Gabby's 15 months!

Gabby had her 15 month check up today. The doctor was impressed by all her talking and running and jumping (attempted) she was doing....then she looked at Bella and then at me and said "you must be exhausted"...I just replied "thank the lord for day care". Anyway, Gabby weighed in at a lovely 261/2 pounds (which was Bella's weight at 18 months) and was 31 1/2 inches, which kept her in the 95% for weight (big surprise) but bumped up her height to the 75%! Gabby may not be a shorty after all. I do think she hit a growth spurt the last week and has thinned out a little :). Oh we love this little girl. She is starting to babble...last night she went on and on then threw her hands up and walked off (I can just imagine her thinking "you aren't getting this...I'm leaving"). She loves to climb, dance, chase bella, draw and look at books. She also sings along to the abcs and twinkle twinkle and even gets some of the letters and words. She also knows and says "nose, ears, & eyes" mouth she hasn't said yet or "up" but she did say watermelon and strawberry the other day...go figure :).

My beautiful daughters

I am amazed everyday by the beauty of my girls. The sweetness and innocence of their actions.

I love my Saturday afternoon naps with Bella (and can't wait until Gabby is a little bigger to join us) and watching her big blue eyes light up with happiness. As she touches my arm with her little hand and falls asleep after one last touch of my face. I wish I could capture that moment and save it forever. The other day at Ryan's 60 day graduation I was crying and Bella couldn't understand happy tears. She kept wiping them away and holding my arm. She is my little mama. She is so loving and quite a social butterfly...very opinionated and determined, she is our actress and diva, she loves to belt out a tune or sit reading, she loves to play with her sister and is great at sharing most of the time. She keeps us laughing with everything she says. The other day I wouldn't let her do something and she got really quite and said "Mommy, you hurt my feelings." Later that day, she was in the car and observing her world she belted out "Mommy, mommy I have hair on my legs." She's so funny and her nightly routine has turned into her yelling "I love you" as we walk out at night.

Gabby's runs down the hall with the loudest laughter, so free chasing her sister or running towards one of us...arms open wide she flies into either Bella, Joel or my arms and gives the biggest snuggle and then is off again exploring. She tumbles around and just giggles at everything and everyone. She is talking more and more and repeating so many words. She says "Thank You" even unprovoked. She is a lot like Bella, she loves her books and to sing and dance along with anything on the tv or the radio, she knows what she wants and when she's not in a sharing mood she's been pushing Bella out of the way. She has also been hitting Bella...she's not trying to hurt her, but just doesn't realize how hard she's doing it...so we're learning. She is also quite the social bug and goes around stores waving and saying hi. They are both sensitive but I think Gabby may be more. I'm not sure if it's because she gets away with more things than Bella did so she hasn't been told "no" nearly as much so when she gets in trouble she looks at you like I can't believe you just scolded me...and then come the tears...it's so pitiful. On a side note Gabby has been without her NuNu for a few weeks. I forgot to take it to school and she did great without it, so they all went in the trash that night. She still loves her animal blankets though, but luckily she isn't attached to just one incase we ever were to lose one.

Anyway we've been quite busy lately so here are a few (okay a lot) pictures from the past few weeks...

We finally got out the Snoopy Make and it kept falling apart...it didn't stop Bella from enjoying it though.

Gabby's hair is getting long and curly like Bella's was.

Bella loves to tickle Gabby and Gabby loves to be tickled.

So Bella wanted to share her computer and even put it in front of Gabby to play, but Gabby was determined not to share. Gabby kept pushing and hitting Bella anytime Bella touched a letter. Bella was trying to be so nice and even went and got Gabby her own baby to play with, but Gabby was not having it and it finally got taken away.

Cell Phones - both girls are obsessed. Bella "talks" to everyone. Here she is talking to "Stephie-Chaddy" (yes she says it like one word) asking if they are going to Ryan's graduation. She then hangs up and declares "yes mommy they are coming"

Gabby on the other hand likes to put the cell phone between her ear and shoulder, wave and say hi at the same time. (she also carries around small objects under her chin so her hands can be free...guess there's a reason to have a few extra chins around).

puzzle time.

Gabby is all about saying "cheese" for the camera

Obsessed with the MagniDoddle

I finally got the slip and slide pictures off my camera from a few weeks ago.

Playing outside.

Gabby has no fear and made it to the top with little help.

Our Diva packed and ready to spend the weekend with Papa and Nana.

Joel and I had a great time in Vegas last weekend. We didn't sleep much but it was nice to spend time with friends.

"I love you Daddy"

Joel has put Bella to bed the last two nights and each time she has called him back in. When he opens the door she yells, "I love you daddy." Tonight after she told Joel she loved him, she was in her room singing "Mommy". I went in and she wanted Eskimo and butterfly kisses and big hugs and baby hugs. She'll do anything not to go to bed...but it's really cute.

