Sydney had her 2 year well baby visit today – our appointment went extremely well! We met her new pediatrician today (Dr. Allison) who was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive. She and I had a great conversation and she was extremely impressed with Sydney’s vocabulary. She told me that Syd was probably the most advanced 2 year old she’s seen and that her vocabulary is at about a 4 year-old’s level!
Syd weighed in at 28 lbs (50th percentile) and was 33 3/4 inches tall (50th percentile) so her growth is right on track with where she should be.
We’ve been having really good luck with potty training lately too. We had a few accidents last week (due to distraction or the fun wearing off) but seem to be back on track this week with no accidents the past two days!
A few of the sweetest things she’s done lately: called me “dollface” because that’s daddy’s nickname for me, holds my wrists with both hands while we rock and read books every night before bed, holds my hand and snuggles with me while we watch a movie, and roll plays with me – she insists on being called “Baby Bop” or “BJ.” We’ve started trying to teach some Spanish to her but for now all we can seem to get is “Buenos Dias” and “Me llamo Sydney.” It’s so cute to hear her say phrases in Spanish! The double L syllables are perfect for her since saying “L’s” and “R’s” are still a little tough for her.
Sydney really is a brilliant little girl – we’re so proud of her! As much as I want to keep her stimulated and learning, I want to ensure that she gets to be a kid, first and foremost.
She’s my little girl and little girls grow up so quickly these days. I want to make sure that she grows up slow…”like American honey!”
I think our next adventure may be gymnastics/tumbling class. We’ve considered swimming lessons too but I’m a little worried about wet heads, cold Montana winds, and ear infections…maybe we’ll save those for the spring.
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Posted on 31 August '10 by admin, under Uncategorized. No Comments.
Posted on 17 August '10 by admin, under Misc, Sydney, Video. No Comments.
Well we’re settling in…again! After packing, hugging, and sharing a few tears, we said “See ya later” to Juma and G’pa Larry and moved into Padre’s house on Saturday. Even though we’ll still be in the same (small) city for goodness sakes, it was still sad to say goodbye to our new routine and everyday life with the grandparents and wildlife on Simons Drive. In the two short months that they allowed us to settle in, we had a blast sharing meals, stories, desserts, and funny moments together! Fortunately for all of us, we’re just a hop, jump, and a skip away so we’ll still see lots of each other!
After work today I headed over to pick up the bear. In the car on the way home she proceeded to tell me that I couldn’t go on the “Choo choo train” (play area at the mall) because I was too tall and because I’m a big girl! Then she continued on to ask about where daddy, papa, Juma, and G’pa Larry were…and then argue with me about whether daddy really was working or not! About 5 minutes from the house she randomly started to say “BOOM Sha-ka-laka” over and over again, each time emphasizing different syllables…I had tears streaming from my face in laughter as she said it each time with “You want me to do it again?” between each one…the things she (and her daddy!) come up with!
We’re still set to close on the sale of our house on the 20th this month…we haven’t decided when we’re going to get serious about buying here but are always casually looking. I suppose if the right house came along at a great deal we’d be ready now…we just want to be sure that we don’t just settle and buy something in such a buyers market right now. I long to be in a place of our own again…to sit on OUR furniture…to cook with OUR kitchen stuff…to eat off of OUR plates…to bathe in OUR tub/shower…to unpack for GOOD and never look at a suitcase or box again unless it’s going on vacation with us…but I know that this is meant to be a fun season of life for us now too. We won’t get to share the funny everyday moments with the grandparents forever so I’m trying to keep that in mind. I’m really trying to intentionally enjoy this time with family rather than worrying about burdening someone or being overly anxious about buying another house. It’s not always easy to remind yourself about that though when you’d been on your own for over 10 years!
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Posted on 9 August '10 by admin, under Updates. No Comments.
Whoa! A tub toy just flew out and landed right next to me…she is lucky she didn’t get me wet…I HATE wet clothes!! Syd is gleefully sitting in the tub saying things like “I’m going swimming in the lake…bye bye..love you” and “Peanut butter and jelly…I’m eating breakfast!” and “Mommy…I’m gonna jump!” She is doing her version of cannon balls in the tub right now and all I can do is laugh! She is seriously a busy little bee and so funny!
