Gina and Michael

Julia-1 Year

2012-02-05T05:27:00.005+03:00

Julia's 1 Year Stats:

Height: 29.25 inches (50%)
Weight: 19 pounds 6 ounces (25%)
7 teeth (which she has learned to use to her advantage)
Spoken words: mamma, dadda, me, mine, no, bum, bum-bum, stinky (very recently)

It is hard to imagine that time can go any faster than it already does and yet it does. Poor Julia, the 2nd child, and soon to be middle child, seems to be growing so quickly. She turned 1 in the blink of an eye and has been such a blessing.

She absolutely loves her big sister! She thinks she is so funny...well that is until Kelsey decides not to share! I can often hear the girls playing in Kelsey's bedroom..."mine" "mine"! It didn't take Julia long to learn the importance of "mine"! Julia is a tuffy and can definitely hold her own. She has learned that her teeth are not only for eating but also biting and so we are working on that. ;-)

She loves to carry around anything that is "mine" especially her baby dolly.

While eating baby food, Julia would only eat things that were orange, I mean sweet! After a visit to Grammy and Papa's house, she learned that baby food was a thing of the past and that she had been missing out on some yummy treats! She loves to suck down a piece of bacon. Luckily she will drink milk and loves yogurt. Her favorite snacks are plain Cheerios, bunny cookies and popsicles.

Julia Walking

2012-01-19T17:37:00.001+03:00

...and baby makes...3

2012-01-17T18:43:00.001+03:00

Happy 1st Birthday Julia

2012-01-09T20:00:00.006+03:00

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T22:00:00.002+03:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Kelsey

2011-12-31T22:35:00.007+03:00

A berry special 3rd birthday indeed! Kelsey was obsessed with Strawberry Shortcake actually attending her party. And, as it turned out, she had a prior engagement!

What was a Mommy to do?!

Strawberry Shortcake and I made arrangements for Kelsey and her guests to complete a series of tasks, each one providing another clue that would get the girls closer to the special gift that Strawberry Shortcake left for Kelsey. Along the way, all of the girls found goodie gifts to put into their special bag! The girls had to decorate Strawberry Shortcake's tiara, go on a cupcake walk, dig through and plant flowers in the colorful rice garden, eat cake, and finally take a walk through lollipop forest! Adults also played along with guess how many ginger snaps were in the vase! The girls had a blast and Kelsey still talks about lollipop forest!!! I really hope the girls had as much fun at the party as I had planning the party. (If you have found this post looking for Strawberry Shortcake party ideas, please feel free to contact me for more details!)

Shirt was courtesy of Duck and Drake!

Bunny Dance

2011-12-12T20:01:00.004+03:00

I am so behind, but wanted to post this video from Kelsey's ballet class. Today, the parents were invited to see what the girls have been working on! Many of you know that we have had some struggles with dance. Kelsey started out great, but quickly decided that she didn't want to be without me and parents are not allowed in the studio. With the patience of the teachers and the support of the other parents, I think we have finally moved past the tears. Kelsey is only staying for ballet and we will hold off on tap for now and that seems to be working out for the best!

So enjoy Kelsey's Bunny Dance!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-04T06:36:00.006+03:00

What a great few weeks! Kelsey loved all of the excitement surrounding Halloween. We sang songs, read books, make treats, bought tricks! Amazing how different a year makes. Last year, Kelsey barely made it to two houses, sat in the middle of the street, eating her few pieces of candy. This year, she walked barefoot through the entire neighborhood! She keeps a close eye on her candy stash that is quickly dwindling thanks to Daddy!

Kelsey was still uninterested in carving the pumpkin, however Julia was ready to dig in! Julia was very unimpressed by her ladybug hat, sorry Grammy, but I was able to get a few quick shots of her with it on. She loved the excitement of having other kids around and she even managed a few licks of a lollipop!

Many great memories were made and like always I have a millions of pictures! Time for a backup! ;-)

Patty Cake

2011-10-20T23:12:00.002+03:00

We've Got a Crawler!

2011-10-17T04:41:00.003+03:00

Finally! Kelsey's juice box was enticing enough to finally grab her interest.

Julia 9 Months

2011-10-13T06:15:00.007+03:00

9 Month Stats
Weight: 16 pounds 14 ounces
Height: 27.25 inches
Nicknames: Hopscotch, Jules, Sissy
Julia's Playlist: Patty Cake and anything else with a beat

Milestones: clapping, waving, signing "more", continues to say "mama" and "dada", pulls up to standing, rolls, scoots, 2 bottom teeth

Julia loves to laugh! She is happy most of the time as long as someone is playing with her, can you blame her! She loves to be outside and gets very excited when the door opens. She enjoys swinging in the baby swing. Like her sister, she is also advanced and can often be found driving her cozy coupe around the neighborhood. Beeping her horn and cutting people off...I guess there is a little bit of Qatar in her!

Julia loves Kelsey! She beams when she sees her. She loves to steal Kelsey's num-num and hide it! Yup, can you believe it! It is so funny! For now, Kelsey thinks it is funny as well.

Julia is very observant and doesn't miss a beat! Pretty nosy to be honest.

Still no crawling! I am amazed that she isn't crawling. She doesn't at all like to be left alone and so it makes sense that she would start crawling to keep up. We call her "Hopscotch" because she hops around on her bum. Literally. She can get from one end of a room to another!

She continues to be such a blessing and a joy to our family!

The Dance Bag

2011-09-29T23:06:00.002+03:00

Thanks Auntie Teresa for the adorable dance bag! Kelsey was so proud of it on Monday. She walked into class and announced in front of all her classmates and teachers, "this is my new ballet bag, see!" The teachers were very happy to see her name labeled as well as these little girls seem to think that every bag is their own!

Julia is Soooo Big!

2011-09-22T23:16:00.002+03:00

Our Little Ballerina

2011-09-17T06:00:00.005+03:00

Kelsey has started ballet and tap at Karen Domino's Studio D. It is a perfect little class of 2.5 - 3 year olds. She does have to go by herself, leaving Julia and me in the lobby. To be honest, I was shocked that she went and stayed and wants to go back! ;-) I guess a sign that she is growing up! I was excited to learn that she could stay for a tap session as well as I just knew she would love tap dancing. After all, Olivia tap dances!

We've had two very successful classes and Kelsey is very excited about going to dance school. She is always super proud of what she has learned and is eager to show us some of her moves.

Crazy dance parents reality show, here we come!!!

A Special Visit

2011-09-16T21:54:00.003+03:00

The girls were so excited to have Grammy and Papa come to visit on their way down to Florida! Julia loved having an extra set of arms to hold her tight. Kelsey could be heard saying, "come on, I'll show you something" over and over again! While never long enough, we were so excited to have them at our newest pad!

Pushing 2

2011-09-14T00:51:00.003+03:00

I have the best job ever!!!

Potty Training...Oh My

2011-09-14T00:24:00.005+03:00

Let the fun begin. I feel that Kelsey is quite clever and should pick up on something like potty training quite quickly. UGH! Well not quick enough for me! ;-)

I waited until she really started showing interest. I was hopeful that if she would just use her little potty once, she would be hooked! If you haven't noticed by now, our girls are indulged quite a bit! ;-)

So Kelsey said she wanted to put on big girl panties and I explained once again, that meant she had to use the potty like a big girl, blah, blah, blah. Finally though she was interested!

Everything was in place

bucket of candy
musical potty
stickers
chart
drawer full of panties (Wonder Pets, Pretty Ponies, Princesses...oh my!)
more stickers
marching band
more stickers

Check! Check! Check! WE WERE READY! So as I am very patiently waiting for her to finally make her potty sing she looks as me and says, take a picture?! REALLY! Of course, what else would the child whose life has been documented by daily pictures want. She actually wanted me to use her camera, fair enough! "1, 2, 3 smile..." And the sound of the music potty could be heard throughout the house! The marching band entered, streamers fell from the ceiling! The Baby Snow White doll that she had been promised showered Miss Kelsey for her grand achievement! Daddy and I praised on with a slight tear in our eyes. ;-)

This excitement carried on for "FIFTY TIMES!!!" Kelsey chart was complete and off to Target she went to pick out a special dolly, we has a bottle and says mommy.

I must say, we are in a bit of a rut right now. She will use the potty when prompted, however she is not taking the initiative to go on her own. Maybe I need to get a bigger marching band! ;-) I've got to get my teacher juices flowing to tackle this behavior road block.

Regardless, we are quite proud of our baby girl. To be honest though, Julia might be in diapers until she is 10 ;-)))!

Peek-a-Boo

2011-09-12T22:36:00.002+03:00

Julia playing peek-a-boo while she is sick! ;-)

Jules...

2011-08-28T06:46:00.003+03:00

...won't crawl yet, can you blame her...she's already driving!

The BIG Haircut

2011-08-28T06:20:00.006+03:00

After a few failed attempts, Friday was the day! I have been unsuccessfully trying to have Kelsey's hair cut for awhile now. I should have had her Auntie do it but I actually didn't think that Daddy would have "allowed" it. So after convincing him, I ran into the road block of a stubborn 2 year old. I tried the gimmicky places where she could sit in a plane...etc...spray glitter in her hair. Nope, she didn't buy any of it. So finally, on Friday, I was determined to have it cut and she was awesome! Sat right up on the booster in the chair and away the stylist cut.

