Shoes?

On our way home from church today, I glanced back at Joanna, and her shoes caught my eye. I thought, "I don't remember Joanna's shoes having little flowers on the strap and I didn't think the sole looked like that and I'm pretty sure Joanna's were a little more scuffed than this." So I grabbed one off her foot, and they weren't her shoes! They looked quite similar -- the Wal-Mart type black dress shoes. But these were a full size bigger. Poor kid who went home with Joanna's shoes on!

Sweet smiles

This afternoon we spent a few minutes playing on the floor in the girls' room.

Aren't my daughters gorgeous?!!Look at that! They're both smiling!!! I know social smiles aren't really supposed to show up for a few weeks, but Natalie has been smiling at us a lot!
Awwww...

There were lots of attempts before I managed to get a picture of all of us! And we're all wearing pink -- aren't we too cute?!

Awwww, again.

A couple of cute shots of Natalie from this afternoon, eyes open and everything.

Silly face...

I love my sweet baby girls!

My CHILDREN are asleep.

And not only asleep, but having GOOD STINKIN' naps. Woo hoo! I'm actually feeling a little guilty that I've spent most of this time not really getting anything done... but only a little.

I'm going to try to type fast because I know it isn't going to last long!

Here's a cute recent one of Miss Natalie. I've been able to start putting her in actual 0-3 month clothes, which we have a lot more of, without them just hanging on her. She's growing so much! I was looking back and saw that Joanna was 7lb 3.5oz at her 2 week checkup -- just .5lb shy of her birthweight. Natalie had surpassed hers by 6oz. And I just heard Joanna -- I knew it was coming soon! I'll be back later...

Joanna's up and having a snack. Natalie is having a marathon nap, but I hear waking noises coming from her. It's time for her to eat!

My sweet girls:

Joanna loves her Natalie so much.
Another bath picture -- I won't say she loves her baths yet, but she didn't scream the whole time!
Matt brought me my camera last night and said, "I don't mean to be a tattle-tell, but..." and showed me this picture. She does love to clear off that shelf and climb up there.

It's 3:00, Matt should be home in a couple of hours, and I have two awake but not crying girls. I like this. :)

A Sweet Momma

This evening we were all in the kitchen after dinner, and I hear Joanna saying, "milk, milk." At first I think it's because she wants some, then I look over at her. She's holding a baby doll and a blanket and pulling up her shirt. She wants to feed her baby some milk.

They really absorb everything! She is always rocking her babies -- she has that whole shush and sway thing down. She holds them and swaddles them and lays them down for naps, always instructing me to be very quite. Of course, the babies (and the stuffed puppies, too) have to go to time-out sometimes. They look so sad there, sitting in the spot by the front door. She gets frustrated when they won't stay seated (like, they flop over or something). Usually I have to take them out of time out because I think she forgets. :) She is so cute!

I have pictures to post and lots more to ramble about, but it'll have to wait until another time...

Thank you for being so patient!

I've finally uploaded some recent pics. Thank you for suffering through my rambling posts!

I just had to take a picture of my folded laundry. I LOVE it when the laundry is all folded, sorted, and ready to be put away. I think it's pretty. Natalie in her carseat in the Target shopping cart. We dropped Joanna off at MDO last Thursday and went shopping! She slept the whole time we were in the store!
I was so lucky in this pregnancy to have several friends loan me maternity clothes. It was such a blessing to not have to spend money on clothes, but still have new clothes to wear!
Here is everything all sorted and ready for return to their owners. One of the bins is my stuff (ready to loan), but everything else was borrowed. Thank you ladies!

Look at all these sad, empty hangers. I'm actually going to have to STORE some of them -- can you believe it?! I have far fewer regular clothes ready to hang up in the closet.

I can't remember where we were headed, but she looks so cute!

Daddy and his girls.

This is the rose that was on the altar at church in celebration of Natalie's birth. It still looks good almost 10 days later!

