She's Four

Our Sara Noel is four years old.  When she was a baby, I wondered all the time about who she would be as a little girl.  She still has a lot of growing to do, but it feels as though all of a sudden, I know who she is.  It's like it has happened over night.

At four, Sara is an absolute mix of sugar and spice, usually all at once.  She absolutely loves being a big sister.  Even when she's tired or crabby or upset, she can turn it off for Emma.  I've learned to bring Emma with me into Sara's room in the mornings because it's a guaranteed way to get her up and moving.  If it's just me trying to coax her out of bed, forget about it.

The testing of limits that began a couple of years ago has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to Sara's growing understanding of language.  Earlier this week, Sara got mad at me and told me, "You can't come to my birthday.  You have to stay home alone."  This morning she said, "Well, I'm already grown up."  Her responses when she's unhappy range anywhere from, "I can (fill in the blank) if I want to" to "Well, I don't care" with the word care spread over about five syllables.  Truthfully, we vacillate between disciplining and ignoring; it seems to depend on the situation, how the rest of the day has gone, and, really, how much energy we have.

The littlest things counter those not-so-desirable moments ... like a couple of weeks ago when we were grocery shopping and Sara randomly said, "You're the best mom."  I definitely basked in that moment as an older couple looked on and offered up the obligatory, "Aaahhhh."

Sara could practically live off of chicken nuggets, bread, apples, and cereal.  I know that she could live off of these foods because she does live off of these foods.  This isn't something I'm proud of, but it's the truth. 

My girl is a girl who knows what she wants, and I love this about her.  I believe that she has the qualities of a leader; they sometimes get her in trouble, but I know they will serve her well (even if they force some tough lessons along the way).  She tends to talk super fast, so we often have to slow her down to understand her ... but she just has so much to say and gets so excited!  Sara plays well independently, and can often be found coloring or doing puzzles for long periods of time.  And although I can occasionally get her in a pair of jeans, she would wear a skirt or dress everyday, given the choice. 

Much to my absolute delight, Sara has embraced the Christmas season.  She loves to sing along in the car to "Feliz Navidad", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", and "Jingle Bell Rock".  She likes watching "Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Christmas Vacation" (which she lovingly calls "Clark"), and she laughs at all the right parts. 

Overall, we think that Sara is pretty much just the best four-year-old ever.  She's funny, smart, and kind ... and she makes our lives so absolutely wonderful.  Happy Birthday to you, Sara-bell!

Marathon Man

Nearly two years ago, Steve was unhappy with the way he looked and felt.  In an attempt to get in shape and lose some weight, he started following the Couch-to-5K program.  Today he ran a marathon!

 To be honest, when he said he'd be running this particular race, and I realized that the bulk of his training - evenings as well as several hours on Sundays - would take place as we adjusted to life with a newborn, I was less than thrilled.  Still, I wanted to be supportive of his efforts, so I encouraged him. In the end, even though Steve did the running, I do believe this was a team effort.  (I will say that his diet regimen turned out to be a great thing for me in trying to lose the baby weight, so I did benefit from the training, too!)

It was so exciting to cheer him on in the final leg of the race today.  After months of dedicated training, Steve achieved what he set out to do.  Regardless of whether he ever runs another one, he'll always have this one; he gets to say he did it (and he has the medal and finisher t-shirt to prove it!).

 

I don't take the time very often to brag about (or even blog about) Steve, but I just had to today. We are so, so proud of him!

Three Months

Emma Grace is three months old!  It feels like just yesterday she was drowning in her newborn onesies, and now she is solid and strong.  Sara told me, "Mom, I'm glad Emma is getting to be such a big girl!"

