Logan or Myra?

Our children really do look ridiculously alike. Can you tell who is who?
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I did a little editing to try to remove clues like gender specific color and backgrounds that might give it away. See how many you can get!

I'll post the answers next week.

Experiments...

I am so tired of feeding my family the same old thing every week, but with an 11 week old and a 2 year old around, kitchen time is limited. That said, I am ready for a little more adventure in my life (and Mitch wants me to unpack the cookbooks so that he can get them out of the garage), so I've decided to try one new entree/side dish and one new dessert every week. I started out by cutting recipes out of some old Food & Family and Taste of Home magazines that I have been meaning to go through for years. So, at least I got rid of some clutter! Anyway, I sorted all of the recipes that sounded good (and easy!) and put them into a little cardfile so that we can pick a couple each week. This week our two recipes to try were "Holy Cannoli Cake" and Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie - both from Food & Family. Here they are, although I'm not sure how well the scan came out...We had the Cannoli Cake for FHE treats last night (and it is already gone!). It was SOOO yummy!!! Here is a picture of how it came out.I am not a fan of recipes in general, and I got really believe in measuring ingredients in the strictest sense, so I did alter this recipe, but only slightly. I used chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolate bar, mostly because I'm too lazy to chop up chocolate. Mitch liked it, but I think the texture would have been better with the chopped chocolate. Next time. This one is definitely a keeper! It only took about 15 minutes to put together, although I suppose you could bake your own pound cake if you really wanted to. I let Sara Lee do that part.

The Chicken pot pie was also really good. Again, store bought crust, as I have never managed to even come close to my sister at pie crust making, so I don't even try. I actually never even thought of making a pot pie until our friend Emily brought one for dinner when I was recovering from having Myra. We both loved it so much, I've been trying to find a recipe that we like. Mitch doesn't like cream sauces and I do, so the compromise has been a challenge, but I think this one might have it! We both liked it, so I'll be making it again, too.

So far, my search for more variety in the kitchen has been a success, and I haven't yet made myself any crazier than usual, so we'll drive on and see what else we can discover!

Giggles and Dimples

Myra was so cute today, I just had to have a photo shoot... She was such a ham for the camera! Look at this grin!I also cannot resist little baby dimples, wherever they might appear. My favorite are the little knuckle dimples! Logan still has his, and I know I will be sad when he finally does grow out of them. Here are Myra's, and you can also see her cute little dimply knees! Oh, babies are so sweet! Here is the little dimple that she has when she smiles. I think it so cute that it only appears on one side.

And the crown jewel of our photo shoot today - a video of her sweet little laugh! Myra hasn't really been vocalizing long. She does coo and gurgle a little, but most of all she laughs - all the time. She is such a happy little lady.

Nap update

What do you know - no blood today! Naptime today was a relative success!!! Myra was happy in the sling, Logan was happy in my lap, and he was asleep in 10 minutes. Yesterday may have been awful, but I learned something new. Silver lining, eh? I'll really feel better when the wee prince's face is no longer black and blue...

Apropos of nothing, isn't Myra adorable?? She's getting better at sitting up (supported, of course)!

My worst day?

