I mean really?

Little is SUCH a different person. We like to refer to her as BIG. She’s just one of those people who command attention, and make you smile. The last few months have been so fun. She’s talking and learning at such an astounding rate! I feel so guilty I haven’t had time to jot much of it down, but here are a few tidbits I never want to forget.

I’m sure I mentioned that she thinks she’s a nudist. We are working on her at least wearing panties, well last week when I asked her why she was naked she said, “Wa wa wah I dunno what happened!” I just Laughed and laughed. Now when anything goes wrong she says wa wa wah…LOL that girl!

Another one of her favorite sayings is “so much…” Like ...I had so much funny today! Or, ... I have so much blue blueberries, or... mama I so much happy...Oh yes, Abby, you are so so much…

She’s such a walking juxtaposition. This picture is a perfect example. She wanted to go bike riding, put on the helmet herself and we told her she needed to go get shoes on. This is how she came back.

She’s completely girly. She would wear a dress and her cowboy boots (if you know her you know the ones) every day if I would let her. She LOVES playing dress up and kitchen. She calls herself boo-tip-ul, and a pretty pretty princess, and she’ll never refuse a chance to get her nails painted.

She’s such a tomboy. She hates her hair fussed with. She’s always dirty, and exploring. She thinks Farts are hilarious. Bugs are her very favorite things in the world. Right now, ladybugs are the best; but really any bug will do. She’s LOUD, and tough as nails. She’s so unpredictable.

She’s also such a good big sister, OK lets be honest most of the time. Her pet peeve is when Tiny interrupts story time. But most of the time I’d say she deserves a gold star. They play together so nicely now. Little is always telling me what her sisser wants, or trying to help her all by herself. While driving home from the beach the other day Tiny was crying. After offering her a few toys, and patting her leg she looked at her and half pleading and half encouraging she said “(Her nickname) Don’t worry, Be happy!” I just had to smile, and nod. Yes my children please don’t worry, just be happy; luckily Abby is. She’s perfectly happy being herself.

As her second year of life is progressing she’s decided naps are No good, that a great big stack of books is grand (“mama story time, time to read mama! Story time”), loud sounds like public toilets flushing or HUGE lawnmowers are really scary, and everything can be sung.

She’s a horse of a different color alright. In her own words “Oh! I know what to do”…I’ll enjoy every color she offers us. Who wants to live in black and white anyway?

I was doing pretty good about mornings for awhile there. I was getting up WAY before everyone and enjoying my me time. Coffee, devotion, blogging, and life was good. Then the girls started waking up that early too. Then it was time change...fast forward to now and you get the drift.

I have had a wake up call though. Actually I've had two. They went something like this.

Morning A
Little: HI mommy. Morning mommy I wake up! Mommy I wake up.
Then just as I was feeling oh so proud of Little's verbiage... I hear a dreaded wisssssss sound and my pillow is drenched.

yea, that was NOT a good day. talk about waking up on the wrong WET side of the bed.

Morning B
Little: Hi mommy. Morning mommy I wake up! Mommy I wake up! I hunrey mama.
Me: Hi baby, OK just a second kay... (yes, yes, I know but cut me some slack I'm exhausted)
Little:OK mama I be rye back...
her feet patter off down the hall. I stretch, but cling to my nice warm blanket as though my life depend on it.
Little reappears now dressed...if you know her you know this is shocking.
Little: I hunrey mama, mama help me
(once again I know)
Me: OK honey just a second....again she runs off. This time I am actually preparing to roll out of bed when she runs back down the hall. Her hands are full.
Little: here go mama breakfass! I hunrey... as she passes me a bowl, a can opener, and a can of Mandarin oranges (which she adores). All of those things were in their respective places. My 2 year old gathered them and brought them to me IN BED.

Yea, a wake up call. Besides crackin' me up this taught me 3 things.

1. I can always count on Little to keep it interesting
2. My Little girl is getting mighty BIG (did I mention that she didn't even leave a mess in her wake?)
3. No more sleeping in on the job. If she's an early bird I guess I should be too because clearly 7 am isn't early enough in her book.

....I'm so frustrated.

I feel like I shouldn't be, but I am.

