11 month pictures

Whew! I did it! I literally squeezed these in a couple of hours before he turned 1, but here they are. The final set of month pictures! 

 ( I love this little alfalfa horn that appeared about halfway through the pictures)

(love all the new toofers in this one!)

After we took these, the lady told me she wanted to try something "artistic" and put him in a laundy basket like he'd gotten in to my wash a) this lady obviously doesn't know me. Any clothes that do manage to get washed are usually thrown in a wadded up heap on the floor, and b) you can see what Beckett thought of this idea. 

Introducing Clara!

She's here! She's here! My sister finally had her beautiful baby girl, Clara Anne, and here she is!

She was born on August 28th and was 8 lbs 11 ounces and 21 inches long with lots of hair and chubby chubby cheeks!

 We are so excited to finally have her here and can't wait to love her and watch her grow!

SUPER B and E!

Brayden Boyer had a superhero party this weekend and we were supposed to dress up as superheros. I had grand designs of making adorable superhero capes and went and bought all this fabric. In my head I think I can sew, like it's as easy as just whipping out the machine and hemming the edges. That's not quite the reality. So I borrowed Emmy a cape from a friend and made some wrist and headbands with a few leftover sticky velcros, and I got the dress from Target for 4 bucks. AND what kind of superhero doesn't have a cast? It's her supercast (and it matches!). I actually went the iron on route for Becks and I was so proud of the cape. I was finished when I noticed one corner of the lightning bolt was coming up.  I decided to iron it back down and  burnt a giant hole in it!!! We just ironed another little star over that. So all of this to say that these are some SUPER janky superhero costumes, but for the cheap-o route, they look pretty freaking cute!

I of course, made them stand outside trying to take a picture together in SOME kind of super hero pose until it wasn't fun anymore (distressed B!)

and B decided to trip on his cape on the way inside. We got to go to the superhero party with a giant super swollen egg on his forehead. I'm pretty sure everyone at the party was JUST about to call CPS on my crippled children.

We had a great time at the party! And Emmy has been a superhero a couple days this week, so these "outfits" might be getting some good use after all!

Three Little Princesses

These days we don't get to see Betsy and Collin enough and we certainly don't get to see Michelle and Lance enough. It always amazes me that every time we do see each other, these little ladies just seem to pick back up and start playing like no time has passed. Three very different little personalities. It makes my heart happy because that's the way their mommies are. Hope this is the start of a second generation of lifelong friendship.

and that this isn't a sign that we are in a LOT of trouble!

Emmy's big break

It was Saturday night around midnight when we heard a big ker-thunk. Emmy has fallen out of her bed before but usually she just wakes up and climbs back in. This time she was screaming hysterically and saying that her arm hurt. She is typically pretty hysterical if she comes out of a deep sleep, so we just got her calmed down and put her back to bed. The next morning she was still favoring it a little, but Blake had told her if she quit crying she could have a piece of candy. So from that point on we didn't know if she was really hurting or just wanted candy. I was leaning towards the latter since she was using it, acting pretty normal, and not complaining too much. When Uncle Sean, Bone Expert, came home he took a peek and said that we should probably go get an xray just in case. He was also very VERY nice and went ahead and splinted it for Emmy just like they would do in the hopsital. So this is how she looked with her splint.

So you can imagine my surprise when we went to the doctor and the xray looked like this!

So I don't know if that's really it, but it was completely wonky like the one above! She broke both the radius and ulna bad enough to almost need surgery! I felt like a complete mother of the year, but you saw her! So we were treated to a giant pink cast, that Emmy calls her pink arm. Bless her heart she's holding up pretty well, but you can tell from her eyes that it's going to be a LOOOONG 5 weeks in this cast and then potentially more weeks in a short cast.

She's not letting it get her down! Baths are no fun and pretty much most summer activities are out, but at least there's movies! I think we'll be watching a lot of those! I will say that it is going to be the SMELLIEST cast in the history of 4 year olds. Playing outside in August makes for a quite a funk. Just don't get too close =)

Cupcakes: 11 months

I can't BELIEVE that this is the last cupcake picture. Where did my tiny baby go?

 At 11 months Beckett:

• Is finally communicating! Everything is "dat dat dat" and he's pointing to let you know what he wants
• His little personality is really coming out. He is a flirt and make googoo eyes to get his way. 
• Has two favorite tricks: Making kissy faces and raising his hand above his head and squealing

• Is EVERYWHERE digging in everything
• Has started "jamming" to tunes

• The goat noise is back in a major way! This time accompanied by emphatic hand gestures and foot stomping. That means you guessed right at what he wants, he wants something really badly, or he's REALLY excited. 

• His hands are so big that he can palm and then throw a ball

• Loves to roughhouse. He loves to be thrown around on the bed and loves to be bounced and thrown up in the air.
• Seems to grow more hair everyday
• Has finally started showing an interest in trucks and balls. he's really into zooming the big ones up and down the hall
• Is drinking well from a sippy cup, until he throws it on the floor, along with all the food he doesn't really like. He's eating almost 100% baby food. 
• Is a toot! Somehow the terrible twos have started already. He pitches a fit when he doesn't get his way and has started "the flop" already if he doesn't want to be picked up or do what you want him to do or just wants to play.

10 month pictures

I cut it even closer this month but these were technically taken on the last day of his 10th month. One more month.. I can do it! MAN is he a cutie. It looks like he's going full on GQ in these. She took these pictures in the first 30 seconds after we got there. Thank goodness she is fast!

After that , FORGET IT! There was a lot of his favorite new tricks (squealing with his hands in the air)

a kissy face or two(his other new trick)

and lots of Emmy's favorite flat out ignore you (SO glad they both got that trait.)

 Maybe he just wasn't a fan of the outfits ? Who knows! I know that he's pretty much going to do things his way though. For some reason that doesn't really surprise me!

Clara's little birdie shower

Clara is almost here! Laura and Sean have been living with us for a little while, so we had to kick her out of the house for a little while to get ready. We based the shower theme off of her pottery barn bedding, which has little birdies as an accent. I have been dying to try poof balls, as I call them, and I think I'm done =) They are a lot of work, but they SURE do look cute don't they? Here's the spread,

including tea cakes, tortellini pesto skewers, mini hummus shooters, chocolate filled strawberries, and this guy . That's right, my aunt is crazy and made a fruit baby!

As guests arrived the left their thumbprint for a tree for Clara's room.

We also gave everyone a birdseed ornament and a Princess Clara tea cake for their favor. 

 All the guests brought a book for Clara, and Laura received so many nice things!

 I thought I'd also take a picture of the next to last rocking chair. That's right. After Laura's kids are done I'm hanging up my paintbrush (for rocking chairs at least.)

It was so  glad to do this for my sister. I can't explain how excited I am for her to be become a mother and for me to become an aunt again! Clara we can't wait to meet you!

Happy Birthday to me!

It seems like every year just goes faster and faster. 30 never scared me or caused me any grief, but 35 is the one that really is going to make me feel old. I can't believe I'm almost there!

We celebrated this year with a night out for me and Blake and then a lunch and desert with my fam. Beckett and Emmy decided I was not entitled to a nice relaxing lunch and acted like crazies the entire time, but why should I expect any different =) By the end, we pretty much felt like this!

 and maybe a little like this (niko niko and chocolate bar back to back will do that to you)  

But even through my children are crazy and my face is stuffed, it was a fun way to spend my last year before I round up to 35 (eek!)