J and J

Haley's Daycare

2012-01-15T00:11:00.003-05:00

Haley loves to pretend to be a teacher and put all her babies to sleep. She will lay them all down and cover them up. Then she has to tell a few of them to stop playing and she will rearrange everybody. Then she sits down in between two babies and pats their backs and will move around until she's patted all of them. She could literally do this for at least an hour. How many sleeping babies can you count in this picture?

Sneaky Girl

2012-01-07T23:20:00.004-05:00

I was changing Michael this morning and realized that it was a little too quiet. I finished up real quick and went and found this in my bedroom.And, I didn't even leave the pantry open, she got her stool and opened it by herself - I guess she really wanted donuts for breakfast!

I Told You

2012-01-04T23:24:00.006-05:00

that if you didn't take a nap this morning you'd be tired by lunch time.

A New Present

2012-01-03T23:25:00.003-05:00

Granddaddy gave the kids a bounce house for Christmas, and it was a beautiful afternoon, so we decided to try it out.Michael's not so sure about it at first.Haley loved it from the start and knew exactly what to do.Such a happy girl!Michael decided it was pretty fun and was bouncing up and down.He got a chance to crawl around a little while Haley took a break.He came back to the slide and was hanging out there.You would think with both kids pretty much trapped in one spot that I could get a decent picture of them together, but not really - this was the best of the bunch.I think this smiley boy decided he liked the present.The bounce house was extremely easy to blow up and take down, but not so easy to fold up. I know it will get a lot of use. Thank You Granddaddy!

Haley and Daddy at the Farm

2011-12-30T00:05:00.003-05:00

After Christmas Justin took Haley to Manning and then to Beaufort for a couple of days, while Michael and I came back home because I had to work. Haley was really excited about seeing Granddaddy and riding on the big tractor.He even let her steer for awhile.She had a good time, and they stopped to collect some cotton for her, which she brought home to show Michael.There sure is a lot of love between these two!Next it was time to go see the piggies. Justin pointed out some pig poop outside though, so then Haley thought all the pigs had poop on them and didn't want to touch any of the babies.She liked looking at them though, and seeing the brand new piggies.I'm sure she was explaining to Granddaddy how everything works here.Then she helped him feed the Mama pigs.They went to look in a different kind of house, and then went on one more tractor ride.They all went to Beaufort with Vicki and Grandma for a couple of days, and then Justin and Haley came home to join us. Haley said maybe when Michael gets bigger he can go to the farm, but right now he's too little.

Christmas #5 (with the Ganns)

2011-12-29T23:41:00.003-05:00

After leaving Grandma's we headed over to Toby and Lina's for Christmas dinner with the Ganns. Haley remembered Coco the bunny from last year and wanted to see her again. She also learned that Tinkerbell was the other bunny, and she scratches, so we couldn't hold her.Michael started out the evening feeling pretty good.He chased Haley around the kitchen island a couple of times, which was funny.We had a delicious dinner, where Haley was so excited about her place seating card. She asked me to carry it for her and called it her ticket. After dinner the kids opened presents.Haley got to go first, and of course she opened Michael's too.Breland was having so much fun with Michael she almost forgot to open her presents.Suebella promised Gray he was getting a lump of coal for Christmas, and he was pretty surprised when that's what he actually got!Haley opened her jewelery box right away and started decorating it. (and leaving little diamond stickers all over)Michael had a good time hanging out with Toby and playing with Breland.Then the kids started playing Just Dance on the Wii, which was pretty entertaining. Kyle was really good, and I think Gray and I have the same no rhythm issues.Haley danced a tiny bit with Breland and Sophia, but was a little shy in front of everyone. She really had a good time with Taylor, Breland and Sophia though. And they were so sweet playing with her.Then we tried to get again for some pictures, but this was about the best one. I don't know when we will learn that we should do that first when the kids are happy instead of waiting untl the end of the night.It went by so fast, but it was really great seeing all of Sue's family. I have a picture of the whole group that I need to scan and then I'll add it here. We did miss Arrie though, and are praying for a fast and complete recovery.

Christmas #4 (with the Munns)

2011-12-28T23:17:00.003-05:00

After spending a little time with Santa presents (and a lot of time getting dressed and ready) we headed over to Grandma's house. We got to see Grandma, Haley's Vicki, Elizabeth and even got to see Matthew later. Granddaddy and Alyson had to work, so we missed them. Michael was happy but still not feeling great.Haley was really into opening presents this year and didn't mind opening all of Michael's for him either!Grandma loved her yearly calendar and laughed at the sticker picture all over again.Michael got lots of help figuring out how one of his toys worked.And Daddy got lots of "help" putting together Haley's castle.Haley loved the castle and spent a lot of time in there singing and playing guitar with her new Elmo.She liked to keep an eye on us through the window though!Michael really liked his basketball goal, and figured it out pretty quickly.Vicki got to watch Elmo and Haley put on a show together.While Michael refused to take a nap, no matter how much Grandma rocked him.Matthew got there shortly before we left and got to see all the commotion and mess that comes with two young kids!We had a great time as always at Grandma's and really enjoyed the time we got to spend with everyone, while greatly missing those that weren't with us this year.

Christmas #3 (Santa!!!!)

2011-12-28T22:02:00.002-05:00

We woke up at Granny's on Christmas morning. Justin got up with Michael and when Haley got up, I got her to go upstairs to see Daddy and Michael before she looked in the living room.When she came downstairs she said, "Look at all these toys" and was excited to see what Santa brought.Happy First Christmas my sweet little boy!

Christmas #2 (Christmas Eve at Suebella's)

2011-12-27T23:02:00.002-05:00

Michael was covered with snot, slobber, and tears, and his shirt was all wet from where he puked up his dinner, but man that cold bottle felt good on his gums!I guess he got his smile from his Daddy.I'm sure Haley was giving Suebella instructions about something here.Tara getting some Michael smiles.Michael was very impressed with Suebella's pretty tree and tried to see if he could break anything.After a wonderful appietizer spread we opened presents. Sue went in with Justin on my camera (which I greatly appreciate), and of course the kids got tons of stuff, including a doll that actually poops and pees for Haley.Michael couldn't hold it together long enough for pictures in front of the tree.So it was time for a breathing treatment, before we left for bed. (This is the 3rd year in a row that we've had to bring a nebulizer with us for Christmas!)Haley's baby finally got enough to drink before we left though and she proceeded to chase Suebella around with a wet diaper!We did greatly miss Arrie. She fell a couple days before Christmas and was in the hospital with a broken hip and pelvic bone, among other things.

Christmas #1 (with the Stuerkes)

2011-12-26T22:38:00.002-05:00

We celebrated with my family on Saturday morning. Eric was working nights over the weekend, so Sara brought the kids over and Pops brought GG.We opened presents mid-morning and Michael would have been satisfied with the wrapping paper.The girls discussing some presents and Daniel checking out his cars.It was a little choatic, but lots of fun.The big kids looking at Anna's new easel.Michael cleaning up after the big kids.The girls doing a good job of "sharing" Michael's toy.Haley was too busy to smile for a picture.Michael playing with more paper.Then he got distracted by a sleeping Sophie.He was still feeling pretty bad, and needed some snuggles from Daddy. Such a sweet picture!

New Camera (and a Sick Kid)

2011-12-23T22:58:00.001-05:00

Michael has been congested lately, and his coughing got much worse this weekend, so I took him to the doctor on Monday. He was wheezing some and tested positive for RSV. We did a breathing treatment there, and then spent the next 3 days with a whiny clingy kid.

Michael couldn't go to daycare which means I couldn't work, so the kids and I came up to Columbia on Thursday. I have really been wanting a fancy camera for about a year, and Justin gave one to me for Christmas this year! He gave it to me Tuesday night, so this are just some hanging out pictures.

Haley found a little headpiece and put on a very entertaining show for Michael and I.She was singing something about shake your bottom, jump up and down and turn yourself around.Michael was happy to snack a little and watch his crazy sister.She was really getting into the jumping part and had to lose the headpiece for awhile.My crazy little diva girl!Haley and I went to the little playground in Granny's neighborhood, but it was less impressive than I remembered so we only stayed for a few minutes.And yes, it was short sleeve weather just two days before Christmas.I'm hoping to take a photography class soon, so I can really learn how to use this camera, but I'm loving it so far!

Funny Girl

2011-12-16T22:22:00.002-05:00

Tonight Haley said some really funny things that I don't want to forget.

I made her some noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese and I said I used to eat this all the time when Michael was in my tummy. She goes running off to show Michael her food and said "Michael, you had this too. You ate this when you were in mommy's tummy remember?"

