Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving was rough for Abbey, which therefor made it rough for me! She was definitely having an "off" day. The previous couple days she had been fighting a pretty high fever (up to 103.6) but with no other symptoms. Her Uncle Steve & Aunt Tracy hosted Thanksgiving dinner at their house in Ft. Worth so that's where we headed. Most of the day I spent soothing her crankiness/crying. She wanted no one else to hold her and of course her family really wanted to. I think the stimulation/amount of people in the house was also causing her anxiety. Anyways, the food was good but hopefully she will enjoy herself a little more next year! Here are a couple pictures:
As soon as we got there:

With her brother & cousins:

How most of the day really was:

Abbey got her two front teeth!

Abbey officially has two teeth now! The bottom two came in. In all honestly I didn't even notice until my mother in law told me. And that is a GOOD thing! Her gums did not swell up even close to how Dylan's did and she never really drooled (he was a huge drooler). She was however, waking up multiple times in the night. Now we know why! It's a good thing she's starting to get her teeth because she is a big eater. We really bypassed the puree phase pretty quickly. Between feeding myself and getting Dylan to sit in his chair at mealtime I honestly think she was just loosing her patience with being fed. She wants to feed herself! Which for me, is great! She she is eating all sorts of finger foods and I am amazed at how well she chews them/spits them out if she cant swallow. These days she is eating avocado, scrambled egg yolks, pancakes, zucchini fries (baked), diced squash, bananas, pasta, etc. As soon as I can get a photo of her teeth I'll post it!

Playgroup Fun!

We love our lil playgroup that we made friends with back when Dylan was about 4 months old! It's a group of about 8 moms (we've dwindled down some) and we all have 2 yr olds and 6mo-1 yr olds! It's so crazy to see how our group has grown! Here is a photo of back when Dylan was a baby and then a picture of Abbey with the second round of babies! It's so cute watching all the toddlers and their siblings these days! And of course, sooo nice to have other mommy friends to relate to on things and hang out with!
Abbey is second from the right (their in order of age):

Dylan is last one of the right (in order of age):

Happy 1/2 YR Birthday Abbey!

How is this possible, 6 months already?!?! We love this little girl so much! She is growing way too fast and it's amazing how our little family functions like a machine these days! We all have our part and have so much fun together. We are pretty much in a solid routine these days. At her 6 month check up she weighed 15 lbs (30th percentile) and measured 26 3/4 in long (75th percentile).
As for how she is doing in general, she is great! She sits up unassisted extremely well these days. She scoots around and crawls backwards but not forward yet. Honestly, I think she just likes sitting up by herself more than being on her belly now! She also has grown into the Jumperoo and really likes it! Since this, she has become less interested in being in the swing and she is getting too big for the bouncy seat!
She eats two solid meals a day (purees) and still nursing most of the time, with the exception of 1-2 bottles of formula a day (for convenience). Unfortunately, she is still waking in the middle of the night to nurse but oh well. She goes to bed around 8PM and wakes up around 7AM and takes two short naps in the morning/early afternoon and a long late afternoon nap. Overall she is an extremely happy smiley baby and loves to laugh. She still has stranger anxiety and prefers her mommy to hold her most of the time. She can also get very overwhelmed/over stimulated by loud places/people. She is amazing with her hands, passing things back and forth between them and pinching things. She LOVES anything with tags. That's the first thing she looks for, and studies them very hard! Anyways, here are her pics! Enjoy the series of Dylan getting his photo taken, escaping the photo, then stealing Abbey's sticker and the big ol grin on his face!

November Fun!

Here are some photos from the busy month of November!

Bathtime!

Abbey's First Camping Trip!

Abbey went on her first camping trip the first weekend in November. We drove down to the hill country right outside of Austin. Abbey did great! She was great in the car (slept the WHOLE time on the way home) and enjoyed being outside and spending time with the Halliday family! The first night we were camping it was pretty cold outside, but the second night was perfect weather. She really liked the nature hike we took and watching her brother and his two cousins play in the dirt the whole time! She normally wont let anyone but her mommy hold her, but this weekend she actually let her Maw Maw, Pops, Aunt Tracy and Uncle Steve hold her a lot!
Maw Maw & Abbey:

Mommy & Abbey:

Pops & Abbey:

All bundled up to sleep:

Nature Walk:

The boys (covered in dirt!):

NAKED BABY!

Nothing like a little naked baby butt! Abbey hanging out with Chloe the cat!

Happy Halloween!