(not so happy about taking a pic)

At three months, Emma is wide-eyed and alert.  It is so fun to go into her room in the mornings and watch her wake-up.  She stretches, opens her eyes, and smiles a great big smile.  Emma is very responsive to us, and is starting to do a lot of "talking".  She moves her lips and makes all sort of noises.  Unlike Sara, who was interested in her pacifier for about one minute as a newborn, Emma finds great comfort in hers.  She sleeps curled up with a chewy (a trait passed down from her big sis), and enjoys being able to watch the action when she's awake.  It's especially fun to watch her get excited: arms and legs punching and kicking in all directions, and a huge smile across her face. Emma is still super cuddly and she enjoys being held, but when she is tired, often times she just wants to be left alone in her crib.  She'll still occasionally fall asleep in our arms, but she's definitely a girl who knows when she wants her bed.

We don't go back to the doctor until four months, so I'll have official stats then.  But for now, Emma continues to comfortably wear 0-3 month clothes, though I think we'll make the move up to some 3-6 months items by Christmas.  She is eating close to six ounces at most feedings, and often acting incredibly put out when the bottle is empty.  I know she'll be ready to start cereal when we get the okay from the pediatrician next month.

In the meantime, we're enjoying our first holiday season with our two girls!

(p.s. this happened about three minutes after the crying pic above ... daycare really wears a girl out!)

'Tis the Season

We kicked off December and the Christmas season with our annual trip downtown for the Children's Medical Center Christmas Parade.  In past years, we've gotten up early and taken the DART downtown.  This year we decided to do something a little different, so we spent Friday night at the new Omni Hotel, within walking distance of our parade seats. 

Sara was so excited all week about staying in a hotel.  As soon as we made it to our room, she put on her pajamas and made herself at home.  We were on the 20th floor, and the floor-to-ceiling windows allowed us to fall asleep to great views of the city lights, and to wake up overlooking parade preparations.  Everyone enjoyed a relaxing night and a fun change of pace. 

Christmas jammies ...

 Room service ...

 Giant ornaments ...

I didn't get any pictures of the actual parade this year since our hands were twice as full as they have been in previous years.  But we had a wonderful time as always, and now that Sara knows that the hotel-before-parade option exists, I think we may have permanently upgraded our annual tradition. 

One Word Wednesday

Sara

A Few Favorites

In addition to the obvious things like Christmas lights, Christmas music, Christmas decorations, and Christmas movies, these are a few of my favorite things right now (some would make excellent Christmas gifts!) ...

"I Will Hold You 'Til You Sleep" by Linda Zuckerman

Some of my mom's friends gave me this book when Sara was born, and I recently had the pleasure of giving a copy to a friend.  The story and the illustrations are beautiful, and I get the cry-ball every time I read it.

the holiday Starbucks cup

It's shallow, but this cup just makes me smile when I'm needing a morning pick-me-up with an extra shot.  'Tis the season to be well-caffeinated. 

"I Won't Let Go" by Rascal Flatts
I just love this song.  It makes the short list of songs that I feel are my anthems for my children.

my new Cyclones Scentsy warmer

Thanks, Jody!  Now even when the Cyclones stink, my house will smell good (ha, ha).

Sophie the Giraffe

This sweet teether is apparently all the rage right now.  When I first saw Sophie, I swore I had seen her before ... a long time ago in a movie.  After wracking my brain, I correctly identified "Three Men and a Baby" as the movie featuring Sophie.  I'm not sure how or why she's made a comeback now, but I can be sure that Santa has been told that Emma wants one of these for Christmas.

Oh, yeah.  And online shopping.
It's saving my you-know-what this year.  I highly recommend zulily.com and etsy.com.  Happy shopping!

thankful

My greatest blessing is my little family.  When Emma was born and Steve rushed from where the nurses had her to where I was lying on the operating table to let me know she was healthy, I immediately felt a huge sense of relief.  Hearing those words when Sara was born was wonderful; hearing them a second time was downright amazing.  In the hours and days that followed Emma's birth, I found myself in awe of the fact that I'd been given two healthy, beautiful girls. This year, I am most thankful for my thriving family, and the feelings of comfort and completeness that surround me when we're together.

Happy Thanksgiving!