All I Want for Christmas...

Approximately a week or so ago, Billy and I were discussing with the kids what items they wanted to ask Santa for this year.  At the time, Tyler wanted the Doris Tyrannasaurus and Buddy interactive dinosaurs from the show Dinosaur Train.  (Now he wants the Night Fury dragon from How to Train your Dragon).  Allison most wants a "Cookie Bake Oven" (translation - Easy Bake Oven).  Ryan just wants to pull all the ornaments off our Christmas tree!  There are other requests of course, but we were just discussing what would be at the very TOP of their lists.
At the end of the discussion, Allison wanted to know what would be at the top of her Daddy's Christmas list...

Allison:  Daddy, what do you want for Christmas?
Billy:  I want all my stress to go away.
Allison:  No, what do you want for CHRISTMAS???
Billy:  That is what I want.  For all my stress to go away.
I think Allison asked her question even a time or two more, not being able to comprehend her Daddy's wish, but finally moved on when his answer didn't change.

Now, fast forward to this morning at our church's Breakfast with Santa.  After Allison sat on Santa's lap and told him she wanted her Cookie Bake Oven on Christmas morning, she came back to our table and started coloring.  A few minutes passed and someone came over and started talking to Allison...

Bro. S: Hey Pretty Girl (Billy calls her this all the time, so a couple of people have followed suit).  Did I hear you wanted an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas?
Allison:  Yep.....And Daddy wants all his stress to go away.

Precious.  Absolutely precious.

Little Caesar

Allison saw this guy as we were driving down the road the other day,

and he seemed to really make an impression...

"Mommy!  I saw a guy with a pizza on his tummy...

and SPINICH in his EARS!!!"

A Little Thursday Cuteness

Allison (on the very HOT walk to the bus stop to pick up Tyler):  I wish our feet was a rocket!  (In other words, it's too bad we can't get this over with a bit more quickly!)

Tyler (after overhearing me ask Billy a question about the iPad):

Mommy, iPad NEVER dies!  I've heard about it on T.V.

Another Budding Artist

Remember the culprit behind this work of art back in October of 2008???

Yeah, that was Mr. Tyler's first experiment with an ink pen.

Well...

Now we have a different culprit.

And a different canvas.

But the same old ink pen.

She went to the bathroom.  I heard her singing and laughing (and no, this didn't make me suspicious because these are not uncommon things for her to be doing).  Then she came back not even 2 minutes later looking like this.  I couldn't help but laugh!

For some reason, Allison urgently wants Auntie Vanessa to see these pictures of her.  She created this work of art yesterday and has been bugging me to get them on here ever since.  Her exact words were, "I really want Auntie to see me like this!"  So I hope it gives you your laugh for the day Auntie!

Just Couldn't Take it Any Longer

Bless her heart.  I think she fell asleep mid-bite.  She's just recovering from a nasty stomach virus and hasn't eaten much over the past week.  So when she wanted a snack before bedtime, I couldn't turn her down.  Looks like it was more than she could handle!  :)

Behind...again

Ever feel like no matter how many things you get accomplished, the list never gets shorter???  I constantly live with this struggle.  In fact, it always seems to get LONGER with each thing I mark off.  Maybe I'll figure it out one day and not let "the list" have such control over me.  Until then, I'll just stay behind I guess. 

Anyway, on to more important things...

Yesterday was a special day in the Hadley house! 

We celebrated 3 years with this sweet and sassy little girl...

And 9 months with this adorable little man...

More to come on each of them, so stay tuned!

We love you so much Miss Allison!  Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

And Ryan, I think the calendar is lying to me, because there is no WAY you can be only 3 months away from your first birthday! 

Happy 9 months cute boy!  We love you!

Thanks for the pictures Vanessa!

A Lonely Father's Day

Poor Billy is working out of town and had to celebrate Father's Day on his own. We miss him so very much and wish we could have given him lots of kisses and hugs today. But since we couldn't, we created a special card for him.

Just so you know, we really DO have a gift to give you when you get home.

And don't worry, we will keep the candy SUPER safe for you!  :)

The kids also made cards at church for him...

This is the front of Tyler's card.  It says "To Daddy."  I'm not entirely sure how he pulled off the mirror image though!

