dear elisabeth,

You are so big and brave.

2011-09-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

I am consistently impressed by your adventurous spirit and fearlessness. You are not scared of anything, not even people. And that is a quality that I admire in you and wish I possessed myself.

Earlier this week, Mr. Paul called me into his office at the church and told me that someone wanted to bless us. Some sweet angel who must have known how much you long to go to school had offered to pay for you to go to First United Methodist Preschool on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and, needless to say, you were thrilled.

We went to visit your school on Wednesday. The other kids were already seated for their snack and doing some kind of snacktime song and clapping that you didn't know. Nobody told you what to do, so you observed for a few seconds, then you went and sat down at an empty seat. The director looked at me with her eyebrows raised, and she told me later that not many kids would jump in like that.

I wasn't surprised, though. You are my brave girl, after all. I hope that I can learn that from you.

Anyway, you going to preschool now means that we won't be doing our little preschool at home anymore. That makes me a little sad, because I had really come to enjoy learning with you about rainbows and the sun and letters and Bible stories. We can still do that, just not Monday and Wednesday and Friday mornings. I'm so happy for you to be in a place where you will really thrive! I keep hearing what a great school it is, you already even have a friend there, and everything has fallen into place in such a way that I am certain this is a gift from God.

Here are some pictures of you from this morning, your first day of school. I love you, sweet big girl. I am proud to be your mother!
Love, mom

You are the most prettiest.

2011-03-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

I gave up hope of trying to fill in all the spaces between the last entry and this one. I think that's what has kept me from writing for so long- the daunting idea that I'd have to catch up. Maybe some day. But my hope at this point is to start with today and post more frequently from now on.

You're four.

You're tall. 42.5," to be exact. no more "tall shoes" for you to wear in order to be able to ride splash mountain this year :) you're shaped exactly opposite of me, which means, in short, that you're shaped like a girl. you've got a booty and hips. i think it might be a little easier for you to find pants when you grow up, than it is for me. that's a plus!

You're funny. you come up with some new zinger every day, and you're certainly not afraid to speak your mind. you get more articulate every day.

You're tough. today at the doctor's office, the nurse gagged you several times with the big giant q-tip, but you kept opening wide and saying "AAAAAAAAAGH!" you impressed me with your cooperative attitude with the people there. and you didn't even cry when you got a shot.

Today on the way to get sam, you said "i'm most prettiest than all the other girls." and I said, "oh really? what makes you say that?" and you, very matter of factly, responded, "because i have long brown hair. it can do anything. piggy tails. ponytails. braids." you're a little bit obsessed with your hair. maybe because you get lots of compliments on it. but you refuse to let me even trim it, because you said you want to look like rapunzel. that might take a while!

I love to see who you're growing up to be!
love, mom

we've almost lost the whole summer!

2010-08-17T21:29:00.001-07:00

look at that- not even one single post since the beginning of june. lots of stuff has happened since then.

some things have changed.

we moved. changed houses and cities and churches. that's the biggest one! back to fort smith.

grandma and papa got a kitten.

your cousins troy and lincoln are no longer like imaginary cousins; you actually got to meet them!

some things have stayed the same.

you still are afraid of fireworks, but not much else. and not goats, anymore.

you still talk about your friend abby constantly.

you still really look a whole lot like your cousin becky.

and, of course, you are growing and changing so fast we can't keep up. there's no denying that you're growing up. we look at pictures of you lately and say, "wow. she looks so old."

you've learned and done a lot over the summer, like going to brookfield zoo, and learning to spit watermelon seeds and picking tomatoes.

also, you're my big helper. everything for you, you have to do yourself. and everything for others, you have to help with. you're an excellent pudding maker.

i'm afraid that you're going to be terribly sad in a couple days, when sam goes back to school. you sure do love him a lot. and he loves you too. and so does daddy, and so do i.

love, mom

you are our little daredevil!

2010-06-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

You often surprise us with your bravery. Like when we go to Disney World, and you want to ride every single ride, including the roller coasters. And when you jump off the diving board into Uncle Pat's pool. Sam said, and I think he's right, that you like to do things that scare you. I'm super proud of you for tackling your fears at such a young age. And also a little worried about the heart attacks you're going to induce in us throughout your life.

These pictures are from your first time jumping off of a diving board. At first you wanted me to hold you while i jumped. Then you wanted me to stay under the diving board and hold your hand. Then you wanted me or Amber to catch you. Then you just kept jumping, going to the ladder, getting out, and jumping again. You jumped probably 20-30 times. Sometimes you'd count; sometimes you'd sing "Living on a Prayer," and then jump. And after you got dried off, you sat by the pool and watched some big guys jump off and do all kinds of flips and crazy stunts. You'd yell, "That was AWESOME!!" I wonder how long it'll be before you're trying stuff like that....

I love you!

love, mom

you were quiet again...

2010-04-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

for a few minutes you were off being quiet, and then you came out with one fingernail painted and a guilty look on your face. actually, you did a pretty good job. and you hadn't polished the rest of the bathroom, which i'd kind of expected.

you definitely have a mischievous streak. believe it or not, i was accused of that as a child too....

i love you, mischief and all.

love, mom

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, i tried to get a picture of you and sam like the one of you and him from 3 years ago. you both look so much different now!

We had a fun day at church today, learning about Jesus and finding eggs, and then coming home and finding eggs again.

Last night when we painted eggs, you had fun for a little while but quickly got bored. You didn't appreciate daddy polka-dotting your belly. You sure do appreciate chocolate, though.

Love, mom

You are growing up at an astounding rate.

2010-03-10T13:44:00.001-08:00

today, you and i went to help daddy at his work. daddy showed you how to write your name on the dry erase board, and this is your handiwork.

you've always been really good at drawing what others draw, but it's really amazing to see your own name, written with your own little hands. i don't think the letters and their sounds and meanings really make much sense to you, but they will really really soon. that's so exciting, but also alarming. it seems like you're growing up so fast! but let's hold off on the college applications for a little while.

i love you!

love, mom

you sure are growing up.

2010-01-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

you've jumped into potty training with both feet, now, and you LOVE the independence that you have. you insist on doing everything by yourself. it's interesting for us, having such a self-sufficient three year old. we sure don't mind, though!

you got a little vanity with a mirror and blow dryer and makeup for Christmas from your grandma and pappy. you love putting on the lipstick. it's hard to think about the day in the future when you're going to want the real versions of all that stuff. but you're growing up fast, so i think it must be right around the corner.

today, your friend abby came to play while her mom went to the dentist. it's cute to see you interact with people your own age. you're used to fighting for your rights, having an older brother, so sometimes you struggle with being a little bit bossy with people your own age. you and abby had a good time, though.

i love watching you grow up!

love, mom

here are two things you love:

2010-01-01T22:36:00.000-08:00

your daddy, and your new play kitchen. both of them together makes for a good time.

this is the kind of picture that will always make you smile.

love, mom

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

It's time for a new year. I'm not sure where the last one went, but I guess that's what happens to time, the older you get. When I was little like you, I remember feeling like time went by so slowly.

We went to the 1st Night Fayetteville celebration at the mall. It used to be on the square, but I think they started having it inside, because it's too cold. It was pretty fun. you guys got your faces painted and made some little noisemakers and listened to some music. When you're a little older, we'll all watch the ball drop together. But for now, you're snug in your beds, and tomorrow will be the start of a whole new year.

I love you!

Love, Mom

Merry Christmas, Every One.

2009-12-21T20:37:00.001-08:00

You were born into kind of a weird family. I think you fit in pretty well, though.

Stuff like this makes my heart almost explode.

2009-12-21T20:32:00.000-08:00

I love seeing your little drawings around the house. You made this one today. I think it might be you and sam, but you're sleeping now, so i will ask you tomorrow. You are turning into quite the little artist.

love, mom

Happy Birthday to you.

2009-11-27T00:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe you're 3. and sam is 6. wow.

So far, you've had a good birthday. Snow White was a hit, as was the care bear. you rubbed his nose immediately, as usual. and here's more photographic evidence. (the latter old picture is a care bear peep from easter)... it always makes me smile that you're so consistently YOU about certain things.

For thanksgiving and sam's birthday, we went to grandma and papa's. today, on your birthday, we're going to some more fun at Fun City Pizza.

I love you! Happy Birthday!
love, mom

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-04T21:15:00.001-08:00

You made the prettiest little Snow White i've ever seen. It took a long time to make your costume, but you loved it so much that i think it was definitely worth it. And you really really really really like candy.
Love, mom

Time is still flying.

2009-10-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

A month from today, you'll be 3 years old. how did that happen??

You're expressing yourself more and more lately, in words, in drawings, in song, in play, etc. It's been a lot of fun to watch.

You like to draw little faces, with mouths and eyes and eybrows, and lots of arms and legs. yesterday you wanted me to teach you how to draw glasses, and you

surprised me by how quickly you caught on. I showed you how to do it once, and you copied me easily. You can also make shapes and pictures with little bits of the chains i use to make my necklaces. you call these cast-off bits "wormies," and one day we noticed you were shaping them into eyes and eyebrows and mouths that look JUST like the faces you draw.

