hard days night

aren't they just the sweetest when they sleep. i just love to sit there and watch her.

getta shot

about 2 weeks ago "dr. gene" is all aubrey would talk about. she had gotten hurt playing and kept talking about "go to doctor.....i not scared....dr. gene check aubrey." today was her 2 year appointment and the last of her shots (at least until she is 3). i wanted to make sure (seeing as she was finally NOT afraid of the doctor) that she had some idea what was going to happen. i did the best i could to prep her.

"shots are medicine, they keep us from getting sick. it's going to hurt a little, but i am going to hug you. ok?" i said.

the appointment went great. the nurse called her name in the waiting room and she took off to exam room (they always put us in the same one). i was trying to gather up leah and all our things and she already had nurse debbie in the room checking her. dr. gene came in and she let him check her ears, eyes, heart etc.

then came the moment of truth. that brave little girl walked right over to the table and sat on my lap. she held her blanket and didn't even try to get away when they had to do the second shot. i gave her a big hug and said. "you were so brave".

she talked to pappy and daddy on the phone...."i getta shot. i brave." she said.
we went for a milkshake at burger king. "i like it!"

bellies

i wanted to share this photo with you all a couple of months ago.... didn't get to it.
but it's just to good to miss out on. here is my family.
left to right:
matt, me, lauren, ashley and doug.
doug is my new brother in law (la's husband). doesn't he just fit right in. ;o)

whose job is harder?

it's 11:30 and he's at it again. i can hear the saw going in the basement. up the steps, down the steps.... to the 3rd floor (what will soon be aubrey's big girl room). i can guarantee that i will be in bed before he is. most nights i don't hear him come in....2 maybe 3 in the morning. up at 7 and out the door, off to work to provide for our family. aubrey and i pray for him throughout the day, that God would keep him safe and bring him home to us. back in the door at 4:30 or 5:00. take a break, nope, not him. grabs the kids so i can finish dinner. dinner, baths, bed, bills, more working on the house. weekend fun at chuck e. cheese, so mom can have a night out. climbing up the playground in mc donalds to help his little girl. traffic jam in the slide. "i'm five" i hear a little boy say. "i'm thirty" says matt. i chuckle.
i have no idea what i would do with out him. he breathes life into me. he encourages me. he keeps me sane (and that's no easy job). he does the dirty work. he lets me rest. he doesn't stop.
i love you matt o'malley.....

o'malley updates

believe it or not our house is quiet. of course it's 1:15 in the morning, and technically it's not quiet if you count the noise of matt drilling in our third floor. i know i need to head off to bed, but it's so easy to get done all the things you wanted to get done earlier in the day. didn't you know after midnight was a great time for dishes and making chicken salad? just think...i don't have to do it tomorrow. five more minutes, then i will head off to bed.
right now aubrey is staying at grammy and pappy's house overnight, this gives matt the opportunity to work on her room without waking her up. leah is asleep in her pack-n-play, waiting for mommy to give up on being up and take her to her cradle to sleep.
just wanted to give you all a quick update on what was going on with us. leah is almost 7 weeks old and the kid is adorable. i know everyone thinks their own kid is adorable... but she really is. she loves being held and is a total cuddle bunny. she has smiled her first smiles, but i have yet to have the camera out at the right time. i will try to document it asap. the kid is totally alert, but how can you not be with your sister giddy, screaming and dancing around the room just feet from your head.
aubrey loves her little sister and has been a huge help around the house. she is becoming a pro at making sure leah has her paci, and is great at running to grab whatever i need when i am feeding the baby. she loves to cover leah with her blanky and give her whatever she is playing with... i am hoping this continues when leah is old enough to actually WANT whatever it is that aubrey is handing her.
aubrey is talking up a storm. the things that come out of her mouth amaze me. i may have to copy my friend jen and make a list of some of some aubrey-isms.
matt is working hard and trying to finish the girls rooms. were in no big hurry yet, i am a little nervous about aubrey moving up to the third floor. i have never had my little girl so far away from me at night.
not much is going on with me. loving being a mom. it is the hardest but most rewarding thing i have ever done.
well, i think my five minutes is up... guess i should head to bed. i am going to be wiped out tomorrow morning. should have thought of that.

to each his (or her) own

little leah loves her baths. the kid just floats there....dazed. i remember having one awful experience with aubrey in the bathtub as an infant. it was enough to make me only take her in the shower with me and not even attempt baths until she was to big to hold up and wash at the same time. leah is a whole other story. the minute her toes hit the water she quiets down. you could keep her in there until she pruned up, and as long as the water didn't get chilly she would be content. just goes to show, every kid is different. it's fun learning her little personality.

just leah

i hold her.

you wonder how your toddler is going to react to a new baby in the house. aubrey has done so well adjusting... in fact she loved her little sister right off the bat. poor baby leah (or "babeleah" as aubrey calls her) has been hugged and squeezed, poked, prodded and licked (courtesy of chloe, not aubrey). no wonder 2nd children are so resilient.

we took aubrey on her first outing with JUST mommy and daddy, since leah has arrived. we decided to go see veggietales at the "big movie theater". halfway there we hear from the back seat of the car.

"i lost leah."
"no aubrey, she is a grammy's house".
"go get her."

toddlers make me smile.

"sarbucks hot chocolate"

this should have been posted a long time ago, but we have been so busy...or tired. mostly tired.

aubrey had a FAVORITE christmas movie this year. by favorite i mean, first thing she mentioned everyday when she came downstairs. "choo choo train movie" (aka The Polar Express). now if you have not seen the movie, you should know there is one scene where the passengers are served hot chocolate. mommy had a great idea one night and served aubrey and daddy hot chocolate with whip cream while they were watching the movie.

....after a long day out and about, we decided to treat our little girl to a kids hot chocolate at starbucks.... it made for fun photos, but has resulted in us having to order a hot chocolate as well, when we go to order coffee. let's just say it has started to help us cut down on our coffee breaks.

and yes, the title is not a typo. "sarbucks" is one of aubrey's favorite places to go.

a life worth living

there are three people who mean more to me then anyone else in this entire world. i am amazed that God has allowed me to be a part of their lives. i sometimes wonder what i add to this little bunch and why God chose me to be a part of this family...
there are days i can be a little "cranky" as i have been told by my two year old... "mommy cranky". there are days that i worry about the unimportant things instead of singing to leah, coloring with aubrey or holding hands with matt.

thankfully though, my family is patient with me and loves me just the same. i am trying hard to let the dishes sit in the sink for a little while longer, to not run around behind aubrey cleaning up toys, to sit next to matt and read a book instead of checking email for the 13th time.

i love my little family desperately and i want them to know it.
my prayer is that my actions will speak louder....