Friday, August 8, 2008

another adventure






It's our final weekend to have some girl time before Alyssa starts school on Monday. This morning we went to Alyssa's school and met her teacher. Her teacher seems really nice, and I feel confident that Alyssa will have a wonderful year in first grade. After we went to her school, we headed to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville. The girls had a great time playing, learning about the body, solar system, and climbing around on all of the exhibits.

341 hours spent working hard!


Kevin started working at Vanderbilt the first week of July, and they didn't break him in very easily. He started out working in the ICU working insane hours. Well, we did the math and he worked a total of 341 hours for the month of July. He even got his first paycheck! We haven't seen a paycheck in over four years so this was real excitement at our house! I had to take a picture of him holding it just so we can treasure the memories, and before I go spend it....

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Aren't they cute or what?



I went to the doctor today for another ultrasound just to check the measurements of our baby girls. Both babies are doing remarkably well, and now weigh exactly 1 1/2 lbs. each. People have been asking me if they are sure that they are both girls and the answer is YES, they are both girls. My doctor said that everything looked perfect and things should very smoothly with this pregnancy. He sees to reason that I should deliver prematurely so that's always good. My doctor is so cute, and has such a fun personality. Today he kind of chuckled as I was leaving the office, and said "you know four weddings are going to be expensive." I responded. "yeah I know, the weddings are the least of my concerns, think of all of the estrogen that is going to be in our house."How do you raise four teenaged daughters."

You know you're really a mom when...

1. You count the sprinkles on each kid's cupcake to make sure they 're equal.
2. You want to take out a contract on the kid who broke your child's favorite toy and made him/her cry.
3. You have time to shave only one leg at a time.
4. You hide in the bathroom to be alone.
5. You child throws up and you catch it.
6. Someone else's kid throws up at a party and you keep eating.
7. You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance.
8. You mastered the art of placing food on a plate without anything touching.
9. Your child insists that you read "Once Upon a Potty" out loud in the lobby of the doctor’s office, and you do it.
10. You hire a sitter because you haven't been out with your husband in ages, then spend half the night talking about and checking on the kids.
11. You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it's the only one your child eats.
12. You can't bear the thought of your daughter's first boyfriend.
13. You hate the thought of her husband even more.
14. You find yourself cutting your husband's sandwiches into unusual shapes.
15. You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi's mother.
16. You obsess when your child clings to you upon parting during his first month at school, then obsess when he skips in without looking back the second time.
17. You can't bear to give away baby clothes--it's so final.
18. You hear your mother's voice coming out of your mouth when you say, "Not in your good clothes."
19. You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you.
20. You read that the average five-year-old asks 437 questions a day and feel proud that your kid is "above average."
21. You say at least once a day, "I'm not cut out for this job," but you know you wouldn't trade it for anything.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

As I was saying before, where has the time gone? Just as quickly as I think Alyssa has grown, I think the same about my sweet little Kelsie who is now three. It's hard to believe that my colicky baby who never stopped screaming could even possibly be three years old. Kelsie is so much fun, and continues to make us laugh and want to pull our hair out all at the same time. Kelsie worships the ground that Alyssa walks on and the two of them are inseparable. It's been so fun to watch them play together, talk to each other, and love each other the way they do. The other day Kelsie said "we're sisters and that's why we love each other." They have such a great relationship, and it makes me just smile every time I see them together. Alyssa loves being Kelsie's mentor for most things and has been her ballet instructor, her teacher, her playmate, her hairstylist, her dentist, and most recently her piano teacher. She even taught Kelsie how to play twinkle, twinkle, little star. Life with Kelsie is filled with joy, and I love what a tender hearted child that she is. She has been so good with adapting to Tennessee even though she misses her friends in Utah terribly. My mom asked her the other day if she missed Utah, and she said. "No, my Mom thinks that I do but I just love it everywhere." She really has adapted well, and is just making new friends here right and left. Kelsie is a sweetheart, and I can't imagine life without her!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Where has the time gone?

The old saying "time flies when you are having fun" has really hit home to me this week. I sit here in awe and wonder how it happened that the time passed by so quickly. I am sending Alyssa off to first grade in six days. Can that really be happening? It seems like not that long ago I was bringing home my new little baby from the hospital not knowing a thing about raising children, and six years later here we are. I am so sad to send her off to school all day. Most parents tell me that they can't wait until their children are in school and that as a Mother that's the day that you look most forward to but already I am having anxiety about it. It will be okay, or at least I just need to keep telling myself that. Alyssa is a great kid, and I know that she will have so much fun in school. She is the kid that loves school. She has spent the summer with her nose in a book constantly. She loves to learn, and absolutely loves school! It's been a great summer and I guess that we are off to the beginning of a great school year.

Fun facts about Alyssa
1-Alyssa is a tom boy at heart, she loves bugs, camping, getting dirty, playing sports, etc. She absolutely hates wearing dresses and getting her hair done.

2-Alyssa has a huge heart and is always thinking of others. When she was in Kindergarten they had a toy drive for the local children's hospital. Alyssa came home and bagged up some of her favorite toys and took them to school without me or Kevin prompting her to.

3-Alyssa loved to cut her hair when she was younger. She had very beautiful blond, natural curly hair and one day she told me that she found a way to make her hair short. Sure enough she had, and when I went into the bathroom I found her beautiful blond curly locks all over the floor. (it was so sad)

4-When Kelsie was born, Alyssa really wanted a brother. We kept her telling her that she was getting a sister, and she insisted that it was a brother. After Kelsie was born she would have nothing to do with Kelsie for several months. It was quite funny actually.

What a joy it has been being Alyssa's Mom. She is so special! Here are some cute pictures of my sweet little Alyssa!