Polar Express

My parents came right before Christmas for about 10 days.  We usually lay low and just hang out.  This time our calendar was full!  We spent a day and night in Dallas, went on the Polar Express, went to Chucks's class Christmas party and drove around and looked a Christmas lights.

The following pictures are from the Polar Express to the North Pole!

And here is a picture of our overweight little guy.  I gave him a straw cup yesterday just to see what he would do ( it took Chuck a looooong time to get the hang of a straw).  Smith took it from me and drank all the water out of it!

One

Did I mention Smith turned one? He took his first real steps (15 total) two days before his birthday.

He hated every second of his dinosaur birthday except for the cake part.
















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Smith's 12 month checkup!

I know, I know.  I have been MIA.  Fall Fest threw me off track, then Smith and I were sick for three weeks around Thanksgiving and then Chuck got out of school and then Smith relapsed for a few days, blah blah blah.  My phone is currently full on storage so I have GOT to plug that bad boy into the computer tonight.

So, Smith had his 12 month check up he was 29.5 pounds ( Chuck was 24 pounds).  Smith was 31 inches ( Chuck was 31.5 inches at 12 month check up).  So for Smith, the doctor was concerned with his weight.  I was told to stop all bottles cold turkey and just give him sippy cups.  Luckily he likes sippy cups and water.  I will offer milk at meals but no night night bottle.  He definitely asked ( through sign language) for a bottle but didn't get too upset when he didn't get one... i did give him some water in a sippy though.  When Chuck was this age, his weight had actually gone down but the doctor was not worried about him because he was big to begin with.

Smith has two front teeth.  At this point Chuck had two front teeth but also had 5 more coming in.  Smith has no more in sight.  Smith is full out walking now.  Walking form room to room.  Earlier tonight I actually couldn't find him ( I leave some doors closed so he can't ge to toilet paper or cat food) and all of a sudden he just comes rounding the corner out of my bedroom.  Just cruising like he was taking a leisurely walk. At this point, Chuck was not walking.  Chuck walked at about 15 months about month or so we set out on our road trip of the south east to decide where we were going to move after residency.

It has been a long 2 weeks with the boys.  Chuck heads to school tomorrow although he says he wants to "stay home with mama".  I am pretty cool.  Smith and I are going to try and go to the gym in 16 degree weather but he is having attachment issues when we are in foreign places.  Come to our house and he will let you hold him all day.

I will post a video of Smith walking.  For now I will post some from our photo shoot.  Some of you have seen them.

He's walking!

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Santa

This tricky weather has done us in. The back and forth between 30s and 70s has made everyone sick,

Chuck has had a runny nose since Wednesday. I ran a fever all Saturday night and Smith is sick now (probably with a little help from his second flu shot).

We were able to make it to the (crappy) science museum and out to lunch, downtown on the square, on Saturday.

We stayed in and rested yesterday to make sure my fever was gone.

It has been raining and cold for the last few days so today we went to the mall (the only inside thing to do in Tyler). We ate Chic fil a and ran into some of our friends. They sat down and ate with us. The 3yo boys rode the little quarter rides while the babies talked to each other.

On the way out we ran into Santa. It didn't even occur to me that Santa would be at the mall. Chuck has been asking to meet him. I wish we had been dressed cuter and I wish Smith didn't look so sick (he did have socks on but he removed them).




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It's over!

Well, Fall Fest went off without a hitch! We were crowded until about 2 o'clock. I mean all 72 of my chairs at the tables were full and all the activities and games were full!!! We had lots of people!

We brought in almost $1200 in ticket sales just today. That's on top of the $700 in presale tickets! We also have to total up the silent auction which should bring in around $2000. And did I mention the $4200 in sponsorships? Of course I did have to spend a couple of thousands of dollars but we came out on top!

Here are some pics.

Our bounce house and food area.




Our train!




Our silent auction (I won a massage and facial, dr. won some time at a shooting range, and I also got some of the cute door hanger signs!)




Our petting zoo with the softest baby llama you will ever meet.




The slide and game area with a couple of extra tables




Our cake walk. Dr. Won a delicious bundt cake after Chuck kicked him off of a number. So Dr. Moved and ended up winning!




The silly string corral.




Game tables. The boy sitting in the chair is the stepson of a girl that went to high school with Dr. I sprayed his hair blue and his stepmom said he thought he was really cool. Her text to me said ":) Jacob loved it. Asked me if he could help you every year. Nicks been asleep since he got home. "




Football toss and a volunteer.




Face painting and hair coloring.




I just knew Chuck would be exhausted. Unfortunately he will not go to sleep. It must be the 3 sno cones he ate.

The weather was very cloudy, humid, and high 70's. Don't mind the 40% chance of rain that they were predicting until they changed the forecast yesterday. I knew it was going to be a perfect day when a swarm of ladybugs showed up yesterday to help set up. My friend also found a ladybug today flying around and sought me out just to give me the ladybug.

Now it's time to sleep, until baby decides he wants a bottle.


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Knee deep

Fall Fest is this weekend! Yesterday there was 40% chance of rain. Now we are down to 20% and 68 degrees. The weather has GOT to cooperate because the only thing inside for the Fall Fest is the bathrooms!

It will be such a relief when this is over. Although it's been fun to do, I have no idea what I'm doing :). We will see what I totally overlooked come Saturday! I'm totally going to get a pedicure next week. And don't think I won't try and get a good massage from the silent auction too!

In the meantime, the little jokers have been keeping me busy. As of last week, Smith is signing. He has started signing "bottle". Tonight I was trying to push bedtime back (because we still don't understand the time change). Smith came over, pulled up in my lap and started signing bottle. He was totally ready for bed! It makes it do much easier.

He is expanding his vocabulary (and maybe I'm the only one that understands) but he says "dada", "mama", "kitty cat", "teetee" (because a mom can never potty alone), "chuck chuck" (which is more like "tuck tuck", and "baba" (bottle).

He talks constantly and totally thinks we understand him. He even carries on conversations but it is pure gibberish. Now I understand when my mom used to say that I "talked all the time". Chuck is none stop run-on sentences and Smith is his background noise. Makes a mama want to drink.

I'll see you after Fall Fest (which will have a baby llama at the petting zoo!)


The boys hanging out in mom's room eating Cheerios for breakfast.




Smith helping mom with Fall Fest preparation.




Our garage the past 2-3 weeks.




Chuck reading a map at the zoo. (He loves maps.)




The boys having a serious talk during a bathroom break.





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