Destin Paisley is 3 years old!

I cannot believe that Destin Paisley is 3 years old! I think as her mommy, I will never forget when she was born and what it was like when she was still in my tummy...the fears I had, the joys I had, but mostly the memories being made. Here is what Destin looked like a couple hours after she was born ~ full head of BLACK hair, and dark blue eyes (that eventually turned brown like her daddy's). 

Isn't is amazing how fast children grow...in a blink of a eye, our baby girl turned ONE.

Then 6 months later, she became a big sister...

6 months after that, we celebrated Destin's 2nd birthday...

Then a few weeks ago (a year later) we shared Destin's 3rd birthday for the first time with ALL four sets of her grandparents (minus my step mom). AND 2 great grand parents! It was really surreal knowing that both my parents and Patrick's parents were here in our house at one time. The last time that happened was our wedding reception which was in 2007. AND I am very happy to say that there were no arguments or mishaps - and we never thought there would be. We are really lucky to have such loving, caring parents ~ as the girls can say about their grandparents. They can put their differences aside and love us unconditionally despite what happened in the past. 

Now back to the party...we celebrated Destin's party on Saturday with our friends and family (a couple days before her actual birth date). After many weeks of debate, we decided to have a "Max and Ruby" party. {For those of you that don't know, they are brother/sister bunny duo on Nick Jr.} And after looking at all the pics, I don't think I got any "close ups" of the decorations that I ordered online {which by the way, was the only place they were sold!!}. I must remember that for the next party we plan! 

We served home made lasagna, baked spaghetti, fresh salad, fruit, veggies, garlic bread and home made cupcakes {made by Destin, Mommy, Daddy and Arwen} to her guests. I forgot to count how many people attended...but with just close family and friends, it was more than 30 people.

Destin and her best friend Karly

Destin getting ready to blow out her candle

Destin wanted to wear make-up like mommy - Can you see it? 

Arwen, Destin and Grandpa Todd

This was the first birthday my Dad (Grandpa Todd) has ever been able to attend. Hopefully that will change as he is "retiring" from the Army this year. We are so happy that we was able to come and stay for a few days, and wish that next time Grandma Julie comes too! The girls absolutely adore them both so much!

For Destin's actual birthDAY, she woke up to a cupcake...

We made plans to visit Chuck E. Cheese...but had to postpone it by a day due to a FREAK snowstorm that happened on the 13th of February. Schools were closed, roads were bad, and snow was everywhere! So, that is why both the girls have matching Valentines shirts on...because we went on Valentine's Day. 

Arwen wanted to ride "Clifford" the entire time we were there!

The girls really had a lot of FUN at good ole' Chucks'...and Arwen kept saying "Chuck E. Cheese FUN!!" over and over again. In fact, it has been almost 4 weeks since we went, and  out of the blue Arwen will say "Chuck E. Cheese FUN mommy!". Ha ha! 

Our trip to Chuck's place was also to celebrate Destin sleeping in her bed for almost 3 weeks (now it has been over 2 months!). YAY!!! The day after she got her new BIG girl bed (a twin size) she has slept EVERY SINGLE NIGHT in her own bed ~ ALL NIGHT LONG!! Can you believe it! Woo hoo!

Needless to say, we will have to start going to Chuck E. Cheese more often I think. Especially to motivate GOOD behavior and Arwen going pee pee in the potty  (consistently). Arwen went for the first time a couple days ago {at 19 months old}, and met another BIG milestone.

A couple weeks after Destin's birthday, we went to the pediatrician and got her 3 year checkup...which was neat to see how much she has grown. She was 3.25 feet tall (30%ile) and weighed 29.5 pounds (40%ile). 

Destin never ceases to amaze us...she is so incredibly smart and really loves to read, sing, color/paint, dance, run, jump, and try new things. We are so proud of her and cannot wait to see her grow in the next year...hopefully the terrible twos won't turn into the terrifying threes (which she has shown on some days over the past month). EEK! 

Something, I don't think I have shared...is that she will be attending preschool (the first time she has ever been away from me EVER) this Fall at a nearby church up the street. She is so excited, as we are as well. PLUS, she will be going with her best friend too! I know she will excel beyond our expectations, make new friends (as she does so easily), and set the bar high for herself. She is already learning how to read, and is currently trying to help mommy potty train Arwen, among many other things!

Happy 3rd Birthday my sweet girl! We love you so much!

October is here!

Time just seems to be flying by lately, and I have been having a hard time staying updated with my blog and shutterfly share site. So since I woke up in the middle of the night, and could not go back to sleep, I figured now is as good a time as any!
For the past month or so, I have been leaving mini updates on my weekly mail call posts. Which seems to picking up quite a bit! Between watching the girls, cleaning the house, cooking three times/day and more...its really hard to find a time to do all the product reviews and giveaways that I would like to. I still am loving every minute of it though! In fact, over the past few weeks I have received some really neat products to review - including leggings for the girls, a Halloween costume for Arwen, hair stuff, books, an entire box full of burritos (YUM!) and more! I will update this week's mail call probably on Sunday night or Monday :)

Destin and Arwen are doing wonderful! I have been slacking on some good updates, but I wanted to share the Destin is now 31 months old! She never ceases to amaze me how incredibly smart she is! She knows all of her ABCs - the sounds, the uppercase letters and words that are associated with each. We are currently working on recognizing lowercase letters, numbers 1 - 20 (which she can already count, I would just like her to see the number and say it aloud), and writing the letters of her name. Some may think that she may be too young to start learning how to write, but she is definitely ready. Destin absolutely loves to draw, paint, color and more...so it seems just right to get her started on learning how to write her name.

