Ryen's Gallery

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Two Months Today

Our little Ally girl is two months old today. What a blessing she is! How did we ever live without her? I love the way she snuggles her perfect little head right up under my chin and just lets me hold her. I love the way her eyes light up and sparkle when she is happy or interested in something. I love the way she tries so hard to talk to me. No sound in this word compares to her cooing. I love the way she smiles at me with her whole heart. She melts me. I love her more than words can say.

At Ally's check-up yesterday, everything looked perfect. We are so fortunate. She weighs 9 pounds, 8 ounces, which puts her in the 14th percentile for weight. She is right at the 50th percentile for height and 17th for her head measurement. I don't expect this information to matter to anyone but myself, but since this blog also serves as our family journal- I thought I should throw it in. :)

Happy 2-month Birthday Miss Allyson!
We love you!

Oops.

911: What's your emergency?
Me: I'm an idiot.

So I almost burnt our house to the ground last night in my attempt to make taco egg rolls. As you peruse the blogs of other moms, note how many fancy recipes they display. I can cook about 6 different meals- and most of them have the word casserole in the title and require less than 4 ingredients. The moral of this story? We can't all be Supermoms.

Goose Violence

Sonny was busy yesterday so I decided to take the girls for a picnic at the duck park. Of course, it isn't actually called Duck Park, but I have no idea what the real name is so we all just call it that. Anyway, we had a nice lunch and I brought extra bread so that Ry and Maddie could feed the ducks. But the ducks were completely crowded out by a massive goose gang. They were hardened, hungry, and hostile. Street geese. Things got ugly fast and within seconds we were completely surrounded by nearly fifty of them- I know because I counted. They were charging us, probably flashing goose gang signs to each other behind our backs to better coordinate their attack... and maybe also to insult us, I don't know. For a second there, I thought we were all going to die. I instinctively put my hand in the air (I only had one hand free because the other was holding/trying to protect Ally) and threw some bread at them saying, "Here! Take anything you want- Just let the kids go!" But it was too late. One of them dove at Ryen and bit at her hand and the bread she was holding in it. Apparently, it thought she was the other other white meat. I thought it was going to eat her alive- and so did she. Both girls started screaming and wrapped themselves around my legs. With Ally in one hand and a child on each leg, I used my free arm to swat at the attackers as I tried to make my way back to our car. It was a narrow escape, people. We are lucky to be alive.

Strollin'

After what seems like an endless parade of blistering hot days, Fall has finally fallen. It is so nice to be able to go for walks without melting. I am really looking forward to getting outside with good weather to match my good health. During my pregnancy, I really missed seeing nature... and my waistline. I'm hoping to rediscover both. Autumn officially begins on the 22nd. I'm going to celebrate it by sticking Ally in our Snugli and tromping around in the woods like a giddy gorilla.

Good Old Navy

I love a good sale. It does my heart good. From today until the 21st you can get 20% off your entire purchase at Old Navy. If you order online, you also get free shipping. Just use the code BFF online or in the store for your savings. I like to buy ahead to save money so I snagged the girls' spring/summer clothes for pennies. I was able to get a bunch of dresses for $4.99... plus 20% off that. I even grabbed a couple Halloween costumes to give them for Christmas to use as dress-up clothes for under $10. Sweeeet. And, for the first time in a decade, I actually got some new outfits for myself. For what I paid, I don't even feel guilty. :)

And on that note...

Here's a look at Sonny and Yours Truly in high school. (What? You didn't dance around and spontaneously burst into song at your school???) By the way- my kids totally think this is real and are, as a result, REALLY looking forward to their high school careers.

Will you sign my yearbook?

So I took Leanne's challenge and "yearbooked" myself. I used a photo where I was just kind of staring at the camera... because I think those are the funniest. :) Thanks Leanne! I never get tired of finding new ways to laugh at myself. Now YOU do it so I can laugh at you too.

Baby Ally

Our Darling Diva

Lately, Madelyn's favorite line is, "NO! I won't do it!" She is such a sassy little thing. It's hard raising daughters. It is my personal belief that girls need to be at least a little feisty to make it in this world. They need to be strong enough to stand up for themselves and what they believe in- no matter what anyone else says or does. So, in that sense, I'm glad Maddie is already learning that principle. I just wish she'd stop applying it to cleaning up after herself and going to bed at night.

DINOmite!

Happy birthday to one good-lookin' dinosaur!
We love you honey.

Ally is growing so fast. Oh, how I love her.

“When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies.”
-E. T. Sullivan

The Princess of Preschool

Today was Maddie's first day of school. She is going to the same Montessori preschool we sent Ryen to. It is an amazing school! I think she will be able to do a lot of growing and I really look forward to seeing her come into her own. She was pretty shy yesterday during orientation and this morning when I dropped her off. I wonder how long she will wait to unleash her full Maddie-ness on them. :) I love that little stinker!

Madelyn wore her trademark sunglasses on her way to school this morning. Halfway there she said to me, "Mom, I'm not going to wear my sunglasses at school because I don't want to be too gorgeous." That's my girl.

Nana & Papa

I'm way behind in my blogging. Ally was born, we zipped off to Michigan, Ryen's school started, we got a lovely visit from Sonny's parents, and now preschool begins for Madelyn. Whew!

When Dave and Norma came to visit this past weekend, we were all able to just take it easy and enjoy each other's company. I'm afraid it wasn't very exciting, but it sure was enjoyable! I feel so blessed to have such remarkable parents in-law. Not only is it wonderful for me, but my children are totally spoiled as well. They are so lucky! Thank you so much, Dave and Norma, for all of your support and love and for coming out to see us. We love you so much and miss you already!