William is 7

SEVEN!!  I'm still in disbelief that Gordon and I have been married long enough to have a seven year old!  Time just goes by faster every year.  Our sweet William started Kindergarten on August 15, 2018.  He has grown leaps and bounds since then.   

Height-  3 feet 11.5 inches (35th percentile) He grew 3 inches in a year.

Weight- 44 pounds (14th percentile)  He gained 4 pounds in a year.

BMI- 8th percentile

BP- 99/65

Eating- William is our predictable child.  Pretty much everything he liked and disliked to eat at age 4 is the same now.  We still give him whole milk since he's so skinny.  He only drinks about 8 ounce of milk a day, so I figure it's not hurting anything (and I like the whole milk for my coffee.  HAHA).  Chick Fil A is still a favorite if we are doing fast food, but for a hamburger he loves McDonald's or Sonic.  He'd rather not eat steak but loves chicken, pork, and salmon (in that order).  Taco (and nacho) night is his favorite.  He'd rather eat at home than go to a restaurant.  Give him a sandwich on Hawaiian bread, cherry tomatoes, mac 'n cheese and some blueberries and he's a happy camper.  He will eat peanut butter but he doesn't love it like I do.  He still loves dark chocolate brownies, a coconut sno-cone and pumpkin pie year round.  Luckily, he still loves most fruit and all vegetables.  Green beans are his favorite and apples his least favorite.  He still hates fruit snacks, skittles, suckers and really any other candy (unless it's chocolate he wants nothing to do with it).  During the week breakfast is usually oatmeal or a waffle (also wants nothing to do with a bowl of cereal).  He loves making homemade banana pancakes on the weekend.  It's kinda become a family affair.  :)  He goes back and forth with yogurt and isn't crazy about string cheese.  Overall, he's pretty easy going and a healthy eater.

Sleeping-  This is one area that has improved!  Around the time William turned 6 he stopped waking up in the middle of the night.  He used to sneak into our room every night at 2 am.  One day it just stopped!  We try to go upstairs to start the bedtime routine at 8.  Honestly, most night he's not asleep until 8:30 or 9.  90% of the time he's awake at 6am.  He has a clock in his room and knows to not come down stairs until it's 6.  Every once in a while he'll sleep until 7.  Naps are a thing of the past (insert sad face).  If I know we are going to be up late on a Saturday night I'll have him take a nap.  He is never happy about it, but it helps him so much.     
Personality-  William has continued to be a kind, gentle little soul that loves his family and hates to disappoint.  He is rule follower but has started to come out of his shell and become more talkative.  His Kinder teacher called him "a little turkey" a few times. ;)    
After School Activites- We let William pick what sport he wants to play every season.  In the Fall 2018 he played soccer and then Spring 2019 he played in a low key baseball league.  William did a 6 week basketball clinic in January/February.  So far he's liked them all but seems to favor soccer.  He started Jiu Jitsu this past March.  Jiu Jitsu is 2-3 days a week and is not only great exercise but he's learning so many good lessons!                       
Clothing size- Shoes size 13 and size 6/small clothes.  He has a few things that are size 7, but I have to be careful because he hates when things are really long or baggy.  Getting him to wear dress clothes and/or jeans is a huge battle.  I think he got so used to wearing comfy stuff to school that putting him in jeans drives him crazy.      
Things mommy loves-  I love his love for Anna Grace.  Some days they drive each other crazy, but no matter what he is so protective of her.  I'm so proud of how well he did in Kindergarten.  He is a great friend and a good student.  I've never been more proud than when he got the Compassion award this past December.  Mrs. S wrote on his award "William shows compassion to his classmates regularly.  He is always checking on a friend who is sad and will always ask them to play."  He may be an emotional little guy but he has the sweetest heart.       
Mommy stuff- Life is always busy but it has definitely changed over the years.  Less bottles and breastfeeding and more volunteering now.  I was William's room mom this year!  When they told me I'd been selected I freaked out a little.  Luckily, it turned out great!  I'm so glad I was able to get to know all the kids in his class better and loved that I was a friendly, familiar face when I was there on Thursday mornings to help with his class.  Getting to help his teacher meant a lot to me as well.  
Over the past year and a half I've made it more of a priority to exercise at least 3-4 times a week.  The kids really love going to the YMCA, so that is a blessing.     
Things WJG loves-  Since the last time I did a real post we got Netflix!  William is in love!  He always has some show he's into.  It ranges from Garfield to Discovery shows about animals.  The latest Superman movie is also a favorite.  Cutest thing.....he loves Christmas movies (especially The Grinch).  He still loves his popcorn and a "movie".  
He has a great imagination....coloring, blocks, and legos are his favs.  The newest thing on his favorite list are the neighborhood kids.  These guys loving playing together!  They play basketball in the front, play with remote control cars and usually find a way to make a big mess.  :)   
Things WJG doesn't like-  He still really hates going to bed!  Spicy stuff is still a no go.  
School Stuff- William is taking after the Hattenbach side of the family and loves math.  It comes easy to him and he's much more interested in working with numbers than letters.  He had great report cards all year long!  As of now, reading is not his favorite.  I just don't think it comes as naturally to him so he's a bit fearful.  I keep telling him I love reading.  He's not sold yet.  :)  PE and Art were his favorite "specials" at school.  He has continued to show that he hates to disappoint anyone.  The one time he got in trouble at school for talking he was heart broken.  And last but not least, he is girl crazy!  We were always hearing about his girlfriend.  He started the year off liking Alison, then Avery and then back to Alison. We are in trouble.  :) 
Funny Things He's Said-  These are a few of the things I've written down over the past year or two that I thought were cute/funny. 
"There is no tickling in baseball."