Sadly, it seems like Destin is still as strong headed as ever - and does not want to sleep in her own bed. It has been several months (if not longer) since she has slept in her bed all night; and that is after we transfer her from our bed. I just wish there was some type of magic way of encouraging her to sleep in her bed/in her room. I have tried talking to her about why she should sleep in her bed, and that if she does I would give her a "special treat" or a visit to her new favorite place "Chuck E. Cheese". But...she thinks that she should get the special treat/visit whether she sleeps in her bed or not. Now, when I talk to her about it, she says there are monsters in her room :( Does anyone have any suggestions?

Arwen is now 14 months old. She is such an explorer! Climbing, hiding, running, and laughing all the while. Arwen is such a happy girl, but is still very much a "mama's girl". She loves to play with her big sister, but also really enjoys playing by herself sometimes too. Her new love for the past couple months has been "Elmo" and she talks about him all the time. I just love to listen to Arwen talk. She is learning new words, and sounds everyday. Currently, she can make the sounds for the following animals: a duck, cow, dog, cat, monkey, owl, sheep and more! We are still working on recognizing body parts - she likes to stick her finger up her nose, every time I ask her where her nose is! Too funny!

Arwen is still such an amazing sleeper! I am so incredibly thankful for that! I know I have said it before, and I will say it again - I don't think I could handle both girls having sleep issues. Arwen still goes to bed around 8 PM and wakes up about 7:30 AM or so. She has been doing this since she was 6 weeks old! How did we get so lucky?!

Her eating habits haven't been so great though. I noticed that since the pediatrician told me to switch from 2% to whole, that neither one of the girls eats hardly anything. I am wondering if I need to switch back? They both drink milk constantly, and I really think that is what fills them up all day long. No matter what the meal is, or what is being served, they just don't seem to eat a lot. I know my cooking isn't that bad! Ha!

Patrick is doing good...he got hurt last week on the job, and cut his face. From the middle of his forehead, down the bridge of his nose, and under his right eye. Very scary, and very big noticeable mark which will probably leave a scar. We are just very thankful that it did not cause any major damage. He is still playing softball twice a week now, but I am not sure how much longer he can last. After every game he comes home being sore, and with new injuries. I think they are supposed to play until the end of October.

As far as my update goes...my eyes are still doing wonderful since my Lasik. I have my one month appt on Monday. And, I got my check from the insurance this week - which paid for 90%! Woo hoo! It is so amazing to wake up everyday and NOT need my glasses/contacts! My allergies are still drivin me crazy, and I hope that they go away forver and ever. And last but not least, I have been thinking about running/walking a 5K at the end of this month to benefit breast cancer. Someone I love very much was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and I would like to do it for her. I am wondering how much time and healthy eating/preparing it would take for me to do this though. Does anyone have experience with running or walking a 5K?

Tomorrow night, Patrick and I are going on a much needed date night to World's of Fun. I am so excited to check out all the haunted houses they have! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! If I had more more I would definitely have every decoration out there! We were supposed to go with our good friends, but since they couldn't find a sitter, and the entire month of October is getting booked up like crazy for both of us...we had to find someone else to go with :( I am so sad that we couldn't go with them, but we have already made plans to go next year in the Spring! We are making plans a year ahead of time!

Well, I think I have "talked" your ear off enough for tonight! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! And a good start to your October :D Take care, Melissa

Arwen is 13 Months Old!

A month has passed since Arwen turned 1 year old in July. And she is still growing faster than ever...climbing, walking, running, clapping, and more!

Arwen is still sleeping great - we are still working on 1 nap/day instead of 2...but she is doing really well at night as well. I was finally able to get Arwen in for her 1 year checkup about a week ago, and they said she was doing great. One thing I don't understand is the percentages...I just wonder if they change every year, since the girls are identical in height/weight, and the percentages are WAY different! I will just have to ask next time we go in for a visit, in 6 more months.

Arwen is talking so much now (see her vocabulary list below). She is doing a really good job of keeping up with her big sister - playing, building, drawing, and discovering the world around her. Something that I have noticed just in the past couple weeks is that Arwen loves animals - the sounds, pictures, stuffed, real...she loves them! She starts to smile real big and laughs out loud every time we "practice" our animals.

Vocabulary list: bubba, mama, dada, ball, up, down, uh-oh, oh, duck, quack, dog, woof, cookie, ooh, out, cow, moo, blank (what she calls her blanket), Daisy, Elmo (her new favorite), Destin, yum, ow, and many more!! I need to start writing them down, so I can keep track. She is definitely going to be an advanced talker like her big sister.

Other stuff...

Arwen is finally comfortable walking in shoes/sandals outside :D Yay! Now I don't have to worry about her little toes stepping on something not kid friendly. I have been trying all of Destin's old shoes on her, and it looks like she is already wearing a size 5! Wow!

Arwen is still very much obsessed with her blanket (the pink crocheted one) and her fingers. She loves to carry it with her everywhere we go!

She is very photogenic (when she is in a good mood) :D I know I have been slacking on picture taking...but when I do I try to take really good ones to share!

Arwen really likes to blow kisses, and is now giving hugs/kisses to all of her stuffed animals. You can also see her nodding her head to agree, or shaking her head from side to side to disagree (it is very funny to watch!). She loves Elmo - and you can almost always see her playing with something Elmo in our house. Just like her big sister, Arwen definitely gets "in the zone" when Sesame Street is on.

I cannot wait to see what new milestones she meets over the next month...until next time, take care!

Destin is 30 months old!

Destin is 30 months old (as of 8/13/11)...which means, in less than 6 months she will be 3 years old. Where has the time gone? I know she will always be our sweet baby girl who we brought home that cold February day...she was almost a Valentines baby :D

I am not sure if I am starting to imagine things, but Destin has changed so much just in the past few weeks...she still is very imaginative, and vocabulary is off the charts! But I also notice that her tolerance for her baby sister is a lot more attentive and loving - she wants to share, and play with Arwen. She just loves that Arwen can walk now..they hold hands almost everywhere they go ~ our little partners in crime!

Destin also has become incredibly independent - more so than usual. She wants to dress herself, feed herself, clean herself, and of course go potty by herself. The only thing that still needs to happen is...you guessed it, sleeping by herself. She still loves to sleep with mommy & daddy. And on most nights I love it too. I know there will come a day when she won't want to have anything to do with us, and we need to take advantage of this time while it lasts. She is our "big girl", but she is also still our baby who we love more than anything!

Destin is so incredibly smart, and talented. She knows about 90% of her ABCs, and is now learning how to write them - very hard to believe! I know that she would excel in any preschool or daycare center in the future. She loves to play with other children - no matter what their age, and is very outgoing to play with any new person on the playground...something that I was never able to do when I was younger. I hope that she always keeps her outgoing and funny personality. She has the cutest sayings, and of course loves to pose for pictures :D

She told me that she cannot wait to go to school someday! I just know that she will love it as much as I did growing up! Her passion for books is more stronger than ever - we must read at least 15+ books everyday! We need to start going to the libary more often this Fall, so we can keep it NEW and exciting!

Also, something else I noticed lately...is her memory! She can recall names, places, and experiences to just about anyone we meet. She loves to introduce herself, Arwen and of course mommy/daddy to everyone we come across. Its hard to believe she remember so many names - all of her cousins, aunt/uncles, grandparents (she has over 8), and all of our friends. Its simply amazing!

Until next time, I am really looking forward to seeing her grow and learn everyday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Take care, Melissa

Arwen Kinsley is ONE!!

Arwen Kinsley is one year old today!

I cannot believe that days turned into weeks...weeks into months...and now months into a year! Arwen is the sweetest baby girl any mommy could ever ask for.

She is honory, funny, always smiling/laughing, curious, smart, giving, friendly, outgoing, and so much more! Look for some great pics of her from the party this weekend! I got the cutest outfit from Stephanie's Wonderland. I can't wait to share it with you all!

Milestones this month:

• Arwen is walking! She started taking steps last month, and now she is walking everywhere taking as many as 15+ steps at a time. Across the room, to mommy/daddy/toys/big sister :D Its so much fun!
• Destin loves that Arwen is walking now...they go for walks up and down the hall...into the kitchen/living room together holding hands! It is so cute!
• Arwen is climbing...the couch, fireplace, stairs, beds and more! Very scary, but yet another milestone that she likes to live dangerously like her daddy!
• Sleeping great STILL! I know this sounds silly, but since she was 6 weeks old, we were so lucky to have Arwen sleep through the night. We have not had one problem EVER with her sleeping. But with her big sister, to this day...we still have issues with sleeping - night terrors, not wanting to stay in her bed/room, not sleeping all night long. Thank goodness at least one of our two babies sleeps! She also still naps twice a day, although I think once a day will soon be the norm for us.
• She now has 8 teeth! 4 on top/4 on bottom
• Arwen eats pretty good. She drinks milk full time now (at least 3 times/day), and pretty much everything we eat in smaller portions.
• Talking/Vocab...Arwen is learning to say all kinds of words including: bubba, mama, dada, ball, up, down, uh-oh, oh, duck, quack, dog, woof, cookie, ooh, out, and many more! Lots of babbling and pointing.
• Blowing kisses with her hand & the "mmm-wah" sound :)

I know I am probably forgetting something...its just amazing how much she has changed. She is our little toddler, and not our baby. Although I know both her and Destin will always be our babies. She loves to play with her big sister, and is learning that Destin does not always like to be nice and share.

I hope that as Arwen gets older, I will remember to track the months...as I have done for Destin these past two years.

Just a side note...is it terrible that I write more online than I do in the girls' baby books? I do not even remember the last time I wrote in their baby books. In fact, I always remember using our Shutterfly site as reference for Destin. I suppose I need to catch up for both girls' sakes! I know someday they will look at them, and I want them to be proud of their mama for keeping track of all those important milestones throughout their lives.

