Last Week of Summer

Next week both girls will start school - Caroline will be at Trinity Child Development Center and Ann Parker will be in the Parent's Day Out program (both at Trinity, just in different parts of the building).  We are so excited, but we will miss these lazy days where we can do what we what when we want.

We have a fun week planned so that we can soak up every last minute of summer!  On Monday, we spent the morning at the Tot Lot playing.  I didn't bring my camera or take any iPhone pictures, but Caroline had a great time with her friends.  After we joined the Wise's for some lunch at Otey's.  I have a feeling we will be going there for lunch more often...the stage provided enough entertainment for the kids that I was actually able to eat lunch!  After naps and errands, Caroline had soccer practice.  No pictures of our day, but it was oh so fun.

Today (Tuesday) we met Sydney, Brooklyn, and William at the Gardendale splash pad for some water and playground time.  The girls even got a popsicle!  We haven't been this summer and I was glad that we could squeeze it in before it closes for the fall.

We have a fun dinner tonight planned and a few more fun activities during the week so stay tuned!!

Sixteen Months Old!!!

Sixteen Months Old - August 20, 2013

My sweet toddler turned 16 months old this week.  What a big girl she has become!  She is learning so many words that it's hard to keep track.  If she doesn't know the word for something she wants, she will say "this" or "that" and point so that we understand.  It makes things a lot easier around here!

She eats about 90% of what we give her to eat.  There are a few things she won't try, but not too much.  Lately, she is loving watermelon and grapes.

Not too much has changed since last month except that she knows more words.  Oh...and she has decided that she hates to sleep.  A couple of months ago, she was cutting several teeth which kept her up a lot.  Then she got a little fever virus.  Now - who knows?  She goes to bed at 7:30 with no problems.  I put her down awake and she rolls over and goes to sleep.  She wakes up around 11:00 or 12:00 and will fall asleep in our arms and then wake up and scream FOREVER when we put her down.  Finally, a hour or more later when she finally falls asleep, we can fall asleep for a few minutes before this process starts again.  Needless to say, we are exhausted.  Hopefully this is just a phase!

She loves water - pools, splash pads, hoses, bath tubs, etc.  She is such a water baby!  We have had a fun time playing outside this summer and getting her in the water!  I am taking them to the splash pad next week and I know she will have a blast.

This age is so fun!  She is able to communicate some, but is still my sweet and snugly baby.  She will start going to Parent's Day Out in a couple of weeks and we are very excited for her.  I know she will have a fun time.

I never posted her 15 month stats from her appointment, so here they are:
18 lb. 10 oz. (20%)
30.5 inches (50%)
17.25 HC (50%)
She got three shots and only cried for a minute.  She is healthy and happy!


We love you so much Ann Parker!  You are such a joy to us!

Big Week for Caroline!

This was a big week for Caroline!  She started soccer and ballet.  In two more weeks she will start going to real preschool (as opposed to Mother's Day Out) and she will also start choir.  She is going to be one busy little bee this fall.

Monday evening was her first soccer practice.  Her team is the Blazers.  Two of her best buddies, Jack and Sydney, are on her team.  As I expected, practice was horrible.  She had no idea what was going on and cried when she had to wait her turn.  She did love kicking the ball around and didn't want to leave so I think there is hope.  In a couple of weeks she will probably be a pro!


Her soccer gear:  Not pictured are her hot pink socks and her monogrammed lime green/hot pink soccer bag...we thought we would go a little girly with her stuff :)

She was so excited!!!

On Thursday, Caroline had her first Princess Ballet class at BDT.  I spent so long trying to find the perfect studio and I am so pleased with BDT so far.  They have a great reputation and are very close to our house.  I had wanted to her do a tap/ballet combo class - but doing just ballet ensures she will do ballet in the recital (which is what I wanted her to do).  This particular class also has so dress up time and they dance in tiaras.  Perfect for my little girl who loves dress up!!  She did FANTASTIC in class.  She was a great listener and did everything the teacher said.  I am so proud of my ballerina baby!

Getting ready to go

So excited...she had to run off some energy before class began.

Three of her best buddies are in her class: Charlotte, Sydney and Caroline M.  Before I had kids I worried that I wouldn't find good "mommy friends."  Boy, was I wrong.  I have some of the best friends anyone could ask for and their sweet kids are such great friends to my kids.  We are so blessed.

After a long week, Caroline had some extra daddy time last night and they read a bunch of books together. What a fun week this girl has had!  

Adam's 30th birthday party!

This past weekend I threw a surprise party for Adam since he is turning 30 this week! We had a great turn out and it was so much fun! Everyone came over for some appetizers and desserts and drinks and of course - great company.  We are blessed to have such great friends.  I pulled out my actual camera, but was too busy to take any pictures so here are some Instagram pictures from the evening. I hate that I didn't get a picture of everyone who came or of the decorations, so trust me when I say it was a great party!

I spoke too soon...

Just as I posted a list of the things my little Ann Parker has said, she felt like she needed to start speaking more to make my post obsolete.  She is really speaking big time, a lot more than Caroline did at 15 months!  Although once Caroline got the hang of it, she never slowed down ;)

Last night Adam asked AP "what's this" while holding up her paci.  She responded with, "that's a papi!" She calls pa-pi for paci.  She said this little sentence clear as a bell!

