Abby Kate is 2 Years Old!!

Dear Abby Kate,

Two years ago today, I was holding you in my arms for the first day of your life. Your birth was such a range of emotions - excitement at being induced on Sept. 1, followed by fear that I'd picked the wrong hospital to deliver you at after a rocky start, followed by patient waiting and reassurance by my sweet nurse, followed by wondering if inducing you was a mistake after I "labored" painlessly and ineffectively for 12 hours with no sign of progress. Between 7pm and 8pm, the night nurse noticed signs of progress, and at 5:12am on Sept. 2, you made your grand debut, missing the kindergarten cut-off date by exactly 5 hours and 12 minutes! You are bright, and very independent, so I've put you in the 2-year-old class at your "school" even though that means we will have to "hold you back" one year before you start kindergarten.
You have been independent and squirmy and opinionated and wonderful from the very beginning. None of my babies kicked me as much or as often or made me quite as uncomfortable as you managed to. You were the smiliest baby ever your first year of life, but squirmed your way through every poopy diaper you had (and there were LOTS!). You were the baby I discovered my nursing supply issues with, and that was a challenge for months. But you were and are so so loved by me, your daddy, your big sister who adores you and who you adore, and now your little sister.
At two years old, you are a very "easy" toddler so far. Because you were so independent your first year of life, you do many things that I never would have let your sister do at this age. You have been walking up and down the stairs for months by yourself, without me even close by. You follow Christa everywhere and play with all of her toys - even Barbie dolls with tiny pieces. You consistently come to me and say, "Sita (Christa) not sharing." You are so sweet to share with her, even though she isn't always as eager to share with you. You are always expressing your sense of fashion with a pair of sunglasses, a hat, a necklace, or a bracelet or awareness band of some sort. You verbalize everything you want or need very clearly.
You love to laugh and run around the room, waving your arms up and down. You "chop" your feet when you run and it is adorable! You have beautiful, short, brown hair, but there isn't much of it. You are starting to express a desire to wear hair bows, but they just won't stay in for long. You love to swim and line up your princess figurine toys. At school, they tell me you love the dinosaurs, and you line those up, too! You think you're a lot older than you are, and you join in with the older kids when they're around.
You are learning your numbers, thanks to Daddy spending hours reading to you and reviewing the page numbers on your Super Why book before bed at night. You are picking up on a few of your letters, too. You are very smart and know different things than your sister did at this age. You are still in your crib, and I plan to keep you there as long as it works. It took us a long time to get you to sleep well, and we are finally on a good schedule with that, with you sleeping through the night and taking a good nap most days.
You love to watch TV and your favorites are Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Strawberry Shortcake, Bubble Guppies, Dora the Explorer, and Go Diego, Go. Luckily, most of these attempt to be educational :) Plus, they're cute shows.
You are a picky eater these days. You used to eat anything and everything, but lately, it doesn't seem like you eat much at all. I'm sure it's just a phase. You like to be held, and come up to me, saying, "hold you," which means, "hold me." You give me "noses" and kisses every night before bed, and I love having a few minutes to give you my attention while we rock and sing a song before bed.
You are beautiful and wonderful and smart and funny and loved more than I can describe! I thank God for giving you to us 2 years ago today and I pray that you will always know how much we love you and how much He loves you.

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!
Love,
Mommy

Disney: Round 2

Hello all!! We just got back from a fabulous trip to Disney World!! This was our second trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, and it lived up to that reputation once again. I know what you're thinking: "Who would take 3 tiny children to Disney World in the middle of August??" Yes, good point. It was hot. And it was a challenge to keep Elizabeth cool, since she's still too young for sunscreen. But it was a blast, and I was once again impressed at how well the kids did and how much we were able to do! We did have some extra sets of hands. Cline's mother was with us for one day, and we brought one of our fabulous babysitters with us, as well, so that made the excursion manageable. The reason we picked this particular timing for our trip was because Cline's old high school scheduled a football game at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. Cline wanted to go to the game, and thought it would be a great excuse to make a fun trip out of it. He was right, but it was a lot of work to prepare before and after. We may stick to going during the cooler months in the future, especially with infants! Enjoy the pictures!

Ready with Cline's mom for a day of fun at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Eating lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive-in Movie Theater - my favorite restaurant there!

Like I said, it was hot, so we let the kids cool off and get messy with some chocolate ice cream. I dropped mine on the ground, so I took that as a sign that I was supposed to stick to my diet :) I promptly bought Abby Kate a Disney dress so she would be comfortable after she covered herself with melted ice cream!

The whole gang at the studios!

The second day we were there, we went to the Magic Kingdom. Christa loved the teacups, and the line wasn't too bad, so she rode them twice.

