A random check-up

Since I hadn't heard any real definitive news from Megan's doctor about her iron levels and I was still a tad curious about her weight gain, I took her in for a random check-up. We had just switched her over to the same pediatrician as Cadence, so it was also a chance for him to get to meet her and her to meet him.

Anyway, I'm pleased to announce that Megan has put on a full pound in the past 6 weeks (19lbs 6oz, 31.9"). The doctor said it was good weight gain, but told me he didn't have the same concerns the previous doctor did over her weight. He pointed at her most recent weights on the growth chart and showed me that even though for the first 6 months she was between the 25th-50th percentile lines for weight, from 9 months on, though she was below the 5th percentile line, she was pretty consistent as to how far below it she was. He said that this was probably the growth curve she'll continue to grow along and that as long as she continues to stay on it, he's not concerned.

It was a nice feeling. I was not super concerned about Megan's weight when the other doctor gave me a hard time about it, her concerns were still tucked away in the back of my mind and I wondered if I was right in now worrying. So, it was nice to have a doctor that specializes in kids telling me everything really was okay.

As for her iron levels, he pulled them up and showed me how they'd improved (I'd already seen the numbers, but all I could interpret from that was that she was still technically anemic). Then he told me her anemia was mild at best and that the one point she'd gained was what was expected within a month. So we were right on track. He said to continue giving her the drops until her appointment in June, he'd retest then and call me with the results and instructions as to whether to continue the drops or not. So, I was happy to know the drops were doing what they needed to and I didn't need to stress over completely overhauling her diet to get more iron in her.

All in all, it was a good appointment. I'm glad I took her in, even though the doctor said coming in for the iron levels wasn't necessary, but he was glad that we got her weighed so he could strike "poor weight gain" off of her records for me. Now, according to her medical records, other than some mild (but improving!) anemia, she's all healthy.

What could it be?

Tune in later this month (around Easter Sunday or so) to find out! Time to see if I inherited that sewing gene, or if my children are doomed to store-bought clothes for their entire childhood.

Could they be any cuter?

Both Cadence and Megan have gone through social growth spurts. James and I have had several moments of looking at each other in shock and then busting up laughing. And I've had several moments of wanting to call him up and tell him yet another story.

For example, today, I told the girls to get on the couch for quiet time (which is really naptime, but we call it quiet time so Cadence doesn't realized I'm tricking her into taking a nap). Cadence immediately gathered up her blanket and Megan's blanket and went to rearrange the pillows on the couch. I have one pillow for each of them that is set on either end, but James tends to pile them together once he's home. Taz was laying on one and Cadence was getting quite upset that she couldn't move it. So I suggested she move Taz. She then picked Taz up, placed her on the floor, moved the pillow and patted the couch as she told Megan "get on the couch, Megan". Then she handed Megan her blanket, grabbed hers, and moved to her side of the couch to wait for the movie to start.

Megan's learning a dozen new words a day and she's getting very vocal about what she knows. Today I heard her meowing and when I looked she had opened up one of the books to the page with the cat on it and was pointing to the picture as she meowed. Yesterday, she also showed off her knowledge of eyes, ears, nose and mouth to her Grandpa. She would also point to his when asked.

Aunt Robyn's birthday was yesterday (she's 18!). Saturday, we went to the store to pick up her birthday present and let Cadence pick most of it out. I'd pick which display we'd look at and Cadence would pick the exact item. She picked the perfect pair of earrings for Robyn, and a set of bracelets, and insisted on the purple mickey mouse socks. She even picked out the chocolate and the bag. She knew it was for Aunt Robyn. It was too cute when James asked if we should get Aunt Robyn chocolate and Cadence responded "Okay, chocolate, Robyn". When he suggested chips, she shook her head and said "no, chocolate". About ten minutes later, when James again suggested chips she looked at him and said again: "No, chocolate, Robyn" and then went to the display with the chocolate and picked out a pack of Milky Ways to add to the gift bag (that she'd also picked out). When we went to pay, she insisted the cashier "give it back" and we had to dig out the bag and all the presents to give back to Cadence so she could carry it. She refused to let Aunt Robyn's present out of her care.

Megan's just... adorable. I have no anecdotes off the top of my head. She's just so stinking cute. Even when she's mad and throwing a fit, she's so adorable it's a battle to keep from busting up laughing. She's got a temper, too. Not quite as volatile as her sister's, but she's just as stubborn. More so in some ways. She's so smart. It's scary how smart they are at this age. It seems every day she has a dozen new words to use. I was stunned when I pulled out a banana for their breakfast and she jumped up and down in her seat and said "nana!" It's not just words, either. She understands so much more and is getting so good at communicating with her gestures. I almost have to remember to encourage her to use words, because I usually understand exactly what she wants from her gestures. She's very clear in what she wants (and doesn't want).

