Thirteen!

Ginger is thirteen! Thirteen months, that is!

Since this blog is her baby book (and Paprika's, too)- I have to list all her milestones and achievements this month. Please indulge me...

Ginger, this past month has been a big one for you! Here is a little list I just made up of everything going on with you now:

Biggest Milestone: Walking! You still prefer to crawl (because it's faster), but you are taking more and more steps on your own every day. Your favorite thing to do is to hold on to Paprika when she's walking (which she sometimes loves).

Teeth: You have eight, with two more on the way. You have a really hard time with your teeth coming in, and it's no fun. (For any of us!) Haha.

Favorite Foods: Anything on someone else's plate. Seriously! You definitely want what you can't have...you are a big food moocher!

Favorite Toys: All electronic gadgets, cell phones, car keys, glasses...basically, anything you can't have. Am I sensing a pattern here?

Sleeping: While other parents talk about getting their kids to sleep through the night, I am trying to get you to sleep through the half-hour. You love to sleep when I am holding you and you are attached to me (nursing)- but otherwise, not so much! I am considering changing my name to Nuk.

Favorite Games: You love playing Ring-Around-The-Rosie with Paprika, and you fall down and laugh at the end. You and Paprika are quite the pair and are starting to play together a lot, which makes my heart smile.

Favorite Activity: You love being outside and you squeal with delight when I ask you if you want to go outside. At the end of the day, you are happiest when you are covered in mud, sand, and water.

Favorite Animal: You love all animals, especially dogs. When you see a dog, you go nuts! You love dogs so much, and are fascinated by them. Big dogs, little dogs...all dogs!

Favorite Words: You say "mama" and "dada" a lot. You also say other, kinda random words like: water. Even without words, you are able to let us know what you want very well, and you have a loud, booming voice that gets attention!

Favorite Music: You love all music, but especially loud music with a strong beat. You love to dance, and you get soooo happy when music comes on. I've started playing music around the house just for you, and you are always so excited whenever music is playing. You love to dance, especially if someone is dancing with you! Last week, we took you to a concert at the park, and you couldn't get enough of it!

Little Things You Do: You clap, point, and blow kisses. You love to do everything yourself. You want to brush your own teeth, hold your own cup, feed yourself with your own spoon. You love to climb...and can do so very quickly. You want to stand on Paprika's stepstools, and climb inside baskets and toy boxes.

Thirteen months since you were born, and not a moment goes by that I take for granted. You are a magical, amazing, beautiful baby. I am so excited and happy to be your mom. I feel like the luckiest lady in the world getting to watch you grow up. Every night when I rock you to sleep, I cry because I realize just how precious you are and how this time we have together is fleeting. I am so proud of you, and I love you with my whole heart. You are an amazing person, and every day...every moment...I get to be in your life is a complete joy.

Growin' Up!

Ginger loves drawing and painting now. She takes Paprika's crayons and paper, and draws her own little masterpieces. I am saving them ALL, of course! They are amazing to me because she started doing this all on her own. I guess she learns a lot from watching her big sis. It seems like she wants to do everything Paprika is doing, and then some!

In other news...yesterday (July 13th), Ginger started WALKING. Yep, walking. Three steps yesterday. Mr. Mustard, Paprika, and I were all there to see her very first steps, which was pretty awesome. She was so proud of herself. Today she took four steps. We are so proud of her. It all just confirms what we already know...this baby stage won't be around long, so we are going to savor every moment of it!

Big Changes!

Ginger is going through so many changes lately. I want to remember everything...so here goes!

She is starting to talk a little, and is especially good at non-verbal communication (pointing, clapping, shaking head yes and no). She loves to point at exactly what she wants and never gives up even when I won't give things to her. Her top things she wants are: my cell phone, my purse, and anything I am drinking or eating. She is really fast at crawling, and is cruising, but not quite walking yet. Soon.

Her favorite thing to say is "Uh-oh!" She thinks it's the funniest thing to say. We think so, too!

She wants all of Paprika's toys, and gets really upset when someone takes a toy away from her. She's like, "Hey, wait just a minute! That was mine!" I guess that's our little dose of sibling rivarly, although most of the time (99.9% of the time) Paprika is really really good about sharing her toys with Ginger.

Ginger loves being outside. If you open the door, she will crawl as fast as she can outside. It doesn't matter how dirty or muddy or gross the ground is- she wants to be in the middle of it.

