The Follow Up Post

I feel like my last post could use a follow up post. I've been talking with different people about my infertility post and have been feeling a lot of love. Many of you have shared your stories with me and have reached out just to say you love me. I have appreciated every single comment, text, and conversation. I was a little hesitant to share my story for a number of reasons, but I am very glad I did. Here are a few things I would like to share now that it's out there....

Mom life seriously is the best life. 

Having these two in my life still blows my mind every time I think about it. Sometimes I just watch them and tear up, because I can't believe they are mine. I don't want more kids because these two aren't enough. They are everything. Adding to our family would only make it MORE awesome. 

One reason I was hesitant to share my fertility trials is because I don't want to be someone you have to hide your happiness from. Truthfully, it does sting when I hear "everyone is pregnant" or that you get pregnant so easily it's ridiculous. However, I do want to celebrate with you. I don't want my loved ones to hesitate letting me know how excited they are or how they can't wait for baby to arrive. I don't want people to tip toe around talking about their joy because I'm standing there listening. There are ways to be sensitive about my struggle and still share your life with me. I have been pregnant before. I know it isn't all roses. It's ok if you let me know you are just the sickest. I won't get upset because you are complaining about something I yearn for. I've been in that moment, and it can be the worst! I feel like I have the unique experience of standing in both worlds. I am able to sympathize with many different situations. I also think that sharing others joy with them will help me to not get stuck on my own stuff. Connecting with friends and loved ones is always a good thing. 

I'm currently working on staying in this happy, fulfilled, full of faith place. I've finally made it here, and I don't want to lose the momentum. Infertility can be such a rollercoaster of feelings and moods. I don't want to get back on that rollercoaster. I still have my sad moments and even a little crazy, but it's about feeling the sad for a little and moving back to the happy. I don't want to dwell in the sad. I've learned that it's through faith in God and his plan that keeps me in the happy. I was seriously resigned to the fact that "well I guess this pessimistic, unhappy person is just who I am now." It wasn't true. I can be better. I can be so much better. The nature of a person can actually change through the Atonement and love of Jesus Christ. Am I getting a little preachy? Good. :)  It's what I have literally experienced in my life. I am living proof. I truly believe that you can fill up any hole in your life with God's love, and it will end up overflowing. That doesn't mean you forget the hole was ever there. It means you can have a happy life despite the hole developing in the first place. 

One last follow up. People experience trials in different ways. We are all going through something. We have all had to try and navigate through our own storms. It is definitely impossible to do it perfectly. Be a little more patient with people. Be a little more understanding. Stick with those people through the rough patches. Don't bail out because their sadness is uncomfortable for you. You don't always have to say the perfect thing. Just being there with your love is enough. I really appreciate those people who didn't bail on me, because I wasn't acting like who they wanted me to be. 

 

That's all for now.

(One more picture because they are just so dang cute.) 

Infertility Makes Me Crazy. Trust in the Lord.

I'm not even sure if I'm going to post this, but I want to get it down. This may be too personal. Some people may think, 'why does she have to share all this?' However, I think there is some explanation that needs to be shared. So here I go....

Last year was the worst. Sure, I can think of good things that happened, but overall it was just the worst. Of course I can see people who have it worse than me. Of course some people may think 'oh that's nothing!' But for me, it was the worst. So here I go explaining. 

The underlying problem of last year was infertility. I believe that made everything else harder. People who have this struggle understand that it takes over almost every aspect of life. When you want something so badly, that you believe is a righteous desire, it's hard to understand why it isn't happening for you. Last year was actually year three of infertility since Maebry, but last year became unbearable because the loss of hope. 

Rewind: I have actually had trouble getting pregnant with both of our children. It took at least a year for both. I never went to a fertility doctor for either kid, and finally got pregnant on our own. Both times I started wondering if I should, right when it would happen. I wasn't too worried about it after Maebry because I knew it would happened again eventually. Being a mother is what has brought me some of my greatest joys. The moment I had Paxton, I just knew I was meant for this. I can't think of anything I'd rather do than spend my time with the loves of my life. They make me so happy, and life is better when they are around. So, of course I want more of them! 

