These are the hooligans that Scarlett hangs out with every Wednesday.
These are the kids that I blame for Scarlett being able to speak in sentences at a year and a half. These are the kids that I blame for Scarlett actually eating and enjoying nutritious foods (at least on Wednesdays). These are the kids that I blame for teaching Scarlett how to sit quietly in chapel. These are the kids that I blame for showing Scarlett how to be extremely silly. These are the kids that will always be a HUGE part of Scarlett's life and these are the kids that I will always be thankful for.
Chris and I could not be more grateful for this family and all that they have sacrificed for us and for Scarlett over the past two and a half years...seriously...babysitting EVERY Wednesday for the past two and a half years. Committed. Words will never ever be enough...thank you Kelly's for your love and support, we honestly could not have done it without you! Drinks on us...SOON!
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I challange you...
Jun 26, 2012
to a duel.
Chris is gone for an ENTIRE week (Saturday to Saturday) and it is ONLY Tuesday. Scarlett walked into our bedroom this morning (at 5:53AM) and noticing his side of the bed was empty asked "where's daddy?". My heart strings pulled as I explained to her for the fifteenth time that he is away and will be home soon...but not soon enough.
So in true "we miss you daddy" honor I post these pictures of Scarlett and Chris dueling with spaghetti noodles. Best 20 full minutes of laughter EVER.
P.S. Scarlett won the duel every time, and not because Chris wasn't trying...forget gymnastics we are getting this girl into fencing.
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Chris is gone for an ENTIRE week (Saturday to Saturday) and it is ONLY Tuesday. Scarlett walked into our bedroom this morning (at 5:53AM) and noticing his side of the bed was empty asked "where's daddy?". My heart strings pulled as I explained to her for the fifteenth time that he is away and will be home soon...but not soon enough.
So in true "we miss you daddy" honor I post these pictures of Scarlett and Chris dueling with spaghetti noodles. Best 20 full minutes of laughter EVER.
P.S. Scarlett won the duel every time, and not because Chris wasn't trying...forget gymnastics we are getting this girl into fencing.
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Potty training saga...
Jun 22, 2012
Two great potty training days in a row and then came yesterday. The first day of summer. We were off on a family trip to visit some friends in Murrieta when Scarlett refused to go potty before we got in the car. Absolutely freaked out. The freak out turned into a pee-pee accident and only furthered the crying and refusal to put on big girl undies. When we asked why she didn't want to put them on she said "she was afraid". I am so terrified of scaring Scarlett away from the original excitement of the potty that I butted in with my opinion that we just put her in a diaper and get going. Mommy fail number one: butting in when Chris was trying to prove a point. Scarlett was being unreasonable and as frustrating as it was for both Chris and I to try to calm her down, he was taking the patient parent approach and I took the "I give up, just do what she wants approach". We both got in the car in silence, knowing that I was frustrated and he was disappointed. I looked over at him and apologized for butting in, knowing that this battle was one worth fighting but I just gave up. I let my selfish desire for comfort and peace, however attained, overrule the parenting basics of teaching your kid that whining and crying does not get you what you want.
This is something that we are constantly trying to be aware of with Scarlett. I have little patience for her refusal to use her words when trying to communicate a need or want. She has been talking in sentences since she was a year and a half and by now she could practically write a book with her crazy, out of nowhere correct use of vocabulary. For her to point to something and say "uh, uh" and expect me to get it for her, unacceptable. So yesterday, when she completely lost her two year old mind and was unable to calm down after an hour of daddy's patient and persistent communication efforts, I broke our parenting rule and gave Scarlett a little glimpse at the victory of battle.
Once in Murrieta, we let the girls run around in the sun, naked, most of the day and Scarlett proceeded to pee in the potty three separate times. Although she won the "put my diaper on" battle and I moved down the authority totem pole one notch...the excitement of potty training still remains strong. And Chris and I have come to the conclusion that parenting is hard, but it can be easier if we just back eachother up and realize each new decision is going to be trial and error. All we can do is hope we are making the right decisions and that God's grace is with us as we battle through them. Here is to the power of prayer for the next 20 years of parenting life.
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This is something that we are constantly trying to be aware of with Scarlett. I have little patience for her refusal to use her words when trying to communicate a need or want. She has been talking in sentences since she was a year and a half and by now she could practically write a book with her crazy, out of nowhere correct use of vocabulary. For her to point to something and say "uh, uh" and expect me to get it for her, unacceptable. So yesterday, when she completely lost her two year old mind and was unable to calm down after an hour of daddy's patient and persistent communication efforts, I broke our parenting rule and gave Scarlett a little glimpse at the victory of battle.
Once in Murrieta, we let the girls run around in the sun, naked, most of the day and Scarlett proceeded to pee in the potty three separate times. Although she won the "put my diaper on" battle and I moved down the authority totem pole one notch...the excitement of potty training still remains strong. And Chris and I have come to the conclusion that parenting is hard, but it can be easier if we just back eachother up and realize each new decision is going to be trial and error. All we can do is hope we are making the right decisions and that God's grace is with us as we battle through them. Here is to the power of prayer for the next 20 years of parenting life.
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Bed time just got a whole lot worse...
Jun 21, 2012
Back in mid-May we decided to cut Scarlett off from her pacifier. We told her that we were going to round up all of the pacifiers and put them somewhere safe to give to her baby brother when he was ready for them. This worked well with the exception of a couple of break downs in which the pacifier was forcefully demanded and unfortunately declined. We powered through this stage of bed time comfort only to open the door to another. She immediately latched onto the "I need..." trick. "I need juice", "I need an animal", "I need another blanket" and eventually she landed on using our favorite of excuses, "I need something" (and sometimes "I need something from the living room"). After spending 20 minutes every night, stepping in and out of her room to pick things from around the house that we thought might pacify the "I need" drama, the "I need something" excuse was no longer going to fly with mom and dad. We liked it while it took the attention away from the lack of pacifier, but now bed time was becoming a 45 minute circus that was pushing us to the "what do you need" breaking point.
Now the dilemma began on how to break this demanding and time consuming habit that we allowed Scarlett to indulge. In true Chris and Andrea Becher form we decided to go cold turkey. We spent the first night talking to Scarlett and walking her through the expectations of the evening. Telling her that she can ask for one thing and then we would have to leave her to fall asleep on her own. For two nights this ended in serious screaming and crying and Chris falling asleep on her floor with his hand attached to her back for comfort. Not what we had in mind when we decided to go "cold turkey". So on night number three we did it. We let Scarlett scream. A type of scream we have never heard from her tiny mouth before. The type reserved for children with a severe injury, or deep troublesome nightmares. For an hour and a half we took turns picking her up and putting her back into bed after she wandered, screaming, into the living room to yell at us, "I will never sleep". She screamed "mommy, no" for a hour and I am sure that our neighbors thought there was something terribly wrong in our house. We kept looking at each other questioning our decision and asking "what do we do?". It was the first time since we took the cry it out method with Scarlett at 8 months old that we truly questioned our decision. The only difference was this was harder. The constant kicking, the fact that she could call out "no, momma" and "please stay", the slamming of her fists on the bed room door, the giant tears and chase from bed to living room, living room to bed. All of these things could be cured with a 30 second cuddle, but that 30 seconds would turn into a lifetime of habits.
With baby number two on the way Chris and I knew that a 45 minute to 1 hour bed time routine would no longer be an option. We made the decision to let Scarlett "cry it out" because we knew when she woke up in the morning there would be a smile on her face and a faint memory of the night before. That hour and a half battle would soon turn into 15 minutes and 15 minutes to instant understanding of what to expect at bedtime. We still spend 20 minutes brushing teeth, reading books, saying prayers and singing songs and these 20 minutes will never change. We chose to love Scarlett by guiding her habits. By talking to her and trying to reason with her 2 year old brain. We are still fighting the bed time battle, but every night is a little easier than the one before it. The fits are a little calmer and shorter in duration. We continue to give her hugs and put her gently into bed until her eyes finally shut and she drifts off to sleep, on her own. Just one more step on the journey to independence. Our little toddler is growing up.
