Visit from Our Friends

It's been a long year without seeing our dear friends Paige, Keira and mommy Ang. The girls had a blast and so did us moms!!!

True Milwaukee Girl!

Last week Daddy had to travel to WI and Chicago for work so we joined in to visit family and friends and celebrate Ana's 2nd birthday. What a week it was. Here is our first night there. Ana's making herself at home and being the hostess with the mostess!!

Ana singing Happy Birthday

HAPPY 2ND Birthday Ana

It's hard to believe Ana is 2 already. Part of me feels she's been around my life forever and another part feels like it was just yesterday, standing in my parents condo downtown Milwaukee, that I felt the first signs of labor....

Oh how big she is:
Weight: 31 lbs. ( > 95th%)
Height: (> 95th%)

We have officially packed away (actually moved into Taylor's closet) all of Ana's 2T clothes and she now is in 3T bottoms and 4T tops!!! WOW!!!!!

Milestones are well past her age- both the doctor and nurses quoted side comments, "wow, you sure are a smart girl!", as she labled the biohazardous waste bin for them, explaining that is where the dirty needles go (which she remembered from her 18 mo. check up). They don't know the half of it.

Taylor's room

Just for the record it was painted when we moved in, so we worked around it... Turned out pretty darn adorable if you ask me. Nothing we'd have ever created, but sweet as can be.

Big Girl Bed

Ana made the switch to a big girl bed over the holidays. Here is her "new" room!

Quick thoughts

I'm sitting here not sure what to do with my time and as I take my first calm and deep breath of the day- it's 12:30, lunch is over, diapers and bathrooms have been attended for and both girls are independently absorbed safely in their favorite toys in tandem- I'm filled with nostalgia of how far the 3 of us have come since Taylor's entry into our week day world. Instead of the guilt of neglecting Ana b.c of Taylor's unquenchable thirst of comfort I am sitting here wondering if I should interrupt their independent play for some guided play, or leave their imaginations to be... an all too easy question! Especially in comparison to our last 8 months.
So, while at times I still feel surges of guilt for things such as Ana not being able to
partake in many toddler driven activities as we sit slave to the 2 naps a day baby schedules, I think how much they both are getting out of life together and am again ENTIRELY grateful for these amazing days I get to spend with my girls, watching them grow, develop and evolve before my very eyes.
It sure does sadden me to think of the day that I see more of their backs than these smiling chubby cheeks. Does it get any better than this?

(on a side: Ana currenly is walking up the stairs telling me, "mommy, I'm going nigh, night upstairs". What an amazing child!)

More Florida fun

Drummin' to the Beat

This was about a month ago now (7.5 months). It's already amazing to me to look back and thes and see how far she's come in just 1 month. (not to mention that this outfit doesn't fit over her thighs anymore! Sorry Nina and Papa, but we did get a fewe good wears out of it!) We can't wait for you all to see her.

Taylor almost 9 months

SO BIG!

These two little buggers are exactly 4 weeks apart in age. Look how much bigger Tay Tay is!

SO CUTE!

Do you see her 2 bottom teeth sticking out? There are 2 more up top too!!!

Car Wash

Daddy'a little helper gets down and dirty washing the cars! And Taylor watches from the peanut gallery, squealing with sheer excitement watching her crazy sister!

A visit to our Jacksonville friends

Some key differences noted between boys and girls: nakedness & affection




The kids had such a blast playing with one another. 2 friends, both the same age of eachother, for 3 straight days, does it get any better???? Check out the TEPLIN site (see "our buddies") for a funny melt down video!

You know what they say..."3 heads are better than 1"

Thank you for letting us take OVER your house!! We miss you already. (By the way, Ana is currently trying over and over again to "jump like Sam"). We can't wait to celebrate Easter in Atlanta with you :)

Mobility Rocks

Taylor's life has turned a new leaf and she is loving it. She is now fully mobile and quite purposeful in getting exactly what she wants. She is all over the place with strategic maneuvering!!!

Do you see the resemblence?

Ana sings her ABC's

Taylor takes her 1st "crawl"

It was only a foot, but it's her 1st, independently coordinated forward motion. AHHHH

And here is where she ends up!

We're still a little more porficient at going backwards.

I DID IT!!

Made the long avoided car seat switch. Taylor now has Ana's comfy womfy Britax and Ana has the fully loaded, but beastly, Eddie Bauer one (complete with cup holder and arm rests!).

This day was coming soon, and would have months ago if not for Graco's newest oversized line that we joked about upon buying ("who ON EARTH would have an infant THAT big in a bucket seat"....WE DO!!!).

But for months now I haven't even been taking Taylor out. I mean come on now, the girl hit 20 pounds 2 months ago (who KNOWS what she weighs now).... as you may recall she is the size of an 18-24 mo old! WAY TO HEAVY to lug around. Plus, she will only sleep in HER CRIB (such a particular little thing she is) so it's not like I need the convenience of taking it in & out for sleeping purposes. Therefore, during afternoon naps today, I said, "what the heck" and away I went to make the 'ol switch. Personally I think Ana will be alot more comfortable. This thing even has pillows.

This time around I decided to try out that handy dandy LATCH system that all cars and seats are equipped with. Truly I never bothered b.c it's so easy w.o it. HOWEVER, let me tell you- that's a breeze and gets the car seat snug as a bug. LOVE IT! (my paronoid self also used the "old" seatbelt method, so now they're double safe...lovely.)