Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate

Thu Feb 29 2024 19:37 Evolvtion:

One of my favorite mispronunciations is Arthur and Sienna saying “evolvtion” instead of evolution, with reference to Pokemon.

Quotes Sienna Arthur

Fri Dec 02 2022 07:36 Well Visits:

The younger three went in for a well visit. Arthur is the heaviest of any of our kids ever.

Arthur (7): 49 pounds (41%), 4’2” (83%)
Sienna (10): 59 pounds (12%), 4’8” (75%)
Dalton (13): 85 pounds (16%), 5’3” (61%)

Dalton Sienna Arthur

Tue Oct 25 2022 09:41 Cheer Camp:

I signed Sienna up for a cheer camp at the high school, much to her dismay. We knew she would totally love it, and we were right, even though she complained and didn't want to go and insisted she wasn't going to do the associated cheering at the football game. Maggie, John, Addy and I went to the football game to see her cheer and to watch the band half-time show. It was a lot of fun, and we weren't sad to leave after halftime.

Sun May 22 2022 20:08 Piano Recital:

The older three kids had their spring piano recital this evening. Maggie played a beautiful (and long) rendition of Moonlight Sonata. They are the most advanced student their teacher has, so their performance really stood out. Dalton played Habanera and Maple Leaf Rag, also very skilled. Sienna did two songs from her lesson book, and played them each really well.

We also opted for the inaugural city Pride event instead of church this morning. It was small, but fun. Came home with stickers, flags, bracelets, and bellies full of donuts.

Maggie Dalton Sienna

Mon Feb 14 2022 20:17 Impressive:

Sienna on why she no longer eats the crust of her sandwich to save the best middle bite for last: I’m at the grade now where I try to impress people.

Sat Dec 25 2021 20:24 Pacific:

Sienna says “pacific” instead of specific. “A pacific amount of time.”

Mon Nov 01 2021 20:05 Rage:

I turned on some holiday music today, but in the middle of the first song, Sienna asked me why all the good people (Santa, Jesus) are men. So I had to turn it off to rage against the patriarchy. I went with “God is not male” and “men wrote history and left out the important women” and told her about a couple important women in history.

Parenting Sienna

Sat Sep 25 2021 11:04 Sienna Talks:

I had a zoom meeting this week, graduating Sienna from speech therapy (for sh, ch, and j sounds). The teacher asked me to stay on after and do her parent teacher conference really quick. Basically, she enthused about how Sienna always had something to contribute and that it was valuable, and was just so fun and the best, and she needs to work on subtraction facts, and then she detailed entire conversation about Sienna’s hair that had occurred one day after school when I had fixed it in pigtail braids.

Wed Aug 25 2021 21:26 President Chadwick:

Sienna saw a thank you card for John, from the CalCPA admin and said “President? Dad isn’t president!” And then “Chapter?!?“

Tue Jun 08 2021 07:34:

Dalton and Sienna’s sort of yearly well visits at 8.5 and 11.5 Dalton was 70 pounds, 58 inches. Sienna was 51 pounds, 52 inches.

Sun May 16 2021 10:17 Cheetah Girl:

Sienna: I know you are, but what am I?
Arthur: A cheetah.
Sienna: Yeah!

Quotes Sienna Arthur

Fri Apr 30 2021 21:12 Jealous?:

Today at school, Sienna made a speech fan and her friends were embarrassed because they were hot too.

Wed Mar 03 2021 03:00 Salad and Wolves:

Walking to school yesterday, Sienna told me all about a game she was playing outside with a neighbor. They made tiny food out of leaves, flowers etc. it was bowls of salad because they were “cool kids.” And their scooters were motorcycles and they ran away whenever the police tried to stop them from going so fast.

Also on the way to school she said, “is that a wolf?” Luckily, it was a coyote. Unluckily, we had Wally with us, but soon enough some people on bikes came and verified it had run off.

Tue Jan 12 2021 21:11 Glitter on the Highway:

Sienna to Arthur: it’s not that I don’t like Gibson. I love him. I’m going to marry him unless something else comes up.
She then started singing Achy Breaky Heart, followed by Love Shack, songs she apparently learned through Go Noodle.

Except. Sienna has been working with a speech therapist to overcome her pronunciation of the “sh” sound - it comes out “s.” So she was singing “Love Sac” over and over and I couldn’t stop laughing. Honestly, I don’t even hear her mispronunciations, but that one was loud and clear.

Sat Jan 02 2021 16:32 Sprinkles and Perfume:

Sienna and her friend wanted to make perfume during their play date. They needed another little container, so I emptied out a nearly empty sprinkles container into their cupped hands, and they gobbled them up, then went outside to collect flowers. They found lots of “beautiful smelling” flowers, including “lavender”, added a little water and, voila! Perfume!

Tue Dec 29 2020 17:24 Nune:

I asked Sienna if she wanted a bath or a shower and she spelled “N U N E.”

Sat Dec 12 2020 15:49 Francer:

I was just reading some old Sienna blog posts to her and we saw this one about the Very Real Reindeer And remembered she and I just had an argument on the way to gymnastics on Monday about whether or not there was a reindeer named Francer.

Sat Dec 12 2020 15:44 12/12 Covid Baptism:

Sienna was baptized this morning. In California purple tier, religious gatherings are allowed outdoors, so our options were the ocean, or the bishop’s hot tub. John, having baptized in the ocean previously, was not at all sad about the hot tub choice. We had our best friends there, and Sienna’s little neighbor friend and her mom, and the Bishop. That was it. The hot tub was a big in ground one, and the water went up to her chin. After the confirmation we had temple sugar cookies, and that’s it. No fancy talks or anything, but it was a memorable experience.

Sun Sep 06 2020 19:25 Sienna Seal:

Sienna’s gymnastics coach told her she is super flexible because she can put her head on her feet in a seal stretch.

Sienna talks nonstop.

Sun Aug 23 2020 09:26 More Awesomeness:

We went to Snowbird again on our second Utah trip this summer. We brought our nephew Franco with us. This time the tunnel was open so we took the lift up and walked through the tunnel and hiked around among the wildflowers a bit. We handed out chocolate-frosted peanut butter rice krispie treats and while hiking around and having our snack, I heard Sienna say to her cousin, "Aren't my parents awesome??"

Fri Jul 31 2020 19:17 It’s Complicated:

Sienna: Gib, we can get married. If you don’t move far away. I think people get married when they’re twenty. So in 7 years Maggie will get married.

Unrelatedly, Gibson has been calling her “Sis.”

Thu Jul 30 2020 08:34 Awesome:

Sienna: I wish we had an awesome house. We already have an awesome family, now we just need an awesome house.

(She was watching Barbie.)

Thu Jul 16 2020 10:26 Halloween Camp/Fun Mom:

On the way to gymnastics camp this morning, Sienna and Arthur begged me to stay and watch them. I didn’t have anything urgent to do, so I finally relented. I watched them for about 20 minutes, from the floor so they could run and tell me what they were doing between activities (it was free play). I heard another girl begging her mom to stay and watch but the mom had to go to work, and then I felt glad I had decided to watch them. It was Halloween day in their holiday themed camp, and Sienna wore a top short tinkerbell costume, and Arthur was a Star Destroyer.

Parenting Sienna Arthur

Sat Mar 07 2020 19:12 Fashion Sense:

John, picking out birthday presents for Maggie with the other kids, asks Sienna’s opinion on some clothes.
Dad, I can’t help you with this. I do not understand Maggie’s fashion sense.

Fri Mar 06 2020 06:38 Too Cool:

Mom I used to be a nice and friendly girl, but now I’m turning into a cool girl. Sometimes when you grow up that happens.

Sienna is definitely the coolest person in our family.

Tue Feb 25 2020 15:53 Penguins:

Sienna just launched into a scientific lecture about penguins, except she was saying “pain ones” and I seriously didn’t know what she was talking about for a minute.

Wed Feb 12 2020 18:20 Bath Time:

I’m not sure what is happening in the bath, but it’s extremely loud, Arthur keeps fake crying, and Sienna keeps yelling “for humanity!” and “not in my town!”

Quotes Sienna Arthur

Fri Jan 31 2020 07:21 No Treat Nen:

Since we’re doing no treats, I can’t have marshmallow cereal, and French toasties and daddy toast are kind of treats. So i guess I have to have a poptart for breakfast!

I let her have a poptart, because I’m trying to get rid of them. Also we’re on the tail end of a spending freeze and don’t have much else to eat.

Tue Jan 07 2020 16:40 DP:

Sienna has started calling Kringle “DP”. It stands for Donut Pizza because Kringle is a pastry and it’s shaped in a ring and therefore, vaguely, pizza. She’s been determined about it, though, so it’s hilariously stuck.

Sun Jan 05 2020 16:58 Being 7:

Sienna's biggest problem in life is that she can't decide between being a horse, a dog, or a cat.

(1) Mon Dec 09 2019 09:30 Mind Your Cs and Ks:

Sienna says “chey kain” instead of key chain. Also, there’s a few pairs of socks wrapped under the Christmas tree for her, and she’s convinced it’s chee canes.

Fri Dec 06 2019 08:26 Christmas List of Very Real Reindeer:

Me: Sienna what do you want for Christmas?

Sienna: Some of the kids in my class said Santa isn’t real, but I said obviously Blancer, Plancer, Dancer and Pancer are real. It’s a deer with horns. Of course it’s real.

Me: What.

Sun Dec 01 2019 17:13 Break Time:

A sweet lady in our ward took Maggie and Sienna to see Frozen 2 with her. They loved it, and it was a fun special thing for them to do.

Sienna, earlier that day said: Good thing shows have breaks in them.

Because apparently the last thing she saw in a theater was Aladdin, the Broadway musical.

Tue Nov 26 2019 06:50 Supervising:

I’ve heard Sienna use the word “supervising” twice this week. I think she meant improvising, coming up with a new way of getting something done, but it was adorable. I am loving watching her learn how to read.

