Videos of Kara's Dance Performance

Kara really enjoyed her dance class this past semester.  She did a combination of tumbling, ballet, and tap.  Between the classes and watching a little too much Angelina Ballerina, she has actually learned quite a bit.  I certainly was not using words like plie and arabesque when I was 2 years old.  Doubtful I could even pronounce them.

Her class did a sweet little Christmas-themed performance for the parents this past week.  We got to see some of the things they have been learning, and they showed us the costumes for the big spring recital.  The costumes are bright purple, sparkly, and have a full, puffy tutu.  Needless to say, someone is very excited about that.

I feel like it looked something like this, but I don't really remember.

Either way, Kara is going to think she looks like this:

Here are the videos of her ballet and tap performances: 

Forget it. I just don't care anymore!

I try so hard sometimes...

Somehow I got it into my head to teach Kara a little social responsibility.  Something little, like cleaning the litter at our neighborhood park.  For some reason people love to drop food wrappers on the ground instead of into the several trash cans placed all over the park.  It is really sad to me, and I figured we could do something about it.  

So, Kara, Aimee and I got our little plastic bags and headed out.  Kara wasn't as into picking up trash as I had hoped. She wanted to pick up the dog poop instead.  Which probably would have been fine, but we didn't have that many bags.  Seriously, neighbors...there are also doggie poo bag stations all over the place.  So disrespectful.

Anyways, we got to the park, picked up some trash, played on the playground, ate a snack, and started heading home.  On the way, I stopped to pick up another piece of trash next to a park bench.  While I was picking it up Kara ran to the other side of the bench and quickly ran back screaming.  She had ants crawling all over her.  So of course, I dropped the bag, disrobed her in the middle of the park, and started swiping the ants off of her.  She was still screaming, not because of the ants, but because she dropped her pumpkin bread that we were eating for a snack.  "My bread!  My bread!"  In a way, I was a little relieved that she wasn't focused on the bites all over her legs, back, and arms..it was really good pumpkin bread.  

Finally, convinced that there weren't anymore ants on her, I turned to get her clothes and shake them out.  My heart sank.  The wind had carried our open plastic bags of trash into the middle of the duck pond.  All of the trash was just floating on top of the water.  I was done.  Lost cause.  We made it worse.  Let's go home.

So, Kara is fine, but remember let no good deed go unpunished.  Hope we didn't end up killing any ducks, turtles, or fish.  We may wait a while to try that one again.  

By the way, here's a recipe link for the pumpkin bread.  It's actually pumpkin beer bread.  I bought some pumpkin ale on a whim, but no one here drinks beer, so we had to find another way to use it.  Good choice!  Oh yeah, and it's vegan for those who care.

Pumpkin Beer Bread

Aimee has something to say

Aimee is a little talker when given the chance (meaning Kara is at school or taking a nap).   When Kara was a baby she was more of a noise-maker; squeaks, squeals, and grunts being her specialty. Aimee seems more into forming sounds using her lips and tongue. Here is a video of us having our afternoon coffee talk while Kara naps. 

Kara's first day of school

Kara has started school!  Our little social butterfly is attending two days a week of preschool/MDO.  I have long romanticized the idea of homeschooling our kiddos, but we thought this would be a good season to try out a more traditional school approach.  Kara has been patiently waiting to attend school since the first time she saw a yellow school bus (15 months old).  Watching for the bus in the afternoons and seeing the big kids walking home was a highlight of her day.  Oh the big kids.  She really wants to be a big kid.

Well, with her outgoing personality, her love of all things new, and her super desire to make friends, we're trying it.  And obviously it will be awesome to have some one-on-one time with Aimee during the day.

So far, so good.  Lee got a bit sentimental on Kara's first day of school, but it just seemed like another day for our girl.  Kara went straight to her classroom without any hesitation or even a "good-bye" for mom.  I had to quickly say it to her back as she shut the classroom door on me.  I appreciate her confidence, but I'll try to get a hug from her in the parking lot next time because there's no point in stopping her once she's in the building.

When I picked her up from school, I tried the whole "how was your day" interrogation.  Oddly, she had very little to say.  Very unlike Kara.  We can do a 3 hour car drive with her talking the whole way.  We never have a silent dinner.  So, I'm not sure what that is about, but we'll see over the next few weeks.  I was a little confused and concerned, but the next day was the same.  Excitement, straight to class, door slammed in face...so she seems to like it.  Maybe it's just not something for Mommy.  This is Kara time?

On her way to the building.  She picked out everything from her outfit, to her hair style, to what went into her backpack.

