Tuesday, April 10, 2012

where has the time gone?

Okay, so I've almost abandoned this blog.  I feel like it's time to resuscitate it...at least until I abandon it again...  I've been busy chasing around my baby toddler and trying to be a better blogger on my other blog.    But I've realized that I refer back to this blog if I need to remember something that V did...and if I don't keep up with this blog, then *POOF*, that memory will be gone forever!  I don't think ginko will help this mom brain at this point.  

V has changed so much since my last post.  She's officially a toddler now, and fitting into that role very well.  She's trying her independence and testing my patience a lot these days.  Everywhere she goes, she runs...no, she sprints.  It's really the cutest thing to watch her big diaper booty shaking back and forth as she sprints down the driveway and into the road!!!.  

She's a definite "Chatty Cathy."  It seems like she's learning new words everyday.  Right now she's saying:
Mama
Dad
Brad (and this is how she says Brad, "BRAAAAADDDD!!!  Not sure who she gets that from.... :)
Knock knock
Book
Quack quack
Moo
Woof woof
Truck
Ball
Baby

She can sign:
More
All done
Please
Eat
And she can blow kisses

 She talks non-stop and it's only a matter of time before she starts repeating everything we say...time to censor my potty mouth!  She really is such a friendly, loving child.  She knows no stranger and loves other kids so much.  When we're at the park, she immediately runs up to another child and starts hugging him/her.  She truly has so much love in her heart and it makes me feel so proud and so unbelievably happy. She has a zest for life that is truly inspiring and heart warming.  I hope she never loses that fire!    Now, I really need some tips on how to deal with a head strong toddler...and when can we start potty training??  She's already hiding when she goes #2...is that a sign that she might be ready in the next couple of months??  Ugh...I need a glass of wine just thinking about potty training...  

This child loves water more than anything!


oh, and she loves bubbles more than anything...  



LOVE this smile...
Pop & Violet
Easter Sunday w/my parents 
My happy little family.  :)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Dear Violet...

Happy birthday, my sweet love!  A year ago today, your Daddy and my life changed forever.  A year ago yesterday, I was in pain, misery and agonizing when and HOW you were going to come out!!  But the moment I saw you, all the pain, anxiety and fear disappeared.  And still to this day, you have a wonderful gift of making me smile, laugh and be happy every single day.  Sure, there are days when you stress me out and you exhaust me to the core...but I'm still grateful for those days as well.  
You've changed so much over the past year and I love seeing your personality really start to form.  You're sweet and cuddly but you're also feisty and know exactly what you want...and I wouldn't change one single thing about you.  I look back and I often wonder if I've documented this past year well enough...I wonder if I'll remember every single milestone and every single bump and bruise and the answer is probably not...but one thing I do know, you have brought more happiness and love into our home than I ever thought possible.  

