Practicing our "Suzy Spider"

I wasn't too sure how Ana was going to take to wearing a costume, but she just loved it. It helps that her favorite character is "Suzy Spider" from a Halloween book that Nina and Papa bought her. She was making the spiders arms help her read by turning the pages and pushing buttons on her pop up puzzle stating "oooh thank you Suzy Spider!". When asked to take it off she replied, "keep it on please". Halloween should be a success in our house this year.
Look at her cheeks...she may loose her chubs, but never the cheeks....oh how I just love those cheeks!

Sisters Playing

Look at Taylor looking up in awe of her big sister

4 months

What Taylor lacks for in sleep she makes up for in personality and growth. She also amazed all the nurses and doctors with how much she's sprouted and how playful, talkative, engaged and smiley she is. She was on today.

Her tummy time still needs some "training", but all other skills were dead on, including, but of course not limited to, rolling from back to tummy, reaching, grabbing, smiling, laughing, squealing, tracking, rocking, head control, ........ I forgot how much more they do with each passing day. SUCH FUN WE'RE HAVING!

Here are her stats (again, not that I'm comparing, but BIGGER than Ana was at this age- WOW):
Weight- 16 lbs. 6 oz (85 %)
Height- 26 & 26.75 inches (95%- they had to measure her twice b.c they couldn't believe the growth)
Head- 15.75 (25 %- still our little Beetlejuice)

19 months and growing strong

Ana is loosing her baby chubs...so sad.

She just had her 18 mo check up (even though she is 19 mo- we were in WI for 18 mo) and is impressing the world.

The doctor was amazed to see her strutting around in her new Barbie Underwear, asking ever so bluntly "MORE POTTY" three times. She was eating up the praise from Dr. Hempel as she came back into the examining room proudly proclaiming "Ana went potty on the toilet". Ahead of the curve in all areas was his report.

Thank goodness Daddy was along this time!

Here are her stats:
Weight - 27 lbs. 2 oz. (80 %)
Hieght- 34 1/4 inches (95 %- she grew 3 1/4 inches since last time)
Head -18 3/4 inches (75 %)

She nailed and surpassed with leaps all the developmental questions and even took the shots quite well. I am glad to say we are done with those for awhile!

My "WEST"

Ana loves her "wests" she would where them everyday!

Building Sand Castles

On Nana and Gaga's beach.....even teh cold WI weather didn't stop Ana from playing on the beach!

Potties, self soothing and trauma

We're full of it all.
For starters- Ana is having a lot of ups and downs. LITERALLY. 2 days in a row now she has fallen down stairs. I was just commenting to Justin yesterday that Ana really found her groove with her moves and is fearless (she used to be a little whimpy on the walking, running, climing end of things). But with that has come two pretty major falls. The first one happened yesterday at the park, when she missed a stair and landed face first on the edge of the next one, resulting in a lot of blood and bruises on her right eye.

The second one was tonight. Justin and I were occupied for no more than 2 minutes (moving around the baby gates). In that time she climbed up the front staircase and tumbled face first, head over feet, down the back staircase (we have 2 that meet in the middle at a platform). Her neck was twisted all the way back and when we layed her flat down she didn't move her legs or toes- or repsond to my tickling them, for what seemed like an eternity- we were just grabbing the phone to dial 911 when she started kicking them and begging to be held. So I took her and checked her over. All is okay, but we're all really shooken up (the gates have been replaced).

On a happier note. Taylor has put herself to sleep for all naps and bed time for the last 2 days now- YIPPPEEEE. She also is just becoming so happy and so much fun. She just LOVES to sit and talk and laugh at Ana. She is laughing while playing. Grabbing and eating toys, just SO MUCH FUN!!!!! AND...she rolled from her back to tummy 2 times. Still not from tummy to back (she HATES her tummy...ask Erin)

And Ana is pottying on the toilet. ENTER PULL UPS! We put them on tonight and so far so good. She is thrilled to not have to where daipers and promises to yell "mommy potty" when the urge hits! I'll keep you posted!

WHEW what a day.

GA: Home sweet home

Am I home, or am I back? Odd question, but one I'm sure I'll ask myself everytime we leave "home" (WI) and come back "home" (our current residence). Today was the day and it was hard on all of us. LIttle Ana just understands too much now. We weren't more than 20 mintues away when she started asking for Nana's house and crying when she was told, "Nana's house is all done, we're going home now." It broke my heart. However, she also is having a hard time dealing with Daddy not being with us all that much, and is telling us that "Ana no love daddy", "daddy make Ana sad" so we need to get our family back together and on track. It's just too hard on a little girl so full of love and understanding.

So....given the circumstances the drive south was not quites as smooth on the one up north. It took us 3 more hours, many more stops and not too much laughter, but Ana and Taylor are both troopers so we survived and are all glad to be back in our own beds and our own house (Ana ran from room to room at 2:00 AM this morning checking her memories for accuracy...she remembered it all and was glad to have it back...even noticed some of the changes Daddy made while we were away)...until the next move, right?!?!?!?!?!?!?!???!

