Big Sis * Little Sis

Easy Rider

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Miranda can now ride around on my lap! It's one of the few ways I can really interact with her, and is often the best few minutes of my day. She's not always up for riding with me, but she still prefers it to going to bed. So I got that going for me, which is nice.

Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:03:00 +0000

"Mom, which way is China?"
"Um...east. No, you'd probably go west from here. But you'd have to fly in an airplane."
"Maybe I'll move there."
(pause)
"You'd be really far away. But I'm sure you'd make some new friends."
"Oh.... I'm not going to move to China. Can I live with you forever?"
"Yes!"
"I'm not ever going to get married. No. Never. I'm just going to live with you."
"Maybe you'll get tired of me and say, 'Mommy, get outta this house.'?"
"I would never say that. I just like you too much."
(big smiles)

#1 Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:13:00 +0000

Kirsten: Hey Eva, guess who's in the paper today?
Eva: Who?
Kirsten: Joe Mauer.
Eva: Ohhhhh my gosh. We're never going to recycle that one!

(pause)

Eva: Did you recycle it?
Kirsten: No.

(pause)

Eva: Good.

Papa's Little Helper

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:59:00 +0000

Eva helped Papa finish the railing on our deck last weekend. She loves to help with projects. We're sending her to Papa and Grandma's house next weekend to help them finish up their own little "rip off the roof and go up a story" project.

I think I gave dad that shirt for Father's Day when I was about Eva's age.

Baby Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Words Miranda can say:

mama, mommy
dada, daddy
gui (pacifier)
hat
eyes
all done
hi
papa
gentle
sister
va! (means Eva)
tickle
ball
bear
baby
Barbie
nana (as in: banana)
boo!
cake
outside
meow
woof
moo
peep peep
arrg! (what does a pirate say?)
is that?
thank you
shoe
stinky (new as of today!)

Sign language:

water/drink
milk
eat
diaper change
more
all done
goodbye
thank you
cake

Eva's current favorite word: "Actually..."

Happy Birthday Miranda

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:36:00 +0000

Our baby is one year old. Suddenly, a year has flown by and sweet Miranda is now one. One year ago tonight Scott went to bed early, I finished up some last minute packing for the hospital, and we settled to sleep with butterflies in our tummies (and a baby in mine). The next morning, after a couple false starts with hospital admissions over the phone, we departed for the hospital. Early, around 7:30 AM. The drive was quiet, Scott and I eager, anticipatory, worried about what to expect when we arrived to bring our daughter into the world. What would the day hold? Had we made the right decision to have labor induced? Could we hope for a speedy delivery like we remembered Eva's? How would the hospital staff handle a nervous, joke-cracking pregnant chick and her wheelchair driving, diet Coke guzzling husband?

I kept picturing Eva's birth, the other hospital, her room, her smell, the melting of my heart when she arrived...would it be the same with Miranda? Would this baby even look like my precious Eva? How could I possibly love another human being as much as we loved our firstborn?

The day began with some special treatment. We stood around for 15 minutes while they cleared out a very large room for us. Scott could drive right up to the side of my bed and stay close through the whole labor and delivery. (Well, most of the labor, except for the part where he went to get a chocolate shake for himself. This also happened when I was in labor with Eva. Ahem.) The nurse was fantastic, fun, and a photography buff, which was a huge blessing since she saw to it to take some amazing photos of Miranda's birth no one will ever, EVER see. She also took some "coverage" shots, ran the video camera, and snapped our first family photos with baby Miranda--whew, one less worry for Mommy about keeping even the documentation between our two girls. We haven't watched the video yet...and her baby book is pretty bare...but we've got the birth photos at least...

The nurse started the pitocin while this other guy put an epidural in my back. Girls, I highly recommend this--get both drugs at the same time. The nurse was thrilled with this approach and agreed--I believe she said her day depended on my mood and the epidural was a key factor in keeping me happy. So labor started. Dr. Jacob stopped by (her office is across the street) to check in and say hello. She'd be back in a few hours. Now, my labor with Eva I barely remember. But with Miranda, my body was definitely in labor. Amazingly, I felt no pain with the epidural, but my breath, my clenched fists, and my tight back and neck muscles knew what I was going through. I could tell when the contractions were happening just by noticing my fists clenched tight...the lovely nurse dimmed the lights and opened the shades to let the grey, rainy day light into the room. To think my coworkers were already in the office by then seemed totally bizarre. My mom came in to say hello. I'm sure I started tearing up somewhere around that time. But mostly I was excited.

