Happy 2nd Birthday, Amelia

"The days are long, but the years are short." The perfect quote that sums up parenthood. I can't believe another year has rolled by.

The past year has been filled with so many memories and milestones. She started walking, talking and putting sentences together and we've begun potty training. Everyday she surprises us with something new and in turn we learn a little bit more about her. One of my favorite parts of the day, is when she randomly says "hi mommy" just to do a quick check-in to assess the current situation of wanting to know what I'm doing and letting it be known that she's here. 

Amelia is very strong-willed, curious and fearless. She's still as sassy as ever and gives us a run for our money, that's for sure! Music is her thing. I can instantly calm any situation with cuddles and a song (she's tone deaf for now). Loves to watch her big brother play and enjoys getting dirty with the boys but does so with the girliest flare. She's a stuffed animal hoarding, high heel wearing, tutu twirling, make-up stealing ball of sunshine. We are so lucky she's all ours. 

We had family over on her birthday for pizza and cupcakes. She was really unsure of everyone singing to her. Despite practicing blowing out her candles, she got shy but big bro Benson came to the rescue! 

I took the day off and took Amelia to her 2-year old check up. We found out she is in the 75 percentile in both height and weight. (27 lbs, 34 in) The doctor knew that she wasn't a picky eater and definitely didn't skip any meals by looking at her numbers. My girl loves her food! After her appointment we met up with some friends for lunch. I love seeing Amelia play with other kids her age!

This weekend we'll be celebrating her party with a "Picnic at the Park" theme. Pictures to come!

Weekend Recap

The best weekends are the ones with no plans! That's exactly what happened this weekend, and as always, ended up having lots of fun.

Friday, we picked Benson up from my in-laws after a week stay. He loves going over there. We call it a farm house because they've got tons of animals! Chickens, ducks, puppies and their newest members were the sweetest baby bunnies! Amelia just dies over these fluffy babies. 

That night we met a couple friends at the park for Food Truck Friday (the first Saturday of every month). We didn't realize it was the first food truck event of the season so it was packed! There was live music and lots of things for kids to do. The lines were super long but well worth the wait! 

The rest of the weekend we spent poolside, soaking up the glorious sun! It always takes Benson a couple visits to get real comfortable with swimming again but he's really made some progress in the two days we went. I admire his willingness to make a goal and accomplish it. Amelia is such a fearless girl that she had no qualms about jumping right in. We are reusing Benson's  wrap- around floaties vest and blue never looked so good on a baby girl. She's so comfortable in the water. She walked down the steps and started floating away. Looked right at me as if to say "no big deal mom. I've got this!" We've got to keep an eye on this one for sure! 

Hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weekend as much as we did! Cheers to a fast week to get us to the weekend for more fun in the sun! 

Summer Vacay 2014 - Boston, MA

It's been almost three years since we visited Eric's family in Massachusetts so this year it was a definite plan for us to take some time off to go see everyone. Eric spent most of his life in MA and it wasn't until he was 18 that he moved down to Georgia. And the last time any of his northern family had seen both Benson and Amelia, they were both tiny babes! 

We knew we had no choice but to drive the 16-18 hr trip. Plan tickets are expensive no matter when you buy them (times that by 3 and we're talking broke city). I had so much anxiety traveling with Amelia. We went to Destin, FL last year but that 5 hrs was looking like a cat nap compared to this trip we were trying to conquer. Amelia can be hard to please and is very dramatic when it comes to getting her way. But I'm happy to share that both kids did amazing on both trips there and back. Eric drove straight through the night and made it in record time!

We didn't have much planned and really focused on spending time with his family. We don't get an opportunity to see his family often so it was important to make our time count. 

The weather wasn't ideal to say the least (cold and rainy in late May. I'm talking highs in the low 60s!) so we stuck with inside hangouts. We did get a chance to hit up Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA on a nice day and I was impressed. It was Amelia's first time and Benson hadn't been to one in many years so both they both had a blast - Especially at the deer feeding forest! Eric and I are big germ conscious people so it took all we had in us to let the kids feed and pet the deer but I'm glad we did because it was definitely an experience they'll remember.

Overall, our trip was super fun filled with lots of laughs and memories to remember. I can't wait for our other vacations we have lined up this summer!

Tips for traveling with children:

1. Traveling at night was ideal for our family, especially for how long this trip was. As soon as we got off work, we ate dinner, packed the car and hit the road. Both kids were out within the next hour or two and slept almost the whole way. We stopped twice for stretches and bathroom breaks while they were awake.

2. Snacks, juices and entertainment. We loaded up our iPad with some of their favorite movies and shows and some interactive apps that kept them busy. We packed puzzles and books and lots of stuffed animals.

3. We made it a really interactive trip. Playing games like "what do you prefer" or "what's your favorite..". We got to see beautiful scenery, cool signs and passed through nearly 8 states that we were able to have conversations about with Benson and took advantage of all our "teaching moments" which made it fun for all of us!

