Life in Texas

Jameson Lee Alexander

2011-07-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

On June 16, 2011 Syd and Shane welcomed their first baby boy into the world. Syd's blood pressure got really high to closer she got to her due date so they decided it would be best to go ahead and induce her. Syd and Shane checked into the hospital around 8:00am and Syd was 1.5cm dilated and 80% effaced. They gave her a quarter of a capsule of Cervidil to help start her labor. 1:00pm she was at 2 com and 85% effaced, moving slow but making progress. They gave her another quarter of the Cervidil. We hung out in the room and watched a movie and had lunch and then decided it was time to go for a walk. While out walking the halls her water broke at 3:24pm. She was still 2cm when they checked her after her water broke. Thing started to pick up and Syd went into full blown labor with lots of really fast really strong contractions. At 5:00pm she was still 2cm and 100% effaced. Things got very intense and Syd decided to have an epidural. At 6:00 they came to give her the epidural, after they were finished and she was resting more comfortable they checked her again at 7:00 and she was 9cm. They told her to rest up because it was almost time to push. 7:30pm all set and ready to push. Syd did an amazing job and at 8:20pm baby Jameson was welcomed into the world. He was 6 pounds 13.9 ounces and I think around 20cm long. It was an amazing experience and I'm so grateful I was able to be there with her. Love you all, congrats!

At the hospital ready to meet this baby :)

Last pic of baby in the belly.

Contractions and heart beat.

Moments after he was born.

Such a cutie!

Getting weighed for the first time.

Grandma and Jameson.

Proud papa.

In love already.

Uncle Eric.

Proud mama!

Love him.

Napping.

So tiny.

Sleeping again.

Tia Kelley.

Baby toes.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

2011-07-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

So at the beginning of June, Judy and Joel came to Austin to watch the boys so that I could go to New Mexico and be with my sister for the birth of Jameson. I was here for the first couple nights and we were able to hangout a bit and even go to a really nice dinner at Eddie V's. Then I flew out on Saturday and they took over. Mark sent me lots of pictures and updates while I was away. It was the longest I had every been away from both boys and it was very hard to do but it helped knowing that they were being well taken care of at home. They did lots of fun thing with grandma and grandpa and were very sad when they left. Luckily we get to see them again in about a month when we head to California. Thanks Judy and Joel we love you both so much and really appreciate all of your help and support!!!!

Judy and Joel at dinner.

Me and Mark.

This one came out a little fuzzy but it was the only one of all 4 of us.

Brody at the dinosaur park.

Grandma and Brody.

Connor, grandma and grandpa.

The boys.

Connor and the T-rex.

Connor and Judy.

Brody got a really big boo boo on his finer :(

Connor in the bath in Brody's goggles (I think this is one of my all time favorite pics)

Getting so big!

Connor 15 Months!

2011-06-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

Connor had his 15 month well check on Thursday. He is getting so big! He started walking around 13 months. He is talking a little and starting to make animal noises. His current favorite thing to say is uh oh, which I totally love. He is still very calm and easy going unless he is teething and then he is just a complete mess. In the last few weeks he got 5 teeth including a molar, so it was a bit challenging to say the least. He also has a little bit of the Mariani temper that pops out every now and then when he doesn't get his way. He is an excellent eater and great sleeper. He LOVES to play with Brody and read books. He weighs 24 pounds which is just below the 50th percentile. He is 33 inches long which is in the 95th percentile and his head was 48.4 which is in the 75th percentile. I love watching him grow and bond with Brody. The relationship between siblings is so special. I'm so glad they have each other.

And he loves the pool now too!

Memorial Weekend.

2011-06-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

We had a busy memorial weekend but it was lots of fun. On Saturday we spent the day with the Allen's. They invited us to join them at Tim's aunts lake house. It was a beautiful house right on the lake. They piled us all onto their golf cart and drove us down to their beach/dock area. The boys loved playing in the water. After we headed back up to the house for lunch. Connor and Kyla decided to take a 3 hour nap while Brody played in the hot tub with Mark, Tim and I. Then we all headed back to our house for some green chile frito pies and more fun. Then on Sunday Shara and I headed to Lake Austin spa to meet up with Abbey, Kathy, Marie, Christa and her mom for our 4th annual ladies spa day. It is one of my absolute favorite places. We had an incredible day of spa treatments and just lounging by the pool. It was so relaxing and wonderful! I'm already looking forward to next year. Then on Monday we decided to try out this new pool Mark heard about. It had little water slides and splash areas. The kids loved it. It was a crazy busy day to go but I think we will definitely go back again.

Brody all ready for our trip to the lake.

The beautiful view from the house.

Tim and Brody in the hot tub.

Brody taking a swim break for an ice cream cone.

Another pic from the house.

Lake Austin Spa

Such a beautiful place.

Love it!

Can't wait to go back!

This is the fun pool we went to on Monday!

Fun Pics from May

2011-06-03T16:30:00.003-05:00

Such a sweet boy!

Fun with stickers.

Connor loves Brody's hats.

Crazy clouds.

This is Connor's new favorite book.

He loves reading books!

Ball pit for Maebry's birthday.

More bounce house fun!

Brody making a t-rex out of a necklace.

Such sweet brothers!

Look at those thighs, his not mine :)

Me and my boys, I love them so much!

Mommy and Connor playing on the computer.

Shasta's new favorite place to sleep. I literally have to turn on the windshield wipers to get him to move.

Brody shooting ghosts in his underwear.

Connor ready to swim!

Birthday and Mother's Day

2011-06-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

For my birthday this year I really wanted to just have a fun night out with our friends. I decided I wanted to go see this fun 80's cover band called the Spazmatics. They play every Wednesday downtown at the Cedar Street Courtyard. Matt and Abbey were nice enough to let us high jack wonderful Wednesday. So we all met downtown for dinner at Moonshine and then went to see the Spazmatics play. It was a great night and I had a blast! Then for mother's day I had a great weekend at home with the boys. Mark made me eggs benedict and bought me beautiful flowers. It was very relaxing.

Ang sent me these pretty flowers for my bday.

Harper, Abbey, Christa and Kim.

Jason, Dusty and Mark.

Matt and Kinsey.

This was my amazing mother's day gift that Brody made me at school. I love it!

Flowers from Mark.

Peonies are my favorite :)

Bounce House Fun

2011-06-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

Every time I go to the mall we pass by the bouncy house place and Brody is always dieing to go. Well we finally decided to give it a shot. Both boys really like it. I can't believe how big the bounce houses were. There were slides and tunnels and all sorts of things. It's such a great place when it's too hot to play outside or too cold. There is also a carousel in that Connor spotted and really wanted to go on so we did that too. It was a very fun weekend!

Brody coming down one of the slides.

He loved the shark one!

Connor venturing in to see what it's all about.

Riding the carousel.

I had my hand full :)

Easter and Family Visit

2011-06-03T15:52:00.002-05:00

So my family came to visit for Easter weekend. Connor was teething and got an ear infection so he was pretty much just a mess the entire visit :( We had lots of fun just cooking and hanging out. Everyone kind of took an night and fixed a fabulous meal. Shane made stuffed cornish hens, mom and dad made lamb and we did dungeness crabs. The boys loved all the family at the house and having lots of people to play with. Syd and Shane bought a car while they were here. And we got to go wedding dress shopping for Kelley. She thinks she found her dress, I can't post pictures but it is stunning! For Easter we died eggs and did a little hunt at the house. Later that day we went to the Tuckers house for an Easter party. The kids had so much fun. It was cute to watch them all hunt for eggs. Brody was obsessed with finding eggs with m&m's in them. Both boys loved their Easter baskets and all the goodies inside. Connor had fun making a HUGE mess with all the Easter grass, I think we will ask the Easter Bunny to leave that out next year :) It was a fun trip and definitely went by too quickly. Can't wait for everyone to be together again for the backyard bash!

