Food, Fun, and Fitness

Massacre Marathon Relay

2012-02-13T22:06:00.001-05:00

Sunday, Justin, Darcy (my SIL) and our good friend Jay, participated in this relay marathon. This is our third time.... and it just so happens that it is the coldest day of the year EVERY time! In 2010, there was ice on the ground! ( I can't find my 2010 pics)

Everyone runs a loop around this lake (1.6 miles) x 4. the first half is very hilly. Did I mention it was also COLD? It was 23 degrees when we got there, and only made it to 28. You think we would be prepared, having done this two previous times.

Darcy *trying* to stay warm

This time we were smart enough to get Justin's truck there early so we could warm up if we wanted to... which I did ;) Others had tents and heaters set up! I was shocked to see that some of the runners were wearing sleeveless and shorts! Guess they wanted us to know they meant business!

and business it was for them... the fastest group completed the marathon in 2:16:24! Our team completed it in 3:38:38. Not too shabby! We averaged an 8:21 mile. I was pretty happy with my splits.

Lap 1 - 8:10 pace (had to tie my shoe... would have been cool to be under 8!)

Lap 2 - 8:09 pace

Lap 3 - 8:24 pace (definitely the hardest for me)

Lap 4 - 8:14 pace

Last lap... looking like a goofball!

We had planned to get pizza and beer afterward, but we had sick babies at home with their grandparents.

*update on Max Man

He has a double ear infection and a horrible cold. We He has not slept three nights in a row. Justin is out of town for business tonight and I'm hoping he feels better tonight. Claire is starting to get the bad cold now :( It is so painful to see them hurting. Max took 3 naps today!! He is so run down.

Tomorrow will be a better day ;)

Race recap will have to wait

2012-02-12T21:24:00.002-05:00

So today I ran in a relay marathon! ~ but the recap and pics will have to wait. My little buddy has not been feeling well since Friday night and has gotten worse :( I called the nurse yesterday bc he had a 102 temp, but she said it sounded like a bad cold. I am thinking otherwise. He barely slept last night and looks/sounds awful today with temps bt 100.6-103 at one point. We will be at the doctor first thing tomorrow morning.

Kelly - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

11 my way!

2012-02-11T09:02:00.000-05:00

Heather tagged me. I have already done this once, so this time I'm just answering the questions ;)

1. If you could get paid to do anything in the world without worrying about being realistic, what would you do? I supposed normal people would refer to this as a dream job. I always wanted to be a hair dresser :), but I also think it would be fun to be a personal trainer!

2. You can only live one place for the rest of your life and it can’t be anywhere you’ve lived before. Where would it be? Tampa, Fl Love it there!

3. If you were a celebrity, what would you be famous for?

4. Can you recite the Greek alphabet? Nope

5. If you got to be on any game show you wanted, which one would it be? This is a tough one.. I love game shows! I would need one that I would for sure win something.. Wheel of Fortune - you are guaranteed to win $1000, but I used to love Price is Right and Family Feud!

6. Roller blades or skates? Definitely skates!

7. What’s your biggest fear? Before becoming a parent, it was falling.... now it's fear of not being a good enough mom.

8. If you could name yourself, what name would you chose? IF you asked me when I was a kid, I would have said Jennifer or Lindsay (popular names in the 80s)

9. Would you rather go the Olympics or the Oscars? Oscars! I would love to get all glammed up!

10. Favorite thing to order in a restaurant. Another tough one! Money aside, I love a juicy, medium rare filet with a side of asparagus with hollandaise sauce.... and a big glass of cab!

11. You’re the pilot on a plane. You can fly it anywhere you want. Where would you go? There are so many places I have not been... I'd have to say somewhere quiet and tropical ;)

Birthday pictures

2012-02-09T14:16:00.000-05:00

I just realized I never did a second part to our birthday post. Thanks to Pinterest, I found a lot of ideas and recipes for their party.

Invitations

Close up of their banner

The background ideas came from my friend Brooke and cousin Hannah. Justin helped with the cutting and pasting and the girls helped coloring in on the cow! I still have this up in our dining room... not quite ready to take it down!

Cookies and Cupcakes

I made the cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, oreo chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies and my mother in law made potato chip cookies (awesome!) I also had a bowl of oreos.

Drink table

I thought everyone would drink milk...WRONG! We had so much left over milk.

Smash Cakes

I love how these turned out!! The only problem... the black icing!! I had NO idea what a mess it would make!

Baby girl did this all by herself! She LOVED the cake....even cried when we took it away! We immediately went to the bathtub! So glad we took off their shirts.

Max was a little hesitant at first, but once he had a good bite, he didn't stop!

Since they both got upset when we took the cake away, we cut off a big chunk and left them a little slice. Loved them some sugar! That was their first time having a sweet like that and haven't had one since!

They were spoiled by all our friends and family! Our house now looks like one giant playroom with all the toys!

Birthday Shirts

cow print

All of us had a great day and I was so happy how everything turned out!!

Deal!

2012-02-08T22:10:00.000-05:00

Today while Max and Claire were at Mother's Morning Out, I was volunteering at the Bargain Box. It is the largest fundraiser for the Greensboro Junior League. You can find some really amazing deals. This fall I got an Anthropologie sweater for $6! Today I bought a pair of Joe's Jeans for $5.60!! They are a little long and have a little more flare than I would like, but I couldn't pass up that deal. I am going to take them to get hemmed Friday.

Probably TMI - but after almost two years, my period is back... lots of fun that is. I think I forgot what is was like. I'm crabby, sluggish, have no interest in going to the gym (although, I ran 3 miles yesterday and 3.5 today), have a headache, and I want to EAT EVERYTHING in sight! I was never one to really crave chocolate.... but OMG that's all I want! Last night I bought some individually wrapped dark chocolates to help with the cravings! Hoping this goes away soon ;)

It's about time!

2012-02-07T22:26:00.002-05:00

I've been getting The Food Network magazine for three years now and finally decided to make something!! After craving chocolate ALL day, I thought it was only fitting I make something out of this chocolate issue!
This issue included a booklet of 50 different brownie recipes so I had Justin pick one out. -toffee brownies it was!

Melt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 1 stick of butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring. Off the heat, whisk in 3/4 cup each light brown sugar and granulated sugar; cool slightly. Whisk in 4 eggs, one at a time, and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir in one cup flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Spread in pan and bake 45 minutes.

If you want to add the toffee, fold in 1/2 cup then top with 1/4 cup before baking.

I left a little section plain since I'm taking them to our Mother's Morning teachers!

They taste pretty good - a little rich for me and not bad for my first time at homemade brownies!!

Kelly - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

"please"

2012-02-05T21:20:00.001-05:00

Recently I have been trying to be more consistent with signing to Max and Claire. They aren't that interested in the video I bought a few months ago so I decided to choose a word or two a week to teach them. Friday, Claire signed "please" for the first time!! It is so cute!! Now when she wants something all I have to do is, "Claire, what do you say to mommy" and she'll sign please!!! So proud of her..... Max on the other hand, is taking a little longer to catch on. I have just added "thank you" so hopefully we will see that soon too!

I also had a chance to peek in on them at mother's morning out. This is through the window while they are in music class. They have so much fun!
Later that day we went to the park to swing

There was only one baby swing so they took turns playing on the ground.

Yesterday we laid low at the house.

They love tackling daddy!!

Today all four of us went to the grocery store. Max and Claire drove the cart

Mom and I went to Old Navy to return something and had to check out the baby section. Oh. My. Word. Their new spring line is sooooo cute!!! I wanted to buy everything I saw!!
After shopping mom and dad came over to watch the first half of the Super Bowl. I just stuffed my face and will pay for it on the scale tomorrow. I think I ate my weight in Brie cheese :) .... I was thinking the calories were cancelled out bc I dipped apples in it?!

Kelly - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chicken in a bag

2012-02-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

Chicken in a bag... for dinner? Yes! This is one of my favorite meals from growing up. I've been on a roll in the kitchen this week. Monday night we had Garlic Lime Shrimp, Tuesday-Chicken in a bag and this morning I made homemade banana pancakes!!
Starting with chicken in a bag....
It is so easy. All you have to do is buy a whole chicken, clean it (not with soap like the beverly hills housewife!) and load it up with spices.

Generously sprinkle garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, and paprika. Put in paper grocery bag and cook at 350 for about an hour. We had a big chicken so ours took 1hr 12 min ;)

Make sure bag is not touching anything ;)

I promise you will love this!! It is so moist and paired perfectly with mash potatoes or rice!

Garlic Lime Shrimp
(no pictures) but oh so tasty!
Make marinade of lime juice, evoo, cilantro, and garlic
Peel shrimp
toss shrimp in marinade
I sauteed until shrimp was cooked through
~great served with brown rice

Banana Pancakes: recipe found here

I added blueberries and 1/2tsp of vanilla. I also used applesauce instead of oil ;)

These were pretty good... although I have never made a perfect pancake. I'm still looking for that perfect recipe!

New lunch!

2012-01-30T15:03:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Kristen at Change of Pace, I have a new favorite lunch!!

The other day she posted about a new wrap she made up. One word: delish!

her photo looks much tastier!

It is so simple! Tortilla spread with hummus and sprinkled with a little bit of 2% cheese, roll into a burrito and cook on stove! Easy enough?!

And even better when served on a left over birthday plate ;)

Kelly - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Early Risers

2012-01-29T21:23:00.000-05:00

Yeah... so I'm not sure what the deal is but we were up at 5:30 Saturday and Sunday morning. WTH! Ok, not all of us, just Max and Claire. Is 6:30am too much to ask for? We have made them CIO until 6, but it is so painful for me to hear them in the next room crying. It's not like I can sleep when I hear them. We were able to get them back down a little after 7 for a quick nap before church.
This weekend was pretty calm. Justin and I had a date night on Friday and Saturday we just did things around the house. Saturday was pretty nice so we went for a family run and he washed our cars and I wrote Thank you notes outside while Max and Claire played.

We brought out the play yard

We played in the play room. Claire has become quite the dare devil!

We also broke out the crayons and color pad they got for their birthday... not sure we are quite ready for crayons!

They weren't sure what to think. We had a couple scribbles on the ~~paper~~ tray and the rest of the time I spent getting crayon out of their mouth!

Claire's starting to take more steps on her own and Max Man is now loving the walker!
Sure do love my babies!

Max 12 Months

2012-01-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

My sweet Buds! You are 12 months... .that means you are ONE! You have changed so much since the day we brought you home. When you were born, you had dark blonde hair and your complexion was darker. We were looking at your monthly pictures and you barely look like the same baby! You are so blonde and have fair skin. You are still my little snuggle bug. You love to cuddle with Mommy or Daddy. My favorite is when we are doing your bedtime routine, you lay your head on my shoulder and put your arm around my neck. Melts my heart every.single.time! You love your grandparents so much. You light up when you see them (all four). You have the sweetest little voice and have started babbling all the time. Recently you have said "mama" and "dada" - "mama" being first, of course! I'm pretty sure you said and do say "dog".

You have the sweetest smile and overall sweetest personality. You love to dance. In fact, the other day you were dancing to the noise of the vacuum cleaner! ha! You still love to play peek a boo. You just started using your walker and get frustrated when you get to a "road block". You do not have good balance yet, or a desire to walk on your own... and I am OK with that! Two of you walking scares me! You love to play with balls (that sounds weird!), you know how to work your elephant toy, you like to figure things out. A lot of times I find you messing with the knobs of drawers, or buttons on your clothes. Very curious little man!
You clap, do "so BIG", wave and blow kisses.

You are still sensitive. If we use a stern voice to redirect you, or if you barely bump your head, you have tears. You love bath time! You and Claire splash the entire time! I am looking forward to taking you to the pool this summer! You are a decent sleeper. Bedtime is anywhere b/t 7 and 7:30 and you usually wake up anywhere b/t 5:45 and 6:30. I'm hoping once we get back on schedule you will give me an extra 30 minutes. The 5:45 am makes for a long day! You love going to Mother's Morning out. You have wonderful teachers that adore you and Claire.

You are a good eater. Although some textures are starting to turn you off. For ex. you will eat any baby food, but you will spit out a whole pea and usually mash them with your fingers. Your pincer grasp is the cutest. You pick up one piece of food at a time and don't put another bite in until you have completely chewed the previous bite! I love watching you eat, it's the cutest! You love breakfast: blueberry pancake, yogurt, and a banana. You also like avocado, fish sticks, pears, peaches and cheese bread.
You love your bottle and it makes me sad to be making the transition to sippy cups. You have done well with the transition to whole milk.

