August, September, October

August and September...You are a blur! September was kind of crazy for me. I was interviewing at work and was very distracted with that. It paid off and I got a position in Freeport (which I started at the end of Sept). So, that has been crazy, switching up our routine and me commuting a bit further. All worth it though and we are all very happy with the way things have gone.

October, you are also a blur...I do have pictures from this month though so, yeah! One of my best friends was married and I was part of the bridal party. It was so fun being a part of Myra and Jeremy's special month/day. So happy for those two, who are now expecting their first baby!!!

October was also full of family fun activities. Lots of birthday parties for the kiddos and fall festivals, and Halloween of course. Let's get to the pictures.

Catch Up

So, as usual, life has gotten in the way of blogging. We are all doing well, just so busy that I have neglected the blog. I *think* about updating it but then usually just shrug it off. I decided I owe it to Mila to attempt some updates! Especially since her baby book is about as blank as the blog (my poor sencond baby!) So, excuse the backlog but here goes. Off to post a million updates...

Our Family - July 9, 2011

Mila is just a week over 8 months and Truett is two and half years old in these pictures. I'm in love!!


















Taken by the fabulous Kelly Garvey, www.kellygarveyphotography.com

Family Time

Our summer has flown by. Unbelievable considering we haven't even done much. With the kids as young as they are we are just chillin' this summer (well, Ted and Truett went camping), but as far as family vacation we're saving that for next summer and the years to follow. We have also been super busy with friend's baby showers, wedding events, birthday parties, etc. I guess this is just life, ya know? It's crazy fun and exhausting all at the same time.

This weekend on a whim we decided to have some family fun and go out, just us four. We took the kids to a new place in town, Gatti Town, and had a blast together! We all chowed on the pizza buffet and then we had some fun in the game room. They actually had a bunch of stuff for Truett to play with, ride on, etc, and there where even a few things for Mila to enjoyed. She loved all the lights and sounds and was just happy with that, too.

While daddy and True were off in the go-karts I snapped a few shots of Miss Mila.

9 Months & Two and a Half

I need to do some kiddo updates for record keeping :)

Mila:
She is nine months old now (9 and a half now)! Such a busy girl...
-crawling on all fours
- pulling up
-cruising
-talking: "ma-ma", "ba-ba", "da-da", and "bye-bye"
-waves bye-bye
-gives high fives
-kisses (open mouth style)
-pushes herself into a sitting position
-loves to hold your hands and walk everywhere...she just leads the way and she is FAST. once she gets her balance and can stand on her own we are in trouble.
-loves to eat real food. she will pretty much eat anything you give her. Her absolute favorite food is watermelon! Some other favorites are shredded chicken, egg yolks, blueberries, and graham crackers. she refuses any baby food now...which actually makes it easy to take her palces and eat b/c she is up for trying anything.
-loves her big brother still. She just lights up and gets so excited when he is around and plays/talks with her. Also loves to grab her daddy's face (and baby faces), and loves her mama.
-when she gets tired now she gets cuddly and just melts her body onto yours and lays her little head against you...it is the sweetest thing EVER.
-still napping twice a day, around 9 am and 1 pm. goes to bed right about 6:30-7pm and sleep until morning. Usually I will give her a quick early morning feed and she will sleep for another hour.
-she loves her little dolls and stuffies
-loves to chase Mocha now that she is mobile
-has her 2 bottom teeth and her 2 top ones are coming in

At her 9 month appointment (9.5 months actually ;) she was 19 lbs 5 ounces and I think she was 26.5 inches long (I cannot remember, need to check my stats card). She is just wonderful and healthy. Such a little love...seriously pinching myself for having her in our family.

