a moment to vent...

First let me say I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a mommy... I feel beyond blessed to have two healthy and beautiful daughters... yet I am not afraid to admit miss Sof has thrown us for a loop this last five weeks. If she is awake she is either eating or screaming... she fights sleep so hard it can take well over an hour to get her to calm down enough to sleep and once she is asleep she will pry herself awake despite being swaddled and then the process starts all over again. I don't mean to compare Averi and Sofie, I know they are going to be compared for the rest of their lives but Averi was a much easier baby which has made the adjustment to Sofie that much harder.
I know she has acid reflux and therefore she is uncomfortable which breaks my heart for her that much more... not being able to comfort your own baby can make you feel like a failure rather quickly, as a mom you feel you should be the one person who can soothe your baby, unfortunately in many instances no one can soothe poor Sof. Dont get me wrong, she has moments where she is content, moments where she looks in my eyes and gives me one of those content baby grins...she has just enough of those moments that I am reminded how much I love her, how grateful I am that God placed her in our lives and how a year from now this time of fussiness will be a distant memory!
After over four hours of Sofie screaming tonight I am exhausted...we tried rocking, walking, nursing, swaddling, the swing and even letting her cry it out to no prevail...she finally crashed in my arms, I think from pure exhaustion, the poor thing... I then placed her in her swing for 30 minutes so I could have a few uninterupted minutes to myself! My house is a mess despite trying my darndest to stay on top of it but I am realizing that is ok... a messy house may just be the spot we are in right now, eventually it will calm down and on the days Sofie is not so fussy I will get as much cleaned as possible!
i am incredibly blessed... I hate to come across like I am complaining, I'm not... I am just tired, I want to fix my babies fussiness and am having to realize I can't... I am having to realize more and more to place her in Gods hands and to place my anxieties at his feet! "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" this is what I repeated to myself throughout Sofies birth and this is what I will continue to tell myself as we get past this point of colic! And now I hear Sofie crying again... time for another round with her but after a minute of venting I feel far better.

cousin photo shoot

while my sister and her family were in town we decided to get some pictures done of Averi, Sofie and their big cousin Corbin! Thanks (once again) to the talented Rachel Marshman for these beautiful pictures!

Av "reading" to me

I could not handle having two babies without my loving and kind husband! He is a constant help and does so much for me and the girls without even being asked! I LOVE you Kevin thank you you are so appreciated!

dress up

for christmas my sweet sister bought Av her very own fairy costume! She has had it on all day... I took it off for nap time but as soon as she got up she wanted it back on! Oh how I love having a girl!

well visits

today Averi, Sof and I made a visit to the pediatrician for Avs 18 month well visit and Sofies 1 month well visit! Sof weighed in at nine pounds thirteen ounces, meaning she gained nearly 3 pounds in one month and placing her in the 25th percentile for height and 50th for weight...GO SOF! I discussed how fussy Sofie is with her doctor and explained that when she cries it isnt just being fussy it is unconsolable, her legs are drawn up and she just screams like she is in pain, it is awful...he upped her meds and said if that doesnt work we will try a different medication and if that doesnt work we will try eliminating items from my diet, hopefully it will not come to that! Over all he was pleased with her progress and even called her a chunk!
Averi weighed in at a whopping 28.2 pounds and is 34 inches long placing her in the 90th percentile for height, 85th for weight! GO AV! The pediatrician was pleased with her speech and communication skills and even suggested we start potty training since she is consistantly telling us when her diaper is wet or poopy. I hadnt planned on trying to potty train until she was two but am now planning on starting in the next couple weeks, hopefully she will get it!
We are so blessed to have two beautiful and healthy daughters, thank you for all your prayers this last month! Here is a link to a sneak peak of our new pictures...thank you marshmans! click here

Averi I just ADORE that when I get out the camera you smile and say "CHEESE"... nineteen months is such a fun age!

One month!