Sun Nov 24 2019 18:15 The Fun One:

I’m on my way out the door to a church meeting.
Sienna: Is just you going?
Me: Yes.
Sienna: Good. I want the fun one to stay home.
Aka Dad, the fun parent. She went on to explain that she didn’t mean to hurt my feelings, but dad gives her treats. Indeed.

Thu Nov 21 2019 15:01 Sienna is Seven:

Sienna turned seven this week. She likes TsumTsum, her favorite princess is Belle, her favorite ride at Disneyland is the Incredicoaster (which she’s been on twice), she suddenly insists she doesn’t like peanut butter. She’s as spunky as ever. She hates practicing piano and it’s like pulling teeth to get her to sit and do it. Speaking of putting teeth, she finally lost her two extra front shark teeth when Uncle Franco pulled them both out at the pool one night when they were visiting. First grade, however, is my favorite because I love watching my kids learn how to read. She is learning very fast now that she’s in first grade, reading sight words fluently, and picking through short books pretty well. She fights with pretty much everyone in the family, but she’s also sweet and thoughtful. She only wears dresses and gets annoyed if I talk her into pants for hiking, or being out when it’s cold. She is obsessed with the hatchimals and the pogo stick she got for her birthday.

Sun Nov 17 2019 20:41 Conquer:

Sienna somewhere picked up the phrase "conquering her fears" and uses it (appropriately) all the time. Recently I heard her tell a friend, "Once I get my own dog, I can conquer my fears alone. In my room."

Sat Nov 16 2019 18:47 Double Birthday:

Sometimes John has good ideas like “you should go on a girls trip with your friends” and “we should throw a party for both Sienna and Arthur at the park with a bounce house and invite all their friends.” So we did. The bounce house was actually pretty cheap - certainly cheaper than going to a play, and we could invite as many people as we wanted. So we invited all their friends, and all their siblings and ordered pizza and made two cakes.

Arthur wanted a Star Wars cake - he wanted a Star Tours ship on top of it. Lo and behold, apparently that’s a thing. I got an overpriced Starspeeder 1000 and a Millennium Falcon diecast on Amazon. Then I dyed chocolate frosting black, and drew white lines on the cake to make it look like lightspeed. He loves the new spaceship toys.

Sienna wanted Jasmine cake. We agreed on teal rose cupcakes and purple cupcakes with gold star sprinkles. Turned out super cute. I also made her a last minute Jasmine dress because she threatened to wear her pajamas to the park. And Tressa made her a cute Jasmine bow to match.

The party was just bounce house, park, pinata (bye bye Halloween candy), pizza, and cake. Perfect.

Mon Oct 28 2019 13:02 Shark Teeth:

Sienna has finally lost her first two teeth. She's had shark teeth on the bottom front for several months, and she worked up the courage to let Uncle Franco pull them out. We were, ironically, at the pool, having a fun family night swim, where Maggie lost a tooth at a swim meet this summer.

Sienna is now following up on every bribe I ever offered her to get those teeth out. Also, I told her she couldn't have candy until her teeth came out and she countered with no ipad. And then went without her ipad for a month.

Sat Aug 31 2019 07:08 Marshmallows:

Two funny, unrelated Sienna quotes about marshmallow roasting.

7/5/19 at the cabin
Sienna talking to herself about best way to roast marshmallows:
Oh well. Potato, po-tah-to. Or should I say, marshmallow, marshmallow roast.

Being nervous about going to Hero Camp:
It’s just that I’ve never been camping, and I’m still learning how to roast marshmallows, and I won’t remember my lines.

Sat Mar 16 2019 07:44 Butterfly Migration:

The Painted Lady butterfly migration is coming through our area this year, maybe due to the tons of rain we’ve gotten, making more wildflower. The first time we watched them Sienna said “maybe they’re hibernating!”

Mon Feb 25 2019 12:38 Truth or Dare:

We’re playing truth or dare. Sienna has asked me “have you ever been on a bike?” And “have you ever escaped from jail?”

Tue Feb 12 2019 08:06 Mom Skills:

Sienna announced on the way to school that she’d forgotten her backpack. She’s in kindergarten, so this was hardly a life or death homework situation, but she does need a snack. So, she and the neighbor hunted around for a ziplock bag (in the car for motion sickness purposes) while I got out a fruit snacks and applesauce from my massive car snack storage. As I was emptying wipes out of the bag the neighbor found, Sienna said “I found a baggie with my name on it.” Well then. Snack in a labeled bag, packed on the way to school. Done.

Parenting Sienna

Sat Jan 26 2019 14:43 I’m Olden:

Sienna:
Mom, are you from the 90s or the olden days?

And: Did they have deal or no deal in the olden days? When you were a kid?

Fri Jan 11 2019 07:37 All the Dogs:

Sienna: that’s a chihuahua!
Man walking dog: she’s so smart!
Sienna: I know all the kinds of dogs. Chihuahua, puppies, regular dogs, Dalmatians. That’s all the kinds of dogs.

Mon Jan 07 2019 08:57 Pita Show:

Maggie has been reading The Hunger Games and got the movies for Christmas, so we watched the first three over winter break. Sienna loved them and was begging for more "Peeta Show" all the time. I can never tell with that girl; she refused to watch The Addams Family with us because of the disembodied hand on the cover.

Books Maggie Sienna

Fri Dec 28 2018 10:02 Awember:

A couple of Sienna-isms. She says awember for remember and wumber for number. The other day I heard her telling a friend in the car “do you have a wumber 6?” And her friend said “what’s a wumber?”

Tue Dec 18 2018 11:38 The Box Nest:

Sienna has been sleeping in a large cardboard box for two months now. Today I cleaned it out to wash her blankets and found:

3 blankets
1 pillow
9 toys
5 pieces of trash
18 stuffed animals

Mon Dec 10 2018 14:43 Sienna, Age 6:

Sienna and Arthur both had their check-ups today (just coincidentally the day I got around to writing about Dalton's). Sienna is 38 pounds (10%) and 46 inches (65%). She couldn't remember what grade she was in to tell the doctor. She also struggled a little with the vision test (Possibly because Arthur was interrupting with the correct answers). But she still passed, 20/25.

Sat Dec 01 2018 21:44 Set Ups:

The kids call an arrangement of toys to play with “a set up.” For example, Maggie and Sienna made a set up of TsumTsum to play with, and add the new ones from the advent calendar.

Sun Nov 25 2018 11:06:

I subbed Sienna’s primary class today. In sharing time, she went up to pick a paper and when the teacher asked “do you hear the Sacrament prayers every week?” She answered “nope!”

Sat Nov 17 2018 20:11 Javier:

Sienna, watching live action Beauty and the Beast: this Javier scares me a little bit. (Lumiere.)

Thu Nov 08 2018 15:55 Spiteful Christmas Music:

I turned on some Christmas music in the car to spite my “but it’s Novemebr 8! Why are the Christmas movies out?” kids. Sienna asks, “I wonder what Santa will look like this year”, remembering that “last year he had dark skin.”

Tue Nov 06 2018 16:14 Tree Beard:

Probably every kid does this, but Sienna calls root beer “root beard” and it’s adorable.

Mon Nov 05 2018 12:41 Arfor:

After 3 years, Sienna has started saying “Arfor” instead of “Arsor”.

Sat Oct 20 2018 08:33 Illegal Sushi:

One of Sienna’s favorite lines to quote is “Sushi? Who said anything about sushi?” From Monsters, Inc. And she likes to throw in different words. The other day, as we prepared to jaywalk, she yelled “Illegal? Who said anything about illegal?”

Thu Oct 11 2018 15:54 Spoiled Friend:

My little kids really love The Sound of Silence from the Trolls movie. With the creepy forest creatures singing in the background. Except Sienna insists it’s “hello darkness, spoiled friend”.

Fri Aug 24 2018 08:41 Kinder Girl:

Sienna started kindergarten yesterday like no big deal. She is perfectly happy to be there and basically knows the drill because of TK. She has church friends and TK friends in her class, and the other am class, so she sees them on the playground. Here’s to a great kinder year!

Sun Aug 19 2018 09:07:

The kids had a movie night with the babysitter and watched Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Sienna, on Leia not dying: That’s Heavenly Father helping her.

Fri Aug 17 2018 08:38 Olaf:

Sienna brought me a stack of red and black checkers.

I made an Olaf!
What’s an Olaf?
Olaf!
How is that an Olaf?
Like a black food thing I put on my fingers.
Oh, an olive.

I don’t get how that’s an olive either, but whatever.

Thu Aug 16 2018 08:45 That Kind of Family:

Sienna: We’re that kind of family who takes hikes and scooter rides. We’re also that kind of family that likes candy.

Wed Aug 15 2018 21:40 Back in the Saddle:

After over a year of being frightened of the ocean, Sienna has gotten over it. Last week at the beach, she was having tons of fun in the waves within gibson. This week, she hopped right in. We only spent ten minutes at the beach but she was loving it. Ironically, we were at Crystal Cove, which is where she was tossed by a wave last mother’s day, starting her fear. She remembered walking to the beach through the tunnel but didn’t mention her fear at all today. I’m glad she’s over it; the beach is fun.

Sun Jul 29 2018 07:58 Not It!:

Sienna on scootering to get lunch with dad: 1 2 3 not it!

Our kids are lazy bums.

Fri Jul 13 2018 09:22 One Summer Goal Checked:

I was cleaning the garage when I heard Sienna yell “mom, I’m doing it!” from the driveway. Apparently she got out her bike and decided to ride it. Just like that.

Sat Jun 30 2018 17:56 Port-a-Pot:

Sienna reading the signs on the porta-potties at Cub Scout camp: this one is for boys, this one is for girls, and this one is for grandpas (wheelchairs)

Tue Apr 17 2018 20:30 We Need Its Energy:

Sienna’s favorite planet is the sun, because without it, we wouldn’t have iPads.