Truett:
- POOTY TRAINED!!! I hesitate to even say "potty trained" it was more like "potty ready" - he was ready for it and so no training invovled. One morning I told him he was a big boy now, no more diapers, and underwear it was....we have not looked back! He goes standing up or sitting down, and he can get on and off by himself. SO proud of my boy! I was dreading this, truly, but he has done awesome. We did have some poop issues (he just wouldn't go, period), but that also seems to be resolved, thank you Buzz Lightyear. ;)
-Loves to jam out on his guitar still and makes the most hilarious serious rocker faces. Last night he told me he was a rock star. HA HA.
-Loves his tricycle. He will ride that thing all over the house, which is nice since it has been too hot to take it outdoors lately. Seriously, the kid LOVES his bike and so do we - he is very much self entertained with this.
-Loves to "essersize" with mommy and run, get chased, tackled, water guns, swords, very much all boy...
-He is getting into his t-ball and soccer or jsut full on running, lol
-Loves this game called "Tozzle" on the Ipad which is a puzzle game for toddlers.
-Still loves going places and exploring new things
-Talky talky talk! The boys says everything now...even the peditrician commented at Mila's 9 month appointment (he wanted to go to the doctor, lol), that he is a great talker, especially for a boy, whatever that means. She also said he was very bright, again, whatever that means...but it's always nice to hear something like that about your kid. I feel weird even typing it, but there it is. :P
-He is VERY much into imaginary play - and we even have visitors - his favorite characters... mostly it's Calliou, but Mickey and others will also come over. Daily. It is pretty funny and a tiny bit spooky, ah, toddlers.
-He loves the Arthur books, Curious George books, Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom, Cat in the Hat...the list goes on
-He likes to "make pictures" for people
-He likes to work with daddy in his studdy (he's actually in a huge daddy phase right now, so cute)
-he's about 29 pounds (I'm guessing) and a hair over 36 inches (maybe 36.5 or 37?) (I know this because you have to be 36 inches to ride the go-karts at Gatti Town and he was!) Barely, but he was. Woohoo!

Some of his funny sayings:

"I dinin't do anyting"

"Mommy, you hold my hand?" (while sitting on the pot)

"Daddy come and see it? Daddy!!! Come 'ere!!!" (sitting on the pot)

"No, dat's my booty. You have your own. You have a bigger one. I have lille one." (pinching his booty and talking about butts)

"No, I not a baby, Mee-ah a baby! Her wear diapers. She ikes me, too." (talking about his sister)

"Dear God, dank you for Bella, Ms. Kari, Mommy, Daddy, TruTru, Mee-ah..." (how all of his prayers ALWAYS start out, lol)

"I got go werk now. I going. Bye mom! Bye dad! Oh. I got go Mcnonald's first. Ummm....fench fies, chocate milk, and pancakes please. Thank you." (imaginary play dialouge with himself"

"Mommy, I scared." (I ask him why) "Calliou screamed at me. He hit me. He need to go time out."

...back to add photos and add more as it comes to mind.

Update

I haven't blogged in SOOOOOO long. It is time for an update but unfortunately I am short on time so this might be short.

Mila is officially mobile now! My baby is 8.5 months. She is half crawling and half creeping...basically whatever gets her to where she wants to go. She also loves to stand and "walk" while holding your fingers. Once she gets her balance she is going to LOVE all those push toys, I just know it.

Truett is doing great. Poor buddy had a double ear infection last week though, but his abx seem to have kicked in and he is way less cranky again.

We had family pictures done on Saturday by the wonderful Kelly Garvey. She was so fab and patient with our 2 kids who happened to be on totally different schedules that morning. I know Kelly from the high school days, and she is just as I remember and sweet as can be. I need to link her blog/website so everyone can check out her fab work. We will for sure be using her as our new family photographer (we never had fam pics done before). I can't wait to see them :)

In other news, my dear friend Lexy is basically a celebrity. If you know me then you probably also know Lexy since she has been in my life for oh, about 12 years now. What you might not know is her amazing fitness/health story and struggle. Here is her blog she shares with her 2 inspirational sister-in-laws, Cydi and Carman www.firelitesfire.com. Love that woman!!

