Moments to Always Remember

I must have at least one moment everyday when I want to stop time and freeze the precious moments I get to experience as a mom. Here are just a few to always remember:

• Counting, counting everything around us and though she knows how to count to three, this is Abby's favorite counting method: three...four...six...seven...eight..nine...ten...seven...eight...nine...ten...seven...eight...nine...ten
• I love that since we've started working on her numbers, every letter O has become a zero. 
• I love watching Abby play with her friends and get SO energized by being with people.

taking a movie break with her friends Ally Grace and Micah

Favorite Quotes: 

• "Mommy, your 'hello' is ringing!" (translation: "Mommy, your phone is ringing!")
• "I NEED YOU" - Abby's new favorite line every time she needs some quality time/hugs OR any time she is jealous for my attention. She knows how to melt her mommy's heart! 
• When we go to the store and someone asks Abby her age, she'll often respond: "Two! Mommy twenty six. Daddy twenty nine."
• While I was in the kitchen cleaning up from lunch, Abby went into the living room to play with her blocks. After hearing them continually come crashing down on the glass tabletop:

                    Me: Abby, please take the blocks off the table and play on the floor.                  
                   Abby: No Mommy! I'm building Noah's Ark.

• Abby's favorite game is Hide and Seek. She waits until her Daddy walks through the door everyday and excitedly asks him to hide. If it's her turn, she counts (from 3-10, skipping 5) and then runs around the house calling "Dadddddddy? Joeeeeeee?" until she finds him. The funniest is when it's Abby's turn to hide. When Joe goes to find her and calls for her, Abby's response is always to tell Joe exactly where she is. 

               Joe: Abby? Are you in Mommy and Daddy's room?
               Abby: No. Baby's room.
               Joe (trying to make the game last a little longer): Abby? Are you in your room?
               Abby: No, Daddy! In Baby's room.
               Joe (walking into baby's room): Abby? Are you in the baby's room?
               Abby (popping out of her hiding spot): Daddy! I'm here!

one of Abby's not so obvious hiding spots

taking a rest after reading the circulars

Some of my favorite moments lately have been watching Abby experience my pregnancy and understand to some extent that she is going to be a big sister. She is so sweet about it. When she comes into our bed to snuggle with us in the morning, she will often lift up my shirt, rub my belly and say, "Hi Baby. It's your sidder, Abby" and then sing the baby "Choochee" (the song I made up for Abby when she was an infant and still sing to her every night before bed).

If you were to ask Abby what she is going to do when her baby sister is born, she runs through her list. Change diaper, wipe baby, dance baby, Shhh shhh shhh baby, walk baby.  The other day, I asked her if she will tell Mommy when the baby is crying. She paused deep in thought and then as matter of factly as ever said, "No! I help baby".

As I shared in a previous post, we had Abby in the room with us during our recent ultrasound. She was totally interested and observant while we were in there, but like anything else, it's hard to know exactly how much she has understood. The following morning, Abby and I were playing downstairs in her playroom. She pulled out her doctor kit and routinely "checked me" by using every piece of equipment and declaring "healfy" after each part. Only this time, at the end of my "Dr. Abby exam", she got up and brought back her little V-tech laptop. Abby put it on the floor, powered up the computer, lifted my shirt up while pretending to squirt gel on my belly and started to roll her mouse around on my stomach. Pointing at the screen, she said, "Mommy, look. Baby's face." :) I know I say it all the time, but I just love her!

quality time with Daddy

Abby's first snowman

excited for her first ride in the wagon Papa gave her