5 more minutes mom!

Lydia @ 3 months

Happy 3 month birthday (a few days late) Little Lady Lydia!

Your personality is coming out more and more every day, it's so sweet watching you grow.  You giggled today and I have to admit, I teared up a bit.  You're growing TOO fast.  Mommy is the lucky recipient of most of your smiles...I love that I'm your favorite :)

  

You love to sit on my lap and stare at your cute little toes.  You've also recently taken more of an interest in toys and books.  Mommy loves to put a toy in front you and watch you figure out how to grab it and bring it to your mouth.  One of your favorite toys is the exersaucer, it's also one of Kase's favorite places for you to play.

Your brother adores you...we often have to pull him off of you so you aren't smothered.  I think his favorite part of each day is coming to wake you up in the morning.  "Good morning Baby Sister!" is your wake-up call.

On Friday at your doctor appointment you weighed 12lbs 4oz and are about 24.5 inches long.  You've outgrown almost all of your 0-3 month clothes (only your sleepers fit), but are at an awkward stage where 6month Carters clothes are still a bit too big.

A few weeks ago you started sleeping for an 8-hour stretch, waking up to eat, then go back to sleep until you're woken up.  Mommy is a big fan of your new sleeping habits. Oh how I love that 8-hour stretch!

At Vicki's you eat 2 5oz bottles, and Mommy has had to start taking supplements to keep up with your eating habits! Oh well, all for a great purpose.

Before you were born I was terrified of having a girl.  Now I can't imagine my life without you.

life with lydia

life with lydia is pretty great.

she's quite a peanut. 

VERY close to rolling over... 

we've spent a few moments in our exersaucer.

it's a sure-fire way to make dirty diapers :) 

this is lydia's straitjacket...aka miracle blanket.

regardless of how tight I swaddle her with a blanket she manages to break free.

so I bought this "miraculous" blanket to see if she'd sleep any better.

it took a few weeks, but last night she slept through the night for the first time!!!

I felt like a new momma when I woke up. 

she's also found she loves to suck on her hand 

sweet smiles from a sweet girl!

he is risen!

Happy Easter from the Sietstra kiddos!

One of our Easter traditions is our Easter tree.  I found some ornaments online called The Sovereign Journey. There are 14 ornaments telling the Easter story.  We hang one ornament each day before Easter and read Bible verses that correspond to different ornaments.  Kase doesn't sit still well enough to truly understand but he knows what each ornament means...for now, that is good enough.

Here he is Easter morning saying "He has risen!"

*fist pump for Jesus!* :)

egg hunt outside!

 egg hunt #2 at Auntie Deb's house!

kase the science kid

Since we have such a long Easter break we decided to do something other than sit in our house and annoy each other...so we went to the Science Center in Des Moines.

First up was the dinosaur exhibit with the T-Rex named Sue.  When we prepped Kase for the museum he was a bit concerned about the dinosaurs, but after some lying convincing, he believed us when we told him that they were nice dinosaurs.  One of Kase's favorite parts was the dinosaur digging area.  We were at the museum right after they opened so we beat most of the crowds so Kase was able to dig without too many kids crowding him (one of this momma's pet peeves...)

The Science Center has a great area that's designed for toddlers and preschoolers complete with a giant bubble area.  It was a MESS but he loved smacking the bubble wand into the big tub of bubbles and then swinging it around like a wild boy.

*I was there too, see me and Lydia in the background?

giant blocks

exploring the cave

he wasn't so sure about these fake animals...until we told him they weren't real

train table...always a hit

This pretty little lady had fun too!

BY FAR Kase's favorite part (and Daddy's) was the rocket ship exhibit.

They built a paper rocket together...

then watched it blast off

went to find their rocket...

and did it again...

and again...

and again!

This big space robot was apparently intriguing to Kase...

since he ignored the ropes and climbed under!

Yes, Daddy WAS taking pictures and laughing while our child was trying to break the very expensive robot. 

Overall it was a successful and fun trip to the Science Center.  It is geared a bit more to older kids, but Kase threw a fit when we had to leave so that tells me that he enjoyed it!