Bee in the Wild: 15 months

Note: Bee's grandparents were a little sad when we told them her blueprints were being retired after months 1-12. We live close, but not close enough for them to see her everyday. I know these updates are enjoyable for them to read and catch a glimpse into her life they might not otherwise know. I thought about using a white wall background to continue these "blueprint" type updates, but then I pictured trying to get this rambunctious toddler to sit still against a wall while we take her picture. Not gonna happen, right?! The new "in the wild" posts will aim to capture Ms. Bee in her element, un-staged, au naturale.
At 15 months old, this little sugar bee is busy learning and playing and doing all day long. The last few months we have seen the beginnings of her imaginary and pretend play. I love it! She loves to play with bowls and spoons and will "mixy mixy" with such determination. She even brings me the spoon for a taste test of her exquisite cookies, eggs, and other "yummy nummy nums."  When mommy is wearing her apron, Bee must wear an apron too. Often it's all she's wearing. Her pretend play also involves her babies, which comes as no surprise given that we talk a lot about babies around here. She mimics the way I tend to Julian by swaddling, burping, kissing and loving on her dolls. While I'm in the rocking chair nursing Julian she will bring me her babies and blankets to swaddle over and over again. She is learning to be such a good little nurturer.
As a parent it is amazing to observe her constant education and you can literally see her mind working as she processes new material. Bee loves books. We read stories together in the rocking chair before nap time and bedtime everyday and anytime in between. She points to all the ladybugs in every book, and in fact refers to ladybugs, butterflies, bees, and other insects as "bees!" She taps her pointer finger, either in the air or on the object, when pointing at something. It's adorable, trust me. Some of her favorite books include the entire BabyLit series, Little Blue Truck, Welcome, Little One, Goodnight Gorilla, The House in the Night, and The Swing to name a few.
Bee loves her backyard swing and calls it a "weeee!" When she wants to swing she will point outside and declare "weeee!" and when she sees swings or slides with children on them within her books she will point and exclaim "weeee!" Like most toddlers, Bee loves to be outside exploring and investigating. She still puts e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. in her mouth and rocks and sticks and dirt are no exclusions.
Bee is a really great sleeper and loves being in her crib with her binky and blankey. Some days she doesn't want to get out and leave binky and blankey behind. She searches the edges of her blanket until she finds the right corner and clutches onto it with her fist, then softly rubs the corner on her face as she soothes herself to sleep. Bee is taking two naps a day, at 10 am and 3 pm (roughly).
I bought a small set of stacking cups for Bee which has proved to be the best $4.88 I could have spent. Bee worked hard for days and days until she mastered stacking and unstacking all the cups in their correct order. She concentrated so hard on mastering the cups and it was a joy to see her brain hard at work. Cups all day, in the car, in the bath, and all over the house.
We taught Bee a few words in sign language to help her communicate better with us. The two signs that stuck the most are "more" and "all-done." This is particularly helpful at mealtimes, but she has found a way to translate them into the rest of her world as well. The sign for "more" has become the universal action signal. If she brings a book and signs "more" she wants you to read it. If it opens, closes, makes a sound or moves, the "more" sign is asking to make it happen. Likewise the sign for "all done" means no more food, no more vacuuming, no more of whatever is ailing her.
Lots of words are beginning to pop out of Bee's mouth, including cuppy, hi, Juju, momma, dada, bee, and baby. She has discovered the word "NO!" and uses it often and repeatedly, especially when she is doing something she shouldn't, such as stealing Julian's binky. She will snatch it from his mouth and run it over to me saying "no no no no no!"
Bee loves her little brother and is constantly leaning her head towards him giving kisses and hugs. Sometimes this translates into a head bonk and both of them are sad. Usually the first word that comes out of her mouth in the morning is "Juju!" and she goes running into our bedroom searching for him. She gets very excited to show him toys and books and as sweet as that is, it's also a lot of work keeping him safe from her excitement. I pray everyday that they will become the best of playmates, but for now we are focusing on being soft and not putting things in his mouth. Let's hope that in a year she will be as willing to share with him as she is now.
Whew! I'm exhausted just reading over this update. It's only taken me two weeks during my brief nap times breaks to finish writing it. Our Bee is a beautiful, smart, strong-willed little soul and we are grateful for her life and spirit everyday.

Summer nights in the canyon

 

On a perfect summer night there is no place better that up one of our beautiful canyons. We invited the whole Duncan clan up for a weenie roast in Millcreek Canyon. It was such a perfect evening with family. Dark heavy clouds threatened to rain but thankfully passed by and let us have our fun. Ellie and Cody ran wild while Dan pretended to be a bear in the woods. We played "the secret" game where you pass a secret along to each person and they have to retell it to the person next to them. Hilarious with kids, I say! And Bee got a hold of some cups and was in heaven. A perfect, beautiful night!