She loves bathtime...especially if she gets to take a bath with her big sister.

All of a sudden, she has seven (almost eight) teeth. A month ago she had, what...one tooth? Teething has been so hard on her...and hard on me (she is still nursing 24/7). She is trying it figure out how to use those teeth, and I can imagine it will be a little bit of a learning curve for her!

She is starting to enjoy little bits of food here and there, and it's fun to watch her try new things (like the spicy guacamole she just HAD to try the other night).

We have noticed that Ginger is especially strong in her ability to figure things out and navigate herself through the world. Spatial relationship type stuff. For example, she taught herself how to climb up and down our little flight of stairs the right way without ever tumbling over. She can crawl down from the mattress, open the door, navigate through tight corners, find alternate routes of getting around when presented with obstacles...stuff like that.

There is just so much going on in her head, and I can't wait for her to tell me all about it. Until then, I am enjoying her words and all the non-verbal ways she tells us who she is, what she wants, and all the love she has to give.

She is such a gift and it goes without saying, I am so grateful to be her mommy!

11 Months!

On Tuesday, Ginger turned 11 months old. This past month has been filled with little and big milestones for her, and it is amazing to watch her grow right before our eyes.

She now has two teeth (the second one came in about a week ago), with many more starting to crop out. Just a few minutes ago, I saw that her two top teeth, as well as a third tooth on the bottom, are starting to poke through!

This past month has been pretty rough as far as sleeping goes. I finally decided to stop worrying about laying her down for a nap or getting her to take one, even, since it was such a struggle and was just ending in tears for us both.

I've never been one who could let my child cry...I just don't have it in me. Earlier this month, I would try to lay her down for her nap, and instantly, she would wake up and start crying. A few times (two or three?), I soothed her and then left the room, hoping she would fall asleep on her own...but that never happened. Her cries would escalate over the few minutes I was gone, and all I was hearing in her cries were, "Why did you leave me? Why won't you pick me up? Where are you? What did I do wrong to make you leave?"...so obviously, that was distressing to me, as well.

I'm not judging anyone who does let their child "cry it out," by the way. The number one thing I've learned as a parent is that everyone has their own way of doing things, and you just can never understand why a parent does this or that unless you've walked a mile in their shoes.

Anyhoo- now Ginger takes her naps in the Ergo during the day when I'm holding/nursing her. She used to fall asleep in the Ergo, and then I would lay her down- but that ended last month, as whenever I lay her down now after her falling asleep in the Ergo, she wakes right back up and is mad, crying, and generally upset.

But as long as I'm carrying her in the Ergo, she takes her little nap...and we are both happy. It is working for us at the moment. Of course, just when you figure something out with motherhood, it all changes...but it's working for now, and offers us a lot of closeness.

During the nighttime, Ginger goes to bed around midnight and sleeps for a few hours (three or sometimes four) until she wakes up and then I go in and hold her/nurse her until the morning (between 7 and 9am). Because of her position when she sleeps (on the Boppy), I sleep sitting up- which I know sounds difficult, but I have to say that after 11 months of sleeping sitting up, I actually have grown quite used to it and know that while it won't last forever, there will be days when I'll miss sleeping sitting up because it will mean she'll be growing up.

Ginger's personality is really starting to emerge, and she is very clear about what she wants and doesn't want- what she likes and what she dislikes. She loves being outside. She loves "people food" (not babyfood). She wants to do whatever Paprika is doing. She loves other babies. She loves smiling and then being shy and looking away. She claps when she's excited, and loves to wave hi and bye. She is into everything!

She can say "mama", "dada", "duck"- and probably a lot of other words that I'm not quite hearing yet. She babbles constantly and squeals with fervor. She is very happy as long as she is close to me. It's a big bonus if Paprika or Daddy are closeby.

She doesn't like being separated from me, or sitting in the carseat (because she can't see me). She does not like teething - and it has been much more painful for her than it was for Paprika, whose teeth came relatively easily. I have always thought that Paprika had a really high pain threshold because she falls and never acts hurt, and she teethed and never batted an eyelash. So, watching a child in pain from teething (while normal) is a relatively new phenomenon for me.

Ginger is almost to the point of standing unassisted. She can crawl really fast, and can cruise really fast...and will probably walk in a month or two. She can climb up the stairs, but I'm not sure if she can climb down them yet (as I haven't given her that opportunity). She puts everything in her mouth- and so I have to watch her constantly (I do anyway)- because she does not discern between food and playdoh, for example...