Mon Apr 09 2018 16:08 John’s New Car has XM Radio:

Sienna: I wish we still had that kitty. Jellybean. (She has a photo of jellybean, she’s obsessed with.)
Me: Jellybean died a long time ago.
Sienna: Did she die in the 80s?

Sat Apr 07 2018 20:56 NYC Pizza:

John: New York has all the best food.

Sienna: You mean like cheesy noodles, and pizza?!?

Sat Mar 31 2018 18:38 Healthy!:

Arthur spies Sienna’s ring pop: treat!
Sienna: this is healthy
Dalton: no it’s not
Sienna: but it’s green apple flavor
Arthur comes to me whining: healthy! Healthy!

Quotes Sienna Arthur

Sat Mar 31 2018 18:34 Lollipops and Stickers:

Sienna’s school book fair has a poster board full of dum dums. You can pick one for a quarter and some have prizes. I had a dollar, so we had two extra quarters. We gave one to Sienna’s little friend, and then convinced a new Japanese kid in their class (who barely speaks English) to take the other. The next day, she brought a little thank you note on origami paper and a little set of hello kitty stickers for Sienna. Sweet little exchange.

Sat Dec 16 2017 17:34 Potato, Potato:

Sienna: This fry that I got looks like this on the back.
Me: That’s a potato skin.
Sienna: It got a potato skin on it?
Me: French fries are made out of potatoes.
Sienna: I did not know that. Can I eat it?

Fri Dec 08 2017 14:01 November Babies:

Arthur and Sienna had 2 and 5 year old check ups today. Sienna is 34 lb (11%) and 43” (62”). Arthur is 25 lb (15%) and 34” (44%).

Wed Nov 15 2017 08:26 Stuff Sienna’s Been Playing With:

Sienna likes to play with random stuff. And by “random stuff” I mean “trash”.

Envelope for a card I tried to mail. I had to get a new one.
Garbage pick up bill for our house in Utah.
Halloween card from grandma and grandpa.
Thank you card from a birthday party she went to. This is her “computer” (laptop).
Cardboard boxes. She begs to keep every one that enters our house.

Mon Sep 25 2017 20:10 Play Time:

Today for her sharing day, Sienna was supposed to bring something she found on a nature walk. She shared some fluffy grass stuff she and John found at the park. She was very proud of it.

After school she was throwing around words like "pollination" and "harvest" and telling me how the white part of the apple she was eating is called the flesh.

I am loving her TK class and the emphases on playing and learning through play and real life, rather than worksheets.

We've been playing lots of games together. My Little Pony memory and Sophia the First Spot It, etc. I get to witness her learning through play first hand, and it's marvelous.

Fri Sep 15 2017 17:18 101 Picnics:

Sienna's favorite thing to do when she gets home from school is have a picnic lunch in the living room while watching a movie. Picnic just means she has to eat on a blanket so she doesn't make a mess. Today she brought home a 101 Dalmatian book from the school library, so we read that, then watched the movie while she had her picnic lunch. She had two bowls of pasta with red sauce and Parmesan, almost an entire package of blueberries, a string cheese, and a package of fruit snacks.

Tue Sep 12 2017 18:18 Duty and Honor:

Me: Want to go put these clothes in the laundry basket for me?

Sienna: That would be an honor!

Thu May 11 2017 07:14 Morning Snuggle:

Me with Arthur's toes: Is this my breakfast? It's so tasty!
Sienna: No! It has eyeballs!

So apparently I can't nibble on Arthur, because he has eyeballs. Haha.

Tue May 09 2017 07:04 Sofia:

Sienna has what one might call an imaginary friend. Her name is Sofia. She "only comes out for one day" but she seems to be here more lately. Sofia eats invisible food (whew) and sometimes has a bed made up for her, next to Sienna. When we play games, Sofia gets a turn. She sits in the seat next to Sienna in the car, unless Maggie is there. She likes to play outside with Sienna during the day when I'm cleaning the garage (this month's decluttering challenge).

Tue Apr 04 2017 21:56 She's Just Saying What Everyone's Thinking:

Sienna: But Dad just went to work yesterday!

Mon Mar 13 2017 22:04 Sunny Sienna:

Sienna is so fun. She is always doing and saying silly 4 year old things that make me laugh. This afternoon, we went through the Taco Bell drive they to get Maggie some dinner before gymnastics. The same 16 year old white kid as previous weeks was there. Sienna tells from the back seat "he doesn't speak English!" She thinks English is any language she doesn't understand.

One thing I don't like about Sienna is how she follows Arthur around bothering him all day. John commented that in all the pictures he takes of the kids, she is touching him. He is taking her to Utah this week, and I think it will be a nice break for Arthur. But she does make me laugh.

Wed Mar 08 2017 21:02 A Tiss and a Hug:

Sienna loves to give people a kiss ("tiss") and a hug when they leave, or take a nap. Sometimes she is too late, so she invented something where she stands with her arms wide. A hug for when they've already left. She calls this a "benis."

Wed Mar 01 2017 07:57 Cookie Monster:

John heard noises in the night so he went out and found Sienna putting around and getting back in bed, as she sometimes does. He bent down to give her a kiss and discovered cookie crumbs all over her pillow. The girl who ate no dinner got up in the middle of the night to eat a lofthouse cookie.

Mon Feb 27 2017 11:18 Forenose:

Sienna: mom! Look what happened to my four nose!
Your what?
Sienna: my four nose! (Points to spot between forehead and nose.)

Can't stop laughing.

Wed Feb 15 2017 12:44 Hard Worker:

I told Sienna to get her shoes on for gymnastics and I heard her muttering "ugh, why do I have to work so hard like Tiana?"

She found a fold over elastic headband and has been wearing it around her waist as a "tool belt" day and night for over a month now. It's adorable, and hilarious. It was originally to hold her Handy Manny tools, but she also wears it to reference Chico Bon Bon: Monkey With a Toolbelt. My favorite is today she wore it over her leotard and tights to gymnastics and looked very much like a tiny Jane Fonda.

Mon Feb 06 2017 10:03 Maggie's Testimony:

I was home from church yesterday with sick Dalton, so John took the girls and they sat with our usual helpful family. Apparently Maggie decided to bear her testimony, and take Sienna up with her.

She told me she said "Hello, Brothers and Sisters. My name is Maggie and I want to bear my testimony. I know the church is true, and we should pass off Articles of Faith, not to get candy, but to learn the gospel." And then she helped Sienna say the First Article of Faith.

I told Maggie to take Sienna to Primary and help her pass off her First Article of Faith, but she says she didn't misunderstand, she just felt like doing it.

Fri Jan 13 2017 21:36 Scoot a Scoop:

Sienna says "scoop" instead of "scoot." Let me scoop my blanket over. Not entirely off-base I guess.

She has discovered mom will peel apples for her (to avoid peels all over the house). She only likes "up" apples, which I think means not the core.

We recently set up the little IKEA play tent in her room. After two nights of having the camping tent in our living room. Sienna slept in the tent for over a week, I think, until I put it away. It was fun to read a bedtime story in there with her, and Arthur liked it as well.

Thu Dec 29 2016 20:22 A Tiss and a Hug:

Sienna likes to give people a kiss ("Tiss") and a Hug when they leave. Sometimes she is too late, so she invented a faraway hug where she stands with her arms open. She calls this a "benis."

She also says "waybe" (maybe).

Thu Nov 10 2016 12:08 Habits:

Sienna has developed a nervous tic. Except it's the other kind of nervous (not nervous system) and it's more of a tick tock than a tic. She makes a clicking sound when she's nervous, like talking to an adult, meeting a character at Disneyland, or speaking in front of people - she did it at the primary program after saying her part! It was funny and also really cute.

Lately she's been sighing as she breathes. Taking constant big deep breaths for no reason. The internet has convinced me it's just a habit and she'll grow out of it, just as Maggie did with throats clearing a few months ago.

Sun Oct 30 2016 20:21 Caramel Pie:

Sienna thought the process of pumpkin carving very curious. The whole time John was scooping out the innards, she kept asking "are you making caramel pie?" over and over.

Sun Oct 23 2016 19:02 Feetie Nen:

Watching Sienna put her feetie pajamas on may have been the highlight of my day. There was a lot of turning around, and an adorable face plant at the end.

The primary program was also today. I was surprised how well Sienna did since she refused to even go up for Mother's Day and Father's Day. She sang some of the songs and sat relatively still. She even went up and did her part, with a nervous "tick tock" sound of her tongue at the end. It was adorable and hilarious.

Sun Sep 18 2016 22:02 Jack, the Pumpkin Pie:

Sienna watched The Nightmare Before Christmas today and sang "Christmas Everybody sing to the pumpkin pie!"

Tue Sep 13 2016 18:46:

Sienna, singing Let it Go: The frozen crackers all the way down!

Actual lyrics: spiraling in frozen fractals all around.

Sat Sep 03 2016 08:00 Too Splash:

More Sienna Zootopia funnies.

She went on Splash Mountain with John for the first time yesterday (yay 40 inches!). She said it was "too splash" and now she is telling me about how Judy Hopps (the rabbit character from Zootopia) was stuck. Also, she calls her "Hopps Hopps" ("Officer" Hopps).

Thu Sep 01 2016 12:39 Little Hustler:

John quoting Nick Wilde in Zootopia: "It's called a hustle, sweetheart!"
Sienna: Don't call me Hustle!

Mon Aug 01 2016 20:41 Sienna's Going to Be a Great Mom:

Mom, can I watch a show?Mom can I watch a show?Mom can I watch a show? how many time do I have to tell you can I watch a show?"

And then two minutes later "I heard you the first time!"

Mon May 16 2016 08:47 That Sounds Nice:

Sienna: where am I going today?
We have swim lessons later.
Sienna (wandering out of the room): I think I'm not going to cry about it today.

Mon May 09 2016 10:26 Queen of Pigs:

Sienna and John have dumped out my piggy bank full of international coins

50 pence! That's Peppa Pig money.
...I don't see Peppa Pig.