The picture is of Tyler and Daddy playing "4-wheeler-eeler" game on Play Station together.

Tyler has caught up on his Daddy time by having two long phone conversations with him over the past couple days.

Allison really missed her Daddy today.

She was crying for him after church so I asked if she'd like to call him.

Still crying she says, "Noooo.  I want him to come hoooooome!"

Ryan obviously can't make a card, but he also missed his Daddy a lot today.

I had to teach my class at church, and Billy usually takes care of Ryan during this hour.

Someone else had to help me out with him today and it was really tough for poor Ryan.

Happy Father's Day Daddy!!!

We love and miss you SO much!

Dentist Visits

I would apologize for this being long, but I bet you get that about me by now. I can't help it. I just like to be thorough. We recently got finished with a series of 5 dentist visits for Tyler and Allison in approximately a month and a half. Here's the saga (and a little background knowledge to go with it!).

Tyler's first dentist appoinment at age 2 1/2 ended up being a traumatic experience for the both of us. Billy and I suspected he needed to go in the first place because little black dots showed up on his back molars, despite our best efforts of brushing his teeth daily. I found a Pediatric dentist, took him in, and our suspicions were confirmed. Tyler is not a timid kid. He did GREAT with the cleaning and wasn't nervous at all. When it came time to fill the cavities on his 2nd visit, however, they basically tied him down, stuck a scarey mask over his face, and filled 3 or 4 cavities withOUT even numbing, all while telling me his screams meant he was angry - not in pain. I think NOT! Quite a horrible experience for a Momma to watch and even tell about without getting teary-eyed! So, needless to say, I still beat myself up about the whole ordeal and have put off taking him back to the dentist until present day. Luckily, he doesn't remember any of it and had no apphrehension about going. Unfortunately, he ended up having a mouthful of cavities to fill again (5 total). Thankfully, we were referred to an AMAZING dentist this time around (thanks Yvette)! Here's THAT story...

Once again, Tyler wasn't scared at all. He acted as if he'd done this a thousand times before. He walked back, climbed in the chair, and let them go to work. He got to choose a movie to watch during his cleaning. Out of the selection, he chose Cars. He chose chocolate flavored toothpaste and a Lightning McQueen toothbrush. He also chose a Lightning sticker and a green T-Rex frisbee from the prize box. Dr. Drew expressed over and over what a great patient Tyler was. She noted that she could tell we took good care of his teeth. They looked great, he has healthy gums, etc. Tyler just has extremely deep crevices in his molars. She said that no matter how much brushing we do, it's almost impossible to get into those crevices. After viewing Tyler's x-rays and discussing what needed to be done (fillings, possible nerve treatments and caps, and sealant to protect his molars), we set up another appointment and were on our way.

He had 3 cavities to fill (right side only) on his first follow-up visit, and ended up needing to get a cap on his very back molar. Despite the fact that prior to the visit he said he wanted his Mommy to go back with him, he walked right back with the nurse without even looking back! He's such a brave boy! He was very excited about his new "dinosaur" tooth, as Dr. Drew called it. At first he called it his gold tooth. He proudly called Grandma Hamby to tell her all about it since she was at the cabin. "I love my gold tooth!" he told her. (It's actually the normal silver cap, he just called it gold at first.) He even let Allison touch it once his mouth "woke up." (They had given him a special sticker that stated, "Teeth, gums, lips asleep. Do NOT disturb." So he explained to her that she would have to wait until they were done sleeping, per the sticker's directions.) Back at home during lunch, Tyler was trying to drink from a straw. After taking a sip, the juice came running out of his mouth on the side that was numb. He let out a concerned and helpless "Mooooommy?!" so I told him to try drinking on the other side of his mouth. It went well for the next sip, but then it happened again on the third. "Mommy, I accidently got too much and it leaked out again because my lips are crooked!" I had to chuckle. That night, he came to the realization that this new tooth cover couldn't and wasn't coming off. He came to me with a very concerned look while pulling at it with his thumb nail. Then he exclaimed, "It won't come off!" I had to explain that it was permanent until his tooth fell out around age 12. He wasn't too happy at first, but was understanding of the fact that it was protecting his real tooth so it wouldn't have to be pulled.

