New Year

We have had a bit of a rough January so far. The Sunday after Christmas, Josh started feeling bad and went to the doctor. He had microplasma (which is basically walking pneumonia). They put him on medicine for 30 days and he is finally feeling better. The next Saturday Hannah started screaming with ear pain. We got an appointment for the after hours office the next day. During the night Jaiden start coughing and I was 99.9% sure she had croup. Thankfully they agreed to see her along with Hannah. Hannah had another ear infection & Jaiden did have croup. They put Hannah on Augmentin & Jaiden was on a steriod for two days. It made her so hungry and she did not sleep well. She still has a lingering cough but they seem to be well.

Last week I had a kidney stone. That was no fun and I am not sure that it has actually passed. I still have random pain that will last about 30 minutes and then stop. So this year we have all had a sickness and I am ready for all to be well again.

Despite everything, I have two very beautiful, happy girls. Hannah's imagination has been in overdrive lately. She plays with Linda & Holla a lot. These are her imaginary friends. She loves to play dress up and plays with her doll house. She also pretends to go to the grocery store. She will take her babies in the stroller and pretends to use coupons. This always makes me laugh! I just love to watch her play when she doesn't know that I am watching her. She has also discovered PBSkids.org and loves to play the games on there or we print off coloring sheets. When you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she said "a Christian cowgirl!" I have been trying to teach her what sounds each letter makes but she hasn't grasped that concept yet. She will say things like "mm, mm, Hannah" or "ha, ha banana." Maybe she will get it soon.

Jaiden is now 3 months old and is discovering the world around her. Everytime Hannah talks to her she lights up and smiles the biggest smile. She notices when you leave the room & usually doesn't like it. She loves her play mat. She bats the toys that hang on it and I know it won't be long before she figures out how to grab them. She also kicks them and giggles when they fly around. She still likes her swing. She loves to chew on her fingers and is drooling a lot lately. I wonder if she will be cutting teeth soon but we shall see. She still drinks 4 ounces of milk but I going to start giving her 5 ounces at a time because the last two days she seems hungry. She also eats about a tablespoon of rice cereal mixed with apple or white grape juice. She eats with a spoon and does a really good job of not spitting it out.

She still doesn't like her bath and screams until you get her out of the water. She hates to get in her carseat and has already learned how to dig her heels in to keep you from getting her in. I am amazed that she can do that already. She can be fiesty if she needs to be! She has the sweetest smile and squeals when you talk to her. She is such a sweet baby and most nights she sleeps well. I couldn't ask for a sweeter, more beautiful baby. I think we may keep her ;) Here are some pictures I have taken this month.




Jaiden will hang out in the disc chair while we play with Hannah's doll house or something in her room. (of course she stays right by us because we don't want her to fall out).


Hannah with a peanut butter covered face playing with her doll house.


Why are babies in just their diapers the cutest thing?






I caught her staring at her feet. I wonder if she is thinking "what are these things?" Hannah does "this little piggy" on her and I love it when Hannah says "this little piggy had roastapeef(roast beef)."


Chewing on her hands. Sometimes she sucks these three fingers and rubs her hair with her other hand.


I tried to get some cute pictures of them together but that is not an easy task.



I took them to Portrait Innovations yesterday and I will post my favorites in the next day or two. For now I need to go clean this house. It seems like I just finished but it is time again. Oh I made myself laugh by saying "finish" & "clean" in the same paragraph. Is that even possible with a toddler running around?! Hope my blogging friends have a great weekend!

Christmas 2009

Christmas went by so fast this year! We celebrated by going to 4 family Christmas get together in 3 days. It was exhausting but very fun.

Christmas Eve morning, mom brought pizza over for lunch. We made cookies for Santa. Hannah loved making cookies. She loves to help in the kitchen and always runs to find her stool when I start to cook, so this was perfect for her. She LOVED the blue sprinkles and chocolate icing. I think almost all of the cookies she made had one or both on them. She kept saying "I LOVE blue sugar!" She ate a lot of it too but it was Christmas!


Clay making a snowman cookie!



Hannah with blue sprinkles and cookie cutter in hand! (notice the tray beside her with the mounds of blue sprinkle on the cookies - HA!


Hannah looking cute and still holding the blue sprinkles!


Emily wouldn't let me take a picture of her, so I took one when she wasn't looking of her working on her cookie! :0)


Having fun & making a mess!


Jaiden hung out in her swing while we made cookies. She also got a little cuddle time from Nonnie (my mom) & Amy.


