Trunk or Treat

Here are some pics from our Mom's Club trunk or treat this morning! We loved seeing our friends' costumes, including two super heroes, another Minnie Mouse, and even the Energizer Bunny! We're trick-or-treating with our friends the Jacobuses tonight, then heading to Waco for Baylor Homecoming!

Pumpkin Painting

We had a pumpkin painting party this morning with our Mom's Club. Unfortunately both of my kids kind of woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Aidan skipped his nap yesterday and all he did this morning was whine about having a snack, even though he'd just had a huge breakfast. Avery was just not in the mood to be there at all...I think she's still fussy from the shots she got yesterday at the doctor. Aidan eventually sat and worked on his pumpkin (after he got his snack), but by this point Avery had had enough. Luckily she's sleeping now. It's going to be one of those days, I guess!

Tipping the Scales

Avery Kate had her 1-year appointment yesterday and weighed in at 18 lbs. 5 oz. (10th percentile) and 29 1/4" (50th percentile). So she has a couple more pounds to go before she can face forward in the car. She's doing great with table foods and is now done with formula. But I guess she's starting to slim down by becoming more mobile. She can walk a little bit if we hold on to her hand but is just not interested in trying to walk without help!

Back-to-Back Fall Festivals

This Saturday night our neighborhood had a fall festival. We got to debut the kids' Halloween costumes - Mickey and Minnie Mouse! My mom made them again this year and they are a big hit! Aidan loved the bounce house and seeing his friends, especially Snow White Kaelyn, Fireman Jack, and Cousin Bunny Sage! Then tonight we had another fall festival up at our church. It's a little hard to keep all the kids' accessories on them (mouse ears, shoes, gloves), but they look fantastic!

Pebbles

Saturday mornings are usually "Daddy & Kids" time while I sleep late. When I got up this morning, the three of them were getting back from going out to breakfast and then running errands like they usually do. Only today Avery had a new "Pebbles Flinstone" hairdo, and was wearing her Christmas onesie from last year which I'd put away in her "outgrown clothes" drawer (NEWBORN SIZE...a little snug!). I made a note to myself to lay out Avery's Saturday morning clothes the night before from now on. But I have to say I thought the 'do was genius, and very stylish! Go Daniel!

Tagged

I've been tagged by Leslie in a blogger game. I was supposed to go to the 6th folder of pictures on my computer and post the 14th picture from that folder. Oddly enough, it's one of my all-time favorites of Aidan! In fact, this very picture is on my mouse pad. He was almost a year old and this was his first bluebonnet photo shoot.

OK "Auntie Jen", Leslie and I agreed that it's your turn to be tagged! Pick the 6th album in your photos and post the 14th picture.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the Dallas Arboretum on Monday to see their pumpkin patch. They have "Mommy & Me" every Monday with crafts, a petting zoo, face painting, etc. Aidan loved the hay maze and the big pumpkin house. A friend of mine was there to take 1-year portraits of Avery, and some of both kids, which I'll post later. Luckily Grammy was there to help wrangle both kids!

Avery's Birthday Party

We had a low-key birthday party at home with cake, presents, and balloons today. Avery's family (Mommy, Daddy, Aidan, Grammy, Papi, Great-Pa, Gamma, Grandpa, Nanna, Cookie, Gigi, Uncle Cody, Aunt Amy, Aunt Lindsay, Uncle Jacob, and Cousin Sage) was there to help her celebrate! She started out very dainty eating her cake but then she really got into it :)

Happy Birthday Avery!

My little girl turned a year old today! It's hard to believe that one year ago today I was rushing to get to the hospital after going into labor early! She has grown up so much and is becoming such a beautiful little girl. She isn't walking yet but is crawling and climbing everywhere, and is starting to eat lots of table food. She is babbling a little bit and loves to laugh at her big brother Aidan :) Yesterday Grammy came with us to Gymboree class, and today we went with a bunch of family to eat at Babe's, where Avery was treated to a birthday song from the wait staff! Her birthday party is tomorrow so stay tuned for more pictures.

State Fair

This past Wednesday we went to the State Fair of Texas. Daniel and I hadn't been since we got engaged, so it was the kids' first time to go. We enjoyed lots of yummy food, met up with some of our friends from Mom's Club, and Aidan went on his first fair ride. Both kids were sacked out in the stroller by the time we left.

So Sweet

Occasionally I will catch my kids doing something so cute, sweet, or funny that it just makes me stop and appreciate this crazy stay-at-home mom career I have chosen. I started to feed Avery but then went to load something into the dishwasher that had already started running. Avery was unhappy that she had to wait, so Aidan dropped what he was doing (watching "Curious George") to take over. I thought at first it would be a disaster but he fed her like a pro with only minimal mess. It was just such a great moment and made me thankful for a lot: that my kids are healthy and happy, that I am able to stay home with them, that we have the means to take care of them (mainly thanks to the wonderful and hard-working man I married who is also a terrific father), that I have a great support group of family and friends around me, and that we are able to thank and worship God who has blessed us so much!

Hiding Out

What do you do when it's rainy outside and you have nowhere to go that morning? You build a fort with a little help from Mommy!

Mass Hysteria!

Last night our best friends Marcus & Jenna came up from Waco and we baby-sat for their three kids while they went to an engagement party in town. It was a blast and we managed to get all five kids to bed with no major injuries or incidents (and we found out that our shower can hold five kids). Some people may be cut out for large-family life, but not us! Pass the birth control, please! :)

All I Want for Christmas...

Here's a pic of Avery's first tooth (on the bottom)!

First Official Family Photo!

Here is our church directory picture. Avery was teething and not really in the mood to smile for the photographer, so she has kind of a deer in headlights look. Aidan also had his school picture taken last week.

Off She Goes

It's official: Avery has mastered the stairs. I have caught her several times halfway up, and once she made it all the way up and was happily entertaining herself in the playroom by the time I figured out where she was. I didn't think we needed two baby gates (we have one at the top of the stairs) but maybe we do!