On his 2nd follow-up visit, he had two more cavities filled (left side) and needed another cap on the back molar again. When he was all finished, Dr. Drew asked how he was and he said, "I did much better than last time!" When I asked him why he thought that he said, "because it didn't even hurt me this time!" (I guess he was a little uncomfortable with the pressure he felt when the first cap was put on.) He was also pleased to now have a matching set of caps on the back molars. After the appointment, he decided he would wait and eat lunch this time "when his lips weren't crooked anymore."

The 4th visit came the very next day after Tyler complained of a pain when brushing his teeth that night and the next morning. I took him in, they checked things out, and came to the conclusion that his gums were a bit inflamed from the cap. Thankfully, it turns out that's all it was. He's been 100% ever since and has adjusted to his dino teeth quite well!

And here's Allison's story...

My Allison has always been a little more reserved when it comes to new people, situations, and surroundings, so I was a little nervous about her first experience with the dentist. Since she was able to come along on all of Tyler's dentist visits, however, she was able to observe the situation, get to know her surroundings, watch Tyler, and discover that visiting the dentist was actually a fun experience. She could NOT wait for her turn in the chair. After all of Tyler's dental work was complete, I made the appointment for Allison's first cleaning. I showed her the appointment card (which had a picture of Dora on it), and she immediately confiscated it from me. That card remained with her the entire week until her appointment. She carried it everywhere with her. If she did happen to sit it down somewhere, she would later think of it and question where it was asking, "Where's my appointment card???"

She was SO excited the day of her appointment. She ran right into the office and started playing as she had done on the previous visits, but I could tell she was a little more hyper than normal. She could barely contain all the excitement built up inside her! When the nurse came to get her, she started jumping up and down and got the most excited look on her face. Dr. Drew was so happy about her excitement! Allison got to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks during her cleaning and chose pink watermelon flavored toothpaste. For her prize bag, she chose a red and purple Eeyore toothbrush, a Hannah Montana sparkly sticker, and a blue flower ring from the treasure box. She did amazing and was the ideal little patient (to not even be quite 3 yet!). Dr. Drew bragged to everyone that she was the best patient of the year for her age! And imagine how thrilled I was to learn she has NO cavities! They all think Tyler and Allison are the cutest and sweetest! We agree of course!

Later that day, Allison told me in a very disappointed voice, "I forgot to tell the dentist I wanted cavity!" Apparently she was hoping to have a silver tooth of her own. :) I explained to her that she didn't need a silver tooth, and that her teeth are beautiful without being silver. She is content with us telling her that she has "sparkly teeth" instead of silver teeth.  This is what Dr. Drew told her when she painted the fluoride treatment on with "birthday cake frosting." Good doctors certainly are a blessing!

Just a quick note:  Tyler was 2 years and 7 months in his pictures while Allison was 2 years and 10 months in hers.  How is it that Allison looks so much more grown up to me when there's only a 3 month difference???  Maybe it's got something to do with my perspective on the difference in time?

Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies

Billy likes chocolate chip cookies.

Tyler and Allison like sprinkles.

I like to bake.

So we made some chocolate chip sprinkle cookies this evening!

Apparently, Ryan likes sprinkles too...

Yes, I knew he was playing with the bottle of sprinkles.

And no, I have no idea how the lid came off.

Some things we may never know...

Mother's Day Love

Remember these two sweethearts that I promised I was still taking pictures of?

They picked dandelions, wild strawberries, and berries as we played outside the past couple days. As each item was gathered, the collection was given to me as one of my Mother's Day gifts (totally their own idea!).

While picking the strawberries (on Thursday), I was told it was a surprise and that I wasn't supposed to look at it until they were finished. The word "strawberries" slipped from Tyler's mouth at one point and he said, "Oops! Mommy, did you hear that?!" I responded with, "Nope. What did you say buddy?" "Oh. I'm not going to tell you because it was about your surprise and I didn't want you to hear it," he says. SO cute!

Here is the pile I was presented with...

Today, we were discussing Mother's Day again and Allison says (in the most precious voice you can imagine), "We gave you strawberries for Mother's Day." Melted my heart!

