Pretty Baby

Sisterly Love

She was pushing Veronica in that thing and I'm SURE it was a MISTAKE that Veronica ended up in the grass. Those overalls that she's wearing are cute, right? They are a handmedown and from the Gap, they are so cute. But Maria hates overalls, she can't stand the bibs. She only wears them for five minutes before she is bugging me to take them off. So they'll go back in the bin for Veronica.

Yapping Away

... as usual. BOY can this girl talk! It's like God himself gave me Maria so she could talk for two or something. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if what she said wasn't mostly orders.

Aunt Lori

Maria with her Aunt Lori. LOOK at how beat up her legs are. The other night, she fell out in the hallway while coming in for the bath. She fell ON a cup that she was holding, broke the cup, and it cut the heck out of her legs right behind her knee. "Hurt the leg! Hurt the kneeee! HURT THE KNEEEE!". She falls 100 times a day, and more times than not, she chirps, "I'm okay!". She is back in school this week, she love love loves it. I was thinking she'll probably be able to have cupcakes or something for her birthday in January and she'll probably lose her mind from happiness. She loves birthday parties, whenever there is a balloon anywhere, she thinks it is for someone's birthday.

Awwww

So sweet! Peeeeeepa!

Grandpa

I am terrible about taking pictures of these kids with their grandparents, but I am going to get better at it, I swear! Here's Maria with my Dad, they were looking at a book together. Not to brag, but she really is a genius. She knows all the colors, how to count to twenty, how to bless herself. how to say a word over and over until you think you'll lose your mind, all kinds of things! She is real gifted and talented. :)

Sisters

I just found this. I have to print a bunch of pictures today - for Anthony's speech therapist at school, for his ABA therapists, for the SECOND Maria doll that I am making for her preschool homework, etc. Anyway, I came upon this and thought it was so cute. Maria looks like a dream, right?

I'm sure she is just a normal 2.5 year old, but MAN does she get off on taking things away from Veronica. Veronica is the most PATHETIC victim you have ever seen, too. "Waaaaaah! Maaaaaaa Maaaaaaa!", she cries, accusingly, at ME. I didn't take it!, I tell her! Talk to Maria!

Have a Sleep!

"Have a sleep!" is what she says when she puts her babies to sleep. We got chicken and fries and juice after school today, and Hansel came with her meal. After lunch, she put the doll on the floor and made a big to-do of covering him with the napkin. Super cute.

Poor Maria

This is before she got as sick as I've ever seen her. By the time we were leaving the 100 Acres park, she was tired and didn't want to walk herself, but she seemed fine otherwise. We went to lunch and she didn't eat one thing, she was saying her belly hurt. I, of course, figured she was full of it, so we pressed on. We were blocks from home when she started to cry, really cry, and say her BELLY HURT! Then she threw up everything she's ever eaten or drank (or maybe it just seemed like that) all over herself, her car seat, the seat in front of her - ugh. I felt so, so bad for her. She didn't seem to have any idea that she'd thrown up, even. We took her clothes off in the car and Mike put her right in the bath and then she took a two hour nap and has seemed a little bit better ever since. I'd say today she's back to normal completely. In other words, she is driving us crazy! Ha!

One Year Ago Today

This is the post from one year ago today.  She seems so little, right?  Now she is a big school going girl.  The second day went very well, I think she's going to like it.  It is a very strange experience for us, for me, to just go in and pick a two year old up from school and have it all have gone well.  Anthony has been saying more words here lately and one of his therapists mentioned it's probably because Maria is talking so much (one of the things he says a lot is NO!, ha!).  I try and remember that when it's hard when all three of them are together, that it won't be hard forever, that she really is adding to Anthony's life and he to hers.