She went potty at one point and came back bare bottom - which happens rather frequently. So I got her panties back one, but didn't bother with the pants since it was close to pajama time. She was scratching her back at one point and moved her hands under her panties and said "Hey, there's a crack in my bottom"

She was playing with her Mobigo that she got for her birthday, but she had to do something, so she gave it to me and asked me to hold it "so that Daddy won't get it" then Justin said, "but I want a turn". So Haley said "Mommy, will you please give that to Daddy and then he'll give it right back to you in just a minute." "Daddy, please give that back to Mommy in just a minute."

Mini Trampoline

2011-12-14T21:50:00.003-05:00

Subella gave Haley a mini trampoline for her birthday and Justin put it together Sunday morning. He had lots of "help" and lots of "Is it ready now?"Finally, it was ready and there were three really excited kids.There were a couple of issues with taking turns, mostly by Daniel, which is understandable because he's the youngest. But he did get better and there were a couple of times he got out without crying.Anna was great at taking turns and usually got out without anyone saying her turn was almost over. She had a great time jumping though.I was surprised that Haley didn't have a problem taking turns. She can be kind of hit or miss and is usually at her worst with Daniel, so it was nice seeing her be so nice.I would say the trampoline was definitely a hit! Thank you Subella!

Haley's Birthday Party

2011-12-13T22:03:00.006-05:00

Haley was so excited about her birthday party. All week she's been asking how many days until my party?It was Anna and Daniel's first time at Chuck E Cheese and she was pretty excited about it.My happy little boy was so good. He was pretty content to hang out in the high chair for awhile and chew on whatever he could reach.There's one ride that takes a your picture with Chuck E.Haley loves to pose with Chuck E.It was Emily's first time at Chuck E Cheese, and she seems to be enjoying herself.Daniel liked the motorcycle ride.Daddy helped Haley with her basketball form.Lathan was happy to just put the tokens in the machine and walk away.My sweet baby hung out with Uncle David and Kim (who had a 9 lb baby two days later) at the table most of the time.Isabella enjoyed the rides too.After we played for a little while it was time to do all the organized festivities. Haley wasn't too thrilled about her crown and got a little grumpy at this point.Does this look chaotic to you? It certainly felt like it to me.Haley wouldn't go in the "Ticket Blaster" so I went in with Anna. We tried many times to get Haley to go and made sure she knew after Anna went that no one else would get a turn.She still wouldn't go, but of course as soon as it was done, she said, "I want to do it."We had cake right after that, which cheered Haley up.Then we opened some presents that Haley's friends brought. We got to play a little more after that, then it was time to go.It went by so fast, but I think everyone had a good time. Haley really enjoyed it and was sad when it was over.

A Full House

2011-12-12T00:15:00.003-05:00

We decided to have Haley's birthday party a week early so that it wouldn't be too close to Christmas. Pops, David, Sara and her kids all came down for the festivities. Haley's party was at lunch Saturday at Chuck E Cheese. I tried my hardest to convince her to have it somewhere else, but this is what she wanted.Anna and Haley liked playing with Michael while he was supposed to be eating breakfast.Now Haley and Anna are playing with Michael while they are supposed to be eating breakfast.After the party (which will be a different post) the kids took naps and then it was time to open some presents that we didn't get to at the party.It took Daniel awhile to figure out this is not how the Sit and Spin works.I think Uncle David enjoyed a nice easy, happy baby.We keep telling Daniel that Michael will be his buddy when he gets a little better, but I guess Daniel got tired of waiting, so he and Michael started by playing with barbie dolls.Then Daniel brought over the Chuck E balloon, which was a big hit from the party. It was really cute to see Daniel being so sweet.And now back to our regularly scheduled program, we have Daniel continually kicking Chuck E across the room.Finally it was time to settle down with some drinks and some Dora.After a short rest, Daniel was back at it, trying to climb into the ball chute.Sara and I were the lucky ones that got to go get to dinner (and a drink at the bar, while we waited on dinner).I love this picture of the four cousins - almost as much as Michael loved being twirled around!Pops posing with three of his grandkids.Haley and Anna had been doing dances with the car flags, so Michael decided to play with them too.It was definitely a full house, but also a really fun weekend. Thank you so much for coming to celebrate with Haley!

Santa Claus

2011-12-11T23:15:00.008-05:00

We went to see the Festival of Lights at Chehaw Friday night with the Hartzogs. This was their last weekend as a family of three. Baby Barrett will be born on Monday!There was a drive-thru light display and then a train ride to see the lights all through the woods. Michael loved the train ride and was bouncing up and down the whole time.Haley had a good time watching the lights and playing with Michael.The lights were decent, but nothing compared to Riverbanks.A rare shot of Michael with his hat and gloves on - they never stayed on for long - but I think he looks pretty stinking cute!And a couple of fairly decent pictures with Santa. They wouldn't let us take our own pictures so these are scans of the ones we bought. Haley wouldn't smile so they had both kids look at Santa.We also got one with both kids looking at the camera - not the best picture ever, but not too bad. At least I have one smiling baby!

Focus

2011-12-06T22:48:00.001-05:00

When Michael wants something he doesn't let a silly little exersaucer get in his way.He was determined to go get that ball and nothing was going to stop him.Usually he gets distracted on his way across the room, but this time he actually kept his focus and made it to the ball.And I don't know what you might focus on in this picture of my crazy girl!

Health Update - Warning Graphic Photos!

2011-12-02T22:40:00.004-05:00

My mom came down Sunday to stay for a few days to help with the kids and to take care of me too! I was supposed to be at the hospital at 11:00 Monday morning, but I didn't end up going back for surgery until 4:45. My doctor decided to keep me overnight since it was so late. The surgery went well. He did it laparoscopically, with a robot. He said that my uterus, spleen, and everything else looked good. He couldn't see any damage and couldn't see a bruise or even find the spot where the IUD perforated my uterus.

I have two 3/4" incision on each side of my lower abdomen and about a 2" cut right above my belly button. I'm a little more sore than I expected, but my doctor explained that he did basically stick a railroad spike in my belly. It took some time for my oxygen level to stabilize after I woke up, and even then it was on the low side. I had a follow up appointment for my pneumonia on Wednesday, and my oxygen was low and my lungs still sounded junky, so I'm on another 10 days of antibiotics. Luckily it's just oral antibiotics and no more needles though. Mom left this morning and I can't say how much we appreciated all her help. I haven't driven or picked up my kids all week, and hope to make it until Monday without picking Michael up (you know - so I don't split open).

Here are a few pictures of my insides. The little white balls are my ovaries. And the bright pink thing in between them is my uterus. There's also a spleen and either some intestines or some fat in there too. You can click on the picture to make it bigger if you want!

Playing Together

2011-12-01T22:56:00.001-05:00

Now that Michael is getting bigger, Haley is playing a good bit rougher with him.But for the most part Michael really doesn't seem to mind and can pretty much hold his own.They definitely enjoy each other more than I expected at this early age.I know their Daddy really enjoys playing with them too!And here's a short video of Michael doing his Army Crawl. He's getting pretty quick now and I kind of don't think he is ever going to really crawl.

Resting

2011-11-27T23:30:00.004-05:00

We've had a lazy couple days around here in preparation for the busy week ahead. Haley likes chilling in our bed watching movies on these lazy days.Michael enjoyed snuggling up with Daddy.
But gave a little smile for the camera before he fell asleep.When Haley has snacks, she usually has some company laying on our bed.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T22:25:00.002-05:00

Granddaddy came down for Thanksgiving and it was really nice to have him here and have a peaceful relaxing day.Michael was definitely excited to see him. The excitement must have worn him out because we took a long morning nap and we ended up eating lunch without him.Haley was also very excited to see Granddaddy, and completely enjoyed playing with him while Michael was sleeping.We ate in the dining room, which was a novelty to Haley. Once we all sat down and started eating she looked around and said, "This is a nice room."We enjoyed a great meal, and even with our recent struggles we have so much to be thankful for. Thank you Granddaddy for coming to down to see us. We had a great time and love you so much!

Tough Stretch

2011-11-25T23:36:00.003-05:00

We've had a bit of a rough patch since we got back in town from our last Clemson trip. The kids started a new daycare on Monday, which was stressful for all of us. Sunday night I slipped on our hardwood floors and hyper extended my right elbow. It was bruised pretty much immediately and was incredibly sore for the next few days. I couldn't do all kinds of little things like turn the knob on the washer, put my car in gear, or buckle my seat belt with my right hand. It was finally starting to feel a little better on Thursday.

