So Sweet

I picked Megan up from school today - our best drop off day ever - and my heart has been mush ever since!

First - she walked right in without any clinging. This is huge. She loves school, but at every drop off she gets clingy and says she wants mommy to stay and play with her. We are in a clingy phase to be sure! I pawn her off on a teach and within a minute she's fine. When I pick her up, she's as happy as a lark.

Second - I go to pick her up and her teacher tells me that she was the sweetest mother hen all day. Now I think - oh great did she bully everyone around and tell them what to do??? But no, she was the consoler all day. If anyone cried - Megan was right there to hug them and pat their back and tell them, "it's ok, Your mommy is coming back." (we have to go over that on school days - mommies always come back.) Then on the playground the "babies" (1 year olds) were outside and Megan was all about helping them and talking about how she was going to teach all sorts of things to her baby sister. Mandi, her teacher, said that all day she talked about how "cited" she was to be a big sister. My little sweetie!

And third... we got to the car and I told her I had a surprise for her because she was so good and brave this morning and went into her class by herself.... she looked at me and with THE BIGGEST and cutest smile I have ever seen on her (I wish I had my camera with me) she said, "You got me a milkshake?" Well, no - but she accepted the gummy snacks with just as much gusto and "citement".

For the remainder of the ride home (or at least until she fell asleep) she told me all about being a big sister and what things big sisters need - like a big girl bed that is soft and not crunchy (? ok?), paci's to give to baby sister, etc... so sweet.

In all the excitement, I never got to post anything about our loss of the paci's... so here's a short version of a long story... Megan was addicted to her Paci's - We had originally gotton rid of them when she was a year old, but she started sucking her thumb so I gave them back. But then she got sooooooo attached that I had no idea how we were going to survive this transition. Well what do you know.... 2 weeks ago, Megan bit her tongue, got a HUGE ulcer on it (really bad) and for 3 days couldn't eat or drink anything... and when she tried to put a paci in her mouth she'd scream because it hurt. Ta da! Bye Bye Paci's...... it was a rough few days, but who knows if it was the mouth ulcer or the paci withdrawal - it just went hand in hand. She's asked for them a few times and my response was - remember how the paci's made your mouth hurt, we had to get rid of them. And her response was, I don't want my paci's anymore, they hurt. Praise the Lord for divine intervention!

And as for the big girl bed issue... that's a whole other story for another blogging day!

Celebrate Good Times!

We had a fun weekend celebrating my birthday. Megan was the best little celebrator ever! For over a week now she has been randomly bursting out into the Happy Birthday Song. Oh, talk about warming my heart! Sunday we got together with my family and had a fun family birthday out. It's always wonderful to be surrounded by the kiddos to help you celebrate. I had to just add this photo in.... Megan is a fast eater and so I've learned to carry an "out to eat" bag with me whenever we are heading out to a restaurant. It's given me a moment to eat with friends while Megan was occupied, or Tom and I a chance to actually have a few minutes to eat with minimal disruption. And it's stuff that Megan only gets to use when we are out to eat so she loves it! I was soooo glad I had the bag with us for our dinner out. It ended up being a long dinner out with slow service... the fact that it was a group of 7 adults and 4 kids probably didn't help much. One of the bit hits of the bag - playdoh!

By the time we were waiting for to-go boxes and checks, all the kids had joined in and fun was had by all. You just have to love Play doh!!!!! - and birthdays! :^)

And..... only 45 days or so to go until we add a 5th little munchkin into the mix!

WOW!!!!

Loops

During the flood.... Megan and I braved the raging waters (to escape paint fumes as the nursery and playroom was being painted) and had a fun playdate. I didn't get any pictures of Megan and Nate together - but they had a blast. It's so cute to see how well they play together. They even sat for a little while and strung some Fruit Loop necklaces. Megan loved it! And Mommy loved the snack time as well. :^) Look how focused she was as she strung her necklace.

I found some Doug and Melissa stringing beads at a consignment sale last weekend and Megan has been stringing all week so this just fit right into the category of her new favorite toy.

Special Prizes

Yesterday, Megan and I had a very special trip to Target.... We had to pick up some special prizes!!!!! Why you may ask.....
We (that would be Megan - however, I feel this is a victory for us both!), so again I say WE had a poopy on the potty!!!!!!! YIPEE! And not just once, but twice!

Now, in no way shape or form do I think this battle is over - but it was a small victory and a huge celebration. She got to go pick out a special DVD - and then proceeded to tell everyone in the check out line that she got a DVD fvor pooping on the potty. It was comical!

