The Christmas card

People are starting to get their cards. And based on Allison's comment on the last post, I feel I need to point a few things out. I wish I could have fit all of this on the card, but it's a little wordy. :)
(click on the card to make it larger)
Remember that bad hair cut from this post? It's just now starting to grow out and there's not much I can do with it. The only option is to keep letting it grow.

Addison is not a girly girl. I like to pretend that she is, but in reality, she's not. She wears pants everyday. You rarely find her in a dress. And the hair bows. Oh, the hair bows... She won't let me within three feet of her if she sees me with one in my hand. Combing and brushing her hair is always complicated. I often hear "owie, owie" before I even touch her.

The point of my story...if you look in her right hand in the top picture you will see something green. Yep, that's right. It's the hair bow that I fought to put in her hair and she wasn't having it. So that is why my sweet girl looks like a boy.

18 months

Addison turned 18 months old on Friday. Just like every morning, Michael went to get her out of bed and I got in the shower. He brought her in there to say good morning and I opened the shower curtain and saw this. Yep. That's right. She's barely awake and eating ice cream. Michael said she saw it in the freezer and really wanted some. Only dad's can get away with giving them ice cream for breakfast. It was her 18 month birthday so I let it slide.

Me and my sweet girl. She loves her mommy. She finds it very funny to rub noses and just touch face to face. It always makes her giggle. She's so sweet and cuddly and I love her to pieces.

We went to the doctor earlier this morning. She's still on the low side for her weight weighing in at 23 lbs (30th percentile), but my girl is still growing like a weed. She's 34 inches long, 97th percentile. She had one vaccine and her flu shot today which she was not happy about. I think she knows now they're coming. But she was happy about the lollipop afterwards. I have to brag a bit because I'm a proud mom and this is my blog so I can. The doc was so impressed with all of the things she was saying and understanding. She mentioned that she has the vocabulary of a two year old. Addison was also pointing to all of the body parts on her puppy and the Doc said that was advanced also. Ok, I'm done. Here she is waiting for the doctor.

I wasn't even going to put this in writing, but it's been a couple of days and I'm better with it now. We took Addison to get her hair cut on Saturday. Notice the difference in the above picture. I didn't take her to my girl which was a huge mistake. The guy chopped off all of her hair, it's completely uneven and choppy and she looks like a boy. I bawled my eyes out when we left. And then again an hour later. I've come to terms with it now because she's still so freakin cute, it grows so fast and in two weeks it will look a lot better. I know it's just a haircut, but it was one of the worst experiences I've had as a mother.

On a side note, I weighed myself at the doctor's office. I'm at 109.

flower girls

April and May have been nothing but go, go, go. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I don't think I had one free weekend. All of our plans were fun, but busy. My June calendar is pretty open so I plan on catching up on a few things. Including this blog.

Michael's really good friend Eric got married on May 18th to the sweetest girl. Carolyn asked that the littlest girls of Eric's friends be flower girls in the wedding. There were 6 of them in white dresses walking down the aisle with 2 gallons of petals. The girls were excited.

We set off on our trip.

When we got into town we spent Thursday afternoon and Friday morning with family. The weather was great so we sat in Michael's mom's backyard playing and chatting. There were a ton of clover's in the yard so I decided to make clover crowns for the girls. My grandmother taught me how to make these when I was a little girl. I can't wait to pass down this tradition to them.

Friday morning we went to cousin Hannah's 8th grade graduation. I met Hannah 10 years ago and she was just Morgan's age. It's crazy to think that she starts high school next year. Man, I feel old.

After graduation we had a little girl time. I took the girls for their first pedicures. Addison has been before, but chickened out and would only let them paint her toes. This time she was all in.

Morgan had no issues hopping right in the seat.

With our toes painted we headed to Knoxville to check into the hotel and get ready for the rehearsal. Before the rehearsal I did what any good mother would do. I bribed the girls with a chocolate chip cookie.

The next day was a little hectic. I worried about doing their hair so I took them to get their hair done. It was the best $40 I ever spent. They both sat in the chair like angels while getting their hair done. With their dresses on, they were ready to fulfill their flower girl duties.

Carolyn is one of the sweetest girls I have ever known. She went with the flow the entire day and was so good to the girls. All the girls. Morgan was enamored with the "princess" as she called her and wouldn't leave her side. You can see Carolyn camped out next to the air conditioner in the above picture. That chair right next to her was Morgan's chair. If I couldn't find Morgan I knew where she was. Right next to Carolyn. Or on her lap.

Michael was one of 9 groomsmen in the wedding. Eric and Carolyn have a lot of friends. 

Carolyn had a kids table right next to us setup with coloring books and toy cars. They even got a special dinner of chicken tenders and french fries. They topped it all off with the nice serving of dessert from the ice cream bar. She literally thought of everything.

We had steak and chicken to eat, but he couldn't resist the chicken tenders.

