Sneak Peeks

I finally got up enough energy, time, and courage to take Arden to get an outdoor photography session with a professional photographer. We had not had a professional sitting since she was 12 months old, before we moved to NW Arkansas! So, after 18 more months, my darling daughter had changed quite a bit, and I wanted to capture her preschool personality on film.

It was a challenge to photograph her, as she NEVER sits still. Not even for five seconds straight. Plus, she talks constantly, and is very social, so we couldn't get her to really smile because she was always talking and pointing. The photo shoot was done by one of my former high school students at Pulaski Academy,Jessica Ritchie,who now lives in NW Arkansas also. She is amazingly patient and great with kids (she is a former first grade teacher), and it was a very low stress shoot. We took Arden to the University of Arkansas campus where she basically ran around barefoot for 1 hour and 40 minutes while Jessica tried to capture shots. Arden talked to strangers and random joggers, chased dogs and birds, and she basically thought the campus was full of "princess towers" and wanted to climb the steps of every academic building! The summer weather was perfect at 85 degrees in the early evening with a slight breeze.

I knew that we wouldn't get a lot (or any!) shots of Arden sitting perfectly posed and smiling for the camera because that just isn't her personality or stage at 2 1/2! However, I knew that whatever shots we got would capture her spirit and age because she was in a great mood and acting just like herself.

I was so thrilled when I found Arden's cute eyelet dress (from Gap Kids) for just $4 at the Rhea Lana consignment sale this past spring since I knew it would be good for a future photo session, and I borrowed the hairbow from my neighbor Laurie since Arden normally hates wearing them (notice that Arden had removed the bow by the middle of the session! ha).

So, here are a couple of "sneak peeks" that Jessica just posted on her blog, and I will get to see all my proofs in a week or so. I can't wait. Enjoy!

Arden the Princess

Arden is getting more and more hilarious as her verbal skills are taking off. She is talking constantly in long sentences now, and the things she comes up with are so funny! Today, she called herself "Arden" for the first time. She has said "me" or "my" for awhile, but I had never heard her pronounce her own name. When I woke her up this morning, I walked into her room and said, "Who's in the crib? Is it Sleeping Beauty?" She started giggling and replied, "No, it's just Arden!"

She is starting to memorize and sing a lot too. She now knows her ABC song and has some individual letter recognition. I'm pretty impressed at this for a 26 month old. Potty training is still ongoing, but I'm letting her tell me when she wants to go, and she probably makes it 1/2 the time to the potty and wets her Pull-Up the other half of the time. Today, we were running errands, and she started singing in the backseat, "We will, we will, rock you!" She was singing it on tune, too! I have NO idea where she knew this song or knew the tune! It was too funny.

Arden is also the biggest and tallest girl in her class too. She is now wearing all size 3 clothing! She has just a few pairs of size 2 Gymboree pants that are cut a bit longer that still fit, but other than that we are moving into all size 3 for the spring and summer. Her feet are between a size 7 and 7 1/2 now, and we have shoes in both sizes. I actually bought her a Gap dress at a consignment sale this week that was in a size 4, but it looked like it ran a bit small, and it fits her! I can't believe how old she looks since she has a lot of hair and is so tall. Everyone who sees her in stores when we are out shopping always ask me if she is three years old and can't believe she is only (just barely) two. I did cut Arden's hair (just a trim) on Valentine's Day to try to even out the sides with the back. I think I probably cut about 1 1/2 inches off the very back, and I will probably trim it again in June to get it the same length all the way around. I'm debating if I would like to cut it into a bob at some point since it is so straight, and she doesn't like me to put it up or style it. I'm thinking that might be easier to take care of and get thicker if I kept it between chin and shoulder length. We'll see!

She calls herself a "princess" now and is getting excited about trying on new clothes and playing dress up. She came out of her room last week with three of her shirts all layered over each other, and one as a scarf, holding a purse. She then told us, "I'm so pretty!" I think we tell her too often that she is pretty, and I'm trying to switch that to complimenting her on being "so smart!" Ha.

Happy Birthday!

