Monday, August 26, 2013

Gates - 9 months

My sweet baby Gates is 9 months old!  I can't believe in 3 short months he will be ONE - where does the time go?

Here is what you are doing at 9 months:

-You have a few baby babbles, such as Dadadada, Babababa, and sometimes Mamamama.

-You are crawling FAST now and pulling up on everything.  You have "cruised" a few times on furniture.

-You weigh 23 lbs and wear 12-18 month clothes and wear size 4 diapers - big boy!  You are really tall too!

-You still take 4 8oz bottles and eat food 3x per day.  You are not interested in baby food fed by a spoon AT ALL.  You can pick up and eat just about anything off of your tray, but you can be a little picky about what goes into your mouth.  You prefer "dry" food such as cereal, over mushy foods like blueberries.  Your favorites right now are broccoli, ham, pancakes, strawberry/apple pouches, cheerios, quesadillas and puffs.

-You drink water out of a sippy cup and love it!

-You are doing really well at night - sleeping 7:30/8pm - 7ish am (sometimes later!).

-I have been trying to get you to take 2 naps instead of 3 during the day.  If so, you nap at 9am and 1:30 or 2pm.

-I do NOT have to rock you to sleep anymore.  You are so squirmy you like to just be put in your crib to fall asleep on your own.

-You are the sweetest thing and really love to sleep.  I rememeber working so hard to get Hawkins to nap and you love to nap!

-You are teething like CRAZY!  And drooling...

-You love drawers, outlets, remote controls, telephones and the dogs water bowl.

-You love your brother!

Monday, August 19, 2013

4th of July in Cashiers

We spent 4th of July in Cashiers again this year.   I am so late on his post I think the pictures might have to speak for themselves!


Hawkins, Fleming and Gates had matching patriotic pajamas!












We celebrated July birthdays!  
Katie's, Crisp's and Virginia's!







Watching fireworks






4th of July party at Mountaintop

















Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Hawkins - 3 years old

How is my first baby already 3 years old?

Wise people told me that the days were long and the years were short and they were right!  You never want to listen to that when you are tired at the end of the day or when you get up for the 4th time in the middle of the night, but it all does go by so fast!

Hawkins has turned into a little boy right before our eyes.  Sometime between the 2nd and 3rd birthday he grew up!  Even pictures 9 months ago (when Gates was born) he seems little, but now he is an active, smart, funny little boy.

I can tell he has gone through a growth spurt recently b/c he looks taller and his clothes are getting smaller!  Even his shoes are very quickly getting small.  He is wearing 3T clothes (although he can still wear some 2T) and size 8 shoes.  He weighs around 36.8 lbs.  Around 2.5 years old he started looking silly in one piece outfits, so now he only wears pants/shorts and shirts.  A few months ago he started wears Polo shirts and those REALLY make him look old!

When we moved to Albany in April Hawkins was 32 months old (a little over 2.5) and he started sleeping in a big boy bed and then was potty trained.  He did SO well with both!!

This is a really fun age because we can carry on full conversations!  The days are NO longer lonely as a stay at home Mom b/c I talk to Hawkins all day!!  It seems pointless to write the words or phrases you can say, because you say everything!  Sometimes I am amazed at the things that come out of your   mouth.  You are a sponge and you hear everything and will repeat it!

I am really amazed at your memory.  You remember things we did months ago and on a few occasions things that we did a year ago.


Here is what you are doing at 3 years old:

-You sleep really well in your big bed and sleep all night. You (miraculously) still take a nap too!

-You are completely potty trained, and I am so happy at how easy it was :)  You still wear a size 6 diaper for naps and at night.

-You are still (and always have been) the pickiest eater ever.  Currently you eat waffles, yogurt raisins, pbjs, and cheese quesadillas.  You really love pirates booty, popsicles and gummies...and yogurt smoothies.   The ONLY good things you will eat are bananas and apples.

-You LOVE to swim.  You had swim lessons this summer and can swim like a fish!  No more floaties.

-You love to color with markers and crayons.

-You love trucks and tractors and anything "boy".

-I feel like a terrible Mom for writing this, but you love TV.  Your favorite shows are Max and Ruby, Little Einsteins (which you call "Big Boy Einstein), Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse, Chuggington, and Peter Rabbit.  You have also just started liking Disney movies!  This makes me happy b/c I love watching them with you!  You got 101 Dalmatians, Finding Nemo and Peter Pan for your bday.

-I love to tell me "You're my best friend" and "You're the best".  It makes me so happy until I scold you or won't let you do something and you tell me "You're NOT my best friend"and "You're not the best"

-You have gotten a little dramatic and if I ever get on to you you pretend to cry and say "You hurt my feelings"

-The terrible threes have hit this household.  You are still the sweetest thing most of the time, but you do NOT like to share anything with Gates and can really throw a fit if you don't get your way.  You will snatch toys out of his hands and have even pushed him down a few times.

-You have made lots of friends in Albany.  They are all about 6 months younger than you so they are not in your class at school, but we meet alot to have play dates!

-Most of the time you are really sweet with Gates.  We have not had any major  problems at all with being jealous or bad behavior.  It's getting harder now that Gates is mobile and wanting your toys.  You aren't scared to snatch them out of his hands, but we are working on that :)

Hawkins, we are so amazed and proud  of you.  You are fun and outstanding boy and we are so glad God chose us to be your parents!

Monday, August 5, 2013

3 years in pictures

I chose some of my favorite pictures of Hawkins first 3 years of life






3 months old








6 months old



9 months



10 months


One year!


15 months



almost 2...





2 years old!

27 months



33 months







3 years old!