MAP Testing...EEEK!

MAP testing begins for us this week. EEEEEEEEEEK! Actually, the only thing I'm dreading about the week is the lack of prep time that I'll be receiving. Our special area teachers are being used as proctors, so all special area classes before noon are being canceled. That means that the 3rd and 5th grades will get their special areas, but 4th won't....typical (we always get the short end of the stick). I'm still planning to teach MO History, science and reading this week, but I'm going to try to fit in some down time, too. Standardized testing is stressful on these poor kiddos.

On the bright side, MAP testing means that the end of the school year is in sight. May 28 canNOT come fast enough to suit me! This has been a good school year overall....sweet, hardworking kids...but I'm so ready to spend some quality time at home with my girls. They're growing so quickly and I feel like I'm missing so much every day that I spend away from them.

Anyway, that's all from me for now. I'll try to update more frequently and post some pics of my darling girls.
G'night:)

A New Year

Wow, I can't believe another entire year has gone by. Life in our home is great. We had a nice Christmas, a relaxing New Year's Day and are enjoying some quiet time at home before I have to go back to work.

The girls are growing and changing every day. For Christmas, Keira received some "big girl panties", so we are potty training now in earnest. She wore panties from 10-5 on Monday (with the exception of naptime) and didn't have a single accident. Yay for Keira! I'm bribing her with Tootsie Rolls right now...but whatever works! She so badly wants to be a big girl. I told her that I'm not buying any more Pull-Ups after we run out of the ones we have now. She can either go in the potty like a big girl, or she can wear diapers like her baby sister. So far, so good :)

Speaking of baby sister, Reagan is great! I took her for her 12 month appointment (late, bad Mommy!) and she weighed 24lbs. and is 29" long. She's walking all over the place and has developed quite a personality. She loves to torment Keira by pulling her hair or taking toys away, but I think it's "survival of the fittest" around here to a point.

All in all, we're loving life!

Has it really been a year?!

I can't believe that we celebrated our baby's first birthday on Saturday. Can it be possible that it's really been a year since she entered our world? Amazing....
She has grown so much and is becoming so independent. When did that happen? It seems like yesterday Shawn and I were talking about trying to have a second baby....like only yesterday when we saw those 2 little lines for the first time. You know, we found out I was pregnant with Reagan six days after Keira's 1st birthday. I can't imagine 4 days from now finding out that I was pregnant. I think our family feels complete now, with our 2 precious daughters. God has truly blessed us.

I think back to last year...the panic when Reagan failed her NST...the fear I felt as I lie on the hospital table while the doctor did yet another ultrasound...the anxiety as I waited for my doctor to decide what to do...the way the pain medicine hit me and how nauseous I felt...the ride back to the operating room...the look on Shawn's face when Reagan was born. The absolute best part about that day was when I heard my sweet baby cry and they placed her in my arms for the first time. I knew then that it would all be ok.

Since then, I've toyed with the idea of what it would be like to have a 3rd baby. I think about what a rollercoaster ride the births of our daughters were. I know with absolute certainty that God had His hand on our babies and on me during my pregnancies...and it terrifies me to think about how things *might've* been if not for His grace. I almost think it would be too risky to try it again....that we should be grateful for the amazing gifts we have been given. And I am eternally grateful! What a wonderful family I have!

Long Time

Wow, sorry it's been so long since I've updated my blog! Things around here have been hectic since returning to work in August. Overall, life is good:)
Work is fine. I have a balanced class this year in terms of gender (12 boys and 11 girls) as compared to the craziness that was last year (16 boys and 6 girls). They seem to be a good group of kids...a bit immature, but I have to remember that they're still basically 3rd graders. They'll shape up soon, I'm sure.
On the homefront, things are great! Reagan will be 10 months old on Monday. She's crawling everywhere (including to the top of our steps..eeek!) and pulling up to a standing position on anything that stays still. I think she'll be walking in no time....if she would have enough confidence to just let go. She still only has two teeth (on the bottom), but that hasn't stopped her from eating "real" food. She especially loves mashed potatoes and Ramen noodles.
Keira will be 2 1/2 on Tuesday. We recently took the drop down side off of her crib and made it into a toddler bed. She feels like such a big girl sleeping in it. She's having fun at "school" and the progress with potty training is coming along (slowly but steadily).
Shawn just started his 3rd year with the Vision Center. I'm pretty sure he's still liking his job. They keep him pretty busy.
Well, I guess that's a good enough update. I'll post a few recent pics of the girls and us for your viewing pleasure (haha). Until next time.....................

