I almost can't believe how big my babies are getting. Avery has several friends that will go to kindergarten next year. She misses the September 1st cut off by 7 days. I am glad she will be the oldest when she starts kinder, and I'm glad I get one more year with her! I'm planning to have her in 5 day, half day, preschool next year. I know she's ready, and I think this will help with the transition to 5 full days. I'm amazed at how much she's changed in just the last few months. She's writing her first and last name, knows her letters/some sounds, and how to write them. She's very into writing right now- her name, friends names, family members names. She is still also very much into art- especially coloring and painting with water colors. She's a sweet girl and such a wonderful patient big sister to her little brother.
This was taken a few months ago when she first started writing her first/last name, but you get the idea.Drew- I can't believe my baby boy will be 2 in just 2 short months. Really, where has the time gone! I love that he is getting older and more independent, but at the same time it feels like just yesterday we were bringing him home. He is our happy little guy. He LOVES his sister and wants to do EVERYTHING she does. He literally will see her do something and immediately copy her. Luckily, for the most part she enjoys him playing with her. There are times though, she'd prefer to have her "alone time" in her room with the door closed. I understand. It's hard though because Drew doesn't. :( He is into his cars, trucks, tractors, trains... all the boy stuff. He also enjoys playing with Avery's baby dolls and feeding them their, "ba, ba's." Oh and about ba, ba's, we are finally off the bottle!! Praise! I thought this day would never come. I took him to the dentist around 18 months since he was still on the bottle and everything checked out fine, however I got the big lecture from our dr. I got to see lots of messed up, decayed teeth from the bottle. Blah, blah! I still wasn't convinced- well a part of me was, but the other part said- lots of babies take bottles, milk to bed, passy's til they're 3, ect ect and they're fine. Well, we tried. We watered down his bottle like the doc said until it was about 75% water, 25% milk- he didn't care. He just wanted his, ba-ba. For him it was his comfort. I finally got tired of all the crying for the, "ba-ba, ba-ba," that I decided it was time to break this habit. So... I bought him a lightening mcqueen (probably the 10th sippy cup I had tried in the past) sippy cup with a soft nipple and he actually drank milk from it!! The next few days were a little rough with tantrums, but we/he survived. Then we all got the tummy bug so milk wasn't an option anyways.
Avery and Drew can be so silly together. They both have a fun, silly nature to them, so when they are in a silly mood together things can get pretty crazy!
It was pretty cold.
Avery with her cousins, Kelly and Christopher. Sad Drew was napping for this.
Our attempt, at a rushing out the door before church family picture. Avery obviously did not want to cooperate. A few nights before we took this picture, we went to see Santaland Diaries with my sister and her husband. This moment made me think of some of the things we laughed about in the part, Elf Diaries. The Elf (who worked at a mall) talked about how parents go crazy about getting that perfect picture with santa-- making threats at their child to smile. I caught myself getting upset with her attitude and then quickly chuckled to myself that I'm being that mom. I just wanted her to smile! How hard is that?? But no smile, so here's the real us. ;)
Me with my baby sister, Emily. I can't believe she is getting married in 4 months!!... and that I was her age when I got married!!
Mimi with her girls. They went to "Mrs. B's" (mimi) beauty store and got all dolled up.
We stayed a few extra days to celebrate with Emily. These are a few pics from her bridal shower. This one turned out really dark- sorry em.
The sweetest person you'll ever meet, Emily.
