Audrey and Chris have a game; one of them will call out, "1,2,3, TACKLE!" and tackle the other. This time Audrey kept saying, "I love you, Dad!" before she'd tackle him, lol.




Abby's hair is out of control! Since her last bath a few days ago the back of her hair has been sicking straight up! Drives me crazy, lol.

She loves looking at the ceiling fan in our room


We took out the water table over the weekend and Audrey loves it. I take her out after her nap since the front part of the house is shaded by then and it's a bit cooler if Abby joins us.


She likes to water the flowers in her "garden"

By this time next year Miss Abigail will get to join in the fun :)



I felt like Super Mom last night! Chris worked late so he wasn't around for dinner and the evening routine. When we came in from the water table I got Audrey settled with juice and toys (and Jake, of course) in the living room while I fed Abby. Then I made grilled cheese for Audrey while I got Abby's bath ready in the kitchen. When Audrey was done with dinner, she "helped" me give Abby a bath. Then she played in Abby's room while I finished getting Abby ready. It was too early for Abby's bedtime so I put her in the bouncer and she watched Audrey take her bath. By the time Audrey was done, Abby had fallen asleep. I got Audrey dressed and settled in my room with her milk and Jake (yes, Jake AGAIN.) Then I ate...Abby woke up after a short time (a little cranky) so she got swaddled and fed again. Then I put her in the swing while Audrey and I read books and danced in her room. Chris came home at that time and even though the evening went so smoothly I was so happy to see him!

Currently...

Listening: whatever Audrey will let me listen to in the car...cause she's a radio nazi.

Eating: everyday my lunch consists of elbow macaroni with butter and shredded cheese. It's very delicious.

Drinking: vodka and cranberry...Chris makes it for me almost every night!

Wearing: sports bras and anything stretchy

Feeling: very thankful...for my husband, my girls, my summer

Weather: it's been rainy the past few days and I love it! It makes me not feel bad that we're not outside and it's just so nice and cozy in my house!

Wanting: a haircut.

Needing: a haircut.

Thinking: i should get to bed before my very adorable 2 am wake up call

Enjoying: summertime and losing track of the days :)

Post idea taken from my wonderful SIL :)

A fun 4th and things I don't want to forget

Oh, how I love this face! Abby is 10 weeks old today and for serious the easiest baby I could ever ask for. I always rolled my eyes when people said, "Oh, I just love the newborn phase!" That's b/c those people must've had easy babes. Audrey was not an easy babe...she'd cry for no reason and have majorly long wake times. I don't want to forget how lucky we are to have an easy one this time around!

I don't want to forget the way I feel when I check on them each night. I leave their rooms with this giddy smile on my face and I can't help it! They are so darn cute as they sleep...Audrey usually on her back, sprawled out and totally exhausted from her busy day. Abby perfectly swaddled and still, looking like a baby doll. I walk out of their rooms feeling like I could float on air, it's one of my most favorite times of the day.

I don't want to forget how it feels to hear Audrey say, "I'm so happy!" She says it so genuinely and with such emotion I can't help but grin. She says it when she uses the potty or when she builds a tower of blocks that doesn't fall. I think it comes from me telling her to "be happy" whenever she starts to have a meltdown. It almost immediately makes her smile.

We had a great 4th of July. We went to Grandma's house for swimming & lunch, then Pop Pop's house for dinner, then Aunt Kelly's new house for dessert and Cranium. It was a long day away from home but everyone did great!



The best picture I could get of these sweet girls. Audrey wasn't being cooperative and it was too bright for Abby, even in the shade, lol.


Side note: Audrey wore this dress for her first 4th of July! It's a 6-9 month dress. Gah.


Abigail scratched her face so hard that it bled! So awful :(


I was looking back at this blog post from July 2009. Then I looked at all the posts from that month and it made me really, really anxious for Abby to hit that stage! Where she's sitting up, playing, super responsive and showing off her personality. Having an easy baby is so great, but nothing compares to when they really start to interact. I think this time around will be even more special because we'll get to see how they interact with each other. I have to try and stop wishing time away...it's going by so fast as it is!

Summer is off to a super start!

