What is Red and Pink all Over?

Abby crafts, clothes and her left eye! She doesn't seem to notice she has pink eye until we have to put drops in it! Luckily, we are back at school today.

Tonight, Abby got to open a big bag of love!

And, she loved what was inside!

She got a cat piano that plays all kinds of tunes, records her music, and has a booming microphone. It is perfect for our little performer!

Marcus also found her a Toodee Valentine book from Yo Gabba Gabba. She loved it, too! Notice her 5 YGG finger puppets are on her right hand and carefully placed so as not to fall off. We carry them around a lot!

A big thanks and kisses to our friends and family that sent Valentine's for Abby as well. She loves getting mail!

We've had a lot of fun preparing for Valentine's Day. On Saturday, she went to the local library for story time and they had some extra special things for the kids including this hat project. Marcus and Abby go there every Saturday and I love hearing how she does. More times than not, she is up front dancing and singing.

On Sunday, we had fun at church giving out Valentines to our favorite greeters. She is doing so much better at both school and church drop off. She even saw me at church recently and didn't throw a fit to leave childcare. My heart stopped when she saw me, but she did great!

On Friday, she had a Valentine party at school with special breakfast amongst her pals.

I remember reading a few years back on a blog about someone having Valentine's dinner at home with her husband and child and thinking how unspecial that sounded. I wasn't a Mom. I didn't get it. I couldn't have understood. My Valentine is so much sweeter with this little one in it!

I am so grateful for my family. I love you Marcus and Abby Lu!

Valentine Celebrations Times Three!

My Mom spent most of the past week and weekend with us, so we celebrated Valentine's ahead of time over the past few nights. On Friday night Marcus met me at work and we delivered dinner to our friends Daniel and Brandi and their new baby and then had dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Ms. Ruth is in the background :)

When he met me at my office, he had roses. So thoughtful! I left them in my cold car while we went downtown and my car smells like a florist. Love it!

Saturday night, we had dinner at home with Mom and Abby and then afterward while she went to bed, we went out for ice cream at Maggie Moo's. I was daring, tried something new, and fell in love with a seasonal (read not here for long!) ice cream. This is the Hottie Fresh Escape- so embarrassing to order. It was red hot cinnamon ice cream with hot tamales, marshmallows and marshmallow cream. It was so hot- I loved it!

Tonight, we had a wonderful dinner at home with Abby. We cooked pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon, yummy corn and garlic bread. And, we had chocolate dipper strawberries for dessert.

We also opened presents- I got two wonderfully fun necklaces from one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie. I bought Marcus a new Polo sweater in a daring color. I think I convinced him to keep it ;)

My sweet Momma also bought me a Valentine's gift- my own guacamole bowl. I have wanted one of these for years and I love that it is a fun color and not the standard black and white speckled.

Don't worry- Abby had a fun Valentine celebration, too! I'll share more about her presents, fun and fashion tomorrow.

My Heart

Oh sweet girl, you warm MY heart!

We had lots of fun delivering and mailing out our Valentine's this year. Along with mailing these to friends and family, Abby delivered Valentine's to her school mates, teachers, her favorite childcare worker at the gym, the two greeters at church and her favorite ladies at Starbucks. We've loved spreading the love!

Cousins

I aged this picture because it looks just timeless to me. This picture could easily represent my cousins and I on the couch 30 years ago. I love our kids playing together on a Friday night just like we did and I hope our grandkids do.

I Like Big....

bows and I can not lie.

I heard that song recently and died laughing. Why did I love it so much in junior high? It is silly.

I dug around on Etsy for an over the top Valentine's bow for Abby's pictures and found a real winner. Unfortunately the snow delayed my shipment until after her pictures, but these bows will be cute in future pictures.

You realize how big they are on my child's head. She was walking around all weird to make sure her bow didn't fall. Made me laugh! I think it is a little heavy for the side part look, but will be super cute when her hair is pulled back and centered on top her head.

Here is a detailed view- the ribbons are glued on top each other to create all the fun layers. There is a big bow on bottom, then the spiky layers and 2 more bows on top. Amazing!

Visit her boutique here.

The New Glasses

Here he is- my handsome husband the trendy business man. Excuse the smirk on his face. He really should know that this is blogworthy and that means his picture will be taken.

Tonight we are celebrating Valentine's Day at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I am excited to have adult conversation, cloth napkins, and dessert!

