You've Been Bubbled

Beware the Bubble Pirate Red!

Last night, during bath time, I walked in to find Maeve covering everyone in layers & layers of bubble masks, herself included. For awhile she had a bubble eye-patch and beard, while smearing bubbles onto Adam's head as high as she could pile, and scrubbing them into his beard.

Love!

  Dutchess, who usually comes around the tub to see if there are any wet toes to be licked, was caught in the bubble trap too! Don't pity her too much though, after all the bubbles are tear-free, and she kind of brought it upon herself. 

After using every last bubble in the tub to decorate, Maeve dutifully began rinsing everyone off with her pink cuppie, making sputtering noises all the while! And yes, my floor was very, very wet. ;)

Dancing Queens

Several of my teenage students for Wonderfully Made Dance are also on their high school's color guard team. After football season is through, these girls and their teams compete in a series of shows: group, ensemble and solo. One of my sweet girls, Madison, asked me to choreograph her solo for competition, and I was both thrilled and humbled! This particular competition is for a grade, and will decide whether or not they letter for the year.
Eep! 

Some of my favorite dancers!

I've had the music on around the house most of our days and, fortunately, Maeve LOVES it! She's begun singing snippets (in her own way) and when the music comes to a close will ask, "'gen? 'gen?" Thursday night, after dinner, Maeve suddenly climbed out of her chair and began dancing to the solo music. Plies upon plies, and light twirls! Once I pulled out my camera she slowed down quite a bit, but kept going with some coaxing. When I stopped taking video, Adam re-started the music and we girls went dancing in the living room. That sweet baby girl made my year!!! Ohhh to see her love dancing is one of the best!!!  You'll have to forgive my very loud Mama voice, I was holding the camera right by my face. 

Maddie let me take a video of one of our rehearsals awhile back, which I plan to post here. Her piece is dance, saber and flag; the latter of which she is marking in rehearsals. I am so proud of this girl!
 First year of dance, and first year of color guard! Gooo Maddie!!!

Corpus Cousins

This past week, Maeve and I trekked the seven hours down to Corpus Christi to visit my cousin Shannon and her sweet, growing family. As I've mentioned, many, many times, I feel lucky to have a family I can count as one of my best friends. The day the Navy transfers them out of driving distance will be so sad; I've loved all our visits these last five years, especially when we're pregnant! Anyhow, Shannon had come up for a quick ladies weekend the week before Easter, mainly for conquering JBF and Ikea and for late night talks. (A post for another day!) She graciously invited us down to help "nest" the house for their third little girl, due to make her appearance in about seven weeks! 

I love this picture from our afternoon of water in yard.  

We crammed so much into a week, it is nearly unbelievable. I knew I was tired, but didn't know just how much until I came home and was dragging over the weekend. Four hours of sleep for a week, and chasing three busy girls is no joke! We spent mornings running errands and solidifying ideas for the house, afternoons   playing in the sun, evenings projecting and late night eating Cheetos and chocolate while talking (we're some of the best talkers around) and watching my new favorite "Call the Midwife". (Go watch it, NOW!) Our girls are an interesting blend of their mothers and fathers; so sweet to see where they overlap and we can see how they might too be kindred spirits. Maeve and Allie, our three-months-apart redheads are both nurturing mamas. Since they were not yet one they've carted their babies around: kissing, patting, squeezing, loving. They're quick to give hugs, to say "I LOVE you!" and spent the week finding each other's lovies and returning them to their owner. Maeve and Meggie share a quick, adventurous spirit. When Maeve was about a year, right before she was really walking, we were all at a pumpkin patch together when Meggie began quickly scaling a pumpkin pile. Quick as a flash, Maeve began following her cousin up the pile, giggling all the while. So, it was no surprise when Meggie would bounce off the couch, or run ahead Maeve's eyes would gleam and up she'd climb or run. Sometimes she was even the one ahead! Shannon and I joke that one day, in the not to distant future, the "M"s will be engaging in all sorts of rambunctious activities while Alice Virginia stands back reminding them all the while, "I just don't think this is wise." 

Any guess as to who stayed with mamas and who ran ahead? ;)

You can hardly make this one out, but it's all three girls chasing seagulls together! 

There was still the usual childhood tensions, but they were fleeting. Most of the week was giggles, and hugs, and bed jumping. (Something little Maeve was the ring-leader for.) Each morning, and after each nap, Maeve would wake up asking for "Maggie" & "ALlie". Even on the way home, and into yesterday she kept cocking her head to side and asking about them. :) Makes me so happy; I really hope we're able to foster their friendship, and help it grow. We made memories on a marshy nature walk, running on the board walk. A girls afternoon at the beach, still a little too chilly, all of them begging to stay in the water. The toddlers got a special "big sister is at school" treat, going to the aquarium to chase all the sea creatures and declare their love for each fish, turtle, seashell and dolphin in their little matching outfits. I love those girls so sincerely, my little "niece" cousins. and it melts my heart to feel their sweet, unconditional love. Each morning Meggie (3yr) would check, "You and Maeve will be here today. I want you to stay until Wednesday. You'll have to go home to teach tippy-toes and see Adam. BUT you're coming back when the new baby comes, right?" 

