12 months tenley.

so yeah, i'm waaaaaay behind on this just like always, but the perfectionist type A in me won't let it go...

you are doing so great lately. definitely saying da-da AND ma-ma. i'm as happy as a lark, if you couldn't tell :).

you still have 4 chompers on top and 2 on bottom.

my favorite thing right now is the way you've been scrunching your nose and cheesing. i just love it. you've also been doing this thing where you shape your mouth into a giant "O" and make the cutest little whistle! your personality is really starting to shine!

you started crawling on all fours at your birthday party! i'm super glad that you're done dragging yourself all over the house, but i do miss that little leap frogging olympic swimmer crawl of yours. we've been trying different things to get you walking, but i think it could be a little bit longer for that. plus, you prefer to do things on your own terms...so...here's me releasing my "helicopter mom" arms and stepping back for ya ;).

and eating is pretty much your favorite thing. you seriously eat everything. like EVERYthing. hey, i'm not complaining!

we are so proud of where we've come with you! those first few months were tough and then dealing with all the hearing issues and tubes in your ears-i feel like we're really starting to come out of all of that now! can i get an amen?!

these past 12 months have been filled to the brim and life seems to be just flying by. your first year came and left in a blink. i still remember seeing you for the first time, my dark curly-haired wonder with the cute little rolls all over and thinking to myself, who is she?

as i've gotten to know you this year i feel like i've gotten to know myself. it's almost as if you were born my little mirror to show me who i am. i've seen the good and the bad and who i long to be. you and i are so alike and i pray that i'm someone whose examples will some day be worthy of following. we have a long ways to go, but will you go with me?

i'm looking forward to our girly dates with pedicures and secrets. prayers and tears, because i know there will be plenty of broken hearts and hurtful words. but i will be there through all of it, the joy and the pain. i will be there like my mommy was. this is what we mommies do. and i can't wait. i can't wait to grow with you and to get to know you more. you are one special soul my sweet tenley girl.

i'm so thankful to have you, my daughter and my lifelong friend.

here's to many more years growing and learning together!

love you forever,

momma

hey, she can cry if she wants to right? ;)

one year tenley.

some would say it was the best year of their life or the fastest or even the hardest and i'm sure i've said my fair share of whatevers, but as of now i'd say the past year has been, well, all of it. there is no one word or emotion to describe our first year as a family of four, as is the same can be said of our tenley girl.

before i met you i thought i knew it all, you know, baby number 2, i got this stuff. i had the perfect rock and sway, scheduling was already planned out in my head, daddy the perfect swaddle etc. etc. and BAM!

YOU!

what in the world was i thinking?!

i've wondered to myself before about how far our struggle goes back and i think it's safe to say "in the womb" as we thought we'd lost you once around 11 weeks.

from day one when i saw your tiny balled up little fists i knew you were going to be a fighter! but i think you've proven to be a lover as well and you've set your sights on your big brother. you adore him and when he's in the room no one else matters. it's ridiculous really, but it just might be the cutest thing on the planet. you are one passionate and determined little soul. you do everything with all your might. you play hard, laugh hard, fight hard, cry hard, and love hard. you fight with all you have and love with even more.

you have always been the unpredictable in my predictable controlled world. the humbling reminder to my "know-it-all" ways. the feisty fire-ball that knows precisely what she wants and five minutes ago! however tough it has been trying to figure out how to be the best mommy to my sweet and complicated tenley girl, you have always been exactly what i needed right when i needed it. you have shown me things about myself that i never knew were there. you've drawn out my weaknesses and caused me to lean on my Savior even more. you've grown me and stretched me in more ways than any one person ever has and for that i am forever grateful. you've been God's sanctifying tool in my life that's for sure.

i'm blessed to be your mommy and am thankful for the struggle that we've had getting to know one another this past year. it has made getting things just right that much more sweet.

this past year with you has been trying and fun, happy and sad, up and down, high and low, full of laughter and tears, anything and everything, yep, all of it. in the very best possible way.

here's to many more years growing together as a mother and a daughter.

love you forever baby,

momma

11 months.

i left you for 10 days this month and it was ridiculously hard to be away from you for that long. like ridiculous. plus it's crazy how quickly you change at this age. when i got home you looked different. you were cruising around the furniture and you had finally perfected the clap that we'd been working on.

you still aren't a big talker, but that's fine with me. i can just sit and enjoy the silence with you for now if that's what you like, every good introvert likes a little solitude as you know. we went to the doctor for your one month check up on the tubes in your ears and everything looks great. so that's good news!