You had your first plane ride on your birthday. We flew to NJ for your great grandmother's funeral. Besides a little fussiness, you did great!... especially since you were not feeling well.

12 month stats:
weight: 23 lbs (75th %)
height: 31 inches (85th %)
size 4 diaper
size 4.5wide shoe
6 teeth
most clothes are 12-18 months

Claire 12 months

2012-01-26T22:33:00.003-05:00

My sweet, sweet girl! You are 12 months... ONE year old!! Can not even believe a year has passed. You have grown into the sweetest little girl. You are FULL of personality and a ball of energy. You are constantly on the move. Recently you took 10 steps. You haven't done that many since, but take 3 or 4 every now and then. You can stand for what seems like forever. You love to push your walker around the house. You LOVE to dance! You have the cutest moves. Sometimes you do a hip thrust (OMG! where did you learn that!), sometimes you bend your knees and move side to side, sometimes you put your hands together and move them around, sometimes you head bang (again, where did you learn this?!) and sometimes you just sway back and forth! You love to clap. As soon as the words "are you happy and you know it" leave my mouth, you start to clap! You babble and "talk" all the time. I wish I knew what you were saying! I think you say "mama" and "daddy" appropriately and I think you have said "baby".

You giggle a lot! My favorite is when I put you and Max in the same crib. Y'all play together so nicely and laugh and laugh at each other. You are very ticklish! You blow a lot of kisses and love to kiss your baby doll. I think she gets more kisses than me! You wave, usually with both hands and backward. You also point at everything. Sometimes with your point you make a hmmm hmmm sound to get our attention.

You are an excellent eater. You eat everything that is on your tray and if you see us eating, you point your finger letting us know you want some! Your favorites are avocado, fish sticks, blueberry pancakes, bananas, and cheese sandwich. I just started dropping your 3:30 bottle. Tonight was your first time trying whole milk. I only gave you a little to try with your dinner. I had been waiting until your one year well baby appointment to talk to Dr. Bates about switching. I also asked her about milk alternatives. She recommended organic whole milk. She said sometimes even the soy and other alternatives can have added hormones in there too. Interesting. I'm not sure if you didn' t like the milk, or you didn't like the sippy cup it was in. We will try again tomorrow with the milk in your bottle.

You went on your first plane ride on your birthday. We flew to NJ for your great grandmother's funeral. All in all you did pretty well. The ride up you did not sit still, the way back you slept most of it...... probably bc we had to get up at 4:30 to get you ready!

stats:
weight: 19 lbs 7 oz (50th %)
height: 29.5 inches (75th%)

size 3 diaper
6-12 month clothes
size 3 shoe
4 teeth
I was a little surprised you were in the 75th% in height! I guess I always thought you were so petite bc you were next to Max!

To my babies

2012-01-25T15:04:00.002-05:00

Dear Max and Claire,
Mommy and daddy can't believe you are already a year old! It seems like just yesterday we were praying we could get pregnant. Y'all made us wait, and boy was it worth the wait! It seems like yesterday I was carrying you in my stomach. I loved every minute of being pregnant - even while on bed rest for 10 weeks!
Mommy had a few false alarms, the last being January 21,2011. I had gotten my nails done and gone to Target. My stomach started feeling tight so I hurried home to rest, only to continue having contractions. I called Brooke and she said to call Dr. Cousins. So I called and Brooke came to pick me up to take me to get checked. Turns out I was only 4 cm but Dr. Cousins said she wouldn't be surprised if she saw me again soon!

Sure enough she was right! I didn't sleep well Friday night. Daddy and I woke up around 5:30 and daddy decided to go to the gym. After he left I noticed stronger contractions that were getting closer together. I had a feeling today was the day! I took a shower and called daddy to tell him I was getting ready to page the doctor. He came home and we put together a few last minute things.

We checked In the hospital around 8 am, got hooked on monitors and waited for dr. Cousins. She came and checked me - I was still 4 cm. the contractions were starting to get painful but Dr. Cousins said she was not going to start the csection until I was 5 cm (I was 36w 6d). She said I could go walk around and come back In a little.
I told daddy I was NOT leaving the hospital without babies! Daddy said I complained enough that Dr. Cousins sent me to have an u/s. I remember crying bc the contractions were getting stronger and I was so uncomfortable. After the u/s she checked my cervix one more time, and sure enough, I was 5 cm. everything went so quick after that. Daddy and I signed paperwork with the anesthesiologist and at 11:45 they wheeled me up to the OR to get ready. I was so nervous. They make you go in alone until after you get the epidural.
I asked daddy and a nurse to talk to me the whole time bc I didn't want to hear anything that was going on! Then at 12:48 I heard the best sound ever, Claire crying - quickly followed by Max! I had instant years of joy! Everything I had always dreamed of (and more) was right in front of me! My life became complete the day y'all were born. I love you guys more than you'll ever know. Everyday I spend with you is a blessing and I will never take it for granted. The two of you bring so much happiness to our lives and I couldn't imagine it without you!

I have loved every second, minute, day, hour, week and month of 2011. Mommy and daddy are amazed at what the two of you can do and look forward to watching you grow!

Happy birthday!!

Kelly - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Birthday to my two favorite people!

2012-01-22T12:36:00.000-05:00

Birthday success!

2012-01-22T09:10:00.001-05:00

Today was perfect! Max and Claire had an awesome first birthday. They are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends ;) Our house was packed!
Max and Claire loved their cake! Max was unsure at first, but then got the hang of it. Claire was all in from the beginning. I made the novice mistake of having black icing on the cake..... she was covered! Luckily most of it came off! So thankful I took their shirts off :)
Here are a few pics.. I'm exhausted, have to pack for NJ and did I mention exhausted?! Full recap when we get back from NJ.

and a little teaser from the cake smash....

Need travel advice!

2012-01-19T21:03:00.001-05:00

Sadly Justin's grandmother passed away this morning. She was 90 years young!! She was quite a lady and I'm so thankful to have met her and that Max and Claire got the chance to meet her!

We will be flying to New Jersey this Sunday (their 1st bday) and I'm nervous about the plane ride.
I know a few of you have traveled recently and I could use your advice! Luckily we can borrow two pnp when we get there. We are taking our car seats and renting a van when we get there.
What all can I take on the plane? Would I be able to take squeeze pouches for them to eat? They will still be on formula until their one year well baby and I guess I can't make bottles until we go through the gates?

Any help/advice is appreciated!

Doesn't he look huge next to her?!

Attacking daddy when he got home from work!

Kelly - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fun in the rain

2012-01-17T23:03:00.001-05:00

Oh, rain! Today the rain cramped my style, but didn't stop us from doing what we needed to do. Justin called this morning to see if we wanted to meet him at the park for a run. Today's weather was supposed to be 63, cloudy with rain later in the afternoon so we thought a little fresh Air would be good for all of us! (max woke up at 5:30 again this morning - Wth?!) so we get to the park and it is super windy and looks like rain - we decide to run the parking lot so we could be close to the car if it started to rain. Sure enough 1.3 miles in, we start feeling drops so we turn around. It only ended up sprinkling for a minute or so, but we sprinted back just in case!
Since we were already out I decided to go to Target and Michael's to get some bday supplies. The rain seemed to be gone and I checked the weather on my phone - we were good to go....or so I thought! We made it through Target, but on the way back from Michael's it started to rain. This wouldn't be a problem except Max and Claire were in the Target shopping cart and had no barrier from the rain. (I parked in the middle Of the lot so I could be quick updating and loading.

So my solution was to throw my jacket over Max's head (Claire had a hood on her jacket) and book it across the parking lot!

Max thought it was more fun to ride standing up!!
We survived the rain with only a few drops getting on them!

I have also been wanting to paint our very outdated chandelier before their party this weekend. Well, to be able to paint outside, the temp has to be a minimum of 50. Today is the only day this week that would work to paint. Luckily, the rain held off!

This is just with the primer. It looks so much better in person.

I guess I should get some sleep since the babes have been waking up So early

Kelly - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not 2, 3, or 4....

2012-01-16T21:05:00.001-05:00

....but 5 miles!! I think I've said in a previous post that Justin gave me a running envelope for Christmas. (He did not do this bc he thinks I need to run) This is supposed to be fun and keep me motivated. If I run a minimum of five days, two or more miles, I get $10 in the envelope. So far I've earned $30! I actually had to get him to raise the ante a little! I can (and do) run more than two miles. When he set that minimum, there were days that's all I would do, because that's all I had to do. Get my drift?! So... he said if I run 20 miles a week, I can earn $15! Now were talking!! ha!

..... anyways~today I took the kiddos to the gym just planning on running my measly two miles. But then I saw a friend and her husband. The gym was packed and the only treadmill available was next to her husband. I am the type that if I am running next to someone I know, or someone just running fast and far... I feel I have to do the same. He said he was running for 40 min so I decided I'd shoot for 4 miles or 40 minutes too. Well by the time I hit 40 minutes, I was at 4.25 miles - what's .75 more??
So, 5 down, 15 to go!! That is totally doable!!

I really enjoyed that run. Now I just need to find that kind of motivation every day :)

Mama

2012-01-16T09:54:00.001-05:00

So I think it's safe to say Max's first word is mama! He started really saying it this weekend and this morning when he decided to get up at 5AM! He was whining "mama". It made it a little easier to be up so early when I heard that coming out of his mouth!!

Kelly 💁- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Splishing and a Splashing!

2012-01-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

Max and Claire LOVE bath time!!

Today I took their 12 month photos. I took them a week early so I could add "12" to their birthday banner. I'm not going to lie, it made me sad to be doing these pictures. Even though we have had rough ~~weeks~~ days, we are truly blessed and I have loved every second with our babies. I want to bottle them up.

One more week

2012-01-14T20:24:00.000-05:00

::tears::
My babies will only be babies for one more week :( I can't believe they have their first birthday party next Saturday. Last night I did a practice round on the cupcakes I'm going to make and today I went to the bakery to order their smash cakes. I can't wait to see what they do with their cakes. My prediction is Claire will really dig into it, making a mess and Max will pick at it with his pincer grasp!

I've been a blog slacker the past week or so, but it's only bc I've been busy making their books on Shutterfly. Since they were born, I do a book every three months...so I have newborn-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-9 months, and I am currently working on the 10-12. I want to have them displayed at their party so that means I have to take their 12 mo picture early... not sure if I am ready to seem them in their 12 month pictures!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T21:27:00.000-05:00

I was weeding through my cell phone pictures today and found some blog worthy photos!

Sibling love!!

This is what happens when I take my eye off for a second

Bahahaha!! Doesn't even look like Claire! haha

New Year's Eve

*update on our walker~Today Claire took 12 steps!!!

Almost there!

2012-01-11T08:36:00.000-05:00

The Bear has no fear! This morning while playing with Max, she pushed herself up to a standing position and stood for 12 seconds, then carefully sat down on her bottom! I started clapping and telling her how proud I was. So for the rest of the day she has been standing, then looking for me to cheer her on! Although it's not the best, I caught her first step on video!
I can find it on you tube, but when I search through blogger, I can't? This happens every time I try to upload something...what am I doing wrong?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDk2OVFNulE

Twins meeting Twins!

2012-01-08T22:05:00.001-05:00

This weekend my brother and his family came in town. Max and Claire got to meet their twin cousins Brooke and Landyn! I can't believe Max and Claire were once that little. I just know they will be best friends one day!

Today we dressed the girls up in tutus and hair bows for some pictures!!

Claire, Landyn and Brooke

Claire and Max checking out their new cousins!

Mommies and their babies!

I love that Kasey and I are both in purple and the guys in blue - and it wasn't planned!!

It was pretty chaotic with all the kids (plus Kasey's three year old!). Our beach trip this summer will be interesting!!

Seeing these pics motivated me to learn how to use our camera. I've had it for a year now and don't know how to do anything special with it. Time to learn!!

Hilarious!

2012-01-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

Who knew an Ipad could be so much fun?! Mom and Dad got one for Christmas and found this fun app you can take pics with. I'm sure this is nothing new, but we laughed nonstop at our pictures. Here are a few of our favorite:

Aren't these a scream? I'm still laughing ;)

2012-01-05T22:56:00.001-05:00

A little bit of randomness and a few things for me to remember.