"I can't marry Kennedy because I promised Anna Grace I would marry her."

"I didn't know I had a nickel on my ear!"  (he was trying to say freckle on his ear)

One day Anna Grace was crying in the car.  William said, "Mama, do you think she wants her DCE?"  I was obviously confused and asked him what that meant.  He shouted out a few more random letters.  Finally he said, "Do you think Anna Grace wants her PACI?"  He knew that once she heart the word "paci" she'd freak out so he was trying to spell it out for me.  :)

He loves saying "that's interesting" and loves to find a pattern.  "It's a pattern Mama.  No school, school, no school, school."

When driving by the "bus barn" William said, "Look at all the buses!  There are 61."

William came home with a note with a heart on it at the end of pre-K.  I asked him if it was a love note.  He got really embarrassed and said, "STOP, mama!"

Wants one more baby sister so they will kiss his face when they are bigger. xoxo

Favorite Song: Sunflower (song from Spiderman)
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Shape: Octagon
Favorite Animal: Cheetah (same as the last time I asked)
Favorite Friend:  The 3 neighbor boys (Hunter, Ryan, Zyan)
When He Grows Up He Wants To:  Daddy's Job
When asked what his parents do for work:
Daddy- build hous
Mama- Helps sick kids

Reptile birthday party!!!

We feel so lucky to share everyday with this wonderful little boy!

William is SIX

I'm writing this post a year late, but I wanted to document a few pictures and the changes in his height and weight!  

Height- 3 feet 8.5 inches (35th percentile)  He grew 3 inches in a year.

Weight- 39.5 pounds (10th percentile)  He gained 5 pounds in a year.  

BP- 98/61

BMI- 4th percentile

Right before William's six birthday we went to Disneyland in California!  This was our first time to Disney and we had THE BEST TIME!  He loved all the characters and even did some big boy rides.  At this time, William was still at the same "school" (where he'd been since he was 18 months old!).  We decided to do a bridge program instead of starting Kindergarten (looking back now I know this was the best decision for him).  He loved Ms. Kim and I loved having a little extra time with him before big boy school started.  

