Lolli's baby :)

Lolli randomly stuck a stuffed animal up her shirt today, walked over to Poppy and said, "Ya wanna feel the baby in my belly? It's moving already and you might be able to feel it, but it's not ready to come out yet." Adorable! So of course Poppy pretended to be all excited about feeling a "kick". They're so excited to be getting a new baby!

Somersault!

Lolli taught Poppy how to do a somersault. She's pretty good at it!

Ultrasound!

Lauren was 18 weeks and 1 day pregnant by her LMP and it was time for her ultrasound! Zach, Lolli, Poppy, Cathy and Rod went along to see the action. They had a short wait in the lobby before being led back to the U/S room. It was a pretty big space which was good since they had a crowd there! As Lauren laid back onto the table, Poppy came over and grabbed ahold of her arm said, "It's okay mom, I'll hold your arm. You'll be great, Mom!" It was so sweet!

The tech gooed up Lauren's belly and started the U/S. Lolli thought it was really neat to see the heart beating but she was bummed not to get to hear it out loud. The girls paid attention for a few minutes and then started playing catch with Rod's gloves. Oh, and Poppy styled Gma Cathy's hair. The tech had to spend a lot of time chasing the baby around because it was on the move. She mentioned repeatedly that Lauren and Zach were going to have their hands full because apparently this baby is ridiculously active.

The estimate said it weighed about 8 ounces and was exactly on par for the 5/17 due date as far as growth is concerned, which is interesting because the OPK indicated that Lauren ovulated 5 days late, so she was concerned about the EDD being pushed back to 5/22, which could easily mean a June baby. But all is good :)

As planned, Lauren and Zach opted not to peek between the baby's legs to find out if it's a boy or girl. They're saving that surprise for the birth day. They haven't met with Lynda yet to go over the results, but the tech did not indicate that anything looked abnormal which is good. Hooray for a healthy baby!!!

Lolli's 4 year old well visit

Yes, she's 4 and almost 1/4 but Lolli had her well visit today :) She's 41 inches tall and weighs 37.8 pounds, both of which are in the 75th percentile for her age. That's about it. ha

Lolli's answers about Mommy

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
What shows?

2. What makes Mommy happy?
Me making you better

3. What makes Mommy sad?
When Daddy tickles you

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?
You tickle me

5. What was Mommy like as a child?
You liked football

6. How old is Mommy?
You're 28!

7. How tall is Mommy?
Like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
Looking at something that we might want for Christmas

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?
Look for me

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
You'll be famous for ME

11. What is Mommy really good at?
You're really good at taking babies out

12. What is Mommy not very good at?
You're not very good at doing this (holds up a tape measurer)

13. What does Mommy do for her job?
Um, you work.

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
Your favorite food is animal crackers

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
When I was little and peeing in the potty

16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
You would be . . . can't think of it

17. What do you and Mommy do together?
We play with each other

18. How are you and Mommy the same?
We have blonde hair

19. How are you and Mommy different?
We have different eyes

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?
Because you hug me and kiss me

17 week midwife visit

Lauren's 17 weeks pregnant today. She, Zach and the girls went to Lynda's for a check-up. This was only the 2nd time Lauren got to hear the heartbeat and the first for everyone else so that was exciting! It was around 148, and the baby was moving around to dodge the waves :) Lynda actually felt it move, which was neat. Lauren's BP was 100/70 so doing good! Her uterus is almost all the way up to her belly button and the baby was up pretty high. It'll be interesting to see what that means in regard to placenta placement whenever they have an ultrasound.

Poppy told Lynda we're going to name the baby Vivica or Poppy. She also asked why Lynda didn't get the baby out after we heard the heartbeat ha ha. Lolli's face lit up like Christmas when she got to hear the heartbeat! She was curious about the doppler goo being blue instead of white.

All in all a good visit!