Wed Apr 13 2016 15:49 Rhetorical Road Rage:

Me: Do I have a sign on the front of my car that says "will brake for idiots?"
Sienna: No.

Tue Mar 22 2016 16:56 Silly Sienna:

Sienna is in one of my favorite stages, where kids say the most ridiculous things, and make up words. Here are just a few of hers.

Acidy (actually) - she acidy uses this correctly.
Tasey tisses - Crazy Kisses is lots of kisses all over.
No pahbem - no problem, instead of "you're welcome"

She says her best "sfwends" are Preston and Aubrey, and she really likes to watch random stuff on YouTube.

Me: You're watching Caillou in Spanish.
John: She's learning! She watched Snoopy come Home in German
Me: Do you speak German?
Sienna: No! I speak Preston!

When she tries to explain stuff to me she says, "I'm talking about..." Probably because I say, "I don't know what you're talking about" a little too much.

"5 weeks ago" is how long ago anything happened.

Mon Feb 29 2016 09:53 Sienna Takes Off Her Socks:

There's spider web in my toes. Who do that? That's so funny, Mom!

Tue Dec 15 2015 10:11 Why and Because:

Sienna is a little confused about the why and how of things. If you ask her why she is doing something, she'll repeat that she's doing it, as an explanation. Like so.

Why are you wet?
Because I'm all wet!

Why are your pants inside out?
Because they're inside out!

Why did the bear eat all the muffins?
Because he ate all the muffins.

You get the idea.

Animals Quotes Sienna

Thu Nov 19 2015 09:08 Sienna's 3rd Birthday Interview:

I was cleaning out my desk today and found a birthday interview. I figured I'd try it with Sienna since it's actually her birthday.

Favorite person in the whole world: Grandma
Favorite color: Anna and Elsa (That's not a color: Purple)
Favorite Show: Jack (Nightmare Before Christmas)
Favorite Clothes: Snoopy
Favorite Song: Pumpkin King
Best Friend: Aubrey's my best friend. And Aubrey needs a time out.
Favorite Book: Penguin
Favorite Food: Toasties (frozen french toast sticks)
Favorite Ice Cream: Pink
What do you like to do with your friends: Someone hit me in the eyeball.
What do you want to be when you grow up: I want to grow up with my blankie.
Favorite Animal: Hippo (this one is actually accurate)

These basically reflect her thoughts at this exact moment. Lying on her blankie, wearing her new Snoopy shirt and reading her new penguin book and obsessed with Grandma who bought her an Anna doll for her birthday and asking to watch Nightmare Before Christmas.

Wed Nov 18 2015 20:55 Dreams Come True:

As I was tucking Sienna into bed, she looked out the window and said, "my dreams didn't come true. I want to be and my dreams, and they didn't come true." "I want to be" is a phrase she goes around singing over and over (and over). John says the kids watched a My Little Pony episode this morning about dreams so maybe that's where she got the idea.

Wed Nov 18 2015 20:51 Sienna Turns 3 (Sort Of):

We celebrated Sienna's birthday early today. We had a play date party for her with our usual preschool friends, and lots of other little church friends at the park. I brought ride on cars and sand toys and the kids just played for several hours. I also made My Little Pony cupcakes that turned out adorable. All Sienna wanted for her birthday was for her friends to sing to her. We did round one with John before he had to work, and before Dalton and the other kinders went to school. Then she had more friends join us at the park and we sang to her again! We also gave the kids the last three cupcakes after dinner and sang to her a third time. And it's not even her birthday.

I think her gifts tell a lot about her as she turns three.

Rainbow Dash sweatshirt
Four pairs of socks, especially needed since she won't wear any she has. Ariel, Minions, owl, and Rainbow Dash
Snoopy shirt
That's Not My Penguin book
Dr. Suess book
Princess Anna plush doll (bought by grandma and grandpa... Looooves it)
Play mat that came with the tiny ponies we used on her cupcakes

Love my Nenna Girl.

Mon Oct 19 2015 19:50 2 Band-Aids and 7:

Poor Nen has had a rough week. She's tripped on the sidewalk/her flipflops at least three times and ended up with skinned knees. And she slid on sandy sidewalk twice, once landing flat on her back and bonking her head, and the other time scraping her arm, her knee (again) and her foot. On the way home from the park she asked for "2 band-aids and 7", because "1, 2, 7." (That's how she counts.)

Sun Oct 11 2015 10:45 No, I Nenna!:

The other day, a grocery store clerk called Sienna "pumpkin" and she went around the rest of the day saying "I not a pumpkin!" This is a typical argument for her. I just said "you're adorable." And she said "you're adorable. I Senna!"

Fri Oct 02 2015 21:45 Sienna Beeps:

We went car shopping tonight while the older kids went to the movie night at school with our neighbors. Sienna enjoyed "driving" the vans we looked at. I laughed out loud when she hit the horn on a Toyota Sienna. Sienna-Beep beeping the Sienna.

Mon Sep 28 2015 09:59 Skinny Sienna:

Sienna got weighed for her flu shot this week, and then I found her paper from her 24 month appointment. Her appointment was actually at 25 months, so in the last 9 months, she went from 25 pounds to 27. The 24 month paper says she was 34 inches and she's now close to 38. I can't believe she's only gained 2 pounds. I guess she wasn't wearing a diaper this time around.

Thu Sep 24 2015 12:50 Candy Corn Poopie:

Sienna has mysteriously started saying "poopie" for the word "clippie", as in hair clippie. It has led to some funny sentences, like telling her friend's mom that she has an "Anna poopie", or asking me to get the poopie out of her hair.

Mon Sep 14 2015 08:02 Good Morning Day!:

When I heard Sienna wake up, I headed upstairs. She met me at the top of the stairs and said this in succession:

I wake up, mom!
It's a good morning day!
I go pee pee in the potty.
There's my room! (On the way to the potty.)

So potty training's going well. She's only had one accident since we started try two. It's definitely a Good Morning Day.

Tue Sep 08 2015 21:25 Potty Training Take 2:

I attempted to potty train Sienna a couple weeks ago. We did underwear for 5 days, she had three accidents (in the first two days) and peed in the toilet ZERO times. She held it as long as 7 hours, until I put a diaper on for nap or bedtime. Alrighty then.

Yesterday John promised her a My Little Pony if she peed in the potty. She seemed interested in that, so we gave it another go today. Success! She went twice in the toilet, and had no accidents (because, bladder of steel). After the first time, we immediately went to Target where she picked out a Rainbow Dash toy. (We may have been headed to Target anyway.) Here's hoping it keeps up!

Also, I'm amazed that she is still napping. In fact, she is very into her naps. She slept over 3 hours today, and went down like no big deal (after all her sleep prerequisites were met, of course). She also regularly announces that she's not going night-night (ie. I need a nap now!).

Some slight changes to her bedtime routine: She's in a bed now, or at least a mattress on the floor. She's accepted that she may need a different pillowcase or sheet if one is dirty. She sleeps with her Frozen blankie and a fat red car. And she likes to "kiss your back", by which she means "cheek."

Parenting Sienna

Fri Aug 21 2015 21:57 Ants:

We came home from Utah to a little trail of ants in our kitchen. Our faithful pest control company came out to take care of it today, and do general inside spraying to keep the drought-disturbed spiders from intruding. Minutes after we put Sienna in bed she started screaming "Ant! Ant!" Sure enough there was a little ant crawling on her wall. The third time it happened, John and I investigated further, including John taking the cover off the electrical outlet, but we didn't find anything. We can only assume they made their way upstairs on her blanket or something, since her bedroom is about as far as possible from their entry point in the kitchen.

Poor little Nen is terrified of ants, though she enjoys watching them from a distance. Outside.

Thu Jun 25 2015 09:09 Stuff Sienna Says:

Sienna has a lot of adorable phrases she uses that I love.

Want to watch parade
More Disneyland please
Just keep swimming
Hidden Mickey

And one I don't care for: Bad girl! Usually accompanied by hitting.

Fri Jun 05 2015 19:10 Bedtime Routine:

Sienna's bedtime routine (created entirely by her) is approaching mental illness proportions. It includes no less than the following:

At every naptime and bedtime:
The room must be entirely clean
No toys on the floor
Certain toys in certain places
Nothing on the toy kitchen - everything must be inside
All doors and drawers (including to toys) must be completely closed
Certain toys (her new Minnie, anything belonging to her siblings) are not allowed in the room at all
If she remembers something out in another room, you must at least go pretend to put it away
All of her toys must be back in her room
The crib must contain blankie, Elsa, Aurora, Pluto, herself and nothing else
She must be wearing socks
She may not be wearing pigtails or clippies of any kind
She may occasionally demand a change of clothes, particularly after church
She must have a drink
No changes may be made to her room such as hanging new pictures, putting toys in different places
She must have a kiss

After I wrote this, I went upstairs to hear her crying (half an hour after I put her in bed). She wanted all the guys on her pop-up toy closed.

Fri Jun 05 2015 15:37 Only Child:

Sienna woke up grumpy from her nap.

Nenna go with daddy to get ice cream?
Mommy come.
If I come, Maggie and Dalton have to come.
Mommy stay here.

Thu May 28 2015 18:03 I'm Pregnant:

This morning I went to throw up my breakfast and next thing I knew Sienna was sliding her stool under my bum. She left the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Very considerate.

Thu Apr 23 2015 18:50 Fake Bath:

Me: where's Sienna?
Maggie: She's taking a fake bath.
Me: A fake bath?
Maggie: Yeah. She took off all her clothes and is playing with the bath toys in the tub.

Wed Feb 25 2015 20:57 My Name Nenna:

On Tuesday I got to have a special Sienna-Mommy date at Disneyland. It was pretty crowded so we mostly visited with her friends. She had been saying "I skeered Yo Ho" lately, but woke up saying "Me Go Pirates" so we went on Pirates first. We also walked right onto the carousel, and she wanted to ride Dumbo so we waited in a long line for that.

