The First Week

As most of you know, William went back to work this week. He was home for 5 weeks to help with the girls and it was amazing. I write aboutthe days as they happened. Here's how it went...

Monday:

There is just NO WAY today was Monday. I got way too much done for it to be Monday! Everything went my way! I got 4 loads of laundry done and put away, cleaned every room, vacuumed every room, organized some cabinets... the list goes on! We even all got outside for some fresh air. Who needs husbands??

Tuesday:

Me. I need husbands. 5 of them. My butt hurts from being stuck on the couch with two crying babies.  I have gotten nothing at all done. William flies tonight which means we are in for a looooong evening...Pizza for dinner? Yes, please. 

Wednesday:

Less awful. Delilah is the only one fussing today. Luckily, I had enough hands to throw some food in the crock pot for dinner and get a few things done around the house. Counting the hours until William is home...

Thursday:

It's a four day weekend so today is our Friday. Awesome day. The babies didn't make a single peep! The big kids were super helpful and sweet and kept their toys cleaned up. We ordered pizza for lunch to celebrate the week being OVER!

Recap:

All in all, there will be awesome days and days where I think I will give up and beg William to come home. Having twins isn't that hard (for us), but having FOUR tiny humans who need you constantly is just plain exhausting and frequently frustrating (like when I JUUUUUST sit down and get comfy holding the girls and a little voice says "mommy...I so thirsty..." ugh.) but it's so fun and worth it to be a mom. I'm very lucky to get to stay at home with all my precious babes. I wouldn't pass that up for anything!

-Kacy

We are back!/1 month update

It has been about a year since I last used this blog. Soon after my last post, we began to prepare to move back to Kansas and welcome William home from his tour in Afghanistan. In the past year, we have spent a lot of time getting reconnected and have grown as a family...in more ways than one! Our family has 4 more feet! We now have two beautiful, identical twin girls. I actually have decided to restart this blog because of them! I know all of our friends and family back East would like more updates and photos than I can put on FaceBook. With four children, there is A LOT to update about very often! And, honestly, I don't think FaceBook makes a good platform for that, either. Point being: this blog is back in action (for now).

So, a little family update is in order!

Luka: this baby just turned four (FOUR!!!) on March 8. He has started homeschool preschool and loves doing school work! He has taken on the huge responsibility of being a big brother to THREE sisters! The phrases "I want to help!" "hi, my cute little sisters!" "aww, shhh, baby, it's okay." "I need to take care of my sisters" and other adorable phrases are now a part of his daily vocabulary. He is doing more chores and does just about everything he is asked of with no fuss. From getting Eloise a drink when I'm stuck on the couch with two sleeping babes to cleaning up his toys and even other people's messes. Luka has grown up and changed SO MUCH this year. I am infinitely proud of him!

Eloise: This big girl just turned two on February 21! She speaks im complete, full sentences well beyond her age. She knows how to count to 5 and can undress herself (and half dress herself!). She was making a lot of headway and progress with potty training, but having the babies set her back. She says she wants to be a baby in diapers. No worries. She will do it when she is ready :) She is still Minnie Mouse OBSESSED. She loves to sing the theme song (in her words: "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, come inside! fun inside! HEY!") all day long. Eloise is a dancing machine! She loves to dance and loves music. She is super silly and sassy. She loves her brother more than anyone in the world. Eloise also loves having babies here. She thinks they are so cute and loves to squeeze them!

Daisy and Delilah: they are ONE MONTH OLD today! Daisy is 6lb5oz, 20 inches long and Delilah is 6lb8oz, 20.5 inches long. They both lost a lot of weight after birth, but are gaining it back slowly but surely. They both sleep about 5 hour stretches at night and are starting to wake up a bit during the day. They are both exclusively breastfeeding and had a drop of formula. (Despite nursing Luka and Eloise for two years each, I am way more proud of this!! nursing TWO newborns!!) Both girls love being swaddled and cuddled. They look more alike every day!

William and I are doing well. He has been off work for a little over a month and goes back on Monday. I am nervous to do it all by myself, but confident that I can handle it. Like I've said, I've got my big helpers to assist me! and if all else fails...there's always wine ;) 

-Kacy

Life Lately

This is an update on my

sweet boy! Luka is doing pretty good. He has another GI appointment in a about two weeks. Based off of how he is doing with his current treatment, I suspect there will be further testing and investigation on what may be wrong. He isn't doing as well as I had hoped. Luckily, we have gotten his allergy testing over with, though. Hopefully this will be over soon enough as well.

We are considering speech therapy for him, though. he will be 3 in a few weeks and, though he talks A LOT which complex thoughts and sentences, a lot of the words seem to get mangled on their way out of his mouth. He has his own special language that I'm pretty much the only interpreter of. It's frustrating and I can't even understand his words half the time. He has all the brain work going, but it's getting lost coming out, which is frustrating for him!

In other Luka news, we have started homeschool! Luka is now doing preschool lessons every day. He LOVES it and always begs for "MORE SCHOOL MORE SCHOOL!" and jumps up to turn the TV off. He has done shapes, colors, numbers, and even did a money lesson at the store the other day. I am so proud of him.