Summer Vacation

It's been a while since I've updated my page, hasn't it? Sorry for being such a slacker. Things here are going pretty well. I've been at home with the girls since May and couldn't be happier. I'm not sure if I'm going to want to go back to work in August! We haven't really done much but it's been fun just hanging out.
Keira is too smart for her own good. She's so hilarious lately with the things she says. We're working on potty training, but it's pretty slow-going right now.
Reagan is growing like a weed! She has gotten her first tooth and is starting to become pretty mobile. She army crawls all over the house. She's also wearing the clothes that Keira wore last summer (at 15 months old).
Here are a couple of recent pictures of them. Enjoy!

I just decided to make a quick update post this morning to let you know what's going on with our little family. Shawn, the girls and I are great.
Keira has (finally, hopefully) kicked the ear infections that have plagued her since around October. She went to the pediatrician on Wednesday for her 2 year check up. She weighs 25lbs and is about 37" tall. She's still quite petite! She seems to really enjoy her days at "school". She's learning a lot and it constantly amazes me how much kids soak up at this age...like little sponges. She knows several songs (Baa-Baa Black Sheep is her favorite to sing), can say her ABC's, and can count to 20 in English and 10 in Spanish. She's also become somewhat of a little "boss". She frequently tells us to do something "right now" and sometimes puts us in time out because we're "naughty". She can be a bit challenging sometimes, but overall, I'm really enjoying this stage.
Reagan will be SIX MONTHS OLD in 12 days. How on Earth did that happen? It seems like yesterday I was sitting at the Perinatal Center at SJMMC, all hooked up to non-stress test machines and waiting on her to get here. Now, she's almost half a year old. She's developing such a fun personality. She's very smiley and rarely cries, except when she's hungry or sleepy. Honestly, she's been a dream baby so far. She's been spending some time on her tummy and is getting pretty strong. She's rolling over more and more now, and the other day, she even managed to scoot a few inches. It won't be long (I think) until she's crawling. I'm in NO hurry!
Shawn has been working pretty hard. Both offices keep him pretty busy, but I think he's enjoying it. We just bought a new computer, so that makes him pretty happy, too.
I'm pretty excited because the end of the school year is quickly approaching. Our last day is May 23 (early dismissal @ 11:15) and I can hardly wait! It's been a challenging year, and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time at home with my girls.

Easter

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We had a great Easter this year! We spent Saturday at Shawn's parents' house. The girls had fun visiting with everyone! It was fun to see all of the kiddos together. They're so close in age...Keira is 2, Tyler is 18 months, Aidan is 9 months and Reagan is 5 months (today). They were all so adorable with their Easter baskets from Nana and Papa.
On Sunday we went to church with Gramma and Pop. Keira got to play in the nursery with Sara during the service. They have so much fun together! After church, we went to my folks' house for lunch. Uncle Tim and Aunt Christina even came over and blew bubbles with Keira. I'm attaching a few pics...I LOVE frilly, girlie-girl dresses!

Oh, before I forget...you can check out my MySpace page @ www.myspace.com/dihafe

Enjoying Spring

Last Sunday was so nice! Shawn and I decided to take the girls to the park to enjoy the beautiful weather. Keira loved the slide and the swing. Reagan just hung out in the stroller. It won't be long before she's on the swings, too.

Just Because

My mom pointed out the other day that I hadn't updated my blog in awhile...so, I thought I'd make a quick post.
The girls are pretty good. Keira is recovering from yet another ear infection, but aside from that she's ok. She's getting better about going to the potty...so that's cool.
Reagan is growing like a weed! She's rolled over a few times, and we've been feeding her rice cereal in the evenings. I can't believe my baby is almost 5 months old!
Anyway, here are some recent pictures...Enjoy!

Milestones

Life is changing fast for our little family! Reagan is four months old today and tomorrow Keira turns two. Someone please tell me where the time goes.

Reagan is growing so quickly. She's been trying to roll over and sit up by herself. She can lift herself about an inch or so off of the mattress if she's lying flat. If she's propped on a pillow and I give her my fingers to hold onto, she can pull herself into a complete upright position. She's also been sleeping through the night. While I am very proud of her accomplishments, it's also somewhat bittersweet. She's (most likely) our last baby and I'm not in so much of a hurry for her to grow so quickly!

Keira amazes me everyday. I'm probably very biased, but she seems so smart to me. She can sing her ABCs, count to 20 (with the exception of the number 14), sing several other songs and carry on a conversation with me in which I actually (almost) always know what she's talking about. The most recent development is that we're working on potty training. She's been going on the potty pretty frequently lately. Just today she started telling us when she needs to go potty...however we don't always make it in time. At any rate, it's a start!