We saw Jasmine and Aladdin in Adventureland. Aladdin said, "she's so little!" but Sienna basically ignored him. Then we saw Merida, and after we rode Dumbo, we saw Ariel with basically no wait behind the ride. Sienna was wearing a Pooh and Friends t-shirt, and Ariel knew all her friends. Sienna even asked about Sebastian on her own. We waited in line at the Princess festival. The first princess we saw was Belle. Sienna ran up to her calling "Dell!" Apparently that is her friend Addy's favorite princess at the moment, so that's probably where she learned that. We also saw Cinderella and Snow White there. Sienna introduced her Aurora doll as "I know you" and two out of three non-Aurora princesses got it.

On our way out, we saw Cruella. Waiting in line, listening to her interact with guests, and eating our caramel/chocolate coated marshmallow was the highlight of the trip. Sienna didn't know what to make of her, but Cruella was excited to see Sienna wearing tails, just like her.

Sienna has been seriously less defiant lately. In fact, just about everything she does is so downright adorable, I just want to squeeee her. She's confident in her swimming lessons. She introduced herself to a little girl on the bus. "I name Nenna. I two." She reenacts pieces of her favorite show (such as where Sven the reindeer licks the trolls face...) She's seriously just the most adorable thing on earth. I love her.

Wed Feb 18 2015 08:26 I Know You!:

Last night I was awoken at 1:30 a.m. by Sienna screaming "I KNOW YOU! I KNOW YOU!" from her crib. She has new plush dolls (Elsa and Aurora) that are just the right size to slip between the crib bars and she lost Aurora. I know you! is now her standard Sleeping Beauty phrase.

Thu Jan 29 2015 13:46 BOY!:

The other morning. Sienna was snuggling in bed with us. When Dalton came in, she yelled, "Boooy!"

Where does she get this stuff? It reminded me of when Dalton was one and called Maggie "iss."

Sun Jan 04 2015 09:42 New words for Sienna:

backpack
pancake
lollipop
fork
snow
button
pillow
present
Santa
reindeer
star
baby Jesus
iPad

She also defines everything by the person it belongs to. "Nenna pillow. Daddy pillow."

Tue Dec 02 2014 20:52 Sienna turns 2:

For Sienna's second birthday we got her Princess Sofia socks, a Rapunzel t-shirt, a stuffed doggie and Sleeping Beauty movie. I'm thinking she doesn't need anything for Christmas a few short weeks after that haul.

Sun Nov 16 2014 19:01 Sleeping Baby:

Sienna will be two in a few days, so she's not really a baby anymore. She's refused to nap the past three days, so she fell asleep nursing at bedtime (6:00) tonight. I took a few extra moments to snuggle my sleepy (heavy) baby girl before I put her in bed. Who knows how many times I'll be able to do that anymore!

Sat Nov 08 2014 16:38 Sienna Isn't 2:

I have to keep reminding myself that Sienna is still a 1 year old. She's growing up so fast. We have a collection of Disney CDs in our car that has somewhat molded her preferences. She was quite obsessed with Ursula for a while ("Keep singing!"). Then I Just Can't Wait to Be King. She still loves Heigh Ho; she has a set of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves little people toys she she carries around "heigh ho-ing" with. Now it is Jack and Oogie Boogie. Jack this, and Jack that. She goes to a neighbor's house a couple days a week so I can run in peace, and she always insists on watching The Nightmare Before Christmas there. She points out Jack on people's t-shirts. She screams for joy when we ride Haunted Mansion Holiday. Seriously.

New things she's learned to say are: Oogie Boogie, fruitie (applesauce squeezie), Whoosh E Gaga, Nursery (doesn't sound a thing like Nursery, but I'm glad she's asking to go!), Bubbles.

We've decided to leave her in her crib for the time being, though the other two moved out around 2. Also, I thought she'd be the one to start climbing out, but it hasn't happened yet.

Mon Oct 27 2014 13:44 Bonk:

The other day at Music Makers, Sienna was running around like a crazy toddler, amidst other crazy toddlers running around, and she ran smack into one of her little friends. He's not so little - weighs more than Dalton though he is a month older than Sienna. So at first I thought they bumped heads, but really she bumped her head on his nose. He got a bloody nose and she got a bump on her forehead, but the hilarious part was that she bounced straight back and landed flat on her back on the floor. Like hitting a brick wall.

Wed Oct 15 2014 13:51 Sienna's Disneyland:

A couple years ago I did a post on the silly names Dalton called Disneyland rides. Well, it's time to start one for Sienna.

Pirates: Doo doo (which is, of course, the sound a bird makes. Even a bird that is yelling "Yo ho!")
Lala: Ariel
Dee Dee: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Beep Beep)
Neigh Neigh: (carousel)
Doo: Pooh, and most of his friends.
Doo Doo: Train (choo choo)

We also say "whee!" in general, for rides.

Thu Oct 02 2014 16:41 She's an Aggie:

If you ask Sienna what her name is, she will say "Aggie." Try it. This is what she calls Maggie. She calls Dalton "Daggie". Suffice it to say she adores her sister.

In other situations, she refers to herself as Nenna. Or, more specifically, she refers to her things as belonging to Nenna. Pointing to mom's plate "mama!" Pointing to her plate "Nenna." Must establish ownership.

Mon Sep 29 2014 21:49 New Phrase:

Sienna has started saying "okay". It's adorable ("ah-tay") AND she is constantly agreeing with me! Awesome.

Sun Sep 07 2014 15:57 Phrase of the Week:

Sienna is at that phase where she learns a new word of phrase and uses it over and over. First it was "Where'd it go?", then it was "Me!" raising her hand up high.

Now she says, "I did it!" It's just "did it!" and it's so adorable to see that big proud smile on her face when she buckles her own seatbelt, or cleans something up.

Sat Sep 06 2014 16:05 A Bug's Beep:

The kids watched at least part of A Bug's Life every day this week. this morning we were in California Adventure at opening. Sienna and I got in line for Fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers, then went to A Bug's Land. We went on Flik's Flyers. By ourselves. Then we went on the Ladybug Boogie with two other people, who were going on it a second time. Then we went to Heimlich's Chew Chew Train and rode it, by ourselves, three times in a row. Sienna was loving it, since we have seen the show so much this week.

After lunch, John suggested seeing the It's Tough to Be a Bug show, so we did that. Poor Dalton got frightened when the room filled with fog and spiders descended from the ceiling, but Sienna was loving all her bug friends, including Hopper. She just pointed around excitedly.

Fri Sep 05 2014 21:30 Lil Gymnast:

Today was Sienna's first day of parent-tot gymnastics class. It was darling. There were three other little toddler girls. They crawled and climbed and slid over an obstacle course, jumped on the trampoline, hung from the bars, raced on the floor (the point of which was to get them away from mom - hurray!) and jumped in the pit. Sienna can't jump with two feet yet - she just takes a big, giant step, and it's adorable.

I'm really excited to have this time with her every week.

Sun Aug 24 2014 20:43 Save $2 Now:

This week I bought a gallon of whole milk for Sienna for the first time. I've been buying a half gallon of whole milk for $3.69 at Trader Joe's. The gallon was $5.99. She's finally drinking more than the half gallon in a week's time, so I figured I'd oblige her. Then, I realized she can start drinking 2% milk when she turns 2, which is in just three months.

Only three months of buying a gallon of whole milk? What? After a minute I realized it's because I'm still breastfeeding her. Wow, breastfeeding doesn't save much money once kids are off formula.

I didn't intend to be breastfeeding a toddler and honestly, it weirds me out if I think too much about it. But here we are.

Wed Aug 20 2014 11:39 Change Me:

Sienna has progressed from saying "wawa" everytime she uses her diaper, to bringing me a clean one when hers is dirty. She still asks to sit on the potty all the time, but has never actually used it.

Sat Jul 26 2014 21:14 Princess Sienna:

When Sienna carried her bag of blocks around the house, I thought she wanted to play blocks (silly mommy). Turns out, she wanted the ONE princess toy we have in the house - Ariel Megabloks. I think it's time to get this girl some princess toys. She yells "let it go!" at anything that resembles a castle (temples, Disney movie credits, castles...), anything that resembles snow (fake Frozen snow, basically), and Ariel or Rapunzel (the only other princesses she recognizes, for some reason). We've been patiently waiting Frozen stuff to come down in price, and also the 20% merchandise discount we get at Disneyland. Princess toys, coming soon.

Sun Jun 29 2014 15:00 Sienna's Baby Blessing:

I recorded Sienna's baby blessing on my phone, but never did anything with it. Here are a few notes of things John blessed her with.

patience
love and kindness as a gift to share with others
health and strength, mentally strong
desire to seek learning
sensitive to choosing things that are right because it's the right thing to do and will bring you happiness

Wed Jun 25 2014 21:51 Sweet Talker:

Sienna said two phrases today. I asked her where her other shoe was and she went to the table and pointed under saying, "there it is!"

We borrowed a monkey leash for her to use on our trip to Europe and she loves it. Today she was wearing it around the house on her front and she told me "monkey says ooh ooh ahh!"

(1) Wed Jun 18 2014 07:03 Beyond Let It Go:

We are getting tired of Sienna saying "Let it go" all the time but I pointed out to John that sometimes she will hand you something and say "here you go" or point to a car and say "there they go bye bye". She also says "let's go" when we get in the car.

This morning when I went into her room, she was pointing at one of the Winnie the Pooh friends on her crib sheet and saying "where'd it go?" With her little hands upturned. So cute. She's blossoming into a lot of early speech, like her brother.

Tue Jun 10 2014 08:52 Tweety Beep:

Sienna is obsessed with Twitter. You know, the bird. DOOdooo as she calls it. She sees the icon on our TV, or on Instagram or the computer (since I don't actually really use Twitter) and gets so excited.

