Having fun in San Antonio

Visiting the Alamo

Carolina Grace is a happy little tourist

The Riverwalk

There's always time to pet the dogs

Daddy gets in on the fun too!

Doggy Kisses

At the end of February we bee-bopped down to the River Walk area and the Alamo in San Antonio and had a great time! It was still kinda chilly, but it was a beautiful sunny day, and we had a blast and were so tickled that Ian could break away from training for the day.

Carolina Grace turns 9 months old

You've got the cutest little baby face

Such a sweet girl

This rocking chair was Mimi's rocking chair when she was a little girl. I didn't know this until I became an adult as I always thought it belonged to me since it was always in my room while growing up.

Can you see my teeth?

"Is this thing supposed to move or make noise???"

Of course there's always a reason to go to Chick-Fil-A...celebrating Carolina Grace turning 9 months old! Hee hee! Okay I know I'm pushing it!

What do you mean I have to eat my peas?

Daddy with his girl and Carolina Grace still eyeing the food

Look how tall I am getting

Carolina Grace turned 9 months old on March 16, and she is developing quite the personality. Carolina Grace is friendly, she loves to laugh especially with her Sister, and she is crawling around the house like she is on a mission. She also makes her way totally around her crib as she tries to walk holding onto the rail even though she is wearing her sleep sack.

1) Carolina Grace is starting to eat "real food" these days. She loves guacamole, tortillas, green beans, asparagus, bananas and pancakes; however I am not feeding her waffle fries or french fries just yet even though we do love Chick-Fil-A.
2) Still takes 2 naps a day unless we're out bee-bopping and then she'll take a morning nap in the car and she sleeps 12 hours a night.
3) She still only has 2 teeth!
4) She adores her Sister and wants to be wherever Ella Rose is!
5) She gets very very mad when Ella Rose takes a toy from her. Hmmm...I used to think she was kinda laid back...I'm rethinking this.
6) She LOVES LOVES LOVES being pushed in the swing
7) She is fearless, but she is sensitive (dramatic may be a better word) when she bumps into something.
8) She loves Creme Puff (the bear that Gran gave her)
9) She also loves her Auburn Pacifier, and she needs to enjoy it to the fullest for the next 3 months as she doesn't know that Mama is going to chuck that thing out the car window on June 17 (the day after she turns 1...oh don't worry...she'll never miss it as long as we chuck it early on)

10)Carolina Grace loves to sink her teeth into a good book (literally)!

11) She is very flexible and has visited 4 different church nursery's in her short 9 months of life and has adjusted beautifully! She is friendly but a bit more reserved with strangers.

12) Carolina Grace loves snuggling and very content being held
13) She loves just being a part of it all! Carolina Grace is such a sweet baby, loves to smile, and we are so blessed to have her!

For all of my bloggin' friends out there I plan on creating a keepsake book of my Blog so I can have all of our memories in one place one day as well as ordering one for each of the girls too. You can go to http://www.blurb.com/ and it will show you how to make your own book. I've just started working on mine so I'll post it when the finished project is completed (hopefully before they both go off to college). Even though I have baby books for both of our girls, this blog is really even a better way to keep track of everything that's going on AND you have pictures of the wonderful memories your family is making too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA ROSE!

Since this family loves Krispy Kreme doughnuts so much, we decided to steal Anthony and Beth's tradition and start getting doughnuts for the birthday girl or birthday boy for breakfast so for Ella Rose's 2nd birthday, we started out with a bang! Ian and I need to make a confession...all those doughnuts that O.T. and Matt brought back from The States for us while we lived in Germany...well Ella Rose never ever got one of those...my excuse...just too much sugar for a toddler...Ian's excuse...it provided more doughnuts for him to enjoy! Hee hee!

Look at that face! I think she likes them!

Sharing her doughnut with Papa!

I can't believe it has been 2 years ago on March 12 that our sweet Ella Rose came into this world! She has been such a precious one in our lives...filled with laughter, love and the most energy I have ever witnessed. She is one of the friendliest children I have ever seen and wherever she goes and whatever she does, she does it full throttle! Over the last year she has learned so much...she started running, she really started talking and she became a big Sister and a really good one at that! Oh our precious Ella Rose, we love you so much and we are so blessed that God gave you to us!

Our little daredevil and Ian's workout

Mimi and Papa gave Ella Rose this cool tunnel

Carolina Grace loves it too!

Mimi is such a great sport...crawling around in the tunnel too

Of course we had to get in there too!

Ian gave me these beautiful roses and Ella Rose enjoyed smelling them

Ready for the big celebration...YEA for ELMO

It was always a tradition in our family growing up that Mama would fix us our favorite meal on our birthdays so we grilled hot dogs and had french fries too because Ella Rose LOVES hot dogs.

Happy Birthday Ella Rose!

The birthday girl

We decided to have a very small celebration of just our little family and Mimi and Papa...days leading up to the party, poor Ella Rose kept saying "MIA" thinking her little friend from Germany was going to show up for her birthday party! Bless her heart...she still doesn't realize how far Mia lives from us now.

Yum Yum

"Daddy told me not to tell you Mama...what do you mean red icing?"

Ella Rose enjoyed her cupcakes and then was wired for about 2 hours

Ella Rose's new tricycle/moped

Carolina Grace along for the ride too

Playing with Mr. Potato head that Mimi and Papa gave her

UH-OH!

Okay so I walked out of the room for 2.5 minutes and for all you Mama's out there you know that it only takes a split second for your children to get into trouble. Well when I walked back in Ella Rose had taken Carolina Grace's diaper off and trying to put it back on her. I have never been so glad that I had just changed her diaper! Ella Rose has started becoming quite the little Mommy so of course she thought she was helping Mama out so I had to grab the camera all the while trying to explain to her that only Mama changes Carolina Grace's diaper but she can help as long as I'm there too.

Carolina Grace is just so proud of her Sister

The girls with Mimi and Papa

When we arrived in the USA on Feb. 9 Mimi and Papa came to help us the next day by watching the girls while Ian and I hit the ground running to find a house. What a Godsend! They are always so helpful and supportive of us. We found our place so quickly that they planned on leaving within 2 days but we talked them into staying for a few extra days because we always love having them visit and of course our girls adore them!

Carolina Grace's 1st ride in the swing...Feb. 10

Having a ball!

Mimi and Carolina Grace

Just chillin'

Is Papa a trooper or what...helping Ella Rose on the new slide...now she comes down this slide totally without any help!

Ella Rose loves playing with her Papa

Going for a walk

3 beautiful ladies

Mimi is the best and Carolina Grace thinks so too!

I think Papa is enjoying himself

If you double click this pix you can see what a 2 year old meltdown looks like...Ella Rose wants FREEDOM!

Mimi was always great about making everything so much fun when Anthony and I were growing up and now she does the same for her own grandbabies...having a picnic in the backyard