Where did August go???

Wow! It's been a busy month. We're sorry we haven't posted sooner! I promise the blog entries will get more plentiful once I'm back at home after the baby comes...it is so hectic working and being a mommy.

August has a been a fun and busy month! I took a girl's weekend with some mom's group friends on the first weekend. We ate, slept, watched movies, and even managed some shopping and spa treatments. It was very relaxing. The rest of the month has been spent getting ready for the baby! I thought that wouldn't be a whole lot of work, but it's more work than getting ready for one! We had to get Annabelle's new room finished and that meant transitioning to a big girl bed...a cute little toddler bed. Annabelle took what was our guest room, so we painted the room and the furniture that was in it. I am still working on getting things for the wall. Annabelle had a few rough days transisitoning to her new room but she is good to go now! Then we had to get down all of the baby clothes out of the attic and wash them and get ready for the baby. There are just a few more small things we need to get done and we will then be ready!

Other times in August have been spent spending time with friends and family. We recently celebrated Goody's birthday. Annabelle's vocabulary and her ability to communicate with us is expanding at fast pace. I'm shocked everyday by the new things she says or does. She loves taking care of her babies, still loves to read, and generally wants to stay at the playground 24/7. She can sing her ABCs and count to 10. Another favorite song is twinkle twinkle little star and Happy birthday. In the morning when she wakes up, before you go into her room, you can hear her singing ABCs and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

September promises to be no less busy with the impending arrival of Annabelle's baby sister. We plan on starting a new blog that fits this new phase in life and we'll send out the link to that when it's time. We are doing our best to get Annabelle ready but I have a feeling she won't really understand until she's here. I think Annabelle's biggest adjustment will be no more daycare. Fortunately, we have her enrolled in preschool which will be two mornings a week. That way, she'll still get some interaction with kiddos her age in a school like environment. I think it's important to get kids socialized and she seems to flourish with this type of thing.

Here are some pictures from this month:
Cleaning up her baby's poo poo (she said it, not me):


Big Girl Bed

Busy July!

Sorry for the delay in posting! It's been a busy month. On the fourth we celebrated with Goody and Poppy with fireworks and yummy food! We attempted to have a party on the 5th, however, rain put a damper on that but did have a few friends over anyway.

Then we prepared for our trip. We were gone Saturday the 12th through Sunday the 20th. We decided to drive and make a fun roadtrip out of it. Surprisingly, Annabelle did really well and all we had to do was reach behind and give her ducks, bunnies or milk or anything else she dropped over and over and over again. We arrived safely in Maine on Sunday afternoon. We went out to eat with Goody and Poppy where Paul enjoyed his first lobster of the trip. On Monday, Jack and Christina and Betty her puppy Boo Boo arrived. We spent the week toodling around the area and even took in a house tour in lovely Camden. We did some kayaking on Tuesday which was interesting being 7 months pregnant. Paul played a lot of golf with Poppy too. The trip also included some lighthouse sightseeing and lots of seafood eating by everyone except for Celeste. Next year, she vows to try lobster! On Saturday we headed home and stopped in New Haven, CT for the night where we walked around the Yale Campus.

Paul had a golf weekend this weekend and Celeste is going on a moms getaway weekend next weekend. After that, we are on the homestretch for preparing for the new arrival! Yes, we have a name but we aren't telling!

Here are some pictures:


Annabelle in Camden


At Owl's Head lighthouse


Jumpin!


Buddies

Weekend in Tampa!

We were in Tampa last weekend to visit Paul's dad for Father's Day. We got in on Friday and came home on Monday. The airplane trip went OK...Annabelle liked kicking the seat in front of her. We did everything we could to stop it. She is definitely into her terrible twos. If she doesn't get her way, we get a scream...and a loud one at that. Once we got to Tampa, we had a good time visiting with Grandpa, Susie and Uncle Jack, too.

On Saturday we went to the Tampa zoo. If you ever get a chance to go to Tampa, go to the zoo! It was great for the kiddos. Annabelle rode a pony and camel and fed a giraffe and some fish. There was also a very large petting zoo. She also enjoyed the primates exhibit and merry go round. On Sunday, we took a walk and fed the ducks. She enjoyed that as well. Later, Susie took her for a swim lesson. Some friends of Grandpa and Susie came over later that day for a Father's day dinner. On Monday, we headed home. It was a fun trip and we think Annabelle really enjoyed all of the animal interaction.