Preggo Pic

16 weeks, 6 days (post-lunch, which explains the huge-ness ;)

Barbie Jammin' Jeep

Lolli's been asking for a Barbie Jeep for pretty much her whole life, but I cringe at the price on even used ones. When she made her nightly wish on a star tonight, it was for a Barbie car that fits 2 kids so her and Poppy could drive around next summer. I want so badly to grant her wish but the $ thing still gets to me.

But when we got home, Zach checked the balance on his work reward points account. It looks like when his next round of points get credited, he'll have enough to get the Barbie Jammin' Jeep! Brand new, for free! We're hoping it comes in time for Christmas because they would FLIP OUT. But either way it's gonna be awesome. I can hardly wait :)

A visit to the doctor

Lolli's teacher called saying she was complaining of an ear ache. When I picked her up, she did seem rather distraught about it, so I told her I'd call the doc (who is amazing and got her in at 6:15pm, just 3 hours after I called!). Turns out she does have a double ear infection despite not having had a cold or anything else recently. That sort of made me feel bad for telling her repeatedly that if we went to the doctor and there was nothing wrong with her, Santa would find out and might deduct the co-pay from her Christmas gifts ;) My kids love going to the doctor and they ask frequently to go, so it's hard to tell when they really need to or not.

Anyway, when Lolli's exam was over and it was time to leave, Poppy refused to get out of her chair. She looked at the NP and growled, "I. have. a. COUGH!" and then proceeded to give a pathetic little fake cough while crossing her arms definantly. Thankfully the NP played along and listened to Poppy's heart and lungs, then advised her to drink lots of water, get some rest and pick up a sticker at the front desk. Poppy was satisfied with that.

Cute story to tell, but I'm honestly terrified that I'm in way over my head with her. She's not even 2.5 and she's faking an illness to get attention. Fabulous. Can't wait for her teen years ;)

Recipe book

Lolli brought home a recipe book from school today. It's filled with directions for making their favorite foods.

Here are Lolli's:
"Watermelon, strawberries, and cucumbers - you just cut them up
Olives - You put them on pizza and you put them on the stove too.
Corn - Chop it up and put it on the stove or oven for 7 minutes.
Apples and blueberries - cut them up in slices."

Apparently she's a vegetarian LOL

Hobby Lobby

Lauren and the girls went to Hobby Lobby tonight to pick up 16 yards of fabric to make curtains for the loft. Lauren chose dark blue silky stuff 'cause it was cheap and hair won't stick to it. Lolli, however, had her heart set on Lauren making the curtains out of dark blue fabric covered in glitter and sequins. Lauren decided to let Lolli pick out her favorite fabric and Poppy, too. Lolli chose purple sequined stuff and Poppy chose black sequined stuff. They each waled their bolt up to the cutting station and said, "1/4 yard of this fabric please" which was adorable :) At first when the fabric was cut, Lolli was bummed that it seemed like such a small piece. Then Lauren opened it up and wrapped it around her neck. Voila - an instant scarf, very fancy and shiny! Poppy loved hers, too. Very worth the $3 it cost; they'll play with these forever!

Baby's room :)

Lauren's been feeling a need to give this baby its own space. Since she couldn't talk Zach into selling the house and moving into a bigger one, she took matters into her own hands. After she rearranged the living room, she found the perfect armoire on Craigslist that opens up and transforms into a very functional work space. $100 and a bit of heavy lifting later, Zach's office is officially moved out of the loft. There's still a lot of other stuff to get out of there before they can start putting baby gear in there, but there's still like 6 months to go, plus we all know Zach and Lauren's kids don't sleep in their own rooms 'til at least their first birthdays so there's no real rush. Eventually they plan to close off part of the loft to make an actual 4th bedroom with a walk-in closet. Hooray! Lolli said she's very excited to help paint it and get it ready for a baby!

Indy Monumental Marathon

Whew! Considering my longest run ever was 14.4 back in May AND I'm 12.5 weeks pregnant now (which means I've been sleeping the past 2 months instead of training), I wasn't expecting anything fantastic out of this race. In fact, beforehand I gave myself about 50:50 odds of finishing. By mile 20 I was pretty sure my odds had increased to 90:10 but I wasn't ever 100% sure of a finish until we hit mile 25.

We stuck with the 5:00 pace group through mile 11, even though we were walking 2 minutes out of every mile. We knew our 2nd 13.1 was going to be miserable regardless, so negative splits weren't something we were concerned about trying to achieve. Around mile 11 I got crazy hip pain (darn you, relaxin!) that lasted a little beyond mile 12. It sucked. We made it to the halfway mark in 2:34:31 or something like that, which we were pretty pleased with considering we had another 13.1 miles to go.

We slowed way down after that point. Our "running" segments because shorter and slower and we walked a lot more. Zach had some issues with muscle cramping but I never really had any problems other than I got hungry a few times (hello, I'm pregnant, I'm ALWAYS hungry ;). Thankfully there were lots of volunteers handing me Clif blocks and shots, Snickers, orange slices and Jolly Ranchers to keep me going!

The absolute worst part of the race was mile 19-20ish. We were on White River parkway and it was nothing but trees. Couldn't see the city, there were no fans or traffickers to cheer us on, NOTHING. If Zach hadn't been with me, I probably would have tripped myself on purpose to have a reason to call for a medic and be done LOL

After we got out of that stretch we could see the skyline again which gave me a big boost. We were still dawdling along, but at least we were moving. We had to pass Taco Bell, KFC, Wendy's and McDonalds on Meridian and I was DYING! Seriously considered stopping for a McDouble but Zach kept me focused.

We finally hit mile 25 around 5:43. So if we wanted to finish under 6 hours, we had to at least maintain a 15:00 pace for the remaining 1.2 miles. I was up to the challenge, so I willed my body to start jogging again. (By this point in the race, it seriously took me 3-4 minutes to transition from a walk to a jog. It was hilarious yet painful). We got going pretty well at a 13:00 pace but then Zach got a terrible cramp and had to walk. I was afraid to stop jogging so I just did so as slow as possible while he hobbled along. I'm sure we looked hilarious!

After a minute or so he got back to a jog and we rounded the corner past the 26 mile marker. Just over a minute later we passed the 13 mile marker from the half, rounded a corner and the finish line was in our sight! We took off our sunglasses (for the pics, of course ha) and discussed whether or not to hold hands across the finish. We opted for not.

And so, we crossed the finish line, Zach somehow 1 second ahead of me, and got our medals! We are officially marathoners (of the sloooow variety). We got hats that declared us "Finishers" which was cool. We lurched over to the food table and got apples and bagels. The chili, subs, cookies and chocolate milk were long gone, but we didn't really even care at that point. We were just happy to be done :)

Yesterday afternoon was awful and neither of us could move well at all. Today has been a bit better. Zach's doing better than I am, but he did an 18 mile run in October AND he's normally way faster than me (oh, and he's not pregnant) so yesterday didn't take quite as big a toll on him. Which is good - it means he can be the one in charge of going upstairs if the kids need something in the middle of the night :)

Very glad he decided to stick with me for this race. I know he could have done it faster on his own (he thinks maybe 5:30; he would have done the first half faster but maybe bonked harder in the 2nd half with those cramps). But man would it have been boring for both of us! Plus the weather was gorgeous and the course was beautiful so the 2nd half of our race was like a leisurely stroll through nature on a date ha ha

In May 2010 I did my first half marathon on pretty much no training. I finished in 3:01:28. I *really* wanted to get less than double that today, since I hadn't trained for anything over 13.1. Mission accomplished! I don't plan to do anything longer than 13.1 until at least a year after this kid is born, so I figure 2014 will be my year to PR in a full marathon :) At least I've set the bar pretty low for myself so I won't be too stressed during training (yes, I do plan to get off my butt and train next time I attempt one of these!).

Next up: The Mini Marathon in May (it'll be my 3rd). I'll be 38 weeks pregnant. It's gonna be hilarious!

People are noticing...

Last night Lauren was asked by a stranger if she was expecting for the first time this pregnancy. She isn't sure whether to be excited or embarrassed (only 12 weeks). What makes it even more interesting is that the women brought it up in between lamenting on why God would do this to her and begging for a gun so she could put herself out of her misery. What a joyous story to tell this baby some day HA!

Poppy pushes

Yesterday after Lauren brought home the heartbeat bear, Poppy carried it around for hours imitating the whooshing heartbeat sound. It was pretty funnier. BUt what was even more hilarious was when she came over to Lauren and told her to push. So Lauren pretended, and Poppy "caught" the baby and handed it to her. Then Poppy proceeded to push out her own baby. Hysterical!

The heart's a-beatin'!

Lauren went to Lynda's today to try again to hear some fetal heart tones. She was a little bit nervous but prepared for not hearing it again (and asking for a referral for an ultrasound). But guess what!!! Lynda found the heartbeat in less than a minute. It was strong and clear, around 160 beats per minute. Hoooooray! Lauren recorded it on the Build A Bear sound thingie and took it to the mall and stuffed it in a bear. She can't wait to pick the girls up from school so they can hear it!

First midwife appointment

Zach and Lauren went to see Lynda today while the girls were at school. Went over some questions and paperwork then Lauren got weighed and her BP checked (104/60-something) and her fundal height palpated. Everything looks good! They weren't able to hear a heartbeat with the doppler which isn't unusual 11w 1d into a pregnancy. Plus Lauren's really about 5 days behind that based on ovulation so they're just gonna go try again next week :) ETA: Lauren's U/S actually confirmed the EDD based on her LMP. So apparently she didn't ovulate after all!

Poppy the steam engine

Thomas was on tv. He blew out some steam and then Poppy started dancing around, excitedly yelling "Toot toot! Thomas peed out his back! Toot toot! Look mom, he peed out his back, like this (bends over and uses her hand to mimic steam coming out her butt)!"

Never a dull moment with that girl!

Lolli P, aspiring doula???

Lolli asked to watch water births before she went to bed instead of a cartoon. She spent a good 20 minutes watching 3 different births while she whispered, "Push, push!" and "Stretch, girl, stretch!" to the laboring moms. I guess I won't be needing to hire a doula this time around ;)

Her favorite part is when the moms reach down and feel their baby's hair. I've never done that with either of my births; hopefully she'll remind me this time! I remember Lynda asking me during Poppy's birth but I was working hard to balance in the position I was in and if I had done that I would have face planted ;)

It really makes me smile how interested and unafraid she is. Of course, it may be a whole different ballgame when it's really go time and I'm the one in pain and making noises, but we'll see! She's welcome to be as involved as she wants (or doesn't want).

Lolli's excited!

Lolli is so excited about this baby! She tells me she wants to help me "get the baby out" and she wants to dry it off after it's born (after which she asks me a million questions about why babies come out wet). She is adamant that she does NOT want to "cut that thing" (the cord) but she does want the baby to sleep in her room in a pack n play so she can take care of it when it wakes up at night. She wants to name it Julie if it's a boy and Giraffey if it's a girl. She's hilarious.

We were watching birth videos on YouTube today and I told her that I might be a bit noisier than the particular mama we were watching, but that it's ok and Lolli shouldn't be scared. Her response? "I know what to do mom! I'll just put my hand over your mouth to keep you quiet!!" HA! I told her she could rub my back or sing to me but she should absolutely not put her hand anywhere near my mouth lol She cracks me up

Random thoughts about Baby #3

I already feel way more connected to this baby than I ever did the other 2, all the way through my pregnancies. Like.... I always knew I was GOING to love my girls once they were born and I met them face-to-face, but this time I feel like I *already* love this little group of cells, which is weird for me. I'm a big emotional fool about this one!

