cade's new wheels

i am obsessed with this baby

we love little ivy rae.

ivy really is the cutest thing you will ever see. seriously, ask around. the other day my sister was over at my house and as she sat and cooed with ivy for a bit, mandy finally said, "ok! this really is cuteness overload." you can't get enough ivy. i dare you.

so what is new with her?

developmental milestones
she is doing really well developmentally. she rolled when she was supposed to, she is sitting, babbling, clapping. i know this sounds weird, but i worried about this for a while. ivy is just SO content that i thought she would be fine never really progressing. i was wrong!

she loves to roll and scoot and somehow manages to get herself to all sorts of places. she isn't crawling by any means, but she can maneuver her way across a room.

food
to say she loves all food is an understatement. we have been giving ivy more and more solids lately and she is loving life. she has become so accustomed to trying new food that she gets a little testy if you hold her while you eat. SHE wants some, too!

thumb-sucker

i think one of the main reasons ivy is always so happy is because she has two thumbs. if she catches herself getting the least bit worked up, she quickly finds her thumb and everything becomes ok. she sucks her thumbs so much, in fact, they are even a bit chaffed and sore.

grabby hands
ivy is in the grabby hands stage for sure. it makes things nice when i want to sit her down and put some rice crackers on her tray- but it also makes it hard when you want to do pretty much anything else. luckily, violet loves to let ivy grab her hair and face. entertainment for both!

those grabby hands also come in handy when she needs a bottle.

shots
ivy is still considered high-risk for respiratory issues so every month we head to the doctor's office for a special (and expensive) immune shot aimed at helping prevent sickness in ivy. it really has helped ivy in so many ways, so despite the sadness of getting so many shots and the pinch to the pocketbook, we have been so grateful for it. it keeps ivy happy all month long.

pretty much we all spend our day loving on this baby. she is almost always content and smiling- though she is still selective with her giggles. those are few and far between. still, she has three, devoted admirers: mommy, daddy, and violet.

the cats aren't really that big of fans yet...

violet at 2

every once in a while, i think it is good to give an update on the girls. they are changing so fast that i am sure they will have completely different likes and dislikes before i can even finish this post. and THAT is why i need to be documenting it all more!

so, here is what life is like with violet these days.

her stool

little did i know, violet didn't really ever need parents. to be fully independent, all she was waiting for was a stool.

from the minute we brought this stool back, vi was alive with independence. she turned light switches on, washed her hands, practically potty trained herself, helped herself to any snacks i had placed out of reach.... you get the picture. she even carted the stool into the livingroom for a while whenever she got to watch a show. it was the perfect size for a toddler chair. in the kitchen, i now have a chef's assistant at all times. stirring, tasting, and telling me what foods she doesn't like. the stool aged my little girl a good ten years- but i say there is nothing as cute as seeing a pint-sized person hauling a stool around everywhere they go.

ch-ch-ch-chatter box

violet loves to talk. i have said this before, i know, but lately she is really getting into some deep conversations. sometimes she really gets going as she tells cade and i all about something she did. she loves to find similarities with anything and point out that it is "just like me!" she often tells me what we are doing tomorrow or on "friday" all the while making up grand adventures of going swimming or to the park with her cousins. i love every second of it. there is no better entertainment, i assure you that. this chatty stage is so fun.

her talking is also making reading time a whole new adventure as well. now she will "read" the books to us as she memorizes what we are saying. her favorite books right now are cats and brown bear, brown bear- both of which she can pretty much read to us.

potty training

done. check. fin. violet was so ready for it all. sure, we had a few accidents, but they were few and she would bounce right back. these days, she is pretty much accident free! my favorite thing about her potty experiences right now is that she calls number two, "going snakes." i know that is t.m.i. but she calls it like she sees it. when she finishes up, that is what she sees left behind. snakes.
like father like daughter... she thinks she needs to play on an ipod whenever she goes potty. yikes.


belly tickles

this little one is quite demanding when it comes time to go to sleep. whether it is a nap or bedtime, when violet gets sleepy, she needs a belly tickle. it is a major part of her day.

