Thanksgiving 08

Happy Thanksgiving! We went to G-ma's and Big Pops for Turkey day to celebrate all of our blessings! We got started this morning around 5:45 am when Brad's alarm went off for our 5k walk, the Turkey Trot. We got the kids up, piled into the car and made it there about 10 minutes before the gun shot. We had the double stroller and were walking with our friends, Todd and Stefanie Babb and their son. It was a lot of fun and motivated both families to start to train for the Edison Parade 5k, but this time we want to run. Like I said it was fun except for some hiccups with the kids. To start, just as the race started Annabell turned and looked at us with blood all over her nose. Apparently she rubbed her nose and pulled off a scab from her newest face injury (falling at church while trying to run with the big kids). So people were coming up to us with great concern saying, your daughter is bleeding! But we couldn't do much...I tried using some wipes, but one of the ingredients was salt and just made her bleed more and cry. So we had to allow the blood to dry and form a new scab while walking. It was also cold, which was nice for the walk, but Annabell's face got a little wind chaffed. So she didn't look to good by the end, but she loved the race. She liked seeing all the people walk around her. And since she loves 'people watching' she stayed occupied. Half way through the race Brad took off with Annabell since I had to hold Ford for a bit to calm him down (which made me walk slower). He took our double stroller with just Annabell in it and was weaving through tons of people! After the race we got in the car and had coupons on our window from McDonald's. So we headed there for breakfast on the way to G-ma's house. Brad got a mcGriddle, but didn't get much of one of them because Annabell wanted a little taste, which ended up eating nearly the entire thing! This was just the beginning of her eating! She literally ate all day! She took one nap today but there was too much going on for her second nap, so she was a fussy baby at dinner time. Oh I forgot to mention the Macy Day parade. Most of you know I don't allow Annabell to watch TV, but I broke the rule today because I wanted her to see the parade, and what a treat it was. We watched the beginning when the Rockets were dancing and Annabell began to dance with them, so cute! She was mesmerized. Well, anyways, her G-ma asked her to stay the night tonight so she is having a sleep over there! She loves playing there.
A couple things I forgot to blog this week:
We went to the library for story time, which is great because they also do dancing and some creative activities. This week they learned Vegetables to put into the pot for soup. She loved putting the felt cutouts onto the board. She is probably the youngest kid in the class but does great!


(listening at story time)


Also we went to the park yesterday and Annabell went on the tallest part of the jungle gym and began to put her legs on the first part of the bars and slipped through, she was stuck. So I had to climb up with Ford in my hands and get her out, I was able to snap a picture first!
Annabell has also acquired the name Monkey from me. She is always climbing, dangling, and jumping around! But if I didn't know she will probably be 5-9 to 6 feet tall when she is older I would say she is going to be the next Olympic gymnast! ha ha, ok I might be jumping ahead, but she is one flexible and innovative little girl. The other day she did a back bend while goofing around with me, and the yesterday she did a somersault completely on her own, we have never shown her one or encouraged her with one ever. She simply put her head on the floor while standing up and rolled, it was hilarious. She thought so too so she kept on rolling! Very cute. I tried to capture it but the memory chip wasn't' in the camera I had yesterday so I tried to catch it today, but it wasn't really the same, yesterday it was perfect and today she was goofing around a bit, I still put it video for your enjoyment! Oh and I attached a picture of Annabell and I so you can see her nose and mouth. She fell at church this past Sunday, and bloodied her nose and then ate some pineapple on Tuesday at bible study and her mouth began to break out! She had a tough week! Love y'all!
P.S. I'm grateful for my children and family! How blessed I am!

