Eleven Months

AveryAnn, you are eleven months old.  We're only 30 days away from your first birthday.  I'm filled with emotion about it.  Both happy and sad.  You are just the sweetest little Mama's girl and I love seeing your little personality develop but I also miss rocking that tiny newborn that never slept. 

• You weigh around 19lbs
• Around 27"
• You're still wearing size 3 diapers, you should already be in 4's but we're trying to use the rest of this box.
• Mostly 9m-12m clothes.

• You are a really good sleeper.  You sleep 12-13 hours at night.  You're so happy when you wake up, you will talk to and laugh until I come and get you.  It's really sweet.
• You still need 2 naps a day and some days you get them and some you don't. 
• We're almost completely done nursing.  You still nurse in the morning and at night but you get formula during the day.  You got too distracted and wouldn't nurse long enough to get what needed.
• You're eating table food 3 times a day.  You like everything we put in front of you.  Carbs are your favorite and you probably get way to much sugar but you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables too.

• You're crawling anywhere you want to go. Except when we're outside, you will not get off the blanket.  You just sit and smile and laugh at us while we're running around chasing Barrett.
• As you can see above, you're trying so hard to pull up.  You'll get on your knees and you can get one foot under you.  It won't be long.  I think we're still a ways away from walking though.
• 2 more teeth came in this week for a grand total of 4.

• We had our first sick visit to this month.  You had a runny nose and were a little fussy over the holidays but I thought it was probably just your schedule being all off. Nope.  Both ears were infected.  Dr. Farr said "both her ears are infected, but she sure is happy".  You took your medicine like a champ everyday.

• You're hair is still wild.  You do not love wearing a bow.  You'll usually keep a headband on but not a clip in bow.
• You love to laugh.  You laugh all the time.  You think your brother is the funniest.

You are such a joy.  I know I say it every month but it's just the truth. If I had to choose one word to describe you it would be joy.  I feel like everyone just smiles when you're around.  I still can't believe you're eleven months old.  It seems like yesterday they placed you in my arms and I blinked and you're nearly a year old.  We love you so much!

Warm January Fun

We had a laid back weekend around here.  I took very few photos.  I'm really trying to put down my phone more and just enjoy the time with my kids but I'm usually sad I don't have more pictures.  I need to find a more happy balance.

Friday night, the kids and I went over to my parents house so my dad could color my hair. It had been nearly a year since we'd colored it and it was beyond time.  Barrett loves to answer their house phone.  Its so funny.  So anytime anyone we know calls he answers it. 

Saturday, we went to Madelyn's 1st birthday party.  I can't believe she's already one.  Hope and John both had Mickey mouse themed first birthday parties and Hope planned Madelyn the cutest Minnie mouse party.  I took zero pictures with my phone.  (I took a lot of pictures with Hope's camera so she could enjoy the party)

Today we got up and went to Mass and then came home and hung out.  I finally got the coat closet and dresser in the foyer cleaned out. 

When AveryAnn got up from her nap we headed outside to enjoy the beautiful spring like weather.

Barrett loves hitting his ball off the tee.  We're signing him up for ragball this year.  Hopefully it's a positive experience for everyone involved.

This girl is so funny.  I put a blanket down on the ground and she will not get off of it.  She crawls and rolls all over it but has not desire to be in the grass.  She loves watching her brother and laughs at everything he does!  We're looking forward to another week of amazing weather.

From Snow to Spring

I'm still trying to get back in the swing of blogging and I'm clearly not doing it well.  I've written the post about the "snow" in my head several times, just now getting it down here.  Last Friday it was 30 degrees, today it's 70.

We have a little tradition at the office called Donut Friday.  We've been doing it on and off for about 4 years but in the last few months, we haven't missed many.  Barrett won't let us miss.  It's his favorite day of the week.  Last Friday, AveryAnn got in on the action.  Steven gave her the whole donut and there wasn't a crumb left. She went to town.

We were forecasted to get "0-3 inches" of snow, as usual the local weather media had convinced us all we were going to be snowed in for weeks. It didn't do anything at our house.  It snowed for a little while we had a little on the cars but nothing like some places.  Some places were iced in for a few days but other than being very cold we were business as usual.

The only picture I took of the winter weather.

