A new hat

Lily thinks this is what we did to the house Saturday. She kept pointing to her head saying "hat." When really Chris and I FINALLY had a new beautiful roof put on the house. It was WAY past due! Thank goodness it is one more thing to check off our list to get done.

Since we were captive in the house we changed over the closets to the correct rooms. We hadn't gotten to that when we changed everything around. During the week isn't the time to try and tackle something like this. It was the perfect time. I am trying to get things better organized around here, just so that once the weather finally breaks for good we are able to be OUTSIDE!!! We didn't get to do a lot of that last year. We are ready to break out this year and have adventures!

The girls are both doing great! Lily has been two, often lately. But, that doesn't mean that it is all bad. We have our moments don't get me wrong. I am discovering though that there is other wonderful imagination to it as well. She has entered into the a pretty princess phase. I try to stay away from the commercial idea of princesses and just let her be a little girl. On Thursday morning she has disappeared for a few minutes into her room and was being very quiet. Never a good sign.. I called her to come back into the room I was in with Charlotte. She came out of her bedroom in just her diaper and her Dora bathing suit around her waist. She has a huge smile on her face and said "pretty princess!" Charlotte and I were then given a fashion show of sorts for the next hour! She loved it. I figured what is a few more clothes to fold back away?!

Chris and I always hoped that Lily would like the best of both worlds. Meaning that she would want to wear her pretty dress outside to play in the mud. On Friday she made us proud. We were all in the backyard. Chris was picking it up from the winter, he turned over a plastic tarp. There were about 5 or 6 six earth worms underneath. He called Lily over to see them. She ran right over bent down and started to pet them. The worm recoiled a little bit which made her a little uneasy. Then she looked up at Chris and I and said "hold please." Chris and I looked on proud that she is growing up so fast.

Charlotte is also growing too fast! We have moved out of the swing, and bouncy. She is loving her uni-saucer, and sitting all by herself even better! She sits and plays for long stretches now. We are also gearing up for her Baptism in June. Her Fairy God Mommy has asked me what size dress I thought that she would wear. I put Lily's Baptism dress on her just for a size comparison. Lily's dress is size 9-12 month. Lily was 19 months old when we had her Baptized. Charlotte is 5.75 months old and that dress fit her!!! Mine and Chris's jaw dropped LOL! I also put on the hat because she has her Daddy's head (i.e. big)and the dang thing barely fit!! I am going to put it back on and take a picture. We laughed so hard!! She is my little meatball! :-) I just can't get over the size difference!

Charlotte's video

I finally made the time to get this done for her. I am now working on one for both girls!!! It is on youtube. The link is below. Stay tuned we have had busy week, and I am biting at the bit to share!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkgj8dVT2Fw

Hope you like!!

One year ago...

I got to thinking today how different everything was this time last year. I was looking through pictures from around that time.... enjoy, I can't believe how much has changed!

March 2007 9 weeks along!




March 2008





March 2006- this was the first picture we saw with Lily's eyes open!



March 2007



March 2008

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! We hope that everyone had a great day. We sure did! The girls gave us a wonderful gift and slept in until 640! Wahoo! Only one problem when they do that, it is ALWAYS on a day that we have to be a certain place at a certain time. Today that place happened to be church. We do try and take the girls on a regular basis but they normally play in the nursery while Chris and I enjoy a little couple worship. Today being Easter meant EVERYONE was going to church and we knew seating in the back was going to be limited. So we wanted to get there a little early. So OF COURSE, today, the one day I was trying to get us there early they wanted to sleep in. I digress.... Chris and I decided that were not going to kill ourselves or each other trying to get there and that we were going to go with whatever happened.

When we first got up (before I realized how late of a start we were getting!)Chris went into the girl's bedroom and got Charlotte out of her crib. Lily continues to be our middle of the night bedbug. We really need to break of that, but it comes down it being between 2-4 am, a screaming two year old, then waking up her sister, or just making a little space in the bed, we just move right over and let her in. Anyway... The girls stayed with me in the bed for a few minutes while the family AV tech (Daddy) got everything together. When I got the go ahead we all came out and the Easter merriment began.

