My cakes.

While at my parents for Christmas, Miley ran a 103 fever on Friday night and Saturday morning. She was burning up all night and was fussy and clingy all day Saturday. Like way abnormally so I took her into the urgent care and after 2 hours of waiting and LOTS of tears (mine included). They discovered she had an ear infection. After getting the antibiotics in her system she became my sweet Miley again! The miracle of medicine...oh how thankful I am for it!

So when I got Mileys meds I laid her down to give them to her. She went NUTS...I had to get someone to hold her while I squeezed her cheeks to keep the medicine in. It was HORRIBLE! I searched the internet for some easier ways b/c it was torture and she was screaming causing her to aspirate the medicine. Someone said give the baby a bit and then stick a passy in their mouth. So it was worth a shot. OMG! The difference of night and day...then I discovered it doesn't even take the passy. She just didn't want to be laid down and "forced" to take it. WOW! I mean who does?!? So now she is a professional medicine taker and it is SO nie and easy!

Miley also discovered she can FINALLY clap her hands! It is so much fun. She loves clapping so much and is ready to perform almost all the time!

Recently

I have had no desire to blog. Not sure why b/c I want to document things but when it comes down to it I can't come up with any thing.

Miley...is on the move and fast! She discovered the stairs at Tommi's gymnastics place and is all about climbing them. I hope she is not like me and climbs out of her crib at 18 months. Heck by then I'll just be getting her used to it. Ugh! I wish and pray I could get that baby to sleep longer than 3 hours...well actually 3 hours is a good amount for her. Yes it is that bad. But the major question is ...how are you still so rested?...I still get sleep...not enough but that is my fault. I stay up WAY too late and regret it every night.
So cakes is still only mainly nursing. She is getting more interested in food but we struggle b/c I can barely get veggies in. But we will figure it out. I gotta work harder on it. It just seems every time I do make them for her she isn't hungry and I waste them. Today she ate...pizza and blueberries for lunch (big people food) and green beans mixed with pears (baby food) which is about the only baby food she likes weird but it gets a little veggies in.
Gosh am I over the top in love with this child though. She is SO sweet and I can not get enough of her cheeks! She is open mouth eating/kissing now and will "give mommy love" by laying her head on me. Mama, bye, and uh-oh are her only "words". She will crawl away from me and say "bye" too sweet. Uh-oh is too funny she knows what it means aka when she drops something. But we make her say it way more b/c it is too funny!
Oh yeah...BIG DEAL...at almost 11 months she can FINALLY  roll over from her back haha What a dork! It is a blessing and a pain b/c she sometimes does it at night just so she can sit up, even when she is super tired.
I think walking is in our near future b/c Miley can cruise like a champ and go from one thing to the other very easily. But we will see.
She is still a super duper mommys girl...but adores daddy! I think she gets more excited to see him then me but maybe that is b/c I never leave her!
Miley FINALLY popped through her to tooth and began doing exactly what Tommi did when she got hers...GRINDING HER TEETH! Ugh! I makes such a terrible sound...yuck!
She also slaps her hands when she gets excited like Tommi did! It is too funny!

Tommi--
Oh where to begin with this one...I love this child with all my heart. She is amazing. But 3 has brought quite the tude and it is only getting worse. I could smack her sometimes (I promise I won't) She has also become super whiney. Like she forgets she knows how to use big kid words but I think that is b/c of a kid she has been hanging out with recently.
Gymnastics is going so well! She loves it and is so dedicated to doing well. She does a perfect forward roll, can walk the balance beam forward, backward, and sideways very well, she is learning jumps on the trampoline, and can do some stuff on the bar. It is so much watching her! She is gonna be quite the athlete.
She is growing up too fast...it is crazy the things she comes up with.
Her all time favorite thing to do is play house! She will do it like it is real life just as we go through the day. I LOVE it! She is so creative!
She has a HUGE heart. A friend from church was collecting toys for kids who are in need and Tommi went through her toys and gave quite a few things. I'm so proud of her. It made her sad to know some kids don't get things for Christmas. She also drew a picture for a little boy who is sick and is collecting Christmas cards.  It warms my heart to see her wanting to make others smile.
She is so awesome!

I love our little life and the crazy little girls I am raising. They are by far the coolest kids ever and best looking of course!

Away...

So last night (Wednesday) TJ and I left the girls with his mom so we could run to Lowe's and pick out our floors for our house. I was gone a total of 1.5 hours. I had planned to take Miley with us but TJ's mom asked if she could keep her. So I did it...with my stomach in my throat. Well they both did great! But Miley was ready for mommy by the time I got there.

Just when I think I faced my fear and won't have to do it again for a while. We find out today when we called to order the floor that that style has been discontinued! UGH!!!

So after dinner this evening I planned to leave Tommi with TJ's sister and take Miley with us to Lowe's and Home Depot so pick out floors. Well again I was asked if Miley could stay. I told them how tired Miley was but thought if I don't let someone else try to get her to sleep I'll never know if she will go for it. So TJ's sister kept both girls. Well Tommi was in heaven playing her her hero cousin Sam. Miley was so tired she didn't wanna play or anything but she was ok. She wouldn't keep her head down to go to sleep. She finally did fall asleep only for me to show up a few seconds later. She started screaming as soon as she saw me...she was so exhausted! This time I was gone for 2 hours...too long with an overtired baby. But we lived and she is happily in her bed now sleeping!

We lived but if I ever leave the girls, well Miley b/c Tommi loves staying with people. I'm doing it RIGHT after she eats. It definitely needs to be better planned! But now I know I can do it and she lives :)

I think it is harder on me leaving them....I feel nervous the WHOLE time!

Santa

On Tuesday, Tommi asked if Santa was real. (I told her no previously b/c he freaked her out so I wanted to stop her panic) but asked her what she thinks and she wasn't really answering. So I asked "Do you want to believe in santa?" She said "kinda" so we were taking her lead. So we talked about him bringing presents and she said "Mom, I don't think I want him in my house...can he just leave them on the front porch and I'll get them in the morning?" TJ and I laughed and told her that was fine.

She now flip flops on what she thinks. Sometimes she is ok with him sometimes not.

Well this evening we went to Lowe's and there was a HUGE blow up santa...like the kind in peoples front yards...18 feet tall probably. Well Tommi said she didn't like it. So TJ was carrying her to the car and walked over to it to show her it was fake and just a silly decoration. Tommi clung to his neck, screaming like someone was gonna kill her. It was insane. She is such a nerd!

23 and 24

Day 23...I'm thankful for being able to get pregnant, carry full term (well overdue) and give birth twice. By far one of the coolest things I have ever done! I am SO thankful for having "normal" pregnancies and births. Such a blessing!

Day 24...I'm thankful for a husband who is a handy man. I am glad I do not have to hire someone everytime I need something fixed and/or made. He has been able to do so many things that save us a bunch of money on our house!

10 months...

How is it possible!? I'm not sure but I'm falling more in love with the little booger daily.

Miley is on the move all the time, she rarely sits still. She is either crawling with her one leg pump or cruising around on anything she can stand up on. She is a happy girl, full of smiles and lots of noises. She still clings to me like I'm going to leave and never come back. It is insane!

She is still waking up every 2 to 3 hours (when I can remember waking up...usually I am half asleep and can't remember how much I wake up at night to nurse) She will go to sleep on her own at the beginning of the night and knows how to put herself back to sleep b/c I hear her talking then she is back out sometimes.

