A Little Busy, but Doing Great!

Obviously, I got a little behind on the blog. My goal this week is to catch up on all of the pictures and stories, but we will see what happens! I have finished October and November now so that's a start!!!

9 Weeks

Camdyn is 9 weeks old and getting ready for his first Christmas!

Another Baby...Just Like Camdyn

When talking to the girls about Camdyn, they told me that they wanted another baby, and they want it to look just like Camdyn...the same eyes, hair, and mouth. So I asked them if they meant he needed a twin, and they said "yes." I thought that it was so cute that they thought that he needed a little buddy like they have in each other. In this picture, they felt like Camdyn needed a baby to sit with. They feel like Camdyn "needs" a lot of things these days. We really have to watch!

From the Kitchen of Abigail and Ansley

Abigail and Ansley helped me make lots of Christmas treats for the teachers at their school. We had lots of fun cooking and putting the food together, but the project was a lot more exhausting than I had intended. It was hard to make sure I knew what their four hands were doing at all times!

Abigail had just told me all about the story of Baby Jesus, but when I got the camera out she wasn't very interested anymore. She doesn't do a great job telling the story, but this shows her trying to ignore her mom and pretending to be reading a graduation program instead of talking to me. Boy, are we going to have our hands full!!!

Uncle Jeramy's Graduation

We went to Kentucky today to see Uncle Jeramy graduate from Lindsey Wilson College. He is going to be a teacher/coach, and we know he will be fantastic! Congratulations, Jeramy! We love you and are so proud of you!

Aunt SaySay with the graduate

8 Weeks Old

Our little man is 8 weeks old. He is getting better at "posing" for the camera. We'll have to get his sisters to help him out! :)

Tents and Tornados

The girls were feeling a little under the weather so we decided they needed to stay home from school. It was hard finding things to do to stay busy inside, but we managed. Our project for the day was the big tent we built upstairs. We used all of the couch cushions and the roof even had "beams" that held up the roof (or sheets). The girls were so proud that they wanted to play in it most of the day. Since it had enough room, they even took a nap in it. ...And the tornado? I guess it was a twin tornado! I think every toy in the playroom was out and all over the place!

8 Week Check Up

Camdyn weighed 9lbs 5 oz and was 21 inches long at his 8 week check up. He is on the smaller end of the scales, but the doctor said that he looks great. He did well getting his shots, but I had forgotten how pitiful they are! We are so thankful for a healthy, growing baby boy!!!

Three's A Crowd

Abigail and Ansley love taking a bath with Camdyn and helping their Daddy wash Camdyn. I am just not too sure that he likes it as much as they do! Look at his poor face in the pictures.

I think Camdyn prefers the quiet, relaxing baths alone. :)

Getting Some ZZZZ's

One of the sweetest things on Earth for me is watching my little ones sleep. Sometimes they like to go to sleep in our bed and have one of us lay down with them, and then we move them to their room once they have fallen asleep.

I loved this of Camdyn and Daddy. Don't worry. I don't let him sleep on his tummy unless I am watching. He also doesn't sleep in the bed with us until his morning feeding, and I am too tired to put him back in his bed. A bad habit, I know.

Abigail and Ansley usually have to be touching to fall asleep. Yes, it's sweet, but it also causes a lot of trouble at bedtime when one of the girls doesn't want her sister touching her. They also are very sound sleepers, like their Mommy. They will completely roll over the top of you in the bed and never wake up. Poor Ansley is getting steam rolled by Abigail here and never woke up.

I am going to be in trouble for this, but it is precious! I thought Camdyn looks like a big boy sleeping like his Daddy.

Gingerbread House Party

Abigail and Ansley's class at church had a Gingerbread House party. Mrs. Sandra had the neatest supplies to make their houses. Ansley worked real hard at trying to get as much candy on her house as possible. Abigail worked real hard at getting as much in her mouth as possible. I am certain she ate more than ended up on her house!

Abigail

Ansley

Happy Birthday, Peepaw!