I made them each a fleece blanket- one of those tie together ones. Charlotte's is a sweet baby pink and Lily's is butterfly's. I used that instead of basket grass. so much less mess. The rest of Charlotte's basket was filled with what else... baby food! She also got her first little tooth brush, and head bows. Her head is a little on the large side (Cough..like her Daddy cough) so finding little head bows that fit w/out being too tight can be trying. As for Lily, she had been talking about wanting a netice mommy- Translation... necklace like Mommy's. She also wanted a bracit- bracelet like her Dora doll. The bunny was happy to meet those requests and in her basket was a real Minnie Mouse charm on a real necklace, as well as dress up necklaces and bracelets! She was SOOOOO excited! To church she wore two bracelets, her play necklace and her real one, as well as her safety purse. She kept saying princess, princess Lily! When really she looked like a little old lady! But she was happy, and honestly looked adorable! After all the basket opening she noticed the plastic eggs around the room! We filled them with her favorite Puff- sweet potato. She is WAY to little for jelly beans but we wanted to put something in them. I also didn't mind at all when she eating those at 715 in the morning!

Then we had breakfast I made everyone pancakes and sausage. Charlotte had pears- one of her favorites. Then it was time to pick it up a little to get us out the door. I don't know how but we all made it out, dressed, and with a fully packed diaper bag on time! It was a great service, Charlotte slept through most of it, and when she woke up she was a pretty happy baby. Lily.... well Lily was two. That is the code Chris and I use when she has been a ham. She was a ham straight down to her bones! When we are out in public with them together, Chris and I have developed a great way of handling the two of them, one-on-one manned defense! He is responsible for one and I the other. We switch it up, and also lend a hand if the other needs it. Today Chris had Lily (heehee). He was doing great keeping her entertained. Until communion started. Then she began shouting "No Daddy No!" along with "OUT, OUT!!!" She was done with sitting, and waiting she wanted to go. Chris and I always think of it as another notch in our parent belt when we all go to service together, and survive!

Once we got home we took some pictures, then it was time to pickup the house and get ready for dinner! Uncle Jeff, Aunt Lizzie, and Memaw Vickie all came over to our house this evening for dinner. It was so nice! I think everybody had a great time. I know that we and the girls did! Lily went to bed in a flash, and Charlotte was right behind her.

All in all it was a great day! Lily is starting to get to the really fun age where she is talking more and wanting to "help" more. She helped make a bunny cake, she was a huge sticky mess but she had so much fun and I can always clean a floor! Charlotte is starting to develop her personality, I am going to video her laughing and put it up here. It is so contagious!

We really hope that everyone had a great day! Here come the pictures!


Bunny Cake!



and she's down!!!



Charlotte sitting like a big girl!



Lily all dressed up!



Pretty girls!

Trading Spaces... Henry style!

Chris and I spent the last weekend changing rooms around in the house. The girls had outgrown what was their bedroom, and we had downsized enough to fit in it! So on last Wednesday I loaded up the girls and away we went to Virginia to have my parents babysit them for the weekend. I came right back home the same day b/c I just couldn't put off what I already knew was going to difficult for me. I had never been away from them for this amount of time. I knew they were in good hands, I guess it is just a Mommy thing!

Before I really begin I have to tell this story of our last painting adventure. Chris is color blind. I am talking full on color blind. A few years ago when we first painted our bedroom he told me I could paint the room a shade of purple. I didn't want Barney purple, just a nice pretty shade. We get to the paint store and he totally backs out on me. When I lovingly reminded him that he wouldn't be able to really tell anyway he went on to say that he didn't like the sound of it. Hand to God true story. We left the paint store with a blue that reminded me of a prison cell. Not so relaxing. He knew I wasn't overly thrilled with it, but what can you do it was already up. This time I was ready for battle and was going to die on my big purple hill if needed. Thankfully, I think he felt it coming and was ready for it.

On with the story...Chris and I always do much better when we have a plan. Well as of Friday night we still didn't have a clear view of what we were going to do to the girl's room. We just kept on painting and prayed that we would have some sort of creative idea other then pink on pink. Thankfully, when standing in the local A C Moore on the verge of total breakdown, it all became clear. We came up with what now looking back should have been a no brainer!

