Summer Time- 10 months and 2+

The month of July has been busy, busy, busy, and not so busy.  What I mean is, we have gone and participated in a few things this summer, but mostly enjoyed hanging out at home and playing.  On one hand, our lives are super busy with a 2 year old and 9 month old, but we haven't been adding a whole lot of extras lately.  Part of the reason is the BAR... dun, dun, dun.  Aaron has been working hard at studying for weeks and the last couple weeks has studied around the clock.  Literally.  We all are ready for the Bar to be over and just get into a routine again.  Having him gone is a bummer, but we know it is only for a short time.  I mean, we made through law school having two babies, so we can definitely make it through the Bar.  Hopefully once it is over this week, we can enjoy some much needed family time!  I just want to say I am so proud of Aaron and how hard he is working! Love you honey!

Andrew-
Well this little guy is just like daddy.  We will see, but in most situations, they respond or react in the same way.  For example, we were sitting and having breakfast and both of them were looking out the window, just staring.  I just love observing them together.  They also, stop and look at the same TV commercials.  Weird, but too cute!  Andrew and I have been playing school while sissy takes her morning nap.  This is so much fun for both of us.  During the school year, we read to him a lot, but I didn't have a chance to actually teach him.  I am so happy to say that he knows most of his letters and sounds.  He still struggles with x, k, r, v, and h.  This really makes him proud of himself when I get excited about him "reading". I am hoping to teach him to read by the time he is 4.  Trust me, he is totally his daddy in memorizing things.  Simply amazing how he just remembers.  Andrew is quite the helper which is great, but he can sometimes be Mr. Bossy Pants.  I want to help him utilize this trait in a positive way and not in a way that would annoy his friends or teachers.  I have been in the position of having a student tell me what to do which is almost always taken in a negative way.  I hope Drew will develop more boundaries as he grows and that we will do that without stifling him.  Of course, Aaron and I just want what is best for him.


One of the things that Drew did was take swimming lessons for 2 weeks!  The first 2 days he was skeptical, which is normal for him, but then did great!  I can tell it has made him so much more confident in the water with us.  He jumps in, puts his face in the water and "swims" with his super man arms and kicking.  Here is a video of him during one of the lessons. :)  Thanks Grams and Pawpaw for sending him, he had a blast and still talks about his time there!


Also, our boy loves to sing!  Here he is singing with his fabulous 2 year old attention span. :)



Playing with markers, he loves watching this video of himself. :)


Leah Kathryn is a go getter! We always joke that Andrew is a mini Aaron and Leah is a mini me.  Leah started crawling one day before she turned 9 months old.  Now, she is into everything, including what her brother has.  She will crawl right to him and snatch the toy he has right out of his hand.  Andrew does NOT like it.  But, it is teaching Leah what the word no means and Andrew how to stick up for himself.  It is good for both of them, but can defiantly be trying at times.  Most of the time, I let them sort it out and step in if necessary.  Just from observing children during my career and my own kids, they really work it out on their own most of the time.  One thing that differs from Andrew is she cries and becomes really upset when you tell her no.  She gets her feelings hurt more so than Drew.  Maybe it is because she is an emotional girl. :)  Leah has also been pulling up for a little over a week.  She enjoys pulling up and seeing what she couldn't before.  She is steady just standing there, but still really wobbly when we help her take steps.  I wouldn't be surprised if it took her til a year to walk.  I am in no hurry. :)  She really is a sweet girl that loves to be held and talked to.  She will talk right back and smile so big.  She is a people watcher and will especially engage anyone while at the grocery store.  Her bright smile lights up her whole face and makes everyone around her smile back.  We love our spunky little girl.

First day crawling...


Here is Leah growling.  She has always grunted and growled, but I finally got it on video.  Very ladylike. :)



Crawling girl!


For the 4th of July, we just dressed up and stayed home.  We know taking our two little ones out for fireworks late is not fun for any of us.  So, we just watched them on TV and relaxed as a family. :)

                                      
                                     
Aaron and I took the kids to the Dallas Children's Aquarium.  Andrew loved it!  It was an affordable family outing.

Andrew checking out the sharks.

We went to the zoo with Pawpaw and here are the fun photos...

Hanging out at home, enjoying each other.  Daddy and daughter, she loves her daddy!

Our blue-eyed girl...

 Our sweet boy...                                                         Buddies...

                                                    Pulling up...

 My favorite boy...

 My favorite girl...

 Love his big blue eyes, one day a girl is going to fall in love with those. :)

 SOOOOO BLESSED!

Love you Leeroy Boy...

I just wanted to post pictures and say a few things about our dog, Leeroy.  He was put down today because of being hit by a car.  He could not be mended, so the vet made him comfortable, rehydrate him, and then let him go.  But, that is a hard thought for our family...letting him go.  He was my 6 month wedding anniversary gift and a companion for Lola.  We are so sad that she will not have a playmate or crate/sleeping buddy.  He was an awesome dog and was just a lover no matter what.  Petting him or seeing him run around while Andrew chases him will be the memories that I will always have, but the ones moving forward I will miss the most.  I go to bed knowing that he had a good life with us and hopeful God will bring peace to our family.  Here are a few pics of Leeroy to remember him by...

