. hello, 2010 .

 

. she's ThReE .

dear sweet karsyn,

tonight mommy put you to bed for the last time as a two-year-old.  i cried.  yep, just like last year.  life with you only gets better every single day and i am so so so glad God chose me to be your mommy. 

 
i don't think i ever imagined you being who you are at three.  you are amazing.  you light up my eyes and my heart every moment of every day and your personality is so infectious and you constantly make us laugh.  some of the things you say make our jaws drop and then we laugh til our tummies hurt.  i absolutely love your innocence and the witty personality you posses.  basically, i cannot get enough of you. 

 
this year you became a big sister and stunned us all at how awesome you did, not that we doubted you one bit, but you surpassed our expectations by far.  you absolutely adore your little sister and i'm pretty sure she likes you too.  you are very helpful and somewhat protective of her and that makes my heart sing.  you love to make her laugh, which makes my heart smile to see you laughing together. 

 
you adore your friends as well.  i'm so thankful for the friends God has placed in your life already and i cannot wait to see where your friendships lead you.  you are definitely the leader of the pack, but a people-pleaser at the same time.  you don't like to see your friends hurt or sad and i'm so thankful for that.  you and juju are still best of friends and cry daily to see each other.  i hope we can be neighbors forever so you will always have your bestest friend right by your side.  and my absolute favorite with the two of you is that you play church all the time.  you go to worship in the laundry room.  how sweet is that? 

 
your curly hair still wow's the crowd.  everyone is in love with it, including me.  you have said several times recently how you want long hair like juju, but i hope you know that mommy and daddy love you the way you are.  your blonde curls and blue eyes make you, you. 

 
right now you are simply in love with life.  you sing and dance like no one is watching and play ballerina all day, every day.  my heart melts though when we listen to praise and worship songs in the car and you sing along.  my most favorite thing about you is that you love Jesus.  every night at dinner you pray "thank you Jesus for our food, amen."  i pray you never stop listening to God and praying to Him.  I know that God is going to use you in big ways.  He has blessed you in so many ways and has thoroughly blessed us by putting you in our life. 

 
sweet karsyn.  sissy.  we love you more than words can say.  i'm so thankful for this past year with you and how you grew and changed so much.  this year is going to be a trip, but mommy is ready.  i love you, sweet girl. 

happy birthday.

xoxo mommy

. she sleeps .

karsyn has always been a good sleeper, just not a late sleeper when morning rolls around.  she's definitely an early riser and, as much as i hate to admit it, i was the same way when i was young.  now, not so much. 

road trips are always hard on my sweet girls, as they are very much in love with their routine and their own beds.  do ya blame 'em?  so on a recent trip to llano, both girls slept the entire 3 hours there, but it was almost 10:00 when we finally got there and they were still zonked.  of course, karsyn didn't sleep well there and was up off and on.  and, like a good wife, i begged my favorite man to get up with her and he actually got her back to sleep ...

 

poor baby was passed out. 
 

. prayers for a sweet baby .

not a day goes by that i don't thank the Lord for my healthy babies, but too often i come across another story of an extremely premature baby or a baby with cancer or some other type of health problem.  my heart aches for parents that have to endure that pain.

today my prayers are with sweet baby calla.  she was born today at a mere 1 lb 15 oz.  i can't even fathom a baby that small, but i pray that she grows and her little body is strengthened with each passing day.

 

please pray for baby calla and her for mom, julie.
 

. long time, no post .

dear blog,

i'm a slacker.  i admit it.  i'm sorry i have neglected you terribly.  forgive me please as i try to make up the past month of posts.  sometimes a break is good, but i think i'm ready to see you again.  several things have happened in our family and a whole holiday is already in our past since i last visited you.  i'll try to not let it happen again (anytime soon).  promise.

erin.  aka blog slacker.

. eleven months .

 
YES, sweet baby is 11 months old.  ELEVEN.  that's so hard to say.  i blinked.  what a BIG mistake.  i was certain that i could hold on to her forever and she would stay little, and smell pretty, and coo, and have that sweet gummy smile. 

BUT, at 11 months ...

1.  she is a BIG girl.  i'm not sure how much she actually weighs, but she's not little anymore. 

2.  she eats and gets dirty.  she flings food like you've never seen.  instead of telling me "all done", she simply throws her food on the floor.  thank you, sweet baby.

3.  she talks and screams.  her and sissy have screaming contests daily.  it's rather cute.

4.  she now has 6 teeth.  2 on the bottom and 4 on the top.  and she knows how to use them.