Then this afternoon, I was given a pocket full of berries (the kind that come off a bush in our yard). They would pick the berries for a while, come running to me with little handfuls, and then deposit them into my pocket. This happened over and over until my pocket was rather full. "We're giving you two Mother's Day presents," they told me.

Honestly, I wouldn't be the slighest bit disappointed if these were the ONLY gifts I received this Mother's Day. For me, these moments are the ones that make all the tough moments of being a mom fade into the farthest parts of my mind. I feel so blessed to have these three precious little munchkins to call my own!

And I'll treasure my Mother's Day berries FOREVER!

Feeling Behind

I'm behind on posts. At least 10 of them. All for the purpose of journaling and documenting what's going on in our lives. When I get overwhelmed thinking about how many posts I need to catch up on, I type up all the cute things I've heard Tyler and Allison say. It somehow makes me feel better. So here's the latest...

Quotes by Allison:

"Mommy, can you fix me some dinner? My tummy has a headache!"

"Quit playing with my hair. It's not a toyeeeee!"

Conversations with Tyler:

While discussing Easter...

Me: Tyler, what if it's raining on Easter? The Easter Bunny might not be able to deliver our baskets.
Tyler: Well, he can just wear a rain coat.
Me: But then all our goodies will get wet.
Tyler: No they won't! The Easter Bunny wraps them up in plastic. Like that other time, renember?!
(Yes, he does say 'renember.' I think it's adorable.)

One day when Tyler was outside with Pawpaw, who's smoking a cigarette....

Tyler: Pawpaw! You shouldn't smoke. It's bad for your heart!
Some time passes and Pawpaw lights another cigarette.
Tyler(pointing his finger): Pawpaw! Now I'm really mad! I need you to stop smoking! I told you smoking is bad for your heart! I'm tired of asking you to stop!

And then later after Tyler had asked Pawpaw 100+ questions about all his tools and equipment...

Pawpaw: You're wearing me out, son.
Tyler: Why?
Pawpaw: Because you're asking so many questions.
Tyler: I have to ask a lot of questions because I don't know what any of this stuff is!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

...from my little leprechauns!

Isn't that the cutest little leprechaun face you've ever seen?!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Tholkes for the fun St. Patrick's Day box of goodies!

Going for a Swim

While getting ready for bed last night, I send Allison into the closet to get a Pull-Up.
She comes out looking like this....

"I have floateeeees!!!" she exclaims.

I laughed until tears were streaming down my face!

A Special Day

Today is Billy's 31st birthday! Since I am constantly telling all about our kids, I don't often take time to brag about the great daddy and husband in our lives!
Billy is such a hard worker and does a great job making sure the needs of our family are being met. Lately, he's had to work 10 hour days, even on Saturdays! In addition to that he still has Sheet Metal School on Wednesday nights. So we've been joking that we're Daddy deprived these days. We appreciate how hard he's working for us, but we sure do miss him a lot!
We're going to do our best to make this a special day for him, starting with this post!
We've made the following lists of how Billy is a great husband and daddy to each of us...and has been since day 1! (I just thought it would be a fun trip down memory lane to post a picture of Billy with each child as a baby.)

1. He's always thinking of me. He sends me a text every single day telling me that he loves me and hopes I have a great day. And if there's something he feels I want or need, he will go out and get it for me (usually without me even asking.)
2. He's a great "gopher." He never complains when I ask him to get and bring things to me that I need around the house.
3. He isn't jealous of the relationship I have with my mom. I'm such a Momma's girl. I talk to my mom almost daily and have to spend time with her on a regular basis. Billy is very understanding of this.
4. He never complains about my cooking. I'm a pretty decent cook, but we all have the urge to try a new recipie now and then. If one of these trial dinners isn't his favorite, he'll eat it anyway. (He won't go back for seconds though. haha)
5. He loves me unconditionally. Even three kids and a whole different body shape later, he doesn't love me any differently from the day we met.