Here's the problem with my infertility last year, it made me act like someone I don't want to be, thus making it the worst. 

-I pulled away from everyone. Friends and family. I isolated myself because I was sad and angry. I had people texting me wondering if I was still alive. I didn't want to be the sad person so I just stayed away. Also, when you are with family and friends, they want to talk about it. Naturally, people have started wondering if and when we want more kids. The questions bothered me. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to talk about everyones pregnancy and happiness either. This is where some of the explanation is important. Some of these people got offended by my behavior. (Which was definitely justified.) They knew I was pulling away but didn't know why. I didn't want to explain it, and they thought it was their fault. I'm sorry for that. It wasn't you, it was me! 

-The worst part of last year was that I started pulling away from my faith. I started doubting things that I had always known. I stopped doing the things that I needed to do to stay close to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I have always had such strong faith in prayer, but when you feel like your prayers haven't been answered in years, it can wear on you. I felt all alone, and I didn't think I was getting any answers. This aspect of my life had the biggest impact on some of my year and behavior. I believe this loss of faith is what made everything else seem worse. This was another reason I pulled away from others. I was bitter and not very great company to be in. 

- I felt guilty. We have two amazing, phenomenal kids. Why was I so upset if I couldn't have more? Some people never get to have any biological kids, and here I was crying about infertility. At least I got to do it twice! Why couldn't I just feel complete with two kids?? 

-I was angry about not being able to plan my life. I have always wanted to be able to say, "I'm planning on getting pregnant this month so I can have the baby this month." I got angry when people laughed that "whoops they got pregnant!" Why couldn't I have a 'whoops' baby?? There are actually a lot of things that can be said to someone that is dealing with infertility that can be hurtful. Even saying "Oh, it looks like it's your turn to have another one!" How do you say, "well I've actually been trying for years!" Without making it awkward? Comparison really is the thief of joy. 

-I actually did start seeing a fertility Doctor about 7 months ago. (I've taken breaks during that time.) She hasn't found anything terribly wrong. There have been a few problems, but nothing that should be making it this hard. Seeing a fertility doctor can almost be worse than not seeing one. The roller coaster of emotions each month can be even crazier. The medications and hormones I was on made everything heightened. Plus, you get even more excited that this will be the month, and even more disappointed when it's not. 

There were some other factors that were involved too, like dealing with Paxton stuff through this, but I'm sticking with infertility on this post. 

So, there is most of the background, and now here is why I want to share it. I 100% know now, without a doubt, that my Heavenly Father loves me, and that His plan for me will always be better than my own. I had some very dark, questioning days where I wasn't sure about that. But I know now more than anything that it is true. It's taken me some time to get to this place, which is mostly my fault, but I'm here. Here in this place doesn't mean all my worry for the future is gone. It doesn't mean my faith is perfect now. It DOES mean that I can be happy and work on becoming a better person. 

The change in me started at church one day I heard something along the lines of: Trust in the Lord. He is always the answer. 
I felt like I wasn't getting answers, but maybe that was my answer. Turn to Christ. Later that night I was talking to my sister who understands my infertility struggles and I said, "I just have to find a way to be happy whether I have more kids or not. I can't keep riding this roller coaster. I have to find a way to be happy." 

 The next week at church, conveniently, the discussion was about how the Lord's plan may not be our plan, but His is better. I got the distinct impression again that if the Lord only ever gives us two kids then I still need to be happy. I need to trust in the Lord. I need to have a good, full life no matter what. Trust being the important thing I had been missing. 

There has been a change in me since then. Have I been perfect? Nope. But I have come a very long way in a short amount of time. I've started doing the things I need to do to be closer to God again. 

