On the day you turned ONE

Ann Parker,

You turned one on a Saturday - a beautiful, sunny day.  The whole week before I soaked in as much "baby" time as I could.  You were the most wonderful baby a mother could ask for.  You slept well and ate on a nice predictable schedule.  You smiled often. You hardly got upset and when you did, you were easily consoled.  You made my job as a mother of two so much easier.  I just knew that I would be sad to leave those perfect baby days behind.  I was surprised when I woke up on that beautiful day that I wasn't sad.  I was so excited.  My perfect baby was becoming a perfect toddler - a phase in life that just seems to suit you well.  You walk around like a little champ and are starting to say more words.  I am so excited about entering this next phase of your life!

We started out the day with a yummy breakfast - waffles and strawberries, one of your favorite meals.

Then we headed to Wee Flip to celebrate Sydney's third birthday.  You loved crawling around and watching the big kids.

After we left the party, we met Daddy for lunch.  We had Mexican at La Bamba - one of your favorites (and mine too).  We went to Sikes to pick out your first pair of shoes.  You got some silver sandals (you were clearly inspired by Sydney and Brooklyn).  They are precious.  

We walked around the corner to Savages to get a yummy cookie.  You loved it!!

Then we came home and gave you your big present - this awesome new car!!  

We went out to dinner at The Club.  You ate pizza - one of your favorite foods.  You also enjoyed some ice cream for dessert :)  

I am so proud to call you my daughter.  I remember being worried about how I could love another child as much as I love your sister.  I am sure this is a normal fear that second time mothers have.  From the second you were born, I never had that worry again.  I loved you just as much from your very first second on this earth. 

The day you were born was one of the best days of my life and I will always cherish those precious first moments I had with you.  This year has been filled with tons of special moments as well.  The first time you ate solid food, your first halloween, your first Thanksgiving and Christmas, the first time you crawled and walked, the first time you gave me a kiss and said mama - all moments that I will hold dear in my heart forever.  

I hope you always know how much we love you and that you always have a place in this family.  You fill a void that we didn't know we had.  The day you turned one was a wonderful day, as I am sure the days that follow will be as well!  I love you!

Twelve Months Old!!!

Twelve Months Old - April 20, 2013

My TODDLER is now twelve months old.  I cannot believe that we have hit the one year mark so soon.  I feel like I deserve a prize.  I survived one whole year with two kids - something I have learned is no small feat.  I remember when I just had Caroline and I would talk about not having time to do things or how hard it was to get out of the house sometimes and mothers with more kids would roll their eyes and say "just wait."  I would get so angry, I mean I am a mother too.  I get up in the night, I prepare all their meals, I plan the activities...I am doing exactly what they are doing.  Right??  WRONG!!  Try getting up with two kids in the night, balancing a nap and feeding schedule of an infant with the increasing social schedule of a toddler, making adult meals, toddler meals, and infant meals three times a day, going to the zoo or McWane and having two kids wanting to do two different things and moving at two very different paces.  I'm exhausted just typing it!!  I get it now, two kids is harder than one.  I was expecting to be sad on the day Ann Parker turned one, but instead I was happy and so proud.  We all crossed a big milestone that day.  Enough about me though...

Ann Parker is a happy and healthy little one year old.  She pretty much walks all the time now, only crawling on grass.  She will say mama and dada.  She has been getting a lot more vocal lately and now that she's walking, I am sure the talking will follow soon.  She had a fever virus last week and we went to the doctor and she weighed 16 lb. 8 oz.  We won't go for her one year check up for another month so I can take Caroline in for her 3 year visit at the same time. 

She is wearing a size 3 diaper, a size 2 shoe, and mostly 12 month clothes.  She is drinking only whole milk and eating all table food.  Her favorite foods are peas, carrots, pizza, broccoli, and cookies.  The transition to a sippy is going very slow, but I am not worried.  She will get there.  Since she's eating more table food, her schedule isn't as predictable.  She gets up around 7 am and wants some milk in a bottle, we usually have a snack and a sippy cup at 10 and lunch with a sippy cup at 12.  She will take some milk in a bottle around 1 before she goings down for a nap.  The afternoon/evening is never predictable.  Sometimes she wants an afternoon snack, sometimes she doesn't.  Sometimes she is hungry at 5 for dinner, sometimes not until 6:30.  I'm working on that...  She will usually go to bed by 7:30 without any fuss. 

She loves the water table, instruments, anything Caroline has, any type of ball, cell phones, swings, music and dancing, being tickled, and her paci's.  I have been trying to not give her a paci during the day and that is going pretty well.  I dread the day we take it away from all together.

She is so curious and into everything these days!!  We cannot leave her alone even for a second.  She gets into cabinets, pulls things off of tables, etc. so fast.  She keeps us on our toes!! 

Happy 12 months sweet Ann Parker!!  We love you so much and can't imagine our lives without you.  You are one of our most precious gifts and we cherish you!

As you can tell, she doesn't like the sticker anymore.  Glad that's over with!!

Let's go fly a kite!

We have been loving this weather!!  We have spent every second possible outside.  Between our "new" backyard and all the parks in Birmingham, we are pretty lucky to have so many places to play.  After story time today we headed to Homewood Central Park to have a picnic and some play time.  The highlight of the day was that Caroline M. brought her kite!!

My Caroline had never flown a kite - but she knew she loved them on principle :)  She wouldn't stop talking about the kite, touching the kite, looking at the kite, etc. until it was finally time to FLY the kite!!

Ann Parker loved watching the kite too!