  

Summer Has Begun!!! :D (9 months and 2 and 3/4)

SUMMER HAS BEGUN AND WE ARE LOVING IT!  I made it through another school year.  That was year 5 of teaching for me.  But, now that count can stop and the stay at home mom count can begin!!!  Don't get me wrong, being at home is a lot of work, but I am so happy to be with my babies every day and support Aaron as he begins his career.  We have one more hurtle, the BAR!  I know Aaron will do great, but it is a 3 day test, which would be exhausting for anyone.  So, if you think about us, just pray that everything goes well with that.  It is at the end of July (during our 7th wedding anniversary, we will be celebrating double after he is done!)  :)

Leah is such a talkative girl, she babbles A LOT!  She say ya ya, da da, mmm, ga ga, ba ba and more!  She loves people and is so entertained by them.  She is extremely tactile, much more so than Drew.  She notices the tiniest things on the floor and analyses everything on a toy.  Andrew more looked at the entire toy and how it worked, but she looks at every detail.  I love seeing the differences in my two kids.  :)  She has learned how to sit up from a laying position, crawl backwards, and scoots forward.  I have a feeling she will be crawling full fledged any day!  She is already pulling herself to her knees, so who knows, we may have a walker soon after crawling.  She really likes anything that makes lots of noise...probably because she has an older brother who likes to make lots of noise.  She has taken to Drew and absolutely thinks he is hilarious and fun.  She will NOT take mistreatment though!  Anytime he takes and toy or plays too rough, she tells him about it by screaming.  It is a different kind of cry, a cry of injustice.  I already know the difference.  She is going to be a tough cookie, but I guess she doesn't have a choice. :)

Watch out boys, she has an older brother... :)

Andrew is potty training, which is going well.  We began a couple weeks ago and use a sticker chart as motivation.  He likes getting a sticker and putting it on his chart.  He still has accidents, but only about one a day.  I am hoping he will begin to tell me soon.  I think this will help with some of the accidents.

He is such a relational guy and holds his family and friends very close.  He LOVES his grandparents and asks for them daily.  I think he feels special when he is with him.  :)  He is also an encourager, he loves to tell others what a great job they did.  I love this about him and hope it continues.  He also loves tv!  I cant say I love this, but his favorite characters are Mickey Mouse, Elmo, Super Grover, The Count, Dora, and Boots.  I let him watch one show in the morning and one after sissy has gone to sleep (he gets some cuddle time alone with mommy and daddy which he loves).  Andrew is a kiddo who is observant is public and is not too keen on playing with others he doesn't already know.  He has always been this way, just like his daddy.  :)  Once he gets to know you and like you, he is very loyal.  Overall, he is such an awesome boy, with the occasional hitting and saying no.

A little funny story...
He was standing in front of the mirror in his underwear and told me he had a boo boo.  I asked him where it was and he pointed to his nipple.  This made me laugh out loud.  I didn't tell him the name yet because I don't want him going around saying nipple.  Ha Ha!

Handsome boy! :)

We love our babies and are so excited to watch them grow and learn!

Here are our babies with their grandparents...
Lovie and Pop Pops were here to visit from England.  It was so great to have them here.  We all miss them and can not wait to have them back home.

Here they are swimming with Grams and Pawpaw...

Just hanging out at home... WE ARE SO BLESSED WITH BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY AND HAPPY KIDS!!!

Pretty much the cutest kids around... :)

2 1/2 year old Andrew Asa and 8 month Leah Kathryn

Summer is almost here!  Just one more week until summer!  Wow!  I have been so blessed to work at Dartmouth.  I am sad to leave because I love teaching there, but so excited to get to be with my babies for the short amount of time before they go to school! 

Leah:

She is such a spunky girl!  Not sure where she gets that from.  ;) She loves to grab everything in sight and analyze it.  If she cant reach it, she will try and try again.  Then, she will cry and Andrew will come to her rescue...so sweet!  She knows what she wants and isnt afraid to let us know (dont know where she got that from either)  She is scooting backwards and rolls to get where she wants to go.  I anticipate her crawling in the next month.  She absolutely is a joy to Aaron, Andrew, and I.  Andrew LOVES her and will tell us what she needs anytime she is crying.  For the most part, he is right!  She has also started babbling more consonants.  She will say dada and gaga, along with the aaa and ooo.  If you have been around her for any amount of time, you know she has the uuu sound perfect.  Our sweet girl grunts all the time.  In fact, she grunts instead of cries most of the time.  We laugh because it is not so girly.  :)  I know all of her determination will pay off, but Lord please give us patience in her teen years. :)

Me and my Girl!

 Daddy and his Girl!

Miss Blue Eyes...

 Andrew is the most thoughtful, encouraging, and aware boy!  His wife is going to be so lucky!  A little story for you Ags (only my Aggie friends will understand the saying):  A few weeks ago, we were hanging out with the Bowen clan and Andrew asked Dana (39 weeks pregnant), is there a baby in there?  She reply yes and Andrew told her, it is so beautiful.  We laughed and smiled because what more could a mommy who is about to give birth ask for.  Andrew is definitely cuddly and every time he is in a shopping cart, he must hug you at least every time we go down another aisle.  We love that about him!  He also tells us that he loves us sooo much.  I can not wait to soak all of this sweet love from my boy when I am home full time! 

He is beginning to be interested in learning the letters and sounds (which I havent pushed), but am so happy to teach him now.  He loves to learn and when he does, he likes to learn it to depth.  His understanding of people and relationships really amazes us sometimes.  We love the toddler stage when it comes to exploring and learning...maybe not the discipline part.  :)

As a segue into disobedience:  this is Andrew, who ran to get to the bathroom and climbed right in...I told him sissy was getting a bath, not him, but he obviously had other plans.  At the time, it wasnt funny, but now I can laugh about it.

Me and my Boy!

Aaron and our babies!

 He will read us stories (that we have read to him over and over) and he will get entire phrases on every page correct!  He loves us to read to him. :)