There's No Place Like Home...

Happy Birthday Adorable Agnes Louisa! You are my sweet baby girl and the last little baby I will have. You have been such a joyful and happy girl. You have a smile for everyone you meet and people can't help but love you. I am glad that you get to be my sweet little one forever and ever.

 I hope you know how much I love you, how thankful I am that you came to complete our little family. Your brother loves you and always wants to make you laugh. When you were still in my tummy he used to talk to you and when you were born you knew his voice right away. It made him happy to know you love him. He is a good big brother and will look out for you. You'll have to help him too. He will need someone to stand up for him and help him when he feels things are out of control. I know you are going to be a good friend to your brother and you'll be someone that can keep him calm.

 

I want to tell you how hard it was for me during the first 6 months you were here. Daddy was deployed and I found myself struggling and trying to wade my way through a sea of sadness. It wasn't your fault, sweet girl, for some reason my body doesn't like the hormones of pregnancy and when it's all done I am a mess of chemical imbalances. Sometimes people don't like to talk about postpartum depression or they think that you can just cure yourself by keeping busy and staying positive. Sometimes it's really hard to be a mom.

 

I can't tell you, my sweet love, how thankful I was during that time for the support of my own mother. She was there the first several months of your life and she helped take care of me and you and your brother. I don't think we ever grow out of needing our moms sometimes. I know I owe a lot to my mom. She has come to save me more than once in an emotional crisis.

I want to be close to you, Agnes, like I am with my own mom. I want you to know that you can trust me and come to me whenever you need something. I have given my whole heart to your dad, your brother and you. I want you to grow up happy, healthy and as full of life and joy as you are today!

I love you, my sweet Agnes Louisa!
Your Mom

51 and 52 Weeks Old

 51 Weeks Old

52 Weeks Old. Happy Birthday Agnes! I can't believe how big she has grown in one year! I adore my sweet baby girl and am so glad she is part of our family!

49 and 50 Weeks

I won't pout, but seriously my baby is almost a year old. Two more weeks, two more pictures and we are done documenting her first year. I won't tell you how sad that makes me feel. She is so much fun, she is walking all the time now and loves to copy sounds and anything that big brother does. Where has this last year gone?

 49 Weeks

 50 Weeks

We took Agnes' 1st birthday pictures last weekend too. They are adorable. I don't want to post them out of order so you'll have to wait in eager anticipation for two more weeks if you don't have facebook.

47 and 48 Weeks Old

 47 weeks old

48 weeks old (hard to believe there are only 4 weeks of pictures left)

43, 44, 45, and 46 Weeks, First Day of School

 43 Weeks Old (She wouldn't sit still so brother had to help out.)

 44 Weeks Old

 45 Weeks Old (Still love this outfit!)

 46 Weeks Old (Look at those cheeks!!)

 The cute kiddos on the first day of first grade. They matched. Yeah, I'm lame like that.

 F is for First day of First grade! (Remember the last day of school pic? L is for Last...)

So excited to go that I couldn't even get his picture as he hopped on the bus. Silly Kiddo!

41 and 42 Weeks Old and a Trip to Utah

 41 Weeks Old (This is one of my new favorite outfits on her! It's adorbs!)

42 Weeks Old

We also took a trip to Utah for a family reunion and then lots of little family reunions (hehe). We got back late last night and I'll post a few pictures from our trip in a few days.

40 Weeks Old!

40 Weeks old! Yay! Since this cutie was born at 40 weeks and 2 days, she has now been outside long than she was inside! What a fun girl she is. She has started clapping when we say "Yay!" and still thinks her brother is the funniest kid she has ever seen. She lights up whenever he comes by. She has been a great little napper, putting herself to sleep! We use Agnes in so many different ways that we haven't settled on one particular nickname. Ags, Aggadoo, Sis, LouLou. She is so much fun! Love her to pieces!