You love disney movies. Even Sleeping Beauty, which i didn't expect you to like that much, because it's a little bit slow. You're going to be Snow White for halloween, and I've been busy making your costume...

I love seeing you grow up, though it is a little bit sad to realize that you are quickly leaving your baby phase behind and becoming a little girl.

I love you, little girl!

love, mom

if we don't see you for a few minutes...

2009-10-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

usually something like this is going on.

some of your favorite destructive things to do:

get the toothpaste and all the toothbrushes out, and eat toothpaste. i'm pretty sure it escalates from actually brushing your teeth to just sucking the toothpaste out of the container. in times past, you have also snuck off with my deodorant and applied it to your body, then nibbled on it a little bit. finding toothmarks in my deodorant is a little unnerving.

draw all over yourself and/or everything else. see pics.

your favorite place to do these things is up in sam's bed, for some reason. i guess maybe because it's also a place you're not really supposed to be. that's where you went to cut your hair a while back...

i think we need to buy you a cowbell.

love, mom

I was sad for you today.

2009-08-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

You woke up, walked down the hall, and told me, "I can't find sam." Then you went and looked for him in the kitchen. I heard you crying, so I went in there and picked you up. you wailed, "I want Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!" It was pretty heartbreaking. You're really old enough to miss your brother when he's not around, and now that he's started school, he'll be gone for several hours every day. I know what that's like; I was a little sister too. Hang in there, little girl- your time will come!

Love, mom

today you got your first bloody nose.

2009-08-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

you were standing in time out for being WAY too loud (this is what you and sam get time out for most often, lately), and suddenly you turned around, and your finger and your nose and upper lip were covered with blood. i'm not sure if the finger went in before the bleeding and caused it, or if you were feeling the blood and sent your finger to investigate. it made you a bit nervous, and you kept requesting a bandaid. this wad of toilet paper seemed to satisfy you.

i hope you don't get too many nosebleeds! but i'm glad you handle injuries pretty well. you're tough!

love, mom

you found the scissors.

2009-07-30T21:44:00.001-07:00

earlier today, you apparently went into the bathroom, got some scissors out of the drawer, took them to your room, climbed up on sam's bunk, and proceeded to cut yourself a few bangs. there are several things i should be thankful for, here:

1. you didn't hurt yourself.

2. you stopped after the bangs and didn't proceed to cut it all off. it kind of could have started looking like a mullet if you'd gone further with it.

3. it's not completely obvious. noticeable, but it doesn't just jump out at you.

i was pretty sad about it, though. you've never had a haircut, and you have beautiful hair. also, i was pretty set against bangs. i think i'm just going to leave it be and let them grow out... maybe you're onto something, and it'll be the next big thing.

mostly, i'm hoping you never do it again.

once again, you've lived up to your old nickname, "destructobaby"....

i love you even if you have weird hair.

love, mom

you like the great outdoors.

2009-07-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

last night we decided to camp out in the backyard. you liked running around and being silly, and you liked to yell and listen to your voice carry in the night air. i'm not sure how much the neighbors loved it. you also liked standing on your chair and making us afraid you'd fall into the fire. we had to tell you to sit down a whole bunch.

you really liked sitting on amber's lap and helping her roast the hot dog octopus, which you then helped her eat. you also ate about 20 marshmallows, then you said your belly hurt. not surprised!

it's fun watching you enjoy new things!

love, mom

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

you celebrated your third 4th of July, and with each passing year, you enjoy the fireworks more. this year, you sat with Ivy in Holly's lap and clapped and shrieked every time you saw one. it was pretty funny and cute. you were sad to go home, and you looked for fireworks out the car window the whole way back to our house.

it's fun to see you get so excited about things. i love you!

love, mom

happy fathers' day!

2009-06-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

the tradition around here is to wear shirts that say nice things about daddy and then get your pictures taken outside. you were much more cooperative this year than last year.

thanks!

we had a good day with daddy. you and sam made cards for him at church with your foot and hand prints. then at home, you brought him a present with candy and cologne and some new boxer shorts with alligators and sharks and skulls on them. he sure does love you. and you love him too.

love, mom

we're playing catch-up!

2009-06-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

a couple weeks ago, your brother graduated from preschool at Growing God's Kingdom. you'll probably be going there in another year or so. i can't believe how quickly you're both growing up. anyway! grandma and papa came up for graduation, and they brought their new puppy, ida bell. she was quite a hit with you. and no, we can't have a puppy.

love, mom

looks can be deceiving.

2009-05-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

you really are a funny little girl. you can be so bossy and demanding and rude. and on one hand, it's hilarious to hear a 2 year old say "what'sa matter wich you??" on the other, however, we KNOW that we can't indulge that kind of behavior

some other choice phrases are:

"you hush up!"

"you be quiet!" (if hush up isn't particularly well-received)

"what are you talkin' bout?"

i'm glad to see that you've got quite a mind of your own, but i pray we'll learn how to harness you. you're our little wild child, and we love you!

love, mom

You're 2.5!

2009-05-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

and you're

among other things.

i love you!

love, mom

Happy Mothers' Day to me!

2009-05-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

i wouldn't be a mom if not for you and sam. you probably won't really know how much i love you until you have kids of your own, but in the meantime, take my word for it! i love you a lot.

love, mom

you and your brother are peas in a pod.

2009-04-20T20:44:00.001-07:00

although you don't get along 100% of the time, every day you and your brother do something together or say something so sweet to each other that it almost makes me cry. when you're not driving each other crazy, you look up to him, and he looks out for you, and you make each other laugh so much that you get us giggling too.

i love you both so much, and i love watching you become better and better friends.
love, mom

happy easter!

2009-04-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

wow, we're only a week and a half late for this one!

this easter, i think you understood more of what was going on. you had a good time finding eggs and putting them in your basket. the church egg hunt had to be inside, because it was pouring and windy and about 50 degrees. not very nice easter weather, but your pink camo rain boots looked fun with your pretty dress.

at the egg hunt at the park, you decided you'd found enough and sat down behind a tree. you then proceeded to open every one and eat one bite of each piece of candy.

you got some care bear marshmallow candies in your easter basket, and you rubbed noses with the candy care bears, just like you do with the stuffed animal ones.
you are a funny and fun little girl.

love, mom

you're a big girl now.

2009-04-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

tonight, as i picked up a few things in your room, i glanced at your crib, and it was a funny feeling to see it all empty, with no stuffed animals ("babies") in it. the reason we took all your stuff out is because we moved you into a big girl bed! your big girl bed is the coolest ever, because it's the bottom bunk of of the new bunk beds in sam's room! now, it's sam and elisabeth's room! that is pretty exciting. i think you two will really like being roommates for a few years. since you're so fearless, it makes me a little nervous, knowing you want to climb up to the top and jump around up there. we're really going to have to stay on our toes now.

it's just hard to believe how quickly you're growing up. i hope your first night in your new room and new bed is a good one! i love you.

love, mom

my goodness.

2009-03-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

it's been WAY too long since we added some pictures and stories about how you spend your days and what you're learning and how much you're growing and changing. the camera card reader has been temporarily broken, but i really can't blame the last month's lack of posting just on that.

since we last wrote, we had another st. patrick's day, a trip to devil's den with amber, a trip to six flags, and then to visit grandma and pappy. it's been a full few weeks! at devil's den, you had lots of fun examining everything, and pretending to fish, and shaking the trees. you really seem to be enjoying nature. and at six flags, you giggled on every ride and displayed no fear whatsoever. i'm pretty sure you would have ridden the texas giant with daddy, if you'd been allowed to.

i'm too tired to think right now, but i'll write again soon about what you've been up to! it's fun to watch you grow into a little girl.

love, mom

you're sillier and sillier.

2009-02-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

you DEFINITELY got the silly gene. we weren't sure for a long time, because you were such a serious baby. but it's quite clear now.

these pictures are from the other day. you were just playing in your room and found some accessories that you'd like to try. i like the hat on sideways. that is a nice touch! it's funny, because when you go and get something to put on, and you come out with it, you have this different look on your face, like your attitude has been transformed by your attire. i like it. i'm kind of hoping you don't turn into a fashionista, because i am one of the least fashionable people i know. i never really encouraged it in you, because i have been a little bit afraid of you becoming a girly girl and me not being able to relate to you on that level. you know what, though? i'm pretty sure now that no matter what you end up being like, i'll always think you're funny and sweet and lovely. you are precocious in very different ways than your big brother, and i think it's pretty neat how different but how equally cool a brother and sister can be.

you got two boo boos this week. i put some shoes on you for church that were too small, and no socks. i didn't have any idea until after church, when we saw the big raw spots on either side of your foot. i'm so sorry! now you have some big scabs there, which occasionally get snagged, and then your foot bleeds, and you get super scared and cry. and then on wednesday, you and bella were torturing Amy (the hamster), and she bit you. so, your finger was bleeding a little bit. on the way to church that night, you made up a song about how amy bit your finger and made it bleed. i'm glad it was not so traumatic that you couldn't turn it into a song almost immediately.

i have a feeling you'll continue to amuse and surprise us.

love, mom

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T16:58:00.001-08:00

a year ago today, you took your first steps. wow, it's been a while! time really does fly. you're talking more and more now, and you have a cute little silly voice that makes us laugh.

we've been trying to potty train, a bit, though i think we might have missed that window when it would have been easiest. several months ago, you wanted to use the potty a lot, but then you kind of stopped. we didn't push it, and we probably didn't encourage it enough then. anyway, the other day, you and i went to wal mart and bought a little frog potty and a bunch of stickers for you to have as rewards. star stickers for pee, and frog stickers for poop. and we walked to the underwear section and looked at the cool underwear they have, for when you get really super good at using the potty all the time and knowing when you need to go. you were so excited, you made up a little song on the way home, all about peeing and pooping on the ribbit potty and getting stickers. i think the excitement's worn off a bit, and you sometimes get mad when i ask if you need to try and potty. this is going to be tougher than i thought...

anyway, today is about valentines day! not about pooping on a ribbit potty. So!

we went to devil's den and had a picnic. daddy cooked burgers and hot dogs, and we ran around and played a little, until the wind got too chilly. it was a really nice day, though, and i can't wait until it warms up more. i hope to spend a lot of time there, introducing you and sam to the hiking trails.

i love you!

love, mom

You went to Disney World!