We celebrated Peepaw's birthday when he and Grammy were in town for Thanksgiving. The girls picked out his cupcakes, and, of course, they had to help him blow out the candles!

Camdyn's 1st Sunday at Church and Family Pictures

Camdyn made his first appearance at church on Sunday morning. He did well and slept through the whole service, which was nice since Abigail and Ansley keep us on our toes during church right now. :) When we got home, I thought we needed to take advantage of everyone being dressed up so we took a few pictures.

Sesame Street Live

We took the girls to see Sesame Street Live again this year. They were so excited to get to go. They kept calling it Disneyworld so they were a little confused, but we got it all straightened out once we got there. We got the cheaper seats since the ones on the floor were quite a bit more. Well, all of the characters come off the stage and walk through the seats on the floor. Both girls noticed that they didn't come up to where we were and told me that they want to sit in the other seats next time. After the show, Ansley looked at me and said "Mom, they did a very good job on the show!" She sounded so grown up. I am not sure that Camdyn knew we were even there. He did great.

Walking to the show

Saying "hello" to Elmo

Camdyn...just along for the ride

This is how both girls started out the show...with their ears covered. They do this at everything...Titans games, basketball games, at home when a movie comes on, etc. They don't like things to be too loud, and they aren't embarrassed to sit through an entire event like this.

I got the girls some new pants. Abigail was so excited to get them on by herself. I thought it was so cute that I had to take a picture. She is so proud!!!

Seeing Santa

Santa came to the girls school this year. Both girls said they weren't going to sit on his lap so the bench set up worked perfect for the picture. After this picture was taken, the girls looked at Santa and, in unison, started singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." Santa couldn't resist, so the three of them sat there and finished the girls' song. They thought it was the greatest! Of course, I didn't have my camera ready for that, but I don't know that I will forget it. Before we left, both girls had sat in his lap. Maybe his singing with them helped!

There were yummy snacks and games set up for the children to enjoy. Santa made his rounds to come see what was going on. He played with the girls for a while with the ducks.

The big topic on the way to the school was what kind of car Santa drives. The girls are REALLY good at knowing what cars are what and who drives what kind. They have learned which cars family members drive and can identify those cars even in different colors. They have also done that with some friends and their teachers at school. When the question came up, one of the girls insisted that he would drive his sleigh to school, while the other was certain he drove his car. Trying to settle the situation, I said that Santa drove his car to the school and drives his sleigh on Christmas so he can fit all of the toys in it. That seemed to work, but when we pulled in the parking lot, they immediately started trying to figure out which car was his. When Santa was making his rounds with the children, the girls got him cornered. First they asked what kind of car he drove, and he told them he drove his sleigh. (Ooops!) Then they said they wanted to see it. So he told them it was on the roof (Nice save Santa!) If he hadn't said the roof, then any other location would have been easy for the girls to insist that we go and check out the sleigh. We are going to have to be careful with these two. Their minds are going all of the time...and working together!

7 Weeks

Camdyn is now 7 weeks old!

Bounce Party

The girls' enjoyed their friend Ally's birthday party. Bounce parties are their favorites...and probably Daddy's too. He seems to get in on the action at these places!

Camdyn wasn't quite ready for all of the excitement!

Having so much fun at the party!

Camdyn's First Appearance at Church and Happy Birthday, Uncle Matthew!

We took Camdyn to church for the first time tonight. Yes, I realize he was already 6 weeks old, but I didn't want to get him out too early with all of the nasty germs that are floating around out there this time of the year. We had fun showing him off. Abigail and Ansley were especially excited. Ever since he was born, they would ask if he could go to church with them because they wanted to show their friends. They were quick to make sure that everyone that walked by saw him.

Trying to get his sweet smile, but he kept closing his eyes. It shows off part of his dimple though. Abigail and Ansley have noticed his dimple. They look at us and smile real big and will ask if they have a dimple. If we aren't sure, the smile harder to try to get one to show up.

Before church

Ansley asked for me to take her picture with him. So sweet.

Today was also Uncle Matthew's birthday! Hunky Matt, we hope you had a great day!!!!

