Team Hoff

The Perfect Day

2012-01-21T21:58:00.002-06:00

Brooks LOVES being outside and roaming around. He's not into organized games outside yet like soccer or baseball, but he does love to hunt and fish and explore...especially with his Daddy. Since this winter has not been a winter at all, we've been able to spend lots of time outside (I seriously don't even think I've worn my heavy winter coat). Chad invited one of his friends and his son to come out and fish with us at a local park one weekend and all the boys had such a great time. And Laney and I found ways to entertain ourselves on the hill while watching the boys fish. I love my family. I love being outside. So, I guess you could say that it was a perfect day.

See the fish the boys caught?!

Like Laney's pose? It was cracking me up.

Ahh...my little Laneybug.

Live-in Gammy

2012-01-21T21:34:00.000-06:00

After Christmas, and my first week back at school, Chad had a week long conference down in San Antonio. My mom so graciously said that she would stay to help with the kids. I can do it by myself, don't get me wrong - but it's so much easier when she's here to help. Chad's job each morning to get the kids up and take them to school (because I have to leave for work at 7:00, and my kids sleep until 8:00). So when he's gone it really puts a damper on all of us to get up earlier and get ready so I can take them. With Gammy here she just got them up and going each morning. While I was at work she cleaned, did laundry, brought me lunch, went grocery shopping, and cooked dinner. It was a great week! While she was here we took Brooks to get his haircut and then out to Chick-fil-a. It also happened to be family night so they were serving free ice cream sundaes. Just another reason why I love Chick-fil-a. The kids were pretty excited, too!

Brooks also got a medal at school for knowing all his letters and sounds. Of course we thought that was a good reason to celebrate, so we went out for some yogurt.

And of course Gammy brought some cookie dough to make cookies with Brooks. This is one of their favorite things to do together.

This time Gammy taught Brooks how to use a fork and make a criss-cross on top of the peanut butter cookies...yum!

I'm so thankful that my mom is able and willing to take off work (although I don't think she's too sad about that) and stay with us for so long. Thanks, Gammy - we love you!

Radio Flyer and Red Shirts

2012-01-18T15:35:00.000-06:00

For Christmas, Nana and Pappy got Delaney and Brooks a red wagon radio flyer. It's the coolest and most old-school present! They absolutely love being pulled around in this thing. Delaney points to it in the garage every time we get out of the car. Then she throws a "Delaney-sized-tantrum" which includes fake crying, fake tears, and going very limp on the ground. But, that's another story. This is about how adorable my kids are in their new Radio Flyer with their super cute new red shirts.

Christmas - Round 2 in Austin

2012-01-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

After Christmas, Gammy and Pops came down to celebrate with us. Brooks got a tennis racket and Delaney got a kitchen and some pots and pans. Brooks loved his racket and practiced with Chad right away. He hit it almost every time. I'm really surprised that we haven't broken anything in our house considering all the soccer balls kicked and baseballs hit and now tennis balls flying through the air.

The next day Gammy and Brooks practiced playing tennis in the yard and Laney practiced cooking some yummy soup in her kitchen (after Chad spent 2 hours putting it together.)

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2012-01-13T16:05:00.001-06:00

The boys (Brodie and Brooks) worked so hard to make a birthday cake for Jesus. And they were SUPER excited to sing Happy Birthday and eat some cake (can you tell?). I found this idea for a cake and pinned it right away. Every layer of cake and color of icing represents a part of our salvation. It was so cool because Brodie knew the Gospel Fuzzies song so he sang it for us so we could hear what each color stood for. Brooks attempted to sing along. I think this cake will definitely be our official birthday cake each year!

TuTu Cute

2012-01-13T15:54:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I look at Delaney and I can't believe how I'm dressing her. I never imagined myself putting my little girl in bows or anything frilly...but it's just too stinkin' cute! I can't help myself. For Christmas Delaney's teacher got her a little tutu and made her a Christmas tree shirt (she's really talented with the sewing machine). Delaney was the cutest little toddler on Christmas Day. She's always off exploring by herself.

Laney loved opening the boxes, even though they were all empty.

She is really getting confident walking around. She also enjoys walking around while growling...this would be the face that she's making below.

Nobody told her that girls in tutus can't play football - so she just joined right in!

Another attempt at a cute picture. It's alright. Brooks never looks at the camera and Laney never wants to sit still. But I still just love this picture: That's such a classic "Brooks" face and it just warms my heart to see Laney laughing with her brother.

Christmas Morning

2012-01-11T20:47:00.000-06:00

What a wonderful morning we had with family. It wasn't overwhelmed with presents and wrapping paper, but it was just a great time spent with family, a few presents to help celebrate Jesus' birthday, and even a short church service in the living room...it was perfect.Daddy brought Laney down to celebrate first thing in the morning.

Brooks had fun opening his stocking. He was so excited over every little thing.

Laney worked hard at pulling out all her goodies from her stocking.

Birdie and Scoops got Delaney a crib and highchair for her babies. She was so excited. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of her face.

My Dad (Grandpa) got Brooks some Lincoln Logs...classic! I foresee hours of building with these. I think Chad might be just as excited as B.

The kids were super excited to open the last door of the advent calendar. I decided that every year I'll put candles for Jesus' birthday cake in the 25th box. The boys thought that was pretty cool. It also reminded them that they needed to decorate Jesus' cake. The boys got right on it. Check out their intense faces.

Brodie got a flag football set so the boys tested it out in the driveway. The Hoffman boys vs. The Scott boys.

And of course Brooks had to take Laney for a stroll in the truck. I think she's going to ask for a truck when she turns 16.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T15:21:00.006-06:00

We went to a noon Christmas Eve service. The church was pretty crowded and it was raining, so they had a bus service taking people from their car to the church. Brooks and Brodie thought that it was the coolest thing. And don't they just look adorable in their matching vests?!

Spending time with Birdie and Scoops.

After nap time we changed and prepared for our nightly Christmas Eve activities. We attempted to take a family photo.

Laney never went anywhere without her beads.

Sneaky girl was trying to look in the advent boxes.

Brodie (who is 5 by the way) read to Birdie and Brooks before bedtime.

Count Down to the Big Day

2011-12-31T15:21:00.004-06:00

Instead of exchanging gifts with cousins this year, we got together to celebrate in a new way. Each family donated money to a ministry and the kids all got together and shared where they decided to give money. It was a neat experience for the kids to talk about giving during the Christmas season. It's a new tradition that we're excited to continue and expand on each year.

After spending time at the Hancock's house, we headed south for Corpus. As soon as we walked in the door Birdie put the boys to work in the kitchen making some yummy cookies. She gave each boy a cute apron to use as well.

We spent some time looking at Christmas lights in the neighborhood.

Laney LOVED riding around in the truck with Brodie.

My Winter Toddler...

2011-12-31T14:50:00.001-06:00

...all ready for a little walk outside with Mommy.

The Nativity

2011-12-24T15:20:00.000-06:00

Chad found this video to show the kids this Christmas and I love it! Now that Brooks is really comprehending things we're desperate to make sure that he understands Christmas to be about Jesus and His birth. It's challenging me to go back, read the story in the Bible, and make sure that I understand what really happened so that I can teach it to my children. This little cartoon is just a cute reminder about what the real Nativity might have looked like:

Cookie Time!

2011-12-19T15:09:00.000-06:00

Brooks' good friend, Aubree, had a cookie party last week. The kids put on adorable aprons, used some cookie cutters, and decorated LOTS of cookies and ate LOTS of frosting and sprinkles. And while the cookies were baking Santa stopped by. He was busy in the backyard with a shovel picking up Rudolph's poop. Apparently while he was flying over Rudolph pooped in their yard. The kids thought that was hilarious (of course). He came in for some hugs and candy canes. I left Delaney home with Daddy so Brooks and I could have some fun just the two of us. It was a great night!

Each kid got to take home a box with all their cookie creations...yum!

My Growing Girl

2011-12-19T14:53:00.003-06:00

My little peanut finally has a little belly. I love seeing her belly hang over her little leggings. I know it doesn't seem like much, but just remember that we've come along way considering that my little peanut was once just 4 pounds!

We thought, since Delaney now has 8 teeth, we should probably start brushing them. She loves to brush her teeth!

I just love this picture. Laney found one of my beanies and put it on while hanging out around the house...too cute!

Laney is finally walking. She takes cautious steps, but she is walking around most of the time.

I love her "longer" hair. I am constantly putting her hair in a ponytail or pigtails - I just love it!

"The stockings were hung..."

2011-12-19T14:21:00.000-06:00

After the Thanksgiving festivities ended we got right to decorating and getting ready for Jesus' birthday. Brooks was such a big help this year, Laney - not so much. It was still just so much fun to get everything out, talk about Christmas's from the past, and think about this Christmas season ahead of us.

So thankful...

2011-12-02T17:59:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent a day with my parents, another day with my Aunt and my dad and more extended family, and another day with my sister-in-law and her family. We had a great time everywhere we traveled and are feel so very blessed to be living in Texas so that we can be with family for the Holidays. This Thanksgiving Brooks said he was thankful for God. What a sweetie. It's amazing to think back and see all our blessings from this past year and how things have changed since last Thanksgiving.Last year...

This year...

The cousins last year...

The cousins this year...

We started off our week at Gammy and Pop's house. What a treat to go out to eat at Spring Creek Bar-b-q. Laney loved the hot rolls.

On Thanksgiving Day we were with my Dad and Lady.

This picture is pretty sweet because my half-brother came to visit for the holidays. It happens that his name is also Brooks. So, here they are - the two "Brooks" boys. Little Brooks thought it was cool to meet another Brooks.

I haven't seen my brother since I was a little girl, so I was so happy to spend some time with him and my Dad.

We also traveled out to Carrolton to hang out with Jill, Kyle and Brodie. Delaney loved being silly with her Aunt Jill.

The boys always ask to make a fort, watch a movie, and have a special snack. This time Chad helped them make a huge fort in the playroom while they watched "Land Before Time" and ate Christmas cookie ice cream. Ahh...the life of cousins!

First Pigtails

2011-11-20T21:02:00.001-06:00

I've seriously been waiting for this day since I knew I was having a little girl.

My Girly Girl

2011-11-19T17:00:00.001-06:00

It's funny because I am not a "girly girl" at all. As far as I know, I never have been a "girly girl". I like my cargo pants and chaco sandals. I like that when I look in my closet it's nothing but browns, blacks, and whites - no pink. I'm trying to be a little grown-up (I am 30) by wearing necklaces and earrings and stuff, but I still have a hard time wearing dangly earrings. But - there's something so sweet about dressing up my little girl in bows and pink and frills. Here she is showing off her girly side.She LOVED playing with this beaded necklace at Birdie's house.

Every chance she could get she put these beads on.

Jeggings - check! Graphic tee - check! Talking on the phone - check!

Black leggings and an adorable pink jacket - she could be a New York girl with this outfit.

I LOVE that I can put her hair in a ponytail. This might be my new favorite look...too cute!

October Recap

2011-11-12T14:31:00.001-06:00

October was a really busy month:Grandpa surprised us one night and came down for a visit. He was only in town long enough to take us out to eat, and we made sure to enjoy every minute of it!

Delaney turned one and we had a super weekend of celebrating.

October always means pumpkin patch time, which just make me so happy.

Melody couldn't make it to Laney's party so she came over for a play date later that week.

The Rangers were in the World Series and even though they lost we had a great time cheering them on! Maybe the third times a charm?!

I can't forget about Halloween - including Halloween parties, Halloweenie Roast in our cul-de-sac (hosted at our house), and trick-or-treating.

Brooks was Josh Hamilton for Halloween - jersey, beard, tattoos, wrist bands, bat and glove included. He was the cutest baseball player I've ever seen.

I would like to report that Laney was her happy little self on Halloween night, but that would be a lie. She was probably the grumpiest I've ever seen her. I tried to get a cute picture of her in her adorable unicorn costume but there was no chance of that happening. So, here's a picture of real life instead.

Brooks scored lots of great candy. This is how he celebrated when he got home - he sorted it all and organized it nicely in the garage!

My 1 year old

2011-11-08T22:00:00.004-06:00

It's still hard for me when people ask how old my baby is. I always think in that split second, "Is she really, one?! YEP!"Here's Delaney at 1 years old - 19lbs 13 oz(25%) and 31 1/2 inches long (97%):

Look at the pictures above compared to my little baby girl a month after she was born (still wearing preemie clothes):

Delaney enjoys standing (not walking) and talking on the phone. She did take her first steps a week after her birthday, but not much since then. She's VERY stubborn and likes to do things when they are her idea. She's really quite the diva. When she sees what I have on my plate during dinner she points and speak gibberish to tell me she wants what I have. I say no and she throws her head back, opens her mouth as wide as it will go, and wails! It's ridiculous. In case you're wondering - I don't give in. She's forced to eat her food first. Even Brooks has gotten good at saying, "Oh please, Laney."

My big girl also enjoys playing with baby dolls. This doll in particular came from her Auntie Pat. She loves hugging on her baby and putting her paci back in her mouth. I love having baby dolls around the house to balance out all the cars that we have.

Those baby blues are still melting my heart! I also LOVE that headband that she's wearing (she got it for her birthday). You can't see from the picture, but she has two big teeth on the bottom and is working on four teeth on top. They are popping through like crazy! Pretty soon she'll have a set of pearly whites to go with her smile.

Of course she still totally enjoys playing with her brother. She's also already gotten good at "tattling" on him. As soon as he takes a toy away from her she screams. I come running to save the day. I'm working on sitting back and letting them figure it out. Brooks is helping her learn to say new things since she still doesn't say much other than mama, dada, bye, yes, and woof. He labels everything for her, "SHOE, this is a SHOE, pumpkin. Say, SHOE." And of course he uses that adorable baby talk voice to help her understand. I love how much they love each other. I know this post is about Laney, but I have to say this one thing about how much Brooks loves his sister. This was his dinner prayer the other day: "God, thank you for the food, and that we went hunting with Daddy, and for watching a movie, and I love Delaney. Amen." They are seriously so sweet together.

I'm so glad that Delaney loves the outdoors as much as we do. She recently discovered how much she loves to swing and how much she loves to slide.

PRECIOUS! I just love her so much! Someone gave me this outfit when she was born and I've been waiting 12 months for her to wear it. Girl clothes are so stinking cute!

What a wonderful year it has been. Not a day goes by when I don't stop and think to myself how incredibly blessed I am.

T is for Tenley and Teagan

2011-11-04T21:28:00.000-05:00

One of the best parts about Laney's birthday was that our good friends from Colorado came to celebrate with us. My friend, Kristen, came out and brought 2 of her 3 precious girls: Tenley (3 1/2) and Teagan (8 months). It was so fun to have them here. I absolutely LOVE to hang out and be silly with Kristen, and because our children are so close in age it's great to see them get together and play. We had fun eating out together.

The kids had fun taking bathes together.

The kids snuggled in the pumpkin patch together.

The little girls got to know each while playing outside and playing in the tubberware together.

Brooks and Tenley hung out in the tent together.

Pops even had a good time hanging out with all the girls.

One day we'll get both the kids to smile for a picture.

Man, I miss this family!Thanks, Kristen for bringing your family down to Texas - I LOVE YOU HILL FAMILY!

The Birthday Cake

2011-11-04T20:36:00.003-05:00

Funny - I don't actually think that any of the cake got in her mouth. Also, lesson learned when picking out a first birthday cake: orange, brown and green were not a smart combination of icing choices...it looks like she has poo smeared all over her face.

Pumpkin Patch First Birthday

2011-10-26T21:38:00.000-05:00

Delaney's birthday was absolutely perfect! I had lots of ideas and high expectations - and it was everything that I hoped for. The weather even cooperated. Kristen (my friend from Colorado), and my mom and I stayed up well past our bed time on Friday night to make sure everything was set.The decorations were set all ready for our guests (in the garage). Kristen helped me make this adorable banner and Brooks added his special touch with the pumpkin on the wall. I also found a recipe for a pumpkin pie dip that's set down in the middle of apple slices and pretzels...yum!

I found this idea below on another blog and I just had to try it. Chad's job was to find the branches and they fit perfectly in the vase. I made the cones out of scrapbook paper and filled them with kettle corn. The branches are now in our house and might serve as a permanent decoration because I love them so much!

A delicious cheese ball shaped like a pumpkin? Doesn't get any better than that!

HEB had pumpkin cakes on display so I went ahead and got Delaney one for her party. For the guests I served cake pops, candy corn, and candy pumpkins.

I had mini pumpkins for party favors.

The Birthday Girl with some of her guests:Delaney and Birdie - all smiles!

Gammy and Pops came in for the weekend.

Birdie, Delaney, Scoops and Brooks hanging out.

Suzanne and Laneybug - Suzanne takes care of Laney everyday. She was also the one who made Laney's shirt and bow - she's the best!

We had the party in the front yard and it was perfect! All the kids just played on the playscape and the adults just sat around and mingled and drank beer on a beautiful Saturday. It really was perfect (have I said that already)!

It's Party Time!

2011-10-22T21:49:00.001-05:00

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Today was Delaney's party - It was an absolutely perfect day in every possible way. Here are just a few pictures of our Little Pumpkin!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

2011-10-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

One year ago you came into this world - so tiny, so fragile, and so perfect! I love you, Delaney Ann!

I can't believe how much you've grown!

I am a Rangers fan...

2011-10-16T13:35:00.000-05:00

Fact #1: I grew up in Arlington - home of the Texas Rangers.Fact #2: I remember going to games at the old stadium.Fact #3: I collected baseball cards as a little girl. My mom just cleaned out my closet and brought them to me. I kept them all in a Rangers notebook. The notebook is also filled with Rangers autographs.Fact #4: I used to celebrate my birthday by staying at the hotel by the ballpark and then going to the games...a Carlson and Smith family tradition. Such great memories!Fact #5: The highlight of my 5th grade year was being on a plane with "Pudge" Rodriguez and Julio Franco as we all traveled out to San Diego. The All-Star was in San Diego that year and the players were traveling to play in the game. Fact #6: I was #7 in softball because Pudge was #7. I was also a catcher - just like Pudge.Fact #7: Brooks was named after a baseball player. Okay, that doesn't really justify me being a Rangers fan - but it is a reminder that I'm a baseball fan in general.Fact #8: I delayed the birth of my daughter to watch the last out of the ALCS in 2010. That's right - after being in the hospital for 5 days, the doctor came in and told me that my blood pressure was too high and that they were going to have to do an emergency c-section to take the baby (remember my preeclampsia and the only cure is birth?). I told her she would have to wait. There was only one more out in Game 6 versus the Yankees. I wanted to see to Rangers win their first franchise pennant. So, the doctor sat on the edge of my bed as we watched the last out together, and then Delaney was born about an hour later.I've got to find some World Series tickets!

All giggles

2011-10-07T22:28:00.001-05:00

Delaney loves to dance. She's constantly going over to Elmo to listen to his songs and dance along. This afternoon the kids were dancing and singing together and Brooks was being totally silly. Delaney just LOVED it and was laughing out of control. I grabbed my camera to capture all the giggles. Nobody can make Delaney laugh like Brooks.

Big like Brother

2011-10-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

Birdie got Laney her own chair so she can be big like her brother. It's meant to be a birthday present but there was no way I could wait 2 more weeks to open that big Pottery Barn box. She loves crawling all over Brooks' chair and sitting in it to watch cartoons in the morning, so it's no surprise that she loves her new chair.

It's even a good spot to snuggle with blankie before bed.

Just for Fun

2011-10-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

I never get tired of taking pictures of my kids!

Boys Day Out

2011-10-01T15:32:00.000-05:00

Well, while Brooks has been "sick" with hand, foot, and mouth disease (which he caught from his sister), he's been staying home with his Daddy. Brooks only felt sick when he broke out with his fever before the bumps appeared. And he did have one rough night of sleep because the bumps on his feet were bothering him. But, he's pretty much been totally fine this week. With this virus, the bumps have to be peeling before you're considered not to be contagious anymore, so Brooks wasn't able to go to school at all. Luckily Chad has a flexible schedule and he can do most of his work from home. Brooks spent most of the week watching movies, playing with blocks, drawing, and playing with play dough. On Thursday, Chad took him out to Lake Georgetown to fish and swim around. Chad said that Brooks had the best time! He fished, threw rocks for Kansas, climbed some boulders, and even went swimming in the lake. Man - I wish I could have a "sick day" like that!

