Juliet is ONE!

Juliet,

Today, you turned one year old. I cannot believe a year's worth of time has passed by. It feels like a few days ago that your daddy and I drove to the hospital, I was induced, and out you came. Unreal.

I think part of the reason the time has passed so quickly is because of all of the changes into which you were born. Right before you came, Daddy switched to a new job that required a lot of travel, all over the world. It's a great job and he loves it, but that first three months of your life was incredibly stressful for your dad and me. I was so tired. Things became such a blur in your life. But, even with the blurs of the past 12 months, I do remember a few things from then, and now:

- You were, and always have been, so sweet and carefree about your days. Playing for you is about interacting - sharing, touching, smiling and talking.
- Singing is a favorite of yours - I know music will be in your life in some important way. I hope it is, and that you carry it on more prominently in your life than I have.
- Your brother loves you boundlessly, and you think he hung the moon. I hope you two will have an amazing bond that grows over time. I'm not sure what the both of you would do without each other. You get sad in the car when he's not with us for any reason.
- Your eyes are constantly bright and curious (we already know you're advanced) and you're speech is getting better by the day. You learn words in one or two days, which has been tons of fun for us. So smart. You can now say baby, please, thank you, Poppie, Nonnie, pizza (yay), all done, more, walk, and much more. :)
- You crawl like the wind, and are walking 10-12 steps across the room, as of today. Strangely, your brother did the exact same thing. You guys are all about birthdays!

We love you so much, Jules. You are truly a gift from God, and I thank the Lord for the timing he chose in bringing you into our lives, and how fun, healthy and smart you are. I know that God has watched over you this year in all of our craziness, and I know that he'll continue to do so. I just pray we can be the parents we need to be for both you and Cooper, and that your love of God, family and friends will grow as you do.

Love,
Mom

This updating the blog thing ... You'd think it'd get easier.

I'm here!

We've done a lot in the past month and a half or so. I'll start with what I can remember. We spent a couple of weekends in Cleburne - one being July 4th. We had a great time swimming in the pool. On Father's Day, Luke had a triathlon in Pflugerville with some friends, and did a great job in the sprint distance. We also went to the Hejl Lake Weekend (most recently) and had a fabulous time with all 16 of us in a super nice house/guest house on Lake LBJ. Now, we're mostly trying to get our house sold. Pretty frustrating, but we're taking it in stride. :) Three months on the market is really taking its toll on us.

Kid update: Cooper finished a week of swimming lessons today. He did a GREAT job. Much improved from last year, when he wouldn't even go near a pool without me in it, in the shallow end. Ms. Linda was a wonderful teacher! He can definitely swim across the pool by himself, and jump off the diving board and swim to the side. What a big boy!

Cooper has recently begun using my old iPod for some of his music (dad set it up for him) and he LOVES it. This kid loves all kinds of music. Right now, it's The Backyardigans. Lately, TV is a major struggle between Cooper and me. He would watch it all day, and I spend my whole day enforcing regulations we've put around it. It's getting a little better, since I've pretty much outlawed Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Suite Life on Deck, and Sonny with a Chance. These shows are fine, but he's just not old enough, and they don't really teach him anything. I'm glad that he likes to watch PBS more - he's learned more from Sid the Science Kid and Word Girl than anything else. Even me. Although, Disney's Handy Manny's not that bad either. He explained what solar panels were to me not too long ago: "Mom, solar panels use light from the sun to make energy." Um, alright, smart guy.

Juliet is changing fast. Time has passed way too quickly. She's a speed crawler. I give it about a month before she's walking. When she crawls, you always know she's coming because her hands are slapping the ground and she's squealing. There's nothing sneaky about her! She wears 18 month clothes, and is super tall. She and Haley are about the same height, and Juliet's six months younger. Big girl.

Juliet can now can say "cheese," "keys," "Dah-DEE," (really clearly) and when we say "One, two ..." she says "THREE!" Super cute. She loves to read books and for me to say "Shoo-WEEE!" when I change her diaper. Also, she'll laugh at pretty much anything that her brother does. Dies laughing. The little conversations she has with herself are really sweet.

Three teeth have surfaced, after much wailing and gnashing - two on the middle bottom (one at 9 mo., another at 10 mo.) and one on top (10 mo.). Two more top ones are coming in, and so is more drool. :)

That's all I can think of. Oh, and Luke and I are good. We celebrated NINE years of marriage on the 21st. Gets better every year.

Crawling, pulling, standing, etc.

Remember, I'm not mostly doing this blog to have something to show my kids in lieu of a decent baby book. I'm trying to keep my head above water, what with selling the house, moving, etc. I used to post more opinion, but I'm lately realized that no one cares. And neither will I later on in life. I WILL however care about when Juliet got teeth and the crazy things Cooper was saying. With that in mind ...

Juliet is crawling! She started crawling while in Marble Falls this past weekend, and hasn't let up since. She also like to pull up on everything, and really just wants to stand up all of the time. It's a new, crazy phase, but it's a lot of fun. She also got her first TOOTH last week, and a second is about to pop up. Let me say that she does bite down, and it doesn't matter on what. Ouch. I can't believe time is passing so quickly with her. It's like a blinked and she'll be ONE in less than three months. Yikes!

