Another first (hopefully last!)

So Friday I just wasn't convinced Emma's "Nursemaid's Elbow" was the only cause behind her pain from her fall the other night. She would still not use her hand in certain ways and would grab her wrist area saying "ouch, mama, ouch!" quite often. So to Urgent Care we went that night. They did x-rays and sure enough.....Emma has a fractured wrist and a bulge in the ulna. Luckily no huge breaks, but close! So the doctor wanted to hard splint her so that everything can heal with no further injury. All the doctors have been amazed at how she reacts to the pain and them poking her....she has a very high pain tolerance and just gives them dirty looks when it starts to hurt. She was such a trooper through the exam and x-rays and then getting the splint on. Of course after they put on the hard cast part and wrapped in in the ace bandage I told them I was concerned she would undo the pins and unravel the cast....so they put some great pink bandage wrap over it and so far so good. Poor baby though....having a bit of a hard time figuring out how to eat, grab toys, use her fingers etc. Although, it doesn't slow her down!! We can't take it off or get it wet, which makes her fun bath times very interesting. So far she is sleeping OK with it and Angelica loves to give it kisses. The clothes situation is becoming interesting as nothing fits over the huge arm now! Amazing how things as "easy" as clothes, eating, bathing etc can become such a challenge. I have to call the pediatrician tomorrow to see what she wants to do, but the doctor said most likely do another x-ray sometime to check progress, possibly hard cast (although this is pretty much the same thing) and could possibly on for 3-4 weeks! So maybe her big TWO birthday present will be getting her arm back! I guess God just figured we could use or need a little more excitement to add to the arrival of a newborn any day! I really was hoping I wouldn't have to experience this phase of motherhood yet...but at the same time not surprised that Emma is the first!! Hopefully our little monkey girl will slow down a bit! (Ya right as this morning my mom was rescuing her from climbing the stage steps at church!)


Here is Emma sporting and modeling her new fashion accessory:

Showing it off to Big Sister (who by the way, cried for Emma when she got the cast on!):

Enjoying the tons of stickers the nurses gave her:

And everything is better with a strawberry smoothie, right?!

Sunflowers, anyone??

Hubby harvested (with Angelica's "help") last week all his sunflowers from the garden that had bloomed. As you can see, we obviously have more than we know what to do with, so anyone that has stopped by in the last week has left with some!! SO...if you are in need or want of some beautiful sunflowers, PLEASE stop by...he has even more to go pick! And to think he started these massive flowers all from seed!

Bear Bed Buddy

Thanks Aunty Megs for this big bear....I sleep with it every nap and night time. (seriously, this bear has not left her bed since she got it!!!)

Summer Plans

What will you be doing in June? I will hopefully be able to witness the birth of a niece or nephew. Yes, that's right....Caitlin and Casey are expecting Baby Sullivan we think some time that month! We are excited and it will be fun having a cousin so close. Hoping Caitlin doesn't get the horrible sick genes I got but has a non-sick pregnancy like my other sis. We will keep you posted on the news. Caitlin, keep sucking those mints, getting rest and fulfill those cravings!

Baby Hartsell Site

We did a baby website with the other two girls and really enjoyed it. It was a fun way to keep all the baby pics, updates, and information together and have people leave them messages. Usually after the first few months and baptism days, I close the site and get an archival CD made. This CD then goes into their baby books as a special keepsake. I brought them out the other day and really enjoyed reading everything and looking back at all the comments and pictures. I know they will treasure these one day as well. So.....we have set up Baby Hartsell's new site and I will keep a link to it on the sidebar. Please take a look and leave her some messages...we will keep it updated and hopefully have some big news to share soon!!
http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/home?ID=566228

