I have a niece!

So proud to announce that the Sias family just welcomed Campbell Jane into the world this afternoon! We are so excited to have a niece, but so sad that we can't be there to meet her. We were there for James' birth and they were here for Lucy's, but since our second babies are going to be so close in age it's impossible for us to be there this time around. So grateful for a healthy mommy and baby! Now its our turn.....

Almost there....

5 more weeks and we get to meet this precious girl! Lucy is so excited to be a big sister!

Super Easy Valentine's Treat

I don't bake very often. I leave it to those more experienced and better equipped than me....ya know, people like Publix and The Great American Cookie Company. Those people rock.

So if you don't bake, never fear, this requires practically no skill, and is still a very easy and delicious treat, that even a 3 year old could make (and did.) Thank you Pinterest for the idea!

You'll need:

Pretzels....preferrably the little square ones


Hershey's kisses (only the hugs variety are allowed in our house)


M&M's of the appropriate season/color

Place the pretzels on a baking sheet.

Put the kisses on top of the pretzels.

Stick them in a 200 degree oven.

   

When they start to look sort of "melty" (now you understand why I don't bake), take them out and stick an M&M on them and push down slightly so they look all pretty. 

Cool, and devour. If you're impatient like me you can stick them in the fridge.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

My big 2 year old

I have seriously been slacking on the blog. I could say it's because we've been so busy preparing for the baby.....but that would be a big fat lie. We have done NOTHING. In fact, this is all we've done so far:

We set up the pack n play in our bedroom and I bought a pack of diapers and a tub of wipes. Whew are we ahead of the game. I actually thought setting up the pack n play was a huge step and then I realized we don't have a sheet to go in it, so it's kind of pointless. I think I threw the sheet away from when Lucy used it because she puked so much. Surprisingly though, I don't feel unprepared for this baby. I'm SO ready....you just wouldn't know it from the house. I mean but really, what else do newborns need for the first few weeks other than some diapers and a place to sleep? I need to wash some onesies/sleepers that I had from Lucy, and we have to pull down the bouncy seat and carseat/stroller out of the attic. We're good.....I'm sure panic mode will hit in a few weeks :)

Anyway....Lucy is officially 2 1/2 now, and I can't believe the changes she has made in just 6 months. When I look at pictures and videos of her right before/after she turned 2, she seems like a different person! For one, she is finally getting some hair. Real hair. Not fake baby fuzz. And she has also turned into such a little chatter box. She's always been a talker, but lately she will NOT STOP TALKING. Sometimes at the table while we're eating or while driving in the car, I have to say, "Lucy, I need you to stop talking just for a minute." That sounds awful that I tell my 2 year old to stop talking, but if you know her, have ever ridden in the car with her, or have sat with her at the dinner table, you know why. It's endless. I'm so glad she loves to talk and ask questions, because that's how she learns, but sometimes my brain needs time to process it all. I swear her brain moves faster than mine does these days. I love our little conversations though, and I love that I can actually HAVE a full conversation with her.

Here are a few things Lucy is doing at 2 1/2 that I don't want to forget:

(this probably won't be interesting unless you are her mother :) I just want to write these milestones down so I don't forget)

- She has become a potty pro. Seriously potty training her was a breeze. She hasn't had an accident in months...I really can't remember. We had an issue with pooping for a while because of her constipation issues but that has been resolved and she is doing great. She goes all by herself now and most of the time she doesn't even tell me when she has to go, she just does it by herself.

- She is very independent (as evidenced by the pottying.....and a million other things that often make her say, "no mommy, I do it myself.")

- She knows all her letters, shapes, and colors. She can also count to about 15 but cannot recognize all of the numbers yet.

- She LOVES to read books. Some of her favorites right now: Pinkalicious, Purplicious, and any of the Eric Carle books (brown bear brown bear what do you see? All those...)

- We rarely watch tv but when we do, her favorites are Sesame Street, Peter Pan, or one of the Shrek movies.

- She loves Tinkerbelle. She has tinkerbelle jewelry, a tinkerbelle costume, blanket, pillow, and pjs. All things Tinkerbelle are good.

- She FINALLY got her 2-year molars. People have told me that they are the worst coming in but I never even knew she had them. One night when I was brushing her teeth I was like, "oh! You got some of your molars!" The top two are in, the bottom two are breaking through right now.

- She has started taking a dance class one morning a week and LOVES it.

- She is very affectionate and lovey when she wants to be and gives kisses and hugs freely. However, she has some serious personal space issues when it comes to friends or strangers. I wonder where she gets that :)

- She kisses and touches my belly ALL the time. She is always asking to "see baby sister". She also tells me that she loves her.

- We always pray together before bedtime, but lately I have noticed her alone folding her hands and praying on her own. Randomly the other day she folded her hands, closed her eyes, and said, "Thank you for daddy, and mommy, and me, and baby sister, and Heidi. Amen." So sweet!

- She can recite three Bible verses that we've learned. I have it on video just haven't posted it yet.

- Her favorite toys/games at the moment are playing with her baby doll, cooking in her kitchen, having tea parties, and anything that involves chasing Heidi around the house with some sort of toy on wheels.

- She is definitely in a daddy phase right now, and as soon as he walks in the door in the evenings she just lights up and runs to him.

- She is still a great sleeper, sleeping about 11 hours at night and takes a 2.5-3 hour nap during the day.

- She loves shoes and clothes. She gets more excited about new clothes and shoes than she does new toys. Unless that toy has Tinkerbelle on it.....

- Although she is a great talker and most people can understand what she's saying, she gets very frustrated when you can't understand what she's trying to say. If I have to ask her more than twice what she's saying she'll go, "I'm not saying anything!" Haha...she has an attitude :)

- She loves to help do chores. Vacuuming, laundry, cooking, helping daddy start a fire (don't worry she doesn't really help start fires).....whatever we are doing she wants to "help".

She is such a joy, and I am trying to soak up these last few weeks of alone time I have with her before her world gets rocked with a new family member. Today we went to Chick Fil A for lunch, just me and her, and I realized what a special time this is I have with her. It will never again be just me and her alone during the day, and I am so grateful to be able to be home to raise her. She has become my shopping partner, my lunch date, my helper, my shadow, and my little buddy.

I love you Lucy and your mama is so proud of you!