Happy 30th Birthday Michael!

Happy Birthday to my amazing husband! We are so thankful for you and all you do for us. Here are just a few reasons why we love you -

• You are the best daddy
• You care and provide for us
• You are our spiritual leader
• You constantly make us all laugh
• You are our protector
• You love us unconditionally
• You love Star Wars
• You are a Ninja
• You have to have everything organized
• You get up in the middle of the night with Cole :)
• You wash the dishes!!!
• I love that you take longer to pick out your clothes than I do!
• I love that you tend to try to color coordinate with one or all of us on Sunday mornings
• And most of all I am so thankful that you are always setting a Christ-like example of how to live for our children.

We love and adore you so much. We hope you have the best birthday ever!!!
Love,
Claire, Cole, & D'Ann

A new obsession

Cole has a new obsession...CRAYONS! He wants them so bad. He will not leave them alone. All he does is drum with them or put them in his mouth - but really, what doesn't go in his mouth these days??
Don't worry we are taking them away from him right away...

One of the reasons I don't mind getting up early on a Saturday!

Sick little boy

Yesterday I got a text from our babysitter, Joy, saying that Cole was running a fever. Cole has run fevers before but they have been allergy or tooth related. He had that little stint with 5ths disease but that was a low grade fever - never over 101. We are so lucky that he has been one healthy little boy!! So, it hit me hard when she said his temp was up to 102.8.
When there is something wrong with the kids Michael is usually the one to go and get them because it is much easier for him to leave than for me to leave. However, yesterday Michael was helping out at Godley high school with their production of Shattered Dreams and couldn't leave. Luckily I work for a principal who cares about family and she made it possible for me to leave right away.
Cole has been very clingy, he has had a TON drool, and a fever that we couldn't get to go below 100. But, he had NO other symptoms. The doctor said that the fever was too high for it to just be teeth so we are guessing that it is just one of those crazy fever bugs. He was in the best mood and very smiley. He did sleep a lot but that was about it. Today has been better. He had a low grade fever this morning but it has pretty much been back to normal! Here is for hoping that his fever never comes back!!

I took this picture when his fever was at 102.8 - he does not look like he has a fever or feels bad to me!

Claire's new favorite game!

We think everyone needs an elephant that spits butterflies out of his nose :)

Bath time with Cole

Bath time at our house is insane! Cole is super crazy when he is in the water. He splashes so hard and usually water covers everything. These pictures aren't the best but you can see the water droplets and how insane our bath times are!

What?

Cole is 10 months old!!

Cole! You are 10 months old and you keep EVERYONE on their toes!! You are constantly on the go and love to go as fast as you can! Everything is fair game to you and when you want something you go after it. The only time you sit still is to cuddle (which you love to do). You have to be the happiest baby I have ever met. You laugh at the smallest things - and your sister is still your favorite person on the planet. Here is what you are up to!

• You have 7 teeth! 4 on the top, 3 on the bottom and there is another one coming in.
• You are in 6 to 9 month clothes. We bought you 12 month clothes that you could wear over the summer and the shorts fall off of you.
• You are in size 3 diapers
• You are crawling, pulling up, and climbing on everything. You have fallen several times and hit your head...which scares me to death.
• You sleep from 8:30-6:45ish every night. You wake up, have a bottle and go right back to sleep.
• You eat at 7, 12, 5, 8 - Your middle feedings you eat food. You could eat solids at the 7 am feeding but you just want to drink the milk and go back to sleep.
• You are drinking out of sippy cups now. This weekend we transitioned to sippy cups at all times! (A little sad that you are growing up too fast)
• Mommy makes all your baby food except for meats - I made Claire's meats and it made me want to throw up, so I buy yours.
• You will eat anything!
• You love puffs, yogurt melts, mum-mums, yogurt, crackers, flour tortillas, and pretty much anything you can feed yourself.
• If we are at the table - you have to be at the table
• You love playing in your room but you really want someone in there with you at all times
• You have started waving at people when they wave at you
• You can play patty-cake
• You clap
• You do baby signs for more - you understand the one for milk. (we are having baby signs boot camp over the summer)
• You love the bath!! Who ever bathes you ends up almost as wet as you are
• You are a delight and a blessing from the Lord. I can not imagine my life with out you!! We love you Cole
  

This picture is fuzzy but shows his teeth!

This Stage of Life

I am loving this stage of life that Claire is in. She is hilarious! She says the funniest things and can be so serious sometimes. She likes to be goofy until it is embarrassing and then she wants to be serious. If someone else is doing something that might embarrass them she wants them to stop as well. Some of the funny things she says are - "maybe after later", "don't say that to me" when something is embarrassing or she doesn't want to do what you are asking. She likes to introduce everything by saying - "ladies and gentlemen!" She loves to sing a song (usually one we have taught her) and ask "do you know that song?" She is one of the sassiest people I know, and will point her finger and talk with such animation when talking to people. She talks with her hands and talks like she is 17 - that might have something to do with her being around our youth a lot :) She is sweet and loving and kind. She takes great care of her babies, and when she puts them to sleep everyone in the area must be quiet so that her baby can sleep.
Tonight we sat around and played games as a family. We played Elefun (which if you have a toddler and don't have this game it is a MUST). I have not heard Claire squeal and giggle this hard ever! I could have played this game for hours with her just to hear her laugh. We then played Candyland. She got this game for Christmas, and we tried to play shortly after, but she wasn't ready for it. We got it back out tonight and she had a blast. She understood the concept and played with great delight. She even won - with out us stacking the cards and letting her win!