Happy Halloween!!!

I LOVE Halloween! And its just so much more fun through the eyes of a child.

on Thursday we carved pumpkins. Carving pumpkins is one of those things that you REALLY look forward to, but then while you are doing it you realize: this is WORK! and its really not as fun as you had hoped it would be. Maybe when the girls get older and can actually seriously participate it will be more fun.

Here are the pumpkins from the discount grocery store --oops I mean geniuine patch pumpkins *wink*wink*



Audreys "help" consisted of munching on the bits of pumpkin.





Brynns "Help" consisted of scooping out dads pumpkin (wait for it) ..... and then proceeding to dump it in mommys already cleanout out pumpkin....

In the end we got the cutest picture! Its a little out of focus, but it was getting late and the girls were restless. I should have used my flash....but still, its adorable!!!!!

Have fun tonight everyone!!!

12 Month Well Baby...

Audrey had her 12 month well baby visit today.  It was a nerve racking appt for me because I brought brynn so we could all get our flu shots, and Brynn, after the 3-4 dislocated elbows she has had and the one ear infection is DEATHLY afraid of the "D" word...I dont even want to type it for fear of her reaction. But now I am glad that she came along as an observer to see that the dr doesn't hurt you.

I told brynn that I needed her to be my big helper and tell audrey not to be afraid of the Dr. So when we picked Audrey up, Brynn goes "Audrey, the dr not scary, the dr nice."

Audrey is 22lbs (75%) 2'5"(75%).

She has and will take steps, but is not close to what I define as "walking"...something that an impatient mother like myself is eager to see.

Her words (that she uses in a proper context) are: Mama, Bye Bye, and Uh Oh.

the uh oh one is funny...she kinda hums it rather than a clear ". One day we were playing outside, and she had her little la cuca ratcha rattle thing (the proper name escapes me)...and she would squat down, place it on the ground and then stand up and say "uh oh" and then squat, pick it up, squat, put it down, stand up and say "uh oh"...repeat repeat repeat. Too cute!

One thing the Dr said that kinda irritated me, is she said I should start considering weaning..I did a double take "is this the set of Mad Men and its the 1960's? ...listen lady. I don't need you telling me sh** about how often and when I can nurse *MY* kid. My kid is thriving and in the 75th% thats all you need to be concerning youself with as far as that goes. but I just brushed her off and rolled my eyes.

The real fun came with the vaccines. Brynn watched me get my nasal spray and FINALLY calmed down about it and took her nasal spray like a CHAMP!

Audrey, was none-to-pleased about her 3 needles pokes (we did the flu, chicken pox, and I forget, but not the MMR, we are waiting a couple months...didnt want to load her up with vax today) the first two went in and she was pissssssed. Then we had to switch sides for the third, and I don't know how or what exactly happened, all I know is I got poked and scraped with the needle on the top of my hand. So the nurse had to quickly go change the needle out, meanwhile I am bleeding and nursing Audrey to try to calm her enough for the next needle. Wowzers.

Then Brynn and I went for IceCream since she was such a great helper. I could really tell at the end that *hopefully* she has warmed up to the (wispering) doctors office so next time it wont be as scary to her.

We all got our Flu shots (in case you are wondering, no we didnt get the H1N1 at this time).

Audrey is doing great! All in all, and exciting trip to the doctors office

Quick as a Wink, Quicker than you think...

(the title is from a Radio Jingle for Minute Stop in hawaii from when I was a little girl, but it fits perfectly)
Tonight, on the eve before my Daughters 1st birthday, I reflect on the last year. I remember where I was this time last year. I was laying in bed, 200+lbs. Feeling pretty hopeless. Despite being 2 weeks from my due date, I had decided that I was bound to be pregnant for.ev.er. I was planning on googling the number to Guiness Book of world records so I could call them and let them know I was going to be entering my submission for the first women who was pregnant for.ev.er.

ok, now that I look back on my mind frame, I relize how insane that was. But I was SO big and SO uncomfortable, and SO SO SO SO SO over being pregnant and swollen, plus, I had convinced myself that 10-23 would be the day for me, so I was a little disappointed to find myself laying in bed watching TV instead of huffing and puffing and pushing......that is......until 11pm hit.

I will spare you the long details, so I will just summarize:
- I was approx 2 weeks early.
- 4 hours from "I think I just had a contraction" to "look out bellow!"
- I have my babies Au Naturale
- When Audrey was crowning the nurse said "wow this is going to be a big baby" (hey, thanks lady!)
- When Audreys head was out the nurse said "This is a big baby! How early are you?"
- When Audrey was out and placed in my arms immediatly following birth the first words out of her mouth her "That IS a big baby" (alright lady, we got it!)
- You betcha I screamed...oh boy did I scream.
- She was 9lbs 10oz, 21inches.
- She was purple and covered in a ton vernix (that white sticky stuff, common in babies born before their due date)

but she was perfect.

I love this picture. I think it perfectly captures the love I feel for my little girl immediately. I will never forget hearing that first cry, feeling that tiny (ok, big for a 38 weeker) wriggling wet body in my arms for the first time, hearing her first tiny breaths as she nuzzled up to me looking for The Boob, and smelling that sweet baby smell of milk and heaven on her soft downy head.

The adjustment from 1 kid to 2 was HARD...damn hard. Harder than you can ever possibly imagine or prepare for. You can't even put it into words. Its just.hard. And every friend I have had since then that has made that transition has had the same findings...its just.damn.hard...so I know I am not crazy...

But I got through it.

