We went to the Christmas Eve service again this year and kept the girls with us. They were a little wiggly, but did surprising well. They enjoyed going up front to listen to the children's minister read a story and sing Away in the Manger. Our music minister hired people to play violin and cello. They girls really enjoyed listening to them play.
Christmas day begin with our traditional breakfast at IHOP. Then we headed back to my parent's house. We read the Christmas story from the Jesus Storybook Bible and then opened presents. Most of what the girls got this year was puzzles and clothes. Their big gift was a Fisher Price farm. They each also got a small stuffed Minnie Mouse. They love her and have not stopped carrying her around the house!
It was a good day. We enjoyed spending time with family. I have no pictures to share. We did attempt a photo in front of the Christmas tree, but Abigail was not in the mood. =-)
Friday, December 27, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Four Years Old
I still can't quite believe that my sweet little girl is four. She has grown up so much in the last year. She is much better about following directions and can do LOTS of things on her own. She's also gotten taller and lost some baby fat so she looks like a big girl too.
Hannah is really good about playing independently. She has such an active imagination it's fun to listen in. She cooks in her kitchen, puts on her purse to go to Chick-fil-a, the store, the park, etc. She takes good care of her babies and stuffed animals. They get feed, wrapped in blankets, rocked, and read to. Sometimes she takes them to the doctor for a check up or to get shots too. Sweet girl!
Most of the time Hannah is sweet and cooperative, but she certainly has her defiant moments. She still takes a nap most days, but is good to play quietly in her room if she doesn't sleep. Very thankful she's good about staying in her room so mommy still gets a break. =) She is SUPER grumpy if she doesn't nap so I'm not quite ready to take it away from her yet. On days she does nap she is up later at night. She still goes to bed at the same time, just talks to herself for a while before actually going to sleep. I will probably stop making her sleep sometime this summer if she hasn't already given up the nap on her own. She will still have quiet time in her room to look at books. That time will be good for her and for me!
Hannah had her 4 year check up this morning. She is 36.4 pounds and 42 1/2 inches tall. The doctor said everything looks great and they were impressed with all the things she knows. Hannah got 2 shots and didn't cry at all. She will get the other two in a few weeks when we go back in for Abigail's check up.
In addition to taking a photo with monkey we also took some other photos to commemorate her birthday. FUN!
We are celebrating with my family on Saturday so stay tuned for cake photos. =)
Hannah is really good about playing independently. She has such an active imagination it's fun to listen in. She cooks in her kitchen, puts on her purse to go to Chick-fil-a, the store, the park, etc. She takes good care of her babies and stuffed animals. They get feed, wrapped in blankets, rocked, and read to. Sometimes she takes them to the doctor for a check up or to get shots too. Sweet girl!
Most of the time Hannah is sweet and cooperative, but she certainly has her defiant moments. She still takes a nap most days, but is good to play quietly in her room if she doesn't sleep. Very thankful she's good about staying in her room so mommy still gets a break. =) She is SUPER grumpy if she doesn't nap so I'm not quite ready to take it away from her yet. On days she does nap she is up later at night. She still goes to bed at the same time, just talks to herself for a while before actually going to sleep. I will probably stop making her sleep sometime this summer if she hasn't already given up the nap on her own. She will still have quiet time in her room to look at books. That time will be good for her and for me!
Hannah had her 4 year check up this morning. She is 36.4 pounds and 42 1/2 inches tall. The doctor said everything looks great and they were impressed with all the things she knows. Hannah got 2 shots and didn't cry at all. She will get the other two in a few weeks when we go back in for Abigail's check up.
In addition to taking a photo with monkey we also took some other photos to commemorate her birthday. FUN!
We are celebrating with my family on Saturday so stay tuned for cake photos. =)
Friday, December 6, 2013
Twenty Three Months
Watching Abigail try to keep up with Hannah is so fun. She copies her and tries to do everything just like big sister. Thankfully most of the time it doesn't bother Hannah.
Abigail is starting to do more pretend play with is fun to watch. She will cook in the kitchen, feed the food to her stuffed animals. And the other day she set up the dishes on the coffee table, brought a chair to sit in and sat down to pray before she "ate." So cute!
