The Howell Family Blog

Pre-k

2011-08-29T19:54:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe my big boy started pre-k today! I am so excited for him... he could not wait! He is going to Sonshine Preschool (which is about a mile from our house... awesome!) and he will be going Monday thru Thursday from 9-12. It's just 3 hours but I can already tell it's going to be really quiet with just me & Slayden around the house, although I am really looking forward to spending some special one on one time with him.

Here is my big boy on his first day. He did so good. He was a little shy but he was completely fine with me leaving and when I picked him up he said he had a great day. He already made a new buddy! He couldn't remember his name on the first day but he said it was the boy in the spiderman shirt ;)

When did he get so big?
My big preschooler is soooo handsome!

mommy & Hunter outside his school

daddy & Hunter

I am so proud of my Hunter and so excited for this new adventure ahead of him! I am also so very thankful he has Friday's off so that we can still do some fun stuff together during the day! He has been my best buddy these last 4 1/2 years and it's a little odd not having him home with me all day... I am definitely not ready for all day kindergarten... let's live this year in slow motion!!

Half

2011-08-06T11:01:00.004-05:00

As of today, August 6, Slayden is the exact age that Hunter was on the day he was born. Hunter became a brother when he was 2 years 2 months & 16 days and that is exactly how old Slayden is today. I can remember 2 year old Hunter so clearly & its so crazy to think of him being Slayden's age & how long ago that feels. It's almost impossible to imagine a time when we didn't have sweet Slady-bug with us. Today also means that Hunter has officially lived more of his life with his brother than without, although I highly doubt he can remember a time before Slayden either... in his mind he has always been there.

Here is my sweet Hunter on the day he became a brother
I am pretty sure this image of Hunter walking in to meet his brother will forever be engraved in my mind. He is such an amazing little boy.

It's funny to think that Hunter has doubled in age since that day and that the little tiny baby we brought into the world that day is now the exact age of his brother on that day. I'm so thankful for my boys, and so very aware of how quickly they are growing up. They play hard, they fight hard, and they are best friends... just as brothers should be!

Weekend of Firsts

2011-08-01T17:06:00.003-05:00

Hunter had been asking for a while to stay in a hotel. Sadly, he had never stayed in a hotel! We had stayed in condo's before, but that's a little different considering the boys had their own room to sleep in. I hadn't yet been brave enough to stay with us all four in one room - Scary! I like to sleep a little too much. Finally, me & Chris decided that we would just take a random trip to Oklahoma City for the weekend, and stay the weekend in a hotel. We really wanted to visit some of our friends from Blanchard, and figured that we would just goof around the rest of the weekend.

Friday night we made it to Blanchard & hung out with the old gang. It was really fun to get to see everyone. We see them every now & then but we almost never are able to get the kids together so it was a blast to watch all of them play & basically destroy Trent & April's house in a tornado of toys. Hunter tried to be shy for a second (their boys are 5 & 3) but in a matter of minutes they were all dressed in super hero outfits & chasing bad guys like they were old buddies. We didn't get back to the hotel til late & I was really nervous about how long the boys would take to settle down (especially since Slayden still sleeps in a crib), but they did great. I tried having the boys sleep together but quickly realized Slay was not ready for that (poor Hunter wanted it to happen so bad, but Slayden wouldn't quit jumping all over him.) Once we seperated them they were out in no time. Both nights went wonderfully... not sure why I was so convinced we wouldn't sleep :)

We decided to go to a movie the next day.... Slayden had never been to a movie theater & still doesn't watch movies at home really, so I was so pleasantly surprised with how well he did. We picked Winnie the Pooh because I heard it only lasted 65 minutes & I figured that was a good starter movie. He never tried to get up & was fairly quiet for the whole movie; I was so proud of him. Probably didn't hurt that he nearly ate a whole small popcorn by himself and then had quite a few runts... snacks are what make the movie! :) So, that was a fun first for Slayden { 1st movie - July 23, 2011}. The rest of the weekend was pretty much spent eating a lot, swimming, and Chris & Hunter riding go carts. Super fun little unplanned weekend!

"Awwww, Maaan"

2011-07-12T13:43:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago Grandpa Pat & Alex came down for a few nights. Alex (former foreign exchange student) was visiting from Germany & wanted to go to the mall. Pat called & said he would come down & watch the boys if I would take Alex to the mall..... that's a no brainer! Pat & Alex had just arrived that morning & I was getting ready to leave & Slayden realized what was happening & said "Going?" and I said "yes, me & Alex are going to the mall" & he said "You, going?" - Again I said yes & he looked up a little sad & said "I going?" & I told him no that he was staying with Grandpa and he looked up at me for a minute & said "Awwwww, Man!" We DIED laughing. The way he said it was hilarious. From that moment on he has said it pretty much every time we have told him no. I still think it is hilarious every single time! It's the cutest thing & I wish I had it on tape. Honestly, its been kind of nice because these are the times he would normally through a fit about something & now he just blurts out his "awwww man," sucks it up & moves on. Love that little guy.

He has pretty much all of the sudden decided to be a full time talker. Took him a while, but there is no turning back now.... I guess he was finally ready!

Mirky waters

2011-07-12T13:31:00.003-05:00

The boys love getting to use a color change tablet in their bath & I almost always let them each pick a color & we watch & see what color the bath water is going to turn. Slayden got a few bottles of the color change tablets for his birthday, so the bottle we were using was fairly new & full. A few weeks ago they were getting ready for their bath & as Hunter was reaching in to pick his color Slayden slipped in the water & knocked the WHOLE jar right out of my hand. I'm guessing there were probably 30 tablets left in the bottle and they all fell in the water... which resulted in this midnight blue bath :)

I also like to call it the $4.00 bath considering the whole pack of tablets were wasted on this one bath. ;)

Squish

2011-06-28T20:11:00.002-05:00

I am so glad I just remembered to blog about this because I would be so sad to forget it... it may be one of my favorite things Hunter has ever said. :)

The kids birthday month's are always a little emotional for me because I can never believe they are actually about to turn another year older. So, the month before Slayden's 2nd birthday I was talking about it a lot & how I could not believe my baby was going to be TWO. One day, still a few weeks before Slayden's birthday, we were all sitting in the floor & we were all talking about Slayden's upcoming birthday & party & I am sure I said something about being sad that he is getting so old & Hunter said "mom, when Swayden turns 2, I'm just gonna squish him back to one." Cutest thing ever. I would have never thought to say that but its exactly what I was feeling. I love watching them grow but I sometimes wish I could squish them back little! Precious Hunter... such a great big brother.

lake fun

2011-06-12T15:20:00.002-05:00

The Anderson's got a pontoon boat this past Spring so we have been enjoying some nice afternoon/evenings out on the boat. The boys love it! Hunter & Aiden have enjoyed tubing on the double tube some, and Slayden enjoys secretly ravaging through the cooler in search of cookies or candy or any other sweet he might be able to sneak away. Slayden is not real big on getting in the water (unless he can touch) but is getting more adventurous each time. Hunter & Aiden would swim around like little fishies all day. Its been so much fun & we can't wait for more lake fun this summer!!

3 very sweet, very tired boys at the end of the evening

party time

2011-05-28T20:24:00.011-05:00

Slayden's birthday fell on a Saturday this year so we got to have his party on his actual birthday. We had a baseball themed cookout at my dad's house. It had rained all week so I was very thankful for the beautiful day we were give. It was a really fun day spent with our friends celebrating the coolest two year old I know :)

These pictures are not in the right order at all, but I know if I wait to make it perfect this post may never happen... so I'm just gonna go with it!

Kisses from the handsome birthday boy
The boys with Grandpa Pat & Nanny
candy from the pinata

such a sweet heart

Slayden & Sisa

You can tell he's saying that he is "two" but the 2 fingers just aren't happening. He now says two but puts up 3 fingers, someday he'll get it!

My Slayden is one chill dude. While all the other kids jumped in the bouncy & played in the water & ran around like crazy little children do at a party, he sat in his chair with adults. He shifted from lap to lap (mostly clinging to his Sisa) and just enjoyed all the adult attention (and all the birthday sweets they were allowing him to have!) At one point I was sitting on the steps talking to some of my friends & watching some of the kids play on the slip & slide. I knew there was a kid sitting beside me but it didn't hit me for like 10 minutes that it was Slayden. Mandy said he had his hand on her leg the whole time :) What 2 year old just sits & watches & listens at a party while the other kids play! I'm telling you, when Hunter was barely 2 & I was big pregnant & chasing that wild, active little man around everywhere (he never sat still!!!), God definitely heard my prayers for a calm child..... Amen, thank you, Jesus. Although I could have used the laid back child when I was humungo pregnant... we take what we can get!!!

It was a really great day celebrating a really special boy. Happy 2nd birthday Slayden James! Not sure how 2 years have already passed from the moment they laid you in my arms, but it has been such a JOY to be your mother!!

TWO

2011-05-28T20:24:00.010-05:00

My baby is TWO! Yay Slayden!! I feel like I've written so little about Slayden on this blog the past year. Hunter had so many milestones documented & I really regret that I didn't do as well this time around. I'm going to try to do as much catch up as I can so that I can remember as much as possible about my sweet & naughty little 2 year old!

He is definitely the naughtiest little thing I've ever met, but the scariest thing is how easily he seems to get away with it. He is such a charmer! He knows exactly how to suck you in and make you forget about how ornery he is! I'm scared for all the little girls out there who want to date him some day... he is such a charmer ;) That little guy can throw a serious fit for what he wants, but he has grown out of the fit throwing quite a bit over the last 6 months. Although he can be so so naughty, he is also the sweetest little guy. He is such a snuggler & loves to cuddle & kiss & sit on our laps. He is not much of a talker at all. Six months ago I was really thinking he would never talk, but he his talking has improved so much over the last 2 months. Like night & day! I guess its hard because I always compare his talking to where Hunter was & every kid is different! Hunter could talk in short sentences & sing multiple songs when he turned 2, plus he always talked very clear. Slayden says very few things, and most of them are things only we would understand :) but I know he will get there in his own sweet time, and his brother definitely talks enough for the both of them right now! Geez!

Slayden is really good at cleaning up his messes. He likes to dump things out, but when he is asked to pick up he almost always will sit there & pick up as long as it takes to get it all. For a long time this past year Slayden would follow Hunter to the potty. Actually Hunter would encourage him to come with him because for some reason he got scared to go by himself for a while. But Slayden had his own little seat he went to every time & just sat there til he was done, whether #1 or #2... moral support I guess. I always liked the idea because I figured that much watching someone go to the potty had to teach you how to go! Slayden has told me a few times he's wanted to sit on the potty but so far he hasn't went yet, but I know he isn't ready yet so we have not even begun the whole potty training process.

When Slayden was about 21 months he all of the sudden became OBSESSED with elephants. He pointed them out everywhere! I remember one day me & him where at Target & I was looking at something & he kept making his elephant sound & I wasn't paying any attention to him & I guess he finally got desperate & he yelled "elle-font" (which is major coming from my kid who doesn't talk!) and I turned & looked & sure enough there was an elephant on the kleenex packages. That kid could find them everywhere! His Grandpa & Nanny were down for Hunter's bday in March & Nanny took Slayden to hobby lobby & sure enough he comes home with the cutest stuffed elephant. He loves that elephant! He sleeps with it every night & carries it around as much as I will let him! Elephants are definitely a major stop on our many zoo trips now!

This kid is also so obsessed with toots & burps. I mean, I know most boys are, but he is OVER the top. Any time he toots (or anyone else) he dies laughing & then he will squeeze & squeeze until he gets another one out... it is ridiculous. I swear, boys are born disgusting! He loves my talking tom app on my phone & he basically just makes that poor cat toot over & over... never gets old to him. As a matter of fact a few months ago before he was talking much he would just bring me my phone & make a tooting noise to let me know he wanted talking tom. Such a boy.

He still sleeps in his crib and I don't imagine he will start trying to climb out any time soon. My kids are so different from each other! Hunter climbed out of his crib for the first time at 14 months & was climbing out easily by 18 months & we had him in a bed by 22 months (because he was climbing AND we needed the crib for the new baby!) Hunter did great transitioning to a bed, but I'm just not ready for that with Slayden. The crib is so easy! I'm so thankful he doesn't climb & I am going to try to keep him in there for as long as possible. He still takes one long nap in the afternoon, usually about 2-3 hours, and goes to bed at 8:30 every night. He goes through different wake up cycles. He will go through a period where he wakes up at like 7:15 every morning & then the last few weeks he has slept til about 8:30 every morning, but I'd say the normal is 7:45 or 8. He sleeps with his monkey pillow pet, his elephant, his blanket, and of course, his bebe (binky's). Oh dear, he loves his bebe's. I mean, Hunter loved his too & I let him keep them for way too long because we kept them in his bed & he only slept with them, but I'm not sure what we are going to do with this kid! He wants them non-stop, and if he doesn't have one he doesn't forget about it, he will whine & cry & ask you every 2 minutes for his be-be. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, I know I should just take them from him, but I'm just not sure I"m ready for that yet ;)

Another way Slayden is so different from Hunter is that he has such an attention span for things. Hunter is SO not ready for any kind of sports because he gets so bored of anything so fast. He will hit the baseball off the tee 2 times & then be over it, or shoot the basketball a few times & moves on to something else. He really doesn't have any interest in sport related things yet, so I'm not pushing it, but Slayden on the other hand LOVES them. He will play catch with you for as long as you are willing. He will hit the ball off the tee over & over & over... he doesn't even care to have to chase his own ball, put it back on the tee, and then hit it each time. He has a pretty good swing too... practice really does make a difference, he is going to bypass his brother very quickly if he doesn't start showing some interest ;) Slayden also LOVES to shoot the basketball... the goal he got for his birthday is a little tall for him but he has already improved so much. He usually doesn't get frustrated too much when he misses over & over but just keeps trying until he makes it, and then he expects everyone to stop & cheer for him. Gladly :) He also likes to sit on the couch & watch sports with Chris, which Chris enjoys!

I love my big TWO year old so much and we are so thankful to have him in our lives. He truly has completed our family. Hunter & Slayden are developing such a neat brotherly bond and its so much fun to watch it form & grow. They definitely fight like brothers, but they really, really love each other, and look out for & protect one another. They are the little loves of my life & that little 2 year old charmer has my heart & has me so wrapped around his finger that its scary! Love you Slayden James! We are so excited for the Terrific Two's!!

Pearly Whites

2011-05-20T20:24:00.005-05:00

Hunter had his very first dentist appointment this past week. I have been meaning to take him for the past year, but kept forgetting! We brush his teeth really well, but I still had that fear that he was going to have a lot of cavities, but thankfully there were none. He did an excellent job, just as I expected. He is so mature in situations such as these, even when he is nervous. He listens well, and takes everything in, and always does exactly what is asked of him. I'm so thankful for that because I was too busy making sure Slayden stayed out of everything and didn't get to be as supportive of Hunter's new experience as I would have liked, but he rocked it out anyhow. I have a slight fear that Slayden will not be as easy in these situations... I'm already picturing him biting the dentist or spitting on them or something just as embarrassing. Although, had I pictured Hunter going to the dentist when he turned two I would most likely be just as scared. A lot of growing up goes on in those next few years. Most of the time Hunter handles himself with such poise, even though I know he had to be a little nervous. I was really proud of him!! (and thankful for no cavities!)

I sent Chris this picture of Hunter from the dentist & he couldn't believe how old he looks laying there with his little legs crossed. Love this kid :)

One last ONE (part 2)

2011-05-20T10:56:00.005-05:00

One is such a magical age. So much change in that one year... your baby turns into a toddler right before your eyes... learning something new every day. Its hard to believe that today is my baby's last day to be one. I can still remember Hunter's last day to be One so well... and I can remember exactly how I felt, probably because I'm feeling a lot of the same things today. I wrote a post about Hunter's LAST day to be one right here. Its one of those odd full circle moments where it feels like I was just sharing that day with Hunter, while pregnant with Slayden, and now I'm sharing that day (and those same emotions) with Slay. I love watching him grow & learn, and I'm always so excited to get to see him try new big boy things, but its so hard to let that baby stage go. I have known (and expressed quite often) that I was done having kids; I knew when I was pregnant with Slayden that he was going to be our last, and that is exactly how I wanted it, so I have been completely caught off gaurd at how much baby fever I have experienced lately. Some days I've even convinced myself that I want another. Although when I sit & think it through realistically I know that I really don't, but its just so darn hard to watch your baby grow out of the baby stage knowing that you won't ever pass through those waters again. :( There are so many daily challenges to raising a child, but so many unbelievable blessings. I love my boys so much & I am so proud of them, and on this last day of being one I am thankful for my sweet little one year old baby.... because he is growing up WAY too fast!!

