Brady Lynn

So.....we had our baby! Back on August 31st. But I have yet to post anything about her. Such a bad mommy! She is a wonderful baby. Beautiful, happy, sleeps though the night , loves her big sister, lights up when her daddy talks to her. She is such a joy to have in our family. I can't believe that she is already 24 weeks old! We love you, Brady!

A little update....

As usual, I am super behind on blogging. I am once again doing this from work, so there will be no pictures.

First, an update on the pregnancy. I'm down to seven and a half weeks. And they are going to be long, hot weeks! I did survive a family reunion at Yellowstone last week, so I've decided that if I can get through that, I can make it to the end. My usual pregnancy effects are ever present.....swollen feet and ankles, killer heartburn, and shortness of breath. And I expect it to just get better. As long as I keep the end product in mind, I can make it through the day. I do have a new challenge with this pregnancy that wasn't there for the first one . And it's name is SAGE! If the girl could just sleep through the night, and quit messing her pants, it wouldn't be so bad. But I think she knows "baby sister" is almost here, so she is making the most of the last couple of months with her mom and dad before the intruder arrives. It's going to be very interesting to see how she reacts to a new member of the family.

She seems to be pretty excited about "baby sister". She gives her kisses and hugs, says she's going to love her and hold her, and teach her to go pee-pee in the potty. But I have a feeling that her outlook on things is going to change once "baby sister" gets here.

We still don't have a name for this poor little baby. We've got a list of possibilities, but nothing sticks out to us at this point. We are open to suggestions. Here is what we are looking for: Starts with an S (or not), sounds good with Sage, isn't too common (Sarah) OR off the wall (Shaniqua), and sounds good with the last name Solosabal. That shouldn't be too hard. lol

Sage is two and a half now. Her vocabulary grows every day....some of which we are not too fond of. We had an issue with "shut up" but now she has changed it to "shut your mouth." I'm not sure which is worse. We're trying to replace it with "please be quiet, or please don't say that." She's getting better, but it sure has been an eye opener to me to watch what comes out of my mouth!

She does say some really funny things, too:
"I big girl!" = When she says this, it means she doesn't want help and to let her do it herself.
"Sure!" = instead of yes, or ok. It's pretty funny in some cases.
"What you doing, mom?" = She's very inquisitive.
"I help" or "I come with you" = She can't be left out of anything!
"I wanna popsicle" = But the popsicle is VERY drawn out, and VERY dramatic. She has at least one popsicle a day. It has kind of become our after work ritual for her an I to share one. Rootbeer flavor is her favorite....she gets it from me!

She has also started playing with hair. My hair, her own her, anyones hair that might be holding her. It's kind of cute. Except for when she messes up her own hair just so she can get ahold of it to twist it.

This is all I have time for right now. I promise, I'll write more soon. And add some pictures!

#2 is on the way!

Just in case you haven't heard - we are expecting baby #2. We're almost half way there. I am 18 weeks. Due date is September 8th, but I'm hoping for an August baby, maybe on my birthday. It's going to be a long hot summer, but it will be worth it.

Let's see - let me tell you a little about Sage. She turned two on Feb. 1st and is such a big girl. We are full swing into the potty training and she is doing great. Never has peepee accidents, but still does the #2 in her panties. I hear that is the last thing that they figure out though, so I'm ok with it for now. Plus, cleaning up #2 is easier than peepee pants....socks....and shoes.

She makes me laugh every day. Her latest thing is using the word "sure" instead of "yes." It's pretty funny sometimes. Her vocabulary increases every day, and I'm quite surprised at some of the words she uses. She loves to go to her Aunt "G's" house where she is spoiled beyond belief. She has her own little chicken, which she named Bach-Bach. (sp?) She gets to help feed the bottle calves, and check the chickens for eggs. She is a farm girl, which is good for her!

She also likes to go to Grandmas house one day a week, and has really missed her since she's been out of town for two weeks. They do lots of fun things together, and I'm glad she gets to spend time with her grandma each week.

Such a helper!

Sage is growing up so fast it seems. She has changed so much over the last few weeks. She is talking lots. Some of her new words are "I'm coming," "Bless you (but only when she sneezes)" "'Sank you" and "Me Help?" She's also getting really good at talking on the phone to grandma and Uncle Bear. She is becoming a great helper, and wants to help us with everything. Sometimes she's not actually much of a help, but she is learning to be a helper I guess.

Her aunt Jody bought her a toy vacumn (sp?) that makes terrible noises (Jim curses is every time she gets it out!!) and she put it to great use with me today while I was using the real one. It was cute, so I snapped a few pics. Too bad it doesn't really work, or I could just have her clean the house every day.

