Addison Mae - 29 months

This crazy girl of mine is officially smarter than me. Brilliant. The things she says on a daily basis are equal parts incredible and exasperating.




She is a fabulous big sister, and while I knew she'd be great, I had no idea she'd be so into her role so quickly. She doesn't love for anyone else to touch her "Bubby" and she's quick to tell me when he's crying ("You need to pick him up, Mommy") or when someone else needs to give him back to me ("He needs his mommy - give him back). She's fairly intrigued with how he eats, and we have since had lots of conversations about nipples at our house. And he already adores her - I was shocked when his first smile was for me, not for her. He calms at the sound of her voice and always responds when she sings to him. Be still my heart.


Addie loved Christmas and was ecstatic to receive a violin (an electric one that plays songs, sometimes, when you run the bow across the strings) and M&Ms. The only desires of her heart. Of course she received way more than just that, including a giant bounce house from her doting Pawpaw. She loved singing Christmas songs (Away in a Manger was the favorite) and lighting (and blowing out) the advent candles. Her understanding of the reason for Christmas blew my mind.


While she totally and constantly wears me out and makes me want to pull my hair out, I am equally (OK, more) so amazed that she's mine and I have the privilege of being her mama.



Weight: 27 pounds
Length: ~32  inches



New things:

• Being a big sister! She loves to help by picking out diapers, bringing him toys, singing to him, helping pick out his clothes, etc. She really loved being the "model" in his crib while we set up his video monitor.
• I am hesitant to say she's potty trained, but we're close. She's wearing pull ups, other than at night, and rarely has an accident. This requires lots of reminders to use to potty, bribes, Grammie's constant help and encouragement, and her teachers' constant praise.
• The funniest new phrases/convos ...
• Rather than "I am" she says "I mam." Makes me laugh every time.
• You're my best friend in the whole live world
• You're my favorite
• I was writing a check for her school and she asked what I was doing. I explained that we pay for her to go to school. About 10 minutes later, she came to me with her Minnie Mouse money and said she would take it to her teachers. I explained that she could keep her money - that mommy would take care of paying her teachers!
• We were playing with Legos and what we were building kept falling down. I told her we needed to start over to make it more stable. She said, "Bullet the horse lives in a stable in Stillwater. So does Jesus." I explained that stable has two meanings. She said, "Two? I am two."
• I asked if she took at nap at school and she said, "Mommy, you forgot my blankets for my nap. I wanted my blankets. I was sad. I had to cover up with Ms. Melissa's scarf." Already knows how to cause major mom guilt.
• "I got my money in my pocket." Which actually meant she had crammed her change purse into her pull up. Along with her play phone.
• Singing "I got $20 in my pocket. This is awesome."
• Asking everyone how old they are.
• A glove fetish. Seriously, she loves gloves and notices them always. On Santa, Minnie Mouse, her teachers at church/school when they change diapers ... and she loves to wear her gloves. She is also obsessed with a play oven mitt for her kitchen and wears it all the time. She always asks, "Can I pat Bubby with my gloves on?" And asks my mom to pick her up with her gloves on. Weirdo.

Likes:

• Gloves.
• Coloring and painting. Especially on her new easel.
• Play Dough
• Her teachers at school. I think she loves them almost as much as she loves me.
• Her Bubby. And a renewed interest in taking care of her Stella doll. I can tell that she's totally modeling what she sees. And thankfully she takes really good care of her.
• Dancing. Music comes on and that girl starts dancing.
• Bath time. Especially if we put food coloring, in the color of her choice, in the water. Girlfriend got lots of new bath toys for Christmas, which makes it extra exciting.
• Her bounce house. "Mommy, can we bounce?"

Dislikes:

• Sometimes she's not a big fan of me feeding her brother and cries for me to hold her instead. Breaks my heart a little.
• When her brother cries.
• Being away from her brother or her mommy.

Hutch Marshall - 1 month

Y'all, we have successfully been a family of four for a whole month. Christmas was magical with a snuggly newborn and a crazy, brilliant, lovable toddler.








Sometimes I look at this precious dark-haired bundle and can't believe he's really mine. (However, he looks so exactly like his daddy that it's pretty clear he belongs to us!) This sweet, chunky baby boy is pretty amazing. Speaking of chunky, his favorite thing in the whole world is eat (gained three pounds in three weeks), and I have been very thankful that nursing has been so successful. He was born ready to eat.








He doesn't really love to sleep (a la his sister) and at about three weeks we were pretty certain he was also following in his sister's footsteps with a colic and reflux diagnosis ... Jordan asked if we could get jobs just diagnosing colic and reflux. We're pretty good at it. And though we've been there before, it's been pretty difficult and draining on all of us. Not so fun.








What is fun is watching his sweet sister dote on him. She is completely in love. And she calls him "Bubby." While there have been some difficult moments, for the most part Addie has been amazing. She doesn't want to be away from him for a second. And she doesn't really want anyone other than Jordan and me to touch him ("Don't take my baby.") She especially loves to pick out diapers for him. And inform me when he's crying.








Weight: 10 pounds 7 ounces
Length: 20.5 inches





New things:

• Well, everything is new.
• Holding head up during tummy time and sometimes when being held
• Tracking objects

Likes:

• His sister. He almost always calms down when he sees her or hears her voice
• Ocean play mat
• Black and white books
• Being held. All. the. time.
• Eating. A lot.
• Bath time
• The nap nanny. Even if it is pink.
• Naked kicking time. Made popular by his colicky sister - one of the only things that would calm her was being stripped to her diaper and lying on a soft blanket. Baby boy thinks it's pretty great, too.

Dislikes:

• His tummy.
• Sleeping.
• His swing. (I know... what is that about??)