We went to the dermatologist today about Little's arms. We've been worried about the rate at which her rashes are growing. he took one glance at her and said..."Eczema...pretty common.."
Now he was nice, and I know skin IS his specialty but he felt so patronizing, and dismissive to me. He really had no interest in our thoughts, and theories. Eczema is common. So it must be that right?

Well I thought that too until I started doing more research. There ARE other things that could be happening. It could be Candida (yeast). It could be psoriasis. But if the latest in science (the most revealing thing I've read on the subject is Eczema Free for Life, the local library carries it) can be believed I find it hard to accept it as eczema. Tiny, yes. She itches then rashes. 1 plus 1 does equal eczema with her, but Little doesn't itch until the rash gets so bad her skin is raw. So if eczema is truly "the itch that rashes" and that is what defines the diagnosis how can that be true for Little...

ARGH... maybe I'm just in denial. Maybe I feel guilty for not wanting to infiltrate her little body with steroids that she may or may not need the rest of her life. If they help I'm going to feel like such a heel for waiting, but my gut keeps saying this is not right.

I think too much hu?

...BLAH...my brain hurts, and Little's arms hurt....please pray that I receive clarity on this issue, and she finds relief.

Always put your best foot forward...


Oh yes, she is a quirky one.

Abby-tude!

Well, By now you know that today is THE day. Miss Abby grace is 2! I thought about writing her a letter too but she can't read, and lets be honest that's not her anyways. She's a horse of a different color, and mushy isn't really her style. Don't get me wrong, with me as their mama they all have a little mush in them but from the moment she entered the world she had Abby-tude.

Abby-tude can't easily be defined in words. It's her state of being. It's who she was born to be. But I will do my best to show you why today really should be National Abby-tude Awareness Day...in my humble opinion.

Our wonderful nurse was set to go off duty 8 minutes after she was born. 8 minutes, and I would have had awitch to deal with. Clearly she has a flair for dramatic entry. This was how she entered the world. Wide eyed and waving! She scored a nearly unheard of 10 on the apgar....So when I say it's who she's always been you can believe me- within her first 10 minutes of life she began displaying Abby-tude.

It means being able to master mind mischievous or sweet moments in seconds

and honestly anyone who can look this cute in leg warmers HAS to be full of Abby-tude.

Oh and Abby-tude isn't just about sassy flair and personality, effortlessly looking cute is a HUGE part of the mystique.

Abby-tude is all about knowing (and testing) your limits.

It makes you HATE the paparazzi,

It means putting your foot in your mouth...literally. Or thinking of ways to entertain yourself that are out side the box. Again while managing to look adorable in your naughtiness, actually that last part is key to harnessing the power of Abby-tude.

It means being a firecracker. It's a delicate state of being that gets you nicknamed AbbZilla, and lets you offer things like your beloved candy to daddy without a second thought or GIMME attached.

Having Abby-tude means you know how to use your entire face to express your moods, and you have genius comedic timing.



It means dancing to your own beat (or being on beat if the situation requires it)

It means being carefree and bright.

And not being afraid to venture into new or taboo territory and breaking down gender myths.

All that is Abby-tude. But it's also so much more. (just read through her other antics) Like I said it can't be fully explained in it's complex wonderfulness. It's a gift God gave our family on March 4th 2007 (3+4=7...lol I love when He does little helpful things for me like that). But I guarantee it's something that will only get better with time, and those who have had the pleasure of her company will attest to that.

Today is her day, so it's only fitting that she leads us in singing:



Happy Birthday Sweet Abby, Happy Birthday to you....
I love you today, tomorrow and always just the way you are!

xoxoxoxMama

Littles second birthday is Wednesday.

Wednesday already? wow. I'm feeling particularly sentimental lately. See Little was the culmination of a dream for me. If I had custom designed a child she was it.

I don't want to give the wrong idea here. Having her took nothing away from Big, he will always be my hearts new beginning. I will always see the world fresh through him. Having him restored my tarnished faith. I adore him with all that is in me. The circumstances of his birth were just so very different then hers. I was young and awkward when he was new. I was living day by day, I questioned the stability my relationship, and I never felt content in the moment. I was always waiting for the next thing. The wonderful thing was, that like all mothers I grew with him. Our relationship is more precious to me then any worldly treasure, and I am only the woman and mother I am today because God trusted me with him.