(I began this post last night but was pulled away to do “superman” with the yellow ducky bath towel, story time, and then to tuck the little one in. I was too wiped out to finish writing and snuggling on the couch with Randy was too inviting!)
The last couple of months have truly been a whirlwind for us. We’ve gone through some major transitions…some more smoothly than others…but are LOVING being so close to our family again. It has been an adjustment though – we went from living across the country from our family to being surrounded by loved ones who all want to spend time with us. We celebrated our arrival, Randy’s birthday, spent a week with my sister and her husband, celebrated Juma’s birthday, Father’s Day, had a girls weekend in Bigfork, ran in the Governor’s Cup and spent some quality time Renee and her fam, spent some days at the lake, celebrated Fourth of July, Grandpa Larry’s birthday, and finally Syd’s birthday!! On top of all of that, we’ve sold, unsold, and sold our house and have done some casual house hunting for a place of our own. We’ve had the luxury of time lately as we have been blessed with a place to stay with our amazing family but are excited about the prospect of having our own space again soon!
Syd just turned two and I still don’t know where all of the time has gone. She’s speaking in clear sentences, has been working on potty training, and absolutely loves to read and play outside. I spent $5.99 on an inflatable pool that has proven to be the best investment yet this summer! She loves to sit and read…we’re often told that’s what she does the entire time during free-time at daycare…but also loves art projects. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scrubbed marker, sidewalk chalk, and finger paint out of her hands, nails, and hair! She has quite a sense of humor and can definitely sense when she’s being funny…Randy has called me “Mommy san” (Japanese reference) for a while now just to be goofy but now Sydney calls me “mommy san,” herself “Sydney san” and Randy “Daddy san!” She laughs at herself everytime she says it which in turn makes me laugh!
Potty training is going well. Today’s the first day we wore big girl underwear out and about but she’s gone nearly a week straight now with a dry pull-up all day asking to go potty on her own. We really haven’t had to put much effort into potty training her – she seems to be quite motivated by the fact that she gets one jelly bean each time she goes but has even gotten to the point now where she often forgets to even ask about the jelly bean! I’m working towards transitioning to undies all the time with the exception of naptime and bedtime. I’m not sure we’re ready to tackle that quite yet!
Syd’s known her alphabet since before we moved up here but sings it ALL the time now! She’s also learned that she lives in Montana and says it quite emphatically out of the blue. Randy also taught her that her name fits quite well with the M-I-C K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E tune so when asked to spell her name she sings S-Y-D N-E-Y N-I-X-O-N! It’s adorable! She knew that she was having her birthday party all week last week so that’s all she could talk about…about how she would be turning two and how she would get to ride ponies! We had a great time at her cowgirl themed party…the ponies were a huge hit and our “square dance in the barn” (bales of straw, ballons and tables in the garage because it was pouring outside) ended up turning out really cute. She had a present from Randy and I that didn’t get opened at her party and when I gave it to her yesterday to open she jumped on the bed and yelled “Hey friends, come to my birthday party!!” (It was just the two of us in our room…what a goof!)
Thankfully we’re set to close on our house in Alpharetta on August 20th. Although it’s been a rocky, and unsatisfying journey, we’re ready to move on to the next chapter. We made some amazing memories in that house and loved it very much but the economic reality of the housing market right now is leaving a bad taste in our mouths with regard to homeownership! We are thankful to be selling and that we’re not upside down like so many people these days are. Thank you for your continued prayers and support – we’re so thankful to be where we’re at in our lives right now!
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Posted on 6 August '10 by admin, under Updates. No Comments.
The last few days of traveling have been a whirlwind but not because of the chaos of Day 1 but because we’ve been having so much fun! Friday we drove from St. Louis to Omaha, NE. We got great views of the arch that morning and then got into Omaha just in time to have dinner with our friends Patti and James and their kiddos at a local pizzaria. Patti and James were kind enough to treat us to a homemade breakfast the next morning and then we all took the kids to the Omaha zoo for a couple of hours. The outing was just what Syd needed - sunshine, other kid sized friends, fresh air, and room to roam! She was so tuckered out from the adventure that after eating a lunch on the go, she fell asleep in the car for a few hours and allowed Randy to drive in peace and quiet!
