17 Months

Time flys when you are busier than all-get-out. (what does that mean anyways?). Our little pop-tart is getting so big, well, not so big as older....ugh. Popi is still a little thing. 18 pounds of laughing, talking, coloring, baby carrying, book reading, cheese eating, pure toddler. Her favorite foods has held firm, cheese(smoked Gouda) and blueberries. We have now added cold cereal to this list. In the morning she wakes up and asks for "seal". Not that she doesn't eat other foods, it's just those are her favorites. She still loves shoes, jewelry, purses, and baby dolls. She got a keyboard for Christmas so she now has her own "piano" to play on, she loves making music. Since the weather has been so mild she also likes to go "'side" to play in the sand box with the big girls. She really is getting so "big", playing outside, eating with a fork and spoon, "reading" books, coloring, talking in the phone, picking her shoes out for the day, telling me "no" with a shake of her little head. I hope she will learn to say the affirmative soon. The best is over Christmas break she learned to walk. I am so proud:). She sure did take her time learning, it was nice she took her time but I am happy now I don't have to carry her everywhere! Okay, I'll stop jabbering on. Y'all have a nice day now!

Oh, by the Way...

Our little pop-tart is 16 months old. She is taking steps independently now. She is climbing into chairs so she can sit in them after she yells at you to get out of it, she thinks all chairs are hers. There is the climbing up and down stairs, over and over again, she's all over! Her favorite food is cheese, after waking up it is the first thing she asks for, and when we have blueberries and strawberries she is asking for those. For a month now she has been eating with a fork and spoon like a grown up, seriously a grown person. I give her cereal with milk in the morning some days and she just eats it, I don't even have to put a bin on her, she just eats it with her spoon. When she eats with a fork her aim is true! Her hand-eye coordination is crazy! She still loves to play piano, carry purses, try on shoes, and huh on her babies. She has lots of words, duck, dog, cat, chicken, cow, shoe, sock, diaper, hat, eye, nose, mouth, tongue, ear, water, milk, blueberry, cracker, cookie, cheese, bottle, juice, eat, car, baby, chair...oh goodness, I could go on:). She is getting so big, not physically so much but mentally, she still is under 20 lbs at 17 lbs. Someday she'll get bigger, but right now it's easy to haul her around on my hip still!

Breastfeeding a One Year Old

in the US the statistic for people who still breastfeed at one is 22%, that is up from the 15% that was reported years ago. i am not sure the percentage of people in the US that go on after that year, but the fact that the american board of pediatrics only recommend a year vs the world view of at least two years might mean that number is low. breastfeeding is something i always wanted to do with my children. it was a no brainer. when juniper was born i went right to work trying to do what was natural. it never happened. juni and i struggled so hard to breastfeed. we went to lactation consultants, the la leche league, moms, books, anything to help me. it just wasn't going to work, but instead of me giving up my precious liquid gold and going to formula, i pumped. this was a hard choice for me, it was a hard choice for my body, but gosh-darndit, i did not want to buy formula and we have all heard it, "breast is best." my pump and i were best friends till about 6 months when the stress of exclusively pumping milk on demand for my daughter caught up with my body and my ample supply of milk dried up. i felt like i was a loser, like i wasn't a mom, like i couldn't do my job correctly. it was a hard thing to do, to let go of that breastmilk halo over my head. with lots of love and support i got through it, and when beila came along i was a blessed with a very hungry and snugly breastfeeding champ! we had a great run, 13-14 months, i can't remember. i only stopped because i wanted my body back, i would have gone on forever if i didn't feel like i needed my boobies back, the endorphins running through my body really wanted to stay there, I wanted them to stay there. i was so excited when i found out i was with child for the third time, one of the first things i thought of was breastfeeding!!! i couldn't wait. feeding popi was not without sleepless nights and struggles with the boob. we had plenty of that, the first 2 weeks were hard, but we kept at it, stayed calm, and carried on. we have been breastfeeding exclusively now for one year last tuesday:) she never would take a bottle or a pacifier, that is hard sometimes. beila was amazing, took a paci, bottle filled with b-milk, and boob. i should never compare kids. now i am at the one year mark with kalliope, she is so funny with the breastfeeding. one of her first signs many months ago was milk, she sticks her little fist out and squeezes her hand open and close over and over till she gets my attention. now a days the fist pump happens, she grabs at my shirt, when access is granted she does this dive bomb move, she opens her mouth and face plants my boob, and i mean face plants, she is intense. then there is her new new thing she does while eating, she sticks her bootie in the air while nursing, like she is standing up but still latched on, she wiggles and wiggles on her shaky legs while standing there in this odd position, it is so funny, i took video of it so i can remember it. so, i'm thinking i am just going to take this as far as she wants, but then i think about the kids who ask for "milk" and get freaked out. we are only a year, i don't have anything to worry about right now, i know i might catch some flack from some random peeps out there who see me feed my babe in public, but that is just their weird hang-up, they don't know who they are messing with.