She will ask "help" when she needs something.  It's adorable.  

She also "no no sish (what she calls Caroline) that mine!" Cannot believe she is speaking in little sentences.

Now, Caroline just cannot be outdone by her little sis so here are some funny things she has said lately:

AP picked up a bag a dog food.  It was a small bag and not very heavy, but if you are only one it is a little big.  Caroline took it from her and said, "allow me."  It was so cute.

When asked how to spell her name, she said "E I kitty kitty"

I told her it was bedtime the other night and she started laughing and said, "oh no thank you."

She loves writing songs.  Her new one of the week: Kiki I miss you Kiki. You can count on me. 

She is just as sweet as can be.  I often hear her say completely unprompted "I love you so much Ann Parker." I just know they will grow up and be besties like mommy and Kiki!

She has now decided she is going to have a baby brother named Asher.  She decided this right after her cousin Asher came to play.  When I told her that there was already an Asher in the family and we would have to pick a different name one day she said, "it's MY baby and I will him Asher."  Not sure she grasps how this will all happen...  

My girls are so funny and I love all the little things they say!

The things she says...

This time, this post isn't about Caroline - it's about Ann Parker!!  Her vocabulary has taken off full speed.  She picks up words so quickly that I can't keep up.

This morning, she pulled a bunch of dirt out of a potted plant.  She made a big mess and said, "uh-oh dirt!"  I didn't even know she knew the word dirt - or could string words together!

She lets me know every time she needs a new diaper.  She will either say, "pee pee" or will go and sit on C's potty and say, "pa-e"

She said "puppy" this morning.  She says doggy all the time, but today she distinguished between a big dog and a small puppy.  Genius.

She likes to cover things up with blankets and say "night-night" which sounds like "ni-ni"

She will say "guys, guys, guys" to get our attention.

She will point to candles, the stove, oven, etc. and say "hot"

I just cannot believe how quickly she is learning.  Literally, every day she says something that I know she didn't ever say before.  I'm talking about unprompted, not repeating things.  Like she actually has learned the word and uses it correctly.  I am just blown away by my little sponge!

Babies and Pools...and Baby Pools

Yesterday, sweet little Asher came over for a little bit.  He is the girls first cousin (Adam's brother's little boy).  It was such a beautiful day so we decided to go outside for some water play.  It was also blazing hot, so we just opted for undies and diapers.  I find it so funny that my girls have the cutest bathing suits - smocked, monogrammed, with tutu's, appliqued, etc. - they have it all and yet I never take pictures of them when they are wearing them!  I only get the nakey pictures!!

My girls jumped right in.  Asher was very cautious and not sure what to think of my wild and crazy two!  He just watched looked at them like they were nuts!  I remember some telling me, "At least you don't have boys!  Girls are so much calmer and quieter and don't get into as much."  I don't think she's met many girls because my girls are into EVERYTHING and calm and quiet isn't a word I would ever use to describe them!

Aside from the mouth and hair, he looks a lot like my Ann Parker here.  Cover that up and you will see it!

It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon!!

Five Years and Counting

This past Friday Adam and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary.  We have been together for 10 years total!  That is crazy to me!!  We had originally planned to take a big trip for our 5 year, since it's the first real "milestone" year but between Adam's crazy work schedule (he spent a lot of time preparing and at trial this summer), planning for a family beach trip next month, and having to make some necessary repairs to the house in order to sell it, a trip just wasn't going to work out this month.   I am sure a trip in a few months or even after the first of the year will be just as enjoyable though ;)  Things always work out exactly as they are supposed to though.  Adam had worked over 200 hours in the month of July and barely saw the girls.  We decided to celebrate our actual anniversary at home.  He finally got to spend some time with his babies.  I cooked a delicious dinner (seriously, I impressed myself) of steak with a bleu cheese and onion cream sauce, horseradish mashed potatoes, salad, and prosciutto and fig pizza for appetizer.  Our favorite friend, Trey, joined us as well.  Trey read an e.e. cummings poem at our wedding five years ago and is also "Uncle Trey Trey" to our little girls.  Adam surprised me with beautiful flowers and a bottle of Schramsburg Blanc de Blanc - my favorite bubbly and a winery that we visited on our honeymoon.  We also opened the last of our honeymoon wine - a 2006 Chateau Montelena chardonnay.  It was a perfect evening.

On Saturday, Adam's parents came into town.  They watched the girls so we could go out to a child free lunch to La Paz and a drive through the Preserve (we are some crazy kids, I know).  We also got to go out to a child free dinner to The Club and out to drinks at Vittoria.  Our friends Holly and Trey met us out after a while and we a great time.  We came home to a house of sleeping girls and grandparents.  It was another perfect evening!

I was way too busy having fun and enjoying my family and friends to take any pictures of our weekend.  It was such a perfect weekend and I know I will always remember it!

Super Caroline!!

Caroline is very into dress up and make believe these days.  We spend our afternoons being princesses, puppies, snails (yes, snails), magicians, and super heroes.  This weekend, she was a super hero and saved the world all before breakfast!

My favorite picture - maybe ever.