July 29, 2009

So in love



It just blows my mind how I my love for Everly just keeps growing.  Whenever I look at her my heart just wants to burst and sometimes I am compelled to attack her with dozens of kisses and hugs, which usually gets her giggling.  Sometimes she will attack me back with a whole bunch of little pecks.  I love how when I say "I love you" she says "I love you too mommy" and sometimes "Daddy loves me too".  

I am constantly amused with her antics and personality.  It just never seems to grow old.  

Of course we have our moments where she throws fits or is just totally and utterly 2.  For the most part I can even laugh those off... although sometimes I do feel like I am losing my mind. :P

July 25, 2009

Adventures in Tandem Nursing

I am almost finished this book and I really enjoyed it.  I have had it since Everly has under a year, but now that we are in TTC mode I thought I would crack it open.  I really like that it is actually more about adjusting to a growing family and finding balance.  I would definitely recommend it for anyone who finds themselves pregnant and still breastfeeding, or for anyone who is planning to be in that position.

Part of me would really love to experience nursing two children at once and watching them bond that way.  The other part thinks it might be easier if Everly weans herself while I am pregnant.  I guess the good thing it whatever happens will have it's pros and cons, and either way I can be happy.  I do talk to Everly about how when there is a new baby she will have to share "boo boos" and now sometimes while she is nursing she points to the other one and says "that boo boo, baby" and nods her head in this really serious way.  A few months ago if I pretended to nurse a doll while she was nursing she would get quite angry and now she wants to share.

Reading this book has gotten me really excited about TTC... before I was much more reluctant.  I just hope it doesn't take too long.  With Everly it took 2 goes, so it is hard not to expect it to happen relatively quickly.  Also I got pregnant in August with her, so there is a part of me that thinks I will get pregnant again in August.  

The good thing is if I don't get pregnant it means I have more time to put into running and building up my weekly mileage.  So at least if I don't get pregnant there is always something to ease it.

Painting Feet


One day while I was doing laundry I went out back to see what DH and Everly where up to.  There DH was painting Everly's feet and legs, arms and hands.  She LOVED it.  He was also letting her paint him.  I loved that DH would do this with her.  They also painted the deck... in tempra paint.  Which is still there a month later.  Oh well everytime I see it I feel happy thinking about the two of them out there doing this together.

I Like Bugs!


I really would prefer Everly to be the kind of girl that isn't scared of bugs, will play with a dump truck, likes sports etc...   She loves to hold the worms we find in our garden, and she has a few plants that she can lift up and find potato bugs under.  She LOVES tending to her potato bugs.  She will pick them up and show them to anyone who walks by.  She puts them back and will water the plants.  Unfortunately there have been a few casualties.  Apparently slugs are actually pretty delicate.  We have been working on "gentle", with some results.  The funny thing is we were at the Zoo and there was a big spider (in a glass box) and she REALLY didn't like it.   I couldn't really blame her... it has a huge harry tarantula! 

We also watch ants when we are out, but she does like to destroy ant homes.  Anyone seen "Ant Bully".  Everytime she kicks and ant hill I think of "the destroyer!"

Squirting Water

Everly LOVES to squirt water from a "squirter".  It was driving me nuts having wet couches, floors etc... so finally in desperation I grabbed two bowls.  She really seemed to enjoy aiming the water into the bowls.  I also let her take it outside and squirt whatever she wants.  This one is good for strengthening the muscles in the hands.

Water Transfer


This one was OK.  It would be a lot better with real eye droppers, but mine have gone missing.  Everly needed help getting the syringe to work (it is tough even for me), but she really enjoyed filling up the flowers with the coloured water.  We got this ice cube tray at Ikea for $1.  I also use it to put tempra paint in.  As she gets older I am hoping we can use this activity more to see how combining colours makes new colours.  We have also done this one with a big turkey baster... again not ideal, but she really does love the turkey baster!

Little Artist


While we were up at the cottage earlier this summer there wasn't much to do other than draw and paint.  For weeks Everly had been obsessed with asking me to draw her happy faces... which I was kind of reluctant to do because I wanted her to draw for herself and in her own way.  So low and behold she painted her first "happy face" while we were up there, and when we got home her happy faces grew arms, legs and hair.  It is so neat to watch her draw her people now.  She isn't always into doing it but sometimes she really does very recognizable people.  Other times not so much.  Today she also drew snakes and she draws rain as well.  Not bad for 26 months... which is actually how old I was when I drew my first happy face! 

Of course I had to run out and get her an easel which has been well used.  It is in the middle of living/ dining room but I wanted it to be easily accessible.  We got ours at Ikea for $20.  I was drooling over the Melissa & Doug one but it was $100 and really not THAT much better than the Ikea one.

Busy and distracted




Lately I have been busy with summer activities, my sister's wedding and other distractions... namely thinking/ planning TTC.   Most of my internet time is being spent over at fertilityfriend.  But I want to attempt to get back into the habit of blogging.  The main reason being it motivates me to do new activities with Everly.

We spent the early part of this week up at my parent's cottage they rent in July.  We finally had some nice weather.  I went up earlier and it was terrible.  It is really hard being cooped up in a tiny cottage with a 2 year old, and 3 other adults.  This week Everly spent most of her time in the water.  She is a real fish.  When I take her to the pool she is experimenting with going "under a teeny bit".  She also is reaching her arms out in front of her and you can see that she is testing her buoyancy.   If she is over her head I put water wings on her and she loves it and squeals "I swimming, I swimming."  It was really fun watching her enjoy the same beach I did as a child.  I can't wait to take her to Florida (condo in Naples) in a couple of weeks.

She was also the flower girl at my sister's wedding and did SO well.  She walked down the aisle by herself and threw (and I mean THREW) the rose petals 4 times.  Once my sister came up front she started getting restless and my amazing SIL grabbed her (I was the matron of honour and DH was a groomsman).  She may reprise her role as flowergirl this weekend as they are having another ceremony (Persian).