A look at Morgan's hair. It turned out really cute and lasted longer than she did.

Morgan was very clingy and whiny the entire afternoon. The trip and change of schedule finally caught up with her. She disappeared with Aunt Angela and when I found her she was out cold. Being a flower girl is exhausting.

On the other hand, Addison is a party animal. She danced with me until I finally cut her off around 10 and sent her back to the hotel. She was a little upset with me.

We always have such a great time when we get together with Michael's old friends. All of us get along so well it's like no time has passed since the last time we saw each other. We get to catch up on kids and families and life in general. And I get to see Lauren. I love this girl to death.

A little Vegas vacation with the whole bunch may happen this year. Oh, I can't wait!

new do

Not me. I'm trying so hard to let me hair grow and I'm finally making it out of the hate it stage in to the eh, it's alright stage. So instead I took Addison and had her hair chopped off. I've been thinking about it for two months and decided to pull the trigger. She rarely lets me put it up and when she does it's down soon after. And since warmer weather is coming I didn't want to fight her.

Gone is the long and stringy. Now it's short and bobbed and so freakin' cute. It's been slept on and not washed in these pics. I can't wait to actually style it.
Oh, the attitude. I know it's just the beginning and I already want it to be over.



The girls checking out the ducks in the backyard. I am loving the warmer weather and the time change.

(Hope you like the cut Mom!)

year and a half

Dear Morgan,

Yesterday was my birthday. It was sort of a birthday for you too. You've been on this earth and in my arms for a year and half now. I held you the other night after you got out of the bath, all wrapped up in your towel. It's one of the only times during the day that you let me cradle and rock you back and forth while signing you a song. You look up at me and you know that I am your momma. You smile behind your paci, water still on your face. I look down and thank God that he sent you to me. I used to hold a snugly baby, but now you're half as tall as me. It's hard for me to keep your feet warm because they stick out from under the towel. Some nights I get teary because you're growing so fast. All of this is short lived. A few minutes pass and then you're on the go again.

You are so full of energy. So full of life. There is not a thing in our house that goes untouched. I randomly hear the pantry door open and I know you are in the junk drawer pulling something out that you shouldn't. We've had to permanently remove the scissors from the drawer because they were your favorite thing. The scotch tape and pliers soon followed. You love to go in the bathroom and pull all of my lotions and toothpaste out of the drawer. I usually find a trail to your toys when I come home in the afternoon. If the house is quiet I know I can find you in your room. You're either sitting in the floor flipping through books, pulling all of the shoes out of your dresser, or locking yourself in your closet. Most of the time you can open the door and get out on your own, but when you get stuck I giggle a little. Watching you dance has to be one of the cutest things ever. You start breaking it down to anything that sounds close to a tune. The head bob, knee bounce and body wiggle are your signature moves.

The constant noise is both cute and a little annoying. You and Addison love to egg each other on, especially when you shouldn't be.The quiet dinners we use to have are long gone. You look up to your sister so much. You copy her movements and sounds and always want what she has. The fight over the crayons is always a favorite. I'm not sure why you have to have the one that she is coloring with when the tub of 50 is sitting right in front of you. The other night you found a marker that you know you're not allowed to have and then ran to the kitchen to check it out. I laughed at your sneakiness. Books and puzzles are all the rage right now, specifically those with animals. If you see a star or a spider you break out the hand movements used in the songs. You've recently perfected your animal sounds. The meow is definitely the cutest and the quack quack makes me smile. You stop in your tracks if you hear a dog in the distance just to imitate it. Every night when we pull in you start screaming for dada. You don't call me mama often so it makes it that more special when you do.

I still can't get over how blonde your hair is and how long and curly it is in the back. Your daddy is begging me to cut it, but I refuse. I don't want it to ever change. You are now an excellent sleeper. In the morning when you wake up you always snuggle with me or daddy for a good ten minutes before starting your day. I never have to worry about you eating enough because you love to shovel it in. I still worry about you putting whole animal cookies in your mouth, but not as much as before. I think you've become a pro at eating like this. I just make sure you have plenty of milk to wash it down. You know what you want and have a serious attitude when you don't get your way. You slap your belly and pout. Every time you trip and fall or bump your head I freak out a little. I still fear that you will have a seizure. The other night I put you to bed and for some reason I had to check on your 3 times that night. I admit I'm a little over protective of you because of everything that happen, but that's okay. I'm your mom. I'm allowed to be.

I love you more than words.

Love,
Mama

(All pictures were taken last night while eating our birthday cupcakes. Daddy was behind me making you laugh.)

first haircut

Morgan will be two and a half next month and she still hasn't had a haircut. Until last night. There was no reason to. It was long, curly and she actually let's me brush and fix it. But my hairdresser and good friend Jess suggested that it was time. I was a little sad, but I knew she was right. She so kindly cut Morgan's hair right in the middle of the playroom floor. Even after a couple of inches she still has all of this left.

