"Enjoy it, they grow so fast!"

      When you have a baby for the first time everybody admires the baby and then there leaving comments before they depart usually are: "Enjoy it, they grow so fast!"

      It's amazing how quickly kids really do grow and change.  Sierra still isn't even 2 yet and I feel like she should be 4 with all the growth and changes that she has done in this past year!  She is talking up a storm and adding 5-10 words to her vocabulary EVERY DAY!  It's amazing to see them learn to comprehend what you are telling them and obey.  It's fascinating to watch them discover something for the first time and really play with it and explore it.  Like today, she picked a dandelion.  She ran over to me to show me and then she studied it.  She smelled it and then she shook it and saw all the little seeds blow away.  She chased a few and wiped them off the things they landed on.  Such intricate attention girls can pay to the smallest of things!

      Probably the BEST thing that Sierra has really gotten into lately is singing and dancing.  I LOVE to watch her wander around the yard singing a nonsense song, or breaking out in hopping and clapping and jumping around, singing and saying "Yay," all at the same time.  She's full of personality and loves to laugh and sing.  She's an athlete and will stand on the edge of a brick ledge and shout, "2...3...GO!" and then proceed to run as fast as she can to the other side of the yard.  She loves to play basketball in the backyard and soccer out on any grass.  She's a natural...truly.
      The other day I could tell that she was wired and needed to get some energy out.  Jeff had just gotten off work and so we headed to the bike trail in Placerville.  I had the double BOB and we started both girls in that...but Sierra wanted to talk almost immediately.  No biggie, that was why we were there!  So she got out of the stroller and ran.  She ran, and ran, and ran, and ran.  Seriously, we were calulating the run and she ran a WHOLE MILE!  She is not even 2 yet!  She ran the WHOLE THING!  I ran beside her and traded off running ahead of her so she ran to us, or running beside her.  It felt so good to get out as a whole family and exercise together.  I love showing her that exercise and health should be, and is, a very important part of our lives.
      I took these photos today.  She is so fun to photograph (sometimes).  Today she is officially 22 months old!!!

      It's also beautiful to see the relationship develop between Sierra and Peyton.  Sierra can ALWAYS get Peyton to laugh and smile.  They really love each other and you can already see a bond forming between them.  Sierra loves Peyton and is always concerned with her when she is crying.  She says, "oh no, mama, Peyton's crying."  She gives her hugs and kisses when she is sad and often looks at her and says, "bless you 'Dayton', bless you."  Sierra will tickle her and point to her eyes and say, "Dayton's eyes" and to her nose, "Dayton's nose" and to her feet, "Dayton's beet...yeah!"

      Peyton is now 2 months old!!!  (9 weeks to be exact)  She is measuring about 13 lbs. and about 25" long.  She's a little weed.  Some people, when they find out she was a 10 pounder, say, "Oh my!  I'm so sorry!"  But, the thing is I really don't mind!  Both my girls are really good sleepers.  When Peyton was born, she was born sleeping through the night.  I had to wake her up for the first 2 weeks until the doctor gave me the go ahead to let her sleep.  At 2 weeks she was sleeping 6-8 hours a night!  At 4 weeks it was a definite 8 hours.  And now at 8-9 weeks she sleeps 10 hours a night straight.  I am very pleased with that cause my days are so crazy I really need that extra sleep!!!  She too is growing and changing rapidly.  She's smiling all the time.  She evens lets out a little sign and giggle once in awhile.

    Both my girls just melt my heart!  I love being mommy!