Dance Class here comes Kaylen!!!

I am not going to lie, 3 is a tough age. We have gone through a lot lately. Kaylen has had a lot to adjust to. Most days I want to cry it is so difficult. But every day is also coupled with the funniest things and the cutest faces. How can you get too mad at this face:




She has personality for days. She is so excited for school to start and dance class. We have our outfits and we are ready to go! Monday will be her first class. I will definitely be posting more on that soon!

Kaylen Swimming

Kaylen has really learned a lot about swimming this summer. I am so proud of her! At the beginning of the year she had a death grip around my neck and now she is doing this:



I couldn't get her to even get in the big pool without me. My aunt came to visit and she wouldn't get in for anything! Not only has she decided she wanted to swim but she can also do this:



It is hard for me to remember that she is only three! I hope she is always this brave.

Funny Kids

So last night during Kaylen's prayers this is what she said: Thank you, God, for Mimi and Baba, Momma and Daddy, Mamaw and Papaw and even thank you for Tripp coming out of Momma's belly but PLEASE don't let another baby come out.


And there you have it. I guess Tripp can stay but no more! ;) I think we can oblige her in this request.

I took some video's of the kids. This is of Tripp doing as much as he is doing these days. He is really a sweet baby. I am very much enjoying having him around. The hardest thing about him is that he wants you to hold him 24/7... is that really too much to ask?!?! I just wish that I could do that.




This next video is a 6 sec. video of K... I put it on here because her face is hilarious. She was smiling for a photo and the camera was set to video. Our neighbor was trying to take the picture.



Now this is blackmail for when K gets older. I was trying to get her to go to the bathroom and she is really in to this one Hannah Montanna song called He Could Be the One. So in an effort to get her to stay on the potty a bit longer, I played this song for her and this is what was going on in there:

Kaylen writes in German!

This morning on the way to church Kaylen and I were talking about how Handy Manny speaks Spanish and English. So I thought it a good time to explain to her the story about the Tower of Babel and why we all speak different languages. I told her there were many different languages such as Russian, Spanish, English, German, Chinese... and so on and so forth. So this afternoon she scribbles on a piece of paper and tells me that she is writing in German and that is why I can't understand it. I told her that I didn't know she spoke German... she said that she didn't, she can only write it and what she wrote meant love. Ha! I love how kids minds think.

Btw... her "crown" is from church. She learned all about Queen Esther.

Summer is almost over!

Summer is almost over. It has been a blur. I haven't gone anywhere and yet it has sped by. I guess that was an infant will do to you! Allen, on the other hand, just got back from an amazing retreat with our high school students at the beach. Now he is on a guys golfing weekend down in Mobile. He has been good to let me get out in the evenings kid-free as well. I have really enjoyed getting to know Tripp and watching Kaylen get so big. She will be starting Mothers Day Out very soon. All of my teacher friends are going back and I am really looking forward to this time off. Things are starting to get much easier with my two and I guess that tends to ebb and flow depending on the day. I am figuring out Tripp and how he likes things. He has more of an opinion on how he likes to sleep and be held than Kaylen ever did. It is fun to see how they are so different in some ways and yet so similar in others. Both such wonderful blessings.

We are starting dance lessons this fall with Kaylen. I am really looking forward to it. I am sure I will be posting pictures and even videos from this adventure. A post wouldn't be a post without pictures so here are a few from when my sister was in town and yesterday. Amber really enjoyed my little man. I think she is growing up and entering the ready-to-be-a-momma phase of life. I think it is a few years off for her but I can see her maturing into an adult. It is pretty cool to see. She loves her dog... and if you know my sister... that is absolutely huge! Anyway, I hope you all have had a great week!

Tripp chilling in the swing. This took some time to perfect... but he likes it now! yea!

Kaylen fell asleep on the floor yesterday and slept there for over an hour!

Tripp being held by Aunt Nikki.

Aunt Nikki and Tripp again. I hope she comes back to visit soon!!! We miss her already!

MIA

Sorry I have been so silent for so long! It has been extremely hectic around here. Tripp is a great baby but he really likes things a certain way. He likes to be held all the time! I am trying to really enjoy him and the stages since they are probably the last time I will experience them. He is the smiliest baby! He is a serious grinner and cooer. He is also squirmy. I can't put him down in an uncontained area. We have been staying busy with summer as well. We have made trips to the blueberry farm, the botanical garden, the pool, and we have had a few play dates. I am looking forward to school starting back for Kaylen. Mostly for her to get to do fun things again. We are doing fun things but there are days that arent as fun for her and I hate that. This is a difficult age to pair up with a newborn. She is hanging in there for the most part. Here are a few shots of the kiddos. Hope you are all having a fun summer!