New Phases of Motherhood

Well, I have been holding my breath for the scary experiences and phase of motherhood to start occurring....the one of having to deal with major injuries. Our little Emma Bemma Boo has always been an active one. Her nickname has been Monkey-Do....mostly because she does everything her big sister does but also because she is our little monkey....no fear and loves to climb. The other night we had a few errands to get done and went to the mall. The girls went to the little play place and in a matter of minutes Emma fell onto her left arm and just started screaming. There were no immediate signs of broken bones or swelling, bruising or anything. But over the next couple of hours she kept complaining about it, wouldn't use it to pick anything up or bear weight on. So of course the local Urgent Cares were all closed so I decided to wait it out until the morning. Well, she was up from 1am-5am just crying and not wanting to sleep and saying her arm hurt and wanted to go to the doctors!! So yesterday morning we went to the pediatrician who after examining her said she didn't think anything was broken or at this point needing an x-ray. She diagnosed it as Nursemaid's Elbow which I guess can be pretty common in toddlers. After a slight manipulation she thinks she fixed it. Emma did start using it more than she had been so I am hopeful that that was it! But still last night and today when I get her dressed or if she falls or certain movements, she will grab her wrist/hand area and say owie. So....while it is better and at least she can sleep etc....I may take her in to have an x-ray just to be sure nothing else is going on. Please say a prayer that it is just sore and on the mend and we are in no need of cast, sling etc.....would be an interesting time with a newborn on the way!

Ready

I have not been one to thoroughly enjoy being pregnant. Never feel like I have "that glow" or the "cute baby bump" etc. After the first trimester, I am always just excited not be so nauseated and get back to some sense of "normal" that doesn't involve craving for everything unhealthy, wanting to be close to a toilet, or dreading things like opening the refrigerator, taking in surrounding smells or just being vertical. During the second trimester, I usually have a pretty good experience but then the anxieties of getting ready, changing routines, finding clothes to fit etc all start to set in. Once I get to this third trimester and last several weeks, I AM JUST READY. I start to waddle and puff up. I get stuck on the couch and feel like I need a push to get up. This baby is so active I feel like I am getting bruised by her kicks and movements. I have horrible heartburn/acid reflux and am tired of taking Zantac. I need a step stool to wash dishes as my belly is too big to stand in front of sink and reach the faucet, I have no lap left for the other girls to enjoy and I find myself crying at silly commercials and stories. Plus the anxieties of how will labor and delivery go, will the baby be healthy etc all start to set in.

But then I remember the sweet and miraculous moment of that newborn being placed in my arms....I remember the first time I nurse them, the first smells of their sweet skin...seeing all the love and joy they bring to our family....and somehow the past nine months seem so distant and worth the journey. It is amazing as a mother how your emotions and body go through such incredible changes and then in one instant can all be put into perspective and make you want to do it all over again.....ok well maybe not that day or month....but eventually!!

So please keep prayers coming that we make it through these last couple of weeks with a positive attitude and joyful anticipation. I go Monday for my first check and hopefully things are progressing and on the move!! While I am ready for these "joys" of pregnancy to be over, I am more READY to hold this new little girl in my arms!!

My Sweet Silly Girl

Mr. Laurence

...or otherwise known as my dad or Poppy. The girls enjoyed going to see him do some of the show's songs and performances at Barnes and Noble las weekend. He has done such a good job

Happy (belated) Birthday "Old" Man!

Saturday we celebrated my hubby's big 30th Birthday! I get to tease him for at least the next 4 months until it is my turn. While he didn't really enjoy seeing the black balloons and decorations and family members showing up in black attire....he was a good sport and wore his funny hat and button and took it all in stride. Thirty always sounded so old and now that we are reaching this milestone, I think it sounds really young! Happy Birthday babe, we love you!!!

Jason and his women

The Men

Daddy's Helpers

Fresh from Hubby's Garden

....although sadly the last ones of the season probably.

Couch Cousins

Chris, Megs and Albert came in form NYC for a visit. Emma still calls Albert "baby albert" even though he is almost bigger than she is and knocks her over all the time. She loves to give him things but gets a little terrified when he attacks her. Angelica on the other hand LOVES how he chases her and grabs her face.....she just loves playing with him. We tried to get some pics of the three of them the other night at my parents house. We got some cute shots, but here are a few funny ones...gotta love how the parents help with the posing!

Thanks Mom

Mom watched all three of the grandchildren the other night while the parents went to see Little Women....and she survived! And the girls had a blast with Marmee and baby Albert. Mom took some beautiful pics, Emma is looking so big!!!

