Less than 10 weeks and we will have hopefully met our little man! I CANNOT wait! We've started getting things ready now; washing up some bedding and clothing, new dresser for his room, and mommy has hit the stage of feeling Very Pregnant:)
Tomorrow marks the dreaded glucose test and the last of my monthly appointments as I will now be going in every other week. So exciting! Scary and exciting at the same time:) He is proving to be just as active as his big sister was and mommy is convinced that he will be a track star or soccer player as his little legs can move at lightening speed!
Miss Em continues to make me laugh, warm my heart, and completely wear me out....she is just so much life squeezed into one tiny little person that it is often overwhelming. But she continually reminds me of the fragility of life, give me purpose, and teach me more and more about myself. I have no doubt that this next little one will do just the same and more!
Emma has been making more strides in the potty training department; it's been about 6 weeks since she's worn a diaper/pullup and I will admit that we've had a couple little accidents and a few moments where I've wondered if we have any idea what we're doing, but all-in-all I'm very pleased with our progress and I'm proud of my little girl for how quickly she's learning!
We are all getting so excited for Christmas! Last week we put up the tree and Emma "helped" decorate;P She was loving every minute of it and has since taken to "decorating" the house with every random paper/toy/items of clothing/dish....whatever she can get her dirty little hands on. It's so funny to watch and so much of a pain to clean up;-D She's loving seeing all the Christmas lights and is so excited for Santa to come...I can't wait to experience this Christmas with her and soak up my time with just her before we become a family of 4!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
26.5 Weeks!
I find myself in so many different frames of mind these days that it's no wonder I'm always tired!
Part of me is in disbelief that in 3 months we will be welcoming a new baby! Another part of me is already fatigued of pregnancy and another 13ish weeks seems like a lifetime away:P
I am so tired most all of the time and yet feeling so much more productive and on top of things than what I had been feeling the first half of this pregnancy. I feel huge already and cannot imagine the size of my belly once we get to the end of this journey! I also feel incredibly blessed as our follow up ultrasound 2 weeks ago confirmed that all is well with baby #2's little spine and that (Praise God!) my placenta moved upwards on it's own and is no longer a concern at all. This will hopefully allow for a smooth and uncomplicated delivery; although I know that things do not always go as planned.
I am also happy to report that we are making great strides in the area of potty training:) She has been wearing big girl undies for a little over a week now and only 2 accidents to report so far! We had still been putting her in pull-ups for naps and bedtime;P But as of 2 days ago we ditched those as well! So far with wonderful success.... It's probably much too early to declare this process over with but I am thrilled with our progress. We have tried several other times and frustration would set in quite quickly, for her and us. It appears to me that she is finally ready to accept the challenge and it was just a matter of timing. My ultimate goal was to be done when little brother arrived and we seem to be even a bit ahead of schedule:)
We are currently getting ready for trick or treating here in Sully and I don't want to miss any of the fun, so unfortunately this post will have to be, to be continued.......:)
Part of me is in disbelief that in 3 months we will be welcoming a new baby! Another part of me is already fatigued of pregnancy and another 13ish weeks seems like a lifetime away:P
I am so tired most all of the time and yet feeling so much more productive and on top of things than what I had been feeling the first half of this pregnancy. I feel huge already and cannot imagine the size of my belly once we get to the end of this journey! I also feel incredibly blessed as our follow up ultrasound 2 weeks ago confirmed that all is well with baby #2's little spine and that (Praise God!) my placenta moved upwards on it's own and is no longer a concern at all. This will hopefully allow for a smooth and uncomplicated delivery; although I know that things do not always go as planned.
I am also happy to report that we are making great strides in the area of potty training:) She has been wearing big girl undies for a little over a week now and only 2 accidents to report so far! We had still been putting her in pull-ups for naps and bedtime;P But as of 2 days ago we ditched those as well! So far with wonderful success.... It's probably much too early to declare this process over with but I am thrilled with our progress. We have tried several other times and frustration would set in quite quickly, for her and us. It appears to me that she is finally ready to accept the challenge and it was just a matter of timing. My ultimate goal was to be done when little brother arrived and we seem to be even a bit ahead of schedule:)
We are currently getting ready for trick or treating here in Sully and I don't want to miss any of the fun, so unfortunately this post will have to be, to be continued.......:)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Back Again:)
Hello All!
Well as you can tell by my lack of posts, I've been just a little busy this summer:)
Growing a baby and keeping up with a 2 year old, plus work, lots of family time and several trips have kept me hopping!
Things are going well these days as I have gotten through the worst of my pregnancy sickness. (I was vomitting all day for the first 18 weeks:( But praise God that so far, everything looks great with baby!! I had an early ultrasound at 6 weeks and 9 weeks to check on baby as I had 2 early miscarriages in between Emma and baby #2.....both scans looked normal. Then 2 weeks ago I had my anatomy scan at 19.5 weeks and we got a good glimpse at baby's gender:) It looked to be pretty obvious to us and the tech who confirmed that what we were looking at most definitely looked to be a boy:) Mommy was not surprised as this is what I had been feeling the whole time:) We are so excited to get to experience both and feel that God is truly blessing us with this second miracle!!
The only causes for concern in my heart right now are the fact that we were not able to get a very good look at baby's spine, so my doctor ordered another scan in a week to try and get a better look just to make sure everything looks ok. The other slight concern being that I have a very low-lying placenta this time which can cause bleeding and could end in bedrest or a c-section. But the important thing is that it poses no real risk to baby! It is also something that often times will correct itself as the pregnancy progresses so just something to keep praying about:)
Now a little on Miss Em!