Abigail has also become very interested in letters. She knows A is for Abigail and can find in everywhere. I'm pretty sure she also knows W, and maybe S and T too. She has recently started pointing to other letters and saying "what that mommy?" Looks like she loves to learn too. YEAH!
Back in October my parents agreed to babysit the girls while Nathan and I saw The Lion King at Fair Park. It was an amazing show and the girls had fun too. It was a beautiful day so they enjoyed playing outside after nap. Abigail was fascinated by the mini pumpkins my mom had on her front porch. She had SO much fun playing with them.
Sweet girl LOVES her G-Pa.
Abigail is starting to do more pretend play with is fun to watch. She will cook in the kitchen, feed the food to her stuffed animals. And the other day she set up the dishes on the coffee table, brought a chair to sit in and sat down to pray before she "ate." So cute!
Abigail has also become very interested in letters. She knows A is for Abigail and can find in everywhere. I'm pretty sure she also knows W, and maybe S and T too. She has recently started pointing to other letters and saying "what that mommy?" Looks like she loves to learn too. YEAH!
Back in October my parents agreed to babysit the girls while Nathan and I saw The Lion King at Fair Park. It was an amazing show and the girls had fun too. It was a beautiful day so they enjoyed playing outside after nap. Abigail was fascinated by the mini pumpkins my mom had on her front porch. She had SO much fun playing with them.
Sweet girl LOVES her G-Pa.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
11/12/13
Hannah remembered Halloween from last year and as soon as pumpkins started to appear she got very excited. She (and Abigail) really enjoyed looking at neighbors decorations while riding in the car or taking a walk. Hannah's kitty cat costume from last year still fit so I was planning to have her wear it again. Then Grammy found hot pink cowgirl boots at Target couldn't resist getting them. Hannah already had a denim skirt, jacket, and pink shirt. So all I had to find was a hat. Hannah LOVED her costume and the boots!
She was VERY cooperative this year when we took photos in her costume. She let us pose her, looked at the camera, and generally followed directions. The result was several really cute photos.
We decided to skip the Arboretum pumpkin patch this year and go to Owens Farm instead. It's a small little farm right in the middle of Richardson. We actually took Hannah there when she was 10 months old. Sadly the farm is closing this month and will be moving farther away. The girls really enjoyed exploring, watching mommy feed the goats (not brave enough to do it yet), and taking a hay ride. Their favorite part was picking out a pumpkin to take home.
She was VERY cooperative this year when we took photos in her costume. She let us pose her, looked at the camera, and generally followed directions. The result was several really cute photos.
We decided to skip the Arboretum pumpkin patch this year and go to Owens Farm instead. It's a small little farm right in the middle of Richardson. We actually took Hannah there when she was 10 months old. Sadly the farm is closing this month and will be moving farther away. The girls really enjoyed exploring, watching mommy feed the goats (not brave enough to do it yet), and taking a hay ride. Their favorite part was picking out a pumpkin to take home.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Twenty-Two Months
Both of my girls are so verbal. They talk WAY more than most kids their age and most of it is understandable. They also say lots and lots of words correctly...including really big words. Yes Abigail followed in Hannah's footsteps and says actually, she can pronounce it and use it the right way. Because of that I treasure the few words they say incorrectly. My favorites from Abigail are: patakiller (caterpillar) and chicken (kitchen).
Abigail is doing much better on color recognition. She loves to pick things up or point to them and tell me what color they are. She is still trying to keep up with big sister. We've enjoyed the cooler weather by spending time outside. Lots of walks, playing with chalk, going to the park, and even a trip to the zoo.
This was Abigial's first time to play with chalk. She watched Hannah for a minute and then said "color please."
She had so much fun and as you can see was COVERED in chalk by the time she was finished!
We are so glad we bought a membership to the Dallas Zoo this year. We've been 4 times now and hope to go once more in March before it's time to renew. The girls love seeing all the animals. We rode the monorail this time too which was fun. The highlight of the trip was watching the elephant take a bath. And we love the giraffes too!