Fri Jun 06 2014 21:25 Sienna Speaks:

Sienna's vocabulary has increased tremendously this week. It's really amazing to watch her learn.Here are just a few of the words she can say. They pretty much all sound like two or three different sounds, so it's really based on context, but SHE knows what she's saying.

Nee (horse neighing - uses it for anything with four legs that doesn't look like a dog)
Truck
Treat
Drink
Milk
Cracker
Cheese
Mickey
Piggy
Change (diaper)
Baby (also for doll)
Hello
Bye bye (die die - also says for all done, and if we're going in the car)

She also started pointing to her diaper when she uses it and saying "wawa", whatever that is. When she first did it I said, "did you go potty?" and signed potty and she ran into the bathroom. A great first step!

Tue May 06 2014 18:24 The Ten Second Rule:

I took the little ones to lunch with some out-of-town friends at Downtown Disney yesterday. Sienna threw her first couple French fries on the ground because they were too hot, so after her meal when she was wandering around, she went back to them. We had just finished a conversation about nursing the third child in public.

Friend: She's eating French fries off the floor.

Me: Oh, that's ok.

Friend: Ok, just thought you might want to know.

Me: Third child, you know. As long as she's not eating the stepped on ones. I have to draw the line somewhere.

Friend's husband: You and your moral high ground. No eating stepped-on French fries!

Mon May 05 2014 06:34 Doll in the Nursery:

Sienna went to nursery for the first time. John and I ended up having to both go to sharing time with our class and to help with the music. She was really grumpy during class so we ended up putting her in nursery so to not disrupt sharing time. She cried the whole time.

I feel bad that she didn't have a good first experience in nursery, especially since I think she will normally really like it. I guess it was just a grumpy day.

And luckily I had brought her doll to church because when we picked her up she had attached to one of the nursery dolls and I had to do a bait and switch.

Next Sunday is Mother's Day and I hope the church part at least goes better then last year.

Thu Apr 24 2014 12:45 Beep's Baby:

I think I am spoiling Sienna. Lately she's taken an interest in carrying a bag around on her arm - probably related to Easter egg hunting. We needed more sand toys anyway, so I bought her a Minnie Mouse bucket and shovel at the dollar store. Then she saw a Mike Wazowski figurine (rawr! ah!) she just had to have. Then, today at Walmart, she saw a baby doll. We bought Maggie a baby doll for Christmas when she was two and she never took an interest in it. But Sienna fussed and fussed and was so enthralled and it was on clearance so I bought it for her. It's just a cheap plastic doll, so if she decides she doesn't like it, no big deal.

In the mean time, she carried the box around the store. She is noticing that it has toes and a belly button like she does, snuggling it in bed (not that she went to sleep) and carrying it around in her Minnie Mouse bucket. Love.

Fri Apr 18 2014 20:17 What Do We Do With a Lazy Baby:

There is no kind of pleasure like ride on the lazy river while snuggling a baby. Except maybe a speed boat ride while snuggling a baby. Apparently this is my kind of paradise.

John took the day off work and we went I Legoland. Unfortunately it was so crowded from spring break. We went on a handful of rides then decided to test our luck with the water park. It was in the low 60s and overcast so the water park wasn't at all crowded. Dalton got on the water slides with his tippie toes so john took the big kids on that while Sienna and I rode the lazy river around and around. At first she wasn't too sure of the baby tube (with a sealed hole) but she got over to and had a great time. She really didn't even get wet at all. I got her some giant Legos to chew on and we snuggled and I sang along to The Beach Boys while I pushed her floatie. Seriously a fantastic way to spend an hour.

Sun Apr 06 2014 21:40 Conference Weekend Notes:

I've decided to try parting Sienna's hair on the right side, since 10 months of parting it on the left has had no effect.

There's a fine line between getting the kids interested in Conference and getting anything out of it ourselves.

Sienna loves to give me kisses. She also loves to climb on me, especially if I'm doing something. Like a cat.

Since Maggie was able to sit up, I've enjoyed playing the piano with her on my lap. One day it evolved into her dancing while I played. I picked out Minuet in B-flat major by Johann Sebastian Bach, which Snoopy dances to in It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. The kids still love dancing to that. Unfortunately, our piano isn't in the living room so I miss most of the action. Also my fingers are clumsier on the keys than they should be. We spent 20 minutes yesterday playing recognizable classics. Sienna was happy to bop and run around with the big kids.

Maggie's wanted to be a trapeze artist since we read If I Ran the Circus and watched some YouTube videos. This week I learned my cousin is taking a trapeze class. I looked it up and, unbelievably even a 7 year old can take a 2 hour flying trapeze class just over at the fairgrounds. Now I have to think of an excuse to buy it for her.

I can't believe I'm having this conversation with my four year old at 9:15 at night. "If I give you a carrot will you go back to your own bed?" Except that it seems oddly familiar. Like it's happened before. Earlier this week. It worked. At least for as long as it took him to eat the carrot.

Sienna has a California baby farmer tan. I mean it's April. She must have Maggie's quick-tan capabilities.

We don't take library books in the bath tub.

I am so ready for Maggie to go back to school. It's going to be a long week of minimum days and busy season. Why do my kids fight all the time? And not listen? And they are so loud! Add in all three of them having colds and Sienna's teething. Bleh.

Tue Feb 25 2014 20:31 Naptime:

My saving grace when it comes to The Napless Wonder is that Sienna has always been a very good sleeper at night. We never had much trouble with her wanting to stay up when she got up to nurse, maybe just two times. Which is good because she's pretty much always been a terrible napper. The last month or so has been better. I started doing just one nap with her at around 11 months. That was 6 months ago. It took a few months to "take" and even then, I still put her down at 4:00 because she's tired and I want to make dinner in peace. She rarely falls asleep.

For the last month at least I've gotten one good nap out of her. Sometimes she will even sleep three hours, which is how much sleep she's supposed to get. But whether it was a good nap day or not, she continues to sleep well at night. Even last night when I wrote about how sick she was and she cried on and off until about 10:30, I didn't hear another peep until 6:45.

Fri Feb 21 2014 11:41 Sienna at 15 Months:

She took her first steps and occasional walks just before 14 months, but it wasn't until this week that Sienna has actually decided to walk. Hurray!

She is still nursing morning and night, but she will actually drink cow milk now.

She weighed in at 18 lb 14 oz (17% still) and is 31 inches tall (67%). She's grown over an inch in the last three months and I realized that her carseat has a 32 inch height limit. Of course, she's not 20 lbs yet, and I am perfectly happy to keep her rear facing. I guess I'm in the market.

Mon Feb 10 2014 19:33 Sienna Sings:

Sienna doesn't actually sing, but one sign I forgot to mention is "music." She waves her arm like crazy during Sacrament Meeting. As soon as the organist begins the introduction. She perks up. She usually stands up on the bench with her eyes on the girl who leads the music. And one her arm is up, Sienna's is right up there with her. (The sign for music is very similar to a chorister conducting, for some reason...)

It's adorable how she dances, too. Any kind of music: Handy Manny's tool box, musical Woodstock stuffie, videos, or, you know, actual music. She does the typical toddler bop. I love it.

Sat Feb 08 2014 19:23 Sienna Speaks:

I have a feeling Sienna will be going the way of Dalton's language development and not Maggie's. Today she said a perfectly enunciated "doggie."

She is adding "gie" and "nie" to her syllables, making the words "daddy" "mommy" "doggie" and "maggie".
dada (doggie)
data (dalton)
nanny for daddy, mommy, maggie
"Geekee" for blankie All The Time
"ah oh" for uh-oh (she sounds like a monkey doing it)
"yeah".
ma (more)
"brr" sound (bird)
"da da" (all done)

Here are the signs she knows:
milk
fish (looks like milk)
bird
doggie
daddy
sleepy
all done
hi
change (diaper)
car
airplane

And she knows how to give kisses and does adorable nonsense babble a lot.

And this week she learned "no." Great.

Mon Jan 27 2014 12:01 And So it Ends:

Last night Sienna would only nurse for a couple minutes. Of course, she is still happy to wake me up in the early morning, but who knows how long that will last.

Parenting Sienna

Mon Dec 09 2013 12:42 Lights and Music:

Sienna has learned a few more signs. She learned "change" as in changing a diaper. She also knows "music", as it's reinforced quite a bit weekly watching the choristers at church.

She is very interested in outdoor Christmas light displays.

Thu Nov 21 2013 12:26 1 and 4 Years Old:

Dalton and Sienna had well visits at the doctor today. They had six shots and a nose squirt between them! Yikes! Not too many tears though. Dalton was promised three stickers and three suckers from the nurse, and he definitely made good on that.

Dalton had his eyesight and hearing tested (he can see that thing better than I can with my glasses on). He is 33 1/2 pounds (28%) and 40 3/4" tall (56%). He just needs one more shot before Kinder. Ack! (Even though he has another year before Kinder, he has to has them to register for TK.)

Sienna is tall and skinny (gasp) at 17 lb 10 oz (17%) and 29 3/4" (71%).

Maggie will also be going in for a flu mist after school. Hopefully she takes it better than last year when she cried so hard they had to give her a shot instead. EDIT: Maggie handled her nose squirt very well. She weighs 41 lbs.

Thu Nov 21 2013 12:14 Sienna's First Birthday:

Sienna's first birthday fell on a Tuesday, which is our business day of the week, particular on weeks I am volunteering at the school. She refused naps all day, but she didn't shed a single tear when she spent 2 hours at a friend's house while I was at the school.

We played crazy games in the car during soccer because it was cold outside, then she fell asleep on the drive home. But when she woke up, we had cake! We lit a candle for her and sang to her, and then she got cake, messy face, and a bath.

Her present arrived a day late, but Maggie picked out That's Not My Snowman. We got Dalton That's Not My Train for his first birthday, and she is already enjoying the ride-on car Maggie got for her first birthday.

Maggie: Where are Sienna's presents?
John: I got her a present. I gave her $100.
Maggie: $100! But she doesn't even know what cents are!

