Happy 2nd Birthday Charlotte!

Dear Baby Girl,

Well you are officially a toddler my dear. You have had a huge year! Since your first birthday you have learned to walk, started talking and learning to overcome challenges ever day. As a family we moved from California to GA and said goodbye to Daddy for a year while he serves overseas.

At your 2 year check up you took your shots with lady like grace. You are still a short little thing at 30 inches (less than 5%) and 28 lbs (50-75%). People are always shocked that you are 2.

You are shy but so loving. Very sensitive but aggressive at the same time. You love your brother and Dora and Choo Choo trains. You are finally eating more that baby food textured foods and we are steadily working on that. Potty training is not really on your radar but with time I know you will catch on. You still sleep in your crib and will for some time to come, you are quite the wiggle worm!

You have overcome so much this year. You are so strong and determined. When the doctors were concerned that you may walk, talk, communicate and play a little behind your peers, daddy and I knew you would be just fine. While you have done things in your own time, you have done them. You speak with what seems like your own language but with such heart and patience for those of us that can't always understand you!

In the next year we will spend some quality time together while big brother goes off to kindergarten. We will conquer that potty and excel in therapy. We will learn through play and make new friends. We will welcome Daddy home and most likely move again. We will fight and make up. We will read and color and play and make friends. I'm so excited to see how you grow and change and blossom into a preschooler.

Happy Birthday Charlie Grace.

Wow Clayton it is hard to believe you are 5! You have become a little boy before I knew it.

I will never forget when they handed you to me at some crazy hour on the morning of April 13, 2008 after 29 hours of labor. I was terrified! What in the world was I going to do with this little human, how was I going to make a citizen out of you. So far I can say I think I have done a pretty good job as you are becoming more than I ever thought possible.

As a family of three we went from TX to VA to CA where we decided to add your sister to organized chaos of Army life. And from CA we returned home to GA while your Daddy is serving in Kuwait. We are a proud Army family and you are a resilient, fun, loving, sassy child who never meets a stranger and has no problem throwing yourself into a game of catch on a playground full of kids you don't know. These traits will serve you well as we continue traveling the world.

But you and I will always have a special bond. We survived, not just survived but thrived in our first deployment together. You and I- you a 2 week old brand new to life and I a scared new bride and mother. But we did it! And we are going to do it again (and again I'm sure).

At your last doctor's appointment you weighed in at 38# and 3ft 8in tall. On the small side but your personality makes up for it. You were perfect in ever other physical way and were a champ during those shots!

You are so smart and you are gearing up for Kindergarten were I'm sure you will be bored because you already know everything!!

I am so excited to see where this next year of life takes you and I know you are going to blossom wherever we plant you.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."

Happy Birthday Clayton-Love Mommy

Clayton's Early birthday weekend

Because Clayton and Charlotte's birthdays are so close together (2 weeks) and Easter usually falls into that time frame, birthday parties are tricky. Who gets the party, do they have a combined, do we go on a trip...This year we decided Clayton would get a trip and Charlotte would get the party since it was her 1st birthday. Easter weekend was a 4 day holiday for Jason so we chose that weekend for Clayton's trip.

Neither child are stoked about being in the car, Charlotte actually LOATHES the car so we wanted to go somewhere close but with lots of options. Legoland and Coronado Island are pretty close to each other and Coronado Island has a Navy base that we can stay at for super cheap and have access to a private beach...No Brainer!

We left Friday and did the Legoland Sealife Aquarium on the way to the Navy base. It wasn't the best aquarium I have ever been to but wasn't too overwhelming for the kids.

They had these cute little slides and climbing things periodically which was nice and let out some energy from having to walk behind the people that were really into the fish :)

All of the sea life Lego creatures were actually pretty cool.

Clayton and the giant crab!

The Aquarium closed before we ate dinner, which was probably best...you know how expensive those places can be!

The North Island Navy base.

The view from our room...I loved the fog!

Silly girl!

Sleepy boy

Another view from our room...Jason loved this!

That's Hotel Del Coronado in the background, it's haunted....

Day 2 of Lego land

While we waited for the 1 hour long line :(

Dino Charlotte

Clayton's first roller coaster

Snack time

On Clayton's actual birthday he opened his presents and had cake at home with just our little family.

I can't believe my little guy is 4!