Sleep is for the Weak

So you can't tell it by these happy, smiley photos but our dear Emma has had a rough couple of weeks. 

On Friday February 16th, I took Emma in for her 9 month checkup. Which meant that we were in the doctor's office, exposed to the germs of many children. 

I'm a germ-a-phobe. 

I hate going to the doctor's office because of the potential for germs. 

Anyways, I'm sure she picked something up while we were there, because by Sunday her nose was running like a faucet. 

Nice visual, huh? 

 I'm sure Paul is to blame for that fact that Em has food ALL OVER her face in this pic.

So, because she was so miserable with the congestion, she slept not a wink Saturday or Sunday night. We caved and let her sleep in the bed with us after a couple hours of screaming each night. It's the only thing that soothes her.

By Monday, things were even worse. 

Apparently, when babies swallow their own snot, it can upset their stomach and make them puke. 

Twice. 

All over themselves. 

And the bed. 

And me. 

 When I called the doctor they said to put a humidifier in her room, give her lots of water, and a basic diet. 

That stopped the vomiting, but not the screaming. 

By Wednesday, I knew things were not right, so I left work to take her to the doctor. 

She had a temp of 102. 

An hour and a half before she had been normal. 

I was told to watch her closely for seizures, because with her temperature changing so drastically, she would probably seize. Thank goodness, she did not. I was a mess for 48 hours though - seizure watch is not my idea of a good time. 

After a check in Emma's ears, the doctor told me, "No wonder she's been throwing up and screaming - her right ear has a pretty nasty infection."

A week of antibiotics, a lot of pain and fever meds, and tears from both of us later - she's mending. 

Not sleeping well yet, but we'll get there. 

I'm sleep-training her for the 3rd time this weekend. Because Momma can't live on 4 hours a night. 

Lexi's Dance Party

 We are big fans of Dance Party here in the Holding House. 

Most nights find us rocking out in the living room to a variety of songs. 

Lexi's current favorites are: 

"I'm Elmo and I know it"

 a hilarious parody on LMFAO's "I'm Sexy and I know it"

It's way more appropriate for a 3 year old too. 

"All the Single Ladies" 

by the Chippettes is a big deal here too:

Our video camera wasn't charged, so here are some stills from our latest dance party:

 my favorite:

Rock on, people. Rock on.

9 months old, baby!

Emma, I can hardly believe that you are nine months old! That means that your 1st birthday is just around the corner, and then you won't be a baby anymore. sad. 

Emma is still sweet and happy as can be. Well, she's sweet as long as she is being held by Mommy or Daddy. Emma has a major case of stranger danger. Even if we are still in the room, no one else can hold her - she just screams and cries until Paul or I pick her up. 

It's sweet, in a way. 

She is an inconsistent sleeper. 

Every couple of weeks we have to RE-sleep train her. 

Sometimes it sticks for a couple weeks, sometimes it doesn't. Currently she pretty much takes a series of night-time naps: 

7:30 - 10:30, 11 - 12:30, 2 - 6. 

It is not so fun. 

Not at all. 

We have just started giving her table food instead of baby food purees. She is not a fan. We'll keep trying, because I tell ya what - baby food can get expensive!

She crawls everywhere and loves to pull up on things. She will probably walk in the next 2 months. 

We just bought her 1st pair of shoes. 

Em loves to snuggle. 

She loves her sister. 

She still relies on a pacifier to sleep. 

Her eyes are still blue. 

Her smile is precious. 

Her laughs make me happy.

9 Month Stats:

height: 27 inches - 25th percentile

weight: 20 lbs -76th percentile

Head Circumference: 17 3/4 inches - 85th percentile

Wordless Wednesday - Love, Lexi and Emma

game set match

 From the moment I found out we were having a second little girl - the thought of being able to dress them in matching outfits consumed me! 

I love love LOVE matching outfits. 

They will hate hate HATE it when they are 

old enough to know how dorky they look. 

but I can't help myself. I think it's awesome. 

So on Friday, I dressed them in matching tops and brown ruffled leggings. 

And it was precious. 

Paul would like everyone to know that he wishes to not be associated with this matchy-matchy ridiculousness. 