Happy First Birthday Kalliope!

it's been a wonderful year with popi in our lives. looking forward to many more birthdays!

48 Weeks

oh my little pop-tart. what a great little girl. i have three of the best little girls in the whole entire world! i was nervous about having a third child but what was i thinking?! she turned 11 months old this past week. one more month till her first birthday, crazy! let's see, things little miss Kalliope does...today she started "crawling." when i say crawl i mean scoot with one leg in normal crawling stance, the other tucked under her. i will totally get a video. my mom and i will be working on this in hopes of correcting her crawl. i'm going to miss having a non-mobile baby. i put her down in the hall and found her a couple seconds later in the girls' room, gotta go find the baby gates. still no teeth, but she had her first cucumber today, and while gardening she stole one of my bell peppers and chewed up half of it. i also gave her one of the girl's favorite snacks, roasted seaweed, which she liked. on our trip she tried deviled eggs, three bean salad, creamed corn, and corn on the cob. amazing what she can eat without teeth.

44 Weeks

wow. she just keeps on getting bigger.
still no teeth:) no crawling:) and that's all good in our hood. "dog" is the new word this week. she first said it at my mommy's house, there are 4 dogs running around there right now instead of 2. my brother james, his girlfriend anissa, and their 2 dogs are staying there for a bit. no "mamma" to escape her lips yet. new foods this week were salmon, she loved it, and strawberries. we went to menchie's to cool off this week with a treat and she had some bites of the tart plain frozen yogurt flavor and she was shaking and licking that stuff up! we don't do sugared foods till the first birthday, but i rationalized the tart plain favor in my head:) i was so lucky that kristen had her camera at queenie's this morning, she took some beautiful pictures.

momma bear and baby bear

popi and olive

those eyes....

photos by free-range studios

43 Weeks, monday

monday was memorial day so there was no queenie's breakfast for us. instead popi and i went to kristen and marvin's for yummy pancakes, bacon, orange juice and coffee. marvin puts fresh nutmeg in his pancakes, so they were super duper yummy.
well, kalliope was 43 weeks old monday, almost ten months old, that will be tuesday, and then i have two more months till she is a year old!! where has the time gone?
let's see, she said her first word a couple weeks ago, "baby." seriously. she was playing with her baby doll and definitely said it. her ya-ya witnessed it as well. "ba-by." she could have also maybe said "poppa." we are pretending she did, it sure sounded like it and her poppa was sitting right there. food wise, she does not have a routine. some days she eats solids, some she is milk only. her favorite things are breast milk and water. she loves water and only drinks from a straw. she loves cheerios, black beans, baby mum-mums, risotto, peanut butter-banana smoothies, and mango smoothies. popi is not a fan of water on her(she hates getting wet) or small fuzzy creatures, including our baby chicks. her reaction to feeling water and small fuzzies is shaking and screaming, this makes bath time hard. she loves "this little piggy" and will wee-wee-wee with you. she also like people to nibble on her toes. still no teeth or any hint of them yet, i don't mind, her toothless smile makes me melt like chocolate left on the front seat of an oklahoma car. she does not crawl, pull up, or anything besides sit on her toosh or play on her belly. she has been starting to lay over while sitting up, looking like she might almost start to crawl, but no go yet. for that i am grateful for as well. we have been enjoying chillin' on the front porch a lot these past weeks. i put her down on her rug with a small basket of toys and she sits there for hours just playing nicely while i swing and read or do chores on the porch or yard. the best part of that is she is immobile! we also recently bought a nice sized mirror we put in her room near the floor so she can sit and play and stare at herself. she loves being with her sisters and i, but especially loves seeing her poppa. when she gets near him she instantly grabs his beard and tugs, i find it highly entertaining. may i brag for a second here? of course i can! it's my blog:) i am going to say 97% of the time when someone sees popi, they react to her eyes. they say she has the most beautiful eyes, i'm glad everyone sees what i do, the cutest baby in all the world!