2009-01-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

Well, we weren't sure what to expect, going on such a long trip. in the past, you haven't been the greatest traveler, but this time, you really did pretty well. you've now been to arkansas, oklahoma, missouri, illinois, indiana, tennessee, mississippi, alabama, georgia, and florida. that's 10 states, and you're only two. that's pretty good, i think!

we spent 7 days at disney world, and every day, you loved seeing all the new things you could see. it was fun to watch your face light up while you rode the rides, and to watch you take in all the scenery as we strolled past it.

you rode your first roller coaster, Goofy's Barnstormer, and the lady who seated us gave you a little card/certificate, to show you'd ridden your first coaster. you were just barely tall enough to ride it, but the nice man at the beginning of the ride let us in. you smiled and giggled through the whole thing, while other kids screamed and yelled. it was pretty cute.

the only thing you really seem to be scared of is heights. you whimper every time i put you up on a changing table, and you tried to claw my face off when i sat you on my shoulders. but on a ride, you're just fine. that's a lot like your mommy.

you got increasingly worn out as the week went on (we all did), and you threw some pretty good fits. but really, you did a lot better both in the parks and in the car than we expected. maybe we should give you more credit!

on the way home, you kept asking if we were going back to "Matchee Keenom" (Magic Kingdom). i bet we'll be back someday, and you'll be tall enough to ride everything, like we know you want to!

love, mom

You love to ride rides

2009-01-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

you don't even mind waiting in line for them. here's you and sam waiting for the speedway ride.

and you and sam waiting for the train....

aaaand waiting for the bus... pretending to be dogs.

you loved Alladin's carpet ride.
and the jungle safari.

the "people mover" was a big hit. we rode it quite a bit.

you also loved It's a Small World. lots of great things to look at on that ride. i'm thinking of painting your room like that ride....

You also liked the shows.

2009-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

I think you preferred the live shows to the 3-D ones. we couldn't actually ever get you to wear your glasses inside the 3-D ones. i'm sure at some point you started to wonder why all the movies were all blurry. maybe that's why muppets in 3-D got a thumbs down.

Here are some finer points of the trip.

2009-01-20T10:59:00.001-08:00

as i said, you got more tired as the week wore on. especially days when we skipped naptime. is it too mean that i documented the fits? i hope not. we don't want to forget those :)

love, mom

Night Night

2009-01-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

you liked to pretend to go to sleep on lots of rides, especially the people mover.

by the end of the day, it wasn't pretend anymore.

Here are just a few more of my favorites.

2009-01-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

eating at the sci-fi dine in. it looked like a drive-in theater. pretty neat!

you and sam playing drums in Africa at Epcot.

you reached out and petted the goat for about one nanosecond. you preferred putting dirt on his back.

you and i looked at some pretty flowers while we waited for sam and daddy to get done with Star Tours.

you really liked this fake cobra. i thought he was kinda creepy, but you gave him a nice hug. maybe you felt like he was misunderstood.

you had to drink out of the water fountain, just like sam.

playing with legos at the lego store in Downtown Disney.

your faithful carebear ("Baby") made the trip too, of course.

You and your brother crack me up.

2008-12-30T22:47:00.000-08:00

it's so hard to get a normal, good picture of the two of you. good thing we like funny, silly pictures even more.

these are some pictures i took, while trying to get a good one of the two of you in your new Christmas PJs, which you opened on Christmas Eve.

Soooo, we're a little behind.

2008-12-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

time to play catch-up...

the final verdict on staying the night with grandma and papa is that you LOVED it. and they loved it. and so, it's definitely something we'll do again sometime. i was a little lonely, but i did get a lot done. thanks, Grandma and Papa!

later that week, after grandma and papa's, we went and picked up daddy and sam at the airport. you were a little bit shy with daddy at first, but you were so happy to see him, and sam too.

then, a couple days later, we headed to bartlesville to begin the Christmas celebrating. Christmas really was a great time. we spent Christmas Eve celebrating with all your cousins, and your two great grandmas, great uncle, and grandma and pappy.

You loved holding your baby cousin, Kayla. any time she would fuss, you would hug her and say, "it's okay, baby..it's okay..."

you also loved riding on your cousins' scooters. you're going to be a daredevil. i am already mentally preparing.

at night, you and sam slept together on a pallet we made you on the floor. you two looked so sweet. i think we'll get you bunk beds soon, so you can enjoy sharing a room before you get old enough to be annoyed at each others' existence.

I know it's going to be so fun to look back at these pictures with you, some day, and talk about the good times we have had as a family.

i love you!

love, mom

It's you and me!

2008-12-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

the past couple weeks have been a little bit weird, with Daddy and Sam gone.

you love to see pictures of the two of them. you laugh and say, "that funny Sam," or "that funny Daddy." it's pretty cute. you don't seem too disturbed that they've not been here. i guess you're confident that they'll be back soon. and they will! we are going to pick them up on friday at the airport. since pappy's surgeries have gone pretty well, they'll be home as scheduled.

meanwhile, you and i have done a lot of hanging out. your new favorite place to hang out is the dryer, in fact. we've also done a bit of shopping, and some visiting. we went to see your grandpa over the weekend, and you two had fun doing crossword puzzles together. grandpa sure got a kick out of you. he liked this picture of you mopping his floor. said you were "working for your supper."

and then we went to grandma and papa's. you're still there! it's weird to be here in the house, knowing that you're not asleep in the other room. i'm glad i'll see you tomorrow! it's your first time to spend the night away, and they said you've been a really good girl. i think it's neat that you're getting to really know each other so well. but like i said, i'll be glad to see you tomorrow. and even more glad when friday gets here, and we get to pick up sam and daddy!

i love you! i've had fun with you all to myself:)

love, mom

These two Christmas card pictures probably won't make the cut.

2008-12-06T21:16:00.001-08:00

i know you're pretty disappointed. actually, i kind of am. daddy insists we put a picture on our cards this year where everyone's eyes are open. and no fingers are in noses. these are the funniest ones to me, though.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2008-11-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

this year, your birthday fell on Thanksgiving, as it will every several years. it's appropriate, because we are super thankful for you!

we've watched you grow a ton over the past year.

you're running around all the time, chasing your brother and trying to keep up with him. i think that's why you get hurt more than he did, paired with the fact that you're just fearless. bumps and bruises have become like a part of your wardrobe. the last black eye faded just in time for you to get a fat lip. you're getting especially good at jumping. both feet leave the ground almost every time now.

you love what sam loves, and you sing the spiderman song all the time. i can't be thankful enough that you two love each other so much. i hope that never changes. we celebrate your birthdays together. on sam's birthday, we went to fun city pizza, where you guys had a good time and played and got presents from us. on your birthday, we went to have thanksgiving/birthday time with your grandma and papa, where we had more cake and presents, and of course, thanksgiving food.

your favorite present was this gigantic care bear. you still love your care bear that you got from aunt michelle last year, and you sleep with both of them, plus a moose, a cat, and sometimes several other stuffed animals. you call the care bears your "babies," and you love to rub noses with them and touch the little hearts on their bottoms. it's like your comforting little goodnight ritual. as soon as you pulled your new care bear out of the bag, you rubbed noses with it.

you still love animals. you love to look out the window while we're driving and yell, "Animal!" or "MOOOOOO!" when we see cows. you love to look at dogs, but they still make you nervous. we actually got a dog last week, on a whim, but you are so terrified of her that we have to give her away. she's going to live with your friend Ivy, so maybe someday you and Rhuby will be friends.

you've been stringing more and more words together, and we feel like you've really taken some big steps just in the last few weeks at communicating.

you're our sweet little girl, and we love you a ton! happy birthday.

love, mom

you got your second black eye!

2008-11-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

i'm not really sure how you got this one. you definitely didn't dive out of a shopping cart, like last time.

you and sam were playing with toys in his room. you started crying, and when i came in, you were laying down, and sam said you had fallen and hit your face on a toy. there was a little knot next to your eye, already swollen. whatever it was, it got you pretty good.

This is the sweetest picture ever.