All the boys at the doctors office.

Connor loved all the Easter grass!

The Easter bunny brought Brody goggles.

Connor absolutely loves his bunny!

Grandma reading the boys one of the new books the Easter Bunny brought.

Mommy and Brody hunting for eggs.

The Kraatz Family.

Brody stuffing candy into his pockets.

Eric, dad and Syd watching all the kiddos hunt for eggs.

Another egg filled with m&m's!

Lots of fun.

The Allen's. Love Ky making the kissy face.

All the kids checking out their loot.

Connor hanging with grandma.

Backyard Makeover

2011-04-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

So it's been three years and they have finally built houses behind us. On Judy and Joel's last visit we started talking about making some changes to the backyard to help give us a little more privacy now that we have neighbors behind us. We actually hired someone to come out on Thursday and remove some of the lawn and move the sprinklers. Then Joel and his brother Rob flew in for the weekend to help us with this big project. They arrived Friday afternoon and we decided to just spend time with the kids and have a little fun before diving into all the hard work. We went to Chuy's for dinner which was fun and delicious. Saturday morning we started bright and early. There were lots of trips to home depot. Our biggest obstacle ended up being some enormous rocks we ran into while digging all the holes for the plants. We finished most of the work on Saturday. We planted 3 trees and 6 bushes. The trees are called Cleveland Pears. They don't grow fruit but have really pretty white flowers in the spring and then turn red in the fall. The bushes are wax myrtles and will grow into a hedge. We also got a few little projects around the house done. Overall it was a VERY productive weekend and the yard looks amazing. Thanks Joel and Rob for all of your help!!!!

Here is the yard with the grass removed.

This lizard was quite interested in what was going on.

Ouch, got a little too much sun!

All of our supplies being delivered.

Everything for the makeover.

NM martini's at Chuy's.

The boys loved playing with grandpa and uncle Rob.

Rob watching a movie with the boys.

The new backyard. I can't get it all in one picture but like I said there are 3 trees, one in each corner and one in the middle and then 6 bushes.

Lady Gaga

2011-04-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday I went to the Lady Gaga concert with a couple of friends from our neighborhood. We bought the tickets six months ago and just thought it would be fun to go and have a girls night. We left early and went to Sushi for dinner and then headed to the concert. It was lots of fun. She was really good. There were lots of interesting characters at the concert. I could have just sat and people watched all night long. After the concert we decided to go downtown for a few drinks. We ended up having a really fun girls night! We need to plan another one soon :)

Marie, Diana and me.

My crazy shoes I decided to wear. I brought a back up pair and they ended up giving me a blister go figure.

Our giant margaritas.

At our seats.

All of our crazy shoes, we are lucky we didn't break our ankles.

This guy was sitting in front of us and he was crazy!

These girls went all out!

Gaga taking the stage.

Thanks girls for a great night!

Harper Claire Niemann

2011-04-06T08:36:00.001-05:00

Matt and Abbey added a new addition to their family on Friday. Harper Clair arrived around 11:30am and was 7 pounds 7 ounces and 19 1/4 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing great. We drove down on Saturday to meet her. She is so tiny! I always forget how little new borns can be. Both the boys did great during our visit in the hospital. Brody was very excited to see Kinsey, she is currently one of his favorite friends :) I was terrible and didn't take a single picture. Luckily Matt texted us a pic when she arrived. Congrats Matt and Abbey we are so happy for you!

Crawfish Boil

2011-04-04T10:54:00.001-05:00

Matt and Shane had their annual crawfish boil a few weekends ago. As usual it was lots of fun and really yummy. Brody had lots of fun playing with all the kids and Connor slept most of the time but when he was awake he was trying his hardest to keep up with his big brother. I forgot to take a camera but got a few pics with my iphone.

Brody checking out the mud bugs!

Some stone crabs decided to crash the party.

Brody and Kinsey(aka his girlfriend).

Yoga!

2011-04-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago after one of my yoga classes my yoga teacher told me about this contest that yoga journal was doing and told me she thought I should enter. Basically you just take a picture of you doing a yoga pose and enter in the contest to win a trip to San Fransisco to be on the cover of the magazine. So after Connor's birthday party, Matt and Abbey stuck around to help me with the pictures. We took a few at the house and then a few outside. Here are some of the pics.

It came down to the last two pics and in the end I went with this one. The contest is still going on and we will find out the final 5 on April 21st. Wish me luck :)

Shara's 30th

2011-04-04T10:27:00.000-05:00

After Connor's birthday on Saturday we got to go out to help Shara celebrate her 30th birthday. We had dinner at Trudy's and then headed to the Broken Spoke for some country dancing. It was lots of fun with our best friends. Mark even danced a few times, which I just loved. It reminded me of Taos and going to barn dancing when I was growing up. We love you Shara, happy birthday!!!

Me and Shara.

Christa, Dusty and Mark.

Christa, Dusty, me and Mark.

These are Shara's girlfriends from Dallas they came down for the party.

All the girls.

Jason, Kim, Dusty, Christa and Tim.

Me and Mark.

The horns were playing that night so Tim was checking the score, good news they won!

Kim, Jason, Tim, Christa and Shara

Love these girls!

Shara and Mark.

Connor is ONE!

2011-04-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Connor is one. This past year has just flown by. We had a party on Saturday. He was a little overwhelmed at first. He retreated over to his chair and just kind of watched everyone for a little while but after a bit he warmed up and was ready to party. On Tuesday he had his one year well check. He was 23 pounds which was in the 50th percentile, he was 31.75 inches long which was in the 95th percentile and his head was 47 cm which was in the 75th percentile. He is healthy and happy. He has 4 teeth and is starting to walk. He is very cautious about walking he can stand for really long periods of time and he just isn't sure about the walking part. He is still very mellow. He LOVES his big brother more then anything. They really are best friends and love to play together. He is a great eater. He isn't very interested in baby food. He loves to feed himself. His favorite food is definitely macaroni and cheese. He is starting to sign and try to communicate with us. We love you so much Connor, happy birthday!

This was his birthday invitation.

Brownie Pops.

Connors Charlie Brown cake.

The cake for our guests :)

Connor and Kyla.

Kyla and Kennedy.

Girl fight!

Happy Birthday to you!

He wasn't too sure what to do with the cake, but he found the cookies that I used to make the ears and that was his favorite part.

All the kids ready for cake.

Kinsey modeling some stylish shades.

Yes he is actually licking the cake.

Present time.

Brody in his snoopy shirt.

I think Brody did most of the unwrapping but Connor appreciated the help :)

Thank you goodies for all of our guests!

Connors First Haircut

2011-03-10T11:07:00.001-06:00

Connor got his first haircut last Thursday. It was getting so long in the back I decided to have it done before his party on Saturday. Judy and Joel were in town for his birthday so they came with us. He did really good. He wasn't too sure about it at first but they put on a Micky Mouse cartoon and he was good to go. I can't believe how grown up he is!

Before Pics.

Getting ready.

I love this look :)

Say good by mullet!

Looks like such a little man.

Holding mommies hand :)

So serious!

There's a smile.

See that wasn't so bad!

