9.29.2014

A day at the farm

A couple of weeks ago the kids and I spent the day at my mom and dad’s. Jarrod was gone to Bubba’s wedding and after such a long week, I didn’t think I could handle them all day alone at our house! Ha! And is was supposed to be really a really nice day. So we packed up Saturday morning and headed out! And I we all went! Even Sadey! Who knew her kennel would fit in the back of my Enclave?! It fit perfectly! She even got to look out the back window!

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Not long after we got there, Dillon came by and brought Abe, he’s been in school (ya know here in the south you have to send your pure bred labs to school to teach them to hunt!) so we haven’t seen him since he was a puppy! He’s HUGE!! By far the tallest Lab I’ve ever seen. He looks more like a great dane! This is him standing beside Sadey. They actually played well together! The kids didn’t like Abe since he is so big and like puppies do he just gets excited and wants to jump and lick them! It’s been a day or two since Sadey was like that!

We really didn’t do much, played outside, Stratton did ride the combine with Pops for awhile, and we all took a good nap! Then we drove around and visited the horse and then the farm shop before heading back to the house for dinner. After they had a bath we loaded back up and went back to Jonesboro. It was a fun day, I think Sadey had the most fun!

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Cousin dogs

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Sadey is such a good dog.

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“I hold Sadey!”- Not going happen, sister!

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Ha! I wonder what she was telling the dog?

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Such a cute one!

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Gorgeous day to play outside!

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They were digging a hole as a trap to catch moles?? These kids!

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Arden standing in the hole

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Digging in the dirt is so much fun!

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They were filthy!!

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Visiting Mr. BJ’s horse and feeding him grass

September

This has been a really long, and exhausting month. Well, I guess since the middle of August we have been dealing with a lot. Maybe one day soon I can go back and write in more detail everything that’s been going on, but right now I just can’t.  Of course in the midst of the unexpected, heartache and tragedy we still have kids to take care of and work to do and life to live. . . .here are some happy pics from the month.

She’s such a mess. With that pacy again!

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I gave her a “ponytail” one morning, it didn’t last long!

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We’ve had nice weather, a little warm but perfect for playing outside!

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Stratton is reading! He read us a book for the first time!

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Jarrod was in Bubba’s wedding in Little Rock! Things didn’t work out and I didn’t get to go but he sent me a picture so I could see him all dressed up! He looked so handsome!

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While dad was away at the wedding, we had a movie party and laid in the floor and ate popcorn! The kids thought this was so fun!?!

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Yum! Ice cream pops from Andy’s!

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We took the kids to the ASU game against Utah. It was Arden’s first real game (I’m not sure how that happened?) Anyway she did pretty good. It was HOT and we made it till the 4th quarter. But she liked the hotdog and popcorn, and the band! I took several picture but they are all blurry- of course. I thought this one was funny! I think she was upset about the refs call?

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I took this one on Arden’s birthday, aren’t they cute!

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Why is it SO HARD to take a picture of my kids together?!?!

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As good as it gets, I suppose!

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I guess it’s one of the great mysteries of life??

9.15.2014

Arden at 2 years old

Today I took Arden to her 2 year checkup. I had to pick her up from school during her nap time, so she wasn’t in the best mood. But she did great! She didn’t even cry when they stuck her finger for a blood test. She did cry when Dr. Bailey tried to lay her down to feel her tummy and look at her diaper rash! Silly girl! Dr. Bailey said she looked perfect, but told her the next time she saw her she wanted the pacifier to be gone! We will see. . . .Ha! She’s down to one! She’s chewed holes in the rest and we’ve thrown them all away and we aren’t buying anymore! It’s funny that she goes all day long without one, even takes a nap without one, but the first thing she says as we get in the car in the afternoon is “My fassey!!” and as soon as she gets it and starts sucking it’s like instant relaxation and fulfillment! It’s like me in the morning with my coffee! Poor thing, she’s a pacey addict!

