Mattie Claire ~ 11 Months

Dear Mattie,

Another month passed without you.  I have been dreading getting closer and closer to your one year birthday in heaven.  I just don't know how to handle it without you.  I want to celebrate you, but how do I celebrate the saddest day of our lives?  You should be here getting ready to devour your first cake.  Would you be like big brother Evan and look like you ate a smurf with icing all over you, or would you be more like big brother Brody and prefer to use a fork?  Maybe you would be like your cousin Emma and just stick your finger in your cake and cry with frustration because you don't know what to do with it?  Of course, I am sure your big brothers would be there to show you what to do.  I wonder if you would be a big eater these days like your brother Brody.
I wonder if you would be trying to take your first steps or if you would be a little slower like Brody. I wonder if you would have liked the water at the pool and splashed your big brothers.  As the months pass, I seem to have a growing list of things I wish I knew about you.  I guess that is going to be my new normal now.  I will still be wondering on the days you should have started school, graduated from high school, chosen a college, and the days when you would likely be dating and then getting married.  We are just never going to stop missing or loving you.

If you looked like Evan this month, you may look like this:

And if you looked more like Brody, you would look like this:

As tradition (because mommy is nothing if not traditional/OCD), here are some of the cute outfits you would likely have worn this month:

I love this little preppy outfit!

A sweet little nautical dress.  One of my favorite themes. 

I love the delicate and sweet look of eyelet lace. 

And a bathing suit would have been a necessity for our first trip to the pool this month. 

I don't know how we are going to "celebrate" your birthday next month, but I do know we are definitely going to need you to look after us as we struggle to get through this very hard time without you.  We love you, beautiful girl!

Love,
Mommy

Spring Fun!

This season is always so jam packed and crazy busy in our lives with the end of school, Spring sports, and both boys' birthdays within a month of one another.  Keeping track of our memories here always gets way behind.  For now, here is some of the Spring fun we've had the last few weeks:

At the end of April, we broke out the water table. 

This boy still cannot get enough of water. 

Turn around for a second and this is what happens!

Time to dry off and warm up after playing in the freezing cold water. 

One morning, Brody and Mommy watched a Mommy and baby bunny playing in the backyard. 

The baby was there first and just sat still for a long time.  The mommy came out and joined the baby. 

About as cute as the mommy and baby pandas we saw at the zoo.

Sweet bunnies. 

Brody took back one of his birthday presents that he already had and got to pick this little wading pool out at Target for his birthday. It is a big hit.  We haven't left it on the grass because we don't want it to kill it.  It now lives on the deck and will hopefully provide lots of summer fun if we can keep the mosquitoes away.  Sigh. 

Evan even enjoyed it. 

If you hook up the hose to it, it can spray water all around the sides and onto the slide. 

Brody had been watching it out the window all day after Daddy put air in it. 

Well, the little slide didn't collapse on the big 7 year old so I guess that is a good sign. Brody was playing the little ring toss game. 

Brody preferred to help his little whale friend go down the slide. 

His turtle friend was his favorite though, and he took very good care of it. 

Helping Mr. Turtle down the slide. 

Silly boy covered the whole slide. 

Brody needed a little help to push himself up onto the slide.  It didn't have steps back there.  

Big brother gave him a push. 

Making a splash head first.

Putting his turtle to "night night." 

Does anyone know why they don't make little boys' swim trunks with real draw strings to help hold them up?  They just have a decorative one that doesn't go all the way around their waist, and this is what happens to most of them.  Thank goodness for the swim diaper, or he would be mooning everyone at the pool. 

Big brother wanted more water on the slide so Brody helped him out. 

I love this shot of him on his tummy although it wasn't on purpose.  He slipped and fell and just laughed. 

Mommy helped him down the slide. 

Happy face = Success

Love it! 

So that about wraps up the last month of our Spring fun with exception of lots of Saturdays and weeknights at the baseball field.  Baseball season has ended though so after our team recognition party this Friday night, we will have a lot more free time for fun! 

Fun Activity for Preschoolers - Water painting!

So after a rough morning of potty training, Brody and Mommy needed to get outside and have a little fun.  Thanks to a pinterest post, Mommy had a great idea for some cool and not too messy fun...WATER PAINTING!  Instead of paint, you just need a cup of water, some concrete, and paint brushes.  Mommy is no artist, but she did have to draw a couple of pictures at Brody's request.

My little artist.  He loves to paint and comes home daily from school with paint all over him!

Brody wanted me to draw him a dog.  Um, I'm not sure I succeeded.  I am no artist!

And yes, he also requested a stop sign and then informed me it is an octagon.  That is his favorite shape.  We are still working on getting our colors down, but he knows his shapes!

I drew a picture of a stegosaurus for big brother who was absent. 

Then, Mommy had the brilliant idea to work on our letter writing and recognition.  She drew each letter, and Brody traced the letters with his brush.  I was amazed that he did so well!