She loves her new do and she no longer looks like a "rag-a-muffin"! I was so concerned about making sure she was cooperative that I didn't even think to grab a curl. ;-) Next time! ;-)

North Carolina

2011-08-27T17:46:00.004+03:00

"We all made it!" That was the amazement of our trip to North Carolina! 5 families...all under one roof! Luckily the adults still outnumbered the kiddos! For the count: 10 adults and 8 kiddos (8, 5, 2.5, 2.5, 1.5, 1.5, 8 months, 4 months). And to answer your next question, yes we all survived! The key to survival was the mandatory "adults only" party that started once the kiddos were all asleep. The house would go from being loud and crazy and it slowly got quieter and quieter until the last one drifted off to sleep and then laughter could be heard echoing through the mountains as mommies and daddies headed out to the wrap around porch. The fire would be sparked, s'mores would be assembled and the drinks would be flowing! We all had a great time!

Can you believe that we survived 3 nights with all of those kids in a log cabin with no major tantrums or accidents? I was and still am amazed! There was one unfortunate incident that involved a yellow jacket and Miss A, but she handled it like a champ!

Things went so smoothly, maybe we'll all make it for another adventure next year!

Children's Museum Atlanta

2011-08-27T05:50:00.007+03:00

Last week we took a family vacation to meet 4 other families in the Smokey Mountains. I know, I know...I was worried about the same thing. Much to my surprise, we had an awesome time!

We decided to drive...a 15 hour drive...UGH! Wouldn't have been so terrible except that we had just driven back from Chitown not too long ago. The girls were actually amazing!

We left on Monday after Michael got home from work and drove to Mobile. For those of you who have been around with us for awhile, you know that Mobile has not been our favorite assignment. However, I am happy to report that we did in fact do a grand tour of the city, drove past our old house and went to a favorite restaurant. We then drove on to Atlanta where we stayed for two nights before heading on to North Carolina.

We took the girls to the children's museum and it was just perfect! Kelsey loved it! She even participated in a little skit they up on by shooting a basket and high-fiving an actor! Julia of course just seems to go along with the crowd as long as she is getting some attention of her own!

Another Evening in the Pool

2011-08-14T06:00:00.005+03:00

The girls love hanging out in the pool after dinner. Julia is especially fond of the water.

Aren't their bathing suits adorable? Michelle got them their first matching bikinis. I actually thought Kelsey might not cooperate, but she loved it!

The Pool

2011-08-06T07:44:00.005+03:00

Finally...finally...the pool is ready! A watched pot never boils and a watched pool never fills. UGH...seems like it has take forever, but I am excited to report that it is finally done! Okay, almost! Now, we are waiting on few finishing touches to get things cleaned up...etc. The girls and I played around on the tanning ledge this morning before it got shocked and Kelsey LOVED it! She is so proud of her pool and she should be! "Look Momma, look, water, it's my pool, I love it!"

Of course she has also been quick to make a few observations:

"That is Sissy's pool" explained Kelsey, pointing to the spa, "and that is MY pool" pointing to the actual pool. How generous! ;-)

Typical Evening

2011-08-04T17:34:00.001+03:00

Julia-6 months

2011-07-25T23:07:00.013+03:00

6 Month Stats
Weight: 16 pounds 2 ounces
Height: 26.5 inches
Nicknames: Sissy Katherine, Sissy, Jules, JuJuBe
Julia's Playlist: Gimme A Little Kiss (Grammie sings this to her and she beams), The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Milestones: Laughing, sitting up, starting to wave (so my neighbor told me ;-)), Michael hears her say "Da-Da" (that is okay, she has been saying Mama since she was 2 months), today she said "hug" and would hug Kelsey...NO JOKE!

Okay, so this is turning into an almost 7 month old post! At Julia's 6 month check up, she was so great for the new pediatrician. He said she had the concentration and attention of a 9 month old...wait for it...SHE'S ADVANCED!!! ;-)))

Julia enjoyed her first road trip up to Chitown to see her family. She loved meeting all of her aunts, uncles and cousins. It was a special treat to get to spend time with her Great Grammas! And of course living at Grammie and Papas is always a bonus.

So if I had written this post while we were there, I would have told you how great Julia sleeps in her pack-n-play, all through the night. However, since being home that is not the case. I personally can't figure it out. Thought maybe she didn't like her crib and put her back into the same pack-n-play used at Grammies and no such luck. Par for the course I suppose!

