We had a fun girls day out today. I took the girls to get their hair styled and cut. It was due for both of them and Allie-Ann got her nails done. I'm telling you with two girls, it's going to be an expensive future, I believe. But, they look so cute and it's well worth the money spent for the simple fact that I don't have to chase them around to cut their hair. They seem to do whatever anyone else ask them to do over when I ask them. So whatever works.
Belle is feeling much better and we are so excited about that, Allie-Ann has another little cold but she is overcoming that as well. I'm so looking forward to a normal week, hopefully we will get one this week. With that said, here are some pictures I took of the girls.
Belle showing that she can have some fun while eating cookies.
This is a picture of Belle before her haircut. I usually cut her bangs myself, but thought it might be time to get them shaped better.
She's not impressed....
Allie-Ann's hair before her cut. It's amazing how fast their hair grows!
Belle after her cut...still not impressed.
Allie-Ann getting her hair shampooed.
Allie-Ann after her haircut. I wanted the bob cut for her.
This is what I have to contend with at night after bath.
This should be a little easier to comb at night.
Picking out her nail polish
She looks two years older in this picture to me
It has been a whirlwind these past few days. Belle has been running a high fever since Saturday. I took her to the doctor Sunday morning to see if we needed to be put on an antibiotic and found out that she was worse off than we thought. Both ears and throat are extremely infected. She's had to have four shots within the last two days and I have to take her tomorrow to get two more shots. Poor thing, it has literally been breaking my heart. First, that I can't be with her day and night since I've started working and secondly, finding out today that she will need tubes put in her ears. I am going to be a nervous wreck during this procedure. I have complete faith in Belle's doctor that he will find the best doctor for her. So those reading my little blog, if you wouldn't mind saying a little prayer for our Belley Boo. She's a tough cookie and despite how awful her ears and throat are, she still manages to smile all the time. She's a special little girl.
What a day....let's back up to last night. So last night as we were eating dinner, I noticed that Belle's eyes looked watery and red and when I looked closer, I realized that she had pink eye...again! Knowing that with pink eye you have to treat for 24 hours before sending back to school, I looked at Kyle and said, "Looks like you are going to be Mr. Mom tomorrow."After four years of caring for sick babies, I had to finally relinquish my duty to my hubby since I can't just take off right now. It was so hard leaving this morning but considering how giddy Kyle was to be home from work, I didn't worry so much. On Tuesdays Allie-Ann has gymnastics. In the past, getting her there was no problem but with my new job being downtown it makes it quite a challenge. I had a meeting at the district office today and was late picking her up. When I go to pick her up, I find Allie-Ann a complete mess....paint all over her and a new 'boo boo' after falling at recess. I didn't have time to talk to find out what happened because we were already late, so we literally ran out of her school just in time to run back in to get her juice (car ride home would not have be pretty without it) and then flew out again. I managed to get home with 5 minutes to spare before I had to take her to gymnastics. I change her, use a wippy to wipe her face (big mistake....alcohol got in her cut...screams follow). I manage to get her in the car, look at Belle for a minute and off we go to gymnastics. Since I'm starting a new job they require that I have a tuberculous test, so after gymnastics I go home to drop Allie-Ann so I can go back to CVS to have my arm looked at. I drive out of the driveway to find Allie-Ann in tears because I had to leave her. I call home on my way to CVS to tell her that I will be back soon that she didn't need to cry (to which I continue to hear her screaming in the background). I get to CVS and there is this lovely sign that says they're no longer seeing patients that we would have to come back tomorrow. I found the nurse and begged asked nicely if she could just look at my arm and sign off on my slip. The nice nurse said that she would but that I would have to wait. So I waited an hour and half to be seen. It's after 7 before I leave CVS which, mind you, my visit only took 2 minutes. I drive home to find that my lovely husband still had the girls up and he had the nerve to say, "I thought you wanted to put them to bed"........ahhhhhhhh, what!!!!! So I go and put them both to bed which I really didn't mind because I wanted to see them but didn't finally sit down to actually eat till after 8. This is the life of a working mom, and unfortunately I think this is a usual day for many. I'm looking forward to tomorrow in hopes that it won't be as rushed and long as today. Here's some pictures of the girls I took at the park this past weekend.
