The Austins

Dear Santa...

2010-11-30T15:08:00.000-06:00

Devin has been asking to write a letter to Santa for a month now. I made him wait until Thanksgiving was over and we decided today would be the day. We hopped on the computer and printed pictures of all the things he wanted (there are two themes, mostly How To Train Your Dragon with a few airplanes thrown in...like he doesn't have enough of both). It was a blast! He punched out christmas shapes, glued them on, and wrote his letter. The end result is quite adorable!

If only he would let me mail it. He is convinced the mailman would lose it and I have to call Santa, have him come over, and MAKE SURE he reads the letter which is now stuck to our fridge. Who knew the mailman was not to be trusted?

A Month of Updates

2010-11-13T17:38:00.001-06:00

Let's start with Halloween. It was kind of a let down this year. But my kids are young and they didn't seem to care.

Optimus Prime and Witch...of course the witch had to bring along her kitty.

Optimus Prime and his best friend Iron Man...didn't you know?

Devin's 4th Birthday. He's a little obsessed with How To Train Your Dragon...thus the dragon cake.

Apparently we failed as parents to teach Devin how to blow. After a few weak attempts he gave up and his friend blew out the candles for him.

Mmm...Happy Birthday Devin!

Another Injury

2010-10-15T13:25:00.000-05:00

New rule...I'll post every time one of my kids gets injured. At that rate, I'll be posting at least once a week. This latest occurrence involved Devin and a friend he had over at the house. Devin and his friend Loic (cute right? It's french) somehow managed to bang heads together. Loic never made a peep but had the faint pink sign of a "bonk" on his forehead. Devin, on the other hand, screams bloody murder and comes down with this on his forehead:

These pictures were taken 3 hours after it happened. Shortly after it happened it looked like someone stuck a golf ball under his flesh. It was huge. Ice brought it down a little bit, but it's still hanging in there. A little reminiscent of Elephant Man?

Almost Did It

2010-10-11T16:39:00.000-05:00

So I almost cut the blog out of my life. Five months without a post...so close. Why did I decide to post something? I have no idea. No reason. And I really hate blogging so it makes no sense. Regardless, here I am. And here are a few updates:

Last swimming day of the year...of course it was. Here's the before:

And here is the after:

Notice anything? How about the BIG GAPING HOLE in her mouth? She tripped, smacked her tooth, (not her lip or any other part of her face, just her tooth) on the concrete and after an emergency trip to the dentist, nothing. It's gone. They pulled it out in 10 pieces and now we just have to wait and hope the permanent teeth won't be damaged. Just 4 or 5 years looking like white trash. That's not too bad, right?

The Black Eye

2010-05-17T08:27:00.000-05:00

Devin got his first black eye. He decided to try a game he saw cory playing in which he gets a spoon, holds it high into the air, spins around 20 times while looking at the spoon, throws the spoon on the ground, and then attempts to jump over it. Well, he got to the spinning part and that proved to be too much for him. He spun out of control and fell face first on a metal bar. Footnote: I was not there for it, so I cannot be held responsible. (He couldn't resist the funny faces when I got the camera out)

Glorious Day

2010-05-04T19:48:00.000-05:00

83º F. Crystal clear blue skies. Sun warm on my skin. My kids' high pitched laughter. My idea of heaven.

Mean Words

2010-04-27T19:12:00.001-05:00

Twice today while Devin was unhappy about being in trouble he said to me,

"I don't like you anymore mommy."

What?!? He's 3. Isn't that sentence like 10 years too early?

More Family Photos

2010-04-23T08:21:00.001-05:00

The wonderful Madison Eppley took photos of our entire family this week. I'm loving what she does. You should check out her blog. She did a photo session of these adorable little puppies. So cute.

The {Almost} Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-01T15:06:00.006-05:00

On Saturday our lovely little community put on an Easter Festival. Devin was pumped. The Easter bunny was going to be there, there would be games and food, a petting zoo, but most exciting of all, an easter egg hunt. Oh man. Devin was sketching out plans, thinking up ways that would allow him to collect the most orange eggs. We get there and off he goes.

Like he owns the place. Then Jaycie runs around (she actually does own the place) looking adorable as ever.

We play on the playground, we check out the animals, but they aren't ready for the easter egg hunt yet. Impatience is starting to set in. Oh but wait, bounce house to the rescue.

And then it's Devin to the rescue as he flies about the bounce house. And then it's Mommy to the rescue as he flies OUT of the bounce house. And yep, you guessed it. Another broken arm. As we were rushing him to the car, the Easter Egg hunt started. Darn, maybe next year.

His temporary cast and impossible-to-keep-on sling. Why do they even bother?

After we picked out this totally awesome glow in the dark cast, he says, "Mom, next time I'll get orange." Seriously? Are you planning on a next time? Maybe I should. It might be wise to set aside some money each month for Devin's next break. Dave Ramsey would be proud.

A few more pics

2010-02-01T07:59:00.000-06:00

Sex Preferences

2010-01-21T20:54:00.001-06:00

Haha...did I freak everyone out with that title? This is not a dirty post. I am completely amazed that kids are born with preferences to toys according to their sex. At least mine are. With Devin I always assumed he loved balls and any vehicle on wheels because that is simply what we chose to buy for him. But then I remember that he had approximately 15 stuffed monkeys in his room and there were repeated attempts to get him interested in them. But no. Nothing. Then Jaycie came along and she has a clear preference to everything girly. She loves books and will walk around with a doll or stuffed animal snuggled against her face for 75% of the day. Sure she likes to play with the occasional ball or car, but her love is for her dolls. Is it genetic?

Devin's preference: anything with wheels, but mainly airplanes. I know...slightly OCD with the line thing.

Then there's Jaycie. 100% girl. How does that happen?

Tag Your It

2010-01-16T16:43:00.000-06:00

This is the tenth photo on my computer (see below) and it's not very exciting. We went to the park one day in our neighborhood and Devin runs off as usual. I'm messing with Jaycie so it's probably a good five or ten minutes before I realize he is talking to someone. So I look up and don't see anyone. Then I see this horse in his hands and found his new friend. He was talking to the horse. A horse I've never seen before. A horse that was laying in the mud probably overnight. Gross. I told him that wasn't ours, it was dirty, and to get rid of it. So he puts it up on the fence, yells "see ya later", and throws it from the top of the playground to it's immediate and most likely painful death. Sorry Friend.