She still takes 3 naps a day. Morning nap is usually around 1030-11 and lasts 30 min to an hour. The afternoon one is at 130-2 and lasts anywhere from 1-2.5 hours. (the past 3 days in a row it has been 2.5 hours!!!AMAZING!) Then her evening one is kinda whenever she catches a quick nap or sometimes she totally skips it if we are out and she is entertained.

Her eating is crazy. I struggle on what to do for her. She still is not a fan of baby food (I need to give up on it but it is so easy sometimes just to get her used to some different tastes) "Real" food is hit or miss, mostly miss. Tonight she  ate some pizza (tortilla with sauce and cheese, not greasy stuff) and she loved it. The veggie part is the hardest b/c she doesn't want much to do with any veggies.

She is such a little sweetie who adores her big sis and of course mama! Which she is most definitely saying now :) Love it!!

Cakes!

Still a peanut and in 6-9 month clothes comfortably maybe in 12 month by her birthday :)

Thankful..20-22

Day 20...I'm thankful for a roof over my head and never a doubt that I will have one. So many deal with the worry of having a nice roof over their heads with worrying it could be taken away or is it dangerous. I am blessed with a safe place to lay my head always!

Day 21...I am thankful for the internet. Sounds silly but I am able to keep up with friends and family from far away at the drop of a hat. Also I am able to do Christmas shopping withing out having to face the outside world...oh how I dislike crowds and all that!

Day 22...I'm thankful for my mother in law who gave birth to the amazing man I call my husband and for always making sure we are taken care of. She keeps us fed and taken care of. She takes time out of her weekends and other free time to come and paint our house so that we can get in faster!

Smarty

Last night Tommi and I were talking about school in the car and what she will learn etc. One of the things I said is math. She asked "what is math?" I said "Adding and subtracting" Which again she asked "What is that?"

So I said  "If I gave you 2 red M&Ms and 2 blue M&Ms, how many M&Ms do you have?" She almost immediately said "FOUR!" I was floored. I could understand if they were in front of her for her to see but she did that in her head...quickly. So I waited and bit and said "If I gave you 1 red and 2 blue, how many do you have?" She said "THREE!"

I'm not sure if this is normal for her age but I was super impressed!

a bit behind

Day 16...I'm thankful for my sis-in-law Heather! She can brighten my day at the drop of a hat. She is known for getting a bit excited over things the average person does not find that exciting! It is really funny! She also loves my girls like no other. She is such a wonderful aunt to them! With her awesome husband (my big brother) life is never boring!

Day 17...I'm thankful for modern medicine. My girls were sick this weekend and though I did not have to give them medicine I am thankful it is always there and I do not have to worry that if they do get very sick I don't have a way to help them.

Day 18...I'm thankful for God's creativity in nature. Fall up here means pure beauty. The trees are AMAZING! It makes me stop, slow down, and take it all in b/c it is gone so quickly...which is a lesson in itself.

Day 19...I'm thankful for my sis-in-law Katie! You wanna talk about a classy lady. She is the definition. She is the kind of person I wish I was more like. She takes things in strides and with such elegance. Those around her say she doesn't walk she glides b/c she is just that graceful! She also is an amazing wife to my brother Luke and she loves me unconditionally...which of course to a big sister means the world! I am also thankful she likes to upload pictures online of my little bro...which always makes me happy!

Sick kids

Last night Tommi got an all the sudden fever :( She ran a fever through the night, waking twice for some mommy comfort. Then today the fever broke and she complained of a sore throat but was in good spirits. She wanted to cuddle alot. When she went to bed her fever was 99.5 so not really a fever but not the norm. I just had to go in and comfort her b/c she was having a night terror...yelling and tossing around like something was "getting her". She was asleep so I had to wake her up...basically after a second or so she calmed down and went back to sleep. She felt warmer than she had an hour before when she went down. Hoping the fever has burned it all off by tomorrow.

Miley well who knows what is going on with her. Her nose is running so bad and she is stuffed up. She struggles when nursing b/c she has to eat some, breathe, eat some, breathe, etc. It is sad and frustrating. She is struggling sleeping b/c she has trouble sucking on her passy and breathing. I have her elevated but it only helps but so much. Since the nose running and stuffiness is the only symptom (fussiness also) I assume teething but I guess it could be a cold.

Oh what I would do to take my kids discomfort away!

Age

Tommi likes days that are "special" it gets her in an excited party mode...like she needs help with that. Well on Monday I noticed it was the 12th so I told Tommi "You are 3 years and 7 months old today!" Well now she is no longer "3 and a half" she says she is "3 years and 7 months"

Now if you know Tommi you know when she learns something she tells EVERYONE. So she has been telling the world! It is so awesome and super funny b/c she literally tells everyone including anyone who even slightly looks at her in a store....I'm kinda regretting telling her that b/c it is much tougher to say and I get funny looks for it but she loves it!

She also tells everyone her sister is 9 months! It is cute to see how proud she is of her sister, even though Miley annoys her all the time!

Selective hearing...

Tommi has discovered selective hearing and is using it ALL THE TIME! It is insane how my good listener has now decided she can ignore me. SO frustrating!

Tommi officially knows all her letters and numbers (0-9), and can write her name (the M's have 3 bumps but it is obvious what it says). She can write other words if we write them out for her to copy but they are not as well written as her own name or the letters she knows how to write pretty well.

Miley is talking up a storm. Mama and dada are in there and sometimes are used correctly but not sure if it is on purpose. So I'm not counting those yet.. But her official first word that she for sure uses correctly is "bye". If she is in a good mood and I walk into another room she will say "bye" or "bye-bye". She also does it when we walk to the front door.

I think Miley is cutting her top teeth b/c man has she been cracky and clingy! Her nose is running like a faucet also...which makes it get stuffed up then she can't breath well. Which in turn is messing with her sleep. Oh the joy of teething!

Though I go through tough times...these girls are the greatest things ever! They are so amazing!

I saw this sign the other day and thought of my girls!

Life is SO good!

Day 15

I am thankful for daily phone calls with my mom! I thrive on talking to her. It allows me to tell the silly/annoying/gross/etc things my kids do that no one else really wants to hear, vent my feelings, share fun "juicy" news with out it being gossip b/c it (usually) stays between us, gives me adult conversation I need, etc. So refreshing and of course my mom is awesome so it helps!

Day 13 and 14

Day 13...I am thankful that I am able to be a stay at home mom!! I feel so blessed I am able to be at home to raise my babies by myself!

Day 14...I am thankful for a reliable car. This is such a blessing esp with kids! I do not have to worry (other than the normal stuff that can go wrong) that my babies and I will be stranded!

Day 12

I am thankful for my husband. He is my best friend and love of my life! He is the best daddy to our girls. We have had our ups and downs but I love him more and more as the days go on. I am thankful for his patience with me and my craziness. I was blessed with a wonderful man!

Highlight of my day...This afternoon Miley woke up fussy from her nap and Tommi woke up with a tude. I got so frustrated I just walked away and hid in Tommi's room for a little bit and just prayed for peace so I didn't lash out. No questioned asked TJ dealt with the girls and had them laughing almost the whole time (they must have needed a break from mommy too) It was so refreshing and just what I needed!

Day 11

I am thankful for my big brother. He is so wise in many ways. Yeah a bit of a bonehead sometimes but it is something I love him dearly for. He is has been my hero, my enemy, and everything in between. But nothing in the world could change the love we have for each other. Normal cool big brother, annoying little sister deal...it's all good!

Only 2 short years ago I was knocked on my butt with his brain tumor diagnoses. I had this amazing peace that he would be fine (of course it was the Lord) Not only did my brother fight the tumor like a champ, he kicked it's butt! He is a fighter and a true survivor. (Doesn't hurt his trust was in The king of kings)

So I'm also thankful for his healing...a miracle!!

