Summer 2013!

It's hard to believe that summer is coming to a close.  Even though its somewhat sad that it's over, we couldn't be more excited for this next season and for all of the exciting changes that will be happening with our family!  Only 7 more weeks until we get to meet our sweet new baby girl!  At the beginning of the summer, I created a "Bucket List" for Ryan, Payton, and me.  I have seen a few other families do this and thought it was a great way to create family memories as well as to make sure that we were taking advantage of all the times we were able to share together.  We have quickly learned that it is crazy how fast time flies with little ones at home and feel that it is extra important to make the most of each day.  I am excited to say, that we were able to check off almost every item on our list, and the few that we weren't able to get to, I will have to take note of so that we can get to them next year.  Some of the items were simply activities for us to do together while others were developmental goals that I created for Payton.  With that being said, here is our family's "Bucket List" for Summer 2013:

1) Zoo Trip- Payton really loved the zoo this year!  We read a lot of books with animals in them, and it was fun to watch her recognize that some of the animals in her favorite books were also at the zoo!

 

 



 

2) Trip to Holiday World- This was Payton's first visit to Holiday World, and we all had a blast!

 



 

3) Watch Fireworks!- We didn't see too many good ones on the fourth of July, but were able to watch some from our balcony in Destin, FL

 

 

4) Boat Ride- We were able to take several boat rides on Papa's boat this summer.  Payton loved it!

 

 

5) Picnic Lunch at the Park- Fortunately, we were able to do this several times this summer.  In this particular picture, Payton's best friend Tinley was able to join us, and Ryan met us at the park over his lunch hour.

 



 

6) Build a Sandcastle- Payton loved the sand this year and was able to play in it both in Hilton Head Island, SC and in Destin FL this summer.

 

 

7) Swimming Lessons!- Payton completed two 6 week sessions this summer.  She is now finished until she turns 3.

 

 

 8) Make Homemade Ice cream- Unfortunately, this was one we just didn't get to this year, although we made several runs for ice cream to places like orange leaf, Dairy Queen, and Sonic.  Guess I'll push this one to next summer! :)

 

9) Potty Training!!  This has been a work in progress, although, I think we are almost there!! We have came a long way over the course of the summer. I've been told that it's best not to push this too hard, so I tried not to stress about it a whole lot. However, it would be REALLY nice to have this mastered before the new baby, so now that Payton has a pretty good grasp on it, my goal is to take a week in October to focus solely on this to get it mastered!  Please excuse the picture, I just couldn't help myself! :)

 

 

10) Loose Paci!!- It is with great pride that we are able to check this one off the list.  I didn't think we would ever loose the pacifier, and if we did, I was certain that I'd never get a good night's sleep again!  Lol! Fortunately, this was not the case at all!! My strategy, as with most parenting issues, was to spend one afternoon in intense prayer over the issue and to tackle it the next day with patience, consistency, and strength! Haha! I must say, the Lord has never let me down! It really only took one hard day to break Payton from this.  We explained to her how big girls really don't need to use pacifiers and that we knew she was a big girl and could do this. She did ask for it a few times the first day, but I just made sure I had a lot of fun distractions available for her like fun treats and busy, hands on activities. I let her have it at nap and bed time only the first day, but I cut the tip off and took it straight out of her mouth the second she was close to falling asleep.  The second day, she only asked for it at nap, which I gave to her, but cut a little more off the tip. She went to bed just fine that day without it. The third day, she didn't ask for it at all, and its been about a month since we've had any pacifiers around the house!! We know she is broke, because we can talk about her giving up her pacifier to others in front of her without her getting upset.  She actually seems very proud of herself, and of course, we are too!  Good job Payton!! I had to include this picture because THIS was how we started off the summer, hence as to why this goal seemed so unreachable.  lol! 

 

 

11) Pick strawberries- We weren't able to pick strawberries this year, so this is one that will be pushed to next year; however, Payton loved getting to pick tomatoes in papa's garden!

 

 

 

 12) Visit the Children's Museum- We did this towards the start of summer and are definitely due for a trip back. Always a great time when we visit cMoe!