Tag your it.

Here's what you do:
Go to your picture file and open the first folder and pick out the tenth photo. If your folder doesn't have ten pictures in it, because the first one I opened did not, then open the second one.
Write about that photo and tag some friends.

I tag: EVERYONE WHO READS THIS!

Have Fun!

Attempt at Family Portraits

2010-01-11T15:39:00.005-06:00

We made an attempt to get some family photos the other day. I stressed about it for days and then tried not to get disheartened when Devin wouldn't cooperate and Jaycie had had enough. But somehow, probably due to Madison's skills, my sneak peek turned out ok.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a few more soon.

(Photos taken by Madison Eppley)

Let the Sleepovers Begin

2010-01-10T09:56:00.004-06:00

This was actually Devin's second sleepover with Cole and it wasn't technically a sleepover because Cole disappeared on Devin in the middle of the night, but it was a lot of fun. They played for a while with marble trails, cars, blocks, and trains. I love to just sit and listen to them interact with each other. They actually talk about things and swap toys and propose changes in activities. I can't believe how old they are getting. It didn't take long for them to request a movie and popcorn. That seems to be their thing.

Once the popcorn was gone and they played some more, it was time to cuddle. It was tastefully done, no tootsies, just manly bonding.

Then of course, just before bedtime, Cole started growling like crazy. A serious wrestling match ensued and I'm glad to announce there were no broken bones this time.

Following a short reading of Peter Pan, they finally crawled into Devin's bunk beds and went to sleep (after giggling for 20 minutes and a threat of separation). Cole really is Devin's best friend. He was so sad to wake up and find Cole missing. Maybe next time we'll get to keep him until morning!

Faces

2010-01-07T10:52:00.004-06:00

Devin has become our little comedian lately. He loves to be silly and his goal is always to make people laugh. In other words, he is Jamin reincarnated. His #1 tool...his faces. He has thousands. Here are a few from dinner the other night:

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T21:28:00.005-06:00

I hope everyone is enjoying this joyous season and has a very

Merry Christmas!

A Whole Lot of Updates

2009-12-10T19:34:00.009-06:00

It's been ages. I don't have an excuse, I just didn't want to blog. So I apologize. I'm sure I missed many amazing moments in everyone's lives and I will try my hardest to catch up. Here's a little of what's been going on over at the Austin's.

We love our house and especially love the neighborhood. Halloween was a blast...so many kids walking the streets and neighbors sitting on their porches...did I mention that I LOVE our neighborhood?

Devin was an army man and got to trick or treat with his friend Cole.

Jaycie was an angel...so beautiful.

November brought several exiting events. First, Devin turned three!

I can't believe I have a three year old. So far I'm liking the threes much more than the twos.

A few weeks later, Devin broke his arm. He was wrestling with his friend Cole, they fell softly to the ground, and Devin somehow fractured his arm on Cole's face. It's amazing...not only are his muscles "soft" but apparently he has brittle bones as well. He's done really well. He doesn't notice the cast at all and he gets to take it off next wednesday.

Thanksgiving was fantastic. Definitely one of my favorite holidays. The whole family was together at my mom's house and Jaycie decided that was a good time to start walking! Now she is all over the place just relishing in her new freedom.

And lastly, Jaycie turned one yesterday. We had a last minute family party (I actually didn't even know about it) so I have no pictures. I can just assure you that she is beautiful and thriving!

My baby is no longer a baby and I was surprised at how sad that made me. She climbs stairs, walks around like she owns the place, loves to carry around my cell phone against her ear and jabber, loves a good book just like her mom, talks a ton but doesn't say much yet, eats anything she can get her hands on...her eight teeth help, plays with her big brother whenever he allows it, and absolutely loves the doll and blanket her great grandmother made her. She has been the perfect addition to our little family.

Busy Little Beavers

2009-10-07T19:48:00.008-05:00

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?

2009-08-12T21:37:00.004-05:00

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

2009-08-03T00:23:00.006-05:00

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

2009-07-17T11:48:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-15T19:40:00.008-05:00

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

2009-07-14T21:42:00.006-05:00

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

2009-07-13T19:54:00.007-05:00

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

2009-06-15T22:19:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-11T21:58:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-10T21:31:00.006-05:00

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:

Mad Marie Photography

2009-06-05T13:00:00.011-05:00

This morning I went over to a friend's house to have some photos taken of my kiddos. Most of you know her...the fabulous Madison Eppley. She did such a great job and has already put a few out on her facebook for me to see. But I stole them so I could put them on my blog!

(love the boobs in this picture)

The Decline of Blogging

2009-05-28T09:17:00.005-05:00

It seems like the blogging world has been a bit slow lately. At least for my part it has. I have nothing to say. I've taken no new pictures, my kids are (for the most part) the same, and I am simply not creative enough to post about anything else. Or maybe I've just been too lazy to turn the computer on. But it's on now, and I'll do my best to give you an update that won't bore you to tears.

School is almost out! One more week and I will have my husband all to myself. The perks of being a coach are just wonderful. He's got a few basketball camps over the summer, but other than that, we'll get to hang out, go on vacation (Arizona here we come), and most importantly, Jamin can help with the kids! Yay for Jamin!

Summer has officially arrived and I'm loving the weather. We went swimming for the first time at my sister's neighborhood pool and it went pretty well. Jaycie screamed then passed out and Devin's lips turned blue. But he didn't care. I did manage to get a picture of Jaycie on my phone all decked out in her swim gear. If this isn't high fashion, I don't know what is.

Jaycie is almost 6 months old! She's rolling around the floor and sitting pretty well. She still falls over often but she's almost there! She's getting huge. I can't wait to see how much she weighs.

