Brigitta October POTD

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow,
For babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Brigitta and Rockwell are growing up so quickly, Reagan came up with the brilliant idea to send each other a Picture of the Day of our babies. I don't typically have time to pull out my Nikon to catch the latest, but I almost always have my iPhone handy. Now I wake up excited to see the latest of Rockwell. As I'm closing out October, I thought I'd post some of Brigitta's most brilliant moments. Bear with me while I learn the ins and outs of Instagram!

14 Oct 2012: First Sunday at church. 

15 Oct 2012: At the park. Lovely eyelashes growing in!

16 Oct 2012: Immunizations.

17 Oct 2012: Blessing dress finally arrived in the mail!

18 Oct 2012: Shopping at Gymboree.

19 Oct 2012: Long nap after a blow out diaper

21 Oct 2012: Telling Dad about her day

22 Oct 2012: Tummy time!

23 Oct 2012: Sleepy, squishy face

24 Oct 2012: Being a baby isn't always easy

31 Oct 2012: Swaddled

Blessings

Brigitta Katrina Wuehler became a member of record alongside her cousin Rockwell Fisher Dickson. It was a sweet day filled with family, love and of course, babies. Brigitta was intially a tad more uh, vocal than her cousin but she calmed down midway through the blessing. I'm so very grateful my girls all have a cousin counterpart (who all happen to be boys!). It will be so much fun watching Brigitta and Rockwell grow up.

To the Moon and Back

Bed Time

It's so routine the girls could probably do it on their own. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to document the steps we take to get our tinies down for the night. 

Step 1: Brush Teeth. The challenge here is making sure the girls actually brush their teeth rather than simply run their toothbrushes under water and then suck on them. Sometimes I brush my teeth alongside them and can't help but laugh when they mimic my spitting and toothbrush tapping on the side of the sink. When I remind Ireland to be sure and clean her teeth well, she jiggles her head like a bobblehead doll. It's so adorable it kills me.

Step 2: Dance Party. Somehow Brent came up with this scheme to get the last bits of energy out of the girls. No one will be knocking on our door for choreography gigs but Brent doesn't care. He unabashedly dances with his little girls while the room fills with squeals of joy. Their favorite part is his version of Ring Around the Rosie.

Step 3: Church Video. We've tried all sorts of things to get in a little spiritual thought before bedtime and so far this is the one we've settled on. The church has so many wonderful videos on lds.org which also help the girls calm down after kicking up their heels. We ask them follow up questions to see if they're paying attention and get some pretty funny answers. Someday we may read scriptures together but for now this works well. 

Step 4: Prayers. Lately Liesel always thanks the Lord for being able to "play with Barbies" which I find odd since we don't own any. Ireland always prays for more food. There's something said pretty much every night during prayers which has Brent and I stifling our laughter. 

No peeking allowed!

Step 5: Off to Bed. The girls get one last thrill as Brent whisks them away to a land of dreams. Sometimes there is one last request for some milk or to have a rice bag heated up. And then the house falls silent. Brent returns from their darkened room red-faced from all the exertion and without missing a beat he stands at the edge of the room and looks around; calculating his next move. Then he either picks up his laptop, catches up on some ESPN or haunts the kitchen for a bit more dinner (when the meal was especially good). 

I cuddle Brigitta a bit tighter and somewhere between the jammies, "sparkle fingers" and heartfelt prayers for more Oreos, I fall in love with my family all over again. 

What I'm Into Lately

Reading- Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linen by Cheryl Mendelson. Did you know you're not supposed to use fabric softener with towels because it blocks the absorbency? Or that a lot of detergents don't work in cold water? So if you wash all your clothes in cold to save on energy costs, you end up wasting money on detergent... and your clothes end up grey and dingy because they never really get clean. Did you know there's a way to fold your sheets so making the bed goes much faster? Or that acetate will dissolve in nail polish remover? Okay, so it could get dry at times but the geeky side of me loved this book! The author is a Harvard graduate and she really knows her stuff. Particularly useful was the chapter on stains. Next up: Photoshop for Dummies.

Watching- How the States Got Their Shapes. I stumbled across this show while I was nursing Brigitta and was instantly hooked. Did you know Chicago was originally part of Wisconsin? Or that Ohio didn't have all the documentation to become a state until recently? And the safest state to live in when it comes to natural disasters is Hawaii- mild temperatures and no hurricanes or terrible earthquakes. Again, the geeky side of me can't get enough! The host is really great too.

