Holly's Blog

Baby Girl is 8 Months Old

2012-02-01T14:22:00.001-07:00

Our baby girl is 8 months old. How can that be?!?! I don't know where the time has gone. She is such a sweet little thing!! She is full of smiles and is a generally happy baby!! She really only gets fussy when she is hungry or sleepy. She is starting to get to a stage where she prefers for me to hold her. If I'm not in sight she does fine with other people but if she can see me she wants me to hold her. I don't know how much she weighs right now because we don't go to the doctor until she is 9 months old. We did get her weighed last month when we had her ears rechecked after her ear infection and she weighed about 17 lbs. So we will see how much she grows this month when I take her to her 9 month well check at the end of the month. Here is a little of what our sweet pea is up to right now...

*She wears size 3 diapers but I still squeeze her into a size 2 so that I can use up the ones I have left.

*She is in size 6-9 month clothes.

*She wears size 2 shoes.

*She has 1 tooth.

*She takes a 2-3 hour nap each day.

*She goes to bed around 6:30 pm and wakes up between 6-6:30 am.

*She isn't crawling yet and doesn't seem to be close either.

*She thinks her brother is hilarious. (Except when he is being a not so nice big brother)

*She loves bath time with bubba.

*I just moved her yesterday to her big girl car seat. She still has to face backwards though. She seems to like it and really enjoys being able to look over and smile at Maddox!

*She gets 5 bottles each day and I nurse her first thing in the morning. I will probably stop nursing completely soon but it's easier to just nurse her than go downstairs to make a bottle.

That's all I can think of now. Addison is such a joy and I am so thankful that God chose me to be her mommy! I feel so blessed that I get to watch her grow and learn every day. She is so precious and I can't imagine my life without her!! See for yourself her sweet smile and adorable face...

If you click this to make it bigger and look at the bottom right picture you can sorta see her little tooth!

I think this chain of events is hilarious! Just a tiny glimpse of what's to come with sibling interactions :D

Sweet girl was about done with the photo shoot by this point.

Toms Ballet Flats

2012-02-01T08:51:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Toms!! I have several pairs of the classic style and they are so comfortable. Today, Toms released their Ballet Flats and I think they are just adorable!! I ordered those press ones above first thing this morning to make sure they didn't run out of my size because I know they are going to be popular!! I can't wait for them to be delivered and I am really hoping for some nice February weather so that I can wear them!! Yay for an awesome product that also helps those in need!!!

A Tooth for Sis

2012-01-26T22:33:00.002-07:00

Sis finally cut her first tooth yesterday. I was wondering when it was going to happen. Maddox got his first one between 6 and 7 months and she will be 8 months next week. Her first one is one the bottom middle one on her right. I could tell it was going to be soon because I could see that her gums were swollen and she was fussy and chewing on EVERYTHING!! I think her other bottom middle one will be coming in pretty soon too because that side of her gums looks the same as the other has looked. The tooth isn't in far enough to get a good picture of it yet but once it is I will try to take one. Maybe when I do her 8 month pics next week I can get one :D.

Basement Update

2012-01-26T22:27:00.003-07:00

We are officially a week into construction on our basement. Things have been quite loud the past week as they have been framing. Thankfully, the kids have still napped pretty well despite the table saw, hammering, and nail gun going off all day long! This has made me super thankful for their slightly noisy humidifiers that always run in their rooms that drown out the noise!

They guys finished up the framing today which makes it a lot easier for us to get a feel for the space. We are now able to see where all the walls will be and how high the ceilings are. Next week they will work on the rough plumbing and electrical stuff.

This past week Collin, Maddox, Addison, and I went to Home Depot to pick out several things like plumbing hardware, vanities, light fixtures, and tile. It was quite the trip. Both kids were crying and we had NO idea what we were looking for. Somehow we managed to get it all selected and what we didn't get done I was able to select and order online.

After a week of it all I think the only annoying thing is not having my washer and dryer. It is quite the pain to load all of our dirty clothes up and take them somewhere to wash them. I have found through this that we do not have a single laundromat in Highlands Ranch or anywhere relatively close for that matter. So that leaves me with 2 options, the church or a friends house. The hard things is that each load takes so long so when you have more than one load to do it leaves a lot of time with nothing to do. I now realize how convenient it is to have a washer and dryer at my house and can't wait to have ours back!!

Below are a few pictures of the progress. The first set is from before they started last Tuesday and the second set is from this afternoon after they finished framing. I'm looking forward to watching the transition take place!

Steroid Rage

2012-01-26T22:02:00.003-07:00

So I last posted about Maddox's new breathing treatments. He has been on them just over a week now and is still taking them like a champ each morning and evening. The only problem is that the steroids are REALLY effecting his behavior! I mean like he is a complete Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! One minute he is fine and the next he is throwing an ALL OUT fit because he can't have a cookie or because we tell him its time to go potty. It is absolutely horrible. This happens on and off all day every day. It is also making him super wild. He just zips here and there all day long...it wears me out. People have told me that this will get better as he gets used to the way the meds make him feel but right now it is a lot to handle. Prayers would be appreciated that he would adjust to the way the steroids make him feel and get back to his happy self soon!!

Breathing Treatments

2012-01-19T16:03:00.001-07:00

I mentioned the other day in my post about Maddox that we would be taking him to the doctor to look into his recurring croup. At his appointment his doctor decided to put him on some breathing treatments through the winter and spring months. So we left the office with and "occu-chamber" and a prescription for an inhaler. He has to have 2 doses twice a day through the month of May. Hopefully this will help us get through these next few months without any serious cases or croup.

We really weren't sure how he would handle the treatments but he has done awesome! We told him he gets super powers from them and he thinks that is pretty cool! I am so thankful he is doing so well with them because I know it could have been a horrible battle to get him to take them! He actually thinks it is really funny and just smiles the entire time! I really hope this works because he is so pitiful when he get croup and it is pretty scary when he struggles with his breathing!

2011: The Short Version

2012-01-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

2011 was a year full of blessings for our family!! We got to do a lot of fun things and had some exciting things happen. I have selected a picture or 2 from each month to chronicle the high points of our year!!

In January, we found out baby #2 would be a precious little girl...

and also got to go to Cabo San Lucas with Collin's family.

In February, we soaked up special Maddox time before sis arrived!

In March, we finally got rid of the beloved paci...

and looked super cute in our coordinating Easter outfits!

In April, we got to take fun maternity pictures.

In May, my awesome friends threw me a surprise baby shower...f

And our precious Addison was born!!

In June, our little buddy turned 2!!

In July, we took a day trip with friends to Breckenridge!

In August, we got to go to the Rockies Faith Day game and see Casting Crowns perform after the game.

In September, Addison and I made a little weekend trip to Dallas...

and Maddox had his first day of Thursday School.

In October, the kids and I spent 2 weeks with family in Dallas.

And the kids were cute little skeletons for Halloween!

In November, we had a lot to be thankful for including this little sweetie!!

And in December, we spent 2 more weeks in Dallas celebrating Christmas.

We loved our time there!

I think that covers most of the big things. We had an amazing year and can't wait to see what 2012 hold for us!!

Clean Out Basement: Check

2012-01-16T08:58:00.001-07:00

We got everything cleared out and are ready to get started on Wednesday!! The lumber is being delivered tomorrow and the dumpster that will sit in our driveway will be delivered Wednesday morning. The framer will be here to get started at 8 am to get started!!! Here are a few pics of our now empty basement!!

Ps. Thanks so much to my hubs and the guys in our connection group for helping us move our ridiculously heavy washer, dryer and couches out of there!!

The Intentional Life

2012-01-13T21:17:00.002-07:00

So if you read Collin's blog you have read a little about this but if not here it is. For the second time Collin and I will be co-teaching a class at the Pepperdine Lectures in May. When we found out that we were going to be doing this we racked our brains for something different yet still relative to teach on. We ended up deciding to try a little experiment with our family that we will report on as our class.

What we are going to do is try to live more intentional lives as a family. Lately we have so frequently found ourselves sitting on the couch bored and looking for something to do. We more often than not would end up just sitting in front of some sort of technology (phone, iPad, computer, tv etc.) not communicating and acting like total zombies. It was just horrible and had to change. Collin has Fridays off each week (since Sunday is technically a work day for him) so we decided we would plan family activities that have some element that we can use to teach our kids (mostly Maddox at this point) about God, Jesus, the Kingdom, or the Christian life in general. We started the first Friday in January and have decided to call these "Adventure Fridays" because Maddox gets really excited about the idea of going on an adventure! We have now completed 2 weeks of this experiment and so far it is going great!! I am not going to share too many details on here until after we teach our class; but just to give you an idea of what we are doing week one we went to the Children's Museum and focused on Imagination and this week we went to the Denver Science and Nature Museum and focused on how big our God is! Each week after our "adventure" we jot down some notes on how the experience was so that we can remember them when it's time to compile our data! We are also documenting our adventures with pictures and videos so when we are finished with the ones for the class I hope to put them all together in a video to possibly show in our class and for posterity's sake!