Below are some pictures.

Petting the llama:


On the merry go round:


On the Pony:

Fundraiser!

We've had a couple of more busy weeks. We did the fundraiser for my friend's daughter on June 1 and time has flown by since then! The fundraiser went off great and we raised over $50,000 for Morquio Disease...thanks to those of you who donated! Auntie Mary flew in for the Sex and the City movie and also the fundraiser. It was nice to have her here again!

Last weekend my friend Heather and I did the Susan B Komen race for the cure...we walked it! It was only a 5k, but the heat was killer. We brought along the kiddos and they did OK for the most part. We went to IHOP afterwards which was interesting with two hot, hungry, tired kiddos.

This weekend we fly off to Tampa to see Paul's dad and Susie for Father's Day. Will post about that after the weekend.

In Annabelle news, she moved from the toddler room to the 2s room at daycare. She is now in a room for 2-3 year olds and the difference is noticeable. She already has a lot more to say and LOVES her new room. It seems she is learning from the big kids which is great!

Here are a few pics from the Mad Hatter Tea fundraiser.

Birthday Weekend!

Annabelle had a very busy birthday week/weekend! Tuesday, May 20th was her birthday and daddy wanted her to open her tricycle and golf set right away. She loved both! She celebrated with cupcakes and goody bags with her daycare buddies. Apparently, Annabelle was the only one who didn't eat her cupcake.

On Friday, we had Annabelle's birthday playgroup with all of our mom group friends. Everyone ate and played to their hearts content! Annabelle and her friend Belle celebrated together as their birthdays are close together.

On Saturday Aunt Betty got in from New York. We all went over to Goody and Poppy's house for dinner. On Sunday, all of the prep started for the birthday party. We got the fruit and cupcakes done along with the dips and burgers. We were glad Aunt Betty was here to help! The party started at 2pm just as Annabelle was waking up from her nap. We had most of the Kover clan here, along with a few Crutchfields and Goody and Poppy too! Uncle Mike (Annabelle's Godfather) and our neighbors Chris and Theresa made it here as well. It was a lot of fun and Annabelle got some really nice gifts.

Here are some pictures from Tuesday:

New Tricycle:


New Golf set:

Very Busy Month!

It's been a very busy few weeks! I went to Houston the last weekend in April to visit my newest little Godson, Jackson...then May happens to be, with the exception of the holidays, the busiest month for the Crutchfield household. We celebrate our Anniversary, Mother's Day, and 2 birthdays. This year is extra special because Paul and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. Among other things, Paul is rebuilding our deck.

Our Anniversary is May 10th, which we celebrated with a night out to a terrific dinner in Georgetown. Poppy babysat so we could enjoy ourselves sans Annabelle. On Mother's Day, we had brunch followed by a massage for me. Later that night, Goody and Poppy came over for dinner. It was a nice weekend and the weather was beautiful!

On Monday, May 12th we had the ultrasound of baby #2 and found out it will be daughter #2! Paul will definitely be outnumbered in this house!

This weekend we went on a little anniversary get away to St. Michaels, Maryland. Goody and Poppy kept themselves busy with Annabelle back at home! Thanks Guys! The little town is very cute and the hotel was fabulous...probably one of the best we've ever stayed in. We had lovely weahter on Saturday. We did lots of sleeping and some good eating!

Next weekend we celebrate Annabelle's birthday (which is actually the 20th!). The weekend after that is a fundraiser that I'm helping with.

Here are some recent pictures!

I like yogurt!


I like to color!


Paul and Celeste at the Inn at Perry Cabin

Potty Training!

That's right folks! We have started potty training. Annabelle seemed interested in it so we are slowly introducing her to it. So far, she likes to sit on her new Elmo potty but that's about it. Nothing has come out yet.

I am going to Houston this weekend to see my newest little Godson. I wasn't able to make it to the baptism so I am making a trip now! Paul will be on his own all weekend with Annabelle...that's a lot of work! She is a little firecracker these days.

Fun Weekend!