2008-11-08T11:58:00.001-08:00

(be sure to click the picture, to see the big version :) )

the neatest thing about it is that you guys had no idea i was even watching you, much less taking pictures. i love that you and your brother love each other so much. love, mom

Happy 23 Months Birthday!

2008-10-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

wow, i managed to miss it again! the time is flying by, and this month, like last month, i didn't take note of the 27th until it was already past.....

this month, you got two new cousins! your aunt michelle had her baby, Troy, on the 17th. and your aunt Keri had Kayla just this afternoon! (the 28th). so you're not the youngest in the family anymore. i hope you get to meet both of your baby cousins really soon.

you like to sing, especially Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star, which sounds like:

"tinkle tinkle, little start......how i wonder WHATchoo art.... "

really, it's unbearably cute. you also like to sing wiggles songs, like "fruit salad, yummy yummy" (froot sad-id, yuh yummy) and "toot toot chugga chugga, big red car" (too too, chuh chuh, big red car) ... you still don't really like captain feathersword, but you do really like jeff, because he's always sleeping. you always point to him and say "he nigh nigh!" and then scrunch up your face and pretend to snore. ("*snort* - shoooooooo, *snort* - shooooo")
i'll take a picture of you making that face tomorrow; it's pretty funny.

you are an increasingly finicky eater lately. i'm pretty sure you'd be very happy living off of chips, ramen noodles, and candy, but we're really trying not to let you turn into a giant ball of starch.

you haven't been throwing nearly as many fits lately. daddy decided it was time to stop letting you get away with that, and he gave you a stern talking to. you really haven't thrown fits (on that level) since. go, daddy!

people keep saying how pretty your eyes are, lately. and marveling that they still seem to be changing color. usually an eye color is pretty set early in the first few months of life, but sam's didn't settle until well past two. your grandma says that mine didn't either. and yours are the same, which i think is pretty neat. sam's ended up looking a lot like mine, but i think that yours will be a little lighter or more blue-green than brown-green, like ours.

you say your name now, though i'm not sure you realize it's YOUR name. today when you saw bella, you pointed at her and laughed and said "Lib-beth! MON, Lib-beth!" ( mon = come on)

you are super attached to the blue care bear that your aunt michelle got you for your birthday last year. you sleep with him and carry around and call him "baby." in fact, you call most bears "baby" now, in his honor.

i think you're pretty cute. i can't believe your birthday is less than a month away.
love, mom

p.s. sorry for the somewhat boogery pictures. we can't keep your nose clean lately.

you're a little girl.

2008-10-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

i know that sounds sort of obvious. but just in the last couple weeks, you've seemed to cross some invisible threshold between baby and little girl. it seemed so sudden! i feel like i'm going to wake up tomorrow, and you'll be 16.
please don't grow up any faster!
love, mom

Who's that girl??

2008-10-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

in this first picture, you look totally different than i've ever seen you look. i know you're holding your mouth funny, because you're chewing on some candy, but still, you look so grown up, or something. it's hard to put my finger on it. you just suddenly seem to be so much bigger and older.

you say all kinds of funny things, and you like to count with daddy. you take turns saying numbers. daddy says, "one," then you say "two," etc., up to about five. sometimes when you're counting on your own, you say, "one, two, three, two..." and today, while we were reading about the ABCs, you pointed to the A, B, and C, and said, "A....2.....3.....2...."

you're a pretty silly little girl, but i can tell you're learning so much all the time.

here's another picture of you looking grown up, painting a big painting with sam.

Happy 22 Months Birthday!

2008-09-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! your 22 month day passed, and i didn't even realize it until two days later. and then didn't get around to posting about it until 3 days later. it's almost october. i don't know where the time is going! i'm changing the date on the post to the right day - the 27th.... i can't believe you'll be 2 and sam will be 5 in less than two months.

you are getting bigger and bigger, despite having days where you eat almost nothing. being sick last week didn't help with that whole eating thing, but luckily, you didn't get the stomach bug as bad as sam and daddy.

you wear 24 month and 2T clothes, for the most part, and you skipped right over size 6, into a size 7 shoe. i'm not sure how this happened.

your hair is getting longer and longer, and i think it's almost time to give you your first haircut. i'm not sure if i want to try to do it myself, or if we'll need to take you somewhere. for sam's first haircut, at about your age, i started with the scissors and quickly learned he was going to be way too wiggly for my amateur cutting skills. so, we got the clippers out and buzzed it. i promise NOT to do this to you.

you are getting more and more expressive all the time. you string lots of words together. you have pavlovian responses to the sound of a bag crinkling, or pieces of skittles or m&ms clanking against each other. instead of drooling, though, you say "i want some! i want some! i want some!" and you persist until either we give you some of whatever it is that you want, or until you collapse onto the floor in a fit of crying and screaming. usually you forget or get over it with some kind of distraction, but the fits have been frequent lately. i think it's a combination of feeling frustrated with your inability to communicate the way you want to, plus just not knowing how to deal with the word "no!" you also might be getting your molars. i don't feel anything back there yet, but it's about time for those teeth to show up, and you sure have been crankier than usual over the past few weeks. yesterday it looked like you were sticking your tongue back there on your gums a lot.

you are 100% obsessed with the wiggles. every few days your favorite character seems to change. at first it was Wags. then it was Sam (i'm guessing this has something to do with your brother being named sam.) then it was Henry the Octopus, then Dorothy the Dinosaur. today in the car, you were trying to sing "toot too, chugga chugga, big red car." it came out sounding more like "big red cah.....too too chuh chuh....(something something something...)," but we could definitely tell what you were singing.

you are really interested in bugs and little critters. you like to go watch amy run around in her cage, or burrow under the wood shavings, or eat her food. you slip her goldfish crackers, when you think we're not looking. you also like to find little beetles or moths or whatever has found its way into the house, and you come and tell us that you found a bug, then watch with interest when i scoop whatever it is up and throw it outside. last week at the park, there was a bumblebee kind of languishing on the sidewalk, and you seemed to know there was something wrong with it. you didn't want to leave it when it was time to keep walking, and you kept turning back to it and saying, "awwww. awwwww," with a pitiful look on your face. maybe someday you'll be a veterinarian. do they have bug vets? maybe not.

it's so neat watching you turn into this beautiful little girl.
i love you!
love, mom

you love the park

2008-09-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

this afternoon, we went to the park to ride bikes. sam just got a new bike from a friend of ours, and you had your trusty dora car. mostly, you wanted to run or to swing. you like it when we push you really high! also, your hair can make an actual ponytail now.

you're getting so big!
love, mom

Your new favorite phrase is "bad girl."

2008-09-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

don't ask me why... maybe it's because you are bad to the bone, like this first picture suggests.

we had church in the park this past weekend, and you had all kinds of fun. you didn't seem too jazzed about the slide, once you got to the top and realized what you were in for, but you went down anyway. and you weren't scared of the swing at all. we're not used to having such a fearless kid. i guess we should have learned when you dove out of the shopping cart a long time ago that we're going to have to keep an eye on you. 4 eyes, whenever we can spare them. 6, including sam's. and also the eyes of whoever else happens to be around at the time. at any rate, your knees are all banged up, and you are covered in mosquito bites. i don't really think you mind too much, though. you're always pointing out your booboos, like you're proud of them.

here's a picture of you staring at julia. you really like her. don't go getting any ideas about wanting a little sister.

love, mom

Happy 21 Months Birthday!

2008-08-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

wow, how much difference a another month makes!

every day you learn more words and often say things that i didn't realize you knew how to say or understood concepts of. we went out on the deck to take pictures of a slug that had come in the house. you were very interested in the slug and kept pointing to him and saying, "snake!" i don't remember ever purposefully telling you about snakes, and how they're shaped and how they move, but you must have picked it up somewhere, if you thought that the legless, long and skinny slug was a snake. it was a pretty good guess! recently you were crying, and when i came to you, you pointed to your face and sad, "i sad." you're just getting smarter every day, and it's really neat to watch you grow up.

you've also started asserting yourself more with sam. if he does something you don't like, you tell him "NO!" if he's standing up in the grocery basket, you tell him to "Sit!" sometimes you go a little overboard, and say no to him no matter what he's doing. you also assert yourself with mommy and daddy. if i'm taking your picture, and you don't want me to, you say, "No!" and shake your head or refuse to look at me. or, you make an angry face, like the one in this picture.

you've been telling us pretty often when you need to go to the bathroom, before it happens. yesterday, you went twice on the potty.

you love to draw and color, and while i know it is really early for this, you seem to be trying (pretty successfully) to copy letters and shapes that we draw for you. i'm pretty sure you're going to be just as smart as sam. i only hope you two don't plot to overthrow us by the time you're 10.

Tomato licking runs in the family.

2008-08-17T11:58:00.001-07:00

i was just looking at your blog and wondering what you will look like when you're a little bit older. daddy said i should look at sam's blog and see what he looked like when he was one and a half, and see how different he looked then, as compared to now.

i came across this picture of him from the summer of 2005, when he was almost your age, trying to bite into a tomato at grandma and papa's house. it reminded me of some i took of you just a couple weeks ago.

i think you enjoyed the tomato licking more than sam did, but you definitely look like brother and sister.

love, mom

You are getting pretty silly!

