Mamazen

29 months

My dear Lucy,

You are now 29 months old, and I'm late yet again. I guess we should just get used to it. 

You are so much fun lately, full of hugs and kisses and you make the funniest faces.

You have discovered "Frenchy Beer". One night you were sick with a fever so Ruby went to the store with Daddy. When she returned she held up two bottles of sparkling cider and proclaimed "LOOK LUCY!!! FANCY FRENCH BEER!" (which you calld Fancy French BEARD) and a new tradition began. Now you both call it frenchy beer but we have it with dinner a couple of times a week, often in fancy glasses. It's awesome.

We went to Zoo Lights, FINALLY! It wasn't a super cold night and there was no rain so it was a great time. 

You loved the penguin house. 

Overall lots of fun was had, until we were exhausted and ready for bed. 

You met Santa. You were not impressed.

You were however impressed by the fact that we turned your seat forward facing! We would've left you rear for another year except the only way to do that left NO space between you and Ruby and there was a LOT of squabbling. 

Now you both face forward, sing Frozen songs together and get along... most of the time. 

You, like Ruby LOVED all things Christmas. The lights, the festivities, the family time, the FOOD.

Baking cookies for Santa was a huge hit.

As was leaving them out for him.

And Santa brought you exactly what you asked for (a mermaid shirt)

Christmas morning was a joyful time of gifts and kisses and coffee. 

And candy. you were honestly more thrilled with your stocking stuffers than anything else!

One of your favorite gifts was a hand painted stool from Auntie Kasi. It's a little tippy so you have to step right in the middle but oh how you love it. You keep it in the bathroom so you can get up and down from the potty on your own (yeah, you do it all by yourself now!)

Ruby got face paints for christmas. She turned you into one of the lost boys from Peter Pan.

Bangarang!!!

You're still very much a mama's girl, espeically after I spent a month in the hospital with Mighty Mabel. You can hardly stand to be apart from me for more than a couple of hours. I'm sorry baby, I should never have to be apart from you for that long ever again. 

You love your sisters, even when you're having a rough day, you love them. One day you were really needing mama snuggles, and Mabel would not be held by any one else, so to the rocking chair we went. 

Sweetness ensued.

So much loving sweetness between you three. (untilthere is not)

We went to the children's museum. 

You pretty much loved everything.

especially shopping in the grocery store! You love playing in your mini kitchen, pretending to make soup and cakes and tea. You're quite the mini chef and restauranteur. 

You also love the swing, asking me to 'set timer!' for you and Ruby to take turns "first Ruby first Ucy!"

You love books and reading and can't get enough of them at bedtime (which may be a bedtime stalling tactic) We try to limit to three, but don't always stick to it.  When i pump, and you come hang out with me (one of your favorite things to do) you like to read "Coco the hungry croc" because there's a puppet in the book and playing puppets is one of your favorite things right now! you try to make them all sleep, so you can shout to wake them up, or you make them taste your fingers and ears, or pretend to be sad so you cn cheer them up wih your hugs and kisses. 

You are still very attached to your mimis (pacifiers), we have a rule that they are only for sleepytime, but I find that you sneak around with them anyway. Getting rid of them is going to be tough, but when you're ready I know you'll do it. 

You have the sweetest little voice. One thing I love hearing you say is "well?!" 

"Lucy, what are you doing"

"well?! I doing yegos mama!"

Speaking of legos, you LOVE legos and building stuff. you are just learning but it's so fun to watch you try and keep up with Ruby. and I love the way you say 'yego'

Another comedic thing you said recently, I asked you where daddy went and you said "work, to get some money". Well, it's true, and it's pretty funny. 

You have mastered scissors. You love getting a big piece of paper and just standing in the middle of the room snipping it into smaller and smaller pieces. Next you get to learn how to use a dust pan.

You are SO tall. You are 1.5 inches taller than Ruby was when she was 3! and you're not even 2.5. You're solidly in size 3T clothes, and even some of those seem small. I am sure you will be taller than me when you grow up!

My darling Lucy, you are getting so big, and yet you are so very small. When you want to be rocked to sleep I do my best to make it happen because I suspect those days are coming to a close. You are such a lover, free with hugs and kisses and 'I yove you!' You are also TWO AND A HALF and all that comes with it. You want to do everything your self, and if you don't get things exactly the way you want them, all hell breaks loose. But over all, you're a sweet, sweet potato and I could not love you more. 

All my love, Mama

 

 

2 months

My dear sweet Mabel, 

You are now 2 months old (yes this is late, but get used to it, you're the third kid), and I can't believe it! You also *finally* hit 7 lbs, which is still so small, but when you start out at 4lb7oz, 7 lbs is a huge accomplishment. 

 

Aunt Mary made you some cute knits. They were a tiny bit big, but still you look awesome in green.

 

 

Grandma finally arrived! She spent a month here (just left a few days ago) and had such a good time snuggling you and your sisters as much as possible. 

It's been a big month for you, you had your first Christmas!

 

We had a beautiful tree, your sisters worked hard to decorate it, you slept. 

We went to the zoolights. You slept through it.

You met Santa, you slept through that too. 

You got lots of kisses from Ruby

and grandma

And hugs from Lucy.

And you wore lots of hand knits, looking adorable, natch. 

Your favorite place is with mama. You had your tongue and lip tie released this month and although it's helping your nursing (even though you still are learning to nurse with a wide mouth) it didn't help your reflux, in fact it seems to have made it worse. (Don't worry this happens and hopefully you'll get past it soon). You don't like to be put down much at all, so you live in our arms, or in the sling. It's a little hard to eat hot soup with a baby on your chest but you're not my first baby who liked to be held so I've learned, and you have yet to complain about a carrot or two on your head. I've had to learn to sleep sitting up, which isn't the most comfortable but when you're the mama, you do whatever you need to do to catch a few zzzs. We borrowed an angled bed (the rock n play) from a friend and some nights you'll spend two hours or so in it before needing to be held. It's so delightful to sleep with you, but I'll be honest, sleeping on my side instead of sitting up is much better for me. One night at a time, we will get past the reflux! 

You are SO CLOSE to smiling.  Most babies smile by 2 months, but I have to keep reminding myself that you are *only* 3 weeks adjusted age, which means in many ways you are only neurologically 3 weeks old, not 2 months. It's hard being patient but you'll get there. 

Some days Lucy insists that I rock you both together. This is another time that the sling is my best friend, and a comfy rocking chair. It's pretty great to get you both to sleep at the same time.

You do Tummy Time every day now, sometimes alone, but often with Lucy as your 'Tummer time" buddy. You're great at lifting your head up and moving from side to side, which is good because you have a little torticollis and plagiocephaly from how you were in the womb (double footling breech) and being born early. Tummy Time is the best therapy (besides Chiropractic and CranioSacral Therapy) that you can do.

Speaking of Chiropractors... Your mama was chosen as one of the top doctors in our fair city! you accompanied me to the reception, and were very popular. Well, you slept the whole time, but you looked cute. 

 

My darling Mabel June, you are such a sweet baby. You have inspired such love and strength in our little family. I just love you more than I can express. 

All my heart, Mama