He is also in the "why" stage...except being William's son, he has to make it harder with a "why not?" SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO ANSWER! Enjoy this conversation had at the dollar store...

"Mommy, I want to go to my birthday party."

"It isn't your birthday yet, Luka."

"Why not?"

"Because you weren't born yet."

"Why not?"

"Because you weren't ready yet."

"Why not?"

"Because you weren't done growing in my belly."

"Why not?"

"Because not enough time had passed."

"Why not?"

"...I don't know..."

"Let's go to my birthday party."

You win, little man. You win.

-Kacy

Becoming A Doula

I recently was very fortunate to win admission for the Intuitive Childbirth by way of the lottery drawings they offer monthly. Intuitive Childbirth is a training organization that doesn't charge tuition for their training and bases their practice around the moral of "paying it forward." It does, however, have its fees associated with the courses which is where the lottery comes in. Every month, they draw from applicants to have these fees waived for 6 months. I was beyond excited to hear I was one of these lucky people.

Ever since having Luka, I have been searching for what I want to do. Staying at home is definitely my calling, but I also enjoy work. I enjoy being busy. I enjoy helping people. At first, I wanted to do lactation consulting, but soon changed my mind. I lost passion for it when I realized "how can I help women having issues I never had?" I never had a single issue with breastfeeding. It came easy to me. I was again lost in knowing what I wanted to do.

It wasn't until I had Eloise that I knew. When I gave birth to Eloise, William wasn't there. My best friend, Grace, was with me for moral support, but she is not a parent and has never witnessed a live birth so, of course, she had no idea what to expect. We didn't discuss my birth plan or what my wishes were or how serious I was about it. I really wanted an unmedicated birth with the freedom to roam around in my labor. I refused a wheelchair when checking in and I asked first thing to get up out of the bed when I got in and no one was listening. Nurses kept changing and I was concentrating and in pain and unable to fight for what I wanted. I was wailing through contractions and pressured into an epidural. Had they checked me beforehand, they would have known I was in so much pain because I was at 9 centimeters already. I gave birth less than 15 minutes after the epidural was in place and it had barely kicked in. I wish I had had William there to help me. I was tired and hurting and being asked 5 times a minute if I just wanted the epidural. I just wanted to squeeze someone's hand. I just wanted someone to look me in the eyes and tell me I could do it. Or tell me I was doing great. Not to be quieter or "the pain is only going to get worse" (yes, this was really said to me). But I didn't have that.

After I going through the experience of giving birth without a partner, I would never wish that experience on my worst enemy. It was scary and lonely and uncomfortable. I decided I wanted to be a doula and do my best to prevent any other woman from going through what I did. I want to help empower women to be confident in their birth and birth the way they want to. Whether that be by c-section, with an epidural, all natural, whatever. I want to be there for the women who would otherwise feel alone. It is so important to feel confident when you are doing the most amazing thing in the world, especially when that thing is painful and hard. You need support. Someone who understands what you want out of the birth and who can help you make that happen. I want to be that person.

So here I go. I am starting my training to become a certified birthing doula. Once I am certified and established, I plan to keep my focus on military spouses who will not be able to have their significant others with them for the births of their children. Of course, I am always willing to help anyone who would desire my services.

I am so excited to start my training and my new career as a birthing doula. :)

-Kacy

Recent Events

I've been totally consumed with holidays and life and just never having time to update this blog. For that, I am sorry! but here is a little breakdown of what has been going on...

-thousands of coffee shop dates and play dateswith our friends.

-Eloise has her 9 month check up at the doctor and she is perfect! almost 19 lbs now. The doctor predicts she will be walking any day now!

-Luka recently went to the Emergency Room after not having a bowel movement for 2 weeks. He has been having so many stomach issues for a long time now and it has just been getting worse and worse. We have some appointments set up with a pediatric GI specialist and can't wait for some answers. My poor boy.

-He also potty trained himself! One day, he told me he wanted to use the potty so he just started going! after a few accidents on day one, he has had a perfect record since. even over nap time! tonight, he requested to wear underwear to bed as well. here's to hoping I don't have extra laundry in the morning!

-Eloise is teething and cutting some more teeth which can leave her a bit fussy. Hoping for more chompers soon!

-We move NEXT WEEKEND!

and the biggest news yet....

WE ARE OFFICIALLY HALF WAY DONE WITH THIS DEPLOYMENT! woohoo!!!

I hope to be able to update this more as we settle into our new home and the holidays quit consuming my life!

-Kacy

Eloise is 9 Months Old!

I cannot believe my little girl has now officially been out of my womb as long as she was in! Born at exactly 39 weeks and now 39 weeks old. 

Eloise is such an incredible joy. She is the happiest baby ever. Everyone always comments on how she never cries and is genuinely always in a good mood. She is cuddly, excitable, and so smart.

At nine months old she...