Here are some of the things you've been up to this past month:
--You are officially walking!  You started walking the middle of last month...and you haven't slowed down a bit!  In fact, you're running half the time!  
--You know how to sign "More."  You do it often when you want more crackers.  
--You love to give kisses and snuggles...especially first thing in the morning.  It's the sweetest thing EVER.  
--You can say "mama," "dada," "bye bye," uh oh," "Pop," and "woo woo" when you see a dog.  
--You also say, "DAAAAAAAAAAD!!!" when you yell for your daddy...I'm pretty sure you picked that up from me when I yell, "BRAAAAAAAD!!"
--Right now you're sick with bronchitis...saddest thing ever.  You sound like a chain smoker coughing up a lung!  :(  
--We celebrated your first birthday party this past Saturday.  More on that on a different post, but we had an amazing day!  We had so many people (around 50) come out to celebrate your big day!  You had a blast and were an angel all day!  
--You have 4 teeth on top and 4 teeth on bottom.  
--You have been a champion sleeper.  You go to sleep at 7-7:30 pm and wake up anytime between 6:30 - 7:30 am.  If you wake up in the middle of the night, you snuggle your lamb, stick in your binky and fall back asleep on your own!  Yay!  
--You've slowed down on your eating...which is pretty standard for your age.  Right now, your favorite thing to eat is green beans.  You still love to eat cheese and you like pizza as well.  
--You love playing with other kids.  Whenever you see Connor, you practically pounce on him and then you follow him around everywhere he goes.  
--You LOVE babies...whenever you see a baby, whether it's in person or in a book, you always give it a kiss!
--You're tough as nails.  Now that you're walking, that means you fall more and bump into things a lot more often...but you hardly ever cry.  If you do cry, I know that you've really hurt yourself.  
--You still love to read books.  Your Great Aunt Cindy got you a really cool book for your birthday and you'll just sit on the floor and stare at each and every picture on each and every page.  You're so observant and I can tell you're soaking it all in.  
--You like to watch "Super Why" on PBS, but other than that, we don't watch too much tv.  
--You pat your baby dolls on the back...such a good lil baby mama!  
--You love bath time SOOOO much.
--You hate getting your fingernails clipped...but I hate when you have long fingernails...so this poses a problem...  
--I won't know your 1 year stats until next week, but I can tell you've been growing a lot.  Your Eemo and Uncle B saw you at Christmas and then just this past week, and they said you've grown a lot since Christmas!  But I can tell you're going to be sweet and petite!  :)
--Whenever I wink at you, you'll try to wink back.  
--You can kind of blow kisses now.  You'll put your hand to your mouth, but you decide to keep the kiss instead of blowing them to someone.  
--You love to dance to fast music.  You definitely can cut a rug like your daddy!  

I can't seem to put into words just how much my life has changed in this past year.  I always knew that you would change my life, but I didn't realize how much.  This love and happiness that I have for you is unexplainable.  When I rock you before bedtime, we just look at each other and make silly faces at each other.  Then you always give me a sweet giggle and touch my face.  When I'm old and have lost most of my memory, I hope more than anything, that memory will stay with me.  Your sweet little body just fits me perfectly like a puzzle piece...your head under my chin and your arms wrapped around my chest...I know that this isn't going to last forever because you're growing so fast and someday you'll be too big to want to cuddle with me...and as much as it makes me sad, I've truly enjoyed every single minute of these past five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes with you.  The first time I saw your face, I just knew I was the luckiest person alive.  When I saw your face on the ultrasound before you were born, the song "You're All I Need to Get By" came to mind...and it still does every time I look at you:
 
Like sweet morning dew, I took one look at you
And it was plain to see, you were my destiny
With arms open wide, I threw away my pride
I'll sacrifice for you, dedicate my life to you...

You're all I need to get by...and I thank you for the most wonderful year of my life.  I can't wait to see what your future holds and I hope no matter what, you'll always know that I love you more than anything in the whole world.  I'll always support you and be on your side...it can be an ugly world out there sometimes, but you'll always have your Daddy and me to love you and be there for you through the good times and through the bad.  
Happy birthday, my sweet V!

Love, 
Mommy

V and sweet Aiden

 

Really feeling the music!  :)






Buddies



Love that smile...

Such a big girl walking on the playground





hehe...funny face



Very serious reading her book


chompers




Sunday, January 8, 2012

Dear Violet...

Could it really be January 8, 2012??  Could you really be 11 months old??  It really seems like yesterday when I was (suffering) in the hospital and wondering who you were going to look like...and wondering how much pain you were going to cause me during labor!  I've been feeling very nostalgic lately and thinking back to my first few days with you.  They were the happiest I've ever been...and most stressed I've ever been!  My world had been turned upside down and yet, I never wanted to look back.  One look at your sweet little face and my heart and soul were yours.

This past month, I've been doing a lot of chasing you around and picking up after you....when will you learn to pick up all your toys???  I'm ready for that stage!  But this past month, I've laughed so much because of you.  The older you get, the funnier you get...and you think you're pretty funny, too!  I definitely see a lot of my personality and your daddy's personality in you.  But there are plenty of times throughout each day that I think, "OMG.  Where do you get that from???"  So, I know you are definitely your own person as well....which I love...

