Update Needed!

Hello all! A lot has happened since my last post! First of all...Sadie pulled up to standing at around 7 1/2 months, and now she's "cruising"--which means walking with the help of holding onto furniture (or us--whichever is closest). :) She looks so cute to be cruising! She is also eating more and more table foods now--THANK Goodness!! I thought we were going to be serving baby food forever! AGH! She likes to eat beans, pasta, and real veggies and fruits! She still loves her some applesauce though! And if only she'd get those first teeth in!

Then Christmas happened! It kinda came and went this year. We went up to South Carolina and got to see just ALL of our family! (Well, except the extended ones.) It was so nice to see everyone and we got lots of pictures with TJ and Sadie with their cousins! That's the first time we've all been together in YEARS! It was such a nice trip!

And TJ TURNED TWO YEARS OLD!!! Can you believe it?!? I remember just before he turned one...he started walking like he'd been doing it all along. Well, this year, just after his 2-year mark, he has started talking more and more like he's been forming sentences all along! Amazing how the milestones happen right on cue! Now, he is also about to get his two-year molars in. I can only tell by the fact that he chews his fingers in the back of his mouth--which he's never done. He is also hungry all day, and may be about to go thru a growth spurt. For part of TJ's Christmas, we put his "new" bed up--a twin bed. We've had it in his room for a few months, but finally put his new sheets on it and pillows, for him to sleep on when we returned home after Christmas. It looks nice for his room to have only the twin bed in there, and no longer have the crib set up! And he loves sleeping in it! He rolled off only once at the foot of the bed (where there is no rail) when he was playing. And one night, he cried out at about 1 o'clock in the morning, and when I went to check on him--I found him asleep on his rug on the floor. He didn't fall out--he must've just gotten out of bed and fallen asleep down there! HA! I've turned his bed around where the feet are at the wall, and the headboard keeps him from rolling off at the top, and the bedrail on the side keeps him from rolling out that way. He has done great since doing that!

So...I guess my next update will be in a week. My BIG 3-0 is next Tuesday. I used to think 30 was old! Now, from what I hear, it's just "the next 20"! Yay for that! :) I have several goals this year, and one of them is to get back to looking like I did when I WAS 20 while I'm 30! :) I will keep you updated on my activities and my progress as it goes. And maybe (MAYBE) I'll get up the nerve to do some "before" pics to show you AFTER I'm done! :)

I am thoroughly enjoying TJ and Sadie at the ages/stages they are in now. I am looking forward to the day that we can go out more often (when our entire day isn't full of naptimes), and when they can BOTH talk and interact more with each other. Right now, TJ is saying "I love you, Sis" in his own special way--and I fall in love with them both over and over again each day!

Almost standing...

Well, today Sadie is 6 months and 25 days old, and she pulled herself up onto her knees! :) She wants to stand so bad, and I'm sure that it is only a matter of time! Now the fun begins--because she can pull up onto her knees in her crib, but cannot get down without falling face-first into the side of the crib! :( She will get the hang of it soon and I'll get a photo or video to add!

She's crawling!!!

Sadie must have woken up this morning deciding to try something new! I fed her breakfast, then put her on her tummy on the floor to play with a toy, and she CRAWLED!!! I caught it on video with our digital camera--it's a huge file, but a video none the less! Enjoy her cuteness! She is 6 months 13 days old today!!

Photo Post

This post is just so you can all see TJ and Sadie in some of their best moments! Enjoy the pics and captions! :)

Here is one I snapped of Sadie as she was about to fall asleep one day. She has one of TJ's crib sheets on her bed because, as we found out this day, she is allergic to dairy products and had ONE bottle of formula for the first time. No more formula for her! And she was just so tired...

The next photo is of Sadie with TJ's Bama hat on...he put it on her head!



















This one is of Sadie and I together--you know, trying to take our own pic! Love her tongue!

And the next photo is of TJ...being TJ! I was back changing Sadie's diaper and when I came back into the kitchen, I found TJ having a drink...of CHOCOLATE SYRUP! :) I'm sure he didn't get any because it is very thick, but he sure was trying!!



















