Kiddo update

Oh, I get so behind on blogging!

An update on the girls...
They are both doing good. Taylor had a cold about a week and a half ago, and then we all had it! It went from Tay to me and we quickly got better, but Ella and Scott are still fighting it. As much as we begged Tay to "keep your hands off your sister!!", it just didn't work! Tay just loves her too much! :)

Ella went in for her 4 month check up a couple of weeks ago & Tay had her 3 year check up. Tay is so funny because she loves to go to the doctor. She's always telling her baby dolls they have to go to the doctor. And, if she gets the tiniest scrape...you guessed it, she "needs to go to the doctor"!

So, the funniest part of the doctor visit was the weigh-in...generally, not a "funny" part of my doctor visits! But, Taylor weighed in a 26 lb. 6 oz. and my sweet Ella...15 lb. 13 oz.! Taylor is in the 5th percentile for weight and less than 5th percentile for height. Ella, on the other hand, is in the 90th percentile for height AND weight! What a contrast these two are! I get a kick out of Scott folding clothes and holding a shirt up and saying "Is this Taylor's or Ella's?!?". Truly, it's hard to tell sometimes! :) I took Ella to the doctor again last Friday because of her stuffy nose & she was already up to 16 lb. 3 or 6 oz....the girl gains fast! It had just been 9 days since she was weighed in previously.

We've gotten down the exersaucer from the attic for Ella and she LOVES playing in it. I'll have to post a picture this week. She sits up really well, with assistance of course, but she still hasn't rolled over! She's just not happy laying on her play mat for more than a few minutes.

I took Taylor to Cottage Hill Baptist last week to sign up for Mom's Day Out. I think she'll enjoy it, but it will take her going a few times before she feels comfortable. She enjoyed playing in the play area while I filled out paperwork and then we went to see her "classroom". The 2 teachers seemed great, but the kids in the class were so much bigger than Taylor. Really, they were a lot bigger & the teacher even mentioned something about Taylor being so petite! She'll be going to MDO on Thursdays from 10-2 and Meredith will be taking her there & I'll pick her up after work. Another concern of mine is that Tay typically goes down for a nap between 12-1...I'm just hoping Tay can hang out 'til 2 and then take a nap when we get home.

That's about it, for now. I think about blogging all the time, but just don't get around to doing it. But, some of the things that come out of Taylor's mouth just crack me up and I think "I need to put that in the blog!". But, now as I sit here typing, I just can't think of anything in particular! One thing she did do last week...She's always saying, "Watch, Mama. WATCH!" So, I look up and she's dancing (shaking her behind!) and I ask "Where did you learn those moves?!?" and she quickly replies, "I learned it in SUNDAY SCHOOL!!" Hmm...I don't think so!

Have a great week y'all!!

Our weekend...

We had a great weekend with some fabulous weather (finally!). We blew up Tay's swimming pool that Gran gave her for her birthday. She had a blast playing in it. I must admit that I splashed around in it a bit, too! Saturday morning it was so nice before it got too hot.

Saturday afternoon I had a training for my new job. I'll be working a few hours a week at the Watermelon Patch! We've made a plan to go to Disney World in November 2010...it seems a long ways a way, but I know it will be here before you know it! Tay can hardly wait--she can name all the characters on Disney Playhouse. So, my bit of extra income from the Watermelon Patch will be just fun money and also go towards saving for our big vacation! Tay actually starts Summer Camp at the Watermelon Patch next Tuesday and I know she'll love it.

We had a great morning at church. Bro. Fred preached on "Priorities"--God first, family second, work & other relationships are third. These are based upon God's law as stated in the 10 Commandments--1. have no other gods before me 2. honor thy father & mother, do not commit adultery 3. do not covet, do not steal (honesty & integrity are what God calls us to). It was a great message and something I will consider regarding all areas of my life and how things are prioritized.

After church, Tay went with Scott to eat lunch at Gran's and Ella and I spent the afternoon at Mawmaw & Pawpaw's (with my parents & Mimi, too). My Pawpaw is doing so great after having surgery just 5 days ago--it's amazing! Between my Mimi, Mawmaw, & Pawpaw, I have the best grandparents! I think Tay & Ella are pretty lucky with such fabulous grandparents, too! :)

I will include a few pics from the weekend. The first is a picture of Taylor with a really cute purse & matching hairbow from Gran. (By the way, Gran is selling these if you know of any girly girls that would like one! She has the purses & bows in different colors (the bows have 3 different color ribbons--Tay's is blue, pink, & yellow--it's hard to tell in the pic) and I can send more pics if interested. They are $8 for the pair.) The second is from lunch today at Mawmaw & Pawpaw's house. The third one is actually Ella sleeping when she about 3 weeks old. The final one is from yesterday as I watched Tay swim--see how much she's grown!!
I hope everyone has a great week!!

Oh...one more thing, if you happen to read this before tomorrow (Monday, June 1st) at noon...head on over to Dori's blog to register for a giveaway of Jennifer Rothschild's book Self Talk, Soul Talk. Just leave her a comment & let her know that I referred you there. I found Dori's site through her comment to a post at Beth Moore's blog. Dori seems to have a great blog titled "Your Word is Life to Me". Check it out! :) Maybe, you'll be a winner of the book!

Some pics for my Mimi! (To be fair, I have to post a pic of both Tay & Ella...though, Tay looks like she has bunny teeth in her pic!)

Pictures!

"Best Friends Forever!"

Ella loves sitting up like a big girl in her Bumbo seat!!

Toddler Tuesday

Whew, we had a busy couple of days!

Last Friday, we took a trip over to the Dauphin Island Estuarium. We're so fortunate to live so close to beautiful sandy beaches, though we rarely go. I had connections through one of the great nurses I work with to get us a special tour! We went with a few friends from our playgroup and had a great time! The kids loved it. We saw fish, baby alligators, turtles, snakes, octopus, crab, frogs, and lizards. It was a great learning experience, too. The kids got to "pet" the snake, turtles, and crab. We also got to see many of the animals being fed, too. It was a great trip. Tay loved being outside there, too. The weather was beautiful and she definitely wants to go back to the beach sometime. For a day trip, Dauphin Island is a great place to go.

Saturday was Tay's birthday party at the Watermelon Patch. Oh, we had so much FUN! It made me so happy to see her so happy! Nana, Poppy, Mimi, and Gran were there. Aunt Ashley, Seth, and Cruz attended. Aunt Shelli came and brought Emma Kate and Hadley. From our playgroup, Miss Hannah came with Parker and Miss Julie brought Cole. The kids wore themselves out! :) I promise I'll get my pictures developed soon & will be able to post pictures.

Sunday we had baby dedication at Luke 4:18 Fellowship. It was a very special morning. We were so honored to have Mawmaw, Aunt Cheryl, and Uncle Harold drive over to celebrate with us. The poor nursery workers probably had their hands full with Tay, Cruz, and Emma Kate all in there together! :) Mom & Dad, Ash & Seth, and Shelli & Mrs. Robinson attended church with us. There were 3 other babies dedicated in the service. Though Ella was the youngest, she certainly wasn't the smallest--love my chunky monkey! Ella did great and didn't fuss or cry at all during church. Afterwards, we had a delicious lunch at Mom's house. What a great day spent with family! I'm so thankful for them.

We were exhausted yesterday after a weekend full of activities! So, we've taken it easy so far this week. Tomorrow, we'll be going to the Exploreum and have a playdate planned with a few friends on Friday.

I'm really enjoying the time I have to spend at home with my girls and doing all sorts of fun activities together!

another random post...!

Too much to catch up on...

Another busy week has gone by! Seriously, is Ella almost 3 months old & my first "baby" Tay is 3. I've actually been a bit sad over it the past few days. Wow; they're growing up so, so fast. Not that I want any more kids, for sure, but it makes me sad that I can't do it all over again. Oh, how I love my girls. They're my heart.

Not much to post regarding this week's menus! It's been over a week since I've been to the store. But...here's what we'll be eating this week. Just leave me a comment if you want a recipe! I'm really not doing much cooking, actually!

Monday--Chuck E. Cheese for Tay's birthday
Tuesday--Baked Spaghetti
Wednesday--leftovers!
Thursday--Chicken Dressing Bake
Friday--if Scott doesn't work in the yard, we'll grill thick cut pork chops marinated in Dale's (so yummy). If he does work in the yard...I'll have to think of something to cook inside!
Saturday--Tay's birthday party--we'll have pizza
Sunday--Ella's baby dedication lunch celebration--I'm making zesty barbecue chicken in the crockpot, coleslaw, chocolate chip pie, and banana pudding. Mom is doing baked beans & Mrs. Robinson will bring potato salad. Yummy, a good barbecue lunch! Poor Ella, she can't even enjoy it! :)

Catching up with my girls...
The girls and I stayed busy over the weekend while Scott was in 'Tega. On Saturday, we tried out a ballet for tots class. To tell you the truth, it was very disappointing. I'm not sure we'll go back. We actually walked out in the middle of it. Then, we went to a birthday party for a sweet little boy from the class Taylor was in at daycare. The only unfortunate thing was that it was at a park...which typically is a fantastic thing! But, I had Ella with me & it was very hot. So, I couldn't juggle holding Ella in the heat & watching Tay play on the equipment. I feel so badly sometimes when I can't do what I used to with Tay because I have to hold and take care of Ella. For the most part, Tay does so well and is so patient with me and Ella.

We had a huge day on Monday for Tay's 3rd birthday! It started with a trip to the Eastern Shore Center with Shelli & Emma Kate. We were so glad they came with us. Tay had a BLAST playing in the fountain!! I loved watching her. Then, we had lunch at Chic-fil-a and the girls played there, too. After a long afternoon nap, Gran picked us up & we celebrated again! We went to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner. What a day! Tay is so excited to be 3. :)

Well, the weight loss has really stalled the past few weeks. Truthfully, I'm rather glad it's stall and not gone up! After all the celebrating, pizza and cake, etc....I'm surprised! Plus, I haven't been able to work out as often since we've had so much going on. I only have 3 more months until I return to work (wow!) and still hope to lose at least 15 lbs. by then so I really need to get moving.

As for my Bible study, this is our last week of Beth Moore's Esther study. It is bittersweet. I have really, really loved it and am so sad for it to be over. What a journey. We started this study just 6 days after Ella was born. Two key points I will always remember from this study and wish for everyone to know for themselves: My God loves me. My God is GOOD. Just these 2 phrases have really changed my perspective. I'm so thankful. I hope to be able to share and do this study with a group again.

To share a "favorite" this week, I want to point you to Beth Moore's blog at http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com. This week, Beth's daughter Melissa, is in Calcutta with Compassion International and has been writing about some amazing things she's seen there. It has brought me to tears!

Ok...well, what an assortment of things have been covered in this one post! The girls keep me so busy & I'm usually holding Ella. So, I thought I better get all my blogging in when I have the chance!

photo fun...

A quick post for my Mimi because I promised! :) I'll post more later...I've held Ella for nearly 48 hours straight so I haven't been able to get much done around here!! She's been clingy, but I can't complain--she's a sweetie for the most part! (These photos are all taken with my camera phone, so please excuse the poor quality!)

Back to normal!

I'm so grateful that after such a rough week last week, things are back to normal around here. I was scared that Tay was trying to give up naps when she was so fussy last week...but on Monday & Tuesday she napped for 2 1/2 hours & today she napped for over 3! I can't tell you how important that quiet time means to me. It's important to her, too. She has had such a different attitude & perky personality this week!

Some funny & sweet things out of her mouth this week...
At dinner one night, "Mmm...this is TASTY!"
"Jesus is in my heart...but, not in Allie's heart!"
"When the bad men hit Jesus (while reading the Easter story), they went to TIME OUT!"

Ella is still being her sweet, smiley self! I got some really cute pictures of Tay "holding" Ella yesterday. I'm just amazed at how much Tay loves her; it's so precious.

Today, we went to Megan's house for Charlie's 2nd birthday playdate. We had a great time. Taylor kept saying all afternoon that she had fun at "Megan's house!" The weather was awesome & the kids played in the backyard. The party was a "Cars" movie theme and Megan had made cupcakes. Tay was able to take home a little "Tow mater" toy!

On Friday, we have a playdate planned at the Environmental Center. I haven't been there since I was in elementary school, so I'm looking forward to going. I'll take pictures and post them here soon. We'll be having a picnic lunch there, too!

Tay starts her "Ballet for Tot's" class this Saturday! Unfortunately, Scott & I will be going to Tuscaloosa Saturday for the A-Day game...so, Poppy will be taking her to her first class! :) Won't that be cute! Tay's little buddy, Elizabeth, is taking the class, too. So, I hope she does fine without me for the first week.

Oh, I just realized that I hadn't posted Ella's 2 month stats: 12 lb. 6 oz. & 23 inches long!! Woo-hoo! She's in the 90% for weight & 75% for height. Too cute!

Toddler Tuesday...more like Tantrum Tuesday!

Thus far, we've had a difficult week! Taylor stayed up late for a couple of night's over the weekend and missed a nap or two which always makes the days a little more complicated! Today, she complained of her tooth hurting. I was scared at first that she may have a cavity, but I actually think she's getting a new molar in. Poor thing...she's been crying about it all day. I scheduled her for an appointment at the dentist in the morning. This will be her first cleaning, so I hope it goes ok.

Ella will be going in for her 2 month check-up tomorrow afternoon and will get a few shots. Between the teeth cleaning for Tay & Ella getting shots...we could use some extra prayer for tomorrow! I can't wait to find out how much Ella has grown. It's amazing how fast she's growing. We got a note that she needed to have her newborn screen done...again! So, they'll draw blood for that, too. After the results from the hospital came back abnormal for CF, I'm praying this will come back just fine. Ella smiles quite often now & we just love it. She's all gums!

I'm so pleased with how well Tay is doing in Sunday school. I bought her some shiny white shoes for church and she wears them all the time. They have a tiny bit of a square heel and she likes the way they click on the floor and says "Look mom, I'm a LADY!" She's so funny. The Sunday school teachers tell me how sweet she is which just makes me beam. They wear her slap out though! She comes home and goes straight to bed and sleeps for hours without even eating lunch first!

Tay had her first haircut today! I'll post pictures when I get them developed. She did very well and sat really still! The girl cut off about an inch and it's really going to help to make it look thicker and emphasize her cute curls in the back!

This morning I took the girls to the library for a Pokey Little Puppy special storytime. The librarians made puppy headbands for the kids to wear and read 3 or 4 books about puppies. They showed a carton about the Pokey Little Puppy and then the guest of honor arrived. Tay was pretty uninterested until the dressed up "puppy" walked in and the she was excited! She got her picture made with him and was pretty upset when he "had to go home"! They gave us puppy coloring sheets and cookies and juice.



Friday we're having an Easter egg hunt with our playgroup. She had such a good time hunting for eggs last year. I'm bringing rice krispy treats made with pink marshmallows and will use Easter cookie cutters to cut them out in shapes. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures! Leesburg is having an Easter egg hunt Saturday afternoon, so we'll probably go to that one, too.

Alright, Ella should be waking soon for a bottle so I better be getting it ready. When she wakes up, she's ready to eat NOW! :)

Toddler Tuesday

Well, here I am behind in blogging...again! It's nearly 11pm and I'm filling in at work tomorrow, so this will be quick!

We've been having a good week here. We went to the Exploreum this morning on a playdate. Taylor had such a good time. She's loves playing with her little buddy, Parker. I wish you could here her say his name...she says it with the funniest northern accent...it's so strange! They chase each other around all over the place! It never fails that Taylor falls asleep in the car on the way home from the Exploreum since it's a 20-25 minute drive. Luckily, she took a longer nap when we got home and I was able to rest a bit too with Ella.

We are going to Chuck E. Cheese tomorrow night to celebrate Taylor's potty training. She's so excited--3 of her favorite things--Chuck E., pizza, and games! Mom and Dad are going with us.

We are hosting a playdate at our house on Friday morning. I think it will be a lot of fun. It's a smaller group and the kids are really close in age and play so well together. I'll be reading from the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The book I have includes a CD with a couple of songs to go along with the story. So, we'll listen to that and do a simple craft. I'll also have some sugar cookie dough and will let the kids cut out cookies with some new Easter cookie cutters I purchased this week from Target.

I need to get a new photo card and will try to take some pictures of the girls to post soon! Ella is growing SO fast! I will be taking her for her 2 month check-up next week. Wow!