Thursday, January 28, 2016

My Girl

My sweet girl is getting so big! 

She is WAY into ballet and tap. She got measured last week for her recital costume. Thursday is officially her favorite day of the week. I love it too because it gives us some girl time. 



You can find her in these heels Aunt Nat bought her almost any time we're at home. Jeans, tee, sparkly heels, no big deal! 



She loves a pup. And I love her laugh...big puffy heart love her laugh. 


She was nowhere to be found but she left evidence behind on Gizmo. 


She is a little momma. She takes her baby in her carseat everywhere we go. She feeds her, strolls her around, and changes her diaper. Sometimes she forgets where she put her though! :) 


I started back to work last week so on Tuesday I picked her up from school a little early, took her to get a haircut, to lunch, and to a movie just the two of us. It was such a good day! She's at such a fun age. 


Love my sweet girl! 



Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The Soothie

Right after Ethan was born Terry watched this video of a pediatrician soothing this baby by holding him up in the air kinda wiggling him back and forth. We thought it was hilarious, and because we're mature we tried it on Ethan. It worked like a charm and still does!! 

So anytime he's really upset, he gets a soothie!


It doesn't work quite as well on 5 year olds!


Friday, January 15, 2016

2 Months

My Sweet Boy, 

You are 2 months old!!! How did that happen? I am still in awe that you are here, yet I can't imagine our family without you! 

You are a big boy...23 inches and 13lbs 7oz at the doctor this week. You're weight exceeded your height growth :). I blame the holidays! 

You wear size 3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. 

You eat 4-6 oz every 4 hours...except at night. You almost always take 6 oz before bed and sometimes want to eat twice within about two hours of bedtime which is almost always 9pm. You only take about two ounces if you eat a second time though. 

You're sleeping about 10 hours at night in your bed in your room. Sometimes, I can't even believe it! You also take 2-3 naps throughout the day. It's hard to say with naps because we are on the go a lot. You almost always fall asleep in the car. 



What's New This Month:

*Your smile...ALL. THE. TIME. I can say anything to you and you'll smile at me! I am seriously head over heels in love with you. You are so stinking cute!!! 




*You coo at me...you look us right in the eyes and "talk" to us



*Your head control is ridiculous,  you turn your head from side to side, and can push up on your arms during tummy time 

*You're sleeping through the night!!! I can't even believe that as I type it, but you sleep from 9pm to 7am pretty consistently now. I let you fill up before bed, and you go right to sleep. 



*You are busy...you are laid back but you are so busy. You are always looking around and kicking your legs. I think you are definitely going to keep me on my toes. 

*You found your tongue and your hands. You stick your tongue out a lot and grab onto anything you can get with your hands, especially my shirt and my hair! 



*You had your first road trip (two of them!), met lots of family and friends, first Christmas, and first trip to the park





Your great Uncle Tony and Aunt Marie 


Huggy and Honky came to see you and fell in love!


Brynn and Jaylei love you too...you spent the whole time they were here in somebody's arms! 



*You got your first set of shots and you were hysterical. I'll say you got your first boo boo out of one of them too. They didn't do the shot right, and you bled and bled and your little leg was so sore. It was terrible! 

Likes: 

*Eating...pretty obvious but you are a good eater

*Bath time...you love getting a bath. You just started trying to drink the water and it is hilarious! 



*Your car seat...you love to ride in the car


*Music...you LOVE music. You like to lay on the bed or floor on your back and kick your legs to whatever song is playing! 


*Outside...you love to be outside. You like being in the carrier or being held, you just love being outdoors. 



*Madeline...she makes you smile and you adore her





*People in general...you'll smile at anyone who will talk to you. You like to be held but you're very wiggly the whole time 



*Your bed...you just about won't fall asleep on us anymore. You want to be in your bed to go to sleep, even for naps. 


Dislikes: 

*Tummy time...you hate it. You scream pretty much the whole time which makes me hate it too. haha

*Being hungry...that's about the only time you cry. That and getting your diaper changed before you eat. You really prefer that nothing get in the way of meal time! ;) 



You have already changed so much and are getting such a sweet personality. I adore spending my days with you and am dreading going back to work soon. I know you'll be in good hands but I am sure going to miss you! You have brought such joy to our family, and I am so thankful for your sweet little life! We love you! 












Thursday, January 14, 2016

92

My granny turned 92 on January 9th! She's always been one of my greatest influences. She's the most generous person I know. She waited tables until she was 75, and has always been the type of person to do for others before she does for herself. She has always made the BEST chicken and dumplings and when I was little would give me coffee with lots of cream and sugar! 

I was so thankful we got to spend her special day with her! We took her to breakfast the morning of her birthday. She told me all she wanted for her birthday was to hold Ethan and get a picture with him which prompted my trip down there. Then she told me she wanted a RC cola and moon pie...1 for 3 isn't too bad, right? I just love her! 


Madeline LOVES Ihop and Granny! 


SO sweet! 


We had her party that night at my sister's house and she was so pumped when we sang to her! 


I love this picture of her clapping...she was so happy!! 

Here she is with my dad and uncle Tony. My Uncle Tony is crazy...add my dad to the mix and it gets LOUD! haha 


We got one last picture at church Sunday morning. So many sweet memories made last weekend! 