I forgot to take a picture of Slayden today so this will have to do :)

Same Dress

2011-05-12T12:31:00.013-05:00

There are some times that I look at a picture and my mind immediately flashes somewhere else. I had Chris take a picture of me & the boys on Mother's Day and as soon as I looked at the picture I had a distinct memory in my mind. My mind went straight to a picture that was taken almost exactly 2 years before, both were taken on a Sunday afternoon right after church, and I was wearing the same dress in both pictures, BUT some things had definitely changed:

This picture is a taken on a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 2009.

Look at those babies!

and now, Mothers Day 2011.....my big boys!

Its amazing to look back on that picture taken 2 years ago, it seems like yesterday and it also seems like ages ago! Hunter was 2 in that first picture & Slayden is nearly 2 in the last picture! And its definitely a lot harder to hold them both now :)

I really like that dress so there just may be many more years of pictures that will resemble the 1st one but show my boys growing up far too quickly!

Spring Break

2011-03-23T07:56:00.004-05:00

During Spring Break, Chris & I were lucky enough to get away for a few days to Kansas City with friends, while the boys played at their grandparents house. Unfortunately I had a migraine the whole trip & may have ruined everyone else's trip with my misery, but thats a different story.

The boys had such a fun time while we were away! They stayed with their "Sisa" first & then went to Nanny & Grandpa's house. I don't have any pictures from their time at Larisa's but Lori sent took some while they were at their house. But the most exciting thing for the boys was that Grandpa Pat had just bought some miniature horses & the boys were going to get to ride them! Their very 1st pony ride (well I think Hunter has rode the ones that go round & round at a carnival before). They were so pumped about the ponies.

Nanny & Grandpa's neighbor, Luke, got to come play with the boys. Age wise he is right in between the boys.
Slayden, Hunter, & Luke
love this picture. (Its rare that Hunter looks big ;) )

Slayden playing the horn

and the drums

Hunter & Luke jamming out

Hunter & Luke on the pony

Slayden, not looking so sure, but riding the pony

Luke & Slayden, so cute

look at Hunter go!

So precious. I am so glad they had a fun break, and so thankful we were able to get a few days away. A few weeks after Spring Break the boys were playing with a toy that had a stencil of a horse. Slayden picked up that tiny horse stencil, put it between his legs, and started galloping around. He sure knew what to do with that horse! We died laughing, what a cutie :)

Hunter Jackson - FOUR years old

2011-03-23T07:54:00.016-05:00

My big boy is FOUR years old! He's been ready to be 4 for a while, probably because most of his buddies were already 4, and he could not be more excited about it. Apparently being four makes you BIG stuff. Silly boy. I just love that kid. I could not have been more blessed when God gave me Hunter Jackson. He is the best boy. Super sweet & sensitive & smart & always wanting to help. He definitely has his naughty moments, as any kid does, but he has such a kind heart. He has truly been the easiest kid! I have loved getting to spend these last few years at home with him, he is my best buddy & its going to be quite a change when he starts school full time in the fall. He tells such great stories & pretty much talks non-stop. Even his teachers at his little 2 day a week school ask if he's always so chatty ;)

Lets see... I haven't updated this blog in so long, I need to do a little catching up on Hunter. Some of this will probably be a little boring to most but I hate that I've missed so much time on here & I don't want to forget anything! He started writing his name when he was 3 and a half & he could also recognize letters & write most letters from memory at 3 & a half (although there are a few he still struggles with, mostly the ones with diaganal lines like the x & the y). He learned his letter sounds (A says aaaa, B says bbbb, etc) right after he turned 3 and right as he was turning 4 he has really been into picking letters sounds out of words. Many times a day he will pick a word & tell me what it starts with & then sound it out & try to break the whole word down. (For example he will say horse starts with H, or McDonalds starts with M). He almost always gets it right, its really clicking with him right now. He has such an incredible memory and picks up on things so easily. Also, about a week after his 4th bday he learned his last name from memory, so he can write & spell "Hunter Howell."

If anyone gets hurt or anything breaks or there's a mess or really ANYTHING Hunter's first response is always "Slayden did it." Some of the time its true, but a lot of the time its not! He has learned early to play the "blame game" and poor Slay isn't quite old enough to fully defend himself yet! What a mess! For a while Hunter got a little scared of going in his bathroom, not sure why, so every time he needed to go he'd yell for Slayden to come with him & in would run Slayden ready to do his part! So funny. Slayden made it less scary & is always more than willing to jump when Hunter needs him.

Chris built the boys a bigger sand box because our old one just wasn't big enough for the both of them, and Hunter has been living in that thing! He loves it. Its really nice that we can all 4 get in & still have room to play. Probably the main change in Hunter this past year is that he has become a toy lover this year. He still doesn't sit for long periods like a lot of kids & play with toys, but he has never had any interest in playing with toys & this last year he has really grown attached to a lot of his. I remember telling people not to really get toys for him for his 3rd bday because he doesn't play with them much & for his 4th birthday I was able to tell people to get really any toy because he would love it! His main passion this last 6 months has been transformers. He lived, ate, & breathed transformers. Loved them. Wants you to play transformers with him non stop. Its always so frustrating the first few days after he gets a new one because he cries & throws a fit til he figures out how to transform it but once he gets it down he loves it.

He has also become a lot more adventurous with his food. He has never been one to try to many new foods or even give new foods a chance but lately he's willing to try about anything, and has surprised himself a few times by liking them! He learned that he loves coneys, which kills me because six months ago he would not have put chili in his mouth to save his life. He will eat sloppy joes & even ate a pulled pork sandwich last time I made them (me & Chris nearly fell out of our chairs!) He loves spicy things (he better if he is gonna survive in our house), as long as he has a drink he loves to put salsa on things or try our spicy stuff. If only some of this would rub off on his brother who is the pickiest eater alive... ugh, maybe with time!

What a handsome 4 year old boy

We had a small party for Hunter at Leapin Louie's Lagoon which is a toddler water park inside of the Radison hotel in Tulsa. We had never been there & it ended up being such a cute place. We will defintely be going back to stay a few times in the winter when we need a swim break! Hunter had a blast at his party & then he had a family party on his actual birthday, which was fun as well!

Hunter blowing out the candles on his transformer cake

crossing the lily pads

sliding down the big slide

Eli shooting the water cannons

AJ crossing the lily pads

Ethan

Aiden sliding down the frog slide

water sword fights

Slay-slay sliding down the frog slide.

Cutie Slayden enjoying some cake :)

I'm so proud of my big four year old & could not ask for a better boy. We are so very thankful for him & the amazing boy he is becoming!

2011 Snow days

2011-03-23T07:54:00.015-05:00

Back in January (or was it February? Hmmm.) we got something like 29 inches of snow in one week. Crazy! Although we went a little stir crazy over the week, it was really fun for the boys to get to play in the snow! I didn't post any of our sledding pictures or videos (it was so cold we didn't last outside very long!) but Slayden got to have his first turn sledding & he loved it! He went with me & Chris a few times & then even went down on a sled with Aiden... he wasn't scared at all, just wanted to go over & over.

A snow drift that makes Hunter taller than the fence

Brrrr

Slayden was having a hard time walking in the snow so I put him in the swing while we played & I looked over a while later & the poor baby was asleep :)

Daddy made them a hidey-hole

Chris pretending to grill on the snow covered deck

Me & hj buried in the snow

Snow angel

Warming up together after baths
So sweet

After about a week of pretty much being stuck in the house we were getting a tad stir crazy. I am usually not a fan of messy activities but we were desperate for something different. We started out finger painting the papers covering the floor but body painting turned out to be more fun!

Slayden loved to paint on Hunter but did not want any paint on him.. that was unacceptable!

Branson Trip

2010-12-20T12:43:00.004-06:00

When we were at my Granny's for Thanksgiving I had mentioned that I would love to take Hunter to Branson to ride the "Polar Express" & Carol said she just happened to have a condo available the weekend before Christmas. We were so excited for our pre-Christmas trip with Grandpa & Mimi! Slayden is a terrible car-rider so I was really nervous that it would be a little much driving considering we were heading on the long drive to Sisa's & Grandpa & Nanny's just a few days after we would get back. Luckily, the ride there & back wasn't too bad at all!

We drove up in the evening & the boys were really tired, but so excited when we got to our Condo! We got all of our stuff unloaded & thankfully the boys went right down, and slept really great the whole time we were there (that always makes trips a lot more fun for mom & dad!)

The boys could not have been more excited about the huge bathtub in Grandpa & mimi's room. It was huge! We actually went swimming in the pool one of the days, but I am pretty sure that both boys had more fun in the tub! Once we got the jets going we had bubbles galore... it was a hit to say the least! I thought we might just lose Slayden in all the bubbles!

I hadn't been to Branson in FOREVER & had never seen Branson landing so we took a trip down there & road the little trolley down the strip... it was freezing so we didn't plan on walking around or doing any shopping at all. We parked at Bass Pro and right when we walked in Santa was sitting there without a single person in line... so we got to unexpectedly see Santa again!!After exploring the Branson landing we decided to tour the Titanic Exhibit. Not sure what I was thinking, probably not the best idea with a 3 year old & a 1 year old. They acted great, but it would have been nice to actually get to read the exhibits & take it all in, instead we kind of sped walked through the whole thing! :) Live & learn!

We put Slayden down for a nap & left him with Dad & Carol, & me & Chris & Hunter headed off to the Polar Express, we were SO EXCITED! Hunter was bouncing off the walls excited! We got there about 45 minutes early to get our tickets & it was SO cold outside, but Hunter didn't care... he loved being by that HUGE train!

Chris & I had never rode on a real train either, so we were pretty excited too!

Hunter & daddy
"All Aboard the Polar Express"

We had such a great night! It was so laid back & stress free (unlike most kid-events!) They read us the Polar Express Book, punched our tickets, gave us cookies & hot chocolate, Santa came & gave each kid their "bell", and sang Christmas carols, but mostly it was just about enjoying the train ride & the scenery! It was so much fun!

drinking hot chocolate

It was truly one of those experiences that I will never forget. Hunter LOVES the Polar Express movie, and, like most boys, he loves trains.. so this was the ultimate night for him! The look on his face the whole time was priceless, it was such a magical night. I have so many wonderful video's that I wish didn't take so darn long to upload! I really think this is something we will try to do with both Hunter & Slayden next year. We loved it!

Hunter with his bell & his ticket

The conductor punching Hunter's ticket
(and making it "snow" on his head)

I'm really thankful I decided to leave Slayden back at the condo this year, it was so nice to actually get to focus on Hunter & enjoy this experience with him. It would have been completely lost on Slayden this year. I think he had a pretty good time back at the condo anyhow. Grandpa emailed me a few picture of Slayden eating a HUGE chocolate ice cream pop... better than a train ride any day in his book ;)

We also drove through the The Shepherd of the Hills lights and it was AWESOME! Not only were the lights gorgeous but the kids loved that they could get out of their car seats & sit on our laps while we drove through!

We had a really great trip! I'm so thankful that we decided to go because the boys were really great the whole time & we all had so much fun!

Rhema Lights & Santa

2010-12-20T12:37:00.007-06:00

We have had such a great December so far. Hunter of course knows all about Christmas-time & was so ready for it, and its been fun getting to watch Slayden get really into it this year as well. They both loved putting up the tree & all of the decorations. Slaydens favorite part of the day was saying "1-2-3 lights on" or "1-2-3 lights off" and watching them "magically" turn on & off. It seems like yesterday that Hunter was One & was completely fascinated by the same thing!

We made our annual trip to Bass Pro to see the "free" Santa, which is always a fun night. We always go on a week night & have never had a line at all & this year we had about a 40 minute wait, Bass Pro Santa was a lot more popular this year!

Of course once we got up there it was near impossible to get them to both look at me, much less smile. Oh well! I wasn't sure if Slayden would be scared of him or not this year, but he could have cared less, and was thrilled when he got his little candy cane. He had it in his mouth before I could even get the wrapper off. Hunter did great & told Santa what he wanted, which was " a weapster (leapster) and a toy factory."

The boys always have a great time playing before-hand with all the guns, and toys, and of course, driving the real boats.

Aiden & Hunter checking out the fish

Me & baby boy

Cowboy Slayden

We also went to the Rhema Lights & had a great night. We went on a really warm Friday night, so it was a packed house! BUT it was gorgeous weather for walking around!

Slayden & daddy

Me & the boys enjoying the lights

Not sure why I didn't take more pictures, but we had a really great time. Its crazy how much has changed since last year... Slayden was just a baby & now he is quickly growing into a big boy! Its so fun watching him get to experience all the things that his brother loves doing! Hunter loves to show Slayden the "ropes" and it is such a privilege getting to watch their relationship bloom.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T20:08:00.004-06:00

I was planning on a long Halloween post but considering its nearly mid-November I figured I should just GET IT DONE before its just too late!

We had a fun Halloween. We went to our church carnival on Saturday & then went trick or treating on Sunday. I think Hunter has looked forward to trick or treating for a full year and he loved it again! Slayden was mostly concerned with eating candy, which he does very well.

My little fireman & Dalmatian were very precious. Hunter really wanted to be something "scary" but 3 years olds just shouldn't be scary & I really wanted him & Slayden to match, so I convinced him to be a fireman. He seemed to like being a fireman though, and enjoyed the fact that Slay was his "fire dog."

Towards the end of trick or treating we ran across a fire hydrant & I thought it made the perfect photo prop. Neither boy was all that into it but still precious non the less.

My 2 cute Halloweeners

Slayden on his 1st ever trick or treat experience

Funny story: Slayden mostly rode in the stroller while the boys went door to door, he did trick or treat at the 1st house just for the photo op & Chris walked him up there & did everything, I'm not sure he even knew what was happening. Anyways, later on I had told Slayden that he couldn't have anymore candy & took the candy bucket away... he gave me a look, turned right around & marched all the way up someones yard, onto the doorstep where the homeowner was standing, reached his hand in the bucket & pulled out some candy. We all just cracked up. He knew exactly what he was doing. I told him no & he went & got his own candy :) Super cute boy.

Aiden (aka bumblebee transformer) Hunter & Slayden
all ready to trick or treat!

I love these boys (and this picture!)

We painted their faces for the carnival but decided not to on trick or treat night because painting a 1 year olds face is NOT easy.

but his spots are really cute :)

I sure love that fireman & puppy. We had a fun Halloween & got more candy than we could possibly eat!

pumkin patch 2010

2010-11-08T19:40:00.006-06:00

We made many trips to the pumpkin patch this year, as usual. They boys loved to run around & push the wheel barrows full of pumpkins. This post has a zillion pictures so I won't use too many words!

This 1st batch of pictures is from a pumpkin patch that the Anderson's took Hunter to. We had just gotten home from a long drive back from seeing family & we were too worn out to go, but thankfully they took Hunter along & it sure looks like he had a great time!

boys will be boys

They were born knowing that the horns must ALWAYS face down!

Buddies
Love this one!

launching pumpkins

The rest of these are just random pictures from our multiple trips to the Owasso patch.

so strong

daddy & Sj

I love these boys
& the fun traditions that we have started together :)

Cabin weekend

2010-11-06T12:28:00.007-05:00

Back in mid-October we took the boys to my aunt & uncles cabin in the middle of no-where Arkansas for a camping trip. We have been wanting to go for a while & were so excited that we found a weekend to do it. The cabin is literally in the middle of no where in the woods/mountains & it is beautiful.

Here is the cabin
(I wish I had some better pictures of our surroundings but both mine & Kristens camera's were broken so her I-phone pictures were all we had.)

and the adorable cookie cake my uncle got for us
(that Hunter snuck in & tried to eat on his own & dropped it face down on the cabin floor, don't worry, we scooped it up & ate it anyways!) :)

We had such a fun weekend. The boys could explore & run around & ride their little vehicles, and eat a lot more junk food than usually allowed. I think their favorite part was riding the big 4-wheelers with their dads (& moms, who they both admitted drove faster!) They have a ton of riding trails through & it is so much fun to get lost in the woods driving around, enjoying the views. Its also fun that the big boys are old enough that we can drive FAST with them on board, they loved it, and even Slayden got to go on a few family rides (all 4 of us crammed on a 4 wheeler) just at a little slower pace.

