Little Mommy

"Baby Joy" has become part of the family, or so Adriana thinks. Adriana dotes on the doll, making sure she's fed, sung to, and changed. I often tell my daughter what a good mommy she is.
Aunt Hannah was playing with Adriana and asked, "Are you a baby?"
"No," she corrected, "I'm a mommy!"
Then, last night, she jumped off my lap as we were in the middle of reading a book.
"Baby's poopy!," was the explanation I got; and we couldn't continue until an imaginary diaper change was completed.
So here are some "mommy"/baby photos...


Showing "Joy" the birdies:

Chatting with Daddy

She likes to pick up the phone and have a pretend "chat" with Daddy.

Snuggling Angel

Adriana comes up to me multiple times a day, and says one word, "Snuggle!" It melts my heart every time, and I try to make it a point to stop what I'm doing and scoop her up for some snuggling even if it's only for 15 seconds. These are the things I want to remember when my children are no longer little.

♪These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things♫

Although I do like girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, my list of favorite things would be a bit different than the one from Julie Andrews. I enjoy reading Real Simple's "Road Test" section for their favorite picks of everything from chocolate chips to bathroom scales (somehow those two go together for me). Just for a slight change of pace, I thought I'd post some of my favorite things. For the sake of time and to avoid being boring, I'll leave out my favorite foods, stores, or fashion, and stick with a list of favorite mommy/homemaker items.
So here we go:

Bjorn bibs are the bomb! It's worth the extra money because you'll never need another one. Adriana is using the one Elijah used, and it's still in great condition. It's flexible but doesn't crack (unlike the cheaper Ikea version); and it can be sanitized in the dishwasher. The pouch catches the inevitable falling food and helps you hide yucky broccoli from your mother who's distracted by your brother's carrot gun war.

After I ignored my mother about how useful her new stick blender was and how I really should get one, she gave it to me as a gift. I smiled and gave a half-hearted "thank you" only to find that mother really does know best. I use this thing so much more than I would have expected; and when mine broke (my bad) I decided I couldn't live without it and rushed to get a replacement. From smooth soup, to eggs, to smoothies, it's nice not to have to wash the big blender. (Have I mentioned that my least favorite housework is dishes?)

As any mommy knows, flat diaper clothes or "burp clothes", as we call them, are a necessity when you bring home your regurgitating bundle of joy, but don't pack them away when the spit up stops. At that point in our house, burp clothes change their name to "nose wipeys". Teething or little colds make wiping a baby/toddler's nose as common as blinking; and I noticed that the little nose got really irritated from tissues. I switched to only wiping with these and *voila* no more redness.

Unless you find scrubbing your oven to be relaxing, an over liner is a must. Any time your gourmet pie (or more realistically your Costco lasagna) bubble's over you can pull out the liner and simply shake the mess off the non-stick liner and into the sink.

If anyone has the address of whoever invented Downy Wrinkle Releaser, please send it to me so that I can send that person some flowers! I love not having to pull out the ironing board for every little clothing wrinkle. This stuff works!

Belly buttons seem to be one of toddler's favorite things, and this book is my favorite in Adriana's board book collection.

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A day does not go by at our house without the Legos being used. With it comes this wonderful little thing called, "quiet entertainment". Okay, well, not totally quiet, I still break up fights over who gets the 8" piece; but the noise level does drop significantly.

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Of course, my favorite toy, the Nikon D80, had to make this list. It captures memories, makes my children look like they're always angels, and gives Mommy a little hobby. There is a downside though. Suddenly you'll be adding a new lens, a fancy lens, a quality photoshop, and much more to your need-for-favorite-things list.

So there you have it. To all my fellow mommy bloggers, it's your turn to post. I want to hear what some of your favorite items are...

This Weekend

I was so excited about getting away with my mom and sisters this past weekend; and on Friday morning, I woke up sick. Refusing to give up one of my favorite weekends of the year (something not easily rescheduled), I trudged along and still had a good time. It turned out to be a mixed blessing. I definitely would not have had a chance to sleep late and spend some time really relaxing if my kids had been around; and my sisters were probably happy that I didn't have the desire to open my big mouth as much. :o)

Sadly, over the weekend, I missed a big milestone in my son's life. On Friday, Isaiah lost his first tooth. It was very loose, but he refused to have it pulled until bribed with money. When show the money and the newly pulled tooth, Elijah wanted to know if the money came out of Isaiah's tooth. He proceeded in attempting to pull out his own teeth.

