Brace Yourself...

this old lady is going to have to get... braces!!!

I went for my consultation today and found out that I'm looking at getting braces (top, bottom, AND rubberbands) for 18 months.  Then a retainer.  I had braces as a young child, but only on the top.  It's not a straightening issue- my jaw is so out of whack that it's started to hurt, so I need to get it corrected.  I've kind of figured this for years, so I knew this was inevitable. 

Alright, alright, let's hear it... Brace Face? Tinsel Teeth? Metal Mouth? Bring them on! I can take it!  It's just hard to imagine that Taylor will be TWO before I get those bad boys off!

And yes, I am opting for the clear braces.  Just a little more expensive, but I think they'll be a little bit better.

Braces, here I come!

So, Tuesday is the big day.  I guess I can look at it this way... at least I'll have something in common with my 3rd graders. ;)

Big Little Girl

Every day, I am realizing that my little girl really isn't so little anymore.

I know that all parents go through this.  They probably have the same feelings of awe that I'm having now.  I mean, this little person was just a baby not so long ago!

And now she is so grown up...

Let me just tell you some things she does.

• Talks in sentences... no, I take that back.  Paragraphs.
• Can count in both English and Spanish.
• Counts in English to 30.  She could probably do even more, but she starts getting silly and will say "thirty-monkey" or "thirty-mama". :)
• Is 99.99999% potty trained.  Don't want to jinx it by saying 100%. 
• Climbs into and out of her car seat by herself.  Even gets the straps around her correctly.
• Recognizes 18 out of 26 letters, and most of the letter sounds.  We went to Publix today, and she was naming out the letters on the big sign above the doors.
• Can not only sing almost every nursery rhyme out there, but is starting to sing to pop songs, too!  (faves include Lady GaGa, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, and Rascal Flats... what a combination!)
• Has an impecable memory... she will bring up things from weeks ago and talk about them.
• Turns the lights on and off.
• Can unlock and open doors.  (uh oh!)
• Knows her colors and shapes.
• Takes the stairs all by herself.
• Can climb in and out of bed all by herself.
• Says the blessing every night before dinner (and reminds us if we forget!)
• Takes her plate to the sink after a meal.
• No more strollers, booster seats at the table, etc. 
• Cries when I lay out clothes for her that don't "match".  (I'm in for it!)
• Can dress herself, undress herself, and put her shoes on and take them off.
• Is starting to accurately know her right from her left.
• Knows how to talk on the phone.  (again, uh oh!)

Again, I know all parents go through this at one point.  It is just the strangest, strangest thing to have Sydney come in at 4:30 in the morning to wake us up because she has to use the restroom.  Or, when I put her to bed (and I'm home alone) and then I hear a door shut in my bedroom upstairs, on the opposite side of the house from her room... it's so crazy!  Tonight, after both girls were in bed, I was getting in the shower and, all of a sudden, I see someone standing in the doorway.  Yes, Sydney herself.  After a minor stoppage of the heart, I walked her back to her bed.  About 30 minutes later, I am downstairs and I hear the shower door shut.  I run upstairs and see Sydney coming out of our room, saying, "I look for you in the shower... You not be there!".  ;)

It's so crazy to think how much she can do on her own at 30 months!  My big little girl is growing up so fast!

On that note, let's take a trip down Memory Lane...

3 months

8 months

10 months

14 months

18 months

20 months

2 years old

2-1/2 years old

 

It really is true... enjoy the moments while you can, they won't last long!

Mystery Gift

Last week, Sydney received a package in the mail from Amazon.com.  Inside was the most perfect gift... a book entitled Monkey and Me!  It's all about a girl and her toy Monkey, and all the things they do and see. 

Needless to say, Sydney LOVES the book, and even reads it now... though, she replaces the "me" in the book with "Sydney", so she says, "Monkey and Sydney..." 

It is so perfect!  The only thing is... I have no clue who it came from!!  Any takers?  There was no packing slip inside.  I even called Amazon.com but they couldn't tell me who sent it.  It has to be someone who knows about Sydney and her monkey obsession. 

Anyways, if it happened to be you (or if you happen to know who it is!) please let me know... I want to know who to thank for such a thoughtful gift!

Egg-celent Egg-stravaganzas

Happy Easter, everybody!

This year, Easter was a hit with Sydney.  It's amazing how far one comes in a year.

Flashback to Easter, 2010:

• Sydney was about 18 months old and had fun picking up eggs, though she didn't really get the idea of the Easter Bunny.  She did love eating those goldfish in the eggs, though!
• This was the day we revealed to my family that I was pregnant!  I remember my dad was zoned into the tv when we casually brought it up in conversation... he did a double take and said, "Wait... what??"  :)  I was about 6 weeks along.
• I made a delicious (at the time) oreo/whipped cream/chocolate syrup dessert... and I have not been able to eat any of the aforementioned ingredients since.  Gotta love pregnancy morning sickness, and how the feeling can stay with you, even one year later!

Look at her straight, short hair!

