Coming into her own

It's funny to think that when Betsy Grace was this age, I thought she was so old.  Sutton on the other hand, is my baby and i feel like she is so young.  It has nothing to do with their ability or development, it's just that BG is my big girl and Sutt is my baby.  

But i am here to tell you that this "baby" has definitely come into her own and found her own little personality, separate from her sissy.  Even though she is a more "high maintenance" child, she has grown very full of herself, started taking risks and is a very funny little girl.  She cracks up when she is told "NO" and continues to test the limits.  Her favorite thing to do at her little camp is to climb on the table and laugh and dance...Daddy is scared!  Her smile is super-contagious, she crinkles up her nose and smiles a toothy grin and no one can get her to smile faster than her sissy.  

With my girls so close in age and being the same sex, I really want them to find their own way, be different from each other and have their own identities BUT still love and respect each other.  Huge wish, I know but it looks like we are off to a great start!

Proud of herself for figuring out how to turn on the water...

scares me to death, she knows it and LOVES it!

This is how we found her one morning, after our daily search of "Where's Sutton"

I can read her mind as she is looking at us...

"Who you callin' a baby?!?! I'm a big girl and I can go potty just like sissy"

Another happy face, cant remember the moment but I am sure it had something to do with throwing food on the floor, another favorite trick :)

SuttBear, you are a character and i love watching your little personality set you apart from your sissy.  You are a mommy's girl like no other and despite it making things tough, occasionally, i love that your love and preference are Mommy.  I just have 2 requests...first, i know you wont always be a "baby" but just let me think of you as one for a little while longer, please???  and second, go easy on my every now and then, ok?  i have a feeling that we are going to have our hands full with you and if you could stop waking up in the middle of the night for no reason, I could rest up for the years to come.  Kidding....kinda ;)

xoxo

How is she already 3?!?!

I mean, did I not just give birth to this child????  I cannot believe that we just celebrated my first baby's 3rd birthday but we did and it was a blast!  For some reason, the crossing over into her 4th year of life hit me hard.  not in a bad way but really caused me to realize that There is no baby left here, she is all Little girl. 

She still is the smiliest child, although now those smiles can be followed by a huge tantrum just minutes after (mood swings are in full effect). She still loves to cuddle with me and "get cozy" with her daddy but she calls us Mom and dad.  She no longer wears diapers, is potty trained and about to leave her crib in the dust for greener pastures in her "big girl" bed. She is still very imaginative and loves to play by herself but this independence has created a very strong willed personality...she is a woman who knows what she wants.  She has always had great balance and been a tough and sturdy girl but this girl is strong!  She can easily carry her stool or a chair to something that is out of her reach, she doesn't want ANY help.  She has always been well rounded as far as interests but her current infatuations range from anything Princess to playing "soccer ball" (daddy is smiling).  She still loves her SuttBear but doesn't really like the way Sutton comes in a messes up "her" things.  She has always been opinionated but now she is just plain bossy and borderline OCD. 

But even though she is 3 and she has crossed from being a baby to a little girl, many things remain exactly the same. she still gives the BEST hugs. she is Friendly to EVERYONE and calls everyone her friend. she loves anything sugary and sweet. she can con you in a second to getting what she wants. she LOVES jesus and sings "Amazing Grace" and "jesus Loves Me" very loudly in public places.  If you ask her about Jesus, she will tell you "Jesus lives in my heart".  and she brightens my day the moment I walk into her room in the morning, in fact, Mac and I fight to get to her room first :)  She still loves puzzles and Books and gets a thrill of teaching Sutton her technique (although most of the time Sutton is playing her own way, much to big sissy's dismay). She has the best sense of direction, seriously might have a photographic memory.  She still is a tough cookie when it comes to getting hurt, she gets right back up and says "I'm ok!" She has a very tender heart, cannot stand to see me cry but inherited a very bad emotion/reaction from me where she laughs when someone gets hurt, terrible.  I promise, its not out of meaness, its a nervous reaction.  I did the exact same when i was little and my sister got hurt.  She is way smaller than her friends and now her sister but we have yet to see it bother her or stop her from joining in with others.  She is never intimidated or shy around "big kids", in fact, they are her favorite.  She still loves music but is so opinionated about what we listen to in the car, it drives me nuts.  And no, its not Nursery Rhymes or Raffi, it's top 40's pop music and she can identify an Usher or Rhianna song in a second.  She is always up for a dance party, our favorites are in our pj's and Sutton loves to join in...Daddy thinks we are all crazy!  