Castles

Angel is really enjoying building with blocks and yet everything she builds has to be "a big castle!"

Rag Time

The girls love to put rags in their hair and Angel loves "getting curls" as she calls it. Of course I always remember to get these cute photos of the rags in the hair, but I always forget to take the beautiful pictures the next morning of the bouncing curls....next time I promise!!!

Sleeping Beauty

Little Women

Have to give a shout-out to CSTOCK's production of the musical of Little Women. My sister Alli is playing the part of Beth and my dad is playing the part of Mr. Laurence. Last night the show received a great review from the local entertainment correspondent for the paper, check it out HERE. We took Angelica and Emma to the final dress rehearsal and they loved seeing Aunt Alli and Poppy on stage, and even more seeing and hearing them sing together in an emotional duet!!! So good!!! Looking forward to catching the show again this weekend and hope you can get a chance to go as well!! Below is the video clip of my dad and Alli's song and a couple sneak peeks!!! Enjoy and way to go Alli and Dad!!!

Preschool Beginnings

Jason and I have decided that we will most likely try to homeschool the kids. There are so many great options and curriculums out there today, as well as lots of support and fellow homeschoolers. I did Seton Home Study for my high school years and loved it and wish I had started earlier. It is funny though....Angelica is just of preschool age and will be for the next two years. So as I started my reading and research you start to get a little overwhelmed by all that is out there and doing things "perfectly"....ok, well maybe that is just me and my OCD-perfectionist nature. I have had several good friends and my mama keep telling me that I need to remember I am already doing the important things at this age.....reading lots, playing lots and forming strong, healthy and holy behaviors. I completely agree and will try very hard to keep those things in perspective....like now when I haven't done much of what was "planned" due to circumstances in life that happen and with a new baby I know I will need to be flexible. I laughed at THIS POST by Danielle Bean the other day....totally read it at a perfect time for me. So true!!!
With that said....I did get some fun programs that we will start to experiment with and use over the next two preschool years and with each child after....
The first is the Little Saints Preschool Program. I love the structure this provides as well as ALL the reading lists for the lessons and art project ideas and songs etc. We will definitely be picking and choosing what we will do this year. I have been ahead of the lessons...searching online at our library and putting the books they carry on hold. As we read them we will decide which ones we should and want to invest in buying. I went ahead and put all the art pattern packets into sheet protectors and will just copy as we use them so I can reuse them every year.
The second program is part of the Five in a Row program. I got the Before Five in a Row and there are some great ideas and twists to do with some of the favorite books out there. We already have some of them so that is good and teaches lots of different ways to interpret and gain different insights from books and stories each time you read them. Looking forward to trying some of these ideas and activities and also getting the rest of the books.
I found a really fun music program which I am so excited about, Making Music Praying Twice. This program comes with a songbook and CD for each season of the liturgical and calendar year. It teaches traditional and spiritual songs with different ways to learn and perform the music. Can be used for many years and I am excited because the songbooks have piano music which I can play as well. The girls are going to LOVE this!!!
I will have to take pictures of our new school-play-music area and post soon as well as some of the fun learning projects we have done. We hope to still do fun learning field trips and have schedules for the library and YMCA activities as well. I hope to continue celebrating our special days during the liturgical year as well, we have created different book baskets too...we have our faith and liturgical year book basket, our school curriculum book basket and then a seasonal book basket for each month. I can't wait to try some things from the Right Start Math site and the Handwriting Without Tears program....they have lots of cool tools and learning products...thinking these would be great to put on Christmas and Birthday wish lists!!!!
We will keep you posted as we begin this journey and all you homeschoolers out there....pass along any tips, advice and resources!!!

Baby Roll

Jason loves playing with his girls and they love it because he is much more fun than mama!! The other night he came up with their latest favorite game, the Baby Roll. It is so funny and they want to do it all the time.....lots of uses for big blankets!!!

Meme and Pepe Songs

Angelica and Emma miss Meme and Pepe a lot!!! They especially miss all their favorite songs that Meme and Pepe sing and teach them. So I tried to catch some of them on video....so Meme and Pepe this is for you!!! Come back soon!

