The day has come and for how sad I thought that it would be it is really that much worse! The big girl bed arrived! It is beautiful and I love it with Charis’s little comforter on it along with her princess sheets. It just seems very her and resembles closely what I had as a child as well. I did fine pretty much all day. I was sad but I was pushing through. I made the bed and watched Brad take down the crib but my goodness when we put her in the bed I became speechless and little tears appeared. My first baby has become a little girl and she looks just right in her bed…not to small or to big but just right. She spoke words of resistance throughout the day but when it came time for bed she was just fine and drifted off to sleep land. I even went in to check on her while she was still chatting away and she really was just fine and happy. I think that I almost wanted her to hate it. I almost wanted her to cry for the crib just so we could leave it up a bit longer but alas she is growing up and I just need to embrace that. I do love every stage and enjoy them all when we reach them but these stages are just coming faster and not lasting quite as long as they use to. I must admit though I am looking forward to snuggle time with her in the new bed just times of being cozy with a good book or playing games upon her bed. Good times will come with the big girl bed, I just need to embrace the big girl allowing the baby to grow!

The princess is getting a big girl bed and I am already wondering about the pea. Charis loves her crib! I am talking big time love here! She refuses to talk about a big girl bed at all. We went shopping this morning and she came along and would not even sit on a bed…that is just how against this whole thing she is. She just isn’t one for change. Alas though the crib is becoming to small and she is becoming to old. We pondered bunk beds for a bit; actually we bought bunk beds and then changed our minds. We settled on a white four poster bed (the poster part is removable). I think that Charis will be much happier with this decision as the bunks have seemed a little scary to her (just a little to closed in). It will make its big arrival a week from this Wednesday. I know that she will find peas in her bed but I hope that she will settle into it and grow to love it. Stay tuned! Oh and yes just in case you were wondering this whole thing is a bit emotional for mom. I already broke down once and I am sure upon the beds arrival there could be another little breakdown. The growth! It is just so quickly!

Within the last week I have begun feeding Cai Rice Cereal. It is always such a huge deal as the food begins it signals so much! He is growing out of babyhood and these are the first official steps of weaning. Not just weaning but weaning him from his over protective mommy to be an adult, to be his own little self. Oh parenthood! I know…a little deep! It doesn’t help though that the first week of Rice Cereal he has decided to go longer in between feedings as well. My mommy heart! He is still figuring out the whole swallow the food thing and he is a mighty big fan of blahing it out (especially just when you think that he has swallowed and you are most unprepared to catch the stream that flows). Charis has greatly enjoyed this week and really loves helping Cai eat his cereal (there is usually spoon jabbing involved but she is getting there). You forget all the little things as they grow so quickly. Many times as I am feeding Cai I have a flashback to feeding Charis. Why do they grow so quickly. Alas!

We have been trying to talk Charis into a pillow for a good bit now. She has been very against this idea so I have decided to get creative! Of course it is not the end of the world if she decides she never ever wants to sleep with a pillow but we are trying to pump her up for the big switch-a-roo (crib to big girl bed) so I thought that it would be a great step to take. Alas Charis is pretty anti anything to do with moving to a big girl bed. Trying to one up Charis is like trying to one up myself as we are a lot alike but sometimes it helps as I can try and think like her. I pulled out the old trusty sewing machine the other night and whipped up a pillow case. Enticing isn’t it!!! Not just any ole’ pillow case though this is a pillow case that matches her beloved doggie blanket! Ha Ha! I am hoping that it will be irresistible! I will keep you updated!

Update: When she first saw the pillowcase she told me that she wanted a princess pillowcase (gee, silly me, what was I thinking). She did however keep showering the dogs on the pillowcase with kisses and pointing to their bones. Hmmm! She did not want the pillow anywhere near her bed but she has slept with it for two nights now and two naps (with a little persuading of course) so I am hoping that she is warming up to it. She seems like such a big girl with a big pillow in her bed. I still need to get fabric for the princess pillow case!

I decided to stray from the path this weekend and pretend that I could cut hair! Let me tell you that there is a reason that Hair Stylist go to school! I figured that I could not mess Charis’s hair up to much since she has curly hair but ya know I cut it a bit short (about 6 inches is what I cut off the back)! It is cute and I do not terribly mind it but I am really thankful that it will grow out! This was her first haircut and I decided to do it while she was in the tub! I knew that if we took her somewhere that she would of probably freaked out from just the mix of a lot of people being strangers and then doing something to her hair that she was unsure of. The tub was a SUPER idea as to this day I am not sure that she has really even realized that I cut her hair. She was just playing away with her cups while I was cutting away! It went well but I am not so sure that I will attempt this task again and I am positive that I will not try to cut Cai’s hair when the time comes.

“Mama, I see a cement mixer!”

“I wanna see a digger!”

“I wanna see another digger Mama!”

“A dump truck Mama! I’ve been lookin’ for a dump truck!”

Since Cai was born Charis has seemed so much older! I guess seeing Cai and then seeing Charis I realize just how much she has grown in two years. This morning we were playing in the Living Room (I know I know you aren’t supposed to use your Living Room but we really do use ours and let the kiddos in as well…shocking!) and Charis will normally play around with her shoes for a bit just pretending to put them on but this morning she actually put them on all by herself! I was sitting on the other side of the room honest! She put on the first shoe and I let her know that she did a super job but it was on the wrong foot so she removed it and set to work again. She got both her little shoes on with no problems at all. Wow, that is so sad that she is growing before my very eyes! Yesterday she was dancing around the Kitchen singing her ABC’s, today she put on her shoes what will tomorrow hold?

Saturday’s big birthday celebration went well and by the end there was paper everywhere with gifts mixed in and little kiddos with weary eyes longing for their nap time. I count that a pretty fun party! We awoke to sprinkles outside which was sad to our Mama and Dada hearts as Charis so loves to be outside but with plan B in action (having the party inside) we set to work with the balloons and decorations. Charis was loving all the balloons and as I was hanging them she was loving the tape dispenser that I did not realize that she had found! With friends and family arriving her excitement mounted and her happy dance began. Lunch was yummy as Brad braved the weather to grill hot dogs which were wonderfully yummy but the kids were not to fond of lunch as they had all spotted the cupcakes (better known as dup….dakes to Drew) early on. After lunch and the yummy dup…dakes (pictures to come soon) present time began. Charis was not super into her gifts she was still really enjoying all the fun and fabulous people who were here but we did proceed. All that was left at the end was Charis crashed out on the floor asking for bed. This is one of my favorite pictures from the party!

I am a big fan of cupcakes! I have decided to stick with cupcakes for the kiddos birthdays for now and with Charis’s birthday approaching I am trying to think up something fun for a cupcake while sticking with the doggie theme. Last year for Charis’s ladybug themed party the cupcakes just came together when I started decorating and I am hoping for that this year as well. I have several thoughts in my mind so I am excited to see how they turn out. I think that I will stick with the same cupcake recipe as it is the tastiest little cupcake that I have found. I am usually a huge fan of the Pillsbury Confetti Cupcakes but they do not come close to touching the Strawberry Cupcakes that a friend shared with us. You use real strawberries in the icing and in the cupcake so you can see why they would be tasty. Here are a few pictures of last years cupcakes as I try to get my creative juices flowing!

Our house is slowly but surely turning blue! We have been a pink household for so long but with the time of Cai’s arrival approaching and the grandmothers in full swing things are definitely turning to blue. The sweet ladies in my circle at church had a small shower for us which was a blessing this week! It is fun to see the little boy clothes and try to imagine Cai in them. Then there is all the wonderful practical items that they have come out with since Charis’s birth.

Charis is starting to understand a little bit more about Cai. She loves seeing my growing belly and touching it while saying, “Cai” over and over again. She will even give him kisses every now and then. The other day she pointed to her tummy and said, “Cai” so we had a chat about how Cai is just in Mama’s tummy. I added the bumpers to Cai’s bed as well over the weekend which had come off of Charis’s bed when she out grew them. She seemed excited even though they were once her bumpers. I explained to her that they would keep Cai safe while sleeping so that he would not bump his head. Now she talks about, “Cai’s bumpers, no bump head!”. It is neat to see her catching on little by little.

I am very anxious for his arrival even though Brad reminds me that we still have a good wait ahead of us. I am just ready for him to be here and us all to live life together. I am just excited to see what that will look like. I know that the Lord will carry us through all the transitions but I am just ready to live it. I am learning to live these days to the fullest not wishing them away though. My time with Charis is very sweet and I cannot believe that we are quickly approaching birthday number two! Wow! Maybe the pink will win out yet. I am very thankful for both of the kiddos and even though blue is not my most favorite color it is sweet to see glimpses of it around the house now!