Picture Day

While everyone seemed to be sending their kiddos to school for the first day, we were getting ready for Fall pictures. We always practice a little before school because, well, I want pictures I don't have to spend a bazillion bucks to have. I do buy a package anyway because he's cute but the photographers don't take the time they did when he was in Preschool. 

Couldn't help but laugh :)

He wanted one with lil sis in it as well

(This one is going on my wall)

Getting Bigger

Our little girl is not so little anymore. In face, she is rapidly approaching the one year mark. Holy moly! She has learned a ton of new things the past few months and continues to learn much, much more. She loves to clap, chase you around (crawling), standing up, saying "Mama" especially when she wants something, books, and big Bubby. And tantrums....she LOVES throwing tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants when she wants it. Sometimes she gets mad because we were not able to read her mind and know what she was going to want. She is also teething off and on. We have had a few rough nights and very early mornings but this too shall pass :).

Big Boy

Today was the beginning of my year. Forget January 1st and all it encompasses. This stay at home mama's year begins the day her baby goes back to school. Today Bucky O-Fish-ally entered the number grades. He was beyond excited to be a First Grader. Mama, however, has mixed feelings about this next step. Thankfully we will be starting off on a better path than what I had dreaded all summer and he will hopefully have a wonderful, exciting year. We walked him into his classroom and he proceeded to put his things up just like he had learned last year. Then he sat down and started doing his busy work. That was it. No big deal this year. Good for him! I could tell he was a tad nervous but that he had also gained some maturity over the summer. He knows this is the real deal and last year was kind of like practice for this year. I did manage to get a few pictures but nothing like last year. Oh well...

Soooo Excited :)

With his teacher, Mrs. Homer

My Spring Babies

We have had off and on good days of weather around here. Not sure if that sentence makes sense but it is what it is.  Finally I got tired of waiting for a perfect day so I took the kiddos outside for some Spring pictures. The clouds were moving rather rapidly so I would get a great picture set up and then the sun was shining brightly and the kids couldn't look at me or near me for that matter :). Oh well...it happens. I had a good time, as always, taking photographs of my little squirts.

Fixing Baby Sister's shirt

We are very lucky to have 2 such wonderful and happy kiddos!

Ab Challenge

A couple of my very good friends and former A Co ladies have joined together to (hopefully) complete this Ab Challenge. We did not design it and it started as a picture posted on FB from one friend to another. It snowballed from there and so far I have stuck to it. In all honesty, today was only the first day :). But I did it! You have to start somewhere, right? And with all of us doing it together, we can motivate, remind, hound, and whatever else is needed to complete this challenge. After this one, I'm thinking the push up challenge may be next :)

This and That

The majority of this post is about Kira, mainly because she is learning so much lately.

She has started sitting up with her arms helping a little. She can sit for a while on her own if she wants to. Bucky helps by sitting behind her sometimes but then he'll leave and she'll topple trying to look for him. She always has to watch where he is going and what he is doing.

She tried cereal for the first time on the 10th. I was able to get hubby on Skype so he could watch. The quality was horrible but he could see the shape of her eating at least. She did great. She ate like she was starving even though she had nursed not too long before. It was funny to watch her experience this. She kept grabbing the spoon so I let her try to feed herself but she was more interested in chewing on the spoon. Notice she is wearing the monkey "babe" that big brother got her for Christmas :). He was thrilled that she was using it!

 I got Bucky a desk at the Peaches to Beaches yard sale last weekend. Bucky and I agreed that we would've rather been on the beaches end of it :). I bought the desk and a small golf club bag for $20. I will try to refinish the desk and paint it "rainbow" because that's what Bucky wants. When I asked him what rainbow was he told me it is red, green, yellow, and blue. Insert parental sigh here that he did not add purple or any other colors for that matter. He was very excited to have a place to put ALL of his papers, coloring books, and instruments to color with so that they are not all over his room any more. He very willingly (with a few gentle reminders) organized his materials.

That's about it for us for now. Hoping that I will be able to plant some veggies and herbs soon. News on that and pictures to follow if we are able to get it going.

6 Months Already

Even with the sleepless nights, little to no daily breaks, and constantly working, I can't believe my baby has already reached her half-birthday! She is such a happy baby most of the time and such a joy to watch and teach and learn from every day. Right now she can roll front to back, smile on cue (if she desires), loves (LOVES) her big brother, hates having poopy pants, despises her car seat unless we are moving and all her needs are met, makes noise almost every waking second, squeaks at an unbelievable decibel, and is very aware and curious about everything around her. She also loves licking anything she can put her hands on so she keeps me on my toes making sure nothing is in her reach and she loves grabbing her toes while I am changing her diaper and then kicking me and laughing while I am trying to put the new diaper on her naked booty. She likes being in whatever room I am in and is, therefore, observing all that I am doing. She doesn't have a need to be constantly held but I get the impression that she would not object either. She has her big brother's heart and love like I have never witnessed before. Of course she has mine and her daddy's as well but I wondered how big brother would do with a new baby in the house. I am constantly reminded that my worries are misplaced. He is usually very patient and understanding if her needs interfere with his wants even though I try not to put one ahead of the other. Unfortunately sometimes baby screams trump everything else. All in all both my kiddos are great fun and I am enjoying every moment as much as I can :).

Sweet baby girl

Grabbing her toes

Sticking out her little tongue