Abigail was a butterfly for Halloween this year and she loved wearing her costume. Now getting a photo in said costume was QUITE a challenge. If you bring heroutside she immediately thinks we're going to take a walk and she cries, throws a fit, and refuses to stand still. First try, this is all we got.
A week later, we did finally get a picture of her sitting on a tree stump.
Both girls enjoyed Trunk or Treat at church as well as walking around the block and trick-or-treating. We only went to about 10 houses, but they had fun! Nathan and I love to dress up as well and the girls got a big kick out of our costume. HUGE thanks to Nathan's aunt who made the Waldo hat. She loves to knit!
Abigail is doing much better on color recognition. She loves to pick things up or point to them and tell me what color they are. She is still trying to keep up with big sister. We've enjoyed the cooler weather by spending time outside. Lots of walks, playing with chalk, going to the park, and even a trip to the zoo.
This was Abigial's first time to play with chalk. She watched Hannah for a minute and then said "color please."
She had so much fun and as you can see was COVERED in chalk by the time she was finished!
We are so glad we bought a membership to the Dallas Zoo this year. We've been 4 times now and hope to go once more in March before it's time to renew. The girls love seeing all the animals. We rode the monorail this time too which was fun. The highlight of the trip was watching the elephant take a bath. And we love the giraffes too!
Abigail was a butterfly for Halloween this year and she loved wearing her costume. Now getting a photo in said costume was QUITE a challenge. If you bring heroutside she immediately thinks we're going to take a walk and she cries, throws a fit, and refuses to stand still. First try, this is all we got.
A week later, we did finally get a picture of her sitting on a tree stump.
Both girls enjoyed Trunk or Treat at church as well as walking around the block and trick-or-treating. We only went to about 10 houses, but they had fun! Nathan and I love to dress up as well and the girls got a big kick out of our costume. HUGE thanks to Nathan's aunt who made the Waldo hat. She loves to knit!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
10/12/13
When Hannah was little I used to tell people that she was shy. She now waves, says hi, talks to, and sometimes hugs all sorts of people. Most of them are people she sees at church on a regular basis, but she will talk to people at the grocery store too. Usually she'll tell them her name and then make sure they know who Abigail is too.
We've had several different friends over for play dates recently and Hannah would rather show the adults all her toys than play with her friends. Not sure how much she actually plays with the other kids at church either. She can tell me all about who was there and what they were doing though. =) Hannah seems very content to play by herself and talk to her imaginary friends. She will play with Abigail sometimes, so I'm sure things will change as she gets a little bigger.
Hannah only gets a few of her letter sounds confused now. She comes to me all the time and says things like "Mommy toy stars with t" or "help starts with h." She is becoming very aware of beginning letter sounds and sometimes she can tell me what she hears at the end of a word too. If I break a word apart for her like "bu, uh, gu (bug)" she can spell it. If she tries on her own the middle letters and often vowels get left out. That is totally normal though. She still amazes me with how much she is learning. Writing letters is going much slower. It's hard and she frustrates easily. So we're just going slowly since we have plenty of time.
I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures. Grammy bought Hannah these adorable boots and she LOVES them. She's going to be a cowgirl for Halloween.
We've recently done lots of baking with Grammy too. Hannah's new favorite thing to do is lick the beaters when we're done. Love the look on her face!
We've had several different friends over for play dates recently and Hannah would rather show the adults all her toys than play with her friends. Not sure how much she actually plays with the other kids at church either. She can tell me all about who was there and what they were doing though. =) Hannah seems very content to play by herself and talk to her imaginary friends. She will play with Abigail sometimes, so I'm sure things will change as she gets a little bigger.
Hannah only gets a few of her letter sounds confused now. She comes to me all the time and says things like "Mommy toy stars with t" or "help starts with h." She is becoming very aware of beginning letter sounds and sometimes she can tell me what she hears at the end of a word too. If I break a word apart for her like "bu, uh, gu (bug)" she can spell it. If she tries on her own the middle letters and often vowels get left out. That is totally normal though. She still amazes me with how much she is learning. Writing letters is going much slower. It's hard and she frustrates easily. So we're just going slowly since we have plenty of time.
