Big sister, little sister

I feel like the world's worst mom.  My girls haven't had matching outfits yet!  I have refused to buy any clothes for Lily because I have so many from Ainsley and we've been getting a few things here and there for gifts.  But, I always said my girls would match.  So much for that!

Grandma Rita did get the girls "matching" sister shirts.  It's the closest thing they've had to matching outfits so far!

 

Stare down!

I do want to note that I'm on a mission this weekend to find matching outfits for the girls.  We're getting Lily's 3 month pictures taken next week and I want at least one with Ainsley and Lily in their matching outfits.  Hopefully I can happily say "Mission complete" after this weekend!  (And, how is it possible that Lily will be 3 months next week?!)

Hudson visits!

Hudson (and Thomas and Jamie, too) came to visit last weekend!  That made for a very happy auntie and cousin.  Ainsley couldn't wait to see "Baby Huckson".  They came up Saturday evening and stayed the night, so I was able to see lots of my little nephew! 

Yes, Hudson...you have to sit there for a minute and let her hold you!

All she wanted was to give you a kiss!

I'm so glad his Mommy brought plenty of extra clothes, otherwise he would have been wearing pink at Aunt Trista's, because we had to change his clothes a lot!  He had a diaper explosion within in the first few minutes of me holding him, and then got me in trouble by spitting up every time I would take his bib off to try to take a picture.  EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.  Oops! 

This cracks me up!

I don't have a neck!

Yes ladies, I'm sitting in a pink bumbo, but I'll still pose!

We got the fire pit out that evening to roast some hotdogs and make s'mores.  I was very excited about the s'mores! 

Our little helper

Uncle Thom and Ainsley just chillin'

Time for bed (and to go find a bow)!

I think Hudson liked it at Aunt Trista's.  He fell asleep before 10 and slept until 7 or 8 the next morning!  Of course, Lily was asleep around 11 and up at 5.  I don't know how Thomas and Jamie got it so easy with their first.

We're pretty sure Lily has already passed Hudson when it comes to weight.  Hudson is so long and skinny, and Lily is just a little chunk! 




Lily says:  "Mommy, tell Hudson to stop hitting me!"

We headed down to Dad's for lunch before Thomas and Jamie headed back to Missouri.  Grandma Mary and Aunt Royce stopped by to see the babies and Grandma brought a pie.  I was one happy camper!  Grandma's cherry pie...yum!  (Can you tell I'm on a diet?  I'm way too excited about any kind of food that isn't good for me!)

I think everyone was stuffed after lunch and I know I would have loved a nap, but when you forget to pack diapers for the big girl, a nap isn't in the plan.  I had to make a trip to Walmart for diapers instead.  Lily's size 2 diaper wasn't quite big enough for Ainsley.  Can we say baby diaper-thong?!?  Okay, it wasn't that bad, but I really don't know how Joel got a size 2 diaper on her.

Daddy with his girls

Ainsley was very intrigued watching Hudson get his diaper changed.

Aunt Trista finally learned her lesson and left the bib on for a pic!

I was able to get a few more minutes of snuggles in with Hudson before they left.  We sure miss that little guy and wish they lived closer! 

When Hudson comes, that means Jake comes with him.  Ainsley was pretty happy to see that stinky dog.

Happy Birthday America!

Our 4th of July was pretty relaxing.  Joel had to check the irrigators all day, so he was in and out of the house.  Ainsley and I made cupcakes, which she was very excited about.  She loves to help me in the kitchen.  Every evening while I fix supper, she runs in and asks to help.  I usually just sit her in the middle of the island and give her something to stir, or hand me and she's happy.  She thought the star sprinkles were cool. 

Caught her licking some icing off of a cupcake!

Ainsley's been obsessed with stars for about a month now.  I got out a bracelet Mom had got for her to see if she wanted to wear it one day.  It said "Special Granddaughter" on it, and Ainsley immediately found a little star charm that hung from it.  She was in heaven!  She wears it everyday and it's funny to watch her when she wakes up each morning.  I usually take it off of her at night and as soon as she wakes up, she'll walk around the house to find her "star" bracelet and put it on. 

