Phoebe pretends to have a very large vocabulary. She doesn’t really comprehend everything she says but she’s more than willing to engage in arguments without understanding what she’s saying.

If you say something to her or accuse her of impertinence she will wholeheartedly refute your allegation with the best phonetic reconstruction of your accusation that she can muster.

She’s destined for politics.

Here’s a picture of her laying on our poor old cat.

Categories: BJ, Phoebe
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A few years ago we went to the ICE! Exhibit at The Gaylord Texan. At the time Sophia was still a baby in the sling all bundled up and I was 2 months pregnant with Phoebe. I must say this time around was more fun and delightful. No kids in slings or strollers and both girls were able to enjoy themselves very much. The theme for this year was “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”. The displays were amazing and the colored ice looked awesome.

Phoebe coming down the children’s ice slide.

On our way out there was a toy soldier on stilts. Sophia was very impressed and went up to meet him.

We did fudge and milk for Santa this year instead of cookies. Sophia was so excited about leaving them by the fireplace for him. Here she is carrying them over there for him. She was trying so hard to be careful and not spill the milk.

In fact, when Sophia came busting into our room the next morning she yelled “Come look! He ate his fudge and drank his milk! He ate his fudge and drank his milk! Come on! Get up! Come and see!” Sophia was too excited to wait so we had to get Phoebe up. Stockings were first and presents from Santa before we dove into the tree.

Pretty much all Sophia wanted was this mermaid Barbie with a pink tail that flaps that she saw in a catalog. Santa delivered and she was thrilled.

After our own family Christmas and breakfast we headed out to BJ’s parents house for more Christmas fun. Aunt Bekah and Uncle Jonathan were very wise in getting the girls cheerleading outfits. They LOVE them and immediately had to wear them.

And then came the ballerina outfits from Nana and then they were put on.

They received many wonderful, exciting new toys this year that they will enjoy for quite some time. This is them near the end of the day, clearly exhausted and wanting nothing but to chill out. I can’t blame them! It was an insanely busy day!

Categories: Heather, Phoebe, Sophia, Weekly Family Update
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We have done so much stuff over the last couple months. I have honestly forgotten about most of it, until I see a picture and remember “Yeah, we did that!” So I thought I would keep it simple and do a bunch of pictures of all the family fun we have been having!

My sweet friend, Rachel, from way back in the day when I was in nursing school got married!! I was so excited for her and BJ and I enjoyed a nice time to ourselves watching her get sealed in the Dallas Temple. She had a reception where dancing was ON! The girls, who enjoy dancing very much, were more than game to join in. I had such a blast dancing with them. It had been a long time since I have danced in public too!

They both ate tons of strawberries and punch. Could life get any better?!

We had Thanksgiving with BJ’s family at my house, but my sister Jennifer and family had come into town as well. Instead of doing the crazy thing of going shopping the day after Thanksgiving we went to the Dallas Arboretum and it was such a great choice!! The weather was gorgeous, it was not crowded at all, and they still had the pumpkin house up from Halloween. It was perfect, and the cousins enjoyed one another so very much.

Phoebe and I were balancing over a stream of water in that one. Phoebe has discovered the love of balancing on or over things.

Gee, Sophia is so ladylike…..

Sophia with her 2 best friends. She really loves them.

I just adore this sweet, gorgeous little girl!

We also went to an Airplane Museum near Dallas/Love Field Airport, but this is somehow the only picture I could find.

Then came Christmas! We went to the celebration in Frisco Square. They had a skydiving Santa and 2 elves. It was totally cool to see this, but unfortunately we got no pictures. We were also on the side where they landed and stood so the girls were as close to the action as possible. They also had a toy train display, hot air balloons all lit up, horse carriage rides, and more! It was cold but fun.

This is of us just before going to church the Sunday before Christmas. We went to Nana and Popi’s church and then enjoyed the rest of the day visiting and eating over at their house. Aunt Bekah and Uncle Jonathan were in town which made the visit that much more fun!

Sophia has been asking about and praying for snow. She got her wish on Christmas Eve of all days! It snowed for several hours and by that night we had a nice white coat over everything. The girls got to enjoy it before it got too thick (and late).

