Doctor Visits

For now (as in the next 5 minutes till something else happens...) everything "insurance" is taken care of and therefore we were able to get the kids in for their 1 year and 3 year appointments!

Going to a new doctor is always nerve wracking for me... There have been so many doctors who look at me (I still look like I belong in high school) with 2 kids and immediately talk down to me and assume I'm doing a terrible job. After meeting my kids, they always change their tune, but by then it's too late. But this doctor, Dr. Randolph, was great. She never once appeared to see fault in my parenting and once she met my kids, the praise never stopped:

"He is further along than most 4.5-year-olds I see!" 

"She is cruising!" "She's already talking so well!"

"I've never seen a kid so in-tune with his emotions! He can control them so well!" (she got to watch him calm himself in under 3 seconds after he got his shots as he does anytime he gets hurt or upset - I love it!)

"Here are some pamphlets for what you can expect for the next year. Start about halfway down for her and don't bother reading his... he's already passed all of it"

I'm in love. I may go back to the doctor simply when I need to feel better about my parenting!

Aaron is sitting in the 50th percentile for his weight (32lbs - he's grown!) and 65th for height (3' 2").

This made him happy. He always says he's too small, but now he knows he's bigger than 65% of kids his age!

Audrey is in the 10th percentile all around - much better than her usual 3rd! 

(19.4lbs - huge growth - and 2' 4")

This is one of their favorite games! Daddy tries to capture them in the soccer goals. He'll catch Aaron every once in a while, but Audrey stands waiting to get caught. When she is caught, Aaron either goes and joins her or races to her "rescue" as "her hero". He calls her his princess. It's so cute!

I love how cute these two are together!


Audrey is improving every day. She babbles aaaaaaaaaaaall the time! It's the cutest! She is great at saying "more" and she still begs for "nuh-nye". She says the word "down" too. My favorite that she says is "Ilaoo" which is "I love you." I need to get a video of this!
She is trying to switch to a one nap schedule which is rough. She wants to be alone in her crib from 10:00-11:30 then she naps till around 2. And that's all she naps. She starts to get cranky around 5 and then it's a marathon to keep her up till 6:30 when she goes down (a full hour earlier than she used to).
Audrey has broken 2 more teeth - one in each very back corner of the top row for a total of 4 on top and 4 on bottom - though you can only see the new ones if her mouth is WIDE open.

A friend of mine, Adriana, who was in the ward with us when Eric and I met, moved to Oregon with her husband, Austin, and their little girl, Ellie who is 2 months older than Audrey.
They quickly became friends!

We have been trying to get this last video for months - literally... This is how Audrey communicates with Eric (it is their special, secret code). Each time we turn on the camera she stops doing it, but I finally managed to catch her in a mood where she'd perform :)

Audrey gets into everything, everywhere these days. She can climb just about anywhere - she gets on the ottoman and the couch and loves to jump!

This is one of my favorite videos - it show's Audrey's fake cry...

For your comparison - here is Aaron's fake cry from when he was a bit older than her:

hahahahahahaha

Audrey also loves to snuggle. She carries around dolls and animals patting them and kissing them. She loves blankets at night - not because she uses them, but because she snuggles them!

Aaron is his normal, goofy self.  He enjoyed watching American Ninja Warrior a few times with me and this was his way of doing what they do.

He loves chocolate milk and tries to get it for himself. Little stinker! 

 One day we went out to the wetlands behind our house because we thought we heard a duck and it sounded stuck. We didn't find a duck but we got to see squirrels! At first there was just one, jumping the trees. Then a second one came into view. Aaron hollered at the first, "Hey! It's your mom! Come say hi! HEY! COME SEE YOUR MOM!!! Mama, he's not listening to me..." He was very intent that they were family and therefore should love each other and say hi. Seems like he has all the basics down!

One day in the backyard, Aaron climbed up on my shoulder. I told him he was my shoulder angel (I seriously am impressed he made it up there). Then he tooted ... my shoulder angel tooted on my shoulder.

A morning conversation with Aaron starting with Eric playing drums on Aaron's tummy:
A: I'm not a drum! The drums are over there!
E: Oh, are you a kid?
A: No! I'm a boy!
J: What am I?
A: Are you a dancer?
J: Haha, yes, I'm also a girl!
E: What am I?
A: Are you a Child of God too?
E: Yes, and a boy.
A: Oh, ok. A boy Child of God ... like me!

Aaron has noticed that each Sunday, Eric makes sure his tie matches my outfit. So now, each morning, he races into my closet (my clothes are color organized) and pulls one of my shirts in front of him (based on whichever color I have on at the time) and declares us matching. He gets very excited about matching mama!

We had one of Aaron's friends coming over for a play date so Aaron was quickly using the restroom. When the doorbell rang Aaron exclaimed, "Ahh! Bryce is here! I have to clean!" (he had been playing with his trains.) I informed him, "No, you need to put your pants back on first!" Aaron, "But mama, my toys ... I have to put them away!" Me, "Pants first." Aaron, "Fine... but it'll be a mess!" Oh my OCD child - we'll eventually get our priorities straight... 

Aaron loves to ask to borrow my phone so he can call princesses. He loves to tell them a story 

about what he's doing and then say, "love you, bye!" He's getting good practice for real life!

Aaron is getting great at coloring! He said he wanted to color Tinkerbell and we talked as he drew about the things that make Tinkerbell look like Tinkerbell. He gave her wings and everything!

Aaron loves having his friends over. We try to arrange several play dates each week. We joke that his girlfriend is Lily (who is moving soon, sad day!). He asks if she can come over all the time and she does the same about him. She even wrote him a sticker letter and sent it in the mail!

I'm grateful every day for my adorable children!