William graduated from speech class in November 2017 and shortly after that Anna Grace started.  Our little guy picked playing soccer for Spring 2018.  This seems to be the sport he gravitates to.  Hunting and fishing are also something he has started to really enjoy.  He even went deep sea fishing during our Rosemary Beach 2018 trip.  Looks like he's going to take after his uncles!   

We are so lucky to call this boy ours!  He is the sweetest big brother and makes our hearts so happy.  

2.5 years old!

With every passing day I get a little farther behind.  That's why this post is 4 months late.  LOL.  I may be behind in some areas of life, but I'm happy to say I've found a new rhythm with the kiddos.  We go to the YMCA together 3-4 days a week, mommy and daddy watch Netflix together and we do lots of traveling to see our family (which includes swimming, fishing, and lots of playing).  Sweet Anna Grace has continued to fill our life with so much laughter and happiness.  She is a spunky ball of fire that keeps us on our toes!

Weight:  33lbs 12 oz (89th percentile) Up 4lbs in 6 months

Height: 36.5 inches (67th percentile) Up 1.5 inch in 6 months

Eating:  This category still hasn't changed much.  Anna Grace loves to eat!  Veggies are probably her favorite.  I joke that she's becoming vegetarian because lately meat isn't her first pick.  With that being said, she does like to eat chicken nuggets from Chick Fil A, but passes on their fries.  She stopped eating mushrooms but now loves cherry tomatoes.  Her favorite vegetable is probably squash (closely followed by broccoli and carrots).  For breakfast she loves vanilla greek yogurt, special K cereal or a plain waffle with no syrup.  She also loves pretzels....which her brother doesn't like at all.  She doesn't love grapes or banana, but will gobble up watermelon, apples and strawberries.                

Development:  Anna Grace is still doing speech therapy.  We are finally seeing her learn/say new things on a daily basis!  She still tends to be a few months behind her peers, but she's doing great!    

Clothes:  Size 6 diaper and 3T clothes.  She wears some 4T as well (especially PJs).  Her feet have continue to grow so fast.  She wears a 7.5-9.       

Sleeping:  She has continued to be our "good sleeper".  Around 7:15 we go upstairs, brush her teeth, read a book and I rock her until she starts pointing at her crib.  This means she's ready for me to lay her down.  She rarely wakes up during the night, and is up for the day around 7:00.  She still naps for 2 hours (usually 12:30-2:30).  Unfortunately, she doesn't nap as well at school as she does at home.           

Things She Loves:  The things she loves is pretty much the same.  She adores her big brother and stays interested in whatever he is doing.  Baby dolls are still THE #1 FAV!  She is such a good mom to her babies.  She changes their diapers, gives them bottles, rocks them, pats them and tells them, "Don't cry baby, mama here."  Anna Grace started going to Little Gym in May, and she is loving every minute.  Front rolls, animals, babies and running make her happy (I swear the girl doesn't know how to walk).           

Things She Hates:  Nap time at school.  Anything that's not her idea.   We hear her say, "I said, NO!" too often.  She is hard headed, but she has a personality that will get her far in life!                      

Health:   Overall, Anna Grace has been healthy.  She had a couple of ear infections from September 2017-March 2018 and an upper respiratory infection around Christmas time.  Can't complain!  She had a few appointments with audiology to make sure there was nothing causing her speech delay.  She didn't do well on her first round of tests (because she had an ear infection brewing), but her 2nd test was better and the audiologist we saw had no worries.  In April she started seeing a new Neuro-Ophthalmology.  Long story short, her nystagmus is here to stay.  She's a tough girl, and I know in my heart she will do big things....no matter what!  In March she had allergy testing done.  We confirmed that she is allergic to eggs and peanuts.  She is also allergic to tree nuts.  Having her get poked so many times was sad, but I'm so happy to have an "action plan" from the doctor to give to her caregivers AND an epi pen!           