Destin is 29 months!

In less than seven months, Destin will be 3 years old...its just so hard to believe how fast time flies by. My baby girl is growing up. At 29 months, Destin knows about 80% of her ABCs - she knows the sound they make, and words/animals that are associated with them. We are still working on numbers. Shapes and colors are so easy for her to recognize - in fact at every stop sign she says, "Look Mommy! A red Octagon! Red means stop!".


Destin's vocabulary skills are far beyond where they should be at her age, and I am just amazed everyday...she is so incredibly intelligent, which is why I think she can be so honory! She knows how to push our buttons, and to get "what she wants" in almost every situation.



Destin loves to make new friends, and this summer has truly been a blessing for us...we have had numerous play dates with some of my good friends who have children about the same age as ours. You may have seen me write about it on here a couple times. Or maybe you are wondering who those other children are? :)


Destin is FULLY potty trained. And has been for sometime...although we still have her wear a pullup at bedtime. Speaking of bedtime, Destin still does not sleep very well for us. She wants to be in our bed, from start to finish - but that isn't always what pans out. Nap time is a hit and miss with her - which can be a good and bad thing. I love it when she takes a nap, because she is well rested and ready for the afternoon. But usually when does take a nap, that means a very LATE bed time (sometimes after 11 PM).



I am so excited to see her grow up! As a big sister, Destin is learning to share with her baby sister (and her friends) and how to be a big helper too :)

Until next time, have a wonderful week!

Arwen is 11 months old today!

Wow! My sweet baby girl Arwen Kinsley is 11 months old...Its hard to believe that in less than a month she will be a year old! She is growing up so fast!

Milestones this month:

• Has taken steps on her own (still not full fledged walking, but can step from one thing to another)
• Talking: bubba, dada, mama, duck, hi, out, uh-oh, dog, quack, oooh and lots more! Most of the time she is saying all kinds of random words/sounds, but you can definitely tell she is communicating.
• Went swimming for the first time
• Saw fireworks for the first time
• Eating anything & everything she can - she loves to eat!
• Stopped breastfeeding about a week ago and is now drinking regular milk at least three times/day
• Still sleeping great! At least 2x day for naps, and still all the way through the night each night :) Yay!
• Has 7 teeth - 4 on top, and 3 on bottom (still likes to bite - ouch!)
• She is very happy, laughing all the time
• She LOVES water - bath time, water table, pool time, the dog water...she loves to blow bubbles with her fact and splash! Its so cute!

I am sure I am forgetting some things...I started on her invites last week, and they are going to be so cute! I hope to get them ordered this week sometime!

Until next time, take care everyone!

Destin is 28 months!

Destin is 28 months today! Wow! Hard to believe it was only 4 months ago that she turned 2 years old...

In that time, Destin has been learning how to be a big sister, her ABCs (she knows about half of them), her numbers, colors, and shapes. We are working on spelling out her name, alphabet letters, and following directions almost daily.

She really is showing how much she has grown up - talking in full length conversations, playing with the big kids and making new friends.

Here she is with her friend Karly above...it was so much fun to see Destin play with someone her own age. Karly is just a few months older than Destin :) And Karly's baby sister is about 2 months younger than Arwen :) This was the first time Arwen had ever played with another baby. I know, we need to get out more!

Hopefully this summer will bring more playdates, more trips outside, and of course more learning for both Destin and I. Being a parent is a learning process, and I continue to learn from Destin every single day. She tries my patience, and challenges me to the end, but my love for her is unconditional. I love my girls so much and I am so proud to be called their mama.

Arwen is 10 Months Old today!

Arwen Kinsley is 10 months old! I know I say it with each passing month, but it is so hard to believe how fast time is flying by. Last month just seems so far away...but it truly was only a month ago. I just know she is going to keep growing without hesitation...sigh...2 months until our baby turns 1! I am going to work on her invites sometime in the next week or so via Shutterfly.

Milestones
- weighs a little over 18 lbs
- has 6 teeth (three on top and three on bottom)
- can stand up on her own without help (I just know she will be walking any day!)
- still an amazing eater (she eats just about everything we do for all three meals - we just cut it up in smaller bites)...no more baby food!
- talking: duck, mama, dada, bubba, what's that?, thanks...she is just learning new words all the time!
- still loves to play/laughing all the time
- waving bye bye and hi
- very curious...crawling everywhere and into everything!

Its so hard to believe - looking back, that when Destin was this age was when we discovered Arwen was on her way :) I wouldn't have it any other way!

Until next time...I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Three weeks

Its been almost three weeks since I actually sat down and took the time to post on my blog...and I really do miss it.

Each day that passes, the girls grow bigger, milestones are met, pictures are taken, memories are made and the list goes on...and yet, I still have not had the time to blog about our adventures. They aren't always exciting, but they are there in small fractions. I read in a book this evening, that when you write, you are sharing a piece of who you are, because the fear of people not knowing you is the most lonesome feeling of all. 

I think in some way, that is why I like to blog. I like to write about what happens each week, and share my thoughts and deepest feelings of the world around me. It may not be exciting or compassionate, but its there and I don't ever want to forget the life I have lived. Maybe someday in the future, I can share my traveling days to Europe, or my thoughts on divorce. There is so much out there that I think about constantly.