It rained the afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. It was actually welcome relief from the heat, which drained my energy. We ended up staying a few extra hours after the temperature dropped.

Cinderella's Castle.

Our 3rd day there, we went to Epcot. Our fabulous babysitter, Katie, was a wonderful help holding babies and bags and doing whatever needed to be done. At the end of the day, Cline and I would get everyone fed and back to the room, and Katie would watch the kids while we went back to the parks for "extra magic hours." It was exhausting, but soooooo much fun. I felt like a teenager again, riding fun rides with my hubby into the wee hours of the morning.

We had dinner at Cinderella's Castle. This was a favorite activity of Christa's, even though I couldn't talk her into wearing her Cinderella dress we'd brought from home. Abby Kate looked quite cute in her Snow White outfit, though! The girls loved meeting the princesses, and excitedly said each one's name as they came by.

We got to meet Snow White, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty! The girls got a wishing star and magic wand and got to participate in a wishing ceremony (which consisted of waving their wands over their stars and saying "bibbity bobbity boo!")

After our princess dinner, we watched the Wishes show and fireworks by Cinderella's Castle. Elizabeth loved the fireworks, and laughed throughout the show. It was really neat - they posted pictures taken throughout the day on Cinderella's Castle. I was amazed at what they were able to do with their digital photography and animation techniques.

We got to meet up with some friends from our Augusta days, Mike, Rosi, and their 3 beautiful children. We ate dinner at Downtown Disney and let the kids dig for bones at T-Rex. It was great catching up, and I could have chatted for hours more! Hope to see them again very soon!

We also went to the Animal Kingdom, but didn't stay too long, and I didn't take many pictures there. We were pretty tired by that day. Our final day, we completed our trip with a Mickey breakfast at Chef Mickey's! It was great food and great company, starting with Minnie Mouse!

Goofy was a favorite of Abby Kate's. She's an expert at saying "gawrsh" and laughing like he does.

And the star of the restaurant - Mickey himself! We also met Pluto and Donald. The kids had a blast, and it was a nice way to start off our trip home.

Good times were had by all!!

Elizabeth is Five Months

Hello all!! Elizabeth is growing and changing so much every day! Her hair is falling out, but she still has a lot, and what she does have is still very long. I don't think she will lose all of it, but I accidentally pulled out a few clumps when I was picking at her cradle cap earlier today. Oops :) She is as happy as can be and such a delightful baby. Enjoy the pictures!

We recently introduced her to the Jump-a-Roo. She enjoys it, but I haven't found that perfect place for it to go yet. My whole downstairs is covered with toys for the various ages who live here. Oh well - the middle of the foyer works for now :)

Elizabeth on her 5 month birthday!

My sweet petite!

Elizabeth was dedicated at our church tonight, and it was a beautiful service. The bonnet is special (and way too small) for a reason. My other girls have been given bonnets to wear home from the hospital that will convert to handkerchiefs for them to carry as their "something old" on their wedding day. Elizabeth's birth came at a very hectic time for my mother-in-law, who has taken care of this in the past and started this tradition along with Cline's grandmother. So, no bonnet was purchased or readily available when we brought Elizabeth home from the hospital. My mother-in-law apologized profusely, and I didn't really think much of it at first. But later, I decided that since I had bonnets/handkerchiefs for the other two girls, I should have one for Elizabeth, too, so I ordered one myself. It is beautiful! I had originally intended for her to wear it for her baptism. But that was a hectic day for me, and I forgot! So, she wore it tonight - a very special occasion - even though it is too small now.

Our family right before the church service!

The church had a good laugh at Abby Kate, who insisted on sporting her favorite hat (which is intended for an infant). Abby Kate saw the bonnet on Elizabeth and immediately requested a hat for herself. I tried to yank it off of her on the way up to the stage, but quickly decided that a slightly goofy-looking hat was better than a screaming Abby Kate. I figure these pictures and video will be hilarious to show her when she's older!

Other than that, we have been crazy busy getting back into our routine. Cline watched the kids this weekend while I went on an overnight retreat for my MOPS group. I had a blast with some really nice women, and Cline did great with the kids. He ventured to a football game and out to eat with them all by himself. He's braver than I am :) He said they were very well-behaved, and I came home to 3 sweet, sleeping girls and a clean house! It's messy again less than 24 hours later, of course, but it was a nice way to be welcomed home!
Well, I have a ton to do this week, so I'd better get to working on my to-do list or get to bed so I have plenty of energy to get things done tomorrow. Have a great night!

