Easter Brunch Plans

While we've lived here in WA, we've found some great people to call our family!! They have us over for Thanksgiving and Christmas (if we're here in town) and then invite us over all the time during the year. Although our home isn't as large to hold the total of 12 (that there are when we're all together), we do like to have them over a couple times of year. We got together at Christmas this year, and have done a New Years day thing before and Mother's day occasionally, and Finnegan's birthday is always a given! But another holiday that we traditionally have them over to our home is on Easter. It started a couple of years ago and I think this will be the third year in a row we've had the group over from brunch.

Because I'm better at making brunch and relying on meat to turn out properly, I base my meal around a late breakfast idea. I usually make a breakfast casserole and other items. This year, I'm taking some WONDERFUL help from some cooks who blog... Here's what's on the menu...

• Blueberry Scones
• Quiche Lorraine (just as pictured and then a second with bacon and spinach)
• Fruit Plate with Strawberries and pineapple and grapes
• Caprese Spears (toothpicks with cherry tomatoes, motz cheese, basil and olives)
• Turkey Sausage Links
• Lemon Cake with a Homemade Strawberry Sauce ** Haven't decided if I'll make a homemade lemon cake or a box yet...

Should be pretty yummy! I love to cook for people and have people over. Can't wait until we have a bit bigger home so we can do it more often!!

6 month stats

For those of you out there who might care... P went to her 6 month check up on Thursday last week. She got 2 vaccines and had a CBC done. All went well... She didn't cry for either of the shots, but did give out a loud wale when the nurse got too close to her face. She is so in need of her personal space, and when she doesn't know you and you get too close, she freaks! I find it fascinating as F was never like this!!

She is 14lbs and 15oz. She is 26 inches long. Her height is about 50% for her age and her weight is between 10 and 25%. So she's on the small/petite side. Which is fine. She even still fits in her 3-6 months clothes, and we have a ways before she'll jump up to the next size.

She's a happy baby, and loves to hear music and loves to watch her brother. She sleeps well, most of the time. She's been up early every so often since my previous post about her sleep, but nothing excessive as she was at that time. She's quiet for most of the day... unless she's hungry or wants a change of scenery. She does squeal more than F ever did. And loves to use her vocal chords that way. She seems to be less excited to use her voice as F was. But I am sure that will change as she grows up.

Her hair has mostly fallen out, and is now being replaced with new budding locks. I was looking at it today, and she'll probably have lighter hair like F does. She has the same side cowlick that he does, and two on the top of her head that each go a different direction. I'm hoping long hair will correct it. :) She has striking blue eyes, very similar to her daddy's, but much more bluer.

She is starting to enjoy the paci but just to get herself to sleep and then she spits it out. She'll onl take one kind and we only allow her to have it in her bed or carseat (or now). She tends to be a tummy sleeper, as she's learned to roll over and is too tired to flip back over herself onto her back.

She's a spirited girl. Her nickname is sassafras. She's like any girl, she expects things to go her way. And we're all learning together that it doesn't always work out that way :)

My baby is 6 months old!!

Six months ago, my sweet baby was born... And oh how time has flown by! Here are a few photos from a last 6 months together!!

(photos above by Amanda Kay Photography)

October 2009

(Photo above by Amber Sheree)

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

Feb 2010

March 2010

And here's one of our first born, with his first experience with Starbucks... yes, we start them early around here (no, no, no!! it's just a steamer - no coffee - although he does ask for it!) :)

Update

Well, it's been a few days, and of course, the day after I posted this, Sweet Pea is back to sleeping till her normal time!! Of course! But I am not complaining! Not having to get up early isn't bothering me any! Thanks for all of your encouragement and suggestion, ladies. I have decided (at least as my next course of action) that I will let her whine a bit in her bed, before I rush in for her. This morning, she actually did wake up around 6:30am and talked for a few minutes before putting herself back to sleep. So, we will continue to try this. I have also noticed that her nose is running a bit more these days, and she's tending to be a bit more "oral" than usual. So she may be teething too! You know, our kids are the ever experiment!!

One of my last commentors mentioned how she doesn't do scheduling because it doesn't jive with your personality... and I just wanted to say, that I am so glad to hear that!! For me, I HAD to do scheduling when my son was born. The structure allowed me to KNOW what needed to happen next. I am such a "made-mom" that I had no natural instincts as to what should happen next and what was normal behavior and etc. So the scheduling works for me. I am so glad that there are parents that do it differently, and that I can learn from the wonderful things that they do too! Oh, I just relish in the differences, especially when we can learn from each other!!

