Ayda turned 3 1/2 on June 4. I usually don't keep up with "month birthdays" for her anymore. But for some reason her half birthday stood out to me. I am not going to lie...3 has been a tough age so far. Ayda has such a big personality and is so smart. She definitely knows what she wants! We have had our struggles but I also must say this has been one of my favorite ages so far too. Funny how I can love and hate it. Days where she is just loving life and having fun are a blast! She has such a wit about her and sense of humor that keeps me laughing. So as we are into the second half of 3 and her 4th (how in the world?!) birthday will be here before long, I wanted to write down the things she is doing right now. 

Fashion: The girl has fashion and a strong opinion about it. The other day we were heading to the YMCA for me to work out and I realized she had on a nice sunday dress, pearls (fake), and her Easter sandles. For the Y!!!!! The girl loves clothes and wears dresses 95% of the time!

Learning: She loves Montessori. She has really missed being at school the past few weeks. She keeps asking when she will get to go back. I have some things at home that mimic what she has at school and she loves to sit at the table and work on them. She is writing her name better and better too! 

Ayda plays hard and then sleeps hard! Not much else to say. Below is a pic during nap time. She insisted on wearing her head band to bed! 

We really landed in a great neighborhood. There are lots of kids and everyone is so friendly. I am not sure we would make it without our neighbors across the street. They mow our front yard for us whenever they mow theirs and we have borrowed a cake pan (for when I had to make 150 brownies for Ayda's end of the year picnic!!) and a power drill to hang curtains. A couple weeks ago we had a neighborhood social. They had hot dogs and ice cream. We made it for ice cream after naps! There is an incredible play ground right next to the pool (totally saving me this summer). Ayda was really enjoying her ice cream below!

My water baby: Ayda still loves the water. She is a little more timid in the pool but she's taking swim lessons at the Y and doing awesome. And in the bath tub it's a whole other ball game. She has taught Hadley how to blow bubbles and they both get a kick out of that. And she loves to lay down in the water, have me take a picture, and she gets to see what her crazy hair is doing. The girl keeps me laughing for sure!

Ayda went through a little stage of not being so sure about her sister. Now that Hadley fights back Ayda didn't quite know what to do there. But after some discipline and chats about being kind and taking care of her sister they have really started to have fun together. I think Ayda needed to realize Hadley doesn't understand everything but that Ayda can teach her new things. Now they will play together and have a blast. Melts my heart!

So at 3 1/2 Ayda has her challenging moments but she also has more fun, hilarious, and sweet moments. She is so much fun to be with and the things that come out of her mouth keep us laughing. As my mom always says "That's so Ayda". So happy Half Birthday to Ayda! 

Major Update:

Ok so I am doing TERRIBLE with this blogging thing. I always have great intentions of keeping up to date and I just can't seem to do it. So here is a big update once again. Sorry for always having such long posts when I do finally post. Fortunately about 90% of my pictures are taken with my phone and I just found an app that allows me to make a collage of the pics I take. So I have clumped together several pictures for hopefully a less lengthy post!

Mother's Day:
My mom and Step-dad were supposed to come up and celebrate the weekend with us but my mom had a little set back with her leg. So they were unable to come which led us to having a pretty quiet weekend. With Mother's Day Sunday and Kevin's birthday Monday we did have a lot of fun celebrating both. It was nice to have a low key weekend though.

Kevin took me to Grove Park Inn for brunch with the girls. I was a little nervous about how they would behave at a nice place like that, but they were perfect!! Ayda LOVED being able to walk around and pick what she wanted to eat. And the ice-cream bar sealed the deal. And Hadley ate a ton of whatever we gave her. We really had a wonderful time, despite some nasty weather!!

These girls made me a momma and teach me new things everyday.