She has started eating solids. I was a bit concerned that she wasn't too interested in solid foods. Thankfully I quickly learned that it was just an aversion to rice cereal, as I was tired of having rice cereal spit at me. Forget that bland mush, she was ready for the good stuff. Bring on the carrots, sweet potatoes and apples! She is quite a messy eater but she is enjoying ever spoonful. She is also intrigued by puffs and is having a blast trying to get even just one into her mouth. She loves sucking on ice through her mesh net thingamabobs. Oh and add mint chocolate chip ice cream to her likes...Grammie and Papa are bad news!!! ;-)

She loves to play and grabs everything in sight, even if it is a pair of scissors!!! She enjoys being outside in the evenings. She took her first dip in a pool (no not ours) yesterday and loved it. She does not like to be alone and can be quite demanding to be held.

While she continues to love her sister and laughs like crazy at her, Kelsey is beginning to demonstrate some nasty feelings towards Julia in regards to sharing. Since Julia is now reaching for toys, Kelsey's toys of course, Kelsey has decided that sharing isn't as much fun as she once thought. We are working on this with Kelsey. ;-)

We are all still totally in love with Miss Jules!

Christening of James Patrick IV & Julia Katherine

2011-07-24T06:39:00.002+03:00

Thanks Baby Jimmy for allowing us to share your special day with you! It was such a treat for us to have a celebration with family.

Look Who Can Pedal

2011-07-24T06:25:00.002+03:00

Kelsey came back from a long trip at Grammy and Papa's eager and able to ride her tricycle! Look at her go! In no time she will be cruising the block! I'm quite certain that Michael and I aren't ready for this!!! Go Kelsey Go!

Kelsey and Papa LOVE Ice Cream!

2011-07-19T02:48:00.003+03:00

And yes, she did finish it ALL! I can't figure out why Julia doesn't want to eat her rice cereal...I am guessing that being at Grammy and Papa's for a month didn't help! Rice cereal or mint chocolate chip ice cream dipped in chocolate....hmmm!

Rainbow Cone

2011-06-28T07:06:00.004+03:00

You know it's your second child when she gets a Rainbow Cone BEFORE rice cereal!

Count it...18 Seconds

2011-06-26T00:16:00.001+03:00

I thought I would take a bit of time away from my usual photo album and share the linked video.

I have found it so interesting to engage in conversations with other moms regarding "swimming lessons". I personally have no opinion as to how others teach their children, however, for me (and Michael) enrolling Kelsey in a survival swim style class was a must-do.

Living in the South and traveling, we are around water a great deal, whether it be a backyard pool or a pond at a park. During a home visit to Houston when Kelsey was about 6 months old, a 2 year old girl drowned in our community pool with a large number of lifeguards and parents around. It was at that point that I started asking around about getting Kelsey lessons, the sooner the better. At that same pool, I witnessed a 1 year old demonstrate some survival swimming techniques as she played in the water. I was instantly intrigued and so the research began...

Being in Doha, my options were limited, but I did enroll Kelsey in a mommy and me style class. For me, blowing bubbles in the water wasn't enough. With another baby on the way and clearly not above losing sight of my child for a moment, survival swim lessons were at the top of my list after repatriating to Houston.

It took me a bit of time to find Miss Glendy and we are so glad we did. You've all seen her amazing videos and pictures and CLEARLY these lessons are not for everyone, but for us, they were exactly what I was looking for.

It is now summer and I feel like every newscast describes the sweet young life, lost too early due to a drowning incident. So while I have been put on the defensive several times regarding the style of lesson I chose to pursue, I sleep well knowing that Kelsey (and Julia one day) will be forever safe in the water.

Click here for more information about Miss Glendy's Waterbabies.

Hanging with My Cousins

2011-06-17T00:17:00.003+03:00

Hanging With Grammy

2011-06-17T00:06:00.002+03:00

Big Bucks Papa...

2011-06-16T23:59:00.004+03:00

...splurging for some penny candy at the ball field!

Julia-5 Months

2011-06-08T23:23:00.004+03:00

"Our Mommy Thinks We're Twins...

2011-06-08T23:16:00.004+03:00

...someone please email or SMS her that WE AREN'T!"

Love,
Julia and Kelsey!

Baby Dolly

2011-06-06T15:47:00.002+03:00

For some reason I had the carrier in the house and went to put Julia into it so that we could leave and this is what I found. I picked of the dolly and gave it to Kelsey and she of course through a fit, "That's dolly's seat!" I told her that no, Julia would be sitting there. She looked at me and said, "FINE! She'll sit on her lap!" UGH! Kelsey's dollies just pop into our lives whenever I'm not looking!

Playing Dress Up

2011-06-06T06:20:00.002+03:00

Kelsey LOVES to put hats on Julia! This hat session absolutely cracked me up!!!