I can't believe that in a few weeks we'll be celebrating her first birthday. What a wild ride this past year has been. The biggest thing I've learned is that as much as I love Ginger...she also loves me. As much as I need her, she needs me. I hoped and wished and waited and wanted her for so long, and she is a dream come true for us. I love her so much, and each day that love somehow magically expands. She is a treasure and I'm so grateful for this 11 months (20 months including in utero time) with her. Love her so. Happy 11 Months, Ginger-Bear!

Yummy Yummy Food!

Tomorrow Ginger turns 11 months old. Where has this year gone? It really has flown by so very quickly. I find myself wanting to savor every second, every milestone...every breath...every bite!



From the very start, Ginger has been so different from Paprika. Even though they look so much alike, they are different in so many ways- and they are similar in other ways, too. It's been so fun watching Ginger grow and show me her personality this past year. She is such a joy and brings so much light and happiness to our home. Truly, she is a gift!



Ginger loves to eat food now. LOVES it. She will eat pretty much anything I put in front of her, and even some things I don't put in front of her! Haha. She's still nursing a lot, but she definitely loves to try new tastes.

Paprika, on the other hand, never has cared for food. She got by on nursing until she was almost two, and after that, she switched to chocolate milk. She would NOT drink plain milk and I was done with nursing after we lost Vivian and Annemarie (my stay in the hospital ended my nursing relationship with Paprika)...so we tried chocolate milk and it worked. It's organic milk with organic dark chocolate, in case anyone's interested! ;-)

It's been so hard to get Paprika to try any new food...really hard. One time I tried to bribe her by telling her that I'd take her to meet everyone at DWTS if she'd eat a turkey sandwich (she's never had one). She said "No" - even though it's her favorite show! (Okay, it's the only tv show she gets to watch- but she still loves it!)

I've been really careful not to turn food into a power struggle, and I love that Paprika knows when she's full and eats only when she's hungry. So, I haven't wanted to mess with her eating too much.

But it's just funny. I never got to feed Paprika baby food because she would not eat it. Period. But Ginger's like..."Okay, let's have some baby food. Let's have some hummus. Let's have a cold piece of bread. Let's have...you name it!"



I see so much of myself in Paprika's food choices. I would not eat ice cream until I was 13 years old...hated it (even though I'd never tried it). I didn't eat mayonnaise or mustard or ketchup or pickles for the longest time. Just stuff like that. So, I get her.

But sometimes she just cracks me up. Earlier today I got her to eat some mini blueberry muffins from TJ's. But she will ONLY eat the tops of the muffins. I asked her why and she said, "I don't know. I just like the tops."

So, that's why we have a tray of muffin bottoms sitting in our pantry at the moment! Of course, if I showed them to Ginger, they'd be gone! Haha! But I wouldn't do that to Ginger - she can have her very own muffins with tops! :-)

Happy 10 Months!

Dear Ginger,

So much has happened in your life in the past month.

You got your first tooth. You started eating baby food! You love pureed sweet potatoes and pears. You do not like peas! You love your biter biscuits and your wagon wheels.

You can move from laying down to sitting up. You can pull yourself up to standing! You can stand for a long time holding on to something, but you're not quite ready to cruise yet. You are a really fast crawler, and you can climb the stairs (mostly, you get stuck on that last step)!



You love to laugh. You love your daddy, and your big sister. You love your mommy, too! You love to swing on our swingset! You love to smile and giggle and laugh some more!

When we went to Disneyland last week, you didn't like the car ride home at all. You kept saying "mama, mama, mama!!!" because you wanted me to scoop you up instead of ride in your carseat. As long as mommy is holding you, everything is alright!



You are into everything, and you love exploring. You are babbling like there is no tomorrow.

But you still love to snuggle your mommy more than anything. You still want to be held all night long. You fall asleep in the Ergo and I can only lay you down if you're really really asleep. Otherwise, you get so mad! How could mommy think about laying you down in your crib?! You will sometimes take a nap in your crib, but at night you want to be held all night long. You are a snuggler!

You quit your pacifier this month. You want nothing to do with pacifiers anymore. But you want everything to do with nursing...all the time...even when we're out and about in public.

Happy 10 Months, Ginger! I am so glad that you came into our lives! You bring so much sunshine and joy into our family. You mean more to us than you'll ever know! We love you so so so so very much and we always will!

Love,
Mommy

Easter, Standing, and Tooth!