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Now the dilemma began on how to break this demanding and time consuming habit that we allowed Scarlett to indulge. In true Chris and Andrea Becher form we decided to go cold turkey. We spent the first night talking to Scarlett and walking her through the expectations of the evening. Telling her that she can ask for one thing and then we would have to leave her to fall asleep on her own. For two nights this ended in serious screaming and crying and Chris falling asleep on her floor with his hand attached to her back for comfort. Not what we had in mind when we decided to go "cold turkey". So on night number three we did it. We let Scarlett scream. A type of scream we have never heard from her tiny mouth before. The type reserved for children with a severe injury, or deep troublesome nightmares. For an hour and a half we took turns picking her up and putting her back into bed after she wandered, screaming, into the living room to yell at us, "I will never sleep". She screamed "mommy, no" for a hour and I am sure that our neighbors thought there was something terribly wrong in our house. We kept looking at each other questioning our decision and asking "what do we do?". It was the first time since we took the cry it out method with Scarlett at 8 months old that we truly questioned our decision. The only difference was this was harder. The constant kicking, the fact that she could call out "no, momma" and "please stay", the slamming of her fists on the bed room door, the giant tears and chase from bed to living room, living room to bed. All of these things could be cured with a 30 second cuddle, but that 30 seconds would turn into a lifetime of habits.
With baby number two on the way Chris and I knew that a 45 minute to 1 hour bed time routine would no longer be an option. We made the decision to let Scarlett "cry it out" because we knew when she woke up in the morning there would be a smile on her face and a faint memory of the night before. That hour and a half battle would soon turn into 15 minutes and 15 minutes to instant understanding of what to expect at bedtime. We still spend 20 minutes brushing teeth, reading books, saying prayers and singing songs and these 20 minutes will never change. We chose to love Scarlett by guiding her habits. By talking to her and trying to reason with her 2 year old brain. We are still fighting the bed time battle, but every night is a little easier than the one before it. The fits are a little calmer and shorter in duration. We continue to give her hugs and put her gently into bed until her eyes finally shut and she drifts off to sleep, on her own. Just one more step on the journey to independence. Our little toddler is growing up.
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Yesterday...
Jun 20, 2012
Scarlett pooped (and peed) in the toilet. By herself! Just saying...big deal around these parts. (Especially after this extravaganza last year)
Also, this is probably too much information, but she was so funny talking about how big her poop was. This girl never ceases to crack me up.
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Also, this is probably too much information, but she was so funny talking about how big her poop was. This girl never ceases to crack me up.
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Movie Monday...
Jun 19, 2012
Legoland. I was so excited to take Scarlett to an amusement park this weekend with her cousins. Chris and Scarlett had a blast riding rides while I had a blast taking pictures from the pregnant woman sidelines.
Enjoy!
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Enjoy!
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The love of a father...
Jun 17, 2012
A father will fall asleep two nights in a row on the floor of your room just because you don't want him to leave.
A father will "make a splash" for your amusement.
A father will swim with you till your lips turn blue from the cold.
A father will let you cut his hair just to hear you laugh.
A father will play red light/green light while wearing a monkey hat because "these are the rules".
A father will dance, fly, work out and slide with you.
A father will carry you when you are afraid or just want to play.
A father will "pretend sleep" with you because it is your favorite game.
A father will chase all the monsters out of the house so you can go to bed at night.
A father will love you unconditionally, forever and ever.
Happy fathers day to the best father this family has ever seen. You truly are a wonderful leader, imagination machine, and supporter of dreams. Thank you for loving us every day whether we deserve it or not!
Love, your girls (and a swift kick to the bladder in agreement from baby boy Becher)
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A father will "make a splash" for your amusement.
A father will swim with you till your lips turn blue from the cold.
A father will let you cut his hair just to hear you laugh.
A father will play red light/green light while wearing a monkey hat because "these are the rules".
A father will dance, fly, work out and slide with you.
A father will carry you when you are afraid or just want to play.
A father will "pretend sleep" with you because it is your favorite game.
A father will chase all the monsters out of the house so you can go to bed at night.
