P's 3rd Birthday continued...

A few more pictures from Parker's actual Birthday:

Visiting Great-Grandma (GG), who shares the same birthday, 81 years apart!

Going to school on his Birthday

Celebrating at home

Our little cake lover

What?

Baby Avery Sullins Baker

Baby Avery was born on August 7th - 4th baby for Carey & Andrew! Congrats!

Parker's 3rd Birthday

So, true to form, I didn't take any pictures of Parker's 3rd Birthday party - well except for these 3 - I think there are more on another camera so if I find them, I'll update this post!

The "Hot Dog" Cake

Elin & Charlotte

We'll miss you Auntie Insey!

My sister, Lindsay, is moving to SWEDEN today! It is very bittersweet for me, as it is for my whole family - we are sad that she is moving so far away but at the same time, so happy that she is happy & has found love. Her fiance is Peter Johansson, & he is just perfect for her. So we wish them all the happiness in the world! And here's to lots of Skyping ahead! Here are some pictures we took at the airport. We love you Auntie Insey!

Those are Lindsay's cats in the pet cages, Clayton & Calypso - they made it "across the pond" too!

Updates

So I know, blogging has fallen by the wayside for me lately (for the past few months, actually!) I have been one busy momma with my 1 year old & newly-3-year-old. Between playdates, decorating our new house, naps, pre-school, etc., time is not my own anymore. BUT the good news, I am planning on jumping back in ---- today. So a few updates with our family:

We moved at the end of April - up to Cumming, & love our beautiful home & our wonderful neighborhood. We've especially loved the pool this hot summer.

What else...Charlotte is walking (well actually running, now), we welcomed a brand new baby cousin into the family - Ace's sister, Carey, had her 4th baby - a boy, named Avery! Born 3 weeks early, at the beginning of August.

Parker started his first year of pre-school at a Church right around the corner,

then shortly after, he turned 3!!! Our boy is growing up too fast.

Our sweet, silly baby girl

Ace is 30!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Ace! Yesterday was Ace's 30th birthday & I surprised him by taking him to dinner at one of his favorite restaurants, Stoney River. I also called a few of his best friends to meet us there...I hope it was a fantastic birthday, my love! I'm so glad I'm in good company now with the 30's!

1 Year Stats & Food Wars

Charlotte is growing so fast that she even eats more than Parker at some meals...not to mention that she'll pretty much eat anything (veggies, meat, really anything), & Parker will not even let a vegetable sit on his plate (he takes it off & pushes it as far away as he can reach), & lately he doesn't even want to eat meat. Ugh, but that's a different story...well, no, let me tell you about it anyways (I need to vent)...so I've been giving him that juice that is mixed with vegetables, you know, the one that says it has 1 serving of fruit & 1 serving of vegetables. Well today he saw the tiny picture of the carrot, which is much smaller than the huge apple on the bottle. So he said "no carrot, I want APPLE JUICE!" The type of fruits he'll eat keeps getting slimmer & slimmer too. UGGHHH! I use red sauce that supposedly has a full serving of vegetables in it too, but how much red sauce does he really eat once he's sucked in each & every piece of spaghetti? So I'll just keep trying. I guess some of this is just a side-effect of the terrible twos, & the Dr. doesn't seem worried, she just says "just keep trying, don't give up!" And I just say "Oh ok." (yea thanks for the great advice, Baby Doctor, my friends have better advice than that). I know, I need to buy "Sneaky Chef" or something like that.

ANYWAYS, back to Charlotte's 1 Year Stats:

- Weight: 20lb. 8oz. - 25-50%

- Height: 30.5" - 75-90%

- Head: 44.5cm - 25-50%

Disclaimer: I sort of take the height percentiles loosely, it's not very scientific the way they measure her, she is laying down in the paper & as fast as she can, the nurse reaches up to the top of her head & (without actually looking) draws a line with a pen & then quickly pulls one leg straight & draws another line below her heel (barely looking again), all while Charlotte is trying to break free. So I'm guessing she's above average, but maybe not quite 90th percentile.

And I was so excited that she had hit the 20 lb. mark so I could put her in her new cute (matching to P's, of course) car seat, forward facing, so she could watch movies, until the Dr. said "well, they are recommending that kids are rear-facing until age 2 now" (now I had heard this before when P was about 1 1/2 but MY doctor didn't tell me that, but I guess the guidelines have changed in the last month or so & all Pediatricians are supposed to tell their patients this now)...sorry Char, that crick in your neck from trying so hard to see the "Hotdog" dance isn't going to get better any time soon :( I love my sweet babies!

Moving on Up to the North Side

Well after many trials & tribulations, it seems that we are finally on our way "Up" to Cumming! We have had our house on the market since September & got a contract on it in mid-March. After much negotiating on our agents' parts, & stressful inspections & appraisals, we are free & clear to pack up our things & begin the "in-my-head-decorating" of the new house. Exciting! Looking forward to the neighborhood pool & playground this summer! I'll post pictures of the new house once we're actually there, in less than 3 weeks! Our move date is April 29th. Yay!

Happy Birthday Charlotte Mae!

Our baby girl's 1st birthday was a few days ago, on March 30th. We celebrated with family at our house, kept it small for her 1st Birthday. Here are some pictures from the day of our Sweet little 1 year old baby girl, Charlotte Mae.

She's also started walking, & she's getting better & more brave every day!

Doll cradle from Papa & Gramma Kim

Bunny chair from Mimi!

"But where's MYYY present?"

Partyers

While we were singing "Happy Birthday"

Parker & Mommy helping blow out the candle

"The BIG cake", as Parker said

Happy Girl

Smash Cake

2 of 4 of Charlotte's Great-Grandmas (yes that's right, the lucky girl has 4!)

Presents

Cool Dudes

Aren't they cool with their popped collars? One of Parker's weekly play dates with Palmer...

The Whole Banana

Go Char! She ate a whole banana today...may seem like a little thing but everything is a big deal to a mommy :)

Yellow River Game Ranch!

Today Lindsay & I took advantage of this lovely February weather by taking the kids to the Yellow River Game Ranch, a place my sister & I frequented as kids. Apparently all my parents can remember from taking us as kids is that they always feared for the bunny's lives - there is a bunny-only area that the kids can chase (& squeeze) the little bunnies as long as their little hearts desire. My parent's said Lindsay & I (especially I) used to chase, catch, & squeeze those bunnies until their eyes were popping out of their heads (according to my Dad). I remember especially loving the baby bunnies, I would chase them into their little safe-holes & reach in until I caught those little boogers & then I'd huuuuuggggg them. I loved baby-anything as a little girl.

Well, now (probably due to kids like us) they only have adult bunnies in that bunny cage. And those adults are fast. Parker caught up to one (who was apparently sleeping) & P got to pet him...& of course I was in there too. Charlotte was unimpressed by it all, maybe next year...

Here are some pictures of Parker & the animals.

Charlotte just hung out in her stroller, enjoying the warm sun

Parker's new hat