Mini Molnars: Memories and Milestones

Personal Reflections:

I started thinking about this blog and how I am writing it. When I was pregnant with Gianna, I stopped writing as though someone else was reading the blog, but writing as though she was the only one reading it. I really liked that because the reason I was writing the pregnancy blogs was for her and that's the same reason I am writing these blogs. They are 'private with link only' so I honestly don't know why I haven't been writing in that way the whole time. So, from this sentence on, I hope you girls enjoy all you have been reading and will continue to read.

You both bring your own individual joys to my (our) life. Even though you are only 7 months old, Gianna, you are already showing your lovely personality. Briella, you are in a sweet tart phase because when you are sweet, you are sweet and when you are tart you are tart and you can be both within a minute's time. Gianna you are in the pixy stix phase because you are just all sweet right now.

Briella, I can look back to the day you were born and totally see how you've maintained your personality since that time. You came out of my tummy screaming and crying despite the fact that you would end up having your lungs underdeveloped. I'll never forget I wasn't even at the NICU a few minutes when the nurses were telling me that you were a 'feisty little girl.' The word 'stubborn' was also used. And you are that SAME child to this day! While it sometimes can be a challenge, those are the characteristics that kept you alive. You are a fighter for life and I hope you will continue fighting for important things you believe in well into your adult years with your spirt and charisma.

Gianna, you had the most meek little cry when you were born. It was so subtle and gentle that I actually asked if you were okay thinking something was wrong with your lungs too. Your disposition has been quite laid back since you were born. Most anyone who meets you comments on how easy going you are. You are also very observant and 98% cheerful all of the time. I joked with Daddy that you are happy for 23 3/4 hours out of 24 hours with a total of 15 minutes being tears from hunger and tiredness. It will be interesting to see if you continue with this disposition in a few years. Your Daddy says you smile and are happy like me; which I take as the highest compliment. (thanks, Darling...even though I don't think your Dad even reads past the first few sentences of this blog because I write novels). Gianna, I can't believe this time last year that I was pregnant with you and now you are here with us; crawling, standing up in your crib, and beginning to pull yourself up.

Your Dad and I are sad to say goodbye to Papa and Nonna having to move back to Ohio this month. Nonna had stayed here in SC until their lease was up, but that time has come. Briella, you got to have many wonderfully fun and magical overnights with them these past few months. You are constantly asking to go spend the night at their house and it made me and your Dad so happy that you got to have this special time with them. I'm not quite sure how we are going to help you understand that they no longer live here when you ask to go spend the night, but I know in time you will get it. As of right now, you talk about how they moved away a lot and you will say to me, "You aren't going away. You aren't going away." as though you are worried that I am going to move away so I reassure you often that I am not going anywhere. Ever since I was in the hospital with pre-term labor with your sister, you've been very worried about me leaving you, Briella. It's really sad that you are worrying about it again. You also recently told me that you don't like it when your Daddy travels for work and it makes you very sad. Even your preschool teacher notices a difference in you when Daddy travels. She said she can tell when he's traveling by the way you act sad and anxious when I leave you in the mornings. I was sad to hear that.

Gianna, Daddy and I got to experience having you all to ourselves while Briella would stay overnight with Nonna, just like we got to have for 2 1/2 years with your sister. It was special to get to 'dote' on you during those overnights. The last overnight that Briella had when Papa came here for Christmas, we took you for an hour drive one way to get raw milk and raw milk butter. You slept the entire drive there, I fed you, and you played the drive home. You truly are the most easy going and sweetest baby.

I know I might think I know that you did, but it really did seem like you both had a very nice Christmas. Even though all three of us girls were getting over being sick the week of Christmas, we really enjoyed having your Dad off of work to spend time with us the week of Christmas. It's always so special to be together and to enjoy his time off of work. It also helped me to have some time to write up this blog this month because it's something that takes time to organize it all, but I sure hope you both appreciate it in years to come.