My faith and hope for the future is back. I am not pregnant. I don't know if I will be again any time soon. I know I have a lot more time for that to happen. My timeline is something I have clung to and need to let go of. I still want to have more kids. I am on the fence about continuing with fertility treatments. I probably will take some time off from that. I'm taking some time to get back to where I want to be spiritually and emotionally.

Some good things that have come from all this? 

I made a best friend and we bonded over some of the toughest things we've had to go through. She is also struggling with infertility and understands my pain like others never will. She has definitely seen me in my worst moments and loved me anyways. I will love her forever and am glad we got to be so close. 

I once again realized that I have the most amazing husband ever. He has dealt with some serious crazy this past year, and he's stood by me through it all. His attitude all along has been that he's grateful for our two perfect kids, and if we have more that's great. That attitude annoyed me at times, because I needed him to want it as much as I did. However, I realize that one of us needed to stay sane to help the other one out. His outlook all along has been where I have finally arrived. I love my husband.

My love for running has deepened. I have always loved running, but this year it has been my therapy. I depend on my runs now and love that I am able to just get out there! I have had some crying, praying, begging, and lots of laughing and joy on those runs. 

You have to go through the hard stuff to get to the really good stuff right ;) This probably would have made me roll my eyes not too long ago, but now I'm going with it! I can also look back at that time and recognize those times I was supported by my Savior even when I didn't quite deserve it or notice. 

--------------------

If I haven't been the person you wanted me to be this past year, I'm sorry. I got very caught up in my own problems and got very selfish. I didn't really see past my situation. As much as it seriously sucked, I think I had to go through it. It's taken some time to get me humble. 

I'm thankful for those that still hung in there with me. I'm thankful for those that listened to me without judging. I'm thankful that I continued to go to church through that rough time. I'm thankful to my Savior for loving me no matter what and knowing who I really am instead of who I was choosing to be. 

From here on out I'm going to try and trust in the Lord and His plan for me. (Someone remind me I said this if I start getting crazy again! Haha jk!)

Thanks for reading my post. Getting it out into words always helps me heal. I have always believed that sharing experiences can help others. I have been helped by others' words. I have a very strong testimony of the Atonement and know that I can be forgiven. I believe we can all become who we were meant to be if we trust in the Lord, and that person will be a million times better than the one we can think up! 

Paxton on the Spectrum

 I decided to write this post today so I can remember these things, and also to share this information so others understand. Today we were finally able to meet with a developmental Doctor for Paxton. Both his primary Doctor and his ear Doctor recommended we see her. The reason for seeing this specialist is Paxton continues to have a significant speech delay. After many many hearing tests, appointments, and tube surgeries, the conclusion is that his hearing loss, while present, does not warrant the extreme delay in speech.

   

 Today the developmental Doctor finally gave us a diagnosis. Paxton was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. She said that in order to be classified as being on the Spectrum he had to score above a 30 using the scale she was rating him on. Paxton's score was 31. There is a very wide range of symptoms and severity of symptoms associated with Autism. There are many symptoms that Paxton doesn't have, and there are some that he does have. Paxton's symptoms are not severe but are present. 

   

We have had this diagnosis in the back of our minds for some time now, so it wasn't a big surprise. The other diagnosis Paxton received is "Receptive Expressive Language Disorder." Receptive [difficulty understanding what others are saying] Expressive [difficulty expressing thoughts and ideas]. Children on the Autism spectrum often have language and communication issues. 

   

So, having said all that, I thought I would share some of the symptoms Paxton has shown that led to this diagnosis. 

1) Speech Delay. He has a very difficult time understanding others and expressing himself. He really can't speak in sentences. Usually only two or three words at a time. It can be very frustrating for him and others. 

2) Instead of answering questions or commands, Paxton repeats what is said to him. If I say, "Where is the door?" Instead of showing me, he says, "Where is the Door?" 

3) He has some 'awkward' social behaviors. He doesn't always appropriately use eye contact. He also moves his eyes back and forth quickly or blinks a lot when he gets uncomfortable with interaction.  

         Paxton has come a long way on this one. Since being in school and having Maebry around, he has really started to be more comfortable in certain situations. He won't always display these behaviors but will in new situations.