Reminiscing- Since the birth of my nephew Rockwell, I've been going through the Rocky series. I'd forgotten what good movies they are (I and II especially)! Admittedly the fight sequences still make me sick but the training scenes are so inspirational. I'll never understand how cock fighting is illegal but boxing is considered a respectable sport. Doesn't it seem like they just don't make movies like this anymore? I feel like everything is either based on a book or a remake. A while ago a good friend recommended Eye of the Tiger as a good running song (shout out to Blair!) and it's become one of my favorites... especially for stairs. Yo Adrian, I did it!!!

Training- When I'm out with the girls, some stranger almost always says, "You sure have your hands full, eh?" And I do. To make life a little more manageable, I'm employing what I learned while earning my bachelor's degree in psychology. Whenever we leave to go somewhere, the girls scramble into the car while I put in Brigitta's car seat. If they have their seatbelts on by the time I get to the driver's side, they get a mini Milano. It's positive reinforcement and Pavlov's dogs all wrapped into a delicious Pepperidge Farm cookie. As they get better and better at it, I'll discreetly do away with the cookies.

Jonesing- Soon I'm upgrading my blackberry to the new iPhone 5. I'm so very, very excited! I've been shopping for a cool protector because I have this odd notion that expensive electronics should last a long time... not just until the next version comes out. I found this one that looks like a little black book when it's closed. I love that there's room for a few cards as well. It's incredibly embarrassing sifting through all the Build-A-Bear membership cards and kids library cards when I need to pay for something. I'm thinking this would be just about perfect.

Cuddling- I can't get enough of Brigitta! In those few moments of quiet when it's just the two of us, I baby talk to her and gently squeeze her and tell her how much I love her and of all the dreams I have for her. She usually looks at me like, "Mom's being a little crazy again!" but every now and then I get the most adorable, gummy smile. She's her daddy's girl- so very happy. It's wonderful to have a tiny baby in the house again.

Magnolia & The Bean

With our time in Chicago drawing to a close, I'm looking for any excuse to squeeze in more time downtown. On this crisp autumn day, I decided the family absolutely NEEDED to have some cupcakes from Magnolia so I loaded Liesel and Ireland in the SUV. Again, Brent was happy to get some one-on-one time with the newest Wuehler and catch up on some football. After a completely traffic-free drive, we parked and headed towards State Street via Daley Plaza. Since we weren't on any time constraints, the girls could slide down the Picasso to their heart's content. The moment Liesel got to the top and sat down I realized the white jeans were a really horrible idea. Ireland wasn't too keen on the slide-she only went down once-but she loved the fountain.  

Liesel's expression says it all, don't you think?

Eventually we headed over to Magnolia. In a stroke of serendipity, it was the Chicago location's 1 year anniversary. Before we even got to the door we received samples of banana pudding and cookies. The girls got to decorate mini cupcakes with different frosting and toppings. Ireland lit up when they presented her with an array of sprinkles. Then they decorated chef's hats. The cupcakes we planned to buy anyway were on sale! There was a photographer wandering around and when she spied the girls, she immediately began clicking away. 

Those cupcakes were gone just as soon as they were decorated!

The girls are up for anything involving glitter.

I took the girls to lunch at Millennium Park and told them we'd stop by The Bean afterwards. While Ireland positively devoured her salad, Liesel peppered me with questions about the "B" and what did it look like, what color was it, etc. I think she was expecting one of those foam letters you see on Sesame Street. When we rounded the corner and she saw it for the first time, she cracked a HUGE smile and excitedly laughed and pointed. They loved looking at themselves and each other in the reflective surface. 

Healthy self-esteem, that one!

The drive home had a bit more traffic but it didn't matter because the girls fell asleep from exhaustion. I had a rare moment of quiet time which I soaked up like water in the desert.

Change

After vowing to never separate the family again, Brent and I have decided to separate the family again. My parents need someone to look after the house while they're on their mission in South Africa and we heartily agreed to make it work. In one month, I'll be moving with the girls to Iowa City and Brent will be moving into a small bachelor pad out here. He's been approved for a 4-day work week and will again take advantage of the bus that runs from downtown Chicago to downtown Iowa City.

Yes, it will be hard. I'll have to step up as a parent and practice more patience. The girls will miss their daddy not to mention their grandparents. Brent's going to put in some seriously long hours at work so he can be with us every weekend. We're planning to live as cheaply as possible over the next two years so we can save for a down payment on a home. Luckily, everything in Iowa City (from gas to gymnastics classes) is much cheaper than here in the suburbs of Chicago. I'm fortunate to have an amazing support system between the familiar faces of my hometown and my old ward. And of course, we have faith that the Lord will support us as we support missionary efforts around the world.