2008-08-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

you think it's very funny to play the game where one or more people copy your movements. you laughed and laughed while you and your grandma mimicked each other's dance moves or hand gestures, and you definitely got a kick out of your cousin jacob, when he got in on the fun. you always tried to slyly get grandma to pick her own nose, though, which we all thought was really funny. you might have a trace of mischief in you, trying to get out. i think we're all in trouble.
love, mom

p.s. another funny thing about you: you don't just sniff the flowers; you rub them all over your face.

happy 20 months birthday!

2008-07-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

it's getting to the point where people ask how old you are, and i say "20 months," and i know that some find it kind of annoying that i just don't say "one and a half" or "one" or "almost two." but really, i think that in the first two years, every month is like a long span of time, because you are growing and changing and learning so much. so having said that, today, you are 20 months old.

in the past few weeks, some of your clothes have started to seem too snug, so you're wearing some 2T tops. the 18-24 pants are still often too big, so i'm not sure what that's all about. but in any case, i know you are growing. even if some days you barely eat anything, you are still growing!

you string a lot of words together now, like "want juice." and "Here go, Sam." tonight, you wanted daddy to open the bedroom door for you, so you came and told him, "Want see! want see!" and made him follow you and open the door. you've also gone from just saying the names of things to commenting on things that you're doing. like "open" when you open a door or cabinet, and "close" when you close it. or you stand up and squat and say "up, down, up, down," accordingly. i think you've been less frustrated lately about communication, because you're getting so much better at it.

you're also getting better at making friends. here's a picture of you with our friend Don at the Naturals game. he had so much fun with you and sam, he invited you guys over to play while daddy and i went to a movie the next day. and here's another picture, of you dancing with another random friend you made at the baseball game.

you're getting to be such a big girl. i love you!
love, mom

this is the face you make when i ask you to smile.

2008-07-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

it's pretty funny. sam makes that face, too. actually, so do i. sorry, kids.

you are an expressive and persistent and funny little girl.

you love books, and you now talk constantly, and you make all kinds of silly faces.

today, at the check-out at walmart, you waved and said "Hi!" to the lady
behind us at least 37 times. she was cracking up.

you're fearless.

2008-07-21T13:52:00.001-07:00

more and more often, you do things that let us know you're really not afraid of much.

when we went to visit grandpa last week, you rode the four-wheeler like a champ, and you cried when it was time to stop. while we were on the boat, you stood close to the sides, looked over the railings, and tried to crawl under the gate to get out and get in the water. you really wanted to swim without a life jacket or a floatie or me holding you at all. this will not be an option for another couple years at least. you eventually submitted to sitting and splashing in the floatie, and i'm pretty sure you would have done that all day.

you're also getting much less afraid of people. you and your grandpa hit it off the minute you walked in the door, which he was thrilled about. you have been so shy in the past, but i think maybe you are growing out of that.

you are a brave little girl, and you make me nervous!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

this is your second 4th of july, and i think you surprised us with how well you handled everything. last year, you didn't really seem to like it all too much, but this year, you had a blast.

we went to our friends, the bartholomews' house, just like last year. we ate lots of good food, and then we played outside for a while. you loved the ball with the weird fringe. you also loved the trampoline. you weren't sure about it at first, but brad got you jumping (sort of) on there, and you were sad when it was time to get off and let the big kids have their turn.

then, we went in the front yard and shot a bunch of fireworks. i thought this would make you uneasy, but the only times you really got upset the whole time were when we wouldn't let you run around and be right in the middle of everything. you still got to hold your own sparkler, which you did with absolutely no reservations. you made me pretty nervous, but you did a really good job, and i was proud of you for jumping in there and not being scared at all. you also loved the snap and pop things that you throw, and they pop. we threw a whole bunch of those. when they were all gone, you looked in the box for some more. when you're a little bit older, i'll show you some of the practical jokes i used to pull with those when i was a kid. let's just say that i scared the you-know-what out of your grandpa a couple times.

you were so tired when we got done having fun, you conked out in the car on the way home. i'm glad you enjoyed the holiday so much!
love, mom

Happy 19 months Birthday!

2008-07-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

sooooo we are a few days late posting this. i totally forgot, because we were out of town, celebrating daddy's birthday with your grandma and pappy. daddy is 420 months old.

the past month, you grew up a lot. you are getting bigger and cuter and better at communicating every day.

but you also do a lot fabulous fit-throwing lately, which is a phase that i hope passes pretty soon. cute and funny things. you love to sit in my lap and do itsy bitsy spider, and head shoulders knees and toes, and all the other songs. you like to point at something and say "See??" to get us to look at something. and it's really cute to watch you just go off to your room and play with legos or whatever other toy you come across.

here are some pictures of you from the past few days. you liked eating the popcorn at grandma and pappy's. but even more than eating it, you liked to feed it to everyone else.

you also like to run off with a marker and draw all over yourself. i like how, in these pictures, you look like you're wondering how the heck that marker got all over your arms. i'm just glad you haven't drawn all over the walls and your stuff and other people yet, like your brother used to do.... knock on wood...

you are growing up so much, and we love you!
love, mom

You are growing up.

2008-06-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

you are getting really good at telling us what you want and need!

tonight, while you were hanging out with daddy, you brought him your box of wipes. when he asked you if you needed a new diaper, you nodded your head "yes." then you walked to your room ahead of daddy and went in and sat down on the floor, waiting to get a new diaper.

you are super interested in the bathroom and the toilet, and sometimes in the bathroom, you will say "poop," and look at the toilet. i will ask you if you want to sit on the potty, and you nod "yes," and you'll sit on there for a few minutes. you haven't gone in the toilet yet, with the exception of times that i've whisked you out of the the tub just in time or almost just in time, but it looks like you might be getting ready to want to start potty training. wow! we are super proud of you, even if you do decide to take a while.

love, mom

You have been under the weather today.

2008-06-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of you from VBS last week, but i feel like it sort of expresses your sentiments from today. You've had a fever and have just seemed to feel kind of yucky. I don't think it's your teeth, because i'm pretty sure all of them have come through now. the new canines are like little pointy shark teeth.

anyway, most of the day, you've kind of been following me around, wanting to be picked up and held onto for a while. i hope you feel better soon; it makes us all sad when you are sick.
love, mom

Happy Fathers' Day!

2008-06-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

You really do love your daddy, but you were not too enthusiastic about getting your picture made in your super cute "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" t-shirt. this top one is actually the nicest picture i could manage to get from you.

you can't really tell from this first picture of you and sam, but you are shaking your head "NO" in response to my coaxing you to smile for a picture. then you got up and ran off. you were really not in the mood. later, i tried again to get a good picture, but the only way you'd sit and not throw a fit about your picture being taken was if I gave you the toothpaste and your toothbrush to play with. i'm hoping someday you'll get a little more cooperative for special occasions! in any case, you looked pretty cute. and you really do love your daddy. and he loves you.

love, mom

you are going to have a baby boy cousin!

2008-06-13T10:24:00.001-07:00

we went to visit your aunt michelle and uncle jeff, who are staying at grandma and papa's house for a few days. aunt michelle is having a baby boy in october. (your aunt keri is having a baby right around then too, so you will have two cousins smaller than you!)

we had fun visiting with them, but i don't think you had enough time there to really get warmed up to michelle and jeff. you spent a lot of time walking into the living room, peeking around the corner at them on the couch, then retreating back to the kitchen. hopefully when the baby is born, we can spend a few days with them.

aunt michelle didn't really want her picture taken, but here is a picture of you with papa. he played the guitar for you while you danced. and here is one of you and grandma.

you are more portable now

2008-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

for a long time, you didn't seem to enjoy traveling very much. you cried a lot, and you didn't sleep very well in the car, or at our destination, because it wasn't home.

these days, however, you have been a much happier traveler. you still don't enjoy being strapped to a car seat for 12 hours, but we made it to indiana and back with relatively little angst.

the other day, i was looking at pictures from last year's indiana trip, and boy have you and sam grown up a lot.

everything is much different, when you can walk and run around. and when you are big enough to eat candy.

you have so much fun with your big brother. you like to follow him around and do whatever he does. you like to jump on the bed with him and throw yourself down. i think that you two will always be good friends.

You are One and a Half!

2008-05-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

wow, 18 months old already! what a big girl.

you are fun and funny and sweet and silly. you learn more words every day. now your favorite thing to say is "mommy! mommy! mommy! mommy!" about 84,000 times per day. you have known my name for a long while, but you only recently discovered that you enjoy using it to get my attention. you literally follow me around the house saying "mommy" over and over and over. you don't even necessarily want anything. you just want to say "mommy."

this past weekend, some friends came to visit us. one of them is a little boy just about 6 weeks older than you, named Isaac. you two hit it off pretty well. you'd met one other time before, when you were both really little. you had a little bit of trouble seeing him sit in your chair and use your toys. you only wanted a toy if he had it. as soon as he was done, it wasn't interesting to you anymore. i hope you grow out of the non-sharing phase relatively soon. you guys did have a lot of fun together, when you weren't fighting :)

tonight, we had a party for some other friends, who are moving out of the continental US in about a week. they have a brand new baby, named edith, and her mom and i were talking about how very soon she'll be as big as you are now. the time really does just fly. here are some pictures of you having fun at the party. you liked dancing to the little jam session. ivy played the drums, and you just wanted to shake your booty.

everyone keeps telling me lately that you have beautiful eyes. i have to say i agree.

i love you! happy half-birthday!
love, mom

Everyone else is doing it, so why can't we??

