Dec 3 - Megan's crawling everywhere!  I could have gone a bit longer without her doing this.  She was bad enough backwards, lol.  One of the front teeth is really coming in and the other front one is right underneath the skin.  She's been teething today so it won't be long before it comes out.  This would make her 6th tooth! 

I can't believe she's going to be 9 months here in 2 weeks.  I wish she would stop growing, I need more time.  Kylie is staying the night at my parents again.  This is her second time in a few weeks.  While it's nice to have this time alone, I miss her so much and wonder why she doesn't want to be with me.  I know, silly. 

I took the girls to the library and Kylie made Christmas ornament crafts and played.  She absolutely LOVES the library.  We picked out a lot of good books and I can't wait to read them to her.

Dec 4 - Ugh, it seems like forever before Ryan comes home.  We have 17 days left, but it really does seem like an eternity.  I can't wait for him to get back so we can be a real family again.  I think we all desperately need that.

A few things I was thinking about today that I didn't write in my journal from last month, so I will share them now.  Kylie is such an intelligent little girl.  She has such a vibrant personality and is so eager to learn about everything.  She helps out so much around the house and is really growing up.

Megan is very ticklish.  It's so cute.  Especially the inside of her legs (behind her knees).  Her laugh is just contagious and I find myself wanting to tickle her more and more just to hear her giggles.    She's also getting attached to a blankie when she sleeps.  It's so adorable, but I'm sure one day I won't think it's so adorable.  She also shivers all the time.  Ryan says it's because she's pee'ing.  I've never proved that theory, but I guess it could be.  Megan has become so loveable, laughable, just an all around happy baby.  She's a delight more times than not.  She's only a fuss bucket when she's teething.  We are still struggling with feedings, but she's nursing well.  It's very strange how she only nurses for survival, unlike her sister. 

It's amazing how two children can be so different, but my girls certainly are.  For instance, Kylie likes cool water in her bath and Megan likes warm warm water in hers.  Kylie doesn't like the sound of the vacuum cleaner and it calms Megan and sometimes even puts her to sleep.  Kylie doesn't like the sound of bathroom vent fans - they don't bother Megan at all.  Kylie sweats easily - Megan gets chilly easily.  Kylie nursed basically 24/7 - Megan nurses for survival.  I could go on and on.  Both of them are high needs/spirited children, but they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. 

Today Megan was a fuss bucket.  She's teething, that top front tooth is trying to break through and it was a very painful day for her today :-(

December 29 - Ah, I'm so bad at writing in this journal.  Hopefully in the new year I will get much better.  We've been so busy this month with preparing for Christmas, getting ready for Ryan to come home FOR GOOD (hee hee) and everything else it's just been crazy.  Ryan came home on the 21st and the girls and I all were so excited to see him.  They haven't let him out of their sight since!  It's amazing how much Megan took right to Ryan and it has been as if he hasn't been gone at all to the girls.  Me, on the other hand, am having that honeymoon adjustment period trying to get used to him being home and the disruption to the routine the girls and I created over the past three months.  I am so happy to have him home, healthy, safe and for good.

Christmas was fabulous!  Megan didn't unwrap any presents really but she sure loved the bows!  She chewed on them until they unraveled.  Hee hee.  Kylie got everything she wanted I think and in all we all had a wonderful Christmas.  I couldn't ask for anything more than to be with our family and enjoy the time.

Now we are just getting ready for the new year.  We will probably go visit some family New Year's Eve and then spend the rest of the evening alone as a family camping out watching movies and eating popcorn.  That seems to be Kylie's favorite thing these days, hee hee.  Seeing our beautiful girls faces at midnight is more than I could ever ask for!

Happy New Year everyone and my next entry will more than likely be in the new year, hee hee.

Nov 11 - Today we went to the circus with my parents. It was a lot of fun and it appeared that Kylie had fun too, I hope.  She was tired, though, because I had to wake her from her nap early to go and she hadn't eaten lunch.  We got something there, but what we got wasn't a really good balanced lunch so I think that threw her off as well. 

All week both the girls went to bed very easily, sometimes by 7:30.  Megan surprises me because I just put her in her crib awake and she goes right to sleep with no fuss.  Amazing!  Well I guess I should have savored the days more because last night she was up ALL NIGHT, only sleeping an hour and that was after I gave her some Tylenol.  I have noticed all week, though, that she would wake at 10 pm every night for a feeding.  Anyways, it was a miserable night.  Then today, she wouldn't nap for anything.  I really needed that nap time myself but she wasn't dishing any out.  At 6:30 pm tonight I gave her some Tylenol hoping that would ease her discomfort and let her sleep.  Both girls fell asleep by 7:30 pm, BUT by 8:30 Megan was screaming and waking up.  She's now on the living room floor asleep, but I'm sitting here in the dark hoping she stays that way.  SIGH.