This weekend was a lot of fun! On Thursday night Auntie Mary flew in for a visit. We went to swimming class on Friday morning then pictures in the afternoon. That experience was unpleasent. Annabelle is not a very cooperative toddler when it comes to taking pictures. I think we'll have to wait until she's a little bit older to do professional pictures again. Even though it didn't go smoothly, we actually ended up with some cute pictures. On Saturday, Aunt Jill came to babysit while me, Paul, Mary and Poppy went to a Nationals Game. It was a little delayed because of rain but ended up being a fun game....even thought the Nationals lost. On Sunday we went to brunch then said goodbye to Auntie Mary.

Annabelle is continuing to develop and grow on track. She is VERY interested in potty training. I think we'll get a potty soon. We also have to start thinking about transitioning to a big girl bed. With all of the changes coming up, we'll have to take each one slowly.

Annabelle is full of atitude. She is a sweet and loving girl but definitely has a mind of her own and is very stubbor in the things she wants or doesn't want.

Below area few of the professional pictures we had taken.

Mary and Annabelle:


cutie pie


first school picture

Ultrasound Pics

Just in case you missed the email, here are the ultrasound pictures. We had the ultrasound on March 17th. And no, we don't know the sex yet..probably in about 6 weeks, hopefully!

First Haircut!

Annabelle had her first haircut this week (yes, I've been resisting). She DID NOT like it. She sat on my lap and the cape scared her, hence I got hair all over me. The ladies at the Hair Cuttery couldn't have been nicer or more patient and did better than I ever could in that situation with a crying, squirming baby. She really needed it...as much as I want her hair long, it had never been cut and was a bit scraggly in the back. It is shaped now so I'm thinking it will grow in nicely.

Here is a picture:

Happy Easter (belated!)

Hope everyone had a nice Easter! The weather here was beautiful! We started the day off with church. We came home and I made a big breakfast of crepes and turkey bacon..yum! Later on, Goody and Poppy came over for dinner with the ham. I made carrots and mashed potatos. It was a very tasty dinner! Afterwards, we took a walk and Annabelle had fun at the playground. We have lots of playgrounds near our house which Annabelle just LOVES. Here is a picture of her in her Easter dress outside in the backyard. Speaking of which, she absolutely LOVES going outside. I am so thankful we have a nice backyard for her to play in. Paul put a lot of work into the grass last year and it's coming in really nice now! I will actually venture to say it's lush! We just need to keep a handle on the weeds this summer!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wow....I can't believe it's been a month since we posted. We've been super busy with a few sicknesses in between. I had the flu and Annabelle has had few colds. Ahhh...winter. I am so glad it's spring!

Here are the highlights from the last month....

Annabelle has a few sentences now..."What's that?", "Where's the ...", "All done" and "All Gone." Her vocabulary is really growing. She has a puzzle with letters and is starting to recognize letters. She is also mommy and daddy's little helper. She loves to help put dishes away and clean up her toys. And, like mother like daughter, she'll bring you a coaster for your drink and put her shoes by the door. It's proof to us that children really do watch their parents and copy them.

We went to Kilmarnock, VA this last weekend for a little get away. It was nice to take a little road trip. Annabelle enjoyed the country and especially the water fowl/decoy festival where she enjoyed looking the artfully crafted decoys.

Tonight we went to a little coffee shop with Goody and Poppy to listen to a very good Irish band. Annabelle enjoyed the music and making friends with other children.

Pictures are below!

At the water fowl festival:


Looking out the window in the country:

Happy Valentine's Day

Annabelle shared lots of love yesterday. She's been giving kisses to mom and dad for a long time now, but yesterday she moved on! We had our annual mom's group Valentine's Day party and she gave lots of kisses to her friends...especially John...oh lala.

Annabelle's vocabulary keeps on growing. She is fairly good at expressing what she wants. New words inlcude cup, fork, pizza and peas. She continues to be a picky eater at home, however, she eats everything at daycare. She gets quit a variety there however, when we offer her new things at home she won't eat them. I guess it's the peer pressure at school. Speaking of which , she LOVES school. Even on her days away from school, come about 8:45am she is stir crazy...points outside and says "coat coat coat." She wants to go!

Pinkeye was going around her room at school and after 2 weeks, she finally came down with it, accompanied by her first ear infection. Thus, her first time on antibiotics. Not too bad considering she's almost 2. She's been a very healthy little girl.

