A Pool Would Help Me!

We are going to have a terribly difficult time keeping up with Reagan. For starters, she has given us a run for our money with this whole potty training gig. Ben and I are split on the position we should take - I will spare you the debate. Regardless, we continue to keep motoring ahead with it. Whether Reagan is ready and willing seems beside the point. She was doing GREAT for a few days, a couple of weeks ago. Then, she hit the skids. I sat her down for a mommy-talk yesterday and asked her why she is no longer wanting to go big-girl-potty. Her reply was, "A pool would help me!" As she graced me with a HUGE smile across her face I gently said, "excuse me?" I was totally in the dark. What on earth was she talking about? Sure enough...our neighbors are currently potty training their young son. Reagan caught wind that the neighbor boy would get a pool when he learned to use big-boy-potty. Wouldn't you know, Little Miss Smarty Pants wants to string us along until we get her a pool too. :-) That girl is much too much, that girl is much too much!

Evie had another great training day. She still is not rolling over but she is ever so close. ANY DAY NOW and it'll happen. She sure is a smiley little thing. Love her, love her, love her! I keep kissing and nibbling on her cheeks. She probably will hate me for that later, but I just cannot resist. Oh, have I mentioned that girl's lungs - - amazingly loud, astounding loud!

Toodles.

We are BACK!!

I am ashamed to admit this however, it has been about 5 months since my last posting. We just had no idea how much busier our lives would be with our second child. Common sense - two kids, two times the amount of work. This simple mathematical equation just never entered our minds. Now that things are starting to calm down, I am feeling like I can 'occasionally' add a blog post! We have been through a whirlwind of changes and events. I will attempt to update my blog accordingly. It will be impossible to get everything but I'll hit the highlights.

Reagan has taken to Ev like a dream. She thrives at being "big sister" and Evie is happy to fill the role of "little sister". Ev-Ev can be screaming up a storm and if Reagan goes to her, most of the time she will quiet down. They truly enjoy each other's company and we are so excited to see them grow into their relationship. Reagan continues to amaze us with her ever-expanding vocabulary. She is a drama queen and enjoys making us laugh. She has started to test us, more so at 2 1/2 yrs. than she did at 2 yrs. We are taking each challenge as they come. She has her mother and father's stubborn nature which makes for daily battles. We sure laugh once she has gone to bed though. Evie is doing great. She had a rough start in that she was a "real" baby. She actually cried when she needed things (gasp!) and there were many times where we just couldn't figure out what she needed. She hasn't been a "great sleeper" like some babies are BUT - she is now finally starting to sleep stretches. I am learning how to be more understanding. After all, most people fully grasp that parenting equals disrupted sleep. I was not prepared for that! Ridiculous, I know. She is so smiley and growing like a true champ. She is at the 98% for height and weight. We anticipate that our home is going to be the noisiest dwelling in all of North America shortly. Ev is a jabber box already with not one actual word in her arsenal. Just imagine if that continues and the debates that our girls will unleash upon one another - and their parents!

Within the time span from my last post, we have had many visitors. Ben and I have been well aware that not one person has come to our home to see us in over 2 1/2 years. The girls are just too blame cute! My parents, Ben's folks, Jana and Brayden all made it out this way to meet Evelyn. Nic-O and Molly met Ev in the Phoenix airport on our connection en route to Kauai. Now that was a cool note for the baby book! The rest of the Herdrich clan will meet Evie in a week and then hopefully Joel, Heidi and the boys will be able to make it out here in July. We still need to make it back to MN so my family and friends can meet Evie-Love, but I am a little travel shy to take the two by my self. Ben's schedule is CRAZY and only to get crazier in the next few weeks so I'll just have to be patient. Thank goodness for webcaming, blogging, facebook and of course, snapfish!

The past few months we have been very fortunate to travel to some fun destinations. We have hit Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico and will be wrapping up "travel season" to WI in a week. It has been hectic and wonderful! Hawaii was with the Herdrich clan, Florida was just our family for a friends beautiful wedding (we brought the girls!) and Puerto Rico was just Benny and I. We just arrived home 2 nights ago - perhaps my alone time and time with my husband has helped to reignite my desire to jot down memories in this blog? I am guessing that is a Yes!

While I know that I will be unable to do nightly posts, my goal continues to be the same. I will attempt to keep note of the fun and silly happenings that occur in our home. Time is flying so fast and I have found this is a great way to keep note of my girls growing up. That is only possible IF I take the time to actual take note. Cross your fingers!

Our new arrival!