Yesterday was Easter and I'm not going to lie, it was not the best Easter ever. Mr. Mustard had to work and I was home by myself with the kids. I had planned to go to a church in our new neighborhood in the morning, but Paprika slept in late and I was worried she was coming down with something, so I didn't want to get her up- and of course, I wasn't going to take her to a new church (or any church for that matter) and have her around other kids if she was feeling sick.

We had planned on doing an egg hunt and baskets before Mr. Mustard went to work- but then Paprika slept in late, and again...I didn't want to wake her, so we skipped that.

By the time she woke up, she was feeling fine...but church was done and Mr. Mustard was at work. Paprika wanted to know if the Easter bunny had left her eggs to find in the backyard. I had to tell her that the Easter Bunny wasn't coming until Wednesday (Mr. Mustard's day off)- because I didn't want to do the egg hunt and baskets without him there.

I felt like the worst mommy ever. I know, I know...she won't know the difference between Easter Sunday and this Wednesday, but still I felt pretty bad about it.



Ginger was being fussy, and she's into everything...and I was just feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes it's just a lot to handle with family so far away. I did get to talk with my mom's side of the family in Indiana on the phone- they had a big Easter lunch, and it was so great and refreshing to chat with them.

Everyone in my neighborhood was having their extended families over for Easter, and I could smell their barbeques going in the backyard, and hear them laughing...and there I was wiping butts and averting disaster by myself all day long. I am embarrassed to say, I was feeling very sorry for myself.

So, it was basically a big ole' pity party until I thought about what Easter is really all about and why we even celebrate it in the first place...and how much pain and suffering Jesus went through on the cross- for each and every one of us. And so, you know...that kind of put things in perspective. ;-)

I also thought about how much I have to be grateful for and how incredibly wonderful it was that I got to spend the day with Paprika and Ginger...how lucky I am to have them and to have the life I have. I also thought about the promise of the afterlife and how I hope to see Vivian and Annemarie in Heaven.

Pity party ended.

It doesn't really matter how alone we are or how alone we feel- the real message of Easter is that none of us are alone, and we are all loved and cherished by our Heavenly Father.

Needless to say, next year I will be planning better and won't be spending Easter (or any holiday for that matter) alone again if I can help it.

Mr. Mustard got home late, and we treated ourselves to take-out...Thai food- which was very un-Easter-like. But by the time he got home, that was all that was available, and I was not in the mood to cook! :-)



It turns out, Ginger was fussy for good reason. This morning I saw that the tiniest bud of a tooth had popped through her bottom gum- her very first tooth. I guess that money I've been saving for her dental implants can be put to use elsewhere... ;-)

Today she also went from being a kneeling baby to an almost-exclusively standing baby. Standing is now her favorite thing to do. She gets frustrated because she wants to walk- but she can't yet! I am fine with her just standing. A tooth and standing up...all in one day. A pretty big day, if you ask me!

Happy April!

I can't believe it's already April. We've been at our new house a month now! I can hardly believe it.

Ginger is now almost 9 1/2 months old. She has started doing so many new things in the past month. She can say Mama and Dada. She can sign Milk and Yes.

She is super mobile and can lift herself to standing (or more often, half-way to standing) if she hangs on to something (like the edge of a chair).

She is eating baby food! I can hardly believe it. Over the past few weeks, she's become much more receptive. She is still eating "Stage 1" (Earth's Best Organic), which is for babies 4 months and up. I am nervous to try anything more chunky til she gets a better hang of things. She is also starting Biter Biscuits, which she loves. I give those to her when we're having dinner so that she feels included. I can tell she really likes feeling included. Otherwise, she gets frustrated that she's not eating like the rest of us. Other than her few tastes of food, she's still nursing pretty much 24/7. Her favorite place to be is still in the Ergo, facing me (where she is at the moment, actually!)



Paprika is at a wonderful age. Is there any age more magical than 3 1/2? I love all ages, of course. There is just something so special about her current age - she loves to learn anything and everything, the world is so magical to her, she is full of 100% love for her sister, her family, and everyone she meets. I would like to bottle age 3 1/2 and pass it around the world, thank you very much!



Paprika had her last day at her preschool a few weeks ago. Since we moved to the other side of Los Angeles, it's just not practical for her to go there anymore (it would be about 1 1/2 hours in traffic). I was so sad to say goodbye, because I had so many wonderful memories of the school and her dear teachers. Paprika learned so much there and it was such a positive experience, I was really worried that Paprika would miss it terribly.

