Dear Little Peanut,

You are THREE YEARS OLD!!  Whew.  I can't even believe it.  You are our precious little princess.  You are smart, sassy, tenderhearted, expressive, inquisitive, and a sweet sweet girl.  You have grown so much this past year.  You have your own ideas and opinions.  You have your own friends and experience a life apart from us.  My heart swells with pride when I think of all you are capable of and all the things that I know you will accomplish.  Watching you grow has been one of the best things your Daddy and I have ever experienced.

Some facts about YOU:
- You wear size 3T pants and shirts, size 2T dresses, and size 7 shoes.
- You are potty trained!!  Except for at night...but I'm not really worried about that yet :)
- You know your ABCs and can count to 20 and know all the sounds to all of the letters.  You have started to spell words whenever we are out and about.  You can spell your name.  You love to practice tracing your letters.  I feel like you are really close to reading, we just need to spend more time on it.
- You sing ALL THE TIME.  You love to make up songs to melodies you already know.  You also know sign language to most of the songs you sing.
- Purple is your favorite color.
- You are into all things Disney.  You love princesses and I think right now Cinderella is your favorite. We went to Disney World this past weekend for your birthday and you had a stellar time.
- Your favorite shows right now are Sofia the First, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  (See?  You love Disney.)
- You say the craziest stuff.  I try to write it all down, but sometimes I forget, so just know that you are HILARIOUS.
- You love all things girly.  When we get home from school you immediately go to your room and change into a skirt so you can spin.  Your words.
- Your favorite foods are: chicken nuggets, oranges, and gummies.
- You still suck your thumb.  We've been discussing needing to quit and talking about it makes you sad.  Today you asked me if it was ok to suck your thumb if you washed your hands and it was night time.  I really wanted to tell you yes.
- You are in the phase of hating to go to sleep at night.  You come up with the most typical excuses to get out of bed.  You need water, you need to pee pee, you need a bandaid, etc etc.
- You always get good reports from your teachers at school.  You are kind and smart and usually listen to your teachers.  Not always the first time, but you eventually obey.
- We've found the best way to get you to behave is to get a "reward" and put it up in the house and let you try to earn it.  We have a small mason jar next to it and you have to earn a certain amount of cotton balls in your jar to get your reward.
- You love playing dress up and pretend.  You like to "read" books and play with dolls.  You also like to play with your brother and teach him how to do things.
- You have an amazing memory.
- You love reading Bible stories.  I usually read them to you and your brother while you're in the bath.
- You are an amazing big sister.  You love your brother so much and try to take care of him.

You are a light in our world and we are so incredibly blessed that God chose us to be your parents.  You will grow to do amazing things.  You are SO SPECIAL and I hope you always know that and always believe it.  We love you so much.

Birthday Boy

Some long overdue pictures from the Stinker's first birthday:

My handsome boy

Batmobile!!

And, of course, the cake pictures-

We just had a small gathering of friends and family at the playground near the house.  We had cupcakes, chexmix, and apple juice.  You destroyed your cake but didn't actually get much in your mouth.  You got some amazing toys and had a blast playing with them with your sister.  Successful first year!!

Dear Little Stinker,

You are ONE YEAR OLD!!  Actually, as of right this minute, you are 13 months old.  I've been falling behind on the updates.  You are pure joy right now.  You have the coolest personality and disposition and we are having so much fun with you.

Some facts about YOU:
- You are in size 4 diaper, growing out of a size 4 shoe, and wearing 12-18 month clothes.
- You have the same 6 teeth you've had FOREVER, and you are working on all the rest at the same time.  You are teething up a storm right now.
- You say "mama", "dada", "nana", and you make a noise that kinda sounds like Stella.  You also say "nah nah" which means no no and "uh oh".
- You love to point and baby babble like you're explaining everything to us.  Your baby talk sounds like a cute little bird cooing.
- You have started to run a little and chase your sister around all the time.
- You are still a snuggle bug and give kisses all the time.
- You started sleeping through the night in your crib which is a MIRACLE but we've backtracked since the teething apocalypse.
- You are a morning person.  You wake up in an insta-good mood unlike anyone else in the family.
- Your hair is growing so much...except for on top.  You were working on a pretty solid mullet so I decided to cut your hair...I'm so sorry.  People say it will grow back.
- Your favorite foods are: banana, coconut yogurt, sweet potatoes, and puffs.  You still hate sippy cups and usually throw 90% of your food on the ground.  Oh!  You also love waffles because that's what sister eats for breakfast, so of course you now love them too.
- You still nurse in the morning and at night.  We cut out the lunch session a couple weeks ago, and you've done wonderfully.  But I really miss our mid-day visits.  I might start visiting again just to play :)
- You love to play with the play kitchen and pretend to stir drinks and then let us drink them.
- You wave and blow kisses.\
- You love playing in blankets and pillows.
- When you don't get your way you throw a mini fit.  This consists of you bending down and pressing your face to the floor for a second.  Then you stand up and are over it.  It's hilarious.
- You love to slide and can go down the little baby slide we have by yourself.

