Scared of Da Bull

A few weekends ago we went to a Austin Toro's basketball game. Our realtor sponsored an event in the box seat area and had several vendors there as well. I was talking to a vendor when all of a sudden I heard Addison start screaming. I thought she lost me, so I called for her. She saw me, was pale as a ghost, would not stop screaming and would not move. I looked over and saw Da Bull, which is the Austin Toros mascot. I went and got her to try and calm her down, but she was completely terrified.

Brian and McKenna came over to see what was going on and that is when we got this lovely family picture. Yes, Brian and I are laughing... do not judge us, it was pretty funny.

Some of the favorite pictures I see at Christmas time are the ones with the kids screaming in Santa's lap. Addison was not phased by Santa, but she sure did not like Da Bull.

Donuts with Dad

Since before kids were even on our radar, Brian has been looking forward to going to Donuts with Dad at our church. On Saturday, his wish came true! Addison really enjoyed having donuts and juice with her Daddy. They made me a Valentine's card and played on the playground. I could tell Addison really enjoyed the one on one time with Brian, she was beaming when they got home!

Kisses for Daddy!

Kisses for Addison!

We said we would never do it...

One thing Brian and I said we would never use is the Baby Bjorn. They are very practical, but we never had the need with one kid. It is a different story now that we have two kids!

So far the Bjorn comes in handy when...

~McKenna wants to be held and Addison wants to play.

~Allows me to run around with Addison at Gymnastics without having to pause every few minutes to check on McKenna in the stroller on the other side of the room.

~Going to the grocery story. Addison goes in the cart, McKenna goes in the Bjorn. We have yet to do this, but this is really the only practical way until McKenna can sit up on her own.

Here is Brian modeling the Bjorn...

Addison wanted a ride too (she is within the weight limit)...

Thank you Amanda for letting us borrow the Bjorn! It will definitely come in handy during the times where I need two hands!

Happy Valentines Day!

Love,

Brian, Carrie, Addison & McKenna

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16

Capital Gymnastics

One of my friends told me that a local gymnastics place has a toddler time twice a week and I knew we had to give it a try! Precious Addison is one of those girls who will trip over nothing, so I was excited to work on her coordination and balancing skills.

Here she is running down the trampoline...

Climbing up the wall...

She made it to the top all by herself!

Practicing balancing...

Swinging on the bars...

I think this will be a fun time for Addison and a good chance for me to meet other Mom's in the area!

7th Anniversary

On January 24th Brian and I celebrated 7 years of marriage. The past year was pretty amazing with the birth of our second daughter, building a new home, cherishing out time with sweet Addison, building our business and much much more!

Every year our marriage gets stronger and it is because we strive to have God in the center. We are blessed with supportive family and friends who help make it possible as well.

For our anniversary we went on two dates. On the first date we got pedicures and went to lunch at Macaroni Grill. It has been years since we have eaten there and it tasted so good. Below is a picture of us writing our names upside down like the waiter does when he greets you at the table. Brian added the heart... so sweet!

Our second date we splurged and went to see The Green Hornet in 3D at Gold Class Cinemas. It was amazing and I recommend it! To me, the pricing is the same as going to a dinner and movie. We don't drink, so maybe that is where the cost savings is. The food was good as well! We shared the nachos and slider trio.

Having kids it is really easy to focus on your children and not your marriage. While we don't go out as often as we would like, Brian and I are both committed to keeping our marriage strong by having "us" time every once in awhile.

Wordless Wednesday

The New Normal

The past 6 weeks have been a little crazy adjusting to our new "normal". I pretty much feel like everyday I am running the marathon of life juggling between being a mommy of two kids in very different stages, a wife, a house keeper and a cook (thankfully we had meals made for us by our family, friends and church). I am still doing some contract work for Micross and marketing work for Brian. Needless to say my cup runneth over, haha. Someone in my MOPS group commented how I always have it together, I laughed and said that I cry in the privacy of my house. The good thing is that I am doing some things for myself as well, like going to MOPS, girls night and bible study every Wednesday.

I get a lot of help with the kids from my parents and Staci (SIL). Brian's parents came for 5 days and were a tremendous help as well. I don't know what I would do without everyone! We are so blessed to have such loving, wonderful families that want to invest time with our children.

I work hard every day to try and meet the needs of my girls and my husband. I am stretched pretty thin, but am starting to adjust. Prayer is always welcome and much appreciated!