My belly button is already shifting to the right, my stretch marks are becoming raised, and my lower abdomen is already slightly distended (puffy) looking. And I'm only 4w 6d pregnant. Crazy! I know it's not really that the baby's making that much of a difference (It's the size of this period . ) but just that my body remembers being pregnant and is reverting back more quickly to that state. But it's still fun and interesting.

I'm sometimes sensitive to smells, but so far I haven't had any nausea or anything. I was really tired last weekend but I've done pretty well this week, so my body must have gotten used to the idea of the baby on board and accommodated for the extra blood flow.

Can't wait for my belly to get reeeeally big and the girls be able to feel their little sibling kicking <3

Undies for Poppy!

Poppy's worn underwear to school the past 3 days and not had any accidents! It's mostly because they remember to take her frequently, but she's doing good at home, too. So exciting!

Camping Trip!

Lolli & Poppy went camping for the first time this weekend. Lauren and Zach had a wedding to go to and were sad to miss out on the wilderness fun but the girls had a blast with Zach's parents and Paige! They went fishing and swimming, made smores and played on the playgrounds. They got to visit some family and play with 2nd(maybe 3rd? I don't really know how that works) cousins. And the best part - no one fell into the camp fire!

Poppy's 2 Year Well Visit and Update

Poppy had her 2 year well visit with the pediatrician today. They measured her at 33.5 inches tall (but she was slouching and they didn't scoot her feet back - she's 34.5in!) which was around 50th percentile. She weighs 28.4 pounds which is 75th percentile (and exactly what Lolli weighed at her 2 year check up!). She was very chatty with the doctor and nurse and didn't act afraid at all. Poppy had to show off for the doctor: "Watch me do a headstand! Watch me dance like a ballerina!" She was very cooperative and didn't put up a fuss when he examined her eyes, ears, nose, tummy and listened to her heart. :) Poppy has surpassed all of the 2 year milestones and even met some of the 3 year ones (like talking in 3 word sentences - HA!).

Here's a list of questions I asked Lolli when she was 2:
What's your name? "I dunno? Pucillo!"
What is your favorite color? "pink"
What is your favorite breakfast? "Um, hot dogs" (cereal, pancakes or waffles)
What is your favorite lunch? "um, peas" (raviolis or cheese or mixed fruit or peanut butter sandwiches)
What is your favorite dinner? "Um, cheese slice" (Mac & Cheese, yogurt, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets)
What is your favorite kind of drink? "Um, lemonade" (Diet Coke! But she mostly drinks milk and water)
What is your favorite snack? "Um.........." (Apples and cereal bars)
What is your favorite movie? "Pokemon"
~Okay, enough trying to let her answer; I'll speak for her~

What is your favorite book? Three Little Kittens
What is your favorite song? Glory Glory, God Is Wild About Us, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
What food do you NOT like? Can't think of anything?
What is your favorite toy? Her digital camera, her barbies, her Belle dolls
What do you like to take to bed with you? She's not picky; just a cup of water

Poppy's SA celebration

Today was Poppy's last day as a 1 year old. Her teachers at Summer Adventure knew that and there were some other kids having birthdays, too, so they celebrated today! Since it was almost her birthday, Poppy got to bring home TWO balloons instead of just 1. She was so excited, but she made Lauren carry them to the car because of course Poppy just HAD to carry her own lunch bag. She loves that thing!

Anyway, when Lauren walked into the classroom, Poppy's teacher was in awe because Poppy had seen Lauren's car pull up and park outside the window and started telling her teacher that her mommy was here. And sure enough, Lauren stepped out of the car. Apparently most 2 year olds aren't quite that observant :)

Summer Adventure

Poppy was pretty bummed about Lolli getting to do 2 vacation bible schools this year. But her luck changed when Summer Adventure camp rolled around! It was for ages 2 and up, and since Poppy's turning 2 before the last day, they let her sign up!

