The Kanko Krew

"Jaeli, Where Is Braxton???"

2012-02-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

I'm forever "misplacing" Braxton. Oh, it's not like I forget where I put him, more like I put him somewhere and then he's never where I left him. If he's quiet and not in my line of sight, I worry. My house is fairly child-proof. It's just not little brother-proof. And, the other two are VERY imaginative and creative...

So, when I'm always asking Jaeli, "Where is Braxton??" she seems to have an answer right away...

Only One, Of MANY MANY Reasons...

2012-02-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

... of why I love my husband.

She Has A Mole

2012-02-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Jaeli has a mole that she is obsessed with.

Here are some of the things I've heard her say about this mole:
"Mommy, do you like my mole?" (This one question about a thousand times)
"My mole is sooo cute!"
"I like playing with my mole, playing games like hide-and-go-seek with my mole, running with my mole!"

Mr. Owlswald

2012-02-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

I think my first-born is a pretty good artist. I have things like this COVERING my refridgerator. You never get TOO old to have your mom posting your drawings on the fridge door.

2012-02-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

Just an interesting (to me) fact to post. Out of curiousity, I measured Jaeli's hair. 17 1/2 inches long. It's VERY close to being half as long as her height is in inches.

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Liam!

2012-02-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

So hard to believe that "baby Liam" is 1 year old now! What a sweet little blessing my nephew is!

Because I Smile When I See Him

2012-01-31T20:18:00.001-08:00

Because I Can't Resist His Face

2012-01-31T20:13:00.001-08:00

Because I Think She's Beautiful

2012-01-31T18:00:00.000-08:00

Still Learning!

2012-01-22T17:52:00.000-08:00

I got some pretty good shots of Braxton today while he was watching Gabrien and Jaeli play in the backyard.

Practicing with my new camera with lighting and stuff.

I hope I am getting it down. It is taking me some time.

But, at least I have good subjects to work with! Looking at these cute faces never gets old.

2012-01-22T17:37:00.000-08:00

Gabrien loves to draw and color. Like his "appuhl" he drew?

He even holds a marker the "correct" way.

This was why I said craft time was dangerous. He had marker everywhere! I didn't have time to grab my camera and get shots of all the places I found marks because I panicked when I saw it on my suede dining room chair cushions! Came right out, though. Whew!

I Only Panicked A Little...

2012-01-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

... Considering that little hand was covered in oatmeal and blueberry baby food!

9 Months!

2012-01-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

Jaeli Puppy

2012-01-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

Meet "Jaeli Puppy". She's been a part of our family for over a year now. She's raggedy, dirty, and needs her batteries changed.

She's also Jaeli's best friend.

Does Anyone Else...

2012-01-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

... Find things in odd places at their house...?

2012-01-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

I came up with a blank when trying to title this post. I don't even know. Maybe my creative juices have dried up. Hah! As if I had any...

Anywho, Gabrien has been on a cleaning kick. He gets a baby wipe and just starts scrubbing things. Not that I mind. Someone has to do it, right?

I love this next picture simply because you can see Braxton in the TV screen. Which can mean only one thing... Baby wipes work really well on TV screens...

Caaahhhffffeee!

2012-01-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to me, again! Love my new coffee-maker! I had never even heard of Keurig, much less researched one (anyone who knows me knows that I double research ANYTHING and EVERYTHING before I buy it).

I love being able to get up in the mornings, stumble downstairs and push a couple of buttons and viola! One cup of coffee, just for me! No measuring, no coffee grinds to mess with, no wrinkled up, wet and soggy, paper filters to mess with! LOVE IT! The K-Cups seem kind of expensive to me at this point, when I am trying to save a buck, but Amazon sells a reusable filter for this thing for around $10, so I can use whatever cheap coffee I want! Thanks Mom! This is really awesome!

2012-01-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Gabrien has been out of his crib and in a toddler bed since November. We had a plan. Get Gabe used to his bed and then move Braxton out of our bedroom and into Gabe's. It took a few weeks to come up with this MASTER PLAN with our sleep-deprived, exhausted brains. But, we did it! We've had them in the same bedroom for over a month now. The pack-n-play in our room has been disassembled. (YESSSS!!)