5.  she's been sleeping a lot lately.  i think she may be growing again, sadly.  she sleeps for 12-13 hours at night, which you know i LOVE.

6.  she cruises while holding on to everything, but refuses to let go.

7.  she likes to climb. 

8.  she loves animal crackers and water.  what a snack?! 

9.  she has the best laugh ever.  and loves to play peek-a-boo. 

10. she is still the happiest baby in the world.  she does, however, get mad when she has nothing to eat or when mommy isn't holding her.  yes, she's spoiled.

 
i think i have decided that i'm officially going to keep her from turning 1 next month.  i'll just stop time and keep her a baby.  i know it'll work.  i'll let you know how it turns out on january 10th. 

. a new kind of canvas .

my sweet girl LOVES to color and do any sort of art.  painting is her favorite and on occassion, we get out the markers.  why, you ask?

 

welp.  it was bound to happen some day, right?  for the record, i was out on a photo shoot and left daddy in charge.  i returned home to find this sweet face staring back at me.  i think she was at a loss for words.  the artist?  oh, here she is ...

 

proudly displaying her masterpiece.  

and to answer everyone's question, yes, it was washable marker.  thankfully.  it came right out of her hair and her ears with a little water.
 
 

. sweet sam .

 
"blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  matthew 5:4

i don't think words can even express what sweet samantha was to everyone she encountered.  see that smile?  that was sam. 

today we're in deep prayer for my favorite man's family as they mourn the loss of this sweet girl.  she was truly a blessing to everyone she met and will be missed terribly.

. thanksgiving 09 .

every last thursday in november we are at my grandparents house.  every. single. year.  and we wouldn't have it any other way.  we are so very thankful for so many things this year, but mainly for family. 

speaking of family, ours grew by one this year and we couldn't be happier.

 

right after thanksgiving dinner, my favorite man and i headed out to make it back home for the aggie/longhorn game, which we do not need to discuss further.  the girls were able to have some quality nana and papa time and they always love that. 

we can say that thanksgiving 09 was such a blessing.  only problem ... mykah didn't like turkey, dressing, or sweet potatoes.  she IS my child.
  

. we are thankful .

 
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

. sweet wishes .

i wish i may,

i wish i might,

 

have the wish i wish tonight.

i {heart} traditions and i think we may have just started a new one for our little family.  the girls got to break the wish bone this year.  karsyn broke the bigger end off, so we shall see if her sweet, innocent, 2 1/2-year-old wishes do come true. 

. 10 fingers . 10 toes . 10 months .

this year has flown by faster than i ever imagined.  sweet baby is 10 months old and it happened in the blink of an eye. 

at 10 months, sweet baby ...
1.  is everywhere.  and fast.  i can barely keep up. 
2.  still loves to eat.  she has gone back and forth between baby food and table food.  she can't make up her mind which she likes better.  her favorite is sweet potatoes right now ... baby food, of course.  but she also thinks whenever sissy is eating, she also needs to be eating.
3.  is a fantastic sleeper.  the time change has thrown her off a little bit, but she sleeps 12 hours at night, for the most part.
4.  is in a transition from two naps a day, down to only one.  instead of 2 one hour naps, i prefer her to take one, long 3 hour nap.  it's wonderful.
5.  she has no interest in even practicing walking.  sissy walked at 11 months, so we shall see where mykah is going with this.

6.  she's the happiest baby ever. 
7.  she is even more attached to her blanket now than ever before.  she gets mad when karsyn even comes close to it.
8.  throws stuff behind her back or on the floor when she doesn't want it.
9.  is a great car rider.  she hardly cries at all on long trips.
10. is still dealing with lactoce intolerance.  i've tried re-introducing dairy, but she still can't handle it.
sweet mykah reese, mommy loves you so much.  you literally light up my life everytime i lay eyes on you.  and to think that i once didn't know how i could love another baby the way i loved karsyn.  you have proven to me that it is possible, ten times over.  not that i love either one of you more.  your smile, with your chubby cheeks, melts my heart.  you are such a joy to have in our family and i cannot wait to see what the next month holds.
xoxo mommy

. thankful, even though .

it's thanksgiving time.  i can hardly believe it.  last year i this time i couldn't see my feet and the world around me was sure i was having twins.  i didn't eat for two, but i was still so thankful for the blessings God has given me.

our family is still young.  with an almost 3 year old and a 10 month old, traditions are still up-and-coming.  we haven't really figured out fun and meaningful traditions we want to start, but we'll get there.  i think karsyn will start picking up on things rather quickly and i want to start traditions that she will remember and look forward to year to year.

thanksgiving is coming.  we do give thanks every day, but now is that season.  the season when the people who normally don't give thanks actually do.  the season when people go around the table and say what they are thankful for. 

today, i am thankful for these two sweet girls that God has purposefully and prayerfully given to us.  they are a huge blessing in my life and i'm simply thankful God chose me to be their mommy.

