Avery 8 Months, Chloe 2 Years 8 Months

Can't believe it's been another month already and our sweet girls are 8 months and 2 years and 8 months old (their birthdays are 8 days apart)!  Some days I wish time would just freeze for a while so I could enjoy their cute little selves for longer (and put off the day when they become teenagers)!  Here's what my girls have been up to:

Avery:

• Sits up like a pro!
• Hasn't shown any interest in crawling or rolling over, but loves her exersaucer.
• Eats all the time!  Usually eats a jar and half for every meal, then a 6 oz bottle shortly after
• Finally has a tickle spot on her ribs up to her armpit.  It doesn't really make her laugh, but it makes her squirm and fold in half
• Super friendly and will go to anyone (providing she isn't ready for a nap).  Smiles at anyone who talks to her.  People always comment on how happy she is.
• Still has grayish eyes...though they look brown in some pictures
• Pooped in the tub for the first time yesterday :(
• Is doing well drinking out of a cup if I hold it
• Loves swimming and kicks like crazy in the water
• Loves little kids
• Wears 9-12 months clothes, size 4 diapers
• Weighs 21 lbs
• Had croop this month :(
• Still wakes up around 6 for a bottle
• Loves to touch people's faces, put her hands in their mouth
• Still a thumb sucker, loves putting soft things next to her face.
• Is becoming a bit of a Mama's girl (especially during the reunions this weekend)
• Yells indignantly if you don't pay enough attention to her

Chloe:

• Is very "passionate". She has highs and lows...she'll go from REALLY happy and fun to REALLY cranky and sad just like that!
• ALWAYS wants to help!  No matter what I'm doing, she wants to help, so we always find little jobs for her...like when I sew I always have to give her fabric and scissors and when Ronnie is fixing something she always has a screwdriver and screws...she'll say "Can I help???  Can I, can I????"
• She's becoming quite the singer and during sacrament meeting, she'll just sing a random tune as load as she can while we sing the hymns.  She often sings while she goes to the bathroom.  She sings "I Am a Child of God" to Avery when she's sad.
• Has learned how to sneak and fib...ack!  She sneaks into my things just like I used to sneak into my mom's.
• Loves books
• Loves Dora, Curious George and Avatar
• Loves to ride her bike
• Ronnie got her a power wheels jeep at a yard sale and she is obsessed!  She doesn't really like to drive it yet, but she talks about it all the time.  If I can't find her in the house she is in the garage sitting in it and "fixing" it.
• Wears 3t and sometimes 4t (in dresses, swimming suits etc)
• Size 9 shoes!
• She is a little jokester and likes to tease...sometimes it's hard to get her to take us seriously...
• Loves lip gloss, makeup, doing hair...she likes to get a brush and brush my hair or do my mannequins hair.
• Her best friends are Lucie Judd, Hannah Burrows, and Aiden Fullmer
• She is the naughty word police, especially with Ronnie.  If he says "stupid" or anything like that, she'll get her stern voice on and say "DAD!  You can't say stupid, or I'll put you in time out!"
• Was also sick this month, similar to Avery
• We were driving in the car a few days ago and she suddenly said "Mom!  Look at that beautiful girl!"  I looked but couldn't see anyone so I asked her where and she pointed at the Wendy's sign, with the girl on it!  I totally cracked up, but quickly agreed with her.  She likes saying "Do I look beautiful? Do I, do I?"
• Will do anything for candy (just like her Mama...).
• Has wanted to help change Avery's poopy diaper a few times and actually did it!
• Last Sunday I took Chloe out of Sacrament meeting because she was being naughty and went to sit in a quiet room until she could be nice.  On the way, she said very loudly, "Are you going to hit me Mommy???", with lots of people in hearing range....ya...it was awesome.

My sweet girls definitely know how to push my buttons, but I love them so much and wouldn't trade them for anything.  I love teasing and tickling them and hearing them laugh.  They are both so beautiful and precious and sometimes I feel so much love for them, it seems like a can't breathe.  Of course there are also days when I would consider selling them on the black market, but you forget all of that when you watch them peacefully sleeping later that night :)

Gettin' My Craft On...

I had a good run of productivity and craftiness for a little while...it's ended now...my house is in shambles...but atleast I documented!  I had a few baby showers, so that always gets me going...and I decided that whatever I make for other people, I have to make for my own family within the same time frame.  So I made hooded towels, wash clothes and burp clothes.  I also made an apron for Chloe out of scraps I had and then we made play dough so she could use it :)  I know they're not the most professional looking pictures, but I felt pretty proud of myself!  And the naked picture of Avery is just to show that she's there...I did not make that bumbo out of a mold I created myself.

Avatar Day...