Disney Princess Day!

 Do you remember how Nana is awesome? 

Yeah, she likes to take Lexi to things. 

I am terrified to take Lexi to things because she would behave horribly for me. 

For Nana, however, she is perfect. 

A perfect Princess on this day. 

Nana took Lexi and my sister's daughter, Chloe, to the Disney Princess show last Friday afternoon. 

She is brave.

 Oh yeah - they dressed for the occasion.

 Aunt Alyssa came along for the fun. 

If you know her, this does not surprise you. 

Lexi and Chloe think she IS a Disney Princess 

(Lex called her Cinderella for the first 6 months 

she and Scott were dating), 

so it was totally fitting!

 Chloe got scared 36 seconds into the show and refused to go back in after the Evil Queen from Snow White scared the daylights out of her. Lexi stayed in and loved every twirling, singing, sparkly second of it. 

our little Princess

naptastic

 Good morning, sunshine! 

This is Alexis after her nap today:

I swear this shot isn't staged. 

she really wears all this to take a nap.

when we are home for nap time, she insists on wearing a nightgown;

and since it's light out in the afternoon, 

the eye cover is a must - she needs "the dark in her eyes."

the slippers are a new addition, courtesy of Nana.

The raggedy bear is her "baby" who has been her favorite since she was old enough to grasp. 

She cannot sleep without it.

When I Grow Up

Mom: Lexi, what do you think you want to be when you grow up?

Lexi: I not know.

Mom: Really? You can't think of anything you want to be?

Lexi: Well . . . . maybe a princess. Or a ballerina. Or maybe a fairy!

That's what you get when you ask a 3 1/2 year old about her life plan. Good luck to you, my dearest! You are certainly going to need it to accomplish all of those things!

 THIS is the face you get when you ask a 3 1/2 year old to show her "picture day face."

Future Princess/Ballerina/Fairy

And this is Emma:

you haven't seen her in a while because she is too busy getting into EVERYTHING for me to get out my camera. 

Everything, I tell you! 

Everything! 

But she's still so cute - you can't be mad at her. 

Emma is going to be a doctor when she grows up. 

Because doctors get stethoscopes.

And apparently those are delicious to chew on.

disclaimer: 
I am completely aware that Emma's sleeper is not so cute.
But she has grown out of all her other ones and this one fits her.
and it was on clearance.
and I'm a sucker for a clearance rack.
Clearly.

I've COTTON Idea

Do you remember that scene in Cinderella where the mice are discussing how Cinderella never has any time? 

"Every time she gets a minute, 

That's the time when they begin it . . .

Cinderelly, Cinderelly, CINDERELLA!"

Yeah, well, that's the scene that plays through my head most days. I have two sweet, adorable, precious, wouldn't-trade-em-for-anything-in-the-world little girls. 

But they occupy a LOT of time. Throw in an attention starved dog. And a husband who's been putting in 12 hour days at work for almost 2 months. 

RESULT: One tired momma.

HOWEVER, when we got an opportunity to go down to Dallas to see the Wildcats play in the Cotton Bowl, I knew it would be a great time to get away. 

A chance to let Grandma spend some quality time with her baby girls.

A chance to rest from dishes, cooking, laundry, etc. 

A chance to talk to my husband without being interrupted.

A chance to SLEEP!

We left on Thursday night around 6:30 p.m. 

And ya, I know what you are thinking: 

Those idiots left at 6:30 PM? 

Don't they always talk about how Emma is up all night and Lexi has the energy of The Hyper Hypo? 

Idiots!

Well, we were extremely tired, but we haven't had a chance to talk to each other since . . . Emma was born . . .8 months ago . . . 

Oh Dear. 

We talked the whole way down to Dallas. 

6 1/2 hours without a radio. 

It was so nice. 

We tailgated for almost 7 hours with my family and the cool kids next to us with an LSU tent (at least it was purple). 

Cowboy Stadium is insane. 

Insanely Awesome. 

 

The game was . . . intense. 

I have invested a lot in this particular group of guys.

I watched every game. I read articles. 

I have yelled at televisions for these guys. 

And they played hard, but twas not to be a victory. 

We still had a great time. EMAW. GO CATS.