Hopefully I can find a day to catch up with all that has been happening and share it one day next week sometime.

I feel so overwhelmed right now with all that has been happening...

I get new products daily to do product reviews/giveaways for Frugal Fabulous Finds (which I love!) but I am very far behind. I just hope that I can catch up and not be stressed about getting it all done at once. 

With summer approaching, I know that I will have to get the girls outside more often - which means being a homebody cannot be an option. Destin just loves playing outside and going to the park. I hope we can actually find some friends for her to play with. I am starting to wonder if being around just Arwen and I all day is getting to her.

Money seems to be getting tighter and tighter with each passing week - even with Patrick working. It just seems like we are never going to get out of this rut. Is debt always going to be in our future? Will there always be a fear of not having enough to survive? I am just not sure what to do anymore...

This past week, my father (who is in the Army Special Forces) was severely injured doing a parachute jump. After a 7 hour surgery to fix his left shoulder (which was broken in 3 places), he is now in Colorado with my step mom who is helping him recover. It is very scary to think of what could have happened...we haven't seen him in over 5 months, and we haven't seen my step mom in almost 18 months.

The bad weather throughout the mid west - first in Redding, KS; then Joplin, MO and just recently Sedalia and other surrounding areas, in which we only live less than an hour away. Our DVR went out on Monday (which was very disappointing...we lost everything recorded over the last 4 - 6 months) and had no idea what the weather was doing today...then the sirens went off and Patrick called, and I realized I had to get to safety in our basement.

Thank goodness we were all safe and okay - the girls love playing downstairs in their playroom, and the dogs took a nap on the big King size bed that we have down there. And I just watched the news all the while hoping that a tornado wouldn't be close to us. A few did touch down in the metro and surrounding areas, but nothing to severe. Its just incredibly scary to have to wait and wonder what will happen.

I cannot imagine what all of those people who have lost their loved ones, those who were killed and those still missing, are going through. My heart goes out to everyone who is having to suffer through these horrible storms.

For now, I am off to get some more projects finished for FFF. I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Weekend. Let us never forget the brave men and women who fight for our country each day, and for those that have sacrificed their time, courage, family time, and their lives for each and every one of us. I am so proud to be an American. We may not be a perfect country, but we are still a very proud one.

Take care, Melissa

Destin is 27 months old!

I can't believe Destin is 27 months old...I just know that the months are going to fly by and then she will be 3 years old!

Destin just amazes me everyday - she is so incredibly smart and has the vocabulary of a typical 3 year old. She learns new words everyday, and loves to read books.

We got this really neat kit called Teach My Toddler - which we have been using almost everyday...it teaches her ABCs (lower & upper), Numbers (up to 10), Shapes, and Colors. I can honestly say that I have seen a lot of results. She is starting to recognize letters, and knows all of her shapes & colors (on most days). I am hoping to hang up some posters with ABCs, and other learning things on her wall later next week.

Potty training - we are pretty much done! She still wears pull ups at night, because she still does not wake herself up to go. But during the day, she goes #1 & #2 whenever she has to go. Yay!

Sleep - still the same...sometimes she will stay in her bed all night, but sometimes she doesn't. And she is still starting out in our bed every night. I really hope that by her 3rd birthday she can start and end in her room - all night!

Eating - she is starting to become pretty picky on what she eats and seems to not be taking in as much as I would like her to. Granted, she is still growing and is very healthy - so I shouldn't complain. She loves fruit (any kind)! She LOVES pizza (she could eat it everyday if I let her). We usually get her the lunchables kind. She really likes Mac n Cheese, Corn dogs (minus the corn part), Corn, Ice cream, popsicles, cake, cookies, and of course all of the things that are NOT good for you! :)

Playing - she loves to go to the park, although lately she has been saying "I can't do it!". Which is very strange - because she is usually willing to do anything (she is a daredevil like her daddy was). She loves playing with her Little People animals/barn, playing in her tent, doing puzzles, pretending to cook/bake, legos, trains, playing with her babies (feeding them, putting them to sleep, singing to them, etc.). She is definitely well rounded and wants to do everything! Outside - she loves to drive her powerwheel from Christmas. She has finally figured out how to make it work :) She also learned how to ride her tricycle last week (thanks to Gma Melanie)!

Creating - she loves to color with crayons, markers, fingerpaint. And loves Playdoh (I hope to create some of our own to save money next time). She loves playing with chalk outside. She loves to help mommy bake too :)


Fav shows/movies - Dora, Diego, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Max & Ruby, Letter Factory, Toy Story, Astro Boy, and more!

Being a sister - I think it is very hard for her to understand that she has to share her toys, and time with mommy. Now that Arwen is crawling/mobile, she is into everything which includes Destin's room and her things. I have seen Destin push Arwen down several times over the last month or so, and I am not sure why she keeps doing this (timeouts, spankings and talking about it is not helping). I know she loves her sister, she gives her hugs & kisses all the time. And sometimes she even likes that Arwen follows her around - I just hope the pushing stops.

She is always singing, dancing and on the go all the time. I have started to take her to the park more often, and have found that she is getting a little better about staying with me. I am debating on going to library time this summer.