I think this is going to be so much fun and we are going to make so many awesome memories as a family by doing this. The idea of intentional living is something we want to continue to do long past what is needed for this class because we feel it is so important in forming our children spiritually!! I can't wait to see what impact this has on our family and hope our findings will be helpful to other families that are looking to get out of the rut of everyday life.

Maddox 2.5

2012-01-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

Our little buddy turned 2 1/2 just after Christmas so I thought I would post an update about what he is up to!! He is such a sweet boy. He talks non stop and says some of the funniest things now. He knows how to make us laugh and also how to frustrate us to no end! He can throw a mean temper tantrum but can also be so sweet and cuddly! He loves on and plays with his sister and also hits and pushes her over. He has a silly personality and the sweetest little smile! If is he awake he is moving non-stop!

He is doing great with is potty training. We did have a little set back after coming home from Texas but have gotten back in our routine and he is back on track. He has become a pretty picky eater lately which is frustrating but I know the is pretty common with kids. Some of his favorite things right now are trains, playing cars, watching cartoons (particularly Mickey Mouse, Dora, Thomas, Cars and Toy Story), and he loves playing on our iPads and his Leap Pad. He is a great sleeper and usually goes to bed around 8 pm and wakes up between 6-7 (selfishly I do wish he would sleep in a little more :D) and he also takes an 1 1/2 - 2 hour nap every day. He still goes to Thursday school each week and loves it! I don't know how much he weights or how tall he is right now but he is definitely growing! He is in size 3T clothes and size 8 shoes.

We do have to take him to the doctor next week to have him checked out since he got croup so many times last year. I think he had it 4-5 times and the last 3 times he required steroids because his airway closed up causing him to have breathing problems called stridor. His doctor said she will check him out and most likely will have us do breathing treatments with steroids through the winter months to hopefully help prevent him from getting it so often! So we will probably leave the pediatrician's office next Tuesday with a new nebulizer for him. I just hope I can get him to sit still long enough to do the treatments lol and hopefully that helps because croup is no fun and sometime pretty scary when his breathing get really bad.

He is such a joy and we are so thankful God chose us to be his mommy and daddy. We can't imagine life without our sweet little buddy and look forward to continuing to watch him grow!! Here are a few pics of him we had taken with Collin's family. He is such a little cute pie!! :D

I love this picture of the 2 of us. His face is just so sweet and innocent!

I also love this picture of him and Collin!! Such a classic daddy/son picture!!

That precious little face just melts my heart!!

Under Construction

2012-01-12T21:54:00.003-07:00

Beginning next Wednesday the Packer house will officially be under construction. We have talked about for a while and finally decided that we want to finish our basement. So, before we headed to Texas for Christmas we interviewed and got bids from 4 different companies. When we got home we decided on the company we wanted to go with and this evening signed the contract and set a date to start work. We are so excited to turn that space into something functional for our family! When it is all said and done it will be a playroom for all the kids toys, a media/family room then a 3/4 bath and a laundry room!! They have told us it will take 9 weeks MAX to complete but most likely will take less than that!! It is really hard for us to picture what it will look like when it is complete but we know it will be great and can't wait!! I think the worst part of the construction is going to be the fact that I won't have my washer and dryer the entire time they are working. We have to move everything out of the basement including those because there isn't anywhere to put them out of the way and because there will be a lot of dust that could potentially damage them. That will definitely be an inconvenience but we will make due! I am going to try and document the transition so to start it all off here are the before pictures. There is a ton of junk down there right now and it is a TOTAL disaster because Maddox plays down there! We were expecting to begin on January 23 so when he said next Wednesday tonight we were like holy cow...because we have a lot of work to do to get it all cleared out before then!! We will get it done though! So, here are the before pictures...

what will be the kids play room

where the laundry room will be

the media/family room

view from the other direction

where the 3/4 bath will go

the play room from the other direction

Can't wait to be able to post an update soon!! :D

The Lord's Prayer

2012-01-10T19:44:00.003-07:00

Be still my soul! There isn't much sweeter in the world than hearing your child recite the words of our Lord!!

Christmas in Texas

2012-01-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Alright its blog catch up time since I have been a MAJOR slacker!!

We spent Christmas this year in Texas! We had a blast and are so thankful that we were able to have so much time with our families! We spent 2 weeks there and filled our time playing games, going shopping, hanging out with family, seeing friends, and eating yummy food (like Taco Bueno x 4, In N' Out, El Fenix, La Madeline to name a few :D). Maddox is now at an age where he LOVES getting to spend time with his grandparents and Aunts and Uncles!! It is so fun to watch him play and love on them!! It does make it harder to leave though!!

My family went out to the arboretum to take some pictures for my parents Christmas card and I think we got some good ones!!

a little awkward family photo action!

Love my sisters!!

the girls!

Our Christmas festivities started on the 22 and went through Christmas day. Here is a little picture timeline. On the 22nd we got with the extended Patton side of the family and did a yummy dinner and a little gift exchange! I got a really cute canvas with "family rules" painted on it. It will be perfect for the kids play room in the basement!! Here is a picture of all the Patton cousins that were able to come on the stairwell that we have taken many photos on!!

On the 23rd we did Christmas with Collin's immediate family!! We had a lot of fun and Maddox's expressions opening gifts were priceless!!

me and my babies before opening gifts!

our little family of 4!

Addy enjoyed the ribbons and bows more than the gifts this year!

Maddox was really excited about his Texas Longhorn bat and ball!

I think Maddox's favorite gift were his Lightning McQueen slippers from Aunt Lara and Uncle Clark!!

Christmas eve didn't start out great. We had to take Maddox up to the ER because he had croup and was having trouble with his breathing. For the 3rd time this year he had to have steroids to open up his airway. After the medicine kicked in he was fine though. Christmas eve night, we did dinner and a gift exchange with Collin's extended family. We all brought a dvd or book and a gift card and did a white elephant exchange! I ended up getting The Blind Side and an iTunes gift card.

Sweet sis looking so adorable in one of her Christmas outfits from Aunt Mo and bow from D.

My little elves in their matching Christmas jammies!!

On Christmas day we went to church at The Branch. The kids looked so cute in their coordinating outfits! After church we headed to my parents house for lunch and gifts! It was a fun day with the fam!

Maddox and Addy love their Aunt Mo and Aunt Heathie!

Sis got her very 1st pair of UGG boots from Aunt Mo!

Riding the reindeer :D

We had so much fun on our trip to Texas! The older the kids get the more fun it is to watch them enjoy it but like I said it also makes it harder to leave our families and come back to Colorado. The car rides were not easy this time around so I am hoping not to make that drive again anytime soon! The drive home included but is not limited to about 7 hours of Addison screaming and 2 diaper blow outs!! It was a rough day. We are glad to be home now and I am looking forward to getting back into a routine!!

I hope all of you had a blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior!!

Addison - 7 Months

2012-01-01T20:25:00.001-07:00

Where had the time gone? How is it possible that my baby girl is 7 months old already?? Regardless of how crazy it seems it is true!! Sweet Addison is over half way to her 1st birthday!! She is such a precious baby!! She has the sweetest smile and the most beautiful eyes!! Her little giggles melt my heart and her snuggles are the best!!! Here is a little of what she is up to these days...

*She is wearing size 6-9 month clothes.
*She is going back and forth between size 2 and 3 diapers. Mostly because I am trying to get rid of all the size 2 we have left!
*She is in a size 2 shoe.
*She nurses 4 times a day and gets a 4 oz. bottle at nap time and a 2 oz. bottle after I nurse her before bed at night. I am starting the weening process and am planning to be finished nursing by March when we go to Phoenix on a little vacation!
*She weighs 17 lbs 1 oz. Unfortunately we know this because we had to go to urgent care yesterday after church. Sweet girl has a yucky cough and is super congested and turns out she has her first ear infection. So she is on her first round of Amoxicillion.
*She has just started taking a bath in the big bath tub with Maddox and both of them LOVE it!! So fun!!
*She goes to bed between 6:30-7:00 pm and wakes up between 6:00-7:00 am. I would like for her to sleep a little later but I'll definitely take her sleeping through the night!! It doesn't seem to matter what time I put her down she still wakes up at the same time so I try to get her down earlier so she gets enough sleep!
*She has not been a consistent napper but the last 2 days she has napped in her bed for 2-3 hours. I hope this is a new trend!!
*She sleeps on her tummy now.
*She rolls both directions and will scoot around but doesn't seem close to crawling yet.
*She doesn't have any teeth yet but it looks like the bottom 2 may be coming in soon!!
*She is not at all interested in the paci but every once and a while I'll see her sucking her thumb.
*She says dada but doesn't connect it will Collin yet.
*She loves music and the song Take Me Out to the Ballgame almost always calms her down in the car!