Pssst: Cecret Lake!

Seems it is always a giant undertaking to get out the door with these two babes in tow, which is why I've felt particularly cooped up this summer. By the time we are ready to finally go, someone is tired or hungry or poopy again. This hike was much needed and I never regret being up in the mountains once I'm there. Saturday morning we rushed quick as a cricket to get packed and up to the trail head before it was too hot and crowded. Turned out to be a gorgeous morning in the Albion Basin. On the way down the mountain both kids fell asleep in their carriers and Brad and I looked at each other with the biggest of big grins. I'll never forget it. We live in such a beautiful place! What a treat to get some mountain fresh air with the whole family.

This girl. This face. My heart!

Round. Tortoise shell. < $10. I never stray you guys.

'Sploring with mom

SIMBA!

Waving "hi" from her perch on dad's back

Aaaaaaand ZONK.

The end.

My summer vacation

Babyless. At the grocery store. International Isle. Walk reeeeeeeally slow. Bam! Instant vacation.

My life is crazy and good: a short rant about stuff

Hi blog! You're looking a little outdated, but I'm going to fix that ASAP. A few things. The last few months have been a whirlwind. Prego. Giant prego. Plus toddler. Packing. Moving. New house. Yay! Birthdays. Unpacking. Labor. Contractions. Never ending. Toddler plus stairs equals anxiety. LABOR. New baby. A boy! We luf him. Unpacking. Burping. Nursing. Kissing owies. So. Much. Poop. Not sleeping. Etc.
I'm working so hard to get caught up on all the fun that's been going on around here. I have draft posts by the millions just waiting for the perfect nap time when both babies are asleep. Yeah, that never happens. So it might take me a while to get caught up. I post things in chronological order, because of OCD, so if you're my mom and wondering why you can't see anything new...scroll down. Love you, my bloggie blog.
Oh. And one more thing. I don't wear makeup anymore. Thought you should know.

Just because: This is what Bee did when I said "show me your happy face!" Her hands are very happy everyone.

Juju's Blueprint: 2 months

Hunka Hunka Burning LOVE be still my mommy heart! Our little bud has sprouted up and out this month and is filling out those long limbs nicely. His hair is growing in a perfect natural mowhawk down the middle of his head. His legs are chubbing up just enough for mom to munch on during every diaper change. Juju is finding his voice and cooing and singing along with the rest of us. We are starting to see plenty of smiles and all our ridiculous goo-goo ga-ga-ing is paying off big time. Even after the longest and roughest of nights he can flash us a big gummy grin in the morning and in an instant all is forgiven. He is a heart breaker, this one. Juju LOVES his bath time. We would keep him in there all the time if we could, he loves it that much! We are making huge progress with his reflux (medication) and digestive issues (probiotics) and he's starting to have longer sleep patterns and more periods of happy contentment. Hallelujah! Julian's eyes match his namesake uncle Tom's, and are the brightest bluest blue I've ever seen on a baby. He loves to be swaddled tight for sleeping and is soothed best by white noise and motion. He also loves to suck his binky, which often saves the day. It seems as though he spits up everything he eats so it's any wonder to us how he's even gaining weight and growing at all. We rotate through 5 or so bibs and nearly a dozen burp cloths each day. Not to mention mom's clothes and bedsheets as well. Juju loves/wants/demands to be held all the time, which is tricky for mom when there are two babies vying for attention and only two arms in which to give it. Slowly but surely we are getting the hang of our new family dynamic. We're glad he's here, glad he's ours, glad he's feeling a little bit better. The happy smiley baby boy we know is in there is starting to emerge.
Nicknames: Juju, frog-man, buddy-bud, Jules, JT, bro.

Juju's Blueprint: 1 Month

Our little guy is already ONE month old! And what a challenging month it's been for him. Juju is experiencing a combination of acid reflux, digestion problems, and laryngospasms to top it all off. It's been wild :). Nothing breaks a mother's heart like seeing her babies suffer in any way. Julian will forever be our little Superman for spending a very unpleasant 36 hours at Primary Children's Hospital (more on that later) after finding him struggling to breathe during the night. He handled all the poking and prodding and tests like only Superman would. We are very humbled and thankful that we were able to bring Juju back home in full health. Mom and dad keep a very close eye on him from now on and are working with his pediatrician on managing the trifecta of issues that trouble him. We pray everyday that his body will outgrow the spasms and reflux soon. He is handsome and loves to be held ... so we hold him a lot! He rivals his big sister with his grunty and growly ways. Mom is cutting certain foods out of her diet to help his digestion issues, but so far it's all still a guessing game as to what is working and what is not. In the end, we'd do anything to help him feel better but mostly we're prepared to hold him, love him, and comfort him as best we can until he fully grows into this body of his. We love our Superman Juju and can't imagine life without him.

