And just like that she is 18 months old! (AK update)

 18 MONTH STATS:

Height: 31.8inches

Weight: 24lbs 12oz

Clothes: 18 months

Shoes: size 3 in sea wee sandals; 4 in Keds

Teeth: 12

Ashton Kate,

We have held you a little tighter this month and cherished every little thing you do after your big fall down the stairs a few weeks ago. Such a scary night and we are ever so grateful for the Lord’s protection over your precious life! We have wanted to hold you night and day and not let you out of our sight (as if we have any control over your sweet life=) We do know who holds you in HIS hands and who has every precious day of your life numbered. This has surely tested our faith and made us that much more dependent on Him. We are just stewards of the days here on earth with you and oh how we want them to be used for good, for the spread of His kingdom and for His glory! We have big dreams and hopes for how the Lord will use your sweet life for His grand purposes! We couldn’t be more thankful for the joy you bring to our family! The love we have for you runs so deep little one and we love you dearly!

Love, Mama and Dada

Milestone and Memories from 17-18 months:

-You are still an amazing little sleeper for us. We can go to bed with confidence that apart from something out of the ordinary we will see you the next morning without hearing a peep out of you. We never knew what a huge blessing this was until it arrived to us =) You sleep around 11-12hrs at night and nap anywhere from 2-3 hours right after lunch around 12:30/1pm every day.

-This month has been your pickiest month to date and has made feeding you a challenge. You just stack everything I give you into one big pile on your tray and refuse it. However, like all things, praying it’s just a phase and normal eating will resume at some point. Here are the few things you will still willingly put in your mouth these days… raspberries, mandarin oranges, hot dogs, pbj, muffins, yogurt, and cheese

-You are talking, talking, talking up a storm!! And boy is it fun to try to figure out what you are adamantly trying to communicate to us. Such a fun stage of new words every day! You are like a little parrot these days repeating just about everything we say and attempting to say it on your own.  You also are already putting two words together and often can be heard saying these two-word phrases-simply amazes us how quickly you transition into a little girl. Just a few of the new words you have added to your list lately: outside, hot/cold, let's go, buckle/unbuckle/, baby, mama, dada, hey! nigh nigh, go, stop, here we go, love you, and of course learned the infamous word "no" right at 18 months

-Still love, love reading books and will still come back your little bottom into anyone’s lap who offers to read you a book. You are pointing to things correctly in a book now and can spot the right object/animal 90% of the time.

-Things you are doing these days: practically running now! Can put puzzle pieces in the correct spot, spend the majority of your time playing with babies just like your twins sissies, love to help clean with Clorox wipes, follow everyone to the bathroom and help give toilet paper to them and love to unroll the toilet paper too, obsessed with buckling/unbuckling high chair and doll strollers, when you need help you come tug on our legs and drag us to where you need us to help, you get super excited when daddy comes home and go running to him with a hufe smile, you give huge hugs from behind and die laughing when you do it, you are easily frustrated and let us know on a regular basis, you hate being left out from going somewhere or doing something and cry big crocodile tears, and you love any and all shoes with a passion!

-Important dates this month: 4/7-first cookie at Publix; 4/14-1^st dentist appointment; 4/15-fell down an entire flight of stairs/first big scare and suffered a concussion; 4/18-first Auburn football game; 4/22-said “love you” for the first time; 4/27- said “baby”

Easter 2015...He is ALIVE!

Celebrating holidays with children in the mix adds a whole different level of experience to the occasion. =) Hence, the picture below pretty well sums up her feelings for any furry creature, dressed up in a costume...doesn't matter if it's Santa, the CFA cow, Easter bunny...scared of them all. And while the twins will stand there, their hesitancy and chomping on fingers displays their true feelings, ha!

This year was so much fun because this little peanut was finally walking and able to collect her own eggs and participate in her first real egg hunt! And I mean I could eat up this edible little girl right now! =)

Ashton Kate wasn't winning any awards for most eggs collected by any stretch but she loved the fact that there was something inside and she was able to open it! =)

The twins this year were on a mission-they have always remained rather reserved in these scenarios in the past but I'm thinking the fact that they are now big four year olds, coupled with the fact that they are with cousins and not a whole herd of people,gave them the extra confidence boost needed to enjoy it! =)

Checking out all her goodies!

Thankful for these three and that God's grace covers over all their sins...and their mama's! Because He has conquered sin and death, we have life and hope. And I couldn't be more thankful for that truth and that I can share this same hope with these three daily! It makes all the difference in how we live and face each day...

Sweet cousins! And SO fun being the same ages as one another!

We understand...self control is hard children. =)

A little egg-dying fun...in their undies-enjoying that freedom for a little longer!

These three are three peas in a pod and love being together!

Easter morning is the epitome of hope and grace and gives us every reason to rejoice! They are beginning to understand the concept of Jesus' death and resurrection, but what joy when they fully comprehend that their debt has been paid, their sins are forgiven, their hope is secure, and eternal life awaits if they place their faith and trust in HIM alone! Oh how as parents we long for that day and pray for their salvation!

Sunday afternoon fun....

One day you won't be this little...and it's happening faster than we would like sweet pea!

On the hunt for their Easter baskets...

The combination of five toddlers and it being nap time makes for difficult photos, ha! But they are all present and accounted for. =)

Happy Easter sweet girls!

Oh death, where is your sting? Oh hell, where is your victory? Oh church, come stand in the light. The glory of God has defeated the night!