Julia Rolled Over

2011-06-06T05:58:00.003+03:00

Julia rolled over at 4.5 months. Left her in her room for about 2 seconds, came back and this is how I found her! Sneaky little girl!

The House

2011-06-02T23:03:00.011+03:00

You know us, we don't waste much time! Things are getting there. We definitely still have some organizing to do, but overall, we are pretty settled. This is a one-story with a bonus room up with full bath. Still organizing the bonus room, laundry room, guest room and bath, so there are no pictures yet. We are loving the floor plan! Next step...installing a pool!
Oh and BTW DAD-1 car currently fits in the garage!!!

The Move

2011-06-02T22:28:00.005+03:00

Seriously, we are pros...having two little girls at my hip slowed me down a bit, but overall the move was a success!

What You've Missed

2011-06-02T17:20:00.003+03:00

Hopefully I am going to find time to bombard you with several posts, you've all missed so much!!!

Up and Running!

2011-06-02T00:49:00.004+03:00

More to follow!

New House = No Internet

2011-05-22T04:23:00.002+03:00

Sorry for the delay of pictures. Not having Internet isn't the end of the world, it also means we are getting stuff done!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T07:10:00.003+03:00

Kelsey was so funny. Last night Michael told her that she would bring me breakfast in bed, that she would give me a present and that it would all be a surprise. Of course, she instantly ran inside to tell me that "I have a surprise for you Mommy!" "I'm giving you a present!" "You're gonna love it!" Smart girl wouldn't give up the secret!

So at about 6 am, yes I know, somewhere the 'let Mommy sleep in' was lost in translation, I could hear Kelsey and Michael stirring, getting everything ready. Finally, in she pranced, I had Julia with me, with breakfast and a present, "Happy Mother's Day Mommy!"

We opened the cards and presents, a J and a K charm for my bracelet, and I enjoyed breakfast in bed with my girls!

As many of you know, there were definitely days when I thought I would never be a Mother. Now today, I celebrated so many things...the tears, appointments, shots, worries and wonders were all worth it, because in the end, I have become the Mommy of two beautiful little girls! I am so truly blessed!

A Happy Mother's Day also goes out to my Mom, Michael's Mom, and both of my Grammas! We are so fortunate to still have them in our lives!

First Class Kitty!

2011-05-08T06:03:00.005+03:00

Today I felt kind of down, just figured it was in anticipation of the upcoming move. Then I got the reminder marking the passing of Macey (thank you for adding that to my calendar Michael)! I just know that she would have LOVED the girls! Kelsey clearly seems to be more comfortable around cats than dogs, smart girl, she must remember her older sister! ;-)

I adopted Macey from the Pearland Animal Shelter. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I had gone in looking for the "cat of the week". The shelter worker ensured me that, "nope, that one is gone." Not sure if I was even ready to adopt a pet, I felt that it was a sign and started heading towards the exit. I heard the shelter worker call to the front, "do we still have that fat one?" Closer to the exit I inched. I had come for a kitten, not "the fat one"! There, with the run of the lobby, too good for a cage, was My Macey! In fact I took the "fat one" home! I quickly found out she was so much more!

I bet she is up in Kitty Heaven bragging about surviving Hurricane Katrina, being allowed to stay at Grammy and Papas house, and flying across the world in Business Class! She was one spoiled kitty who we still miss like crazy!

4 Months Old

2011-05-06T05:50:00.007+03:00

Amazing how quick time flies!

Current name: Baby Sissy Katherine or Jules
Height: 24 inches
Weight: 13 pounds 15 ounces

4 Month Theme: Little Sister Rock! (Kelsey LOVES HER!!!)

Julia can very clearly cry "MA-MA" at appropriate times and I am not joking (note to self, video that)
Eyes-BLUE
Will smile and anyone who will give her the time of day.
Starting to really notice Kelsey and she thinks she is pretty funny. (note to self, they are going to be TROUBLE)
Julia's hip has been completely healed and she is no long wearing her brace! So grateful for Dr. Brock...he's awesome!
Because of the brace, Julia is a bit behind in the gross motor area. Kelsey makes sure she gets lots of tummy time and rolling practice. Such an encouraging big sissy!

Just Practicing a Bit

2011-05-06T05:46:00.001+03:00

No Commentary Needed

2011-05-06T05:45:00.001+03:00

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

2011-05-06T05:42:00.003+03:00

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Kelsey LOVES to play hide and seek! She has the hiding part down! Don't you think?!

Big Surprise...She's Advanced!

2011-05-04T05:53:00.002+03:00

Sisters =

2011-05-04T05:40:00.005+03:00

TROUBLE!