OK, onto 2011.  We had a big year, with a grand total of 4 Easter Egg hunts that Sydney participated in. 

Egg Hunt #1:

Stephen's work does a great job at putting on holiday parties for the employees and their kids.  They didn't let down on this Easter party, which took place the weekend before Easter.  It included lunch, cupcakes (Sydney's fave), face painting, arts and crafts, and a visit from the Easter Bunny himself!  They had a big egg hunt, separated by age groups.  Here are a few pics of the day:

Egg Hunt #2:

The next egg hunt took place at Sydney's daycare on Good Friday.  I left straight from work to head to the daycare, only to miss the whole egg hunt.  Luckily, Stephen had the day off and took pictures of Sydney.  It was a fun day, and they had a big party afterwards in her classroom.

They are off!

Hmmm... snickers?  No... skittles?  No... Oh well, it must be good!

Egg Hunt #3:

This was the mondo egg hunt, put on by our church every year at the soccer fields next door.  It is definitely the place to be the day before Easter.  The numbers this year were: 35,000 eggs, 3000+ people, and over 800 cars.  A family even drove all the way there from Douglasville.  Crazy!  Stephen and I usually volunteer to head up the parking every year, but this year we decided to try to enjoy it with Sydney.  She had fun- they had inflatables, face-painting, concessions, and a few egg hunts, all sorted by age groups.  I couldn't believe how many toddlers there were.  Someone timed it and said all the eggs in the toddler area were picked up within 35 seconds!  Here are some pics of that:

She loved the fun mirror.

On your mark, get set...  GO!

Taylor enjoying the day... maybe next year she can participate :)

What a day...

On Easter Sunday, we woke up early and drove up to Gainesville to go to my sister's church. My niece, Madeline, had made the decision to get baptized! So, we got to go and see her get baptized. :) It was a great experience. After church, we went back to my sister's house and got lunch ready. We had a combined Easter/Kerrigan's birthday lunch. It was yummy. I ate so much I took a 2 hour nap when I got home. :) The girls did an Easter Egg hunt for Sydney, so here are pics from Easter & Egg Hunt #4:

Sydney and Taylor's Easter baskets

Sleepy-head checking out her basket

Sweet Taylor

The fam at Kendall's church

Sydney hunting for more eggs

What a great holiday!!!  

Taylor's Baptism

Better late than never!

Sweet Taylor was baptized on March 13 at our church.  Afterwards, we went back home and had a little brunch for some family, friends, and neighbors.  It was a great day!  Our church is very dim, so some of the pics are kind of dark.

Shannon and Allie

"Baby Landon"

Me and "Ms. Melissa"

The Sherry girls

Me and my big sis

Monkey was included, of course...

I didn't get pictures of a few more friends and family who were there. :(  We were so glad everyone could be a part of Taylor's special day!  It was a great one!  

4 Month Stats!

Today, Stephen flew to Charlotte, so it was just me and the girls.  We went to Taylor's 4 month check up this morning.  Everything looked good!!  She got a shot in each leg, plus an oral vaccine.  It's funny with the second child... with Sydney, I wouldn't get more than one shot done at a time.  With Taylor, I'm just trusting that all will be fine and getting them done as recommended by the doctor. 

Anyways, I digress.  At 4 months and 6 days of age, Taylor is a whopping 17 pounds, 5 ounces (>95%), 25-1/2 inches (90%) and her head circumference is 43 cm (90%). 

Just a little comparison, at 3 months and 26 days of age, Sydney was 13 pounds, 11 ounces and 24 inches!  Sydney wasn't Taylor's weight or height until 7 months! 

The nurse told me that, on average, a baby at 4 months is between 20-23 inches.  That made me realize how really big Taylor was when she was born, being 22 inches from the get-go.  They say all babies should double their birth weight by 6 months, so I'm thinking she is pretty well on track to do that... ;)  She still fits in a lot of her 3-6 month clothes, but I have pulled out most of her 6-9 month clothes to start putting her in. 

Anyways, she looks very healthy, so that is a wonderful thing.  :)  Here's a pic from the park yesterday!

Spring Break 2011- Part 3

Tuesday

So, we got back from Callaway Gardens (with an accident-free, no-stopping-for Sydney!!) and got to work.  I decided to "simplify" my stuff... Do I really need the 4 bins of packed-away clothes that I haven't worn in a couple of years?  Do I need 20 pairs of jeans that I never wear?  (literally... it's pathetic)  So, I got to that while Stephen did a bunch of stuff around the house.

We did get some more outside time in, though.  Sydney insisted on wearing her new bathing suit.  Here are some pics from that.

Wednesday

Stephen had to go back to work today, so the girls and I packed up the car and drove to Gainesville to see my sister and her girls.  Sydney loooooooves her Aunt Kendall, Uncle "Mashew", Madeline and Kerrigan.  We hung out at the house, went to a nearby park, did the Wii Fit, ate dinner, and then headed back home. 

Girl talk with Aunt Kendall.

Fun at the park.

Yoga.

Ski jump.

Couldn't resist the matching outfits.