Chocolate frosting nopeling book snazure azure boots

The above is a pseudonym Azure made up for herself sometime back in the summer with the last addition of boots (from Dora of course) just a couple months ago.

It's high time Azure gets a post just to herself. Especially b/c she just turned 3.5 on Dec. 21. Half birthdays are pretty big milestones for preschoolers. And as a family we have wanted to celebrate them to be fun. Charles has done a great job at this in the past buying me gifts for my half birthday. Unfortunately, his half birthday is on the 4th of July. I am usually pretty hyped up about the flag cake and other delicious summertime cookout food that I forget his half birthday. I know, lame excuse right? Well, this year we will celebrate his half birthday!

On Dec. 21 Charles and I actually left both Azure and Vince in the care of my parents to celebrate the 5 yr of our engagement at Casa Laguna in Laguna Beach where we spent the first 2 nights of our honeymoon (a post to come on that). So, we still didn't celebrate her half birthday, but it's a milestone that deserves a post.

She continues to be very articulate. Her vocabulary is outstanding. Here's an example from just today while coloring in her Arizona book from the visitor center there. "There are lots of spiders in Arizona. We have to kill them by slaughtering them with guns." What?!? She learned the word slaughter from the Doctrine and Covenants/Church History DVD. Since learning it she has used it many times referring to the death of animals while we are eating meat at dinner. Of course, she has no idea how violent this sounds.

She uses the phrase "even to" in place of "be able to". "If Daddy gets eaten by alligators, then I won't even to see him again." I guess it sounds like she has a death obsession but, she really doesn't. We talk a lot about how Jesus died for us and then resurrected so I think the idea of death to her is pretty minor. We're all gonna resurrect anyway so what's the big deal?

I just asked her favorite things and this is what she said...

Favorite color: blue
Favorite song: Row, row, row your boat
Favorite thing to do w/ Vince: clapping and playing with him
Favorite food: bananas

Asking kids this age what their favorites are is kinda funny b/c I think they just say whatever pops into their head first. I can't remember the last time we sang row, row, row your boat but, she just heard about it earlier today so that's why she said it was her favorite.

On Monday Dec. 6 (2 days after these pics were taken) we dropped Charles off at the Midyear Pharmacy Meeting in Anaheim and then the 3 of us headed to Huntington Beach, a frequent spot of mine as a CA resident. It was such a lovely day. Azure and I had the best time together! I realized that she really is one of my greatest friends. I love having a little sidekick. She is good company. I love my little Azure Marie. She is growing up to be a little lady.

I frequently say to her, "Did you know that you're my favorite girl?!" Then she just smiles and laughs. She loves to please us. When she is well rested she is the sweetest angel. When she wakes up in the morning the first thing she says is "Good morning Mommy!" and she gives me a hug.

She also no longer needs to use a lid on her cups since she rarely spills anymore.

Her first day in Primary as a Sunbeam was Sunday. She did a wonderful job being reverent. Since I'm the Primary Chorister I practice the songs with her at home. All last week we practiced the song, "If I listen with my heart". I used a slide show of the song I found on sugardoodle.net to teach the children the song. Azure had already watched it ~100 times. So, as I put it on during Singing Time, I caught Azure's eye and she was grinning ear to ear at me, with squinted eyes and her head tilted forward. She was SO excited that she knew the song and had already seen the DVD. I loved sharing that moment with her. And I loved that as we were singing it I heard her sweet voice singing.

Even if I hadn't been in there I know she would have done fine without me. She has always been independent and social. There have been numerous times that she has cried when I have come to pick her up from nursery or a friend's house but, rarely when I drop her off.

She is a divine daughter of God and I feel privileged to be her mother.

To Vince

My Vincenzo Charles,

Goodness, you are beautiful. I probably can't call you beautiful for much longer b/c I do realize that you are a boy. But, for now I just want to call you beautiful.  My beautiful boy.

I hope you grow up to be like your daddy.  He is a good man. He loves playing with you.

Look! You have his dimples. I hope they stay. And I love your chubby little hands too. 

You are quite a snuggler. I love how happy you are to see me when you wake up. I pick you up and you lay your head right on my shoulder and hug me very tightly. You gnaw (not a hard bite) on my shoulder too and kick your legs ferociously and make this sound like you're gasping for air. Then you make the panting dog sound.

We especially love your laugh. You have a deep belly laugh and sound like an old man sometimes. I never tire of hearing your laugh. It is what joy sounds like. 

December was quite a month for you pertaining to milestones. On Sunday, Dec. 12 you finally started army crawling! With Azure starting this at 7 months, we were kinda anxious for this to happen. Though, I'm not really sure why since it means more work for us babyproofing and whatnot.

On Mon. Dec. 27 Daddy noticed your top two teeth poking out! Before they came through you loved to suck on my chin. Sadly, I can't let you do it anymore b/c it's pretty painful with the addition of those top two.

They had receded back somewhat for a couple days but, now they are poking out again. You look less like a baby now with them. *bittersweet sigh* I mentioned in a previous post that I didn't want your 6-9 month stage to end. I feel like you milked (pun intended) that stage for all it was worth since you crawled and got these 2 teeth somewhat late compared to your sister. Because of that, I feel like I got to savor your baby-ness. That has been a blessing.

You have been screaming at deafening pitches this last week as those top teeth fully finish coming out. It's a little unnerving to listen to all day. Though, at the end of the day I realize how much you need me. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. This motherhood career is humbling. On those days it gets overwhelming (which is pretty much everyday that you are teething) my perspective is amplified by remembering this scripture:

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me...Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:35, 36, 40).

You have changed my being. I am more complete as a woman and a mother since you've come into our lives. Thank you for helping me reach my potential. I hope I can do the same for you son.

We love you!

p.s. These are some of the pics from our family photo shoot we took a month ago. Stay tuned for more pics.

Knott's Berry Farm

Thanks to Uncle Angel who got us in for free to Knott's. I hadn't been since my senior yr of high school (Oct. 98 I think) so it was fun to go with the hubby and kids.

Sometime back in the summer I let Azure ride the carousel in the mall. Since then, she has been obsessed with them. She also loves the part in Charlotte's Web where Fern rides the ferris wheel. So, those were the 2 rides she was anticipating the most.

You have to get funnel cake at Knott's!

Snoopy on ice

Charles and I even got to escape for a bit to go on a ride by ourselves! Thanks Tally. We wanted to go on a rollercoaster but, the line was too long so we went on Supreme Scream. We had never been to an amusement park together in our 5.5 yrs of togetherness so it was fun to go and hold hands on a ride by ourselves :)

Thanksgiving

This was the first Thanksgiving we spent with my family in 5 yrs. In Nov. 2005, I brought Charles home with me to meet them. We had been dating for 4 months. It was fun to think that we were here 5 yrs later with our 2 children. I'd say 'who'd a thought?' but, we were pretty sure we were going to be married back then, so I guess we did know :)

Before partaking of our feast we all went around and said what we were most grateful for that year. Of course, they are so many things to be grateful for, but one of the miraculous events that stands out in my mind is Vince's birth and my VBAC. Thank you again friends for the power of your prayers and faith in our behalf.

I also made rolls. Not sure I am going to attempt them again until I have a mixer. It is just too difficult to knead by hand and come out with good rolls in my opinion. I realize these pics are not good. It's so that when I finally make an amazing batch, I can look back at these pics and say, "Wow, I've come such a long way."

And, I just really like this pic of Talls and Angel.