Well, it turns out that I miss it much more than she does! I had feared that she'd have this huge separation anxiety and be terribly upset about it. But nope! When we moved, I offered to drive her every day to school and she said no, she wanted to stay home. In fact, she's become a homebody since we moved- very content to just be here.

I have wanted to get her involved in playdates with Mom's organizations near our new house, but the times that they meet for Paprika's age group are always right during Ginger's naptime. And if Ginger misses that afternoon nap, it's no fun for any of us!

I've been looking into classes for Paprika. Maybe some art classes? We stopped going to ballet because of the mean teacher (and we moved away anyway). There's also the possibility of finding her a new preschool...but I'm not in any rush. I am really enjoying this time at home with her, and she seems to love being here at home. She knows her alphabet, can count, add, subtract, and spell/write Mommy, Daddy, Paprika, Ginger, Grandma, Ann (her Godmother's name), and just started spelling the name of her best friend. So, I think academically she's doing fine for a 3 1/2 year old!

To make up for the social stuff, we have been getting out to see friends from time to time. Now that we moved, it's much more of a drive, but it's worth it! Recently, we went to see Devon and her two daughters. We all had a wonderful time. Sweet Pea is getting so big and active- it's so wonderful seeing her thriving!



The girls had a great time playing together...even the littlest two! Sweet Pea is quickly catching up with Ginger. Before long, she might overtake her!



So, that's what we're up to. It's amazing how fast Ginger and Paprika are growing up. I want to stop and take in every second of it. It's an amazing time- one I don't want to forget or take a second of it for granted. Even just the simple, little moments are the best. I know that. I don't want to miss a moment of it- it's just too sweet for words!

3.5

Today is Paprika's half birthday. She is 3 1/2 years old today. Time is flying, so fast, so fast, so fast.

We moved back into our townhouse here when she was 7 months old, Ginger's age. This is the only place she's ever known.



Everyone has been asking me for a year if Paprika is 4 or 5. Then, when I say 3 or "almost three"- they would say, "No, surely she's at least 3 1/2!"

Well, now she really is 3 1/2. My big girl.



Paprika loves cooking, or "making" - that's what she likes to call it.

She is starting to read now, a development of the last two months. She can pick up books and sound out the words. The first word she ever read for real was "Baby" from the front of a Baby Signs book.



As I've mentioned before, she is a wonderful big sister to Ginger. She is so protective of her. A few weeks ago, we were at the park and a stranger came up to Ginger's stroller to admire her. Paprika ran over and pushed the stroller out of the way, and said, "Don't you touch my baby sister!"

When she's at preschool and I pick her up (with Ginger in tow), Paprika always wants to show Ginger off. "Hey everyone, look at my baby sister!"

She is impossibly beautiful on the inside and out (most importantly, the inside) and I am so grateful that I get the chance to raise this amazing person. She is just the light of my life- (well, one of the lights of my life)- my first baby, as she will always be.

3 Years, 4 Months

As this blog is Paprika's sole baby book (Ginger's, too)- I feel the need to update with the milestones and "what's happening now" with regards to how they are growing up...even if it is only of interest to her grandparents, her great grandparents, me, and her 25 years from now!

At three years, four months, Paprika is doing a lot of things that I don't want to forget.

When we were at Ginger's 6 month check-up last week, Mr. Mustard started writing a few words on the DoodlePro they had there in the office. He would say to her, "Paprika- what's this word?" And of course he didn't think she would know, but she did. She got them all right. The words were: Paprika, Mommy, Daddy, Ginger.

He asked her, "How do you spell Mom?" And she said, "M-O-M." Same for the others. I did make up a song about all of our names, which is probably how she knows. She can also spell words like "D-I-S-N-E-Y-L-A-N-D" and "P-L-A-Y-G-R-O-U-N-D"...you know, the words we spell out when we are still deciding whether or not we want to take Paprika somewhere. Now we are finding new "code" words for places...but I am sure she'll figure those words out soon enough.

The other thing is that she can identify all the letters of the alphabet and knows all the sounds associated with each letter (A spells "Ahhh", B spells "Baaaa", and so forth).

She is now understanding mathematical concepts a bit more. So, if I say to her, "We have five apples and we take away two, how many do we have now?" She can answer "Three!"