2 1/2 years old and crazy as ever:) She has more personality than any other little gal I know! She is halarious, opinionated, sweet, helpful, detailed, stubborn, and has a widely growing imagination. She is so fun to just sit and watch and listen to! All in all, she's a great little girl. She has given us several challenges as parents all ready with her routine protests about nap and bedtimes, and with our attempts at potty training. But I try to remember that she loves people and being active, so settling down to spend any amount of time in solidarity is not going to be something that she enjoys. And as far as going potty goes....she remembers probably 40% of the time, goes 90% of the time that we remember to take her, and is still only 2..:) I am also pledging to do a better job at consisitantly taking her and trying big girl undies more now that I don't spend a large portion of my day being sick:P
In other news, she is learning her shapes and colors, loves her magnetic dolls, littlest pet shop pets, and Alvin and the chipmunks. She still is a music fanatic and has developed an interest in cheerleading after going to her first football game with mommy and daddy.
She's exhausting and wonderful and we wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. She's such a blessing and we can't wait to introduce her to her baby brother sometime around the end of January/first of February:)!!!
Hope you all are loving fall as much as we are!
Much love from the Van Dykes
Well as you can tell by my lack of posts, I've been just a little busy this summer:)
Growing a baby and keeping up with a 2 year old, plus work, lots of family time and several trips have kept me hopping!
Things are going well these days as I have gotten through the worst of my pregnancy sickness. (I was vomitting all day for the first 18 weeks:( But praise God that so far, everything looks great with baby!! I had an early ultrasound at 6 weeks and 9 weeks to check on baby as I had 2 early miscarriages in between Emma and baby #2.....both scans looked normal. Then 2 weeks ago I had my anatomy scan at 19.5 weeks and we got a good glimpse at baby's gender:) It looked to be pretty obvious to us and the tech who confirmed that what we were looking at most definitely looked to be a boy:) Mommy was not surprised as this is what I had been feeling the whole time:) We are so excited to get to experience both and feel that God is truly blessing us with this second miracle!!
The only causes for concern in my heart right now are the fact that we were not able to get a very good look at baby's spine, so my doctor ordered another scan in a week to try and get a better look just to make sure everything looks ok. The other slight concern being that I have a very low-lying placenta this time which can cause bleeding and could end in bedrest or a c-section. But the important thing is that it poses no real risk to baby! It is also something that often times will correct itself as the pregnancy progresses so just something to keep praying about:)
Now a little on Miss Em!
2 1/2 years old and crazy as ever:) She has more personality than any other little gal I know! She is halarious, opinionated, sweet, helpful, detailed, stubborn, and has a widely growing imagination. She is so fun to just sit and watch and listen to! All in all, she's a great little girl. She has given us several challenges as parents all ready with her routine protests about nap and bedtimes, and with our attempts at potty training. But I try to remember that she loves people and being active, so settling down to spend any amount of time in solidarity is not going to be something that she enjoys. And as far as going potty goes....she remembers probably 40% of the time, goes 90% of the time that we remember to take her, and is still only 2..:) I am also pledging to do a better job at consisitantly taking her and trying big girl undies more now that I don't spend a large portion of my day being sick:P
In other news, she is learning her shapes and colors, loves her magnetic dolls, littlest pet shop pets, and Alvin and the chipmunks. She still is a music fanatic and has developed an interest in cheerleading after going to her first football game with mommy and daddy.
She's exhausting and wonderful and we wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. She's such a blessing and we can't wait to introduce her to her baby brother sometime around the end of January/first of February:)!!!
Hope you all are loving fall as much as we are!
Much love from the Van Dykes
Thursday, June 21, 2012
June Update
Hello Everyone!
Sorry it has been awhile, but life's been crazy busy! We had 2 trips to Carroll in May, a weekend at the lake for Memorial Day, a whirlwind trip to Missouri beginning of June, and are getting ready to leave for vacation to Colorado next week! I had also been working out at James Greenhouse for the months of April and May on top of my clients in the shop. RJ has been umping little league games, playing slow-pitch softball, and having his regular city council meetings also. Yikes!
It's hard to know where to begin with an update on little Miss! She is growing like crazy and maturing by the day! She talks in full sentences and a few new favorites are:
Where'd that come from?
What's that noise?
I'm silly like _______
No, not exactly...
It's a bright sunny day!
Oh, my dear!
A few current favorite activities:
"Reading" she will sit and thumb through her books telling her own version :)
Playing doctor/check up with my cheap doctor kit find:)
Playing "girls" -her wooden magnetic dolls
Talking to our families on the phone
Legos
Favorite foods:
chili
cucumbers
pineapple
wheat thins
baked beans
She continues to be a great sleeper, averaging 10-11 hours at night, (last night was a full 12 hours!) And she takes an afternoon nap usually about an hour and a half.
No more highchairs or booster seats for this girl! She sits like the big kids:)
Still working on the potty training gig. She does really well at using the potty when we are diligent at taking her to go, but rarely keeps a pull-up dry between potty breaks;P (I could probably really buckle down, get strict and get it done, but with all our trips, I haven't been pushing it, knowing that to stop every 1/2 hour to try and go would result in some horribly long drives:)
We hope everyone's summers are off to a great start!