I think that's about it for now. We absolutely adore our sweet baby girl. She is such a joy to be around and is almost always happy! I am so thankful that God chose me to be her mommy! I am so excited to watch her grow and see what this new year will hold for us!! Here are the pictures from her 7 month photo shoot!! She is such a little doll!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:20:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas from these cute little elves!! Hope you all had a fabulous day celebrating the birth of our Savior!!

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for ALL the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." -Luke 2:10-11

Busy Bees

2011-12-12T19:55:00.001-07:00

We are busy little bees here at the Packer house which explains my lack of blogging lately! I'm trying to get the house cleaned up, get ready for Christmas, squeeze in several consultations for estimates on finishing our basement (yay), hosting 2 showers right after the holidays, and going to several Christmas parties all the while taking care of the kiddos!! Whew...I could use a vacation!! But there's no time for that. :) I'll be back with more detailed posts about our Christmas, the basement, and Addison turning 7 months old soon!!

Until then, I hope you all have a very merry and blessed Christmas and a happy new year!!

Potty Training Update

2011-12-05T14:00:00.001-07:00

Potty training is going quite well!! Maddox is rarely having accidents during the days now. He is getting better at telling me that he needs to go but I still have to remind him to go the majority of the time! He is still wearing pull ups for nap and at night time. I am just to ready to tackle that battle yet! We go out all the time and he has yet to have an accident while we were out. He will go to school with unders on for the first time on Thursday, so hopefully he does well there!! The whole potty training thing didn't end up being as stressful as I had anticipated!!

It is definitely nice only having to change diapers on one kiddo!!

Addison is 6 Months Old!!

2011-12-01T19:24:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe my baby girl is already 6 months old! She is half way to her 1st birthday!! It is just crazy how fast the time has flown by!! She is such a sweet baby and we just love her so much!! Here is a little bit of what she is up to these days...

*She weighs 16 lbs 0.6 oz. which is the 50th percentile.
*She is 26 1/2 in long which is the 70th percentile.
*She got 4 shots today at her doctor's appointment and took them like a champ.
*She is wearing size 6-9 months clothes.
*She wears size 2 diapers.
*She nurses 3-4 times a day and gets 2 bottles of formula, one before nap and the other before bed at night. We have found that the formula helps her sleep better.
*She eats solids twice a day. Usually one fruit and one veggie. She definitely prefers the fruits more!!
*She goes to bed around 7 pm and wakes up between 5:30 and 6:30am. I am hoping this gets better soon because that is way to early for me!!
*She has started sleeping on her tummy. When we lay her down on her back she immediately rolls over to her tummy.
*She sits really well on her own now.
*She still loves taking a bath.
*She loves the Praise Baby DVD's like her brother did.
*She doesn't have any teeth yet.
*She is super ticklish now.
*She is becoming much more interested in toys.
*She doesn't care for the paci at all, which is the total opposite of Maddox.

That's all I can think of right now. She has gotten a little more fussy as she has gotten older but overall she is a really good baby!! I am so thankful that God chose us to raise her. Here are some pics of sweet baby girl!!

My fav!! What a sweetie pie!!

Advent

2011-11-30T13:50:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up we went to a church that celebrated Advent!! I loved the beautiful displays and the anticipation that it brought to the Christmas holiday!! I feel like with how commercialized Christmas has become, Advent helps to turn the attention back to where it belongs, on Jesus!

There are all kinds of advent calendars that you can purchase with little candies or toys in them but I saw this super cute idea on a friends blog last year and knew it was the way I wanted to do our version of the advent calendar! I have bought and wrapped 25 Christmas books, most about the nativity story but a few just generic ones. Each night up through Christmas day the kids (mostly Maddox right now) get to pick a book that we will read before bed. I think it will be a super fun tradition for our family and I can't wait to start tomorrow night!!!

Day 24: My Life

2011-11-25T17:32:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I didn't miss a single post and then forgot to do the last one. Oh well, I was spending time with family and friends yesterday and I hope you all were too!!

Anyways, on the last day of this little blog series I am thankful for this beautiful life God has blessed me with!! I have done nothing to deserves all the things he has done for me but regardless he continues to bless me daily! These past 23 days I have listed things I'm thankful for...some big and some small. All of them make my life the wonderful adventure it is! I am so thankful for all the people around me to live this crazy thing we call life with!!

Thank you Lord for your countless blessings and unconditional love! You are my reason for living! Help me to be a thankful person everyday and not just during the Thanksgiving season! Amen.

Day 23: Pedicures

2011-11-23T19:41:00.001-07:00

Getting a good pedicure is one of my favorite things!! It is so relaxing!! I love having my toes look pretty, even in the winter!! I typically stick with pink shades but every once and a while I will branch out and get something different! I like going with friends but I also like going by myself!!

Day 22: Music

2011-11-22T08:24:00.001-07:00

I like all kinds of music!! Country is my favorite!! I love how a particular song can take a bad day and cheer you up a little! I love how a song at church can touch you deep in your soul! I love that Maddox likes to sing now! I am so thankful for music and love how it touches so many people!!

Tree Skirt = Happy

2011-11-21T15:23:00.001-07:00

Today, a few friends came over to help me sew a custom Texas Longhorn tree skirt to match our Longhorn Christmas tree!! It turned out so very very cute!! I absolutely love it!! The girls were such a huge help and I probably would not have gotten it finished if it wasn't for Kira who is basically a pro compared to me!! So thanks girl's for your help!! I had a blast being creative with y'all!!

Day 21: Caffine

2011-11-21T08:30:00.001-07:00

Today, I am thankful for caffeine!! I also have a bit of an addiction to caffeine, much like chapstick, but a little more serious and slightly more annoying!! If I don't have some sort of caffeine in the mornings then I will, with out fail, get a terrible headache that will last the rest of the day and is only remedied by having caffeine!! I really want to break this addiction but now is not the time, while have 2 small kiddos that need most if not all of my undivided attention every day!! So until the time that I can handle a horrible headache for several days I am very thankful for caffeine, whether it be in the form of Dr. Pepper, coffee, iced tea, or some other form of caffeinated beverage!!

Day 20: Chapstick

2011-11-20T21:42:00.001-07:00

So this is kinda a silly one but I seriously have a slight addiction to Chapstick! I have had this addiction for quite some time now. It's not just any Chapstick either...it has to be the kind that brings on the tingling effect! Like the peppermint kind or the medicate kinds! I love Chapstick and if I don't have it with meat all times I tend to panic a little and can't stand the burning that comes with having chapped lips! I have especially come to appreciate Chapstick living in Colorado with the air being so dry!! I have several tubes at all times...all over the house, in the diaper bag, in my car, just about everywhere I spend any considerable amount of time! So today I am thankful for Chapstick! :)

Addison

2011-11-19T19:27:00.001-07:00

Today Miss Addison gave us a little scare. She was totally fine this morning then took about an hour and a half nap at about 8:45 then ate like normal when she got up. She was fine for about an hour after that and then all of the sudden at about 11:00 am something weird happened. She started getting fussy and then went really pale in the face and got super lethargic. I was holding her and she was laying her head on my shoulder and would hardly lift it up. She kept nodding off and just wasn't acting normal at all. It totally freaked me out. I decided I should call her pediatrician because this was just totally out of the ordinary for her and it came on so quickly. I spoke with a nurse and she said they wouldn't be able to see her until 1:00 pm which was 2 hours away but that I could take her to the hospital because they have an after hours children's clinic. I asked what the nurse recommended and she said I should probably go ahead and take her in just to be safe. So I immediately called Collin and got us all dressed and headed for Littleton Hospital. When I put her in the car she immediately fell asleep so the entire way there I was so worried about if she was ok. When we got there I got her out and she seemed to perk up a little bit which was such a relief!! It always seems to work like that when you get to the dr. they seem totally better but I will definitely take that over something being seriously wrong. Anyways, we had to wait about 15 minutes for the children's clinic to open but then we were seen by a nurse and then a pediatrician. She checked out totally fine which I am so thankful for. The dr. said it could be that she is coming down with a virus or just got to feeling bad for some reason but she seemed perfect healthy when she checked her out. I have no idea what was wrong with her but it was a little scary how she was acting. I am just really thankful that she is ok!! She has been totally fine the rest of the day. We did get to find out that she now weighs 16 lbs 4 oz. She is getting so big!!

On a happier note...She loves looking at herself in the mirror above her changing table and tonight before bed I took this little video of her. She is just too cute and I just love her to pieces!!

