Santa's (not so) big fan

Ellie is still terrified of Santa. Poor thing was literally shaking!

Ellie at 13 months!

Ellie is growing and changing so fast! She is such a chatterbox and tries to repeat everything we say!  Her fav words she says on her own are:

Mama

Dada

Bubba

Sissy

Dog

All done

Bath

Thank you

Book

Uh oh 

Baby

Nods head no- says nuh uh

Muddy paws- her favorite book

She loves to play in the playroom sign Abby.  She loves the kitchen and the babies.  Today I saw her get a baby, put it in the high chair, walk over to the kitchen and get a baby cup and walk over and pretend to feed it to her baby.  She also loves to push the stroller about. She is very opinionated and will let you know if she doesn't want something by screaming, arching her back...she holds her own! She is very curious and a good listener.  She is busy, but I wouldn't say hyper.  She loves to look at books and will sit it a basket of books looking through them by herself for at lease 15 minutes, maybe longer.  She loves to eat!  Her favorite foods are: oranges, blueberries, watermelon, cottage cheese,  veggie straws....and anything we are eating.  She is not the best sleeper still and still doesn't always sleep through the  night.  She is such a little joy and charms everyone everywhere we go!

Someone please freeze time!

This boy is getting big way too fast, but there are still so many moments when I see my little boy.  The other day we were at build a bear and he wanted to build this Spiderman bear.  He was so cute picking it out and fixing it all up.  He even chose  a cotton candy scent to put on him, and named him spider bear. He was so happy to have him, and I absolutely love that he did!  He has been sleeping with him every night and wants to take him places with him.  I know these days will fade so fast, and I am treasuring this time with my little boy.  Gosh I love him!

Ellie Cate at one year old!

I can't believe that my baby is one! My last baby will soon no longer be a baby....but she will always be my baby!! She is such a joy.  She is always happy and wide eyed taking everything in. Here are some things about Ellie at 1 year old!

- she is doing good waking.  She is so funny.  She is very cautious when she walks.  It's like she is thinking it through in her head.  She can go from sitting to standing. 

- she loves dogs!  When she sees a dog. She starts panting like a dog.  She loves the book "that's not my puppy" and "muddy paws"'she pats the dog on auxh page. She will sit and listen to the whole story,

- she loves to eat! She loves green beans, blueberries, oranges, strawberries, turkey....and anything else we are eating!

-she is like houdini in shopping carts and highchairs.  She can slip out of the straps and stand up so quickly!

- she loves people!  She loves to wave at people (opening and closing her hand) and stare with her huge eyes!

-words she says-ok context: mama, dada, bubba, dog, baby, uh oh, all done, thank you, there-it-is (said as one word)She does like to drop things on purpose and say uh oh.

-she is tiny!  At her 1 year app she was 18.9 pounds. 29 1/4 inches.

- she copies everything her big bro and sis do.  The other day she was walking around with a brush, brushing her hair.  

-she loves to have anything she's not supposed to have... Her favorite thing is the TV remote and my phone.  She knows how to work my phone. She uses her finger to move things on the screen.

-she loves other babies. When she sees them she says "baby" and will go up to them and try to hug them. 

- if you tell her to be sweet, she will say "ahhhh" and lay her head on your shoulder.  She also gives big open mouthed kisses.

- she is a girl who knows what she wants and she will get very mad if she doesn't get her way- kicking her legs and all.  Fortunately she's pretty easy to sway the other way.

She is a sweet girl and I am trying to soak up every moment!

My sweet one year old

I can't believe my sweet baby is one whole year old!  I have been trying to soak up this time because I know after they turn one they quickly go from seeming like a baby to being a toddler almost overnight.  She is at such a cute age and I love it.  Here are some things about Ellie at one year.

- she has 6 teeth.  4 on top and 2 on bottom, but at the moment she is getting the other 2 bottom 2 and mee top back 2. Teething has been rough for her and has led to some sleepless nights.

-she seems petite to me.  She wears a size 3 diaper and 6/12 months clothes.  She wears a size 3 shoe.

-she loves to eat!  Her favs are green beans, any fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries) oranges are her fav, veggie straws, turkey, cottage cheese, string cheese- really anything we give her! She still nurses a few times a day.

- she loves animals.  Anytime she sees an animal she pants like a dog.  I think she thinks all animals are dogs.

