PHOTO SHOOT AND BATH TAILS AND EASTER

Black and whites...love em. Run!!!!






Best buds.


All dressed up for a photo shoot!


My brown-eyed babes.


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Bath time! Averie didn't have her hair washed for bath, so I pulled it up... well, Baylor wanted his up too...


LOL. He looks so cute with a tail! We were all just cracking up!!!


Had to take the hair down eventually which made messy hair... man this kids hair grows so fast. I just cut it like 2 weeks ago!


Wow, we have been so busy with playdates and Easter and pictures and getting the house cleaned and organized and keeping up with church (I clean the church weekly, do a church newsletter and organize the littlest kids Sunday School class weekly!). We are getting ready to enjoy Daddy's vacation next week and making plans to do some fun stuff! We will probably go to the zoo, maybe to a State park in Indiana that we love, especially if the weather cooperates! I really want to drag daddy to a Gap outlet to pick up some summer clothes for us adults! Hmmm... that is really what's been happening with us. We are excitedly awaiting the 60 degree weather that is supposed to be here tomorrow and Friday. That will make things nice around here as we've had several days of COLD and rain. I don't mind rain, in fact I want to let the kids play in it, but not when it's 38 degrees!! Brrr. So...that is what we've been up to! I hope to update again soon...

Almost forgot to post a pic or two of egg coloring and Easter!

Coloring Eggs!








Baylor showing off his new slippers!


Easter morning, after searching for eggs and digging into the baskets.


Averie and her goodies from the Easter Bunny.


Easter morning at Church.

MR. 2 AND A HALF

Oh my goodness! Baylor, you are so big. And so mature. It has been such an amazing and wonderful time getting to know you and to watch you thrive and develop. You surprise us every day with your little quirks and funny faces, words and how smart you are. You are counting to 20 with almost no help. You are madly in love with blanket - and I know you will be for a long time to come. You sleep amazingly well, without any complaints or barely any talking before you fall asleep. You've always been an excellent sleeper. You eat almost anything. The only thing you don't care for is egg salad, maybe a texture thing. You love to play with your sissy, and follow her around. You enjoy dressing up in "costumes," playing tractors, cars, "going to work," and especially playing outside. You also are able to pedal a tricycle well. You love swinging outside and I can already predict that you will love the sand box! Baylor boy, you are so sweet. You test us here and there, but are easily encouraged to listen. You are a lovey boy, you give a good kiss and hug, but you don't snuggle so much anymore. Unless Averie wants to snuggle, then you are interested (a little friendly competition works out to mama's advantage in that situation). You are small and skinny, but so agile and coordinated. You are an excellent climber and love running around. All in all you are pretty amazing, and I am blessed to have you as my son. I love you B, you keep getting bigger and bigger and lovin me. And I'll keep lovin you, forever! HUGS and KISSES my boy!! xoxoxo

DOT PAINTING

Having some fun, dot painting!


Averie having school.


Baylor staying in the dots very well!

NEW PICS

Baylor's profile


Averie's profile


Together


Little Miss


Mr. Boy


So sweet


With the flowers

SPRING TEASE

Cheese!


Spring day tease...


We had a couple of nice days this week. So nice we broke out the sandals and shorts (paired with a sweater and blanket) and enjoyed several outings that didn't include freezing as we were buckling in the car. It made running around so much less stressful because we weren't cold or rushing to get in and out of the car. It was so nice. As have the days we've been outside playing. We were able to get the swings out and hooked up and have been outside 3 or 4 times this week already! I am so ready for things to change in our routine and for the kids to get up in the morning and not keep their pajamas on til 11! I still might, but that's besides the point (haha!). I am ready for the kids to get up in the morning and get those play clothes on and head right outside after breakfast is served and cleaned up! And we can spend all morning outside, come in for lunch and then head right back outside after. We typically have blanket time after lunch, but we might be adjusting our routine a tad for the summer. The more time they get outside while the weather is nice (not too hot), the better! Then blanket time can happen after naps while they have their "juice-water." And then we will head back outside. Ah, I can't wait! The regular spring weather can come and stay soon!

Our weekend was great! We had Grandma Judy and Grandpa Bill here for the weekend. They came up Saturday and we all went to dinner (Grandma Pam and Grandpa Alllen joined us too) just down the street at a local seafood and pasta place. Then headed back to our house for dessert (chocolate peanutbutter mousse pie). It was great to spend time with them. We all headed to church Sunday and then to lunch at Bob Evans afterwards. The kids always love spending time with their grandparents. We will head down to them in May or June! I will take some more outside pics this week!

Baylor Josef or Jo-Fuss?

OUR BABY IS 4!

Averie Jean - aka - bubba, moose, bubba-moose, sweetie, girl, sissy, sissy sue, aves. You are my princess. You are my girl. We love you so much. You are amazingly smart. You love playing and organizing "games," or being the leader while you play. You enteretain yourself very well (and your brother too), and can keep playing from one end of the house to the other. You make up play as you go along, which shows me how wonderfully creative you are! You are into cutting with scissors and writing letters. You always want to know how to spell things and are very good at writing your name. You also write Baylor's name well too. Girl, I am just amazed with you more every day. You understand so much, and come up with ideas that are all your own. I love how you play in your bed during naptime if you aren't tired, and how gentle you are (most of the time) with your brother. You are very helpful when he is sad and very sensitive to him when he is sad too. You have always been very sensitive and empathetic. It is great to see you nuture him. You are like a little mommy! It is wonderful. Averie Jean, you are so special and sweet and I am so lucky to have you as a daughter. I love spending every day with you and watching you grow and mature and learn. That sparkle in your eye makes me smile every day. XOXOXO. I love you sweetie.

