daddy's birthday

We had so much fun preparing for daddy's birthday celebration this year.  Andrew is at the age where he just loves when it is someone's birthday.  He loves making the cake, buying and giving the presents, everything.  It is so sweet.

I always try to involve him in the planning and preparation for birthdays.  I'm so happy he enjoys celebrating all birthdays, not just his own!

I asked Craig if he could have any kind of dessert, what would he want.  He picked a jello poke cake, so I found this one for St. Patty's Day!  It was soooo delicious!

This sweet little girl just loves her daddy.  She is a mama's girl, but when daddy gets home, she always reaches for him.  In the mornings, she knows he is the one to get her dressed and feed her.  It is their special time together.  The other morning I was helping Craig since he had a meeting and I was dressing her and she kept looking at me and saying "Da da da da da da" like she wondered where he was.  It was so precious.

She loves it when daddy does this!  We get lots of giggles and smiles!

My three favorite people in the whole wide world...

Andrew was so sweet- in the morning before daddy left for work he sang happy birthday to him!  Then when I went to pick him up the first thing he said was "we get to have a party now!"  Even just hanging out with our little family, celebrating daddy's birthday is a party to him.  I love that about him.  He sang to Craig again when he got home.  We grilled steaks and immediately after dinner Andrew was begging to open daddy's presents with him, he kept saying "I can help!"  I think he loves all birthdays because he still gets the benefits- opening presents, eating cake, etc.  Ha!

Andrew was so excited to write on daddy's card and help me pick out and wrap his presents.  

*In the next few pictures, try to ignore Craig's pizza PJ pants.  These are his trademark lounge pants.  He pretty much lives in them.  I do think he'd wear them out to the store or somewhere if I'd let him!  Ha!  I asked him if he was sure he wanted to wear them in all the pictures because I was posting them on the blog.  As you can see... he could care less!  That's Craig!  Ha!  Comfort takes priority.  Gotta love him.

This was just precious.  We were at the store to pick out some things and Andrew picked this game because he and daddy love to play games together.  He could not wait to give it to him.

Of course they had to play it right away!  Ha!

He was so proud of the drawings he did on daddy's presents.  When we were working on it he goes, "Daddy's gonna LOVE this!"  This is his name and daddy's name and on the top right is a picture of a lion!  Ha!  So cute.

Little miss is into everything.  She sees things and just makes a beeline for whatever she can get her hands on.  I literally go along behind her and am constantly grabbing things out of her hands (which makes her super mad!)  Ha!  She loved all the paper from the presents!

Andrew also picked out an Iowa State football for him and daddy to play with outside.

We were just visiting and hanging out and I look over and my little girl is tackling the football!  Ha!

Please tell me this doesn't mean she's going to be a sports fan and not a girly girl!  I need my shopping partner!!

She loves grabbing our faces.  She just squeals and giggles- it's so funny.

36 years... and 8 months... on the same day!

Singing to daddy... it was so funny because I had no clue that these were trick candles.  They'd blow them out and then they'd keep lighting back up.  I was freaking out and Andrew was cracking up!  He was just screaming with excitement and laughing at the chaos of Craig and I scrambling to get them out of the cake and in water without burning ourselves or burning the house down!  It was pretty darn funny.  We all had a good laugh after that!

Andrew pretty much summed up the evening when he said, "I LOVE daddy's birthday!"

Craig was super thrilled the season finale of the Bachelor was on and we got to watch it after the kids went to bed!  Ha!  Just another Monday night addiction.  He won't admit he secretly likes it.  It was a great night.  We are looking forward to spring break next week!  Mine has already started and Craig's starts Friday. I am loving it!  Andrew keeps saying "Is it time for a lot of stay home days??"  

Yes, yes it is.

For me, there's just nothing that tops this togetherness!

Little Miss {eight months}

Miss Kerigan gets to celebrate her 8 month birthday with her daddy!  We'll be taking pictures and celebrating tonight!  Happy birthday to the very best daddy!

This has been a big month for you, my sweet girl.  You have done so many new things!  You are just growing up so much and it is so amazing to be a part of it.

