dear quinn - letter four.

Dear Quinn,
On a Thursday at 12:58pm, you turned four, FOUR.
Oh my goodness how quickly four years have flown by - but they have been the sweetest most joyful four years Daddy and I could ever have imagined.

You are the sweetest, kindest, most gentle and caring little girl.
You are very compassionate of others and care so much about everyone.  You are starting to reign in the tears a bit when others are hurt or scared or in trouble, but it still very much bothers you.
You usually are more worried about them and sad for them then they are for themselves.
A new little boy started in your class last week, Miss Julie said she could tell you were more nervous for him that day then he was and that you looked out for him. :)
We can definitely see you growing up to be someone who cares for others in your profession.

You go to preschool on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  You love it and it is just the perfect amount of school (and being away from me).  I am already going a little crazy thinking about Kindergarten in 1 1/2 years, really - I can't even think about you being gone all day.  I am your mama, and I like you with me - it's as simple as that. :)

Quinn, you are absolutely beautiful inside and out.  You have a beautiful heart and it shows every single day.  Your smile brightens our lives each and everyday.  And your giggle, oh how you giggle and joke and laugh - it makes us laugh so hard.  You love a good joke these days.

You love to dance.  You have been taking dance classes now for over a year.  You will be coming up on your third recital and you are pretty excited.  This leads in well to the fact that you love to dress up!  Twirly skirts, sparkly shoes, fancy dresses - all your favorites.  You dance and sing throughout the entire day.

You are our very sensitive girl.  You are in tune with everything, nothing misses you.  You also have an incredible memory.
You love to be outside playing or dancing and singing anywhere.  When a special song comes on we can not get out of the car until it is done, according to you.  It's pretty common for us to have random dance moments in a parking lot.

Naps are not so common anymore, from our girl who was always our big sleeper.  You probably nap about once every week or so, but you usually take a little quiet time most afternoons.

You are trying more new foods.
Favorites:  Shells & cheese, strawberry kiwi yogurt and colby jack cheese
Dislikes:  strawberries, carrots, jelly

Favorite movie currently: Ratatouille  (you love everything Frozen, but don't care for the part when Elsa shoots ice towards her sister so you usually don't like to watch the movie)
Favorite TV show:  Wallykazam, but you are pretty content to watch most Disney Jr. or Nick Jr. shows
Favorite book: Pinkalicious
Favorite Princess:  Sleeping Beauty
Most asked for play activity:  to play Market or restaurant

It's hard to believe that last year on your birthday you found out that you would be having a sister (baby girl reveal) and this year on your birthday your little sister Andie is 8 months old!  You love your baby sister so much and you are so sweet to her.  You are gentle and don't need too many reminders. :)  Although as she gets bigger you tend to think she can handle more.  Your absolute favorite thing is to make Andie smile.

This year for your birthday we kept things pretty simple - per your request.  We had plans for a big party but Daddy and I kept hearing you say you just wanted to play with Brynnie (your cousin) and have a My Little Pony cake.  So we did just that, (but you also added two little girlfriends to join as well).
On Saturday, you had Brynnie, Gigi and Natalie over for just a little girl my little pony play party.  You girls had so much fun!

In the evening we had a little family party.  Grandma and Grandpa D., Grandpa W., Auntie Amy, Uncle Michael, Aidan, Liam and Brynnie, Mommy, Daddy and Andie, and Bob and Diana V. were all there.  We had pizza, breadsticks and delicious cake!
The pony cake of course!  You were in love with it.

You are surrounded by so much love.
And you are spoiled by so many presents!
My Little Pony items were a big hit of course among many other things like Disney Princess, Paw Patrol items and a trendy swimsuit you put on and wore for half the day. :)
This year from Daddy, Mommy and Andie you got a Spiderman Motorcycle toy - you had been talking about this for weeks after playing with it at Heather's house and you freaked out when you opened it!  We also gave you a balance beam that daddy made for you.

Quinn, we love more than a billion pony cakes. XOXO
Happy 4th birthday beautiful girl.

dear quinn - letter one.
dear quinn - letter two.
dear quinn - letter three.

happy birthday quinn.

4 years ago today we were getting ready to welcome our little Quinn into the world.
The sweetest little peanut, calmest little baby, and most compassionate little soul was about to be placed into our arms.
Every single day she makes us smile and laugh and warms our hearts with her love.
At 12:58 pm on February 19th 2011 - Quinn Avery entered into our hearts and we were forever changed.
Happy 4th Birthday today sweet girl!

Such a beautiful girl you are inside and out.
We love you so much Quinn.

four valentines.

As soon as Valentine's Day is over we head right into birthday week for our little Quinny.

This year though she is no longer a little toddler anymore - she is a real little kid now - a little girl now - a little 4 year old. FOUR.

As her birthday week commences, here is a little look at four years of Quinn on Valentine's Day. 

The sweetest little Valentine.

happy valentine's day.

We wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!!
Spread some love. :)

Our Valentine.

Quinn is handing out Valentines at school for the very first time this morning!
Andie is napping sweetly in her crib.
This evening Daddy is taking all 3 of his girls out for a Valentines dinner. Yum! can't wait!

And because the grandmas and grandpas will want to see the girls in their Valentine gear a little closer...

Thank you so much to Jessie from Lil Snaps Photography for these adorable shots!

