Hello Monday

Hmmmm.... Okay, well, let's see....

It's one of those days were I just can't seem to get everything quite together. Not a bad day, not a great day... you know, just one of those days. I will apologize for my lack of quick wit or any sense of creativity in this post.


I survived my first week back, although it was really tough. It was tough on BOTH me and Ryan. Elaina really gave him a run for his money, but each night got progressively better and she has again settled into a decent pattern. Not the 8 hours I was LOVING, but 5-6, and that's pretty good.

The weekend was rather uneventful, other than Belle Plaine making the news for our "Hurricane Force winds"! Seriously, I'm quoting good ole' Sven from Kare 11! Winds reached a whopping 72 mph down here in Emma Krumbee land! What were we doing during this wild storm.... not chilling out in our basement like we should have... nope. We were watching some show on DVR, oblivious to the weather alerts and tornado warnings. I just kept thinking... "Wow, it's REALLY windy out there!". It wasn't until the sirens started going off that we even took a hint! Ha! Oh well, other than some branches down in the streets, doesn't appear to be much damage!







I did attend my friends Bridal shower on Saturday and was DELIGHTED to come home to a clean house!!! I'm talking clean kitchen, vacuumed floors, folded laundry kind of clean!!! What an AWESOME treat for me, thank you Ryan, I love you so much!!!
















This week has little to no plans and I'm quite happy about that. I just might take Ellie and treat myself to a movie on Wednesday. Yeah, I'll admit I'm a huge Twilight dork and Eclipse comes out that day. How many people think I'm nuts to try and take a 2 month old to a movie??? Wait.. don't answer that.



I heart Edward!














Anyway, have a great week, we're supposed to have some great weather! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!




Lila "helping" dad put together a lawn mower
































Sweet little tootsies!

Triple-Boo and a Big Hooray!

Last night was my first night back to work.... boo

Last night the MN nurses association voted "yes" to an open-ended strike... double boo

Last night Ryan called me at 4am with Ellie screaming in the background at his wits end because she won't go to sleep... triple boo


Last night my big girl Lila slept all night in her big girl bed!!! Hooray!
This one actually makes me a little sad, Ryan said she kept saying "bed" "bed", so he took her out of her crib, put her in bed, and she didn't wake up till 8am!






















I came home a little early from work, distraught from the 4am phone call. Of course, the house was quiet and everyone was sleeping when I came in. I snuck in a quick hour "nap", then got up to get the girls ready so Ryan could have another wink of sleep. I guess Ellie just wasn't too sure about Mama being gone and her and Ryan made "conversation" most of the night. Oh well, he managed, as I knew he would, and this morning he "man-ed" up and took the girls to the zoo with a friend of ours who's a stay-at-home Dad. Yup, 2 grown men, 3 little girls, stollers, diaper bags and baby carriers! What's more manly that that???!!! I love my husband!

I'm off to sleep, good night!

Oh, and I threw in a pic to prove Elaina isn't always such a bear!

Elaina is 2 Months

Our little peanut is 2 months old!






















I'm back to work for the first time tonight and because the thought of leaving her for the next 3 nights brings me to tears, I'm just not going to think about it right now. So...

She is now a happy, smiling, cooing baby that sleeps like a DREAM!
Really, she is back to her easy-going self. The baby we knew at the beginning!
Elaina is obviously feeling much better as evidenced by her mood and sleep patterns,

and Happy Baby = Happy Mom and Daddy!

She is so tiny compared to her big sister, it still surprises me! Lila always ran in the 90th % or above and sweet little Ellie is only in the 25th% for her head and weight. Length is 75%, so I guess she's just long and lean (like Daddy!) I was stunned when they weighed her and she was 9lb 14oz. What? She is 2 months old and hasn't even broke the 10lb mark! Ha! What a little runt!


She makes all kinds of funny little noises, lots of "hoo" and "goo" sounds. She actually sounds quite a bit like a little owl! Ha! The other little thing I'm amused by is how often she sneezes and the fact that they always come in 3's! I've never heard this child only sneeze once!