Day 9 and 10

So I like getting behind...these 2 thankfuls go together like the last ones...

Day 9...I am thankful for my awesome, crazy, loving, God fearing, did I mention crazy MOM! She is my mom, sister, friend, mentor, and listening ear. She is insane in so many ways but everyone of those ways makes her that much more awesome! (Note...she just ran a marathon at 54) She is the best grandmother a child could ask for...she spoils my girls rotten and loves them with the deepest possible love. They learn quickly that Big Mama=PARTY! From 4 hours away she some how keeps me sane with daily (sometimes multiple) phone conversations. She has a heart of giving..esp for kids and wow do they love her! I have never met a person who doesn't love my mom. I thank God daily for her!

Day 10...I am thankful for the worlds best daddy! He is totally a super hero in my eyes! My mom tries to tell me he is not perfect but I know he is ;) He is the best daddy a girl could have. He has helped me through many tough situations and usually with few words. He is SO calm and laid back but mess with his family and he has no problem getting worked up. He is one I have few words to describe b/c he is so incredible. He worked his butt off to become what he is and works hard daily to stay on the top of his game and will not settle for less. If he does something it is done right. (Note how much he loves me...he spent his whole Saturday painting around the trim in my new house...you wanna talk about some hard stuff...he did it with out painters tape too.) He is the best pappy ever to my girls...they have no doubt he would give them the world if he could.

God has a very special place in heaven for my mom and dad. They are some super special people! 

Day 7 and 8

Last night the computer was screwing up so I am joining these two thankfuls today....they go together anyway.

Day 7...I am thankful for my first born, Tommi Jolene. She brought SO much light to my life. She has taught me how to be a mother and helped me grow in so many ways. She is a sweet cuddler but also has quite the bite. She is so full of spunk and joy and everything amazing about life. She is wise beyond her years at times and so eager to learn. I could not have dreamed up a better child if I tried. I mean I could do with out the attitude but it just reminds me she is mine. She has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. I am just so thankful for her!

Day 8...I am thankful for my second born...Miley Jade. My little mighty mite. In the short 9 months I have "known" her she has taught me so much. She makes sure I know that no to kids are alike and I can not compare them. She has been a handful but it is easily forgotten when her sweet face lights up when she sees me. She has such a warm and loving heart. She makes sure her opinion is known. She has taught me to love my brown eyes. I have always wished they were prettier but she has shown me how beautiful brown eyes can be. I am eager to learn more about her and her personality in the coming months and years.

I honestly believe I have the best kids ever. They keep me on my toes and make sure I feel loved everyday. Being a mom is the hardest but best job I could ever dream of!

Day 6

I am thankful for my freedom and all those amazing men and women who have fought or are fighting to protect my right!

Oh my...

Tonight I went back to have some "me" time when TJ got home (aka take a shower) The moment I left the room Miley started screaming. I leisurely got the shower going in hopes the crying would stop since big sis and daddy were there for entertainment. But after 5 minutes I finally shut the door to her still screaming....like she was in pain.

Feeling like crap I took a very quick shower... forgetting to shave my legs ugh! Got out and she was not crying but fussing on and off. Then she started up again when I yelled out to Tommi to quit whining. Well that opened it all up again, crap! She heard my voice and was determined to get to me. Shaking the fence and all :( Poor thing

The moment I picked her up she was all smiles and back to normal! What in the world!?!? Mommy doesn't get mommy time anymore?!?!?

She sure is lucky she is so cute b/c man is she a handful sometimes!

Day 5

I am thankful for being able to nurse both my kids! Tommi for 17 months and Miley for 9 months and counting. It has not been an easy thing but it has been SO worth it! I feel blessed to have this bond with my girls, give them a great start at life,  and what a financial break!!

I prayed while pregnant with both of them for the Lord to give me this opportunity and have prayed all the way through b/c it has been a battle the whole way both times.

Day 4

I am thankful I was raised in a Christian home and am raising my kids in a Christian home. I honestly feel blessed beyond explanation for the foundation my parents gave me by raising me in church. No I was not always the best, if at all, Christian but I always knew the Lord had my back.

As Tommi gets older I am starting to find out how important it is and how much I desire to teach her from when she is young how amazing the Lord is and how much I love him. So she can one day follow him on her own and no matter if she strays she will know where she can come "home" to.

Today We were driving home from TJ's parents house and I hear in the back of the car...

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

Word for word...Tommi was singing this! I could not stop smiling b/c this just tells me I am doing something right. She may not know exactly what she is singing but she does know the Lord is important and he is awesome! And I believe if she is surrounded by it the blessing pour on to her and a seed is planted!

Day 3

I am thankful for family that is so welling to help! My parents have always done anything to help me and living 4 hours from them I always thought that would be limited. But they do EVERYTHING they can to help me from afar and when I need them they come running (well driving) to help. Also I have been blessed with TJ's family here close. They will do anything to help me also. Just today TJ's dad is helping him hook up the septic lines to our new house and his mom is in our house painting. Just the little things.

*Note...my thankful list is SO not in order of thankfulness! Well #1 was but the rest are what is on my mind for the day.

Day 1 and 2

In November I am going to write something I am thankful for everyday....I missed day one so here is both days combined.

#1...I am thankful for my Lord and Savior. No matter what I am going through I know I can trust in Him that he will not give me more than I can handle. He is always there to talk to and praise for all the wonderful blessings in my life. I don't know how anyone goes through life with out a personal relationship with Him.

#2...Sleeping kids...sounds so crazy but I am trying to keep this up to date with what is going on in my life and what I am thankful for the day of. So I am thankful for kids that sleep. Tommi is a great sleeper and well we all know she is not the best but she does sleep. She wakes up often but we both get a good amount of sleep. So I am thankful I do not have kids who are up all night or have major sleep issues. And today Miley is napping beautifully....so praise to God for that and I am SO thankful for it!!!

Halloween

Trick or treating was pretty fun this year. Tommi really enjoyed herself and I really enjoyed showing my girls off! They struck the jackpot! Tons of candy and snacks...the plans for next year are in the works. Tommi has asked quite a few times when it will be Halloween again haha
Her plan is a trip to Big Mama and Pappys for Halloween and going with a friend from VB. We will see. I know Big Mama and Auntie Heather would LOVE IT! So we will see.

Cakes as a cupcake

Pinky as Rapunzel

I love them!!!

Holy moly....

So Miley has never been a "good" sleeper but my goodness. She all the sudden wants me holding her while she sleeps.

Typically at night I lay her down and she rolls over and goes to sleep. Well now if I lay her down she goes straight into screaming. I try putting her to sleep and laying her down. Again screaming. It is a total battle!

Tonight I messed with her for over an hour and finally she rolled over when I laid her down!

Since she is showing no other signs I am assuming it is a 9 month sleep regression (according to my online searches it is common)

This is going on with naps and night time. I know this too shall pass but oh boy this is not a welcomed one. Especially since I know we will go through some sleep issues when we move to our new house and Miley is in a new bed. 

I am also transitioning her from napping in the swing to napping in her bed (still in my room ugh!) So it is  double trouble with sleeping. Hoping it all works its way out soon!!

Separation anxiety is on high also. If Miley sees me walking out of a room she gets super upset! So this is also part of the problem even though this is not a new problem.

I sure do love my Cakes she is the sweetest little thing. I still am amazed by the love I have for my girls (I say it all the time but it is SO true!) BTW...no more stinky nick name it is now Cakes. Pinky and Cakes are my sweet girls!

