Rylee is a little stinker- she didn't like any baby food- especially fruit. She hated it. She loves real food she can chew and she likes to feed herself. I finally figured out how to give her puréed food-- in these pouches! She loves them because she can feed herself. I was weary of them because I read a lot of the companies add concentrated juices to the pouches which gives them a lot if sugar, but I found this earths best stuff and it doesn't have added sugar or concentrates-- and the big plus-- she loves them! Yippie!

Eating her carrots, potatoes and roast beef-- she ate that stuff up like a champ 

Little twinsies playing together.

Alexis's favorite past time. Throwing rocks in the water.

She got a cake pop for being potty trained and not having any accidents.

I told her to get ready to go so she put her boots on and said "I'm ready mommy!" I think she forgot something...

Rylee and her date Broxton going to the fair.

Alexis and her pal Blaire at the mall shopping. Not sure what's up with Alexis's pants

Kids say the darnest things

Alexis has really been getting a funny personality. She just says the funniest things. A couple weeks ago we went to the Washington State Fair and saw a hypnotist show. The last thing the hypnotist said was for the guys to pretend they were Chippendales. Anyways, fast forward, we ask Alexis if she had fun at the fair and what she did. She replies with no hesitation, "yeah! I saw a Chippendales show!" Uhh... Hahaha! We were practically rolling on the floors laughing- it was SO funny, but really, out of the whole fair- that's all she took from it?! Lol! 

Last night she found the iPad and started getting glued to Mickey, so I decided to play with her. I started pretending I was eating her and this is the conversation that proceeded.

A: Ahh. Mommy! Stop biting me!

Me: I'm not biting you, I'm just nibbling on you cause you're so cute and yummy!

A: mommy, I'm not food and I'm not a cookie.

Me: you're not a cookie? I thought you were because you have it all over your face (she snuck a few Oreos earlier). If you're not a cookie, what are you?

A: I'm Alexis. I'm not food. Don't eat me.

I love that she understands our conversations and comes back with snarky responses. Lol! I'm sure I won't love it in a few years, but for now I am enjoying it. :)

Grandma gave her $5 to not suck her thumb.

She loves ballet!

Welcome to Washington

Well- fall is here and so is the rain. Rylee and I managed to make it to the store with just the 2 of us. We went in and it was sunny, when we came out it was pouring. Not just raining, but literally buckets pouring down. Finally after waiting under cover for about 20 minutes for the rain to let up it slowed down a bit. Rylee and I decided to make a run for it. About 1/2 way to our car it started dumping buckets of freezing cold rain on us. I put Rylee in her seat as she was laughing away thinking it was the funniest thing ever to be getting soaking wet. I threw the groceries in the trunk and climbed in the backseat to buckle the babe. I was soaked head to toe and so was my baby and car. Brrr. I cranked up that heat. I sure felt bad for the soldier I saw with his big pack on doing his ruck march on post. 

All I could think about was "welcome to Washington!" I'm not a huge rain person. It's nice to have every once in a while, but I enjoy the sun. Better start taking that vitamin D!

Waiting for the rain to let up.

Pick me up

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a love for Diet Coke. It's definitely one of my guilty (unhealthy) pleasures. Since having Rylee I have felt EXTREMELY tired (maybe has something to do with the fact that she likes to sleep right next to me and still wakes up several times a night) and I have felt myself needing a big pick-me-up. I don't drink coffee, so I have been relying on it more than I should. I'm not ashamed about how much I love it, but I want to cut back because I know it's not good for me. I just want to get out of this sleepless nights stage before trying to cut back.

Anyways, I have been blessed with great friends in the area I live in. One of my friends shares the same love of Diet Coke as I do and today texted me she was dropping something off. She showed up a with a large Diet Coke. I wanted to shout hallelujah! I was so tired from Alexis waking up thinking it was time to get up at 1:30 and 3:30am and Rylee waking up every hour. When she showed up and I took that first sip- ahh! Divine!

Until the day comes in the near future when I cut out Diet Coke-- cheers!