- she is very Independant.  She will crawl away from me and bit worry where I am.

-she has quite a few words: all done, thank you, mama, dada, bubba. Uh oh.  She waves good bye, claps on command or any time she hears the word yay and nods. She knows where her hair is and where her bow is.

- She is a girl that knows what she wants when she wants it and gets mad if her demands aren't met.

- she loves her big bro and sis and they can always make her laugh.

- she loves to dance (and really seems drawn to music) and will dance any time she hears music.

She really is a joy!  We just love her!

This moment in time

I feel terribly guilty that I have let this blog go.  I love looking back and it and I feel so bad that I let so much time go between posts.  So, for now, in this random moment in time, here is a bit about my loves....

Carter is 7 years 5 months.  He loves Minecraft, non fiction books and Colt.  He is the sweetest guy and loves to please.  He is the sweetest with his baby sister and is easily annoyed by Abby.  He still loves to make believe and will play with Abby.  Today they were pretending like they were driving first to

Colorado and then to California.  When they arrived, they went into Carter's room because it was their hotel room.  I came in and Cartee had on his baseball cap, watch and was sitting down having a picnic with Abby.  At school he says he plays with Cartee Harrison and that they girls chase them.  Sometimes he says they play soccer.  

Abby at 3 years 6 months is totally

Into imagining.  You will find her talking to herself and in her own world. She loves dolls and stuffed animals.  She is totally girly and loves to wear dresses.  She loves to go shopping and will say, "Oh my gosh, this is so cute" when she see something she likes. She wants to be like her brother and does everything he does...she is jealous of her sister. She loves to go go to school and wanted to go every day.

Ellie at 11 months is a mess!  She loves to walk around with her walking toy.  I say she looks like one of those old ladies with their walker.  She is very verbal and says: dada, mama, all done, uh oh, thank you, thereheis, will pant if you ask what the dog says, claps on command, can pony to her hair and will find her Bevo if you ask where it is, she will also find her baby doll.  When you say "be sweet"!she lays her head oh your shoulder and says awwww.  She also gives open mouth kisses. 

These days are precious and I am so thankful I am able to stay home to see them.  I feel so blessed!

9 months

Ellie is at such a fun age!  I just Love this age!  Here are aome things about Ellie at 9 months!

- she ha super inquisitive! Since she has mastered crawling she is in to everything! She especially loves to get to things she knows she's not supposed to get to like the dog bowls, Abby's night light and my scent plug ins. She is also able to find an tiny object that may be on ground (paper, hair bands etc) and puts them straight in her mouth!

- she is super into giving wrinkly nose smiles to everyone.  It's so cute!

-she says dada with meaning. When kris comes in the room she will shout "daDA" she also tied to say cracker (ta-ter), dog, good girl.  When you tell her to shake she will shake whatever she is holding. She dances on que and if you say "be a sweet baby" she will lay her head on your chest.

- she is the exact same size Abby was at this age, 18 pounds (45%) and 28 inches (75%).

- she has a temper- she can turn it right on and off.

- she's a bit of a mamas girl right now...she lives her daddy though.

-she loves to pull up on anything and everything

- she sleeps about 12 house at night (-7-) abs loves to take a long morning nape around 9. 

-she is still nursing every 3-4 hours.  She loves to eat all kinds if other food: crackers, yougurt, applesauce, bananas, strawberries, avocado, Cheerios, nutra grain bars, green beans....and pretty much anything we are eating....

- she has 2 teeth on the bottom and is getting all 4 top teeth at the same time.

- she loves anything musical.  She loves to play her little xylephone and pat her drum.  She uses all sort of things to bag the drum...toys, balls etc

-she loves to play peek a boo- cover her head and she loves to uncover it.

 She is such a sweet, go with the flow baby.  She gets drug everywhere and she pretty much just goes with it!!

Abby says

"Mommy, something's wrong with my tiara, I look like Santa Claus!"

Little Gardeners

Today we went to Home Depot and picked out flowers to plant in the front yard.  Both kids were so excited to plane them and were big helpers.  Carter chose white and Abby chose pink.  We are going to see how long we can keep them alive in this heat . I got them both a watering can too, so I am going to encourage the kids to remember to water them every day.    I am going to use this as a learning experience about responsibility . We wil see how it goes!