Tommi is not liking the extra attention I have to give Miley at naptime. It ends up stressing me more b/c Tommi wants me with her but I have to mess with Miley. It is hard but we are gonna get through this together.

Grrr.

Miley got 2 shots on Monday and has been "off" ever since. She is fussy, not nursing well, not napping well, and super clingy but is not satisfied with me just holding her. I swear she wants to crawl inside me and be part of me.

I don't know if it was the shots but I hope it wears off soon b/c I'm really not a fan. (Nor is my chest...it was used to lots of good feedings now we are left rather full)

Just when we were on a good routine, it goes and gets all screwed up.

On a good note she slept a FIVE HOUR stretch last night!!! From 9pm till 2am! It was glorious for both of us!!! Now lets hope she can keep it up!

I sure do love this face!!!

9 months old!

Miley had her 9 month appt on Monday. We had to see one of the other drs Dr. M b/c Dr. H who we love was out and has been in and out for a month or so.

She was 15lbs 5ozes and 26.5 inches long...basically in the upper 5th percentile. But the dr said she is growing at a great rate and on her own little curve. Perfect for her!

He said developmentally she is doing awesome and he is very pleased!

I told him about her not liking baby food and he said that just tells him she is smart b/c that stuff is nasty. He said basically she can eat anything we are eating as long as it can be mashed with gums. So it is on to normal food for her. She does relatively well with regular food but we are taking baby steps.

It seriously made me SO happy to hear he was so happy with her b/c I get so many comments about her size! But she is PERFECT!!!!

Haha

Just looked back and only days ago I posted some of the same updates about Miley...well I guess the readers will get it twice and one day Miley will laugh at me for doing it!

Extra girls picture for fun...

Sweet sister moment!

Miley

Miley personality is really coming out and she is gonna be a handful just like her big sis.

When she wants something, don't wait more than 2 seconds or she gets demanding. She is also a super laid back go with the flow type baby. If we are out she will skip her morning nap with no problem (not that she should but she thinks there is too much excitement so I don't fight her)

She is SO super friendly and smiles at everyone. She LOVES attention. She is also a talker! When she gets going it is really funny.

She is into everything and driving her sis nuts with it. Tommi has to ask me to contain Miley if she wants to build with blocks, do a puzzle, or anything else she doesn't want Miley touching. I totally understand her frustration having little fingers grabbing everything is a tough life. But over all Tommi does really well, she understands Miley is not doing it to be mean she just thinks whatever Tommi has has got to be awesome! We get a shove or mean talk sometimes but they would not be siblings with out it.

So this cracks me up...Miley can crawl, get from her belly to her butt, pull up, and cruise. But God forbid she fall on to her back...she is a stuck turtle! She knows how but just will not roll over! It is frustrating as well as funny! She gets SO mad when she is on her back for too long and no one helps her.

She is in a big girl carseat now and not once have I had to hold a passy in her mouth or keep putting it back in. She LOVES her seat and will 99% of the time fall asleep with no passy. It is awesome!!! It looks comfy and she must agree! TJ and I were just talking about how we both though car rides would be terrible for a long time...maybe it would have stopped sooner had we done the switch earlier. Of course she is rear facing till she is at least 2 but she is a "big girl" otherwise!

Like Tommi Miley is not a big toy kid. She is much more into random things laying around...like shoes (gross). Well we don't let her play with those but she usually just plays with random things of Tommis. A ribbon, a rope, barbies, braclets, costume necklaces, etc. Always stuff she can not choke on but her ottoman full of toys is rarely touched. She would rather be climbing on me or TJ over anything!

Separation anxiety is in full swing. She does not like me leaving the room. I sneak out to get things done but most of the time she needs me in sight.;

We finally got the jumparoo thing from my parents house. Tommi used to love to sit in it and play and jump. We got it a bit too late and Miley does not like it. She wants to be out and on the move. No being contained. Even the walker has become a no-no to her. She wants to be crawling and getting into everything....and pulling up on EVERYTHING!!!

I am still loving Mileys petite size...it makes her seem so baby-ish still. She is full on in 6-9 month clothes. She can wear 3-6 still b/c like her sister she is skinny. But in things like sleepers we have to wear 6-9 for the length, I think she switched over at 7 months. She is not tall but has long legs. I will find out Monday how tall she is and how much she weights! I can't wait...hoping she is still in her good ol small curve and has not dropped any lower. I'd even be happy with a jump up to the 25%. But I know she is healthy so no worries!

How is that for the sweetest face on earth!?!

Sharing snacks...

Ok so as I think about it maybe only I think this is cute and fun but none the less this is my blog to remember things.

We were at church tonight and Tommi was in a highchair eating pears and I was holding Miley. She kept grabbing for the cup of pears so I cut one into pieces and fed it to her. She was instantly in love and was whining for them after that. So Tommi would eat the big ones and Miley got all the little ones. It was cute they were sharing but also it made Miley seem so old to be eating "big people" food. Tommi didn't finish them but Miley had no problem with that she took right over and finished them all off and even whined when I had no more.

She is not a big baby food eater but I think I will be doing more regular food now with her. She handles pieces very well so guess we will do a baby food and regular food combo. Maybe then she will eat veggies better if they are pieces of them and not baby food. Baby food is convenient esp the fruits and she eats those great.

I can not get over how much I love my girls :) 

Mindset...

The past few months I have gotten really frustrated with Miley's night sleeping. Waking up a few times a night  just to latch her on and go back to sleep (typically) is kinda frustrating.

Well I found myself getting worked up about it and it drove me nuts!

I've shared my crying it out moments and they worked for a little bit. But then I realized I was not solving anything. Any b/c of this things at bedtime have changed but now I don't let her just cry. I nurse her then while she is still awake I take her back to bed, lay her down, turn on her sound machine, give her her passy, turn out the lights, then rub her belly and shhh her while she lays in bed. I do this for 2-5 minutes then leave the room at which point she usually just goes out on her own. Some nights she cries and I go back in and do it again for a few minutes. Usually one to two times is all it takes.

She then sleeps 2-3 hours then is up about the time I'm going to bed and I nurse her 5-10 minutes and put her back in bed half awake with her passy. Which then she might sleep a couple hours or an hour. It just depends but by that point I'm half asleep so I don't know how long it is. I bring her to my bed and she wakes up a few times but since I'm half asleep I can never remember how many times. Thank God I can go back to sleep as soon as she is latched on.

Anyway...I was frustrated with it but then it dawned on me a week or so ago. Why am I so mad? She is a baby and I'm her comfort. I need to chill.

Since I have done that I feel SO much better. Still wish she would sleep through the night but I'm not stressing it b/c I have it really good. I get enough sleep and she gets my attention.

I am reading The No Cry Sleep Solution just to try and figure out why she is still waking up. I will sleep through the night one day...I can only hope it is in the next month or so but if not. I'm going with the flow.

I'm free from my frustration. It feels SOOO good!

Really?

Sometimes I feel like such a kid...like I'm faking this whole being married and having kids of my own thing.

But tonight while riding to church we only had Miley b/c Tommi wanted to go to kids choir practice so she rode with TJ's mom. So as I was thinking about Tommi and feeling a little incomplete. I had this moment that it felt like reality just hit me. I am 27 (sounds like a grown up), have been married for 6 years, and have TWO kids. This is not just playing house anymore.

I had this overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and pride. I am a mom of 2 awesome kids and have a man who loves me enough to promise me the rest of his life. So I know anyone can have a kid and people get married all the time....but my situation is legit :)

I honestly love my life. I love being a wife and mom more than anything in the world. Yes it is tough and yes sometimes quitting sounds really good. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

I am not sure what I did to be so blessed but I really am!