-is still breastfed

-wakes 1-2 times at night

-naps twice a day

-claps

-crawls

-pulls up to stand

-takes steps occasionally while holding onto things

-sometimes stands with no assistance

-can eat any food and loves it all

-says "mama" "dada" and sometimes "hi"

she likes:

-MUSIC

-when her dad calls her

-playing with her brother

-riding in the stroller

-jumping

-kisses

-mirrors

she dislikes:

-having toys taken from her

-changing her clothes

-being buckled into her car seat

-when mama leaves her sight

Overall, Eloise is the most sensational little girl. She loves to dance and play with toys. She is obsessed with rolling on the floor with her brother and practically bursts at the seams from excitement when her dad calls her. Eloise loves looking through her photos of Daddy and snuggling in bed with her Mama. She is cloth diapered full time and still nurses often with no signs of stopping. Her favorite foods are blueberries, bananas, apples, and graham crackers. 

I am so unbelievably lucky to have such a perfect and amazing daughter. She is such a pleasure to watch grow and I am so excited for her first holidays :)

-Kacy

Busy Bees

I really miss Kansas, but one thing I do LOVE about VA is we are ALWAYS busy! My calendar hasn't had a single empty day on it since we got here and I see no end in sight. We have standing playdates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. Tuesdays and Thursdays we usually have cleaning, shopping, or friend visiting to do. Weekends are filled with activities like going to Maryland to see our best friends or events around town.

This past weekend the kids spent their first night away from me EVER and it was crazy! I went out with some friends to celebrate a birthday and left the kids with their Grandma Kate. They had a great time, but they were SO EXCITED to see me! I couldn't even sleep in the next morning because I was so excited too. I rushed to get them and spent the rest of the day snuggling them up!

Tomorrow we will be heading to DC to spend the weekend with my dad and we are stoked! Luka has been using his suitcase so much lately and he loves it. That kid loves to travel!

We have all been doing great. Eloise has cut her first two teeth and Luka has learned a ton of new words. Every day he asks me to play with his friends! We have been gearing up to move again, this time to our "permanent" VA residence and getting ready for the holidays. I have completed the kids' Christmas gifts which is such a relief! (Now I get to obsess over their birthday party, right?)

William has been doing great as well. The kids love to Skype with him and Luka loves to talk about his Daddy to everyone he meets. Eloise looks at her photo album of her Daddy a couple times a day and loves to smack his picture (or try to eat it...).

All in all, Virginia is suiting us! I love all the options to keep busy and enjoy never having a spare minute. Even though some days still seem slow, the pace of this deployment is picking up nicely. I just can't wait until we can put it behind us and be together as a family again!

-Kacy

Halloween Fun!

Since moving to Virginia, we have had maybe two days that were not filled with plans. In fact, our calendar is still full all the way to December! We have stayed super busy and it has been so much fun for the kids to see so many friends, get out, and do things meant for their enjoyment. Happy kids equals a happy momma!

Some of the fun we have had has included: pumpkin picking, trunk or treats, fall festivals, hayrides, pumpkin painting, and Halloween itself.

The kids have both LOVED all the holiday festivities. We have enjoyed a lot of them with friends which has made it even more special for them. Luka is also at the age where he mostly "gets it" and loves to play games and be in on the fun. By some Halloween magic, he even WANTED to wear the ears on his Mickey Mouse costume! He also did so well trick or treating. He would say "trick or treat!" and get some candy for himself and put some in Eloise's bucket as well. Sometimes, he truly surprises me in how well he handles things that normally trigger a meltdown for him. Luckily, we only had one issue on Halloween that lasted more than two seconds (One lady was giving out silly bands. He stuck his hand in the bucket and the "yucky" surprise feeling of it set him off.) Overall, we had a BLAST with all of our holiday fun.

We aren't big Thanksgiving people, but I am sure we will have a small celebration of sorts amongst ourselves. We will also be preparing to move to our new (and permanent for the rest of our Virginia stay) place just before Christmas, so I am sure we will be busy anyway....of course ;)

-Kacy

Fall Time Fun!

We have been crazy busy the last few days squeezing in all the fall fun we possibly can! We picked pumpkins and went to an awesome berry farm. Both were super fun!

I have been going to the same family-owned pumpkin patch for years and I love it! They are so sweet and the pumpkins are cheap and fantastic and you get to ride a hayride to the patch! Luka and Eloise adored the hay ride and Luka really enjoyed looking through all the pumpkins. We ended up with four regular pumpkins and one tiny one! The kids painted theirs today and LOVED it! Luka even FINGER painted his which is amazing since he is scared of getting his hands dirty.

We also went to the berry farm with some friends of ours. Luka has suddenly become fearless and did EVERYTHING! He rode a barrel train ride, climbed a massive hay stack, bounced in a bounce house, and insisted on riding the BIG horse and not the pony. It was so fun for him and me! Eloise was happy to just be along for the ride! 

We also went to a birthday party at Pump It Up! this weekend that was SO FUN! Luka was so incredibly well behaved, despite it being way past his bedtime! He played nicely, climbed everything fearlessly, played WITHOUT needing me by his side (first time ever!). He even did the huge obstacle course! When arriving at the large climbing wall (approx 7 feet high), Luka said he was scared and wanted to get out. I told him I would get him out if he really wanted and he thought on it a moment then decided to try! I was so proud of him. He climbed all the way to the top! GO LUKA!