Baby Travel 101

i have been traveling by myself with babies for over 7 years. it is very daunting. i have been through a lot and i have gained a few tid-bits of advice i would like to share. i guess we can start at the beginning of a babies needs, diapers. we do use cloth diapers, but switch to disposable when traveling. when packing i only pack enough diapers to get me through to our destination. when we are where we are going i go buy diapers for our trip and when coming home i pack the rest up. this way i am not schlepping around pounds of baby gear. speaking of baby gear such as car seats, pack and plays, strollers and such, you can always bring your stuff from home and break your back or arrange to borrow gear from people you know at your destination. if you don't know anyone there are baby gear rental services in larger cities. you pick out what you need online and they deliver it to where you are staying, you pack it up when you are done and they come and pick it up. easy-peasy. i have done both before. this last leg i was able to borrow a stroller and car seat, bumbo, and excersaucer. makes my life sooo much easier. when packing clothes for baby and i, i always pack light and do carry on, i also pack an extra bag for goodies i purchase. we do laundry at least once while gone so we don't have to take a lot of clothes. two pairs of shoes is all i allow myself as well:( carrying a baby around with lots of luggage is not fun, i have cursed myself every time i over pack. i do buy clothes on vacation, even shoes, i then ship everything back through a shipping service the day before that i won't need the next day. what i have left i do check. i cannot be bogged down with luggage. wearing a child in an ergo or bjorn or sling is not easy work, but it is a lot easier for me than dealing with a stroller all through the airport, folding it up, folding it out, up, and out, up and out, putting it through security....arghhhh. security. this was the best trip through security ever this trip. we were treated great. you can bring baby food, with you, water for the baby, breast milk, formula. you lay it out through the x-ray and they might swipe it to see if there is any bomb residue on it. i brought opened yogurt for popi, water in her cup, coconut water, baby food, cheerios, and wholesome snacks for me, but that didn't stop me from enjoying mceedees for lunch. in popi's diaper bag(back pack) i had wipes, diapers, toys, snacks, my wallet, phone, and kindle. let me just take this time to say how much i love my kindle. i can read one handed while nursing or sleeping, it is perfect for mommies! thank you hunni for getting it for me for mother's day:)
so let's see. i carry our luggage on the plane as i carry my baby too. i have a blanket, toys and snacks for baby to play with on the floor while we wait for the plane. we always pre-board when possible so we can sit as close to the front of the plane as we can on an outside seat. we do that so we are close to the bathroom with the changing table up front, and the outside seat is easy for me to get up and down without disturbing anyone. i nurse or bottle feed when the plane takes off and lands to ease pressure on the ears. while in the air it helps to take it easy, be cool and have a little humor. babies are unpredictable! most people understand, don't take it personally if someone doesn't and is being rude to you. we exit the plane and go to the bathroom to change our diaper and use the restroom. at this point getting to your location by public transportation or car is your choice. any who....this is just my experience, yours may be different, it works for me!!

38 Weeks

miss lil popi is growing, sorta. she is still so small, i love it! she has no teeth, does not crawl, or try to, and does not pull up. but, she plays on the floor by herself really well, loves music and likes to sway and boogie to it. she likes scrambled eggs, yogurt, acorn squash, and ripe bananas. she gets excited to see her poppa bear now, she wiggles and giggles and reaches out for him, so cute. when i bring her into bed in the morning for nursing she cranes her neck around to look for her poppa, she knows he's there. her eyes are blue, a blue outside and hazel/green center, they are beautiful. it is so odd, all three of my girls have different colored eyes. juni has caramel/hazel eyes, bee has dark chocolate eyes, and popi has blue. love the differences! oh and yes, those are her real eyelashes, no makeup or photoshop:)

36 Weeks

not much has happened in the growing dept here. popi is still 14-15 lbs. tiny little thang! she hasn't changed much either. no crawling, no scooting, no rolling. she doesn't have any teeth and doesn't eat chewable food. she likes to talk, she says da-da-da-da-da, and ma-ma-ma-ma-ma, and ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. she also loves to lick her lips, a lot. oddness. popi is mommified still, but now she can cling to me:) kinda nice and sweet. it will be great to see her cling to her poppa bear soon!