Braxton still wakes up a couple of times throughout the night. But, so far it hasn't bothered Gabrien. They even let me "sleep in" some mornings. Till 8am... hey! That's sleeping in for us! This morning, Jaeli came to me while I was laying in bed listening to them play, to help her button a pair of jeans for "Gabe and Braxton's party". I was intrigued. I HAD to get up and look.

This is what I found. I have no idea how Gabrien got into Braxton's crib!

And So It Begins!

2012-01-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

Our newest adventure begins! Potty-training my first boy!

With Jaeli, it was the easiest thing EVER! She just decided one day that she was going to use the potty. And, she did. No nighttime OR daytime accidents. EASY-PEASY!

So, wish me luck on our new household adventure! And, I have plenty of Clorox wipes handy... I hear boys are kind of messy...

2012-01-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

Wintertime Fun!

2012-01-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

He's At That Age...

2012-01-03T14:13:00.001-08:00

... Where I am finding things clutched in his little fat fists!

This time it just happened to be something edible.

Gabrien's morning biscuit crumbs!

8 Months Old!

2011-12-29T12:35:00.001-08:00

And, getting cuter everyday! (If I say so myself!)

*Yeah, we are a LITTLE past the 8 month day, but it's close!*

Christmas!

2011-12-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

We were able to spend our Christmas in San Antonio, TX surrounded by our awesome family! The next few posts are just some random pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

2011-12-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas!

2011-12-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

All I Want For Christmas Is...

2011-12-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

... My dream camera! Yessss!

My wonderful, sexy, funny, most appreciated husband bought me my "dream" camera for Christmas!

Nikon D3100!

It is taking me some time to figure it out... but I am MOST excited to be start posting some awesome pictures on my blog now!

Started Off With A Bang!

2011-12-29T11:35:00.001-08:00

I love looking at Christmas lights! I really appreciate the time, effort and money people with Christmas spirit put into decorating their places. This is the second year that I've taken my kids to see a lit up farm in Elkview. Hoping to make it a yearly tradition!

It's really nice because the kids can actually get out of the car and walk around and see everything.

Not to mention that there is also a Santa!

I didn't want to stress Santa out too much by putting him in charge of all 4 kids for that magical picture...

And, those two were the best pictures I could get! Gabrien hasn't learned the word "cooperation", yet!

A Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T11:36:00.001-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Gabrien!

2011-11-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

(And, Happy Thanksgiving!)

Two celebrations rolled up into one!

Plenty of food, family and fun! (And, chocolate cake!)

Alex and I had a blast making Gabe's birthday cake! Found an egg-free cake recipe that worked out perfectly, since Gabe has an egg allergy!

It tasted awesome, too! Construction Zone was our theme. Turned out too cute.

He really had a great time! Thanks to everyone for all the books and truck themed gifts! And, Mommy is just a little sad that her baby boy is now 2...

So Far...

2011-11-22T04:25:00.000-08:00

... So good!
He loves it! Thinks he is such a big boy!

Jaeli's Backpack

2011-11-22T04:16:00.000-08:00

Jaeli has a backpack. She takes it everywhere. It's bulky. It's heavy. 4.5lbs to be exact. I weighed it.
My curiosity got the better of me. I HAD to look.

2 pairs of sunglasses, 5 phones, 2 flashlights, a magic wand, 3 balls, 6 assorted little dolls, an old grocery list, a refridgerator magnet, 2 hats... too many things to list!

7 Months Old

2011-11-22T04:13:00.000-08:00

And, still smiling!
2nd bottom tooth popped through this past weekend!

2011-11-16T18:17:00.000-08:00

I. Love. Her.

Gabrien's New Journey

2011-11-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Which I have accurately dubbed Operation Toddler Bed.
I figure if I need to start potty-training soon, then we can't have him trapped in a crib all night now. Wish our family luck on this continuing endeavor. I will definitely keep you readers up to speed on how this is going. Especially since before this transition he was/has been our best little night sleeper.

What A Pain!

2011-11-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

Teething hurts! And, I'm "one of those moms". By this, I mean I hate to medicate babies. I had an idea once when Jaeli was teething, and have stuck to it with all 3. I wet half of a dishcloth, stick it in the freezer and the wet end freezes stiff. Then I take it out and and let the baby (Braxton, in this case) gnaw away on it! The dry end isn't as cold as trying to hold a frozen teether, and the roughness of the cloth feels good on the gums after the frozen-ness has thawed.
And, he loves sucking the water out of it. This also works wonders even when he's not "in" pain and I need 15 minutes to prepare a meal!