Well, I guess I've bragged enough about my gifted girls (who in reality are actually probably pretty average). Thanks for reading and I'll catch you later!

Reagan's 3 month photos

I took Reagan in to have her 3 month pictures made yesterday afternoon. I had to wake her up when it was our turn, and she was NOT very happy with me! We did manage to get a few good shots, though. I hope you enjoy them!

To redeem myself for the bed-head pictures, I decided to post some cute pictures of the girls that I took the other day. Reagan has become very smiley lately! I put Keira's hair up in pigtails, much to her dislike. She was trying to slap my hand away the entire time and saying, "NO MOMMY! I don't like that!" I did it anyway. What a mean mommy!

Keira's Bed Head Pictures

Ok, here are the much-requested pictures of Keira's bedhead. Enjoy! (Someday she's going to hate me for sharing these...)

LLama song

This is quite possibly the strangest thing I've seen or heard in awhile. If you can't click on the link, I recommend copying and pasting it into your address bar. You won't be sorry!

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php


Enjoy!

New Photos!

Here are a few pictures I've taken recently. My babies are getting so big! I especially love the ones of Reagan smiling and Keira in her purple dress, tights and leopard print shoes (thanks Aunt Holly). Enjoy!

Nearing the end...

After eight weeks at home with my beautiful baby girls, my maternity leave is coming to an end. I'll be returning to work on Monday. I have such mixed emotions. We've settled into our own routine and I enjoy my days so much. It's great being the one to feed them their meals, put them down for naps and play with them during the day. However, sometimes I find my patience wearing thin and I want a bit of "me time" (of course, then I feel terribly guilty...). Being away from my girls during the day will make me appreciate them and the time that I get to spend with them. Also, I "know" the daycare center and feel comfortable that both girls will be getting excellent care.

Then there's the "work" part of going back to work. I've missed my fourth grade team of teachers and most of my other co-workers. I'm even sort of ready to see my students and to teach again. (I'm going in for a couple of hours tomorrow to get my lesson plans ready for next week.) But, I'm not looking forward to all of the extra stuff that comes with my job...particularly the HP Grant project. We're behind schedule on our mandatory work and it's been stressing me out! Hopefully once I get back to school we can pull together and get ourselves back on track. I really have so many more important things going on in my life...I don't need to worry myself sick over this project....especially with the new "flexible grouping" in math that is starting next week and standardized testing coming up soon. *SIGH*

Only 12 weeks until Spring Break! ;o)

Another Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas this year. Our little family enjoyed a great Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve morning with Shawn's family at Holly and Jeff's house. Then we spent the evening at my mom and dad's house. We woke up Christmas morning and let Keira open up her gifts from Santa. She wasn't terribly interested in many of her gifts this year...she's still a bit young to understand much about Christmas. We spent the rest of the day in our pajamas, putting together toys, watching movies and just hanging out. It was pretty relaxing.

Our families were really generous with gift-giving this year. Both girls got so many nice things! I had to pack up many of their old toys to make room for the new stuff.

I cannot believe that another year is almost over. So many things happened in our lives in 2006, both sad and happy...we lost my grandma, we lost Shawn's grandpa, we gained a new nephew (Aidan) and we had another beautiful baby girl. Life is so full of ups and downs and, I'm looking forward to seeing what 2007 brings.

Ice Storm Photos

Here are some pictures of the trees that *used to be* behind our house. Shawn and his dad had to cut several of them down because they were so damaged by the ice that we had a week and a half ago. The trees looked so pretty when the sun shone on them. The pictures really don't do it justice.

Pictures of My Girls

Here are some photos that we've taken of Keira and Reagan. Hope you enjoy them!

Seventeen days later...

I took Reagan to the pediatrician for her two week check-up this morning (she's 17 days old today!). She now weighs 5lbs. 11oz. and is up to 18 1/4" long. The doctor said that everything looks fine, and she seems to be a healthy baby. For that I am extremely thankful.

Things here at home are great. The girls and I are settling into a routine since Shawn returned to work (last Monday). I have to admit, though, that I really enjoy the days that he is at home with us.

Keira is loving her baby sister. She constantly wants to hug her, kiss her and hold her. I was worried that she'd be jealous, but so far she doesn't seem to be. She is so much bigger to me now...so smart and verbal. I am very blessed to have two wonderful, darling daughters.

With Thanksgiving over, we're gearing up for Christmas. I'm looking forward to putting up the Christmas tree, although I'm wondering how I'll manage to keep Keira out of it.

I've taken lots of new photos, and I'll try to get them posted soon. The girls are growing every day!!