Where does the time go? I didn't realize it had been so long since I've posted. Oh well. :)

Christmas was great. Emme made out like a bandit. So much so that we had to clean her toy box out and gather up a trash bag of toys to take to Goodwill. She got a dollhouse, lots of clothes, books, hair stuff, etc. You know, all the girly necessities! Ellie got clothes, diapers, a few toys, stuff like that. It was a really great day! No, I didn't get any pictures. Yes, I know I'm a bad mom.

Emme is doing great. She's just talking up a storm. Sometimes I just forget how little she still is. Josh got me a card for Christmas where you can record a message on it and Em left, " I love you, Mommy! Merry Christmas!". I just burst into tears like a blubbering idiot. It's so easy to forget how tiny their voices still sound, especially when you talk with them everyday. She is currently obsessed with Ratatouille (the movie) which she calls "Gooeyrat". She loves, loves, loves to cook (she really is my child) and Papa got her a Sesame Street cookbook for Christmas. I know she is going to have a blast using it! She is starting to be somewhat bossy with Ellie. When Ellie starts fussing she'll say, "No, Ellie. No crying! I'm right here!". It's too funny. Or if Ellie is sitting on the table in her Bumbo and tries to grab something, Emme is quick to correct her and remind her that she is just too little for M & M's.

Ellie is super. She got another tooth the other day. Can you believe it!? She's almost 7 months. She's doing super with her solid foods. We can add sweet potatoes and bananas to the allergy list. Her banana reaction was bad, too! I'm really not looking forward to having an EPI pen in my purse for her, but hey, it could be worse. Better safe than sorry! She's having quite a few good days now. She's babbling a lot. She loves to jump in her doorway jumper. (Thanks, Dad and Shannon!) She's rolling allll over the place. I put her at one end of the rug in the LR this morning and she was at the other end in a few minutes. She's got the chubbiest cheeks ever. She doesn't have dimples like Emme so her smiles is a MAJOR wrinkley nosed smile because the cheeks have no give.

Better run for now! I'm in desperate need of a shower!

Congrats to my dear friend and her hubby on expecting their first! I couldn't be happier for you! Love ya, girl!

Ellie had her 6th month checkup today. She weighs 15 lbs. and 4oz., is 26" long, and she had to get 4 s-h-o-t's. Dr. Mellick (literally the best Pediatrician in the whole KC area- we drive 30 minutes to see her) said to start her on carrots (one of the least allergenic foods). She was fussy before it was time to eat her bottle and it hadn't been long enough for her medicine to kick in so I gave her some carrots and she devoured them! It was too cute. She ate about 3/4 of the jar! She just loved them and tried to grab the bowl from my hands.

I forgot to update about her allergy appt. that she had last week. It went really great. The doctor we saw was just so kind and compassionate. He said to keep trying her on oatmeal (she had only been on it for 2 days before we went) and then call him if we think she was reacting to it. Sure enough, all of her symptoms started creeping back. We took her off oatmeal (this is her 3rd day off) and she is back to going to the bathroom all on her own and not being overly fussy. Dr. M. said today it's likely due to the high carb content and they are just hard to break down as is. When you add an overly sensitive GI tract on top of it, it does nothing but cause trouble.

Oh, I forgot to say Ellie's first tooth broke through the gum last night! Such a big girl!

Emme has just been cracking me up lately with what she says. She asked me today in the car if Daddy was being frustrating (after we hung up the phone). I said no and then she asked, "Oh, Daddy talking kindly?". LOL! Unfortunately we have decided to pull her from the preschool program she was in. We had just noticed a lot of aggressive behavior, extremely bad attitude, and just plain being mean since she's started. I know this is normal behavior when starting school but we kinda' feel like preschool isn't necessary at 2 years old and if we don't have to send her, we shouldn't- at least right now. Now, next year we'll reevaluate and see how she's acting then but until then, we just really need to buckle down and get this bad behavior under control. All in all she's a great kid, it's just the little things like this that need to be nipped in the bud right away before they become even bigger.

Well, the girls are asleep and it's gloomy outside. I feel the need to go lay on the couch and rest for a bit myself!

I won't lie- being a mom is hard. These past two weeks have been especially challenging. Well, really, these past 6 months. We were so thrilled to have Ellie (and still are, don't get me wrong!) but she is just so...hard. Something is always wrong with her and I feel like I'm constantly walking on egg shells. Heck, I don't even have her cries figured out yet! In the 6 months she's been here, I can remember one full week where she was happy and nothing was wrong. When she's happy, she's sooo happy. But when she's flaring, not eating, can't poop, etc., she's just a total crab. And I can't blame her- at all- but it doesn't make it easier to listen to the crying. She's also started separation anxiety, which Emme never had (until she was 2.5; weird kid) so that's hard also. She's very attached to her Daddy. I can see why! He's awesome! And just when I think I have things under control *BAM* something happens to throw me all off course again.