2008-05-22T21:23:00.001-07:00

your friends bella and livi and ivy have these meters on their blogs too. it is pretty interesting. 50/50. you know, it is a really difficuly thing to get a picture of your dad being normal. and me too, for that matter.

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

You are changing every day.

2008-05-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is a really fun age. Every day is a new day of learning and growing and figuring things out.

I have really enjoyed just hanging out with you for the past several days, exploring your new communication skills, and enjoying the back yard and the sunshine.

If i smell something bad, i ask you if you need a new diaper. you nod your little head and walk to the door, then you look back at me. i follow you into your room, and usually you pull about 20 wipes out of the bag before you lay down and let me change you. it's interesting how much more willing you are to do things that you otherwise don't really like to do, when they're your idea.

If you throw a toy or food on the ground in real or pretend anger, i ask you to pick it up and put it back where it goes. you're so interested in understanding and doing tasks, you don't dwell on the fit you were just about to throw, and your mood changes.

It's so great to be able to really talk to each other! i know it is a relief to me, and i'm sure it is one for you. it seems like you have really crossed a barrier in the last couple weeks, and i am so proud of you!

we went to see the doctor yesterday, for your 18 month checkup.

you are 22lbs., 7oz., and 32 inches tall. you are right about in the very middle for all of your growth, which is where you've been since you were a couple months old. it is a little bit of a different experience, having a medium sized toddler, having watched your brother grow up being a head taller than all the other kids his age, but it is great that you can wear clothes for a lot longer than he did, before you grow out of them!

your doctor said that you are doing really well verbally. he was impressed that you know a lot of words, and you said a lot of them for him. you can say ball, shoes, eyes, no, yes, daddy, mommy, sam, hi, bye, night night, baby, uh-oh, apples, dog (though now when we ask, you always say "woof woof!" instead of dog), meow, book, wow, sit, nice, gentle, and some others i've forgotten. you said "thank you" a few times tonight. he was right in saying that from here on out, it will be about a word every day or so, and then a whole bunch all at once. it's pretty exciting!

you're getting your canine teeth right now, and those have been giving you some trouble. you've actually been drooling and biting your fingers a little bit, which is something that you haven't done with any of your teething since you were really little. once they are in, though, i think you'll be done for a while.

here are some pictures of you the past few days. the pictures of you in the high chair are to show what happens when you aren't buckled in tight. your grandma and papa came to visit, and here you are riding on the little see-saw thing they brought for sam and for you. that is your papa behind you. your grandma and papa love you like crazy! and the picture of you being sad is from sam's graduation. for some reason, it was at 2 o'clock, which is pretty near both of your nap times, and probably the nap times of every other kid there who still naps.

i love you happy or sad.
love, mom

Happy Mothers' Day to me!

2008-05-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

you and your brother are what makes mothers' day so special for me. i'm very proud of you and love you very much!

here are two pictures from today, and also one from last May. you both have grown and changed so much!

love, mom

You and your friends are growing up.

2008-05-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

on friday, you and i went over to bella's house to play, while her mom and dad went out of town. it is fun to watch you girls play together and think about what you'll be like when you're older, and whether you'll be friends on into junior high and high school, and beyond.

here are some pictures from friday, as well as a picture from May of 2007. you girls have sure grown up a lot in a year!

love, mom

Happy 17 Months Birthday!

2008-04-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

i am cheating and changing the date on this, since i didn't get to post it on your actual 17 months birthday. don't tell anyone!

you are getting more fun and funny and spunky and able all the time. really, it seems like every part of your personality is blossoming lately.

you have discovered all kinds of funny faces that you like to make at people, all of a sudden. if this past month is any indication, you might be starting to get sillier and less shy than we thought so far.

you really work to get the attention of people near you at the grocery store, or sitting a few tables away at a restaurant.

you say a lot of words and make a lot of funny sounds. sam and daddy get you to repeat all kinds of things. i can't wait until sam starts trying to get you to say things like "butt" and "poop." it's really only a matter of time.

you get going pretty fast, and when you really want to "run," you swing your right arm back and forth. i guess that helps with the momentum.

i love watching you grow up!
love, mom

p.s. daddy says you look like bruce springsteen in this outfit, and with your hair all shaggy like this.

Uh Oh!

2008-04-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

one thing that's really fun about this age is the way you're learning to communicate better and better.

often i'll hear you over the monitor from your room saying "Uh oh! Uh oh! Uh oh!" the first time you did this, i wondered if you were just talking, but then i realized you had probably dropped your pacifier through the bars. i went in to check, and that's what had happened. it's pretty neat that you can say things now, and we know more about what is going on inside your mind or what you want or need.

your dad and sam love to get you to repeat things they say. your favorites are "uh oh," of course, and also "appies!" (i think this is from "apples," one of the first words you started saying a long time ago, from one of your book, but now you say it all the time. i guess you just like how that sounds.), and also "dogs!" and "woof woof!" and "eyes" (while you poke your own eye or someone else's)

sometimes we'll say things to you without trying to get you to repeat it, but you say it anyway. tonight you said "six" (we were playing chutes and ladders at dinner, and sam kept saying six, because it was the number he rolled.)... and the other day in target, i kept telling you to sit down on your bottom, so you said, "sit!" (unfortunately you didn't actually sit. you just smiled and said "sit!")

you also like to shake or nod your head in response to questions. usually it's totally arbitrary which one you'll do. you went through a phase for a few days of only ever nodding "yes" to everything your daddy said to you or asked you, except for the questions, "do you want to go to mommy now?" or "can i put you down now?", which were firm No! shakes. you sure love your daddy.

you are a smart and sweet and silly girl.

love, mom

this makes me smile :)

2008-04-21T15:10:00.001-07:00

i love it that you and your brother are starting to have so much fun together.

happy april!

2008-04-11T22:45:00.001-07:00

wow! this is your first blog post for this month, and we're already towards the middle. mom has been slacking. anyway..

since you've become so much more mobile, it seems like you and sam are playing much better together. maybe it's because you can keep up with him. or also because he sees you as more of a kid now, and less of a little baby. all i know is that when i peek into your room or his room, and you're on the floor playing with legos or curled up in a chair reading books together, it makes me all happy and sentimental. my little babies! growing up together. it's very sweet.

another thing the time that's been passing has brought is a little bit of a climate change. the grass is growing, the rain is falling, the rivers are rising, and it's a little bit warmer. we have been planting some flowers. your daisy should be popping up any day now.

i love you!
love, mom

Happy 16 Months Birthday!

2008-03-27T20:18:00.001-07:00

Gosh. you are just getting so big. i think maybe it has something to do with your hairdo today, but you sure are looking more like a big girl to us.

this last month has been a big one. you have gotten two new teeth, which brings your total up to 14. (i think it's just two... it's hazardous to stick a finger in between all those chompers.)

you walk pretty much exclusively now. once you made the decision to really do it, you were committed. it's so funny to see you walking everywhere now, all of a sudden.

you use some funny phrases that we don't really understand. when you want something, you reach for it and say "MY MEESE!"... we'd like to think this means "Mine, please," but we kind of doubt it.

you also point at a lot of things and say, "appeee"... you used to point at an apple in one of your books and say that, but now you point at everything and say it.

we went to chuck e. cheese tonight for a fundraiser for sam's school. you rode some rides and tried to climb up the ski ball ramp, but mostly you just wanted to run around and look at everyone and everything. i'm sure it looks a lot different now that you're standing up.

it's hard to think that you are growing up so much and so fast. but then we look at pictures like this, and we realize that you are still our little bitty tiny girl.

love, mom

Happy 2nd Easter!

2008-03-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

i am so glad you can walk now, because it made Easter egg hunting a little bit easier for you than it would otherwise have been.

first we went to church, and there was an egg hunt afterwards there. then we went to lunch at some friends' house, and then we came home and got easter presents and hunted for eggs again, with the ones we had painted yesterday.

you ate a lot of candy, including some bunny peeps and your second chocolate rabbit in as many days. you tried to eat the plastic eggs and the real eggs too.
you made a big old mess, so daddy took off your goo-smeared dress and put your bunny shirt on. you decided to stand on your head. this was one of my signature moves as a child. i will try to dig up a picture of that for proof!

i'm glad you and sam had a fun day.
love, mom

you are into everything!

2008-03-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

you get into a lot of stuff, still, and with your ever-increasing mobility (the walking, and the more climbing), you have access to all kinds of stuff we don't think you can get your hands on. earlier today you somehow got daddy's easter bunny, and you unwrapped it and had already bitten off the ears before we figured out what you were doing. you were just sitting under the table, quiet as you please, wolfing down chocolate. later on, we used the same bunny to distract you while the rest of us painted easter eggs. i think maybe you ate a bit too much. i know, chocolate is very tempting.
love, mom

you are quite the animal lover.