Tomorrow Sofie will be one month! Can you believe it? This time last month I had begun to have contractions and we were told to come into the hospital since it was our second baby and would probably be a "quick" delivery... of course it was not particularly quick and she didn't arrive until 7:56 the next morning! Sofies birth was the longest and most painful twelve hours of my life, but also one of the most amazing experiences and certainly worth all the pain!
The minute she was laid upon me I fell in love! I was admittedly scared I would not feel the same emotions with Sofie as I did with Averi... I could not fathom loving another person the way I do her! But oh I DID and I DO! In fact Sofie has made me love being a mom more... she has taught me patience, and strength and reminded me how quickly they grow and to just relax and enjoy this stage- even if this stage does not include a lot of sleep! I am blessed to be a mom to both my gorgeous daughters, they are precious to me... so precious!
Here are the highlights of Sofies first month in our family!
1. Born... October 21st 2009 756am... a petite 6pnds 15 oz
2. Met mom,dad, Nana, Papa, Meemom, Aunt LaLa and Sarah who were all awaiting your arrival!
3. Met, among many other visitors the BIG SISTER Averi! Who was in love with her sister from the start, what a helper she tries to be!
4. Came home!
5. Got put in the light box for jaundice and made SEVERAL trips to the hospital to have labs drawn... finally after 4 days she was allowed out...much to my relief!
6. Had one week check up... weighing in at 7pnds... GO SOFIE!
7. After Nana and Papa went home Sof turned into a much fussier baby and after one scary night filled with breathing issues we were admitted to Kosairs, PRAISE the LORD it ended up being acid reflux and we were given miracle medicine... it is like having an all new baby... an all new much happier baby!
8. Last night Sofie slept from 9pm- 3am... ate then slept until 6:30...any mom with an infant knows a night with that much sleep deserves recording! Praying the nights keep going so well!

Over all it has been a busy and blessed month! I feel I am getting a grip on having two babies and have begun to take them both out and succeeded in getting our house back in order, even caught up the laundry!!!! Here is to one MONTH!!! We love you Sof, cant picture our life without you!

best of friends

Here is miss Addie and Miss Sofies first picture together!



These two girls were destined to be buddies! With me and Laura (Addies mom) finding out we were both pregnant at the same time and both our sweet girls having the exact same due date AND us attending Bradley classes together every week for twelve weeks we have not given them much option! Although Addie ended up making her appearnce twelve days before Sofie did we are sure they will be best of friends! It has been a joy to go through pregnancy with such a sweet friend as Laura by my side- she is a constant encouragment and a constant support... she always makes me laugh (even at forty weeks and three days pregnant!) and she always reminds me of Gods presence even in difficult situations! I just love that girl, and her sweet family! We love you Kazees and are so excited to raise our babies with you guys in their lives!

**update**

Av went to the doctor...they swabbed her for the flu and for swine flue...both came back negative! He said it is just a bad stomach bug and to let it run its course and try to get her to drink pedialite every hour! She did not throw up any more yesterday but was acting sleepy and went to bed early where she slept soundly until 8 this morning... she got up ate a couple crackers and drank a little juice. Then spent the morning either on my lap or begging for me to hold her, poor baby girl! With no fever and no more vomitting though I think she is on the mend, she went down for an early nap where once again she has been sound asleep, this time for two hours! Thank you for your prayers for both our babies!

Sick

last week Sofie started snorting a bunch and seeming really uncomfortable all the time... like I would feed her and she would still scream and curl up her tummy like she was in pain. Saturday night she did not sleep at all, she was up from 12pm until 5 am I could not find a position to make her comfortable (Kevin got home at like 3 and tried to help)... we would get her to sleep lay her in her cradle and she would immediately start screaming. She was snorting a bunch during all of this, around 5 Kevin was holding her up right and she started gasping for air... Seriously scared me to death!
Finally we called the pediatrician. The on call nurse listened to her breathing over the phone and told us to go to the hospital right away... so we woke up Av and headed to Baptist East. They examined her and took some x rays and decided to send us to Kosairs. We then took Av to a friends house and headed into Kosairs, when we got there I nursed her and the nurse looked at her she said she thought she looked "dusky" which means sortve a grayish blue (not what you want them to say about your infant). They did tons of Xrays and examined her, let me just say she was not happy about being poked and prodded at at all! She was hooked up to a machine that was monitoring her breathing and it kept dropping, and after I fed they thought she looked "dusky" still.
They admitted us saying they wanted to keep her on the monitors for a night but that they thought it could be severe acid reflux. They started her on Zantac that night and had her sleep elevated. It was the nest she had slept in over a week! She only got up twice and went right back to sleep! Her O2 stats stayed fine through the night so in the morning they decided we could go home! They prescribed Zantac and told us she is trying to spit up due to the reflux but her muscles aren't strong enough to get it out so she is gaging on it hence the "dusky" coloring... so she is supposed to be elevated as much as possible especially after a feeding, they also encouraged me to stretch her feedings to atleast 3 hours because she had gained over 2pnds in 2 weeks, I was over feeding because she was so fussy and I thought she was hungry which was making things worse!! PRAISE the LORD it is not more serious! She is still a bit more fussy then Averi ever was but is noticeable better today then she was last week!
Well just when we thought we had it licked and were in the clear we got home... and Av started puking! She threw up three times last night, but had no fever so I just assumed it was a stomach bug. She was fine from 930pm until about 12pm today when as I was eating lunch she threw up all over me... then she started having diarrhea and now has a low grade temp...we are off to the doctors at 440 so they can check for swine flue! PLEASE pray it is nothing serious and that Sofie Kevin and I do not catch it! We are both EXHAUSTED and need the Lord to sustain us more then ever... your prayers are coveted!

