Year 5: Emmaline Rose

Emmaline is 5 years old.  FIVE YEARS OLD. 

The first 3 years went by at a normal pace.  I could enjoy every milestone, every laugh, document every outburst.  Took thousands of pictures of her face in every scenario.  Speed of time has definitely increased. Now, I don’t know if it was Emmy or Delaney that doesn’t like peanut butter or who had that tantrum in the gym or which one bit other kids.  Adding that 2^nd baby really amplified the crazy in our house and sometimes the memories are a bit blurred.  I wanted Emmy to have another sibling around her age but I don't know if I was prepared for two at the same time! The first time I looked at Emmy after Delaney was born I remember thinking how big her face looked.  Her hands were like a basketball player's.  Her hair was so thick and teenagery with less plumped cheeks.  She was only 3 years old but she seemed so much older suddenly.  Ever since then I have looked at her differently in a more mature and responsible way.  I subconsciously expect her to know how ridiculous it is to draw on the walls or spill juice on the carpet and then quickly remind myself she’s still just a little girl. 

She is a raw nerve about 70% of the day.  She cries at any given opportunity but can easily be tickled out of it or bribed with applesauce or marshmallows.  She is very determined and likes to push boundaries, mostly with me.  She is still extraordinary at negotiating and I have found myself walking away from a closed deal thinking “what the hell just happened?” She’s perceptive and nothing gets past her.  I love that about her and also find it very annoying because she has no reservations about calling me out when I’ve said something and not done it. She has a phenomenal memory and even though she might mix up details – she will always remember the event.  For instance – she remembers people’s cars.  We’ll be driving and she will say “that looks like so-and-so’s car” and it’s the exact same make/model/color of their car.  

Emmy is VERY particular about her room.  She has colored a picture and taped it to the front of her door with a password (not sure she knows how passwords work). It is primarily closed so Delaney wont jump on her bed and mess up how well she has made it.  She is pretty amazing at making her bed – I’ll give her that & most likely D will get up yand jump on her bed.  All the items in her room are hers.  She puts things is random places but I find it so fascinating on her logic behind it.  It’s like a little invitation into her mini-psyche. She has a jewelry box filled with jewels and headbands to which she has to wear every day. She is known to wear stripes on stripes on stripes and be absolutely confident in her choice. She doesn’t like short pants, too small of pants, long socks or socks with seams.  She doesn’t like t-shirts or clothes that say a size larger than "5" because that’s just too big.  She generally carries a purse with her everywhere filled with 3-4 of our old phones (once we found the house phone in there). With makeup, jewelry, high heels, dresses and nail polish - she is ALL girl, however, we were practicing her hitting downstairs with a whiffle-ball bat and she can smack the ball!  We made a joke that she might hit harder than her brother and she has taken that and ran with it.  Never misses an opportunity to tell people she’s a better baseball player than brother and faster than brother.  There is certainly a sibling rivalry.  Even if Hayden doesn’t want to admit it – she gets under his skin on the daily. He’s always rough-housing with her and most of the time she plays along but sometimes she just yells at him and demands he stop. She wouldn’t admit that she misses him when he’s gone but she always wants to get an extra cookie for him or an extra picture to color for him. There are times when Emmy will help Delaney get her coat on or read a book to her or explain how to go down the stairs safely.  There are definitely those times.  But there are more of the screaming and complaining about how Delaney NEVER shares her toys (not true) and how Delaney always gets what she wants (also not true) and how Delaney always gets to eat the last applesauce (might be true).  She is really having a hard time sharing with D mostly because she is fearful Delaney will ruin something of hers.  Which has happened but never intentionally.  That's where she doesn't understand the difference in age between the two of them.  I think they will definitely have a love/hate relationship for most of their childhood but in the sweet moments - Emmy is one of the most loving and patient sisters you could ask for.  If anything she might get more frustrated because Delaney doesn't always wants to hug her!