They came in soaking wet, cold, and muddy but ALL smiles! I still have Christmas and our trip to the Ice Show at the Gaylord Texan to cover so be on the lookout for another post soon!

Categories: Heather, Phoebe, Sophia, Weekly Family Update
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In an effort to transition Phoebe to Sophia’s room and the bottom bunk bed, this week we removed the bars to the crib and it became a toddler bed. The first 2 nights she was a bit scared and unsure. We had to add a night light and give some extra hugs and reassurance, but she would fall asleep and sleep through the night. I have cracked her door so when she woke up she would realize that she could leave the room. She knows how to open the door, but I figured it would be simpler that way. The last 2 nights I have gone in to peek on her before cracking her door. I have been shocked the last 2 nights to find that she has fallen out of the bed and was sound asleep on the floor! It is really only a 6-8 inch drop, and the first night I actually had a body pillow next to her bed just in case that happened. Sure enough I had found her asleep, in a tight ball, with her butt in the air on that pillow. I laid another pillow next to her for extra protection and comfort and gave her another blanket. I found her the next morning sitting in her bed having put the extra pillow and all the blankets back in her bed and just sitting there saying she wanted to get out. What the heck???? So for tonight I added a second body pillow next to the first one to give her even more of a landing pad. Good thing, because I found her asleep on both of them with her legs still propped up on the bed. If this happens tomorrow night then we are going to just dismantle the rest of the bed and have her sleep on the mattress on the floor. Off and on for the last couple months we have tried to get her to sleep on the bottom bunk– by herself or with Sophia but with no luck. Eventually this kid will sleep in a bed, that is not on the floor and will not fall out, but until then she is just figuring the non-crib situation out.

Categories: Heather, Phoebe
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The girls and I have been spending a lot of time lately watching old home videos. It is a nice break from some of our regular cartoons/shows and I think it is really good for the girls to see. However, watching these videos has reminded me, or at least made me aware, of certain things. I thought I would share my thoughts because I was having fun and finding such joy and intrigue with them.

Phoebe did in fact discover the love of her thumb before she was 12 months. I think even as early as before/around 6 months of age.

Phoebe also developed early on a passion for fruit snacks and candy. I have tape or pictures of her before 12 months eating a sucker and a Red Vine. On another she is very excited about the next bite of fruit snacks she will get.

I was sick A LOT when I was pregnant with Phoebe and when she was a baby. I remember being sick with sinus infections most of my pregnancy with her, but it is another thing to hear myself video after video with a stuffy nose.

My house has changed immensely since we first moved in about 6 years ago. Whether it is paint, furniture being brought in, taken out, moved, new light fixtures, etc. It is amazing to see all the changes over the time of the videos.

Phoebe also developed before 9 months of age this certain quirk she has to this day–she likes to take tiny board books, plastic toy coins, or anything else small that she can stack in her hands and hold, carry around. I have one tape of her holding 2 plastic coins trying to crawl. She would do it more easily if she let them go, but she clearly was NOT going to.

Sophia really did play well (especially considering her age at the time) with Phoebe when Phoebe was very little. She would mimic Phoebe in crawling or climb in her bouncy seat with her and snuggle. It reminds me that it wasn’t all fighting with them, even back then.

They were seriously some of the cutest babies-infants I have ever seen!

These videos make me want to have another baby–girl. All in due time…..

Categories: Heather, Phoebe, Sophia
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I have really been thinking lately about things I am loving about my children. Being a mother is the hardest *job* I have ever had! It is difficult at times to remember to be grateful for my children and to always like them–for I will always love them. I don’t know if life would be easier if they were farther apart in age, and have often wondered that, but at the end of the day this is our life, our family, and it isn’t going to change. So I thought it would be fun for others, and important for me, to write a thankful post regarding my children.