Devin is potty trained! I guess that's pretty big news, but again, no pictures. It's been two weeks now and he's doing great. He only had 3 accidents before he got it. It took twenty four hours and he was good. He's had 2 accidents since then when he was so busy playing he didn't want to stop to go potty. He also still struggles with going #2 on the potty. He hasn't quite figured out how to sit down and push it out. He waits until it's coming out before he screams for me to help him. But...we're working on it. I'm so proud of him though. He's smarter than I thought he was! :) And there is nothing cuter than a little boy in big boy underwear.

As for me, I'm still just taking care of my two beautiful babies. I'm on week 6 of P90X and it's kicking my butt still. But if it's going to get rid of that baby weight, I'll take the beating. Only 6 more weeks to go! If anyone knows of a faster way to lose weight, let me know!

We're Rollin'!

2009-05-06T21:03:00.004-05:00

Absolutely nothing has been going on lately...thus the lack of posts. Besides the Swine Flu OVERREACTION (my husbands school district was the ONLY one not closed) the excitement level has been pretty low. Until yesterday! Jaycie decided to roll over, almost out of nowhere. She has already perfected it today and is working on rolling onto her back. Here she is in action:

Happy {Belated} Easter!

2009-04-14T09:50:00.005-05:00

It seems like everyone else beat me to the punch...but Happy Easter! It was a very calm, relaxing, and peaceful day!

(This is always what happens when I try to get a picture of both of them)

Mmm Mmmm Good

2009-04-09T21:44:00.008-05:00

Today Jaycie turned FOUR MONTHS OLD! A few highlights from today:

She weighed in at 14 pounds 3.5 ounces
Measured 24.5 inches long
That put her in the 60th percentile

I was looking back through Devin's baby book and he was HUGE! At four months, he weighed 17 pounds 8 ounces and measured 27 inches long. In baby numbers, that's a pretty big difference. Here's a little comparison:

Another highlight: Jaycie started Rice Cereal tonight! It was a lot of fun...or so she thought...

Blooming Button

2009-04-07T10:48:00.002-05:00

Check out http://bloomingbutton.etsy.com for these adorable knit hats!

A Little Sass Debut

2009-04-02T20:59:00.003-05:00

So I did it! I jumped on the Etsy bandwagon and decided to list my headbands over there. http://ALittleSass.Etsy.com. The shop is up and ready to go for anyone who is interested. I will however, still take any orders via email...especially custom orders. Just email me the colors you want or even a photo of the outfit and I'll make it to match. aprilnaustin{at}yahoo{dot}com. I'm in the process of adding more felt clips and listing them solo...without headbands (for all you lucky moms that have kids with hair!). Let me know what you think!

Gut Laugh

2009-03-29T13:12:00.004-05:00

Jaycie started laughing this past week. It is such a magical tinkling sound...I love it. But it's been very hard to capture on camera because she only does it a few times a day and it usually doesn't last long after I run to get my camera. Just a few minutes ago I discovered her sweet spot which produced this totally new belly laugh...and I got lucky. Here it is:

Let the Sleepovers Begin

2009-03-26T08:02:00.005-05:00

Last night we had the opportunity of watching Cole Drysdale, Devin's friend from birth. He brought a bag full of stuff and thus commenced Devin's first sleepover! The night started out with lots of growling, running, climbing, a whole lot of giggling, and of course eating.

What better dinner than pizza at a sleepover?!

After a ton more giggling and running from room to room (which Jamin was thrilled about because it's usually him that has to run with Devin) we popped some popcorn and watched a movie in mom's room.

Not such a good idea.

Then bedtime came. At 8:30 I put them down...in the same bed...and prayed for a miracle.

They pretty much growled and giggled (I know right?...what a bunch of little girls) regardless of my repeated attempts to get them to go to sleep (I even used my mean voice) until 10:00 pm. Not too bad. So I go to sleep expecting a long night...and rightly so because at 1:30 am I hear Devin...giggling of course. Then as I leave the room to tell him to go to bed I hear him say... "wake up...WAKE UP!" And now Cole's awake too! They fall right back to sleep though and don't wake up until 7:30 am. It is now 8:15 and they haven't stopped giggling. Cute, huh?

Killer Sale

2009-03-12T17:06:00.004-05:00

I'm sure everyone is aware of my obsession with Old Navy and I hate to contribute another post entirely to said company...but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spread the knowledge. If you haven't already, get your behind to Old Navy. Major Sales. I got a serious loot today and I spent a grand total of {drum roll}...$37!

Three Months Ago...

2009-03-09T17:02:00.006-05:00

Jaycie was born. And what an amazing three months it has been. I am so in love with this little girl that my days are spent kissing her and whispering "I Love You" in her ear every chance I get.

This is what Jaycie has been up to lately:

♥ She will smile at anyone that can manage to make eye contact with her.
♥ She's trying really hard to laugh but all that comes out is this high-pitched squeal.
♥ She is almost sleeping through the night (by my definition). She goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes up at 7:30 am. Most nights she wakes up to eat around 3 or 4 though...almost!
♥ She is the happiest thing on the planet when she wakes up in the morning. It's my favorite time of day.
♥ She naps HORRIBLY. Three times a day I put her down in her crib but she wakes up 30 minutes later and will stay awake until I give in and put her in her swing where she will sleep the day away. That's a work in progress.
♥ She eats four times a day and takes about 6 ounces at each feeding...yikes!
♥ She is packing on the pounds and is getting ready to grow out of her 3-6 months clothing.

Basically, she is awesome and we love her so much! Happy 3 Months Baby Girl!

We've Been Busy...

2009-03-03T21:39:00.005-06:00

I have sort of been obsessed lately with everything girly. Cute clothes, tights & leggings, hats, and most recently, headbands. I bought a couple of super adorable headbands off ebay from some woman in Utah (naturally) and when I got them I realized how easy they would be to make. Thus commenced Project "She's a girl...not a boy".

I purchased the headbands from ebay...28 total. Then my mom and I made all the flower clips that can be used in your child's hair (right...like my baby will have any of that for the next 2 years) or interchanged amongst the headbands of your choice...29 total. It's so much fun. I'm not as crafty as most you talented ladies, but it was a fun first project. Here's a few picturs of the headbands in use:

Ode to Old Navy

2009-02-19T08:38:00.008-06:00

I am in love with Old Navy's clothing for little girls. I have banned myself from the store because I can no longer control the impulse to buy everything on the racks. Sadly...there are a few more outfits I haven't gotten pictures of yet.