Arden turned 2 on December 27! She is becoming such a big girl now. She slept in a queen size bed which was the first time out of a crib last week on our trip to a hotel in Camden. She is convinced that she wants to use the big potty and keeps taking off her clothing multiple times each day to get on the potty, but nothing is really happening yet. However, she is very interested, and this is not my idea at all. I want to wait until school is out to begin potty training! She is still tall, according to her recent two year old checkup this week. She is in the 90th percentile for height and 75th for weight. Right now, she is about 36 inches tall (3 feet), weighs 29.5 lbs, and she is wearing size 2 clothing and size 7 - 7 1/2 shoes. Arden is a great sleeper and still takes a long 3 hour afternoon nap on days when she is home. She only naps about 1 to 1 1/2 hours at daycare since other kids wake her up. She goes to bed around 7:30 and sleeps until 7 a.m on school days and 8 or later on weekends!

We didn't have a huge party for her birthday since she's so young, plus organizing a post-Christmas party is really hard! We celebrated once with Mama Bea and Papaw and all of Arden's cousins from Ohio when we were doing early Christmas in Camden last week. Then, on Arden's actual birthday, Stuart and I took the three kids to Jump Zone to play and then did a McDonald's dinner. Her final party was yesterday at her preschool where she attended just two days this week in order to ease back into school resuming for me next week. I sent Dora plates, Dora napkins, Dora cupcakes, and goodie bags for the six children in her class for their afternoon snack. She had a lot of fun seeing her friends again after ten days and had to hug her best friend Chesa at least ten times!

Happy birthday, Arden! We love you so much!

What a Difference a Year Makes!

A Kiss and a Prayer

On Thursday, the firetruck came to Arden's preschool/daycare for a themed week that they were doing on community helpers. Fortunately, I had my prep period that day during that exact time in the morning it would be there, so I walked across the parking lot from my junior high building to her school. I wasn't sure how she would act once she saw me since this was the first time I have visited her during the school day and let her know I was there. Usually, I spy on her unseen, so that she won't melt down and think I'm there to pick her up. Sometimes she still has some separation anxiety at drop off (even at church), so I didn't know if I would end up having a crying child to leave behind when it was time for the children to go back to class.

I brought my camera, hoping to get some cute pictures. Arden was already about to be lifted into the firetruck when I arrived. I got some pictures of the group and the outside of the truck before she even noticed me in the crowd. I enjoyed seeing her in her own environment, oblivious to my presence. She was giggling with the other children inside the truck, and I was so amazed at how old she appeared to me all of sudden. She was listening to the teachers, obeying cues, and sitting still.

When Arden did finally see me, it definitely wasn't the reaction that I expected. I thought she would run to me, or she would cry, or she would want to be picked up. None of the above. She waved and said, "Mama," then she turned back to her friends. At first, I felt a bit rejected, but immediately I realized that this is the reaction I was hoping for. She is happy at school. Finally. After attending two daycare locations in just a five week period, she is now getting settled. She feels secure, and we have found a place which is a great fit. She doesn't need me to rescue her, and she is enjoying her day. My prayers were being answered.

When the whole class was posing for a final picture in front of the firetruck, Arden began to hug another boy from the older toddler class. There were three different classes outside, so I didn't recognize him, and I have no idea if Arden had ever seen him before! I thought it was cute to see her giggle and bear hug this little boy, so I whipped out my camera to capture the moment. Just as I snapped the picture, Arden planted a big kiss right on this poor boy's cheek! I can't believe I caught it on film when I wasn't even trying. It was a hilarious sight to see.

After the final picture, the teachers began to lead the kids back into the building to get ready for lunch. The fireman was waving goodbye as the little toddlers trudged toward the front doors with their red, plastic fireman hats in tow, and I didn't know what Arden's reaction would be. Would she run back to me and think we were going home? Would she cry? Would they have to carry her inside kicking and screaming? Once again, she surprised me. She lined up with her other friends and ran towards the door willingly. I stepped back out of sight and watched her from behind a parked car. She never looked back.

And there was a smile on her face the whole time.

Appearances can be deceiving

Whew, what a week it has been!

One big thing happened this week; I'm moving Arden to a different daycare. Yep, only three weeks into it, and I just don't feel that it will get better . . . or better fast enough. Basically, I just think that she can't handle a room with 14 toddlers in it, even though they have two teachers, and it meets the state ratio of at least 7:1 (or something like that). Overall, fourteen kids means more aggression, more fighting, more biting, and more germs.