I AM THANKFUL FOR….

rocking chairs. Months ago Phoebe started asking to be rocked before bed. Although she is not a baby anymore and doesn’t really need it I know she enjoys it. I love that after a busy day of running around and being active she and I can sit in the dark, her head resting on me, and have our sweet, quiet moment together. Mmmmmm snuggles!

potty trained children. It is a whole lot cheaper than buying diapers and wipes, I don’t get poop on my hands anymore, and it is less time consuming for me. Some people say I got them potty trained *early* (Phoebe was trained a month after her second birthday) because I think around 3 or just after is average. All I know is that it was perfect for our family.

kisses. A simple kiss or 2 can make pretty much any boo-boo better and can stop the tears. The girls give each other kisses which reassures me that they really do love one another. They also readily give mommy and daddy ones too. Just this morning Sophia climbed into our bed and promptly gave me kisses all over my face telling me “I am kissing you momma!”

candy. I love candy very much, always have and probably always will. My girls love candy too, and we have spent time snuggling on the couch over a good Dr. Suess book and a bag of gummy bears. We also enjoy sharing Twizzler Pull-n-Peel and pretend they are worms, snakes, bracelets or necklaces. It is fun candy!

one on one time with my children. BJ and I have both had ‘dates’ with Sophia and will probably start them with Phoebe next year. The girls are so different when by themselves and can be so sweet. This special time lets them know they are unique to us and know that we have time for them and their interests.

cooperative play. When the girls play together with no fighting or hitting it once again reassures me that they love each other. It also proves to me that it was in fact a good thing to have them close in age so they can develop this blossoming friendship. Plus, Sophia is good at being an example to Phoebe about imaginative play.

healthy appetites. This mostly applies to Sophia, but the older Phoebe gets the less picky she is becoming–Yay! I *almost* don’t have to worry about what Sophia is going to eat. She is beginning to enjoy spicey things more or strange things. She actually licked a bite of octopus the other day. She tells me she “loves meat” and will ask me for broccoli or carrot sticks for a snack. She pretty much eats what we eat which makes some meal times a lot easier.

their lovely faces. I love looking at them and admiring their eyes or faces. They truly are beautiful girls. I know this might make me sound like a proud or vain mom, but it is hard to forget how cute they are when everywhere we go I get compliments about their eyes or cuteness. I also enjoy the fact that my children resemble me. There are some families you can look at and think “Those kids belong to them?!” –they look nothing alike. When the 3 of us are together I often get comments about how they look like me or that there is “no doubt who they belong to!” I love looking at them and seeing in their faces that they are mine.

communication. Both girls learned to speak and use more words (for their age at the time) than what is considered ‘average’. I loved being able to communicate with them and now have conversations with them. They let me know what it is they need and I pretty much don’t have any guesswork. Their clear communication has also made my life easier in some ways when dealing with them. And anything that can be made easier for a mom is a good thing!

unique voices. Phoebe is quite the entertainment for BJ and I and she doesn’t even know it. She has this “accent” (for lack of a better description) that makes all sorts of words interesting. A sample: berks (books), goldfirsh, and beahrs is really all I can think of for now.

rough play, and children that enjoy it. I like running around the house pretending to be a monster, dinosaur or dragon while roaring and chasing the girls on foot or hands and knees. They run all over the place smiling and screaming. We also play hide and seek often, but it usually turns into just me hiding out really well and then popping out and scaring them. Once again, they are all smiles in the end.

Categories: Heather, Phoebe, Sophia
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I am beginning to think we have too many battery operated items in our house. When a toy sounds like the batteries are dying or dead, we explain to the girls that the toy is “broken” or “dead” and that it needs “new batteries”. I suppose we could tell them in the first place that it simply needs new batteries, but it never comes out that way. Phoebe broke a crayon in half today and brings it to me. With a frown on her face she tells me, “It’s broken! Needs new batteries.” After I stop laughing, I explain that she can still use the crayon and that it does not take batteries. In reality, we do have a draw full of rechargeable batteries (direct result from having children and the toys that come along with that) that we rotate out. Although, there are a few battery operated toys that we have that we have chosen not to put batteries in at all, and the girls ignorance is our quiet bliss. Sort of.

Categories: Heather, Phoebe
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I know, I know. I haven’t posted anything in awhile, and when I do they are few and far between. Life is just so darn busy! So I am finally committing myself to doing an update about each of the girls since so much has been going on.

