April 2017

Thankfully we've had lots of nice weather this month.  I always get worried when it warms up early that it will be hot too quickly.  We've had a few cool fronts come through to keep temperatures down.  I actually really love warm spring weather when it's nice enough to enjoy spending time outside without wearing a jacket....and before the awful Texas heat sets in.

My mom and I took Abigail to Duck Creek one Friday while Hannah was in school.  This is a super pretty park/creek in a neighborhood not too far from my parent's house.  There is usually lots of wildlife although we only saw turtles and a few ducks this time.  Abigail enjoyed feeding them though.  =)

Hannah's class went on a field trip to the Dallas Zoo at the beginning of the month.  I had to teach my preschool music class that day and was sad I couldn't go.  But Nathan was able to take off work.  They had a great time and the weather was beautiful!

Hannah had Good Friday and Easter Monday off this year.  We thoroughly enjoyed our four day weekend.  Nathan and my dad had to work, but my sister was off.  Friday we took the girls to play miniature golf. It was so much fun and also quite entertaining.  We tried to help the girls with correct putting form, but they preferred to putt between their legs.  LOL!  We had a great time though.

My mom also got supplies to make resurrection gardens.  Before we made them we read the Easter story from the Jesus Storybook Bible.

That was the extent of our Easter celebrating other that going to church on Sunday. We didn't do any egg hunt or Easter baskets.  We did take pictures of the girls in their dresses.  My mom actually bought these for them last year and they still fit.  Yeah for saving some money!  And I love that they still enjoy wearing matching clothes.  I plan to take advantage as long as they will let me.  LOVE the sweet french braids too...that's Grammy.  I wish I knew how to do them, but I never learned.

Hannah lost tooth number 5 on Easter morning right before we left for church.  It had been loose for several months and was just barely hanging on for almost a week before it finally fell out.

Hannah had her second piano festival last week and this one was also a competition.  Hannah played really really well and she was so excited to win 1st place.  The look on her face when they called her name was priceless!

Our zoo membership expired this month and we decided not to renew it again.  We've kept it for 3 years and now that both girls will be in school we don't have as many opportunities to use it.  And we bought Six Flags memberships last fall.  Those are good until the end of December and then next year we'll pick a new place to join.  There are so many choices in the DFW area!!  We wanted to make one last trip to the zoo before our membership expired so we went on Saturday.  It was hot and humid, but the rain held off and we had a great time.  The brand new hippo exhibit opened the day before.  It is really nice, but sadly the hippos were hiding and we only saw their noses peek up for air.

August 2016

Where oh where did summer go?  I really feel like school just got out a week ago.  It does however still feel like summer outside.  It won't cool off until October.  =P

We drove up to Arkansas to visit Nathan's family one last time before school started.  We had a great visit.  The girls are so good in the car and loved listening to me read Ramona the Pest.

We did lots of swimming.  It took LOTS and LOTS of coaxing, but we finally got Abigail to jump off the side and even the board.  We also met several friends at a local splash park.

Our biggest water adventure was a trip to NRH2O.  My sister takes her students there in the spring for an end of year trip/festival.  As a perk they give all the orchestra directors 4 free tickets to use anytime that summer.  Kara was nice enough to share her tickets with us.  Both girls are very cautious so we weren't really sure if they would enjoy it or do any rides.  We had a great time and ended up doing lots of things.  We did have to shove Abigail down a few slide though.  =)  It was lots of fun!

Earlier this summer I bought the girls adorable coordinating dresses off Zulily.  I really wanted my mom to take pictures of them.  So we headed to the college for a mini photo shoot.  It was SO SO HOT!!  We were dripping in sweat by the time we finished.  But the girls were very cooperative and we got lots of really cute shots.  I absolutely LOVE them all, but I'm only going to share a few here.

Hannah lost yet another tooth.  It was super wiggly but Daddy wasn't able to get it out yet.  We went to the dentist and it fell out while they were cleaning her teeth.  So funny!  Now she truly looks like a 1st grader with no front teeth.

And just like that it was time to start school.  Can not believe my sweet girl is in 1st grade.  She was so excited to start school and walked in with a big smile on her face.  Hannah loves her teacher already and has had a great first week.  It's going to be a fantastic year!  We cheated again and took our pictures BEFORE school stated and not on the first day.  This is so the way to go, no crowd, not in anyone's way.  YEAH!