Thank you for the cross....He is alive!

Ashton Kate: 17 months and counting...

17 MONTH STATS:

Height:

Weight: just over 24 pounds

Clothes: wearing mostly 18mo but some 12mo still as well!

Shoes: size 3 in sea wee sandals; 4 in Keds

Teeth: 10 with 1 more molar coming in

Dear MISS INDEPENDENT,
I’m not sure why that is your name these days because you are simply a wee one still, but alas that has become your new nickname and fits you to a T. You are fiercely independent and make that known to anyone you encounter. You think you are big enough to do anything , big enough to eat anything, and big enough to handle it yourself. Right up until the point where you need help. =) I had forgotten that this stage fits the age…now the memories of your twin sisters are flooding back in. But with this age also comes the indescribable JOY from all the cuteness you exude on a daily basis. You are simply adorable! We absolutely love watching you learn so much each day, try to speak so many new words, test out new territory, be adventurous, live such a FULL life, and giggle with delight! It’s seriously THE CUTEST so we are trying to soak up each day of it! ON the flip side, it is SO bittersweet to see our teensy tiny baby of the family turning into a little toddler with a real personality! You do way more little girl things than baby things these days and we could tear up at just how fast the months have flown by. We CANNOT wait until you begin to understand the things of God. Your big sisters have such a huger to learn and know more of His word and you aren’t quite there yet but one day soon you will be! Until then, we will keep sitting you down in the mornings for “worship time” and let you bang away on your instrument and try to “sing” like your sisters! You imitate everything they do that’s for sure! =) Goodness, we couldn't love you more if we tried. And we praise God for the sweet gift of your life that you are-feisty or not. =)
Love you so much baby girl!
Mommy & Daddy

Milestone and Memories from 16-17mo:

-Still our best sleeper in the family (maybe besides daddy! =) and we could not be more thankful for that gift to us on a regular nightly basis!

-As far as eating goes, we have officially entered the “I now have an opinion about what I eat” phase…you certainly know when the pantry doors open and you aren’t about to get what you want. The rest of the neighborhood might be aware too, who knows? J You have definite opinions now and although you are still a pretty good eater, and far better than the twins ever were, but vegetables are next to impossible to get in you now unless its back to pureed form in a squeeze pack…so that’s precisely what we do and I’m totally fine doing it. You love most fruits still and surprisingly you eat meat pretty well. You also love yogurt, applesauce, and cheese so those are natural go to’s every day! You discovered the art of dipping things and so now you will eat most chicken, meatballs, hamburgers, hotdogs, lunchmeat well just so long as you can “dip” it. We held out for as long as we could before you saw your big sisters doing it! When you are done eating you still stack it up for us on the counter beside your high chair or put it all in a pile in the corner of your tray…how sweet of you! =) And the best food in your eyes is any bites from what mommy is eating, most specifically cereal. You walk around like a bird with your mouth open waiting for your next bite. Pretty cute! And then no lie, one of the funniest things this month has been watching you yell MA, MA, MA from your high chair to get my attention. It is loud I’m telling you! You will do it when you want more or when you want to be done but it is hilarious and so loud no one can talk over you. =)

-Your happiest place on earth is still to be OUTSIDE…it’s so crazy but you yearn to be out there all day every day. It’s almost like we have a little boy on our hands…the twins were never this into going outside at this age! You bang on the door to be let outside in the back yard about a minute after you finish breakfast. Later on, you cry buckets of tears when we have to come in and even more tears if we pass the laundry room door to the garage or the front door and you aren’t taken outside. It’s quite hilarious to watch and sad all at the same time, but you are literally devastated if you have to stay in. So all that to say, you LOVE LOVE being outside and wandering free! You love walks, playing in the cul-de-sac, going down the slide, the sandbox, and playing in the house.

-Words you have added to your vocabulary this month: unbuckle/buckle (need to get this recorded it’s so stinkin’ cute!) plus it’s probably your most used word other than mama and now you added these mid-month: let’s go & here we go (3/18), gone gone, all gone, all done, down, out, and lots of others I’m forgetting. Bottom line: your little vocabulary is at the stage where it’s just exploding and so much fun! You follow all kinds of simple commands and directions and seem to understand everything we say to you-praise the Lord!

-Things you are doing these days: attempting to be fiercely independent! You also no longer are content being carried around or put in the Ergo-you want to be down to walk, explore, push elevator buttons, run, and chase your sisters. You love to play hide and seek and chase (although it is a mix between squeals of being afraid and squeals of delight!) and you also will squat low and peer around the corner when looking which is quite adorable! You’re not very good of sharing (to be expected) but you are exceptionally terrible at stealing toys from your sisters or screaming so loud until they give in and give it to you! We’re working on this each day =) You love to scurry behind things to hide from us and think it’s just hilarious (esp the rocker in your room and the leather chair in the den); when walking up sets of stairs, you will reach your hand up for us to hold, when you are hurt-you lean in for kisses from us! You still cry big crocodile tears when we drop you off in the nursery-like the kind where we have to make sure you don’t turn blue and you take a breath to breathe!  A really cute thing you’ve started doing when walking is to put your hands on your thighs or slightly behind you and walk quickly like you’re on a mission-it’s so cute! You have learned most of your body parts this month, give high fives to people, shake your emphatically yes or no, and are the queen of giving the best hugs and kisses when your sisters are sad! You love to try to make them feel better by giving them affection! It usually does the trick!