Juju's Blueprints: 4 Days!

Well hello there, handsome! He is scrumptious, is he not? We are loving on this little slice of heaven and are so grateful that he's here safely and part of our family. Mom is also so thrilled to not be pregnant anymore! Thank you for being born, littleman. Julian looks very much like his big sister Phoebe. Speaking of big sister, she solidified the nickname "Juju" when she first saw him in the hospital and said "Juju" while giving him kisses on the head. That was such a sweet moment and inevitably he's been our little Juju ever since. Juju has very masculine features. Check out those little bear paws of hands! The nurses couldn't get over how long his fingers are. He has a nose that we can't quite place just yet. Richman eyes. Duncan mouth and chin. Same exact feet as Phoebe. And his very own signature clicking tongue. It's adorable, and signals to mom that he's ready to eat. He is nursing like a champ, which momma is thankful for. He is sporting a nice tan from being jaundiced and we are having his bilirubin checked everyday. Mom handles the pokes and blood draw much better this time around having been through it once before. Dad loves to snuggle with his buddy and test for ticklish spots. Big sister loves to give him lots of kisses and will lean in with her mouth wide open. We are talking endlessly about being soft, but sometimes her excitement and curiosity translates into a poke in the eye or slap to the face. So far, Juju has been a very good sport about the extra loves. Oh how we adore this little manly munchkin and can't wait to watch him grow into the person he was sent here to be. What a lucky family we are to have him as our very own. Welcome Julian! We love you all the way.

Just for fun: Phoebe at 4 days

Hi. My name is Julian. And I was born today!

8 lbs 9 oz 21 inches long, welcome to the world my beautiful boy!

It's a Bee-Day Party!

We celebrated Phoebe's FIRST Birthday with a little Bee-Day Party for family and a few friends. It probably wasn't the first birthday extravaganza I had worked up in my head throughout the year. But even being 9 months pregnant I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully everything came together and I was really able to enjoy her and our families on this special day. We are no where close to being settled into this new house, but it is incredibly nice to finally have a space to gather our families. This little girl is loved by lots of people, what a blessing for her!

Bee-day treats

 

Aunt Brook was a little skeptical about giving Bee first rights to that beautiful beehive cake she made, so I made her a little "smash" cake that she could destroy all on her own.

 

I know, right?! She's the best. Fist ever taste of sugar...she wasn't that impressed.

Get it Bee!

 

Bee received plenty of thoughtful gifts from her party guests including blocks, flashcards, books, a special dolly, and a quiet book from Grandpa Lee. Brad and I gave her the bumble bee Wheely Bug to cruise around the house with.
Something I don't want to forget: I knew I would be great with child, just having moved, etc. so I did my best not to overwhelm myself with excessive party planning. She's ONE after all and couldn't care less about the hullabaloo I was creating. I called a local bakery to ask about making sugar cookies frosted with a simple bumble bee on top. They wanted a whopping $3 per cookie. UM. No thanks, I'll make them myself! I'm so glad that I did. They were the best sugar cookies I've ever made and just imperfect enough to be perfect for my little bee.
A few other details:
Papa Ed loves pizza from The Pie, so we ordered it special for him!
Aunt Jen came over one night and helped blow up yellow, silver, and black balloons.  
Kim helped me string the balloons together in a big banner that we hung across the backyard patio.
Aunt Polly and Joann came down from Logan to be there.
Aunt Brook made the beautiful glazed beehive cake, almost too pretty to eat! She borrowed a beehive water dispenser that was perfect as well.
Aunt Michelle took all the pictures, such a gift, so that I wasn't stressed about not capturing these details.
I was grateful for all the help! Seriously, even tying my shoes at this point is insurmountable without assistance. Ha!
Happy Birthday to my sweet little bee!

Bee's Blueprint: 12 Months!

