Growing Up

 I cannot believe how fast my girls are growing up!! Addy is almost 6 months already!! I'm fairly certain (but also a little hesitant to say) that Addy may have her 2 bottom teeth coming in. She started rolling from her belly to her back about a month ago, but only did it a handful of times. Now she usually only rolls from her back to her belly & then screams until someone flips her or until she falls asleep. She really doesn't roll that much though. What she does do though is scoot on her belly!!  She can get from point A to point B very quickly. And she's ALWAYS trying to crawl!! She lifts up on all fours and just rocks and laughs and then she'll fall and scoot on her belly to get whatever toy she's after. (The vents on the floor often appeal more to her than her actual toys). Addy loooves to eat!! Alexys never got half as excited about food as Addy does. When she sees you coming with her bowl of rice cereal, her smile lights up the entire house and you can hardly even feed it to her b/c she's so excited!! I'll be starting her on fruits & veggies soon and I dare say she'll eat a lot more than just sweet potato & bananas! (That's all Alexys would eat, and it wasn't often!) We have been signing with Addy. It's fun to watch Alexys get excited over teaching her and for Addy to get excited over watching us sign to her, even if she doesn't know what in the world we are doing!
Unfortunately, Addy is still up 2-3 times a night. Even so, I sadly lost my sleeping buddy b/c she got too big and mobile to sleep with me or in her bassinet. Alexys thinks it's pretty cool to have Addy in her room now and they are actually doing really well together. The trickiest part is when we put them to bed. Poor Alexys has listened to Addy scream for an hour before falling asleep. I never thought I'd feel sorry for Alexys b/c of something Addy did. It's usually the other way around :) But otherwise, Alexys has started sleeping through her waking up in the night. I'm hoping that this will also help Addy sleep better through the night.
I love love love Addy's joyful spirit. She is laid back & happy but still lets you know when she needs some lovin! 

It is so crazy to see the little lady Alexys is becoming & how quickly she is learning. She loves to help me do the dishes, sweep the floor, bake cookies,cook dinner, you name it. She loves to be involved and helping out.  I-spy books are her favorite, as well as "There's a Wocket in my Pocket" by Dr. Seuss. She recently was introduced to Dora the Explorer & she fell in love. Jayson & I weren't too excited at first, but it's actually MUCH more tolerable than most the kid shows out there! And since we don't have tv stations anyways, it's much easier to keep it limited :) Alexys has been doing really well with potty training. At home she does great. We need to work with her more on when we go out though. (Actually, Jayson & I need to work more on ourselves and giving her a chance when we go out, and not just putting on a diaper b/c we're afraid of her peeing her pants in public or not wanting to take the time to find a bathroom!)  Alexys loves taking bubble baths, blowing bubbles, playing at the playground, playing with play-doh, singing & dancing. 
Her increasing vocabulary amazes me everyday! Her latest word is "puke"..every time Addy spits up Alexys says "Mom, she puked" And then she'll run and grab a towel to help clean it up :) Or when she says "Mom, I have an owie", I ask her "what happened?" She says, "It's a bruise!". haha I'm sure I've said "bruise" before but I didn't realize she knew what it was. Usually when I don't know what she's talking about, it's not because she's not clear, but b/c I'm not sure how she could possibly know the word that it sounds like she's using..but it usually it what it sounds like!
Alexys is at the age and has the personality (very strong willed!) that she needs a lot of attention & direction. But she does very well with learning whatever we're working on. Instead of taking toys from Addy now, she BRINGS her toys & picks them up for her when she drops them. It's good to keep me disciplined as well, trying to keep Alexys disciplined! 


I absolutely looove my girls. They bring me so much joy. As Addy gets older & can interact a little bit more, it is so fun to watch them play together and laugh at each other. Alexys gives Addy the biggest hugs and just holds onto her. Addy gives Alexys her biggest smiles and loudest laughs.
I am so blessed to be a mother to these girls and to be at home with them every day. I am so blessed to have a husband that is out working hard, so that I am able to stay home with our girls. Every day I strive more to be the woman, wife, & mother that God has called me to be. It's not always easy or glamorous. But when I think about who I want my girls to be and how much all of my decisions and actions impact them, I can't help but keep pressing on and relying on God to help me kill my flesh. Every day. Every hour.Every moment. Their lives are worth it <3