Mae Michael- 4/5 Months; Hannah 3 years Update

   

Mae Michael is now 19 weeks.  I skipped the 4 month update because we didn't go to the doctor until this past Friday, and I wanted the weight/height to be official.  Since she will not return to the doctor until she is 6 months, we'll just skip the 5 month update, too.

She is 95th percentile for weight, and 98th percentile for height.  She is significantly larger than Hannah was at this age, but the doctor seems to think she will end up like Hannah (tall and skinny).  He instructed us to begin feeding her fruits and vegetables.  We hadn't really even started cereal regularly at home.  She just hasn't been interested or very hungry.  However, her teachers at school say she is a good eater there, so I loaded them up with green peas and green beans for the week.  We'll see how she does!

She is still not rolling over, but the doctor says that is because of her size.  She does put her weight on her feet to stand when held up, so we have pulled out the jumpy for her to play with.  I thought we had a tooth surfacing, but nothing has broken through yet.

Hannah also had her check-up on Friday (3 year appt.).  She is 32.8 lbs. and 39 inches.  That makes her 50th percentile in weight and 75th in height.  She is my skinny minnie, but the doctor said it was nothing to worry about.

FYI- this is not a potty on her head!  Hannah was helping me clean Mae's jumperoo!

SHE

She turned three on Sunday.  She has a wild imagination.  She loves her baby sister.  She dances like no one is watching.  She refuses to wear denim.  She eats cookies for breakfast.  She freaks out if I don't have a snack in the car when I pick her up from school.  She can now dress herself.  She can identify most letters, but can only write H, A, C and O.  She likes to make up a new story instead of reading the real words in a book.  She will tell you that when she grows up she wants to be a mommy and a doggie doctor.  She makes silly faces at me when we are in the car.  She comes up with every excuse imaginable for why she cannot go to bed yet ("I need to go potty," "I didn't finish my supper," I need to clean up my toys," "Mae wants me," "I need to ask Daddy a question," etc.).  She giggles when say her daddy is stinky.  She has her own language which includes words like, "also-ly," and "clo" (the singular of clothes).  She calls her classmates "the kids."  She thinks that there are tiny little people living in her heart since her teacher told her that her family is always in her heart.  She can't understand why Papa didn't take his truck to heaven, because some place are just too far to walk.  She thinks that Elmo lives at the Mitchell Center.  She wants to draw in the fog on the bathroom mirror every morning.  She told me that "big girls cry, too, Momma."  She turned three on Sunday, and she makes me proud/thankful to be her Momma every day.  She is amazing, and I can't believe she is ours.

She is 17 weeks today.  She still has blue eyes.  She has fair skin like her Momma.  She hasn't rolled over yet, but she's trying.  She is drooling a lot, so her teachers think she is teething but we haven't seen/felt anything surface yet.  She smiles when you put a clean diaper on her.  She smiles when she finishes a bottle.  She smiles when she sees her sister.  She follows Hannah with her eyes.  She is wearing size 6 month clothes.  She sleeps through the night, and usually later in the morning than her big sis.  She was eating rice cereal, but we stopped because she stopped sleeping through the night on the few days that we tried it.  She is unbelievably well behaved.  She does not spit up nearly as much as her sister did (thank goodness).  She has almost no hair left.  She is picky about her pacifiers and only likes NAM (Hannah was not picky, she just had to have one AT ALL TIMES.  Mae could care less if she has one or not, but is she does it has the be the right one).  She is a good snuggler.  She is amazing, and I can't believe she is ours.

On the eve of my thirtieth birthday...

Tomorrow's the big day.  I have no plans to celebrate.  I don't even want a cake.  This birthday is the biggest, most monumental yet, and I'm trying really hard to make it big and monumental for good reasons.

I keep thinking about that Tim McGraw song, "My Next Thirty Years."  My life is kind of like a country song, but that's a whole 'nother blog post.  So instead of focusing on the fact that I'm old, I have enough gray hairs to consider covering them, and I am no longer in my twenties leaving my youth behind, I thought I would dissect this song and share my plans for the next thirty years.  (NOTE: If you don't know the song consider yourself lucky.  I love Tim McGraw, but not everyone does.  This is not about the song, just the point it makes.)

