time is a thief. we're 2 days from december & swimming in projects between holiday prep & getting ready to bring our baby into the world- 9 weeks to go & SO much to get done!
2 weeks ago, a horrific act of terrorism took place in paris. we've been thinking about the victims & their families, and making a conscious effort to appreciate the moment & the gift of life.
our sweet, snuggly, sassy eloise turned 18 months! she keeps me on my toes & fills my heart with so much love. these days, every other word that comes out of her mouth is either "mommy!" or "nurse!" she's very much in a mommy stage & would be content spending her days hanging on my chest. i think it has to do with her getting more teeth, but either way, i've become a champion re-director throughout the day & we continue to nurse before nap & bed :)
lucy's been working hard on independently writing her name! her L's & U's are spot on & she's super close to consistently writing her C's & Y's! next up, she wants to learn "lucille" :) her favorite game to play right now is "waitress" & she spends hours each week taking our orders on the magna-doodle. "mommy, what would you like today?"
she's been extra cuddly these days- but first she always says that she has to get "sti-choo-ated" [situated] :) she's still attached to her ariel babydoll & i haven't yet had an opportunity to sneak her away long enough to throw her in the washing machine...
she gave me the gift of an afternoon cuddle-snooze one day last week :) before she goes to bed each night, she wants me to reassure her that i'll whip her up some "peanut butter toast with strawberry honey & peanut butter" when she wakes up in the morning. i'm so in love with her innocence & the small desires of her little heart.
i had a great 29th birthday on the 21st. it started with "watch week" at lucy's dance class- i LOVE seeing her determination & how much fun she has!
gmom brought lucy pink roses- bravo!
the only family member always willing to selfie with me :)
jon took me to dinner on the plaza [classic cup- my favorite!] & a show at crown center [urinetown] that night, while meme stayed in with the girls for dinner & bedtime. it was the first time anyone other than jon or i have done bedtime with eloise! she was a champ :) jon's the best with birthdays- he made me feel so extra special from sun up to sun down, between flowers, gifts, coffee & extra love. so thankful he's mine!
we started decorating for christmas last sunday... a project that ended up lasting 5 whole days. between all of the other projects we're in the middle of, a 3 & 1 year old & a big ole belly- slow-goin' is the name of the game. i'd say our priorities are in line though- the roasterie's holiday blend, that i wait for year round, was in the pantry & ready to be ground for decking the halls :) the decaf does not disappoint this year!
monday morning, we joined the jansen boys at prairiefire museum, followed by lunch at my favorite mom-spot, aka chick-fil-a :)
play fun during lucy's gymnastics class-
my turkeys ready for thanksgiving day! jon's aunts, uncles & cousins came into kansas city for the holiday, and we had a fabulous 3 days with them, starting with thanksgiving day & evening at gmom's & gdad's :) my favorite part of the day was when lucy woke up from her nap [necessary with all of the holiday excitement!] & ran downstairs holding her shoes & bow, which she'd noticed jon had placed at the foot of the bed. it was just so telling of her personality- meticulous & always prepared. i wonder wbere she gets it... :)
in the midst of these past few days, we managed to finish our holiday decor- fa la la la la la la la la! & hosted everyone friday night for pizzas & wine that i gazed longingly at :)
i don't want to forget how special decorating the tree with lucy was this year! jon & i attempted multiple times throughout the week to get the ornaments on, but something of some sort kept coming up. when we finally planned to plow through & trim the tree, eloise puked all over her crib. she had never thrown up before! [thankfully the puking didn't continue past that night & she's in good health again] once we bathed her & got her peacefully sleeping, we let lucy stay awake for the tree & she was seriously in heaven. she was so excited & so proud to put each ornament that she discovered in just the right spot. she'd talk about each ornament, place it on the tree [her spot of choice was always looping the ornament hook around a tree light] then make a comment like, "now THAT looks perfect!" she was completely giddy & it was one of the sweetest moments i've had- true christmas magic happening right in front of me <3
this year, we replaced the girls' bedroom lamps with their own pink & white christmas trees. they are so proud of their personal trees!
eloise is beyond intrigued by the ornaments on the tree. she walks up & says "WOW!" ...we're working on her impulse control & she's gotten pretty darn good with a mere wave at the ornaments & saying "hiiii!" rather than yanking them off the branches :)
on another note- i can't leave the girls in the basement unsupervised anymore without this happening. thankfully, lucy's a great tattle-teller & hollers up to me if eloise goes anywhere near the bunk ladder :)
santa's elves-
holiday family fun-
lucy with davis- jon's cousin, who was also a groomsmen in our wedding. lucy's completely in love with davis' younger brother, zack, who literally spent hours playing with her over the past few days- dress-up, kitchen, hide & seek, ring around the rosie... she's currently in zack-withdrawal.
my mom graciously watched the girls this morning, and jon & i went on an impromptu lunch & coffee date. both girls are sound asleep now, so today is actually turning into an entire date-day :) such a rare, appreciated treat!
we're 31 weeks tomorrow! a proud biggest sister lucy has continued to announce the baby's name to the world, so i think i can take the liberty of referring to her by name on the family blog as well :) beatrice "betsy" claire is taking up more & more space in my ribs. she's nestled pretty cozy in there :) we chose the name beatrice, as it's from the 1920's right alongside lucille & eloise. all 3 of our girls' names end with an "e" & grandmother-chic is our favorite naming style :) & we feel like claire is a simple classic just like jane & amy- the big girls' middle names. betsy baby, we're waiting for you!
& speaking of, i'm off to try & figure out a seated position that doesn't involve feeling like my back might snap at any minute. i definitely blocked this memory from previous pregnancies :)
we have a busy week ahead with dental appointments for the girls [fingers crossed for eloise...], eloise's 18 month check-up & a festive weekend! santa will be at jon's office friday afternoon & we'll go see the plaza lights afterwards for dinner. on saturday, lucy has a sugar plum cookie party at her dance studio. our neighborhood holiday horse-drawn hayride is saturday evening & sunday is our big date with meme to see the nutcracker at the kauffman center downtown! lucy has been eyeing her red sparkly christmas dress & watching barbie nutcracker + reading the nutcracker library book in preparation :) eloise & daddy are excited for a daddy/daughter date- in the midst of the furniture painting project for lu's new room :)
happiest of holidays! enjoying the hustle & the bustle, and so grateful for all of my blessings.
-ivy