There is nothing better than spending all my time with my two little lovelies! My first full week of summer was pretty lazy, spent mostly at home due to Audrey's new interest in the potty. She's 100 % trained at home! She's even getting better with telling us she has to go...tonight she made me take her out of the bath so she could go pee :)

My SIL was in town this week with our niece and nephew. On Thursday we met Aunt Sarah & cousin Bella for lunch at Panera, then headed up to see them at Nonie's house. The girls played so well together, blowing bubbles and playing in the pool.


Abby (2 months) & cousin Ansley (3 months)

I love her arm rolls!

"This is my space!!"

Cousins! Bella, Nina, Audrey

Audrey would fill up her bottle in the pool then pour it into Nina's bottle. Then Nina would pour it all out onto the table and they'd start all over again. This kept them busy for quite awhile!!


The best picture we could get at the end of a long (napless) afternoon!

On Friday we spent the day at Grandma's. Audrey and I played in the pool. She liked floating on the large raft while I twirled her around. She also used the potty while we were there (twice!)

On Saturday Audrey and I went grocery shopping while Chris and Abby stayed home. We went to Mom Maw's house for dinner and Audrey loved playing with cousin Nina. Today was a nice day spent at home, getting things done around the house, playing, and relaxing.

One of the things I love most about summer is not having to get the girls up at such an early hour. I get up for the day when Audrey wakes up. She calls out, "Momma, Momma, Mommmmmaaaaa...." until I come get her. She eats breakfast and plays until we hear Abby. She likes to come in with me to get her.


I love watching her sleep. She looks so peaceful.

Good morning!

The best part of this picture is Audrey's little feet, lol.

Abby's "I'm stretching" face


After I took this picture I realized she was covered in poop. Yeah.


So happy!

So tired!


Sleeping on the way to Mom Maw's house. She's doing so much better at keeping her head up when she's asleep!

Tomorrow we're hitting up Grandma's house and then Pop Pop's house for the 4th. Hope everyone has a safe and restful holiday!

Abigail Mae is 2 months old!

She is such a GOOD baby!! I'm not saying that because we're second time parents and it's supposed to be easier the next time around...Abby is incredible! She rarely cries, there's no "fussiness" from her at all. She does great at night. She gets swaddled and bottled and she's in her crib until Chris dream feeds her at around 11:30. She sleeps until about 3, eats, then goes right back to sleep until about 6. After that feeding she goes back to sleep for a good 2-3 hours and then she's up for the day. I follow the EASY routine (eat, activity, sleep, your time.) She naps in her swing or bouncer right in the living room. I don't know if I should be putting her in her crib or not. Maybe when she has a set schedule?

She's eating about 4.5 ounces every 3 hours. I had major engorgement and blocked duct issues when I went back to work. Cabbage definitely did the trick because my supply tanked (my right side only gets 2 oz after a 30 minute session!) I've been able to keep up with her but today I started giving her some freezer milk so I can rebuild a good fridge stash. I'm pumping much less often...before bed, at the 3 am feeding, when I get up with Audrey, and maybe 2 more times in the early afternoon and early evening. She'll probably be on formula by the time I go back to school.

She definitely knows where her hands are. Her fist goes right up to her mouth if a bottle or paci aren't available fast enough. And I'm pretty sure she swats at her little red bird on her playmat (check out the video below!) She does very well holding her head up & steady when we're holding her. She's bearing weight on her legs for a few seconds at a time.

Today she had her 2 month appt. She weighs 12 lbs 10 oz (90th percentile...YEAH.) She 22 inches long and looks perfect. Sue said she's "just lovely." She got 4 shots and an oral vaccine. Poor baby turned bright red and screamed, but was just fine by the time we left the office. She's been sleepy and kind of irritable all day. I woke her up to do pictures and therefore 99% of them were awful...but I managed to get a few gems :)








Last night, passed out during playtime:


This afternoon, after her appointment:


She is such a sweetheart! She's totally smiling and cooing for us. It's beyond adorable! I got her on video a few days ago and I smile every time I watch them!







I am SO hoping Abby continues to be an easy baby. She is such a delight and I'm so, so, so happy I have all this time to dote on her and sweet Audrey Cate!

