Amazing

I know everyone thinks their kids are amazing. I am no exception. I love my babies. They are beautiful, and fun, and cute and truly amazing. You may not want to read this whole post because you'll probably confuse me with some of those other "Mormon Mommy Blogs" (i.e., Seriously So Blessed), but I want to document the way I feel right now, for them, and this forum has become the best journal my family's got right now. Hopefully I'll get it in a more traditional home like a baby book at some point...that is a goal for the winter months.

My three girls make me happier and more exhausted than anything or anyone in this world. How did I get so lucky?

They are growing faster than I can accept and it is AMAZING to see they rapid rate at which they are developing. Ivy and Maya are nine months old today. I took them to the pediatrician, Dr. Keeley, for their nine-month check up (and a flu shot) yesterday. Here is an update on how they are progressing.

AMAZING Ivy remains our little ball of energy. She weighed in at 15 pounds 10 ounces (5th percentile) and 26 1/2 inches tall (20th percentile). Although she is small, she is staying right on her growth curve and is 100% healthy. She has more energy than any other baby I have ever been around. She started crawling at seven and a half months and hasn't stopped. She started out army crawling, and while she gets on all fours once in a while, she still mostly army crawls. However she is FAST. She'll follow me and gets really frustrated when she makes it to me and then I'm ready to move on. She likes to explore around the house is actually learning to entertain herself a little bit.  She has her bottom two and top two front teeth and likes to blow raspberries. Just this week she started saying "Dada". She claps her hands, squeals, waves her hands in the air in excitement, laughs out loud, feeds herself finger foods very well (her favorites are Cherrios/bread and peas), pulls to standing and tries to let go to stand on her own, is super curious and resists napping like crazy (still "sings herself to sleep), and loves to play with balls more than any other toy (her orange squishy ball most of all). She is a mommy's baby and is a sweet little cuddler. She absolutely LOVES bath time. She splashes like crazy and gets so excited when it is time to get in. I love my Ivy so much. I can't imagine life without this little sweetheart. I think she'll be our little spitfire, if I had to take a guess.

AMAZING Maya is pretty chill, but is beginning to be very interested in playing...even with her sis Ivy. She also has a temper when she gets hungry or hurt. She weighed in at 18 pounds 10 ounces (50th percentile) and 28 1/4 inches tall (75th percentile). She still has long legs and is perfectly healthy. Maya is my piece of heaven on earth. I don't mean to say all of my girls aren't angels, but I can't help but feel this way especially about Maya. She has an angel face and is so angelic and sweet. She has the cutest, squishiest, kissable cheeks and lights up when we hold her or even point our attention in her direction. She started crawling just after 8 months and is now keeping up with Ivy with no problem. She is a jabber mouth. She growls and makes lots of baby talk... lalalala...bababa..dadadada. She claps her hands, laughs out loud, and likes to eat the sweet stuff (fruit over any vegetable or starch). She'll "ask" for more food by banging on the table, and she also likes to bang toys together to make noise. Maya has one tooth on bottom and is working on the other on bottom. On top one has finally poked out on top with the other making its way out of her gums--poor girl, these teeth are taking their time making their entrance. Maya also pulls to standing and is super curious. Her favorite toy seems to be my curtains. She loves to take baths and listen to storybooks (Ivy can't sit still for this).

AMAZING Eleanore is the world's best big sister. She genuinely loves her little sisters and is so eager to play with them. She likes to hug them and kiss them and talk to them. When we are out an about, before people even ask, she'll introduce them by name and age and let them know that she IS the big sister (she has been asked these questions more than a few times). Eleanore is as smart a whip and can spell both of her sisters names and most of her own. She recognizes most of the letters in the alphabet and numbers up to five. Our dance success was short lived, she started throwing fits again (I think it was at a bad time of day) so we pulled her out. We'll try again in a year our so. But, we've doing a play group/"play school" each week with a group of kids and moms from church where we have a themed activity, lesson and snack each week. Eleanore really loves this and so do I. Els loves to help mommy cook and clean and is actually beginning to really be a help. Her favorites are the windows...or anything with a spray bottle, and she is getting to be a pro at kneading bread. She likes to play pretend and dress up. She makes me laugh every day, whether it is by a funny,stating-the-obvious question, or a funny dance move, I am so glad Eleanore is a part of my life. She is my best gal pal and a sweet little girl.

All three of our girls love their AMAZING Daddy. When he gets home it is my pleasure to see them all independently make their way to the front door to greet him (Eleanore running and the babies crawling their fastest). It makes our house a happy place when Dad comes home! I spoke in church on Sunday on the topic of being a "doer." I am so grateful to be married to a "doer," who works hard at home, at work and at Chruch -- all for the ultimate cause of our family.

Here are some recent pictures of the Buckley Babes:

Ready for Church in the dresses our dear friend Leo made for us.

Eleanore "baby crawling" (a favorite game) with Ivy.

Ivy the crawler.

Happy Baby Maya.

Eleanore and Maya playing (these pics are from the day the turned 8 months old).

A close-up of Ivy. This is a telling photo. It is hard for me to get pics of this girl because she is always trying to get to Mom...I get away long enough to get a good pic.

Eleanore swinging with cousins Sicily and Major when we went to Shay's house for Sicily's first birthday.

Eleanore at the Smith's house.

Super babies in the wagon at Shay's house.

Celebrating Dad's birthday with two cakes (he requested both an ice cream cake and a cheese cake).

The homemade ice cream cake I made for Bryan.

Curious Ivy.

Eleanore and her "play school" friends (Gracie, Jarom, Miley and Max). That day we decorated aprons, read Green Eggs and Ham, talked about healthy nutrition and made homemade bread).

Maya playing in her favorite spot...my curtains.

Els checking out the boats and fish at the Bass Pro Shop (where we went to celebrate Bryan's birthday).

Chef Maya

Eleanore and Ivy playing kitchen.

My Eleanore.