He can swim!!!

Three days ago, Sullivan would not let his face get wet. He loved to swim, but only with floaties. He was confident in the water, but only with floaties. So, we decided to get him swim lessons. After his first lesson with Miss Lindsey, I was sure we would have the first "swim school" dropout for her. He kicked and screamed and wanted nothing to do with it. But, last night, he decided he would put his face under "ten" times. Surprisingly, he started to swim!!! This morning he had another lesson and he was jumping in and swimming!!!! I can't wait to see what he can do after 8 lessons!!! This is Sophie cheering her brother on!!! She has a bladder infection right now and is on her first set of antibiotics ever. She's been a very unhappy camper!

Our weekend project

Well, I got SICK of having a thousand magnets on my refrigerator, so we decided to turn a wall in the playroom into a magnetic/chalkboard. I was at a friend's house last week and got the idea (thanks Ana!). Anyway, it turned out quite well. It took 11 coats of magnetic paint and two coats of chalkboard paint. Aaron even made me a little one on the wall over my computer so that I can "organize my life" with a calendar. Sullivan is already enjoying the wall! (but he didn't want his picture taken)

The Frog Prince and the Princess with her Peas

So, Sophie would like to tell you that she likes peas. Yeah, she is a REAL princess, never afraid to get dirty if it means getting some veggies in her tummy. She is all about nutrition, you know :)

And, yet another story. Last week Aaron went to California. Sullivan does not understand why anyone would go there unless they were going to watch the Dinoco race (from the Cars movie), but that's beside the point. We have had quite the bullfrog infestation in our backyard. Many nights, Aaron has to go "relocate" a few that settle right by my bedroom window. As I was saying, Aaron was out of town. About 10 o'clock, I decided to let the dogs out for their final bathroom run for the evening. As I was letting them in, apparently a frog was coming in as well. Unbeknownst to me, I closed the door on the little fellow's life. It was disgusting. So, I did my best to scoot the body outside with a broom, and tried to avoid the subject with Sullivan, as I had no desire to get into the philosphy of death with a way too smart three year old. When Aaron came back, Sullivan was telling my mom on the phone how she shouldn't go in the backyard because she would see the frog's tongue. He decided to show us how it looks:

Now you will have this image forever ingrained in your brain!!!

Half of a Year!

6 months ago:

4 1/2 months ago:


Wow, how much change has happened to us in the past six moths. Sophie is 6 months old today! A half of a year. I can't believe how fast time has flown, and how much she has grown. It makes me sad to think that she came out weighing a mere 5 pounds 10 ounces, dropping to 5 pounds 3 ounces before deciding to start gaining weight! She is well over 16 pounds now- the girl likes milk!!! I can't believe how much she has changed me. We tried so hard to get pregnant with both of our kids, and both pregnancies were plagued with toxemia- Sophie's with gestational diabetes too. I often wondered why God would do that to one person when some people seem to have the easiest pregnancies ever. Seeing both of my kids makes me realize that it was all worthwhile. Sophie is an absolute joy. She has just recently started putting herself to sleep in her bed- she has always insisted on the swing. She is a very independent baby- only giving love when SHE wants to. She is always smiling, and always laughing. Nothing brightens her day like her brother. When her daddy walks in the room, she squeels with excitment. When mommy picks her up, she tried her darndest to get into the feeding position. I have learned that anything worthwile is worth the price. I would do both of my pregnancies over in a heartbeat, struggle with infertility all over again if it meant getting just one hug and kiss from each of them. The reward that a single smile beamed your way gives is indescribable. I am so blessed.

1 month ago:

today:

Well,

Cloth diapering worked for us for about twenty minutes :) Thanks mom for sending us the money to try them out, I sent them back and applied the money towards 600 diapers!!! That's right, we are stocked up for a LONG time now :) So, Sophie won't take a bottle. Its not just that she won't take it, she won't have one in the same room as her. My friend Tiffini kept her the other day and made me send a bottle for "just in case". Aaron and I were able to take Sullivan swimming all by himself- he had so much fun. When I went to get Sophie, Tiffini informed me that she stops breathing when the bottle is appearing to be coming towards her. Seriously!!!! AHHHH!!! So, Sullivan decided this morning he would teach her how to drink from a cup- he wanted me to put apple juice in it (his favorite). He said that since he was a baby too, he can remember how to learn. Anyway, he is such a great big brother. She lights up when he is anywhere close to her. Yesterday at Walmart, we were standing in the return line, and he was making Sophie laugh. I bet you could hear her from across the store. I could not be happier watching the two of them grow up together.

I thought it was blog worthy to show that my blue eyed girl is now a green eyed girl. Sullivan has the bluest eyes you have ever seen. We never really knew where he got them from (Aaron has brown and I have green). So, when Sophie woke up last week with green eyes, we were surprised since she had gone to bed the night before with blue, but not surprised to see them one of our colors. She is definitely blossoming. She has gained control of her hands and has found her toes!!! She loves them, they keep her entertained all of the time. She loves grabbing Sullivan's hair and trying to bring it to her mouth. Sullivan often turns to her and says, "Sophie, we are not gonna behave this way." It's hillarious!!!

Ummm.....

