2 yr and 6 yr Check Ups

Avery and Tay had their annual check-ups today. Just one flu shot for Avery and she told the Doctor she was excited about getting a shot. Tay had 2 shots and also checked his hemoglobin which is the highest it's been (12) so we were happy about that.

Tay is going to be evaluated by First Steps for his speech but otherwise all was great with both kiddos. 

Avery Stats:
Height: 48 1/2 Inches (95th Percentile)
Weight: 66 lbs (97th percentile)

Taylor Stats:
Height: 35 Inches (75th Percentile)
Weight: 27 lbs (50th Percentile)
Tay is a little on the lean side so we need to try and push more milk!! He hates it but we'll do our best :)

Avery is 6!!

Miss J-Bird is now 6!! She is in Kindergarten and is as sweet, kind, funny and smart as ever

Here are answers to some questions I asked her:

What is your favorite color? Purple and Rainbow

Who is your best friend? Bryn and Lila

What is your favorite TV show? Ladybug

What is your favorite movie? Uhhhhhhh. I am gonna go ahead with Descendents.

What is your favorite song? Songs from Descedents

What is your favorite food? Grilled Cheese

What is your favorite thing to play/do? Go to Bryn's house

What do you want to be when you grow up? A vet

What is your favorite thing about school? Special classes

What is the best thing about being 6? You get to do more things when you are 6. Follow up: What things? "I don't know" - helpful.

Couldn't love this girl anymore!! Thankful for her everyday!

She is loving school and making lots of new friends. Avery is such a mature girl and talks like she's 20 - Her expressions and what she says just make me melt all the time. I wish I would bottle up her little voice and keep it forever. Pretty much every night she is running around the neighborhood with Austyn, Bryn, Ayla, Gracie, Gabby and all the others. They make plans on the bus and then tell us what we are doing that night :) They also formed some Fairy Club that used to be called the Sister's Club. Not totally clear what that entails but she seems into it. I love seeing her happy and thriving!!

Avery and Tay's Birthday Party

We had a family party this weekend to celebrate both birthdays and it was just the PERFECT day. We had Lai Ma, Uncle Du, Aunt Maddie, Uncle Cullen and KJ, Grandma T, Grandpa, G, Papa, Grammy plus Kathleen, Anna, Marija, Lila and Lena. We loved having everyone come stay for the weekend. Avery had fun decorating and getting ready for everyone to head over. Lai Ma made her egg rolls along with some Hot & Sour soup plus we had Pizza. So everyone was stuffed but made room for Cake and Ice Cream. We also had present overload - and both kids were so cute opening their gifts. Tay would tear something open and go "YAY" with his hands up in the air. And Avery was so excited and grateful for every gift giving big hugs and genuine thank yous. Tay's big gift was a train table and Avery got a new iPad, old fashioned gumball machine and a Betta Fish. She really wanted a dog but we are starting small and she is super excited. She named her "Seashell" and checks on her about every 30 minutes to make sure she is still alive. LOL.

Uncle Du got them a Jeep Wrangler Hot Wheels - Tay, Lila and Lena loved it but it makes Avery very nervous. She told my mom "G, I just think it's really unsafe and this whole thing is making me just very very nervous." Sweet, cautious Avery needs some time to warm up to it but am sure it will get good use once she gets the hang of it.

These are two very lucky and loved kids - My heart just felt full after the festivities. I didn't get a ton of pics as we were all busy with the party and visiting but will post below what I got. I am grateful to our family for being here and loving them both so much. Happy Birthday Avery and Tay!!

Snap Chatting with Aunt Maddie before the party

 Decorations!!

 Playing with their new toys

 Cake Time!

 Time for bed and hugging her new Fur Real Dog Tracy

Tay 24th Month Update

Taylor Hopkins Trieu is 2!! And not a day goes by that I am not thankful for this sweet boy and crazy boy in our lives. 

We can't wait to celebrate both kids' birthdays with the family this weekend. So much to be grateful for!