It has been just over two weeks since our last blog entry. This is due to the simple fact that Evelyn Maris Herdrich arrived January 6 (10 days early!) at 1:36 pm. Mere minutes after completing my last entry, I started having contractions. We started timing them (yes, I missed the season premier of The Bachelor - but I forgive Evie!) and we were off to the hospital at 9:00 pm on Monday, January 5th. My contractions slowed to almost nothing and we feared we would be sent home for false labor. Big Guy recommended that we walk, in an attempt to get my contractions into a pattern. Sure enough, that got the baby working and we were admitted around midnight. By 4:00am, I was requesting an epidural and I was dilated to 4cm. By 9:30 am, I was at 9.5cm and we all thought that the baby would be arriving within the next hour or so. Not so much! The baby apparently was having a difficult time working her way out and I didn't start to push until a bit after 1:00pm!!! We couldn't believe it. Finally, I was given the go-ahead to push and Evelyn was out in just a short time. We were totally surprised that she was a girl - we were convinced otherwise. We were so very thrilled to have another girl - and she is beautiful! She had a really rough time in the last few hours - her heart was strong and healthy but she came out bruised. We felt so badly for her - but she has been a dream baby.

Reagan got to meet Evie around 5:00pm on Evie's birthday. Daddy went home to pick up Reagan. When she got to the hospital, she ran into my room asking where the baby was. Evie was still being cleaned up and had not yet arrived. By the time that she did, Reagan was not as interested in seeing her as she was upon arrival. On the second visit to the hospital, on the 7th of Jan., Reagan was pumped to see Evie and wanted to hold her. I'll attach video of that event - it was too cute!

The adjustment has gone really well for our family. My parents were here the first several days. That was great fun! Reagan didn't realize that the baby was taking Mommy's time because she was sufficiently distracted. Once my parents left and Daddy went back to work, Reagan had one moment where she acted out towards the baby but that was it. We are very proud of her - she is a fantastic Big Sister! Evie was jaundiced the first couple of weeks which affected her eating. It was really difficult to get her to wake up and eat. Now at 15 days old, she has it figured out. She is no longer jaundiced and she is eating every two hours and making her weight goals. On the bright side, there is some really great tv on at all hours of the night! :-)

I am off to play Barbie's with Reagan before Evie needs to eat. I am really enjoying juggling the daily events with the two girls. Thank goodness for coffee! My only complaint is that I am getting really anxious to get out and get back to working out. My doctor gave me permission to begin light workouts at 2 weeks post-partem so Ben took me to the Y on Tuesday night. Emily came over and watched the girls for an hour. We had a nice "date" on the the treadmills and we eagerly wait for the weather to warm up so we can hit the roads. Hawaii in less than 3 months!!! Our next very exciting event is that Gram Pam is coming next week! We are very excited to have her meet Evie and Reagan has missed her Gram a ton. It'll be a grand time for all!

Reagan the cheerleader!

It has been way too long since our last blog. Our one follower, Uncle Nic-O, has been VERY disappointed at our inability to keep updates on our blog. This post is dedicated to him.

Reagan is sitting in my lap, saying, "Mommy, let me do it!" So, to let her be a part of this blogging experience, her words will follow next. Reagan says:

gggggggggggggnnnnnnnjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]tttttttttt rrrreeaggan rewaq gnyyui' r3ec ws wagfjgfj fj ggg ggggggg bvggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg 77777ooooooooppppssv vbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbnnnnnnvvvcccccccfffffff

123577chhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (Mommy just made her quit and she is one Mad little Pistol!)

Reagan has been such a wonderful little girl. It seems as though the rough terrible two adjustment has passed. Reagan has been enjoying being a Big Girl lately and she seems to be extremely excited about her baby that is arriving soon. We have had much success reasoning with her lately. Now that she can explain herself more and understand us a bit more clearly, our daily drama has decreased immensely. Reagan is just delightful - she plays with all her new toys that she received at Christmas and loves to dance and sing. She is a showman. We had a group of friends over the other evening and she played her piano and sang songs in her microphone to entertain all. It was hysterical. She is very loving and caring. I hit my knee the other day, said "Ouch!" and Reagan wanted to kiss it and make it better. After doing so, she said, "Poor little Mommy." And she made the cutest sad face ever! I haven't been carrying her much lately due to my ever-expanding waistline. She REALLY wanted to be carried up the stairs yesterday and I didn't have the energy to negotiate with her. I just did it. Upon reaching the top of the stairs she exclaimed, "Yeah, Mommy! You did it!!!!" Yep, our little cheerleader!

I am thinking the baby will arrive soon. I suppose you could say that is wishful thinking? I feel great (good energy, can still chase Reagan around (sort of)), and the house is pretty close to being "ready". Now, we just wait. And wait. And wait! We'll keep you posted! Happy New Year!!! Love, LBR

Reagan is ready for baby!

While I was tidying up the loft, Reagan announced she was going to the doctor with her baby. She went downstairs to the bedrooms and I continued to listen for her. When she is making noise while playing, she usually isn't getting into trouble. Silence tends to be a bad sign. Of course, she was silent. I went down immediately to check on her. She was in the baby room, rocking her baby (Dolly) on the rocking chair. She said, "Shhhhh, Mommy. Baby is sleeping." From the rocking chair, she got up and swayed with the baby in her arms. Just like a little mommy. She then placed (dropped actually) Dolly into the crib, shut the door behind her and said, "Baby is sleeping. Reagan and Mommy take naps too." Any bets that nap time won't be this smooth once baby actually arrives? She actually kept her hands on my belly for an extended period of time today. She didn't get to feel the baby kick - one of these days it will happen. 9 weeks to go!

