HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!

I cannot believe that today you are 2 years old! I know it is cliche, but time has FLOWN!! I can remember you being born like it was yesterday, and remember how much I loved you from the moment that I heard your big cry and saw your beautiful baby blues. You have been such a joy in our lives; we never could have imagined how much love and laughter you would bring into our home.

At 2 years old you are head strong, independant, 2 going on 10, a serious conversationalist (your language ability is amazing, you come up with the funniest things!), a very polite little girl (always saying please and thank you), not interested in potty training unil you talk about panites, then you want to go get them at the store, loves babies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, coloring and anything that is "grown-up", you have a lot of friends, If asked what is your favorite thing about "school" (childs day out at Geist Chrisitan" you will answer "Liam"! Your Daddy hates that you already have a boyfriend!! I think that your ultimate favortie thing is Bulldog Games and Papa and Nana. You ask about going to Bulldog games daily and when we are there you are so well behaved! You know many of the players and can point them out in the media guide. You hae to go onto the floor when the game is over with Papa and roll around on the painted bulldog. You talk nonstop and keep your daddy and I in stiches much of the time! You always ask daddy "you alright up there??" when he is driving and say "hold you" when you want picked-up, you love eating anythign with "dip" (like father like daughter, I guess). You can count to 6 in spanish, your english counting is a little out of order right now...1,2,3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13?? You sing Row, Row, Row your Boat, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Zippedy Doo Daa, Hokey Pokey and Hey, Hey were the Monkeys in the bath!

You are growing up so fast your daddy and I can hardly keep up. We love you so much little one and Happy Birthday!!!

Candles on blueberry waffles...what more can you aske for??? She said cake!!!

Black Friday

Thinkin' about it...

Goin' for it...

Tasting it... Not likin' it!!!

We braved the crowds for some black friday deals...got a few, didn't get a few...and then stopped for lunch. Ella HAD TO HAVE that melon (lemon), same letters just in a different order, so we finally gave it to her and the pictures say it all!! I am not sure if she will need to have that melon again!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

And I suck and took no pictures today...SORRY!!!

Another...

You guessed it...Bulldog Game!!!

Ella sitting on the "big" bulldog statue in Hinkle Fieldhouse

Cole on the floor

Ella with one of her favorite BU players, Willie Veasley!!! We waited in line after the game to get autographs of all the players and then Papa took her over to meet Willie!! I wish I could have gotten her face, it was priceless!!

I really do think that we have her officially brainwashed!!! She can pick out at least 4 of the players in the media guide that she has at home!! What other 2 year old even cares to know basketball players!! She is so funny!!!

Bulldog Game

BFF's!!
Claudia

SPIN!!!

Yet another Bulldog game and yet another WIN!!! YEAH!!! I still cannot believe how great they both do at the games. Ella eats a chicken sandwich and colors during the first half and during the second she is usually standing around her seat and sitting on laps...but she doesn't ask to walk around or get in the isle, she just plays and watches the game. Cole Bitty usually naps a little and cannot get enough of looking and flirting with the folks that sit behind us!! I really wasn't sure if we would make it to all of the games this season, I just thought it would be too much of a struggle, but it is really enjoyable, and Ella jsut LOVES them!! We are so thankful to Papa for getting us the tickets and Nana for being our helping hands!!

Tub Time!!

Ella was taking a bath and insisted that Cole get in with her...so he did!! Aren't they cute!! He just watched her and tried to eat the water! It was fun! I can't wait until they can relly take baths together...kill 2 birds with one stone! Sounds good to me!

Jessie's Baby Shower

Isn't her belly so cute!!
Judy, Jessie and me

Me, Jessie, Grandma Hughes, Judy and Jessie's mom Mag

Besides the fact that I look awful in these pictures...doesn't Jessie look GREAT for 7 1/2 months pregnant!!

