Life with Luke & Audrey

Sittin' Sister

2012-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to document that our girl is a sitter! She still tips over from time to time, but is getting better by the day. It is opening a whole new world for her. I love it!

Ernie

2012-02-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

I have delayed this post for awhile now, but wanted to give a little update on our dog, Ernie. Brian and I got Ernie when we moved into our house back in the fall of 2007. He was the sweetest little thing, and we loved him to death but he had some anxiety issues that made having people over very stressful. He was the perfect dog when it was just our little family at home, but the second a new person was introduced into the equation, he went crazy! It was something we were able to work with, but fast forward 4 years plus the addition of two kids, and he was just too much to handle. His anxiety seemed to worsen when Luke came into the picture, and then again with Audrey. We hired a trainer and really tried to make it work, but in the end, we just couldn't give Ernie the attention he needed and decided to find him a new home. We were very torn about this, and really didn't want to take him to a shelter or anything like that.

I tried for several months to find him a new home without any luck, and then we found out that the in laws from a friend at church were interested in him. They happened to be in town that weekend and wanted to see him. We actually were at the lake at the time, but luckily had left Ernie with Brian's parents. (I really see this as a blessing from God, because it was the ONLY time in four years that we had not brought him to the lake with us). Well, they came to see him, decided they loved him, and ended up taking him right then and there. We didn't get to say an official goodbye, but in the end, I think that made it easier. This family had 2 dogs and were big time dog lovers, we were so excited! Coming home to a dog free house was very weird, but as the week went by, it was apparent how much calmer our house had become. The decision to find him a new home was the right one.

Ernie had been gone for one week and I got a call...things weren't going so well. I guess the pack order was all messed up and fights were breaking out. They just couldn't keep him. He was 6 hours away, and we couldn't take him back, so they were going to find him a new home. This just broke my heart because we loved him and wanted him to be happy. I know he is just a dog, and I did have that in perspective, but he was such a big part of our family for 4 years, that it was sad thinking that he wouldn't have a good life. I prayed that they could find him a good home, and lo and behold, 2 days later I got a call that a retired couple's dog had just passed away, and they wanted Ernie! He would be their only dog, and they could give him tons of attention. We were beyond excited and so thankful.

I know that in the scheme of life this is not a big deal, but I do think that God had a hand in this, because everything just worked out so perfectly. Sometimes we think that God doesn't have time for the little stuff in life, but I really think this is an example of Him taking care of me, my emotions and our family by working through this situation.

I recently got an update on Ernie, and he is doing great. He lives in a small town in Oklahoma, and apparently his owners go to "the cafe" almost daily, and bring their leftovers for him. =) It sounds like he is a spoiled little guy that is living the doggie dream!

5 Months

2012-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Audrey girl is 5 months old! She is still just a delight and "the easiest baby ever". So what is new this month?

She is sleeping through the night!! It took a little work, with crying it out for about a week, but I am happy to say she now sleeps about 12 hours straight almost every night. From about 7-7. It is AWESOME!
Taking 4 bottles a day and eats at least one solid meal a day, maybe two. She has also had green beans and squash. She liked the squash a lot more than then green beans. When we are feeding her, she likes to grab hold of the spoon and try to feed herself. It is super cute, but also makes for messy meals. =)
She is working on sitting. We have gotten her to sit for at most like 2 minutes, but hey, I was impressed. ;)
She is a rolling machine. She squirms and rolls all over the place.
Sleeps 90% of the time on her tummy. At first I would try to roll her back, but even in a dead sleep, she would immediately roll back over.
She has found her voice. She likes to "scream", and at first it sounds like she is upset, but really she is just letting everyone know she is around.
Wears 6 month clothes, and size 2 diapers. At night we were having major pee leaking problems because of the tummy sleeping, but we finally got it under control with a size 3 overnight diaper AND an insertable diaper pad. Yikes, this girl pees a lot!

I can't believe she is almost half a year old. Gosh, we just love her to pieces!

Oh and Audrey Claire just told me she wants to give a shout out to her Uncle Rett. Happy 25th Birthday! We love you!

January Fun

2012-01-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

We have had a wonderful start to the new year. The weather has been beautiful, school started back up, and we have just been enjoying our little family of four. Luke received a shaving kit from Aunt Tracy over Christmas, and has been very excited to be shaving like Daddy. It is pretty much a nightly event in the bathtub. Here are some pics from his first time. (If you remember, he tried to shave for real a few months ago, and things didn't go so well...haha)

Aunt Ali and Benjamin came for a visit, and we were able to take the kids to the mall. Ben and Audrey loved watching all the kids...

while Luke loved, well...this. =)

As a special treat, Tula bought Luke a cool Buzz Lightyear shirt at The Disney Store. Let me tell you, that thing has been a hit!

She even treated him to a carousel ride. Life doesn't get much better!

Audrey just enjoyed being Audrey. =)

We have been having some indoor fun this January. Audrey is now big enough to use the jumpy and exersaucer. She LOVES them! Please note Luke in his big boy underwear. I'll just say this, they didn't last long.

Audrey also loves playing on the special blanket that Memaw gave her. Notice her reaching for the egg. She can pretty much wiggle her way all over the place by rolling and pivoting on her stomach. She doesn't always get where she wants to go, but is getting better at it.

Apparently, Luke decided that we take too many pictures, and now it is his turn. =)

I left Audrey on her back in the middle of the mat, with her head next to the fireplace, and turned around 2 minutes later to find her here. =)

Luke had pajama day at school, and was so excited to show off his Elmo PJs. They got to eat pancakes and bring flashlights to talk about the difference between day and night. We LOVE his school! (it was also pouring down rain, hence the boots)

While the indoors are fun, we have really been enjoying this crazy beautiful weather outside. Luke is currently obsessed with baseball. He is getting pretty good too! Oh and he insisted on wearing his half-birthday crown that he got a school.

Miss Audrey loves watching her big brother play.

And also loves this bunny that Miss Beth got her. The arms are apparently very tasty!

Just a sweet moment I caught, where Luke went to go talk to Audrey.

I just can't get enough of these two!

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

2012-01-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our favorite little one year old! I remember this day last year, like it was yesterday. We are so blessed to have you in our family!

7 Years Ago Today...

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Austin

2012-01-12T14:01:00.001-08:00

Now for the last of the Christmas pictures...whew! We went to Austin over New Year's weekend to celebrate with Memaw, Pepaw and the Dodges. We always love going to Austin, and this time was no different. Audrey started out the weekend by dazzling everyone in her new PJs from the Rockwells. Cutest little kitty ever!

They love their Memaw!

Hey let's add Benjamin in the pic...Oh Benjamin, it's really not that bad! =)

Tula and Pop with their grandkids. Wow, what a difference 2.5 years makes!

For those of you that read my sister's blog, she posted a few pictures of us having a kicking competition. Well...conveniently her picture looked great, with her bouncy pony tail and dainty legs, while mine looked quite awkward and very unatheletic. So...in an effort to make myself look better, I will post a better, more accurate portrayal of my kicking skills. ;)

Our little Romo loved playing in the awesome backyard with the beautiful weather. Uncle Todd even taught him correct throwing techniques by putting his hands on the laces. It was all Luke could talk about.

Luke started the presents off right by digging way down deep into his bag of goodies from Memaw.

While Audrey enjoyed some relaxing with Uncle Rett.

The little Romos got bored while the adults opened presents and had to explore outside.

We had a wonderful time, and I am happy to say that that concludes the Christmas pictures. I'll close with one precious picture of my favorite nephew. Oh Benjamin, you are precious, ugly cry face and all!

Christmas Day

2012-01-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Let the Christmas festivities continue! Christmas morning was spent at home with our little family of four, as we celebrated Jesus' birth, opened presents and enjoyed my family's tradition of gingerbread for breakfast. Yummy!

The night before, Luke laid out the cookies, milk and carrots for the reindeer. He was very excited about this!

This pretty little lady got up extra early the next morning to see Santa, and had to wait a little until her brother woke up to see what he brought.

Santa sure hooked these kids up! ;)

Audrey was so excited to see that Santa brought her a bath towel just like her big brother's to hang on the wall.

Luke loved his "construction land" and workshop.

Check out his cool Santa slippers. Thanks Aunt Ali!

Love these two... fake smile, blank stare and all!

After breakfast, we headed over to Nonnie and Grandpa's house to continue the fun. Please note Brian's "Christmas beard". He was pretty much off of work for 2 weeks and decided to just let it grow. Yikes!

The kids loved spending time with Aunt Tracy, Uncle Jeff, Nonnie, Grandpa, the Rockwells, and Papa.

Audrey got to sport yet another Christmas ensemble, courtesy of sweet Isabelle.

During some down time, Luke thought it would be nice to catch up on the Sunday comics. :)

When it was time for lunch, Luke made sure to tell the entire family where they would be sitting. Hmmm...guess who go to sit at the head of the table. What a mess this kid is!

We ended the night with some present opening. What a fun day!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was spent with the Gibson side of the family. We headed over to my parent's house bright and early and enjoyed and yummy meal, presents, and some fun hanging around time. The boys enjoyed a good wrestle with their Pop.

And some "Happy Birthday" singing to Jesus with Tula.

Audrey enjoyed looking at all the new sights, while sporting a super cute Christmas ensemble. Thanks Isabelle!

Luke received one of his favorites gifts of the year from Tula and Pop, Buzz Lightyear! This thing is legit, and is just like the one in the movie.

Luke also enjoyed telling everyone who was who in the nativity scene.

Audrey just loves her Tula and Pop!

