Happy Birthday To My Little Girl

My dearest Aubrey,

Today you turn one. I blinked and your first year has passed. You are entering the exciting world of toddlerhood. It truly seems like yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital; scared, excited and exhausted. We really never thought we would be blessed with a baby girl, but you have brought so much wonder, love and happiness into our family. I have marveled at watching you learn and grow, and wish, like I do with Austin, that I could keep you little forever. You have learned so much in your short year; you have almost mastered walking, and you love to dance. You are learning to say all the player's names on the Red Sox (and according to your dad, you can say them all clearly. I am just patiently waiting for you to call me mommy). You like to clap when asked "What do we do for the Red Sox?" and are learning to do the choking sign when asked "What do the Yankees do?" like your big brother does. You know where your nose and belly button and eyes are, and love to put your fingers into my mouth, usually after they have been in your nose. You love taking a bath, and cry when you have to get out. You like getting your 8 teeth brushed. You are a great sleeper, and love to sleep on your belly with your hands under your tummy, and your knees drawn up so your butt sticks in the air. Very cute. You are a little shy and reserved, and each smile you give has to be well earned. You rub your little eyes when you are tired, and have mastered the "fake" crying to get attention. You are a mommy's girl, and love to be held and cuddled. And although you like to get your brother into trouble, (which he often deserves as he likes to torment you) he adores you. He loves to play with you and give you lots of kisses. We all do.

My little doodle bug, I love you so much.

Happy Birthday!

Not quite sure yet what to do, but definitely eyeing the blue frosting...

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...

We took the cake away to cut it up, she was not happy. She was ready to dig into it.

And dig into it she did, she enjoyed every last lick, blue frosting and all.

Happy Birthday my little Aubrey.

Too Tired To Eat

My poor little girl. She was so tuckered out she couldn't even wait until dinner, she fell asleep before we even started. I am pretty sure I have never been too tired to eat.

My Little Surfer Dude

Whew!! Am I glad last week is over. Austin went to his first Vacation Bible School. It was beach themed, as if you couldn't tell by the pictures. My little surfer dude had a great time, although I am not too sure how much of the message he got being with 5 other rowdy Kindergarten aged kids all week. And I should know if they were rowdy or not, I for some unknown reason volunteered to be their "lifeguard" for the week and be in charge of them. I don't know what I was thinking. Overall we both had a great time, although by Thursday I was ready for it all to be over.

Here is my little surfer dude singing and

"surfin' through the scriptures". He enjoyed dancing and singing each day, and the two songs they learned I can't seem to get out of my head. They just keep playing, over and over and over and over...

Here Austin is learning some lesson that went along with one of the daily themes that I would explain if I remembered how the sand was relevant to the activity. Again, may I stress it was a long week, of getting up early and wrangling 6 five year olds. But Austin was enjoying it, so I guess that is all that counts.

A future American Idol perhaps? What a cutie, he liked yelling singing into the microphone. He definitely looks like a star...

Ice Cream

After Austin's T-Ball games we usually go and get some ice cream. He only has two games left, so I will have to come up with a different reason to 'celebrate' and go get ice cream. I really have to keep my OCD in check when I give Austin an ice cream cone. (OCD-obsessive compulsive disorder for those of you who don't know. This is the disorder that makes me wash fruits with soap and water before giving them to my kids because I know I touch a lot of the fruit to check it out before buying it, and so I gather that other people do as well and where the heck have their hands been before they touched my fruit. This disorder is also responsible for making me cringe when I have to take either of the kids to a public restroom and I have to line the toilet/changing station with a fortress of toilet paper before they can sit on it, often causing Austin to yell "Mommy I can't hold it anymore!"). Therefore, I have to fight the urge to wipe his face after every lick of the ice cream cone. I just look away until he is done, then whip out the wet wipes.

Anyway, he likes to share his ice cream with his sister, who loves it as much as he does.

How cute are my kids really?!!! (You know as soon as these pictures were taken, the wet wipes were out and both kids were wiped clean. It is a disease really, I can't help it.)

Getting Old

Top 10 Reasons I Know I Am Getting Old:

10. I complain about the price of milk, bread and other grocery items not only to my mom but to my girlfriends as well.

9. I wake up by 7am daily, even when I don't have too. My days used to start after noon, now I am ready for a nap by then.