Tue Nov 19 2013 05:32 First Birthday Girl:

Happy birthday to my Nenna Girl! One year old. Already her laugh is turning into a little girl laugh and less of a baby laugh. At ONE, Sienna:

Pulls herself up, cruises a little and ponders standing on her own. She is a FAST crawler, and people comment on it.
Has straggly long hair on the top that I'm still trying to comb over to the side. She gets a little pigtail on occasion.
Refuses to nap regularly and will cry 45 minutes before sleeping for 20. She is also done napping anywhere but her crib.
Chews on everything. Toys go in her mouth. Anything the kids leave out. Toilet paper is put up on the counter. I find myself asking her several times a day , "what are you eating?" And fishing something out of her mouth.
Loves baths, but only if Dalton is in there with her. Otherwise she will try to climb out.
Does not like to be left with other people, even people she is familiar with, even with her siblings with her. She also cries in Relief Society every week when I play the opening song.
Bounces to music whenever she hears it. Even if she is half asleep and nursing she will start bouncing.
Loves her crocheted blankies. We keep them in her crib and if she ever sees them out , she will speed-crawl over, bury her face in the blankie and start chewing.
Her other favorite toys include anything with hair she can rip off (Eeyore, Pegasus, horse), toilet paper rolls, handy Manny toolbox, books, her ride-on car and the kitchen and fake food.
Likes playing in the freezer, fridge, pantry, recycling, pot cupboard and shoe basket.
Stiffens up in her car seat if we run too many errands in one day. She doesn't mind the car usually but she doesn't like getting in and out (me neither).
LOVES walks with her Daddy.
Loves dogs, animals and birds.
Signs milk, sleep, all done, more, daddy and is learning dog and bird and signs for Margaret and Dalton.

Sun Nov 10 2013 22:13 Kid Update:

It's weird to think that Dalton is the same age Maggie was when we lived in India. Sienna is crawling around like Dalton was when we lived with John's parents. [Side note: I don't know how he survived living there with those steep stairs and no baby gate!]

They grow so fast and time passes so quickly. Dalton is really loving preschool. He feels so important going to "preschool" at a friend's house every week, and Maggie helps it along by being genuinely interested in what he did while she was at school. This week is my turn and we're going to do G is for Glow! I have some blacklight and glow-in-the-dark activities planned.

It's amazing to watch Maggie learn how to read. And play the piano. And play soccer. And do gymnastics. She is expanding her capabilities in every direction and it's astounding.

Sienna is a crazy face who won't nap half the time. But she is soooo cute and snuggly, I just love her so much. She just got her 5th and 6th teeth - 6 more teeth than either of the other kids had at her age! She puts everything in her mouth, loves exploring and is a quick crawler. She is starting to cruise and consider standing, but won't be walking anytime soon. I have enough trouble keeping up with her as it is, so that's fine by me!

Maggie Dalton Sienna

Thu Sep 26 2013 21:07 Bouncy Baby:

Yesterday Dalton got lost at school. I said, "come here Dalton" when he was playing at the playground and he headed toward the gate when I was headed to Maggie's classroom in the opposite direction. As soon as I noticed he wasn't at the playground, I went to the gate and saw him halfway down the block to the car - with a throng of people in between. I started running to try to catch up to him, but he just kept walking! Finally, a couple of moms we know from K last year noticed he was alone and crying and stopped him from crossing the driveway. Of course, we practiced "stickedy-stuck feet" and saying "Where's my mommy?" which he is very good about doing at Disneyland and Target, but apparently didn't occur to him when he thought he knew where he was going.

Anyway, the point of this blog was about me running to catch up to him. Maggie was very impressed that I could run faster than she! "And wearing flip flops," I said. "And carrying Nenna," she added. Yes, carrying Nenna. She was LAUGHING the whole time! She laughed so loudly, I thought she was crying. She LOVES being bounced. If I bounce her a bit and then stop, she will start rocking herself to get me to keep it up.

Thu Sep 19 2013 13:00 Finally Naptime:

Attempted naps: 3
Minutes spent crying in her crib: 135
Minutes spent sleeping: 1 and counting
Poor sick baby.

Fri Aug 16 2013 10:13 Slow Down, Little One:

It is so amazing and wonderful to watch Sienna grow up. I miss my baby already. I looked in on her last night, my favorite moment of the day, and she was lying sideways in her crib, too long to fit. Such a tall girl.

I'm glad the other two were shipped off to gymnastics camp everyday this week because I've enjoyed some great alone time with her. Like shopping. It is fantastic to go shopping with one little baby.

Thu Aug 15 2013 15:32 I Have a Crazy Baby:

In the last day or two Sienna:

Sat up from her tummy
Pulled up to standing
Tried to climb the stairs
Crawled her first steps (crawls?)
Babbled both mama and dada

And yesterday for lunch she ate 4 oz of carrot puree, 2 handfuls of Cheerios and FIVE silver dollar pancakes.

Thu Jul 25 2013 21:29 Where Did This Come From?:

Sienna has a tooth! My friend Amy pointed it out to me at the park. It's already completely out and the one next to it is pushing up on her gums as well. With Maggie, we would joke, "she's teething!" every time she cried about something. Because it was never her teeth. So when Sienna didn't sleep well a few nights last week, I didn't think anything of it. But there it is.

She is so proud of herself, pushing up on her knees and wiggling around the room. She'll be crawling very soon.

Mon Jul 22 2013 02:15 Sienna's New Talents:

Sienna is 8 months this week. She celebrated by practicing her backwards crawl, pushing up on her knees, and learning how to suck baby food straight from a pouch. Not sure I should be proud of that last one. She is really thinking about crawling and I'm trying to teach the kids to keep their choking hazards out of reach.

Sienna has also been waking up at night a lot lately. I am too nice to make her cry. Partially because I don't want to disturb John, partially because I keep hoping she'll just stop doing it, and also I have no idea what time it is until I get to get room. Why is how I ended up tapping this at 2:15 am.

Thu Jun 13 2013 22:03:

I finally got Sienna to swallow actual bites of puréed baby food. Other than rice cereal, which she likes pretty well. She's turned her nose up at pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas and mangoes, but today she ate... green beans. Yup.

Sienna will also eat baby puffs and bits of bread or tortilla or soft pretzel and she really likes ice cream. She does a lot better with extra soft chunks of food, but maybe we've made a break through with the purées. I won't get my hopes up. She's got to eat something though; breast feeding is no longer enough for her.

Sun May 19 2013 20:25 Sienna at Six Months:

My baby is already six months old. She is turning into a little lady. As much as it brings me joy to see her eyes light up with each new thing she learns, I'm a little sad as well. It goes by so quickly. Since she was born I had the impression she would be more of a girly-girl than Maggie, and I still feel that way. She has delicate, precious little looks and a petite feel about her. She's very tall though (proof tomorrow after her 6-month well visit.)

Two big things that happened this week are beginning solid foods and sitting up on her own. I've delayed starting her on baby food mostly because I'm cheap and lazy but also because I am savoring the time I spend breast feeding what may be my last baby. I am a proud breast feeding mommy and I really do love it. But mostly I'm cheap and lazy. We've tried rice cereal and pears. She apparently does not like pears. Hopefully she picks up on the eating thing soon because I plan on leaving her for a long hike in Yosemite in 5 weeks.

Sienna adores her family. She turns whenever she hears Daddy's voice. She smiles and giggles at Maggie, who is the best helper and big sister. She appreciates Dalton's attempts to share when he's feeling loving, and leaving her alone when he's not.

Her favorite toys are Dalton's swim goggles, a badminton birdie, and the lid from the toy kitchen. She also likes to put fistfuls of my hair in her mouth.

Baby Girl has a big smile and is very friendly. When she talks while smiling, she sticks her tongue out a little and makes a cute "ulll" sound. She's quite talkative and will babble on to Maggie, or try to sing along if we are all singing songs. The song I sing to her (I should say "we" because the kids know all the words now) is "Hey Baby (I Wanna Know If You'll Be My Girl)." She loves it!

It's difficult to get her to sleep during the day, though she sleeps fabulous at night (7-6 the last couple weeks). She has only fallen asleep in her crib or in the sling over the past month or so. Maybe a handful of times in the car. She just likes to see what's going on. This is making church and the kids' activities difficult.

Fri Apr 19 2013 20:16 Roll With Me 'Nenna:

Sienna learned how to roll onto her tummy this week. Once she started, she hasn't stopped. Once she even kept on rolling all the way to her back (and almost right off the bed, but of course I was sitting next to her). She is SO ridiculously proud of herself, too. She giggles about it. And she thinks she is ready to crawl. She kicks like crazy, and can lift her entire bottom half off the ground.

Of course, she wasn't too thrilled when she rolled onto her tummy while she was supposed to be going to sleep. The first time, she then had a dirty diaper and leaked onto her sheets. Today when she did it, I turned her back over and she went right to sleep.

My baby is so big. She is bigger than my other babies, which is part of it, but part of it is knowing that it might be our last (sniff) and trying to enjoy every minute of her littleness. She's got adorable chunks all over and I love hearing her giggle when she's tickled. And she has a fat roll on just one of her thighs - her left. Love baby fat.

Sun Mar 24 2013 19:29 Sienna at 4 Months:

Sienna's 4 month appointment was this week. She is 26.5", 90th percentile. Very tall! In the mother's room today, we stood her next to her friend Valentine (8 months) and they are the same height. She is 60% in weight at 14 lbs 10 oz.

She slept completely through the night 5 of the last 6 nights. I stopped waking her up to eat around 10:00, so I've been going to bed earlier, which is nice. I like feeding her at night, because sometimes that's the only chance I get to feed her snuggled in the rocking chair, all comfy with our pillows etc. But we are both getting more sleep, and she clearly didn't need that feeding.

She puts her hands in her mouth, and sometimes sucks her fingers or thumb when she is going to sleep. She also likes to bring toys to her mouth, and really likes having a toy in the car. Her favorite at the moment is the Skwish. This week she rolled over onto her back the first couple of times. I don't put her on her tummy enough, or she might have done it earlier.

