swimmin', slidin' and serious business

W learned that there are other babies in the world and best of all they have EARS!

Yesterday we had a swimming play date with some good friends. It was just a picture perfect day, unfortunately these are the only four pictures I took of the boys to prove how perfect it really was...HA! R swam for four hours straight and W took a great nap so I got to just relax by the pool with great friends, great food and great conversation. Did I mention it was a perfect day! When I finally convinced R that we had to leave because the cracks in his hands and feet would stick if we didn't he caught me off guard and asked me one of THE dreaded parenting questions. I always knew that this day would come but man I thought he'd be a lot older before he started asking the really serious stuff. As we were driving away it happened...He asked me in a very inquisitive but sad voice "Mommy, why don't we have a pool?" Yep he asked it. Can you believe it? I was utterly speechless, I took a deep breath, said a little prayer for guidance and finally came up with this answer..."We just don't oh look there's a Dairy Queen how about a Blizzard to comfort your broken spirit." And just like that I was able to totally dodge the whole subject. Ice cream really is the best ANSWER to anything! Now I know when it comes time to explain the whole birds and the bees issue we will definitely make sure we are within driving distance from a Texas Stop Sign! (that's a DQ for my non-native Texan readers)

six months and full of smiles

Okay so I'm a little late in posting Wyatt's six month pictures partly because we have been so BUSY but mostly because I could just cry thinking that HALF of his first year is already behind us. Half a year people!! When you have a baby you think every month is your favorite month but I really do believe that six months is my true favorite. I remember it being my favorite with Rhett as well. There's just something about that moment when you know that your baby knows you and actually wants to be with you. W did great at his six month check-up. He weighs 16 lbs and 3 oz and is 27 inches long. He went up from 50th% to 75th% for height and went down from 50th% to 25th% in weight. I thought he seemed to be taller than R was because his legs already hang off the end of the bouncy seat and he had to graduate from the infant carrier to a real big car seat because of the same reason. He took all of his shots so well this time and only cried when he got his band aids. His doctor said all is well health wise and he doesn't go back until his nine month check-up. Here is what else our little W is up to at six months

• can totally sit up unassisted
• table foods he's eating: cheerios, banana, avocado, watermelon, green beans and broccoli
• has no patience in between bites during feedings, he is in a hurry to get it all down the hatch
• wearing size 3-6 month clothing and size 2 diapers; although he is getting close to needing size 3's
• will sit and "play" with toys
• he totally recognizes mommy and daddy and will reach for us when he sees us
• If he's tired while I'm holding him, he will lie his head on my chest, stick his left thumb in his mouth and twirl my hair with his right hand...it is so SWEET!
• still cries the whole time during Sunday school and has to ride in the bye bye buggy
• he will roll wherever he needs to go and will sometimes turn his rolls into an army crawl
• he still laughs out loud at big brother
• babbles up a storm and really loves his high pitched squeals
• has babbled mama and dada, and is working on connecting those names to us
• still nurses around six times a day and is now getting up around 4:00am for his first feeding
• still has swollen gums on the bottom and drools and chews on everything, but no teeth yet
• has gotten from a lying down position to a sitting position in his crib on his own
• soothes himself at night by cuddling his taggie blanket while sucking his thumb
• is starting to really look more and more like big brother

We are still just overcome with love for our sweet little six month old and look forward to another great six months loving on him!

and just like that she was gone

WHY, WHY, WHY oh WHY did you have to leave us Kelsey. We had such a great time with you and are just so thankful that you have grown up into the amazing young lady that you are. We hope you'll come back to see us soon not only because we LOVE you so much but frankly I'm getting tired of having to feed and hold my own child again...HA HA! Thanks for all of your help and especially thank you for just being YOU, full of extra awesomeness!! Oh and for the record I did actually cry when I had to leave you at the airport! We love you girl!

a trip to the aquarium

We met Rita, one of my best friends since Third Grade, at the Aquarium

How many times do you think they peed after those?

Watching R hanging out of the top of the Ferris wheel almost gave me a heart attack!

Of course this is what happens when you say "don't spray me!"

R and B checking out the sting rays

After they got to touch the sting rays R ran up to me so excited and said, "Momma I just touched my first sting ray!" I wonder how many more he's planning on touching?

If these two do get married like they say they are we are going to have no shortage of pictures for their wedding montage...ha!