Day 19: Naps

2011-11-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

Boy am I thankful for nap time these days!! Having 2 kiddos is definitely hard at times but being able to count on nap time every day definitely helps me out!! Maddox is a pretty good napper these days so I can usually get at least an hour and a half nap out of him and most days it's longer than that!! Sis hasn't gotten consistent in her napping schedule yet so I can't always count on her napping at the same time as him but it at least helps to just have to take care of one kid instead of 2 for a little bit each day! Hopefully, when she gets a little older they will get on the same schedule and I can get a real break every day :) until then I will take what I can get and am thankful for the little break nap time brings!! Plus I quite enjoy a nice nap myself every once and a while!! :)

Potty Training Chronicles: Day 2

2011-11-18T18:51:00.001-07:00

We officially started potty training Maddox yesterday so I thought I would document it. I really had no idea what approach to take but have ended up going with the book "Diaper Free Before Three.". It is really intended as a program that starts potty training pretty early but also gives suggestions for starting later as well. Basically, when starting later it says to just decide to start and completely get rid of diapers and go straight to underwear.
So, yesterday after nap I decided to just go for it. With it being Thanksgiving he doesn't have school next week, I don't have Ladies Bible Class and Collin will be off a few more days than normal. So I figured as good a time as any right?!? So as I said after nap yesterday I went ahead and put him in big boy unders!! He thought it was so cool and he did awesome!! He had them on from about 4 pm to 8:30 pm and didn't have a single accident!! That time even included a trip over to one of our friends houses for dinner and to hang out!! I put him in a pull up to sleep...because I'm not quite ready to tackle the night time yet!!
This morning we went straight to the potty when he got up and he has had underwear on all day. He has had 3 accidents but all of them were just pee!! We ventured out for lunch and he did great! He went potty at the restaurant and did awesome staying dry!! I'm not quite sure how long this whole thing will take but hopefully by the time we go to Texas in late December we will be doing pretty well!! I will of course keep you updated on our progress! :)
Pray that things go smoothly for Maddox and that he catches on quickly and for lots and lots of patience for me!! :)

Day 18: Prayer

2011-11-18T15:25:00.001-07:00

Where would we be without prayer...Our direct line to God?? What a blessing it is to be able to share our thoughts, desires, needs, wants and thanksgivings with our Lord!! Even though sometimes it may feel like we are just talking to ourselves, part of faith is believing He hears us when we call out to Him! I am so thankful for this outlet and gift we have been given that allows us to communicate directly with God!!

Day 17: Thursday School

2011-11-17T15:55:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful for Maddox's Thursday School at University!! It is such a precious little program!! He loves his teacher and being able to see his friends! It is a nice little break for me each week and also a time that I can spend some one on one time with Miss Addison!! I am so thankful for this ministry and this precious little school!!

Day 16: lunch Dates

2011-11-16T13:26:00.001-07:00

When we moved here and Collin started started working we decided that one day a week would be our lunch date day!! A day that he had on the calendar and knew not to schedule any other lunches because it was our day!! I love our lunch dates!! I look forward to them each week. It started out just the 2 of us but now the kids get to go too :). I am so thankful for this time every week that Collin sets aside for us!!

My Daddy

2011-11-15T20:24:00.001-07:00

We have figured out that we can get maddox pretty riled up if we banter back and forth with him. I got him going today and got a video of it. It's pretty funny how worked up he gets and how he gets distracted right in the middle of it. Enjoy :D. (And please excuse the fact that he has no shirt on...he insisted on taking it off!)

Day 15: Ladies Bible Class

2011-11-15T10:40:00.001-07:00

Every Tuesday except during summer and Christmas time we have a ladies Bible class at our church!! I am so thankful for this time that I am able to spend with other Christian women studying God's word! We have done some amazing studies since I have started going! I also appreciate the free child care!! It gives mommy a little break!! I have been so blessed by ladies class and am so thankful for it each week!!

Day 14: Contacts/Glasses

2011-11-14T08:33:00.001-07:00

People, I have TERRIBLE eye sight!! Like really horrible!! This fact makes me EXTREMELY thankful for contact lenses and glasses!! I got my first pair of glasses in the 4th grade and then got contacts in 6th!! I have to wear them in order to do anything!! The gift of sight is such an amazing thing and I am so thankful that I am able to have it because of contacts and glasses!! Hopefully, some day I will be able to get LASIK and not have to rely on them but until that time I have to rely on them and am thankful that I have them!!

Day 13: iPhone

2011-11-13T13:00:00.001-07:00

I love Apple products!! They are my fav electronics! I am especially fond of my iPhone!! It is a huge help in keeping my kids entertained when we are out! It has my calendar on there so I don't forget any appointments. I love being able to check Facebook on it. And it is so nice to be able to rely on it to get in touch with people!! I am thankful that I am able to have my iPhone!!

Day 12: Sunshine

2011-11-12T19:15:00.001-07:00

I LOVE the sunshine! It makes my heart happy!! Rainy, cloudy days make me feel gloomy and sleepy!! I love laying out by the pool or on a beach on a clear sunny day and having a nice golden tan from it! I love seeing the mountains on a clear sunny day! The sunrise and sunset are 2 of the most beautiful things!! I am so thankful for the sunshine and the light it brings to this world!!

Day 11: Grace

2011-11-11T13:17:00.001-07:00

Boy am I ever thankful for grace!! We would all be lost without it!! The grace of God is the greatest gift humankind has ever received!! We gave our daughter the middle name Grace because we believe in the power of grace and feel it should be one of the first reactions we all have in the face of wrongs. We are all in need of grace in our lives both from the people around us and especially from God. Today and always I am thankful I serve a graceful God!!

Day 10: My Car

2011-11-10T10:09:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for my car. I can always rely on it to get me where I need to go. I feel safe in it. We all fit comfortably in it even when we are packed full to go to Texas! The AC and heater work wonderfully and the seat heaters are wonderful for the Colorado winters! I am so thankful I am able to have a car in a world where it is a luxury!

Whole Name

2011-11-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was trying to teach Maddox his whole name and this is what we came up with. I thought it was a pretty funny video!! It sounds like I was ignoring Addison from her crying in the background but she was sitting in my lap which explains the horrible camera work ;D. Enjoy!!

Day 9: Our House

2011-11-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful to have our house to live in!! On a day like today when it is very chilly outside I feel so blessed that we have a heater to keep us warm!! I know this probably won't be the house we live in forever but it will always hold a special place in my heart! It was the first house for Collin and I to purchase. It is the house that both of our children were brought home from the hospital to. We have made may fun memories in this house!! I am so thankful that we have been blessed with this space that we can call our home!!

Day 8: Connection Group

2011-11-08T08:43:00.001-07:00

In a big church small groups are essential for achieving authentic community! I am so thankful for our small group! It has become a place of openness and sharing and friendship!! I am so thankful that in our group Collin and I can just be Collin and Holly and not have to be the preacher and preacher's wife, even if it is just a couple of hours once a week! It us a nice and welcomed break!! I am thankful God called all 5 of our families together!!

Day 7: Church

2011-11-07T14:53:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful for our church family here at Littleton CoC. With this being our first church to work at we didn't really know how life would be. But the people here took us in and have loved us like family!! We have adopted grandparents and aunts and uncles for our kiddos since our family is far away, which we are so thankful for!! We have no idea how long the Lord has ordained for us here but regardless we we will look back fondly and favorable on this time here in Colorado and on the people we have grown to love!!

Day 6: Friends

2011-11-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have the best friends!! I have friends that I can count on for anything!! Friends that love on my kiddos. Friends that invite my family to their holiday dinners since our family lives so far away! Friends that are really more like family than friends!! Some of my friends live close by and some live far away but either way they are all still friends!! I love my friends and am so thankful that I have each and every one of them in my life!! I know God handpicked certain people to be my best friends and I thank Him for that!! My life would not be the same without my friends!!

Day 5: Family

2011-11-05T08:59:00.001-06:00

My Siblings, Heather, Scott, and Morgan

My parents, Kiki and Bear

Collin's Family, Clark, Lara, Dede, and Pop Pop

My grandparents, Papa and Nana

Collin's grandma, Ganna

I LOVE my family!! I am so thankful to have all of them in my life. I have great parents, fabulous in-laws, 2 super fun (and pretty :D) sisters, 1 goof ball brother, an awesome brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and amazing grandparents! I know my family has made sacrifices on my behalf and I am grateful for that!! I wish we could see them more often than we do but I am thankful for the times that we do get to have together!! Like all families, we have our issues but if I had the chance I wouldn't trade any of them for the world!!

Day 4: Addison

2011-11-04T08:47:00.000-06:00

Boy am I thankful for my precious second born, Addison!! She is such a sweet baby and a true joy to be around. She rarely cries and has the cutest smile and laugh! Having a little girl is so much fun, I just love getting to dress her up in adorable outfits and bows. I can't wait to see the ways she will be different from her brother. Having 2 kiddos has definitely had its difficulties but I would not change it for the world. I can't wait to see the companionship they will have as brother and sister. I praise the Lord for putting sweet Addison Grace in our family!! She is a true blessing and I can't imagine life without her!!

Day 3: Maddox

2011-11-03T14:24:00.002-06:00

I am so very very thankful for my sweet firstborn, Maddox!! For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a mommy and he made me one!! He has the sweetest little smile and just cracks us up these days with the things he says and does. He definitely has his moments, quite frequently these days actually, but I still love him with all my heart!! I love watching him grow and learn new things. I am so thankful that God chose me to be Maddox's mommy!!

Day 2: Collin

2011-11-02T07:58:00.001-06:00

I am so thankful for my husband, Collin!! He is my high school sweetheart, my best friend and the love of my life! I love his passion for God and preaching His word! He is a great leader and minister! He is a wonderful daddy to Maddox and Addison. I am so blessed to have him in my life!!

**the picture is of us in front of the ferris wheel at the State Fair of Texas, which is where we got engaged 8 years ago!!

24 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-01T20:46:00.001-06:00

With today being the 1st day of November, I have decided to start a new blog series. Each day until Thanksgiving, I am going to post about something I am thankful for. Feel free to join me in this series and post what you are thankful for too! If you do so please put a link to your blog in my comments so I can be sure to read it!!

So, here goes.

Day 1:

I am thankful for my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason I am who I am and the reason I have things to be thankful for!! He brings life and joy and strength! He is the giver of grace and peace and without him we would all be lost! So, on day one and everyday I am thankful for Jesus.

Addison is 5 Months Old

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

I CAN'T believe my baby girl is 5 months old!! The time has just flown by!! She is such a sweet little baby and is a precious blessing to our family!! We are so thankful that she is our baby girl!! We don't go to the dr. this month so I don't know how big she actually is but she has definitely grown!! Here is a little of what she is up to these days and then some precious pics of her. Since it is Halloween I thought it was only appropriate for her pictures to be taken at the pumpkin patch in her adorable pumpkin outfit from her Aunt Mo.

*She is wearing size 3-6 month clothes.

*She is wearing size 2 diapers.

*She hasn't gotten any teeth yet.

*She still eats every 3 hours during the day but will go up to 12 hours at night without eating!! FAB!!

*She eats solids 1-2 times a day. So far she has only had apples and sweet potatoes and loves both!!

*She is so happy all the time and smiles at everyone!

*She loves being outside.

*She likes tummy time and can now roll over in both directions.

*To me she looks a lot like her brother when he was little!!

*She isn't big on the paci but will take it if she is fussy or sleepy.

*She loves taking a bath still.

*She is just a precious little girl and such a joy to be around. She is rarely ever fussy and we just adore her so much!!

My Little Pumpkins at the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-26T20:20:00.001-06:00

The kids and I are in Dallas right now while Collin is off at a conference in Nashville. We have gotten to spend some fun time with our families!! I will write a post about it all later but I really wanted to post these pictures cuz they are so stinking cute!!

This afternoon we took the kids to the Arboretum to see the pumpkins. Maddox had a blast running around and we got some super cute pictures!! We just wish Daddy was here to play with us!!

My sweet little Pumpkins!!

Maddox and Addison with Kiki and Bear

Addy and Aunt Heathie

Maddox and Aunt Mo

Me and my sweet baby girl!

Love these little pumpkin heads!!

My Little Sweets

2011-10-23T16:45:00.001-06:00

I mean just look at those little faces!! Presh!!!

Hilarious!!!!

2011-10-20T14:54:00.001-06:00

My mom made this today and I just had to share it because I literally cracked up when I saw it!! It is a little video featuring Maddox, Addison, and their 3 dogs, Pete(black lab), Doc (golden) and Mario(maltese). Hope it brings you as much joy as it did me. Go Rangers!!!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Coming up...

2011-10-17T20:52:00.001-06:00

I've been a slacker lately but here is what I will be posting about soon...(well prob not until I get home from Texas in 2 weeks :D)

*new iPhone 4s
*Angels in the Outfield
*My little early riser
*Addison update
*Texas

That's all I can think of right now but other things might come up between now and when I actually get around to posting these!! :)

Little Longhorns

2011-10-10T21:20:00.001-06:00

As most of you know, we here at the Packer house are pretty big Longhorn fans. This past weekend was the Texas vs. OU game and unfortunately our Longhorns didn't fair too well. But my kiddos sure did look cute cheering on the Horns!!

Oh my my...does that sweet face melt your heart or what?!?! I know it does mine!!

Mini Mountain Trip

2011-10-10T21:10:00.002-06:00

This past weekend we made a mini trip to the mountains to see some of the trees changing and try to get a good family pic. We only went to Bailey which is about 45 minutes away because we wanted to be able to still get back in time for the kids to nap. Since we didn't go very far we didn't get to see a lot of good trees changing but we had fun none the less. Here are some of the pics we got. It was a little difficult to get both kids to look at the camera because it was on a tripod and I just used a remote so there wasn't anyone back there to get their attention but we did get one pretty good one of the 4 of us!!

Happy Birthday Kiki!!

2011-10-09T09:50:00.001-06:00

Today is my mom's b-day so we wanted to wish her a very special day with this little video!! :D

The A-Z of Me

2011-10-07T15:42:00.000-06:00

Saw this on another blog I follow and thought I would join in on the fun...

A. Age: 27

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore that you despise: Laundry

D. Dogs: none

E. Essential start to your day: CAFFEINE!!!

F. Favorite color: Pink

G. Gold or silver: Silver

H. Height: 5' 6"

I. Instruments you play: Umm...I can turn on iTunes and let someone else play instruments :D

J. Job title: Stay at home mom

K. Kids: Two - Maddox - 2 and Addison - 4 months

L. Live: Denver, CO

M. Mother's name: Cathy

N. Nicknames: Hols, HollyP and Momma

O. Overnight hospital stays: 3 - to get my tonsils out, and when I had both of my kiddos

P. Pet peeves: People who drive under the speed limit because I usually have a screaming child in my car and need to get to my destination quick!!

Q. Quote from a movie: "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other? " -Evan Almighty

R. Right or left-handed: Righty

S. Siblings: 2 younger sisters and 1 younger brother

T. Time you wake up: When the first kid wakes up...usually Addison between 6 and 7am

U. Underwear: yes please

V. Vegetable you despise: spinach

W. What makes you run late: having to get ready 3 people instead of just myself!!

X. X-rays you've had: Mouth (dentist/ortho), back (cheerleading), knee (cheerleading)

Y. Yummy food that you make: Chicken Asparagus Pasta

Z. Zoo animal: Elephants

Ode to Apple

2011-10-06T18:42:00.001-06:00

As most of you have probably heard, Steve Jobs creator and former CEO of Apple passed away yesterday. In my opinion, he was one of the most ingenious people of our day!! We at the Packer house are most definitely Apple people so his creation has defiantly impacted our lives. Collin and I both have Mac laptops, iPods, iPads, and iPhones(**see side story below)! We LOVE Apple products! It is always sad to see someone die at a young age (he was 56) and I pray comfort on his family and friends during this time!! Steve Jobs did an amazing thing creating the Apple corporation and has changed the face of technology with his computers, iPhones, iPads, and iPods!! So, thank you Steve Jobs for your imagination and creativity in making all the amazing Apple products!! I hope the Apple corporation stays true to your vision even after you are gone!!

**This past weekend my beloved iPhone was in a fatal accident. I dropped it in a cup of Arnold Palmer (1/2 tea; 1/2 lemonade drink) and it is now dead. Well sort of. After spending 4 days in a ziplock full of rice it will now turn on but the touch screen no longer works which is a crucial part seeing as you have to be able to touch and slide to unlock and use the phone. So, that means a week from tomorrow I will be upgrading to the new and improved iPhone 4s. We were planning to upgrade anyways but if there were any questions at all they are now gone because I am using a loaner from a sweet family at church that I need to return soon!! May you rest in peace my super slow and sometimes frustrating iPhone 3g!! ;)

Sweet Giggles!!

2011-10-05T17:09:00.000-06:00

I was finally able to get a video of my sweet baby girl giggling!! A baby's first giggles is quite possibly my favorite noise in the whole world!! Please excuse the fact that my child has no clothes on as I took this video right after cleaning her up from a blow out lol :D. Enjoy!!

Addison's 4 Month Pics

2011-10-01T19:45:00.004-06:00

As promised here are baby girl's 4 month pictures. What a cutie pie!!

Love that precious little face!!

This one is my favorite!! She just looks so sweet!!

Big Boy Potty

2011-09-27T20:10:00.001-06:00

So this may be TMI but this is my blog and a had to document this momentous day!! This afternoon Maddox went poopoo in the big boy potty for the first time!! Earlier this morning he said something about his Elmo potty (it's one of those seats that goes on top of the big potty seat) and so I asked if he wanted to go sit on it and he said yes. He sat there a while but with no luck so I figured I'd just ask him again later. So he sat on his Elmo potty probably 5 times today and tried to potty but couldn't make it happen. Just a few toots. Bur that at least told me that he knew what to do. Then this afternoon I noticed him working on it with his diaper so I rushed him to the bathroom and put him on the toilet and he went!! He was so excited and proud of himself!! He got to flush and then wash his hands with his new Sponge Bob soap!! It happened right at Daddy was walking in the door so we got to tell him right away so he could be excited with us!! We were in a hurry to head out for dinner but we face timed with Kiki, Aunt Mo and Aunt Heathie real quick to tell them the exciting news!!

