Chloe

It was Chloe's 6th bday yesterday. We went to Paint your Plate on Grand Ave, with my cousin, Rachel. It is also her bday that same day. Then we came home and Chloe and I ran errands for her party today. When we came home, there was a bad storm so we hung down in the basement for awhile and then we had our own little family party. She opened presents from us and we had pizza for dinner and then Dan surprised her with a DQ ice cream cake (my fave). She had a great day. Then today we invited all the girls from her class and a few from church. 6 little girls came, and we had a backyard BBQ and we put up the kiddie pools. The girls had a blast. This was Chloe's first friend party, she felt very special. Chloe, you are so loved by me, Ella and Dan. You are such a smart, bright girl. You learn things very quickly. You can already read any word or book that you look at. You also have a HUGE heart!!! You are very kind and loving. We love you and you are a great big sister! I will post pics soon of her bday.

More pics

Ella was sick and fell asleep on the little Dora couch!

Mommy and Ella snuggling, she rarely does this, also she doesn't match because I just threw on some old clothes, because she leaked. :)

Ella and daddy hanging out.

Playing in the pool and bbqing! Also, Chloe gave Ella a mohawk!

Times are a changing

Ok... lots have happened since I lasted posted. I am done working at Target, I quit middle of March. I am now staying home again/doing all the business, secretorial things for Real Seal Asphalt Sealcoating. Which is really keeping me busy. Thank God! This is our first year starting this business and it is going so well. We could not be happier with the results so far. We thought it would take all of Dan's time, but he has been managing to come home around 7 every night, so we still get to hang out a little before bed. Chloe has about 2 weeks left of school and then it is summer vacation. We are really excited to have Chloe home all day. It will be a fun summer. We have already pulled out the kiddie pool and sprinkler. BBQ and ate outside on the kiddie picnic table, which Chloe and Ella just love to do. It is so cute to see Ella and Chloe really playing. Ella is getting so big. She is almost 16 months, and Chloe is almost 6. Where has the time gone?? It is crazy.

Yay!

So Dan got a new job and I am now working part time...I am available 3 days a week. Which will be perfect because I do enjoy my job, but it was tiring working all the time. I am so happy to be at part time and spend more time with the girls, especially since spring will be rolling around soon. So I had surgery and was out of work for almost 3 weeks, and only had to work full time for about 3 weeks. Not too bad. I still have 2 more weeks working alot, but that is because I just gave them my new availability. So thank you God for being in our favor...also Dan is home and done with work by 7...which is WAY better than when he was working overnights. Also, Ella is almost ONE...crazy and it went by too fast. I am enjoying it all right now though, it is fun to watch her personality come out. Chloe is also doing really well. She has learned to read, and barely gets stumped on a word. She is SO smart!!!

Ouch

So yet again...it has been forever since I posted...Well anyways Christmas was very nice and relaxing for us...we got a bunch of snow and we played in it, it our new backyard and it was so much fun to have nice quality family time. We also went to my grandpa's on Christmas Eve and then on Christmas morning...our little family stayed home and opened presents from Santa (with the economy Santa got less presents than normal, but it was Chloe's favorite Christmas ever) and then in the evening we went to my parents to open presents and have dinner. So it was fun and filled with family, but yet we spent alot of quality time in between. Then on December 30 (my mom's birthday) I had umbilical hernia surgery. I needed it because of my pregnancies...it happened from being pregnant. All of a sudden a few months ago, I noticed my belly button still stuck out...I thought that that was not normal and went to the doc...cause I had a feeling and sure enough. It did not bother me at all...I had no pain from it. The doc wanted me to have surgery anyways, more for preventative...it can get worse with subsoquent pregnancies. So my parents already got tickets to take Chloe to the Beauty and the Beast play...so my inlaws came and watched Ella. The surgery itself went REALLY well. I was really nervous that I would puke and or get really dizzy and sick...but I did NOT at all!! Which was a huge blessing, cause it has happened before and that is the worse part! So I came home and slept for like 6 hours then watched a movie with Dan and my in laws and the next few days were a blur...and then I did not need the pain pills anymore...but I still felt uncomfortable for about a week and now finally I am feeling better...thank you Jesus. I was really getting frustrated because I wanted to get back to normal. I could not clean or anything...which most would think was amazing...but I am sort of a clean freak...and I did not like it!!! Well since I started working...this surgery has been a VACATION...I have loved spending time with the girls and I also have been really sad that I do have to work. I really love staying home and I know I will not have to work forever...but it is still hard! This is not to make anyone feel bad or guilty...some moms love to work others have to do it to live...which is what I have to do...but it still is hard! Ella is doing so much new stuff everyday and she still is not at the crabby, tantrum throwing age yet...so it is alot of fun! Chloe is becoming such an adult person. She has her best friend from school, named Kayla and they both got each other presents for Christmas...it was really cute to see such a great bond. Chloe has such a HUGE heart, and I am so thankful for that. What more could you ask for? She always is thinking about other people. Well we had a good holidays, now back to the daily!!

