We Survived the First Year

Chloe & Claire turned one - I know this post is a bit late - but at least I'm doing it. 

They turned one March 29 - yeehaw.  That first year was quite a ride, I think I slept a total of 72 hours. lol  It is amazing to think that these girls who weighed just over 3 lbs, and were 2 months early are now about 20 lbs and crawling all over the house.  We are blessed, and grateful to all who have supported, prayed for, and encouraged us during this time of trusting God with our family's lives.

Our Dog's New Toy

Life with 5 little girls can be a bit demanding - and so having a dog sometimes pushes me over the edge.  Not that she's a  bad dog - actually she is amazing with all of our kids (believe me they've tested the boundaries) - it's just having to think about another living thing can be a bit much.

So when our family was gone for 2 days, and someone came by to feed & take the dog out = she got a little weird.  When I asked how our dog did while we were gone, Paul - who took care of her - said she was acting strange & didn't want to leave her toys.  Truth be told she really doesn't have any toys besides a few tennis balls.  So I was curious to see her 'new' toys.  They were any toys of my girls' that talked or played music - like leap frog stuff, a telephone, etc.  She drug them to her bed and laid next to them & whimpered when they played music.  I know, weird.

Actually - hearing 'The Wheels on the Bus" at 3 in the morning is not weird - it's ANNOYING.  So we are working on breaking this habit asap.  Any advice accepted.

Moving Chairs

My daughter Stella, who will be 2 in May has an ingenious habit of moving the dining room table chairs to the kitchen counter to get what she wants.  Our dining room & kitchen are in one space & so it is easy for her to push the chair to the desired location.  She tries to find pacifiers, food, drinks, candy, basically anything out of reach.  I actually thought it was cute & creative in the beginning - but the novelty has worn off & the baby gate is put up most of the time.

Stella is one of those kids who will climb, push, pull, open, find - you name it she is into it & exploring it.  She is my third daughter & the first one where I have had to lock doors, hide things & put up the gate.  We have a fenced in yard & I believe she has walked around the entire yard looking for an escape.  She has even moved the kiddie chairs on the outside patio to see if she could climb over the fence.  She's only 2 - what will I do when she is 16?  Pray - pray - pray.  

The top picture was taken as she was playing in the rain.  My husband also got a shot of her drinking the fallen rain water - need I say more?