Other:  AG has 20 teeth (4 more new teeth since her 2nd birthday).  She still loves her daddy but wants her mama when she's tired.  When Gordon gets home she yells, "My daddy's home!"  Anna Grace fell in love with Mickey Mouse around the time we went to Disneyland.  Before that it was a tie between Mickey and Elmo.  When she met Mickey she yelled, "I love you, Mickey!!!" about a thousand times.  Her "I love you" sounds more like "I uv chew".  She loves to slide and jump.  Santa and the Easter Bunny scare her to death!  The beach makes her nervous at first, but after a day or so she is obsessed.  William and Anna Grace would play in the sand and ocean ALL day long if you'd let them.          

I always knew our kids would be different.....AND BOY ARE THEY OPPOSITE.  I couldn't have asked for a better combination.  Anna Grace makes every day better and brighter.  We love watching her grow, learn and change with every passing day.  There is nothing better than being a mama to William and Anna Grace.  Watching a brother and sister grow together and love each other is the best!       

Our baby is TWO!

I'm still in shock that our baby is two years old!  The progress this little lady has made over the last year makes us so happy.  The patience and understanding of beautiful imperfection that she has taught me is a gift I'll never be able to repay her.  I'm so happy that God gave her to us.  She's just what I needed!  

Sweet baby girl's 2nd birthday at the beach!

Weight:  29 lbs 4 oz (80th percentile) Up 4lbs in 6 months

Height: 35 inches (85th percentile) Up 2.5 inch in 6 months
Head: 45.3 cm 

Eating:  This category never changes.  Anna Grace loves to eat!  I finally broke down a month or two before her birthday and stopped giving her a bottle at night (insert crying emoji).  She didn't mind one bit....it was just hard for mama.  She drinks about 18 ounces of milk a day and will never turn down food.  She wants zero help with eating.  Therefore, she comes home from school with new clothes on nearly everyday (messy, messy).   She's finally started to like bananas (this actually started after her 2nd bday).  Strawberries, blueberries and watermelon are still favorites.  Neither she or William care for pineapple.  She's not really into sweet potatoes any more but loves sauteed mushrooms and carrots.  Vegetables are usually the first thing she eats on her plate.  She's even started to like cherry tomatoes like her big brother.  Pancakes have changed from a no to a yes!  I'm sad to say she's discovered ranch and ketchup.  She literally would eat them both with a spoon.            

Development:  Every day Anna Grace learns something new!  She has really come a long way recently.  Since her second birthday she has started talking a lot more.  She started speech therapy at the end of November and has shown a lot of progress.  Baby girl does get really frustrated when trying to communicate with us.  She knows so much but just can't get the words out.  But, like I said, everyday is better and better.           

Clothes:  Size 6 diaper and some 2T but mostly 3T clothes.  3T fits best because she's so tall.  She wears a size 6 or 7 in shoes.  I'm still shocked at how fast her feet have grow.     

Sleeping:  This area hasn't changed much.  She is still a really good sleeper.  She no longer drinks milk before bed.  We just go upstairs, brush her teeth, read a book while rocking and then put her to bed wide awake.  Sometimes I rock her until she falls asleep because I know she won't let me do this for much longer.  She usually goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes up between 6am-7am.  We of course still have rough nights.  She still naps for 2 hours (usually 12:30-2:30)         

Things She Loves:  The things she loves hasn't changed too much.  She still loves her babydolls, anything William is playing with, and BOOKS!  Anna Grace still loves giving hugs and kisses and is always getting us to do group hugs.  Her shoe obsession has continued.  She has mastered putting her shoes on by herself.  If you can't find her she's probably in the laundry room taking off and putting on new shoes.  She loves dancing, purple is her favorite color, and she loves playing hide 'n seek with her brother.  I think her favorite part is yelling "BOO!".  Her favorite song to sing to is The Wheels On The Bus.  She has a new obsession with flash cards.  She loves lining them up, stacking them, and going through them one at a time and showing them to you.  Honestly,  we never see her without a flashcard in her hand.      

