Easter two years ago...

Easter one year ago...

This Easter!!

Aunt Lorie makes us laugh!!

Easter loot

Sean and his handsome grin

Braxton the pipster

Too cool for school

Playing with chalk outside

Before we know it, they'll be driving the golf carts around Bald Head (with licenses, of course, Mimi!)

Carolina's Good Luck Charms

During the semifinals of the ACC tournament, the Heels were losing. Anna and Brynn quickly dressed in their Carolina attire and wouldn't you know it, they won the game!! The next day they won the ACC tournament. GO HEELS!

UNC is #1

Anna's 2nd Birthday

We started her day with her first trip to the zoo. Unfortunately I was so busy keeping up with Anna that I didn't get any pictures of the animals. She loved feeding the giraffes and watching the monkeys (although they were REALLY loud!).
We ended her special day with a trip to Chuck E. Cheese, which turned out a lot better than planned. She ran around, climbed on rides, ate pizza, and picked out a lizard for the 40 tickets her daddy and mommy won her.

To top off the night, we came home to a Cinderella cake, made by a fellow Richmond Mommy. Anna was so excited about her cake!!

This was cute the first time she did it...

But then it turned into waking Brynn up from naps...
Some of my favorite pictures so far...
These little girls are so sweet together!!

Today was a great day. We went to the library, grocery store, had lunch at Ukrop's, and came home for naps that I am SO thankful Anna and Brynn take at the same time! We spent the evening getting to know a Richmond Mommy and her son, Joey, who happened to get their car stuck in our driveway. Anna was especially snuggly today, and I lost count how many times "I love you's" were shared. I'm relishing this sweetness and feeling extremely thankful that I am able to be with them during the day and work part-time in the evening. It's like having the best of both worlds!


Brynn had butternut squash for her first taste of real food today. She LOVED it. Sucked her fingers dry, and fussed for more! We've figured out her tickle spots, and how she likes to be gently lifted in the air for big giggles.


This morning, as I was trying to get dressed, Anna started playing in the bed. We pretended to go to sleep, and Rye even joined us under the covers. Then, Anna says, "Mommy, get out of bed! Make Anna orange juice?" It wasn't as demanding as it sounds, I promise. Later she said as I was putting on my shirt, "Mommy pretty. I love mommy", followed by a sweet orange juiced kiss on my leg. I've never worn juice with such pride as I did today.

Big girls...

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Anna's latest talk

In the tub tonight

Me: "Anna, where's the yellow washcloth?"

Anna: (with her palms up, arms slightly raised, serious face) "What happened? I don't know."

In the hall yesterday, while John was indisposed in the bathroom.

Anna: "Wanna see Daddy. Little bit."

She's started singing songs by herself. I heard her yesterday singing Laurie Berkner's moon song, and she requests to hear the lullaby "Rock a bye baby" a lot, which she will then sing to her doll babies. She is constantly talking to her dolls, Madeira, Whiskey, Rye, and her sister. She calls her Brynnie Boo. I'll have to get some of their conversations on video!

Our serious sweet pea

So far, Anna is the only one that can get her to laugh (a little chuckle). I'm waiting and trying many different tricks to hear a big belly laugh!!

I found this high chair at Babies R'us last week for a steal- it was on clearance as the floor model and I had a 15% off coupon, plus a $10 off any high chair coupon. The even bigger bonus- it was already put together!

Showing off Grandma's work!!

Lola made some beautiful hats and blankets for her grateful granddaughters!

Anna LOVES wearing the hats around the house and Brynn wears them in the cold weather.
Brynn is attached to her Grandma-made blanket, and I don't know how to get it out of the crib long enough to wash it! I tried the other day and she couldn't fall asleep without it. So I need to figure out how to wash it/dry it in between naps! She loves sticking her little fingers through the holes and rubbing it on her face. She might need a replacement, Grandma, if she keeps loving it like she has!
Could she be a Suri Cruise look-a-like?