 Hadley Update:
Poor thing...I feel like I totally forget to update on all her changes. She is up to so much lately and I am really loving this stage. When she turned one she went through a sort of tough little stage. VERY clingy, VERY sensitive. We also started putting the pieces together to realize she was getting frustrated from competing with Ayda for toys, time, etc. Once we figured that out she really became so fun and happy again! At 14 months she still weighs 19 lbs and something. I don't think she has hit 20lbs yet. She is my little peanut! She has a big personality though. Because of her big sister she has discovered the "fire truck" shopping carts much earlier than Ayda ever did. She refuses to sit in a regular cart anymore and has a blast playing while we shop. She has been working on her molars to come through for a good 2 months and we have 1 to brag about. I am really hoping she cuts the other 3 really soon so we have a break before the 2 year molars start coming. She also LOVES to give us hugs and kisses. Makes my day everytime! She is so snuggly and sweet!

Dinner with Friends:
We have been so blessed to have made great friends already. I forget sometimes that we have only been here 6 months. We had dinner with a couple and their 1 year old at their house. They live on an old farm with mountains all around. It is absolutely gorgeous! The girls (and Kevin) enjoyed playing on their old school rope swing. It was a perfect evening weather wise and we really enjoyed that time with them!

Dupont Falls:

We went for our second time a couple weeks ago per Ayda's request. It's a little bit of a drive but so worth it. The hike is about 2 miles, of which Kevin ends up carrying Ayda 75% of it (bless him!). I opt to wear Hadley on my back in the Ergo! The falls are so pretty though. There are several you can hike to and both times proved to be such a sweet time with our family. 

New Diet:
I don't want to say diet because that's not really how I view it. But I was so tired of feeling exhausted all the time, tired of working out and "eating healthy" but not losing a pound, and just feeling overall blah. I sort of just got up one morning and told Kevin, something has to change. I had heard something about Paleo so we looked into it. I ordered the book in order to really understand the do's and don'ts. And we jumped in. We are not 100% Paleo but I am definitely pretty close. And I felt the results immediately. I feel so much better and I can tell such a difference when I cheat. There was a neighborhood social this past Saturday with ice cream and I wasn't even tempted. It just didn't sound good (if you know me well...you knot that's not my norm). After 2 weeks of it I am really hoping to make this a lifestyle change. And i'm dropping some pounds! Added bonus. Below is a picture of a Paleo Pizza I made Sunday. The crust is made of cauliflower, egg, oregano, and garlic. Sounds gross (trust me I was skeptical) but it was really really yummy. Hadley even enjoyed a big piece!! Tonight is Pesto Shrimp and Zucchini! Can't wait!!

So that is that. We are staying busy and trying to get into a summer routine. Ayda is home till August so I am just trying to keep both girls busy! And they definitely keep me busy!

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day! My husband let me sleep in! I only slept till 8 but since I usually get up at 6:30-7, that's sleeping in to me!

I became a mommy on December 4, 2008 when I held my sweet Ayda Grace for the first time. I had no idea how much I was about to change and be humbled in those first few moments. She has made being a mom the best and so much fun!

Then on March 25, 2011 I became a mommy to another precious little girl. Hadley Mei joined our family and again I fell in love. Being a mom to two kids brought on a whole different list of challenges but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

So on Mother's Day I really have my two little girls to thank. They challenge me, stretch me, love me (even in my not so lovable moments), teach me, and so much more. They make me laugh, cry, PRAY. They fill my arms with joy beyond any comparison. They are my heart! The day I became a mom my life changed forever!

And I can't leave out my own mom. She taught me so much about what being a mom is and the sacrifices that come with it. She too has brought so much to my life. She always thanked me for making her a mom and I thought that was so weird growing up. She always insisted she get me something on Mother's Day. Now I get it. My mom is the BEST and I love her beyond words! 

The Past Week

Last week Hadley caught whatever cold Kevin has had. Just some upper respiratory thing. She started running a fever Tuesday afternoon. It went as high as 104 one night. People ask me all the time these two questions...

