Thursday, March 31, 2011

She's Perfect

Yesterday, Chyenne had her 3-year well check up.

She woke up and announced, "I am ready to go to the doctor today...but I am NOT getting a shot".
I calmly explained that she would probably have to get one shot to keep her from getting sick with germ bugs (this kid hates bugs, so saying germs instead of 'germ bugs' doesn't have the same effect! lol).
She said, "well I am not getting a shot because I am not sick. Now I only have a belly ache...but belly aches don't need shots to make me feel better!"

My poor sweet girl was nervous about getting a shot and apparently had butterflies in her tummy.
She helps me pick out her outfit for the day.
We left the house with plenty of time to grab lunch at her favorite fast food restaurant.
We sat in parking lot of the hospital and ate our lunch.

Cohen enjoyed touching everything in the driver's seat.
Chyenne is now 35 lbs even and 37 inches tall. She is still in the 75th percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for height (those have been her stats for her whole life! Perfect growth curve). They also calculated her BMI to be 90%. 
 She had to get a finger prick. She was anxious but took it like a champ...as soon as the nurse left, she kept saying "owww!" lol.


"She's Perfect!" were the words we heard from Chyenne's pediatrician.
Developmentally, she is well above her age.

Hard to believe it's been 3 years.
Turns out, Chyenne did have to get a shot. She panicked. She begged the doctor to not give her one. Poor girl. She screamed and cried and demanded Barbie stickers. Her screaming left Cohen in tears too. Oh joy. (this is obviously where the pictures end).
Chyenne and Cohen both left the doctor's office with dried tears, stickers, lollipops, coupons for a free ice cream, and a new book.

Top Ten Reasons I Love Being an Aunt

I LOVE being an aunt.
WHY?
1. Malaki

2. HANNAH
3. KADENCE

4. AZLYNN (right and pink)
5. ANZLEY (left and purple)
 (Hard to get a pic of them apart!)

6. CAYDEN

7. An aunt's love is the BEST, second only to mommy's!
8. The realization that *I* can and DO love other kids like my own.
9. My kisses can make their owies all better too!
10. The friendship that my children share with their cousins.






Monday, March 28, 2011

Cowgirl Party: Chyenne's 3rd Birthday!

On Saturday, March 26, 2011, we celebrated Chyenne's 3rd Birthday with a cowgirl party fit for a princess.

After all of the planning and prepping, the most we could do was hope and pray for good weather. Well, good weather, we did not get. The forecast stated "Isolated Thunderstoms". Yipee. We woke up early and the rain was holding off. We decided to still set up on the front porch as planned, afterall, who wants to host a cowgirl party indoors? It took hours to get the decorations up and we were running WAY behind schedule. I didn't even get to put up half of my decorations! Goodness. The wind was so horrid that we had to keep all of the balloons indoors. Way fun, not! So after struggling to keep stuff from flying away with the wind, I noticed the 2 o'clock hour was quickly approaching. Joy joy! I was still in my pajamas and had not even showered! (Mind you, her party was at TWO!) A few guests (I'll apologize here for my appearance yet again! So sorry!) arrived before I sneaked out to take a shower and bathe the kiddos. It was a mess. Everything was falling apart it seemed. Even my camera! Yep, I didn't even have a camera to take pictures of my princess' third birthday!

Luckily the ponies were able to come.

So I get the kiddos and myself ready and we start celebrating Chyenne's 3rd Birthday.

This was, by far, the largest party we have hosted. Just about all of Chyenne's friends and family were there. There were at least 30 kids (Chyenne's age) in attendence!

The ponies were a hit...and Chyenne, like any new 3 year old, decided to pitch a complete fit about not wanting to get off of "her" pony. She threw her cowgirl hat down as tons of tears streamed down her face and her cries were probably heard from down the road. Goodness.

She did well during "cake time" and did not cry (like last year). She was so excited to have all of the attention on her. Such a diva. She blew out her candles like a pro and quickly devoured her cupcake (well the icing at least).