11 Months Old

2011-09-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

1 month. I only have 1 more month before my baby girl turns ONE! This cannot be happening. How can it be that my little 4 pound baby girl is now 19 pounds and 1 month away from her first birthday? Besides getting bigger, nothing changed much from the previous month. I keep trying to teach her how to clap, say some words, or use some sign language, but she's not really interested in any of those things. She's definitely interested in her brother and she enjoys following him all around the house. She's also attempting to stand by herself (I guess that's something new). Every once in a while she'll let go of whatever she's holding onto. I think she's topped out at 5 seconds with no support. She still loves "walking" behind her push toy or while holding onto Daddy's fingers, but she doesn't seem any closer to actually walking. She did learn how to do this cute thing in the bath where she dunks her face in and then pops up and starts cracking up. That keeps her entertained until she swallows water and starts crying. Her other favorite thing to do is drop things on the ground when she's sitting at the table. She'll do it on purpose and then look at me...look back down and the object (usually her sippy cup) and say, "Uh!" Little stinker thinks it's funny, but after the fourth time or so I decide that it's not funny and I don't pick it up anymore. That usually makes her kind of mad. She still shows her girly/dainty side on a regular basis by throwing her bottom lip out when someone dares to tell her "no" or when dinner isn't served fast enough. She may be girl/dainty but when it comes to eating she keeps up with the big boys and throws down everything we put in front of her. The girl sure can eat! She's such an absolute sweetheart and I just can't get enough of her and her cuddles. The only bummer thing about this month has been Laney's health. She's been sick with a cold for a few weeks now. I finally took her in and they said it was a sinus infection and put her on the pink stuff. After a week she was still sick and grumpy and broke out with a fever so we took her back in. The doctor said things looked good, but her one ear was showing the beginning stages of an ear infection. She changed the medicine from pink to white. The next day Laney had a few bumps on her legs...then around her mouth...then on her hands and feet. So currently the poor little girl is suffering from Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Luckily it seems to be a mild case. The roughest part is trying to keep her somewhat contained and reminding Brooks every 5 seconds not to touch her. You can see some of the bumps around her mouth in the pictures below. Hopefully she'll be better next week and all this sickness will be behind her so she'll be ready to celebrate next month. Let the countdown begin!

Just a peek

2011-09-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

Here's Laney is her precious new (bought at the resale shop) outfit posing for her birthday invitations. We took 81 pictures and here are just a couple. The "best of the best" I saved for the invitation itself. This is just a peek...

Through the lens of Daddy

2011-09-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

On Fridays Chad keeps Laney home with him. He calls it "Daddy/Daughter Day". These are some of the pictures from their latest "Daddy/Daughter Day". Yes, even the one of Chad and Laney is one that he took himself. Too cute!

Laney loves to play on Brooks' blue chair. She climbs up it, she watches cartoons in it, and she falls off of it. I think it's time for Laney to get her own chair.

Brooks and Delaney love...

2011-08-30T16:02:00.002-05:00

...crawling in the tunnel together.

...going to baseball games together.

...playing at the splash park together.

...taking baths together.

...reading books together.

...and posing for pictures together.

These kids just love to be together...and it makes me so happy.

Poolside

2011-08-28T16:52:00.001-05:00

Brooks has done a great job swimming this summer. He's kicking his feet, using his arms, and taking a breath.
Here's our little fish in action.

I love that we have a pool in our neighborhood. There are some afternoons that we'll just head up there for an hour before dinner. Even with me going back to work we have time to go up to the pool.

My 10 month old...what?!

2011-08-22T15:48:00.000-05:00

Has time really just flown by so fast that my baby girl is already 10 months old?

Likes: Any food she can pick up with her fingers and lots of it, her paci and blankie, crawling, bath time, her brother, putting things in her mouth, walking with her push toy, throwing all her blankies out of her crib, drinking from mommy's water bottle, dancing, eating, her silly daddy, having mommy pick her up after school, airplane with daddy, standing up, reading with Brooks, eating, crawling in the tunnel, babbling and sleeping

Dislikes: Getting out of the bath, the word "no", spaghetti sauce, getting dressed, getting her diaper changed, teething (I think that goes for all of us), falling down, getting stuck under the kitchen table, Brooks' bear hugs, not getting attention, and running out of food

Some new things: The other day Laney was laying on the floor with Chad and she said "dada". It was her first real meaningful word. I thought Chad was going to cry.

Just some pictures of my sweet Laneybug from this past month...

Things to do when it's HOT outside:

2011-08-11T21:00:00.007-05:00

#1. Make some Watermelon Granita. It is seriously delicious and so refreshing on a hot day.

Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
4 cups (1 3/4 pounds) cubed seedless watermelon (from a 4-lb. melon)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Preparation
Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a 9x9x2" metal baking pan. Freeze mixture for 1 hour. Stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork. Cover and freeze mixture until firm, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape granita vigorously to form icy flakes. If you want it can be made 3 days ahead just cover it tightly with foil and keep frozen. Give it a quick scrape before serving.

#2. Spend some time reading books.

#3. Go to the pool as much as possible. We probably go to the pool 3-5 times a week. I'm so thankful that we have a community pool! My Dad visited recently and we went to the pool with the kids. My dad was a great swimmer/diver growing up so he was so happy to see Brooks in the water and swimming so well.

#4. Visit your local waterpark. We went to Volente Beach here on Lake Travis with Team Hancock. Brooks LOVED going down the big slides. The tunnel slide was his favorite. I think he just really enjoyed being able to do the things that Bryan and Dawson and Megan were doing. Here's Brooks and Dawson in the pool after coming down the slides (the water isn't dirty, it's just lake water):

Laney was such a trooper. Well, actually, she was a little grumpy due to a cold and some teething pain plus she was going with no nap (it was kind of hard for her to nap when it was 105 degrees outside). But, she had her happy moments being passed around. She especially enjoyed her time with her Daddy:

The kids were wiped at the end of the day:

#5. Explore a museum. My mom was in town and we left Laney behind and took B to the Children's Museum in downtown Austin. He had a great time going from room to room getting his hands on all kinds of fun things.
Serving Gammy some food:

Brooks and Gammy pulled on the rope to launch a pig on a parachute:

Learning letters with Mommy:

He even made a rocket out of all kinds of scraps:

#6. Play ball inside. I hate that it's too hot to go to the park, but Laney and Daddy pitch the ball to Brooks in the living room instead (it's become a nightly event). Everyone was quite entertained.

#7. Clothing is optional. If you haven't figured that out by all our summer pictures then you haven't been paying attention. Brooks is usually running around the house in his underwear and Laney is crawling behind him in her diaper. It's too hot for real clothes.

Mini-Vacy Part 2

2011-08-10T20:50:00.004-05:00

After our Team Hoffman trip to San Antonio we met up with the rest of the family at The La Cantera Resort. That meant lots of cousin time and lots of swimming for Brooks. It's always so great getting together with all the family: That's Birdie and Scoops + the six adults + twin boys + two five-year olds, one three-year old and the peanut = 14 Happy Campers.
This is what we looked like waiting in the hallway for our room keys:

Brooks and Laney spent some time before the pool wrestling around on the bed:

And after my kids napped they got to join the crew down by the pool:

The hotel had a huge fire pit and provided all the goodies for the kids to make s'mores (which Brooks thought was totally cool, but unfortunately I forgot my camera to capture that memory). There was also a huge movie screen outside once it got dark and the kids stayed up late a bit to watch "Gnomeo and Juliet". The next day was spent entirely at the pool. Birdie and Scoops made sure to get a picture with all the grandkids before getting in the water:

Then...it was pool time:

Brooks has spent a lot of time this summer swimming and he's gotten so good. He swims totally by himself: kicking his feet, using his arms, taking a breath when he needs it, and treading water. I'm so proud of him.
Here's the little fish in action:

As if swimming, s'mores, and movies weren't enough, the hotel also had a tennis court full of inflatables. Brooks and Brodie played over there a bit, too:

It was a totally fun weekend with the family and a great way to wrap up our summer fun because school is starting soon:(

Team Hoffman on a Mini-Vacay

2011-08-02T21:36:00.005-05:00

Well, with all the running around and visiting friends/family that we've done this summer, we thought it would be a good idea to have a little getaway...just the four of us. It was Chad's idea - and it was a great idea! We had such a wonderful time just hanging out and exploring some of San Antonio. It makes me so happy thinking and dreaming about all our future family vacations: All the places we will see, activities we'll do together, all the junk food we'll eat, and all the nights in hotel rooms, etc. We got up Friday morning and drove down to San Antonio and headed to The Children's Museum.
His favorite part was flying the plane.

We were his passengers.

Brooks and Daddy acted as paleontologist.

Laney had a great time just watching...

...and she also got to play a little in the "toddler" room.

Laneybug just practicing her ballet skills.

And even at the museum, Laney could not escape her brother's love.

After the museum we checked into out hotel. We stayed at Embassy Suites because it is essential to us when traveling with the kids that we have two separate areas so when the kids are sleeping we can still hang out. Essential. The kids napped and we just relaxed. When the kids woke up all refreshed we headed down to the River Walk to sweat off a couple of pounds.

(I'm really bummed that Brooks smiles like he's in pain. We're working on it.)

Our hotel had a free happy hour with all kinds of yummy snacks so we just pigged out there and then got ready for the pool.
Brooks and Laney - together as usual.

Laney is always happy in the water.

And after a long, exhausting day there's nothing better than snuggling in a king-sized hotel bed.

Bend it Like Beckham

2011-07-31T22:14:00.004-05:00

Brooks is having a blast playing all sorts of sports with his Daddy. But lately it's been too hot to play outside, so we've been creative inside the house. The other day Chad and Brooks spent about an hour playing soccer. Chad would roll the ball to Brooks and he would kick it back. Literally...an hour.

We would "label" Brooks' kicks: AWESOME or LAME. So, eventually he caught on and whenever he missed or didn't kick it hard enough he would say, "Oh, that was lame."
LAME:

AWESOME:

I think Brooks pretty much has the same form as Beckham, right?!

Check out his intense face with every kick!

And then Chad started making all kinds of funny noises and yelling, "STRIKE" in his loudest umpire voice. Brooks thought it was hilarious and spent a good amount of time cracking up.

Laney just spent the hour crawling around the intense soccer game. She had a good time too.

I love that we can have so much fun without even leaving our house.
I love my family:)

9 Months Old

2011-07-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

My 9 month old baby girl would not sit still in the chair for a picture. Instead she thought it would be a good idea to wiggle around, eat her toes, and climb on the chair. I tried.

At the doctor's office...