2008-03-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

you still love dogs, but you also really like bunnies. like this one you and isaac were petting.

i love the way your face lights up when you see an animal. someday we'll get you and sam a dog or cat. or a bunny!

love, mom

you've been having lots of fun lately!

2008-03-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

we have been visiting lots of family lately, so you have gotten to see all your cousins and over half of your grandparents in the last couple weeks. here is a picture of you and your cousin Jacob at their house in Oklahoma. they sure do like you. i do too!

love, mom

you really really do love dogs.

2008-03-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

here are a picture and video of you pointing to a youtube video of a dog and saying, "Dog!!"... sometimes you point at the computer and say that just to try to get us to show you some videos.

you remind us of your big brother.

2008-03-05T20:59:00.001-08:00

it's neat that we can see the things you do and remember sam at your age, and see how similar you can be, in some ways, or see you doing and experiencing and learning the same things. here are some pictures.

this is sam on his first trip to the drive through zoo, at about 19 months. and you at yours at 15 months.

and here's the two of you driving cars for the first time. sam was 13 months in this picture, and you're 15.

happy birthday to bella!

2008-03-05T20:39:00.001-08:00

we were not surprised that you loved seeing all the animals when we went to the drive through safari in Gentry for Bella's birthday party. you got super excited and called everything "dog!"...

there were a lot of animals to walk around and see and pet, and a lot of animals to drive through and look at from the car. you were not scared of any of them, even when the monkeys screeched really loudly.

i think this picture of you eating the bread that we're supposed to be feeding to the animals is pretty funny. it reminds me of sam when he was little, eating bread that we took outside to feed the ducks.

love, mom

Happy 15 months birthday!

2008-02-27T22:04:00.001-08:00

often i've heard people complain that parents, when asked how old their toddlers are, respond in months. the thing is, you change SO much month to month, at this age, you don't want to call a 1 year old a "1 year old" for 12 months. because a 13 month old is very very different from, say, a 22 month old. anyway, i felt the need to explain the reason for the month posts. there you have it.

at 15 months, you are very different than you were at 14 months. you are so much more animated now, with everything. with excitement, with frustration. you make the funniest faces. today, you were so hopeful, when i got you out of the car. you said "dogs??" with the cutest little look on your face, and i was so sad that i had to tell you that it was night time, and so the doggies had gone to bed. thankfully, you weren't too disappointed.

you can walk now, if you try, as of Valentines Day. tonight you walked more than ever, doing three or four steps in a row multiple times. i have been wishing for you to walk, but now that you are, i think it's all going to develop very quickly, and i won't be able to keep up with you and keep you from doing dangerous stuff. the way you love to climb, i just know there are probably a lot of bonks and bruises to come, the more mobile you get.

you really like other people now, especially babies and kids your age. you haven't figured out how to share very well, but i guess that will come eventually. here's a picture of you and your friend abby. you both really want that coke opened.

you are very curious about how your clothing works, and you watch me put your shoes and socks on. yesterday you took off your sock and then tried to put it back on in the car. you help when i put your shirts on by finding the arm holes and pushing your little hands through the sleeves. and i have to keep pants on you at all times, or you'll take your diaper off.

you are learning your body parts. here is a picture of you pointing to your eye. better keep those fingernails clipped, since you don't always have your eye closed when you point at it.

you really have been retaining a lot of songs. you try to do the head, shoulders, knees, and toes motions, as well as the itsy bitsy spider, and the little red wagon, and clap clap clap. you always can anticipate which part comes next.

you still love candy. here's a picture of you eating them by licking them off the coffee table. mmmm, sanitary! i guess picking each one up was too much of a hassle. you are inventive. or maybe you have been paying too much attention to the puppies next door.

i can't wait to see what's next!
love, mom

you love dogs!

2008-02-24T11:19:00.001-08:00

here are the puppies that get you so excited anytime we walk out the door or get out of the car. there are nine of them! they were all in a little pile in their yard when we got home today, until you and sam went over to the fence. then they came up to greet you, and you were very excited!

we'd love to get you and sam a dog someday. maybe a beagle. someday...

i love to see what makes you excited!
love, mom

you are more fun all the time.

2008-02-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

you're a funny little girl, and you always keep us guessing. i know i say it all the time, but i am still always amazed at how totally different you and your brother are from each other.

some of your favorite things to do still include digging stuff out of trash cans, pulling things off of shelves and out of cabinets, flinging all the clothes out of your drawers or the dryer, one by one, etc. you are very curious. it's just funny, because sam couldn't have cared less what was inside the cabinets or in the trash can. but you have to find it and throw it out on the floor!

today we were playing in sam's room. well, mostly you played, while i watched you and layed on sam's bed. i am still sick, but i am so thankful that you are not sick. in fact, you've been in a really good mood today.

you liked playing the drums, and dancing, and playing with hot wheels, and poking furby's eyes. you would say "eyes!" (well, more like "seyes") and poke them. that was pretty funny.

you like to blow kisses now, which is super cute. and daddy says you have emo hair. you walked several steps to him last night, and it was the first time he'd seen you walk. the funny thing is that i didn't see your first steps either. we found out that you walked to allen on thursday (valentines day) night while he and deena and kaye watched you and your brother and lots of other kids so their parents could go to dinner.

i love your laugh!
love, mom

you are sure growing up!!

2008-02-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

i totally forgot to write yesterday about how you took a couple steps all by yourself! not at the same time, but a couple steps nevertheless! the first one was when i set you down in front of britney, and she coaxed you into taking a step towards her before you decided to get down and crawl the rest of the way. you didn't fall, though; you sat down on purpose. and then later on, you took a step in between britney's hand and the turtle you wanted to get to, at the little playground at the mall. you're getting a lot more adventurous and stand up without holding onto things a whole lot more often in the last few days, so i think you're warming up to the whole idea of walking. i'm surprised you haven't figured out yet that you could have much more freedom and get into much more trouble if you were walking (and running) away from me... maybe it's good that you haven't. i'm sure you will soon enough, though.

also, in the last week, i've put your hair in little pigtails a couple times. i think it's super cute. you're not a big fan of getting your hair done, as is evident by the kinda lopsidedness.

you also like to sing along with me on the "clap clap clap" song. you clap your hands at the right time, and then tap your feet together at the right time and sing "tap tap tap." and all this time i thought you weren't paying attention at the library!

it was your grandpa's birthday and your cousin daniel's birthday yesterday, so happy birthday to them!

you are a lot of fun!
love, mom

be my valentine!

2008-02-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

as usual lately, i'm a bit late in posting things.

thursday was valentines day, and though we didn't do anything super celebratory, i decided to put you in a little red sweater when we went out, to sort of make you look valentiney. everyone fell in love with you, pretty much. some college age girls stopped to talk to you at wal mart for about five minutes. i have to agree with them that you're pretty cute. you're getting a bit more outgoing, usually smiling to people and waving, instead of just staring. i think this adds to the appeal.

here's a picture of you looking like a super big girl in sam's old carseat. i had thought it was for 30-50lbs, but since i forgot to get your regular carseat out of the car, when daddy left for work, i had to go get this one out of the shed. and i was happy to find that it's 20-40lbs! so it's perfect. it somehow makes you look like more of a big girl than the other one. i think it's the arm rests.

i love you!
love, mom

we pilfered through your clothes today.

2008-02-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

we were playing in your room, and i decided to look and see what was in your drawer of 18-24 month stuff. some of it will fit soon, but sadly, there's a lot in there for cool/cold weather that i'm not sure you're going to get to wear. it's funny, because when i tried to buy ahead for sam, the clothes were too small by the time the proper season rolled around. with you, it's sometimes the opposite. i didn't expect to have a baby that fit in the right size for her age. sam was wearing 2t by the time he was your age, so we just figured you'd be a giant like him :)

anyhow, here's a sweatshirt you might not get to wear very much. the sleeves do roll up pretty easy, though, so we might be able to make it happen.

you liked the trucker hat for a while.

on an unrelated note, you have a rash that looks like it might be hives. your grandma gets them pretty badly, and i used to get them when i was a kid a lot. you ate some peanuts yesterday, and you've never had just straight peanuts before... so maybe you are slightly allergic to them? otherwise, i don't know what it would be.

you're a mermaid!

2008-02-07T22:09:00.000-08:00

lately you've been sleeping MUCH better, but tonight, you've already woken up twice, crying. the second time, daddy went in to check on you, and he came out laughing.

he was holding you, and you looked like this.

we have no idea how you managed to get both of your legs into one of your pant legs, but you were pretty irritated that it prevented you from standing up in your crib. you are a pretty silly little girl.

love, mom

you've learned a new trick.

2008-02-05T21:46:00.000-08:00

so, remember how i said you like to be naked? and that you like to take off your shoes and socks?

today, you were fussing in your crib before your nap, and i came in to check on you. you were sitting in your bed with no pants or diaper on, and you'd thrown your pants out of bed onto your floor.

you do so many things that sam never did as a baby, so it surprises us to have a one year old who likes to remove her own diaper and throw the pants overboard. that's okay, though, because we like surprises. usually.

obviously, i can't post a picture for this one.

love, mom

you played in the snow!

2008-02-02T21:57:00.001-08:00

sort of. you actually didn't really like the snow. not sitting in it, anyway. you did like eating it. and you didn't really like wearing mittens.

happy 14 months birthday!

