2 Under 2

I can't believe I only have 22 days left to write the "2 Under 2" posts. Raya will be 2 on April 22nd. GEEZE!!! So I thought I better do some posts while I still have 2 babies under 2 :)

They're still as cute as can be together. Raya is still loving having him around. Sometimes she gets so excited she can hardly stand it. She does this thing my brother use to do. I don't really know how to explain it. Its like she gets filled with excitement and kinda clinches her teeth and smiles and gets super close to him and rubs her nose on his face. It's like shes going to burst. Its pretty funny. I'll try to get it on video. And they're still at the perfect ages for super cute pictures together. It's hard to think that one day they're not going to want to take pictures together. Actually, that might not happen. For the most part my brother and I always liked taking pictures together. Here's some from the past weeks that just melt my heart.

This is the first picture I have of the 2 of them both smiling 

Raya- Super Excited; Kallen- a little alarmed

A little Sunday morning dancing

I LOOOOOOVE this one. I ordered a coffee mug with this picture. My first "Mom" coffee mug with my TWO kids!

Sooooo excited about matching clothes. Here's their first set-Matching Jammies from Nana

She adores him <3

Raya is thankful for little brothers with hair.

I don't even have to tell her to kiss him :) She's loves lovin on him

Such a good big Sis...and Kallen's such a trooper

I also did some Comparison photos. I found one of Raya when she was almost 3 months, so I put Kallen on his belly hoping I could a similar shot. This is what I ended up with:

I think they have some similar features. Their eyebrows and foreheads are basically the same. They have similar shaped eyes, even though Kallen's look a little bigger. Similar chin/cheek shape, Kallen's are a little plumper, lol. I still don't know if I'd look at this picture and think they are siblings. I really think Raya looks like my baby picture and Kallen looks like Gentry's baby picture. So of course I did some more Comparisons :)

I think they have the same smile, same dimples (which is weird cause I swore he got those from me) Surprisingly they don't have the same nose-well at least in this picture. One of the first things I thought when I first saw Kallen was that he had Gentry's nose. Maybe he does...it just doesn't look like it to me. 

So I didn't ever really think Raya looked like me. And then I started looking for a baby picture to put next to mine and I couldn't believe how much we do look alike! Yah! I think We have the same head shape, same jaw line. She definitely has my mouth and smile. We don't have the same nose. Our eyes are pretty similar. I think she has my mom's eyes though. I definitely have my dad's eyes, so we'll see how that works out. But I was so surprised by how many pictures I found of her that look so similar to this one of me. Yet my dad and Raya's dad look sooooo different. Lol. Guess my genes won this kid ;) Every since she was born I'd always look at her and think she looked so much like Gentry, especially when they were asleep. It's funny how these pictures of the 2 of us are so similar. I'm glad I have at least one baby that looks like me. Haha. Cause Kallen doesn't seem to have a single feature like me. Maybe that'll change as he grows....

I'm kinda obsessed with the comparison pictures, if you can't tell. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be more. Hehe.
TGIF!

Raya Recently- 23 Months! Again

Just a little sumthin to go along with yesterday's post...

So once a week I get an email from BabyCenter.com. Well actually twice a week now that I have 2 kids. The one for Raya came yesterday. It was the email for "Your 23month old, Week 2" and guess what the topic was?! "Does your toddler ignore you?" This isn't the first time the email has been spot on. It actually happens a lot and I feel like its the Baby Gods laughing at me and then feeling bad for laughing and then sending me help via my email. They're good guys :) The first sentence in the article was: "Does your toddler ignore you? She's not doing it on purpose; it takes time and practice to learn how to listen well." Ahhhhh, so relieving. I love you BabyCenter.com. Here's the little snip-it if you're interested: Ignoring
Such a helpful little article!

AND, I've always heard people say "Yah, my toddler didn't talk much and then one day, Bam, all kinds of words and phrases." Well Raya did that yesterday. She's had a good amount of words, but wasn't a big talker. Well she was a talker, but not in a language the general public could understand. I took her outside to run around and she started saying "I got it!" I had never heard her say that, and that one phrase I swear popped the cork holding her vocab in. In the last 24 hours she hasn't stopped talking. And almost all of it has been words and phrases that we can understand. Its AMAZING how that happens! Seriously, she's saying all kinds of things. It's crazy. And so cool. And one more reminder that my baby is growing up. But it's all good :) It's funny because after I got her dressed today she looked different. Like a little girl and not a baby. We went and saw Gentry and my Mom at work and had lunch with them and she was just so chatty and grown. I guess the bitter sweet is never ending....But I'll take it. She's such a fun kid. And funny too. And gorgeous. And I'm so lucky <3

My Little Girl

She was fake falling. It was hilarious. And she knew it.