Ben received a very fun chair for Christmas that Audrey had to try out. Well Luke wanted to get in on the action too. ;)

For some reason this upset Benjamin!?! Hee Hee...oh Benjamin! We love you little man, crying and all. ;)

4 Months Old

2012-01-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

Audrey girl is 4 months old! She is still just the sweetest little thing and definitely melts hearts. It was apparent during Christmas that she had everyone wrapped around her little finger, the men especially. ;) This morning was her 4 month appointment, and she is doing great. Here are her stats. weight: 14 pounds 4 ounces (75%) length: 25.5 inches (90%) head: 16.5 inches (80%) She didn't cry for the first shot, and then cried a little on the second, bit her lip like she was fighting through it, and then smiled at the nurse. The nurse said she has never had a baby smile at her after shots. I guess she is one tough cookie, which is good since she has Luke for a brother. ;) Here are some pictures pre and post doctor. Shots must wear you out! Please notice her sweet kicks. They are her first pair of tennis shoes. Thanks Beth Rush!

So what is new this month?

She has been a HORRIBLE night sleeper! She will be up every 2.5 to 3 hours all through the night. Her pedi said that she is just getting up out of habit, and that she does not need to be eating this frequently throughout the night. I am happy to say that she is doing better the past three nights and is going from 7ish-5, then eats and is back down until 7:30. We have had to let her cry it out a bit, which breaks my heart, but will be better for her in the long run. It has seemed to work, barely any crying last night. Let's hope this continues!
Had her first solids, rice cereal. We have really noticed her watching us eat, and one night she even tried to bite at the bread I was holding in my hand. She isn't too sure about the cereal, but if you have ever tasted it, it is not the best.
She has just now started noticing her feet and is trying to grab at them
She has rolled over both ways and is getting more consistent with it.
Sleeps unswaddled and rolls to her sides to sleep, like she did as a newborn.
Her hair is disappearing by the day. Poor girl! Luke's did the exact same thing, and then started coming back in at about 6 months.
She is still very serious, and we joke that she is a "tough crowd". Meaning she wont just smile at anything. We have gotten a few giggles out, and they are precious!

Ok, now for some more pictures! Her first taste of cereal. I love her facial expressions!

Over Christmas we had a little impromptu photo session in Austin. Gosh, she just melts my heart. Notice her lip in a lot of these shots. Since she was born she has always sucked in the top lip and pushed out the bottom. Classic Audrey expressions.

Checking out the toes.

Oh the hair, the poor poor hair!

We sure do love our sweet Audrey girl!

Tis The Season

2012-01-02T13:47:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas, and in true fashion took a million photos. Soooo...I am going to break up the Christmas festivities into multiple posts. We will start with random fun activities leading up to the big day. Christmas this year was extra special, because it was the first year that Luke really understood anything. It was so fun to see his sweet face light up and enjoy the little things. Here he is decorating the tree. As you can see, he didn't really understand the concept of spreading out the ornaments. =)

This was the first year for us to make Santa cookies. Luke had fun rolling out the dough, and as an extra bonus, his uncles happened to stop by right as we were decorating them, so we had some extra helpers.

I turned 29 on the 23rd and got a special present from my favorite little guy. Can you tell he picked it out all by himself? Brian said he was insistent that he get me a dog. After I opened it, he asked if it could stay in his room. Haha! I guess he will be babysitting it for me. ;)

The night of my birthday, Brian and I had planned on going to Brio with my family, but since Audrey had been so sick, we decided it best for her daddy to stay with her. So while I was out for my birthday, Brian's family came over to hang out. Luke got to see his Uncle Jeff, who he hasn't seen in a year! He obviously warmed up to him quickly. =)

And of course he always has fun with Aunt Tracy.

The Gibson gang at Brio.

Enjoying my last birthday in my twenties!

Our other random Christmas fun included, lunch with friends and fun at the park. Here is my sweet lifelong friend, Elizabeth. I am so thankful to have reconnected with her!

Park time with mommy, Audrey and an off-work daddy. =)

Stay tuned for the other 750,000 remaining pictures. ;)

Christmas Card Photos 2011

2011-12-26T15:48:00.001-08:00

Santa Baby

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here is our original "Santa Baby" circa December 2009. This is one of my favorite pictures ever. And here is our present "Santa Baby". They are only a few weeks apart in age when these pictures were taken. What a gift they both are to us!

Poor Baby Girl & December Fun Catch-Up!

2011-12-21T14:43:00.001-08:00

Our sweet baby girl is sick. Well, actually the whole house is sick, but Audrey wins for the sickest. Luke has a double ear infection, plus he is getting molars and Audrey was diagnosed with bronchiolitis yesterday. Luke has also decided he is scared of the dark and is insisting that he sleep with the light on, and wakes up randomly throughout the night screaming. Add all these factors together, plus a sick momma and you get an EXHAUSTED family! I will have to say that these past 5ish days have been the hardest and most tiring of my entire mommy career, but I am happy to say that we are getting to the other side. A huge blessing in all of this, is that Brian has the next two weeks off and has been around the entire time. Don't know what I would have done without him home! Sweet Audrey had to start breathing treatments yesterday, and has been taking them like a champ. I am happy to say that she is doing much better today. Check out our little love in action, puppy dog mask and all!

Ok, now for picture overload. Here is what we have been up to in December. A little "Elf On The Shelf" action. His name is "Oval". Yes, you read right. Luke named him, and coincidentally the shape of the month at school was an oval. ;)

A visit from Great Grandma Diane and her friend, Janice.

A fun visit from Benjamin. Luke and Benjamin loved playing in the gingerbread house that Tula got Luke.

Hanging out in matching PJs. I guess Luke is teaching him how to lick the floor. hmmm... Poor Benjamin must have been crying because he knew this would happen the next day...

His first big boo boo!

And yes, it happened on my watch. Whoops!

Luke also got in some PJ time with his sister.

We made our first turkey ever! It actually turned out great. =)

Luke made a gingerbread house with Tula, aka a gingerbread wall. Apparently, the big bad wolf "huffed and puffed and blew the house down". =)

Audrey took a few naps.

And got picked up by her big brother. Yes, he is holding her without any help.

Luke had fun wearing Daddy's robe.

And enjoyed some fun at a cool new park. Please note the bloody lip. This happened within 2 minutes of our arrival. That boy!

Well that pretty much sums it up!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2011-12-16T09:32:00.001-08:00

Luke's class had a Birthday Party for Jesus on Wednesday. The parents were invited to see some of their daily routine, eat lunch and then watch the special school-wide Christmas Program. It was a lot of fun, but unfortunately for Audrey, did not start out that way. Audrey, as I have said, is a very good baby who rarely ever cries. On our way to Luke's school she started to fuss, and when I went to get her out of the car, this is what I found. Poor girl! She is obviously not liking this, but in true Audrey fashion, is trying not to cause any trouble! "Ok enough pictures Mom, get this off!" =)

Once we got to Luke's class he was very excited to see us, and had to show off his class Christmas tree. His friend, Lucy, wanted to get in on the action as well.

The class started off by showing all the parents what they do during "circle time".

They sang songs, danced and ended with a song about sleeping. Luke was VERY into it.

Then it was time for lunch and prayers were said. Again...Luke was WAY into it. =)

Each child had made their parents a gift. Here we are displaying his Christmas gift to us.

Audrey enjoyed herself more once her bow was in place. =)

We sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and all the kids wore party hats. Here is Luke with his friend, Libby.

Leave it to Luke to be the last one at the table still eating.

After his class party, the parents left to go to the chapel for the Christmas Program. Luke's class is they youngest at the school, and didn't join in until the end. They sure were cute coming up the aisle with their "gifts for Jesus". Luke was so happy when he spotted Tula in the audience.

Again, this boy was taking things seriously, and was the first one in place on the stage.

They sang a sweet song for everyone and Luke really got into the hand motions.

Unfortunately, even the most focused 2 year old can't pay attention for long. ;)

Luke, we are so proud of you!

Oh and please note Audrey's poor thinning hair. Bless her heart. =)

An Interview With Luke

2011-12-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

I have recently gotten into Pinterest and saw a cute idea about interviewing your kid every year about their favorite things. I thought this sounded fun and would be a neat thing to look back on. So without further ado, here is an interview with our favorite 2 year old, Luke.

What is your name?...Luke
How old are you?...2
What is your favorite color?...blue
Who is your best friend?...Isabelle
What is your favorite animal?...animal crackers (haha)
What do you want to be when you grow up?...big and tall
What is your favorite movie?...Nemo
What is your favorite book?...Elephants (aka Curious George Goes to the Zoo)
What makes you happy?...the childrens
What makes you sad?...noises (no idea what this means- but he was adamant that it was noises!)
What is your favorite food?...waffles
What is your favorite song?...Glorious (a song from his new movie "Elf On The Shelf")
What is your favorite game?...basketball with Daddy

Well I guess that pretty much sums up our little guy! Until next year...

A Visit With Mr. Claus

2011-12-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

Brian's work has an annual Christmas event where there is a free Santa visit, hot dog dinner, crafts, and cookie decorating. We decided that this sounded right up our alley and took the kids on Friday. I'm not sure if you remember Luke's visit last year, but let me refresh your memory. Ha ha!

I am happy to say that this year went much smoother, although I do love the above picture. ;) So, here is our picture this year. Luke had a great time with Santa and told him that he wanted a "surprise" for Christmas. Well that sure makes things is easy! While we were waiting for Santa, Luke got to meet his "nerdy engineer" elves.

After our big visit, we enjoyed a yummy hot dog dinner and then Luke got to do some cookie decorating while Miss Audrey watched.

Overall, it was a great event that we will try to make an annual thing. One thing is for sure, visiting Santa wore these two out!

