I LOVE this age!

It is a funny title to my post because sometimes this age kills me. What with the constant "no"s that I hear and the testing of the limits and dramatic meltdowns sometimes I think I may not survive this age, but the fun I am having with Carrie right now FAR outweighs the negatives. I think because I am pregnant and emotional, I find myself overcome with joy so many times and a few times the hormones have gotten the best of me and I find myself in tears in the happiest of moments. I just cannot believe this little blessing that I have on loan from the Lord above. I did nothing to deserve this, yet He has delivered to us a child more amazing than I imagined in my wildest dreams. I find myself wishing time would stand still; Really trying to soak up this last little bit of time where it is just me and her. I am so excited to add another sweet life to this family, but God willing, this will be my last time with just one and I am trying to really make the most of it. It is just so easy with 1. We are a team and we just have a blast. The things that are making this time so much fun are:
She is so verbal right now and we can really communicate. I love sitting down with her at lunch and asking her all sorts of questions and her answering! For instance: "Did you have fun at your friend's party?" Her: "I did. I shared a boat with my friend." She is really turning into a little person!

Or watching her start to play by herself a little bit. I can be in the kitchen and hear her singing or playing with her toys and talking to them. I just stop what I am doing and laugh at her little imagination running wild.

She is also really trying to learn all her favorite songs and singing them a lot. She can sing "Baa Baa Black Sheep", "Happy Birthday", "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star", "Row, row, row your boat" and a few more. It is so cute to hear her sing them.

She can really make friends on her own now wherever we go. Today we were at the park and there was one other mom and her little boy there and she wanted to play with him. They had so much fun on the slides and chasing each other around...it was like she didn't even need me there! The whole way home she asked me "What's Charlie doing??" And she talks about friends from class who I don't even know except having seen their name on their hook so I know she is making friends at school too.

We can really play little games together and we are both always cracking up. She, of course, then wants to play the same little game 100 times until I am worn out, but it is worth it!

She can play on a playground or a swingset without my help. It is so fun to just sit and watch and talk to her without having to constantly worry and follow her around.

She is SUCH a sweet heart and really loves the people in her life. I love the little things she does like when she meets someone new, she will lean back against me and wrap her arms around my leg. I know this is silly and all kids do it, but to have a child of my own do it to me is the best feeling in the world because I know she really loves and feels safe with me.

I feel like I could go on and on about her right now, but I won't. I took a 5 minute video of her playing and talking the other day and I so wish it wasn't too long for this blog. Not that any of you want to see a 5 minute video, but I just want to have it here, stored away. Oh well, maybe I can get a cute shorter one soon. I am trying to be better at video taping her than I have been because she is so cute and funny at this age!

Here are 2 short videos from my phone. The first is her having a picnic with her bears which happens at least once a day and the 2nd is her playing in a bounce house at Monkey Joes with Scott. I wish it was not through the netting and I wish I had gotten a better one when they were laughing, but they loved it so thought I would save this one!

 We leave town tomorrow so hopefully I will get some new posts up after that! I know I have been slacking, but we have been so busy and I haven't always had my camera!