Funny Faces

I know that I haven't posted in a while and I STILL need to add Lauren's 7 months info.  BUT, I just HAD to add these pics.  Guess who has learned to snort??

More Pics

The wagon was loaded down with riders on this day.

Claire is really into "snuggling" with Lauren lately.  Lauren loves it too (although you can't tell from this picture, ha!).  Everytime we put Lauren in Claire's lap, she'll smile really big and lean in to give Claire a kiss.  Melts our hearts!

Lauren started eating solid foods!  This is her first taste!

Happy girl after eating some cereal.

Daddy with his baby girl!

Celebrating Daddy's birthday.

Despite the fact that Lauren was in a Cowboys onesie, her Aunt Christine was still all smiles when holding her.  What a good sport she is.  I wonder if we'll all be able to watch a Cowboys/Redskins game in the same room this Fall?  Hmm, we shall see.

It seems as though over the last few weeks she's developed so much. 

Nana and Grandpa came to visit from Texas!  Too bad this is the only pic that I got while they were here!

Claire's hair is long enough for braids now!  When did she get so big?  It happened right before my very eyes!

Wow, I love her!

 

6 Months Old!

Lauren is 6 months old!!!!  She has truly been such a joy to have in our family.  Here are some 6 month stats:

*17 lbs 1 oz
*1 Tooth!!  It popped up yesterday on her 6 month birthday!  I saw it trying to break through on Sunday night but I finally felt it on Monday. 
*Still taking 3 naps a day most days.  Every once in a while, she'll stretch her naps and sleep longer, therefore only taking 2 naps...but for the most part she's still taking that 3rd catnap in the late afternoon.
*Sleeping approx 11-12 hours at night.  Unfortunately, since she's not rolling over a whole lot still..she's not waking up happy most mornings.  However, when she rolls over when she wakes, she is perfectly content. 
*Eats A LOT!  Nurses 4-5 times a day and eats approx 10-12 oz of solids a day (I make my own baby food so this is an estimate)!  Despite how much she's eating, she still weighs about the same that Claire did at this same age...in fact, she weighs a little less than Claire did.
*New foods are rice cereal, bananas, squash (she LOVES squash!!) and prunes.  I've known this since she was a newborn, but this girl has PROVEN to me this month that she LOVES to eat!  Ha!  As soon as she was able to get over her tongue thrust reflex, she's opened her mouth like a baby bird for food.
*Developmentally, she's still only rolling from front to back, but not back to front.  No crawling either.  But, she's sitting very well with support.  I'm still not worried though, she's proven to us that she'll move when she wants.  She absolutely looooves the bouncy seat!  She will kick and bounce over and over again.  Her legs are strong, she just doesn't feel the need to roll.

Happy Easter!



When you have been at church all morning and you have a hungry and tired 5 month old and 24 month old, then you get a dog's tushy in your Family Easter pictures.  Oh, well...it's given us a bunch of good laughs and it didn't stop me from printing a pic and putting it on my mantle.  :)




Again, with the dog.  Claire and Lauren with Grandma and Granddaddy.




Probably the best picture of the day.  They were waiting patiently for all of us to get ready for pictures.





This year, Nana sent some super cute buckets and plastic eggs for Claire and Lauren, from Texas.  She had a blast "finding" the eggs that we "hid" for her.  It was a new game to her.



We had such a blessed Easter this year.  Claire was old enough to "talk" to us about the real meaning of the day.  Nana sent lots of goodies from Texas including matching dresses for the girls.  (Oh, how I am soooo into matching clothes for my girls...who am I???  HA!!).  My heart was full of joy at church as I was able to truly reflect on my relationship with God and celebrate that Jesus is still Alive!!  Have you ever heard about how you can have a personal relationship with God?  This is why we joyfully celebrate Easter and why it's more than a time for us to put on pretty dresses and eat a great meal with family:

*God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
"I came so that they might have life and have it abundantly" John 10:10

*Man is sinful and seperated from God.  Therefore we cannot know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

*Jesus is God's only provision for our sin.  Through HIM, we can know and experience God's plan for our life.
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

*We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's plan for us. 
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him." Revelation 3:20

Years ago, both Bradley and I made our individual decisions to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus.  And we pray that our girls will someday as well.  Have you?