Cute girls

The little princess, wearing her dance stuff to a tumbling class with her friend Audrey.

Ella getting into mommy's books. What a smile!!

Ella wearing her pumpkin hat made from Nana!

my oh my

Well, again...it has been a long time since I have blogged...we have been busy and sick. Well to update...Ella is getting older and older and older than any other time so far. It is crazy EVERY SINGLE day something new is happening with her. She went from scooting to really crawling and then all of a sudden she started to pull up on things and put her self in a sitting position. It is crazy and she will pull up and then not know how to get down and she will either fall and get hurt :( or just stay there until I move her. She also has not been sleeping that well either, she has been waking alot more and not falling back to sleep that easily. Chloe is sick...she has something bad...cough, dry throat, fever and just plain sick. She will be home from school tomorrow. Poor girl...we are praying that Ella does not get it! Well we are on a new adventure also....actually lots of new adventures. This year is a very exciting and scary time. We are moving into a house...which we are SOOO excited about. Space...we will actually have space!! Yeah! Also my husband is starting his own company. So we are so excited and we will be very busy!

Gone away...now back

So if you had not noticed I have been gone for A LONG TIME!! One whole month I was without a computer!! I know, what is a girl to do without a computer....ok clean my house, stay up on the laundry, make home cooked meals every night, read a ton of books, and the list could go on. I got alot done without a computer, but this is a whole lot more fun than cleaning and folding laundry :) Our computer had a virus and was getting fixed. Ok...I learned that I need to balance it...sometimes the time gets away from me and then all of a sudden your babies nap is over and all you have done was read blogs. :) Ok well not anymore!! So I am happy to be back though! The last month Chloe started kindergarten and Ella started crawling. Chloe LOVES school....she already talks about a boy she likes though....and I am FREAKING out!!! I want to send her to an all girl school...but I won't and could not afford it either :) I do not want her to be boy crazy but apparently she already is...is this normal? When it is the weekend she is like I want to go to school to see the boy whom she refers to as her boyfriend...we will call him "Max." Ummm..yeah....I was like you should want to go to school to learn!! I really hope this passes and is just a phase because we have also had to have to talk that you are not allowed to have a boyfriend or date until you are SIXTEEN!! I know that might sound crazy, but she was running around telling EVERYONE that she has a boyfriend named Max and it was embarrassing!! :/ So Dan and I sat down and said No boyfriends until your 16....she said why and we are like because anything under that is too young. So Max is now her friend. Ok so off of that note....Ella is crawling...well scooting and sort of crawling....she is getting better using her hands. It is cute! :) Dan has been away this weekend for a men's retreat with church...he will be home late tonight...I am excited to see what happend. I went with Ella to the women's retreat a couple weeks ago. It was fun but it was hard to have the quiet time with God, when I had a 7 month old baby literally strapped to me the whole weekend. :) It was a nice time though!! Ok so that is all my ramblings!!