We have a TON more fun activities coming up this week and I can't wait!!

PS Eloise is EIGHT months old today! Maybe an update on her later this week!

-Kacy

Happy 3 Year Anniversary!

This past Wednesday, October 16, marked THREE YEARS since William and I got married. I seriously cannot believe that three years have passed. It feels like just yesterday! 

William and I met in middle school. He was dating my best friend, Katy, (who is still my best friend) and when they broke up, he took me on a date to make her jealous. He had a long, ugly mullet and was really weird. I have no idea why I agreed. Regardless, he ignored me after that one awkward date. My poor little 12-year-old heart.

Fast forward to senior year in high school, Katy and I were in most of the same classes (and still best friends). She was still friends with William and the three of us were in math together. We all sat at the same table and, to be honest, William got on my nerves. We were constantly fighting and he always pushed my buttons on purpose. He had ditched the mullet though, which was a plus. But nothing else about him appealed to me. Katy wanted to set us up and by some sort of magic, it eventually worked. William had a crush on me and I eventually went out with him to shut Katy up. It turned out to be the best decision I ever made. 

We immediately hit it off on a deep level. He understood me and from the beginning, I felt I could tell him anything. We went out once before we made it official. We were saying "I love you's" from day one. It just worked. It was just perfect. Embarrassingly fast, but real. We even looked at engagement rings on a date right after getting together. We made plans for after high school to stay a couple during college and I had a sort-of promise ring after being official for a month (I still wear this ring, always). We may have gotten married while I was pregnant, but this was no way a factor in our decision. We just loved each other and wanted to be together forever from the start. He proposed to me and we got married on our six month anniversary. Our wedding was exactly what I had wanted since I was a little girl and watched my mom's friend get married in the same place. We had a blast with our close family and friends and I always treasure that memory.

He is just my perfect match. We don't have to try. Our relationship isn't hard or something we work on. It just...works. All by itself. We love each other and are true to each other in mind, body, and heart 100% of the time. He is my soul mate. 

This is our third anniversary and the second he has been away for. One day, we will get to celebrate together. Each and every other day of the year is just as special to me as I get to call him mine. I really am lucky. How many people get to be with their soul mate more years than they aren't? I know that will happen with us. Only 3 years down and forever to go.

Our Senior Prom

Our Wedding

I love you, William!

-Kacy

My Favorite Things About Luka.

Luka is what you would call a "spirited" or "high needs" kid. He always has been from the moment he was born. Spirited children are a classification of kids identified by these characteristics: intense, hyperactive, draining, feeds frequently, demanding, awakens frequently, unsatisfied, unpredictable, super-sensitive, can't put baby down, not a self-soother, and separation sensitive. You may think these sound like any baby or toddler, but TRUST ME, it is completely different. A spirited child is just the entire definition of intense and draining. Sometimes, its not even five minutes after Luka is awake that I am ready for bed time. He takes all my attention and energy and patience from the moment he wakes up until he falls asleep at night. And it can be super hard to deal with, especially alone. However, because of the last characteristic (separation sensitive), I have only left Luka for more than a single errand twice in his life. He is 2 1/2 years old. It is hard to find people who understand Luka and what he needs. I get uncomfortable leaving him with anyone because of all of his very intense behaviors. And on top of all this, he has a LOT of sensory issues as well. As in, he does NOT want to be touched by most people. Me? He refuses to leave my lap 3/4 of every day. He constantly begs for hugs, for me to lie on top of him, or for me to rub his head. But others? He isn't digging it. After five days here, he finally let my mom hug him. Which is another issue with letting people care for him. Everyone wants the cute toddler hugs and high fives and such, but Luka gets colossally upset when he is touched against his will, even by me. Its not something he should "get over" either. He shouldn't have to hug or kiss or high five or hold the hand of anyone he doesn't want to, just like any other human being. BUT that is a hard concept for many people to grasp.

Because of all this extra spirit Luka has, in addition to an infant, a deployed husband, moving, and general life stress...I am BEAT and pretty much exhausted of patience most days. With Luka being such a whirlwind and so...Luka...he tends to get the brunt of my frustrations. I admit: though I try my best, sometimes I forget he is a person and needs to be listened to just like any one else. I lose my temper with him more often lately because I just don't have an outlet at this point. And that is not fair. He deserves to be heard and have needs met and have things explained to him if he doesn't understand (i.e. why you can't hug the dog around his neck or have 6 pop tarts for lunch). So, the other day I decided to have a day just for him. He skipped his nap and we went to the zoo instead. It was practically empty, so I let him run amuck. He led the way (running) the entire time. Luka tried to catch peacocks, helped push Eloise in the stroller, and splashed in puddles to his hearts content. Luka chased me all the way out of the zoo when it was time to go. I allowed him to pick a toy at the gift shop (he chose a flashlight that projects images of animals) and we even got McDonald's for dinner (and he ate the whole meal...for the first time in his life). It was such an awesome time and he was so happy to have a day for him, as all the days lately have been for cleaning and packing and planning and Eloise fussing, etc etc. I forgot how AWESOME he can be, you know? Eloise went to bed early and I let Luka stay up and finish a movie he was watching and he just laid in my lap and told me he loved me. At bed time, he got into his PJs and into bed with no fussing or fighting. Luka felt important and noticed and had his attention quota filled. All of it made me realize that, yeah, things are super hard for ME, but they are also super hard for HIM. I mean, I know this logically, but when I am upset also it is hard to remember. Think about it. In ONE YEAR Luka has...had his dad leave, gotten a little sister, got his dad back, moved halfway across the country, had his dad leave again, and now is moving...again. He is a real trooper and deserves more days all about him.