The two of them have fought a bit more, now that they're both showing their stubborn sides and now that they both "want" something at the same time. We've been smoothing it over, mostly working on Cadence not taking things from Megan and telling Megan "no" when she decides she wants whatever Cadence has. Honestly, that problem isn't as bad as it was a few weeks ago, so I think it's working. *knock on wood*

Megan's talking

(Playing in the rain. Even though they were both ice cold, they both shrieked a protest as we dragged them back inside)

Several times I find myself overlooking Megan's milestones. It's not because I just don't notice, I just don't stop and think "hey, that's new and cool".

But she is most definitely a toddler to her fingertips. She's begun a bit of a vocabulary explosion. I forgot about this, how quickly they pick up new words. Just today she was eagerly asking for a "duh, duh" in the bath and it took me a moment to realized she had learned the word "duck" at some unknown point, undoubtedly from her sister. Shortly after that, she pointed to the spot between her mouth and her nose and said "nose", which then prompted me pointing to different body parts and saying the word. By the end of her bath she'd learned to point to her eyes, ears, mouth and nose. And as always she knows where her belly is.

She's also picked up "book", though that one took me a moment as well. And when I handed her a dried out wipe instead (since they like to take them out and scatter them), she turned it over in her hands then wiped at her mouth with it and handed it back to me. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or just sweep her up and cover her sweet face in kisses. Since it was technically bedtime, I refrained from both.

She follows directions really well. Though now that she knows the word "no", she often protests a bit. But she doesn't just use the word without meaning. She knows what that word means and if we ask if she wants something or if we offer her something she doesn't want, she'll shake her head and say "no". Her yes is a grunt and a bounce, so we're still working on that word.

Every night she refuses to settle down for story time. She's either trying to get to the toys and grinning at me when I tell her to come sit back down (she has the cutest "I'm not going to listen to you, come and get me" grin ever), or she's climbing all over me wanting to point to the pictures and give me her made-up word. She meows at cats and repeats everything Cadence says during story time. However, once I say "the end", she promptly stops what she's doing and folds her arms for the bedtime prayer. Once prayer's over she runs over to her bed and waits for me to tuck her in. She rarely stays laying down, but she at least waits for me to spread her blanket over her before she starts her somersaults.

She has her little routines. For example, she's fine at dinner until I get up and walk past her, at which point she wants down and in my lap. After every meal she has to bring her cup with her, even if the thing's empty. Every night after bath, I get her out first and get her dressed, then leave the towel out while I go get Cadence, and every single time, Megan lays down in the middle of the towel and just grins like a little stinker while Cadence shrieks in protest. First thing in the morning, she demands snuggle time. It doesn't matter whether she was up early, or late, or if we just finished dropping James off. If I don't sit on the couch and cuddle with her for a few minutes she will not leave me be until I do.

I say it over and over again, but I can't believe I ever thought she'd pale in comparison to her high-spirited sister. I love this little girl so much and in so many different ways. I love her for all the things she has in common with her sister and I love her for all the many ways she's different. I thought I was blessed to have someone as sweet as Cadence, but I'm doubly blessed to have Megan thrown into the mix as well. Triple blessed, even, because watching them together, even with all the screaming and fighting, just melts my heart.

The house that dad built

A few weeks ago, James woke up so sore that he actually had to leave work after only being there an hour. I promptly sat down and ordered the memory pad that had been recommended to me when I first began looking into the idea. After two calls to customer service and 3 weeks, it finally arrived last Friday.

The girls thought the big fluffy thing on top of our bed was awesome, but they quickly lost interest once it was tucked under the sheet and our bed looked the same to them (nevermind the fact that it was now 4 inches taller...)

Their interest quickly transferred to the box that it came in. James offered to throw it out that night, but I decided we could let them keep it until it fell apart. Saturday, James flipped open the pocketknife that he pretty much always has on hand, and carved out "windows" and a door. The girls were in love and spent the rest of the evening ducking in and out of the door and peeking at us through the windows. It now has it's own place in their room and will probably remain there until it begins to fall apart.

Maybe I'll take them outside and let them fingerpaint it...

Cadence's Photo Shoot

Oh the cuteness! Last year, Cadence was such a pain in the butt to deal with (kind of like how Megan was this year, guess it was an age thing). But this year she was loving the camera and we got a ton of cheesy grins and cuteness. It's a wonder I was able to narrow it down to just one for my wall. In the end, I was only able to choose by considering which one would compliment Megan's the best.

This picture kind of sums up how the entire shoot went:

Showing off her pink boots to the photographer:

They told her to smell the flower, then they had to try to get her to stop:

She's so CUTE:

This one was a finalist, but her smile seemed off (and she looked entirely too grown up to be going up on my wall this year!):

This one was also a finalist and was very nearly the final pick:

In the end, this one won:

Megan's 2011 photo shoot

Last time I took pictures, Megan was a gem and Cadence was the one I had to fight with. This time around, it took all my effort to keep a "ready to pose" Cadence out of the camera's view and coax a few smiles from Megan, who wanted nothing more than to snuggle. We got a few pictures, but between her fussiness, the fact that I used my cell phone as a prop, and her hair and it's dozen of cowlicks that refuse to lie flat no matter how much I play with it... Still, I do have more proof that she is one of the sweetest girls alive.