Reflection

So tonight my 5 year old daughter and I got into a really big fight...yeah something that would happen when she was like a teenager. Yelling, screaming, attitude, mean things said and craziness. Well she has been acting up lately and it has been really bothering my husband and I. We have not known how to really deal with it...so tonight it came to a HUGE fight. Well then afterwards there were a lot of tears and apologies. I feel horrible, she feels horrilble and then we hugged, forgive each other and took a walk before bed. Well I can not get over it. I have been praying and crying and I just can't seem to move past it...so I knew I needed to blog about it to get the thoughts out of my head. Well how do I expect so much from a 5 year old when I have barely any self control as well. She talks with attitude as do I and she yells as do I. She is me...and parts of her are the bad parts of me. It is really hard. Your child is a mirror of you...whether you like it or not. And I do not like it. It is really hard at five to figure this all out, because now she is who she is. I love who she is don't get me wrong, but her stubborness and her attitude and not listening drive me bonkers. I wish I could have done it all over again. I was young, naive and a single parent and I did not take my job seriously. (Parenting Job.) It breaks my heart that I have been this way...you know so much more with your second child and with age. I feel like I cheated my first born out of alot of things. I am a great parent now and I am trying to do my best with my second one who is almost six months old, everything I did wrong with Chloe I promise I will not do with Ella. But how is that fair...it is hard to realize but it is reality. I just am doing my best now and I pray for her and my relationship that it will be strong and I also pray for the teenage years that we will have figure it out before that time comes. Also I have been praying about it and I feel that God is telling me to not care what other people think. I want Chloe to be the perfect child, because it is a reflection of me...but you know what I have to stop caring about what people think and start being an advocate for my daughter...who cares what people think about me as a parent...I care what Chloe thinks of me and God, because in the end that is what matters. My relationship with Jesus and my family.

Talk to God

So on Sunday at church our sermon was about talking to God. Asking him questions? It is so true...if you want to know what to do in a situation just ask. Sometimes I forget to ask and struggle with figuring out what to do in a situation and other times I doubt God. I doubt that he will answer. So ridiculous...right? I have got to get better about constantly remebering to ask him...I DO know that he will answer...it just might not be what I want or how I want him to answer. So with that note I will try to ask him and remember to talk to him regularly. Ok off that topic we are moving and we will start cleaning and painting the new place this week and hopefully start moving everything this weekend. I am excited, but there is alot to do. We have to clean the new place and the old place, I do not know how this is all going to work with two kids, and not just any two kids, one is a REALLY needy baby...I can not just drop her off with someone while I get stuff done. My friends have been offering to take both kiddos while we do stuff....oh how lovely...not...my babe will not go with anyone but me or her daddy. Also she LOVES to be held. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE that my baby needs me and wants to be with me all the time and to be held....it is usually ok, but it does make it hard sometimes....oh well. I know we will get it done it just might take awhile and it might be hard. :) Oh....this is where I would just go about my way and try to do it myself....but no...I am going to ask God to give me patience while cleaning and moving and to have Ella and Chloe be as easy as possible...ok I guess just to really give me peace and patience! :) Anyways...also we got Ella the excersaucer...Chloe LOVED the swing, bouncer, excersaucer...she loved it all...no not Ella...she is ok for a couple minutes but then wants to be held. Well with the excersaucer she really likes it. So lets hope we can use that while moving. Also Ella is rolling all the time...it is cute...perfect time to move...we can babyproof the whole house. Yeah!! :) Chloe will be starting kindergarten in about 6 weeks...crazy....I will have a child in school...everyday...from now on for a LONG time!! It is crazy how fast they grow!! :)

Mystery!!!