If you've followed the "poop" posts in the pasts, you know that this is a HUGE thing for us. This weekend we finally had to resort to some drugs after 11 days of with holding. Ugh. So I'm really hoping that maybe this will be our new start and we'll have more potty success in this area. Until then - feel free to sing along....
Wonder Pets, Wonder Pets, we're on our way... To help a baby animal and save the day (or get Megan to poop). We're not too big, and we're too tough, but when we work together we've got the right stuff. Go Wonder Pets!

Update

Megan has entered into a fun phase..... singing.
She's always liked to sing - but suddenly she's started bursting out into song at the funniest times and with songs that I have no idea how she knows. About a week ago she was playing with a pom pom game I made for her and she started singing "pop goes the weasel" - I don't really know where she's learned that song. I can't say it's one we've really sung a lot at home. And then one day she sang an entire round of "twinkle twinkle little star" and of "Jesus loves me". We sing them all the time - but she's never on her own just sung the whole thing. It has just warmed our hearts. I'm trying to get a video of her - but she's a moving target, so I haven't been too lucky there so far.

I can't believe I've been out of the blogging loop for over a week. We are in the midst of doing major preparations for Baby 2. The office is finally out of the room that is about to become the nursery. Tomorrow it's getting painted - then the carpets are getting cleaned... YIPEE. We did get the crib put together and slowly clothes are getting washed. And all this while chasing Megan around. :^)

I did go to the chiropractor yesterday and that was wonderful!!! I've had so much back pain that lifting Megan and doing much of anything was out of the question. And in keeping with the musical girl that she seems to be.... I'm sad to say that Megan can also sing the opening songs for Dora, Diego,The Backyardigans, and our new favorite show - the Dinosaur Train. Oh well, this to is just a phase. I'm making the chiropractor a fixture in my life for the remainder of the pregnancy because it's been such a HUGE difference - I want to keep being able to function for the next 8 1/2 weeks (or 5 if this little one takes after her sister).

Well, I'll try to do better getting posts done - but until then.... that's the update from the Blaisdell household!

Sharing Snack

This is why I never seem to get anything accomplished during the day.... Cute isn't she....
Even cuter when she says, "Mommy I sharing my snack with my friends!"

Now let me just interject here that I was in the kitchen washing dishes and Megan was sitting on the floor by the kitchen table playing and eating some goldfish. We'd been talking and giggling together. Megan had been playing with her duckie and one of her dolls. They'd been an integral part of our conversation --- but her back was to me.

Evidently, Duckie got hungry and wanted some goldfish...


Megan had been putting them in his beak (how did I not know this was happening?) and he was quacking them down. I was aware of the "quacking", just not the "eating" that was taking place simultaneously.

Then baby got hungry.... Thank goodness she didn't have a mouth big enough to get a goldfish into!

So my "2 steps forward" at trying to clean the kitchen while Megan was "occupied" was actually 2 steps backwards since not only did I not finish the dishes, I also had to sweep up the floor.... after she'd knocked half the contents of the counter off swinging around the broom trying to be oh so "helpful!"

A real girl!

(2nd post of the day - Keep reading)

I have to start this by saying, I always thought I'd be a "boys" mom... going to tee-ball games and soccer games, playing in the dirt and splashing in puddles and catching frogs and worms and such. I NEVER imagined being a girls mom. When we found out Megan was going to be a girl, I was really in shock. I mean let's be honest here - I'm not all about fashion and girly things. I love a good hockey game, murder novels, I'd pick a sci-fi movie over a romantic comedy most days. Now I do love Anne of Green Gables and Jane Austin movies and such.... but in general - "girl stuff" is just a new world for me. BUT... I love my girl (soon to be girls). Tom was thrilled beyond belief to have a girl (which shocked me a little because he's from a "boy" family and is mr. sports man). And now, as Megan turns 2 1/2 (yesterday was her 1/2 birthday) I am completely engrossed in a little girls world. Baby dolls, art, tea parties in our little kitchen, etc... It's a wonderful unexpected world (which does also include trains and lego's and such). I'm learning to make bows, sew her cute clothes, teach her to cook fun things, etc...

Today - we entered a new world of being a girls mom... It was soooo fun and just made my heart smile sooooo big! I think I was beaming all day from sheer joy of watching my little girl being so happy doing such a little girl thing....

Today was Megan's first dance class!!!! She was sooooo excited to put on her leotard and twirly skirt.
After "leaving her" at school yesterday I wondered what her reaction would be today. On the way to class I reminded her that I'd be watching her through the window. Then she told me that I could sit in a chair and then she'd get a teddy bear....... At first I thought - what? Then I realized that she was thinking back to our trip to my niece's dance recital when we sat and chairs and watched her dance and at the end, they got dancing bears. We had to set that record straight before her heart got crushed that she didn't get a dancing bear. Let's just say that she had so much fun, that bear or no bear - she's ready to go back!