Present time! My sweet birthday girl is definitely spoiled. BUT She was thoroughly thankful for each and every present. She said "thank you" too many times to count. Oh I love the way a 3 year old's eyes light up at the sight of a present!

Overall, the party was a success. Despite the nasty weather, and the fact that the ponies left at the first sound of thunder (we got nearly an hour with them, so that's good) I believe everyone had a great time. I know I did. There's nothing better than spending a hectic day with so many loved ones and seeing the faces of children light up.

Did I mention that my sweet girl ate SEVEN cupcakes on Saturday? 7! I'm sure she'll be caked-out for a while to come.

After the party was over, Chyenne was looking through her gifts. I asked her which presents were her favorites. She replied, "my ponies were the best presents ever!" I asked what other gifts she liked and she said, "all of them!" A birthday girl couldn't be happier!

Thanks to all who helped make Chyenne's birthday so fantastic! We love you all!

Without further ado... PICTURES!
Remember, I didn't have a camera, so these are just SOME pics I have gotten from others. More to come!

























sorry the pics aren't in any special order.

Until next time....

Monday, March 21, 2011

Exhaustion

This past week was trying--to say the least. My oldest sister was in the hospital for her sleep study to properly diagnose her seizures. SHEESH! I took off work the whole week to help my mom (Nana) watch my sister's kiddos. I absolutely LOVE being an aunt...it's definitely the greatest, second to being mommy of course! My sister's kids are amazing but LOUD and whiny. Gotta love them. My gorgeous twin nieces (2 years old) are LUCKY they are so darn cute. They are high maintenance. My sweet nephew is HYPER and mouthy. He's 7...enough said. In addition to my two, this past week just gave me a complete headache. My caring sister finally came home today. 7 days in a hospital...I'm sure she's exhausted as well. I can't wait to see her, but cram session tomorrow and then maybe after my test on Wednesday I'll stop by for some sister-love. :) (okay, maybe really I need a break from that LOUD house. hehe).

Now to get my house in order for Chyenne's upcoming birthday. My princess is ALMOST three! EEEK! She turns 3 on Friday and we're celebrating with family and friends on Saturday with a cowgirl party, fit for a princess. We can't wait. BUT there is SO much to do. I have a ton of decorations to finish, groceries to buy...and school work to do! I have a huge exam on Wednesday and I plan on cramming non-stop tomorrow. Nothing like procrastination, right?! Sometimes I wish my life could be simple, then I think, how fun is that?! The rewards I reap from my crazy life is definitely worth it.

I'm completely exhausted and entirely overwhelmed. May I get a sub please? :)

Thursday, March 10, 2011

My Boy is Growing Up

My sweet little man is growing up so fast. It breaks my heart. Cohen is 19 months old and ALL boy. He already takes after Chyenne in the "getting annoyed with mommy" department. Goodness. His favorite thing is DINOSAURS. He LOVES them with everything he has. He loves ANYTHING dino! He does a great dinosaur roar! The other day I found him on my bed watching a dinosaur show and here's the video from me interrupting him. I love my little man sooo much! Even if he finds me annoying. :-)

Interview With an Almost 3 Year Old

A couple of great friends gave me the idea to do an interview with Chyenne and see how her answers change in the coming months/years. (Thanks Missy and Angie!)
Interview with Chyenne. 03/09/2011