Abbey celebrated her first Halloween as a kitty cat! Ironically the same thing as her brother his first year. Though she had no idea what was going on I think she enjoyed the attention! Here are some pictures:
Meow!:

Brother the pirate and Abbey at Luke's work:

Pumpkin Patch:

Playgroup friends at the Pumpkin Patch:

Miss Pris:

It's time for fall:

My life as a mom...

There is nothing as wonderful as being a mommy. In my opinion. I always dreamed of being one, and I have to say, so far, it is everything I dreamed of and more.

I couldn't ask for more beautiful, happy, good babies. I feel so incredibly blessed to have been given such amazing gifts. Both Abbey & Dylan amaze me every day with everything they are learning and the little people they are turning into.I love seeing their distinct personalities coming out.

Abbey is definitely becoming her own little person. She is getting to the age (5 months) when her personality is really starting to come out and she is much more involved/active. The way she "talks," observes, and interacts with things/people are all showing us little tid bits into the person she will become. It is so fascinating to watch.

So here is my opinion, two little ones this close in age is A LOT of work. It's hard to get a break, you are constantly meeting their needs all day long that you barely get to meet one of your own. However, it is worth every unbrushed piece hair, dirty spit up shirt, tired eyes, and aching back! I know this is such a short time period in our lives and I am soaking up every chaotic and beautiful moment we have. It is such a special time in our lives.

I've found the hardest times to be "feeding" times. When both kids are hungry. I have to say, one thing about your kids being close in age is that they really must learn patience. One usually always has to wait for the other to be taken care of. Also entertaining themselves. I was so worried when Abbey was born that we would "break" Dylan, that he would be mad, feel forgotten, you know. But I have to say, it has been the greatest thing for him. I know it will only get better once Abbey can actually "play" with him. He just loves having her around. And I love that they will always have each other.

So a lot of people think it's crazy to have two so close in age, but personally, I think, it's great. You get the best of both worlds, sweet cuddly baby, and active entertaining toddler. Plus the sleep deprivation, changing diapers, etc. isn't so shocking since your already used to it.

Family is so important to me, and taking care of these two kids is one of the best jobs I could ever have. I love showering them with love and watching Luke do the same, I love seeing us all grow together as our own little family.

Eating Rice Cereal for the first time!

We waited a tiny bit longer to give Abbey solids than we did with Dylan but I definitely think she was/is ready. This girl loves watching us eat, imitating and trying to grab for our plates. She did great. Loved it, kept trying to grab the spoon and put it to her mouth. Can't wait to watch her experience the array of purees soon, sweet potatoes, green peas, etc.

Happy 5 Month Birthday!

Sweet baby girl is 5 months! How is this possible? The baby phase seriously goes by way too quickly. She is getting to be so fun these days! Giggling and smiling all the time. Her stranger anxiety is finally tapering off I think. The fact that she takes 1-2 bottles a day helps I think. She is very comfortable with her daddy now (no more panic/screaming attack if her mommy isn't holding her). And LOVES her brother. Her eyes just light up at him. She is sleeping very well (goes to bed around 8:00, wakes at 7:30, and nurses maybe once in the middle of the night). She loves her paci to sleep, and also enjoys sleeping on her side. If she rolls onto her belly she gets stuck and mad. I'm eager for her to just sleep on her stomach. But I guess she has to get better at rolling back onto her back first. She is starting to sit unassisted pretty well. She is a HUGE talker and squealer. It's going to be fun time when she's a toddler. Her and Dylan will probably be talking over each other. Anyways, her are some pics! And to compare to Dylan, check out his blog:
http://babydylanhalliday.blogspot.com/2010/02/happy-5-month-birthday-dylan.html

Happy 4 Month Birthday!

Sweet baby girl is already 4 months! Her personality is definitely starting to really come out now and I love it! I can already tell she is very independent. She is a huge talker and a big squealer. Such a high pitched little happy scream, it's hilarious. She has the strongest hands and you have to watch out. She'll grab whatever she can (preferably your hand/fingers) and shove it into her mouth. She started rolling back to belly the week before she turned 4 months, this is now her favorite thing. She is a huge kicker and always squirming around. Bath time is one of her favorites. She still takes a paci, mostly to go to sleep but sometimes when she's in a chaotic atmosphere (parties, restaurants, etc.) She is a great sleeper and really enjoys her quiet, cool crib for naps. She still sleeps in the PnP in our room at nighttime. She favorite toy is the Lamaze Firefly and her teething rings. She also has a few stuffed animals (money & giraffe) she loves playing with. She sits up amazingly well, loves being in her bumbo. She developed stranger anxiety SUPER early (before 3 months actually) and would scream bloody murder if anyone but her mama held her. It's weird, almost like a panic attack, even with her daddy. I think this is slowly wearing off and she is getting a bit more comfortable with others. This is something that definitely caught me off guard since we have been so used to Dylan and his little social butterfly personality! But I'll take every extra minute I can get with her, she wont be a little baby for long!
At her 4 month apt. she weighed 12.5 lbs and she is 24 3/4" long. I can definitely tell she is going through a growth spurt because she is nursing all the time lately. She did really well getting her vaccinations and the doctor said she looks perfectly healthy!
Check out Dylan's blog at http://babydylanhalliday.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html to compare the two!