I've been contemplating when to start using a sippy cup instead of a bottle. Yesterday I decided to try it for their 3:30 feeding and it went pretty well.

Although Max still threw a fit when it was empty.

Today we dressed up in our adorable outfits from Great Aunt Catherine. Unfortunately they wouldn't sit still so this all I have

I turned around for a second and they had gotten into the diaper bag.

I promise I'm behaving!

Claire still has an awful diaper rash so after her bath we let her run around in her birthday suit!

*she has also started pointing at things she wants!

invites: check!

2012-01-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

I've finally ordered the invitations for Max and Claire's first birthday!! Now I just need to get my butt in gear for everything else!

Did you know...

2012-01-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

Since the babes have been drinking formula, we have used Gerber, Enfamil and Target brand. Gerber had the best coupons, Enfamil was free from the Doctor and well, Target is cheap. For some reason, today I decided to look at the ingredients to see the difference b/t Target brand and Enfamil. I was so upset, disappointed and surprised to see that corn syrup was listed as the first ingredient of the Target formula. Are you kidding me???? Let's just say I will not be buying Target brand anymore. I am so upset with myself for just now realizing this :(

Max 11 Months

2012-01-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

Our big boy is 11 months! Max is still the sweetest, most cuddly baby (can't believe he will only be a baby for one more month :( ) He has the best smile and flashes it all the time. He can be sensitive too. I know he is tougher than he lets on. If he and Claire are playing in the crib together - it's all laughs. I will hear their heads bumping each other or on the crib and it still results in lots of laughs!... but if he falls or barely bumps his head or something else in front of us, he whines or cries.... We're working on that!

Buds loves to dance and listen to music. If he is crawling, he will stop and start bobbing his head to the beat! It's so cute! He is crawling everywhere and he and Claire have discovered the bathroom. We have to be careful to keep doors closed or they will go straight to the toilet. Not yet walking, but doing better at cruising the furniture. He loves to play peek a boo - especially around the coffee table. He also loves when you say, "How big is Max" and he throws his hands up "so big" with the biggest smile! He'll even tell you how big Claire is!! Just this week he has blown a kiss. I have caught it with a side eye only. He's probably getting tired of Claire getting all the attention when she blows kisses!

Max is a big fan of bath time. He loves to splash. And when I say splash, I mean he makes huge waves. I usually have to change clothes after giving baths! He (along with Claire) are not a fan when I have to wash hair. We have two sides in the tub: washing station (me) and play area (Justin). They are like wrestling alligators when I lean them back to wash and rinse hair and their face.

Max is not the best sleeper. I am not sure if there is a tooth getting ready to come through or what... He goes down 7/7:30 and has been waking up at 5:45-6:15 with a few cries during the night. If I go in there, he reaches up and does a death grip around my neck so I have to pick him up. Although, his grandparents said he slept 7:30-7 with no cries this past weekend. - Oh how I wish he did that for us.

Buds has five teeth and I think a sixth coming through. He has learned to bite.... not sure where or if he really knows what he is doing. Yesterday I had them in the pack and play together and all the sudden Claire started crying. Ran in to see Max basically on top of her near her face. A few minutes later I noticed teeth marks (4) on Claire's cheek. Poor baby!

Max is a pretty good eater. He can be finicky about some finger foods, but still loves baby food. Their favorite meal is probably breakfast: blueberry pancake, 1/2 banana and yogurt. I love to watch him eat. He is so precise and always uses his pincer grasp. He is a slow eater and only eats one bite at a time and wont even open his mouth until he is ready for the next bite! He is doing great with the sippy cup.... although I'm afraid he is going to miss the comfort of his bottles. He has 4 bottles and 3 meals a day. I'm going to start giving a sippy cup in place of his third bottle.

Just moved up to a size 4 diaper
First pair of real shoes 4.5 wide
12-18 mo clothes

Claire 11 Months

2012-01-02T22:08:00.001-05:00

I'm still having a hard time believing Claire and Max are 11 months old! (a little late on individual post). I am amazed at things they can do!!
For Christmas Claire got a baby stroller and after one time showing her how to walk/push with it, she is a pro! We must have circled the inside of the house 10 times the first hour she started playing with it! We are working on backing up now :). As fearless as she is, I'm surprised she hasn't tried any steps on her own. I am excited for her to reach the next milestone, yet I don't think I'm quite ready to have walkers!!

Claire loves to blow kisses and make the "muah" sound that goes with it. Her teachers at Mother's Morning out says she blows kisses to people as they walk past their door! She's a little shy at handing out real kisses. Every once in a while she'll give me one, but never two in a row. She kisses her baby or will kiss your hand.
She claps her hands all the time, mostly for herself!! ha! She waves bye bye and her newest favorite thing to do is play peek a boo! Her and Max will take turns. They usually do it in their cribs or around our coffee table. She loves music! Whenever she hears music or we sing, she starts swaying or bobbing her head! She loves to sing "If your happy and you know it" and claps hands appropriately.

Claire loves her "bunny". It's actually a giraffe, but she has like seven lovies and most are bunnies so we just started calling it bunny too. She is always sleeping with it. Claire moves around the crib and bunny goes wherever Claire goes! I try to keep it in the crib only. Sometimes in the mornings she hangs on to it until she has fully waken up.

Claire still has four bottles and three meals a day. I think our third bottle is going to turn into a snack and be taken out of a sippy cup. She is a great eater!! Eats anything and everything that is put in front of her or that she finds on the floor! I have been trying more meats and so far, so good! We need to work on slowing down while eating. She double fist the food and takes turns shoving in her mouth....which is funny to watch bc Max has been great with his pincers for months and only eats one bite at a time!
Claire has four teeth. The top two are slowly making their way in.

Claire can show us what she wants. She has pointed a few times and she makes this puppy dog whine along with a smile when she wants more or wants what you have. I have been a slacker with our sign language video and signing to them.... need to get back in that groove.
She is still a Mama's girl. She rarely will go to someone else if I'm in the room. Tonight we were at a friends watching football and she stayed on or around my lap for at least 30 minutes before she would play with the other kids.

Claire is a pretty good sleeper. Always wakes up happy. Bedtime is usually 7/7:30 and she wakes up around 6:30. I think she would sleep longer if Max did. Still take two naps a day - usually 1.5 hrs each.

Size 3 diapers
6-12 mo clothes
Size 3 shoe

Countdown to the first birthday!!

Restful way to end the year

2011-12-31T18:24:00.000-05:00

Justin and I came home from Atlanta yesterday, leaving the babes behind with their grandparents. They offerered to keep them for New Year's Eve and we did not decline :) I had a few tears when leaving, but it was nice coming home and being able to go shopping by myself with no time constraints! We had a quiet night and I slept until 8:40!!!!!!!!!! What!!??? Let me tell you how good it feels to be well rested! I'm not quite sure what to do!! Actually, I am going to get my nails did, shopping for shoes to wear tonight, cleaning up Christmas decorations :( and relaxing. Ahhhhh
Oh yeah, and I have to go for a run. Justin gave me an envelope for Christmas and if I run 5x a week and 2+ miles each time, I get $10. I have to run today and tomorrow to earn my moola.
_________________________________________________________
Anywho, since I'm missing the babes so much, here are a few of my favorite pictures from 2011.

Justin and I are getting all dressed up and ready for an exciting way to bring in the New Year! I just know 2012 is going to be great!

Happy New Year!

Max and Claire's first Christmas

2011-12-26T22:28:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it! Max and Claire were truly blessed this Christmas and had a wonderful time! It was such a joy to see them so happy and having so much fun. We have a ton of great pictures, I'll try to just post a few :)

Christmas Eve

Max and YaYa

Claire wearing Great Aunt Ann's pearls!

Loves his new maracas!

ELMO!

Both got walkers. Claire is now a pro!

This year we tried to start our own traditions... instead of making them, we realized what we need to do differently. That's probably the hardest part of being married and having a family of your own ~ trying to share time, make sure everyone is happy and feels included.

Were off to Atlanta for a few days. Hope to update Max and Claire's individual post this weekend!

11 Months

2011-12-23T22:52:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe Max and Claire are already 11 months! December went by way too fast... I didn't even realize yesterday was the 22nd, so we did our monthly pictures today. This was probably the hardest photo shoot to date. They are constantly moving~and in different directions. This Mama is tired! I feel like I can't baby proof enough. Claire has found this corner in the kitchen where I stand to cook and make their bottles and all the crumbs drop. We call it the crumb corner. She goes straight for it, lays flat on her tummy and starts searching. Max has learned how to open the cabinets. Kitchen is dangerous! Justin and his Dad are going to work on securing the cabinets tomorrow.

They like to climb on the fire place, and do NOT listen when told to get down. We are working on following directions!
They have quite the personalities now and definitely show their emotions. Both are quick to have a meltdown if you take something away or point them in a different direction. Diaper changing, getting dressed and washing hair in the bathtub are the toughest for me - It's like wrestling an alligator!

Claire is our wild child. This girl has no fear! We call her our gangsta! Full of attitude. Just when she's pushed me to the limit, she'll flash her beautiful smile and blow me a kiss :) Melts my heart!
Max is still my snuggle bug. He gives the best hugs and has the sweetest little voice.

They spend most of the day at or around this table. Claire loves to circle it and go back and forth b/t the table and couch. Max loves to play peekaboo. He puts his hands on the edge and lowers himself, then you have to say "where's Max" like three times and he pops back up! He gets the biggest grin when he does that and gets an applaud!

I stopped pumping the week after they turned 10 months. I had a few days of guilt- aside from that, things are great. They still get four bottles and three meals a day. We have also dropped the third nap, causing difficult afternoons! For the most part they are sleeping much better. They usually go to bed around 7/7:15 and wake up around 6.

That's it for now! I'm exhausted and wanted to get this done before Christmas so I don't get too far behind! Individual post will probably be next weekend.

*Just realized I never did their individual post: stats include:
Max:
12-18 mo clothes
size 4 diaper
5 teeth and I think a 6th on the way
favorite foods: bananas, blueberry pancakes, avocado, and cheese sandwich
Loves bath time anything that has to do with music!

Claire:
9-12 month clothes
size 3 diaper
3 teeth and a 4th on the way
favorite foods: bananas, blueberry pancakes, avocado, peas....loves all food!
Loves bath time, dancing to music, cruising the coffee table and sofa
Mama's girl!

Tag!

2011-12-23T08:22:00.001-05:00

Maegen from CHESTERRIFIC tagged me with this fun one! It's a 3-part tag - 1) list 11 random facts about you, 2) answer 11 questions you've been tagged with, and 3) make up 11 new questions and tag 11 new people ... here we go!

11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME!

1. i love warm weather. Nothing beats waking up to sun, birds chirping and the smell of freshly cut grass!

2. I love food! I could talk about food all day, every day. My favorite is my guacamole with tortilla chips :)

3. I don't like to eat fries that are pointy!! I used to tear off the point or not eat that fry at all! Weird, I know!

4. I don't like to get my head wet at the pool (lake or beach). Funny considering I grew up swimming competitively!

5. One of my biggest fears is falling. A couple months ago I fell walking up the brick stairs to our door while holding Claire. Scared me to death.

6. Biggest pet peeve is when people chew with their mouth open and smack their gum.

7. I enjoy doing algebra!

8. I am very self conscience. Always worried I'm not smart enough, or will say or do the wrong things around people.

9. I love light. I like to have all blinds open and lights on in the house. Dark is too depressing

10. I love summers by the pool. Before Max and Claire I had the summers off and would go to the pool as often as I could, read a good book and work on the tan!

11. I wish I did more creative activities with Max and Claire. I hope I do enough engaging activities throughout the day and they aren't bored with me!

11 QUESTIONS MAEGEN ASKED ME

1. What did you dream about last night? Breast feeding and formula?!?!

2. Do you like the rain? Only when I'm sleeping

3. What is your favorite book? I can't say I have a favorite book. I like mindless reading :) and enjoy a good laugh or mystery

4. How often do you go online? more than I care to admit ;)

5. Have you ever served on a jury? What was it like? No! I always get out of it!

6. Would you give a homeless person CPR if they were dying? I'd like to say so?

7. Let's say you just won the Miss America beauty pageant, congrats! Give me your acceptance speech..... I'm lame... have no clue

8. If you were stranded on an isolated island, what 3 things (not people), would you take with you? hmmm... deck of cards, blanket, lighter?? I always have trouble with this!