I will leave you with some pics of our awesome little girl!!:)
Sorry it has been awhile, but life's been crazy busy! We had 2 trips to Carroll in May, a weekend at the lake for Memorial Day, a whirlwind trip to Missouri beginning of June, and are getting ready to leave for vacation to Colorado next week! I had also been working out at James Greenhouse for the months of April and May on top of my clients in the shop. RJ has been umping little league games, playing slow-pitch softball, and having his regular city council meetings also. Yikes!
It's hard to know where to begin with an update on little Miss! She is growing like crazy and maturing by the day! She talks in full sentences and a few new favorites are:
Where'd that come from?
What's that noise?
I'm silly like _______
No, not exactly...
It's a bright sunny day!
Oh, my dear!
A few current favorite activities:
"Reading" she will sit and thumb through her books telling her own version :)
Playing doctor/check up with my cheap doctor kit find:)
Playing "girls" -her wooden magnetic dolls
Talking to our families on the phone
Legos
Favorite foods:
chili
cucumbers
pineapple
wheat thins
baked beans
She continues to be a great sleeper, averaging 10-11 hours at night, (last night was a full 12 hours!) And she takes an afternoon nap usually about an hour and a half.
No more highchairs or booster seats for this girl! She sits like the big kids:)
Still working on the potty training gig. She does really well at using the potty when we are diligent at taking her to go, but rarely keeps a pull-up dry between potty breaks;P (I could probably really buckle down, get strict and get it done, but with all our trips, I haven't been pushing it, knowing that to stop every 1/2 hour to try and go would result in some horribly long drives:)
We hope everyone's summers are off to a great start!
I will leave you with some pics of our awesome little girl!!:)
Friday, May 4, 2012
Sleep update
I know that most of you reading this do not care, but for journaling sake, I must post again.
It has only been about a week since Emma's new sleep routine started and the changes are AMAZING! She has clocked in 3 nights in a row now of not waking up once!!
I can't believe what a difference I have noticed in myself just getting that extra couple hours of good sleep in my own bed:) I am a more patient mommy and Emma is a happier little girl!
And not only has her nighttime sleeping improved but her naps are longer and much less of a struggle, plus she is waking up HAPPY! In the past she often woke up from naptime VERY cranky... I wasn't sure the changes would stick at Nana's house because Emma knows how much her Nana loves to take naps with her, but on the first try she went to sleep right away and slept for 2 1/2 hours!!:) Mommy was proud and Nana was impressed;D
Another plus is that RJ and I again have our time together to chat, play cards, or catch up on a few of our favorite shows before turning in at night. (When battling Emma to go to sleep, we lost a lot of this precious time and I often fell asleep waiting for her to nod off:)
I do NOT have any regrets about the times spent snuggling with our little girl, but we knew it was time. I miss the extra snuggles.. but I am loving our newfound sleep routine!!!
It has only been about a week since Emma's new sleep routine started and the changes are AMAZING! She has clocked in 3 nights in a row now of not waking up once!!
I can't believe what a difference I have noticed in myself just getting that extra couple hours of good sleep in my own bed:) I am a more patient mommy and Emma is a happier little girl!
And not only has her nighttime sleeping improved but her naps are longer and much less of a struggle, plus she is waking up HAPPY! In the past she often woke up from naptime VERY cranky... I wasn't sure the changes would stick at Nana's house because Emma knows how much her Nana loves to take naps with her, but on the first try she went to sleep right away and slept for 2 1/2 hours!!:) Mommy was proud and Nana was impressed;D
Another plus is that RJ and I again have our time together to chat, play cards, or catch up on a few of our favorite shows before turning in at night. (When battling Emma to go to sleep, we lost a lot of this precious time and I often fell asleep waiting for her to nod off:)
I do NOT have any regrets about the times spent snuggling with our little girl, but we knew it was time. I miss the extra snuggles.. but I am loving our newfound sleep routine!!!
Monday, April 30, 2012
End of April news
Well, it's official: we are the parents of a 2 year old!
She had a wonderful and simple party with lots of people who love her and apparently love to spoil her...
Being a parent is getting harder and more wonderful every day! I'm enjoying her more and more and getting challenged each day as well. She's got a little bit of a of two-year-old 'tude, shall we say, and we're working on finding the balance between correcting and ignoring;)
We have also began correcting her poor sleeping habits that started just before we made the switch to a toddler bed. We had to lay with her for her to fall asleep and as of late she had really started dragging out her bedtime routine which was getting quite exhausting. She would wake up often in the night wanting me to lay with her or come into our room to climb into bed with us. We felt it was time to let her find her own way to get to sleep.
I got some great tips from our family doctor at her 2 year well child check-up and Wednesday night we put it in play.: We read books with her before bed as we did before but we do it now out in the family room and not in her bedroom. When we take her to her room, it is to lay her down, give hugs/kisses, say a prayer/song, and with the reassurance that we love her and will be in to get her in the morning...the door is closed and the baby gate goes up.
This was not nearly as easy to do as it was to type! The first night broke my heart as she cried for mommy to come hold her, "please Mommy, please!" It was honestly one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Luckily for Mommy and Daddy it only lasted for 20 minutes and she was asleep! We had tried letting her cry a few times before and it had drug on much longer..:( She still woke up during the night once or twice...
Night #2 and 3 she cried for about 10-15 minutes and woke up only once before morning. Upon which Mommy went in, gave her a hug and told I would be in to get her when it was morning.
