Spring Break!

We really didn't do much of anything for the kids spring break!! Monday my MIL came over to watch the kids for a few hours so I could get a nap. (A huge THANKS to her for helping out!) Then we just played the rest of the day away. On Tuesday we had a laid back day. Didn't do anything as Max and I still weren't feeling back to normal yet from the FLU...such a nasty nasty virus. On Wednesday however, we did meet up with Candice and her kids at the Lakeland Park.

Max was so excited to finally get to play with "his Noah!" even if he was quite to start whining and get upset at the smallest things. Like I said he isn't feeling back to normal yet...at one point he actually went and sat on the bench and told Noah and Eli he was so tired, and he just needed to rest. LOL
The girls!! Left to right...Maggie, Emery, and Ella Kate!!

The kiddos playing soccer over on the fields close to the park! The boys are super excited about starting soccer together very soon!!

Check out Noah!! Go Noah Go!!! Shortly after this Max had his meltdown so we took that as our cue to have lunch. We sat under the covered patio at the picnic tables and ate our lunches!! Then after we played for a little bit more. We headed home, got bathes, and had a long naptime!!

On Thursday we ran some errands and went and met Nana for lunch!!

After naptime we got our play on outside!!!

Couldn't ask for a more beautiful week!!

Oh and on Thursday Emery's Easter Dress came in!! I splurged and got this on Smock it to Me off of facebook!

When I saw it I just loved it!! Emery looks so pretty in blue and I figured it would be easy to match Max up with this blue and white stripe. Thinking I will make him some shorts with this material and get a blue polo and monogram the little white bunny (if I can find one similar) in the top left corner.

The whole dress...just love all the details!! So cute!!! Can't wait to put it on her!!

On Friday it RAINED and RAINED and RAINED!! So we worked on a few fun arts and crafts!!! I cleaned the house and worked on laundry in between playing. The kids were SO GOOD and I was finally feeling 100%!!

We PAINTED!! I used washable finger paints for Emery and used craft paint for Max. He loved having more colors to paint with!! He thought he was big stuff getting to use mommy's paints!! And of course Emery didn't know hers was any different ;)

"oh wow!!"

And this is what I get when I ask Max to smile....ba ha ha...such a silly boy!

Threw out the paint brush and started finger painting....

And while I was cleaning up Max's hands and mess Emery decided to finger paint her face....ha!!!

She kept saying "uh oh!"

A much NEEDED package came in the mail on Friday!! My online purchase from Carters!!

The kids were in some serious need of summer pjs and everywhere I went here in Memphis that carries Carters they didn't have their size. So I took advantage of the great sale online and used a coupon!!

I got all of this for a little over a hundred!! I say that is a WONDERFUL deal!! It is mostly pjs, two outfits for Emery for the summer, and one shirt for Max. I really don't like a lot of the neon colors Carters are using this summer. Oh well...guess I will stock up on some stuff from Old Navy, Gap, and Target. And of course I plan to make quite a bit of their summer stuff....I just need to get on that since the weather is already so warm!

On Saturday....HAPPY St. Patricks Day!! I had Emery in some green...Max refused because he wanted to wear his Memphis Bball Jersey however...we put green undies on him instead! We finally got another ball pit (swimming pool) since they are finally out! One of my kids FAVORITE things to play in and they have been missing it since the ice cream truck one we had bite the dust!

Anyways...all in all a good laid back week. So thankful I ended the week feeling somewhat normal again. Max not so much as you notice his face in the pic above....praying that next week we get back to normal in his world.

Zoo with the Family!

My sister Laurie and two of her kids (Lindsey and Brendan) came into town March 9th-11th. It was actually planned for them to come because my niece Kahla was suppose to play in a Softball tournament at Rhodes College. However, with the large amounts of rain the tournament got cancelled :( So so sad!! However, they still ended up coming!!! YAY for us!! It was so good to see them and catch up!

But since we weren't doing the tournament all weekend we had to find something else fun to do....we choose to go the zoo!!
We really had such a GREAT time! The weather was absolutely amazing! It was like 68 degrees and sunny!! Can't get much better than that for the zoo!
Nana with 3 out of 6 of her grand babies!!

Saturday was the first day the Dinosaur exhibit was open to the public so we joined right in!

Max and Brendan LOVED it!!

This was one of our favorites because the dinosaur spit water out of his mouth!

