Fall Photo Fail

This silly girl is hard to photograph these days!

I took TONS of pics of the girls yesterday and these are the best I got!

Enjoy your weekend, I'm looking forward to a SUPER one!

Dear Ainslee Girl

Dear Ainslee,

I know I wrote several letters to Lena Kate, and this one is just for you! I'm sorry it is delayed, but such is life with 2 children. You are ever so special to us. There are so many things about you that make you unique and I love each of them. Here are just a few.

I LOVE your crazy hair. It is long and still has a mind of its own. It sticks straight up in the back and I love it. I can't tell what color it is going to be yet, but I really think you are going to have great hair:)

First time in the Bumbo-not sure what she was thinking here!

I love that you make dreamy noises when you are sleeping and throw in a smile on occasion. You sound like a puppy dog having a doggie dream. I just wonder what you are dreaming about!

I love that you grin EVERY time I put you down on the changing table to change your diaper. Either you love that I'm talking to you or the feel of fresh air down there:) Speaking of grins, your is so cute, sometimes larger on the right side making your one dimple obvious to anybody that sees you.

I love you in jammies, they remind me how small you are. You love to pull your legs up and this makes you seem tiny. You play with your toes often..and how I love those long toes. Your feet are definitely a trait I passed on. Everybody comments how long you are and I agree, so when you are all balled up, I don't notice so much. I want you to stay my baby forever, and yet I can't wait to see what life has in store for you.

When you nurse, you like to rub your hand sweetly on my chest, and you eat, to eat, not for comfort. When you are full, you are done.

I love that you still grab your ears when you are going to sleep. When you aren't grabbing your ears your hands are always together playing with each other so sweetly. You like to sleep in the room with somebody during the day, if you wake from a nap alone in the room you do not like it. At night you are sleeping from about 10 to 5 or 6 am usually waking once to eat. Now that you can roll over you prefer to sleep on your tummy.

You are a pacifier girl but also really enjoy sucking on your fingers these days, and smack, girl, you can smack. Sometimes it is your pacifier you are holding on to and smacking, sometimes it is on your fingers.

You love to hold my fingers when going to sleep, you will grab onto them when I put my hand on your chest.

Ainslee, you are such a joy. You love your big sister already and she can quiet you if you are crying in your swing. You love to watch her and anybody else in the room. You know where everybody is and are very observant.

I LOVE your blue eyes. We don't know where you got them from or if they will stay but your have such big expressive blue eyes. You always look surprised.

Sweet sugar, I pray you stay healthy and sweet. We love you with all our hearts and complete our family so nicely.

Love,

Mama

What we are up to

Random start: Missy got new bowls after the dinosaur got to the yucky ones last week:)

These girls are growing up and I don't like it.
The End. Oh well, I guess I should embrace it since I can't stop it! Lena Kate is just such a big girl and talks, and talks, and talks some more. She picks up and phone, any phone, and carries on full conversations. She talks for both people. She is really into her babies and stuffed animals. She plays with them all day-tea parties, trips to the doctor, etc. She keeps them entertained for sure. She isn't partial to the prettiest, biggest, or most expensive. She loves them all the same. For some reason this really sank in, that we all could learn from this little almost-3-year-old. Now, some days she has her favorites, but that changes. She will also share a baby with Ainslee if she is asleep on the floor. She now has to take more than just her 3 to bed. She will pile in as many babies and animals as her arms will hold and hold them all while falling asleep. Lena Kate thinks every day is her birthday-or somebody's birthday. She loves to sing the birthday song, as well as any other song she knows! Her upcoming birthday should be fun since she is soooo into birthdays. I've already started a birthday/Christmas list for her. I think I'm as excited as she is.

Dad's sister, Aunt Mary, had been very ill and passed away last Friday. Earlier in the week, or the week before, I can't remember when. I took the girls by to visit her. Lena Kate sang Jesus Loves Me to her and she made the effort to get her hands out from under the covers and clap for her. It was a big deal for her and the last time she did something so significant. I'm so glad we went by. I pray that peace arrives soon for her children, grandchildren, and husband...well, the whole family. My cousin Abby (she was my flower girl) attempted to sing Amazing Grace at the memorial service yesterday and only made it through the first few lines. She has a beautiful voice, but it was just too much for the sweet little 10 year old. She is just precious and it broke my heart to see her get upset and hear that voice crack. Of course, we all helped her out with the remaining part-so poignant.

Daddy took some time off bird-hunting to play some ball with Lena Kate. She is doing really well hitting the ball out of the air. I'm impressed. Lane said not long ago that he guessed he'd have to learn the softball rules since it was something he would enjoy with the girls. Of course, the princess bat and ball got an eye-roll.

Swing-batter, batter, batter-swing!

Little sister is growing like a weed...well, like a weed that wasn't in an awful drought like we are in now. It has rained around, just not HERE! Ok, back to the Bug. Ainslee is learning new tricks. She discovered her feet a few days ago-built in toys. She will now play with rattles or teethers. She likes to lay and play on her playmat, but as soon as you lay her down she usually rolls over and that little head pops right up. She even rolled from stomach to her back last night in her crib. Wow-sers! Ainslee likes to hold and grab things with her hands, especially when falling asleep. Sometimes it is her pacifier, sometimes her ears, sometimes her eyes. I try to give her her little bunny lovie to grab, which she likes as well. I'm enjoying how different the girls are and watching Ainlsee's habits develop. Her eyes are still blue...any bets on whether they will stay that way. People seem to think they will based on her coloring. I'm not sure. She sleeps on her stomach mostly and this seems to have her sleeping longer. The last few nights she has been up only once before 5:30, rather than 2,4, and 6 or 1, 3 and 5....yea!

Drool.

Always has the mouth open in concentration, I guess.

How about a profile shot?

Smilin because she's outside watching Daddy and sister play. Notice Missy standing at the door wanting to go back inside-spoiled dog.

Ahhhhhh-

Blue Jean Babies