Disneyland!

It would seem that our family has been bitten by the Disney bug. It's just too much fun and we cannot stay away. I know the kids are small and they may not remember being at Disneyland, but honestly, I feel like it's a wonderful memory for Jason and I to have in our minds more than anything. I love seeing Sara at Disneyland. She's just so happy and adorable. It's awesome watching her face light up  when she sees Monsters or Mickey, and I love hearing her yell with excitement "More!" when we finish a fun ride.

 

  

 

This past trip we went on was with Jason's family. It was their first time there along with little Jordyn. It was very hot... and very busy, but the "magic" was still there. Really I just wanted to share a bunch of pictures, which I actually didn't even take very many of (Shocking... I know!) Sara wasn't really into picture taking this time around, so she looks pretty grumpy in most of them. I assure you though, she had a blast.

 

Jordyn pretty much slept the whole trip. Probably because she was just too stinking hot! I must give a shout out to the awesome "Baby Care Centers" that they have at both parks. Not many people know about them and they're fantastic! You can take your kids in there and they have changing tables, places to nurse, and you can buy snacks or other baby things you might need. The best part was they pretty much freeze the building they use for this so it's a nice refuge from the heat. These centers were a life saver! If you have a baby and you're reading this... USE THEM!

 

 

Sara... LOVES... Monsters Inc. So we were super excited to take her on the Monsters ride. She was scaring people in the line while we waited. It was pretty awesome. The only problem was, she was pretty small and I don't know how much of the ride she actually got to see. haha She also loved dancing in the streets at Radiator Springs. It was so stinking cute.

 

 

 Lucky for us, we had built in baby sitters so that Jason and I could go on our favorite ride "California Screamin". Since I had been pregnant last time we had gone... I was trilled to be able to get on a roller coaster again! I love it... it was a good day to not be pregnant. ha Jason's favorite ride is the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Sara, unfortunately, does not share the same love for the ride. She spent the entire time with her hands glued over her eyes...poor little one.

 

We've decided that Disneyland has subliminal messages directed straight to our children. Before the trip, Sara could care less about Frozen. We tried... but she just didn't care, so we let it go (whoop there it is). NOW, all Sara wants to do is watch Frozen. Not only that... but Let it Go came on while we were listening to Pandora and she ran over to the computer and started dancing around yelling "Elsa! Elsa!" I was floored! Thank you Disney! haha

 It's safe to say that Sara wore herself out with how awesome of a time she had. We bought an air mattress to use for Sara to sleep in. I was a little worried it would be a major fail becuase she's still in a crib and I was worried she'd get out of bed and roam around the room and we'd get no sleep. But that girl was out cold... AND she stayed in that bed all the way through the morning until I peaked my head over and said good morning. It was great. 

 My favorite part was the night time light parade and the firework show. Maybe it was the hormones... but they brought tears to my eyes. It just brought back my love for Disney and I guess all the childhood memories. Plus, it was all just so creative and beautiful. I know it's sappy... but I really was just so magical! Money well spent Disney. We still have two days left on our passes so we're headed back in October!!! We've already started planning things that we really want to do this next time around while we're there. They've hooked us! :)

Mama

When I sit and think about what's happening in my life, it's insane to think that in the past two years I've brought, not just one, but TWO little humans into this world. Two little people who call me "Mama." Well... Jordyn doesn't yet I guess, but I'm pretty sure she would really like to.

Right now is the time when I would be slowly coming back to work in my brain and I would see the school supplies on sale at Target and run to buy things I really don't need. Things I just get because they're good sales and they're pretty and new... and they smell good! I just asked a co-worker friend of mine when they go back to work and it's just interesting how I feel about it all. Yes... I think of my old class and I get really sad about now setting up a room and not having things to get ready for the new bunch. Yes... I see things on Pintrest or I think of something really cool that I would love to use to teach my class and I get sad that I won't be doing that. But at the same time... It's oddly freeing in a way that I don't have to do all those things.

 

Now I'm a super "nerdy" person if you will... Maybe "weird" is the better term to use there. But I almost want to get a lesson plan book to map out what I want to do at home each week. I get so excited about all the things I'll get to teach my two little girls. I get excited to think about all the things we've already done and it's amazing to get to be there with Sara when she learns and experiences these new things. And I get to be there for Jordyn's firsts... So far her first smile, her first coo, and her first time experiencing the joy of getting a toy to make noise. I get to be there to watch them grow as sisters and man is that just the most precious thing I could even hope to see.

Being at home has made me realize quite a few things about myself being a mama: 

I actually do like to cook! Now that I kind of have a little time to dive into what that may be, I can prepare some of the dinner while the girls are napping and it just makes life way more easier come dinner time! Now, some of my new findings have been flops, but most have been quite good. I'm even forcing more veggies upon the whole family! I have discovered that Sara really takes a liking to cooking too. She always wants to know what we're cooking and she always wants to see, or "loooook" as she puts it. We got a kitchen set for free on base and it was the best free thing I've found for her. Maybe when she's old enough, SHE'LL be cooking dinners for US!

