Midnight Madness

Would you believe that this seemingly innocent,

pony-tail wearing princess

would wake up at 12:30a.m. and throw a
screaming, crying tantrum?

Until I finally plucked her from the crib
(highly discouraged middle-of-the-night
behavior in this home)
and cuddled for THIRTY minutes.


I then returned her to said crib, where she gave me a
that-was-really-all-I-wanted-mommy look,
and promptly turned on her side and went to sleep.

Believe it.
I'm tired.

Not Alotta

This week has been really crazy busy for me, but not much to report with the munchkin. I finished my first "We've Moved" greeting card for my sweet friend Alla. I also finished doing a wedding invitation a couple weeks ago. Hopefully I can get permission to post them after everything is sent out. They are both the most contemporary pieces I've done.

I also met with our realtor to look around at some houses this week. I guess that's kind of big news! We decided it's time for a bit more space and a nice big yard, although we are very sad to even think about leaving this amazing house that we brought Avery home to :) I have already started on a whirlwind of cleaning and organizing just to get prepared though. When we moved here from our little apartment, I remember wondering how I was going to fill up this little house. It didn't seem like we had near enough stuff to make use of all the closets and space. BOY did that change fast!! Now it's hard to find an inch of space. Avery's clothes and toys overfloweth!

Bub the hub and I also went to lil'bub's second evaluation at her school. She is still doing so well. We had to hide so she wouldn't see us (she goes nuts when we walk in, and won't focus on her "work"), and then her teacher showed us the daily goals they go over each day. They have both cognitive and physical goals. Avery did so well! It was so hard not make a peep when she accomplished something big. I really tried to be quiet, but she did hear me a couple times and tried to turn around. Luckily her teacher is good at distracting her back!

In other news, lil'bub has started rockin' the big ponytail, and she looks cuuuuuuuuuute.

She is also still enjoying all her new birthday toys. Here is the Fisher Price Little People Farm she got from her teachers.

Yep, playing in our p.j.'s!

My Funny Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I know it's sort of a Hallmark holiday, but I certainly don't mind a day that reminds everyone to show appreciation to the ones they love. And if that includes flowers and candy, I'm definitely in! Sweet Bub the hub was really on top of things because he brought me a gorgeous bouquet on Friday, so I could enjoy it all weekend :)

Meanwhile, lil'bub had a fantastic Valentine's party at school on Friday. She enjoyed yet another cupcake, and made us all sorts of fun stuff, including a BIG adorable card.

And she even added a little finger painting to a Valentine's cup for us! She's so creative right? haha

We attempted to take a good photo of munchkin for all the cute Valentine cards we were making for our family, and we did finally get a good one. But it certainly took about 50 shots to get there. I thought y'all might like to see the out-takes too. Enjoy :)

good one, but turning away

off in her own world

trying to escape!

darn finger in the mouth

too giggly

believe it or not, this was the money shot!

Car Date

Back in my early high school days, I pitched a particularly mean fit when I was told by my daddy that I was not allowed to car date--that is, go on a date alone, in a car, with a BOY, until I was 16. Being just barely 15, and wanting to be particularly independent, AND of course wanting to spend time with a certain boy who IS NOW Bub the hub (so THERE daddy), I got really, really mad.

And the tears flowed freely, and the tantrum was lengthy, and of course no matter what I yelled, I had to wait longer than I would have like to go on car dates. Avery's grandaddy still likes to remind me of it, like constantly, because he found the intensity of my tantrum hilarious. WELL, I swore right then and there that I would let MY daughter car date if SHE had a serious boyfriend that was older because I was going to be the best parent EVER. ha.

So now that I am a parent, and understand certain things, my children are not going to date until they are 25. But I will, in certain circumstances, make exceptions. And I did just the other day, when sweet Charlie from across the street wanted to take Avery on a car date. I think it was a good decision.

My Birthday Girl

What a wild ride these past two years have been. I'm not gonna lie, it's been about a thousand times harder than we ever imagined. From the first moment we found out that we were going to have a lil'bub, our hearts were bursting with so much love and happiness. I keenly remember the moment I heard her and the second I saw her for the first time, that I was just completely overwhelmed with love. But I think that I am ready to admit that day and the following week was one of the hardest and worst of my life. Not because of her. It was because instead of getting to hold her in my arms, bond with her, nurse her and share her with friends and family, she started having seizures. And so they sent her away to a different hospital for tests, terrifying us all, and leaving me to recover from a C-section in a maternity ward, with no baby. Believe me, it was beyooond traumatizing.

When I finally did make it over to see her, and hold her in my arms, it was absolutely amazing. But I don't have those photos that typical moms have, with ear-to-ear grins, and healthy pink babies peeking from behind swaddled blankets.

In the photos I have, anyone can read the seriousness on my face. I can see the adoration and instant love too, but I also see all the uncertainty and fear. It would be another day or so before the doctors announced their findings. The things they told us were devastating... moments that still haunt me at night. But nothing they initially said prepared us for the later news that our week old baby would need major brain surgery-- or else she wasn't going to make it. Such a shocking statement. SO even though we had to sign the papers for them to operate, it wasn't really a choice. There were no other options. And so we walked blindly into this impossible situation, desperately clinging to the hope that she would hang on, get better, and in the best possible world that she would celebrate all the birthdays that she should.

I guess that was sort of the long way of explaining that our greatest hopes and dreams are fulfilled when lil'bub celebrates a birthday. Like they were on Saturday, when we had a fantastic farm animal party for our now TWO year old, who still improves every single day. She was not overwhelmed by all the people, as we had expected, but bounced and smiled and giggled and charmed her guests, like a true birthday girl should. Here is a PARADE of photos...

first thing birthday morning

she spots the birthday balloons!

our welcoming wreath

my little piggy (and the photo on the wreath)

I got crafty and made her a birthday banner

then I got even craftier and made a fun centerpiece

family photo :)

farm food table!

little party animals

more cute little party animals...and
me making a weird face

daddy birthday kisses

about to cut the cake

close-up of cutest cake EVER!!!

enjoying the cake

Aunt Mindy and Mary Kate liked the cake too

opened tons of fun presents

Avery and Nana matched!

playing with new toys of course :)
she really loves her new walkin, talkin kitty

standing birthday girl

Whew! That was a lot of photos. She really can't help being so photogenic can she? Perhaps it has something to do with the millions of photos we take. OK, that's all for now folks :)