She loves her puzzles. She has this fishing, magnetic puzzle thing. I thought it would be harder for her to get the pieces back in because there are no pictures and the fish all look the same, but lo and behold, she has solved it. I was going to save it for a while since it said 3+ for the age, but decided to get it out. She's so smart!

Pictures below!

John and Annabelle lovin!


Solving her fish puzzle:

Happy February!

It's finally February. Is it just me or did January poke along really slowly? I think it was the cold weather. We are hoping we get a really good snow storm this month because Annabelle has the cutest sled that Goody and Poppy gave her last year that she was only able to use once.

Annabelle has added a few new words to her vocabulary. She can say a few body parts...nose and eye. She can also say coat and cookie.

She is definitely no longer a baby...she is a little girl in her own right! She has tons of personality and loves pushing the limit of what she can get away with.

Here is a picture of Annabelle enjoying some spicy creole potatoe chips...she LOVED them, spices and all!

Playgroup!

We had some friends over today...John and Belle. I think they had a good time playing. Belle and Annabelle had a few tiffs over some baby dolls, but other than that, they all got along great. Below are a few pictures.

Annabelle loves to peek out the mail slot in the door to see what's going on outside. She does it when one of us leaves to go somewhere. I finally got a picture of it.

Goofy Girl!

Annabelle is just blossoming! She has a very strong personality and definitely knows what she wants and doesn't want. Her vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds and is now up to a little over 20 words that she can say. Additionally, if you ask her to point to certain things in books she can do that too. She loves to share and wants to include Bailey in anything and everything that is family related. We have family hugs and the three of us will hug and she'll always say "B", "B" (her word for Bailey, which we use with him too). So, Bailey gets to join in the family hugs too. If she shares a cracker with mommy or daddy, she'll give Bailey one too, hence the dog's recent weight gain.

She loves school. According to Paul, who takes her in the morning, as soon as she gets dressed she immediately runs to the coat rack and starts to point at her coat and says "shoes" "shoes." If you ask her if she wants to go to school, she vigoursly shakes her head yes. She is also putting her own clothes in her dirty clothes hamper in her room. We are starting to work on her learning how to put her own toys away.

Her hair is LONG and now it's a game for how long we can go w/o cutting it. She still hasn't had a first haircut and now I am resisting cutting it.

Her words now: B (for bailey), cheese, apple, nana (for banana), Elmo, poo poo, milk, hi, bye bye, book, blocks, bubbles, cracker, night night, football, ball, baby, snacks, shoes, more, and of course, mommy, daddy, and her own name, Annabelle. Currently, we are working on please and thank you. Additionally, she is starting to count....only to 3, but hey, it's a good start!

Another funny thing she this morning. Paul was reading Cindarella to her and on the last page where there is a picture of Cindarella and the Prince, she pointed to the the prince and said "Daddy" and pointed to Cindarella, she said "Mommy." I guess she understands the concept of a couple and or love. I'm thinking that's a good thing.

Here are some recent pictures:

Combing my hair!


Solving a puzzle....

Happy New Year!

The New Year started off with a bang...we went to the Redskins/Cowboys game where, for the second time, Celeste got drenched. Even with the icky weather, we had a good time, especially with the Redskins kicking the cowboy's butts!

With our babysitter out the window, we decided to have a little NYE party. It was a lot of fun and we think even the kiddos had fun. Good food, good friends, and good drinks...what else could you want?

Here are some pictures:

Busy few weeks

Phew...the holidays are finally over. While it was fun, it was also busy...all good stuff, but busy. On Christmas weekend we headed out to Purcellville to stay the night on Saturday. We had an early Christmas celebration with the Kovers. We ate good and laughed a lot so that was a good weekend! Then on Sunday we headed home with Aunt Betty. She stayed with us on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. It was a lot of fun to spend Christmas with her. We cooked our traditional Christmas eve dinner of turkey tortilla soup and then on Christmas morning we had our baked french toast with cream cheese for breakfast, which Annabelle thoroughly enjoyed. Annabelle wasn't too into opening presents but she certainly enjoyed the fruits of mom and dad's labors. We headed over to Goody and Poppy's house for Christmas dinner where we had prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.

Annabelle got spoiled rotten and really loves all of her new toys and books.

Here are some pictures!
Christmas Day:


Julia and Annabelle


new baby stroller....