Two sweet little boys!! They were inseparable and played together so so well! I love that they had so much fun together!! I didn't take pictures Friday night but Brendan spent the night and slept with Max in his bed. First OFFICIAL sleep over for Max. He was super excited that Brendan was sleeping over. It took him a little bit to wind down and actually go to sleep. So fun!!

We ended up being at the zoo for almost 4 hours!! Needless to say Emery was sleep before we even got out of the parking lot....

and Max was close behind her...Ha! Poor baby was worn out as I was because we haven't been doing anything but laying around all week since we were sick!

Such a WONDERFUL weekend with my sis and her kiddos!! Wish I would have gotten some better pics of all of us together. We really had a lot of fun and can't wait to get us ALL together again very soon!

Random/Catching up...

Not up to much lately...just didn't want to miss out on posting some cute pictures!!

We are loving this crazy beautiful weather we are having so early in the year!! We have definitely been taking advantage of it and playing outside as much as we can!
That is until the FLU hit our family (you can see the FLU post for more info on that). Emery and Craig stayed away from us. This picture was taken during that time. Emery has become obsessed with "i" (ice). I know that isn't a very good thing for her teeth but it actually started because she fell in the bathtub and almost bit through her tongue. She had quite a large gash in her tongue and the ice helped with all the swelling she was having. So needless to say she still loves it so Daddy got her a cup of ice from Sonic when he went and got Max and I some slushes from there!! Craig did such a good job taking care of us!!! Such a wonderful husband and daddy!!

On Friday almost a week after the FLU hit we started to get our PLAY on!!! Max and Emery dressed up and looked oh so cute together!!!

Like I said in her 18 month post...I love that the kids are really starting to ENJOY each other and play together!! Makes for a more fun day everyday!!!

Oh my...check out that DIVA pose!! I die laughing every time I look at this pic. Pointing her toe and tilting that hat...ba ha ha ha ha

Love me some sleeping pictures....

And just to have some proof....the kids playing cars....and picnic!!!

My sis came in town so we had some fun family time over the weekend!! Hence the next post...zoo with family....

Flu...Flu...GO AWAY!

We got infected!! Ugh! So much for flu shots this year....sigh

I actually left work Sunday night (march 4th) because I started feeling achy and having fever. Got home and in the bed and when it was time to get up to take the kids to school there was NO way I could do it. I felt MISERABLE!! Craig ended up taking the babies to school and I went back to bed. I woke up a little before 2 and had 104.5 fever! I quickly called my mom to come to the rescue. There was no way I could drive and get the kids so she came and helped out! Thank GOD for Mommas!! She stayed with the kids while Craig came home and took me to the minor med. I of course tested POSITIVE for the flu...but not A or B flu...the "new" strain that has developed...yay for me!! LOL To prevent the kids from getting it I had to wear a mask and just stay in my room. No worries because I didn't feel like getting out of the bed anyways!
Sadly Monday night Max woke up and threw up all over his bed around 11pm. We checked his temp and it was 102.7. We weren't sure it was flu so Craig put him on the couch while his sheets were washing and just laid in the living room with him. Poor baby felt so bad too. We ended up at the Peds office on Tuesday...all of us...in masks so not to spread our lovely germs. Dr. Christian was off so we saw Dr. Dellinger. She quickly confirmed that Max also had the flu but he had Influenza A. Completely different than what I had so she started Max, Emery, and Craig on Tamiflu that morning. We ran into to Target and got everyone's Tamiflu along with a "prize" for Max having to go through all the testing. He picked out a Memphis Basketball Jersey and shorts! So stinking cute! I will have to post a pic of him in it asap!

We came home after that and both of us slept on and off all day. We were confined to my bedroom for a couple of days. Craig didn't go back to work until Thursday so that I had time to get rid of the fevers and feel a little capable of taking care of 2 kids....
Max best friend Noah dropped off a "GET WELL" package! So so sweet!! He even made Max a little Get Well Card with bandaids. So cute!
Max's favorite thing was the Memphis Tiger pillow pet!! Thanks Candice and Noah for thinking of Max!! You definitely put a little smile on his face!!

Max and I ended up staying confined to the room until Thurs morning. I still wore a mask around Emery because I didn't want to spread it to her. Luckily, Craig and Emery stayed flu free!! I ended up Clorox wiping and Lysoling (I don't even think that is a word, LOL) the ENTIRE house. It took me all day as I didn't have much energy and still felt crummy but like I said I didn't want this flu virus to get anyone else!!! Honestly, I am praying that we NEVER have to go through this virus again! So BLESSED to be finally feeling better about 2 weeks later....