How could I possibly resist?

Happy Valentine's Day...

2009-02-14T22:12:00.007-06:00

from our little Love Bugs!

Bedtime for Two

2009-02-07T22:10:00.003-06:00

Around 8:15 pm Jamin started putting Devin to bed because I was busy with Jaycie. Finally after I put Jaycie to bed at 10:00 pm, I went looking for Jamin and this is where I found him.

How precious is that?

Blessed Baby

2009-02-06T08:37:00.004-06:00

Thanks to everyone who made it out to Jaycie's blessing. It was such a wonderful and spiritual experience!

Bathtime Nightmares

2009-01-27T22:00:00.003-06:00

Lately, the bathtub has been the source of several mischevious acts...all centered around Devin. Last Sunday after I realized he had been mysteriously quiet for too long, I found him like this in my parents bathroom. He had turned the bathtub on, pulled the toilet paper from the holder to the tub, effectively clogging the drain, and allowed the tub to overflow. He was of course delighted and, despite my scolding, could not help but splash around in the two inches of water covering the floor. The carpets in the closets and leading into the bathroom were soaked and smell of mildew. Water also managed to seep through the wall into the laundry room which means the wood is likely to mold. YAY!

The second incident occurred tonight. We had just bathed Devin, slathered on the lotion and got him dressed in his pjs. He disappeared as we were getting Jaycie ready and this is where Jamin found him. Aparently the tub didn't drain and Devin simply couldn't resist.

At least we won't have problems with personal hygiene.

Celebrity Look-Alike

2009-01-25T09:24:00.003-06:00

Devin is convinced that Ben Stiller is his Uncle Brandon. He was carrying around the Meet the Parents DVD case yesterday and showing everyone Brandon. I think he's crazy...what do you think?

One Month Old

2009-01-10T20:44:00.006-06:00

We've made it to one month! I can't believe it's been a month since she was born...and yet I can't believe Jaycie's only been with us for a month. It feels like she's been a part of our family forever.

To be honest, not a whole lot has happened in a month. Jaycie really loves to eat...still every three hours...and her second love is sleeping. She especially loves to sleep the day away, despite my efforts to keep her awake. But she sleeps at night (usually one 5 hour stretch) so I can't complain. With the exception of some gas problems, she has been an excellent baby and we are so blessed to have her in our lives.

Jaycie's first trip to church (3 weeks old)...dresses are so fun!

One month photo shoot...she either passed out when I tried to take her picture or made the most horrific faces...these were the best shots she gave me.

Jaycie with Devin (showing me his dirty hands) and her cousin Riley.

This really has been the most amazing experience. I was a little terrified at the thought of having two children and having to deal with the chaotic hormonal/emotional issues of having a newborn. But it has been so fantastic. Everything has gone so smoothly (minus the sleep deprivation) and I owe it all to my wonderful husband! Since he started coaching at the middle school this year, he was able to be home with me through Christmas break. I got to sleep when I needed to and I never had to worry about what Devin was doing or how I was going to get him into timeout while feeding Jaycie. So thanks Jamin! You are the most amazing husband and I owe my sanity to you!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T23:25:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! This Christmas was the best for several reasons:

1. Jaycie made the best gift ever!
2. Devin is now old enough to get excited about gifts and that totally makes Christmas.
3. Jamin's sisters Janae and Jenna came to visit.
4. We got to spend lots of quality time with family and friends.

Enjoy a few pictures and a special Christmas video from the Austins!

Home Sweet Home

2008-12-11T16:26:00.006-06:00

For those of you who don't already know, Jaycie is here! She blessed us with her presence on Tuesday December 9th at 2:19pm. She shocked us all by only weighing 6 lbs 15oz. That might be a Needs record. She's nice and long at 20 1/4 inches and is nothing but skin and bones.

Delivery went really well. They broke my water at 10:30 am, I got an epidural at 1:00pm when I was dialated to about 3 and a half centimeters, and the next time they checked me at 2:00, I was fully dialated and she was literally falling out. So they had me close my legs (no joke) until the doctor got there and four minutes and one contraction later, she was here. Here are some pictures of her first few days.

4 Days Left

2008-12-04T22:46:00.003-06:00

While I am fully aware of the deadline hovering over my head, it's amazing how I can't quite wrap my mind around what's going to happen when the clock stops ticking in four days. I'm incredibly excited to meet Jaycie and to see what she's going to look like. I know I should be feeling other emotions too...I should feel anxious, or nervous, or scared...but I don't. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, all I know is I'm going to be starting a new phase of my life and while I have no idea what to expect, I'm sure it will be just as cool as the "Devin Phase" (only hopefully less time spent riding the emotional rollercoaster).

I still have quite a few things to finish before I go in Tuesday morning (like packing a bag, putting a 2nd carseat in my car, and beginning and completing Christmas shopping), but I did manage to get Jaycie's bedroom all ready for her. After all, that is the fun part.

The colors don't really show up well...but the walls are green with a chocolate stripe and accent wall and red, blue, green, and yellow circles. It's adorable in person and I have to thank Kristi profusely for helping me get it done. It was a pain to hand paint all those circles but it was totally worth it!

Shower Time

2008-11-23T09:42:00.005-06:00

Yesterday my oh so fabulous friend Amanda threw me and little Jaycie a baby shower. There was wonderful food {thanks Amanda and Terin}, great company, and a to-die-for cake from Candy Haven {thanks Kris!!!}. I just wanted to thank everyone who was involved and took the time out of their busy Saturday to come and shower me with love and congratulations {and presents too!} It was a blast.

I got lots of gorgeous girly clothes and blankets...and I gotta say, so much more fun than a boy shower!

This was my my most anticipated gift {sorry everyone else}. My grandma makes blankets for every great grandchild. Devin has one that he cannot live without. They are so soft and cozy and special to me that I couldn't wait to get Jaycie's. It also came with an adorable matching hooded sweater and one of those little blanket bunny things. SO CUTE!