Gobble Gobble

2011-12-02T06:59:00.001-08:00

So what were these two little turkeys up to at Thanksgiving? This time I am just going to let the pictures do the talking. =)

3 Months Old

2011-11-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

Our sweet girl turned 3 months old today! We are loving life with this little sweetie and are so blessed by the joy she brings us all. Here is what is new:

wears 3 month clothes and some 6 month clothes (big girl!)
wears size 2 diapers
hair is thinning out a bit, but still seems to be very dark
rolled tummy to back several times but not consistent
sleeping swaddled with one arm at night, and not swaddled at all for naps
grabs all the toys on her playmat
coos all the time and in response to us talking to her
still not a big cryer, but lets us know she is upset by yelling (Brian and I decided it sounds kind of like a cat)
still a very serious girl, but is easy to get a smile out of
loves it when we go and get her in the mornings, we get big smiles and lots of kicking!
got her first cold-so sad!
loves watching her goofy brother
we have gone a little backwards in the sleeping department-boo! She was going at least 7 hours at night in a row, but has recently been waking up almost every 3 hours. We have been a bit discouraged by this, but I am happy to say last night was much better. Hopefully she will return to her old ways! ;)

Overall we are abundantly blessed by those sweet cheeks! =)

Our Little Indian

2011-11-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday Luke's class had a Thanksgiving feast and the parents were invited at the end to see some of the projects they had been working on and have a special snack. They also had a surprise for us. All the kids hid in the bathroom and then came out in a parade of little Indians. Luke was a little shy with all the people staring at him, but he sure did look cute!

Here is his class at their table, all sitting in their assigned seats. They got to eat a special teepee treat and showed the parents how they pray before lunch.

Here is Luke enjoying his teepee. Poor Audrey is actually in this picture strapped in the baby bjorn. =) Too bad you cant see her.

But here is the sweet sister after we got home. =) Thanks Aunt Connie and Uncle Joe for my Scotty dog shirt!

Luke loves his school and teachers and we sure are thankful for them!

2 Month Check-Up

2011-11-15T13:52:00.001-08:00

Audrey had her 2 month appointment yesterday and is one chunky monkey! This is no suprise as her brother was a bit of a chunk as well. I guess these Gahan kids are just big ole babies! =) She is right on track developmentally and has even accomplished most of the 4 month old milestones. Here are her stats:

weight: 12 pounds 11 ounces (90%)
length: 24.75 inches (97%)
head: 15.75 inches (80%)

Of note, last night she slept for 11 hours straight, 7pm to 6am! It might have been due to the shots, but the night before was 9 hours. She is doing awesome! Here is our girl right before heading to the doctor. Chunky monkey in all her glory! =)

Happy girl at home despite those shots. Look at those thighs!

Over the weekend, Audrey really started to make progress with her tummy time. She is pushing up on both hands and even rolled over once. I think it was a fluke and mainly due to her giant head flopping over. =)

Of course big brother has to get in on the action. Exhibit A. (Yes Luke, we know you can push up on your hands. ;))

Exhibit B.

This weekend was also very special, because Memaw was coming to meet Audrey. Luke and Benjamin were excited for her to come as well. They were so excited they had to watch some Sesame Street and have some grub to pass the time until she got there.

Once she finally arrived, she got to meet her first great-granddaughter. Here is a 4 generation picture.

Auntie E and Molly came as well and Audrey enjoyed all of these women loving on her.

(dang...didn't get a picture of Molly)

While the women were chatting, these boys enjoyed a good ole snack trap. We love those little Benjamin cheeks!

I am so glad Audrey got to meet her Grand Memaw. I know these two will have such fun in the future!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

Halloween this year was so much fun. Luke is now old enough to understand and loved participating this year. We started out Halloween weekend with some pumpkin carving. Here is our little pumpkin soaking it all in. Believe it or not, this is the best of about 20 pictures taken of them together.

Luke was very excited about carving jack-o-lanterns, but wanted nothing to do with touching the seeds. He said it was "yucky" and "gross". Haha.

I guess carving pumpkins just wasn't very interesting to this little lady. =)

Showing off his creation. Please don't judge our craftmanship. We didn't have the best pumpkin carving tools on hand. =)

What a goofball. He insisted on wearing his sisters pumpkin hat.

After bath, we went outside to check out the pumpkins in the dark. Luke loved it!

And now for the costumes. Here is Audrey and Luke with their super cute tiger cousin.

On Halloween, we made several pitstops. First up was Papa at his new place. We got there right in time for the 5:00 dinner, and boy oh boy were these kids a hit. We walked into the dining hall to the stares of about 50 white haired adults. =) They loved it. We were happy to put some smiles on their faces, but poor Luke wasn't too sure about all the attention.

Next up was trick-or-treating at Tula and Pop's. Tula gave Luke some extra special treats. After their house we walked around the circle with Pop gathering up some more candy. Luke started to get the hang of things.

Again, Audrey wasn't really into it. =)

Finally, we stopped at Noni and Grandpa's. Aunt Tracy was there as well, and Luke got to hit up the houses on their street.

Overall, Halloween 2011 was a huge success!

2 Months Old

2011-10-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Our sweet girl is 2 months old today! Usually I would say, wow it doesn't feel like she is already 2 months old, but really it feels like she should be older. Brian and I were just saying last night that it is hard to remember life without her. She is still just the sweetest baby, and really the easiest baby ever. Our families just can't get over how good she is. She is very content to just sit in a bouncer, swing, or playmat watching everyone. She is a great sleeper and rarely ever cries. If she does cry, it is usually for a reason and an easy fix. Last night some milk squirted out of her nose, and this got her very upset. She cried for about a minute and when I picked her up she just let out the sweetest little sigh and looked at me with wide eyes, let out a little whimper and then calmed herself down. She just melts my heart! Here are some new facts about Audrey:

Loves her playmat and bouncer chair and she is now looking at all the toys hanging - the owl is her favorite.
Likes sitting up in people's laps
Not a fan of being held in a laying down position, unless she is eating
Smiling more and more
Cooing more and more
Very good head control- almost ready for the bumbo, but still has some head bobbing when placed in it
Still not a huge fan of tummy time
Stills seems to be a very serious girl
Eats 6-7 times per day
Getting chunkier by the day (2 month appointment is not for 2 weeks- so check for stats then)
Sleeping great!- got the night time wakefulness under control- yeah!
Sleeps from 7:30pm to about 6-7:30 am- waking usually one time in the night to eat, with the night time feeding usually only having mommy up for about 20 minutes total. Awesome!!!
Great napper- I can put her down awake and she will put herself to sleep (her brother never did this at her age!)
Still likes to sleep swaddled, but sleeps with one arm out for naps.
Wears mostly 3 month clothes, but still some newborn onesies fit
In size 1 diapers

Audrey is truly a joy and again I will state that I can't believe how good she is. It makes things easier, since her brother is a crazy man! Speaking of her brother, he loves her to death. When we were taking this picture, he ran over, looked at her and without prompting said, "She is beautiful". Again, another heart melting moment. We are blessed!

Grandparents Galore!

2011-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

My kids are beyond blessed to live so close to both sets of grandparents. For the most part they get to see them at least once per week, even if it is for a quick 30 minutes. Luke has loved this, and I know Audrey will too. This past weekend was no exception. We started it off by heading to the lake. Here are two little monkeys hanging out in my bed watching me pack.

Tula started the weekend out right with a Halloween surprise...a pumpkin cookie.

Ben enjoyed watching Luke and his cookie. =)

The next morning, Luke got to swing spider style with Aunt Ali. Looks like he had fun!

Enjoying the sunshine.

Audrey giving Daddy some smiles.

Luke playing "pirates" with Tula. She was on the lookout for the enemy.

Luke helped Pop with some construction. They were building a bridge from the fort to the trampoline. It's not up to code yet. ;)

After all that hard work, Pop took some time to relax with Audrey in the hammock.

It was so relaxing, they both fell asleep.

Audrey was not too happy when Benjamin tried to get in on the action.

So Benjamin decided to go where he knew he would be appreciated. Best buddies in the making. =)

When we got back from the lake, we were able to spend some time with Aunt Tracy, Noni and Grandpa.

Aunt Tracy with her two favorite boys, Luke and Howie.

Luke loves to sing and requested some back-up. =)

Audrey enjoyed the show just chilling in her PJs.

On Monday, we were able to visit Papa in his new place. Audrey loved cuddling with him.

Just couldn't resist documenting Audrey's patent leathers and jeggings. =)

Luke and Audrey sure do love their grandparents!

Preschool Parade

2011-10-26T09:41:00.001-07:00

Today at school was the fall festival. The kids got to wear their Halloween costumes and Luke was super excited. Here is our little shark all ready to go. They started out the morning with a parade. Here is Luke rounding the corner holding Dora the Explorer's (aka Lucy's) hand.

They were so cute. Luke was wide eyed and waving to all the parents.

He never let little Lucy's hand go. =)

The parade was so cute, and I know Luke is loving all the games and Halloween fun right now. I can't wait to pick him up and hear all about it. When I ask him what he did at school he will probably just tell me "eat lunch". That is all I can usually get out of him. =)

Family Pictures

2011-10-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

We had pictures taken at my parents house when Audrey was two and a half weeks old. I just received them, and am very happy. We got some great shots of the family and Luke. Poor Audrey wasn't very cooperative that day. She was giving us mostly a cross eyed scrunchy face and refused to sleep, so we didn't really get to capture her cuteness. =) Here they are.

Hodge Podge

2011-10-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

It is much harder to find the time to blog with two kids, thus I am way behind! Here is a hodge podge of random pictures taken that I haven't been able to get to.

Sweet Audrey used to LOVE to sleep her in her swing (not the case anymore). Sometimes when she was super fussy we would have to swaddle her and pull the cover down, so she couldn't see anyone. Just had to document this, because I love that all you can see are her little feet.

Uncle Rett came to visit a few weeks ago, and brought Luke a super cool fireman hat. Luke loved it so much, it was the only thing he wanted to wear after bath time. =)

Audrey loves her Uncle Rett.

My Uncle Todd now coaches for Pitt and Audrey was showing her support on game day with Auntie E.

Ready for my bath.

This girl is getting some chunk on her. =)

Speaking of baths, Luke had a blast taking a daily bath with Benjamin this past weekend. While the men were in Vegas for Grant's 21st birthday, the ladies and kids had a blast at Tula's.

Morning prayers with Tula before my...

...donut! Tula always makes things extra special when we are at her house.

Just some Audrey sweetness at Tula's.

Sporting Tula's glasses. =)

Enjoying the beautiful weather.