The great thing about daddy working downtown is getting to stop off and see him after a long hot day of playing at the Aquarium. R LOVES getting to go to daddy's work and W had fun playing football.

some day we will say "this is where it all began"

When Rhett and Kelsey grow up to be a famous production/acting team we will all look back and know that this is where it all began. Brace yourself for the amazing dramatic, short film you are about to see and in the future when you see their E True Hollywood Story you can always remember that you were able to witness one of their first ever masterpieces. Be prepared, the acting and special effects will send chills down your spine!



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

wet and wild weekend

Cousin Kelsey came home with us from our road trip out West and I refuse to let her go back home on Wednesday. (did you hear that B&L you can't make me and I'm not going to do it) She has been a huge help and we have just been having so much fun! We spent Saturday morning hanging out at the pool and committed ourselves to staying wet the rest of the weekend.

Only a loving cousin will give you piggy back rides in the pool

Sunday morning we got up and headed to Schlitterbahn. I don't have many pictures because I didn't want to have to deal with the whole wet camera issue, so I forked over $7 so that my camera could sit safely in a locker just wishing it could capture some of our wonderful memories.

We all had a blast tubing down the slides. R and I rode one together and just screamed our heads off the whole time. I just love that boy and hope I never forget the squeals we shared barreling down the slide. Lots of lucky passersby got to see my reenactment of a beached whale free of charge when I had to try to gracefully squeeze my rear out of the tube in a bathing suit with R laying on me...HA! R and I also got to tube around the "lazy river" which was neither LAZY nor was it a river. I had sweet visions of W and I leisurely floating around the water park but Jason's vision of he and W was apparently stronger than mine and I'm so glad it was. Letting Jason take W was the best decision I made of the day. The water was so rough that I might have lost him. After we all made one lap around the river and after Kelsey and Jason had to Free Willy I mean rescue R and me out of our tube we finally read the signs that clearly say "Torrent River" which in English means--Hang on for dear life and do not under any circumstances try to hold a baby on your chest while trying to survive this angry river and if you choose to do so then Godspeed! Note to self: Next time read all the big posted warning signs before entering a ride.

Daddy and R got to ride several slides and shared some great memories as well.

Once our pruned hands and feet finally subsided it was time to get them wet again. This is why I LOVE my neighbors. We had an Adult versus kid full contact water balloon fight. The big kids I mean adults, had just as much or more fun than the little kids. Click on the picture below to see a larger view of the action.

We may or may not have filled some of our balloons up with shaving cream! Did I mention how much we LOVE these people!

home again, home again!

I think that W's face just sums up how we all felt when we pulled into our driveway. We had a great road trip away but nothing beats coming home to see our daddy! (For more pictures of our road trip scroll down below the "show us where you live" post)

show us where you live Friday

I'm participating in Kelly's Korner Show us where you live Friday tour and this week she's featuring Children's parties and I thought I had to include the Pirate and Princess party we had for Rhett's fourth birthday. This was such a fun party and theme. (Disclaimer: I was going through IVF during the time and was in need of a distraction from fertility issues so I may or may not have gone a little overboard.) More than 70 people showed up and it was crazy-fun Enjoy!

Cover of the invitation

Inside of the Invitation

The Super-Cute Pi-Rhett
The Cakes
My little sister painted faces

We made a huge pirate ship for the kids to play in and they LOVED it! I got the plans for the ship from Mr. McGroovey's

The princesses ditched their princess manners when it was time to dive in for the pinata candy

We had a treasure dig station that I filled with shells, beads and jewels.

Grandma ran the craft making station where the princesses made wands and the pirates made pirate masks.

The kids LOVED the party and we all just had a great time. Thanks for coming by Matey!

It's your lucky day I'm including a few BONUS shots from Rhett's Two-year old John Deere party

happy birthday kolsen

Do you realize just how HARD it is to get a great picture if Kolsen and Rhett are both in it...these two boys will never be serious at the SAME time!

Cousins Bronc and Molli
"Will ya'll finish singing to me already!"

What happens when you eat an entire donut covered in icing...

Then you eat all the candy that falls out the pinata and wash it down with oh lets say around seven juice boxes...

You end up with one big fat tummy ache that can only be cured with a perfectly timed explosion in front of the entire party crowd. But don't worry once the purging is complete you can get back to partying and jumping on the trampoline...oh to be a kid again! We all know it's not a real party unless somebody throws up! HA HA!

We had a great visit at Aunt JoJo's and finished it off with a John Deere birthday party for Kolsen. I'm so happy that our kids all get along so well and that R has a place to go where he can just go crazy running around the country with his cousins. He came home covered in dirt and bruises and loved every minute of it!