Abby turns 2

On Saturday August 10th our little "baby" turned 2 years old. Time has gone by soooo fast. Where does the time go? I have been asking myself that very question all week long. She is always going to be stuck being called my "baby." No matter how old she gets I will probably always refer to her as my "baby girl." I can't help it,  that's what I have been calling her since the day she was born. But while she will always be my baby, she isn't always going to be a baby. Aaron and I are about 99% sure we are done having kids, so it is very bittersweet for me. She isn't always going to need me for everything in her life. She isn't going to need me to change her diapers, help her put her shoes on, or kiss her boo-boo when she gets hurt. And while I still have a lot to teach her, and a whole lot more parenting to do, it somehow seems to be going faster than her siblings did. I feel like I blinked and her baby stage was over, and that she skipped right towards the toddler stage.

She is growing and learning and I wouldn't have it any other way. I just need to cherish these moments that much more. As she grows, her needs are going to change, but she's still going to need me. I will miss the baby moments...

I love the fact that she is walking, talking, and on the verge of potty training. I do however miss those baby days. The days of sleeping on my chest, smiling for the first time, crawling, etc, but those days are gone. There will most likely be no more babies for me, but I will enjoy this new chapter.

Abby you are quite the little monkey. You love doing jumps off the couch and tables. You are my little tornado, always whirling from one thing to another, making messes along the way. You love playing with your sisters. You love giving hugs and kisses. You are always trying to be a "mommy" to your baby dolls or your little cousin Wyatt. You are such a good little helper----putting binkies or bottles in their mouth, and making sure they have a burp cloth.

You will always be my baby, Abby. No matter how old you are. Or how big you get. We love you so much and are so happy to call you ours.

Emma's 6th Birthday!

On Saturday May 18th we celebrated Emma's 6th birthday. Emma wanted a Pirate themed birthday party, so that's what she got. She sent out pirate birthday invitations to close family & friends.

Here is her pirate birthday cake with 6 pirate candles. It is a Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake:

Rubber Ducky Pirates. Strawberry cupcake with vanilla frosting:

Aaron made a shark fruit bowl, which turned out awesome!

 Our 3 girls:

Me and my girls:

Emma also invited 2 neighbor friends, and 3 friends from school. So, our house was full of friends/family and everyone had a blast. At the end of the party there was a treasure hunt where the kids had to follow clues to find their hidden treasure, which was their party favor bag full of goodies. 

Update on us...

Here is an update on all of us:

Abby:
~ she will be turning 2 soon. I can't believe it!
~ she loves to play with her sisters and HAS to play what they are playing. If they are coloring then she has to color too. So cute that she plays so well.
~ she is such a good eater. She is not picky at all and will try anything at least once. 
~ she didn't get her 1st tooth til she was 18 months old.
~ she loves getting her toes painted---just like her sisters.
~ she loves saying "NO"

Livi:
~ will be starting Preschool in the fall, and will be turning 5 this year.
~ STILL the pickiest eater ever! She doesn't like trying new things.
~ she loves olives---she calls them OLIBS.
~ she still loves Mickey Mouse.
~ she loves playing with her sisters, but doesn't like playing with other kids. I think she is shy....
~ she loves Apple Juice---and would drink that ALL day if I let her.

Emma:
~ she LOVES school.
~ will be starting the 1st grade in the fall and is turning 6 this month.
~ she is such a good big sister. She always wants to play Mommy and help me take care of her sisters.
~ she is so smart. She is doing so well at reading.
~ she has a boyfriend at school named Tanner who writes her "love notes." She also said she is going to marry him when she is 30 years old.
~ she loves trying new things. Sometimes she's hesitant, but she has gotten really good at not turning down something new.

Me:
~ I have lost 23 lbs and I am down to my goal weight. I am trying to maintain now.
~ I packed up my maternity clothes into a storage bin and moved it to the basement. Usually my maternity clothes just take up residence in our closet. However, I packed them up and I think that really confirms that I am done being pregnant. I think we are done having kids---3 is good :)
~ I really hate cooking. I would rather Aaron cook, and I handle the clean-up. I also would much rather bake than cook.
~ I still love being a stay-at-home-mom, even though some days are really really challenging. Some days are harder than others, especially if my sleep is lacking.
~ turning 32 this year!!!

Aaron:
~ still working Monday-Friday, hours change day to day.
~ he is a good father and a great husband. He is so supportive in every aspect.
~ I still love him as much as I did when I married him. Possibly even more now, because he gave me the 3 most wonderful children who complete our life.
~ is an AWESOME cook. I love trying/eating his food. It always tastes so yummy.
~ we celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary in March. I can't believe he has been in my life for 13 years---the time has gone by so fast!

Christmas 2012

A few weeks before Christmas we went to the Christensen Christmas party. The girls were able to sit on Santa's lap. 

It was hard getting Emma to tell us what she wanted for Christmas. Every time anyone asked Emma what she wanted for Christmas, she would say "Santa knows, because I wrote him a letter at school." Finally a week before before Christmas day, she finally told us. She wanted a yo-yo.

Olivia asked for a new Mickey Mouse stuffed animal---and she got one. She was sooo happy!

Abby did NOT like sitting on Santa's lap...

Look how big my "baby" is getting...

Pete (our new rescue cat) sleeping under the Christmas tree. He is 5 years old.

Our tree on Christmas morning...

  Our American Eskimo Titus. He is almost 11 years old now. He likes to play in the snow...

 The girls and their cousin Shane on Christmas day (at Nana's & Papa's)