I have been so "down" about how the house stuff is going. Basically we have our house on the land but it still needs to be finished. We bought the house in April and thought we would be in by July at least...but everything has been pushed back and pushed back. Finally we are kinda seeing the light but it just feels like it keeps moving even as we make steps toward it. I know in my heart we will be in our house eventually but we don't know when. This is so discouraging.

So this reality check was really needed. I am blessed...I have such an amazing life. No it is not perfect....but I have a promise from the Lord that he will always take care of me. I believe his taking care of me right now is reminding me to look around and see how blessed I really am.

I mean look at these 2...I am a lucky mommy!!!

Crawler

Miley has been trying to crawl for sometime now but just couldn't figure it out and would get so frustrated. She would eventually get where she wanted to go (with in pretty close range) by getting up on all fours then going back to her butt. She would make it inch by inch.

Well she is finally on the move for real! It is welcomed b/c she LOVES being able to get where she wants. I love that if she is on the other side of the room and I sit down on the floor she flies over with her mouth wide open in excitement. I love being idolized!

She crawls by getting on all fours then putting her left foot flat on the ground and pumping her way across the floor while dragging her right knee on the ground. She does take breaks in the middle of crawling to sit but I think that is b/c she is just getting used to this whole on the move thing.

Yesterday at TJ's parents house, TJ and I were sitting on the floor with Miley and TJ got up and went to another room down the hall and Miley was quick to follow him and everytime he would peek out as her she would stop and smile almost saying "I'm not following you daddy" it was super cute!

It is a whole new world at our house. We have shoes by the front door and Miley is obsessed with going over and chewing on them. She has a room full of toys but no she wants the shoes at the front door. Guess I will be getting a bucket so she can't get to them. Oh baby proofing what fun!

Winning

I'm trying to document this stuff b/c it is so sweet and one day I will cling to these amazing memories.

We were at TJ's softball game last night and Tommi was playing with a friend her age. Well they were running and the little girl, we will call her M, would take off before Tommi said go. But they would both still run. Well M got to the end one time and said "I win" and Tommi said "I win, we both win". 

Then they did it again and when M said "I win", Tommi said "I lose" Well M's grandma said "No you both win, no one lost." Tommi looked at her and matter of factly said "No, it's ok. M won and I lost."

Tommi is usually just like her daddy and wants to win all the time. But she is slowly learning not everyone wins. I want her to know the joy of winning and the feeling of loss. So when she does "win" she feels even better about herself. If she "loses" she will work harder to get better at whatever it is. I tell her not to feel bad if she "loses" and do not make others feel bad if they "lose" it is just part of life.

It is a life lesson they are failing to teach kids. 

Rhymes

Tommi is all about rhyming right now. She knows the two words have to sound alike so she tries all the time to rhyme. Sometimes she is successful sometimes not so much. But for 3 years old the fact the mind is working on it is awesome.

Today she was talking about the letter Y and she said "Mommy, y and y rhyme."

I told her, "Not really, they are the same letter."

She said "Why are you feeding Miley? and Y the letter. They rhyme."

I was floored. Maybe b/c I'm her mom I think she is impressive but I thought her logic was very good. I mean for her to explain her theory the plain was amazing to me.

*Big ol mommy grin*

Chill...

Tommi was putting away her play-doh tonight and I told her to put it all in the bag and put it back where it belongs. As she put it away she said..."Chill woman, I'm taking care of it."

TJ had to cover his face and I just laughed b/c she was saying it being silly.

And yes TJ says it to me all the time...totally joking though.

MJ

I used to "brag" on Tommi alot and feel like Miley lacks that attention...well on the blog. I guess this is the difference in a first and second child...

Miley is such a sweetie, she loves being out and about seeing people and getting attention. If we are at home she demands her morning and afternoon naps but if we are out she will stay up for hours. She loves "talking" and just lighting up whatever room she is in with her amazing smile and sweet bashfulness. She is definitely a mommas girl but totally is crazy over her daddy. She wants to be held by mommy but have daddys undivided attention. And all he has to do is look at her and she folds into herself acting bashful and smiling. It is SO sweet!

She has some MAJOR separation anxiety! Most of the time she does not want me to leave the room or get out of her sight. But we make it work and I just have to time things right if I need to get something done while she is awake. She just has to be fed, entertained, and not tired at all!

When home she is either trying to climb on me or get into whatever big sis is doing...which cracks me up b/c she is already the "annoying" little sister at times.

As "bad" of a sleeper as Miley is...she has learned to put herself back to sleep. But still wants to nurse a few times a night...I honestly don't know how much she gets up b/c I latch her back on and go back to sleep :) I get super frustrated at times but it will be over before I know it (or I pray it will) and I'm just enjoying her sweet cuddles. I consider myself lucky that my baby wants me near so much. BUT I do pray she starts sleeping through the night before too long...b/c it would be nice not to have to wake up so much. But I am still her main source of nutrition. 

I find myself just squeezing her daily b/c she is just SO sweet and cute! I feel like i'm overflowing with love for her!

I have been blessed...as much as she can drive me to drink I feel like I am one VERY blessed mommy to have such a sweet little girl...I have 2 but this is about Miley and Miley only!

The last 8 and a half months have flown by! 

*shaking my head*

This is the conversation I overheard while TJ was putting Tommi to bed...

Daddy, my venus is small...but I have a big butt.
Ok honey...good night
Do you have a butt?
Yes
Do you have a penis?
Yes
Ok, good night daddy, I love you


WHAT?!?! Seriously Tommi?

I love this girl but she sure is random and asks too many questions.

Quick

I feel like I have not been keeping up well and don't want to sit down and think about all the updates I need to make so here are the few that come to mind that I want to document.

MILEY
-has FINALLY learned how to get from her belly to sitting! This was MUCH needed as she used to get trapped on her belly all the time!

-is getting closer by the day to crawling, which brings excitement and fear all in one. She will finally be able to get places and not just get mad but then a whole new world starts.

-this past Wednesday started actually opening her mouth for me to feed her with a spoon! A HUGE break through! She is OBSESSED with pizza crust and gnawing on them.

-I don't think I mentioned it before but Miley has 2 sweet baby teeth now! She got them at the beginning of September! She is not a happy teether :(

TOMMI
-is by far the funniest little girl in the world! She is getting so creative!

-she is super smart and picks up on everything! It is awesome!

-started gymnastics class last week and is definitely a natural born athlete.

-I need to write down things she says more just b/c sometimes they are so random she doesn't even know what she is talking about. EXAMPLE...this week Tommi and her Uncle Chase were talking and she told him she was gonna write something down for him. So he gave her paper and a pen, she scribbled something and then when he asked her what it said she said "Once, two...when you grow up, you never have a chance..." WHAT?!? This kid is nuts!

-she is such a little girl now not a toddler at all! It is bitter sweet!

sisters...

I grew up smack dab between 2 brothers. So when I was young the closest thing I had to a sister was my best friend. Then as we got older we grew apart a bit so my mom became the closest thing I had and she still is the closest thing I have. She is my built in best friend and our bond has only become stronger as I have had my girls and have matured. We fought and made up like sisters would do through my teens and early twenties (ok that sounds REALLY weird to say but I guess I am in my late twenties now so it is true) Anyway, I could not be more thankful for this bond with my mom. She is a special woman...she is someone who even in her 50's seeks adventure and is youthful at heart. I am proud to say she is training for a marathon right now...how hardcore awesome is that?!? I laugh at her b/c she has got a screw loose even doing this but secretly (I guess not so much anymore) I admire her amazing spirit and fight to do this! So even through the years I have had the opportunity to watch my mom grow in many ways too. Which is SO cool!

