Unusual behavior

Abby and I went for her 2 year doctor visit the other day (only 6 weeks late!) and found out a few interesting tidbits of information. Mainly that Abby speaks like a 3 year old and is the size of a 3 year old. Yep, she speaks in paragraphs and is officially 3 feet tall now... she's in the 90% percentile of height and the 49% of weight. I'm pretty sure the dr would have said Abby acts like a 13 year old if she'd had a chart for attitude.

What does having a child who looks and acts a year older mean to me? That I was in fact pregnant for 2 years instead of the usual 10 months. I'm glad to finally have confirmation from someone else.

According to the checkup it's also unusual for Abby (or any 2 year old) to enjoy eating raw peppers and onions... I offer the following photo as proof that she is related to granny. (Nope- that's not an apple- it is in fact a bell pepper)

I want a choice!

Here's a recent conversation between myself and Abby:

Me: Abby- please get out from under the table.

Abby: I don't want to get out of the table.

Me: Well, you don't have a choice.

Abby: I want a choice!

This declaration has started me thinking... when exactly do we realize we aren't in control but wish we were? How is it that my two year old can voice the exact sentiment I want to scream out as an adult? So many times my prayers have just been cries for choices.

If Abby and I can just accept who is really in charge, we'll both be much better off.

I just saying you

Ahh... the joy of a completely verbal child. We are never bored listening to Abby talk. Just a few of her latest conversation pieces:

1. "I just saying you!" Translation: this is apparently what Matt and I say to each other when we're trying to not argue... "I'm just saying..." So now Abby regularly says: "I just saying you". This is normally used when we're asking her to do something she doesn't want to do. Smart kid.

2. "I go to sleep. I wake up. Then I go to the lake." Translation: After nap time, Abby goes swimming. She calls the swimming pool the lake. That's okay for now, but I'm not sure what will happen when she actually goes to the lake.

3. "Mas Abajo!" Translation: Um... too much Diego.

4. "I so sad I cry at church. Then I play with my friends." Translation: we have a few teary minutes at church daycare every week. Eventually she plays though.

5. "I'm snuggle." Translation: she's ready to snuggle. This happens at random times of day and it's always wonderful to hear!

Perfect Balance

For those that don't already know, Matt is the chef in our family. Being the cook was a survival instinct that kicked in after about 2 weeks of marriage. I still remember the surprise in his voice when he said, "You really do eat cereal for dinner." I felt sorry for him then so I cooked the next night... it was met with the response, "Um... there are three types of carbs on my plate." So Matt was put in charge of dinner.

Amazingly enough, I don't feel as though I've failed as a wife in this area. Because for as much as Matt loves healthy balanced meals, I love baking. I've always loved it. I made my first cake at Granny's house; I chose to make a red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting... all from scratch. It was delicious! Since then, I've continued my love affair with cakes and added cookies, muffins, and breads to my menu.

So you see Matt and I have the perfect balance... he makes an amazing dinner, and I make a sweet dessert to top off the evening.

And because I always encounter people who don't understand how I love baking but hate cooking, here's my argument: Baking has a magical element to it. When you're cooking on the stove top and you're throwing ingredients in the pan, you see what's happening. You watch the meal come together and you know just what you're going to have in the end. Baking is different. You mix everything together, you put it in the oven, and then magic happens. Because even if you peek every five minutes you'll see something different each time. What you take out of the oven will never look like what you put in.

Tuesday's creation: a lemon glazed buttermilk bundt cake with slivered almonds:

Loving Life

We may be living in a two bedroom apartment, but we're loving every minute of it! Abby says over and over "I love my new house" and we tend to agree with her. Matt is loving that it's hot outside and he doesn't have to mow the yard, I'm loving that being back in Denton means reconnecting with old friends, and Abby's loving the pool and the opportunity to wear a different swimsuit every day!


We always have high hopes for summer and so far this one is living up to our expectations :)