We will be on a little family vacation for the next two weeks so we will update when we get back. We're looking forward to the family time and seeing just how much stuff we can pack into our car!

39 Weeks

39 Weeks old. Crazy! We went to dinner yesterday with friends for my birthday and then to another friend's house for fireworks and dessert. Jeffrey was OK with it as long as he has earplugs in and Agnes HATED the whole thing! She was shaking and crying every time a firework would go off. So she and I spent time inside watching the show through video from Cory's phone. I suppose it's karma for every year I made my poor mother do that or I issued a blanket ban on fireworks for my birthday. We'll see if she changes her mind in a few years.

38 Weeks and a new endeavor

Agnes is 38 weeks old (9 months!) and has almost been outside as long as she was inside. She is so much fun and such a busy little girl. She keeps busy with finding every single piece of garbage on the floor and sticking it in her mouth and finding all of the regular things to play with rather than her own toys. She's so much fun!

 I opened my etsy shop this month and listed several items in it. I am starting with ready made clothes and hoping that at some point I might be able to get some custom orders. I will look into doing some craft shows here in Kansas as well. If you know anyone who needs a baby gift or a little girl who needs something to wear, let me know!

37 Weeks

This little cutie is growing up very quickly! She is jabbering all the time and wants to stand up and walk along every piece of furniture we own.

Jeffrey has been doing really well in his swim lessons this year. In the first week he has already advanced to level 3! We spent all of last summer at level 2 so this is great news!

We had so much fun with Paige and her girls and Sugar this last week. They stopped on their way to Utah for the summer. We had fun and played all day. Sweet little B even went to nursery yesterday with Uncle Cory (who was helping out the last few weeks). We will miss them but look forward to seeing everyone for a few days in July!

36 Weeks Old

 36 Weeks old and went to the discovery center splash park this week. She LOVED it! She kept trying to catch the water that was squirting up from the fountain. She also has a runny nose so she's a little rudolphy at the moment.

35 Weeks Old and First few weeks of Summer

Agnes is 35 Weeks old this week and quite an adorable little lady. She chatters all the time and crawls wherever she wants and puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. She loves swinging at the park and has started putting herself to sleep for her naps and bedtime. It is so nice!

Jeffrey is doing lots to keep busy with school out. We signed up for the library's reading club and Jeffrey earned his first prize this week for reading 250 minutes. He got a dinosaur toy and is very motivated because the last prize is a free doughnut and that is his FAVORITE treat! He is also very into science. This is an experiment he learned from Bill Nye and he was demonstrating it for everyone this week.

Last Day of Kindergarten

Jeffrey's first and last day of school this year. (I tried but couldn't find the same shirt. Look how much he has grown!!

Jeffrey had a great year, his teacher Mrs. Cassel is the most AMAZING teacher! She worked with us from the very beginning of the year and helped him adjust to the changes of starting school and all the changes and challenges he had this year. She was almost always one step ahead of me when it came to helping him. When there was a fire drill she would have someone take him out early so he didn't have to be nervous. When he was anxious about a field trip she had her 2nd grade daughter come and tell him what the concert would be like so he would know what to expect. She was seriously an answer to prayers as far as I am concerned. I wish we could take her with us to 1st grade next year!

Jeffrey's Birthday

We had a small birthday for Jeffrey this year. He had his cast taken off in the morning and was able to enjoy the afternoon cast free! We got home and daddy set up some lights to take pictures as Jeffrey anxiously bounced waiting to open his presents.

 The day before his birthday we had cupcakes for Jeffrey at school. As a summer baby I never got to have cupcakes at school and always felt ripped off so I was excited to take some for Jeffrey.

We also invited the neighbors over for cupcakes the day after his birthday. They are some of our very best friends here in Kansas and when Jeffrey talks about family he always says, "The Rowleys are our family right?" Which is true, they are as close as family. We went to Texas Roadhouse that night for dinner too to celebrate Jeffrey's birthday and Cory's graduation from the University of Phoenix with his bachelors degree in Communications. YAY!

