Patience is a virtue...

A friend once told me your second baby is so much easier than the first...NOT!!! I have already encountered and am enduring lots of differences with Natalie I never experienced with Brenna!Actually, now as a second time mom I completely know what she means. I am so much more confident about my some of my decisions with Natalie that I would have been clueless with Brenna. It's nice not second guessing myself as much as I did the first time. With that said, I am quite amazed at the difference between my children. Natalie is teaching me patience because she does things in Natalie time for sure! It is such a blessing to see some new changes in her over the past few months. She is now running, has eight (almost 12!) teeth, and has finally started to add some words to her vocabulary. She actually said bubble, and bye bye tonight and said duck about a week and half ago! That's huge improvement for her. She actually lost some weight from her 12 month check up so Ben and I have been trying to fatten her up. I promise her meals aren't always this bad, but I love how my little "tornado" that she has been called, delicately dips her hot dog in her ketchup! We ended our night with some Americas Funniest Videos and ice cream. Natalie just loved having her own cone! I love both of my girls so much and look forward to many more personality discoveries!

Artist and sous artist

The girls and I had some fun coloring tonight too. I finally got Natalie's new crayons out that she got for Christmas. I've been waiting for a time when I thought she would actually be interested in coloring and not just eating the crayons! She tried to taste test each color a few times but overall did very well. Brenna is getting really good at coloring and her handwriting is greatly improving as well.

Such concentration!

The masterpieces

Signing all done!

My beautiful babies

Well Ben had yet another night of studying. I of course don't like being alone so much lately, but I am very grateful for a wonderful, loving husband with amazing perseverance that wants to provide for his girls. We just hung out dancing and eating. I am thoroughly enjoying this precious time while the girls are so little. I really feel like the time goes faster and faster. Ben and I were getting ready for bed the other night and I said to him I couldn't believe Brenna was almost six. I quickly added that I will be saying, "I can't believe she's 16!" oh so soon! We missed you again tonight Daddy!

"Singing" E-I-E-I-O! Too cute.

I tried!

again...

and got the best one of all!

Dress up time!

Ben had to go to school tonight so the girls and I were trying to find a way to entertain ourselves! We had a lot of fun playing together and being silly! Sure wish Daddy could have joined us though.



Say cheese!

Ballerina Natalie

Like my new nose?

Ballerina Brenna

Cheerleader!

Brenna's original outfit! Silly girl.

Beautiful bride

Natalie was the husband!

Tea anyone?

I had so much fun today making my very first tea basket! I'm assuming that is the name because of the size of the basket. It was a new group started with the AFIT spouses group. The lady that taught us has been making baskets for 13 years and has made over 3,000 of them! She signs her initials, the date, and what number basket it is on the bottom. We all had fun signing #1 on the bottom of ours! We are having another meeting next month so hopefully I can make it.

Bowling with Brenna

Brenna's school had a bowling event to help support the PTO, and Ben was able to watch Natalie so Brenna and I could go. We had a great time. Brenna's classmate Joy and his mom Mishti met us there. The kids had a good time, but we had to keep reminding them when it was there turn! They had the bumpers up (thankfully!) and it was hilarious watching them try and get the bowling ball down the lane anyway possible. Joy's ball almost completely stopped midway down the lane at least 3 times! I even knocked the bumper down once. Boy it's been a long time since I've been bowling! It was a lot of fun though, and I told Ben we should go soon for a date night!

This was her first time to bowl ever!

I was there I promise...see!

Brenna and Joy both won a raffle prize!

Chowing down!