And just like that, my Princess is 4!

You know, I don't know where time begins and ends, just that it passes with a blink of an eye. This year, for her 4th birthday on April 18th, Anna insisted on a lemon flavored cake. She said “Mommy, I would like for my cake to be the flavor of a lemon, but look like a Princess Castle!” Your wish is my command, little Princess.

Looking back, I just can’t believe how much Anna has grown up this year. When she turned 3, she was still my little baby, still dependent on Jeff and me for the everyday tasks like getting her up for the day, going to the potty, getting dressed(inevitably with a lot of dissention), eating her breakfast, and basically keeping her on schedule. At 3 she still had that cute little baby face, and lots of “baby talk” words that just melted my heart.

During the year Anna grew from 3 to 4, we watched the wonderment in her eyes as she discovered that she is a "BIG" girl. She learned to turn the water at the sink on "all by mysefff", learned to brush her teeth, start her bath water, bathe herself and drain the tub "all by myseffff cause I am a big girl now". She discovered a whole new world of picking out her own clothes, learned that the tags go in the back ("but what if there are no tags, Mommy?"), and educated herself on just how to sit so she could get her socks, pants and shirt on without much effort. She learned how to pick up her dirty clothes and put them in the basket and ultimately how to take them to the washer, load them (with Mommy's help) and start the wash cycle.

Anna has also learned so much in school this year! One big milestone included writing her name. Yes, she actually writes her name and it is legible. She is slowly learning to read by recognizing site words and learning all the sounds of the alphabet. She has studied all about many animals, what they eat and where they live. Her coloring has come a long way as well. Instead of scribbling all over the page, she is somewhat trying to keep it “in the lines” Additionally, Anna has become a whiz kid on the computer, and loves the preschool games where she has to create sentences with action verbs and pronouns (all of which she discovered by herself on www.starfall.com) . She has asked for her very own computer for her 4th birthday because she is tired of using Mommy’s and Daddy’s “puter”. Anna also has learned about Jesus and the Bible on a daily basis, which makes my heart so joyful that she is beginning to understand the foundations of a Christian life.

After school, when we get home, I usually give her a little snack before dinner. One day, Anna decided that she was big enough to get her own snack, so she asked me to put her yogurt on the bottom shelf in the fridge so that she could get it by herself, and I put her water bottle there as well. She watched how I filled her bottle from the refrigerator door and followed suit (seeing as that was the only way I could get her to drink water....we used the same bottle about 365 times!).

After Addyson was born in July, Anna became a little mini Mommy herself, not only to her dollies, but also to her baby sister. It is so amazing to me how gentle and caring Anna is toward Addyson. When she is crying Anna tries to console her, when Addyson wants to play, Anna obliges ever so gently, making Addyson giggle until tears roll down her cheeks. When I need help with one thing or another, Anna is quick to pitch in. The other night when Addyson was in the bath, Anna came in and asked if she could help. I said sure. So her little hands grabbed the bottle of baby wash, rubbed it between her palms and ever so softly bathed Addyson’s little head and body, all the while singing to Addyson….”washa washa washa….wash the little baby…”

When Anna turned 4 on April 18th, I started looking back at the pictures from her 3rd birthday and realized what a milestone year this has been. Now when Anna gets up out of bed, by herself, and goes to the bathroom, by herself, it is hard for me to remember that just months ago, we had to help her with everything. Now, we simply say, Anna go and get dressed and let’s get ready for our day (now rest assured that not every day is perfect….especially if we don’t have the right pair of socks availably clean!) Also, to her delight and our own amazement, Anna got her own netbook for her birthday. She is teaching me new things every day, that little whiz! Ultimately, I know Anna will continue to have many more milestones on her journey to becoming a “grown up girl”, but for now, she will still be my “Big” little girl. Happy Birthday, Princess!

And just like that, she is 8 months old!!!!

Everybody says "Where does the time go?"  I remember in High School when older people would say that and I would think to myself....what the heck are they talking about?!?!  I have 2 more full years before I can get the heck out of this town and start my college career.... .and the rest of my life.

So now the rest of my life is here and I am saying "WHERE DOES THE TIME GO"?!?!  Have I become those "older people?"  I am not so sure about that, but just 6 short years ago, Jeff and I began our long jouney to conceive a child.  Day after day, week after week, month after month and one failed insemination after another, the time seemed to pass so slowly.  2 years later we were blessed with our first little angel, Anna Elizabeth.  Now, I turn around and she is turning 4!!!

"WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?!?!"  Just 3 short years ago, we started our journey to conceive our second child.  We were a little more at ease this time because we knew we would be able to conceive....at least we thought that was the case.  Time passed so quickly this time and before I knew it, we had gone through 17 failed inseminations, and the miracle doctor said that we had to try something different.  He said I just can't keep shooting my overies with these powerful drugs.  So he said we have one more last ditch effort...then you are done.  So a week later I was in surgery and he was drilling holes in my ovaries!!!!  How barbaric is that ?!?!? After healing for 6 short weeks, the 18th insemination was the magic number.  We conceived, I puked every day for 9 months, and our second little Angel, Addyson Josephine, was born.

"TIME SEEMS TO FLY BY!!"  So I woke up this morning, and as I was drinking my coffee, my calendar reminder started going off on my phone.  I thought to myself, what the heck appointment am I missing?  When I checked it...it simply said "8 months".  Hmmmm.....I thought.  What does that mean?!?  8 months?!?!?  OH MY GOODNESS!!  Addyson is 8 months old today?!?!  "WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?"

Priceless Chocolate Easter Bunnies

Yesterday, after a long day at work, I "hippity hop" into my car and start my 40 minute drive to pick up my precious little jellie beans. I anticipate my favorite part of the day and wonder what excitement has crept into Anna and Addyson's life today.

Addyson, not being able to talk, still has a way of letting me know what her day has been like. A twinkle in her eye when I arrive lets me know she has had quite a happy day with all her little drooling, babbling friends. If she is sleeping soundly, I know she has been hard at work strengthing those crawling muscles in hopes of soon keeping up with her older sister. If she gives a little cry and raises her arms to me immediately, flashing me her swollen, teeth speckled gums, I know she has missed me just as much as I have missed her.

As I round the corner to our Church parking lot, where the best daycare/preschool in the world is, I wonder what exciting story my 3 year old, Anna, will have for me today. We have been talking a lot about the Resurrection of Christ because Easter is just a week away. 

Walking in the door brings the familiar squealing and laughing of the little ones playing in the gym, because the weather is just a little to wet to be out on the playground. Then, the highlight of my day happens....I see my "little big girl" across the floor and she immediately sees me. At that moment, she throws down her scooter and comes tearing across the way, arms spread, screaming...."MY MOMMY IS HERE....MY MOMMY IS HERE". I scoop her into my arms, and we enjoy our special momment with a long tight squeeze, and many little kisses. As I carry her into her classroom to get her bags (yes, I said bags...plural...because the child just has to take everything with her everyday!), she starts telling me she made a Jesus Tomb. It consisted of 2 pieces of paper, one a big round rock, fastened to another piece(tomb)with an eyelette. It was colored and decorated as best as a 3 year old can do, and very functional. She explained to me "Mommy, when the people came to check on Jesus, he was up out of his bed and gone. They couldn't find him anywhere." I then asked her "Well, where do you think he went?" Anna responded "He had to get up and go make all those Chocolate Easter Bunnies!!"