This is the plate of cookies we left for Santa. He thought they were really good! I love the little snowman she made for him - so adorable!

Christmas Eve we went to Josh's Aunt Patsy's house. We all had a great time ~ lots of laughter, presents, and food. We got to visit with family that we do not get to see very often and it was wonderful. We did have one mishap. Aunt Patsy tripped and broke her nose. She ended up at the ER. Thankfully she is okay!


Hannah with her Little Mermaid.


Opening more gifts! She loved the opening part this year. Last year she wasn't that into it and I ended up opening most of her gifts from Santa!


Playing with her new Barbie

I love this picture of Hannah & Lila under the table playing with their new stuff!


Jaiden getting some "Mandi time" while Daniel & Alex play with their phones.


Jazz stole my camera!

Granna & Gramps with all 5 grandkids ~ this is a rare occasion (not all of us getting together but all kids cooperating at the same time!)

The whole crew!

The only family picture we took of Jaiden's first Christmas.

We left Patsy's around 9:30. We got both kids to sleep so Santa would stop at our house. He did and he was very good to both Hannah & Jaiden!

Hannah's....

Jaiden's....


I wish I had Hannah's expression on video when she first woke up. I got up, showered, and started cooking my monkey bread for Billy & Mary's house. I must have woken her up. She came down the hall, saw her dollhouse, smiled in amazement and said "He brought my dollhouse!" She was so cute. Josh was feeding Jaiden and came in so Hannah could open her gifts. She opened them and immediatley wanted to play with everything.



A good combination ~ a toothbrush & candy Santa left in her stocking ~ I love her wild hair!


Jaiden's first Christmas. Hannah & I opened her gifts. She will get to enjoy most of them in a few more months.

She got a play mat & loves it. She kicks the toys hanging from it. She is trying her best to figure out how to move her hands to grab them but hasn't grasped that task yet.


The mess that Hannah left! Poor Jaiden is just hanging out on her mat!

After Hannah opened her gifts she ran to hug me and said "Tell Santa Thank you!" Such a sweet girl (when she wants to be :) She got skates and it was hilarious to watch her on them for the first time!

Thankfully she didn't break anything so we got ready (well we just brushed our teeth because we go in our pj's) & went to Billy & Mary's house. We ate a huge, delicious breakfast and then opened gifts. We were all sitting around when the valve on the sink in the bathroom broke & HOT water started pouring everywhere. They couldn't get the water turned off but finally after 10 minutes or so (felt like an hour) they got it cut off. But not before the fire department was called and they accidentally turned off the gas. So it was another eventful Christmas party!

More presents!

Josh with his new hat (which he needs today!)

We left Billy & Mary's around 3:00 and went to my mom's house. We had soup & sandwiches & did the same thing at their house that we do at every Christmas party ~ eat, open gifts, & enjoy being together!

Clay opening his presents on the stairs

Hannah with her new Snow White vacuum (I wish it really worked :)

The next day we went to Decatur to my grandparents house. It was great getting to see them & my aunt & cousin!

Hannah with her new monkey

Aunt Sandra helping Clay with his gifts


Hannah with my PaPaw


Hannah with her Little Einstiens spaceship ~ she loves it!


Jaiden hanging out on a blanket ~ one of her fav places to be!


Josh doing what we did for 3 days straight - trying to figure out how to open the toy packages. Seriously does anyone else think that it is ridiculous how many ties, screws, glue, etc. they use to hold these toys in?

That was our Christmas of 2009! I hope yours was just as great!

The last two weeks have been busy! *Lots of Pictures*

I am once again behind! I am warning you this one is going to be long!

This is our tree this year...


It isn't the best one we have ever had but it is still pretty. The limbs are drooping & I am hoping no ornaments fall off. Oh well it only has to last two more days!

On the 5th we went to the PG parade. It snowed that day & was really cold. We still had a great time with our friends!


Addi, Hannah, Maddie, & Ian

On the 9th, I gave Jaiden rice cereal for the first time. She wasn't a fan! I think she didn't like it because she wasn't getting it fast enough. I gave her a few days & then tried again. Last night she seemed to like it a little better. I would feed her a spoonful & then give her the bottle so she would suck it down. I am not sure if this is a great tactic but it worked!




I was up late the same night Jaiden experienced cereal for the first time, it seemed cold in the house. I went to turn the heat up some and noticed that it was only 64degrees in the house. It was set on 70 ~ not good! I woke Josh up and told him the heat was broken. It was a really cold night so we loaded everyone up and went to stay with David & Susan. Josh called someone to come look at it first thing the next day. We ended up having to replace the whole unit ~ OUCH! We had plans to redo our hideous bathroom after hunting season but instead we got a new heater! Oh well, sometimes things do not go as planned.

