Playing together

These pictures are terribly blurry. It's hard to get a good picture when they won't stay still! But as you can see, they were having fun playing together on Abigail's couch. Of course, I think Abigail thinks anything her brother does is funny!

The Ringman brothers

Uncle Ben had to head back to Iraq today after spending over 2 weeks home with his family. Michael and I drove to Dallas to spend some time with him at the airport between flights. We ended up spending over 4 hours with him. It was great to see him and I even got a picture of the two of them. And if you know them, that was a major accomplishment! I got a semi smile out of Ben, but Michael was his usual self.

We ♥ you Uncle Ben

Four year check up

So, I've determined that it's worse to take my four year old child for shots than it is my one year old.

Austin had his four year well child check up today. (I know, he's been four for a month now, but we got behind when we moved down here the second time. Our insurance will only pay for one well child visit per year.) Anyways, on to the appointment.

He weighed in at 33.8 lbs (50th percentile) and was 38 1/4 inches long (25th percentile). He did really good for his eye and hearing tests, he passed them with flying colors. The doctor said he looked great and answered a few questions I had for her. Next it was on to his immunizations.

While we knew what Austin was in for, he wasn't. Michael told Austin this morning that he would buy him a Long Shot this weekend if he didn't cry while he was at the doctor. Austin has been seeing the commercial on TV for the Long Shot and won't stop talking about it. So, if he didn't cry at the doctors office for his shots, Daddy was going to buy it for him this weekend.

Lets just say he didn't cry. HE SCREAMED!!! Whew, that was rough. Poor little guy not only got four immunizations, he also got a TB test and had to have his blood drawn to check all of his levels. While I was holding him down for the blood draw, he paused his screaming to shout, "I just want to go to sleep." I'm not sure what that was all about, but I'm pretty sure I won the "Mean Mom" award this morning!

Also, we want to wish my Mom a...

Happy 50th Birthday!!!!

Oh, and not to brag or anything. But, it was pretty nice down here in Texas the other day...

(The temperature reading in my car!)

Of course it's not so nice now, but it was wonderful while it lasted.

Afternoon out

The kids and I were out and about this afternoon getting some errands and shopping done. We went several places, including McAlister's Deli for lunch. Austin enjoyed a ham sandwich while Abigail ate a jelly sandwich (I'm a little scared to give her peanut butter since she's so small still). We got a ton of things accomplished while we were out. I'm hoping the kids are as worn out as I am and we'll all get a good nights sleep tonight!

Outgrowing the Bumbo

The kids have been having a ton of fun playing with the bumbo the last couple of days. They're both too big for it but they haven't seemed to notice!

(They've been pretty lovey to each other lately too!)

Happy Birthday Riley

Not only is it President's Day today, it's Riley's birthday too!

Hope everyone had a good weekend, we're going to enjoy our day today as today is the third day of our three day weekend!

(Gotta love being a government employee!!!!!)

I'm not sure...

...what my children were thinking this morning!

(Austin in his jammies, snow boots and baseball hat)

(Abigail ran away from me while I was getting her dressed so she could look out the window)

Notice it's still dark in Abigail's picture? My kids don't quite understand the concept of sleeping in on the weekends!

Hard to understand

Do you, or did you, ever find it hard to understand what your child is saying?

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Let me start off by saying our decision to go with a home daycare (vs a center daycare) has proved to be the best thing for our kids. Sole (pronounced So-lee) has proved to be the most wonderful woman in caring for our children. When I drop the kids off in the morning I take them to the door, hand them over and continue on my way to work. Austin walks in the door and doesn't look back while Abigail opens her arms to Sole as she's handed over.

Do you know how good that makes me feel?

When it's time to go home neither one of them is ready to leave. Most of the time Sole is holding Abigail. When she tries to hand her over, Abigail doesn't want anything to do with me. She clings onto Sole. Austin's the same way, he's never ready to leave.

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Back to what I was saying...

Austin said something tonight and I couldn't understand him. He's speaking spanish! Sole is teaching him how to speak spanish. I knew she was teaching him how to count, but she's teaching him other words too! So far he can count to 5 (and then he jumps to 8) and just today he was telling me how to say up and down. Amazing. He is so smart!

Abigail's first birthday

Abigail started off her first birthday at the doctors office getting her 12 month check up. She weighed in at a whopping 18 lbs (10th percentile) and was 28 1/4 inches long (25th percentile). She still isn't big enough to turn her car seat around. She's got 2 more pounds to gain before she can turn around and look out the window. The way she's eating she might pack on the pounds by the time she goes back for her check up at 15 months. Today she received three shots along with a TB test. I have to take her back at the end of the week so the doctors office can read it.

The evening has been pretty low key with the exception of Abigail digging into her cake. Check out the pictures and videos below!

1 year

Happy 1st Birthday Abigail!

She's a talker

I'm amazed at all the things Abigail knows to do with her baby. Apparently, her baby likes to talk on the phone too!

The start of gifts

As the big day (Abigail's first birthday) approaches, birthday gifts are starting to arrive. Abigail's new couch from Grandma & Grandpa Ringman arrived Friday and we picked up her new car from Grandma & Grandpa Richards on Saturday.

A princess couch for our little princess

Austin helped me put her car together

Then when Abigail got up from her nap it was her turn to check it out

Checking out her baby in the back

Checking out the horn. When you push the horn button it plays music!

She loves it. She's doing the same thing Austin did when he first got his, pushing it backwards! She just got in it for the first time this morning, pressed the horn button to make the music play and grinned ear to ear.

THANK YOU GRANDMA & GRANDPA RINGMAN AND GRANDMA & GRANDPA RICHARDS!

Austin's trampoline

My parents got Austin a trampoline for his birthday. Wal-Mart had a slight delay in delivering it to the store so it just arrived the other day. We picked it up this morning along with Abigail's birthday present from them.

The minute we got home Austin started bugging me about putting it together. I started to put it together in the house when I realized it was going to be far too big for an inside toy. Thanks Mom & Dad! We headed outside to the driveway where I spent the next two hours swearing putting it together. He didn't even let me get it all put together before he was inside jumping.

He thought I was taking his picture in this video! And nothing is wrong with Abigail.

This video is funny, he's jumping with his hands over his head.

When Daddy got home he showed Austin how to jump and bounce on his butt. This isn't the best video of it but the closest I could get.

OUCH!

The driveway got the best of Abigail yesterday. We were outside when we got home when Abigail decided to get brave and attempted to walk down the driveway. She stumbled and took the brunt of the fall with her nose, mouth and hand. If you enlarge the first picture, you can see the scratch on her hand and the spot above her lip where she scuffed the skin off. Poor girl, this walking business is tough work sometimes!

She was loving her yogurt! I couldn't get a good picture of her!