My Rosie, and back at it.

Yeah, it's been a long while since I've done this... but, life happens!  So what better time to get back into it than writing a birthday post for Rose! (This is long... lots of updating to do!)

 

Next week she will be 3 years old.  Geesh.  I can't believe how incredibly fast the last 3 years have gone.  Admittedly, I feel like I don't remember Rose being a baby as much as I do Preston, but I think that's because it was just sort of a blur of time and "busyness" that I didn't think sometimes to just sit and process her (and Preston was just such a cooky baby, lol).  Besides, that first summer, we were engrossed with doctors appointments and tests trying to figure out why this little girl wouldn't gain any weight, then why she wouldn't let anything go...  Now THAT'S a blur to me.  But I tell you, looking at this little beauty now you would never guess she had issues as a baby.

She is fierce.  And sweet.  And sassy.  And so so smart.  And not so coordinated, lol.  With Preston, he could climb to the top of a ladder and jump off, landing on his feet with no issues.  And he runs like a little cheetah.  Rose is a little more cumbersome, but also very cautious, when it comes to physical activity.  That's not to say she doesn't love burning off energy.  She runs like a girl, but a damn-determined one.  We've started her in swim lessons, and I can't believe the improvement she's made in just 4 short weeks.  The first week, she held on white-knuckled to the platform in the pool, and was like a little monkey hanging on to the teacher when she swam around with her.  By now, she's finally letting go of the platform, kicking those little legs when she swims, and aaaalmost putting her face under.  Hopefully she'll continue to improve and show that she has more of her daddy's predisposition for water abilities... as opposed to her momma's.  I'm not so good when it comes to non-land-based activities... ;)

She loves to color, and make pictures, and her attention to detail is amazing.  She's so good at holding a crayon or pencil, and we're so excited for her to start at Curiosity Corner in the fall.  After two years of having Preston in their class, I can't wait for the teachers to get to know Rose.  Just have to get that potty training thing down before September... and based on Rose's headstrong tendencies, we're going ahead and not pushing her.  I know she's going to say one day "okay, I'm done with diapers. Time for underwear."



On other fronts, work has been going well for Skip and me.  MCFI has found a great nurse case manager in Skip, and he loves it there.  And staying on pool at Elmbrook has given him the chance to keep up with his clinical skills, without having the burnout of constant third shifts.  He's also taken on the duties as the AFSCME union steward for MCFI.  In a state where union-busting has become full-force, these new duties of his have really given him some good experience (and an awesome interest rate on a new credit card, lol). My job is basically the same, but that's the nature of the beast.  It pays the bills, it gives us good insurance, it's flexible around my family life.  Three things that I can't complain about.

Preston has improved and grown remarkably in both body and mind in the past few months.  We repeated Curiosity Corner again this year, as opposed to sending him to 4k, because we didn't feel he was quite ready for the intensity of "real" school.  Not to mention we didn't fully understand the registration processes for the various schools up here (a MESS, see below), so we missed some opportunities to have him where we wanted him, when we wanted him there.  Live and learn I suppose.  But this year at CCNS has proved to be really good for him, especially socially.  He was sort of the scapegoat last year.  Bigger, smarter kids took advantage, and it killed us watching that.  And effected him.  Just last week, when I was bringing him into school, another little girl, very excitedly, says "Hi Preston!! It's my birthday today!!" and told him a very excited story about the day.  He just nodded and listened happily (things like this have happened a lot this year).  Afterwards, he says to me, "So, Mom.  I think I'm sort of the leader of my friends this year, huh?" just matter-of-fact, with no pretense.  I'm so proud he has been able to transition into a leader.  Still a silly leader with his moments, but the maturity is in there, coming out more and more each day.  Couldn't be prouder.  But good Lord, is the kid OBSESSED with Octonauts.  WOW.  We've learned an awful lot about the ocean lately, lol.