OK, so maybe not my worst entire day, but the last 2 hours have been ruddy awful. I am awarding myself worst mom of the day today for the fiasco that was naptime. Logan has never been a particularly willing napper, and Myra NEVER sleeps when it is time to put him down, so naptimes have been a challenge in our household of late. I was determined that today would be better. I started out by warning Logan that naptime was coming and setting the timer so that he would know. (As an aside, why do I read parenting books - so not helpful!!) When the timer went off, I was nursing Myra, but had had the foresight to put her in a sling, so no problem. Logan and I headed off to his room and he laid down in bed, no fighting. Whew! So far we are doing great! Then the squirming and kicking started, but this is status quo, so I just did the usual Mommy Bye-bye, which generally works (sort of). Here is where it all goes downhill. At this point, I was starting to get angry. We'd been in his room for over a half hour and he was still climbing the walls - literally. I grabbed his hand to pull him back down into his bed, but I was mad and pulled too hard, and cracked his sweet little face into the bed frame. Oh, I am the worst mommy ever! My son is bleeding and it is my fault! So, as I waited for CPS to come take me away, I laid Myra down, cleaned up Logan and snuggled my poor boy-o. And this is why anger is a sin. There is no way I was going to put him back in his cold lonely bed, so I slung Myra up high on my shoulder and snuggled Logan on the other side. I was road testing my fleece sling, so Logan got a kick out of using the tail as a blankie. Whew! Everyone is happy again. Except me, of course, I am still riddled with guilt. And the sling, which is spattered with blood. Logan fell asleep in my arms and so I stood up to lay him down in bed, but made a fatal error. I didn't unwrap the tail of the sling, so Logan ended up laying on it and I woke him trying to get untangled. Sigh, more crying and guilt. So, now he is crying for the "purple blankie" (the sling!) but Myra is still in it!! Well, I took it off and wrapped it around him, but that wasn't enough. He wanted Myra and I to lay down with him in his bed! As you might imagine, his toddler bed was NOT built for three. Still, we managed it, sort of. And he finally fell asleep - two hours after his regular naptime. And that is the story of why my sweet little man is sleeping, wrapped in a blood-spattered purple fleece sling, and sporting a swollen lip. Oh, he is so sweet when he sleeps.

Family Home Evening

... is always a challenge when your audience is a 2 year old and a newborn, but this week was a hit! Well, with Logan anyway - Myra snoozed through it. Anyway, Mitch taught our lesson today about things that fly, with the visual aide being a picture of an army chopper from the Internet. Logan was completely enthralled and even tolerated talking about birdies and planes, as long as we let him stare at the picture of the "'copter". We copied a line drawing of a cartoon helicopter for him to color, but he was not interested! He colored the green 'copter!

Of course, he also enjoyed treats (Chocolate Chocolate chip cookies), both making and eating. He eats so much dough, I really should be getting pasteurized eggs...

We are thankful for Family Home Evening!

A present!

Look what came in the mail yesterday!! We love surprises, although I was a bit perplexed at first, as I couldn't recall ordering anything from Sephora... Oma recycles. His Royal Highness (I admit, I had to think hard before I figured out that TRHs was Thier Royal Highnesses) Logan very much enjoys the opening and distribution of the tissue paper. And isn't he cute in his new duds?! The hand-in-the-pocket pose was all his own. My son, the Abercrombie and Fitch model...
Here is Myra in her Cowgirl outfit! My mom must have read my mind, as I have been lusting after those cowgirl onesies ever since Jodi's baby shower on Wednesday when she got a set. They are SOO cute!!
Here they are together. Logan loves to hold his little sister.
Thank you very much, Oma! We love our present!

Just straight amazing

Every once in a while I have to sit back and be amazed at the strength and perserverance my wife possesses. Sick, exhausted, frazzled, frustrated--somehow she manages to accomplish the things that are most important to her, to wit: take care of our kids, take care of the house, support her grouchy crabby hubby, and do it all with grace and a fine eye for color coordination. I think I have learned more about sacrifice and true love from her example than anyone else. I am, simply, the luckiest guy on the planet.

I dub thee, Lady 'Miles

Logan has nicknamed Myra. He calls her 'Miles (AKA Smiles). We love it!! The video explains all...

I am so blessed to have such a happy little girl, and such a loving little boy.

Logan

Claudia tagged me, and usually I dread these things, but Logan needs some blog love, since miss Myra seems to take so much of it.

Name & meaning: Shaun Logan - "God is gracious (Hebrew)" and "Small Hollow (Scottish)"

Age: Just turned 2

Nicknames: Logan, Loganski, Logan Slogan, the Little Prince, Boo

Favorite Activities: Running! Watching Elmo, Playgroup, playing with Anna, Nursery at church, cooking with Mommy, watching videos of himself

Favorite Foods: Fruit snacks, fishie crackers, bananas, cheese, milk, hot dogs and anything drenched in ketchup

Least Favorite Foods: Anything that Mom particularly wants him to eat.