I had a doctor's appointment already scheduled Thursday morning because I had had shortness of breath and been coughing off and on for a couple of weeks. My elbow kind of got forgotten at the appointment though because my oxygen stats were really low. After seeing the doctor she sent me down the hall for a chest x-ray. There wasn't any obvious pneumonia on the x-ray, so they sent me down the street for a CT scan of my chest because they were worried about a pulmonary embolism. About an hour after the scan my nurse called and said there was no PE, but my lungs were inflamed and filled with fluid. So then I was sent to a pulmonologist right away.

He said I had atypical pneumonia and thought it was caused by some kind of exposure or allergy to something. With my O2 being so low I was pretty close to being admitted to the hospital, but he put me on 7 days of IV antibiotics and steroids with a home health company instead. Friday morning I went to the outpatient clinic at the hospital to have the IV put in and get my first treatments. That IV lasted until Tuesday, when I had our friend's daughter come pull it out because it was getting sore. Wednesday my regular nurse blew two veins and couldn't get another one started. A second nurse came later that evening and after two more sticks she finally got one in.

So for Thanksgiving, I had a bad elbow, an IV in one hand, and both hands were sore and bruised from all the IV pokes. But I had been able to cook most of our meal Wednesday while I was without an IV and Justin and Haley fried our turkey Wednesday night over at Mr. Mark's house. Which was when I finally had a meltdown after Michael was choking and I had to figure how to help him without getting my lines tangled or pulling my IV. Then as I pulled the dog food out of his mouth he puked all over the dining room table.

I got Michael in bed shortly after that and felt much better after some facebook love and a funny story about Lathan pulling down his pants and sitting bare butt, about to do his business, in a bumbo seat in the middle of Wilder's World. My IV lasted until my nurse came Thanksgiving day to give me the last steroid push and pulled it out. I also had pre op appointments, blood work and x-rays this week for surgery the I already scheduled for Monday. But it seems like everything looks good enough to go ahead with surgery.

(I had an IUD put in in August, and it perforated my uterine wall, so it has to be removed from my abdominal cavity. Hopefully he can get it laparoscopically and it won't be a major operation.)

So Proud

2011-11-22T23:26:00.003-05:00

Guess what I found?When I got Michael out of bed this morning.He was standing for the first time and was soooo proud of himself!

Clemson...Again

2011-11-13T23:20:00.003-05:00

Another long trip to Columbia, another side trip to Clemson, some more cute little tiger paws. She wanted purple and orange this time.Another long day with cotton candy.And another set of messy hands! We had a good time at the game again, but I have to say I'm glad it was the last game. This is the most we've been to since we moved, and it has worn me out!

Mama H

2011-11-09T23:15:00.004-05:00

I know I blogged about how Haley travels around the house with a group of babies before. But over the last couple of months she has started putting them to bed. Usually each baby has a specific blanket. She'll spread the blanket out, put the baby on it face down and then fold the blanket over the baby to cover them up.We were letting Michael crawl over some pillows this afternoon, so after he went to bed Haley improvised with her babies. There were 5 pillows on the floor, with 5 babies on the pillows and each had some type of "covers".She had the babies all covered up at one point, but by the time I got the camera she had taken the covers off. Which was probably a good thing for Bath Baby because she was covered up with a pair of Haley's panties.

The Small Fair

2011-11-06T23:38:00.006-05:00

I got a couple of free passes to the SWGA Exchange Club Fair, which we described to Haley as "the small fair". We went with the Hartzogs Friday night, so Lathan and Haley could ride the rides together.Michael was once again a great baby. Even though he I squeezed a 3 month size hat onto his big ole noggin and covered him with my jacket, since I left his stuff in the car.Lathan is typically very brave and outgoing, so he had no problem with any of the rides. Haley went right along with him and they would get off one ride and say, "I want to ride that" and point at the next one.There were measured at just about every ride, but were both right about 36" each time. Haley didn't even flinch at going on the rides that go up in the air, even though I was a little nervous.They even rode the roller coaster that some adults were riding. And they loved every second of it. I think if it wasn't my kid I would have been very judgemental about this one since you can't even see their heads from behind.Michael was so unbelievably good...again. He did want to be held a couple of times, but I think he just thought he was missing out.Haley and Lathan rode all the 36" rides and I couldn't believe how many there were.Then Haley said "I want to spend some money on a game."So she played this little ducky game and ended up $5 poorer, with an inflatable Dora wand.
Then we ended up our night with a funnel cake. It was actually a much better time than I expected. I was really impressed with how many kid rides there were and we got out before it got too crowded.I couldn't believe they had a ride like this for kids, but Haley and Lathan didn't even think twice about riding it!

Halloween

2011-10-31T22:54:00.006-04:00

This is of course, Michael's first Halloween, and the first one that Haley has really been into. She helped me pass out candy last year while Daddy was hunting, but this year she was ready to get her own candy.She wanted to be Minnie Mouse and I found a costume for 60% off, so she got her wish. Although she wanted me to be Mickey Mouse and Justin to be Donald Duck, which did not happen.Michael was all smiles to pose in his recycled costumed. And you can barely see his two little pearly whites.Haley loving her little brother.Justin got Michael in bed and stayed home to pass out candy while Haley and I met up with Kim and Lathan to go trick or treating.Kim is pretty pregnant and it was fairly cold, so she drove my car and I rode in the back with the kids. We went close to the end of several culdesacs and then we all walked up and down the street.I think riding in the back of the car with the door open was one of the most fun things for the kids.We stopped by and saw Mr. Nick and Mrs. Jane. This was our last culdesac, so after we finished we hung out with Nick in the car and let the kids have a piece of candy.Then we took Lathan and Kim back up the hill to their house and we went home to show Daddy her candy.Haley had a good time, but was kind of shy. She didn't say Trick or Treat until the very last house, but she did say thank you at all the houses, so that was good.It was fun getting to celebrate with Haley now that she is getting into holidays a little more. I love my little Minnie Mouse with her dirty mouth and all!

Michael's First Joke

2011-10-28T23:53:00.004-04:00

I love when babies start to develop personalities. Michael has always been a very happy, easy baby, but now he is starting to find his sense of humor too. He tried a new food tonight and made a funny face at first. Then I started making faces at him and he started doing this...

Man, do I love this little guy - he is just so cute!

The Fair - Food and Animals

2011-10-26T22:48:00.003-04:00

We started with a couple of rides then it was time to grab some dinner. My favorite fair food is Fiske french fries and a corn dog. I think my girl inherited my discerning taste.Anna and Daniel had corn dogs too, and there may have been some sword fighting.The swords may have turned into wands and it's possible Uncle David was put under several spells, but I couldn't rightly say.Apart from the food and the rides we also went to the fair to see the animals. We saw some of the cattle being shown, passed by the $8.00 pony, camel, and elephant rides, and went into the petting zoo area. Haley was not afraid to feed any of the animals this time.The Hollars spent some time with the sheep.Haley's favorite animal by far was the donkey. Maybe it was because he was just her size and she had good access through his fence, but she really liked this guy.He seemed to like Haley too, I'm sure it had nothing to do with the handful of food she had.Haley even introduced Anna to her new friend!After the animals, we were headed back to the rides and wandered through a tent with some music. Granny danced with the kids a little bit then it was off for more rides.I guess I also need to mention that on the way out of fair we stopped for funnel cakes, but it was touch and go with the kids, so I didn't get a picture. And after that we also got some of the delicious donuts to go and devoured them on the way to the cars!

The Fair - The Rides

2011-10-25T22:30:00.002-04:00

Our Friday activity for this trip was the SC State Fair with Granny, David, and the Hollars. I wasn't sure how Haley would do with the rides, but with Anna and Daniel there they all did really well.Waiting in line for the first time.Waiting for the ride to start, after making a little girl move to a different car, because none of them wanted to sit with a "stranger."Big smiles during the first ride!Then Sara and I took the 3 big kids on the Ferris wheel. The kids enjoyed it, and I think Sara was the most nervous.They also had fun looking over the side to find their Daddys and Granny - but I think that made the Daddys a little nervous.Michael was perfectly happy chilling in the stroller taking in the sights. Eric and Daniel, Mom and Anna, and Haley and I all went down the super slide next. It was a pretty slow climb to the top with those little legs, but we all made it up there together.I think Eric and Daniel had a head start and beat us, but the kids loved the big slide.It was my first time hanging out in the kiddie section, and apparently they have different rules on these rides. Most of the kids have a parent walk in with them to put them in a seat and buckle them up. Then the fair guy will check all the seat belts and start the ride. Then when it stops parents go in again to release the kids.On this ride our kids wanted to be in the firetruck and Haley and I were near the front of the line. So we headed straight for the firetruck and I put Haley in the front seat. Then a little girl beat Anna and Daniel there and tried to get in the seat with Haley. I kind of blocked her way and said that we had two more kids sitting there. The girl didn't seem to mind and got in the second row when Anna and Daniel got there.Outside the fence we were waiting for the ride to start and apparently the girl's mom was standing behind us. She started talking very loudly about how rude some people were, because they blocked her daughter when she tried to get in the front row of the firetruck. So yes, I am that mom, and I don't really care!It was getting close to meltdown time and we had just enough tickets for one more ride and the kids wanted to go down the big slide again. This time Granny and Anna barely won!The kids loved all the rides though, and I was really surprised and proud of how well Haley did. And Michael was so easy and did great just being happy in his stroller.