Next year, it will be the Milwaukee French Immersion School for Preston, and eventually Rose as well.  What a headache this has been for us - choosing a school.  See, Milwaukee Public Schools are not the greatest (there are a few good ones), so we looked into many options.  Wisconsin has Open Enrollment, which allows anyone to apply to attend any school in the state, if there is space.  So often times people in MKE apply to open enroll into schools in the next towns over... which we did.  But Wauwatosa (where we applied), has very long waitlists, and we don't hear until June if there is space.  So we applied at the public UWM charter school that is around the block from our house, and what do you know, we were put on the back end of a waitlist.  Harumph. :/  So, onto MPS.  We had great experiences speaking with representatives from MFIS at the enrollment fair we attended, and then subsequently touring the school during their annual Mardi Gras festivities.  Not to mention it is one of the highest performing academic elementary schools in the district. After some careful consideration and, of course, the letter indicating we got in, that's what we decided.  The diversity and excitement of the families at that school was exactly what we're looking for in a place to send our kids.  Families and teachers who WANT to be there, and have a sincere interest in making sure these city kids succeed in life.  Except..... the primary language of instruction for the first 2 years is French.  Yeah... neither Skip nor I speak much of it, so this will be something we're all learning together!  This will also likely be a commitment for "life" so to speak, in terms of following up for middle/high school with the Milwaukee School of Languages.  But we'll cross that "pont" when we come to it. << See that there?  I'm trying!

In the meantime, bring on spring and summer.  Already have 2 Brewers games on the books, as well as 2 camping trips for the summer.  Can't WAIT!!

Holy Whirlwind Weekend, Batman!

What a great weekend! Busy, but great. It started off actually on a frustrating foot, because we realized something is wrong with the clutch on the Jeep. So Skip and I had to do some coordinating on how to get us each back and forth for work, considering he drives all around the city all day (his new job is going splendidly, by the way!). We managed to figure it out, and in the middle of the day were able to get a loaner from the shop, so problems were relatively solved. Thursday night was quiet, as Skip rested up for work that night (his holiday shift at Elmbrook for the year), and the kids and I took it easy watching the Jeep get towed away...

Friday, we were lucky to have my parents come up to watch the kids while Skip slept again and I went to my parade. I've been doing this parade for I think 5 years now? It's a little parade and celebration coordinated through a couple of schools and community organizations in Sherman Park - a diverse neighborhood in the middle of the city. It's just our little band (10-12 of us) and the neighborhood kids/families follow behind with their bikes decorated. Once we get to the park, the kids have games and races while we play marches off to the side. It's really a great event for a neighborhood that is often underserved when it comes to things like this.

I got home from the morning's activities, and my parents took me and the kids to lunch, then we met Skip back at home to head down to Racine. We had been down to the Yacht Club in the past for the 4th, but never stayed for the fireworks. This year, we packed to spend the afternoon and evening there, then sleep on Mannings' boat. The kids had a great and exhausting time playing in the sand, riding paddleboats, kayaks, and even a speedboat trip out to see a shipwreck in the lake. We cooked out and visited while we waited for the fireworks to start. The fireworks display was awesome - we couldn't have asked for a better view! Rose zonked out in the middle of them. By the time we finally all fell asleep, it was almost midnight - so it was a late night for all. Though the boat was comfortable, it was a new place for the kids, so they were up with the sun on Saturday morning. After some coffee on the RYC patio and breakfast at Cliff's Boathouse, we headed home - the kids were back asleep in the car by about 10 minutes into our drive.  The rest of the day was spent just working in the yard and taking it easy.  Skip cooked a delicious dinner out on the grill, then we crashed early.

