I love my family

I LOVE MY FAMILY! That's it.

Week in Review

This week was a crazy one. I spent the week taking care of two babies and two teenagers and let me tell you there are HUGE differences. The babies need you for everything, and love you to be there for everything. The teenagers need you for some things, want you for nothing, and want to tell you nothing. All I can say is I am glad they start little and work their way up to the teen years because no body would be parents if it was the other way around.

Brandon spent the whole week studying for his broker's exam. It was a lot of late nights but he passed and now can officially be a broker. I am so proud of him for putting in all the hard work and so relieved that he passed the test. It was so cute because he would come home from work and study but still try to spend time with us. I walked into our room one night and he was teaching Lizzy all about dividends and she was having a ball smiling and laughing at him.

I spent the week cleaning, cooking, and looking for new stuff for our house (most of which I am not going to buy because we can't afford it but I can always dream). I have also spent a lot of time watching HGTV trying to get some decorating tips. I don't know anything about decorating or even what I like so I need some ideas.

Jackson is always on the move getting into something. He is really becoming more independent which is so nice because I really don't have all day to have tea parties and play in the yard (I wish I could). Tonight we were watching the Super Bowl and I was like, "where is Jackson?" After looking through the whole upstairs I went down to the basement and he had poured himself a bowl of crackers, was sitting on a chair eating the crackers and watching the football game. He is so funny and a great kid.Still makes the scrunchy face but now he says "cheese" along with it.

Elizabeth is just a little sweetheart. She is on a great schedule now taking two naps a day and going to bed around 9 and waking up around 10 the next morning. One of Brandon's grandparents said I must have a sedative in my milk to get my kids to sleep so well. I think it is just about routine and comfy beds. Lizzy is at such a fun age smiling all the time and giving really big giggle laughs all day. She loves her rice cereal now and her cheeks are so soft and chunky I can't help but kiss them all day long.We are all happy and healthy which is the most important thing in life.

Lizzy was hanging out on the floor so Jack went and laid next to her. He loves her so much and she adores him.

The Best Kids Ever

I am so in love with my children. They don't always behave and sometimes they are annoying like when they throw fits or make messes, but then I remember they are just kids. And then they do something super sweet like Jackson coming over and giving me a kiss just because he loves me or Lizzy smiling her big smile and laughing ecstatically at me. Tonight they were both irresistable, Jackson was actually playing with Lizzy. He was pushing her around in her walker being so careful around the walls. Then later she was laying on the ground and he came over said, "Hi Lizzy" gave her a kiss and played with a rattle so she could see it. She already adores him, always watching him and smiling at him. He is taking on the roll of the big brother looking out for her. Every time we get in the car without her he points to her seat and says "where?" like where is Lizzy mom. So cute and kind, I love them both so much.

House Hunting

As many of you know we have been on the market looking for a new house and I think we found it! It is a 4 bedroom, 1900sq ft, house that has totally been redone. And thanks to Brandon's dad's investments lately we are able to buy it from one of the investors for a great price and no negotiating with other prospective buyers. It isn't a dream home, but it is a great starter home and perfect for our needs. I am just so excited to have our own place that we can do whatever we want to it and don't have to share it. We have loved living with the Stoker's but it is time to move on and spread our little family's wings.

Just thought I should give you all an update on what we have been up to lately. Other than the fact that all of us have colds things are going great. Brandon has been studying for the Series 7 test at work which he should be passing this week. I have been taking pictures on and off of families and I bought a new flash for my camera which I am really excited about. Jackson is talking like crazy now. Still not saying sentences but he is picking up new words every day. Today he said owie, water, and Lizzy. He is also changing into more of a 2 year old by throwing tantrums a lot more. Lizzy rolled over, is sitting up supported, can reach for toys, and is eating rice cereal. She is still such a delight sleeping through the night and rarely ever complains. And the most exciting news is we are searching for a house. Last weekend we spent most of it looking at different houses around the east valley. We have seen some great houses but none that we love. It is hard because either we like the house but there is no yard or there is a great yard but the house isn't right for us. There are a couple of really promising ones so we will see if any of them work out. House hunting is really fun, there are so many different layouts and areas and I love thinking about our stuff in our own place.

Jackson is such a good big brother and loves Elizabeth so much. He is always giving her kisses and saying, "hi Lizzy" and trying to be so helpful by giving her bottles or whatever she needs. However he is a little rough sometimes.

Helmet update

Well, it is official. As long as the insurance goes through Elizabeth will be sporting a Doc Band (helmet with no top). We went for a consult on Thur which was more of an issue than I originally thought it was going to be. First, it has been pouring rain here in AZ for the past 4 days and it is never fun driving or walking in the rain, especially with two children under 2. The office is in Phoenix so I had to drive for 30 min in the rain with Jackson saying, "mommy, mommy, mommy" all the way there. And I also got lost. Then once we got there I realized that I had to park in a parking garage and I didn't bring my stroller. There was no parking in the covered area so we parked on the top level, in the rain, while I carried Lizzy in her carseat and Jackson on my other hip. NOT FUN. But the office was really nice, they had lots of toys, the nurses were amazing taking care of both Elizabeth and making sure that Jackson was happy. The doctor said Lizzy has moderate plagiocephaly and she should only have to wear the band for 8-10 weeks. It is a good thing we caught it early. My only concern (other than my kid's head) is sometimes insurance will not cover it because they claim it is a cosmetic issue. COME ON! This is an infant's head we are talking about. Hopefully that won't happen and everything will work out.

She is going to be the cutest helmet baby ever!

On another note, we are busy looking for houses to buy! We spent all day today looking at houses, which is actually really fun. There are so many options. We are limited because we are on a tight budget which means we will probably not be getting a house with much of a yard, but there are some really great deals and we are hopeful that we can find what we are looking for. I feel so grown up!

Busy Week

We had a really busy week. Elizabeth reached a lot of milestones including beginning to eat rice cereal and rolling over. She is just a little doll. I made her another dress this week. I little red jumper. She wore it to church today and looked so cute. Jackson learned how to give Eskimo kisses. He sticks his little nose out and wiggles it side to side. He also learned how to hula hoop, kind of. He sticks the hoop around his waist and spins in circles. Not quite hula hooping but it is still so cute.Playing so hard she fell asleep.

This is the jumper I made, I had some trouble with the shoulders but I think it turned out well.