After a couple hours of laboring and being turned and twisted side to side to help the baby move south, Dr. Jacob came back to check on me. One centimeter to go. I distinctly remember talking about one of the other doctors at the clinic and how he could be on a soap opera, and how I was glad Dr. Jacob was there because, hey, I was sweaty and compromised enough already. We chatted a long while, then she noted that the longer she stayed in the room the less likely that centemeter was to progress. Sure enough, an hour later I was ready and she'd finished lunch. (How OBs can actually eat lunch in between deliveries perplexes me. But then again I get grossed out watching ER, so clearly I'm not cut out for that job.)

Pushing. More pushing. About, oh, I don't know, 20 minutes or so of pushing. At one point, Dr. Jacob and our nurses (our lovely nurse brought in a backup so she could take photos and help Scott--amazingly helpful) stood at the foot of the bed commenting, "Wow, that should be a magazine advertisement for epiduals," and, in a matter-of-fact tone, "There's no way she could stand that amount of pain without an epidural." Um, thanks. (And in what magazine?!) They kept rolling the mirror out of the way so I couldn't see. At some point I stopped asking to have it moved back.

And then there she was! Our beautiful Miranda Roxanne! Full head of dark hair just like her sister, but a look all her own. I think the first thing I said was, "Oh! She doesn't look like Eva!" because I really expected her to look just like Eva. Her nose was a little crooked and smooshed but her pretty head was round and her little body was perfect. Scott's tears rolled down his face. The nurse snapped more photos. Then she bundled up our little honey and sat her in Daddy's lap. Sheer joy.

It's amazing how you don't really notice what's going on down south once you've got your baby. Somehow the doctor and nurses keep working and don't just stop to gush about your perfect offspring. Lucky for me, I missed most of the rest of the medical part just watching and talking with Scott about our baby.

Later, our parents came into see her. They exclaimed about her hair and how it reminded them of Eva, but that this girl had her own look to her. I called my dad and my sister to tell them. They loved the name. My mom and Scott's parents stayed with us through Miranda's first bath and swaddling, smiles all around.

We transfered to the recovery room where I stayed for the allowed 48 hours. For some crazy reason I decided to walk to the car after lying in bed that whole time and almost lost it on the way down. But I held it together. The ride home was far less threatening than our ride home with Eva. I think I was more comfortable, definitely more confident, not cursing every bump or mindless driver like I did last time. Scott met us at home, and together we carried our baby girl into her new room. She fell asleep on Scott's lap in the sun. Perfect.

And *POW!* suddenly it's a year later. Happy Birthday Miranda. We love you!

A Winter Flurry

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Miranda decided to wrap up her first calendar year with a flurry of activity. To celebrate turning nine months old, she has learned to do all of the following in December: crawl, wave, clap her hands, stand, walk along furniture, discover every electrical plug-in in the house, use sign language for "more" and "all done," giggle, light up the room with her smile, and scream her lungs out in the middle of the night. Technically, she knew how to do the last 2 from the start, but she's gotten really good at both lately. She has become our little "Miranda Panda" although her teachers at school sometimes call her "The Cougar" when she growls in displeasure.

Eva is no slacker either. She is quite the active preschooler, adds to her vocabulary every day, plays boardgames with her mom and dad, and loves her dance class. She shows off her dance skills at home often, and is looking forward to a downhill skiing lesson with her Papa in Colorado next month.

Hey Big Stander

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:35:00 +0000

Miranda's new favorite thing to do is stand. Stand holding someone's hands, stand by the ottoman, stand by her crib, stand at her little play table. Doesn't matter where, she's happy standing up and smiling at everyone, so proud of her new trick.

Daddy's Supporters

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:20:00 +0000

We walked, strolled, rolled, and rode around Lake Harriet to raise awareness about ALS and money for patient services with the ALS Association. Thanks to our awesome team!

See more photos from the ALSA Walk to Defeat ALS.

First Campfire

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:19:00 +0000

Eva experienced her first campfire this weekend at Grandma and Papa's house. We even had S'mores! As you can tell from her expression, she loved every minute of it...even when she fell asleep watching fireworks over the river, sleepily telling us, "When are we going to go home? I'm so tired. I need to go to bed."

6 Months, 2 Teeth

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:16:00 +0000

Biker Chick

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 04:08:00 +0000

Eva got a new bike this weekend! She's pretty proud of her "big girl" bike with "one wheel in the front and one wheel in the back..." See more new bike photos here.