Sunday we got up and searched for a farmer's market to find veggies for dinner.  When we came home, we had lunch then got our house ready for some visitors.  So, here's a story: When I was pregnant with Preston, I joined the "October 2009" birth club on BabyCenter.com.  From there, a smaller group spun off as a "drama free" group, then has had a couple various other spinoffs to become what it is now.  At this point, it's a group of about 40 of us moms, who all have in common an October '09 baby (most of us now have other kids, or had a couple beforehand).  We're all over the country, and keep in touch mostly via Facebook.  It's really a unique community to be part of, though I had never had an opportunity to meet any of these wonderful ladies in person - until now!  My friend Corinne from Madison and her family happened to be at the zoo, so we invited them over for a very impromptu dinner.  It was a crazy couple of hours, but it was so great to finally meet and have the kids meet as well.  I think everyone was pretty exhausted at the end of the day, but we look forward to being able to meet again soon!

Rose crashed at 7:15, Preston had a meltdown at 8, then Skip and I were asleep by 10.  Lol, the end.

~The end of an era, and the winds of change~

I've often mentioned how our schedule basically runs our lives.  I actually had this whole post written out, then read back through it and realized, "geesh, I sure talk about this a lot."  Well, it was true.  I didn't ever think or plan to have a job function as such a dictator to our lifestyle, but a healthcare job just sort of does that.  I could ask any of our firefighter/EMS/nurse friends and they'd probably tell you the same thing.  But they'd probably also tell you that the job is also one of the most influential and positive things in their lives (no matter how much they complain ;) ), and that they wouldn't give it up for the world.  They might tell you, though, that they'd give up the weird hours... hence why I'm writing this.

Our third shift life is over (at least for a while).  And we are thrilled.  Weekends? Holidays? Evenings? All together now as a family.  Skip has taken a job with the Milwaukee Center for Independence as a nurse case manager.  He will be working (first shift!!) out in the community, and is quite excited for the drastic change from the confines of an emergency room in the middle of the night.  Hopefully, he will also be staying on at the hospital to be able to work occasional shifts, which will keep up his skills in that aspect of nursing.

With that end, comes changes for the kids as well.  When we first got pregnant, one thing that we agreed upon was that we didn't want our kids in full-time childcare during the week.  However, we've decided that any detriment we found in having our kids under someone else's care a couple more days a week is drastically less than the detriment this crazy schedule has had on us.  We're all tired, and socially isolated, and if this new schedule means we'll gain a hell of a lot of sanity back, then we're okay with the new childcare arrangements. We have been blessed to find Cassandra, who has been patient and understanding of our crazy schedules for the past four years, and has done an amazing job helping to raise our babies when we can't - and she'll be sticking around :).   We've also found another wonderful girl who is going to be coming to our home and helping out the other days of the week that Cassandra isn't.

So lots of changes, and they've happened quickly.  Skip wasn't looking, per se, but when opportunities present themselves... well, sometimes that's God's way of saying a change is in order.  We're excited to see how this change goes...

Preston will be starting t-ball next weekend, and this former utility infielder and catcher couldn't be more tickled.  I went and got him the cutest little glove (even made by Franklin), and he hasn't taken it off his hand since.  I'm irrationally excited about this, lol.

Um, and Rose is going to be 2?!  How in the heck have two years passed with this little girl?!  All I know is she is going to be more than happy to finally face forward in her car seat.  The poor girl has detested the thing ever since she was born, so at least now she can look around better.  She won't know what to do with herself. :) 

Wrapping up 2013

I haven't posted in forever... sorry. That's life for ya!

Since I posted last in September (yikes!), not much has happened that's been too exciting directly for us, but we've been going along. My little guy is now officially a 4-y/o, and thankfully along with that has come some reasoning. Boy was he tough for a while there. They say that the "terrible twos" are the worst, but with Preston it was definitely the Terrible Threes. Testing, testing, testing! His adjustment to preschool paralleled how he was doing at home, so it wasn't the easiest transition. Thankfully his teachers were in communication with us throughout the months, and we were able to work with him at home and school to get him on track. From what we've heard, he is a thousand times better at school now, which makes sense since he is the same at home. Back to his sweet, goofy self that we really missed for a little while there!