1. He plays Air Hogs with me. Tyler got an Air Hog remote control helicopter from Grandma and Grandpa Hadley for his birthday. Billy liked it so much that he bought his own. Billy's just happened to be green (Tyler's favorite), so they share and have a great time together.
2. He finds us after work. Long ago, Tyler started a game of hiding from Billy when he came home from work each day. Him and Allison still hide from him everyday and Billy just has to listen for the giggles to locate them. Once he finds them, there's lots of tickles, hugs, and kisses!
3. He teaches me lots of fun games. He has loved learning how to play Tic-Tac-Toe and Rock, Paper, Scissors. He also loves watching Billy play online chess and asks lots of questions so he can be a pro at chess too one day!
4. He shares mints with me at church. Daddy always has a pocket full of Life Saver mints at church. Tyler always looks forward to them on Sunday.
5. He calls me his "Big Man." And Tyler takes it personally if Daddy calls Ryan "Big Man." He will quickly correct him by reminding him that Ryan is "LITTLE Man."

1. He's my "friend" at night. Since sleeping in her big girl bed, Allison has some nights where she feels a little insecure. She will say that she needs a friend on these nights and sometimes Daddy will lay with her and scratch her back.
2. He shares his iPod with me. Billy has one of the iTouch iPods (not the iPhone). There are lots of fun apps for the kids that Billy has downloaded. Allison LOVES playing with Daddy's iPod and has even asked for her own "Princess iPod."
3. He's so warm and cozy. Allison loves sitting in her Daddy's lap. Ever since she was a baby, she has been most comfortable sitting with her Daddy. 95% of the time, she'll fall asleep while in his lap.
4. He shares his chocolate milk with me. Billy loves Mayfield chocolate milk. If he gets one when we're all shopping together, he gets a straw so he can easily share with the kids.
5. He calls me his "Pretty Girl." This makes her feel so special. She loves being Daddy's pretty girl.

1. He lets me watch T.V. with him. Billy uses this to distract Ryan when Mommy needs a little break.
2. He even downloads iPod apps for me! Billy downloaded Baby Einstein and some white noise apps for Ryan to use.
3. He turns on music and dances with me. Billy does this to get Ryan to sleep. It's worked several times!
4. He takes good care of me. Whether it's running to the store late at night for some Gripe Water or Tylenol or finding a way to calm me down, Daddy wants me to be happy!
5. He calls me Little Man or Ryan Baby.

We love you so much and hope this is a special day for you!

The Big Snow

Don't mind me. I'm just trying to get a little caught up...

For those that don't live in Georgia, we have had 3 snow days this winter. Count them - THREE! That's crazy for Georgia! In a "good" year we might get a day with flurries, and some MIGHT stick, but then it will all melt in an hour. No snow angels, no snowmen, no sledding. Snow must have been in high demand this year though. Because we got plenty!
These pictures were actually taken on the 2nd snow day because Ryan was sick on the first one. He wasn't too happy with me at first for taking him out in the cold and plopping him in the Bumbo.

But then big brother came to the rescue and helped him stand in the snow. Things got a little better at this point.

Even when they fell backwards, he remained perfectly content. So long as he's with his Tyler Man, everything's peachy!

When Tyler was ready to go and play, we tried the Bumbo again. He enjoyed watching Tyler and Allison run around in the snow, and even gave me a few grins.

After taking in the snow and his surroundings, Ryan went inside for a nap with Daddy. Then Tyler, Allison, and I decided to make a snowman. I could already sense that Tyler and Allison were getting a little tired of the cold, but were still anxious to build their own snowman. So we opted for a small one. We actually never even got to finish him. Tyler gave him a carrot nose and some arms and Allison decided Mommy's idea of making it a snowgirl was a good idea so she added some bead necklaces. At this point, little noses, toes, and hands were just too cold so we headed in to cozy up by the fire.

A cute story about Tyler and the snow days:

I was feeling a little guilty after not getting to take the kids out on the 1st snow day. So when the 2nd snow day came around, I was feeling very excited about having another chance! Allison had asked me once to go out in it, but Tyler (my winter, snow loving boy) hadn't even asked once to go out and play. I knew he was excited about the snow because when it started snowing the 1st snow day he exclaimed, "THANK YOU, HEAVENLY FATHER!!!" So I wondered why he wasn't dying to go out and play in it. When I asked if he wanted to go out and play after breakfast on the 2nd day he said "No, I don't want to mess it all up." He was truly enjoying the beauty of it and loved watching through the window of his warm and cozy home. Once I explained that the snow would eventually melt and that we should enjoy it while we could, he decided it was a good idea.

