Lily is 2!

Lily turned two on February 9th and we had a little party for her (details and pictures in the next post) but before we share party details, let's share Lily details at age 2.

Some of the facts:
Height: 2' 9"
Weight: 25 lbs
Eyes: Brown with hints of green
Hair: Blonde with a slight wave; short in the front, long in the back

Things you dislike:
-A ponytail. Oh, girlie. We fought this battle once on a Sunday before church and that was the last time I tried to get you to wear ponytail. Your will is strong to say the least. You certainly don't want your hair confined to a band and I've given in to your wishes. There will be no ponytails until you ask. You do wear a headband everyday, though, and you willingly put it in and keep it in. A compromise, I suppose. One time I got you to wear a ponytail and you looked SO adorable. Someday.
- Beef.
- A lot of vegetables.
- Napping. Someday I'll remind you how much you used to hate napping and how you nearly stopped napping before your second birthday. The last few days have been hit or miss with naps. If you nap well on a given day, the next you won't; every other day you need a nap.
-Strangers/unfamiliar situations.
-Having your picture taken.

Things you love:
-Reading. You would read book after book if the day allowed. You especially love being read to. Currently, your favorite book is "But No Elephants" By Jerry Smath. You love readying SO much that since early last summer (16 months-ish) I could tell you the title of a book and you would crawl over to the shelf and retrieve that exact book. I wish I would've written down the date you first did that, I was shocked.
-Popcorn, fruit, cheese, chocolate (who doesn't??)
-Being outside. You really like being at the playground down the street from us; swinging or going down the slide.
- Stickers and painting.
-Playing in your new kitchen
-Helping me. You help me SO much. I wouldn't be able to accomplish very much without the help you give me everyday. You throw diapers away, wipe up the floor, wash yourself in the bath, fold laundry, clean-up your toys, unload the dishwasher (utensil caddy) and put groceries away. I'm hopeful that you'll continue to enjoy helping me for another year or so..you're going to have to help regardless. :)

Fun stuff:
-After a bath, you wear a 'hoodie towel' and run around the upstairs and get a little crazy
-You make your brother laugh a lot!
- You make me and dadda laugh a lot, too!
-You know all of your letters and can say all but 4 or 5.
-You call yourself "yanh-yanh" which is funny because when I was little I pronounce my "L's" like "Y" and called my older brother "Yance" (Lance).
-You're polite and use your manners even when you're not prompted.
-On your birthday, we had grilled cheese and tomato soup and you spilled your whole bowl of soup on the floor/walls/chair/table. What.A.Mess. "No use crying over spilled tomato soup" (said no mother ever).
-You are very shy around other people but when it is just you, me, and Ethan, you talk...A LOT.  It's funny how different you are when you 'warm up' to people.

Lily, you are getting to be such a big girl. You got a big-girl bed yesterday and you slept the whole night it in last night and you are sleeping it in again tonight. I know you're only two but it seems like you have become so much more independent in the last year. As much as I miss holding you and rocking you like I used to, I'm loving watching you become a sweeter little-big-girl.

I love you so much, sweetie. I can't wait for all we're going to do together this year.

Ethan 3, 4, 5, months

Oh deary. I'll try and not feel terrible about not posting all the facts and milestones.

Believe it or not, I DID remember to take the pictures on his birth-a-versary so I'll share those and a few memories from the last three months.

Ethan:
You are a super smiley baby. You flirt with all the ladies and flash your little grin at the drop of a hat. It makes my heart pitter-patter. Your flatulence is incredible. That's all I'll say about that. Oh, and that you embarrassed me at small group last night by stinking up our friends' house. Me.Oh.My.

Things you like:

• Lily (especially when she is running around being crazy cookoo)
• The outdoors
• Walking around (on mama's hip)
• Being tickled 
• Gettin' kisses 
• Johnny jump-up
• Being carried in the Moby

Things you hate:

• A person holding you and sitting down. 

As of late, you've gotten loud. Between your loud crying (screaming, really) and chatter, it seems you're going to be a much more vocal/expressive baby than your sister was.

Facts:
Weight: 17 lbs
Eyes: Blue (I'm biased but they're seriously beautiful!)
Sleep: Bedtime is at 7p. You usually nurse two times in the middle of the night. You wake up between 5:30-6:30a.
Poop: Once per week
Teeth: 0 (coming soon)
Movements: You can roll over and you do almost immediately after being put on the floor. You roll from back to tummy very easily but just started going from tummy to back.

We're BAAAACCCKKK

Okay folks, I FINALLY got blogger to work by using Google Chrome instead of Internet Explorer. Now I'm sitting here thinking, "duh, why didn't I think of this earlier?!". I'll be doing a few catch-up posts in the next few days on Ethan's milestones and monthly updates, Christmas pictures, and Lily's birthday. I got really excited when I the picture popped up onto the page...like really really excited. 