We love you so much and are completely entertained by you.  Love you Stinker!

Dear Little Stinker,

You are 11 MONTHS OLD!  Right around the corner from that huge one year milestone where I can’t “officially” call you a baby any more.  But, you are still very much my little baby!  I am clinging to these days where you still need me and reach out for me to hold you.  You are certainly growing leaps and bounds and are constantly entertaining us with your own brand of humor.  You have such a spectrum of emotions already and demonstrate your various reactions with such intensity.  My little Mama’s boy :)

Some facts about YOU:

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You are still size 4 diapers and size 12-18 month clothing, however anything we buy you will now need to be 18-24 month.  You are just now starting to need shoes, and I’m not quite sure what size fits yet.  Maybe a 4?

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Your hair is filling in and you have spectacular bed head in the mornings.

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It takes you a long time to wake up just like your Daddy and sister.

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We are trying to sleep train you.  Last week you slept through the night, in your crib, two nights in a row!!  Both nights you slept around 10 hours straight, which is nothing short of a miracle.  However, we went to Gainesville and you slept in a bed with me in the hotel.  Apparently either that or teething has caused a severe regression in our progress.  You absolutely refuse to sleep in your crib right now.  Mommy and Daddy are tired.

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You are a walker!  But I haven’t made the “official” announcement.  You will do about 6-7 steps at a time before crawling.  You get so excited when we clap for you!

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You are getting better at finger foods.  Right now you will eat banana, eggs, and sometimes peas and carrots.  Mostly you still love your applesauce/rice cereal/coconut yogurt combo.

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You don’t like sippy cups.  We will have to work on that since you will be starting on almond milk soon.

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During bath time you like to spread out on your belly and kick your legs like you’re swimming.  I have a feeling you will be a little fish in the pool.

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When someone asks for a kiss you lean your forehead in for them to kiss.

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You imitate your sister constantly.

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You say dada and nana and mama.

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When you have a blanket or towel you cover your face so we’ll say “where’s Stinker??” and then you pull it off so we say “there he is!!”  Over and over.

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You like to bang things around to make noise.  Drummer in the making?

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You still have those same 6 teeth!  I feel like you are never going to get the others you’ve been working on.  This is the longest teething process ever!

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You have had a few bottles of soy formula since I stopped pumping during the day.  Most days, though, you can go several hours between nursing and be just fine.

We love you little pumpkin, and can’t wait for next month’s big birthday!!

Dear Little Stinker,

You are 10 MONTHS OLD!  You are silly and smiley and dramatic.  You love to be on the move but you also hate to be alone.  You are constantly observing the world around you with a slightly hopeful look on your face, like, man I just can’t wait to jump in on the action!  You are tough, even though you are emotional.  Kinda like your Daddy!  We adore your cute little self.

Some facts about YOU:

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Size 12-18 clothes are getting a bit snug.  Your PJs are too small but they’re all we got, so you constantly have belly showing.  Size 3 diaper, who knows what size shoe b/c we just aren’t that kind of people, and you are 21.5 pounds.

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Your hair is finally filling in, however it is only filling in around your head.  The top is still pretty sparse.  Hence the old man look.

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You are still a terrible sleeper and have actually regressed in the nap department.  Your Dad and I are going to tag team the sleep training process (for real this time) and hopefully next month I will have a much better report.  We are tired at our house.

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You still nurse all the time too.  I’m planning on partially weaning you at a year, and I have a feeling you will have strong objections.  Sorry fella, mama has to stop it with the pumping.  I’ve had enough.

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You are doing better with solids, but still further behind than I would like.  It seems like you hardly get any food into your mouth so I’m always afraid you’re starving.  Your weight gain says otherwise.

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Your favorite food is coconut yogurt.  You tried pasta for the first time the other night and I think that might start to take second place.

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You have taken two steps (in a row) so far.  Not quite consistent enough to call you a walker.  I’ve given up on saying “any day now!” because, obviously you can hear me and want to prove me wrong.

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You show us your muscles and make a “huhhhhhhh” sound when you do.

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You still have only 6 teeth.  You are the slowest teether of all time and I feel terrible for your bitty mouth.

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You are very good at waving and clapping your hands.  I’m trying to teach you the “more” sign, but since you aren’t very excited about food it’s hard to bribe you to do it.

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You like regular sippy cups, not the ones with the straw.  Total opposite of your sister.

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You seem to always have an ear infection.  We are just now getting over the virus/infection/sickness of the decade and it took a toll on every single one of us.

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You are going to be Batman for Halloween

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You aren’t super into books right now, but you do tolerate the touch and feel ones.  I read you the same Goodnight book every night, and when I start to read it you start to cry.  I don’t necessarily think it’s because you don’t want to go to sleep…more that by that point you’re so tired you don’t want to hear my voice any more.

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You love to wrestle with your sister and Daddy.