These HOMEMADE burp clothes were the most popular gift. My cousin Jenna made three of these for me and they are stunning. THANKS JENNA!

The beautiful cake from Kristi and hand-crafted flower arrangement by Mom.

The five pregnant women there...here we are in order by due date. Me {due in 2 weeks}, Becca {due mid-january}, Amanda {due Valentine's Day}, Tina {due end of May}, and Terin {10 weeks along}.

Happy {Belated} Birthday Devin!

2008-11-19T10:34:00.005-06:00

Devin had his 2nd Birthday on the 9th of November. I can't believe he's two already. Here are a few pictures from his birthday party:

The birthday boy got to eat TWO cupcakes.
(Or I should say got to lick the frosting off of two cupcakes)

There were plenty of children there who were willing to open Devin's presents for him.
Devin was moving WAY too slowly for them.

Almost everything was either Cars or Trains. If it has wheels, Devin's all for it.

Devin's most favorite thing on the planet...GeoTrax Trains. He was in train heaven.

A few fun facts about Devin at TWO years old:

He loves to lay in his big boy bed and stare at the stars on his ceiling. He sings {and yes he actually sings} twinkle twinkle little star with us every night.
He's not always a morning person and has been known to shriek at the first person to look at him.
He simply cannot live without the two loves of his life, Cole and Bryce. Cole is his best friend who he gets to run around with and fight over toys with. Bryce is his sweet baby cousin bryce who he can't stop kissing and who Devin will cry over if it's been too long since he's seen him.
Devin has established a "potty room"...a place he will sneak off to once a day to go "poopoo". He will come back and tell me when the deed is done by smacking his diaper only to say NO when I ask him if he went poopoo. {He has also been known to stick his hand down his diaper afterwards... disgusting, I know.}
He loves to sing and dance around and is actually getting good at singing on tune.
He learns new words every day. Some of my favorites are "cool", "awesome", and "let go" which is always an angry command when I'm trying to get him to cooperate.
When he's feeling extra full of love he will grab your face with both hands, pull you in whatever direction necessary, and plant one on you. It almost makes me cry every time.
He loves his daddy more than anything on this planet. He copies him whenever possible by laying down next to him or sitting just like him. He dislocates dad's finger every night by dragging him around to show him different things. He spontaneously climbs into his lap when convenient and laughs the hardest when dad tickles him.

Devin really has turned out to be a sweet funny boy. He certainly knows how to throw a fit and can be downright mean when he wants to be. But the next minute he can be so sweet or completely hilarious. I think some people call that Bi-Polar...but I'm not gonna stress about it. :)

Happy Birthday Devin! We LOVE you!

Winter Clothes

2008-11-14T17:29:00.004-06:00

There are two things at the top of my gratitude list: "Texas" Winter Weather and baby clothes. I love when the weather first starts to change and you bust out all your children's winter clothes only for the high to climb to 75 and your son to be drenched in sweat. Well, I think the colder weather is finally here to stay and I'm loving it. So I made a trip out to Old Navy this evening with my 30% of coupon and couldn't help myself when I saw these adorable clothes.

Would you be able to resist?

Big Boy Bed Update

2008-11-09T21:19:00.003-06:00

So I thought I would post the latest news on our first big obstacle of childhood. After a rather frustrating and incredibly time consuming six days, he is now sleeping in his bed with no problems. I thought it would never happen, but it has miraculously righted itself in just a few days. Thank you for the advice. I used several of your suggestions.

After he snuck downstairs at 6:00 am one morning to do who knows what, I put a gate up in his doorway so he can open the door but can't walk through. That worked for like two seconds before he realized he could push really hard and knock it down. So then I added a heavy chair to support it and he stopped trying.

But what really did the trick was the threats. My son doesn't listen to me whatsoever. I would get angry and try and put on my wicked witch of the west face and matching voice, but nothing seemed to scare him back to bed. So I read somewhere that taking away priveleges can work. As someone recently put it, I went straight for the jugular. I told him if he got down I would take his blanket away. The one object he loves above everything else, even food. He can't simply function without it and he definitely can't even think about sleeping without it. He got down from his bed during naptime, and I spoke those evil words without any hesitation. The next time he got down, I took his blanket and left the room. He cried sooooo hard. I let him go at it for a few minutes then went back in and told him if he got back in bed and stayed there I would give it back. (I'm not so evil as to make him go to sleep without it). He climbed right up and didn't move another muscle. I had to repeat the process that night and by the next day he was broken. He's stopped climbing down (or if he does he climbs back up) and he definitely doesn't even think about opening the door. Life is back to normal and mom is a much happier camper.

Big Boy Bed

2008-11-03T19:14:00.002-06:00

With the arrival of Jaycie just weeks away, we decided we better get a head start on the oh so terrifying transition to a big boy bed. So Halloween night we went for it. I bought him rails, a new Cars blanket and pillow and talked all day about how he was so lucky because he gets to sleep in a big bed like mommy and daddy. We took down his crib and gave it to the baby (we moved it to her room) and said goodbye. He was actually really excited.

The first night wasn't so bad. He cried pretty hard and came out of the room once. But then I laid down with him till he was sleepy and he slept the night with no problems. Next day, the same thing happened during nap time. He cried, got down once, then fell asleep when I laid down with him. Last night he didn't cry, didn't get down, and I didn't have to lay with him. But naptime is a different story. He's not so sleepy, it's not pitch dark, and he will get down a million times unless I pin him down and lay there until he falls asleep. It was a huge battle today and takes me and him about an hour before he will finally sleep. So...I need advice. Plenty of you have been through this before so load me up with good tips and tricks. I refuse to give up and just let him skip naptime...but I don't want to lay with him until he falls asleep either. HELP!!!!

Trick or...RUN AWAY!

2008-11-02T07:45:00.005-06:00

I have been really excited since last halloween that Devin would be 2 and able to go trick or treating this year. I just new it would be such a fun experience for him. So I hunted and hunted for the PERFECT halloween costume and I found...nothing. So he ended up being the only thing they had left at Party City that didn't have anything on the head or hands. I wasn't too disappointed though, he looked pretty cute.