There are 7 little girls in her class and I'm so glad we signed up for this class. It's another class through our local park and rec. program - so fun!

It was hard to get a picture through the windows again. In the lower right corner (above) you'll see a yellow blog.... that's a beanbag. They had a little beanbag dance and they got to throw them in the air. Megan had seen me at the window and was dancing and throwing by the window and her beanbag went over her head and landed on the ledge by the window. All the moms outside were on the floor laughing as Megan tried to find her beanbag that never came down from the sky. It was very cute.

TWIRL!!!!!

At the end of class, the teacher gets her "stage" out and each girl has a chance to walk up on it and do a twirl and a "ta-da!" pose while everyone else claps for them. It's really sweet - then while they are up there, they get stamps - which of course is an added plus for Megan!

As Megan came running out of class exclaiming, "See Mommy, I a ballerina!" - I beamed with joy that my little girl was indeed a little ballerina girl! I love you my twirling sweetheart!

Pick-up Update

Happy 1/2 Birthday sweetheart!

Megan is officially 2 1/2.... Hard to belive we are on our way to 3. Megan was a happy girl when I picked her up yesterday. She said it was "good" and actually knew the names of a couple of the boys in her class.... should I be concerned that she knew some of the boys but not the girls. Huuummmmm. Her teachers said she cried for about 5 minutes when she realized I had left but recovered quickly. Then they asked me if she liked to sing... Oh yeah - my baby sings her heart out all the time. Well evidently school was no different - she sang all day long. So precious.
The kiddos were playing in the sand at pick up time so it all went smoothly. I was asking Megan all about her day and at naptime she looked at me and said, "mommy left me." Oh my. My heart was breaking. Then she said, "Don't do that again. Next time you stay and play with me." But she wasn't upset. Hopefully after talking about it all last night and today she won't freak out tomorrow when mommy leaves again.

On a sad note.... In my blog list on the side I've had a CaringBridge site on there for Tom's boss - Lorna White. Yesterday Lorna passed away from her battle with Cancer. It made it a very emotional day - Megan turning 2 1/2, Megan starting school, feeling a bit abandoned by mommy, and then losing a sweet and dear friend to Cancer. Please pray for Lorna's family and friends as they grieve for this wonderful woman!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

... it's off to school we go!

Today is Megan's first day at "school." It's not something I had planned on happening so soon, but over the past 2 1/2 years I've come to realize that my plans aren't always the best. Life just happens, and you roll with the punches and find a new plan.

So this morning, the little miss headed off for her 2 year old class. We had a hard time getting a picture but finally with a little help from Snowball, we got one. It's so funny to see her with her big girl backpack - it's half her size. Once we got to school, Megan just walked on in and we headed to the potty.... She decided she needed to go (and she already loves their little potty) and literally took herself to the potty. She hung her backpack up and then she headed off to play with the dollies (her class is mostly boys). She never looked back, and one of her teachers headed over to keep her occupied as I slipped out.

Walking across the parking lot I really struggled to not burst into tears. I don't know if it was that my big girl just up went to the potty alone, that she looked so big with her backpack, that she was so happy playing and never looked back to see where I was, if this was just the beginning of years of her growing in her independence... or perhaps it was the raging pregnancy hormones! :^) Whatever it was - I was able to choke at least 1/2 the tears back. Now I'm about to head back over there to pick my little darling up.

I can't wait to hear about her day!

Happy Birthday Granddad!

Happy Belated Birthday Granddad.... better late than never, right?!?!?!
And when you are surrounded by these cute grandkids - it has to be a good birthday! After the photo op they all had to get in on the candle blowing fun.The Birthday celebrating crew: Anna, Granddad, Megan, Daniel, Justin

Funny Face

This morning, Megan and I were headed out and from the back seat I hear...
"Mommy, Mommy, look at my funny face!" and then I hear lots of giggling. So I look in the rearview mirror and this is what I see...
This weekend we had gone to a party and on the way out, they gave out clown noses (Thanks Christina). Megan's nose has been in the car and she found it and decided to give it a try. And of course, with Snowball on her head - you just had to laugh.

After my Bible Study, we headed over to Natalie's office. Megan was my official cheerleader and "helper" as she helped me through getting my flu shot. In reality, it has made me very very very nervous about her next Dr visit that includes shots... when she saw the needle coming at mommy, she freaked out a bit. But once she realized Mommy was ok, and once her Natalie made her a glove person, she was just fine!So, mommy's flu shot is done... now one for Daddy and Megan. And then we all get our round of the H1N1 vacinne at some point, and then Mommy and Daddy still have to get the pertussis shot. Gee Wiz - I hate shots.... 1 down, 3 to go.