A little singing while waiting for her turn





What is that silly sister doing??

Sweet friends exploring together

Finally, her turn!  Off she goes.

A slow start...

It's up!!!!

Can you see it?

Yay Caroline!!

Your first kite, sweet girl!

Obviously, AP stayed interested in the kite the whole time we were there.

Such a fun morning!!  It looks like we will be buying a kite very soon!

Oh Caroline...

Caroline says the funniest things rights now and I want to make sure I have these written down.

I picked her up from school a couple of weeks ago and her teacher was telling me that they played the 3 kittens lost their mittens. The teachers hid mittens around the room and the kids looked for them. I asked C if it was fun. She made the saddest face and said, "Daddy is so sad. He lost his mittens and his ginger ale!"

She points out every stop sign and says, "there's a oct-a-don!"

She knows that red means stop and green means go and she wanted to know what other colors mean. I would say random things: blue is sad, orange is Halloween, pink is love, etc. Now we will be in the car and and she will see traffic lights and yell out, "green is go and orange is Halloween!"

She says her favorite snack is dinner.

She calls Ann Parker "Baby Parker"

She loves to tell stories - and they are all the same, only the character changes.  She says, "Once upon a time, Mama's a knight, Mama's a castle, Mama's sooooo far away."  If daddy asks for a story, "Once upon a time, Daddy's a knight, Daddy's a castle, Daddy's soooooo far away."  We ask her to tell stories about 10 times a day.

She pulled out flannel pj's the other night.  Knowing our girl is very hot natured, Adam said, "These pj's are too hot for tonight.  Why don't you pick out something else?"  She looked at him and said, "Too hot? Will you blow on my jammies?" 

We sing the Wheels on the Bus all the time.  Since there is a mommy, daddy, and baby on the bus we decided to add a Caroline.  We started singing, "The Caroline on the bus goes..." and let her finish the line.  She came up with "The Caroline on the bus goes One Thing, One Thing" (singing One Thing by One Direction).  That's her favorite song lately.

She says, "I am beautiful" or "I look like an angel" every morning after she gets dressed.

We just love our sweet and funny little lady!!

Busy Bag

Last Saturday, Ann Parker and I went to a busy bag exchange.  C wanted to stay home with Daddy.  A friend had organized a list of activities for toddlers and then invited people to choose an activity.  13 people signed up, so we each made 13 of whatever activity we chose.  Then last Saturday, we all met and exchanged our activities so we left with 13 different things. 

So many things looked great, but I chose moon sand.  It was the only thing that looked easy enough (albiet messy) that I could do in an afternoon and cost effective enough that I didn't mind making tons of it.  While it was so fun right after I made it, it didn't last very long.  It dried up quickly and although you only have to revive with water, I didn't feel like doing that every time we wanted to play.  So....moral of the story, make in an afternoon and then toss.  If you like (which my girls LOVE) buy moon sand at the store so you don't have to make it new or revive each time you want to play.  Not cost effective to buy for 13 kids, but totally worth it for two :)

Here's the recipe for homemade moon sand:

3 cups cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
6 cups sand

Mix cornstarch and water until smooth.  Add sand in one cup at a time.  Store in airtight container/enjoy!

All my moon sand ready to go!!

Ann Parker enjoyed pulling out all of Brooklyn's wipes...we will get y'all some more wipes since I am pretty sure she went through your entire pack!!!

Seriously, if you want to get her a gift - go for wipes.

When we were done, we had such fun stuff!!  I only took a picture of a few but we got a geoboard, lacing shapes, velcro shades of color, play doh mats, I Spy bottle, popsicle stick puzzles, and a bunch of other things.  I may go back and make a few more :)  We went out to eat on Sunday and I brought the busy bag.  When Caroline started to get antsy and wanted to get up, I pulled out an activity and just like that - she sat and played.  So far we are loving our busy bag!!

Easter 2013

The Israel family had a wonderful Easter this year!! 

On Monday, Caroline painted some Easter eggs that we hung all over our kitchen.  She is such a fantastic little artist these days.

On Wednesday, Caroline had her class Easter egg hunt and party.  Both girls had such cute spring outfits with bunnies on them.  Sadly, it was so incredibly cold and they couldn't wear them :( 

Waiting to go into big sister's class

So excited about the eggs that she couldn't wait to dig in!

It was such a fun party!  I love getting to watch Caroline play with all her school friends.

The rest of the cold week was spent indoors.  We made Easter cookies, painted, did play doh, watched movies, and just about everything you can think of.  This was one worn out mama!

On Saturday evening we had Adam's family over for Easter dinner.  We had the most delicious food, great wine, and great company.  I didn't take any pictures because we were having such a great time.  When we woke up on Sunday morning, we saw that the Easter bunny came to visit!  He left such wonderful things for both girls.  They both got a new bathing suit, matching dresses, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, bunny ears, a Dr. Seuss book and candy.  Caroline also got a new responsibility chart, magnetic dolls, a frisbee, Dora panties, a slinky, and window stickies.  Ann Parker got some new baby food and a new ball toy.  They racked up :)

After playing with their Easter things, we got ready and went to church.  We enjoyed a lovely Easter brunch at The Club.  It was finally a beautiful day, so we got to go outside and see the city.  The Easter bunny was there and Caroline had her picture with him.  She loved it!  Ann Parker wasn't so sure, so we didn't make her sit with him.  After we came home and changed, we dyed eggs and made cupcakes that looked like little chicks and then went out to Chelsea to visit Andy's family.  By the time we made it home, everyone was exhausted!  We had a great weekend!!