I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures. Grammy bought Hannah these adorable boots and she LOVES them. She's going to be a cowgirl for Halloween.
We've recently done lots of baking with Grammy too. Hannah's new favorite thing to do is lick the beaters when we're done. Love the look on her face!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Twenty One Months
Abigail knows several shapes now: circle, square, triangle, star, heart, and sometimes oval. She is also trying very hard to learn her colors. She knows that blue, green, orange, etc are color words. She just doesn't always identify them correctly. She'll catch on quickly I'm sure. She also knows the number zero.
I mentioned in my last post that Abigail can be very quiet in public. She is the opposite at home. She talks, laughs, and sings all the time. She has recently starting doing a very shrill squeally laughter and yelling things. Hoping that is just a phase because it is LOUD. We're trying to teach her about using an "inside voice." =)
It is very hard to get photos of little miss. At this age Hannah wasn't quite as mobile and not NEARLY as strong willed. We've pretty much resorted to capturing Abigail in the moment, because she does not sit still long. She happened to sit for a minute next to Hannah on my parent's front porch stoop. Thank goodness for editing software with the ability to crop in for a close up. I do love all the colors in her eyes!
We gave Abagail a bag and let her pick up leaves from the yard. She was happy as longs as she was walking. I think she's actually saying "down please" in this photo. LOL!
My mom bought this hat for Hannah when she was about a year old, in hopes of photographing her wearing a frilly diaper cover, long necklace and the hat. Hannah screamed and cried every time we put it on her head so it never happened. My mom grabbed the hat a few weeks ago to see if it still fit on Abigail's head. Not really...however, she had SO much fun playing with it. She gave all sorts of flirty smiles and took it on and off several times.
Keep forgetting to mention Abigial's teeth. She is FINALLY getting more. Two of the 4 one year molars are in and the other two are half way in. The bottom teeth on either side of the front bottom two have also broken through the gums. They aren't fully in yet so they don't show up in pictures yet. Thankfully she's been pretty happy even though all 6 teeth were trying come in at the same time.
I mentioned in my last post that Abigail can be very quiet in public. She is the opposite at home. She talks, laughs, and sings all the time. She has recently starting doing a very shrill squeally laughter and yelling things. Hoping that is just a phase because it is LOUD. We're trying to teach her about using an "inside voice." =)
It is very hard to get photos of little miss. At this age Hannah wasn't quite as mobile and not NEARLY as strong willed. We've pretty much resorted to capturing Abigail in the moment, because she does not sit still long. She happened to sit for a minute next to Hannah on my parent's front porch stoop. Thank goodness for editing software with the ability to crop in for a close up. I do love all the colors in her eyes!
We gave Abagail a bag and let her pick up leaves from the yard. She was happy as longs as she was walking. I think she's actually saying "down please" in this photo. LOL!
My mom bought this hat for Hannah when she was about a year old, in hopes of photographing her wearing a frilly diaper cover, long necklace and the hat. Hannah screamed and cried every time we put it on her head so it never happened. My mom grabbed the hat a few weeks ago to see if it still fit on Abigail's head. Not really...however, she had SO much fun playing with it. She gave all sorts of flirty smiles and took it on and off several times.
Keep forgetting to mention Abigial's teeth. She is FINALLY getting more. Two of the 4 one year molars are in and the other two are half way in. The bottom teeth on either side of the front bottom two have also broken through the gums. They aren't fully in yet so they don't show up in pictures yet. Thankfully she's been pretty happy even though all 6 teeth were trying come in at the same time.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
9/12/13
Both my girls love books so we went to library story time most of the summer. We'll probably try to go some this fall as well. Our other fall activities have kicked off in the last two weeks. You may remember me writing about taking Hannah to a mommy and me music class at church back when I was pregnant with Abigail. This semester I signed both girls up and we had our first class this morning. They both LOVED it! Hannah also gets to do preschool choir at church now that she is three. So far she's having a great time and already knows one of the songs. Nathan and I are teaching 4 year old choir down the hall. We have 20 kids so it's a bit crazy at times. =} Should be a fun adventure though.
singing the Hokey Pokey
We took the girls to a small splash park at the beginning of August. They are both so cautious they mostly just watched the other kids play. We finally got them both wet and I think they had fun.
