Hollyhand House

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Enjoying the weather

We have really been enjoying the cooler temperatures this week.  It has been so nice and so we have really tried to take advantage of it while it lasts. Anna Riley could be outside 24/7 regardless of what the weather is like so she has been in heaven!
**Some of these are taken with my phone so they aren't the best quality.**


This is what we have been doing this week:
we painted outside...
We were attempting an apple tree but she took over and had other ideas...as long as she is having fun! :)

Colored with chalk...


She helped me sweep off the carport from the storm...She kept saying "weep, weep, weep"...

She is ready in case it floods again!

She ran to the grass and just fell down and started laughing.
She was so excited to be outside!!



she sat on her ball and watched the airplanes and birds...

we read books outside...

and had lunch outside.

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year for some many reasons! 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Totally Obsessed...

with PINTREST!!!
I know I have mentioned pintrest on here before but my addiction has gotten worse I think. BUT, I don't think I am alone with my obsession!! :) I have found so many cute ideas from DIY crafts, yummy recipes, cute things for the holidays, wardrobe ideas (especially since I can't buy real clothes right now...I "window" shop), fun things for kids... the list goes on and on. I have made a few things that I found on there so I thought I would share. I am in no way very crafty but these turned out to be pretty easy and while I wouldn't say they are perfect I was at least proud I attempted them!



A wreath I made for our front door

A wreath I made for my Mom to give her sister for her birthday
(the ribbons look a little crazy in the picture...)

Wreath for Ava Kate

Hairbow holder for Ava Kate's room

Monday, September 5, 2011

19 months

Anna Riley is 19 months old and changing so much everyday!! 
-I haven't weighed her lately but I think its still around 26 lbs.
- She wears mostly 24 month or 2T clothes but can still wear some of her 18 month summer outfits and dresses.  She wears a size 6 shoe and size 5 diaper.
- Her hair has gotten so much lighter over the summer.  She now has blond hair and big brown eyes and a nice little tan! :)
-She loves to look at pictures. Some of her favorite book are our wedding book and a few of the shutterfly books I have made and the book of our blog.  She climbs up on the ottoman to read them or brings them to us to look at them.  I want to make one just for her soon.
-She still LOVES books and would be content just reading and looking at them all day long!
-She gives the best hugs and always says "awwww" or "ohhhh"  when she hugs us.
-She might not always give a real kiss but she blows kisses all the time.
-She still loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and names most of the characters.   But she also likes Little Einsteins but MMC is still her #1.
-She is obsessed with shoes...yes, already!  She likes to go in her closet and pick them out and put them on...she gets very upset if she doesn't get to wear the ones she picked out...which don't always match! She also goes in my closet to get them.  She likes to put our shoes on us too.

-She loves jewelry...bracelets and necklaces especially.
-She likes to give everyone a high five.  I have even noticed her giving herself one!  She will say "high pive?"
 -While in Atlanta, she learned to fist bump so she usually gives high five and then holds her fist out.
-She has been doing pretty well with her toddler bed.  She as some off nights but she is doing better than before for sure.  She loves her bed now and doesn't get out and play as I feared he would (for now anyways.) 
-She has to sleep with her bunnies, blanket, pillow, the big Minnie Mouse and now she insist that the really big minnie sleep with her (its bigger than her!)
-She still takes two naps for the most part.  Sometimes she doesn't always sleep but she still needs the quiet time right now and so does Mommy!
-When he sees my belly, she starts saying "sissy"...she tried pulling my dress up in the store the other day to find her sissy!!  She will also kiss my belly but only if my shirt is up
-She loves to be outside and wants to be out there all the time.  She will stand at the doors and say "ou-tide, ou-tide"
-She will make a seat out of anything.  She loves little chairs, stools and steps to sit on. She backs up and sits down and lets out a big sigh like she is just worn out!  So cute.
-She likes to dance and sing.  She loves Wheels on the bus and does most of the motions.

