Last week was our annual beach week with Mark's family in the OBX. We usually "rent" a condo that my mother in law's boss owns and gives to her for free once a year but this year it was booked before he could set aside the week for her. We were bummed at first {because a free house on the beach is awesome!} but it was a blessing in disguise. Last year we started talking about eventually needing to rent a bigger house since the girls were getting bigger and this forced us to make the change this year! We were able to rent a beautiful house on the beach for a decent price since the week before Memorial Day is still "off season" and it was worth paying the money! The girls had their own rooms, there was a pool and a hot tub, and direct access to the beach.

We had a fun week but it started off a little rocky. Lilly ran a temperature of 105.3 that landed us in the ER because she wasn't responding to me very well. Thankfully after 3 hours in the hospital they determined it was just a virus and to alternate Motrin and Tylenol. She missed out on the first 2 beach days as Mark and I took turns staying in with her but she lived it up the rest of the week! Thankfully none of the other girls caught what she had!

It was my great honor to throw my big sister Erin a baby shower for her first and long awaited babe! She had been dreaming about a soft, woodland baby shower so that is what her best friend Amber and I teamed up to give her a couple of weekends ago.

Amber had relatives that live in a gated community and so had a access to a beautiful clubhouse that they were happy to let us use. I was grateful to be able to host it in a larger space because we planned to invite several family and friends that have prayed for Erin along her infertility journey... not to mention it took so much pressure off that I would've felt trying to make my house perfect and pretty for a large party. ; )

I'm in my 4th year of motherhood, celebrating my 4th Mothers Day, and I feel so blessed. I am so grateful for my 2 healthy girls. But do you know what I become increasingly more grateful for with each new phase of motherhood that I encounter? My mom.

• She can say 15 words - Mama, Dada, Sissy, Lilly, Piper, PopPop, NinNin {Aunt Erin}, Hi, Bye, Eat Eat, Ni-Ni {night night}, Wa-Wa {water}, More, Oh Oh {uh-oh}, Wow, 
• She loves to run around the couch with sissy and spin in the living room until she falls over.
• She loves sissy's favorite baby doll. {Reaghan is sweet enough to share most of the time!} She feeds her, puts her in the crib, pushes her in a stroller
• One of her favorite toys is the play car she got for Christmas. Its one of the few toys that occupy her attention for more than 5 minutes.
• I'm surprised she isn't more of a chunker because she LOVES food. Almost any kind. Her favorites include pasta, cheese, yogurt, grapes, and gold fish! The few things she's not huge on are banana's, sandwich bread, and deli meat.
• She's curious, adventurous and pretty fearless. She climbs on the outer rails of the stairs, thinks gravity doesn't apply to her and that she can walk right off the couch or bed, tries to climb out of her crib and pack n play. {Reaghan never even attempted!} Loves to climb in and out of Reaghan's little chairs. She will walk away from us without a second thought in a store or at a park. {I appreciate her bravery, but this is a serious offense! We are teaching her that this is not okay.}
• She is feisty and loud. Screams, yells, screeches when she's mad and also randomly when we are in the car or if people are having a conversation that she thinks she should be a part of.
• She is a social butterfly and loves to smile at friends and strangers alike. She is constantly making friends in all the stores waving and saying hi to anyone who makes eye contact with her. 
• Her smile and laugh are contagious and her teeth are spaced far apart giving her to the goofiest, sweetest grin.
• She is slowly losing interest in nursing. It used to be the thing she LIVED for, especially first thing in the morning, but just in the last week or so she hasn't been as needy.
• She takes the best 3 hour naps and sleeps 12 hours every night. She is a breeze to put to sleep now. A little nursing, a little prayer and then she sits up and points to her crib wanting to be put to sleep. {tonight was the first night that she actually didn't finish nursing... I'm just going to go cry now.}
• She LOVES her pacifier. 
• She's sporty. She can put a ball on a tee and wack it off with a baseball bat. Her form just needs a little work. *wink* She likes when daddy helps her put the basketball in the hoop. 
• She gives the BEST hugs around the neck and the sweetest open mouth kisses and makes a cute "maaa" sound when blowing kisses.