my sister

is very pregnant




34 days to go...give or take a little.

new style

Other than the terrible picture, I love the bow!!! Remember, I'm dealing with a 20 month old with camera rebellion.

saturday

^^^sliding at Chick-fil-A^^^


^^^I found an easier way to keep them in one place^^^





^^^yeah, well, so much for that^^^

her first braid

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

jumpity jump jump

What we do at 2:30 in the morning...



Okay, really, we don't do this at 2:30 in the morning on a normal night but for some reason AK was acting CrAzY lastnight/this morning. I definitely don't want to make it a habit but I'm happy to have some fun and wacky memories with her! It's okay to let loose every now and then :).

And seriously, this video took 8 hours to upload! No joke.

flashback friday

Today I'm flashing back to two days ago when I came to the realization that Anna-Kate is now just the height to pull things of the island...that is, if I leave them close enough to the edge.



I wish I would've gotten a picture of her original face when I first walked in. She puckered her lips as if to says, "oops!" and then a gradual little smile started forming...I think she was trying to charm me.

By the way, please don't mind her hair. That was a day where I only got her dressed and she wore her hair the way she woke up with it. Hey, we all do that sometimes right???!... Right?

wordless wednesday

**Ahem** THIS is why we use bows.

picture contest-PLEASE VOTE

I entered AK into her first baby photo contest with my hometown newspaper yesterday-Waco Trib. They are trying to raise money for Newspapers in Education.

Now, where the raising money part comes in. First, there's an entry fee which includes being entered in the contest and her first 50 votes. Every vote after that costs the voter $.10 each. That means if you put $5 toward the cause and AK's pic, that will give her 50 votes! $10 gives 100 votes! ...you get the point. Last years winner won with a staggering 45,000 votes. When I heard that, my jaw dropped and I lost all hope for winning. BUT, I don't want to lose hope. I want to be confident that I can get enough people on board to give for a wonderful cause! So if you're reading this and you would love to give money for a cause that promotes literacy in our schools, you love our little family or you just flat out think Anna-Kate's pic is adorable, PLEASE VOTE!!

Voting starts this Sunday, April 26th and ends Thursday, May 14th at 5pm. You can vote here at your own convenience. Her picture number is 152. Please please please, get your vote in! I'll post a reminder on the Saturday before.

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

mean face

My wonderfully animated and funny kid has been making this face lately that isn't so polite...atleast when we're around people who don't know us. If you do know us, you would think it's hilarious because you understand the personality of my tot. I have no idea where she picked it up from but it cracks me up every time she does it. I've been trying to put a name with the face so she can eventually understand exactly what's going on and I can tell her to stop when it's inappropriate. So, tonight after we brushed her teeth I was making "the face", mommy style, in the mirror and saying "mean face" while making it. She eventually got the idea and started playing along. Then she would make the face on command when I'd say, "mean face". I think she's gettin' it. It was so funny that I took pics.

Here I am "teaching" the mean face:


and here she is doing it on her own:



It was pretty funny.

doggy love

AK with her Uncle Caleb...HAHAHAHA!!!







Then she thought it would be fun to lay down just like him.

the big knot

Sooo, you remember that big pink ball we just bought for AK? Well, she was running down the hall with it, even though it's as big as her, and she kind of bumped the wall with the ball, lost her balance and fell and hit the top/side of her head on a door frame. It was soooo sad. We thought for sure she was going to need a trip to the ER but after a few minutes she was up and going again. It was pretty scary for a minute though because while we had her laying on the floor trying to find the area of injury she was screaming and screaming. My husband put his hand on her head to feel around and felt this big knot and was like, "ooooh!". I felt the spot, freaked out and called the doctor. He told me the signs to watch for and to keep a close eye on her for the next four hours. After she finished screaming she just put her head on her daddy's shoulder and layed there. It was so sad. Poor thing.

