4 Months

Owen turned four months old on our first day in New Braunfels.  We were able to do his four month check-up a couple of weeks before we left town so that we wouldn't be in a rush to find a new doctor for the kids.  Here are the stats:

Height: 24.5 inches (30th percentile)
Weight: 15 lbs 12 oz (80th percentile)
Head: 16.5 inches (65th percentile)

So he dropped in percentiles, for both height and weight, since the last appointment.  Not too surprising considering his parents are not very tall themselves!

The last part of the month was pretty crazy which threw any type of schedule out the window.  I didn't even try real hard with that because I knew it would all be for naught.  The days the movers came to pack us and load us, naps were had in the car seat, our bed, or my baby carrier.  He was a champ though and did a great job with it all.  Now things are back to normal. for the most part, and he's taking regular naps again.  He still fights them and does not like napping during the day.  Many times he is screaming his lungs out before he finally gives in.  As for nighttime, for the past week or so he has been sleeping through the night.  He goes to bed around 8 and sleeps until about 6 in the morning.  So thankful for that, but I need to start going to bed earlier so that 6 does not come around too quickly.

Shortly after turning 3 months old, he started rolling over again.  He did it for about five days straight and then lost it again.  But today he decided he remembered how to do it, and rolled three times!  Let's see if this keeps going.  Bath time is still his favorite part of the day.  I love his smiles and excitement the second he hears that water come on.  Another favorite these days are his hands.  Most times you will find him with a hand in his mouth just gnawing away.  When he gets his thumb in there by itself you can see the excitement as he goes to town sucking on his thumb.  He also loves being tickled and we can get some really good laughs out of him when we do it.  So sweet!

This month he's started paying more and more attention to Mady.  Sometimes it just takes his sister coming around and playing next to him or talking to him to calm him and keep him entertained.  He is more alert now and follows you around with his eyes, and he loves to sit in the Bumbo and watch the water as I wash dishes.  Just like his sister did.

We're really enjoying him as he gets older and more alert.  A favorite of mine is watching these two together, and it's something that still doesn't get old.

Last week in DFW

Our last week in DFW was a crazy one.  Mady had her first school program, we spent time with friends saying goodbye, had Nick's farewell party at work, and of course, packed.

A little playing in the rain

Enjoying church at the lake

Brinker girls

 Mady had her first school program, and it is one we will surely remember.  They kids all entered holding little American flags and singing "God Bless America".  She was waving her flag and doing great.  As her class got on stage to sing their two songs, I noticed that she is walking on stage holding herself like she has to go to the bathroom.   So the class is singing and Mady is standing there crossing her legs, holding herself, squirming because she needs to potty.  The auditorium had big screens on both sides of the stage that was zooming in on the kids and it just so happened that it zoomed in on Mady right as she lifts up her dress and shows everyone her undies!  The whole auditorium is laughing.  I look at Nick and say "You realize that is our kid everyone is laughing at".  Right as we were about to go up and get her, one of the teachers takes her off stage finally.  Poor thing did not make it back for the last song.  So her first program wasn't necessarily a success but it sure was funny.

Last day of school with her friends :(

Loved her teacher, Ms. Amanda.  Will definitely miss having her!

The last week was full of a lot of emotions, and ups and downs.  Excitement, sadness, frustration, and exhaustion to name a few.  Saying goodbye to our lives in DFW, and closing the door to our home for the last time was really hard.  It was our first home and we filled it with so many memories, good and bad.  It's where we grew as a married couple, brought home both of our babies, and watched Mady grow.  It's where she learned to walk, made her first friends, and learned to ride a tricycle.  Those are memories we get to bring with us, and while it is hard to say goodbye, I am looking forward to

what this new chapter holds for us.  So onward we go!

Our 3 year old

Our sweet girl is now 3 years old.  It snuck up on us with everything else going on right now, but it came.  We spent her actual birthday with just the four of us and hit up the Dallas Aquarium.  I've always wanted to go there and since our days are numbered up here, I thought it was the perfect chance.  We had a lot of fun and Mady really enjoyed it.  Amid all the animals we saw, her favorite ones were the duckies!