Soup-er Bowl

Our Bible Life Group holds a Super Bowl party each year and the past few years it has included a soup or chili contest. It is fun to try new recipes while watching the game. Along with the TV, the hosts set up an LCD projector and screen. Everyone had a good seat to see the big game.

There were tons of kids at the party, including sweet Ellie! I just love watching this miracle baby- she teaches us all to smile! I've never met a happier child. Abby stayed home with Marcus so I could watch the game, she could get to bed, and Marcus could rest. Good thing since he ended up being sick!

Here is the big bowl of Hearty Chicken Chili I brought. It didn't win any prizes and I brought a bunch back home with me. I'm tired of this soup so we let it go down the drain. It makes so much that I ate on it forever last time.

I also brought my stadium cake! My friend Heather bought this cake pan form for me a few years ago and Super Bowl is the perfect time to use it. Such a fun idea! I just use the simple confetti cake to make it- looks like little flecks of people in the stands.

I was decked out in the Green Bay shirt and happy with the results!

Bravery

Hi friends! I didn't intend to take a blog break- sorry about that. I had issues- pictures on home computer and free time at work, then I took pictures without the memory card, etc. I am back on track now!

Marcus and I both stayed home on Monday and went to the doctor. He has a yucky case of bronchitis and I have just crazy-weather-induced allergies. I relaxed at home on Monday and picked Abby up early from school.

At her 2 year well check we asked if she could be retested for her peanut allergy. Both Marcus and I were certain she would pass now that she was 2. We wanted the results, but I had been carrying the lab slip around for 6 weeks because I didn't want to have to take her in to give blood.

I was worried for nothing! She gave blood without as much as a whimper. She was fascinated watching the "red" and was so excited to get a band-aid afterward. She was very careful with her arm the rest of the night. So cute!

Her results came back today and she still has a peanut allergy. It actually went up. Sheesh- so much for that. We are happy she has no other allergies, tree nuts or otherwise, but hate that it didn't show signs of going away. We'll have her tested again at age 4.

"Like" Videos

I have been wanting to get video of Abby lately and with a sunny day and sidewalk chalk, I was able to get a little focus out of her!

We play this fun new game with Abby- she calls it "what does" and when she asks for that, she wants us to quiz her with questions of "What does Mommy like?" Insert anyone Abby has ever met for Mommy. She can tell you what a good 15 different people like. We gave her the initial response and she has memorized them since then. We add a couple of people every day.

In case you are wondering, Madison and Ka'lea are classmates of Abby's. A ba-ba is a blanket and a "wubie" is a small blanket, like a lovie. Jose is the greeter at church. I think that covers it- enjoy!

Snow Princess

Last year Abby hated the snow, but this year, we got a happy girl exploring the front yard and all of it's white glory.

Her and Marcus bundled up and played in the snow for about 15 minutes. I captured what I could and then retreated inside. It takes more time to "gear" up than you actually spend in the snow when you live in Austin. Where is my winter coat? I can't find my second glove! These shoes aren't very sturdy on the bottom. Have you seen my long johns from our ski trip 5 years ago?

Marcus made her a few snowballs and she loved throwing them at me!

This is a childhood memory I don't want her to forget- pure happiness!

We are both home all day- Marcus is working and I am off because of the weather. Since Abby's school is open, we'll likely take her in to play this afternoon and I'll try to run to the nearby grocery store. Everything seems to be melting away.

Goodbye Snow Day 2011.

Happy Daddy

DJ Abby

Why in the world is Abby playing on a DJ Hero board?

Because Mix Master Mike (of the Beastie Boys) does! He appears on one episode of Yo Gabba Gabba showing off his cool trick and Abby loves it! She asks for "Ma Ma Mike" daily!

Marcus pulled out his DJ Hero board for the Wii so that she could be Mix Master Abby.

Doesn't she look annoyed with me? Stop taking my picture Mom!

I just love our baby girl picking up things that we love and making them things she loves. It makes us feel even more like a family.

My Husband is a Good Sport

So, Marcus is getting new glasses. He believes this is only his 4th pair in like 20 years. I get new glasses almost every year. I like change. He likes things to remain the same. Today at lunch we went glasses shopping and he was the best sport.

The pair he selected are among these pictures. We'll share the winner next week when they come in. He looks cute in his new spectacles.

Bundled Up Baby Girl

Thank goodness Abby likes hats just in time for our first winter storm!