We had such a fun time at Happy Tails park yesterday (a dog park with a pretty cool playground on the outside gates)...I got some really great pics (see above) too! Don't you just love Arwen's outfit & Destin's hair clip? I got them from Coco Penny! I cannot wait to write up by blog review on FFF :) Here is my favorite one of Arwen that I took:

Have a wonderful weekend! Take care, Melissa

What's Up Wednesday?

Its been kind of a slow week so far around here...but I wanted to share that over the weekend (while we were in Wichita) Arwen started to crawl more and more...and NOW she is officially crawling all the time (check that off our milestone list!). Last night she was crawling on her hands and knees to get Destin's toys, our feet, and of course Destin! It was so funny to watch her :) I still haven't got a video of it, but I plan to sometime this week. I also need to get a video of Arwen laughing and talking - no one believes me that she is loud and talkative since she gets shy around new people.

I also forgot to mention something about our trip last weekend...when we went to visit my Great Grandma, many of the residents there at the nursing home got to see us too. While we walked through, each of these older men and women just lit up - and started asking us questions...Are they twins? How old are they? What are their names?...we were truly the center of attention. It made me happy that we were able to light up their day, but at the same time it made me so sad to see all of those amazing people of older generations be stuck there - nowhere to go, nothing to do but talk amongst themselves, and wonder why their own loved ones don't visit more often.

I wonder how many other parents with two children (around the same age - our girls are 17.5 months apart) get asked if they are "twins"? I think I remember when my neices were younger - and they would get asked the same thing. :) Now they are school age, so I don't imagine that happens very often now - since they are about the same age apart as our girls.

Destin is quite the artist! She loves to color, paint, and make lots of things with playdoh/blocks/legos. Well...while I went to the grocery store, and daddy was checking his email - she drew a very BIG masterpiece all over her tummy/legs, the living room floor, the fireplace and Bubba Duke with PERMANENT BLACK MARKER!!! Yes, it is quite the sight to see! I am still needing to go get some rubbing alcohol to get it off. She has colored on herself a number of times with markers, but never with permanent marker. Patrick has to use them for work - and it was left out when emptying his pockets...yikes!

In regards to our weather...it is so pretty out, and less windy so I hope to get out of the house and take the girls to the park before the rain comes. Last night we all went outside after dinner and drew with chalk, played with water, and I took some pics.

Today, Destin turns 26 months old...not a whole lot has changed since last month. She is still talking and learning new things everyday. Her newest saying is, "I love it!" Destin is still very much a daddy's girl, and loves to be wherever he is. Sleep is starting to become a little easier (we usually have her go to our bed, and she falls asleep by 8:15 or so, then we transfer Destin to her own bed, where she has been sleeping all night about half the time). She is now starting to let me style her hair (you can see her pigtails in some photos over the last two weeks). We are still working on letter recognition, numbers (she can count up to 20), colors (she knows them most of the time), and shapes (she knows most of them).

And Arwen is 8.5 months old ~ crawling on her hands and knees everywhere, talking/laughing and expressing herself all the time. She is definitely an explorer and I think she will be helping her big sister make messes. Still sleeping great! Still has 2 teeth. Still is very much a mommy's girl, and gets upset when I leave the room (sometimes). She still has her bright blue eyes too...I am starting to think she might be keeping them.

Also...I want to wish a very Happy 4th Birthday to Daisy & Duke! I cannot believe my furbabies are 4 years old! (I am going to write a post just for them...)

From our family to yours, have a great Wednesday!

Arwen Kinsley ~ 8 Months Old

Arwen Kinsley is 8 Months old today! No pics, since Arwen has a cough/cold - I hope it goes away soon! Destin just got over her fever that lasted a couple days :(

The months are just flying by and Arwen is growing just as fast...I just can’t believe she is now 8 months old! A couple of weeks ago on March 18th, I posted an update on her and Destin’s current milestones – so I thought I would include those on this post, as well as some new ones that she has mastered over the last two weeks or so. I told Patrick today, that in less than 4 months we will be celebrating her 1st birthday...and I know that it will go by so fast! I cannot wait to see what new things she masters until then :)
Milestones (from 3/18):
- Sits up wthout any support for long periods of time
- Scoots on her bottom & belly to go forward, backward and in circles (she is learning how to get from one spot to another in the living room)
- Has 2 teeth on the bottom (and is teething right now for some top ones)
- Goes from sitting to laying & laying to sitting on the floor/bed
- Claps her hands
- Makes sounds like an indian (with her arm/hand)
- Blowing raspberries
- Everything goes in her mouth
- Eating all sorts of baby foods
- Starting to eat finger foods (graduate puffs & yogurt melts) and fruits such as watermelon, cantelope, peaches, pears and more!
- Still breastfeeding great! About 4 or 5 times/day
- Went on a swing for the first time at the park this week (loved it!)
- Waving hi or bye bye (not saying it)
- Says 'dada' and 'mama' (not too many words yet)
- Laughing, smiling and squealing all the time!
- Working on crawling and standing up with support (with mommy or a toy)
- Loves to read books & listen to mommy
- Loves to play with all of the toys in the house! What baby wouldn't?!
- Knows her name & responds when someone talks to her
- Does not like having a dirty diaper!
- Does not like when mommy leaves the room


And here are some new ones…
~ Has eaten: crackers, popsicles, mashed potatoes, various baby foods
~ Drinks from a sippy cup (water only) - she has been doing this for 2 months now
~ Army crawling/creeping (and can move around quite a bit on the floor)
~ Working on pulling self up (she is so close!)
~ Can now stand with help (on a toy or holding mommy's hands)
~ Lots of smiles and baby talk!

