and then there were 3!

I bet someone out there thought this would be a post announcing another pregnancy. NOPE! I am simply announcing another tooth for Ainsley. This one is coming in on the top left. Other Ainsley events. She is moments away from walking independently. Yesterday she took her "first step." Mike let go of her hand and she took one step while lunging for me. This morning she took 2 consecutive steps. Mike let go of her. She stood, took a turning step toward me, and one more step into my arms. It has begun!!!
Now I know where the saying two peas in a pod comes from!!!

same age, similar kids

Good-ish News

Aubrey is 2 years, 8 months, and 17 days old today. I know this because I just had her 2 year 9 month assessment with Child Find, the organization she has been receiving services through for speech. The good news is that she has made tremendous growth in the last 6 months and has average speech production for her age. That is also the bad news. She did not qualify for group therapy starting at age three like we had anticipated. Our therapist thought it would be a no brainer since she still struggles to find the words she wants and lacks oral fluency. She does this kinda wind up thing before she speaks a sentence. "hum.a.na, hum.a.na... more... gapes... pease!" Instead of "More grapes please." She is at the 24th percentile for speech expression and articulation which was just enough to disqualify her.

Aubrey is pretty shy in new surroundings so I wasn't worried about her performing at her best. These darn ladies were really working it, they won her heart by blowing bubbles when she would try to name the object or action they were showing her. Heck, they got her to say things I have never heard come out of her mouth. Then to make matters worse, the more she said, the more bubbles they blew. So Aubrey starts hamming it up. "house, door, boo (blue), pee (tree), bug (big) house, red door,..." Apparently I need to buy some indoor bubbles to get my kiddo to talk!

I am glad that she is no longer "significantly delayed," but bummed that free to me speech therapy will be ending in early June. I'm also a little bummed that 76 % of kids her age are still doing more. I would have much rather had services cut off with her above the 50th percentile. They are still concerned about the fluency and language aspect. They recommended that I have her reassessed at 3 years 4 months, if she hasn't completely caught up. Mike and I have to sit down and discuss pre-school and if and when she should be part of it. I did want her to go a few days a week at age four, but it may be better to start in September since she has excelled having someone besides me work with her. Man, being a parent is tough. This will probably be one of the easier decisions we have to make in the next 20 years, but right now it seems pretty huge.

How we spend our time

"Hey Mom, look at me, I'm a toy! Come play with me, will ya?"
"I'm gonna get you light. Here I come!" She actually started this yesterday. She hops around on her knees and then free falls forward with her arms out. It sounds like she fell from really high, but it's just a fun little game she invented. She really does remind me of a cat!!!
Catching the light. Aubrey had brought over a train so Ainsley could play with a real toy, but no dice, the light on the carpet was the big winner!
Aubrey and Pooh dancing to the Jungle Book Soundtrack. I'm glad I've been growing out her bangs. It was so annoying when her bangs would be in her eyes. This is working out much better... now they are in her eyes, nose, and mouth,

Ainsers...

This picture kinda shows how her teeth are coming in. You can also see how my teeth came in...
Here's one of Ainsley walking about the place.
Aubrey joining in on the fun. Notice the forward angle Ainsley is standing in. She doesn't always keep up with how fast she is pushing the toy. Those are sad moments because she really wants to walk. I think I saw her trying to push up to a stand from nothing today. She was on her knees and trying to stand. That would be a tough position to stand from, but I wouldn't put it past her.

All she wants to do is DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!

Aubrey loves song 4 on the Lion King sound track.
Not the Disney one, but the one from the production Mike and I went to on our first date.
I don't know the name, but it is an African song and has a lot of African drums and chanting. She LOVES it, and will dance for a good while with it on repeat.

Locks of Love

Back in 2005, while I was pregnant with Aubrey I donated 12 inches of my hair to Locks of Love, an organization that provides human hair wigs to children. It takes about six donations to make one human hair wig. It also costs about $1000 to make each wig. These wigs, which they provide free, retail for $3000-$6000. Yikes. What an amazing gift they are giving to families.

Once I had Ainsley, I knew I wanted to donate again. I figure once for each kid God graces me with. It's pretty easy to grow hair and I'm always up for change. Today was the big day! I thought I had ten and a half inches to donate, but she was only able to snip off nine. The website specifies that 10 inches is the minimum donation, but apparently they will take shorter donations if your hair is in good shape, so I was approved. Also, they sell all the shorter hair in the pony tail to other companies to off set their costs, so either way, it is a win win!

