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Six Weeks Already!

Apr 062012

Caroline turned six weeks old this week. She is a fantastic baby. She loves to eat. She smiles to us all now (although the smiles are still a rarity, so I treasure them!). She is incredibly vocal about what she needs: food (NOW!!), diaper change (NOW!!), attention (!!). I feel like there is a lot of crying at various points in the day but I’m trying not to feel to guilty about letting her wait a few moments sometimes when really, I just can’t hold her all day long (much as I sometimes want to).

She is strong. During tummy time (if she’s happy), she’ll lift up arms, legs, and head/neck and just float on her tummy for a few seconds before relaxing. She tries to turn her head from side to side then too. She grasps hold of my shirt or arm. She tries to get her tiny hands into her mouth, a difficult task since she doesn’t realize she controls them. She’s clever because when she’s hungry, she knows the binkie is not going to do much for her and promptly rejects it with an angry yell. She’s sensitive because she recognizes the love surrounding her and responds with coos and a gentle six-week-old smile.

No, she’s not sleeping through the night — or more than 2.5 or 3 hours at a time (except for one night when she slept 4 hours!!). But that’s to be expected. I’m doing much better with the sleep spurts though. The first few weeks were a blur for me. It’s been a while since I had sleep deprivation (and Paul began sleeping long 5-7 hour stretches very early!) so these first six weeks required some readjustment, but I’ll make it.

Caroline is a precious addition to our family. Sometimes I stare at her and think “oh yeah, I have two kids now, that’s weird.” But other times I am only excited and grateful and excited to see her developing personality. I love having her in our family, and I am delighted to treasure these moments with her now when she’s still so innocent. And unknown: it will be great to get to know her too, but this little “doll-like” blank-slate stage has some precious bonuses too.

And Paul simply loves being a big brother. Yes, he’s had his moments of jealousy, (such as his frequent requests that I put Caroline down to do something for or with him). But in general, he can’t wait to greet her in the morning, and he’s just living for the days when she’ll understand that he is her Big Brother, a role he is incredibly proud of.

(Apparently, someone’s head always has to be cute off.)

6 April 2012
Posted by Rebecca at 8:27 pm
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A Child Grows, Adventures, Audiovisual, Birth-6 months, Early Childhood, First Year, Happenings, Motherhood, Movies, Photos, Preschool Age

Caroline’s Blessing Weekend

Apr 022012

Grandma Peggy and Papa Paul joined us last weekend! Then, my brother and his family and my mother and father came up on Sunday for Caroline’s blessing in church. None of these picture are very great (and I’m sad I didn’t get any pictures of my brother or his wife or Grandpa S with Caroline either!) but we were too busy enjoying each others’ company and holding that cute baby to take pictures, I suppose.

Paul was very excited to host a “party” for our Friday Fun Night with Grandma and Papa. It was full of made-up games that he enjoyed inventing for us. Here is one of them.

Blessing Day Pictures

This picture is very out of focus but I love Paul’s ear to ear smile, so I had to include it!

(I promise, we will get real family pictures in the next few months.)

Paul saw me warming the bottle and asked, “But how are you going to get that back in to you to feed her?” So I had to let him give her her first bottle.

Reading bedtime stories with Grandma Peggy and Papa Paul.

2 April 2012
Posted by Rebecca at 9:06 pm
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A Child Grows, Adventures, Audiovisual, Aunts and Uncles, Birth-6 months, Cousins, Early Childhood, Extended Family, First Month, First Year, Grandparents, Happenings, Movies, People, Photos, Preschool Age, Special Events

Caroline’s Blessing Dress

Mar 222012

Grandma Peggy made Caroline Rose her blessing dress and slip. What a talent! Here is Caroline Rose in all her cuteness! She slept through the photo session.

Thirty-one years and two months ago, these fake roses and the heart were given to a different little baby with the middle name of “Rose.”

And with her brother, of course, who felt a bit left out of the picture taking. He gave her the doll when he first met her.

More pictures of Caroline with family to come this weekend!