So, I am leaving the fancy castle daycare with its security systems, doors with codes, wooden floors, indoor climbing room, and luxurious playgrounds for a much more modest center that is run by my school district and right next door (as in I can walk there in 2 minutes) from my junior high. They share a parking lot, in fact. She might not have the newest building with the turrets on top, but hopefully she will be taken care of better. That's what counts, you know? I got suckered in by appearances because the other facility wooed me with its poshness. The BMWs parked in front helped reassure me that the rich people wouldn't settle for mediocre care. However, in Arden's situation, it just hasn't been a good fit. I tried to overlook some of the disorganization of the room and the fact that every day I had to hunt for all her belongings that were strewn all over the room. But then, it started. Yep, seven bad bites in four days was pretty bad. It was worse that the teachers never even noticed it happened.Every day, I saw the bad bites and had to report them. Then, she got the flu this week and has been out since Tuesday. So, I had had enough.

I had visited this other center earlier, and it was down to these two when I made my original choice. I revisited it today, and I see so many more benefits to it now. The class has six kids! That, in itself, is enough to jump up and down for. Hopefully, she won't be eaten alive there, or at least the occasional bite will be noticed and cared for. Also, we are hoping she will get sick less often with less kids in the room.

I don't know for sure if I'm making the right choice, and so much of her experience can't be known until you actually start attending the program. One person's good experience doesn't mean that your experience will be the same based on your child's personality and the individual teachers. I wouldn't say that her former school was bad for every child in every room there, but it wasn't good for her. From what I know, I love the new teacher, and I can walk over every day on my prep period or lunch to check on her. Believe me, I will. This teacher does art and various craft projects with the kids every day and has student's artwork on the walls. Why didn't I notice that before instead of only seeing the age of the older walls?

I'm learning that appearance isn't everything. What is beautiful on the outside is often shallow and deceiving. What matters is the heart, in all circumstances. I need to work on that one too. But for now, I'm praying that the heart of this new school is better for my little girl.

18 Months

My little monkey is now 18 months old (on June 27). Time has flown by so quickly that I just about missed that milestone. We've been sort of off schedule on our pediatric checkups after the move. We ended up getting our 12 month check up at 15 months since that was the earliest we could get in as a new patient. The doctor said she didn't need an 18 month checkup since we had been in at 15 months, so the next time she returns for a well-child visit will be at age two!

Arden is still as strong-willed as ever, but she is also extremely funny and sweet. She loves playing with her brothers and running after them saying, "tickle, tickle, tickle" as she tries to tickle them. She is very tall for her age, but we haven't gotten a measurement since she was 15 months, and it was already 33 inches then! She is now into size 6 1/2 shoes! I have been randomly surveying all the little girls around her age, and she has the very biggest feet . . . by far! She is wearing the same size shoe as our neighbor's little girl who is three years old. Oh my! I am hoping she will slow down, so we don't have to order her prom shoes from the "big foot" catalog of special order women's shoes. Once you wear over a size ten, there just isn't much selection at local shoe stores.

Here are some things Arden is doing now:

• sleeps really well for about 12 hours at night (8-8) and then another 3-4 hour afternoon nap from 12-3:30 or so.
• feeds herself and is starting to spear her pick up foods with a fork
• drinks milk three times per day and likes diluted apple juice which I limit to one cup per day
• she is saying a lot of words. I think she is talking more than the boys did at the same age. She probably says 75+ words that I can understand. Stuart doesn't understand as many as I do because some don't sound exactly right, but I know what she means.
• she is putting two words together now and saying phrases like "all done, " "no more," "my book," "more waffle." Pretty amazing.
• she is wearing size 18-24 months and some 2T clothes.
• she is in a size 4 diaper -- which already seems tight
• she can tell me when she has a wet or poopy diaper, so I think she'll potty train earlier than the boys did (they were almost 3 when fully trained).
• she has all her teeth except her 2 year old molars
• she can take off her own clothes and her diaper
• she can climb onto the kitchen table, our tall bed, and over the couch
• she has just started playing with her doll and doing things like rocking it, feeding it, etc. It's so cute!
• she loves baths and gets very wild in the water. She goes all the way underneath and tries to slide down the back of the tub like a waterslide. It is like washing a wiggly seal! She hoots and hollers like it's a water park, and I have a hard time keeping her safe!
• she refuses to wear her shoes unless she is walking. If she is in the stroller, she just takes them off and drops them along the ride. I have spent countless hours going back and looking for the missing shoe, so for now she is riding barefoot!
• she can point to her head, ear, eye, nose, mouth, elbow, belly, and foot when asked.

We love her so much and so thankful that God allowed us to have her in our family!

Arden Girl

She's sassy, spunky, and full of spirit.
She says "no" and "yeah" with a full Southern twang.
She can hold down a four year old boy and win the battle.
She can sneak chocolate and find the hidden snacks with the best of thieves.
She laughs with her mouth wide open and is passionate about everything.
She's full of opinions already and not afraid to voice them.
She knows how to hold a cell phone on her shoulder, and she never stops talking.
When you tell her no, it doesn't phase her.
When she's mad, she's very, very mad, and when she's happy, she's adorable.
When she gets laughing, it is hard to stop, and everyone joins in.
Little boys already like her, and she enjoys making them chase her.
She loves to curl up in her child size rocking chair with a good book.
She's a good sleeper, but she's very cranky if she can't get enough sleep.
She's strong willed, she's an entertainer, she's confident, she's a fighter.


So, where do you think she gets this? We have no idea.

Life with a Girl

Happy, happy, happy . . . not!

Here are some recent pictures of Arden! She's now almost 16 months old. I had to include that last one with the crying face because that one is so funny! She does that face several times per day! She's running, jumping, climbing, and starting to use quite a few words now. Unfortunately, she still calls Stuart "mama" most of the time, much to his dismay! ha ha

Not a Girly Mom

I am not a girly mom. I've posted before about how I'm unsure about how to coordinate all these girl outfits, how to use bows, and how to correctly pair leggings with outfits. After living with boys for seven years, I am still learning the girl code.

My little princess just happens to hate bows, so that has become a non-issue! I have tried for eight months to put them in her hair, and she promptly rips them out within ten seconds. The only way I've been able to keep her hair out of her face is to use a very lightweight ponytail elastic and use the "Pebbles" fountain style on top of her head. With her red hair, she definitely gets called Pebbles just about everywhere we go!

Today, I made another faux pas which confirms, yet again, that I am not a girly mom. I dressed Arden for church in a new Gymboree dress. I put tights on underneath, and we were off to church. Upon arriving home, Arden was crawling around on the floor, and I noticed some extra fabric coming out of the front of her dress. I looked more closely, and I couldn't believe what I saw. I pulled on the extra fabric that was bunched up in the front of her dress, and out came a pair of panties! Yes, I sent my child to church with a pair of matching panties still attached to the inside of the new dress! I didn't even know they were in there, and since I'm still adjusting to the whole "girl clothing" thing, I didn't even think to look and see if the dress came with matching bloomers.

So, I hope the nursery workers didn't laugh . . . maybe they didn't notice. I really didn't mean to send my child to church with panties around her neck!

One Word Sums It Up

Rotovirus.

Enough said. If you've lived through it when you had a young child, then you still have vivid memories that might be worse than childbirth! I don't have to give details because you remember the laundry, the stench, the filth, the pitiful, sick child.

Yes, Arden has it, but it's at least not as severe as when both boys got it as babies. My question is: wasn't the new rotovirus vaccine supposed to prevent this?? Ugh!

Arden just woke up from her nap, and I'm scared to go into her room to see what I have to clean up!

On her way to womanhood . . .

Arden is definitely understanding her role as a woman . . . she's got bad hair days, sorts (umm. . .eats?) the laundry, and shows off her finest holiday attire!

Arden is ONE!

So full of spunk . . . she's got a red-haired personality! She's in the 98th percentile in height and almost 32 inches tall! She has decided to boycott baby food this week in favor of feeding herself finger foods, and she is off formula and on whole milk. She's cuddly, silly, and a little joker already. She loves to play peek-a-boo and is walking about 12-15 steps in a row now. She is cutting her 10th tooth, and it's not been fun! Arden hates bows and dresses (so much for my girly girl!). She rips the bows out as soon as they are in place, and the dresses get in the way when she's crawling which makes her mad. We're thinking she's got some tomboy genes in her! Where has the year gone? Happy belated birthday, baby girl! You have blessed us beyond measure already.

All About Arden

We took Arden to the pediatrician this week to have her 9 month checkup. She is doing great and off the charts in height! She is about 21 lbs now and 31 inches tall! That is over the 98th percentile in height! That is why she weighs quite a bit but doesn't look that chubby; it's just all stretched out. She is the same height the boys were on their first birthday! She is looking more and more like a toddler these days as her hair is thickening in front, too.

She is saying "mamama," "papapapa," "gagagaga" -- but no "dada" yet, much to Stuart's dismay! She can wave bye-bye, and she seems to say "ba" when she is reaching for her bottle. We just began trying out a soft-spout sippy cup with her to try to begin the transition off a bottle over the next few months. I've been pretty good about getting all my kids completely off their bottle within a week or two of their first birthday.

Arden is also crawling much more proficiently now -- enough to get into trouble! She has pulled over several lamps by crawling to them and yanking on the cords from the floor. I don't remember what I did to prevent this with the boys. She can almost crawl the entire length of a room now! She pulls up part way and will try to stand up too! I know she'll be walking by her first birthday.

She's had three colds already since she began part-time childcare, but the pediatrician said that should improve as she builds up immunities for the first time (we never even had her in the church nursery on Sundays until August). Luckily, none of her recent colds have turned into ear infections like they did with the boys. She also got her first flu shot this week, so I'm glad she will have that protection. I consented to enroll her in a flu shot study at our pediatrician's office, so we will have one extra doctor's visit, and they had to do a blood draw this week. They will draw blood one more time in 8 weeks when the study ends to check her final antibody level after immunization. The monetary compensation to participate in the study was a nice perk, and Arden also got the mercury-free flu vaccine that I wanted for her due to all the hype about autism.

Stuart has been in Atlanta most of the week, and he was gone over his birthday on October 9. We are looking forward to some good family time when he returns tomorrow.

Close to Crawling

We're almost there! Arden is up on all fours, and rocking furiously, as she tries to grab an item in front of her. Yesterday, she lunged forward to grab a toy and did one brief "crawling" motion. Before long, she will be very active and crawling everywhere! Then, we will have to remember how to child-proof the house again.

Here are a few pictures that show her progression of normal activity: smile, try to crawl, then eat her clothes. Seriously, she is the only one out of all my three children who is always chewing on her clothing! Maybe it's because girl's tops are looser and are more flowing, so she has an easier time pulling the fabric up to her face. It's really attractive to take her places when she is chewing on her shirt and exposing her belly! Then, she leaves drool stains on her shirt. I'm still trying to figure out how to do her next professional photo session, since she will probably be eating her clothes just 3 minutes into it, and the wet spots will show in the photos! Oh well . . .

Stuart returns home from Arizona today, and he had lots of fun going to the Grand Canyon for the last two days of his trip.

Smiles and Tears

Hudson had a large fall on Saturday that resulted in a goose-egg size knot on his forehead! He was apparently trying to jump from couch to couch (against house rules!) and fell headfirst on the edge of the wooden couch leg. Normally pretty tough, he cried quite a bit over this injury, and Stuart and I fretted over whether he had a "traumatic head injury." We spent several hours watching him and asking him things like, "How many fingers am I holding up?" and "Do you feel dizzy?" Luckily, it appears that he suffered no permanent damage and doesn't have a skull fracture!

Arden finally has enough hair for a little bow now! Isn't she cute! The boys can't get enough of her, but that might change once she gets mobile and figures out how to get into their stuff! She has had her own tears lately due to more teething . . . she is cutting her 7th and 8th teeth now. She appears to have little tolerance for pain and spends 7-10 days crying in the middle of the night every time we cut a tooth. Stuart says it's just the drama of being a girl!

Before and After

Arden's room is now complete with custom made toile draperies with blackout lining to keep the room dark, so she will sleep. Of course, this did not occur without some compromises.

