Baby Girl 2 Years Old

2 year olds are sweet, cuddly, kind, and calm...NOT!  I kid, but actually Autumn is all those things sometimes, but she can also be ornery, independent, selfish, and wild!  According to The Baby Whisperer, Autumn is what you would call a "Textbook" baby and I'm guessing she's a textbook toddler as well.

I would say her Top 5 defining characteristics are:
1. Independent
2. Adventurous
3. Hilarious
4. Sweet
5. Smart (I'm sure moms everywhere think this one about all their children!)

Eating
I think she is a decent eater.  She is willing to try new things.  She loves fruit, applesauce, bread, yogurt, and cheese.   She doesn't love meat or veggies, which I believe is pretty typical for toddlers.  I think if I was more consistent or more "fun" with our meat and veggies she would eat better.  That is definitely one of my goals for when we move to Germany in a month.

Sleeping
This has definitely been her weak point as of late!  Her daddy's deployment has affected her as well as turning two.  She has started waking in the middle of the night and for awhile she would really fight me to go back to sleep but the past couple nights I've just had to rock her for10 minutes and she'll lay back down.  This morning, however, she woke up at 6:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep which is not usual at all! Her normal waketime is 7:45 or 8 (and I like it that way!).

About 3 months ago we moved her to a toddler bed and it has been a very easy transition for us.  Like, I'm shocked at how easy!  She rarely gets out of her bed.  When she wakes up, she just moans or calls out or starts talking to herself (depending on her mood) and then I go in and get her.  I keep her door shut and she doesn't know how to open it.  Plus, the only toys in her room are stuffed animals and books.  We did have to invest in a night light, but it didn't correlate with the bed transition.  I think it was more of an age thing.

Playing
She loves to play outside.  She loves to play in the water.  She loves to play in the dirt.  She loves chalk.  She loves bubbles.  She loves Elmo and Mickey Mouse.  She loves pre-school.  She loves her tricycle.  She loves stuffed animals.  She loves to read books.  She loves doing things herself.  She loves to color, paint, etc.

Other
She still isn't potty trained.  I've tried twice.  Instead of thinking I've "failed" as a mom somehow since I have a 2 year old in diapers, I'm deciding to accept her as she is and accept the fact that she doesn't quite "get it" yet.  I am so sick of placing society's expectations on myself and my life!  It's my own fault, my own weakness that makes me try to live up to some American ideal that is based on mostly shallow principles anyway.  Ok, mini rant over.

Her hair is still super curly!  Beautiful strawberry blond ringlets.

She still loves her bunny.  I wonder when kids start outgrowing comfort items?  I'm thankful she doesn't have to take it everywhere.  She sleeps with it and carries downstairs in the morning, but 95% of the time it doesn't go in the car with us or outside with us.

She is still very much attached to her thumb.  It can be really frustrating because she will even talk with it in her mouth at times!  I have started saying, "I can't understand you with your thumb in your mouth" and that seems to be helping some.  Sometimes, I just have to say "Autumn" when she's said something thumb-in and she grins and says, "thumb" and then pulls it out :)  Her attachment to her thumb may be why bunny doesn't have to come everywhere!  Oh well, her doctor says it's not an issue until age 4 so at 3.5 I'll start seriously trying to change it if it is still an issue (which I'm guessing, yes, it will be).

She wants to do everything by herself.  "I do it" or "Autumn do it" is a phrase I hear probably 20 times a day.  I've read that this is a good thing and to let them do as much as possible so that's what we're doing! It might take us 10 minutes to get in the car, but that's ok :)

"How old are you??"

Moving is Hard

I took Autumn to her preschool class for the last time this morning.  No, she's not old enough to be moving on.  No, I'm not changing preschools due to preference.  It may not be the last time she ever attends preschool, but it will be the last time she attends this particular preschool.  Because we're moving.  Again.

One would think that moving gets easier.  That saying goodbye gets simpler.  That leaving memories behind becomes less painful.  That is simply and absolutely not the case.  I don't want to leave my life here.  More importantly, I don't want to leave Autumn's life here.  She has grandparents here (all 5 are within 300 miles).  She has friends here.  I didn't know 2 year olds had friends, but she does and she has so much fun with them.  She has a church here (and a preschool).  My parents have the most beautiful backyard in the world and we play in it every single day.  I don't want to go.  I want my husband to come here, not me and the kids go there.

But that's not how it works.  My husband and I don't sit down and have a discussion about if and when and where we should move.  We don't discuss if it's best for our marriage or best for our children.  We are told and we obey.  And it is really hard.

I read other's army wives blogs and by and far they are happy, positive, "fun" blogs about being proud of their husband and trusting God.  Which is all good and well and I appreciate people taking hard and negative things and giving God glory in the darkness.  But it does make me wonder if they think it's hard too?  Of course, everyone thinks deployment is hard.  That is a given.  But what about the constant upheaval?  What about never being able to lay down roots?  Autumn is two and this will be her fourth move.  That is not normal, even among army peeps, and I wonder if the normal "move every 3 years" plan is easier.

Our future looks like our past.  6-7 months in Germany, 6-7 months is Arizona, and then, and then, we get stationed somewhere for 2-3 years and I am so looking forward to that!  I don't want to speed up time or anything, but I am SO LOOKING FORWARD to August 2013!! :)  My family hasn't lived anywhere longer than 11 months since March 2010 (6 months in Oklahoma, 7 months in Germany, 11 months in Tennessee).

So, I'm kind of sad today, but in times like this, I think it helps to remember that my final home is not on earth.  I am a child of God, a co-heir to Jesus Christ and my home, my stability, my "roots" are in Heaven.  Not in Tennessee, West Virginia, or Kentucky.  A house is just a house, just brick and mortar.  And one day I'll have the permanent dwelling place my heart longs for and it will be perfect.