My Next Thirty Years
"I think I'll take a moment to celebrate my age,"--- A moment is just about all I will devote to celebrating.  Like I said before, I don't want need a cake.  I think I'd rather it just be a normal day that passes quietly by.
"the ending of an era, the turning of a page,"--- My early/mid twenties were all about me.  I worked all the time, and when I was not working I could usually be found on a barstool.  Then I got married and had children, so the latter part of my twenties has been about my family.  Since I ended the "typical twenties behavior" era a little early, this birthday won't really signify the ending of an era.  However, I do plan to "turn the page" to a new me.  I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I will use this milestone birthday as an excuse to get myself together.  I want to, need to, MUST start taking better care of myself physically, spiritually and emotionally.  I have learned recently that if I want to the best mother/wife I can be then there has to be some time for me.  And, if I feel better that is reflected in my work, and the way I interact with people in general.
"now it's time to focus on where I go from here,"--- We have done a lot of "starting over" in the past year, so where do we go from here has been kind of a theme.  I feel like I've just been floating for the last 10 months with no real focus or goals.  I am extremely goal oriented, though I don't usually set achievement type goals for myself.  So, I guess I'm really more task oriented.  If I'm going to be successful I need a plan, and I need a breakdown of step-by-step exactly how things are going to happen.  No more floating... I'm throwing out the anchor and focusing on being successful at work and at home.
"Lord have mercy on my next thirty years."--- 'nuff said
"Hey my next thirty years I'm gonna have some fun,"--- I really need to be more social, seriously.  We have no life outside of work and home, and as much as I love spending time with my girls we need to make more of an effort to do adult things, too.  I had A LOT of fun in my first thirty, and I want my next thirty to be just as exciting.
"try to forget about all the crazy things I've done."--- My dad used to love to tell us stories about all the crazy things he did as a teenager.  I'm ready to tuck away my crazy days stories, but I'll be happy to pull them back out when my children are old enough to learn a lesson from them!
"Maybe now I've conquered all my adolescent fears"--- Adolescent fears?  I used to be fearless.  I think my fears have come with age.  I am scared of everything these days.  On the way to New Orleans I found myself plotting how I would save my children if we were to somehow drive off the bridge.  I am literally sweating thinking about it right now, and I was nauseous as we drove over the bridge then.  I am now and forever scared of bridges.
"and I'll do it better in my next thirty years."--- I'll definitely do things better, but I think that is just part of maturing.  Finally, at 30 I have confidence in myself.  I know what I'm good at (and what I'm not) and I try steer clear of those things I'm not particularly good at.
"My next thirty years I'm gonna settle all the scores,"--- What does this mean? I'm not really sure if I have scores to settle.  Is this like making up with someone after a fight?  I have changed A LOT since having children.  I try very hard not to think/speak/act in a way that I would not want my children to, or that would make them not proud to call me their mom.  I'm not always successful (I love some juicy gossip), but I've been trying really hard to be a better person in general.  So, if I have done anything in the past thirty years to hurt you, I'm sorry.  Please forgive me.  I'd like a clean slate for the next thirty, so I hope we can consider that score settled.
"cry a little less, laugh a little more"--- I can't make any promises on this one, but I'll try.  I think all of the above changes will help make this possible.
"Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear,"--- Wouldn't we all like to do this?  This is exactly what I want for my children... to live in a world of happiness without the hatred and fear that comes from ignorance.  Even at two (almost three) years old, Hannah has been introduced to prejudice.  THIS DOES NOT COME FROM OUR HOME.  She doesn't understand, and neither do I.  Why can't we all just get along?  I digress.
"Figure out just what I'm doing here, in my next thirty years."--- I'm getting there.  Slowly, but surely I'm finding "my place" in this world.
"Oh my next thirty years I'm gonna watch my weight, eat a few more salads and not stay up so late.  Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers."--- I'm pretty sure I already touched on this one, but I'll say it again.  I'm sick of being unhealthy and out of shape.  NO MORE EXCUSES... I have this written on a post it note on my bathroom mirror.  I see it every morning and it has become my mantra.
"Maybe I'll remember my next thirty years."--- I'm pretty sure he's talking about alcohol induced forgetting.  I don't really have that problem anymore.  I do have a problem remembering things, and it is because I've let myself become disorganized.  My life, home, and mind are all cluttered.  I'm going to start focusing on decluttering in hopes that this will delay the feelings of early onset that I've been experiencing.
"My next thirty years will be the best years of my life."--- This is obvious.  There is nothing better than watching my girls grow up.  Their childhood years will definitely be the best years of my life.
"Raise a little family and hang out with my wife."--- Well, hang out with my hubs, but you get the idea.  It is no secret that I loved growing up in a big family.  Jason and I love our cozy, cute little family of four, but I'm pretty sure we'd both say we're not quite done yet.
"Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear,"---  I've been doing this a lot more lately.  We have been turning off the tv and playing games.  Now that Hannah is a little older this is easier.  She loves to play bingo, have dance parties, and recently has been playing "school" where I'm the teacher and she is the mommy who drops her child (her doll, Jenny) off at school and then goes to work.  She hands me the doll, tells me what activities we will do for the day, and then goes to work at her office (the other side of the room).  It's funny, and a lot more entertaining than most of the shows on tv these days.  Not to mention it means my child is interacting with me rather than sitting on the couch.  I also hope to spend more time with Jason, just us.  We don't do this often enough, or at all really, and it would be nice to have some kid-less time.
"Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years."---  I'm not really sure that I need to make up for lost time, but I am going LIVE more.  I want to do more.  I want to experience more.  I want to try things that make me a little nervous but provide an overwhelming sense of accomplishment (like a marathon, but since I'm terribly out of shape I'll start with a 5K).  I want to take a cooking class.  I want to get my Masters.  I want to learn to sew.  I want to take a road trip in an RV with my family.