But, Littles journey into our lives was soooo different. She was our honeymoon baby- the place where all my dreams came true. We were secure, committed, and ready for her. I had faith in my parenting and could not wait to see Big interact with her. People often saw me with her and thought she was my first. Not because I handled her with kid gloves, but because I knew better this time. I wasn't scared to get my hands dirty with motherhood. I stuck to nursing, I hand-made her baby food with fresh farmers market produce, and I wore here.

Oh how I loved the feeling of her near me. Her warmth would radiate through me until it filled my heart with complete contentment. In this picture she was a week old. We were at the park by our house. There I sat, with my new baby girl snuggled in close; watching the men in my life play tag. They were laughing, she was sleeping, and I was smiling. This moment...so calm and serene... this was one of those perfectly warm mommy moments you want to cling to forever. This was bliss. In this moment my life made perfect sense.

...and now that same little baby is turning 2 in five days.....wow.....cue the tears.....

Only 2 more weeks until Little is 2...can you believe it?

This weeks Flashback of her is short,

(2.5 months If her top got any smaller her baby boobies would be showing)

sweet,

(11 months...she began her love affair with reading early)

sassy,
(14 months...getting used to a crying baby can be rough)

and FABULOUS!!!
(16 months and already dressed to impress)

Just like she's ALWAYS been.

...my happy thought today is from Dr. Seuss:

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

I think February has become our "Tooth" month.

I've been so sparse in posting for a few reasons. One, is honestly that I've been READING so many great blogs during my limited me time by the time I wander back to my dashboard to write my own someone somewhere is desperate for my attention STAT.

The other is teeth.
First, mine were KILLING me. My wisdom teeth are trying to stage a mutiny in my mouth. YIKES! For almost 10 days I was like the walking dead. We don't have the spare cash to get them pulled just yet, so with a lot of home remedies and tons of good old fashioned prayer they are doing better.

Then, Tiny girl decided she would cut her eye teeth. Hahaha she looked like a little vampire. It gave me fond memories back toBig as a baby because not only does she look SO much like him, but he also got his eye teeth before the top middles (actually he got his fangs before ANY other teeth). If that wasn't enough crankiness for you she has now added the top middles. So her tooth count is up to 6....where is the time going?

Finally Big and Little went to the dentist. See I really wanted to type the big bad dentist, BUT alas our dentist is a total doll. She's so great I just wanna squeeze her. Big got cleaned, and sealed. Turns out what we thought was a cheese-it stain, is a bruised tooth. Go figure. So unless we are loaded someday he's stuck with it. She said it was a cause of tooth trauma when he still had his baby teeth. I'm guessing it can be linked back to this. No cavities though, so minus the referral to an orthodontist (braces are in his future I'm afraid), and the stain it was a good visit. As for Little she did awesome. She loves being like her kuya...but we already knew that didn't we?

See what I mean? It's all about the teeth.

I really do have some fun posts I've been meaning to get to, so hopefully that will happen soon. Tonight I have a surprise "extra" post planned, so I'll see you then!

This week I've been feeling yucky....so when I went to decide what to flashback to these photo's of Little caught my eye. They are some of my very favorites, yet....

...Isn't that just about the saddest pleading face you have ever seen? Even now, when she gets sad those lips pooke out, and those 'Pearce' eyebrows furrow....

...the I give up face. See the tear... Priceless.

...as the big number two and all the T's that come with it (terrible, tough, talkative, tiring, terrific, tender, thrilling) grows ever nearer; I thought I'd share a defining moment of my journey as a mother with you. The moment Big met Little.

This single moment was one that I had looked towards with both excitement and trepidation. I was so nervous to see Big's reaction to "the baby". Her sex had been a surprise. He had made his thoughts on having a sister crystal clear- He wanted nothing to do with the idea, and had announced just weeks before her arrival that if "the baby" was a girl he was moving out (I think he read something similar in a book somewhere). Great, as though I hadn't spent the last few months worrying enough. I worried he'd feel resentful and misplaced. I wondered if he'd feel a connection to the baby, or understand that I could and DID love them both very much.

Then he saw her. He saw his little sister and he loved her. He wasn't going to move because she was a girl. He didn't even think of all that silly stuff I had spent sleepless nights fretting over. He was her Kuya. He loved her the moment he laid eyes on her. When we placed Little in his arms I was finally able to exhale. Worry melted away, and a sigh of complete contentment left my lips. I felt so blessed...the moment Big met Little.

