"Summer Break"

Addie's school is always closed for several days in August for teacher in-service and orientation before the next school year begins.  I tried to plan a few fun things for Addie to do during the break so she wouldn't just be bored at home.  Below are a few pictures of her "summer break".

We played with her animal sticker book

Just chatting with Lila while mommy made dinner

Hangin' in the laundry basket....no biggie

We headed up to Spring one day so Ad could play with Kelsey's kids.  It was great to catch up with Kelsey, and the kids get along so well.  We had a great time.

Ad got a 1000 piece Sophia art set from Kinley and Parker for her bday this year.  I had been saving it for these days at home.  We opened it one day, and it provided several hours of entertainment.  Ad has been playing with it a ton since then.  She just loves to color, stamp, do stickers, etc.

She was so sweet to share her marker with Lila so she could play too.  :)  Addie truly is the sweetest big sister and always shares even her most prized puppy toys with Lila unprompted.  She loves her baby sister so much.

I have been wanting to take Ad to the splash pad and park near our house for a while (Mom and I were actually planning to take Addie the day Lila was born before she made her early debut) so while Ad was off school, we met one of her friends from school and his mom at the park.  Wyatt and Addie had a great time playing together in the water and on the playground.  I think we will definitely being going back to this park.

Addie's Last Day of School--Caterpillars

Addison just wrapped up her last day in the toddler class.  After a rough transition at the beginning of the year, she ended up having a super great year at school.  She has changed and learned so much this year and started to develop real friendships in her class.  We are so grateful that Addie enjoys school so much and to have a place to send her where they care about our little girl and give her a Christian-based education.  We had her end of year party to celebrate the culmination of the school year and to thank her teachers for all they have done this year.

Ready to rock her last day of school

Lila tagged along to the end of year party and was so good the entire time

ready to dive in to chick fil a for lunch

Mrs. Peggy, Mrs. Linda, Addie and Mrs. Cheryl

Just to show how much she has grown since her first day in the Caterpillars class

1 Month- LDM

On August 13th, Lila turned one month old.  She is doing great and fits right in to our family.  We are totally and completely in love with our little girl.  At one month old, Lila

- weighs between 8-9 lbs.  (she doesn't have her next dr's appt til 2 months but she weighed 7lbs 7oz at her 2 week checkup)

- is wearing newborn diapers and newborn clothes.  As soon as we run out of newborn diapers, I will be moving her up to size 1's.
- her umbilical cord finally fell off on her one month birthday

- sleeps in the rock and play in our room.  She sleeps pretty well and has already done a 6 hr stretch on 2 separate occasions.  Most nights, she still wakes up every 3 hours though.
- when she busts out of her swaddle, she likes to sleep with her fist under her chin.  It's so cute.
- nurses about every 3 hours during the day and every 3-6 hours at night now.

- is starting to have longer periods of being awake and is learning to make new noises 

- is making much more eye contact and will follow objects with her eyes.

- is starting to hold her head up better each day.

- loves to be outside.  If she is ever fussing, we just walk outside, and she immediately calms down.

- is a little needier in the evenings. She likes to be held until she is ready to go down for the night (usually between 11:30-midnight).

- loves her big sister.  Even though Addie is in her face and touching her all the time, she doesn't seem to mind.  She likes to look at Addie and try to interact with her.
- already has had her first little cough.  With a two year old in the house, she hasn't had the luxury of staying away from people as much as Addie did when she was a baby.  She does well on the go so far.

Happy one month birthday baby girl.  You are such a sweet addition to our family, and I am soaking in all your newborn baby snuggles because I know they don't last too long.  Your daddy and I love you so much Lila Bean, and we can't wait to see you grow and learn.

Show Us Your Singles--My Brother Cale

Today, I am linking up with Kelly's Korner and am so excited to introduce you to my brother Cale!