Favorite Color: "pink, of course... and I also like purple and red and green and sparkles!" Favorite Animal: "umm PIGGY!" -Why do you like piggies? "Because I just love them!"
Favorite Food: "Noodles... Pasta... ummm... and candy!"
Favorite Toy: "my movigo! (vtect mobigo)" -Why is your mobigo your favorite toy? "because it teaches me learning stuff and play games!"
Favorite thing to do: "read books with mommy... and jump on the jumpoplain!" (trampoline). Best Friend? "ummm I have a lot of best friends! Fe-Fe (Phoebe)!!! and my best friend Mylie and my best friend Kadence and my girls (the twins) and my best friend Emily! and I have friends like Savannah and Peyton and Levi and well I just have a lot a lot of friends!" ((she certainly is blessed!))
Age? "well I am just two, not yet three, but I will be three on my birthday!" Birthday? "I was borned from Mommy on March twenty fifths! and I'm gonna have a pink piggy cowgirl birthday party with ponies to ride and yummy cake to eat... well chocolate cupcakes to eat!" Favorite clothes? "T-Shirts!!!!" Where do you live? "I live in Billa Rica, Georgia!" (Villa Rica)
Address? "do I have to say the numbers?" -yes "uuugghhhh five eleven Reed Road Villa Rica Georgia!!!!" (what attitude!)
What do you live in? "a great big ole giant house!" Who lives with you? "my daddy and my mommy and my brother Cohen and just me! nobody else!" Can you tell me what time out is? "yes, time out is for the bad girls and the bad boys. Time out is when you hit someone and you don't listen to mommy or aunt Gay. I do not like time out, it makes me cry!"
What present do you want for your birthday? "a piggy!" -a real one? "oh yes! a real piggy! a pink one!" ((not happening)).
Favorite TV show? "Pirate Jake! and ummm OLIVIA!" (Jake and the Neverland Pirates)Favorite Book? "piggy books! and I like my Veggie Tales books and I like Wide Awake Jake and I like the sleepy pirates book (Pajama Pirtaes)". Are you finished with this interview yet? "nope, not yet... ask me some more!"
How much does Mommy love you? "more than the sun and the moon and the stars and the sky!" (way more)Why is the sky blue? "because the grass is already green and skies are boys, so they can't be pink!" (HAHAHAHAHA)
What are you most excited about? "being three and going to school, homeschool with mommy!" (me too!)
Well Chyenne mommy is out of questions... -"okay..."

Oh how I love my girl.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

My Favorite

THIS is my favorite. THIS is what I wake up to. THIS is why I don't think co-sleeping is so bad. THIS is what gets me through my day.
Never mind that I maybe had 4 inches of mattress to sleep on the whole night. My sweet peaceful babies were close in my arms and close to each other. Pure Bliss.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Learning Fun

With all of the expenses of preschool (for TWO), we simply cannot afford to have our children in both 3 & 4 year old preschool (not one I approve of anyway). I have decided that I will HOMESCHOOL Chyenne and Cohen until they are 4 and depending on their development, we will see about furthering mommy-ed or placing them in a "real" school.

I'm getting beyond excited. I have always loved learning and seeing the passion my sweet girl has for learning has really inspired me to step up to HER standards and allow her mind to flourish. Firstly, I looked up a TON of homeschooling information and "lesson plans". I am a huge fan of the Montessori approach and any other child-led education. I found an amazing blog confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com and ordered the disk for "Letter of the Week" to get us started. I also bookmarked all of the links for FREE printables from her site and many others. I also had to order more ink for my printer before I can get started. CHECK! Then I found an amazing deal for the xyron creative station. Oh it's so wonderful. I can laminate, make stickers, magnets, etc! SO EXCITED! I love the idea of making the learning materials durable enough to withstand my clumsy children a year or more worth of education and be easily passed down to the next sibling.

The best thing about all of the learning I wish to provide my children with is that it is CREATIVE. Oh arts and crafts galore... right up their alley (and mine).

I already do so much with Chyenne and Cohen that I'm really using "homeschooling" as an excuse to buy more materials to teach my children. :)

Chyenne's intelligence far surpasses her age. She is totally ready. She is so excited to start "school" so I'm sure I'll have no problem getting her to sit down for a long-ish period of time to do a few lessons. She already knows all of her letters and the sounds that they make, but I want to make her learning a bit more concrete. She knows her numbers, colors, shapes, animals, etc. She's also learning to READ as it is, so this just ups my excitement. I'm also planning on working in mathematics and science experiments with her. Of course we will throw in some real-world experiences to set us off as well. Trip to the zoo for animal exploration anyone? Grocery shopping for math and reading practice?! Oh yea, I'm going to be THAT mama. Oh yea, I already AM that mama! *blushes*

And we can't forget about little Cohen. He's going to be learning up a storm too. I have a lot of pages bookmarked to help me with his learning. Hopefully he'll begin talking more so I know more of what he understands. We'll further his knowledge about shapes, colors, and animals. As well as work on letters and numbers at HIS pace. I can't wait. He is also a little sponge. He soaks everything up and he loves to do things by himself. He also loves to do whatever sister is doing, so having him seated for a "lesson" should be fairly simple as well. He loves arts and crafts so that will definitely be a huge part of his learning.