Can you guess who got a hold of the markers while mommy wasn't looking? Yeah, he IS ALL boy!!! Poor Delilah, she was such a good sport, now we didn't take a picture of Sophie, because we thought it might haunt her forever to know what her brother did to her!

So, sorry for the lack of posts lately. Life has been pretty busy. Sophie got her first two teeth, but I haven't been able to snap a picture of them. We started cloth diapering Sophie, yeah I know I am crazy. They are not your momma's cloth diapers, trust me! I wouldn't do it if it wasn't as easy as disposables. Sophie is getting big and cute. Every day is a new adventure. She LOVES LOVES LOVES her big brother. No one makes her happier. Sullivan is getting funner and funner. I love playing with him. I swear, I am getting to relive my childhood all over again! We swim everyday, most days for three hours! Well, I will update you soon with more pics, I have a crying girl.

Wierd Moms

Ok, I am not sure how much of my mom that most of you know. Let me start this by saying I love her dearly. But, she is a little off her knocker (sorry mom if you are reading this!!!). The first time my best friend Jamie met her (we were living together at the time), my parents took us out to eat at Logan's steakhouse. My mom threw peanut shells at her the whole time, laughing histerically. When I was little and would fight with my brothers, she never spanked us, we had a few options to pick from for punishment: a) sit facing each other touching toes b) clean the windows on opposite sides of the window c) go to your room (which was filled with toys, tv, nintendo). Don't get me wrong, from a child's standpoint, it was fun. We all joke that the reason my mom loves Sullivan so much is because she gets to act her own age when she plays with him.

He takes anything she says as fact. She told him on the phone that Shrek 3 was a really funny movie. So, we take him to see it (Aaron and I). As the king is dramatically dying at the beginning, instead of crying, he is cracking up laughing. It was kind of embarrassing, so I told him it wasn't funny, it was sad and to stop laughing. He says, very matter of factly, "my nanny told me this movie was funny on the phone, and I am gonna laugh!" Anyway, so the reason I mention my wierd mom is that she calls me yesterday to tell me she is proud of me. There are two things my mom is famous for (NOT her cooking): 1) telling her kids she is proud of us religiously 2) saying "this is the best" whatever she happens to be eating. So, her calling me to say she is proud of me shouldn't shock you. What should shock you is why she was letting me know she was proud of me. She called to tell me that she had read my blog and was so proud that I snuck out of the house as a teenager. She said she thought I was the perfect kid and did no wrong. She was like, tell me the details. I am so excited you are telling me this, because I always thought you were the perfect kid and did nothing wrong. Oh, Linda, you couldn't be more wrong. I got into lots of "situations" as a child that you had no idea about!!! I am glad I had you fooled!

Anyway, I can only hope that I am half as filled with the joy of life as you are when I am your age mom. Kids deserve to have moms who will get down on the floor and play with them, who don't care about getting sandy in the sandbox, and who can let their worries go and get

lost in imaginary lands with them. We got that, and I am hoping that's what I am giving to Sullivan.

Twice the Fun, Now We're Done

I am not sure why the subject of whether your own personal uterus will harvest or serve as a house to another baby is the first question people think to ask you when you show off your beautiful child. Nonetheless, it is. "Any more?" "Are yall ready for another one yet?" "When's number three coming?" Well, I guess I will answer the question here once and for all. Unless God decides to override the modern technology of not only tying tubes but also carterizing them, we are finished populating the earth with gorgeous kids. We feel more than blessed that God decided to entrust us with two of the most adorable kids around. We count it more than a blessing that they are both happy and healthy children. We are fortunate to get to experience one of each sex- blue and pink! And, we know how lucky we are that we get to financially supprt them for the next forever many years. We want to be able to enjoy them and provide fun childhoods, and since we aren't living on a huge bank account, two is all we can handle!!! Anyway, now that the issue is cleared up, no more questions about my uterus please!!!

On a side note, my babies are getting so big!!! Sullivan is almost four. Just the thought of that makes me feel really wierd inside. Sophie is the biggest chunk you have seen. I can't describe her thighs. A friend of mine says she has "Cheerleader legs." Of course, the cheerleader with these legs would be cheering for an eating competition, because there is no way anyone would be able to focus on the cheering with these thighs hanging out.

We moved my parents this weekend. Their house sold in Beaumont (their house they have lived in for TWENTY years), and we went down to help them move. It was so emotional. As we cleared out my old bedroom, I remembered being a nine year old dancing in that room imaging how much fun I would have in there. I never imagined growing up for twenty years in it! I sat there this morning remembering the time my mom and I put new wallpaper up and decorated it in a wierd jungle them. I was so proud. Then a few years later, we did it all black and white. I remembered one rainy day when the boys and I got bored and turned it into a library- categorizing all of our books. Close your ears mom, I remembered how perfect those windows were for sneaking out of late at night. And, I remembered moving all of my stuff out as I headed out for college. It was so wierd. It's wierd to know I can not go back "home" again. I had to realize today that "home" isn't a physical dwelling, its where you feel loved. I can only hope that my two kiddos always feel as loved as I have by mine. My mom always tells me how proud she is of me- probably ten times a day. But, last night, my dad told me he thought I was doing a good job raising my kids. Man, I feel so BLESSED!!!