A father will love you unconditionally, forever and ever.
Happy fathers day to the best father this family has ever seen. You truly are a wonderful leader, imagination machine, and supporter of dreams. Thank you for loving us every day whether we deserve it or not!
Love, your girls (and a swift kick to the bladder in agreement from baby boy Becher)
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You know it is summer time when...
Jun 12, 2012
Scarlett wants to swim EVERY day...and daddy is home to take her...
We bring out the flip flops...
and realize that Scarlett is finally old enough to "swim" on her own.
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We bring out the flip flops...
and realize that Scarlett is finally old enough to "swim" on her own.
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Girly girl...
Jun 8, 2012
Chris has done a pretty good job "toughening" up Scarlett. He throws her in the air, wrestles her to the ground and tackles her during a friendly game of hide and seek. She laughs endlessly when she is with him. At 2 1/2 I have noticed that Scarlett plays really well with boys and gets easily frustrated with girls. She is bossy and tough and prefers playing in the dirt over playing dress up. I love this about her. I love that she is a little fire cracker. That she has opinions and is not afraid to push back against a big boy bully. But I also love when I see the girly side of her. Ever since hearing about her new sibling she has turned into the biggest mother hen and the little girl in her has been awakened. She wraps up her dolls and holds them close and tells them "it is okay". She asks me for pony tails and wants to play dress up. I don't know if she is unknowingly preparing herself for the upcoming burst of testosterone in our household, but I am loving it.
Dressing up in her dress from the great grandparents.
Enjoying a makeover from her older cousins Kristine and Sarah...nail polish, hair braided and some lip gloss. She looks so old. P.S. I can NEVER get her to smile for a picture...I don't know how these girls did it?
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Dressing up in her dress from the great grandparents.
Enjoying a makeover from her older cousins Kristine and Sarah...nail polish, hair braided and some lip gloss. She looks so old. P.S. I can NEVER get her to smile for a picture...I don't know how these girls did it?
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A little kick start...
Jun 7, 2012
Laying on the table waiting to hear that we were having a tiny baby boy was so exciting...and watching his little body wiggle endlessly was overwhelming. I teared up watching him twist and turn and for the first time during this pregnancy it was starting to feel real, and not just "I am so sick, why is this happening" real. I was again surprised to think about a tiny human, with a soul, moving and kicking inside of me. A child that would someday be in the open air, a child with thoughts, feelings, emotions and opinions. A child.
As I sit at my desk and write this post I imagine his tiny face and even tinier hands and feet that will some day run out of room in my extremely short torso and start kicking my ribs and bladder. Today I am enjoying the first little movements that take me by surprise, a tiny kick that reminds me he is still there. I felt these for the first time this morning and can not wait till I can share the movement with Chris and Scarlett. Every day I grow, he grows and our family grows. Kick away baby boy. Remind me of the miracle of your life and the joy of a growing family.
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As I sit at my desk and write this post I imagine his tiny face and even tinier hands and feet that will some day run out of room in my extremely short torso and start kicking my ribs and bladder. Today I am enjoying the first little movements that take me by surprise, a tiny kick that reminds me he is still there. I felt these for the first time this morning and can not wait till I can share the movement with Chris and Scarlett. Every day I grow, he grows and our family grows. Kick away baby boy. Remind me of the miracle of your life and the joy of a growing family.
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Baby Becher is a...
Jun 6, 2012
I know this picture is totally inappropriate...but since most people have no idea what they are looking at any way I will ignore the fact that his private parts are in plain view.
I will also admit that as much as I was trying not to have a preference towards a boy or a girl, I was really hoping for a boy. Even out the playing field in our family and give Chris a little mini me to wrestle on the daily. Also, this way I might be able to convince Chris that we should be done having kids...aka I should be done carrying them. As much as I LOVE the outcome of pregnancy the whole nine months leading up to the outcome I could definitely do with out. But, with that said, I still realize that Chris and I are so blessed. Blessed to be able to have children, blessed to be able to carry them and blessed to love them every second of their existence (in the womb and out of it).
Hooray for baby boy Becher...now on to picking a name...any suggestions?
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