Gardening, Mother's Day, and Bedtime

This is a memory game - can I remember what we have done this past week? 

I have tried to add gardening/watering/mowing/outside playtime to my morning routine. Lily is napping better because she gets some exercise and sunlight, and the garden is prospering. Our backyard is looking better with attention too.

I cut the hard crusts off of my fresh bread for Lily,
but she grabbed them and started eating the crusts.

Lily said, "I got it." and helped me push the wagon
with the blueberry bushes in it for planting.

My garden a week ago - the plants are slightly bigger now.
Many thanks to Aunt Pam for the fertilizer!

Playing with Daddy after their
Saturday night baths

 Sunday was Mother's Day. James had to work that morning so I got the girls ready and went to church. Danielle had asked me to pick up a cake from Publix for Nathan and Justin's birthdays. I have discovered my new favorite cart! I can put both girls and the groceries in it!

Best cart ever!

 The girls and I went to the Smothers' for Mother's Day lunch with Grandma Damewood and the Bryan clan.

Anna enjoyed their back patio chair.

Lily enjoyed their pieces of  tubing and the tire swing
- and the chickens!

Lily found it more convenient and fun
to use the doggy door.

After James came home, he presented me with cards the girls had drawn. Anna had to have some help to draw on hers. :-) He also gave me something that I've been wanting and had requested. Purple Rags from the FlyLady shop. Monday I got the chance to try them out on the side door, the side door glass, and the kitchen windows.  I have since enjoyed using them in our shower, on my glasses, the guest bathroom, on James' car windows, and on the patio door windows. They are awesome! I can get streak-free clean glass with just a damp cloth. I love the view of our backyard through clean glass. The glass really, really needed to be cleaned.

Random self-portrait with the girls.

 Below is a video of James playing with the girls at bedtime. A word about bedtime: my older sister Elizabeth gave me a book she had used called "On Becoming Babywise." She used it to put her newborns on a schedule during the day. Putting my babies on a schedule of feedings during the day helped them start sleeping through the night earlier. They were full enough because of frequent eating (every three hours) during the day to not need to eat at night. It also talks about sleep training - letting them go to sleep on their own in their cribs if they are comfortable and full  - even if they have to cry for awhile.

I did the "Parent-Directed Feeding - PDF" well with Lily and she just stays in her toddler bed until she sleeps. I haven't done as well with Anna. We had a rough start because she got formula in the NICU and I didn't produce enough milk at first. After that it was my fault because I was so busy with a toddler. But anyway, she eats on a loose schedule during the day and sleeps all night since she was about six weeks old. But she doesn't calm herself to sleep as well as Lily did.