Hiking at Bull Creek

Belated birthday party pictures

Fishing with Granddaddy!

Exploring at the children's museum, again

We visited the Children's Museum again this week. Right now the main exhibit is "The Notion of Motion," so there were lots of new and interesting things to try out!

Birthday girl!!

Yesterday was my sweet baby girl's 2nd birthday! She was born on a sunny Friday afternoon. I woke up that morning pretty sure that it would be The Day. Oliver and I were supposed to attend a friend's birthday party in a nearby town (about 30 minutes away) at lunchtime, but I canceled because I just had a feeling.

I took Oliver out for a quick 3 mile run in the stroller mid-morning, then we stopped at the playground to play. Then all of a sudden, I knew that we needed to head home NOW. The 1/2 mile walk took for.ev.er. because I had to stop frequently to breathe through the increasing pain. My water hadn't broken yet though, so I put off calling my doctor's office until I was sure that this was IT. I did, however, call my hubby and ask tell him to PLEASE, PLEASE COME HOME WHY AREN'T YOU HERE YET, GET IN YOUR CAR NOW!!

I got Oliver's lunch ready, but couldn't eat anything myself. I got him down for a nap early since the pain was getting a lot worse and I didn't want to scare him. Even reading a short story was difficult since I had to stop every few minutes to breathe!! Finally, he was in bed, and finally, Dennis came home. I called the doctor, and was told to go straight to the hospital. After a sitter arrived to stay with Oliver, we left.

At the hospital, the triage nurse checked me to see how things were progressing. My water still hadn't broken, but the pain was increasing so quickly that the nurse decided to let me walk the halls for an hour and get re-checked again, rather than sending me straight home. Let's just say that was a smart move. ;-)

Three hours later, I was in a L&D room, but my water still hadn't broken. My doctor arrived about that time, and made the decision to break my water. The good part was that Buttercup was born about 45 minutes later. The very, very bad part was that for those 45 minutes, I was forbidden to get out of the bed. OUCH, OUCH, OUCH. I'd much rather stick flaming toothpicks into my eyeballs, than be stuck in a bed with that much pain and not be able to move around.

But then, suddenly, sooner than anyone (including me!!) expected, there she was. All pinkish red, screaming, with a head full of black hair standing straight up on her head. My first thought was disbelief that I was holding her so soon. I almost couldn't believe that she was mine. I stared at her sweet face while she wailed and floundered in my arms, and I wanted to laugh, sing, cry, jump, yell. I had mistakenly thought that holding my brand new baby wouldn't be as thrilling as the first time, since I'd already been through the experience with Oliver. But I was wrong. So wrong. She smelled so good, was so warm, fit so perfectly in the crook of my arm, and nuzzled her face so sweetly into my neck, that I immediately wanted to do this again, have a million of these sweet babies to love and hold and protect.

Buttercuppie, you have taught me so much in these two short years, and I can't wait to see what happens in the future as you continue to grow and learn. There is never a dull moment when you are around, and I just love spending my days with you. Without knowing I was missing anything, you have made my life so much more complete, have filled our family with such a light. I am so thankful that God chose me to be your mommy! I love you, my sweet baby girl! Happy birthday!!!

Soccer practice

The best banana bread ever!

This is my recipe for banana bread. I've revised it countless times over the past three years, and finally have the spices and texture just the way I like them. I've reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe, but also increased the fat content. I figure, if you're going to eat banana bread, it should at least taste good, right? :-)

(You can make a healthier version by substituting applesauce and/or plum puree [baby food] for the sugar and oil, and by using a low fat yogurt instead of whole milk yogurt. But it won't be as tasty and delicious!)

Maria's Super Fantastic Banana Bread
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
1/2 cup whole milk yogurt (vanilla and maple flavors taste the best)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the center, and add eggs, oil, mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla. Mix well, and pour into a buttered 9"x4" loaf pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips or nuts on top (if desired). Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes 12 servings.

Soccer

Toward the middle of summer, Dennis and I decided to register Oliver for a fall sport -- partly for fun, but mainly to help him gain confidence. I gave him a list of choices (soccer, t-ball, swimming) and asked him to pick one. He refused, so I chose soccer, and he said he was fine with my choice.

Then about a month later, it was time for soccer practice to start. Oliver was excited to go to the field and meet his teammates, but once we got there, he was pretty freaked out. He didn't want to do the warm ups or drills, and he didn't want to even stand on the field. I had to go out with him and do the drills with him (while he held onto my leg!). He also cried a few times during the practice, and said that he didn't want to ever go back again.

I thought about it and felt like I was being mean to him for making him do something that he never really wanted to do in the first place, but then some friends helped me realize that this was teaching him a life lesson. If he signs up to do something, then he needs to stick it out and at least give it a good try. So he and I decided together that he would go to 5 practices (I suggested he go to all 10, he suggested he go to zero, so we met in the middle and came up with 5 :-D).

At the next practice, he did not cling to my leg the entire time, but he also refused to go on the field without me. He even kicked a goal and got high fives from his teammates and went home happy! Progress!

Then the following Saturday was his first game. I wasn't allowed to go on the field with him, and he cried and cried and wouldn't let go of my leg. I ended up leaving him with Dennis while I took Buttercup home, because obviously my presence was preventing him from realizing that he could do this by himself. Oliver and Dennis came home later, and Oliver had actually calmed himself down and sat with his teammates during the game! So Dennis brought Oliver to his next soccer practice while I stayed home with Buttercup, and Oliver did all of the warm up, drills, stretches, kicked 5 goals, and came home super excited and full of joy!

Since then, Oliver has really gotten into soccer and I've been able to go to practice and watch him from the sidelines while he participates with the team. And today I went to his soccer game! He doesn't really know what he's doing, but he goes out there and gives it all he has, and I am just so proud of him. It's hard to believe that 3 weeks ago he was crying and clinging to my leg, and now he's out there running around (and falling down, ha ha!) with the rest of his team. :-)

As a side note: Buttercup is 100% thrilled at getting to go to her big brother's soccer practices and games now. She cheers and claps for him, and gives him a hug any chance she gets!!

Here are some pictures from today's game (Oliver is #7). In the first picture, Oliver and his teammates were waiting to take their official team photo -- obviously the perfect time for them to get covered in dirt, right? :-)