Carrots and Space

I have a long list of posts to catch up on, but instead of playing catch-up, I'm posting some Allison and Tyler humor. It's easy and at least it's something!

We had glazed carrots with our dinner tonight. But unless it comes in soup form, Allison doesn't like veggies. BUT, we have the you-at-least-have-to-taste-it rule in our house. It's been a challenge to follow through on this rule with Allison because even if she doesn't think it LOOKS right, she isn't going to eat it (or taste it for that matter.) I have still enforced it to the best of my ability, and surprisingly she's getting a bit better (although it entirely depends on her mood).
SO getting on with it, tonight we were trying to convince her that carrots were yummy and that eating them would make her have great eyesight. She still hesitated throughout the meal and decided to save the torture until the very end. When it came time for the dreaded carrot tasting time, she surprisingly took the bite without a fuss. After chewing it for a while she exclaimed,

"I can see better!"

Tyler's story comes in three parts this time.

Part 1: Tyler had a helium balloon from his rocket birthday party that we had been carrying around in our car for probably over a week (long story). A couple Saturdays ago, I took Allison to a Build-a-Bear birthday party. Ryan had to go with us, but Tyler stayed at Grandma and Pawpaw's house. After the party was over, I had to feed Ryan in the car before heading back home. I was a little hot after lugging a 2-year-old, a baby in the snuggli, the car seat, and a bear in his brand new home all the way across the mall and through the parking lot. So I decided to roll down the windows a bit and get a little fresh air. Well yeah, as soon as the windows cracked, the wind created a suction and Tyler's balloon flew right out the window. Gone. Forever. I felt horrible.

Later, when I broke the news to Tyler, I tried to lessen the blow by telling him excitedly that his rocket balloon was just dying to blast off into space. It did help somewhat at the time...

Part 2: Since Tyler's recent interest in rockets and space, we have had some discussions about space, astronauts, etc. One conversation we had (which took place after the whole balloon incident) was about gravity, and Tyler wanted to know how space ships could leave Earth and go into space since there is gravity on Earth. I told him that they just have to go super fast so that they can get out of Earth's gravity.

Part 3: Apparently Tyler had been pondering over his lost balloon, the fact that I told him it went to outer space, and the phenomenon of things being able to leave Earth's gravity if they were going fast enough. A couple days after the gravity discussion he tells me, "Mommy, my rocket balloon couldn't have gone to space!" "Why not?" I asked. "Well, it couldn't have gone fast enough to get out of Earth's gravity!"

I had no further comments after that.

Build-a-Bear Party

Allison got invited to her very first birthday party.  She has tagged along to parties with Tyler in the past, but this was the very first one that was just for her!  It took place at Build-a-Bear Workshop.  She was so excited about the gift we bought (Princess Yahtzee Jr. and a Princess Sticker Book).  She helped me put it in the bag and add tissue paper, and was very proud to carry it.  When we first got there, she was a little shy and hesitant to leave me to sit with the group.  I assured her that I wasn't going to leave, and so she decided to join in on the fun. 

The first thing she got to do was choose her bear and name her. 

Allison and a very flat 'Fluffy'

Then the whole process of building the bear took place.

Giving Fluffy a heart.

Making Fluffy...well, fluffy!

Giving Fluffy a bath.

Showing Fluffy off to Ryan.

Lastly, she got to choose an outfit and get her dressed.  Allison loves hearts (notice that she had to wear her favorite pink heart shirt, belt, and pants to the party), so she chose a very girly pink satin heart party dress.  Fluffy (and Allison) looked adorable!

Allison was a little distracted watching people go by while I tried to take a picture of the finished product.  She really was happy and had a super great time!

And so it starts...

Your little boy turns 5.

He's all "grown up" now.

And now it's time for him to start showing interest in girls.

Woah, wait just a minute!

I said 5...not 15!