Can't believe that she will be two in just a couple of weeks! She sure is a joy in lives! Wish she wasn't growing up so fast!

Christmas 2010

Here are a couple of pics from Christmas....almost a month late. And they aren't that exciting. We weren't very good with documenting the holidays this year. We had a great Christmas. Sage was spoiled beyond belief, she is enjoying all of her gifts.

Checking out what's in her stocking. (This is the stocking that I made her. I plan to make the rest of the family one, as well.)

Dad showing her how her new farm works.

What's this??

Love 'em, don't spank 'em

*** I just want to preface this post by saying that this is for my sake and I'm not putting it here because I think that anyone else needs it. I had found this post about a month ago and loved it, but couldn't remember where I had seen it. So when I found it again, I had to put it somewhere that I could always find it. It comes from a blog that I follow - the lady is a good Christian lady and has some great insights on lots of things "parent" related. It has helped me appreciate my girl more, and to LOVE her and not HIT her. Now I'm not saying that I won't ever spank her, but I do give it a second thought!
If you'd like to read more of this specific post, click http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/search/label/Discipline%20With%20Dignity Or to see her whole blog, Clover Lane, click http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/.

How to LOVE/DISCIPLINE your child:

Children need your attention. They need to trust you, and to know that you love them. They need your instruction in words. They need to model behavior. They need you to know their limitations...I'll tell you when I've felt the urge spank a child (and we all do!), it's because I've made the wrong choices! Not them! I've expected too much of them, I've skipped a nap, I haven't been consistent and clear in my expectations, I've dragged them on too many errands, I've stretched meal times too long! I've been too busy with other things...material things, worldly things, things so much LESS important than a spirit of MY child. Break downs happen because of US. If your child's behavior stinks, look at yourself good and hard....change YOUR behavior, change your lifestyle.

I think spanking is the "easy way out". It's a quick fix. It's a way of "training" a child, without doing the work. But we all learn....quick fixes all come back to haunt us right? You might see a change in behavior, but NOT in the behavior you want...everything you are trying to "train" against, will show up...anger, aggression, mistrust, dishonesty...the list goes on and on. After all...you reap what you sow.

There is NO right way to spank. There is NO "proper procedure" to follow. I've read spanking is acceptable if you don't do it in anger, and if you explain WHY you are doing it. That's more twisted than ever in so many ways. "I'm going to inflict physical pain on you, because you just hit your sister? I am not angry, but I just want you to hurt." It doesn't make sense at all.

Sometimes you might hear, see or think, "Geez, what that kid needs is a good old spanking!" I guarantee that what that child needs is EVERYTHING but a spanking! I think in the older generations, NOT spanking is associated with overly permissive parenting...where the child rules the roost and any behavior goes. Yes, there is a prevalence of that today...but I can assure you, it's not a result of not hitting the children...it's a result of parents being unwilling to spend time teaching their children the right way to behave. Unstructured environments, no bedtimes, no regular meals, no predictable schedule...the list is long. I think it's lazy parenting...and it has nothing to do with the prevalence of spanking...they are one in the same in a way...the easy way out.

What's the hard stuff?

Attention, love, change of scenery, a good healthy meal, a good nap, a good book, consistency, hugs, a stern conversation, a calm environment, a clear set of enforced rules, a time out to refocus, strong parental relationships, a long walk, some fresh air, a loving grandma, a safe home, knowing your child....the stuff that takes a heck of a lot more time than hitting them does. The stuff that takes a piece of you...your LOVE, your SPIRIT, your TIME.

I was excited about Halloween this year because I knew Sage would be a little more interactive and enjoy a costume a little bit more. I've been feeling crafty and frugal this year, so decided to make her costume. After some surfing the web, and discussing with various people, I decided on a cave girl. And I'm glad I did!

We started out at Savers, looking for some kind of an animal print pillowcase. Found one! and it was only $.99! And....it was Ralph Lauren...LOL! Then we went to Joannes to buy embelishments. For some reason I wanted her costume to have some **bLiNg** so we bought some sequins and beads. I wanted her to have some jewelry that looked somehow like animal teeth, so I found some teeth-looking things in the bead/jewelry making department. Oh, and some felt to make a bone for her hair. Purchases done! Total cost = less than $10.00. I also used some things I already had: beads,a thin piece of rope, and black leggins.

So, the finished costume consisted of: Cave girl dress, neclace, two bracelets, rope belt, shoe covers, beaded felt bone for her hair, a paper mache(sp?) club, and some black leggins.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention that we won "Best Homemade Costume." I was pretty excited about that! Now to start thinking about next year......