9. What was your last vacation and who did you go with? Holden Beach, NC - just the four of us! Last real vacation sans kids? Long Beach Island, NJ to visit Justin's family.

10. Have you ever gone cow tipping? No way! I am a scaredy cat and would be afraid of getting caught!

11. Do you untie your tennis shoe before taking them off, or just kick them off with your other foot? I would say more often than not, I kick them off with other foot.

11 questions I am asking you!

1. What is your favorite food?

2. Coke or Pepsi?

3. Where did you go on your FIRST airplane ride?

4. Favorite Christmas/Holiday tradition?

5. What's your favorite Christmas song?

6. Are you a morning or night person?

7. If you work, and went to college, is your profession in the same field as your major?

8. What is your favorite state you have visited or lived in? Why?

9. If you won $1000 from a scratch off lottery ticket, what would you do with it?

10. What's your stress reliever?

11. What was your first car?

I'm tagging these 11: Julia, Megan, Samantha, Cindy, Jamie, Al, Jenilee, London, Susan, Emily, Stephanie
*************************
Here's the offical rules:

1. Post these rules. 

2. Step 1 - You must post 11 random things yourself.

3. Step 2 - Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.

4. Step 3 - Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.

6. No stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ Blah blah blah, you legit­i­mately have to tag 11 peeps!

Wow, so many rules!  LOL!

It's a wrap

2011-12-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

We're one step closer to completion! Everything is wrapped except one little present that's still in the mail!
Looking forward to Christmas Eve. Max and Claire will go to their first Christmas Eve service at church and enjoy their first Christmas Eve dinner!! I think xmas eve dinner is my favorite about the holidays! We enjoy lamb, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, crescent rolls laid out in butter.... food coma :) ~ followed by midnight service at church!

Par-tay

2011-12-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

This weekend we had our annual Christmas party. AND it was our first night sans kids! Max and Claire went to spend some time with their Aunt Darcy and Grandparents. I was a little teary eyed when they left, but enjoyed running around without having to drag out the double stroller.
We enjoyed being with all our buds and having adult time.... maybe a little too much fun :)

I'm still not sure about the dark hair. I think I'm going to call my stylist today to see if we can lighten it up a bit. Not to mention the BANGS. They are driving me nuts. They stick straight out and no amount of hair spray, water, hair oil, anything... will tame them.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the night! haha! that grande wine glass was a decoration with Christmas M&M's in it! and the look on their faces tell all!

___________________________

My friend Heather put together the pictures she took. I love all of them! Here are a few:

LOVE!

Christmas pictures

2011-12-16T20:46:00.001-05:00

Because I'm indecisive, I ordered and sent out more than one Christmas card! Here are the photos I used - courtesy of London Kern Photography and my good friend Heather.

One card just has this picture:

Actually I sent out three different cards!

Front

(except they are side by side) Don't even ask why I can't get them side by side on here!

Back

Originally these onesies were supposed to have a reindeer and their name below. Sadly, the etsy seller I normally use, never responded to me :( - so white onesies it was... Next year I will not procrastinate!

Busy day tomorrow - Max and Claire are going to Charlotte to stay with their Aunt and Grandparents. We are hosting our annual Christmas party!! So excited to have an adult night and look forward to making some yummy foods found on Pinterest!

and I might be a little excited about sleeping in for the first time in almost 11 months on Sunday!!!!!!!

I did it!

2011-12-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

I'm am officially a brunette now! I think I like it! It's gonna take some getting used to, but I'm not as freaked out as I thought I'd be!

Before

This was right after I got my hair done in October

After

I look like a totally different person!

What to do.....

2011-12-13T20:43:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is my hair appointment and I have no idea what I want to do..... well I have an idea, but not sure if I want to go through with it! First off, since having Max and Claire I have grown "baby bangs". They are NOT cute and they are a darker brown than the rest of my hair. U-G-L-Y. They really stand out because of my highlights that are mainly around the front of my head.

So.... tonight Justin and I were talking about going darker. I am just worried if I go darker, I'll look washed out. I'm such an indecisive person and I don't want to waste my time or my hair dresser's time!

My brain is in overdrive right now. I still have Christmas shopping to do (and it's not easy lugging two babies around to do it), my Christmas cards haven't been sent (my fault bc I want them to be perfect), we are hosting our annual Christmas party this weekend (not a big deal), Max and Claire turn one in a little over a month and I have no clue what I want to do for their birthday - invites need to go out first week in January!

Anywho...guess this was a gripe post. I've been in one of those moods today!

Tomorrow is Mother's Morning Out and Play group!

All bundled up! - got video finally!

2011-12-12T22:17:00.001-05:00

Today was officially cold. I mean, cold. We were having one of those days and I needed to get out. Max has pink eye and hasn't been on his meds for 24 hours, so the gym was out. Fresh air is good for everyone, so off to the park we went!

We haven't been to the park in a while so we stopped at the swings. I had to take a video bc Max looks so cute and funny. Poor guy was so bundled up he could barely move. ha!!

Here is 37 seconds of cuteness!

Still here!

2011-12-11T22:06:00.000-05:00

I'm still here! I didn't realize how behind I am! We had a busy weekend filled with crafts, date night and organizing the playroom. And it looks like poor buds has pink eye. We were getting ready for church when we noticed the area around his eye was a tad puffy and red. Throughout the day it has just gotten worse. I called the weekend nurse and she sent us a prescription for drops. It looked pretty bad tonight. If it is still swollen in the morning, I'm gonna call the doctor again. He has been a trooper. It was not a good nap day for Max or Claire, but they have both been funny and in good moods.

Reindeer

2011-12-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

I have been on a baking kick. It has become out of control and now if I want to bake, I have to come up with someone to give it to!
I saw these cute Reindeer cookies on Pinterest and decided to make them for girls night and to take to Max and Claire's teachers. I had no idea what I was getting into! I have never made roll out cookies before. Too time consuming for me. I ended up doing some Reindeer and some cut outs with colored sugar.

They turned out really cute and if I make them again, I won't make homemade sugar cookies.
Now, what to make next week??

Christmas times a comin'

2011-12-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

Can you believe Christmas is less than a month away?! I'm so excited. I absolutely love this time of year! We decorated this past weekend. It is a bit different from the past, but still perfect for us. We used to have one real tree and one fake. The real tree was our color tree with fun ornaments and the white one was fake with my nice ornaments. This year we decided to save money and just do the fake tree.... not to mention the chaos two trees would bring with two crawlers!

I did put color lights on this fake plant! Big color lights make me happy :)

They are super fast now and if I look away for a second, they are at the tree - especially Max! Today I was able to wrap a few while they were napping. Still trying to decide what Santa is bringing. What's on your list?!

Max has been so good the past few days. What a nice change it has been. I love this sweet, smiling baby!

Baby girl has been a pistol! She has learned how to blow kisses and we are working on "hi five". She is cruising all over the furniture and claps for herself often!! She also has a "mean" face that is so cute, but not something I want her doing! I am pretty sure she got it from me. :( I'm trying hard not to smile and encourage her when she makes the face.
We got Christmas pictures done the other day and she had quite a few of those faces in the picture. We had a great photographer and got lots of good photos. Unfortunately, I don't love the ones of them together. The ones of them individually are great.... so now I am debating what to do for their xmas cards. Here are two sneak peaks.

This was the result of me taking away an ornament he was chewing on! Such a mean mom!

This was the best of the two of them, but I don't love Claire in that dress. I just did a rush order for leg warmers from Etsy. I was thinking having them in white onesies with cute leg warmers was more my style?!

In other news, Max has started pulling up all the time and just the other day started cruising with Claire. Their favorite thing to do is reach their arms up when I say, " How big is Max/Claire? So BIG!!" It's so cute!!

TWO sets of twins in one year!

2011-12-04T21:55:00.001-05:00

Don't worry....it's not me! In less than an year my parents have four grand children - two sets of twins! My brother and his wife had their twins last Tuesday! They had two girls, Landyn and Brooke! Kasey had them at 38 weeks with no complications!!! Landyn was 4lbs 10oz and Brooke was 6lbs 15oz! They are all doing well and super cute. I hate they live 4.5 hours away and I can't see them more often.

Grand Parents and Aunts patiently waiting to see the new babies! We got there a little after 7am and had to wait in this area until after 3 to see the babies! Worth the wait!

Landyn

Brooke and sleepy Aunt Kelly!

Sweet!

I'm so excited for Max and Claire to have cousins close in age. Holidays and summer should be crazy and fun!

**Also, if you could say a quick prayer for one of my best friends. She had her baby boy yesterday (due date was Feb.5th) Both are doing well, but at 30 weeks, 6 days, he will need some nicu time.

Two little turkeys!

2011-12-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

So, I am a few days behind on my Thanksgiving post, but I've had a lot going on! How cute are my little Turkeys? I was so excited for them to wear their Gobble, Gobble shirts. I won my first giveaway from Chosen Chaos. It was for a $25 credit to klzart. She did an amazing job! Those turkeys are actually Max's hand prints!! (Claire wouldn't participate!) She does a lot of onesies for twins. I'm already thinking of the next ones we can get!!

We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving. Justin, his sister and Dad ran the Atlanta half marathon, we had breakfast out and a nice dinner that night. During the day I took Max and Claire to meet my cousins. My cousin has a two year old and one on the way. They had a great time roaming a new house, with new people and new toys!

Claire played some piano when we got home!

Friday we went to a Christmas tree farm to help Grandpa and Grandma pick out the perfect tree. I was so excited to go as this was my first trip to a farm too!

Claire making her "mean" face!

Love those cheeks!

Playing music stick with Daddy.

Lastly, we took Max and Claire to meet Grandma Darcy, their Great Grandma! She is 92! She has Alzheimers and I'm pretty sure she didn't understand who they are, but they put a smile on her face - and that's all that matters :)

We had a great four days in Atlanta!

Max 10 Months

2011-12-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

Buds!
The past month has by far been the hardest on Mommy! You have had an ear infection, a cold that won't go away, teething, time change, travel, etc..... You have not been sleeping the best, but I think we are moving in a better direction. Right now you go to bed around 7:15 and if we're lucky, you sleep until 6. You usually take two good naps a day.

This month you have also gotten cuter (if that's possible!). You now do the traditional crawl, can pull up and stand for a while, put your hands in the air and do "so Big", wave, play peek a boo and you love to "bounce" when you hear music! I'm thinking music toys from Santa or for your birthday!

You are a big talker, mainly saying "dada" and "baba" there are some "mama" in there too! You still love to play with balls. It's the cutest when you have one in each hand and clap them together. You even know how to throw them :)

You have become a finicky eater. You used to eat everything, but now you are very cautious about what you eat. You are not a fan of peas unless it is pureed. Really, you eat anything pureed and are just picky about textures in finger food. You do pretty well with fruit and you LOVE anything with bread, cheese, or your blueberry pancake! You have five teeth and I think another is on the way!!

You still love to snuggle and are very sensitive. You are not a happy camper if we tell you "no" or have to take something away from you. In fact, you have had a mini tantrum that is NOT cute. You are very smart. You can also spot something teeny tiny on the floor from very far away and then you are on a mission to pick it up. You have an amazing pincer grasp and we think it is so cute to watch you pick things up!

You wear size 3 diaper and 12 month or 12-18 month clothes.

Claire 10 months

2011-11-30T22:45:00.001-05:00

Silly girl! Your personality is the absolute best!! You are so easy (don't jinx me) and happy all the time. You are talking all the time, mostly saying "mama". You can also say "dada", "yaya", "nana", "baba". You are such a big girl now! Now that you can pull yourself up, you constantly walk around the table and even go from the table to sofa (holding on). The minute I put you down, you stand up and start cruising. Sometimes you even get brave and clap for yourself!

You are a definite Mama's girl, especially in new environments or around new people. You always look to me for approval. You finally cuddle with me. I love when you lay your head on my shoulder. In the past you were just a wiggle worm, but now you will let me hold and cuddle you. I hope this last!

You get excited when we come in your room to get you out of your crib. You start crawling around and make an excited noise! It's so cute!
You are a super fast crawler and will follow Mommy and Daddy room to room. You like to sit in front of the refrigerator and oven because you can see your reflection!

Last week you started putting your arms up when we say, "How big is Claire?" "So Big!" Then you clap for your self. You are so much fun to watch. You crack us up. Your latest is making a "mean face". Unfortunately, I think you picked it up from me. It's not really a mean face, per se. When you used to fuss for no reason, I would scrunch my nose up at you. Now you do that all the time when you pout or something doesn't go your way. We try hard not to laugh and I have been working on not making that face.

You are a fabulous eater. You eat everything that goes on your tray. I think peas are your favorite! You prefer to eat mostly finger foods and do a great job :) I would venture to say you eat twice as much as Max.
You have four bottles a day and three meals a day. You take two naps a day, sometimes three...with the third nap being around 30 min. You sleep great at night. Go to bed at 7:15 and usually sleep til 6:30.

You have two teeth.
You wear 6-12 month clothes and a size 3 diaper.

Road trip x3

2011-11-28T19:21:00.000-05:00

So here we are 7:00pm
Monday night and I've made my second road trip in 24 hours. We went to Atlanta for thanksgiving, came back last night at 10 and I was back on the road this morning at 11:45. Today I left my precious babies for the first time. I left them at home with Justin so I could go to Virginia with my parents. Tomorrow my sister-in-law is having a C-section and I will be an aunt to two precious baby girls..... Yes, you read that right, girls. My brother is having TWINS!!!
I am super sad to be away from my babies but so glad I get to meet my nieces on the day they are born!!

We are also coming home tomorrow so that will make a total of 21 hours In three days!

I'm so behind on blogging! Hopefully Wednesday when Max and Claire go to school, I can catch up on their individual 10 month post and Thanksgiving!

So Thankful!

2011-11-24T20:23:00.001-05:00

Today as we sat around the dining room table surrounded by family we love and delicious food, I realize how thankful I am. Last year I was spending thanksgiving in the hospital with my wonderful nurses. I remember the day perfectly. I had showered and actually put on something besides sweats, listened to Christmas music and patiently waited for my family to bring me their Thanksgiving leftovers.
I remember being cooped up in the bed wishing I was out looking at Christmas lights, listening to Christmas music, shopping, going to Christmas parties and just sleeping in my own bed! I vowed not to complain about Christmas music coming on so early, traffic, etc! But to enjoy life's moments and be thankful for all I did have.
Claire and Max had their first thanksgiving dinner. Claire gobbled up the turkey, cranberry, stuffing and a few bites of orange. Max mostly wanted his baby food but did have some stuffing and oranges.
Tomorrow we are going to a Christmas tree farm with grandma and grandpa. I'm so so excite! I've never been to one before.

I have the most wonderful family and so blessed to have one of my own now.

10 Months

2011-11-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

I must start by saying this past month, although it has been a lot of fun, it has also been the most challenging! At the beginning of the month they had an ear infection, horrible diaper rash that lasted over two weeks, still have colds and are teething! That's a lot for them to go through at one time and a lot for this Mom to handle!

When their noses aren't running or gums aren't bothering them, they are smiling, laughing and in to everything!
They are both crawling and pulling up. They rarely sit still.

I am down to pumping once a day, sometimes twice. I can honestly say I am ready. Probably TMI, but I'm also completely deflated! ha! I might have one bra that actually fits now. Oh well!
They are taking four bottles a day and have three meals.
Sleep has not been great. We had two days that were a little bit of Heaven! I would say on average they go to bed around 7:15 and wake up at 6/6:15. Max woke up at 5:15 this morning and would not go back to sleep. UGH. I can't think of anything except teething?! Thoughts?

On the rare occasion I can get her to keep her bow in, Max tries to take it off!

This past month went by super fast. I can't believe they will be one in a month. Today we went to visit our ante nurses and take them some goodies. This time last year I was still on bed rest at the hospital.

It's time I get to planning their first birthday. sniff sniff

2011-11-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

So, I don't have much to say so this is pretty much a picture dump! We are taking it easy here this weekend and enjoying family time.

Our Max Man

Wearing our UGA football colors!

Claire's new favorite thing to do is stand. If she can find something to pull up on, she stands, and stands for a long time! She is now cruising the table. The other night she circled it twice. Sometimes she gets brave when she is at her play table and will do one hand or kind of lean on the recliner behind her and do no hands - usually followed by clapping for herself!!

When she wakes up in the morning and from naps, you will also find her standing!

Max still only pulls up to his knees, but he is not too far behind!

Buds on the move!

They are quick and into everything :)

It's 11:15

2011-11-17T23:17:00.001-05:00

So, it's 11:15 and I have decided not to pump. Just got in from a girls night and decided to blog and go to bed. I think I'm finally over pumping for 30+ minutes just to get four ounces total of bm - five if I'm lucky! I'm done..... well, kind of. I'll pump tomorrow morning. That's ok, right?! I feel so guilty, but I'm so tired. Almost ten months is along time - I should be ok with this decision, right?

One of the girls tonight said she pumps for 15 minutes and gets 30 oz.... ??? what?? that's what i used to get in one day!!?! Craziness!

Took some pics today and hopefully I can upload tomorrow.

Happy Friday :)

Kelly Crocker

2011-11-16T22:05:00.000-05:00

Today while trying to find something for lunch, I found a can of pumpkin. I had planned on making a pumpkin recipe with Hannah this past weekend but ran out of time. Max and Claire were at school and we had play group this afternoon, so I decided to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

The only thing I did different was the icing. I found a cream cheese icing that was so good! I think I had three of these today! Thank goodness they are gone. I need to stop ruining every workout with dessert.

For dinner we had my new favorite, Baked Chicken Parm. It is so good and easy to make!

And I can't end a post without a picture of my baby girl! She has been pulling up on everything. Sometimes she even gets brave and lets go for a second!

Beautiful Day

2011-11-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

Today was Papa's funeral. The service was so beautiful - I know he loved it :) Since he was a veteran, he received a military honors ceremony which includes the unfolding of the flag and the playing of "Taps". It was a very moving ceremony.

My Veteran went to see Jesus

2011-11-11T22:15:00.000-05:00

Today was a very sad day. My Grandfather, Papa, passed. He has lived a wonderful 88 years! He is finally free and back with my Grandmother. Although he has not been doing well over a month, it was kind of unexpected.
I was the first grandchild so I had a special bond with him. I was his sweet heart! I'm so happy he got a chance to meet Max and Claire!

Today he was being "George" and wanting to do things on his terms. The poor nurse came in to tell us he was leaving us and all the sudden his heart rate went back up...that happened three times! He said that had never happened to him before!
It was also weird, bc he passed in the same room my other grandfather did four years ago.

I miss him so much already, but know he is in Heaven with my Nana and the rest of his friends and family.

And that makes two!

2011-11-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

Max is now crawling the traditional way! He did a few moves yesterday but today he went across the room. It is so cute bc he goes really slow - he's much faster at his reach and pull. I am sure he will be hard to keep up with once he really gets it down pat!

We had another rough night with him. His cold is so bad. Poor thing can barely breath and has diarrhea. I had to change him around 2 am last night. I am thinking it is from teething. His 5th tooth is coming in! Our morning started at 5:45. WAY TOO EARLY! I was hoping for a nap, but as soon as I put my head down and got comfortable, Claire woke up! This momma is tired!

Helluva Day

2011-11-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

Today was not my usual, "yay, it's Wednesday" day. Claire's rash has not gotten any better so last night I made a doctor appointment for her. It was at 1:00, so I picked them up early from Mother's Morning Out. Back track to after I drop them off at school. I was on a mission to find a new pair of Nike running shoes. I love the pair Nike free shoes I have now, but in desperate need of new ones. I went to three different stores to check out colors.

liked purple

Then I found these and loved everything about them. BUT. I decided they were too narrow :( The pair I have now are mens, so naturally they are wider. If I could swing it, I'd get them just to toot around in - but for running, they have to be a perfect fit. They have similar ones in Men's but the lining is orange, not yellow. I really like yellow and gray together. I couldn't even try on the orange ones bc they were sold out. I might try to go to Dicks or Sports Authority in hopes they have them.

So.... I spent 1.5 hours shoe hunting and the rest was mowing the grass and vacuuming. Boring.

Back to the dr. appt. So, since it was 1:00 and they have been at school all morning, they were ready for nap. Actually, they were past due for a nap so on the way, they fell asleep. I was the smart one who decided I could take them by myself. It would have been fine, had it not been nap time. I put Max in our umbrella stroller and carried Claire since she was the one seeing the doctor. We waited 40 minutes in the waiting room. Not easy! We didn't leave until 2:30!

We were all tired. I was so tired, I was emotional and cried when the doctor was examining Claire. She was screaming and it made me hurt for her. Just when I thought she was finished, she decided she was going to take a strep culture. Poor Claire! Turns out, it is just a really bad yeast infection coupled with a bad diaper rash. She switched her cream to one with out steriods and said to let her roam around (read: no diaper!) a few times a day for 15 min at a time. I have to figure out the best way to do this. I'm thinking wrapping/letting her lay on a towel while she has her bottles?

On a positive note, our usual nurse saw us and brought me 9 cans of formula!! I sure do love thoughtful people! She is helping us so much. She said if we have to come back Monday, she will give us more :)

I'll have to bake her some more cookies.

baby girl being patient (kind of) so I could hold a sleepy and whiny, Max!

Coolest birthday present!

2011-11-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

Max and Claire ordered me the most unique birthday present. It came in the mail yesterday and I am so excited to wear it!

If you look closely, you will see a thumbprint! One side has their thumbprint and the other has their name. What a great idea. This would also be perfect for Mother's Day!

__________________________

Has the time change affected anyone else? Just when Max finally started sleeping better, the time change messed us up. Sunday morning he woke up at 4:45 and that seems to be a pattern now. I don't know what his deal is. He did so good at the beginning of last week with his new medicine. It may be his cold? They both have had extremely runny noses and have been sneezing. Claire still has a diaper rash. How long do they normally last?? If it's not better by tomorrow, I think I need to call the doctor again.
We are so ready (and I'm sure they are) for them to feel better.

One Year Ago #2

2011-11-04T14:06:00.000-04:00

One year ago today I was put on Hospital bed rest. Little did I know, I'd be there for six weeks. I can't believe it has already been a year. I remember that day like it was yesterday! I was supposed to have a baby shower that Saturday and the location had already been moved twice (from the original place, to our house since I was on home bed rest) then, thankfully, our doctor said we could have it in a classroom at the hospital. And that we did!
Besides not being able to do ANYTHING, I didn't mind being there. The nurses were great and I had so many visitors. It's amazing how generous people are with their time. It was also comforting knowing a nurse or a doctor were just steps away at all times. I still keep in touch with my ante nurses and take Max and Claire to visit. I'll probably make some desserts to take to them for Thanksgiving.

Have a great weekend. Not to much planned here.

Play date

2011-11-03T21:52:00.000-04:00

Today Max and Claire went and were invited to join in on an extra large play group! There were at least 12 kids there and probably 8-10 adults! It was pretty crazy, but a lot of fun. I am looking forward to Max and Claire interacting with other children their age. It was to hectic to pull out my camera, but I did take a few before we left. They are into EVERYTHING!!

Max is obsessed with anything that is left on the fireplace and will do all he can do get to it!

Claire has become quite the crawler! Tonight she crawled from her bedroom to the dining room for dinner! It's so cute. However, she did get a little floor burn on the top of her foot :(

Both on the move in their own ways! I love how Max moves! He uses his right foot to push off on his left to get momentum with a grunt each time! Today they had many laughs and chased each other in the hall. I am so in love with these two :)

Oh, Claire started clapping yesterday!
I'm waiting on a rainy day to go through the blog and update their baby books.

Lightbulb

2011-11-01T21:54:00.001-04:00

Ding.ding.ding.ding!
Hello....what have I been thinking? Every time I got up with Max Sunday night, I would rack my brain as to why this(waking at night and early morning) was going on. Finally, at 2am, after he continued to scream when we put him in our bed (bad, I know) and didn't calm down until held him sitting up, did I realize REFLUX!!! I tracked this behavior back to August! Yes, we have been waking up before or right at 5 since AUGUST. That is also when I started weaning him off of Zantac for his reflux. I had told our doctor he seemed to be doing better and I didn't want him taking medicine if he didn't need it so we slowly weaned him off..... which makes sense bc it has progressively gotten worse.

Monday I had to go to the pediatricians office to pick up something and I told the nurse what I had figured out. She said that could definitely be the problem. Since she is awesome, she snuck me back to see the Dr. and got a new prescription and new dosage for Max!