Connor 10 Months

2011-02-02T19:04:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Connor is already 10 months old. Time is just flying by. He weighs 20 pounds and 15 ounces which was in the 25th percentile. He is 30.5 inches long which was 95th percentile and his head was 46.5 cm which was in the 75th percentile. So basically he is long and skinny. He has four teeth, two on top and two on bottom. He crawls at super speed and has taken two steps on his own and furniture walks really well. He continues to be really mellow and very easy going. The only time he is really upset is when he is teething or sick. He is totally and completely in love with his big brother and follows him wherever he goes. I love watching the two of them play together. Brody has already taught him to growl like a dinosaur. He likes to dance his favorite is ghetto rap music. It's really funny to watch him bounce up and down. His favorite word is mama which I love. He also says dada, book, kitty and Shasta. He is starting to sign. Milk and all done are very clear the others kinda get jumbled together. When he's not sick or teething he is a great eater. He loves pretty much everything especially cereal and crackers. His newest thing is blowing kisses and he loves to give hugs. We love him to pieces and can't wait to see what amazing things he'll do next.

Taking big brothers car for a spin.

Connor and Kyla.

He loves his big brother.

Being silly.

Sleeping baby :)

New Years

2011-02-02T13:32:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! We had our annual New Year's party at our house again this year. We were a little late getting the invite out so it ended up being kinda small but it was still lots of fun. We drank yummy champagne and made beef tenderloin for dinner. It was a nice way to ring in the new year. Here's hoping 2011 brings lots of good things!

The bubbly.

Carlos, Chris and Marie.

Chris and Mark.

Tim and Shara.

Shara and me.

Mark and Tim.

Kim, me and Marie.

Tim and his friend from high school.

More me and Shara.

The whole gang.

Merry Christmas

2011-01-30T14:22:00.000-06:00

This was babies first Christmas. We did a big Christmas in Taos with my family at the beginning of the and decided to spend actual Christmas at home just the four of us (5 if you count Shasta). We opened presents early so that the boys could enjoy it. Then Mark and I made prime rib, with york shire pudding and creamed spinach. It was really yummy. Once the boys went to bed Santa came and brought more fun presents. The next morning was the best part. Brody came bouncing and screaming "Santa came, Santa Came" into our room around 7am. I don't think I have ever seen him so excited. I think this was the first year he really understood the concept of Santa and Christmas. It was really cute. Connor was pretty laid back but seemed to really like opening presents. His favorites seemed to be the books he got, he just LOVES books.

Brothers :)

Playing with Brody's new clubs.

Merry Christmas!

Santa came!

Opening presents.

Working on his swing.

Brody made his first ornament for the tree.

Brody helped decorate this year.

Our yummy prime rib right before it went in the oven.

Videos

2011-01-24T17:32:00.000-06:00

Visit to Taos

2011-01-24T17:31:00.001-06:00

We decided to go to Taos for an early Christmas with my family. We are only ever there for a long weekend so we decided to make it a bigger trip this time and stayed for 10 days. It was so nice to be with the entire family. We had lots of yummy food and played fun games. Mark and I even got to have a couple of kid free nights. We were lucky enough to get a big snow storm so we got to see snow. I don't know what it was about this trip but I really reconnected to Taos while we were there. The boys had a great time they both love being at Monkey and papa's house. Connor cut both his two top teeth. One on the 12 hour drive which was no fun and then the next one came in a couple of days later. He was a trooper. Brody loved being with everyone it was cute to watch him build that connection with the entire family. I really needed to be home and surrounded by the people who love me the most. It's never enough time but I loved every minute of it!

Me and my favorite Cowboy fan!

Brody and his Taos face :)

Christmas dinner, yum!

It was supposed to be a small Christmas.

Connor loved his book.

A special gift for papa.

A special gift for Brody.

Papa passing out presents.

Brody loved it to say the least.

I thought I would make sure it was safe :)

One of Connor's favorite presents was his new wagon.

Nothing like a Taos sunset!

Connor got a big boy chair just like Brody's, he loves it!

Connor had a play date with some friends.

Snow!!

Lots of snow :)

This was from the beer pairing dinner we went to at the hotel. Shane did a really great job!

This is how we got everything home.

December

2011-01-24T13:28:00.001-06:00

December ended up being a very busy month for us. We took a trip to Taos, had our own quiet little Christmas and had a New Year's party. The boys are both growing so much I can't believe how much they change almost every day. Connor is pulling up on things and trying to start walking. Brody's talking is getting really good and I love how he communicates with us. I also love how well Brody and Connor play together. They are such buddies, it's really cute to watch.

Connor is so big he has moved to Brody's car seat and Brody is now officially in a booster.

This is Brody's new favorite game in the bath. Thought it was really cute that he got CJ on Connor's head.

Look mom no hands!

Brody and Cade.

More bath time fun!

Connor and Kyla.

Cade and Brody playing video games.

Trip to Cali for Thanksgiving

2011-01-24T13:12:00.002-06:00

So we had originally decided to stay home for Thanksgiving this year but with Mark being out of work we decided nothing sounded better than spending time with family. We flew in on Tuesday. Judy was the only one who knew and we surprised everyone else which is always fun. The week was packed full of fun nights and yummy food. We got to see all of our Cali friends and a lot of Mark's family. The boys LOVE grandma Judy's house.

Connor playing.

Daddy and Brody being silly.

Connors first bath with no seat.

Thanksgiving dinner.

No one was paying attention except daddy and Brody.

Connor showing off his shoes.

He's just so cute.

Bath time!

Wine party on Saturday night.

Connor and batman.

The baldies :)

Mark and Dj having scotch and cigars.

Batman and Mark.

I was so happy I got to see Ang!

The boys were so good on the plane!

November

2011-01-24T13:04:00.001-06:00

So November was a interesting month for us. Mark got layed off from Wells Fargo which was a huge shock for us. Neither of us have ever been fired from anything before and we were definitley not expecting this. We were pretty devastated, he had been with Wells for 8 years. Luckily we had the support of all our family and friends to help us through it. The boys are both doing great. Brody is still swimming and adjusting to his school routine. Here are some pics from some of the highlights in November.

Connor loves bath time!

Brody rockin the fohawk. It's become his signature look. One of the boys in his class told his mom he just had to have hair just like Brody :)

Getting so big.

Chris and Kim for Kim's 30th.

Mike and Diana

Chris, Kim, me and Mark.

Me and Mark.

I made mini cupcakes and brownie balls for Brody's school party.

Connor being silly.

Halloween

2010-12-08T09:53:00.002-06:00

Happy Halloween! This is one of my absolute favorite holidays. This year we let Brody decide what he wanted to dress up as. I was a little worried because I knew he wouldn't do good with a costume that involved a hat or mask. Well to my surprise he said he wanted to be a Ghostbuster. I searched online and actually found a costume and we were in luck no hat or mask :) In sticking with the theme we decided to dress Connor as Slimer. This costume was much harder to find but I found some pics and my sister Kelley said she thought she could make it. She did a really great job it came out so cute it fit Connor perfectly. My parents and Mark's parents were all here for Halloween which was a lot of fun. Trick or treating was fun. We were hoping Brody would make it to a few more houses then he did last year and he had no problem. He actually ended up going all over the neighborhood. Shara and Kyla joined us. Kyla was the cutest little flower I've ever seen. It was lots of fun and I'm already excited for next year.

My Ghostbuster and Slimer the ghost.

Slimer!

I actually took these pics before Halloween when Brody dressed up for school.

Carving pumpkins, Papa tried something new this year.

I helped Brody with his pumpkin.

Brody was supervising.

Connor enjoyed watching all the action.

Brody was happy holding his dragons and supervising.

The finished pumpkins. I did the funny face and the whale and my dad did the ghost. The ghost is cool because it wasn't actually cut out my dad just carved down the pumpkin until it was thin enough to see the light through it.

We had several attempts at getting a family shot.

Brody looks thrilled in this one :)

This ones better but you can't really see Connor.

These were some of the decorations up in our neighborhood. Brody LOVED them!

Trick or treating.

Connor was so good while we trick or treated, he just sat in his stroller and hung out.

Here is Kyla for her first Halloween.