Hannah still loves to learn. She knows almost all her letter sounds now. We're working on writing a few more letters. And we recently let her practice cutting with scissors. We had a big talk about how it was hard and we don't need to get frustrated. She did surprisingly well. Love her concentration in this photo.
One final photo...just because. My little girls is growing up!
singing the Hokey Pokey
We took the girls to a small splash park at the beginning of August. They are both so cautious they mostly just watched the other kids play. We finally got them both wet and I think they had fun.
Hannah still loves to learn. She knows almost all her letter sounds now. We're working on writing a few more letters. And we recently let her practice cutting with scissors. We had a big talk about how it was hard and we don't need to get frustrated. She did surprisingly well. Love her concentration in this photo.
One final photo...just because. My little girls is growing up!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Twenty Months
Abigail continues to talk more and more. However, if you are not in our house you may not get to hear her. She gets very quiet around other people, even around her teachers at church. Hannah was pretty quiet when she was younger and now she will talk to just about anyone. =) Perhaps Abigail will outgrow that as well.
One of Abigail's favorite things to say is "all by self." She says it to congratulate herself for doing something or if she doesn't want help. She is also trying to count, but she doesn't quite get it yet. She will point to things and say "3,4,5....." The numbers are usually in order and sometimes she makes it all the way to ten. She almost always starts with 3 though. I'm sure she'll fully catch on soon.
A lot of my friends have very independent, active, and strong willed first children. They hear me talk about Hannah and are amazed at her laid back personality. Abigail has always been more active and independent than Hannah which I attribute to wanting to be like big sister. As Abigail is getting bigger and talking more, she is not afraid to express her opinion. She is DEFINITELY strong willed and stubborn. Overall she is really sweet and, like and I said earlier, can be quiet and observant too. However if she wants something or doesn't want to do something she will let you know. She can scream for a LONG time and then just turn it off and get quiet once she's not mad. She also likes to go stand in the corner when she cries which is funny. Thankfully she doesn't throw fits often and they are usually at home. My family did get to witness one last weekend. Not pretty!! ={
It is fun to watch her personality develop. We did a mini photo session with her for about 15 minutes. Check out all the faces!
One of Abigail's favorite things to say is "all by self." She says it to congratulate herself for doing something or if she doesn't want help. She is also trying to count, but she doesn't quite get it yet. She will point to things and say "3,4,5....." The numbers are usually in order and sometimes she makes it all the way to ten. She almost always starts with 3 though. I'm sure she'll fully catch on soon.
A lot of my friends have very independent, active, and strong willed first children. They hear me talk about Hannah and are amazed at her laid back personality. Abigail has always been more active and independent than Hannah which I attribute to wanting to be like big sister. As Abigail is getting bigger and talking more, she is not afraid to express her opinion. She is DEFINITELY strong willed and stubborn. Overall she is really sweet and, like and I said earlier, can be quiet and observant too. However if she wants something or doesn't want to do something she will let you know. She can scream for a LONG time and then just turn it off and get quiet once she's not mad. She also likes to go stand in the corner when she cries which is funny. Thankfully she doesn't throw fits often and they are usually at home. My family did get to witness one last weekend. Not pretty!! ={
It is fun to watch her personality develop. We did a mini photo session with her for about 15 minutes. Check out all the faces!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Oh The Places She'll Go...
I am so blessed and thankful that most day my girls will play and entertain themselves while I workout, shower, and get ready. Yes mom's of younger kids this day does eventually come. =) Anyway, this morning while drying my hair Hannah comes in to them bathroo and we have the following conversation.
H: Mommy, Abigail is in the baby's crib.
Me: Did she get out?
H: No, I think she's stuck?
Me: Uh oh, let me come see.
