Natalee and her BIG GIRL BED

I went into Natalees's room one afternoon after I started to hear some rustling around in there and I knew she was awake from her nap.  When I opened the door I found the rocking chair had been knocked down and she had used it to climb out of the crib!  I could hardly believe it...so I knew it was time...for a BIG GIRL BED!!!

So the next day I took the kids to the store and Natalee picked out her very own set of toddler bed bedding!  Of course, the character winner was Hello Kitty.  She was just beside herself with all the kitties on her sheets and the comforter! 

 

When we got home from the store, I managed to take the front section of the crib off on my own!  Then with some help from Natalee, we put her new bedding on and piled all her kitties on the bed.  Natalee was thrilled!

 

The first night in her big girl bed went very well.  After story time and getting tucked in, she said "nigh-nigh" and let me leave the room without any reservations.  After about 45 minutes, she did come to her door and call for me, asking for more milk, but I just tucked her right back in and to sleep she went. 

Natalee slept all through the night and the next morning she waited at her door and called for me once she was ready to get up!  I am very proud of our little girl, who is certainly turning into a big girl with a big smile and a big heart.

Mother's Day

One of the reasons May has been hectic is because Ed has been out of town most of the month.   This included being gone over Mother's Day.  He felt very badly about it, but this particular meeting was important for him to attend....that is the life of a military wife!  With him being gone, I thought I would just try to make the best out of the day. We started with going to church which was nice, but after that the day pretty much took a turn for the worse....why, do you ask?  Well,.... it was because of the attitude of a certainly  two year old!  Natalee was in rare form this day.  I had not seen her so cranky and defiant in quite some time, but she manage to wait to have this kind of day on Mother's Day.  Lucky me!  We did go to the beach/boardwalk twice that day (we had to leave and come back due to Natalee's behavior) just to try to have some fun and get some fresh air, but I can say that I was happy for the day to be over when it was!

Although the day itself was kind of a bust, I will never, never, never take for granted those two little angels God has blessed me with.  It remember only too well what it felt like when we were deep in the trenches of IF, treatments, RE appts, shots and blood draws.  Life was not fun; in fact I was miserable most of the time.  Although I "gave them life", they in turn gave me my life back, a new life.   When I look into their eyes I see so much hope, beauty, and innocence.  My heart is so full now....God knew exactly what He was doing and I am so grateful.

First Farmer's Market of the Season

I really love and can appreciate the area we are living in throughout this time of year.  With the beach and boardwalk to constantly entice me, there is also the constant ongoing of town activities that occurs during the months of May through September. One of those is the Friday night Farmer's Markets. The antique cars line the streets and the mixture of carnival foods and ocean salt water smells fill the air.  The sounds of happiness and laughter fill your ears as you walk around watching the families with children and dogs play on the sand or browse through the vendors.  Sometimes there is music playing, or a campfire to cook smores or even a movie or two on the beach.   It is really a sweet time of small town neighborly love.  Everyone seems to be a little nicer, a little happier and more relaxed.  I feel very honored to be able to come and enjoy the town's weekly summer traditions. 

Start of the Summer North Beach Season

The month of May has been a crazy but also wonderful month.  The weather has been amazing for the most part and the kids and I have really taken advantage of the beach and the boardwalk.  After Nico's soccer game on the first Saturday of May, we headed to North Beach for a little Maryland-Mexican food (I have no idea what else to call it, since this is certainly not Tex-Mex or Mexican food).  After lunch, as we usually do I let the kids play on the boardwalk.  We discovered North Beach was officially open for the season and the weather was so gorgeous so we bought our season passes and hit the sand!   The three of us are certainly turning into beach bums!  I think the kids could stay on the beach all day and be happy. It is so fun to watch them play and be able to see the difference in them from last summer to this year.