Fancy Nancy's Mothers Day Tea Party

The kindergarten class had a mothers day program at school today.  The theme was "Fancy Nancy" and everyone was supposed to wear their faaanciest clothes to the party.

Didn't my girl look beautiful?  The kids all went up on stage and performed a few songs for the moms.  The first song was my favorite.  It was an alphabet song, and I have the video, but it wouldn't upload :(

After the performance, the students and their moms each were announced and walked out on stage to have their picture taken.  Each class had made Mothers Day gifts too.  Mrs. Schaffer's class had potted flowers and the pots had pictures of each child modge podged on it.  I love it!  We had cookies and lemonade to end the party.  I was so thankful that I was off work and able to be there to with Alyvia.  What a great Mother's Day gift!

1/2 Birthday!

Miss Kendall is 6 months old!

And could she be any more beautiful?!  This baby.....I want to eat her up!  We went to her pediatrician appointment today and she weighs 15 lbs. 10 oz. (40th percentile) and 26 1/2 inches (71st percentile!).  This girl is growing!  She still takes mostly bottles, but is finally starting to really like eating baby food.  She eats cereal and fruit in the morning and cereal and veggies at dinner.  We've started to try a sippie cup and she is catching on to it too!

Big girl is sleeping better and better each month (knock on wood!).  She goes to bed around 9 pm and gets up around 6:30 am (waaay too early for this mommy).  She is doing so much better not waking up and needing her paci during the night.  I finally got her on somewhat of a napping schedule too.  She eats her breakfast at 8:30 and then takes a small bottle before morning nap.  She usually sleeps 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the morning.  Then after lunch, she naps again but that nap is usually shorter.  We're getting there for sure! 

Sissy is rolling both ways, although she still doesn't really like to be on her tummy :)  She is starting to sit up too, for a couple minutes she can balance....as long as she's not distracted or surprised!  My favorite new things she does though, is "give love".  She grabs your face with her chubby little hands (and sometimes her sharp little nails) and pulls you to her.  She burries her face in your cheek and gives baby love.  It's so very sweet <3. 

We love you baby girl!  You are the happiest baby (most of the time) and you complete our family in every way!

April Happenings

Where did this month go and what have we been up to? Plenty!  At the beginning of the month, Kendall had her first visit to the zoo.  During spring break, we took a day and met Kristin & Lizzie at Glen Oak Zoo.  We had a picnic first and then visited the animals.  Although a little chilly at first, it ended up a beautiful afternoon!

Mommy left Daddy and the kids at home and headed to Chicago for my cousin Shannon's bachelorette party!  Lindsey and I left Saturday afternoon and drove up to the city.  After a short detour through the city, we finally found the Hard Rock Hotel and we're ready for some fun!

We had food and drinks at the hotel and then headed out to The Baton Club-it was eye opening to say the least!

The next weekend, Alan and I had a date night and went to a wedding!

This past weekend we met some new neighbors.  A mommy, daddy and some kits :)

On Sunday we were finally all able to be at Mamaw and Papaw's house to celebrate Easter with the kids.  They got to do another Easter egg hunt and each got another Easter basket!

Kendall, Reagan & Brenner

Alyvia, Rylie, Colson, Kinsley, Reagan, Brenner

That night Alan and I got to go on another date night...I know, we're getting spoiled!  We went to see The Band Perry at Bradley.  It was a good show and fun to get out by ourselves again!  We've had a busy, busy month, filled with fun.  Hopefully it gets warmer now so we can do more outside next month!

5 months

Our baby girl is 5 months old!  The time just keeps going faster and faster.  Our girl is so happy these days and we couldn't love her anymore!

Miss Kendall is sleeping through the night fairly consistently.  We wake her up most nights to eat between 9 and 10 pm and she sleeps until 6-7 am.  We tried letting her sleep from 7:30 one night last week-BIG  mistake!  Baby girl was up at 3:30 to eat that morning-oops :)  She still needs to be swaddled and 'plugged in' with her pacifier to sleep and I have to do that between 3 and 4 most mornings.  She is still in our room too.  She is too restless to sleep in big sister's room yet, hopefully sometime soon!  Definitely this summer, when Alyvia doesn't have to be up for school in the morning.

We have just recently starting adding rice cereal to Kendall's formula.  She was spitting up constantly, from the time she ate until her next bottle :(   She was also refluxing in the middle of the night and gasping, which scared me.  The rice cereal seemed to be working last week, but now she is spitting up quit a bit again the last couple of days.  She has a little cold and we're hoping that it's the reason, otherwise we might have to try medicine.  We've been giving her oatmeal in the evening.  She isn't too excited about it yet, but she's getting better at not spitting it all out of her mouth!

No rolling over or sitting up yet.  She is rolling onto her side, but not quite onto her belly.  When you hold her, it better be sitting up or standing, no more laying down like a little baby or she'll let you hear about it!  She is starting to pull everything towards her mouth, other people's fingers are her favorite to munch on (ewww, I know). 

We love having this baby in our lives...it's so hard to imagine she wasn't here just a couple months ago.  Even for her brother.  He doesn't interact with her too much, but he won't leave anywhere without her.  "Momma's baby" he tells everyone <3  We love her so much!

Spring is here?

This past Thursday was the first day of spring....there is approximately 5 inches of snow on the ground right now and it's still coming down.  Yesterday it was sunny and 50 degrees.  Mother nature is very confused this year.  We hardly had any snow before February and now it won't stop.  I'm over it.

Despite Mother Nature's bipolar attitude, we had a very busy weekend around here!  Saturday was Liz's bridal shower that Kelly, Cheryl and I hosted.  I was a little (a lot) nervous that we weren't going to be ready (read: ham was frozen in the middle about 30 minutes before guests arrived) BUT, we somehow pulled it off!  I think everything went relatively smooth and Liz had a nice time :)

Liz and 5 of the 10 bridesmaids!

Today we went to Starved Rock State Park for Palm Sunday brunch with my "Chicago family".  My Aunt Martha, Uncle Dan, cousin Christy and her husband Joe, Great Aunt Vi and Uncle Wally & Uncle Mark made the drive to meet my family at the lodge.  There was a lot of good food and we were able to sit and visit after we ate.  It was a really nice time and a great place to "meet in the middle".  As Livi told my Aunt Martha "I wish we all lived closer and were neighbors" (she's so sweet).

My Babies

Our Family 2013

Finnegan, such a sweet boy

Nana and her Livi girl

Uncle Shane, Aunt Lindsey and Kendall

Cousin Joe, Cousin Christy & Kendall

As if all that wasn't enough, we decided to color Easter eggs tonight after dinner :)  Kendall didn't join us this year, but I'm sure she'll be all about it next year!  The "big kids" had lots of fun and did a great job!

It was a busy, but fun weekend!

Little Kids Night In

 Alyvia had a special night with Nana and Papa tonight so it was just Colson and Kendall home with Mommy and Daddy.  Kendall is loving bath time lately!

 And Colson is always happy to play in the tub too!

 

After bath big brother wanted to climb in bed with his baby.  

We missed Alyvia lots, but I think she did just fine with Nana & Papa ;) 

Kendall is 4 months old!

Happy 4 months Kendall!  You are such a happy girl these days :)  You smile SO big when you see your daddy or me and we LOVE it!

Colson and I took you to your pediatrician on the 7th.  You now weigh 13 lbs and are 24 inches long.  You
 have jumped to the 20th percentile for height, good growing baby girl!  The doctor said we could try to start some solid foods, so that evening we tried oatmeal for the first time...

I was pretty sure you weren't going to care very much and you didn't.  We'll keep trying though and I'm sure you'll learn to eat "big girl" food soon :)  You are finally eating 5 oz. bottles (usually, sometimes you still stop after 4 oz.).  You seem to be growing well though, so I'm trying not to obsess about your eating!
You are much more alert this past month.  If we are out somewhere you don't eat very well because you're too busy watching everything else!  Your little hands are trying to grab at things, but you're just figuring it out.  You go to bed between 10 and 11 at night and get up between 6 and 7.  I usually have to "plug you in" with your pacifier once or twice or night still.  I hope to get you in your own crib soon, but I'm afraid you'll wake up Alyvia in the middle of the night!  You rolled over right after you turned 3 months old, but now you seem to have forgotten how, silly girl :) 

You are growing so fast lately.  Gone is our little baby who just melted into us, but your beautiful little personality is really shining through and that is so exciting to see!  We love you Kendall Ashway and hope you are always such a happy little girl <3