So I go out to the play room and Abigail is indeed sitting in the baby doll's crib. And being the stellar mom that I am, I went to grab the camera for a picture before rescuing her. =) Hope you laugh as much as I did!
Notice she is also chewing on the baby's bottle. As soon as I snapped the photo she took it out and said "Out mama please."
Think I'm going to need to keep a closer eye on this one!
H: Mommy, Abigail is in the baby's crib.
Me: Did she get out?
H: No, I think she's stuck?
Me: Uh oh, let me come see.
So I go out to the play room and Abigail is indeed sitting in the baby doll's crib. And being the stellar mom that I am, I went to grab the camera for a picture before rescuing her. =) Hope you laugh as much as I did!
Notice she is also chewing on the baby's bottle. As soon as I snapped the photo she took it out and said "Out mama please."
Think I'm going to need to keep a closer eye on this one!
Monday, August 12, 2013
8/12/13
We decided this summer to enroll Hannah in swim lessons. We found a place really close to our house that offered evening lessons. We thought that would be easier so that one of us could stay home with Abigail. Swim lessons were 4 days a week for 2 weeks and there were only two kids in the class. Hannah cried several times for the first few lessons, but seemed willing to do most of what the teacher asked her.
My mom has a former piano student that works at a pool and has taught lessons before. We decided to do a few more lessons one on one in Grammy's pool. Hannah REALLY liked this sweet girl and made a lot of progress. Her last lesson was today. I'm very proud of her. =)
We went to Arkansas for a weekend trip. We had a few minor melt downs, but the girls both did really well. So thankful that my girls are pretty good car travelers. Hannah had so much fun watching out the window for cows and horses. It was good to see some of Nathan's family. Hopefully it won't be quite so long before we head back up there again.
Nathan's dad
Nathan's Aunt Linda (mom's sister) and his mom's husband Tommy.
Nathan took last week of off work too and we enjoyed having him home. We mostly hung out at home because it was too hot to do anything. We did go to a small splash park one morning with my mom. Both girls were very cautious, but seemed to have fun. Pictures coming soon. =)
My mom has a former piano student that works at a pool and has taught lessons before. We decided to do a few more lessons one on one in Grammy's pool. Hannah REALLY liked this sweet girl and made a lot of progress. Her last lesson was today. I'm very proud of her. =)
We went to Arkansas for a weekend trip. We had a few minor melt downs, but the girls both did really well. So thankful that my girls are pretty good car travelers. Hannah had so much fun watching out the window for cows and horses. It was good to see some of Nathan's family. Hopefully it won't be quite so long before we head back up there again.
Nathan took last week of off work too and we enjoyed having him home. We mostly hung out at home because it was too hot to do anything. We did go to a small splash park one morning with my mom. Both girls were very cautious, but seemed to have fun. Pictures coming soon. =)
Monday, August 5, 2013
Nineteen Months
Little Missy is getting so big and acting like a big girl too. I'm sure trying to keep up with big sister has nothing to do with it. =) I also starting pulling up the top of Abigail's hair into one (and sometimes two) pig tails. The back of her hair is still to short to pull up, but the front is messy if I don't fix it. I swear that makes her look older too. What do you think?
Abigail continues to talk and try to repeat everything we say. Hannah has recently started playing a "game" where she'll ask Abigail "Can you say ..." She will congratulate Abigail on every words she says correctly. It's pretty cute and it's fun to watch them begin to play together. Abigail has also started trying to sing songs. The Cheeseburger Song is still a favorite, but she likes Itsy Bitsy Spider, Happy and You Know It, and Hokey Pokey too.
Swimming photo as promised in last month's post. Abigail still seems to prefer playing on the step, but is getting better at going out in the water with Mommy or Grammy.
Hannah loves to color but it's usually an activity we do while Abigail is napping. My parents recently babysat the girls and let them both color. Abigail had a GREAT time! Love this photo collage my mom made, notice how many crayons Abigail is holding. This child wants ALL THE THINGS and has since she was little.
One last photo...so sweet. Even if Miss Abigail is a total MOMMY'S GIRL!