Cheesy first day of school smile!

So long.

After her first day of school.  A big girl now.

So begins letting her go...

  

I love baby smiles!!!

We're starting to get a few small smiles from Aimee.  The reflex sleepy smiles are sweet, but there's something special about a real smile...the ones you have worked for.  And it's even more exciting when I'm ready with the camera!

 

Little Mama

Several people told us (and we ourselves assumed) that once Aimee was born, Kara would become a little mommy.  Well, it was kind of true.
At first, Kara was all over Aimee.  Trying to comfort her if she was crying, trying to get her out of the crib (yikes!), and wanting to do the feedings and diaper changes.  This was all cute, but it was also a little terrifying.  Kara just lacks a certain amount of gentleness and coordination.  We were on edge and felt like we were constantly correcting her or denying her requests.  I guess Kara picked up on that because she began to lose interest in Aimee.
Aimee could still participate in Kara's games... after all, she got to play the part of Flounder when Kara was the Little Mermaid.  But for the most part, Kara realized that Aimee wasn't quite ready for her.

However, Kara has not lost her desire to be a mommy.  She has just redirected her efforts to all of her stuffed animals and dolls.  She gives them diaper changes, swaddles them in blankets, and puts them in Aimee's empty bassinet to sleep.  She gets the Baby B'jorn and carries them around the house (she can stuff about 4 animals into it at a time).

Our awesome neighbor gave me a Moby wrap, so we had to make one for Kara using an Ace bandage.  Here she is caring for a baby elephant.

But the funniest thing was when she decided to breastfeed her toys.  That was a moment I wasn't prepared for.  Even though I have fed both of my babies in this way, and I'm a dietitian which means I completely advocate breastfeeding, I felt like it was awkward and a little wrong to watch Kara pretend to do that.  But I have since gotten over the shock, and Kara's animals and dolls are all well-nourished and seem to be developing a great bond with her :).

Here are a few pictures of Kara and Aimee playing well together:

Kara is encouraging Aimee during tummy time.

 Kara and Aimee both mesmerized by the star that makes music and lights up in different colors.

Three Weeks

Well, we've just about made it three weeks as a family of four. Aimee made it through her two week appointment with no major issues. She is still feeding 2 to 3 times at night, which is still keeping Ashley and I from having good rests (not that we are sleep deprived). We've had a lot of family up, which has been really great (we are especially grateful given the distance they all have to travel).

Kara is adjusting fairly well. There are a lot of rules surrounding Aimee, so we have started encouraging her to protect Aimee and use gentle actions. This seems to have a better effect than just giving her lots of rules to not break.

I will be heading back to work this coming Monday. I worked 3 days the week after she was born, but now I will be more or less back to work, except for any unforeseen tough times that may arise around the house. My mom is coming up this coming week, so we will have one more week of two adults at home to help our transition to two kiddos. We have figured a few things out (getting Kara to bed on time, grocery shopping will need to be a two parent affair, we will be buying a minivan, etc) - but there are loads more that we know we need to get a handle on (traveling with the dogs and kids, keeping up with chores and the kids, how to have a date night, and raising up kids to be adults who know who God is).

Picture time:

Sisters meeting

Resting at the hospital

Beeba, Mom and Papa Jim

Fithian Family of Four at home

Papo and the new sisters

B and Aimee

One week birthday party

Waking from a nap

Carson and Aimee meeting

Grub buddies

Clean baby

 

Posted with Blogsy

Aimee Christine

This is Aimee.

Aimee

She was born on July 1st, at 10:42 AM. She was 7 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 inches long at birth. Ashley and Aimee are both healthy and doing well. Big sister Kara couldn't be more pleased with Aimee.

Our new addition

Posted with Blogsy

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

38 weeks.  It's about that time.  Just waiting.  Twiddling our thumbs.  Wondering if every little contraction or pregnancy weirdness means we'll get to head to the hospital.  But no.  Not yet.

The hardest physical part of this pregnancy was being so extremely tired all of the time, but the hardest emotional part has been patience during these last weeks.  Kara came at 37 weeks, setting an expectation of early delivery.  But 37 weeks came and went.  So, now what?  I mean, obviously, this pregnancy has to end soon.  It's just hard not knowing when. 

I've actually started browsing the Internet trying to be aware of ALL the signs of labor.  Browsing the Internet is not a typical habit of mine (especially looking at chat forums), and I feel it shows a little bit of desperation.  People say some really crazy and wrong stuff on the Internet, but at least I know I'm not alone in my lack of patience.  I promise I'm not going to try any of the weirdo stuff people post to get labor started.    Personally, I'd rather wait.