Where Have I Been?

2011-11-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

Let's just say that the sick bug came to visit our house. Only Caitlin and Alex weren't affected. Which makes me believe that they obviously don't spend enough time around me and the babies! I guess that's one advantage to being at school and work all day :)

Sometimes

2011-11-10T06:16:00.002-08:00

You just have to stop and smell the flowers.

I Think...

2011-11-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

... That my days have just gotten a bit harder!

With Braxton being fully mobile now and being able to go wherever he wants...

I am definitely going to have to keep a closer eye on the cleanliness of my floors!

Love his face!

Stationery card

2011-11-03T18:02:00.001-07:00

Truckload Of Fun Birthday Invitation

Turn your photos into happy birthday cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Aftermath!

2011-11-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Just some aftermath Trick-Or-Treating shots...

We tried all night to teach Liam to say "Mooo!"

Out of all the candy, Sir Gabrien devoured the suckers first!

The cow didn't mind his grass-flavored lollipop! And, Princess Jaeli loved "E'ERYTHING!"

Zombies!

2011-11-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

I don't have to be faster than the zombie, I just have to be faster than YOU!

Looking forward to making this a yearly tradition with my teenager. We had a great time!

Maybe by next year Alex and I will be infected, too!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

We had a blast!

Jaeli was our princess

And, Gabrien was her knight

And, we can't forget about the fierce dragon!

We all had a good safe night of Trick-Or-Treating!

Follow Me!

2011-10-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

http://pinterest.com/christykanko

My new crazed obsession, thanks to my friend CaSandra! What have you done to me, girl?? Late nights of looking at pins is not good for the bags under my eyes!

*Might I add that it's still a work in progress! I am still not sure about "stealing" other people's pins, but hang in there! Or click the Pinterest logo at the top and browse yourself!*

Oh, Kids!

2011-10-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

Put me in the zoo! (If you've never read that book, you really should.)
Jaeli's main objective lately is to make silly faces in every picture I take. Can't wait to see our Christmas photos!

And, boys will be... well, I don't know what they will be... ... however, I'm betting by this time next year Mom & Dad won't answer their phone on the nights that Megan and I BOTH need a babysitter!

Look Who's Walking!

2011-10-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

Or at least toddling!
And, not even 9 months old yet! Good luck with that, sis!

I think even his arms have grown longer! Love my baby boy nephew, Liam!

Another Bookworm!

2011-10-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

We made a recent purchase of a cube shelf for the boys room. Let me just say that Gabrien was thrilled with it! My heart jumps a little when I notice that he is quiet for an extended period (oh, let's just say for more than 1 minute!) of time. I race through the house trying to find what could keep him quiet for so long (which, trust me, usually means nothing good for Mommy).

And, just imagine the feeling I get when I find him laying on his stomach quietly leafing through books from his new shelf.

The "battle wounds" are from the construction of the new cube shelf. He fell through it while Daddy was putting it together and Mommy wasn't keeping him out of the way. Gotta love Neosporin, though! He is completely healed now.

2011-10-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is why I love Playtex bottles with liners!

You can drink sitting up!

Happy 1/2 Year, Braxton!

2011-10-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe my baby is 6 months old now!

A 3-Year Olds Prayer

2011-10-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

Jaeli: Mommy, are you eating Eggos?
Me: Yep!
Jaeli: Here, let me pray for you. Dear God, thank you for this day and thank you for playing with ma-maw and thank you for watching TV and Fruity Pebbles. In our man, Jesus Christ, Amen!

2011-10-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when I try to take pictures of Braxton:

It Won't Be Long...

2011-10-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

... Until Mommy is chasing one more around the house!

Braxton continues to be a joy around the house!

And, what do you think about the eyes? Think we might end up with a blonde hair, blue-eyed boy?

*Do you see the new bottom tooth popping through??*

My Girl!

2011-10-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

So very proud of my baby girl! We just received notification that she was one the top students to be on the WESTEST Most Distinguished List from last year in 9th grade!

Also, we are very proud of one of her most recent journeys to explore a curriculum outside of her "comfort level"... Any guesses?

AFJROTC!

Looking good, eh?

