Saturday, July 24, 2010

3 Years & 10 Months

Carter turned three several weeks ago. Yup, I'm that far behind...

I love this little man so much! He still loves to snuggle, but plays hard. He's all boy, but has a sensitive, sweet spirit. Trucks, trains and cars remain his favorite toys, but he & Ava play together a lot now, so he can also be found playing with her pony castle or dressing up.

Opening presents at his birthday party


Thomas birthday cake (Ava has announced that next year he's having a Little Mermaid cake...)


Eating cake & ice cream on the swingset

He's really starting to lose his toddler chubbiness - he seems taller and thinner. His speech is clearer and he is starting to exert his will more, too. I didn't experience much of the "terrible two's" with him, but about a week before three hit, he started with some major tantrums. I'm hoping this doesn't last long!

Audrey is 10 months old today. Is that possible?? How can this year be going by so fast? She now pulls herself up to stand and spends most of her time attempting to get into every last thing she can't have. Carter and Ava both struggle with her wanting to play with all their toys (she very rarely wants the "safe for kids under 3" toys). She's also gotten LOUD. She screeches for no reason and even makes noises when she eats. She's learned to wave and gets so excited when she sees her brother or sister. Still no real words, but Ava & Carter were both late to talk, and they talk plenty now, so no worries there.


Playing with Ava's pony castle... pretty sure Ava was napping


I love this girl's expressions! I've never seen a baby with such expressive eyebrows...
even a lady at the park commented on them!


Here's a few more pics from a recent trip to Neena & Poppie's house:



no idea what this look from Chloe is about, but I love it!


Audrey drooled on Mark's sleeve for a while before giving in and falling asleep.

And while most of the time this blog is about the kids, there is news for me and Mark as well. Please pray with us as Mark is pursuing other employment opportunities. I'm convinced that God has something better for him and for our family! Also, tomorrow Mark and I will celebrate 12 years of marriage!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Summer Days

Audrey is 9 months. Her first year has been FLYING. She still seems like my baby (obviously, compared to the other 2), but she also seems far too old already! She's been such a sweet baby that I'm not anxious for her to grow up even though I know I can't stop her.


She's showing more of an opinion than her siblings when it comes to food. While they ate pretty much anything I'd offer, she will fuss if I give her something she's not fond of... and sometimes I'll get it spit back at me. She hates having food in the corners of her mouth and I have to be quick to get it because while she hates it right next to her mouth, she's fine with smearing it absolutely anywhere else on her face. Or the chair. Or her clothers. Or basically anywhere else. How can such a small bit of food make such a mess?? She's become a pro at feeding herself finger foods, and she also loves to play with her tongue. At first it only came out when she was eating - in between bites she'd stick it out and see how she could contort it. Lately, it's a constant facsination.



Like her siblings, she loves to swing.


And lucky for her, Carter even likes to push her!


She has mastered the army crawl and has gotten so FAST. She's also starting to stand if holding on to someone or something and she has attempted to pull herself up a few times. I sway between encouraging these new developments and immediately grabbing her, holding her like a baby and asking her if she could slow down just a little.

Carter's not slowing down a bit and turns 3 in just a few days! This morning Ava went around the living room and picked out some of his favorite things so she'd have some presents for his birthday. She also pulled out all the orange construction paper she could find (his favorite color) so she could wrap them and finally, went on to make a card for each present.

For more pics of the fun we've been having this summer, check out this album on Facebook!