5 months Old!!

Well, I'm a few days late...but our baby is 5 months old!!  Wow.  She is really becoming a little person now!  She's now 15 lbs 11 oz.  And sometime this month I will start her on solids.  I'm a little sad for this phase as it's a sign that my baby is growing and becoming a little girl.  I just love the newborn phase (minus the sleepless nights)...but I also love this new phase too.  She will soon start to move a bit more, start babbling, and begin to become her own little person.  This month she rolled over for the first time too!  Well behind her big sister and I really struggled with not being concerned with it...so I was really relieved when she made this milestone!  But, with this milestone comes new little challenges for us too...for instance, she has begun to roll over in the middle of naps, which wake her up.  It won't be long before she "gets" how to stay asleep on both sides, but for now, she's startling herself awake each time.  :)  I love this little one so, so much.  I could just eat her up!!

2 Years

Never in my life has two years flown by like the last two. This week, Claire had a birthday and I am constantly amazed at how much of a little person she is becoming. She is not only talking, but forming sentences (for example: Ride Daddy Truck Mickey...translation: When I ride in Daddy's truck we listen to music). One thing that I love about Claire is that she's genuinely a loving person. Just the other day we had a playdate with Sarah, James and Eli and several times Claire walked up to Sarah and wrapped her arms around her legs and hugged her. She's also constantly thinking of other people. She's very social and really enjoys other people. She's always asking me if we are going to see Grandma & Granddaddy, or if we're going to "sike" (translation: Skype) with Nana & Grandpa. She loves to tell me that Emma, Cara, James and SaVanna are her "friends". She loves to read, sing, dance, color, run, swing, slide and climb. She ADORES her Daddy (& Mommy and sister too). I am personally a better person for knowing this little girl and I am incredibly priveledged to be her mom!! Claire, words cannot express HOW MUCH we love you. You were TRULY a GIFT from God to us! One of the most amazing gifts that He could've ever given us.

A few stats:
*25 1/2 lbs...45%
*34.25 inches...70%
*Doc mentioned that you can estimate adult height by doubling your 2 year old height...which would make her 5 ft 8.5 inches. We shall see...

 
She was just a few hours old and already we were smitten with her.


Her first trip to the beach. Myrtle Beach, SC. 3 Months Old. (Look at those rolls!)


She has gorgeous blue eyes. 5 Months Old.

 
7 Months Old.

 
10 Months Old.


First time in pigtails and Mommy wanted a picture. But all Claire wanted was a nap and so Mommy's pictures were pigtails and tears. Sweet girl. 10 1/2 Months.


Spring was here and all of a sudden her golden locks curled. 14 Months.

 
More pigtails and this time we got smiles. 21 Months. She was also a big sis by now.


2 Years.

4 Months Old!

Having a little snooze while big sis had a play date with friends.


Happy Girl!

Today our sweet Lauren is 4 Months Old! Wow, where did those 4 months go? They seemed to fly by quicker than Claire's first 4 months did. And what a month she has had! Here are some things to note:
*She slept through the night for the first time, only to get her sleep disrupted by 2 bouts of cold/congestion. For the most part, she is sleeping from 7:30 pm until anywhere from 4 am to 6:30am...depending on the day.
*She eats 5-6 times a day.
*She weighs 14 lbs 13 oz. And surprisingly, that's 5 oz smaller than Claire at this age. (Claire had a HUGE growth spurt between months 3 and 4)
*She is still not moving around much...no scooting and no rolling over. However, she has begun the process. She now enjoys rolling up on her side.
*She has begun to T.A.L.K. and it's just precious. Her "oohs" and "aaahs" are becoming more and more frequent.
*She's entered into the "distracted baby" syndrome. I have a difficult time getting her through a full feeding if Claire is in the room. Or if I have a fan on for that matter. HA!
*She traveled for the first time...and it was to TX!!
*Like I mentioned above, she's had her first "illness". 2 colds in 4 weeks. She's a trooper though. She'll just add in an extra feeding during the day if she needs to.
*Personality-wise...she's very calm and easy going. Much like her dad and much like her sister. She's very content to people watch and will only start to "fuss" if it's time to take a nap. She will however, let me know when it's time to eat. This child doesn't want to wait for long when she's hungry!
*She has laughed outloud for the first time and what a sweet sound that is!
*She found her hands and it looks like she will be like Claire in that she will drop the pacifier on her own and choose to suck her fingers.