And Rose... My dad calls her "Little Miss Me Too," which about sums her up. She is a spitfire, this one. Already talking like crazy, and fiercely independent... unless she wants to do something that Preston is doing. It's so funny seeing the two of them together, and at times exhausting, but I'm confident to say that my kids are going to be very close as they grow up. Knowing that we're probably done at two, I'm happy that the two I have will be good friends.

Skip's back on track at work (thanks to what sounds like some butt-kicking to those responsible for the schedule...), which has been so much more manageable. Basically 5 days on, 8 days off. His work days fall over every other weekend, but at least it's been consistent. We had a few months where it was just killing us to be back and forth and running around so inconveniently. It's hard enough to be managing a family when one person is on a third shift, let alone a third shift that jumps around. That's basically the single most stress-inducing aspect of our lives, so if we can have his schedule be predictable, our lives are a whole lot more predictable.

Our Christmas was good, celebrating with Mannings on Sunday night, then we got to do the typical Preston Christmas Eve (hosted by Cederlunds this year), then Christmas morning with the Eckels. I am STOKED for my new hedge trimmer, lol. Gotta love getting older, when you get excited about gardening implements. Rose is now stocked with enough baby dolls to last her through toddlerhood. The same goes for Preston with cars and planes. Rumor has it my dad is looking to take him to EAA next summer...

We also welcomed a new niece into the family - London Marie Manning joins mom Erin, dad Tom (Skip's brother) and siblings Sawyer and Nova out in California :).

Famous last words, but it looks like we have a pretty quiet January/February coming up. Preston starts swimming lessons again, so that should be fun for him. I'm hoping to be able to reconnect with some people soon - I've been feeling very out-of-touch with pretty much everyone except my family lately. Crossing my fingers that it works out. This year went by so fast. While I'm so excited to see what 2014 brings, I wish it would slow down a little! Now I know what my mom meant when she said she "lost a few years" when her kids were little. I don't want to lose this time!

My baby isn't such a baby anymore!

It's really hard for me to believe that it was 4 years ago that we were expecting Preston. So much has changed in so many ways for us since that time, and we've learned a lot! And now he's off to school! I know it's just preschool, but it's still amazing to see him off doing something really just for him. He has been so excited about it, too. We lucked out with him starting a week later than the local schools, because all of his "back to school" gear was totally marked down at the store by the time we got there. Sunday we made trips to Target and Kohls to get his Lightning McQueen packback (yes, he switches the b and p), new sneakers and a couple of new outfits to start the year off right. (On a side note, Kohls was interesting. I had Rose on my back and Preston in the cart. Throughout the course of the shopping trip, Rose successfully pulled an entire stack of jeans off a shelf while I was picking up a shirt Preston had pulled down, and I cleaned up an entire baggie of spilled pretzels off the floor.)

I dropped Preston off at Curiosity Corner at 9 on Monday, and he couldn't have done better. He went right to his spot to sit down, and immediately started chatting with the little girl next to him. No tears, no clinging to my leg - just blew me a kiss from the doorway, and I was off. I was so proud of him. I saved the tears for the car. ;) We had a couple of pre-preschool meetings and sneek peeks last week to prepare both us and him, but it was still a little bittersweet dropping him off that first day.

Both kids have also finally outgrown their carseats (we milked that 32 lb, 32 inch limit on the darn infant seat for Rose as long as we could...), so they are both excited to be in new ones (well Rose got Preston's). Luckily our small breed of children allowed us to use the little seats far longer than we'd ever expect.

We had a long weekend up in Algoma over the Labor Day holiday, which was fun. The weather cooperated splendidly, so we were able to spend most of our time outside. Enjoyed a little day trip up to Door County as always, but actually spent most of our time in Algoma this time. Such a friendly and low-key little town.

