Teeth!

Way behind on my blogging, but for posterity's sake I must mention that Hattie finally cut her first tooth on Friday the 13th!  She got her bottom right, middle tooth at 9 1/2 months!  She woke up on Saturday with the left one too!  I haven't been able to get a picture of them yet, but stay tuned!

Mother's Day '11

This was my first Mother's Day as a mother of two!  I loved hearing Ainslee talk all about "Mudder's Day" and receiving all the sweet pictures she made me all week, leading up to the big day.  We had our annual Mother's Day lunch at Grammie and Pop's house this year.  We celebrated three generations of mothers: Memaw, Grammie, G-Ma, and Mommy.  I was a terrible picture taker, but here are a few.

Hattie got to hang out with Uncle Rob

 She got to play with his iPhone- it appears to be serious work!

 Here is a sequence of pictures in our attempt to get a decent family pic...maybe next time

 Grammie snuggles

As I was tucking Ains into bed, she whispered, "Happy Birthday, Mommy."  Such a sweet little girl, even if she was a little off on which holiday it was. :)

Just Because

When did this little girl start looking like such a big girl?!

 It's amazing how still you can get her to stand with M&M's at stake :)

 I love this little face Hattie makes.  I thought I better capture it, since I don't think it will be the same if/when she ever gets teeth.

 Studying the camera

 These sisters love each other so much, it really just amazes me.  It is so fun to watch them play and interact with each other.  I heard them both laughing so hard the other day and snuck around the corner to see Ainslee laying on her tummy next to Hattie.  She said, "Mommy, were're playing like we are snakes!"  I love that she thought of a game that Hattie would be able to play with her. 

9 Months Old

(same dress as Ainslee's 9 month pic on the right side bar)

Hattie turned 9 months old yesterday!  Ainslee was ready for a birthday party, but I had to break it to her that we had to wait 3 more months for a real party. :)  This has been a big month for our baby girl.  Just yesterday, she started crawling on all fours (instead of army crawling)!  She is ALL over the place.  Ainlsee loves to have "races" with her down the hall.  I need to get that on video. 

She has also become a big fan of food.  She loves oatmeal, avocado, bananas, puffs, egg yolk, and just about all baby foods.  She really enjoys feeding herself and makes a lovely mess of it too.  I was really hoping all the food would help her sleep better at night, but she is still waking once around 4 or 5 am.  We'll get there soon enough...hopefully! 

Still no teeth, which has me totally surprised!  I know "they" say not to compare, but Ainslee was working on her 6th tooth at this age!  Crazy how different siblings can be.  Speaking of differences, Hattie seems to be quite the dare devil.  She loves being tossed in the air and going upside down (both terrified Ainslee). But Hattie really loves riding in Grandpa's Ranger (like a fancy 4-wheeler).  She squeals when she sees it and while she's riding on our lap.  She seems either very unsure or scared around animals, though.  Ainslee on the other hand, was obsessed with animals from very early on.   Just some interesting differences that I would like to remember and see if they continue as they get older...

We had her 9 month check up this week and here are the official stats:
Height: 27.5"
Weight: 16.1 lbs

Fishing for Hattie

Always on the move!

Easter '11

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with family.  Aunt Yo, Uncle Trevor, and (dog) cousin Ruby came into town late Thursday night, but we got to have breakfast with them on Friday morning before they headed out to Laity Lodge.  Unfortunetly, Jason had a "bad weather" make-up day and had to go to work on Friday.  Saturday was spent preparing for all our company that was coming over on Sunday.  We have been renovating the girl's bathroom (post about that to come soon) and needed to get a few things finished up.  G-Ma, Grandpa, Grammie and Pop all came over to help out and help keep up with the girls.
Easter morning started bright and early for us and Ainslee was quite excited.  We enjoyed a quiet morning hunting eggs, eating a huge breakfast, and going through Ainslee's Resurection Eggs which tell the real story of Easter in way that is easier for children to see/understand.  I don't think Ainslee fully understood (mostly because there are 12 eggs and she only had the patience to listen for about the first 7), but she really enjoyed them!  I really want her to know the real reason we celebrate holidays...not just the candy, presents, etc.... 
We had everyone over for Easter lunch and enjoyed our time together.  I know the girls especially enjoyed ALL the attention from their family. 

The pinwheels were a huge hit!

 As were the puff-filled eggs

 Pondering the nutrition facts, Hattie?

 What's inside?

  The bunny cake made by G-Ma and Grandpa.  If you look closely, there are photographs of Grandpa as a little boy and Daddy, Uncle Travis, and Cousin Rachel when they were little - all with similar bunny cakes.  The tradition continues!

 Dads and their kids playing fetch :)

 These cousins LOVE each other :)

 The fam!

Bye Bye Paci!

I am slightly embarrassed, but proud to say that Ainslee is finally paci free!  This girl is/was a complete paci addict.  She only got it at nap and bedtime for the last couple of years, but it was a vital part in getting her to sleep.  Well, the other morning she came in our room frantic because she couldn't find it.  I went into her room and could not find it anywhere and neither could Jason.  I think this was the motivation we needed to let it go... We told her the paci fairy must have come to take it away while she was sleeping.  She has gone to bed without it for 5 nights now!  The bad news....naps have been non-existent and as soon as she wakes up in the morning, she is up for good (around 6:45-7:00).  Ugh.  This has made for some long days for Mommy, but I am so proud of my big girl!  Don't worry, Ellie (the elephant) isn't going anywhere. :)

On the move!

This post is long overdue, but Hattie Cakes is officially on the move.  She has been for about 3 weeks now.  Of course, trying to get to Ainslee was all it took to get her going.  She is a champion army crawler and doesn't seem to mind the occasional rug burn on her knees and elbows.  She has started getting up on her hands and knees, but has yet to move forward in that position.  It has been quite challenging to keep all of Ainslee's "choking hazards" out of reach, but Ainslee is pretty good at asking if it is alright to give Hattie a certain toy.  Ainslee is having fun with Hattie's mobility and gets so excited when she "chases" after her.

Last week, I noticed Hattie was looking pretty close to pulling up so we lowered her crib mattress.  After we got everything set up, I set her down in her bed to see what she thought.  Well, we lowered the mattress just in time, because she pulled herself up for the first time!  It won't be long before we have an extremely mobile baby!

Clapping!

 Always trying to get close to Big Sister!