Happy Birthday Uncle Matt

Yesterday was my brother, Matt's, birthday.  Matt flies for the Navy and he is currently deployed.  He is on the USS Lincoln (that is why C says he is on a boat in the video).  Birthdays are one of those things that make me sad I live far away from close family.  But another reason I am grateful for technology!  

Happy Birthday Matt!  We love you and hope you come home very soon!  

To read more about the USS Lincoln and what they have been up to, click here and here. 

This picture was taken several years ago, but is one of my favorites.  

Engaged!

These two love birds got engaged on Saturday! 

We couldn't be more thrilled for Erin and Bubba.  So grateful we could be there to celebrate with you!

Two and a half

Oh, this little girls keeps me on my toes.  She is officially two and a half.     

She is cautious and timid and does not take a risk at anything.  At the same time, she is strong willed and knows exactly what she wants.  She wants to do everything all by herself.  She is shy and quiet in any new environment and will not open up until she is comfortable.  Once she is comfortable, she is a social butterfly.  

She talks all day long and asks questions even more.  Today she asked me, "Mommy, who built our house?" Out of the blue.  I don't know how these things pop in her head.  Every time she hears a new word she says, "oh, I don't know that word."  

She is a diva and as girly as the come! She loves to play and pretend. 

Curious George might be her best friend.  

Two things she definitely got from her Daddy: sleeping and eating.  She has always been a good eater and the girl can sleep a lot! 

She does not like preschool anymore.  I am not sure exactly why, but pretty sure it has something to do with me and Annie being together while she is at school.  She doesn't cry, but just says she doesn't want to play.  Hoping it is a short phase because she used to love it and she is going back next year.  Thankfully, it is almost summer!

She is witty and silly.  Makes us laugh daily.

Her nicknames are monkey and pumpkin.  Not sure how those started or clicked.    

She loves her paci and does not want to potty train yet.  I don't really care about either of these things right now and I am not pushing them.  We will figure it out this summer.  Like everyone says, "They will not go to kindergarten with a paci and in a diaper."  So, that is my motto.  

I cannot believe we are half way to three! What a fun journey it has been for 2.5 years.  We love you more than you know little monkey!   

3 and 4 months

I failed to do a 3 month post in March for Annie girl so, we are playing catch up and combining months.  I did manage to take her picture then though.  

Three months is one of my favorite milestones.  For both our girls, three months turned a corner into sleeping more at night and overall a little more consistency during the day.

At or around 3 months:

Annie slept from 7:30pm to 7am for the first time.

Still inconsistent with that every night, but it showed me she could do it.  Most nights she was typically sleeping 7:30pm-5am.  Most days she is good about taking the paci when she wakes up at 5 and typically falls back asleep until 6:30-7 when I feed her.   

Likes:

carseat

stroller

play-mat

baths 

Dislikes:

bumbo

loud noises

We dropped the swaddle and now sleep in the sleep sack.  Annie alternates between the paci and sucking her fingers.  

 She is chill and content and that is the facial expression she gives us most of the time.  

Takes about three 45min-1 hr naps a day and then one catnap in the evening. 

Cooing the sweetest little sounds more and more.  

Feeding 5 times a day.  

At or around 4 months:

13lbs. 9oz. 25.5 inches 

Sleeping 7:30pm to around 6am.  

Holding her head up better.  

Still feeding 5 times a day.

Napping 2-3 times per day.

Her eyes seem to be changing colors.  For a while they were more blue than Caroline's and now many days they look more hazel.
She has started to giggle some.
Recognizing familiar voices and faces more and more.
Can grab and hold on to small toys better.  

Likes:
being held
chewing on anything
Praise Baby
her giraffe lovey

Dislikes:
swing
new faces

Easter

Easter is my favorite holiday. We get to celebrate Jesus, but it is so much more laid back.  And I love that because of what Jesus did we have hope in this life.  

And let's be honest, I also love the more "holiday/marketing" aspects of Easter too.  Pastels, seersucker and southern clothes, warmer weather, the Masters (when it falls on Easter), and I swear Easter candy taste better in egg shape and/or pastel colors.  

John took a little time of work last Friday which was such a treat.  We are never just in town when he is off work (unless we are having a baby and that doesn't really count).  Anyway, we loved having a long weekend with him.  Friday, G and Buster came to visit and it was Annie's first time to meet Buster.  Sadly, I think Annie must have been scared away by Buster's new beard because she wanted nothing to do with him.  Regardless though, we always love our time together.    

We also enjoyed a cookout with some of my cousins Friday and then celebrating a good friend's birthday later that night.  Saturday, John and I headed to the Master's for the day.  We didn't even know what to do with 12 hours alone together.  It was heavenly to have a day with no agendas.  After we grabbed our favorite sandwiches we watched a few of our favorite golfers tee off.  Then, we camped out in the grass around the 16th hole where we spent the rest of the day talking and catching up.     

Sunday the girls woke up to some little treats in their baskets.  I love that Caroline (and obviously Annie) is still at the age where there are no expectations.  I put 3 eggs in each basket with 1 jellybean per egg and she was pumped! Plus, she got to eat them before breakfast.   

Caroline was thrilled and she basically gets two baskets as she also takes over Annie's.

Sweet Annie.  Just content and along for the ride.

I decided to start a tradition of putting books in their baskets.  That way we all win.  It is fun for the girls to have new books to add to our collection and I feel like they are getting something a little more meaningful and purposeful. 

After church, we headed to Bob's house (John's grandfather) for an egg hunt and lunch. 

I had a strange reality check when we took this picture.  I reached down to hold Caroline for the pic and she didn't want to be held.  She wanted to stand in front of us.  It was so unnatural for me to not be holding anyone and realize Caroline is tall enough to just stand up for the picture like a big girl.  Random, I know, but it is amazing to me how much she is growing up everyday and becoming more "independent" in her own way.    

Yaya and Annie

All the younger cousins

"Money Mommy!"

Caroline loves Mayson

I love a good bonnet on Easter in the South.

This was my dress and bonnet as a little girl and Caroline also wore it for her first Easter.

Happy Easter folks!  He is risen.  He is risen, indeed!

Happy Birthday BB&G!

This weekend we went to see the triplets for their 1st birthday! 

Annie's first flight and she was a champ.

Thank goodness for the ipad and Curious George.

I can hardly believe it has been a whole year since these little ones were born!

We surprised my brother Friday afternoon when all 4 of us came running up the stairs arriving for the weekend.  He is a hard one to surprise, but I think we pulled it off pretty well!

The party was precious.  Linsey and Christian did a great job decorating and hosting everyone.  Several of the triplets' nurses from the NICU came to the party too.  It was so wonderful to see some of them again (not in the hospital) and meet the others.  

Gracie

Bates

Brooklyn

C loved the party too.  She especially enjoyed "helping" Gracie with her smash cake.

Mimi and her grandbabies.  

What a blessing it was to celebrate these three lives last weekend and the incredible journey the Lord has carried them through already.