Daddy and I began the three gift tradition this year in hopes to honor and remember the meaning behind Christmas. Jesus received three gifts at His birth: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh; which signify a want, a need, and an article of clothing. So, from here on out, our goal is to keep the 3 gift tradition of one want, one need, and one article of clothing in remembrance of Jesus' birth and to not go too overboard during the Christmas season. We also hope to continue the tradition of the Christmas Eve candlelight church service. Daddy and I began doing it before we had you girls and I am proud that we've continued doing it (minus Briella's first Christmas because we were under quarantine) ever since. Gianna, you fell asleep during the service this year and you were so angelic and peaceful. It was a beautiful moment singing "Silent Night" watching you sleeping in your Daddy's arms. I couldn't help but take a moment to tape it to remember and cherish for years to come.

I love both of you girls. You are both vastly unique, individualistic, and very lovable children. You both enjoy love, hugs, and cuddles while giving it just as openly. You are such blessings to me and to anyone who knows you. Thank you for loving me, despite all of my faults and shortcomings.

Please remember, I'm a "Parent in progress" and every day I make mistakes with you and I replay them over and over in my head whether you know it or not. Even this month, Briella, you had a very zippy look on your face and I used the phrase, "She has that evil look in her eye" in front of you and Nonna. Well, obviously, that was not a kind or appropriate thing to say in front of you and Nonna says I may have scared you for saying it. So, rather than having mommy guilt over it for years to come, I will confess it here and hope that you can forgive me for it and we can move on. Briella, you can be very stubborn, hard headed, and uptight; which are all things that I know I can be at times as well so I know where you get it from, so it just makes you at the age of 3 a bit 'zippy' as I like to call you.

Movie highlights of the month:

Briella:
You are so full of emotion, 'spirit', energy, perfectionism, excitement, and a strong desire to learn. Most recently, you are pretending to read books and asking to learn how to read. And you know what you're extremely interested in reading about? Jesus! You LOVE your books about God, Jesus, and your Bible stories. That just blesses my heart so much. This particular video is really special because Gianna was napping and I got out of the shower and 'caught' you doing this. It doesn't get much more heart warming than seeing you, my little girl, taking initiative in reading her Bible. It honestly brought tears to my eyes. You and I were working on the Shepherd's Psalm for many months, but I hate to admit that it's been a tiring few months, but I plan to get back to helping you memorize it. I think it's so important to "Hide God's word in our hearts."

Your love for puzzles, assembling, folding, or sorting things continue and you can master a puzzle after one time of doing it. Naturally, you got puzzles for Christmas from me & Daddy and Papa and Nonna. You love spending time with us assembling puzzles. You are also taking an interest in singing. I love how you pretend to know the words to the worship music in church and how you sing other songs, especially the song from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I love this hidden camera moment of you singing, "There's always tomorrow."

You used to be our great eater, but recently, you've decided to become PICKY with *new* table food. You are fine with your "Old faithful" food, but you don't enjoy trying new foods. Even if it's good, and you even say it's good, you won't eat it. You like your good ole faithful noodles, steak, biscuits, cheese, puffed rice and milk, pancakes, peas, french fries, mashed potatoes, and hotdogs. You like raw carrots, but not cooked carrots. You only eat plain noodles. If we even dare put any type of sauce on them, you will say, "No thank you." Since we don't have a safe hotdog bun, I thought I would make a special treat and put dough on your hotdog and bake it. It turned out flaky and delicious. You took off the breading and only ate the hotdog. I thought it was a fluke and did it again and you took off the breading again. I did the same thing with rice. I made a cheesy rice and you said, "No thank you." and asked for plain rice. You are very "simple" with your food and I know that comes from almost 3 years of having to eat that way. For goodness sake, you just ate your very first homemade chocolate chip cookie this past week so to say you've eaten very 'simple' your whole life is the absolute truth. It's no wonder you like your single ingredient food and don't know what to think when we 'fancy up' your food.