The World Series

2010-12-06T11:56:00.001-06:00

So the Rangers made it to the World Series against the Giants and we got to go to one of the games!!!! Judy and Joel had planned a trip to come visit for Halloween. Once we found out both the Rangers and the Giants had made it to the World Series we decided to see if we could go to a game. My mom and dad drove back down and me, Mark and our dads got to go see the only game the Rangers won in the World Series. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life. The game was so electric there are no words to describe the atmosphere inside the stadium. Kelly Clarkson sang the National Anthem and Nolan Ryan threw out the first pitch. I totally teared up and cried during the opening ceremonies but pulled it together once the game started :) It's something I will remember for the rest of my life. Thanks dads for such an amazing experience we love you!!!!

Our tickets!

Tailgating before the game.

Walking up to the ballpark.

My seat and my lucky number!

The boys.

Mark and his dad.

Me and Mark.

Me and Papa.

Our view from our seats.

Texas!

Kelly Clarkson singing the National Anthem.

The flags.

The fly over.

It was a beautiful night with an amazing sunset.

All of us at the game.

Up 4-2 heading into the 9th.

Texas wins!!!!

Amazing!!!

Family Visit

2010-12-06T10:28:00.002-06:00

I am so behind on the blog I'm going to try and catch up this week. My parents came to visit in the beginning of October. We had a great time. On Saturday my dad and Mark went to the Rangers playoff game against Tampa Bay. My dad is a HUGE Rangers fan but had never been to a game. Unfortunately they lost but they ended up winning the series and made it to the World Series for the first time ever! Syd and Shane flew in on Tuesday and stayed for about a week. We loved seeing the family here are some pics from the visit.

Dad and Mark at the game.

Papa and baby Connor.

Brody sitting in the giant sand box at the toy store.

Papa decided we needed one more Halloween decoration, Brody LOVED it!

Here is a better shot at what Brody calls the big horse.

Daddy and Connor at Sushi.

Uncle Shane playing with baby.

7 Year Anniversary

2010-10-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

October 11th was our 7 year anniversary. My parents were here and offered to watch the kids so Mark and I could have a date night. We started the night with some yummy champagne that my mom and dad brought us. Our first place was Jasper's for a cocktail. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. Then we walked over to Flemings for dinner. Again we sat outside which was really nice. We had a great meal and actually enjoyed a lightening show and bit of rain. Luckily we were under a covered patio so we didn't get wet. After dinner we headed home and finished off the night with some more champagne. I love you Mark, thanks for 7 amazing years! I look forward to many more anniversaries together :)

The yummy champagne my parents brought us.

Cocktails at Jasper's.

More Champagne :)

Kind of hard to tell but this is the rain.

All the yummy food we had!

Cheers!

And finally more champagne :)

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

So my parents came to visit last weekend. On Saturday we took the boys to the pumpkin patch. Brody wasn't really into any of the fun activities they had set up but he loved the animals and picking out his pumpkin. Connor was typical Connor and just hung out happy as can be watching everything around him. We had a really nice time and got some great pumpkins.

Brody watching Mark feed the goats and him and monkey looking at the horses.

Brody only wanted to do it if mommy and daddy did it first.

King of the pumpkins :)

Brody picked out his pumpkin and wouldn't let it go. We thought it was funny that everyone else seemed to have planned ahead by bringing a wagon or wheel barrow, we improvised and used the stroller.

He loved the tractor.

Picking out a few more pumpkins.

Couldn't leave without a couple of gourds.

Looking at the chickens.

Family Shot.

This time with me :)

Connor giving papa a hug, so cute!

Bug Bites and Shots

2010-10-24T14:31:00.000-05:00

So looking through our recent pictures I realized this month has also been the month of red spots. First we all got flu shots. Connor did really good. He didn't even cry. Brody had a little harder time but recovered quickly. Well the next day his poor leg had a huge red welt on it. It didn't seem to bother him it was just really red and swollen. Then while we were setting up our Halloween decoration Connor got bit by some red ants. Poor baby didn't even cry but the bites look horrible. Then a couple of days ago Brody woke up with a huge spider bite on his back. Looking at all these pics I feel so bad for them but they are definitely tough little boys.

These are Connor's red ant bites :(

Brody's welt from his shot :(

And the spider bite.

Connor 7 Months

2010-10-22T11:15:00.002-05:00

Connor is officially 7 months old. He is getting so big and changing so much. He has mastered crawling and is exploring the house. He loves to follow Brody and Shasta around. He is also pulling up on things and almost standing by himself. I can't believe how mobile he is. I think he just wants to be big like Brody and chase him around. He is still a very happy baby except for when his teeth are coming in. He got his first tooth on October 16th and the second one is peaking out. He loves to eat. So far he has had bananas, green beans, sweet potatoes, squash, peas, prunes, avocado, peaches and apples. He pretty much likes them all but green beans and avocado are definitely his least favorite. He is clapping and saying mama and dada and I think he has even done the sign for more and all done. This was definitely the month of growth and change. He is so sweet and so cute I love him so much!

Here he is trying to climb the stairs.

Being cute with daddy.

Playing with Kitty, I have a really similar pic with Shasta and Brody, I'll have to try and find it and repost them together.

Being silly in the bath.

Taking a bath with big brother.

My little Cowboy fan :)

Teeth!

Some fun videos.

2010-10-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

Firetrucks and Haircuts

2010-10-20T10:25:00.000-05:00

So our neighbor Kim set up a visit to one of our local firehouses for the kids. Brody was so excited he couldn't stop talking about it. Well we arrived at the firehouse and he totally fell apart. He was crying and saying he wanted to go home. He warmed up a little bit toward the end and I was able to get some pics. Some good and some bad :) I felt terrible because after we got home and he took his nap he woke up with a fever of 103. Poor guy just wasn't feeling good. We'll have to try and do it again sometime. In other news I decided I wanted to cut my hair. I finally lost all my baby weight and with that comes the shedding of the hair. It was just starting to drive me crazy. I didn't do anything crazy but I did cut off about 8 inches. I'm happy with how it came out it feels so much healthier and lighter.

This was when we first got there.

He warmed up a little when he got to play with the big flashlights.

Driving the truck.

Lost it again at the end when I was trying to get a group pic.

Cade and Brody

My hair before.

And after.

After from the front.

Visit from De la

2010-10-04T11:31:00.003-05:00

Our friend Eric from California came out to visit us for a long weekend. He flew in on Wednesday night. On Thursday Mark and him went to a concert downtown. Friday we all decided to go out downtown. It was really crowded out because of the UT/UCLA game. We went to dinner at this fun place called Peche and then headed out to a couple of bars. It was fun to get out of the house. On Saturday Mark, Tim, Shara and Eric all went to the football game. We ended up losing which was a huge upset. Eric left bright and early on Sunday morning. It was a quick trip but good to see an old friend.

Brody loved Eric.

Brody taking a picture of Mark.

Mark taking a pic of Brody taking a pic of him :)

Brody took my pic too :)

Mark and De la.

Me and Mark at Peche.

This was my yummy drink at dinner had rum, lime, champagne and a few other things.

The mussels.

Mark and De la both had one of these Absinthe slushies.

The three of us ready to hit the town.

First Day of School

2010-09-29T17:07:00.001-05:00

So yesterday was Brody's first day of pre-school. We decided to send him to a place called Rising Stars. It's small and they were really nice. I think it will be a good transition for him to start at a smaller school. He will be going on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-2:00. He was very excited for his first day. He smiled for pictures and looked so cute with his backpack on. Once we got to school he walked right in. When I went to say goodbye he got a little upset. I decided just to leave and hope he would calm down. The school called me about 10 minutes later to say he was fine and having fun. Connor and I picked him up at 2. He was excited to see us. The teacher gave me a breakdown of his day. She said he did really good, had a little trouble with transitions but that's very normal. On Thursday he did even better. He walked in and said goodbye with no tears. I can't believe my little boy is in school. I hope he has lots of fun, meets new friends and learns new things.