So this post was not supposed to be about my mom but I'm leaving the tangent b/c I will love reading it later. 

Back to growing up with brothers...I loved them dearly. With my older bro we had a love/hate thing going on. I swore he thought I was the most annoying pain in the butt possible. I drove him nuts and he hurt my feelings. It was a vicious cycle. But honestly I knew deep down he had my back like no other. He was my big brother and would take his "job" seriously if needed. He could mess me with all he wanted but no one else could. Being only 2 years younger and so polar opposite it made things tough. Now we most definitely fight less (if at all) and that big bro/little sis love is there no matter what. He is not one to give out compliments but told me not long ago that I was a good mom. Compliment of a life time...actually I have always said one thing I want to do is make my big brother proud...well check that box! Yay!

Now that little brother...wow where to begin. He was by far my sanity growing up. I honestly can say I have no idea how I would have made it through with out him. He is the worlds sweetest person and was ALWAYS there for me. Just to listen. He has such a gentle soul and is wise beyond his years in many things. We had all out fights but they were over as quick as they began. He stood in as a sister when needed also haha poor kid! This kid is just amazing. I still to this day adore him beyond my own understanding. Even with his gentle soul he has my back like no other also. He may be gentle but DO NOT mess with him or his family...he has a mean bite also :)

My brothers have a special bond with each other also. They were each others best man and are super close to this day. Sometimes I am jealous of this b/c no matter how close I am to them I can not be as close as they are....b/c well it just isn't like that with a bro and a sis. They are still 2 of my best friends and always will be. I have NO doubt who will have my back for life!  I am not sad about this...God knew all too well what he was doing not give my parents 2 daughters. I was enough to handle :)

Seeing the bond my brothers have and knowing first hand the bond of siblings, I am SO excited to watch my girls grow up as SISTERS. I hope they one day have a bond like my brothers do. They will have a built in best friend.

It is amazing how God knows just what we need....I needed 2 brothers to keep me sane and love me deeper then anyone else on this earth (minus my parents). 

In the end I was not given a "true" sister but I was blessed with MANY stand ins...friends, my mom, my brothers, and now my girls! As their mom I will be able to be a part of their bond....which I am SUPER excited about!

So this was more of a get my thoughts off/random vent. But I like to do that :)

More?

So I have been asked a million times..."Do you think you will have more (kids)?" So here is my answer in a vent/thoughts.

If I think about my family I think there is no doubt I want another child. I don't feel like my 2 girls make my family "complete" BUT then again I look at my girls and think they are perfect why mess with that. I mean I have 2 perfect and healthy kids. 

Selfishly I want just one more pregnancy. I LOVE being pregnant...not that my pregnancies are perfect b/c I most definitely have my pain and yuckyness. But I just love the movements, the belly, the thoughts of a sweet baby, I actually even like labor and giving birth...weird I know. There is something about questioning when I will go into labor and how it will be, etc. Then the feeling after they are born when you are on cloud nine b/c you just did one of the coolest things EVER! I even love the attention I get while pregnant...hey I'm just being honest.

I question myself all the time...do I just want to try one more time for the possibility of a boy? If that is the case I don't want to have another one just to see if it is a boy. B/c if I have a 3rd girl will I be disappointed? I mean THREE girls sounds like alot!

I also question...will I ever feel my family is "complete"? I mean what if I have my 3rd and most definitely final child and I don't feel that completeness?

If I ask TJ he ways says "It is up to you." I know he always imagined us having 3 kids.

According to MY plans if I choose to have another child. We will get pregnant when Miley turns 2 and have an October 2014 baby. Then I will be 29 and like I have always said will be done having babies by 30. And my silly sports obsessed husband will not have a new baby in the middle of a season. Which brings up another point...I'm NOT having another baby if he plays as much ball as he does right now. So maybe he can take a little break for a year-ish (from travel ball) and we can get through the baby stage so it will be easier to manage at games. I think a 7 y/o, 4 y/o, and 18 month old sounds manageable. haha wow that is quite a thought.

BUT then I have to think of Gods plan. Which by the way is SO much better. Does He want me to have another baby? If so, when? 

Then also a new factor has come up...MONEY. I mean it has always been there but I never realized how expensive it is to have kids involved in things till I just priced how much it is for Tommi to take gymnastics. I want all my kids to be involved in something...sports, instrument, etc. So can we afford 3 kids doing that?

So I guess I have at least another year and 4 months (I do not want my kids any closer than Tommi and Miley) to think, pray, discuss, and see what is up.

Sleeping..

So Miley is a crappy sleeper to say the least. She nurses to sleep which can take forever! Then sleeps about a 2 hour stretch sometimes shorter in her bed then is in my bed waking up what seems like hourly nursing back to sleep (and sometimes really is)

I have felt helpless but at the same time if she needed me then I want to be there. She will not be little forever so I kinda let her just do what she wants.

Well I finally got sick of it and on Wednesday evening (9/5) I tried to nurse her to sleep with no success so then I rocked her and finally got her out. But as soon as I got back to our room to put her down she woke up. So out of frustration I laid her down and walked out and let her cry. It only lasted a half hour (ish) and then she was out.

She woke up the next morning with a fever and runny nose and we were going to my parents for a few days so I thought "ok that was a fluke and who knows when I can do that again"

Well we returned Sunday and that night I nursed her to sleep and laid her in her bed and only 15 minutes later she was awake. So I went in checked on her and let her cry. That lasted all of 20 minutes and when she woke up 2 hours later I let her cry again and that lasted all of 5 minutes!

Tonight I took the plunge and nursed her till she took a break and I knew she was done "eating" and from there on out was just gonna nurse to try to sleep. So I snuggled her up, gave her her passy, and put her in her bed AWAKE. She cried maybe 30 seconds...I was totally in shock but went back to check on her after 20 minutes and sure enough she was out.

Now none of the middle of the night wake ups have changed but hoping that is our next step if her being able to put herself back to sleep doesn't stop the wake up calls.

She is in my room so I assume since she can smell me she will not go back to sleep on her own. But we are making baby steps and this one was actually a giant leap for me b/c that means I am not stuck on the couch nursing for an hour plus, only hoping and praying she goes to sleep soon!

And I figured out today her fever on Thursday, crankiness, and runny nose are all b/c she has 2 tiny nubs coming through her gums. I am happy it was teeth b/c I really didn't want her getting sick...Tommi was always so healthy and I pray Miley is the same way!

I am a bit shocked she did so well when she is not feeling up to par plus she has MAJOR seperation anxiety but it didn't affect her going to sleep....HIP HIP HOORAY!!!! Happy mommy dance!

A mess

Tommi is a mess. We went to Target this morning and when picking out an outfit Tommi most definitely was in a fun mood...here is what she came up with....

She worked it too! She got plenty of looks and LOTS of smiles! I hope she NEVER loses her love of fun and sometimes outrageous clothes!!!

Also while riding home we were listening to the radio and we heard the song..."Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down". I heard Tommi laugh and then say "Mom everything does not get hotter when the sun goes down...it gets darker!" I could only laugh! I love her!

Nicknames

For some reason I call my girls, Pinky and Stinky or Pink and Stink. No reason that is just what comes out of my mouth and has stuck. Tommi is Pinky and Miley is Stinky. Their names fit them very well actually...Tommi LOVES pink and Miley is super stinky. So they work!

I also (note the blog) call them My sprinkles. Tommi finds it really funny and has now decided if they are sprinkles then mommy is ice cream and daddy is a nut. haha Oh I love the fun things Tommi comes up with. She is pretty creative I have to say!

