The big V day

What a wonderful day!
The kids loved their presents & had a great day with Ms. A!
They both enjoyed a crab dinner, Addi's first, and fell asleep quickly!
Time for us to enjoy the yummy cake the kids baked for us!

Playing catch up on posts

It's been a while so there is loads to catch up on!

Addison started walking at Christmas & is now nearly running! She can toddle herself around the house pretty quickly now, especially when we are playing chase or trying to take something away from her (usually something she put in her mouth & refuses to let us see).

She is also "talking"a lot now. She's had "dada" down for quite some time & added "momma" on HER birthday (such a great way to say thank you!). This weekend Sam swears that heard "turtle" while we were watching a nature channel.

Ryder is also doing very well with his speech! He is quite the little parrot (one I'd Ashley's first comments, lol!). We are SO very proud of him! He can count to 10 & knows about 1/2 the alphabet, if not more, knows his colors & basic shapes. He is also (mostly) potty trained! The daycare decided to tech him before we left & they did it!! 2 weeks & he was doing great. At 3 weeks I was truly blown away! He even goes in public (that's an adventure that deserves a whole different post!).

That boy melts my heart!

Mommy has been needing a weekend to recharge for quite a while & this weekend is it! Sam took the kids to see his parents & I am resting up big time!! Mentally & physically drained & definitely loving the hubs for this treat!

Today I enjoyed a very long, deep massage & yummy Thai lunch (one of my favorite dishes which I haven't had in about a year!) followed by a nice long nap. Fixing to meet a good friend for a drink to catch up & enjoy some social time!

Nothing beats hearing Ryder say night night on the phone tonight though! That boy melts my heart!

I absolutely LOVehearing his voice as he learns to talk. This week was the first to hear a few new short sentences including "need battery" as he walked around with his remote control car last night. Boy learns quick!! (Apparently we say that a lot!)

Another melt my heart moment is hearing Ry say "Addi." In the morning, to find her at daycare or to "tattle" on her ;-)

Missing my little's tonight but I'm looking forward to a leisurely breakfast, a favorite things party & some shopping tomorrow!

Addison's Acheivements

I wanted to take a moment to document all that Addison is doing now.

She cut her first teeth at 9 mo & all 4 front teeth are almost fully grown in.

She is saying Dada now & it's music to Sam's ears - I can see the joy on his face as he lights up with her smile & well timed 'Dada.'

She crawls so quickly! One second she's at my feet, the next, in the laundry room or hauling off to Bubba's room to explore. She is almost walking now too. She's down to needing only one hand to balance most of the time & is practicing running now. She has taken a step here & there but only for the eyes of others. Mom & Dad will be the last to see her first steps ;-)

Addi was sleeping through the night for me until she came down with a nasty case if bronchitis & double ear infection 2 weeks ago. Thankfully all better now, but still waking & with the cold weather I've been compelled to attend to her since she completely unwraps herself. I look forward to peaceful quiet nights but am just trying to enjoy all her baby qualities for now. I know that it won't be long before she is a toddler & has outgrown all the little baby phases.

She is a WONDERFUL eater. She is great at trying new things, eats veggies & uses the snack packs that should keep us on track to healthy snacking into her college, I mean pre-k, years (though I often consider sucking one down for the extra vitamins!).

Thanksgiving 2012

We are sitting down prepping for the Aggies to take on Mizzou & ND vs USC so I thought I'd quickly do a post.

This year we hosted dinner for my brother, Matt & a Black Friday brunch for good friends, The Pike's & Keith's. the highlight was getting to finally meet Mr. Patrick. We loved catching up & watching the kids play. And I love that the 3 eldest girls enjoyed picking lemons in the backyard. All 8 kids are truly wonderful & I love watching them grow. Such sweet kiddos!

Ry fought his nap all afternoon & finally settled in on the couch with daddy, his milk & some football. I just caught this sweet pic of our napping Prince.

Time to wake him for some dinner, Christmas lights & maybe some marshmallow roasting.

Good times with a toddler

Oct-2012

Tonight I felt so relieved to finally get home with my happy two. After reading daycare reviews all afternoon I was ready to love on them. That mindset definitely helped when the terrible twos set in.