4) People can find it hard to connect with him.  He doesn't always seem "warm."  

    Example: I will tell him we are going to Grandma's house and he will get so excited. He will talk about going to Grandma's house the whole way there. As soon as we get there, Grandma wants to greet him and give him a hug. He may "shut down" and avoid the hug and just walk in the house. This one is a hit or miss. Sometimes he may walk in waiting to show Grandma something, but other times he wants to skip the hello or goodbye hug. This was one of the things that was hard for me to see. He is very different towards me. He is very warm, loving, and comfortable with me. I never see these behaviors directed at me.   

5) Fixation on a certain activity or interest. This kid gets very fixated on one thing and that is all he will talk about. Sponge Bob is his fixation right now. Drawing Sponge Bob is the activity he will do over and over and over. I've noticed that it's different than Mabery's interest in something. Maebry loves Frozen. She talks about Frozen a lot and loves the toys. However, Maebry has other interests besides Frozen as well. She loves it but is not only fixated on that one thing.

6) Transitions or changes are hard on him. When he changes classes in school or church it throws him for a loop. He has a hard time adjusting.   

   Those are some of the behaviors I discussed today with the Doctor. I am in no way an expert on this. I started reading about it a while back, but there is still a lot I don't know. Paxton's social symptoms have gotten better with more social interaction. He will be able to learn how to improve some of these things as he grows. He watches Maebry a lot and mimics some of her behaviors. She has really helped to bring him out of his shell. 

   

My hope in sharing this post is that Paxton will be understood a little bit better. When he walks in somewhere with Maebry and she runs towards you, arms open, so excited to see you and he doesn't; It's not because he isn't excited to see you too. He doesn't express it the same way. Paxton is very intelligent. He has excellent grades and knows everything he should know at this point in school. Social interaction and communication are what we will continue to work on.  

   

He just walked in and saw his name all over this post and was wondering why. Haha. He also saw Sponge Bob's name. :-P I have always said that Paxton is a hard nut to crack. He is harder to win over than some. However, if you put in the time and understanding it is SO worth it. He is a sensitive, sweet, hilarious (He loves to make people laugh!), loving boy. He has moments when he is so outgoing and friendly, and moments when he is quiet and standoffish. We love Paxton so much and will continue to work to make sure he's happy. He is such a happy kid. :) He has great teachers and people helping him at school every day. I am so grateful for that. We won't know right away if we should change his treatment in any way, but I will keep everyone updated. Thanks for reading my long post! 

(Sorry if I rambled on and made grammatical errors. I care less about that and more about sharing this information.)  

McQueen Birthday for Queen Maebry

This little princess turned two on Thanksgiving, and we had a birthday party for her yesterday. 

She had a McQueen party because she loves Cars. 

(You can tell she has an older brother.)

Here she is in the McQueen outfit I made for her.

She gets really excited when she sees Lightning McQueen and yells, "QUEEN!"  

Paxton decided he needed McQueen pants. 

These two are obsessed with Cars right now. 

She was pretty excited about her Birthday Girl pin! 

This is her cheese face. 

It can get pretty intense. 

I made the cake for her party with the help of my Mom. 

I am the worst at baking!

My Mom helped with that and making the frosting.

I decorated the cake, and I'm so glad it turned out looking the way I wanted it to.

  

Maebry doesn't really like cake so she didn't even eat any of her birthday cake, 

but she was happy that it had cars on it. 

She didn't really get the concept of 'all these presents are for you to open.'

After the first present, she was ready to run off and play! 

She got a lot of fun toys!

After presents she got to play with all of her cousins. 

At one point, she had a necklace on, a purse on, and was carrying around a doll box. 

She would pick up the doll box and say, "Bye!" like she was leaving. Haha.

Her little personality just gets cuter and cuter every day. 

(That Beauty and the Beast purse was mine when I was little!) 

I am enjoying these small, family parties for my kids while they are young. 

