Bye Bye P-Fi

Ok, so part of the reason I blog is to record milestones in my babies' lives. I'm like half way done with Raya's baby book and haven't even started Kallen's (poor second borns). So hopefully when I finally get around to finishing them I'll be able to check here and see what happened when!

With that said, Raya had a milestone she should be very proud of. She totally gave up her pacifier! Cold turkey. And completely by herself. She went to bed without it 2 nights in a row and on Day 3 found one on the floor, put it in her mouth and then chucked it across the room (literally) and told me, "Mama, its not working." That was pretty much it. About a week later in the car she asked for it once, but other than that it was the easiest thing ever! And I so wish I was here telling you about the most brilliant idea I had about how to get her to stop, but it was all her. She's brilliant, obviously :)

And I think part of me also wanted to write this for my friends with new babies or babies on the way. When your kid is a "pacifier kid" so many people have so much to say about it and guess what, ITS NOT A BIG DEAL! For the most part I was pretty lucky to not have people badgering me about letting my almost 3 year old still use one or always asking when I was going to take it away from her. I still got it a little here and there, but there were always other Mom's at the park so worried about it with their kid. Yes, I was a little worried too. Raya was SOOOO attached to her "P-fi" and I imagined the withdrawals she'd have when I decided to take it away would be similar to those of a crack addict coming down from a high and realizing there was no more. Yah, it was that serious. Her pacifier was a true soother for her. She's so amped up all the time and as soon as she popped it in her mouth she would chill out. So she needed it just as much as I needed her to need it ;) But I wasn't worried she'd go to Kindergarten with it and for the most part it didn't bug me that she used it. It was the outsiders that it bugged. LOL! So, just a little PSA to my friends out there...Its really not a big deal if your kid uses one, and I PROMISE, they will eventually give it up. So if you're dreading taking it away, don't! Let them decide when they're over it. We started giving her "times" she could have it- like nap time and bed time- but that wasn't set in stone and there were plenty of times she was playing in the backyard with it in her mouth. She's a totally happy, independent, well adjusted little girl, so if a pacifier was one of the "worst" things I had to deal with with her I considered myself incredibly lucky (and a pretty good Mom :)

 Oh, I almost forgot. She also stopped twisting her hair! She's twisted it so badly that the left side of her head is substantially thinner and shorter than the other side. I was sure she'd have a huge bald spot in a few months, but when she gave up her pacifier she gave that up too!

So Good Job Ms. Raya! I didn't imagine you'd start your 3rd year of life without your trusty P-Fi, but you did! You're awesome girlfriend!

A little history (you don't have to read this, but I want to remember it :)
Raya didn't use a pacifier until she was 14months old. She found one in a drawer somewhere and started using it. It was a blessing to me because at that point she'd use it and fall asleep by herself. So I was totally on board. It made nap time and bed time sooooo much easier. As she got older it became quite the "soother" and if she was fussy or tired or throwing a tantrum she'd be completely ok once she found her pacifier. It was also the only thing she was attached to. Like REALLY attached to. To the point that we would stop at a store and get one if we forgot it at the house because we didn't want to feel the "Wrath of Raya" when she figured out we didn't have one. In the last few months she got really particular about them. She'd sometimes bite it and if her teeth made the teeniest hole or slightest crack in it she'd refuse to use. So we kept a "secret" stash of new ones for emergency purposes because if it was bedtime and there wasn't one to her liking, none of us would be sleeping. HAHAHA!! I know, some of you think I'm crazy, but I pick my battles people. And if keeping fresh pacifiers stocked meant a good nights sleep and a happy kid, then I'm stocking up! If only they sold those suckers at Costco....
So yah, thats the P-Fi story! I hope some parent or grandparent out there will sleep a little easier tonight knowing the Pacifier Battle isn't one to be worried about :)

This was her at 14months with the pacifier she found- and used for awhile. LOL! Its a "Grill" my friend Megan gave me at my baby shower. Hilarious!!! Can you image pulling up next to me at the grocery store and Raya siting in the cart with this. It was a tiny bit embarrassing :)

PS- Stay tuned for a HUGE announcement coming in the next 24 hours!!!