Most of the baby curls are gone, but I'm okay with that. It looks so much better.

boating

It's so nice to have friends with a boat. The Holbrook's invited us on a ride this past weekend. I was a little worried about how the girls would do, especially Morgan since it was her first time on a boat and in a life jacket. The wind was a little much for her on the way down to the restaurant so she sat in my lap with her back to the wind, eating her pretzels. She wouldn't even turn around for a picture and we were going slow in a no wake zone.

Addison did pretty good. She tried sitting on the floor behind a chair to block the wind but then realized she could sit in the first mate chair behind the windshield and it was better. She also had a better view.

It was about an hour ride down to Caps restaurant. Because of the snacks I packed we had minimal fussiness on the way there. The girls had fun at the restaurant playing in the sand. They even ate their crab cakes. Coming back was much better. Morgan sat in the first mate chair almost the entire ride. The wind was better and she had toys to keep her occupied.

At one point they were sharing the chair. Addison's refusal to look at the camera all day was really getting on my nerves. This is her laughing at me. From now on I will just take pictures anyway.

Beth and I at the end of the ride.

Hopefully everyone behaved enough to get another invite.

*Note - I cut my hair off again this weekend and I'm loving it!

*Another note - you may notice a lot of band aids. Morgan is addicted to them and has to have two boo boo's. One is not enough.

two years old

Dear Morgan,

I remember two years ago when I woke up early and headed to the hospital. Everything went so fast. Surgery was scheduled for 7 a.m. and at 7:49 a.m. you were born. You were so tiny compared to your sister. All I wanted to do was hold you and cuddle you. When you woke up this past Sunday morning I wanted to do the same thing. You wanted no part of it. You ran straight for the streamers and balloons and sung the cutest version of Happy Birthday to yourself. When I asked you how old you were you told me two, but you haven't mastered the fingers yet. Your mouth was saying two, but your hands were showing five.

We had a little get together with the neighbors again. Have I mentioned that we love the neighbors? This weekend I said their names and you went running to the back door and looked over to see if they were there. We went swimming for awhile so you could practice your kicks. Swimming lessons would be a thing of the past if you would kick your feet better. We're working on it though. Hopefully by the time you read this you are swimming like a fish. Then it was time for dinner and cake. Ah, the cake. You would probably eat sugar and sweets all day if I let you. You're always asking me for candy and cookies. You can down a juice box in less than a minute. But because I care so much about you and those pearly whites of yours, it's only allowed in moderation. But birthday's don't count.

You were so funny when we sang Happy Birthday to you. Your eyes crossed and you started to stare at all of us. I've never seen that look on your face before. It was probably a mix of confusion and embarassement. Whatever it was, it was hilarious. You're lacking some power in your blow, but that didn't matter. Your big sister was happy to step in and help. Addison even showed you how to lick the icing off the candle. She's really proud that you are her little sister.

We've found that you have a temper. Sometimes you like to hit your sister for no good reason. When we tell you that it's not nice to hit you run to her with hugs and kisses and tell her sorry. It makes me smile to see you so sweet, although I do wish that you wouldn't hit in the first place. You've gotten better. Either that or we just don't witness it as much. Your lucky that Addison doesn't hit back. You've also mastered the middle of the floor tantrum. You know the one where you lay with your face planted in the floor and just scream. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it truly is a work of art.

I can't get over your hair.  People comment all the time about how blonde it is. It really is white. I wish it would stay like that forever, but I don't think it's in the cards. Right now you have four dark hairs on your head. They stick out like sore thumbs in that sea of white. I monitor them and haven't seen any new ones in awhile. Maybe that's a good sign. You still have not had a haircut. It's so long and curls so much in the back that I can't bring myself to cut it. Daddy loves it because he can just put it in a ponytail. I guess there really is no rush.

Sunday was Mother's Day as well. It was such a special day for me. Don't get me wrong. The gifts were nice, but the sweet kisses and extra big hugs that I got all day were super special. You give the best hugs. Just recently you've become really attached to me. You've always wanted daddy to put you to bed, but now you come looking for me. You love books and always have a stack for me to read. I read you a couple and then rock you while I sing you songs. Hush Little Baby has always been your favorite. Sometimes you'll rub my arm or pat my back while we're rocking.

I love that you still love to dance. Any time you hear music you stop and dance. It could be the middle of the grocery store, in the car or at church. I can clap my hands and make up a song and you will still dance to it. It makes me smile every time. Recently you've started singing songs. I listened to you sing Itsy Bitsy Spider for 45 minutes the other day. I like how you sometimes don't know where the end is and keep going in a continuous loop.

Mommy and daddy probably won't be having more babies. I sometimes think about that when it's just me and you alone, rocking at night. I cherish each moment I have with you and your sister. But when milestones come and go I get a little emotional. You really are the baby and in my eyes always will be.

I love you sweetheart!
Mommy