I love seeing all of the little cousins run around. 

Overall, Maebry had a blast at her party. 

She loves her new toys, and brother has enjoyed the new stuff too!

Maebry Girl is Two

Two years ago tonight, I was getting into bed all excited to go to the hospital the next morning.

I was scheduled for an induction to have our sweet little Maebry.

I was all ready to get a good nights sleep, but Maebry had different plans. 

She decided to come on her own time.

Maebry Girl came in the middle of the night on November 27th, 2012.

I have been in denial that our baby girl is almost two. 

It can't be true, because she is still my baby girl.

Here are most of the things that make Maebry who she is. 

Maebry is smart, funny, sassy, silly, demanding, loving, social, and sweet.

She is dramatic about most things, but her intensity is what makes her so amazing.

She has zero stranger danger. 

She will walk up to anyone and start talking to them.

Maebry loves meeting new people and makes new friends wherever we go. 

She still babbles a lot, but if you just go with it she will talk non stop. 

Her favorite thing to do is call people on Mama's phone. 

She loves calling people and talking their ear off. 

Facetime is also a nightly ritual around here. 

If she gets a hold of Mama's phone she will call Dada all day.

Seriously, she thinks my phone is her phone.  

She loves chicken, Lightning McQueen, llamas, eyes, belly buttons,

 being outside, playing with Paxton, juice, snuggles, and making messes.  

Maebry is learning new words every day.

It's fun to have a kid around the house who picks up words so quickly.

She will repeat things I say even when I think she's not listening. 

Paxton and Maebry play so well together. 

They are always running off together giggling. 

Paxton is such a sweet, patient big brother, and she is so fun to entertain. 

She's still a thumb sucker but usually only does it when she's tired.

Everyone usually knows when she is tired :)

  Maebry's favorite part of the day is when Dada comes home.

As soon as she hears him coming in she gets so excited.

She will usually scream "DADA!" in a very loud, high-pitched shriek and point to him while dancing.

Maebry is definitely Dada's little princess. 

(She may get away with certain things just because she's so cute.) 

She loves to watch Cars, and is always carrying around a book.

Maebry loves reading books, and tries to read them to Mama.

Her favorite songs are 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' and 'Ring Around the Rosie"

She is constantly wanting to sing "Itsy!"

Nicknames:

Bee Bee Girl

Bee Bee

Maebry Girl

Mae Baby

Princess

Hot Mess Maebry (haha)

Maebry loves to dance. 

She usually has to scream, "DANCE!" before she does, but it's her thing.

If she hears music at any time, she will shake it. 

 She loves to pretend she is a monster and is going to get Mama. 

That game usually happens a few times a day. 

 Geeze, I just love this girl so much.

She brings so much spunk to this family.

The above picture is making me sad, because she looks so grown up. 

Pa says Maebry is like a little fairy just flying around all the time.

She kinda bounces around from room to room :)

Maebry has very strong opinions about things.

If I put a pair of shoes on her that she doesn't want to wear, she just won't walk.

She refuses to move and sits down. 

She refuses to eat anything off of a spoon.

(Although she is getting better.) 

Only finger foods for this gal.

The few times I have offered her ice cream she throws fits. 

 Maebry loves being chased. 

Brother is usually happy to do that.  

She can be pretty needy for attention.

She doesn't play well by herself yet, and so she usually depends on others for fun.

If brother doesn't pay attention to her, she gets pretty insistent. 

She will always just come plop in Mama or Dada's lap if they are doing something else. 

 She's feisty, lovable, persistent, adorable beyond reason, and exciting.

She is always giggling, being loud, and running around. 

Instead of just saying no, she has to turn her head to the side quickly and folds her arms while saying no. 

She loves hugs, kisses, and high-fives.

If anyone, anywhere close to her gets a high-five, she needs one too.  

 She insists on wearing a hooded Buzz Lightyear blanket around the house a lot of the time.

Toy Story was the only movie she would watch for a long time. 

She has been responding with, "I don't know!" to most of my questions lately.

