Ducks in a row

Every day when Liv has her bath she lines her rubber duckies up in a row. It definitely makes sense when you look at her personality. She's quite particular about what she wants, but she is a girl who knows just what she wants.. and when too! I think its great that she has such a strong personality and I know she'll do great things in life 'cause at 20 months she's already got her ducks in a row!

Brotherly er... Sisterly? ....Love!

So when we found out we were having another baby (Nixon you nut job! Geeze! He's not even 3 months old yet!) we wondered how Olivia would react to him but ya know what? I couldn't have asked for a better relationship between them! I know I know they're both still babies so who knows what the future will bring but let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing sweeter than seeing the two of them together!

Olivia is I think the best big sister I have ever seen! She really just loves him! When she wakes up she asks for him, when he cries, she's the first to run to his aid. She's always willing to get him diapers or throw away the dirty ones, or give him his soother and push him in his swing. Or steal his blanket or accidentally hit him, or read him a story or sing him a song! She is just an all around loving big sister! The other day, I had Nixon doing tummy time and he started to cry and Livi went over to him, sat next to him patted his back and started sushing him! It was sooo sweet! I video taped it so later on in life I can look back & have proof that at one time my kids did like each other!

It makes me so happy that they are so close... it's the reason that we chose to have them so close in age, because it was 5 years between me & my closest brother. But I tell you, every day it's so sweet to see them interact more & more... Nixon smiled at Liv for the first time last week and then cooed at her! She responded with an "awwwwww! he likes you!!!!" (she doesn't quite get the you/me thing when talking about yourself yet). I love seeing their brotherly... er... sisterly... well... their love!

Giggles Under the Door

Olivia's been in a big girl bed since January and every time she wakes up from her nap (or wakes up period) she goes to the door. If it's first thing in the morning she lays in front of the door and kicks it until we go and get her, but when she wakes up from a nap she is soo cute! She's usually in a great mood when she gets up from her nap and lies down in front of the door peeking under it and in the cutest voice says "Mommy... where are you?... Daddy.... where are you?" She's sooo cute! It always melts my heart so when I hear that she's awake I run upstairs and lie on the other side of the door and look under it at her. She's my lil' angel and she's just such a sweetheart. It's moments like that that I just crave! Oh how I love that lil' munchkin! & how I look forward to when she wakes up from her next nap (in about an hour) and we get to exchange a few more giggles under the door!

The Calm After the Storm

So we just got back from watching "Enchanted" at the cheap seats and by we I mean, me, Olivia, Nixon & my in-laws... it was fun, luckily there weren't too many people in the theatre (about 5 others) 'cause Livi got bored about 1/2 way through and started to wander and climb and spin. I don't think Nixon was too impressed that we took him to a chick-flick 'cause he decided to fuss for most of the show but nonetheless it was nice to get out. When we get back to my in-laws (where I've been staying for the weekend since my husband's never coming home) Nick calls and says that they're going to be delayed even more, Nixon starts crying & won't be consoled, Olivia is whiny and yelling, I am trying to feed her because it's her bedtime and she hasn't eaten much today, my father-in-law is trying to help however he can, my mother-in-law is trying to go to sleep 'cause she's working midnights and I'm also trying to quiet everyone so she can sleep! Nothing less than a gong show!

Finally, I give up on shoveling food into my toddler's mouth and get her some milk, some jammies and put her to bed, then I grab the baby and start nursing him hoping even more food will work, which it does, for now, and now as I sit to blog with my nursing baby, my own plate of now ice cold food a massive headache and the sadness of being alone even longer I wonder.. how did they do it? This was common 60 years ago (and unfortunately becoming so again) when women would send their precious husbands away to war for an unknown amount of time and hold down the fort! All I can say is hats off to all you Rosie the Riveters out there! I don't know how much longer I can do it but I do know that I need to enjoy the rare moments when there's a calm... especially after the storm! ...and hopefully it will all be over soon...

Flying Solo

So my dear hubband has been away for over a week now and what was supposed to be a one week work trip has now turned into 2. Let me tell you... it's quite fun being home all alone with my crazy toddler entering the terrible twos and my newborn. (In case you are completely clueless that was dripping with sarcasm!) It really (surprisingly) hasn't been all that bad. I do have my extremely stressful moments like when I have to take the baby to get his shots and have to bring Olivia too and she takes off her clothes and runs around like a mad woman in the nurse's office. Or when I'm talking to my sis-in-law on the phone and Nixon starts screaming and then livi starts screaming and empties an entire bowl of rice & chicken on the ground. Or many other occasions just as remarkable. This does make me appreciate my husband more... and when I'm not overly stressed my kids as well. I've been keeping awfully busy though (which explains the lack of blogging), I've been doing some work with my lil' business (Keshia Larsen Designs) and working like crazy on my house just finishing all those little projects that are 90% finished and I never got around to. I've also started a mommy's group and I actually now have kind of a social life! Look at me go! Anywho.. That's what's new with us maybe I'll post more exciting blogs when I have a little more energy and the toddler hasn't kept me up all night! But for now, I'm exhausted, over worked and under paid and flying solo!

The Corner Prayer

So as the parents of a 19 month old going on 16 we have been plagued with how to enforce a bit of discipline. It's been interesting, and since I'm against spanking (unless nothing else works) we've been tying all sorts of alternatives. My favourite has been the time outs... not because of its effectiveness (the corner doesn't work with this one) but because of the cute factor of her reaction to her 1st time out. So she was screaming & hitting so we put her in the corner for a time out and made her fold her arms. I had her repeat "I will not hit" and "we don't scream" and "I will obey" yaddi yaddi.. so after she was done repeating me, she promptly says "amen" and returns to her toys. It was quite entertaining, but I guess there's a bright side... at least she's learning to say prayers!