 

 

13) Fly a Kite- This is another that we just didn't get to this summer. I'm actually thinking that we might add it to our "Fall Bucket List!"

 

14) Feed the ducks!- Payton got to do this the weekend she stayed with grandma and grandpa!  Of course she loved it, given that she loves to do anything that involves animals!

 

 

 15)  Late night run to DQ- Fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, we had several nights where we could have checked this off the list, and I think my weight gain with this pregnancy is starting to reflect that! Haha!! Not only did we have several runs to DQ, but we also made several runs to Sonic for milkshakes!  lol! I still think the ice cream was worth the calories though! :)

 

 

16) Make a cobbler together- Unfortunately, we didn't get to do this with Payton, but she did get to do it with her Aunt Kyla! (Aunt Kyla is the master baker of the family!) I'm confident Payton had JUST as much fun doing this with her aunt!

 

 

17) Trip to the cabin with grandma and grandpa- We were able to take several weekend trips to my parents cabin this year.  Payton loved the boat and of course, loved spending time with her grandparents!

 

 

18)  Swim in the Ocean!- Our little "water baby" LOVED swimming in the ocean this year!

 

 

19) Trip to Chuck E Cheese- This was a great rainy day activity, and given that it was a little harder for mommy to get around this summer, daddy was a trouper and helped chase Payton through the tunnels! Haha!

 

 

 

 

20) Graduate from Payton's crib in the nursery to her big girl bed in her new bedroom!- Last night was Payton's first night in her new bed, and she did great!  She slept until 5:00 this morning and went right back to sleep after I laid next to her for a bit.  This is good for Payton!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great summer we have had!  So thankful for all the memories we have made/continue to make as we grow our family! God is SO good and we have never been more thankful for his abundant love and blessings!

 

"But if serving the Lord seems undesireable to you, then choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorities, in whose land you are living, But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

 



 

Holiday World 2013

We took Payton to Holiday World for the first time last Sunday.  She LOVED it! It was kind of a last minute decision. I didn't know if I was up for tackling the crowd and the heat, and I wasn't sure if they would have enough stuff that Payton could actually do.  However, I am so glad that we decided to go!  It turned out to be such a great day, and there were so many rides/slides/games that Payton really enjoyed.  The poor girl was SO worn out by the end of the day though.  She was sound asleep before we got out of the parking lot. Ryan and I had a great time re-capping all the fun on the ride home and shared a "life just doesn't get much better than this," glance with each other at the end of the day.  I am completely confident that we both had WAY more fun enjoying this trip with Payton than we ever did when we went as kids! Here are some pictures from the day!

 

 

Fun With Jello Jigglers!

So, I have mentioned before that Payton knows all the letters of the alphabet and that she loves to help me cook.  This week, due to the extreme heat we've been having, I've been trying to think of some fun indoor learning based activities that Payton can do to help keep her occupied.  Yesterday and today, we made jello jigglers in the shape of different letters of the alphabet.  Payton was SO excited to show these to Ryan when he got home from work!  I think you can see the proud look on her face in all the pictures. :)

Welcome Third Trimester!

We have finally made it to our third trimester with this pregnancy!  On Monday, I hit 28 weeks, and I am starting to feel all the symptoms that typically arrive with being this pregnant.  Even though they aren't always pleasant...exhaustion, heart burn, back aches, weight gain, etc., these symptoms always remind me that our new little girl is growing just like she should, and we feel SO blessed to have had a healthy pregnancy thus far! I am seeing our doctor every other week now, which I know is going to make these last 10-12 weeks fly by!  I wish I had some more pictures of our new little one to share, but unless an issue arises, I won't have another ultrasound until I hit the 37 week mark. It will be so fun to see how much she has grown at that time!  We are still working on deciding a name for our new little miss.  I am starting to think that I may just have to see her first before I make the final decision. 