Here we are:

This weekend we are headed to the beach for a little Borel family reunion. It is actually my first time back to Crystal Beach since Hurrican Ike came through and took away the Dore's beach house. (That would be Ted's grandparents.) We've been to Galveston since then but I just have never made it back there. Man, it just stinks that place is gone. I know the family is still heartbroken.

Anyway, can't believe the summer is just flying by like this!

Rock on, Tru!

Baby Updates

Earlier in the week I was reading some old posts from 2009 and I did such a good job of writing updates on Truett when he was Mila's age that I think M deserves her own update post, too! She is 7.5 months now. Here's a list of what she's up to:

-Sits all by herself - loves playing and grabbing and reaching for toys.
-Loves to roll and push off with her toe to get places. Not crawling yet, but who needs to crawl when you can just roll/propel yourself to the other side of the room? She does get on all fours and rock like crazy...
-She likes her jumpers, walker, etc...she loves variety - playing on her belly, then sitting, then a baby contraption, in the stroller, going bye bye, etc. Mostly though, she loves to be free!
-We retired the baby tub and she sits with her brother now in the big tub.
-Loves food. She must have food if I'm eating so she has already tried tons of finger foods -- too many to list. She loves pancakes and bananas and really has not met a food she didn't like. She prefers the "real" stuff over purees but still gets those, too. She nurses about 5-6 times a day (when I'm home), and during the work week just once in the morning, then 3-4 bottles while I'm gone, and once before bed.
-She is getting her 2 front bottom teeth right now.
-She is babbling "BA-BA-BA-BA-BA" and oh my goodness it's the sweetest sound. I took video but I can't get it to upload. I will figure it out...
-She is ready for bed around 6:30 pm, usually asleep by 6:45 or 7:00pm and wakes for the anytime between 5:45-7:00am. She takes 2 naps -- typically around 8:30 or 9, and then her longer nap around 12:30 or 1:00 --- basically whatever time Truett is going down is when she goes down, too. She is awesome, have I said that yet?
-She loves stuffies - little baby dolls and stuffed animals and blankets and cloth.
-She has been to the pool once now and she liked it. We stayed for 2 hours!
-She had her first camping experience and did wonderful. Her 2.5 year old brother, however...that is another story (it was just a really long day for him in the Texas heat which resulted in an evening meltdown that I am forever scarred from!)

I know I am forgetting some other milestones, but this list will suffice for now.

Isn't she cute?

Mila & True

4 years...

On our honeymoon

We've been through so much together in 4 years of marriage & to think it's still the beginning (we've been friends since 2003, started out as close, close guy + girl friends and then fell in love). Actually, this is what I love most about my husband - his friendship. He is so funny, he has made me laugh since day one. I also love that he lets me have "control" over a bunch of issues (like kid stuff - he just trusts me most of the time and will go with my suggestions). He's so amazingly artistic and creative - he has a natural talent and gift to create things, video, pictures, you name it. He's a wonderful daddy, too. Watching him play with our kids is one of my favorite hobbies now. I can't help but have a huge smile when I see them all toegther. He's such a family man. He loves his family and his roots and has embraced mine, too.

We've had a few highs, a few lows, and a lot of "in between" moments in these 4 years. Our everyday normal, hustle and bustle life is just where I want to be right now & although exhausting, (work, kids, dinner, bath, bedtime, more books?, bottles, nursing, running, outside, inside, playing, laughing, singing, dancing, disciplining, ahhhh...,) I wouldn't trade a single part of it. (Well, okay, tantrum episodes YOU may now leave the building.)

The low for me in our first 4 years would definitely be our miscarriage in 2008. That time was the saddest I've ever been in my whole life. Ted was right there through it all, just there for me to cry on. And Mocha, man I would just snuggle her while in pain, tears everywere...I love that dog. I wasn't even THAT far along, but you know, it doesn't matter. As soon as you know you're expecting a baby you have the rest of their - your - life mapped out. And then....gone. On the other hand, the absolute highs of the past 4 years have been the births of our two beautiful children. I truly feel like a lucky, lucky woman to have these two babies. Truett Riley and Mila Kaye...our little family. It's amazing to think we created them - thanks, hubby. (Check out some recent pictures below of the two cuties.)