The biggest news is that you learned to crawl!  You had been crawling backwards for a while, and up on all fours rocking, but you hadn't quite figured out how to go forward until now.  You go pretty slowly still, but you have definitely discovered how to get what you want!  Your favorite thing is to crawl over to Andrew's book basket and get into his books!

You pull out every basket and bin of Andrew's toys and put every single thing in your mouth!  It has me a little stressed out with all the small pieces!  You are keeping us on our toes!  I moved some of your toys to a lower basket that you can get at, but you still want your brother's stuff!  Ha!

You also started saying "Mama."  The best sound in the world to me.  One morning (about 5:00am!) you woke up and started saying "ma ma ma ma ma ma" and I heard you on the monitor.  I jumped out of bed so fast and ran into your room!  Daddy joked and said he'd never seen me move that fast that early in the morning!  Ha!  I was so excited, I couldn't wait to give you a great big hug!  When I got to you and picked you up, you just gave me the biggest, most precious smile in the world.

You are so adorable because you started giving us big, wet, open-mouthed kisses!  We love it!  Andrew, too!  You will just all of a sudden start to feel loving towards us and you'll lean in with your mouth wide open!  It's so funny and sweet.  You also reach your arms out to come to us now.  Usually, you reach for mama, but sometimes daddy or Ga Ga too.  Most of the time, you are still a mama's girl and I am loving it!

You love mommy's jewelry!  Every time I pick you up from day care you get fixated on my necklace or bracelet or ring.  You always point your little finger at it and touch it so delicately, like you know it is special.  You are so funny.  You copy everything we do.  You laugh when we laugh- it is kind of a fake laugh sound.  It's so funny.  When we pick you up, you pat our backs.  That is the most adorable thing ever.

It is so funny to watch your determination.   You get very mad when we take something away from you that you are not supposed to have- like the remote, mommy's cell phone, somebody's shoes, magazines, etc.  You love your toys, but what you really want are things that are not toys, and you are pretty demanding about it!  Ha!

Your new "big girl" schedule is starting to fall into place.  You usually eat four 8oz bottles a day now.  In between for lunch you eat cereal and a stage 2 container of fruit.  For dinner you eat a stage 2 container of veggie, or mixed veggies with chicken, etc.  You always sit at the table with us when we eat dinner and watch us so intently!  You definitely want what we are eating!  For now I give you puffs to entertain you while we eat, and you love them.  You are so cute because you point at them and follow them with your finger, then you'll pick them up and find your mouth.  You definitely love to eat!

You can pull yourself up in your crib now.  I can't believe it's time to move the mattress down already!

Good news- we stopped your prevacid last month and you don't need it anymore!  Mommy was so nervous when the prescription ran out and they didn't renew it until you tried going off it.  I didn't think it would go well, but you did great!  You just stopped spitting up, you eat like a champ and you are just getting to be such a big girl now.  It makes me kind of sad, but at the same time, happy that you are doing so amazing!

Changing your diaper and getting you dressed (and taking your picture!) these days is like trying to wrestle an alligator!  Ha!  You are all over the place and you do not want to be still!  I had to do all kinds of crazy things to get you to stay put and smile for this photo shoot!  (And your brother and daddy had to help- it never fails...those two can always make you smile so big!)  Soon we won't be able to use your changing table because I'm just so afraid you are going to roll yourself off!  You are wearing 12 month clothes, and some 6-9 month.  You wear size 3 diapers.

This pretty little dress was supposed to be your Easter outfit.  Mommy was worried you wouldn't fit into it by Easter, so I had to do your photo shoot in it this month!  The top part was pretty tight on you and I had to chuckle while trying to zip it up the back... you are a little too young to know what it means to "suck it in," but I really needed you to!  It wasn't easy!  Ha!

This month we took you to the park.  You just love it.  You would sit in the swing for hours if I let you.  I'm sure we're going to be spending a lot of time here in the next few months!

You absolutely love your jumperoo!  When we put you in it you just grin and squeal and giggle and you jump so high sometimes we think you might fly right out of it!  Ha!  You get your little legs going and you bounce super high!

You are a spitter!  You think it is so funny to blow raspberries at whoever you see.  You have gotten spit all over mama's glasses, and everywhere else!  You just keep doing it more when we laugh at you (and it is impossible not to laugh).

