Mommy is a year older

So tomorrow is my birthday... another day another year. This year it was a low key celebration style. We went out to dinner at Chili's and then we took the kiddo to the pet store. Today we went out and played in the yard. All in all quiet and unassuming. But I did get some really wonderful shots of Ash and Daddy playing in the yard today. I am about to go to bed its midnight here.... but I thought that I would post a few photos for you all ! Enjoy!

Lazy day lazy day

Taryn is a fuss to the 10th degree today and it seems like it wants to be April all year long... so I am not in the mood to do much more than post a few photos while I listen to my newest daughter cry in the background while my husband takes a turn at making her happy.
Enjoy!

Taryn Taryn Bo Baryn is two months old!!

We had Taryn's two month check today... and found out that she is a beautiful healthy little girl! Well no I knew that before... but the doctor found that out today. She is 11 lbs 13 ounces and she is 22 inches long... ( well just about 22 inches long but whose REALLY counting?) She is in perfect health and came away with a prescription for a vitamin that the doc suggested because of the fact that T is a breast fed baby.
We have been so amazed by how big she is getting and Dave even called her a "bruiser" saying that she was going to be much bigger than her sister... because she already was bigger.... I warned him that you don't know until you know... but he insisted that she is such a big girl. So I looked back for a comparison and at the two month check our Ashlynn Bear was 12 lbs 13 ounces and 23 inches long. So much for T being so much bigger than Ash was... Ash had a full pound and a little more than an inch on her. There is no way to know what either of these two girls will be as adults so I will stop all speculation right there. But I am happy to say that at this age we were having such a tough time with Ash and eczema and Taryn doesn't seem to have the same trouble. We will see as time moves forward... but I just may find that for all Taryn is harder to please and far more demanding of attention... Ashlynn's health concerns may not be an issue with this one. One thing is certain.... God is teaching me the lesson very clearly that all people ( read babies) are indeed very different. Just because you have had one DO NOT think you will have the same or even a comparable experience with the second. Not that I thought that I would... but I thought there would be some similarities and this is like opposite ends of the spectrum! One thing is very sure though.... it keeps things interesting.
We went to the Children's farm this weekend. Ashlynn was entirely taken with the animals! NO FEAR! She stuck her hands in to pet and held food in her hands with never a hesitation. Now every time we get into the car she asks if we are going to ride ponies or pet goats. She must have had a ton of fun, because it made quite an impression. We did get pictures of that!!! I am still out of sorts that I forgot the doggone camera for the zoo trip. ARGH!!! But at least I got a few of this last weekend to share.
Ashlynn has started calling T Taryn Bo Baryn because of the name song. When I ran out of things to sing one night while T was fussing I pulled that out and started singing it. Ashlynn thought that it was great fun. She was giggling hysterically by the time I was done. I did Ashlynn's name too... but it didn't glean near the hysteria. Since that night though Ash has called her Taryn Bo Baryn. She is becoming quite the loving older sister and while she enjoys time with just mommy she worries if Taryn isn't with us. Mommy took just Ash out on Monday to play ( no pics of that one... I ran and twirled with my daughter rather than just watched her and Daddy watched Taryn) and she ate up the time... but kept asking if Taryn was okay. We went to the store today just Ash and I and the same thing "Taryn Okay? Taryn okay?" She also wants to hold her all the time and is asking to kiss and hug her spontaneously. It truly is a wonderful thing to see. For her part Taryn is completely taken by her older sis. She talks up a storm and smiles something fierce when Ash is in her line of sight. She gets those legs kicking and her arms a waving and everyone in the world can see that she likes her older sister. I hope sincerely that they will grow up to be great friends.
So two months gone... and I won't lie and say that they have been easy. They have flown! That much is true. They have been wonderful in their own way. They have been difficult and they have been full of trials, but I am not sure I would change one thing about them. I am learning how to be a mommy to two little bit by little bit. I am madly in love with my newest daughter and though I joke about her crying ( and sometimes it DOES feel excessive) I love that she has standards and that even at a few weeks old she will stand up and say something about it. I adore her feisty little spirit. And we are coming to terms with each other little bit by little bit. I am learning her cries and she is .... well she is still crying... but she is getting used to being down and it takes longer for her to start wailing these days. Funny thing though I am getting to the point where I hardly hear it anymore. She started up while I was filling out some paperwork at the docs and I didn't even notice until some woman gave me a nasty look... Oops.... not everyone understands that when you have a kid who cries so much your psyche tunes it out in self defense. Ah well they can give me dirty looks all they want... they don't have to LIVE with her! HA HA HA

Look at that smile though... who wouldn't love her?
Seriously who... I want names!!!!

