Two in the Evening and Underneath the Moon

We are having a big family/friends birthday party for Vada this coming weekend but we wanted to celebrate Vada's birthday on the actual day as well, so we invited Justin's parents over for dinner and cupcakes and Vada was able to open a couple of birthday gifts. 

This gift was from her Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Chris and her two cousins, Asher and Fitch.

Thanks guys! She loves this fun stacking toy!

After dinner and gifts I moved her high chair onto solid flooring and we all sang Happy Birthday to her and then handed her, her very own cupcake.

We tried to get her to blow out her candle but she was more interested in eating it than she was with the silly old candles --go figure!

It took Vada a couple of minutes to figure the cupcake out.

I think at first she didnt like the way the frosting felt on her hands. There was a few times when she tried to shake it off. 

Once she got her first taste of sweetness, there was no turning back!

She somehow made sure to get most of the cupcake and frosting into her mouth or at least around it.

Yes, some cake did make it up her nose and even on her body but like a true girl, she was very careful to not mess up her hair!

There were just too many pictures that I loved of her sweet face --no pun intended, so I couldn't choose just a couple to share...

Vada's "theme" for her birthday party is rainbows but today on her actual birthday we used gold, for her golden birthday. 

These past two years have been full of blessings. Full of love and full of growth --for all of us! I look forward to every year in our future and our journey with our children. I never thought that this would be the life I would have but I would never ask for anything else because to me, this is the greatest and it is better than I could have imagined!

Two in the Morning and in the Afternoon

Today was Vada's 2nd birthday, her "golden birthday". 

It was also Justin's day off  from work so while our older daughters were in school we took Vada out to have a small celebration together.

We took Vada first, to the Children's museum. 

We all had a really good time. I have brought Vada here a hand full of times but I think that today she enjoyed it the most. She is really in the exploring age and she loved roaming the toddler section of the museum. 

I think that it was possible for her to stay all day and not get bored.

I think that it is fun being able to take your kids places where nothing is off limits! 

The musuem was full of oppertunities to work on all kinds of skills. Vada liked going up and down the stairs. She went up the correct way and then she went down...

on her bottom. 

Like I said, Justin had the day off but today HE spent most of the time behind my camera, which was kind of nice for me because I rarely have photo's of me with the kids unless I somehow take them myself of have Jasmine around. :)

Vada has such a great time with her "Papa", he gives her the best airplane rides and only he can make the correct sounds. Its sweet watching them together. 

After the museum we stopped at our restaurant of choice...

Yep, it was another Ruby Tuesday's kind of moment! It's kind of been our go to place since I was pregnant with Vada. Over the last two years we have gone to RT's for every memorable moment in Vada's life. 

Justin and I decided last year on Vada's birthday that we would come back every year on Vada's birthday to celebrate and if at some point she decides that this is not where she wants to go for her birthday meal, than that will be fine too. For now, its our spot. 

How to Make Teeth Brushing Fun

Vada Does NOT like having to have her teeth brushed.  It's been an issue for as long as I can remember. Typically, I use two brushes at once. I use one side to make it so she cant bite down and close her mouth while I am using the other to actually brush her teeth. Most times I have to hold her arms down with my legs, I  then press my feet together above her head and make her legs kind of sit around my hips. It's all so she cant get away.

Teeth brushing is a serious ordeal with Vada but it is also SO important to get done on a daily basis. Vada has "bad" teeth even to the point that her dentist has said that we may end up having to put her to sleep to cap the back ones, even though she does not actually have cavities (this would be if her teeth start breaking because of how soft they are).. All of her back teeth never fully formed and so they look as if they are soft and slightly discolored. I personally think it was from the steroids (the ACTH, from when she was having seizures) and all of the liquid medications that she has been on since she was five months old. Back then I never thought to wash her mouth out or rub down her gums after I gave her the medications so I am sure that i am also to blame for the condition that her teeth are now in. 

I don't care for holding Vada down, prying her mouth open and making her miserable three times a day while I brush her teeth, so I am always trying new things to make it seem "fun". I show her when I brush my teeth and clap about it, sometimes I even have her "help" me with it.  I sing and make silly sounds while brushing hers but it all carries a short life for entertaining her. Tonight after I fought to bush her teeth finished brushing her teeth, I got up and she went to grab her baby. At that moment I thought that maybe we should brush her baby's "teeth".

I eagerly asked V if she wanted to brush her babies teeth and it was like she knew what I was talking about. I did a quick demonstration before V took the task over. I thought that things were going well and I continued to encourage V that she was doing a good job.

Then I figured that it was about time to throw in a lesson on how she was brushing her baby's teeth like I brushed hers and I began asking if she could brush her own teeth like she was doing for her baby.

She ignored me.

So I thought that maybe I could just slip the tooth brush past her and brush her teeth while she was busy brushing her baby's.

Again, I missed judged things.

On the bright side of this story, "Baby" had some shinny lips (she doesn't actually have teeth, just gums)!

Eating With Her Fork

Check out that grasp!