All ready for his first day of school.

Big smile!

Everyday they send home this little report. I really like it because it fills me in on his day.

This is his new backpack and lunch box, dinosaurs of course :)

Connor 6 Months!

2010-09-02T11:42:00.004-05:00

Wow time has just been flying by! I can't believe it has been 6 months already. He is such a big happy baby. He is almost crawling. He is sitting up with the support of one of his arms. The doctor said it's called the tripod. He LOVES to eat. I think he may be getting teeth soon. He's been a little cranky lately and his appetite goes up and down. We'll just have to wait and see. The doctor said he is perfect, happy and healthy. He weighs 19 pounds and is 28 inches long. His head circumference was 44.75. Both his weight and head are in the 75th percentile and his height is 98th. He is sooo big! I just love him to pieces and can't wait to see how he grows and changes.

His funny face.

Such a happy baby!

He is getting better with a pacifier.

Look mom no hands!

Showing off his big thighs and where he got his shots.

He loves his big brother!

Photos by Brody

2010-08-30T09:58:00.003-05:00

So the other day I was downloading some pictures and working on the blog. Brody came in and grabbed the camera and wanted to take some pictures. So I turned it on and showed him what button to push and he was off. He had some hits and some misses but I thought overall he did a really good job. Here are his photos.

Picture of his dinosaurs. His fingers got in the way a little.

Picture of his feet.

I thought this one was great, I couldn't believe he took it!

Oops there's those darn fingers again :)

Connor 5 Months

2010-08-29T09:31:00.007-05:00

So while we were on vacation Connor turned 5 months old. On Thursday, July 22, right before we left Connor rolled over for the first time. He had rolled from his tummy to his back but this was the first time he went from back to tummy. As soon as he did it he became a master roller and just started rolling all over the place. He is really close to crawlin. He pushes up on all fours and rocks back and forth. He can definitely scoot all over the place just no actual crawling quite yet. As for his diet I have been giving him a tablespoon of rice cereal in his bottle for about a month because he needed a little extra to hold him through the night. When we got back from our trip we started him on oatmeal and some fruits and veggies. He LOVES to eat. He's a really good eater and so far seems to like, peaches, apples, bananas, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes and peas. He is still a pretty good sleeper. He takes two naps a day which are usually anywhere from one to two hours long. He goes to bed around 9 and usually wakes up around 7:30. I'm taking him to the doctor on Thursday for his 6 month checkup. I can't wait to see how big he's gotten. Until then here are some pics and videos of him over the last month.

Loves all kinds of different toys and they all go straight in the mouth.

While we were in NM he held his bottle for the first time.

Loves to bounce.

More food please!

Eating for the first time.

He's very vocal!

Sydna and Shane's Wedding

2010-08-23T12:01:00.034-05:00

On August 7th Syd and Shane got married for the second time. They had a small ceremony last year and then this year was the big wedding. Saturday morning was pretty mellow we all woke up and helped clean up from the night before. That afternoon all the girls headed over to India's house and the boys headed to Kelley and Eric's to get ready for the wedding. Syd had Natalie, a friend of ours from high school do her hair and makeup. A bunch of girls came to the house and we all drank mimosas and got ready. After that we headed to Sabroso's for the wedding. We got there and snuck Syd into the back room where she got dressed and we did all the finishing touches. I wasn't sure how Brody was going to do as the ring bearer but he did a pretty good job. He made it all the way down the isle holding my hand and then when we got to the stage he handed me the pilow and went over to daddy. He came back and forth throughout the ceremony and by the end him and Bianca traded and he had the flower girl basket and she had the pillow. The ceremony was beautiful. One of my favorite moments was in the middle of the ceremony Shane's niece Bianca looks at me and says "I like your shoes" (in her English accent), I smiled at her and apparently that wasn't good enough because then she looks at me and a little louder says "I said I LIKE YOUR SHOES"! Everyone cracked up laughing, it was just too cute. Right after the ceremony we took pictures. We all panicked a little when it started to sprinkle but it quickly blew over and no damage was done. After pictures was dinner, dancing and lots of fun. One of my favorite parts of the wedding was the photo booth. It was so fun, Brody loved it. The band was great and everyone seemed to have a great time. Afterwards we headed back to my parents house for the after party. It was such a fun night. We love you Syd and Shane, congrats!!!

The dress.

Yummy Mimosas.

Getting her makeup done.

Getty ready.

All the girls getting ready.

Finishing touches.

The boys getting ready.

Shane getting his finishing touches.

Here comes the bride.

Seeing Syd for the first time.

Sisters.

Bianca the flower girl.

Brody the ring bearer.

The beautiful bride.

Sealing their vows.

Husband and wife.

All the girls.

Me and my little man.

Syd, Shane and Bianca.

Syd and her new sisters.

Trying to get a nice family shot and Connor decided to cop a feel.

That's better.

Shane and my two favorite boys.

Too cute.

Papa and Syd.

Sisters.

All the boys.

Doing something ornery I'm sure.

Papa and Brody.

Kelley and Eric.

The family.

I love this pic!

Ang and Connor.

Photo booth pics.

It was such a cute idea.

Brody couldn't get enough.

So much fun.

Shara, Ang and Tim.

Django and Ang.

The reception area.

Bride and groom.

All our twinkle lights in action.

There was a huge fire pit that was great once the sun went down.

First dance.

So in love.

Father daughter dance. Brody loved the dancing.

More photo booth fun.

The cake!

More kisses.

And more.

So pretty.

Love you guys, Congrats!!

Trip to New Mexico

2010-08-20T09:24:00.011-05:00

So after Ryan's wedding we headed out to New Mexico for my sisters wedding. We left California on Wednesday morning. Tim, Shara and Kyla were now with us so we all got to fly together. All the kids did great on the plane. My parents picked us up in New Mexico in one of the big hotel vans. Thank goodness because we had a ton of luggage and baby gear. We made it to Taos late that afternoon and just went back to the house to hang out and unwind from a long day of traveling. We got to meet Shane's family who were all visiting from South Africa. On Thursday the boys played golf so I decided to take Brody and Connor to this place called Twirl. It's actually a toy shop that has this great outside play area where tons of kids play. Brody loved it! So many of the people in town for the wedding have babies so they met us there and then we all went to Bent Street deli for lunch. That night we headed to my uncle Pete's for the annual tequila party. It was a beautiful night and it was lots of fun watching all the kids play together. After that we headed back to my parents house for more fun. Friday all the girls got up and headed out to get our nails done. After that we all headed over to the reception site to get setup for the wedding. We had to assemble a tent, put the twinkle lights up and put the lanterns together. A lot of people showed up to help so we were able to get everything done and then head back to the house to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was at my parents house. The food was great and it was so much fun getting to see friends and family I haven't seen in a long time. Saturday was the wedding was amazing and I'll do a separate post on that next.

Tim, Shara and Kyla on the plane.

Connor sleeping so peacefully on the airplane.

This was our first night there, I love the NM sky.

This is Twirl, Brody was up in the top part.

Brody at the tequila party chasing a cat through the field.

Daddy and baby.

Baby wearing Brody's hat.

Brody rockin the hoodie.

Brody and Bianca.

Dorthy and Bianca.

Getting our nails done.

Bianca helping put the batteries in the twinkle lights.

Kelley hanging twinkle lights.

Genevieve hanging twinkle lights and doing a little tree hugging.

Hard at work.

The boys were in charge of the tent.

Ang, me and my mom at the rehearsal dinner.