Swimming photo as promised in last month's post. Abigail still seems to prefer playing on the step, but is getting better at going out in the water with Mommy or Grammy.
Hannah loves to color but it's usually an activity we do while Abigail is napping. My parents recently babysat the girls and let them both color. Abigail had a GREAT time! Love this photo collage my mom made, notice how many crayons Abigail is holding. This child wants ALL THE THINGS and has since she was little.
One last photo...so sweet. Even if Miss Abigail is a total MOMMY'S GIRL!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
18 Month Check Up
Abigail had her check up this morning. She is doing great: 22 lbs and 32 1/2 inches. She moved up to almost the 20th percentile in weight and has slowed down a bit to the 75th percentile in height. Only one shot today and she calmed right down.
I'll leave you with one cute story. When Abigail gets to the end of a book or I finish reading, she says "amen" instead of "the end." :-)
And a photo just because...
I'll leave you with one cute story. When Abigail gets to the end of a book or I finish reading, she says "amen" instead of "the end." :-)
And a photo just because...
Thursday, July 11, 2013
7/12/13
Hannah is having the best time swimming this summer. She was so hesitant last year in her floaties that she didn't get the hang of things until the very end of the summer. This year she picked up right where she left off. She will kick her legs and "swim" from the steps to the opposite side of the shallow end. I am so proud of her. We also signed her up for swim lessons and those start next week. Hopefully she'll be even more confident in the water.
We're still having issues with nap/bed time. Some days are great, but most days it's a struggle. She's really really good about staying in her room. But she wants to get on the floor and play, sing, and talk by the door. If she lays in bed quietly she will fall asleep. Started a new sticker chart reward system a few weeks ago. She's earned a few stickers, but not rewards yet.
I know I've written before about Hannah's imaginary friend named Bunny. She still plays with him (or her depending on the day) often. Recently she has started "playing" with various characters from books or TV (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) too. And she tells me about her doggies and talking lawn mower. Definitely not lacking in the imagination department. LOL! :-)
Hannah was looking at a teaching magazine that came in the mail the other day and noticed the page of animal letter crafts. She showed them to me and then said "Mommy B says bu." I told her that was correct and then asked Nathan if he had told her that. He had not and neither had I. We talked about how R says "err" and some r words several months ago, but that's it. Not really in a hurry to teach her letter sounds since she still has 2 full years before she starts Kindergarten. I started asking Hannah what some of the other letters said and she got quite a few of them right. And she was SO excited about learning something new. Guess we'll be talking about letter sounds now. She totally amazes me in her ability to pick things up.
I'll end with a few photos. Hannah loves to play with a ball outside. She is even starting to catch and kick the ball....if she remembers to open her eyes. LOL! And the last picture is a new fav. Hannah threw her arms up like that spontaneously and my mom happened to catch it. Love it!
I know I've written before about Hannah's imaginary friend named Bunny. She still plays with him (or her depending on the day) often. Recently she has started "playing" with various characters from books or TV (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) too. And she tells me about her doggies and talking lawn mower. Definitely not lacking in the imagination department. LOL! :-)
Hannah was looking at a teaching magazine that came in the mail the other day and noticed the page of animal letter crafts. She showed them to me and then said "Mommy B says bu." I told her that was correct and then asked Nathan if he had told her that. He had not and neither had I. We talked about how R says "err" and some r words several months ago, but that's it. Not really in a hurry to teach her letter sounds since she still has 2 full years before she starts Kindergarten. I started asking Hannah what some of the other letters said and she got quite a few of them right. And she was SO excited about learning something new. Guess we'll be talking about letter sounds now. She totally amazes me in her ability to pick things up.
I'll end with a few photos. Hannah loves to play with a ball outside. She is even starting to catch and kick the ball....if she remembers to open her eyes. LOL! And the last picture is a new fav. Hannah threw her arms up like that spontaneously and my mom happened to catch it. Love it!
Friday, July 5, 2013
Eighteen Months
Abigail still talks ALL THE TIME, but I stopped writing down her words. I couldn't keep up with all the new things she was saying. My guess is that she has at least 60-70 words. She says a few things that I can't understand, but most of her speech is very clear.