Saturday night we were out of town and without her own room, she cuddled with Mommy and Daddy:) (I was a little worried about the interrupting of her new routine...) But back home Sunday night and she went to sleep after about 5 minutes and woke up just for a minute or 2 at 4:30.
Today she went down for her nap with just a couple sad whines and slept for nearly 2 hours! That is awesome for her! (She usually fights naps pretty bad and doesn't sleep for more than an hour most days:)
Tonight I am proud to say that after Mommy telling her she would come get her in the morning she cried out once, reassured herself, "Mommy come get you in mornin," and was out.
So to any parents struggling with tough sleepers, be encouraged! I didn't think I could do it, but I'm so glad I did and am so proud of my little girl! She is growing up too fast!!!
She had a wonderful and simple party with lots of people who love her and apparently love to spoil her...
Being a parent is getting harder and more wonderful every day! I'm enjoying her more and more and getting challenged each day as well. She's got a little bit of a of two-year-old 'tude, shall we say, and we're working on finding the balance between correcting and ignoring;)
We have also began correcting her poor sleeping habits that started just before we made the switch to a toddler bed. We had to lay with her for her to fall asleep and as of late she had really started dragging out her bedtime routine which was getting quite exhausting. She would wake up often in the night wanting me to lay with her or come into our room to climb into bed with us. We felt it was time to let her find her own way to get to sleep.
I got some great tips from our family doctor at her 2 year well child check-up and Wednesday night we put it in play.: We read books with her before bed as we did before but we do it now out in the family room and not in her bedroom. When we take her to her room, it is to lay her down, give hugs/kisses, say a prayer/song, and with the reassurance that we love her and will be in to get her in the morning...the door is closed and the baby gate goes up.
This was not nearly as easy to do as it was to type! The first night broke my heart as she cried for mommy to come hold her, "please Mommy, please!" It was honestly one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Luckily for Mommy and Daddy it only lasted for 20 minutes and she was asleep! We had tried letting her cry a few times before and it had drug on much longer..:( She still woke up during the night once or twice...
Night #2 and 3 she cried for about 10-15 minutes and woke up only once before morning. Upon which Mommy went in, gave her a hug and told I would be in to get her when it was morning.
Saturday night we were out of town and without her own room, she cuddled with Mommy and Daddy:) (I was a little worried about the interrupting of her new routine...) But back home Sunday night and she went to sleep after about 5 minutes and woke up just for a minute or 2 at 4:30.
Today she went down for her nap with just a couple sad whines and slept for nearly 2 hours! That is awesome for her! (She usually fights naps pretty bad and doesn't sleep for more than an hour most days:)
Tonight I am proud to say that after Mommy telling her she would come get her in the morning she cried out once, reassured herself, "Mommy come get you in mornin," and was out.
So to any parents struggling with tough sleepers, be encouraged! I didn't think I could do it, but I'm so glad I did and am so proud of my little girl! She is growing up too fast!!!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
A different kind of entry...
To my Emma:
I don't have all the answers
I don't know the perfect way.
I don't always know just what to do
or know just what to say.
But I know I love you more
than you will ever know.
And will do all that I can
to help you as you grow.
So many different methods
and so much advice on how to.
But none of them are made
specifically for or about you.
I hope to give you just as much grace
and forgiveness as I hope to receive.
As I help you grow and learn and change
and teach you to believe.
My heart soars just watching you
and tears come to my eyes
when I think of Papa looking out for you
from way up in the skies.
You are my pride and joy
and I love you more each day.
"I love you too mommy,"
is my favorite phrase you say.
You will always have my heart
and my baby you'll always be.
No one will ever love you like I do
I'm so thankful God gave you to me.
I don't have all the answers
I don't know the perfect way.
I don't always know just what to do
or know just what to say.
But I know I love you more
than you will ever know.
And will do all that I can
to help you as you grow.
So many different methods
and so much advice on how to.
But none of them are made
specifically for or about you.
I hope to give you just as much grace
and forgiveness as I hope to receive.
As I help you grow and learn and change
and teach you to believe.
My heart soars just watching you
and tears come to my eyes
when I think of Papa looking out for you
from way up in the skies.
You are my pride and joy
and I love you more each day.
"I love you too mommy,"
is my favorite phrase you say.
You will always have my heart
and my baby you'll always be.
No one will ever love you like I do
I'm so thankful God gave you to me.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
23 months old!
Over a week ago, our baby girl turned 23 months old. I don't get too sentimental about all the little month birthdays, but this one hurts a little. In less than a month she will be 2....not a baby at all. I am not an extremely emotional person, and yet several times in the past week I've found tears in my eyes thinking about her birthday. I was ready for one...I'm not ready for two... If this is how fast the birthdays go by from now on, I may turn in to a basket case!
She talks constantly, and any of you who have been around her at all, know I am not exaggerating. She talks about everything, to everyone, all the time:) She tells every worker at every store thank you, and says hi to each and everyone we pass on our walks. She's hilarious; and will often tell you, "I funny!"
She coaxes smiles out of random strangers, she rarely walks...she dances, but we say she's like the Iowa weather....her mood can turn on a dime! I don't know if it's her age, gender, or personality, but she can go from giggles to fits and back again like nothing!
She's an outdoors girl like her mama and the very first thing she asks in the morning when she gets up and after her nap is always, "I pay outsiiiide?"