Do you feel my excitement here? This is going to be SO fun! I hope we can stay on track with it all. I follow many of the blogs that I have gotten ideas from, so please, feel free to check them out. I cannot wait to post our first lessons! EEEK!
Until next time. <3

New Here

I guess this is me saying hello to the fascinating blogging world...but don't expect anything too fascinating to come from me. ;) The title of my blog came from the idea that my children are my shadows. They follow me everywhere and even when they are big enough to lead their own life, they will always be a shadow of their life with me. I will have molded them and they will always me much greater than me. I used to be smart--until I had kids and they teach me something new every day.

Introductions? Ehh I'm never too good at introducing myself. So here's the easiest way.
Name: Heather Mayfield
Maritial Status: Married, hopelessly in love with a crazy military man named Colt.

Occupation: Full time college student AND part time piss collector for pain clinics. ((and of course MOMMY to two amazing kiddos)).
Hobbies: Playing Sports (volleyball, soccer, softball, basketball, etc), Scrapbooking, MY KIDS, Reading, Flying Kites, Swimming, Getting Dirty, Photography (okay really what I do is not photography, more like snapping pictures)...
Religious Views: I'm a Chrisitian. Methodist is my church of choice.
Political Views: Usually republician.

Parenting Style: Mostly attachment parenting.

MY KIDS. My Shadows.

My First Born, My Princess, My Diva, My Angel, My Girl.
*Chyenne Taylor*
She's the smartest child I have ever met. She does everything on HER time (we should have known that by her birth... 3-day induction, enough said). She has always done everything early (from holding her head up just hours old to rolling over at 3 weeks, to talking at 5 months to standing at 6 months to walking at 9 months to potty training way before 2 to everything!). She is my light. Hard to believe my princess will be THREE years old in 18 days. WOW! Where has the time gone? My princess is daring yet cautious. She is my little sponge who loves to learn new things. She is very girly and tells me that she is going to be a cheerleader (which btw, I have never been fond of cheerleaders. I like "real" sports. ;)) soon and that she wants to be "a cowgirl ballerina who sings and dances" when she grows up. She loves Taylor Swift (and comments that she loves how Taylor Swift has blond hair just like her!...another thing I have always hated... blonds!) She is proving to me that she is her own person. She is very much my opposite when it comes to things, but we are entirely compatable. Daddy often calls her "Mommy Jr". She is very opinionated and affectionate. She is my girl (although she's quite a daddy's girl too).

My Baby, My Little Man, Mr Rough and Tough, My Charmer, MY BOY.
*Cohen Jacob*
He is full of surprises. He is rough and tough. He is quite the charmer. Cohen is my free-spirited one. He is the sweetest little guy you'll ever meet... but he does have quite the temper. I say it's the Mayfield coming out in him. He can also be super mean. He often reminds me of the sour patch kids commercials "first they're sour then they're sweet!". Sooo Cohen. He'll headbutt you then kiss you. Oh I love my little man. He definitely stole my heart the minute he was born. He is so handsome and loving. He is my little side-kick. He is a trouble-maker... but nothing bad, he's just mischevious. He is a thinker and doesn't say too much. He'll be TWO in August. TWO?! My BABY will be TWO! AHHHH! He is always very smart, but more so with his actions/motor skills. :) He's going to break some hearts one day. He's without a doubt a big ole mama's boy! I love every second of it.

Well that's it for introductions. :) Pics soon to come.