Lolli was in the Panda room with Meredith and Poppy was in the Teddy Bear room. Those will be their classrooms in the fall, too. Poppy was verrrry excited about going and talked about it with excitement in the days before it started. The first morning of camp, the girls were thrilled to see the new lunch bags Lauren had gone out to buy them at 9pm the night before. Lolli's is pink with flowers and Poppy's is purple with stripes.

On the first day of camp, Poppy insisted on walking herself into the building, carrying her own lunch bag. Lauren, Zach and Lolli walked Poppy to her classroom - and there she started to tense up. She asked to be picked up and her bottom lip started quivering. Finally she asked her teacher to pick her up and was doing okay, so Zach and Lauren took Lolli up to her class. Of course she's a pro at this, so there were no tears from her!

Poppy ended up having a great time that first day and drop-off has gotten easier each day. Today she walked right into her classroom, went over and hung up her lunch bag in her cubby, and started playing right away! So big :) She and Lolli sometimes see each other in the basement or out on the playground, which they get a kick out of. So fun for them to be at the same school!

Vacation Bible School

Lolli signed up for Vacation Bible School at Zion Lutheran Church this week. She went Mon-Fri from 9am til noon. At first Poppy was sad she couldn't go (ages 3 and up), but ended up taking it in stride! Lauren was a little nervous that Lolli wouldn't end up wanting to stay on the first day since it was a new environment with all new people, but Lolli was a champ! The theme was Pandamania and the atrium and church were all decked out in Chinese rainforest decor and pandas galore. The girls' favorite part was a vine-covered bridge they built in the entrance.

Lolli woke up excited for bible school every single day and was always eager to get in the car before it was actually time to go. She even went on Thursday when Molly was at her house! She learned several new songs, ate yummy fun snacks, played outside, made crafts, read books and learned about God. On Wednesday Poppy played at Gma and Gpa Bowen's while Lo was at VBS, then they picked her up and all went to Mozzi's, so Poppy totally felt included in the fun week!

On Sunday the VBS kids were invited to sing a couple of their songs at the 10:30 service. Lolli wanted to do it, so Zach, Lauren, Lolli, Poppy and Papaw Lucky all attended. There's a child care room available for kids under 3, so Poppy stayed in there. Lauren was a little worried she'd be scared because again, new environment and new people, but nope - Poppy's fearless! She had fun and won the hearts of the girls baby-sitting. Lolli was really good at being quiet during the service; she just drew and wrote on her little note pad. She went up for the Children's Message like a pro and when it was time to sing the songs, she took her spot in the front row! At first she looked a little nervous and seemed to forget she was up there to sing and dance, but after a while she got her groove going and did such a great job! So grown up :)

What a fun week!

I love Von Maur!

We were shopping the Greenwood Park mall with the girls tonight. We'd been to a couple stores and the girls were getting antsy. When we got to the shoe section of Von Maur, I wanted to look around so DH took the girls up the escalator (they get a big thrill out of this ;). I was over in the clearance room when I heard Zach yell my name and heard Lolli screaming.
I took off in their direction, and saw Zach coming down the escalator holding Poppy, but I didn't see Lolli. Thankfully Zach had an embarassed smile on his face which let me know nothing life-threatening was going on, 'cause my mind had been flashing images of Lolli somehow getting sucked into the escalator even though her shoes don't have strings and the dress she was wearing didn't even reach below her knees.
I saw Zach run around the piano and get on the up escalator, so I followed suit. It seemed a long ride up even though I was hustling up the steps to get there faster! Finally I saw Lolli, standing at the top of the down escalator, crying her little heart out. A Von Maur employee had walked over to stay with her and try to figure out what was going on. Apparently when Zach and the girls were ready to come back downstairs, Lolli had stepped one foot onto the escalator, got nervous and back-pedaled. Zach and Pop were already on, and he wasn't sure he could run back up the down excalator while holding Poppy, so that was why he ended up riding down then going back up. Pretty funny, actually, except for the part about Lolli being traumatized ;)
Zach and Poppy got to Lolli before I did, so I didn't catch up to them until we were all back downstairs. We sat on the couches while Lolli calmed down.
While Lolli was telling me her teary tale of terror, a very kind Von Maur employee came over and asked me if it would be okay if she gave Lolli a present. Of course! So she let Lolli choose between 2 colorful heart-shaped jewelry tins, and then the employee gave the other one to Poppy. SO SWEET!
This gesture of kindness meant so much to Lolli and she carried that heart all around the rest of the mall, holding it to her chest and telling me how whenever she's scared again she'll just hold onto her heart.

