In our neck of the woods or our life with a 3-year-old

Here are some of Erin's pearls:

"Danny stop screaming! I can't hear Word World!"

"Mama, stop screaming at me!" usually said when she notices that my fuse is about to blow.

A conversation between Erin and her two friends while I am upstairs feeding Danny and can not interfere:

"Guys do you want ice cream?"

"Ice cream time! Ice cream time!" that lines is chanted by all three while I hear spoons clanking and freezer door open and slam (note to self-do not leave ice cream on the bottom shelf) shut. Than I hear some sort of scuffle and can't quite tell by the conversation what is going on. Next,

the two friends in offended tone of voice:

"We are going home, Erin!"

"Wait guys! Wait!" the front door slams.

"Wait, it is apple time!" door slams again and Erin's voice coming from outside continuing attempts to lure her friends back with apples. After a fail Erin returns home and stomps upstairs to complain about the injustice of it all. Apparently she opened the ice cream carton and discovered that there was only enough for her, so she stuffed it all in her own mouth as fast as she could. As you can imagine the friends felt slighted and left!

Erin and I spiderwebbed our front porch, though a couple of storms since than riped most of our work off (Elmo is wearing princess Jasmine doll's dress, Erin was getting him ready for the nursery in church)

We were making some Halloween crafts (I'll have to take a shot of the final result later) and I fashioned this super-duper apron to protect Erin's clothes. It did the job. Here Pook was trying to make a scary face, but it turned out to be a cute face instead.

Erin discovered that she likes painting. Her artwork looks kinda cool.

A couple days later the painting craze continued, though painting on paper became passe and she moved into three dimensional art.

So it does not seem to be all about Erin I'll report on Danny's visit to his pediatrician for 2 months check up. He is doing great and is 10 lb and 22 1/2 inches. The slight crosseyedness is normal and as long as one of his eyes does not look to the side while the other one looks forward we are fine. Poor baby got his first dose of mass vaccination and was not happy about it. He developed a little fever from the jabs, but other than that it went well.

Ta ta for now!

10/10/10

I had to write down today's date this afternoon and it occurred to me that today is 10/10/10- a special date and a special day. Today Danny-boy received his name and a blessing during the sacrament. Papa gave the blessing and uncle Gibb, Burke and the bishop stood in the circle with him. He (that is Danny, not papa) did not cry and was awake. Though I do not entirely remember what was said I remember that the words were beautiful and sweet.

Andrew blessed Daniel to be surrounded by good examples in life and be a good example to others, be a worthy Priesthood holder and use it to serve those around, listen to Heavenly Father's council and follow it. I know that my baby is going and has already touched so many lives for good. Our little monkey is nothing but joy to us. Everywhere he goes he puts smiles even on gloomiest of faces. I feel so blessed to be his mama (even when I wake up at 5 am with an awful crick in my neck after having fallen asleep in the rocker while holding him).

We did not have that many people to invite to the blessing and I was a little bit sad seeing so few standing by Andrew after seeing stampedes of male relatives coming to bless other babies every fast Sunday. I envy it sometimes. I wish we could have parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles galore in the area for just such occasions, though than I would most likely not appreciate having all those relations as much. Isn't it ironic that to greatly appreciate something you've got to experience the lack of it? My almost entire family resides on another continent and Andrew's in other states.

But I am so blessed to have my non-blood relations, uncle Gibb and aunt Theresa. They have accepted me as their own so many years ago and have since been there for me. I will always treasure their friendship and love. And I am grateful for Burke, who has long ago earned a title of My Missionary (a term mostly understood and known by LDS converts) and friend.

So it does not matter whether you are surrounded by a huge or small family as long as you are surrounded by those whom you love.

Elmo fans

Danny-boy sat through his first Elmo's World segment of Sesame Street today. I know, I know two months is way too young for becoming a slave to TV, but Erin was watching it and he could not stop staring. So here they are:
Erin insisted on sitting next to her brother and brought over her booster seat. I love the expression on Danny's face on the second photo. It is priceless, he he!Today was a fun day! Erin and I got to do some dancing, playing, coloring and even some zucchini fencing (I think the last, judging by Erin's laughter, was her favorite). After the fencing was over we shredded our weapons and put them in the freezer for some zucchini bread later. Later Erin got to play with her two friends, and (Oh my gosh!) there was no fighting and everyone shared (or did not want any of the toys the others were playing with). Though at some point I came downstairs and discovered the sliding door in the back wide open and not a soul in sight in the back yard.

Hence, I strapped Danny into the carrier-backpack thingy and of we went looking for Erin and her guests. I tracked them down to a construction area where they sat on a pile of pebbles and played house. Erin and Jasmine were cooking, than serving the results (piles of pebbles) to Alliyah who actually put them in her mouth and spat them out. She said it was okay because it was a pretend food. You've got to love 3-year-olds! I had to interrupt their fun as I found this activity unsanitary and corralled them closer to home to play house in a more suitable location.

What will tomorrow bring?
Ta ta for now!