With the beautiful weather we've had this weekend, we took full advantage by being outdoors. This week I will be starting my first full-time job in four years. As I write tonight, I'm a little nervous and anxious about it. I'm so lucky that I've had some time to get the girls adjusted to the schedule and their school and I don't feel the pressure of dropping them off in the morning. I've also enjoyed making their lunches (I know this will not last long) and getting them all ready to go at night. Making lunches is new for me because the girls' school does not offer hot lunches. For some reason making a lunch that fits in a lunch bag has been challenging. I've bought my stock in cheese sticks, yogurt and fruit which I know both girls will eat. And if I make Allie-Ann's sandwich into some kind of shape, object, or animal she will eat all of it. I will say, starting a new job as a mom of two is definitely going to be challenging because not only do I have to get myself ready, but I have two others that I have to get ready as well....five days a week! But, I'm sure with time I will get the hang of it. Here are some pictures of our picnic and park day!
I had to put this picture in of Allie-Ann and Belle playing in the pantry. I completely organized the pantry this weekend and they had so much fun playing in the bottom shelf.
One of my most favorite movies is Baby Boom with Diane Keaton. It used to not be until I had my own child and I could so relate to her and the movie just warms my heart. She chooses the easy life in a small Vermont town to raise and spend more time with her little girl. Well....who wouldn't want the pictuques little Vermont town, making millions off your own baby food. Anyway...when I had Allie-Ann, I had a career and was happy in it but something changed when I became a mom, I wanted to be by her side at every moment of the day. I was attached in such a way that I was willing to quit my job just to be with her. The decision didn't come without sacrifice and hard work. Being a stay-at-home mom is without a doubt the hardest, most rewarding job anyone can have. It's something that only those moms who live it each day can explain. Just like with any job no one can tell you how hard it is than the person working it each day. When Belle came I was even more set on making this work for our family. I finished my doctorate, graduated and the pressure of school was off my shoulders. I am eternally grateful for my time spent at home with my girls. It is a time that will always be cherished and remembered (thanks to my dedication to the blog). But I have received an offer on a job that I feel cannot slip away. It is a job that will work with our family because thankfully I will still have my summers and breaks off...mostly. When I went back to work with Allie-Ann, it just didn't feel right. I believe that what you feel in your heart is how God speaks to you. Now, I feel a complete peace about the decision to go back to work (maybe the four years at home looking ragged and chasing naked babies around helped..ha).
I found the girls a school that is everything I ever imagined for someone other than me to teach them. I have complete ease with the staff and caretakers there. The director is a professor at USC and one of my colleagues has her children there. Both girls have been going there for a week now and have settled in great...which is another thing I'm grateful for because I've had the time to get them adjusted and myself before my work begins. Allie-Ann comes home each day to tell me something new that she has learned. They do so many great things and I truly feel that I hit the jackpot. It didn't come without a financial commitment but if I feel a peace about where my girls are and how they are being taken care of, I'm willing to spend what I have. That's the only way I was able to go back to work. I know returning to work is going to be a challenge and getting up early has already been a challenge but I know that it will be the best for our family and our growth. I'm excited about this new chapter and can't wait to blog about my new adventures of being a working mom.
The teachers in Allie-Ann's room sent these pictures to me on her second day of school. They are journaling about rocks.
Belle is not having such an easy time adjusting. Bless her heart and mine. We both were crying on the first two days. I'm still adjusting but I know that she will get used to the new routine too. Her teacher is from Nigeria and is wonderful! She's been working with toddlers for 20 years. She's an angel!
Our little baby is slowly turning into a toddler. She is growing so fast and is on the move all the time. She has this killer sense of humor that I know comes only from her daddy. She is so much like him it's uncanny and I think that is why I have so much patience for her. Allie-Ann on the other hand, is very much like her mother....and we butt heads all the time. Ha!
The girls are starting to play and interact more and more and it's so much fun to see. Allie-Ann has gotten into reporting to me on everything Belle does wrong, I hear, "Mommy, Belle swallowed a lego", or "Belle spilt her milk", or "Belle is getting into trouble." She just enjoys being that second in command. And as much as I worried about Allie-Ann being too rough with Belle, it's totally the other way around. Just yesterday Belle hammered Allie-Ann with the tea pot, made her cry!! So, I'm pretty sure Belle is going to be just fine, now I just have to worry about Allie-Ann. Here are her 18 month shots.