Clemson Game

2011-10-24T23:02:00.004-04:00

Our friends Rob and Beth from Albany came up to go to the game with us, so Justin wanted to show them Howard's Rock. It was also nice that they could take a picture of us.Haley giving Daddy a little smooch before the game.Luckily the people in front of us were not there, because Haley was a little tired and really needed some room to spread out.Luckily, some cotton candy perked her right up and we made it until half time, when we went to car to watch the second half and have a couple beverages.

Another Weekend Trip

2011-10-23T00:11:00.004-04:00

We traveled to Columbia and Clemson three weekends in September. Then had a weekend at home, then Justin spent a weekend with his Dad, then I went to Girl's weekend, and this weekend we were back on the road. Michael stayed with Granny and everyone came over later.GG got to spend a little time with Michael too.Then we got back from the game and all the chaos started.It's fun seeing the cousins and I know next year when Michael is getting into all kinds of trouble it will be even crazier.This weekend though Michael was pretty sick. He woke up once Friday night and was wheezing fairly bad. I talked to Granny about it and she thought she would be fine taking him to the Urgent Care place, so I went on to the game with Justin and Haley. Michael wasn't actively wheezing in the morning, but they wanted to be extra cautious with him because of his age, so they did a chest x-ray (where they put him in a little tube to get a good picture). But he didn't have pneumonia and tested negative for RSV. They did give him an inhaler though, which is really quick, so he doesn't seem to mind too much.

Not So Talented

2011-10-17T23:10:00.001-04:00

Michael started eating cereal right around 5 months and started baby food shortly before six months.
We've tried a few finger foods, like puffs and mashed up banana, but he's not real good at eating.I think he really wants to, but usually the food gets stuck on the back of his tongue and he gags.
So don't expect to see more pictures like this anytime soon.

M on the Move

2011-10-12T00:13:00.002-04:00

Michael has been "army" crawling since about 6 months and he is started to get pretty fast. He's started to explore and get into things now.There are times when I'm busy now that I have to confine him somewhere. And it's definitely not because I lost him when I was brushing my teeth once - of course I always know where he is and what he's doing.

I did finally get a short video of his moves though.

Almost Caught It

2011-10-05T22:27:00.003-04:00

I almost caught the picture that I wanted. Michael climbed up on Big Baby and was biting her head, but by the time I got my camera this is all I gotwhich is still a pretty funny picture.

Riverbanks

2011-09-27T22:21:00.003-04:00

We went to Columbia for another long weekend and Clemson game this weekend. And we went to the zoo for our Friday activity.The last couple of times Haley has wanted to feed the giraffes but always dropped the lettuce at the last second and wouldn't let the giraffe take it out of her hand. But she finally got over her fear and loved feeding the baby giraffe's this time. Michael was pretty interested, and wasn't afraid of it at all.

Haley's First Haircut

2011-09-22T22:11:00.004-04:00

At 2 years and 9 months, Haley finally got her first haircut. We've tried several times to get her to agree to a haircut, but she wouldn't do it. We asked her a couple of times while hanging out at Grandma's but she said no.Then all of a sudden she said she wanted a haircut. Grandma used to cut hair and had her own beauty shop before she retired, so it was pretty special to have her do the cutting.She wanted to sit in Vicki's lap, but was still a little nervous.I have to admit I did shed a couple of tears. I can't believe my baby girl is so big. And losing those curls made me sad.Haley wanted to watch in the mirror and wasn't too traumatized by it.I think she looks more like a boy now, but I know it will grow out thicker now and look better in the long run. And she is still such a pretty little thing.

Haley's 1st Game of the Year

2011-09-20T21:53:00.002-04:00

We took Haley to the Auburn game this weekend. She was very excited about getting a Tiger Paw on her cheek.It was hot and it was nap time, so a little cotton candy was enlisted to keep her occupied in the stadium. She was satisfied with dainty little bites at first, and then decided to just go all in.She lasted until halftime and then on the way to the car, got distracted by a bag of Cheetos and the Auburn band in the West End Zone. So she ran in circles around me while I watched the game on the big screen standing in the shade, with a nice breeze. We had a really good time, and had a nice quiet ride home!

Visit to Grandma's

2011-09-18T21:57:00.002-04:00

This was our 2nd out of 3 weekends in Columbia this month and we decided to spend Friday at Grandma's house."My Vicki" bought Haley a memory game and she had a good time squaring off with Grandma. She actually does really well remembering where the cards are, but she's not so good with taking turns and keeping score. If you flip over a card and she knows where the match is she will turn it over and let you have it.I love this picture!I know Grandma loves rocking a baby. And I just can't believe this baby isn't so little anymore.We had a great time with Grandma and Vicki and had there was a super exciting event that happened which will be featured in another post. I am so glad that my kids have such a wonderful extended family and have so many people that love them. And I am so thankful to be part of such a great family.

Epic Failure

2011-09-12T22:18:00.002-04:00

We tried to get pictures of the four cousins together. These were the best of the bunch. Daniel refused to get close to the chair and Haley kept licking Michael. She even told Anna, "You can lick him if you want to." After that, Michael was out of there!

That's What She Said - #2

2011-09-09T22:07:00.003-04:00

I moved Haley's car seat into the middle of the van, so she can see out of the windshield pretty well now. The other morning she said, "There's no cars up there, we can go faster Mommy."

Haley saw me getting dressed one morning and said "You're not wearing a bra. You just wearing your milk today?"

She's learning the days of the week and we were talking about going to SC for some football games soon. We asked her when she wanted to go and she said, "Maybe after Tuesday."

We were at Michael's 6 month check up and the nurse said he measured 26.5 inches. Haley just looked at me and said, "We can't cut him in half."

She got "hurt" jumping on the bed one night and Justin gave her a sip of his coke to calm her down. After a few seconds she said."I'm still hurting, I need another sip."

Reading her name letters in her room, she asked who put them on her wall. Since I painted them and did all the work I said that I did. She looked at me for a second and then said, "Probably Daddy did it."

Haley: I need lots of band-aids.
Me: Why baby, what's wrong?
Haley: My tummy hurts.

Bedtime at Granny's

2011-09-06T21:39:00.003-04:00

We got some visiting in with the cousins this weekend in Columbia. We now put Michael upstairs in the bonus room to try to keep him away from the noise of the other three.I only took a few pictures and they were once the kids settled down. This is about the only time they are still and it takes blankets, pacis, and Dora to get it done.
Haley's sleep issues continued during our trip and it was taking so long to get her to stay in bed that we both just ended up in bed with Granny. I took this picture after Michael woke up during the night. My spot was to the left of Haley, I'm glad she was comfortable at least!

GG's New Place

2011-09-04T21:29:00.003-04:00

We went to visit my Grandma at her assisted living place for the first time this weekend. She moved into a place in Irmo and it was really nice. Haley enjoyed playing with a deflated balloon and Michael enjoyed slobbering. Some of the other residents had a good time watching Haley run up and down the hall too.

Short End of the Stick

2011-09-01T21:22:00.003-04:00

I think I have pictures of every time Haley tried a new food. Ummmm with Michael....not so much. He has started eating some baby food now, and here are the first pictures I've taken. He's making a face here, but he actually liked the green beans.Haley was a little bit peeved that he was sitting in "her" highchair.So Michael got comfortable to try to antagonize her even more.She is much happier when he's eating in the bumbo and she can help feed him, and he's plenty happy as long as he's eating.

Bath Time

2011-08-30T21:36:00.002-04:00

These are not great pictures, but they do get the point across. Now that I am working, we have to do baths for both kids at night. So we have finally combined the two to shorten the routine.
It was a nice change of scenery for Michael, and Haley was just happy to have someone else listen to her sing and play and talk nonstop in the tub. Oh, and she was also pretty excited about working on some of her poses!

