31 July 2010

Whew! What a week!

(To preface, Molly is a monster. She's tearing apart my house, my brain, my heart and my sanity. I love her to pieces, but it looks like I'll never find a nice gypsy family for her at this rate. The pictures below will testify to her...unique and somewhat scattered lifestyle. Love this little monster!)

So, it's been quite a week! I'll just give you a taste of what's going on around here.
Been busy putting on socks, for starters. 

And then there's THIS whole conundrum. We got a positive test late last Thursday night, and since then it's been a little bit of limbo and a lot of love for our new addition! I'm still not feeling much, as it's very early. On Wednesday my OB felt there was some cause for early labs, so we're trying to get through those without pulling our hair out. I went in for my first draw on Thursday afternoon and my results on Friday showed low progesterone, so they started me on supplements to bring it from a 9 to a 15, where they'd like to see it. My HCG was 144, so only time will tell on that front. It needs to be almost doubling every 48-72 hours, so it felt like 144 was low when I divided that number every few days back to my positive test. After some research, I found that some women do have VERY slowly doubling HCG. At this point, there's just no way to speculate about HCG. I had my second draw this morning and will have results on Monday morning. Until then, I'm on pins and needles and am really just running on nervous fumes! 

So we did a little sunbathing...

Skyping...(can I just say right now that I'm incredibly relieved that this handsome boy will not be my responsibility in 5 years??! He's just way too good-looking for a 10 year old boy...good luck, Mom!)

Some stroller-surfing...

Smiling...

Sucking on toes...

I can't resist adding this. My cute family. I just love them. 

Sneaking some Jelly Bellies...

Oh, these freckles...love, love, love these freckles. 

So this morning, we packed the girls up and ran to LabCorp to do my second set of labs, and then took off for Grapevine Lake for a little boating fun! 

We don't find too many boating opportunities, so we were psyched to get out on the water! What's really funny is that the last time we were on a boat, I was 5 weeks pregnant with Molly. Today, 5 weeks pregnant with a new baby, we're back on the water. I'm taking that as a sign from God that somehow, it'll work out just fine. He very rarely gives me a boat. And hey, if Noah could trust God and get on a boat, so can Laura.

On the way home, Molly had the good fortune of enjoying her first-ever corn dog. You can see that she thought it was just amazing! 

We came home for the nap of all naps! What a lovely afternoon. Andrew and Molly commandeered the living room and Lucy and I snuck off to the big fluffy bed. Perfection! 

We got up for some bananas and painting around 3....

...and ended the day with baths and more stroller fun!

29 July 2010

so stinking cute....

Josiah was here a few weeks back (along with Mom, Lisa and etc...). Lucy LATCHED on to a couple key phrases of Josiah's. One was a "joke" that went something like "how do you make a tissue dance? Put a little boogie in it!"

I woke up this morning and Lucy's eyes were WIDE open and her little button nose was about 1/2 inch from mine. In fact, it may've been her breathe that awoke me, but that's not the point of the story... She was WIDE-EYED and grinning from ear to ear happier than a pig in poo. She said in an ADORABLY cute little whisper, yet ridiculously excited (mind you its like 530AM), "Guess what Daddy? How do you make a tissue dance? Put a little booger in its nose. Hehehehehe..."

Ugh. THESE are the mornings that are the hardest to get out the door to work!

love, dad.

28 July 2010

They say the 3rd time is the charm!

Here we go again! We're having a baby, my baby and me!!! Due early April 2011! This time around, Laura with pregnancy test in hand ran next door to our good friends Paul and Jenny. The general consensus amongst them was the test was POSITIVE! So, Laura, true to her tradition with Molly, sends me an email with a picture of the positive test!

We are now playing the name game and going to have to agree on a name for both genders becaaaauuuuusseee.....[drumroll please]........ we're not finding out the gender this time 'round. That's right folks. Hang on because NO ONE is knowing until April 2011.

Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions for cutesy nicknames that we can call 'it' until then, please let us know!





Full House Uncle Jessie has a baby!

FRIENDS Phoebe tricks Rachel!

FRIENDS Rachel tells Ross!

26 July 2010

Well, we're gearing up to start Lucy's very first year of school. I, for one, am PSYCHED. I've decided to use a formal curriculum, just to keep us on track and keep me organized. With toddlers and babies all over the place, I need someone else to be doing my planning for now. Maybe when they're older and I don't having children in my bed, up my shirt and on my lap, I'll be able to concentrate better. (But I doubt that.)

Here is a link to Lucy's curriculum for her "Nursery Year."

We've chosen to use Angelicum Academy, which focuses on classical education. It's very, very important to me that my children learn from a literature-based standpoint. Angelicum is a tough school, but it will produce thinkers. And really, that's what education is about. With the right education, a mind can grow into something the world can't live without. When I look at my girls, I know that their minds are unique, thriving and ready to give this world an amazing view. Their education shouldn't just be "good." We know that the brain uses but a tiny portion of what it's actually capable of. Andrew and I intend to challenge them, inspire them and compel them in their education.

Here's a link to 12th grade at Angelicum.

Look out, world. You're about to be SCHOOLED. By my kids.

I am just so excited. Lucy is really thrilled about getting ready for school. She's been watching too much PBS, so she thinks she's going to be getting on a bus with a backpack, so we're working on the "new normal" for her. Once she sees her school table and pencil box, we'll be set!

24 July 2010

Beauties!

I don't think there's anything in the world that's more amazing than watching my babies grow. So many ordinary miracles and sweet moments.

















My sweet, sweet girls. A luckier mama, there never was.

- Posted with love from my iPhone

Things I Love
















- Posted with love from my iPhone

22 July 2010

Oh boy am I pooped. Just a little note to say that Poppers and i had a little shopping date at Target tonight and she may possibly be the cutest child in the world...my sweet little pixie. She's starting to expand her vocabulary, but her favorite word is still "Mama." So when you ask her to repeat something, she'll reply with, "Mama ma ma mama ma mmmmmaaaaaama!" It's cute enough that I really don't mind if the only thing she ever says.


- Posted with love from my iPhone

20 July 2010

24 Hours In Texas

So Em posted a very fun post on her blog. She posted pictures and a little "24 hours with the cutest baby ever" for all of us to spend a day with them. I love, love, loved it. It was such a great way to document a typical day of parenthood, and will be a great memory for Carsen later on. Em, you should really do that every 3 or 4 months - you'll love it!
So I decided to take some inspiration from Em and do a little post for the girls to see someday.

I'm doing a 7pm to 7pm day. 7pm is bedtime in our house, so I thought it would be a good jumping-off point. Note that some of the pictres were taken from my cell-phone, so they're a little grainy.

7pm - Monday night: Molly heads to bed and Daddy and Lucy settle in for some Candyland.
Mommy chooses to ignore the dinner dishes and settles in to watch The Bachelorette.

7:30pm - Bedtime for Lucy!

9pm - The Bachelorette is over and rather than my taking that bath I was hoping for, Andrew and I settle in for PBS Documentary fun and catch a special on The Donner Party. Riveting. We eat homemade popsicles on the couch and snuggle while we learn about desperate cannibalism.


10:30 - We head to bed after the Sippy Cup Roundup. Andrew passes out quickly while I check on babies, check on Facebook and check to make sure the doors are locked.


2am - Lucy is up, wondering if it's "Good Morning time." Umm...no.

4:45 am - Lucy comes to bed with us and snoozes for another couple of hours.

6:45am - Lucy is up for the day and asking for her waffle and milk.

7am: Cookie-packing time. If we want to get it all packed safely, it has to be while Molly is sleeping!  You'll notice last night's outfit still in the highchair. The Donner party was just that interesting.
These particular cookies are for a surprise 40th birthday party in Kentucky. Whee!

7:30am: Check on the interwebz before Molly wakes up. This always consists of talking with Nina first thing and saying good morning to Facebook.

8am: The Jester is up and ready to rumble. I head in to take pictures before she's fully conscious. Always strike when defenses are down, right? Molly always sleeps straight through the night, no messing around.


Molly always grabs the closest music-making toy in her bed to bring with her into the day. So cute.

As soon as she's more awake, she's asking for Lucy and a waffle of her own.

8:30am: Lucy is playing on Playhouse Disney - Molly observes while she munches. Breakfast time is a very casual thing at Cooke House. It almost always consists of a waffle straight out of the toaster, a banana straight out of the peel or cereal straight out of the box. I hate wiping hands before 9am...

While Molly is distracted, I heat up some breakfast for myself. A Muffin Melt and leftover Ranch potatoes from last night's dinner. A perfect way to start my morning.
While I eat, Molly enjoys Second Breakfast. 

8:45am: Molly and I head to the shower while Lucy plays on the computer. No pictures. Tee hee. 

9am: We're out the door QUICK. I throw the girls into their clothes and plan to do my makeup at stoplights. 


Molly has found the rest of her waffle and takes it for the road.

9:05am - We swing into the Post Office to send the cookies to Kentucky.


9:30am: We stop at a friend's house for a meeting with our new babysitting co-op.

11:30am - We leave the meeting/playdate right at lunchtime. I decide this is a perfect time to shop for a purse. Naturally.

We go to Sam Moon. My first time. Whaaaaaaat?!?!? This place is wild. Hair bows, fake hairs, costume jewelry and knockoff handbags everywhere. Molly freaks. She screams like a banshee through the entire store. I pretend I don't know her.
When we get back to the car, I stop the sobbing with lollipops.
Molly passes out, lollipop in hand. Lucy then begs me to take them out for lunch. Naturally. Her reasons? "I want to eat good food, not at home, in a chair." I remember my free lunch coupon for Quiznos and we stop in.

12:15pm: I wake the baby and we head in for lunch.
Molly eats most of my salad and insists on her own cup of Raspberry Lemonade. Too cute. Lucy eats like a champ. I wonder to myself, "Would they last through a Kohl's trip?" I give Lucy the option. She opts for an early nap. We're home by 12:45 and everyone hops into bed.

3:30pm: Lucy shuffles out of her room and we decide that Mommy should not skip Spin class tonight. So we decide to get gym clothes on and be ready to head out when Molly wakes up. I throw together a chicken and cheese quesadilla for the girls to share, wherever we may be at dinner time.

4pm: Molly is finally up from her nap. We jump back into the car and head to Kohl's. I can't decide between two bags. I text this pic to Katherine.
She says yellow. It does look yellow in the picture, but it's actually camel brown. I pick that one and it's 50% off, so I grab two breezy looking shirts off a rack without trying them on. I'll let you know how that goes.
New bag is roomy and cute.

4:45pm: We head to the gym, about 5 minutes away from Kohl's.
Yay for healthy living!

6:45pm: We're back in the car and headed home. We swing by the bank to pay a bill and pull into the driveway at 6:55. The girls have an official dinner when we arrive home.

Lucy throws a tantrum over Daddy's unwillingness to play Hi-Ho Cheerio. They play the game while they watch a documentary on gorillas. 

And that, my friends, is 24 hours at Cooke House.


(I should note here, publicly, that my children don't usually eat this chaotically or to such an unhealthy degree. Save for  Tuesdays and Thursdays, we eat at home as a family and we almost always have lunch at home. Tuesdays and Thursdays are our "crazy" days and we tend to eat whatever crosses our path, as time is crunched and everyone is rushed.)