Just a Phase?!

I sure love Katelynn. And she SURE loves me. I love feeling needed and loved. However, I would also like a few minutes to myself each day. My dear Katelynn is such a happy baby. When she is with me she almost NEVER cries. She is so happy, calm, sweet and content. She is an awesome sleeper (unlike Cass) doesnt mind playing by herself, sitting in her bouncer while I work etc. She doesnt always want to be held or anything.

However, about 3 weeks ago I left her with Aaron to go feed my coworkers cat with Cassidy. I had just arrived at his house when my phone rang. It was Aaron and I could hear SCREAMING in the background. I knew she wasnt hungry but I hurried home and the minute she saw me she stoppped crying. I thought it was an isolated event. But the next night we left to go feed the cat again and again my phone rang and I could hear SCREAMING. Like over the top screaming. Poor Aaron was doing EVERYTHING he could think of. I again hurried home and she was perfectly happy when I got back. A few nights later she was totally happy playing with Aaron so I went to take a shower and again the minute I was all wet I could hear over the top screaming. A few days later, Aaron had to work late and I needed to take Cassidy to her last mommy and me swim class so I asked our friends to watch Katelynn for 1 hour. When I got back they told me she cried for 45 minutes of the hour. :( I am hoping this is just a phase and a short one!

I immediately started thinking about what I could be doing wrong. I mean Cassidy was just always social. Loved being held by different people. Katelynn, I can tell is a lot more shy and reserved. BUT she even cries if my coworker holds her while I use the bathroom. I actually hold her less than I held Cassidy because with Katelynn I am dividing my attention. Katelynn has to hang out more in her bumbo, car seat, bouncer, jumper etc because I am drawing, or doing puzzles, or reading books etc. So I dont think it is because I coddle her too much. Katelynn does come to work with me everyday but so did Cassidy until she was 8 and a 1/2 months old.

SO I guess I am just hoping this is a phase and a really short phase because as much as I LOVE being loved I also would like to take a shower without rushing to get out and finding leftover shampoo in my hair an hour later.

Anyone have ANY suggestions????

She is lucky she is so cute and sweet and sleeps so well and NEVER cries when we are together which right now is 100% of the time. Oh the irony...

Time

Here is a few pictures of our life. Just everyday life. :) I try to be a good mom (I could sure use more patience), try to instill good values into the kids and try to lead by example. Lately different people have been telling me to really soak up the times with my kids now because it just all goes so fast. You know...."enjoy it now, before you know it they will be grown up." I agree with all of that and I actually think I do try to enjoy it as much as possible.

All of the following pictures are from my phone. For example, I bring Katelynn to work with me. I feel like I do have the best of both worlds. I get to work and grow in my career but also kind of be a stay at home mom. :) Katelynn is my work buddy.

I take my kids to the park every single day it is nice enough to do so. I want them to love to go on walks, like to exercise, love to be outside and of course just play and be kids.

Everytime Cassidy asks to hold Katelynn I try to say yes even though it makes me nervous sometimes. She seems to think she is a little mommy so she can hold her all the ways we do. I want them to be close though and try to make sure Cassidy feels like the helpful big sister. Katelynn loves to be in the bjorn just like Cassidy did. Along the lines of trying to soak up every minute..when Katelynn is sleeping she is usually being held, even at night she prefers to sleep with mommy. I know that a lot of people sleep train early but I also know that I want to hold my baby as much as possible while she is still a baby and wants to be held. Sometimes I try to start kissing Cassidy and she says "only one kiss mommy." :( Sad right?!

Cass spends a lot of time with the dogs. It is so cute. Her job is to feed them each night and she takes her job seriously. She also loves to read to them, cover them up with blankets, help pick up after them and put them outside. I hope to teach her responsibility. Here she is reading to Cody. :)

We watched my coworkers cat for a few weeks while he went out of town. Cass loved it! She was so responsible, she got the mail, gave the cat water, filled up the food bowl and of course gave lots of love. I want her to want to help people without expecting anything in return.

Cass has graduated from parent participation swim classes! She is now about to start swim lessons by herself! We are so proud of her and we love how excited she is to be independent.

I love my job and I am hopeful my girls will see me as an example of a strong business woman. I really looked up to my mom and was proud that she had an important job where she was respected and really made a difference. I hope my girls look up to me that way as well. However, I also know that it is just my job and my main priority is being a good mom. SO a lot of times during the day I just stop working and get on the floor to play. Katelynn and I take pictures, sing songs, read books, work on sitting up & rolling over and sometimes just lay together. I leave work early if it means I can pick Cass up while it is still nice outside and head to the park. Here are a few shots of Katelynn and I taking a break from working!

She was VERY interested in my camera and was probably wondering how it tastes.

Here is she doing her "work" and by that I mean playing with my work supplies and making a mess for me to clean up.

Such a sweetie.

Sometimes I lose my patience and sometimes I feel overwhelmed. But for the most part I feel like I try to soak up EVERY minute of my kids right now.

Happy Birthday Aaron!

It was Aaron's and my Dad's birthday on April 1st. I love those fools! They were both born on April Fools Day... I still think that is ironic ;) My Dad is living it up in London & Paris with my mom. I hope you had a great birthday Dad! For Aaron's birthday this year we kept it low key. Cass was very excited and made her Daddy a painting to hang in his office. She was proud of it. She was so cute keeping it a secret and so when she could finally give it to him she was thrilled to tell him her secret. She also thought that meant his birthday was a secret too. She ran up to him on his birthday and shouted "today is your birthday daddy! Its not a secret anymore!" :) Aaron loved the gift and brought it to work.

For dinner, Aaron wanted sushi at this place we go to every once in a blue moon. Usually we go there when someone from our family is visiting seeing as I dont like sushi. But I was still happy because instead of sushi I got this:

YUM! Aaron on the other hand had this and loved every bite! The below is not an acutal picture but it looked pretty similar to all that.

I asked Aaron what he wanted for his birthday dessert and he said something with peanut butter and chocolate. SO I made peanut butter chocolate cupcakes. I was so pround of myself, I made everything from scratch! You cant tell but there is even a reeses peanut butter cup baked into the middle of the cupcakes! Then I made TWO frostings, one peanut butter and one chocolate then piped them on the cupcake. Cass helped me and thought it was so much fun to make these for her daddy. We all loved them!! YUMM

Cass loved lighting the candles and singing to daddy. She sang so loud and clapped really loud when he blew out the candles. It was so sweet. Here is the birthday boy with his girls. We all sure love him a lot!! Happy 27th Babe! You are my everything and I hope 27 is the best year yet! Here's hoping 27 brings good health, continued growth and happiness in your job and hopefully for us a new house!