We had her nine month appointment a couple of weeks ago, and she's doing well. She's 28 1/2 inches long (85%), weighs 19 lbs., one ounce (45%) and has a 70% head circumference. Smarty pants. We also found that she has a bit of anemia, which I'm trying to combat with some iron drops. She doesn't like the taste of them, so it's a challenge. We're about to put this nursing thing to bed also, since I'm only nursing her at night. I give it a week. I'm proud to have made it this long with both kids! I worked full time with Cooper, so that one was a bit harder. Go me. Anyway, things she can now say, sorta clearly: mama, dada, get it, all done, dog, kitty.

Cooper is his same crazy, funny, smart aleck self. The attitude is in full effect, but he'll grow out of that, right? He (and Jules) are loving summer time and the pool. We went to Galveston with Luke for the weekend because he was already there for work. Lots of relaxing by the pool, and a trip to the beach. My parents finished their pool in the spring, and we spent the week there last week. We LOVED swimming and hanging out. We also went to our annual Marble Falls weekend at Ty's grandma's lake house (thanks Dishmans). The kids loved hanging out together, but we REALLY missed Jay and Ally. Next year, for sure. Cooper and Chase are a force playing together. Good times.

Well, enjoy the pics!

Holla

Got a couple of videos to post. One is of Juliet breaking it down during the dance part of "Ellen" and the other is just of the kids talking. Cuteness.



Things are going well this May, except for the quick sale of our house. It's been nearly four weeks since it went on the market, and nothing serious has happened. Well, the most seriousness is how clean our house is. All of the time. I'm ready to go back to being semi-clean. Hopefully, it will sell in the next couple of weeks. That's having my chin up HIGH.

Cooper: He's been a toot for the past two or three weeks. I'm thinking some of it is a little rage because of the move, switching preschool talk, etc. He loves to talk back, say rude things to get our attention, and demand to be served without thanks. Whew. I think we're starting to see a calm in this storm, because we've begun to ignore him and the problem, which really hacks him off. We'll see if that changes.

Luke and Cooper went last Friday to the Statesman Auto Show at the convention center. Needless to say, Cooper was in heaven. They had an awesome time getting in EVERY SINGLE CAR at the show. If you don't know Cooper, this is his dream. He loves to get it cars, play with keys, hold keys, pretend driving, and memorize the names of cars on the road. To the point of obsession. We'll see what this turns into. Luke, of course, loves it. :)

Juliet: She's ABOUT to crawl. I'm excited because it will make her happier, but not ready to put the stair gates back up. She's almost there.

The cuteness factor is really high with her at the moment. She can clearly say "dada" and "mama" and says "kuh, kuh" for cat and "guh duh" for dog. I know that doesn't mean she's saying those words, but I know what she's talking about, which is all that matters. :) She can almost clap, and puts her hands together (sorta) for "more" in sign language when we're eating. Such a smart little girl. She loves to pick up books and look at them (my girl) and she's getting awesome at SLEEPING. I love this phase. But, she does tend to throw a fit when something is taken from her, to the point that she starts to grunt and then hold her breath for a second. Oh dear. Flash forward to 15 years old, and imagine the possibilities.

We're getting ready to go on a beach trip soon, and to the lake. Cooper's last school day is tomorrow. NO! Summer is a love/hate for me. Mostly love.

Funny

Here are the kids - Cooper playing Batman. Juliet doesn't seem to like it.

More stuff they do

I thought I'd give a quick kid update. I'm doing this on my iPhone because it's the fastest thing right now, and I'd rather have something than nothing!

Juliet's six month checkup (this us just for record's sake, since she's 7.5 months old and has grown like a weed) was pretty boring, which was good. She weighed 16 lbs and three ounces (45th per) and 24 1/2 inches (90th per). Very tall! Since then, she's begun to eat meats and tried to eat a few "real" foods - avocados, bananas, puffs, bread - and she's not really loving it. She's getting used to it more and more each day, so that's all we could ask. Juliet enjoys drinking water from a sippy cup, and I think she finally really learned how to do it correctly tonight. It shocked her at first, but then liked it! Mmmmm, water.

She is also pushing up all the way with her arms when she's on her tummy, and trying to rock back and forth on her knees. Crawling will come soon. I'm not ready! Waving is her newest talent. She loves to wave at daddy and say "dadada". "Mama" is only usually said when she's sad, so dad loves that. :) The cat and dog are fun for her to look at now. She's just getting so big! We love her new personality starting to come out.

And Cooper - what a fun kid. He's lately loving to play by himself with phones and keys. I'll often ask who he's talking to, and he'll say "Mom, I'm not talking to you." Yikes! He's serious when it comes to play. We're trying to keep him from watching too much tv, but Phineas and Ferb are pretty darn funny. The weather is awesome, so we're trying to get out more. He's learning to write his numbers, and reading "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" each night with dad. I remember reading it when I was in elementary school. He's a story lover, and I love that about him.