Even Kara is starting to lose patience.  Most days she asks, "When is God going to let Baby Aimee come out?  I want her to be here now."  It's really precious.  I don't know what Kara is expecting from Aimee, and we have tried to be as honest about babies as we can (they cry, they take Mommy's attention, they can't play yet, etc), but she is still excited and wanting to be a Big Sister.  She has even made little videos for Aimee telling her how much she loves her.  Kara is truly a Fithian.  That sweet nurturing side did not come from me.

Please be praying for us to have joy in waiting and to use this time well.

Here is one of Kara's videos.  You can tell it was made on the iPad.

  

A little entertainment

Last week Kara was a ballerina. Leotards, tutus, and ballet slippers were a daily necessity for both Kara and myself. Ballerinas are meant to be sticks not 35 weeks pregnant, so I was able to get away with just wearing my regular clothes with a pair of house slippers, and usually one of Kara's tutus on my head. Whatever works.

This video was taken from our Rock Ballet. Kara prefers Stevie Nicks to the Nutcracker.

So many messes, so little time (to clean them)

This is a tired third trimester mommy.  If I could stay in bed for half the day and read books or watch movies, I would.  In fact, "tired" is the overall word I would use to describe myself during this pregnancy.  I can't count how many times people have asked how I am doing, and that is my answer.  It's a bit depressing.

So, since Mommy doesn't feel like running to the park or doing errands, Kara and I have just been making messes in the house.  I usually get them picked up by the time Lee gets home, but I'm amazed by how much we can take out in such little time.  And of course it's much easier to take stuff out than it is to put away.

Here are the fruits of our messes over the past 24 hours:

First, Kara gave me a pedicure.  She picked out the color (sparkly blue) and went to town.  She actually spent a lot of time getting it just right.  However, I am currently having a difficult time reaching my toes due to my belly, which means I can't touch them up or remove the polish without assistance.  I wore closed toe shoes yesterday.

Then we made brownies from scratch.  Kara measured, and whisked, and poured, and spilled, and tasted, and tasted, and tasted.  She decided that individual ingredients like cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder hurt her mouth, but chocolate chips and batter are good for eating.  By the way, the end product was delicious.  Seriously, I'm about to go eat another one.

Next, we made pesto!  Here is a picture of Kara (with the help of Baby Jim) drying the basil and spinach leaves.  This was a less messy project until Kara started tasting again.  She seemed to enjoy the pesto as much as the brownie batter.  Her face and shirt were bright green when we were finished.

Last, we made tulips.  I was feeling pretty lazy and uninspired, so I gave Kara an egg crate and some paint pens.  My initial thought was, this should give me 10 minutes.  But while Kara was coloring the crate she started singing "We're Painting the Roses Red" from Alice in Wonderland.  I thought, hmmm...we could totally make those into flowers.  So we cut them out, put stems in them, and stuck them in a vase.  What an easy project!  And they turned out well enough that some very lucky grandmas might be getting a few for Mother's Day.

Aimee Christine Fithian

We decided on a name for the little one to come just in time for the third trimester.
In a few months we'll be welcoming Aimee Christine Fithian into our family. Awww, this is the first time I've seen it spelled out. I still like it!

Here are the meanings:
Aimee - beloved
Christine - follower of Christ; but this is also a family name from both sides. My mom's middle name, and Lee's sweet aunt who passed of cancer a few years ago.

Now that it's the third trimester we're starting to really gear up for her birth. Reality (accompanied by a bit of anxiety) is setting in. We still need to set up the room, pre-register at the hospital, get meals in the freezer, and get all of Kara's old baby stuff out, washed, and sanitized. Really, I think all of that could be accomplished in one productive weekend, but it seems like a lot. Whatever happens, we WILL be packed for the hospital when I go into labor this time around.

A Cowboy Girl

Kara put on Daddy's lawn hat and stated, "I'm a cowboy girl!" She has been riding imaginary horses and galloping around the house for 15 minutes. She's very Ft Worth.

By the way, she is NOT a cowgirl. She says what she means.

Psalm 51:10

Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that the reason Kara seems to delight in disobedience is because she's a sinner. She's a sweet, little sinner, but a sinner just the same. The Fall has affected her just as it has myself (and everyone), and God gave me this great responsibility to learn and grow in face of the difficulties of parenthood.

Now that she is older and has a better comprehension of things, Lee and I have been tempted to start asking her "why" questions. Why did you push that boy? Why did you tell Mommy you didn't need to go potty? Why did you walk away when I called you? We don't need to ask these questions, and most of the time Kara wouldn't be able to provide an answer if she wanted to. But we already know the answer..she's a sinner.