Hard to believe this is our last Blueprint for baby Bee! My gosh, that first year just sails away. Our baby is growing right up UP UP, and I mean tall! She is taking charge of her toddlerhood and walking and running all over the new house like she owns the place (and of course she does!). With that has come a flurry of bumps and bonks, especially on the hard wood floors, and she suffered her first goose-egg (the size of a ping-pong ball!) just a day before her first birthday. Momma and Bee shared some tears about it and snuggled in the rocking chair until we both felt better. She's a tough little soul, inside and out, and doesn't let much slow her down. Bee's hair is growing long enough to fall into her eyes so we've been pulling it up into a Bamm-Bamm pony-tail and it's all sorts of cute. There is something about that first pony that just pricks a momma's heart. We've started to see small glimpses into the beginnings of her imaginative play. She will take a bowl and spoon and mix them together all over the house saying "nummy nummy nummy." She will bring me the spoon for taste tests as needed. We often comment on how we can literally see the wheels in her head turning as she thinks and works herself through certain situations. Babies are smart! The stairs in the new house are an attractive novelty and Bee can easily climb herself up them, but getting down will need lots of practice. Baby gates are a must! Bee makes us laugh constantly and I'd be fibbing if I said I didn't think that everything she did, even when naughty, was magical. She enjoys the art of the chase and giggles and squeals when she's finally caught and receiving an over-abundance of squeezes and kisses trapped in our arms. She's starting to find her voice and says a few words like "hi," "bebe," "yummy," "momma," and "dada." Bee LOVES playing out in the back yard kicking her yellow ball and finding sticks and interesting leaves and eating dirt by the fistfuls. It's just what this kid needed. We are so happy she's ours, we'll keep her forever!  
12 Month Stats:
20.5 lbs (25%)
31 inches tall (97+%)

Home is whereever I'm with you

We found it! We found the one. The perfect little house to call our very own and today it is officially ours. Feeling exhausted and excited and ohmygosh we have a home! Happy dance! The home is little and has a weird kitchen and a pink tile bathroom and creeky wood floors. It also has two fireplaces, a backyard, and gorgeous windows. We couldn't love it more. I'm anxious to get packed up and moved in and somewhat settled before littleman arrives in a couple weeks. It gives me chills to know that we will bring him home to this place and we will be a family of four.
P.S. Geeeeeezo. What a stressful process it is to buy a home. I wouldn't recommend it during your third trimester...

Baby Bee Turns ONE!

Be still my soul. My little baby is growing right up and somehow someway someone has allowed her First Birthday to creep up behind us. My bestie Jessie (who is our unofficial-official family photographer) captured her sweet and spicy personality spot-on. This child brings light into our lives and these pictures prove it. Her Bamm-bamm ponytail. Her crooked little grin. Her pat-a-cake clap. Blowing kisses. Walking. Talking. Big blue eyes. Her first pair of Levi 501's and red Salt Water sandals. Her shy, curious, hesitancy about life on earth. My book worm. My lovey dove. My Bee. Daddy's happy girl. Momma's forever baby. This is our Phoebe at one year old.
Some of our fav's...

Momma's fav

"Bee!"

Great-grandma's table and chair and doll

All in a year

This month is an especially busy one for thebradleeduncans as we prepare to move but I'm determined not to let anything overshadow my little Bee's first birthday. Many wonderful miraculous things have happened to our family this year, but none so blessed as how our sweet little first born baby girl went from this:

to this:

 

 ...all in a year! 

(More pics from JOP to come)

Bee's Blueprint: 11 Months

My baby is now 11 months old and I'm in so much denial about it. Where did my baby go? Bee is now officially a toddler, walking around solo like she owns the place. Let's face it: she does. She has the cutest little Frankenstein toddle...but takes her fair share of trips and falls several times a day. New bruises and war wounds are just a sign of growing and learning to operate that strong little body of hers. She's usually pretty tough to shake it off after a few cuddles and kisses from mom or dad. Bee has really latched on to one of her blankets and holds it to her face as she takes a bottle or falls asleep. She still takes a binky, but both the blankie and binky stay in the crib until nap or bed time. If she has her binky and blanket she can sooth herself to sleep with no problems. When we come get her up from a nap she will wave bye-bye and blow kisses to her animals, binky, and blanket in the crib. Teething is a constant and continuing distress but Bee seems to handle it pretty well. It feels like we are always on the verge of another tooth popping through. She amazes us with her growing intelligence and is absorbing more than we know. Her curiosity is insatiable! Currently she is a big fan of avocado, curry, tomatoes, and yogurt. She certainly prefers to feed herself, but momma finds it far more efficient to use a spoon as often as possible. On weekend mornings daddy will bring her back into bed with us and she gets such a thrill playing in the blankets and pillows. She is just beginning to learn a few animal sounds and will sometimes do an elephant trumpet and dog bark. Yep. It's the cutest ever. Bee is sweet and happy most of the time, but every so often we get a little glimpse of her SPICE that tells us she is not messing around. We sure love this sweet and spicy toddler, oh yes we do!