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She kept busy by coloring the paper!

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We can’t call her “shorty” anymore!!

Height: 34.5 inches- 65th Percentile

Weight: 25.5 pounds- 35th Percentile

She is currently wearing mostly 18-24 months (since we are still wearing summer clothes!) and a size 7 shoe.

According to Baby Center’s height predictor Arden will be 5’5” by the time she is 18! Pretty average for a girl, I think. At least maybe she won’t be short like me!

Here’s a little bit about our sweet girl. . .

Favorite things: LOVES babies, real ones and baby dolls. At school she likes to paint, and play outside when the weather allows. She LOVES her “fassey”- pacifier and her blanket! But she’s not tied to just one blanket, yet- thankfully! But she does have her favorites.

Frequent sayings:  Arden can come off shy, but let me tell you, at home she talks all the time. And she talks in sentences. Not just two or three words either. I mean she can say “Mama, Stratton hit my arm”. . .it’s not as clear as that, but I know what she is saying. But her are some things she says a lot;  “Hey!”, “Where’d Strat-in doe?”- Where did Stratton go? “I sweepy”- I’m sleepy, “I doe gigi hows?”- I go to gigi’s house, “Mama, tover up me”- Mama, cover me up, “Mama hold you”- Mama, Hold me. There are many more, and she tells me stuff everyday that I have no clue what she is saying!

Favorite Food: Ketchup. Can a condiment be a food? She loves ketchup and has to have it with almost everything! This girl eats like her daddy. Occasionally she will surprise me, but for the most part she wants mac & cheese (or anything with cheese) and bread. So a grilled cheese and fries would probably rank up there in the top. She doesn’t like vegetables, although she will try them (and then spit them out and say “I not wike it”) but she eats most fruit like a champ. But we have to be careful with fruit and fruit juices they tear he tummy (and bottom) up!

Favorite Toys: Baby dolls and phones. She also likes to ride her rocking cow, her new tricycle, and my hip : )

Favorite Dvds: She loves to watch Elmo, Peppa Pig (“Peppa”)and Max and Ruby (“Mac’n Rudy”)

Night-time: For everything we did right getting Stratton into a nighttime routine and getting him to sleep on his own, we have done everything wrong with Arden!! She will not lay down awake. We either have to rock her or hold her or sometimes she falls asleep in the floor and then we carry her to bed after she is asleep. We have got to work on this! But I’m not sure where to start! She sleeps through the night about 3 nights a week on average. Most of them time Jarrod can pat her back and she will lay back down and go back to sleep, but not always. It’s always been something with her, she’s either sick, or her ears are hurting or she’s teething. . . again. . . .but she is just such an irregular sleeper. Many mornings she will wake up around 4am and we will just put her in bed with us, since one of us is usually getting up at 5am. We have let her “cry it out” a few times when we know for sure that there is nothing wrong with her, but those times are few and far between! Plus, it’s so hard to listen to her cry, she’s my baby. Haha. And if she’s screaming it wakes Stratton up and then we have an even bigger problem getting him back to bed. It’s so much harder with two!

She’s a busy, busy little thing but she’s a sweet little thing! I probably do baby her a little too much, but she reciprocates 200% so it’s hard not too! She’s still a mommy’s girl and loves to give hug and kisses (to me at least!) and I’m happy to report that she and Stratton are starting to play better together recently! She still gets aggravated with him but there has been less biting lately! She’s our little sunshine, the best part of my day is picking her up from school and rocking her to sleep. I don’t know what we did before her! It’s only been 2 years but I really have a hard time imagining our life before she came along!!

9.12.2014

Arden’s 2nd Birthday!

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Our BIG 2 year old!

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With her Birthday Board, I made for her birthday at Montessori.

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Having cupcakes at School!

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Birthday at home! She got a pink tricycle!

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We had a joint party with the Gibson’s! Isabella is 13 (what??) and Arden is 2!

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Gigi made her an Elmo cake!