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You still love to sleep on your stomach

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Your thighs are very very ticklish

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Loud noises make you laugh

We love you little Bud.  Can’t wait to see what you’ll do this month!

Dear Little Stinker,

You are NINE MONTHS OLD!  You have officially been here as long as I was pregnant with you.  You are such a big boy now!  Your personality just shines right out of you through your belly laughs and constant movement.  You are still sweet and snuggly when you want to be, but you are growing more and more independent every day.  I love watching you figure things out on your own, but UG!  The teeny baby stage went by way too fast!!

Some facts about YOU:

-        - You finally broke 20 pounds!  You wear a size 3 diaper and size 12-18 month clothes.  The pants are too long, but I have a feeling you’ll grow into them pretty soon.  I have no idea what size shoe you wear and will probably not put you in one until you’re walking (which will also be pretty soon).

-        - You are slowly getting some more hair.  Yay!  I am so ready to give you a baby faux hawk.

-        - You laugh the loudest and most often at your sister.  You two can play together for short periods of time now and I love watching it.  You both love each other so much.

-        - You still nurse a ton during the day and night.  You have started to love your pureed food, however you are still not excited about finger foods.  You do the best with puffs, but we’re working on bananas and sweet potatoes.  Most just end up on your face and in your chair. 

-       -  You crawl as fast as your sister can run (which is FAST).  You are pulling up on everything and trying to stand on your own.  No steps yet, but I can tell it will be soon.

-        - You have 5 teeth and have been working on the 6^th for what feels like forever.  You get so uncomfortable and it breaks my heart.

-       -  You say dadadadadada and nananananana.  You will only say mamamamama when you are sad and need me.  I guess I’ll take whatever I can get!

-       -  You love to wave now and it’s oh so cute.

-       -  You give the typical open mouthed kisses when I say “kiss!”.

-        - You shake your head when we tell you “no”.  It’s really adorable, but I can tell we’ll regret laughing at it because you are a little bit of a stinker.  Every time I get on to you for crawling toward the dog food (why is the dog food dish so appealing??), you smile your precious smile, shake your head (like you KNOW it’s a no no), then proceed to grab the food/splash the water.  You also shake your head “no” when I tell you to say “Mama”.

-        - You love bath time with your sister.  You are in constant motion and try to copy everything she does while you are in there.  This includes blowing bubbles, which makes me quite nervous that you will drown yourself.  However, you just dunk your face in the water and come up laughing.

-        - You still hate getting dressed.  Every night you are offended that I would dare to put you in PJs.

-     -    You are starting to like books.  You love to turn the pages and feel the pages.  But sometimes you just want to chew on the book.

-      -   You went to your first Gator game!  It was hot but you tolerated it better than I did.

-        - You still sing yourself to sleep and it’s precious.

We love you little bud and we love seeing you grow and learn and explore.  You have the sweetest happiest disposition and we cherish every moment of life with you.

Family pic while tailgating

 Playing in the sunlight at Nana and Grandad's house

 I caught you hiding out in "your" cabinet in the kitchen

 Chewing on your Gator

 First Gator game!!!!

 Playing with flour at school...apparently you liked it!

 Bright eyes

 Rockin the big boy Gator tee

You love your Daddy

Dear Little Stinker,

You are 8 MONTHS OLD!!  (Yes, I missed month 7, but I'll cover everything, I promise)  You are hilarious and so much fun to interact with right now.  I think this right here is my favorite baby age.  You are snuggly and lovey and easily amused.  The look you give me when I show up to get you from school is priceless and makes me feel like the greatest person in the world.

Some facts about YOU:
- You are still in size 3 diapers, size 12 month clothes (the shirts are a little baggy but you need the length).
- You are finally getting a little more hair, however it is still sparse and you definitely rock the random long patch on the top of your head and on the right side above your ear.  You are already a blondie.
- You crawl like a mad man.  You are super fast especially if you are targeting the dog food bowl.  You pull up to standing on everything and only need a fingertip to support yourself.  I think you will be walking very soon.
- You still nurse a LOT but we have successfully convinced you to eat real food.  Everything is still pureed except for puffs (which you just got the hang of).  Your favorite food is coconut yogurt.
- You still only have the 4 teeth but I think more are coming.
- You wave and it's the cutest thing ever.  You hold your arms up and move your hands like you're revving a motorcycle.
- When we tell you "no", you smile and shake your head back and forth.  Yes, it is a little sassy, but you're too young to get in trouble so we just laugh and try to get you to do it again.
- You love your sister and you two actually can play together now.  You especially like it when she plays in her kitchen because she lets you bang the pots and pans.
- You give those awesome open mouthed slobbery baby kisses.
- You still sing yourself to sleep.  I hope you never stop, even though it means you can't fall asleep during church.
- You still love water and are a dare devil in the bath.
- You promoted to the "Mobile Baby" class at school.  This is very bittersweet for both of us.  You get to play with bigger boy toys and have some more freedom, but you miss your teachers very very much and they miss you too.

Love you big boy!