Update!

Yikes! It's almost been two weeks! Here is a photo/story update! I will put a few new posts below this one too.

Abigail has a new friend named Ava (ah-vah) that is 6 months older than her and about 6 inches taller than her! And Abigail is tall for her age! Abigail loves Ava and talks about her a lot, but every time they are together then seem to be in a constant battle of grounds. Who's the boss? She also switches out Ava's name with Ava ('a'-va) and Elsie frequently, even though we correct her every time. We've corrected her so much that now sometimes Abigail randomly informs (parrots) me, "Elsie's in Colorado." One day we went to the botanical gardens and Ava and Abigail wore the same dress!
The big news at our house is that Abigail switched over to a big girl bed! She finally started trying to climb out of and into her crib, but I don't think she would have been successful for quite a while. Plus we thought it might distract her from the urge to strip off all her clothes every time she was in bed. Here is a picture of her playing in the crib that last day.


On another note, how does a two year old aquire SO many stuffed animals and dolls? We will definitely be doing some slimming down before we move again! Here she is that night with her new bed! She was SOO excited all evening that at bed time, she was pretty pooped.


She did take some time that next morning to introduce the animals and dolls to the new bed.


And now I just have to share these pictures. My darling girl with her hair in a ponytail!

What would you do?

See this face?

Now tell me, what would you do if, while you were lovingly admiring your sweet little girl's sticky, messy face you heard her precious, small, sweet voice ask, "Can I kiss you Mommy?"

What did I do? After I got over my laughter and indecisiveness, I grabbed the camera and snapped a pic. Then I wiped her face and got that adorable kiss.

------------------

We have those word magnets that go on your fridge, but ours are a cheesy Wheaton version that don't have but a few particles and more than their fair share of nouns. However, we kept them for sentimental reasons. I plan on keeping them for that nondescript amount of time that you keep something like some birthday cards- long enough that you feel like you got everything you needed out of it, plus a little longer because of the respect you have for the person that gave it to you, but short of long-term, senseless hoarding. Anyway, Abigail has found the happy habit of pulling up a chair to move the 'cards' or 'mag things' (yes, mag things) around to the different pictures decorating our refrigerator doors. She talks all the while, 'Dis one for Elsie, and Ava, and Jon-na-ten, and Ruby, and..." etc. The name doesn't necessarily match the person the magnet goes to. The other day I went over to see her careful work and discovered this!

Here are a few explanations for those who are non-wheatie types.
Up the tower = It means you're engaged/married. At Wheaton, when you got engaged you went up the bell tower at Blanchard Hall to ring the bell
Jonathan Blanchard = Founding president of Wheaton College
C-Train = An employee of Wheaton who worked as a janitor and was beloved by wheaton students, especially the sporty types. He also coached the Hockey team. So, cool guy.
Chappy K = Chaplain Kellough- the chaplain at Wheaton while we were there.

So Jonthan Blanchard is kind of random, but all the other labels fit with the person or persons they were given to. I'll let you figure it all out on your own instead of writing it out. My daughter's a GENIUS!

Get your free advertising here!

What does my daughter know about Dora? In the beginning, all she knew was that Dora is on a lot of little girl things (and fruit snacks and yogurt). What does she know about Disney princesses? She knows that they are on a lot of little girl things. And that they wear pretty dresses. That's all it took. Dora and Disney princesses are now near and dear to her heart.

(new princess nightgown)

What shows do we watch? Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, Word World. She loves these shows. However, she will choose princess over word world (or something that is just a pretty pink color) every time, even though she has never seen a princess movie. Now I know that princesses are girls, just like her, and they are pretty, but I do think that this desire and love in her is very much a product of successful advertising.

It is a little scary. I consider myself pretty keen on the marketing ploys, but I have to wonder where I have been pulled in, unawares. Also scary is Abigail's current desire for anything material. EVERY. SINGLE. THING she sets her eyes on in the store, she wants to have. If I could walk all the way into a store- just in through the doors- without having already heard a couple of pleas for something she wants in that store, I would consider it a miracle. Yes, yes, I know that this is part of her age level and hopefully is a phase, but it is also very much a product of our society, and unfortunately somewhat a product of the lifestyle she has had with us. However, I do feel like I am always saying no and it really wears me down! Abigail does have the gift of persistence, lets pray she puts it to Godly use.

Oh, and she has seen a princess movie now, at her request, Cinderella!

Curls

Everyone is always telling Abigail how much they love her pretty curls. That includes me.

Yesterday Abigail and I were looking at some old pictures on the computer. She saw this one of herself and she said, "That Abi-ail, Mommy?"
"Yes, it is!" I replied.
With concern in her voice she asked, "Where'd curls go?"

January Pictures

Click on the photo for January pics. The momarazzi took some time off this month!

Picture Tag!

I was tagged by Charlotte...

Here are the rules:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same.


I went to my hard drive and the forth picture folder was 'Charissa's working folder.' The forth picture in this file was of this sweet little boy that I took portraits of last fall. Jake, Abigail and I actually went to this garden today and I was thinking of little Carter and his almost tumble into the pond. Carter just turned one a few days ago!

Here is one of my favorites from his session:


I tag:
1. The Browns
2. The Mizes
3. The Keels
4. Seth and Krista Hanson