She's Two!

Yup, my baby is two...it is so hard to believe that it has already been 2 whole years since we had Payton. I am having a hard time with the fact that she is growing up. I am so proud of her everyday...she is learning so much and talking so much. I can't believe how quickly she is picking up words and forming her own little sentences. But a part of me is sad...wishes she would just be little forever. But...it is too fun to see her grow and become her own little person. Payton is so full of life...so hillairious. She LOVES Dora the Explorer. She could color for hours (and is just learning that she can only color on PAPER....not my walls and furniture). She loves Barbies, Groovy Girls and any kind of plastic people. She LOVES to dance. I am thinking she will be quite the little dancer. Her favorite color is pink. She ADORES her baby sister and loves to help take care of her. The other night we had Gabby lying on the couch while Payton was playing with her toys. Gabby started fussing, and Graham and I watched as she said "It's otay, Dabby" and covered her up with her blankie and put the soother in her mouth. Then she patted her tummy and jabbered to her until she was happy. Seriously, it made me cry. I was so happy that my little girl cared enough to make her sister happy. Didn't mind taking time away from playing with her toys to take care of her baby sister. These girls kill me, let me tell ya. You never know until you are a parent the plain and simple LOVE that you can feel for these little people. Couldn't live without them.


Sooooo....we had a very fun-filled birthday for Payton. Yesterday after church we went to my mom's for her party...Payton was very excited about her "Dora cake" (she talked about it non-stop) and once she understood that all the present she was unwrapping were for her, she was very happy! Another cute little thing she did...when she opened her present from Gabby (a Dora nightie) she didn't understand that Gabby was giving the present to her....so she opened the nightie and walked over to Gabby and gave the nightie to her. So cute. (I'm gushing, I know!) Anyways, she got way too much stuff, but she's a kid, right? I'm actually going to tuck away a few of her gifts for a rainy day...it's nice to keep some little surprises around! Today we took Payton to West Ed to Build-a-Bear and then on some rides at Galaxyland...she was in heaven. She was so cute stuffing and dressing her bear...and she named her "Bear". Haha! When we got home this afternoon her Aunt Jody and Uncle Ryan stopped by with MORE gifts (aaahhh!) and now she is with her cousin Winter looking at Christmas lights around the city.....and rumor has it that Santa (or "Ho Ho" as Payton calls him) may be stopping by tonight....so we'll see! I wasn't lying when I said this has been a very fun-filled birthday!


We absolutely LOVE you Payton, Happy 2nd Birthday!!!



















And for some more very exciting news.....my best friend Kim and her husband just adopted a little baby boy last week. I have been holding this in for about 2 months now and I am just so excited that I can finally share their news! His name is Ryker Fynn Loewen and he is absolutely perfect. I can't even begin to express how happy I am for Kim and Cody. They have waited so long to be parents and just deserve this little guy so much. Seeing Kim as a mother just makes me so happy...to know what they have been through, and to have watched her be so strong through it all...she is amazing. It took me two years to get pregnant with Payton, and Kim was with me every step of the way...we cried together when we felt like EVERYONE around us was having babies...and she supported me and loved both of my babies when they were born. I was so scared to tell her when I was pregnant the first time, and she was nothing but happy for me. She is such an amazing friend....so seeing her and her husband with this new little baby is so very wonderful...like I said, they have been through so much and are such a positive and amazing couple...I love you guys!! I just think that adoption is such a miracle. Kim has shared things here and there with me about the whole process as they've been going through it....to think that Ryker's birth mom loved him SO MUCH that she made such a sacrifice to give him to parents who can give him EVERYTHING and will love him dearly...that is amazing. She wanted Kim there for the birth, she had Kim and Cody go to one of her ultrasounds....how awesome that these 3 people loved this little baby so much and that they got to welcome him into this world TOGETHER, and just in time for Christmas....I love that.




He is a little miracle. Congratulations you guys.