I ended up laughing pretty well at the hysterics that ensued after I poured whole milk in the cardboard container rather than the 2% in the plastic jug. Apparently Ry thought I was trying to poison him. The crying was ridiculous & didn't cease until I poured a new cup. Topping off the previously chosen cup was useless as he had already witnessed the wrong milk entering that cup.

Quite entertaining!

A date night to remember

After a very close loss to LSU, we packed up the family in the loaner Acadia & headed to the mall for pics & dinner. It was time to finally do Ryder's 2 year pics, Addi's 9 mo pics & their baby dedication outfits.

I promised Sam that I wouldn't sign him up for anything besides studying, but fate had different plans & he had to pack up the books early this morning to get the truck a/c looked at (again). After watching the Ags lose to LSU I started getting the kids ready for pics & was super excited when Sam decided to go along for the ride. Little did he know that a trip to Picture People is maddening. ;-)

The kids did great, especially with the change of clothes that was involved & the late start. I was really apprehensive about a 5pm shoot but didn't see much opportunity to do this since I'm starting back at work on Monday.

After pictures & a brief shopping jaunt for daddy, we packed up & headed over for dinner. Apparently it is Homecoming so the restaurants were packed with the exception of Mia Bella. They let us in surprisingly & it was amazing! Not the food - though it was amazing too & definitely the best I've had in a LONG time - but what stayed with me is that we had a NICE, QUIET dinner with our kids. Both of them. Well after our normal dinner time. In a fancy restaurant. With messy food. It was a miracle!!! We even enjoyed an appetizer & wine!!!

How often do the stars align for something this awesome?!

Ahh. Home now with kids in bed. Added bonus, they let us take the remainder of our bottle of wine home in a doggy bag (plastic, not paper. We clarified beforehand & the tattooed waiter ensured me that Mia Bella is not "ghetto"). Lol!

What a wonderful evening! Loving my family so much these days. Couldn't be happier to have this special night before going back to work.

New words from a new second home

Oct 16, 2012

The kids started at a new daycare this past week. It was too hard to get to the in home sitter we were using & we, of course, want the best environment for them. They are now in a Montessori school in our neighborhood & based on the smiles they have at pick up & drop off we feel better leaving them there.

However, as good as the first two days seemed to be for our little munchkins, the most impressive thing we saw in Ryder was a whopping 3 new words! That's right. 2 days, 3 words. Pretty impressive, right?! We're pleased overall. The three words might be small but they are mighty, just like the little man himself.

My favorite of the three new words - "hi" complete with a wave & smile. We were tickled to bits watching him go up to strangers (mostly other kids) throughout the weekend & use his new greeting. Even better, it's a real wave! In the fashion of a parade wave vs the baby open & closed fist wave we've been enjoying for so long.

My least favorite seems to be the one he doesn't feel the need to use a lot, thankfully. "Mine" has always struck a nerve with me until I watched Nemo & got a laugh over the sea gulls saying it. But, alas we've reached that phase. He's a kind soul though so I don't think it will be too bad.

Funniest of the three, due to the proper usage, is the dreaded "no."

"Ryder, do you want water?" "No."

"Ryder, do you need to go potty?". "No."

"Ryder, can you read to your sister?" (posed as a distraction from the foreseen use of "mine" as Addi crawled to the books). "No."

Another heart warming language usage of the little man ... tonight he went through the house calling "momma" looking for me. :-)

Weekend adventures in San Antonio

From Sept 21, 2012 This past weekend we packed up & headed to San Antonio. It was our first family hotel trip & we were going to meet my parents who flew in for an extended weekend. On Friday we were able to check in just in time to unpack & head downstairs for the free HH & then hit the River Walk for dinner.
That's where the adventure started! Two tables over from us (almost immediately after the waitress delivered drinks) a lightbulb exploded & the wire caught fire! It was a minor fire but I was ready to high tail it out of there. We decided that after wrangling out little monsters, we were staying. So I had the balloon man make Ry a dinosaur. Score!

It ended up being a dino weekend in SA. We hit the dinosaur exhibit at the Riverwalk mall to give Ry some time to run & enjoy his second favorite thing in the whole wide world - DINOSAURS!!!

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Alamo for a family pic to commemorate the kids first trip.