The injuries

Erin is watching Cat in the Hat (she is turning out to be a devout Dr. Seuss fan), Danny is taking a nap and I have a moment of peace.

Both Erin and Danny have a similar trait-their nails grow at an insane speed. It seems like I have to trim them every other day. Hence my poor baby is scratched up, partly because of his little arms flying all over the place and partly due to Erin being sooo affectionate. That is not the worst though.

The little dude was napping in his bouncy seat yesterday while I left them two for a moment alone. The next thing I know he is screaming his head of and Erin is trying to shhh him. I am not a 100% sure what transpired, but my guess is that Erin tried to snap in the toy bar in place. Instead she whacked Danny in the right eye with one of the bar's end and continued to scratch his forehead with the same weapon. Seriously! How does the second child make it through the childhood? I am horrified what happens to number three when the oldest two join their forces.

My peace was short lived. Erin showed up to inform me that Danny has blood on his face and that she is going to clean it. I got downstairs in a record time and found my sweet little innocent defenseless child crying his eyes out, his face smeared in blood. Seriously! Erin, tried to tickle him and this is the result.

Oh this girl is grounded! From now on he is travelling around this house under my protection. And Erin, I am watching you!

PS: I just sat down and clipped everyone's nails. And I suppose I could make Erin wear gloves around the house.

You are not tired!

It's been almost two months since my last post. Surviving a day and still having enough energy for a post has been challenging. Tonight I have only one child on my hands, the other one went to the circus with papa.

I have been enjoying our life as a family of four. It is definitely more challenging and takes some adjustment. Now I know that caring for an infant is easy, he he. Tossing a toddler into the mix, especially one as energetic as Erin, makes it exhausting. Danny is starting to sleep for 3-4 hours at a time at night and it makes all the difference. However, Erin occasionally shows up at my bedside at 5 am to inform me that her bed is wet. Add to that that she returns 2 hours later to let me know it is time to get up and to tell me: "You are not tired!" I've told her a couple of times in the morning when we brought Danny home that I was too tired to get up. It took her only a couple days to catch on that if she told me that I am not tired before I make a contradictory statement than by no means mother can be tired. Oh, the logic of a 3-year-old!

I can not believe that Danny has been with us for two months. By now he can hold his neck pretty well, he began to coo a day ago and he smiles at me. Hi is my sweet little guy, my Danny-boy (aka Dania, Daniusha, Danilka and vorobushek (a sparrow))! He is growing pretty fast, though every time I venture in public with him the same conversation keeps replaying:

"How old is he?"
"One month" or now "Two months"
"He is so tiny!"

Thank you for pointing it out! I was unaware that he is little.

We will find out what his stats are in a week. We are going in for his well check up and shots (poor dude!). We actually weighed him at about a month old on a kitchen scale in a roasting pan, he he. At that point he was getting close to 6 lb (he was born at 5 lb 3 oz).

The most wonderful part of these 2 months was that my mama came for three weeks. It is impossible to explain what it means to be with your mama after 5 years of being apart. Of course I see her on Skype several times a week but it is not the same. It was so hard to let her go back... The day she boarded the plane from Salt Lake was one of the saddest days of my life. The thought that I might not see her for another five years is painful...but it hurts even more knowing that she can not hold my babies any time she wants... It does not matter how old I will be, she will always be the most special person in the world to me. I hope I am to my babies what my mama is to me.

Ta ta for now!

Our 5 pounds of cuteness

Going home!

Erin is truly a wonderful big sister. She shares with the baby, wants to hold Danny all the time and does not stop declaring him to be CUTE!

Daniel Brent

I am currently drugged up so forgive me if something does not make sense, he he.
Andrew and I were woken up at 7:30 Wednesday morning by a phone call from RC Willey informing us that the new couch will be arriving between 9:30 and 12:30. Finally! We will have something nice to sit on! This happy thought though did not distract me enough not to notice that I was kinda feeling wet. I made a mad dash for the bathroom complaining about that bladder of mine only to discover (to my horror) that I was soaked with blood and more was coming ( I bet you wanted to hear and imagine this, he he ). Trying not to panic we dressed and Andrew woke Erin up telling her we need to go to the hospital. Our beautiful babe rolled out of bed and headed straight for her overnight bag. Very cute! We got in the car and after yelling at some slow pokes on the road got to the hospital in about 5 minutes. I wobbled upstairs to Labor and Delivery while Andrew and Erin parked. In about 40 minutes I was being prepped for a c section, Andrew was finishing his breakfast and Erin with her overnight bag was driving away from the hospital with aunt Theresa.

We scrubbed up. I was whisked away to get my spinal. After that began kicking in (very fast I might add) Andrew was brought to the OR. Three minutes later we heard our son cry. It was amazing. The moment I heard his voice I began crying myself. Andrew did not cry he just watched the surgery and no, he did not pass out. Here is our first photo together.

Our handsome baby boy came in at 5 Lb 3 oz and 17 1/2 inches. At 36 weeks his lungs work great and he is fully developed to go home with us. Here are some of the photos from his first day of life and I'll tell the rest of the story tomorrow. I'll just add that all is well and life is beautiful!