We Really Have No Idea...

Post by Shannon

The truth is we really have no idea what we are doing as parents...

When I was little I thought my parents knew everything! When you become a parent, you realize that parents just learn as the go.

Well, at least that's how we feel. :)

Each new thing that comes a long, we learn something new.

When They're Happy, You're Happy

Post by Shannon

The truth is that when you're kids are happy, you are happy, and when they're sad, you are too.

This week our two little girls have been sick. It started at the beginning of the week when our 2 1/2 year old had an ear infection. She used to get ear infections a lot when she was a baby. She had tubes put in her ears just over a year ago. Since then she hasn't had an ear infection until now.

She has been getting worse as the week has gone on.

Meanwhile, our baby had her 6 month shots yesterday at the doctor. Since then, she's had a fever, runny nose and has not been happy.

So this morning, they were both very unhappy to say the least!

We went to the ear specialist this morning to see what was wrong with the big sister. We had to wait for 50 minutes to see him! Ahh! Luckily they had toys in the waiting room. So that made the big sister happy!

The doctor said she needed an antibiotic. We made a follow up appointment for two weeks.

I was also worried about her hearing. She hasn't been speaking clearly. This has been happening on and off. Her speech has been slurred. They are going to check her hearing when her infection goes away.

We went to my favorite chiropractor in Lehi on the way home. We only had to wait a couple minutes. It was awesome as usual! He took a look at the big sister. I didn't realize he could help kids with ear infections! He did an adjustment on her. He also helped me for my stomach and our baby for her stomach. It was great!

So anyway, I hope they start feeling better! It is definitely hard on the parents when your kids are sick!

The Never Ending Laundry

Post by Shannon

The truth is when you are a parent, the laundry is never ending! It seems like no matter how many times you do it, the basket just keeps feeling up!

Yesterday wasn't a very good day... 

Warning- I am about to start complaining. I'm not usually a complainer, but yesterday was worth complaining about!

The big sister woke up crying. I went in her room to see what was wrong, and there was blood on her pillow. She has been getting bloody noses lately, and she gets scared to see the blood. I did too the first time I saw it!

We got that cleaned up, and then she had an accident (She wanted to wear big girl panties, so I thought we'd give it a try).

She went straight to the bath!

Meanwhile, the little sister wouldn't stop crying! No matter what I did, she wouldn't calm down. 

We got the big sister out of the bath and cleaned up, and then she had another accident! Back to the bath she went, and the bathroom rug went into the washer.

The laundry was piling up pretty high at this point!

Finally, we got the big sister cleaned up, and the little sister calmed down, and we went downstairs to eat breakfast at 11 a.m.!

I won't continue, but the day went pretty much like that all day yesterday. 

By the end of the day, I was so ready for a little time to myself! I did a stretching workout since I was way to sore from running on Saturday to do anything else. :) 

I hope today goes better!

Momma Called the Doctor and...

Post by Shannon

The truth is Daddy actually called the doctor, and the doctor didn't tell this little girl to stopping jumping on the bed. (I know, I've read that story WAY too many times!)

The doctor said she has an ear infection. 

She was complaining about her ear all day yesterday. I felt bad because she's usually happy and hardly ever gets sick. She used to get ear infections when she was a baby, but since she had tubes put in her ears, she's been a lot better.

So she went to the doctor yesterday with Daddy while I stayed home with the little sister.

The doctor looked at her ear, and she said, "All better now!"

She thought her ear was better because the doctor looked at it. :) I wish it was that easy! Well, at least now she thinks she's better!

We need more snow!

Post by Shannon


The truth is we need more snow... Usually we have a lot of snow in the winter here (in Utah), but this year we haven't had much.

Some people might be happy about this situation, but one little girl hasn't been too happy. Every day she wants me to put her snow outfit on so she can go outside and play in the snow. I always feel so bad to tell her that there isn't any snow. :(

A couple days ago she put her snow boots and outfit on anyway and we found a little patch of snow to play with. She was so happy!

We made a little snowman and I pulled her around in the sled in the little area. It made her day!

I love the little things that make kids happy. I hope we get more snow soon! Winter just isn't the same without it.

Kids Need to Play

The truth is kids need to play. They need to have picnics with their stuffed animals, play outside, go to the park, play in the snow, read stories and have fun!

It's fun being a mom because I get to have fun with our two little girls. I love playing with them. Time goes by way to fast so I want to enjoy every minute I have with them. :)

The Beautiful Dress

Post by Shannon

The truth is our kids make us feel like we are the greatest people. They look past our flaws and love us know matter what.

A couple days ago I was in a rush to get to a meeting at our church. I wasn't feeling very cute that day...

As I walked down the stairs, the big sister looked at me and said, "Mommy your dress is beautiful!"

That made my day! It was so sweet to hear that compliment from our 2-year-old.

Burnt Dinner and Two Crying Kids

Post by Shannon

The truth is some days you can't have it all together as a parent. You can try to have your house perfectly clean, to make a gourmet meal for every meal, have your kids in cute matching outfits with bows, etc., but the truth is sometimes things just fall apart.