5 Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:12:00 +0000

We only feed her chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:50:00 +0000

That's why she's so sweet. Apparently it also makes teeth grow, because Miranda's 2nd lower front tooth popped in overnight. Can you see her tiny little teeth in this picture?

Baptism Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:56:00 +0000

Tooth

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:24:00 +0000

Miranda's first tooth poked through on Monday afternoon. In typical Miranda fashion, she's still smiling and even laughing in between only a few tears while she's chomping on toys, fingers, toes, etc. to numb the pain. Her little tooth is so tiny it's hard to photograph, but you can definitely feel that sharp little poke when she gnaws on your kuckle!

Miranda is also eating rice cereal mixed with pears or peas now, and she loves to talk with her mouth full. Eva is a great helper and loves to feed her sister and "spackle" her foody face with the spoon.

Tiny Dancer

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:27:00 +0000

Eva had her first dance class last week. I'm trying hard not to be a pushy stage mother but it was SO cute to see her with all the other little girls, tapping her toes and practicing the ballet positions. Seems I don't need to do any pushing though, because it's been her idea every day since the class to "play dance class" when we get home. We dress up in our dancewear, put on our dance shoes (mine may be old but they still tap!), turn up the Fosse soundtrack and take turns being the teacher. It's the best. Here are some more photos of the first class (taken by some pushy mother hovering outside the classroom window).

How Many Different Feet You Meet

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:39:00 +0000

Miranda found her feet this weekend! She has been grabbing her knees for a few weeks now, but she finally grabbed her toes and is well on her way to putting them in her mouth. I have been waiting for this day with great anticipation. It's just so adorable. Oh, and she is also starting to roll over and giggle, usually not at the same time or anything, but I suppose those are pretty cute things also.

Three Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:18:00 +0000

Miranda is grabbing her hands, thighs, toys, and mastering the pterodactyl yell with a huge grin on her face. She's still a good sleeper, wakes up once or twice a night to eat then falls back asleep easily, and she's such a happy kid.

Two Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:02:00 +0000

Miranda is two months old and as cute as can be. She smiles a lot, coos and gurgles, especially in the morning and while looking at her sister. She's very alert and loves to look at people, grin, and "talk" back to them. Here are some photos.

As you can see from this photo, she already has perfected the deadpan stare that clearly relates, "Can you believe this guy is my dad?"

Gui Rhymes with Ski

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:34:00 +0000

Miranda has said her first word, well sort of. We've figured out that the "gui! gui!" sound she makes when she's starting to fuss either means, "Look out because I'm getting tired and I'm going to want my blankie and pacifier soon," or more likely just, "I want my pacifier!" The pacifier seems to do the trick every time. So now we are saying, "Do you want your gui?" A couple tugs on that thing, the eyes close, and she's out.

In other sleep news, tonight Eva declared at the dinner table she was tired, got down from her chair and put herself to bed. At 6:00 PM. Looks like giving up the afternoon nap is bringing bedtime up by a few hours, minus a few books, and no cajoling for more stories from daddy.

The kids are definitely getting 90% of the total sleep allotted to our house, because we're exhausted.

Sister Love

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:07:00 +0000

First Smiles

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:31:00 +0000

Miranda has been giving us some big smiles this week. When she wakes up she's in a good mood, and she smiles really big at daddy and mommy. Here's a sample. Check out those dimples!

One Month Old

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:05:00 +0000

Seems like I just posted the one week old photos, and Miranda is already one month old. My maternity leave is 25% over and spring has just started to peek around the corner (finally!). I have to say, I've really been focused on being a mom and that means fewer updates to the website...despite the complaints of our loyal readers...

So you'll have to enjoy this little slide show of one month old photos now, and maybe for another month or two because it's getting nice outside, so the website will fall to an even lower priority level--and rightly so.

Shouldn't you be outside too? Oh right, you're at work...

Happy Birthday Eva

noreply@blogger.com (Kirsten) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:06:00 +0000

We celebrated Eva's 3rd birthday last week, and boy did she deserve a day about her. Since getting pushed from number one with the arrival of a new baby sister, Eva has handled herself quite well. But it was time to make sure she felt special again. Thanks to everyone who included Eva in your "new baby" gifts and send birthday wishes, cards, and gifts! I've posted photos from our family birthday party with the grandparents for you to enjoy.

And yes, there are more pics of Miranda there too...