Yes Meggie, we stayed and played and we'll be back. :)

Easter

Happy Easter! 

We had a full, full, full day in celebration of Easter blessings. We were up late with friends helping the Easter bunny hide eggs for their children, so we ended up having to miss our morning service because Maeve slept in much later than usual. A tip for the other new mamas out there, if it's 10pm and your 18mo old hasn't slept much, and keeps stealing chocolate, take the chocolate back. Do not accuse your husband of stealing her holiday joy and allow her to indulge, because when you are still trying at 11:30pm to get her to sleep and she's screaming like a crazy person you will know you were wrong. You will have to swallow your pride and admit this, because you were a little snarky earlier, and it will not be pleasant. When in doubt, just say no to chocolate! (Unless it's in the pantry, while your toddler is watching Sesame Street.) So thanks to my parenting, we were up late at night and in the morning, which meant a delay in our celebrations. I was especially sad to miss service as this year it was in the park, and one of my baby ballerinas performed in service. So proud Novella!! Maeve was ecstatic to see the Easter Bunny had come and in lieu of candy (Really, what the heck was I thinking?!) brought her an Elmo, chalk, hair bows, bubbles and stickers. If we haven't spoken lately, you may not know that Elmo, next to our dog Dutchess, is Maeve's nearest and dearest. I am not exaggerating when I say he and the dog are the first things Maeve asks for in the morning. Thirty-six hours of labor and I am outranked by a puppet and a mischievous Boston Terrier. No surprise, Maevey almost didn't see the other goodies her basket had to hold for all her cooing over "baaaby ELMO!!!" 

We skedaddled and made it in time for our church brunch at 10am, and Easter egg hunt-Maeve's first since she was only six months at last years. I was worried she wouldn't get the concept, or would sit and open each egg as she found it like I had heard other children did. Nope. She went as fast as her little suede-booted feet would take her searching for "colors--eggds" to put in her basket. Maybe it was Adam's pre-hunt pep talk, or the sweet pre-teens who were pointing eggs out to her, hidden in the grass, away from the big kids. Either way, she gathered up about twenty eggs for her basket. Twenty sweet-stuffed plastic treasures that I was too traumatized to let her indulge in after Saturday night. Maybe I'll find a time for them over the week. 

We didn't make it home until 2:45pm and piled into bed for a family nap. Just Adam, Maeve, Elmo, cuppie, Dutchess, three books, and me in our, eh-hem, full-size bed. The perfect cap for a fun day of memories, we took our little family on our first bike ride together. Before I got pregnant with Maeve we were riding our bikes a lot, especially Adam who actually rode his to work! The problem for me was that children's seats, and wagons were so pricey! I had found a deal of a bicycle seat a few weeks ago at a JBF sale, but we realized later it was missing key pieces....woops! Luckily, my good friend Michelle was in the process of cleaning out their garage and had a bunch of wonderful hand-me-downs for us. Among them was a bike trailer that can fit several small children!! Yippee! We attached it to my bike and tonight Adam, Maeve, Dutchess and I looped the neighborhood before bedtime. All in all, about 3.5mi, not too shabby! 

The weather has been so nice all weekend; high 70s with cool breeze and slightly overcast. I feel like we need to be outside constantly to enjoy it all before we're back to 112* and 90% humidity!!

Happy Easter from the O-ladies!!

Happy Valentine's Day to My Love

In loving you I have a husband to look to for encouragement & leadership, someone to invest in. 

In loving you I have a beautiful redheaded sprite with her daddy's curiosity and her mama's mischief.

In loving you I have a best friend to adventure with, to confide in, to wonder with. 

In loving you I have a lover to hold, to kiss, to know, to get lost in.

In loving you I have the man that makes me laugh until I cry, rub out all the sore and kill all the spiders.

In loving you I have years of mistakes, forgiven; true gifts of God's grace and yet I still have not the understanding at all. Your faith in me and in God works me wonders.

In loving you I have a life of the Renaissance; beer brewing, wood-working, violin-playing, philosophies recited. 

In loving you I have the freedom to dream, and dream big; someone to make me be God's creation. 

In loving you I have a Maevey-Daddy; a laugher, a tickler, a reader, a silly-monster chaser. In your love for her I grow deeper in love still. 

In loving you I have love, life and joy. I have hope, wonder and excitement. 

The days are long, but the years are short and I count them by the second. 

Happy Valentine's Day my love, thank you for loving me. 

Fevers, Cough, & Cries---Aka, the Flu

Well, I fear I may be able to soon set my calendar by Maeve's getting sick. Aside from a case of Roseola when she was about six months old, she really never got sick until she hit a year. Then came Hand-Foot-and-Mouth and a month or so later, Croup, a month later some upper respiratory infection and now, here we are. About four weeks later we have ourselves the flu. Yippee! 

Playing peek-a-boo through a dog toy. 