Yep this was our day last Friday...

I had two crying little girls at my house who were sick. The only thing keeping me going was knowing that we would be eating a delicious homemade (even the crust) chicken pot pie that night for dinner.

For the record, chicken pot pie is one of my favorite foods, probably one of my all time favorites.

I made this pot pie a few weeks ago and froze it. So I was excited to pull it out of the freezer, bake it, and have a delicious homemade meal after a very long day.

Well, this didn't happen. It turns out the crying did not stop all day, and I forgot about the pot pie in the oven.

Yep, it burned. Not just a little either.

It was the worst. My house was a mess, my kids were crying, and now our dinner was burned.

I felt bad when Patrick came home. Luckily, he is the sweet husband that he is. He took one look at the situation, gave me a big hug and said he'd take over while I had a little break.

Ahh! The joys of parenthood. :)

The Best Husband

Post by Shannon


The truth is I have the best husband, and I am so grateful for him in my life.

I have to tell you what he did the other day.

It was his day off and my day to go to work. I was busy all day and ran out of time to plan an activity that was at our house. So Patrick planned it for me, and it was the best activity!

It was for 8-12 year old girls from my church. I help plan activities for them every other week. This week was health and fitness day.

Patrick printed off a church talk that told us the importance of taking care of our bodies. It talked about why eating healthy and exercise is important.

Then he found an article about how much water we should drink, and he bought water bottles for all the girls.

He told me a few exercises to do with the girls (push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, etc.).

Then to top it off, he bought some fruit and milk to make smoothies at the end! The girls loved the activity!

Patrick is so sweet to help me when I put too many things in my schedule. He is always patient, loving and supportive, and I am very grateful for him.

I'm glad I waited to marry the right guy, in the right place at the right time. :)

No Clothes!

Post by Shannon


The truth is sometimes it's just easier and more comfortable not to wear any clothes! :)

As most little ones do, this one spits up, and has diaper explosions. After changing her clothes multiple times during the day, sometimes I take a little break and let her move around in her diaper! She doesn't seem to mind. :)

It Snowed!

Post by Shannon

The truth is we love snow! It's a good thing we live in a place that usually has snow in the winter!

This year has been a little different. We haven't had much snow, and big sister has been missing it.

A few days ago it finally snowed, and she was the first one to get her snow outfit on and go outside!

She kept asking us where our boots were so we could go with her.

Patrick put his boots and his big Russian hat on and took her in the sled in our backyard. She was so happy!

The little sister and I watched them from the window. :)

No, I'm Honey!

Post by Shannon

Yesterday I was rocking the little sister and I said to her, "It's okay honey."

The big sister heard me and said, "No, I'm honey!"

I couldn't help but laugh. A little jealous could we say? :)

You Need to Laugh!

Post by Shannon


The truth is you need to laugh! Kids know how to laugh. They don't hold back either. I love to laugh with the big sister. She has the cutest laugh.

The little sister has a cute laugh too. You can't help by laugh and smile with them!

Somehow a little laughing makes life's challenges seem just a little easier.

Princesses, Pink and Dress ups

Post by Shannon

It's true our house is filled with princesses, pink and dress ups! Poor Patrick. He really needs another boy in the house!

A few weeks ago we went to the Princess Festival. The big sister loved it! I loved it too! All of the little girls dressed up like princesses, and they told a cute story.

Patrick wasn't the biggest fan, but he came along with the little sister. :)

I love having two girls!

Pancake Day!

Post by Shannon

The truth is the big sister loves pancakes. Patrick and I have been reading her a Curious George book about Pancake Day. So now she LOVES "George" pancakes!

The other day we were driving home from Connect Chiropractic in Lehi, who is pretty amazing by the way, and I asked the big sister what she wanted to eat. 

She said, "Pancakes!"

I said, "Well then it must be pancake day! Let's go!"

Amazingly enough, there was an iHop to the right of me! I know, it was a pretty amazing coincidence! (This really happened)

So we went to iHop and the big sister was so happy to eat her pancakes! See photo above. :)

Since I've been trying to eat healthy, I stuck with a spinach omelet, which was actually really good even though it was healthy! See picture below. :)

The little sister slept the whole time because she was so relaxed after visiting the chiropractor. He is really helping her (with her acide reflux) and me (with my pain in my side I've had for 2 1/2 years).

It was definitely a Happy Pancake Day!

Parents Need Dreams too

Post by Shannon

The truth is parents need dreams too.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed and almost like you are drowning in diapers, wipes, messes, crying, etc. It would be much simpler to sit on the couch, let the mess continue to grow and watch TV. 

All. Day. Long...

But...

That's not the best way to be a parent! At least I wouldn't be happy that way!

I think parents should have dreams too. I think parents should be able to have something that is theirs and time for themselves to make it happen.

