Celebrations

I'm a little bored, and I remembered I haven't posted on this in a few days. Not too much is new with this family. We have made a few goals. We both realized that we don't really have goals and in order to feel like we are aiming at something, we set a few. I want to sign up for a Swamp Foot Race in September while we are in Michigan. It is going to be the Saturday before Austin and Erin's wedding. I am super excited. It is a four mile foot race, except you go over lots of obstacles. So I am beginning the training for that. Taylor is as well. Oh yeah! I spent a while in Michigan, and just got back from that. It was really good. I enjoyed spending time with Taylor's family, and they were able to enjoy the babies. We also celebrated Austin and Erin by throwing them (really her haha) a wedding shower. Leah and I hosted it, and we played the Price is Right and the Spice is Right. I thought everything went really well, and I think that Erin got a few things to help them set up. It is always such a HUGE blessing to have that help. I remember it all too well, and I am so thankful for those people who blessed us so much. we are still using most everything given to us :) I am very stoked for their wedding 9-10-11!! We are going to spend two weeks up there, which is something Taylor has not been able to do in a while, so we are super excited for that!! Girls are good. I love being their mom. Although, I do wish I was a better mom at times. They are a delight, and God convict me if I ever complain. Thank you Lord for my two girls.

update #3

Ellie - 16 and a half months

- things she says: kaka (cracker), Sha (Shanks our dog), mil (milk), oose (juice), dah dah (dog dog), men (amen), and ana (banana), b (bird)

- things she signs: more, please, milk, juice, dog, book, cracker, blanket, hat, sleep, eat, help, banana, water, bird

- climbs everything

- gives kisses

- waves byebye

Gemma - 4 months

- is sleeping until 6am

- can roll over back to front

- babbles and coos :)

- smiles and laughs

hurt feelings

i love friendships. i love hanging out with the girls and talking about nonsense and love being able to share the deeper heart issues. in church for the past few months, we have been talking about real jesus encounters and how we can be real friends with other people. i have been thinking a lot about this and different ways i can be a true friend, but i am struggling because sometimes friendships take some work. and what i have been dealing with a lot lately is friendships not being recipricated. i feel like on my end that i would consider them a good friend, or someone that i want to get to know more, but they have already forgotten about me.... i know this is shallow, but i start to think am i not smart enough? am i not pretty enough? am i not stylish enough? am i not funny enough? i guess i feel like i am on someones checklist sometimes too. i hate that. i should know that a lot of friendships are seasonal. when do i speak up and say hey you hurt my feelings. i dont want people to feel obligated to hang out with me, or pay attention to me,when i know they just have other friends. in other words - this is just me being too selfish? i dont know. jesus, sometimes i wonder if i am that person with you. just like i dont want to be an item to check off your list of hanging out with today, i know you dont want to be on a checklist either. give me the wisdom to know when i am doing that to you or others and also when i should confront a friend.

its friday:-)

Fridays do not eveN seem like fridays anymore. Taylor has to work on saturdays, and so all the days just blur together. However, today he came home at lunch and surprised me because he took the rest of the day off:-) I would say we are busy, but truthfully, we are just in the day to day stuff to do. Between taking care of kiddos and trying to keep the house clean, Taylor has allowed me to go on several trips on my own, which have been much appreciated. I was reading a friends blog and I totally agree with her that it is a type of quality to be able to go through the aisles slowly without purpose. And not have kids to keep entertained\quiet. We are looking forward to going on our trip to michigan next week. It will be a short trip for taylor, but I think it will still be much needed time. Ellie has become quite the climber as of late. A couple days ago, we heard some climkings and went into the dining room to find her on top of the table with her hand in the jelly jar. Too funny. She has also climbed on top of the high chair on numerous occasions. However to let her get in the dog food and feed Mr. Shanks is the question. She loves it. She will grab a handful and give it to him. Of course, she always makes a mess. I am torn between telling her no or let her have fun with the dog. I am really on a cooking craze. Taylor and I have been trying lots of new things and adding new things to our favorites list a lot. Yesterday we had cilantro pesto chicken tenderloins with sweet corn on the cob, and broccoli and cheese. What was even better was that Ellie ate her entire portion. Exciting, I know. Well kiddos are awake and we are going to the park:-) Forgive my unorganized posting. Not too much to update. Girls are still growing and changing daily. And Taylor and I are still doing our thing. I am wanting to figure out to start doing my hobbies again. I guess the dishes won't get done again today..... haha.

What my Babies are doing now

Updates on Ellie and Gemma as of today!

- Ellie - things she says in the order she started saying them: dada, ow, bye-bye, baby, please.