It's fun to watch Abigail really start to play with her toys. She has watched Hannah so she knows all about baby dolls. She will put the bottle near their mouth and say "baby drink." She also gives them hugs and kisses. So sweet!
Enjoying hot summer weather by playing in the water. Hannah absolutely loved the sprinklers (as long as they weren't too high), but Abigail wasn't too sure. She cried at first and then started laughing. But her feet were planted in one spot and she didn't move.
We've gone swimming at Grammy's too, but I don't have any pictures yet. Abigail really enjoys standing on the top step splashing and playing with toys. Not too sure about the rest of the pool though. I also decided to create a make shift water table with a plastic tub and cups to play with in the backyard. We've only pulled it out twice, but the girls have enjoyed it.
Abigail has her 18 month check up on the 17th so I'll post her latest stats soon. Until then here's my new favorite photo of my little bug.
It's fun to watch Abigail really start to play with her toys. She has watched Hannah so she knows all about baby dolls. She will put the bottle near their mouth and say "baby drink." She also gives them hugs and kisses. So sweet!
Enjoying hot summer weather by playing in the water. Hannah absolutely loved the sprinklers (as long as they weren't too high), but Abigail wasn't too sure. She cried at first and then started laughing. But her feet were planted in one spot and she didn't move.
We've gone swimming at Grammy's too, but I don't have any pictures yet. Abigail really enjoys standing on the top step splashing and playing with toys. Not too sure about the rest of the pool though. I also decided to create a make shift water table with a plastic tub and cups to play with in the backyard. We've only pulled it out twice, but the girls have enjoyed it.
Abigail has her 18 month check up on the 17th so I'll post her latest stats soon. Until then here's my new favorite photo of my little bug.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
6/12/13
Hannah has become much braver and independent at the park. She will climb the ladders and rock walls, not just the stairs. My dad even taught her how to climb up the slide. Not sure I like that, since the elementary teacher mantra is "We go up the stairs and down the slide!" =) Thankfully Hannah usually prefers to slide down and will ask before climbing.
She will also pet dogs now. She has always been so shy and scared she had NO desire to touch them. You may remember she was also afraid of my parents cat for a while (loves her now though). For those who wonder about Abigail...she has NO FEAR. She gets very excited about seeing and touching both dogs and cats! This is one of my parents neighbors dogs. Sweet and so pretty!
Hannah and I still enjoy making crafts while Abigail is napping. Her coloring has become more intentional too and looks less like random scribbling. We haven't started practicing with scissors yet, but will soon. Hannah has been able to count to 20 for a long time. She can now count up to 5 actual objects correctly.
Finally took pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses too! It was so cold in March and April we had to wait. Hannah is wearing the same dress as last year. My mom bought it off of Etsy because she was busy with remodel preparations and didn't have time to make one. Then Abigail is wearing the dress my mom made for Hannah at 15 months.
I know it is technically Hannah's post, but couldn't resist little turkey trying to get off the bench. This is SO classic Abigail! Love them both!
She will also pet dogs now. She has always been so shy and scared she had NO desire to touch them. You may remember she was also afraid of my parents cat for a while (loves her now though). For those who wonder about Abigail...she has NO FEAR. She gets very excited about seeing and touching both dogs and cats! This is one of my parents neighbors dogs. Sweet and so pretty!
Hannah and I still enjoy making crafts while Abigail is napping. Her coloring has become more intentional too and looks less like random scribbling. We haven't started practicing with scissors yet, but will soon. Hannah has been able to count to 20 for a long time. She can now count up to 5 actual objects correctly.
Finally took pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses too! It was so cold in March and April we had to wait. Hannah is wearing the same dress as last year. My mom bought it off of Etsy because she was busy with remodel preparations and didn't have time to make one. Then Abigail is wearing the dress my mom made for Hannah at 15 months.
I know it is technically Hannah's post, but couldn't resist little turkey trying to get off the bench. This is SO classic Abigail! Love them both!
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