Tea Party Anyone?

These pictures were taken by Surita from Surita V. Photography. I am so excited to share these! Here are some of my favorites from our Tea Party themed session (Just in time for Amelia's 2nd birthday which is only a month away!!)

It's The Little Things - Finally Sleeping?

Today I'm linking up for the very first time with Jess from Sadie Sky Boutique and Ashley from Words about Waverly for their 'It's the Little Things' linkup! 

Amelia has now slept THROUGH the night for two consecutive nights. I am ready to jump for joy! She has always been a terrible sleeper. I've tried the cry-it-out method but it's just not for our family. The one time I tried to get her to cry it out, she screamed until she got sick all over herself and her bed. Clearly she was not happy about it. 

The hardest part about our sleepless nights is having to wake up at the crack of dawn so I can drop her off and hit rush hour traffic and make it downtown on time! Being a full time working mom of two is a tough job. I spend most of my day away from my kids. We're on a pretty tight schedule once we all get home. My husband cooks dinner while I get the kids settled in and Benson and I start his homework. Once we eat dinner it's bath time, brushing our teeth, book and then bed. All by 8:30, no later than 9:00.

I usually hit the sheets right after them because I'm just way too tired for anything else. Amelia will wake up at least once a night and then we're back at it again the next day.


SOOOOOO, I am so excited that she's finally getting the rest she needs.I couldn't believe it so woke up just to make sure she was ok! I feel like we're at the front door of sleeping all night! Even if it's just a couple nights, I'll take it! I'll never take sleeping for granted, ever!

I'm excited about this link up series. Life happens way too fast so it's especially nice to reflect on the things that keep me moving. Thanks Jess and Ashley!

Amelia - 18 month check up

So I wasn't able to get Amelia into her check up until she was just shy of 20 months! My big girl is growing so fast!(At least I got her to the doctor, am I right?) 

Height: 32in (Just 1in short of door knobs! - I'm in trouble)

Weight: 25lbs (but feels like 50lbs)

Teeth: 10 and cutting 2 more molars

Clothing size: 2T

Shoe size: 5/6

She is a firecracker! She reminds me so much of me (heh). She loves loves loves to dance. She'll break it down anytime, anywhere to any rhythm. So far she's been really outgoing. Loves to venture off and explore. She's fearless, to say the least! I can already tell she's adventurous and loves a good adrenaline rush. It's so fun to see the differences in personalities between my children. Benson is still in his own world but Amelia is constantly reminding him that she's here! She loves to annoy her big brother. She'll sit on top of him if it means seeing what he's doing on the iPad. She's too much to handle! They've been playing together more. Now that she walks runs, we have so much more fun at the park, jumpy places, the store...even at home! I feel like we're constantly on the go! 

Amelia is talking more and more. She's still doing most of the signs I taught her but now she's saying 2-3 syllable words. She loves to listen and sing along to nursery rhymes. Her favorite over played song is Monkey's Jumping in Bed and If You're Happy and You Know it comes in close second. It's so cute to see her try and sing along. She's able to count to 3 and she can say "A, B, C & D". She's comprehending more and more of what we say and ask of her. It's so fun!! 

She loves learning about animals. She loves to look through her animal book and learn about the sounds they make. It takes me by surprise when she makes an animal noise especially when I didn't even know she knew it. The other day we were watching a commercial when a horse came on the screen and she kept saying, "neigh neigh". It amazes me, the knowledge she soaks up! She also loves to cuddle stuffed animals. Her favorite is her monkey. She brings it around everywhere. Everything about this stage is so much fun! I love seeing her mind work to comprehend what we say and to see it all in action when she says things all on her own!

Snowpocalypse 2014

We rarely get snow in Georgia but when we do, it's insane. The last snow storm that hit us, we were snowed in for almost a week. So when the meteorologists reported that it was going to snow, I'm sure most people didn't acknowledge it because snow never sticks here but low and behold, we got 2 inches of snow! And with the circumstances that came about, people were in gridlock traffic for hours, away from their homes and families. Children had to sleep at their schools. We were fortunate enough to be home together. I made my way home from downtown in terrible traffic but I'll take the little 2 hr drive over being stuck all night. With my lack of survival skills, I would have died. (maybe not die, but you know.)

This was Amelia's first snow and Benson's third snow experience. They had so much fun playing outside. I was just telling my mother in-law, who lives in MA, that I wish we could have brought the kids to visit so they could see snow! Benson was on the verge of tears when I made him come inside and take a break. He didn't even care that I had a warm cup of hot cocoa waiting on him. And as for Amelia, we've officially begun the I'm so mad at you limp body tantrums. So we had to first chase her and then carry her inside. Frozen toesies, fingers, and cheeks for both babes. 

 

The next day we slid in a laundry basket down our icy street. That's what happens when you have no sleds, toboggans or disks available!