Comparisons

You're probably not supposed to compare your kids to each other, but we can't help it. I look at them all the time and just laugh at their completely different, unique personalities. I LOVE their differences. And I love noticing how they are each their own person in the special way God created them. I am grateful that they have different strengths, attitudes, likes, and dislikes. It gives our family variety, and to be honest too much of anything would be overwhelming. In the same way I feel Jose and I complement  each other in our marriage, our kids complement each other and round out our family.

 Aside from the obvious "girls talk more" ,  here are other things different in our kids:

Aubri loves milk, Ezra spits it out.
Ezra eats anything and everything, Aubri has a more selective palate (aka picky)
Aubri has always loved Sunday School/ childcare, Ezra is just warming up
Ezra is our goofball and clown, Aubri is our actress and make believer
Ezra is rough and tumble all the time, Aubri is slightly more delicate
Aubri has always wanted to read book after book, Ezra enjoys the first page
Ezra loves any animal, Aubri is scared of most
Ezra will communicate when he is tired and want to go to bed, Aubri would never admit she is sleepy
Aubri would sit in a high chair for 5 minutes, Ezra could be in there forever if you keep food coming
Aubri always wants to be barefoot, Ezra always wants his shoes on
Ezra takes a few minutes to wake up, Aubri is ready and alert instantly

One year photoshoot

Ezra's 1 year pictures wrap up our professional photo shoots (until we have another kid!). For Aubri and Ezra we had  pictures taken every 3 months of their first year. They change so fast! Even though the "baby" is the focus of the shoot, we all get to get in the action! It has been fun to get to know Christina from Moments Captured Photography. After this many sessions (not to mention she was a witness to Ezra's birth!) she has become a friend. Her pictures are everywhere in our house -and all over Jose's desk- that so many friends and family have decided to go to her as well.

I never got around to printing a family photo on canvas with Aubri before we found out I was pregnant with Ezra. It seemed silly to pay for something that would be outdated so soon! But since we don't plan on adding to our family anytime soon, it is time to order. Here is the winner....

Ezra got his own fun a few days later. He eats sooo well for us! He will try anything. I am amazed at his favorites- zucchini and asparagus get cleaned off his plate before anything else! I've really be trying to hold of on sugar and dessert for him. I want to take advantage of introducing healthy food while I can. So this cake smash was a real treat for him.

I love this progression of smiles after his first bite!

 Of course we had to get some more use out of his personalized official jersey!

Aubri was itching for her turn in front of the lens! Poor girl was having a hard time being patient watching Ezra take pictures. Finally she got to pose!

BEAUTIFUL!!!

What is a birthday shoot without balloons?!

 So this is pretty typical for us. She is smiley and poses perfect when SHE wants to.

In all our shoots with Christina, Jose and I have never thought to get a few of just us. I'm glad we remembered this time!

This family photo just made it on to Moments Captured new business card!

I LOVE this picture! I wish you could see Ezra a little more, but this is so them! They are constantly climbing all over each other, tackling each other and cracking up!

Oh man, I love this boy!

This was a great surprise gift from Christina. She made this collage of pictures from the last year of shoots! Once I saw it, it took me less than an hour to have it ordered on 14x14 canvas! Can't wait to hang it in Ezra's room!

Thank you Christina for all our great pictures! www.momentsoflifecaptured.com

My girl

I love this girl! Over the past couple of days, I've had a few glimpses of real maturity in Aubriella. They are such little things, but because they all happened within 2 days they touched me.

First she didn't finish her dessert. Aubriella isn't a big eater, but when it comes to dessert she polishes it off (I have no idea where she gets that from ;-). She left some of her brownie and ice cream and said she didn't want to be too full and wanted to save it for the following day. That is not something you'd usually hear her or I say!

The next day she let me know she was tired and asked to fall asleep on the drive home for a bit. She asked that I wake her up when we got home and then she would go to her bed.  My first thought was she must be sick because Aubri and naps do not mix well.

Later that afternoon she yawned and said, "Wow. I guess I should have taken a longer nap, huh mom?" (BTW every one of her questions or statements is punctuated with "huh?") .

I think it was that evening we were playing outside and she volunteered that we should go inside since it was getting cold. She then added that since Ezra didn't seem to think it was cold, if I wanted to stay outside with him that was ok. HAHA!

I  just love how my little girl is thinking things through and making wise choices!

Here is a bit of what Aubri has been up to (at least with an iphone) the past month.

Queen of the funny face and selfies

 Here is a sampling for the 100 pictures i found on my phone one Saturday morning. She is such an early  riser, so for me to get a bit longer in bed I gave her my cell phone to play games.

 First haircut! She's been pleading to go to Whipper Snippers forever. Even though a bit of me was scared she'd lose her curls, I wasn't opposed to it and we finally found a time. She loved the experience (and the curls remain!).

 PRETEND! Aubri has such an imagination. And I love her for it. But it also challenges me. I dressed Barbies and princesses and played with their hair. Aubri wants to make stories of them, and BE the princess. These pictures were from a pretend trip to Disneyland. I had to be excited to go on rides (spin on the rocking chair) and take a picture with Minnie.

 What's a trip to Disneyland without a funny faced self portrait?

 Crafts! She can't get enough. This was a fun activity (Pinterest) that we did. A mixture of flour, water and baking powder makes "paint". You microwave it and it comes out puffy and dry!

 She is all about headbands right now. And wearing them like Rambo. Jose isn't a fan, but I let her wear them how she wants. It helps that we are suddenly seeing ladies everywhere wearing headbands like this!

 Picking her own clothes. She is actually pretty decent at matching (usually)! We did have to take off a red/orange skirt she tried to wear over these pants.

 Here is that orange skirt. She started nap time in a shirt and jeans, and came down with this colorful ensemble. It took all I had in me to not laugh!

 Different trip to Disneyland.

 She is also very into playing "pretend hair cut place". She will brush and "do" my hair forever. She also thinks I can pull off the Rambo headband thing.

 She isn't really mad, that was another funny face.

 Music! She is all about singing and making up songs. I LOVE IT! She goes around singing made up worship songs. And a few weeks back at bedtime she prayed, "Thank you Jesus for letting me sing songs to you." When we told her that Jesus loves her praise, her night time prayers include, "Please help me to not stop singing to you." YES! Lord let her have a heart of worship!

 Sweet girl getting dropped of at Sunday School.

 Evil Knieval quad riding.

 So excited to ride the Trolley after Farmers Market! As we were riding, I asked her what her favorite thing we did that evening was and with the biggest smile and eyes that I hope I'll never forget , she looked at me and said, "Right NOW!"

 She insisted she wanted to see the Easter Bunny. She's been giving herself pep talks, and even though we told her she didn't have to (she isn't a fan of costumed friends) she wanted to. Once we were close to him she wasn't so sure, but still wanted to pose for a picture. She was trembling, but I was so proud of her!

She has a new love for puzzles (and an old love for funny faces)