Her current favorite song is BINGO, and can be heard singing, "Clap, clap G-O, clap, clap G-O" about 13 times a day:) She was introduced to chocolate milk recently and it's her favorite special treat....even trumping m&m's;P
We had several days of potty time success where she started telling us she had to go and sat on her potty chair to go, and we got super excited:) But the excitement seems to have waned and she stopped telling us when she had to go:P Little stinker! But I told myself long ago that I would not push it or even bring it up before 2. So I'm not going to get upset about it yet. I was planning on waiting till summer anyway and we can wear lots of skirts for easy "access" and maybe even just go pantless for a couple days and go cold turkey. We shall see! All in time!
Today we are going to see the Easter bunny and we had to have a countdown to keep her from going crazy asking every hour, "I see Easter bunny?" She caught a glimpse of him last time we were at the mall, but said she was scared. We of course took that to mean she didn't want to sit with him and headed home. We've had many meltdowns since.... so back we go!
We are meeting RJ's parents there too and they are taking Emma home while RJ and I meet up with my family to see Tim Hawkins! I can't wait! It should shape up to be a fantastic weekend!
Well Happy (almost) Easter everyone!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
22 month update: I remembered pictures this time!
I'm so excited that spring is almost here! And regardless of the nice winter that we have been blessed with, I'm SOOOO ready for nicer weather. We have a mama and a little girl who really need some outdoor time again. Cabin fever has struck and the grumpies visit far too often:P
However, I seriously cannot believe that in (gulp) less than two months, I will have a 2 year old. I remember this time last year being almost giddy with excitement over her upcoming birthday. The 1st birthday party was so exciting and I was loving her getting more mobile and independent. I have loved year #2 almost more, and so this year is much different. I would like her to stay at this age for a few more years... Almost every day during some point I look at her and think, she's a big girl now:( Even if it does mean getting her own snacks without supervision:P
Emma is a very sensitive little thing, she is super busy all the time, and talks as much as she plays! She does very well with her please and thank-you's (especially in public..I think she's a good actress too:) and she loves to entertain. She is a hard-core colorer, and does pretty good with markers too. We tried finger paints last week and she didn't like getting her fingers so "dirty" and we spent most of the time wiping them off:) And if she's not coloring or singing, she is probably playing mommy to her zoo of stuffed animals; tucking them into bed and rocking them♥
She's still obsessed with animals and can count to 10 easily....she has picked out a few of her colors correctly lately too, but not consistantly. We're still working on the ABC's.
She goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 and usually gets up between 6 and 7. Most nights she wakes up a time or two just long enough for mommy to come to her room and give her some cuddles.
She has had several sleep-overs in the past couple of months (Nana's, Grammy's, Auntie's, and Lacie's) and I have mixed feelings over how much easier she lets me leave... She has so much fun and it gives mommy and daddy some nice time to ourselves, but of course we're always anxious to get her back:)
Things that Miss Em currently loves:
Barney
Caillou
Dora
Fruit snacks
Cucumbers
Mac N cheese
Pizza
flashlights
trying on shoes
and getting her haircut:)!!!!!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tired Trials
Emma Rae has graduated from toddler bed to full size bed! Yikes! She looks so tiny standing next to it and laying in it! (I will try and get some pics posted soon:)
You may remember it was only a few months ago we moved to the toddler bed, and to be honest, it never really worked. It was still too much like a crib to her and quite frankly, it was too small for us to cuddle in with her (which is often how she falls asleep:)
When we made the switch to toddler bed she started a new habit of coming into our room at night and crawling into bed with us. Go ahead, let all your concerns about the "rules" fly....:P RJ and I didn't mind all that much as she would often sleep in later when sleeping with us, and I am once again learning that what works for one child does not work for another, and that each family has to do what works for them! This mama needed some sleep:) However, we didn't want it to become an all night/every night event so, as we already had what we needed to convert her crib/toddler bed/full bed....we got a mattress and off we went! Her new bed makes it much easier to cuddle with her which puts her back to sleep much quicker, therefore, she is much more swiftly brought back to HER bed;D
We continue to learn more and more about Emma and her personality each day. She truly is a child who doesn't require as much sleep, unfortunately;P She is a bit insecure in being alone for very long. She FREQUENTLY through out the day needs to know where I am, and wants to be wherever we are. My mom informed me that I was very similar when I was Emma's age...
Her love for horses/ponies continues to grow, as well as most all other animals. She informed me the other day at the doctor's office that she is scared of dinosaurs; and she is increasingly aware of every little sound she hears and often gasps and says, "Noise!" (And she will continue to say it until you explain to her what you think the noise is:)
She has memorized COUNTLESS songs and sings all the time; a lot of times with several songs blending right into each other. Songs with actions are her favorite. Nana has a Mother Goose movie at her house about going to the zoo and it is her FAVORITE! Of course it does combine 2 of her favorite things; music and animals:)
She is super expressive, she talks more than the average child of her age, and is impressing us every day with her intelligence and memory. Ex.While shopping at Fareway last weekend she kept telling us about the snowman, and leading us back towards the produce. We kept assuring her there was no snowman, but her persistence made me rack my brain and I soon remembered; that when we had shopped during the holidays, there had been a giant blow-up snowman sitting on top of the fresh vegetable display. That was almost 2 months ago!
Life is good here at the Van Dyke house! We hope you and yours are feeling blessed as well!
You may remember it was only a few months ago we moved to the toddler bed, and to be honest, it never really worked. It was still too much like a crib to her and quite frankly, it was too small for us to cuddle in with her (which is often how she falls asleep:)
When we made the switch to toddler bed she started a new habit of coming into our room at night and crawling into bed with us. Go ahead, let all your concerns about the "rules" fly....:P RJ and I didn't mind all that much as she would often sleep in later when sleeping with us, and I am once again learning that what works for one child does not work for another, and that each family has to do what works for them! This mama needed some sleep:) However, we didn't want it to become an all night/every night event so, as we already had what we needed to convert her crib/toddler bed/full bed....we got a mattress and off we went! Her new bed makes it much easier to cuddle with her which puts her back to sleep much quicker, therefore, she is much more swiftly brought back to HER bed;D
We continue to learn more and more about Emma and her personality each day. She truly is a child who doesn't require as much sleep, unfortunately;P She is a bit insecure in being alone for very long. She FREQUENTLY through out the day needs to know where I am, and wants to be wherever we are. My mom informed me that I was very similar when I was Emma's age...
Her love for horses/ponies continues to grow, as well as most all other animals. She informed me the other day at the doctor's office that she is scared of dinosaurs; and she is increasingly aware of every little sound she hears and often gasps and says, "Noise!" (And she will continue to say it until you explain to her what you think the noise is:)
She has memorized COUNTLESS songs and sings all the time; a lot of times with several songs blending right into each other. Songs with actions are her favorite. Nana has a Mother Goose movie at her house about going to the zoo and it is her FAVORITE! Of course it does combine 2 of her favorite things; music and animals:)
She is super expressive, she talks more than the average child of her age, and is impressing us every day with her intelligence and memory. Ex.While shopping at Fareway last weekend she kept telling us about the snowman, and leading us back towards the produce. We kept assuring her there was no snowman, but her persistence made me rack my brain and I soon remembered; that when we had shopped during the holidays, there had been a giant blow-up snowman sitting on top of the fresh vegetable display. That was almost 2 months ago!
Life is good here at the Van Dyke house! We hope you and yours are feeling blessed as well!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Funnies and Phrases:)
"I sowwy:)" -she apologizes for even the littlelest things...it's so sweet;)
"Shhh....baby seepin"
"It messy" -she HATES getting messy
"I NAKED!!!!" -her favorite:) even if only her socks are off...
"See u morrow!" -said to almost anyone every time we leave somewhere:)
"It daawk...: (dark)
"We made it! We made it!" -every time we pull in the garage from being gone...apparently she has serious doubts about our driving abilities...
-she most always takes off her shoes and socks as soon as we get in the car;P
-she's discovered those 2 wonderful little holes in her nose...quite a lady-like picture she makes:)
-and she has a funny little habit that whenever she starts getting tired until the time she falls asleep; she will hold a finger or 2 in front of her eyes and blink to feel her eyelashes....
"Shhh....baby seepin"
"It messy" -she HATES getting messy
"I NAKED!!!!" -her favorite:) even if only her socks are off...
"See u morrow!" -said to almost anyone every time we leave somewhere:)
"It daawk...: (dark)
"We made it! We made it!" -every time we pull in the garage from being gone...apparently she has serious doubts about our driving abilities...
-she most always takes off her shoes and socks as soon as we get in the car;P
-she's discovered those 2 wonderful little holes in her nose...quite a lady-like picture she makes:)
-and she has a funny little habit that whenever she starts getting tired until the time she falls asleep; she will hold a finger or 2 in front of her eyes and blink to feel her eyelashes....
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Mother-of-the-year...
Something I hate more than anything about being a mommy is seeing my daughter hurt.
I remember the first time she fell into our coffee table and got a big dent in her little forehead and the sick feeling I got in my stomach seeing it happen. Then there's the time last summer that I didn't have her completely buckled in her stroller and she fell out hitting her face on the gravel in our driveway. The panic/regret I felt was enough to scar me for quite awhile.
Last night was one more example that I won't forget quickly; while playing "weeeee!" a game where we hold onto Emma hands and swing her back and forth and we sing "Wee! Wee", I set her down on the couch and she immediately started crying and saying owie. My heart sunk when I saw the way she was holding her arm: shoulder up against her neck and not attempting to move her left arm. RJ had just gotten home from work and I told him we were getting back in car to go to urgent care. He looked at her and said, "let's give her a minute to shake it off." I agreed and while I felt assured nothing was broken, my gut told me her shoulder was popped out of place.
After mere minutes of watching her arm hang and many tears. We hopped into the car and drove next door to our neighbors Dave and Lisa Foster who are on the ambulance crew here in Sully. After a quick conversation with Dave, (who kindly told us the same thing happened to him with Shelby when she was little.) we were off to Grinnell to get her looked at.
I would say, "long story short," but there's really no need to shorten it as we were in and out of the ER in about 15 minutes. The doctor asked what happened, felt her arm and moved it up and down, and said, "yep, there we go." And that quick she was using it again. A ligament in her elbow had popped out of place. She confirmed her complete recovery by showing the nurses she could use it to reach for a Thomas the train sticker:) A suggestion of ice and tylenol if need be, and Emma sweetly telling the doctor and nurses all "Thank You!", we were out the door to Mc Donalds; where had it not been for the red nose and remnants of tears, you wouldn't have had a clue she was just at the hospital.