Luke is into everything! I thought he was into everything before, but in the past 2 weeks he seems to be discovering things around the house that he never touched before. We have had an incident where he knocked over bookshelf breaking picture frames, pots, and a Willow Tree figurine. He opened the DVD player slot trying to put movies in the other day, and yesterday I walk into my bathroom to find him with a bloody face and tiny cuts all over. Yes, he tried to shave himself! He moved a stool into the bathroom, stood on it, reached into the way back of the top drawer and pulled out Brian's razor. Ahhh this kid! (this may make me look like a bad mom, but I swear these things happen in a split second!)

I'll end with Audrey's latest accomplishment...smiling! She started this on Monday at a little over 6 weeks old and is just so sweet. She isn't very consistent yet, but it sure melts my heart when we get one out of her. Here is a little half smile we were able to catch with the camera.

Preschool Open House

2011-10-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to Open House at Luke's school. He was so excited to show off his classroom, and some of his art work. We enjoyed meeting some of his little friends, and seeing what he had been doing everyday. We couldn't be happier with the school we chose, and Luke just loves it! Here he is with his daddy showing off "the man". It is obviously a tracing of Luke's body, but if you asked him if it was Luke, he would look at you confused and say "no, I'm Luke" and point to himself. =) With his teacher, Ms. Kathy.

The fire department came to visit Luke's school last week. Luke had been talking about it for a few weeks and was very excited. When I picked him up from school the day they visited, the teachers told me he had a meltdown. Apparently, he was into the presentation the firemen gave and was listened very intently. Then when it was time to go to see the truck outside, he freaked out. They were not sure why, maybe the siren? Anyways...he wouldn't go near the truck and missed out on the class picture. The sweet teachers wanted to include him on the board, so they took a picture of him by himself. Seeing this made me laugh. =)

Giving a hug to his favorite school friend, Libby.

With mommy showing off the class picture board.

Luke's picture on the board. =)

Ms. Kathy showing him how to thread the pumpkin he made.

It was so fun to see Luke so excited about his school. Open House was so much fun, and I know we will have many more in our future.

1 Month Old

2011-10-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Audrey turned 1 month old on Friday. I can't believe a month has already flown by. We are having so much fun with our girl, and couldn't be more blessed. We don't go back to the doctor until she is 2 months, so no official stats. I did, however, weigh her on our scale this weekend, and she is up to 11 pounds. Not sure where that puts her percentile wise, but I am willing to bet she is on the higher end on the scale. Here are some other facts about our girl.

Just graduated to size 1 diapers, but we can squeeze her into the leftover newborns ;)
Still wears newborn clothes, but can also fit into some 3 months
Is starting to really track with her eyes, and loves following her daddy around
Much better head control, but still pretty floppy
She seems to be very serious, observant, and looks like she is studying everyone. My mom told me I was this way as a baby.
Not a big tummy time person
Has an explosion of the dreaded "baby acne" that started the day she turned 1 month
She is a big time sleeper, but unfortunately has her days and nights mixed up. During the day she really will only be up for an hour at a time before she gets sleepy again, but after the first night feeding she will be wide awake for 2-3 hours. She is not crying, she just likes to stare at everyone. So needless, to say we are pretty tired over here. Yesterday I tried very hard to keep her up longer during the day, and I am happy to say she had two 4 hours stretches with only a 1 hour wake up period in between. Hoping this trend continues!

We are so thankful for this little girl in our lives, and it has already been so fun to see Luke interact with her. God is good! The below picture was taken at the end of her 1 month photo session. I told you this girl was a sleeper!

Oktoberfest 2011 & Many Firsts

2011-09-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed to the McKinney Square Oktoberfest with the kids (ha-kids as in plural, still can't believe we have multiple kids!). Pop came along with us, and we walked around, enjoyed the music, people watching, petting zoo, and more. Here is sweet Audrey in the car on the way to the festival. She was very excited as you can see. Luke and Pop. Luke was actually very happy here, he is just not into getting his picture taken at times.

Petting zoo fun.

Here is Audrey at the end of the festival. Ummm, I told you she was excited! =)

Just some Luke sweetness.

Ok and now for some random pictures from the week. Story time with Daddy before our bath.

First bath together. Luke loved having his sister there.

Once Audrey was out, Luke decided to try out the whale tub. Oh my!

First walk together.

Audrey's first bottle. What a good helper we have!

This is what life with 2 kids looks like. Haha. Yes, Brian is sleeping on the couch, and Luke put a cosmetic mirror on him. Brian had no idea! =)

Audrey's First 2 Weeks

2011-09-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Audrey is now 2 and a half weeks old and it seems like she has been around forever. We love her so much, and the one word I would use to describe her is "sweet". She is just the sweetest little thing. She loves to cuddle, is a very content baby and so far has transitioned into our family wonderfully. She is still waking up every 3 hours at night to eat, but I am happy to say, she has now mastered going right back to sleep, which has been a HUGE help to me! We love her so much and can't picture life without her! This week we went for her 2 week check-up and she looked great. Here are her stats and pictures from her first 2 weeks of life:

weight- 8 pounds 4.5 ounces (60%)- gained back up to birth weight and then some!
length- 21 inches (75%)
head- 14 1/4 inches (75%)

Coming home from the hospital. First time in cradle.

Her favorite sleeping position. LOVE!

Getting kisses from her brother.

Getting some Uncle Rett loving.

Getting some Benjamin loving?! Poor Audrey is going to have to be one tough girl with all these boys around!

First time meeting Uncle Will.

Love her some Tula!

First sponge bath- not a happy girl!

4 days old, enjoying the beautiful weather.

Big brother showing her his muscles!

Sleeping Beauty.

Big brother enjoying some cupcakes that sweet friends brought by our house.

Four Generations.

"This is the life!"

Meeting Great Aunt Kath.

Hanging out with Dad.

First nap in her room.

First trip to the grocery store. Mommy survived by herself! Poor Audrey had to hold all the food. =)

2 week check-up. THANK YOU Aunt Ali for coming to help! With 2 kids getting stuck with needles, she was a huge help!

Luke enjoying his sucker after his flu shot.

Showing off his "boo boo".

Audrey's "boo boo".

So thankful and blessed beyond belief for life with these two!

Luke's First Day of School

2011-09-13T14:56:00.001-07:00

Luke started preschool last week, and he LOVED it! We have been talking about starting school for months, so he was very pumped to get things started. We did have a meltdown though. Wait, a meltdown? Why would a kid who LOVED it have a meltdown? Well...this child threw a terrible fit as we were leaving for the day. He was screaming at the top of his lungs, "STAY!" Luckily my mom was with me, and was able to wrangle him to the car. I say wrangle, because he was full on arching his back and kicking a screaming. Not pretty, and very embarrassing. He was very upset with his Tula once we got in the car and said, "Tula, get out of the car now!". Yes, as sweet as this boy is, he does have his moments. Once we got home and he calmed down, he ran over to his Tula to give her a big ole hug! He can't stay mad long. We figured out that he was just upset that he was not going to get to go back. He went again on Monday, and things went very smoothly. His teachers say he has "a lot of personality", and he was going through the hall shaking teachers hands saying "nice to meet you". (Something his Noni taught him). They were all very impressed. =) Here are some pictures from the first day. hmmm...Mommy and Daddy look a little tired in the first picture, compliments of Audrey. =)

Putting away his nap mat, backpack, and lunchbox at his cubby.

Ernie has been enjoying the nap mat at home as well. Yes, he did this on his own.

I can't wait to see how the year goes.

Audrey's Birthday

2011-09-11T11:42:00.001-07:00

Audrey's birthday was very different than Luke's. Due to some complications after having Luke, it was decided that it would be best to have a c-section this time around. My c-section was scheduled for August 31st, which made me 39 weeks and 2 days. I went into labor on my own with Luke at 38 weeks 6 days, so we all thought I wouldn't make it to the 31st. Even though I had been having contractions for over 2 weeks, this girl decided to stay put until her scheduled date. It was bizarre to just show up at the hospital and have a baby 2 hours later. Everything went so quickly and smoothly and it will be a day we will never forget. Here we are all ready to go. About 15 minutes after I was wheeled into the OR, she was here! Audrey had many visitors that were so excited to meet her. She is one loved girl! Big brother Luke came up later in the afternoon and was a little shy at first. Tula brought a "birthday cake" up to the hospital so we could sing Audrey Happy Birthday, and Luke was happy to eat it for her. =) After a few minutes, Luke warmed up, and was back to his old self. He loves his "baby sister", and just can't seem to get enough of her. He is very into documenting her life! Thanks Aunt Ali for the camera. =)

He loves to hold her and kiss her head.

Audrey's birth was a wonderful experience, and so far the recovery has been 100% better than last time. I have some pain, but am pretty much back to my old self. Thank you Jesus! Here are a few more shots of our girl at the hospital. We are so in love!

Tiny baby feet.

She sleeps like this all the time. It is so cute, she just pulls up her little hands under her chin. So precious.

She was a hit in the newborn nursery, as she has a lot of hair and the nurses were always bringing her in to us with a new hair-do.

She will be 2 weeks old this Wednesday, and has been a wonderful baby. She has a little trouble at night going back to sleep, which is frustrating for this tired momma, but I'm sure she will work it out eventually. Overall, life with two has been great. We are beyond blessed!

First Night As A Family of Four = Luke's First ER Visit

2011-09-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read the title correctly. On our first night home with all four of us, things were going very smoothly, until our little man decided he needed some attention and fell off the couch hitting his eye on the coffee table. It instantly started gushing blood, and while it wasn't horrible, it was pretty deep, and I knew he would need stitches. Soooo... Daddy loaded up our boy for his first trip to the ER. I was soooo sad, because between having just had a c-section, and needing to take care of Audrey, I had to miss this event. Luckily, Aunt Tracy was around and went with them, and got some great pictures. Thanks Aunt Tracy! Here is his eye on the way to the ER. Not terrible, but like I said pretty deep. He cried for a few minutes after it happened, but then was skipping around like his normal self. Our guy getting all settled in his room. He looks so cute with his little bracelet. =)

Children's Hospital in Plano was amazing. They did such a great job with Luke. He was able to pass the time with some new toys while waiting.