We love you so much, Caitlin! You make us proud and are amazed at your beauty, intelligence and humor that you share with us daily!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

2011-10-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

This reminds me so much of my husband when he walks in the door from work. When I hear Jaeli yell, "Daddy's here!" When I see Gabe running as fast as his little legs can go to try to get to him first. When I already see Braxton's face light up at the sight of him and doing his little "jumping thing" towards him. When I see my first-born daughter crowd around him as much as the babies, telling him stories, vying for attention, too.

Baby Braxton

2011-10-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

He's always like this. Such a happy baby boy! I just hope he stays this way!

*You might have to give it a second or two to load*

Thanks, baby!

2011-09-21T09:40:00.001-07:00

Alex always surprises me.
And, I love it!

So, thank you baby. For remembering me and Dion warehouse, where it all started.

Some Big Sister Time

2011-09-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone asks how Jaeli is getting along with ANOTHER little brother...
... "They do great", I say...

She likes spending time with him showing him toys...

... and takes the time to tell him how cute he is and give him kisses...

... However, there are times after their "playdates" that I will pick Braxton up and find handfuls of long blonde hair clenched in his little fists. She has learned to not get too close.

Happy 5 Months, Braxton!

2011-09-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

*Yesterday*

Well...

2011-09-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

... at least it was "just" sidewalk chalk...
And, you can see he was really concerned about getting into trouble...

Some Comedy Relief

2011-09-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Noone can make me laugh like my husband can. My self-photos are pretty funny, too. I don't think my arms are long enough for those types of pictures!

Oops! Didn't get Braxton in there!

Well, we are all smiling at least! And, obviously Alex can get the better angle.

I don't know whose face is funnier, Alex or Braxton's!

After multiple tries and multiple fails, I guess these are the best. Braxton will at least be able to look back and say, "Oh hey! I DID have a Mommy and Daddy!"

2011-09-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows Gabrien knows he is really into numbers right now. I mean, REALLY into numbers. He counts everything, looks for numbers on everything, reads license plates... things like that. He recently ran across the number 75. Here's the conversation that followed:

Gabe: Se-hen! (Seven)
Gabe: Pih! (Five)
Me: Seventy-five!
Gabe: No. Se-hen!
Me: Seventy-five!
Gabe: No no! Naw pih! Se-hen! ... Pih! (No no! Not five! Seven!... Five!)

This morning, he was anxious to go somewhere. Anywhere. Brought me his shoes and said, "Shoes ohn. Two shoes ohn." So, I put both of his shoes on and he runs to the door and looks back at me and says, "Bye Bye? Bye Bye?". When I didn't get up he runs back to me, grabs my hand and says, "Les go!"

His vocabulary has exploded lately. He makes me laugh. I love how he calls the shape oval "oball". I love his voice.

Right now he is interested in naming body parts. Loves pointing at hair, ears, noses and mouth. He is doing quite well with his colors, too!

Huh?

2011-09-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Jaeli: Mommy, my panties are wet, I need new panties, it's Saturday, time for new panties.

#1. What does Saturday have to do with it??? Seriously, how does she come up with this stuff??
#2. It's Thursday.

*As a side note, she accidentally spilled 3 drops of water on herself. She can't stand to have wetness anywhere on her clothes.*

Who's That Man?

2011-09-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

Alex rarely showcases in my blog. Simply because he doesn't like to have his picture taken. But really, neither do I!
One of the few pictures I have so far of him holding his last-born son. Love them both!

10 Minutes (At Least!)...

2011-09-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

... to myself! How do I accomplish this in the middle of the day? By brushing teeth!

First, I brush their teeth. Then I fill the sink with water and scoot up their step stool to the sink.

Instant playtime! What kid doesn't like to play in water? And, their teeth get a good scrubbing!

This is my favorite picture. Poor quality but at the time, Jaeli was being silly and giving Gabe the giggles :)

2011-09-11T18:58:00.001-07:00

I overheard Jaeli yelling at Gabe while playing in the yard this morning, "You can't catch me durrrty boy!"

Poor little guy. He gets called all kinds of names by his big sister.

Playtime!

2011-09-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Braxton isn't quite big enough for toys yet. Not for a lack of trying, though. His arms and hands don't want to give full cooperation yet. He is rolling everywhere on the floor. Can scoot himself foward on the carpet some. He tries his best to get to things. He is already doing the hand rake across the carpets to pick small things up.

