Rainy Days won't get us down!

Sorry I have become so lax in updating this blog!  Abby Kate has pretty much wanted to spend every waking minute outside since the weather has finally started leaning toward summer.  I can only imagine how my summer is going to look for my very pregnant self!  HOT!  We spend 98% of our time swinging.  I am desperately trying to teach her how to pump and swing herself.  Is 3 too young to expect this? :)

So after a crazy storm came through yesterday, AK had diligently watched for the rain to stop and the second it did, she was ready to go swing.  Now typically, she hates to get wet.  If she even spills a little bit of her drink on her, you would think it was acid by the way she gets out of the offending garment.  But yesterday, she just took one look at our water-logged backyard and ran full speed and jumped in the closest puddle.  She even managed to run around and jump in the puddles for 15 minutes before stripping to her underwear.  And it was a fight for another 30 minutes to keep those on her!  

She has been really funny yesterday in how much she has loved playing with Belle and Callie, our dogs.  She will literally play with Callie, our younger dog, chasing her (or being chased) forever.  Callie loved her playing in the water yesterday.  AK would just splash her and laugh so hard!  Callie loved it!  Belle, our 9+ year old dog just sagely watched.  It was fun to watch her with them.  She told me yesterday Belle and Callie were her best friends :)

Well, just wanted to share our rainy day fun with you.  She has a seriously runny nose today.  Do you think it could have something to do with letting her run around wet in her underwear in 60 degree weather?  So worth it...

Ready-ing for Summer!

I cannot keep this girl out of her bathing suits.  If it is above 65, she wants to be in one.  So here is a preview of her new mermaid towel (which she says is frustrating...I think because it is so long) and her precious ballerina swim suit!  

Our Bat...

I know, I know, I am a neglecter.  I have found it much easier to sit down and jot down my thoughts on my own blog rather than waiting for the 872 pictures to download from my camera card.  So I am sorry.  I still love my girl, as I tell her every day, she is my favorite girl in all the world.  So I am going to try to make up for my negligence.

Oh how she delights our hearts!  I cannot tell you how fun she is...how big her imagination is, how dear her vocabulary comes forth, how much she loves her life.  

Take these pictures for example, I was using trash bags to bag up some old bedding for Goodwill and she asked me to be a bat.   I had no clue what she was talking about so she made a head hole and spent 2 hours pretending to be a bat while I was the princess in my castle.  Most the time, she was a "good bat" who had come to the castle for tea.  But others, she was a "mean bat" to while she giggled hard as I said, "Shooo!  Shooo!  Yucky Bat!  Back to your cave you go!"

And here are just a few examples from today...

Just a little background, our 6 year old fridge went out Sunday.  We paid $77 to have a man drive out, spend 3 minutes inspecting and consequently telling us we needed to "start shopping for a new unit."  Um, huh?  Needless to say we were sick about it.  However our sweet Lord provided our state tax return in the same day we had to purchase a new one, more than covering it.  We had not earmarked it for a new fridge (it felt like paying for a speeding ticket) but nevertheless, we had money to pay for it.

So it was delivered this morning and B and I spend time emptying the ice chests and placing all the food back in the fridge and freezer.  And my goodness, our girl got antsy.  She so wanted to be outside playing....she asked to ride her bike, for us to push her on the swings, etc...only for us to push her off trying to finish our task.  She finally forlornly headed to our backyard and I heard her sweet voice say to our dogs, "Hi Belle and Callie, you will play with me..."  Break my heart!

So after lunch I told her she could choose, bike or swing and she choose to swing.  Now she can swing for hours....I am so not exaggerating.  So here are a few things she said while happily swinging as my arm fell off from pushing her...

*Oh what a lovely day!  It is so warm.  Not cold.  I don't like the cold.  But I love the warm.  Oh how lovely!  (amen sister)

*There is Belle and Callie.  They are my doogs (said in a british accent)...oh yes, that is their names, Belle and Callie.  Oh, they are so sweet (said in british accent again).

*Oh Belle and Callie, they are my friends...and Mr Bill and Caylor and Colton all from church ilovechurch and wehideeastereggs andoh,watchnemo!  (like my run-ons? Just copying her enthusiasm)

*Hold me Momma!  Oh Mom, you hold me so good! (this said as I carried her through our soggy yard to the trampoline)

*Oh Mom, you are the best Mom!  I love you so much.  (Sigh)

Fun with Jocie and Bella

Abby Kate with a sweet staff member

Bella!