Cale was born and raised in South Texas and is part of a really large, wonderful family. When I say large, I'm talking 50+ fun peeps with lots of kids and more than enough hugs to go around. Family festivities are always full of laughs and lots of activity, and that's right up Cale's alley.  Cale grew up understanding the definition of hard work with many hours spent helping his dad, uncles and grandpa on the family farm. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he possesses a love of becoming one with nature. Now that he's entered the "real world" as a working man, he has made a fantastic career out of teaching and thrives on touching the lives of young 'uns on a daily basis. Cale is without a doubt one of the most creative people I have ever met, and truly shares his passion for all things artistic with his students and everyone he encounters.  From painting and drawing to his flair for a great oxford shoe, Cale's one-of-a-kind style, creativity and warm smile make him a guy you definitely want to know.  He is an avid sports fan and especially loves to watch the Texas A&M Aggies win!  Cale is a lover of Jesus, people and a fantastic example of Christian faith. He can't wait to meet the gal that God has chosen for him. I for one can't wait to meet her and welcome her to the excitement of our family.  Cale is definitely going to make one lucky lady a fantastic hubby and baby daddy one day, and I am looking forward to him meeting the woman that can make all of his dreams come true!

He was the life of the party at my wedding!

Our dad instilled in us a love of the outdoors.  Cale enjoys hunting and fishing and soaking up the sun.

Cale is spontaneous and loves to travel.  A few years ago he headed to Europe for a month by himself to explore and ended his journey at a friends wedding in Spain. Talk about adventure!

Cale is the most amazing uncle to his two nieces and nephew.  He plays with them and loves on them, and they all ADORE him.  My two year old is constantly asking when we can go visit her uncle Cale, and he never fails to get a laugh or a good dance move from his nephew.

Sharing his love of the beach with Hayes man.

What other 29 year old guy would be willing let these girls adorn their face with stickers just to see the sheer enjoyment on their faces!?! This man is a winner, ladies!

Two!

On August 2nd, Addison turned 2 years old. She continues to grow and change so much, and it's amazing how much more she is talking since her 21 month update.

Height:  35 inches (~80th percentile)

Weight:  29 lbs 14oz (~90th percentile)

Head:  19.25 inches (~90th percentile)

At 2 years old, Addison.....

- is wearing 2T and some 3T clothes and jammies.
- is wearing a size 4 diaper.
- is wearing a size 6 shoe and still LOVES wearing her shoes and has an opinion on which ones she wears each day. She is currently obsessed with wearing her pink rubber Natives and wears them almost every day.
- has a mouth full of teeth.  I don't dare stick my fingers in there to count them anymore.  I really need to make her her first dentist appointment.
-her hair has really gotten longer.  I try to give her a ponytail each day to keep it out of her eyes, but currently she is in a "no tail!" stage so I try to choose my battles.  We still haven't given her a haircut.
- Still takes a bottle before bed.  I know this isn't ideal, but I haven't decided to take it away just yet.
- Is still a pretty decent eater.  Eating meat is hit or miss, but she still loves fruit and veggies so I don't worry too much.
- She understands most things we tell her to do and follows instructions well.  She is a great helper by putting her trash in the trashcan, putting her dirty clothes in the hamper, etc. 

- is talking in sentences and repeats pretty much anything we say. She says too many words to even list out now and has really learned so much. 