Sweet girl

Ellie has started doing the cutest thing- when she sees someone new and we are holding her, she will lay her head shyly on out shoulder.  It's the sweetest, cutest thing!

Teeth, teeth!

Ellie just got her bottom 2 teeth now

Long ago and now I noticed that she is getting off for top teeth at the same time!

Poor baby! She's been pretty good, but a little fussy!!

Miss Independant

Within about the last week, Ellie has

Figured out how to crawl and she is living her independence!  She has gotten the coordination down pretty good and is going everywhere.  Her favorite thing to crawl to is Wrigley! She also loves to pickup every little think off the floor she can find.

The sweetest big brother and big sister

I just want to take a second to reflect in how great Carter and Abby have been with their new baby sister.  

- let's starts with Carter.  He is so aware of everything Ellie is doing.  He loves to hold her and if she is crying, he will always talk to her or sing to her.  She lights up when she sees him.  He talks in the sweetest voice to her.  Recently he was so excited by her crawling!  He tells everyone he sees about how she can crawl and that she has 2 teeth.  He is very sensitive and sentimental about her too.  Today his iPod was broken so we had to take it to the Apple store to get replaced.  Well, I forgot to back it up before we left and he had video he had taken of her crawling in it...he told

Me that he didn't want a new iPode bc he didn't want to loose that video.  I thought that was so sweet. 

- Now Abby has a but different relationship with Ellie.  It is one that is mixed with jealousy.  Like Carter, anytime she starts crying she immedialty attends to her giving her her paci, it singing: "Ellie Cate, I love Ellie Cate, Ellie Cate, she's a sweet, sweet girl"'or "Ellie, Ellie, eh, eh, eh eh Ellie, Ellie, Ellie she's a sweet sweet girl" 

She always calls her sweet girl and is always giving her hugs and kisses.

Ellie is one loved baby sister!

Ellie at 8 months

Ellie is at such a fun age!  It seems like she learns something new everyday.  Here are some things are Ellie at 8 months.

-she has her 2 bottom teeth

-she can clap

-she can pull up by herself

-she can go from laying down to sitting up

- she is sooooo close to crawling.  She gets in all fours and rocks, will go Forward with one hand and then get scared and sit back down. 

- she is very loud!  She's ways making some sort if noise- either babbling: dadada.

- she loves to eat, but I still don't give her a ton of food.  She still nurses ever 3-4 hours. So far she loves: crackers, puffs, bananas, avocado, Cheerios, strawberries, cheese, grapes, cantaloupe

- she wears a size 2 diaper and 3/6 and 6/12 month clothes

Abby's last day of preschool

Abby has a great year at preschool and I am so sad it's over.  This is her second year with Mrs. Bets and Mrs. Miller and she loved them both!  She only went one day this year, but was always excited to go and always came home singing songs  and quoting books.  Everyday when I pick her up, she will tell me what color she got on- now, they didn't do colors at her school, she would just make it up to be like Carter.  Her favorite friend at school was Ahsha (Sasha). 

Ellie's first swim!

We took Ellie swimming for the first time tonight.  She wasn't really sure what to think about it.  She was happier with it until I had her go underwater as an example to Abby (who by the way, has totally regressed from last year) and she didn't love it.  She did do some splashing and was pretty content....I am sure she will grow to love it more this summer!

First cracker!

Ellie had her first cracker at Ma's house today.  I think she liked it!

Carter at 7 years old-interview

Fav color: blue, golden and silver

Fav food: rice

Grow up: basketball player

What makes you scared?

Song:  best day ever 

Show: sponge bob

Movie:  nightmare before Christmas 

Person: colt

Thing to do: go to Disneyland

What makes you Happy: when I go to urban air 

What makes you sad: when Abby annoys me

Friend: Carter harrison

Animal: yeti

Dessert: reeces cups

Daddy: see movies movies

Mommy: go swimming

What makes you proud? When I complete hard math questions

Greatest wish? To see pop pop

Abby's favorite things at 3 years old

Fav color: pink and purple and green

Fav food: rice

Grow up: mermaid, actually Minnie

Scared: monsters

Song: itsy bitsey

Show: Dora and Mickey

Movie: frozen

Person: mommy

Thing to do: swim 

Happy: you and dada

Friend: AlyssiA

Animal: horsie

Dessert: m&ms

Thing to do with Daddy: tickles me

Thing to do with Mommy:play puzzles with me

Ellie at 6 months

I can't believe my sweet girl is 6 months old.  Ellie really is the absolute sweetest baby and just makes everyone she comes in contact with smile.  Any time

I go anywhere I get stopped constantly by people telling me how pretty or cute she is!  She just draws people to her!  Here are some things are Ellie at 6 months that I want to remember.

