Em and Kate Update

It has been much too long since I last updated this blog. Somehow life with two little girls has taken on a life of its own. Juggling the needs of an increasingly social and independent two year old and those of a soon to be three month old has been rewarding, challenging, and exhausting. I guess that sums up parenthood! :-)

Katie is my social butterfly. She befriends kids of any age and lights up the second she sees a potential friend. The challenge is creating those social opportunities when most kids her age are already in pre-school. I try to arrange playdates each week, daily visits to local parks (except when it is raining . .. which is does most afternoons), baking at home, little arts and crafts projects (when I have the time and organization to do so), reading, and play time with mama. Of course, there is less of me to go around as Emily grows more alert and wants attention of her own. So by the end of the day, I'm tuckered out, but very thankful for two healthy, beautiful little girls.

Emily continues to grow and change. As she approached three months, she enjoys interaction--the kisses and snuggles she gets from Katie and the goofiness of momma and papa. She rewards us with little smiles, coos, "agoo's" and what I refer to as "happy feet." In the mornings, before anyone should be awake and full of energy, Emily is in her crib waving her happy feet and arms, cooing, and making noises to initiate interaction.

When Emily is awake, she likes to be sitting upright involved or near whatever is going on. Her Bumbo seat (thank you, Kybran!) gives her a front and center view of things, at least until she gets tired of holding up her neck. Otherwise, I have often have Emily strapped to me in the Baby Bjorn as Katie and I play, bake, etc. It isn't always the easiest arrangement, but it works for now. Katie seems to like having a sister, but she does miss having my undivided attention. I think when Emily is old enough to play and interact with Katie, less attention from me will not be a problem.Until then, I am trying to be sensitive to what each of my girls needs.

Our Toddler, Katie

As Katie begins a new year, I thought I would write about some of the changes I've seen and the interests she has. While I would love to believe that I will remember all of this, my post-pregnancy brain is not the most reliable!

In the last few months of my pregnancy, Katie became a real nurturer. Her dolls and bear needed to be swaddled regularly, and Katie was sure to share her sippy cup and cheerios with them. Because if she was hungry or thirsty, surely they were too! Her doll stroller often accompanied us on outings. And since Emily's arrival, let's not forget diapers. What is a doll without a diaper?! This desire to nurture has spilled over to her little sister, which is a real blessing (at least most of the time). Katie loves to bring me diapers and wipes (she has a fascination with poo poo!), and if given the opportunity will help select an outfit for Emily to wear. When Emily cries, Katie shows genuine concern and will come to me saying "Oh baby, baby crying . . ."

Katie loves clothes and pocket books. She picks out her outfits for the day and her pj's for the night. And if given the opportunity will go into my closet, especially if I am busy nursing, and will pile on as many pieces of my clothing as she can get over her head. The result is quite hilarious! Dressing up in little ballet/princess costumes (thank you, Ann!) is another favorite thing to do, especially if her princess slippers are also available. In this way, she is all girl!

Books are another favorite thing. Katie will bring Ben and me piles of books any chance she can get. Some of her current favorites are Rumble in the Jungle, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, Corduroy, Big Red Barn, and anything about animals. I am thrilled that Katie loves books! Her latest thing is to turn the pages in books she knows and to tell a story. While most of her words are not clear, but she sure is animated as she "reads."

While being all girl, Katie is also pretty tough. She loves to climb as high as she can on the monkey bars and then hang upside down and drop down. Many a parent has looked a me with alarm when we are at the playground! She "plays" soccer with the older kids in our development and is actually quite good at kicking and following the ball. One of her first Spanish words was "Gol!!" (Goal!) She loves to chase & be chased and to play hide and seek as well.

Her language skills have been a bit slower to develop, perhaps because she is taking in both Spanish and English. But in recent weeks, she has taken off with naming the world around her, primarily in English. She sometimes surprises me though by using Spanish words that I didn't even know she knew.

Katie is very social. She will greet and try to interact with everyone from taxi drivers to recyclers to random people in the park. It is really fun to see her march right up to other kids, greet them, and join right in with whatever they are doing.

We love having our little girl in our lives. Her snuggles, smiles, laughter, and tenacious spirit add much joy to our family.

Katie Turns 2!

