Under Construction

We are currently under construction.

Exhibit A: New Master Bedroom 

What is behind Door #1?

This is the new entry to our new master bedroom.  This remodel has been a massive undertaking and Doug has made great progress despite a hectic work and travel schedule.  This is the only photo for now... I'll save the photos of the process once it's totally finished.

Exhibit B: Potty Training

It was the best of times (in theory).... What can go wrong when a POTTY PARTY involves streamers, balloons, a new potty-baby, a scavenger hunt, a sticker chart, M & Ms, a new potty seat, new undies, a new timer, and a mom who has all the answers?!!!

It was the worst of times...(no photos or captions necessary...you can imagine).    This process was/is much more emotionally draining than I expected. We're still on the journey, but I'm feeling more optimistic today than I did after Day 1. THANK GOD for my wonderful husband and my wise mom who have dealt with my breakdowns! This has been overwhelming for me.  Sophie is such sharp girl that I had high expectations for her potty-training-learning-curve.  But her intelligence is matched by her sensitivity.  After a few days, it became evident that the pressure and stress of potty training was causing her anxiety and guilt.  We've regrouped and adjusted our game plan, and Sophie is showing great success!  My mom's visit this week was perfectly timed because I needed her to help me adjust my potty training plan to better nurture and support Sophie.  And that has made all the difference over the past 24 hours.  I can recognize how I put unfair expectations on this process, and how I took any potty challenges/accidents personally--- (ex.  what was I doing wrong as a mom?).  My sweet, little Sophie is only 2, and she must rewire her brain to reach this new developmental milestone.  My potty party and our path to success has taught me quite a bit about myself as a mother.  Who knew that potty talk could bring about such personal reflection and growth?!

...amusement with tissue paper...

Although it caused some hiccups with our potty training, Sophie's sensitivity is one of her greatest strengths.  She expresses her emotions in articulate ways and shows compassion for herself and others.  As she has found more frequent success on the potty, I've seen her relief, her pride, and her confidence through huge grins and exclamations of "Yahoo! I did it!" Tonight, after earning a few rewards, she said, "Mommy, I have a happy tear for myself."

After we had to drop Grandma off at the airport today, Sophie was very sad, saying, "I have a broken heart because I love Grandma and I don't want her to go home."

She cried the entire drive home and only stopped crying when we pulled into the driveway and saw Doug's car.  She said, "Daddy's home!"  Holding back my own tears, I had to explain that Daddy's car was here, but he was still out of town for work.  She said, "Oh, I'm heartbroken again."  I was flooded with emotion.

Daddy and Sophie enjoyed a heart-shaped pizza party last week. 

But 20 minutes later, as she earned more rewards on the potty, she told me, "My heart is full again."  She was so proud of herself.  I am in love with this little girl's heart, with her passion, with her honesty, with her determination, and with her courage.

The metaphor of being "under construction" applies to many areas of our lives, beyond just our new master bedroom and Sophie's potty training.  My body is under construction as I construct a new life!  But, the entire process of parenting is a construction project where we assess, adjust, respond, build, support, regroup, and try again... I'm just so thankful for the wonderful people in my life--husband, parents, and friends--who encourage me along the way.

Here's to a week of full hearts!

Straight Talker

E: What are you drawing?
S: I'm drawing a picture of you, mommy.
E: Oooh, how do I look?
S: (shaking her head with a concerned look in her eyes) Not good, mommy.  Not good at all.  Bad.
D: LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY.... (almost too hysterically...)

*********

(at the bookstore)
S: (yelling, with her pointer finger extended toward me) I have a great idea!!!! Let's buy me something!!!

*********

S:  I NEED to play outside.  I need to get some fresh air.

*********

S: I like your earrings.
E:  How old do you think you should be before you get earrings?
S: 31
E: How old do you think you should be before you wear makeup?
S: In 2 days.  And then I say 'Oh, I look like a pretty queen. Oooh, so cute, Queen.' (said in a really high pitched voice)

*********

S: (pointing to one of the Valentine decorations)  That's a bottom heart.  That heart looks like a bottom.

*********

S joined me on a quick errand to Pottery Barn Kids to purchase a crib sheet for B2.  I convinced her that this errand would be fun because I needed her help and her approval.  As we were greeted by the PB employee, S declared, "Um, I, um, need to check on _____'s  sheets.  They must be cute." (She calls B2 by his name; although we have told our family and close friends, we're not posting it on the blog/on Facebook!) Once we found the sheets, S told me, "Mommy, _____'s sheets are ok, but not cute for me."