I wanted to look back to compare the girls and here is what Destin's 8 month journal entry on 10/13/09 said:
Wow! Destin turned 8 months old today :) Its hard to believe that in about 4 more months we will celebrate her 1st birthday!! Destin now has 8 teeth - four on top & four on the bottom. She is pulling herself up to stand, holding on to the furniture/mommy/daddy, and 'army' crawling. She is so talkative - saying words, screaming, & making loud noises :) She is also eating a little bit of everything - sharing with mommy & daddy, trying out new tastes all time time. She really likes mac n' cheese! We are still working on good sleep schedule - it seems to change quite a bit, but most of the time she sleeps through the night.

Compared to Destin...
- Arwen only has 2 teeth at this age (compared to 8)
- Arwen is not pulling herself up yet (although she is starting to)
- Arwen is army crawling & scooting just as her sister was
- Arwen is not eating a lot of regular food just yet, she is still eating lots of baby foods and started finger foods about a month ago or so
- Arwen is a great sleeper and for the most part is sticking to a good schedule (Destin has not been a good sleeper for quite some time!)

The Blizzard of 2011 & updates...

Welcome to the first week of February...which will also be known as The Blizzard of 2011. Here in Greenwood (a suburb of Lee's Summit - which is a city about 30 minutes away from Kansas City) we got over 13 inches of snow starting Tuesday morning into Wednesday. This is the third week this year that the schools have been closed! Which means this is the third snow storm we have had. Although this week was definitely the worst & the most snow we have ever had. We haven't gone outside to play this time around since the winds are so strong & its so very cold out...but maybe we can play again sometime this weekend if it warms up.

To top it off - Pat got laid off last week...and with the weather as bad as it is, he probably won't get a job for another week or so. So no job means no money - and we are running low as it is. Its just a scary thought to think how close we are to no money at all...I won't go into great conversations about this, but I just wanted to throw it out there. This blog is for sharing my thoughts, feelings, experiences about my life & my family.

This week we have been trying to prepare for Destin's 2nd birthday (which is next Sunday)...trying to decide what to do, where to go, decorations, cake, presents, etc. Its so crazy to think that my baby girl will be 2 years old! It just doesn't seem possible! Today, my mom & little brother (Gma & Uncle Joe) came over to play for a few hours which was fun for all of us...especially with cabin fever setting in.

I have noticed that over the last few weeks Destin has become more irritable, throwing fits more often - especially if she doesn't get her way...saying bad words, hitting me, and definitely not being a good girl like she needs to be. She is still not wanting to sleep in her own bed (I can definitely say that I do not enjoy co-sleeping)...I just wish she would go to sleep in her own bed and stay there all night. I can only hope & wish that it happens someday soon. I am really worried what will happen as Arwen gets older - and she realizes that her big sister is in our bed every night. :(

Also another update - potty training. We are still "in training" for sure...Destin keeps having accidents off/on every day with no care at all...its just so frustrating! I wish she would go pee/poo in the potty when she needs to AND speaking of - I was approved to host another House Party - the Potty Training Party from Huggies. Its in March - so maybe by then we will have more luck. We have been training since the end of November - maybe we tried doing this too early - since she is still not fully trained and having accidents almost daily. For awhile she was doing great with no accidents - only she wouldn't go #2...now its almost as if she doesn't care :(

Tuesday this week, we took Arwen to her 6 month check-up which went pretty good. She is sitting up, rolling over & starting to eat baby cereal/food for the first time this week (peas were her first). Arwen is so smart - she knew why we were there & immediately started crying when I laid her down on the table. She definitely did not enjoy her shots - who would??? I would cry too! Poor baby girl - at least it only lasted a minute or so & this time around Pat was able to go with me & handle Destin.

Tomorrow (Friday), we are taking Destin to the dentist for the first time (she has over 16 teeth - so I would say she is definitely overdue to go)...I am pretty excited to go! Its a pediatric place in Lee's Summit called Spencer & Spencer. AND I am very happy that Patrick will be with me for extra support. Its hard enough to go somewhere by myself - so it will be nice to get out & meet a milestone with Destin together :)

So anyways, that's my two cents for this week - I hope everyone is staying warm, with power & is healthy (the girls & I are still fighting colds)...take care!

Its a new year!

Its a new year...which means new projects. And we didn't waste anytime getting started on our newest one...making the basement a new playroom for the girls & turning it into a guest room too.

We are about 1/3 of the way done of making this a finished project (the other 2/3 is putting the bed down there & organization). We started New Years weekend, and decided to start this project right after Christmas - when we looked in our third bedroom (the old playroom) which was so overfilled with toys that you couldn't even walk in the room. With that said, the girls DO NOT need any more new toys/clothes/books for awhile. Destin's 2nd birthday is approaching fast (less than a month away almost)...and I am hoping people would consider getting her money for her savings or maybe a membership to the Zoo or something :) We can dream, right?