LOVING LIFE

So Purty

Raya Recently- 23 Months!

Raya Sunshine-
I can't believe the countdown to TWO is in full effect. My baby's gonna be TWO?!?!? How did that happen?

Lets see my little one...what have you been up to? Well you got through your first Sickness. It was the basic flu-runny nose, fever, aches, sore throat, cough. The worst part lasted about 4 days and you were one sad puppy. You just wanted to cuddle and watch cartoons. The saddest part was hearing you cough and then you'd whimper because the coughing hurt your throat. Uh, stab me in the heart! That sad little face. But you are a trooper for sure. You didn't whine about it and you weren't even fussy. I would've been totally fine if you were, just so you know. I was just so surprised by how tough you were about it. And the short times you were feeling a little better you wanted to jump on your trampoline or go to the park. So this week I learned that you're going to be a kid that I have to MAKE relax and take it easy. Duh. You still have a runny nose-that's awesome. Nothing like a runny nose when you're a flower girl and in a bunch of pictures :)

Sick girl :(

How we spent the majority of our week

AND this last week you've introduced me to what many know as The Terrible Twos! I'm not positive its that, but that's how I'm summing it up. Lol. I'm sure its a combination of you still being a bit sick, your sleep schedule is totally off, maybe you're getting your 2year molars?, and you don't get as much attention as you use to. So all that sums up to One Feisty Little Girl. Whhoooooweeeeeee child. You have been testing me beyond belief. And now you throw mini tantrums and freak out pretty easily. So, not my favorite time, but we'll get through it (please) Nothin like a public tantrum to make you feel like you've failed at parenting. Haha. I know I know, it happens to everyone, but I'm not use to a kid doing this. You've really never had a tantrum, so its all new. And I'll be totally ok when you decide you're outta the tantrum phase. Cause if it lasts much longer mama's water bottles are gonna be mama's wine bottles ;) You DO NOT listen to me when I say No. I can't decide if its because you're still so young, or if its your personality and you hear me but don't care. That's hard. There is no tone I can use to say No that works with you. I clearly don't scare you. Some may think thats a good thing, and I'm a good mom for not instilling fear in my child, but when you're climbing the bar in the kitchen and I'm nursing Kallen and tell you No its annoying. Keeping my fingers crossed it gets better as you get older.

You are talking a lot. More and more words all the time. Your favorite word is No. Lol. But you have some phrases now too. "I got it," "There is it," "What's that," "Ah Man," "Where'd it go?" You love watching Nick Jr and when they teach dance routines you get up and follow along as best you can. Its SO CUTE!!! Your favorite cartoon is Wow Wow Wubbzy, but now you also like Ni Hao, Kia Lan, Dora, Diego and Olivia. You're still active as ever. You love to run and jump. Jumping is probably your favorite right now. And you're really good at it. You easily jump, both feet together and land on both feet. You have a basketball and hoop from Nana (obviously) and you can toss the ball under hand and make it in the basket.

We were so busy last week being sick and getting ready for our mini vacation to Palm Springs for Cathleen's wedding that I didn't get to do your 23month blog on the 22nd AND I have very few new pictures of you. YIKES!!! The blog doesn't worry me, but not having pictures of you?!?! I gotta do better :)

You are in size 24month and 2T clothes. Yah 24months and 2T are different sizes. Makes no sense. And its annoying. But I get just about everything in 2T now. You fit all of your 18month pants (if they're cute as capris) You wear a size 7 shoe perfectly. You wear size 4 diapers and as soon as we get back from our Arkansas trip Potty Training 101 is Goin Down!!!

Well my little love...next time I blog about my BFF you'll be TWO!!! Make it stop ;) You're the cutest kid I could ever ask for. Watching you grow is the highlight of my life. I love you!!!
xoxo,
Mom