Hat Day...Santa Style

The girls had hat day at school again. So, to keep with the Christmas spirit, we chose the Santa hat look today.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Abigail and Ansley have enjoyed helping us get ready for Christmas this year. They have their own tree in the playroom with non-breakable ornaments that they got to decorate how they wanted. They hung ornaments in the cluster pattern. It looked like they tried to see how many ornaments they could get on a limb before moving to the next. They were so proud when we finished.

They also helped Daddy hang the wreaths on the windows. Maybe next time he will opt for the ladder instead of hanging out the window on the ledge. I am afraid they might get some ideas! They were, however, impressed with his skills.

The final task was getting the lights on the bushes. They were so proud of their decorations each night when we would pull into the driveway.

6 Weeks

Camdyn is 6 weeks old!

I found a picture from when I was 6 weeks old and thought I would post so we could compare. Everyone says he looks like me or my brother (Uncle Matthew), but I'll let everyone decide for themselves. I'll work on finding one of Daddy so we can do a fair comparison.

Thanksgiving #3 (Nashville)

Camdyn enjoyed his first Thanksgiving. Everyone came over to Nana and Papa Bear's house. Abigail and Ansley had lots of fun playing with their cousins and Aunt Saysay and Uncle Jeramy's new dog, Lily. I didn't do very well at taking many pictures, but things were a little busy.

Abigail and Ansley enjoying Indie and Lily. This is Lily.

My only picture of the girls with some of their cousins

4 generations

(Camdyn, Papa Bear, Mommy, and Papa)

Camdyn's 1st Thanksgiving in his outfit from Aunt Ninny

Mommy with her little one

Family of 5

Just the Three of Us and Camdyn is Smiling!

When we left Arkansas, Abigail and Ansley stayed behind to spend some special time with Grammy and Peepaw until they all joined us in Nashville for Thanksgiving. It was pretty quiet at home with just the three of us, especially since we never had a "just the three of us" experience. :) The girls had a WONDERFUL time in Arkansas. Grammy took them to visit her aunts. Ansley clarified that they visited the aunts "with faces not the ones at the zoo."...just in case you thought they went to visit some insects! Grammy had to explain to them that it wasn't nice to tell people that their houses "smelled funny." So, at the last stop, they decided to ask her if "she had a baby in her tummy." Keep in mind that these were the girls' great great aunts! Never a dull moment! On one of the days, Grammy and Ms Sheila took the girls to Memphis to meet Aunt Nay Nay, Sloane, and Benson at the zoo. When they got back, they got to make special donuts at Ms Sheila's house. We missed the girls at home so we were happy to have back but were so glad that they got to have such a special visit.

Having fun at the zoo

(Jenn, these pictures may look familiar!)

Camdyn sleeping peacefully. I love his hair after his bath. It's gets real curly, and we hate to brush it out.

Camdyn started smiling on 11/23. What an amazing feeling! I made this video trying to catch his smile. I was successful and even got a little more than I bargained for.

Thanksgiving #2 (in Arkansas)

We went to Arkansas for the weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving with Daddy's family. Abigail and Ansley always have the best time because they get to see their cousins. This was Camdyn's first trip to Arkansas. We were a little nervous about how long it would take us to make the 4 hour trip with all 3 kids, but we didn't have to stop once. It worked out perfectly! Camdyn enjoyed meeting his family and friends in Arkansas and looks forward to meeting those that we missed on this trip.

This is the special magnolia tree in Great Grandpa's front yard. You can see how big the tree is with Ben standing beside it. He is about 6-4. Once you get through the leaves around the edge of the tree, it opens up on the inside like a big secret tree house. Everyone enjoyed hanging out in the tree while the little ones ran around exploring.

Cousins Jordan and Sloane

My sweet girls

(If you like their shirts, you should check out Ladybug Boutique. Jamie does a great job!)

This one of Ansley made me laugh. She was doing her "mean" face.

Grammy took all of the grandchildren to get their picture made for Christmas. It was definitely an adventure with all 5 that are ages 3 and under. So Jordan was a lot of help!