Well, that's my "baby book" entry for now. Will update again soon. Hopefully not from my phone because, well, my thumb hurts. :)

Seven month slideshow - Juliet

Okay, these are more like family pics, but it's Juliet's six (turned into seven) month shoot with Tanya Warpula of Cozy Impressions Photography here in Austin. She did an awesome job! It was FREEZING and windy on March 21, but we made it through. Enjoy!

Juliet Seven Month Slide Show

We went to Disneyland!

In the past month, we've had rodeo day at Cooper's preschool (super cute), Disneyland, and the Austin Rodeo. Pretty chaotic for me around here, but we're managing. Luke hasn't been traveling as much this year, which is great. He enjoys his job a lot, and we couldn't ask for a better life. We're glad to have him around more.

Juliet is starting to sit up on her own (I need to get more pics of that) and say "mamamama," "dadadada" and "yahyahyahyah" all of the time. I really do think she's saying "mama" because it's when I'm not paying attention to her. She uses it to get my attention, and it works! Cooper is reading more, and practicing letters on the shower door. He is SO stubborn and opinionated (I'm not sure at all where he gets that), but super inquisitive and smart. He remembers everything. I mean, EVERYTHING. Even stuff from when he was two, like, specific events and people. Blows my mind.

Cooper got to dress up as a cowboy for Rodeo day at school. Everyone looked so cute! The teachers had a little rodeo roundup (aka the chicken dance) before it started, and they had little activities to do in the afternoon. Of course, my son was less interested in the actual horse they had there to pet, and WAY more interested in the big truck and horse trailer they brought it in. :) He looked so handsome in his boots and jeans.

Luke had a trade show/convention at the Disneyland Hotel in sunny CA last week, so we tagged along as a family. The hotel was great - super close to the park, and to an area called Downtown Disney where they have fun restaurants, stores, and cool Disney apparel. I've never been to a place so populated with children and strollers. Nor have I seen a hotel/park more catered to children's wants and needs. We went the first morning to something called "Goofy's Kitchen" buffet breakfast and were shocked (and a little excited) to find every food a kid could ever want at this breakfast. I mean, eggs, bacon, omelettes, mac and cheese, ice cream, cobbler, cupcakes, eggs benedict, jello, Mickey pancakes and waffles ... you name it. It was awesome. Of course, my son wanted one pancake, jello and chocolate milk. I, on the other hand, couldn't contain myself. Yum. Also at the breakfast were Goofy, Chip and Dale, Princess Jasmine, Balou, and Pluto. They came to our table!

We had a four-day pass to the park, so we did a lot of walking. Juliet really enjoyed sitting up in the stroller (we borrowed a sit 'n' stand - thanks Collins fam) and Cooper was a trooper. He loved the Toontown area of the park where Mickey Mouse and all of his friends "live." It was a great area for younger kids. We did ride "It's a Small World" and were thoroughly annoyed by it, and Luke and Cooper saw a Mickey parade and rode the carousel. We got to see fireworks on Friday and Saturday night outside our hotel room window, which was amazing. And loud. Juliet was so tired, she didn't even budge. Hotel rooms with a baby can be stressful, but we did it!

Luke's cousin, Bethany, lives about 20 minutes away from the park, so meeting up with her and her daughter, Samantha, was a lot of fun. The kids and I went to the beach one afternoon with them and had a ball. We ate at a place called "Woody's" the looked a lot like Cooper's room at home on the inside. YUMMY avocado omelette, and a great burger for Cooper. Speaking of food, we also went to the Rainforest Cafe' with Preston, since he happened to be in town, and ESPN Zone. Yum. We did not go hungry.

We had such a great time, but after the long flight home, time difference, and time CHANGE on the same day, we were pooped. It'll be fun to go back when they're a few years older, and maybe DisneyWORLD instead.

Wednesday, we went to the Austin Rodeo with Charis and her two boys. It's a little boy's wonderland, with the golf carts, cars and tractors to sit and play on. Cows? Ho hum. I had to pry Cooper off of a Dodge pickup and out the exit to leave. He loves to pretend to drive. And, Juliet, loves to watch. :)

It's been a great month or so! Cooper is nearly 4 1/2 and Juliet turned six months on Sunday, Feb. 21. They're both getting so big. Juliet is sitting up on her own, almost. Give it a week or two. She eats all kids of baby food, and loves it. Cooper loves school and is pumped about Cowboy/Texas day tomorrow. He gets to wear his boots!

Here's Coop taking a pic of himself. He's totally obsessed, still, with all things electronic or having to do with keys.



Preschool Valentine's party.



Snow in Cleburne. It snowed in Austin ALL DAY yesterday, but we didn't play in it as much. Craziness with the snow here in Texas this month!




The girls playing inside.



Cooper, Nonnie and Daddy building a snowman.



Cooper and Poppie, and new dog Chloe.



Me and Juliet watching intently.



On Feb. 10, my niece Haley turned ONE. What a crazy year it's been for them. Glad they are all happy and healthy. She's a cutie.



Us eating stuff.




SNOW IN AUSTIN.