So we set off to go trick or treating with the cousins and this is what happened:

In case you didn't catch it, that his him shrieking, "wanna go" as he runs away. He did eventually warm up right before we called it quits, but it wasn't quite the experience I had anticipated. Oh well, I guess there's always next year.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-24T07:47:00.006-05:00

I've been holding off posting these (3 weeks) because I was hoping to go back and get some better photos. But that hasn't happened and I'm in the mood for fall festivities so here are some pictures of my not so cooperative son.

New Tricks

2008-10-14T20:29:00.005-05:00

Most of you know about the physical struggles Devin has gone through over the past year. So I thought I'd give a little update. He walked around 14 months, but couldn't sit up on his own or stand up. He picked that up shortly after he started working with a therapist. He finally started crawling at 18 months! Talk about backwards. Over the past three months he's learned how to run, climb up and down stairs, and he's working on jumping. His little legs still aren't strong enough to walk up normal sized steps without support but he's getting there. He hasn't had to see a therapist for several months now so we are very proud of all the hard work he's put in. He's been working on this latest trick for a few weeks now and he's getting pretty good. I think it's because he used to use his head to help him stand up so he was already halfway there...here's a video:

Summer Vacations

2008-10-10T08:33:00.006-05:00

In August we were fortunate enough to go to St. Martin in the Caribbean with the family: My parents, Cory, Brandon & Jess, and Jamin, Me, and Devin. Kristi and her family weren't able to go so it fell short of a family reunion...we missed them. But we had some really fun moments with Devin.

This is the view from the balcony of our room. You could hop over this wall and be on the beach. Gorgeous.

Me (without makeup) and Jamin on the other side of our balcony. Just look at the crystal clear blue water!

Lounging around

There was this little lighted pier right off our balcony that Devin loved to hang out on. A little nerve wracking with all the large and jagged rocks waiting to catch him if he fell over the side.

It took us a full 24 hours but he eventually grew to love the sand and water.

The kids just before sunset.

Scooter patrol. Ever since Jamin and I went to St. Martin on our honeymoon we have rented scooters. It's the only (and of course the coolest) way to get around the island. Of course now with a kid in tow and one on the way, I stuck to the car with the old people. :)

Devin about to be bowled over by a wave.

This was fun. He let loose at this beach and just kept running into the water, getting knocked down, then running back up to the dry sand. After about 5 times of this you would be walking a little crooked too.

I also have to mention the airplane rides. I was amazed. We were on 5 different airplanes and sat in the airport for an entire day on our way home. He was an angel. He slept on every plane ride on my chest (a first) or played quietly with his new toys. And he even took a nap on the seats at the gate while we were stuck in the airport terminal for 8 hours. It was a huge success!

Updates

2008-10-09T23:02:00.002-05:00

Ok, I know (once again) that I haven't posted in FOREVER. I just wanted to inform everyone that I'm going to play catch-up. So expect several updates over the next few days...lots to come!!!

Disappointed

2008-08-06T22:14:00.002-05:00

Ok...so I gotta say I'm disappointed with Breaking Dawn. I know a lot of you haven't read it yet so I won't give anything away. I just wanted to express my lack of enthusiasm. I was incredibly excited for this release. I did nothing but read all day Saturday so I was able to finish early Sunday morning. I was entertained enough that I wanted to keep reading and finish the book. But when it was all over, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Not because it was over and there would never be another book, but because it just didn't do it for me. There were several times in the book where I was like, WHAT?!? Why did she do that?!?! It just seems like she lost a lot of steam with each new book. The first one was INCREDIBLE, but each one after that lost a little something. I don't know. What did you guys think???

Who's Excited...

2008-08-01T17:18:00.008-05:00

For Breaking Dawn!!!!!

I know I'm peeing my pants with the anticipation of reading the book. And only a few hours to go!!! WOOHOO! I have already cleared my schedule and assigned baby-watching duties to Jamin for Saturday and Sunday. I can't wait! I'm just about as excited as I was for Harry Potter...almost.

It's A...

2008-07-29T23:30:00.002-05:00

GIRL!!!

Rumor has it...

2008-07-07T09:40:00.003-05:00

That I'm pregnant...and that would surprisingly be a rumor that's true. I'm not sure why I've waited so long. Maybe because this one was a complete shock and I still haven't got used to the idea...or maybe because I wanted to wait until I had some concrete evidence (whether to convince me or you, not so sure). Either way, I decided it's time to make the announcement. So... We're having a baby!!! Yay!!! I'm about 17 weeks along and here is a sonogram picture I got a week ago. We still don't know what it is (it was too fuzzy to tell) but we will find out for sure on the 29th. I'll try and inform everyone before the baby actually gets here. :)

I Love Summer!

2008-06-04T10:22:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I know I have been absent from the blogging world for a while now. I don't have a good excuse either, I just didn't want to blog! Not a whole lot has changed, so you won't be getting an update...sad, I know. I will post a few pictures of what we have been doing lately. It's not much, just enjoying this hot Texas weather and that big blue cloudless sky!

Rats or Squirrels?

2008-04-22T09:29:00.004-05:00

As it turns out, our attic (the one with the rattling tin door) has become home to a family of squirrels. I guess it's comforting to know our upstairs neighbors aren't rats, but seeing as how they both belong to the family of rodents, I don't know how relieved I am. What it comes down to is they both have claws and they both scratch against the walls. Cute or not, the squirrels have to go.

This is the light right outside our bedroom window. As we discovered yesterday, the silver mounting piece has become separated from the brick wall and the squirrels go in and out via the hobit-hole opening behind. And yes, there are squirrels plural. This is the mom and she has at least two little babies that I've seen. Precious, I know, but annoying none the less.

Tag...I'm It!

2008-04-15T12:47:00.008-05:00

Oh boy oh boy! I love being tagged (minimal amounts of sarcasm). I get to discuss all the interesting things about me...who knows, maybe I'll even discover what those are. Here we go:

MY FAVORITE THINGS around the house

My favorite thing in the kitchen is... My ultra vintage florescent light fixture. It finally died out on us a few weeks ago so when the maintenance man announced he would have to replace it, I actually got my hopes up...no more flickering eyesore! But in he walked with A BRAND NEW florescent light fixture...I didn't even know they sold those anymore!?!?!