Slayden stayed one of the days with my granny so that we could enjoy some big boy fun without worrying about him diving in the fire or falling off the deck (again!) :)

Hunter on the rope swing

Hunter & Aiden playing cars in the dirt

Slayden enjoying a smores

Aiden & Hunter chilling around the fire

Aiden & Hunter enjoying some cream soda
(they were in forbidden junk food heaven!)

Aiden on the big 4-wheeler

It was such a great weekend & such a special experience. I look forward to many more trips out there as the boys get bigger. I think Hunter was completely wiped out by the time we left... too little sleep & too much junk food! It definitely took him a few days to recover, but well worth it for such a memorable time. I know this is something he will always remember & I'm so excited for all the fun times ahead!

3 amigos

2010-10-29T22:13:00.003-05:00

Hunter & Aiden LOVE to get together & ride their 4 wheeler & truck... its one of our favorite things to do on a nice evening. They are hilarious, the 1st thing they do is automatically switch vehicles... Aiden wants Hunters truck, Hunter wants Aidens 4 wheeler... never fails!

But look who's getting big enough to ride along!!

Slayden on his 1st big boy ride
(probably in September)

Don't get me wrong, Hunter & Aiden are not a fan of Slayden wanting to ride along... they are not a fan at all, he usually gets kicked out fairly quickly, but my Slay-man LOVES it. I really can't believe he already thinks he's big enough to hang with the big boys... I'm not quite ready for that yet! :)

Slayden James, 13 -17 months

2010-10-28T16:04:00.006-05:00

Okay, so I haven't had a blog post in about a 1/3 of a year, but I'm just going to kind of ignore the absence and try to start fresh! The only thing that makes me so very sad about the blogging silence is that these were seriously the CUTEST months for my quickly growing SJ & I'm so sad not to have it captured in the bloggy world for me to look back on. SOOOO, I'm going to attempt a catch up post for my little man, I wish I could write about every single little thing he did these last 4 months because I sure don't want to forget it, but I will do my best to hit the highlights.

Oh my word, that Slayden has some serious magical powers over me. He is super naughty & all he has to do is bat his sweet little eyes at me & I give in to his every want. Geez, that kid is cute, but for real, he has such powers over me. I'm not sure if its because he is the baby or if its because his green/brown eyes suck me in & turn me to mush. He's a straight up mess.... naughtiest thing ever but just sweet enough to get away with it - lets just say the boy gets ALOT of what he wants!

CATCH UP! (some of these things are probably things only a mother would care about, but I sure don't want to forget these precious months!)

13 months:

-every time I would lay him down in his crib he would smile & wave bye-bye to me. It was the most precious thing to me, sweet baby laying on his back with his binky ready for a nap & waving me out of the room. I love that kid
-EVERY single time you mentioned anything about going anywhere he was already at the door whining for you to open it.. he was ready! We started having to be careful what we said because when you mentioned getting ready to go he thought it meant right that moment! Also, when we would leave he would march right out the door to his side of the car & stand there waiting for us to put him in, so cute! That is one area where him & Hunter definitely differ, at that age, if Hunter were given any freedom he would have sprinted down the road & we'd have to chase him, I think he was still getting carried to the car :)
-he started saying dog (which I guess was his first real word) & hot (always in a quiet whisper).
-He finally let me start rocking him again. Its always really important to me that my kids know how to put themselves to sleep, so I always lay them down awake, which means they stopped being rocked at all at a young age, buuuut about this age for both Slay & Hunter, they started wanting to be rocked again (yay!) & both of them, like clockwork, when they'd had enough rocking would point to the crib to be laid down (such funny boys!)
-Probably the most frustrating thing about Slayden to date is that he is an extremely picky eater... not too many things that he will eat & he could love something one day & not touch it the next... so aggravating! Although there is one SURE bet with Slayden... he loves him a bean burrito from taco bueno... won't ever pass it up. Not the cleanest meal, but he will hold that burrito & scarf it down (we make a lot of trips through the bueno drive thru now!)
-About 13 months we could start telling Slayden to do something & if he knew what it was he would go get it for me, my little errand boy!

14 months:

-FINALLY would eat a chicken nugget, I was so thankful because 1) they are easy & 2) the kid doesn't eat meat (Although the nugget thing only lasted about a month & then he mysteriously wouldn't touch them again.) He also goes to the fridge a million times a day & tries to open the door & whines to get inside (which really makes no sense because he won't touch most of the foods in there!)
-after I would change his diaper I would tell Slayden to take it to the trash & he would every time. He loved it! He would march it to the trash, throw it in, and then proudly clap for himself!
-Slayden has very little interest in talking but he really is starting to understand the things we say. He understands a lot of the things we ask him at this point & started shaking his head yes or no to answer our questions.
-started blowing kisses (but had a very manly way of doing it... it was more like spitting you kisses!)
-OBSESSED with airplanes (as most boys are). We get a lot of airplanes over our house & SJ rarely misses one. Loves to point them out & will watch them until they are out of sight & then wave bye bye to them. Gets really angry if he hears one while in the house & will run to the door or window wanting outside!
-He uses a plate really well. We pretty much stopped using his high chair at this point & just put him in the booster seat Hunter had been in so that we can all sit at the table together. It took Hunter (my crazy child!) forever to be able to use a plate because he would just play with it or dump it out or throw it down but Slayden has really never tried to mess with his much, just gets what he needs off of it & leaves it alone. Hallelujah.
-started "jumping." I LOVE the toddler jump! They bend down & try to jump up with all of their might but never leave the ground... so much effort put in for such a tiny movement :) Slayden loved to be told to jump & would be so proud of himself... bending down, grunting, throwing himself upward (although his feet never really left the ground), precious!

15 months:

- started spinning (on 9.3.10). (Hunter was just so much quicker at the physical things, he started spinning on his first birthday.) Slayden would spin on command & just laugh & laugh until he either fell down or ran into something.
-went to the doctor for his 15 month checkup on 9.2.10 & he only weighed 20.0 pounds. He was in the 2% for weight but the 72% for height. Tall & skinny... try finding a pair of jeans to fit him.. impossible!
-He finally realized that he could move his little feet quickly. I think this is the first time that he really started to run.
-Learned were his belly button was & his nose.
-(9-3-10) started saying "dut" "dut" when he would jump ( I guess jump is a hard word because Hunter used to say "dutch" for jump & now Slayden says "dut"). Slayden loves to jump on a bed with Hunter which is an accident waiting to happen!)
-Every time he would dance he would put his little hands up above his head & wave them around... cutest thing ever. He started it in Arkansas when we were at my Granny's fair listening to music & he kept that little dance up for a while any time music would play... I was really sad to see that one fade away!

16 months:

-started saying "choo choo" when he would push around a toy train or when he would see a real train. Also could say outside & light (not well, but I got the point.) Like I said, he really has no interest in talking, probably because his brother never stops talking. He has no trouble letting us know what he wants but he really doesn't say many words or even try much. Hunter could already say quite a bit at this point, but Hunter did everything rather quickly & Slayden is a lot more cautious. I'm sure he will just wait until he is good & ready & then start talking in sentences :) Trust me, I am in no hurry for him to talk. Yes, I'm ready for the whining & grunting to stop, but I our house is already loud enough with 1 loud little opinion maker :)
-REALLY loves to push the garage door button open & close.... its often something him & Hunter already fight over so we just had to start taking turns. Geez.
-On 10-10-10 started giving a "fist bump." Now when you ask for a "pound" he will happily close his little fist & hit it against yours, but beware, he expects every person in the room to give him a fist bump... once he starts he just can't stop :)
-Does not like socks, will take them off any chance he gets. Doesn't really like socks on anyone, if I have on socks with no shoes he will get down & try to rip my socks off of me. Bless his little heart.
-He gets the broom out a million times a day, loves to sweep, I really wish he were good at it.

Well, thats enough for now! Hopefully I will stay consistent & there will be no more need for super looooong makeup posts!

I really can't believe my little man is growing up so quickly... not sure where the time went? I look down & expect to see my baby & now I just see this little boy growing right before my eyes. I am pretty sure it would be impossible for me to love that kid more. He is amazing. Watching him & his brother play & hug & kiss is beyond amazing (listening to them fight is not so amazing.) He is such a blessing, he warms my heart in such a new & special way. I feel so lucky to be the mother 2 very sweet, healthy, smart, extremely handsome boys. I get frustrated with them VERY often but almost daily I look at the chaos & realize that even though this time is crazy & exhausting I will look back on it & wish it back.....watching my boys learn & grow & laugh is most definitely one of my life's greatest blessings.

Seriously, when did my baby get so big???

Camping & Circus weekend

2010-06-27T17:11:00.009-05:00

The weekend of June 11th was a busy one! On Friday night our Sunday school class had a camping trip at Skiatook lake. Me & Slayden went for a little while, to eat dinner & play, but he was NOT having a fun night. Not sure if he was tired or hot, but he DID NOT want to be there. Of course he was happy as a clam as soon as we left! Chris & Hunter decided to stay the night. I think they had a good time. Hunter was pretty shy & reserved most of the time, never really fully playing with his buddies... not sure why he gets like that some times. BUT Chris said he still had a blast playing by himself. Chris said that once Hunter settled down & fell asleep in the tent that he slept well, but Chris on the other hand, poor guy, his air mattress deflated in the middle of the night & left him sleeping on some big rocks! Ouch! Luckily his weight was enough to keep Hunters side of the mattress afloat :) The things we do for our children! The next morning they got up & ate breakfast & went & played at the beach for a while. I wasn't there much, but luckily Kristen got some pictures!

Chris & Hunter playing on the beach

Hunter Jackson

Fire chief Chris

Looks like some of the kiddos had fun trying to bury Krsiten

I think everyone had a great time, we have such a great Sunday school class. I just wish I would have been able to stay longer... but thats okay, they are only babies for a short while :)

On Sunday of that same weekend we took Hunter to the Barnum & Bailey Circus, which was in Tulsa for the weekend. I was SO excited! I hadn't been to the circus since I was very little & Chris said he had never been. Dad, Carol, and Addison met us there and we all loved it very much! Hunter has such a short attention span that there were times he could have cared less, but it kept his attention for the most part. I asked him his favorite part & he said the fire (they jumped through fiery hoops). Although I think he mostly enjoyed the extra large popcorn & the snow cone! I thought the whole show was amazing - the animals, the stunts, the cannons... I'm really glad we decided to go. ALTHOUGH part way through the show Hunter climbed on my lap & knocked my camera onto the floor & now the screen is black :( Its still takes pictures but you can't see what your taking a picture of & of course you can't use the video mode (which I use ALL the time!) Not cool. Looks like I will have to be camera shopping soon :( Other than that, it was a great time. I don't have a ton of pictures though because I wasn't sure if my camera even worked after the screen went dark. I'm really glad we got a chance to take Hunter while they were in town, its so fun to be able to give your kids such special opportunities & to get to enjoy it with them :)

tight rope

elephants

daddy & Hunter

mommy & Hunter

*thanks to Uncle Trav & Linds for watching the little man for us so we could share some special time with Hunter-man!

Watch & Learn

2010-06-27T17:11:00.004-05:00

I cannot even begin to explain how much Slayden has changed in the last month. I forgot how fun this stage is, they learn SO MUCH each month. You can show them something & you can really see the wheels turning. They are so curious & study everything you do, AND sometimes when your really lucky you get to witness that moment when it "clicks" with them and they've got it down like they've been doing it forever. My Slayden is completely in that stage.

Between 12 & 13 months he started signing "more" & "all done." Although they look pretty close to the same right now, so you have to pay attention to see the difference. He's got "all done" down but "more" is kind of like a regular clap at the moment. He is obsessed with his cup being in his cup holder. If it falls out he makes sure to put it right back in its proper spot. His stroller has a tiny cup holder so it makes him soooo very mad when his huge sippy cup won't fit in it. He has really started to communicate & understand a lot more. He shakes his head yes & no to a lot of the questions I ask him, and most of the time I think he genuinely understands me. If he really wants something (like his milk or food) he will go to the fridge (or wherever) & try to open it or let me know what he wants. If you tell him to go get his milk or his binky or his bubba he will do it. He just says "hi" and "uh-oh" (well, besides mama & dada), but when you say hello or a phone rings he will hold his hand up to his ear & say (ay-ay... his way of saying hello!) and its just so precious. He's the cutest, sweetest thing out there. Although, he did get 2 molars this month which weren't the most fun. When this boy teethes the whole world knows about it. Drool, no eating, TONS & TONS of diarrhea, and an over abundance of whiny-ness. Good times. Luckily we have 3 molars down & just one to go!

I had really forgotten a lot of things about this stage with Hunter but now that Slaydens there its all coming back to me. They have this little light in their eyes & they are so eager to learn, its amazing to watch. They soak up every bit of info you give them; fighting so hard to communicate & be a part of all conversations. I love it. Each month is a new adventure, I'm so excited to see what this next month unfolds for my little guy!

**UPDATE**
I forgot to mention that little man has finally decided he wants to be a full time walker! He started standing up on his own on May 29th & started taking a few steps back & forth between me & Chris the first week in June. By about mid-June he decided it was time to walk full time. He still was fairly wobbly & would fall a lot but he always stood right back up & started walking again, rarely crawling. Every week he gets better & better! Yay for my little walker... its so precious to watch! I have a few videos of when he first started walking all wobbly, hopefully I will get around to posting them soon!!

Kiddie park

2010-06-27T17:10:00.012-05:00

We had our very 1st (of many) Kiddie park trip of the season (the 1st week of June). Of course, I'm posting late as usual, so we've already been a few times since. BUT the difference between this year & last year was that little Slayders got to ride like a big boy!!

I pretty much freaked out when I put him on the cars for the 1st time. I mean, I was the crazy mom, he just seemed so little. Hunter rode them for the 1st time at 16 months, so Slayden wasn't too much younger at 12 months, but he just felt way to young! Of course he rode them & he loved them & he was fine, but as we were getting him off another mom was putting her baby girl on, and I kid you not, that baby had to be 6 months old. She was TEENY!! I couldn't believe she was riding that young & I felt a little foolish for my previous meltdown :)

Here is the cutie on his 1st ever kiddie park ride

Here they come:
Hunter, Aiden, and Slayden

HJ & SJ on the horse carriage

so precious

I told Hunter to hold onto him so he didn't fall off & it resulted in yet another choke hold, although from the picture it looks like a really sweet hug. We'll go ahead & pretend thats the case.

Vroom. Vroom.
This little black car was the car Hunter rode for the 1st time 2 years before

Of course I have the picture!!
Hunter Jackson, 16 months old
1st ever kiddie park ride

I should have looked before hand & put Slayden in the same shirt Hunter wore his 1st trip. Would that have been going too far? :)

I love this picture of them on the airplanes, they have the exact same look on their face... the annoyed with my mother & her camera face!

and of course Hunter & Aiden on the ferris wheel

Still one of my all time favorite places. Although Hunter is really into the "bigger" kid rides this year & Slayden's mom only allows him to ride the basic rides, so there is a lot of "splitting up" this year, but its still so so so much fun! I admit that I will be very very sad when my kids outgrow the kiddie park, its just such a special place!

Splash pad

2010-06-27T17:10:00.007-05:00

Once again, way behind on blogging. We had our 1st Splash pad trip of the year (late May) and the boys had such a good time. We have already been back a few time since. I wasn't sure if Slayden would love all the kids running around & all the water splashing in your face, but he sure did. He would throw his whole body into the water. Hunter hasn't done that great at the Splash pad in the past, he has such a short attention span, and usually gets frustrated by all the other kids or is ready to run down to the park & swing, but his year he has done so much better. I usually bring buckets for him to play with and I think that has made a world of difference, he loves filling them up & dumping them on people. That kids always needs a project!

Hunter & AJ having some fun

Slayden loving the water spout

sweet sun screened baby

all smiles

he would just sit there & wait for the water to shoot up & then just laugh -
precious guy

I'm glad my boys love the water! We've had a really fun summer so far & hopefully I will get caught up on the blogging soon so that I will be able to remember it!