Unfortunately, the trip ended sooner than we planned. My parents volunteered to give Sam and I a date night but we had noticed a slight fever on Addi. After a dose of Tylenol we decided to give it a shot & headed out to see our friends, the Baldwins for a night on the Riverwalk. When we got back, Addi had just woken up & was screaming & had a 103 fever. Yikes! Nice work. Mom of the year, right? Well, that was the end for me. We packed up the next morning & headed back so that we could be at the dr. office first thing. Both kids ended up having raging ear infections. Ugh. Poor Addison - teeth & ears at the same time. Yuck.

9 mo stats for Ms. A

Today (10-16-2012) was Addison's 9 mo check up and shots & she did wonderfully! We had a few wake ups last night - as in both kids started screaming at the same time & we were too tired to sleep train & ended up sleeping with little ones. Needless to say, we overslept a bit & were running late this morning. Although she was tired, teething & hungry she did great & I'm so proud of her. Addison's statsLength: 28" (70%)Weight: 18lb 10oz (50%)Head: 17" (25%)

The things we do...

After a rough night where I split my evening sharing my bed with Ry & later with Addi b/c they both refused to settle into their own beds, I have found myself in the car driving them around for the past 2 hours to ensure naps. It's a great day for it at least. Overcast, lazy Sunday.
Love these little's.

Such a big girl!

During a midnight feeding last night, I was able to feel the first tooth in my baby girl's mouth!! She was fussing & I gave her my finger to chew on. I was rewarded with being the first to feel the first little (sharp) tooth that broke through!

It's not big enough to see, but the bottom left front tooth is making its way in!

Addi also has enough hair to finally put a barrette in & she can hold her sippy & bottles now all on her own.

Latest stats

Ryder 2 year stats

Height 37 1/2 in - 97%
Weight 29lb 9 oz - 70%
Head 19 1/4in - 55%

Addison 6 mo stats (a little late)

Height 26in - 55%
Weight 17lb 3 oz - 70%
Head 16 1/2in - 30%

Our last days at home

So, this isn't in order but I think I'd like to look back one day & remember our last week at home before starting work.

The normal routine for the kids & I had become centered around morning workouts with baby boot camp. I loved it & the kids generally enjoyed playing with the other kiddos, so it was a win win. We'd run errands, do lunch, stop at the library in occasion for story time or to just play on the computer & grab a few books. Of course, the highlights of our time together were play dates. I loved having some good conversation & mixing it up a bit (I love to mix it up & see new places).

For the last week at home I had great plans for play dates. We planned a trip to the zoo to finally see the dinosaur exhibit & a pool day. The zoo was a lot of fun! But we had to cancel the pool b/c, as we were all apparently fighting allergies/cold, the kids were not up to it.

We also skipped workout all but one day. Yikes! Getting ready to go back involved trips to the mall (made possible with a great sitter who came over so I could do a lunch & shop a bit after), grocery store & lots of organizing (yeah, go ahead & read that as cleaning I've been putting off). I mised the ladies at boot camp & the great workouts, but I wanted as much time with my munchkins as possible.

Kids are getting a bit better now (after nearly a week) but mine just hit hard Friday night. Yay for a cold the first week at a new job. Oh well. Such is life.

A few pics of my two fave kiddos.

Dinner alone at 9:30 over Pinterest?

Why yes. I only had 10 mins on Pinterest tonight (as opposed to none last night & about, oh an hour, each night before). And it was over dinner. After the kids were in bed & kitchen cleaned.

You may ask why. I did as soon as I realized I hadn't eaten yet as I was prepping for tomorrow.

Well, the long & short of it is that I am now an employed woman with an MBA student hubby. YEP! Life has changed dramatically in one short week!

The offer came in suddenly & the company wanted me ASAP. Not wanting to miss a good opportunity (please read this as a great paying, strong company, in a position with an easy out should I decide I can't be away from my lite angels) I accepted & told them I could start Friday.

So, tonight I'm learning a new routine. One that I hope does not include dinner at 9:30 pm! Though, the quiet dinner of pasta, wine & Pinterest (aka window shopping) was nice.

I attached the 2 pics that helped me "focus on the prize" throughout the day. My little angels :-)

The hubs just got home! Time to finish getting ready for the big day!