Pinterest: my new obsession...

In the words of Audrey's new favorite song (and to quote will.i.am)...I just can't get enough! Pinterest is basically a virtual pin board. A place to store all of the pretty things you find on the interwebz. My favorite categories are style, kids, & food but I've found many cool pins in nearly every category. Lots of great ideas out there and finally a place to keep them!

Pinterested? My board is here.

Let me know if you decide to start, I'd love to follow more people!

POTD (Pin of the Day)

Source: etsy.com via S on Pinterest

Sharing is caring...

PT success!!

Audrey has been without a diaper all day and has had NO accidents! We've been hanging out in the living room all morning. She walks over, gets on her potty, and she goes! She gets a small treat, we clean out her potty and start all over again. I am so proud of her! She definitely seems to recognize the feeling that she has to go and she's making the connection that she needs to go on the potty. A month ago that wasn't the case (as evidenced by numerous puddles on the hardwood floor!) I just put her down for a nap and I'm hoping the rest of the day is just as successful.

So, when is a good time to start putting her in underwear? Should we start with Pull-Ups first? Should we keep doing the nakey thing for a few days until she definitely gets it? I'm just not sure what the next steps are so any advice would be GREAT!

**UPDATE**
Audrey did great after her nap! She even went #2 on the potty :) I put underwear on her when we went outside to blow bubbles. We were out for maybe 10 minutes with no issues. But then, as we were walking in she peed and oddly enough it didn't phase her. She had another accident later on when she was playing with her toys. Both times I had her sit on the potty and I assured her it was ok to have accidents (she didn't seem to care, lol.)

Thanks for all the advice!! I'm hoping she continues to use the potty like she did today. What a huge step!

Audrey is Two and a Half

Dear Sweet Audrey Cate,

Today you are two and a half years old. You are such a beautiful and wonderful little girl. You light up our lives and fill our hearts with joy we never imagined.

You amaze us everyday. Last night when I sat with you to say your prayers, you said them all by yourself! You can count to 12 (and then all the numbers after sound like gibberish…but they all end in ‘teen’ lol.) You love to sing and dance. You are a serious radio nazi. If a song comes on that you don’t like, you let us know. Recently you’ve been trying to sing the songs on the radio and it’s so cute because you pretty much just chime in on the endings. You really love your tv shows; Mickey Mouse, Jake & the Neverland Pirates, Umi Zoomi, Bubble Guppies, Little Einsteins. In fact, you go through phases where you just want the same show over and over.

You love to play pretend. We have pretend picnics and tea parties. I can’t wait to get you a dollhouse so you can pretend all day long! You are very helpful…you stand on a chair at the sink and I wash bottles and pass them to you so you can throw them in the cold water.

You have adjusted so well to having a little sister. For the most part you go about your day as if she doesn’t exist. One day that will change and you’ll be the best of friends and you won’t be able to imagine a time when she didn’t exist. You are so patient when I’m tending to her. You don’t seem to be jealous at all.

You have your moments…when you don’t listen we put you in Time-Out. You sit there, quietly and you face the corner. It’s so odd…you place your hand on the wall and we’re not sure why! Even when you’re in trouble you’re so damn cute!

You want nothing to do with potty training. You’ll sit on the potty to appease us and I’m almost certain you actually hold it while on the potty because as soon as your diaper is on you go! I’m not too worried because when you’re ready you’ll rock it and be potty trained in no time.

You really can’t be bothered with eating. I seriously dread your mealtimes! Breakfast is usually ok; you eat yogurt and pancakes and toast (and the occasional donut.) You do enjoy a variety of snacks and fruit. You’re back on a chicken strike and prefer “peanut butter on a spoon.” Grilled cheese can be a hit or miss and luckily you’re still eating YoMeals. Your eating habits stress me out especially since there’s nothing I can do but keep offering different foods. Your response is almost always, “I don’t like it!” Maybe when Abby starts eating real food in a few months you’ll regain interest! But for know you’re healthy and growing and all I can do is wait it out.

I feel so blessed to be your mom. I love watching you grow up and learn new things. You are wonderful in every way! I hope you always know how much we love you.

Love, Mom