... This is a familiar cry in our house lately.


see Little's very FAVORITE pair of panties are wonderfully covered with the smiling monsters face. She just adores this particular pair of panties. (her Abby CaDabby ones come in a distant second) There are a few problems with this.

1. Once they are dirty, our ears are assaulted by wails in a pitch only toddlers can muster.
2. I can not seem to find a replacement pair in her size.... and even if I could I'd loose a valuable chance to teach her that patience is indeed a virtue.
3. Accidents are still a very regular thing so sometimes the coveted wearable time is only minutes.....then see reason 1.

...But in the words of a dear friend I digress...

The true reason for this post (that I am typing while those very laments are assaulting our dryer door) is that I can say she is potty trained*.

We have decided not to purchase another box of diapers, or even start using pull ups. I am so proud of her.

She's been doing awesome at home but the last few days have shown great improvement in her potty public relations. Yesterday, while playing at the park she stopped what she was doing, told me she had to go potty, and in all honesty tried to drop trowel. BUT I stopped her from stripping, gathered our things and rushed to the car where we have a portable potty (thanks Heather and Lynnie!). The miracle of it all is that she DID hold it! She stayed dry until we got to the potty.

Yipee!

Two down, one to go!


potty trained*- Mostly uses the potty. Is upset when she has a accident....but still has plenty of them. Most of them happen in route to the bathroom. Has been staying dry at night but waking around 2 screaming...needing to pee but not understanding that. Is now who-ha obsessed....hers, mine...Aubrees. Yesh, can you say no privacy.

....yes I said clue, not zoo. I will have to post about that tomorrow I guess.

So anyone who has ever known a 2yr old will be able to appreciate this Little moment we had today.

I was washing the dishes and musing how as a mommy I should come to appreciate my chores as part of my personal time when Miss. Little comes barreling down the hallway at top speed full of enthusiasm. She is talking (or yelling) about something in toddlernese that I can't quite make out. Well this kind of excitement require further investigation, so I turn around and see her clinging to a build-a-bear bat like it is manna from heaven, and gabbing excitedly. Still lost she hands it to me and I see this.



Now, I get it " A Clue?" I say. Her bounce of joy and smile says it all. I got it right. Little found herself a Blues Clue. In the life of a almost two year old there isn't much sweeter then your very own clue. She clung to it all day, every now and then inspecting it to make sure the paw print was still there- then mubbling "Little's luslu(blues) clue" and smiling.

Ok I'm SOOO very behind in posts! I have a list of things I want to share but I thought I'd start with something you Mommy's would appreciate, and get a good laugh from.

On my birthday we had a minor Christmas catastrophe...ok well that may be a bit dramatic but you'll understand where I'm coming from when you see the pictures.....

I was in the bathroom trying to get dolled up for my birthday. Jay was in charge of getting the girls dressed. I wanted to take pictures with them in these matching sweaters they have. (sweaters I might add that were hand-me-downs from different people at different times but happen to be the perfect sizes for the girls to match right now....I love when God does little things like that) Anyways, all was quiet...I should have know something had gone a rye....and I was taking my time, it was my birthday after all. Well when I was done I walked to the living room and saw this:


Oh yes, Little was using a plastic plate and scooping ashes out of the fireplace and dumping them everywhere! I mean everywhere, on Tiny's head, the couch, all over herself and my freshly cleaned living room. Both the girls were happily playing in the ashes as though it were a fresh snow fall. I yelled "what are you guys doing?" and they both looked at me with the 'I didn't do anything face' Now I didn't even know a 6 month old was capable of that look, but I assure you now that they are. I was faced with a laugh or cry moment. I chose to take pictures and laugh. Oh, the mischief of it all. Oh, the future schemes I have to look forward too from these girls. Oh, the sisterly comradery ....LOL. This is not to say that I didn't have a few choice words for my dear hubby. He swears he had just left them a moment before..hmmmm....it could very well be true knowing Little.....














He cleaned their clothes (and helped clean the living room AGAIN) for me and in the end I got these pictures before we left to get our Christmas tree, but I'll save that for another post.