Judah Turns Two

We ended up hosting a birthday party last minute on Saturday afternoon. The weather just didn't cooperate for an outdoor party so it got moved to our basement! I was fortunate that because our house is currently on the market it was almost spotless. Marc just ran the vacuum for me once and we were ready. The party theme was Veggie Tales and Eli loved all of the "boons."

Hailey did great as usual. She is just SO easy going.

 Since you can't see his face I will let this person remain nameless. ;)

Nile and Judah playing cars

The birthday boy!

 Judah loves Veggie Tales!

This is Judah's brother Micah. Don't be fooled. He is just a month older than Hailey. He is a big boy weighing in at 20 + lbs.!

We had a great time with everyone. I decided it is so nice to have a party at your house and to not be the hostess! You get to relax and enjoy yourself in the comfort of your own home. Lindsey did a great job cleaning up and you couldn't even tell when everyone left that we just had a party. That was a huge help since we found out during the party that we were scheduled for another house showing the next day. 

We had our second showing on Sunday and got positive remarks again but they weren't interested in buying it. It has now been on the market for a week and should be listed in the paper this coming weekend. We are hopeful it will sell in the next month but are planning on listing it to rent if it doesn't. Even though it is tough keeping a house with kids ready for a showing at any time, it has been so nice coming home after work each day to a spotless house. It takes more work after dinner getting everything picked up, but Marc has been helping out a lot and we have been able to stay on top of it so far. Marc said we need to sign up for one of the HGTV shows that I always watch to get this house SOLD! Ha!

Nana and Aunt Stacey

My mom and sister came into town for a quick visit on Friday and Saturday. Now that my mom is retired and more free to visit, she doesn't like letting a month pass by without her seeing her grandbabies. They do grow so much in just a month's time! This time Stacey came along as well. Eli LOVES having company and I love the extra help.

My mom brought a few things for the kids for our upcoming trip to the beach this summer. Hailey got these sweet sunglasses and a matching hat that I adore!

These precious sunglasses were from one of my mom's friends.

Hailey loves touching faces. It is the first thing she reaches for. So sweet.

But before that sweet moment lasted too long, Eli came parading in. :)

Well, 2 out of 3 with smiles isn't that bad.

Kisses for Nana.

Marc and I were even able to sneak in a trip to the movies while my mom and sister were here. We went to see The Adjustment Bureau and both thought it was pretty good. It brought back memories for both of us of when we went to the movies almost every weekend in Nashville before we had kids. Hopefully, once Hailey gets a little bigger date nights will become a regular occasion for us again. It takes a talented person to manage both of these little ones at the same time. :)

Have a great Monday!

Cute as a Button

Having a baby girl just keeps getting more fun. Hailey got some new outfits this past weekend from my mom and sister and one of my mom's friends (thanks Ms. Vivian!) for spring and summer. She is now wearing 6-9 month clothes really well so I have cleared out all her 3-6 month things. I can't believe she is going to be 6 months old in a few more weeks! I love that she still seems so small to me because I just can't have her growing up too fast. :) She is now eating rice cereal and almost sitting all by herself. I think she weighs around 14-15 pounds but she seems tiny compared to her big brother!

Just So I Remember

I try hard to remember all the funny things Eli is saying these days, but it seems by the time I manage to get to the blog to write them down I have already forgotten most of them. :( I want so badly to remember it all! Life just seems a little crazy sometimes. I really need to slow down and savor these moments more. They are growing up so fast.

The other day I was feeding Hailey in her room and Eli came in to check on us. He had been reading books in his room but decided to come join the party. He sat down on the floor beside me and started to look through a photo album from Hailey's delivery day. He just LOVES looking at pictures of her. He turned to the first page and with the most affectionate expression said, "Aww Haywee June!" I had never heard him say her first and middle name and it was just so cute. I tried not to laugh at him as he continued through the book talking to her pictures and commenting on how pretty she is. :)

What a sweet boy. :)

I have decided that Eli is not quite ready to start toilet training. A few months ago we bought him an Elmo step stool so he could stand at the toilet and try to go to the bathroom. He loves standing there but he hasn't ever actually gone in the toilet. I am pretty grossed out by the little potty seats (which I may just have to get over) and Marc is really grossed out by him sitting backwards on the toilet while holding onto the lid (another method some friends used). So, I guess we just continue to wait for now until he is more ready. The other day we were in the living room when it began permeating with a poop smell. I questioned Eli (the obvious source when things smell THAT bad) and he was so quick to blame Hailey! He told me. "No mama, Haywee poopoo." After a quick check of pants I figured out Eli was definitely the culprit. Poor girl getting blamed already. :)These babies are just too much goodness! I just adore my time with them and miss them so much when I am at work. I guess that is a good thing though.

We have a lot going on in the next few months (selling a house, Eli's birthday, moving, starting the fellowship, etc.) but I am hoping to still get on here with updates. But, there is my excuse if it doesn't work out that way! :)

Exploring and 5 Months

A few weekends ago we took Eli to a kid's museum here in town called the Exploration Place. It was a dreary Saturday and we needed to get him out of the house so this ended up being the perfect activity. I had never taken him before because I thought it would be too old for him, but there was a little activity and play area for his age group and he had a great time. I think he just loves exploring new surroundings.

Hailey was enjoying herself as well.

We were trying to bribe Eli with animal crackers for a sibling photo and this was the best one we got. :)

Hailey's eyes are still blue! Eli's started turning brown at this age.

This is a great picture showing the river downtown and the big Indian statue.

Marc was teaching Eli how to drive this tractor. I haven't ridden in a tractor since I was a little kid but this one was pretty comfortable!

And then, since Eli did so well with his first driving experience, Marc decided to let him fly a plane too. :)

It was a fun day and everyone had a great time including Hailey. She is such an easy baby for us. I really can't think of the last time she was difficult for us during an outing.  We try to just time things for when she is fed and rested and then we are good to go.

It is hard to believe that we have had Hailey with us for five months now. It has really just flown by. I think balancing two kids has something to do with that. :) Hailey has been sleeping so great this past week. I hope it sticks around for good this time. We started her on rice cereal this week which has been lots of fun. Eli enjoys watching her eat with a spoon. She is finally starting to fill out a little bit!

Happy 5 months Hailey June!

Almost Two

I am behind on a few posts from last weekend but wanted to share a few pictures today of my almost two year old. Eli is just so much fun right now, and I wanted to have a post to look back on to remind myself of this age. He cracks us up with his little personality that is blossoming. :) And, I know he is MY little boy, but I think he is just the cutest thing ever. Don't these eyes just melt your heart???

I could take pictures of him all day, but he is not a big fan of the camera. :)

So, Eli what are you up to these days?

You are starting to eat a little better for us. We offer you what we eat for dinner whether you like it or not and have found a way to bargain with you to eat a bite or two of most anything before you can get down from the table. If you REALLY hate dinner then we usually cave in and give you a yogurt in the bath tub before bed (because deep down inside we are afraid we are going to starve you!). :) Your favorite foods right now are pizza, hot dogs, chicken (cooked almost any way), pork tenderloin, sausage, taco meat and pinto beans, grapes, oranges, strawberries, yogurt, and sliced cheddar cheese. You also love cheerios and goldfish anytime of the day. You rarely eat any vegetables even though I put them on your plate every night. You poke them with your finger and ask me "What's that?" Ha!

You are becoming very adventurous. One day you figured out all by yourself that if you turned Hailey's car seat upside down it would become a slide (sort of). You love "sliding" down it in the kitchen. You are also a big fan of pillows. You stack up pillows anywhere you find them and jump into them. You have tried a few times to jump off of things onto the pillows (like the coffee table) but we usually catch you before you get a chance. :)

You really love our family. When we are all sitting somewhere together you chant over and over "Mama, Dada, Haywee, Eyi." This goes on for quite sometime and you get so tickled saying all of our names. You also love giving us hugs one by one and say "Mama hug, Dada hug, Haywee hug." You notice when one of us isn't with you and always ask where the missing person is. You know if your daddy is gone that he is at "wuk" (work) and it breaks his heart that you say this when he is gone.

Elmo is by far the coolest thing ever to you right now which is why we have decided to throw you an Elmo themed second birthday party on Easter weekend. You are going to L-O-V-E it.

You understand what "no" means fully well but still try to test the boundaries quite often. You have a look that you get on your face when you have done something you shouldn't have. You tilt your head to the ground, look up at me with your eyes, and then you smile. It is the most mischievous look I have ever seen and it always makes me laugh (on the inside). It sometimes takes me a little while to figure out what you have done but it never fails that I always find something wrong when you give me that look. :)

You love going to the park. You act just like a dog who has been told he is going on a walk. We have to wait to tell you right before we are about to leave or you go crazy running around the house so excited you can hardly stand it and yell "pok, pok, pok!" (park). We have been so blessed to have an amazing park right around the corner from us. Your most recent feat is going down the slide head first (which you again figured out on your own) and you scared us to death the first time you did it.

Your favorite activity to do anytime of the day is to read books. Both of your grandmothers have showered you with books over the past two years and you are really enjoying them now. You read books in your bed before your nap and with us at night before bed. Usually by the end of the day, all of your books are off your shelf because you have read many of them throughout the day and haven't quite figured out how to put them back where you got them. We tell you at night to pick out two books to read before bed and it never fails that you give us ten.

We love you so much Eli. We are so thankful for you and pray for many more years to get to enjoy watching you grow!

Making Room for Hailey

Bath time has always been a favorite for Eli, but we have recently started letting Hailey join in on Eli's bath fun since she is a little bigger and can handle his rowdiness and splashing. It is just easier on us to bathe them at the same time than separately so that is what we do! Some days Eli loves sharing his bath time and other days he can't wait for us to get Hailey out so he can stretch out in the tub and splash around ALONE. We usually let him play for a few minutes by himself after we get her out and dry her off. :)

Hailey loves her baths, too!

What crazy fun these two are!!!

Weekend in OKC

Retreat weekends away from the business of life are just so good. I planned Marc's birthday weekend in Oklahoma City this year and we had the best time. It was planned as a surprise, but I was pretty sure as the days were approaching that Marc knew where we were going and what we were going to do there.

So, when we hopped in the car on Saturday I asked Marc where he thought we were going. He of course said Oklahoma City and that he thought we were going to see the Thunder play (he had told me a few months ago that this was something he wanted to do, but I still thought I could surprise him). Since I was expecting that to be his response I had set the TomTom for Tulsa, OK (because that was the direction we needed to head anyways) and then showed Marc. He looked a little shocked at first but said he didn't care where we went or what we did, he just was excited to spend some time with me (good answer!). Once we were half-way I let him open my parents' card to him and the tickets to the Thunder/Lakers game were inside. Surprise! So, we just continued to head down I-35 to Oklahoma City. :)

We stayed in the Bricktown area which was so much fun. I had never been to Oklahoma City before but there was a lot to see and do. We went to Toby Keith's "I love this Bar and Grill" on Saturday night and enjoyed some cheesy fries and burgers. Mmmm.

We were going to hit up the Melting Pot after dinner for some fondue dessert but were so stuffed that we decided to get some Starbuck's hot chocolate instead. Then, we went to see The King's Speech. Have you seen it yet? It was really great. I thought the acting was so well done by everyone involved.

Our past few weeks of sleep ever since Eli was sick have been quite rough. Hailey went from sleeping through the night to waking every 3-4 hours and either needing her pacifier or wanting to eat, and Marc's pager has been going off all through the night. So, even though this weekend was full of fun events we were also hoping to get in some much needed R & R. After the movie we headed back to the hotel around 11 pm to get what we thought would be a fabulous and restful night of sleep. However, at 2 am I was awakened by a noisy crowd in the hall. After listening to these high school and college kids conversing at full volume for well over half an hour, I called the front desk to see if someone could kindly escort them back to their room.  We were then awakened at 5 am by the fire alarm going off (probably triggered by the people mentioned above) and the fire department had to come and reset the system. It unfortunately took them an hour to come and reset the alarm. :) By 5:30 am I was just laying in bed laughing to myself at how we couldn't get a good night of sleep no matter what city we were in. And then I just suddenly became so thankful for our kids. God reminded me of what a blessing those little ones are to us... even when they make us lose a little sleep.

Sunday we met up for church with a medical student friend who we have a feeling is going to "match" with our program next month. It was great to see him and also fun to visit someone else's church. After church we made a quick stop by Wal-Mart to get some Thunder t-shirts and then we headed to the game.

This was the second NBA game that Marc and I have been to and they are so much fun. It was incredibly loud and there was tons of energy from the fans since this was such a big game. We had a great time and the game really went down to the last second!

It was wonderful coming home to see our kids again after a night away. I know they had a great time with their Nana and Papa and my mom somehow even managed to cook us our meals for the week which was a GREAT surprise for me. Thanks mom and dad for all your help! Marc had a great birthday weekend.