 

especially today.  when karsyn has swine flu and mykah busted an ear drum.  they hurt.  they are sad.  and i'm the one they turn to.  i'm so thankful, not for them being sick, but that they know that i'm comforting and that i love them.  always.
 

. we have a baby brother! .

the hill house has expanded.  it happened fast.  we didn't have to wait 9 months and now we have a mix of both genders.  not equally, but there is at least a boy and a girl now.  this was very unexpected, but we are delighted to have him around.  i'm not sure exactly how much he weighs, but he wears premie clothes.  i know this because i just bought him an outfit today.  "baby brother" must wear blue, ya know.  all we have is pink 'round here.

the new additions name, you ask?  well, it's "baby brother", of course.  karsyn and i discussed names today and i think we may have settled on "max", but soon after we reached a decision, she went back to calling him "baby brother". 

luckily, he doesn't seem to mind.  he's pretty calm.  very laid back and patient.  he has to be.  he doesn't get a word in all day and big sister is insistent that he does everything with her.  although it may not be safe, he does sleep with her in her bed.  on her pillow.  she loves "baby brother" so much, but not enough to share her blankie though.  seems as though no one gets that privilege.

here's "baby brother's" first picture ...

 

and here's his first jump on the trampoline ... he actually seemed to enjoy it, although his expression never changed.

 

and, yes, "baby brother" has already had a visit to target.  and walmart.  and is always safely buckled in the car.  he's only been dropped a handful of times, but dr. mom is always on top of it, however, our bandaids are running low now.

{a quick side note about the trampoline ... ours has a net around it that zips up and locks from the outside.  all three of my bundles played on there for about an hour today.  i must say, the trampoline is my new favorite!}

and back to the story.  we are happy to have "baby brother" join us, even if we can't decide on a name.  when we do, you'll be the first to know.
 
tonight ... "baby brother" gets to meet mimi and pop and go to the farm.

.10 on tuesday .

because this week has already been an adventure, here are 10 things i have learned recently ...

1.  this time change isn't all it's cracked up to be.  someone forgot to tell small children that they are still supposed to sleep.  both of my sweet girls have been up before 6am each day.

2.  i {heart} frappuccinos.  my neighbor gave me a recipe and it's so yummy.  it's definitely a treat, but i want to find a treat that my child doesn't like too.  i don't want to share EVERYTHING. 

3.  i don't put any time into my friendships.  i have so richly been blessed with fabulous friends.  whether they live states away, across town, or next door.  friends are important and i want to be a better friend to those i have.

4.  i really do like chocolate.  all these years i have said i don't like chocolate.  so why did i indulge in half of karsyn's trick or treat stash?  i'll have to clarify.  i don't like chocolate cake.  chocolate pudding.  chocolate ice cream.  or dark chocolate.  but those yummy little candy bars rock my world right now.  hence the reason i sent them to school with my favorite man.

5.  i really do like to cook.  i would so much enjoy it more if i didn't have someone tugging on my pants leg or one screaming that she's hungry.

6.  speaking of, toddlers really are bottomless pits.  my sweet girl wants to eat all.the.time.  seriously.  i have to tell her no, especially after she's just eaten a banana, a package of crackers, and a cookie just after she's eaten a hardy lunch.

7.  i do not enjoy working out.  ok, i already knew this.  it's no surprise.  but i WANT to enjoy it.  just like i WANT to enjoy coffee.  surely the love for working out will come way before the love for coffee.

8.  teaching mother's day out every week makes me want to be a better mom.  it sounds weird.  but seeing those little ones that are so stinkin' cute make me think of my own two children.  i see what these kids wear, what they eat, what's in their diaper bags and it makes me wonder what people think of how i treat my own children, how i dress them, what i put in their lunches.

9.  eating too much chocolate can make your face break out no matter what your age.  'nough said.

10. i feel so very blessed to live here.  we have tried for 3 years to move back to san antonio and, for some reason, the Lord keeps us here.  for what reason we may never know, but we are happy to be in aggieland.  i love it. 