I love you because you're you

Kaylen has gotten really good at reading a book called I Love You Because You're You. I have been meaning to get a video of her doing this because I think it is so incredible. I am going to copy the words to the book so that you can understand what she is saying. Here goes:

I love you when you're happy and grinning ear to ear.
I love you when you're sleepy and want to snuggle near.
I love you when you're silly and dancing round and round.
I love you when you're frightened and hear a scary sound.
I love you when you're bashful and hide behind my knee.
I love you when you're brave, and from my arms you flee.
I love you when you're curious and searching hear and there.
I love you when you're proud, your head held in the air.
I love you when you're sick and need to rest in the bed.
I love you when you're frisky and standing on your head.
I love you when you're sad and need a kiss and hug.
I love you when you're playful and rolling on the rug.
I love you when you're angry and cross your arms and pout.
I love you when you're wild and yell and scream and shout.
I love you any way you feel, no matter what you do.
I love you any way you are. I love you because you're you!

Casey Cooper Pictures!

I had Casey Cooper do a photo shoot of all of us. I just got the link to the images. If you want to check them out... feel free! Let me know what you think! I really had a good time with her and she does great work. If you are looking for a photographer... give her a call!

http://www.caseycooperphotography.com/Client1039/

Happy Father's Day!!!

Things are starting to go a little more smoothly these days. We had a major poo breakthrough today! Kaylen went to the bathroom on her own, pooped in the potty and then came and got me so that I could see it. We then had to save it in the potty until daddy got home to see it as well. I was soooo proud of her! She is also doing great with swimming... all of the sudden! Just last week she was scared but she realized that she could actually float with floaties on and we weren't trying to trick her into a trip to the bottom of the pool. She even went down the slide today! I am definitely going to have to get some pictures and videos of this because you wouldn't believe it unless you saw it.

Anyway, Father's day was good. I would write more about it but it wasn't my holiday and Allen barely even knows I have this blog... much less contributes to it. I will say that he has been working really hard lately. So if he forgets to call you back or something... just know that he has forgotten his wallet at home 3 times, left my wallet on the counter at a mexican restaurant, and many other silly things of that nature that are only done when you are on overload. What is he so busy doing? Well, he is working full time, getting his master's degree, leading a college ministry, and still trying to maintain a connection with his small group guys. He also wants to fish, golf and all the other guy things he likes to do. But he is also taking care of us and trust me... that is a full time job in and of itself. We are high maintenance these days! We are all tired but it is all worth it. Here are some pictures from the week:

Allen holding Tripp so I can get something done.




Kaylen went to VBS for the first time this year. Here are a few shots from the event. She had a blast!



Here is the picture I gave to Allen for Father's Day. I had a cool frame that said "Three Generations" on the top and on the bottom it said "Children are born, traditions are passed, the love continues on". I think it turned out pretty nice.

Week 3... things are getting better!

This week went much smoother than the last. We have had our moments... but that is expected. A few things we have done: Family pictures! I think we are going to have some really cute shots. I had a movie night with friends. We saw He's Just Not That In To You. So funny. Allen has gone fishing, mountain biking and played basketball. He also has had lots of work stuff to do because he is leading his POA meeting for work next week. I know he will do great! I took K to Bridge Street to play in the fountains and get a new outfit for pictures. We also ate at PF Changs. It ended up being a really fun day. Tripp has been amazing for all of these events and there have been no real blunders. God is good! Potty training is getting a wee bit better with K. I am still so tired of her holding in her poo that I could (and might) go insane. It's killing me! If anyone has had a kid that held their poo in and just left smears of poo in their undies over and over again for days, please give me some advice of how to get past this. Allen and I are clueless at this point. I think that is about it. Here are a few pics of the week. Muggs finally got some quality snuggle time with Tripp. Do we have a great dog or what?!?!?! I also love the pic of the two kids smiling. K is really being sweet to Tripp. I am glad she is so loving. I just wish all the other acting out would come to a halt. I talked to another mom of kids 3 years apart today and she had the same issues with her two that we have been having. I do know it is normal and we are hanging in there. Enjoy my sweet babies!!! :) Oh, and if you think about it... say a prayer for Ashley... she is going to have that baby within the next few days! Induction on Monday or she could go into labor earlier! I can't wait!!!

Last Week: The face says it all!