Moments

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kara-gebhart-uhl/phases-moments-parenting_b_1651288.html

A good friend recently shared this article on FB & it really touched me at the time. It was one of those low days that we all go through as moms - baby not sleeping, toddler tantrums, hubby working late. Needless to say, it was a God moment.

Tonight I was brought to tears as Sam & I sat with Ry & watched Lorax for the first time. We had a wonderful day with friends playing in their pool & enjoying lunch. Then, after the kids napped, we headed to Target to get some under-Roos for Ry. I felt like buying a movie (a first in a VERY long time) & after finding Lorax in sale, we indulged.

It's been a "big boy" weekend. We bought a potty seat & stools, Cheerios for aiming & finished up at Target for under-roos. Needless to say, I'm emotional. Potty training seems a bit daunting but exciting. Sad to see my baby grow up though.

So tonight while watching Ry dance along with the songs & ooh & ahh at the movie, I was overcome with joy on seeing my baby growing into a boy. So fast! Where did the time go?!

To top it all off, he ran to our bed & climbed under the covers. It's a sweet gesture since he's a very "active sleeper". But it melted my heart to see that he knows he's welcome & safe in our bed.

I'm so blessed to be able to stay home with him for a little while to watch him grow & help establish his foundation in life :-). I hope he always feels this safe & happy with us.

So here's to moments! The ones that make us stop & appreciate life. The ones that make us teary-eyed. May they carry us through.

Whaaaaat?

Grandpa & Dinosaurs

What a great Fathers day weekend! My dad flew in on Sunday so I was lucky enough to have two amazing dads to treat this weekend. We hit Juniors in El Campo on Sunday for lunch & picked up some ribs for Monday. Even though Addison cried most the way there, I think dad would say it was worth it (he did make me ride in the back with her on the way back though!)

Today grandpa treated the kids & I to a trip to the Sugar Land natural science museum. It was a blast watching Ryder run around! At first he seemed to really like the dinosaurs, but after playing in the forest creature exhibit with all the other kids, they were less enticing. Don't get me wrong, we still looked at them another 30 mins or so before he would let me go find dad & Addison!

Addison was quite impressed with the glow in the dark rocks. I followed Ry into the exhibit & decided to pull Addi out of the stroller to see what she thought. She definitely wanted more time in there!

As a special treat, Ryder got his first non stuffed dinosaur! He chose T-Rex (makes sense since I told dad not to get a scary one! Lol! What does mom know?!)

While Ry was picking his dino, apparently grandpa was helping Addison pick her treat. He held up several stuffed animals for her until she found one she liked. She now has a green frog with big, bulging eyes. It was really cute to see her reach for it immediately & then hold it tight & play with its eyes.

Such a good grandpa!

Happy Fathers Day

I am lucky enough to be spending Fathers Day with both my wonderful hubster as well as my own wonderful dad.

Ryder forgot to sign his card earlier so he did it this morning. But here's daddy's present this year.

Time outs may not be working

So, we've been trying time-outs with Ryder for throwing food on the floor. He gets a warning & on the second offense he gets to sit on the door mat.

This does not seem to be having the effect we intend given his actions this morning.

While coloring at the table he either dropped or threw caps to his markers. Without warning he got off his chair & went to sit on the mat. I literally laughed out loud when he looked at me expectantly & I realized what he was doing!

Sweet boy. But I'm not sure how to discipline him if it's just a game to the little guy!

Learning so fast!

In the midst of picking up dirty clothes around the house I found Ry rushing into the bathroom. I followed him in trying to distract him & get him back out to the playroom.

Instead of heading to the toys in the tub as usual, he went & dried his hands. After seeing him do it three times I began wondering why he had wet hands at all.

I managed to get him out & proceeded to head to the laundry room while trying to figure out my little mans wet hands. As I headed left, he veered right. Straight for my room where, uh-oh. Yep. Right before my eyes my little guy turned out to be a little cleaner.

The glass of water I'd left on the floor had been upset & he was trying to grab another towel & was heading back to my room to clean it up.

This whole thing took about 20 seconds but right before my eyes my toddler turned big boy as he attempted to clean up his accident!

How sweet this boy is!!

Well, at times. He is now back to upsetting every possible item in the house & relocating anything he can pick up. Apparently, he doesn't like our decorating style. ;-)