Over the last year, I have watched Audrey grow and blossom into a beautiful lityle girl. She is so sweet. She is a firecracker...I think I am going to have my hands full when this little one gets older. She defitnatly likes to have a good time.  I just can't beleive how quickly this last year has flown by. Yesterday she was holding her head up and learning to roll, tomorrow we blow out her first of many many many many many candles to come in long span of her life.

My Nana believes that our spirits up in heaven pick out their lives. Like the little spirit Audrey said "you know what God, I think I am going to go for Chad and Kristin, that Brynn looks like fun, and she needs a little sister. And that Kristin, well, she takes way too many pictures, but I hear she is a fun mommy, and that Chad looks like a great dad."

Well, I don't know if my Nana is right, but if she is, I sure am glad that Chad and I have been blessed with this bright ray of sunshine that is our little Audrey.

I cannot, not even for one second, imagine a world with out Audrey. It simply couldn't be.

Last night I lay with Audrey in our bed nuzzled in my arms and next to her was Brynn, and Chad...well, Chad decided that it was too cramped of quarters, so he slept in Brynns bed (yeah, we have been having Brynn issues lately) and Brynn was patting my head like I was a dog and singing "the ants go marching" very quietly, and Audrey had her little arm wrapped around my arm with her soft, sweet breaths in my chest and I thought to my self "man, it doesn't get better than this" and I meant it.

So, Happy Birthday Sweet little Audrey. We love you.

Parent Teacher

Today I had Brynns first Parent - Teacher meeting at school!

It went well, she said that Brynn is a "model student" and that when there are new kids, she sets Brynn and another little girl up with the new student to show that new student how things work, how to follow rules, what to do etc etc etc.

She said that Brynn is a sweet girl who gets along with others well, she has her favorite little boy and they are two peas in a pod (this is the same little boy brynn informed me was her boy friend - eep!)

Brynns developement in colors, numbers and letters is great. Her vocabulary is great, they are working with her on her "y's" sometimes she says her "y's" as "n" or "Ls" as in "Lellow"

They are also working on normal 2 year old challenges of cleaning up after herself and just general cleanliness.

She said that she thinks Brynn will be ready to move up in class before she turns three. The next classroom is when the child is 3 year olds and potty trained and "ready"

Oh, and she mentioned Brynns hair...well, its always in her face and she wont keep a pony tail in, so she is constantly doing the hand swipe across the face so she can see. So, I think there will be a hair cut in our future. But I am just so scared! But more and more I think its going to be necessary.

I wanted to include a cute picture of my cutie who is doing so well, but unfortunatly, the girl doesn't like her picture taking...so I give you this:

San Fiasco

This weekend we visited SF with family. It was a GORGEOUS day!

We started off with a trek across *the bridge*.


guess what *I* am doing in this picture (teehee)...hey, a girls gotta eat!


Did I mention it was a gorgeous day?

This is at fishermans grotto, we ate clam chowder in bread bowls, and got this yummy "scary punkin"

We went to Pier 39 and checked out hundreds...and I mean HUNDREDS of Sea Lions...or harbor seals...In any event...there were so many of them, it was crazy they were all climbing on top of each other yellling and yelping at each other. kinda reminded me of WalMart on black friday.



all in all, it was one of those trips that turn into fun family memories!

Post on Toes

Well, not exactly, but it was a cute title!

Have I ever mentioned that I am a super slacker mom when it comes to dressing my kids and shoes and that sort?

Yes, I admit, I keep my kids in footed sleepers everyday all day for as long as possible before it becomes socially innapropriate. I have never been the kind of mom to dress my girls all up. I just find it unneccesary and I like to take advantage of how easy it is to just keep them in their comfy jammies.

But the other day Audreys baby sitter asked me to start bringing Audrey in shoes since she is getting real close to walking. So that ended my keep-em-in-their-jammies-no-maintanence-kids streak. So we headed down to T-Get and got some Robies knock offs. But is it not amazing how much older my "baby" looks with shoes on?

as for my 2nd set of toes: ms. brynn. Today was "Dress in Orange" day at Brynns school. I found these super cute orange pumpkin socks at the $1 at Target.

note to brynn in 5 years: you want to know why there sre not as many pictures of you or al the pictures you don't look at the camera? Well that is your choice, it is not because mommy didn't take pictures of you or try hard (because, I HAVE)....this is as good as it gets:

A Look Back

FALL IS HERE! I am an HEAVEN! And what better way to bring the Fall Season in than a trip to the pumpkin patch?

Chad and I were looking back at pictures the other night and I frequently go back to see what I was doing on this date this time last year (since I take pictures almost daily, its easy to do)...its just a little quirk I have.

Well we looked back at 10/03/08 and I'll be darned:

Lets fast forward to 10/03/09:

Its amazing how much has happened in the last 12 months...I subtracted about 60 lbs from my body and added a beautiful happy girl to our family!

We had a great time at the pumpkin patch. Brynn was like crazy excited, she didn't know where to start, she was darting back and forth and running (and tripping) all over the place.

Even Audrey had a great time, she was kicking her legs like crazy all excited at the sights and all the BIG orange "Balls"

We didn't get a pumpkin at said Patch, but we will go back to get one. It just got really cold and windy toward the end and we kinda rushed out of there. So thats it, pumpking patching 2009! The Holidays (and the New Moon movie) are upon us! Let the countdown begin!

What is "WhaPaw"?

answer:
What Chad wanted to do to to the lady that went up to Audrey and said "SOMEBODY needs their bangs cut"

"WhaPAW!"

don't you be talking about my daughters crazy ass hair!