Dax is 2 1/2 Today!

We went for rainbow sherbet at Baskin Robbins to celebrate. We all split a kids scoop as we are limiting Dax's sugar.

Bluebonnets

Our sweet friend, Amanda took some pictures of the kids and I this week. She found a great patch near her house (So no near death side of the freeway pictures for us - wohoo!) Here are a few of my favorites. I really like the first and last. Dax's hair was uncooperative as usual. We need to figure out a new do for him. Poor child now squints just like mommy when he smiles, so he's squinting in most of his pictures.

A flower for you mommy!

So Dax excitedly runs across the field to the fence telling me he's bring me a flower. He had to get on the other side of the fence to get to me and in the middle of trying to get through the fence Dax was distracted and threw my flower on the ground to go back to the field! So much for my flower!

Random Pics

Dax doesn't like his picture made lately.

"Calleigh's drinking her thumb!"

When we are riding in the car I ask Dax what Calleigh is doing because I can't see. The usual response is "she's sleeping" or "she's awake" which is what I am really wanting to know. Yesterday I got the above response. Calleigh is a thumb sucker for sure. Since she figured out how to get her thumb in her mouth, she's not stopped. Of course I worry that she doesn't cry enough. Matt says only I would worry that my baby doesn't cry ENOUGH. But she totally self sooths with her thumb. Hopefully she'll drop the habit much earlier in life than I did - I was 10!

Calleigh 3 Months Old

more pics

Visit with Grandparents and Great Grandparents

Great Grandpa
Mama
Great Grandma

Four Generations

Visit With The Easter Bunny

Egg Hunt

So we had to leave the egghunt put on by our church last weekend due to a grouchy little boy who refused to obey Daddy. So we made a second attempt today at a city egghunt. Daddy had to encourage him to speed it up as Dax wanted to inspect every broken egg and piece of candy on the ground.
He found one of the many gold eggs and got to trade it in for a pencil set.
Yep - that's a hot dog. Probably not even an all beef hotdog - yuk! He had his first one a few weeks ago at playgroup.

We love Swaddling

Okay, Calleigh sleeps pretty well for her age, but swaddling helps even more. I was given three swaddlers for Calleigh from other moms (thanks!). I'd never tried it before. Its AWESOME! She has started to grow out of them in the last week and we can see such a difference in her sleep. So we've ordered the Miracle Blanket hoping it will last a few months longer. It works great. Now if they would just make one of these in Dax's size, we'd all get a good nights rest.

Big Boy

For the first time since he began in November, Dax did not cry when he went to MDO. I was so proud. Maybe it was the promise of the egg hunt or maybe he's just growing up. I think his teachers were excited too. He just walked in without giving me a second thought. He did the same thing at MOPS the other day. This is such a big deal; I'm sooo excited!

Do these kids look alike?

Calleigh 2 Months

Here is our 14lb 2 month old precious girl.

My Little Monkey

Calleigh's Smile

I've had trouble capturing Calleigh's smile with my camera because its always in the wrong place when I need it. But I finally caught it the other day in the car. She smiles most for Daddy when he sings "Going to the chapel" to her.
(I'm dying to give her a haircut, but I'm not exactly sure what to do with baby girl hair.)

Dax at the park today

I've been trying to keep Dax entertained and away from other kids (no playgroup, no MDO, no Gymboree, etc.) because he started with a funky cough the other day. I think he's about over it, but today was gorgeous outside and we headed to the park to play (not the playground though) and get some energy out. So he played with the trees, pinecones, leaves, etc. I liked these pics I caught of him.

