The leaves are changing

Drafted in October.. but i never published, doh! me!

I swear, I feel like Fall has happened in the last 7 days. Today however, I sit here and my phone tells me the temperature outside is 84 degrees. That doesn't seem much like fall to me, despite the beautiful leaves on the ground.

Things have been moving so fast lately.. I know I probably say that in every post but it really feels like the seasons are flying by and my babies are growing so fast!

Mady has been having a tough time lately needing and wanting extra attention. We haven't been giving her much one on one time lately and I know I need to make that happen, it's just been tough. I like to spend sufficient individual time with the girls every once in a while. Mady really likes the break from the house and being a big sister, especially now that Annabelle is fully into stealing-others-toys-mode. Along with Mady wanting extra attention, she has been having more accidents both at home and at school, I was at my wits end with this child and decided to stoop to my lowest and use bribary as an option. I sat Madelynne down and showed her some different things online, such as cheerleading, gymnastics, swimming, soccer, t-ball etc. She was immediately mesmerized with Gymnastics and BEGGED that we go. I let her watch a couple more YouTube videos and within the hour she was jumping off my couch and attempting to break a bone of some sort. She's practicing the splits every night and begging me to flip her over. I made her a promise that if she doesn't have ANY accidents for 2 weeks we will go to Gymnastics. Seriously, since we had that conversation, she hasn't even come close to having an accident! I took her yesterday to Full Force Gymnastics and signed her up, she turned in her own registration form and can't be more excited to start November 3rd :)

She's saying the funniest things lately, like "Mom, that is just hill-ar-ium, what you said!" (Hilarious). She tells me all the time, "I just need to take some time and relax mom, give me a second to just relax!" She's an amazing big sister to Annabelle but has little patience when Belle takes her toy.. granted she's taking things right out of Mady's hands which isn't nice but still, Mady is trying to learn patience herself right now. She is so excited and happy to show Annabelle new things and she absolutely freaks out if Annabelle is crying or upset. Gosh, if she crawls too close to the steps Mady absolutely LOOSES her MIND for someone to save her NOWWWW!!! It's sweet to see how much she cares about her and it's funny at the same time to see how soon the sister bickering begins.


AK went to Nags Head for Stu's Bachelor Party last weekend, so Andi and I took the opportunity to have our first sleepover with Mady. Andi bought Mady a sleeping bag, eye mask and we painted finger nails, baked cupcakes and watching Ariel too many times. The next morning I was busy making quiche in the kitchen and Andi was standing with Belle and talking with Mady when she yells, "Dude, your kid just walked!" I said, "No Andi, stop lying, Annabelle can't walk" and never left the kitchen. Then she did it again! I decided I better stop what I was doing and get a camera :)

I grabbed my phone and started recording.... Annabelle took her first steps!! I couldn't belive it and she was so proud of herself! I never thought this day would come. She just hasn't wanted to walk, she's never picked her feet up to even try and now she wants to walk everywhere (most the time). I sent the video to AK and he was so proud of her. I was so upset that he was out of town and missed it, but it was OK. Andi and I got to see it :) AK came home the next day and I hadn't been practicing with Annabelle too much, he held her and  told her to go and she walked to me and took SIX steps!! I can't begin to describe the pride on his face, it was so sweet.

Annabelle's favorite phrase, "HAAAA!" or "ahh-HA!", it's almost like she is saying "Boo-ya! or In your face!" hahaha. She will take a toy from Mady, crawl away super fast, turn around and look at her and yell as loud as she can, "HAA!" and laugh and crawl away. She's hilarious. On our way home everyday we practice sounds and copying each other.

Me: Mmmmmm
Belle: Mmmmmm
Me: ah-ah-ah
Belle: ah-ah
Me: Ooooo
Belle: Ooooo
Me: Roooaarrr
Belle: ROOOAAARR
Me: Mama
Belle: Dadadadadadadada
she hates me.

Annabelle is doing awesome otherwise though. I did take her to the GI Specialist a couple weeks ago and during our transition from formula to soy milk, she lost 3lb in 2weeks. She's been diagnosed Failure To Thrive and put back on the formula, ideally EleCare Jr. (which will cost us another small fortune). While we are getting the formula in place, we have an appt. with a pediatric allergist next Monday and I am looking forward to that meeting. Hopefully we will learn new things that she is/is not allergic to so we can begin more foods. After the allergist, we will meet with the pediatric dietician to develop a balanced diet within her allergy restraints and hopefully if we can find a diet that meets her calorie intake needs, we will be able to come back off the formula. Fingers crossed! She does awesome otherwise.. just not when we take her off the high calorie formula. Annabelle will just always be my high maintenance, expensive but worth every penny baby <3

In the meantime, we're just trucking along. Watching Mady sing us new songs everyday, learn to count and practice trying to write her name with lots of help. Annabelle learning to walk and she cracks up laughing at herself with every step, demand and yell at us for food and being ignored until she gives the sign language sign for 'more'. Zoey is a usual pain in the butt but settling down :) AK is studying to take the P.E. Exam this Friday and I am struggling to keep my head above water at work. All in all I would say we're living right. lol