I'm not sure life gets any better then looking at these two amazing kids! I can not get over how much I love them!!

Pulling up

While at church this evening I put Miley in the crib to let her play. I turned around and she is standing in the crib. I knew she liked to pull up on my hands and such but didn't think she could do it by herself. Then she fell and got mad.

When I went over to her she was only happy when I was holding her hands letting her stand! Crazy girl! But the thing is, her legs get all wobbly so I try to sit her down to give them a break. She does not like that. Not sure I understand wanting to stand on super wobbly legs. How about we crawl first Miley?!

I used to be able to sit her down and she would stay sitting forever. But now she is trying to move so she ends up almost on her hands and knees with one legs stuck under her or on her belly. This has JUST started in the past few days so I look for her to figure it out pretty soon. We will see.

I'm not rushing her moving but if she is happier that way and not as frustrated I'm all for some sort of movement. I think crawling is best...I can wait on walking. Maybe she can be like her sister and wait till 14 months. But based on how much she wants to move now I doubt she will. Guess we will see!

Words...

Tommi talks extremely well and understands lots of words and phrases. She has an impressive vocabulary. But sometimes she cracks me up with the words she comes up with and thinks they are actual words or she is saying them right.

The funniest "word" she uses is "am-ain't" (I don't even know how to spell how she says it) If we are messing around and I call her a name she will say "No I am-ain't!" Or we tell her go do this or that she will say "I am-ain't"

I have let it go for a while thinking she will correct herself and not say it anymore. But it didn't stop so now I correct her and tell her to say "No I'm not" or something like that. She says "am-ain't" is a word but I guess in her world it is.

I don't like her saying it b/c it sounds to "uneducated" and she is so smart she needs to sound like it. haha I have issues!

Love em!

I never will get tired of hearing how beautiful my kids are. Seriously it makes me proud that I made such beautiful children...well God made them for me!

I totally agree as every parent should (about their own child) that my kids are super good looking! Wow have I ever said how much I love them?!? I honestly do not understand the amount even, it is SO much!

Here are my amazing kids I can not get enough of!!! They are my world!

7 months!

When "they" say every baby is different I know it is true but it is hard not to compare my kids. My girls are MUCH different.

Seven months sounds SO old...I feel like I was just pregnant...I swear life moves faster after kids. It is crazy!

Miley still wants nothing to do with food. She does not willingly open her mouth for a bite of food. When she does open and I stick some in there to let her taste she just lets it sit on her tounge for a bit before finally tasting it. I will say she has finally stopped coughing (most of the time) and making horrible faces. She has tried...oatmeal, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, and  avocado. She seemed to like the bananas the best. We try food a couple times a week.

She still sits like a champ and can lean over to get what she wants then sit back up. She wants nothing to do with her back and belly most of the time. She wants to be sitting observing the world. When on her belly she can turn herself around to find what she wants.

She loves her walker and can move forward and backward. She is figuring out how to get around nicely!

She can get on her knees but tries to move a hand and belly flops.

She LOVES grabbing onto my hands and pulling up to standing. She is not solid on her legs but definitely loves standing.

It is hard to carry her facing in she wants to be face out observing all the time. It is hard on the arms when we are out but she enjoys it.

There is no doubt when Miley gets excited, she can not keep her arms and legs still! It is so fun!

Her newest and favorite sounds right now is MAMAMAMA/MMMMOOOMMM. Over and over, it sounds like she is saying mama but it is not referring to me. She likes to talk or cough just to get attention, plus it entertains her. She loves to razz/blow bubbles...it is too cute!

She is very good at going with the flow and not being super scheduled. Which is very nice with our busy lives in the summer.

Sleeping is a booger with her. She eats every 3ish hours 24/hours a day. I still get enough sleep but just have to wake up and get her going then go back to sleep. During the day I have to rock her to sleep and at night she falls asleep nursing.

Miley is my little sweet heart. She loves her momma like no other but is pretty content with others as long as she is not hungry.

She most definitely still adores her big sister...and that might be an understatement! Sometimes I have to have  Tommi talk to her just to make her happy.

Being a mom of 2 has its moments but I could not imagine life with out these two girls. They are my world!

6 months

My sweet cakes is 6 months old...well was the middle of last month but due to our vacation and her drs vacation being back to back weeks we just had her 6 month appt this past week!

Miley is still petite but perfect! She weighed 13lbs, 3ozes (between 5-10 percentile) and was 25 3/4 inches long (between 25-50 percentile)! I always wanted to be petite so I guess I get to live that out through Miley!

So my sweet cakes is a blast but a handful! She is back to not wanting to sleep in the car unless you catch her at the exact right time. Ugh...SO frustrating! But this is mainly due to she has not been taking good naps and that leads to be overtired and then grumpy!

Otherwise I have the sweetest happy (one) dimple cheeked little girl! Gosh do I love her and her awesome smile! When she gets excited she can not hold still...like arms and feet flying. It is awesome!

She is sitting like a champ most of the time...over excitement or throwing a fit are her two biggest enemies. If she does start falling most of the time she can catch herself with her arm. It is pretty awesome!

Food is still a work in progress but the dr said some kids just take longer to get used to food and she wouldn't worry unless she is still rejecting it all by 8-9 months. She did get to try her first pizza crust this past Friday. She basically just sucked on it and didn't eat it but it kept her entertained and she loved it!

Still no teeth and no signs of them. Other than drooling and eating everything :) But the dr said she sees no sign of them yet.

Miley still sleeps in our room...I nurse her to sleep and put her in her bed then after 3ish hours she wakes up and comes to bed with me and nurses every couple hours the rest of the night in my bed! Hey it lets me get sleep...so for me whatever gets us both the most sleep is what I'm doing!

I think Miley is gonna be a little quieter than her big sis but not much. She loves talking and making noises. I have to note that Tommi used to squeal and I've read most kids do. Well Miley does not...she looks like she is trying but it just won't come out! haha

I know I could see Tommis personality at this age but I still can't figure out Miley for sure. I will look back and see it like I did with Tommi.

I'm once again a super lucky mom....my girls are the best!!!

Oh Tommi..

Tommi is on this kick right now of making comments about peoples clothes or lack there of.

She called a girl out in Target the other day b/c she had on a crop shirt that showed her belly. Everyone heard and the lady behind us lost it. Tommi said "That girls belly is hanging out " I did my best to ignore so i just said "ok" Tommi said "Well I don't like my belly hanging out" The girl who was in her early 20's maybe tried to cover her belly with her arms. She most definitely should not have been wearing that shirt but I still felt bad for her b/c everyone looked at her.

We were getting pizza and a lady who again should have looked in the mirror before leaving the house came in in a halter top that was way too short. Tommi said "That lady is not wearing a shirt." I told her "Yes that is a halter top...kinda like a tank top." Tommi said with her teenage attitude "Come on mom...where are the arm holes?" haha TJ and I just rolled our eyes! I have no idea where she gets this stuff! Thankfully this lady could have cared less...actually I think she was high on something so I'm not sure she even understood Tommi.

Hattie 2012

My family takes a trip to Hatteras Island every summer and every year it is one of the best weeks ever. Not b/c we do all kinds of exciting things but b/c it is chill, fun, and just good quality family time. This year we were missing my little bro and his wife, Katie...the newlyweds! They took a long honeymoon so couldn't get the time off just a month later for the trip...I was disappointed but heck you only get one honeymoon, go big if you can!

So the usual, family plus Luke's friends was quite significantly down sized to...Mom, Dad, Big bro, sis in law,   TJ, me, and the girls. Though it was little crowd compared to years before it was still fun...alot quieter though.

