Happy Birthday Payton!

Wow!  Please tell me that Payton is not 3 years old already!! I am not quite sure how this happened so quickly.  People would always tell us how fast time flies with young kids, and at the time when we were experiencing so many sleepless nights, it was hard to image how true that statement really is, but let me tell you, it's true!  It seems like we blinked and all of a sudden, we now have a little girl, and there is no more "Baby Payton." :(

However, this fact is definitely bittersweet.  Even though it is sad that we no longer have Payton as a little baby, there is absolutely nothing more fulfilling, rewarding, or enjoyable than watching her grow and learn new things!  She has the biggest personality, and sometimes I feel like I have a little adult walking around with me instead of a three year old!  Haha!  She knows all of her letters, shapes, and colors, and is DEFINITELY aware of her likes, dislikes, and preferences!  We are starting to see that the "3's" bring some drama with them, and can cause some challenging behavior issues, but all in all, this has been the most fun stage yet!  

 The girls and I stay pretty busy during our days at home.  I have definitely learned that I am happier as a stay-at-home mom if we stay busy and get out and do things often!  On Mondays, we go to play group, Tuesdays are gymnastics, Wednesdays we go to play group again, and Thursdays we go to Kindermusik.  Friday is usually our catch up day around the house.  Payton has been doing so well in all of her classes!  Gymnastics has been a bit of an adjustment, because this is her first class that she has been in that I am not a part of.  This has also been the longest class, (1 hour) which is quite a while for a 3 year old to stay focused and follow directions.  However, she has made so much progress since the first class, so we are super excited about that!  We feel like this is going to be good for Payton to continue, since she will be starting preschool in the fall.  I have actually been super anxious about this, because in the past, Payton has struggled to stay places without me.  However, I am starting to realize as I am watching her progress that this is going to be a much bigger adjustment for me than it is for her.  lol!  One of her best friends, Tinley, is going to be in her preschool class this fall, so I am sure that this will help with any separation issues.  Although, I think mommy might need a dose of some anti-anxiety meds before the first day!  Haha! ;)  It's funny, because when I was teaching, I swore I would never be "that" parent, and now, I am totally "that" parent! lol! Parenting has taught us many things, but one of the main things it's taught us is that you never say never! Haha! ;)

In addition to all of the developmental milestones that Payton is accomplishing, she is also growing to have the biggest heart!  At times, out of nowhere, she will run and throw her arms around my neck with a big "I love you, mom!"  This definitely brings a smile to my face!  Also, the other day, she said to Ryan, "Daddy, I told God that I like you."  This was such a sweet thing to hear.  We have really been trying to emphasize the importance of thanking God for all of our blessings, and in her mind, this was Payton's way of telling God that she was thankful for daddy! :) She also loves to help take care of Elin, and is quick to point out if Elin is ever upset and tries to analyze what we can do to fix it.  Such a sweet big sister!

On Payton's birthday, we had such a good day!  Ryan took the day off, I surprised Payton with some cake batter pancakes for breakfast, she went to gymnastics class, we ate at Pizza Hut with one of her good friends from class, Addy, and her mom Stephanie, and then went to the park and let the girls play.  Once we arrived home we let Payton open her presents from mommy, daddy, and Elin, took a walk, and grilled out for dinner.  It was such a gorgeous day!  The following weekend, we had a "Veggie Tales" themed birthday party with all of our close friends and family. 

Payton Elaine- Please know that you make our lives SO great!  We are so proud of the little girl that you are becoming and cannot wait to see where the Lord takes you in life.  Our prayer daily is that we are doing all we can as parents to instill God's love within you and that we are following His direction as he helps us lead you to follow His plan.  Everyday with you is such a blessing, and we love you with all of our hearts!  Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Girl!

Elin Cole- 5 Months!

We cannot believe that our little girl is 5 months old!  She is growing so fast and changing so much every day.  We really could not have asked for a more precious baby.  I just love how God knows exactly which kids to give to which parents! 