Today was not such a good day for him. He laid on the floor of the post office and wouldn't move, he refused to eat anything and had a tantrum over being hungry, he screamed when it was time to come home from a play date...Luka had a MAJOR case of the "Mondays." So while I spent most of the day counting the hours til bedtime and being generally annoyed, once Eloise went to bed and he crawled into my lap, I decided to think of my top ten favorite things about Luka to try and shake off all my negative feelings. Here it goes:

My Favorite Things About Luka

1. The way he LOVES his sister more than anyone else and tells her all the time and insists on kissing her before each nap and bedtime.

2. His big, cheesy smile and his too-loud laugh.

3. His compassion. He constantly asks "You okay, Mommy?" and "Why crying?" if Eloise, me, or even a random baby in a store is sporting some tears on their cheeks. He instantly gives a hug, pats your back, and finds you a tissue.

4. His love of books. He could read books all day long.

5. How much he loves to help out. If I ask him to grab me some baby wipes or turn the lights off, he jumps up and yells "sure!' it is awesome.

6. His memory. He remembers EVERYTHING. 

7. How well he listens 90% of the time (he is 2, he can't ALWAYS listen).

8. The way he sings in the car. It is to die for.

9. His love of going on walks or generally being outside. It is so fun to take him to places where he has lots of space to run and get messy.

10. His hugs. Though sometimes excessive, tight, and never-ending, I wouldn't give them up for anything.

-Kacy

Eloise's First Word

Eloise has been babbling a lot lately. Lots of squealing sounds, mamamamas, and dadadadadadas. However, you can't count anything as a baby's first word (unless you want to, of course. your baby=your rules) until they understand the word and use it correctly (i.e. saying "mamamamamamama" to her books doesn't equal her saying "mama"). So, up until yesterday, Eloise had not said her first word.

William and I have always joked about doing secret tactics to get our kids to say our names first. We both failed with Luka as his first word was "ball," so there was a lot of competition over who would "win" with Eloise. Here is a hint: the whole "daddy's girl" thing is real.

Despite knowing her daddy through Skype for most of her life, Eloise's first real word is "Dada." Yesterday, we were skyping with William and I held Eloise up to see William as always. She hadn't been babbling beforehand or anything, just quietly playing. I told her to say hi once she could see William's face on the screen and she cracked a big smile and said clear as day "Dada!" Not "dadadadada." Not babbling afterwards. No ifs, ands, or buts. Eloise looked at her  daddy and said "Dada." 

I would be lying if I said I didn't tear up a smidge. This sweet baby girl who has only been with her dad in person for a total of three months of her life, just knows in her heart that he is her daddy and it is so very clear how much she loves him. So maybe I didn't "win" this one, but that's okay. I think William deserved this first word anyway. Despite the distance, he goes out of his way to be an amazing dad to both of our sweeties. Besides, we want a bunch of kids. Mama is bound to win one first word war, right?

-Kacy

Weekly Update and some news.

Weekly Update:

Obsessing over: The kids' birthday...it's early, but working on it slowly!

Working on: Packing

Thinking about: William, a lot!

Anticipating: An appropriate hour for sleeping.

Drinking: water!

It has been an interesting few weeks. After a lot (A LOT...A LOOOOOOT) of thought, discussion, and planning, I have decided to move back to Virginia for the remainder of William's deployment. I didn't want to originally as we had JUST unpacked, we'd have to find somewhere to live in VA, I'd have to do it all by myself, and we would be moving back in just 9 months...so many more reasons as well, but those being the main ones. However, being out here without William is lonely. I really don't want to leave the friends I have made or my nice apartment or even the general state of Kansas. Its so clear and nice here. But I really miss my family and friends in Virginia. I miss my two bestest friends who my kids are named after. I want to help one plan her wedding next to her instead of chatting via Pinterest pins. I miss my parents...I have NEVER been away from my dad this long! I miss the kids having more people who are stable in their lives and love them.

It is hard to feel safe out here alone. I get nervous sometimes being in charge of two small kids when I only have two hands myself. I'm not a martial arts master or a sharpshooter. I don't have anyone right down the road who could speed over and help me. I don't have anyone I feel comfortable crying in front of for the random times I get overwhelmed and sad. I just don't have enough of a life established here to feel comfortable staying by myself. It'll be nice to have extra hands when I am up to my ears in stress from taking care of the kids. Like this past week, Luka had a cold and Eloise was teething and guess who got no sleep between waking up at different times with each one? Let me give you a hint...I am the only one here. So, me. 