Tim and dad getting into the scotch.

Papa and monkey.

Pretty ladies.

Jake and Sarah.

Ang, Dj, me, Mark, Shara and Tim.

Me and Shara.

Dj and Ang.

Ang, me and Shara.

The boys with uncle Pete.

Mom and her sisters.

Tim and Shara.

Miles and Ashlie.

Me, Sandy and Syd.

Dad and the beautiful bride to be.

The whole family.

Ended the trip with an amazing Taos Sunset.

Ryan and Meghan's Wedding

2010-08-20T08:48:00.011-05:00

So on Saturday, July 31st Ryan and Meghan got married in Lafayette at Mark's parents house. The ceremony was out back in the gazebo. It was really beautiful. Ryan's long time friend Joe performed the ceremony and did a really great job. After the ceremony there were cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. For dinner it was this really fun build your own burrito or taco station. They were the biggest burritos I've ever seen in my life but they were delicious! After dinner there was dancing. Brody loved hanging out with all of the kids and fell madly in love with Brianna. He was really cute on the dance floor with all the little girls. Then the newlyweds decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel for their first night as a married couple and to get ready for their honeymoon in Hawaii. After the party died down a small group of us hung out in the gazebo, the boys had scotch and cigars and the girls had wine. It was really nice just to hang out and visit with everyone. Congrats Meghan and Ryan, we love you guys!!

The ceremony set up.

The backyard all set up for the reception.

They had a cup cake wedding cake.

The flowers.

Brody looked so cute all dressed up!

Brody and daddy.

Meghan with her mom and her sister right before walking down the isle.

Proud dad waiting for the big event.

Alan escorting one of the bridesmaids down the isle.

Mark and Molly.

Judy and Bernd.

The groom watching his bride come down the isle.

The beautiful bride and her mom.

MOZEL TOV!

The kiss!

More kisses!

Yay, their married.

The bridal party.

Rob and Cynthia.

Camille and Abbey.

David and Bobby.

The Donat family, this is the little girl Brody was totally smitten with.

As a surprise I taught Ryan how to do the two step for their first dance, he did really good!

Me and Mark.

Scotch and Cigars in the gazebo.

Me and Mark again

Trip to Cali

2010-08-16T11:41:00.012-05:00

So the Sunday after Brody's birthday party we packed up and headed to California for Mark's brother Ryan's wedding. The boys did great on the plane. Both of them fell asleep towards the end of the flight. Brody actually ended up having an accident but Mark and I take full responsibility. We gave him four cups of milk and only took him potty once so it was bound to happen. We just wrapped him in a blanket, Mark carried him down to the baggage claim, and when our luggage got there we did a quick change and all was ok. Judy and Joel picked us up at the airport, they had to bring two cars because there are so many of us now and we had a ton of luggage. We were originally going to leave for California on Wednesday but Mark decided to go to Shane's bachelor party which was on Monday so we flew out early so I could have help with the boys and also because flights to Vegas were a lot cheaper from Oakland then they were from Austin. So Mark flew to Vegas on Monday and came back on Wednesday. Me and the boys just hung out with Granka and Granda (those are the names Brody came up with for Judy and Joel). We swam, picked raspberries and just played. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun. Alan got there on Tuesday and Ryan and Meghan arrived Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday we had a family photo shoot with the wedding photographer. Brody was not wanting to cooperate, but with a bunch of burping, toys and the entire family yelling say cheese, we ended up getting some great shots. I really want to order a large print of the family to have framed and hang it in the house. Friday was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner and Saturday was the wedding. I'll do a wedding post after this one. It was so good to have the whole family together. We loved seeing everyone and getting to spend time together.

Both my boys fast asleep on the plane :)

Brody made himself right at home.

Swimming with Granka and the huge killer whale.

Connor and Granka having some quality time.

Excited to see Batman!

Meghan's parents, Meghan, Ryan, Judy and Joel.

Bernd and Thea, we miss you guys!

At the rehearsal dinner.

Yummy beers at the rehearsal dinner.

Getting ready for some yummy In N Out burgers!

On our last night we got to take Tim and Shara to Va de Vi, my favorite place :)

Tim and Shara's first date night without baby.

Mark and Tim.

Me and Mark.

Video of Brody jumping in the pool.

The Cake

2010-08-11T13:27:00.006-05:00

So Brody has been really into killer whales, especially after our trip to SeaWorld in San Diego. So when he said he wanted killer whales for his birthday I knew I had to try and make a killer whale cake. At first I had no clue how I was going to make this cake. After thinking about it for a while I decided to try and make it out of rice krispies so I could mold it a little easier. So I bought all the supplies and started making the cake on Thursday. I decided to do cocoa krispies. I started to mold the whale one batch at a time. It took six batches of rice krispy treats. I started with a big round ball and went from there. I also decided to make a turtle, mostly just so I could practice the different techniques on it so if anything went wrong I wouldn't mess up the big cake. After they were molded I frosted them just like I would a regular cake. Then I did this trick I learned about a couple of years ago. If you take your frosting and put it in the microwave for a little bit it becomes liquidy so you can poor it over your cake and get a smoother finish. So I did that to both cakes and then let them cool over night. The next day I hand piped some of the details and voila we had a turtle and whale cake. The last thing I did was spread blue frosting on the cake boards to make it look like water and we were ready for the party. I was so happy Brody loved the cakes. He's still talking about them :)

Here's the first big ball.

Still not really looking like a whale.

Starting to make a little more progress.

It's a whale!

And a sea turtle.

All frosted up.

This is after I poured the frosting over them.

The finishing details.

We almost lost the turtle after I poured the frosting on him, but I managed to salvage him.

The final product.

Brody giving me the thumbs up!

Brody Turns 3!

2010-07-23T09:02:00.009-05:00

I can't believe my little man is 3! His birthday was on Friday and we decided to take him out for burgers at Freddy's and then to a movie. We went to go see Toy Story 3 which we all loved. Even Connor sat and watched the entire movie. We gave him a Buzz Lightyear as one of his gifts and he brought it to the movie with us. On Saturday we had his actual party. We set up a big blow up pool and borrowed the Tucker's bouncy house. When I asked Brody what he wanted for his birthday he said, killer whales, cake and the birthday song. So we went with an under the sea themed party. I found these fun wall decals that we stuck to the windows. Plus another one of his presents were these big pool toys: a killer whale, dolphin, shark and sea turtle. Also I knew he wanted a killer whale cake so I decided to make one out of rice krispies. It was a big project but it came out really good. I'll do a separate post with all the cake making pics after this one. Anyway the party was a lot of fun. We had about 16 adults and 9 kids. They swam, they bounced and they ate cake. Overall I'd say it was a big success and Brody had a lot of fun. He also had his 3 year doctors appointment. He weighs 32 pounds which is about the 50th percentile and his height was just under 39 inches which is right above the 75th percentile. He is a healthy, happy, growing boy and I love him more and more every day. Thanks to everyone who came and made his birthday so special. Happy Birthday Brody we love you!!!

I'm 3!

Having an orange soda at Freddy's.

Bringing Buzz to the movies.

Bouncing in the bouncy house.

Swimming with all the kids.

Hoarding his new toys.

Getting ready to sing happy birthday.

He got a little shy during the singing.

Blowing out his candles.

The cake.

The balloons.

The decorations.

Connor 4 Months!