But you love snacks and would much rather snack over eating table food if we allowed that. What's even more crazy is that your 7 1/2 month old sister sometimes actually eats more than you during a sit down meal. Today being the prime example of that. Gianna ate a whole egg, some hash browns, a diced up piece of steak, applesauce, and a baby mum-mum for dessert and you ate your applesauce, a couple bites of egg, and a piece of steak. On a different morning, I made you both the same breakfast of a soft, gluten free biscuit and applesauce. Gianna ate it all and you ate 3/4 of the biscuit and the applesauce. You're really turning into the typical 3 year old, aren't you?

Last month you weren't napping at all and this month you are napping, maybe 30%. Your strong will somehow gets stronger. How is that? I sure hope that you keep it during times of peer pressure and accomplishing chores and goals in life, but could you ease it up with pushing the envelope with your Dad and me? hahaha, I had to ask. Lots of times you will say, "Yes, Mommy." in the sweetest voice I've ever heard, but when you get in the mood that you are going to do it your way and your strong will kicks in to overdrive, watch out whoever gets in your way! You still have tendencies to scream in situations when you are frustrated, when you eat a food you can't tolerate, when you don't get your way and we are working on helping you find different ways to diffuse your anger without screaming. As I often say and think to myself, "we are all works in progress."

I don't know if you are nervous about something or if it's just out of habit, but you've been biting your lip again. You were picking your lip constantly this month. I kept telling you that you were going to get sick, and sure enough, you did. You caught a sinus infection and how kind of you to give it to me and your sister. I haven't had a sinus infection like this (2 weeks later and I'm still draining and the headache and sinus pressure is finally beginning to wear off) in years and I forgot just how badly the head pounds, the pain and pressure on the cheeks, and the eyes and nose run, but anytime I asked you how you felt during it, you said, "I feel better." even though you looked pathetic and were a snotty mess. Once I was in the thick of my sickness and I asked you, "Did your head hurt really bad because mine really hurts?" You said, "Yes." I felt bad to know that, but didn't understand why you didn't tell me. Usually when something on your body hurts, you always tell me.

You're still struggling to breathe out of your nose despite your sinus infection somewhat clearing up (I say somewhat because ever since you got sick in October, your ability to breathe through your nose hasn't been the same. You've been using nasal spray so your Dad and I have talked and think it's time you see an ENT to figure out why this is happening. I notice that your behavior and obedience is much better when you can breathe out of your nose versus when you are chronically stuffed up so I know it's bothering you whether you admit it or not.

You really love Gianna and give her the most sweetest kisses and unsolicited hugs. I love those moments. But no matter how much you love her, you still aren't "loving" the idea of her playing with your toys. The moment she gets close to whatever you are playing with, you will get up, get her a toy you approve for her to play with and say, "Here you go, Gianna, you can play with this." I guess you are trying to compromise with getting her a toy? I know you could be a lot more mean about it; however, the skill of sharing is something we are working on with you right now. And you love to play with Gianna's toys too. "What's hers is yours and what's yours is yours" seems to be your motto this month. You are, though, getting really interested in how she's talking more and crawling around. You get so excited exclaiming to us, "Look, she's crawling; look, look!"

You seemed to really enjoy Christmas this year. Compared to last year, you really understood it. You enjoyed the lights on people's homes, going to the Roper Mountain Christmas lights display, and even got excited about going to the candlelight Christmas Eve service.

We had to see Papa and Nonna off to Ohio on the 27th. You've been talking a lot about how they moved away and you say it with the most pitiful look on your face. I know you don't completely understand it, but I also know that there's a part of you that does understand it because of the sadness that overcomes you when you talk about it. This is going to be a big change for you because you looked forward to nothing more than having your once a week overnight at their house or their visits to our house.