Baby Toys Are FUN... Still

With a baby comes a lot of big bulky swings, bouncers, play mats, etc. These items along with all Addison's toys have taken over my house. Addison has a gazillion toys to choose from, but lately she has regressed to playing with the swing, bouncer and playmat. Such a silly little girl! Luckily McKenna has no issues sharing with her big sister (yet).

Snow 2011

This morning we woke up to an inch of snow... I was so excited to get Addison and go play in the snow, unfortunately Addison is a fair weather kind of girl and only lasted a few minutes."What on earth is this cold white stuff and why am I freezing"McKenna "chillin" in the snow...

Mommy and her snow toddler... Daddy and Addison Ready to go inside

Addison 16-18 Months

It is so hard to believe that my "baby" is a year and a half old. It just keeps getting more and more fun! Here is Addison at 6 months... she has changed so much and now looks like a little girl!

Here is a brief overview of the last three months...

Addison is a super fun, spunky toddler with a ton of personality! Addison wears 12-18 month clothing, size 4 shoe (almost ready for a size 5) and a size 3 diaper. She can walk, run, skip, spin, dance, kick, throw and jump (rarely leaves the ground). She knows too many words to list, her colors, animals, body parts, animal sounds, some shapes and songs. Her favorite songs to sing are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus and Old McDonald... it is really cute. We moved Addison to one nap at 17.5 months, it was a blessing that she kept two naps for so long. She still sleeps 12 hours at night. We are so thankful for our good sleeper! Addison knows when she goes pee pee and poo poo and went pee pee on the potty for the first time. She is always happy to announce she went poo poo and starts pulling on her diaper. Not sure when we will actually try potty training, probably closer to two years. The biggest thing that happened was Addison becoming a big sister at 17 months! Overall, I feel she has adjusted as well as can be expected. She loves her "baby doll" and tries to help me do the simple tasks like getting a blanket, putting the pacifier in her mouth, burping, bouncing and swinging. I let her hold McKenna and she thinks it is the coolest thing ever. She loves to give her "sista" kisses as well. My prayer for Addison is that she will feel loved and secure in our family. I am trying my hardest to meet the physical and emotional needs of both my kids and it is challenging at times. Favorite Things To Do:

Read

Puzzles

Stacking Blocks

Dancing

Singing

Play "Ring around the rosie"

Eating... I swear she eats all day long Not Interested In:

Brushing her teeth (could use some advice here)

Watching TV

Vegetables I took Addison in for her 18 month well check and we are so thankful that Addison is a healthy, happy (most of the time) toddler who is right on track developmentally! Weight: 22.5 Pounds 25th Percentile

Height: 32 Inches - 75th Percentile

Head Circumference: 45th Percentile We discussed potty training, tantrums, discipline, teeth brushing, etc. I know I have said this before but I adore my pediatrician. She always takes the time to answer all my questions and never rushes though things.

McKenna - 1 Month

Before I had McKenna, I told myself I was going to savor every moment because it goes by so fast. So here we are, McKenna is already a month old, I have slowed down a bit, but not enough! McKenna is a sweet baby and is so cute. Her obvious distinct feature is her crazy brown hair. I try to comb it to the side so I can put a little bow in it, but it goes right back to sticking straight up! Needless to say, with the receding hairline and spiky hair, she has to wear a lot a pink.

McKenna is pretty boring compared to her 18 month old sister!

• She can lift her head, look around, etc.
• We are doing a lot of tummy time & squats to build her muscles.
• Responds to sounds
• Loves to stare at lights, windows, ceiling fans and faces
• Grunts and squeaks a lot
• Started doing a little baby talk, which is super cute
• Loves to play on the play mat... kicking and swinging her arms. She will occasionally grab a toy on the mat.
• Sleeps swaddled in the pack-in-play outside our room.
• Excellent sleeper - she will go 6-7 hours at night, which is delightful!
• Loves her swing and bouncer.
• I am breastfeeding, but she will take a bottle of formula
• Loves her pacifier
• Wears newborn sized clothing, newborn diaper
• Weighs 9 pounds, 2 ounces

Our biggest problem with McKenna has been her digestive issues. Please pray that she will become more "regular". We had scans done on her belly, so there is no blockage or obstruction. I have eliminated diary from my diet completely :( and am keeping a food journal. It makes me sad that something I am eating is causing her some much discomfort, so hopefully we will figure out what it is soon. I want to nurse her a long as possible, but will obviously stop if we cannot figure out what the food sensitivity issue is.

Wordless Wednesday