Wilder's World with Two

2011-08-28T21:31:00.002-04:00

I took both kids to Wilder's World for the first time this weekend. Kim and Lathan went too, so we traded off watching Michael and running after the older kids.Haley had a blast of course, but I am really surprised at how much fun Michael had too. He played with some toys for awhile, but he probably could have sat in this thing and jumped all morning. This is such a great place for a couple hours of fairly cheap entertainment, and it definitely guarantees good naps in the afternoon!

Ugh

2011-08-24T21:34:00.003-04:00

We have really been struggling with bedtime lately. Haley has decided she doesn't want to fall asleep by herself. We've tried changing routines, reading more stories, being nice, being stern, spanking, just about everything. Some nights she will get out of bed 7-8 times, and drag it out 2 hours until she finally goes to sleep. Then she is getting up in the middle of the night too. I try to be strong, but some nights I just put her in bed with us to try to get a little sleep. The past couple of nights haven't been too bad, so hopefully things will keep improving. These struggles have resulted in some funny conversations though.

One night, I said "Haley you need to lay down and go to sleep." And then she said, "I can't do it Mommy, I'm too busy."

She came out of her room around 4:45 one morning while Justin was getting ready for work.
Justin: You need to be a big girl and go back to bed.
Haley: I'm not a big girl.
Justin: Are you a little girl?
Haley: No, I'm not a little girl.
Justin: Then what are you?
after a short pause
Haley: I'm a boy.

The morning after a rather easy bedtime. I thanked Haley for staying in her bed all night and she said, "Well, thank you for not spanking my bottom again."

Justin and I were both in her room putting her to sleep one night, and she was taking forever to get her dolls where she wanted them. I said, "Come on Haley, I'm so tired." She replied, "I know you tired Mama, but I got to get my babies situated."

Thanks Subella

2011-08-23T18:33:00.003-04:00

Since we were out of town most of this visit, I only got a couple of pictures of Subella with Michael.It was so nice and rejuvenating to get away, to see some great golf, to sleep through the night, and to spend some quality time together. Thank you so much Subella!

Michael and Grandaddy

2011-08-21T17:16:00.004-04:00

Justin and I went to Atlanta to the PGA Championship for two glorious nights. Subella came down Thursday to stay with the kids, and then Grandaddy came to help on Friday. We got home Saturday and I got to see Michael really enjoy some one on one time with Grandaddy. He really is such a sweet, sweet happy boy!

Playing Together?

2011-08-20T21:29:00.001-04:00

I am really looking forward to the day when Haley and Michael can play together unsupervised.
But I don't think we are quite there yet.Although Michael seems pretty content,As long as he has something to chew on!

A Sign of the Times

2011-08-18T18:31:00.003-04:00

Michael is such a sweet and happy baby these days. He is working on sitting up, but has fun laying down playing with toys. He loves to be around people and gets seriously intrigued when he sees the camera.Haley is getting so grown up I can't hardly believe it. She has been dressing herself a lot lately, although sometimes she doesn't get it quite right. But she never seems to mind!

Make Him Lay with Me

2011-08-17T20:56:00.001-04:00

Now that Michael is getting bigger Haley likes to "play" with him, which really means she likes to tell him what to do and treat him like a doll.Luckily, today she just wanted him to lay with her on her Elmo chair, which is something that he could handle pretty well.And he doesn't even seem to mind. I think he might be enjoying himself here.I think he is even playing along and pretending to be asleep, but I don't think his pretend snoring is quite up to par.

Hide and Seek

2011-08-15T17:12:00.001-04:00

Haley loves to play Hide and Seek in the evening, but she is not exactly the best hider yet. She'll hide somewhere like under a blanket on top of the bed, and when you pretend that you can't see her she'll pop up and say I'm right here. Her daddy showed her a new place to hide and it quickly became her favorite.After I "found" them Haley said, "let's hide again. go count to 15 mommy" and Justin asked where she wanted to hide and she said "right here", so then she proceeded to hide in our bathtub again, and again, and again.And now she's been taking baths in our bathtub and pretends she's swimming around catching lizards!

Johnny Jump Up

2011-08-13T06:04:00.001-04:00

Michael's teachers put him in a Johnny Jump Up at school, and said that he loved it. So we asked Suebella to bring down the one at her house for us to use at home.And he really does loves it. He jumps and twists and I think even tries to swing too.After I was taking pictures of Michael, Haley wanted me to take her picture too.Here's a little video of my sweet happy boy jumping around.

All Kinds of Haleys

2011-08-11T07:48:00.001-04:00

Haley loves to stand on the counter in our bathrom and look at herself in the mirror. She recently discovered that she can see "all kinds of Haleys" when she stands in the corner. She likes to stand in the corner with a hand on each mirror, so that there are 4 Haley's in a circle and she plays Ring around the Rosie with herself. I know there are a lot of pictures here, but she will seriously just stand there and look at herself forever.And yes, I love the pretty handprints all over the mirrors!

Look What I Found

2011-08-09T21:21:00.001-04:00

Michael found his left foot last weekend. He can't get it into his mouth because of his big belly and ginormous thighs. And the silly boy hasn't figured out that he has a right foot yet. It's been several days and he still has no clue that there's two feet down there.And in other news he can now roll over from his belly to his back. He's done it several times in his crib and gets mad that he's stuck on his back. Until Haley hears him, then she runs in there and talks to him to make him smile.

My Heart

2011-08-08T21:26:00.004-04:00

There's no denying who this little boy came from. And his crazy sister is something pretty special too. I love these three with all that I have and all that I am, and can't imagine my life without them!

Starting Cereal

2011-08-07T21:15:00.001-04:00

Michael has been really interested in whatever we are eating lately, so we decided to try some rice cereal today. He seemed to know something exciting was going on and he was ready!The first few bites didn't quite make it into his mouth, but he got a little better. I think he did actually eat several bites.He wanted to be in control though, and wanted to get the spoon in his mouth as fast as possible, without much regard for what was on the spoon.I don't think he liked the taste much to start with, but didn't seem to dislike it either. (and this picture just reminds me of Justin).We didn't give him too much, and let him ~~play with~~ chew on the spoon a little too, which I think made him happier than getting to eat.

My Present

2011-08-06T20:50:00.001-04:00

.I went out with some girlfriend's for our monthly dinner, and we played Bingo this time too. When I got home I found a present from Haley on the counterThe next morning she was so excited to show me my present. And tell me it's gonna grow bigger in water. She's such a sweet girl to think of me and miss me while I'm out getting some adult time.

She Really Does Listen

2011-08-05T17:14:00.006-04:00

Haley was swinging around her "big baby" this afternoon and it hit her in the head. She told me "My baby got me. I better put her in time out." So she put the baby in time out. A few minutes later I asked if her baby could come out now and Haley went over to her baby, kneeled down on the floor and said, "Why you get me baby? That's not nice to get me. Now don't get me anymore. Say you're sorry. Now give me a hug and a kiss"

Granny's Visit

2011-08-02T21:02:00.000-04:00

Granny and Uncle David came down to vist last weekend and I only took a few pictures of Granny with the kids. Granny played little piggy with Michael and now Haley wants me to "Do my piggies" about 5 times a day.It was a good visit, but seemed to go by way too fast.

My Favorite

2011-08-01T20:46:00.001-04:00

Me: What kind of ice cream do you like Haley?

Haley: I like ice cream.

Me: I know you do, but what kind of ice cream do you like?

Haley: I like blue. It's my favorite.

Sneaky Uncle David

2011-07-31T21:09:00.001-04:00

David was teasing Haley a little this weekend, and she hasn't forgotten about it. There was a reference to "Sneaky Pete" on Mickey Mouse clubhouse and Haley said, "Pete's not sneaky, Uncle David's sneaky."I said, what did Uncle David do that was sneaky. And she said "He tried to take my napkin." I told her that Uncle David was my little brother, just like Michael was her little brother and she said, "No, he's too bigger."Then later she said, "Michael is my baby brother", and I said yes, he is. She said "Uncle David is your baby too." Yea, something like that kid. But no matter, who he is, she was definitely keeping an eye on him!

So Sleepy

2011-07-29T20:40:00.002-04:00

Michael has been really worn out this week from going to daycare. He hasn't gotten used to all the noise and activity and is not napping very well at all. He seems to still be in a good mood, but when he hits a wall at night nothing but bed will make him happy.Unfortunately, he's still not sleeping through the night, but I think he might really be hungry because he falls asleep after only drinking a couple ounces of his last bottle.It's nearly impossible to wake him up, and it really feels cruel to try, but at least burping doesn't seem to bother him. Oh, and these pictures were taken at 6:15.