WORKER BOY, BIRTHDAY GIRL

Baylor, helping daddy "work," while Averie and I had a girls day.


Hanging a towel rack in the laundry room.



THE BIRTHDAY DINNER!!!!!!
Averie and her cake.


Averie and Baylor at dinner.


Ice cream face! YUMMY!

POWDERED SUGAR

SWIMMING

Relaxing after lessons.


Baylor getting his bar.


Baylor swimming.


Averie doing the backstroke.

DATE NIGHT FAMILY UPDATE

Fun outside last week.

Climbing on the snow drifts.


Date Night


Sorry the picture is a tad blurry. The kids have taken a liking to my camera and there must have been a finger print on the lens. Silly kids! So, Daddy and I had a date on Saturday evening. We ended up at Max and Erma's. Not our first choice, but there were a ton of people out and about Saturday (it was like 45 degrees outside). We realized that we haven't been out on a weekend in a while and week nights are much easier to get out and not have to wait! But, it was a great time. We got to talk and just connect in a way we don't when the kids are our first priority. Before we left, Baylor was crying and so upset. I felt bad leaving, but he was tired and had a cough for a week or so, and as soon as we were gone, he was done crying.

As for the kids, they are so active and busy. They were almost crying because they wanted to go outside so bad! I took them out and it was so nice. It was still only 35 degrees, but it felt nice and crisp. The kids walked on the tall snow drifts we still have left, we threw the ball to the dogs and they ran around, rode bikes and pushed the mowers around. We were probably outside for 40 minutes! I took a couple of pics (see above). We have been going to swimming lessons again. We have lessons (refreshers) this week and last week too. Averie loves them, but Baylor is anxious. He was so small when he was in them before and didn't really "get" the whole swim, float, swim concept. Today was the first day of the second week and he went and didn't cry! He was in his float and could flip to swim and get Miss Cindy's hand! And then float again. All without tears! YAY!! His confidence must have gotten a boost last week. They are both doing so well. Averie is learning the backstroke. She already swims to the bar and to Miss Cindy and back...she is a fish!

So, today I started exercising again! And we bought a treadmill! It has been a few weeks since I've done any exercising since I (we) went through a pretty emotional week the end of January. We also had a Dr. appt with a fertility specialist last week too. The process of expanding our family has not been as easy as it was when Averie and Baylor came along. And I never dreamed it would take as long as it has. After we had a break cycle over the holidays, we decided to make an appt. with a fertility specialist and proceed with a "newer" drug called femara (tried clomid for several cycles over the summer/fall). The femara basically tricks your brain in a different way then clomid. And it worked, 1st cycle. I ended up pregnant, but had a very early miscarriage a week after I found out. We had already made the appointment with the fertility office, so we went and met with the Dr. and discovered that we do have a mild form of secondary infertility (or I do more specifically). My eggs are not growing fast enough, meaning they are not "great" for fertilization when I do ovulate. So, we will be trying femara again, since it made my eggs grow faster, like they should. After this appointment, I was also diagnosed with MTHFR by some blood work my ob's office did after the miscarriage. I am on medication (basically extra vitamins) now, and that should be what my body needs to reduce my risk of having another miscarriage. I hope it works...I can honestly say bringing my babies into this world were best days of my life. Losing one, well, was the worst.

Sorry for the super in depth post. I've been really wanting to post all of that. Not only for my own vent, but for the kids. Someday they will want to know (maybe) what we go through for our family. I love my children so much and would do anything for them. Averie and Baylor are true blessings and I would never want anything different than them. Yet, at the risk of sounding selfish, I just know deep down in my heart that we aren't done expanding our family. I truly believe we will be blessed again, all in good time. I hold on to that hope everyday.

WE "LOVE" YOU

We will have a family update soon. We've had a lot going on January and February. Stay tuned and enjoy your Valentine's Day! xoxo

FUN PLAY PLACE & BRONSEN

We visited a neat play place and boutique.

Averie, Bronsen and Baylor climbing the hill!


Cute gear!


Look out fire! Here come the firefighters!


Both kids in the fire engine.


Here is Averie pushing the "car" around on the "road." She is standing in front of the market. And beside the baby area (all enclosed for non-walkers).


Here is Baylor in the "home."

Urban Toddler was very neat! They have you take off shoes (but you must have socks) and it is so clean. They have little sections - the cafe (where you can eat real food), market (kid food), home (kid kitchen, babies etc.), library (books and puzzles), a theater (music, puppets, blocks, a stage), a room with a huge chalk board wall, like a craft room and a half wall oval in the center of the main room for infants to play. I really liked how the workers would come and put away toys as kids finished up and were done playing. It was nice to know that there was a place for everything too. We will be going back again soon! Oh, and the boutique was unbelievable. Tons of wonderfully amazing things, babylegs, squeaky shoes, beautiful maternity clothes, baby clothes...ooooo if I had an endless supply of money. The kids each picked out a book, because we can never have enough books to read! We do love to read.
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Here are the kids at Bronsen's Birthday Party.


Big boy! Bronsen turned ONE!

SINGING TIME

Song by MiMi