2010-07-07T11:47:00.008-05:00

So Connor is officially four months old. Time is just flying by. We had his well check on Tuesday he is definitely a BIG boy. He was 16 pounds 11 ounces which is in the 85th percentile. His head was 43cm which is about the 75th percentile and then his length was 27 inches which apparently was above the 100th percentile. He is wearing mostly 9 month clothes, some six month stuff still fits but no so much in the length . He has mastered rolling from his tummy to his back but is still working on the back to the tummy. He is really close he just gets stuck on his arm. He LOVES the bouncy chair, it has become one of his favorite places to fall asleep. He still refuses to take a pacifier but I continue to work on it daily. I'm hoping he'll come around eventually. He had another stint of hating the bottle but we switched things up and went back to the Dr. Browns and he's been doing great. The Dr. said we can introduce rice cereal between 4-6 months. He has been seeming to want a little extra something at night since he was starting to wake up at 4 or 5am for a feeding, so I have been pumping a bottle and adding a couple tablespoons of rice cereal to it and seems to be doing the trick. He has gone back to sleeping through the night. We don't have a great nap routine worked out yet but I'm sure he'll fall into one, I've tried to force it a little and that just doesn't work. He is still a really happy and very mellow baby. He's very giggly, loves to play with his rattles and has started to babble. Mark swears he has said dada but I'm not sure. Brody's first word was dada so I'm holding out and hoping Connor's will be mama :) He absolutely LOVES Brody. He is always watching him and smiles whenever he sees him. Sometimes if he gets really upset Brody is the only one who can calm him down and make him smile, it's really sweet.

Loving bath time.

Their first bath together!

Our second trip to the pool.

And his favorite new place to nap :)

Welcome Kyla Grace Allen!

2010-06-25T11:09:00.008-05:00

Kyla Grace Allen was born on June 25th at 9:48 am. She weighed 8lbs 1oz and was 20.5 inches long. Tim and Shara went to the hospital on Thursday night to be induced. Shara made quick progress through the night and called me at 7:30 am to tell me she was 9 cm dilated. I hopped out of bed and got ready as quick as I could. Mark stayed home with the boys. I got to the hospital around 8:30 am and she had just started to push. She was able to push through 3 or 4 contractions and then the nurse got called away so she got a bit of a break. Around 9 the nurse came back and she resumed pushing. She did a great job and 48 minutes later baby Kyla was born. It was an amazing experience to be a part of. Congrats Tim and Shara you guys will be amazing parents, we love you guys!

Moments after she was born.

Mommy and baby :)

The Allen Family!

Kyla Grace Allen, isn't she beautiful.

One with her eyes open.

Kyla and Connor, wow what a difference a few months makes :)

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T12:33:00.004-05:00

So I actually started this post on Father's Day but just got a chance to finish it today. I just wanted to say happy Father's Day to Mark. He is such an amazing dad. Both boys are madly in love with him and I don't know what we would do without him. He takes such good care of all of us. We love you honey!

Brody and daddy at the pool. Brody was saying cheese really big!

Daddy and baby.

Daddy with both his boys :)

Connor and daddy.

Brody and daddy.

Connor 3 months

2010-06-17T16:05:00.004-05:00

So I'm still a little behind on blogging but I'm catching up. I can't believe Connor is already 3 months old. He has hit a few new milestones. He can rollover from his tummy to his back. He can't quite go from the back to the tummy yet but he is getting really close. He is grabbing things and bringing them to his mouth. He is still a really good sleeper, we put him down around 9:30 and he usually sleeps until 7:30 or 8. For some reason the past week he has been waking up around 5:30 and wanting to nurse and then going back to sleep until around 9 which isn't so bad. He likes to sleep on his tummy but sometimes he rolls over and gets stuck on his back and then he really gets frustrated. He still doesn't like the pacifier but loves to suck on his fingers and his thumb. I'm going to keep trying the pacifier but don't have a lot of hope. He smiles lots and has even started to giggle which is my favorite thing. He is a VERY vocal baby, constantly screeching and cooing. He has lots to say! We go to the doctor in a couple of weeks for his 4 month check up and I'll have more stats on his weight and length. Here are some recent pics of baby Connor.

Sitting in his Bumbo sucking on his fingers.

More finger sucking.

First trip to the swimming pool, he enjoyed the water and laying on the towels.

Making a little progress with the pacifier.

But he still likes his thumb better.

His eyes still haven't changed yet, some days they are brown and others they are green.

Our little chunky monkey!

Trip to San Diego

2010-06-08T18:15:00.013-05:00

So for Memorial weekend we took a trip to San Diego for Alan's birthday. I was a little nervous about traveling with both boys for the first time but they did great. Plus we had help from Mark's mom. She came to help Mark with the boys while I was in Vegas and ended up just spending the week with us and then we just all flew to San Diego together. We arrived on Thursday. Joel was flying in from the bay area and arrived at the same time as us so we just all met up at the airport. Judy rented an amazing condo right on the beach. It was really nice to have a more home like setting vs being in a hotel with both boys. Thursday night Alan took Mark and I to one of his favorite burger places. We were able to meet up with some old college friends and had a really fun night out in PB. Then on Friday Meghan and Ryan arrived. Judy had arranged for the girls to go the the spa where Alan works and get massages. We went a little early and sat outside and had a Cosmo and then enjoyed a little pampering in the spa. On Saturday the boys all played Golf at Torrey Pines and the girls hung out at the condo. That night I made enchiladas for dinner and our good friend Justin from college came down from LA with his girlfriend Briana and her daughter Mia. Her and Brody totally hit it off and had a blast playing together. At one point they were outside picking flowers and we asked what they were doing and Mia replied "picking flowers for our wedding", so apparently Brody is off the market :) After dinner Judy and Joel were nice enough to stay with the kids and we went out for a little to celebrate Alan's birthday, then came back to the condo and made s'mores and just hung out. Sunday we all went to SeaWorld. I can't say it was one of my favorite places I've ever been but Brody just LOVED it so it was totally worth it. His favorite was definitely the killer whales but he got to see dolphins and sharks, they fed a sea lion and high fived a bat ray. Sunday night the whole family went out for a nice dinner to celebrate Alan's birthday. It was really yummy and I was super relieved that the boys totally behaved. Then Monday we came home. Brody did really good on the plane, he actually ended up falling asleep and slept for most of the trip. And in the parking lot we hit another milestone. Brody decided he had to go potty right when the shuttle dropped us off at our car. With no bathroom in site we found a bush and he peed standing up for the first time. We had a great time and loved getting to spend time with the entire family. Thanks Judy and Joel for an amazing vacation, we love you!!

Me and Brody at the airport. Brody's sporting his new hat.

Brody being a sweet big brother and sharing his blankie.

Roasting marshmallows for our s'mores.

Ryan and Meghan.

Alan and Haleigh.

Connor enjoying being outside.

Brody showing me his stick.

The three brothers.

Brody and Meghan.

Miss Mia at SeaWorld.

They were so cute together.

Actually got a pic of the whole family, Brody is busy reading his SeaWorld map, but it's still a pretty good pic.

Brody watching the killer whale.

Daddy and Brody looking at more killer whales.

Watching the Shamu show.

Grandpa and Baby.

Brody was so tired but he would not let go of that map.

Alan and Haleigh at our nice dinner. Happy Birthday Alan!

Meghan and Ryan.

Me and Connor at the airport.

We got lucky at the airport our gate was right next to Judy and Joel's and our flights took off 10 minutes apart.

Baby laughing at mommy.

The whole family!

Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties

2010-06-07T16:41:00.003-05:00

May was such a busy month for us. After my birthday weekend Mark headed to Vegas for his brother's bachelor party. There was a group of about 10 guys that went including both of his brothers and his dad. It sounds like they had a great time. Then a couple weeks later it was my turn for my sister's bachelorette party. So on Thursday I headed to Vegas, the girls all decided to drive so they left the night before but we all got to the hotel within minutes of each other so it worked out perfectly. Thursday night we went to Thunder from Down Under which is always a lot of fun. Friday we had a really nice dinner at the Bellagio and then ended up at Rum Jungle for most of the night. It was a quick trip but it was soooo much fun. I loved getting to spend time with my sisters!

