She's Two!

Yesterday was Ashlyn's official second birthday. We celebrated by taking her to JC Penneys to get her picture taken. The photographer was really great with her and we got some good smiles. I paid to have all the pictures emailed to me, so when I get them, I will post some.

When Daddy came home from work, Ashlyn opened some presents. The picture above is of her wearing some birthday pjs from Grandma Cheney. They were so soft and comfortable feeling that I was wishing they had some in my size! Thanks Grandma!

Ashlyn's most recent milestone is learning how to open all the doors in our house. We're in trouble. She has already locked herself in a room once and locked us out of the bathroom twice! She is learning new words daily and we laugh a lot about the way she mimics what we say. Her favorite things to do are color, read books, dance, and get piggy back rides from Daddy!

We love you Ashlyn! Happy Birthday!

A New Family Doctor

Some of you may know that I have been through a few different pediatricians with Ashlyn. My main complaint is that they have really pressured me to immunize according to the AAP's Immunization Schedule, even though I wasn't comfortable with it. Recently, I asked my midwife for some pediatrician referrals, and she actually gave me the names of some family practitioners.

One of these doctors is a D.O. or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. For those of you who don't know what that is (I didn't) and want to know, check out this site.

Thursday I took Ashlyn to see this D.O. for her 2 year well visit. The office was definitely not as child-friendly as previous pediatrician offices and she cried about everything - getting weighed, having her heartbeat checked, having her temperature taken, etc . . . but, the doctor was wonderful!

I felt like our philosophies about health were right in line. What really won me over, however, was what he had to say about immunizations. I don't want to push my vaccination ideas on anyone, but if you want to know more about what he told me, check out this article and this update.

Since Ashlyn was little, she has regularly had runny noses. It was even runny the day of our doctor's visit. He told us, after checking out her nose (which was slightly irritated), that this was most likely due to an allergy, like milk. He suggested keeping her off dairy products for two weeks and seeing if it made a difference. Being lactose intolerant myself, I wouldn't be surprised if dairy avoidance makes a difference for Ashlyn too. The doctor said that the most common allergies for young children are dairy and wheat.

Also, we talked about how to help Ashlyn get to sleep easier, and he suggested chamomile tea. Apparently, chamomile tea helps with insomnia. Has anyone else tried this with themselves or their children?

Anyway, I'm happy to have been referred to a doctor I can be comfortable with, especially with a new little one on the way!

A Birthday Celebration

Sunday night we had a family birthday celebration for Ashlyn, and her cousin Brigg (they were born 5 days apart).

This year, Ashlyn was able to open her own presents, but her cousins were really helpful too!



She loved this xylophone - she has been playing with it constantly since she got it.


Daddy is helping her out with her bubble blowing lawn mower.


She must have spent 15+ minutes just pushing the lawnmower around the house. It was a hit for sure!


Brigg got one too (in boy colors)!


Allison made these delicious mint brownies for their "cake." They were sooooo yummy!


Ashlyn did a great job of blowing out the candles. I think she was all warmed up from the bubbles she had been blowing outside earlier!



Digging in!

Bryon Came to Town

Bryon flew into town for the weekend (from California) to visit Kari. While he was here, he stopped by at Brad's parents house and visited with us. We tried taking pictures with him and Ashlyn and Kari, but Ashlyn didn't really feel like looking at the camera.

Bryon looked great! He has been working out regularly and he was all toned!


Bryon and Kari blew bubbles and played in the playhouse with Ashlyn and she just loved it. She loves attention.


We also got to talk together for a little bit and it was so enjoyable. Bryon has been working hard and Kari is keeping busy too. We're excited to have them both around more often once school starts in the fall.


Thanks for stopping by guys!

When Will I Learn?

I recently returned from Youth Conference. Ashlyn helped me with my unpacking - specifically unpacking my moisturizer and foundation. What a sweetheart. When will I learn that an almost two-year-old is not old enough to be trusted with such tasks???

Backyard Swimming

We decided to try out the pool this morning. The water from the hose was freezing, but Ashlyn did eventually get in.





Earlier this morning, Ashlyn got a haircut. She was a little unsure about the whole thing, but overall, held very still!

So Much Love

I just walked in the room and saw that Ashlyn had fallen asleep for her nap. I love looking at her when she is sleeping - so precious. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed by how much love I feel for her. I am just so thankful that Heavenly Father sent her to us and I'm so excited to welcome another special little spirit into our home!