Emmy is a very different creature at school.  She is well behaved, a good listener, a focused writer and friendly.  I see pieces of that at home but she must be exhausted by the end of the school day to continue at home J  She despises going to bed/brushing her teeth/getting dressed in the morning/cleaning up and sharing with Delaney!  I am hoping all of that is a phase.  I cannot quantify how many colorings and drawings she has brought home in the last year.  Maybe 5 per day? On average.  She is absolutely talented in coloring and free hand drawing; a girl after my own heart.  Her drawings are mostly princesses and houses and rainbows but I am beyond proud of her color incorporation!  She is so colorful, inside and out.  She is such a beautiful girl in the way she treats other people and all her little plans to make things special.  She's full of love and I am so honored to watch her grow.

Of all the bedazzling moments I have witnessed in her 5 years – my most proud moments are those when she steps out of her comfort zone.  When she lets herself enjoy the moment.  I just like to see her try.  I will never, ever be disappointed in her trying.  I have a feeling the year ahead is going to be very exciting for Emmy.  She will start Kindergarten in the fall and get her own backpack.  Two very big things for her. I hope this is the year she explores a little more and smiles every day.  

Happy 5^th Birthday Emmy Rose – I love you!!

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12 Months as a Lewman 3.0

Happy Birthday to YOU

Family shenanigans.

As I sit here and write this - I am sipping on coffee on a lovely veranda in Laguna Beach as the sun rises over the canyon.  I am reflecting back on the past 12 months and how much life has changed- and I am only 35, we're just getting to started!  Having Delaney has been like eating dessert after every meal.  She's just the extra special slice of pie after having an amazing full entree (that entree being Emmy and Hayden...and Tye).  I love how she has changed each person in our family in some way.  She's like a baby therapist.  Hayden is SO gentle with her.  So protective of her and constantly needs to be holding her.  Emmy is learning to share the limelight and embrace having someone she can play with.  I think it's also inadvertently forced her to discover playing independently. Tye has always had a soft side for Emmy but it's a little softer now with Delaney.  I think he enjoys those snuggles a bit more knowing they are his last baby snuggles.  I don't know how she does it but she's a lover.  She seems to be the calming factor in our lives even as she's practically running now and only wants to get into things she's not supposed to.  What I love most about her is the look that she gives to each of us.  She is enamored.  There isn't one of us she prefers more, she absolutely loves us and I just want her to hold on to that through her teenage years  :).  

The tiniest belle of the ball.

Delaney Rae is 29 1/2 inches and just sitting pretty at 20 lbs.  They claim she is 50th percentile (although I've never really focused on the percentage assessment) but she seems so tiny to me!  I feel like if I look at pictures of her from 4 months and 12 months - she looks the same! Always so youthful, that one.  She eats everything now.  EVERYTHING. I have pulled 1/4 crayons, bark chips, rhinestones and paper out of her mouth. She has adventurous tastebuds. I even gave her some grilled onion and mild peppers and she loved them. There is something so funny about when she's eating.  It could be the combination of cave-man hand feeding with the nom-nom sounds she makes and the level of focus she has.  It's hilarious to me and I love feeding her!  It is so hard to articulate how special the baby months are but transitioning into the little kid stage is almost more exciting in some ways.  I think the constant fear for me (with a baby) has always been "what will she need to eat and will I have enough of whatever it is".  So now that they are all eating food, the same food we can eat - it's a bit of a relief.  I haven't introduced her to Burgerville yet but it's on the horizon.  Speaking of horizon, it is stunning here in Laguna Beach.  How do people live here??  Amazing.

This is 1

This is 4

This is 35.