I know we are a long way from being fully potty trained but this is definitely the first step!! I don't really know how to go about the peepee part of the training but we will just work on the pooping part and go from there!!

It's funny how when you have kids the thing you get excited about change drastically!!

Here is my big boy getting ready for bed with his daddy!!

Addison's First food

2011-09-27T17:08:00.001-06:00

Here are a few pics from Addy's first taste of rice cereal!!

Addison's 4 Month Check Up

2011-09-26T19:40:00.000-06:00

Today Miss Addison had her 4 month well check. Dr. Connie said she was just perfect!! What every parent wants to hear!! She is growing great and right on track developmentally!! She now weighs 14 lbs. 5 oz., which is in the 55th percentile and is 24 1/4 in. long, which is in the 75th percentile. She doesn't officially turn 4 months for a few more days so I will post her pictures then but here are a few things she is up to these days...

*Size 1 diapers but we could definitely move up to size 2...I just have a lot of 1's left so I'm trying to use them up!!
*Size 3-6 month clothes
*Super duper smiley!!
*She does little giggles a lot but we haven't been able to get the big giggle out of her yet.
*She loves bath time still.
*She had her first go at rice cereal today and seemed to like it ok. But as is common with those early days of eating solids, I think more ended up on her than actually in her tummy.
*She catnaps throughout the day and will usually take one good (3ish hours) nap a day.
*She isn't sleeping through the night yet (uggg) but Dr. Connie said she should start in the next month!! I hope it comes soon!!
*She really enjoys tummy time and just lifts her head up and looks all around.
*We'er about 50/50 on whether she screams in the car these days. Sometimes she is the perfect angel and sometimes she screams from the moment we put her in there seat to the moment we get her out. Hopefully this is resolved by the time we drive to Texas in October!!

I think that is about it right now!! I will post her pics in a few days!! :D

Take me out...

2011-09-23T07:51:00.000-06:00

Cute little video of Maddox and Daddy singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" Enjoy!!

Miss Judy and Mr. Al

2011-09-21T17:00:00.001-06:00

We made it home from our trip to Monroe, LA today and had a blast!! It was so great to be able to visit and catch up with Mr. Al and Miss Judy!! We just love them and miss them so much!! Every single picture I took was on my phone but here is a run down of what we did...

We started things off on this tiny little plane. Thankfully, we made it there safely ;D.

Maddox slept on the second of 2 flights to Monroe. I gave him one of Addison's extra paci's and it was one of the best decisions of the trip because he fell right to sleep on the plane!!

The kids matched for church on Sunday!

We spent several evenings just relaxing and sitting out on the porch!!

Maddox rode the Merry-go-Round at the mall!!

We were silly in the car!!

We played at the Children's Museum...

The pretend restaurant was Maddox's favorite part!!

Brother loved on sister.

The humidity really did a number on her hair lol.

We sidewalked chalked outside...

and ourselves lol.

We played with Miss Judy.

We put our feet in the pool.

Even sis loved it!!

Brother thought he might like to swim in the float but then changed his mind after his clothes were all wet!!

We rocked and swing on the porch.

We napped on the porch.

Louisiana really rubbed off on Brother and he ran around with no clothes on for an afternoon!!

He thought it was really funny!!

Maddox just loved being outside!!

We took a family pic in front of Mr Al and Miss Judy's house

Addy and D took a pic too!1

We were all pooped out on the way home. (Addy literally was...she blew out not one but TWO diapers. Once on each flight!! Never a dull moment with 2 kiddos :D)

We had such a fun trip and are so glad we got to go!! We hope to be able to go back to visit again sometime!! And maybe daddy can go with us next time!!

Thanks ou so much Mr. Al and Miss Judy for letting us come visit and play with you!! We has so much fun!! We miss ou lots and lots and hope to be able to come see you again!!

In Other News...

2011-09-15T15:48:00.000-06:00

A few other things going on besides Maddox starting school...

1. I tested positive for strep today...boo. I don't feel bad except for a terribly sore throat. I got a RX for Amoxicillion so hopefully after that I will be feeling better!!

2. I'm taking Miss Addison to the doctor here in a few minutes to make sure she isn't coming down with strep too since we are heading out of town tomorrow!! Prayers please!!

3. Tonight, Collin and I are going to see The Help!! I loved the book and hope the moves lives up to the book (because they usually don't).

4. Tomorrow, Danielle, the kids, and I will hop on a plane and head to Louisiana to visit Miss Judy and Mr. Al. They are an elder couple that we got super close to here at Littleton. Al, however got transferred for his job this past April so now they live in Louisiana. We miss them dearly and are super excited to get to go for a visit!!

That's it for now!! :D

Joyful Giraffe

2011-09-15T15:44:00.001-06:00

Sweet buddy started Thursday School today!! The drop off was a bit rough...he fell and hit his nose on Addison's carrier right before I was about to leave so then he panicked and didn't want me to leave. His teacher took him and I left real quick with the sound of him screaming behind me. So sad. When I went to pick him up though he was playing and super happy!! His teacher Miss Lynn said he did great and was such a sweetheart!! There are 3 other kids in his class, the Joyful Giraffes, from Littleton so that is fun!! I think he is really going to enjoy going to "school" each week!! Here are a few pics I snapped of him this morning!! He looks so grown up!! :D

Definitely the one that will go in his "School Days" scrapbook!!

Bittersweetness

2011-09-14T20:46:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow, Maddox starts Thursday school. He had to miss the official first day last week because he was sick with croup and on steroids!! I have everything ready to go for him and will definitely be taking the staple "First Day of School" picture on the front porch!! So check back tomorrow for his pics!! :D

Maddox's Verse

2011-09-12T16:35:00.000-06:00

So, after searching and searching, Collin and I have decided on a verse for Maddox. Since we decided to do this I have been on the look out for something I loved for him. On Saturday, I went to the Living Proof Live Beth Moore Simulcast and in one of her sessions she mentioned this verse. I immediately emailed it to Collin and told him I thought it would be great and he agreed. So the verse we have decided on for Maddox is the very last verse in the Book of Acts. Acts 28:31...

"He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!"

Our prayer for Maddox is that he will live this verse out as he grows. That he will proclaim, BOLDLY and UNHINDERED, the word of God in what ever place and situation he finds himself in!!

Its About Time Google...

2011-09-12T16:12:00.000-06:00

Hey Blogger friends...did you see that Google has FINALLY come out with a blogger app?!? I just downloaded it from the app store and the best thing is that it's free!! So now we can all easily post pics from our iPhones and iPads!! All I can say is its about time!!

The Help

2011-09-12T16:05:00.003-06:00

I just finished reading The Help today and let me just say it was A-MAZING!!! I absolutely LOVED it!! It was funny, sad, educational and just all around a great read!! The end is so good and I will admit I had tears rolling down my cheeks!! Now I can't wait to see the movie!!

If you are looking for your next book to read I HIGHLY recommend this book!! I don't think you will be disappointed!!

Baby Girl is 3 Months Old

2011-09-01T14:52:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Miss Addison turned 3 months old!! It's so hard to believe it has already 3 months since sister was born!! She is such a sweet heart!! Here are a few things she is up to these days.

*She is in size 3 month clothes.
*She wears size 1 diapers.
*She loves her big brother and just smiles at him all the time!
*She nurses every 3ish hours durning the day.
*She gets 1 bottle a day from her daddy between 11 and 12 at night then wakes up around 3 or 4 to eat some nights and some nights she sleeps all the way until 6 or so!!
*She sleeps in her crib in her nursery now and does awesome in there!
*She loves taking a bath.
*She loves being in her swing!
*She coo's all the time.
*She does great at tummy time and lifts her head up great too!
*She is getting better at being in the car but still has her moments when she just screams the entire time she is in there.

She is such a mellow baby and I love being her mommy!! Here are a few pics of missy at 3 months old...

Thursday School

2011-08-31T16:04:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I emailed a lady to see if I could get Maddox into a Thursday school program at one of the local churches here. Unfortunately, she said they were already full for this year but that she would put him on a waiting list incase someone dropped out or they opened up another class. Then last night while we were at dinner I got an exciting phone call from her saying that they had indeed decided to open up another class and that Maddox would be able to start the Thursday after Labor Day...as in NEXT week!! I am so excited!! It of course only meets on Thursdays but it is from September to May and from 9:30-1!! I think it will be great for him to get that interaction with other kids his age and it will also be nice for me to get to spend a little one on one time with Miss Addison each week!! He is already saying to me "I go to school Mama!" So that is good that he is excited about it!! We will OF COURSE have first day of "school" pictures next week and I will let you know how he does!! I can't wait for him to start!!