Roller

I've now got a roller in my hands! Rylee rolled over 5 times in a row tonight! She's growing up so fast!

Doing more things

Since Rylee's birth I've found myself wanting to just stay home and not go anywhere. I don't have much energy and it's definitely a lot harder getting 2 kids out the door. Not to mention it rains a lot in the Pacific NW and we cant do anything outdoors when it's pouring. I was feeling guilty because it seemed like all Alexis was doing was playing games and toys by herself (or with me- but she gets bored of me fast) or watching Disney channel. I've been making an effort lately despite feeling tired to do at least one thing outside the house a day. It's really makes a big difference in how Alexis acts- every now and then ill still let Alexis watch an episode of Mickey, though.

Alexis loves frozen yogurt-- we found a fun gymnastics place to go jump around (which she loves until she gets hurt) and she loves the children's museum!

Children's Museum and old friends

Today we went to this fun place in WA called The Hands On Children's Museum. Alexis always loves it! We then had the opportunity to have lunch with two of my old friends from VA Kelly and Sara!

Rylee is also 3 months old today!!

Rylee's blessing day

Rylee was blessed on Feb 10, 2013. We had a great time celebrating with friends and family afterwards eating yummy Cafe Rio style food. I kicked myself for forgetting to take pictures at the celebration after, but here are a few at church and a few before we left. Rylee knew it was a very special day!

Growing like a weed!

It's hard to believe my baby is growing SO fast! She will be 3 months old tomorrow! She has overall been such a good baby! Everything about her has been completely opposite of Alexis. Don't get me wrong, Alexis was a good baby for everything she had to go through. She had a really hard birth and was very sick as a baby requiring a blood transfusion and tons of antibiotics resulting in a low immune system, so if someone even sneezes around her she gets sick. When she was a baby she would throw up entire feedings multiple times a day. Rylee had an easy birth (well I mean as easy as a birth can go considering I was squeezing something big out of me), she has barely been sick at all (other than a couple weeks ago when we were all barfing our guts out with the stomach flu and she got a little bit of diarrhea- that's it thankfully) and she barely ever even spits up! It's so nice and refreshing to have a healthy baby! I thank the Lord everyday for 1. Alexis being alive and relatively healthy, other than the cold or other virus's she picks up every time we leave the house and 2. Rylee being completely healthy. I have 2 beautiful daughters and I am very blessed. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Rylee has been such a blessing in our lives these past 3 months. I now wonder having two kids what I did with my time when I had only Alexis. I felt like I was busy when I only had her and it was SO hard to go to the store or go out with her by myself... Oh how my perspective has changed! Now it seems so easy to go to the store with just her or just Rylee. I also feel very busy all the time- even if my house looks exactly the same as it did in the evening as it did in the morning. I've been very grateful for the opportunity to breastfeed Rylee. It is exhausting and has been a process building up a supply enough to only need to supplement about 5 oz of formula a day. I often find myself on the couch for about 20 minutes every hour feeding Rylee, but I can honestly say it has helped me feel closer to her and has contributed to her being so healthy. It makes it difficult to go out when I am always having to stop and feed her and I get very exhausted, but if that's the only hard thing about her, I will take it. She has the sweetest smile and laugh and she loves her big sister so much!! I was worried about how Alexis would handle having a baby in the house and I can honestly say she's been a champ! She plays with Rylee, shares with her, kisses and sings to her, covers her with blankies and just loves her and Rylee thinks she is hilarious!

Rylee's milestones are-
-Started smiling at 5 weeks (she was up for 3 hours that night, flashed me a huge smile and made it all worth it!
-Started laughing at 9 weeks. Feb 23, 2013. It was beyond cute! She also started holding her rattle around the same time.
- Rolled over at 2 weeks and again at 12. Both times she was on my bed and was trying to get comfy on her side and just plopped over to her tummy. She then realized she was on her tummy and got mad! :)

Her physical stats are-
-At birth- 6lbs 8oz, 18 in
-At 2m 3 weeks- 12lbs 22 in. Short and stout!