Summer fun!

Wow, it has been a little while since I posted anything.
I want to start off with an update on Kami's behavior, because when I opened my page the first thing I saw was the TERRIBLE TWO's post. She has made a lot of progress! I mean, don't get me wrong... she is still a little whiney and demanding at times, but that's just part of being a toddler! Overall she is growing up a lot... and growing fast, too! The other day, she walked up to her lil growth chart in her room and said "Mommy, write me." The last time we marked her height was in May of this year. In just 2 months, she has grown more than a whole inch! Her hair is growing fast too! My little chunky baby is now a tall, slender, grown up little girl!

I have not had a chance to post anything on her new GLASSES!!! She went to the eye doctor about a month ago and he told us she would have to wear glasses due to "accommodative esotropia," which is basically like a lazy eye due to her farsightedness. He thinks she will outgrow the farsightedness and most likely will not need the glasses after wearing them for a few years. She has done so well with them! I was afraid she would refuse to wear them, or break them daily, or lose them... etc. Not so, though! She loves them and don't mind wearing them at all! She looks so much older with them on, too. I swear, she looks like a 6-yr-old sometimes, rather than a 2-yr-old!

                                                           

See?? ;)

Now for an update in the life of Kensie Bug:

My pretty baby girl is already 16 months and is growing like a weed! She's also got one of her molars already!! She is constantly surprising us with new words and other little things that she is picking up on so well. Kami is really into singing (and dancing) now. When we are in the car, she will throw her head back, close her eyes, and just belt out the words to every song on the radio! Kensie is starting to imitate that now. She knows almost all the words to "Jesus Loves Me," and sings along to the "ABC's." One of Kam's favorites on the radio right now is "Why You Gotta Be So Mean" by Taylor Swift. Kensie will just dance and hum but when it gets to the chorus, she chimes in "MEAN" every time just as clear as can be! She has such a strong personality too. She loves her big sister like crazy, and Kam loves her back just as much, but they are already starting to battle for attention and don't always like to share as well as they should. I have a feeling that this is probably not going to change much over the next...oh, I don't know... 16 years?? I love that they have each other though. Best buddies!!

Well... summer-time is upon us, and I'm loving it! We have been enjoying the pool (when it's not raining!) and going on the river some. I just wish there was more time to get to do things like that! Seems like the weekends are over as soon as they begin. Kami had her first experience on the intertube last weekend. She just hopped right in the river with her "Daddy-O," and rode that thing like a pro! He had her doing tricks and standing up on his lap and everything. She absolutely loved it! Can't wait to go back again! Here's a couple of pictures:

So onto the excitement of this weekend! 

Friday, we went and got the girls new beds so we could put them back in the same room together.

Kami was so excited about her new bed. We let her & Kensie stay at her Mimi & Pop-Pop's until we got it set up. On the way back home, I asked her if she was excited and she grinned this huge grin and said "I can't WAIT to see it," (in perfect pronunciation! lol).

Kensie sleeps through the night and is very easy to lay down at bedtime (KNOCKING ON WOOD!), and Kami is old enough now to understand the idea of "If you wake up and it's still dark outside, just snuggle under your covers and go back to sleep in YOUR bed." I think it will do them both good to have sister in the same room. Plus, we can convert our guest room BACK to a guest room!

For the last few months, Kami has been making a nightly trip to our bed at about 2AM. It's gotten to the point that she barely wakes me up. She will just shimmy right in the middle and hardly make a sound. We had the talk last night about waiting until the sun was shining outside... or as she says "when the sunshine is on," to come into Mommy and Daddy's room. I know it was only the first night, but she stayed in her bed until I woke her up to get ready this morning! I'm hoping to keep the ball rolling!

That's all for now...  Goodnight everyone!
<3
Jamie

"Terrible Two's" are getting pretty terrible!

So I know I have always heard the term "terrible two's" and have witnessed a little from my nephews, etc. I did NOT, however, expect my sweet, innocent little Kami Ray to completely morph into this moody, whiney, jealous, spiteful little creature! She is still the same sweet girl but it is starting to wear me out a little with all the tantrums and such. It breaks my heart a little because when you factor in Mommy's and Daddy's full-time jobs, it seems like all the time we spend together, we are doing nothing but time-outs and saying "No MA'AM!" I feel like it is robbing us of the  happy together-time that we already get so little of! She is still loving and sweet for the most part, it's just constant mood-swings and a very short fuse. This whole thing really did not start until the last month or two, but now it seems like it is just getting worse and worse.

The first thing that we noticed was that she started wanting to stay up later and she did not want to go to bed by herself. She has always been such a great sleeper, and has slept in her own bed since Day 1 (with only occasional treats of sleeping with us). We started letting her snuggle with us on the couch for a while in the evenings after bath and everything was finished (this was as much for me as it was for her... of course). She will end up going to sleep there, then we'll move her into her room. This isn't a problem, but also she wakes up every single night somewhere between 1 and 3 AM screaming and running to our bed. It's like once she realizes she is alone, she is afraid. We leave her bathroom light on so it isn't dark, have her little animals sleep with her, tell her there are no such thing as monsters, etc... but she just won't have it! The only way she will go to sleep on her own is if she can watch "Clipperd" (AKA Clifford the Big Red Dog). I don't guess this is a big deal to let her do that, I just don't want her to completely depend on the TV or Mommy/Daddy to be able to sleep!
The sleep issue is obviously not the biggest issue, however. She is just constantly testing her limits! She wants everything WHEN she wants it, HOW she wants it, and if it doesn't play out that way.... there is HELL to pay! Mornings are always rough.. she doesn't want to get up and get ready, then she cries and makes a big fuss when I have to leave her at daycare. And stingy is not even the word! If Kensie so much as LOOKS at a toy, she is diving to grab it first!
We are doing the time-out thing, and it's so exhausting! She screams and cries, gets up, we put her back; she kicks and screams, etc., gets up, we put her back; and on and on it goes until she finally wears herself out. I just don't know how long it's going to take before she realizes the pattern here. I can't count the times I have said "Kami, you have to ask me nicely WITHOUT crying," "Kam, you have to play nice with Sister," "Kami, you cannot hit, kick, strangle the dog," ETC, ETC, ETC. She really tests your patience... that is for sure.
I know it sounds like I am whining too, and I completely understand that this is a stage that most kids have to go through. I also realize that she will eventually move past it. I am just SUPER ready for that to happen. I want my pleasant little one to get back to normal! I am open to any suggestions from those of you who have been where I am and made it to the other side :)