and we should also note that she can't go to bed unless all fifty of her stuffed animals are tucked in with her. she really does notice when one is missing..


friends and fancy

violet has quite the group of friends she plays with in the neighborhood. a group of us have organized a little joy school/play group where the girls learn the alphabet and play. they are all on cloud nine when they get together. my favorite part to watch as these girls giggle and play is how they all naturally gussy themselves up. they exchange chapstick, brush one another's hair and talk endlessly of princesses. where does this come from!? do they really see this all around them enough to pretend play at 2? i am fascinated and humbled by seeing that these little girls are sponges! makes me think twice about how i act and what i do. regardless, this princess business has led to violet's obsession with snow white. right now she is really loving on all princesses- but especially snow white. she has lived in her snow white dress since she got it. she wears it to bed and barely parts with it when she has to get in the bath. she. is. snow. white.

the fanciness continues. the other day she ended up at the doctor's office looking like this:

she didn't want to take her glasses off for anything. when we told her we needed to take her kitty shirt off for the exam, she firmly told me that it was ivy's turn and refused. dr. alba was great with her as she glared through her glasses at him. gotta love this 'tude.

gaga is her gal

violet loves to dance to lady gaga. she asks for it by name. she even sings along to the chorus of "just dance." the other day, i was at subway with violet and my parents when a lady gaga song came on. without hesitation, violet stopped to listen and then yelled out, "gaga!"
she really knows her stuff.
she only knows a few, clean songs of LG- but i can only hope that we can listen to the "wheels on the bus" cd again soon...

her little sister

as ivy is getting bigger, the two girls are really starting to love play time together. violet is always down on the floor with ivy rolling and babbling right along. she often gives ivy a toy if she gets sad and kisses are a must. the other day violet happily yelled out, "i love my little sister ivy!"


i truly do love this stage. there are a zillion things that happen very day that i think i should write down- i don't want to forget them! overall, i really am enjoying this time to get to know violet as she is growing up so fast. she is playful, dramatic and so eager to learn. it makes every day different and fun.

march madness: a month in one post

march madness lived up to its name this year. not so much in basketball terms- but just in life. the month FLEW by and now we are left with a bunch of fun times with friends and family to reflect on. here are some highlights (with as little or as much explanation given as i felt necessary):

snow time like the present

it finally snowed enough to make a snowman. so, we did.

st. george

the girls and i ventured south with my parents for a week of fun in st. george. my dad had a work conference there so we tagged along and made the best of it. you know it was a great week of relaxation when you get home and realize you didn't take a single photo. we ate like royalty, shopped until we literally dropped, and enjoyed the sun a bit. violet loved bossing my parents around all week and ivy loved having all the attention she could ever want. great times.

family 5k

my family has been competing in a healthy lifestyle challenge so we decided to all run a 5k together.

cade runs for office... sort of

'nuff said

cousins

cade's cousins had a get-together and we loved seeing all of them. i especially loved little vi and hobbes running around together.

cade embodies st. pattys

he has decided that he will only wear all green on this day. i guess that is the whole idea with the "green" theme but i don't think the public is ready for this:

city creek

city creek center in SLC opened and i am in love with it. i truly do love shopping- even if i don't buy anything- so this mall is a welcomed addition. we enjoyed a family outing there one night and we all found something to love on.

cade heads to florida

cade went to the south east for a work conference. he was sure to bring back lots of swag for us to sift through.

hunger games

cade and i have read the series so we were exited to see the movie. i pretty much had goosebumps the entire time- which i am both happy and embarrassed to admit to.

it was kylee's bday when we went to see the movie. thus, she is the winner of the hunger games.

sanket and shradda anniversary

we we able to attend the wedding anniversary of our friends sanket and shradda. they are a fabulous couple and we loved spending time with their friends. i especially loved all the yummy indian food.

general conference

came and went. we loved the time we spent together as a family watching and listening to modern day prophets and revelators. sometimes it is nice to stay in your pjs all day.