Target

My neighbor and I ventured out with the kids today to do some shopping. It was an obstacle. First we left late around 930 because I was trying to get two car seats into her van and then kept forgetting things. We finally got on the road and around 10 we arrived at Gulf Coast center...just around that time Annabell started to get sleepy! So we went into Target and got the kids a snack pretzel so they would calm down a bit. We did some shopping but Annabell wanted to roam Target which I let her do until she started to walk off. But by then it was time to check out and that is when she saw the CUTEST little toddler boy ever...he walked up to her and held her hand. ADORABLE, so I grabbed my camera but it was too late, he let go and now she was after him, typical boy, ha.
Then we went into Babies R Us where Ford pooped everywhere, fought his feeding, threw up, cried and finally wen to sleep while Annabell cried because i wouldn't let her out of the cart and her friend was allowed. So we called the trip over and stopped by McDonalds on the way home to get them a bite to eat just before Annabell crashed in the back seat.
She has started to take great interest in Ford's toy and swings lately. Here is a picture of her in his seat, she loves to sit in it. She also likes to swing his swing, which is a little scary.
Annabell has started to say HI a lot, and it so clear when she says it. I love hearing her voice. She also pointed out the letter X and Balloons when I was reading her a book last night. I love how smart she is! She is also now sitting in the chair at our bar sometimes instead of her highchair...she really likes it so I should probably get her a booster seat soon.
She has also started to REALLY play rough with our neighbor. She runs and tackles her every time she sees her, which is fine on the grass but she is also doing it on the cement and hard floors. Not so good. Here is a picture of her tackling Bekah, while Bekah is being a good sport. Love y'all!

BOOOOOOH!

Annabell has started (for the past few weeks) to try and scare us...it is hilarious. She will hunch down and tiptoe toward us (she walks on her toes quite a bit). Then she will yell and run at us, trying to "get us". It is too cute. She also will hide behind a chair or the couch and Jump out and yell a kind of "booooh" sound and then start to laugh when we act startled. She is so funny. She loves to make people laugh. She also has said the word sky and tree. We were at the park and she pointed up and said sky and then began to clap for her self. She also pointed at the tree in our yard and said tree.
Another neat thing is when I go potty she sits on her little potty that we have set up in her bathroom. And when she's pooping I will ask her if she needs to go to the potty and she will say yes and go sit down on it...her diaper is still pulled up of course but she understands where it is, which is what I wanted.
She is such a good big sister...this morning she took Ford's gloves off of his hands (it was quite cold here this morning). And when I said, 'oh Annabell you took bubi's gloves off?' She proceeded to go and try and put them back on. She also becomes ecstatics when Ford coos and smiles at her. She loves it and will run to him when he makes any noise at all.
Annabell loves to help around the house. She likes to try and push the real vacuum when she gets a chance...she figured out where it is as you can see in the picture and was quite proud of herself.

Ice Cream

Annabell had her first Ice Cream yesterday. It wasn't planned, but it was a great surprise for her. We went to a local banks grand opening because they had the police there doing finger printing of kids. Which, by the way, she can't do until she is 5 because of size, but they did give me 2 DNA kits to keep on the kids. Anyways, they had it in a new shopping complex and the other local stores had booths there and were giving out free stuff. She got a soccer ball which she LOVES (YES!!!), and a coupon for a free ice cream. We walked the entire complex, checking out the new Belks and other stores, and then we went to the ice cream club store as soon as they opened (11am). I have some video of her eating her first ice cream cone...she did great and figured it all out on her own. She ate every last bite of her strawberry ice cream. She did however have some side effects...her nap didn't last 20 minutes before she was ready to play some more...major sugar high! Before we went into the ice cream club, while we were waiting for them to open, we played some soccer. As you can see she has excellent form on her throw in skills!
ha. Love y'all!

A good day

Annabell had a great day yesterday. She was feeling much better from the moment she woke up. We got up and went to the park, she played hard and then crashed for a few hours before waking up and eating her lunch. She is doing better about being gentle with Ford the past two days. She also isn't touching him as much when I tell her not too...ie sleeping etc... She has been wanting to hug him and kiss him though lately which I adore. She also has started to like and swing him in his swing. Very cute. The first thing she does when she wakes is goes and checks on Ford. She is a great big sister. Very protective.

Yesterday she received a gift from Babs and Parker (her great aunt and uncle). It was an adorable hat. She wore it and then showed it off to her daddy when he came home between jobs yesterday. She had more fun with the wrapping paper of course. She brought a huge piece of paper from opening her gift over to me and I put it on my head and she thought it was hysterical! She began to laugh and then I handed it to her and said "put it on you head" and she did and walked around trying to knock it off her head by shaking her head back and forth. It was too cute. I have also noticed that the more involved I am with Annabell the better she does with her brother. She is much better with him when I play with her and take her places. I think it helps her not to be jealous. Well her are some pictures of Annabell...she was too cute this morning with her pony tail so I wanted to snap a photo before it fell out, which it did while we were on our walk!

Love y'all!

