Ta Da!

We have fish! A momentous occasion that only took 3 months. This aquarium was given to Maya at Christmas by her Nana and Poppy and after only a few nervous breakdowns it is up and running. We have kept two fish alive for over a week and things seem to be looking good. Of course, I'm still pretty skeptical so we haven't named them yet, but if they're still around by this weekend we might get to it.
This is the store goat of the pet store nearby. Her name is Maggie and right after this picture was taken she curled up in her bed and took a nap. Being this cute must be exhausting.

Eggs!

This year we went to an Easter egg hunt at our church. It took a few tries, but Maya was able to get the hang of it. As soon as we came home we had to hide the eggs all over again. Maya went around the house finding the Easter eggs saying "Wow, wow!"

Happy little egg hunter.

Easter morning.

The lady who takes care of the kids in the church nursery got them each their own little Easter basket.

Should've Gone With The Chicken

I give Maya her lunch and get on the computer, when I realize she's been quiet for a while I look over and see this: This coming from the child who doesn't like to sleep unless it's in her crib or someone's arms. I had no idea what to do with her since she fell asleep with peanut butter and jelly on her hands and face and she freaks out when you even think about wiping off her hands. I eventually just picked her up to move her and allowed myself to be covered in pb&j. Sticky.

Meet Moe's Replacement

The era of Moe has come to an end and it is now all about the baby. Maya must know where the baby is at all times and insists that the baby participate in the same activities. After Maya gets out her highchair, baby goes right in; after Maya has a diaper change she grabs a diaper and goes on a search for baby saying, "poo poo". Yesterday morning Jason heard* Maya say her first sentence, "Baby? Baby? Where is she?" Naturally her grammar is excellent.


*Any milestone not witnessed by The Mommy, is subject to scrutiny on whether or not it occurred. Major milestones such as first word, first step, etc. are automatically deemed invalid until The Mommy is able to witness said milestone.

Yeah, Well, My Daddy Knows The Easter Bunny

Jason was able to pull a few strings and arrange for the Easter Bunny to show up at an event Schwans was having. He was really happy that the Easter Bunny was able to make it because if he hadn't shown then Jason would have to have dressed up like a bunny. Of course, if Jason had dressed up like a bunny then I would have been forced to take pictures of him and put them on the internet and that could have been embarrassing. Close call.

The Cow Says Cow

Recently Maya "rediscovered" her farm and farm animals and has since learned their names and what they say. We're still working on cow.

Still Waking Up

We have decided to start Maya in preschool in the fall. I was having a hard time really thinking of it as school since she will only be two and, really, what's the curriculum, playdough 101, intro to fingerpainting? Last week we took a tour and my opinion completely changed. I wish I could say it was the way they explained the importance of fingerpainting, as it strengthens their fine motor skills and prepares them for writing, that made me realize that this was more than just organized playtime. Honestly, I was sold as soon as I walked through the door and saw the line of little backpacks hanging right below the line of little jackets. It made me think of my preschool and I became so excited for Maya. As we waited, a line of 4 year olds walked behind their teacher with a finger over their lips. How cute is that? So on registration day I arrived at the school at 4 a.m. to wait in line with the other parents who were hoping their child would fill one of the 16 remaining spots. I was 6th in line. Oh, the things a parent will do to secure a few hours a week of alone time.

Lil' Mama

Maya's interest in her baby doll has increased the last few weeks. She will bring me her diapers to put on the baby and when I showed her that the doll has her own diaper, she immediately had me take it off so she could try to put it back on. A couple of days ago, she brought out her doll-size blanket and put her baby down for a nap on the couch. When she noticed that Jason was also laying down she put the blanket on him and said, "Dada shh." Such a helper.
"Shhh, the baby's sleeping."

Birthday Boy

Jason's birthday was low key this year thanks to the stomach flu. We all managed to get it on his birthday and Maya is still recovering. I sent him to work with his cake that I made completely from scratch (where's my medal?) so he was able to have a slice and the rest wasn't wasted.



Maya enjoyed watching me make the cake but her favorite part was when I let her lick the spatula covered in whipped cream. This is a child who has never been shy when it comes to sweets so I knew that I didn't have to worry about her getting it all over the place. She immediately went to work licking it clean. A little fell on the floor and I had to act fast to beat her to it, she can't stand to see any goodies wasted. The entire time she had the spatula she was nothing but 'Ooh, mmmm, num num.'

Be Mine

Valentine's Day was a big deal for Maya this year. We met a few of her friends at the zoo where they all exchanged cards and goodies, it was so cute to watch her hand out her valentines. She received a cookie from her Granny and Papaw which she immediately gave a big hug, sweets are very close to her heart. Later, her Daddy came home with a bouquet of flowers and a balloon, at least the flowers were for me.

I Made It

Maya got a great surprise when her Nana and Poppy came to babysit so Jason and I could go to his banquet for work. This would be the first time we left Maya with anyone overnight. AND IT WAS GOING TO BE OK. Or so I was told, many times. So after telling Mom everything she might ever need to know about Maya and warning her about any major dangers, like too much peanut butter, we left our little girl for the first time overnight. I think I did really well, I only called twice a day but I did request a recap of the entire day's events complete with what she ate. Completely normal. The trip required us to be gone for two nights and I wasn't going to be able to come home before then, after all, 13 miles is a really long way.

Obligatory Maya pic.

Countdown To The Terrible Two's

So Maya finally had her 18 month checkup last week and everything is looking good. She weighed in at 24 pounds, putting her at 55% and is 34in. long, putting her at 95%. If she doesn't gain more weight then I'll never be able to get her to stop squeazing between the fridge and the cabinets.

Booty Dance

We took this video a couple of months ago when Maya was playing some music and started dancing. I don't know who taught her how to dance. If she was standing around snapping her fingers and clapping her hands then I might have an idea.

Baby's First Burberry

Maya's Christmas present from Aunt Bob: A Burberry raincoat. I put her in it one day when it was sprinkling and we had to cross the parking lot. You just have to take advantage of the opportunities.

Climbing

Maya has started climbing onto the couch and for a while I thought this was a big deal, then we went on a play date. Maya's friend, who is a month younger, proceeded to climb onto a trunk to get to the back of the couch and then slide down onto the cushions, giggling the whole time. I'm very happy to say I'm dealing with a lightweight.

I have no idea how she managed this one.