that's what they said

Bella says,

B: Mommy Connor's smelly. Mommy he's smelly. CONNORS SMELLY!
M: Be nice Bella. What does he smell like?
B: He smells like Connor.
M: Oh.
B: Connor stink. But Connor stink.
Connor stink. Connors's stinky. We need another one Con.

Alone in her room,
(Singing)
B: "I gotta make my bed and my bed's going to be happy, happy, happy. Soooooooo HAPPY, you are going to be."

B: Look mom mat-os
M: Tomatoes you mean.
B: No MATOS!

B: Mom your very comfortable.
(mumbles...) This is like a marshmallow.
(embarrassed giggles)

(Mommy starts to sit on Bella)
B: I squishy. Like your belly's squishy.

C: Be our king! (Races off)
B: (singing) "Be our king, be our king, that's too much to sing but I siiiiing!"

Connor says,

While staring at Daddy's missionary plaque and after talking about how Daddy went on a mission to Brazil to teach about Jesus:
M: When you grow up big like dad one day you'll go on a mission too.
C: To there. (Nodding towards the picture of Brazil, on the plaque)
M: Maybe or some place different but really special.
C: (whispers) But I don't want to go.
M: Why?
C: Because I think I'll miss you.
M: You will and I'll miss you too but we will talk lots.
(Connor runs off in giggles)

While helping Mommy cut onions...
C: I can't cut them they make me sad

C: If you sing it will make you better and give you a lot of inergee

C: I can only hold it for 8 more hrs!

C: I had a dream about a guitar monster it had 50 arms

After asking Connor something several times, I noticed he was daydreaming...
C: Oh sorry I was in my own place

Breathing in Bella's face
C: I haven't brushed my teeth in a week
M: You brushed them this morning
C: No I didn't I haven't brushed them in a week muahhh!

M: Connor stop biting your lip it's getting super dry again.
Looks in the mirror
C: Mom it's not dry I'm just growing a beard.
Dead serious look, then Mom laughs a little - I couldn't hold it in - and Connor sheeshes embarrassed but smiling

After spilling Gatorade 
C: (solemnly) This is just like that bad day movie where bad things happen just like that.
(Referring to the Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day Movie)

D: I better not hear one more wail
C: Dad did you hear a whale?
D: Not yet
C: Are we lost? You heared a whale here?

Passing a graveyard...
C: Woah there's a little people that died there.
D: Yes that's a graveyard
C: Every time I think I'm going to be dead I usually turn into a ninja

C: I'm dead hungry
M: Let's go down stairs and eat waffles
C: That's good but French fries would be better
M: We don't have French fries
C: Okay well when I'm fourteen I'm going to mcdonalds by myself then

Happy Birthday Little Star!

Twinkle, Twinkle 

Little Star

You've Grown So Much and Come So Far!

She leaves a little 

sparkle

wherever she goes.

(The day after your birth.)

Sydney,

You are smiling. You are clapping. You are waving. You are playing. You are pointing. You are walking. You are climbing. You are dancing. You are amazing us everyday. We adore you. 

And now YOU ARE ONE!

I remember that morning being unsure as we drove to the hospital, unsure that this was the real thing and unsure how our lives would change.

We never expected how fast this year would go by and I'm a little sad your first year is over but how glorious it was and how glorious the next year will be.

HAPPY ONE YEAR SYDNEY BEAN!

We celebrated your birthday with balloons, party hats, cupcakes and presents.

We had our party guests (Martin Family).

We enjoyed large games of Balloon Bounce.

It was all a little overwhelming like all first birthday's are.

But you did really well. 

Not as smiley but so content with all the commotion.

We started with cards which you enjoyed, probably more than any other baby we've had. 

Then we went on to presents; which you had big helpers for, while unwrapping :)

You got spoiled!

(And not by us I might add ;))

And then we were on to the most popular part, CAKE!

(Thanks Nana for the gourmet cupcakes!)

You dug right in and finished the whole cupcake enjoying each and every bite and lick.

(I had to shorten this video for blogger so here is a clip of her birthday cupcake.)

After cake it was playtime, Bella especially enjoyed all of your spoils, maybe even a little more or maybe a lot more then you.

And as the day came to an end you enjoyed playing "bear", while everyone was hiding in Bella's play tent.

It was a great day!

And you were so ready for bed by the end your heavy eyes were happy to welcome snuggles and a bottle. 

And for once we had a no tear FIRST BIRTHDAY!

(True victory!)

We even saved you cupcake to enjoy the next day too!

(Your real birth day!)

We are so happy to have had Sydney join our family one year ago, she truly is our little star!