Ok...so Ella has had blood in her stools again!! Ahh....she has been really fussy while she has had bloody stools almost everytime she poops. The doctors do not seemed too concerned....but I am frustrated not knowing. I just want to know if its a big deal or not. It bothers me especially since she has been fussy as well. We went up at church to have someone pray for her... and every since that earlier today she seems alot better....lets hope for a miracle!!! She still has blood, but not fussy at all today...praise God!! So I am hoping God answered our prayers and if not I will be ok with that....just trying to figure our mystery baby out!! That is what everyone calls her, even her own pediatrician and that was even before the bloody stools!! We had a wonderful weekend. On Friday Chloe, Ella and I went to the pool with our friends Emarie and her daughter Audrey and son Will. It was a good time and then Friday night we went to Olive Garden to celebrate Chloe's 5th birthday!! She picked it out. Then we went to DQ to get some star popsicles, cause momma can not have dairy :( Then on Saturday we went to my dads friends son graduation party. Chloe had a blast...there were alot of little kids her age...it is so fun to watch her play with other kids. She is really nice to her friends!! Then on Sunday we went to church and then to Emarie's son Will's 1st birthday party...it was a really good time. She did a really nice job as hostess and the party was alot of fun. :) Happy Birthday Will!!

How to calm a baby that won't calm

So today was the first day that Ella was SO fussy!!! Nothing worked with her today...I have not had that feeling yet of not knowing how to soothe my own baby. It was very frustrating not knowing. I hope it was just a fluke and tomorrow will be a great day with her. I left for a couple hours today with Chloe to take her to her first soccer practice and then the grocery store. Ella was home with daddy. It was a much needed little break even though I was worried and for some reason felt bad that daddy had to take care of the crying babe! I do not know why I felt like that. He is a very capable dad...I just guess with breastfeeding I can usually calm her. That is another thing...today she ate ALL day long!!! I was trying to leave to run errands in the morning and I felt like everytime I was ready she would eat and then nap. I did not want to wake her so I let her sleep..then she would wake up and then eat again...uggh...yeah it was hard but like I said before tomorrow WILL be better even if she is fussy I will be prepared :) Also tomorrow we are going to the splash pad with some friends. It has been like 93 degrees this week and we need some pool time!! Yeah Chloe and I are excited!! Summer is here!! Chloe had her soccer thing at the YMCA and she did so great!! They just practiced kicking the ball and throwing it over hand...she looked so cute!! I love her so much!! She is getting so old...we are able to talk like she is a bigger kid all of a sudden. She is SO smart!! I love both of my amazing children and it will be so fun to see them play together!! Everyone find some ways to stay cool this week with the awesome heat wave!! :)

Not a post for awhile

Wow...it has been awhile since I last posted. We have been very busy. We were out of town for all last week, celebrated Chloe's 5th birthday, Dan has been working alot, I have been dealing with a needy, adorable baby. So it has been a little chaotic. Anyways, so the cottage was fun, it is in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. Chloe loves it, she gets to swim almost all day. Ella did not know where she was, she seemed to be a little more fussy there. Yesterday we celebrated Chloe's bday...even though it is not until next Thursday. We had family at my parents house. It was a low key fun time. The weather was awesome and sunny and hot. The kids did a pinyata and pin the tail on the donkey and got to just run around and play. When I see Chloe with older kids I just think she seems so big. She acts so old. Now we are going to be getting ready to move. I am so excited. It is always fun to go through everything you own and get rid of stuff and reorganize it. I LOVE it!! I know it is alot of work and it will be hard with a baby (I can barely clean my kitchen, since Ella) but Chloe will be with her Dad all week of July 1st, they are going to his granparents cabin, so I will have one less kid and will hopefully get some things done. Today is Father's day. We went to church and then I asked Dan what do you want to do...we will do whatever you choose. So guys what he chose??? I just want to lay around and do nothing with the family. So that is what we did. Just hung out. Then he had to go to work overnight tonight :(

Just an update

Well first of all...I have the best husband. He fixed up my blog for me. He knows alot more about this kind of stuff than I do! He is great. Also Ella rolled over for the first time last night. She rolled from her tummy to her back. Her head went clump...it was loud. She was startled, like what was that. She only did it once, we could not get her to do it again. Well today Chloe has a field trip for preschool. They are going to a park and then to dairy queen. She is so excited. Oh and Dan has his first job of the season. It is a church parking lot. Calls have been coming in alot lately. I just want to praise and thank God for the work he is getting. Thank you Jesus!