Gram Pam was here! She came to see us while Ben and Gary went to Cozumel for a scuba trip. Reagan keeps saying, "I NEED Gram!" It is cute, but unfortunately, I can't do anything about this particular need. The good news is that we get to see ALL of Reagan's grandparents over Thanksgiving! We spent our time running errands, doing things around the house and playing. I tend to hit ultra-low gear when the grandparents come to town. I didn't cook for a week and I didn't change many diapers either! It was a lovely break for me and Reagan thoroughly enjoyed all her one-on-one playtime with Gram. One day, Reagan and Pam were playing with Reagan's learning house. Pam asked Reagan if she wanted to put a letter in the mailbox. Reagan walked over to her alphabet puzzle, picked up a couple of letters and put them in the mailbox! Just too cute. I also had an opportunity to go out dinner with Rachel, without a child attached to my hip. What fun we had! Reagan also had her 2-year wellness visit AND her first dentist appointment. Both were challenging experiences. She had 3 shots and for the first time ever, screamed throughout each one. Pammie could hear her in the waiting room. So what do her loving parents do to reward her for her bravery and courage? Throw her in the car and cart her off to another brand new experience involving scary tools and even crazier doctor folk! She did okay at the dentist but she certianly didn't love it. Who does? Doctor Daddy was off having a great time swimming with the fish while she was being tortured! :-)

We heard from "the boys" twice a day (they must have really missed us?). Reagan had her first successful phone conversation with her Daddy! She has been on the phone a bunch but she actually talked and responded to his questions. She tends to shy away from talking on my cell but now she goes all out when she gets a chance to talk on our land line phone. She paces around the house, just like her Daddy does when he talks on the phone. Pam has probably slept for 4 days straight because we worked her so hard. Thank you Pam! I am sure Gary is glad to have his gal home. We are very happy to have Benny home. After a week of scuba-diving (2 dives per day) he seems to be well-rested again. They had a great time and he deserved a wonderful break from his hectic schedule.

On Monday, Reagan and I went to the Please Touch Museum with our newly formed playgroup. It is AWESOME. The entire museum is devoted to toddler play - there is an entire mini-city that the children can run around and be independent. Reagan's personal favorite was the child size grocery store. There they were with their shopping carts, going up and down the aisles, grabbing any groceries they wanted. Then off to the checkout. It was just so sweet. There is a carousel, an Alice in Wonderland maze/garden, water play yards, slides, trains - the fun just continued from room to room. Needless to say, we became members at the snap of a finger. Reagan can count on going many MANY times this winter (especially when her grandparents are all here to meet the new baby!)

Our Jitterbuggin' Girl! Today we went to Jitterbug with Kam and Luke, at the local library. Reagan had great fun. It was such a joy to see an entire room full of 2 year olds - happy 2 year olds - playing nicely together. Our time was filled with stories, dancing, music making, parachute play and crafts. Reagan had a blast and we can't wait for next week! She ended the day playing in the leaves with Sam and the older neighbor kids (Keely, Austin and Sydney). Great fun had by all.

Sleeping update - we are in the home stretch! Reagan has weathered the storm. I can now say goodnight to her, tell her I will check in on her and that is good enough. She gives me a "good night Mommy. I love you." That is that! We also do hand kisses. She kisses my palms and I kiss hers. When we miss one another, we simply put our palms to our cheeks and then all is well. Whew! My friends told me to hang in there and sure enough, we got through it. I sure complained a ton about it though. Sorry to those who had to listen to my rants. I suspect that this same sort of thing will happen again when the baby comes home. We will be better equiped to handle it next time (but more sleep deprived!). Uh-oh! Naptime has also become easier.

She remembers everything!

We had a lovely day today. Reagan played with Abby in the morning and Sam in the afternoon. We also took a trip over to the library. Our library has a great children's section and I anticipate that we will be spending tons of time there in the upcoming weeks.

I have been working on encouraging Reagan to walk down the stairs on her own lately. She has been able to do so for months but lately has taken to "needing" me to take her. I don't want to carry her anymore mainly because it isn't exactly safe for all individuals involved. She fights me, of course. On Tuesday, she boldly stated "Hold Me!" My reply was, "Hold you?! No, I will not hold you! I am tired!" She followed me down the stairs and we continued on with our day. Move forward one day and we were walking down the stairs together again. Reagan stopped halfway down, smiled and said, "Hold you?! No, I will not hold you! I am tired!" How in the world does a 2 year old quote me directly, an entire day later? She also had us in hysterics over the weekend. I was complaining to Ben that my back was hurting. Reagan bends over, grabs her lower back, starts shuffling across the floor saying, "my back hurts!" What will she say tomorrow?