She is immensely fun to be around, and is gaining a whole new sort of maturity. She can be reasoned with mostly...if given the options between two choices, she can make up her mind and she knows what she wants.

She still is super-headstrong and wants her way. If we are out in public and she doesn't want to leave, she will run away as fast as she can and hide. This happened recently at the Children's Museum and The Farmer's Market. She will wait until you turn your head for a split-second and then bolt. When I ran after her and found her at The Children's Museum, she folded her arms and said, "I will stay here, Mommy. You go home!" Despite getting down on her level and talking things out, those situations still usually end in me carrying her out kicking and screaming.

Usually that kind of stuff can be avoided as long as she is getting enough sleep...but since she cut out all napping over a year ago and can't be persuaded to nap for anything, sometimes she is more tired than others. So now I try not to overschedule ourselves or be out past her bedtime...because as long as Paprika is well-rested, she is really the sweetest, easiest little girl to be around.

Paprika really relishes her role as a big sister, and is immensely generous to all those around her. Yesterday when I took her to Trader Joe's she asked me unprompted, "Mom, can I get a Christmas present for Baby Ginger?" I said, "What kind of Christmas present do you want to get Ginger?" And she said..."A BIG present!" That's how she is. Everything that is Paprika's is Ginger's, and I think she would sleep next to her in the same bed if I'd let her (I don't). It's been great these past six months watching Paprika fawn over someone we love so much- I was never super worried we'd have jealousy issues, but it's nice not having them, if you know what I mean.

Paprika is super imaginative. She loves playing with her stuffed animals, her dolls, her dollhouse...creating new worlds. Her world is magical and fun. Everyone is a prince or a princess...or a queen or a king in Paprika's world. Yesterday, Mr. Mustard took Paprika to see The Princess And The Frog (second time) - and when she came home, she was dancing and singing, and spent the whole night playing Princess Tiana. Even just a simple little trip to the movies gets her excited, and she can create hours of fun based around that one little experience.

So, overall- it's just a fun time of life. I am really enjoying Paprika's Threes. I know it's all pretty normal stuff that a person could take for granted. But just like Paprika, I think it's all pretty magical, and I don't want to miss a second of it and I don't want to forget a moment of it. I wish I could bottle it, really.

365 Goal!

If you look over at the blog archive on the right hand side of the screen and at the number in parentheses next to 2009, you will see that today it says 365.

Yup, this is my 365th post for this year.

I made it my goal at the beginning of 2009 to do 365 posts in a year - about one per day. For me, it was an exercise in focusing on the positive parts of my life. About enjoying motherhood and family life every day...even when I didn't feel like it because I was incredibly grief-stricken over the loss of our twins, Vivian and Annemarie.

I've heard it said that one of the surest ways to be happy is to practice happiness. Just as the surest way to be kind is to practice kindness. The truth is that after a year of focusing on all the good in our family, and all of the wonderful yummy experiences we've shared this year, I do feel a lot better about our lives and where we're headed.

I still have very hard days when I miss our twin daughters and wonder what life would be with them here. But more and more I am finding ways to live in the light and appreciate the good we have right now in our little family.

It is easy to focus on the deficits and what is wrong. But it is so much more affirming and life-changing to focus on what is right. Our lives are not always rosy-perfect, but each day I can find something to be joyful for...something to appreciate...something that fills my heart with gratitude.

If nothing else, I have accomplished my little 365 goal. And that makes me smile!

Pool Day, Milestones, and Quirks

We spent most of the afternoon at the pool. It was nice and low-key. Paprika will be excited going back to preschool on Monday, but I am really loving having her home in the mornings this week. I thought it would be "too much" for me, but it has been really manageable. I think she gets really tired at preschool, and then won't nap, which makes her really hard to handle in the afternoons. Since she's been home this week, she's been getting more rest at night (but still not napping) and not getting so worn out. It's made life easier, actually...which surprised me!



Ginger is very peaceful and sweet. She loves "talking" to us, and she is full of smiles. She is super laid back, and loves to be wherever we are. As long as she is close to me, she is very happy. She has very good neck control and can hold her head up for a few minutes at at time. She's still wobbly and gets tired after a few minutes of holding her head up, though.

Ginger can roll from side to back now, and she is so strong! Her 0-3 month pants look like capri pants, but I am having such a hard time putting those 0-3 month clothes away. I feel like she just started wearing them, so I am in denial that they could really be too small already. Mr. Mustard tells me that the longer I wait to put her in 3-6 month clothes, the less time she will get to wear those clothes. I bought this outfit for her, and she wore it for the first time the day after she was born. It was SO huge on her then, and now she is too big for it. Amazing.