Anyway, I could go on and on but just don't want time to pass without me documenting these feelings and moments. 

Here are some recent pics, tell me she doesn't look grown up!

 Loves her some popsicles, especially the ones that turn your mouth colors ;)

On her actual birthday, eyes fixed on that yummy cupcake

about to jump out of her skin for that yummy birthday treat

Make a wish, sweet girly

Just the way she likes them, with icing and sprinkles, thanks Aunt Haines!

I changed as a person the day my sweet girl was born, my heart, my attitude, my love and i could not be more proud to have her as a daughter.  Then when she was diagnosed with her Dwarfism, i knew our path would be different but I had no clue how wonderful it would be.  Just like anyone, our path is still unfolding but i can honestly say that I wouldn't want to be on any other path than ours.  Betsy Grace, you are my abundant blessing and my love, always and forever!

xoxo

Summer Pool Days

The best way to beat this scorching heat is to spend LOTS of time at the pool.  And what better company than our besties, Margaret Blount and Elizabeth.  quinerly and I are so thankful for each other and our girls who are just months apart from each other.  

BG and MB cannot get enough of each other!

And their little sissy's are becoming the same way!

How funny is it that these 2 looks just like their fathers?!?!

xoxo

Trying to find balance

This month may have been my busiest EVER!  We started the month with a Beach trip, celebrated 2 birthdays, Sprinkled Pregnant friends and started camp, all while Mommy is trying to get back to work.  I took a full year off starting when Sutton was born but a couple of months ago, I got the itch to delve into something for myself.  I have been so blessed to have Mary in my life since before I had children and feel so inspired just walking into Abode.  I have learned so much over the years as her assistant and now I feel ready to begin my own design work.  I am so excited to get back into all things interior and I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity to join Mary, as I will be under the Abode "umbrella".   

This was a huge decision for Mac and myself.  Working Part-time is not easy because I feel like I need to wear both hats well and have a hard time doing anything just "part" of the way.  I will never take that attitude as a wife, mother or friend but I also find it hard not to become obsessed with a current work project.  So I am going to have to find my groove somewhere in the middle.  One huge thing that I did was hire our sweet babysitter Dorothy 2 days a week to help me with the girls.  They will both be in school(BG 4 days and Sutton 2 days) but there is only so much a mama can get done in 3 hours.  So hopefully, between school and Dorothy, I can get in work and some time for myself and the rest of the time I can focus on mac and my girls, without feeling pulled towards work.  Easier said than done but its all about Balance, right?!?!

Along with everything else on my plate, I am going to start a blog for Abode where i can pour into interior design projects, trends and inspirations.  Therefore, this blog will still just be about my 2 Cute Chicks.  One more attempt on my part to keep my life organized ;)  I will send a link once things get up a running.

xoxo

Happy First Birthday Sweet SuttBear!

Happy First Birthday to my Baby!!!!

 My my, how time flies!!!  A year ago, my sweet baby was in the NICU not breathing on her own and look at her today...absolutely the sweetest One year old ever!  We were at the beach with all of the Barksdales during Sutton's big day, so we had a fabulous beach celebration!

Aunt Haines made the cake, so cute and tasty!

Brun made his signature daquiris

 and the birthday girl brought her most favorite item, Baby Lamb :)

Big sister did a pretty good job sharing the attention but we did have a few tears pre-cake :)

Isabelle and Brooks, ready to get their cake on

Silly Brun

Presenting the smash cake

Big Sissy assisting

Sutton's face is priceless, she is ready to dig in!

my loves

She wants to eat the cake, I want to eat those cheeks!!!!

Party Girl

Opening Presents

Izz in the birthday spirit, Sutton's birthday is Isabelle's Birthday Eve. 

That's right, the next day we got to celebrate all over again :)

  

Sweet Caden.  