We arrived in Scotland, SD that night to visit with my aunt Karen (dad’s sister). We stayed for dinner and visited for a couple of hours and then headed to Mitchell, SD to stay at our hotel – Scotland was too small to have any sort of hotel facility! We left Mitchell this morning on our way to Sturgis, SD to visit my uncle Ralph and aunt Cathy (dad’s brother) but took a detour to Philip, SD (my birthtown) to put flowers out on my dad’s parents and grandparents graves.
On our way from Philip to Sturgis, Randy and I stopped at the world famous Wall Drug and had lunch, let Syd play, and took some fun pictures which we’ll have to post when we get into town. We arrived in Sturgis around 4:30 this afternoon and headed up to my aunt and uncle’s. They made a great dinner for us and Syd had a blast running around outside and playing with their little dog. She got to take a relaxing bath in the tub which made even me feel a little more human! We’re staying around Sturgis until tomorrow afternoon for a Memorial Day picnic at my cousin’s house and then will be on to Sheridan, WY so that we don’t have such a long day of driving on Tuesday when we plan to arrive in Missoula. Keep our safety, sanity, and family in your prayers! 
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Posted on 30 May '10 by admin, under Uncategorized. No Comments.
Well Day 1 was an eventful day to say the least. We had about 3 hours of packing to get done before heading out of Atlanta so we ran around from about 5am until about 8am throwing last minute things into boxes, packing and prepping the vehicles, and loading the car onto the dolly. We spent the next 45 minutes cleaning the house and checking drawers, cabinets, and closets to be sure we hadn’t missed anything. We said goodbye to our house, took some pictures, locked our first house up with love, and were on the road by 9am. After some creative driving to be sure we kept our caravan of cars we were finally on the interstate out of town. We made it about 100 miles before one of the tires on the dolly hauling my car blew…no spare of course.
We were told we’d wait 90 minutes for the tire repairman and sure enough…he needed all 90 minutes to get there! Syd and I waited with Dad and Randy for about an hour and 20 minutes but as I realized I had a toddler who’d need a nap soon and a hotel room we needed to check into (as we’d reserved all of them ahead of time!) we headed off on our own with Calvin (the cat) and left the boys to get back on the road once the tire was fixed.
I was quite surprised about how well the cat AND Syd did in the car. The cat rode really well (very few meows and no accidents!) and Syd really kept herself entertained the entire way. When we stopped for dinner and a little playtime I got a call from the boys saying that there was a power steering fluid leak and that they were trying to find a solution. What I found out later was that it wasn’t just a leak – it was pouring out the bottom. There was no way they could continue on without a repair. Long story short…a good ‘ol Kentucky boy mechanic “knew a guy” that was able to get them the part they needed and he quickly installed it to get the boys back on the road.
Syd and I got checked into the hotel about 9pm and the boys finally got in around 11:30 pm. Syd had a bit of a coughing spell around 3am but after a 1/2 teaspoon of honey and some cuddles she’s still snoozing. She even slept through the 4:45am fire alarm that screamed from every room in the building! Now the coffee’s ready and Cracker Barrel is calling my name…I shall warm up with a cup of joe and prepare for our journey to Omaha!
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Posted on 28 May '10 by admin, under Uncategorized. No Comments.
Just a quick post to update you on the happenings in our life over the past couple of weeks:
I was baptized on Sunday April 25th at Northpoint Community Church – this was a very special day for me and I was so blessed to spend the morning enjoying a “baptism brunch” with some amazing family and friends!
Randy and I accepted an offer on our house this past weekend so things are definitely under way in our house to get packing, tossing, and donating as we plan to head out on Thursday May 27th. We’ll be U-Haulin’ it across the country and seeing some sites along the way so it should be an interesting drive considering we’ll be driving with a cat, a dog, and a 22 month old! Luckily my dad’s flying down the night of the 25th to help us pack up the truck and drive across country – I’m so happy to have an extra set of hands!