You continue to say and do the funniest, cutest, goofiest, and sweetest things. Daddy and I took downy the Christmas decorations two days after Christmas while you were taking a very unusually long nap. You woke up from your nap asking where the tree was and since you've been really interested in Rudolph and watching that cartoon over and over, I told you, "It went to Christmastown". You looked at me, almost confused and trying to correct me saying, "You put it in the box?" So, I guess I may as just be upfront and 'real' with you because you are very literal, like me. I don't get into pretend, sci-fi, fanciful stuff either. I can't stand movies that seem outlandish and unreal and it looks like you may be getting that from me.

You sent me to timeout a few times this month. You'll take me by the hand and walk me into the bedroom that we use for timeout. One particular time you looked at me and said, "Remember, think about what YOU did, Mommy." Funny thing is what I was doing when you put me into timeout was cleaning up your mess.
Gianna:
You have had another milestone month! You are now feeding yourself crackers, trying to pick up puffed rice, and completely drinking out of your sippy cup all by yourself, and not only that, but you have an insatiable appetite and I swear your stomach has an alarm clock. You are eating rice or chopped noodles and bone broth at least once a day; usually at dinner. It's almost like an alarm goes off at exactly 5:00 o'clock every day because you start to whine and get 'hangry' (hunger + angry). You are an excellent eater. Even if after you've eaten your food and I am still eating mine, you will grunt and make gestures to eat mine too! Oh, and you L-O-V-E french fries, just like your mommy.

A very silly thing you've been doing a lot this month is 'code brown' during bath time. You must get super re-'laxed' because it happened about 10 times this month. You sure do love your baths. No matter how tired you might be right before your bath, you get in it and splash and hold and kiss your rubber ducky every time.

You are usually an 'equal opportunist' between me and Daddy, but not when you are tired or it's close to your bedtime feeding. That's about the only time of the day that you revert to being a Mommy's girl again. If I walk away, you cry and you don't stop until you see me. It's very sweet that you want and need for me like that. Your sister was that way with your Daddy so it's nice to experience what he got to feel. Who am I kidding? Your sister is still that way with your Daddy. Speaking of Daddy, you went on two Saturday shopping trips with him this month and he said you did great.

You are still doing really well with being bedtime weaned and don't need to be nursed to fall asleep at bedtime so Daddy has been able to put you to sleep more this month. Until you got sick this month, you were doing 'fair' with your sleep; usually falling asleep between 7:15-8:00pm and staying asleep anywhere from 2-5am until eating again. But then you got sick and you were up constantly all through the night for almost a week...so we had to start bedtime sleep training all over again (sigh), but within a week, you remembered the concept.

And the day before Christmas you discovered your thumb. You are now sucking your thumb regularly and consistently. Briella was not a pacifier baby or a thumb sucker so this is all new to us.

Baby Picture Comparisons

Milestones:
You are crawling! I got to experience watching it happen for the first time too. Not even a day after you began crawling, you began trying to stand up from a crawling position, and you stood up in your crib! You completely surprised by sitting up in your crib on the first of this month and on December 20th, you surprised me again when I walked into your room and you were standing up! As of December 29th, you've pulled yourself up on your activity center and used Daddy to stand up on as well. I can't help but wonder if when I write my blog for January if you'll be cruising furniture? You're doing things so much quicker and earlier than Briella did so this is all very new to me and your Dad.

December 29th, Standing up all by yourself

I guess this is a 'milestone'. You had your first haircut, but not by a professional. Daddy suggested cutting your hair and I didn't realize he meant he wanted to help. So, well, I took it upon myself to do it and I gave you the typical home haircut look. I'm so thankful for bows because the moment I went to snip your hair, you turned your head. All I was thinking was, "NOOOOO!"

You pretend to carry on conversations with us all; especially at the dinner table when we all eat together. It's really adorable. You say "Ma-ma" and even though you love your Daddy, you still have your Mommy's girl moments for me. It's really sweet. I can tell in your cry when all you want is for me and only I will do.