Anyway, we are really enjoying her (and how much she sleeps!) and I'm so excited to watch this little person grow up! I just know she's going to be amazing and beautiful, just like her big sister!!!
















(Seriously, can you BELIEVE these feet??? She could climb trees with those toes! HA!)

The countdown to Monday

This is my last weekend of maternity leave.

BOO :(

I go back to work on Monday after 8 weeks home and I want to cry just thinking about it. We are very lucky that Ryan has some vacation time left, so he's going to stay home a few days to help me transition. Also, this means Elaina doesn't have to start daycare for another 2 weeks, which makes me REALLY happy. Much easier to leave the girls with Daddy, than someone else!























The weird thing is, I'm also HOPING to go back to work.... with all this chaotic nursing strike mess, I just want a job to go back to!

I know there are many strong, opinionated, nurses out there fighting for the union and it's not that I don't agree with their principals, but ultimately... at the end of the day, my family comes first! Hands down, no questions asked. There is a reason I work full time. There is a reason I'm returning from maternity leave after only 8 weeks instead of 12. I love my co-workers, and I want to support them, but I have to do what I have to do to take care of the ones I love the most!
On Monday I will go and vote against an open-ended strike, and until then I will continue to pray that both sides of this can be reasonable and come to some middle ground. As one of my co-workers put it... "lets just put on our big girl panties and get to work!" Moving on....


Ryan and I were visited by my mom and step-dad unexpectedly on Wednesday evening! They brought dinner and we grilled delicious tenderloin steaks (on sale at Cub this week!), peppers, onions, potatoes, and mushrooms!!! YUMMY! Then my sister came to visit yesterday, it was so great! I love the fact that now that my mom is easing out of the studio and Alex is finished (almost) with school, they can see the girls more! It was so fun!

Although the week has been up and down, weather-wise (weren't those storms crazy last night?!), today looks like a great day to break out the kiddie pool with Lila and sit and enjoy a PB&J, an apple, and probably some white cheddar popcorn outside! If I'm really motivated, I might even take a walk with the girls to the post-office to get a few baby gifts off to some friends of mine! Baby Iyla and Baby Pricilla, don't worry, it's coming!!
The whole family slept great last night (another 8 hour night for Ellie, that's 3 in a row for those keeping track), so we're all feeling great and looking forward to a GREAT weekend! Ryan and I have a planned date night tomorrow and the girls will spend the night with Grandma Barb and Grandpa Rich!!! SO excited!

Have a good weekend, I plan to!
Check out the cute video snippets at the bottom!

My mom and Alan with the girls!

























Alex snuggling with Ellie!

















After the storm photos!

I love storm season, so beautiful!

Scooter (aka Lila Kate)

Oh how we love her...

She's such a goofy, bright, interesting little girl!
It sometimes makes me sad that she's no longer our "baby", but then she does something that makes me appreciate exactly who she is right now!






















Her vocabulary is growing by the day, although some of it is distinguishable only to those who know her well! If she's feeling up to it, she will try to say just about anything you ask of her; otherwise, she just looks at you like, "why the heck would I say that?"


She is very active, loves to be outside, and seeks out ANYTHING that contains water... ie, bathtub, puddles, kitchen sink, kiddie pool, dog dish (yuck)...
Her food tastes vary with her moods, although you can entice her to eat just about anything with the promise of a handful of white cheddar popcorn! (Other favorites include BBQ Lays chips and Mr. Freezee's). She is very imaginative and loves to play with her kitchen and shopping cart, her legos, mommy's purses and shoes, jewelry, and of course buckets and shovels! She is insanely messy, yet throughout dinner wants her hands wiped off constantly, Hmmm?
Lila loves to climb and jump and her best buddies are Boone and Rio!





































Lila has a few baby dolls, that are getting more and more attention, however, she still has her 1 true love.... rather her 2 loves... BLANKEE! (better known as her "B") Purple B is still favored slightly over Pink B, but either will do in a pinch. Just make sure you have one with you at nap and bedtime or the world will stop until you find one!!!






