Sydney is an amazing little girl. She’s full of personality, has A LOT to say, and makes us laugh every day. She’s been a little under the weather the past few days so we’re hoping she’s feeling better soon. Her little daffy duck voice sounds so pitiful! I enjoyed a great mother’s day – Randy made an awesome breakfast for me and then we had tickets to a concert that night. We hadn’t had a date night since before tax season! Syd had her first sleep over Sunday night with the Kents so that Randy and I could enjoy the Zac Brown Band concert that night. From everything I heard, Syd and Viv had a great time playing together even though they were both a little under the weather!
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Posted on 11 May '10 by admin, under Pictures, Updates. No Comments.
Posted on 30 April '10 by admin, under Misc, Sydney, Video. No Comments.
Randy and I have been/are vacationing at home yesterday, today and tomorrow! We’d had such a crazy couple of months that we decided that we really needed some time to reconnect as a family and spend some QUALITY time together! I had an amazing couple of days at work at the beginning of the week and had an incredible day home with the family yesterday! Yesterday Randy, Syd and I woke up and picked up the house for the showing we were having at 10am and then headed out to the Georgia Aquarium for a day of fun – Sydney LOVED it!! The most memorable part of the aquarium for her though was not the fish, the whale sharks, the sea dragons, or the belugas but it was “the man” who was in scuba gear in one of the tanks cleaning the coral and swimming with the fish! She kept following the man around along the glass and waving to him and asking about “the man” the rest of the visit and even when we got home!! After the aquarium, we played for a little while at Centennial Olympic park and then headed home for naptime. After a quick nap, Randy and Syd hopped on their bike while I jogged and we ran down to the park. Randy and Syd played at the playground while I got my jog in and then we headed home for dinner. After dinner Randy had a ticket for a free movie and since he was all “jacked up” from the busy day we’d had, he headed out to see a comic book flick and Syd and I stayed home and ate chocolate and watched a movie – GIRL TIME!!
Last weekend we took Sydney to her first carnival and she got to ride some rides for the first time and had her first taste of funnel cake! We had a blast at the petting zoo and she LOVED the choo choo train and the fireman hat she got!
We have another fun day on tap today – we’ve got a Catch Air playdate with Julie and Vivian and then I’m getting my hair done this afternoon – I’m going blond for the summer!!
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Posted on 22 April '10 by admin, under Uncategorized. No Comments.
The countdown has begun…including today, there are less than 7 days left before April 15th! Don’t think I don’t love doing taxes but by the end of the season, I’m missing my hubby, missing my baby, and missing my sanity! I look forward to our company April 16th party at Whirlyball and an afternoon off!!
The past week and a half or so have marked important days in our lives and have found us discovering new milestones as always! We celebrated Good Friday and Easter – we went to church on Good Friday and then spent Easter Sunday together as a family in the morning and then had friends (who’ve become family!) come over in the afternoon for dinner and an egg hunt! Randy was the amazing chef behind the scenes (as always) and made a ham, fresh baked bread, and mashed potatoes…along with everything else everyone brought…we ate like royalty!
Syd’s movin’ and shakin’ these days – busier than ever. We’ve entered the “no phase” and now my previously acquiescent little girl yells “NO!” and runs the other direction anytime I ask her to do most anything! On a more positive note though, she did get through the ENTIRE alphabet in the bathtub the other night! I only had to help her with one or two letters two or three times and she got the rest! My favorite milestone we’ve experienced lately though was something that I was looking forward to almost as much as hearing I love you for the first time…like I’ve said before, Syd loves to walk everywhere which means she’s walking hand in hand with us (both of us if we’re both there). On Good Friday, we had our first “walking through the parking lot swinging our little girl by the hand between the two of us” moment! I can’t believe she’s getting so big and growing so fast but am excited at how much fun and how great a girl she’s truly becoming! Sydney got her first haircut the Saturday before Easter and did great – she ended up on my lap because she didn’t know about that lady coming at her with a comb and scissors – but she talked about “the yady” (lady who cut her hair) for days afterward!
CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES!
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Posted on 10 April '10 by admin, under Pictures, Updates. 1 Comment.