. happy halloweenie .

yesterday, all day, at our house my sweet girl said it was "happy halloweenie" and while halloween is by far my least favorite holiday, having cute kids makes it a little more fun.  valentine's is my other least favorite, but we won't get into that.  so, for the sake of my children, and because i'm no scrooge, i am trying to make these celebrated holidays a little more exciting for them. 

halloween this year was a little more intense than last year.  karsyn still doesn't get it.  she doesn't know how to wait in lines for her turn at the fall festivals.  she doesn't know that we have to carefully inspect her candy before she can eat it.  she certainly didn't know that we had to wait until we got home for her to indulge in 2 bags of m&m's at bedtime.  she didn't know that she was supposed to dress up.  she didn't know that we'd walk door to door down our non-lit neighborhood where more halloween scrooges evidently live. 

she had fun though.  and i think she got it by the end.  she's still wearing her costume and it's the next day.  she wore it to bed and all morning here.  so she still doesn't know that, even though she got frito pie on her little ballerina skirt, mama has to wash it sometime.  i'll convince her of that soon.  but she so enjoys being a ballerina and i'll let her for a while longer.

 

sweet baby?  she was my little bunny rabbit.  although she didn't keep her ears on, she did have a little white tail, made out of a bath scrubbie thing, of course.  our little bunny pooped out before trick or treating though. 

 

because my sweet girl is very uncooperative when it comes to picture-taking and posing, i have no pictures of her in her ballerina outfit other than when she's sliding or stuffing her face with frito pie.  seriously.  

 

the end.

 
 

. thankful thursday .

i hate thursdays.  i'm tired.  it's usually been a long week.  it's the day before friday.  my house is a wreck.  and my list could go on.  but it's faces like these that make me smile bigger than ever before, even when i see them on thursdays.

today, i'm thankful i saw this face all day long.

 

 

 

 

i just {heart} this sweet baby.

. wordless wednesday .

 

 

. 10 on tuesday .

here is my list of 10 things i need to do or think about before the new year.  (yes, i am already thinking about that time.  it's coming quick, people.)

1.  what.  when.  where.  how will i pull off 2 birthday parties or just one big one.  karsyn's birthday is december 22nd.  mykah's is january 10th.  for us this is no big deal.  but if we would like any guests at our party/parties we have to strategically plan around Christmas and new year's celebrations. 

2.  what will we get the girls for their birthdays and for Christmas.

3.  prepare my house for a small walker.  a child that is.  mykah will be one in january and will soon be walking.  i need to prepare.  it is big walker proof, but not small walker proof.

4.  a new job.  details to come later. 

5.  decide what i will make/contribute to thanksgiving dinner.  i usually bring paper goods or something non-perishable as we travel the farthest out of everyone that attends.  last year, i believe, my family was 60 strong for that gathering.

6.  clean our back yard and prepare for 2 children to play come spring time.  maybe when it's not mosquito infested we can enjoy it again.

7.  call and get karsyn in on gymnastics.  why do i put this off every week?

8.  keep my house clean.  that truly should take up all 10 spaces.  seriously.

9.  figure out a new entertainment center arrangement for our living room.  our tv will not survive 2 children and 20 little fingers if it is not up higher. 

10.  try to relax.  try to enjoy this time.  this truly should be my #1, but for the lack of time to rearrange everything, i'll keep it right here.  maybe ending on a positive, inspirational something will make me happy.  my girls are growing up so fast.  by the end of the year and start of the next, i'll have a 3 year old and a 1 year old.  i get very much caught up in everyday life and cleaning and organizing that i find myself not taking the time to sit and enjoy life.  so, here's to it.  off to do sidewalk chalk on this beautiful day.

. my pumpkins .

i think i'll write fall a love letter.  it is because of this favorite time of year that i can capture pictures like this of my sweet girl ...

 

unfortunately, sweet baby is not a big fan of those big orange pumpkins.  she cries everytime.  but her smile is so sweet that any other picture we get is super duper cute.

 

this past weekend we went to a new pumpkin patch in lavernia with my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and my nephew.  karsyn had a blast.  mykah had fun being held.  she knows how to work it, folks. 

and my non-poser actually posed for me.   

we had a great weekend and would do it again every weekend if we could.  maybe next time the tables will turn and i can get some pumpkin pictures of sweet baby.

 
 

. bad, bad blogger .

i have my moments.  sometimes i do really good keeping up.  other times, well, i slack off a little.  ok, maybe a lot.  this whole mommy of two thing is tough.  these days my mind is drifting in between what-do-i-feed-this-kid-who-can't-really-eat-finger-foods-but-wants-to ... how-do-i-get-this-baby-who-always-has-been-easy-to-get-to-sleep-but-now-screams-for-an-hour-back-to-sleep ... to why-does-my-almost-three-year-old-have-the-attitude-of-a-teenager?

oh the joys of mommyhood.  i'm glad no one claimed it was easy.  right now, this is what we are dealing with, struggling with, living through, and still loving ...