I have been trying to get her to say she is two when I ask her how old she is.

She still just says she doesn't know when I ask her. 

Sometimes she will follow up with "Two!" later on.  

She wants to eat Rice Chex and Cheerios all day. 

Maebry girl is one of a kind, and we are so lucky she joined our family two years ago. 

Happy Birthday Mae Baby! 

Pax and Mae Update

It is time for a Benavides kid update.

There are some many things they are doing that I want to remember.

I decided to take some pictures of them just playing at home.

 

As a pair, they are doing fantastic.

They have started playing so well together.

Paxton will get Maebry all excited and get her to follow him to his room.

They will stay in his room forever just laughing and playing.

It makes me so happy to see them getting along so well.

Maebry loves giving her brother hugs. 

 

 

 

She still enjoys annoying him every now and then, but she is learning to be softer.

She will usually hit him and then pet him after saying, "Soooooft."

Haha. She's still working on the not hitting part.

One of Maebry's favorite things to do is follow brother outside.

She loves to go out there with him and cries if he goes without her.

He is so sweet about waiting for her if he hears her squeal.

Paxton is super sweet to Maebry, and he can be really great about sharing with her.

 He can get annoyed and hoard all of his toys in a spot she can't get to though.

He is really sweet about sharing snacks with her.  

 

 

Paxton loves Minions a lot right now.

He has a Minion toy that sings and dances that he carries around everywhere.

 

 

He also loves to play a Minion game on my Nook.

 

 

He is always stealing it from me so he can play.

He is really good at the game, and he laughs the whole time he plays it.

 

 

 

 

Of course Woody is still a favorite, and he loves his batman and batcave.

He also found one of my dog beanie babies that he loves to play with.

He always says "Good Boy!" and pets him.

 

 

 

A lot of friends have been asking how the hearing aids are working out.

I really haven't heard a huge difference in his speech yet.

He does seem to be more aware of noises around him.

There have been a few changes, but I'm guessing we will have to see over time.

I think gradually we will see the improvements.

He likes wearing them and never resists putting them on.

They do get in the way of some of his crazy jumping and flipping.

He is usually pretty good about letting me know they need to be fixed.  

 

 

The other day, Pax came in from outside and started trying to tell me something.

He was saying that our dog got a hold of his Mickey doll.

He was telling me, "Mickey owie! Awww poor Mickey. Charlie (our dog) NO! NO! Stop it!"

He was telling me this while acting out what happened,

and showing me where Mickey got hurt.

Now, this might not seem very significant to someone who has a very verbal kid,

but it was very significant to me.

I have never been able to ask him. "How was your day?" or "What did you do?"

He has never had the vocabulary to describe things like that to me.

So, when he was very interested in describing something that happened to him outside,

I was so excited.

I am looking forward to many more stories from him!  

 

 

This kid still spends 75% of his time outside.

He plays with puppies and jumps on the trampoline.

His favorite thing to watch right now is Phineas and Ferb.

He loves Perry the Platypus, and is always crawling around pretending to be him.

 

 

Paxton taught himself how to knot, and is always busy tying things.

I keep finding random toys tied into the blinds cord.

He is definitely one of those kids that can keep himself so busy just working on things.

He likes to figure stuff out, and will sit quietly until he gets it. 

He gets so serious and then so proud and happy when he figures something out.

 

He loves to wrestle, do acrobatics with Mom, swim, and laugh.

He asks to take two baths a day just so he can play in the water.

He has the cutest embarrassed and surprised expressions.

Paxton is always on the move.

 

He is about to start school again at the end of this month, and I will be so sad.

It is still just preschool, and only three hours, but I love hanging out with him in the mornings.

He is just the sweetest, most easygoing kid ever.

  He likes to ask, "Are you ok?" while putting his hand on my shoulder.

 

 

At 20 months, Maebry girl is FINALLY WALKING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, she finally decided to do it.

(This is the expression she gets when she walks.)

 

 

It really was her decision.