Last week wasn't the easiest. We saw a lot of the above expression. Sleepless nights. On Wednesday K fell and hit her lip and teeth on the hardwood floor. I took her to the dentist and he told me we had a 50% chance the tooth would turn dark and then another 50% chance that it might lighten back up. I cried. The dentist and his hygentist hugged me. The goth teenager sitting in the chair next to us had to think I was a total nut job. That's okay... I was at that moment. My stress level was at about one million. So on Thursday we decided to go to Florence. Allen was going for work and Tripp and I planned to go along with him. K was spending the night with her grandparents. Well, I had a stomach ache on the way down that day. No idea what from. Anyway, that transferred to Tripp that night and he was fussy all night long. No sleep. So when I am finally getting some sleep, the fire alarm went off. All I can think is get dressed and get my newborn out of the building so the rediculously loud siren doesn't give him permanent hearing loss! I gather all our stuff and the baby and walk down the stairs since you cant ride an elevator during a fire alarm. Only to find that they are working on the fire alarm and accidentally tripped it. grrrrrr. So then I go back upstairs and my key doesn't work. are you kidding me?!?! So I leave all of my stuff by the door and go back to the front desk. At that point the waterworks begin again. We got enough points on our honors card for a free stay sometime. So I guess the hormones did work in our advantage this time. Anyway, here's to a better week!


Kaylen started her weekly camp. The theme changes each week and this week was cheerleading. Too cute! She will go every Friday so stay tuned for more updates on that. This week we are getting family pictures. It is actually a jam-packed week full of fun things so I will update next week!!!

Surviving with Two

Here are some pictures from the last few days. Things have been going pretty well around here. I had one bad night where Tripp cried from 1am until 5am. It was a rough one. But Hollie put me on to some gripe water and Allen likes to refer to it as black magic. That stuff was amazing! Tripp was a rockstar last night! I will say that handling two can be a challenge. Kaylen didn't really want to go to bed last night. So that was trying. She was crying because she wanted her Mommy and Tripp was crying because he didn't want his diaper changed. We managed and after a good night's rest... all is well. Enjoy the pics!







Kaylen went fishing with Daddy, Mamaw and Papaw yesterday. She got to use her Princess fishing pole and here are the fruits of her labor. She reeled them in all by herself!!

Tripp is here!

Tripp was born on May 21, 2009 weighing 7 pounds and 3 ounces. He was 20 inches long. The exact same stats as Kaylen! The delivery was quick and I was able to do it naturally. I was only doubting myself from about 10 am until he arrived at 11:07 am. I literally didn't push at all. I was trying to hold him in because my doctor wasn't there yet but the contraction pushed him out. He slid out onto the bed and the nurses were there to "guide his path". No stirrups or anything! I must say that I am glad to be on this side of things and we are all healthy and doing great. Kaylen has been a great big sister already. She loves to hold him and she keeps saying, "wake up, little buddy". I put together a few pictures for everyone. The first one is the night before.

Kaylen and her new baby brother!!

Look at his big feet!!

Mommy and Tripp

Me and Allen seeing him for the first time.

Emily and Hollie were there for me so much! I have great friends. Hollie took pictures for me during the birth and if it weren't for her giving me a play by play of what was happening on the contraction machine, I wouldn't have made it!

Me and my sweet babies. There isn't a better moment in life so far as the one where my two met for the first time. It is so wonderful to have children. I am honored to be their mom.

Aunt Nikki visiting with Tripp.



I am sure there will be many more pictures to come!

Week 38 and a Visit to Sci-Quest

I am trying to do as much as I can with Kaylen before Tripp is here. So I picked her up from school on Friday and took her to Sci-Quest. It was actually really fun and there weren't many people there. This first picture is of her in a music room. She really didn't weigh enough to make the keys sound but I helped her.


This was probably her favorite area. She loved making dinner.

Here they had a simulated tornado in a glass box. You could stand in it but I didn't really get it because the winds weren't strong at all so it wouldn't be like standing in a real tornado. It was more like standing in a steam bath or something. Oh well, it was neat to her.

Here she is coming down the slide backwards. She really had a good time there and I recommend it for kids her age. (And if they aren't quite three yet... they would be free! That would have been better but I had to be honest... she is three. The lady actually asked me if she wasn't quite three yet... I told her she was but how odd to prase the question that way.)

And I had to take one last about to pop picture. This is at 38 weeks... and the last week before he is here. Next time I am on this blog I hope to be a bit smaller. :) I will say that I have enjoyed carrying him much more than the first. (Sorry K) She was so much more difficult and I felt so much worse the entire time. He has been much easier and I feel very thankful that the worst of my difficulties this time was altered by a diet plan. Much better than getting sick every day and gaining 5 million pounds!!!

7 days until Tripp's here!!!