18 Months!!

Only a week late...sigh...I really thought I was going to stay on top of blogging this year...maybe next year...LOL

Anyways...our little princess has turned 18 months!! Seriously already a year and a half has gone by....didn't I just have her!!!

We had our 18 month checkup today and everything checked out great!

Emery is weighing in at 25 lbs 10 oz (50-75%)

height 33 inches (50-75%)

Clothes size are 18 months for most everything and some 24 month stuff.

Size 6 shoe and still a size 4 diaper.

Emery is FULL of energy and personality! We are constantly amazed with all the things she is picking up on. She understands much much more than she says. She does almost anything I ask her to do and trys to repeat a lot of what we say to her...you just can't understand a lot of what she repeats. New things she is saying..."awww meee" for aw man, "hold you" for hold me (probably one of my favorite things she says), "nack" for snack, "awwpun" for open, "jews" for juice, "ing" for sing and "nana" for banana (her new favorite fruit). There is more she is saying just these are a few she says a lot!
She LOVES to sing and dance! And really loves to do it for other people. Her favorite songs right now...Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Deep and Wide, Itsy Bitsy Spider, ABCs, If your Happy and you know it, Wheels on the Bus and This little Light of Mine! She sings along (with most of her own words) but she stays with the tune. She dances and does a lot of the arm movements with the different songs. Really is a sight to see. We get so tickled watching her! I must get it on video asap!

Emery LOVES to "eat, eat" but she is starting to get somewhat picky. Some of her favorites...chicken, turkey, ham, (most meats), grapes, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, casseroles, fruit snacks, carrots and cucumbers raw with ranch dressing...definitely become a "dipper" lately. Loves to have lots of different dips to put her meats and veggies in. Her not so favorites...rolls, breads, crackers, rice, and most veggies (unless they are in a casserole).

Moving more towards the "mine" stage and "no no" stage. She can definitely hold her own when trying to get something she thinks is hers or defending herself. She can thank her bubba for teaching these traits to her...ha!

Still LOVES reading books and getting read to. Pretty much the only time of the day she actually just sits and listens when we are reading to her for naptime or bedtime. And every now and then you will find her crawled up in her rocking chair looking at books.

Quite the little CLIMBER!!! She likes to pull chairs over to anything and get on top of tables, counters...you name it...she will try and figure out how she can get on top of it. Makes me a nervous wreck some days constantly getting her down from things. She doesn't really care if you tell her no either or if she gets hurt....she will just go and do it again and again...sigh....She is our little dare devil and has NO FEAR!!! Like for instance she thinks she can just walk down the stairs like big people. Stubborn, determined and totally thinks she is RIGHT already!!! Ha! I have NO idea where she gets this from....

Loves to be the center of attention. Always saying "hi" or "hey" to all that come within her eyesight and now she tries to even carry a "conversation" (or jibber jabber) with whoever tries to talk with her.

Emery absolutely ADORES her bubba! She wakes every morning asking for him and lights up when she sees him first thing or when we go get him at school. The kids are starting to play together more and more. Just love that they are starting to enjoy each other now a days!

Favorite toys...I would have to say her babies and any stuffed animals. She loves to baby them and be their "mommy". She loves her kitchen, ball pit, and anything bubba is doing....I can't really think of any toys in the playroom that really keep her attention more than a few minutes. She is constantly on the go and doesn't really sit still to play with anything very long.

Tries to count but she skips over 1 and starts with 2. She knows all her body parts and is starting to learn some of the animals and what sounds they make. She really isn't interested in learning so much. She does LOVE to color and paint and do crafts with me. I think she is just more interested in doing things that are active so I need to think of some fun ways to incorporate learning that way.

I actually took these pictures before school on Monday. Emery was very cooperative and actually left the bow in for some cute pics!! However...when I picked Emery up at school she was in a different outfit. Her teachers said she found a very small mud puddle on the playground and had a little too much fun! LOL She definitely doesn't mind getting DIRTY! After 24 hours of soaking in oxyclean I got most of the stains out.

Emery Kate is our fun loving, energetic, cuddly, smiley, happy, stubborn, miss independent, and crazy LOVEABLE sweet baby girl!! We are so blessed with a little girl FULL of personality!! We truly love watching her grow and change everyday and look forward to many many more memories with her!! We love you sweet girl!! Hugs and Kisses!! Mommy, Daddy, and Bubba