she'll fix it

Most children have dreams of being a doctor. Or a teacher. Or a policeman. Not my daughter. She wants to be Handy Manny.

This car is too small for her and drags the ground when she sits on it. That means it's broken. So she picks it up, turns it over and fixes it.
Because Morgan always wants to help and I'm worried about the real screwdriver poking someone in the eye, we took Addison out and got her a play set that even came with a wrench. She keeps them all safely stored in her Hello Kitty lunchbox. She thinks it's the coolest thing ever.

Don't tell her that the car still drags the ground.

to the hubby

Five years ago today we were married on a ship.
Today we spent the day sailing with friends.
Happy Anniversary!I love you Michael more and more each day. Thank you for asking me to be your wife.

the horse

Michael knows a girl who knows a guy who fixes cars for cheap. On Sunday we took a little road trip to the other side of town to get some work done. The girl he knows owns a horse so while they were working on the car we rode over to the barn to check it out. I wasn't sure how Addison would react to being up close and personal with a horse, but she loved it. As we walked through the barn the horses were neighing (is that a word?) and Addison was amazed by the sound. Morgan and I stopped to look at this guy. She FREAKED! Her little body was shaking in fear and she started wailing. And we were still 3 feet away from it. It was both sad and really cute at the same time. Lori brought her horse out so Addison could pet her. She was a little intimated by the size of it, but once we showed her that it was harmless she was excited to pet her.

Towards the end I was able to get Morgan closer without her freaking out. I think she may have even touched the horse. And Addison thought it was the best thing ever.

(Warning: you may need your sunglasses when looking at my legs.)
Next up - lessons! I'm kidding. But a trip to the zoo is coming soon.

a moment in time

Morgan at one year...

This little girl. And her face. And her hugs. And open mouth kisses. I just love her to pieces.I took her for her one year appointment a week ago. She weighed in at 18 lbs, 8 oz (10-15th percentile) and was 29.5 inches long (50-75th percentile). As much as I want to turn the car seat around because it's a huge pain in the you-know-what, I won't do it. Not yet. She needs to be at least 20 lbs and 30 inches. I would hate for something to happen and then I would have to play the "what if" game. I don't like that game.

We also went for a check of her tubes. They're in the right place and so far look good. She also had a hearing test that day and even though her reaction to the sound is subtle, she's completely normal. So far she's had a cold which passed with no problem and some drainage from her left ear which started on Sunday. We've been doing the antibiotic drops for a couple of days now and it seems to be working. This is so much better than the many trips to the doctor. Better for both of us.

Now, to preserve this moment in time, here is what Morgan has been up to.

• She's a super fast crawler and loves to follow me and Addison around the house. She gets frustrated when she follows us in to a room and then we turn around and leave because we've completed what we went in for. I can imagine what she's thinking. "I just came all the way in here and then you leave me? What's that about?"


• She's walking along the furniture and behind moving options, but doesn't quite have the confidence to let go. We're working on it. This past weekend I had her standing by herself for split seconds at a time.


• She has her 2 middle bottom teeth and one top tooth. The other one is making it's way through and should be here any day now. She's a late bloomer in the tooth department.


• She eats almost all table food now, but we still give her a jar of fruit a day. I just want to make sure she's getting enough since she doesn't like the texture of whole fruit. We keep offering her different stuff and she's getting used to it. She loves avocados and bananas.


• She is FINALLY sleeping through the night. She started right at 11.5 months. She goes down around 8 and we have to wake her up in the mornings. It took awhile, but that's okay. Actually it was miserable, but I'm trying to forget.


• She's still taking two one hour naps a day. A part of me wishes she would go to one nap, preferably at the same time as Addison, but I'm not going to push it.


• The sippy cup training is almost complete. She can finally get the fluid out, but she's not drinking as much milk as she needs to. So because of that we still give her some of her milk from a bottle. Trust me. I don't like her having it, but she's a little thing and I need to make sure she's getting the nutrients she needs.I can't wait for the day (very soon) that I can throw them out.


• Speaking of bottles, she still won't hold her own bottle. It's ridiculous really. Last night I held it in front of her for minutes. She whined and cried and drooled over it, but would not grab it and put it in her mouth. And when I give it to her she puts her hands behind her head and sometimes plays with her hair. Really? This is why you can't hold your own bottle?