Phoebe has bangs! I felt so bad for her looking through her hair all the time with her head tilted back, so I cut some bangs on that poor child. The instant I did it her face looked so different to me. It is amazing what a simple haircut can do. She looked more grown up to me. What is even more fun, is when I put her hair in pigtails she looks like Boo from Pixar’s movie Monsters, Inc. We get told that pretty much wherever we go. I am thankful I managed not to butcher her bangs like I did on Sophia that one time. Whew!

She is enjoying learning at the moment. She repeats all sorts of new words with almost perfect pronunciation the first time. She wants to count and will say “one, two, three” quite a bit, but usually before she is about to jump off something. She is learning some colors as well and LOVES to have books read to her. Her absolute favorite right now is “Alpha Oops”. I highly recommend this book! It is about the alphabet getting all jumbled up because Z was basically sick (*jealous*) of A always getting to go first. It has fun, bright pictures and a simple but fun story line. She is always bringing it to us and will do this multiple times a day. She will never get sick of this book it seems, but mama and daddy sure have. She pays attention enough to the stories that when she opens a familiar book she will repeat several words from that page.

She is my ‘picky eater’ and as I explained to my mother “This is no way to live!!” I cannot stand having a picky eater for a child. I am so spoiled with Sophia who will just about eat everything and anything. She is small for her age so I worry about her nutrition, but she is growing fine and isn’t starving to death. So I must be doing okay! She is in a phase right now where one or two bites of something she likes will do, then after that she spits it out or refuses it. Or even refuses it from the beginning! I am a bit frustrated with the waste of food around here and have pondered starting a company where I can gather up all the uneaten food and make compost out of it or something useful! Her appetite better expand or mama is gonna go nuts!

However, even with her ‘picky’ eating she does enjoy some interesting Japanese foods like dried seaweed, chili bits, and rice crackers wrapped in dry seaweed. Strange, right?! Plus, I think this child would survive off cheese if she could. I lose count on how many times a day she asks for cheese. I suppose it is a blessing she has showed no signs of being lactose intolerant yet.

While on the topic of food….when she eats something that is a treat or tasted really good like cookies or candy she will squeal and jig around a bit. Or she will go “mmmmm”. She clearly feels so good and happy eating that item she has to express it!

She enjoys brushing her teeth and gets excited if I even mention it. She will RUN to the bathroom squealing “Brush TEEEEETH!” I, of course, trying to make sure her teeth actually get clean, try and help or do it for her. No way! “I do it” she tells me and pulls her hand away. She can only get better from here. Plus, she is going to be my braces kid too I think. She is gap toothed and crooked already!

We have spent a lot of time at our community pool this year, oh happy day! The girls adore going to the pool. We went through a time with Phoebe trying to figure out what would work for her—a big round floaty seat? No. A bodysuit with the floaty attached? No. Nothing at all with mama watching her like a hawk? Um, no! So, one blessed day at the pool a woman let me borrow her arm floaties (from the dollar store!) and Phoebe loved them. They looked huge on her, but she was not uncomfortable and did so good in them! She swam off and did her own thing. She would only get nervous and start fussing if she felt she got too far from me. Otherwise it is little Miss Independent! Better still, the woman let me keep the floaties saving me a trip and a buck!

By the end of August I was able to get her to jump from the steps or the edge of the pool to me. She will go underwater from it and everything but is okay with it and doesn’t cry. I am so proud of her progress and bravery!

Dancing, dancing. She loves to dance. We have fun blasting the stereo and rockin’ out to some tunes. All 3 of us get into it and I die laughing watching all the moves the girls come up with. So far the favorites are MGMT, Gnarls Barkley, and Jamiroquai.

She adores (and dislikes) her big sister so much. Sophia is very much into imaginative play right now and Phoebe gets in on it whenever she can. They enjoy chasing each other around the house, screaming and squealing as they do it, or tickling one another. They really can have *rare* moments of being so sweet and play nicely. However, amidst all this is fighting, hitting, biting, yelling, and bossing around. Yes, even bossing around on Phoebe’s part. She has way more sass and attitude than Sophia did, and a temper too. What is that saying about what goes around comes around….? Karma….? (Jenn, I know you are smiling right now. You too mom!)

Categories: Phoebe, Weekly Family Update
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