Kelsey Swimming

2011-05-01T04:47:00.002+03:00

Kelsey successfully completed her 5 day swimming course with Miss Glendy. As Kelsey often reminded everyone, "I am doing a great job!" We are so proud of her! We are so blessed to have met Miss Glendy, she is amazing!

Kelsey Swimming-Day 3

2011-04-28T21:22:00.002+03:00

Day 2-Swimming Video

2011-04-26T23:12:00.002+03:00

Day 2-Swimming Lessons

2011-04-26T20:10:00.006+03:00

Kelsey is taking intensive swimming lessons with Miss Glendy. The lessons consist of 5-30 minute one-on-one sessions. The pictures posted today are from day 2. This is a survival swim class and Kelsey is doing awesome!!! Not completely excited about the class ;-) but she is clearly learning and we are so proud of her hard work. Miss Glendy is amazing an truly sent from God and blessed with a gift to teach children (and adults) the survival skills they need to be safe around water.

Day 1 was a bit rough. Kelsey and I were "so excited" and had been talking about taking swimming lessons for several weeks. She knew that her teacher was "Miss Glendy" and couldn't wait to meet her. ;-) Things changed on Monday morning when I started putting her swim costume (that is what Leona would call it) on. When we arrived, I could hear the first student crying away and kept Kelsey away until it was her turn. Of course once it was her turn, the crying started. Miss Glendy just swooped her up and in they went. I had no soon turned around to grab Julia and Kelsey was already in the water learning and floating. I asked Miss Glendy if it was better for me to stay or leave and she said whatever I was comfortable with and if I could stand to see an unhappy Kelsey in the water for 30 minutes. Truly amazing to watch. These lessons aren't cheap and I must say I was quite worried that Kelsey wouldn't get anything out of them. How wrong I was!

By the end of the first day, she was floating on her back, by herself! Miss Glendy commented that Kelsey was a bit...how did she put it...head strong, determined (to get out of the pool). Actually she has a great sense of balance and that determination would make her a great swimmer down the road!

My question at the end of the session was...how do I get her here tomorrow...lol...Miss Glendy laughed and said, "That's your job Mom!"

So as you might imagine, Day 2 was a bit of a struggle to get her suit on, but once it was on, she was good to go. Again, we waited for the other child to finish and then of course, she saw Miss Glendy and was ready to go home. Once again, Miss Glendy swooped her up and in they went. This time, I was ready and I got my camera clicking away! Kelsey was much calmer in the water. Still probably would have been happier to go home, but she clearly learned some life-saving skills today. Afterwards, she was like a limp noodle and I wrapped her up and put her in the car. I said, "Kelsey, I am so proud of you, are you proud of yourself?" She responded, "I am proud of myself." She is such a smart girl!

Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow! Day 3, here we come!

Happy Easter

2011-04-26T19:36:00.008+03:00

Easter Bunny-The Night Before

2011-04-25T19:19:00.005+03:00

Kelsey was so funny about Easter this year. It was so interesting to hear her trying to figure it all out.

"Bunny is hiding" "Bring me eggies" "Bunny hungry" "I feed bunny...carrots" "Bringing me toys and candy"

She enjoyed throwing the eggs into the PAAS cups and waiting patiently for them to change colors.

She even held her handmade bunny, made by a lovely lady in Doha, while she went to sleep.

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-23T22:13:00.008+03:00

Today we celebrated with our neighbors at the annual Easter Egg Hunt! Always well organized and lots of fun!

If Looks Could Kill

2011-04-21T23:10:00.004+03:00

This morning, Kelsey decided she was going to read to Julia! Kelsey loves to read and seems to have many of her books memorized. This is a new book, but you can hear Kelsey encouraging herself on. "You knew that, you knew that story." Kelsey has been amazing with Julia! She doesn't try to pick her up, yet, but she loves to sing to her, talk to her, is concerned about her...etc. BUT sharing her things...well that is another story! Watch out Kelsey, because here Julia comes!!!

Julia-3.5 Months

2011-04-21T23:00:00.002+03:00

Julia or Kelsey-The Answers

2011-04-21T22:59:00.001+03:00

Pretty funny huh?! Here are the answers:

Julia
Kelsey
Kelsey
Julia
Julia
Kelsey
Kelsey
Kelsey
Julia
Julia

Julia or Kelsey???

2011-04-18T21:51:00.005+03:00

Easter Shots-Take 1

2011-04-18T07:15:00.003+03:00

"The songs says I can eat the ears!"