We decided during a Walt Disney Vacation in 2005 that we were going to move in the direction of adoption. That decision came during the firework display at Magic Kingdom. We made our wish.... and through a little sweat,tears, blood(no really there was!) we made it come true. What better theme for a little girl, and we have a deep connection to it.

Ohhh I did indeed get my pretty shade of purple. I was a little afraid though b/c the girl's room was a forest theme before and the trim was a deep grass green. While the room was drying before we did the trim, it looked like an Easter egg! We got a good laugh out of it. But now that everything is white it really looks nice.

AS for the girl's room Chris and I both LOVE it! Once we got our mojo going with it we ran with it, and it turned out better then we could have ever dreamed! It isn't as you would think. I didn't want to use any of the Disney Princess's or really anything like that. I wanted something that they could be in now @ 2 years, and 5 months, and something they could still be in @ 10 and 8 years.

The girl's came home on Tuesday. Lily was aware that something had happened with her room, but she didn't totally get it. Ohhhh she got it when we got home though!!! She went into the room that was their's and she said "ohhhhh oom." I told her that room was now where Mommy and Daddy are going to sleep. I had Charlotte on my hip and then went to the door of their new room. I open the door a little bit and asked her to open it the rest of the way. Her eyes got so BIG!! I told her that this was her and Charlotte's new room. She touched the walls, and just looked amazed. It was worth every minute of hard work for that look.

Here is the best part, we put up a mural of Cinderella's Castle on the wall over the changing table/Charlotte's dresser. She asked to go up and ran her hand over it. I told her it was a special princess castle. She said back to rinces dassle. The whole time she had a look of awe on her face. Later that night I was putting on her PJ's. They were new pink ruffle Princess like PJ's. When I got her dressed, I said "ohhh pretty Lily, you look just like a princess!" She sat back down on her knees and very slowly ran her hand over her new PJ's and said very softly... rinces.

I did keep a piece of their nursery, that was harder to take down then I thought it would be. Chris and I talked a lot about the weekend we put it up. We didn't even have Lily's referral yet, we had the referral for Matthew. It was bittersweet to think about. Chris saw how hard it was turning out to be so he suggested that I keep something from the room. I decided to keep a decal of Lumpy and his Momma. We have framed it so it can stay nice.
















Chris and I also wanted to say a quick Thank you to both sets of Grandparents. Grandpa and Grandma thank you for helping Chris put up the new door that made this move possible. Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop thank you for keeping the girls this weekend. All four of you mean the world to us!!

Got Steak??!?!?!?!?

Because Charlotte has TEETH!!! Yup her front two bottom teeth popped through this weekend! I will post more about the weekend's event's later. I just couldn't wait another minute to post about our new teeth!! Stay tuned!!

I flashed the Easter Bunny!

I think that it is a milestone that all babies do to their Mommy's! Lily got me at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala!! On Saturday it was Charlotte's turn. We took the girls to see the Easter Bunny. Lily was soooooo excited! We got them there just as the bunny was going on break..great... We hung out and waited out the 15 minutes by letting Lily run around looking at the flowers. When we saw that the Bunny was returning I pushed the stroller over to the entrance, while Chris and Lily walked over. He and I were quickly trying to get Charlotte out of stroller. When Lily runs right over to the Bunny and started waving her excited wave, and saying "Hi Bunny, Hi!!" Beyond words cute!

Finally I get Charlotte released from the stroller. By this time Lily is already in the Bunny's lap petting his nose making life long friends with the Bunny!! I walked Charlotte over not realizing that she had a tight gripe on the front of my shirt. I bend down to put her on the Bunny's lap and...well... I think you get the idea. FUN! So I quickly righted myself and apologized.

I didn't have too much time to dwell on it because I soon as I stepped away they started trying to get the girls to smile. They did go so good! I can't believe that it is almost Easter all ready! Hey that means Spring is right around the corner!! YEAH!

The joy's of motherhood!