Getting a picture in their Arkansas outfits from Grammy and Peepaw

5 Weeks

Camdyn is now 5 weeks. He wasn't really into the photo session today.

Soccer Party

Abigail and Ansley enjoyed their soccer party at Pump It Up in Franklin. Daddy even joined in on the fun on the inflatables. They got their first trophies which they were proud of, but I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to get them away from their pizza to go get their trophies. Our girls definitely love their food!

Aunt Ninny had brought the girls some treats from an Italian bakery. The colored cakes were so pretty! Thank you!!!

Camdyn is 1 Month Old

Today was Camdyn's one month birthday!

Thanksgiving #1

We had Nana's family Thanksgiving in Centerville. We always have lots of fun. There are lots of other children to play with and lots and lots of good food. This year everyone played in the leaves. Even Uncle Jeramy joined in! Nathan, Jennifer, Benson, and Sloane were also in town for a little while so they stopped by to see us.

Nee still has the magic touch!

Last Soccer Game

Today was the girls' last soccer game. I couldn't tell that they were too sad about it. They have enjoyed soccer, but it's more for the social part of it. I am sure we will try a few more seasons to see if they are interested. We were heading to a family Thanksgiving afterwards so they kept coming up to me during the game to see if it was time to go to Thanksgiving yet. Needless to say, there wasn't a whole lot of soccer playing going on today!

After the game

Bath Tub Art

I went in to clean the bathroom, pulled back the curtain, and saw this. The first thing that caught my eye was Abigail's face with hair (on left) that she has begun to draw on everything. Then I just stopped to soak it in. It was hard for me to erase it because it captures the girls' creativity. So, of course, I took a picture!

Happy 6th Anniversary!

Thank you, Grammy and Peepaw, for babysitting so we could have a date to enjoy our 6th Anniversary! We have received so many blessings in these past 6 years! There is no one else that I would rather be sharing this journey with! I can't imagine how the day slipped by without taking a picture! :)

Sweatbands and Soccer

Abigail and Ansley were excited about this game because they had some new pink soccer sweatbands to wear, compliments of Mrs. Ronda. She even showed them what to do and explained what they were for. So, during the entire game, after only running a few steps, the girls would stop and wipe their foreheads with their sweatbands or do it while on the move. It was quite entertaining!

Aunt SaySay and Grammy and Peepaw got to come to the game!

Camdyn is 3 Weeks Old!

Camdyn is now 3 weeks old. We still aren't on any kind of schedule and don't really have a routine yet, but we are hoping it gets here soon! :)

The girls helped Daddy give Camdyn a bath in the sink. Don't they look like they would be lots of help? We are also having fun styling Camdyn's hair after his bath!

I don't know why, but Ansley wanted me to take her picture. Since this blog is for them, I thought I would include her picture.

Lipscomb Basketball

Mrs. Ronda was so sweet and got us tickets to go see the Bison play. The girls were so excited to see Snowbird when we walked in. Then they realized the gym was a little louder than they thought it would be. They both covered their ears almost the entire first half. Then, after Mrs. Ronda treated them to lots of goodies, they became a little more comfortable with the sound and the game.

They love their special Lipscomb shirts Mrs Rhonda got them.

Later they had a few questions for Daddy....here is his recap.

The girls, uncharacteristic for their age, were taking the entire gym in while covering their ears because of the noise. They eventually uncovered their ears, but their attention to the game continued. On the drive home, they had a couple of questions about "coach." "Why does coach yell?" I answered, "because it was so loud in the gym. He had to for the players to hear him." "Daddy, why does coach push his players?" I realized instantly they had noticed that as coach sends his players into the ballgame, WITHOUT FAIL, he always yells in their ear and gives them a nudge as they run to the scorers' table. I told them it was to instruct them on what to do and to encourage them. Not being satisfied, they had to ask "coach" for themselves. When they asked coach why he does that, his answer was "to remind them that they will be sitting by me again if they don't do what I said!" Maybe they will learn a lesson from that?! :)

4 Weeks Old

Camdyn is now 4 weeks old. He is changing every day. He doesn't like to be put down...ever. So sleeping has been a little bit of a challenge, but he won't want to be held forever, right?!