*just like her big brother, she has th cutest wrinkly nose smile.  I just about die every time she flashes it because it's a cute!

*she is most defiantly a daddy's girl!  She reaches for her daddy when she sees him and gives him her best smiles.

*she is sleeping good- usually from7-7.  She doesn't like to to rocked to sleep.  I feed her and then put her in bed still awake. If she wakes in the night,

I just have to give her her paci and she goes to sleep. Her nap times during the day I'm not quite so consistent.  I drag her around so much she naps when she can.    she is really good about this- majorly flexible and go with the flow!

*she is very loud! She loves to talk and make noises!

*she is a drooling queen- I have been looking for a tooth for a while, but I haven't found one yet.

*she loves to be held.  She will sit in the bouncy seat it jumper for a short period of time.  She really prefects to sit on the floor with toys.

* even though she has chubby thighs, she's petite.  At her 6 month appointment today she was 15.12 pounds (45%) 26 in (50%) and her head was in the 50%.  She did great at her appointment and only fussed (not even a real cry) a minute after her second shot.

*she loves her bubba and is not too sure

About her sissy, I know they will be friends soon.

*she loves bathtime.  Especially since now she is able to sit up by herself in the bathtub.  She loves to kick and splash in the water.

* I call her a call monkey because she crabs anything and everything she can.  She puts everything straight into her mouth.

*she loves her daddy.  When she sees him her face lights up.  He is the only one she reaches for and she snuggles up to him.

* I haven't started giving her baby food yet.   She has had a few crackers but that's about it.  She nurses every 3 to 4 hours.  I don't really watch the clock I just watch for her cues

*she has the quickest temper.  She goes from zero to mad so quickly, but luckily

She only really gets mad when she is hungry or tired. 

*like her big brother, she is a thinker.  She observes situations and pays attention to everything. I feel like I can look in her eyes and see the wheels turning.

All in all, she really is the sweetest baby.  It kiss her cheeks all day long. She makes me smile all the time!

Abby at 3 years old

It is so hard to believe that my Abby Paige is 3 years old.  She is a very spunky little girl.  She defiantly keeps me on my toes.  Here are some things about Abby at 3 years old.
*Abby is 110% girly girl!  She loves pink, makeup, dressing up, princesses- anything that is girly.
*Her favorite colors are pink and purple and green (that's the way she says it).  She truly loves anything PINK!  She loves all sparkly and glittery.
*She LOVES Carter.  She calls him bubbly or bubs.  She wants to do everything he does and copies what he says half the time.  She also loves her baby sister.  She will talk so sweetly to her and say, "Hi sweet girl." She always want to give her the paci, even if she doesn't want it.  She gives her hugs and kisses her all the time.  Sometimes she is too rough with her, but always means well.
*She loves to go to school.  She loves her teachers, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Betz.  When I bring her to school she likes to put all her stuff away by herself.  She knows where everything goes and just how to put it away.  She is very independent and such a leader.
*In new situations she tends to be a bit shy but once she warms up, she is outgoing.
*She loves to get her hair done and loves her nails to be painted.  When I take her to get her hair cut at Sweet and Sassy, she is quiet and very serious, but loves it. Every day she loves to pick put her clothes and will pick out a bow that matches.  Sometimes she ever wants me to put a bow in her hair at night,
*She is a picky eater and doesn't each much.  She prefers protein and loves sweets.  Her favs are mac&cheese, turkey dogs, cheese sticks, hummus, granola bars (b-bies), Cheerios (with milk), chickfils nuggets (not so much fries), yogurt…and then anything sweet!
*She loves to dance and sing.  She will put the frozen music on and run around sining and twirling!
* a recent Abby quote is: "I'm not cute, I'm a princess and I'm pretty." She is such a little diva!

Ellie is 4 months!