Lolli's first slumber party!

Molly invited Lolli to spend the night at her house last night. So Lolli went home with the Mockaitises from the gym. Poppy was a little traumatized for 2 seconds but quickly got over it when she realized how fun it was to be the 'only child' with both parents at Target :)
Lolli & the Moes went out for pizza then home for a bath and bed. The girls had popcorn and slept on the floor. Lolli was out by 8:15 but Molly took a little longer to wind down - so exciting!!!
The girls got up at 6:15 this morning - ahhhhh! They had breakfast and got dressed for school and Sarah took them. What a fun time!!!

Mother's Day Tea

Today was Mother's Day Tea at Lolli's preschool. She was so excited she got up at 6am! But thankfully she played quietly until 7:15 so Lauren got some sleep ;) Then Lolli got all dressed up and went to school. When it was time for tea, Lauren dropped Poppy off at Katie's (she was so excited!) and went to the school where she was seated in the parlor. There were beautifully decorated tables with flowers on them and quilt squares identifying where each Polar Bear would sit. After all the moms arrived, the kids walked in single file.
They stood up front and sang "I'm a Little Tea Pot" then joined their moms. Refreshments were served - fruits and dips, veggies, cheese and crackers, cookies and other sweets, and yummy punch. It was so cute! And the kids were so proud :)
After they ate the kids ran around to a song they listen to at school, then the moms and kids sat together while Mrs. Linda read the saddest most sentimental story ever and all the moms cried. It was a good day :)

Sentences!

Poppy's been stringing words together for a while but now she's really speaking in sentences. Tonight she and Lolli were in the kitchen getting tattoos when Otis started munching on his food. Poppy exclaimed, "Otis. eat. dog. food!" Even though this is becoming more and more common for Poppy, it still amazes Lauren & Zach!

(It should be noted that while Lolli was only stringing 2 words together at that age, she knew all her colors. Poppy only knows pink ;) and maybe purple).

No More Pack 'N' Play

Since Poppy did so well sleeping on a regular bed at the hotel, Lauren put away the pack-n-play that she usually sleeps in and moved the twin mattress from Lolli's bottom bunk into Poppy's room. There was very little discussion of it or preparation, but when Zach took Poppy to bed last night, she didn't seem weirded out at all! She woke a couple times before Z & L went to bed, but that's not unusual for her. And since then, she's been sleeping peacefully! Which is impressive since her room is full of toys ;) Yay, Poppy!!

20 months & 3.5 years!

Poppy turned 20 months old yesterday and Lolli will celebrate her half birthday tomorrow. They are such amazing girls who love each other (and their friends and family!) so very much. Sometimes it's hard to remember they're almost 2 years apart because Poppy does such a good job acting like a 3-year old. And Lolli does such a good job in her role as big sister; holding Poppy's hand in parking lots, giving her a hug when she's scared, and running into her room each day and telling her good morning (to which Poppy replies, "Good morning, Lolli!").
They play together - things like Pokemon, hide-and-seek, wrestling, nap-time, going on vacation, etc. They get in lovey moods where they roll around on the floor hugging all over each other. It's hilarious and so sweet.
Both girls are so super smart! Lolli can write her own name as well as Poppy's (see what I mean about being a great big sister!?). She can name all the letters an can spell a few words (Lolli, Poppy, Molly, Toy, maybe a couple others). She loves to count and do computer games where she counts to 100. She has a fantastic memory and will often bring up things that even Lauren or Zach had forgotten.
Poppy's verbal skills are off the charts and she loves to play pretend. She's very dramatic when she wants to be, but adapts to change really well, too. She's less anxious than Lolli, which helps because Lolli puts on her brave face when she feels nervous, because she doesn't want Poppy to see her be scared.
While Lolli's at school, Poppy asks "Where Lolli Is?" about every hour or so :) And she gets so excited when it's time to go pick her up! And Lolli is always excited to see Poppy walk through the classroom door and is quick to tell her about her day. Their bond is so special and I really, really hope it continues throughout their lives!

