2 Years & 9 Months!

A friend {MELISA URBAN} took these awesome pictures of the kids last week.  As usual it was a challenge to keep them interested, still & entertained, but I think she really captured their true, cute little spirits!  

2 Years & 9 Months!!!  How did that happen so fast!?!?

9 Months!

Sweet little girl. 9 months old today.

Paisley had her well-check Dr. visit this afternoon and everything is great. She is tiny to say the least. She is in the 4th percentile for height & weight: weighing in at a whopping 15 pounds & 25.5 inches! She's crawling, she just started pulling herself up to standing this week, she's jabbering (but no clear words yet), she laughs a lot and just started "dancing" this week! So cute! The Dr. wants us to come back in a month to check weight & left over fluid in her ears from the previous ear infections. Other than that she's doing just wonderful...didn't even cry when she got her shot today! This picture was actually taken this morning by a friend here that I work with who is building her portfolio (many more to come)!

all jumped out!

Paisley's been really into hanging out in her jumper lately. It's good for me because I hang it in between the bathroom & bedroom so I can actually get dressed without her roaming the house, leaving me in fear of Ryder trampling her! So after our busy weekend this is what happened yesterday morning...

sound asleep.

Wonderfully Wicked Weekend.

The kiddos & I headed up to Dallas for the weekend. Saturday night the girls & I had a special night planned to go see WICKED at Dallas Summer Musicals. I've been waiting a long time to see this musical. I've tried to see it in NYC, Dallas & Austin, but it never worked out. It definitely lived up to the hype and was truly amazing!

Before the show we had a nice leisurely meal at Taverna which was awesome. We just talked and laughed and caught up on life. Was great to be together. Love these girls so much...



After the show!

And getting a little restless in the parking lot. :)

Sunday we celebrated my Grandmommie's 75th Birthday. Grandmommie stops to give Paisley some love.

Ryder playing and laughing with his cousins...

He kinda thought it was his party...

But it was hers. Lots of people came by to show her love. Good party.
~ Happy 75th, Grandmommie! ~

Time is speeding along...

So a lot of updates...
I had a great birthday week last week. Thanks to my sweet family & friends for making it so special. I got lots of sweet calls and cards and gifts. I got time away to get a pedicure and the afternoon of my birthday my Daddy showed up! He babysat, so Daniel and I had an awesome date night too. I'm a lucky girl. :)

Paisley has just taken off and is crawling her way around the house and most anywhere she decides to go. She started standing herself up into "bear crawl" position this weekend, to which I said, "NO, sister! Slow down!!" I am not ready for all that yet! I remember wanting Ryder to take off, but feel completely opposite with Paisley! I'm terrified of having two walking! haha. :)

Ryder seems to be changing & growing so much recently. He's started to remember, respond, obey and repeat a lot! My proud mommy moment of the week was him TELLING me he needed to poop while we were in the dressing room at target. Unfortunately we were a long way from the restroom. So I asked him if he could wait, and much to my surprise he did. We got all the way back to the front of the store and onto the big potty and he WENT! I was shocked and so proud. We went straight and picked out a new coloring book!
And, this weekend Ryder moved to his big boy bed! A toddler RACE CAR bed, that is, which he now fondly refers to as his, "Big Car Bed." The first night was a little humorous. He was super excited about it and stayed in it with not too much hesitation. About 10 o'clock I heard a weird noise, but then nothing else... until about 20 minutes later when he woke up under his crib! He'd rolled off and fallen asleep under his crib. Daniel and I tried not to laugh at first, but we finally got Ryder to smile about it and he jumped back in the car bed and went right back to sleep. We've gone a couple days now and the crib has been moved out. Will post pics soon when we get it all set with his new bedding.

Ryder had a hard time calming down this afternoon for his nap after an exciting morning playing at the Y. So the great thing about the toddler bed (and my being 5ft tall!) is I can lay down with him. So I laid down and asked if he wanted me to sing. He said, "Yes, Momma." So I just laid and held him and sang and as I did I felt so grateful for these simple days and simple times at home with my babies. As challenging as some of the days are right now with a 2 yr old (and 8 mth old!) I don't want to forget and I don't want to miss afternoons in the race car bed.

Memorial Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend was pretty low key for us. Friday night we had a community group pool party.
Ryder hanging out with his girlfriends - Addie & Providence.

Paisley relaxing by the pool with Kristin

my little swimmers.

Paisley LOVED kicking in the water!

Over the weekend we also got out Ryder's pool for the backyard, to which he exclaimed, "POOL PARTY!" So we went with it... We had our own little pool party. :)


Paisley would have jumped right in if I'd let her! I did get in with her & she screamed with glee! :) And just laughed at brother.

Monday I worked in the morning and in the afternoon we went to central market, ate lunch and Ryder played on the playground.
LOVES her daddy!

The first thing Ryder saw when we walked in central market was cookies! And he did NOT forget - he waited for those chocolate chips!

And we ended the day with homemade popsicles...

AND avocado- she loves it!!

*and I did not edit this picture - her eyes are that blue!*

The "Beach"

Last week one day we met Ryder's play group at a nearby park that has a huge covered sandpit and then a little splash pad. A brilliant idea, as long as you go in the correct order: sand, then water. Anyway, we were pulling up to the park and I told Ryder, "Your friends are here, you're gonna get to play in the sand & water!" We park the car, I go around to get Ryder and I hand him his bucket and towel and he starts yelling, "The BEACH. The BEACH!" I have no idea how he even knows what the beach is, since he's been to nothing resembling a beach, but I didn't have the heart to tell him we weren't at a beach... so off we went to our time on the beach... smack dab in the middle of texas.


I tried to leave Paisley sitting in the stroller, but she wanted in on the beach fun!

Hmmm. Didn't taste like she expected?!?

Water time!


Me and my girl watching.