Announcing Our Newest Addition!

Alivia Jean Leighton was born at 7:08 PM on Wednesday February 22, 2012.

She weighed exactly 7 pounds and was 19.5 inches.  

Alivia is perfect and we couldn't be happier to have her home with us.

"I'm Going To Have A Baby Sister!"

This is what Arabella tells everyone... and I mean everyone... the lady behind us in line at the grocery store, the pediatrician, the couple that we pass as we walk outside in our neighborhood.  "I'm going to have a baby sister!"  I'm so glad she is excited!  

Every morning she crawls into bed with Dave and I and she pulls up my shirt and sings a song to the baby... who was affectionately nicknamed "Nugget" (by Arabella of course who saw her baby sister on the sonagram and said, "It doesn't look like a baby.  It looks like a chicken nugget.").  The baby moves when Arabella sings to her... she already knows her big sister's voice.  It amazes me!   Arabella is going to be a wonderful big sister.  

I didn't take very many pictures during this pregnancy, but I love this one!

Happy Valentine's Day

After realizing that this is the last year that we don't have to make a classroom full of valentines (OMG my baby is going to kindergarten next year!!!!!) I decided to bite the bullet and make handmade valentines.  Did some heavy duty research on Pinterest and decided to make butterfly valentines for Arabella's friends at daycare.  They turned out so cute!  She worked really hard at the cutting (that's a lot of cutting for little hands), but she was adamant that these are her valentines and she should be the one to do all the work!  Once we were done cutting, we had a little mini-lesson on symmetry and then worked really hard making each butterfly symmetrical with stickers. 

Aren't they cute?!

A few days later, she made super special valentines for Dave and I all on her own with no help.  

This one was made for Dave.  It says, "You are my love." and she cut the shapes out on her own too.  

This one was for me.  It says, "I will love you forever."

I kept them both.  I cannot believe how fast she is growing up... how wonderful she is and how freely she loves.  I can only hope that this next baby is as wonderful as Arabella is.  She amazes me everyday.