lately you've just been gobbling up the blueberries just like your brother. my little blueberry babies! you still have 4 teeth on top and 2 on bottom. and you're still a biter. bit the crud out of your brother today...but hey, you're a great eater though if that makes up for it, i'm not sure?

one of my favorite things is holding you when you let me rest your head on my shoulder. i really wish you'd cuddle more, but i can't get enough of these little fleeting moments.

can't believe you've been in our lives for almost a year now. time does fly.

love you forever,

momma

10 months.

welp, you had your very first surgery this month. never thought i'd be saying that about my 10 month old baby. in last month's post we talked about visiting the ENT and you ended up failing the hearing test and tympanogram again with them. the doctor said there was fluid in your ears and only a very small chance for it to drain on its own so it was really up to us on what to do at that point. get tubes now or wait it out. the longest the doctor would wait would be 6 months, only we don't know for sure how long the fluid had already been there. we opted to move forward with the surgery.

deciding to put your baby under anesthesia is not a fun decision to make, but we felt confident that it was the right choice for our situation. my mom came and watched rylan for us since we needed to be at the hospital at 6:30 am for an 8:00 am appointment and we weren't sure how you'd do. you are our "unpredictable tenley" you know. the surgery took no time at all and, of course, in regular tenley fashion, you were mad at the world for about an hour or so after ;). you still hate being held and cuddled so we were literally at a loss at what to do for you. once we got you home and down for a nap you were back to normal. 

we are still waiting to see if this will have any affect on your speech, maybe you just don't like to talk much and if that's the case i totally get it. *update: you've been babbling more and possibly saying da-da and bu-ba, but i'm not sure if we're counting it just yet ;)

you are finally sitting up strong and are pulling yourself up like a champ. your crawl is just the best. it is a hilarious mix of frog hopping and the butterfly stroke. nothing beats it. but hey, you get where you're goin' right? 

you now have 3 teeth on top with a 4th coming in and those two little cuties on bottom are still holding up strong all by their lonesome. slobber-check, crib rail protecters-check. you. chew. and. bite. everything. and i mean EVERYTHING. and what's up with the obsession with the rocks in the fireplace? they don't taste good trust me on this one!

i've already started planning your first birthday party...like seriously...where has this year gone? i still remember your tight little fists and chubby mad newborn face. this is going by way to fast for my liking.

love you forever,

momma

9 months.

this month has been sort of a trying one for us. mommy got a little worried about how you were coming along with your communication and we ended up getting referred for an evaluation. while we were there you didn't pass your hearing test which was odd because we didn't have any concerns here. they sent us back to our doctor where we had your ears cleaned (hoping that it's just drainage/blockage causing the issues-which could in turn be slowing your communication). we know that you can obviously hear so we aren't exactly sure what's going on. we are now waiting for our ENT appointment and are going to redo your hearing test. in the meantime we've been working extra hard with you and you are now making sounds like bu-ba, ma-ma, and da-da :).

we also received a little bit of negativity at your 9 month appointment for not being more consistent with solid foods. sooooo we've been doing solid meals with you 3x/day. it is a wreck trying to feed TWO babies by myself during the day, but we've been making it work somehow. i've found it's best to feed you and ry at different times. good thing is you have loved everything we put in front of you so that's that!

some of my favorite things:

-the way you prop your leg up in your car seat
-the way your hair wisps up in little swirls around your ears
-your chunky legs
-your two little teeth on bottom (you are getting three more on top!)
-the way you laugh, it's an adorable old lady cackle, but we'll take it!

we've also begun the weaning process since i'll be leaving for Africa before your first birthday. i've been doing formula, bottles, all that stuff. it's been hard on me to have to quit nursing earlier than i'd like, but i really feel like this trip is what God has for me to do. i'm loving watching you grow and am sad that i'm going to miss those 10 days! don't grow too fast! and please no first steps while i'm away!!!

love you forever,

momma

8 months.

you're a quick little mover these days. once you've set your mind on something it's yours. nothing stands in your way. just like your brother, always on the move.

once again, we're total parent failures in the solid food department with you blah blah blah. you may just have to take charge of this one on your own sweetheart. i'll show you where the pantry is ;).

you love being outside and messing with anything that brother has.

the toy "MINE-ing" has already begun. sheesh.

sleep is going grrrreat these days. you're finally making it to 8:00-8:15 am! still sleeping perfectly through the night. proud and happy momma over here!