Sweet friends...
We got to have a super fun day with my best friend of 25 years and her precious daughter on Tuesday.  Bella was on spring break so we got to spend some time at the mall, go to Bounce U and then to eat a yummy meal at Los Cabos!  We had a ball!  On of my favorite parts of the day was at the mall, the girls wanted to get their pics taken in one of those photo booths.  Bella wanted the theme to be "best friends."  Joce and I were inseperable as children, from the first day of first grade on.  I love seeing our daughters play and love on each other.  And now, we are both pregnant with little boys who will only be 2 months apart.  When I sent my Mom pics from this day, she replied, "reminds me of 2 other precious girls I know."  Me too.  

The girls played until they were sweaty and exhausted and Joce and I got a chance to catch up.  It was truly a great day!  I am so thankful for precious friends...

A new normal...

Um, yeah, this is what I found after a 2 hour quiet time.  I tried transitioning to quiet time after 2 weeks of no naps and it worked wonderfully.  She loved having time to herself and spent most of the time playing in her closet, as you can see.  However, after spending a couple of days out of town and her not napping OR getting quiet time, she had the saddest, most horrific meltdown I have seen since infancy.  It took Bobby and I both to calm her down, get her to eat a quick bite and down by 6 pm (her normal bedtime is 7:30).  So needless to say, she thinks she is big, but still needs that naptime routine, even if it is just to spend some time alone.  She was this way even as a baby.  Got overstimulated way easy.  It hit me one day how horribly I attempt to keep her entertained.  We were driving to meet my parents and about 40 minutes into the drive, Bobby was reading and I was driving with the radio off, I realized I had been lost in my thoughts (I do that lots :)) and turned around to see what she was doing and she was gazing out the window happily.  I asked her (stupid I know), "Abs, do you want me to turn on a DVD or do you just want to sit?"  and she replied, "just sit Momma."  Yeah, me too.  So why is it that in this noisy, crazy world, I feel the need to constantly stimulate my child?  So I quit.  And am trying to stick to it.  Because you know what?  I desperately want my child to love silence.  To love being alone with her thoughts.  To be comfortable in her own skin.  And to someday, delight in her time alone with her Father.  And by gosh, I am not just going to hope it will happen.  We are setting new patterns!  

Campout!

Well our first campout was a success!  Abby Kate was more excited than I have ever seen her.  We got to roast marshmallows and eat smores (which she took apart and ate the chocolate alone).  She got to put on her jammies and we put the sleeping bags on the trampoline.  She also wanted to bring her pillow, her bunny and her Bible.  She and Daddy got to jump a TON and then was got in our sleeping bags and told "ghost stories" at her insistence.  We read the story of Esther from her Bible and just visited.  She was too excited to lay down so after a while, we went inside to sleep.  SUCH a fun memory!  Great idea Daddy!

Big Sisters Rock!

Abby Kate L-O-V-E-S this t-shirt!  Wants to wear it every day.  She is super excited about becoming a big sister.  She wants to look at my tummy every day and often talks to him.  In case you haven't heard, she is going to have a brother.  Funny story.  We told her back after we found out the names we had picked out, thinking it would help it become more real to her.  She was all about the brother for a while and then made a drastic switch.  Our girl name was Ellie and our boy name is Bo.  She would daily say, "Mom, I want Ellie not Bo okay?"  I tried every day to explain to her that it was God's choice all the while cringing hoping if it WAS a boy, she wouldn't be too devastated.  When we found out Wednesday, we came home and told her she was going to have a brother and she happily went along playing.  When asked, she will clearly say, "Bo is in Mommy's tummy."  However just a few days ago, we were talking and she said something about Bo and then as if she had just remembered, asked "what about Ellie?"  My heart stopped and I quickly wondered what to say.  I just said, "God picked Bo for us this time and you will have SOOO much fun with him!  You are going to be such a great big sister!"  And she sweetly replied, "yep, I am going to hold him and feed him a bottle and change his diaper and love him Mom."  Oh my heart.  I cannot wait to watch her in this role!

Cuddling with Daddy....

Valentine's Day and Birthday Celebrations....

Munching on cookie cake...YUM!

The whole Valentine's gift...is it not the cutest rain ensemble you have ever seen?!