Back to School

Hello all!! School started for us last week, and the girls are loving it so far!! Christa is officially in pre-K, which is much much different from the 2 and 3-year-old classes we've been in up until now. She seems to be loving it, but it is much too "schoolish" for my taste :) In the past, there has been a lot of learning, but in a fun way - as in - with toys. This year, there are no toys at all in her classroom. Her teacher wants to be referred to as "Mrs. Lively" as opposed to "Mrs. Andie" (which is totally fine, but in the past the teachers have been called Mrs. [insert first name], so it's an adjustment even for me)! They have a learning center that they go to, where there are toys for them to play with, but each child is assigned a playmate each week so that everyone gets to know each other. I have mixed feelings about that one, but I do want my child to be the kid who is nice to everyone, so I'm warming up to this new idea quickly.
I haven't gotten to know Christa's teacher very well yet, and she will only be her teacher for half the year because she is having a baby in December. I have heard fabulous things about her, though, and am excited to see what Christa will learn this year. She has already had a project to do; we made a family collage together, and she will share her work with her class this week. She likes her classmates a lot, and gets to see some of her friends who are in the other pre-K class regularly. Her "preschool BFF," Ava, went to a different school this year, but Ava's mom and I are trying to keep the girls in touch. I am planning to send Christa to AWANA at Ava's church, since our church doesn't offer it, so they should be able to stay connected that way. Here are some pictures from her first day:

My big girl is growing up so fast! She picked out her clothes for the first day.

She also opted for pigtail braids, completely out of the blue. It's not a style we do often, but she looked adorable. Fortunately, I had factored in plenty of time to get her ready, so I had time to fix them.

Where does the time go?? She's ready to learn... and eat!

Christa with her teacher, Mrs. Lively!

Ready for the day to start.

These are the girls on Abby Kate's first day of school - a little 2-year-old program at the same school Christa has been at for the past two years and is at again this year. She was excited and didn't cry at all when I left her. Her teacher, Mrs. Ashley, is actually a friend of mine from MOPS. Ashley's daughter, Taylor, and Christa are in the same class, and Christa has mentioned playing with her several days.

Abby Kate's ready to learn.... and eat!

My big school girls!

Cline was working nights this past week, but he didn't want to miss out seeing his girls off to school on their first days, so he stayed up a couple of extra hours to tell them good-bye. He also makes their lunches for them most of the time, which is a huge help to me. What a great dad he is!

Have a great day!

Christa the Comedian

So Christa has been particularly hilarious lately. Her Sunday School teacher said she's their "little comedian." Here are some examples:

On Sunday morning, I ventured to church with all 3 kids by myself. (It was so exhausting, I feel the need to brag about this accomplishment on the internet.) On the way, I decided I could use a drink.... which for me, means a good, old-fashioned Coca Cola. I pulled into a drive-thru and ordered the sweet, sweet nectar. Christa, from the back of the car, immediately added, "I want a Coke, too!" (Yes, I'm *that* mom that gives her 4-year-old coke. I'm unapologetic and unashamed:).  However, getting Coke at our house is a privilege - not a right, and Christa's behavior that morning had been less than stellar. So, I replied, "Christa, your behavior this morning hasn't been very good, so you are not getting a Coke right now. If you have excellent behavior, and are sweet and listen, from now until the end of church, then you can have some Coke with your lunch." That settled that discussion. I drove on, hauled my crew into their respective classrooms, and didn't give the agreement another thought. That is, until, I went to pick Christa up from her class. Her teacher greeted me with a smile and immediately said, "I'm supposed to tell you that Christa was a very good listener today because she gets Coke if she listened well." Meanwhile, Christa is standing next to her, smiling widely and nodding in agreement.

New story. This morning was the first day of preschool. (Pictures to come in the next couple of days). On the way to school, I stopped at the same fast-food establishment for my morning beverage. Once again, Christa made it known that she wanted a beverage also. (Yes, I'm *that* mom who lets her daughter have Coke two days in a row. OK, fine, it's a daily occurrence in our house. Sometimes she gets it *twice* a day. There, I said it. She isn't overweight and doesn't have diabetes. And it's my mom's fault for practically forcing it down her throat at the tender age of one! Let's move on :) Since it was a special occasion (the first day of school), I obliged, and prepared to order a small Coke for Christa. As I'm doing this, I hear Christa saying, "Abby Kate, do you want a sweet tea?" (Yes, Abby Kate drinks sweet tea. We've already established that I have no nutritional standards for my children. Moving on.) I cringed a little, not really wanting Abby Kate to begin her day with a sweet tea, when it could be easily avoided by her not noticing that the rest of us were getting sugary drinks. Abby Kate, of course, replies, "uh-huh" (yes, she would like a sweet tea). Christa calls up to the front of the minivan, (in the most dramatic voice possible), "Mom, Abby Kate wants a sweet tea. She's dying for one!" At least she was trying to be sweet to her sister!

A Glimpse

So, I got a glimpse of my future today, and it was bright and wonderful!! I decided yesterday that Christa needed a haircut, preferably before school starts on Monday, so I scheduled an appointment for her today. (After a couple of failed bang-trimming attempts, I would not dare try to cut it myself!) One of my best friends who I have known since I was 11, who took me to Hawaii to babysit her kids years ago, who introduced me to my husband, hand-smocked dresses for all of my girls, who is like a motherly-sisterly-friendly figure in my life, and who, being every mother's dream, calls me every couple of weeks just to ask me, "when can I help you with the kids?" (cue angels singing complete with their white robes and halos) already had plans to come over and play with my kiddos for today. So I took the rare opportunity to have a little Mommy-daughter time with my oldest.
This is special because I have tried to schedule Mommy-daughter time with Christa before, and with the exception of one very successful and fun pedicure-date, she has always wanted to bring the babies along. I didn't give her a choice today, however. I simply said that she and I were going to get a haircut for her while the little girls napped. We went to my favorite hair salon where the sweet girl who cuts her hair trimmed her locks, added ringlets with the curling iron, and clipped the sides back. Christa always feels so special when she does this and just beams. Afterwards, we stopped by our favorite bakery for a treat. She picked a cupcake, I picked an eclair, and we just sat outside eating our treats and sipping Cherry Coke. It was a moment - one of many I don't want to forget. There was no fear of anyone running out into the road, no trying to figure out how to discreetly nurse anyone, no trying to change any diapers without the luxury of a changing table, and no cleaning up a huge mess at the end. It was different. It was nice.
I couldn't help but look ahead to what will hopefully be many bakery dates with all of my girls as they get older. I even had a fun image of sitting there with 3 or 4 teenagers, just enjoying each others' company over sugary deliciousness one day. It's the first time I've really ever thought about them being older and more independent. And while I'll miss these cute, sweet, cuddly days with them, if today is any indication of life a few years from now, I can't help but look to the future with great anticipation.

I love my girls!

Simply Summer

Hello all!! I've been feeling a bit guilty because we haven't done anything "picture worthy" or "blog worthy" lately. It feels like too much time has passed since I got the camera out. So I decided to take some quick shots of what we have been up to, whether it's interesting or not :) These are the moments I want to remember down the road - the simple moments at home playing with my girls. I already struggle with finding a balance between over-scheduling all of us and having time at home to just enjoy my family and let my kids play with the overabundance of toys we have accumulated over the years. So this summer, we kept it simple. No weekly activities, no setting the alarm clock, and no committing to much of anything at all. Since Christa thrives on routine, and is at an age where certain camps and church activities are fun, I signed her up for one week of VBS, one 3-half-day summer camp at her school (Abby Kate tagged along for that one), and one week of Dance Camp where she takes ballet. I had planned to do many play-dates, but Cline's schedule allowed him to be at home nearly every morning, which is prime play-date time, so that didn't quite happen like I had hoped.
It's been relaxing for sure, and I've actually had time to just play with my kids, without feeling like there is something else I should be doing. I would do well to always achieve this type of balance. We didn't even go to the beach! Our only "trip" was the lake weekend for Cline's birthday. (Although we do have a trip to Disney coming up, and are planning a Fall visit to see my sister in Miami, so don't feel too sorry for us :).
So, as we get ready to go to school orientation this week and re-start our regular routine, here are some pictures of our simple summer (taken over the last two days).

We stayed indoors because it has been painfully hot, and I am pretty much a wimp when the weather isn't a comfortable 75 degrees. When Cline was off work, we went to the pool a lot! But I don't have any pictures of that, so....

.... we played with our Squinkies (a brilliant, non-sugary Easter-egg filler from my mother-in-law) and Strawberry Shortcake toys. We also watched a lot of Strawberry Shortcake on TV - that is Abby Kate's current favorite, and she asks for it every morning.

We also played with our Disney Princess toys and our castle, carefully lining up everyone and taking them out again. (We did the same with our My Little Pony house and toys many times).

The Disney Princesses enjoyed a friendly game of Red Rover yesterday!

Christa and Mommy had fun, too, while the babies were napping!

We read lots of books.... and Abby Kate discovered an all new love for the pacifier (thanks, Elizabeth :).

Abby Kate also spent lots of time putting her own shoes on.... sometimes mismatching... and often on the wrong feet!

Elizabeth chilled and enjoyed her sisters' attention.

Abby Kate snuck in a few minutes of playing with Christa's toys while she was at an impromptu cheer leading clinic this morning.

She also enjoyed having Elizabeth all to herself!

Sweet sisters!

Elizabeth is growing every day and is happy as can be!

It's been a great summer, and I don't think I would change a thing about it. I am looking forward to re-joining our school groups and activities in the coming weeks, though! I, too, thrive on routine, and I miss seeing my friends.

Have a great day!