I am happy to say last night we ALL slept through the night! 7:15-6:45 :) We all woke up happy and were in good moods all day long!
I feel awful for just now figuring that out. Hopefully the medicine is really helping and he will be back to his normal sleeping habits!

Trick Or Treat!

2011-10-31T22:24:00.000-04:00

Our little cow and leopard played dress up yesterday. They had so much fun in their costumes and their buddy, Asher, came over to join in!

Mini Zoo!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

5 years ago today, Justin proposed!!

Max 9 Months

2011-10-30T21:22:00.002-04:00

My Buds! You (and Claire) have made the past nine months so special for Daddy and me. You have been busy exploring this month. Your Grandmother thinks you are going to be an engineer! You are curious and study every little thing. You are so smart. Recently you learned Peek a Boo! You are so proud of yourself and laugh every time we play. You wave - backwards and I love it. We usually watch Baby Einstein in the mornings and I think you are learning from their moves....which is why I just bought a sign language video in hopes you will learn to tell us what you want - instead of whining! You love to play with balls. It's the cutest when you crawl (with a ball in hand) to the hardwoods and then push and catch it!

You have the best smile and I think your cheeks are the most perfect thing in the world. You are still our little snuggler. Your sleep patterns have not gotten any better. I can't seem to pin down the problem. You wake up b/t 4:45-5:15 almost every morning. We started bringing you in our room so you wouldn't wake up Claire, but decided that it wasn't a good idea....So, now if you wake up before 6, you still have to stay in your crib. Luckily Claire is a good sleeper and sleeps through your whining and crying. We don't like to do it, but I don't want you to get in the habit of waking up early just to get in our bed :) (truthfully, I love your snuggles in our bed)

You are a super fast crawler, although it is not the traditional crawl. You still reach and pull. You could crawl if you wanted to, but you are so fast your way you always take a few crawls and go back to your stomach.
You love going to school once a week. They say you are a big fan of music class. I really want to look in one day so I can see all the fun you have. Hopefully we can work it out so you can go twice a week!
You say dadadada all day long and in all different sounds. Sometimes really loud, sometimes drawn out and sometimes in the sweetest, soft voice :)
Bath time is your favorite. You and Claire splash and laugh the whole time. You don't like getting your pjs or diaper changed. That is a new challenge. You want to be on the move at all times.

You have four bottles a day and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. You are a very good eater and are so good using your pincer grasp! You get frustrated with slippery foods. And you have the ~~messiest~~ cutest routine. Once you pick up your food, you put it on the table (not your tray) or the cup holder on your tray, then pick it back up to eat. I've also noticed you dropping food on the floor. If Coltrane was still here, he would love mealtimes with you!
You wear size 3 diapers and most of your clothes are 12 months.

*first ear infection and cold 10/23/2011

Claire 9 Months

2011-10-30T20:32:00.001-04:00

Oh, Claire! What have you been up to?
Your biggest accomplishment this month is CRAWLING!!! Just a few days of turning nine months, you started crawling. You look so cute when you are on the move! The best is when you see me walk in the room and you start crawling towards me. It melts my heart :) You and Max have done a better job playing with each other. When I leave you in your play yard together, I can hear you from the kitchen just giggling away at each other. Sometimes you steal each others toys and I hear the opposite! You are starting to pay attention when we read books and love the peek a boo books!!
You still smile all the time and are such a good girl. You started going to "school" once a week and LOVE it! Your teachers always brag how good you are. Makes me a proud Mom. I'm thinking after Christmas we will let you go twice a week!

We lowered your crib bc you have been pulling up on any and everything. Most mornings when I come get you, you are on your knees holding onto the crib rails!

You are a fabulous eater! We have started eating a lot more finger food. You are a fast eater and sometimes you don't take the time to swallow...most noticeable with peas ;) You tried spaghetti o's this week and love them! You have 4 bottles a day along with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
You talk a lot!! It's still mostly dadadada, but recently I have heard a few yayaya and nanana.
You are still a good sleeper and have been doing much better with naps. Bedtime is around 7:15 and you sleep til 6:30. I think you would sleep longer if your brother would let you!

Bath time is your favorite time of day. You and Max make the biggest splashes and laugh and talk the entire time! Getting changed is your least favorite thing to do. Especially night time. It is a struggle to get your diapers on.
You wear 6-12 month clothes and your pjs are 9 months and a size 3 diaper. You don't like to wear bows. Sometimes I can sneak it on and it takes you awhile to notice. I wish you would keep it on bc you look so darn cute!

Love those sweet cheeks!

*first ear infection and cold on 10/23

One Year Ago

2011-10-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

Exactly one year ago I was put on bed rest. It feels like yesterday, but also so long ago. I was a wreck. Every single minute was worth it to have two perfect babies! What a difference a year makes!!

On a random note...Justin and I just watched Bridesmaids. Probably the first movie I've seen in over six months - maybe longer! We both were laughing out loud!! And we even stayed awake through the whole movie!

Now it's time to have more cookies and milk :) One day i'll actually finish Max and Claire's 9 month post!

9 Months

2011-10-27T22:48:00.000-04:00

Another month has flown by! I think the past month has brought the most changes! They are so busy and curious ALL.THE.TIME! Just when I think things are getting easier, BAM, they start crawling! It's funny... Before they could sit, I would always say how easier it would be if they were sitting. But once they started sitting on their own, they started doing it in the middle of the night :) and wanting to play. That lasted about a week.
They are both crawling. Claire does the traditional crawl and Max does a reach and pull. And they typically go in different directions :)

They eat three meals a day along with four bottles. I am still pumping. I am hanging on to every single ounce I can get. It's pretty ridiculous. After having mastitis and losing most of my supply, I will pump for 30 minutes and barely get four ounces total. Last night I decided to pump for an hour ( I was watching TV and playing on the computer anyway) and I actually got 7 ounces. Who has time to pump for an hour? Not me!
My second goal was making it to nine months but I'm not ready to quit. I teared up the other night when I dropped a pump. We will see how long this will last. I have a feeling I am drying up.
Yesterday at their dr appt, the nurse hooked us up with five cans of formula then called me today to tell me the enfamil rep came and she is saving me a whole case!! She rocks!! I'm making cookies to take her on Monday. That is huge savings :)

My loves :)

Peek A Boo!

2011-10-26T21:52:00.000-04:00

Max's new favorite thing to do is play peek a boo while we are on walks! It is the cutest.thing.ever!

And, I think he learned it from Baby Einstein's First Moves DVD! We play peek a boo at home, but (I wouldn't) think enough for him to do this!! He mimics everything.... hoping he will pick up the sign language video I just bought!

We also had our 9 month well baby appointment today.
Dr. Bates was very pleased with both of them.

Max:
20 lbs 15 oz 50th %
29.5 in 90th %
44 cm (head) 25th %

Claire:
18 lbs 4 oz 25th %
27.75 in 50th %
42.5 cm 50th %

They are growing up way to fast! Both are starting to feel better and I'm hoping to do their 9 month post before the weekend!

Oh... we had Mother's Morning Out today. All three of us LOVE it! Their teachers are wonderful and they have so much fun. They don't even notice when I leave! I have to find a way for them to go twice a week. I think I'm gonna sell some of our old (designer) jeans on EBAY to start a twice a week fund!! Today I was able to go to Target, get gas, run, mow the front yard, start dinner, laundry, make cookies for their teacher, go to bank and run by Foot Locker to get sized for some new Nike's - all before 1!! And picking them up with huge smiles makes my day :)

Baby girl

2011-10-25T22:49:00.000-04:00

My babies are still sick :( No more fever, but Max has an awful cough and Bear has one of the worst diaper rashes I have ever seen. She cries every time I change her.... which has been a lot. I think the Amoxicillian is causing more poo diapers (?) It just looks painful. Luckily we have their 9 month well baby tomorrow.
It seems that they were so healthy, then they went to Mother's Morning Out and they have been sick for almost a week. I guess it was going to happen sooner or later. I just hate seeing them feel so bad.
Hopefully everyone will be better by this weekend so we can do our 9 month photo shoot and play in our Halloween costumes!

Pumpkins, Weddings and Ear Infections... Oh MY!

2011-10-23T22:16:00.000-04:00

We had a super busy weekend. Friday, Mom and I took Max and Claire to a local church pumpkin patch to take some pictures. It was crazy. Claire tried/did eat sticks, leaves and acorns and Max wasn't feeling well and fussed 95% of the time. We will go back to get more pictures when they are in a good mood.

My two lil pumpkins!

Busted!

getting an acorn out of her mouth!

she loved the pumpkins! and is loving standing holding on to something!

*side note~ I had no idea how expensive pumpkins were outside of the grocery store. Right now Harris Teeter, our local grocery store has huge pumpkins 4/$9. I left with a very small pumpkin and a pie pumpkin for $7. I would have loved to get one of their largest, but wasn't going to pay over $30 for a pumpkin that was going to rot on our front porch!

Saturday I had a baby shower and a wedding to go to! I could almost cry bc I forgot to take my camera to both of them! I was only able to stay at the shower for 45 min bc I had to get back and get ready for the wedding that was out of town (40 min. away).

The wedding was AMAZING! The venue was beautiful, food was amazing (filet and crab cake), music and dancing were a ton of fun and the bride and groom looked like a million bucks!

My in-laws had come in town to visit and babysit Max and Claire. We had planned on going to the Farmer's Market with them to do more pumpkin pictures but we ended up at the doctor's office instead. Claire woke up looking awful (puffy, red eyes, runny nose, slight fever) and you could just tell Max still felt bad. Turns out both have an ear infection. I hate seeing them feel so bad. Hoping the medicine kicks in and they feel better soon!

They turned 9 months on Saturday and I am putting off their photo shoot until they get better and are smiley again ;)

I need a nap!

Gearing up

2011-10-20T22:54:00.000-04:00

Today Max and Claire were geared up for fall! They had on their matching Puma track suits! They looked so cute. I had a hard time getting a good picture bc Max is still feeling bad and Claire just wants to be on the move!
We were up.all.night. Max wasn't sleeping and Claire decided to have a party in her crib around 2! I was rocking Max and she sat up on her knees and held on to the crib bars laughing :) It was hard for me not to laugh back bc she looked so cute! I maybe had one consecutive hour of sleep.
After waking from an early nap, we headed to Costco to get Claire a Halloween costume.

they love riding in the cart together!

The greeter/counter guy spoke to them as we walked in and Max started wailing! The guy was African American and VERY tall and super sweet. I was so embarrassed! I just told the guy Max was sleepy and didn't feel well. Anyways, we left with a cow costume. Can't wait to take pictures!

After their afternoon nap we headed to the park for a run. I haven't had a good run since last Thursday. Monday I thought I was getting Mastitis again so running was not an option!
The weather was perfect for a good run!

And how is it already the end of October? I love fall and one of my favorite things is the changing of the leaves. It looks as though most have changed and are falling off :( I really wanted to do outside pics of Max and Claire with all the beautiful colors.

I promise she doesn't hate me!!

This weekend we are planning on going to go to the pumpkin patch with both sets of grandparents! I want to do pictures in their costumes and pictures in Halloween shirts!

Who needs Pledge when you have Max!?

2011-10-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

Big things going on in our house!! We have two crawlers and a duster! Max's new favorite thing is pushing a ball under the table then chasing after it.... not realizing he is dusting in the process! He has done this the past few mornings and it makes me laugh every time!

Claire has been rocking and rolling for a while now and out of nowhere, she decided she was ready and took off!! I am so proud of her! - a lot more work for me, but a big accomplishment for her!
Max has been crawling for a few weeks, only he does a reach and pull, not your traditional crawl. Both are getting fast and going in different directions!

They had Mother's Morning Out today. I got so much done! I cleaned, laundry, ran errands, tried to shop, and pumped before picking them up. When I got there they said Max was really tired - and boy was he! You could tell by his eyes and he started crying when I got there....then Claire started! They have been sympathy crying lately. Max was asleep before we left the parking lot. I put them both down after arriving home and they slept for almost two hours. Max was burning up when I picked him up. I took his temp and he had a fever of 100.4. Poor guy! Hopefully he will sleep it off (along with the Tylenol) and feel better tomorrow.

Loving the stage we are in right now. They are so much fun!

We're mobile!

2011-10-18T23:11:00.003-04:00

Claire started crawling today! She looks so cute and makes me a proud Mom!
Hopefully tomorrow when I'm not so sleepy, I can upload a video :)

Party like it's your birthday!