Beach Week 2011

We've been on VACATION!!! Well actually I guess its more of a Stay-Cation....we rented a beach house and its 10 miles from my house. HAHAHA. We rented a house in Newport with my family and its been just perfect! I'm sure some think its ridiculous to rent a beach house when I live at the beach, but it really does feel like I'm far away from home. And we're able to bring everything we need for kids, we brought a bunch of food from our house, packing wasn't a big deal and when its over its a quick drive to the house instead of a whole day of traveling just to get home. Sooooo, with small kids, this is the PERFECT way to vacation. We're about 8 houses from the beach. There's all kinds of hands to help with the kids. I'm not cleaning or doing laundry or anything like that. My mom and brother cook dinner, which is always way better than anything I can cook :) I'm in total vacation mode and its great. Raya loves being around her Nana and Uncle all day long. And I love being able to sit on the porch or in the sand and watch Raya play. Kallen's been doing a lot of sleeping and if he's up he's pretty content playing on the beach towel with toys, or if I let him, sitting in the sand and playing with it. Luckily he's not a sand muncher like Raya. Well at least he's not yet. Raya STILL eats sand. WTF?!?! It's so annoying. I'm wondering if shes iron deficient. She needs to be on that show, "My Stranger Addiction." No joke, she's get a shovel with sand on it and licks it like a fricken popsicle. Uhhhh. I can't wait till she out grows this phase.

I have a TON of pictures. Duh. Here's some from our first few days

 Donut Delivery 

Kallen and the Nanny ;) aka Tara 

Popping seaweed with Great-Grandpa

Doing lots of this :) I think he's going through a growth spurt

Seconds before she licked the sand

Playing with Nana 

Cousin Bella

Cousin Conner, Uncle Bill, Grandpa and Nana

Jackson came! They started their beach day with donuts 

BFFs 

Sharing toys...ya know, the same way puppies do  

Carter and Kallen

New friends 

Amy came to play with me :) 

She LOVES the warm sand

Kallen's 1st bike ride! His face isn't smothered, don't worry :) He's sucking on the edge of the baby bjorn. And less than 5 minutes into the ride he was knocked out. He really can sleep anywhere.

I'm soooo sad we only have 2 days left! We checked in last Saturday afternoon and we check out this Saturday morning. We've had friends down on different days. My Grandpa from Michigan came for the first few days. Amy and the boys came on Monday. My brother's girlfriend has been down on and off and the next 2 days I'm looking forward to more friends :) Thanks for everyone that's come to hang out. The week has been Amazing!!!

I'll post more Saturday!

Sibling Love- July 2011

These kids are hilarious together. Or maybe Raya's hilarious and Kallen just puts up with it ;) But seriously, I got lucky with these two. One of the first things people ask, especially strangers, is "How is She with Him?" Or "Is She jealous?" Isn't it funny that strangers ask that? Anyways, Raya is still just wonderful to Kallen. She's never once been jealous or mean to him. Maybe because she's too young? Or maybe because she's obsessed with him :) Or maybe because she thinks its hilarious when she dances and walks over him simultaneously? Or because she loves that he laughs at everything she does. Who knows...but it works for both of them!

She's a cuddler...he's a cuddler...together they're buddies 

They take lots of their naps together. Nap time is always a photo opp

Just being sweet <3

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one

Holding her toe while he's asleep

 This was when they both woke up at the same time. They were just laying in bed together. Holding hands. Raya was telling him about something...Yah, they're that sweet together.

The other morning I was in the kitchen and the kids were in the living room when Kallen started crying. Raya ran over to the table with the rest of his bottle, grabbed it and ran back to him and popped it in his mouth. Then sat there and held it for him. And the other morning he woke up crying and Raya was like "Baby? Baby? Baby? BABY! BABY! BABY!" At first she was making sure I knew he was up and then she thought I wasn't moving fast enough because he was crying and she clearly thought I needed to be up there the first time she notified me that he was awake. And because I didn't jump up that very seconded she sprinted up the stairs and into bed with him and started making him laugh. Oh and the making him laugh thing...I've gotten it a couple times on video. She's really good at making him laugh. Right now she's the only one that can consistently get him to laugh hard. Like his belly laugh. They're a good sibling match. Maybe its their signs. My brother and I are the same signs they are and we got along great too! Isn't that funny that we're the same signs? Except we're opposite: Bryce and Raya are Taurus'  and Kallen and I are Capricorns. So it'll be a little bit of a different dynamic...

Welllll....until next time :)

And last year at this time I was dressing Raya up and still pregnant. AND we were in the coldest July in the last 99 years! Crazy: Raya Recently, July 2010