Here are some highlights as our baby turns 2:

• Tay is back to sleeping nomal through the night after adjusting to life post vacation. YAY!! He does now need to sleep with his tool kit - He runs and finds it before bedtime and holds it while we rock and nurse. And then takes it into his crib. He doesn't play with the tools but just needs them with him to sleep. So funny and sweet!
• His appetite goes up and down - He can sometimes be just too busy to bother with a full meal. And then he'll decide he's hungry and chow down. He also does not like his high chair half the time and wants to sit at the table like Avery.
• Tay really loves his tools and the safety goggles that go with them. He wears them pretty much nonstop. We left his actual safety goggles at a friend's house for a few days so he resorted to wearing swim goggles until we got them back. And he will go nowhere without his toolkit - He panics if it's not with him. So cute but also can be annoying as they fall out and we are constantly picking them up and putting them back together!
• He also still loves cars, trains and lining things up. I am excited to get him set up with his train table this weekend :)
• He is very chatty and starting to say more words here and there. He tells you he is TWOOOOOO when you ask him how old he is. He is for sure trying to form words and tells us long stories all the time. And he can get a little frustrated when he wants something and we aren't getting what it is. Someday we'll understand :) 
• He is very attached to me - Especially in the mornings when he knows I am about to go up and work he gets super panicked and clingy. And can be kinda mean to people trying to take him away from me.
• He loves books and has opinions about what we read at night. He'll point to the ones he wants and just hold his toolbox, rock and read. One of my favorite parts of the day!
• Tay can have a temper when he doesn't get what he wants and be SUPER dramatic. 
• And he is ALL BOY - Constantly climbing the bar stools and hopping between them, diving from the ottoman to the couch and standing on top of tables. He is really agile! Things Avery would NEVER have dared just come naturally to him. Can scare me but also funny.
• Still is loving nerf guns and shooting things. Ugh!
• Tay loves to hang with the big kids in the neighborhood - Loves to watch shows with them, play and run around. He sometimes gets hurt because he's the littlest one in the group but he can pretty much hold his own.
• He has a weird thing about clothes - sometimes he HATES getting dressed. Will get furious when we try to change his pants, diaper, shirt, etc.
• Tay has a great memory - We'll go back to places we haven't been in a long time and he'll head right for whatever he liked the last time we were there. He's a smart kiddo!
• I just love him so much - He can be wild and stubborn and frustrating but also so funny, sweet, innocent and cute. Grateful for this awesome boy every day!

Goggles!

Thanks to Avery for helping with the photo shoot

Respectful Award

I was so proud of Avery this week. There was an award given out in her class for displaying Guiding Principles and this one was Respect. Avery was chosen by her teacher to get the award. It was the first one of the year and she was the only one in her class to get it. She came off the bus proudly wearing her ribbon and was SOOO excited and proud of herself. I couldn't get many details from her about what was said beyond "When I ask Avery to do something she always follows directions and does it." The Principal also sent us a letter congratulating Avery and she was honored in the school newsletter.

Going into a new school and a public school (which I never went to) made me nervous. But it's been a GREAT start - She is happy everyday and her teacher wrote to me that  "Avery is just a peach". I am glad she is making friends and being recognized by her teacher. 

I waited a couple days and now she has no interest in taking a picture for me....

State Fair 2017

We made our annual trip to the State Fair this year with the McDaniel Girls. Hung wasn't able to come since he had his Hoverboard accident the night before and was at the doctor finding out he fractured his arm - Yikes! Luckily it is healing nicely!

Ashley had taken the kids to the Fair before school started where they got to see all the animals and exhibits. So we spent most of our time on the midway. Avery is tall enough for almost all the rides and she was very adventurous. She tried roller coasters and giant swings and her favorite was the Sploosh water ride. We also went to the dairy barn for milkshakes and grilled cheese :)

I was grateful to have Molly, Megan and Anna with us since neither G or I can handle the ridea anymore. Tay was a little frustrated because he wanted to do the bigger rides with Avery  but we found a few for him and then he passed out after lunch and got a nice nap while Avery got extra ride time.

Always love the Indy State Fair!!

Avery's First Day of Kindergarten

It was a big day here - Avery started Kindergarten at Shamrock Springs. I thought I would be totally fine and then last night starting feeling it a bit. And when she climbed on that bus my heart leapt in my throat. She seemed a little nervous climbing on but gave me a sweet wave and off she went. There are 10 kids at our stop and 2 of the boys are in her class so the big swarm of everyone getting on made it much easier.

When we got her off the bus this afternoon she leapt out and said "I had an EXCELLENT Day. I LOVED IT!" She did say she sat alone on the morning bus ride and that made her sad so we will try to remedy that. But she sat by Miles on the ride home who lives on our street so that was better. She liked her teacher and made a new friend named Emily. She told me they sang some songs, they made Clifford ears and read some books, she had gym where they did some different exercise stations, played with Emily and Austyn at recess and also said she wants to buy her lunch tomorrow :) Overall, I think it was a good first day and I am glad she is home so I can give my sweet girl extra hugs and love tonight. 

Side note: Tay decided to be SUPER cranky. While the kids lined up for pics he was screaming no and telling them off. Then when Avery got on the bus he started sobbing :(