Well anyway, all but a handful of her toys are currently downstairs in the basement. We moved our Tv from our bedroom downstairs too, on a swivel Tv stand hanging on the wall...then Pat decided he missed our Tv in our room (I missed it too) and bought a new one for downstairs and moved our Tv back upstairs. So currently, we have have of the basement filled with toys galore, a couch (which was given to us by my wonderful bro n' law & his wife), and the entertainment center (which is for sale - I need to post a pic of it on here, FB & Craigslist). This week, we plan to move our old King size bed downstairs, and that will be the "guest room" part of the newly designed basement. Hopefully we will get it all organized, decorated and such in the next month or so..but until then I am still cleaning upstairs daily.

The only bad part about the new toy room being downstairs, is that I can't be upstairs when the girls aren't. Maybe if they were older, but for now, I have to be with them both, watching/playing/interacting/teaching & having fun seeing my girls grow. But for those of you that do not know already, I like to multitask...I do the dishes/laundry/floors/bathrooms/email/blogging/facebook/play with the girls/breastfeed and lots more all day long. So I am going to move some toys upstairs, so I can continue to get things done while they play upstairs for a little bit each day.

So now that all of the toys are downstairs, Destin officially has a new bedroom to call her own (which was the old playroom). It still has her 9 cube book shelf with drawers (filled with leftover toys), and her toddler size bed. She still is not willing to go to sleep on her own, nor does she take naps, or sleeps in her bed longer than a few hours. She slept all night (meaning she stayed in there on her own until the morning) in her bed for the first time last week...she hasn't done this in a very long time. I just wish that some miracle would happen, and she would go to bed on her own, sleep in her own bed every night/all night...maybe someday she will again!

Arwen is still an amazing sleeper - she goes to sleep on her own, and stays asleep all night - every single night! We are so lucky! At about this age, Destin stopped sleeping through the night...so I just hope & pray that Arwen will keep up her amazing sleeping skills :) Pretty soon, we will be starting her on cereal - I can't wait! This means, we need to find a booster seat for Destin & Arwen will have the old highchair (we still have to put it back together).

My task today (and last week) was to clean out all the closets, organize them, donate stuff, put stuff where it belongs, etc. I did my closet & worked on Destin's last week. Today, I plan to work on Arwen's closet & figure out what she needs as far as clothes go. She is just growing so fast...at 5 mos old, she is now growing out of 3-6 mos and is starting to wear her 6 mos clothing. Which means, 6-9 mos/6-12 mos will soon be approaching. I also switched from size 1-2 diapers, to size 2 diapers...since we have been having lots of blowouts (almost everyday!), which means lots of extra laundry for me and trying to get stains out of clothing. Yuck!

In other news...I am loving my Nook Color (a gift from Patrick). I hope that when I have more time, I can post where to get free ebooks, apps & more! Patrick & I play on it every night with the crossword puzzles, and I have read online that you can get apps for it too :)

New Years weekend...was also when we celebrated Christmas with Tammie (Patrick's mom). We had a very large brunch meal...bagels, donuts, eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits & gravy, muffins, and more! Gma Tammie & Papi Mick loved their new photo book that I made them from Shutterfly :) I am so thankful for getting 4 of those for free this year...I didn't have to may shipping either! Woo hoo! Destin got a really cute baby bed/sink/high chair (an all in one) toy with a new babydoll...she loves it! She has played with it almost everyday, and loves to feed her babies and put them to bed, then pretends to wash her hands :) Arwen got some new outfits...that will look so cute on her. They are size 6-9 months, which is the perfect next step when it comes to clothes for her.

That night...New Years Day...we went out to eat dinner with Pat's brother, Daniel, Heather & Braxton & Gma Tammie & Papi at Zarda's BBQ in Blue Springs. The same place that we had cater our wedding...it was very yummy! Then we went back to their house and played the new "Dance 2 game" on Wii. I loved playing with Heather :) I can't wait to buy this game & play at home! It is definitely a workout, but lots of fun! I hope that over the next few weeks I can play the Wii more often...its been almost a good year that I haven't played. We moved it downstairs, and to my dismay, I found out that Pat sold most of our games as credit at Game Stop. I knew he was selling them, I just didn't realize we only had 4 left! Wow! So, maybe after we save up some money, we can go get some more games to play.

I already mentioned my New Years resolutions in another post...so that is taken care of!

Milestones i am looking forward to...Destin sleeping in her own bed! Arwen crawling/talking/walking...and more!

As of right now...it is snowing, snowing...almost 6 inches here - I have been telling Pat, I wish it would snow so I could take Destin outside to play. We don't have a sled, but from the looks of it outside - we need to get one :) We talked about turning Duke into a sled dog for Destin :) Last year, Destin was too little to play outside. So hopefully today or tomorrow we can enjoy this beautiful white wonderland outside!

I started writing this post on Jan 2nd..so this is just me getting caught up on saved posts for my blog :P Now I feel a little better...on to writing updates for organizing, dieting, cleaning, my babies growing up & more! Take care!