Getting the numbing cream applied to his eye.

This is really the only time he cried. Poor guy!

It didn't last long though, because Daddy came to his rescue!

And now for the good stuff. Luke was given some Versed (a mild sedative), to make putting in the stitches easier. This is when things got got fun! =)

Feeling good on the med! Luke was fascinated by the oxygen monitor on his toe. Having the Versed made it even cooler. He called it his "red toe". At this point I was told that he was acting kind of drunk! So sad to have missed this. =)

Showing off his "muscles".

O0000h yeah! I can't walk.

Time to move to the bed.

Still checking out the "red toe".

Feeling good. =)

Luke got 3 stitches, and did awesome. Brian said it was quick and he didn't feel a thing.

All brave boys get a sticker!

Luke is now healing up well, and honestly I am surprised we haven't had to take this kid to the ER before! I am so sad to have missed it, but foresee more visits in our future. =) On another note, we are doing great at home with Audrey, and it feels like she has been here forever. Luke loves her so much and has shown no jealousy whatsoever. I can't imagine doing this without Brian. He has been amazing! He basically does everything and makes me sit and just tend to the baby. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who is such a hands on dad. Stay tuned for more pics of our sweet girl.

Audrey's Nursery

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Now that we have our sweet Audrey, I can finially post her nursery. Brian and I are pretty indecisive people, and while we have been pretty sure on her name for awhile, we just couldn't be 100% until she got here. I know this has been annoying to some. ;) So now that we officially have her named, I can post these pictures, "A" and all! Here are the pictures, and I would like to thank my mom (aka Tula) for all the help! I think it turned out so cute, and can't wait to bring our sweet girl home to it. I know she will love it! ;) When I was pregnant with Luke, I saw the cutest lamp at Target, and was planning on doing the room around that if it was a girl. Well... Luke definitly wasn't a girl, but I was so happy because they still had the lamp this time around. The room is a mix of pink, green and blue, with owls, birds and trees. I love it!

I think this girl is set! Thanks to everyone who contributed to her wardrobe!

Here is the American Girl doll that my Memaw gave me when I was little. I have EVERYTHING that goes with her, including a kitchen set, desk, bed, all her clothes, etc. I always wanted a daughter to pass her down to, and now I will be able to! Thanks Memaw for this special gift.

She is Here!

2011-08-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Audrey Claire Gahan

August 31, 2011

9:04 am

7 pounds 8 ounces

20 3/4 inches

She is perfect and we are so in love!

6 Days and Random Luke Fun

2011-08-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to comment that in 6 days (or less, hopefully), we will be holding our baby girl! We can't wait! I have been having tons of contractions, and for some reason feel like I am going to go into labor by this weekend, but we will have to see. =) Nesting has been kicked in for awhile now, and this post is no exception. I need to clean off my camera! Here are random pics of Luke from this month that haven't made it to the blog yet. He has been enjoying his new sandbox he got for his birthday. Unfortunately due to the 100+ weather, it has to be an EARLY morning activity. =)

Last week we went with Tula, Aunt Ali, and Benjamin to see Pop's new office on the McKinney Square. It is in such a fun location and the boys enjoyed checking it out.

Benjamin just thinks Luke is the funniest thing around.

Waiting for his hamburger at Square Burger.

Testing out his tricycle riding skills. He can pedal great, he just has trouble with the steering. Once again, this hot weather has limited our outside practice time.

We went to visit Aunt Ali, Uncle Will, and Benjamin for a night in Fort Worth 2 weeks ago. Luke loves going to their house. One of my childhood friends lives pretty close to Ali, and we were able to get together last minute. She has a son 2 days younger than Luke and a 3 month old. It was so nice to catch up and see your boys, Jocelyn! Here are Luke and Levi.

They obviously liked each other!

You know Luke is obsessed with beds, so of course he had to take Levi to his bed at Aunt Ali's house!

Precious Benjamin and Joel.

Luke has been OBSESSED with sea animals ever since we went to the aquarium. Finding Nemo is pretty much a daily occurrence at our house. We decided to take him back as one last special outing with just the 3 of us. Luke loved showing off the fish to his daddy.

He was braver this time around and actually touched the starfish. He still wasn't too sure about getting his fingers slimy!

We had a fun playdate at Kate and Ellie's house last week. Isabelle was there too and the kids played Ring Around the Rosie for the first time. It was a hit!

Since the weather has been so hot, we have made several trips to get a snow cone. He has enjoyed outings here with both Tula and Noni, and this past weekend he asked if his daddy could come. Of course we all went and Luke enjoyed his favorite, "banana ice".

This kid is VERY social, and made some friends while enjoying his "banana ice".

Here he is with his preschool nap mat. You know he likes a good bed. ;) He went and got it out yesterday to watch Sesame Street and thought he was very cool. I tried to get him to look at me and smile, but I guess taking your eyes off Elmo is a lot to ask! Preschool starts in 2 weeks, and he is SUPER excited!

Camera cleaned, and blogging caught up-check! Now we just need this baby girl to arrive.

Suprise Baby Shower

2011-08-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was a "girls night" that I had planned with some of my friends for over a month. Little did I know, this was actually a little baby shower for me! If you know me, you know I hate being the center of attention. While I had a great time at my showers for my wedding and with Luke, I decided this time around that I really didn't want one. I just didn't want all the fuss to be centered on me, and with my friends being so generous, we have been blessed with enough clothes to last her at least the first year! Well I guess these girls had other plans, and it was a perfect night! =) A small gathering of 6 of us, to celebrate baby girl Gahan. We sipped cocktails (mocktails for me and my other preggo friend, Barbara), devoured a chocolate fountain, ate the cutest cake I have ever seen, and had fun with some arts and crafts. I honestly had the best time, and can't thank these girls enough for thinking of me, and planning the perfect night! I am beyond blessed! Here I am with the cake. Thanks so much Tori! It looks identical to the quilt on our nursery bedding. Love it! (nursery reveal will be coming soon!)

Chocolate fountain and all the dippings! What more could I ask for!

The arts and crafts project the girls came up with. They knew I took monthly pictures of Luke with little signs, so they thought it would be cute, to decorate onsies for each month to document her first year of growth. They turned out so cute! I am super excited about these, and had so much fun crafting it up with the ladies. =)

The hostess with the mostess, ironing on decals. Love you, Corrie!

The finished product.

And if that wasn't enough, I got to open gifts, and got a ton of cute things, as well as some much needed diapers!

Thank you ladies for making me feel so special, and for loving on me and our baby girl. We are beyond blessed to have all of you in our lives! And in 10 days or less our sweet girl will be here to meet you all. In the words of Luke, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!"

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!"

2011-08-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Luke just got his real big boy bed, and we have been hearing this phrase a lot around our house since then. We have been talking about his new bed for months, and it finally came in a week and a half ago (just in time!). He was talking to Tula on the phone about his new bed coming in, and she said "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!". Since then, Luke has been using this new phrase whenever referring to his new bed. It is too cute! If you haven't heard me mention it before, Luke is SUPER into beds. He likes to show everyone his bed, and this new bed has been no exception. He has done great in it, and is actually sleeping better than he was in the toddler bed. I can't believe my baby is getting so old. Here he the day the boxes came in. Grandpa and Noni came over to help get things set up. Thanks!

Running in to see his new bed!

First night in his new room. We have been having pillow struggles because this boy refuses to sleep on the pillow with the sheet set on it. He only wants to sleep on the decorative one. I know, I know, not a big deal, but recently he has had a runny nose, and it is much easier to clean a sheet set, than the nice pillow, so we are working on that. The little stinker will even switch them out in the middle of the night!

Here are some shots of just the room, for my documentation purposes. We actually got him bunk beds, so in a couple of years, we will add the top one on, but I thought that might be a little much to start. I love his new room, and apparently so does Luke because "Oh my gosh, he can't believe it"!

36 Weeks!

2011-08-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Let the countdown begin! Our sweet baby girl will be here in no time, and we couldn't be more ready and excited! We started the nursery last weekend, and I am happy to say, finished (for the most part) the rest this weekend. It is so funny to me, because I had Luke's room done with like 12 weeks to spare, and we finished hers with less than a month left. I guess that is what happens when you have one tired momma and a crazy 2 year old. The important thing is that it is done, and I love it! Thanks to Tula for all the help! Stay tuned for pictures. Below is my 36 week picture. I feel huge and think my stomach looks ridiculous in this picture. Definitely ready to get this little one out! I am now going weekly to the doctor and everything is looking great. I had a growth ultrasound this past week and our sweet girl was practicing her breathing and playing with her little tongue. She was estimated to be 6 pounds 13 ounces, which puts her in the 75% at this time. I am not sure how accurate these ultrasounds are, so we will see once she makes her debut. She is moving and kicking up a storm, making it hard to sleep. I am also getting more and more contractions, and the insomnia has set in. Not fun, but all things I am familiar with when I was pregnant with Luke. No official name as of yet. Everyone is just going to have to wait until she gets here. =) Luke seems to be getting excited about her arrival. He likes to go in her room and point out all of her things. "Baby sister's rug, baby sister's bed, etc". It is too cute and we can't wait for him to meet her. Well that is all for now. Hopefully she will be here sooner rather than later! ;)

2 Year Check-Up

2011-08-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

Luke had his 2 year check-up and he is doing great! The doctor was very impressed by his verbal skills and he is right on track as far as development goes. He is as healthy as can be, and here are his stats:

Weight: 30 lbs 8 oz (80%)
Length: 34.75 inches (55%)
Head: 19.75 inches (85%)

So basically we have a big boy on our hands. Brian is a little mad at me, because, obviously I am the one stunting his height growth ;). Below are two pictures with Luke wearing his Daddy's t-shirt. The first one is last year when he turned one, and the the second one is this year. Gosh he looks like such a kid now! Here are some facts about our guy:

Loves- Curious George, Finding Nemo, Seasame Street, trucks, tools, BEDS!, animal crackers, milk, sea animals, Tula and Pop's Lake, all sports, Sunday School, swimming, books, playing "gotch ya" with Daddy, Veggie Tales music in the car
Not the best in his eyes- brushing his hair, brushing his teeth, veggies, having help with anything (likes to do everything himself), getting his hands dirty

We couldn't be more proud of our little guy, and having him in our lives is definitely one of the greatest blessing from God. I can't wait to see him as a big brother. Less than 4 weeks to go now!