Such a Good Mama

2011-07-28T13:20:00.002-04:00

Haley loves to nurture her babies, and her animals, and Michael, and me, and Scooter. Her favorite thing to do is put blankets over us and tell us to go to sleep. We are all usually pretty good sports including Scooter.I think the high was only in the 90's this weekend, so Scooter probably did need a blanket to go outside since we've gotten so used to triple digit weather!

That's What She Said

2011-07-27T18:41:00.001-04:00

They always say that kids speak the truth, and Haley is definitely not afriad to call it like she sees it. Here are some funny things that Haley's said recently, what was going on and the thoughts that went through my head.

We were at our favorite Mexican restaurant and Haley was putting her spoon in my glass of water and said "Want to watch me stir it, Mommy?" Of course, why would I want to have a real conversation with your father when I could watch you put your dirty spoon into my full glass of water.

We were playing with Haley's kitchen and she was "cooking" me some chicken and rice. She gave me a bowl and a spoon so I pretend to start eating. She put her hand on my shoulder, tilted her head to the side and in all seriousness said "It's not real." That's good because it tastes like air.

I got sweet tea with some fast food one day, and Haley was drinking it. She said "One more sip", about 8 times and then I had a sip and she said, "That's enough. Don't drink it all gone. I'll share with you." How sweet of you to share my drink with me little girl.

I was eating a couple of pieces of leftover Easter candy, and Haley took a piece out of my hand and said, "That's enough. I put it on the counter for you. Need to save some for later." and she walked into the kitchen and put it on the counter. I won't tell you what I was thinking here, because it wasn't very nice!

I ordered some clothes online and was trying them on, Haley was watching and when I put on a pair of shorts she said "Too tight Mama?" Well, I didn't think so , but maybe I need to look in the mirror.

We were eating dinner and Justin was drinking a beer. He was almost done with his first one, so I brought a second one to the table for him. Haley saw both beers on the table and said, "Woah, Daddy has two beers."

If I ever go back to the kitchen to get seconds on anything Haley announces, "Mommy's getting more dinner." Yep, it's no wonder you think my shorts are tight!"

The Clay Spot

2011-07-26T21:55:00.001-04:00

Michael started day care last week, since I went back to work this week. He has been doing pretty well, just not napping great since he likes to sleep on his tummy and Georgia law says daycare providers must put a baby to sleep on their back. So he better figure out how to roll over soon!

Since I was kid-free I made a lunch date with a mom (Jessica) from Haley's school. Her daughter, Emily, is 2 months older than Haley, and her son is 1 month older than Michael. We've talked about getting together for awhile now, but it finally worked out for both of us. We had a really nice lunch and hopefully can get together with the families soon.

After lunch we picked up the girls and went to The Clay Spot to paint some pottery. Haley picked out a rabbit and Emily picked out an owl. And they both got to pick four colors. I looked away to get out my camera and 2 seconds later Haley had all her colors mixed together. And her tongue stuck out in extreme concentration.Emily was a little more structured in her painting and kept all her colors separate.The both took turns cheesing for the camera, although Haley still gave a weird smile and wouldn't look at me.This is Haley's finished rabbit, we can pick it up next week after it "cooks", so I'll post another picture of it then.

Michael's Favorite Game

2011-07-24T09:54:00.005-04:00

Michael loves to cover up his face with a blanket or burp cloth, or anything he can reach. Then he'll squirm and kick his legs, sometimes he'll take it down himself, other times he just lets go of it and either Haley or I will take it off, but he usually puts it right back on his face.

Rainy Saturday Morning

2011-07-21T22:20:00.015-04:00

Last Saturday it was rainy and yucky outside, so we hung out on the couches for awhile and watched some cartoons.
Michael was sitting with Justin and I guess Haley got jealous because she wanted to be right in the middle of things.

This Morning

2011-07-20T09:54:00.002-04:00

Me: What do you what for breafast this morning?

Haley: Hmmmm, how bout butter and sausage?

Walking the Dog

2011-07-17T15:28:00.000-04:00

Haley has really been into wearing my shoes lately, and recently announced that she was going to walk the dog. Then she came around the corner of the couch wearing this:and dragging the leash behind her (with no dog on it, by the way). I tried to get her to smile, but we're still working on the whole say cheese/smile issue.

Gifted?

2011-07-14T20:03:00.001-04:00

Of course I think Haley is smart and advanced for her age, but have you ever seen a 2 year that can jump rope? I mean seriously she really is gifted isn't she?

Long Time Coming

2011-07-12T16:44:00.004-04:00

I feel like I had a lot of bath pictures from when Haley was little since she got her baths in the evenings, when Justin and I were both home. But since I'm home now, Michael usually gets his baths during the day and I haven't taken any pictures. This weekend he was in the Bumbo and spit up and slobbered all over himself, so he got bath, and I remembered to take some pictures. I LOVE this happy little guy so much!

I'm Drooling

2011-07-11T16:55:00.001-04:00

Haley has started showing some jealousy towards Michael lately. When Justin or I are playing with Michael she'll come and try to get in the middle, or she tries to play with whatever toy he may have. We'll say "Hey Jealous" when she starts doing something really obvious, but I didn't think she really knew what we're taking about. But she had a snack the other day and Scooter was begging and she said "Hey jealous boy", so she might have a clue after all.We've started putting bibs on Michael when he's in the bumbo or excersaucer because he seems to drool and spit up a lot more when he's vertical. Haley saw the bib and we told her it was because he was drooling. Then she put her shirt in her mouth and put some spit on it and said, "I'm drooling, I need a bib." So we gave her a bib, took some pictures, and worked some more on saying cheese/smiling for the camera.

Siblings

2011-07-11T14:13:00.001-04:00

One reason we timed our children the way that we did was so that they could play together and we wouldn't have to entertain them as much. I had no idea that Haley would be such an amazing big sister and be so interested in playing with Michael this early. Although I know she is waiting for the day when he is big enough to really play with.

We picked her up from school one day and a little girl in her class and her older brother were leaving at the same time we were. Haley said, "Anna's brother is big enough to play with." So I know she thinks she is really looking forward to the day that Michael can play, but I'm sure she might reconsider that when he can crawl and try to do things that he wants, instead of what she wants him to do. But for now, she settles for this, and he seems to like it!

I Need a Book

2011-07-10T15:50:00.001-04:00

I would probably say that Haley is officially potty trained now. She's been in big girl panties for 3 weeks now and has only had about 4 accidents. Two of those she was on her way to the potty, and just didn't make it in time.We have been sticking pretty close to the house though, and her last accident was this weekend at Chehaw. I tried to get her to go potty with me when we got there, but she said the toilets were too big, and I didn't force the issue. Fast forward about 20 minutes, and we're changing wet clothes by the bobcat exhibit. She has used some public restrooms, I just don't think we're ready to spend all day running errands or anything yet.And now to get to the title of this post, she's really good at going to the potty by herself at home. She was climbing onto the big potty by herself until she fell in recently, so she's started using a potty seat again. And now she has decided that she needs something to read while doing her business.And yes, we are still working on the whole smile for the camera thing!

Finally, Something to Do

2011-07-09T15:37:00.001-04:00

Michael has really been wanting to stand up or sit up a lot lately. He's gotten tired of laying down all the time and wants to see what is going on, so we got the excersaucer out of the attic. He seems pretty happy in it for 15-20 minutes at a time. He loves having something to drool on and has started grabbing at some of the toys.I think his favorite thing about it though is that he can keep track of his crazy sister, which is his biggest source of entertainment.

Say Cheese

2011-07-08T16:02:00.001-04:00

Haley is usually pretty good at saying cheese when I get the camera out. She usually says it without asking, and typically without looking at the camera. But it usually looks like she's in pain, so lately I've been trying to get her to do a normal smile without saying cheese, but haven't really gotten any good results yet.

4 Months Old

2011-07-07T09:43:00.001-04:00

Michael turned 4 months old this week. In some ways I can't believe that he's already 4 months, but it also seems like he's been here forever. He is still such a sweet baby, he loves to smile, talk, and laugh. He loves to watch Haley, even though she can be pretty rough with him. He sleeps in his crib and is still getting up once a night to eat. He is wearing 3-6 month clothes, although his sleepers are all just about too short, so I need to get out the 6-9 month boxes this week.He's started spending more time on the floor, in the bumbo, and just recently the excersaucer. He's very close to rolling over, but hasn't done it yet. Anything he can get his hands on goes straight to his mouth, and he has been drooling like a maniac the past few weeks. He had his 4 month check up and weighed 16 lbs 10 oz, measured 25.25" in length and had a head circumference of 17". He is starting to be more and more fun, and we are so grateful and blessed to have him in our lives.

My Friends

2011-07-04T20:19:00.001-04:00

Two of my best friends came down to visit for the weekend of the 4th, which was especially nice since Justin was on a fishing trip from Friday to Sunday. We had a good time just playing with the kids and dogs, and getting to play cards when the kids were sleeping.Thanks for coming Sara, Steph and Bean - we love you!

The (Neighbor's) Water Slide

2011-07-04T11:52:00.001-04:00

Our neighbors* that don't really live there were all in town for Independence Day, and they had a big inflatable water slide that they set up several times over the weekend. I took Haley over to play in the water on Sunday afternoon. She was a little intimidated at first, since she usually only plays with the kids one or two at a time, but she got in the water and splashed around some.*The grandparents live in Florida and bought the house because it's closer to their grandkids that live in Georgia, so they are there once a month or so, and usually have one or two of the grandkids staying with them. They are really nice and let Haley play on their trampoline, swingset, treehouse, rockwall, and porch whenever they aren't there, and Haley loves to play with the younger grandkids when they are in town.Pretty soon Haley climbed up the ladder by herself and was sitting at the top of the slide. She was scared to go down at first, but the oldest kid offered to hold her hand. She still wouldn't go, but watched him hold hands with one of the other kids. Then he climbed up again and she said she wanted to go down with him. The first couple of times she had this look of terror on her face.But she would smile and laugh when she got to the bottom. She kept climbing up and sliding down though and had a great time. Justin came over to see her and she got brave laying down on her back and belly.She got to play on it a few times throughout the week, and had a great time. I'm so proud of her for being brave and doing something that was scary!

Superstar

2011-07-02T11:29:00.003-04:00

We were playing with blocks the other morning, and she decided to build a microphone and put on a little concert for Michael and I. We're going strong with potty training, so there a lot of times lately where Haley is running around without pants.And this is so cute, I just had to include a little cheek shot.Here's the end of a rendition of "Jesus Loves Me", notice the big ending.

Silly Boy

2011-07-01T17:57:00.001-04:00

I've been having all kinds of problems getting videos on blogger, but was finally able to get this one up. It's a short clip of our sweet little boy starting to develop his laugh.

Haley's Artistic Side

2011-06-30T21:48:00.001-04:00

Most of you know that Justin has a very artistic side. He actually won competitions in high school for his drawings. I have no artistic skill at all, so I'm sure Haley got all of her talent from him. She got out a couple of puzzles the other day, but instead of doing puzzles, she started making shapes out of the pieces. This balloon was her masterpiece.She also knows how to write the letter H. Two of her teachers have asked if we knew that she could do that. And yes, we know she can write a really good H, I just wish she wouldn't write so many on the wall in the kitchen.

Mom of the Year - Part 2

2011-06-26T22:52:00.000-04:00

I don't think I've mentioned it on here, but our wonderful dog Cricket hurt her leg at the beginning of the month. The dogs went out Saturday morning and when they came back in, she wouldn't put any weight on her back leg. So after a couple of days, she wasn't getting any better, so we took her to the vet. She tore her ACL, so she had to have surgery. She had two wires put in her knee and spent two weeks recovering at the vet (while we were out of town). When we got back she had to stay confined and only go out for leash walks. So, the crate that we got when Scooter was a puppy got a good bit of use again, just not quite how we thought it would!She was doing a little dance in that one!

Turtle Park

2011-06-25T23:10:00.004-04:00

We all went out to Turtle Park a couple of weeks ago to try to enjoy the great outdoors before it got too sweltering hot here. We went pretty early, but the playground equipment was already to hot. Haley and Justin did climb to the top of the giant turtle though.We walked down the Riverwalk a little ways and Justin took Haley down to see the water.Michael and I just chilled in the shade under the bridge and "talked" a bit.We tried to get Haley to play in the fountain on the way out, but she was a little hesitant at first.She did get interested though and started playing in the water.This is a cell phone pic - but you can kind of see that she was completely soaking wet. She ended up really enjoying the water!

A Great Weekend

2011-06-20T22:05:00.003-04:00

Suebella, Tara and Arrie came down to Albany for the weekend. Since we are down to one guest room, they stayed at a hotel right down the road. Which meant we had access to the hotel pool!It was the first time this summer that Haley's been in a real pool. She was a little nervous at first, but soon she started jumping in from the side, going under by herself, and blowing bubbles.It was Michael's first time ever swimming, and he really liked it. He was kicking his legs and flapping his arms and smiling the whole time. Suebella really had a great idea to find a hotel with a nice pool.We had a good time hanging out at the house too. Arrie was a little loud, and kept feeding the dogs, but after a cocktail she settled down quite a bit! Tara and Haley really had a good time playing together too.And Saturday afternoon they watched the kids so Justin and I got to go to movie together! I can't remember how long it's been since that happened, and I only slept through 3-4 minutes of it.Thanks so much for coming to see us, it was great getting to spend time with all of you!

SC Trip

2011-06-13T21:47:00.002-04:00

We had another whirlwind trip to SC the last 10 days, but I hardly took any pictures at all. The kids and I went up Friday afternoon, and it was a very successful trip, for my first big solo voyage with two kids. Saturday I left the kids with Granny and spent the night with some of my college girlfriends. It was nice to have a kid free evening, but by Sunday afternoon I was ready to see my munchkins again. Sarah brought her baby Lily with her and she got to hang out with Michael for a little bit. Lily is 2.5 months older than him, but they are about the same size. Michael did have about a 3 lb head start on her by birth weight.We took Haley, Michael, Lily, and Sara Grace Wilson (a friend's niece) to Edventure on Tuesday. It was the first time I'd ever been there and I thought it was pretty neat. Sara Grace dressed up in the fireman's outfit.Haley was a little overwhelmed and looked nervous sitting in the fire truck.Her favorite part though was sitting on tractor - which I think we have Grandaddy to thank for that!I can't believe I didn't take any other pictures, but we spent some time with the Hollars, Pops, and my Grandma over the weekend. Then Monday and Tuesday we spent with my friends. Wednesday we were at Grandma's house and got to see Vicki and Elizabeth. Thursday Suebella took us to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time - and Haley did better than I thought she would. She was a little overwhelmed, but still played games and rode some rides. Friday we went down to Beaufort to spend the weekend with Daddy and Grandaddy. It was our last long trip for awhile - the kids did really well, but it is hard on Haley to get so off schedule. Most of her naps were in the car, which made for a tired little girl and a couple of epic meltdowns at bedtime. Michael did really well, and as long as he gets to eat and sleep when he wants he is such an easy baby.

Wilder's World

2011-06-07T22:20:00.003-04:00

I took Haley to Wilder's World over Memorial Day weekend and she had a really good time. We stayed for over 2 hours, which is the longest that we've made it, and actually I was the one that was ready to go, but I got her to leave without throwing a fit, of which I was pretty proud.She played in the little kid area for awhile, but the place was practically empty, so I took her in the big kid area and we played for a little while together.Her favorite part this time though was the big slide. She's played on it before, but usually with someone kind of helping her get up there.This time she climbed up all by herself. Although after a few successful trips I think she got cocky and started hopping up the steps like a frog. She was almost to the top and slipped and rolled backwards down a few steps, but stopped herself and climbed back up to the top.She also got a little adventurous going down on her tummy, with no hands!We had a really good time, and it's crazy to see how much she's changed since the first time she went there, which was exactly a year ago. I tried to put a video of her jumping around, but have been having all kinds of trouble with blogger. I'll let you know if I ever get it up.

Ice Cream Truck

2011-06-03T23:10:00.001-04:00

We introduced Haley to the ice cream truck a couple weeks ago and she was really excited about it. We had to go to the other side of the street and Justin wouldn't follow with the camera, so we didn't get any pictures of the truck or the driver that was missing half of a finger, but here's a couple of her treat and the aftermath.She got a Dora ice cream bar and even though she only ate half the first night she still managed to get it all over herself.Yes, that is even ice cream in her hair!About a week after that Haley and Justin were on the back patio at dusk. There were sirens in the distance and Justin asked Haley if she heard the fire truck. Then as it faded out the ice cream truck was just barely audible and Haley said "You hear that Daddy? You hear that ice cream truck?"

Prepster

2011-06-02T23:10:00.001-04:00

I usually put Michael in onesies since it's so hot, but one of my favorite outfits that he was given is this little polo shirt and plaid shorts. Haley was excited when he was "sitting up" so she came to talk to him. He really likes to watch her, which is tough since she's usually right in his face.I love my sweet little preppy boy!I think this is the first picture where you can really see both of my precious kids!