This past month we celebrated Emmy's 4th birthday, my 35th birthday and Delaney's 1st.  Emmy had the most amazing princess party with 3 of her gal pals (Sadie, Presley &Laura).  We did hair sparkling, nail painting, little make-up, crown decorating and coloring.  I am not quite ready for those big parties yet because once they happen - that's all they'll want!  But the big gift was Emmy went from a toddler bed to a big girl bed, thanks to Gramma & Papa Lew and Grandma Judi for the sheets and comforter.  Poor Hayden slept in a twin bed from 4-11 and Emmy got a full size bed at 4.  Sorry Hayds! No need to worry for Delaney though, she'll probably always just be in our bed.  Yay - we might actually save money!! I didn't get anything as lavish for my birthday but I did get ridiculously drunk with my friends singing at the top of my lungs?  So SUCCESS!  My Mom and two sisters, Traci & Tiffany brought their families to the Oregon coast to spend time with my family.  I have never had the chance to spend a weekend with them (as an adult) and it meant the world to me.  They live in Everett, WA so we don't get to "drop by" when we want.  Thanks to my Mom, we watched old home movies (even the long boring ones with camera pointed at me playing in the sand for 45 minutes) to the fun ones of them riding that little motorcycle up and down our street to videos of my Dad's 40th surprise birthday party...and the piñata.  And of course my grade school talent shows that never disappoint. Cold hearted snake anyone?

We have had a full year with Sweet D.Holidays, birthdays, flooding, playing, sports, broken bones, learning, doctor visits, snoozing, lots of kisses - and I

3 LLs

mean lots of kisses.  Learning to parent the two girls at these ages has been challenging.  Dividing my attention and trying to focus on both of their similar/different needs is/was emotionally exhausting.  Sometimes physically. But things change and we learn and grow and I understand this is a short period of time - I am never complaining of the situation I am in just expressing that this time has been...an achievement, if you will.  We're all going different ways but doing it together.  I love these people and I am so excited to learn more about them as they get older and which circus we'll join this year.  Thank you for all the kind words and enjoying the blog. Thank you for being part of our extended family and obviously if you start missing the blog - you can always follow me on Instagram...I like the photos.  

Different strokes.

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10/11 Months as a Lewman 3.0

Happy 2016!

I think I will always remember this month when I look back at the “younger years”.  It was my most emotionally strained month as a Mother.  Between repeated child illness, broken legs, house flooding, work stress and not having any time to myself while making a home open to family for the holidays…it nearly broke me.  I didn’t really know it at the time because I was just focused on getting through the next hurdle but once the tree was down, the kids were healthy, the basement was unoccupied and work calmed down, I realized how hard it was on me.  Then 2016 happened and it was sunny, then snowed, and like that I snapped out of it and moved on to enjoy the daily annoyances and smiles of the ups and downs of life.

Sums them up.

December was a hard month on Delaney too.  She had two colds, a bronchial infection and pink eye (on Christmas).  She wasn’t eating well, cried a lot and was irritable most of the time.  It was so disheartening looking at her wondering when she would be healthy again and I had a hard time remembering what that looked like on her.  Emmy was having issues sleeping – would wake up with night terrors or have an accident or need to go to the bathroom or want to be with us.  It was so difficult to watch these little people work through these normal things on their own.  I will say that Christmas was magical though.  This year was certainly all about Emmy.  She had the big haul with a handmade 4 ft repurposed jewelry box made with perfect sized, barely adhesive choking hazards for Delaney, a scooter made for a 12 year old {boy},  a Rapunzel dress when she wanted an Aurora dress,  and all kinds of jewelry and clothes that she has already broken and/or ruined.  Hayden, graciously let her take the spotlight on Christmas morning and Delaney just ate tissue paper.  She truly is the middle child struggling to keep the attention.  So, we obliged. We got to see the kids in their crazed, twitching with excitement bodies for hours.  For whatever reason my Mom and I tag teamed Tye’s birthday/Christmas presents theme as “Builder Bob”with a new drill, drill bits, and a tool belt.  He made the comment (in true Tye hilarity fashion) “I don’t think you guys know what I do, I am in sales – not a contractor!” Then we had mimosas and momentarily forgot about all the illness and wet flooring we had in the basement and enjoyed the day.