Favorite Music: 5 Little Monkeys, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus - anything with hand motions!

Favorite Toys: The computer (ours or his), anything round that appears to be a ball, his wagon, his bike, anything that resembles a book

Favorite Book: Mr. Brown can Moo, can you? by the inestimable Dr. Suess

Favorite Item of Clothing: his Elmo shirt, and monkey jammies, Mommy and Daddy's shoes
What Makes Him Happy: Daddy!

What Makes Him Sad: Time out.

Additional things I love about Logan: He is such a happy little man and finds joy in so many things. He reminds me to be grateful for the little blessings in our lives (including him!!) He is also relatively easy to please - a nice trait in a 2 year old.

2 months already!

I can't believe it, but Myra is already 2 months old! She had her checkup (and got her shots, of course) on Wednesday. She weighs 11 pounds and is 21 inches tall. Not bad for starting out at 6lbs. 2ozs and 18 inches! She is doing all of the things that a 2 month old should, that is she's cooing, tracking, has a social smile and reasonable head and trunk control. She is also the most beautiful little princess in the entire world (I may be biased)."What in the world are you doing, Mommy?""Yay, Time to play!"

The Family Bed

I have had many occasions to be grateful that we chose to get a King sized bed when the time came for a new one. It was a bit of a splurge, but this morning when all four us us were comfortably snuggled together, I was again satisfied with the purchase. Myra has decided that she only sleeps in some one's arms or on her tummy. After 4 years of pediatric training and practice I am WAY too paranoid about SIDS to be able to let her sleep on her belly if I am not monitoring closely, so we're co-sleeping. I does make nursing simpler and she never cries and wakes up Mitch, since I wake up before she gets to the crying point. She just gives me a nuzzle and I wake up.
Anyway, as I was waking this morning, Logan decided to join us as well. I curled up with my sweet little princess and listened to the little prince reading off numbers on Mitch's alarm clock and was struck with what wonderful blessings my family has brought to me. I wanted to capture that moment, with all of us together, snuggled up. I know as my little ones grow up that these moments will be fewer and farther between and I am trying to appreciate them now as much as I can.
My little ones are such wonderful little spirits. I am so grateful for them and that our Father in Heaven has given Mitch and I the chance to be a part of their lives. Logan is so wild and wonderful! He has boundless energy and so much joy in life. It reminds me to have gratitude for the little blessings, like blue skies and open spaces to run. He is also so loving. It surprises me that despite being a self-centered two year old, he shares with others without any prompting from me. Even with his little sister...
Myra is so sweet. Of course, her little personality is still a little hard to make out, but she is already so much more intense than Logan ever was. She spends long periods of time examining and contemplating the world around her. She is also a very content baby. She seldom cries and when she does is easily consoled with a snuggle. She is such a little snuggler! I watched her little face this morning as she cuddled with me and smiled in her sleep.
Right now Mitch is playing guitar for Logan and so I am off to go sing "Five Little Monkeys" with my little monkey!

Smiles...

Myra has been smiling at everything for the last few days - Mommy, Daddy, brother, the cat, random flocks of passing birds - you name it, she'll smile at it, unless it happens to be a camera. In an attempt to catch the magical moment we had some fun making lots of faces, and Myra responded with some fun faces of her own...
This one is almost a smile, but I think she just has some gas.And here she says, "What is that weird face about, Mom?"Still a little puzzled. And looking a little like Mr. Spock. You be the judge...Learning to whistle maybe?Here is a "Feed me!" face. Just chillin', but look at those perfect lips! Shiloh Joli-Pitt, eat your heart out!! An almost smile...
Logan wants in on the fun with his "No!" face.
And here it is!!! The smile!! Isn't she the cutest ever?!? And here is the face we see the most - asleep... She's growing up so fast, I'm just trying to keep up! She really is a wonderful little lady - happy and cheerful all the time. We have been so blessed to have her in our lives and we can't wait to see what else she has in store for us as she continues to grow.