22 Months!

There was one word in our house today. And it fell repetitively from Abby Kate's lips the entire day.

Gym-nak-sicks.

Or, gymnastics, as those over 3 might say. That's right, we start gymnastics class tomorrow! It's a mommy/child class for 18-month to 3-year-olds. We're both really excited about it! The class teaches toddlers to follow simple instructions and how to move as a group, along with teaching them forward rolls, how to hang from the bar, etc. Mike and I showed her how to do cartwheels at the park yesterday. But not because we're immature. No. It was purely for her preparation. :)

Abby Kate turned 22 months today and she is doing great. AK's favorite things at this stage are puzzles, baby dolls, letters, numbers and music. She knows all her letters and can count to ten. She also sings many different songs (or parts of them at least). She is wearing size 3T now and weighs about 30 lbs. Her hair is long enough for pigtails! I waited so, so long for the moment she could sport these. She looks adorable with them. (See, there is hope, Sara Floyd!)

AK sports a red scar from her accident, but it doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it would. And I think in time it will fade away almost completely. She is such a chatterbox these days. I swear she never shuts up. She is already starting that "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, MOMMY!" thing - interrupting my conversations only to say "look, Mommy, I have thumb" (while pointing at her thumb). I wasn't expecting this so soon!

It is so funny the way she tries to speak like a grown-up. She has this low-octave voice with a serious tone that she uses when she's giving us instruction. Mike picked up a dish of steamed broccoli to offer her more one night at dinner. Without hesitation she pointed to the table and said, "No Daddy, put it on the table. No brocky, I eatin' chicken."

Yesterday, I was pushing her through the grocery store when she spotted a large, bald man with a long, gray beard. She immediately pointed and yelled, "Saaaaanta Claaaus!!!!" I don't know if the man heard her, but I couldn't help laughing out loud.

And anytime I laugh at her, she says, "I funny."

She has had the chance to play with other kids many times since we've moved. She now enjoys the gym's child care and has also been to a drop-in child care/play-time place a couple of times. I love watching her interact with the other kids. And I can't wait to see how gymnastics goes!

Our baby girl is sunshine and love and joy and everything sweet! We have loved every second of these 22 months!

Still Smiling!

These stitches haven't phased our girl one bit. Here she is smiling after eating all of her Lima beans! Well, maaaaybe Junah ate one... er six, but really, who's counting. In fact, I think she is about to drop that very bean onto the floor and cackle as Junah eats it up.

She barely notices her stitches. I've been really careful putting her clothes over her head and being sure not to get the area wet. They are supposed to be taken out on Monday. You can see she has bled through the bandages a bit. But the doctor told us to leave them on unless they fall off themselves. I want to clean her up under there, but... what to do?

It's going to take awhile before Mike and I let our overprotectiveness wear off. We cringe everytime she walks even slightly quick.

In other news, Mike's youngest brother, Matt, and his wife, Beth, just had a baby boy! I'm waiting for the first pictures to be sent. I'll be sure to post one. Congrats Matt and Beth!!! We're looking forward to meeting little Joshua Matthew Wallace!

Big Fall

It's going to be painful writing this, just as it was painful to experience... but Abby Kate now has her first (and hopefully ONLY!) set of stitches. Our shy, extra-cautious, non-rambunctious, little girl... I never would've thought she'd end up with a 'head wound' - as the doctor called it.

We had gone down to Mike's brother's house Sunday to have dinner and stay the night so we could say farewell as he left on his deployment. We were getting ready the next morning when we heard a loud thud, followed by screams from Abby Kate. I rushed out of the bathroom and found her on the floor, her head near the sharp corner of two walls. I was planning to pick her up, dust her off and tell her "you're OK, sweetheart," like I always do when she falls. However, when I turn her over to pick her up, blood was gushing out of an inch-long cut right down the middle of her forehead. I screamed for help and tried to stop the bleeding with my hands until Mike and Bill rushed over with cloths. The bleeding slowed fairly quickly, but we knew from the size of the cut, she'd need stitches. I felt terrible for her. And Mike and I both felt like the worst parents in the world for not being able to prevent it. She kept screaming "hurt head" and "booboo head." She calmed down in the car, but I started feeling queasy as we drove to the emergency center. I couldn't stand to see her hurt like that.

The feeling continued when we had to watch her scream and cry out for us as they put her in this straight jacket type thing to hold her still while they stitched her up - four or five in all, I think. It was terrible! She kept crying and screaming "Mommy, hold me!" Even though they numbed her, we could tell she felt some of it.

She's feeling better now. She only seems to notice it when she looks in the mirror, so I guess it doesn't hurt too much. She'll get the stitches out Monday. We are afraid of scarring. Please pray for our sweet girl!

Random Thoughts and Happenings of Late

When you buy a brand new refrigerator, it's supposed to work for more than five weeks, correct? I mean, come on, at least give me a couple of months before I have to call a freaking repair man. Lowe's is terrible here. That's where the aforementioned appliance was purchased - as well as many sets of blinds that still have not arrived nor been installed. Ducking beneath the windows in my room to fetch clothing everyday has really gotten old. Mike and I are on display to the neighborhood every night as we read in bed. It's ridiculous... thank goodness there are no other houses close behind us. The blinds should be off backorder and to our doorstep next week (fingers crossed).

I had a breakthrough this morning at the gym. You're probably wondering... what did she do? Break a personal record on the treadmill? Lift a million pounds? Spin so fast she rode the stationary bike right out the door? No, no, something way more miraculous. The big breakthrough was that Abby Kate actually loosened her death grip around the nursery worker's neck and walked around and played today. Imagine that! In all previous visits, she'd be crying when I left her (actually she starts to cry as soon as we pull in the parking lot) and then she'd calm down, but sit in the lady's lap the whole time and then cry again when I picked her up. But not today my friends! I peeked in at her and she was playing with the other kids, having a grand ol' time. I asked her if she had fun and she said, "I had a good time," which is way more comical if you could hear her say it. Anyhow, SUCCESS!

Uncle Bill (Mike's younger brother) came to visit last weekend. He and Mike played golf and then we all enjoyed Mexican Lasagna when they got back home. Abby Kate warmed up to Bill very fast and was singing and laughing and playing games with him up until bedtime. Bill leaves for Iraq this coming Monday on his fourth deployment. He is also a pilot in the Marine Corps. Please pray for a safe trip over there and for a quick and safe return.


The Newbolds came over on Saturday. They brought their blow-up pool, which was a fabulous idea as it kept the kids entertained while we spent time catching up and enjoying a couple of drinks and chips'n'dip on our deck. We had dinner and truly enjoyed their company as it had been awhile since we'd had a gettogether. The girls have so much fun together. I love it when they get to play and laugh and run around. They are all so sweet.

I heard from an old friend I met when we lived in Virginia after she found out we had moved to NC. I met Jody when Mike began TBS in Quantico. She, her husband (also named Mike) and their 15-month-old boy, Noah, live down in beautiful Emerald Isle. It's about an hour drive from here. Jody invited us down to spend a few hours at a water park near their home. We had a nice time catching up. Thanks for inviting us, Jody! It was great to see you and meet your adorable son. The picture is of Noah and AK getting ready for the water park.