22 March 2012
Posted by Rebecca at 10:48 pm
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A Child Grows, Audiovisual, Birth-6 months, First Month, First Year, Photos, Special Events

Three Years

Feb 162012

Three years ago, on Friday, February 13, we moved in to our new house!

In some respects, I can’t believe it’s been so long. Didn’t we just get here? Honestly, all the rooms look pretty much the same as when I gave our new house tour. I haven’t changed the furniture or decorations for the living room, family room, front hall, kitchen, or our bedroom since we got our new furniture just after moving in. I’m just not one to rock the boat when I like how things look, I guess.

On the other hand, I also can’t believe it’s only been three years. I love our home! Every time I drive up to my house, I feel so grateful that we were able to move here. I truly am coming home. I can barely remember the previous places we lived and I just love where we have ended up. I never want to leave.

We may not have made lots of decorating changes in the past few years, but since we moved in, we have done a number of big things for the house. We refinished the hardwood floors. We insulated the attic and the basement. We had the roof replaced. We had the cedar siding and trim repainted. We replaced the patio door. We painted the ceiling of the basement in anticipation of more changes down there. And we’ve now painted the smallest bedroom in preparation for a new baby!

There is still lots to do to make our home the most beautiful it can be. But I’m pretty happy with how it is today!

16 February 2012
Posted by Rebecca at 10:20 am
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Homemaking, Moving, Womanhood

Christmas Activities

Jan 102012

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to update this page with family pictures in the same month in which the activities took place, starting with Christmas 2011. I especially want to be better since I posted 50+ pictures a month of newborn Paul and I want Caroline to feel she’s just as special a newborn.

I intended to post these pictures the last week of December. And yet, here I am well in to the new year, waiting for Paul to go to preschool to do so.

At any rate, Christmas was wonderful this year. I baked cookies and fudge to enjoy for a month and to give away to neighbors. Paul was incredibly excited to countdown until Christmas and he enjoyed the activities we did.

Before Christmas, I was able to attend Paul’s preschool holiday party. I haven’t attended any of his parties before so it was fun to be there to help and take pictures, etc. This was a rather chaotic party; I wonder if preschool is always like this? At any rate, they had some carnival games, a few craft projects, and then a gym floor covered in bath sponges that were called “snowballs.” They were encouraged to have a snowball fight. Put 20 kids aged 3 and 4 in a room and tell them to have a snowball fight? Um… Paul reacted much as I would have. He threw a “snowball,” then watched people for a while. Then threw another. It was a bit intense.

Here are some of the best pictures of my little guy. The full album of the preschool is on flickr with a guest pass.

Reindeer bowling

He's proud he knocked some bowling pins down.

We are low-key about presents (I do not want to raise a spoiled or greedy child who says “I want that!” for every toy he sees). I gave him a (plastic) kids microscope, books (which is what he asked for), and an inflatable globe, among some other smaller things. Grandpa Sorenson gave us a book of silly stories that he wrote and Grandma gave him a Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle. Grandma Peggy sent Trio blocks, which along with our Legos, have given me lots of time as Paul slips downstairs to create yet something else. (YES!)

We enjoyed the true spirit of Christmas. At the beginning of the month, he loved selecting some clothes for a “poor boy” from the library’s giving tree and talked for days about the boy who was too poor to get his own clothes. (He was particularly excited because the boy was FOUR just like he is so he knew just what the boy would like.) He loved selecting gifts for his cousins (we do a family gift rotation among my siblings). He loved the excitement of wrapped presents and waiting for them. I don’t think he was tempted to open them, he just loved shaking them and counting them and wondering. He was fascinated by the mystery of magical Santa (although *cough* the reindeer forgot to eat the reindeer food that Paul left on the front step. How’d I know he’d check that FIRST?! even before looking under the tree?).

And most importantly, Christmas was, for our family, about the true meaning of the season, the birth of our Savior. I love having Christmas on Sunday, because then church reinforced the real meaning of the season. I wish we had services every Christmas morning, but of course, that’s not how it works.

The not-so-materialistic goals we have worked well this year: we got to church at 10:30 and someone asked him what he got for Christmas.