Some more updates

So these past couple of months have been SO busy. Jason, as you know, went to Virginia to help with his mom and then has been working a lot at work. His day is always longer just due to his commute in Seattle anyways....but he has worked some long days and weekends! He is hoping to maybe take some classes again this Fall, but we shall see. This past weekend he has been hurting from loading, unloading and stacking several cords of wood! But my parent's neighbors had a ton of it and need to get rid of it so we cannot refuse free wood, especially how much of it we have gone through these past couple of cold winters. So trying to get that all done NOW so Jason isn't having to chop, stack or search for wood in the snow this year!

Lots of you have been asking and many of you know....but our home search continues. Lately we have the problem of just having the time to go looking and searching....so hopefully we will have some of that soon. After several weeks of hard work getting estimates and prices and such on that property we were so excited about...Jason went in to make an offer on the land to find out the seller removed it from the market the day before. After a long talk with him, he is wanting to build himself and try selling that way. So it was a big bummer for us especially since we were so excited about it and could financially afford what we wanted!! So now back to square one with the searches....needing to start my novenas to Saint Joseph and my saints Catherine and Therese. In the meantime, trying to reorganize and arrange things at the house we are renting to fit our needs with the new baby and starting school and such. I hated to get rid of our dining room table but we barely ever use it and it took up the whole room, so we gave it back to my parents and turned the room into a playroom, music and school room. The girls are really enjoying it. Soon we will outgrow our kitchen which has a small eating space so that is one major feature we are looking at with a new house. So with the rearranging we are hanging new pictures, organizing and cleaning out as I go. I am going to keep the baby in the bassinet in our room for the first several months for sure and then will probably move Emma in with Angel and give the baby the nursery....one move at a time.
Emma is doing so well with her toddler bed. As long as she has her Gracie (giraffe) and passy and music and fan going....she usually only fusses for a minute or two at nap time...and still will milk it at night time but usually only 10-15 minutes. She loves to say her night time prayers and we give lots of different kisses....mama kisses, Eskimo kisses, butterfly kisses....and sometimes we rock for a bit. She usually wakes up really early between 4-5am and wants to come into mama's bed and for now that is fine. I figure the more she gets used to her bed and getting herself back to sleep that will get better as well.

Angel is SLOWLY working on the potty training (really hating this stage more than I ever thought)....just has her mind set against it most of the time. So we have a potty chart and stickers and rewards etc....she keeps telling me she will before the baby comes, so we shall see. She is very excited about starting some preschool learning and doing well. We have mostly just been reading books and doing letters and our normal learning routine, but I have some neat curriculums I bought to experiment some with this year and next for preschool (I will do another post on those).

I am getting so ready for this baby to arrive. We are still tossing around some names....ones that end with "a" to go with AngelicA and EmmA. So we have tossed around Isabella, Maria, Michaela, Gianna etc. We shall see. This little girl is SO ACTIVE. I have been having some anxiety that she is making knots in the umbilical cord or wrapping it around her neck (as Emma did). Her movements are so consistent and strong that I am worried I will not get any rest with this baby! I have been feeling good overall, just tired more easily and some sciatica and just feeling HUGE and not knowing where this baby is going to continue to grow....so I won't be surprised if she is early like her sisters!! We will keep you posted. All those little to-dos I put on my lists now seem like I need to get them done immediately or I will have to put them off for a long time....NESTING!!!

Alli and my dad are in the CSTOCK production of Little Women....totally need to go check it out...I need to do a post about that as well....

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Savoring the Last Summer Days

We have had a beautiful, long and hot summer here in the Northwest. We have barely had any rain yet and only a handful of cooler days. So we are trying to soak up every moment of the sunshine and summer sun....although I have to say trying to take both the girls to the park by myself 8 months pregnant in the heat is um losing its luster. So...while they are enjoying it I am ready for FALL!!! The other day when we were at the park they got lucky because the ice cream truck came and mama actually had money in her pocket...score for them!!!! Emma could spend all day on the slides, Angel wants to desperately learn the monkey bars and they both enjoy the swings!! Enjoy the last days of summer!!!