*mykah is 9 months old.  she has always been the easiest baby.  always happy.  always ready to sleep.  in every way possible, complete opposite from what karsyn was.  karsyn did sleep good, did eat good, and was typically happy ... until she turned 2. 

*but mykah has now decided that, because she has 4 teeth, she can eat whatever she wants.  she either chews her baby food and makes it squeeze out of her cheeks or she screams until i give her whatever karsyn is eating.

*she has also decided that she wants to scream and fight us for an hour to go to sleep.  i think it might be almost time to not have that morning nap, but i'm not quite sure yet. 

*karsyn is plain sassy, and sometimes i catch myself calling her "sassy" instead of "sissy".  she likes it.  she knows it's true.  and more times than i would prefer, she says things that i have told her before.  for example ... to our neighbor friend, "you are not being nice.  i think you need to go sit in time out for a bit."

i get frustrated.  i get worn down.  i get fed up.  but i'm lovin' every minute of it. 

should i mention that just today i had to clean up a puddle of pee from the mall floor, only to come home and have to clean poop out of the bathtub.  while i was cleaning off pee-girl, sweet baby pooped.  nice.  and right now i'm washing sheets from said pee-girl because she then peed her bed at naptime.

so that, my friends, is why i have been a bad blogger this week.

. fall favorites .

of course my favorite color is orange.  it's obvious.  so fall being my favorite time of year comes as no surprise.  the only thing that could top it would be cool weather every day instead of once a month.  right now, however, another favorite color is coming up in the ranks around my house.  that color? 

aqua.  it's my new love.  my kitchen is now orange and aqua.  it makes me happy.  so this is my new fall favorite decor.  it's home is on top of my entertainment center in the living room and it's perfect.

 

isn't this adorable.  those candle holder things were brown and i painted them and added antiquing glaze.  an orange pumpkin on top and it's the perfect fall decoration for me.  cute and simple. 

 

and if pumpkins weren't such a fall-thing, they'd for sure be up year round at my house.  yes, just because they are orange.

what's your favorite fall decoration?
 
 

. wordless wednesday . my sweet girls .

 

. 9 in, 9 out .

that's right.  sweet baby was in my tummy for 9 months, and now she's been in my arms for 9 months.  it's been 3/4 of a year already.  WHOA!  and so for my every month favorite phrase "can you believe it?"

 

and, so at 9 months, mykah ...

* has 4 teeth ... 2 top, 2 bottom.  and she knows how to use them.

* throws everything she doesn't want.  crackers.  toys.  blankets.  throws them.

* thinks sissy is the coolest ever.

* has highly contagious baby giggles and smiles.  she smiles all the time.  seriously.

* loves to eat frozen peas and anything else other than baby food. 

* today we found out that she likes cheetos.  thanks sissy.  we'll pay for that one later when we change her diaper.

* eats breakfast, lunch, & dinner, plus 4 bottles.

* says "dada", "nana", and "lala"

* insists on standing (with help) and has attempted taking steps, although she falls flat on her sweet little face.

* loves to cuddle.  and i love that.  

* and cooperates rather well when i take her pictures.  :)  which you know i love.

 

  

. break in the rain .

we had a small break in the rain this morning and this is what we did ...

{i promise my child is happy.  she always looks so sad in pictures, but that would be because she knew i was taking her picture and refused to smile.  as always.}

. thankful thursday .

today i am thankful for the mommy of these two sweet girls ...

here are 10 reasons i am thankful for mrs. cindy, in no particular order.
1.  she makes some rockin' chili and cornbread.
2.  she has such a kind heart and brings said chili and cornbread for all us MDO teachers to enjoy.
3.  she shared 4 gigantic bags of baby clothes with us.
4.  she is a HOOT.  she makes me laugh every time i talk to her.
5.  she loves my sweet girl and is the best teacher to her.
6.  she thinks my sweet girl is, well ... sweet!
7.  she loves her family and her home.  you see, she's a country girl.  she even has a garden!  and i hear her home is fabulous, although i've never been there myself.
8.  she is ALWAYS ready to have a good time.  always. 
9.  she is compassionate in all that she does.
10. she loves my Jesus.

. wordless wednesday * sweet friends .