It took her so long, and she even had a physical therapist towards the end.

However, even her physical therapist concluded that

there would be no walking until Maebry wanted to.

She was very stubborn about it.

I tried and tried and tried to get her to walk, but she was not having it.

If one thing worked one day, the next day she would decide she wouldn't do it.

She was constantly changing her mind, and she would cry

and scream if she didn't want to work on it.

I did finally give up on working super hard with her, and just waited for her.

Most of her progress happened on her own when she thought no one was watching.

I would see her out of the corner of my eye standing up all by herself.

I even remember the day she decided to walk, she just stood up and walked over to me.   

 

 

Over the past couple days she has used walking as her main way of transportation.

She was still crawling a lot after she started walking,

but lately I haven't really seen her crawl much at all.

She has even started trying to walk over little steps, and I see her working on climbing too.

Her walking skills have definitely made her a lot more brave.

Maebry is super proud, because now she can slide down from couches and beds.  

 

 

 

One of Maebry's favorite things to do is brush her teeth.

She will usually let me know she is ready for bed by saying, "Teeth!"

I brush her teeth and let her have the toothbrush while we do the rest of the bed routine.

She will brush while I read her stories and change her clothes.

When it's time to get in bed she always hands the toothbrush back to me.

We have a great little routine that helps her get ready to go down.

 

 

 

 We read 'How Do I Love You' and 'I Love You Through and Through' every night.

She sits on Mama's lap while we read.

She loves to act parts out and laughs at Mama's actions.

 

 

This is one of my favorite parts of the day.

Just me and Maebry time.

 

She just has the sweetest smiles and giggles.

Her excitement about things always makes me smile.

 

She loves the big moon in one of her books.

 

 

Maebry continues to be a social butterfly.

She is the opposite of Paxton, in that she loves all of the attention on her.

She is always talking to new people and making new friends. 

I think some of her favorite people are her cousins.

She gets so excited to see them, especially baby Easton.

She always tries to hug and kiss him.

 

 

She will sing, "All done. All done." when she finishes something.

She always says "Love you" if you say it first.

She even says "Thank you" now.

She calls jewelry 'pretties' and loves to put necklaces on.

Maebry is always asking for 'ooood' (food) and 'uice' (juice). 

You always know when she is hitting brother because she makes sound effects.

If she doesn't want to do something she shakes her head with attitude and says, "Uhhhh."

 

 Maebry loves rain and birds.

There were some birds outside of the window
while I was taking pictures, and she got so excited.

She loves sitting outside on the trampoline watching birds fly by.  

 

Maebry really likes her belly button.

She pulls her shirt up and checks it out every now and then.

If you ask to see her button she will always show you.

She also loves her dolls and always hugs them.

 

 

 

  Maebry loves playing catch, and has a really good arm.

She has pegged me in the face a number of times.

 

 

 She loves unpacking things.

If I give her a basket of toys, she will stay there until every toy is out of the basket.

This also keeps her very busy in the kitchen.

At least twice a day we have to put everything back in the bottom cupboards.

 

 

One of her favorite games to play is chase.

I will hold her and run while Paxton chases us, and she just screams and laughs the whole time.

She will ask to get on Paxton's bed when she wants to play,

because we usually start and end the chase there.

 

 

Her diet mostly consists of applesauce, chicken, and potatoes.

Those are her favorites, and it's hard to get her to try new things.

 

 Most of the time Maebry is fun, funny, sweet, loving, and just a joy to be around.

However, when Maebry decides she doesn't want to be somewhere or do something all bets are off.

She can get very upset and will not give up until something changes.

Girlfriend has some serious inconsolable moments.  

I guess she just knows what she wants.

This stubborn baby has thrown me some major curve balls,

but I wouldn't have her any other way.

I love this firey, squishy, curly, sweet, little gal more than anything.

She makes us laugh a million times a day.

 

We definitely got two very different children,

but life wouldn't be complete without either one of them.

These two adorable brown babies make life so much happier!