8. We ring in the New Year the next morning, because we are in bed by 10pm.

7. I get tired just thinking about housework, and it takes me three days to clean my house when it used to take me an afternoon. I have to take several naps now you know.

6. This old party girl finds bars too loud and smoky, and would rather put my pj's on and watch a good Disney flick instead of going out.

5. Mommy Brain or old age, either way I can't remember anything anymore.

4. The things kids wear these days...I just don't get it. I'll take pants that cover my "uh oh" thank you very much.

3. Movies are too loud in the theater.

2. A few years ago we went to an outdoor Survivor Concert (it was free, and that fact alone adds to the reasons I am getting old). We left with the worst headaches we have ever had, and complained about how loud it was. We made fun of the lighting guy (who probably was not that much older than us), who was rocking out but had to put on his glasses to see the labels of the light board, and the "groupies" WERE our age.

And the number one reason I know I am getting old...

1. Austin tells me I am.

I'm Walkin' Here!

My little girl is walking. She took her first few steps on the 18th of June, but really started walking on July 9th. There is no stopping her now...

I love the look of concentration on her face, or maybe she is angry at mommy for making her walk to me 50 times to get a decent picture.

The Library

We love going to the library. This is our favorite chair. I don't know why I get such a kick out of it, but we will wait for someone to leave so we can sit in it and read our books.

Austin is 'reading' his story to Aubrey. I think she will love books as much as the rest of us. Of course right now she just likes to eat them.

Quiet Times

The other night I was laying in bed with Austin (on his new cool bed-never mind the fact that I had a hard time getting my fat 'uh-oh' up there, and an even harder time getting down). We were talking about the day and just having one of those cherished quiet moments together. I think we were talking about his cool new bed, and he asked me how long he could keep it. I told him forever and said he could even take it to college with him when he goes (planting that seed early). He asked what college was, and why would he ever want to leave. I told him someday he may want to leave when he is grown up. He asked me if he had to. I of course told him no, that he could stay here for as long as he wanted. He said he never wanted to leave. I kissed him goodnight and in my heart I was praying, "Oh how I hope you say the same thing when you are 14".

July 4th

There's nothing better than watching a baseball game followed by fireworks on the 4th of July, at least for us. It has become a tradition in our family since Austin was one, I think the only year we weren't at a ballgame was his very first 4th. We were at a Red Sox game when he was almost two in Texas, and were so excited to watch him experience the fireworks. He stayed awake for the whole game and we kept telling him how much fun the fireworks would be. And when they turned out the lights in the stadium to get started, Austin's lights turned out too. He was fast asleep, and missed the whole show. Best laid plans...



Aubrey's first 4th was a pretty eventful one. We spent the afternoon with friends, eating and swimming, and then we got to see our Oklahoma Redhawks play baseball with fireworks following. I was proud of my girl, she stayed awake. And was mesmerized. She even giggled a few times. And Austin enjoyed them as well, although two seconds after they started he had to go potty. Never fails.

Speaking of potty (of course), Aubrey's first 4th didn't go off without a hitch. Mommy had to sit through the game with wet pants because she had a blowout, on my leg. These are the memories I will cherish. But after we got cleaned up and situated, and full of cotton candy (turning Austin's tongue blue), we had a great time.

Watching the fireworks.

52...

• The number of times I have to yell at Austin everyday to stop making his sister scream.
• The number of times a day I have to tell Aubrey to stop screaming.
• The number of times Aubrey tries to put something inedible in her mouth everyday.
• The number of times per day I say "Aubrey, NO!"
• The miles per hour that it seems like Aubrey can crawl when I am trying to catch her.
• The number of cards I have to pick up off the floor every time Austin and I play War.
• The percentage of my day spent cleaning up toys and other things Austin and Aubrey leave around.
• The number of loads of laundry it feels like I do weekly.
• The number of times in a day Austin asks the question "Why?".
• The number of times I look at my kids everyday and still can't believe they are mine.
• The number of times daily I tell my kids how much I adore and love them.
• The number of hugs and kisses from my kids each day it takes to sustain me.