11 Months

UPDATE

Sydney is fast approaching the end of her baby days, with her birthday right around the corner. She is discovering more and more everyday and as her world changes so does ours. Lately Sydney is all about stranger danger. Unless it is a familiar face she puts up a fight. Sydney started the transition to milk this month and we started out slow introducing whole milk a little at a time in her bottle, 2 oz then 4 oz a few days later and now she is a full milk drinker. She is also using a sippy more and more, and loves it. No new teeth yet so her eating habits are still fairly limited, but she does get table foods at every meal. She is still hating baths but loving water play here and there. She is fascinated with her own hair and enjoys pulling at her "wings" (her curly locks just above her ears). We are trying out best to stop this trend. Sydney has just started the throw it pick it up game, which is not my favorite game so we try to play very rarely. Sydney is still a good sleeper spanning nights from 8pm -7am and then she gets rewarded with a bottle, she likes to sleep on her belly with her bum in the air! But since she is such a good independent sleeper Shea sure misses the fact that she is not a big cuddler like our other two. She has her moments but they are fewer as she grows older, she is usually so active there is little time so cuddle before she crashes as a snoozing heap on the floor, with her favorite blanket in tow.

Favorite snooze position

If you can't tell she really loves her blanket. 

LIKES
REMOTE.
PHONES!
SIPPY.
WAVING! I love her little waves which I think are a form of her "happy" mood now, because she waves lots and not often to arrivals or departures.

CLICKING HER TONGUE. 

MIRRORS.

BLOWING RASPBERRIES. Whether it is right after sippy sips or with her fingers to fight off her boredom we are hearing her more and more.
SLEEPING IN HER PACK-N-PLAY.
LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW.
BEING OUTSIDE.
BOOKS & "READING".
STAIRS!

DISLIKES
NEW PLACES.
BEING THROWN OFF ROUTINE. On our big UTAH trip this month not getting to sleep or eat on her regular schedule really threw her for a loop.
BATHS. The Dreaded Water!
SLEEPING IN THE CRIB.
CAR SEAT.
BEING CLEANED UP AFTER MEALS.
"NO". When Mommy or Daddy says "No" she stares us down and if we don't smile she immediately breaks into a pouty lip and cries as she crawls towards us.
BEING LOTIONED AFTER BATHS.
VACUUM.

FAVORITES
DANCING. She dances randomly to music she hears, and I love her little baby dance.
TICKLE CHASE. Playing chase around and round with Daddy gives both of them giggles.
BABBLING. I mean is there anything cuter then baby babbles.
SNUGGLES. Not so often but when they do happen oh how we adore them!
POINTING. She has just started pointing it is random and not to anything in particular, but it's so cute. I love that she ever so precisely pushes buttons with her pointer finger with every attention for something brilliant to happen.
TALKING. Her mamama's and dadada's and bababa's and nanana's are our favorite soundss because her babbles are becoming  language that "sometimes" refer to us and her favorite things.
PEEK-A-BOO. Playing by herself or with someone she loves turning everything into a form of peek-a-boo.

 

Peek-a- boo

Peek-a-boo Curtains

SIBLINGS
Bella and Sydney are playing together more and more. Bella also loves holding her hands, they just started ring around the rosie reruns. And while I get Sydney dressed Bella is my helper, helping to pick clothes out and get her dressed and when Sydney is wearing a bow Bella likes to wear one too. Bella is ever so cautious of the hair pulling that Sydney is becoming famous for, so that is rarely a problem now. And whenever Sydney cries Bella runs to the fridge to fetch her a bottle even though Mommy works interference to keep Sydney on her schedule.




Connor and Sydney love to be around each other. Connor loves kissing and holding and hugging her often, which isn't exactly on the top of her list; but she loves to be where the action is and that usually means alongside Connor, so she follows him around more and more and pretty much loves it, saying "AWW she's so cute, look Mom". Connor can seriously not get enough of her and babies in general he goes crazy so excited and so focused its adorable and unnerving at the same time. But above all I am amazed and blessed by his exhilaration as Sydney grows and learns and discovers each new stage, he's  more excited then her most of the time

And if you couldn't tell she was very tired during our photo run, so now its nap time. 

Mid Bye Bye Wave

Grandma's Visit

We had a busy April, and next on the list was a special visit with Grandma Stanger.

We began by driving down to PA to visit cousins and enjoy some dirt ...

Saturday we had a picnic in the park ...

Sunday we took Grandma to church ...

Monday we played all morning and went to Chik-fil-a, before we took Grandma Stanger to the airport ...

We had a short visit with her but such a happy one.

We can't wait for more!