a snapshot

Life is about to get pretty crazy. Just 3 1/2 weeks away from my due date, I know sleep deprivation and a really cluttered and dirty house await me. :) But in this quiet moment (Claire is napping and Elise is at her first day of Pre-K - pictures will be posted soon!), I thought I'd share a snapshot of my first two girls. Before the fog of caring for a newborn sets in, I'd like document what my first two beauties are like...

Elise Kathryn Long, 4 1/2. She's full of energy, emotion, imagination, and enthusiasm. You never have to wonder if Elise likes something. It's written all over her face, and the tone of her voice doesn't lie. I often say about Elise, "Her life is a musical." Not a day goes by that she isn't singing (at maximum volume) while she plays and dances around the house. Preschool songs, vacation Bible school songs, original numbers... I hear quite a variety of tunes. And it's all wonderful (once I convince her to quiet down just a little).

Lately, Elise has become interested in doing pages from a giant pre-k activity book that I bought her. Dot-to-dot, color-by-number, tracing letters engage her mind and keep her busy at the kitchen table for up to an hour. There are definitely times when I worry that Elise is too easily distracted, but it is in these moments when I'm happy to see just how focused she can be. It's so fun to see her excited to learn (in books and out in the world).

Other interests... looking at books, drawing mermaids, soccer, helping me cook, and playing "chase" with Claire. Her imaginary friends seem to have disappeared, which I would guess has a lot to do with this little one...

Claire Margaret Long, 14 months. Curious, determined, snuggly. Claire is a sweet girl. She loves to explore... from wandering around church during "coffee hour" to taking off in the backyard to "feed" the chickens some grass... she gets an idea and she's off! And she doesn't like it when I disrupt her plan. One of her favorite things is climbing (on chairs, boxes, the piano bench, the couch) and then attempting to stand without holding on. Elise was never that brave or persistent at this age! (Well... and at this age, Elise was still a crawler.)

Things Claire loves... animals, MOMMY, peaches, and pooping in her sleep. Okay, I'm not sure if she loves the last one, but she sure does do it a lot. Which brings me to the thing that mommy does not love... Claire's poor sleep habits. Okay, on the bright side... Claire goes to bed great, usually around 7pm after a couple of books and cuddles. She rarely cries when I put her in her crib and within minutes I know she's asleep and she'll sleep through the night. The bad news... too often she is awake before 5:30 and very upset. Then this tired girl goes down for her two naps fine but will often wake after only 30 minutes, again often upset and usually in a messy diaper. This too shall pass, I know. I just think that after two months of this (and when a new baby is on her way!) I'd like Claire to move on to a happy phase of getting enough sleep. Oh my... speaking of her poor sleep habits.... it's been 29 minutes and Claire is awake! Mommy time is over for now.

Hard to imagine a third little girl making her entrance. Who will she be? What will she love? Won't be long now.