...and the results are in...
Height:29 inches, 90%
Weight:16lbs 9oz, 10%
The funny thing about these stats are that they are identical to Brooks'. At 9 months Brooks was 16lbs 7oz and 29 inches. Laney still looks so petite because she's so long and skinny, but really she's a pretty big girl. When they compare her stats on the "growth curve" she's being compared to full-term babies. The doctor said that if we adjusted that according to her actual due date she would be off the charts for her height and 25% for her weight. Point being said, she's growing and developing unlike a preemie. Awesome.

Current Menu: Laney is currently enjoying broccoli bites, bread, Cheerios (a staple in her menu really), peas, any sort of fresh fruit pieces, applesauce, yogurt, black beans, and we're trying to give her other little pieces of food. She's eating a pretty equal mix of pureed food and small pieces that she feeds herself. She's doing really great picking up her food, so hopefully she'll start to eat more by herself because I"m not that big on feeding her all the pureed food.

Daily Summer Schedule: Laney is up between 7:00-8:00, but she usually finds her paci and calms down enough so that I wait and go in around 8:00, or sometimes later if I fall back asleep. She nurses and then plays with Brooks while I make them breakfast. Then she's down again, sleeping from 10:00-11:30 or 12:00. She nurses again and then eats lunch and plays with Brooks. Both kids are down around 2:00 and Laney sleeps for another 1.5-2 hours. She nurses again and then it's play time until bedtime. She gets a bottle around 6:00 or 6:30 followed by dinner, playtime, bath, and bed.

Her Personality: She is a ham. She dances all the time when there's music playing. She does the little head shake move, but she has also started rocking her body back and forth when she's crawling to show her moves. She smiles at everyone and is happy 90% of the time. She is happiest with her family, especially Brooks. They play together most of the day. I think Brooks will be sad when they go back to school and Laney goes to her own school. She can really stick out her bottom lip. When I tell her no or when a "toy" that's not really a toy is taken away she spends the next 5-10 seconds contorting her face and really showing off her pouty face. It makes me laugh every time.

Something New:
Two teeth. I told you those would come in this month. They are so adorable. She bit me once while nursing. I flicked her lightly on the forehead. She cried and it never happened again. I tried to get an adorable picture of her new teeth and I got this picture instead...

The girl pulls up on everything. The only problem is she doesn't always know how to get down. The other day she started crying and I looked to see what was wrong and this is what I saw...

Like a good mom, I took a picture first and then rescued her. Moments later I looked up and saw her climbing on Brooks' chair. So again, I took a picture. Brooks thought he needed to be in the picture, too.

*I realize this makes me look like a bad mom because I'm never "watching" my children. These instances happened when I was cooking. I swear I keep an eye on my kids...most of the time.

Time with Brooks:
Laney and Brooks love to cuddle before bed time. It's so sweet.

They love to play together. I keep telling Brooks to go play with his toys and he always says, "No mom. I just want to play with Laney." Recently they have been playing in the tent a lot. Look closely at the picture and you can see Laney with a big smile on her face. They love each other so much!

Laney gets one bottle for dinner, and Brooks is good at helping.

Time with Mommy:
Laney and I have a special bond (obviously), mainly because we've always spent that intimate time together while she nurses. Going back to work makes me so sad because we're going to lose that. At night is my favorite because she falls asleep in my arms afterwards and we just cuddle for a few minutes. I know that isn't going to last forever so I'm really taking the time to enjoy that for now. I don't know if Laney is really saying "mama" for sure, but when she's looking for me she crawls around saying, "mamamama" until she reaches me and starts climbing up my legs to get my attention or until I pick her up and comfort her. That counts, right?

Time with Daddy:
This time usually involves lots of laughing. Daddy can always make Laney laugh with lots of rough kisses from his beard.

So Many Changes

2011-07-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

She can crawl...all around the house and get into everything! This video was right when she first started. She's actually gotten a lot faster.

She can dance. She was pushing these buttons earlier in the week and I started shaking my head and moving my hips and I said, "Laney, can you dance?" I was honestly just playing around but then she copied me. Of course I flipped out and clapped for joy like any mother! So now whenever she hears music she shakes her head and "dances" along. Too cute.

She can get into trouble. Like I said, she can crawl everywhere and get into everything (especially things she's not supposed to play with).

She can stand up. She now loves to pull herself up on everything. The only problem is she doesn't know how to get down. Sometimes Brooks knocks her over, only because he tries to hug her and doesn't realize how unstable she is. Sometimes she just falls over and cries. But most of the time she'll just cry when she has had enough standing time and wait for someone to come and rescue her.

She can eat. This girl can throw back tons of food. She's still breastfed and thriving (which just warms my soul), and she's a champ at eating baby food, but now she's trying to feed herself and she just LOVES it. She eats banana, zucchini, peas, and graham crackers. In this picture she's eating banana pancakes that I found on my favorite baby food website. I need to start making her some more treats to eat with her little fingers because she just thinks it's the coolest thing to do. She does finally have one tooth down there and the second one is on its way, but mainly she just gums the food and swallows. Yummy!

30 years have gone by

2011-07-07T22:21:00.000-05:00

That's right...I reached the big 3-0! Chad and I celebrated by taking a little mini vaca all the way to downtown Austin! Actually, it was a combination Birthday/Anniversary celebration...but mainly just birthday. Chad planned everything and it was just perfect. We checked into The Driskell on Sixth Street. It's the oldest hotel in Austin. It's an absolutely beautiful hotel!

After we checked in we walked through downtown to grab some lunch on our way to Lady Bird Lake to do some stand-up paddle boarding. It was so much fun and I totally recommend it to anyone visiting downtown Austin. After our adventure on the lake we went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. Turns out that The Driskell has one of the best restaurants in downtown, so we just stayed there and ate a super fancy meal.

Here is a picture of our desserts. Chad's dessert is the one on the left. In "fancy words" the description was something like milkshake and candy bar...and this is what it really was. It took him one sip and one bite to finish it all up.

After dinner we went to Congress Bridge and watched the bats. There were thousands of them!

I was really excited!

We got back to our hotel room and Chad had ordered a turn down service.
This is what it looks like at The Driskell Hotel. So sweet!

The next day we slept in...ahhh. I think it was 10:00 when we finally got out of bed. It was glorious! We left shortly after and met up with my parents and the kids at Z-Tejas.

It was a perfect birthday!

The Fourth

2011-07-05T21:50:00.000-05:00

These are the matching outfits that I bought for the kids last year before The Peanut was even born. I tried really hard to get a good picture of the two them, but this was the best I could do.

We went to Georgetown for their Fourth of July Festival. It was so ridiculously hot, but it was still great. Brooks' favorite part was the petting zoo.

This sheep just popped his head over the fence to eat some of our food. Gammy and Brooks thought it was pretty funny...just check out their faces!

This petting zoo was so cool because they had so many baby animals that they let you pick up. I loved this little goat!

It's really hard to get a good picture with our family. This is as good as it gets.

Brooks and Daddy leaving the festival. We finally had enough of the heat.

Just Because...

2011-07-05T14:44:00.000-05:00

...those big blue eyes just melt my heart.

Beach Beauty

2011-07-01T22:27:00.008-05:00

The Peanut had a great time at the beach...her first time in fact. I was so anxious to put her on the sand and see her reaction. I like to think that I know exactly what she was thinking of her first beach experience:
"This is so much fun, Mom!"

"What's this yummy stuff?!"

"Hey Daddy!"

"Hey...I like eating that!"

"See, Daddy...this sand is so yummy!"

"Eating sand was NOT a good idea!"

"Mom to the rescue!"

"Playing in the water with Birdie is so much fun!"

"1...2...3...JUMP!"

"Don't you just love my new flip-flops?!"

"Thanks for the fun day, Mom."

P.S. I just to assure everyone that we didn't just sit back and watch Laney eat all that sand but that we constantly tried to stop her - she just kept shoveling it in her mouth. I am also happy to report the nice "sparkly" diaper that followed.

Let the Party Begin!

2011-06-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

After a fun day at the beach and a nice long nap...it was time for the real party to begin. Chad thought it would be fun to go eat at this pizza place he remembered from his childhood called "Pan-Joe's Pizza". Brooks got to watch the guys make the pizza and then he gobbled it all up in between Scoops and Daddy. Yummy!

Laneybug hung out with Birdie...maybe next year she can have a piece of pizza, too! But for now, the mushy carrots and sippy cup will have to do.

Remember when we were kids and our mom would buy the cake mold and actually make a birthday cake? I can remember all my birthdays based on the cakes that I had. This...is one of those cakes. Birdie found a car cake mold and spent hours (literally) decorating it to look like Lightning McQueen. She used the star tip to decorate the car with all that frosting. It was so amazing and Brooks just loved it! It was such a classic cake!

I think Brooks' favorite part was having us all sing him "Happy Birthday." Yeah, Brooks!

After we sang "Happy Birthday" we let our food settle and opened some presents. Mostly "Cars" stuff of course. He just loved it all!

And...it wouldn't be a birthday if you didn't get to eat the cake. Not only was it adorable, it was also delicious. Brooks wanted to eat the tire.
I'm 110% sure that he loved it!

Beach Birthday

2011-06-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

Instead of having a big, over-the-top birthday party for Brooks, we decided to just take him to the beach (that way we can save money for Laney's first birthday party...hee, hee.) He had a GREAT time!
Brooks headed down to the water with Chad...he could hardly wait.

Birdie had a great time playing with the kids in the sand and in the water.

Team Hoff on the beach!

Chad buried Brooks and he thought it was hilarious.

Mom and Dad with the birthday boy.