Nothing like trying to play catch up!  These are from Valentine's Day weekend.  It is also Sweecie's birthday and Uncle Hal's on the 12th so we had an amazing celebratory weekend.  We got to have a yummy brunch at Hal and Ashley's and then Los Cabos for lunch.  We played Rock Band and Wii Fit at Hal and Ashley's along with lots of other fun stuff.  SO FUN!  Ashley's family came too so we had a ball with them as well.  Abby Kate is already calling them their grandparent names before Liv even makes her appearance.  We are so blessed to have such fun family!

Our Snow Angel....

I am so behind.  I have so neglected getting pics of our girl on here.  I promised I wouldn't do that once I got pregnant.  Laziness is a daily battle right now.  All I want to do is eat chips and lay down when she is down for her nap (when I usually post).  I need to get better on all fronts or I will weigh 300 lbs. and the world around me will have gone to pot by the time I have this baby.  But I am feeling good today.  Just got my house cleaned, my kitchen, laundry room and pantry cleaned out and organized, our bills paid and budget updated, so now I can update.

The pics are from our snow several weeks ago.  AK loved making snow angels and wanted to do it 1000 times a day.  Unfortunately, we were not prepared for snow on the clothing front so she would get soaked every time, not bothering her a bit but sending me into a small panic.  We would play as long as I thought was safe and then go in and strip, put on clean, warm jammies and drink hot chocolate.  She seriously was in heaven.

I just cannot tell you how grown up she has seemed to us the past few weeks.  As you know, I took the paci away over a month ago but I am amazed at how much more she is speaking and how well is communicates.  And she didn't even have the thing outside of her bed.  Amazing.  Anyway, she has just been cracking us up.  She loves Max and Ruby, a show on Noggin, and wants to pretend and act out their scenarios a hundred times a day.  She remembers verbatim what they say and can act out these elaborate scenes getting the tiniest detail right.  It just kills me.  She has always been a performer but lately, she has been scary good.  She even will take on a British accent when acting out Charlie and Lola.  

Today, I had moisturizer on my face and I apply it by putting a dot on my forehead, cheeks, chin and nose and she just cocked her head and said, "Mom, are you a bumblebee?"  and I said, "Am I am buzzy bee?"  and she laughed and said, "No, you would have to have stripes.  You are a ladybug, cause you have spots."  Clever huh?

But anyway, just wanted to write a quick update.  All is well.  Sorry it has been so long.  I am going to grab my camera more...hopefully the weather will get warmer and I can get some fun outdoor shots.  Hope all is well with each of you.

A Wintery Day Project...

So I am sitting here listening to the sleet ping on the windows, as it has been doing for days now, feeling so deeply thankful for electricity and warmth.  I am about to start a big pot of chicken and dumplings and still have on my warm flannel jammies and am as happy as a clam.  This project has been waiting on us since Christmas.  All items were received as Christmas gifts.  This has been a dream of mine since I found out I was having a little girl.  I have always wanted her to have a reading corner, a place she could escape to and imagine the day away.  I cannot wait until this spot begins being used to spend time with her Lord and Savior.  I still have a few large pillows to add but it is just as I imagined it.  She is calling it her princess corner.  I love it.  

Finally, the Little Mermaid...

So after Christmas, Miss Abby Kate became obsessed with the Little Mermaid.  And actually, I am not sure how it happened.  The obsession began before we even watched the movie.  She just DESPERATELY wanted the costume.  So one day, I talked to her about spending some of her Christmas money on it.  We then looked on ebay and found this gem for $10.  So we ordered it and she has asked EVERY DAY if it had came in the mail.  Finally, today it arrived.  She has spent the entire day "swimming" on her stomach and pulling herself around by her arms.  She has taken to calling me "Flounder" and insists on being called Ariel.  She even used her slide and slid down it on her stomach telling me she was "diving into the ocean.  That is the ocean, okay Momma (pointing to the carpet)?  

On another note, we took away the paci yesterday.  I dreaded this day more than I could possibly tell you.  But I had great advice and tried not to let her see me stressed.  The Abby (paci) Fairy came and took the pacis we had left for her on the porch and left a cake in its place, which THRILLED her to no end.  She did not do well without it during her nap yesterday but did famously last night, never crying and sleeping for 12.5 hours.  PRAISE GOD!  So thanks for all of you that were praying for us.  They were felt!  

*Oh and just an FYI, the little scab you see on her chin is from her very first bike wreak.  She had gotten pretty confident in her skills and bit it last night.  She has a skinned knee and chin and is now insisting we help her again, but still wanted to ride today (after an obsession with band-aids last night and this morning).