Daddy's Girls

I thought that a montage of Dave with his ladies might be nice to see. You will most likely never see one of me with the girls... because I am always the one taking the pictures. Maybe some day. I have been trying to use the option on our camera to take video. I thought that would be a nice little addition... um the camera is really just meant to take pictures though. No sound ( which isn't a surprise I knew that) and the picture is really really bad... I deleted all videos that I have tried to take. The one that I took of Taryn outside today made her look like a smurf. She was literally blue looking. I had her outside for light too... sigh maybe some day I will have a video camera and will have some nice video to share until then you will have to make do with the photos.... As if that is hard, these are some of the cutest girls on earth!

Just to show you that it wasn't a fluke and you are not seeing double!

I got yet another photo of Taryn that looks very very similar to a picture of her older sister. While it isn't nearly as amazing as the last set and the eczema is a dead give-a-way, it is still very very striking.

Playing with bubbles and other assorted hijinx

Dave says that I may be over doing it with the photos... but I read an article recently about a man who is making it his mission to take a picture of his children a day from day one until 18 so that the progression of growth can be seen. I was sort of taken with the idea. How neat to see the progression of the growth that we don't notice from day to day. I like the idea to a certain extent. But the pictures that he had in his article were stiff pictures of a kid standing against the wall, and I wasn't so taken with those photos. So I have made it my mission to take as many interesting photos as I can of my children doing what it is they do best... being silly and having fun. ( or in Taryn's case swinging and learning how to smile. ) But I cannot take just one photo a day of my children. I have to take many many photos for more reasons than just one. Firstly you should see the number of photos that I have of the back of a head or half of a face or a tongue sticking out. Children are constantly moving unless they are asleep... and half of Taryn's photos are taken in the swing the other half are taken in the baby carrier. So I have outtake after outtake and every now and then I end up with a gold nugget of a photo. The other thing is that I have cute kids.... really really cute kids... how could I possibly stop with one photo. It is simply not possible!!!
I miss days, and I suppose that will make the progression a little off... but well life at times is a little hectic with two children under two. I am only human after all and when I realized as we were pulling off the highway that I had forgotten the camera and could not document Ashlynn's first trip to the zoo. We were not going back for it though as it was more than an hour drive. Sorry charlie. No pics of the zoo visit. Which in some ways breaks my heart due to the really amazing look of Awe that Ash had on her face when her daddy lifted her up for a better look at the seals... or the excitement when she saw the tiger, or the wonder when she was just on the other side of the glass from a monkey. The photo opportunities were many... and I didn't have a camera. But so goes it. The other thing is that it is bound to get boring seeing Ashlynn in different ( and sometimes the same clothes a week later) in the same settings. But Ash and I do not go too many places during the week and she is always learning and exploring new and different things. So be it. That is what we will have interspersed with the exciting days that we have one the weekends.
So this is our record of the lives of two of the most beautiful girls in the world. And while we may miss a few days here or there.... the hope is that the content of the pictures I do get will make up for the days that I drop the photo ball. And if I do say so myself I am getting better and better at catching the really good moments and the really sweet smiles.

one of these photos is not like the other

The two photos above are of the same baby.... or are they??? ummm no they are not. The one above is Ash at roughly 8 weeks. The one below is Taryn at 71/2 weeks! SCARY!!!

Today was another busy day... but I went to my six week postpartum appointment today. That means that the T monster is six weeks old... and we are at that point where I don't fully remember life without her. Pre-Taryn is a hazy mix that I know happened but seems less real that post-Taryn life. It is odd how that happens. I remember it with Ash where I woke up one day and I couldn't really frame life with out her any more. Perhaps it is simply the full acceptance of the change taking place. I am so in love with both of my daughters that I don't really want to imagine life with out them. Although I will be frank I can think back to those times when I had neither children OR husband and think fondly on them. Ohhh the freedom. It is an adjustment that I have been willing to make, but doggone I would love a paycheck to come and me to be able to look at it with the relish I used to 10 years ago.
We are taking the children to the zoo on Sat. I am looking forward to it soo much... hopefully mother nature will work with us. We still only have a single stroller so I will carry T in the carrier and Dave will push Ash... and we will trade off every now and then. I am so looking forward to Ashlynn seeing an elephant in real life. She loves them so much. Hopefully she is not afraid of them... my niece Ariah FREAKED out the first time we brought her to a petting zoo and the real zoo did not fair much better. She is NOT an animal person... but then sometimes you have to grow into things. Dave and I are both big time animal people and we hope that love will pass on to our children. We shall see... and if nothing else I should be able to get some good pics that you will all enjoy looking at.
We have planned a few weeks of trips like this to help mommy to get out of the house. I have been struggling with some emotional flip-flops that are starting to look like they could end up with a post-partum depression slide if I don't do something about it. So we are taking the bull by the horn and we are getting me out more and spending more family time.... I met up with a dear friend the other day who has a two and a one year old and we are going out for a girls night out. The things that we can do to help me are being done. I am not looking to go on pills, so getting the body moving is the answer. Cutting the sugar out is also there in our list. Regular meals that are filled with healthy choices are really helpful to keep the blood sugar from sliding down and out.... which can have a serious emotional toll. I will keep up the outside trips with the girls and add a walk a day hopefully. And when all is said and done I will have taken control of my life again and I imagine that will be remarkably helpful in taking charge of my emotions.
For right now though I am enjoying a seriously rare moment where both of my girls are sleeping and I am not comatose. We are going to get a wading pool this week and I am really looking forward to playing in the water with Ash. So lets hope the good weather holds up. I got some pretty cool pics of her in the yard playing bubbles with her daddy yesterday. The kid is remarkably photogenic. And I have found that taking pictures of her is one of my favorite things to do. I have told Dave that camera stuff is a great option for birthday and Christmas... though I don't really want to talk too loudly about birthdays... mine is in two weeks and I feel like I might be getting old. I remember a time when thirty seemed like it was ancient and here I am somewhat past that and looking forward to another year. My mom told me the other day that I wasn't old because she wasn't old.... however my brother e-mailed me from over seas and started it out with "Hey Old woman!" My family is obviously torn when it comes to deciding what old is.... I guess it has to do with your perception. That is okay... because said brother is going to be 30 on his next birthday, and I will help him to remember how old 30 is. I can't wait... that means he will be home and safe.
Alright so onward and upward. I am about to sprinkle some sunlight on this post by posting pictures throughout... enjoy! And imagine that I hear the sound of little feet running out of the bedroom.... better hurry.

More Pictures

Today is going to be busy for several reasons, so I am going to post just pics today. Enjoy!

Does it get sweeter?


Peek-a-boo I see you!



And what is this?



All this playing exhausts me!

Got some really good photos of Ash today while we played outside. We go outside every day for at least an hour... usually in the morning as the sun isn't as intense then, and it is a good thing too... because we have had storms it seems like every afternoon forever. Ash loves to play outside. And mommy straps the littlest kiddo onto her front and away we go. Yesterday Daddy pushed the stroller while mommy walked with Taryn on and we went all the way up to the gas station to get us all a drink. We got home in the nick of time and the girls napped through the afternoon storm. We are settling into life as a family of four. Taryn has started smiling!! That is so remarkable and when that smile is aimed at you it makes the whole day light up. Ash is becoming quite the big sister... and is slowly but surely settling into her role. There were a few weeks there where I didn't recognize my daughter... but she is back. Though the temper tantrums have not gone completely they are not hourly either. Bedtime has settled down a little too. THANK GOD! I was close to giving up entirely and just running out on my family all together.
Ash is getting so big we have been able to start putting her hair into ponytails. Although Granny and Gramps take her swimming all the time and Gran has a real liking for pig tails. Either way Ash seems to like getting her hair done up. On their anniversary Gran and Gramps went shopping and Ash has gotten six new pairs of shoes ( since Taryn was born ) and several outfits. The shoes were drastically needed though, because when they sized her feet they realized that she had grown from a 5 1/2 or six to a 71/2 or 8. That shocked EVERYONE. But she got new shoes at that trip... and then when Gran and Gramps got home from the outlet stores she got several new and special shoes. Granny and gramps found some sparkly shoes that light up... and they found some Cookie Monster Polliwalks. If you have never heard of Pollilwalks google them and see what they are all about. The are the cutest shoes ever. She is stylin' right now though no matter what she is wearing. Here is a link that will take you to view the Cookie monster shoes! http://www.zappos.com/product/7505814/color/185110
She is a mile a minute and she never walks if she can run. These days she Jumps jumps jumps all over the place. It is so much fun to watch. She has been watching a lot of Sesame Street when mom is busy and she can name every character. I have started to limit it though because if given the opportunity she will watch it all day long... and with it streaming live at Sesame Street.com she CAN! The thing is that it really doesn't do anything for her energy level, and when it finally gets turned off she is climbing the walls. It is a great tool and she learns so much from it... but there has to be limits.
Taryn is settling down into life here on earth. She is slowly but surely getting to the point where we can put her down... and PRAISE GOD she has started taking a nuk. Mama was getting pretty worn around the edges from nursing and being a pacifier. She smiles now as I mentioned above and she is fascinated by her older sister. She is just at that point where newborns don't fit very well but most 0-3 months swim on her so in a few days they will fit better I am sure. The kid eats enough to feed a small army. Her little personality is coming out more every day and she is going to be a cuddly loving little spitfire. Her hair is a weird mix of orangey red and blond. In some lights it looks pink LOL. We will know a little more about its color when it grows some.
So all in all we are doing well around here. Learning a little bit at a time what a new face in the family means. It is hard sometimes for every one. But I think we all have come to love each other enough that we all want to try real hard. Ash the other day was quite disturbed and wouldn't nap because baby Taryn wasn't there with us. She was asleep with daddy in the other room. I guess that says it all!

Ahhh Peace... for a minute

There are some things that are worthy of a post all to themselves! I just took this picture of Taryn:



Will it last.... only time will tell... but I got all the way through this post!

pictures pictures pictures enjoy

pretty flower in the front yard.... smells nice











mommy picked flowers for me.... yes they are weeds but we won't tell mommy that

















Always got something to say.... BTW her shirt says " Don't mess with me, My daddy KICKS BUTT!" It just may be true!









Got lots of these with her playing with the stone lady. She is fascinated by her... and I just know that one of the pics that I get is going to be AWESOME... Gotta take tons to get the one awesome one! But meanwhile I will share all the okay ones with you!












Got lots like this too! I am determined to have pics of her that are pleasant... So if we mark the passage of time in pics of her sleeping in the baby carrier... SO BE IT. Please ignore my boob, its her favorite place to rest her head. Its like a full service hotel without the pool.









Sometimes even mommy holding her isn't enough. This is what we call her vocal yoga! We see this face A LOT!!! How do you love a baby who screams all the time.... YOU JUST DO!!! And you adore her when she's asleep!









Note to mommy: I do not scream ALL the time! I do take breathers.... and really if you fed me every now and then and didn't make me eat my fists..... MAYBE I would be more pleasant.... Now FEED ME or in the words of my mentor Oscar the Grouch "GET LOST"











Daddy gets a turn too.... although when the screaming hits the ears he always hands her to mommy. The downside of nursing is everyone else thinks that mom is the answer.... sometimes she is just the victim. LOL









I may have shared this one before.... I can't remember and can't go back to look.... but it is hands down one of my favs!!!