{Us}: 8 years!!

Eight whole years.  Ten years together.  Wouldn't change a thing.

We have accomplished so much in our 8 years:

3 cities

2 continents

Countless countries

2 houses

4 cars

2 kids

3 dogs

It's crazy to think about all that we've done, and we relived a lot of the memories over an amazing dinner at the Capitol Grille.  It was so nice to get out with my love, and we had the best time!

The best part of the day, though, started when I woke up.  Stephen had put sayings, memories and love notes on a deck of cards, and I spent the entire day finding them in unexpected places.  52 cards, for me, from my hubs.  So sweet and fun.  He always knows just what I need, and reminders of his love for me and our relationship made my day.

I can't wait to see what the next 8 years have in store...

{Blakely}: Nine Months

Our little nugget is nine months old.  Three quarters of a year.

It's true that it flies by, and I'm just hanging on for the ride.  She's such a sweet one, and we feel so lucky to have her.  She was meant for our family, and is the perfect fit.

At nine months:

She is .25" longer than her brother and 3 lbs heavier at this age.  Just a little chunk of love.

We had so much fun this past month...Halloween, Fall parties, pumpkin patches and more.  She's so easy going, and it's nice that she's always happy to be a part of things!  She has a serious fear of missing out, like Knox did, so she's just happy to be included!

She loves:

Knox

Food, more table food than Gerber

Puffs/Mums

Watching the dogs

Pulling up and walking around furniture/train table

Sleeping

Her lovey

Wrestling with Daddy and Knox

She Hates:

Diaper changes

Being contained when she wants to be down and on the move

Getting her nose wiped

She came down sick for the first time this month.  She has a double ear infection and RSV, and we're just hoping she continues to heal up and get better!  Even when sick, she's still the easiest baby (in comparison to her big bro), and we just love her to pieces.

Here are some pictures from the past month...

With her favorite toy, the phone!

She got stuck in the shopping cart

Her Halloween costume, the owl

The poor owl couldn't hang

Her thoughts on wearing a tutu

Still a thumb sucker

She loves wrestling

In her Uggs

Sick for the first time- double ear infection and RSV

{Knox}: Broken Arm

Sweet Knox has his first (and hopefully last) broken bone.  As a mom of a boy, you somewhat expect at some point for it to happen, I just wasn't anticipating it to happen at 4.5.  And I definitely didn't expect it to come from something as simple as slipping while getting out of the car.

Saturday afternoon (10/11), Stephen stayed home with Blakely so Knox and I could enjoy attending a birthday party together alone.  We were headed home with the intention of making it to see the second half of the Baylor/TCU game and to have a relaxed evening.

After pulling in the garage, Knox did what he always did...unbuckled his seat belt and hopped down, waiting on me to open his door.  He grabbed his birthday party goodie bag and a balloon and started to climb out of the car, something he does multiple times a day.  This time, though, his flip flops hit the frame of my car and sent him sliding down towards the garage floor.  As his tushie hit the frame of the car, it catapulted him forward towards the concrete face first.  At the last second, he put his arm between he and the floor (think Heisman style, without the ball to cradle) and his arm took the brunt of the fall.

He immediately started crying, and as a mom I knew this cry was different.  I scooped him up and did what I normally do - downplay the fall and try to get his mind on something else.  When we walked inside and Stephen greeted us, he started crying a little again and told Stephen his arm really hurt.  We both decided he just needed time to shake it off, I mean he only fell 2 feet at most.

We watched the rest of the game, and even grilled dinner.  However, over the course of the night we noticed that he kept his arm to his chest and was in a lot of pain.  There wasn't any noticeable swelling, but we just knew something wasn't right.  After a quick call to our pediatrician's office, Stephen decided to take him up the Urgent care place for an x-ray, just to rule out a break.

Within 30 minutes he text to say that his arm was indeed broken and he was in a splint.

Crushing.  I know it's not the end of the world, and it's honestly a breeze compared to what could have been, but I was so sad for our little guy.

They came home, and he basically got whatever he wanted for the next 36 hours until we could see the orthopedic doctor.  He was in a lot of pain, so we alternated Motrin and Tylenol to take the edge off.  He slept surprisingly well considering the situation, and we were so proud of how brave he acted throughout the whole ordeal. 

Monday morning we had an appointment with the Ortho, and weren't surprised when he prescribed a cast for 4-5 weeks.  Knox was a little apprehensive going into the appointment, and we were as well.  I was a little scared they might have to set it, which would be so traumatizing, and he was concerned putting a cast on would hurt.  We made a deal that if a cast was needed, he would do blue for Optimus Prime, and as soon as we got home I would paint the logo on it.