Happy Birthday Granny! We love you SO much!! 

Christmas Recap

We stayed home for Christmas this year. We knew we were leaving the day after Christmas, and would see my family in January so we stayed home. It was so nice!

Santa came and brought lots of goodies! Madeline and Ethan both got chairs and Madeline got a baby in a car seat which is all she asked for! Oh and an umbrella...she has wanted an umbrella since we moved here. 

I finally woke her up at 9:00...she was beside herself with excitement on Christmas Eve and I think she just crashed. Sweet girl! 


This was by far the most fun Christmas...she was WAY into it and so was Gizmo! 


I got her a box of 35 colors of play doh...it was the first thing she opened and she wanted to show us every color. Every.Single.One. 


Me and my babies. Madeline helped Ethan open his presents! 


Phoebe patiently waiting for her gifts....


Her favorite gift was the umbrella...still is. 


This sweet boy gave me the best smiles on Christmas morning! 


We went to Terry's aunt's house for lunch...they made seafood and it was delicious. Ethan got to meet a lot of his relatives. He got lots of loving! 


He was loving this swing outside! 


Then this happened...it's exhausting being a baby! 


Sweet boy! 


Christmas night we went to my friend Amy's house. It's so nice to be close again , and their family has been like family to us for so many years. They fried chicken and had mashed potatoes, salad, and home made rolls...it was the best! We are so grateful to have friends who treat us like family! 





It was a good Christmas!!! 

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Winter Vacay 2015

In October our friends asked us if we'd like to go to the mountains on vacation the week after Christmas. I made sure to warn them that we'd have a newborn but they have three kids and were all about it. So the day after Christmas we headed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a week. We had SO much fun! 


These girls are so cute and have so much fun together...we stopped at Cracker Barrel on the way. Terry set up the Jelly Belly game for me and Amy to play in my car and he mixed in bean boozed jelly beans without telling us. I got vomit and it was the WORST! I could have killed him! 



We got to the cabin around 6pm and this little guy was mad!! He was so gassy and screamed for a good two hours! Good thing he's so cute! 



Sunday we went to Cade's Cove and walked around in the woods! It was so fun, and Ethan LOVED it. He loves being outside! Of course, Madeline was in heaven too! 


I think Terry was walking like an Egyptian...I'm not sure. haha


The pictures don't do it justice but gosh it is gorgeous there! 






The next day was Madeline's birthday and we got her a little surprise and some balloons. She was so cute about her birthday this year. She knew it was her special day and she must have told me and everyone else a thousand times! 

How has 5 years gone by so quickly? I could not love her more...


She requested pancakes for her birthday meal and hot dogs for dinner! haha So that's what we did...Gatlinburg is known for their pancake houses and the one we went to did not disappoint. It was amazing!!! 



That night we grilled hot dogs and sausage per her request...my girl is so high class! :) 



Her big gift was going to Dollywood while we were there. We went the next day since the weather was supposed to be nice, and every other person in the area had the same idea. It was seriously worse than Disney...it was nuts! 




Ethan snoozed his way through most of the day! 


He did wake up for a quick smile...and to eat of course! He gives the cutest smiles...he turns his head to the side and just grins from ear to ear. I love it! 


My girl and me :) 




Family photo...so hard to get a good one! haha


My lifelong friend and me! 


We got to see Rudolph's girlfriend and some other guy in the kids' Christmas area...Madeline loved it! 



Terry stopped at an airbrush stand and had them make him a t-shirt that said "This is the worst" with a sad face on it and people cracked up all over the park when they saw him. He wore it over his jacket! haha He's so crazy! 


Once it got dark and cold, people left in droves and we really started having fun. But prior to that, it really was miserable...the lines were so long even to get food or a drink. After dark though, the lines were virtually gone and we were riding rides and getting right back on them with no wait. I am so glad we stayed! 


The other perk of staying was the gorgeous lights. It was beautiful! 





We played some games too and Madeline caught this fish! 


On the way out, Terry made all my dreams come true and got us a funnel cake on the way out. So good!! 


The next day we went shopping and to the Island which is a bunch of shops and restaurants and it is gorgeous. There are fountains that shoot up to music and it is so pretty! 



 Sweet girls! 

This sweet boy woke up to give me a smile! 


The next day was Evie's birthday and New Year's Eve and we rested a lot of the day. We watched football and made good food. Both girls took a long nap and then we went to get cupcakes for Evie's birthday! 




This guy passed out way before midnight! :) 


New Year's Day we hit up the go carts and seriously it was the best thing ever! I think that was the most fun thing we did all week! 



We ate at a local pizza place for lunch and it was delicious! 


Then we headed to the knife store...aka my worst nightmare. Weapons everywhere...stuffed dead animals everywhere. Not my thing but we made the best of it! It was SO cold and little E looked so cute bundled up. I couldn't resist a selfie! 


These girls found the stuffed animals and posed! 


Again...couldn't resist! He's so cute! 


We made a big dinner that night and packed up while the guys took the kids for more go carts. We headed home first thing Saturday. We had SO much fun, but I was so glad to be home! 

This little cutie made it his mission to NOT sleep at night! :) 



It was a perfect end to the year!!!