Imagination Day for Margaret

Margaret's class had parent participation "Imagination Day" today at school.  We made gluey snowmen and enjoyed music class, complete with a parachute to "The Sound of Music".  You've not seen Margaret quite as excited as she was this morning!  I asked Miss Pat if Margaret is always so enthusiastic about Music Class and she indeed, that she is always ecstatic.  That's my little girl!

Making snowmen with Wesley.  You should hear her say, "Wesley"....so cute!

Wish I could have seen her grin!  She turned around briefly to show me her pearly whites, but it wasn't long enough to snap a shot as she had to wave at her friends on the other side when they lifted the chute above their heads!

Showing Off

We spent a quick day in Richmond so that Mom and I could run some errands together.  Margaret discovered Abby's former dress up clothes for the first time.  I'd say she was quite pleased with herself! 

Andrew didn't nap at all and declared he didn't need to sleep in the car on the way home, either.  For the Leap Pad to be put down, poor little guy had to be pretty wiped out!

 

"For the Bible Tells Me So" is the first thing Margaret squeels whenever we get in the car.  She simply can't get enough of that song...literally. 

 

"I'm a Little Snow Man Short and Fat..."

 

A tame version of Margaret's horse riding habit, but all I have on video. 

Science Saturday & Hungry Baby Doll

"Science Saturday" stop one was a double-date with Daddy to Lowe's.  He graciously accompanied Sport & Squirt to Lowe's for their "Build & Grow" program.  Today's attraction?  Monster Trucks, "of course!", Andrew's current favorite phrase.

Next stop:  The Discovery Museum's Annual "KidVention"...like one huge science fair demonstration.  Margaret LOVED the hands-on experiment that isolated the DNA of a strawberry.  She was extremely attentive to all explanations of the multi-step process and quite proud of her work, but we were too busy to get a picture:) 

This was their version of, "This is your brain.  This is your brain if you don't wear your bike helmet and crash."

Egg inside a mason jar protected by cotton balls, mesh, and make-up application sponges.  Shake it and...both kids managed to "protect their brains" in their theoretical bike accidents. 

Trees that the Sierra Club was giving away.  Daddy planted them with the kids (how did he know where I keep the pots and the soil???) while I was at Lowes working on the mudroom, but we will actually need to replant - they are real trees!  I'm certain I will manage to kill them, but just in case, they actually need to be in the ground:)

This post wouldn't be complete without including today's first entertainment courtesy of Miss Margaret. 

It was just a matter of time before Baby Doll got hungry!

5 Weeks In!

Five weeks in and we're all still hanging on! Andrew and Margaret remain mesmerized by Little Man (which appears to be mutual) and Little Man continues to keep me on my toes!  We seem to have stretches of routine that will last 3-4 days, but then change.  We thought we'd conquered the 7-10pm screaming with a dose of mylicon (which lead to a killer night of sleep from 11-pm-4am! but of course I wouldn't wish the former on him to achieve the latter), until last night when he digressed.  Poor Matthew.  Patience.  More Mylicon.  One month appt next week (at nearly 6 weeks!).  Hopefully something will work. Have I mentioned how diligently I've been praying everytime I lay him in his crib...or how guilty I feel for praying so hard at these times?!?

Daddy with Little Man at 3.5 weeks

First peaceful evening (7-10pm) in weeks.  Was it the first dose of Mylicon???

Daddy hung the baby swing for MATTHEW, and is happily being tested by Miss MARGARET until it gets warmer out.

 

Nutty time during potty time:)
 

"I’m a little snowman round and fat…"

Nearly Four Weeks

And so it goes.  My attempts at a weekly posted to document this precious and flying time have already been shattered.  What on earth will this summer look like?!?  But I have faith I will get back on track...just as soon as I finish consigning Margaret's clothes, my maternity clothes, build a new mudroom solution, finish drapes in the basement...oh, it always goes on and on, doesn't it?

Matthew has been a trooper.  Week one was rough at night.  Week two was amazing!  He's only ever been up once/night, which I can easily handle.  Week three was back to painful again.  The eating and screaming 3-hour ping pong match shifted to 9:30pm-12:30am.  I wasn't understanding how he could possibly be awake after typically being jossled awake most of the time since his 6:30-7:00pm feeding.  But low and behold, it was the same over-stimulation that Andrew and Margaret both suffered from, as well.  How easily we forget that the little bitties do not yet function how we do.  When we are over-stimulated and exhausted, we check out and collapse into bed.  This little man isn't capable of that self-regulation yet.  So we started what we did with the others (Andrew about 3 weeks, Margaret about 1 week)...putting Matthew in his crib for the night at 7:00pm in anticipation of him eventually sleeping 12 hours there.  Voila!  No longer forced to stay awake in the evening, he has been snoozing peacefully in his crib only to be awakened by 10pm for another feeding, then dictating the nights himself.  With the exception of last night, he continues only to wake once.  I reiterate.  I can handle that.  Job well done, Little Man! 

Dressed in Clare from head to toe.

Food coma at 3:00am.  Now back to sleep for both of us!

 

Dody's crab soup has been a HIT with Andrew.  GO FIGURE!  I will never figure out this child and his palette!  At least it's a way to get some tomatoes and okra in him!

 

 

We are oscillating between VBS songs from the last THREE summers (no, we cannot seem to let go of them!) and Christmas music.  It's a daily chorus in the car, but rare that Daddy is driving and we can capture a little tune. 

 

3 weeks before & 3 weeks after

Margaret's life thus far has been all about trains, planes, cars, and scraped knees.  She adores her big brother and she, too, thinks she's a 4 1/2 year old boy.  Why wouldn't she?!  But ever since her first visit to the hospital, she has demonstrated a sweet, maternal, nurturing spirit with Matthew that must part of her God-given DNA.  We have encouraged nothing, yet she spends hours merely gazing in "sweet baby Maffew's" eyes.  It is really something else. 

Unrelated to Matthew, Margaret's language continues to become more and more hysterical.  She remains our nut, and the expressions she uses (complete with the raised eyebrows and eyes looking off to the corner) keep us rolling on the floor.  Favorites lately are "no problem" when asked to help out, and a constant "That's better" when doing pretty much anything...putting Maffew's binky back in, adjusting her own clothes, flushing the potty, etc.  "I want see baby" is the first thing out of her mouth with each new waking moment.  Upon being reunited with her baby brother, a high-pitched "Hey, little man!" gets repeated endlessly.  I've been saying for a long time but I still maintain that I hope her tone of voice never changes:) 

Three weeks before Matthew's debut, thanks to my incredible friend, Kendall Colquitt.

The undeniable obsession, captured 3 weeks in by talented friend Jenn Coon.

Love.
This.
Boy.

There are no words.