Dylan's 2nd Birthday

Just wanted to share some photos from Dylan's 2nd birthday weekend. These were taken at the Dallas Arboretum. Enjoy!

Brothers always entertain!

It is sooo much fun watching Dylan & Abbey grow together. Thus far, Dylan is a great big brother. The first couple of months he had a little bit of a rough time I think, but now he just adores her. I cant count how many kisses he gives her in a day. He also is a pretty good helper with taking care of her. Though he can't actually "change" her diaper, he is certainly eager to go get one and bring it to me. He loves going on a "paci" hunt when she is fussy and LOVES distributing toys to her. I also think Abbey just adores him. She is always watching and giggling at him. Really, she is with him almost just as much as with me. Occasionally when he gets rowdy he does make her a bit jumpy but overall they really seem to enjoy each others company.

Abbey's First Ranger Game=FAIL!

So on August 23rd we decided to take both kids to the Ranger game because Luke had free (good) tickets and they were playing against the Red Sox! Plus, who doesn't love to go to the ballgame? Well, in the TX summer heat, it should have been us. I was hesitant to go from the beginning. My intuition told me it wasn't a good idea and was going to be WAY to hot. I should have listened. BUT, our tickets included a free admission into the Cuervo Club which was air conditioned, so I figured we would be OK. Well fast forward to game day-We get to the ballpark and both kids are asleep. I put the baby bjorn on and strap sleeping Abbey to my chest (Fail #2 being abbey does not really enjoy being worn) and Luke carries Dylan asleep on his shoulder. We were excited to be at the game but man did the walk from the car to the ballpark get REALLY long with the hot texas sun beating down on us. We finally make it in! About then, both kids wake up wondering where the heck they are. All is well and we proceed to our (outside) seats. MY back is drenched in sweat but I'm hanging in there. Then we decide to go get a hot dog (it's $1 hotdog night, woot woot!) and about that time Abbey is looking a wee bit concerned but doing ok. We go back to our (outside) seats and eat our hotdogs. We should have gone straight to the Cuervo Club to check it out. Instead, Abbey starts screaming as we sit down and it all goes to hell in a handbag. We decide "maybe" it's too hot for her and we should go inside, hmmm would have been nice, but there was a HUGE line to get inside. Well luckily with a screaming baby the guys at the door let me hang out inside by the door and I was able to nurse Abbey. That was about the only time she was ok, the rest she was not happy and crying. So, we decided we better leave. AND, that was our fun time at the Ranger game, FAIL! Here's a picture before the chaos began:

Happy 3 Month Birthday Abbey!

Abbey is 3 months old! She is officially a baby (and not a newborn!) and developing such a personality. When she was first born I kept noticing her doing all the same things that Dylan did has a baby, but now she really is just one of a kind. Much different than Dylan. She is very independent, partly I think because she has to be with all the attention Dylan requires. Very good at amusing herself and putting herself to sleep/staying entertained on her own.
She has incredible hand coordination. It really is amazing watching her play with her hands (putting fingers from one hand in between fingers in the other hand). She also is really good at grabbing her feet and the toys on the bouncy seat (mostly with her feet). She is dramatic. Can be very happy and then all of a sudden very sad. She talks all the time!! She LOVES her pacifier and has just figured out how to suck on her thumb. (It's crazy too because she prefers a completely different kind of shape of pacifier than Dylan did) She loves to snuggle with her blankets/lovey and likes being tight & secure (when held, enjoys her carseat, etc.) She can get overstimulated VERY easy.
Within the last couple weeks she has developed a huge fear of strangers (even her Daddy sometimes) I didn't think this could happen so early but she freaks out/panics if someone else holds her. It's really like a panic attack. But then when her mommy takes her back, she's fine again. I want to say it's the weirdest thing, but honestly, really she knows me best and gets all her attention from me, again since Dylan is usually taking everyone elses. Funny how the dynamics work.
Anyways, she is still sleeping and eating great. Goes to bed around 8:30, wakes around 5:00am to eat and sleeps until 8:00. She is starting to take her daytime naps in her crib in her room and doing great! I'd say she's all around a healthy happy little girl.