She developed a cough around Sunday night, and a fever that started Monday and peaked at 104.7* last night. I consider myself a fairly competent and confident mama until my child is sick or bleeding. It drives Adam crazy. One time in particular she had hit her mouth on the tile at Target and was bleeding everywhere; the yin to my yang Adam remained calm and called the doctor (oh yeaaaah) while I kept exclaiming "Call one of our MOMS!!" Hey, they're the experts here, I just play one during the day. Anyhow, I took Miss Maeve in today and our suspicions were confirmed, we've got one miserably sick & contagious cutey. She still managed to charm the nurses and doctors, chatting them up while they checked her out. We've been really working on "No, thank you." instead of "NOOOO" followed by a swat. When she didn't want the nurses to look in her ears she kept saying "No tampk you, no tampk you!" while swatting them away. Eh, we're getting there.

 I was proud of myself for some mama creativity when it came to entertaining my wee one while keeping her at rest. (That girl and this mama can only do so many episodes of Sesame Street before we start to go mad.)  Yesterday after a particularly messy and unsuccessful lunch Maeve was covered in all manners of food and I was already praying for 5:30 to come at light speed. I stripped her down and enticed her up the stairs with promises of one of her favorites- a "bathff!" Once I got her in though, it occurred to me I could really stretch the time out by letting her enjoy the finger paints she got in her stocking, using the tub as a play-pen of sorts. I grabbed the paints out of our craft closet, squirted little primary colored piles around her toes and taped several pieces of paint-worthy paper against the side of the tub. 

It-was-magic! 

This kept her occupied FOREVER! I am so proud (perhaps too much so) to say this was not even a pinterest tip, and I will totally be using it again and again. When we (read, 'mama') were all done painting I simply peeled the tape off and stuck the paintings to the back of the door to dry, ran some water and wiped the tub down. Then, as promised, Maeve also got a long, cool, bath to drop her temperature that had creeped back up as we played. Which was good, because she covered herself pretty well in reds, blues and greens while playing finger-paint Picasso. 

Laughing at Dutchess trying to drink bath water. 

Where's Maeve?

Peek-a-Boo! Look at those sick little eyes. Poor, sweet baby! 

A Little Bit of Mama Mourning

Yesterday was (in theory, if I can hold strong) the last day I will nurse Maeve. And as ready as I am to have myself to myself, if I think about it for more than a second I find a catch in my throat and my eyes begin to water. Let's just hope that's hormones settling and not a long-lasting effect. I love watching Maeve grow into this sweet, smart little girl. Our talkative toddler who loves to run and climb, loves doggies and trees and books: but man oh man how I mourn the loss of her babyhood with each same step. 

Ironic, isn't it? 

We made it nearly sixteen months nursing, and considering what an awful start she and I had with it and the struggle it took to make it work I am proud that we got this far. My goal was to make it a year and then we'd see. When a year came and went at the end of September it just didn't feel time yet and we kept going; slowly shifting to just nursing in the mornings. As most mamas can tell you though, morning nursings seem to be the sweetest, quietest, most perfect of moments with your babe. My normally busy bee lays still and quiet, strokes my cheek and twirls my hair. *sigh* Afterwards it's a jump and a hop and a million babbling words and laughter and the stillness of the day evaporates.  

I knew it was time to wean when my anxiety began to peak again (I can't take my medication while nursing/pregnant), and knowing I had hit a plateau at baby-weight loss for several months now I decided we would wean soon. That was almost two months ago. I've set several "this is it" goals, but when the morning came I just couldn't make myself do it. Yesterday,(yet another goal) felt different. I savored our morning and talked to Maeve about how this was our last time to nurse. More for me that for her really. I tried to study her face, her fiery curly tickling my skin, her tiny fingers curling my hair round and round and her smiles peaking round at me when we would lock eyes. And then came today: today was hard. Hard to say "No, thank you. All done nursing, would you like a cuppie of milk?" Hard to lose that morning snuggle, the only stillness of the day. Hard to recognize she's a toddler now, and not my little baby. When did that happen? How do you witness and marvel at all these changes taking place and still become winded at the realization that time has passed and things will never be like they once were. That there is no freezing in time and clinging to a moment, only pictures and memory. 

I keep thinking of a piece of advice a friend wrote me when we were pregnant with Maeve. A mother of three girls, the older two teenagers now, she wrote, "Never let yourself become irritated with night feedings, the strange hours, having to put them in your bed. At 3am remember, this will only last a year or two, and then it's gone. There will come a day they can do it on their own, they won't want to climb in your bed, and they'll want their space. At 3am, try and enjoy it, try to remember this is fleeting." And I did, I tried to remember at 3am, "this beautiful creature is mine to love!" and I tried to study her features and memorize every feeling. It didn't always work, and many nights I was mad to see 3am again, but I feel like I mostly remember the beauty and love behind 3am. That's how I want to try and enter every stage of parenthood, and marriage in my life. To memorize how everyone looks, and feels and the love and pride in the room and remembering in those inconvenient moments, "it won't always be like this."