I wanted an angled bob with it stepping up in the back. It is definitely more subtle than I wanted. It is a little more soccer mom than sassy mom of two, but that's fine. I kinda am a soccer mom! It gives me something to work toward in the months ahead. Eventually I want it a little longer in front and more angled, but since I was donating, that limited what could be done. You kinda have to work with what is left after the chop! So once again, Mike has a whole hew wife. I seem to do this to him rather often...

My kiddos were mixed with their reaction. Aubrey said, "Mommy cut hair, pretty." and "Mommy cut hair enough." Ainsley was a bit of a mess. She was looking at me, reaching out for my face (I was on my knees), and whimpering a little. I kept reassuring her that it was me, but she wasn't sure. It definitely threw her for a loop. Poor little bug! She warmed up to it over the course of the evening and is good with Mommy again. Mikey loves it and thinks he likes it better short. He is such a support to me and always respects my decisions for my body! I love this family!!!

just a glimpse

We have had a glimpse of Spring the last few days and it has been simply amazing! We've been to the park, enjoyed our backyard, and even made it out of hats and gloves. I'm sure we will have some more snow before too long, but for now I will enjoy the break!!!FYI, snow boots and toddler swings do not go together like peas and carrots! That was an adventure all on its own!!!
Ainsley was very tentative at first, but soon warmed up to the idea. She was in the swing for 35 minutes straight.
And... it made it. She is such a sports orriented little girl. I didn't get a picture, but she was dribbling a soccer ball across the backyard this morning screaming "run, kick, run, kick!"
What day would be complete without digging in the rocks? The gloves are not for warmth, they are to keep her hands clean. Sand is dirty! I hope we don't have to bring them along to the beach this summer. I'll have the only kid with gloves on the whole beach!

the virtual baby book continues!

My heart cannot take it. How did my new baby get to be ten months? It goes so fast the second time! Instead of waiting around for milestones, I am actually missing them. She waves, did I ever right that down anywhere? She's been doing it since early January. She stands without holding on to anything for as much as ten seconds. She walks around the house pushing whatever she can find. She says Daddy. She keeps out growing clothes. Her hair is getting really thick and staying brown. Ainsley is such a joyful child. Her face keeps me centered! I love this kid!!!

Where were these smiles yesterday?

After rescheduling a photo sitting due to bad weather on Thursday, I braved the mall yesterday with my kiddos in hope of getting a few good shots. Mind you I was being cheap, and had no intention of leaving with more than my free 8 x 10 and sheet of wallets, but I still wanted them to smile. No beans, they were so somber! Aubrey finally smiled after I pulled out a dum dum from my diaper bag, but it was too late, I was over it, and she still wouldn't pose like I wanted her to. I wonder where she got that stubborn streak? My intention was to get a picture of Ainsley standing, since I have one of Aubrey standing at that age too. I also thought it would be nice to get the wallets of Aubrey since she hasn't been the star at one of these things since her second birthday. Of course the standing ones were my least favorite. I picked one anyway and got a sheet of wallets in a pose I liked better, sorry Aubrey!!! I was on my way home within an hour and a half of arriving at the mall. I also made the most of my wait time, finally using up a Pottery Barn gift card I have had for 3 years and using a Starbuck's card I have been slowly using since Christmas. We even ventured into a pet store to look at the puppies. Now I want to get a bunny and house train it! Mike laughed at me when I brought it up, but I am sure the bunny could win him over if he looked at its cute little face.

My Blogger spell check still isn't working. Is anyone else having this problem?

The Valentine's Day Post...

I know it is a Hallmark holiday. I know it forces people to buy flowers and go out to restaurants. I also know that without it, their would be many a spouse who never felt cherished throughout the year. I was watching Family Feud the other day, don't judge me, and one of the speed round questions was "On a scale of 1 to 10 how fulfilling is your marriage?" The number one answer was one. I know they only ask 100 people, but still! That's a pretty sad statement.

Mike and I celebrate our wedding anniversary just a few days before Valentine's Day so it is always hit or miss around here. Today was a hit. Last night Mike brought me Creme Broule creamer home, it sounds like no big deal, but last week I had mentioned that it sounded yummy, but I was afraid to buy it. He remembered me saying I wanted to try it and brought some home for me. He brought home french vanilla too in case it was a bust, luckily it wasn't! A few hours later he surprised me with two dozen roses! From my fiscally minded mate, this was quite a surprise. He told the girls that the white ones are for them and the red ones were for me. Aubrey was thrilled too! What a great Valentine's Day and it was only the 13th! So this morning I was drinking my coffee with new creamer and talking to my friend Tammi on the phone, and Mike walks in with a pot of red tulips, my favorite flower! Seriously, do we have a flower store in our garage? I asked if he had something serious to tell me, he just smiled and said he loved me. It's good to be loved!