Playing in the Woods

2011-06-01T22:47:00.001-04:00

Justin has a hunting lease about 45 minutes from our house and he's been spending some time out there getting ready for hunting season. Haley has been really acting up a lot lately, so we thought maybe she was wanting more attention and needed some extra one on one time. So last Saturday Justin took her out to the woods to ride the 4-wheeler and just play around with him.She always acts like she's scared before she gets on, but then loves to ride it. Doesn't she look so cute in this picture!I'm going to pretend that the 4-wheeler was parked here and my husband was not driving around with my baby and taking pictures at the same time!They also checked the trail cam that is set up by Justin's tree stand. There was a bunch of activity with a couple of deer fighting and this picture where you can see 5 deer. There were deer pretty much everyday and night that the camera was out there.Haley also had to get in touch with nature while she was out there (if you know what I mean). Her daddy was kind enough to take this picture of her taking care of business, but I'll spare you from seeing the video that he took!

Haley and her Posse

2011-05-29T22:35:00.000-04:00

Haley sleeps with a ton of stuffed animals on her bed. She likes to call them her friends or her animals and is on a kick where she likes to bring most of her friends all over the house with her.When she wakes up in the morning she'll bring one animal into our room and say "Mama, I'll be right back, I gotta get more animals" Then she brings in a bunch of animals one by one. She'll hand them to me to put on the bed, and sometimes if I hold one for too long she'll say "No mama not hold it, put on your bed".Then she'll climb on the bed and rearrange all her friends so that she has "my spot". Usually we get all settled and then about 2 minutes later Michael will wake up, and we'll have to move all her animals to the couch.And just to record them for the future these babies all have names. There is purple baby, yellow baby, little baby, chubby baby, big baby, little yellow baby, naked baby, and Brittany. Brittany is a Little MissMatched doll, that Haley recieved as a big sister gift and she came already named.

Mother of the Year

2011-05-27T22:21:00.001-04:00

Who ever said kids shouldn't play with plastic bags? Looks like she's having fun to me!

No Idea

2011-05-25T20:24:00.002-04:00

I had no idea that kids could grow up so quickly. Justin picked up Haley from school today and they went to the store to pick up a couple of things. He let her pick out a box of M&M ice cream cones as a treat. She ate one when they got home and then asked for another one. We told her no, but she went and got the box out of the freezer. She brought a cone to me and asked me to open it. I told her no, and told her to put them back in the freezer. Then she walked into the kitchen, but went around the dining room and into her room with the box of ice cream cones. I waited a couple of minutes and went to see what she was doing. I found her in the closet pulling all the ice cream cones out of the box and putting them in her dresser drawer!

I had to leave the room, because I didn't want her to see me laughing. She came out with one ice cream cone and an empty box and sat down to pout. Then we realized I had to go back to the store because Justin forgot something that we needed to dinner. I asked Haley if she wanted to go with me, she said yes, and I told her to put the ice cream back in the freezer. She said OK and said will you help me get more? So we went to her closet to get the rest out of her drawer and talk about how what she did was wrong.

I seriously don't know what I'm going to do with this girl! I had no idea an almost 2.5 year old would hide stuff like that. We are really going to be in trouble when she's a teenager!

Better Late than Never

2011-05-21T15:52:00.001-04:00

Until 3 weeks ago, Haley still got a bottle of milk at bedtime. I thought about taking it away at 1 year when she switched to milk, but she wasn't crazy about milk so we started by putting it in bottles. Then around 18 months, I knew we should take it away, but she went to bed without crying and slept for 12 hours every night, and who wants to mess with that, especially when you get pregnant and have all the fatigue assocaited with growing a person inside you. Then when she turned 2 she moved into a new room and a big girl bed, and we did actually try to take it away a couple of nights, but she really wanted it and we thought out of all the changes, what's the problem with another couple of months with a bottle.

But that weekend I finally decided she was going to be done with the bottle before bedtime. Sunday and Monday nights went fine, she was excited about a cup and didn't care about her bottle at all. BUT, come Tuesday night it was a different story. Justin had to work late, so I had both kids by myself for dinner, bath, and bed time. I put Michael down first, so it was about 20 minutes later than normal when I asked Haley if she was ready for milk and she said yes and followed me to the kitchen. I got out a cup and she said "No, I want my bottle". I told her that she didn't need a bottle anymore and she got to drink out of a cup. She threw a fit, so I left her crying and screaming on the kitchen floor while I went to her room to wait for her. She came in after a couple of minutes and picked out two books, then she saw the cup and said "I can't want that cup", and she picked it up and threw it down the hall.

I was trying not to laugh and decided to just ignore it, so we did a puzzle. Then when Haley was getting in bed I picked up the cup and put it on her table. She saw it and started climbing out of bed saying "I want my bottle". I said "Haley, DO NOT throw that cup". So she took the cup, walked into the kitchen, put the cup on the counter, turned around and came right back to bed without saying a word. Then after we read one book she said "I want my milk", I said, "You want your CUP with milk?" and she said "Yes, I want my cup please. It's on dat counter right dere. See it?". I brought it to her, she drank her milk, we read another book, she went to bed and hasn't said a word about a bottle since then.

I can definitely say that there is never a dull moment when you live with a 2 year old!

Smile Outakes

2011-05-20T22:27:00.001-04:00

I've been trying hard to get a picture of Michael grinning, but still haven't gotten a great shot.He is 2.5 months old now and is such a sweet boy. He goes to bed between 7 and 8, and the past three nights has slept until 3:00. Then is up again at 6:30-7:00.During the week he gets a little cranky at times, because it seems like I am always having to wake him up or put him in the carseat when he wants to lay down to take or get Haley from school.He is usually pretty happy though, and he really likes to "talk" and grin after he eats. He also puts up really well with Haley.She loves to get in his face and give him kisses or try to pick him up or take his blanket off to wake him up or to stuff his paci in his mouth when he keeps spitting it out, but he never seems to mind too much.He sleeps in his crib for naps and for the first part of the night, and then goes into the bassinet by my bed. And most of the time he would rather lay down and fall asleep by himself rather than be held.But of course, during the evenings, (when things get hectic with dinner, bath, and bed) he likes to be held and wants to eat a lot, which is such a convenient time!At his two month appointment, he weighed in at 12 lbs, 7 ounces and was 23 inches long. I have just started pulling out the 3-6 month clothes, and he is wearing size 2 diapers. He probably gets about half breastmilk and half formula, which is working really well for all of us. He is a very sensitive little boy. His shots seemed to bother him, more than they ever did with Haley. He also gets upset when she cries. One night she was throwing a fit about something and kept walking down the hall between her room and the living room. I was holding Michael in the living room, and every time she got to the doorway, he would stick out his lower lip and his chin starting quivering. Everytime he could hear her crying, he would start in on it too!He is such a sweet little boy and I can't believe how fast he is growing. We love him so much and are so blessed to have such a happy, healthy child.

Putt-Putt

2011-05-18T20:52:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday we took Haley to play miniture golf for the first time. We asked her if she wanted to go play golf and she said "Hold on. I'll be right back." She went to her room and came back with her golf clubs!Daddy tried really hard to help her hold the club the right way and to show her how to hit the ball...but she wasn't super interested in learning the right way to do it.She enjoyed walking around the "course" and sitting down while we were hitting our balls.She also liked looking at all the animals and the water, but she wasn't too sure of the "cave" that we went through.Her main goal on each hole was to pick up our balls before we got to them and put them in the hole for us. Sometimes she dropped them into the hole, but mostly she just held them in the hole for a second and then moved on to the next hole.We had an alright time, I don't think it's something we'll do again soon, but since there is not much to do in this town we thought we'd try it out. She did enjoy looking at the train, but wanted to see it move, before she agreed to ride it, and they wouldn't start it with no one on it, so we didn't get to do that.

Just a Note

2011-05-15T21:19:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to make sure that everyone knows that I put up some new posts (going back to April), but backdated them, so that everything stays in chronological order. So make sure to scroll down far enough to see all the new stuff. Or you can expand the archives on the right to see all the posts by month to see if you've missed any.

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T20:51:00.004-04:00

I had a really nice Mother's Day. Justin wrote me a really sweet letter and got me gift cards to go to the movies, shopping, and for ice cream. He also cooked a great breakfast, and cleaned up afterwards. I was supposed to go out for the afternoon to have some relaxation time, but I was so tired from being up late Saturday night I decided to save the gift cards and take a nap instead!

We had some friends over Friday night to watch the boxing match, and it wasn't over until 1 am, so while everyone else was settling into bed, Michael was just getting up for the first time, so it was a short night for me! Despite being tired we had a really nice day, and it was especially nice hearing Haley say Happy Mother's Day Mom, over and over and over! She was so proud of herself when she said it without being prompted and it was really cute.