Things She Hates:  The independent, hard headed attitude has continued.  She is one super independent girl!   The biting is getting a little bit better (but not much).  Luckily, she hasn't bit any friends at school and she's only left a mark on William once.  The word "gentle" is still used 100 times a day in our house.  I'm pretty sure this little girl of ours could be a UFC fighter one day.  She is a tough little thing.  There really isn't much AG doesn't like.  She's pretty easy going and happy to be with her people.                    

Health:  Poor baby girl had fever the morning of her 2nd birthday (while we were at the beach).  We took her to an urgent care and found that she had pneumonia.  She handled it like a champ, and still had a fun day on the beach.    

Anna Grace finished Physical Therapy on June 28th after 15 months of treatment.  We were sad to say goodbye to Ms. Laura but happy to have our Wednesday mornings back.  She is still doing great with her glasses (besides taking them off in the car and popping the lenses out!).  She got a new prescription in September and new frames.  We were released from Neurology and still see Neuro-Ophthalmology every 6 months.        

Other:  AG has 16 teeth (as I type this she is 27 months and has even more!).  She still loves her daddy but wants her mama when she's tired.  She still thinks William is the coolest person around.  Anna Grace loved cheering on her brother at his t-ball games.  She'd yell, "Yeah Bubba!"  You could find her at every t-ball game with a giant pickle in one hand and flash cards in the other.  Her love for dogs and now cats is super cute.  She loves Mimi's cat, Smokey Joe.  She yells, "JOE!!!" the entire time we are in Texarkana.  She wants to pet every dog we see at t-ball games and follows my parents dogs around everywhere.  It's just a matter of time before we have to get our own dog.  She still isn't too into TV.  This little lady doesn't ever sit still!!  She also LOVES babies.  She is surprisingly gentle with her baby cousin, Mary Catherine.  As soon as she sees a baby she starts blowing them kisses and saying SHHHHHHH.  She loves telling people, "I'm 2!"  Every big truck on the highway is a "choochoo".  When she walks into daycare sometimes she says, "I'm back!"  LOL.  When her food is hot instead of blowing on it she does it her own way and basically spits all over everything.  :)     

Her love for animals inspired the farm theme 2nd birthday party!

This girl is seriously hilarious and so fun to be around.  Her one of a kind personality makes my heart so happy. 

William is FIVE!

FIVE!!  It doesn't seem possible.  Five years of sweetness from our little guy.  We are so very lucky.  Here is what our little dude has been up to!

Height: 3ft 5.75 inches (27%)  grown almost 2 inches in a year
Weight: 34 lbs 10 oz  (9%) up 2.5 pounds in a year
BP:91/68

Eating- I just read back at what William liked at age 4 and it's all exactly the same!  Since he's only in the 9% for weight we give him whole milk and things with "good fat" (avacado, peanut butter).  Going to Chick Fil A is still a special treat for him and getting chips and cheese at a Mexican restaurant.  He also loves restaurants like Shoguns where they cook in front of you.  He'd rather eat chicken than steak, and is still a fan of sandwiches, cherry tomatoes, and watermelon.  He loves to share a coconut sno-cone with me on a hot summer day!  Luckily, he still loves most fruit and all vegetables.  He doesn't like fruit snacks and refuses to try a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  If William had it his way he'd eat pumpkin pie for dessert every night (dark chocolate brownies are a close second)!    

