3 months old

I cannot believe our sweet little Stella is 3 months old already! She is doing fantastic. We all are settling in nicely to me being back at work. It took a little while for Stella and Mimi (Rebecca) to find their groove, but the found it this week.
I am so lucky to have such a great hubby that helps out so much. Peter gets the girls to Rebecca's every morning. I get Stella up, he feeds her, I get Nora up and ready and off they go! I get the girls after work everyday. Yesterday was the first day that I worked out since July! Wow, that was a long time. I joined Club Fitness. Not too impressed with Club Fitness, but it will do. I changed because Gold's Gym made me mad and I have multiple friends that work out at Club Fitness, so it seemed like a good fit. I did the step class and totally had to modify, but that first time is always hard. I am ready to continue going and cannot wait to start jogging/running again!
Anyway, back to Stella! She is holding her head up really well, but she HATES tummy time. She sits in her bumbo and loves to watch Nora play. She is eating like a champ! She gets 4 bottles a day. 3 6 oz. bottles and 1 7 oz bottle. She eats at 6:30 am, 10:45 am, 3:45 pm and 7:20 pm. I don't know how, but we have been blessed again with another good sleeper. She doesn't sleep as long as Nora did, but I am not complaining by any means! Believe me! She goes down at night around 8:15 and sleeps until around 6:15. She grunts for her bink around 5:15 am, but then will stay asleep until 6:15. She then naps at 9:00, 1:00 and 5:00. She takes two 2 hour naps and then a 1 hour nap. She is just a sweet little thing. She doesn't cry or fuss. She is smiling more and more and smiles the most at her big sis! They took a bath together for the first time last night and she actually giggled at Nora!
I took these pics this morning!

First Snow

Well if you can call it that. It caused all kinds craziness on the roads today. People DO NOT know how to drive in the stuff. Major interstates were shut down and we only got maybe an 1". So I woke Nora up this morning and told her it snowed and the first thing she said to me was, "Can I put on my snow pants santa gave me and play?" God I love that girl! I said no, but we can after I pick you up from mimi's and she was fine with that. She insisted on wearing her snow boots to mimi's though.
So when we got home she said where are my snow pants mom! She also said she was so glad santa brought her snow pants and asked where mine were. I think i probably should invest in some snow pants and good boots since she now likes to play in the snow! Here are a few pics I snapped. I am so glad that I have this new camera! I have been experimenting and I love the pics that I am getting. I love that I can now blur backgrounds!
Anyway....I hope that we get at least one more snow day to really play in!

Park

On Friday we took the girls to the park! Really we did! We took them to the park in January! It was 70 degrees here on Thursday and Friday. It was so beautiful and refreshing! I made Peter take Friday and Monday off since it was my last two work days off before heading back to work. Which is another post :( Anyway....we had so much fun playing. We brought Nora's friend Allison along and we met Loren and Karin there! It was so nice to let them run around outside and get some fresh air. It was also Stella's first trip to the park. I look forward to when she can run along side her sister.

Loren and Nora

Stella in the carrier

Nora and Allison

mommy and stella

So I read a post by someone on Facebook and it was how hard it is to be a mom sometimes and that someone told her to just cherish the moments because it will go by too fast. It was an interesting post because I feel that it is hard to cherish every moment. It is hard being a mom and not to want that alone time sometimes. This women talked about chronos time (real time) vs. kairos time, which is the time you can really just take that moment in. So the last couple of days I have been trying really hard to be aware of the kairos times. I do have quite a few everyday. Life with a 3 1/2 year old will definitely keep those moments real. As much as I want to just throw my hands up I don't and end up laughing at her. Like tonight when we were online with grandma and grandpa and she was putting a baby doll dress on her head and shaking it, I just took it in because it was so funny. Or when we were getting ready for bed and she shook her booty at me or last night when she kept repeating what Peter and I were saying. She definitely makes me laugh and I have to just love those times. I am so lucky to have such a great little girl and when she is being so stubborn or telling me no or crying that she doesn't want to go to bed I need to remember the happiness that she brings to our lives. I have had some of these moments with Stella and know they will become more and more as she continues to grow. I really just enjoyed rocking with her today while she slept at nap time. I did this knowing that I wasn't going to get to do it except on the weekends from now on.
It is just hard because I feel like I try to be a great mom all time and I just get tired. I need to know and realize that I can't be on 100% of the time. I need to not be doing everything at once and that is the hardest thing for me. I need to slow down and take more kairos times and soak them in. But how do you balance everything? How do people do it and work full time and be awesome moms and still have time to be a great wife and time for themselves? I don't know but it is going to be an interesting ride!