My Boy

2011-06-23T08:04:00.010-05:00

Dear Brooks,

Three years ago I was sitting in a hospital bed (after a long 4 week stay)and I fell completely in love with a sweet baby boy - you. Every since that day you've been my little buddy. We've traveled together, hiked together, laughed together, cried together, and so much more. This past year has been such a great year watching you grow up into a big boy and a big brother. There is so much that I love about you that I don't want to forget:

You always want a kiss good-night. You enjoy watching movies and like to quote things from the movies you love (Bambi, Nemo, Cars, Toy Story 3). You like to eat. When we make brownies or cake you like to lick the bowl just as much as I do. You love your sister and I know that you will always be there to protect her. You are a good swimmer. At night time, before bed, you run around like a crazy man (clothes are optional). I love your grumpy face. You never want to look at the camera when I take your picture. Your a nurturing little boy - you're always finding baby dolls or stuffed animals to take care of. You have a "pet" turtle that you named Raisin and a baby doll named Leisey. You like to play outside. You have a short attention span when it comes to organized activities. You are stubborn and strong-willed. Wrestling with Daddy is one of your favorite nightly activities. Kansas is your buddy. You can throw tantrums like no other (high-pitched screaming is usually involved). You like to sing. You prefer milk over water, unless you get to drink out of Mommy's water cup. You sleep like a champ with your two blankies and Roxy doggie by your side. You talk in bed before you fall asleep. You like to watch sports and route for The Rangers. You are a happy camper 95% of the time. You are a good traveler on a plane or in the car - I never even get out the DVD player. You love your family. You give random hugs that I just LOVE. You only have one volume when you speak, and its loud. When you introduce yourself to people you say, "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Brooksy Hoffman." When you toot you almost always say "Excuse me". You run fast like Lightning McQueen (not really, but you try). You like to touch my face sweetly when I tuck you in to bed. You know how to get your "HORNS UP" like a true Longhorn fan. You pray sweetly every night and you always remember to pray for "Mommy, and Daddy, and Laney and Kansas."

You are such a sweet boy and you make me smile every day. I asked you the other night if you would stay my sweet little boy forever and you said yes. I'm not going to let you forget that. Brooks, I love you more than ice cream and pizza and baseball and swimming.

Love,
Mommy

8 Months Old

2011-06-22T15:21:00.010-05:00

There were no doctors appointments this month, so we'll have to wait until next month to get some stats on the little peanut. I'm thinking she weighs about 15 lbs, she's wearing 3-6 month clothes and sometimes 6 month Carters clothes and under all that she's wearing size 2 diapers. But, there is such much more to report than just stats. My little girl is growing so fast (like most babies) and I'm trying to treasure every minute of all her little "firsts". I feel like she is doing so much these days that I can hardly keep up.

Favorite Foods: carrots, green beans, peaches, peas, applesauce, zucchini, bananas, pumpkin, wagon wheels, and those baby puff things. Here's a picture of some of my homemade baby food that I've been working on:
Not-so-Favorite Foods: sweet potatoes and mangoes (she'll eat mangoes if I add them to other foods but she's not a fan of them by themselves - me neither)

A couple of "Firsts":
* Taking a bath in the big tub. It's so nice being able to put both kids in the bath together. They both love bath time.

* Eating with her fingers. She's not the expert that Brooks was, but she likes to try. Brooks was full on finger foods by the time he was 9 months old. Laney, however, enjoys the full-fist approach to shoving things into her mouth. It's not as effective as the finger pincher method that her brother did. But like I said, she enjoys trying. She is getting better at picking up those baby puff things and she is really good at chomping on those wagon wheels. She has also found a love for watermelon. That's a fun teething toy for Laney.

* First plane ride. It's wasn't all that bad traveling with both kids by myself. (I'll blog about that later.)

* Drinking from a sippy cup. She enjoys the nubby sippy cups, which is the complete opposite of Brooks since all he drank out of were the hard-tipped sippy cups. Anyone want some hard-tipped sippy cups because I have tons!

* Sitting up like a pro. She can sit up as long as she wants before she goes to a crawling position. And when she gets tired crawling she can prop herself back into a sitting position.
* Crawling. She's been army crawling for about a month, but she just recently started crawling on her hands and knees more consistently. She still gets tired and then reverts back to the army crawl. Brooks likes to have her follow him around the living room like a puppy dog.

* Speaking of crawling and puppy dogs, that leads me to how Laney has been crawling into trouble lately. She crawls straight for the dog bowl. There have been two times that I was too late and there was water all over the floor. One time I caught her playing with the dog food right before she put a piece in her mouth. Gross.
* Waving. We've been practicing all month. She doesn't always get her little fingers going, sometimes she just waves her arms like crazy instead. It's adorable.
* Teeth?! I think they are down there based on her grumpy attitude and the fact that she's chomping down on EVERYTHING. Maybe next month.

A couple of things I want to remember about this age:
* She enjoys chewing on her toes.
* She's a shoes and feet kind of gal. She is completely drawn to both of these things.
* Anything that is not supposed to be a toy (plugs, wire, dog bowl, dog food, shoes, magazines) is her favorite thing to play with...always...wherever we are.
* She doesn't really laugh a lot. She smiles ALL the time, but she's not a giggly girl.
* The only real person that can always make her laugh is her brother.
* Delaney completely adores Brooks and Brooks completely adores Delaney. I hope this love/friendship/bond between them never ends.
* When she crawls, she digs her toes into the carpet.
* She is a drama queen. She has learned how to throw herself a little fit when she doesn't get her way. Great.
* She is a mommy's girl. She cries when I leave the room, which is both annoying and sweet.
* She's good at going with the flow. She naps on the go if she has to and is pretty chill most of the time.
* She knows when it's nap time. When I give her her paci and her blankies she just slams her head into my chest and falls asleep before I get to the second verse of her song.
* She sleeps on her tummy with her bum in the air (still). And like I said before, it's the cutest thing in the world.
* She's a talker...and a very loud talker. She's starting to put new sounds together like dadadadadad and mamamamama and bababababa and ahahablaflahge. I love the sound of her voice.

Laneybug -

Gardening...well, kind of.

2011-06-20T14:54:00.004-05:00

My mom came down back in April and helped us plant an adorable little garden. We used some old bricks to section it off in the back corner of our yard. We bought some lettuce seeds and spinach seeds along with a pepper plant, a cherry tomato plant, 3 large tomato plants, and a zucchini plant. I was so excited when the garden began to flourish immediately. Of course, that was back before the drought. My zucchini plant had tons of yellow flowers but now the plant looks like it's dead. I do have some lettuce growing and possibly some spinach. The problem with the spinach is that I'm not sure if it's spinach growing or just weeds. I guess I have to wait and see. (I keep watering it just in case.) The cherry tomato plant is doing the best. Brooks and I went out last week and picked a couple of tomatoes.
He loves looking at the garden and watching it grow. It's a fun project that we can do together and hopefully we'll get more vegetables despite the drought.

Brooks played a big part in getting the garden started back in April.

My little helper. Look at how much the garden has grown!

He was so excited to show off his tomatoes that he picked.

We used the tomatoes in our salad for lunch.

Lady in Red

2011-06-08T10:30:00.004-05:00

This red shirt is a hand-me-down from Laney's cousin Megan (who happens to be 5 now). I absolutely LOVE it. I think red could be her color.

I added some adorable ruffled jean shorts to the red shirt and we went out to eat with Birdie.

Getting Creative in the Kitchen

2011-06-06T13:33:00.007-05:00

It all started with the neighborhood block party. I wanted to make cupcakes, so I thought I would go all out and make these cupcakes...

I made red (kind of looks more pink than red, though) fondant icing. That alone made me feel like Buddy from "Cake Boss". I cut some stripes for the flag and I used a cookie cutter to cut some stars for the other cupcakes. I mainly did this because I was lazy and it was easier to cut out one star and drape it over then putting on the blueberries and stripes. I think they turned out pretty cute and very yummy. I saw lots of kids grabbing for my cupcakes so I think they were a hit.
Then, when I was looking for a yummy stuffed peppers recipe, I found this one...

...and I gave it a try...

Brooks' response was literally, "Ahhh...it's so cute!" He was very excited to eat it. I thought it was kind of a fun way to encourage Brooks to try some colorful peppers. He ate almost the whole thing!

I guess all this fun cooking inspired Brooks to be creative in the kitchen as well. He said he was making a house.

Now, there's nothing really "creative" about these next pictures, but I didn't want to leave Laney out. She tried some puffs the other day for the first time. She doesn't have the natural "pinchers" that Brooks had, but she enjoys trying to get these little puffs into her mouth.

Get ready for some serious cuteness!

2011-06-05T17:06:00.004-05:00

I told you...serious cuteness!

It's not always perfect

2011-06-04T15:49:00.004-05:00

I take TONS of pictures before I get one that I'm willing to post. Here are some of the picture that haven't made the blog for obvious reasons:
I'm worried that Laney is going to be the girl who closes her eyes in every picture.

Just trying to get a cute picture of the kids on Memorial Day.

Brooks is usually a very good picture taker, but not this time around.

My Blue-Eyed Girl

2011-05-31T20:46:00.003-05:00

The girls...

2011-05-30T21:41:00.003-05:00

...at the pool, just lounging in the shallow end.

...hanging out on the floor. Gosh, Laney - drool much?

...more interested in each other than taking a picture. At least they look cute in their matching outfits!

(Delaney at 7 months and Melody at 5 months)

It's a bird...It's a plane...It's...

2011-05-28T21:11:00.002-05:00

SUPER BROOKS!

Baby Pierce

2011-05-26T21:44:00.003-05:00

I was so glad to get the news, back on April 20th, that Cari was blessed with another healthy baby boy. Pierce Matthew Ferrell is absolutely precious and I was so sad that I had to wait so long to meet him. We were finally able to travel up to Arlington and Brooks and Laney and I spent as much time as we could with the little man. Brooks and Parker play so well together and I know that Pierce and Laney will have fun together someday, too.
Here are some pictures from our time at the Ferrell house:
"You back there, Parker!"

"Cheese!" (Okay, it's really hard to get a good picture with the boys.)

"Giddy-up!" (Apparently Parker thought he could ride Brooks like he rides his Daddy.)

7 Months Old

2011-05-22T20:51:00.005-05:00

Ms. Suzanne made Laneybug a new outfit. Yes, she MADE it...bow and all. I love how it brings out her gorgeous blue eyes.

Here are some highlights:
*Delaney is finally in size 2 diapers and wearing 6 month clothes.
*Although she's not "crawling", she's scooting around the room pretty well. She has started rocking back-n-forth and I give it another week before she is actually crawling.
*Her menu includes carrots, green beans, avocado, applesauce, pears, bananas, and peas. I'm not really in a hurry to introduce new foods, although I did try some butternut squash and peaches over the weekend. She's not really fond of the peaches. I think she likes veggies best.
*She enjoys sleeping on her tummy with her tiny bottom up in the air. I think it's absolutely adorable.
*No teeth yet but I think they are hiding right under the surface of her gums. She is chewing and drooling on everything...and I mean EVERYTHING (think about it...ouch!).
*She's practicing sitting up, but falls over after a minute or so. We'll have to practice that one some more.
*Big girl can hold her own bottle and is working on holding a sippy cup.
*Laney finally has enough hair to "pull it back" in a bow. I wouldn't want her long bangs to get in her eyes. We went to this market thing the other day and there was a booth selling bows to sucker moms like me. I bought Laney a 10 pack of these clip-in bows. I couldn't resist. I went ahead and put one in at the market. Her she is showing it off:

Does this count?

