A little less conversation, a little more action!

Dare I say we have a walker on our hands?!  While at a family dinner at the Schoenling's my sweet princess took her very first steps! It will be a while before she officially walks on her own, but she is definitely getting closer!  It was made even more special when her little cuz did the same tonight!  (well, little as in 3 days younger!  She is a bit bigger than Alexis!)  It is so fun that they are growing up together!  Since the birthday season, Alexis has also started talking a little.  She says "dat" and points to objects when asking what they are and when requesting them.  She may have said "ball" at her birthday party.  Our favorite, of course is when we ask her what the owl says...she say "whoo whoo" in a teeny high pitched little voice!  So sweet!  She has even started saying "whoo whoo" when she sees owls!

More Monkeying Around!

On Max’s actual birthday, we gave him our gifts. Alexis gave him a bowling activity rug. Mommy and Daddy gave him an r/c car that lights up, and some hex bugs. Darrell also converted our old kitchen table into a train table. We put his track together and put fresh batteries in his trains. We finished it off by putting a Percy pillow pet on top as a "bow". The rug and car were probably the favorites (so much for all the effort to make a cool train table!) After presents, Darrell made eggs and bacon. We topped breakfast off with donuts covered in sprinkles. Mmm! After breakfast, we spent time playing with Max’s new toys together. Next, we continued the monkey business at Monkey Joe’s for Max’s birthday buddy’s party. Because Max called and recited his Cubbies Bible verse to Uncle Ted (after several tries), he was allowed to skip Cubbies. Max and I used that time to have a date at McDonald's. We had a great time eating dinner together. We talked and giggled and just really enjoyed some long over due one-on-one! At bed time we snuggled and recounted the birthday weekend events!

A monkey turns 4

FOUR?! I just can't believe Max is now 4! I have really been a mommy for 4 years! I am so proud of my little monkey! We celebrated Max's 4th year the day before his birthday this year. He decided to have a monkey party. As I scoured pinterest, etsy, and other internet sites looking for the perfect monkey cake or cupcakes, my dear son said "No, mama, I want a rec-y-tangle cake with a monkey candle on it." Wish granted. Life made easier! We also decided to be sure the tornadoes from last year were not invited! The weather was actually perfect! A lot of kids spent the party searching for creepy crawlies under our deck and in the woods (ick! Max was not one of them...he is my kid after all!) I think the hit of the party was the McDonald's cash register from Grandaddy and Grandmother! What a great day!

A golfer to be?

Thanks to a coworker of Darrell's, Max now has real golf clubs "just his size." He has given Darrell plenty of exercise in the yard practicing his swing. The miniature clubs are even designed for lefty's! Too cute!

Playtime, Painting and a PB&J

Here's some pics of us just fooling around. One of my favorite moments of the kids so far...Max was sharing his front loaders with his little sister. They played for a long time giggling together. We also gave Alexis a paintbrush and a paint with water picture. She didn't really get into it yet, but the pics were cute. She has now had her first pb&j experience as well. I think it was a hit!

Hoppy Easter

I know, it is surprising we haven't done this before, but this was Max's 1st encounter with dyeing eggs. He seemed to enjoy it! Our favorite part was the shrink wraps that came in the PAAS kit. The kids really enjoyed hunting eggs this year! Max did well searching for hidden treasures while Alexis liked tapping two eggs together. Max's basket included a sun catcher, ever important Charlie and Lola DVDs and his very favorite candy, DOTS! Alexis received a sweet doll with her name on it which she gave her full-body hug. We also enjoyed a nice dinner with Darrell's parents, Auntie and a surprise visit from his brother and family!

Coming Attractions!

Stay tuned as I do hope to stay more current with the blog as time passes! Up next will be Easter 2012, and our little Max’s 4th birthday! We’ll toss in a little beach trip in June, then PRESCHOOL for Max this fall! It is tough to do a year in review, and my mommy brain is worn out from it! I don’t want to have to do that again any time soon!

More Birthday Pics…and a Dr’s appt

Alexis had her 1 year check up at Jeffers Mann and Artman on 4/3. Weighing in at 17 lbs and ½ an oz, she is now the 15th %tile for weight! No surprise to anyone who knows her mama, she is in the 3%tile for height! She had to have 4 shots and a finger prick (I am pretty sure they squeezed ALL of her blood out). I missed our old practice even more. Dr. Hewett was much more efficient with the shots and could get them done so quickly, they didn’t have a chance to feel each one individually. That being said, the doc said she is now on point with her growth curve and is pleased with all aspects of her development!

Whooo’s One: A birthday party!

I think Alexis’s first birthday party had to have been my favorite so far! It was toooo cute! I really enjoyed having family come over and celebrate her little life! She was in the greatest mood, too! We gave her pizza and of course a cupcake. I LOVED the cupcakes this year….they were owls of course! Pink owls no less!

Birthday Mornin'

We said good morning to our birthday girl with a song! She seemed to know that the day would be all about celebrating her life! Most of the prep for the party had been done, so we were able to just relax and enjoy her sweet company! I am not sure who enjoyed her presents more, her or Max! She was also a pro at walking with her baby stroller! It seemed as if she'd been doing it for years, well a year anyway!

Red Robin, Yum!

Just as we did for Max, we took Alexis to Red Robin for a birthday dinner. We celebrated the night before as her party was on her actual birthday. Here are a few pictures of Alexis the last day she was under one!

A girl's gotta look her best...

Love that Alexis is all ready brushing her own hair! It is so sweet. Can't wait till we get mani/pedis and get our hair done together! While I am so glad to have Max, I never knew just how much I would LOVE having a girl. Oh, and don't you just love that dress?

And we are almost Current!

Spring is here! Alexis is crawling and creeping along furniture. She will be walking soon! We are finally able to play outside again! We didn’t really have a winter this year, so there are no cute cuddly pics of the kids in the snow or bundled up! With a birthday fast approaching, here are a few more pictures of our little one still under one! (Check out the massive meal she's eating!)

Bebe Comes To Life, 1st Valentine’s day

Max’s best friend, Bebe, has taken on new characteristics. He now talks, cries, needs to be fed, and sometimes needs to be dressed. I had to include this one! Love is in the Air…Max wasn’t into photos on this holiday. I did snag a couple of Alexis!