Paprika has some funny three year old quirks I want to remember. The newest one is that whenever she doesn't know someone's name, she calls them "Alice." "Hey Alice, come here and play with me!" It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl- a two year old or a six year old. Everyone is "Alice." We don't even know anyone named Alice!

Paprika loves princesses...I mean, she loves them! She loves musicals, and performing more than anything else. She loves acting out skits, memorizing scenes from movies, and performing them for me. Yesterday, she put on a half hour play for me...one she memorized from one of her many Princess movies we have on dvd.

She loves to sing. But she doesn't like it when I sing (still). This has been the case since she was an infant! She likes me to sing her a song when she's falling asleep at night (Bye Bye Miss American Pie or Rockabye Baby). Other than that, if I start singing, she will get so upset and tell me to stop. But, if I sing to Ginger, she doesn't mind that at all. I think because she loves Ginger so much and knows a mommy is supposed to sing to her baby.

We are looking in to starting dance classes for Paprika. I think with all of her energy, she would really enjoy it. It would give us something to do in the long afternoons/evenings. Mr. Mustard has been working a lot again. This is his last week on Extreme Makeover Home Edition - next week he starts working on Dancing With The Stars again. He is also working on The Doctors when time permits. Needless to say, I am alone with the girls a lot and want to find fun, enriching things to do with them!

Ginger's Two Month Doctor's Visit

We just got home from Ginger's 2 month check-up. Her stats are:

Height: 24.5 inches (above 99th percentile)
Weight: 12 lbs., 6 oz. (85-90th percentile)

I asked the doctor if I should be concerned about Ginger "being so small," since Paprika weighed over 2 pounds more at this age and was an inch and a half longer. The doctor had a good laugh about that! Ginger was in the same percentile at her last appointment, so she is gaining weight at a nice, even pace.

She is off the charts for height, so it looks like we have another tall girl on our hands. A long, lean, tall girl. Defintely a supermodel or a WNBA player! Or both! ;-)

Paprika came to the appointment, too, and she was a pretty great girl. She wanted to be very helpful with the "flashlight" (the light they shine in the baby's eyes), and the doctor let her help shine the light, which Paprika thought was very neat.

Paprika made a point to tell the doctor all about her "big girl panties" and going on the potty. Thankfully, our doctor is a woman with a two year old at home, so she thought Paprika was hilarious.

Which reminds me...Paprika's preschool teachers told me a funny story last week. Apparently, during story time, Paprika stopped the class right in the middle of the story. Paprika said, "stop reading, I have something to say!" So, they said, "go on, Paprika, what do you have to tell us?" And Paprika announced in her most clear voice, "Hey Everybody, Guess What?!! I'm wearing Big Girl Panties!"

She is very proud, and so are we! :-)

I'm very thankful for a good doctor's appointment for Ginger today. She is big, growing, thriving, healthy, and just as sweet as she can be!

Paprika's Third Birthday!

We celebrated Paprika's Third Birthday yesterday! We had originally planned on taking her to Disneyland. But then I looked up the dates for the LA Unified School District and the Orange County School District, and realized that school doesn't start for them until mid-September, so the park will still be packed. We didn't want to fight crowds on a hot summer day at Disneyland. So, we are going to postpone taking Paprika for her birthday til September. She has been asking to go non-stop since we last took her in May.



So, in lieu of a big day at Disneyland, we kept it low key and simple. Paprika had a "Princess Day" with lots of princess themed party favors and presents. Princess plates, cups, wrapping paper and princess presents, of course!

Paprika is completely infatuated with everything Princess, so she was so excited about her special "Princess Day"! :-)











After opening presents and having cake, we took Paprika to her favorite restaurant...the McDonald's with the big playstructure. We got there and she didn't want to have lunch, she just wanted to play with the other kids! So, Mr. Mustard and I got to enjoy lunch while Paprika played. Ginger slept, nursed, and hung out with us.

We came home and watched The Princess and the Pauper, a DVD movie that Auntie Ann sent as part of Paprika's birthday present. The best part is that the princess in the movie is named Princess Sunshine (Ginger's middle name) and the Pauper is named Erika (spelled with a "K" even!) We got a big kick out of that!

All in all, a good birthday. Paprika told us she had a wonderful day! And that's what matters.