Gabby loves stealing Bella's computer and pushing the buttons so it will talk to her.
I bought more "food" for her shopping cart the other day.

Gabby was so funny the other day...she was climbing all over her chair and then thought it would be fun to walk off it which then turned into diving off...she would roll and start giggling and then get up and do it again.

Not to be out done Bella had to jump off too.

I would say Gabby was watering the flowers but she was watering her outfit more.

Saying "cheese" before heading to the children's museum She just screeches it's so funny. Loves books, especially the ones with different textures

Bella was poking Gabby's belly button the other day and Gabby was cracking up...

then Bella let Gabby do her belly

She was playing peek-a-boo between the chair and the couch.

Last weekend Papa, Nana, Ryrie and I took the girls to the princess shop in the mall...and of course we came home with new purple tutus and crowns

That night the Hodges came over and Mason wasn't too sure about the TuTu and all the glitter in Bella's hair.

All the kids got into the instruments and had a great time being a band.

We ended the night playing Hungry Hippos.

Excerpts from Health Care Bill

I know the blog is 99.9% about our girls and do not really get political even though I have extremely strong opinions about pretty much everything. People need to be informed what the President is trying to do. He is lying when he says it may be mulit-payor system...he is always stated on tv that his dream is a one-payer system (meaning the government runs it). Yes this will affect my family's business and my job, but the unemployment rate will sky rocket as all insurance companies will now be out of business. I am surprised that people aren't marching to Washington irate with this policy...it just leads me to believe that people have rose colored glasses on thinking that everyone will have this wonderful healthcare policy with all these benefits...and that is NOT how it will be. Look at the countries that do have socialized healthcare...people wait years for knee replacements and have to sit at home for a mandated amount of time after a heart attack to see if they will die because that's cheaper than saving someone. I know that people need help but I also know that people abuse the system. A crab fishing show was on in the break room yesterday, and one employee commented how his friend does that for a few months and makes about $70,000 and then comes back to Arizona and collects unemployment on top of that...nice that someone who makes more than me can abuse my taxes to gain additional income. It amazes me that our President to preaches about personal responsibility now penalizes employer for firing employees who do a poor job by making the employer pay 60% of their cobra. The employee didn't do their job and now get rewarded. As you can tell I could go on and on about this...but please read the excerpt from the bill below and pass this information along. We need to talk to our Congressmen and not let this pass. Sign the petition now http://www.freeourhealthcarenow.com/

* Page 16: States that if you have insurance at the time of the bill becoming law and change, you will be required to take a similar plan. If that is not available, you will be required to take the gov option!
* Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
* Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
* Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be
no appeals process)
* Page 42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
* Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
* Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.* Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
* Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (example: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)
* Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
* Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)
* Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
* Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
* Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
* Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No "judicial review" is permitted against the government monopoly.
Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.
* Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
* Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.
* Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
* Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll
* Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll
* Page 167: Any individual who doesnt' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
* Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them).
* Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal
records.
* Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it really says that.
* Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected."
* Page 241: Doctors: no matter what speciality you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)
* Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc.
* Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries.
* Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
* Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!
* Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions.
* Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the
government.
* Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in healthcare companies!
* Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval.
* Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on "community" input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN.
* Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing.
* Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc.
* Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.
* Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone).
* Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?
* Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time.
* Page 425: Goverment provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
* Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends.
* Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include anORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.
* Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life.
* Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN.
* Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN.
* Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
* Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services.

Push Ups

So Joel has been doing push ups at night and Gabby now does them too. She'll carry the bars around and then set them down and bend her head down. It's so funny. (So if you notice the shirt the buttons are undone - well I didn't even notice until I picked her up to put her in her chair for dinner that I had put her shirt on backwards that morning and then didn't even button it up...I'm losing my mind...poor Gabby had her shirt on the wrong way all day).

She's starting to look so grown up.
The girls playing dolls today.
Bella and Daddy walked in after swim lessons and brought home In-N-Out. Both were wearing hats.
Bella loves to clean and vacuum...so here she is doing the floors tonight. It's still a little heavy for her, but I can't wait until she and Gabby do all the chores around the house :).Today we watched Lion King. Bella was so into it. When Simba was in the gorge and the stamped started she started yelling at the TV. "Run, Simba, Run...Run, Run, really fast...run, run, hurry Fasa get Simba...run, run, really fast, run....Mommy he got Simba...oh no he dropped him..oh he's safe...go simba go...oh no where did the daddy go." It was so hard not to laugh at her intensity.

After lunch she asked if I was going to read with her, then asked if I would lay with her, and then asked if we could snuggle. I figured chores and laundry could wait...she is also getting so big and grown up I want to cherish those moments because I know they'll be gone before I know it. We read, laid down and then snuggled. She grabbed my cheek and held my face and then was snoring before I knew it. Perfect.