you're still one tough cookie though. we have good days and hard days and i'm STILL trying to figure you out.

you are one complicated soul, but we love you little lady!

love you forever,

momma

**i know, i know, tenley is actually 9 months today. what can ya do?!

7 months tenley.

sweet little lady you are on the move! well, it's a bit of a "drag" crawl right now, but it's a crawl none-the-less.

oh and those two tiny teeth. i'm dying over them.

and we may be total failures in the baby food department with you, but i'm pretty sure you don't mind. you'll take some milk to go with a side of milk and a glass of milk to wash it down ;). you know, baby #2 stuff.

hashtagcantwejustgiveyoupizzaalready
hashtaghatesthebabyfood

oh, ma'am, but you are so much fun lately! i think you might actually be a momma's girl these days! that's a first.

you are so ticklish and when we're putting you to bed at night you're in the best mood of the day. like, seriously, throwing a party.

i can't believe how far we've come with you.

my little girl.

love you forever,

momma

6 months.

we are so proud that you actually fit your clothes at the right age! rylan always tends to be on the smaller end of things so this is new to us! way to go (as if you really have anything to do with this, but whatever)!

getting you to smile is some hard work. you are not impressed by my funny faces. why so serious lady?

we've been feeding you at the table with us more recently and just moved you on to green veggies. i know you're excited to try some greens! that cereal was just not your thing.

you are still our little drama queen. shots are the worst. and wiping your nose is a knock-down, drag-out. i avoid it like the plague.

you've been sleeping from 9 pm to 7 am and we are quite impressed. keep up the good work and we'll be promoting you to your very own room sweet girl!

you are just growing and growing and really starting to grow on me. you know, i kind of like you :). i'm loving getting to know you these days.

some of your favorite things: being outside, being worn in the baby carrier and watching your brother. oh and your new teething elephant, ellie.

we love seeing you and rylan interact more and can't wait to watch you two become the best of friends.

love you forever,

momma

5 months.

your daddy and i swear to each other that we just brought a newborn baby home from the hospital just a few weeks ago. i guess with two little ones time goes by "double" fast or something. not fair.

this month you tried your first bites of cereal. i'm not so sure how you felt about it, but i'm pretty sure you like the part where you feel like a big girl. you love sitting at the table with us. now if we could just get you to stop trying to roll out of your bumbo seat we'd be set!

you've still got eyes for daddy, but there's something extra special in the way you look at your big brother, like he's already your hero. i don't understand it, well, i kind of do, but you know the kid would rather sit on your head most days right? oh, how i love these days!

this month you answered the question of what "spitting mad" is for me! if you get upset about something you just start spitting/blowing raspberries in the air. it's pretty darn cute so i don't think you're getting the reaction you expected. sorry sista!

you also learned how to stick your tongue out at us you little stinker! and i've got an inkling that crawling will be soon to follow.

oh and the rolls. can't forget the rolls. your little thighs are as chunky as can be! just how we like them.

love you forever,

momma

4 months tenley.

tenley girl, time with you is just flying by! you are as sweet as can be and daddy is still your favorite. you can now roll from front to back and back to front so look out world! daddy and you like to play "rough" and flying in the air makes you laugh. looking at yourself in the mirror is pretty fun too. you've also been playing with your toys more and like to stick everything in your mouth! oh, and you love to bounce! 

i'm starting to wonder if you will always be our "high needs" baby. a lady at church made the comment, "she's fine as long as someone is talking to her!"-ha!!! tell me about it! so much effort with this one!

you laughed at your brother for the first time this month and your daddy and i about died. it was the cutest thing ever. rylan was pretty excited about it too.

you're still sleeping good for the most part. occasionally you'll give us an off night and wake up at 2 or 4 in the morning, but you usually sleep until at least 5 am. we've got your arms unswaddled now so we think that's what's been waking you up lately. we're just hoping that you'll start to develop a little bit more of a "schedule" soon. 

we can't believe that you are already at the age where we can start giving you solids. i think we will hold off a bit longer on that though if we can. 

everything is happening so fast with you sweet girl. before we know it you'll be crawling and i'm certain you will then conquer the world.

one step at a time baby girl. 

love you forever,

momma

Tenley's Nursery

a couple of fun items have been added since these pictures were taken, but here's our little lady's room! it's quickly becoming one of my favorite rooms in the house although we hardly ever spend much time in it (she's still sleeping in our room :). The crib is from the baby mod series, the dresser is one of my husband's old pieces of furniture that we redid, most of the wall decor is from hobby lobby, the chandelier was a thrift store find from my mother and sister, the rocker is from amazon, the blanket is from candy kirby designs, and the twinkle lights were daddy's idea :). we are in love with how everything turned out! hopefully she likes it as much as we do!