This one is of TJ trying to "fix" his rocking-horse. A bolt had come off from underneath, and Buckie lay under to really fix it, so TJ had to do the same!

And TJ and Sadie together in TJ's room. He LOVES it when I put her on his bed while we play in there, and he will often get up on the bed with her and "read" a book or play with a toy while she looks on. He loves her so much and she really seems to admire him already!



















These next two photos are of TJ...with his smile and his sly face! He really does stick his tongue in his cheek and make a funny face! It is TOO cute!


















And these are of Sadie...she is so cute and cuddly! Don't you want to just eat her up?!? :)















And here is one of Buckie with both TJ and Sadie from this afternoon! We love Saturday mornings when we have nothing going on!! And a few more of TJ and Sadie...




























Hope you enjoyed the photo post! They are even more cute and sweeter in person...come see for yourself!!!

LONG Overdue...

Well, it has been WAY too long since I updated this blog, and I will try to do a better job updating from now on!!! Enjoy this update!!

TJ is 22 months old now and is growing by leaps and bounds in so many areas! He is not, and has never been, the kid who does things on command...so we are just now hearing and seeing what he has always known. He talks a lot--and likes to name all of us as we are together, "Mama, Dada, 'my sis', Teej"...those are our names as he knows them! He also counts to five, especially while walking up or down stairs at home. Physically, he is of course running and climbing with all confidence, and he likes to roll too--when he does, he says, "Loll, Loll" (roll, roll)

TJ is also about to begin potty training!! He has been showing signs by pointing to his diaper and acting surprised by the sensation of going in his diaper. We are going to stock up on training undies and pull-ups and get a simple potty that I'm sure will go everywhere with us from now on! He is young for this, but our pediatrician says GO FOR IT! :) And TJ has always seemed ahead of his age group in many of these kinds of things! Can't wait! (Until then, we are hoping he will keep his diaper on!) OH--and TJ is in a toddler bed now! We've also bought and set up a twin bed in his room...for him later or for visitors now. His crib made into the toddler bed and I love it! It has the full rail still, so he can't fall out, but he can get in and out himself. Here is a picture of him snuggled up with a blanket and pillow in his "new" bed!

And Sadie is still the SWEETEST baby ever!!! She is almost mobile--trying to crawl everyday to catch up to her very active big brother! She also has, in the past week, pushed up to sitting once or twice and is staying awake a lot more than she has been. Her naps are pretty regular and she is--get this--eating three meals and one "snack" (a.k.a. nursing) a day!!! YAY!! This is much farther progressed for TJ at her age...but she is a BIG girl! At her 6 month checkup last week, she weighed in at 17.5 lbs!! She has some rolls!! :) But, even through her rolls, she is just the sweetest little thing you'd ever meet! She says "ba ba ba" when she tries to talk and snuggles up with anyone who holds her. She is also sitting up assisted and unassisted, and has a grip like no other 6-month-old girl!

We are truly amazed by watching them grow and learn and develop! And especially amazed at just how much they already love each other!

Look for another update soon...I will post an All-Picture Post so you can see more of them!

Happy Fall...or is it Winter???

July...holiday, happy baby and head trauma?

July has been an eventful month...I captured a few photos on the 4th, even though we didn't do anything special. TJ and I watched a tribute in D.C., and he danced to all the music--especially Huey Lewis!

And if the 4th wasn't enough flair...on Friday, July 11th (my dad and little sister's birthday), TJ slipped on a toy in our living room and fell face first into the edge of our coffee table! He screamed and his head started gushing blood! (This is no exaggeration...and I was calm thru the whole thing...but it bled very bad.) The only thing I could do was sit him in our kitchen sink so that he could play with the water while I held something on his head to try and stop the bleeding. In about two minutes, I called the pediatrician and Buckie at work. I knew before they said so that TJ would need stitches for this deep cut. So, Buckie rushed home from work (and thank goodness he works just around the corner from us now), we changed TJ's clothes (he was soaked from playing in the sink), put a bandage on his head, and loaded up in the car. TJ did very good being seen by the doctor and having the stitches put in--with the help of the full-body "cocoon" they use to hold children's arms and legs and body still. He came away with a smile and a really cool crayon bandaid! We were there so long that we went thru a drive-thru to get him a Happy Meal on the way home. I think he'd bonk his head again if it means he gets a Happy Meal! The next photo is the next morning...while eating breakfast. Still more smiles! I think he liked all the attention and photos! :)