"To celebrate the day the Avatar was not boiled in oil!"  We LOVE the cartoon series Avatar the Last Airbender and I'm pretty sure that we've watched the whole series atleast 5 times.  We're to the point that we can tell you what the episode is about just by hearing the title (I know scary...it's like my Dad and Star Trek).  My sister Meghan (the one above) is the source of our obsession...we used to make fun of her for being so nerdy, but then we got sucked in too.  She's now got her boyfriend Brian started, so we all got together for her annual celebration of Avatar Day!  There's an episode called Avatar Day where a town is punishing him for something he did in a former life and he's to be boiled in oil (wow...now I sound extra nerdy), but he saves the town, so they celebrate the day he was not boiled in oil.  A few years ago Meg made cookie dough men (because the A.D day treat was unboiled dough), but since I'm a cookie-dough-aphob, she made cookies instead.  The fruit tea was for Uncle Iroh, a character who is always drinking or going off about tea.  Chloe loved the party too, since she is always trying to bend and is obsessed with the character Zuko (don't judge).  Happy Avatar Day!

Just Keep Swimming...

We were doing quite a bit of swimming at the beginning of summer, but things have settled down quite a bit for us since July started (in the swimming department anyway).  Chloe had a blast jumping into my arms from the side and has gotten quite gutsy with it.  She loves to have me scoot back and see how far she can jump.  She still freaks out if you try to teach her to swim.  Avery is a total water baby.  She's a kicker outside of the pool as it is, but she totally goes nuts in the water.  I usually hold her by the armpits and let her legs float out behind her to kick to her hearts content.  She likes the floaty too and usually slumps forward and tries to eat it.  I feel like right now, it's just TOO hot...like the heat could swallow you whole.  Once it cools off a little, I think we'll be back at it- especially since we'll be loosing the pool soon!

Big Girl...

Avery loves being a big girl like her sister Chloe.  These pictures are of her first time riding in the seat of the cart.  She was so pleased with herself and so excited to be sitting next to Chloe.  Avery's laid back personality is quickly becoming a miss independent, I can do it myself, look at me go personality!  She's still an easy going gal, but with an edge.  Ronnie and I have decided that she's a lot like her Daddy, in that she'll put up with a lot and then suddenly boil over in a squealing fit of rage (not that Ronnie squeals).  This is especially true around meal time.  I love my girlies so much.  I love that they love each other and are sweet to one another.

Happy 4th of July!

4th of July Eve...Liz and Lucie comforting Chloe through the fireworks

The crowd at the Shumway's house

Happy Fourth of July!

Waiting for Dad to show up at the park

Found our friends!

Avery LOVED the cotton candy...go figure.

This is Avery's sad face in between cotton candy bites

Going for a ride on the train

Mom shot!

Rimmasch cousins

Nana and Alec

Hangin' at the Sunbowl

Chloe being a groupie for the band

The band, South of Graceland

Waiting for the fireworks!

We had an awesome Fourth of July!  Ronnie had to work for a quite a bit of it, but it still rocked.  He left early to work on the sound for the fireworks (the radio station collaborated with the city for the fireworks) and met up with us later at the park for games and fun.  Luckily we found the Judd's at the park to keep us company and had a great time with them.  Love those guys!  We did face painting, snow cones, train rides, bounce houses and just hung out.  After that we headed to my parents house to have a bbq with the whole fam, minus AJ.  Mmmm...nothing like watermelon and my Mom's potato salad at a summer bbq!  Went shopping with my sil Cami and found some steals at Gap and Old Navy, then rushed off to the Sunbowl.  We got VIP seating and dinner there, since Ronnie works for the Canyon Media and about had our eardrums burst from sitting so close to the loud speakers!  Despite that, it was super fun and the band, South of Graceland, was amazing!  They were very talented and knew how to get the crowd going.  At first they only had little girls rushing the stage, but the high energy got around and they had a good size crowd by the end.  My favorite part was at the end when the lead singer brought our a soldier from each branch of the military and waved the American flag, reminding us all of the sacrifices to keep our freedom.  I cried then and I'm tearing up now as I write it.  I'm so grateful for all who protect our rights and way of life.  When they were done, we got to watch the best fireworks show I have ever seen (aside from Disneyland)!  It lasted twenty minutes long and had a narration and music timed to the fireworks (Ronnie was very proud, since he got to help with it).  Chloe absolutely....HATED it!  She screamed and cried into Ronnie's chest the entire show, and only came up for air when it was over.   She still talks about how much she hates fireworks and how much they scare her.  Avery on the other hand, ate it up.  She was all smiles and wide eyes as they blasted off.  Hahaha, love my silly girls!  We finally made it home around 11:30 and promptly crashed in our beds.  It was a great day with my sweet little family!