Here are the girls at Hoover Dam on their way to Vegas.

Lunch at the hotel our first day.

Sandy, Kiki and Syd.

Me and Syd.

On our way to the show.

Dinner at a really yummy sushi place in the Bellagio.

Vegas!

Sisters!!

Shara's Baby Shower

2010-06-03T11:40:00.010-05:00

So Shara's due date is getting closer and closer. We had a shower for her on May 15th at the house. One of the only cravings Shara has had her entire pregnancy is shaved ice. We decided to run with it and make her shower a sweet treats theme. We had things like cotton candy, cake balls, brownie pops, Bellini's, candy and of course shaved ice. It was a lot of fun. I was in a serious sugar coma when the party was over but it really was a great shower. She got lots of fabulous gifts and we all had a nice time visiting and over indulging in lots of sweets. I can't believe the baby will be here in just a few more weeks, I'm so excited!!!! Can't wait to meet little baby Allen :)

Robin made the invitations, aren't they cute!

Me and Shara.

The diaper cake I made her.

What's left of the really yummy cake balls.

We had three different Bellini flavors. Strawberry, peach and blueberry.

I made baby themed name tags for all the glasses.

We made fresh cotton candy.

And yummy snow cones.

There was a variety of candy.

The favors were candy bags that guests could fill up and take home with them.

Brownie Pops.

Shara opening gifts.

Maebry had her eye on the Care Bear gift bag.

Maebry, Christa and Robin.

Lisa and Lisa.

More presents.

Robin, Maebry, Christa, Savannah, Connor and Shara.

Connor 2 Months

2010-05-04T16:18:00.004-05:00

I can't believe how far behind I am on the blog. Me and the boys are all sick and confined to the house so I thought it would be a good time to catch up. So here is Connor's two month post. He is such a little chunk. I can't believe how big he is. We went to the doctor on Monday for his 2 month appointment. He was 13 pounds, 24.5 inches long and his head was 40 cm. I know he is about a pound bigger then Brody was at this time and about inch longer. He still had some remanence of his umbilical cord so the doctor put some Nitrate on it and said that should take care of it. His belly is all black and weird looking but it seems to be doing the trick. He is still sleeping through the night which is amazing. On May 6th I moved him up to his crib and he slept about 9 hours. He has been sleeping in his room ever since and we haven't had any issues yet. At first I was more worried that he would wake up Brody but he rarely cries and when he does it doesn't seem to affect Brody. Overall he is just a very happy, very relaxed baby. We are VERY lucky parents.

Practicing his fist pump.

Here's his black belly button.

Practicing sitting up in the Bumbo.

I love that face!

Here is a little video of him talking to me.

The Big 3 0

2010-05-02T19:46:00.009-05:00

That's right I'm officially 30. I didn't want to do anything huge, just have a nice dinner with close friends and then hang out at the house afterwards. So that's exactly what we got to do. We got a babysitter for the kids and went out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Jasper's. There were 12 of us. We got to have our own private room. The drinks were fabulous, the food was AMAZING and the company was even better. After dinner we went to our house for the after party. We just hung out on the back patio, drank, played ring toss and dice and had a great time. Thanks everyone for making my birthday so great!!!

Me and Mark

Me and Shara

Chris and Kim

Mark, me Shara and Tim

Dusty and Christa

Tim and Shara

Jason and Kim

Ashley and Justin

Chris, me, Kim and Mark.

The whole gang.

Making a wish.

Really yummy desserts!

First Bath

2010-04-28T14:14:00.006-05:00

So Connor's umbilical cord finally fell off on April 22nd. I can't believe it took over 7 weeks to come off. I feel like there is still a little bit left, I'm going ask the doctor about it at his 2 month appointment. Either way I decided it was time for the poor kid to have a bath. He did really well just laid there and looked at me. Brody was very interested. I tried to get him to get in with Connor but he was happy just being my helper.

Brody helping mommy.

First bath.

Wondering what in the heck is going on.

Eyelashes just like his brothers.

April Has Flown By

2010-04-20T09:04:00.011-05:00

April has been a crazy busy month for us. Mark went to Vegas the first weekend for a bachelor party. I was a little nervous about being home alone with both boys but they were both really good and we had a very nice weekend together. It also happened to be Easter weekend but we decided to just wait and celebrate Easter the next weekend because my family would be here. Syd, Kel, Shane and Eric all drove from Taos on Thursday and were hoping to make it all the way to Austin but ended up having some car trouble and had to stay the night in Abilene. Luckily the dealership was able to fix the car first thing in the morning and they made it to Austin that afternoon. My parents got here Saturday. Brody was so happy to have lots of visitors to play with. He did so good with every ones names. He is still calling grandma monkey but I think it's growing on her :) Sunday we celebrated Easter, we dyed eggs and did an Easter egg hunt. Brody had lots of fun with it. The rest of the week was spent eating at all our favorite Austin spots, shopping and being lazy. Kelley decided to trade in her car and get a new one, which was very exciting. Friday Mark's brother Ryan and his fiance Meghan came to visit. My mom babysat the boys and we all went downtown. It had been a long time since I had done that and it was a lot of fun. Saturday we had made a really yummy dinner and invited few friends over. We played some games and hung out at the house, it was a great night. It made me wish everyone lived in Austin. On Sunday everyone headed home. I was really sad when everyone left I love having family in town. Can't wait for the next visit.

My two boy, very rare to get a pic with both of them in it :)

Daddy and Brody.

Kelley and Eric at Shady Grove.

Me, mom and baby.

Sisters.

Syd and Shane.

Brody having his first corn dog, he ended up loving it even though you definitely can't tell from the picture.

Goofballs.

Connor shopping with mommy, definitely my son :)

Getting our toes done.

Night out on the town.

Ryan and Meghan

Kel and Eric

They are too cute.

Seesters.

At Blind Pig.

The whole gang.

5 Weeks Already

2010-04-06T11:50:00.002-05:00

Connor is 5 weeks old today. I can't believe how fast time goes by. He is such a good baby. He loves to sleep and eat. He is very mellow and hardly ever cries. We are VERY lucky! I took him to the doctor today because I was concerned that his umbilical cord still hasn't fallen off. The doctor said that it's rare for it to stay on this long but nothing is wrong. We just have to keep waiting. He said it could be another month! I'm just relieved that everything is ok. They weighed him while we were there and he is already 11 pounds 14 ounces. He is such a big boy. Here are some recent pics of our little chunk :)

Doing what he does best.

Holding his head up!

Brody vs Connor

2010-03-30T13:43:00.014-05:00

I was looking through our pictures the other day and was reminiscing about when Brody was born. It's fun comparing the pictures of the two of them and seeing the similarities and the differences. Both boys were born 6 days late. Brody came on his own at 4:51pm on July 23rd and was 7 pounds 12 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. Connor was induced and arrived at 2:41pm on March 2nd and was 8 pounds 9 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. Both were/are very mellow babies. Connor definitely sleeps more than Brody did but he was bigger so maybe that's why. I'm anxious to see what Connor is going to look like as he gets older. Brody is already a great big brother, he always wants to make sure baby is being taken care of. He hates when he cries and will tell me to hold him or give him his suckie to make it better. It's going to be fun watching the two of them grow up together.

Brody 7 pounds 12 ounces.

Connor 8 pounds 9 ounces.

This is Brody at about 2 months old.

This is Connor at around 3 weeks.

Brody making his silly face.

Connor knows the same face.

Brody sleeping on mommy.

Connor sleeping on mommy.

These next couple of pics are just of Connor, we went for a walk the other day and I put Brody's sunglasses on him, it was too cute.

Future heartbreaker!