Today Judy, Mag, Jessie's sister Kate and I hosted a baby shower at my house. Kate made all the food and it was GREAT, as usual!! Judy made mini cheesecakes for dessert and I made a margarita punch (non-alcholic) that was a perfect addition to the mexican appitizers that Kate made!!

We had almost 30 people there and had a really good time! Jessie got a bunch of great stuff...they are almost all set for that little one to arrive!! They opted to make the gender a suprise, following in the McGrath footsteps, and we cannot wait to see who this little one is!! Scott and I are really excited to be aunt and uncle and Ella and Cole can't wait to have a cousin!!

Miss Tessa Rose Oliver

Kinda a funny face...she was in her swing!!!
Isn't she BEAUTIFUL!!! I finally got to meet her today!!! Her mommy, my friend from nursing school, Bri called me to let me know she was in labor and I was at work and got the message at 11:30pm and called her and she was in triage getting monitored...I wanted to go to the hospital SO bad, but I held back...and good thing I did because I ended up coughing all night!!! So I got the message from Bri's sister that Miss Tessa had arrived and everyone was doing well!! I was so upset that I couldn't be there, but I didn't want to infect anyone. So finally today we made it over. Bri was nice enough to let Ella and Cole come too, they kept their distance though!! Ella and Zayne, the doggie, played! Zayne had a hard time sharing toys...but he will learn soon enough!!! Thanks Bri for letting us come and meet your beautiful baby girl, she is just too precious!! Please let us know if you need anything...we can't wait to help!!!

Dedication

The proud god parents

Nap time!

Reverend Randy walking the kiddos around to the congregation! I couldn't believe that Ella went...they both did GREAT!!!

We did a christening for Ella at St. Luke's and since we rarely attend services

there we decided to have the kids dedicated at Geist Christian Church, which is where we attend, and where Ella goes to child's day out. It was a really beautiful service and we can't thank everyone enough for coming and supporting the kids and us! The neatest part was that this was also the service that they had a rose on the alter for Tessa Rose, my friend Bri's new baby girl!

The first of many!

Sacked-out!! At least he made it through half-time!!!

Ella making the "bulldog" face!

Her favorite...the cheerleading outfit!

SOOO Excited about his First EVER Butler game!!

Ella has been asking for weeks now that she wants to go to the Bulldog game! She couldn't have done better! She ate a hot dog, watched the band and cheerleaders, cheered for Willie Veasley and had a GREAT time!! Cole was sooo good too! He had a rumpled brow when we first walked out there and he heard all of the loud music, but he soon was hooked! He sat and looked and watched, then got tuckered-out and fell asleep! He even "caught" his first t-shirt! Too bad it's an XL!

PS-The guys looked GREAT! They won by 30 points! Who cares that they are young!!

First Bites!

Big sister supervising!

We weren't going fast enough so he had a bite or two of his bib!

Some went in...most came out!!

He really enjoyed his first attempts at rice cereal. He kept trying to grab the spoon, but eventually figured out to open his mouth and keep his hands down. He caught on quicker than Ella did, but I tried her at 4 months and I waited longer with him...or he is just going to be more of an eater...which wouldn't be a bad thing!!

Froggy towel

Couldn't resist!! Just too cute after bath time!

It's never going to end!!

Cole did wear his costume for a while...but it was too HOT! How often can you say that November first is in the 80's!!

I didn't get a picture of everyone...but here are a few! We went to the Reusser's for a great party. The kids all had a ball and I think that the mommies and daddies did too! There is one pic that is missing...can you figure out which one??

Cole and Charlie...wanna guess why??

Charlie was afraid of Cole in his Squirt costume!! Everytime Cole came near him he would cry!! Poor baby!!!!

Thanks Reussers for a great time!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Waht a night!! Ella LOVED trick or treating!! I think that she would have done it all night long...and she doesn't even eat candy!! We stopped by Uncle Chad and Aunt Jessie's and then off to Papa and Nana's.