5 year olds don't have crushes, do they??? The thought never even crossed my mind until Tyler made the following comment the other night.
Tyler, Grandma, and I were watching Family Feud. When the winning team started jumping up and down in excitment, the cameras showed the losing team clapping and smiling. Then the following dialogue takes place:
Tyler: Awe man, I wanted the other team to win.
Me: Why?
Tyler: Because they have a girl that I like on that team.
Grandma (smiling): Was she pretty?
Tyler: Yeah. And she has a good shape too.

Are you kidding me??? I'm not ready for this!

While you're laughing, here's a little more humor from Tyler...
While unzipping his footed jammies: Man, I'm hot.
Me: Really?
Tyler: Yeah, I'm roasting! I'm like chicken fried steak!

And while I'm at it, here's one from Allison...

We had to take Ryan to the doctor yesterday because of a high fever. Since everything was checking out okay, they decided they needed to get a urine sample. After watching them do the catheter Allison asks, "Why did they put a paint brush in Ryan's peepee?" I'm not sure what about it made her think it looked like a paint brush, but I told her that it wasn't a paint brush and did my best to explain what they did and why. After my explanation she said, "What? I didn't hear you?" (Translation: That sounds like a lot of rubbish. Please try again.) So, I attempt to explain once again and she replies, "WHAT??? I still didn't hear you?" Then she sticks her pointer fingers in her ears, twists them around and says, "Let me clean out my ears so I can hear you!"

Cleaning...

...June Cleaver style!

The day the package from Grandma and Grandpa Tholkes arrived with Christmas outfits inside, Allison wanted to try hers on right away. After putting it on, she immediately ran upstairs to her room to accesorize! A short while later, I was doing some cleaning and Allison busted out her little vacuum to help. She was vacuuming in style! I just had to snap a couple of shots of my miniature June Cleaver. :)

Perhaps a black and white version would be more fitting....

Big Brother and Sister

Thanks to the good ol' flu season and the notorious H1N1, the hospital decided to make a new rule in regards to visitors. All adults were being screened for flu symptoms at the door before being allowed to enter, and absolutely no visitors under the age of 15 were being allowed into the hospital - not even older siblings of the new baby. This made for a very sad and disappointed big brother and sister, who had been so patiently awaiting the arrival of their little brother! (Too bad we didn't know about this rule until we showed up at the hospital on the night of my induction, or we could have better prepared them for it!)
Tyler has literally been counting down the days until Ryan would come, and was just beside himself to find out he would have to wait two additional days to meet him (that's like 2 weeks for a 4-year-old!). The night I had Ryan, Tyler called and talked to me on the phone and asked why they had this new rule and why we couldn't come home yet. He tried to be tough and hold it together, but it was too much for him to take (on top of being away from his home and Mommy and Daddy). Needless to say, his tears were too much for this emotional mommy to take and I had to pass the phone over to Daddy. Poor little guy.
But, as upsetting as this was for him, it made for an even more exciting homecoming with little Ryan. Billy, Ryan, and I got home first and anxiously awaited the arrival of the big brother and sister.

Seeing their baby brother for the very first time...

They just couldn't take their eyes off of him!

So, so happy!

Tyler is greatly enjoying his role as big brother. He has been a great helper and very understanding of the amount of Mommy's time Ryan is taking up. He was even explaining to Allison the other day that Ryan needs to eat a lot so that he can grow strong and healthy. Tyler loves to hold him and does so like a pro. Now he just can't wait for Ryan to get bigger so they can play together!

These pictures capture some of Tyler's first moments with Ryan. He just couldn't get enough and wanted to check out every little body part.

Allison is already a natural little mommy. She's gotten lots of practice with her dolls afterall. She was very possessive over Ryan and didn't want anyone else holding him. And just like any mommy, she just can't give him enough kisses! She's always telling me, "I need to kiss Ryan just a wittle bit." "A wittle bit" means at LEAST once on each cheek, but preferably 2 or 3 per cheek!

Here are Allison's first moments with Ryan. I think she would have held and cuddled with him all night if I had allowed it!

Then on the way home from Ryan's 1st doctor appointment (he was 5 days old), I turn around to see this:

They just love this little guy to pieces!