Jaiden started coughing that Friday & I got a little worried so I took her to the doctor. Hannah had to go for her ear re-check since she had an ear infection two weeks earlier. Hannah's ears were fine & Jaiden sounded clear. Even though she was coughing we went on to our kids-free church class party! Meleah stayed with Hannah (We took Jaiden with us). We had a great time! The girls played dirty Santa & I got a Vera Bradley make-up bag. It is just what I needed to keep up with all of my stuff in the diaper bag!

The next day we went to Jared's surprise 30th birthday party & then went to my aunt, Carla's house for a girls night. Once again we had a great time. (no pics because I never did get my camera out)

That Sunday night we went to the annual open house at David & Susan's house.

Monday we stayed home & by Tuesday Jaiden's cough sounded horrible. She was very congested and had a temp of 99.8. Not a high fever but not good for an 8 week old baby. So I took her back to the doctor. He could hear a rattle & squeak in her lungs and her ear was infected. He gave her a breathing treatment and we were sent home with an antibiotic & inhaler. She was better in the next few days.

The 18th we went to the Wylie's house for the teenage Christmas party. We realize that we aren't teenagers anymore but Josh is their teacher on Wednesday night.

The 19th was my 30th birthday! WOW, 30?! Really?! It is hard to believe that I am already 30 years old. I had a great birthday. We went to Brenda & Steve's (my aunt & uncle) for my mom's side of the family Christmas. Josh bought me an Edgar's chocolate birthday cake! YUMMY!!! My favorite! We played Dirty Santa at the party. I ended up with a basket from Bath n' Body Works. My grandmother bought Hannah a cute baby doll that laughs, sucks her bottle, & burps. She is a cute doll & Hannah loved it. Jaiden got clothes - YEAH! She needs some clothes that aren't hand-me-downs.


The below picture cracks me up. We were playing Dirty Santa and my dad accidentally opened a girl's gift. He is trying with all his might for a girl to steal this from him... (they eventually did!)


Jaiden with aunt Jan



Hannah with aunt Amy


Jaiden taking a break from being held (the girl loves to lay on a blanket in the floor and kick her legs)


When we got home from the party and pulled into our driveway this is what I saw...



30 (I mean 29) flamingos! We started with Rachel, then Emily, & now my turn. The senstational six are the best friends a girl could ask for!


Good friends & a beautiful family are two of life's greatest blessings. God has blessed me beyond measure. This picture shows the three reasons my heart is so happy.



Sunday night we had another church Christmas party. We played Dirty Santa (getting a little tired of this game!). I ended up with a box of Nutty Bars - Yum but not good for my waist line that I want to shrink!

Monday we went to the nursing home where Josh's grandparents are & sang Christmas carols. Below are pics from that.





Yesterday I took Jaiden to the doctor for her 2 month check-up. She was 23 1/2 inches long (had grown an inch in a month) & weighed 10 lb, 5.5 oz. She is still 90% of height & 50-75% of weight. Her ear has cleared up and he said she was perfect (but I already knew that!) She did have to get 4 shots. The poor baby was happy as could be laying on the table smiling away and then the shots came. I felt so bad for her! She is smiling a lot these days & beginning to laugh. She "talks" & squeals most of the day. I already mentioned that she likes to lay on the floor on a blanket and kick her legs. She looks around and takes it all in. She still loves to watch Hannah. This morning she held her blanket in her hands for several minutes. I thought it was really cute. She still likes her swing & loves to take naps in it. Here she is sleeping away. The hair in this picture is cracking me up!



She isn't sleeping as good as she was. She was going to bed around 11:00, falling asleep by herself, & sleeping until 6:30 but since she has been sick she wants to be held more. She HATES to bathe. As soon as her little bottom hits the water, she screams & wraps her legs around the sling in her little tub. As soon as you wrap her in the towel she is back to being happy again! Her hair is beginning to lay down but it doesn't appear that she has lost any. She is starting to notice objects around her and can follow them with her eyes really well. She is such a joy to our lives and I couldn't imagine life without our little angel! Enjoy the pics from her two month "birthday." I even caught a smile - finally!






Whew I need a nap after this update. I am sure my update for Christmas will be a long one too. We are making cookies for Santa tomorrow and then will be attending 4 family Christmas parties in the next 3 days! If you are still reading, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.