The quote of the week was "Hey Chasey! Watch this!". Everything Tommi did she thought was epic and of course the ever amazing professional goof off uncle made her think it really was the coolest thing ever.

We did some short beach trips, a couple trips to the sound, lots of chillin, some games, lots of pool time, and  eating...too much for all of us :)

Tommi was in heaven all week! If she has an audience she will ham it up and she did. When we were picking our rooms we went with the adjoining rooms that shared a bathroom so Tommi would have her own room. Well she picked her room and it was purple so of course she was over the top. Well TJ and I actually ended up with the smaller room b/c she was too happy with the purple room we could not take it from her! Both had queen beds so it worked out fine...just funny.

Miley did really good all week. I think she thrived off the attention and entertainment. I was VERY pleased.

The girls did plot against me all week though with a 7am wake up call! I am used to sleeping in till 9-930 at least but since I was going to bed earlier it was ok. The house did not have very thick shades so as soon as the sun came up in the light in the rooms which is what caused the wake up calls. They would wake up and see it is light and wanna get up.

This trip was much less eventful than most but yet just what I needed!

Liquid diet

So I am assuming Miley likes her strictly liquid diet. We have tried cereal mixed with breast milk, avocado with breast milk, and apples with breast milk. She wants nothing to do with any of them! I do know it doesn't really matter if she eats food yet but it is just shocking she hates it as much as she does. It is definitely a texture thing but I hope she gets over it and isn't one of those people who struggles with textures as much as her momma does.

6 months

My sweet with monkey girl is 6 months old now! Though I feel like she has been around forever I also feel like she just became part of the family! But oh am I in love!!!

I knew what a mothers love was but it still amazes me daily to look at her and just love her like I never knew possible! With out a doubt my heart has doubled in size!!

So at 6 months Miley is sitting up very well. Still toothless. Hisses (i know she is weird) talks, and makes every noise she can to get attention. Does not want anything to do with rolling over...she will do it if she has to from her belly to back but otherwise she could care less about rolling. She wants to be upright and watching everything going on around her. Miley is still insanely obsessed with her big sister, she laughs at her even when Tommi is not doing anything entertaining.

I feel like I finally have a normal baby when we ride in the car. Miley either plays or goes to sleep. I mean ok yes she fusses but NOTHING like it was for the first 6 months of her life. We even just made a trip to Hatteras and she did amazing! I could not have asked for a better trip with her. We did have to make a few stops but that is expected with a baby and a toddler.

One thing I can guarantee with Miley is (if she is fed and not sleepy) she will brighten anyone's day with her amazing smile! She is known for it by those around her...it is awesome!

As far as food goes..we have tried food 3 times and each time she is totally not having it. She is all excited b/c she loves watching us eat and tries to grab our food but then she gets something in her mouth and is totally thrown off. It is actually pretty comical. I think I'm gonna buy some avocado or applesauce to add a little extra flavor to her cereal and still add the milk to thin it out.

One way Miley is different than her sister is she is not a passy addict. She likes it when she is sleepy or going to sleep. She will not take it any other time. So what we used as a "mute" button for Tommi does not work with Miley!

First time on the beach

Sisters!

Showing off her new talent

Her favorite sleeping position

Professional flower girl

As most everyone knows Tommi was a professional flower girl this spring/summer. She was in 3 weddings in  3 months, 2 of them were back to back weekends. Each wedding so was so different but she is wonderful! So I thought I would share a picture of her from all 3. 

Chase and Heather's wedding 3/30/12

 The first wedding was more formal. She walked by herself and only threw 3 of the feathers she was supposed to throw instead of flowers but did REALLY well walking for what I expected with all those people looking at her. She did well standing with the the maid of honor and stayed relatively quiet.

Luke and Katie's wedding 6/8/12

 The second was formal but outside so a less formal setting. She walked with the ring bearer and another flower girl and carried a ball of flowers. They all 3 did well walking together. She was a bit more antsy and did sit with my mom for a little bit during the ceremony but overall she is only 3 so it was to be expected. Plus she is the grooms niece she can do whatever she wants!

Chad and Liz's wedding 6/16/12

The third wedding was totally laid back and very whimsical in a way. She walked with the ring bearer (kinda), since it was outside and they had to walk a long way by themselves before they even got to the ceremony Tommi kinda got ahead of the ring bearer but it was ok. Then during the ceremony she talked, danced, played with the jr bridesmaids dress, and dumped her petals where she was standing. I was a bit embarrassed but the bridesmaids, grand mother of the bride, and many others told me she was one of the highlights b/c she was just acting like a kid.

She danced the night away at all 3 weddings and had a blast!!!

Update...

Life is SO good right now but then again very challenging.


Miley is such a smiley girl and so sweet! She is just a happy girl. She does not handle being tired well or waiting when it comes to eating but I sure do love her! She keeps me on my toes though. She is FINALLY doing tummy time with out a crazy fuss...of course this is b/c she is learning to push herself backwards and turn so she can get where she wants to be. I can't believe how fast she is growing up...of course the little baby is gonna be missed but not too much b/c I am a big fan of sitting up and full on playing! 


She is getting MUCH better about the car. She is actually just going to sleep or playing. Now if she is getting hungry, is overtired, or just in a bad mood it is another story but most of the time now she is doing really well. So hopefully that is true for our trip to VB then Hattie on Friday.


We tried some oatmeal cereal/breast milk mix last week. Miley is most definitely not ready for food. She just kept her mouth open and never closed on the spoon. Plus based on this photo you can see how much she liked what did go down...




So I think we will be waiting a little longer to get this food thing started...which is fine by me b/c it just adds another element to everything. She doesn't seem like she needs it so introducing it was more of a learning thing at this point.
Her nursing is so funny now...she is so distractible so the sessions are most of the time short and more often. But she makes up for it at bed time and nurses for sometimes up to an hour. It is lovely but this too shall pass and I definitely will miss our long cuddle times.
Miley sleeps in her bed for the beginning of the night then is in bed with me till morning b/c she has started to nurse a few times through the night and I'm not a fan of getting up so in bed with me nursing is working for now.


Tommi...wow Tommi! She is a character still! She is into everything...making up songs, dancing, getting naked (whenever possible), putting on her fake make up, dressing up in pretty dresses, playing ball, swinging, etc etc She is most definitely the most fun child I have ever met. TJ and I find ourselves just shaking our heads and saying "Tommi I love you!" all the time b/c she just amazes us and makes us laugh all in the same moment. She is such a sweetheart most of the time and is really a good kid. But when she has an attitude everyone needs to clear out...she can go INSANE! We find ourselves wondering how she can be SO good and SO bad all in the same day.


She is still my eager learner. She asks a million questions and just absorbs all the knowledge she can. It is great. She shocks me daily with words she knows and things she has learned that I did not teach her! I'm so proud of her.

She looks like such a big girl with her hair in braids!

We have had a BIG break through with her...she has a bad habit of not trying new foods and not eating veggies much. Well we have been making her try one bite of a new food or good veggie at dinner every night. Well on Sunday she ate some broccoli, which she likes but refuses to eat more than one bite, she ate like 5 bites. Well tonight we were able to put it on her plate and she ate it with out us telling her she has to or fight at all. I can not praise Jesus enough for this! I'm just SO happy! My baby girl is growing up!

The moment Tommi walks in a room or does anything Miley is lighting up staring at her. Miley LOVES Tommi so much and is already "looking up to her". Tommi adores Miley also but since Miley is still kinda boring it only lasts so long. I just love watching them interact and love each other so much. The connection between siblings is something no one and nothing can take away!