2011-10-16T23:10:00.000-04:00

Saturday night Justin and my Mom threw me a 30th birthday party! It was supposed to be a surprise, but Justin spilled the beans!

It was a perfect birthday and birthday party! I loved being around my closest family and friends!

Heather and London are prego and due in January! Aren't they so cute! There were four pregnant women there!

Do NOT like when people sing Happy Birthday!

Cake was yummy!

Best parents in the world!

Best husband in the world!

And because every post is better with a picture of Max and Claire ~

presh!

Early Bird

2011-10-14T07:15:00.000-04:00

This little guy has been up since 4AM. It's killing me! I say this as I am on my second cup of coffee and just finished a piece of pound cake - don't judge! We try to make him cry it out, but that can only go on so long without waking up his sister. This morning we first heard him at 4 and made him stay is his crib til close to 4:45. He got to loud so we moved him to the play pin in the other room in hopes he would go back to sleep. NOPE. We let him cry it out for a while and finally we got him. Poor guy was sitting up crying. Justin brought him back to our bedroom (what we were trying to avoid) and he laid down with me... only he didn't go back to sleep. Finally at 5:55 we came in the den and I started to pump. All this going on and Claire was still asleep.
Help!
Why does he keep getting up so early? I know its not because he is hungry. He literally gets up "clapping" and bouncing around. Each morning he gets up earlier and earlier. Part of me thinks it's because he is so eager to learn and play.
Any ideas or things I can do?

This girl needs sleep!

The BIG one!

2011-10-12T22:44:00.000-04:00

Today I turned the BIG 3-0! It has been one of my best birthdays yet! It was a big day for Max and Claire too! They went to "school" for the first time. They did great! It was from 9-1 and the director and teachers commented on how well they behaved and how much fun they were! That makes a Momma proud, especially on her birthday. Even better - they napped for 2.5 hrs when we got home!!

I was able to do some quick shopping - which for once put a smile on my face. I bought a pair of jeans in a size 4!! Never did I think I would ever see that day!! They were from Gap and they tend to run big, but still :)

I had a nice lunch with Justin, many calls, text, and fb messages from friends,and a nice dinner with presents with the parents!

Looking forward to my "surprise" party on Saturday!!

Yay for birthdays!!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2011-10-11T22:28:00.000-04:00

It rained.all.day. I wish it only rained while we were sleeping, leaving the days to play outside. All three of us were stir crazy today.

When I get bored, or stuck in the house, I like to bake. I was going to try and not bake all week... didn't make it to far! I made hard boiled egg cookies again. They are divine! And since I ate around 5 cookies, I escaped to the gym after the babies went down. It felt good to get out of the house!

Looking forward to some mommy time tomorrow.!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-10-10T17:32:00.000-04:00

Max and Claire are as busy as can be! Justin and I still haven't finished baby proofing. I'm hoping to get some done tonight. First in order is to lower the cribs. We've been talking about that for a few weeks, but it really is a must do now!

Claire, so curious!

Thankfully my Mom put a bumper around our fire place, now I just need to put up cords (computer, phone, pump, etc) and some last minute things in the play room. They really need a room that is 100% safe. Max gets really mad when he is on the move and I have to pick him up and turn him around.

His new thing is pushing a ball, or something that rolls, and going to catch it!

I tried to do a photo shoot since I haven't done one in a while, but they just want to move - sitting still is not an option!

"I don't want to sit still!"

and he's off!

baby girl in her new winter hat!

Other randoms:

I signed them up for a Mother's Morning Out! We all need it! I am really excited. They will go on Wednesdays 9-1 and have music class, walks, swing outside and the opportunity to play with other kids their age AND I get to relax, shop, workout, get my nails done, etc.... :) Win/Win!

I am working hard to get my bm supply back. This morning I actually got 3 oz! (even though at lunch I only got 1.5) I am taking Fenugreek again and I think it is starting to help.

My 30th birthday is Wednesday!!! I'm so excited! Justin has been planning a party for a while. It was supposed to be a surprise, but he told me. I am looking forward to Saturday night to celebrate :)

Cheers!

Baby bangs

2011-10-07T22:58:00.000-04:00

Wish I were talking about Claire having cute baby bangs....but I'm talking about my new hair growth. I now have baby bangs (takes me back to middle school - scary!) and some new hair around my ears. What? Why? Not a fan. Really noticed it while I was getting my cut and color today. Which by the way, I got cut a few inches shorter! I always feel so much better after getting my hair done. It's fresh!
Mom watched the babes while I was gone and I was lucky to sneak a few minutes of cuddle time with the Bear when she woke up.

yes, I need to work on my self portraits :) but you can see the fresh color!

We had another beautiful day today so we headed to the park with Mom. Max was able to wear his new shoes! They are so stinking cute. I am pretty sure they are summer shoes, but I don't care ;)

The Max Man

Little Red Wagon

2011-10-06T21:31:00.000-04:00

Today was a Beau-ti-ful day! I'm feeling much better (still sore, but no more fever) and needed to get out of the house. We put up a swing about a month ago and haven't been on it much. There was no reason not to today! Even though it is barely a few steps to the swing, I dusted off the wagon and loaded up. (I must add I had to kill two spiders shiver and get three stink bugs out)

They had the best time. We made a few trips up and down the driveway after swinging and playing with our next door neighbor's dogs.
They love dogs. Speaking of which... we went to my Aunt's house tonight to have dinner with my cousin who is home for a fall break from Ole Miss. Ann made the best meatloaf, mash potatoes and asparagus. I'm still full! It was great to see Hannah, aka, Hans and BCF. But even better to see Max laugh hysterical at the dogs! I've heard Claire laugh like that before, but not Max Man. It was probably one of the best noises I've ever heard! I need to get it off of Justin's phone. It's the best!

Max with Great Aunt Ann and calm Lilly

Busy weekend coming up.... starting with getting my hair did tomorrow! short???

Mastitis

2011-10-04T21:57:00.000-04:00

Yeah, it stinks. Saturday I noticed a lot of redness, tenderness, and hot spots on my right breast. I thought i was just engorged, but it had gotten worse and today i had flu like symptoms so I decided to call the Doctor. Last night when I got home, I had chills and felt awful, waking up feeling even worse. Not only is my breast in a TON of pain, I have had a fever all day - peaking at 103. The dr. was surprised how hot I was. I had to get blood work done and she sent me with an antibiotic. If it doesn't get better in 48 hours, I will have to be admitted for it to be drained or cut out? I was confused about that. Hoping it heals on its own. That would really stink.
Thank goodness for a good friend who came by to watch them so I could go to the dr. and Mom for helping feed and get them to bed. Justin is out of town and won't be back til late tomorrow night :(

Spoiled

2011-10-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

Spoiled.Rotten.
This weekend we went to Charlotte to see Aunt Darcy's new place and see Grandma and Grandpa Fredrick. Max and Claire love all their grandparents and it's such a nice treat to see them. We had a great weekend, although it would have been nice to have an extra day!
Today we went shopping and Grandma and Grandpa hooked M and C up with some fall/winter clothes! YAY!
I was so proud of them both yesterday and today. We were in and out of the car/strollers all day. They did great - even at restaurants!

How could you not be in love with these two?!

Baby Food

2011-09-30T09:28:00.001-04:00

I'm trying to do a better job making Max and Claire's food. Now that they are eating more, it is getting pretty expensive(to buy). I have been buying the Plum Organics, Ella's Kitchen and a little bit of Gerber.
Last week I made chicken, sweet potatoes and carrots. I have gotten good at making butternut squash and sweet potatoes...pretty easy!

But as many times as I have tried, I can't seem to get apples the right consistency. I have baked them in the oven and I have steamed them. The directions say it is one of the easiest to make. What am I doing wrong?!
Yesterday I steamed apples and pears and even after steaming for 25 minutes, they were still pretty firm.

One of my favorites from Ella's Kitchen is a mixture of pumpkin and banana. While at Earth Fare yesterday I was going to pick up a pumpkin - but they didn't have the pie pumpkins so I'll just have to wait on making that.

I have been slowly introducing more finger foods. Our newest is toast and they love it!

What are some other good first finger foods?

East/West, North/South

2011-09-27T22:54:00.000-04:00

Direction. They are both moving and in opposite directions! Max pulls himself (quickly) in all directions and Claire rolls.

and yes, I am still behind on baby proofing!

This morning they had scrambled egg (yolk) for the first time. They loved it, although they wore most of it!

I also made dinner tonight. Go me!! It was supposed to be like tetrazini, but I'm not good at following directions so it's my own concoction!

2 chk breast (cooked)

1/2 lb noodles (half wheat, half not!)

1/2 yellow onion

mushrooms

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/3c flour

1/3 stick of butter

1/2 c parm cheese

-melt butter and add onion, garlic and mushrooms

add flour, chk broth, milk and bring to a bubble - add parm cheese

pour mixture over noodles and bake 350 for 30 min.

I served with peas ;)

And lastly, this picture of Max Man is the best! This is his new party shirt!

Oh, one more thing.... Max waved(imitating me) for the first time today! It was so cute!

p.s. i'm never talking again!

Max 8 Months

2011-09-26T22:48:00.001-04:00

Oh, Max Man! My big boy! I can't believe I am already writing about your eight month. You are now mobile. You have been rocking for a while, but now you are pulling yourself along the carpet/rugs. It's not quite an army crawl bc you use both hands at the same time, but it gets you where you want to go and fast! This afternoon I left you and Claire positioned on the blanket ~~what I thought was perfect positioning~~ when I went to get the BOB out of the car and I came back in to find you at one end of the room and Claire at the other. Oh.My.Word. I'm in trouble! You have moved your hands twice to try and do the traditional crawl. Daddy and I have been cheering for you.
You love to give kisses (at least that's what I think they are!) You will usually pull my hair on both sides and come at my face with an open mouth - sometimes you grab my cheeks to pull me in and do it with a huge grin on your face! it's the cutest.

You are the sweetest boy. Daddy always says, "he's the Max Man" Recently you have been babbling up a storm - mostly saying dadadada, although it's not to Dada. You wake up with the biggest smile and sweetest voice*. While we are on the waking up topic - you have been waking up entirely too early. I'm not sure what your deal is. Today you woke up at 5:15 and that is not ok! I usually bring you in our room so you don't wake up Claire. Your a pretty good napper and if you don't have your third nap, you get quite fussy- even if it's just a 45 min nap, you need it. bath time is your favorite! You love to splash and play with toys.

You are a great eater! We just recently started stage 3 foods and I have decided to be brave enough to feed you more finger foods. Today at Costco, I gave you and Claire a sample of mac and cheese and you did great! Tomorrow morning I might get real crazy and make you an egg yolk omelet! We also just added breakfast to the schedule, making three meals a day along with your four bottles. You love your bottle. Being a new mom, I didn't know to up the nipple size on your bottles, so until a few weeks ago, you have been at stage one!....which you like bc you never want your bottle to end!

You wear a size 3 diaper and most of your clothes are 9/12 months. You are very long and the past couple of people to see you, comment about you looking like a toddler...but don't worry, you are still my baby.

*We love your sweet voice BUT you also whine. Alot. It's not cute and it's really annoying! I'm on the lookout for a signing dvd so maybe that will help you tell us what you want instead of whining all the time!

Claire 8 Months

2011-09-24T23:23:00.001-04:00

The Bear. Oh Miss Claire, you are a mess! We love you so much and talk about you ALL.THE.TIME! You are growing up so fast and I swear you do something new each day. Right now you are on the verge of crawling. Usually, you roll across the floor. I can't take my eye off you for a second. I put a large blanket on the floor, but you would rather be scraping your hands on the carpet. You are full of personality! You have no problem letting us know how you feel. Recently you have been a real Mama's girl. The other day you cried when Big Ted, Lindsay and Parker held you. I love when you want to cuddle with me bc that doesn't happen often. You squish your nose up and have a "cheese" smile when you are happy or think something's funny. Daddy loves it! You smile more than people realize. Actually you smile all the time, it's just hard to catch you on camera.

You love to eat. I just started introducing stage 3 foods. The other night I made you chicken/sweet potatoes and carrots and you loved it! I am going to try to do better at making your food. You take four bottles a day and solids twice, although starting Monday we will do three times a day. I also need to start giving you more finger foods. You always put your hand in your mouth and reach for the spoon so I think you are ready. You have had pieces of banana, avocado, puffs, yogurt melts and baby mum mums. You get excited when you see the puff/melt bag!!