Later that afternoon, I took a picture of him on top of the coffee table he took out with his head! He is "making a muscle" in this one! He loves to do that! And he just HAD to stand on the table to show how much stronger than that table he really is! He also liked the super cool Scooby Doo bandaids we got for his head while it heals!

And I cannot forget about Miss Sadie! She is growing so fast! She has the cutest smile and flashes it whenever she catches your eye and while watching some of her toys. Tonight, just before she went to bed, she actually chuckled a little bit while "talking" to me! She likes to gurgle and I think she's going to be my little conversationalist!

Sadie also reached a milestone this week that I definitely did NOT expect this early! She is now sleeping 12 HOURS at night!!!! WOOHOO! I haven't pushed her or given her formula at night or anything...she just seems to sleep very well!

She also is rolling over from tummy to back! At first, it was "accidental" from pushing with her legs when she wakes up on her tummy. But now, she does it on purpose to roll over onto her back when she wakes up every time! The good thing is that she doesn't get scared when she rolls over like TJ did--he always looked like a roach that had run into the wall in the corner and rolled over with its legs up! :) But Sadie just lies there and smiles at whatever she can see...and sometimes that is NOTHING since it's pitch-black dark in her room! She is just the most peaceful and content baby I have EVER been around!

I am so thankful to have the babies I have! TJ is so resilient and can take anything! And Sadie is calm and patient...thank GOD!...since she often has to wait for what she wants since she has a big brother who is on full-speed-ahead these days!

And...just a side note for those of you reading...I have really gotten into babywearing with Sadie, and we both LOVE it! I've got a great ring sling (Maya Wrap Lightly Padded) now that goes with me everywhere--and I use it with both TJ and Sadie at times. And I just ordered a new Kozy Carrier mei tai carrier--one I can put TJ and/or Sadie on my back at times! I am so excited for it to get here! It should free up my hands a bit more for chasing TJ around! And...if you are interested in more info about babywearing or the different types of carriers (and you live in the Birmingham area), check out www.magiccityslingers.com, and any of the links that are shown! I went last month for the first time and it was GREAT! Maybe I'll see you there!

Great summer to you all!

Dedicated to Sadie!!!

This post is dedicated to Sadie...because she was dedicated at our church this morning! It is not a formal event, we just take the babies up front with all the others and have the entire church pray for them and for our family. TJ was so funny on stage--he kept pointing at everything and asking "what's that?" (he has never been in "big church" before). We got someone to take pics for us so we'd have some of her dedication Sunday.


And while I'm on here--I'll share a few pics of TJ and his latest...andI must share the stories behind them, too!

I went down the hall to change Sadie's diaper in her room one morning and came back to find TJ had crawled up into her baby swing and was swinging away!! He never liked this swing when he was an infant, but now that Sadie gets to swing, he wants to! I'm going to have to get him a toddler swing for him to ride--one that can support his weight better than this one!





And--on the same day that he crawled into the swing, I walked into the kitchen from our living room (which, for those of you who have been here, it's about 4 feet away). I heard a whine after only a few seconds of entering the kitchen. I walked back out to find that TJ had gotten himself into quite a predicament this time. He usually turns this copper bin upside down and sits on it or bangs on it...this time he forgot to turn it over apparently...because he ended up IN it!!! His face says it all...

TJ is such a character! He gets into stuff sometimes...but what 18-month-old doesn't?!? Overall, he is a GREAT little boy and a super big brother--he absolutely LOVES giving Sadie kisses whenever he can! And she just grins at him when he does! They are going to be quite a pair as they get older together!

Happy Fourth of July and enjoy the rest of your summer!