We have struggled, but set to be intentional about, teaching her heart and not just changing her outward behavior. The other day I asked her if there was an area she needed God's help with. She totally unprompted said her heart. Wow! Kids get it.

So our verse right now is Psalm 51:10a; "Create in me a clean heart, O God." This is our prayer for her. This is our prayer for ourselves.

It's a girl! We don't know her name.

Baby #2 is another girl!!! I know we've already stated that, but I was waiting until we had a name to make the post. However, I'm not sure how long it will take us to pick a name, so we may as well make the gender announcement.

We have a list of about 10 names that would probably work, but we're a bit underwhelmed by all of them. Here is the basic working criteria for naming the kiddo if you wanted to help:

• a name that we love
• a name with a nice meaning
• a name that sounds good with "Fithian"
• a name that will work for a baby and an adult
• a name that isn't overly popular right now
• a name with few offensive nicknames associated with it
• a name that is easy to spell and pronounce
• a name that is easy to pair with "Kara" (I assume they'll be making trouble together)
• a name that we just feel fits this little person who we don't know

It's reasonable.

You may be asking yourself, is this truly their biggest concern right now? Uh, no. But it is the most enjoyable concern that we have. Other than that, we have been dealing with weird lab results, retraining the dogs so I stop wanting to give them away, replacing a phone that broke right outside of the warranty (shaking my fist), and other stuff that happens when you move. Some stuff is major, other things are annoying. You know...life. We've been repeatedly reading James 1. Thank you, God, for giving us your Word.

So please, enjoy the latest ultrasound pictures of our little no name baby girl at 23 weeks!

Bye-bye Diapers!

We did it!!! Kara is now a potty-sitting, panty-wearing, diaper-snubbing, I'm a big girl kid!

We are on day 4 of potty training, and it has gone better than I could have ever hoped. She still has 1-2 minor accidents a day, but she is great about letting us know when she has to go. Her two warning phrases are "Peepee is coming!" and "Oh no, don't come out peepee!" I'm really, really proud of her.

Even better, there was no form of bribery needed, just a little modeling. Every 30 minutes everyone in the house wearing panties would run to the potty. She got to choose who would try first. Luckily I have a pregnancy bladder, so I pretty much had to go every time.

The only down side is that this has become her new excuse for getting out of bed. Apparently she has to use the bathroom several times before she can go to sleep. Now we give her one assisted freebie, but if she comes out more times she has to do it herself...in the dark (she can't reach the light switch). This has limited, but not eliminated, the little girl crying wolf syndrome.

I must say, I was absolutely terrified of potty training. I knew she was more than ready, but I was so afraid that it would fail. I didn't want both of us to be frustrated and to have bodily excrement all over the house. But it was great! I'm relieved. Pun intended.

Here is a video of Kara's victory dance:

Stay in bed, please!

This move has affected Kara a bit more than we thought it would in terms of sleeping. She usually acclimates into our lifestyle routines and schedules without much trouble, but she has struggled to follow a routine since we moved in. This whole sneaking out of her room issue during naps and bedtime has become tiresome.

Every few days she comes up with a new reason why she can't stay in her room. At first it was to see the grandmas who were helping us with the move. Of course the grandmas were happy to oblige her request, but they had to go home.

So her next reason was that she just wanted the door a "little open". Um, duh, could we give her any more temptation to come out of the room? Maybe if we stuck a plate of cookies out there too. Obviously, that was a bad idea.

Next, she was afraid of the dark. We spent several days trying to convince her that the room was actually pretty well lit, but as most parents know there is no point in trying to use logic with a two-year-old. So we ultimately resorted to a night light that projects a princess castle scene on her ceiling. She loves it and has named the castle Winglassa, the fairy princess Dancing, and the pegasus Rhondo. I don't know where she came up with any of that. But now she is over her fear of the dark because she can't see her castle if the lights are on.

Our newest strategy is sitting outside her door for half an hour after she goes to bed. Each time she opens the door, I quietly take her hand and lead her back to bed. No talking, no disciplining. I probably did this 12 times the first night, but tonight I only had to do it once! Virtual high fives all around!

Oh I hope tonight wasn't a fluke. I desperately want my super sleeper back again.

Back to business

Ahhh, now that our good friend, the Internet, has been connected at the new house, we can make an update.