It's really difficult going places. Sometimes everyone is crying (sometimes myself included) and we just pack up and put our buckles on and GO anyway! And I'm super paranoid about being robbed at my car in parking lots.. so it's a lot more difficult to get in the car as quickly as possible. :/

Like I said before... I love that I get to teach Sara things. The best thing is teaching her about God and the Bible. It's so fun to watch her pray with us and say "Aaaaaa-men!" with her hands thrown up in the air. We've also done swimming lessons, baking, building, reading, ABCs, gardening, changing diapers, taking care of the pigs and of the little sister, going on the potty, bowling, and so much more.

 

The one thing that I have realized as a mama is that I get to teach Sara how to royally screw up... and then how to ask for forgiveness. Sometimes I don't understand why the screaming only happens when Mama is around. Why won't she just sit there and eat her food at the table instead of eating it on the floor while watching Paw Patrol? Why is it she won't let me change her diaper without putting up a fight. Why is it every time I ask her to let me put away her shoes... She freaks out? It's a little much sometimes to always be around those type of problems that always end in tears. It's hard to keep your cool and to keep talking ever so politely. But I love that Sara shows me grace and mercy even when I don't deserve it and when she doesn't really know she's doing it in the first place. Even when I feel like a horrible mother for shouting "Enough!" Or for taking the shoes anyway or for giving a look... She still thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread and will give me a hug and kiss when I tell her how sorry I am.

This job is hard work. It's a whole new world that I have to set my mind to, and I'm excited (and a little nervous, let's be honest...) about what kind of shinganigans we'll get into around here.

The Four of Us

There are two questions that people have mostly been asking me lately... 

1. How are you? 

2. How is Sara adjusting to having the new baby around? 

1. I am doing surprisingly decent. 

• I have come to the conclusion that going through childbirth naturally is the way to do it. It totally sucks, pain wise... However, I feel like I've bounced back so much faster than when Sara came through and ruined my body! Not only that, but there's this major sense of accomplishment I feel becuase I was able to push Jordyn out on my own AND without pain meds! This coming from a girl who ALWAYS said "Just knock me out and get the baby out!" I'm ALL about the pain meds...  and I don't know if I would do it again without them (If I actually had a choice this time. haha). I guess I'm kind of just really proud of myself. With Sara I just felt miserable and since they had to vacuum her out, I felt like I failed. 

• Emotionally I feel so much better too. With Sara, I remember just crying EVERY day for weeks. Yes, I'm tired and I get frustrated when Jordyn has her moments. But the fact is, Sara is still somewhat a baby and I guess I'm still in that frame of mind, so it's been a little "easier". We've been getting out of the house a lot, joining the world around us, and doing lots of fun things even if it kills us. haha 

• We feel like going from 0-1 child was a lot harder than 1-2 children. But Jason has been home a lot and we've had him around a lot. I haven't been alone with both girls really at all! So perhaps in about a month, I'll be like "What were we thinking?!?!"Plus, Jordyn sleeps a lot, and there are many times when they're both sleeping at the same time. One thing that been really hard to adjust to is giving them both the attention I want to. I have to feed Jordyn ALL the time! And one time Sara whacked Jordyn with her cup on accident and Jordyn immediately started to scream. It scared Sara and she started to kind of check out. I was trying to calm the baby down, and for a couple seconds wasn't even thinking of Sara, then when I realized she was really scared and zoned out it was hard to get to her to give her comfort. But we've been working on making sure Mama and Sara get time together alone. 

 

2. Sara is handling this pretty well for the most part. 

• We'll start with the negatives. One thing I've seen change is that she's become more possessive than she use to be. She gets grumpy and whines "MIIIIIINNE" way more than usual. So, we're working on that. Sara also does NOT like it when Jordyn cries, especially if she knows it's from something she did. She shuts herself off and tends to run away until she stops. Poor girl. She also doesn't like to hold her. She'll be around her, and ask to hold her, but as soon as you put her on her lap she just chants "No! No! No!" It's actually pretty funny.

• There are MORE positives than negatives. She loves to know where the baby is. She'll run over to where she's sleeping and peak over just to make sure she's there. Sara loves to help out. She'll get me diapers for Jordyn, she'll bring her her pacifier and blankets... it's so sweet. She loves to pat her and hug and kiss her. When I start to burp her, she runs over and pats her on the back. Sara is really such a sweet and protective sister. Today, I couldn't find Jordyn's missing sock, and soon after she ran in with it (yelling "SOCK! SOCK!) and started attempting to put it back on Jordyn's foot. It was so cute!!!! I love watching them. 

Jason is a part of this family too! It's kinda funny that people don't normally ask about him. It's kinda funny becuase I was reliving giving birth in my head and I was telling Jason that I don't even remember him being there. I remember holding his hand, and I remember him cutting the cord, but I really don't remember him while I was first holding Jordyn or when they were taking me to our room. But Jason is a fantastic man.  I couldn't have asked for a better husband and father for my children. Today even, he took over making dinner when Jordyn started going crazy and I had to feed her. I told him I had no idea how I would survive if he was gone right now! He gets about the same amount of sleep I do, and he still picks up the slack when I can't do things. Like I said, he's had a lot of time off, so when he does go back to work I know things will change, but it's been such a blessing having him here.