Hope ya'll will check back tonight!

Ethan: 2 months

Are you looking at this picture thinking, 'there is no way he is 2 months already?'
Well, I am thinking the same thing. I'm also telling him to stop. right now, stop growing.
I think I'm going to blink and he's going to be asking me for the keys to the car.Ugh. Please forgive my post-partum emotions as I cry thinking about him getting older.

About Ethan:

• You are perhaps the most relaxed baby I've ever been around. You had a week where you were pretty fussy in the evening but that came and went quickly. Thank you, Lord!
• Recently, your day-sleep has been unpredictable. You have days where you sleep nearly ALL day and then other days where you take a short morning nap and short afternoon nap. Funny.
• Bedtime is somewhere around 7 and you sleep until 1-2 and then wake up around 4 and 6.
• You really like noise and try to figure out where it is coming from. Usually, it is mama and Lily talking or carrying-on and you are content just being around us.
• You wear size two diapers and believe it or not, you're wearing mostly 6 month clothes(!).
• Tummy time is going well, you find your fist and try to suck on it or just hang out on your belly.
• I like to set you on my lap with my legs crisscross applesauce (ha!) and you will sit there as long as I am sitting and talking.
• You eat every 2-3 hours during the day and then you have the long stretch at night.
• Just for record: you don't fit in any hats we have right now. I cut a little beanie yesterday morning so the fabric could fold over and cover your ears. Your cranium is a little on the large side, my boy.

one of my favorite little outfits

Sweet memories:

You smile a lot in the mornings and I hope that I will never forget how much joy it brings to my sleep-deprived self (and Lily and dadda). We even have a short video of you smiling and nearly laughing. Yesterday morning you were laying on the floor and Lily came over to your and held your hand and said 'pray'.


Someday, I know you'll likely be taller than me and have facial hair and have a wife. But until then, I'm going to snuggle you and cuddle with you and even when you're older, I'm going to tell you I love you every day. So, for today, "I love you!"

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon has been on our list of 'places to see' since we've lived in DC. Mark and I went there together in 8th grade but vaguely remember. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous so we packed a picnic and took the short drive to visit the home of our first president, George Washington. 

I don't want to give too much away because I hope that we can take visitors when they are here. But, I'll touch on some of the neat things we thought as we toured the estate.



Coming around the corner as we walked up to see the main house.



 Lily walked around and explored the grounds

(She took a great nap in the afternoon - thumbs up)



Mark and I appreciated all of the gardens and landscape throughout the property.

We dreamt of having gardens and mature trees like the property has. Even in the beginning of November, the gardens around the property were beautiful.

GW was a man of many talents; he designed the gardens and landscaping himself!

Near his gravesite. I loved this.

I didn't know that he died at home until yesterday. He died on

December 14, 1799, just before the turn of the century.

The view of the Potomac and Maryland from the porch

Aren't those chairs fabulous? Something I learned: George and Martha were very hospitable people. They often hosted many guests at a time and for long durations at a time.

How fun would it be to sit here on a crisp fall morning drinking coffee with friends? 

The Gristmill is right down the road and is open March through October (which meant it was closed) so we picnicked near the stream.



We spent about 2.5 hours at Mount Vernon and could have spent more time (sans children) so we're definitely planning to go back.



Happy Hallerween!

Happy Hallerween!

 

We celebrated with a little ladybug and a baby caterpillar. I didn't capture many pictures from the night (Mark was working late and I was by myself) so here are a few that I snapped.

 

Cutie, Lily the ladybug

 

 

Cutie, Ethan the caterpillar

 

(my amazing friend, Jennifer, made this hat Sunday

night after I told her Ethan was just going to wear a onesie for

Halloween. She's pretty amazing!)



 

 

 Trying to get two children in Halloween costumes, fed dinner, and take pictures

 results in a one-shoed girl. Ladybugs don't wear shoes anyways.

We went to our church to trick-or-treat at the trunk-and-treat. It was fun and easy-enough for us because Lily could walk around and it was only a few yards from each car/trunk. I think next year we'll try to go around our neighborhood and take a wagon so both of them can hitch a ride.

 

 



(Not pictured: Lily throwing pumpkins, being distracted by neighbors,

neighbor trying to talk to me about his allergies, and rain cloud forming about us).

I'm laughing as I type this because I get so stressed out about getting a good

picture and now I'm thinking about the circumstances a little more rationally. HA!

..."I just want ONE good picture!"

Let's give the pumpkin a face

 

 

Mark and Lily carved her pumpkin tonight, just in time for Halloween. The weather was perfect to take the mess outside (woohoo!) and Ethan was perfectly content hanging out in his chair so I could snap some pictures. 

 

She didn't want to touch the guts at first, "eww" she kept saying. 

but then she finally dug her hands in..

 ...and came after me

 

 

awe. kisses.