Lauren, we love you more and more each day and are so very thankful for you. What a precious gift you are in our lives.

Baked Spaghetti

This is my mother-in-law's go-to recipe and I can devour it! It's super easy and my picky 23 month old even eats it! With 2 kids under the age of 2...I need recipes like this in my rotation...simple, quick and delicious!

1 lb ground beef
8 oz spaghetti noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 jar spaghetti sauce
shredded mozzarella and monterrey jack cheeses

Brown beef and cook spaghetti. In a large bowl, mix cooked beef, pasta, soup and sauce. Spray 9 x 13 dish with cooking spray and layer half of pasta mixture in dish. Put a layer of mozzarella and monterrey jack cheese. Repeat. Cook on 350 for 30 mins.

Taco Soup

I loooove Mexican Food and now that I live in NC I have learned how to make my own (although it still doesn't compare to The Mexican Inn). Anyway, a few years back, I came across this recipe for Taco Soup. I must say, that even in the Summer months I will sometimes make this because I love it so much! Also, it can be easily altered for every familys tastes...if your kids love corn...double the corn! If you like black beans instead of pinto...change it up! If you prefer Mild Rotel over Original (like me!), then switch it!

1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
2 cans Rotel
2 cans Pinto Beans
1 can kernal corn, drained
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing mix
tortilla chips
sour cream
shredded cheese

Cook ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet. Drain. Add beef, onion, Rotel, beans, corn, taco seasoning and ranch dressing packet into a large crockpot. Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded cheese.

3 Months Old...Already??

Our sweet baby girl is 3 months old today! Here are some things that we've noted about her this month:

~She weighs 13 lbs 14.5 oz...that's 1.5 lbs heavier than her sister at the same age!
~She eats 5 to 6 times a day
~She is sleeping so much better than last month! She has made leaps and bounds this month. She is napping much better (last month she was waking about 1 hour into EVERY nap and I was having to settle her down). Her nighttime sleep has stretched to 7-8 hours! Sometimes she'll wake earlier but I started noticing that she wasn't really eating when she woke so we started going in to settle her by putting the paci in her mouth and then she'll sleep for another 1-2 hours! What a champ!
~She's a Morning Person!!! This is SO clear to us! Not only is she happy and smiling in the mornings and afternoons, but in the evenings she's grumpy and rarely smiles. She even scowls!!HA! I'm interested to see how this plays out as she gets older...
~ She's not moving around much yet when she's awake. No rolling over and no scooting around on the floor. She'll twist her head around to watch Claire play and that's about it. However, while she's sleeping she moves ALL over the bed...turning in circles and scooting to the other end of the crib.
~She's a drooler! So much so that I've even checked for teeth a couple of times. I know, it's very rare to have a child pop out a tooth this early, but it's not unheard of! And I'm telling you, this child drools A LOT!
~Poor thing has her first cold. It was bound to happen at a young age since she was born right in the middle of the flu season. I'm just thankful that it happened AFTER she had her first round of shots. This cold has definitely disturbed her in her sleep, but we're praying that she'll be over it quickly and that it won't develop into an ear infection.

Lauren, words cannot express how deeply your dad and I love you. You are such an added blessing to our family and we are so thankful for you. We pray for you every day and are committed to bringing you up in the ways of the Lord. Love you punkin'.


Our big girl! Literally! These are 6 month clothes. :)


I can rarely capture her beautiful smile on camera. As soon as I hold up the camera she stares it down.




Even though she's making a funny face, I just had to include this picture. Notice the roll of fat around her midsection?!? I love it!