The Reader

Miss Mia has really shown an interest in reading lately. Really, it's no surprise given our family's history with books, but what has been fun is to watch her trying her hardest to read at bedtime. Lately, she has wanted to read to us, but after a few moments gets frustrated when she doesn't know the words. Instead, she tries "reading" after we have said a few words first. This lasts a few sentences and then she is goes back to trying to read by herself often grabbing the book away from Mark or me. As anxious as she is to read, I feel the same way. I can't wait for her to discover her books in a new way. It would open a whole new world to sharing books with her. Harry Potter, here we come!!

BTW, I wanted to get a picture of her reading to go with this post, but that'll have to wait until the hand heals more.

I Spoke Too Soon....

A big dose of Karma hit our house yesterday just hours after posting the last entry about how calm things are going for us. I fought a valiant battle with a curb at the library yesterday and ended up breaking a bone in my right hand. Luckily, the babies are fine and nothing worse happened, but it does make doing even the smallest things a lot harder.

So yeah, the next 6 weeks should be REALLY interesting!

Home Stretch

With less than two months until the babies come, our house has become a busy place. My craft room is being turned into a nursery and we got some closets and nooks redone to make room for two new bodies. There is clutter everywhere that is slowly finding it's way into new homes. I am washing all the baby clothes and getting them put into drawers and making a list of all the essentials we still need. One plus of this pregnancy is that I have been buying clothes at the thrift stores since finding out the genders and it's amazing how much we already have (esp. for baby boy). I have picked up a ton of name brand and near new baby clothes for often less than a dollar. I definitely recommend this over shopping for brand new outfits.

I am still stricken by how calm this whole pregnancy has gone and feel grateful that we decided to "have just one more." I definitely feel more at ease in this skin even though I am more prone to being tired. The roundness of my body doesn't feel as imposing (well, except at bedtime) and I feel healthier than I ever did with Mia. It also helps that Mark has become the uber-husband and dad---never complaining when I need to rest or go to bed just after Mia. He has taken our news with uncharacteristic calm.

We are getting so excited to meet these new little ones and though I know it will be crazy insane around here, I am comforted by the calming way we have let them grow.

Mia @ 2

Here is another old video of Mia. I love that she is just beginning to talk and yet there are so many moments that are pure Mia. It's amazing that we are two years past that video and yet she is very similar to that little person you see here.

Thinking Back

As we get closer and closer to the debut of the babies, I have been thinking a lot of baby Mia. There are moments that I remember being in a zen-mom state, but for the most part I think it felt so crazy and alien that I didn't really get a chance to enjoy it. I am grateful that I'll have another chance to experience those newborn moments even though they will be frenetic in their own way. In all reality, we have Mia to thank for taking us on this new journey. The little girl that she has become has given us the strength to do it all again (with an added bonus of one more). Somehow, we made it through some major rough patches and are the better for it. It's still not easy all the time, but as she becomes more and more of a little girl, it's clear to see that somewhere along the way, we've done alright by her. Alright enough to at least believe that we don't wholly suck as parents. This morning I found a lot of old videos of Mia and I think I'll spend the next few posts uploading those so you all can see them. This first one was taken by Mark when Mia was just two days old. My.....how time flies.

Emotional Girl

"I am so fuss-ta-rated!"

You have no qualms lately about telling us exactly how you feel. Often it's with a foot stomp, a look, or your words. You can break down at the drop of a hat and often over the tiniest of things. On the flip side, you are quick to comfort and incredibly loving lately. Often you will say "Mommy/Daddy, I just love you."

I am so afraid for those teen years when I'm sure you'll add in more choice words and door slamming. I hope that we still get those loving and tender moments too.

Summer's End

The summer quickly came to a close and I am happy to report that getting Mia back into school went much better this year than last. She still gets mad when she realizes she'll have to nap at school, but the meltdowns of last year are gone. It's crazy to think that in less than a year she'll be starting kindergarten at a "big girl school." For me, I am working part time so I get five days off every five days. I haven't had this much time off for as long as I can remember. It's taking some getting used to, but it's been nice to have some down time before the babies get here in December. I have been working on some projects that will help us work two more bodies into our small space.

This past week we found out that we are having a boy and a girl and we are all thrilled. This makes the twins thing more real for Mia, because that's the same configuration as Dora. I think Mark and I are both curious to see what adding a boy to the mix will be like. Of course, the poor boy doesn't have a chance surrounded by girls and I envision lots of games in which he is subject to girlish whims. Now, we are working on figuring out two names.

This past weekend was the Festival on Main and it's always a good way to say goodbye to summer with some of our friends. The kids love face painting, the bouncy castles, cotton candy, and being out past bedtime. I love watching them take in all the sights and sounds of a small town summer night.

Zwei

This summer has been a whirlwind of activity and craziness. Since my last update we took a rather spontaneous trip to Disneyland with Mia. We celebrated the 4th of July with friends and family. We've had old and dear friends visit. Mia and I have spent a lot of time reading, sewing, playing with friends, and just enjoying the summer. I'll be sad to see it go for sure.

Our family got some pretty big news at the beginning of the summer and I think that has put my time with Mia into a whole new perspective. You see, she's going to be a big sister.....to TWINS. Yup. You read that right. Come December our whole world will be turned upside down and the changes to our family will be huge. Mia has taken the news like a champ and is so excited to be a big sister. The fact that Dora has twin siblings has made it all the sweeter for her. She tells everyone who will listen that her mommy has two babies in her tummy. She has unofficially named them Snow White & The Prince.

As for me, I am trying my hardest to move beyond the constant tiredness and am starting to see the swelling belly. I have been much more relaxed with this pregnancy and am enjoying it more than I did with Mia. It's not quite as scary or alien or just surreal. Pretty soon we'll find out the genders of the babies and I can start pulling together the room and shopping for anything necessary. The weirdest thing of this all is that I have no REAL clue of when we'll welcome these babies home. With two they tell you to be ready anywhere starting at 35 weeks. It makes it a little scarier to not know for sure. Luckily, I have a team of supporters ready to help whenever needed (I love you!).

So, with this news I have been trying to decide the direction of this blog. Since Mia's birth it's become a great way to document her life. I want to continue to do that and expand to include Snow White & Prince too. I also want to start writing more about some of the more creative endeavors I've picked up over the summer. I guess I'm saying expect some changes soon. And, if you can think of a jazzy name for the blog let me know.