So Aubrey and I set to work this morning on making Mikey a card and chocolate covered pretzels. It was quite the adventure. My plan was to surprise him at work with them, but I talked to him at lunch time and he was swamped. So I guess the surprise will wait until he gets home! For dinner I am making pepperoni lasagna and homeade strawberry ice cream for dessert! Yum, It should be a great day. Hopefully, I can get the kitchen looking a little less like a war zone before 5pm.

Observations

Aubrey cycles with her potty training. She will be accident free for three weeks, and then boom, accident central for three days. Tomorrow will be day three, I am looking forward to her remembering to use the potty.

Ainsley makes a lot of cute noises and does a lot of cute things.

Mike is finally confident when it comes to his wardrobe. For years he didn't have a “style” to speak of. He wore what was purchased for him. After his birthday he returned a shirt I purchased and came home with a replacement and a few more. He doesn't need my opinion anymore, he knows what he likes and what looks good.

Having a lingering cold is no fun!

Aubrey got really tall last week. She is a giant and can reach just about anything she wants to.

Ainsley only really cries when her feelings get hurt.

It's really nice having Mike start work at 9:00. It is great having him here in the morning chaos.

I only cry when my feeling get hurt... or if I see a commercial that moves me.

I'm too excited to sleep!

If you are like me, and you must be a little bit if you are reading this blog, you like to anticipate things. It is fun to get excited about what is to come. Now it is still fun when you don't know what tomorrow holds, but it is also pretty great when you do. This summer we are sharing a beach house with some friends in North Carolina. We have literally been talking about doing it since I was pregnant with Aubrey. That was in the not knowing what the future holds stage. Currently we have zero pregnancies between the three couples, three young children, and a huge need to relax on the beach with great friends. So that is what we are going to be doing early summer! I seriously lay in bed at night packing my suitcases and imagining the warm sun on my back! I cannot wait, well I can wait until June but that is it!!!

My heart just bursted.

Earlier today Aubery was asking about her friend Jasmine. I told her we wouldn't see Jasmine until the end of the week because she is visiting her grandparents. Hours later Aubrey says, "Manat plane?" Manat is Jasmine. I was confused and asked her why she thought Jasmine was on a plane. Then I got it. Aubrey has to take a plane ride to see her grandparents so Jasmine must have to too. I explained that Jasmines grandparents are just a long car ride away and she doesn't have to use a plane to see them. My heart was so sad for Aubrey as she realized that not all kids have to wait months to see their grandparents.

6 years and going strong!

At this very minute, 6 years ago, I was walking down the aisle to marry the love of my life. The last few years haven't been to eventful as far as celebrating, so we got an early start today to make sure it happened. Mike and I had a nice breakfast out and then spent a few hours shopping. We had intended to see a movie, but there wasn't anything we were really interested in, so shopping it was. It was really nice to have some adult conversation. We even did a good job not talking about the kids. We talked about refinancing our house (very adult), our summer vacation plans, and how sick we felt after eating such huge meals! The shopping part wasn't completely adult. Aubrey recently had a growth spurt so we got her a few new pairs of pants, three shirts, and new shoes. Ainsley got diapers and new flavors of fruit to try!!! Mike is finishing up a few things for work and then we will try to squeeze a movie in while the kiddos rest. We will see. It is just nice to still be in love after 6 years and happily married!

Tooth #2

So that is why she cried ALL day yesterday. I thought she was sick like me! Hmmm... I wish I was a baby whisperer so I could know what was going on with my kid. Do you like the extreme close up? Whenever I pull out the camera I get a attacked with a big grin. I hope she does this with portrait people too.

How is she growing so quickly?

This kid is a climber. If I look away for a second she is elevated herself somehow. Climbed the staircase, climbed on top of the picnic table, climbed on a chair, climbed into a toy basket, or simply standing somewhere trying to figure out how to climb it while trying to kick her leg on top of the object. It's crazy having such an active baby! It really makes her seem not so baby like and more pre-toddler like. It just seems like if I close my eyes for even a second she will be walking, talking, and eating peanut butter and jelly for lunch like her sister. Do second babies always seem to grow up faster than the first?

Movin' on Up!