I'm beyond thankful it was nothing worse and after reassurance from my own mama that the same thing happened to me several times...nearly all the guilt was lifted. (Although I'm sure it will return quickly when we get the 15 minute ER bill:()
As my mom kindly told me, "Welcome to Motherhood!" :)
I remember the first time she fell into our coffee table and got a big dent in her little forehead and the sick feeling I got in my stomach seeing it happen. Then there's the time last summer that I didn't have her completely buckled in her stroller and she fell out hitting her face on the gravel in our driveway. The panic/regret I felt was enough to scar me for quite awhile.
Last night was one more example that I won't forget quickly; while playing "weeeee!" a game where we hold onto Emma hands and swing her back and forth and we sing "Wee! Wee", I set her down on the couch and she immediately started crying and saying owie. My heart sunk when I saw the way she was holding her arm: shoulder up against her neck and not attempting to move her left arm. RJ had just gotten home from work and I told him we were getting back in car to go to urgent care. He looked at her and said, "let's give her a minute to shake it off." I agreed and while I felt assured nothing was broken, my gut told me her shoulder was popped out of place.
After mere minutes of watching her arm hang and many tears. We hopped into the car and drove next door to our neighbors Dave and Lisa Foster who are on the ambulance crew here in Sully. After a quick conversation with Dave, (who kindly told us the same thing happened to him with Shelby when she was little.) we were off to Grinnell to get her looked at.
I would say, "long story short," but there's really no need to shorten it as we were in and out of the ER in about 15 minutes. The doctor asked what happened, felt her arm and moved it up and down, and said, "yep, there we go." And that quick she was using it again. A ligament in her elbow had popped out of place. She confirmed her complete recovery by showing the nurses she could use it to reach for a Thomas the train sticker:) A suggestion of ice and tylenol if need be, and Emma sweetly telling the doctor and nurses all "Thank You!", we were out the door to Mc Donalds; where had it not been for the red nose and remnants of tears, you wouldn't have had a clue she was just at the hospital.
I'm beyond thankful it was nothing worse and after reassurance from my own mama that the same thing happened to me several times...nearly all the guilt was lifted. (Although I'm sure it will return quickly when we get the 15 minute ER bill:()
As my mom kindly told me, "Welcome to Motherhood!" :)
Friday, January 13, 2012
Emma Says
Emma is is spilling out new words and phrases all the time! Some are just too cute not to share:)
"I did it, I did it!"
"It not scary..."
"hurry, hurry!"
" O Nooooo... away!" (when Otto runs away to avoid her smothering hugs")
"Mommy do it." or "Daddy do it"
"All betta" (better)
When asked what she's doing: "I workin'"
"I Wuuvvv you!" (especially when shouted from her room after, Emma: "mommy! mommy!" Me: "what?")
:)
"I did it, I did it!"
"It not scary..."
"hurry, hurry!"
" O Nooooo... away!" (when Otto runs away to avoid her smothering hugs")
"Mommy do it." or "Daddy do it"
"All betta" (better)
When asked what she's doing: "I workin'"
"I Wuuvvv you!" (especially when shouted from her room after, Emma: "mommy! mommy!" Me: "what?")
:)
Monday, January 9, 2012
Big Girl Bed
(Please bear with me as my brain if filled to the brim and I feel a bit of a spillage coming:)
It is official, Emma has been sleeping in her toddler bed for a month now! And I don't think mommy has had a solid night's sleep since;P
We began the transition just before Christmas. It had been several nights of Emma was doing more screaming and banging her head on her crib rails than actually sleeping inside of it. I was at a loss of what to do and after talking with RJ, we decided we may as well give the big girl bed a try. I'm not fully convinced that it was the perfect move on our part, but not the worst either. At least this way, when she is needing mommy or daddy it's easy for us to just sit beside her bed and rub her back:)
If you have read my blog at all, you are aware of the fact that Emma has had some sleeping issues before. She has never taken good/long naps and she is a VERY early riser. But my peace (and sanity) has always come from the fact that she sleeps GREAT at night. Since she was 4 months old she has slept all night long, with a few hiccups here and there. So this change in her has been very tough on us.
Another big adjustment that has come with her new bed, is that we used to lay her down awake and let her fall asleep on her own....that no longer works. At first I think it was a little fear of her new bed, and she wanted us to lay with her till she fell asleep. Now I believe it is mostly habit:( And she is still waking up several times during the night crying. I believe several factors are at play here; 2 year molars, bad dreams, and knowing mommy and daddy are soft will come to her rescue to cuddle.
We try to refrain from actually laying in bed with her, instead sitting beside her bed reassuring her. But there are the nights when sleep is of the essence, and cheating happens:P I pride myself in the fact that we have not slipped into co-sleeping in RJ and I's bed. As incredibly hard as it is! Even if we choose to lay with her, we are in her room, keeping "our" room as our own.
Overall, my heart reassures me that "this too shall pass" and that she is only little once. There will come a day soon enough when I will wish to snuggle and sing her to sleep. I choose to treasure these moments and to try not to dwell on my lost sleep.
We have had a few nights where she has slept in her bed by herself all night, so I choose to believe we're making progress. But for now, please excuse the dark circles under my eyes and rest assured I am perfectly healthy, just a little sleep deprived:)
My princess now awakes from her nap, so ta-ta for now!
