Reflection

While this wasn't in my "blogs to come" list but something that I was reflecting on this morning and wanted to blog it. Today is April 30th and tomorrow will be Ainsley's 1st Birthday. Her golden birthday will be her first birthday and it will also be my Dad and Sallie's 26th wedding anniversary. All I can think is where did this year go? Things went fast with Kaylee but I feel like it's twice as fast with the second, probably because you don't have all the time to just fixate on one. Ainsley is also such a good baby and really has always been. Kaylee was boarder line acid-reflux and colicky, but A has always seemed happy, calm, cool and collected. Not to say she doesn't ever get a little frustrated but she generally is just easy going.
This time last year I went to work and then Brad picked me up around 1:30 or so to go do pre-op and then off to Dr. Nord for one last appointment, not only last for this pregnancy but for any pregnancy. We knew Ainsley was the completion of our family. I remember my appointment was at 4:30 because when I made my last few appointments the nurse and I laughed because my last one was 4/30 at 4:30. I remember we went to Brad's parents, after the doctor, because they had picked Kaylee up and she was going to stay there. When I put her to bed at their house I walked out into the hallway and started crying because I felt like we were doing something horrible to Kaylee by having another baby. Now I can't remember what it was like before we had both girls.
We are truly blessed to have such healthy, beautiful and happy children. To have what we do is something you always hope for but you know it isn't guaranteed, and I am so thankful we are some of the fortunate people in this world. I look so forward to all of the things to come as the girls grow and develop, but as I sit here in my reflection I also realize to savor all the "now" moments because before I know it another year will be gone!

Here we go...

So I wasn't sure what to title this post. With the weather being so nice last week we were able to take our nightly walks. We usually go on these after dinner time, sometimes we take the stroller and sometimes we take the wagon. We haven't gotten the wagon out yet this year because Kaylee loves to walk and I really think Ainsley would try to stand and "surf" the whole time, or climb out. So we've been taking A in the stroller and K's new thing she enjoys is "walking Abby". Now keep in mind this is a 35lb (approx.) walking a 70 lb. lab. I have to say Abby is so good with Kaylee and doesn't pull or try to "walk Kaylee". Brad is usually the over-seer of this as I'm pushing Ainsley. Kaylee will run with Abby and yell "come on girl, come on pig", yes that's right she calls her a "pig". Not because she thinks Abby is a pig, but because Brad will call Abby this, affectionately, in the same way Farmer Hogget would say it to Babe. If you haven't seen the movie then you are most likely even more confused by this, but trust me it's comical. The other thing that Kaylee is still (I say still because we went through this last year) fascinated by are dandelions. She loves to pick these "beautiful flowers" and give them to me, which is very sweet. Now we don't have a lot of these in our yard as Brad doesn't share her admiration for them, but plenty of our neighbors do, and as we walk and she loves to pick them. Sometimes she gets a little to excited and tries to pick their actual flowers. Since we live in the midst of timber there are many people who will plant flowers and things by their mailboxes, and edges of driveways, so we have had to be vigilant in our watch of this. Plus when she's picking these dandelions she's usually let go of Abby's leash. Thankfully Abby will stay put, but this again shows the importance of Brad's roll and why I like to push the stroller. I can laugh, take photos and just keep on walking while Brad rounds everyone up and gets them back on track. Posted below are some of the photos of one such walk as described above.

Posts to come!

I would like to make a little of list of "Posts to Come". This is for 2 reasons, 1. So I don't forget and 2. Because I'm not sure when it will be, hopefully this weekend at the latest, if anyone checks I don't want you to think I've abandoned my blog....I'm sure you would all be so worried...hah!

• Kaylee walking Abby
• Ainsley's 1st Birthday party
• Ainsley and Kaylee Birthday photos
• Ainsley turns 1-her real birthday

My disclaimer for above, well not really a disclaimer, but a reason behind putting this weekend as a goal is that the last 2 don't actually take place until Thurs. so I may do 1/2 and 1/2, the first 2 pre-weekend, and the last 2 post-weekend. We'll see...knowing my luck it'll be Kaylee's b-day before I get anything posted and my list will just get longer....wish me luck!