She has the most amazingly wild hair, that when tamed down has these great blonde curls that I'm desperately jealous of! (When out of control... well, it's just that!) Her eyes are another source of my envy; blue and bright and gorgeous! (just like Daddy's with a pinch more mischief!)


























Lila Kate Volovsek
Crazy, Silly, Amazing
Warm, Loving, Fun
Blonde haired, blue eyed, Beautiful
Scooter, Stinker, Spaz...
My first born wonder

Oh how we love her!

One last Dance

There is nothing more to say than...

Congratulations to my Mom!
After 40 years of Brenda's School of Dance, she handed over the studio keys to Dana!

The announcement was made last night after her official last recital!
It was a great show and a great send off to 40 years of memories!

Here are some pics from last nights show!



Fight like a Girl
(for Dana, a 2 year breast cancer survivor!)



























The Guys!
Disco Fever!
























Pots and Pans!





















Under the Sea
(my niece Calli, in her first recital!)


























Thriller
(awesome finale!)

Weekend so far...

I slept for almost 8 hours last night...
... and no, I didn't ship the girls to Grandma's!
They just love their mama so much, they finally decided to give her a break!
Ok, so that being said, I'm feeling pretty darn awesome today!

Back up a few days to Thursday night...

Ellie cried and fussed until almost 11pm, would only be comforted if mommy was bouncing and walking around. Sleep. Wake at 1:30am, eat (kinda), fuss (a lot), eat (kinda), stare at me, eat (kinda), scream if I put her down... Snooze at 3:45. Wake at 4:15. Cry WITH mommy.... ummm, you get the idea...

Our little peanut has proved to have quite the sensitive tummy. Most nights I struggle to get her comfortable and during the day she's in my carrier or in my arms since she's only happy totally upright. She's teased us twice with good nights, but that's exactly what they are... teasers. We usually pay for them the following night! I've tried all the tricks I can find... No dairy (sucks for mom, minor improvement for Ellie), chammomile tea, probiotics, Gas-X drops, elevated head, sleeping on tummy, all to no avail. She still seemed uncomfortable and upset. I really didn't want to give her prescription meds, but after one of my larger meltdowns early Friday morning, Ryan suggested maybe it was time to try something else.

Friday 10am Dr.'s office. I arrive on time (yeah for me), with both girls looking semi-presentable, and have only moderately bloodshot eyes from crying. In walks Dr. Neis and this is why I love him...
~he smiled and said hello to Lila, put his hand on my shoulder and said "are you OK?"
Of course, I teared up and apologized profusely while he took Elaina from my arms and cuddled her while I searched for some Kleenex. Seriously, this man is WONDERFUL! We went through all the tricks I've tried and why I didn't want to put her on meds, but he reassured me that I've done everything he would have suggested and that we can just do a "trial" run and see what happens. Reflux. Bah.
So we have now had Elaina on Zantac for 2.5 days and already she seems so much better. I know that it sometimes take awhile to kick in, but considering how the past 2 nights have been in comparison to the last few weeks, I'll take it! I'm hoping that we can wean her off by 5-6 months, but we'll just see what happens.

Friday, Ryan came home early and we spent the evening with our neighbors, enjoying good food and good company! Yesterday was a lovely, lazy, rainy day where as a whole, we didn't do much of anything! Ryan and I actually even took a 2 hour nap when the girls went down... PERFECT!
Today, Ryan went to Farmington to help a friend do some handy-work and I'm here with the girls (napping at the moment). This evening I'm going to see my mom's show. It's her 40th year of business and I think it'll be a great one!
Okay, I'm going to sneak in my shower, then try and tackle the dishes before the girls get up!
Have a great rest of the weekend!

Some recent pics for you to enjoy!





Yeah, this is how I feel most mornings! Ha!




















Sunrise in our backyard...
what? I'm up early!




















Sweet Relief




































Happy baby, talking to Mama~

What the...??

That's exactly what is running through Elaina's mind at this moment!!!

Just thought it was too funny not to share.
Good night!