Poppy's first night in a big girl bed!

Zach decided to spend some of his reward points to take the family to a hotel for a night before he and Lauren leave on vacation. So they stayed at a Staybridge Suites. They were lucky enough to get upgraded to a 2-bedroom suite. So when it was time for bed (after 2 rounds of swimming with dinner at Applebees in between), Lolli took the fold-out couch bed in the living room/kitchen, which meant Poppy got the bedroom that had 2 double bed in it. Zach put her to bed and packed her in with pillows in case she got rolly. Zach and Lauren took to the other bedroom that was on the other side of the living room.
Surprisingly they didn't hear a peep from either girl all night long! When Lauren woke up, she went out to the living room to find Lolli patting at the floor with one of her shirts. She asked what she was doing and Lolli replied, "Good morning Mom! I had to pee but I didn't want to go in your room to the bathroom because you were sleeping so I had an accident and peed on the floor and in my pants and my undies, too. It was just an accident. I looked but I couldn't find a towel so I'm cleaning it up with my shirt. Isn't that good?" HAHAHAHA

IUMC Art Gala & Open House

Tonight was the Art Gala & Open House at Lolli's school. She had been hard at work making art pieces at school to display at the show. Lolli had 5 beautiful pictures that were available for sale. They all got purchased :)

Zach, Lauren, Lolli & Poppy were joined at the gala by Papaw Lucky and Gma & Gpa Great. They got to see Lolli's current classroom as well as check out the Panda room where she'll be next year. Her will-be teacher is from Australia!

Poppy also got to check out her classroom for next year. She'll be a Teddy Bear and is so excited to get to go to school. Both girls will go M-W-F from 9-11:30, which means Lauren and Zach will finally have a clean house on a regular basis ;)

Poppy's 18 month well visit

Poppy had her 18 month well-check this morning. Both girls were super excited to go to the Doctor's. They looked at the fish and pointed out all the different ones (Nemo, Dory, Sea star, porcupine fish aka spider) and then they got called back to exam room 4 which happened to be the Walt Disney World room! They loved seeing all the characters. Poppy checked out normal and Dr. Roscoe was impressed that when he asked her to say, "Ahhh" so he could look in her mouth, she actually did it LOL She's on track with everything and is way ahead with verbal skills.

Poppy's stats: 32.5 inches (75th percentile) and 24lbs 9oz (just over 50th percentile).
When Lolli was 20 months old, she was 32in and 24lbs 12oz. So Poppy's already taller and is pretty comparable, weight-wise!

The staff was kind to Lolli (who was bummed that the appointment wasn't for her) and weighed and measured her and Dr. Roscoe listened to her heart which made her day. Overall a great appointment!

Lolli's First Snow Day!

A major ice and snow storm is hitting Indy right now. Lauren got an email tonight that the preschool will be closed tomorrow - Lolli's first ever official snow day!!! She'll be so bummed :/ Funny how that will change in a few years!

Toy Story 3 on Ice!

Gma Morgan was awesome enough to get tickets for Toy Story 3 on Ice for her, the girls, Zach, Kim & Paige. Then they learned Poppy didn't need a ticket, so Lauren got to go too. All the kids had a great time wearing their Jessie costumes, eating cotton candy, and staying out LATE! What a fun night!