A Walking Talking Newborn

As we are down to a couple days before Clari becomes a big sister her questions and explanations of her baby sister have been rather...enlightening. Ryan and I constantly laugh because we are convinced that Clari is also convinced that her baby sister is going to come out as a walking talking newborn.

Lets be real though, this is a REALLY hard concept for kids to grasp. They don't quite recall when they were that size, but they have seen babies enough to know that they are small and cute (Clari's words). We have read books about babies, watched Doc McStuffins become a big sister, and involved her in every piece of baby arrival. It's still a big concept for a 3 year old to grasp.

She's very excited for the arrival of her baby sister and it warms our hearts, but we have to stop sometimes and take a deep breath when she lets us know of what she's going to do with the baby. The other day with a face full of excitement she said "Mommy when she wakes up at night and cries, I will just pick her up out of her crib and feed her! I can pour her some milk out of the fridge." The image in my head of her carrying this little newborn across the wood floors was enough to wake me up more than my cup of coffee. We take these times as learning moments to talk about how much of a helper you can be with the baby, but you just always have to check with mommy and daddy about what you can help with. Clari and her baby sister are also going to play with Play-Doh when she comes home from the hospital and then she's going to teach her how to hop down the stairs. All of this is innocence as she just knows she's getting a playmate. She just hasn't figured out that her playmate isn't going to be her size for awhile.

The innocence in her little heart during this time makes me even more excited to give her a sister. She lights up when she talks about all the snacks they are going to eat together and how she will let her pick the "bedtime show", sometimes. I'm sure that we are going to have quite a few learning moments ahead, but the excitement level in her heart is worth all of them. Here's to hoping the fruit snacks and Play-Doh stay in the big kids hands for now!

Taylor 

September Brings Changes

September is here and it's a big time for our clan. It actually appeared 8 days ago and I'm still in calendar shock. In a matter of two weeks we will have Clari attending preschool and a newborn arriving. To say that my hormones and emotions are a hot mess is probably an understatement. These are big changes to our house and it's all happening at once.

We escorted Clari to her first day of preschool on Tuesday. Some may think "It's only 3 year old preschool for barely half-a-day, what's the big deal?" The big deal is that it's our first born who has entered a time in her life that will continue for years and years to come. It's a big milestone in our lives and her little life. Plus not to toot my own horn, but this girl is FINALLY potty trained. When she was 3 weeks old screaming crying 24/7 I never expected to walk her into a classroom and for her to ask me "Mom, when are you leaving?"

                                

The next chapter is this sweet little sister that is still baking. She is due in less than 2 weeks and we are ready (sort of). We are excited for Clari to be a big sister, to become parents again, and to meet her. With a newborn on the horizon and Clari becoming a preschooler, it has made me realize now more than ever that time needs to slow down. Even on our worst days you can't get those days back.

I'm excited to continue my stay-at-home adventures with Clari and add her baby sister to the mix. Being home all day has me taking a new direction in the blogging world, which I'm loving. Sass and Fruit Snacks describes our family perfectly. There's a lot of sass in a house full of women (daddy is a trooper) and most days the key to the sassy preschooler's heart is her beloved fruit snacks.

I hope you'll continue to follow along on my wild mom-ventures as we avoid sass with fruit snacks!

Taylor