Here are the best pics I could get of that ordeal

our first born

I must say, our poor pup has suffered some neglect since his humanly precious little sister was born. I didn't want for him to be pushed outside aside, but he did. Today, we took him on a walk, just him and us, while AK napped at home with Granny. It felt good to actually get out with him like we used to. Before we moved here we would bring him inside in the evenings and let him relax on the hardwood floors, AFTER AK was in bed. Since we've been here we haven't been able to do that because he pees all over the place "marks" his territory because my MIL had a dog before we moved here that was old and couldn’t really control his bladder that well. Just to ease your mind, she has had the carpet cleaners out a couple of times. Anyways, needless to say, he cannot come in the house :(.

As requested, I got some much needed updated pics of our boy. He is SO big.

Before

Now

balls

My daughter, ooooh my child, LOVES balls! She really really does. I've noticed that if there are two (and sometimes more) balls in one location that are fairly the same size, she'll try with ALL her might to carry them both (or all) at the same time. It's so funny, and cute!

Well, today we were at the grocery store and there was this kid, maybe 7 or 8, with a BIG ball. You know, those ones that they put in the center of an aisle with the little spring cord contraption to keep the balls together but makes for easy access? Yeah, one of those. He was walking around the store with this ball, bouncing it all over the place. Well guess what, AK wanted it! She was lightly fussing and stopping her legs in excitement. Noooo, she wasn't standing in the cart. She was sitting nicely and quietly, buckled in with her hands nicely folded in her lap while mommy shopped. BAHAHAHA. Yeeeeeah right. So what if she was standing in the cart?!

ANYWAYS, then a woman who worked at the store walked by and said they had just marked all of their Easter baskets down to $1!!! Soooo, we rush across the store to see what was left and I found a basket that was originally $10. And why it was that much, I have no idea. But it did have about 10 cute little rubbery farm animals (for AK) and four pieces of candy (for daddy). It was the only and last one like it. The others had barbies with some articles of clothing...not quite appropriate for a 19 month old I'd say. THEN, the boy with the big ball comes walking by. It's like they were following us. Not only did he walk by but we just so happened to be right next to that big ball contraption. GREAT! So, we got AK a pink one, and then she wanted a blue one, and then she wanted them all. We had to throw back the extras and take off fast. I know this is making it sound like our little gal is spoiled, but she really isn't. She just loves balls and her biggest and most fun one got poked by a cactus and it's been losing air for about a month now. It was time.

why I need your photos...

See what I mean!

flashback friday

Here is our first fall picture as a little family...probably taken in October or November. On December 20th we found out we were going to have a baby.



Wasn't Raleigh so little!

a new style

Okay, so I'll be honest, I really wasn't interested in trying this style of hair clip, but once I did, I fell in love! They look so cute on AK and these, for sure, will make it to the wall of many many bows.


I think she might like them too...just maybe...


...She should because they look ADORABLE...


...on her!!!


I really really really really really like them!

Can you tell?

By the way, excuse the stains on my child's shirt. We got through three whole meals in the same outfit. I think we did a pretty good job.

And the bows go to...

The Beaver Bunch

Jalena's Mommy at
Life of a Princess

Carlisle Clan Conversation

Bolte Family at
Waiting for Happy

Vonda at
It's a Wonderful Life

Beth Haut at
The Haut House

The Popes at
Journey to Josie

AND

Sara at
Loving Life

So, as it stands, I have received emails from only three of you with your addresses where they can be mailed to. Please be sure to do that soon if you want your bows :) My email address is located on the side bar.

free bows to the first ten

Okay, I'm reluctant to do this but here goes:

I am offering to give away a set of cute little white hairbows, about the size of my pinky, to the first ten people who post a comment on this entry telling me what you look for in a good hairbow. Following your comment, find my email address on the sidebar and email me your address so I can toss them in the mail.

Feel free to post a linky to my blog if you think some of your readers would be interested.

Happy day!

i played hookie

So, I didn't feel like posting a wordless wednesday today because I didn't feel good. Am I excused? I finally found some new found energy tonight so here I am.