Ah, the bittersweet moment of my kids being too big and needing new car seats. Ainsley isn't officially too big, but she looks gigantic in her infant carrier and seems really uncomfortable. She is always trying to sit up to see what Aubrey is doing and pretty much hates being in it.

Aubrey's seat (that Ainsley is sitting in) has been a nightmare for awhile now. Whenever we try to tighten it, the left side of the restraint doesn't tighten at the same speed as the right side. Therefore she is either in too tight or way too loose. After Jenna got in an accident with her daughter in the car, I was convicted that I needed to be confident that my kiddos are as safe as humanly possible while I am driving. As it turns out, Aubrey's seat works just fine when the restraint is set at a lower level, so for the time being it will work great for Ainsley. When Ainsley can turn forward, I will most likely get her the same seat as Aubrey (assuming I like it).

Aubrey's new seat is just what I've been looking for. It is really light, and has a five point harness that can be used until 40 pounds (12 pounds to go) and then you can use a lap belt up until 80 pounds. This should be her last seat. It was really important for me to have her in a five point harness. Most kids qualify for a booster with a shoulder belt by their third birthday, but I would like to keep her is a five point harness for as long as possible since it is the safest restraint if you are involved in an accident. The best part about the seat was the price, $50!!! If you are interested in checking it out, I got it at Target and it is the COSCO brand.

Super Sunday

About once a month something happens that makes me consider ditching my kids and going back to teaching. It was way easier and very rewarding. Then I realize that everyone has bad days at their job and this was just one of mine. When I was teaching there was probably one day a month I wanted to be an administrative assistant or something like that.

Today was in no way bad, just hard. We were invited to some friends house for a Super Bowl Party and I presented Mike with 4 options.

1. He goes by himself and leaves the minute the game ends.
2. We go after naps, get there around 5:00pm and try to put Ainsley down in a pack and play.
3. Mike helps clean the house, make the dip we were bringing and stays until he wants to come home.
4. Ainsley takes an early nap, Aubrey skips her nap, we leave by 2:30, I come home when Ainsley is tired, and Mike hitch hikes to get home, gets a ride, or spends the night.

We decided on #4. Apparently this was one of the days Aubrey NEEDED a nap. She was fine, but oh so tired. She kept going upstairs and downstairs constantly. Whatever, the kid likes the stair case. WRONG! She liked the cookies on the table and ate at least 15 of them from the look of the platter. Oh boy, that is more sugar than she had in all of January! Ainsley was great, loved the action and was a trooper. Well, until the game started. When people cheered she cried. So I high tailed it out of there at half time and came home. It was a long afternoon. Fun, but long. It's just hard having young kids and going places. If we bring them, I end up entertaining them the entire time and should have stayed home. If we get a sitter, I'm anxious and worry about the sitter and how she is doing. So until our kids are done with naps I will be in the constant stage of chaos. Oh well!

I apologize for any errors. My spell check hasn't been working on blogger and I cannot seem to find my own errors. I read it just how I meant it to be!

My Dear Ones

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago, but the back story cracks me up. I couldn't get Ainsley to take her morning nap. She was crying something fierce and could not calm down. So after hours of trying to get her to take a nap I stuck her in this chair with a video on. I know people don't use video tapes anymore, but you know what I am talking about. Ahh, 15 minutes later and she was out. I took her up to her room and came back to see a little impersonater. I thought Ainsley was going to want to be like Aubrey, not the other way around. Well it was a super cute moment and I am glad I captured it on film. I know people don't use film anymore either, but again you get the point! Why was Ainsley being so off? Her tooth had finally worked its way through. I'm so glad I am not still getting new teeth, it seems like a real bear!

how quickly they learn!

Aubrey's little firend, Jasmine, that I watch a few days a week, has learned the rules of being at our house.

#1 The good snack is in the freezer, just stand there and point and I will eventually give you frozen yogurt. Literally, regular old tubes of yogurt, frozen! This will only work once so choose carefully.

#2 If Ainsley is in bed we get to do super fun things! For instance on Wednesday they played outside in the 20 plus degree weather. They did that today too, but it was closer to 40! Other fun activities while Ainsley naps are playdough, coloring, and puzzles!

#3 All bathroom activty deserves high praise, including food of some sort!

#4 If you say "Melmo" enough, he will appear on the TV.

#5 No matter how fun the toy is, you can't play with it forever, each girl gets a turn.Notice that this picture was taken through a window. I told the girls they were crazy and it was too cold for mommy's. They were happy with me sitting inside with the window open and interacting with them that way!