Addison Video

2011-08-25T23:12:00.000-06:00

Today, I pulled out the video camera to help Collin with something and found several video's on there from Addison's birthday!! I had forgotten that Collin took them right after she was born. It was sweet to look back at these and remember that special day and see her just minutes after her birth!! I played with iMovie for the first time and made a really awesome video with the 4 clips and some pics from early on. It brought tears to my eyes watching it and the Darius Rucker song fits perfectly I feel like!! Hope you enjoy it!!

My Babies

2011-08-25T21:13:00.000-06:00

Just a few pics I snapped the other day!! Enjoy!!

Photo Book

2011-08-25T13:40:00.004-06:00

I got a coupon in the mail for a free 8X8 photo book from shutterfly.com today so I immediately got online and created and ordered this book!! So fun!!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Camera Strap Cover

2011-08-24T15:09:00.000-06:00

Well kids I have officially completed my first sewing project on my new sewing machine!! It took me a 2 days worth of naps to finish!! I am super pleased with how it turned out and love the colorful addition to my camera!! So without further ado here she is...

What do ya think?!? Pretty cute huh?!?!

iPad Puzzles

2011-08-20T16:02:00.000-06:00

Maddox's new found love is mommy's iPad!! There are so many great apps for toddlers (free ones!!) that he spends hours playing. His new favorite is a puzzle app that I found. I was surprised at how good he is at them!! Here is a little video of him completing one of the puzzles. I think its great that these apps that actually teach him stuff keep him entertained for so long!!

Happy Birthday!!

2011-08-16T14:50:00.001-06:00

My latest craft is a fabulous family birthday board that I found on, where else, pinterest. It has the 4 of us on there, my parents, sibs and grandparents and Collin's parents, brother, sister-in-law, and grandma. I think it turned out so cute and now resides in our living room as a reminder of everyone's birthdays!!

If you are interested in how I made it here you go...

Supplies:
large board
12 - 1 3/4 in wooden circles (or any shape you choose)
1 1/2 in wooden circles (however many people's b-day you want on it)
paint
fishing line
white vinyl
white paint pen
hot glue
picture frame hanger

Paint your board and circles in the colors of your choosing. Then write with the paint pen the month or as I did the first letter of each month on the larger circles and the person's name and day of their birthday on the smaller circles. Then you can paint birthdays on the board but I cut it out of vinyl on my circuit so that it would look better. Then I hot glued the smaller circles on to fishing line and then glued each row on to the back of the board under its appropriate month. I hammered in a picture frame hanger to the back of the board and hung it on the wall!! Simple as that and so very very cute!! Happy Crafting!!

Sweet Dream-y Room

2011-08-16T14:43:00.000-06:00

I posted before about a new bedding set that I had my eye on at Target. Well take a look at our new and improved bed...

I love how it lightens up our room. Next up I need to get or make some curtains and lampshades!!! :D

SEW Excited!!

2011-08-13T13:44:00.000-06:00

I just got done ordering my brand new Brother SE 400 Sewing and Embroidery machine and could not be more excited!! My grandma bought it for me for my christmas and birthday present (a little early ;D). It should be delivered by August 23!! I so can't wait for her to get here. I think she needs a name and I think I will call her "Bella" after Twilight of course ;D. I'm a nerd, I know...lol. I already have so many things I want to try and make!! Stay tuned for updates on my new and improved craftiness!!

Smurfs

2011-08-12T15:26:00.000-06:00

McDonalds is doing Smurf toys in their Happy Meals right now and Maddox has gotten 2 of them. I think it is hilarious how he says "Smurf" so I thought I would get it on video so you all can enjoy it as well. Also, he thinks he got them at Chick-Fil-A for some reason so he informs us of that in the video as well. He really hams it up at the end too so enjoy!! :D

Little Things and Lots of Yarn

2011-08-12T14:55:00.003-06:00

So when we bought our house I was pregnant with Maddox and knew exactly which bedroom would be his then of course one would be ours and one would be the guest room. Then we had one remaining bedroom that I was able to turn into my craft room (happy). However when little miss came along I had to say goodbye to my craft room and turn it into a pretty pink nursery (also happy). Now I am lacking a place to do all my crafting (sad). That hasn't stopped me though. Our dining room and living room (prob much to Collin's dismay) have now become my crafting area. I would of course love to have some fabulous room devoted purely to my craftiness (maybe someday) but for now we will all just have to deal with my stuff being somewhat in the way and out for everyone to see.

With that being said here are two things I have just completed. One I mentioned before and one I made with my good friend Danielle. We are considering starting to make stuff to sell at a local flee market!! I love how both turned out and can't wait to move on to my next project!!

First up is the "Little Things" canvas I blogged about before!! I found an amazing quote on pinterest that almost makes me cry because my baby girl is growing up so fast but it just fits this craft so perfectly. I cut the lettering out of vinyl for the quote on my cricut then stuck them on. And for the pictures I used a technique that transfers pictures printed on regular printer paper with a printer that uses toner. You have to paint the canvas with gel medium then put the picture face down and let it dry overnight. Then you have to spray the pictures with water until you can see the image through the paper. Then you peel the paper off leaving the image on the canvas. This was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated but it ended up turning out great. The only thing I wasn't pleased with was how I lined up the pictures. They are a little crooked but it still looks super cute. I hung the canvas by some cute pink zebra ribbon to add a touch of color. Here is the finished product...

And the other project is this cute little yarn wreath. Danielle and I always watch TV together on Monday nights (Collin has elder's meetings) so we decided we would start doing crafts while we watched. This wreath is the first thing we decided to do. All you do is wrap a styrofoam wreath with yarn (takes a while) and then add any embellishments you want. While doing this I also learned how to make fabric yo-yos. They are super easy and so cute. I used 3 on this wreath. I even made a few and turned them to bows for Miss Addison!!

I love crafting and will pretty much try anything to see how it turns out. My amazing Nana said she would buy me a seeing machine and I really really really can't wait to get it (hurry up bday and xmas!!) I have several things in mind to try once I get that!!! Until then I will continue to make stuff like frames, bows, wreaths, etc. and hopefully be able to sell some of them at Paris Days out at Aspen Grove in September!! If you are interested in purchasing any of them let me know and I will get you the info on when that is going to happen!!

I guess that's all for now...until I get the next thing finished...Happy Crafting!!

Baby be Blessed

2011-08-10T17:40:00.000-06:00

I posted a long time ago about a little doll I had heard about from a friend of mine that I wanted to get to be a gift from Maddox to Addison when she was born. Well I ordered it and got it in the mail and am just now getting around to posting about it. I love how it turned out and hope it is something that Addison will cherish as she grows up!! Here are a few pics of her and her sweet little doll and a few that brother wanted to be in as well :D.

ANNOYED!!!!

2011-08-08T11:28:00.000-06:00

I've just spent the last 3 hours getting my e-mail and blog working because of RUDE people who think it's ok to hack into people's online accounts. I don't know why in the world anyone would find joy in stealing other people's info and sending out spam on their e-mail address. Thankfully I was able to get my blog back!! I could live with having to get a new email address but I have had my blog for almost 5 years and it contains so many memories from my life. I would have been devastated if I had lost it all. Does anyone know if there is a way to back it all up?? Mainly because it has so many posts about my kiddos like their birth stories and growth stats that I want to be able to remember!!

I am annoyed but so glad I was able to get it all fixed!!

Gray and Yellow

2011-08-05T16:20:00.000-06:00

I am officially obsessed with the color combination gray and yellow. After spending too many hours on pinterest and seeing several pins containing these colors I am determined to redo our bedroom in these colors. I have found a set at Target that is really pretty and very affordable!! It is sold out online so I hope I can find it in the store!! If I am able to make it happen I will post pics!! :D I have also seen some super cute dresses in these colors and feel my closet would greatly benefit from the addition of one but have yet to be able to locate one in person that I can look at and try on. Maybe someday!! I also want my sister, Morgan to use these colors in her wedding when she gets married one day. Her FAVORITE color is yellow so I just think it would be perfect!!

That's all...just wanted to share my new obsession!

Spelling Change

2011-08-03T15:27:00.000-06:00

Ok so once we decided on the name Addison for our baby girl we knew people would shorten it for a nick name. Based on the way we spelled Addison I spelled the shortened version "Addi." However, the other day Collin informed me that he was not a fan of that spelling and preferred "Addie." I am not so much a fan of that spelling myself so we have compromised and are going to go with "Addy" when using her nick name. I just wanted to let you all know because I had been putting Addi on here from the beginning but now will be using Addy and wanted you to know why :D.

What's Up Baby Girl?!?

2011-08-03T15:23:00.000-06:00

I didn't 2 posts about Addy being 2 months old but failed to post on both of them what she is up to these days. So here goes...