I wanted to tell you, but forgot, that on Sunday before we left for the family Easter hang out AK was getting into the DVD cases and Sean told her, "that's a no-no, put them back!" And AK said, "Mmmmm, no", in this little high pitched voice no one can pull off but her. It was all I could do not to laugh where I stood. Sean on the other hand, he looked like she just broke his heart. It was pretty comical from my stance. Needless to say, she got her first spanking for backtalk. We're not positive she meant it but she needs to know not to flippantly let it happen again. LOL.

Yesterday she was getting into something she wasn't supposed to be messing with. I looked at her and said, "Anna-Kate, no no no", while shaking my finger at her in a jokingly manner. She turns around, gets her little finger as pointed as she can, starts shaking it and saying things only she can understand. Ever since yesterday, she shakes her little finger at everything and everyone. I'll have to catch it on camera soon!

Speaking of saying things only she can understand, the kid has been a jabber box lately. She just talks and talks and talks and I never know what she's saying, except every now and then. I love it though. Soon enough she'll actually speak our language and that'll be fun too. Do they just all of a sudden start speaking English from jabber?

My little monkey is growing up.

the weekend: the third part

Whew, I'm getting behind here.

On Sunday we went to North Austin (we are way south) to celebrate Easter with some of Sean's side. There were a bunch of adults and only two kiddos old enough to do anything "easter-like". AK, Gavin-2.5 and Kaitlyn-10 months. ANYWAYS, we sang "The Wondrous Cross" as a family with my bro-in-law playing the guitar, played volleyball, jumped on the trampoline, ate yummy yummy food and then after the kiddos woke up from their naps we had a little egg hunt for them. It was fun because there was no pressure, just two tots looking for eggs filled with goldfish. After they did their egg hunt their wonderful Great Uncle set up a whole scavanger hunt on the inside of the house. AK had no clue what was going on but it was so sweet. They have this little room in their house that is glass all around and the top is glass (I think) and it's full of plants and flowers with two chairs for some quiet relaxation (I guess). ANYWAYS, that's where the baskets were at the end of the hunt and they all three got fun surprises. AK got a cute stuffed lamb, bubbles, yogo bites and some other stuff that I don't remember. Soon after all of that excitement we said our goodbyes and headed home. It was a lot of fun!

^^^checking out the fish with Granddaddy^^^


^^^bro-in-law-guitar-guy^^^-I just thought the pic was cool-I took it :)


^^^climbing on her cousin, Laura, trying to get ice^^^


^^^finding eggs^^^


^^^jumping with Laura^^^

And that was that.

the weekend: the second part

On Saturday we celebrated Easter with my side of the fam down in Waco. There were six kiddos total-19 months, almost 18 months, almost 17 months, 4, 5 and 6. It was busy to say the least...but lots of fun!





It was a fun but hectic!

my weekend: the first part

My first favorite part of Friday:






Another favorite part of Friday was going out to the Wachsman's for a 'bring your own dinner' hang out. It was fun to let the kiddos play in the yard to release some energy before bed. Sorry, but no pics of that eventful time.

Last favorite FUNNY part of the day was emailing someone from my cell phone, in our motel room, in bed, around 1 am, husband on the left-kid on the right, head under the covers and cutting it short due to heat. The funny came in when I received an email back from her saying how she cracked up when she read that because she was ALSO checking email from under the covers on her cell around 4 am. Hilarious!

flashback friday

There you have it my friends, Bri and I when our babies were just little chubby things. Our two little families merged together one night for a great big slumber party...okay...all together there were six of us and two went to bed early. Here we are protecting ourselves with a big pillow and multiple pairs of sunglasses while our husbands played with airsoft guns in the house. If you don't know what they are you should find out and then buy your husband one and watch him turn into a kid all over again. We had so much fun that night. Memories :)

today

Here's what I accomplished today:







Anna-Kate's bow collection has just about doubled! I can't bare to buy a new ribbon pattern and not make some for her. That would be sad. She just looks so darn cute in bows. It's like her trademark or something. And, I find myself thinking about all the people I could give them to...which totally defeats the purpose of making them to make money. I'm still trying to figure out the best route to take but if anyone is interested email me and I'm sure we can figure out something.