November 2015

We've officially hit the crazy busy season at our house.  Gearing up for Christmas concerts at church means lots of extra rehearsals.  It also means time to start planning a Christmas card photo session with my mom. So thankful for her and all her hard work, think we got some cute pictures.  Cards coming soon.  =)

Hannah had the whole week of Thanksgiving off school and Nathan took vacation days too.  Nice to have some time to spend together.  In addition to taking Christmas pictures we also went to the zoo.  Then the rain came and we enjoying playing at home and putting up Christmas decorations.  LOVED having both girls home!

The church children's choir did their concert before Thanksgiving.  They did a great job!  It was so fun to watch Hannah sing and see how much she's grown up.  The choir performed a musical and then some of the small group classes performed, including Hannah's puppet group.  Nathan got a video of the puppet performance but the file is too big to include here.  So a picture will have to do.  These are black light puppets and Hannah is the pink snake in the bottom right corner. (Photo Credit goes to David Alvey, church photographer)  She knew all the words and motions to the songs. (Photo Credit goes to David Alvey, church photographer)

Speaking of Hannah growing up, she lost her first tooth.  And by lost I mean, it was truly gone.  It wiggled for about a week and was hanging by a thread.  She would NOT let us pull it.  My parents came to see Hannah's program and asked to see her wiggly tooth.  She opened her mouth and realized it was gone.  My guess is she swallowed it.  She wrote a letter to the tooth fairy and was so surprised the next morning.  She found a note from the tooth fairy saying she would look for her tooth and to enjoy a new pencil and some money.  Hannah said "Mommy I thought the tooth fairy was imagination, but she's real and she left me a present!"  Her only exposure to the tooth fairy was in books so she thought it was pretend.  So fun to see her excited!

Still can't get used to the toothless smile!

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.

Sixteen Months

My mom and I took the girls to the Dallas Arboretum at the beginning of April for picnic (more pics and stories in Hannah's post next week).  They had cute matching outfits and everything...it was lots of fun.  Abigail  LOVES to ride in the stroller.  Sometimes she sits up very straight and looks around and other times she sits like this.   
 

Abigail continues to say more and more words.  Here's some new things she can say:  ear, Bob (from Veggie Tales), bear, toe, Pooh, nummy (yummy), yucky, Mickey as in the mouse, two, okay, go, sock, chair, zipper, mic (music), book, nose, twee twee (bird), feet, and hippo.  She still babbles, but has become more intentional about her speech.  She will come up to me and babble the same "words" multiple times while I try and guess what she is saying.  Thankfully she doesn't get too frustrated. 

It always amazes me how much little ones understand, even if they can't communicate yet.  Abigail can bring the toy you ask for, or put something away...if she's in the right mood of course.  If she sees me pick up my purse she immediate starts saying "bye bye" and walking towards the back door.  She will also point to the stereo remote and say her word for music.  And she points to her hair and says bow if she wants me to get one for her. Hannah is a girly girl and loves clothes and bows.  Abigail has never really seemed to care, but she may surprise me.  =)

I think I've posted before about how Abigail insists on carrying a toy or object in each hand almost all the time. And she has a fascination with leaves.  My mom and I laugh because any picture taken outside she has a leaf (or two) in her hands.  Thankfully she's doesn't immediately put them in her mouth anymore.
 
 

Abigail loves Hannah, follows her around the house, wants whatever she's playing with, and wants to be just like her.  Hannah loves to jump across the room or spin and dance to music.  Abigail stands right up and says yump (jump) and bounces up and down.  She sticks her arms out and twists her body trying to spin.  See mom I can do it too!  Cutie pie!

Sweet girl FINALLY has more teeth.  Both front top teeth broke through this month.  They actually came in one right after the other not 2 months apart like the bottom ones.  Still too small to see in photos yet though.  Hopefully the rest of her teeth won't take as long as these first few did!

Fifteen Months

I wish I could understand everything Abigail says because she is ALWAYS talking.  These are the words I can recognize:  bib, milk, car, yump (jump), anna (Hannah), shoe, ahh rii (all right), dank oo (thank you).  She loves to say this when she brings things to you or if you give her something.  She also says "wock"  when she wants to rock in the rocking chair.  Hannah never requested this, but Abigail LOVED to rock as a baby so I'm not surprised.