Click here for Cory's Journal entry about Jeffrey's birthday as well as Jeffrey's own commentary.

Here is a video of him opening his presents for those who would like to watch. He had a great day!

32, 33, 34 Weeks

 32 Weeks old. Agnes started crawling for reals this week, with her tummy off the ground. She also started pulling herself up onto everything and acting very proud of herself for doing it.

 33 Weeks old. More standing up this week. She stands up in her crib and chews on the side of it.

34 Weeks old. 8 Months old this week. Agnes is standing up on everything and starting to take little steps around them while holding on. It won't be long before she will be running to catch up with brother!

31 Week`s

31 Weeks old and the last time we'll be able to wear this outfit.

30 Weeks

Agnes is 30 weeks old this week. 7 months! She is rolling over all the time, can scoot her way wherever she wants to go, and LOVES to eat. We haven't found anything she doesn't like yet. She smiles at everyone she sees and adores her brother.

Jeffrey is still wearing his cast.

 Last week he took a marker over to the next door neighbors and had the whole family sign his cast. Then he took the marker to school and had his "kindergarten kids" sign it too.

 We had a follow up yesterday where the orthopedist checked the bone to make sure it was healing correctly. He is starting to get a little bit tired of his cast. I remember having mine for 6 weeks on my foot and I was so itchy and annoyed at the end. I can't imagine what it must be like for a kid with sensory issues to have to wear it constantly.

In Jeffrey's class they are reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and so he said he wanted to watch the movie (the new one with Johnny Depp, the old one is a little too trippy for me). In true Jeffrey fashion we have become obsessed with all things Willy Wonka. One night Jeffrey asked for a Wonka bar and daddy rose to the occasion making this candy bar with a golden ticket inside. Jeffrey loves them! He started taping his wrappers on his wall just like Charlie Bucket. We might have a Wonka party for his birthday this year.

28 and 29 Weeks and a Broken Arm

 

28 Weeks

 

29 Weeks

This little girl is getting bigger and bigger! She soon will be 7 months old which is much too close to 12. Where has the time gone?

Jeffrey also broke his arm this weekend playing a game of musical chairs. I knew he was in pain when he came in screaming and the way he held it and the fact that he kept saying how much it hurt clued me in to how he must really be feeling. Jeffrey seems to have some sensory issues so he doesn't always feel pain or hot and cold the same way I do. So when he said he hurt we took him right in. He was scared at first but we all prayed together and asked that Jeffrey would be brave. He LOVED getting his X-Ray and told the Dr. all about how he did a double flip to get from the big chair to the little chair. (as soon as I figure how to post instagram pictures here I will share the photos with you)

27 Weeks Old

27 Weeks Old

Agnes is so much fun right now. She is rolling all over and scootches her way to something she wants if she sees it on the floor. When she's sad she says "Mamamamamama" until someone comes to pick her up. She was 19 lbs 6 oz and 28" long at her visit last week. She eats a LOT and is very big compared to babies that are her same age or even some older. But we absolutely adore her! Jeffrey can make her laugh whenever he looks at her or talks to her and when he comes home from school, she gets very excited to see him.

Spring is teasing us here in Kansas. It's been warm and then chilly and then warm and chilly. I can't wait for the summer to get here so we can enjoy the warmth.

24, 25, and 26 weeks. SIX MONTHS OLD!

24 Weeks

25 Weeks

26 Weeks. This wee one is 6 months old now! How did that happen? Wasn't I just pregnant like 2 days ago? That time has flown.

We will post a few pictures from our trip to St. Louis and Kansas City from last week. We had a really good time! Who knew there was SO much to do in St. Louis and thanks to a combination of free sites and our discovery center passes, most of it was free. We will be planning another trip when it warms up later this year since we didn't get to see the arch or ride of the riverboats.