The Lewman Five

Because of the unwanted water in our basement - we had to move Hayden upstairs and cut off access to the play room and the main TV of the house.`And I have learned there are a lot of frustrating things about compacting 5 people into 1,300 square feet of living quarters, mostly all congregating in our room 80% of the time.  Every day I have to figure out where I am going to get dressed and which toy would be the least painful/most quiet to step on.  It is either one of three things on the TV; football, The Odd Squad or The Great British Baking Show because 1/5 of us is always trying to go to sleep.  The bed sheets now have marker on them.  There are umpteen thousand mismatched socks of all sizes strewn about. There are snout marks on the windows, I am still not sure who's DNA it is.  And Delaney’s room is stuffed with a full size bed and 12 year old boy with his shoes/clothes/socks/books/laptop cords/headphones/homework papers/boysmell…it’s now Haylaney’s room. I think by her 1st birthday she should have ownership again.  With all of that said, I love that all of us are together and on the same floor.  At the end of the day when I lay down and close one of my eyes – I feel like all is right in the world.  We are all safe and I can hear everyone breathing and when they get up to pee in the night ☺ Looking forward to having our play area back but will be slightly sad Hayden goes back downstairs to his room.

Oh, the snuggles.

D weighs about 20 lbs and reaching 29” – she’s wearing 12 month clothing and just starting to wear shoes.  I cannot wait to see what that little figure looks like in a bathing suit this summer!  She’s already bikini ready.  Delaney has been hitting so many milestones now that she’s recovered from her 3 month ailments.  She’s smiley and happy and loving again.  She’s still struggling with being held by anyone but Mom and Dad but we’re pretty good at passing her to family when we need a break!  I was concerned that she wasn’t interested in baby food/solid foods or even PUFFS but then one day – BAM, she was into it!  She loves them all!  Now we are finally giving her bigger chunks of soft food, she's eating like she’s angry and killing the puff game.  Still nursing but now that she’s exploring more food we will probably start weaning in the next couple months.  It will be nice at work to not make two trips down to the basement anymore.  She has the most adorable nod that she’s sporting these days.  “Can Mama have a kiss?!”… no, with a fast shake of the head and a smile.  She's not a real belly-laugher.  Maybe it means she will be one of those people that only laughs at super hilarious material…and doesn’t have time for the day-to-day giggles. Although she does go into hysterics with Emmy fake spitting in her face - which then makes me think she doesn't understand humor at all...only time will tell.

And finally – my little lady is walking.  She is officially – not a baby anymore.  Heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once.  I love to watch her advance and hate to see her grow.  With Emmy I would look at everything as firsts, with Delaney I look at everything as lasts.  Which is no way to be but that’s just how it is.  That hair just doesn’t want to grow either.  She’s got a strong party in the back and not much on top.  Which was the way I was as well and now I have tons of hair - so I am sure we'll see it come in within the next 35 years.  I’ve already been sworn to not give her the famous “Emmy bangs”…I thought they were cute!!

 Miss Delaney Rae will be 1, a month from today which means only 1 more blog!  Bittersweet.   Here’s the last two months of  photos in a nutshell.

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9 Months as a Lewman 3.0

My doll baby.

9 Months ~ seems like just yesterday, although it was actually 3 weeks ago because I am really late getting this blog out.  Delaney has been out of the womb for just as long as she was in...went by much faster this time!  She is just the sweetest little butterball.  Although, I am discovering that she's a VERY small butterball for her age.  She matches the 4/5 month olds at her daycare.  She's the first petite Lewman lady to join this gang though she's definitely a chowhound.  I thought for sure I'd be done nursing her by now {Emmy was 8 months when we stopped and I just went off her cues} but Delaney is very much still into it.  All the time.  Day or night.  Mostly night.  When I am trying to sleep.  She has shown a lot of interest in our food but any time we cut it up real small or mash it, she's over it.  She just likes the chase!  She will literally put anything in her mouth but the second you give her food, she has no idea what to do with it and smears it on the table. I can't wait to see her finally enjoy food!

I know, she looks like a swimmer in the 50s.