Trampoline Fun....

Just a few fun pics from jumping on the trampoline a few nights ago!

Ducky and a Bath...

This has been one of Abby Kate's favorite activities!  She LOVES filling the sink with water and bubbles and playing with her bath toys.  She also loves getting her tea pot and pouring "tea" into her cups over and over.  It has been a FUN distraction to keep us indoors on coldy days

Fun weekend...

Neannie, Pop and Kourtney got to come up and play last weekend and we had a blast, as always!  The girls literally would disappear for hours.  I, as always, am so thankful that Abby Kate has such a precious, fun, patient big cousin!  AK has even had quite the imagination since she left.  Kourtney can play by herself for hours, and has been able to since she was little.  I so hope she passes on her fun imagination to AK!  And Neannie and Pop were super fun too!  

Snow...

Though you cannot see it, it was snowing super hard and Abby Kate was fascinated!  

Abby Kate-isms

So many funny things came out of her mouth today!  I had to record them to remember...

As she was laying down, supposed to be napping today, I heard these things through the monitor...

1.  "I'm so happy, I'm so happy, I'm so happy!" sang to a nondescript tune

2.  SUPER ABBY KATE!

3.  Mom!  Mom!  I lost my golden abby (paci), I lost my golden abby! (NO clue where she got golden, and yes, the paci is going this next week.  I need accountability.)

4.  Singing "Disturbia" that she heard on a Kid Bop commercial over and over

Then later,

5.  Helping me cook and saying in one sentence, "OH THE SUPER YUMMY GREAT DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE!  Daddy is going to be SOOO excited!"  She is a girl after my own heart.  Loving adjectives...

The Mega Disney World Post....

If you have made it to the words through all these pictures, you must be one of my best friends.  Or family of course.  I could not begin to sum up this trip in words so I had to include the millions of pictures just to show you!  We truly had a ball.  Everything was so magical.  To see my child's face light up when she saw characters made it the best vacation ever.  Her excitement was contagious and I found myself wanting to run to the next thing!  

So here is an overview...

Got there late Saturday, I headed to the wedding and Sweecie and Poppy went swimming with Abby Kate and had a picnic of pizza by the pool.  AK was already in heaven.  Swimming and pizza are two of her favorite things!  We had a ball at the wedding.  It was a beautiful outdoor reception on a lake with high 60 degree weather.  Perfect.

Sunday we rested and got to spend time with one of Bobby's best friends who lives far away.  Super fun.

Monday we went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and AK had a ball in the Dr. Suess section of the park.  We rode the carosel over and over. 

Tuesday we went to MGM.  It was so fun.  The highlight for AK was seeing Playhouse Disney live on stage and we loved the Toy Story section of the park.  We got to see our first parade and the unexpected joy of the day was popping in a character buffet that was not busy and AK getting to meet the Little Einsteins and JoJo and Golieth (all playhouse Disney shows).  She absolutely fell in love with June, the ballerina from Little Einsteins, and talked about her the rest of the trip.  She constantly asked, "Where did my friend June go?"  She also got to meet Minnie for the first time.  She was in awe.

Wednesday we rested.  I had a little accident at lunch.  We had rented a mini-van and I was sitting behind my Dad who was driving.  We were getting out to eat and I guess I extended my foot and Dad shut his door like a normal person and my foot got smashed.  What moron puts her foot in the door?  So of course, it swelled up and bruised awfully but I got to ride in style on Thursday at Magic Kingdom in a wheelchair (it was really embarrassing).  We also got to eat on Wednesday night at one of my favorite restaurants, Buca di Beppo.  YUM!

Thursday was the pinnacle.  We started at the Bipiddy Boppidy Boutique where AK amazed us all (except her Daddy who had said all along she would do wonderfully) by sitting super still and letting them make her over.  She choose the rock star look as you will see in pictures that had people stopping and oohing and aaahing over her all day...which she loved.  She actually STILL has glitter in her hair.  Her favorite ride was the race cars, which she got to drive 4 times.  B rode with her and said she giggled the whole time!  SO wish I had been able to ride with her once!  But they are pretty serious about labeling the rides expectant mothers cannot ride.  I think I got to ride 3 rides in 7 days.  Bummer.

Anyway, it was such a special day.  The fireworks and parade were beautiful.   We left very content and happy!

Thank you Sweecie and Poppy for helping us make this trip possible.  It was so special!