*********

I've slowly been gathering items for the nursery and they're stacked in corners of the house.  When the rocker arrived, Sophie got very upset that it wasn't for her, declaring, "I don't want baby brother to have this chair.  This is my chair.  This is not _______'s chair.  He can't have it. I don't want to share."  And so it begins...

Take My Breath Away

A little showering of love, appreciation, and celebration in honor of St. Valentine...

Doug takes my breath away, because he is so intentional, generous, supportive, and intelligent.  Last week, in a moment of utter exhaustion, heightened emotion, and hormonal drama, I appreciated how Doug dropped everything to come home and take care of his girls and let me catch my breath (and my mind!).

D busy at work on our new master bedroom

Sophie takes my breath away, because she is so witty, compassionate, perceptive, and independent. These attributes are quickly being matched by a fierce and fiery toddler-temper that takes my breath away, too... although I'm not sure I have any Valentine love for those behaviors.

B2 takes my breath away because he packs a mean punch.  Literally, he takes my breath away with his rolling, jabbing, kicking, karate-chopping, and jumping.   I suspect that he plans to wear himself out in utero, so that he will be calm, sleepy, mellow, and easy upon arrival. (ha!)  I often find myself gasping out loud because his movement catches me off guard. Doug has gotten used to my sighs and groans, but it's a little more awkward when I do them in front of 35 seniors taking an exam.  I just can't help it--my breath is momentarily being taken away!!

I love my little family, and I am thankful that they love me... all of me: 

(I hope that the startling photo of my pregnant body at 26 Weeks didn't take your breath away.)

Each of Us

Sophie's concept of the week is "each of us".  (I set the table for each of us.  Each of us has a cup.  I give each of us a sticker.  Music plays for each of us.)  It's been wonderful because she often will include "baby brother" in these conversations (Each of us has a bed, but not baby brother. He's too little.)

We were blessed this weekend with some warmer temperatures and sunshine. While Doug slaved away on our remodel project, Sophie and I walked down to the beach to build castles, throw rocks and sticks, watch dogs swim, and get fresh air.  She looked like a massive dork...but a cute dork.  As we were walking, I commented about how I appreciated the "nice, new sidewalks."  She stole this phrase and spent 5 minutes saying sentences like "I like the nice, new bushes. I like those nice, new trees.  I like the nice, new car (an old beater...)."  This was cute and funny until a young man (in very good shape, mind you) ran by us.  Sophie LOUDLY commented, "I like that nice, new man!"  He turned around and it was embarrassing! Once at the beach, we were unfortunately joined by a group of teenage boys who were smoking an illegal substance.  My daughter (who was once shy) has suddenly become gregarious and independent.  She hopped along the beach, yelling back at me, "I want to go play with those guys, mommy."  They laughed, and again, I was embarrassed!  Later Sophie rolled her eyes at me as I tried to help her build a sand castle for Snow White.  She said, "No, mommy.  That's waaaay tooooo muuuuuch.  Use just a pinch of sand."

Sophie is a sponge.  We are constantly amazed (and often drawn to tears) by her recitation of stories and memorization of unique word choice and syntax within those stories.  One of her books mentions "true blue friends." Sophie has used that description throughout the week, but today, she laughed and told me we were true brown friends.  She put her hand on her forehead and produced a fake and exaggerated laugh to indicate that she knew her color choice was sooooo funny.

When I tried to take her photo, she said that she would "smile cheese but not open my eyes, mommy."  

Sophie and all of her animals were pretending to be kittens-- "each of us a kitten. Each of us cuddling."

We celebrate "clean plate club" at this house with trivia questions--ex.  name 1 animal that starts with S, what number is after 3, what letter does the word 'heart' start with, etc.  Sophie is great at asking us good questions, too.  We had made up some silly song about clean plate club that we were shouting.  I told Doug "Clean Plate Club just rolls off the tongue, huh?"  because we were both stuttering our way through the weird song.  Sophie then stuck out her tongue as far as she could.  She became cross eyed and was trying to find "clean plate club" literally rolling off her tongue...

And a post entitled "Each of Us" wouldn't be complete without a little update on Sophie's wild, out-of- control, and big baby brother.  My belly is a completely different shape and in a different position than when I was pregnant with S.  Doug cannot get over the kicks and boots that I'm feeling regularly.  As I read stories with Sophie this afternoon before nap time, she even felt him do some acrobatics.  She said "Baby brother wants to come out of your belly button."  It sure feels like she is right!