I braved two months out here, but I am ready to go back. It will be nice to be able to come back to Kansas and know we will be a family for awhile, like we were supposed to the first time. 

Anyway, everything else is great. The kids are awesome, William is awesome, and I am doing pretty good too. I feel like the move home will help the deployment go faster, at least, I hope so because it is still crawling. I am so ready for it to be next year! 

-Kacy

Eloise is SEVEN MONTHS old!

Alright...who has the time machine and is fast forwarding through this year? How is my tiny 7lb 15oz newborn a big, beautiful baby!?

My sweet Eloise! Where do I even begin? She has learned SO MUCH in the past month.

In the past month she has learned to...

• Sit unsupported for any amount of time
• Crawl on her hands and knees
• Sit up from lying down
• Eat solid foods

Soon after her 6 month "birthday," Eloise started to sit. She showed ALL signs of wanting to eat so we began solid foods. She has eaten small pieces of banana, baby puffs..really anything I am eating that is healthy, I let her take a bite of. We have done a few purees here and there which has helped her with her tongue movement SO much. She no longer instantly moves food out of her mouth, but is able to keep it in and "chew" it. When doing purees, I often just put the food on the spoon and allow Eloise to put it in her own mouth as not to disrupt her independence with eating. She does AMAZINGLY well at spoon feeding herself. I am SO proud of her in this aspect.

Eloise is also crawling! I had no idea a baby could crawl so young, but she has been slowly working up to it for two weeks (started getting on her hands and knees, then rocking, then pushing forward) and now can crawl completely. It is incredible to watch her! She is so mobile and on the move!

Eloise likes...

• Her puppy
• Her brother
• Kisses!
• Skyping Daddy
• Eating
• Sophie the Giraffe
• Smiling
• Music
• Napping
• LOTS and LOTS of nursing
• Pinching
• Baths
• Toy cars

Eloise dislikes...

• Diaper changes
• When you do not share food
• When you take a toy she wanted

All in all, VERY happy baby. She LOVES attention and kisses and loving, but she is just as content playing on the floor with her toes. Eloise is an AMAZING little girl. She is definitely a Daddy's Girl. She constantly is loving on her Daddy Doll, looking through her photo album of Daddy, or holding her hippo toy Daddy got her before she was born. Her face just lights up when she sees photos of him or he calls and talks to her. It blows my mind how she just knows he is her Daddy.

Eloise is also obsessed with her brother, as he is with her. Luka loves giving her kisses and hugs and rolling on the floor with her. He always wants to help change her, feed her, or give her her juice. He helps me take pictures of her and likes to remind her "Its okay, Elwee! Daddy loves you!" which just melts my heart. They are the sweetest brother and sister pair I know.

We love you, precious girl, and cannot wait to keep watching you grow!

-Kacy

Life in General...

Lets start with the weekly check in and proceed from there!

Weekly Check-In

Obsessing over: HOLIDAYS! HALLOWEEN!

Working on: A special anniversary package for William.

Thinking about: sleep...

Anticipating: Autumn!

Drinking: Monster Energy...too tired to make coffee.

Alright, now that we have gotten that out of the way...I will start with Halloween. I am SO EXCITED to have two little munchkins to dress up. I am not revealing their costumes, but they are going to be SO CUTE! I was pretty set on making the kids some adorable matching treat bags, but while doing our grocery shopping, Luka saw some classic pumpkin buckets and asked for them. He picked out a silly face for himself and a happy face for Eloise. He told me "These mine! This for Elwee and this for Wooka!" (He has started to refer to himself in the third person/call people by their names and it is my favorite thing) What could I do? I had to buy them. It was too cute. BUT I also had to add my own flair because I am obsessed with Halloween. 

They turned out a lot better than I anticipated and I am super excited to use them! I am hoping they will last a few years as well.

The kids are doing great. Luka talks about his daddy all the time. He asks to call him and if I say we can't, he tells me "Oh yeah. He busy. Flying 'coptys!" (helicopters). He sometimes brings his Daddy Doll to the store, gives it random hugs, pretends to call daddy on his phone or have me call him or have him talk to Eloise. He likes to include Daddy in everything (i.e. if I say "I love you, Eloise!" Luka will say "DADDY TOO! Daddy love you too!" and such). Eloise gets really excited when they Skype. She likes to hold her Daddy Doll and sometimes I wrap her in William's clothes when she is fussy and she calms down. They have adjusted well, though Luka still doesn't like to Skype too much and sometimes he gets sad and cries for his dad. But we are surviving.

It helps that Luka and Eloise love each other so much. They are constantly playing with each other or hugging and laughing. They like to do everything together. When my grandparents were visiting, we went out to dinner and had to park far from the restaurant. It was hot outside, so I asked them to watch the kids while I brought the car around after we were done eating. Luka insisted on coming with me, though, so I just left Eloise with them. When I buckled Luka into the car, he burst into tears. I asked him what was wrong and he cried "WHERE ELWEE? MY ELWEE! NEED GET ELWEE!" When my grandfather brought her out of the restaurant, he was so happy. "Oh hi Elwee! I miss you!" It was so sweet. He really adores his sister and doing anything he can to help her.

Eloise is progressing so quickly in her milestones! She is almost 7 months old now and has just started solids. She really enjoys eating and is working at it though it is a bit hard for her. Eloise had a super rough tongue tie when she was born and always has had some trouble with her tongue movement even after it has been corrected. But thats okay! We are working slowly and together on this. As of now Eloise can...get on her hands and knees and *almost* crawl, sit up unassisted as long as she pleases, roll around everywhere, get into a bear crawl position, make the "mama mama" noise, and respond to her name. I'm not ready for all of this growing up! She is moving and shaking a lot faster than Luka did. 

William is doing great too. It is hard to be away from him, but he is an incredible soldier and doing some awesome stuff out there. He is working really hard and it is showing. I have never been more proud of him than I am now. He is such a strong and brave person. I will never be able to express my gratitude for all he has done for our family. He is amazing.

As for me...I'm okay too! I am keeping busy with my bow shop and the kids and whatever else I can manage to do. The holidays are a GREAT distraction for right now. I am in full swing for planning fun things for the kids! I can't wait :)

-Kacy

TUESDAY.

Alright...Time to check in for the week!

Weekly Check-In

Obsessing over: A consignment sale that is coming up!

Working on: Keeping my house clean...not easy.

Thinking about: Halloween! I think I want to MAKE my decor this year.

Anticipating: Bedtime...Mama's got a headache.

Drinking: some coffee. afternoon pick-me-ups!

The past few days, my grandparents have been visiting! They had never met Eloise and had last seen Luka when he was 9 months. Having them here was AWESOME. The kids were so well behaved for them and we ate out a lot (something I never get to do with William gone!) and went shopping for clothes for the kids! It was a blast and I was sad to see them go. Luka woke up curious as to when "those guys" were coming over. Poor kid! But the new toys and movies they got for him have softened the blow a bit ;). 

They also must have worked some magic because, right after her Daddy left, Eloise had been waking up every 3 hours at night, but now is averaging only 1-2 wake-ups at night (usually a 6-7 hour stretch, then a 3-4). Of course, I am not used to it and haven't benefitted yet because I wait for her to wake up, but I'm hoping to adjust soon! I am one tired mama.

It also marks a week since we have been FULL-TIME (no disposables on hand!) cloth diapering Eloise! It has been awesome. Luka was cloth diapered for awhile, but it was too much of a hassle without our own washer/dryer. Here we have them in our unit so it is completely doable! And fun! I am excited to keep adding to my stash (and even have two diapers on the way to me!) and keep this up with all of our future children. I only wish Luka would consent to wearing one!

I am also going crazy over all the holidays. I want to decorate and celebrate and make the kids matching outfits. I think a trip to Hobby Lobby is in order...

-Kacy

MONDAY Check In! and the new Etsy shop!

You guys! I made it on a Monday! Granted, it is 9 PM, but I remembered! So, let's get this out of the way....

Monday Check-In

Obsessing over: My new Etsy shop founded by me and my friend, Jillian.

Working on: finding some part-time work/hobby. maybe babysitting.

Thinking about: sleeping. and brownies.

Anticipating: hearing from William.

Drinking: nothing...but I am very thirsty.

Alright, now that THAT is out of the way...

My friend Jillian and I opened a new Etsy shop this week. We both enjoy making bows and accessories and thus opened a shop to do so together! I am so excited to say that MY FIRST BOW sold today and we only opened yesterday! Very excited. We have a couple things listed in the shop that are pre-made but we do take custom orders as well. If you have or know a little girl, you know they can never have enough bows! So, if you get a chance, take a peek at our shop and send anyone our way who could benefit from our services!

www.etsy.com/shop/charlieandelle

-Kacy

This Past Week...

We were SUPER busy this week! We went to a bunch of play dates, made special packages for William, got to Skype with William, got the kids' carseats installed by a carseat tech, and went to a BISON RANCH!

First of all, to all of our new friends, thank you so much for all the hospitality and fun we have had so far! We are excited to meet more friends and develop deeper relationships with the ones we have as well. I know Luka is highly enjoying being around other kids his age and I am DEFINITELY liking some adult social interaction, especially with people who can understand our situation. It is hard taking out a toddler and a baby, more so when that toddler is still adjusting to the big change of his dad being gone and sometimes just has random, earth shattering meltdowns. However, I haven't encountered a single judgmental look and have had offers to help in any way from all these new friends, even upon just meeting, which is the complete OPPOSITE of what happened back home when I was pregnant and dealing with Luka meltdowns in public. It is highly appreciated in ways I can't even express in words.