 She is officially walking!!  She will crawl up or down a step, but then get right back up and walk.  She is getting faster and stumbles less. The biggest hindrance to her balance is that she tries to carry a toy in each hand while walking.  She did the same with crawling too, and managed to get very speedy.  She is so funny to watch. This picture was taken before Abigail took off walking, but it's still cute.  She LOVES this car...and by the way Hannah was afraid of it until she was two.

I posted a couple months ago about Abigail not wanting to share.  She has TOTALLY mastered saying please if she wants something.  Most of the time that's great.  However, she thinks it's a magic word and because she said it she should immediately get what she wants.  Sorry Abigail you can't play with the phone or the humidifier, etc, just because you said please.  =)  And we're still working on waiting her turn if Hannah is playing with something.

Abigail seems to have a love for books just like Hannah.  YEAH!!  She actually turns the pages and looks at the pictures now instead of just trying to eat the book.  =)  Still not interested in hearing the words read yet, but I know it will come.  And check out the adorable monkey hats my cousin got the girls for their birthdays!

 




Went to the doctor this morning so here's the latest stats:  20 lbs and 31 1/2 inches long. 

Long and lean as expected.  The doctor said she looks great! Abigail got 3 shots today, but calmed down fairly quickly.  Poor child still has only 2 teeth.  Her top gums are slightly swollen and she had a runny nose and cough for a week, but nothing broke through.

9 Month Doctor Visit

Abigail went to the doctor this morning.  She has slowed down a little in her growth, just like Hannah did at her age.  She weighs 15 lbs 15 oz and is 29 inches long.  The doctor wasn't overly concerned since Hannah did the same thing and her weight was back up to the 75th percentile by age two. Abigail also got 2 shots...one if which was the flu shot.  Thankfully she calmed down quickly as soon as I picked her up.

Last week we let Abigail chase some cheerios around her tray.  She seems to like them and if I only give her one at a time they almost all end up in her mouth.  =)  She still doesn't have any teeth, but sadly her nose is runny and her gums are swollen again.  I wish those teeth would just break through.

We took Abigail's monkey photo today.  She was not interested in sitting still.....crawling was much more fun!

Twenty Six Months

Hannah is really enjoying being a big sister. She LOVES to bring me things like the pacifier or burp cloth. If Abigail is crying she will gently pat her and say it's OK. She helps me burp her and requests to hold her from time to time. In the photo above she put her hand on Abigail's head all on her own. So sweet! She is still ever the mimic and it's fun to watch her pretend play. She rocks her toys, wraps them in blankets, puts them to sleep, burps them, tells them it's OK, and changes their diapers.

Hannah is fascinated with words right now. She knows they say things and will point and repeat "that say" over and over until you tell her what it says. We've decided to take advantage and begin teaching her letters. She now knows A,B,C,H,O, and X. We've shown her D once or twice, but she doesn't quite remember it yet. Ever the observer she finds these letters in books, on toys, our clothing, and many other places.

Hannah is finally getting some more teeth. The two canine teeth on the bottom have poked through the gums. Thankfully they weren't too painful and only bothered her a little. You can't see them in this picture, but it's still cute!

LOVE watching Hannah and Nathan play together. She LOVES her daddy. They play all sorts of silly games. She gets excited when he comes home from work and comes running around the corner to give him hugs.

Twenty Months

Hannah is talking more and more every day. We still teach her the occasional sign, but we are mostly focusing on words now. We will ask her to say certain words and she just looks at us. Then we play and she randomly say things I had know idea she knew. Little turkey! Here's the new things she has said this month: Hannah, hop, hug, hat wow, ad, bow, knee, ear, eye, head, help, hair, arm, off, on, ebow (elbow), ing ing (chimes), ulla (umbrella), emo (Elmo), nom nom (Cookie Monster), ta (tag), ho (hole), ip (lip).


We have been praying with Hannah before meals for months now. She has started putting her hands under her chin when we say it's time to pray. If we ask her who to pray for she will usually include family: momma, dadda, Hannah, baby, etc, and sometimes things like stars, sun, and kitty. It is SO sweet!

Hannah has 3 molars and is working on the 4th. That will bring her tooth total up to 12. This last molar is being really stubborn. Her gum is all red and swollen and she's had a runny nose and slight fever. Poor thing! Overall she is a really happy girl and loves to play, sing, and read. Such a sweetheart!!

Fifteen Months

This post is a few days late, but Hannah had her check up this morning so I decided to wait. The doctor was pleased with her weight gain, although she's still on the small side. Also got 3 shots today. Poor baby! =(

Weight: 19 pounds 12 ounces (5th percentile)
Height: 30 inches (50th percentile)

Hannah is finally cruising around the furniture and will take steps if you hold her hands. We have one of those cars that converts into a walker, but she isn't interested in doing anything but play with the toys on the front.