My favorite thing in the bathroom is... uhhh...running water...a toilet that flushes. That is a comprehensive list of the perks of my beautiful bathroom.

My favorite thing in the bedroom is... most definitely our tempurpedic matress topper. Ahh...who sleeps on a regular old mattress anymore. It's like falling asleep on a cloud of marshmallows!

My favorite thing in the living room is... my one of a kind, completely original, painting that hangs just above our couch. My incredibly talented husband Jamin painted this for me and I absolutely love it!

My favorite thing in the bedroom closet is... oooh oooh...it's gotta be the tin trap door to the attic that rattles every time the wind howls. Or wait...maybe it's the rats, or possibly even squirrels, that scratch and scratch just when you're falling asleep. It's just your everyday closet. :)

My favorite thing in the pantry is... definitely our pantry door. It's the 8th World Wonder. At only 11 and 3/4 inches wide and 80 inches high, it's the perfect hiding place for children seeing as how most adults coudn't even fit through the opening!

My favorite thing in the "office" is... Office??? If the nook in my bedroom's bay window where my desk and computer resides counts as an office, I would have to say the fan sitting on top of my printer. You see, at only a foot away, it not only helps cool me as I sleep in my cozy bed at night, but it also provides the white noise that I have come to depend upon for a good night's sleep.

My favorite thing in the baby's room is... my baby, of course! He is fast asleep in his crib right now giving his mom the necessary time required to complete this fascinating survey!

Now let's spread the joy: I tag KRISTI, JESS, MOLLY, JACKIE, and HEATHER.

A Trip to the Dallas Arboretum

2008-04-01T17:54:00.019-05:00

We had such a great time today! Wait...this sounds vaguely familiar. Oh Yeah!!! That's cuz it's exactly how Amanda titled and started her post today. Aghhh...of course Amanda beat me to the post about the Arboretum...but it's all good. Now I don't have to explain what it was and who went. If you want details, read Amanda's blog. :) Here are some GORGEOUS pictures for everyone's enjoyment.

This is the entrance to the Arboretum. Isn't it beautiful?

Devin was so excited to be outside surrounded by flowers within his finger-plucking reach that he even posed for a few pictures for me!

Just my son being cute. :)

Not so cute. He was insanely angry because Cole was ganking his strawberries. Geez Cole...it's not like Devin had an entire bowl full or anything.

The amazingly bright azaleas...or so my mother informed me. I don't know what they are, nor do I have a square inch of soil that belongs to me, but I want some.

This is for you Amanda...what were you doing? (JK...this was my fault)

Another Easter Post

2008-03-24T14:46:00.010-05:00

I assume pretty much everyone is posting about their Easter weekend. Though I'm sure you are tired of hearing all about other people's kids getting excited over a bunch of eggs, I would feel like a failure as a mother if I didn't post some completely original photos.

We participated in a grand total of three easter egg hunts this year. We decided to skip the dying easter eggs tradition considering Devin would most likely drink the copious amounts of colored vinegar and throw the eggs all over the house. Who knows just how toxic easter egg dye really is; plus you combine that with the wax crayons, glitter, stickers, and plastic egg wrappers and it makes for one terrifying digestive nightmare.

This was Devin's first Easter Egg hunt. We had to quarantine a small three yard radius of soccer field in order to give Devin enough time to pick up a few eggs. I think this was egg #3 and as you can see, all the other hunters have left the field already.

Devin's Easter basket

This is what happens when Devin goes on one too many Easter Egg hunts. By the last one (located in my grandparent's backyard) he was a little too fearless and assured of his egg hunting powers. That battle wound is a constant reminder of his limitations and what happens when you lose sight of your humility (your forehead smacks the pavement...duh).

The Prodigal Camera Cord Returns

2008-03-04T11:38:00.005-06:00

Ok, so maybe Prodigal isn't the right word, but regardless, my camera cord and I have finally been reunited. What a sweet reunion. I've decided against a post containing random images (images that would require short stories) from the past two months. Instead, I'll post this video of Jamin and Devin. In the video, Jamin had just gotten home from work. Devin decided he wanted to cuddle with Jamin on the couch and tell him all about his day. Of course I didn't think about the camera until he was almost done with his conversation, but it's still a pretty good representation. Enjoy!!!

New AMAZING Artist

2008-02-21T22:13:00.011-06:00

Back in November, Amanda and I went to the Kelly Clarkson concert (awesome!). A guy named Jon McLaughlin opened for her and we were rather impressed with him. I have since downloaded all his songs and I LOVE him. So I thought I would share a song with you guys. He is totally worth buying (or downloading illegally). Let me know what you think.

**Sorry about the live performance, I can't embed any of his real videos, but you can watch it here**

Widget Wonder

2008-02-20T23:04:00.002-06:00

I love widgets! I've spent probably the last hour and a half checking out all the new widgets the world has to offer. The selection is huge. (For those of you not familiar with blogging lingo, a widget is basically some cool little gadget you can add to your blog) I have just discovered a Good Reads widget (thanks to Amy!) that shares my favorite books. I also came across an awesome music widget. You get to decide what you listen to. (Go ahead Amanda...listen to a little John Mayer while you catch up on my blog). But my FAVORITE widget of the night is by far Tetris! Only one of the best games on the planet and now you can play it on my blog! I'm in widget heaven right now. Check out www.widgetbox.com for more awesome widgets...and let me know if you find any must haves.