2008-01-27T20:24:00.001-08:00

whoah! 14 months! you just turned 1, though! what happened??

you are definitely turning into your own little person with your own little opinions about things.
such as:

shoes and socks are to be removed, not worn.

naked is best.

diaper changes are to be fought, tooth and nail.

there's still really no reason to walk.

dancing is the funnest.

food is for throwing.
etc.

this picture is from a week ago. sorry. i will take a new one tomorrow, and put it on this post, so it's more accurate for your 14 month birthday.

i love you!
love, mom

it's your first time to be really sick

2008-01-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

and it is totally pitiful. there's nothing more sad for a parent than to watch her little girl barf every hour for 7 hours. you haven't thrown up for about 10 hours now and have been keeping some drinks down. we are hoping you don't do what sam did and puke for three nights straight. here are some pictures of you rehydrating yourself. you aren't too big on the food.

i think you're pretty cute.

2008-01-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

i couldn't resist taking and posting some pictures of you in your new baby legs. they're leg warmers! your little chunky legs make them roll down at the top after a while. daddy says you look like you're from 1985 in this outfit. but i think it's pretty darn cute. it makes you kinda mad that you can't pull these off, like you can pull off your socks and shoes. oh, and that bow is a goner. you pulled it out and threw it out of the basket somewhere in old navy. i'm glad you haven't figured out how to take your pants and shirt off yet.

you are growing up so fast!

2008-01-13T20:40:00.001-08:00

after i stopped writing your weekly letters, it got hard for me to remember to write on a regular basis. the holidays didn't help much with that. but i'm going to try and get back in the swing of things.

you are saying a lot of words now! words like dada, mom, ice ("ess" or "suss"), apples ("ap-pos"), duck, book, uh oh (just "uh!" usually), yes, this, no, bye ("buh"), got (you learned that from daddy and pappy and sam, when they were playing a pillow throwing game and saying, "i got ya's!"... you liked to fling your own pillow to the floor and say "got!")... you used to say baby ("be-be") a lot, but you haven't been lately. you also very distinctly said "mouse" a couple times when we were reading a book that had a mouse in it. it seems like that's all been happening at once. some words you'll say a whole bunch one day, and then not again for a while. and you will never do it on command, so the talking can just be our secret for a while, if you want.

you are very very close to walking now. i keep being afraid i'm going to have my head turned and miss your first steps, because you almost do it so often. tonight you stood there for 7 or 8 seconds, reaching for daddy, and we could see that you were almost going to take a step to him, before you gave up and crawled over to him. we need to get the video camera ready to go.

you are sleeping a bit better at night, knock on wood!

tomorrow sam starts preschool. i wonder how you will adjust, with him gone all day. i wonder how i'll adjust, too. we can adjust together.
love, mom

oh! i made you a hat, finally. you look cute!

you got another tooth!

2008-01-03T17:08:00.000-08:00

finally, after a long break (more than 2 months) with no teething, you got your 12th tooth. it's the one that should have been #7, if things had gone in the regular order. i was a bit worried about that one, because people say that if any teeth are going to be mysteriously missing or sideways, they're usually those lateral incisors (i had to look up the name. they're the teeth that are next to the front teeth on either side). anyway, i'm glad it showed up! it probably broke through a couple days ago, but the last time i had stuck my finger in there, you bit it really really hard. so i've been a little hesitant.

here you are unwrapping hersheys kisses. i'm not sure i've met a baby who loved candy more than you. to your credit, though, you do like to share. you unwrapped some for everyone, including yourself!

love, mom

you've earned a new nickname.

2007-12-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

Destructobaby!

your favorite things to do are dump things over (including the trash cans), pull things out (like the cabinets), tear pages out of books and magazines, and "reorganize" your grandpa's coffee table.

i'm hoping that someday your hobby will be picking things up.

love, mom

Happy 13 Months Birthday!

2007-12-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

geez. t am still coming to terms with you being a year old, and already a month has passed since your birthday.

you are right on the verge of walking, it seems, but you really don't seem to be in much of a hurry. i'm not all that worried about how quickly you do things. to put it in perspective, we worried that sam wasn't really talking until he was almost 2, but then he could legitimately read at 3. so, you just take your time with all that. i'm sure very soon you'll be running around and getting into all kinds of trouble. you already climb enough that it makes me nervous, so it's probably best for all of us that you're not completely independent in your mobility.

i realized today that you now have 5 pairs of shoes that you wear on a regular basis. that's almost as many as the rest of the family put together. we're not really a multi-shoe family. the trouble is, little girl shoes are not neutral at all. the white ones have pink stripes. the brown ones have pink flowers. that means they don't really match any red or blue. the black ones are patent leather, and therefore will not match your casual clothes. so, that necessitates buying 5 different pairs of shoes. i won't argue that they are dang cute; that certainly helps the cause. and in defense of my frugality, we only really spent about $12 altogether on the shoes. some were gifts, hand-me-downs, etc. i think the red sparkly ones we bought today are my favorite. they look like dorothy's ruby slippers from the wizard of oz. and they were on sale!

we think you're saying more stuff. like "yes" and "this." they sound very similar and may in fact be one or the other or neither of those words. we do notice that you understand more and more all the time. now is the age where we start noticing you doing and understanding things and we wonder how long you've been understanding them. like earlier when i asked if you wanted another cracker, and you reached out for me to give you one. and when i asked if you wanted more milk, and you handed me your cup.

your sleep habits got disturbed a lot over the holidays. you were doing pretty well, only waking up once at night for a few nights in a row. and then we started traveling. we know that you really really really need your own room, in order to sleep the best. that's a little weird, since you slept with us until about 10 months. but now if you're in the room with us, you wake up about 75 times. we finally had to stick your port-a-crib in the laundry room at grandma and pappy's house, in order for anyone to get any rest.

since i failed at taking pictures on your 13 months birthday, here are some shots of you from Christmas! the first and fourth pictures are a pretty outfit from your aunt michelle. the second one is you in your Christmas dress that i bought you way back in february. i'm so glad it fit you so well!
the third one is an outfit that your aunt keri bought you, including the fabulous and classy black patent leather shoes. people sure do like to buy you pretty things! i can't get over what a big girl you look like in these pictures.

love, mom

Merry Christmas Eve!

2007-12-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

today was a big day! Christmas Eve is the day we celebrate with your grandma and pappy and aunt and uncle and great grandmas and great uncle and cousins, and you had tons of fun, as usual. everyone had fun cramming your mouth with cookies. they didn't really have to twist your arm or anything, to get you to eat them.

your cousins fought over who got to hold you, and you managed 3 wardrobe changes throughout the day. there are just too many cute Christmas dresses and pajamas to wear.

sleep tight, and tomorrow morning your stockings will be filled! you and sam make Christmas fun.
love, mom

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

2007-12-14T22:59:00.001-08:00

since you weren't even a month old last Christmas, this is going to be a much more festive one for you, i think.

you have been tolerating 8 zillion shopping trips to places like hobby lobby, while i gather stuff for making presents for people. i hope that you are a list maker, unlike me, when you grow up. it will save you a lot of time.

you also let me take a few pictures of you in front of the tree tonight, with silly hats. i took some of sam, too, but by the time i tried to take some of the two of you together, you weren't very excited about the whole thing anymore. we'll try again tomorrow! thankfully, your black eye is almost gone.

shopping trips and photo shoots aside, i hope this is a fun Christmas for you!

love, mom

p.s. i really really really wish that angel picture of you had been in focus.

you saw the doctor today.

2007-12-11T21:51:00.001-08:00

it was probably your last visit with dr. weeden, since we moved so far away from him. he was you doctor when you were first born, and he liked to always joke about the 3 really big girl babies (you were one of them) and the tiny little scrawny boy baby that were born that night he was on duty at st. mary's. i like him a lot, but i don't think you'll mind too much, finding a different doctor.

today you went in for your 12 month well baby checkup and shots. they said you are 19lbs, 13 oz. so that means that you have gained exactly 11 pounds in the year since you were born.

there was a new nurse there doing your measurements, and they seemed a bit off. she measured you at 29" in length. in september, you measured 29.5"... i kind of doubt you're shrinking. i think what happened was that you got measured too long last time, and too short this time.

oh well, as long as you're healthy, i don't care if i know with 100% accuracy what percentile you are in for height and weight.

you have a little bit of an ear infection, so you are taking antibiotics again. guess all the snot and such was an actual cold, and not just teething. we haven't seen any more teeth, so that makes sense.

the doctor also said we should probably try and make you stop eating so much at night, as more sleep will be better for all of us. i'm betting this will be a long week, in the overnight department, but i'm hoping that by next week we will all have made it out alive, and with improved sleeping patterns!

you are closer to walking every day. i think it will be soon now.

here are some pictures from silver dollar city a few days after your birthday. it was very cold! you got to ride the butterflies, which was your first real kiddie ride ever. congratulations! you LOVED the Christmas lights, and we think you said "lights" a couple times.

here's also a picture of you with the new friend you made while we took a walk in the neighborhood the other day. you really liked that dog, and she liked you. she followed us on the whole rest of the walk and escorted us back to the house.

love, mom