2011-05-18T21:07:00.004-05:00

She's not crawling on her hands and knees, but she's moving. Do I write this down in her baby book or do I wait for the hands and knees crawling to begin. Brooks never did the "army crawl" thing, so I feel a little lost on how to record this new accomplishment. Laney has been working real hard trying to catch her big brother, but so far the army crawl is the only thing she's been able to do.
Check out a snap shot of our lives:

The funniest part about this video is how Brooks acts when we're videoing Laney (one of the few times I see his jealousy towards his sister).
Here's a look in pictures of Laneybug trying to figure out how to crawl.
Up on all four...a good start!

Trying to figure out what to do next.

And...back on her tummy.

The Eyes of Texas

2011-05-10T21:25:00.003-05:00

Brooks is so in love with the Longhorns right now and I just love it. He's learning the "The Eyes of Texas" and "Texas Fight". I can hear him on his monitor at night: "Yea Orange! Yea White! Texas Fight Texas Fight!" Okay, so we doesn't know all the words just right, but he's trying. His favorite part of "The Eyes of Texas" is at the end when he gets his horns up to say: "...til Gabriel blows his horn!" So...it made for an exciting night when UT baseball had a game against OU (which happens to be where Mark went to school). We got all decked out in burnt orange and I was ashamed walking up next to my parents in all their OU gear. It was more enjoyable walking out of the stadium since UT stomped OU. Anyways, I'm gloating...back to my story:
We had a nice picnic before the game started. Laney enjoyed some time on the grass. I don't think she's really been in grass before.

We had great seats and lots of empty seats around us so Brooks could change his mind every 5 minutes with where he wanted to sit. Actually I'm exaggerating, he really enjoyed sitting and routing for The Horns (even though Gammy and Pops had on crimson instead of burnt orange).

Laney enjoyed her second Longhorn game. This time she sported a new Longhorn dress. It is one of three Longhorn dresses that she owns...I'm jealous. Isn't she the cutest little Longhorn you've ever seen?!

Brooks' favorite part of the game was seeing Bevo. He was beyond excited. He spotted him across the ballpark and we patiently waited for him to come over to our side. Bevo was very nice to stop and take a picture with Brooks. Chad was out of town and the first thing Brooks said in the car was, "Mom - remember when we saw Bevo? I can't wait to tell Daddy!"

I see all the families at the games and I can't wait to continue to take Brooks and Laney to PLENTY more UT baseball games. What a fun family tradition!
I'm so thankful that we live in Austin...Hook 'em Horns!

Corpus Christi = Fun Times

2011-05-01T22:50:00.004-05:00

We traveled down to Corpus to be with Birdie and Scoops for Easter. We had a great time hanging out, shopping, swimming, and going to the aquarium.

Brooks spent his time at the aquarium looking at all the fish, touching sting rays and sea anemones, and watching the dolphins.

Laney spent her time at the aquarium like this...

In fact, she was still asleep when we left which is why this picture is just us three.

Laney is showing off her new outfit that Birdie got her, and Brooks is showing off his excitement for being with his Birdie.

Brooks and Chad got to swim together. They put their toes in the pool and decided that the hot tub was a better place to swim. Brooks wasn't scared at all - he had a great time splashing around and jumping to his daddy.

Easter

2011-05-01T21:31:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures from our morning before church...

Brooks had a great time searching for eggs. He got so excited with each new egg he found.

This silly smile makes me laugh. I asked him to show me his eggs - and this is what I got. Please also notice the crazy morning hair.

Gosh - do you think our kids are loved? Here are the Easter baskets Brooks and Delaney got from Birdie and Scoops, Nana and Pappy, and Mimi.

Birdie got Brooks some Cascarones. We just had to convince Scoops to let us litter his front yard with confetti. This picture proves that it was worth it.

This was my favorite Easter basket!

6 months old

2011-04-23T18:20:00.001-05:00

I just ordered this tutu from Gymboree and I just love it! We had to show it off for her 6 month pictures.

Well, Laneybug has now reached that "half-a-year" mark and I can hardly believe it. It doesn't seem possible that this once 4 pound peanut is now rolling, smiling, laughing, eating, "talking", and doing lots of other "big girl" things. Here are the stats:
Weight: 13lbs 6oz (10%) It seems small, cause it is, but she is moving up the curve nicely so the doctor is happy.
Height: 26 1/2 inches (75%!!!) I add all the exclamation marks because you have to remember - she was 6 weeks early people! The percentiles listed can give you a pretty good idea that we've got a long and skinny baby on our hands. We joke that she's going to be taller than all of us.
Head: Really? I don't remember, but it was 45% so she must have an average size head.
Here are some pictures from the past month:
Laney with her Gammy

Laney LOVES her saucer thing - which is good since that's where she spends her time in the mornings while I try to leave for work on time and Chad tries to get out of bed to take over.

Laney at her first Longhorn football game.

She started eating some food this past month. I waited a while longer than I did with Brooks. She has been eating bananas, avocados, carrots, and sweet potatoes. She not in love with eating...it just reminds me why I waited so long to feed her in the first place. I'm not a fan of this stage considering that everything we put in her mouth just gets pushed back out with her tongue. She's learning.

Laney and Mely.

Brooks continues to impress me by being the best big brother ever. He's always reading to Laney, covering her with her blanket, giving her her paci, smothering her with kisses...well, you get the point. He's great.

Purplicious

2011-04-18T20:42:00.003-05:00

I just couldn't resist taking some pictures of my Laneybug dressed in her purple leggings and purple bow. Couldn't you just eat her up she's so darn cute?!

There's this cutsie boutique by our house and these leggings were the only thing I could afford. They are totally girly and don't really serve much of a purpose - but I just love 'em! And don't you just love the big purple bow - it's new. Ms. Suzanne (Laney's daycare lady) has been making all kinds of bows for Laney. She made this bow especially to match the leggings. I didn't even have to ask her! And that's just one of the reasons why I love Ms. Suzanne!
This next picture just makes me laugh. The little girl rolls all over the living room floor. I can't keep her on the blanket. She pretty much rolls until she runs into something. She started off in the middle of the blanket, and I'm pretty sure that after I took the picture she rolled straight into the couch. I think she's trying to figure out a way to catch up with her brother.

1 Peter 5:7

2011-04-13T21:10:00.001-05:00

I am so proud of Brooks for memorizing this verse.
1 Peter 5:7 "He cares for you."
He loves to say it over and over. The funniest part of this video is at the end. Whenever he's given a compliment he responds with "you're welcome" instead of "thank you." In this video he added a little sing-song (which he often does) at the end just to respond: "You're Wellllcooome!"

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-04-10T21:09:00.001-05:00

Who let the dogs out?

2011-03-31T21:04:00.003-05:00

Megan (our niece) had her 5th birthday party last weekend and it was an adorable dog themed party. Based on the weather that we've been having, Joy decided to have the party at the park. Of course, it hasn't rained in forEVER but it ended up raining for about 30 minutes of Megan's party. Joy had painted the kids' faces to look like little puppies - Brooks looked adorable with a circle around his eye, some spots on his cheek, and a tongue painted to look like it was hanging out of his mouth.
After the rain it looked like this:

It didn't matter to the kids...they still had a wonderful time.
Laney got passed around between family members, and had a great time watching her brother and her cousins play after the rain left.

Brooks and Brodie had a great time together. Silly Brodie (do you see Brooks behind Brodie's big smile?).

Happy Birthday, Megan!

Ft. Worth Zoo

2011-03-28T20:52:00.003-05:00

During Spring Break we spent a little bit of time in Arlington with Gammy and Pops. Pops insisted that we spend Saturday at the zoo. Luckily it was a beautiful day! We spent the morning walking around visiting with the lions, tigers, gorillas, elephants, and birds. Brooks even got some one-on-one time with Gammy and Pops while I sat and fed Laney. I only brought the single stroller so Brooks spent most of the "walking around time" like this:

Laney spent most of the time sleeping:

We had some fun watching the giraffes together:

And of course Gammy got a good fix of "Laney time" as well:

What a great end to our week off together.

5 Months and Counting

2011-03-22T16:56:00.006-05:00

Laney is 5 months old today. Well, technically when you consider her age based on her due date, she is only 3 1/2 months old. She has grown so much I can hardly stand it. This past week she has grown a ton developmentally. It was so nice being home with her over Spring Break to watch her grow from day to day.

First time in the saucer thing:

Here she is trying desperately to roll over. She finally mastered rolling over from her back to her tummy on Sunday, March 20th (for my records):

Just showing off her new bow and one of her famous "Laney" faces:

Laney is such a happy little girl. She sleeps well, eats well, and plays well. She is so content on her playmat, or in her swing, or just hanging out on the floor with her brother. She hardly fusses and is just an absolute joy. Plus - she is just so stinkin' cute! Brooks likes to say: "Look mom! Laney has pretty eyes like me!" He is right - both my kids have those beautiful blue eyes. I'm still wondering about Laney's hair color. Sometimes I look at it and see a hint of red. I'm looking forward to watching her grow even more this next month. She's drooling a lot and sucking on anything she can. Teeth? Maybe. For now she's just all smiles.
I love you Laney-bug!

There just aren't any words...