You see (and most of you know), I'm a control freak (I come by it honestly). It's a terrible thing. It really is. I have a plan, a schedule, a rhyme to the reason. When it goes array (doesn't that sound like you're saying 'away' with a speech impediment?), I don't know what to do. I don't know how to handle the stress other than to get overwhelmed. I don't know how to just let things go. I can't relax in a messy house, but at the same time, know I need to get over it and used to it with having small kids. I don't want them to grow up and remember all I did was clean and never have fun but I don't want them to not take pride in their things. How the heck do you find a balance? Too bad I wasn't wired with the who-gives-a-crap mentality. Oh well...

But then you have funny conversations like this and get barfed on and think, "Oh, it's not really that bad after all.". At least I'm blessed with a family to even complain about and stress over. They're the best and they're my life.

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Me: Emme, I'm gonna go potty. Stay in your chair and eat your pudding.

Emme: YAY! Mommy, you did it! You peepee'd in big potty! I so proud you! Mommy, you push your peepee out by yo'self! Hooorrrayyyy!
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Emme: Mommy, talk.

Me: Talk or be quiet? (She was reading a book.)

Emme: No, talk.

Me: What do you want me to say?

Emme: Ummm...see...? (She had her finger on her mouth and looked puzzled.) Princess things!

Me: Like what?

Emme: Ummm...Santa.

Emme at 6 months.

Emme (33 months) and Ellie (6 months). I know it's not the best picture, it's just the only one where they're both looking at me!

I can't believe the difference in Emme and Ellie at the same age. By this time Emme had been eating solids for 2 months and sitting up by herself. Ellie is just now starting on cereal (started oatmeal today- watching for allergies) and can barely sit on the floor folded in half. I know it's hard to picture, but I took one and I'll try and post it later. Emme is/was super laid back (most of the time) and Ellie is very tempermental. The one thing they have in common is sleep; they're both great sleepers! It's funny to see how different siblings are, even when they have the same parents!

In other news...Emme is sick with the stomach flu I had on Sunday night. I got sick after eating some chicken so that has only furthered my desire to be a vegetarian. I've never been a big meat-eater (I don't have a problem with the meat "thing" itself, I just don't really care for it. You'll definitely never see me supporting PETA.) I seceretly enjoy when my kids are sick because it means a relaxing day in PJ's and lots of snuggles. Emme doesn't want me to snuggle her right now so I'm on here posting. I hope she starts to feel better soon. It's cute how she says she doesn't feel good. She says, "Mommy, I full good". She's too cute.

Ellie is teething. Her bottom two teeth are trying to break through and she is in full blown slobber and chew-on-everything-in-sight mode. She started oatmeal cereal today and actually gobbled it down. She's only thrown up once so far so that's good. I'll be watching for the same things she had with her rice cereal reaction (hives, inconsolable screaming, stuffy/runny nose, watery eyes, etc). She goes to the pediatric allergist on Thursday for a consultation and possible testing. (We've met our OOP expense for the year so we're trying to schedule all we can before the end of the year.)

Josh went to the allergist yesterday. It was much needed. He only tested environmental stuff yesterday and goes back Monday for food testing. He's definitely allergic to mold and dust mites (which we already thought). He also had a horrible sinus infection. They gave him a nasal spray to try for the next week and a medicine for his sinus infection. I hope he can find some relief. My poor fella was so miserable!

We're having his family birthday dinner tonight at Mama China in Raytown. Mmmmm! We're all looking forward to that!

I guess I had better run. Emme wants to get on Disney's website and play some "princess" games. Hehehe.

I've talked to Courtney multiple times in the past few days. She seems to be doing so-so. Some days better than others, of course. Please continue to pray for her as her husband has to go back to work for a few hours on Monday and the rest of her family will be gone. We're going to the memorial service at their house tomorrow. I'm so glad we can be there for them in some small way. Baby Girl was 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 20" long. She looked just like her big sister. They were able to have a few hours with her and got her pictures taken. I'm so thankful they were able to have that short, sweet time with her. Again, please continue to pray for them.

I have an urgent prayer request...

My good friend Courtney had a still birth today. She was 37 weeks along and due on Christmas day. My heart breaks for her, her husband, and daughter. Please lift them up in your prayers during this dreadful time. The drawers were full and her name was on the wall. They were all ready to go. Though we don't know God's reasoning for this, please pray they take comfort in knowing it was just His will; as hard as that is to understand sometimes.

And all day long I was venting my frustrations about my babies...I guess this is just Gods way of letting me know to stop taking it for granted, as I do far too often.

Please, go hug your babies.

Can you say, "Chubby Cheeks"?

First rice cereal a few weeks ago. We're trying oatmeal this week since she's allergic to the rice.

"Two daughters" as Emme would say in bed with Daddy this morning. Emme has become a nudist since being potty trained. We'll have to work on that...