Precious Sleep

I saw this summary of baby sleep positions for the first time today and really laughed because our life with Sawyer during his first year included MANY of these situations--- the Stalker, H, Neck Scarf, etc. He's a better sleeper now and we've changed his diet to provide for better nights sleep. Too funny!

Recent Routine

 I often feel like we've had busy days at our house but when I describe them it sounds like a joke to any mom who has kids with homework in school and sports or other activities. This first quarter in our house has been an adjustment in so many ways. This is my first time to stay at-home full time with two kids while running and maintaining a house. I sometimes feel like an idiot for not knowing how to menu plan, clean or cook around the kids' eating and napping schedules. Thankfully, this week I got together with 3 other friends who have kids in elementary and we shared menu planning strategies, meal ideas and menus. I definitely took more than I gave but walked away so grateful to learn from their experience. My general outlook on life is organized and methodical so i'm sure I can get into the swing of it with a little practice and concentration at home.

Our life these days?
7am breakfast, Mark to work, Sawyer's morning nap, snack, playroom games, lunch, afternoon naps for both kids (wishful!), outside to the "daffodil field" behind our house with balls or bubbles, snacks, come inside to get dinner together, Mark home, eat together, baths, stories and songs, bedtime for children, time with Mark/computer/tv/reading. ---->throw in some daytime play dates, grocery or Costco runs, walks to the playground, about 2 visits to the fitness center, church and call it a week!

Alice is allowed in the back yard by herself because it's fenced well. She recently managed to unlock the 2-step gate lock and crawl up to open it back to re-enter the backyard so we can't catch her. She's smart!

Sweet Sawyer

 Our little one-year-old boy is a lot of fun! He loves to walk, play with balls, cars and musical toys, hollers when he wants more food, naps well morning and afternoon, shares things, plays well outside, smiles frequently, and is a real delight. 

Pam at church made this outfit for a slightly older boy and was delighted to see it already in the handed down treasures. He looks like a high-end Nascar fan from Alabama with it on! 

Our Alice

These are trying times at the Holmes house. Alice is getting bigger every day and with that come major and minor milestones. She hopped out of her crib for the first time last week and so Alice now has a toddler bed she can get in and out of at will. Naps have suffered and so has my sanity. I put up two baby gates across her door so I could do a little yard work in the warmth on Monday. She broke through and walked out the front door looking for me. She's not old enough for such freedom! I keep telling her to stay on her purple carpet and tonight's picture shows that something is sinking in (at least at night). I haven't moved her to her bed. . .and she just started whimpering as I type. 

I've been dreading one her entire life: losing the pacifier (aka Nuk). That happened the week before she moved to the "children's bed".  Mark snipped off the tip of the Nuk and Alice asked who broke it. "I don't know" I said. Alice's exact response, "A mean girl with no kindness in her heart broke it and her mama had to spank her." Where does she come up with this stuff??! I painted her fingernails with "No Bite" so she would switch to fingers when she wants her Nuk. Do you see in the picture above that she still keeps in there with nasty taste to satisfy what she misses so much. The early crying fits for her Nuk have turned to strong requests for singing or snuggling to keep her quiet. 

Some parts of our day are a real delight. We had a fancy dress up tea party with "the girls" during Sawyer's nap this week.