the sort-of snow angel and other stuff

Well, not much has been going on with us...just dying for spring to get here so we can play outside! We missed the good snow here last weekend because we were in Huntsville at my parents' house. We got a little bit there, but only enough to cover the deck and dust the grass. Lilly was dying to make a snow angel, so she had to try it on the deck. I just thought it was a funny picture of her. Mamie has been making some of the funniest faces, but I can't ever catch them with my camera. She's getting quite a personality and is into everything right now--her favorite things to do include: playing in the potty when it's accidentally left open, getting into her sister's play make-up or chapstick and eating it/smearing it everywhere, getting boxes of crackers or cookies out of the pantry and digging into them, climbing up onto her sister's bed, and pulling all 200 books off of Lilly's bookshelf. I get panicky when it gets too quiet--she's usually up to something she's not supposed to be doing. I make her sound like she's bad, but she actually minds so well--all I have to do is tell her "no" and she gets her feelings hurt.

My parents' house backs up to a land trust so the woods go on forever behind their house. I took Lilly "hiking" one day. I don't think we'll be taking her camping any time soon. This is how our walk went:

Lilly: "Let's go back to the house, Mommy."

Me: "Isn't this fun? Look, a snail shell! Do you want to take it home with you?"

Lilly: "No thank you mommy. Let's go back to the house. I think there might be wolves."

Mamie and Pop spent lots of time swinging

Mamie trying her best to sneak up on Scole. You can tell she's concentrating with that tongue out. Once in a while he lets her jump on him and sit on him like she's riding a horse. We'll never get another dog that will put up with the things he puts up with--sweet boy.

I had to have this documented. Mamie has been doing this for a couple of months now. She climbs up on Lilly's bed all the time and just rolls around on the pillows laughing, or Lilly gets up there with her and jumps. (Probably really safe...my next post will probably be about a trip to the emergency room from falling off of the bed.) She just works so hard at getting up there.

Success! (and look at the curls)

I just love her in a nightgown. She's trying to get Lilly's pez.

This is her laughing face. She scrunches up her whole face and shows those two hippo teeth.

the monkey's treehouse

Today we met Cal & Lexi and Olivia & Grant at the Monkey's Treehouse to play. Ellie and Ty were supposed to come, but Ty was sick--we missed them! It was so much fun. It's really a neat place and has so much for kids to do. Even the little ones could play. They have couches and comfy chairs for moms to sit on, and you can actually relax and have a conversation while they play and run around. It is a little bit pricey ($7) and they charge admission for kids 8 months and up, but we will definitely go back (even thought it was almost a 50 mile drive for us)! After they played, we walked across the parking lot to McDonald's for lunch. I just wish this place had been around for our birthday party this year. It was a very fun day!

Lexi and Mamie picking vegetables

Cal and Lilly in the treehouse

Mamie was OBSESSED with the sand--the only thing that wore me out. She had a diaper and pockets full of sand when we left.

Lexi hanging out in the toddler area

Little Grant hanging out and rolling around

mamie at 1 year

Mamie is everywhere and into everything these days. She started walking a couple of weeks before her party and is practically running around the house after Lilly now. She's saying dog, mama, daddy, "deedee" for Lilly, no no no, juice, uh-oh, cracker, eat, book, bye-bye, moo, nose, shoes, "buh-buh" for her bunny, and I'm sure other words I can't think of. She says something new almost every day. She is still such a happy baby and plays by herself so well. She adores her big sister and follows her everywhere. Lilly is so cute with her and has started calling her "darlin" or precious all the time. I don't know where she got "darlin" because I don't really say that, but it is so cute to hear her talking sweet to Mamie. I'll be getting ready and hear her say something like, "Come here Mamie darlin, you can play with this if you want to." It is so cute. When Mamie was getting her shots on Wednesday, Lilly was holding her hand and saying "it's ok precious darlin." Mamie was 20.2 pounds (50th %) and 31 inches tall (95th %). She had weighed a lot more than that the last time we were at the doctor, but I think she lost a lot when she had the stomach bug. She still only has 4 teeth which is so strange to me--Lilly had all of hers by her first birthday. The only thing we are really struggling with right now is switching to cow's milk from formula. I didn't have this problem with Lilly since she never took a bottle or formula, so any advice would be great. When I try to give her milk she gags and spits it all over the place. I'm really ready to quit buying $24 cans of enfamil. Hopefully now that March is here we'll all stay well and we can work on the milk issue. If that's all I have to complain about then we're pretty lucky. It's so much fun with the ages they are at right now--they are starting to play together so well. I love my sweet girls.

How big is Mamie?

This is old--from Jan. 1st, but I loved it--she is so crazy about Scole. She said "dog" before "mama."

I feel like a total moron posting a sideways video, but it's the only good one I have of her walking. Sorry!!

you're never too sick for snow

As I mentioned before, February has been a hard month for us--someone has been sick the entire time. The night after I posted about us being sick, I got E-Coli and was sick for about 5 days (thank you, J. Alexander's), and then Lilly, Mamie, and Jon got the stomach bug the next week, and I am sick again with a cold or something--who knows? It has been a LONG month. I am ready for spring!!! However, we crave snow around here and poor little Lilly has been waiting and waiting and waiting for snow all winter long. She asks all the time when she sees the weatherman on the news if it is going to snow "next day." Well, when it finally snowed, she had a 103 fever. I just couldn't make her stay inside and miss playing in what would most likely be the only snow of the year. I bundled her up and we went outside for about ten minutes. She was dying to make a snowman, so we made a ten-inch tall one on the sidewalk. She had so much fun. Scole had a blast too--he's like a puppy whenever it snows.

We heart Chuck E Cheese

Well, It's only been a month and a half...but better late than never (I guess?). This year we decided Chuck E Cheese sounded like the perfect place--no set-up, no clean-up, and I had no idea how I was going to feel after having my tonsils out. Lilly's birthday is in January and Mamie's is in February, so we combined their birthdays and had one party on January 20th. I felt a little guilty having Mamie think it was her birthday when she was really just 11 months old, but I'm sure she didn't know any different. It was just family--grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Of course, it was a princess party and Lilly wanted to wear her "clown". They both got so many presents it was overwhelming--especially so soon after Christmas. Here are a few pictures from the party--sorry they aren't in any particular order!

Lilly posing with Sassy and a few of her "princess" presents

The "grown-ups" table--Kim, Jeff, Kellye, Zach, Branson, and Kristin

Mamie had so much fun opening her presents

CJ and Pop with the birthday girls--not too sure about that face Lilly is making.

Lilly opening one of many presents

The amazing Cinderella cake that my talented friend Elisabeth whipped up at the last minute

Mamie wasn't too sure about that cake. She never did really eat any of it...but mommy sure did :)

Who invited the big kid on the end?

The birthday girls--3 and 1!!!