In other news... We've been busy working on our "living with less" mission. We have downsized almost every aspect of our home. Our garage is cleaner (there is space between the remaining boxes now) and our closet has space. My husband has down sized his wardrobe almost by half. He is much better at this than I am! We have cashed in on all of the items we've posted on craigslist or ebay. I wish that our last final things would sell... We started going through our photographs. We have a HUGE bin of photos and old photo books. We decided that in order to downsize this section we should scan all of the non-digital photos and then upload them to a server somewhere to store them. And then trash the paper copies... So, this has been my project this week. I started on Tuesday and have scanned over 1600 photograph from Jr High, High School and College, as well as our Wedding. UGH! I have several hundred more to go but am more than half way done!! Then the next project will be to categorize them (or complete it, as I did most of this work on the front end) and then begin the process of uploading them.

We made our 4th trip to the GoodWill since we started our quest. I hope to only have to make one more trip. But Ken seems to think we're only about half done. But I think we're getting closer than we think. We'll see though!

BabyWise Question

Hello BabyWise Mommas!

Background: We used the BW method with Finnegan and it worked beautifully. He was sleeping through the night by 7 weeks old and other than a normal pattern that we saw with him during growth spurts did we ever have a "problem". We used the same method with Penelope and she was sleeping through the night by 6 weeks old. Up until now, we haven't been experiencing any trouble.

Here's my question...

Penelope is 6 months old. Around about the time she was 4 months old, she would choose one day every 10 days (or so) and wakeup especially early in AM ( like after 9 hours of sleep or so). As we have worked through the past two months, she seems to be doing this more and more. From her charts (yes, I chart the WHOLE thing) :), I can tell that the pattern is getting closer and closer together, sometimes every three days or so. This week, she's done it every day. At one point I thought that it was the time change as Finnegan was consistently getting up earlier but since the time change this weekend, he's sleeping into his normal wakeup time.

My first thought from my own experience is that the daily routine must be consistent, but as you all know, with 2 kiddos, its a bit harder to have a more consistent day. I work to follow the eat, wake, sleep pattern, but there are times that her wake time goes past her nap time and she hasn't napped, and she's ready to eat again. But then after she eats, she wants to nap. And when she wakes from her nap, she doesn't want to eat, and the schedule is all backwards now.

I also find trouble as I'm using more external help to watch Penelope. So the days that those people watch her, her schedule tends to get off too. And there is just not enough day left to straighten it out... Does that make sense (or does it just sound like an excuse)?

And unfortunately, Penelope doesn't fuss unless she's extremely uncomfortable. So if she has to wait a few extra minutes to be fed, or nap, she's ok with that, and doesn't usually put up a huge fuss. And because of that, it's easy for us to get off schedule.

So, my question is... What do you think is causing her to wake up extra early on those rare occasions? Those of you with 2 or more kiddos, how did you make the BW system work when you are not necessarily on Baby's schedule?? Any tips you can share?

yes, this is a commercial...

So early last week, I saw an "ad" for this on a syndicated television program and thought it was interesting... You, mom's know that smell... the one your clothes get when they sit in the washing machine for a long time, and then you have to wash them AGAIN! I've noticed more and more that it doesn't matter how long the clothes sit in the washing machine, even if it is as short as 30 minutes, they still have that smell. I purchased this product and used it right away, and sure enough, during my every-other-week washing routine (of at least 5 loads or more), I managed to leave the clothes in the washing machine a bit too long... over night, actually. And they didn't smell the next day. They didn't have the musty, old smell. They still smelled clean. Even after a run in the dryer, they still smelled clean.

I plan to continue using it to keep my washing machine clean and without "that smell". I thought you other mom's might benefit from it as well. Also, if you visit the Tide website, you can print a coupon (as the product was about $7 at my grocery store -- regular price).

I'll Take Movie Quotes For 200, Alex!

Finnegan loves his movies. The other night while Ken was getting cleaned up after dinner he looked at Finnegan and said "If I'm layin', I'm cryin'!" Finnegan looked back at him and says, "That's what Mater says!" (This is from a digital short from the Cars Movie).

Yesterday while at the park with Finnegan and Penelope, I was pushing Finnegan on the swing and he was having a delightful time soaking in the sunshine and the cool breeze. I said "Wee!!" as I pushed him and he looked back at me and said "That's what Mario says!" Right, buddy!! That is what Mario says on MarioKart for the Wii! :)

Silly Kid!! We concluded he should go on Kids Jeopardy!