More footsteps

Addyson is walking!!!! Check out this video:




Addyson had a weight check at the pediatrician's on Wednesday. She weighs 15 pounds 3.6 ounces. Dr. said to keep doing what we've been doing, and feed her plenty of fatty foods - you know all the stuff the rest of us are supposed to limit like shakes, slathering things in butter, syrup. Lucky her!! We go back in a few weeks for their 15 months well check.



It has been rainy for a few days so we got to go do a few things as a family. One rainy day I got out the sunglasses I found for Addyson and Braden. Check out these cuties!

Addyson trying on Braden's shades - notice the chubby little hand coming in to swipe them! They are starting to have some good fights over toys. Apparently twins don't even like to share with each other most of the time!

Sometimes we have a picnic for snacktime. Here they are eating their snacks.


And here they are eating again . . . we must do that a lot! Addyson is learning to hold her sippy cup herself. She still really likes her bottles and doesn't want to drink her PediaSure from a sippy cup so that is our latest fight. When she decides she wants to do it, she will!

Today the sun is shining and it looks beautiful out so hopefully we can go for a walk. Hope you all have a beautiful day as well!

What a zoo!!!

Life at our house is usually a zoo!! Addyson and Braden love to pull things out of cabinets, drawers, you name it. And now have learned to throw them!! So as a result my floors are usually hazardous; it's amazing I haven't broken an ankle yet!! Here you can see what I mean.

So, since it's a zoo at home we thought we would take the kids to the zoo in Wichita. Even though these pictures don't exactly look like it, we all had a great time. The kids were pretty sleepy but they had fun. Addyson waved at every animal that she saw.

Sitting in front of the grizzly bears. It's not Alaska, but probably as close as we'll get for a while!

Watching the storms. We had to leave the zoo because it was getting stormy. We knew there was a chance but when Ryan asks if we want to go, we go!! It was probably long enough for a first visit anyway.

These days Braden is walking as fast as he can all over the place. His new favorite toy is a bat that he carries around with him.

Here he is waiting at the back door asking to go along with daddy.

And being goofy. He gets stuck all sorts of places lately.

Addyson some days can be encouraged to take up to 7 tiny steps. But most days takes a couple and then plops down on the floor. But she will hold on to my hand with one of her hands and walk quite a ways. One of these days she will just take off!! Here are some cute pics of her.


When I ask Addyson where her nose is, this is what she does every time. Watch this:



Here we are on Mother's Day - way after the kids bedtime. But oh well, at least we remembered to take a picture! I'm so glad God lets me be their mommy.

Here they are just being silly. And they are totally hilarious lately!!

And playing with their daddy - what could be more fun??

14 months old!

Today Addyson and Braden are 14 months old!

Braden is walking all over the place. He constantly is going somewhere and he thinks it is very awesome that he can carry stuff - BIG stuff - while he is walking. He LOVES to play and is always busy. He can empty a cabinet very quickly and loves to pull things out of drawers, laundry baskets, or anything else destructive that he can find to do. And he still loves to climb and crawl in things as you can see by the picture above!!

Addyson is standing much more and taking a few steps. She is so much more cautious!!! She is babbling like crazy and sometimes it sounds like she is saying actual words. She understands so much and is realizing what I say and tries to communicate. Tooth #7 is just poking through. She has a very funny laugh lately and just cracks herself up, especially when she wakes up in her crib. She gets very frustrated when she tries to do something and can't do it.

Both of them are being very ornery. Discipline is definitely a big part of our lives these days!! They know when they have been naughty and Braden is especially good at pretending he didn't do anything but trying to get away as fast as possible. Addyson likes to get as close as she can to doing something she's not supposed to . . . and then gives me a HUGE ornery smile, and she continues smiling even while she's getting in trouble. It is really hard not to laugh sometimes!! But not so much other times. They are busy, busy toddlers!! It is fun to watch their personalities shine more and more - they are turning into little people. We also see the ugliness of their sins and all our bad habits that they have already picked up. What a huge responsibility God has given us as parents to teach these two so much - to teach them about sin and about God's love and grace. We're still trying to learn so much ourselves I sometimes can't believe that God trusts us to be in charge of teaching Addyson and Braden; it sure is a good thing He is with us each step of the way because what a mess we would make of them without Him!!!!

Ryan has been working with cattle and hauling them to grass so the kids and I have made a few trips with him. Braden absolutely loves spending time with his daddy. Riding in the truck is one of his favorite things (his daddy doesn't mind it either). Braden works really hard to keep his eyes open as long as possible so he doesn't have to miss something even if it is way past his bedtime. Whenever he knows daddy is leaving the house he gets to the back door as soon as possible and waits hoping that he can go along. Here he is with his daddy.

And our sweet Addyson too!