Today was my ultrasound and it was sooo good to see Tripp. He is definitely a boy and I am so glad to know that since everything is monogrammed and ready for him! He measured at 6lbs8oz. So that could be off a pound in either direction. He is head down and in position. I am not much more dilated than I was before. So I will come back in next Wednesday to check my progress and then we plan on inducing on that Thursday. So May 21 is the latest we will be waiting for him!! I hope he comes on his own before that because I think that will make the experience a bit easier but other than that, I am quite pleased! Everything is going great. Here are some pictures of him:


I have been trying to spend quality time with Kaylen this week before Tripp arrives. Here are some pictures of us at the park yesterday. She is becoming such a sweet little girl. I love spending time with her.


Here are a few pictures of Kaylen and Rylie. They are both so sweet and they really play so well together.


This is really high in the air but Kaylen is so brave. I have to watch her because she will climb up on anything... safe or not!

And here she is hanging upside down!!! Having a blast.

This is actually right before we left. She got her cup from her teachers as a gift. She looooved that cup so much that she took a nap with it and also took it to the park. I also love how her feet are. She looks so innocent and sweet. I love it!

And the last thing is a picture of our new window in the kitchen. What a difference it makes in that area. So much brighter and the actual window isn't ugly at all! I am so glad to have that done.



I'll be in touch with the news of Tripp's birth soon!!! Have a great day!

My Last Day at School

Today has been full of surprises. If anyone thinks that I have a rough job teaching middle schoolers... let me tell you, it is the best in the world! These kids have hearts way bigger than you could imagine. My advanced art class came in today and threw me a shower for Tripp. It was sooo nice and totally unexpected! How in the world can I be so surprised by two surprise showers for this little bundle?!?! These kids again surprised me with their generosity. Great gifts that were so thoughtful. I know... they decided that we weren't having actual class instead of asking. It was so totally alright with me. This group has worked hard lately and we all deserved a little party. On top of that, I had a regular ed student bring me the cutest little outfit at lunch. Middle school is such a great age. They are old enough to be thoughtful any yet still young enough to care about their teachers enough to think of them outside of the school day. I am in awe of them. I really love what I do.

On top of having great students to work with, I have great co-workers. They threw me a shower a while ago but since then so many of them have done additional things for me! I am totally speechless. One teacher made me a precious blanket that totally goes with the colors in Tripp's room. It was handmade and she does a lot of really great quilting. You should look at more of her stuff on her blog. She has an amazing sense of style and colors. I seriously covet her latest batik quilt. And how she sewed complete circles I will never understand.

Then today another teacher brought me a gift. She makes jewelry and she brought me a bracelet that is awesome! I work with some really talented people! And since I tend to give homemade gifts, I really appreciate when other people do that for me. I know the time put in to the gift and the thought that someone is sitting at home using their precious time to make something special for me means so much to me.

I have had a great day today and I am really going to miss this place while I am gone. My posting might be less regular but I will at least update with Tripp information! I have an ultrasound scheduled for next Wednesday. I am so ready to see him again!!! Have a great weekend everyone!!

Craziness

So for those of you who don't live in the same town as me... my absenteeism is due to the Swine Flu Scare of '09. I am talking people went into lock down mode over a few measly cases of a different strain of flu that we don't have a vaccine for. They closed all of the schools within a 30 mile radius for two days because of two kids being sick! It was crazy. I mean even churches canceled childcare and youth services. Check out what offices made Allen wear to come in and give them medicine:

Is that not insane?!?!? These people don't mess around with any kind of flu! ha!

Anyway, everything on my calendar from Thursday to Sunday got wiped off. The only sad part is that it rained like crazy the whole time so I really just stayed inside, cleaned and slept. That is until Allen's entire small group spent the night on Saturday. I am talking 11 tenth grade boys and a lot of rain. My house is destroyed. I didn't sleep at all that entire night. The last of the guys didn't leave the next day until around 2:30. And most importantly we all had a blast. It is one cool group of guys. They are musically talented, athletic, smart and wild. It was good to see what I have to look forward to with Tripp. Guys are so much different from girls.

Speaking of girls, mine is so cute right now. She has started this new thing where she likes to play "American Idol" and get up on our fireplace area and sing songs for us. We get to choose what she will sing and we always start with Old McDonald. We get to choose the animals. She calls on us. She also makes up songs. Those are the best because her little mind is thinking as fast as possible to come up with the words on the spot. I love it! It will be the most random stuff too. Some other fav songs are Jesus loves the little children (but not Jesus Loves Me), This Little Light of Mine, If Your Happy and You Know It, and more... Oh, and she is a ballet princess. Not a ballerina but a ballet princess. And for a while now she has been calling her dolls by two names. I have no idea where in the world these names came from but they are her two names of choice: Donna Lynne and Doolin. Don't ask me! Last night she said it was because she doesn't know a lot of names and she likes funny names. So there ya go. Just because all posts are better with a picture of her... here she is in the morning: