Growing Pains

Claire has joined us at the table for meals since she is getting to be such a big girl!  Moving the high chair to the basement is a great milestone to be celebrating but is also a harsh reminder that she's truly not a baby anymore.

Stella has officially moved beyond the 'terrible 2's' to a stage that makes those days appear seamless!  She is defiant, bossy and mean to Claire, but can also be such a sweet little girl - willing to help and cooperate and being a great sister who encourages smiles and giggles.

Our little ladies keep our lives very full.  Stella is starting to outgrow her naps which is allowing time for things that are sometimes easier when Claire's napping - like making cookies or visiting the playground (both things Stella really enjoys).  Claire is trying to use words but is definitely figuring out how to communicate what she wants even without words.

Next weekend gymnastics will start up again for Stella and family will be visiting from Ohio - we are looking forward to it!

January 2013

I realized mid-week that we forgot to blog last week - sorry for the missed post everyone!  January has been quiet for us besides basketball so there hasn't been a lot to report.  The few games the girls have been to went fairly well - they both seem to have fun at the gym! 

Over the last two weeks Stella had her 3-year check-up and Claire her 15-month and both went great.  Claire had the usual round of vaccines for a child her age and she only cried for about 3 seconds - she's such a tough little girl!  Stella has graduated to the stand-up scale - she's getting to be such a big girl!

Both girls are growing and changing which comes with highs and lows.  Stella is now asserting herself more, which gets her time-out from now and then, and Claire is fearless in a different way than Stella ever was.  She certainly is getting more bumps and bruises!  Claire is learning more words and is imitating some animal sounds, and Stella is getting better and better at using the potty but we're not quite ready to move out of pull-ups permanently just yet.  At times we really do have our hands full - they sure do keep us busy!

Happy 3rd Birthday Stella!

We had a great weekend that included celebrating Stella's third birthday.  This year we had a small gathering with Grammie and Pa, Aunt Mary Jane, Cousin Logan, and Stella's little friend Gigi and her family.  Daddy took the big girls on a Dora Adventure to find the pile of presents - through a spider web, collecting banana's for boots, and finding Swiper hidden in the couch.  Stella had fun and loved the bouquet of balloons Grammie and Pa brought with them and the Dora cake she told her Aunt Mary Jane she wanted a few weeks back.  We continue to feel so very blessed for our happy little family and the loved ones we get to share our lives with.

With each passing year this day brings mixed emotions along with it.  A vigorous trip to Trey's spot on Friday morning was definitely a trek - through snow up to your knees.  Stella and Claire bring so much joy to our lives but are also a reminder of what we are missing out on having Trey no longer with us.  Right now we are most grateful that Stella is unaware (and Claire too) of the piece of our family that will always be missing.