Birth Story! 5 Months Overdue...

I need to write this down before I forget! Caleb's Birth Story:

Monday December 5th I did not take a nap during Sesame Street.  That was absolutely unheard of!!  My friend Fancy called me to check up on me & I told her about the weird turn of events surrounding Sesame Street.  Then she said, "You know, I've heard of women getting bursts of energy before they go into labor".  Which, of course, I was so happy to hear due to the fact that I do not glow when I am pregnant...I wilt ;)  Just kidding! I do not wilt, but I do not love it.  I love babies, but not so much the process of growing them.

I digress.  So, back to not napping during Sesame Street.  I took Fancy's words of encouragement to heart & decided to take Autumn for a walk around the neighborhood....and started cramping! Yay!  It was light & didn't mean much to me since I had been cramping pretty much my entire 3rd trimester.  As the day progressed, they began to get more steady.  I called the doctor when they were 10 mins apart (maybe at like 4:00pm?) & she said that it could be false labor & not to assume anything.  Sad face :(  They even stopped for awhile & I went into a mild depression.  Not really a depression, but I did cry.  But then they came back & were worse.  At 10pm they were 7 mins apart & I called the doctor & told her they hurt really bad & she said to come on in and get checked.  Yay! So my mom & me & Fancy (who had arrived around 9:30pm) headed to the hospital. 

They checked me.  TWO centimeters!  What??? I had been dialated to 2 cm since I was 36 weeks.  So they made me sit there for an hour & then they would recheck me.  So I sat & endured the pain...which continued to get worse.  When they rechecked me, I was dialated to 5cm! Yes, we sure did cheer out loud like we had won the lottery :)

So they wheeled me back to the labor ward (that's sounds like an old-fashioned word but I like it) and hooked a bag of IV fluids up to me because I had to have a bag of them before my epidural.  By the time they went through my system, I was 7 cm dilated and it was 1:15am.  Looking back, I kinda wish I hadn't gotten an epidural, but I had no idea how quick everything was going to go and I love labor so much and I wouldn't want to not love it due to pain so I guess it's good I got it (ha, were you able to follow that sentence?).  Since I got it so late into labor, it didn't take all the way anyway.  I had about a baseball size of pain that never went away.  That was enough for me ;)

Everything happened really quickly after that.  He was born December 6 at 3:15 am, weighing 8lbs 3oz and 20 inches long with lovely brown hair and lovely blue eyes.  One funny thing is my water broke but it never came out because Caleb's head was blocking it so when he was born, he came out with a tidal wave!  It was pretty funny to see.  My mom cut the umbilical cord, I got to nurse right away, and then we all crashed (well, for an hour or two...you know how newborns eat).

As far as physical labor, it was so wonderful.  I have had the privilege of giving birth to two babies and I Freaking. Love. It.  I don't love being pregnant, but going through labor is sooooo amazing and magical and it has been, by far, the most miraculous and astonishing and wonderful experience I have ever had.

As far as emotionally, it was ok.  I mean, I was so blessed to have my mom and one of my bestest bestest friends in the labor room with me...but I would have preferred my husband.  I missed him and I was sad without him.  He was on Skype, praise the Lord, but it certainly wasn't the same.  I will never choose to have another baby without him.  If God chooses for me, then I'll deal with it then, but if it's up to me, we will never be apart again for a birth.  I would say I regret that decision, but then I might not have my sweet Caleb  and of course of course of course he's worth it!

And, now a few pics.
Next baby, I'm bringing a photographer!  And, brushing my hair.

If you can see past the reflection of my lovely leg, that is Chris via Skype

Meeting each other!

Just a few hours old

One day old

 And, as I like to save the best for last:

A picture I will treasure always

Mother's Day

Look at my haul!! I was SHOCKED to get so many gifts!  Shocked and totally delighted.  Hubs sent me those beautiful tulips, my sweet MIL sent me a "Party Cake" cookbook, a cake decorating set, and pretty cupcake liners, and my mama gave me cookie cooling racks (which I have wanted a long time).  I also got a Sesame Street greeting card :)

Me with the babies

3 generations of women.  Me and mom look quite a lot alike, Autumn is still deciding who she wants to look like...so far it's daddy ;)  

And, since I love to look backwards as much as forwards, here you go... 

Didn't want to leave Papa Buzz out of the picture taking!

And since I'm a proud mama, here's a video of my baby boy rolling over for those who are interested.  He started rolling front to back when he was about 2 months old (seriously!) and he finally learned how to roll the other way so I'm pretty excited about it!

Blooms Days 2012

Blooms Days is a big 'ole plant sale with lots of other stuff going on as well.  It is located in the most beautiful gardens that Tennessee has to offer (I think so at least).  They have live music, food, kid activities, vendors, etc.  My dad (the gardener of the family) was working the festival.  This was the first year I've ever been and we had so much fun!  It was the smoothest morning I've had in a loooong time.   Caleb slept and then ate and then stayed happy and Autumn was obedient and sweet all  morning until the very end when she got tired and even then she was just slightly ornery.  Why can't all my days be like that?!  :)  

                                   

Me, Caleb, my mom, & Autumn

Autumn got to go on a special ride with her Papa Buzz!

This is how Caleb spent the first half of the morning...

And this is how he spent the second half!  What a good happy boy!!

We had so much fun!  (I know I already said that, but it is has been a long time since I've had such a good day with both kids out in public!)  We got to eat homemade ice cream and listen to some music:

Autumn had Buttermilk Strawberry, I had Lavender, and mom had Salty Caramel.  Mom's was the best, hands down ;)

Autumn even danced to the music!  Here is a video of her jammin' out :)