Waiting for the cast

The initial sleeve

The first wrap and bending to 90*

He watched the doctor so intently the whole time

Finishing touches

And done!!

And I held up my end of the deal!!

{Blakely}: 8 months

Eight months.  Man, it's flying by, and it's so much fun.  She's such a little love, and every day is a new adventure.  So much happened this month, between developmental milestones and fun trips, that we're having to really slow down and enjoy each day as it comes or we feel like we'll miss something.  

Her personality is truly blossoming, and man are we going to have our hands full.  She loves being around the action, and thrives off of routine and being on a schedule.  She plays well alone and with us, but definitely wishes she could follow big brother around everywhere he goes (and play with all of his toys).  She loves to eat, and will eat most anything I offer to her.  She definitely wants to feed herself, and loves exploring new foods.  Her current favorite are blueberry waffles, and she is always down for a Mum or two.  She LOVES sleep.  We put her down at 7:45pm and often have to wake her in the morning to get Knox to school.  We definitely lucked out in that department!

She now crawls all over our house, has two teeth, waves hi (though it's few and far between), and pulls up to standing.  She's still a bit wobbly once on her feet, so I look forward to her being a bit more stable so I won't have a heart attack every time she topples over.  

She is such a happy baby, and we are just so lucky to get to be her parents!

Here are a few of her pictures from this past month, with a few of our travels included:

Having breakfast

Silly girl

I still melt any time she falls asleep on me

Monogrammed tooshie

Picking up bubba from school

Family day at the State Fair

Tuckered out after Big Tex

Fun with Aunt Kelly while mom and dad took Knox to the Rangers game

Fun in Fredericksburg with the Bridges

With her bestie, Elle, and matching shoes

Eating a banana with the mesh snack container.  Yuck

Teething, and not really wanting to smile

Holding her baby doll

Showing off

{Blakely}: 7 months!

Sweet Miss B is 7 months old.  Holy cow.  It's flying by way too fast for me, and I catch myself trying to slow the minutes/hours/days down and really soak in all of the moments.  She is just pure joy, and we love her more than we ever thought we could.  Everyone that meets her comments on how easy and chill she is.  Definitely thankful for that, ha!  She has her momma's fiestiness, though (see video below).  

She is still the best sleeper.  She goes to bed around 7:45pm and wakes up between 8-8:30am.  She takes 2-3 naps/day, and plays plays plays when she's awake!

Some of the major milestones this month were starting solid foods and beginning to crawl.  She tasted food for the first time and hasn't slowed down...she loves to eat sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, squash, carrots, black beans, green beans, avocados and peas.  She also really likes eating on her own, and will eat puffs, yogurt melts, mum-mums, and pancakes/waffles this way.  I feel a lot more at ease with foods this time around, and love how open she is to trying new things.  She will let you know, though, when the food is gone and she's not done.  Man, she gets hangry!  So funny.

She is also very close to crawling.  She's been getting up on all fours to rock for a while now, but just recently realized she can combine that move with an all-out lunge/face plant and get across the room.  We often will sit her down and come back to find her in a different spot, very far from where we originally placed her.  She loves trying to get to her brothers toys, so we always keep a very close eye on her.  She knows what she likes, though, and is always happier playing with him and his stuff than with her dolls and toys.  We'll work on that.  Small cars and planes aren't very baby-friendly.

She is very spirited, almost always smiling and happy.  She has a tinge of stranger-danger, but also gets glowing reports after being in the nursery at church.  She is definitely teething, but no teeth have cut through yet.  Don't think I don't stick a finger in there daily looking for one, though.

She is obsessed with her Bubba.  Literally, hearing his voice from the other room and she breaks out into a huge smile and giggles.  She can't keep her eyes off of him when she's awake, and when I get her out of her crib after sleeping, she starts scanning the room trying to find him.  He is so great with her, and loves making her laugh.  It truly is the best feeling in the world to see them interact.  Everything I could have ever dreamed of.

I've included some pics from this last month...we did a lot!

She wants his hat

First ever bite!

After her first day in the nursery.  Mommy had a much harder time than she did!

Ready for the Baylor game

With Papi

Our first time at the new stadium, and their first game.  It was a wet one, but we had a great time!

First time like a big girl in the shopping cart.

Loving pancakes

Passed out after the game

She met her great-great aunt Arjorie

Sass...she loves her tongue right now!

Crawling to Knox's trains

She still loves when he gets in her crib to wake her up

Sweet sleepy snuggles

Pincher grasp

Hangry!!

We just love our munchkin.  Can't wait to see what this next month brings!