Proudest Mommy and Daddy

 Sutton, We love you with all our hearts.  our beginning was rough, nothing went as planned but look at you now.  You are such a lovebug, love to be held, give hugs and snuggle.  Despite your extremely sensitive tummy and multiple ear infections, you are such laid back and flexible baby.  Daddy and I know that your middle of the night cries just mean that you want to be with us.  You adore your sister and spend every waking second trying to keep up and be right beside her.  at your 1 year appointment you weighed 22.5 lbs (75th percentile) and were 29" tall (50th percentile) and you cried your eyes out when you got your shots.  Your bright blue eyes are magical and your beauty inside and out never ceases to amaze me.  And those cheeks, oh those cheeks!  I probably kiss them a thousand times a day and still can't get enough.  My heart is so full with love for you, I can't believe that I ever worried how I would love you as much as I love your sister!!!!  Happy Birthday!

Then it was Isabelle's Birthday and time for another big celebration.

the party kicked off with music and dancing...Brun was ready to boogie!

and all of the cousins had fun hats, which they LOVED!

Sweet Birthday Girl taking it all in

Haines and Fran

Cool Chick

Birthday Princess with a crown

Cool Dude Brooks

Haines got a break and Ordered an ice cream cake from Baskin & Robbins, it was delicious!

Caden and his Daddy, Eric

Look at all those teeth

Izz got a blowup boat for her birthday and the girls had a ball getting in and out, in and out

And then at the end of the day, all were in bed and the adults enjoyed a few hours of peace and quiet before an early bed time.  It was a full moon and it was beautiful

Good night moon

xoxo

Beach Vaca

2 weeks ago we packed up the girls, stuffed our car to the brim and headed to Litchfield for a week at the beach.  This time it was just our little family of 4 and the whole trip was absolutely wonderful, from start to finish!  Everyone napped and slept well, the weather was sunny but not too hot and we enjoyed Good, old fashioned fun at the beach!  Betsy Grace has no fear when it comes to the water but little sister took a couple of days to warm up.  Although I LOVE the beach, I am not so charmed by the ocean either, so Sutton and I were very happy staying high and dry!

First Day on the Beach, BIG ol Smile!

Bringing out all of the toys to keep everyone happy

BG could not get into the water fast enough and Sutton tried to follow

But then she settled on staying with mama

Betsy Grace literally went back and forth from the chairs to the water 50 times a day, she was one busy beach babe!

This was after we put her in the water and she freaked, the rest of the day she sat on a towel, on a chair and had the comfort of her paci.  The blessing was that on day 3 there were warm tidal pools that she loved and were the bridge to finally embracing the ocean.  then daddy had double duty because like I said, i'm not so fond of the big salty pond.

My big girls eating a good ol Summer Supper

More water fun!  Eventually Betsy Grace befriended a sweet 10 year old named Zoe who loved to play.  By the end of the week, Mac and I were both sitting in chairs watching our girls have a blast...paradise!

Sutton's current "thing"...she isn't walking but loves to just stand and hang out :)

Fun in the hole

The ONLY pic of the 4 of us from the week but everyone is looking at the camera, so it's a winner

Making sure she doesn't get wet

Checking out all of the action on the beach

Silly girls who did not want to be photographed!

a beautiful sunset view from our porch on the back of the house

And this is what Mac did every day at nap time.  Tis the season for Soccer (can you see me rolling my eyes) and there was a "huge" game on every afternoon

So while we were waiting for the games to be over, so that we could return to the beach, the girls played Dominoes!  They must inherit their love for the game from their grandmother, Ella...a very avid Domino player :)

BG called the shots and Sutton did what she was told...story of their life

She had her own rules, I could never make sense of it but this kept them busy for hours and hours.  We took a whole basket of toys from home with us and they didn't play with one of them...go figure

Clean baby girl after a day of fun in the sun

Sister love

So here's to a fabulous vacation!  Mac and I found that super tired girls made for wonderfully quiet adult evenings, so fun was had by all!  My girls are at such a good age and they truly love each other, it makes my heart flutter.  and Mac and I had the best time with great conversations and lots of laughing.  You can't get better than a drink in your hand, listening to the ocean (mixed with a little beach music) and sitting next to the love of your life.  I want to go back right now and the best part is that we are already signed up to go back the same week next year.  Leaving was a teeny easier knowing that we would return :)

xoxo