Skip's had a screwy schedule the past few weeks (urgh Elmbrook...), so between that, Preston's school stuff, Knightwind starting back up, and Skip's new band rehearsals (this new group is AWESOME, by the way...), I've felt like my eyes have been on the calendar constantly, trying to keep on top of things even more obsessively than normal. It'll be nice to get back into a better routine next month, once things get going and Skip gets his better shifts back. I don't know, I've felt awfully out of the loop with everyone lately...

Music. And holy crap, we worked on the house!

If you know me, you know I love music. I'm not a fan of everything, but I do have pretty broad tastes. Due to my exposure to piano lessons starting at 5 years old, and my choice to play the tuba in 5th grade, I gained a healthy interest into the world of band and orchestra music. That interest followed me all through college, allowing me the opportunity to play in the Augustana Symphonic Band (and take formal tuba lessons for the first time in my life!). The Augie Band was one of the most influential experiences of my time in college, and is something I will cherish forever. Thanks Doc ;) And Rusty, Kathryn, Lindsay... and many others. Thanks to Augie, give me a Holsinger or Grainger piece and some earbuds and I'm set. I've taken that continued interest (and the substantial piece of brass currently in my basement) to the next phase in life playing in the Knightwind Ensemble, of which I've made a whole new set of band friends. I think my commitment to continue playing has allowed me to feel like I still have some "me" in me. Having little kids and a crazy schedule lends itself to losing some of what I think makes a person who they are - although those things also become part of that person. But I've managed to stick with (and will continue to stick with) my tuba playing, just to always have something to immerse "just me" into. Make sense? Maybe not, but to me it does.

Also, you know that I wasn't one to follow others too much when it came to what was "trendy" music growing up. Despite trying really hard to be, I've never been a Dave fan. Which inherently sucks, because all my friends love going to concerts, and I've felt like the odd one out. But I've had my opportunities to see in person the bands that I've loved, most recently it's been convenient to see them only a few miles from my house and for "free." Two of the few CDs that I actually bought as a teenager were Los Lonely Boys and Live. So, you can imagine how excited I was to hear that LLB was going to play at Zoo a la carte last year! I got to spend time with little family, eat food, and listen to some of my favorite music. Guess what? It happened again this year, with Ed Kowalczyk performing on the same stage as LLB last year. I swear, if Alice in Chains decides to come to the zoo next year, I'll be a happy girl. Although I think that might be a little rough for the elk and bears to listen to...

On another "note" (ha)... We worked on our house this weekend!! Preston and Rose had a wet, sandy, fun time down at Mannings and the RYC, while we had the above-mentioned date night on Friday, then cranked out some serious organization on Saturday. We FINALLY got Skip's clothes organized and his dresser moved from the guest room downstairs to our bedroom upstairs (just baaaarely fit up the staircase. We will be hurling it out of a window when we move out). After cleaning up the space where the dresser was, we were able to move Skip's amps and guitars into the guest room, where they will likely take up permanent residence, along with the afore-mentioned substantial piece of brass. I'm okay with that. It's a cleaner space, and makes them more easily accessible. We had talked about that sort of being a music/guest room anyways. In doing that move, the playroom was cleared of the amps, so I cleaned out a little spare dresser that we had in the guest room closet (of receiving blankets... tear :( ), and moved it into the playroom for more much-needed storage. We'll be giving lots of clothes to Purple Hearts in the next few weeks, as we realized a majority of what was in that closet was stuff just dropped there in the move, and has been ignored for the past 3 years. Haven't worn it, don't need it - giving it AWAY. I also deep-cleaned the upstairs bathroom that Preston pees all over (ah, the joys of potty-training a little boy), cleaned their bedroom and ours, and worked a little on sanding/finishing the banister at the top of the stairs. It felt so good getting some serious things done around the place. Now we can really focus on the last things upstairs that have been on hiatus (electric, a few pieces of trim, DECORATING).

Had a great dinner, as always, down at Mannings that night - gotta love al fresco dining with Lake Michigan as a backdrop. Then we had a nice day Sunday at home and entertaining Skip's new band buddies for dinner. All in all, a much-needed good and accomplished weekend. :)

And I got meds for the apparent sinus infection and cough I have been fighting for the past THREE weeks, so this IS a good day.