I made her a "star" sandwich one day when I saw a star cookie cutter in the drawer.  She gobbled it right up and asks for a "star" sandwich for lunch every day.  Her first choice for lunch is a hot dog and after she says it, she'll look at me and say "noooooooo".  She doesn't like hotdogs (or any meat for that matter), but that's what Blaine that used to go to Lisa's asked for, so what Blaine did, Ainsley thinks she needs to do.  After she says "nooooo" to a hotdog, she'll ask for a star sandwich (made with good old peanut butter and jelly).  What better to have for lunch on the 4th of July than a "star" sandwich?  Ainsley's favorite lunch!

While making the cupcakes, Ainsley kept saying "Surprise" and "Happy Birthday".  I tried explaining we were making them to take over to Aunt Jennifer's later that day and to Lisa's the next day, but she was adamant about having a "Surprise".  After lunch, I stuck a candle in a cupcake and let her have it.  I even sang Happy Birthday for her while she blew out the candle.  She loved it!

We went over to Brian and Jennifer's to swim that evening before fireworks.  Ainsley loved jumping into the water and kicking her feet to "swim".  She was even jumping to me off the steps and swimming back to them by herself.  Granted, we weren't very far from them, but she still did it without much help from me.

Jack gave Lily a bottle before heading out to watch fireworks

Because both girls were tired, we didn't know if we'd make fireworks that night, but decided to try it.  We were going to just stay in my aunt's yard and watch from there, but decided to go ahead and walk down to the lake to join everyone else.  Of course, we got there right as they were starting and couldn't find everyone else, so we found a spot to sit down with Jeremy, Kathleen, and Jack.  Ainsley was really excited about the fireworks at first and would clap and look up at them in awe.

Jack, Kathleen, Ainsley and Joel watching the fireworks

In typical Ainsley fashion, she was ready to go after a few minutes.  The few minutes we were there, she loved them.  I think it would have been different if she hadn't been so tired, but there's always next year (even though Joel says he's not going again!)

We made snacks for Ainsley to take to Lisa's one day.

She cried because I put her snacks in the refrigerator....and she cried, and she cried some more!

Locked out (with a baby)

What a day at the Freeman house.  It poured this morning and as soon as the satellite went out in the basement, Ainsley looked at me and said "rain".  She knows that the tv goes out when it rains, how she knows this, I really don't know!  We've only told her a few times, but I've been noticing that she's started remembering more and more things recently.  She wanted to go upstairs, so I brought her up for a little bit so she could watch the rain.  She kept telling me something over and over again, which I couldn't understand.  If you don't reply back to her with what she's saying, she won't stop saying it.  And because I had no clue what she was trying to say I tried to get by with "Yes, Ainsley" or an "Uh-huh" but of course it wasn't good enough.  I finally realized she was saying "umbrella".  She wanted to take her umbrella out in the rain! 

It rained pretty hard and there was some thunder and lightning so I told her we would go out later.  I managed to get her back downstairs and she fell asleep.  As soon as she woke up, she was asking for her umbrella and boots and saying "jump, water".  I'm telling you, she doesn't forget anything these days! 

With her umbrella in hand and boots on, we headed outside.  It hadn't rained for a couple hours, but Ainsley thought she needed her umbrella opened as soon as we got outside. 

She had lots of fun running up and down in the puddles in front of our house and jumping in them.  It is so much fun to watch her.  Her little face lights up as she jumps and splashes the water and her little giggle is adorable as she gets wet. 

Our day was going too good, and eventually we had to have a mishap somewhere along the way.  And this is where I want to retract a statement I made earlier about her not forgetting anything.  She obviously "forgot" how she turned the deadbolt on the garage door this afternoon, and couldn't remember how to turn it back to unlock it while I went out (with Lily in my arms) to get her cookies out of the deep freeze in the garage.  Yep, my adorable little two year old locked me out of the house with Lily in my arms in 90 degree weather. 

I yelled at her through the door to unlock the door, but of course, she didn't understand.  She tried turning the door knob with no luck.  I stood in the garage for at least five minutes, while Lily screamed and cried, knocking on the door and talking to Ainsley through the door.  Every time I would knock, Ainsley would knock back with a perky "Hi Mom".  Ugh!  I know I laughed a few times because her little "Hi Mom" was so innocent, but I was so mad and had a hungry, upset almost 3 month old in my arms that wasn't helping the situation. 

A few minutes into the fiasco, I opened up the overhead garage door to try to get some air moving.  Luckily, a few of the guys that work down the street were across the street doing something.  I slipped on some of Joel's flip flops and with a crying baby, crossed the street to see if they could help me.  Thankfully, the windows to the back porch were open, but the door was locked.  One of them used a tool to get the screen out of a window and climbed in and unlocked the patio door.  I'm sure the guys thought I was a hot mess! 

Ainsley had went into the living room to find her rain boots and had them on by the time I was able to get back into the house.   She didn't understand why I was so upset, and I tried not to be too mad at her because she only two!  And, don't worry...Lily immediately got a bottle and calmed down as soon as I got back into the house.  As for Ainsley, she ate two of the cookies that started the whole disaster.

Fun at the Fair

I took Ainsley to the Macoupin County fair last week.  We met Lauren and Grayson, so Ainsley had someone to run around with and I had someone to help keep me sane!

I was worried she wouldn't ride some of the rides, and she didn't want to as soon as we got there.  Of course, Grayson hopped right on and rode the first one by himself while Ainsley watched.  Then, she saw the big slide and both kids were excited.  I'm so thankful I have good friends who will take my kid down the slide for me because I'm too scared of heights to do it!  Lauren took both kids down and they both loved it.

 

 

They got stuck at the end! 

We tried a few more rides after the slide, but Ainsley still wasn't into it, so we headed over to the kids area.  They had a petting zoo, so we bought some food to feed the goats.  What do you know...both kids were too scared of the goats to feed them!  If you know me, you know I'm not fond of animals, and trying to feed a goat wasn't exactly up my alley but Lauren couldn't do it all! 

You can see Ainsley's hand with the carrot...that's as close as she would get!

She didn't want to get too close.

Watching from a distance.

Did I mention how Lauren had to take Ainsley down the slide for me?!  Well, she had to take Ainsley into the petting zoo also, because this Mommy wasn't going near all those goats!  Ainsley wasn't feeling it at first, but she quickly warmed up and after Lauren handed her one of the baby goats, she was in love!

It was about time for the pig races, yes, I said pig races.  They were set up right beside the petting zoo, so I tried to get Ainsley to go watch them.  The pigs race around a little track for an Oreo at the end.  They also swim during a race.  Who knew pigs could swim?!

Waiting for the pig races

swimming pigs

Running to the finish line

Ainsley wasn't feeling the pig races with the baby goats right beside us, so I ended up taking her back to the petting zoo.  And, I actually went in with her.  Shocking, I know!  She chased around the baby goats until one finally let her pick it up and she would just stand and hold it.  She kept saying "baby goat, baby goat".    She didn't want to get near the big ones, though and when one would get close to her, she would start walking away.  I even got a few videos of her with them. I do have to admit they were cute and it was so fun to watch Ainsley with them.  Here's a video of her chasing one of the babies.  Here's a video of her holding one.  And here's one of her saying "baby goat baby goat" (you have to listen close) and looking around for one!

Giving the baby goat hugs

Here baby goat!

More hugs

We had to check out the tractors before eating and then we headed back over to see if the kids would get on some rides.

She kept squirting herself while milking the cow and was soaked!

So sweet!

I was worried about Ainsley on the rides, because the weekend before, we found out Ainsley gets motion sick.  Joel pushed her in her swing for over half an hour one morning, and when he got her out, she could hardly stand up.  Once she did stand up, she immediately started throwing up.  She threw up a few times, but even after he brought her in the house, she was still dizzy and threw up a little more.  Ainsley actually got on the cars once we got over to them, and liked them! 

Ainsley and Grayson...there's only 2 months age difference between them.  Ainsley's huge!!!

Love Grayson's smile!

The boats were a different story.  They went up and down and around in a circle and after the first time around, Ainsley started getting a weird look on her face and started crying.  I had to have the Carnie shut it off so I could get her off. 

She was pretty good on the carousel, but didn't want me to hold onto her.  Of course, I put her on a horse that didn't move up and down, so thankfully she didn't get sick!

 

After she rode a few rides, she was ready to go home!  She was running around the carnival section and didn't want me to follow her or hold her hand, so we left.  She was beyond tired at that point and was ready for bed.  We still had to stop at Emilee's before heading home to pick up Lily.  I had dropped Lily off with Emilee on our way and it was the first time Ainsley was really worried about Lily.  When I got back in the car without Lily after dropping her off, Ainsley kept looking over to where Lily should be and asking where she was.  I told her Lily was staying with Emilee and we were going to the fair.  She asked about Lily all evening!  She was excited to see her again when we went to Emilee's to pick her up.