Today we celebrated Abigail's second birthday with friends and family. We have been singing to her all week and talking about her birthday. She also had cookies with her Mothers Day Out class to celebrate. But today we finally had her birthday party and she had the best day! I will always remember her sweet little face looking up at me and saying "Gabba-gail's party"!
I can't believe how much she has grown and changed in the last twelve months. Last year on her birthday, she wasn't even walking. Now she is running, climbing, singing, dancing, and spinning in her tutu.
There is something magical about watching your child experience things for the first time, and Abigail had a lot of firsts this year. She went down the slide for the first time. She learned to say her name. She recognized the animals at the zoo and called them by name. She discovered how much she loves baby dolls. She saw Christmas lights and learned about Jesus! She had a fabulous year. Here are a few things I want to remember about Abigail at two years old:
* She picks out her clothes and shoes
* She calls pancakes "cake-cakes" and muffins "puffins"
* She reaches to us and says "Get you" which means pick me up. I think this came from Mike chasing her and saying I'm going to get you. Adorable.
* She loves her MDO and starts dancing in the carseat when we pull in the parking lot
* The Chica Show and Super Why are her favorite television shows
* She can climb up on our bed and get down by herself
* Her favorite foods are smoothies, pancakes, muffins, and Chic-Fil-A chicken.
* She loves her purses, hairbows, and shoes
* She loves playing in her kitchen and with her basketball goal (my girl!)
* She loves our worship leader Josh and thinks he sings all the songs on the radio (in her defense, he does sound a bit like Chris Tomlin!)
* She became a big sister and loves Violet!
Here's a quick look at a few of the details from Abigail's birthday party! I love a house full of people and an excuse to make cute banners!!
I printed my favorite Instagram prints using the Kanvas app. I was really pleased with how they turned out and I think I will use this app again. I didn't have a specific theme for Abigail's party this year, but I tried to pick things that she loves and recognizes.
I am so grateful that Dee Dee made all of her cupcakes. They were delicious! I'm also thankful to all of our friends that came over to play. This is where the action happened. Have I mentioned how much I love our bonus room?
Happy birthday sweet Abigail Elizabeth. You are such a blessing and I thank God everyday that he allows me to be your mommy.
Two Years Old
I promised I would share my other favorite muffin recipe with you and here it is! If you are on Pinterest, I have the original recipe pinned there and I have substituted things to make it a little cleaner. These are also toddler and husband approved! Abigail is a tiny little girl, so I have to get creative in finding ways to give her good fats and healthy calories. Hope you enjoy these! Please keep sharing your favorite recipes too!
Preheat your oven to 375. Add all ingredients except blueberries to your food processor or mixer. Mix and then fold blueberries in. Oil your tin with coconut oil. Bake for 18 minutes and enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1 1/2 cups oats (Costco)
- 1/3 cup organic flaxseed meal (Costco)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- (6 oz)organic greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup organic Maple Syrup (Costco)
- 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil (Costco)
- 1 large egg (I have substituted a banana and they held well)
- 1 cup organic blueberries, fresh or frozen (Costco)
I love Pinterest. I love being inspired by pretty pictures and taking risks to be creative with DIY projects. I have been inspired by many of my own friends and so when I find something good, I want to share it!
And so we have the applesauce muffin! I tweaked a recipe that I found and this has quickly become a staple in our home. Abigail will ask for these and as small as she is, she can eat three or four at one time. Since they are loaded with fruit, coconut oil, and flax seed, I hand them over with a smile. Winning!
I should mention that I am by no means vegan or gluten free. I try to help my family stick to an 80/20 rule. You will absolutely see me out eating pizza or enjoying my favorite doughnut from time to time, but I try to aim for clean eating the majority of the time. So here is the recipe. Tweak it to your liking and I hope you have a happy toddler as well! I should also mention that you can find ground organic flaxseed, organic applesauce, and organic coconut oil in bulk at Costco.
Preheat your oven to 350. Mix all ingredients (I use my Ninja processor) and scoop into your oiled muffin tin. Bake for 25 min. This recipe will make 12. Keep in the refrigerator after baking.
- 1 heaping cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 banana
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 cups flour (I use 1 cup oat flour and 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup ground flax seed )
- 1/4 cup organic sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins (optional; I leave them out)
Two months ago I held this sweet baby for the first time. She has filled my heart and my arms with so much love and I am grateful that the Lord gave her to me! In the last few weeks she has really started to wake up and notice her little world. She smiles while she watches her mobile and she really loves that left hand!
Life with two little people is not as scary as I thought it would be. Lucky for us, Abigail loves being a big sister and Violet is a very easy baby. I feel like we are adjusting well and finding our new rhythm. I'm sure it's time for these girls to mix it up and keep us on our toes! Until then, I am going to enjoy a few peaceful moments sipping my coffee and looking at this sweet face. I love her little double chin!
I have four more weeks of maternity leave before I go back to work and it's a good thing I love my job because leaving this little girl at home is going to bring a few tears.
Here is what Violet is doing at two months old:
* Weighs 10lbs ( 50% height, 25% weight )
* Starting to coo and make silly sounds
* Sleeping good and only getting up once at night
* Hating tummy time. Miller is there to supervise of course
* Survived having her sister toss a blanket, a rattle, and a cabbage patch doll on top of her while she tried to sleep...swaddled of course.
* Loves being in the Balboa ring sling (I will use my ergo when she gets a little bigger, but the sling has been great and I like it better than my mobi wrap. I don't have to keep adjusting it to keep her snug)
* She follows Mike's voice with her head every time he comes in the room. Precious!
* She is tolerating her bath, but not sure if she wants to smile or scream just yet
It's hard to believe eight weeks has gone by so fast. Thankfully, I learned with Abigail that every stage is my "favorite" so as I pack up her newborn clothes this weekend and bring out all my three month boxes, I will try to console myself with that reminder!
Violet Anne, you are already adored by so many! Your big sister is such a Daddy's girl so you just remember you are a Mama's girl!!! At least for now of course...