And just for fun:
A reminder of my little Slayden last year
on his very first trip to the Splash pad at 3 month

Where did this little guy go????

Party Time!

2010-05-26T14:07:00.009-05:00

Slayden had his 1st bday party the day after his bday & we had such a great time. We had a "construction cookout" at Grandpa Prestons, and it was a little humid, but the weather ended up being really nice. I just kept flashing back to Hunter's first bday (when he was wearing that same shirt Slayden had on!) and it was just hard to believe that now his baby brother was celebrating his first birthday! I have a 3 year old boy and a 1 year old boy... it might get a little crazy this year :)

Anyways, I will probably quit blabbing about the party & let the pictures do the talking (warning: there are a lot of pictures!)

Slayden & Taelor-girl
Most of the party-goers were Hunter's buddies so I was glad Slayden had playmate his age! :)

Taelors big brother AJ
enjoying the jumper

happy boy

Hunter and Uncle Trav having a great time

It was such a windy day, the tablecloths & balloons just didn't hold up!

Slay & Grandpa Pat-tay

Grandpa preston & granny

slayden loving one of his most unique gifts :)
that silly dog rolls around & giggles over & over & over
quite entertaining

The cake

The dirt cakeThe cake smooshing
My favorite part!

Apparently Slayden thought it was body paint at first because he would dip his finger in & then rub it all over his legs & diaper. His bottom half was covered in icing! He thought it was hilarious. But after I gave him a taste he had no problem knowing what to do from there!

YUM
Then he said heck with finger food & just picked that whole cake up like a burger.
Funniest thing ever.

Beautiful baby
Love this picture

Cake is pretty fun

The big boys spend most of their time jumping or slip n sliding

Ty, AJ, and Aiden made a little time for some horseshoes & ring toss

Dad & Uncle Trav manning the grill

Happy Birthday my sweet baby boy
I hope you enjoyed your day!

ONE

2010-05-21T15:22:00.004-05:00

My baby boy is ONE today. I can picture so vividly the moment they laid him on my chest, the adrenaline rush I had the moment that he entered this world (thanks for deciding to come so quickly that mommy couldn't get an epidural!), the moment that my sweet 26 month old Hunter met his new brother for the first time, the happy fear I had bringing Slayden home, and I can still clear as day picture my 1 day old son laying in the lap of my 2 year old son & knowing that our lives had changed forever. We were four. Those moments are still so close to me that I cannot believe we've walked a year away from them. When Slayden was a baby and in that 'just layin there' stage, I can remember telling Hunter that before we knew it that baby would roll over, and then eat baby food, and then learn to sit, and to crawl, and to talk & walk, and that very, very soon he would be able to play with him all the time. I'm not sure he believed me at the time, but sure enough, those 2 boys have already filled this house with shrieks of laughter & shrieks of anger & tears of toys fotten over.... just like brothers do. That sweet baby has changed us all and I am so thankful for the day that he entered our lives.

Slayden James, at one you are a fiery little man. There is no doubt what you want, you have no problem letting us know exactly how you feel about something. You can throw a hilarious fit. Bang your sweet head on the ground, crawl around while dragging your head on the ground, roll all around flapping your arms aimlessly. Quite the show stopper. At the same time your all smiles, giggles, and squeals. You are still as sweet as you ever were, you just know how to break out the attitude when needed. Its such a funny stage. So many times a day you will crawl to the back door & point & squeal, and I know exactly what you want, you want to go outside (where you would stay all day if we'd let you!) but you get so mad when we don't go, and its the saddest thing, I think you think I don't know what you want, but I do, your coming through loud & clear, but sometimes the answer is just no :) That understanding barrier will haunt us for a few more months, but we will get through it! You love to swing, you love water, you love bath time more than anything, as soon as the water is running you bolt in there & its nearly impossible to get you undressed through all the flailing your body is doing to try to get in. You are a bit of a frustrating eater, not a whole lot of things you are interested in eating right now. There was a day that I thought you would never take a sippy cup or drink milk instead of formula, and then the very next day you were fine with both. No more bottles... hooray!

You are such a tall & skinny thing. At your year appt you were 18lbs 14oz (8% in weight) and 30.5 inches tall (75% in height). Its darn near impossible to find any pants that dont fall right off of your skinny little waist. Hunter was 19lbs even at his 1 year appt, so you guys are still running practically the same, but he was a little shorter. You still sleep like a champ at night, and most of the time take 2 pretty good naps. Although I think you will be ready to switch to one nap pretty soon. You have absolutely no interest in walking, its just crazy to me. I know you could if you wanted to, when I hold your hand & walk you are so sturdy & as soon as I let go you will just stand there staring at me with big eyes, and then you'll give a rotten little smile & bend down to the ground & crawl. You don't like to crawl on the grass, so you get up on your hands & feet & crab crawl... it seems to me like it would be a lot less effort to just walk, but I know you will when your ready! :) You can still entertain yourself so well. Its amazing how different you & Hunter are in that aspect. It doesn't matter what I give you, you can find a way to play with it. You are a terrible in the car, shrieking & yelling & throwing things. You do not like it, and that is one of the main reasons we have traveled so little this year :)

We have had such a great year. I am so looking forward to this next year, watching you grow & change & become a little man. You & Hunter are going to have so much fun this next year learning to become playmates. You two make my heart so very happy. I feel so lucky & so blessed to have you both. You are such a precious baby boy & I love you so much Slayden James! Having you 2 boys feels so natural & so right & like I am right at home in my own life. You make me feel like I have such purpose & so much responsibility to shape you & teach you & love you.... and I am so thankful for every second of it.

Thank you for a wonderful first year SJ. We love you so much and cannot wait to watch you grow! Happy Birthday baby boy!

Slaydie-baby's first hair cut

2010-05-16T17:19:00.009-05:00

The time had come for my sweet baby to get his first hair cut. That first haircut is so hard for me! Their precious silky baby hair gone. They change from baby faces to big boys in a matter of moments. This one was definitely not as hard as Hunter's first hair cut because I was a little obsessed with Hunter's beloved curls, but it was still really hard. Broke my heart a little. His hair was getting pretty long & looked a tad ridiculous when outside in the wind, so we decided it was time.

Isn't he the most precious thing ever.
Here is Slayden right before his first haircut with his soft, shiny, beautiful baby hair

He is surely the cutest thing ever

Look at those beautiful boys
I helped make them
I'm super proud of that

Me & my baby

AND here he is
my big boy
Seriously, how does a hair cut age them so much!

handsome as ever

He is a looker, ladies :)

And these next pictures make me laugh
Slayden devouring some pizza
That kid can EAT some pizza!!
I love his 2 front chompers hanging out :)

He loves to "share" now
holding his food out for you to take a bite
So sweet

Oh Slayden James, my beautiful baby boy
Stop growing up so fast

Trail Days 2010

2010-05-16T17:10:00.004-05:00

Every Spring Owasso has a Trail Days weekend to celebrate the birth of the town. There is a carnival & parade and a whole array of festivities. We were really excited for the carnival this year because Hunter was a tad short last year & had to watch his friends ride & I was big as a whale and not feeling all that festive. So we bought Hunter an all you can ride bracelet and off we went. I am so thankful we picked Thursday night (May 6, always behind!) because it was such a beautiful night & it wasn't crowded at all. We got there at 6 & stayed for 4 hours riding rides! Well, Chris took Slayden home about 8 because he just wanted to get on the rides with the big boys & wasn't too thrilled with having to stay in the background, hopefully he will be tall enough next year! Its nooooo fun to watch from the sidelines!! It was a really great night. Although a few of us were pretty darn disappointed because we had experienced the best cheese fries of all time at the carnival last year & had waited a whole year to eat them again, and the cheese fries booth was no where to be found. Many tears were shed.

My sweetest Slayden sulking from the stroller
Maybe next year buddy!!

Hunter driving the van

Chandler & Hunter flying the planes

Me and sugar baby

The boys enjoying the flying elephants

Hunter, Aiden, Parker, and Chandler
(the most beautiful weather ever!)

could they really get any cuter

firetruck fun

There was this fun house with all the hanging chains & spinning tunnels & weird mirrors (I'm sure you've seen one like it because this one was at least a million years old) and the boys LOVED it. I am guessing they walked/ran through it like 20 times. It was great fun. Hunter also rode the little roller coaster by himself, he has rode them before but always with an adult, and I may have had a minor panic attack before he rode it, yelling at him to hold on tight and all. I am so proud to be THAT mom. I'm working on it, but letting your baby be a big boy is a little scary. Of course he had a great time and it wasn't really scary at all. Me & Hunter also rode the ferris wheel. His first time on a real ferris wheel (besides the tiny one at the kiddie park) and I thought he might be scared being really high, but I assure you I was more scared then he was. Those ferris wheels that rock back & forth & only have a bar holding you in scare me to death, especially the ones at the cheap-o carnivals that probably aren't guaranteed to be the safest. But I figured if my barely 3 year old could do it I could suck it up and enjoy it, and we did. Although Hunter kept trying to stand up & look over the back & I was holding back a heart attack the whole time. It really was a super fun night! Those little carnivals have always been something I've enjoyed. Fun little rides without waiting in long lines, and all the junky food you can handle. Not the cheapest of nights, but something I think we will definitely make an annual event for our little family :)

I didn't take any pictures at the parade but both boys really enjoyed it. Slayden knows far too much about candy for an 11 month old, and he begged for & stole his weight in candy. Its crazy, my first child didn't know candy existed until he was pretty old, but Slayden has seen Hunter enjoy delicious treats his whole life & now he has a sensor for them. Its like he can magically hear any wrapper open from the other room, he can sniff it out, and he comes a crawling as fast as he can... whining, scratching, and fighting it out of your hand. I finally quit fighting it & shove some m&m's or a sucker in the baby's mouth :) Spoiled thing. Needless to say, parades are a hit.

Mini dates with HJ

2010-04-23T14:00:00.005-05:00

My blogging has been less than stellar, but we have been enjoying this Spring so much that I am going to "try" to catch up a little. We'll see how that goes. Therefore, some of the events in these blogs may have happened a while ago, but better late than never. I'm sure later on I'll be glad I captured these moments, even if 2 months late!

I love when I get a chance to do big boy things with just me and Hunter. Not that I don't love when Slayden gets to come along too, but its just a really special time when me and Hunter get to have mini dates! I'm sure in a few years when Hunter starts school, me and Slayden will enjoy our fair share of mini dates as well. I think I am going to tackle 3 times me & Hunter enjoyed our own little outings in one blog, although these 3 separate events all happened within a 3 month time period!

During Spring break (which was way back in mid-March, this was St Patricks day I believe), Hunter and I got to go to Kaleidoscope Childrens Museum in Tulsa with Hillary, Luke, and Ty. I had been wanting to take him for a while, and although it was a little more crowded than usual as a result of Spring Break, we had such a great time. It was bigger than I thought it was & had lots of themed kid-sized rooms. There was a mini cafe where the kids could pretend to make their own food & ring it up (which was fabulous for my son who is super obsessed with cash registers), they had a mini post office, drs office, beauty salon, and a grocery store where the kids could actually push around shopping carts & shop for food (Hunter LOVED this part!) There was also a weird black room, a tiny jail cell, a huge room with lots of games & a large jungle gym, a huge stage with microphones & dress up clothes, and an art room. We took our time & enjoyed most of the rooms. It was a fun day! I didn't take any pictures so the only ones I have our the few that Hillary took.

Hunter & Ty ringing up our food
(we totally made them wear those hats for the picture & they DID NOT want to!)

UH OH Hunters in jail (much deserved, I'm sure!)

Hunter & Luke in the cafe

Hunter & Ty shopping in the grocery store

A few weeks back Kristen had her nephew Brady for the night & it was such a beautiful day that we decided to take the big boys to the zoo in the late afternoon. It was such a GREAT day, perfect weather & hardly anyone at the zoo. Not many of the animals were out & about but I think the boys ended up playing on the zoo playground for over an hour (which mean mommies get to sit & chat on the benches...nice!)

Hunter acting his normal crazy self

not even sure whats going on here :)

waving to the zebras

I love this picture of Brady & Hunter on the play train
they are only 2 days apart in age & they both look so sweet here
They just kept yelling "alllll abboooaaarrddd"

The playground is pretty big but its pretty much guaranteed that your are going to find most little boys right here on this play train

These pictures on the drive home ended up being my favorite
Although the jam packed back seat created quite the loud drive
With lots of fighting, wrestling, and "bothering" eachother

Three 3 year olds in a back seat!
Hunter, Aiden, and Brady

Me & HJ just recently went to the aquarium with Raycel and baby Rowynn & Ricky and baby Abbie. I had been meaning to take Hunter for a while but just hadn't, and I had never been & really wanted to go. I think I would have liked to stroll a little slower & read all the exhibits, but that just isn't all that exciting to a 3 year old. Hunter was okay with the aquarium, he liked it, but wasn't super overly excited about it. We went during nap time & had to wait a WHILE in the room waiting for them to feed the sharks & he had a couple mini meltdowns but other than that we really had a fun time. He liked the sharks & some of the other fish. Wouldn't even dare stick his hand in the water to touch the shrimp or starfish. Mostly really loved feeding the turtles carrots off of sticks, he probably could have done that part all day!

Here is my big boy posing with the shark statue outside as we were leaving.
Cheesing as always.

And sitting on the crocodile which he had to do but wanted off immediately because it was hot. Although for some reason, when I've asked him his favorite part of the aquarium a few times he has said it was the alligator in front. Awesome. A whole aquarium & you love sitting on the alligator statue.Most handsome boy ever sitting in front of the shark tank.
Love this kid.

Sharks swimming. The shark tunnel was pretty cool. Sharks swimming on both sides & above you.
Feeding the turtles!!!

they loved those carrotshe thought this part was great
Its always fun to have some one on one time with this little guy. He's learning so much & I love getting to show him new things. He is just so handsome, and smart, and so much fun!
Thanks for still thinking its cool to hang out with your mom :)
I sadly know this won't always be the case!

One more month

2010-04-21T12:15:00.002-05:00

Slaydie baby is ELEVEN months old! I have been working on his birthday invites & it just seems so surreal. When he was a newborn & we were all so exhausted I would focus on getting to his first birthday, and wallah... here we are! I can tell you that this first birthday is going to be hard on me. I dread it and look forward to it all at the same time. I dread not having a baby anymore, most likely never having a baby ever again! I look forward to turning his car seat around! I look forward to no more bottles! I look forward to no more baby food! I am mostly excited, but still, having a little bit of an emotional pity party... which I am sure is normal. That first birthday is an emotional one, having to admit that the tiny baby you carried in your belly for 9 months & brought home in newborn clothing is losing his baby-ness more and more every day is hard.

My sweet eleven month old Slayden, I wish I could bottle him up. He is just so darn cute. I just wanna snuggle him. Last month I may have went on and on about his new found attitude, and although he still can have quite the attitude, luckily most of that ugliness was in fact a result of his sickness. He is back to being his precious little self. He is possibly the messiest eater to ever eat, can't keep that boy clean. Could entertain himself playing with just about anything. Has absolutely no desire to walk, I've never even seen him try. Would highly doubt he will be walking by his birthday. Loves to follow Hunter around and get right in the middle of whatever he is playing, much to brothers disapproval. Has claimed the red swing (Hunter's red one) all to himself, and if outside will whine & cry until he gets in it (luckily we've managed to convince big brother that the yellow big boy swing is much cooler than his beloved red one.) Loves the sand box, even enjoys eating the sand a little. Basically loves being outside. Is fed up with his car seat being backwards & his long legs hitting the back seat. Has a love/hate relationship with baby food. Some days he gobbles it up, some days wants nothing to do with it, you just never know with each meal what Slayden your gonna get. Last weekend at Incredible pizza ate THREE whole pieces of pizza. Wants nothing to do with finger foods or foods cut up small, wants to be able to hold his own food (which makes it very HARD for mommy considering most appropriate toddler food is cut into small pieces). Started clapping this month (April 14) and pushing cars with the 'vrrroooomm' sound (April 16. I think boys are just born knowing how to do that? I actually got a video of him the first time he started that, which I am sure I will upload later on!)