You sleep pretty well. Usually you go to bed around 7:15 and wake up at 6/6:15. You have been doing much better at naps which makes us all happy ;) We still watch Baby Einstein in the mornings while I pump. It holds your attention the best. You and Max love the puppets so BeeBee went and got you some!
She also got you a swing for the back yard. Unfortunately it has rained almost every day since we put it up, but we will definitely use it when it clears up.

You wear a size 3 diaper, although you probably could still wear a 2, it's just easier to buy one size and there is no way Max is going to wear a 2! Most of your clothes are 6-12 mo and a few 9 mo outfits. I think you are about 17 lbs now. You have two bottom teeth.
You babble ALL the time! I think your first babble was mamamama, but now all you say is dadadadada. It's the cutest!

8 Months

2011-09-23T12:51:00.000-04:00

8 Months......Already?

I swear each month goes by faster and faster. I have noticed so much more this past month. Their new thing right now is stealing toys. We need to work on that. It doesn't matter the toy, they are going to steal it - then comes whining and pouting....especially from the Bear!

They are both so close to crawling. I keep my phone close by so I can video if they start. There have been a few false alarms. Max has been rocking for quite a while (close to 2 months) and Claire just recently started but she goes from seated position to all fours and isn't as afraid to move her arms. Max still does a bunny hop with his knees - it's the cutest! And recently he is pulling himself.. i guess kind of like an army crawl but with both hands at the same time. They can still move their way around the room.
We really need to baby proof now bc we gave my brother and his wife our mamaroos that sat in front of the fire place.

They are in to EVERYTHING!

I am still pumping. I dropped my midnight pump, so I am down to 4x a day. After having the flu, my milk supply dropped drastically. Hopefully I can make it to my nine month goal.

When no one is stealing toys, they are all smiles :) The best is when they first wake up - which recently has been 6am. I really can't complain bc they go to bed around 7:15. I'm learning to adjust!

Taco Pie

2011-09-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

This was one of my favorite dinners Mom made growing up. It is easy peasy and oh so good!

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey) I used 93/7
tortilla chips (I use Snyders - they have the least amt of fat per serving)
1 can of ff refried beans
1/2 sour cream (I used light)
1 cup of cheese (I used 2%)
1 packet of taco seasoning

Directions
Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning
Layer a baking dish with tortilla chips and pour meat on top
Spread beans on top of meat then spread sour cream
Sprinkle cheese
Crunch up a few handfuls of chips and sprinkle over cheese then add a little more cheese!

Bake at 350 for about 30 min or until heated through.
Serve with rice

*this time I got crazy and added 2oz of chopped green chiles and I think it was a great addition!

A first

2011-09-21T16:12:00.001-04:00

It is rainy here today so I called the babysitter so I could go to the gym. I haven't been much this summer bc we usually take two walks/run a day - no time for a gym when I can be with my babes! However - I have a hard time being stuck indoors all day too!

*My First*
Today as I got on the treadmill and went to enter my weight, it was the first time I have pressed down on the generic weight that comes up! It was so weird and made me realize what I have accomplished!! I haven't pressed "down" since I have had a gym membership (around 15 years!) And it was down multiple times! Am I satisfied? I should be. But I'm not. I am proud, but there is still work to be done. I need to add some strength training and work on the mid section.

I am proud of where I am especially since the BIG 30 is weeks away!!

Just the Four of Us!

2011-09-20T22:29:00.000-04:00

We're back! The four of us had a lovely time at the beach. This was our first trip - just the four of us. It was so quiet and relaxing! Max and Claire did great and were so much fun to be with. They are so funny all the time now! The weather was eh, but that didn't matter! We were able to relax and take naps and not have to worry about to-do lists and running errands :)

morning coffee on the porch

quality time with the Max Man

HA! Personalities at their best :)

my two loves

the quiet cottage

morning runs not too bad with a view like this!

walks in the evening

I look forward to many more beach trips Just the Four of Us!

Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-16T07:39:00.000-04:00

Say that 10 times fast! I found these on one of my favorite food blogs. Sounds weird, huh?! Well, I must say they did not disappoint!

The only difference is I added a few m&ms!
http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/hard-boiled-egg-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/1/

We have decided a last minute trip to the beach. The weather isn't going to be the best, but it will be nice just to get away. This is our first family trip - just the four of us. Got our sweats and a good bottle of wine :)

Have a good weekend!

How not to make cake balls!

2011-09-13T14:47:00.000-04:00

Sunday night I had the great idea to make cake balls with my sister in law. After having a delicious one this weekend made by a friend, I thought we'd give it a shot. We decided on strawberry with vanilla icing.
Part I went great.
Make cake, then crumble and mix with icing.

side note: since these are FULL of fat, I decided to try an old weight watcher trick - add diet sprite instead of butter/oil and eggs. It still taste delicious and the only complaint I used to get when making it that way, was that it crumbled...i was doing that to it anyway so I thought what the heck!

Next roll into balls and freeze for an hour

After an hour put lollipop sticks in and put back in freezer - we did overnight

Here's where it went bad and NOT to follow!
Melt chocolate (use a bakers chocolate) then dip balls in and return to parchment paper

This is supposed to look shiny - not clumpy! I think we melted to long and then did the biggest no no by adding some milk to thin it. OOPS!!

these two were actually done before we clumped it too bad!

I will definitely give it another try. They still tasted delicious :) I'm thinking of trying some fun ones for Halloween :)

What we've been up to

2011-09-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

I still have not downloaded pictures from our nice camera, but I have lots from my phone to share!

"Look, Mom! A present!!"

playing with Monkey

Max and Claire meeting Anella for the first time

ready for Game day even though we lost.... again :(

Sitting up so big in shopping carts and high chairs!

Finally!

2011-09-09T18:22:00.000-04:00

As of 5pm today, we have our computer back!! I still have to re install our camera program so I can upload those pictures, so cell phone pictures it will be today!

first time riding in a cart together!

Sweetness!

But - I think he was apologizing for pulling her hair just moments before!

One week

2011-09-07T21:28:00.000-04:00

That's how long it has been since we have had our computer. Ugh. I didn't realize how much I relied on the computer. I thought I would just miss being on Facebook and blogging - but turns out I was forgetting that all my recipes are on the computer, I can't upload pics, I can't check the weather radar (I could do from phone but it's harder), I use Internet as our phone book, shopping on etsy.... List goes on!

So this morning I took a USB to the computer guy to back up pictures, music and recipes but turns out the 8 gb USB that I took wouldn't hold the 26 gb I needed to back up bi think I had 6000 pictures (since 2007). Lesson learned - back up as you go. Really, I just needed the past year. There is no price for all the pics
We have.

So hopefully this will be the last post without pictures - then it will be picture overload!

Happy Wednesday!

Still waiting

2011-09-06T15:33:00.000-04:00

We are still waiting to get our computer back. They have had it since last Thursday. I didn't realize how much I depended on our computer!
Hopefully we will have it tomorrow. I'm sure the guys are tired of me calling asking when it will be ready!

Luckily I have an iPhone and can still read everyone's blogs :)

greetings!

2011-09-02T23:11:00.000-04:00

So, our computer is still in the shop and we won't be able to pick it up until Tuesday. Luckily, they are going to be able to fix it, and it should be able to last at least until the new year. I miss having the internet, but it is also nice not to have something to keep me up.
Justin is off to Atl, for the first UGA game. Max and Claire are having their first sleep over!!! So far so good!! Full recap on Tuesday when our computer comes home!!

Happy Labor Day! Any fun plans?

What's your schedule?

2011-08-31T08:33:00.000-04:00

I need help. We have been following Babywise since month 1. It has worked well for us and Max and Claire have been sleeping through the night since month 3 (our main goal for starting babywise.)
This is our current schedule
6am wake up
7am bottle then play
8am nap
they usually nap 1.5 hrs and if they wake up early, we go for a walk in the neighborhood
11am baby food (cereal and fruit), then bottle
Play til about 12:45/1 then go down for a nap
3pm bottle only
play and meet friend at park for a walk
they may or may not take a nap...if they do, it is usually a 45 min cat nap
6:30ish pm start baby food (veggies and cereal) , bath, then bottle
7:15pm songs and bed

So I guess my question is - When do you feed your solids? right after bottle, before bottle, an hour after bottle/breast feeding? I know we need to do what is best for us, but I just want to hear what others are doing or did.

I feel like we are in a rut. Yesterday we went to the park for a walk and I decided to stop at the swings. Max has been on the swing once before, but this was Claire's first time. They both loved it!! If I would have remembered sunscreen, we would have stayed longer...we will definitely do that again!

Miss Priss

Happy Boy!

Yesterday was also their first time taking a big girl/big boy bath! We have still been bathing in the sink...more for convenience for me. Their splashing has gotten out of control so it was time for the bath tub.

However, I forgot to buy a bath mat so they won't slip and Max still doesn't sit unsupported for long periods of time so I put their bumbo seats in the tub.

They had a great time! It was a bit difficult for me by myself, but will be much easier and more fun when Justin is there to help.

Hopefully our computer will keep trucking along a little longer! I tried some cleanup and it seems to have helped a little.

Bad computer!

2011-08-29T21:43:00.000-04:00

So, our computer is frozen and I am having to use my phone for Internet. Justin is taking it to work tomorrow to see if their computer guy can see a problem - if not, we will be purchasing a new laptop.

Anywho, poor Max man has had diarrhea for three days. For the most part he has been acting fine - a little fussy. I feel bad bc he probably got a stomach bug from me or Justin. Now we are just hoping it stays away from Claire.

That's about it. Fun post, I know! Little different blogging from your phone.

Max 7 months

2011-08-27T13:58:00.001-04:00

Dear Max, Max Man, Buds, Little Buddy.......
You are such a big boy now! You are learning and take in so much every day! You are the sweetest baby ever. I love that you like to cuddle. We call it "winning" when you lay your head on our chest. Daddy wins more than I do :( but I cherish every single moment that I win! If you are fussing in your crib, I lean my head in to give you a kiss and you reach your hands up to feel my face and usually pull my hair. So sweet! Recently you have been quite the hair puller and it hurts. You can Claire both like to touch and and grab at my necklace. You smile all the time and always look at your sister and smile (she is finally smiling back at you!) I just know you are going to be the best brother!

You have mastered rolling both ways and do it all the time. Just recently you have gotten on all fours and are rocking....just a matter of time until you crawl. I want it so bad for you, but I don't know that we are ready for you to be crawling! You love the exersaucer and you and Claire will just look at each other, start jumping and laughing. It's the best. You guys have just recently really started paying attention to each other. It makes us so happy when you do. It's the sweetest!

You're a good sleeper - probably a better napper. You have been waking up at 6 am.... what happened to the 7:15 you used to give us? Please bring it back! You eat four times a day. It took us a while to get on this schedule, but now it works great for us. You love all the solid foods you have tried and have just been introduced to yogurt melts and puffs.... another hit!

You are wearing a size 3 diaper and most of your clothes are 9-12 months! You have two bottom teeth and got them around 5 and a half months.

Claire 7 months

2011-08-26T17:35:00.001-04:00

My beautiful Claire, Bears, Bear Bear, Miss Priss.....
You have grown so much in the past month! You are babbling up a storm, rolling like crazy, sitting up, grasping small objects and smiling and laughing all the time! Your grin melts my heart :)

You are still a pretty good sleeper, although I wish you would sleep an extra 30 minutes in the morning. Your bedtime is usually around 7:15 and you usually wake up at 6:15am. You eat four times a day, two of them include solids. You love to eat and have liked everything I have given you. Recently, you have started blowing raspberries while you eat and I don't like that! I don't know how to get you to stop bc I don't think you understand "no" yet.

You are into everything! You always grab for our phones or remote control and get mad if we take it away - same with toys. Once, I was helping you with a baby mum mum and you threw a tantrum bc you thought I was taking it away from you! Your giggle is the best and you are finally paying attention to Max.

You are wearing a size 2 diaper. You still wear 3-6 months in most of your clothes. Sleepers are almost 9 months. You finally broke skin on your first tooth!
Your favorite activity is still the exersaucer. You jump all around and look at Max and you both start laughing :) Your two favorite songs are The wheels on the bus and If you're happy and you know it. It always makes you smile when I sing those to you...(you are probably laughing at my inability to sing!) You always go for my necklace and like to look and play with it.