Big Girl Bed Time! Yikes!

 There's never a good time for change involving babies & toddlers in my opinion. Why mess with a good thing?! A good schedule or a good sleeper is sometimes hard to come by, but in this case, our good thing had come to an end so we figured how could it get any worse? =) It took months for us to arrive but we finally had children who would sleep 12 hours a night without needing us! HALLELUJAH! I probably didn't say that enough while it lasted. Once we moved to Auburn/our girls were shuffled to grandparents for nights on end, our good sleeping streak ceased to exist. We thought once we established that we weren't going to leave them again for a while that things would calm down and they would resume their normal sleeping but it hasn't happened yet. It's only gotten worse and more dangerous in the process.Our littles were now able to climb out of the crib anytime they pleased and make their way to our room or to smack into a closet door at all hours of the night. Getting them to stay in their crib to start off bedtime or to go back in in the middle of the night was torturous for all of us. Makenzie was able to climb in and out, but Maddie Grace would often get stuck on the top which led us to make a rash, quick, and desperate decision to move to toddler beds. Between warnings, extra hugs/kisses, changed diapers, more "water," scared, time to "eat breakfast" at nap time, spankings, more warnings, rocking, sitting in their room, more love, more spankings....we especially this mommy was flat out exhausted!

We didn't have much time to dwell on it, seek much advice from other seasoned parents, etc because after one more nasty tumble out of the crib, we were forced into it =) No more this...

which made us just a tad sentimental to be honest. No more jumping up and down crazily as we tucked them in, and no more standing on the railing to give us hugs/kisses/ and "noses!" And we envisioned no more of this...but boy were we wrong! They still escape from their new beds just as much, if not more! But I guess you could still call this their last escape from their baby cribs!

So we built it up all day, talking about their big girl beds that daddy was going to build after nap time and then we went shopping for their first pillows! You would have thought we had just given them treasure the way they proudly carried those things around! After naps, daddy got to work to ensure they would both be ready for bedtime! He had a little helper while mommy took Makenzie to the grocery store for some Mommy/Mak time!

 When we arrived home from Sam's, Makenzie was ecstatic to see the progress! Not sure if this is going to be any "safer" for our little monkey or not!

We made them wait patiently until it was time to get in their beds to have their new pillows so that maybe the excitement would keep them in their bed! Wishful thinking at least...Now it was time for our family worship time which tonight they insisted that their babies participate. And boy did they. They prayed, sang, helped say their bible verse and sang along with us! I know we will miss this cuteness!!

And the long awaited time to get tucked in bed was here! We snapped a few pictures to be able to document this occasion and then we left the room! We counted on our way out the door and I think we made it to three before they were already out...=)

Literally, THREE WHOLE SECONDS. I mean we knew this was the first night but seriously?! =) They looked so comfy and cozy and we spent a while tucking in all their covers and blankets only to have them ripped off in a matter of seconds!

FIRST NIGHT IN BIG GIRL BED: SAT, JULY 6, 2013!

So this progressed for an hour or so of walking them back in, sitting with them, shutting them in, loving on them, and guessing our way through this parenting thing! :) Somewhere past 10, both girls were asleep, in their own bed....that is until we heard the first kerplunk! Makenzie let out a cry and we rushed in there to find her face down right beside her bed still asleep, ha! We plopped her back in and enjoyed the few hours of sleep until we heard the pitter patter of footsteps making their way back to us. This time Maddie Grace was disoriented and nicely requested to be put back in bed and her daddy quickly obliged. I think in all, we made it til the middle of the night when we had to make 2-3 more trips in for Makenzie and sit with her until she fell asleep again. Other than that, they stayed in bed, but did wake up earlier than usual.

Not terrible for their first night, but we're hoping they left plenty of room for improvement! =)

**Just for our own memory, we are now on night no.4 and it has gotten a tad better each night. We have progressed from coming out of the room to screaming/crying at the door to let them out, to now they at least just play/stay awake in there for a while and then eventually fall asleep in random places. This includes nap time and bed time!**

A Rainy 4th of July

 

What's a family to do on the 4th of July when it rains the entire day? Not a whole lot, but good thing one of our family traditions involves somewhere that's open rain or shine! For the third year now, we have made our way to enjoy some fine southern cooking at good ole' Cracker Barrel. We had a ball, just like we have every time we're there, enjoying some delicious food and letting the girls peruse the Country Store and kick back in their rocking chairs! They love it, we love it, and we always walk away being so glad that we made the effort to do it again! And just a tad bit full. We never seem to tire of this place...at least yet!