Calleigh's 6 week stats

Saw the pedi today for Calleigh's 6 week checkup. She is doing great aside from a few skin rashes.
Height: 24 in
Weight: 12lb 12oz

More Pictures

Picture Update

Calleigh has had a rash on her face that you can see in the pics. It's been difficult to get many good pictures of Calleigh because of the rash. You can see that she is eating well - she has outgrown all her newborn clothes and most of her 3 month clothes too. Dax has had a cold since Friday night (which he's passed to Calleigh). Both kids are doing well despite mild illness. I'm exhausted from it all (as you can tell, fewer posts and I'm disappointed to say I've taken a lot fewer pictures than I'd like lately). Matt's been very helpful playing with Dax in the evenings and getting him to bed. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this on my own when Matt travels. Oh - can't leave out the jealous acts as of the last few days. Dax tells me not to hold Calleigh when she cries - to hold him. He threw a block at her - but thankfully his aim is quite poor.

yikes! (email I got today)

FDA Approves Food from Clones against the Will of Congress and the American Public

Despite scant data, congressional action demanding further research and over 150,000 public comments in opposition, FDA approved the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals yesterday. In addition, the FDA will not require any special procedures for tracking or handling food products from clones. It will not require labeling of any kind on food products from clones or their offspring, depriving consumers of their right to know about the origins of their food. This action comes at a time when Congress has voted twice to delay FDA’s decision on cloned animals until additional safety and economic studies can be completed.

The FDA’s bullheaded action disregards the will of the public and Congress. FDA based their decision on an incomplete and flawed review that relies on studies supplied by cloning companies that want to force cloning technology on American consumers. FDA’s action has placed the interests of a handful of biotech firms above those of the public they are charged with protecting.

While FDA may deem these products safe to enter the market, companies like Ben & Jerry’s and Organic Valley have pledged not to use cloned animals or their offspring. Dean Foods, Hormel, Tyson and Smithfield Foods have also stated they do not plan to accept milk or meat from cloned animals, but have not addressed their plans regarding the offspring of clones.

Sign the Clone-Free Pledge! Let food companies know you won’t buy food from clones. While animal cloning has been banned for use in organic production, we need to let other companies know that we will not buy their products if they are from animal clones or the offspring of clones.

What else can you do?

1. Buy organic meats and dairy if you eat animal products.
The National Organic Standards rightly prohibit clones and their offspring from use.
2. Tell Congress to Label Food from Cloned Animals!
There are bills to label food from clones and their offspring in both the House and Senate. Contact your Congress members and urge them to support this important bill!



**If the links in this email don't work visit http://ga3.org/campaign/clone_pledge


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"I Want to Shoot 'em"

Dax's repeating words as he excitedly jumped into bed tonight. Daddy came home the other day with a suggestion from a coworker to try the cheerio method of potty training. I didn't know what this was. But tonight Dax played a game of shooting at the cheerios (we had Honeycomb, so he used that) to learn to pee in the potty. It worked! He also has an obsession with Gummy Bears so we've been withholding them from him except when he uses the potty. Hopefully we'll get this little boy trained before he outgrows his diapers which are getting snug.

Adjusting

We get the question often - How are you all adjusting to having 2 children?
- Calleigh is doing great. She gets held a lot and she sleeps a lot.
- Dax's favorite thing to do with Calleigh besides hold her is kiss her. He randomly throughout the day tells us he's going to kiss her and where (her head, hand, cheek, belly, etc.) then proceeds to do so.
- Mommy and Daddy are trying to remember what it was like with a newborn - is this the same or different than it was with Dax? Is this or that normal, etc.
- 12 or more diapers a day just for Calleigh - I don't remember changing this many.
- Dax isn't sleeping so well. (So neither are mommy & daddy)
- Naps are a bit challenging. Dax is taking lots of car naps at this point.
- Getting out of the house takes a lot of work.
- Restaurant dining is nearly impossible - to the bathroom to nurse, back to change a diaper, again to nurse, another diaper, etc.
- Dax doesn't like Calleigh to be crying: In the car "Mommy, Calleigh's crying. Mommy rub her. Mommy, she's crying..." Then Dax breaks into hysterics if she continues to cry. Then of course Calleigh cries more.
- Daddy has to do a lot more work than he had to do the first time around. I think he's exhausted.
- Daddy loves his baby girl and she loves him. She smiles and makes all kinds of sweet expressions when Daddy sings to her.