-still gives lots of hugs and kisses. She also says I love you Mommy or I love you Daddy.  It melts my heart every time.
- still LOVES dogs. She has also started liking cats and her Meow is pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen.  We also go look for peacocks on our nightly walks, and she loves to go find them.
- is busy busy busy. She is constantly on the move and can make a huge mess in a hurry.  She is pretty good at helping to pick up though when I get down and help her.
-loves going to school and loves to go bye bye. Every morning when we ask if she is ready to go play with her friends, she says yes, and starts naming all her friends in her class.  It makes it so much easier dropping her off each day knowing she loves it so much.  They do such a great job teaching her at school too which I love.
-loves to play outside.
-She still likes to read books and point out all the things she knows in them.  She also loves to work puzzles.
- Has developed a love for stickers.  We find stickers ALL over our house and furniture.
-She likes watching shows on the disney junior app on our phones.  Her favorites are Callie the Sheriff, Doc McStuffins, Mickey and Little Einsteins.
- Sleeps from about 8:30-9:00pm to somewhere in the range of 7:00-8:00am in her big girl bed.  We moved her to a double bed in her new room a few weeks before Lila was born and never looked back.  She actually sleeps so much better in that bed than she ever did in her crib.  We put her in bed with her milk, turn on her blue stars (a star nightlight that projects stars on the ceiling), turn on her noise machine, say prayers and walk out.  She puts herself to sleep and sleeps through the night.  We have come a long way in the sleep department, and we are so proud of her. She has also started napping better and takes a good afternoon nap in her bed most days.
- is doing really well with her manners.  She says thank you all the time and sorry if she bumps into you.  She is also good at saying please and thank you when asking for something.  She will say Bless You if you cough or sneeze.  It is really precious to watch and makes me very proud.
- has been the BEST big sister.  She has exceeded any and all expectations we had of her.  She loves to hold and kiss Lila and honestly has never acted jealous or upset that Lila joined the family.  She pats her and tells her sweet baby Lila or pretty baby Lila.  If Lila cries, Ad runs to go check on her and says it's ok baby Lila.  I feel so blessed that the transition has been so smooth, and I just know these two will be great friends as they grown up.

Addison, you are a precious girl and enrich my life more than you could ever imagine.  I love talking to you and hearing all the things you have to say. You interact with us so well, and we have so much fun with you. We love taking you to do things and see the world through your little eyes.  Your mommy and daddy love you so much and are so blessed you are our daughter.

Addie's Barnyard Bash

For as long as Addie has been old enough to know what she likes, she's been obsessed with animals. So when it came time to plan her 2nd birthday party, I had a harebrained idea to order a petting zoo for the party and have a barnyard bash.  She absolutely LOVED it and had the best time.  It was honestly the happiest I think I have ever seen her.  I know she will probably not have long-term memories of her 2nd birthday party, but they will be memories that will last Jason and I a lifetime which makes it so worth all the effort.

We had the party in our backyard and ended up with amazing weather for an August evening in Texas.  We served pork carnitas sliders, Mexican cole slaw, chips and all the fixings.  We also had a large chick fil a nugget tray and fruit cups for the kids (which the adults all thoroughly enjoyed as well).  For dessert we had birthday cupcakes and mini Blue Bell ice cream cups.  We had a great time eating, taking the kids on pony rides, petting animals, doing crafts with the kids and celebrating our favorite two year old.  Addie partied hard and was all smiles and laughs the entire evening.  Thanks to everyone for coming to celebrate our baby and thanks to my mom for helping me pull the whole party together!

Addie woke up on her birthday to a new tricycle from her Mimi and Papaw 

Cale decorated the fence for the entrance to the party.  We still have the drawings on our fence, and Ad stops every day to talk about the animals that Uncle Cale drew for her.  :)

Our sweet bday girl

Ad's first ride on the pony before the guests arrived

Family pic.  Since Lila was not quite 3 weeks old, my mom kept her inside in the nursery most of the time so she wouldn't be around all the animals and people.

Scoping out the petting zoo with Uncle Cale

Papaw showing Ad the baby pig

Mimi and Papaw with the bday girl

Nana and Ad

I bought face paint, and Cale volunteered the paint the kids faces at the party.  

We also had a craft table for the kids to color sheep and glue cotton balls on them.  

Mommy and Ad

Gma Bev and Addison

Addie's friend Wyatt from school came to her party, and they had the BEST time playing together.  They chased each other around, held hands and laughed all day.  It was so cute to watch them play together.

Nana bought Ad some hot wheels for her bday.  She loved riding it all around.

Deanna brought a bubble machine to the party, and Addie thought it was the greatest thing ever.  She was all smiles playing in the bubbles.

Giving Aunt Jenn kisses

We waited to open presents until the next morning so spread out all the fun.  Addie really enjoyed tearing into her gifts and has been playing with all her new loot.

I am so blessed to be Addison's mom and had the best time celebrating her 2nd birthday.  It was truly a day I won't forget.  Happy Birthday Goose!  Your daddy and I love you so much!