I am not sure I am ready for the first birthday marker, but it is coming whether I'm ready or not. I have enjoyed these past 11 months with Slayden so much. I am so overwhelmed with the amount of love I have for that boy. He just oozes sweetness. He very much is a mommy's baby & may even be clingier to me than Hunter was... if thats possible. He is such a handsome little man, his curly long eyelashes are perfection. I'm thinking his first hair cut will be coming here pretty soon! I'm very much looking forward to this eleventh month... so much to do, so much to learn! Their minds are such little sponges at this age, and every day is quite the adventure!

Boys are gross... here's proof

2010-04-19T10:40:00.003-05:00

Wow, there are just no words for these boys. I was getting on to Hunter for spitting water on Slayden in the bath & he informed that Slayden liked it. Sure enough, it was hysterical to the both of them. Boys are gross.

The rocking chair

2010-04-19T10:39:00.007-05:00

Hunter has always loved to play in the rocking chair. For some reason both boys love to play in the nursery (now Slaydens room). There aren't really any toys in there but for some reason we have had so many laughs in there. Its a happy room :)

Anyways, this was my chair 2 years ago

Its a little more full these days
a little more fighting over it
a lot more snuggling in it

When the boys were playing in the chair that morning the pictures of Hunter alone in that chair 2 years earlier kept popping into my head. What a sweet handsome little man I had, and now there are 2 handsome little men rocking & playing in that same chair.

Time changes things.
In 2 more years my rocking chair will most likely be sold
and sitting in some other house
rocking someone else's babies

I'm just so thankful for those 2 boys that fill that rocker

teephers!!!

2010-04-19T10:38:00.010-05:00

Okay, so this is the most awkward picture ever, BUT you can see that Sj's top 2 teeth finally popped through. I promise you, he has been working on those suckers since Christmas! Now he is the proud owner of 4 teeth :)

The puzzle box

2010-04-19T10:38:00.009-05:00

For the past few weeks if Slayden is in the playroom you can almost guarantee he is in ONE spot... on top of the puzzle box. He crawls straight there & climbs up on it & either looks out the window or turns the piano on & off & on & off & on & off and then the screams when he is ready for help to get down (thank goodness I have one overly cautious child!)

Oh man, he thinks he is BIG stuff

Look at me!
I seriously could have a million pictures like this
He is always RIGHT here
it is definitely his spot of the moment

Little stinker. He is so funny.

Whats funny is at 10 or 11 months Hunter could basically sprint & climbing on this box would have been no big thang... but for Slayden its quite the feat. He is so much more cautious & laid back & no where even close to walking. Hunter was my crazy climber.

This is Hunter at 13 months. He would climb & stand on his activity table.
He didn't even care if he fell. He had no fear of falling!
I can basically promise you that Slayders won't be climbing that thing in 2 months
I'm not even sure he will be walking in 2 months!

But for now, the puzzle box is his great adventure... and its super precious to see how proud of himself he is up there. I sure love that baby boy! Well, his big brother isn't all that bad either! :)

SJ & Davis Mae

2010-04-19T10:37:00.003-05:00

My great friend from college, Megan, came down to visit last week. We had the best time, but the really fun part was getting the babies together, of course! Her little girl, Davis Mae, is only 10 days younger than Slayden, and we hadn't seen eachother's babies since they were about 2.5 months old. Unfortunately Slayden played a little rough (probably from having a rough older brother!) and I was constantly pulling him off of her. He would pull up on top of her, sit on her, put her in a head lock, and pull her down by her hair... but the whole time she never cried... she was so tough! He was playing really rough & I was amazed by how much she took from him without getting upset! Of course, he thought he was just "playing" because he LOVES Davis :)

It was a really fun night. Luke, Ty, and Hunter just played outside with Hillary's neighbor kid all night (which made him seem so old to me!) and us girls just talked and played with the babies. Once the kids were in bed, me, Hill, and Meg stayed up late talking and looking at pictures... it was really nice to get to catch up! Hopefully we'll get to have more slumber parties just like it :)

Slayden James & Davis Mae
10.5 months old
little sweethearts

Slayden also started clapping for the first time that night
Here he is enjoying his new skill

Hill, me, Meg
Ty-ty and Hunter
Thank goodness we had Luke, our 5 year old photographer, that night :)

Easter weekend

2010-04-13T16:13:00.014-05:00

We had a really nice Easter weekend this year. Hunter really loved the egg hunts this year & Slayden got his first taste of jelly beans (spoiled baby!) We had beautiful weather all weekend!

Slayden James on his first Easter

and here is Hunter Jackson in that same outfit
Easter, 2 years earlier

sweet boys after church

beautiful day!
and the only way I could get him to sit still for a picture!

getting them both together in a picture
and actually looking, much less smiling
is NEAR impossible at the moment
these are my best efforts
lots of jelly beans were involved
hence the colored drool stream hanging from sj's mouth in most of them

slayden just looks peeved in this one
and hunters smile looks painful

On the Saturday before Easter we had a Sunday school Easter egg hunt over at Rusty & Raychel Stampers house. It was a gorgeous day, and they have a gorgeous yard, so it was basically the perfect hunt. I think they are going to make it an annual thing, which will be nice. We debated about going to the helicopter egg drop instead, like last year, because HJ loved the helicopter so much, but the idea of not fighting the crowds just to get a few eggs just didn't sound that appealing, and I am so glad we made the decision we did. Grandma Sisa was in town that weekend, so she stayed with Slayden while he napped, so Chris & I enjoyed the time with Hunter. Right when we got there Hunter was quite the cranky pants, I wasn't quite sure how it was going to go, but by the time the egg hunt started (& the candy was consumed) his spirits magically lifted, and we had a really nice afternoon!

So sunny

Spiderman basket was full & happy
I took Hunter to Target to get a basket & we wasn't paying attention, just admiring all of the candy on the shelves & I had convinced him to get a basketball basket although I knew he was only half way listening to me, we got half way back to the register & he finally realized what had happened & he informed me that "No, I wanted the Spiderman basket!" Oh geez... so we headed back to the back of Target for Mr. Spiderman. He just doesn't seem friendly enough to be an Easter basket, but whatever works for the "man" I guess :)

My little sugar sifting through all of his egg-finds
Its funny how 2 & 3 year olds get really hacked when they find eggs with money instead of candy! Oh how the tides will change.

jellybean anyone?

I'm really ready for this forced-cheezy smile to disappear so we can actually catch his handsome real smile in some pictures!

These pictures crack me up
Olivia, Hunter, Chandler, Parker & Aiden waiting for the egg hunt

this one is just priceless!

A really great weekend! We also had Easter dinner & a egg hunt over at dads with Trav, Lindsey, Grandpa Preston, mimi Carol, and Addison. Dad cooked a ham & dressing & the works... yummy! Hunter & Addison had a blast hunting eggs & riding the 4 wheeler with Chris. Lindsey took a ton of great pictures while we were there, hopefully I will have time to post a few of those soon... it was a really great end to the weekend.

Hunter didn't fully understand the meaning of Easter this year, but its really awesome to watch him start putting pieces together. Every week when I pick him up from his class at church he will tell us the things he learned about Jesus, and its so precious to hear his 3 year old version of the same Bible stories you've heard your whole life. Last week he told us all about how Jesus cooked all the people a fish for breakfast, he was really fascinated with it, he talked about it all day :) My prayer is that his little heart will hold tight to all he learns and will always be sensitive to the calling of the Holy Spirit, that he will always feel the love of Jesus, and that every year, with every story he hears, his understanding of the love of Christ and the Word of God will grow until one day he is fully ready to accept Jesus into his heart & continue to follow in his ways. I love watching him learn & grow; for my children to know Christ fully is truly my greatest desire. Happy Easter 2010!

Sesame Street Live

2010-04-13T16:13:00.013-05:00

One Friday night in late March I had gotten an email from the sweet Carri Lewis saying they couldn't make it to Sesame Street Live the next morning if we wanted their tickets, and you just can't pass that up. (Thanks so much!) We weren't planning on going this year, but to be able to surprise Hunter at the last minute is always fun! I had a million things to do that day so I decided at the last minute not to go, so Chris & Hunter enjoyed some bonding time at Sesame Street live, or Elmo's house, as Hunter named it last year! Its so weird to think that last year we took Hunter and he seemed so young & I had a ginormo belly & this year Hunter just seems so much older & we have a near-toddler with us now! Crazy changing year! I would have loved to take Slayden too, I don't think he would have stayed glued in the whole time, but he would have enjoyed most of it, but it was during his nap time, and like I said, I had a busy day! Chris & Hunter had a really great time & we were so thankful for such a fun last minute surprise. Of course, I sent the camera with Chris & some how he managed to get not one picture with Hunter in it! I guess its all about the show anyways! So here is what he did capture from that day.....

Tiny Tool-man

2010-04-13T16:12:00.003-05:00

One day about a month ago I was messing around on the computer while Slayden played in the play room & I heard a drilling noise.... I turned around & there was my wittle baby Slayden drilling at the tool bench. In that moment it struck me that he isn't my wittle baby at all anymore, he is becoming a big boy. There is no avoiding it, we are on our way. Not that standing at the tool bench & pretending to drill is even itself that big of a deal, but it just caught me so off guard because he had never tried to play with it before. He was so thrilled with himself, and it just seemed wrong for him to already seem so big! The first thing I did was grab the camera & shoot a little video, nothing exciting to those of you who didn't carry him around in your womb, but I assure you, the one who did could watch this precious little video over and over and over and over.

Such a big boy

Working hard

Never fails, if SJ finds interest in something it immediately becomes HJ's new favorite thing!
Hot commodity, indeed.

Isn't he just the sweetest little thing you've ever seen???

Ten Months

2010-03-25T13:31:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness
How is my baby already 10 months old????

Little one had a good month but I will say the theme of this month was ATTITUDE!!! How do those things sprout up out of no where? At nine months, sweet baby Slayden, by ten months, sweet holy terror! I had forgotten how babies communicate before they talk.... whines, whines, and more whines! This boy will definitely let you know when he wants something or does not want something. I think Slayden has just skipped the whine or grunt stage & went straight to squawking at me!! I get squawked at a million times a day, this boy has some serious attitude! Hunter didn't really ever have a huge attitude or throw a lot of fits, but I think we just might have met our match with this one! I hope I'm wrong & its just a short little phase :) He also started doing something this month that I cannot stand, rolling away while getting his diaper change. Oh, the dreaded diaper change. Poor guy gets a lot less diaper changes these days because I DREAD doing it! He screams & cries & rolls so hard that I have to hold him down with my foot or elbow. Most of the time he won't even be distracted by objects to hold or silly noises, he just wants away & it makes for an awful diaper change! Grrr, that is one thing I do not like. Unfortunately I think Hunter stayed in this stage for a while, so I better get used to it!

I didn't take SJ to his 9 month appt until about 9.5 months, so that we could do HJ's 3 year appt at the same time. I knew that Slayden had been congested & sick the weekend before we went to the doctor but I held off on taking him til his scheduled appointment, and the poor guy had a sinus infection & double ear infection. :( We have finished off his meds for his ear infection (which he gulps down like candy, just like his brother!) and he has another appt scheduled for Monday to recheck his ear & I really feel like he is still going to have the infection. He just hasn't quite gotten back to his regular self (or maybe I'm secretly hoping that his new found attitude is just a result of painful ears??!!) This is Slaydens first ear infection, I'm hoping that we can avoid having too much ear trouble!

Slayden also started making his Mmmm sound this month, which means Mama is now his most used word! yeah! I know he doesn't really know what it means, but Hunter didn't even start saying mama until 11 months so for Slayden to learn it around 9 makes me very happy! Mama's shouldn't have to wait so long to hear those sweet words! Although, they never grow old, they do grow a little irritating at times... I don't know how many times I day I hear Hunter yelling Mom, mommy, mommy, momma, mom, moooommmy, mmmooooomm, until I can finally acknowledge him.... ugh! A few days after slayden turned 9 months he also started dancing too. Now he bops up & down any time he hears music, so super precious! He also loves to play with a ball. Loves you to bounce it to him, tries to throw it back. He also isn't too bad of a dribbler. Me & Chris would dribble the ball a few times then bounce it for him, and a couple times he dribbled it two or three times before it would get away. He definitely has a lot more patience for things like that then Hunter did. My theory based on their actions so far is that Hunter will be a lot more athletically capable at a young age but that Slayden will have a lot higher skill level at a younger age because he will actually focus on a task. Maybe we can teach them to combine the two?! :)

This age is just precious. Those chubby little baby faces, half gummy / half toothy smiles, bright little eyes eager to learn, little bodies slowly learning to move (sadly along with that comes many daily tumbles & crashes!) It is precious and priceless and I am so not ready for this stage to pass. It seems like you look up & you no longer have a baby, but a toddler. Sooooo I am going to try my darndest to enjoy every second of babyhood that my little Slayden has left. He is too cute for words, and I wish I could tape every moment. I love my little guy so much more than I could have ever imagined, I want to memorize his sweet little face. Seriously, it should be illegal to be that cute, just scroll back up & take another look at the sweetie-sweet little face. Such an exciting ride! :)

(Recognizable) art

2010-03-25T11:36:00.004-05:00

Hunter has never been one to sit still enough to really color or draw or paint. He wants to do it & then sits long enough to color or paint a few scribbles, almost not worth getting the stuff out! So, I have to admit we have not spent nearly enough time in his life doing those sorts of things, because I get so frustrated with his attention span for them. Luckily he goes to school 2 days a week now & get his little "craft fix" on! I'm hoping Slayden will have more than a 5 second attention span for these sorts of things!

Anyhow, last week Hunter asked for a pen & a piece of paper to draw. He drew a few squiggly lines & said it was a smiley face, so I told him to draw a picture of daddy. I told him to draw a BIG circle with 2 little circles for eyes & a line across the bottom for a mouth & when I turned back a round he had done such a good job! It actually looked like a face! So then I told him to draw some hair on top & he did. I thought he did a really good job for his first face!

So here is his first "recognizable" piece of art: a face

Looks just like daddy :)

Sunny skies ahead

2010-03-25T11:31:00.004-05:00

We have had a few really nice days the past few weeks, which are always followed by a few cold, rainy or snowy days. I am really ready for some PERMANENT warm weather. Its too much fun outside!

We are ready for a little more of this!!

Watching brother

2010-03-25T11:17:00.004-05:00

These picture are from about a month ago, but I'm a little slow-go on the blogging. I hope that I can get back into some sort or rhythm soon and start blogging about our daily / weekly activities, especially now that warmer weather is near!

Anyhow, a few weeks back Chris had taken Hunter out to swing, but it was just a little too chilly for Slayden still (or for me!) so Slayden had to stay in & play. Poor guy just kept crawling to the door & watching Hunter swing. He would bang on the door & then look at me, pretty much begging to go out. He stood at the door for the longest time, just watching. I know that TOO SOON he will be a big boy & out playing with his brother! For now he loves to watch Hunter & really tries hard to get in on anything he is doing.

sweet little brother

Lately Hunter has been hiding behind a big chair in our living room & will yell "Swayden come find me" & Slayden will crawl as fast as he can back there & they will both crack up. Sometimes they will stay back behind that chair forever just playing & laughing, Slayden will crawl up on top of Hunter & tackle him, its like their first little game they made up together :) It usually goes well until Slayden gets thrown off of Hunter or bangs his head on the wall. Poor guy, its not always fun being the little one! I know the fighting will only get worse but I really love watching them learn to play together!

Hunter Jackson 3.0

2010-03-05T11:13:00.012-06:00

My Hunter-bear is three. I can hardly even believe I just typed those words.

I have seen this picture a bazillion times & could still stare at it all day. He is just so beautiful.

He is just as beautiful today, just a little more active :)

Oh my goodness, three years old. I have to say that I absolutely loved the terrible 2's. Which makes me a little scared for the 3's, I have heard some people who had a hard time with the 2's & some with the 3's, and our 2's were fairly tame. It was actually quite a great year. I mean there were some expected issues we had to deal with but all in all a smooth & SUPER FUN year. I have said this more than once, but the change between the ages of 2 & 3 is so dramatic but at the same time not that obvious in daily life. I mean, from birth to one is a complete obvious change, and quite the same with 1 to 2, but this year seemed so different. If you would have asked me if Hunter had changed a lot I might have said no at first, but then when I look back at video's or pictures from that time I am floored with how different he is! Its all these subtle changes added together! He went from starting to string sentences together to being able to completely express himself in nearly every situation. He went from jumping off the couch onto pillows to diving off the couch into a forward roll. His little body became so capable right in front of my eyes. I went from hovering over him at the park to sitting back & watching without feeling too nervous. This past year I went from changing his diapers, to changing his AND his brothers diapers, to just changing his brothers diapers. Gotta love big boy undies, possibly the cutest thing ever on those tiny little buns! He learned so much & developed so much, it amazes me to look back.