A Little More Sunshine

We are still trying to take advantage of the gorgeous fall weather!

Day at the Park

We were able to get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather. The girls enjoyed riding their bikes, and Camdyn enjoyed the stroller. It was his first park outing. I am sure the girls are ready for him to be riding his bike with them!

My view of my precious family

Loving my stroller that my wonderful friends at work got us!

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween! We went Trick or Treating to a few places near our house and then ended up at Nana and Papa Bear's house for dinner. Since it was Halloween, these princesses had to look their finest. We managed to do the up-do's again, as well as a little eyeshadow, lip gloss, and blush. Camdyn was a little giraffe, and he enjoyed sleeping most of the night. We hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

We have pictures of the girls in this outfit on their first Halloween (even though they were 6 mos instead of 2 weeks!). We carved their first pumpkins the same way, with their names.

Our little giraffe

Part of our decorations outside. I should have taken pictures of the rest. I hadn't really put many decorations outside for Halloween, but Abigail and Ansley were upset that we didn't have any Halloween decorations outside like Nana and Papa Bear. So, granting their wishes, we hung some pumpkin lights outside.

Daddy helped Abigail carve her pumpkin, and she even picked out a picture from the book.

Ansley didn't find one in the book that she liked. She told me she wanted it to look like "this" and made a silly face with her tongue sticking out. So that's what I did. We made her a silly one.

On their way to Trick or Treat

Daddy and his little princesses

Our last stop at Nana and Papa Bear's, our Halloween tradition. They always have special treats for the kids, and we get our picture made on the front couch each year. Uncle Matt came to see us this year too. Both girls loved giving candy to those that rang the door while we were there.

Wearing our special Halloween pj's from Grammy and Peepaw

Camdyn's 1st Halloween!!!! (Thanks, Aunt Ninny and Scooter for the outfit! And, thank you, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jeramy for the blanket!)

Just wanted to share a little clip of the girls reciting "5 Little Pumpkins"

Pumpkin Carving

The girls enjoyed carving their pumpkins this year. They weren't too sure about sticking their hands inside the pumpkins, but once they got used to it, they did great...and made a mess!

The finished products

Abigail and Ansley got a little carried away with the special Halloween cupcakes Mrs. Ronda brought them. They were having so much fun that I couldn't say anything. ;)

Halloween Cookies and Camdyn is 2 Weeks Old!

I thought it would be fun for the girls to make Halloween cookies. They each got to cut out their own cookies with their choice if cutters. Then they got to pick two colors for the icing and had a blast decorating. We ended up with flour, icing, and sprinkles EVERYWHERE, but we had so much fun!

Camdyn and Daddy got to relax a little

Abigail with her cookies & Ansley with hers

They wanted me to take their picture, and they posed themselves.

Camdyn is also now 2 weeks old! He and I celebrated by making our first run to Walmart since I can drive now, but we are going to lay low for a long while since there is so much nastiness going around!

Halloween Parade and Party

Abigail and Ansley had their Halloween parade and party at school today. Abigail wanted to be Snow White, and Ansley wanted to be Belle. Since we had the princess stuff at home, it made it pretty easy. I just had to fix their princess up-do's before we left for school. I was nervous they would change their minds on who they wanted to be because I had them chose their princess before Camdyn was born so I could be sure we had everything we needed, but they stuck with their choices. They LOVED being dressed up and were so proud to show their friends! I think all of the girls in their class were a princess. It must be the age!

Here comes the parade!

After all of the children came in in their costumes, each class sang a song. The girls' room sang "The 5 Little Pumpkins."

They were so proud to have their baby brother there! Again, being extra careful, they only got to show him off to their friends through the door.

That afternoon, Uncle Matt took Camdyn and me back for the party since I still can't drive. They played some cute Halloween songs, and all of the little ones danced around. Then they got to enjoy some yummy snacks. Uncle Matt got to guard Camdyn while I enjoyed the girls' snacks with them. ;)

Our chauffeur for the afternoon

I can't leave out my little man. He had a good day also.