I can't believe it, but over spring break we are getting you your big girl car seat.  You are definitely big enough and ready to graduate from the infant carrier (plus you are killing our backs because you are heavy!)

I decided to do a 2-outfit photo shoot this month.  Mainly because you are starting to outgrow things and I wanted pictures of you in this hat!  Ha!  I remember buying it when I was still pregnant with you and just dreaming of my little girl.  I still look at you and you are just like a dream to me, sweet girl.

You are everything I could have ever imagined or dreamed of, and more.

You just melt my heart with those chubby cheeks and huge smile.  You have the best giggle.  We love to throw you up in the air and you just squeal and giggle so big!  You are the happiest, smiliest baby.  Everywhere we go you smile at everybody.  As always, your personality just shines more and more with each passing day.  We are so proud of you, baby girl!

And we love you to the moon and back!

spring fever

I just had to post this when I realized when I woke up this morning what we were doing a year ago today (and yes, I didn't even think about it or notice until I woke up today!)

My little man's 3rd open heart surgery- March 10, 2011.  It is just amazing to think that a year is behind us and he's as spunky as ever.

We are enjoying a low key day at home, enjoying the beautiful weather and getting some projects done.  Andrew and daddy went to set up all his Geotrax in our basement (ignore the ugly unfinished part!!)

We had been wanting to do this for so long- he has several sets but they were all set up in different parts of the house, taking up tons of floor space.  So we finally decided (Andrew was begging daddy!) to set them all up together.  Andrew has been playing with it all morning and loving it!

Andrew and Kerigan have been playing together so nicely lately.  His favorite thing is to get the blanket out and cover them up and get all the little stuffed animals out and dump them all over the two of them!  Ha!  Kerigan seems to enjoy it too, and they both just sit there together and play.  It is so cute and fun to watch.  Love these two!

We have had some gorgeous spring-like weather here lately!  One evening we went out to play with Andrew's new outdoor games he got for his birthday.

It was so nice to have daddy home after school so we could all enjoy the evening together.

Little Miss had fun watching her brother and daddy playing!

Andrew loved it when daddy threw the darts way up high!  One even went on the roof!  Luckily it came back down!

I couldn't resist... those cheeks are too stinkin funny!

Extreme close up of a darling little face

We took Kerigan to the park and she got to swing for the very first time!

She loved it!

I think she would have stayed in here all night.

Just for fun, I had to compare this to Andrew's first time in the exact same swing:

Ha!  Now that's funny.  He was about 16 months old in this picture- that is the first time we even went to the park, with 2 open heart surgeries under his belt, we didn't exactly get time to go much sooner (plus part of the time it was winter!)

He was not real thrilled (to say the least!)

He kept wanting out and crying!  Too funny.  He has never been into the swings that much.  I am thinking Kerigan is going to be different!

Andrew loved swinging her (just a little too high though!  Ha!)

Then he insisted on swinging in the other baby swing.  Sad part was, he actually fit in it!

Andrew had fun exploring his old park- we hadn't been here since last fall!

This is him the first time I pushed him down the slide!  Ha!  (He didn't really enjoy his first trip to the park, as you can see!)  But it's safe to say he loves it now!

She loved all the fresh air!  And it wore her out!  When we got home she crashed after her bath and bottle!

Someone else was worn out too!  Ha!  He definitely didn't forget how to ride his bike though!  He flew there and home, daddy had to run to keep up with him!  Ha!  At least we taught him last year how to stop at the street.  He is fearful of cars now (finally!  He's afraid of something he should be!) and he'll often stop way before the sidewalk meets the street.  He checks both ways very well and makes sure there are no cars coming before he crosses.  I am hoping this summer that continues since I'm sure I'll be carting him and his sister back and forth from here quite a bit!

We are enjoying the weekend before our spring break begins (mine starts on Thursday!)  I'm trying to get a few things accomplished so we can tackle more projects over break, like cleaning out the basement and garage.  Don't worry, we are making some time for a little fun, too!  And Monday is a special day- our little girl turns 8 months old on her daddy's birthday!  Looking forward to a fun week!