Rice cereal attempt #1

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Anna's little sayings...

Mom keeps reminding me to write down what Anna says. So here we go...

She refers to other children as "kids". Like yesterday when she was playing with my doctor's son, she said, "Hey, kid, let's play!" Once she knows someone's name, she'll say it, but if she doesn't know it (like at the YMCA) she calls everyone "kid". "Bye kids!" is her favorite when we leave the gym's child care center.

Lately she's been fixated on shadows, lollipops, cookies, cereal bars, blueberries, and pudding. She knows where the cabinet is that holds the pudding mix, and will go to it and say, "Mommy make pudding?" and nod her little head up and down. She knows that Walgreens gives out lollipops, so I have to plan my prescription pick-up around a good time for sugar fix. I taught her about her shadow the other day, and now she talks a lot about "Anna's shadow".

The other day she ran around the house screaming, "Poop tickle!" I didn't think too much of it until daycare called me at work saying that she was having a BIG meltdown due to constipation. Oops. Lesson learned. We now give her as much fruit as she wants and not as much cheese!

When she tells you she's going shopping and you ask her where she's going, she'll tell you, "Toys R Us!" although lately she's been adding "Target". That's my girl!

She can count to 12. Not sure why she goes past ten or stops at 12, and most of the time she misses a few numbers (like 4 and 5), but 6-12 is right on! She can also pick out the letters A, X, and P. Again, not sure why X and P, but A is for Anna, so I guess that's how she learned that one so quickly. Also, if she says her name, it's "A-nah". So cute.

Just when I think Anna can't get any cuter or sweeter, she showed me true sympathy today. Cleaning out my car, I put my favorite coffee mug (one I bought at Bald Head) in my backpack. When I tossed the backpack over my shoulder, out popped the mug, onto the concrete garage floor below. It smashed into pieces. I got a little teary, and told Anna how sad I was that my favorite coffee cup was now broken. She came over from playing with the rocks in the driveway, patted my leg and said, "Sorry, Mommy" and gave me a hug around both legs. I then cried because of the compassion of a 23 month old!! Later on today I had a lot of pain in my knee and I had to stop playing with Anna. She again came over, patted me on the back, and said, "Sorry, Mommy" and gave me the sweetest hug. I am so proud to have such a loving daughter!

If you leave a toddler alone with a cup of yogurt...

She will need a bath!

I thought I was clever by draping a big dishtowel around her shoulders and pinning it with a clip to protect her clothes...little did I know that her head was the target! Do they sell shower caps for kids?

Potty play time

Right now, it's all about sitting on the "mermaid potty". After going #1 one time and being extremely afraid when she saw her pee, we're just leaving the potty in the bathroom and visiting it when she wants to.


Well at least she formed it a little. :)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

You know you have a sweetheart for a daughter as she's reciting who she loves without prompting. On our way home from lunch with Gigi, Aunt Sara and baby Jack, Aunt Jenny and little Caroline, Anna told me all about who she loves. My heart can't possibly get any bigger, can it?? She also told Brynn tonight at bedtime that she loved her. Without anyone else saying it first. Ah, if this could last for a lifetime.

Daddy's new name for spaghetti

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Some more sisterly love

Brynn's head still makes a great armrest!

Our 4 month old's stats:

Height: 25.5 in (90th percentile)

Weight: 14.8 lbs (75th percentile)

She's already as tall as Anna was at 6 months!

Mommy's little slingling
Brynn can now face outward in the sling sitting up! She likes watching Anna monkey around and see what we're eating.

Animal Talk Take #1

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

The petting zoo at the Children's Museum fundraiser

Rabbits, aka "Hop Hops"
Guinea Pigs
Chickens

What I didn't get a picture of was 2 green parrots, who Anna decided to poke and then was scared when it jumped. For a few days she made a whiny noise every time she talked about the birds...I captured a little of that on the video above...