Lovely Evening With My Girls

2011-04-13T06:32:00.001+03:00

Just Feeding the Ducks

2011-04-11T06:19:00.003+03:00

Because Julia had an AWESOME appointment on Thursday (brace is only on at night, 3 more weeks to go) we decided to stop and feed the ducks near the zoo. Here is Kelsey posing away and loving Baby Sissy Katherine! Julia, well, she celebrated the best way she knows how, she took a nap!

Julia-3 Months

2011-04-07T05:30:00.003+03:00

She has been working so hard, growing so big, she's exhausted!

Michael Hates Me

2011-04-06T22:31:00.002+03:00

If you haven't heard by now, we are moving AGAIN. Blink and read again...WE ARE MOVING AGAIN! Actually a big congrats goes out to Michael who will be the Port Arthur, TX Environmental, Health & Safety Manager. Accepting this position requires us to move once again. I know that many of you would be expecting me to freak out, but to be honest, this will be just another walk in the park! For those of you who are keeping track, this will be our 5th home in our 6.5 years of marriage, yes FIFTH! Funny to think that so far we have stayed in Doha the longest!

I know you are wondering, where is Port Arthur, what is it like there? All I can say is...I'll save the suspense for another post!

Grocery Run

2011-04-04T19:13:00.004+03:00

Going to the grocery store with the girls is one of my favorite things to do and always has been. So much to explore...I know I am quite a bore these days! ;-) The problem is if I bring them both, there isn't much room for groceries, so on Sunday Kelsey will usually come with as we do our main shop. For those who haven't been in awhile with small children it is seriously like a carnival. Food, games and prizes! Only because there was one right where I parked, I got the race car cart! Thank you to the previous parent who left their child's drink and cookie in the car...people are so inconsiderate. So of course I had to hose it down with wet wipes first. Seriously this cart is insane, huge, and I probably messed up many displays on our trek. Kelsey was soooo excited...this was her first time driving the cart! She had a blast and I am afraid that I am going to have to indulge her on another grocery trip. Along with driving a car through the grocery store, HEB passes out free cookies to the kids and balloons, anything to make the trip more enjoyable for Mommy! ;-) At the checkout Kelsey loves to ask for Buddy Bucks, took me a while to figure out they had these. Pretty much this is getting toddlers ready for Vegas. She feeds each buck into a machine and gets to hit the blinking button to earn points to save in her Buddy Book that she will be able to redeem for a prize at some point. She's been an instant winner twice and on Sunday hit the jackpot with 50 points! WOW!

Oh and yes, that is a fat lip on Miss K. Her mouth met the sidewalk on her run to the park on Saturday. :-(

And yes, she did learn how to drive in the Middle East!!!!

Mommy Won't Put Down Her Camera

2011-04-02T01:01:00.001+03:00

Who could blame me!

Pictures of the Day

2011-03-26T00:52:00.002+03:00

Where Were You Born?

2011-03-25T01:31:00.002+03:00

Kelsey Goes to the Dentist!

2011-03-23T00:14:00.005+03:00

Can you believe it? Kelsey went to the dentist for the first time! I wasn't really sure what to expect and she had no clue. They actually did take x-rays, gave her teeth a quick 30 second scrub down and the dentist came and checked them out as well! WOW! There were ups and downs, but overall, a decent experience. ;-) Best part was that she got a bag full of goodies! We'll definitely be back in...oh...6 months or so! ;-) No cavities...but that num-num...dentist said that it's got to go!

Julia-The Movie

2011-03-22T16:05:00.003+03:00

MawMaw's Birthday

2011-03-14T18:00:00.002+03:00

Please let us know if it is your birthday, Kelsey LOVES to sing Happy Birthday these days! Blowing out the candles with MawMaw was a lot of fun too! BTW-Do you recognize the cake...it was a Frango Mint cake! Yummy!

Photo of the Day!

2011-03-14T07:37:00.000+03:00

All By Herself!

2011-03-10T06:00:00.002+03:00

Did I Spell It Correctly?

2011-03-08T20:21:00.005+03:00

As some of you might remember, I spelled "Kelsey" as "Kesley" on her birth announcements. So doing Julia's announcements about made me go crazy in fear of making the same mistake! Hopefully not...and if I did, please just keep it to yourself! ;-) Her name is Julia Katherine! ;-) Here are some of the photos that didn't make the cut.

Still Smilin'

2011-03-03T07:20:00.001+03:00

I don't think I posted this picture of Julia in the bouncer a week ago. She loves kickin' back outside, watching her big sissy swing! Can you believe she is 2 months old!

Ribbit

2011-03-03T07:16:00.005+03:00

Spring has sprung here in Houston, have I mentioned that enough to my Chitown friends and family?! We are loving being outside! Kelsey-sporting her showers and flowers fashion line! She is loving the matching hat! (I love the second picture!)