Happy New Year-2012

So I copied this from my friend Jenni's blog, I thought it was cool. We had such a great 2011!!!

Peter, moved departments in January, Found out we were pregnant in February, celebrated a new niece and kiki's wedding in May, finished school in July, Nora started school and I passed the praxis in September, welcomed Stella in October! Pretty awesome year!!!!

1.) Where did you ring in 2011?
At our friends the Beffa's house.

2.) What was your status by Valentine’s Day?
 Happily married!

3.) Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Yes, I finished my second masters in school administration! Only one more degree to go!

4.) How did you earn your keep?
I work as a school counselor in the Affton School District

5.) Did you have to go to the hospital?
Yes, we took Nora to the hospital for an ear infection. I was in the hospital to have our sweet baby Stella!

6.) Did you have any encounters with the police?
Nope- thank goodness but we did witness a drunk driver plowing into the house across the street from us when he failed to notice the road ended. Scary! It was so loud it woke us from our sleep.

7.) Did you know anybody who got married?
Yes!!! My sister and we are happy to welcome Zach into the family.

8.) Did you know anybody who passed away?
Yes, my step cousin. 

9.) Have you run into anybody you graduated high school with?
Sometimes.

10.) Did you move anywhere?
No and we won't be anytime soon. 

11.) What sporting events did you go to?
I don't think I attended any major league anything this summer. We did go to a few Gateway Grizzly games and Jalen's football and baseball games.

12.) What concerts/shows did you go to?
Sadly no DMB this year, but we did see Jimmy Buffett and I got to see the Urge again!

13.) Are you registered to vote?
Yes.

14.) If so, did you do your patriotic duty on [last time you were supposed to vote]?
Um, yes.

15.) Where do you live now?
St. Louis, MO

16.) Describe your birthday.
Pregnant.  We went to a Gateway Grizzly game and it was 101 degrees outside. What were we thinking!?

17.) What’s the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2011? I don't know.

18.) What is one thing you regret from this year?
I don't think I have any regrets.

19.) What did you want for Christmas? A new point and shoot camera and I got one thanks to my awesome hubby!

20.) Any new additions to your family?
YES!! We added Stella Kathleen on October 27, 2011!

21.) What was your best month?
Goodness, we had a pretty good year, but I would have to say October because of Stella.

22.) What from pop culture will you remember that happened in 2011.
I don't know, I don't pay that close of attention. I guess that bin laden died.

23.) How did you ring in 2012?
At our house with the Flemings and Beffa's.  Everyone was gone by 10 pm so it was just Peter and I at midnight!

24.) What has been your favorite moment?
Stella's birth! Finishing my masters. 

25.) What’s something you learned about yourself?
That I complain alot and that is my new years resolution.

26.) Who has been your best drinking buddy?
Peter, but since I didn't drink for most of 2011 I am not sure this question counts. 

27.) Made new friends?
Yes, became closer to my new work friends.

28.) New best friend?
Nope, just new ones.

29.) Favorite Night Out?
I don't think I can pinpoint one night. 

May you all have a blessed NEW YEAR!!!!

2 month check up

We had Stella's 2 month check up last Thursday. Our little baby isn't so little anymore. I can't believe that it has been  2 months. I think I have said that everytime I have posted, but it is true. Stella is doing great. She is smiling away and starting to coo and talk to us. She doesn't get to much time to talk because Nora is always talking, but when she does she just goes to town.

The doctor said she is doing great, her weight and height are good. The only thing that we need to watch is how much she is on her right side. She has a small flat spot and he is not overly concerned, but wants us to rotate the way she sleeps and make things more interesting on her left side. So we are doing that and hopefully it will work itself out. Here are her stats...

Weight-11.10 lbs 70th %ile
Height-23.75" 90th %ile

At least she is long and lean!! (just like Nora was) She definately has a longer torso so some of the 0-3 month stuff is getting tight in length, but not in width. It will be interesting to see how she continues to grow. I brought up to the doctor Nora and her oral fixation. She has been biting her nails more and it seems constantly has her hands in her mouth. He said it is most likely from anxiety due to the changes in the last few months. He said if that is the only thing than we are pretty lucky. Yes, that is the most she has done since Stella has arrived and I do have to say we are pretty blessed in that way. Other than that Stella is sleeping 8-9 hours a night. Going to bed around 9:15ish and waking between 5-6 am!!! She is a great eater and only cries when she is really tired.