Happy 2nd Birthday Iris!

Although we took lots of pictures at the party I almost forgot to take your "official" 2 year picture. Luckily I remembered before bed so we took the photo in your new Elmo PJ's. I think this will be the last monthly sign photo. 2 years old is a good stopping point and I'm sure I'll do good just to remember Isabella's picture every month for the next 2 years. You are such a big girl and every day you do something new. The other day you looked outside when it was raining and said "Daddy, it's raining and it's cold outside." That was your first big sentence. Usually you just say words or small phrases. They are getting longer though. You have gone from pointing and saying "car" to "a car" to "it's a car" and now you usually say "I see a car." You a terribly afraid of bees. We are not sure why but if you see anything flying from a gnat to a wasp you scream "a bee, a bee, a bee!" and come running and crawling on top of whoever is closest to you. You still LOVE books. I have started reading you a book before bedtime each night since your daddy decided to take your pacifier away. He wanted to take it away when you turned 2. I agreed. I did not let him take it away from you on your birthday which he wanted to ( that's just too mean). We started the next night. If I lay you down you scream for a bit but if your daddy puts you to bed he just says "no, paci is gone" and you say "Ok" and go straight to sleep. I'm not sure why it works better for daddy. Maybe because you have figured out he will not get it for you and if you scream long enough I will break down and take it up to you. He also tried to take away your duck and frog lovies because he thought you associated them with your paci (which you do) but I couldn't handle that. The second night I snuck them back up to you and put them in your crib in case you woke up in the middle of the night and needed them. I know, that is so wrong. Parents should be on a united front but I just couldn't bear you sleeping without any of your comfort items. I guess that means they have become my comfort items as well. One of your favorite items right now is a barefoot dreams winter sweater that a friend gave you when you were born. It was big so it did not fit until you were about 1 but you still go in your closet several days a week and make me put it on you---did I mention it's 100+ degrees here right now? Anyway, you call it your "coat" and every time I put it on you you rub your face on the sleeve and smile and say "soft" and wear it around the house the rest of the day. You are doing great at being a big sister. You still refer to Isabella as "baby." You'll repeat "Izzy" or "Bella" if we say it but you prefer to just call her "baby." You do not like anyone else to be around her. When I take you into your classroom at camp and the other children gather around her stroller to get a look you grab the stroller and start screaming "my baby, my baby" and pushing them away. I had to start leaving her in the hallway while I take you into your classroom. A lady from the school's office helped me push her stroller to the car last week while I was carrying you and you about had a fit because she was pushing Isabella. You don't show a lot of interest in her at home but if anyone else comes near her you get pretty protective. I could go on and on writing about you but I'll just close with saying that you're the cutest sweetest thing in the world and you bring multiple smiles to our faces every day. Your daddy and I love you so much! Happy Birthday!

Uh Oh Elmo!

Happy 2nd Birthday Iris! Sunday was also Iris' birthday. We just had a family party since it was already a big day with the Isabella's Baptism. She did have an Elmo themed party though. Unfortunately there was a slight mishap with the Elmo cake. The Elmo portion of the cake toppled over onto the rest of the cake before the party ever started. My original thought was to just put a little blanket over Elmo's body and call him "Night Night Elmo" but the rest of the family wanted to try to resurrect him. Bad Idea! Elmo crumbled into pieces when we moved him so then we were left with no Elmo on the Elmo birthday cake at the Elmo themed birthday party. Oops! Oh well, we made the best of it by presenting Iris with our version of an Elmo cake....

She thought it was fantastic and had no idea anything was wrong. It was a delicious cake too! After cake we opened presents. Iris doesn't look too excited here but I have a video to prove she was. She was just a bit tired from church and pictures etc. After opening presents we all went swimming in Nana and Papa's pool. It was a good day and everyone was down for a well needed and long nap before 2:00pm.

Isabella's Baptism

Isabella Jane was Baptised on July 25th. She did great! I was so nervous on the day of Iris' baptism worrying that she scream and cry while we had to sit on the front during mass. With the second child, things are so much more relaxed. Again, my main concern was how well Iris was behaving. My parents were in charge of her and sitting in the pew behind us so I just left that to them--thanks mom and dad! Iris did pretty good though--her sippy cup and cheerios helped of course. Isabella was very good and did great during mass and the baptism. She fell asleep in daddy's arms as soon as mass ended.

Here she is with Father Lofton and her Godparents, Mary and my brother-in-law, Kevin. We had to do a family photo but Iris would not give up the sippy cup or cheerios so we just went with it.