Ready for church on Sunday -- Daddy and Joanna.

Mommy and Natalie

Natalie in the car

This is the first time we were all at church and in the service together. Here we are signed in on the attendance pad:

We only made it through about 40 minutes of the service, then we had to get out of there! Both kiddos were fussing!

Joanna enjoying the music with her chex mix.

Natalie enjoying the music until it got really loud!

Later on Sunday -- Natalie's cute feet!

Yesterday we had to wake Joanna up to get to the doctor's appointment. Matt took a picture before he got her out of bed. She's actually asleep here!

At the doctor's office. Natalie is wearing her heel warmer to get ready for the stick. Matt is looking at Joanna playing on the floor.

My mother is home today!! So even though Joanna has still had 8 bazillion dirty diapers and Natalie isn't sleeping well on anything that isn't human, it's much easier and more fun with one adult for every child! Thank you, Mommy for spending the day with us!

Milestones

Natalie was two weeks old yesterday, so we had her two week check up this afternoon. She was pronounced practically perfect. She has surpassed her birth weight and is 7lbs 15oz. I don't think we'll be having Joanna's slow-growing petite worries with this good eater! She is 19 1/2 inches long; her color looks great; her belly button looks great. We learned that she, like I think all babies, does not like getting her heel stuck. Oh, she cried. She cried and cried and cried and I couldn't calm her down and I thought we were going to have to stop the car on the way home she cried so hard. Poor baby!

The other reason for today's doctor visit was the big sister. The poor big sister who is just falling apart! She has conjunctivitis in her poor little eyes. This marks her very first time to have antibiotics. I think 23 months without them is a pretty good stretch! Dr. Harper said it was likely a sinus infection that got up into her eyes; her ears looked clear, but it likely would've gone there next. As for the bottom issue: he recommended an over the counter probiotic (good bacteria). It's a powder that you can mix into anything -- milk, water, juice, applesauce, and it should help balance out all her bacteria and guts and stuff. The diaper rash looks soooo much better today -- he recommended cleaning with soap and water and continuing to use the diaper rash cream. He said it sounds dietary and hopefully the good bacteria will help clear it up! I'm really really hoping Natalie does not catch Joanna's eye infection. I have to be so diligent about hand washing and sanitizing. These are not technically my strengths.

On an unrelated note, Matt and his dad finished the repairs to the master toilet yesterday! It seems to be working fine now! Yea!! They had to do soooo much work on it, including actually drilling into the foundation. It seems the previous owners just kept kind of patching the problem (you know, band-aid on a bullet wound).

Joanna is falling apart.

She woke up yesterday with an eye infection. My mother's first words after I described it to her were PINK EYE. Oye. We'll see what the doctor says. Cause fortunately we have an appointment already scheduled for this afternoon! I have changed 10 DIRTY DIAPERS today. And it's only noon. 5 were Natalie's (and some only barely dirty -- you know newborns!), but 5 were Joanna's. I'm pretty sure she's working on #6 right now. Better catch up, Natalie! How is poor Joanna's bottom supposed to clear up when she's constantly pooping?!! If I wasn't at home by myself with a newborn and a sick toddler, I'd have her diaper off. As it is, she's wearing them. I just don't think I'm capable of handling that alone. Her diaper rash is ten thousand times better than it was on Friday and Saturday, though. We've been pretty good this weekend about keeping it clean. Notice I said we; I miss the weekend!

Natalie won't sleep anywhere that isn't touching me. She'll sleep in the sling, in my arms, on my chest, next to me in the bed. But not in her bed, in her bouncer, anywhere else. I'm okay with that; I know she'll learn how to eventually, but this sure does make Joanna's diaper changes, etc. super fun. And let me tell you, I'm disgusting right now. And she's tired. And poor Joanna looks like she's wearing some kind of special effects make-up with her eyes all goopy.

Okay, done venting. Feeling better now. I know this too shall pass!