When the girls run a fever what do you do?
We don't treat the fever. Our kids have never been given medication. When they have a fever we make sure they drink water and breast feed lots if they are still. We will comfort them with a cool cloth on their head and lots of snuggles. And most importantly, we take them to get checked by Kevin. If they are running clear (meaning the C1 and C2 bones in the neck are not subluxated) then we find comfort in knowing their body is doing what it needs. So we wait out the fever.

Do you take them to the pediatrician?
No. We take them to Kevin. Between Kevin's doctorate in Chiropractic and my nursing degree we can assess them to make sure they are fine. And if the dr prescribed meds we wouldn't give them anyway.

So back to Hadley...

Her fever started Tuesday. She was very congested as well. Stuffy/runny nose and congested cough. I took her to Kevin to get checked a few times. We have an instrument to check the girls at home but the one at his office is more accurate which we want when they are sick. Hadley was running clear each time we checked so we waited out the fever. It finally broke thru the night Saturday. Her congestion was better then too. Finally! She was pretty much herself Sunday.

Well Monday she wouldn't nurse well and woke from her nap very cranky. She would cry hysterically if I put her down and would fuss/cry when I held her. Not like her at all. We made it to bedtime and she went to bed without nursing. Second night which was weird. If she was weaning that is ok but to be so sudden was really strange. She woke up 4 times thru the night crying. We got up this morning and she was "happy" for about 10 minutes. Then she started back with fussing if I put her down. Thankfully we already were scheduled to see an Upper Cervical Chiropractor here in GA (we are in Atl this week visiting my mom). Hadley cried the whole way there (40 minutes) and became hysterical again when we arrived...before she was even checked.

Turns out she needed to be adjusted. Her second in her life. It was interesting to see her progression. She was adjusted and cried some after which is normal. I started nursing her, mainly for comfort. Within 10 minutes she was sitting in my lap playing quietly and smiling. I'm not lying when I say the last time she smiled was yesterday morning. Then we went in the playroom at the Chiropractors office and she played with Ayda some. She got checked again for a post adjustment reading and was good to go! She then slept the whole way back to my moms. We had lunch and I put her to bed for her nap. Again she was not interested in nursing which I figured was because she did so much at the chiropractors office.

After her nap she was sooooo much better. She woke up wanting to nurse right away. Then had a little snack. We ran to the grocery store and she had a blast with Ayda in the racecar. It was so good to see her happy again. We came home and I started cooking dinner and she played happily in the kitchen. And the night just kept getting better. By the end of tonight she was laughing, dancing, and being her silly self. How happy that makes me!! She nursed great to go to bed and went down without a fuss.

So if you ask me if I believe in what Kevin does my answer remains YES!! I have believed for a long time now but as I see something so drastic like yesterday and today it makes me want to tell everyone. And the best part is that I know once Hadkey fully beats this, her immune system will be even stronger than before.

Now I'm off to bed because I am one tired momma!!

Hadley is ONE!!!

I cannot believe my baby girl is now 1!! The year has flown by to say the least!

We had a fun party on Saturday. Friends and family came to our place to celebrate. Hadley was a little overwhelmed but I think overall everyone had fun! My mom even made the trip up which was great!! Here are a few pics from the party:

 Hadley was scared of the fire on the candle. Then when she touched the icing on the cake she clearly did not like the way it felt on her hand. So she had nothing to do with her cake. Her reaction was so cute and so her! So she enjoyed a couple strawberries instead. Fine with me...no dealing with a baby on a sugar high!

Here's what Hadley has been up to this month:

+ Weighed in at 19.4 pounds at the doctor (44%) and is 28 1/2 inches tall (24%). 

+Wearing size 3 diapers and on middle snap on cloth diapers still

+Wearing 12 month clothes but they are really too big on her. I didn't want to buy 9-12 month (which is really what she needs) for spring so we are just going with too big for now!

+Loves eating and prefers things with seasoning. She hands anything bland back to me!

+Usually wakes once at night still

+Loves carrying a baby or stuffed animal around. A couple are her size or bigger which is pretty cute to watch.

+Signs "more", "all done", and is slowly picking up on "please"

+Started nodding her head yes and no

+Wakes up from naps and night time pretty happy and likes playing in her crib for awhile before fussing to get out.