Payton is starting to talk more about the new baby.  Ryan and I both know that she doesn't fully understand exactly how much things are going to change, but we are trying to do all we can to prepare her for this. She has went to the doctor with me a few times to see and hear the baby, we have taken her shopping with us to pick out a few items for the baby, she will talk about sharing her toys and helping mommy feed and change the baby, and she is definitely aware that my body is changing indicating that something is up!! Haha! Payton is also getting a new "Big Girl" room before the new baby arrives, and she is starting to get very excited about sleeping in a big bed and giving her crib and other items to her little sister.  Her only request is that we make the room yellow! Lol! I will have to post some pictures once we get all of the rooms rearranged.  It will definitely be fun to watch her mold into this new role as the "Big Sister." Ryan and I are both fully aware that it will take quite a bit of time for all of the adjusting to sink in, and we are trying to prepare ourselves for all of the ups and downs that we know we will experience over the first several weeks.    

Speaking of Payton, I cannot believe how much she has grown and changed over the course of the summer!  At times, it feels as if we have a little girl now instead of a toddler.  She communicates with us very well, definitely has her own preferences, likes and dislikes, and seriously will do something new everyday!  It is amazing how much they take in and learn at this age.  Payton now knows every letter of the alphabet and most of her colors and shapes.  She can also count to 10, and loves to sing and dance!  She is also getting much better at following step by step instructions.  She loves to help me cook and does a pretty good job!  Of course, like every two-year old, we have our frequent meltdowns and like to exercise our "free will" at times to get a rise out of mommy and daddy, but time-out is starting to work better for us, and being able to communicate better with her has been a HUGE help when it comes to discipline!

Payton and I have been going to play group and swimming lessons this summer.  She has always loved play group, and seems to enjoy swimming lessons a little better than gymnastics.  Again, we are still working on how to behave in a group setting and how to follow directions and listen to the teacher.  We've had a few meltdowns lately at playgroup when it was time to clean up the toys, so hopefully this will be something we can push through.  However, I would strongly encourage any mom out there to join a group like this with their little one.  This has been so good, not only for Payton, but also for me!  I've been able to get to know other moms who have children Payton's age, and it is so nice to be in a non-judgemental atmosphere where you can talk about the different challenges, issues, and hurdles that go along with each stage of a child's development.  The one we attend is "4C Play and Learn." They have several times and locations, and they are all on 4C's website!

As I stated earlier, Payton is really starting to develop her own personality and is very passionate about certain likes and dislikes.  We notice this particularly with toys and certain TV shows.  Right now, the huge favorite around our house is Veggie Tales, particularly the character of Sweet Pea Beauty.  Payton has a Sweet Pea toy that has to go everywhere, and I am currently on the hunt for a Sweet Pea Halloween costume!  She is also very fond of the color yellow.  She will always say that this is her favorite color, and is quick to choose anything that's the color yellow, whether it be a sno cone, m & m's, sucker, or choice of a crayon. As far as dislikes go, she still HATES to take time out of her day to eat.  Who's child is this?!! lol!  We struggle a lot with getting her to eat any amount of food, but her weight has always been in the 50th percentile, so our pediatrician has never been too concerned.  I guess she must be eating more than we realize, but it sure is a fight every time!  :)

In addition to all of these likes and dislikes, Payton is really starting to do some things that completely melt our hearts.  Her favorite thing to do now is to say to us, "Mommy/daddy I want to snuggle." which of course I always love to do!  At night, she will sit with me in the chair for a bit and then say, "I go snuggle daddy." She then will plop down and march her way over to Ryan on the couch and snuggle him for a bit.  It is so cute!  She will also ask almost every morning as soon as she wakes up, "Mommy/Daddy, want to play?"  She is really getting into pretend play and is starting to develop friendships and play with kids her age.  Her and Tinley love to play baby dolls and ring around the rosie.  Of course, we are still working on sharing our toys, but Payton is starting to develop empathy. and it is so rewarding to watch her make good decisions and want to be kind to others!

Below, I have attached some everyday pictures of Payton this summer!

Payton and Mommy at 28 Weeks!

Swimming Lessons!

Fun at Playgroup!

 

 Best Buddies Heading to the Park!



Payton and Tinley :)

 

Arts and Crafts on a Rainy Day!

Payton Elaine Legg- 2 1/2 Years Old!