Our Father

A few weeks ago, we were saying our morning prayers and Angelica started saying "Mama, mama....I can say the Jesus prayer all by myself!!" She has always called the Our Father the "Jesus Prayer" and for a long time she will say it with us but by herself would jumble a lot of the big words etc. However, she got it down and even now does it so much better than this video. The more prayers she learns however....the longer her night time routine is getting so I guess I cannot complain but I am going to start earlier!!!

Ring Around Fun

Home Grown

Jason has enjoyed his rented local garden plots this year, although it has been a bit frustrating when you go to pick produce (like our watermelons and such) and find out that they have been swiped by others!!! ERRRR.....I guess that is one thing you take a risk with open local plots. Just hoping they don't swipe our pumpkins that are growing!! He grew everything from seed this year so it is fun to watch them finally produce fruit. We have had potatoes, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, watermelon, tomatoes, broccoli and he grew huge sunflowers!!! Some have grown better than others and each year Jason learns new tricks of the trade. We tend to not be able to even eat what we produce, so I "try" to learn how to freeze or make soups and such and freeze those and we give a bunch to my folks as well!!! Things always test better fresh from the garden.

Three Little Pigs

We read LOTS of books around here. Lately, Angelica has started to mumble the entire time I read her a book, whether it is an old or new one. I have figured out that she is trying to memorize it so she can read it on her own. And she does really well....the other morning I caught her reading the Little Pigs book to Emma and she almost got some of the pages word for word, including using the right phrases and words, like "clever little pig". Cracked me up! Then of course Emma has to try too!!! Hope this love of reading and being read to continues for a long time!!!

Practice

Emma has fallen in love with baby dolls lately....not sure if it is because of all the baby talk and preparation around our house or not. But she loves to feed the baby, she loves to put the baby night night (which involves completely covering the entire baby in a mound of blankets and patting it down!), giving the baby rides and she tells me that she wants to play with her baby sister. I hope she isn't too disappointed that our little one will not be quite as ready to play for a big but I am sure will love it one day!!

Pretty Girls

I took these pics when we went to a friends wedding a couple weeks ago....they loved wearing their flower girl dresses again and Angelica danced the night away!!!

Long Overdue

Well, I am finally getting a chance to sit down and do some updating. First and foremost wanted to give an update on Vicki Hartsell, Jason's mom. After he left Virginia, she was moved to a PT rehab facility. For awhile there, it was as if she was making 100% improvements each day....everyone is still pretty amazed at the recovery that has taken place. The doctors have said that as hopefully the brain bleed gets reabsorbed a full recovery will be possible, but can take anywhere from 6 months to one year. She did get a UTI in the rehab center which wasn't any fun....but slowly is speaking better and moving better. She still stutters and is slow to answer some questions but one day at a time! Then due to insurance stipulations....Vicki had to leave the rehab facility today so this is her first day at home! She lives with her mother and brother so please pray that she can do alright on her own for the most part. It makes me nervous and I wish she could have stayed longer in the rehab center. She is not allowed to cook, work or drive yet and could be awhile. I just hope things continue in this positive direction and no more falls or setbacks. We may never know all the answers as to why things happened.....but thanks to all the prayers, offerings and well wishes.....she has pulled through and we all felt so much support from friends and family during that difficult and scary time. So a BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!

Slowly but Surely

Well, over the past couple of days Jason's mom had made incredible progress and slowly improving. The nurses and doctors are quite amazed as things looked so bad originally...so keep all those prayers coming! She is off sedation, off the ventilator....has regained some movement in arms and legs....can speak some words and answer most questions although slow and jumbled at times. She did have a stroke but the kind where it doesn't kill the brain area it occurs just paralyzes it in a sense. MRI results yesterday didn't show any change.....brain separation or shift still there and blood bleed still there....but nothing worse or new. Could take awhile for brain to absorb the blood and explains the memory, speech and motor issues she is still having. Today she had an angiogram and didn't show anything major to be concerned about. She sat in a chair and did eat some (as Jason called it) "mushy chicken soup". She told him she loved him, which made his day! The doctor still will be doing some tests and he may never know exactly what caused this or the fall etc. She might be in ICU until Tuesday and is hoping to have a PT assessment done that day as well. They are thinking she will need to go to a PT rehab facility for several weeks.....but after that....well one day and decision at a time. Thanks for all the love, support and prayers! Jason has definitely felt them and we KNOW they have helped his mom.