+Loves to cuddle

It's been a fun 12 months with this little one. I am excited to see her continue to grow this next year. 

Happy Birthday Hadley! We love you!!!

Sugar

So for lent this year I decided to ditch sugar. If you know me well you know this has not been an easy endeavor. But after 3 1/2 weeks I have to admit it is really good. I didn't realize how much I let my sweet tooth control my days. If I had a rough day with the kids or was just feeling blah...I "treated" myself to something sweet. If I was having a great day and all was going well...I "celebrated" with something sweet! You get the idea.

When I was thinking and praying about what to give up, sugar kept coming to mind. I wish I could say I willingly and happily said "sure God I'll give that up". I didn't. I ignored it, searched for something else, and tried to keep moving on. But in the end I knew I needed to give it up. 6 weeks. wow. Didn't think I could do it. But again it's been so freeing...and I feel so much better. I have also started working out lots so the combination has left me a couple inches smaller and with more energy. Clearer mind too!

Two days in I had a night where I just wanted my comfort food...one being when Kevin was out of town for a weekend. Ayda randomly starting throwing up Friday evening. The child has never thrown up in her life...and even as a baby she didn't spit up either! So with Kevin gone and me on my own I was cleaning up that all evening. And Hadley decided it was a perfect night to be more clingy than ever. So while trying to comfort and clean Ayda, I had Hadley screaming at the top of her lungs. It was an awesome night. All I wanted was a glass of wine and a HUGE bowl of ice cream. I was even tempted to just load my sick child and cranky other child into the car and head to DQ down the road. But I didn't. I started praying. Praying for my patience, peace, Ayda's health and comfort, and Hadley's peace. I prayed the whole weekend would not be like friday had started. I put Ayda to bed holding my breath that we would not be up all night and put Hadley to bed praying she would not want to nurse all night for comfort. And God answered...neither girl woke up and we all slept great. Ayda didn't throw up anymore that weekend but we layer low at home and it turned out to be a nice weekend with my girls. We rested, played at home, watched movies. All without sugar!!!

I'm writing this post more for me than anyone because I want to come back in three months and be reminded that sugar is not my comfort. God is. He will always comfort me and He can actually make things better for me in the end. Sugar just makes me sluggish and fat! I'll be honest I will be excited after Easter to have a treat now and then but I don't want to get back into the routine I was once in. I've always heard it takes 21 days to break a habit and start a new one. Lent is 46 days so here's to hoping I am starting a new habit!! Oh and it's amazing how sweet fruit tastes to me now! I keep telling Kevin that our grapes are SO good and sweet. I have a feeling my body and taste buds are actually able to finally taste and enjoy natural sugar! Yay!!

Strength

My mom has always been an example of strength in my life. She has always had and still does have more energy than me. She is a hard worker in her job. She has endured quite a bit in her life. And she has never failed to be there for me when I felt my weakest. She heard my ranting and cries through nursing school when I thought for sure I would fail. She was there to encourage me after boyfriend break ups or just life's ups and downs. She was my strength when I had none by encouraging me, hugging me, and most importantly praying for me.

Three weeks ago she began showing me once again how strong she is. And how great a mom she is. She fell and broke her leg really bad (honestly...break is putting it lightly). She's been through 2 surgeries, numerous doctor appointments, and still can't really get off the couch (finally made it to her bed to sleep last night!) more than to go to the bathroom. Yet, her spirits are high, she is finding ways to laugh at things, and she is still smiling. I have been down to ATL to visit her twice since her fall. Each time it was such a blessing to serve her. For 29 years I feel she has served me in so many ways. To finally give back has been so important to me. To do something as simple as painting her toe nails because the surgeons just really messed them up! I hate seeing my mom like this and seeing her go through pain. I want so bad for the healing process to speed up, though her doctor says she is doing fabulously! But even with a long recovery, her strength still shines! I hope that I am to my girls what she has always been to me.