Riding Belle

Today Aubrey, Taylor, and I made a visit to see my aunt and uncle's horses at the stables. My aunt and uncle own 3 gorgeous horses...Hurley, Rio, and Austin. Aubrey wanted to go for a little ride on a horse so we gave her the three options. Turned out she wanted to ride none of them...she had her eye on another horse that was already out and walking around. She was white with brown markings, her name was Belle, and she belonged to my aunt's friend who was there. What little girl wouldn't want to ride the white horse?? Her wish was granted and she got to ride Belle. She had zero fear of the large horse and comfortably sat on her and went for a walk as my aunt guided them. She loved every minute of it and now wants a horse, of course! :) Next time she said she wants to ride Rio.

Taylor ~ 4 Months Old

Our little angel, baby Taylor, is 4 months old! Wow, does the time fly! She is growing and developing perfectly. Her cradle cap is gone (hallelujah!) and the eczema that she's had on her cheeks is almost under control. She is 12lb 4oz (20%) and 24 inches long (40%). She's on the lighter side, both in weight and skin color!! Aubrey was 2 pounds heavier when she was 4 months old...wow! Taylor has captured our hearts for good with her little laugh and endless smiles. She's rolling over and can hold a toy or stuffed animal in her hands. She is a very curious little thing, always watching intently to what is going on around her which is usually Aubrey bouncing off the walls. Aubrey has endless love for Taylor and Taylor seems to stare at Aubrey like they already have a deep bond...it's very sweet. I wish the time would slow down a little bit, she grows everyday and soon she won't be so helpless. My baby girl...you are so loved.

Happy 5th Birthday Aubrey!

We went to the happiest place on earth for Aubrey's birthday, DISNEYLAND...it only made sense!! We were joined by our friends Damian, Kristen, Kaylin, Taryn, and Holly! We started our day at California Adventure and went on all the Bug's Life Rides. Even Taylor rode on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train! Aubrey loved watching the High School Musical 3 performance! She watched so intently I don't think she blinked once! After that we headed over to Disneyland. There's just nothing like Disneyland. We saw Goofy and Cruela Devile! We got to meet Tinkerbell and another one of her fairy friends in Pixie Hollow...after a long 45 minute wait. :) She went on Snow White's Scary Adventure (freaked her out a little), It's a Small World, Buzz Lightyear, and Pirates of the Caribbean. There were so many rides she still wanted to go on, but the day got away so fast! We ended the day at the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor with a hot fudge chocolate cookie sundae and sang "Happy Birthday" to the birthday girl! What a fun day we had and Aubrey can't wait to go back! Hopefully next time we'll go during the week when the entire world isn't there as well! Happy Birthday baby girl...mommy and daddy love you so much!

Aubrey's 5th Birthday Celebration at Grandma & Grandpa's

Tonight we went to my parents' house for a special birthday celebration with just them. We do this every year and Aubrey LOVES it! She always loves seeing her grandma, grandpa, and their 3 cats. But when presents and cake are involved it's all the better! They always make everything look so fun with balloons everywhere and each gift wrapped so pretty. Well...she tore through her gifts so fast we could hardly see what she was opening! She got a really cool art easel with all the accessories, roller skates, a kaleidoscope, a ton of amazing seashells, and lots of other goodies. My dad made her a special heart cake...I was quite impressed. And it was delicious! We enjoyed Chinese food (yum!!) and Aubrey played with all her new stuff while we visited. My parents are the sweetest and always make these occasions so special.

A Day at the Park

Today Aubrey had a playdate at the park with her two buddies from school...Maddy and Allison. Before we got to the park we drove through MacDonald's and got her a Happy Meal...special treat! Maddy and Allison had MacDonald's too, so they all sat and ate their food together. It was super windy so we had a few bags flying around, but the food survived. The girls played on the "pirate ship" that they have there, played in the sand box, and went on the swings. This lasted for almost 2 hours!! Us moms did as much visiting as we could. Amber was trying to keep track of her 3 kids and Jodi was keeping tabs on the girls while I had Taylor sleeping in my arms. Somehow we actually got to visit with each other...a little. One of these days I think we might have to get together without the kids to truly catch up! Anyways, here are some pictures...

It Won't Be Like This For Long

Right now Mitchell and I really like this song by Darius Rucker called "It Won't Be Like This For Long." It makes us tear up EVERY time we hear it. We completely relate to it. It's so sweet and makes me sad at the same time because our two little girls are actually going to grow up and all the things we've gone through and are going through with them right now will be memories. Taylor is not going to be a tiny helpless baby for long and Aubrey is not going to draw me endless amounts of pictures that she wants to tape to our walls forever. It makes me take a second thought at what might seem difficult or overbearing at the moment. We love our girls so much that our hearts ache at the thought of them growing up. Mitchell always says that he wouldn't mind if Aubrey stayed 4 for the rest of her life...he'd take care of her FOREVER and love it. She's so honest, impressionable, and loves with all her heart. Seeing her interact with Taylor is sweet (and trying at times) and I can't believe I'm going to see them grow up together. They're sisters...that's so amazing! I hope they know how much we love them!

Oh, and another song that gets us is by Alan Jackson called "Remember When." Geez, that one makes me cry too! Here they are for your listening enjoyment. Grab a tissue if you're anything like me!

Taylor ~ 2 Months Old

Our little baby Taylor is 2 months old. She is such a sweetheart and we all love her so much! She now smiles and coos if you talk to her...it melts our hearts! Her little voice is precious! She is very mellow and really only cries if she's hungry or tired...or mad about being in her car seat! She likes to be held, but is also very willing to sit in her bouncy chair or swing so mommy can get some things done. Aubrey is a big help to keep her sister entertained. She sings and dances for Taylor, which amazingly gets Taylor's attention...it's pretty funny. Aubrey is also skilled at popping the pacifier in Taylor's mouth. Taylor definitely likes her pacifiers. And although I thought I was against using pacifiers (rarely used them with Aubrey), I've come to realize that those little things buy me alot of time! Maybe I should have let Aubrey use them more when she was a baby! Anyway, Taylor is doing so great. At her 2 month doctor's appointment she weighed 10lb 5oz (30%) and was 23 inches long (70%). She's on the long side, exactly like Aubrey was, but a little bit lighter. She has mild eczema on her face and a little on her arms. Supposedly it's itchy, but you wouldn't be able to tell anything was bothering her. We are on a moisturizing routine that will hopefully soothe her skin until the condition disappears...which could be awhile. But that's the worst of it. She's still a beautiful little girl and we love our little Taylor!