TWO!

 Happy Birthday to you, Matilda Mae.

Punky.

Tillie.

Goose.

Til Til.

For the past two years, you have brought us more smiles, laughs, stories and sleepless nights than we ever could have dreamed of.  We love you!!

The Many Faces of Matilda Mae

We have been doing a lot of 'faces' recently to help Matilda learn how to express herself and how she is feeling.

And there is no one better to do this with than her current BFF, Daddy.

There are mad faces.

Silly faces (although Tillie looks a little frightened of Nate)

Happy Faces...

And Sad Faces.

In a Few Words...

First Braids

Hiding her keys....

Ready, Set, Go!

Peek!

Translation Tuesday: Sponge Mode

One would think that sponge mode refers to actual cleaning. This would make sense given my last two mornings have started with either Matilda pooping on the floor, or finding her with poop all over her crib (thank you antibiotics).

But, no. That is not sponge mode in the Hanson house.

This is:

That moment where you are doing something new with Matilda (think amusement park rides, concert, really anything she hasn't seen or done before), and you really just aren't sure if she is enjoying it or not. She just sits and soaks up everything like a sponge. Taking in every little thing.

But you know at any second she could break out screaming with terror. Or squealing with delight.

In any new scenario it is like that (could make for an interesting walk down the aisle, huh Emily?).

Last weekend we saw it both ways. We went to a book and music festival. The first thing we went to was a children's variety show (below), and we ended up walking out after 5 minutes because she was literally SHAKING with fear.

But then we went to a concert in a big auditorium with WAY more kids, and she loved it. 

You never know what you are going to get after she soaks it all in and decides if she likes it or not.

Two Months

I am grossly overdue on this post. In face we are probably closer to the three month milestone than the 2 month milestone.

But I want to make sure we remember the greatness that was Bea's babydom. Beatrice was quick to grow in the first month and is slowing down a little.

11 pounds 11 ounces

24 inches 

Bea was an early smiler (or at least she smiled earlier than Miss Tillie who mastered her 'why should i smile at you face' before she mastered the smile.)

We were happy to usher out the 8th week as that is when the fussiness declined greatly (although Bea's fussiness was quite mild). We traded our Moby wrap and a walk routine for an earlier bedtime, and even on a few rare nights a family dinner together (with Bea in a lap).

She started to enjoy playing with her Taggies toward the end of the 2nd month!

She likes to feel/play with toys but continues to dislike that darn activity mat. We put her under it and she freaks out. The only way she will be content under it is if she is on her tummy, which then leads to her just resting on her stomach. 

Bea continued to be amenable to Tillies incessant ear rubbing, and head kisses (and the rare eye poke). She started to enjoy the paci a little bit more at go down, which Nate and I were both nervous about given our battle with paci wars with #1.

The laundry keeps multiplying, but so does the fun (well at least most days, ok some days)....

Life Jinx

Since becoming a parent, I have become increasingly more superstitious about saying anything good, bad or otherwise about my children. Because the second I do, they prove me wrong.

So I only speak in facts.

As in, FACT: Matilda ate a good lunch.

I am quite hesitant to make any broad sweeping statements, like "Matilda is a good eater" because for SURE she will then turn into the worst eater in the entire world.

(*note to the karma gods, I was just using that as an example, and was not making any commentary on my child's broad eating habits).

Well, I think I may have just jinxed my whole parenting life. I didn' t think there was such a thing as a life jinx, but I am in the middle of being proven there is.

Here it is, Wednesday night. I just had the most glorious day of maternity leave. And as Nate and I go to bed, I told him that this may have been the first day of EITHER maternity leave that I 100% truly enjoyed. Loved every minute of it. And that I felt really really happy with how things were going for us. Bea was compliant. Tillie was a doll. I was super productive AND got to relax. Ahhh. Amaze-balls.

Then I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face.

Only to be awoken by Milk Goblin #2 way earlier than she normally feeds, who then proceeded to only be able to sleep ON me. Fast forward to the next morning when Gremlin #1 gets sent home from daycare due to a fever, and all of those warm fuzzy feelings from the prior day went flying, no LEAPING, out of the window.

I am pretty sure my declaration of happiness has plagued me with a life jinx of seeing how much craziness one can take on before that happiness disappears (please note that that threshold has been reached for me).

So please send me your suggestions on how to remove a life jinx. Because I want that Wednesday wonderful feeling back....

Tillie and Bea

With each passing week, we feel like we get another sliver of a glimpse of what life is going to be like with two little girls so close in age, and able to play together.

Tillie, who continues to be completely obsessed with books, was very interested in reading to Bea.

Let me just get this out of my nose before I begin storytime

The first lesson of a good storytime is you always need to wear your sunglasses.

Here Bea, try them on.!

Bea was pretty bummed that those were sunglasses and not a nipple.

But I think she enjoyed the story....