hollywood connection

cade's sister, sadie, moved to elko with her family a while ago for a job opportunity. we don't get to see them as often as we would like anymore, so when we get the chance, we jump on it! they passed through utah on their spring break so we all met up at hollywood connection so the kids could run wild and the adults could chat. violet was in heaven. she rode the carousel, the "bus," and ran wild through that place. she still asks me when we are going to get on the bus again. we loved seeing the gouldings!

cade makes a cat perch

a neighbor complained that our cats were too annoying. i guess they were pooping and digging and frolicking where they weren't supposed to. we have been trying to keep them inside more- so cade made them a little perch.

aquarium

we ventured out to the sandy aquarium where violet ooo-ed and ahhhh-ed over all the sharks, turtles and penguins. few things compare to seeing your child's face shake with excitement. who cares how many times we had been there before: she was still THAT thrilled.

a terrible loss

cade's basketball team has seen better days. this is something worth documenting. check out this final score.

date nights

we have officially decided that these are necessary. and i love this idea.

So there you have it: MARCH.

i still think i am 20 but...i'm not.

it really is strange growing up and getting older. days feel like months and months feel like days. the next thing you know, you are living in a house with a husband, 2 babies, 2 cats and the neighborhood kid calls you 'ma'am.' am i old? when did i get old? what is that magic age where you are all of a sudden old? maybe it is 28 maybe it is 37. even as i type this, i imagine some people reading and saying, "28 isn't even that old!" while others will say, "i can't believe you are already 28!" no matter how you look at it, however, i am 28. and old or not- i still feel 20. so i think that is all that matters.

anywho, my birthday came and went and i spent it with those i love most. cade, violet, ivy and i went out for a thai dinner and froyo dessert date together before coming home to watch a movie. a perfect outing finished off with a perfect night in.

so, here is my reflection on life as i turn 28. even though i am getting older, things are always getting better. i never imagined i would be where i am right now but now i cannot imagine it any different- or any greater. i hate to rub it in all your faces- but i am really loving life. we can always make a long list of things we think we need or things that we think would make life better- but in the end, i hate to think that i am not loving the things i have now the best i can. so right now, i am loving all that i have. it is fabulous.

and look, i am never too old to catch a few snowflakes on my tongue. especially when it is my birthday.

a voice for radio...

utah, you are looking at the new voice for varicose veins! that's right- coming straight to your radio is the voice of cade taylor telling you all about his vein experience.

i don't even have varicose veins- but i am sold.

confused? don't be. cade had a vein surgery done about a year ago to help with some varicose veins. he is just so darn likable that the doctors decided he would give a great testimonial on their radio ads. so, he did. the end.

first 'do

it took me two years. i finally agreed to cut violet's hair after two years. it was time... her cute shag had grown a little lopsided. we decided to even it out, so the cut was pretty minimal.

minimal, but still worth documenting.

vi pie turns two

i promise this is the last post about violet turning 2.... i just can't help myself- we love to party! after our two previous celebrations, i was worried that little vi would think that everyday was her birthday. what a way to go through life, thinking that everyday is your birthday! to try and set her actual day of birth apart from the celebrations, cade and i tried very hard to make the day all about her. we let her decide every bit of the day (save the nap... that was not up for negotiation).

so, our day started with pancakes. lots and lots of pancakes. right now pancakes are by far her favorite food. she requests them at all hours of the day- especially when she is bored. "i just want some pancakes." her birthday wish was granted and the pancakes came down like rain. with butter and a little syrup, that little one can easily out-eat cade and i. for her birthday breakfast, she managed to wolf down 4 pancakes before i had eaten one!

after that, we played around the house, opened some gifts from mama and daddy, ate mac n cheese for lunch (a close second on her favorite foods list), took naps before heading out to kangaroo zoo for some fun.

violet has only recently discovered a fear of anything- she has always been quite fearless which means she loves to play, play, play. kangaroo zoo was the perfect spot for her to run wild, dive down slides and jump to her heart's content.

ivy was loving life watching all the fun. i am obsessed with this baby.

after a few hours of jump time with the cousins, it was time for dinner. we picked up some quesadillas (another fave) and headed home for more play, presents, and cupcakes.

it was perfect.

all the fun left our little one all tuckered out.

the two's aren't so terrible after all.