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day & Weekend!

a vow.

As the start of each new year begins I don't make resolutions, I make one simple vow to myself every single year.  It's simple, yet profound and the greatest gift to ever give yourself and others and here it is: be present.  Eliminate distractions, keep what is most important at the top of the list always, don't let time slip away.  It may sound simple, but it can be easy to lose focus.  I love a checklist, and this one tops the list every single day.

I will always choose being present and time with my girls over the dishes in the sink or the overflowing basket of laundry to be folded or a trip that's been on our to-do list for years.  Because those things can wait...

these moments will not wait.  time will go by.  I don't want to miss a single moment.

Every phase in life is glorious and wonderful in it's own way, but this phase right now - it's my lifelong dream.  I wouldn't trade any bit of it for anything else, ever.

I'm that mama, the one who is always with her children.
I've learned how to say no when I know it's just too much for us, or not the easiest on them, and just to keep life simple so we don't lose focus on what is most important.  Learning to say no sometimes can be hard.

Being present is the greatest gift to you, to those around you.
And it teaches my girls that nothing, no object - no experience - no event, is more important than being together with those you love, surrounding yourself in love and loving others every single day.

I will never regret the dishes in the sink that waited for me or the clothes still waiting for hangers or not making it to the grocery store that day.  Running outside to jump in rain puddles or dancing to another Frozen song or giving extra tickles and hugs to squeeze out a few more big smiles and giggles for the day - that I would surely regret missing out on.

be present. 
in whatever way that means to you.
it is the simplest most gratifying gift.

andie & amy.

Andie Ainsley, you are the absolute sweetest.  You have this look in your eyes that is so soft, genuine and just shows all of your sweet little soul.  You are incredibly easy going.  I try to keep your day pretty simple because I know you are in your carseat and on the go so much more having on older sister with school and activities.  You handle it all, even changes to your little routine, like a gem.  Andie, you brighten the room and add so many smiles to our days.  Your sweet little round face, oh we just want to eat you up all the time.  You LOVE squeezes and you give the best squeezes in the world.

You are bootylicious, there is just no other way to say it, and it is the BEST!  You are a healthy little baby girl, our little juicy girl and already some of the rolls are not so rolly as you are beginning to stretch out. :(

You love to look at mommy all the time. 

Mommy's little sidekick you are.  Since you have never taken a bottle, well you are your mama's most beautiful accessory.

This sweet little face of yours, you make us melt and warm our hearts.
Your eyes were very quick to change color after you were born.  They were never really blue, more of a grey and changed quickly to brown with specks of green and blue.

At 7 months you are sitting very well, but not crawling yet.  But you scoot all over the place like a little seal and you are quick.  You know how to get to what you want quickly, and rolling across the room in seconds!

You are so quick to put everything in your mouth!  It's helping mommy, daddy and quinny build quick little reflexes.

You are a good little eater!  You usually have 2 or 3 meals a day and nurse just a few times a day.

You are happy and content to play all day. :)  You love your johnny jump-up in the doorway the most.

Our sweet little Andie, you are an angel.

Andie @7 months info:

Weight: about 21 pounds (I think)
Sleep:  2 naps a day, bedtime 6:00/6:30, wakes for the day 7:30a.m. and usually wakes once a night (around 4am)
Eats:  2 or 3 meals a day, nurses about 4 times a day
Foods:  carrots, yellow squash, butternut squash, green beans, avocado, sweet peas, zucchini, corn, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, peaches, bananas, mangoes, prunes, oatmeal, puff snacks, first spice - cinnamon (mixed with butternut squash I made for you) - you like all fruits and vegetables, you are not a big fan of oatmeal and rice.
Teeth: Two bottom teeth broke through slowly just after you turned 7 months!  You handled it like a champ, no fussing or anything, but you did wake a little more at night.
Sizes:  9 month clothes and jammies, size 3 diapers (but they are getting a little tight on your booty)
Likes:  watching her sister dance and play, giving big squeezes, baths, putting all of her toys in her mouth, rolling all over the place, eating little puff snacks, bouncing in johnny jump up, being tickled
Dislikes:  Andie, you truly are such a happy girl and love everything, but the only two things we have noticed is that you don't like your face cleaned after eating (pretty normal) or when someone walks away from you

Our sweet little Andie Ainsley, we love you so much.

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

Andie loves her older sister so much, and I love mine!
Happy Birthday to my sister Amy today!
I love you so much and still always look up to you.

I hope you do something or get something as fun as a Barbie Ice Cream Shop! :)

all that we learn, we give to you.

My sweet Andie, oh you melt me.
Someday when you are older you will have moments of feeling as though you always do everything second, and Daddy and I will always be doing our very best to make sure you and your sister are your own independent selves and know that you bring us joy in such beautiful and different ways.  Trust me, you have your own "she is the most beautiful baby in the world" moments, because you deserve all of those moments and more too.  We love you so much and want you to know that - no you don't get everything second or shine differently in our eyes.  You are our Andie, and you shine so brightly on your own.
One day when you are going through pictures you may feel like there are so many more of your older sister, well.... that may be true, but you my dear certainly have a higher quality collection (your mama knows her way around a camera a little better).
So, it isn't always best to do everything first you see.
There is learning to do, for you, for us.
And all that we learn, we give to you.

Love you more than you could ever imagine.