Your ability to chew and grind down your food while eating is emerging and developing because you've begun eating more chunky-type foods with success, and you are completely proficient with drinking out of your sippy cup without any help with holding it up. Some new foods that we've added to your menu include: farm fresh "hard fried" eggs (you can eat 1 whole egg in one sitting!), grass fed ground beef, small diced steak, small chicken chunks, carrot chunks, crunchy rice roller, avocado, soft biscuit, chocolate chip cookie (minus the chocolate) and very small amounts of raw milk butter for cooking your food.

It's amazing the progress you are now beginning to make with your food intolerances and sensitivities. There was a time I couldn't touch an egg, milk, butter, or nuts but you are slowly beginning to tolerate those foods. I'm sure the raw milk and raw milk butter is why you can tolerate it now. I'm so excited for you and for me. My waistline is already increasing with the addition of those foods back into my diet. Oy.

You experienced your first Christmas and got a race car walker. You and Briella equally share your enjoyment of that car and you have a constant grin, along with squeals of joy, when she pushes you in it. I can't say enough how much you adore Briella. The moment she comes around, you light up. You stare at her constantly and look for her. It's heartwarming to watch. You immediately figured out how to walk forward in your car walker. Your Daddy says you are going to be adventurous and you are already showing and proving that you are determined and independent with the way you figure things out so quickly.

This is probably a very unusual 'milestone' for most parents to document, but this is the first month that I was able to actually wash your crib bedding only once a week, like a normal laundry schedule, rather than daily as in all the previous months. You used to throw up in your crib constantly. You'd no sooner throw up right after new sheets were put on your bed. It got so bad that I would layer your crib with burp cloths just to help me get through half the day without washing your sheet, but then I was running out of burp cloths doing that. So, I gave up trying and I had to use some coupons for bed, bath, and beyond and buy you two more sets of sheets because I was constantly rotating the other two sets. It's been such an encouraging transformation to watch you go from projectile vomiting to, now, small pukes on most days, and if it's a really, really good day: just spit ups.

With that all being said, I believe the reason you are doing so well is that I have been coconut-free and banana free for well over a month and I can't help but wonder if coconut was more of your 'culprit' intolerance/allergy than some of the other stuff in my diet? The reason I say that is because I tried a dab of coconut oil in your squash on December 28th and you were puking constantly within an hour of eating it, you were up crying at 11:30 pm, couldn't sleep for hours that night and woke up with red dots all on your cheek the next day. Without the coconut, your cheek rash is completely gone and the projectile pukes seem to be a thing of the past? I sure hope so. Prior to that change, you were vomiting all of the time and your cheeks looked so red and painful like rug burn. It wasn't but a few days of eliminating those foods that your rash went from bright red, to pink, and a few more days it turned to flaky dryness, and then it was completely gone after almost 2 weeks of complete elimination. Your vomits were becoming quite concerning. I've since begun drinking raw milk, eating small amounts of raw milk butter, and eggs and you do 'okay' because you still have small pukes, but nothing alarming like before. It's all about balance and moderation with you, but it's only a few more months until I begin weaning you and start exclusively using freezer milk. My goal is to nurse you to your 10th month (you are only nursing exclusively from one side now) and then you can start having bottles until all of the freezer milk is gone.

What do you do when it's 70 Degrees on December 1st? Let's go to the zoo! I took you girls to the zoo and we had a LOT of fun. Gianna, you fell asleep in the car driving there and amazingly stayed asleep when I transferred you into the stroller for about halfway throughout the zoo. And, as always, you woke up very happy.

You fussed while falling asleep to take a nap and I looked in the monitor and you looked strange so I went into your room and this is how you fell asleep. I had to unlatch your hand off of your foot and rolled you over.

Matching Christmas outfits and headbands from Nonna. This was the picture I used for this year's Christmas card.

Grandma Clapp drove from Columbia, SC to deliver your Christmas gifts.

Briella, look at your goofy face. You are in a phase right now where you make some strange faces during pictures.

Gianna, you and me were playing together while Briella was staying with Nonna at her SC rental.

The following morning we took a trip to Whole Foods and did some more playing.