What do you think?

Do they look alike?

Sofie at three weeks!



Averi at about three weeks!

Isnt she just lovely?

Avs first real hair cut!

So Ive trimmed Averis hair a few times on my own but it was still looking pretty shabby! So today we ventured to Kid O Cuts for her first official hair cut! She loved it, she got to sit in a pink jeep and watch the wiggles while "miss Kathy" quickly trimmed her hair! She then got to play on the slide they have inside the salon and of course got a sucker and a balloon, in one year old world this is a very exciting morning! She looks as cute as can be with her new do... her bangs are evenly trimmed and her awkward side burns she grew in the back are evenly trimmed! the side of her hair is still way shorter then the back so it will take a few more cuts to give her that cute little bob I want so badly for her to have, but that is A- OK we will get there!

one and a half

Our sweet Av,
Mommy is a little late on posting this...but better late then never! I can not believe you have been here a year and a half! It seems like only yesterday I called your daddy and asked him to pick up a digital pregnancy test because I got two lines on a test I had just taken... I knew when I saw those lines our lives were going to change, and when your daddy and I read the word "pregnant" on my second and third test I was THRILLED and TERRIFIED!
After thirty eight weeks and three days and 17 and a half hours of labor you finally came! We had waited anxiously for this day, seeing glimpses of you on an ultrasound, seeing you kick, and praying for your health you were in our arms! You have been beautiful since day one!
At 18months you are so happy! You dance and scream in delight! You always want to sit on our laps and have us read you stories... your favorite story is "I'm a Big sister" we read it at least ten times a day! You sleep through the night, you take one nap a day and you love your baby dolls... you drag your curious George (who you like to have diapered) your Auburn bear and your blankie from Aunt Ruthie everywhere! You give kisses and hugs freely! You chat it up all day long, there are times we do not know what you are saying but we always enjoy listening!
You are a daddy's girl and cheer so loud when he finally gets home from work! But if you are upset or need comforted you want your Momma! You have the most gorgeous eyes and have finally grown a head full of hair! You are perfectly lovely in every regard! You are a jewel!
On the exact day you turned one and a half, October 21st...you also became a big sister! A big sister is a huge under taking for a one and a half year old! But you have adjusted so well... you love on your sister and try so hard to help! You always want to put her Binky back in her mouth and always want to hold her, you call her "mine baby"... We know you will always look out for baby Sofie and pray you two will grow to be best of friends!
It has been the biggest privilege of my life to be your mommy Averi Noel Yates... God has blessed my life more then I ever could have asked when he gave me your daddy to marry and you and your sister to mother! We love you sweet girl!

sisters

I am so privileged to watch these two grow up together!

Parents Day Out!

Averi still attends PDO once a week! She loves it and it has been so fun to watch her interact with other kids her age! Her teachers are so sweet- they adore Averi and she does them as well, she never leaves without giving "miss Amanda" a hug! Her teachers tell us her favorite part of PDO is music class... they say she dances through the whole thing and keeps the whole room laughing! Not that this comes as a suprise, Averi dances all day long to any music!
She recieved an award at her halloween party for "best pirate costume"...go AV! Since Sofie is so little we didnt get to take them trick or treating so her halloween party ended up being her only Halloween celebration! She came home with lots of candy and seemed pleased though so I'm not worried!




Yesterday we found out she had recieved another award at PDO! This one made me and Kevin so proud we could burst! She is Novemebers student of the month... you recieve student of the month by displaying kindness to others, sharing and loving your friends... the letter they sent home said Av has displayed all of these behaviors and is therefore student of the month! We are working diligently on discipline and were so pleased she has shown good behavior at school!