Cuddling With Nana

Fall hit WI while we were home, and along with it came good 'ol WI bugs. It hit our house and all the adults and kids shared sniffles, coughs, fevers and aches. Here are Ana and Nana getting some gool R&R...dinner in bed while cuddling and watching Nemo. These days will be remembered forever.


The question is....would this happen if we still lived up the road, or does distance make the heart grow fonder and memories sweeter? I'm still trying to work that one out.

Playing hookie with family

Aunt Angie, Uncle Brian, Hudson, Cole, & Nina all took off one day and we got to play away! THANKS. We miss you!

Old World Wisconsin

Enjoying early fall days learning about Wisconsin heritage at Old World Wisconsin in the Kettle Moraine National Forest.
Justin, Gaga and I took the girls and Ana just loved it. The funniest part was seeing the chicken in the coup. Ana walked in said, "bock, ba, ba, bock. Chickens, YUM!". Guess she's not going to be a vegitarian!

Tummy Time for Taylor

Taylor is just playing away. She thinks the most highly of herself (notice the mirror shot) and clifford.....well 2nd to me of course!

Go Maia go!

Here is Ana and Taylor cheering on cousin Maia at her soccer game

Fire Station

Ana ABSOLUTELY LOVES anything with a siren "wee-ooo". So Gaga pulleed some of his EMT strings and got her in to see the real thing. Oh it doesn't get better than this. She saw "2 ambulance" & "3 fire tucks" and even got to sit inside and drive them!!!!
BLogger is acting up right now, so pictures will follow shortly. Trust me, they had a BLAST!

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa Bobby

Justin's Grandfather turned 80 this week and the family celebrated in style.

Grandpa Bobby with all his grandkids (Justin and his cousins Christie and Angie) and great grandkids (Jake, Maia, Hudson, Cole, Ana, and Taylor)...PRICELESS

The WHOLE party...family and friends

What a family!

Me, Maia and Taylor. Maia continues to be GREAT with babies.

September 17th, 2006: Taylor's Baptism

St. Jerome's Catholic Church Oconomowoc, WI
God Parents- Christie and Tim (Justin's Cousins)
Baptized by Fr. Jack (Justin's Great Uncle who married us & baptized Ana)

Taylor did a great job. Slept through the entire thing, even the pouring of the water...AND most pictures.

Mommy: "Ana, Where did you go potty?"

Ana: "on the toilet!"

That's right. Ana went potty on the toilet for the 1st time and is SOOO proud of herself. I can't take the credit. Nana and Gaga get it all. We have not had a repeat, but she is saying, "potty" and "yes, okay, toilet" many times a day now....and (all you moms of toilet training years will understand) we have had our share of bodily fluids on the floor......somehow the connection between sit and release is getting confused with sit, stand, walk, release. HMMMMMMMMM.......

Is it time to get pull ups?

OK I"m back

As I was saying before child #2 called, parenthood takes form differently for each parent and with each child. I just looked back at some of my entries with Ana and even that short year ago I was responding to events so differently. What is it, the move, the pausing of a career, or the fact that now there are 2 instead of one. I'm sure it's a mixture of all and then some, but being home for these few weeks without Justin is giving me some good (with child of course) self reflection time. In the end I just so thankful for my little peanuts. Taylor is getting so fun and Ana is just amazing. Everyday brings so many new challenges and joys that I can't believe I felt fulfilled prior to there arrival in my life.

Ana contintues to develop so rapidly that Justin and I are having a harder and harder time keeping up with her. She now knows her alphabet, tells and responds to jokes, counts rote and objects to 10, .....on and on and on. SERIOUSLY what do you do with a 1 year old that speaks in paragraphs, plays independently for 30+ minutes with engrossed in her own imaginary world and understands concepts that I didn't even know she was exposed to. I wouldn't even think twice, but I want to make sure I'm channelling her energy correctly and finding a good balance between helping her develop as much as she can AND making sure to let her be a kid!

Taylor is just so happy now. She still remains to have found herself. Her and I talk and she is just in LOVE with her sister. Everytime Ana is near Taylor stares and squeals and smiles away. She is starting to really "play" with her hands and grabs blankets and toys repeatedly now. ANd MAN is she growing fast. OH...there she is again.

So that's that.

Some quick thoughts

One can never really know how parenthood is going to affect them until they dive in full speed ahead. Which is what I THOUGHT we did with Ana, but truth be told (sorry to all you parents of one kid out there) that is not 100% parenthood yet. The world changes exponentially when a second is added to the mix. Truly you ARE YOUR KIDS! For instance, right now, mid thought, I have to go b.c child #2 beckons. Can't even think quickly for yourself anymore.....welllll more later, but let me end with this. While I've had my moments of breakdown I finally feel as if my purpose in life has shown itself. My little girls. I can wait, for now I'm all for THEM!

Ahoy Mate

Gaga(my dad) was in heaven today as him and his buddy Dave took me and the girls sailing. They both did great..Taylor on her virgin sail and Ana finally able to really get into it. I think he found his crew at last!