We then got ready for church, and the girls wore their Big Sister stickers Mrs Sandra sent them. They were so proud! I think they look like big girls here. Where has the time gone?!

Las Palmas and Chuck E Cheese's

What do these two have in common? Well, Uncle Jeramy and Aunt SaySay were brave enough to take Abigail and Ansley to both of the places during the same trip. After church, they took the girls to their favorite restaurant, Las Palmas, and then decided to take them to Chuck E Cheese's to play. I know the girls had a blast, and I am certain that it was quite exhausting for Sarah and Jeramy! Thank you!!!

I want to thank everyone that has called, emailed, visited, brought food, etc since Camdyn's arrival. We are SO blessed to have such an amazing family and so many wonderful friends! You all have helped us so much, and we greatly appreciate you!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Nathan!!

We hope you have a special day! We love you, Whatssup!!!

(I am certain that no one else has an Uncle Whatssup! This is an original by Abigail. Apparently, that is what Abigail had heard Nathan say a few times, thinking it was his name, she began to refer to him as that. And, their sweet Aunt Jennifer that was trying to teach them to say Nathan or Nay Nay became "Aunt Nay Nay" herself!)

Soccer Pictures

The girls had their soccer pictures today. They seem like such big girls!

Team picture

Trunk or Treat

Daddy took Abigail and Ansley to Trunk or Treat at church. They were adorable ladybugs for the night (Thank you, Jamie!). They enjoyed winning some yummy treats at the cake walk, decorating pumpkins, going through the haunted room, and, of course, getting lots of candy.

Love it!

With sweet Mrs Sandra

Abigail wasn't scared of this scary trunk!

With their partners in crime, Kingston and Solomon

Aunt Ninny came by afterwards to bring some balloons and to introduce them to cotton candy!

1 Week Old

I am going to try to take a picture of Camdyn each week for as long as I can keep it up. We'll see how long it lasts.

Here's our little guy at 1 week old

Camdyn's First Doctor's Appointment

We took Camdyn to see Dr. Williams. He almost back up to his birth weight, and everything looked good.

Camdyn's 1st Soccer Game

Ok. So the the title is a little misleading. Camdyn went to the girls' soccer game, kind of. He never got out of the car, but he was there to cheer them on! Abigail and Ansley wanted to show him to everyone, but we didn't think we was ready for all of that! :)

Ansley would play if her Daddy or one of the coaches held her hand

They loved when it wasn't their turn to play so they could sit in this chair.

Papa Bear got to come see the girls play

Proud of their little brother

Josiah and Rebekah came by to bring us dinner. Josiah is a month and a day older than Camdyn. They will be big buddies!

This picture reminds me of the "Where's Waldo" pictures, except it's "Where's Camdyn." He was sitting in the chair and the girls thought he needed a bear from each of them, and then it escalated from there. He didn't seem to mind.

I love these pictures of my angels, all tucked in their beds.

Camdyn's 1st Bath

We gave Camdyn his first bath at home. Well, Nana and Daddy did. I wanted to take pictures. He wasn't too thrilled with the process, but I am sure it will be much more enjoyable once his umbilical cord falls off, and we can give him a real bath.

Settling In

We are getting settled in at home. Abigail and Ansley are so proud of their brother and want to hold him all of the time.

Before bedtime (Don't worry. These are the girls' pink sheets. We do have a few things that aren't pink now! :) )

Camdyn's Homecoming

Camdyn getting a little rest before the ride home.

Dressed and ready to go

Nana came to help us at the hospital and when we got home

How many does it take to get Camdyn into his seat?!

Heading home! What a blessing to have a healthy baby boy to take home with you when leave the hospital! No NICU stay and no waiting! God is so good!!!

A strange tradition now. Daddy stops to get a sweet tea from McDonalds on the way home. He did this with the girls too!

At home

Showing Camdyn his nursery

The girls were excited to have their brother at home