Updating Again

Jason arrived safe and sound in Richmond and thanks to his sister Kim for picking him up. He went to his parents house (too bad they are in NY for a wedding) and picked up the car and house keys. Then he headed to ICU to his mom. He isn't sure if she recognized him but as he was talking to her and holding her hand she squeezed it, so who knows. She has some movement back in her hands and legs but hands are restrained so she doesn't pull anything out if she does regain that much movement. She still has the ventilator in although it is not on, so she is breathing on her own and it is available if needed, it is helping keep her airways open. They may try to remove it again tomorrow. She has another tube going to her mouth for nutrition and if they remove the ventilator will probably move the nutrition tube to her nose. They may do another CAT scan tomorrow and I know Jason is curious as to what the bleeding and things look like...although at least she hasn't gotten worse, kind of no change at this point. Still hard to tell what permanent ramifications are or what progress might be. She is not being sedated anymore but is in and out mostly. Hopefully now that Jason is there he can talk to the docs and maybe get some of his questions answered and clarified....thanks for all the prayers for him as well they are working! I will definitely be hugging my little ones a little tighter tonight and they already miss their Papa lots!!

Update

Well, we got Jason on a plane this morning (nothing that $700 bucks cant fix...crazy...we even called the airlines for emergency family tickets and they were $1000!!). He is in the air now and should be with his family in Richmond by 10pm Virginia time. From what we know for today...Vicki remains the same. She was put on a feeding tube this morning and they are hoping to try and remove the ventilator and see how she does since she already has lung/COPD issues and they worry about pneumonia settles in. We are waiting for them to do another CAT scan today and see what those results show!! Thanks for all the thoughts and emails and most importantly PRAYERS....keep them coming!! Will keep you posted!

Prayers Please

(note: some of you have written and asked if this has anything to do with the breast cancer etc....that was Jason's stepmom Mary Hartsell who we glad to report is doing well.)

Friends & Family:

It is with a sad heart I write to you asking for prayers!! This morning started very early with news that Jason's mother, Vicki Hartsell, is in the hospital. She had not been feeling well for several days and was told it was a virus. This morning at 3am her time (in Virginia) she fell and hit her head. Her brother called 911 and the ambulance came and she was completely unresponsive and took her to the hospital. When they realized it was much more serious and she was bleeding in the brain she was airlifted to MCV Hospital in Richmond. She has had CAT scans and some tests done. We still have a lot more questions than answers but basically what we know is:

She is bleeding internally in the brain and the lobes have separated about 7mm already. Most of the bleeding appears to be in the area that affects speech as she is not able to talk or move her body. She is in ICU and they are keeping her sedated except for every hour they wake her up to see how she responds. At this point she can open her eyes and communicate by blinking. The neurosurgeon has basically said that right now he is focusing on treating her now instead of trying to figure out how this all happened. She has no external signs of the fall causing this trauma so they are thinking the bleeding had been going on and caused the symptoms she has had over the past couple of days and maybe caused the fall. He mentioned a possible aneurysm or something, but we really don't know. He has told Jason's sisters and grandmother who are with Vicki that the next TWO days are super critical to watch what the bleeding and brain swelling do. They are thinking there is most likely permanent brain damage but again hard to tell right now.
All your prayers would be gratefully appreciated....for Vicki's healing, for the family and especially Jason during this difficult time. We are trying to figure out trying to get Jason out to Richmond so at least he can talk to his mom while she appears to be coherent at times and get through the next two critical days. We will keep you posted...thanks for all the prayers, support and love.

Emma's First Prayers

I have been trying to catch Emma on video saying her prayers, but every time I go to try she catches me and stops! Finally got her to kind of do them today, so sweet...Jesus and Mary must be all smiles hearing little chilren say their prayers!