This past weekend we threw her a birthday party at the park.  Of course it was a Frozen party!  Saying this is her favorite movie is an understatement.  She knows the words to all the songs and is memorizing lines from the movie.  She would watch this movie everyday, several times a day,  if she could.  Our family came in town and all her friends were there, so we had a great time.  I'm so glad we had a reason to get them all together before we leave.  She had a blast!

The weeks leading up to her birthday, she was insistent that she wanted a cupcake and cake for her birthday, so that's what she got!

It's Olaf! Thanks Kindel for the idea!

Owen had a blast too ;)

Pin the nose on Olaf game:

She refused to wear a blindfold, and you can't say no to the birthday girl

 Even adults got in on action!

Cousins ending the day with some sno-cones

What a difference a year makes!  When she turned two she was still a baby to me.  Now, I look at her and see a little girl.  She is loving, silly, outgoing, and strong-willed.  I never imagined this when she was a one year old and constantly clinging to me, but she will talk to anybody, and loves to meet new people.  She will talk your ear off, and her vocabulary grows everyday.  

She loves princesses, jewelry, and playing outside on her tricycle, or bike, because she doesn't like when I call it a tricycle, haha.  She is also getting really good at puzzles.  She is putting together 48 piece puzzles now, and we worked on a 96 piece puzzle together the other day and she surprised me with how well she was doing.  She still loves her books, and of course her baby brother.  My heart overflows watching her with him.  She will play with him on the playmat, and talk to him, and help him with his tummy time and holding things in his hand.  Mady gives him big hugs everyday, and at first Owen would push away and start crying, but now he has gotten use to it and just takes it.  I think he loves it now :)

Our girl has big changes ahead of her and we are trying to prepare her as much as we can.  She has always done way better than I think she will with change.  From potty training, to moving to a big girl room, to having a baby brother.  She has handled them beautifully, and I pray this will be the same. 

Mady, we love you so much and feel so fortunate to be chosen as your parents.  Watching you grow is such a privilege and I can't wait to see what this year has in store!

3 Months

Time flies, and little O is 3 months old now.   No doctor appointment this month but he has been healthy, and still our little chunk.  He is starting to fit into some 6 month clothing and the 3 month are getting a bit snug.  So unlike Mady, who started wearing 3 month clothing when she hit 3 months.  He's getting stronger by the day and has really good head control.  He still hasn't done much rolling over again since that one day, but he did do it once today out of nowhere.  He looked so shocked that he did it, haha.

He is a water baby and LOVES his bath.  It may just be his favorite part of the day.  He can be screaming and crying but when he hears that water turn on, he calms down and gets so excited.  In the bath he will kick and splash like crazy.  So, so cute.  He is also a fan of singing.  More and more lately, he will fall asleep to us singing, or if he's up he will just smile and watch as you sing to him.  He doesn't seem to mind that singing is not one of my many talents ;)

He is sort of settling into a schedule.  When we're home he will take two short naps in the morning, a longer nap in the afternoon, and then another short nap in the evening.  He then is in bed for the night around 8.  He was sleeping great at night and only waking up once, but he's had a regression and has started waking up 2-3 times again.  I'm hoping this is a phase that ends soon!

He took his first road trip this week as we headed to New Braunfels to start (and end as it turns out) house hunting.  Considering his car seat is not his favorite place to be, he did great.  We were constantly on the move while we were there and the kids were such troopers.

Our sweet girl turns 3 next week, and I cannot believe it.  Between the move and planning a party, time is flying.  With just a a little over 3 weeks left until the move, we are trying to keep up with all the moving parts while also enjoying our last weeks here.

My little helper

She loves holding her little brother and taking a picture

Why are we doing this again Mom?

First time in the Bumbo!

First road trip!

Exhausted from our house hunting

What's a road trip without Frozen on the iPad