Miss Elin will turn 5 months old this week!  I want to make sure that I take the time to capture all of the milestones we get to experience her first year of life.  She is a fantastic sleeper!  Ryan and I always joke with others that she sleeps better than Payton does even now, and has since she was about 11 weeks old!  Poor Payton! lol!..or should I say poor mommy and daddy! Haha! ;) It is crazy to me how different the two of them are, even though they are sisters.  Elin absolutely hates the bathtub!  She has right from the start, and I kept thinking that once she got a little older, she would grow to like it, but so far we have had no luck!  This is quite a bit different than Payton who has always loved the bathtub.  Also, a huge difference that I have noticed between the two of them is their eating habits.  Payton would never eat ANY baby food!  I stressed and stressed over this her first year of life!  Thankfully, she is now a much better eater, but up until just recently, meal times were a struggle.  Elin on the other hand, loves to eat!!  I kept putting off solid foods with her, because I always dreaded this stage with Payton, but she opened big and wide for her first bite of squash and loved it!!  I was so excited!  So far, she has had squash, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, avocado, pears, and bananas, and they have all been a success.  I am really anxious to continue making my own baby food.  This was something I wanted so bad to do with Payton, but never really got the chance to, because she just hated to eat!  lol!  Crazy the difference between the two! 

In addition to eating, Elin can now sit really well with support, and is really close to rolling over.  We are kind of surprised that she hasn't done this yet, but feel like she could if she wanted to bad enough.  This is kind of reflective of her personality, pretty laid back, and not in a huge hurry or too anxious about anything!  I am pretty sure we are waiting on a couple teeth to pop through, so we are excited to see when that happens.

I do think in a way, I am relaxing and enjoying the baby stage a little more this time around.  Of course, I loved it so much with Payton, but with her being the first, I now realize that we stressed and worried about a lot of things that weren't worth worrying about at all.  I guess that's what goes along with being a first time parent.  I now know that with prayer and teamwork a lot of things end up working themselves out, and that a lot of the developmental issues I always worried and stewed about end up taking care of themselves with age.  I am thankful to now have this perspective the second time around. 

I can't even begin to describe how blessed I feel to be able watch our children grow and develop everyday.  Life with 2 young kiddos can be crazy and exhausting at times, but I absolutely love it and wouldn't trade it for anything.  I feel like we are in a pretty good routine during the days.  Payton has adjusted well and loves her new role as the big sister.  I cannot wait to watch them grow into best friends!

Enjoying Big Sister's Birthday Party!



We like squash!!!

Our first afternoon playing outside after our terribly cold winter!

All dolled up after our Easter pictures!

Our first walk outside!

 

 Happy girl!

Little Lady!

Life with 2!

So, we've been learning day by day how to balance life with two kiddos!  It's not always easy, we have about zero downtime, we don't get a lot of sleep, and my house is almost always a wreck, even though I feel like I'm constantly picking up toys, doing laundry, etc.!  Lol!  However, there is absolutely nothing else I would rather be pouring my whole self into!  I thought I would include some of these photos considering this is how most of our evenings pan out.  I DO feel like we are getting into more of a schedule now though, and I absolutely love all the laughs, smiles, and love that we get to experience everyday!

 

Sisters!

Puzzles!

Payton has been really into puzzles over the past couple of months.  She's actually really good at them!  We had to get the camera out, because a couple of months ago, she put her first big floor puzzle together all by herself.  The mommy in me wanted to jump in and help her, but Ryan kept holding me back, saying "let her do it, she's about got it!"  Sure enough, after being really patient, she completed her first one!  Now, she puts them together all the time, and it's one of her favorite activities!

Valentine's Day 2014

The girls and I had lots of fun on Valentine's Day this year.  Payton made Valentine cards for all of her friends in her Kindermusik music class, and had a ball handing them out to everyone.  We also got up a little extra early to make a trip to Donut Bank for some donuts before music class.  I think Payton is now hooked and asks for chocolate donut holes ALL the time! Lol!  Elin is always such a good little trooper as we drag her all over going to Payton's activities.  This past week at play group, she got to get out of her seat and play a little, which was fun.  She is starting to be much more alert and interested in holding/playing with small toys.  So fun! 

Daddy sent the girls balloons to the house, which Payton thought was SO neat.  He also sent mommy some flowers and chocolate covered strawberries.  The girls enjoyed opening their Valentine baskets from mommy and daddy that evening. 

Holidays 2013

So, after sitting down this morning and going through some of the pictures on our camera in order to organize them on the computer, I discovered that there were quite a few photos that I forgot to post of the holidays this year.  Given that Elin was only a couple months old, we were still kind of in survival mode.  Haha!  Therefore, I am going to play catch up this morning and try to post all that I can to bring us up to date! Below are some more pics of the holidays this year.  We spent a week in Fairfield getting to see lots of family and with all the snow, Ryan was able to be home a little more that usual this year.

Snuggles with Aunt Kyla!

 

 Baking Christmas Cookies!

 

 Opening Presents from Uncle Brent, Aunt Ashli, and Liam

 

Elin Cole- Showing off her Christmas Jammies!

Enjoying time at home, reading with Daddy!

Helping mommy make green play dough