“Ugh….I forgot.” he responded. (But he did remember to say that the reindeer forgot to eat the reindeer food he left for them…). So, at any rate, I know Christmas for Paul was not about the presents. Mission accomplished!

We also got to spend the afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa and Paul’s Sorenson cousins. It was lots of fun to watch the kids playing, and it was great to gather with family on a special day.

After Church Christmas Day

31 weeks pregnant

Cousins

Grandpa Reading The Grinch

Merry Christmas!

10 January 2012
Posted by Rebecca at 12:06 pm
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A Child Grows, Cousins, Early Childhood, Grandparents, Holidays, Movies, Photos, Playtime, Preschool Age, Seasons, Special Events, Testimony, The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Early Christmas Festivities

Dec 062011

Decorating for Christmas was not pleasant this year… and I just keep thinking how taking it all down will be even harder because I’ll be that much more pregnant. Nevertheless, Paul loved helping put up the tree. And I do love the lights and the Christmas music. (Guest pass to view this set on Flickr.)

And then we come back to Santa. Do you remember Raisin’s reaction to Santa last year? Well, this season began much the same.

“I don’t like Santa. Santa is grumpy.”

“I don’t want Santa to come.”

“I don’t need any toys.”

So when we headed to the Lake in the Hills tree lighting, I warned him that Santa would be there, but we didn’t have to talk to him. We would leave after we saw the Christmas trees. Surprise! Once he saw Santa, he really wanted to talk to him.

They had this set up for pictures as we waited to talk to Santa. Paul is saying “Merry Christmasssss!” which is why his tongue is sticking out. I only had my phone with me (I wasn’t planning on meeting Santa, remember), so that’s why it’s totally out of focus.

I kept asking Paul what he was going to say to Santa. Would he tell Santa “not to come” like he did last year? He just said, “You’ll have to listen very carefully.”

So what did Paul say?

“What do you want for Christmas?” asked Mrs. Claus.

“Books,” said Paul without hesitation. “Books about books.”

Aw, like mother like child!

He said he

6 December 2011
Posted by Rebecca at 4:10 pm
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Firsts, Holidays, Photos, Preschool Age, Reading, Special Events

Halloween Festivities

Nov 022011

As you probably know, I hate Halloween. From the extra candy everywhere to the greedy kids to the scary costumes, I just don’t like it. But. Paul loves dressing up. So this was the year to join in all the Halloween fun. We even went trick-or-treating to the five people on the street we kind of know. Paul loved being Winnie-the-Pooh. I think the costume made him look a few years YOUNGER than he is. At any rate, he made a very cute Winnie-the-Pooh. He won an award at the ward party’s costume parade for cutest costume! I did feel a little guilty since his costume cost $4 at Goodwill; other moms actually, you know, made their kids costumes. Ah well.

I was going to wear my Karate Gi to the ward party so I could say I have a “costume.” But when I went to get ready, Paul looked at me in confusion. “But you’re going to be a Mommy for Halloween,” he informed me. “And you’ve been wearing your costume all day.”

Ok, then.

So with out further ado, here’s the cute kid. Larger pictures are on Flickr for friends and family to see and/or download.

At library Halloween story time.

At preschool

Ward Halloween party!

Costume parade

Playing carnival games

Paul with the pumpkin he carved with Daddy

Getting ready to go trick-or-treating

2 November 2011
Posted by Rebecca at 9:27 pm
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A Child Grows, Early Childhood, Holidays, Photos, Preschool Age, Special Events

Paul’s Fourth Birthday

Oct 252011

Paul has been playing “birthday” with imaginary friends for months. He will stir up a bunch of toys in a bowl with a spoon to make a “cake,” then he’ll spread out a blanket, wrap a toy in another blanket (to be the present), and then invite me to celebrate with him. His imaginary friends regularly turned two or maybe 10, and I have had dozens of birthdays since my last special day in January.

So needless to say, I was rather excited to help him celebrate his real special day. Although we don’t plan on having a friends birthday party every year, this was definitely a year to plan something fun.

I was told that a theme is not necessary, but I chose one anyway. Paul loves the concept of Super Why!, who is a superhero for preschoolers because he can read. Besides, Paul has learned how to read, so playing on the theme of reading, alphabet, and phonics was just what he liked. My games were rather loosely based on the show — but it didn’t really matter, because Paul went around for days telling everyone he was Super Paul because he knew how to read. That was the idea in my mind.

A few fun things about planning a party with a kid who is really excited: As I began making lists, he was jumping around the room.

“Can we play Duck Duck Goose?! Don’t forget we need decorations! I need a party hat!”

(He insisted on the party hat. He wore it for about 10 seconds and then told me he didn’t want a party hat. Sigh.)

Below, I have a video that has collected still shots from the birthday party, plus us singing to him as well as still shots from the rest of the birthday party. If you’d rather, you can browse the Flickr collection of photos here.

25 October 2011
Posted by Rebecca at 1:29 pm
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A Child Grows, Audiovisual, Early Childhood, Friends, Movies, Photos, Playtime, Preschool Age, Special Events

A Visit from Grandma Peggy and Papa Paul!

Sep 232011

At little Paul’s preschool

On the train

At the train restaurant

At the car museum

At the car museum with Lightening McQueen!

At the car museum and Doc Hudson!

Being silly at the car museum

Gasp! Don’t drive yet! You’re not 16 yet!

An early birthday cupcake to celebrate four years.

Yummy!

See all the pictures from Grandma and Papa’s visit here on flickr!

23 September 2011
Posted by Rebecca at 9:18 pm
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Adventures, Extended Family, Grandparents, Photos, Playtime, Preschool Age

Summer Family Fun Days

Aug 282011

My goal this summer was to make it “fun” for Paul so he wouldn’t miss preschool. Well, having morning sickness (more properly, most of the day sickness) kind of drained my energy. But we did do some fun things! Here are some photos and videos of our fun activities.

EIEIO

Rockford Children’s Museum, June 17, 2011

Paul got to pet some animals at the children’s museum. He talked for days about how he wanted a pet duck-turkey-donkey-etc.

I ask him now, months after the fact, and he says his favorite was the baby duckling, “and the goat!”

The museum also had tons of imaginative play, including a train, a bank, and a post office mail box and costume. There were a number of science exhibits too, but they were geared toward a little older kids. Definitely a place to return to at many ages. He had a great time and still asks to go back.

Train Ride

July 8, 2011

We rode the train to Des Plaines to visit the train restaurant for cupcakes. He still talks about this all the time too.

Reading with Grandma

July 22, 2011

This is a really long video, so don’t feel obligated to watch it all. Grandma reads a page, and then Paul reads a page.

Schaumburg Nature Center

August 16, 2011

We met a few friends and went for a short (1 mile each way) hike at the Schaumburg Nature Center. There was a silo to climb up, and lots of nice walking trails. We had a picnic at the “farm,” where chickens begged for a few crumbs. The kids had a blast, although Paul (and some of the others) were quite exhausted by the end of the walk back.

A nice trip with friends to end off the summer.

Trip to the Mall

August 18, 2011

Maybe this is lame pregnant Mommy, but I was looking for something else to do so we went to the mall and walked around. Paul’s friends were already starting preschool and Paul was looking for fun (he really wants to go back to school). Anyway, Paul “rode” on the coin operated toys without my paying any money… that was our fun day… Hey, he DID have fun.

Touch a Truck

Algonquin, August 20, 2011

I thought we’d be rained out, but then the skies cleared and we headed over to our township’s annual touch-a-truck event. Paul got to sit in all sorts of trucks. What a blast! He got to turn on the police car siren, and he was most excited to see the cement truck, although he wasn’t able to sit in that one.

We also went to the pool a number of times, but I didn’t take any pictures. I’m not sure if the summer membership was worth it (not sure how many times I went and if it was $100 worth), but because I didn’t pay $5 every time, I never felt bad going for just an hour! I wish I hadn’t been sick for so much of the summer, but then, I’m very excited to be pregnant, so I’m very happy I was!

28 August 2011
Posted by Rebecca at 5:28 pm
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Adventures, Audiovisual, Movies, Photos, Preschool Age

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