- Ellie - things she signs: more, eat, dog, baby, all done, please.

- Ellie is walking everywhere, practically running. She can climb steps, get onto the couch and the rocking chair. She climbs her slide all by herself. Of course she scared us last weekend at my parents house when she climbed up to the second story and nobody knew where she was until she did her "help" cries. Good grief. Scared us to death.

- Gemma is smiling all the time :) Especially at our smiles.

- Ellie is doing really good at recognition. She has a magnet book with different animals that can come out. If we point to the magnet of a tiger and ask her where it goes, she puts it in its spot, along with the rest of the magnets.

- Gemma, at her appointment last week, was 13.6 pounds (98%) and 24.75 inches (99%).

- Ellie loves her baby sister, gives her hugs and kisses.

- Gemma can hold her head up really well!

- Both girls went on the first camping trip a couple of weeks ago, and did GREAT!!! Ellie slept all night in a pack-n-play, and Gemma in a laundry basket.

- Ellie has helped me cook cookies and french toast and loves to help!

- Gemma loves to watch her sister.

- Gemma also loves to kick her legs.

Things I want to remember about my girls from this age:

- Ellie loves to hide her magnets and mommy's cell phone in the cabinet, and then do the "ta-da" when she shows me where they are :)

- Gemma is my chubby little girl, and her skin is so soft.

- Ellie throws shoes at the dog to get him to play with her.

- Ellie also loves to hug her sister and thinks she can hold her.

- Gemma has a scream on her!

Spring is here!

I love my babies. They are growing so fast!! Today, I decided to include Ellie on chocolate chip cookie making!! Using the fabulous recipe from a good friend of mine, we dug right in. She would watch me pour, and then pour in the ingredients as I handed her the measuring spoons and cups. I didn't get a picture, but the funniest part was after we put the flour in, she grabbed a handful to taste, and it went everywhere, and of course she didn't like the taste of it! Haha! She was a good little helper. Here are some pictures -

2 under 15 months!

Seven weeks have flown by!! It is now 9:15 a.m. I just got through feeding Gemma and changing her just to have her completely FILL her diaper with some more yumminess, and being the lazy mom I am, I just put her in her bassinet, because how can I wake up my sleeping beauty just for a diaper change?? Nope, just let her sleep... And as I write this my other precious little girl is letting out little shouts of joy from her room, saying "Mom, I am ready to play!!" I love my little girls SO much. A couple of nights ago, Taylor looked at me and asked if he could go get Ellie and have her snuggle with us in bed. It had been a busy day, and he had seen her for maybe two minutes. I reluctantly said sure, uncertain if she would sleep at all. We did scare her a little waking her up to bring her in. We laid her down and she flopped a little, woke up a little, realized where she was, let out a little giggle, and then crawled to where she could lay her head right next to mine. In went the thumb, and she was asleep. It made my night to have her snuggle with me. Of course, we found out she flops like a fish in the night..haha. She would flop flop and then get back to where her head was touching mine. But after several slaps in the face and jabs in the ribs, we decided it was time to put her back in her crib. Ellie is our little babbler, she babbles and babbles, but no words. We THINK she knows Dada though. And yesterday on the changing table she waved her hand and said bye bye, I swear! But I can't get her to do it again.

Gemma is our little chunk. She has grown so much! At her one month, she was in the 98.5% for her height, and 96% for her weight. I am curious to see in a couple of weeks where she is at at 2 months. She did smile at me for the first time last week! It was precious! She smiles a lot with her eyes. She is really holding her head up quite a bit. She is not sleeping through the night yet, but I am to blame for that. I am not getting her on a consistent schedule through the day. I think once I do that, she will sleep 7-8 hours for me at night. She will go 5, but not consistently.

Taylor and I are doing great! He is going to Austin this weekend to see a friend play some music, and I will be by myself, well not quite. I called help on my parents. So they will be here to give this mom with 2 under 2 a hand. Or even a mom of 2 under 15 months a hand. HAH! That sounds better!

I am reading lots of cookbooks, and trying to expand my recipes and cooking experience. I am also trying to figure out how to organize my day and organize the girls' wake times, so that we are getting structure time and plenty of play time, down time, and devotional time. And of course, being able to clean the house and make an awesome dinner by the time Taylor gets home. I want to be able to overload my kids with the kisses and hugs they need and deserve. But also be on top of the discipline. I also am trying to think of the "perfect" time to work out. Haha...now to put into action.

Welp, Ellie, to begin the day with a scrambled egg and toast! And we shall attempt the grapes again, yes ma'am, you will eat the grapes and not throw them on the floor!