And, his CHEEKS!! So hard to resist!

I just love them! And, his concentrating face is just too cute!

Big brother Gabrien is never far. Always making sure to guard what he thinks is "his stuff".

Goofy Kids!

2011-09-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how I had an opportunity to get some pictures of the kids when they all actually had clothes on, I jumped on it!

Jaeli is my goofy girl. And, I think Braxton is following in her footsteps!

They are both such hams for the camera!

And Gabrien? Well, he's not one to stay in one place for too long!

But, I actually did manage to get one with all three of them in the shot and looking at me! Yay!

2011-09-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Jaeli: Mommy, spell car.
Me: C A R
Jaeli: Oh, okay C E R
Me: No, C A R
Jaeli: Oh! C E R?
Me: No. It's C Aaaa R, not E
Jaeli: Got it! C A E R.

Diaper Duty!

2011-09-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

Lately, changing Gabrien's diapers has gotten to be a real hassle! He HATES it! Sometimes he even gets clever and grabs the diaper and runs away to hide it from me.

So, last night, in my frustration, I told him that if he isn't going to wear it on his butt then he can use it as a hat...

He loved it!

Walked around with it on his head for a long time thinking he was cute!

Would look at me with a big smile and say "Cheeese!", which means he is wanting his picture taken. Couldn't refuse him. His smile is just too cute!

And How Do You Praise Jesus?

2011-08-24T08:45:00.001-07:00

While cleaning up the den this morning, I ran across this "scene".

When I asked Jaeli what this was all about, she explained, "All the people are singing for baby Jesus."

When's the last time you sang for Jesus?

A Day At The Park

2011-08-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

This evening was the perfect day to take the kids to a nearby park. The weather was perfect!
Jaeli was always moving, jumping, running! Was hard to get a good picture of her!

But you can tell from her smile that she had an awesome time!

I love seeing my babies have fun!

2011-08-23T19:46:00.001-07:00

Love this girl.

... And Gabrien's smiling face.

Too sweet.

He had loads of fun!

Sometimes I just want to squeeeeze him!

Caitlin Update!

2011-08-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

While visiting her Dad in Florida, Caitlin decided that I probably didn't have enough to keep me busy at home. So, the night before her scheduled flight back home to me she broke her right tibia.

Yeah.

Lucky me. The only kid I had that could fix her own meals and take her own baths. Not now.

Does anyone realize how difficult it is to take care of a teen with a broken leg??? Sheesh!

*Of course I am the one who has to take care of all the x-rays, cast fittings, multiple ortho-trauma doctor office visits*

4 Months Old!

2011-08-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

With some babies you can tell right away what kind of temperament they will have. This has been so true of Braxton so far. This baby will take anything and everything with a smile. In the middle of feeding him and have to unlatch him to chase Gabe down from some scary height? No problem. He'll wait patiently. Have to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of the family? No problem. Lay him down on the floor and he'll occupy himself until you come back.

He has by far been the easiest BABY of the group. Oh sure, he'll cry and fuss. But, that's only if we've forgotten that he's even there! Just kidding! We know he's there. Mostly. He loves watching big brother and big sister play. At 4 months he is already trying to crawl, and will actually even scoot himself forward on his belly some just to try to get to them! He is also my most snuggliest baby of the group. I am just hoping he doesn't bust out any/all of his bad traits in toddlerhood all at once!

21 Months Old!

2011-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

Just a few little fun facts about my first-born son.

Right now I am having a dilemma regarding his hair. I keep trimming the bangs out of his eyes myself. Which results in crookedness. And, what Caitlin calls a bowl-mullet. He has had one professional trim. But, I just can't bring myself to cut it all off at this time. It's so soft. It still makes him look like my baby. I like watching it blow in the wind. But, most days it is hardened with food. Sticky. Sticking out. If a noodle gets caught in it, it takes me several days to get it out.