• She can say mama and dada, but really isn't talking much yet. But she catches on to things quickly. She can clap along to Happy and You Know It and do Wheels on the Bus. She participates in games and loves to copy our movements and sounds.


• She loves to blow kisses and recently started to give big open mouth kisses.


• She's so cuddly and loves giving hugs. I love when Michael brings her to me in the mornings and we just lay there for 10 minutes snuggling.


• She loves music and dancing. And she gets a kick out of watching me and Addison dance, but who wouldn't.


• She really hates having her diaper changed. She acts like I just put her in a torture chamber and she's being punished for a serious crime. The twisting, turning and body thrashing really wears me out.


• She likes to pull on the nightlight in the hallway. And take the books of the bookshelf. And bang the cabinets in the bathroom. All stuff she shouldn't be doing.


• When Michael flies her around the house Superman style, she instinctly puts her arms out in front of her and smiles from ear to ear. One of the cutest things ever. (I really should get it on video.)


• She really, REALLY adores Addison and can't get enough of her or her toys.


• She likes to come in the kitchen and take all the magnets off the refrigerator.


• She HATES bibs. She will choke herself trying to get them off. I either strip her or put old t-shirts on her when she eats.


• She HATES animals more than the bibs. She literally shakes in fear when she sees a dog. And this past weekend she got up close and personal with a horse. I thought she was going to pass out. Eventually she will calm down and can handle them in small doses, but overall, not an animal lover.


• And she still loves to grab at my camera.
  
  

How cute is her hair in the top picture?

waterlogged

Addison is a little fish. I was worried about her picking up the swimming from last year, but there was no need. She hops in and takes off. The time and money that we put into the ISR lessons was a pain, but SO worth it. Addison spent most of Morgan's party swimming in the neighbor's pool and I only went to check on her a couple of times.

*Note: there were other adults and older children with her at all times. Even with the swimming lessons I would never leave her alone near water.

Days at the pool look something like this.

Addison takes off from the steps.
She swims out to Caeley or any other person in the water.
She swims back to the steps.
Stops for a photo and then starts all over again. I try to get her to rest, but she refuses.
Last night we were in the backyard and they asked if we wanted to swim. I wasn't going to let her because it was already 7:15, but then I remembered how much it wears her out. Worn out = not waking up at night. Worked like a charm! I may let her swim every night.

A story about her bathing suits. She has about 6 of them. And over the course of the long weekend she went through a lot of them. They were all wet or stuck in a pile that smelled bad. So on Saturday Michael went in her room and grabbed this one. The one that's too small. I had no idea until she comes running over when it's time for cake.
Nice look Addison. Needless to say, I left it on her. That's how we roll.

first birthday

This past Saturday was Morgan's birthay. My sweet little girl turned one so we had a little party for her. Our family and close friends came over to the house and it was perfect. Unlike Addison, who cried the entire day, Morgan was in good spirits and seemed to like the attention.
For lunch we had her favorite, Chick-fil-a. Okay, so it's mine and Addison's favorite, but who's going to know the difference. We're still working on the sippy cup. At this point all she wants to do is chew on it.
She was a little tired and not too sure of the cake at first. But that all changed when big sister got involved. I'm just happy she didn't scream.
Morgan just loves Addison. I see it everyday. It was so much fun watching them share this moment.

With a little encouragement, Morgan finally figured it out. And I think she enjoyed it.
Thanks to all of our family and friends who came and made the day extra special. And for all of the nice gifts. It's always nice to get together with a large group of loved ones and just enjoy the day.

Happy Birthday Morgan. We love you so much. Sometimes so much that hurts.

mother's day

I love being a mom. I love waking up everyday and kissing my girls. I love the big bear hugs for no reason at all. I love watching them grow and learn. They are two of my favorite people and I couldn't imagine my life without them.
And thanks mom for everything you have ever done for me. I know that I couldn't be the mother I am today if it wasn't for you being such a great mom to me. I love you lots!

*another photo by Taryn Lewis

something new

I pulled this out this past weekend after Michael caught her pushing the laundry basket around the room. I probably should have pulled it out sooner. But I probably should do a lot of things that I don't do.



Please excuse my messes on the floor. I've given up.

birthday week

look who is going to be ONE on Saturday?

i'm planning and prepping for the party and a bunch of visitors. it's going to be a fun weekend.

*picture taken by Taryn Lewis just this past weekend.