Obviously the biggest change this year was becoming a brother. What a great one he has been!

I think this moment will always be seared into my brain.
Sweetest ever.

I didn't let Hunter come to the hospital to meet his brother until later that day, after his nap. There was so much going on, and I wanted to bond with Slayden without distraction, and I wanted that meeting "moment" to be perfect... and it was. Hunter walked in with this nervous little smile on his face (and flowers for his mom!). He didn't know what to think about all the people in the room, he fell in love the moment he saw his brother, wanting to kiss him & hold him. It was pure preciousness. My first born is quite the keeper.

He was your typical active 2 year old. He started the year with the phrase "I do it, me do it" and that continued to be the theme of the year, it just became expressed a little more eloquently. Independent, strong willed, but all mushed together with this indescribable sweetness. That Hunter is one sensitive boy. He will tell you straight up "you hurt my feelings" and it will break your heart in two. He will cry if he sees you crying & he will hold you & tell you its ok. He wants everyone to be happy. He tells me a million times a day that he loves me, and shares the love with all of those he is around. He tells his buddies he loves them all the time, which I am sure will phase out soon when he is "too tough" for that. He also likes to tell people they are his "best friend" - he just changes his mind a lot I guess :)

He still expects fruit snacks when he wakes up from his nap, but now prides himself in being able to open the package himself. He loves nuggets (with "sauce"), hotdogs, and pizza rolls. He is becoming really aware of number groups, and will often tell me he has "4 nuggets & 6 peaches left on his plate" or whatever it may be. He loves to count things out & sort them into groups. I would say his favorite & most used thing of the year would be his red swing "the red one" which has been blogged about many times. Many-a-hour logged in that thing this past year. Although just in the past 3 months or so Hunter has FINALLY started getting into movies. Before he had only wanted to watch a few shows... like Mickey, Blues Clues, or George.... but at last he loves sitting & watching most movies. You never know which ones will strike his fancy, but when he finds one he loves he will request it many times a day, and sometimes will sit through the whole thing, and if you know my son you know that is HUGE. He is not a sitter. Not that I promote excessive tv watching in children, but holy moly that kid doesn't slow down & I am loving that he will take a little relax time every now & then & watch a movie! Especially through the winter!! On the same note, he has become a lot better about playing with toys. He's never sat & played with anything, but since Christmas he has definitely settled down & found more interest in toys.

Just in the last few months Hunter has learned how to unfasten his car seat buckles. It has been so nice! He knows not to do it while the car is moving & trust me is terrified of even the thought. If one of us doesn't have our seat belt on he yells at us to "get your seat belt on or a car will get you!" One night on the way home from target he had unbuckled one of his buckles & immediately regretted it & went into panic mode. I told him it was okay because we were almost home & it was only one of the three buckles, BUT he cried & freaked out until I pulled over & refastened it. BUT it is extremely nice that he knows how. Every time we get home or to wherever we are going (once the car is off) he will unhook himself & either climb to Slaydens side or over to my seat. I know its a little thing but it is SO SO SO nice not to have to go to both sides of the car anymore to get the boys out. And lets face it, Hunter will probably be 12 before he weighs enough to move to a booster seat, so he better get good & practiced at getting himself in & out of a car seat. That tiny boy may come to know it FAR too well. Hunter also has gotten really bad at stuttering when he is really excited or really wants to tell you something, or even when he is focused on something else but trying to tell you something. He just can't get the words out. Its a little frustrating but kind of hilarious :) You either have to let him stutter on through it or stop him & ask him what he is saying & then he usually is able to easily say what he has been trying to. He is also quite into what is an "accident" or "on purpose." ANYTIME, he does anything wrong or hurts Slayden or knocks something down he immediately blurts out "its an accident" even if it was perfectly clear it was on purpose. I have gotten on to him so much for it he now will sometimes ask "was it an accident?" We were swinging one day & I accidentally hit his leg while trying to push his swing higher & he said "you hit me" and I said "I'm sorry buddy I didn't mean to hit you, it was an accident" and he said "oh ok, accidents don't get spankings, only if it was on purpose!" I guess he let me off the hook that time :) Kids are definitely funny & figure out how to work things to their advantage way too quickly!

Its hard to believe that its been 3 years since I brought my first baby home. What a blessing in our lives he has been. I love that boy so much, and am so proud of him. He is such a sweet boy, and I love getting to spend my days with him. He makes me smile & laugh a lot, and he makes me want to pull my hair out about as often! :) I could truly stare at his precious, gorgeous face all day if he would let me. He has such petite little features, and beautiful green-blue eyes, and tiny little freckles beginning to form on his cheeks... such a handsome little man. Some day some little girlie is gonna try & take him away from me, and I will spend the rest of his youth trying to prepare for that day. He is all mine right now. The other day in walmart he told me that I was his "best sweetheart" & I am really thankful to hold that title for now. He is quite the catch :) I love my Hunter-bear with every thing in me & am so thankful for three wonderful years worth of memories! Happy Birthday Hunter Jackson Howell.... may your 3rd year be truly magical!!

I'm THREE!!!!

Wasterday

2010-02-25T16:59:00.005-06:00

Ever since Hunter started talking, he talked fairly clearly. He didn't mispronounce a whole lot of words or wasn't really all that hard to understand, so I got really excited when he would say words wrong! Its just so darn cute! From the age of 2 to 3 there have really been only a few words that he has consistently gotten wrong, and even those have begin to sadly be corrected. For the longest time he called a band-aid a boo-did aid. Not quite sure why, but I loved it. He was always asking me for a boo-did aid when he got hurt. Precious thing. When Slayden was a baby I always called him "our sugar" so Hunter would call him that a lot. Except for some reason when Hunter said "sugar" it always came out "shukle." I just loved hearing him call his baby brother "our shukle." But both of those wrong pronunciations slowly faded away. However, I am still left with one of my favorites, which I hope sticks around for a while longer. :)

Wasterday..... you may know it as yesterday. Wasterday means yesterday, or a few days ago, or 5 weeks ago, or maybe even a lot earlier that day. He hasn't quite grasped the whole "timeline" thing yet, but he has a great memory, so he is always telling me about things he did wasterday. Just the other day he was telling me how he got tootsie rolls when he went trick or treating with Aiden wasterday, which was clearly in October. And even told me the other day that he has his birthday party at "jump/slide" wasterday, which was almost a year ago! But most of the time, he uses it when talking about things that really were yesterday, or recent. He is truly precious, that boy, and growing into such a great story teller. I love to hear his stories & his version of things! So if he tells you some story & it happened wasterday, don't you dare correct him... I want to hold onto his little-ness as long as I can!! He has provided me with so many wonderful wasterdays :)

Nine months

2010-02-21T20:47:00.005-06:00

Slayden James Howell
9 months old

I cannot for a second believe that Slayden is nine months old. I think the nine month mark is always such a weird time for a mom because not only does it seem too incredibly close to one, but it means our sweet babies have now been here with us longer than they were inside of us. Makes it seem like a really long pregnancy when looked at that way. My little man has changed so much in these last nine months, and he has completely stolen my heart. What a little dream he has been (besides his 7th month of course, where he was anything but dream-like!) :) I haven't taken him in for his 9 month checkup yet because I plan on doing that & Hunter's 3 year check up at the same time, but I can't wait to find out his exact weight & measurements. I'm hoping that at least one of my boys will be able to turn that car seat around at a year! I am pretty sure Slayden will hit 20 pounds before then, but I guess you never go. He his definitely long & lean!

Oh man, SJ has changed so much this past month. He started waving bye bye (and I like to think he says hi & bye sometimes when he does it, but Chris thinks I'm exaggerating it quite a bit, probably am!) He is so cute when he gets his little hand going & he is so proud of himself. He started pulling up right after he turned 8 months & its so cute to have him standing at his crib waiting for me! And then he started crawling a few weeks ago. He could not be happier right now. He had been a little whiny before, probably because he was so frustrated with his inability to get what he wanted, but he has been so so so happy since he started crawling. He is always smiling & bouncing up & down. Him & Hunter are still polar opposites in their little personalities. When Hunter learned how to crawl, he crawled & crawled & crawled until he had it mastered. By the time he had crawled a week he was fast as a bullet. After he learned to crawl, thats all he did. There was no time to sit & play with toys, there was only time for crawling, exploring, and getting in to trouble. Slayden on the other hand can crawl, but only really crawls out of necessity. He is still perfectly content sitting & playing with all his toys, roaming around only when something is out of his reach. He rarely leaves the room he is in unless he is trying to get to someone else. I love it! Hopefully he will keep to this same philosophy once he starts walking & I won't have to chase a sprinting toddler ALL over the place ALL the time. My first born son was a tad exhausting (but precious & wonderful & so much fun, of course!)

We love little brother!

Slayden is definitely turning out to be another mama's boy... he thinks his daddy is hilarious, and just like Hunter, would laugh & smile for Chris more than he will for anyone else, but he wants to do it all safe & securely from his mama's arms. He is not a big fan of anyone else holding him if he can see his mama. It just makes no sense to him! My favorite thing about him the past few months is that when I go to get him out of his bed in the morning or from his naps he gets so excited & ALWAYS gives me the biggest hug when I pick him up. He wraps his little arms around & lays his head on my shoulders & squeezes. It is the best! Hunter wasn't necessarily snuggly or a hugger when he was a baby so I love that I get some snuggle time with my sweet Slayden. Also, when I walk in a room right now he gets so excited that he bounces up & down so hard & kicks his legs. He is hilarious!

I cannot believe he has only been apart of our family for 9 months. What a special part of our family he is. Such a handsome boy! He has definitely come into his own look. I mean, him & Hunter definitely still look like brothers, but he is no longer his clone. His hair is so black, and looks like its starting to come in straight (which breaks my heart a little, I had visions of another curly headed boy!) And he has a cal lick in the middle of his forehead which will probably end up driving me crazy! He is tall & skinny. He has such green / blue eyes & the longest black eyelashes that curl up at the end. Preciousness. He has the best smile ever, never a half hearted smile, when he smiles its with his whole face! Slayden doesn't have much of a temper right now, he is pretty easy going. He has his unhappy moments but he's generally pretty happy. And if you hand him a snack he is sure to be happy, don't think my little man would ever turn down some food!

I love that boy. I love the stage he is in right now. I love the fact that over the next 3 months he is going to learn & grow so much & that I get to be right there with him witnessing it all. What an exciting ride motherhood is. You can't wait to see what happens next but at the same time wish time would stand still because it all happens so very fast! Big brother will be 3 in a week in a half, and I can't hardly even let myself think about it! I am the mom to 2 very amazing little boys!

First Wagon Ride

2010-02-19T21:26:00.002-06:00

We actually had a few nice days this past week & were able to go outside!! We are so stir crazy & ready for Spring! I can't wait to start going on our walks again & playing at the park & grilling outside & all the fun things that come along with warmer weather. Hunter has even been talking about it a lot. He will often say things like "when it warms up I'm going to the kiddie park," "when it warms up I'm going to go fishing again," "when it warms up I'm going to swim outside," "when it warms up I am going to swing in the red one everyday." He is READY!!!! But I have to say that we are holding up a lot better this time a year than we normally are. I am usually about to go CRAZY at the end of February & completely ready to get outside. I am ready for all the fun activities warm weather provides, but for some reason this winter has zipped by, which is a very nice change! Poor Slayden probably didn't even know playing outside existed until this past week. :) I am so excited to introduce him to so many fun activities!!

Anyhow, off my rant. I had taken Slayden to the mall one night while Chris & HJ stayed home. Chris decided that they would go on a wagon ride & it is seriously all Hunter talked about the next day. He wanted back outside! So that evening we decided to all bundle up a little & head out on Slayden's first wagon ride. Slayden loved it! We went on quite a long walk & he was so good the entire time. He took every little thing in & laughed & smiled & enjoyed the ride!

Here the boys are on Sj's first ever big boy wagon ride :)
They just melt my heart.

Here is the happy boy gearing up for his first ride

Hunter being his aggressive little self & climbing up in Slayden's lap-
that boy better get tough!

I think Slayden already realizes his brother is a CRAZY CRAZY boy!
He is quite entertained by him :)

Hunter gives Slayden's first wagon walk a big thumbs up!

Crawling

2010-02-19T16:36:00.004-06:00

Slayden started crawling last week & I have had some requests for some crawling footage.

This video is all I have at the moment, its a little all over the place and doesn't show much of him crawling, but it will do for now. I will try to remember to tape a short clip tonight of him in all of his mobile glory! He's gotten pretty good over the past week. He is the cutest. :)

The other day we were in the living room & Slayden crawled in the kitchen & took all of Hunter's leap frog letter magnets off of the fridge. It was his first real mess. I'm pretty sure I'm in for some trouble, and that my house is going to seriously suffer from an extra little mobile person! Oh my gosh, that boy puts everything in his mouth, I can't even express how many things I've pulled out of his mouth this past week! Hunter didn't really put things in his mouth, so this is a whole new ballgame. Hunter was too busy to stop & worry about what was on the floor... he was always on the go! Slayden can crawl well now, but still sits still & plays a lot, only crawling when he NEEDS to get something / somewhere.

My Valentine

2010-02-19T16:26:00.003-06:00

I am lucky enough to have 3 very handsome Valentines. Yes, I am truly spoiled. Although I have never been a big romantic or a big fan of Valentines Day & Chris & I do very little to celebrate the holiday, I did feel very blessed to have all my men with me this year.

The boys got a Valentine package in the mail from their Grandma Sisa & in Hunter's was a booklet of Valentines stickers. He decorated a few papers & boxes with his stickers & was so proud. Then the next day I was getting ready in the bathroom & Hunter walks in with the stickers all over his body & he was saying "look I have stickers, I am tough like Spiderman." No clue where that came from & I just couldn't break it to him that Spiderman most likely didn't wear little heart stickers on his body when trying to look tough. But isn't he just precious. :)

And so very tough!

Look at that sweet face.
I am one lucky girl, I hope to always be his Valentine.

To give example to how unconventional our Valentine celebrations are, instead of flowers, or candy, or jewelry, I requested rain boots for Valentines Day. :)

Here Hunter is showing off my V-day goodies :)

Much better than shriveled up flowers to me :)

Gettin cozy in the crib

2010-02-19T16:09:00.003-06:00

My Slayden is a late morning sleeper. He goes down at 8:15 at night & usually wakes up some where between 8:30 & 9 in the morning. I usually don't let him sleep past 9 because I want him & Hunter to nap at the same time in the afternoon, so if I let him sleep in too late in the morning it pushes Hunter's nap back way too late in the afternoon (mama is ready for nap time sooner rather than later!!) Anyhow, a few days in a row last week Slayden was still asleep at 9 so I headed in to wake him up & found him still in the deepest sleep in the most uncomfortable looking position.

This just doesn't look comfy to me! How did he even get his little leg that far underneath him?

He was still in a pretty deep sleep so I just rubbed his back & talked to him softly, but he wouldn't wake up! He looked so cute & peaceful that I decided to give him a few more minutes. I came back in the room a while later to find him like this:

Its like he was sitting & just fell forward.

Then the next morning I had to wake him up again at 9, and found him sleeping the same way.
Indian style & leaned forward

Funny boy!
I guess this is comfortable to him!!

I sure love that little guy & I am so thankful & fortunate that both my boys have been great sleepers. I really, really like to sleep. BUT I also love those rare opportunities where I get to watch them sleep & its one of the most precious joys of being a mother. Such peaceful dreams.

I also think its crazy how tiny your baby is when you first put him in the crib & then one day you look down & the crib doesn't seem so huge anymore. And now when Hunter climbs in its hard to even remember the days when he used to snooze in that very crib! It just happens too fast!