She crawls all over the house and loves to play "find mommy or daddy." She brings her toys to us and LOVES to give them hugs. =) A 5th tooth finally popped through and I think she's working on another one.

Still not really saying more words thought, but the doctor says it's still early. She'll tell you a monkey says "ah ah" and the doggy says "oof." She continues to learn more signs every week and will continue pointing at something until you tell her what it is. Here's the new signs she's learned since last month: book, pretty, toothbrush, duck, swing, music, giraffe, bread, penguin, dog, mommy, baby, chair, whale, diaper, car, tray, pancake, flower, and sandwich. During meal times she will put two signs together and ask for "more please", or "please milk."

Since the weather is beginning to warm up we've had a few fun outings. We went to the Dallas Arboretum with Grammy. We drove to Arkansas for the weekend to visit Nathan's family, and we went to the park with Grammy and Aunt Kara to see ducks.

11 Months

Can't believe my baby is almost a year old! Where has the time gone? Hannah FINALLY started crawling about 2 weeks ago. She hasn't figured out that she can crawl from one room to another yet. I do get my exercise chasing her away from the few cords we weren't able to block off. =) She also enjoys pulling up on the furniture or me. She only knows how to get to her knees though...I'm sure she'll be pulling up to her feet before I know it.

Hannah is working on her top front teeth. One has broken through the gum and the other is just below the surface. These teeth have been SO SLOW to come in. It seems like she's had an off an on runny nose and whineyness for over a month. Hopefully the last one will break through soon and she'll feel better. Hannah is such a sweetie that she tries to be happy even if she doesn't feel her best.

We're in the copycat stage now. So cute! Hannah will shake her head, clap her hands, make a kissy (fishy) face, and crinkle her nose. She also babbles quite a bit. She hasn't associated any sounds with objects or people yet though. She can say: ba, da, ma, g, and ay ya.

No smiles for the monkey photo this month...teething. Still a cutie though! =)


Stay tuned for next month's birthday celebration. =)

Eight Months

Yet another month has flown by. Here's what we've been up to...



We've done lots of swimming at Grammy and G-Pa's, of course who doesn't want to be in the pool when it's almost 100 or above outside. Hannah is doing really well in the water. She likes to splash, ride in her ducky boat (a present from Grammy) and I've actually dunked her twice. That always surprises her, but she hasn't cried. =) We even invited several mommy friends and their little ones to come swimming. It was lots of fun! Here's Hannah and her friend Pete checking each other out.


My grandma also came to visit for a few days. She lives in Arizona so this was her first time meet Hannah. We enjoyed spending time with her and hope to see her again soon. We made sure to take a four generation photo while GG was here.


Hannah is still not crawling yet, but she does enjoy scooting around on the floor. She's really good at going in a circle and backwards. She REALLY wants to go forward and gets frustrated when she can't. We've tried lots of new food in the last month too: peas, green beans, carrots, pears, bananas, avocados, yogurt, and we'll try peaches this week. She's enjoying everything she tries and I'm still liking making baby food.

Hannah has 2 bottom teeth that are big enough to see when she smiles. And I think she's working on another one because she hasn't quite been herself for the last week. We head back to the doctor in 3 weeks for another check up (and more shots). Stay tuned for the latest stats.

Seven Months

Wow! I can't believe another month has gone by. It really feels like just yesterday Hannah was still in my tummy and I couldn't wait to meet her. =) This is such a fun age...it seems like Hannah is learning or discovering something almost every day.

She is doing really well on eating her solid food. She's tried rice cereal, oatmeal, and butternut squash and we're going to try sweet potatoes today. I have several friends who have chosen to make their own baby food so I thought I'd give it a try too. I've only done two veggies so far, but it's not hard and DEFINITELY cheaper.

Hannah now has one tooth. She ran a low grade fever, had a runny nose, and was kinda whiny for about a week, but she was a trooper. Thankfully she still slept well! I would also call her a "sitter" now. She stays upright for a LONG time before she topples over. She enjoys rolling and scooting around on the floor too. She's not crawling yet, but I think she wants to go somewhere. Then I get to chase her around the house...fun!

I guess that's about all the news for now. Here's this month's monkey photo. What a cutie!!