Thank you, Ted, for being such a great daddy & hubby. Happy Anniversary!! xoxo

This one just melts me:

Hello, Hello!

Man, I have gotten so behind on posting.

Mila Kaye turned 7 month yesterday. Wow. Sometimes I still can't believe she's ours. I love these months - there is so much interaction, squeals, coos, babbling, and kicks of excitement. There is no one who makes her laugh more than Truett. Speaking of T-Man, boy is he a riot. I can't believe he's ours, too, LOL. He loves performing now. He grabs a guitar or microphone and belts his little heart out. Ted has this on video, maybe I will upload it someday...

We have a fun, full summer planned. Already hitting up the neighborhood pools and doing plenty of things outside. Hoping to post "real" pictures again in the near future. In the meantime...

My baby girl at 7 months - yes, she wakes up this happy:


This one is so blurry, thank you Blackberry, but still cute (I have decided yellow is the cutest little girl color!):

6 Months -- finally posting

this has been saved as a draft for a month now.

On May 2nd Mila turned 6 months. How did that happen so fast? Her babyhood is just flying by. She's already eating baby food now, sitting up okay (toppling over a lot), tries soooooo hard to scoot or crawl but she isn't there yet, loves reaching, grasping, eating, chewing, gnawing on things. LOVES watching Triett - he makes her smile more than anyone, even me, dear 'ole mom. He is such a great big brother to her. So, so sweet and loving. He has his moments - one night he was really rowdy and was marching too close to her and then stuck his FOOT on her FACE. I was so mad! She, of course, laughed through it all but I did not want him to think that was okay. I promptly put him in time out and I think he got the message.

We just had her 6 month appt - she is 26.5 inches and 16 pounds and something ounces - I can't remember exactly. She did great at the doctor - smiled for the nurses, and just cried out right after she got poked, but by the time she was in my arms again she was back to smiling at the nurse, lol. Not sure how we got so lucky with our second baby. I guess they are all this easy going and go-with-the-flow when they have to keep up with a toddler! She is such a great sleeper now, too. I had to work at it for 4 months, but she goes to sleep on her own and sleeps solid...and amazingly she will go to sleep almost anywhere for her bedtime. She is such a joy. I am always telling Ted that I hope she knows how much she's loved, our sweet girl. I can't wait to pick out her firt bathing suit, it's fun shopping for a girl for a change. :)

Happy Easter!

We had a very nice Easter weekend. On Friday Ted and I were both off, so we had 3 glorious days at home - woohoo! Miss Kari had her annual egg hunt Friday morning so I headed over with both kids. Truett was totally into it this year. I got a few pictures of his loot, and him comparing baskets with his best buddy, Cole. Mila hung out in the shade with me, sweet as pie.






Saturday we attempted the free HEB Easter egg hunt in our neighborhood. It was a complete bust because of lunatic parents. That's all I'll say about that. :grrr:

Sunday was a beautiful day. We spent all morning/afternoon at BB and Pappy's house. Truett also had "nama" there, which is his latest toddler way of saying grandma, LOL. Also, his cousin Dylan and Aunt Mandy and Maw Maw and Pop Pop were there, too.

We also spent a ton of time outdoors. Truett just loves running around with the big kids on the block and they are so sweet and let him play along. He is being such a sweetheart lately. Last night I told him we needed to pray for all the people that he loves and he started naming all his friends, animals, etc. It was SO adorable. Miss Mila Kaye continues to be the sweetest thing. I just love that little butterball. She adores Truett and all the funny ways he likes to make her laugh. Lately he'll exclaim, "Mi-a likes me , mommy!!!" - all excited and enthusiastic. Yes bubba, she sure does.