Museum for Kids

I heard great things about the children's museum,

so this weekend we decided we would go check it out.

My initial thought was: children + museum...hmm this should be interesting.

I wonder what ancient artifact Lyla can break???

But it actually wasn't like that at all. It was really fun! 

They should call it the children's giant play center, instead of museum.

So many cute activities: a fake grocery store, a mini house with a full kitchen,
 a firehouse, sandbox, fishing area, dress-up center, puppet shows and more! 

I think Lyla's favorite was the grocery store & play house area. 

She helps me out in the kitchen at home and I think she

was slightly confused when the faucet wouldn't turn on in the fake kitchen.

I'm assuming Max didn't think the museum was all 

that great since he slept the entire time, 

but at least he got to wear a new outfit that day!

The rest of the weekend was rain, rain & more rain! 

I'm No Pro

nothing is perfect! motherhood is a journey and a tricky one at that! 

so, here are a few mom tips from myself, to myself:

1. whether it's soothing a baby or disciplining a toddler, there are at least a million 

different tips, techniques, suggestions & methods out there  to try.

 and when you find a trick that actually works for your child, 

it basically feels like [what i imagine] winning the lottery feels like. 

but guess what? nothing is going to work 100% of the time. and that's okay! 

reminder to myself: babies can have bad days too.  they are human, after all.

2. having a routine is good. structure is good. 

but your children will not be permanently damaged

 if their day doesn't always go as planned.
it will not traumatize your children if bedtime, bathtime,
 playtime or meal time happens differently than usual.

reminder to myself: quit obsessing over the routine & embrace the chaos
or you might miss out on something wonderful.

3. my babies have become my entire world. 

i love them with every ounce of my being and can't imagine life without them.  

as such, i can't help but feel guilty when i just want to lay in bed all day. 

or i look at my milk crusted clothes and wish i could go shopping, alone.

 i miss the freedom to being able to meet my friends for a cocktail. 

[friends? what are those?] 

i want to color my hair. i want to go get a pedicure.
i would love to soak up the sun in my backyard all afternoon.

 is it selfish to feel that way? maybe a little. is it normal? i think so.

 would i trade my babies to have all of that back? never. 

reminder to myself: you will have me time again, someday.

4. i think i'm doing pretty well with my role as a stay at home mom. 

however, being cooped up at home all day makes me feel insane some days. 

seriously, it can be so boring. [but all jobs are boring at some point!]

i try to plan something to do outside the house as much as i can,

 but it's bloody hot out and that limits our options. 
plus, packing up two kids is more trouble than it's worth sometimes.

i'm getting better at finding things to occupy my time at home, 

[singing & dancing with lyla mostly]

 but i am still adjusting to the change.

reminder to myself: the world will not stop spinning if you stay at home all day.

5. i've taken notice that my day goes significantly

 better if i start my day with a good attitude. 

i never actually believed in that nonsense, but it's true and it works.

 i admit, sometimes i wake up with a bad attitude or decide to have a pity party for myself.
 but if i'm a grouch, i can always see it reflected in my kids.

and if my kids are grouchy, it makes the day go by even slower. 

it's simple: happy mom=happy kids

reminder to myself: negativity is a magnet. 
quit your complaining & enjoy every single day.

yes, we have hard days. but at the end of the day it's all worth it.
and i know someday [when lyla is yelling at me & calling me mean 
or max is getting in trouble at school] i will look back and 
wish i could live this stage of life with my babies again.

now, just look at these guys. both of them are getting so big & changing so much.

i literally cry if i stare at them for too long. i'm a freak i guess!

18 Month Check-Up

18 Month Doctor Visit

Weight: 23 lbs 1 oz, 56th percentile

Height: 34 inches, 97th percentile

Head: 19 inches, 92nd percentile

tall & skinny seems to be the trend here!

Lyla had to get one shot during this visit.

When the nurse walked in with the needle, she immediately

 put her hand over her thigh and got a sad look on her face.

I couldn't believe she remembered the last time & could 

connect the dots to what was about to occur.

She recovered quickly & even showed off her band-aid to dad when he got home.

No more check-ups until she hits the two year mark.

Who is Maxwell?

Maxwell will be 6 weeks old this week & life is feeling pretty much back to normal.
It has definitely been an adjustment, but that was expected. 

Thankfully, my unexplainable feelings of sadness have concluded. 
The baby blues are definitely the worst stage of recovery after pregnancy! 
I'm not a sad person & I dislike feeling out of control of my own emotions.
And I'm more grateful than ever for Kirk for putting up with me. 
He really is the best. 

Lyla's naughty level seems to be on the rise 
and she is getting into more mischief than ever.
I'm not sure if that is a result of my time being divided between the two,
 or just because she is emerging into toddlerhood. 
Still, messes and all, she is still the cutest girl ever.