Tomorrow I turn the corner to a new decade.  It's a sharp turn, and instead of turning on my blinker and slowing down I think I'll speed up.

Mae Michael is 3 months

snapped with my iphone- sorry about the picture quality!

 There was no doctor's visit this month, so I just have her weight.  She's getting big!  She has almost outgrown all of her 3 month clothes.  Mae Michael is smiling all the time, and love to laugh and coo.  She's not even trying to roll over yet, which is fine with me (I can still lay her in the middle of the bed and not have to worry!).

For your viewing pleasure

These pictures were taken in November.  I used a few of them for Christmas gifts, so I couldn't share them for fear of ruining the surprise!  This is just a sprinkling of the beautiful pictures that we got of the girls...

 

 Pictures taken by Charity Plasse with Carriage House Photography

Mae Michael is 10 weeks

Tomorrow Mae Michael will be 10 weeks old.  She is the best baby... rarely cries.  She sleeps a lot, and has been smiling a lot lately.

At her 2 month appointment the doctor asked us if we were putting her on a stretcher.  She is in the 95th percentile for height, and 75th for weight.  At this point in Hannah's life she was 70th in height and 50th in weight.  So she is considerably bigger than her big sis!

An app for everything... almost.

Almost everyone I know has a device that supports apps.  Every business and institution is jumping on board by creating applications ("apps") that make our lives easier.  I can check into a flight, pay a bill, turn on the lights in my house, and shop from anywhere at anytime.

I don't have a ton of apps, mainly because I only download the free ones, but there are some that I could not live without.  Go ahead, make fun of me, but I need my facebook app.  We don't have a tv in our bedroom, so the late night/early morning feedings would be extremely hard to get through without the company of my facebook friends.  I can catch up on what my friends are doing and look at pictures without disturbing my sleeping hubby.

The other apps I could not manage without? My banking app, Restaurant Nutrition Guide, and Talking Tom Cat (Hannah's favorite).

This morning I was getting Mae Michael dressed for school and she felt a little warm.  I keep her thermometer in a makeup bag with the Tylenol, Mylicon, nasal bulb, Tide pen, you get the drift.  And, that makeup bag lives in the diaper bag, which, most of the time, stays in the car (I have way too much to get into the house when I get home, and if I take it out I'm likely to forget to put it back in the car when we leave again).  So I was thinking how nice it would be to have an app that would take your temperature.  You could just touch the screen and it would tell you if you were sick or fever free.  Someone please develop that for me.

Some other apps that I wish existed?  An "I'll wait on hold for twenty minutes with the gas/power/cable/you name it company and let you know when they pick up" app.  This would add years to my life, seriously.

A "take a quick picture of someone and it will tell you their name, and how you know them" app.  I used to be so good at this.  But now I'm terrible.  I cannot remember anyone's name.  And, it is seriously embarrassing.  I apologize ahead of time if you approach me and I have a deer in the headlights look on my face, but until someone develops this one sorry, I haven't the slightest clue who you are.  Blame it on the lack of sleep.

A "find the nearest clean (to my standards) public restroom" app.  This one would be especially helpful on road trips or when traveling!  Now that I have a potty trained toddler it is not as easy to go run errands anymore.  When she has to go, she has to go.  She can't just hold it until we get home.  Unfortunately, I've had to subject her to some pretty unsightly restrooms.

A "here's what you should wear today" app.  I know I'm not the only one who spends almost as much time picking out my outfit as doing all the other things in my morning routine.  Remember the thing that Cher from "Clueless" had that matched up her outfits for her?  This is what I'm talking about.  It could be kind of like Urban Spoon... just shake and it will match a top, bottom and shoes for you.  Then you could touch the screen for accessory suggestions.  I think I'm on to something with this one.

An "alert you when they are about to call you back at the doctor's office" app.  Similar to the telephone hold app, this one would let you know that they are going to stop wasting your time call you back soon.  You could set it to 10, 5 or 2 minute warning.  That way you could just show up right before instead of at your actual appointment time (which for my doc is usually an hour or so before I get called back to waiting room #2 where I have to wait for another 20 minutes).  Again, YEARS added to my life.

And last, but not least, an "anonymously tell your friends/family what you are really thinking" app.  Ok, this one is going to make me sound mean, but I know everyone else feels the same way, so it's ok.  This app would let you tell anyone anything and it would be 100% anonymous with absolutely no way of it ever getting tracked back to you.  Think your best friend's haircut is not flattering?  Hate your wife's cooking?  Just shoot them an email with this app and it will politely (or rudely if you so choose) tell them for you.  And, you don't have to be the bad guy!

I'm sure I could think of more ways that my iphone could solve my problems, but until it can do laundry, change a diaper, or feed the baby I'd be happy with any of the above suggestions.