Awww...Baby Julia

2011-02-28T05:49:00.006+03:00

Newborns are routinely screened for hip dysplasia. Julia's pediatrician suspected that she might have it after hearing a click in her hip and sent her to Dr. Brock, a pediatric orthopedic. The first ultrasound came back inconclusive, well actually the radiologist and Dr. Brock disagreed. Dr. Brock recommended that we wait a few weeks and repeat the ultrasound. On Thursday he determined that she did in fact have it and she is now sporting a lovely white brace for at least the next 9 weeks. Of course, not the results we were praying for, however we feel blessed that her doctors were about to identify the problem as the prognosis is very good when identified this early. So goodbye cute sleepers and outfits, hello button down sacks as the brace cannot be taken off. From the pictures below, you can tell that Julia doesn't mind her brace at all. Big sister Kelsey is very supportive and concerned for her sissy's boo-boos. Big thanks go out to Dr. Brock and his staff as they were so supportive to a very upset Mommy. And to the experienced mommy who was in the office at the time who was able to give me a lot of great advice and support as 2 out of 3 of her children had gone through the same treatment!

To top it all off, Julia seems to be suffering from allergies as well!!! ;-(

Why Yes...

2011-02-20T23:34:00.002+03:00

...those are matching popsicle sunglasses!

Busy, Busy

2011-02-19T07:51:00.003+03:00

So Kelsey has learned that if she can't get some help, she will just do it herself (have no clue where she could have learned that). Have stool will travel! We bought a few stools so that Kelsey could climb into my bed (I know, I know) when I couldn't lift her after the c-section. It didn't take her long to figure out that the stool is mobile! UGH! So if you don't meet her needs quickly enough, she heads off to find her stool and here she comes, a woman on a mission! Seriously dangerous, but seriously adorable.

Finally the cold weather has departed the Houston area and the heat and humidity are settling in. It has actually been lovely out and even Miss Julia is enjoying her pimped out backyard! ;-)

Girl Scout Cookies!

2011-02-19T05:51:00.003+03:00

We are still taking time to enjoy all the things that we missed while in Qatar! (Poor Miss Julia was rescued straight away...she wanted some cookies too!)

Pigtails

2011-02-09T22:21:00.003+03:00

Look at how long Kelsey's hair is getting! Unfortunately her hair is taking after mine. ;-) And a few pictures of Julia sleeping.

Dimple of the Day

2011-02-07T20:47:00.001+03:00

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2011-02-06T00:56:00.001+03:00

A Visit From MawMaw

2011-02-06T00:45:00.002+03:00

The girls enjoyed a visit with MawMaw this week! Julia demanded she be held this week, so I was thankful for the extra help and hands!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-02-04T22:39:00.001+03:00

Who could want anything more! All of my wishes have surely come true over the years!

Julia 3 Weeks

2011-02-03T05:29:00.001+03:00

Julia loves hanging out with Kelsey!

My Girlies!

2011-01-24T19:24:00.001+03:00

2 Weeks Ago...

2011-01-22T20:01:00.000+03:00

...we brought Miss Julia home! She's a keeper!

M & G Go Out...WithOUT the Girls!

2011-01-22T19:36:00.002+03:00

While my parents were here, Michael and I were "told" to go out to dinner! ALONE! WITHOUT CHILDREN! Seriously? lol Michael kept asking why we were going out...as he would have much rather had my mom cook another night! It just became this big joke, but in the end, we did go out! Imagine that! We did leave Kelsey with some wonderful friends in Doha ONCE and had a quick dinner but we rushed back after inhaling our food! Michael and I went to Taste of Texas, one of my favorites, had a wait and even ordered dessert! Grammy and Papa held down the fort! Both girls were happy when we returned! Kelsey even got to feed Julia a bottle which she thought was really cool!

First Tubby

2011-01-19T20:49:00.002+03:00

Good thing there were lots of hands to help!

They're Here!

2011-01-19T17:36:00.006+03:00

Our bellies are full, my house is clean and all of my knives have been sharpened! I am guessing that we won't be letting them leave any time soon!

Anxiously Awaiting Grammy & Papa

2011-01-13T05:14:00.002+03:00

Kelsey & Julia

2011-01-11T20:40:00.005+03:00

Kelsey is loving her new sister! She just loves to hold her, "I've got her"! She is already teaching her how to play Ring Around the Rosies!

Kelsey-We're Coming Home!

2011-01-09T01:33:00.004+03:00

Julia Katherine-More

2011-01-09T01:29:00.003+03:00

I'm A BIG Sissy!

2011-01-07T05:53:00.004+03:00