OK, so my grandpa totally teased me about my recent post all about Lyla. 

He found it pretty funny that Maxwell was mentioned 

only once in the long list of me praising Lyla.

But grandpa, that post was intended just for my girl!

She is still the princess you know....

Once Maxwell starts growing and hitting milestones 

there will be blogging done exclusively about him too.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures & fun facts about Max to hold you over...

1. He poops a lot.

Look, I know newborns are supposed to poop a lot.

But he has way more explosions than Lyla ever did.

Thus, I've concluded, boys poop more than girls.

It is now a fact. Don't argue.

2. He loves to cuddle.

Also, probably true with lots of babies.

But Lyla would rarely snuggle.

Even as a newborn, she liked to be facing

 outward & able to check everything out.

3. He started coo-ing & I've even caught a few grins.

The biggest smile occurred when I laid him next to Lyla in her crib.

You might say, oh that's just a coincidence.

But I'm going with the theory that he loves his big sis!

4. That idiot doctor who told me Max was too skinny at two weeks can bite me.
 I weighed him yesterday and my scale said 11 pounds.
WHAT? That can't be right. It must be broken.
Lyla was only 10.2 lbs at her 2 month appointment. 
I think we have a little chubby boy in the making. 
Bring on the baby rolls, baby!

He is beginning to reveal bits & pieces of his personality and 
he is the sweetest little guy. I'm more than satisfied with my 9 month creation.

Now---you will have to wait until the three month 
mark to read another post all about Maxwell. 

Thanks grandpa for reminding me how neurotic I am. ;-)

I wonder which one of my children I passed that adorable little trait onto...

Missing Grandma

I am missing the grandmas today. 

Why must Idaho and Texas be so far apart? It just isn't fair. 

Perfection

These people make me so happy. 

How did I get so lucky?

Happy Fourth of July

We started our day bright and early.

Apparently this made Lyla very upset...

This is Max. As you can see, he kept the diva behavior to a minimum.

Kirk had to work the first part of the day, 
so instead of braving the big parade alone, 

we decided to join Charli & Hali for a pancake breakfast and mini-parade instead.

Afterwards, the girls got ready for the parade.

It didn't take Lyla long to make a new friend, 
who pushed her around most of the time.

He had no problem pushing her at FULL SPEED in that little toy stroller.

Lyla was enjoying herself, but I nearly had a heart attack.

Once Kirk got home, it was party time

 (aka swimming at Charli & Jeremy's)

 Max observed from the sidelines most of the time.

Aunt Charli did dip his feet in, he didn't mind.

 And finally, fireworks!

Lyla loved waving the sparklers around,

but the other fireworks were too loud and scared her pretty bad. 

It's crazy to think that last year Lyla was only 6 months old

 and slept through all the festivities.

Now, only one year later, we have two little bear cubs.

The hardest change for me since moving to 
Texas has been adjusting to the holidays.

I'm trying my best to let go of old traditions and

 start making new ones, but it's challenging for me.

However, I have to say, 4th of July was pretty darn fun!

18 Months

788923 minutes

13148 hours

548 days

78 weeks 

18 months. (nooo)

the skills & life experience of an 18 month old:

1. she thinks she can jump. 

it is hilarious.

2. she is getting better with 

colors, numbers, shapes & animal noises every day.

3. she understands the concept of using the big girl potty

and can complete all the steps except the actual going potty part. ha.

3.5. oh, and if she has a full diaper, she has no

trouble ripping the thing off & running nude around the house.

 i'm getting really skilled at chasing her while maxwell is breastfeeding!

4. she likes to play the piano & sing along. (adorable!)

5. her hair is growing like a weed. seriously. 

6. she is pretty fearless when it comes to the pool. 

her favorite is jumping off the edge into her dad's arms.

7. if she gets injured, she shakes her finger 
at the object that hurt her and says 'no no'

ex: if she bonks her head on the coffee table, the table then gets scolded. 

8. she says 'bye' to strangers everywhere we go.

grocery cashiers, waiters, homeless people, etc.

9. over the past month, she has transitioned into just one nap a day. 

which leaves less time for getting chores done & more time for pure chaos.

that's okay though! :)

10. she is a big sis now & a very good one at that.

she truly has a mommy instinct & takes such good care of her little bro.

i can't believe my baby is 18 months already, 

there is no denying she is a toddler now. 

and it's true what they say, a toddler's brain is a sponge!

i'm so proud of my little lyla girl. 

she is beautiful. brilliant. hilarious.

and her spunky attitude keeps us on our toes!

she is everything i ever hoped for & i am so so blessed to be her momma.

can she please stop growing up and changing?

i need to bottle her up at this stage forever.

if you care to check out lyla's previous list please click here!