Growing Up

As quick as Hunter is growing I've frequently forgotten to take note {where I can look at it forever} of how quick Eden is growing. I was looking back at pictures recently and she has physically grown up SO much!

Top left: Eden at the Spaghetti Dinner hosted by the Daigle Family Relay for Life team in New Orleans in May 2010
Top right: Eden at the Fripp Family Reunion in September 2011
Bottom left: Thumbs up folding socks with Mommy June 2012
Bottom right: Posing for the camera during a picnic lunch July 2012

She's so grown up! I always thought I wanted her to have a pony tail and I always complained about her lack of hair, but now that her hair is long enough for one, I'm sad {and happy at the same time} because it makes her look so grown up. I'm in awe of how big she really is! She can dress herself, and usually does a pretty good job of picking her own clothes out. She brushes her teeth {and puts the toothpaste on the brush} all by herself.

Intellectually she's much more grown up too. Lane was gone for the weekend for work and when he got home last night he was amazed by how much she was talking. He said that in just being gone for 3 days he could notice a change. Some of her new catch phrases are, "wow! That was a close one!" even if it doesn't really apply to anything. She also says, "I know Hunter, it will be ok," because I say this to him often. When we got to video chat with Lane over the weekend she told him, "When Hunter cries, Mommy says, 'It's ok, I'll feed you,' to him." She's right, most of the time that's what I say to him! She's very observant, and sometimes we don't realize until days later when she says, "I member. I ate goldfish," when talking about going back to a friends house. Or, "I'll eat pizza on a banket with Clara," when I told her we were going back to Clara's house to play {and she had pizza the last time we were there - on a blanket in the back yard}.

Some of the things that she used to say that she doesn't say anymore {and it totally breaks my heart} are "a-new" for I love you. Every now and then I can say "a-new" to her and she'll giggle and say it back. She will also fill in the blank of "Mommy loves you..." "Heaps, scoops, and gobs" like my mom still says to me. When Daddy asks, the answer is "SOOOOO much!" I guess if we had to lose "a-new" at least she replaced it with something just as meaningful. She also used to call a drink a "gunk" no matter how hard we tried to get her to say it right. Now that she does say drink, I'm a little sad about it. She used to call her bottom her "bonom" and it was the most cute thing ever - now it's her bottom, and even sometimes her butt {and I'm not a fan!} Oh, and milk used to be "mowk" and it is now milk. And when did I think full sentences were a good idea?! "I am a tunnel" {as she bear walks across the kitchen} "Mom, I told you..." or "Mom, answer me!" and let's not forget when she calls me Brittany {excuse me, child. It's Mommy to you!}

Not all is lost, she still has some things that she says that are still "baby" about her. She speaks really well, so I'm wanting her to keep her few words that are innocent and little while it's still acceptable. Most of the time her version of a word isn't that much off of the real thing, so most people can still understand what she says.
monote = remote {my all time favorite!}
siwy = silly
gi-yrl = girl {a southerner at heart!}
nack = snack
poon = spoon
nails = snails
banket = blanket
who dat = who's that, what's that, where's that...you get it!
I 'member dat = usually for something she doesn't actually remember, but is trying to remember

Can my kids please stop growing?!?!? I'm not ready for them to grow up, go to school, be teenagers, graduate, go to college, get married, have kids...AHHHHH, it's all too quick!!!!! Slow down!!!!