My dream is to run a half marathon after every baby is born. In 2010 I ran the Provo City Half marathon. I was proud of myself for running the whole time without stopping! This time I plan to run the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Washington D.C. with my little sis, Kelli. I can't wait!

Patrick's dream is to get an MBA. He's had this dream since he was 17, and hopes to begin to pursue this degree in the fall of this year. 

Dreams make us alive. They make us better spouses, better parents and better people. I always want to have a new dream throughout my life.

What are your dreams / goals?

Building a Snowman Without Snow

Post by Shannon


The truth is we like snow in the winter... It's been nice having sunny, warm weather, but the big sister and I like to build snowmen with real snow.

Since it's January and we still don't have snow, we decided to improvise.

The big sister had an idea to build a snowman out of beach balls! She used a beach ball for the bottom and middle, a nerf football for the head, a shovel and a thing to help you put your shoes on (not sure what it's called) for the arms and then a green bucket for the magic hat! It was so cute!

Hopefully we'll be able to build a real snowman soon. I mean we do live where they say we have "the greatest snow on earth!"

Sometimes you Need to Make a Deal

Post by Shannon


The truth is sometimes you need to make a deal with your kids...

We had a problem at our house with the binky. The big sister did not want to give it up no matter what we tried.

Finally, two months after our baby came, I made a deal with her. I told her I would give her a stuffed animal puppy if she would give me the binky. At first she wasn't sure about this deal. She wanted me to give her both.

I told her that she would have the puppy with her all the time if I could have the binky. She was a little hesitant, but she gave me the binky. I put it in the garbage can.

This was a HUGE moment! That was in October, and she hasn't looked back since! Yay!

Cleaning

Post by Shannon

The truth is when I was younger I thought I would keep my house perfectly clean when I was a parent... Well, the truth is that's pretty much impossible!! Especially if you have little kids.

Yesterday I decided to try something.

I spent most of the day cleaning. Our 2-year-old wanted to help. So I gave her little tasks like stacking the diapers under the baby's bed and putting more wipes in the container. 

She loved it! She was so happy to help, and I was so happy to have her occupied while I cleaned! 

This method will make our house a lot cleaner! :)

Da Da

Post by Shannon


The truth is our baby said da da last night! It was so cute. We know she didn't know what she was saying, but it was really cute to hear her talk. She kept saying it over and over. Patrick was really happy and proud that da da was her first word. :)

It's true that I wish she would have said ma ma first... But it was so cute that she said her first word!

PJs Until Noon

The truth is some days we are still wearing our PJs at noon at our house. The big sister and I don't feel like getting ready for the day so we stay in our PJs. :)

Some days we even have a picnic on the floor in our kitchen. This happened yesterday. :) We made a healthy breakfast for lunch. It was a Green Peppers and Ham Scramble. Healthy and good! I posted the recipe on our fitness blog today.

The truth is I love the moments I have with our daughters. It's moments like this that I always want to remember.

Crying...

The truth is this little girl may look cute, but she cries a lot! Some days she cries all day...

We've been trying to figure out what is wrong since she was born. We've been told she has acid reflux. She was taking medicine for it, but it wasn't helping.

I've had lots of suggestions from friends that have really helped. One friend suggested putting her on her stomach to sleep. We tried this, and she has slept so much better!

Another suggested that I go see a chiropractor. This was also helpful! This chiropractor is amazing! His name is Dr. Haderlie at Anderson Chiropractic in Lehi, Utah (801-768-2939). I highly recommend him! He adjusted her stomach, and it has made the biggest difference!

When Dr. Haderlie saw her he said her stomach was harder than a guy with a six pack! He did made some adjustments, and her stomach was soft again. We went again yesterday, and it really helped again. He is going to teach my husband and I what he is doing so we can do it at home. We are so happy something is helping her!

The truth is, it's hard to see your baby in pain, and it's even harder that you can't do anything to help them sometimes. It's also very draining to stay positive when you listen to crying all day for months.

That's why it will be so great if we've figured it out! We'll keep you posted. :)

I Love You!!

The truth is kids say whatever is on their mind.

Last week Patrick was at the store with the big sister who is 2. The lady at the store said hi to her. She looked at the lady but didn't want to say hi back. She acted shy and put her head down.

The truth is the big sister probably wanted to say hi, but was too shy to say it to her face...

As Patrick left the store, the big sister said, "Hi!!" really loud to the lady in the store. They were almost out the door at this point.

After a couple seconds Patrick heard the the lady say, "HI!!" really loud back.

Then the big sister said, "I LOVE YOU!!" really loud as they walked out the door. The lady in the store said, "I LOVE YOU!!" back!

You never know what kids are going to say! :)

Every day is different

The truth is every day is different as a parent. Some days are good. Some are bad. Others are full of laughter, and sometimes you wish you could just start the day over.

The truth is my husband and I want to remember the moments we have with our children each day. We want to remember the little things, even if they're not happy.

So that's why we decided to start this blog. We will both write about our experience as parents. Just two normal parents with two little kids, a big sister and a little sister.

Stay tuned...