Not that life will be completely dreary over the next two years. Preschool in Iowa City is every day for a full 3 hours and it's completely FREE!!! We know all the fun places to go and all the fabulous places to eat. I'm excited for my girls to experience a bit of what I had when I grew up. Brent will be able to work on projects he's shelved with young children around. Somewhere in there is a trip to Johannesburg, South Africa for sure... with perhaps a layover in London? Stay tuned for that one :)

Hashtags

Like many kids, Liesel is somewhat adverse to the vacuum. Recently I'd only been able to vacuum half the living room when Brigitta absolutely demanded to be fed. Once she finished, I put her on the portion I'd just vacuumed and finished doing the rest of the apartment. When I came back into the living room, Brigitta was up on the couch. I sharply questioned Liesel about how she got up there to which Liesel replied, "Uhhhhhhm, she just walkeded up there by herself!" My sister Reagan pointed out Liesel was probably terrified I'd accidentally suck her up with the vacuum. #babysafety

Whenever one of the girls gets pushy with the other (which is pretty 50-50 these days), I'll intervene by asking, "Who's the boss applesauce?" The point being that Ireland shouldn't be telling Liesel to go brush her teeth or she'll go to time out and Liesel shouldn't tell Ireland she won't get dessert if she doesn't eat all her peas. Brent and I are the ones to make that call. During lunch the other day, Ireland asked if she could have more "boss applesauce" after finishing her Motts. #foodvsdiscipline

After she'd been fed, after she'd been changed, we had Brigitta on our bed when Brent and I were discussing our schedules for the next day. I looked down at my girl and said, "One thing I'm sure of is that this one's not going to let me get a good night's sleep!" Right then she cracked the most adorable open-mouthed smile. #mamaknowsbest

At the playland this week Ireland had no less than 3 boys chasing her at the same time. They looked sincerely fascinated by her and she looked absolutely terrified. She raced around the playland with them close on her heels and finally ran headlong into my lap. "Why are they doing that?" she asked. Oh my little Ireland, that kind of behavior is just a little too complicated to explain at this point in your life. #heartbreaker

Early yesterday morning Brent and I were cuddled in our warm, comfy bed with Brigitta sleeping soundly between us. We heard the girls get into the kitchen and knew right away one of us needed to supervise. Without a word we raised our fists and battled it out with rock, paper, scissors. After tying with scissors, paper and scissors again we laughed and both got out of bed. Clearly the universe was telling us we were both needed for this one. #couplesinsomnia

Today during the sacrament, Ireland noticed the old man in the pew behind us had fallen asleep. During that relatively silent moment of church, she called out in her baby voice, "Hey, WAKE UP!!!" And he did. Oh how my cheeks burned with embarrassment! #teachreverence

Call Me Maybe

Spotted on Design Mom, I cannot get this version of Call Me Maybe out of my head. Watching the video makes me want to be back in my high school chorus. There are so many versions of this song floating out there, have you seen any others that have you smiling?   

Indian Summer

I can't help but feel the girls were cheated out of their summer. Sure Ireland loved gymnastics while Liesel enjoyed swimming and math camp. We made it downtown a handful of times to go to the MOSI or meet Brent for lunch. There were playdates and birthday parties here and there. But other than that, it was a lot of sitting around the apartment with a hugely pregnant mom and the air conditioner on full blast.

Love this shot. She was actually annoyed with me asking her
to smile at the camera. This is Liesel obliging me.

HOW do they crouch down like that?

When I noticed the weather was going to be 78, sunny, and slightly breezy, I made my case for a family trip to the beach. With Brigitta still so little, Brent was hesitant. When I mentioned I'd be willing to take Liesel and Ireland on my own, he lit up. I wasn't sure which football games were on, but I was confident Brent wouldn't be missing us much as he cheerfully hosed the girls down with SPF, slid them into their swimsuits, and ushered us out the door. 

Look at those curls! When did her hair get so long???

Ever creative, Liesel made a sand angel!

Just as I had hoped, the beach was practically empty. There were a few families and some leathery college age girls soaking up the last drops of vitamin D. Liesel and Ireland are such beach veterans! They didn't hesitate when we picked a spot and I began laying out the towels. Ireland immediately went to dip her toes in the water while Liesel started digging in the sand. Per usual, neither wanted to leave even though we'd been there for hours and still hadn't had lunch. Eventually we said goodbye to the beach. 

I took the girls for a late lunch at the downtown McDonald's that was revamped for their 50th anniversary (corporate headquarters are out here in suburban Oak Brook). Guide books said they had displays of past happy meal toys and the decor was really cool. They also have an upstairs cafe which serves cheesecake, muffins and other goodies. All in all, I would have to say it's still a McDonald's and not really worth the trip. However, after playing in the sun we ferociously feasted on our food.