I dreamed while were waiting for Lily's that when she finally came home I was going to be the perfect mother. I thought it would be all sunshine and buttercups, coloring and flower picking. That I would never have a child that "acted like that." I watched all the shows about how to be a good parent and read everything that gave advise. I thought I would be Mother Earth, someone who did all right the first time, I mean how hard could it really be???

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

There were some day's this week that I thought I would literally pull out my hair. I love my girls sooooo much. But Friday night, I told Chris, 'ya'know I love those girls, but sometimes Mommy loves bedtime even more!!' They were never really naughty (how naughty can a 5 month old be?!?!) it was just everything we had going on that just pushed me farther then they have ever pushed.

It all started Monday, Chris and I talked over the weekend that we were going to really start Lily on the path to being fully Potty Trained. We figured that all the major life developments were far behind us and that she was ready. She has been "playing" potty time more with her dolls, and she can pull her own pants up and down. So on Monday and since then Lily has worn panties at all time while we are in the house. I braced myself (or so I thought) for what that was really going to mean. By Monday night we have gone through I think 8-9 pairs of panties, before Chris got home. Ok first real day of this. By today she only wet through one pair. WAHOO!! if I catch her at the first little grunt of a poopie and send her in she goes just fine too!

Lily probably announces that she has to use the potty anywhere from every hour, to every 15 minutes. Which means I get to go the bathroom every hour to every 15 minutes too. On Friday I sent her in alone (I could still hear her) because she had "cried wolf" one too many times! Of course this was the time that she came back into the hallway with her panties at her ankles yelling "poopie poopie!" I am thinking sure riiiiight, but she was insistent, so I went in with her and she did! High fives all around, a sticker for her board, and I have one proud kid!

Now imagine if you can even bear it.. having to go to the bathroom up to four times an hour. Change panties that many times when we are unsuccessful, and clean out the potty when we are. Now think about it, where is Charlotte while this is all going on??? Yeah, Charlotte has been teething like a big dog this week. We are on Def Con 1around here for her two bottom teeth. She was at times shrieking this week because of it, my poor baby. :-( Chris called from his job this week to check in on us, I asked him to hold on because they were both hungry and SCREAMING about it. When I got back to him, he asked what was going on. I think his exact words were "what the #$%, is everything ok?" I calmly responded that everything was fine this was just the normal for the day.

In the end, it was a successful week, everybody is still alive, Lily is extremely proud of herself in her Dora panties, and Charlotte through all that pain will smile at me when I eat her belly! Chris had a great first week at his new job. Mommy, well Mommy had two beers Friday night and went to bed early! :-0

All that and I still couldn't even start to thank Chris for going to work everyday. Allowing me the once in a lifetime chance at my dream job.

Abc's and 123's

Just FYI I am once again going to be doing a full week in review. Hopefully soon I can get back onto my every few day schedule. So hang on tight this week has been full of new things!

It shouldn't be a secret that Lily LOVES to sing and be sang too. I am NOT kidding when I say that we sing about 50% of our days. Thankfully Charlotte doesn't mind too much! Lily just really loves it. Nowadays, she has been making up here own rendidtions of these songs. It is out of this world cute, or as Lily says (dute!). A few days ago she started singing (very loudly) one day as I was trying desperatly to get Charlotte down for a nap. I can usally tune her out if it is needed, so I didn't pick up on it until I came out that she was singing her ABC's..... Lily's way! She sings it to the tune of ABC's. Ready for it....

ABCD,ABC,ABCD,ABC,ABCD,ABC,ABCD,ABC.... I think that you get the idea! Beyond cute!

Also on top of the singing she LOVES to learn new things. Chris and I have taught her to count to 13! It is clear and understandable. Which I think is pretty good for a 26 month old! Lily doing everything Lily's way likes to skip 6 & 7. I really think it is because it is hard for her to say words that start with a S in general. She will get to 5 and then very loudly say 8. We taught her by having her count the steps leading to and from the playroom upstairs. We have gone beyond that now and she can reconzie some of them too! Today while we were out she totally flipped out yelling random numbers, when she saw a hop-scotch on the floor! The people around us just looked at her amazed!

I just can't wait to see what she learns next!