Family Night and Fever

Yesterday we decided to take the kids to Mike Greenwells. It was more for Annabell obviously than Ford. We thought she might like to get out of the house a bit since it has been harder for me to do so. Before I was too tired and sore to go out with both kids, but now it seems too difficult. So instead of believing that I have been making myself just do it. It actually has been getting easier. We went on a walk this morning and made it just short of a mile before Ford cried. So I let Annabell play at the park while I held him, and when he would fall back too sleep Annabell and I would play together, and when I was tending to him she played with the little girls around her age at the park. But while at the park she smelled like she had a dirty diaper so we headed home after about 30 minutes of playing. I noticed she felt hot but thought it was because we were playing during a breezy cooler day...you know how you feel warmer when it's cool outside. Anyways, I put her down for her nap per her request, and an hour later when she woke I checked her temperature and it was 103.6 and she was burning up. I wasn't sure what to do and hesitated to give her Tylenol. I fed her some lunch (she only ate a tiny bit) and then she wanted to lay down again. So she did and when she woke her temperature was 101.9. I then gave her some children's motrin and now she is sleeping again. She wants to lay in her crib and rest so I'm letting her...please say a prayer for her healing! Anyways, she had a lot of fun at Greenwells. She didn't really like to actually play any games, she more liked walking around and looking and climbing on the games. She did enjoy ski ball though. She walked up there and then through the ball in the other lanes. ha. Then we went to dinner. She ate soooo much! I shared a meal with her and Brad gave her some of his and she was still going! She can really eat like her momma! She has her bottom right molar coming in, so it could be reason for the fever but i don't think so since she didn't get a fever with any others. Well we love y'all! P.S. She said snack as "spack" and "bubba" for Ford. She is so smart :)

Halloween 08'

Well we had an extremely busy day filled with fun activities for the kids. We woke up and began to TRY and clean the house. With two kids, one nursing, it is much harder to get things done, but the more organized I am and scheduled, the better. Around 11 am we went to Publix to look for a pumpkin for Annabell. No luck though, they had other gourds but no traditional pumpkins. We took our neighbors with us since we both had to get food for the get-together we had that evening. So Annabell and Bekah road in the "car" cart and Ford was in a separate cart. We went by the bakery and got the free cookie for the girls (Annabell's first of many that day). Then we went home. Annabell went down for her nap and when she woke she was ready to play. I have noticed I don't have to yell at her as much and get as frustrated with her about getting into stuff when I have the house clean and picked up. She LOVES to explore stuff, and especially when she's bored she seems to get into more, but if it's picked up then we don't have any clashing of wills ;). Her G-ma came over to see her in her costume...so we put it on, but at this point she had started to want a second nap, so about 30 minutes later we took it off and let her nap. When she awoke, we got her dressed and then off to publix we went.

we walked in and Annabell went straight for it. The lady filled her pumpkin with crayons, a coloring book, balloons, pencil and more.. then we went to the pharmacy, deli, balloon guy, and produce/meat section. They all were giving out candy. Annabell was confused at first but started to understand the concept and would gladly hand over her pumpkin to have them fill it with goodies. Then we went back to the house to get ready for the get together. We all decided to bring a spooky appetizer or/and desert.They had safe tricker treating from 4-7pm. It was really cute. They had a table set up as soon as I made a Gnash Cheese Cake from Martha Stewart Magazine...I was really proud of it, so I took a picture for y'all! ha.

So we all at and the kids played for a while. They would all run to the front door when kids would
come trick or treating. Very cute! Then we went to take the kids to a few houses...considering they are all 2 or under we thought a few would be fine...I think we went to 4 total. They were all so cute. Annabell was so independent. She walked holding her daddies hand the entire time and didn't want to be carried. She also began to go to the front door on her own and hold out her bucket to receive candy. They would give her candy and she would continue to hold out her bucket and look at them for more...it was funny, every person gave her more and finally we would tell her that's enough and off to the next house she went. We got a late start on the tricker or treating because we were all trying to get the kids fed and food completed, so the kids were ready for bed shortly after. All in all it was great. Annabell, also held up her finger for 1 when I asked her how old she is the first time i showed her how to do it! She continues to say our neighbors name, Bekah...I love hearing her voice! And it looks like her cold is finally starting to dissipate. Well we love y'all! P.S. The only house she hesitated to go to the front door was at the house with the giant fake spider web, she wasn't really scared, she was more in confusion as to why they had a giant "thing" in front of their door.