Saturday I took down the Christmas tree.  Barrett wanted a picture with it before we packed it away.

Also I bought the kids swimsuits during an ice storm. 

Then this week it's in the 70's, so we've been enjoying the backyard.  AveryAnn loves watching her brother.  It won't be long till she's right behind him.

He's so much fun right now.  He loves swinging and sliding and playing tee ball in the backyard.

He also loves transformers.

Here's today's donut Friday. Same pjs.  She is such a ray of sunshine these days.  She is just the sweetest.

Last week of 2016 & NYE

We had a wonderful week between Christmas and the New Year! Can I just say that I love when Christmas is on a Sunday!! I love the four day weekend, I was just perfect!  We worked Tuesday-Friday.  Mainly just getting the office cleaned up and ready for a new year.

This sweet girl loves her beauty and the beast tea set. 

She rarely falls asleep on me anymore.  This was so sweet!

While brother plays on his new swingset she tries to pick everything off the ground and eat it.

I feel like it's rained nearly every day since Christmas.  There was one clear day and we took full advantage of it.

Barrett got a new tool set for Christmas and he's been working on everything around the house all week. 

He definitely never falls asleep on me anymore so this was a real treat!

We went over to Matt and Jennifer's house to watch the Alabama game Saturday.  The Moore's came too.  Barrett and Jackson were obsessed with the cat.  The cat was not obsessed with them.  At one point they were just sitting and waiting for him to come out so they could take his picture with their tablets.  It was a fun night celebrating the big "W".  We're headed to the National Championship again!

We headed home to watch the ball drop.

I had to get a picture of my girl in her cute elephant hat.  I bought this hat when I was pregnant with Barrett (the bow comes off).  I love that she got to wear it too.

Every NYE I'm reminded of that first week at home with out tiny newborn baby.  He was on the bili-light and he got to come off of it at midnight NYE so while the rest of the time zone counted down to the new year we counted down to getting to take him off the light.  I can't believe how quickly the time has passed.  Now we have two precious babies.  2016 was crappy for a lot of people but for us it was pretty special.  Patrick started a new job, we had our baby girl, Barrett started K3 and we went to Disney World.  It was so much fun!  I can't wait to see what 2017 holds!

New Year, New You?

I love a new year, a fresh start.  I really like to have my house clean and put together going into the new year but this year I'll just have to settle for a clean refrigerator (all thanks to Patrick).  I don't usually set big New Year's goals, this year I did.  They aren't huge goals but I did jot down some things to keep me accountable and give me some things to work towards in 2017. 

I'm a pencil and paper planner girl.  I've tried to use the electronic one and it just isn't for me.  I like to write things down and mark them off.  I saw this planner on someone's Instagram feed and I loved it.  It's by Ink and Volt and I feel like it was made for me.

It has places to list your goals!!!  I'm in love.  At the very beginning you outline your overall theme for the year.  (Mine is ME, not in a selfish way but in a take care of myself so I can better care for others way).

Then there's a monthly goal list.  The page on the right is to make one commitment for 30 days and you can mark the days off at the bottom.  I love this.

Then you can list your weekly goals.  I can't tell you how much this list maker loves this.  I have goals for my goals!

You also have the month at a glance

And finally each week is sectioned off into days and morning, afternoon and night for each day.

So hopefully this will keep my to do lists in check and keep me from feeling completely overwhelmed!

Like I said my overall theme for this year is ME.  I want to eat better to fuel my body, not just because it tastes good, I want to get moving.  In another 30 years I'll wish I hadn't taken for granted what I could do.  I want to be better organized (que the planner) and finally I plan to read through the entire Bible. 

I got the one year Bible (it's not the chronological one like I thought, I guess I read that one next year).  I also got the abundant life devotional out that my sister in law gave me a couple of years ago right after I had my miscarriage.  I wanted to read it coming from a place of thanksgiving instead of grieving.  I feel like I can learn even more from it now.

Another random thing I'm trying to do, for the last two years I've posted a picture a day on Instagram, this year instead of doing that I've decided to write a little something about the day in a journal.  Lame? Maybe but I think it'll be neat.

These are all such cliché goals but they're my goals this year and if that's what it takes to light a fire under my behind then so be it.