Close up time:

Her cowlick is way obvious in this one, lol:

Another close up, so cute:

The one I was tempted to buy for my wall:

The one I actually ordered, cell phone and all:

Snow day 2011

There was no snow in Bakersfield, but there was plenty about 45 minutes away! So Sunday after church we went exploring. We found a snowed-over campground and clambered out. The girls were amused at first. And they thought mommy and daddy tossing snowballs at each other was hilarious, they weren't too keen on that cold stuff touching them, which was unfortunate with how often Cadence and Megan stumbled and used their hands to catch themselves.

We left when the crying outweighed the laughing, which didn't take long if we're being honest. Next time... we'll bring gloves. Though I'm not sure how much Cadence will like them. She insisted I keep taking mine off every time she wanted to hold my hand. And can I say: thank goodness I had my awesome new coat to keep me warm (and looking fabulous, of course).

All I've done this week

I'm a cluster photographer. I take dozens of pictures in a matter of days and then nothing for weeks. As proof, I will tell you, the three pictures included in this blog post are the only pictures I've taken since Erin left (not counting my show off picture of James's birthday present).
We've all been getting over a cold. Surprisingly, I seem to have been hit the hardest. While Cadence and Megan had the cough and runny nose, I was the only one running a fever of 102 for two days. It didn't even register that I had a fever the first day. All I knew was I was crazy sore when I woke up and was wishing the foam mattress pad we ordered would arrive already. Then when the achiness only got worse and I began getting chills, I clued in and took my temperature. At which point, I promptly plopped my butt on the couch and spent the rest of the day watching TV with my girls. They were sick, as I said, so they slept pretty well, when all is said and done and I got some decent rest moments myself:
We've had a bit of maintenance drama here. We called in about a soft spot on the ceiling of our shower a month ago. They came in, cut the spot out and put a piece of wood over it. They said they'd come back to paint it, but two weeks later, we still hadn't heard from anyone. The soft spot had grown and gray splotches of mold were appearing. We put in yet another call, during which they came to look, but made no repairs. Then we got a phone call asking about repairs that had been claimed as "completed". When we explained that the problem remained, still nothing happened. Finally, the past few days, water began dripping steadily (when our upstairs neighbors showered) right into our bathroom. James went and filed a complaint. They came in that night, cut out the portion of the ceiling and stapled a trash bag over it. Apparently the guy who'd been in charge of the repair had recently been fired, but they're limited since our upstairs neighbors require 24 hours notice before maintenance can enter their apartment. So... who knows...
Anyway, we're recovering slowly but surely over here from this cold. At some point we hope to have our bathroom up and running properly. Our biggest drama right now is Megan's blood work came back and she's anemic, which might account for the slowed weight gain. So she's on vitamin drops with iron and I'm trying to put a high-iron food with every meal. She's to be retested in a month. I admit, I'm a little nervous. It feels like I'll be graded on this. If she doesn't get her iron levels up, then I'm slacking somehow, right? Of course, I know that's not the truth, but that's how it feels. Especially since I didn't get the prescription iron drops, but picked up some infant multivitamin+iron drops from Walmart. Not looking forward to a lecture if I did the wrong thing, but I figured might as well fit the vitamins in with the iron.

Guess we'll see in a few weeks! Oh, also, over the next few weeks, expect studio pictures posted. I've scheduled appoints for both girls and for family pictures over the next 2 weeks or so, and I always pay the extra few bucks for low quality digital copies of all of the poses I didn't buy full-size (plus the ones I did, of course).

Also, for those that care, I finished my 30 day photo challenge (which is still linked at the top of this page). I slacked and took several weeks to do the last 3 photos. But I did them. Finally. Officially. Done.

Random pictures from Erin's visit

A few random pictures from Erin's visit. Cadence really enjoyed having a playmate more her speed. She loves Megan, but Megan's not quite as interactive as Lynne was. It was a crazy week with 4 mobile little ones 3 and under in our tiny apartment. Thankfully, we have 300 more square feet in this apartment than the last one!

Anyway, Friday night (after Seth got home) we got to celebrate Lynne's birthday in town. She had just turned 3 the weekend before, so it was only natural that she get a second cake at Nana's house. And an Aquadoodle from Grandpa.
Life lesson: trying to get 4 little ones to pose for a family picture... You need to take more than 3 shots to better your chances of getting one that doesn't look like this:
Decorating sugar cookies with Nana and Aunt Robyn. So yummy:
Megan especially loved the frosting.
We took all the kids shopping to get ingredients for potato and macaroni salads. Erin and I both had moments where we were solo with the four kids in the cart, and both of us got "looks".
The laundry basket was the favorite toy at Nana's house the last night we spent there. Especially with Grandpa turning it into a ferris wheel ride.

(In case you couldn't see, Lynne's hiding in the basket)