go sis!

Molly's cheers Clara on during some quality "tummy time", and then tries to show her how to move her head. What a helpful big sister.

Mama, Your Papa Loves You

it's late and i'm sitting at the computer with clara asleep in the sling around my neck, while molly and sofi sleep in the other rooms. the only noise is the hum of the computer as it plays this...

fuzzy wuzzy

Molly also enjoys rhyming, sometimes spouting rhyming words when she thinks of it.

Milk Pilk Gilk Lilk!

And this afternoon, as I nursed Clara in our bedroom, I overheard the following conversation between Zach & Molly:

Zach: What would you like for lunch?
Molly: Keanut Kutter
Z: A peanut butter & jelly sandwich?
M: No, keanut kutter.
Z: I'm not sure I understand, what's "keanut kutter"
M (very matter-of-factly): A type of food!
Z: Can you show me where it is?
M (gets up, I hear her move something): here!
Z (with apparent dramatic effect): Ohh, that looks delicious. (pause) So what do you want for lunch?

Space Monkey

This afternoon when we were enjoying a quiet moment in the car with the girls Molly initiated a game of "red light green light", likely inspired by the red and green lights we were encountering (duh!). I said "red light!" she said "stop!". I said "green light!" she said "go!". She mixed it up a couple times, but mostly got it right. And when I threw out "purple light!" she didn't miss a beat. "Banana!" she exclaimed.* I love that she has a sense of humor and enjoys word play as much as we do.

*Note: I actually can't remember exactly what she said, but it was something silly like "banana". If you'd like, you can think of a word that might sound silly to a 2.5 year old and use that word. :)

PS. Zach very wonderfully has been getting up with Molly when she decides that 5 or 6 am is a good time to be up. This is the fruit of their latest morning project (and efforts to keep the house relatively quiet for me - thanks monkeys!)

times

So, I have this trick I'm trying to use to help me get through the rough nights/mornings/afternoons/moments and to remember that it's really not all bad: I just try to conjure up one of the many many many wonderful moments we do have here.

Like last weekend when we went up to Inspiration Point. Even though I gave up walking and turned around after less than a half a mile, we ended up sitting on the picnic table under the pine trees and spending some time as a family. Zach cuddled Clara, Molly asked a million questions, explored the pine cones, the trees, the dirt, and the rocks, and announced that the roots she was stepping on were "like straws for the trees!" When I took Clara to nurse, Zach and Molly romped around, sang songs, and looked at the sky. Them's nice times.

Or one of the many many times that Clara cuddles up on my chest and sleeps securely, preciously, deeply, doing the difficult work of growing that body & brain.

Or the last two nights when I've laid down with Molly at night to put her to bed. We chat about the day (Did Zane take the helicopter from you today? And you didn't like it? And you took it back? Did Lupe help you? And next time you will use your words?) or about made up things (I'm a monster and I'm going to nibble on your toes!). And then I ask her to be still and she begs me to "lie with me for just one minute!" over and over again ("just one more minute"). And we negotiate - stillness and quietness for cuddles. And then, on a good night, her breathing becomes rhythmic and I roll her over and say goodnight, just a little sad that she doesn't ask for the Goodnight Story anymore, and just a little sad that I can't stay and cuddle all night, but happy that she's secure and sleeping soundly.

It's worked pretty well, and it's nice to remember the good, even though I find it's also really important for me to acknowledge the challenges we're facing right now.

One Month

yes, technically yesterday she was one calendar month old. But sometimes it takes another day for a tired mom to put it all together: today is November 9th & this baby was born on October 8th... the stars have to align just so for those thoughts to occur in close enough proximity to produce the final thought that this means the baby is a month old!

4 weeks!

We did another photo shoot this morning to celebrate being 4 weeks and 1 day old.