Miss Ellie is such a great baby!  Here are some things about her at 4 months.
-She is doing a great job with her sleeping.  She usually goes to sleep around 7:30 and will sleep until about 6 in the morning.  She rarely wakes up in the middle of the night and if she does, she just needs her paci to go back to sleep.  That being said, she is still not sleeping in her crib, but in her rock n play.  I need to transition her to her bed soon! She is good about letting me put her down while she is awake and falling asleep on her own. As far as daytime sleeping, she pretty much catnaps as I have her on the go so much.  I really don't have a strict schedule with that yet!
-She is doing a great job with nursing.   She wants to eat every 3-4 hours during the day. She is a quick, efficient nurser, but doesn't want anything to do with the bottle right now..we are going to have to work on that, but I'm lazy about it!
-She drools allllll the time!  Her shirt is always wet from the drool.  She seems to be teething but I sure hope not!  She likes to put everything in her mouth!  She is getting good at grabbing things and then she of course brings them straight to her mouth.
-She can roll both directions from her tummy.
-She loves to be held!  She will tolerate the bouncy seat, bumbo or jumparoo for short periods of time, but is mostly happy when she is held.  I have learned to do a lot of things one handed!
-With that being said, when we are out an about she is so good.  She loves to watch everything that is going on and never wants to miss out on any action!
-She is a super smily baby and I have even gotten a few laughs out of her.  He smile just lights up the room!
-Her favorite part of the day is probably bath time.  She loves to lay in the water and suck on her toes.
-She is still wearing size 0-3 month clothes comfortable. She is in a size 1 diaper.  She still have some hair, I don't think she is going to go completely bald like Abby did.  She does have a blade spot on the back of her head.
And that about wraps up Miss Ellie at 4 months.  I am trying to cherish every moment with my last baby.  She sure is a little doll and we sure do love her!

Dear 2 year old Abby

Well, long time, no blogging!  This teaching and having 2 kids is more than I can handle, but I didn't want this post to go....because I very easily forget things!  So, here goes!

Dear Abby,
How can you already be 2?  In a lot of ways you are becoming my big girl, but I still see my baby a lot of times too.  You love for me to hold you.  I can never resist when you look at me and say, "I want to hold you."  You are such a strong willed indpendant girl.   I know this will serve you well in life, but is does make things a little challenging!  Here are some things about you at 2:
*  You LOVE your bubba.  You try to do excatly what he does all the time.  You repeat what he says and mimic his play.  He's pretty fond of you too.  He is such a good bog brother, so sweet and caring.  Today I stayed home from school with you and when we dropped Carter off at school, you cried for him.  When we went to pick him up you ran up to him so excited.  He held your hand all the way back to the car.  It was the sweetest thing.
*You LOVE the colors pink and "purkle".  You always identify them correctly and when given a choice will first choose something pink and if there is not pink, you will choose purkle.
*WHen you count you say 2,4,8.  I think this came about from hearing Carter count by twos....and not if your counting somethign, that is how you count.  If you want more than one of soemthing (like candy) you will say I want 2,4, 8 of them.
*You talk non stop and can say about anything- you have an awesome vocabulary.
*Love puzzles
*Love to werar bows and have a ponytail or will sometimes ask for 2 ponytails.
*Fav foods: mac and cheese, candy (esp chocolate). Cheese, yogurt

Abby Paige, you are a sweet girl.  I always dreamed of having a little girl, but I could have never dreamed up you!  You are better and I could have every fathomed!  I love you!!

I'm back…..hopefully!

I have taken an awful break from blogging that I feel soooo bad about!  I had been SO good at keeping this blog up until over a year ago.  I go a job teaching fourth grade in Frisco and it  just proved too much…working, being a mommy etc.  I am so, so sad that I didn't blog about so many things that happened: my fil passing away, trips to Disneyland and Disney World, Carter starting first grade, several teeth lost…and having another baby!!  I hope to be able to go back and blog about some of those thing, bc I am discovering how much I rely on this to remember things about my kids!  I am not good about writing things down, but was very good about blogging about what was going on.  And now when I was to remember something about the kids…i.e. how big they were at this age and what age they did this, I find myself going back to the blog to find the answer.  I am so, so sad that I have missed so much, but I can't dwell on that and only move forward, so I am going to start that today and try to keep up!!