She is a healthy 19.9 lbs and 28" in height.  I am lucky enough to weigh and measure her every couple weeks with our routine doctor visits because we're still going bout after bout of colds with the girls.  I cannot express how happy I will be when spring hits and all we have to deal with is allergies and sunburns.  Coughs and fevers and runny noses and fussiness is so 2015 - ready for this to pass.  But other than that, she is developing personality traits that I can't wait to watch evolve.  When she wants something, she watches it for a bit, then darts.  When she does not want something, she darts.  Mostly a lot of darting skills but she's also such a snuggler.  Big time snuggler - and is experiencing what we all have been through in the family, a daddy stage.  Now that she will take a bottle from him, they are certainly bonding which takes about 10% of the pressure off of me. Emmy has really transitioned to a mommy stage, mostly during the night while I am nursing D off an on - Emmy calls out for me and only me.  Doesn't want Daddy - only Mommy.  Double duty to prevent midnight tantrums is worth it but really looking for some 
R&R during the Christmas break.

Family photo 2015 - Michael Byers :)

We have been a new kind of busy lately.  The kind I am unfamiliar with.  It's chaotic and unorganized and just the hold-on kind of crazy.  Oh yeah and our house flooded - which has forced a lot of upstairs activity.  There's a lot of people in this house!  The life with 3 kids has certainly altered our evenings and weekends.  It's about 70% preparation and 30% clean up. Don't get me wrong - not one day goes by where I wish it were different but that's not going to stop me from daydreaming about them being old enough to not fall off the bed, not step on their baby-sisters hand, not spill milk all over the table and wipe it into the wood, refuse to put their shoes on or scream when they only have on one headband. I am totally out of my element with them - they are teaching me things I thought I knew.  I thought I knew how to control my frustration and keep my shit together.  Turns out, I don't.  I am learning that I really don't care if the table isn't set when you come over for dinner, but I still care if the living room isn't vacuumed.  I am picking my battles with myself and learning all kinds of things.  I want to reiterate that I love this life I have chosen, and I am not complaining, just more or less sharing my observations but bullshit aside, it's hard.  And just when you've hit your max, you hear your daughter say she calls her little sister her "big sweetheart" and you're reset.  Back to winding up.


The video I have selected is about 5 minutes long.  It's real and I just love it.  This is what our car rides are like, this is what our life is like.  In the end, when I look back on this blog, it's stuff like this that I want to remember - hope you enjoy the goat noises.

GO 'ZERS!! (that looks really bad on me)

Emmy had two school music performances since I last wrote. The Thanksgiving one was very tearful, and the Christmas one was very statue-esque, but she's getting more comfortable being in front of people and that's all I care about.  She is singing ALL THE TIME - making up songs just like her Mom when she was her age (you may remember her as Ms. LaRue with such hits as Rippling River and I Love You [video will not be provided]. 
We went to a Blazer game, flag football, the Nutcracker, had Thanksgiving and let's not forget the birthday boys.  Tye turned 35 and Hayden turned 12.  Both are shocking my system right now - I can't believe how old they are! We had so many opportunities for quality time this past month. Tye has moved on from a softball league to a basketball league.  I finally got to watch one of his games and it's kind of like being in high school again.  I love watching him play and maybe, just maybe try to show-off in front of me even though now it may result in a sprained ankle or other injury.  Gotta be careful out there babe, those hips aren't what they used to be!

I know this year has been incredible for some and difficult for others - it's been quite a mix of both for us.   We are really looking forward to a HEALTHY Christmas with magic and laughter. That's all I want, is that too much to ask? From the bottom of my heart, to everyone we know, from our family to yours, Merry Christmas.

Thank you for reading and see you in 2016!

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8 Months as a Lewman 2.0

On last month's episode we were falling into a new school year and football had begun...so had cold and flu season.  We were lucky enough to experience all of those things ten fold.  Let's start with Delaney since that's why we're all here.

This face.  I love this face.