Girly Survival Kit

Beginning today is our annual "Mom & Sisters" weekend. As usual, the guys will watch the kids for us (thanks, gentlemen!). So, for the second year, I sent my sweet daughter to spend the weekend as the only girl in the house. I don't feel too sorry for her; Adriana likes men and will be spoiled like a princess. But I did keep last year's promise and send her with a "Girly Survival Kit".

Happy Valentine's Day!

Baking Time

...which ends in the lick the beater/spoon time. Isn't that whole point of baking with mom?

Test Run

Because of my husband getting laid off from work last year, being out of a job for awhile, and then having to wait a couple months to get on his new job's insurance plan; we were without insurance for 9 months. With two little crazy boys around, it was a time for me to learn to truly rest in God's sovereign control. It ended up that the only medical issues came from me, as I had an ear infection and cut my finger to the bone. Thankfully we were able to care for both of these problems at home.

Beginning on February 1st, the Sieb Fam were finally back to having insurance coverage. My husband thought he'd give our new insurance a test drive; and yesterday while playing basketball with some buddies, he fractured his thumb.

Thank God for His perfect timing!

Just Woke Up

People are often surprised that my 5 1/2 year old is still taking naps. Isaiah has just always needed his sleep. Although I don't require a nap everyday, I do know when the child is in need of some rejuvenating shut-eye. Sometimes he comes out of his room and lies that he's slept. He is then surprised when I somehow know that that is not true. I've jokingly warned him, "Son, God knows absolutely everything [that you do] and Mommy knows almost everything."

But really, it's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I'm not stupid. You don't have to be a genius to be able to identify the true just-woke-up look.

Janie & Jack

One of the stores that I've frequented since the birth of my daughter is a boutique called "Janie & Jack." From the moment I first walked into the store, I was in love. The clothes were beautifully classic and the detail on them was exquisite. I was not, however, in love with the prices. After that, I often walked in wistfully and always left empty-handed. My friend Caroline was the one to explain to me the "Janie & Jack On a Small Budget" strategy. After talking it over with my husband, we went ahead with the plan.
Here's how it works: I go into Janie & Jack and drool over their latest gorgeous line of clothing. I see a dress that would look perfect on Adriana, and it's $68. My better judgement (and the voice of my husband in the back of my head) tells me that I'm crazy to buy it. So I patiently (or not so patiently) wait until it is on the clearance rack. At that point it might be $34, and I buy it. My girlie wears the dress and looks like a little princess. The Janie & Jack brand sells well on ebay; so when she is done with it, I turn around and sell it there for $25 (sometimes more). So in this case, I've spent roughly $9 on a dress for my sweetie. I have fun with the whole process, my husband is happy to get a deal, and Adriana looks adorable. It's like playing dress-up and monopoly...only grown-up style.
So here's a recent favorite outfit (the riding boots kill me) that I had to capture in a photo.

Triple the Love

I've found no harder photography task than capturing all three of my children for a portrait-type photo. When one is looking "picture perfect", the other two are giving me a cheesy smile or have a finger up their nose. I easily take over 50 shots to get one that looks decent. I've learned that having Daddy on hand for some goofiness behind the camera is very helpful. So here's our latest "all three" attempt.

Brrr...

Out of all her baby dolls, Adriana's baby "Joy" gets the most TLC from her toddler mommy. Today I told Adriana that Joy may come with us on an errand. As I got Adriana ready to go outside, she held up her doll, "Jack? Shoes?"
"No, sweetie," I responded, "I'm sorry but I don't have a jacket or shoes that would fit baby Joy. She's a warm baby and she'll be fine."
We walked outside; and concerned, she asked her baby, "Ah you cold?"

Tootsies

I love little feet. Baby feet are perfect for kisses, toddler feet are great for "This Little Piggy", and kid feet are irresistible for tickling. The best part about little feet is that they are just too cute! During the handful of child photo shoots I've done, I've been sure to grab a tootsie shot. But, for me, no little piggies I've seen are as cute as this set of 30: