where have I been?

I have this little saying that I say when I sit down at my computer- "I need to make money before I spend it"...so I seem to have work stuff to do rather than blogging...esp. because my time is more and more limited with my 9 1/2 month old who hates it when I stare at the screen instead of her and who is also sleeping less and less nowadays. Ahh...being a working mom! So I have to catch up with all I missed! Here is a pic post (that took me over 48 hours!!! see what I mean?) about the last month of my life. Then I can post meaty things again...

Gwyn loves the sandbox-don't worry we have a CatScram to keep out the cats...but I think she eats more than she digs.

Agatha and I have taken to tea for Snacktime. It is so fun.

We went to Disneyland with the Foors. They are so easy to be with. I love them!

We are getting involved in the Grove Homeschool Group. What a wonderful group of women and kids! Aggie and I have made new friends and connected with old ones. I am so excited to connect with families that will be around when our other friends go off to school all day.

I made name cookies for the preschool class party. Not exactly sugar free (nice job with the rules Room Mom)-but I felt like SuperMom in my daughter's eyes.

Adam and I ran together in a 5K. Not an impressive time-35:10-but we ran with no real stops. I loved running beside my hubby!

And we ran a 1K with Aggie. She was amazing and I think sucked up the time with just Mom and Dad. Gammy was with Gwyn-thanks Mom!

My mom got her own place. I miss having her around daily and so do my girls. It is a great next stage for all of us, but we are all excited when she drops by to borrow the clothesline.

We met Baby Audrey Rodriguez. A little ball of blessing. They are quite a beautiful, new little family and making great, concious parenting decisions!

Mike helped me get Adam into a sling. Gwyn loves them and though he uses other baby wearing carriers well, he neverfelt comfy in these. Yay!!! Isn;t he a cute Daddy?

We have been outdoors with the beautiful weather, hanging clothes and swinging. Gwyn has gotten so she expects it...pointing and grunting if it does not come!

Date night with just Agatha! It was amazingly easy with just a 4 1/2 old! Whew-life is different with two and a baby. I felt like I was missing an arm half the night! (And I carried a purse instead of a diaper bag!)

We attended a ChuckECheese party! That place overwhelms me-and my quiet little Gwyn. She lost it at one point and would not come out of the sling. Aggie (the extrovert) had a blast, but did comment that it was loud. We have such a quiet life.

All in all, life has found a bigger kid rhythm. The girls are playing together a bit more. Gwyn is crawling up on things and standing. She wants to walk with our hands everywhere. She is showing interest in the potty so we are experiementing-with great success. I think her love language is Words of Praise-cause she will pee and/or poop everytime for a clap and a YEY!...She has pooped almost everyday for a couple weeks! We are getting out more and getting more schoolwork done. Agatha is maturing so much I see the changes daily. Kids are so beautiful. I love being a Mommy. God gave me the most precious girls. They make me smile.

I love my Peanut Shell Sling

I have a new favorite baby carrier. I have used an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder (a good starter sling), maya wrap (a good adjustable ring sling), sloomb UV beach sling, baby Bjorn around the house (but too many buckles for out), a moby wrap (great for GERD and nursing with an infant-so secure but a bear to learn to wrap) and now a Peanut Shell pouch sling. Now, I have used others, but I have not liked them (New Native Pouch, other two sided adjustable ring slings, ergo backpack carrier...how much have I spent on baby carriers?-I must believe in it). This Peanut shell is my new favorite. It is so easy now that my little girl is old enough to sit on my hip. She just slips in, no adjustments needed. She slept in there, nursed in there, rode in there. She was comfy and so was I-for 6 hours. No back pain-really (cause I went to a boutique and got fitted). Good job Peanut Shell. If you want to find a good carrier in So Cal, go try them on with weighted baby dolls at Kissui in Redlands. It is my favorite baby boutique-I have one of everything in there and they are so helpful. Tell me what you like and I may just buy it for your baby shower gift. I really like baby carrying and think it is so good for baby...

Gwyn, the rider

Gwyn is ultimate connoisseur of baby carriers. She loves to be in on the adult action and would rather unload the dishwasher in the Bjorn, take the clothes off the line in the Moby, vacuum in a sling than any excersaucer out there. All babies like to be worn, but with her GERD I think she does even more. She is so content, happy and observant up there. Her ultimate day would be: sleep, nurse, change a diaper, ride, nurse, sleep, bath, ride, nurse and a little more sleep. She is my little rider. But, wow-my back gets tired.

Ode to MobyWrap

I wear this wrap everyday, but today I wore my 15 lb. 3 month old for 7 hours in my MobyWrap around Disneyland...and it is awesome. Very Shiny (as they say in Firefly). My back does not hurt, and she had a great time. I am a seasoned baby wearer and have used Over the Shoulder baby holder slings, maya wrap slings, new native pouches, baby bjorn front packs...and this takes the prize (though I still have and use the others on occasion). I don't leave home without this one-and the best part is that Adam wears it too!