Here are some of the things you've been up to this past month:
--You're not quite walking yet, but you're sooooo ready!  The most steps you've taken are 3...I know if you just let go and take off, you would totally walk circles around me...but something in you just isn't ready.
--You are a little piggie.  I'm pretty sure you consume the same amount of calories in a day that I do!  You love chicken, blueberries, toast with strawberry jam, bananas, crackers and most of all....CHEESE!!!  I'm pretty sure it's like baby crack to you.
--You still drink 3 bottles of formula a day, but we're going to cut that back this month.
--You still take one morning nap (9 am - 10 am) and one afternoon nap (1 pm - 3 pm) but I know you're going to phase out that morning nap pretty soon.  *sigh*  Even though you only nap for an hour in the morning, I feel like I get a lot done in that hour...like, enjoying my coffee while catching up on my celebrity gossip...
--You love giving kisses to your baby dolls and your stuffed animals.  You now even say, "Awwww" when you're hugging them.  Beyond. Sweet.
--Your bedtime routine has changed dramatically in just this past week.  We give you a bottle at 6:45, you're in your crib by 7 and you're asleep by 7:30.  Then you sleep through the night and wake up at 7 the next morning.  You have managed to start falling asleep on your own!!  YAY!!!  I didn't think I could love you any more than I already did, but this sleep schedule has made you a SAINT in my book!!    If you wake up in the middle of the night, you might whimper a little bit, but you stick your binky back in your mouth, cuddle your lamb, and fall back asleep.
--You now sleep with your lamb every night and sleep with a nightlight on....works like magic!
--We celebrated your first Christmas and your first New Year.  It was perfect.
--You LOVE other kids.  Connor came over yesterday, and you practically pounced on him when you saw him!  Everywhere he went, you were right behind him...actually, sitting right on top of him.  You also love other babies.  You want to touch them and kiss them...it's seriously the sweetest thing.  I guess I better get you in some sort of playdate soon!
--You point your finger to where you want to go.  You also like to point your finger up my nose when I'm feeding you a bottle.
--Right now you're saying, "Dada," "Mama," "Uh" (for Uh-oh), "Ba Ba" (for Bye Bye) and "Buh" (for Baby).  It's so cute when you drop something and say "Uh!" But not so cute when you keep dropping it and I have to constantly pick it up for you...
--You now often fall asleep in the car.
--You're in a bad stage for taking out to eat!  You're too distracted by everything going on around you so you don't eat and all you want to do is socialize with the other people....mainly the people on the other side of the restaurant.  So, you'll give them a shout out, then they look at smile at you, then you smile at them and now you think you all are best friends.  So that means, much more and much louder shout outs.
--You haven't picked sides yet, of whether or not you like me better or if you like Daddy better.  But you do get very excited when Daddy comes home from work.  If he doesn't drop everything and pay attention to you, you get very mad at him!!
--You still love to read (and eat) your books.
--You still love to clap your hands...for an accomplishment that you made!  You're your biggest fan!  :)
--You can play Patty Cake and instead of "rolling it up" you just shake your hands.
--You play peekaboo, but instead of covering your eyes, you cover your ears.  It's the cutest thing ever...

Every single day, you become more of a strong willed girl.  Every single day, you never cease to amaze me by your personality and by all your tricks!  Every single day, become sweeter than the day before.  I look at you, as I did the first time I held you, and I still think, "Can you really be mine?  How did I get so lucky?"  I've never been completely whole, until you entered my life.  Your Daddy and I love you to the moon and back.

Love,
Mommy

Playing outside w/o a coat in January! 
Looking very serious about your reading...

Playing your sax!  

Drowning in toys....




Such a lil fashionista!  :)












Snuggling with your lamb
Such a sweetie...