Sleeping-  Again, nothing has really changed in this department.  We usually get William to sleep between 8:30-9 and he's up around 6:30.  As he's gotten older the chances of getting him to lay down longer with you have decreased significantly.  He still randomly wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks down to our room.  We got a clock for his room to help him know when it's time to come down stairs.  It's helped a little bit.  Nap time is still 12-2.  If he doesn't take a nap he is grumpy and cries about everything (and he still stays up until 8:30).  So happy we got 2 good nappers!  
Development- William has become so independent over the last year!  He is the most helpful little boy.  He puts his dirty clothes in the hamper in the morning and can get himself dressed with little assistance.  The "WHY" stage is in overdrive!  He is so, so curious about everything.  Back in January he started speech class once a week.  I think it's not only helping his speech issues but boosting his confidence.  He played soccer in the fall and tried out t-ball this spring (which he ended up really liking!).  We are thinking about giving Karate a try soon. 
Personality-  William has continued to be a kind, gentle little soul that loves his family.  The love he has for his baby sister is immeasurable!   He kisses and hugs on her all day (and loves to make her laugh during our time in the car).  William still loves going to school but he also really enjoys his time at home with just mama and baby.  He loves telling you stories....that tend to go on and on.  :)  His imagination and creativity still have me in awe (taking after his daddy).   He still really hates when he gets in trouble.  He has very sensitive feelings like his mama.  This was our #1 reason for holding William back from Kindergarten.  Our pediatrician agreed with this plan and said that an extra year of emotional growth is never a bad thing.   You truly can't stay upset with this little boy for long.  He has a heart of gold and wants to make everyone around him happy.                     
Clothing size- Shoes size 9 and 4T (some 5T but he has a skinny little waist)    
Things mommy loves- 
As always, I pretty much love everything about this little guy.  His facial expressions and stories will keep you laughing all day long.  I love that he likes to know what we have planned for the week (just like me).  His memory is crazy good too!  I love his sweet snuggles on the couch and that he still thinks mama is always right.  :)  The other day he looked over at me, out of no where, and said, "Mama, I love you so much."  Those are the moments I'll miss when he's a teenager.        
Mommy stuff- William's life got a little crazy around his 4th birthday due to sister's health issues and our work schedules.  Thanks to the Man upstairs, things have settled down.  I'm working less now and the doctors appointments have decreased significantly.  Everyone's stress level has decreased too!  We are so blessed to have supportive families.  I'm happy to say there are many days that we stay in our pajamas until 10:00 and we've even made friends with the staff at the YMCA (the kids LOVE going to play and I get to exercise again!).  
Things WJG loves-  William's favorite shows right now are probably PJ Mask and the new Puppy show.  Also, anything with super heroes!    
He still loves his popcorn and "movie" before bedtime.  
He loves playing with transformers, playdoh and doing puzzles.  
He also loves playing make believe!   
Things WJG doesn't like-  Going to bed still isn't a favorite activity.  Once you get him in the bed, laying down, reading a book things get easier.  It's just getting him into the bed!  This kid is a procrastinator. Anna Grace goes to bed around 7:15, so after this it's just him...which I'm sure he kinda likes!  He still doesn't like anything spicy to eat and he isn't a fan of things being super noisy (he'll tell you it's hurting his ears).          
Favorite Things To Say-  William still starts singing Twinkle Twinkle when Anna Grace cries. 
William's new favorite song to sing is the "Moana" song.  Makes me laugh every time. 
He tells us "next time" a lot.  "Next time I want to go to the movie." 
He also uses the words "a little bit" often.  "I liked school a little bit today."
"Gentle baby" is also used a lot in our home.  Anna Grace is a bit rough so we are all constantly reminding her to be gentle!
"Wake up again school?!?!"  William will tell you what he's doing every day that week....wake up again school, wake up again no school, wake up again school.....
On Christmas Eve William told us to tell Santa no "hohoho-ing" in his house because it would be too loud.  
"See that circle? (points to Target sign) I wanna go there and get popcorn!"
"I love kisses all day because I love you so much!"
"I'm gonna draw everything in the whole world!"
"I'm fast like a race car."
"I have good news baby, no school today!"
During a tee-ball game William yelled at me, "Mama, is it bath day today?"  :)
We recently drove by a bus barn and William said, "Look at all the buses.  There are 61!"
We were driving on a high overpass and William said, "WOW! You can see the whole world from here." 
Favorite Song: Dirt On My Boots
Favorite Color: Red and Blue (same as last year)
Favorite Shape: Circle and Triangle
Favorite Animal: Cheetah
When He Grows Up He Wants To:  Mow grass.  lol
When asked what his parents do for work:
Daddy- exercises a lot (this cracks me up)
Mama- Helps kids that are sick, gives medicine

The days go too fast.  Every. Single. Day. I'm shocked at what a big boy he is.  God knew that his sweet little soul was just what we needed in our family.  He is perfect in every way to us.  I just wish I could keep him sweet and innocent forever.  ;)  But, since I can't, we will just continue to love on him and prepare him, as best we can, for this crazy thing that we call life.

Baby Girl 18 months old

Still in shock that we no longer have an infant!  I mean, when did she get so old?!?!  

Weight:  25 lbs 6 oz (82nd percentile) Up to 3lbs in 3 months

Height: 32.5 inches (79th percentile) Up 1.5 inch in 3 months
Head: 44 cm 

Eating:  Anna Grace still loves to eat!  She drinks about 24 ounces of milk a day and will never turn down food.  She doesn't like when you try and feed her with a spoon....she's too independent for that and is trying really hard to master using the spoon on her own.  A month or so ago she started to eat more fruit.  Although she still doesn't love bananas she will now eat strawberries and blueberries!  Watermelon is her #1 favorite.  Every Sunday Gordon makes steaks.  This is her absolute favorite!  Steak, sweat potatoes and asparagus = happy Anna Grace.  Her favorite vegetables are green beans, broccoli, carrots, lima beans and asparagus.  She doesn't like pancakes but of course will always say yes to a donut on special occasions.           

Development:  This girl is doing better and better every week!  She rarely walks because she is always running!  Over the last few weeks she has started being more vocal.  Still not a whole lot of words but at least more sounds.  She makes a noise for a dog that sounds more like a howl and then makes a funny quacking sound for a duck.  I swear she's been saying her name the last few days.  She can scribble with a crayon and has mastered the stairs (we are still working on getting down them safely).    

Clothes:  Size 5 diaper and 24 month clothes (some 18 month stuff fits but 24 is best).  She wears a size 4 or 5 in shoes (depending on the shoe).    

Sleeping:  Anna Grace has continued to do great sleeping all night and taking a two hour nap around 12-2.  Her bedtime routine is drinking her milk, brushing her teeth, reading a book while we rock her and then putting her to bed wide awake.  95% of the time she falls right asleep without a peep.  She usually goes to bed around 7:30pm (depending on baseball games and my work schedule) and wakes up between 6am-7am.  We of course still have rough nights.  She was awake from 1-4 am the other night.  Luckily, those are few and far between.         

Things She Loves:  The things she loves hasn't changed much.  Babydolls, her purse, anything William is playing with, the remote control and books are her favorites.  Her obsession with the stairs has luckily decreased.  This child LOVES reading.  While I do dishes she will sit in her chair holding her baby while she reads a book.  She is constantly coming to us holding a book that she wants you to read to her.  This sure makes my heart happy!!!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read and can't wait to share this with her as she gets older.  She is always waving hi and loves to give kisses and hugs.  She loves all of her shoes and is trying so hard to put them on by herself.  When she isn't wearing her glasses she loves playing with her pretty long eyelashes.  She loves to be tickled and to spin in circles.    

Things She Hates:  This girl knows what she wants and is very independent.  When she doesn't get her way she gets MAD!  I've never seen such a little thing throw such a fit.  She's hot or cold.  One minute she can be so mad at you, fist balled up hitting everything in her path, and the next she's being a sweet little cuddle bug.  She still tries to bite you if she is mad but she doesn't do it to cause pain (she never leave a mark)....I think she does it to get your attention.  Not being able to verbalize things has been frustrating for her.  "Gentle baby" is still used frequently in our home.  William is so patient and good with her.  Today he told her, "Crying is what babies do.  It's okay Anna Grace."                  

