Updates...

So it's been a long time. Here is where I would like to insert a million excuses, but won't. Let's just say I have no idea how I'll have any time for stuff like this with two :) but I'm totally okay with that.

Speaking of two, we find out the sex of baby dos (Lord willing) on May 1st. Super stoked about this. For those of you who were wondering, baby dos was not "planned", but certainly not unwanted. We didn't like any "preventative" measures for lots of different reasons and since we like kids, we aren't all that concerned when they come :) Although I must confess a couple of things...
1) I don't want to be pregnant (at least looking pregnant) next Valentine's Day or my next Anniversary
2) My husband and I both would like to get to ride amusement rides next summer
3) Neither of those points mean much

I have been more sick with baby dos, but that seems to have passed as the last two weeks I haven't thrown up at all :) Now I'm just hungry like every 2 hours. And I mean HUNGRY.

Onto baby uno - our dear sweet Anna Grace...
So, she turns one in less than a month. Crazy, eh? Although oddly she seems to become more and more like a "little girl" to me almost daily. Today she started actually saying, "more" instead of just signing it. Too cute.

As far as things she can say...

• mama, dada
• hi, bye
• please - "peace"
• more
• bear - "bea"
• bunny - "buhhy"
• night night - "nigh nigh"
• no
• snow - also "no"
• hot - "ho.........ttttt"
• light - "igh"
• uh oh
• wee (this when she is being spun, rocked, swang, or pushed around in the rolling office chair)
• thank you - "aaa ooo"
• boo
• book although the k is often silent
• she can also make most all animal noises :)
• 

Darling isn't always very talkative infront of others until she gets warmed up though. Daryl likes to say she is in "data intake" mode whenever we go to a new place - someone's house she's never been to, a new nursery, store, etc. She REALLY looks everything over, and then somewhere along the way gets wound up. When she wants to, she can be a real charmer - the doctors office, grocery store, church nursery, etc. She pretty much blows EVERYONE kisses which I love because this seems to delight most people. Especially since she has no prejudices :) I love that about her too.

She's been walking since 10 months and so we've been learning what not to touch and also what an ornery creature she is :) I make her look me in the face when I'm disciplining her and oh, how many times I honestly have prayed for grace just not to bust out laughing because her faces are so funny!

We like to call Anna "bam bam" because although she is very feminine in someways, she is also kind of crazy. Even though we have hard wood floors, she hardly ever cries when she falls down or gets pushed down by another running tot. She loves throwing pillows or blankets on the floor and diving on them (sometimes missing). She flips around until she gets comfy and says, "nigh nigh". Just recently she also added fake snoring, which I'm very pleased with :)

She LOVES bath time, bubbles, outside, having the windows open, when Daryl comes home from work, puppies, birdies, dancing, friends, attention, and oh, these Gerber cheese puff type things. Literally she'll grab handfuls and try to stuff her face. She also loves her "big girl chair" from Uncle Jarod and Aunt Kadie and is often found reading there :)

While she still has barely any hair, we are so thankful that the past year she has been VERY healthy and growing strong and well (four teeth so far! so cute!). She even goes down for naps and bed time with a smile and a kiss most nights - yay! What a gift of grace that we don't deserve! We give God all the praise!

As far as Daryl and I, we are doing great although he has been swamped with work this semester which is sad for all of us. On a happier note, I am "retiring" May 23rd to enjoy the whole summer at home before baby dos! I can't wait to be a stay at home mom. Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! Praise God!!!

This past month we celebrated many things - my brother's birthday....

my mom and Daryl's birthday...

(here is my pappap with a wig on - YES, A WIG - trying to get Anna to like him. Would you believe he is the ONLY person she has not yet warmed up to???)

Our anniversary and of course St. Patrick's Day.
We also celebrated Naomi's birth :), Janine dropping in to town for a while from Africa and seeing the Coburn's...
So the girls weren't much for pictures...

We would also like to give a HUGE thank you to our parents for often watching Anna, including overnight twice last month, and Tara for watching her one evening free of charge. We really love and appreciate you guys, and so does Anna :)

Sorry so long.