On the other foot, thankfully, Kensie is at the PERFECT age! She is still the squishy, snuggly little baby but is also starting to get more active, talking, interacting, and understanding what is going on. Her vocabulary is growing so fast and I swear, the child understands every word you say to her! She has such a happy personality and is constantly smiling and laughing. I really believe that Kensie has brought a great balance to the whole situation addressed above (K-Ray's attitude problem). She brings out the best in Kami... most of the time. Looking ahead, though, I am just praying that Kami gets OUT of the Terrible Two's before Kensie gets INTO them!

Say a prayer for us. Parenting isn't always easy, but it is ALWAYS a blessing, and I am so glad I am not in it alone. I realize how lucky I am to have found a man that is willing to stick it out with me and enjoy both the good times AND the not-so good! We are trying our best to make our children grow up to be sweet, happy people! It's just wearing us out a little in the process! :-D


<3
Jamie

Kam's first taste of STAGE FRIGHT!

Hello all!
Tonight was Kami's end-of-the-year program at her preschool, and I was so excited to see her get up there and sing all her little songs she has been practicing for the last month or so. While we were getting ready to go, her daddy told her to make sure and remember to sing loud and have a great time.

In the car on the way to her school program

Kensie Bug waiting on the show!

When it was "showtime," she came out with a big grin and looked so cute. The music starts, and there she goes, belting out that little song with every ounce of her being! It was so cute! She definitely remembered the "Sing loud," portion of the pep talk!

 

Kam is the 2nd from right on the front row... check out that grin!



Thing is, however, this enthusiasm only lasted for about half of the first song, then all of the sudden, I noticed the facial expression changing just a smidgeon. And then... there it was... bursting into tears screaming "Mommy, Mommy!" She decided she wanted NO PART of performing in front of all those people! I can't blame her... I mean, I have a bit of the phobia myself to this day, but as a kid, it was rediculous how bashful I was. Poor thing; she gets it honest! I tried everything I could think of to get her back up there on the stage, but the only thing I could get out of her was "No Mommy, I'm tiiiiiiiiired," in that whiney, pitiful little voice!

So... we watched the other kids sing and dance; begged her a couple of more times to go back up there with her friends; gave up; and then went to eat at Beans and Greens with Madison, Spencer, Carey, and Dean. Of course, when we went in the restaurant, she was skipping and jumping and singing like crazy! Oh well, at least we had a good dinner with good friends!

And of course, Kensie Bug had a great time! She always does when FOOD is involved! Check her out chowing down.... She is such a little piggy! :) I am loving how grown-up she is these days. She is becoming so independent and smart. And Lordie, Lordie, what a Daddy's Girl!

Well, I guess that is enough for now.... the sound of my husband's incredibly LOUD snoring is getting to be a distraction. Better go put him to bed :)

Good night, everyone!

<3 - Jamie

Cardinal flight...

Welcome to my BLOG!
To start off, I guess I need to catch up... so here goes!

I am so incredibly blessed that I don't even know where to start! I have such a great family and a very sweet mother who has always been such a strong influence on me. Everyone always says I am her made over, and I take this as a very sweet compliment! See what you think...

In the summer of 2003, when I was only 17 years old, I met my best friend in the world, and he has steadily became more and more important to me. In April of 2007, he proposed at one of our favorite spots (at Cherokee Rock Village), and then on April 13, 2008, he became my husband. I feel so lucky to have found my soul mate at such a young age, because I get to spend my entire adult life with the person I was meant to grow old with! And basically, that is where our story starts...

From there, the good news just keeps coming!! We had our first daughter, Kami Ray on September 17,2008, and being a mommy is one of the greatest gifts God has given to me! Our second child came along 18 months later. Kensie was born March 8, 2010, and instantly became Kami's pride and joy (and ours as well, of course!).  I am so excited to watch the two of them grow up together. Of course, there will be some intense "disagreements," but ultimately, they will always have a best friend to be by their side through everything.

Becoming a father has done such wonderful things to Jared as well! I absolutely love to watch him light up at the mere sight of his little girls! He is such a manly-man and always wanted a little boy but those girls have stolen his heart and turned him into the greatest Daddy in the world!

Another perk to getting married, is that you gain a whole additional family! Yet another blessing in my life is my amazing inlaws! Jared has the most kind-hearted family and I am so very honored to be a part of it now (and yes, I really do mean that with all my heart!). Anyone who has ever met Toni and Lance knows that they would do anything for anyone... honestly putting everyone else's good ahead of their own. I have so much love and respect for them and I am so thankful for all the things they do to help us out. They, like most grandparents, do their share of SPOILING, but it's all out of love, and my girls absolutely ADORE both of them beyond words!

This blog will be a fun way to keep track of all the fun we have together, so I am excited to get started! I honestly can't believe it has taken me this long to start BLOGGING!