Popi's First Road Trip at 33 Weeks

popi and i accompanied poppa bear to our state capitol the other day for popi's first road trip. she was stellar! slept on the way there and on the way back. after errands we went to a cloth diaper store in okc to pick up some few odds and ends because our local store here closed:( then we went to arcadia down route 66 to eat lunch at pops! the food is not the best or anything but it is just fun to go, there are over 500 different bottled sodas to choose from. i also get a malt with my burger, i normally don't get malts with meals, it is a treat. they have a giant led soda pop bottle outside that lights up at night, kitschy.

topping it off on the way home is the round barn, so pretty.

32 Weeks, last week

i think a beila got a hold of my phone and went kalliope happy:)

Yikes

i just kinda realized i have been ignoring my blog. i have been playing outside in this bee-ootiful weather or reading in my spare time. i am re-reading the clan of the cave bear series so i will be all fresh for the new book that comes out within days. they are some of my favorite books and i enjoy reading them so much. spring break was nice, i still have to post pictures of the girls' room, we played outside a lot, stayed up with the neighbors till midnight one night, and chilled. we went to our friend's house one day to say hi, and popi and her friend kate got to play....well, they got to lay on the floor with each other.

aren't they cute. kate is in floral, popi in the red skirt.

and the girls always love to read...
this is a new reading spot i guess....

digging in the garden has been fun as always. i double fenced my asparagus and look what popped up out of the ground, my first spear. i know it sounds sooo cliche, but it was the best asparagus i have ever eaten, so buttery and soft and crunchy. wow. i bought new fencing for the garden so i can fence it then plant. have to keep the chickens out. bought ferns for the front porch, things are looking springy. i am loving this. i have a ton of stuff to do, painting the house, fencing off the driveway, pulling out bushes, planting a flower bed.....and it all makes me happy!

30 Weeks

she is getting so big. 7 months old now as of the 9th. i weighed her when i took juni to the dr, she weighs a whopping 15 pounds. she smiles all the time and talks, talks, talks. she now will sit and play by herself for a longer period of time. bathing is getting easier for me:) she still has no teeth and doesn't eat solid food everyday. i try but sometimes she just wants to nurse instead. her eyes are staying blue we think. that's fun, juni has hazel/brown eyes, bee has chocolate brown, and popi has blue!

27 Weeks

she's almost 7 months old. you see she is a perfect sitter upper now.
we went to one of my favorite department stores to visit my friend and on the way in i accidentally saw a dress that needed to be on my body, so i obliged. in the dressing room they had those mirrors you could move to so you could look at your angles in the mirror, popi loved sitting in the middle of them seeing multiples of herself.
she has had water, apricots, plums, tomato soup and sweet potatoes. her eyes have been holding on to this cloudy blue shade, it is odd and funny, strangers always comment on her gorgeous eyes. she still is very calm and content, except for this mommi clinginess she has been doing this past week. i have been letting her cry a little more when i put her down to sleep. she has been doing better, and this is why i am typing on my computer right now!! she waves hi, and actually says "hi", well it sounds like she does. her wave is so cute, i need to record it on my flip. she also reaches her arms out to me and when she sees my mom. i think she does the sign for milk too, it has to be it, i have been showing her since she was born and now she does it when she starts to nurse. juni fed her dinner the other night, then changed her diaper, put her pj's on and asked for a bottle to feed her. i told her she won't take one but juni insisted she would from her:) well, it feels so good to be sharing with everyone. have a good week!

26 Weeks

25 Weeks...last week

random photos of popi's 25th week

6 Months!

our little "poppy seed" is six months old, as of feb 9th. she has gotten so big and funny. she has quite the personality, always laughing and making everyone laugh with her. she even does things to make me laugh on purpose, quite sly she is. and of course she lights up when her sisters are around.

i am so lucky to know such a great photographer to help capture my family on film, free range photography takes the best pictures of my little ones, even when some little teeny one wasn't feeling too well.