My sweet D.  Remember those months I was talking about how she never cried?  Those days are long gone.  She is a regular baby now with all the fixings.  She is still the sweetest gal on the block but she's a girl who knows what she wants.  Actually, she knows more of what she doesn't want.  Like getting in her car seat.  It is as if I am trying to stuff her into a suitcase made of thorns - she squeals and really causes a scene while I look around hoping people don't think I am breaking limbs to get her buckled up.  And then moments later she is just fine, looking around to see what the fuss was all about.  I finally got her a mirror for the car, mostly so she can see herself, and everything else around her although I love to shoot a few smiles her way!  Her sister loves to shove her face through the shade on her car seat to either scare her or make her laugh - somehow she manages to do both.  Emmy is a lot like me in that way! Here's a video of Emmy trying to make Delaney laugh...

We spent a good amount of time at the doctor's office this past month.  3 Doctor visits and 1 emergency room visit.  We had flu shots and croup and possibly strep and oh yeah...Hayden broke his leg and needed surgery! It was a wild ride.  And by wild ride I mean emotionally, physically and financially taxing for everyone.  Which Lewman was seeing which doctor and which Lewman was the reason we needed to stay home from work? It was exhausting to watch these little people struggle.  I know it's cold and flu season but we'd like it to be "it's cold outside and open the flu for the fire" season instead.  Too many germs are circling this home!  We appear to be healthy now but I recently heard that a baby will be sick for approximately 2 weeks out of the month...that is A LOT!

And she does yoga.

Probably the biggest accomplishment for Delaney this past month has been her increased ability in mobility!  She's crawling and standing and pulling herself up and then just letting go.  Her daycare seems to think that she's going to be running before she's walking!  She has so much to see and so many friends at daycare that she's got to get moving!  One of her friends continues to bite on Delaney's back which has been a concern but I say it's because she's so delicious.  The little Hannibal has been fixed and no longer bothers D.  The school started talking to me today about when she goes into the toddler room at 12 months and blah blah blah (I zoned out because I realized THAT IS IN 3.5 MONTHS).  How did this happen? My last baby is almost my last toddler?  Insane how long the days are short the years become.  Silver lining there is cost goes down about....$50 a month!  A win is a win.

1st day home from hospital

Speaking of winning.  As I mentioned before, Hayden broke his leg.  He was playing in a football game and was in motion with the ball - then the biggest kid on the other team TOOK.HIM.DOWN.  And snap - compound femur fracture on his right leg.  Jenny hopped in the ambulance with him and we all met at Legacy Randall Childrens Hospital. Surgery the next morning and on crutches two days later.  That was 5 weeks ago and he may possibly be off crutches Friday at his appointment.  So basically, that means no sports until he's recovered (around baseball time).  As much as I would love to have him still playing football and NOT broken his leg, I am really enjoying this period of time where we have no sports on the weekends!  No practice during the weeknights!  Soon the girls will be in their events and life will be in full swing.  But right now...we chill.  Thank you for all of the gifts and support on behalf of Hayden, Jenny, Tye and I.  He's doing great!

Over protective much?!

My Emmaline...boy, is she something.  She has been to a play with Papa and Grandma Lew, Frozen on Ice with Grandma GG, Judi and Mama.  She had an incredible Halloween where she managed to be Anna & Elsa.  Hayden was an injured football player (he managed to walk about 45 minutes on his crutches from house to house - trooper!) Emmy was Frozen and Sweet D was a cabbage patch kid.  She was the cutest in a handmade hair/hat by our friend Bree.  It was absolutely pouring that night so she stayed in and we braved the rain.  Loved how excited Emmy was to go house to house and how she kept hoping the next one would be "the scary one".  Amazing what this year to last year was like!

This right here.  

I am SO, SO, SO looking forward to all the fun things we have ahead.  Holidays, birthdays, football, parties and baby snuggles.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I won't go on to list all the things I am grateful for because I'll save that for it's own blog post, but the one that I will mention is my husband.  THANK YOU for going through all of this with me.  Sometimes it's a breeze, sometimes it's muddy and sometimes it's hard to see where we're going but you are my teammate and I am so grateful for our life.
Love.

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