This Unfamiliar Road

Our Junebug is a big 3 year-old! I just cannot believe it because it feels like just yesterday that I was waking Ben up to tell him it was time to go to the hospital to have our first baby.

Peyton is an incredibly sweet but sassy little girl! She continues to be very social and prefers to have company while playing, eating, going potty, washing her hands...you get the picture :)
We have been working on her gaining a little more independence!

I thought this would be a great year to begin the tradition of a "Birthday Interview"!


Ben took off work for her actual birthday and we planned a fun Friday outing for our big girl. First, we went for a donut at DD. Little did we know, it was National Donut Day so most of our breakfast was free! Can we please arrange this every year? Of course, Peyton chose the pink donut with sprinkles!



Next, we went to Build-A-Bear to create a special 'Sassy Bear'-Peyton put her best friend Sassy inside so it will always be with her!


Since we go to the mall maybe twice a year, Peyton found it a real treat to ride up and down the escalator...again and again. Who can say no to the birthday girl? Definitely not her Daddy, who also got to ride the train with her.



For dinner, we wound up at Tmac (because, really... all Peyton wanted was a cupcake) where we enjoyed dining on the patio and singing Happy Birthday to our Junebug.


Our Sweet P,
It is so hard to believe that 3 years have passed since you came into our world, forever changing it. You are kind and gentle but oh so strong willed. You are quite a challenge to Mommy and Daddy every single day, but we know without a doubt that you were meant to be a leader. We do everything we can not to break your will as we guide you along this great path. You are an amazing big sister and you adore Eliza. You show great concern for her, and people in general. You love being out and about (really since Day 1!) and we can't go anywhere without you making a friend. You mean the world to us!
Love, Mommy & Daddy

Our little Bean has really started to show her true personality...sweet most of the time, but can be pretty sassy when she's not getting her way. Oh what a fun age!


 Eating: This chick LOVES to eat! She nurses about 5 times a day and has really started to enjoy a variety of finger foods- blueberries, pears, bananas, peas, carrots, broccoli, green beans, black beans, pasta noodles, waffles, butternut squash...and of course puffs and Mum Mums! There has not been a food she has turned away...yet!

Sleeping: Awesome! I am so happy to report that we completed sleep training a few weeks ago. Eliza was a lot more stubborn about it than Peyton was-it took almost 2 weeks! She will still occasionally fuss when I put her down if she is wide awake, and sometimes wakes at night and needs a pat on the back, but WOW what an improvement. Our schedule (yay!) looks something like this: Wake around 7:00a/Nap 8:30a-10:30a/Nap 1:00p-2:30p/Variable nap 4:30-5:00p/Bed at 7:30p
I am feeling much more rested :)


Skills: Crawling like a pro, and can easily go from belly to sitting again! E is trying to pull up to stand, and really loves it when she gets that extra help :)
She can feed herself easily and loves clapping, especially when I sing Pat a Cake!

Teeth: Two on the bottom, and I don't see any more at this point.

Happy Times: Exploring the house, discovering all the 'no-no' toys: water dish, electrical cords, entertainment center...etc. She is loving the pool, too so I hope we will have an awesome summer. And seriously, nobody can make this kid belly laugh like her big sister.

Unhappy Times: Still in that clingy phase, so if Momma puts her down and walks away, get ready for a tantrum. She has also started to protest when something is taken away from her.


Stats: No appointment this month, but she's wearing 12 and 18 month clothes. Something has to fit over those fat rolls.


Sweet Liza,
We are so happy to be settling in to a routine with you, and it's clear that you feel better, too, when you know what to expect of your day. Your sassy attitude is starting to show, but you are just cuter than ever when you wrinkle up your nose and grunt. It's so fun to watch you explore your world!
Momma and Daddy