Kylie did tell me today that when she grows up she wants to be a Clown.  Ha-ha.  Very cute! 

Random things I've noticing these days:  Megan loves to be massaged more so than Kylie ever did;  Megan is using a Nuby sippy and not doing so well with it.  She'll suck on the sippy but once it's in her mouth she's spitting it out all over the place, what a mess!; Kylie is doing so well at coloring now instead of scribbling - not staying in the lines yet, but doing so well; I often question my parenting ability and hate that I yell at Kylie too much and can't figure out how to include both of them in whatever I do.  I am good at helping one at a time, that's about it :( ; I am enjoying the reading time Kylie and I are having at bedtime more so than turning on the TV for her; she hasn't slept all night in her bed for 2 weeks now. SIGH; Megan wants to crawl so badly and she's got the leg movement down pat.  It just appears that she doesn't know what to do with her hands; Megan has such a beautiful smile and really for the most part is a happy baby - she'll definitely go to others better than Kylie ever did.

Nov 10 - We went over to Karen and Richard's for dinner.  It was a nice evening, but little did I know that Megan was going to make it a horrible night to sleep.  She's teething, she has to be.  I looked in her mouth and it appears that her two top front teeth are swelled under the gum line.

Nov 9 - Karen and Richard saved me by watching the girls while I was at work.  Terri had another unexpected doctor's visit and I had to work. Not sure how great the girls did there.  Megan can't obviously tell me and Kylie just said she hates bacteria.  Karen was explaining to her about bacteria and how bad it is to pick your nose.  Ha-ha.

Nov 7 - I had today off w/the girls because Terri had a doctors appointment.  The girls and I just lounged around the house until we went into town.  Our plan was to go to the library, go to my office for a quick conference call and then to Chucky Cheese.  We were going to CC because Kylie had slept in her bed all night for 5 nights (within a two week period).  We had a great day overall, I really enjoyed myself. 

Nov 2 - Megan is up on her knees rocking back and forth all the time.  Not only that but on Halloween while waiting for the doctor I stood her up on her feet, held her hands and she started walking all by herself!  I was floored!  She is going to be mobile to quickly for me :(  She's already scooting backwards very far very fast.  The poor girl reaches forward for something but scoots backwards, lol.  Her brain and body aren't working together in that department.

Last night was the second night I put Megan down in her crib to go to sleep and she did so without a fuss.  It's amazing!  I've never had a baby just go to sleep for me, lol.  I always had to put Kylie to sleep.  What I've been doing with Megan for months is laying her down on a blanket on the living room floor, nursing her, patting her butt and singing to her.  Then I tell her I love her, kiss her and to go to sleep, then I walk away.  If she fusses more than a few whimpers I'll lay back down with her and sing to her.  Then I'll walk away again.  Most times she'll go right to sleep once she rolls over from her back to her tummy (swaddled, too).  Then when she's really asleep I transfer to her crib where she sleeps til at least 11 pm or later.  After that she co-sleeps with me and nurses 2 or 3 times during the night.  She always has this point in the middle of the night where she opera sings, lol, which I try to ignore and she'll go back to sleep eventually.  Her and Kylie are funny because they both are human alarm clocks and wake up promptly at the same time every day (with some exceptions here and there). 

I am so sad that Megan might be my last baby.  Some days I feel robbed because Ryan has to be away for work for so long which leaves a lot more on my plate and so I'm trying to focus so much on getting by daily that I can't soak in every single inch of her and her milestones :(  The same goes for Kylie as well.  I also feel like I was robbed of a second pg in many ways because of all the issues I had, bed rest, and Megan coming a month early.  It makes me sad that this part of my life is more than likely over with.  I feel like I was blessed with a beautiful gift to have children and I shouldn't stop now.  The issue of money makes me so angry because this is Ryan's reason for not wanting more.  It should NEVER be an issue with having more children, but I know it has to be.  I despise the fact that it has to be.

Anyways, getting off topic here.  After looking at recent pictures (Halloween to be exact) I can't believe how fast she's growing and how much older she's looking daily.  Ryan and I are blessed to have two beautiful girls, they are our world, my world.