A rare moment

Both girls are napping (well, Alice is asleep. I can still hear Elsie singing Twinkle Twinkle to herself in her bed), Alan is at school, and the apartment is generally cleaned up. I'm not sure what to do with myself...

I think I might be getting the hang of this whole having two kids thing. I can successfully get them in and out of the car safely, get all three of us dressed, fed, hair done, and ready for the day, and now I've got them both down for naps at the same time. One thing I haven't mastered is how to shower by myself without Alan being home. Do I bring Alice in the bathroom and let Elsie run wild outside? Leave the door open, but then not be able to intervene if anything happens? I'm still working on this one. For now I just have to get up early so I can shower while Alan is still around.

I finally broke down and bought a breast pump. I never used one with Elsie. I always said I didn't want to spend the money on one, but the real reason is I just think they're kinda scary. I have to attach this thing and then essentially vacuum out my precious liquids? No thanks. But after finding a reasonably priced pump with good reviews, I bit the bullet and got it. After realizing that we are going to be moving to a place where the closest temple is going to be 3 hours away, I figured it would be nice to be able to build up a little supply so we could take advantage of the temples that are really close. And, of course, I wouldn't say no to the occasional date night. :)

I feel like I am a better mom to Elsie now then I was the last few months of pregnancy. Isn't that crazy? It seems like it should be the other way around. By the end I felt (and was) so huge, I couldn't get down on the floor and play with her, I hurt all the time, I just didn't really want to do anything. But now I have my body back somewhat, and I feel like I can move again. I can snuggle without a big belly in the way. I can get down on the floor and crawl around. I have the energy to let Elsie "help" with more things like cooking and cleaning. We've been working on learning the letters and spelling her name. Right now she says "L P Q, Elsie!". We've got a ways to go, but we're getting there. Same with numbers, everything is either "1, 2, 3" or "7, 8, 9, 12, 18". She'll get it right someday.