I thought yesterday would never end

This grumpy face is Yesterday in a nutshell.  It was a LLLLOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG day with Hallie.  She pushed every limit, but that can sometimes lead to hilarious stories, like these:

Me:  "Hallie, what do you want for lunch?  A hot dog or chicken nuggets?"
H:  "Poopy diapy." (With a totally straight, serious face.)
Me:  "Okay."

She has been really into "potty" talk lately, so instead of fussing at her about it, I decided to go with it.  My thoughts were maybe if she doesn't get the reaction she wants, this will phase out.  I went and got a diaper (a clean one) and put it on the table, put Hallie in her booster, and then asked her to please bless the food.  So, yes, we blessed the diaper.  And then she proceeded to try to eat it.  It was obviously tough to chew.  She kept trying to bite pieces off of it with to success.  I was doing everything I could to not BUST!  Then she turns to me with a super confused look on her face and says:

H:  "Mom, how do you do it?"
Me:  "I don't know Hallie.  I have never eaten a diaper.  I eat food."
H:  "Oh."

She tries a few more times to bite it before:

H:  "Can I have chicken nuggets please?"

I got her some real lunch.  Got me some too.  I was eating a cup of applesauce and she turns to me and says:

H:  "Mom, it's okay, but you need to tell Hallie you are sorry right now for eating her applesauce and give it to her right now."

I still can't get over how well she talks sometimes.  It usually really emerges when she thinks she can parent me.

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We laid her in bed at 6.  It was early, but couldn't have come quick enough.  I needed a break.  After we laid her down, she broke every rule, so I took away her snugly blankets (she sleeps with 8 of them) and Ken and Lella.  Boy, was this girl mad.  She sounded like Smeagol and Gollum from Lord of the Rings as Eric and I listened to her talk herself through it over the baby monitor:

Screaming voice:  "AAAaahhh!  It's not fair!  You hurt my feelings!"
Soft sweet voice:  "You can't have your blankets Hallie."
Screaming:  "But I want my blankets!"
Soft voice:  "Oh, how sad."
Screaming:  "NO!"
Soft:  "This is a problem."

And conversation like this continued while we laughed our butts off in the other room.  She is barely 2 1/2 people.

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She then woke up at 12am. (that's what we get for putting her to bed at 6) and gave us a doctrinal lesson on the gospel, where she proceeded to call and talk to Jesus on the phone.  Thank heavens I captured it on video!  I can't get it to post on Blogger, but I posted it to my Facebook.

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I was so ready for yesterday to end.  A few funny stories made it easier to endure.  Without them, I don't think I would have survived to be able write this post.

Update on room sharing

So, after much thought, we decided to just go for it with room sharing and see how it goes.  If it is a mess, we will just move Hallie out.  Last night was the first night.  Hallie slept in her big bed for the first time.  It was flawless.  I loved hearing Hallie say "I'm here, Saige-ie Bri-Lan." and "Now, now cute baby."  And all the other cute things she says to try to calm Saige when Saige was fussy.  I had to feed Saige and Hallie slept right through it.  It was great!  I felt so free to have Eric and I in the same room, in bed, alone, without a baby next to us.  Made the atmosphere much better (*wink)  Hallie didn't get out of her new bed once, and even stayed in bed playing this morning until we went in to get her.  All my fears seemed silly after it went so good.  The only flop that happened was a flop out of bed by Hallie.  We decided to not put up a bed rail so that she would just figure out not to fall out of bed.  That way she could sleep anywhere.  So, we lined the floor with pillows and I told her ahead of time that she might fall out of her new bed sometime tonight, but that if she did, it was okay and to just climb right back in and go back to sleep.  Well, about 5 minutes after she fell asleep I heard the thud, followed by "I fell!  I fell out!  I fell!  I fell!" on repeat for about 30 seconds, but then I went up to check on her about 10 minutes later and she was happily asleep back in bed.  She stayed tucked in bed the rest of the night.  So, operation sharing room and switching to big girl bed... complete!  Hope tonight is equally as awesome!

Help me!

So, I have a couple of questions about parenting and I need some advice from you awesome parents out there:

1.  We have a 3 bedroom townhouse.  Right now we have Hallie in her own room, Saige in our room still, and a toy room.  I am debating about whether we should have the girls share a room or not.  I planned to have them share for the whole bonding thing, but should I just wait until the next baby is on his/her way? (It hopefully won't be for another 3 years or so.)  I am worried about them waking each other up or me waking Hallie up when I go in to nurse Saige.  It would be way easier with our set up for the girls not to share, but I don't want them to miss out on what could be a great way for them to grow close.  Thoughts?

2.  When did you talk to your kids about stranger danger?  We haven't gone there yet and I don't know if I am doing it way later than I should have or if I should hold out a little longer because I don't want to scare Hallie.

Any advice you have would be great because sometimes Eric and I are just stumped.

Ken and Lella

Meet Ken and Lella:

Lella joined our family last year when we went to Dinsey World and Ken joined us a few months ago when Hallie had her first poo on the potty.  Hallie sleeps with them, eats with them, bathes with them, and carries these two with her everywhere that we let her.  If she forgets to bring them upstairs with her at bed time, she will ask for them and then tell me EXACTLY where they are down stairs.  I am always surprised that she remembers the precise place she left them.  Until yesterday, they were always naked.  She would rip Ken and Lella's clothes right off them the moment we tried to put them on.  The bad part about that is that she likes to make them kiss.  Sometimes I have to tell Ken and Lella to get a room.  Eric and I often wonder if we show a little too much PDA in front of Hallie as we watch her play with them.  So, yesterday Hallie and I finally made them some clothes that she approves of.  Now she can take them out of the house.  I am hoping for and looking forward to fewer awkward intimate moments.

Ken still doesn't have a shirt because Hallie didn't want it, but hey... it's progress!

My profile

It's the moment you have all been waiting for... my mormon.org profile is officially up and running.  Check it out here.  And explore the site if you dare.  It's very informative and interesting for all faiths.

Rat Tail

She's bringing it back.

4 months

Four months ago today, almost exactly to the hour, my life was forever better.  Saige was born.  It's so heartwarming to think back to that day, our first moments together as mother and daughter, our instant bond, the wholeness she brought to an unknowingly missing piece of my heart.  I think back to my pregnancy with Saige and am so embarrassed.  It was a real struggle for me and I was so negative and faithless.  I was so stressed with the daunting reality that I would now have two little souls to provide for on our meager student budget, but if I would have only known... she is just what I needed.  She is my little comforter, our families peacemaker, warmth and happiness.  She is the absolute perfect baby, has been sleeping through the night since 4 days old (that's not a type-o), only fusses if she is tired, hungry, or being held by a blonde (weird, I know).  I thank the Lord everyday for blessing me with another one of His perfect, precious, daughters to love, because truthfully I think I need them more than they need me.

I posted the lyrics to the song Brave by Nicole Nordeman shortly after Hallie was born, but I just love it so I want to share my favorite parts again.  It is my anthem of motherhood and the absolute truth about how my girls effect me:

'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything
But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings

So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave

I am small
And I speak when I'm spoken to
But I am willing to risk it all
I say Your name
Just Your name and I'm ready to jump
Even ready to fall...

I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame
Every storm will start with just a drop of rain
But if you believe in me
That changes everything

I LOVE YOU SAIGE!

Gram came.  I miss her.

  We found Saige sleeping in deep thought.

 I lived in this spot on the couch for the first 3 months of her life.  It was nursing headquarters because it has the best view of the TV.

 Love Saige's face here.  Attack of the kissing sister.

 Best. Dad. Ever.

  Her blessing day.

Mother's Day.

I love her creepy smile...

... and her cute one too.

Her hair likes to do this a lot.  I don't know what to call it other than awesome.

LOVE her.