Busy Little Beavers

It's been a hectic, stressful, and exciting few months. But it is finally over and we are happy to announce we have a new house! WOOHOO!

Our New Address:
1505 Oakcrest Dr.
Providence Village, TX 76227

What Have I Done?

It started with an off-hand comment. Then it became a discussion. Lots of opinions were given. A decision was made. And now I can't take it back...

...well, I could, but I don't want to.

The decision landed us at Claires. By us, I mean me and Jaycie. I'm sure you have all figured out what went down. Here is the happy unsuspecting old Jaycie.

This was taken as they were shoving the metal post through her ear. It took her about 10 seconds to figure out what happened and then the tears came. It was incredibly hard to sit through but shortly after the second ear was done, she was over it. And now she has adorable pink sparkly flowers in her ears!

I LOVE IT!

And She's Off

Jaycie has been pretty busy lately. This last week has been eventful for her as she has started feeding herself and moving around more. It's been a pretty big change. She can drink her bottle all by herself and she feeds herself crackers and other cut up food. It frees up a lot of my time. I LOVE this stage!

She is also army crawling everywhere. This is so exciting for me because Devin never did any of this. Devin did this weird creepy crawly thing that was rare and had to be bribed out of him with food. She just takes off every chance she gets in search of something to put in her mouth. I guess that's the downside though. I'm going to have to actually baby proof this time around.

Arizona Sunsets

This is one thing I love about Arizona...they have the most amazing sunsets every single night. Texas doesn't even come close.

Independence Day

The weekend came really fast and we were joined in Arizona by Jamin's other siblings Jessica, Janae, and Jenna. Jessica brought her daughter Austyn with her and Devin FELL IN LOVE. That may be kind of gross because they are first cousins, but you can't help feelings so powerful! :)

The night after they got here Devin was saying his prayers and this is how it went, "Thank you for Austyn, thank you for playing with Austyn, thank you for Austyn, thank you for Jesus, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." It was so adorable.

The fourth was filled with swimming, kites, cards, lots of sweat, and an incredible firework show. It was the perfect holiday.

We Arrived

After 18 hours in the car we finally made it to Arizona at midnight. Jamin's brother Jared lives in Queen Creek with his amazing wife (and a new favorite person of mine) Marcie and baby boy Ethan. It was so good to see them and see their brand new house that they had just moved into though it looked like they've been there for years. So cute! Here are a few pics of their family and fun stuff we did with them:

Jared & Ethan at a cool outdoor mall that had a kid section with a splash park and a couple fun playgrounds.


It was a blast to watch Ethan and Jaycie interact. They were so interested in eachother...or at least the toys the other one had.

And then... THE GRAND CANYON! I finally got to see it and it was AMAAAAAAAAZING!

Summer Vacations

I have decided I officially LOVE Jamin's job. Having him home this summer has been WONDERFUL. We were able to jump in the car and drive to Arizona a few weeks ago and stay as long as we wanted. No job to rush home to...nothing but time. I love a stress-free vacation.

We decided to take the car instead of fly. I must admit...I was terrified. 18 hours in a car with a 2 year old and a 6 month old baby. That did not sound like fun. But I put on my brave face and packed lots of toys and candy. To my shock and complete surprise, I didn't need to pack anything.


Devin was a near-perfect angel. He was content just looking out the window. If it wasn't for the million and one potty breaks at the side of the road he would have received perfect marks.

Jaycie was incredible. She whined a bit when she got hungry, but piped down as soon as I shoved the bottle in her mouth. I could not have asked for a better experience.

 

Arizona updates coming up next.

The Face

Devin has this face. It's the "pretty pretty please with a cherry on top can I do this thing that I'm really excited about" face. It kills me. Could you say no to this?

Six Whole Months

I can't believe it...Six Months! My baby is growing up so fast. I have enjoyed Jaycie like I never allowed myself to enjoy Devin. Of course I love them the same, but it's different with your first. You worry, you stress, and above all, you follow the rules. You do everything the books and baby wise, and baby center tell you to do. But with Jaycie, I hold her, and love on her, and don't stress when circumstances are less than perfect. It has been so much fun.

Here's what Jaycie's up to at 6 months:

• She weighed in at 17 pounds 1 ounce. That's the 71st percentile.
• She measured 26.5 inches long which put her in the 77th percentile for height.
• She can sit unsupported now and is already trying to rock forward on her knees.
• She's got her two bottom teeth in and LOVES to chew on my fingers.
• Still sleeping about 12 hours at night and taking two long naps.
• She loves to laugh and will smile at anyone who looks at her.
• She hates green vegetables but I make her eat them anyway.
• She has started to shriek when it's time to eat and I'm just not fast enough. (Devin did that from the day he was born.)
• She loves to touch faces and hold her feet (which is the cutest thing on the planet).
• And best of all, she never cries. She is perpetually happy.

Man I love this girl.

Zoo Day

Today we got to go to the zoo. By we I mean me, Devin, and Jaycie...no Jamin. Me and two kids, one heavy stroller, 45 minutes from home, during nap time! However, bravery paid off, it was great! We met Amanda and her kids, Amanda's sister and brother-in-law and their two kids, and their parents. That made for three double strollers at the zoo, during summer break, and on half price Wednesday. We made it through without any major traffic jams...though I did manage to run over a few toes and heels. It was a lot of fun even though the humidity made it feel like we were walking through water and I was constantly wiping the sweat drops off my chin. Really, I had fun. :) Here's some cute photos of the outing: