First Snowfall of the Season

Our generally fearless A was much more cautious as she took her first steps in the snow but once she did she was all smiles and giggles.

Merry Christmas!!

After a busy Christmas last year we decided to tone things down a bit this year and celebrate our (R,A and myself) Christmas on Christmas Eve and then celebrate with both sides of our families on Christmas Day. We started off visiting with my side of the family and then made our way to R's aunt's house. Here are some snapshots from the day.


Cousin P lost among all the gifts...that's what will happen with a family of 18 and counting.

A and cousin P enjoying a snuggle and book with Grandpa.


This is A taking a break laying on the tissue paper while watching others open their gifts. I guess during my first trimester she witnessed me laying on the floor while she played one too many times. :)

Uncle K's new boots caught A's attention and before he knew it she was testing them out for him.

Our very cute and handsome nephew, E.


For Christmas, A got a raincoat and rain boots which she decided she wanted to wear on the way to R's aunt's house (and most of the time in Grandma and Grandpa's house). This is her cool new rain gear with her pretty Christmas dress underneath.

You probably won't appreciate this picture much unless you have seen A do what R and I affectionately refer to as her "old man" walk. She breaks out in this walk from time to time as she did on the way to our car.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

A grooving to the music

When music is playing sometimes you just can't help but feel the beat. A broke out into dance while shopping in Old Navy the other day. At one point she got VERY into it, so much so that she drew a crowd. I wasn't able to get my phone out in time for that part but I did manage to capture a bit of it as we continued shopping through the store.

18 months old and growing

At 18 months old A continues to be in the 25th percentile for weight at 23 lbs 8 oz. The nurse measured her at 32 inches tall which drops her from the 90th percentile for height to the 50th. I'm not 100% confident that the measurement is correct as she is definitely taller than the average 18th month old but either way she is a healthy, and very chatty, little girl.

Putting Words Together

A has begun to put two and three words together but up until yesterday it has always been after hearing a phrase from us (i.e. "yes let's go", "all done", "book please", ect.). Yesterday the three of us were sitting at the kitchen table and out of the blue, A looks at R with a big smile and says "Daddy's cute!" I don't think I've ever heard R referred to as cute but coming from A I think it's quite the compliment. :) And A, we think you are pretty cute yourself!!

Cousin P comes for a visit

Last week we had the fun privilege of having A's 15 month old cousin P stay with us for four days. I imagine I experienced a small glimpse of what life is like for a mom of twins since A and P are only 3 months apart (someone will have to give me tips on getting out the door with two little ones before the baby comes!). Being that they are each at an age where sharing is a fairly foreign concept, I spent sometime playing referee but much to my surprise they learned that taking things from each other and running away isn't as fun as it seems. :) Here are some of my favorite moments...

This picture was taking as P motioned to A for her to join P on the stairs. When A ignored the gesture P proceeded to walk over to A and attempted to pick A up to bring her to the stairs. They immediately fell on the floor on top of each other, picked themselves up and without one word or complaint A walked off in one direction and P walked off in another as if nothing had ever happened.



And here they are enjoying the stairs together.



P pulling A's hair as A giggles.



In addition to all the fun we had, it made me appreciate the loads of one on one time I have the luxury of spending with my little girl before the baby comes. :)

"Prayin"

I remember a friend telling me before I had A that she (my friend) is a very different mom than she was before she had kids. What she meant was, things that she thought she would never say or do, she now does as a parent. At the time I could not relate but being a mom for these short 16 months has made me see how right (though sometimes painfully so) she was. Being the strong-willed child that A is, she has tested us countlessly on what we thought we would do as parents verses what we end up doing. I have begun to learn and implement the saying, "pick your battles" into my every day thoughts. At times it was (and is) hard for me to see mom's disciplining their kids "the right" way while I struggled to fight off what felt like the 10,000th tantrum of the day. It can be easy to question if what I'm doing as a mom is best or a complete and utter mess. So R, A, myself and God worked through the tantrums and miraculously they are much less common these days but the struggle to know what to do as a mom is still there. The doubts, the worries, the uncertainties...I guess that comes with learning how to parent.

One of the ways that R and I felt would be best to teach A how to control her temper at her age was to talk to her about it as if she understood what we were saying. The concept of leading by example in its simplest form. I questioned if we should be more firm (timeouts, talking in a more stern voice, ect) but through prayer we felt like for A this was the way to go. I continued to doubt if this was really going to work but then one afternoon about a month ago God reminded me that even though we don't know what we're doing as parents, He does!

A and I were playing on the floor and I got up to get something. When I turned back around A had her hands folded and had her head slightly bent. I asked her what she was doing and she looked up and with a big smile said "prayin." In these 16 months of parenting nothing, not one thing, has given me the joy that she gave me in that moment. Not only was it a gentle reminder that she is seeing and hearing what we do and say but it was a reminder that God is at work in our little girl.

So in the month to follow, A's tantrums have lessoned, her request to pray randomly throughout the day has increased and our amazement in God's abundant love continues to grow.

Introducing Miss A. the Ladybug

A Trip for Two - Key West, FL

Last week R and I took a 5 day 4 night trip to Key West, Fl just the TWO of us! As hard as it was to leave A, it was a BLAST to be just with my hubby for a few days!

We rented bikes for a couple of days. Here is R having some fun on the pier.



Pics of the beautiful sunset.



This is a picture of us at the southern most point of the United States. We were just 90 miles from Cuba.

Enjoying a relaxing morning breakfast outside on a porch of a little cafe.


This is a picture of Ernest Hemingway's home. We didn't go for the tour but took the picture for my history loving mom. :)


The reason we decided to make it a 4 night trip verses a full week.... :)

Dora

Although we try to limit the amount TV watching that A gets she is allowed to watch Baby Einstein or Dora the Explorer while I get ready in the morning. This may be one of those things that only a child's parents find super cute so please amuse me if that's the case. :) Here is a video of A saying Door-ra-ra (aka Dora) after we bought her Dora band-aids the other day.

Trip to Indianapolis

Last week A and I were able to accompany R on a week long trip to Indianapolis. R had conferences in the morning each day but by lunch time we were free to get out, explore the city and enjoy each other's company (A even fell asleep twice in her stroller giving R and I a couple unexpected dates in the city!). While there we walked around the city A LOT, found a nice big park and visited the Indianapolis Zoo. A surprised us by knowing almost ever animal by name. I guess she shares her dad's love for animals! One of the highlights of the trip is when A decided she wanted to walk on her own! Since her first steps were taken a few months ago we are excited that she decided she's ready to venture off without our hands holding her up.