Enjoying their new toys.

As with all holidays, birthdays and really anytime we see family - our children are blessed with people who love them and love to spoil them.  We are so appreciative of all of the fun things they have been given since not only is it helpful for us in the pocket book but it also helps entertain them when we might need a little break.  This picture was snapped literally 1 hour after we returned home from Christmas at my side - the Randall's - over New Years Eve.  Let's point out that I'm fairly certain not one toy on the floor was in our home before we returned...these were all new.

Camping in January.

Okay, not really.  But Keller got an awesome indoor play pop-up tent with a tunnel for Christmas from my sister Ashley.  We obviously had to set it up within days of being home and test it out.  Lucy even got in on the fun.

Keller's first Bubble Bath

I know for some it's hard to imagine a kid going 2 1/2 years without actually ever having a true bubble bath - but the soaps we buy to wash our kids don't exactly suds up that much.  Usually they are essential oil based or shea butter based soaps that smell awesome but aren't the most fun.  But since a few months back, Keller has been getting super excited - as any toddler would - about the bubbles created when I wash my hair in the shower (yes, we all co-shower...I'm not sure I'd smell all that great if I didn't do this because I'd never be able to shower!).  So this last week when I needed to get a new bottle of 'poo, I opted for the bubble bath soap.  It, again, smells awesome (lemon-lavender) but creates a super fun bubble bath!  He loved it so much he played for just over a half hour in the tub.  I have a feeling bath time will be taking about that much time from here on out..haha.

Here are the picks.

Beans!

Here are some pictures of how Lucy eats her black beans -  obviously not from today but I hadn't shared it yet.

One tough cookie..

She looks cute...but boy oh boy can she put up a fight!  I just posted - oh roughly an hour ago about getting her accustomed to her crib.  She cried alone for close to 45 minutes - then with me in the room for 45 - at which point, I think she gave up due to shear exhaustion.  I feel as though I did good not picking her up and just watching from the rocker - for the last 10 minutes I "helped" her stay lying on her pillow - but otherwise she soothed herself. She's still sniffling (as I listen to the monitor) but she is snuggled in - finally - and sleeping.  I wonder how long this nap will go...

On a plus side - and a somewhat motivating factor - Keller has been snoozing close to 2 hours and even though his room is right above little Miss Lucy's, he hasn't made a peep.  So I know, this hard stuff will pay off in the long run with a well rested, easy going, easy napping kid.  

Until next time... 

Ahh to be tough.

I'm a pretty touch chick.  I've been told that many times in my life and actually believe it to some extent.  But when it comes to my babies, I'm a wuss.  I just need a place to vent this moment of weakness in hopes that it will revive my thick skin enough to push through.  I'm of course talking about our sleep training efforts with Lucy.  I've resolved myself enough to realize that the night time training may not happen until this Spring when she is past that 12 month marker - but naps are something that I can work on now and feel pretty comfortable with.  She needs to learn to sleep in her crib - I know this.  She needs consistency from me if she's ever going to learn to sleep in her crib - I also know this.  She won't learn to sleep in her crib if I keep going down there and picking her up - I hate this. It's so damn hard to let her figure it out on her own when I can hear and see (on the monitor) her cries.  10 minutes feels like a lifetime and 30 minutes an eternity when doing this.  For some reason, Keller was hard but maybe not as hard or more likely I've just put those memories in a place I can't access anymore.  Who knows why.  But I have to be consistently firm if I expect success.  No fun for me! 

But thanks to you, my blog (and readers), for giving me the place to put these little weak moments - hopefully it will serve myself and Lucy in the long run. 

Until next time...

...and they all fell down..

Okay so Keller wasn't jumping on a bed or anything but earlier today when we returned from my weekly mom's group meeting, I walked inside to put Lucy down and came back out to find Keller in this position....

I would have snapped more pictures, but I didn't want him to freeze!  Apparently, and I can only guess here since I didn't witness it, he slipped and fell into this position.  It was obvious he wasn't hurt since he wasn't crying...he also wasn't yelling for help either.  He was just laying there..refusing to put his hands down onto the ice to push himself up.  I couldn't help but giggle and get at least one picture before I grabbed him.  :)

Until next time...