A Fun Frog Song

Interpretation:
There once was a green little frog, frog, frog
Who played in the wood on a log, log, log.
A screech owl sitting in a tree, tree, tree
Came after the frog with a screech, screech, screech.
When the frog heard the owl in a flash, flash, flash,
He leaped in the pond with a splash, splash, splash.

Sarasponda

Interpretation:
Sarasponda, sarasponda, sarasponda ret set set.
Sarasponda, sarasponda sarasponda ret set set.
A doray-oh, A doray boomday-oh.
A doray boomday ret set set, ah say pa say oh.
Boom-be-da, boom-be-da, boom-be-da, boom

Angel loves this song and when she asked me what it meant, I had no idea!! Apparently you can check HERE, but not much! Just a fun sounding song to sing!

Emma Bemma Boo

Emma is definitely not my "little baby" anymore. She has gotten so big...think she will be wearing mostly 2T clothes in no time which Angel took a long time to do. We call her our little monkey-do because everything that Angelica says, does or goes....Emma is right behind doing the same thing, or at least trying to! She has a huge desire to be just as big and able as her older sister. This little girl has the sweetest nature and loves to snuggle and give kisses and always wants to have attention on her and words of approval! On the other hand, this little one has the strongest will and temper...and I thought Angel had one! She doesn't give up and fights for her cause. I am learning how to effectively handle her melt downs and avoid them in simple ways as well. She is getting better with "obeying" and manners and apologies etc.

We are still waiting on her last first molar to come through and hoping the other teeth are soon behind....she has been a very slow teether...which I am telling myself is a big contributor to her pickiness with foods. So different than her sister who ate everything we eat since she was little and still does today. Emma would rather have her cheese, yogurts, applesauce, STRAWBERRIES or fruit of any kind all day. Although she will eat chicken nuggets, teriyaki chicken and hot dogs of course. She wants to hold the big girl cups ALL by herself, she is doing better eating cereal like a big girl with milk (although she likes to drink the milk before eating the cereal), and loves peanut butter and jelly and would eat peanut butter all by itself. Hoping that her food selections start to widen though as dinner times can be a little challenging!

Emma wants to get into her car seat and buckle herself because "Gel-Ka" does it. We have taught Angel how to buckle herself completely in her car seat so when we move her to the back of the van when the baby comes she can get in and be a big help to mama! So Emma can get in the seat, but the buckling isn't happening and she isn't pleased with us helping!

She loves animals....she loves to chase birds thinking she can catch them, she loves to pet dogs, she LOVES BEARS and would spend all day at the zoo. So far doesn't have much fear.

The big accomplishment of yet though has happened this week. Emma has been a co-sleeper since she was basically two months old and gave up the bassinet. She was a very avid nurser and like Angelica would always pinch, touch and twist my neck while she nursed and in order to fall asleep (so weird and hoping it isn't a genetic trait we have going on here). So in order to fall asleep she needed mama's neck....believe me I have tired to come with inventive ways to make a fake me neck! Starting at the end of July, I was able to just open my door and tell her to go night night for nap time....she would go get in my bed and fall asleep!!! This got me thinking that maybe we just needed to bypass the whole sleep training in the crib thing and go right to the bed. Again, so different because we just moved Angel out of a crib this year as well!!! But after so many attempts of 6 hour screaming sessions in the crib.....I decided to give the bed a try. We found an exact match to the one we got Angelica for $5 at a yard sale on craigslist. So Monday I got it all set up and nap time put her down. Monday was a rough day and night and she did end up back in our bed around 1am. However, Tuesday was better and Wednesday even better. Today it only took 5 minutes for her to stop fussing at nap time and hopefully tonight will be easier as well. Last night it only took about 30 minutes or intermittent crying and she stayed the whole night again for the second time in a row. I have been amazed at how she "loves" the idea of the big girl bed but cries when she knows she doesn't' have my neck to hold. When I go in to check on her she immediately reaches out her little hands to grab it. I do admit that I miss my cuddly little bed buddy, but very thankful that she will be sleeping on her own before this baby arrives. The next step is to move she and Angel in together...one step at a time though.