 

2 Years & 3 Months-Dear Goodness! Two Cute Handfuls...

 

2 YEAR 3 MONTH STATS:

Weight: don’t know weights-lost the scale during the move :0)
Height: roughly 32 inches tall

Diapers: Mak-Size 4; MG-moved up to Size 5

Clothes: Mak- 18mo/some 2T MG- 2T

Shoes: Mak: size 4-5; MG: size 5-6

Teeth count: Mak: 12 with 2 on the way; MG: 16

What new things you girls have done this month!? (from 26-27mo)

-talking up a storm still-can have full conversations with them J

-Using verbs and adjectives a lot in their talking-jumping, splashing, running, sleeping, tired, scratchy, yawning, etc. Getting very good at using a variety of words in their speech!

-Phrases we hear a lot lately: I come back, tay….I be right back…I do it, tay…new one, I pick, it’s mine, sissy took that, she ran away, I hold it, no diaper, new diaper, mommy play it, there it is, I found it!, that’s silly, mommy help me, I’m full, kiss boo boo, Kenzie take it, I poo poo (Lots of I’s and Me’s already-part of toddlerhood? :)

-are working on learning their first Bible verse and are adorable saying it! They will usually do the hand motions to go with it and will fill in words that you stop at J Genesis 1:1 it is…

-girls definitely know our family worship time routine each night…if we try to skip any of the parts (reading Bible, praying, singing) they will be sure to remind us that we haven’t done it yet! Such good accountability already!

-they want “Two Two!” of everything-whether it be snacks in each hand or things to play with-2 wipes, 2 diapers, 2 ponytail holders, etc.

-Great at naming all of their animals and the sounds they make

-will sing ABC song in the bathtub with their letters

-sing happy birthday to themselves while playing with the birthday cupcakes!

-the girls LOVE playing together (most of the time)-always want to know where sissy is or where sissy go? If the other is not around

-MG loves to help daddy take his shoes/socks off after work and help wind up his belt every night! J

-MG loves loves KEYS-always saying I hold keys, tay?

-MG also loves playing with mommy’s hair and is determined to get the ponytail around mommy’s hair all by herself!

-Mak still LOVES books (so does MG but not as much) and will constantly ask us to read to her

-Mak loves her baby dolls and is very motherly still with them-sings to them, turns the sound machine on and will put them to “bed” complete with kisses/noses

-the girls like to switch/rotate which carseat they sit in when we go somewhere-can be a battle for sure!

-very aware of what’s outside-will say the sun is bright if it’s in their eyes, will point cows/horses/trucks/tractors, etc

-Makenzie is MG’s little runner-MG will ask her to go get things if shes in the crib and have her bring them to her

-LOVE being naked-especially MG-she hates having clothes and diaper on, takes off any chance she gets and then Makenzie follows suit

-have become very affectionate with each other and will give lots of hugs/kisses/love you sissy’s throughout the day/week!

-Girls will spontaneously give Kendall & I hugs/kisses/I love yous!

-Makenzie is still our hasty one when working on tasks/just wants to get it done and move on whereas Maddie Grace is so deliberate and careful with each piece she places and is particular about how things look when she’s building, etc. (can we say Williams/Currie??! J)

-MG doesn’t mind picking up bugs, but Makenzie will scream and run!

-by the end of this month, both girls are climbing out of their cribs during naptime and Makenzie on a regular basis at bedtime (10-15times L) NEW CHALLENGE FOR SURE!

-Makenzie still 99.9% of the time wakes up in the morning and at nap long before MG does-Mak sleeps 11ish hours at night and MG is a solid 12-12 ½ hours a night if given the chance =)

-For naps, Mak usually sleeps 1- 2 hrs (usually 1.5hrs on a good day!) and MG is more of 2-3 hours generally

-Finally have moved to just letting Mak have paci at nap and bedtime-has gone much better than expected! She’s pretty attached to say the least…

-Behavior wise-MG has gotten a lot more difficult this month and has thrown lots of temper tantrums and will go to a corner and pout/scream-Makenzie has gotten much, much easier and is usually pretty compliant/joyful and doesn’t have nearly as many outbursts right now as MG

-Makenzie can also open doorknobs now so she lets herself out of the room after naps/in the middle of the night/ and each morning when she wakes up!

-One of their favorite things to do is be in the same crib together! Usually means Makenzie climbs in to Maddie Grace’s since she’s a little more agile =)

-despise being in their car seats and scream just about anywhere we go still =( No fun!

-every afternoon they play at their water table, get soaked and then they can’t stand being wet and must immediately strip their clothes and diapers off! (MG esp hates being wet!!)