Success!

After spending a good 3 months worrying that my Maisy would never sleep in crib, I finally worked up the courage to give it a try. (I've had nightmares that she would be taking her papasan swing to college.)

And just like that, she was sleeping in her crib. I guess things are never as difficult as I imagine them to be. (Example: Afton giving up her paci, potty-training, adjusting to two kiddos- all of them- not so hard!)

We are also taking on 'sleeping through the night'.  Maisy was down to just one night feeding and had been sleeping through the night every couple of days. So as of a week ago, we've cut out the night feeding and are working on not getting up. She's had pretty good success, with a few rough nights too. But I am hoping that she'll be a pro in a week or so.

Afton's social schedule has blossomed in the past two weeks. All of the kiddos in her class turn 4 in Feb, Mar, April. So we are on the birthday party circuit. We have been to Little Gym, Safari Park and a house party where the family hired a face painter. Afton loved choosing the design and then holding sooo still while the paint was applied.

Jessie and Luke were in town this weekend. Mimi brought them by on Saturday morning to visit. It was so fun to see how much Luke has grown since New Year's. Can you believe that I am surrounded by all of these blondes?! :) I think Maisy is going to join their team too- look how much lighter her hair is getting. Eeekk!

And yippee for me! My chairs are done. I LOVE them so much. Don't you adore the cozy rug too? Of course Jeff and Michael had to try them out. They felt such fancy chairs called for smoking jackets and pipes. But since none could be found, they settled on a deep conversation about global warming and the state of our economy. Ha!

Finally today is our 7th Wedding Anniversary! I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful provider, my best friend, a loving father, and a truly good, kind man. Love you lots Jeff!

Snow Pictures

We loved all the snow- can you believe we got about 12 inches?! Here are some photos of the morning it first started coming down, Thursday. We played and then got ready and went to school.

Afton was dying to make a snow angel, catch snowflakes on her tongue, have a snowball fight, and make a snowman. (Ideas courtesy of "Max and Ruby"- the snow episode) We did it all! 

Maisy and I stayed outside about 20 minutes. She seemed to like it. May have been because her snowsuit was so comfy. 

After we dropped her at school, we had to turn around and go back up. The snow really started coming down, so they moved her Valentine's Party to the morning because they planned on closing school. Jeff drove us up for the party and then we brought Afton home. 

Coming home from school. Everyone loves a snow day!

Even though it is sunny today and is supposed to be 60 by Friday, we are holding on to the fun from those days. A large 'dino egg' made from snow now resides in our freezer. 

Maisy Lou is 4 Months & The Super Bowl Party

My sweet Maisy Lou is now 4 months old. Bless her heart, these past 10 days have been rough on her. She is keeping a happy heart through all the coughing, ear infections, medicines, and gooey nose wiping. But she has been extra tender and often needed to be held all night. Good thing for my comfy rocker!

She is growing and changing each day. Maisy now smiles and talks at length to anyone with a kind face. When I go into her room at night for a feeding, she lights up the room with her gummy grin.

She has been enjoying sitting up a lot in her Bumbo chair. Her favorite thing to do still includes sucking on her hands. Sometimes she gets lucky and ends up chewing on her bib. Since there is always some commotion in our home, Maisy likes to be right in the middle of it. Afton is a constant source of entertainment for us all!

Maisy is still on the petite side. With her nasty rsv, she has not had much of an appetite. She only weighs 11lbs. 10 oz and is 22.5 inches long which puts her in the 5 percentile. But she is wearing size 3-6 months clothes- which is fun- new outfits! (And she looks just like Afton did at this age, although a bit bigger. Afton only weighed in at 12 pounds at 6 months.)

Afton continues to be the Best Big Sister. She is always on hand to sing Maisy a song or fetch me a burp cloth. She told me the other day, "I'm glad we have a baby."

Afton has been keeping busy with school, gymnastics, lots of friends and now "Barbie fever". She loves going upstairs and playing with her Barbies and the dollhouse that Santa brought her. I love sneaking up the stairs and watching her play.

The other day she had the "mom and dad" Barbie moving the couch around the dollhouse. They were saying "this couch is heavy, careful, put the couch here." It is so amazing to see how her imagination has blossomed.  I am also happy that she is able to play independently for small periods during the day.

On Sunday we hosted a Super Bowl party for the Saints. I made a few decorations and Jeff cooked up a big pot of shrimp. We had about 20 adults and 10 kids over to our house.

The men stayed outside to monitor the shrimp and watch the game.

The kiddos ran in and out, jumping in the bounce house, playing with toys, and eating lots of yummy food.

I made Maisy a onesie to match Afton's and then Val had me make shirts for her boys. It was so cute to see them in their fleur di lis shirts( although I could never get them all together for a picture.)

The party was a lot of fun, especially since our team won. Jeff could not have been more proud of his Saints.

Decorating

Maisy- my brave little shopping partner!

With the new year comes new decor in the Conner house. Between wiping noses, dosing medications, and cleaning spit-up... I have been shopping. I am re-doing most of our decor. Goodbye red/yellow- hello neutrals with a pop of turquoise for color. The house will be repainted a light khaki in March, the kitchen border will be removed and some new curtains have been ordered. But here are some of the little changes done so far. Use your imagination for now!

Before

After

Before

Before

After

After

After

These are the 'new to us' wingbacks. I guess you could consider this recycling. Jeff found these chairs for me on craigslist for $25 each. They will be covered in this fabric, which is indoor/outdoor, so it will be easy to clean. The cording on the chair will be done in turquoise. These chairs will replace the red couch in the breakfast nook. 

I am excited to see everything come together. Keep watching for more. Next up is art and accessories. Thank you Jennifer for helping me find my 'design' style!

As I was shopping online at Hobby Lobby, I saw their inspiration quote of the week and thought I would share:

       "We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by."