2011-03-17T14:28:00.003-05:00

Literally, I tried to think of a title for this post that would capture the moment, and I just couldn't do it. I'm always talking with my first graders about crafting their titles. You know, so not every title is: "The time I went to Sea World with my Family" or "I love my dog because he's so cute". Those are the kinds of titles I see from my kids if I don't teach them anything different. So, my point is, I was trying to think of a title other than: "Laney and I took a nap together" or "I love holding my little girl in my arms while she sleeps". There are seriously no words that can capture how wonderful it was to have Laney asleep on my chest the other day. Here's how the story goes...
Brooks was already down for his nap and Laney and I were just hanging out on the floor watching some Rachel Ray. I laid her down on my chest with her paci in her mouth and it wasn't 2 seconds later that she was asleep. I thought about it for a minute and decided I should probably put her in her crib so she could have a good nap and I could get things done around the house. Then I thought about Brooks and how quickly he has grown up. He doesn't cuddle me any more or fall asleep on my chest. So instead of putting Laney down in her crib, I slowly got up and carefully walked back to my bedroom. I didn't want to wake her so I was moving at about a snail's pace trying to lay in bed with her limp body on my chest. I laid down without waking her up. Now, that's just half the battle - the other half of the battle was trying to get comfy so that maybe I could nap, too. I adjusted the pillow a bit and covered us up with the blanket. We were so cozy in bed together. I just laid there for a while listening to her breathing. I thought about how blessed I am. Let's think back: It was 15 hours after birth before I even got to see my daughter, and still another 12 hours before I got to hold her. And even then I had to schedule a time that worked for the nurses to sit and hold her...and I could only hold her for an hour. And it was never peaceful. There were always nurses chatting, alarms going off on all the NICU babies (including our little peanut), not to mention all the wires in our way. These are the memories that were going through my head while I held Laney the other day.
I am so blessed and holy cow - I love this girl so much!
I did manage to close my eyes a bit even though my arm was completely numb. We ended up laying together for about 2 hours. I would sleep a little and wake up to her little noises, and then sleep some more.
It was the most perfect 2 hours of my day.

Texas Baseball

2011-03-13T21:40:00.003-05:00

Well, we took up half a row with all the family, and we had a blast watching UT play Brown. It was Brooks' and Delaney's first time to a UT baseball game. What fun! Brooks hung out with Birdie and his other cousins while watching the first few innings.

Laney slept.

And then she woke up to hang out with Aunt Jill.

Brodie, Megan and Brooks had fun making Delaney laugh in between innings.

Brooks and Scoops took turns making each other laugh, too.

Brooks discovered a new silly face.

Oh yeah...there was a baseball game to watch, too.

Laney watched a couple of innings from the comfort of Birdie's arms.

And what's a baseball game without crazy kids running up and down the stairs, playing in the rows of seats?!

And just for fun, here's a picture of us under the Brooks Kieschnick poster (one of the reasons we named our little boy Brooks).

All in a Day's Work

2011-03-05T17:19:00.003-06:00

Today started with a birthday party for one of Brooks' friends. It was from 10:30-12:30 at a Bouncy House. The party had Starbucks for adults, juice boxes for the kids, and breakfast tacos, fruit and cake for all. Doesn't get much better than that! I fed Laney at the party and then we enjoyed talking with friends and eating plenty of food. She feel asleep about 12:30, just as we were leaving. We got home a little after 1:00 and she stayed asleep in her carseat. I put Brooks down and Chad and I napped as well. I set my alarm for 3:30 to wake up and feed Laney again. I went in there about 3:45 and she was still out.
Isn't she precious?

I took her out of her carseat and discovered this...Disgusting.

What a good excuse to change her outfit, put a bow in her hair, and snap some adorable photos.

There she rolls!

2011-03-05T12:02:00.000-06:00

You'll have to excuse the fact that I say, "Roll over, Laney!" I was just trying to be the commentator, not trying to sound like a dog trainer. You'll also have to try and ignore Brooks in the background.

I know rolling over doesn't seem like a big deal...and maybe it's not. But I also know that this is my second/last child and I've decided to make a big deal out of everything. She's growing up so fast and before I know it - I'll have forgotten all of these small moments. So I'm going to try and do my best to capture as much as I can of this sweet little girl.

A Few Comparisons

2011-02-22T19:35:00.000-06:00

Laney is 4 months old today! What a wonderful little baby she is. She is having fun playing on her blanket and hanging out in her swing. I love the way she's interacting with us all, but especially Brooks. She smiles at him and "talks" to him. Brooks get excited too and will comment: "Look, Mom! Laney's talking to me!" And of course he's talking in the high pitch voice that we use to talk to her, which just makes it all even cuter! On top of being a great little sister, Laney continues to be a great sleeper. She takes two 2-2 1/2 hour naps a day and a cat nap in the late afternoon. After her bath in the evening, she goes down around 8:00 just to start over the following morning around 6:30 (7:00 on the weekends).

My little four-month old is growing!
Weight: 10 lbs 11 oz (3%)
Length: 24 1/2 inches (50%)
She's actually the same length as Brooks was but she's a pound lighter. Pretty amazing when you consider that she was 6 weeks early and she's being compared to full-term babies.

Brooks at 4 months old:

Laney got to ride in the Baby Bjorn the other day while I pushed Brooks in the stroller:

Brooks, dead to the world, in the Baby Bjorn after his first UT football game:

Laney with her new special blanket:

Brooks still sleeps with his blankie, which is not quite as soft as it used to be. Here is Brooks with his special blanket back in the day:

I know the outfit is a little "boyish" but I saved it from Brooks because I loved it so much. I added the bow on Laney to add a "girly" touch.
Laney at 4 months:

Brooks at 3 months:

Show me the Love!

2011-02-14T19:31:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hook 'em Horns

2011-02-14T19:27:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to document Laney's first Longhorn dress. She looks pretty darn cute in burnt orange if you ask me! The dress was given to her by her Birdie and we were planning on having her wear it for the Texas football bowl game. But...
#1: There was no Texas football bowl game.
#2: She was too stickin' tiny back then to wear it even if we wanted her to.

It should be perfect for March Madness!

Bow Head

2011-02-07T17:39:00.001-06:00

I used to think that big bows on little girls was ridiculous...until I had a little girl of my own. I can't get enough! In fact...I bought 2 new bows today! I need to get one of those bow hanger things to display all her adorable bows and headbands. I also go a little crazy with the camera every time I get a bow in her hair. This particular photo shoot started with new leggings and a jean skirt from Gammy. I happened to think that the enormous pink bow would just complete the outfit...and it did! She looked so adorable with that huge bow covering her head. So, I'm sorry to all those moms out there with little girls who wear big bows that I used to roll my eyes at. Because now I am a proud mother of a little girl who wears big bows...and I LOVE it! Go ahead and roll your eyes - I don't care.

Hardly a Snow Day

2011-02-05T13:21:00.004-06:00

Well...1 inch of snows falls down on the ground and the whole town shuts down. No school. No work. You can see from the pictures that the snow was already melting by about noon. It didn't really matter - Brooks still had a great time playing with Gammy and Pops. Laney even came out a bit to see what all the fuss was about. But she's a "princess" and didn't last very long outside in the cold. Seeing the little bit of snow we got sure did make me miss Colorado. It's funny how an inch of snow will shut everything down around here, but it takes over 20 inches to shut down schools in Colorado (see picture below).

Colorado Snow:

The bottom line: Snow is snow and it's all fun no matter the amount.

sweet pics

2011-02-03T21:44:00.003-06:00

The other night Brooks was being especially sweet to Laney. The two of them were so happy on the ground talking and reading together. Brooks read "Lion King" and "There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Pie". He would flip to every page and say, "I don't know he swallowed a pie. A pumpkin pie. Oh my gosh!" He's tried so hard to remember the words and think about the story. He always has been so fascinated by books! I just love that instead of "Perhaps she'll die" he'd say "A pumpkin pie!"

The Hoffman Clan

2011-02-03T21:31:00.004-06:00

Daddy and his little girl.

Bath time in Aunt Joy's sink.

I had a hard time waking Laney up to eat...she was so cozy.

Brooks and I love hanging out on the weekends while everyone else is sleeping.

I got Brooks to "model" for me a bit...gosh, I love that smile!

Growing Up Together

2011-01-29T08:04:00.005-06:00

These girls are growing up so fast! What a fun night we had at the McDaniel's house the other night.

Potty Training: Day Three

2011-01-24T19:22:00.002-06:00

Another great day! Brooks went to school today, so I really can't take credit for today. His teacher insists on him wearing a diaper (so teetee doesn't get all over her carpet, I get it). But she made him a potty chart with stickers and took him to the potty every 20 minutes. She said he did great - only one accident in between nap and outside play time. He's really doing well. I'm looking forward to a future filled with no more size 6 diapers. Of course, it'll be a while before we are officially done with buying diapers...Laney is just now getting into size 1.

3 Months Old

2011-01-23T21:50:00.002-06:00

Weight: On Monday she went in and she was 9 lbs 11 oz. So based on her weight gain patterns, I'm predicting she's a solid 10 pounder at 3 months old! She's gained 6 lbs in 3 months!
Favorite Things: Sleeping, sticking her tongue out, laying on her playmat, being held, and playing with her hands
Schedule:
We start our day at 6:30 am and then back down for a nap around 8:15.
At 10:30 she's up again to eat and them play until 12:30 when she goes back down for a nap.
Around 2:30 she's up again to eat and play. I pick her up from daycare at 4:30 and then bring her home for another nap.
She doesn't nap so well in the afternoon, so sometimes she'll wake up around 5:30-6:00. I'll feed her again around 6:00. She stays up and plays for a while before her bath around 7:45. Then she eats one more time and is in bed around 8:30. She's on a good schedule that seems to be working well.

"I'm a big kid now!"

2011-01-23T21:23:00.003-06:00

Potty Training
Brooks has been showing some signs that he's ready for potty training, so we just decided to take a weekend and get it done. Sigh.

Day One:
Brooks woke up and we tried to go potty on the big boy potty (no luck). And then we put some Thomas the Train underwear on. He loves to wear underwear so he was super excited. I set the timer for 15 minutes (to tell us when it was time to go potty) and I started making breakfast. 12 minutes into our morning I noticed that Brooks' underwear looked wet. And then I noticed the huge pee spot on the kitchen chair where he'd been sitting. Really?! I was so close to just throwing in the towel right away. He fussed when I told him we had to go sit on the potty. He fussed when we put his underwear in the dirty clothes. I really thought I had made a mistake. Maybe he wasn't ready. But...we kept on going. Every 15-20 minutes the timer would go off and we'd run to go teetee. He had one more accident before lunch. We all got sad because Lightning McQueen got wet. Brooks said, "Sorry, Lightning McQueen." We changed underwear again, had some lunch, and then he went poopoo on the potty before nap time.
No more accidents during the afternoon.
I consider Day One a success.
Both of these pictures were taken on the potty. I did some cropping so I don't embarrass Brooks too much.

Day Two:
The day started out better than the first. The first accident didn't come until lunch time, and it was only a little bit. We extended the timer to 30-35 minutes. Sometimes he'll tell us he doesn't have to go...but we know better. And every time he went teetee without delay, collected his skittle, and went on his way. He went the rest of the day with no more accidents, and another successful poop on the potty. This time he actually told us when he had to poop...making progress!
Another successful day.