She still thinks Maggie is hilarious. She giggles if I pretend to eat her tummy, and sometimes if I tickle her legs or under her arms. More of a grunt than a giggle, but clearly a laugh. She gets excited to see her daddy. She and Dalton continue to grow on each other. He's going to be a great big brother once he gets around to it.

Sun Mar 03 2013 21:27 Tickle Me Sienna:

Sienna started being ticklish this week. It only seems to work once at a time. She's laughed at my when I tickled her feet, under her arms, her chunky thighs, and stroked her adorable cheeks. Her laugh is even gruntier than Dalton's was. I love that snuggly girl.

Thu Feb 21 2013 22:38 Sienna at 3 Months:

Sienna is three months old already! I feel like her babyhood is slipping away so quickly. Even by six weeks she was already so big. This week Sienna has brought her hands together, worked on sitting up on her own and started showing interest in toys. She puts her hands in her mouth. She likes to suck on her fists and sometimes a couple of fingers. This is making swaddling less effective but she is still sleeping pretty well.

She almost always sleeps at least 6 hours at night. She usually goes to bed around seven. I wake her up at ten to eat and most nights she wakes up at either four or seven. Nap times aren't working out as well but we are slowly figuring out something. Nap at nine and eleven (before and after school drop off) and again around three. The afternoon one is iffy though and sometimes the afternoons and evenings she is just a mess.

Sienna has a little bald spot on the back of her head. I think Dalton did also. Her hair is really growing in well though, unlike Maggie's comb-over. She thinks the kids are hilarious and especially likes Maggie. She will laugh and play with them, following them around the room with her eyes. Maggie is a great big sister and sings and takes care of Sienna for me sometimes. She is growing on Dalton who loves to say, "She gave me a 'mile'!"

I bought baby food today. I had a coupon, so I went ahead and used it for the one pouch. Not sure where baby food is going to fit in my cupboards. So crazy to think she can be eating food in a couple months. She is finally getting to be a more efficient nurser, other than the ten PM feeding. We nurse on the go a lot, in the car between errands etc.

Fri Feb 08 2013 21:30 My Baby This Week:

Sienna is getting so big already. She's learned how to talk and makes such adorable noises. It's especially cute when she is falling asleep in my arms and practically coos in her sleep.

She can also hold her head up really well, finally, and enjoys sitting in her bumbo. She also likes her bouncer, and has discovered her reflection in the mirror that hangs above it. She is still a good sleeper. Most nights it's at least 7 hours, sometimes quite a bit more.

She's grown into her 3-6 month clothes, and out of her size 1 diapers (with much aplomb. I think I need to give up trying to use up all the size 1 because I'm tired of hand washing her clothes).

Sat Jan 19 2013 22:20 A Diaper to Remember:

I blogged several days ago that Sienna had nearly slept through the night. She's continued to do so, for four nights in a row now. All the sleep is lovely, but it does come with side effects.

First, she wants to eat all the time when she is awake. Also, the abrupt change in our nursing schedule has left me with soreness that I suspect to be early signs of mastitis.

Luckily, I saw this third side effect coming and packed extra clothes for Disneyland today. No eating all night means no pooping all night, which means when she does poop - yikes.

We were just about to board a swinging gondola on Mickey's Fun Wheel when it happened. She was wearing two onesies, so it was hard to see how bad it was at first. By the time the ferris wheel had gone around once, I had a naked, crying baby face down on my lap, and her undershirt and half a pack of wipes in the motion sick bag so kindly provided.

Mind you, our car is swinging wildly this whole time. I didn't know what to hold on to: the clean clothes and diaper on the seat, the dirty bag sliding across the floor, the naked baby, the kids, or my lunch.

We managed to get her dressed on the second trip around. As we exited, Dalton picked up the white motion sick bag, with the top nicely folded down. "I bet he thinks it's donuts," I said. But he obediently put it in the trash.

John and I were both so nauseous from swinging while occupied, or maybe just the mess of it all. We didn't do many rides because of it, but luckily I was feeling well enough to use my fast pass for Radiator Springs Racers for the first time. Yay!

Sienna's second explosion happened in the car on the way home. It's a lot easier to deal with these sorts of things in the comfort of your own home than when swinging 150 feet above the ground. Especially since, by this point, a bath was clearly in order.

(2) Wed Jan 16 2013 20:59 Sleep in Peace:

Sienna was such a good sleeper last night. I fed her at 10 and she didn't wake up again until 6! Only problem is that she slept the rest of the day, too. She woke up at 11:30 (I had someone pick M up for school). And was up for an hour or so in the afternoon. Now she is sleeping on the floor where I put her 4 hours ago listening to me type and Daddy watch a show. I don't expect a repeat of last night, but it sure was nice to get 7 1/2 hours of sleep.

(2) Mon Jan 07 2013 19:47 Sienna Stats:

Here are the stats on Sienna from her 6 week appointment.

Weight: 10 lb 6 oz (55%)
Height: 23 1/4 (98%)
Head Circumferences 14 3/4 (62%)

Not only is she tall, she grew THREE INCHES since she was born! No wonder her head sticks out of the baby bjorn and her car seat straps seem low. Time to make some adjustments.

Mon Dec 31 2012 21:16 Sienna at Six Weeks:

Baby girl is 6 weeks today! She is smiling more and more - she smiled at Mickey Mouse today. She doesn't make great eye contact, but if you can get her to look at you, chances are you'll get a smile now. She has basically no schedule during the day, but sleeps 4-7 hours at a time at night. We didn't have any trouble with night vs. day. She is a great sleeper at night and goes right back to bed after nursing, other than just a few times in her life.

She doesn't have the amazing head support the other two had (especially Maggie) and is pretty wobbly still. Her hair is growing in and is so soft and adorable. She fits in her 0-3 clothes, for the most part (now that we finally bought her some - Auntie Rachel bought everything that said "I love Auntie" at Carter's).

She's not particularly interested in the world, and doesn't nurse well outside of the house. I forget that I may be a breastfeeding expert, but she's only been doing it for a couple weeks. But she's slowly waking up and seeing what's around here. Maggie loves to shower her with attention and Sienna usually loves it. She rewarded Maggie with a smile today, while they were sharing the stroller at Disneyland.

(1) Thu Dec 20 2012 11:15 The World Just Got Sunnier:

Got my first baby smiles. She smiled at Daddy ages ago. Nothing like a baby smile to brighten up your day!

(1) Mon Dec 03 2012 14:41 2 Weeks:

Sienna had a two week appointment this morning. She gained 11 ounces in the last 9 days and is now 8 1/2 pounds! She's just a happy little eater, I guess. She's been sleeping about 4 1/2 hours at night.

Today is also John's first day back at work (not that he wasn't working at home last week). He got the kids breakfast and settled watching a show before he left this morning, so I was still able to sleep in. Sienna was actually a good sleeper last night, but I was ridiculously unable to go back to sleep after her 4:30 feeding. Ugh.

Anyway. I bought some newborn sized clothes and now she has clothes that fit and I got her dressed. See the latest cuteness on our picture blog.

Wed Nov 28 2012 11:11 Sienna's First Week:

Sienna is already a week old! We haven't done much this week, but Sienna has done even less. I forgot how much newborns sleep. Monday she was awake for well over an hour and that was by far the longest she'd been awake. At night she sleeps 3-4 hours so I try to feed her every 2 hours during the day. She pretty much wakes up to eat and falls asleep nursing. She has a hard time going back to sleep on the occasions she does stay awake.

Other than driving in the car to take Grandma to the airport, her first outing was to the doctor on Saturday. We also made a quick trip to the grocery store after and she slept the whole time. At the doctor, Sienna weighed in at 7 lb 13 oz. almost back up to her birth weight at just five days! They even said I don't need to bring her back until 6 weeks unless we have questions.

The bad thing about this week is that John has been really sick and has not had his fair share of baby snuggles. Plus, with John being home and taking the big kids to do fun things, and their own germs, the kids haven't spent much time with Sienna. Dalton did discover, upon waking up before everyone else one morning, that a breast feeding mommy is a captive audience. And also she has snacks. The kids like to grab their stool from the bathroom and bring it in Sienna's room so they can watch her in the crib or on the changing table. Maggie showed Sienna everything she brought home from school, and read some stories to her.

Sienna's hair is so long and soft. Both of our other babies had hair, much to our surprise, but Sienna has even more. I love feeling it, especially after I wash it.

I seem to be recovering very well from Sienna's birth. I got an epidural before my contractions really started hurting, so labor wasn't very painful. Breastfeeding seems to be easier and hurt less than with the other two. Not that it doesn't hurt, because it does. And that girl sure can sleep! I won't complain about getting up twice in the night, for now at least.

But I will complain about my pained tailbone, my miserably aching back and, now, a cold! Add the exhaustion to that and it's no fun at all. I hope most of that clears up before John goes back to work next week and I have to start functioning again.

Also, I realize she is now nine days old. It took me two nights to tap all this out on my iPhone.

(1) Tue Nov 20 2012 04:54 S is for Sienna June:

I figured if we had a girl that could be my S post. I really expected a boy but here she is! Baby Sienna June arrived on November 19th at 4:28 pm after an induced labor similar to Dalton's - slow, slow, slow, that was fast, start pushing, STOP, get the doctor in here now we're having a baby!

She was 7 lb 14 ounces and has lots of dark hair. Her eyes are medium blue, she has a little Maggie nose and the cutest mouth I've ever seen. She's very sleepy. We haven't seen her eyes open much but are pretty sure she doesn't have the big Richardson eyes Dalton gets comments on all the time. She also definitely does not have my fingers. Her hands look much more like Grandma June's (!) that Grandma Rosie's.

Sweet baby girl is going to fit in great in our family. I think Dalton is going to be a great big brother and Maggie loves babies. I also have a feeling Sienna will be more of a princess and girly girl than Maggie. We shall see!