Sleeping: This girl is such a good sleeper. She goes to bed at 8pm and does not wake up until I get her at 6:30 to feed her before I leave for work. On the weekends, she will make it almost 12 hours before stirring. She takes one long nap during the day (generally in the morning), and she will take cat naps in the afternoon. I think she sleeps so well because of being swaddled. She will whimper a bit at first being a baby burrito, but within a few minutes she is out like a light. We are still using a sleep sack swaddle, and I am dreading the day when she starts rolling from back to tummy. I have been looking at the magic sleep suits for this transition. Anyone use one? Thoughts?

Likes: Me-I am apparently the ultimate pacifier. Eating. Funny faces. Standing (assisted). She loves tummy time, which I know makes her very rare. Mornings-she is such a happy baby in the morning. She loves show tunes. I haven’t found a song yet that she doesn’t respond to with smiles when I sing to her. (That’s my girl!) She also likes to suck on her fingers. She likes her head to be rubbed, and she has even started rubbing her hair on her own.

Dislikes: Unless she is sleeping, she does not like laying down. She needs to be sitting up or standing to watch what is happening. She doesn’t even like to lay her head on your shoulder. She still hates a dirty diaper. She is not the biggest fan of swings.

Milestones: She sits up pretty well in the Bumbo. I think we need to get her bouncy activity center out because of how much she loves being in a standing position. She is rolling a lot more, and I am afraid that rolling both ways is going to be happening soon. Right now she just rolls from belly to back. She has started giggling too, which is fun to hear.

Nicknames: Sister Friend, Girlfriend, Sweet Cheeks, DC, Daphie, Daph, and Daphne June. Most of the time it is Sister or Daphie Girl. The other day, I was trying to calm her down, and I kept saying Daphie, and George would respond with Girl. It was super sweet.

Quirks: Anytime she is in the Z vibrating chair at home, she has a blowout. She enjoys the sh*t out of that chair. But honestly, she has pooped/peed on me more times in 4 months than George has in 3 years (including potty training). She has a real knack of starting that crap when you are changing her diaper.

We parents are: TIRED. With the start of school, my brain has been going non-stop, which is a little exhausting. I have been trying to get up early to work out, and I do that late pump at 10:30, so that cuts into my sleep time. Tom has been working constantly on the house when he isn’t at work, so he has been exhausted lately as well. We are slowly tearing away at the living room renovation. Tom has been working himself ragged on the project. We hope to be done by the beginning of October.

George is: THREE! He had his birthday this last month, which is always a good time. He is still doing so well with sister friend. (I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop…) He is still at the sitter for the time being, but Daphne is staying home with my mom now. He asks for her a lot on our way to the sitter or home, saying he misses her or we need to go get her. He has asked to hold her a couple times.

The dogs are: just loving life. They really are doing ok with the new baby and new house. No big complaints.

Here is George’s 4 month update. These kids are so different.

Sweet baby girl, you are starting to react more to us, and we are loving watching you grow.

August 26, 2017 by Stephanie

George Turns Three

To the boy that made me a momma,

I have loved watching you grow this year., and I can’t believe how much you have changed in just 365 days. I feel like I am taking this birthday harder than I have the last two. It seems as though this time you really have outgrown being my baby. Maybe it is how you talk and play. Maybe it is because we have another baby in the house. Maybe it’s just what happens.

I have loved seeing your personality really develop this year into a sweet charismatic little boy. You are so fun, and you make me laugh every day.

You are so passionate and determined when you play. Your obsession with trucks and trains has only grown over the year. And you want to rescue every animal in sight, which lets me know how caring your heart is.

I see bits of both your dad and I in you.

You are so cautious when you meet new people, but once you get to know them-hold on. You love so hard and are very attached to your people.

Your eyes light up when you are able to work on a project with your daddy. You are very hands on and see the world in a way to build it up again.

You have no time for nonsense, and you want to make the most out of every ounce of the day. You are non-stop from the moment you wake up until the moment you go back to bed.

This is the year you have learned to pray, and I look forward to hearing what your are thankful for every day. (My favorite is that you still say thanks for Henry (Honey) and Arlo even though you haven’t seen these friends in months.) Talking about faith and prayer with you has not only grown me closer to you, but also to God.

While you still have your moments of Mr. Indepedence (aka Defiance), you are getting so much better at helping and being a good listener.

We have seen you learn new things like becoming a puzzle master and heard your vocabulary grow everyday. You are so very smart, and I know big things are in store for you.

You remind me each day to pay attention to the little things and soak up the moments where you ask me to “hold you” or for just one more kiss. I love seeing you get excited when you see train tracks or the fire house to wave to the firemen and say goodnight to the trucks when they aren’t out. I love how you have made a walk to the mailbox as exhilarating as a trip to the moon.

I know some days I am not the most patient with you, but you have taught me more about forgiveness and enduring love when you still want to snuggle even though we may have spent the afternoon both in tantrums.

One of my greatest joys however was watching you become a big brother this year. You are so sweet to your sister, and I can already tell that you are going to have a great bond. I have been so proud of you and how easy you have taken on this new role.

Over the last three years, I have watched you become you. It’s bittersweet for sure. I have watched you go from being a NICU baby to now being taller than every kid your age. It was exciting to see you take your first steps, but now it’s heartbreaking at times to see you run to play on your own. I remember the excitement hearing you gurgle for the first time, now we get to have actual conversations with each other and at times I am so overwhelmed by emotions I almost burst into tears from hearing your little sentences. I miss how little you were, but I am thrilled to see you continue to grow. I know that ultimately my job is to send you out into the world to make it a better place.

I have wanted to be a mommy my whole life, and God knew what he was doing when He gave me you first so we could go on this journey together. You have taught me how to be a mommy, and I am so thankful for every second of playing trains and reading a million books with you.

I pray for your future and I pray for God to give me the strength I need to let you go and grow.

I am so happy to be your mommy, and I have cherished these last three years with you so much. And even thought it’s not just us anymore and we have said goodbye to you being a baby, you will always be my first born and the one who stole my heart as a mommy. So no matter what changes or how crazy this world gets, my favorite thing is watching you become you.

To the one who made me a mommy,

I have been enamored by you since the day you came into this world three years ago. And my love grows bigger right along with you.

Happy Birthday Georgie Man.

Love,

Mommy

May 9, 2017 by Stephanie

Baby 2: Thirty-Five Weeks

35 weeks

How far along: 35 weeks and 3 days. We are on a week to week basis, so I want to make sure we get a last update in.

Sex of Baby W: Little Miss

Weight gain: I am holding steady at 14 lbs.

Size of Baby W: mini-lop rabbit or honeydew melon. Our ultrasound confirmed that she is over 6 lbs now.

Maternity clothes: All the time. Living that bump life.

Baby items: We had our baby shower last week. This little girl is well-loved. Then I went through our registries and got the rest of the must have items. So as far as gear, we are ready for her now. We got all the items we needed out of the basement and washed, so that means we are ready right? The car seat is in the car; all we need is the baby!

Belly button in or out: I am a little bit of an outie.

Sleep: I have been sleeping through the night the past couple weeks. It has been nice to not have to waddle to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Best moment the past few weeks: The baby shower was awesome. We have also had some great weekends with George. We have been soaking up our last moments with him as our only. We also got to see DC on the ultrasound again, and since it has been since 20 weeks, it was great to see how fully developed she is now.

Worst moment the past few weeks: Well apparently this is the time that my pre-eclampsia rears its ugly head. I have been diagnosed again, and I have had two prolonged stays at the hospital. I am just going to assume we will be at the hospital after our weekly check-ups. Fortunately, they have not put me on bedrest, so I can still function normally once they do release me. It has just been stressful to deal with the sitting and waiting while at the hospital as they do the NST and watch my blood pressure stabilize. It’s also hard to hear “you could have this baby today.” However, the doctors do seem positive that at whatever point DC is born now, that she will be perfectly fine. We are just holding out as long as we can for her to further develop her lungs at this point.

Miss anything: normal blood pressure. Being able to get out of bed without having to do it by rolling.

Cravings: I got my Taco Bell! The other night I was craving hot dogs, and I then proceeded to eat a whole box of mini corn dogs…

Movement: She moves quite a bit, which is awesome. Although she has one spot she likes to kick right above my hip that makes me lose my breath sometimes. It looks like I have an extra hip bone she is kicking so hard.

Symptoms/how I am feeling: My body feels fine, or at least that is how I read it. My blood pressure is just doing it’s thing silently. I am keeping a daily log of it to catch myself if they do rise, especially since they don’t have me on bedrest. I don’t have any swelling or headaches that are common with pre-eclampsia. I am having contractions, so maybe this means we can make it through this more naturally. I feel like I need a nap every day.

Looking forward to: Not having to deal with this anxiety of waiting. We are supposed to do some maternity photos next weekend, so hopefully we can make it another week.