Monday, April 20, 2015

April 2015

This month has been crammed pack with life!  We have been go, go, going all month long.  And, though I am tired, my heart is full.

Ava had an allergic skin reaction to the amoxicillin they gave her for an ear infection.  About 7 days into her antibiotics, she woke up with what looked like mosquito bites.  I figured that was what they were since we were at an evening softball game the night before and I had forgotten bug spray and there were bugs all over.  But, by lunch, they were spreading.  So then, my mind drifts to bed bugs and I start freaking out.  But, thankfully, Curtis calmed me down and said that he thought she could be having an allergic reaction to her antibiotics.  We called the after hours nurse and she said it sounded like that was the case and to stop her meds and they wanted to see her Saturday morning.  Sure enough, that is what it was and she can no longer have any of the "cillins".  She was miserable.  I have never seen her so down.  I just wanted my smiley, silly, crazy, wild girl back.  Eventually, the spots turned black and blue and she was bruised all over and her face was super chubby.  She hurt to walk and was itchy, even on Benedryl.  Now we know...I hated it for her.

Other than that and a couple ear infections and croup, this month was good.  We are counting down the days until we go to Disney.  I know the kiddos have no idea and won't remember it, but we will and we will have so many moments captured on camera.  Ava did see the Dumbo ride on a commercial, along with Elsa, and she did get quite excited!  We are trying to be proactive and make our packing list now.  I have lots of things to pack, purchase and get organized before this day comes.  I made a list with mickey mouse ears as bullets and I highlighted in yellow things we still need to buy, in blue things I need to research, and in green things I need to locate from other people.

Ava has enjoyed helping her sister walk this month.  I think she feels like Sally is more of a companion now that she can walk.

Ava is such a little manipulator.  She knows exactly how to slow things down at bedtime by giving us a gazillion kisses and hugs.  It is funny.  She knows how to work it.  She is also super cute at bedtime "reading" her books.  She has so many books that she enjoys and has favorite parts to them and everything.  It is so fun to watch her eyes light up during her favorite parts or to hear her giggle at things she finds funny in them.

Ava is quite bossy, but I think she is in for a rude awakening if she thinks she is going to be bossing Sally around.  I don't think Sally is going to have ANY of that.

Also, God must think He is awfully funny as He looks down and watches me having to suck it up and read, learn, and scope out spiders with Ava, because she is obsessed and I am terrified of them...What a sense of humor He has...
You know I love that girl when I am willing to discover spiders with her!  Ugh.

So that is pretty much our April.  It has been a month full of playing, learning, reading, Bible Study, storytime at the library, playing outside, meeting up with friends, and planting a garden!!!  I love it!










Sally Jeans 13-14 months



Oh Sally Jean!  I love you. SO. MUCH. 

Let's see...this month you are growing still.  You are wearing mostly 18 month clothing, but I still put you in some 12 month things, though they are a bit snug.  You are down to whole milk 1 or 2 times per day with a scoop of ovaltine and you drink it in a sippy cup.  You are still a little messy with the sippy cups and drool a lot with them, but that is ok.  You drink anywhere from 8-16 oz. of milk plus a 4 oz. cup of yogurt.  You still eat some pureed food, but you are also attempting to eat table foods.  You are not such a fan of fruit, cheese, or veggies.  But you can handle anything like crackers, cheerios, meat, potatoes, & baked oatmeal. 


You are down to one nap now. There are some days when you are super tired in the morning and you may take a small nap, but mostly, you go to a nap around 2.  You typically sleep for about 2 hours.  At night, you go to bed around 8:30 after we put your jammies on and read a book or two.  You sleep until about 8 am most days.  On the rare occasion you will let mommy sleep in until 9 am.  Those days are such blessings.  It is more likely that when I get you in the morning from your crib you are laughing and playing with your stuffed puppy named Boo. 

You enjoy being outside.  Taking walks is one of your favorites things to do.  You also like to swing and go down the slides with mommy or daddy. 

You took a step today.  Just one, but one, nonetheless.  I think you may be walking soon, though. 

You still love to be held and cuddled.  You love to play.  You love music. 

You do not love the carseat, being forced to do something by your sister, or getting your diaper changed and dressed. 

You can say hot dog, no no, uh oh, oh no, nite nite, yea.


