pictures!

Here is Penny last month...she was almost sitting up.

And below, here she is this month.  Sitting up like a champ!

Macie has started loving the photo shoots because she gets to get in Penny's bed (which was her bed, she just doesn't remember it!)

 

And no, Macie is not biting Penny's head here, she's just giving her an open mouth kiss.  Nana has done a good job of buying lots of matching outfits, but it's been so hot I haven't had a chance to wear some of the outfits.  I loved this cupcake dress on Macie last winter, and while it still fits, you'll notice the tights are a must have accessory.  She is a tall girl!  Penny isn't so small either, we'll find out her 6 month stats on Friday's dr. appt.

And below is my little cutie feeding her doll 'Coco'.  I spared you the picture of her nursing the doll, but think the boppy and bottles are pretty cute.  What fun it is to have a 'little mommy' around the house.

Having two is wonderful, if not crazy.  Last Friday I thought, 'I could totally have another one!'  The very next day I thought, 'I would be crazy to have another one!'.  So only the Lord knows what will be in store for my family, but I am 'trying' not to take a single day for granted.  These girls are such gifts, and the responsibility of training up children in the ways of the Lord is sometimes harder than I could imagine, but overall, it's an experience I wouldn't trade for anything (not even a luxurious bath or a trip to the bathroom all by myself!).

Lisa Whelchel

When I heard the news that former 'Facts of Life' star Lisa Whelchel was divorced, my heart was really heavy.  She came and spoke at our church just about 2 years ago.  I read one of her books, 'The Facts of Life and Other Lessons my Father Taught Me'.  It was such a great little read about some of the high and low points of her life.  By no means did I think that she was perfect.  By no means did I think that she doesn't sin.  But knowing that public figures are just as fallable as the rest of our makes me scared. 
Ladies, this thing called marriage is tough.  And most of the blogs I read (not all, just most) are women that had a hard time becoming pregnant.  And then most of us have gotten what we wanted, a beautiful child (or more often than not, children).  And there is something SO WONDERFUL about being a mother.
But I'm convicted to exhort all of us not to forget our husbands. 
I have no idea why they divorced.  I don't know who incited the paper work, I don't know the details.  Despite the title, this post is not about Lisa.  This post is about us.  It's about our marriages.  When we think that divorce only happens to other people, we might be missing the log in our own eye in order to point out the spec in someone else's.  It's SO easy to get caught up in the business of being mommy's, that we forget, we were wives first.  We used to stay up late in order to talk (and make out!) with our fiances and boyfriends.  Now, if your marriage is anything like mine, I am the first to go to bed and we (er, I) have a strict 'no funny business' after 10pm rule, because I'm just.so.tired. (please, someone give me an Amen on this one).  I need to remember my husband.  My boyfriend.  Even though we're married, it doesn't mean I can't still think of him as my boyfriend.  I think men get that lecture a lot, treating us like a girlfriend, not a wife.  I'm going to take a few extra minutes and opportunities this week to make sure my dear husband knows that I chose him first and I will continue to choose him! 

New Schedule

Things I don't want to forget (in case there is a next time!).

On Thursday I switched Penelope's feeding and napping schedule.  Formerly she was eating 5 times a day, every three hours, and would mostly eat, play, sleep, repeat.  Some times she wouldn't nap, and then the next session she would.  I would ALWAYS wake her up to eat, regardless of how recently she fell asleep (I realized that for me, this was the best way to keep her aware of her days vs. nights, and not to sleep for hours and hours during the day and then be up all night).
But every three hours has passed us.  The weird thing is, I can't seem to recollect how I fed Macie or what her feeding/nap schedule was at this age, so that's why right now, I'm making a record of it here. 
Penelope is waking up between 7:30 and 8.  She gets a bottle of pumped breastmilk as soon as she wakes up, and then when Macie is up, we all eat breakfast at the same time.  Penny is having 1/4 cereal (rice and oatmeal so far) with formula mixed in.
Then, at noon (Penny generally naps from 9:30 to 11, give or take), Penny has another bottle/breastfeed. (love my work schedule that I'm home to feed the girls!!!).  Usually I'm supplimenting 4 ounces, but she is a very slow eater.  I mean, that 3-4 ounces can take an entire hour to get her to eat it.  Then around 12:30 (hopefully we're finished with her bottle by then) we sit at the table and have lunch with Macie.  Penny has so far had squash 2 days and sweet potatoes one day.  She enjoyed the squash much more than the sweet potatoes.  Every 2-3 days I'm adding a new food.  Then comes the glorious part...They Both Nap at the Same Time!  Seriously!  from about 1-3, I have 2 whole hours with which to do what I choose.  One day I cleaned the car, the next day I took a nap also!  I can only hope this continues.  What a feat!
At 4, Penny has another bottle, followed by more cereal at dinner, then her nighttime bottle at 8.

We're only on day 4 of this schedule, but it feels right.  I'm hoping we can stick with this for a while. 

A little help please?

Penelope, here is what you're doing right now! (actually, you're napping, that's why momma has the time to write this post).  Yesterday is the day you decided to be able to sit up on your own.  Yes, you still topple over after a while, but we were at Daddy's football game and I left to throw something away (while still watching you of course) and when I came back you were all like, 'what, I've been sitting forever.  Why is 10 minutes of sitting such a big deal?  Don't you know I'm not a baby anymore?'. 
Then, last night you were alseep in your carseat by the time you got home and I put you in your crib without a swaddle.  You went right to sleep.  So I figured, hey, first day to sit up, first day without a swaddle. 
THEN, after about an hour...you woke up and cried for 2 hours straight, from about 11PM to 1AM.  Um, that was not my favorite moment.  So tonight, yes, you will be swaddled.
I'm thinking you're teething.  No teeth yet, and you have a little bump on your bottom gums, but...no teeth yet.  You are drolling, have a runny nose and everything goes to your mouth. 
And you are eating cereal!  You really do like it, and are already trying to feed it to yourself.
But here is my problem blog world, I need your help.  What should her feeding schedule be?  I can't seem to find if I wrote it down on this blog, how many time a day should I give her the bottle, and when should I give her food?  Right now she's just eating cereal once, maybe twice a day, and 5 bottles of 3-6 ounces after breastfeeding.  Um...I don't remember how much and when she should be eating.
If you have little ones eating any kind of solid food and still on the bottle, could you leave me a comment with your feeding sched.?  I'm a little out of sorts.

Okay, and I've also lost 15 pounds, 20 more to go...but I don't seem to have any motivation to continue.  Any tips?  I want a tortilla so badly right now!  Talk me down!  Tell me to lose the baby weight!