3rd.

This has been a BIG year for Presley. She has:

• Moved into a big girl room
• Welcomed her sister to our family
• Potty trained
• Hiked a mountain (on dad's back)
• Continued to be a "talker"
• Discovered the park is FUN (no more sitting on the picnic blanket with mom)
• Gone skiing twice--once a failure, once almost a success
• Stayed at home with dad for a week
• Had surgery
• Perhaps given up her nap
• Seen her first (and now 4th) movie in the theatre

Presley is a sweetheart and we have loved, and continue to love every moment with her! Happy third birthday!

Meet Cuddle.

Here is the finished product . . . bows, shoes, and Hello Kitty birthday outfit (appropriate because on Saturday Presley's birthday party will be Hello Kitty themed). All picked by Presley from an enormous sea of stuffed animals, clothing options, and accessories (they even had panties, which we skipped).

Cuddle has hardly left Presley's side--she talks to her, hugs her, kisses her, and even has her eat dinner with us.

Build A Bear.

Presley has been asking, for what seems like months, to go to Build-a-Bear. So, for part of her "birthday week" we took her to Build-a-Bear with grandma and grandpa yesterday. Presley was a little sleeping, having fallen asleep on the way down the canyon, but by the end she had perked up and was pretty excited.


Presley knew exactly what she wanted--a pink bear (which she has named Cuddle), with a Hello Kitty outfit and pink shoes. Cuddle now goes with us everywhere and Presley couldn't be happier about the whole thing.

Don't you love her cheesy, squinty, fake smile? What's next for the "birthday week", maybe a movie, time at the park, and a big party on Saturday with family. Tomorrow is Presley's actual birthday.

Arrived.

After ordering this 2 weeks ago, it was finally shipped to my local REI and I picked it up yesterday (thank you big membership discount!). Will this get me out of the house with the girls???


As soon as everyone is healthy . . . I plan on using this a bunch! I currently have the jogging attachment, but I think Chris will be getting the biking attachement for his birthday--the girls are going to love all the free rides!

New and improved.

This is a long time in coming, but we have been super busy and super sick--yuck. These are the promised BEFORE and AFTER pictures of Presley's belly button.



Presley has healed up nicely and was very happy when the bandages came off. "I DO have a belly button!" was the first thing she said.

Surgery.

Before.

After.

Presley was such a trooper! She was even up on her own at 6:30 AM (thank goodness because she can be a grump if you have to wake her up). The day went like this:

1. Out the door at 7:00 AM


2. Checked into the hospital at 8:00 AM


3. Admitted at 8:20 AM


4. WAITED until 10:40 AM to go off to surgery--this was so sad because Presley was SO hungry. She was fine until about 10:00 AM when she couldn't stop whimpering about being hungry and thirsty.


5. Out of surgery at 11:15 AM


6. Recovered for a couple hours and home by 2:00 PM

Presley watched movies and played with all the toys we brought PLUS all the fun toys/activities in the bag the nurses gave her (stickers, play dough, yo-yo, animals, crayons). When it was time to go with the anesthesiologist she happily kissed us goodbye and was wheeled away.

The doctors and nurses loved her--they all commented on how happy and sweet she was (she waved to everyone and was very cooperative).

Recovery was pretty good. Presley was out of it for a bit but quickly came around for the fruit snacks she was promised and a sippy cup of Sprite. She also downed a whole bag of fish crackers, 2 suckers, a cheese burger, and apple slices. She was a hungry girl!

Once the IV was out (it was in her foot!) and we got her dressed (she was a bit confused about the diaper they had put on her during surgery--we played off as the doctors being silly) we headed home. Happy to have this behind us.

It is now nearly bed time and Presley is up and about walking around. Hard to believe this will all be forgotten in a few days. Can you believe how small her bandage is?

Bubbles.

What girl doesn't love a bubble bath!

9 Months.

Just when I thought Stella was so cute grabbing her toes--she learned to CRAWL! On the 1st of March she learned to get up from her belly into a sit and yesterday she crawled (just 3 steps but more have been happening all day).




At her 9 month check up last week, Stella weighed a small 15 pounds 10 ounces and was 27.5 inches long. Overall she is small but still growing.

Ready for church.

This is what I came upstairs to after bathing Stella--Presley into my makeup and proudly announcing that she was "Ready for church Mom!".

I do believe there is a similar picture of me with my mom's lipstick all over my face and body . . . thank goodness Presley just got the mascara on her face!

Fixed.

On Thursday, March 5th Presley will have this fixed.



It is her umbilical hernia. Most kids have this from birth and it usually fixes itself, but Presley's just "popped out" a couple months ago. I am trying to keep this low-key--mostly for myself--I know any surgery can be a big deal and will have risks.