Picture post!

For something a little different...

We went for $2 drafts on Monday at Burke's.  Rose was clearly ready to go!

My little grape-smuggler, ready to go sailing with PopPop and Nana. 
Too bad this suit isn't Coast Guard approved :(

Love love love these curls!!

We're goofy.  But loving the back porch!

He really wanted to eat Preston. 
Good thing there was that thick glass...

My little stinker.

Blurry, but love that face.

Preston got to help build the United States of Legos.  He's
over on the far left... his building ended up being placed
somewhere around Kansas...

Cheese face!!

Update June 2013

Summer is in full swing these days in Manning household.  Which is good, because we can get out of our house!  Yeah, the house hasn't had anything really notable done to it renovation-wise since before Rose was born.  Skip and I took one weekend a few months ago to finish a few things, but for the most part, we're at a standstill.  Someday it will get done!

Skip and I were able to go down to Mexico for a vacation at the beginning of this month.  It was great.  Sarah and Andy were going down for Andy's best friend's wedding, and originally my parents were joining them so they could watch Elizabeth and Megan.  Well, Harrisons decided not to go, but my parents figured they'd still go anyways.  Upon hearing that, Skip, Michael and I all said that we were in as well.  The prospects of a kid-free vacation in paradise were pretty appealing (but stressful, too, thinking of leaving them).  Preston and Rose stayed with Skip's parents for a few days, then Cassandra and Rich took them, then back to Mannings.  We were SO grateful that the kids had safe, wonderful places to stay while we were gone.

The trip was great, aside from the fact that it rained from the moment we landed until about 2 days later.  Won't go back to Mexico in June.  Once the weather got better, we were able to enjoy the sun, with us all getting sufficiently sunkissed.  The resort itself was very nice, and the food was great, too.  Apart from a few dramatic moments brought on by the help of tequila, we all behaved ourselves and had just a great time.  We even got to go to the wedding, which was very special to be a part of. 

Oh, when we got home, I got to meet little Myhre Hacker, who is just beautiful.  I am so happy for Steph and Mike, and can't wait to get to know that little girl and watch her parents grow with her!

In home news, Preston has been staying down with my mom and dad Tuesdays-Thursdays to attend Tot Camp at Barlina House ("Nomna's school!" [i.e. "grandma"]).  He has loved it.  Even though we miss him while has been down there, it has given Skip and I some quality time a.)with just Rose, and b.)to have quiet and productive evenings at home.  I've gotten some good housework done over the past few weeks!  He'll have next week off, then start again in July for 4 weeks. 

Rose is great, and finally walking!  She took her time with that, and is still not completely steady on her feet, but she's definitely getting there.  We're glad for this newfound "uprightness" because she had some pretty serious issues with her GI system, and being upright has helped get things moving a lot better.  We also had her back to the CHW GI clinic a few weeks ago, and they were very thorough with her and gave us a lot of answers and solutions.  She'll continue to be monitored here and there, but for now we're just working on getting that little girl regulated, so to speak... Better now than when potty training time comes along.  Which was verified to us by the NP at the clinic.

Rose also has awesome hair.  I just can't get over it.  It's getting blonder and blonder by the day, and she tans like the 1/8th Italian that's in her.  The curls and "nappiness" of her hair is definitely new territory for me, though!  I really sometimes just have no idea what to do with it!

My job's good, Skip's job's good, same old same old hecticness managing opposite schedules.  But we do it, and that's that!  We've all been fighting off some yucky virus/pneumonia-type crap the past week, so I can't wait for that to get the heck out of our house.  We're looking forward to a few weekend trips here and there throughout the summer, but will largely be enjoying the Milwaukee/Racine/Crystal Lake area, as neither of us have much vacation time left since Mexico. 

I will post soon with some random pics from the last couple months!