Laundry Basket Fun

2010-02-19T16:01:00.004-06:00

Since having kids I've realized that an empty laundry basket can equal hours of fun. But last week Chris went & upped the ante a little. They strapped a jump rope on to the basket & had some pretty fun train rides. I'm not actually sure if it was Hunter's idea or Chris' because I walked in on the middle of it, but it has become a nightly ride for the boys. It works much better than having to hunch over & push the darn thing & you can spin out pretty quickly too (when SJ isn't aboard, of course!)

Oh, what fun these boys are.
Really glad that my little Slayders is able to get in on some of the action now.
I'm sure he is gonna get a lot of bumps & bruises on his brothers behalf :)

look at Slayden holding on for dear life!!

What a good time looks like

2010-02-11T16:45:00.002-06:00

If you haven't had a good time lately, Slayden is here to show you what one looks like:

Winter fun

2010-02-08T12:44:00.002-06:00

We have gotten so much snow the past few months. It is actually snowing as we speak! Last weekend we had quite a bit of snow so the guys took the Hunter & Aiden sledding down a big hill on the golf course. I stayed home with Slayden & was so sad that I missed it. They went 3 times in 2 days & I am sure the boys were so worn out by the end of the weekend but they had a blast!! Todd even had a small snowboard that the boys went down the hill on. I am so sad I missed that, Kristen has video of it, and I am going to make sure to get it from her. I just can't picture it & I almost can't handle the fact that Hunter would be old enough to stand up on a snowboard & zip down a hill. They said the boys got really good & would make it all the way down a small hill before falling. How can they be that big? It made the guys REALLY ready to take the boys to Colorado for a ski trip. I can't wait to see the video, and I will be sure to share, because I hate missing any big boy moments!

Chris did manage to get a few short clips of the boys sledding. They had such a good time! I am really sick of snow BUT I wouldn't mind getting one more good snow so I could go out there with them. I am really regretting that I didn't make it out there to see it!

Mandatory Update

2010-01-28T19:38:00.004-06:00

Okay, well, its January 28th, and I have yet to have a post this month. Although I have very little exciting to say, 2010 was feeling quite lonely, and begging for an update.

I cannot believe my little Sj just turned 8 months. Poor guy has had a rough few weeks. Teething, clingy, whiny, not eating well, not sleeping well... pretty much driving us nutty! :) He has gotten his first 2 teeth these last few weeks & 2 more are trying to work their way through. Then this past week he came down with a virus & had been just miserable. Its not been our finest month... but we'll get through it :) He's still super cute though!

Hunter has been good. Is now potty trained... still has an occasional pee accident if we aren't at home, but potties like a champ for the most part. He just decided one day in December that he liked the potty, and that was that. He just seems so old to me all of the sudden. My little handsome man. I love hanging out with that kid, he is the coolest.

As for me, I celebrated my 30th birthday a few weeks ago. I highly expected myself to freak out over this milestone, but oddly it was quite easy. I worried all year about how I would handle turning 30, and it wasn't even hard. I just couldn't be happier with my life at the moment, I felt more like celebrating my 30 years rather than mourning them! I have an amazing husband & 2 beautiful boys, and I am so thankful. Plus, Chris pulled off quite a great surprise for my birthday... made it too hard to be upset! He had planned a whole weekend for us on my birthday weekend, and had asked his mom to come down to watch the boys. I knew that he had a weekend planned for us, and had booked 2 nights at the Renaissance, and we had reservations at Cheesecake Factory for Friday night, but thats all I knew. By Friday night, I knew something was going on at the Cheesecake Factory, and I had figured out that there were going to be people there waiting for me, but I HAD NO IDEA what the surprise really was. The weekend he had planned wasn't for me & him after all, but me & some of my closest girlfriends. He had 4 of my good friends waiting there for me (2 from out of town that I hardly see!), and we were the ones staying in the hotel all weekend. He had also booked massages for all of us Saturday morning at a nice spa, and gave me shopping money. :) I was so surprised, and it was so great to spend a weekend with my friends. We had such a great time, it was amazing, and the best present ever.

Other than that not much going on. We've all just been hanging out, patiently waiting for Spring.. and so so so ready to play outside again :)

*This has DEFINITELY been the longest I've ever went without posting. BUT January got at least one post! :)

I'll throw in a few pictures of the boys since this was such a lame month of blogging!!

Christmas 09

2009-12-31T11:04:00.007-06:00

We spent Christmas at my Granny's house in Arkansas this year, and it definitely was a white one! We were lucky we left when we did, much later & we would not have made it. Sadly, Trav & Lindsey didn't get to make it down because of the weather, and we definitely missed them! Hunter was so ready for Santa & all the presents... he couldn't hardly wait. Luckily, he wasn't too hard to get to sleep, I'm afraid next year he'll be to that age where it may be impossible to get him down on Christmas Eve, due to all the excitement! Poor Slayden came down with a little cold the day we left & has been teething like a mad man. He has been slobbering & whining for weeks now, poor baby. Luckily, a few days after Christmas a tooth finally popped through on the bottom, but we are still in full teething mode, I will be really thankful if he wakes up from his nap right now with 3 more teeth :)

Although SJ didn't have the best trip, we still had a really great Christmas. Hunter was so fun this year, and he is finally getting toys that are fun for us to play with also... Score! I wasn't the best picture taker... but for once we actually video'd quite a bit! It was a really special time, my big boy loving Christmas, ripping into his presents, and my little one celebrating his very first Christmas. So thankful to have Slayden with me this year, even if he was a drooling, little mess :) That baby boy is precious through and through. I don't have much time so I figured I'd just upload a ton of pictures & call it a blog or it may never get done!

Oh man, Grandpa got Hunter a Power wheels truck & that boy was in heaven. He loves to drive all of his friends rides, and I know this thing will get plenty of action (once weather permits!)

That was the hard part. Poor little guy loved his truck so much & couldn't ride it much because it was freezing! We let him ride for a bit & dragged him in screaming! And we have so much snow at home that he hasn't gotten to ride it yet, but he has definitely asked every day!

Soon enough, little man, we will have that truck geared up & ready! (If this snow ever melts!)

Its really quite cute. It has a working radio that was picking up Ft. Smith stations while we were there, and the truck bed goes up & down. He has already talked alot about how he is going to haul his new tools around in it & fix things.

He was a pro at opening presents this year

and he got a lot of great stuff
I sure love this boy

This sweet little one didn't really feel like opening that morning, so Hunter volunteered to do all the opening. & he was really just as excited about all of Slayden's presents.
What a cutie

Although Slayden did love to watch Hunter's train go around
But brother did NOT like it when SJ would reach out & derail one of his trains

I sure love this baby

Where's Slayden?

There he is

Christmas morning is SO exciting!
Biggest smile ever

We had a great time. As usual, I left the other 7 or 8 people that were there out of all the pictures, and only captured my kids. Oops! We also had Christmas with Nanny & Grandpa Pat-tay at our house yesterday, and I didn't take any pictures! But Hunter & Slayden got a lot of great stuff & loved hanging out with their grandparents. Our Christmas's are a little weird this year, really spread out. Which is fun in its own way, I guess! We still have one more to go, with Grandma Sisa, and that won't happen until she comes down next Friday. But at least I can keep getting all the toys situated in the house before a new round comes in!

I guess since its New Years Eve today, I will just sum up by saying it was a really fabulous year, full of many changes and a lot of adjustments for everyone.... but it was without a doubt a wonderful year I will not soon forget. Our lives were changed forever this year when our household grew from 3 to 4. We all love that new addition very much, and can't remember our lives without him. Its so strange how each child has such a special place. I can remember there being a time when it was just Hunter, and I didn't know how I could love another child the same way I love him, but now I can't fathom what my heart ever did with all of this extra love I have for Slayden. I can't imagine him not being a part of my life, and even though its just been 7 months, I really am not sure how we ever went on without him. He is a piece of me, and I need him, just like I need that sweet big brother of his. I was so worried for Hunter this year. His little life was gonna get shook & changed forever & I really did not think he would handle it well. Much to my dismay he took it all in stride, rarely was there a moment where he even seemed phased by this change. He loved Slayden from the moment he layed eyes on him, and he has always wanted him to be included in everything we've done. He accepted him whole heartedly & I still am amazed at my big boy. He was such a trooper. He has the kindest, sweetest heart I've ever known. He is so sensitive & loving. I'm so proud of him this year. Although, as great as this year was, I am thankful to have transitioned into a little bit easier time. Newborns are a lot of work & we have reached a place that is quite nice, we have all found our groove & we are having a great time. I am so excited for this next year & for boys to truly become friends. What an exciting year it will be!

*UPDATE*

I forgot a story that I really never want to forget. A few days after Christmas I was in my bathroom putting my makeup on & Hunter came in & gave me a big hug out of no where. Then he said "Mom, this was the best Christmas ever." I got such a good laugh out of it that at least once a day he will still say "best Christmas ever." Crack me up. He has watched a lot of little Christmas shows & I think he must have picked that up off of one of those shows. Funny little boy, but what a sweet moment. I'm willing to bet that every Christmas will just keep getting better for that precious boy! :)

U-G-L-Y

2009-12-23T16:09:00.004-06:00

Last night we had our Sunday school Christmas party, and had such a great time! It was an ugly sweater, dirty Santa party. We had a pretty great turnout... but as usual, I really sucked it up at taking pictures. Maybe when Slayden is more mobile & I have my hands free more often I will be better, but no promises! There were a lot of ugly sweaters that I wish I would have captured, but I did manage to snap a few.

I had a couple sweater vest options for the party, but Chris was having a hard time finding anything. He came home the other day from Salvation Army wearing the most hilarious sweater, turns out he had bought a plain sweater & went to hobby lobby & bought some supplies & made his own. It was hilarious! So I had him make me one too :)

Here we are.
Those sweaters are true beauties.
Chris was actually our party's winner. Congrats Chris.

I didn't get to wear my sweater for all that long because it made it nearly impossible to hold Slayden. He kept getting scratched by my branches, poor guy! We had intended on gluing on a wood trunk for my tree & some presents underneath, but we didn't have time. It was still quite hideous, and quite possibly the most uncomfortable thing I've ever worn.

Me & Kristen.
Oh yeah, we are looking good.
Her shirt lit up & required a battery pack, which she wore in her back pocket
Classic ugly-ness

I have yet to look at this next picture without laughing hysterically
Oh yes, Chris & Todd
in FULL force ugly
This may be one of my all time favorite pictures
I'm sure the boys are glad that I'm plastering it all over the web

The Andersons, at their best :)
In the background is Kelly wearing an OSU t-shirt for the ugly shirt party
That right there may have actually been the ugliest!

We are very thankful for our Sunday school class & all the memories we have made with them over the past few years. The kids all played amazingly well together last night. As always, there was a ton of yummy food. There were a lot of ugly sweaters & very funny gifts. I actually brought home 2 pair of boxing gloves that I was super psyched about. If Chris happens to show up with a black eye, you'll know I've broken them in :)

It was a great night... and I'm thankful for all of the wonderful friends that class has sent my way! Its so great to see all of our kids becoming great friends as well!

Tub time

2009-12-23T15:58:00.005-06:00

I can honestly say one of the things I've been looking forward to the most since Slayden has been born was the boys taking their baths together. Not only does it kill 2 birds with 1 stone, but its just so darn cute! I bet me & my brother have a dozen pictures of us playing in the bath when we were toddlers.

Slayden FINALLY started sitting up, so now he can take his baths like a big boy!

Which means the time has finally come!
And it was absolute CUTENESS
I'm sure next year at this time when they have splashed water all over the bathroom & dunked eachother a couple times, it won't be quite as cute! :)

Hunter was loving it

Slayden was a little hesitant, but he still thought it was pretty great.

And this picture is totally unrelated, but now that Slayden is sitting they are really starting to play together. It may be my favorite thing of all time.

Love those baby boys.

Meeting Santa

2009-12-23T15:44:00.004-06:00

Last week we went to Bass Pro to get our pictures with Santa. Hunter was super excited and has really gotten into the "Santa brings you presents" thing this year. Everyday he finds something new he wants Santa to bring him, and the last few days I've had to remind him it might be a little late to be adding things to his list! Now Slayden of course had no clue, but it was his very first time to meet Mr. Clause. I've secretly always wanted one of those pictures with your baby freaking out & screaming on Santa's lap, but no such luck this year... here's holding out for next year! Hunter's never loved him but he's tolerated it & Slayden didn't seem to care one way or the other this year.

HJ at the North pole

Oh my, Aiden found a gun

Such a happy camper

My boys with Santa

Hunter with Santa.
All day he told me he was going to ask for a train & candy. I honestly thought he would freeze up once he got on his lap... he is a shy little thing. But after playing for a while in bass pro he got on Santa's lap & said "I want a train & a gun." Lucky for us we already had both of those things bought & ready!

Hunter with the Bass Pro Santa last year
2008

Nothing wrong with shooting a pink gun. I mean if your gonna own something pink, why not a gun right? Manly the pink up a bit. Funny thing is there was a shelf of guns at the front & Hunter freaked out wanting to take the pink one home. That kind of stuff nearly kills Chris :) But Hunter is in a bit of a gun phase, he loves to shoot. Watch out!

Me & baby boy

The boys favorite part was "driving" the real boats
I think they could have stayed on the boats all night... if it weren't for the fighting over who got to drive!!

This picture makes me laugh. So goofy :)

family shot
We took a million & never once got everyone looking
I give up for a few years :)

It was a fun night & the boys had a blast. I'm not sure Hunter can wait a few more days to open his presents.. he is ready! He has been really into everything Christmas this year, especially the tv shows. We leave for my Granny's tomorrow & Hunter keeps telling me he is gonna see reindeer flying over Granny's house... I guess you never know :)

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Lights

2009-12-12T19:56:00.007-06:00

We went to Rhema Bible College last week to check out their light display. We took Hunter last year & he loved it. The night we went was fairly cold but luckily it wasn't windy so it didn't seem too bad. Little Slayden was bundled so much that I doubt he could move. It was a fun night. I love the age Hunter is at now, he is really, really enjoying this Christmas season. He can BARELY wait to open his gifts!

Me & my goof ball enjoying the lights

and again
Chris let Hunter wear his hand warmer that he wears while hunting & Hunter thought it was the best thing going, and his hands did stay nice & toasy

We made him ride the first part because it would have taken FOREVER if he walked the whole way. But he was SOOOO excited when he finally got out of the stroller & got to walk around.

It was cold but my little guy was all smiles :) love that boy.
I realized in the car after we were done that although Slayden was very bundled up that one little hand had made its way out & it was FROZEN. Not sure how he stayed in such a good mood.

Me & Christopher enjoying the lights

Sweet little snuggle bug

We have gotten to do a lot of fun things this Christmas season so far, and I love seeing Hunter get so excited about each one. Its also very nice to have a baby around this Christmas, nothing quite like a baby's first Christmas. We are so very blessed :)

Curious George Live

2009-12-12T19:52:00.005-06:00

In the beginning of December we took Hunter-man to Curious George Live. I was really excited about it because he really loved Sesame Street Live, and George is his favorite! We got Uncle Trav to come over & babysit Slayden (Scary, I know! ha! Travis actually had to change his first ever poopy diaper, and Lindsey later told me that he called her & she had to walk him through it! Too funny! But he did a great job & had little SJ snoozin' by the time we got back, thanks!) Mostly, I was just so excited to do something with ONLY Hunter & make it all about him. He has adjusted to brotherhood so wonderfully, he deserves to still have some special alone-time with his mommy & daddy. We went out to eat before, and Hunter picked Logans. I still hadn't told him where we were going (because I didn't want to ask me about it ten million times), so we told him while we were eating & he was so excited! When we went to Sesame street live he kept saying over & over that we went to Elmo's house, so we told him we were going to George's house.... yay!

It was a really fun night. I didn't like the show as much as Sesame street live, but Hunter loved it, and thats all that matters. I'm not sure if he liked the show the most, or the fact that he got his own gatorade & his own cheetos at the show. Probably the gatorade & cheetos.

Super ready for the show
thumbs up george

he watched most of the show like this
on his knees peering over the back of the seat in front of him
Whatever works, right?!

Me & my handsome man
what a big boy he is getting to be

Mommy & Hunter ready for the show

Daddy & Hunter ready for the show

It was a fun night! I love getting the opportunity to have one-on-one time with my big boy, and I love these time when we get to do special things together. I am pretty sure he had a great time, and thats all that matters! I love you little HJ, and because of you I have watched many-a- episode of George, and I now love that little monkey too!