2 Year Old Birthday Party!

2011-07-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Luke's Birthday with a small family party at our house on Monday night. The night was filled with a hot dog dinner (Luke's favorite), cake, and presents. Luke loved having his favorite people over to celebrate. Here he is sporting his birthday shirt telling me "I'm two!" We love this guy!

So excited about opening presents.

Ben just taking it all in, showing off his puff eating skills.

Luke with his party guests.

He had an Elmo theme this year, and I thought the cake turned out better than I was expecting.

Luke seemed to appreciate my hard work! =)

Singing "Happy Birthday" to our new 2 year old! He was able to blow the candle out all by himself.

Mmmm this cake is good!

Luke got a ton of presents, and this was the first time he was able to open them somewhat on his own. After every gift he asked very politely "open it", meaning get the toy out of the wrapping so he could play with it then. Poor little guy got a little frustrated, but was very patient when I explained that we would open them all later. One thing he didn't have to wait on was his new "bike" that Brian and I got him. He loves it, and we have been working on his pedaling skills. It was so fun seeing his face light up when he saw it!

Overall, Luke had a fabulous 2nd birthday and we couldn't ask for a sweeter 2 year old boy!

Birthday Week Fun

2011-07-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

Last week I tried to plan a few fun and new things for Luke to do to ring in his TWO years. Sooo on Wednesday, we headed to the new aquarium at Grapevine Mills Mall, and it did not disappoint. We were able to go with some friends, as well as Tula, Aunt Ali and Ben. Contrary to the below picture, Luke LOVED it, and is now obsessed with fish.

Here he is with Isabelle waiting in line for tickets. As you can tell, Luke is in the stage of not wanting his picture taken.

With Tula, checking out the stingrays. Tula was a huge help! Luke was running from place to place like a madman, and this pregnant mama had trouble keeping up at times. =)

Luke was really into the sharks, until we got to this point. I have never seen him afraid of anything, and he was tiptoeing over the glass telling me, "Mommy, I scared". Too cute!

More shark tank fun. "Look Mom you got to see this!"

Ben was such a trouper and was wide-eyed the entire time, just taking it all in. =)

He saw so many new things, and has been talking nonstop about starfish, stingrays, purple fish, seahorses, etc. It is so fun to see your child light up at something new.

Thanks Grapevine Aquarium, we will be back!

On Thursday, which was Luke's actual birthday, we were able to join more of his friends for a morning at "Pump It Up Jr." I had never heard of this place, which is basically a big room full of blown up slides, play grounds, obstacle courses, etc. Luke went nonstop bouncing off the walls for the entire 2 hours we were there.

Another fun outing, and again something we will be going back too. What a fun birthday week! Stay tuned for party pictures and his 2 year check up updates!

Luke is Two!!!

2011-07-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the sweetest boy I know! I can't believe my baby is two years old. Where does the time go? Luke has a fun filled day ahead that started with eating breakfast at his new little table that Tula and Pop gave him for his birthday. He was very excited about the candles on his toast, and was even able to blow them out all by himself. What a big boy! Here are some of my favorites from his birth and then last year when he turned 1.

Luke, we love you so much and are so thankful to God that he blessed us to be your parents. Thank you for being the light of our lives!

Summertime Fun!

2011-07-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

This summer has been hot, and I mean HOT!!! Maybe it feels hotter since I am seven and a half months pregnant, but my goodness! Despite the heat, we have been able to have a ton of fun, and I have the pictures to prove it. Last week we traveled to Austin to visit Memaw and Pepaw. Aunt Ali, Ben, and Tula came along, and Luke had such a wonderful time. We started out the visit with Luke getting an early birthday present. (yes his birthday is next week!) Curious George and a whistle. Thanks Memaw and Pepaw! Other activities included some toe tickling... (Luke loves Ben, and Ben just thinks Luke is the funniest thing he has ever seen! Check out my sister's blog for a video.) Watermelon eating (Luke's favorite)...

Porch sitting...

Porch temper tantrums... =)

Backyard water table fun with shaving cream (a first) ...

Boy, Memaw and Pepaw's house sure is fun! Luke loved seeing both of them, and was super sweet with Pepaw. He kept going into his room saying "Hi Pepaw" and giving him high fives. The highlight of the visit was the bed Luke slept in. I can't believe I didn't get a picture, but it was Luke's first time to sleep in a queen size bed with Mommy. He thought it was the coolest thing in the world, and pretty much wanted to hang out on the bed all day. Night 1 went great, but unfortunately night 2 consisted of my little guy staring into my eyes off and on from about 2-5 saying "Hi Mommy" and gently touching my face. Super sweet, yet a little exhausting! =) Thanks Memaw and Pepaw for a wonderful visit!

Now for some random summertime fun! This past weekend, Brian built shelves over our washer and dryer. The second Luke heard about this project he grabbed all his tools and put them in his tool box and followed his daddy to help. He was even safety conscious and wore protective eye wear. =)

Nothing like a bed in a box with his good buddy, Kaylee. If you can't tell, this kid is really into his beds!

Beach time fun with Noni.

Sandcastle making with Isabelle.

I came home from work one day to find this! Haha. Looks like someone got suckered into getting into our "ginormous" baby pool. =)

Playgroup with the ladies.

Luke serenading his women. =) Do they seem impressed?

Oh summer, how we love you! Could you just cool down a little?

Poor Daddy, Boo Boo On Ear

2011-07-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday Brian had to have surgery on his ear. About 2 months ago, he got elbowed in the side of the head playing basketball, which created a huge hole in his eardrum. We were waiting to see if perhaps it would heal on its own, but sadly it ended up infected and Brian pretty much lost all hearing in his right ear. It was like living with a 80 year old man! Awww I'm so sympathetic, aren't I?! So, last week he went in for surgery to correct it. I was able to go, while my mom stayed home with Luke, which was a huge help. Brian did great, and had to have his eardrum patched with fascia taken behind his ear. During the surgery, the doctor discovered that the main reason he couldn't hear was because 2 of his inner ear bones were no longer touching. They had gotten knocked out of place somehow, and Brian had to have a tiny prosthesis placed inside to keep them together. So overall, it was more than we thought would have to be done, but Brian had little pain and is now back to his old self. He goes next week to see how the graft looks, so we are praying it stayed in place and is healing up nicely. Here is the patient prior to going in, wearing some snazzy socks, I might add! Post surgery. Haha! My mom thought he looked like Aunt Jemima, and I would have to agree. =)

Brian actually ruptured his eardrum when he was 5 years old and had a similar surgery. What a sweet boy, and so funny to have comparison pictures!

Brian slept most of the day when he got home, and had a great helper around, eager to make his daddy feel better. Luke kept saying, "poor daddy, boo boo on ear".

He even went and got the quilt off his bed to cover his daddy up, and then decided he would he would sleep with him. He is totally fake sleeping, if you can't tell. :)

We are so thankful to God that everything went well, and I look forward to next week to see if I no longer have to live with an 80 year old man! =)

"Proud To Be An American"

2011-07-04T15:18:00.001-07:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend at the lake. Here are the pics to prove it. Enjoy!

Luke's Vacation

2011-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

While it was hard leaving Luke for 4 nights, we knew he was in good hands. We told him that Mommy and Daddy were going on vacation and it was so cute to hear him repeat to everyone that his Mommy, Daddy and baby sister were "on vacation". Well as you can see, he got his own little vacation and was pretty pooped by the time we got him home. Here's what he was up to on his first 2 nights with Tula and Pop.

The next 2 nights were spent with Noni and Grandpa. Aunt Tracy also flew home just so she could hang out with Luke!

This shirt is a little less convincing while wearing this hat. =)

As you can see he was one busy guy, and didn't really seem to be missing his mommy and daddy very much....hmmm. =) Thanks to Tula, Pop, Aunt Ali, Uncle Grant, Benjamin, Noni, Grandpa, Aunt Tracy, and Papa for taking such good care of our little man. He is sure loved!

"Oh Canada"

2011-06-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Brian and I were super blessed to be able to take a trip (just the two of us!) to Banff, Canada. We were wanting to get away before baby girl comes, and knew we had no worries with Luke spending 2 nights with Tula and Pop and 2 nights with Noni and Grandpa. My parents have been to Banff and after seeing their picutes, I had always wanted to go. This was a perfect time for us to get away, and we were not disappointed. Unfortunately the weather was less than optimal, and was mostly cloudy and rainy the whole time, but that didn't stop us from seeing the sights! We stayed at the Rimrock Hotel, which we highly recommend. It is located about a mile up from the town of Banff in the mountains, and has beautiful views. Here is the view from our hotel window! Brian and I enjoyed drinking coffee and just taking it all in.

There is a ton of wildlife in Canada. Cougars, black bears, grizzly bears, elk, moose, etc. We were fortunate enough to see some elk eating on the side of the road on our first day there. We did not see any cougars, thank goodness, but there were plenty of signs that said to beware because they were spotted in the area and were actually seen tracking humans. Yikes!

After seeing the elk, we made our way to Johnston Canyon. It is a short hike to a couple of waterfalls and was well worth it.

After the hike we were told to the little town of Field. It was nestled right into the Canadian Rockies and was oh so cute. I had the best mushroom soup of my life!

Brian right outside the restaurant.

After lunch we headed to one of the many gorgeous lakes in the area. Emerald Lake was breathtaking and we even had a little sun shine down on it.

The next day we took in the sights of Banff. Here is the famous Banff Springs Hotel. If you look up into the top left hand corner of the picture you can see our hotel nestled in the mountain.