Briella, this is you and Nonna during that overnight with her. You both look so pretty.

Gianna, Nonna help me to take these pictures of you on a Sunday afternoon when she came over to visit us. You kept trying to lean forward and spring off of the chair. Your Dad and I had weighed you less than a week before taking these pictures so I figured I was correct in writing it down, but the day after when I took you to your 7 month check up and I found out we were totally wrong with the weight.

A sample meal: peas, lentils, and mashed potatoes with bone broth.

Christmas PJ's photo session before Roper Mountain Lights Excursion

Driving through Roper Mountain Lights Display. Briella, you absolutely loved it.

Uncle Nick loves his hugs from you, Gianna.

This was probably the last time you sat in your play center before we retired it. Here you were watching Psalty.

Gianna, I took you to your 7 month check up and you were practically angelic. The nurses had to measure and weigh you and kept saying, "This is when they usually cry" and you never cried once. You were stealing hearts all over the place during this visit.

Daddy was on a business trip so I was taking pictures of you at your appointment for him to see.

FaceTime with Daddy while he was on a trip.

Briella, this is your preschool Christmas party day. You looked so festive and beautiful. Can you believe you've been wearing this $4.99 thrift store jewel since you were 15 months old? It still fits you!

Papa found my most favorite "Glomer" from when they were moving out of their house in Ohio and brought it for both of you girls. Briella, you didn't care for it, but Gianna, you did.

Gianna, this is you about a week before you began to crawl. You would rock back and forth as though you were going to launch yourself forward. You were giving me the most adorable smiles and sweetest faces, as you can see.

An impromptu trip to the zoo right after church. Another fantastic, mild December day.

Gianna, this is a picture of you after crawling for the first time. This singing snowman and dog duo was your inspiration to crawl. It was such a great moment. Briella, you crawled for the first time in our bedroom in Knoxville, TN and Gianna, you crawled for the first time in our bedroom in Greenville, SC.

I don't think this picture requires a caption, but just in case, look at what Briella is grabbing for and then notice the faces after that. Poor Briella, you were sick in this picture. Look at how red your nose is and how glassy your eyes look.

Daddy and Gianna shopping date and Briella and Mommy shopping date day. Briella, you were SOOOO much fun to hang out with and you were so proud of the micro mini Vaseline that you got because your lips, nose, and mouth area was so chapped from your recent sinus infection that I wanted you to have your own Vaseline. You talked about that little Vaseline all day long.

Playing with each other on the kitchen floor while we prepared dinner.

Posing with Molly and Polly, the dogs that Harry and Valerie Maxwell got you for Christmas.

Gianna, this is you standing up at 7 1/2 months.

This was the first time we had seen Papa since Thanksgiving. Briella, you would not smile for these pictures.

Papa and Nonna gave us the best Christmas present with making hand print ornaments from both of your handprints. I love gifts that money can't buy. I will treasure those handprints for ever.

Briella, here you are hugging LouAnn, the leopard, that Uncle Jon and Aunt Rita sent for Gianna for Christmas. We've come to conclude that unless it's an animal, you don't really care much for dolls or toys. All you want and care about are animals.

Briella, you see your 'zippy' look on your face? That just about sums you up!

You girls are just too cute! Gianna, you reminded me of baby pictures of myself with the red bow in your hair and then look at how you laid down while we were watching Home Alone. You are too cute.

Christmas Eve morning with me. Gianna, you were up at 5:15 (your 'normal' wake up if you sleep through the night) and then Briella you were up at 7:20...Daddy was asleep. Lucky him.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service photo shoot. Gianna, your nap schedule was really off and you were hungry in these pictures so you weren't your usual smiley self.

I was feeding you and Nonna was taking pictures of you smiling.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Special Moments

Gianna, you fell asleep like a little angel. Briella, you loved holding the candle and you were extremely well behaved. This was a "kids stay in service" event so there were lots of kids screaming and crying and both you girls did fantastic, but truly, you always do well in church these days. We are blessed by that.