The poor guy is probably tired of us asking him every 5 minutes if he needs to go teetee. And 5 minutes after that asking him if he's still dry. It's definitely an exhausting process for us all. We'll see how the week goes at school. His teacher will have him in a diaper, but take him to the potty every 20 minutes. I'm hoping he continues to make progress and next weekend we won't have to be locked in our house.

This is just the beginning!

2011-01-18T18:49:00.003-06:00

I can't wait to see Melody and Laney grow up together. The girls are exactly 2 months apart. Melody is younger, although she appears bigger. They weigh about the same, actually, but Laney is 2 inches longer which makes her look skinny in comparison. Jess came over the other day for our first little playdate. We went a little crazy with the camera...and the bows...and the coordinating outfits.
Having girls is just too much fun!

I just can't get enough!

2011-01-17T19:40:00.000-06:00

I love this little girl so much! Poor thing has a camera flashing in her face all the time. I feel like she changes everyday and I just don't want to miss a thing.

And how could I forget this "little" guy. He is my best bud.

Parker and Brooks

2011-01-16T15:45:00.006-06:00

Then...
Brooks was almost one and Parker was only a couple of weeks old:

Now...
Brooks will proudly tell you that he's 2 1/2 and Parker is 19 months:

It was great fun watching the boys interact, share toys (most of the time), and chase each other around the house. The last time Cari and Parker came to visit Parker was just crawling around...things have changed a lot since then!

It was special, too, because Aunt Cari got to meet Laney for the first time. Just some extra practice for her baby coming in April.

While Daddy is away...

2011-01-16T14:37:00.001-06:00

I don't want to forget...

2011-01-14T22:00:00.000-06:00

I feel like if I don't write this stuff down I'll never remember all the cute things Brooks is saying these days:

"Mommy. Mommy. Mom. Maaamaa! Mommy. MOM! Mommyyyyy!" He had to have said my name at least 100 times on our way home from church the other day.

The other day we were just hanging out in his room. He looked at me and in the cutest voice said, "You're my best friend mom!" Oh, I just melted.

Me: "Brooks don't you want to go teetee on the big boy potty?"
Brooks: "Naaa!"

Brooks' new favorite game is to tell us to lay down and sleep (a pretty good game if you ask me). The other day he was playing this game with Chad. Chad was trying to get up and Brooks kept saying, "No Dad! I tell you to lay down!" He's quite demanding.

When we wrestle with Brooks it's obvious when he's had enough: "No! Stop everybody!"

Chad: "What are you doing, bud?"
Brooks: "I'm doing stuff."

Brooks was acting silly at the dinner table and Chad called him a dork. Brooks said, "No, Dad. I not a dork! I a big boy!"

I've mentioned that he loves to sing songs, but he has gotten better at making up random songs for everything. He kind of reminds me of a walking musical. The other night he was singing, "I want an olive please, mom. I want an olive please, mom, please."

My little boy...such a great combination of silliness and sweetness.

Oh girl!

2011-01-10T20:41:00.006-06:00

I love to nuzzle my face up against her cheeks. They may be small...but they are so adorable.

I love putting bows in her hair...everyday. Okay, so this bow was just for fun, and just for this picture. It's so big on her little head - it cracks me up!

I love that over Christmas she wore her first little dress with tights. I've been waiting to see her in tights. In my opinion there's nothing cuter than a little girl with tights and a dress.

I love how she holds her head up to look around. Her adorable little tongue sticking out is pretty darn cute, too. And check out those BRIGHT blue eyes.
Man - she's so stinking cute!

I love her smile. She is smiling more everyday and completely loves interacting with us. She has this funny smile where she opens her whole mouth.

And then she has this funny smile out of the side of her mouth.

I have to say...I love the pink! I never thought I would. I guess as long as it's not on me it's okay.

No White Christmas Here!

2011-01-09T17:27:00.003-06:00

After spending Christmas Day in Austin, we traveled down South to Corpus to be with The Hoffman Crew.
Brooks had 4 cousins, 2 grandparents, 2 aunts, 2 uncles, mom, dad, and sister to play with all under one roof.
Brooks (2 1/2), Brodie (4 1/2), Megan (almost 5), Delaney (2 months), Dawson (7 1/2), Bryan (7 1/2)

Delaney loved hanging out with her Aunt Jill.

This was a popular nighttime activity.

And this was a popular daytime activity.

And on the last day...some mini golf with Brodie!

Christmas Memories 2010

2011-01-04T21:14:00.005-06:00

All ready for Christmas Eve service.

Christmas Eve service and Brooks was super excited to hold the candle.

Hanging out on Christmas Eve with our precious little girl.

Santa was here!

The best present under the tree this year was definitely our little peanut.

Brooks on his bike for the first time. Okay, so he can't reach the pedals, but he'll grow into it.

Opening presents was so fun this year. Brooks was totally into it. He loved his dump truck!

Christmas in the Kitchen

2011-01-01T20:26:00.003-06:00

Between cooking meals, baking cookies for Santa, and making a birthday cake for Jesus - we were in the kitchen a lot. Brooks had a great time helping out!

Our family cookie tradition is making cookies with the cookie press. We make all sorts of shapes, color the dough and add sprinkles. In my opinion - they are the BEST cookies!

Brooks and Gammy were getting pretty excited to eat some cookies!

Can you tell which cookie Brooks sprinkled all by himself?

Making a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Day.

And like every good baker...Brooks licked the batter off the beaters.

P.S. Brooks got that hat in the last box of his advent calendar. I knew he'd love it. He wore it all day.

Milestones

2010-12-22T11:07:00.001-06:00

This month Brooks is 2 1/2 years old and little Miss Delaney is 2 months old.

Brooks
Approximately 32lbs and 39inches tall
*He is a big boy but still not big enough to be going potty in the big boy potty. He's gone a couple of times, but nothing consistent. I ask him all of the time if he wants to go on the potty and he always responds, "No, mom. I don't wanna go teetee on big boy potty!" I would like to say that he responds in a nice voice, but most of the time he uses a loud voice. (We're working on voice control.)
*Brooks loves to eat just about everything from chicken nuggets to salmon.
*He loves to sing! He even takes a tune for a song and changes the words. For example, he likes the song "Where is Thumbkin" and he'll switch out the words to: "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..." (You get the idea)
*He has a wonderful imagination. He is constantly playing with his toys and role-playing with them. His toys usually like to go to baseball games together or go see movies together. Which brings me to the next thing...
*Brooks loves to watch movies. CARS and TOY STORY are his current favorites.
*He gets really upset when he gets caught doing something wrong.
*When we go to the park, he'd rather spend that time exploring the woods surrounding the park then sliding or swinging.
*He loves to collect acorns.
*He's silly.
*He's a good cleaner. He doesn't argue when I ask him to clean up his toys. And the other day he was playing pretend and was using a cup to "clean up the dirt" (it kind of looked like he was using the cup as a dustpan)
*He's becoming more interested in throwing balls. He doesn't like any organized games - he'd rather just throw all of the balls out of his basket and then go clean them up.
*His teacher constantly compliments him on what a good helper he is. He is generally a very helpful/caring person. He is always willing to help me with Laney. Although now some times he's too busy taking care of his own baby: Baby Aubree (picture below)
*He's a sweet boy. He gives hugs and kisses, tells us he loves us, and loves to cuddle at bedtime. He especially enjoys scratching his daddy to sleep when they lay down together.

Delaney:
8 lbs (She's still below the charts for her weight)
22 inches (45%)!!!!
*Looks like we have another tall and skinny child on our hands.
*She started interacting more by smiling at us.
*She's learning that she has a voice. She recently starting those loud cooing sounds.
*She wakes up around 6:00ish to start her day. She eats, stays up to play a little bit, and naps between 1.5-2 hours (REPEAT). This goes on until about 10:00ish when we give her a bath and then she eats again around 10:30. Yes - that's right...she sleeps about 7 hours each night!
*She's kind of grumpy at night. We're still working on a schedule between 6-10.
*She's a good eater. Considering that she dropped down to 4lbs in the NICU, she's actually doubled her birth weight in just 2 months!
*There is nothing "lady-like" about this little girl. She burps as loud as her dad and you can hear her toots across the room. She makes us laugh.
*Brooks was a projectile spitter, Laney is not (thank goodness). In fact, she hardly spits at all.
*Laney likes bath time, but she does not like the being naked part before and after.

Sweet Delaney

2010-12-18T14:36:00.002-06:00

This is what mommy does while big brother is sleeping and Daddy is out shopping:

I love these kids!

2010-12-10T21:57:00.002-06:00

See the car by Laney's head? Brooks put it there for her to play with. What a sweet brother.

Like I said in a previous post: if Laney is laying on the ground, Brooks is laying next to her. He loves to talk to her and read her books.

The Countdown to Christmas

2010-12-09T18:59:00.003-06:00

For Christmas this year I found an advent calendar at Target. I absolutely LOVE it! I'm excited to start this tradition with Brooks (Delaney will join in eventually). This year I filled the boxes with items from the dollar bin, mixed in with some left-over Halloween candy, and some special coupons (for example, a train ride at the park, making cookies, etc.). As Brooks grows I'd like to mix in some bible verses with each prize to tell the story of Christmas. I haven't decided what to put in the last two days...I'm still searching for something kind of special but small enough to fit in the boxes. When Brooks gets home from school everyday he walks in and asks, "I open my box, mom!" He LOVES it.

I just thought I'd throw in this Santa pic as well. Brooks and I went up to school the other day to watch the first graders perform and Santa was there as well.

So cozzy

2010-12-07T19:48:00.003-06:00

My friend from Colorado knit Brooks a sweater when he was born. It's so adorable and I couldn't wait to put it on Laney. So looked so sweet that I couldn't resist some pictures. Plus - I figure I should post as many pictures as I can before I go back to work in January (since I think I'll be too busy to post by then).

I think Brooks got a little jealous because I was taking so many pictures of Laney. He's not a big picture taker, but he crawled up by Laney and said, "Take a picture of me, Mom." He found it difficult to stop eating his raisins long enough to smile...but we did mention to get one cute picture.

This is where you can find Brooks...

2010-12-06T19:43:00.002-06:00

...next to his sister.

In case you're wondering where Laney got that HUGE yellow on her shirt, Brooks gave it to her.

Brooks even made her a "tent" while she was in her bouncy seat.