Tate's ears...round 2

Well...Tate spent his 4 month birthday at urgent care in Ft. Worth. There's nothing like being out of town when your baby gets sick. 

This boy has such a happy demeanor, so when he cries for a decent amount of time, you know something is wrong. 

I decided to have his ears checked out again since he wouldn't lay down to eat. Sure enough...this poor little guy has another ear infection. 

Tate also decided that he liked plugs on our trip. It made road tripping significantly easier. 

You can see that he's all torn up about it: 

Seriously...what's with kids and acting totally normal when the doctor walks in?!

He knows he's being a stinker. 

Poor Tate had his snotty nose suctioned. The nurse wasn't playing around and Tate was not happy about it. Sweet boy fell asleep as soon as I picked him up. 

We got our discharge paperwork and went on our way. 

Let's hope that this is the last one for quite some time! 

Shop till you drop

Y'all. I'm such an avid shopper. (Haha, totally kidding!)

But really...this is how I accomplish shopping...at least until Tate can sit in the shopping cart. 

Then we get home and it's back to potty training...and potty training means pants are optional. 

Then we end the day with baby snuggles. 

Tate Man

Hey there lil fella. 

You have so many nicknames already. 

I can't wait to see which ones stick. 

For now, you are Tater Tot. That's all Paige calls you. I get interesting looks in public for that one...

Outdoor Ready

Here is a little girl ready to go outside...

...and a little boy enjoying some vitamin D. 

Valentine's Day

Today was the most beautiful day. We were outside all. day. long. Seriously, the high was 75 and the clouds gave us the right amount of shade. 

It was perfect. (Warning: photo overload)

We started with early church with sweet lil G. 

Then he came to our house while his parents ran downtown really quickly. 

Josh showed him a lizard...

...then put him (and Paige) to work. 

Just kidding. We had so much fun on the driveway today. We played with chalk, bubbles, toy cars, the shopping cart, the wagon, and balls. 

I went inside to feed Tate (who hung out in the pack n play outside.) Look at these chunky thighs he's working on! 

I became obsessed with Josh's scroll saw. 

Josh found a green tree frog and showed it to Paige. 

(More about him later.)

Paige had a meltdown about having to share her potty...with her dad...after she had a long turn and decided she was done. (Ohhhh toddlerhood)

We took the wagon on a walk with the O family. The kids loved it. 

Then the "big girls" jumped on the trampoline. 

We came home, played in the playroom, and Paige took a bubble bath. Josh got us mcalisters for dinner (which we ate alone after the kids were in bed.) We talked about the week ahead and reminisced about Hi-C flavors and my ability to eat more than a small army's serving of chocolate. 

It was the most perfect day. 

Chats with my girl

Today I sat on the back porch with Paige and we chatted about school. 

It was so cool.

I could understand her stories. 

"'J' touch my head. No 'J,' no." 

"'I' fell down. 'I' Bumped knee."

"Mama, my painted."

I know these stories are going to get more elaborate as she gets older. I hope she still tells me about her school day as she grows. 

I'm also hoping that through these moments I can somehow teach her to be a good friend and include everyone, especially those who need it the most. 

Big sunglasses

Paige loves dressing up with accessories. I usually keep my sunglasses in a spot that she can't reach. (Not because they're fancy, but because I love them and don't want to find new ones that fit as good as these...even if they were only $5 at Kroger. Side note-I need to start buying sunglasses by the dozen when I come across ones I like.)

Those lips. 

Those cheeks. 

Those giant eyes. 

Those cute lil pigtails. 

I love it when she hams it up for the camera. 

I love when we have uninterrupted chances to sit and chat when her brother is content on the floor or sleeping in his room. 

Swaddle Baby

This boy loves to be swaddled. It's so cute. It's amazing how fast it calms him down when he's being fidgety/fussy. 

(The next morning after being set free)

When he's swaddled, he lasts a lot longer in his crib (versus the rock n play he's in at night.)

And sometimes he likes to be swaddled, but doesn't go to sleep. I love his little boy smirk. 

And finally: 

Swaddle or no swaddle, Tate can resist the magic bouncing walk from his dad.