14 Months

At 14 months, you began walking.  You are still wobbly and slow, but you are getting the hang of it and choosing to walk much more often than crawl.

You pretty much like to tear things off of shelves.  You LOVE Ava's room because she has a plethora of books that you can pull off of shelves.  

You also get really excited!  This is your excited face!
You are much different than your sister when it comes to sleeping.  Although you are a lighter sleeper than she is, you can fall asleep anywhere when you are tired.  Your sister only wants to fall asleep in her bed, unless she is REALLY tired and she MIGHT fall asleep in her car seat.
You were able to go to birthday parties this month and you had a great time.  I think this was in month 13 for you.
You like to see your friends!
You like going to the library and playing with their puzzles and listening to story time.
You like to create things with your sister, too.

You captured the heart of the bagger at Trader Joe's.  He called his wife to say you had stolen his heart!
You play with bubbles. A LOT!
You LOVE to eat A LOT!

Sally, you are around 21 pounds and you eat like a champ. You wear mostly 18-24 month clothing.  You are pretty much down to one nap per day that can range from 1 hour to 3 hours.  You go to sleep around 8:30 and sleep until 7:30 on most days.  Occasionally, you decide to wake up in the middle of the night and you aren't the easiest to get back to sleep.  You love being outdoors.  You love to play, dance, and sing.  You mimic everything we say.  Some of your words are: mommy, daddy, hot dog, love you, thank you, apple, up, bye bye, hello, doggy.  You still like to be held, but then you can't sit still.  You point at everything.  You can't get very grumpy and be mean to people by pushing them away, whacking them, and shaking your head no.  

Some of your favorite foods are: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, manderin oranges, blueberries (but not all the time), cheerios, stewed tomatoes, cheese, yogurt, pureed fruits, bread, veggie straws, baked oatmeal, milk with ovaltine, turkey, chicken.

Some of your favorite toys: the play kitchen, your Boo puppy, your fuzzy,  and your picnic basket. 

Some of your favorite things to do: play outside, play with your cousins and sister, bounce in your chair or on the trampoline, tear things off shelves, rip into the tupperware cabinet, follow mommy around, crawl through the tunnel, swing,  and go on walks. 

You still hate diaper changes and you are a bear to change and dress!  You aren't a fan of being put in the car seat, but you usually settle down quickly.  You don't like being told no.  

You are such a spunky little thing.  You are a lot of fun and such a pistol.  I love your little personality!  I do think you might give me more of a run for my money than your sister.  You are quite heard headed, stubborn, and strong willed.  I love you so much.  Hearing you talk in your crib in the morning puts a smile on my face and I can't help but feel blessed when I see you in the morning with that big smile on your face.  I love how you are so happy to see us!  You sure are such a blessing and I can't imagine my life any other way.  Love you, Sally Jean!  





Wednesday, April 1, 2015

March 2015

March has been an interesting month!  It has been rainy and cold and we have been stuck inside. But the last day of the month was GORGEOUS!  We played, played and played.  Ava and Sally love the great outdoors and I love being out there with them.  Ava likes to ride her little Princess Sophia car around and Sally likes being able to push her push toy around on the sidewalk. 

Sally got croup for the second time this year at the end of March.  And, inevitably, Ava caught it from her.  I know when one gets sick, it is only a matter or time until the other one catches it.  It is too difficult to keep 2 little ones away from each other.  So, I just wait for it to take over both!  Is that bad? 

Ava and Sally went to their first Storytimes at the library this month.  They seemed to really enjoy it when they weren't distracted with the snacks I had in my bag for them.  Of course, Ava didn't let the snacks she was holding in both arms keep her from flying the "kite" or shaking her shakers during the songs. 

We have been busy preparing for Disney this month and I have been busy creating and making things for Ava to do during tot school. 

Recently, we worked on Noah's Ark.  She made a rainbow for God's promise for that story.  We worked on the letter G and she made a garbage truck on trash day and a giraffe, and used glitter to decorate the letter G.  Sally got to do a couple of the activities too!  Ava has also been working on the Very Hungry Caterpillar and she made a Caterpillar with her name, made a caterpillar out of the letter C and decorated it with colored circles numbered 1-10.  She played number match with a caterpillar and matched the colored number circles to the caterpillar drawn on the paper. She has also worked on colors, shape matching, and matching puzzle pieces to Brown Bear, Brown Bear.