photos by oh my dear photography

3 months tenley.

tenley girl, you still have us on the edge of our seats over here! something's always changing-never the same old boring routine with you! one day the swing is a big hit and the next...not so much. sometimes you'll take your paci...and, well, for the most part you just chew on it a bit and spit it out (i think you'd prefer your hand, pointer finger or thumb, but we're trying to avoid it). what seems to work one day most likely won't mean biscuits tomorrow. we like to refer to you as our "high needs child" :).

there are a few things that we are very certain of though:

-you DESPISE the car seat
-you CANNOT STAND being alone (hence, all the meals spent holding you at the dinner table while trying to scarf down chicken nuggets, chug a Dr. Pepper, and attempting to control rylan's graceful eating habits all with one hand)
-you are sensitive
-you are emotional
-you are not afraid to voice your opinion (trust me we've heard it a million times and yes, loud and clear)
-you like to sleep with a blanket over your face (we're keeping an eye on you with this one)
-you are a night owl like your momma-you always seem to want to talk the most when we're getting you ready for bed
-you're a daddy's girl (sure, you like me too, but i see the way your eyes light up when you look at him, and i wouldn't have it any other way :)

you're still not a fan of tummy time, but have become a bit more interested in touching your toys. rylan has been helping me try to get you to play!

we've gotten a few good laughs out of you (daddy gets the best ones!), but you are a tough one to crack!

just recently you learned how to blow raspberries and i must say it's adorable.

you are eating every 3 hours, go to bed at 9 pm and usually give us about 7-8 hours before you need to eat again. daddy puts you to bed at night and you go to sleep pretty easily.

we love watching you learn and grow and i can't get enough of your sweet face :)

looking forward to another month with you.

love you forever,

momma

2 months tenley.

oh tenley girl, can i just say things are starting to look up with you! now, don't get me wrong, you are still by no means an easy baby, but we're coming right along you and me.

we've finally figured out that your tummy causes most of your fussiness and by most i mean 80% of the time, the other 20% can be chalked up to the fact that you never want to be alone. yep. you're a snuggler. the other day we were all bundled up together and your little hand had the tightest grip on my shirt as if you were pleading me to stay with you forever. so i stayed there and studied your perfect little pouty lip and button nose and traced my finger along your chubby cheeks that seem to take up the majority of your tiny face. yeah, there's nothing better than this.

you're a pretty fidgety little sleeper and the sound machine is your best friend. i'm sure you will be wearing ear plugs one day just like mommy ;). we've been putting you to bed around 9 pm lately and you usually give us at least 6 hours of sleep. we're hoping you will move to 8 hour stretches soon-mommy and daddy need more sleep baby girl!

you've started talking to us more this month and have been smiling like crazy! it brings your daddy and i so much joy and we make fools of ourselves trying to get you to show us your dimples! they're the sweetest dimples i've ever seen too by the way.

you have taught me so much in your short two months. things that i hate to see in myself, things that i didn't even know were there, things that God is now working on in me and for that i am eternally grateful. you are my biggest sanctifier little one. you have drawn me closer to the Lord and i'm falling more in love with you every day.

love you forever,

momma

one month tenley.

so i hate to say this, but i guess my epidural not working should have been a sign of what was to come-you are one tough cookie smookie little lady! a mystery baby! one day you despise being swaddled and the next it's your heavenly place. one day you're spitting out your paci in disgust and the next you're madder than a wet hen without it. to say you're a bit of a drama queen is the superlative of all understatements, but hey you're a baby and what not so live it up and YOLO and YOABO (you're only a baby once) and all that stuff right? i mean when else is it ok to scream at the top of your lungs for 30 minutes straight? i say never, but who's asking? here's your shot.

you seem to have some super strong baby powers or something because you've been lifting your head since the day you were born and you're already pretty much rolling over. one of your finest moments was letting me sleep six hours straight for my birthday! way to go! now can we start making this a habit? mommy and daddy are tired ;).

one of rylan's favorite things right now is for us to play chase ("get-choo" he says) so the other day you and i did just that! i don't want you to grow up too fast, but i cannot wait to watch you two running around together!

i'm still trying to figure out this TWO baby thing, but we're alive and well. here's to another month!

love you little lady,

momma