She loves to go potty before and after her baths (and would like to go whenever Angelica goes....which is actually happening more often now so keep your fingers crossed that we might be potty trained before this baby comes!)....her hair is starting to thicken and grow and she has curls that pop up in the back....she loves saying her Angel of God and Hail Mary prayers....and is also getting excited about the baby coming and wants to play with her she says. All in all....my girlies are growing and it is so true that these moments fly by and hopefully we can savor each one as they happen....and I am glad I have this blog to help me record some of them.

Sweet Thoughts

It has been awhile since I gave an update on the girls. Angelica has grown and matured in leaps and bounds this summer. She is getting so excited about this new baby coming and being a big sister and mama's big helper. She still makes it known that she will be the "biggest" but she has really been encouraging and helpful with Emma these past couple of weeks. She tried to "teach" Emma her prayers, how to put on her shoes and lots of other things throughout the day. Angelica loves to kiss my belly and has to say goodbye to the baby as well as mama whenever I go somewhere or at night time. She really likes to ask if the baby is kicking and feel my tummy and has even started to ask with her baby dolls how big the baby is.

It is so incredible to watch her imagination grow, her knowledge increase and her love of learning. She is so independent and gets so proud of herself when she does and learns new things. She asks so many questions (including still the dreaded WHY about 100 times an hour) but studies everything and really likes to rationalize things. She is obsessed with asking what time it is, what temperature it is, what the weather is like and loves to be mama's back seat driver. She always asks which way we are going, when to go at the green lights and does very well with recognizing where we are. She loves to read and is getting excited about starting some preschool this year! She has a passion for singing and really loves to learn and say all her different prayers. A few fun and sweet moments of late:

-Angelica has her set prayers we say at bedtime. Lately I have really been incorporating a time where I just let her thank Jesus and petition Jesus for special prayers...more of an open dialogue. It is sweet and interesting sometimes what she says. For example: the other night her exact words were "Thank you Jesus for helping me keep my fingers out of my nose today!"

-This afternoon she told me that at naptime today she said a prayer to Jesus to help Emma stop crying and he did!!! Ah, the power of immediately answered prayers...hehe.

-Every time Angel hears a siren or sees a firetruck or ambulance drive by, she asks to say her prayers for the people. We say a Hail Mary and Angel of God and then just ask Jesus to help whoever is in trouble and keep them safe. I was bringing in groceries the other day and was busy so she heard a siren and all by herself when in front of our Mary statue with Emma and was leading her in the prayers. Melt a mother's heart!! A funny incident: Last Sunday we were driving home from church and an ambulance went by....so we said our prayers. Then she got really upset and frantic and when I asked what was wrong she said "Mama, Jesus can't help the people and keep them safe today." When I asked why she responded, "Because Jesus is at church today!" I laughed and then had to come up with an explanation....I had just been in church explaining to her about Jesus being present in the tabernacle etc....already trying so hard to understand the mysteries of our faith!! So funny!
-Yesterday we were doing errands and I was at a red light. Angel usually tells me when to turn as the light turns green, but I made a right turn. Angel got very upset that I turned on red and I had to try to explain some drivers ed to her! She doesn't miss a thing!

The Sisters Shop

Angelica and Emma have finally been playing together...as in actually using their imaginations and peacefully playing...not the battle of the wills or the age difference being a big issue. I knew we would get to this stage and it is so fun to watch. I caught them playing store the other day (thanks again to their Aunt Ann for the gift last year) and snuck some footage until I got caught. It cracked me up how Emma was so polite and they pretended to buy and eat the foods. Fun times ahead and brings back lots of memories from my childhood!

Never too Old...

...or too young to read or be read to. So sweet!! Angel tried sitting on Emma's lap and that didn't go over so well!!

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad Hartsell (and Grammy & Grandpa!). Wishing you another year of married bliss...hopefully a little less challenging and stressful! Your love is a blessing and example to us all, wish we could be there to help celebrate. Miss and love you lots.