Health:  Things are going really well in this department.  Sweet thing has been doing great!!  She did have a random fever one morning but it never turned into anything.  Besides teething we have no complaints from her.  :) 

Anna Grace is still doing Physical Therapy once a week and loving Ms. Laura.  I'm proud to say she is doing great wearing her glasses.  She only time she takes them off is in the car!  We go back to Neuro-Ophthalmology in a few weeks to see how they've helped.      

Other:  Our little lady is getting more and more hair, but still not enough for a bow.  She has 12 teeth and I think 2 of her bottom teeth are about to make an appearance.  She still has a special place in her heart for her daddy and everything William does is funny to her.  She loves going to William's baseball games!  She spends half the time waving at everyone from her stroller and the other half runny around laughing because we are chasing after her.  She has recently fallen in love with dogs.  If a dog comes on TV she gets super excited and starts laughing/screaming and saying "owwww" (her barking noise).  I can't wait to see how she does with my parents dogs the next time we are in Midland.  We are finally able to get her to sit "still" on the couch for a few minutes at a time.  :) 

This little cutie pie keeps us on our toes, but she sure does make us happy.  She is a high energy child that I wouldn't trade for anything!  It's pretty awesome to watch her and her older brother, and their OH SO DIFFERENT personalities, grow and change together.

Anna Grace 17 months old

This little girly is just getting to be more and more fun (and more and more work...LOL).  She keeps us moving and laughing all day long!

Seriously, how cute is this little squishy thing of ours!  The pictures of her holding my phone crack me up.  She is looking at a picture of our family and getting excited about seeing daddy!  She kept saying, "Daaaadeeee!"

Weight:  25ish pounds

Eating:  Anna Grace drinks about 24 ounces of milk a day.  We switched her to lactose free at the beginning of the year (her random throwing up has stopped since we made the change!).  Otherwise, she drinks water (she's not a fan of juice which I'm happy with). Eating is still her favorite thing.  Her favorite fruit is watermelon.   She will finally eat strawberries too.  Meat is still her favorite along with maple syrup puffs!                

Development:  Mid-January Anna Grace went from taking steps to walking everywhere!  She has been pretty unsteady until the past week, but she get where she needs much faster now.  She has been trying to use a fork, but still gets confused about which side to poke the food with.  :)  

Clothes:  We moved baby girl up to a size 5 diaper and 24 month clothes fit best (she's so tall!).

Sleeping:  Anna Grace has done great in this department.  Asleep around 7:30, up between 6-7am and a 1-2 hour nap after lunch.  She has been a lot healthier over the last two months so this has helped our night time sleeping!          

Things She Loves:  Singing "If you're happy and you know it" and dancing!  She loves listening to music and swinging at the park!  She is still loving her baby dolls.  She pats their backs and feeds them bottles.  She loves sitting on the first step of the stairs and holding them.  She's also fallen in love with William's flash cards!   

Things She Hates:  Being tired!  Poor thing starts throwing her head back...pretty dramatic.      

Health:  Besides a yucky nose, baby girl has been pretty healthy over the last 2 months.

Anna Grace is still going to Physical Therapy once a week.  We saw her neuro-ophthalmologist in January and decided to try glasses for a couple of reasons, to straighten her eyes and to help with vision.  She has done great!  The only time she takes them off is when we are in the car.  If they come off she will try and put them back on herself.  :)  I have never been so impressed!!!  She is such an easy going little lovie!      

Other:  In the 2 months since my last update AG got 3 new teeth (one of which she chipped at school....which earned us 2 trips to the dentist).  She has continued to do great in her new room at school.  She comes running to us when we pick her up but she's always super excited when we get there in the morning.  She's started giving us the kisses too....with a big open mouth!  There is truly nothing better.  :)