May 25, 2011

We have Giggling

UPDATED: I have no idea why clipshack.com is not letting my videos show up here. I can't figure out how to get my videos approved (have never had to do it before). So I've uploaded the videos directly to blogger. Hope this clears up the problems.

James started the past week or so. It is so fun! Grampa John is here visiting and his fake sneezes are a BIG hit!

May 17, 2011

My E-mail was Hacked


Trying to notify everyone I can - my hotmail account was hacked this morning (5/17). Do not click on any kind of link in any emails you got from me today, I did not send it.

May 15, 2011

Sleepover - Fun Times!

My good friend, Kelly, and daughter Savannah came for a visit! Savannah spent the night Friday. Maggie and Savannah had a great time: after dinner they watched Monsters Vs. Aliens and had a big pancakes, sausage and eggs breakfast Saturday morning.

Despite being a little naughty when they were supposed to be sleeping (one of the times I checked on them they were covering themselves in bandaids, another time it was a potty party) they were very cute. I knew they wouldn't go right to bed - who does that at a sleepover? I mean really. I put them to bed about 8:45 but they didn't fall asleep until about 10:45 after I finally threatened to separate them - I wanted to go to bed, too!

When James woke up at 4:50 in the morning (he went right back to sleep after nursing), they woke up and started chatting. I did separate them and put them back to bed as I was not starting my Saturday at 5 in the morning (lazy, I know!). Thankfully they slept until 7 am.

Savannah came up to both of us (Maggie and I) at different times of the visit with big hugs and said "I missed you so much!" She was so very sweet, and we have missed her, too! Maggie even made sure Savannah had her own lamb for bedtime. I thought that was so darn funny. You can't sleep at our house without a lamb, I guess.

May 14, 2011

Little Buddies

I watched Zeke the other day while Dixie went on Zayli's field trip. James and Zeke are 11 months (plus a day) apart in age, but surprisingly close in size (!). And they have several of the same outfits. Here's one of them.

May 13, 2011

Cuddling with Daddy

James gets a little fussy in the evenings, 7-8 he is just not that happy. It's a little too early for bedtime for our schedule, so we keep him up. Mostly. Except when Daddy's chest is just too comforting. Then a little napping ensues.

Just Because I Could Eat Those Cheeks!



Bike Riding, among other things


Maggie is finally getting back to her independent self after her scare on the cruise last Spring. She had recently really grown fond of riding her bike, and will even ride it far ahead of where I am walking. So far ahead that she can't hear me tell her to slow down, or stop! So while I get a little concerned that she is going to blast across a street before she looks properly, I am so very thrilled and proud that she is growing less Fraidy Cat and more Big Girl.

Singing on Mother's Day

The preschool and elementary choirs at church sang on Sunday. Maggie was pretty excited to sing "on the stage".

This was during the practice before the service. I love how she and Zayli are holding hands. So sweet.
Now they're looking at the camera.
Singing during the service. I didn't get a picture of her fluffing up her hair, which she did for most of one of the songs. I believe Tyler got it on video, though, so that's good. She is SUCH a goofball when she's in little concerts like this. I'll be interested to see how she acts during her dance recital in June.

May 12, 2011

Mother's Day 2011

This Mother's Day was pretty special. I mean really, TWO babies? I am loving having two children. And also, we were in the market for a minivan, and is just so happens that Tyler found a minivan and picked it up Saturday right before Mother's Day. More about that in a minute.

Mother's Day Out had a Mother's Day celebration. The moms were supposed to wear fun hats or "fascinators" in honor of the royal wedding. I didn't have a fun hat (I'm not that Southern) but I found instructions online for this fascinator and I added the feathers. It took me all of 30 minutes to whip it out. And it was so cute!!!
Maggie wanted to wear her "Snow White" bow (it's red) instead of a fun hat. No problem, it was much less hassle.
Here she is painting her picture of our house that I drew. Her friend Isabella in the background.
And the kids dyed carnations (mine had a blue tint) and custom0named bath salts. Maggie picked the scent she wanted and named it "Surfing Otter." For real. Other kids named their scents sunshine lily or something, I got otter. I am happy to report that after using the bath salts I don't smell particularly like I've been surfing or like an otter so that's good! Maggie said she picked that name because it sounded fun. So Mother's Day weekend, Tyler went to Atlanta to pick up a minivan he found on cars.com. He got a great deal, of course (I would expect nothing less from Tyler when it comes to car shopping). He surprised me by decorating it with a pink bow and a bottle of wine and chocolates on the front seat. Plus a half-dozen more bottles from Trader Joe's in Atlanta. So I got to be an extra-official mom on sunday, driving my minivan to church.
Sunday was really a perfect day. Not only did I get to drive my new car to church, I got to go to BOTH the church service and our Sunday School class (James' feeding schedule just worked out that day and Tyler took care of him during the service). Then our tradition is French dip sandwiches for lunch afterwards. I love them.

Here's Tyler with James on Mother's Day:
It gets better: I got to take a NAP!!! Then I made more French dip sandwiches for Home Fellowship, one of my favorite things to do each month. And then - wait for it ... James slept through the night! And has continued since Sunday night and today is Thursday. So. Very. Nice.

Updates: iPhone Pictures

I am finding that I take a lot of photos with my iPhone that I've only posted on Facebook. So I'm going to start doing some iPhone Updates in the future so those photos are here, too. here are some updates from the past couple weeks.

How I clipped my coupons the other day (and also worked on the checkbook this morning).
Olive "helping" me fold the laundry.
Don't tell Daddy - we got ice cream cones after we met him for lunch. They were chocolately and good!
Sleeping baby. Few things are better!
Maggie's CRAZY HAIR for Crazy Hair night at AWANA (Cubbies). It took about 1/3 bottle of conditioner and 45 minutes of combing in the bathtub at 9 at night to get it all out before bed. We won't be doing that again. Her hair stayed all night in this crazy ratted, pink mohawk that looked like cotton candy, but the tangles really are atrocious.

May 3, 2011

Two Months

Here's my darling, super sweet, cuddly little man. See that face? That happy face? I get to see that all the time. It is especially prevalent when a certain little girl comes around with her sing-song voice to talk to her little brother! My how time has just flown by. Two months today! James had his 2-month wellness check this morning: 15 pounds (95 percentile) and 24 inches (82 percentile). He also got several vaccinations, and I'm proud to report I didn't cry! He just cried for a moment, but I nursed him right away and that made it all better. You can see his Toy Story bandaids on his chunky little thighs.

I am really thankful for how quickly we've all adjusted to this squishy, adorable little boy! I'm working on establishing new routines that include getting two children ready for the day, clothed, fed, bathed, loved. Oh, and keeping the house from looking like a pig sty. The new normal is pretty great. Maggie still loves her little brother and showers him with hugs and kisses daily. She had already mentioned that she would like another brother or sister (so impatient!).

This baby stage has been so much fun, too. It was fun with Maggie, but she was the first baby, so I was definitely more rigid and orderly; whereas with James so far we just take each day as it comes. I'm much more relaxed this time around, and I even enjoy (ok, tolerate well) getting up in the middle of the night to feed him. I remember that this phase goes so very quickly, and am all too aware that he may be the last baby (we probably will not try for 3 years for a #3).

And while trying to enjoy this phase, I can't help but want for him to be up and moving and able to interact more with Maggie. In the evenings when she and Tyler have their play time, I can just see a chubby little toe-head tagging along, trying to do everything his big sister is doing. But I am content to wait, and cuddle my sweet little chunker each day along the way.