Here is a view from Tunnel Mountain Road. Notice the Banff Springs Hotel in the background again.

Here we are at Town View Point. Obviously you can see the small town of Banff in the background.

The cute town of Banff. Look blue sky!

On our third day we headed out to Lake Louise. The Canadian government is in the process of building these new "animal roads" over the highways so the animals can migrate safely. They cover them with dirt and plant trees so it looks and feels like the forest. Pretty neat!

Before getting to Lake Louise, we stopped off at Moraine Lake. It is beautiful and used to be pictured on their $20 bill.

And now to Lake Louise.

After touring the lakes, we decided to take advantage of the relatively clear sky and hop on the Lake Louise Gondola. It was so much fun and we had amazing views to take in. It did get pretty cold at the top, and the rain started at that point, but was overall a must see!

View from the top. You can see Lake Louise in the middle of the mountains.

Obviously I was pretty cold at this point. =)

The highlight of the trip...a bear! She was just walking around right underneath the gondola totally unfazed by all the people around.

After the gondola ride, we headed back to the hotel for some relaxation and later enjoyed one last evening in Banff. They were actually having a festival that night with their annual "Bike Banff" race. They blocked off the streets downtown and had pretty hardcore races taking place. I think an Olympian was even in the top race. Very fun to see.

Our trip was amazing, but there is nothing like coming home to your little boy! Stay tuned for pics of what Luke was up to while Mommy and Daddy were away. =)

Baby Girl Sneak Peak

2011-06-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

This week has been a little crazy, to say the least. I was at the doctor, and the NP thought that her heart sounded funny (like skipping beats). I was sent to the hospital for fetal monitoring, and hooked up for over 2 hours. She sounded perfect the whole time! While it was a little scary, her daddy and I did enjoy hearing her for an extended amount of time, especially now that we know she is fine. I also got to have another ultrasound, so we were able to see her sweet little face. The nurses at the hospital, the ultrasound tech, and my doctor, were all laughing because she is not cooperative at all! She is a huge wiggle worm, and anytime they would try to listen or put a monitor on me, she would push right back. You could see my stomach going crazy from across the room. It looks like this girl might just have as much, or more energy than her brother (Oh help me!). Here she is head on. Look at those cheeks. She has definitely gained more fat and looks just as sweet as can be.

Her foot has also chunked up some.

Oh and it was definitely confirmed that she is still a girl! No questions there. =) I am now 29 weeks and honestly 11 more weeks feels like forever! We are so ready to meet her. No official name as of yet, still working on that! I've been totally slacking in the belly photo department. The first pic is at 25 weeks.

This was taken last week while Brian and I took a trip to Canada (28 weeks). More Canada pictures to come!

Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on out, and she won't be pulling anymore surprises! =)

Slumber Party with the Cuz

2011-06-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Luke and I went to spend the night with his best buddy, cousin Ben. Luke loves him so much, and always walks right up to him saying over and over, "Hi Ben". I can't wait to see these two grow up together. I'm sure they will be TROUBLE! Luke loved wearing Uncle Will's army hat. Since Luke is no longer in a crib, he now sleeps on an air mattress when we travel. He does pretty well, and is very proud to be in a "big boy bed". Watch out though, because if he sees you taking the air out to put it away, there will be a major meltdown!

Ben just gets cuter and cuter, every time I see him. I am definitely starting to see his momma more in him. What a handsome little guy!

We went on a target outing with the boys, and Luke just thought it was the funniest thing for Mommy and Aunt Ali to wear his frog glasses.

Luke helped Aunt Ali out with dinner. He is really into helping cook now. He drags a chair over to the counter so he can see. There isn't much cooking going on, more like tasting on his part. =)

It won't be long now before we have a baby in our home (11 more weeks-yikes!), and Luke sure does get a lot of practice with Ben. He likes to be helpful, even when help isn't really wanted. =)

Luckily, Ben is a forgiving guy and isn't afraid to show Luke some cousin love!

Thanks for having us over, Ben! We love playing with you!

Last Day of Swim Class

2011-06-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day was Luke's last day of swim class, and his daddy was able to take him. I sadly did not get to go because I had to work, but Noni and Papa went to watch and take pictures. Here are some shots from the day. Emler Swim School was wonderful! Luke can now swim underwater for 10 long seconds, he is very comfortable in the water, and even jumped off of Tula and Pop's diving board this weekend! It was well worth the money, and was a great activity during the week. We loved it! Now that the temperatures are rising (100 degrees!), we have had many trips to our neighborhood pool, and have brought some friends along. Here is Luke and Kaylee enjoying a snack break. Luke is a wild man in the water. He has no fear, and we have to really be on top of everything he does. From the second we get to the pool, to the second we leave, he is pretty much going 100 miles an hour. As you can see swimming is exhausting! The pool is close enough to walk to, and as I got in the driveway, I turned around to find one tired boy in his wagon. =) What a great way to release all that toddler energy! On another note, I just wanted to document what a sweet boy Luke has become. I helped out at Vacation Bible School today at our church, and Luke was able to come and joing his own class. It was his first time being in a school-like environment for over 4 hours and he loved it! He brought his little backpack with a lunch all packed, it was just too cute! I was able to take a sneak peak into his class, and saw him sitting at the little tables chowing down on a peanut butter sandwich, just having the best time. He is getting so big (tear), and I know he will love starting preschool in the fall. When I went to pick him up, the teacher went on and on about how good and polite he was, and was sad to hear that we were unable to make any of the other days this week. I am one proud mama! I leave you with a picture of my handsome boys before church this past Sunday. What cute matching outfits. =) Gotta love them!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. We started off the weekend right with a little Popsicle and splash park fun with our favorite girl, Isabelle. Then it was off to the lake. The playset was up and running, and got a lot of good action!

Look at this sweet face! Ben was a big fan of the swing, and Brian loved some alone time with his nephew.

Luke enjoyed taking a snack break with Uncle Rett. Thanks Uncle Rett for teaching him to say "We want food" while banging his fists on the table. ;) Oh goodness! I have to watch those uncles like a hawk!

Chilling with Uncle Grant. What cool guy!

Luke is really into fishing. Pop just got him his own little pole, and Luke spent a lot of time "casting" into the lake. This is so much fun, as his daddy, Pop, and uncles are all big fishermen!

Luke was loving Pop's hat...

...but Ben, not so much. =)

After two fun nights at the lake, we headed home to celebrate Noni's birthday. We went to the splash park, Glorias and Paciugos. Yum! As we walked to Paciugos, Luke noticed that Papa walked with his hands behind his back. All of the sudden we look over and Luke is walking slowly behind Papa, copying him. No one told him to do this. What a sweet boy!

Happy 60th Birthday Noni!

What a fun weekend! There was, however, one casualty from the lake. Luke got another black eye. So that is 2 black eyes before the age of 2! We sure do have one rough and tumble little dude. The picture below doesn't do it justice, and please ignore the applesauce all over his face.

Memorial Day was Luke's last day of swim class. I had to work, but luckily his daddy was able to take him. Stay tuned for pics of his last class.

Nap Update & Other Randomness

2011-05-26T12:41:00.001-07:00

I wanted to give a little update on our big boy bed progress. Well....after many months of nap struggles and middle of the night wakings, our boy is back! We tried EVERYTHING! Going in to him every time he left his room, ignoring him when he left his room, spankings, taking away Bunny Bear, sticker rewards, sticker charts...you name it. The only thing that worked was the thing I was trying my hardest to avoid, locking his door. I was very hesitant to do this, because I didn't want to trap him in his room, but we were getting desperate people! I talked to several friends who had to do this, and I must say it worked like a charm! My main fear was that he would just cry at the door all scared and confused as to why he couldn't get out. Well after one or two tries, he realized that he couldn't get the door open and just went on playing in his room. He doesn't care about the door now that the option has been taken away. He now stays in bed in the middle of the night (for the most part), sleeps until 7 and plays for a good 30-40 min before I go get him. He seems much happier, and I know his Mommy and Daddy are much happier too!! So for now he has a child lock on his door, maybe in a few months we will take it off and see how it goes, but for now it is staying put! =) So what goes on during this free play time, you ask? Here is the evidence. What a mess! Looks like this pretty much everyday when I go to get him. We are also working on discipline in this house. Overall, I would say Luke is a good listener and behaves very well, but we do have moments when time-out is in order. Here he is in time-out. I can't help but laugh! Just some random fun making pizza with Daddy. Ummm, someone his doing more eating than helping!

Mmmm Mmmm good!

This past weekend was Ben's baptism. We had a wonderful time in Fort Worth and I had so much fun with my little Godson. He is just so cute!

Proud Godparents.

The cousin running rampant during the ceremony.

Luke has one "chore" that he does everyday. He gets Ernie's bowl from the kennel, brings it to me, and then once I fill it with food he returns it to the kennel. Luke does an excellent job!

Lately he has been taking this responsibility to new levels. Instead of placing the bowl in the kennel, he likes to hand feed Ernie following him wherever he goes. You can tell at times Ernie doesn't want it, but he is considerate enough to take Luke up on his offer. =)

Lastly I leave you with backyard sprinkler fun!

Dallas Zoo

2011-05-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Two Saturdays ago, we went to the Dallas Zoo with the Gahan side of the family for some fun and to celebrate Brian's 29th Birthday. Luke has been to the zoo before, but he was only 10 months old then, and didn't really know what was going on. This time around, he LOVED it! We have been reading "Curious George Feeds the Animals", which is a book about the zoo, so Luke was very prepared for the visit. We started things off with the penguins.

Luke and his Daddy were very into the gorilla.

Just hangin' with a gator.

The highlight of the trip was the giraffes. We were actually able to feed them. Luke was a little scared, but was mesmerized by these big guys. Look closely at these next two pictures. We caught Luke mid-sneeze, and as you can see he didn't cover his mouth. Poor Brian, haha!