Katie just turned two on Sept. 26th. She was so excited to celebrate with her friends and have the chocolate cake Daddy made! We had a dozen of her little friends and their families out to Monte Sion, where Ben works, for a morning of soccer, playing on the playground, arts & crafts, bubbles, and food. What a fun and exhausting time we had! My friend, Patrycja, was kind enough to take pictures for us, and I would like to share some of the wonderful moments she captured.

Recent Pictures

Day to Day Life

Life is busy these days with two little ones. Katie continues to enjoy her little sister and loves to be involved in as many aspects of Emily's life as possible. She still has her moments of attention getting behavior and melt downs when she feels perhaps invisible in a moment when she wants all of my time and attention, but I am grateful for what I already see as the beginnings of a love in Katie for Emily.



Here are some pictures from the last few weeks. The ones of Katie were taken at her friend, Isabel's 3rd birthday party. What can I say, little girls like to play dress up! Others are from friends' visits and day to day life with Emily and Katie. Enjoy!

What's New . . .

Today, as my mother leaves to return first to the states and then to Japan, my heart is sad. In her almost month long visit, my mom helped with cooking, cleaning, taking care of Katie, and taking care of me. Her companionship, though, is what I will miss most. Living overseas, away from family, at times wears on my heart. And as I begin this new venture with two little girls, I feel the longing for both proximity and closeness to family more keenly. I am grateful to my dad for loaning mom to me during this time. Having her here, especially watching her with Katie, has been really precious. And I think Katie is going to really feel the loss once she understands that grandma is gone.

Today also marks Emily's 10th day. She is thus far a very sweet, snuggly baby who sleeps and eats a lot, although she does have alert times in the morning, early evening, and recently in the middle of the night. Yesterday, we visited the pediatrician for the first time, and he was surprised to find that she had not lost weight in her first week, but rather had gained (She is now 9 lbs!). And she also had grown 3 cms. So she is doing exactly what she needs to be doing!

Katie continues to have a lot of interest in Emily. Each morning, after getting up, her first words are "Baby, baby Ema!". She loves to come in and get up on our bed so that she can look down into Emily's pack and play bed and sing song "Oh, baby." It is very sweet. She also loves to help bring me diapers ans wipes when I am changing Emily's diaper or to pick out an outfit for Emily to wear. On days when Emily has a sponge bath, Katie watches intently and gets distressed when Emily starts crying.

It has not all been smooth sailing though. Katie is struggling with my not being able to pick her up, take her to the park, or rough house with her. That mixed with feelings of insecurity about her place in our family and some "I'm almost two" independence have made for some challenging days. But all of this is normal, so we're trying to take it one day at a time and reassure Katie that she is a loved, valuable part of our family and a great big sister.

Welcome to the World, Emily Elizabeth!

Thank you all for your kind e-mails, wishes, and congratulations! Our little bundle of joy, Emily Elizabeth Leonard, born on August 26th at 12:05 AM, is now home with us. Before I write more, I should make a correction . . . . Emily was 8 lbs 5 oz and 20.5 inches at birth. In her 36 hours of life outside of the womb, she has been mostly sleeping and eating. But she does have her intervals of looking at the world around her, taking in all that she can through her little blue eyes. Ben, at this point, thinks she takes after my mother's side of the family. She has really long fingers and toes, lean legs, and a more delicate build than her older sister, Katie.

The journey for Emily to arrive was rather long. Labor lasted 28 hours and culminated in a cesarean. Kudos to my doctor for doing everything in his power to help me have a natural birth! I am grateful to him, God, and Ben for walking with me in what was a rather arduous journey. Regardless of the process, we have a precious little girl who we have welcomed with open arms.

Katie met baby Emily yesterday and proceeded to name her little Colsanitas bear, Emy. According to my mom who has been visiting and helping us these last few weeks, Emy bear now needs to sleep with Katie. It is very sweet!

Since arriving home this afternoon, Katie has wanted to hold Emily, and of course, touch, put extra blankets on, and just be near her little sister. Life is changing rapidly for Katie, but I trust as we take it day by day, we'll adjust to be being a familyof four.

Here are some pictures from the last few days. The more recent ones were taken at home and in the hospital. The older ones were from a trek up Monserate while we were waiting for labor to begin. Enjoy!