On a brighter note, I am starting to feel better about his thinking abilities. I am starting to think that maybe, just maybe, there might be an actual brain in that noggin of his! As soon as I started to feel concerned about his talking ability, to the point of signing him up for Birth to Three program, he started busting out some 2 word sentences. One of the questions asked by a worker from the program was if he was making his wants known. Uuummmm.... does crying, whining, screaming, throwing himself down on the floor, beating his chest with his fists while doing a Tarzan battle yell count? No? Does bringing me his juice cup and saying, "Uuuunnnggg" count? No? We were sooo close to having a formal interview! Then he says, "I caught it!" and "It's mine" and "yesh I done" and "shut it!" I think he knew what I was signing him up for. I think he has been playing ME for the dummy. I think maybe I AM the dummy.

In the past month he has learned to count from 1-10 forward AND backwards. Can name any number and shape when asked. Is currently learning his colors and letters. I think he has been playing me this whole time.

2011-08-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

I love these babies with all of my heart. I wouldn't change a thing. Ever.

Busy?....

2011-08-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

...Why, yes! I am!

3 Years Old!

2011-08-22T18:13:00.001-07:00

Yay for 3 year olds!

Jaeli helped Mommy make her birthday cake. I think it turned out pretty awesome for my first attempt! It actually wasn't that hard, just time consuming while trying to take care of 3 little ones at the same time!

We really didn't have a "theme". She just wanted "pink and purple". And, she loves flowers. So viola! A "kind-of" theme!

She was so excited for her special day! Cake and balloons are really all that make it a party at this point for her. We had a few family members over to help celebrate her birthday.

I didn't get many pictures at all! This was mostly a video'd party, so it will be nice to go back later on and watch the movies. To actually capture the moment of her excitedness!

*Yes, I know it's late August. And yes, I know her birthday is in July. I've been BUSY! :)*

2011-08-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

I can't keep up with this thing. But, I am still trying! I am too dumb to quit, I guess :)

3 Months Old!

2011-07-20T18:05:00.000-07:00

Look who's 3 months old!

2011-06-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Caitlin's new summer color. Jaeli calls her "Blueberry" now.

I think she was going more for a purple color...

I Don't Even Know...

2011-06-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

... what to do with this kid!

He had climbed over the back of one chair and was actually standing with BOTH feet on the tray when I caught him. By the time I got the camera he was ready to "Cheeee!"

*I don't know what is up with the one shoe. He loves shoes! Guess he couldn't find the other one!*

2 Months Old!

2011-06-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

I actually managed to get a few quick shots of Braxton on the day he turned 2 months old!

Love those cheeks!

He reminds me of the cartoon character "Droopy Dog"....

Love him!

He Makes My Heart Stop...

2011-06-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

... By doing things like this!

But, I still love him.

It's a good thing he is so cute. Or else he'd be duct-taped to the chair!

Gabrien Exhibit B

2011-06-10T09:41:00.001-07:00

... And the cinnamon blended in so well with the flooring...

... And, our house smelled nice for the rest of the day...

4 1/2 Weeks Old!

2011-05-26T13:00:00.001-07:00

Baby Braxton is growing quickly!

He'll need every advantage to keep up with and defend himself with his older siblings!

And, he really is such a good baby! God has definitely blessed our family.

At his 5 week appointment, Braxton weighed 10lbs 13oz and is 23 inches long! Big boy!

Jaeli-isms

2011-05-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

~ Jaeli: "Mommy, I smell something." *sniffing the air*
Me: "What do you smell?"
Jaeli: "Gabe's butt."
Me: "What does Gabe's butt smell like??"
Jaeli: "Gabe poop."

~ One day I accidentally hit Jaeli in the head. She yelled, "OWWW Mommy! You hurt myself!"

~ Jaeli and Caitlin argue constantly. About everything. And anything. Overhearing one of their arguments Caitlin yells "Seriously??!! Seriously??!!" at Jaeli. To which Jaeli yells back, "No! I not seriously! I Jaeli!"

~ During bathtime one evening I hear Jaeli tell Gabrien, "I'm a pretty princess and you're a turtle!"

Gabrien Loves His...

2011-05-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

.... television!

And, he also LOVES to climb! On anything!

*I have tons of pictures of Gabrien's daily activities just so that I can remember and laugh later. Much later.*

Busy Boy

2011-05-25T05:53:00.000-07:00

I'm too exhausted to be witty. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves and say that Gabrien is a VERY busy boy...

I Love Spring!

2011-05-25T05:01:00.000-07:00

These are flowers in my front yard along the walkway and front of the house.

I especially love them because I had to do nothing to get them there. They came with the house!