*She is finally in size 0-3 month clothes.
*She is wearing size 1 diapers.
*She is smiling and cooing up a storm...I love it!!
*She loves taking a bath.
*She slept for 8 hours straight the other night but most nights still wakes up to eat once or twice.
*She rarely cries...usually only if she is hungry and occasionally she will get a little fussy at night time.
*She takes a bottle great and per our pediatricians recommendation we are starting to give her one a day with pumped breast milk.
*She is an excellent nurser and eats ever 3-4 hours during the day and 4-7 hours at night. She usually will nurse in 15-20 minutes from start to finish which makes my life so much easier!!
*She doesn't enjoy her car seat like her brother did. For the most part she does well and sleeps but if she is awake for too long while she is in it she will let us know that she is not thrilled about it!!
*She LOVES her swing just like Maddox did! She spends a lot of time sleeping in there during the day!

That's all I can think of at the moment. She is so much fun and is definitely getting more and more alert these days!! She is such a joy and a little cuddle bunny!! I am so thankful to have the pleasure of being her mommy!!

Next up...

2011-07-31T16:17:00.001-06:00

So here is the beginnings of my next craft project...

I haven't even made it yet and I already love it!! I got the idea from 2 different pins on pinterest.com. One was the collage of pictures of "Little Things" you want to remember and the other is a technique for transferring pictures to a canvas. I am going to take the 9 pictures above and put them on a big canvas in a distressed look!! I CAN'T wait to see how it turns out!! I'll post pics after I complete it...hopefully some time this week!!

Breck

2011-07-31T16:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we took a little day trip to Breckenridge for what we like to call a Cox-Packer fun day. We just spent the afternoon walking around and hanging out then had dinner at Bubba Gumps then headed back home!! We saw several people we knew from church while we were there and even joined up with them for dinner!! The weather was wonderful and it was a lot of fun! The only 2 bad things were the trip home was little chaotic (Addison was screaming and the kiddo's got a little wild) and when we got home I realized I lost my Tiffany's thumb ring that I got from my grandparents several years ago somewhere in Breck...BUMMER!!! Other than that it was a fun little day trip. Here are a few pic from our day...

Little Miss is 2 Months

2011-07-31T15:56:00.000-06:00

As promised here are Miss Addison's 2 month growth pictures...I put one of her 1 month pictures at the end so you can see how much she has changed in the last few weeks!! Enjoy!!

Addison's 2 Month Stats

2011-07-29T15:45:00.000-06:00

This morning, I took Miss Addison to her 2 month well check appointment. She is growing great and is on track developmentally!! She now weighs 11 lbs 2 oz. and is 22 1/2 in. long, both of which are in the 50th percentile!! Her head is 38.7 cm which is in the 72nd percentile (I guess she has lots of brains in there :D). The PA said she looks great which I am so thankful for!! The only thing I did learn was what I had been thinking was baby acne on her face is actually a bit of eczema. Chris said it could be from our detergent, her bath soap, my bath soap or something else. It is something that is coming in to contact with her face a lot because that is the only place she has it which makes me think it is my bath soap or perfume. So I bought some hypo-allergenic body wash for both of us to start using and will be more careful about where I spray my perfume. She also said I can put cortisone cream on her twice a day until it clears up because I can tell it is really bothering her. Hopefully that helps and clears it up quickly! She did also have to get 3 shots today and an oral vaccine. Shots are so sad but she handled them like a champ. She cried when the nurse gave them to her but as soon as I picked her up and cuddled her she calmed down. I think her leg is sore now but hopefully that won't last long!!

Other than that, Miss Priss, checked out perfect!! I am so thankful for a healthy baby girl!! I can't believe she has already grown so much!! I am just trying to savor every little moment with her because I know before we know it she will be a walking, talking toddler like her big brother!!

She goes back to the doctor again at 4 months. She won't officially be 2 months until Sunday so I will take her growth pictures then and post them so you all can see how big she is getting!!

Craftiness

2011-07-29T15:30:00.001-06:00

I have always LOVED doing crafts and making stuff but since having kiddos I haven't had as much time to do so. But lately I have gotten back in to it durning Maddox's nap time and here is what I have made...

This one was super easy and a fun way to add a splash of color to any frame and it makes it so easy to change out the picture!!

If you didn't catch on this one is all of our birthdays and our anniversary! Just a fun personalized picture to hang on the wall.

These are all the bows I have made thus far. The orange one is definitely my favorite!!

I love this because it is a quick and easy way to leave a not for your loved one!

And this little gem I made today! Thanks to a quick sewing lesson from my friend Taylor (and being able to work on her sewing machine)! Unfortunately, it is not the perfect fit on Miss Addy (its a little too short and the arm holes are a bit too big) but with a cute pair of leggings or bloomers it will be perfect!! I am super proud of it and am looking forward to getting better at sewing and making more cute things!!

2011-07-27T15:57:00.000-06:00

I am officially addicted to www.pinterest.com!! It has soooo many fun ideas and makes me want to be so crafty!! Today alone I made 3 different framed crafts that i found on there. It really makes me want to lear how to sew too because there are so many cute and easy sewing projects that I would love to be able to do!! I could seriously sit on my computer for hours and look at all the fun things "pinned." And now they have an iPhone app so that means I can look at it no matter where I am!! You should really check it out!! I will try to post pics of my cute crafts soon!! But in the meantime I suggest you guys get to "pinning!!"

7 Years

2011-07-24T07:46:00.000-06:00

Its hard to believe that 7 years ago today Collin and I stood up on stage at Highland Oaks Church of Christ and said "I Do." In some ways it seems like yesterday and in other ways it seems like an eternity ago!

So many things are the same and so many things are different. We still love to sit down and watch tv together, we love going out to dinner together, he is still the more talkative one of the two of us, and I still love him with all my heart. Of course now, we have gone from a little family of 2 to a family of 4, which we love! Most of our tv watching is now disney channel, and most of our dinners out include the kiddos but I wouldn't have it any other way!!

I love my life and after 7 years of marriage I still love you, Collin! I am so thankful to have you as my husband and as Maddox and Addison's daddy!! I love you with all my heart and wouldn't want to do life with anyone other than you!!

3 Years

2011-07-18T21:38:00.000-06:00

This week marks 3 years since we moved to Colorado!! It's hard to believe 3 years has already passed!! So much has happened in that time.

We have gone from a family of 2 to a family of 4.

We have purchased our first house and our first cars as a married couple.

And we have made friends that will last forever!!

We are so grateful for our time here and have been so blessed by our church family at LCC. We have no idea how long God has planned for us to be here but whether its one year or 10 years or 30 years we are going to make the most of it!!

Lately...

2011-07-14T16:22:00.000-06:00

Here's what we've been up to lately...

Maddox got new cowboy boots from Kiki and Bear for his birthday!! He wants to wear them everywhere!

Heading to church!!

My little diva!!

Watching The Sandlot for the first time...notice the outfit lol

Lots of rain here lately but that means pretty rainbows!!

We went swimming for the first time this summer with our friends!

Sweet kisses for sis!

2 Year Stats

2011-07-05T14:12:00.000-06:00

I realized that I never posted about Maddox's 2 year check up!! My sweet buddy now weighs 29 pounds which is in the 65th percentile and is 3 feet tall which is in the 90th percentile! He is finally getting taller and slimming down!! At his appointment this time they showed him several pictures that he had to identify to check is developmental progress and he got them all right!! Smart little buddy!! We also did another autism assessment which he scored perfectly one, which I am so thankful for. He had to get one shot this time and it was SOOOO sad. He was not expecting it at all and was so sad when she stuck him. Thankfully, a prize from the treasure chest and a sticker helped in the recovery process. Once he calmed down and he realized got a band-aide too and was super proud of it. He was showing everyone!!

I am so thankful that he checked out healthy and on track developmentally!! We don't go back until next year for his 3 year appointment and they recommend he have his first dental appointment then too.

Next up on the agenda in the world of Maddox is potty training. I am really nervous about this and feel a little overwhelmed about the task. I know everyone has to do it and we will get it done but I am just not really sure where to even start. I am reading On Becoming Pottywise as a starting point but would greatly welcome any resources or advice from fellow mommies who read my blog!! Thanks in advance!!

Fireworks

2011-07-05T10:27:00.000-06:00

Last night we got together with our friends the Cox's and the Noe's to watch fireworks!! The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time!! Maddox loved watching the fireworks and Addison just sat quietly in my lap totally oblivious to what was going on!!

A few more pics

2011-06-30T10:15:00.000-06:00

One of our elder's wife at church is a photographer and wanted to take some pictures of Addison for us. They ended up turning out really good and I just wanted to share the few that I ended up purchasing!! Enjoy.

Love this sweet picture of our little family of 4!!

"CHEESE"

I have a newborn picture of Maddox with his hand in his mouth like this so it will go perfectly next to that!

Me and my precious baby girl!

Sweet little angel!!