With Aunt Tracy checking things out. Aunt Tracy is home from Australia, and Luke is loving this time with her. =)

This picture looks fake to me, but I assure you it is not!

With Grandpa, looking at all the elephants.

We watched the elephants for at least 30 minutes. Here he is with Noni and Aunt Tracy.

The cheetah exhibit had a jeep you could drive. The back of the jeep was actually in the cheetah cage. Luke was all about steering the jeep until...

...he noticed something had jumped into the trunk. Boy am I thankful that there is glass between them!

Next, we enjoyed a monorail ride. Luke loved being on the "train", and was very set on having his own seat.

At one point, we drove past this bird who happened to be very close to the train.

Almost too close! He tried to bite the railing on our car!

Whenever we talk about the zoo, Luke would always bring up the kangaroos, so I had to put a shot of them in here. (Curious George feeds a kangaroo in the book, and it was pretty much all Luke could talk about.)

Checking out the monkeys.

Somebody is getting tired. =)

OK, someone is beyond tired! First attempt at family shot. (should have done this at the beginning of the trip)

Attempt #2.

OK I give up!

The zoo was a blast, and when we got home we were able to celebrate Brian's birthday with some cake. Yummy!

On another note, I had a fabulous Mother's day! My boys made me waffles, I had my favorite fast food for lunch, filet-o-fish, and got a yummy grilled dinner. Luke gave me this rose when we picked him up from Sunday School. I am so thankful for this little guy and his daddy! I am one blessed lady.

Easter

2011-04-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend full of fun and family. We were able to spend time with both sides of the family, as well as have some nice quality time with just the three of us. So crazy that it will be the "four of us" pretty soon. As Luke is getting older I am trying to find fun traditions that we can do together. I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Women website and had to try it. Hot Cross Buns! I always knew the song as a child, but didn't realize there really was such a thing. Soooo... on Friday morning Luke and I got to working and whipped up a batch. They were super yummy, and best eaten when hot (duh!). =) Here is the little guy working on the dough. At one point I looked over and he had an entire spoonful of the cinnamon sugar mixture in his mouth. I guess he takes after his mamma! Here he is sneaking one of MANY icing licks!

The finished product. They will now be our Easter morning tradition.

On Saturday we got to dye eggs with Luke for the first time. He loved it, but we had to keep an eye on him, as he was pretty rough with the eggs.

Sunday morning we woke up, ate our hot cross buns, and then had Luke's first egg hunt in the backyard. The "Easter Bunny" sure did hide the eggs well! I think he forgot this hunt was for a 1 year old. =)

Love this action shot!

Ummm... hey you two, the hunt is not over!

Luke sure did have fun, and enjoyed opening all his eggs and eating the goldfish, animal crackers and raisins inside. =)

After the egg hunt we headed to church with my family, and had a wonderful time worshipping the Lord on the day He is Risen!

The boys on the way. Pop thinks Luke's hair looks like a toupee in this picture. Haha =)

After church we headed to La Hacienda for some yummy food. Luke loved waiting for our table on the horse.

In the middle of the meal, Luke asked if he could move seats and sit next to Ben. So sweet! Love these two!

Overall, we had an amazing weekend and feel overwhelming blessed for everything that God has placed in our lives, and for the sacrifice that He made so that we can live!

Pure Joy!

2011-04-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

This says it all. =) I love this little guy so much, and love watching little things bring so much joy to his face. Nothing better than an ice cream cone. This weekend while Brian went with my dad, brothers and Will to Top Golf, the girls took Luke to a splash park in Fairview. Luke had the best time ever! At first he wasn't too sure what to think...

And kept getting confused when the water went away saying, "Where water go?"...

But after Tula showed him the ropes...

He figured out that this was FUN stuff!

And again pure joy!

At the beginning, Luke stayed on the outskirts with the little kids, but if you have ever seen him in action before, you know this kid is fearless. Well, he ended up right in the middle of all the "big kids" holding his own with the super big water fountain in the middle. He was pretty much half the size of most of the kids and right in the thick of it. Love it!

The big fountain in action. Hard to tell, but Luke is right in there. =)

And finally, Luke is at the age where he really enjoys sitting on the cars at stores. He usually just sits on them without me having to put money in, but when we went to Babies-R-Us with Tula, she hooked him up by forking up a quarter. =) He has been talking about the "Mickey Car" every day since. Again, pure joy!

I just can't get enough of this face! We had a wonderful Easter weekend as well, with tons of pics, so stay tuned!

Half Way There!

2011-04-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I hit the half way mark in this pregnancy. I can hardly believe it! The time has just flown by, and I am still in shock that it is a girl. We have been talking to Luke about his sister more and more and I think he may understand a little bit. Whenever we talk about the baby in Mommy's tummy, he always lifts his shirt and points to his belly saying, "Luke Baby". So cute! We still don't have a name yet, but are working on it. She has been moving up a storm and her daddy can feel her on a daily basis. Overall, I am feeling more energized, but the whole big boy bed thing hasn't really helped with that! Here are some cupcakes that Luke's buds Kate and Ellie made for us after we found out he was going to have a sister. Thanks so much Lockwoods! Here is the belly shot. Here I am at 20 weeks with baby girl, and below is 20 weeks with Luke. I am definitely bigger this time around, but the difference isn't as much as my 14 week pictures.

We are so excited to meet this sweet baby girl in less than 20 weeks!

Dang You Big Boy Bed!!!

2011-04-20T14:47:00.001-07:00

Well...I mentioned about 6 weeks ago that we had transitioned Luke into the toddler version of the crib. At first I was bragging on my little man, telling everyone what a smooth transition it was, and it was...for about 2 weeks. After 2 weeks I think Luke realized, "Hey I really have a lot of freedom here!". So for about the past month we have been having big time battles. At first he was just not staying in bed at all. The second we left the room he would open his door and go into the loft. We have since gotten that better under control, although he still tries to escape his room pretty frequently. He is doing well at going to bed for the night, but randomly wakes up in the middle of the night crying and immediately leaving his room to stand at the gate at the top of the stairs. He also used to sleep in until 7:30 and then would play in his crib until I got him at 8, but now he is up as soon as the sun is up between 6-6:30!! This makes for one tired mamma! Now the biggest struggle has been naps. Oh how I hate them!! I started off not allowing him to get out of bed at all. Well that only resulting in me having to go in his room just about every minute. So instead we started letting him play for a little while, and then I would go in and make him get back in bed. This seems to work better, but he rarely goes to sleep on his own. I usually have to lay on his floor and make him lay there until he falls asleep. He used to take about an hour and a half nap, and now it has consistently been less than 45 min. Discipline is so hard at this age! We are a little at a loss on what to do when he comes out of his room, plays with the lamp, etc. After saying no so many times...we have tried taking away his bunny bear and even spanking. He doesn't really seem to care about either, so I am not really sure what to do. Any advice would be much appreciated for this very tired, pregnant mamma! The one good thing about his new bed, is that he is super proud of it. Whenever anyone comes to our house he very quickly says "Show big bed". Here are some pics of him giving the grand tour. With Isabelle. She has had the tour many times! =) With Kaylee...showing her how to jump on the bed. He even wanted his cousin Ben to check out his digs.

Ahhh, so sweet!

He loves his cousin so much, he wanted to give him Bunny Bear so he could take a nap. =)

Hopefully we will get this under control before baby girl makes her arrival!

New Addition at the Lake

2011-04-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, we headed out to the lake for some R&R, to celebrate Aunt Ali's 26th birthday, and to get some construction done. The weather was gorgeous, and the men were able to accomplish quite a bit on the new play set. Here were are, starting the weekend off right with some early Easter goodies from Tula and Pop. These cool frog glasses are a huge hit, and Luke loves wearing them in the car.

Love this sweet boy! He was such a joy this weekend, and I loved having some snuggle time.

The men hard at work.

While the men did all the work, the women enjoyed sitting while watching the kiddos. There was windmill fun...

....bubble blowing... (oh and check out Luke's sweet boots that he got for Easter)

.... pool splashing...

...and lots of relaxing.

This was Luke's favorite spot while the construction was going on. =)

Enjoying some morning coffee with Uncle Rett in "his spot".

Love this!

While they didn't finish the project, they did get most of it completed. Here is Luke and I enjoying the view from the top. I see many hours spent playing in here. Hopefully Luke and Ben will let their little sister/cousin join in on the fun. I better not see any signs that say "No girls allowed!". =)

When Mom Is Away The Boys Will Play

2011-04-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

And play they did! I went on the Women's Retreat this weekend with our church and left Luke with his daddy. I had such a wonderful time and returned to find out that Luke had an action packed weekend with some buddies. He had friends come over both Friday and Saturday night, went to On the Border, Costco, Walmart, Best Buy, 2 parks, grilled out with the guys, flew a kite, the list goes on and on. I don't think those two sat still for a moment. Brian did a great job with Luke, and I never had to worry for one second. The house was sooo clean when I got home, and I didn't even have to make dinner tonight. I am one spoiled girl! Here are the pictures from their weekend. On Friday night Luke hung out with Miss Kaylee. First, they went to a park and to play for awhile. They get along so well and I think this picture proves it! =) Then they went to On The Border. Brian informed me that both dads forgot bibs, milk, and other snacks, so the kids went a little crazy. Luke dumped out all the chips and wore the bowl as a hat. And is that a knife in his hand...Ohh Daddy!

Then they came home for some play time at our house, and were pretty stinky, so got to enjoy a fun bath. Love it!

After an action packed day on Saturday, Luke had some more friends over that night. Grace, Hannah and Joseph came to play and grill out. Here is Grace and Luke welcoming little Joseph to the party.

Hannah, Grace, and Luke watching planes.

These girls can't get enough of those adorable cheeks! =)

The whole gang, including little Joseph, who just learned to sit up!

Grace and Luke sure have fun together.

The ladies can't get enough of him!

Even with all the lady attention this weekend, Luke showed me who his #1 girl is when I got home. I just love this little guy so much!

Thanks to Brian for being such an amazing father, husband, and picture taker!