Isabella with her namesake, Grandma Jane.

Isabella is 3 Months

Happy 3 Month birthday Isabella! You are growing so fast and weigh about 12 lbs. now. You are a very easy going baby. You're sleeping approx. 11-12 hours a night and waking up only once to eat which has not been bad at all. You fight sleep during the day and don't fall asleep in the car as easily as Iris did. However, you are very easy to put to bed at night. I wrap you in your miracle blanket and rock you for just a few minutes. Sometimes you fall straight asleep but if not I go ahead and lay you down in the bassinet and you fall asleep all by yourself. You love for anyone to sit and talk to you. You just light up with a big smile and coo and coo. I feel guilty that I can not spend as much time with just you as I was able to with Iris when she wqas a baby. Some days I feel like I just toss you from swing to bouncy seat to activity mat because keeping up with Iris is never ending. I have been making an effort to slow down and sit with you each day though. Usually when Iris takes her nap we sit on the couch together and just talk or watch TV together. Yes. you do actually watch the TV, it's very cute. You're a very bright eyed, alert and smiley baby and we just love watching you grow each day. We love you!

Busy Bee

These are just a few things Iris has found to entertain herself lately: Sitting on the tray and in the middle of her tea set to enjoy her goldfish snack.... wearing mommy's new rainboots around the house... and playing with the Mrs. Potato Head her cousins gave her for her birthday. She particularly loves the glasses and is always trying to wear them herself.

A Day at Edisto

Early Friday morning I packed up the girls and headed to Edisto to see their Aunties Misti and Jeanette. Yes, it was so early that we arrived in our pajamas, well, at least they did. Here's Iris and Isabella rocking with Misti.

Then it was off to the beach for some more fun in the sun! Iris enjoyed playing in the sand with Jeanette... Isabella and Misti's baby, John Howard, were a little more low key. They enjoyed holding hands in the shade. These two were too cute! They are just 2 1/2 weeks apart.

Daddy's Child

Sometimes Iris does things that remind me of her father. I think she may be just as anal as he is one day (and I do mean that in a loving way honey!). Today when she was done eating her chicken nuggets and bananas she took them off of her tray and lined them up neatly on the counter for me. That's so Brad!

Childrens Museum

We've met Julian and Courtney at the Childrens Museum several times lately since it's too hot to do anything else right now. They always seem to have fun though....

Homemade Photo Shoot

It's certainly true that you do not take as many pictures of your 2nd child as you do of your 1st. I've been feeling guilty about this lately so I decided to take some pictures of Isabella. Here's my attempt at a homemade photoshoot for Isabella: The background color is not that good but Isabella really hammed it up with the expressions so I just had to post all of these...

She is just so cute I could sit and stare at her all day long--well, if Iris wasn't jumping up, down and all over the place!

Morning Walk

As the week went on the weather got hotter. On Thursday morning Ann and I took Iris and Isabella on a walk on the beach before it got too hot. We found a little "pool" of water that the tide left behind so Iris splashed around in it for a bit.

Then it was back to the house and into the pool again!

Splishing and a Splashing!

Iris loved the pool at the house. She also loved to wear her "coat" in the pool and preferred staying on the steps than actually "swimming." Both of which did not bother me in the least bit. Nor did the fact that she was so throughly entertained by her cousins that I got to sit in a lounge chair and close my eyes for a bit. Something I haven't done in almost two years! Thanks Kailtyn and Lauren!

After the pool and dinner it was off for a bike ride. The trails at Kiawah are so nice and Iris loved riding in the little trailer.

Red, White & Blue

I bought red, white and blue dresses for the girls to wear during the week as well. It was my intention to get a picture of the two of them togther in their dresses. However, the best of intentions do not always work out. I did manage to get a picture of Isabella in her dress so I thought I would go ahead and post it. I guess one out of two is not too bad.

Beach with cousins

The next day we headed back to the beach for some fun in the sun. Iris was a bit scared of the water at first but it didn't take long for her to catch on. She loved to "jump" the waves.

or just being led around by Molly... She enjoyed helping build sandcastles with Molly, Kaitlyn and Lauren.

Of course we had to get some family photos on the beach...

Then Isabella went back in the shade for yet another nap...

4th of July at Kiawah

Brad's family came to Kiawah for the week of the 4th so we spent the week out there with everyone. We had a great time. This was Isabella's first day at the beach. She just stayed in the tent and napped but she was very good. Here's Iris taking a break from the sun and having a snack.

And of course we had to take some red, white and blue, photos. Iris LOVED her cousin Molly!

Pretty cute sisters!