Lack of creative title

The week has been a blur, really busy, but feel like not much was accomplished... hmmm?

Lila has been able to be outside LOTS, therefore, she is a much happier little girl! She LOVES being in the pool, even to the point of blue fingers and toes! Ask her if she wants to get out... "uh-uh" with the defiant head shake. Take her out against her will = close the windows so the neighbors don't hear the screaming! Otherwise, she's been a pretty happy camper!

Ellie has now been Dairy-free, via mom, for 5 days. Sadly for me, this seems to be making a big difference. Half my normal diet consists of milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, but I cut it out completely to see what would happen. What happened? Less fuss, less cry, less whine. Now I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Food I love and crave or cranky, unhappy baby? Boo :(
She is smiling more and more, which makes everything more rewarding, so for now... I'll make the ice-cream sacrifice. (A mothers love, right?!!)

Ryan and I are good, yet admittedly wishing and longing for the day to come when we can leave the girls with Grandma and Grandpa! Our friends are headed to Vegas for a long weekend and I'm almost green with envy... alas, it is not meant to be this time around. I fear leaving my not quite 2month old daughter for 4 days would definitely put me in the running for "suckiest Mother of the Year" award. Oh well, Belle Plaine and no sleep is just as fun, right? Ha!

Ok, I'm going to throw in a few pics of recent days, finish my coffee, and head into the exciting land of laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping!!! (I know you're jealous!)



Ryan Multi-tasking



























Snuggling Elaina after her bath!



































Lila livin' the good life,
Chilling nakey in the pool!















Eins (5 weeks)
being a little stinker!

Wonderful

~Miss Lila Kate~

20 months old
Funny & Silly
Tough, Persistant, Determined
Climber, Jumper, Dancer
Independant, Intelligent, Obstinate
Crazy, Wild, Fun
Willful, Strong, Sturdy... WONDERFUL!























~Miss Elaina Grace~

7 Weeks old
Soft, Delicate, Petite
Stamina + Good Lungs ( =Headaches for mom and dad)
Gorgeous hair, beautiful hands, LOOONG feet
Snorty cries, smirky grins, serious looks
Sweet, snuggly, loveable
...WONDERFUL























We've just got bunches of Wonderful!

What a difference!

Cry, crank, whine, fuss, ALL DAY....
... make Mommy want to cry, crank, whine, fuss....

take a BIG poop (after none for 36 hours), then sleep most of the night....





















Aaahhhhh.... much better!~

Cheesecake, Cucumber Salsa, and Jalapeno Poppers... Oh my!

Seriously, my hubby was on a baking spree over the holiday weekend! I gave him the occasional hand here and there, but this was largely his project!

Last week I decided to make a dessert a friend of mine recommended on her blog...
Strawberry Rhubarb Pudding Cake (Thank you Danica!), it was DELISH!!! YUM!

This prompted more baking/cooking desire

(Lila liked "helping" Daddy!)

Three cheesecakes, 2 dry-rubbed and smoked meats, bowl of cucumber-corn salsa, and batch of jalapeno poppers were the result! All in all, pretty darn tasty!!!





Traditional cheesecake!
Smooth, creamy, lots of crust = PERFECT!





















I know you want a piece!



















Cucumber-corn Salsa; light, fresh, so good on Scoops!














Cream Cheese stuffed Jalapeno Poppers!
A little hot for my taste, but devoured by Ryan and our neighbor!







Our Memorial weekend was one of the most uneventful, relaxed, and DELIGHTFUL holiday weekends we've had in years! Honestly, we had a few social visits, but spent the majority of the long weekend just relaxing with the girls!

I have to throw out 2 quick Happy Birthdays...
My Mom's was on Sunday ( I LOVE YOU!) and my sister-in-law Kim's was yesterday!!! Happy Birthday to you both!

Some pics to enjoy!




Check out those gorgeous blues and perfect pouty lips!















Sleepy baby!























Eins is 4 weeks old!





















Darling chubby feet! Painted toes and tan lines= LOVE



















Conversation between sisters!