-She "talks" nonstop...it just sounds like a foreign language most of the time with a few words I recognize here and there.  She jabbers the most first thing in the morning. 
-Speaking of talking, her vocabulary has picked up a lot.  She repeats a lot of words and phrases and names objects all the time. 
-She climbs on everything! 
-She eats some good meals and some she barely eats anything!  Her current favorites are still sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, avocados, grapes and of course "tookies!
-She waves all the time at everyone/everything.  And usually saying Hi, Hewo,  or byebye
-She is learning her colors but as of right now everything is blue!
-She LOVES animals!! She can name the barn animals and say their sound.  She knows many of the other animals too. 
-She will count with us sometime...her favorite numbers seems to be 3 and 5 beacuse she wants to say those all the time or she says them really loud. 
-She is obsessed with a first words spelling app I have on my phone and ipad.  She wants to play it all the time and she is actually pretty good at it.  You match the letters to spell the word.  It is so cute to see how proud she is when she gets them but she gets SO frustrated if she can't get the letter in!!

-She likes to lay on her belly in the tub now and she will say "kick, kick, kick" because thats what we tell her in the pool!

-She says "Pease" but has stopped saying thank you...we are working on brining that back.
-When you say its time to say night, night prayers, she puts her hands together and says "gah, gah, gah".

She is going to be such a great big sister!  I can't believe its only a month away and I will have two precious little girls in my life! 

Our weekend

We had a few things going on this weekend and none of which I have pictures of!  Riley and I went to eat and then went to the Alabama concert at the new amphitheatre on Friday night.  It was such a great concert!!  I have always loved Alabama...who doesn't!?  We also saw lots of our friends and other people we knew there so that made it even better!  We had planned on leaving Saturday morning for Fairhope but after seeing the weather report, we decided to just stay put. So, my parents ask if Anna Riley could spend the weekend with them.  We have did one night several times but never two.  After seeing how excited she was to go, I felt better about it.  While putting her in Mom's car, she giggled the whole time and gave me a quick kiss told me bye and was ready to go!!  I did call a million times to see what she was doing and I know she had a blast! 

Riley had caught our cold from last week and he didn't even have a voice and it was too hot and such an early game that we had no desire to go to the quad so, I made some tailgaiting food and we just sat at home and watched the game.  A couple of friends stopped by and watched it with us.  We watched football pretty much all day and evening and grilled steaks that night.  LOVE this time of year!! 

Sunday we went to Chucks for their Sunday brunch buffet....SO good!  Then we waited paitently for Anna Riley to be home.  She was excited to see us, but I am pretty sure she would have went right back home with them!!  She cried when they left... I know there will be plenty of weekends she will beg to stay with them.   Riley and I both have fond memories of spending the night with our grandparents, so we love that she enjoys it as do they!

Today, we are just watching it rain, rain, rain!  I have been sterlizing bottles, putting away and hanging up the rest of the clothes.  The nursery is pretty much finished, I just have a few more things to get.  I will post pictures when its all done. 
Hope you all had a great weekend...try to stay dry! 

Friday, September 2, 2011

Birthday Celebration

Today is my SIL's birthday...Happy Birthday Amanda!!!  We love you!
 Last night, we celebrated with dinner at Cypress Inn.
Looking at the fish



Giving Mimi a high five :)

Checking out the river with Papa Doug

Me at 34 weeks and Amanda at 25
I can't wait for our babies to be here and grow up together! :)



Amanda and Wesley

The best I could get of these two!  haha


Thursday, September 1, 2011

34 weeks


Symptoms:  Just lots of aches and pains.  I have a hard time bending over and I tire out really easly.  My energy level has just been blah so its hard to get things done!!  I am having lots of sharp pains down low.  With all that said...I did feel GREAT today!!  I went to bed at 9 and got up at 6:15 which is way early for us but I had the most energy all day and got so much done...I felt like the energizer bunny! ;)  I think I may have been getting too much sleep causing me to feel worse.  Now if I can just make myself get up early every morning...that will be the hard part!!

Weight Gain:  Still at 25

Maternity Clothes: Some of both...but if I am home, usually my pjs are on!

Movement:  I love watching my belly move!  She always sticks her butt out it feels like because I constantly have a knot on one side.  I can push on it a little and she moves.  I feel almost like I am popping something back in place!! haha

Sleeping:  Sleep would be much better if I did not have to get up 3-4 times to use that bathroom.  I think all pregnant women should wear depend Diapers!! haha...that would make it SO much easier to not have to get up at night! :)  Dont worry...I am not going to resort to that but hey, it IS a good idea!! 



Anna Riley and Paw Paw