Remember how Stuart thought that the black blankets hanging over her large 84 inch window looked just fine? Well . . . I just couldn't enjoy the room with that look, and it made it dark all the time, not just when she was sleeping, so it felt like a cave. It was too cumbersome to take the blankets down and put them back up again 3 times per day when she would sleep in there for naps and nightime. I did get some good suggestions from friends about how to darken the windows with various materials, but all of those would show from the outside, and her room is on the front of the house, facing the street. I didn't think the neighbors would appreciate it if I put foil over the glass for all to see!

The compromise involved Ebay, Craigslist, and the local newspaper. I sold my stuff . . . lots of it! It was time consuming to list all the items, mail out Ebay packages, and meet people at my house to view an item. Stuart got tired of the phone calls asking if the maternity clothes were still for sale! However, it was all worth it, as I raised almost 2/3 of the cost of the drapes by selling items I didn't use (though I liked them!).

My List of Casualties:
about 9 items of clothing
30 maternity clothing items
Coach purse
6 metal standards and track of Elfa shelving
Pottery Barn Kids rug
Pottery Barn Kids bedding
infant activity gym
3 pairs of outgrown Robeez infant shoes
wall clock

The end result is great! The drapes look amazing and function well. I am thankful for the "drapery expert" who sewed the curtains and helped me figure out how to get the right curtain rod which would work for that awkward window. We now have light in there when we want it, and darkness too.

Stuart still wants a Wii, so maybe we'll sell some of his stuff next!

Arden Sets New Family Records!

Today was Arden's six month checkup! I can hardly believe that she is half way through the baby stage and quickly approaching the "toddler years." Once she started sleeping all night, the days have flown by with many "firsts" already accomplished. She is now rolling over in both directions, holding her head 90 degrees when on her belly, starting to push up on her elbows, and she now has TWO bottom teeth! She laughs a lot (especially when her brothers entertain her!).

At her checkup today, she weighed in at 18 lbs, 2 oz, and she was 28 1/2 inches long. Translation: 85th percentile in weight, and over 95th percentile in height! Stuart hopes that translates to college scholarship money for basketball or volleyball! That is a new Cearley record for all our babies at this exact age. She is longer and heavier than the boys were at six months! However, I'm not sure if that is a good thing, considering she's a girl! ha ha

We got six immunizations today which caused a lot of tears, but so far, she's been acting happy at home. Her hair is still coming in thicker . . . and red!

First Tooth

Arden cut her first bottom tooth yesterday! The other bottom one is right behind it and should be making its debut soon. She has been a pretty unhappy little girl this past week due to teething. I thought she had an ear infection again and even took her to the pediatrician to have her ears checked. She's been waking up in the middle of the night crying, refusing to eat or take a bottle well, and running a low grade temp. The boys never found teething this painful, so this is a new one for us. It just goes to show that all kids are different! She is also the earliest of our three to cut her first tooth at just over five months old. The boys didn't get their first tooth until seven months old, so we weren't expecting this to occur so early.

Arden is also rolling over in both directions now and scared us (and herself) by rolling all the way off our bed the other day and landing on the floor which is a pretty far drop. Luckily, no injuries were sustained, but there were many tears! Hopefully, the pain of her first teeth emerging will end quickly, and we can enjoy seeing her smile with little white bottom teeth!

**Arden ("chunky monkey") weighed in at a whopping 17 1/2 lbs today when we went to the pediatrician's office!! The doctor didn't seem too concerned that she was skipping a few meals with teething! ha ha

Leapin' Lizards!

Arden has now begun to enjoy her newest toy -- the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo! This is a relatively new product that didn't exist when we had Hudson. I found it for 1/2 price on Craigslist and bought it from a nice person in Little Rock who also happened to work for Fellowship Bible Church! I always love to find deals like that, and it's especially neat when the person ends up being a Christian too.

This contraption is like a baby-size bungee jumper! Literally, it is a tray and seat held up by three fabric covered bungee cords. She can jump away without getting hurt. She is just now figuring out how to jump in it, and she isn't coordinated enough to work all the rainforest themed toys, but she already loves it. I wish I'd had something like this with the boys!