Yes, we made it to Ft Worth! Our new house is incredible and so is the neighborhood. We have met more neighbors in the past week than we did at our old neighborhood in 4 years. Everyone is so friendly, including the service people who came to connect the utilities. Even our dogs liked them. Weird. We're hoping to start making friends, find a new church home, transfer all of our medical services, finish unpacking, and begin feeling comfortable in the next month (or so).

This has been a big transition for us, but it seems that everyone is quickly growing accustomed to our new life. Kara's only problem is her new room. She says that she is afraid at night, and she comes downstairs often when she should be sleeping. Lee has noticed that her behavior seems to be more attention-seeking rather than fear based, so hopefully the best way to cure this problem is to ignore it. Otherwise, she has been doing really well. She loves running around the neighborhood, and each day she wants to go find kids at the playground.

Lee has been changing his habits so he can wake up earlier for work. Who would have guessed that Ft Worth traffic would be worse than Houston? But what do you expect from a major highway that is only 2 lanes? The new job has been good...similar to the old job but a new environment with more responsibility. Working in downtown Ft Worth is pretty cool as well.

I am still trying to get our new house in order. There is a lot of unpacking and organizing to do. There are actually some ladies at Container Store that recognize me now.

The baby is doing well. Growing, kicking. Strangers are no longer hesitant to ask my due date because it is pretty obvious that I'm pregnant. Hopefully, we'll come up with a name for this little girl soon. That is something that we have given very little thought to and would like to have picked out in the next couple of weeks. It's fun to start personalizing the baby.

More updates to come.

A Two Year Old

Miss Kara had her second birthday two weeks ago! We've been delinquent in blogging due to other life circumstance craziness, but this has also given me time to collect my thoughts on her new stage.

The good and the bad of it all seems to be summarized in one word...independence. It's just different sides of the same coin. Some of it makes me so proud, other times I need to go to my room and have a time out before I can deal with the issue.

We'll start with the bad side of this independence because that is what most people associate with a two year old. Last year there was a lot of focus on the word "disobedience". Big word, but Kara is very familiar with it. Well, we have noticed lately that her disobedience has morphed from something that was completely self-centered (I just want to get my own way) to something that is a bit insolent (you won't get your way). She will very confidently do the opposite of what we've asked, even if we give her options, and it is sort of a slap in the face. I can't tell you how much I need to check my own pride in these moments. We have a feeling the word for this year will be "disrespect". We even made up a nursery rhyme for her...

"Kary, Kary quite contrary,
Show me how you disobey,
By saying no, by ignoring mommy,
Or simply by running away."

This is pretty much the extent of the bad. Lee and I have just found ourselves in a place of needing to be more intentional, more humble, and more gracious than ever.

Now for the good of independence! Woohoo! Her most used phrases are "I do it," and "On my own". Some things are really helpful, others are just cute. Here are some things that I love...
She gets in the car seat by herself
She picks out her clothes in the morning (not always what I would pick, but it gives us all a good laugh)
She eats by herself
She tries to make her own food
She attempts to put on and take off her clothes
She tries to order her drinks and food at restaurants (she'll always let the waiter know when she needs a refill)
She wants to be potty trained (we'll start this in Ft. Worth)
She wants to sleep in big beds, eat big food, and do big people things
She is excited about doing chores as long as it's her idea
She helps take care of the dogs by feeding them and picking up after them (yeah, I know)
And there are probably other things I'm forgetting.

In summary, she is TWO!

Tonight I apologized...to my dog

I'll go ahead and admit that the stress of moving, being pregnant, and not letting Kara's second birthday go by without celebration has started to manifest itself outwardly. For the past weeks we have been eating and breathing home improvements, realtors, appraisers, contracts, negotiations and the like. Kara and the dogs have sort of had to fend for themselves. But today, after having 3 minor breakdowns over retarded setbacks and inconveniences, Lee sent me out to have an evening at Starbucks with my Bible. It was my first quiet time in weeks (go figure), and I was convicted by the lack of grace and mercy I'd been displaying...especially to our dog Kermit.

Lately, he has had a knack for ruining my projects and being destructive. We'll just say it's obvious and very frustrating when a black dog gets in white paint...more than once. Anyways, poor Kermit has become my scapegoat over the past few days. I've found I have no patience, no tolerance for his mistakes and disobedience. I've raised my voice at him, I've scolded him, I've stared him down. I've told Lee several times we're getting rid of him. Unfortunately, he's the type of dog who acts worse when punished.

So tonight we needed to reconcile. I apologized to a dog. Apparently he was also ready to restore our relationship. He ran over to me and buried his head in my lap. Then he rolled over to his side and ever so slightly lifted his paw, just to see if I wanted to rub his belly. Definitely milking the situation.