I am not a gardner. Nor do I have the time. But I love looking at the blooms!

Braxton Nathaniel

2011-05-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

Braxton Nathaniel was born on April 20th, 2011 weighing in at 8lbs and 3oz. My biggest baby yet! We were VERY shocked to see that platinum blonde hair at birth!

Labor and delivery was definitely NOT something right out of A Baby Story!

But, he's still an angel to me, and the pain was SO worth it!

I Never Thought...

2011-04-12T08:30:00.001-07:00

My sister (being a new mommy) texted me this week saying "I never thought I'd be making an appointment for Easter bunny pictures..." Which made me laugh. And, also made me think of my "I never thought..." list. Being a mom to Caitlin was/has been a breeze. One kid. No husband. Just me and her. It wasn't until having 2 more that my "I never thought..." list has grown. ~ I never thought I'd buy underwear and bras from Walmart (instead of Victoria's Secret). ~ I never thought I'd buy clothes of ANY kind from KMart. ~ I never thought I'd buy my makeup from the local Walgreen's (instead of the Clinique counter). ~ I never thought I'd be wearing the same work shoes for 4 years in a row, even WITH all the holes. ~ I never thought I'd EVER leave the house without makeup on. ~ I never thought it would take me 2 days to FINALLY have 5 minutes for a quick shower (instead of long 2 hour soaks in a bubble bath). ~ I never thought I'd be so happy surrounded by babies and a wonderful husband.

2011-03-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

Jaeli can count to 10 in Spanish! All these Dora shows we have watched over and over and over have finally paid off, haha!

Fun Facts!

2011-02-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

~ Gabrien is cutting all 4 molars at the same time! 3 have already popped through!
~ Jaeli's Spanish and Mandarin Chinese continue to improve. Hard for me to keep up with some
days when she's uses all 3 languages in one sentence!
~ Jaeli's weight is 30lbs and her height is 3'1".
~ Gabrien now weighs 26.7lbs with a height of 2'7". He's catching up fast!
~ Jaeli's favorite pasttime seems to be arguing with her older sister lately. About
EVERYTHING.
~ Gabrien still loves food!
~ Jaeli has an awesome imagination and will include anyone in her world.
~ Gabrien's favorite word is 'No'. He can also say 'Yeah', 'Down', 'Done' (which sounds almost
exactly like down), 'Bye', 'Wha dat?' (what's that?), 'Wha doo?' (what are you doing?) and
some other phrases that noone but Mommy and Daddy understands.
~ Jaeli's favorite show is now Team Oomie Zoomie and Gabrien's is Yo Gabba Gabba.

Snapshots!

2011-02-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

Was just realizing the other day that I don't have many pictures of the babies together. And, after 27 shots, this is the ONLY one I got of them in the same shot and looking at the camera!

Hard to keep Gabrien's attention when he is always on the move!

And, equally hard to get one of Jaeli with her mouth closed! (She was performing a song for me.)

We love the furry vest, I mean "costume"... which is what she insisted it was called!

Yay For Saturdays Home!

2011-02-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

I love my weekends home when I can spend some one-one-one time with my kids while Alex entertains the other one. Saturday was a good day for Play-Doh!

My masterpiece. I'm not really an artist.

Jaeli concentrating on her masterpiece...

Yeah, I know... she ALWAYS topless in her pictures... comfort over fashion, I guess.

And, her finished product! "A birthday cake!"

*I helped with the candles. And, they ended up looking like weird fingers with long fingernails*

Umm... Yeah.

2011-02-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

It's hard enough for me to lug around the vacuum and get things done as it is. I mean, WITHOUT a little boy following me around ready to destroy what I just cleaned...

*Dried minced onions, in case you were wondering*

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

Since Alex and I decided a long time ago that we don't "do" V-Day, I still couldn't resist doing a little impromptu party for the kiddos. Just a few little (cheap) gifts, a home-made cake and sparkling grape juice in plastic champagne glasses.

Oh, and chicken florentine for dinner for me and Alex. The kids had already had their dinners and were VERY anxious for CAKE!

When Jaeli realized we were having a "party", she danced, she sang, she shouted. And, all night it was Happy Valentime's Day Mommy and Daddy!"

It was worth it watching the kids with their little gifts and running around with their balloons. They had a blast. And, we had a blast just watching them!