And, I'd recommend mittens for a 2 year old. Getting gloves on her 10 little fingers takes work!

Another Birthday to Celebrate

Look at this pretty girl with the most amazing eyes! We had fun celebrating her 2nd birthday on Saturday and seeing her run and play without inhibition and a big smile. She is just precious and her and Abby ran and played for an hour (and then I bet Madeline crashed as hard as Abby!).

We hope you have a super birthday with your friends and school, sweet Momma, and your awesome Mimi.

Eating "Out"

When we picked Abby up from school on Friday, we knew we had to go out to dinner so that we could eat out! Wasn't it just gorgeous? It felt like April in January!

We ate at our new favorite go-to-neighborhood spot Maggiore's. The inside is more of a family-friendly sports bar with TVs, pizza, video games, etc. The outside dining space was empty when we got there!

While waiting on our food, Marcus and Abby ran around the grass. Marcus was swinging her in the air and then she'd try and walk and fall. We all found it hilarious!

After we had eaten, another family came outside and brought their dogs. Abby was in heaven and they were kind enough to let her pet them. I don't know how long we will be able to hold off without getting a dog :)

What a great night and weekend to be outdoors! I love it!

By the way, Abby is making huge strides and ate really well at dinner! We always pack a veggie and sometimes a fruit cup and that helps to supplement the kids meal which isn't always the best. Abby had corn with her "peet-za" (cheese bread).

Jesus Loves Me

Abby sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children" on the way home from church today. I cried. I am in awe of how Jesus speaks to me as a Mother. I don't know if it comes from being a Mom or the path we took to get here, but I am here and I am grateful.

Thank you sweet girl for inspiring me to be a better daughter to Him each day. I promised to deliver when you were born and I stand in awe of how that happens in the little day-to-day activities of parenting.

Our New Favorite Toy

Have you seen the Aquadoodle? It is our favorite new toy!

I found it at Target in Cedar Park; although, online it states it is out of stock.

It is a large vinyl like mat that you can write on with a "pen" filled with water. The water on the special paper makes it turn from white to blue and then dries and disappears in under 5 minutes.

Since it is just water, there is really no mess. And, the mat can be laid on the floor or sat on the table and travels well. Notice, at almost 25 months, Abby still uses both her left and right hand for writing. God is still leaving that one as a surprise!

Here is our first Aqua-masterpiece!

Food and School Updates

This is Abby's plate after dinner the other night- this is a huge success! We fell into this bad habit of giving Abby only a few foods- foods we knew she liked and her options were slim. We stopped trying to introduce new foods because it had become such a fight at every meal. Abby was eating less and drinking milk to get her nutrients and to get full.

One of the biggest draws of the new school is that they provide her breakfast and lunch. We don't get to pick her favorites- she eats what they provide, what all the kids are eating, or she doesn't eat. The first week- she didn't eat. She cried and begged them for more milk to fill her belly. She ate like crazy as soon as we got home, she was starving.

We are more than 3 weeks in and things are getting so much better. She will try new foods. She eats more food at a sitting than we've ever seen. She doesn't finish her milk at most meals. It has been a tough transition and we are still in the middle of it, but I think the worst is behind us.

We are seeing her lose some of the milk belly and thin out a little. Nothing drastic and probably nothing anyone else would notice but us. I look forward to the day when she fully eats what we are eating- we are giving her what we eat for the most part now. Sometimes she eats it and sometimes we offer a marshmallow for eat bite of vegetables she swallows. At any rate, we are getting our nutrients in and that makes this Momma happy.

Abby's Ahlumile

This is Abby's Mile doll. She currently carries her everywhere- no strange looks in the stores yet :) She likes to lay her down and cover her in her lovie (pronounced wubie) and tell her night night. She sits across from Abby at her little blue IKEA table when we eat. She is well loved when she is dropped and hits her head. When we sing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and substitute names for children, we always request that I sing about Mile.

Here is the crazy part- the other day at the refrigerator, Abby saw Ahlumile's picture on the door and pointed and without hesitation said, Mile. She knows- she has made the connection that her doll Mile is named after the little girl on the kitchen refrigerator door.

The next step is really to talk about Mile's life- her house, her family, her food, her schooling, etc. We sent her her first care package with hair bows and silly bands. I think her next package will include a wubie. :)

This is important. This feels good. This feels right. This matters.

If you missed the original post about Mile, click here.