Blog Hiatus

2008-02-13T16:08:00.004-06:00

I'm sure everyone noticed and lamented my month long absense from the blogging world. But for all of you that were checking faithfully every day while biting your nails with anxiety...I'm back. So here's a mini update of our past month:

Devin has been walking better and better every week. He still can't get back up when he falls so he's still mostly frustrated all the time. Which means I'm mostly frustrated all the time. :) He constantly looks like an apple being used for a game of croquet because you can't find your croquet ball. (Don't you hate that!) Every time one bruise heals on his forehead he gets another. He fell once while chewing on a wooden block and busted his gum and lip open. Needless to say it bled for hours. It was like an episode of CSI where the blood splatters all over everything within a 3 foot radius...which included my arm. It was really gross...poor kid. But when he's not falling down and injuring himself, he's catching colds. He's been sick for a week and a half now and I'm starting to doubt if it will ever end. His cold developed into Bronchiolitis and he had to go get breathing treatments one night because his oxygen got too low. It was rather frightful, but after a few treatments at the doctors and a couple days of inhalers he was fine. At least the breathing. He still coughs, drips, and whines all day long...which is a very dangerous combination. But he's extra snuggly so I can't complain too much.

Other than the infirmities, life is great. Jamin and I are doing well. We are enjoying this beautiful weather and all the fun new things we get to explore with Devin. His favorite new discoveries are flowers and babies. Anytime he sees either he grins so huge and starts talking in a really high pitched voice. It's amazing the things they pick up. He sat next to his little one month old cousin the other day and (after talking in a high pitched voice to him) leaned over and gave him two kisses on the forehead. It was all I could do to hold back the waterworks. Devin has given me maybe 10 kisses in his lifetime but I smother his face daily in kisses. It's just cute to see him understand that it's just common practice to kiss smaller kids on the face. Man I love being a mom! Isn't it the best!

**Pictures are to follow...I left my camera cord at my brother's house!

It's Official!!!!

2008-01-10T18:28:00.001-06:00

Devin is WALKING! After teasing us over Christmas break, he has decided to pick it back up and is now everywhere. He started 2 days ago, on the 8th, so he wasn't officially 14 months yet! (He turned 14 months on the 9th). Does that mean I can say he started walking at 13 months? :) just kidding. It wasn't until this evening that he really started doing it without occasionally using furniture for support. It's just bad news when he falls, because he is not capable of getting back up again...but we'll work on that! Here is a video of him traversing the largest area of our tiny apartment!!! Yay Devin!

Welcome to this Crazy World

2008-01-05T16:42:00.000-06:00

On Thursday morning my mom's 4th grandchild and 4th grandson was born!!! (Apparently her son-in-laws are incapable of producing girls). His name is Bryce James Johansen and he is ADORABLE! Kristi is besides herself with joy (RIGHT KRIS?!?! ;-}). He weighed in at 8lbs 6oz and measured 21 inches long. I just have to post a video instead of a picture because he makes this cute humming/whistling sound all the time. The nurses say it's because he has fluid in his lungs and he's trying to get it out. However, Kristi believes it's because he is used to a large amount of noise (what with two loud brothers and not so quiet-spoken parents) and it's just too quite in the real world so he has to create his own noise in order to sleep. I'm personally partial to the latter explanation. Here he is...Congrats Kristi, you got a keeper!!!

Christmas in California

2008-01-04T20:56:00.000-06:00

I know I'm a little late here, but I've been a busy girl!!! We just got back in town and I switched over my blog (so update your links!) and now I'm ready to update you on these past few weeks. Because of the lack of pictures, I'm going to skip over Brandon & Jess' wedding and move on to Christmas. (Wedding update is yet to come).

This Christmas was a little crazy. Jamin, Devin, and I celebrated Christmas on Sunday the 23rd because we were flying out for California early on Christmas Eve. It didn't quite feel right, but I still managed to get some cute pictures of Devin. He really liked opening up his presents...he just cared more for the wrapping than what was inside. (Do you like my super dead Christmas tree in the background???) We woke up early the next morning and flew to California. That's where Jamin's mom lives and his 3 youngest siblings. The other two flew out for Christmas as well so it was a HUGE family reunion and TONS of fun. Jacob (his youngest brother) had received his mission call in the mail and was waiting for everyone to get there before he opened it. So on Christmas Day after we picked up Jamin's sister from the airport and before we dropped off his brother's wife (Marcie...am I confusing you yet?) for her flight, Jacob read his mission call in the airport. Tacoma, Washington! YAY JACOB!!!! We are super excited for him and know he will be an EXCELLENT missionary. Here is a picture of the whole gang during the 2 hours we spent together.

Most everyone, except Jamin's mom and Ed, got to meet Devin for the first time. He got to play with his cousin Austyn who happens to be the cutest, mildest, and best behaved little girl on the planet. She is 2, twice his age, and Devin is the same size. In fact, I'd be willing to bet he's bigger. Austyn had fun making Devin laugh and giving him kisses. We HAD to do the bath scene and it was a blast. Not only did they take great pictures (what is more important), but Devin had a first! He pulled himself up in to a standing position without my help! In the bathtub...where there is water...and it's slippery. That boy does everything backwards. But anyway...I know that was a milestone he was supposed to hit 5 months ago, but I'm still excited.

Aren't they adorable?!?! She was giving him a kiss in this picture! He wasn't too happy about it afterwards though. He is such a boy! The last day before we left we took a trip to the Children's Museum in Stockton. That is the coolest place ever. I've got to look up Dallas' Children's Museum...they are bound to have one. But this place had all kinds of educational stations for kids to learn and other cool places to play. We took a picture of the whole family in a bus. It was pretty comical.

Later that night Devin had another first. HE STARTED WALKING!!!! He would take off and walk across the room, turn around come back, completely controlled. I was so excited that I text my entire family to share the good news. Then the next morning, the kid wouldn't even stand up! He decided he didn't want to walk anymore and refused to use his legs. Even now, a week later, he won't really walk. Every once in a while he will walk across the room, but he mostly scales the walls like Spiderman and chickens out when he thinks about going on his own. So it's back to waiting. Argh...

A New Blog

2008-01-04T11:34:00.000-06:00

With the new year upon us, I decided to cut back on unecessary expenses...one of which being our family URL, www.theaustinhome.com. I chose to stop paying a monthly hosting fee and go with the free, though less customizable, blog. So here we are!! Everyone that is charitable enough to link to us from their blogs, you can change the link to http://theaustinhome.blogspot.com/. I'll be posting an update on the wedding, Christmas, and California shortly!