The crying games

This week the theme at our house is crying. It is so hard to watch my babies cry, but I know as long as they are safe it is fine.

Sallie started swim lessons last week and she is always so excited to go but when we get there it is nothing but crying and screaming. I am not even sure why she cries, all she is doing is swimming with the girl and occasionally having to go under water. We do all these things at the pool when we go. So, I stand outside and listen to her cry while she does swim lessons. I know eventually she will stop being scared and learn to swim, which of course is a necessity in my book to keep her safe.

Lulie is now 7 weeks old and I have begun her sleep training. I did it at the same age with sallie rose. She was beginning the routine of falling asleep in my arms and then the minute I put her in her bed, she would wake up crying. So began the crying it out method. I put her down a little awake and she cries. I comfort her every 5 to 10 minutes until she falls asleep on her own. Not fun. 45 minutes is usually how long it takes. We have had 2 rounds of it already and hopefully it will begin to take less time and only a couple of days.

Then there's Kevin. He has been sick and very tired and he cries a lot too. Only I don't comfort him, I let him cry it out for hours before I just kick him out of the house. :) kidding

It has been a hard 7 weeks with a newborn, my father in law's health issues and of course the lack of sleep. Some days I wouldn't trade it for the world and other days I would trade it for a good 2 hour nap. But usually when I am gone from the house for more than a couple of hours I miss my little family so much.

I look forward to a fun summer.

Lulie- 6 weeks

I can not believe Lulie is already 6 weeks old, tomorrow. It has already gone by so quickly. Overall, she has been a great and easy baby. She basically sleeps good at night and just hangs out during the day with a few short naps throughout the day. Until yesterday, when she evidently was not doing well on the formula we were giving her. She has been a little fussy and gassy for a while since she has been on all formula, but I didn't really think much about it; however, the night before last she was up every 30 minutes crying and tooting.

I decided to switch her formula yesterday and she seemed so much better last night. She is still sleeping as I type, which is unusual for her to be asleep this late. We are not on a real set schedule, but we are getting there. I am still trying to learn her patterns and it is hard sometimes when I have such a busy day with Sallie Rose to try and pay a lot of attention to the fine details of Lulie. I feel bad about it, but this is the life of a 2nd child.

She stills has a full head of black hair and she is definitely growing, but she is still very tiny and petite like Sallie Rose was. I love holding her tiny little body up close. I never really enjoyed that stage with Sallie Rose, I was always looking to put her down so I could sleep, work, etc. I wish I would have done more of that with Sallie, but this time I know to enjoy these moments, because very soon she will be 3 1/2 and all you will be doing is washing her mouth out with soap, putting her in time out, or taking away her toys and occasionally have a good time with her.

Speaking of 3 1/2 year olds, Sallie Rose is doing really well. She has been such a good big sister. She genuinely loves Lulie and wants to be with her all the time. She can't wait for her to wake up and will stand by her cradle and see if her eyes are opening. She kisses her and laughs at her to see if she will smile. She calls her "Lulie Belle" or "baby Lulu". She has been so great with her and I love seeing her eyes light up when she sees her in the morning or when we pick her up from school.

We are still having some problems with her being a little naughty though. She loves to argue and talk back and I am trying so hard to stay consistent and discipline her so that she will not be a disrespectful brat. I take away videos and toys on a daily basis and I am constantly having to remind her to "act right". She seems to do fine at school and everywhere else, but at home she loves to test the limits. She also gets really tired and cries over the littlest things, but she refuses to take a nap. She will intentionally do something (like throw a toy) knowing that I will discipline her (throw away anything that she throws or slams down) and then when I do, she falls to the ground screaming. It is really frustrating and I am crossing my fingers that with continued discipline and encouragement, this will pass soon. I feel like this has been going on for months now.

When she is in a good mood and we are not having to discipline her constantly, she is so fun and silly and I love to be with her. She loves to play pretend things, like school or church. She still loves to dress up and she still loves to do anything artistic. We go outside a lot and color with chalk or just water the flowers. She also loves to play with other kids. I really love my girls and am so thankful for them, even when they are naughty. Ask me that in 12 years when I have a 15 and 12 year old.

Look how happy Kevin is to have 3 girls!