Venting

So I'm going to post a "venstration" today. "Venstration" is a term I like to use when I'm venting about something that frustrates me. Today's topic will be "The debate over public breast-feeding." Now really anything within the topic of "breastfeeding" gets on my nerves. Mostly because I am not one to try to tell everyone else that is doing the opposite of me that they are wrong! I breastfed my girls both for 2mos., sorry if that's a little TMI, but with Kaylee there were serious supply/demand issues. Ainsley was a little easier, however I was never able to produce enough to allow me to pump and breastfeed, so I knew when I went back to work it just wasn't going to work out.
I subscribe to Parenting, and almost every month there is a comment or poll or something regarding breastfeeding, which makes sense given the genre of the publication. This month there was the age old debate about breastfeeding in public. I would like to take this moment to state my position on this topic. I don't care! I do find there are more discrete ways then others to do this, however I really don't care. People have to do what they need to. There was a time in this world where formula, and all the other things we feed our children didn't exist. What did was breastfeeding. So if someone is making that choice so be it. Just as if someone is in public feeding their baby a bottle don't persecute them for not breastfeeding. Really you never know the whole story as to why they made that choice, and it shouldn't matter because it's their choice. As long as children are being fed then let's move on. However, what struck up my need to "venstrate" is someone said that everyone else can eat in public why can't babies. Seriously? That is your argument? Not saying it's an untrue statement but if we saw everyone else, in public, eating by being hooked onto a body part that may be a little different. But then again if everyone ate that way we wouldn't have this debate and I wouldn't have a "venstration!"

Hair Accessories for Sale!

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Stefanie, has started making hair bows. The back story to this is that she has a 5 mos. old Kasyn who is absolutely adorable but has little hair. Stef tried to use hair accessories that you can get in packs, from Wal-Mart, etc, but they wouldn't stay in. So she found some nicer ones at Von Maur but got tired of paying $5-8 per bow. So she decided to make them herself. In ordering the materials she learned you can only do so in bulk and decided she would sell some. So here are some photos of the bows. I have to say they are super cute and you know my girls have some. She is selling the small barrettes for $3.00, and the large flowers are $4.00. If you would like to purchase some or know anyone who would email her at srfandkdjf2@verizon.net, give her your contact info and she will be in touch. She doesn't check this email daily so if you've sent her an email and haven't heard back in a few days let me know and I'll track her down!

Girls Weekend

Just a quick post, hopefully a photo later, about my Girls Weekend. This past weekend I went to visit my sister-n-law, Kristin, in Chicago. I opted to take the train, as gas is SO expensive! I got up there Friday night around 9. We had a couple drinks and just sat and had very "intellectual" conversations of the gossip magazines we had. Saturday we shopped, shopped and shopped. I have to say I feel fashionably behind times. I have gotten rid of many things over the past year and not really replaced them so I needed to update! I have to say I wasn't overly excited about the new spring stuff, not very colorful. I did get a few things and some stuff for the girls for their birthdays. Then Sat. night we went to dinner at the Grand Luxe. This is the second time I have eaten there and I enjoy it every time! I also have to say while Kristin and I were waiting for our table we were people-watching and I felt much better about my fashion sense. Then Sunday I got ready and came home on the train where Brad and the girls met me with flowers! I was so happy to see them. I had such a great time and enjoyed hanging out with Kristin. It's good to be back though. Kristin-thanks for a fun weekend! Holla!!

Easter Part II

Part II Begins:
Sunday morning Kaylee and Ainsley found this awaiting them.

So when I last posted I had covered Saturday of Easter weekend. So I will continue on with Sunday. Sunday we woke-up and the girls found their baskets from the bunny, as shown above. Saturday night Brad and Kaylee made some pancakes, which they do often as Brad likes to limit the sugar, etc. that is placed in them and then we freeze them and you can take them out and pop them in the toaster, anyway this particular time they made them different colors. So we left a blue and red pancake out for the bunny because according to Kaylee this is what the bunny likes for a snack. Who knew....

Here's Ainsley playing with a shaker toy from the bunny.

Kaylee is checking out her new rain boots from the Easter Bunny
Kaylee reading a new book from the Easter Bunny

Here Kaylee is eating one of the special "colored" pancakes
Here is Ainsley in her Easter best. She actually had a different dress but it was so cold we opted for this. A girl can never have too many outfits. You just don't know what you'll need! Below her is Kaylee in her Easter dress. It only took about 40 pics to get a decent one of her sitting still. Thanks goodness for digital!

Kaylee got a bouncy ball, one you sit on and bounce, for Easter from my mom. This was an awesome gift for her as she has always been a bouncer. Even in my tummy I called her "thumper". It was so big! I had to put it next to Ainsley just for reference. Well Mee-maw had blown it up too far and it popped. But Mee-Maw is a smarty and had bought one for her house so now we have that one, and while it's not quite as big it's still pretty big. Ainsley enjoys trying to roll over it. Her own version of pilates I think. Ainsley is playing with a punch balloon that Aunt Kristin had bought.