Now, onto the packages. I love cute-sey, creative package ideas. I know I can throw in drawings from Luka and photos of Eloise into any old package and call it a day, but I decided to send out specific packages from each kid to William. Luka's has things like a package of race cars (with attached note: "RACE home to me!"), gourmet nuts ("I'm going NUTS missing you"), and Swedish Fish ("for the oFISHal greatest dad"). Eloise's package includes things like a small globe with her footprints inside, William's favorite shave cream ("so your face is as smooth as my bottom!"), deodorant ("so you don't smell like my poo poo!), and an old pacifier of hers ("it SUCKS being without you!). Both packages have small cards soaked in each child's body wash (to remind him how they smell) and photos of them. Luka had so much fun picking out things to put in his package and kept telling the cashier "This for my Daddy! These my Daddy's." 

We also had a GREAT Skype session with William this week. Usually, if given the chance to Skype, we do so when Luka isn't around. It sometimes makes him really upset or he has a complete meltdown when it is time to go. But he asked me if we could call Daddy and William was available so we gave it a shot. He actually sat down and talked to William a bit and didn't just hide behind me the whole time. When he was all done talking he told his dad that he wanted to go watch a movie, waved goodbye, and kissed the screen. It was amazing. I was so proud of him for vocalizing and communicating to us.

As for the carseats, I STRONGLY urge EVERYONE to get them installed by a tech! We made an appointment at the local health department and a wonderful woman adjusted the straps on our seats to the proper heights and then put the seats into the car, all while explaining the guidelines for installation/safety. She checked to make sure the kids were buckled in safely as well before we left and it was all completely free. I have such a better peace of mind knowing their seats are secure and that I am buckling them in correctly each time.

LASTLY, the BISON RANCH! We went on this super cool tour of a local bison ranch where we got to get right up next to the bison and feed them! Luka had a super blast and LOVED all the chickens, horses, the tractor ride, and feeding the bison. He can be really hit or miss with these things, but he had a BLAST! At the end, we bought some bison jerky for William as well.

All in all, AWESOME week!

-Kacy

Oops...Tuesday Morning Check-In

As a stay-at-home mom, days tend to escape me. I never realize what day of the week it is, really. I just kind of go with the flow of our daily routines and no days stick out...with that said, I missed the Monday Morning Check-In two weeks in a row now...OOPS. So, Tuesday Morning it is....

Tuesday Morning Check-In

Obsessing over: getting another package out to William.

Working on: printing out some cute pictures of my spawn.

Thinking about: when I will attempt to brush out my tangled mane.

Anticipating: NAP TIME, please.

Drinking: iced coffee, yum.

Wishing: We could fast forward to 8 months from now...missing my husband something fierce the past few days.

ANYWAY, aside from that, we have been/will be rather busy the next few days/weeks! We went to a birthday party on Saturday, a playdate yesterday, we have a play date today and tomorrow, and are going to feed some BISON this weekend! (YES, FEEDING. BISON.) We are loving all the social interaction and friends! AND in the beginning of September my grandparents are coming to visit! I haven't seen them in a LONG time and I am so stoked! 

-Kacy

Eloise is SIX months old! (Dr. Appointment Update!)

Today my tiny angel turns 6 months old! I can't really believe that six months have gone by! I often count from February to now and am in shock. Where did that time go? Wasn't I JUST calling my best friend asking her to come pick me up to go to the hospital? Or struggling to put on a straight line of eyeliner through contractions (yes, I am one of those people)? Regardless, she IS half a year old (cue tears) today. Seeing as we have been moving, dealing with the deployment, etc, she hasn't seen a doctor since 3 weeks old. I decided to make her a 6 month appointment just to see how she was doing.

We are one of those "crunchy" anti-vax, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, co-sleeping type of folks so I was nervous to see the doctor and have to stand up for myself (I am a wimp) regarding my parenting choices. I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't try to push anything I wasn't interested in, but only said the mandated "you should vaccinate" thing and moved on. Of course, though, Eloise is perfect! She is now 16 lbs, 3 oz (in the 54th percentile), 26 inches (in the 61st percentile), and her head is 45 inches (74th percentile). She has surpassed the majority of the 6 month milestones, but is still working on sitting up and making sounds (she is a relatively silent baby). Eloise is still exclusively breastfed and will continue to be until she can sit up on her own. The doctor suggested starting her on rice cereal now, but I don't plan on ever giving her that. We are practicing baby led weaning so rice cereal is not really in our future, especially with its lack of nutrients. Once Eloise can sit up on her own, she will start filling her belly with fruits and veggies (and breastmilk, of course!) and other good things.

All in all, Eloise is PERFECT, growing right on track, and super duper healthy! She has FINALLY started to laugh a little bit for people other than Luka. She still LOVES music, it makes her laugh. She is attached to a blanket that her namesake, Katy, made for her. Eloise loves toys (especially books and toys that spin) and our puppy. She enjoys chewing on her own toes! Eloise takes 2-3 naps a day in her pack-n-play lasting for 1-2 hours and goes to sleep for the night around 8, gets up for the day between 6:30-8, and wakes up 2-4 times to nurse through the night. She starts off in her pack-n-play next to my bed but usually winds up in bed with me by morning (we like to snuggle).

Hopefully, I will be able to get some awesome pictures of her this week to mark this awesome growth milestone!

-Kacy