The things he says

I need to get these things written down, lest I forget them. Preston says some incredible, hilarious, insightful things these days:

When leaving our visit with Sister Marge at the School Sisters of Notre Dame (a.k.a. the Mother Ship): "That was such a nice day.  There were 90 Sister Marges!"
Also during that visit, after chasing him down when he nearly followed Sr. Marge to the bathroom, to Marge: "You done going potty?"  In front of all the other nuns...

When eating various things for dinner: "This is the beeeessst chicken/pasta/meat ever!"

When I leave or drop him off at places: "Mommy, you'll come back for me?"
And subsequently, when I pick him up or come home: "Mommy!  You came back!"

When Rose cries: "Awe... it's okay baby girl.  It's okay..."
Also when Rose cries: "STOP. CRYING.!!"

"Oh. Hi Scotch." in the most suprised little voice.

When Rose falls over: "IIII gotcha, I gotcha!"

"Ooo... I tooted.  Heehee."

"I'm so strusstrated." (i.e. frustrated)

He also puts the wrong emPHAsis on the wrong sylLAbles sometimes, which is hilarious.  He says "yesterDAY" and "TEE vee" as examples.

Preston, what's your name? "Preston Charles Manning."
What's Daddy's name? "Skip Charles Edward Manning THE FORF!"
What's Mommy's name? "Ellen Doyle Manning."
What's Rose's name? "Rose Mommy Ellen Doyle."

A year goes by...

...so fast these days!  I can't believe our little Rose is 1 year old!  She has changed so much so quickly, I want this time to slow down.  The stats:

Weight: 19 lbs, 14 oz!! 50th percentile according to the WHO, 29th according to the CDC.  Weird discrepancies... but great either way!
Length: 28.5 inches, 28th percentile

We are thrilled that she has now consistently been on the charts for months.  She's been weaned from her high-concentrated diet for some time now, so she has obviously become able to self-regulate everything.  We couldn't be happier. (As a TMI side, she's been having consistent trouble with her little GI system, but we have some recommendations from the doctor that will hopefully regulate her a little better.)

Aside from the medical and statistical stuff, Rose is perfect.  She has this incredible head of curly-wispy strawberry blonde hair that I just can't get enough of.  Those curls obviously come from her daddy!  It's just about long enough these days to pull back into bows, so it's fun to shop for that stuff now! 

She has 6 teeth, 4 on top, 2 on the bottom.  It's looking like she's inherited the infamous "Preston gap" on the top, and it's adorable.  She has a cheesy smile that comes out, but only with the ones she's most comfortable with.  This little one has definitely inherited her momma's personality... so she won't be opening up to many new people any time soon.  Which I'm okay with.  She knows who she likes, and knows what she wants.  But she is such a sweetheart.  And I love her for every inch of her little personality!

She has started "talking," and is ALL girl!  I caught her the other day with a calculator holding it up to her ear like a phone, just jabbering away in her little low voice.  Wonder who she was talking to...  She's just started using a few little signs, but that's a work in progress.  "More" and "milk" are coming along.  She usually just prefers to bang her fists on the table and wiggle her little hands and feet when she wants something.

She's not quite walking yet (I'm convinced she's content to have Preston bring her everything), but she stands like a champ and cruises around pretty well.  Preston took his first steps just after his first birthday, so she's pretty much on par with him - no worries.

It warms my heart to see my two babies playing so well with each other these days, too.  Aside from the times when Preston thinks Rose is a burrito and tries to wrap her up in a blanket, they are two peas in a pod.  They share that tiny little room, so I'm glad they get along so well!

I can't wait until the weather warms up, because I'm excited to watch her begin to explore her outside world.  With the inquisitive personality she has, she is going to be so happy to find so many new things.  I still can't believe sometimes that I'm a mom of 2, and how much our lives have changed and grown in the past 7-8 years.  As stressful as we can have it sometimes, I wouldn't change it for the world. :)