It is official, Emma has been sleeping in her toddler bed for a month now! And I don't think mommy has had a solid night's sleep since;P
We began the transition just before Christmas. It had been several nights of Emma was doing more screaming and banging her head on her crib rails than actually sleeping inside of it. I was at a loss of what to do and after talking with RJ, we decided we may as well give the big girl bed a try. I'm not fully convinced that it was the perfect move on our part, but not the worst either. At least this way, when she is needing mommy or daddy it's easy for us to just sit beside her bed and rub her back:)
If you have read my blog at all, you are aware of the fact that Emma has had some sleeping issues before. She has never taken good/long naps and she is a VERY early riser. But my peace (and sanity) has always come from the fact that she sleeps GREAT at night. Since she was 4 months old she has slept all night long, with a few hiccups here and there. So this change in her has been very tough on us.
Another big adjustment that has come with her new bed, is that we used to lay her down awake and let her fall asleep on her own....that no longer works. At first I think it was a little fear of her new bed, and she wanted us to lay with her till she fell asleep. Now I believe it is mostly habit:( And she is still waking up several times during the night crying. I believe several factors are at play here; 2 year molars, bad dreams, and knowing mommy and daddy are soft will come to her rescue to cuddle.
We try to refrain from actually laying in bed with her, instead sitting beside her bed reassuring her. But there are the nights when sleep is of the essence, and cheating happens:P I pride myself in the fact that we have not slipped into co-sleeping in RJ and I's bed. As incredibly hard as it is! Even if we choose to lay with her, we are in her room, keeping "our" room as our own.
Overall, my heart reassures me that "this too shall pass" and that she is only little once. There will come a day soon enough when I will wish to snuggle and sing her to sleep. I choose to treasure these moments and to try not to dwell on my lost sleep.
We have had a few nights where she has slept in her bed by herself all night, so I choose to believe we're making progress. But for now, please excuse the dark circles under my eyes and rest assured I am perfectly healthy, just a little sleep deprived:)
My princess now awakes from her nap, so ta-ta for now!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Welcome 2012
It is not with great joy I welcome the new year, but I am ready for the feeling of a fresh start that comes with January 1. As a family, we have had some trying times the last couple of months, but God is still faithful and remains in control. Not only that, but He is also still loving, still forgiving, still providing, and still good. I could not be more thankful for these truths!
I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions, but there are several things that I hope to spend more time in prayer about and working more diligently at. More importantly than my determination to spend some quality time on my new elliptical machine:), I plan to spend more time reading God's word and filling up my heart and my head on His words and His instruction. In 2012 I want to worry less and trust more, and I am convinced that to truly do so will require me to spend more time filling up on the words of the bible.
I am also recommitting myself to, in 2012, be the very best mommy to Emma Rae that I can be, and to be the mama the God wants me to be. I know I cannot be perfect in anyone's eyes, but I want to do my best:) She deserves nothing less.
Speaking of Emma, she was thoroughly spoiled on her 2nd Christmas:) Her grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins did a great job making sure she didn't go without anything! I am currently trying to rearrange the house to accommodate her growing personal toy store! Some of her fav's were: her flashlight form Mommy and Daddy, her tupperware from Nana, her "pretties" from her Auntie and Uncle Derek, her princess table and chairs from Grammy and Grandpa, her little people doll house from Gigi, and her Barbie Jeep from Uncle Tom.
Mommy and Daddy were pretty spoiled too; (daddy got a new playstation and mommy got tickets to a sold-out concert:). But more importantly we got lots of family time and were so blessed that daddy had the whole week of Christmas off! We spent the Christmas weekend here in Sully and were able to see lots of family and friends, and spent New Year's weekend in Carroll seeing RJ's family too. Mommy and Daddy were even able to sneak out to a movie New Year's Eve:) We are so blessed to have 2 sets of family who love and support us and love our daughter (almost) as much as we do:)
I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year!! May God Bless you all!
I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions, but there are several things that I hope to spend more time in prayer about and working more diligently at. More importantly than my determination to spend some quality time on my new elliptical machine:), I plan to spend more time reading God's word and filling up my heart and my head on His words and His instruction. In 2012 I want to worry less and trust more, and I am convinced that to truly do so will require me to spend more time filling up on the words of the bible.
I am also recommitting myself to, in 2012, be the very best mommy to Emma Rae that I can be, and to be the mama the God wants me to be. I know I cannot be perfect in anyone's eyes, but I want to do my best:) She deserves nothing less.
Speaking of Emma, she was thoroughly spoiled on her 2nd Christmas:) Her grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins did a great job making sure she didn't go without anything! I am currently trying to rearrange the house to accommodate her growing personal toy store! Some of her fav's were: her flashlight form Mommy and Daddy, her tupperware from Nana, her "pretties" from her Auntie and Uncle Derek, her princess table and chairs from Grammy and Grandpa, her little people doll house from Gigi, and her Barbie Jeep from Uncle Tom.
Mommy and Daddy were pretty spoiled too; (daddy got a new playstation and mommy got tickets to a sold-out concert:). But more importantly we got lots of family time and were so blessed that daddy had the whole week of Christmas off! We spent the Christmas weekend here in Sully and were able to see lots of family and friends, and spent New Year's weekend in Carroll seeing RJ's family too. Mommy and Daddy were even able to sneak out to a movie New Year's Eve:) We are so blessed to have 2 sets of family who love and support us and love our daughter (almost) as much as we do:)
I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year!! May God Bless you all!
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