To Nanny

2009-12-05T18:37:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Nanny,
Love- Hunter & Slayden

Happy half-birthday SJ

2009-11-21T17:52:00.003-06:00

Its seems impossible that Slaydie J can be half way to his first birthday! I remember right after he was born, when your in that really hard, really tiring newborn stage, thinking that if we can just get to six months we will have smooth sailing... and we are already here! Luckily it didn't take all six months to get past the crazy part, but I still can't believe we have already reached his half-birthday.

I'm not sure I could even put into words how happy that baby makes me. He is the sweetest thing, just looking at him makes me smile. That little guy has the best smile... he smiles so big it looks like it hurts! He's just preciousness bottled up in this tiny baby body. Man, I love him. The whole time I was pregnant with Hunter I prayed for a laid back baby, even a lazy baby. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't love Hunter more, and he is the most fun ever, BUT that kid nearly killed me. He is a mile a minute, he was active from the day he was born... and I was exhausted & wasn't quite sure I had it in me to chase another boy as crazy as that one! Thankfully the Lord seems to have heard my prayers & found favor in my request, because SJ couldn't be more laid back. He just chills & rolls around on the floor & doesn't even seem to be in a hurry to do much of anything. I keep waiting for him to start sitting up but he's takin' his sweet time. Which is perfectly fine, it is what I asked for! I remember the day that Hunter turned six months we bought him this little car toy with a steering wheel & I can remember him sitting in the floor unassisted just driving that little toy. That is just unimaginable right now for my little Slayders. They are so different in that aspect, Slayden still sits in his bouncy seat alot, when I check my email, sometimes still while I shower, and I have never once buckled him in. I've never really felt the need to. By six months we had already put Hunter's bouncy seat up in the attic... he would have never sat in that thing! I remember at five months trying to buckle him in just so I could check my email or something for 5 minutes, and he would be diving forward, twisting sideways, doing everything it the world trying to get out of that seat. I would eventually just give up & let him out.... never a free moment with that boy! I had a blast with my little spastic crazy Hunter, & I am equally as grateful for my sweet, calm little Slayden! Hunter started crawling at 6.5 months & I can confidently say that there is not a chance that baby will be crawling around in 2 weeks... thank goodness!

Oh my goodness, I love six month old babies! They are so happy, and Slayden is no exception. He's fairly quiet, not much of a chatterbox, but very playful. He loves to be bounced or tickled but is just as content to sit & watch his tornado of a brother run around & play. He loves to be outdoors & is still indecisive on how he feels about bath time. He's really hit a sleeping streak these past few weeks, often sleeping 12 hours a night... even 13 hours a couple times last week! No complaints about that! It feels really great that things are starting to even out again, both boys go to bed at the same time now, 8:30, and lately their afternoon naps are even happening at the same time! Nothing like getting a quiet house for 2 hours every afternoon! We are really in a great place, settling into our new little family routine. I'm so excited for these next 6 months. The boys are really starting to entertain each other & laugh at each other. Its going to be so exciting to watch that interaction grow. Hunter is so proud of him when he does something new or exciting, he cheers him on when he's playing with something or rolling around... he is really so proud of him. I'm sure all that will end when Slayden starts reaching for something of Hunter's!

I cannot even begin to explain the impact Mr. Slayden James has had on our family, and on me. I can't get enough of that boy, I may even be a little obsessed with him right now. He's just so cute & snuggly & sweet.. I am really, really, really enjoying my baby time with him. I very much enjoyed it with Hunter, each milestone was so new & exciting, but there is something very different about it this time, I am so much calmer & relaxed & so very aware of how fleeting this time is. Soon he will be running & playing & talking & I will have no more baby time. I'm not going to miss out on kissing that sweet baby's gorgeous cheeks a million times a day while he is still & willing to let me!

The other night Chris & Hunter were out of town & I had just fed Slayden & was rocking him to sleep. His bedroom door was open & I could see into Hunter's room. I had a weird flashback and was thinking about how Hunter's room now used to be our office, and Slaydens room now used to be our guest bedroom, and the office/playroom we have now wasn't even there, it was our patio. That seems like a lifetime ago. I wondered how in the world our house was ever dirty with just me & Chris living in it, and what we ever did with all that free time? And I was just so overcome with thankfulness for the continual mess that we have now, because with it comes so much more laughter, and so many more squeals, 20 more fingers, 20 more toes, constant entertainment, and so much more love. A kind of love I didn't know my heart could feel. I'm just so thankful for how our lives have changed these past few years. And amidst the house full of clutter-filled toys, and dirty diapers, and sticky fingers, and 2 year olds who like to strip down & stand up in their bed & pee while they are supposed to be sleeping, and crazy fits over the silliest thing, and zero free time, and rushed showers & limited down-time... there is a realization that all these things will pass soon, the good with the bad, and I have a feeling when my house is still & quiet again I will long for the days when it was filled with craziness. Its easy to get frustrated with the boys, but its never far from my mind how precious this time with them is, and how thankful I am for it, and how lucky I am to have it. And I think that my sweet Slayden has reminded me of this. How quickly time passes & how amazing motherhood is.

I know from experience that I'm going to blink & I will be writing Slayden's first birthday post. I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that its been six months since we brought little brother into the world & that this past six months has went so much smoother & easier than I could have ever anticipated. I cannot imagine an easier little guy. I may pay for that in the toddler years, but thats okay, because right now he just goes with the flow, and that is exactly what we needed! I love you baby boy and we are so thankful that you are in our lives!!

**UPDATE:
SJ had his 6 month appt today (12/1/09) & he weighed in at 15lbs 15 oz, so just about 16 pounds. I've been telling people that he is smaller than HJ was at 6 months but I just rechecked with the baby book & HJ was only 15lbs 11 1/2 oz, although Slayden got weighed about a week and a half after he turned 6 months so they were probably pretty close to the exact same. BUT Slayden is an inch & a half longer than Hunter was. Slayden was 27.5 inches long. He was 76% in height & 16% in weight. I can't believe Hunter almost weighed 16 pounds at 6 months but was only 18.0 at a year... that boy didn't gain much in 6 months, which is probably because he didn't sit still the whole six months :) Slayden doesn't show any signs of wanting to move any time soon so he may just pass Hunter in weight in the next six months! We'll see :)

Camping out

2009-11-20T15:32:00.008-06:00

A few weeks ago our Sunday school class had a fellowship at a place called Firey Trails. It was the cutest little place. Some covered tables, a big fire pit, a pond area where the kids could feed ducks & goats, and a lit up playground area. It was great. We had the perfect weather & had such a fun fall fellowship out there. After we played for a while we roasted hotdogs & had smores & then went on a hayride pulled by a tractor. The driver of our hayride had a few educational stops on the route we took, which would have been fairly interesting had there not been a ton of toddlers on the ride who could have cared less! The poor guy was trying to tell the stories of his ancestors & our kids were getting so antsy, at one point one of my kids (not mentioning any names), may have yelled out "I want to go, tell the man to drive." I'm sure you couldn't guess which one that was? We may need to work on manners :) But really, the kids enjoyed the ride... including Slayden, on his very first hayride. It was a great night & I sure hope we make it back there next year!

Here is the only picture I have from the night!
What is crazy is when we started the class, no one had kids, 2 girls were pregnant, but no babies yet... and now we are overflowing! :)

Last Friday night a couple families decided to have a campout in the Andersons backyard. Once again we had amazing weather... this November has been so awesome! We set up tents & the guys built a janky little fire, and we were ready! Once again we had hotdogs & smores & the boys had so much fun! We ate & played all evening.

Hunter & daddy enjoying some marshmallows

chillin around the fire

Chandler roastin a marshmallow
Chandler is a year older than Slayden so I love getting to watch him to
see what Slayden will be up to next year. :)

Chandler thinks his marshmallow turned out good.

Aiden, Parker, Hunter, & Chandler decided to play inside for a bit

Hunter & Chandler enjoying dinner

Chris testing out the tent

Kristen grilling us dinner :)

Hunter is soooo obsessed with flashlights right now

You can't really see us, but me & Sj were there!!

This cracks me up
The boys were zipped theirselves into the tent & kept banging on the netting wanting out
We debated keeping them locked in for the night, but decided to let them out :)

I'm not sure you've done backyard camping right until you've had the flat screen mounted on the wooden swing set!! True camping! The boys watched a movie to wind down.

And of course all three of the other boys: Aiden, Parker, & Chandler conked out on the blanket watching tv

But not my sweet boy. He was still wiry & ready for action. We couldn't get him to even lay on the blanket & watch them movie. He knows nothing about stillness. Finally he said he wanted to go home to his bed. What 2 year old boy would rather sleep in his own bed than OUTSIDE in a tent?? That would be mine. It probably didn't help that he knew I was about to head home to put Slayden in bed... that boy loves his momma :) BUT we got to go home & all sleep in our beds & we made it back in time to help with the big breakfast (which was so much fun!!), so all we really missed was the sleeping!

It was a fun idea & such a great night for it! And although Hunter didn't make it all night I know he had great time on his first camping experience. I think those crazy boys are gonna have many more backyard campouts in their day!!

First Food

2009-11-15T16:03:00.003-06:00

I can't believe its already time for SJ to start on baby food. I've been feeding him baby rice cereal the past month or so, but honestly kind of gave up on it because he wasn't all that interested. So this last week I broke out the baby carrots and it went really well! Slayden never even made a bad face and ate the whole jar!! Of course the next few times I tried he wasn't as interested, and the last few days I never even got around to giving them to him... poor guy! :) I couldn't get Hunter to try a bite, imagine that, but he was very interested in the thought of Slayden eating. Our baby is growing up way too fast!

first bite of carrots, yum

sweet carrot face

What a big boy!

Brothers

2009-11-12T16:02:00.005-06:00

Every week it seems like Slayden becomes more aware of his brother. He can't take his eyes off of him. He smiles at him & laughs at him, and I'm sure at times is a little terrified of him. Sometimes Hunter will come with me to get Slayden up from his nap, and Hunter will climb up on the rail & peek over at him & I'm telling you, that baby's face lights up. He thinks his brother is pretty darn awesome. Atleast until Hunter jumps over the side on top of him. I love getting to watch their relationship form & develop.

Hunter is just the sweetest big brother. Don't get me wrong, he has his moments where he's mean to Slayden (mostly to show off in front of someone), but for the most part he really watches out for him. He loves him so much, loves to kiss & hug & hold him and tells him a million times a day that he loves him. [I love that about Hunter right now, he will randomly out of no where tell me he loves me so many times throughout the day, although sometimes to get out of trouble! It never gets old to hear "I lud u momma" throughout the day! Love that sweetie boy.] Hunter gets down in the floor & plays with Slayden & just talks to him... its precious. The last week or so Hunter has said some of the funniest/cutest stuff to Slayden & I just wanted to take a minute to right them down before I forget them.

A few weeks ago I was in the bathroom getting ready for Bible Study, I had left HJ & SJ in the living room. Hunter was watching tv & Slayden was in the floor playing under his gym. I could hear Slayden yelling really loud playfully (which Hunter always thinks it means he's crying), and then I heard Hunter run down to him & say "its okay Swayden, I'm here." Then he ran into the bathroom to tell me he was crying, ran back into the living room & said "its okay Swayden, mommy's coming." Sweetest boy ever, I tell ya. This made my day! I've caught him saying stuff like that a lot lately, comforting Slayden in some way. Sometimes if he's whining or something Hunter will say "Oh, he just wants his daddy" or something like that. Funny boy.

On Halloween we were getting ready for the fall festival and I had gotten my black eyeliner out to draw on Slayden's nose. Of course Slayden was wiggling all around and not really liking it & out of no where Hunter just yells "no, no" & we look up & he is crying. Poor guy thought we were hurting him. He had the most horrified look on his face. Chris drew on his hand to show him it didn't hurt (and later that day Hunter stole my eyeliner out of the bathroom & secretly drew on his own face!) I hated that we made him cry but how sweet is it that he was that bothered by the thought of his brother in pain ( I guess only he can hurt him!) :)

And my funny story....the other morning I had Slayden sitting in his little bumbo chair while I made Hunters sandwich for his school lunchbox. Slayden's binky had fallen out of his mouth & Hunter had ran over & put it back in ( he loves to do that!) Slayden had dropped it again & Hunter ran over & put it back in his mouth, but then he said "I get it for you this time Swayden, but you drop it again I not get it!" Crack me up. I say stuff like that to Hunter all the time, I guess he thinks he is a little parent now. Of course a minute later Slayden dropped it & Hunter ran over there & stuck it back in his mouth... he's all talk :)

Love those brothers
(this picture is quite possibly the most precious thing I've ever seen)

Armed & Dangerous

2009-11-11T16:53:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago Chris & Hunter went to Bass Pro Shop & they came back with a little gun that shoots rubber bullets. Not sure if you should have a gun that shoots any kind of bullets when you have a baby in the house, but Chris thinks your never too young to learn gun safety :) I will say its a pretty fun little gun though, and I'm positive Chris has had more fun with it than Hunter. One day I caught him shooting across the room into one of Slaydens bottles he had on the floor. I guess your never too old to practice.

Total Cuteness

Look at this form!
Look at that pointed toe, looks a little to prissy for gun shooting :)
Love this boy

I'm sure it will be no time before this innocent little face gets shot
I guess when your the little bro it comes with the territory

Beautiful day

2009-11-11T16:46:00.003-06:00

Last week we had the most beautiful weather. Perfect weather. I wish it could be that nice always. Last Monday Hunter was in school but I couldn't stand the thought of not being outside. So me & Sj took advantage of the swing, once again, while Hunter wasn't there to kick him out.

This boy just brings JOY into the world.
He makes me soooo happy

Love his precious, perfect little toes in this one

Although we miss Hunter on Mondays & Wednesdays, I sure love the special moments me & Slayden get to have all to ourselves, well, and the 2 hours when he naps that I have all to myself :)

Halloween

2009-11-10T15:52:00.008-06:00

I'm a little late, as usual, but we had such a great Halloween. We went to HalloZOOween during the week, our church's fall festival on Halloween afternoon, and trick-or-treating that night. We could not have asked for more beautiful weather, I actually had to take Slayden home early from our fall festival because he was so hot in his outfit (and he needed a nap!) It was really a fun year for Hunter. He enjoyed all of the festivities, and mostly all of the candy. His poor baby teeth have probably already begun to rot. Hunter was a frog, which Aiden let us borrow from last year, and SJ was the monkey that Hunter was his first Halloween. Preciousness. Yay for the hand-me-down (aka FREE) Halloween. Cheapest mom alive.

Here we are on the train at HalloZOOween. It was a haunted train ride, and really quite cute. Unfortunately, it was very LOUD with lots of screaming, and Slayden wasn't the biggest fan. He may have screamed his head off the entire ride, poor little monkey.

Hunter, the frog & Aiden, the skunk at HalloZooween

Awww look how little they were at last years Hallozooween
Aiden, the frog & Hunter, the elephant
Slayden the peanut in my belly
2008

Chris & the boys before the fall festival
a million degrees outside

Me & my boys

Oh, my sweet monkey

Ready to trick or treat!!!

I was really surprised at Hunter during trick-or-treating. He had been so excited about it for so long and I just assumed he would get really shy during the actual performance, but he sure didn't. Candy is probably a pretty good motivator :) He was sprinting to each house, ringing any doorbell he could reach a million times. I went with him on the first few and he did great saying trick or treat and thank you. It was a beautiful night so we stayed out for a while. Most of the houses Hunter & Aiden ran up there all by themselves, such big boys, while we waited on the sidewalks, and while that sweet monkey napped in his stroller. After a while of Hunter going all alone Chris happened to walk up with Hunter and he overheard Hunter lifting his pumpkin basket up and saying "I want candy." Oh my goodness, I was so embarrassed. I wonder how many houses he had said that at? I'm going to wishfully think that might have been the first house he replaced "trick-or treat" with "I want candy." Boys are rotten from the day they are born.

RIBBIT

unhappy monkey

but still so sweet

Slayden James Howell as the monkey
Halloween 2009
5 months old

Hunter Jackson Howell as the monkey
Halloween 2007

ALMOST 8 months old

How has my big boy grown up so much in a year?
My sweet elephant
halloween 2008

What a fun year. Looking forward to next year when SJ will be running around with them fighting for candy!