Happy Together: June 2014

I think the only way I'm going to be able to keep up is by doing a monthly post, even though I did them weekly when Henry was a baby. AND, they were all about just him. Sorry, Annie. That is just part of being a second child. You will understand someday. :) Below is some of what we were up to for the month of June, plus a few additional pics from the last few days of May when we brought Annie home from the hospital. We've had a busy month (this is exceptionally long), but it's been filled all with good things!

First time in her car seat-getting ready to leave the hospital.

Waiting on Daddy to pick us up out front.

This is your house, Miss Ann! It was a hot day when we brought you home-May 28th.

We are blessed with some amazing friends who brought by SO many wonderful meals. I didn't do that great at getting pictures of all of our visitors, but managed to get a few. Stephanie, Caroline, and Matthew Kokan brought us our first meal the night we got home.

Henry had run a fever while we were at the hospital, so he went with Steven's mom for that day to TN to keep the germs at bay. Steven went and picked him up around dinner time (no fever since that morning) and brought him home. He was proud of his baby sis!

He kept checking her out and grinning. So sweet.

Here is Annie's first time in her bed.

This is Annie's first morning home. We are checking her out! Daddy made us a big breakfast on this morning. He took the week off, and it was wonderful to have him around!!

Another sweet smile from her "Bubba".

This was so cute-we laid out Annie's pink blanket for her to have some tummy time, and Henry squealed with delight! He asked for his yellow one and wanted to lay down right beside her.

First tummy time

First walk around the neighborhood...we are a crew:)

Annie didn't care about the walk, of course.

Our first time all in the car...Annie's sleeper had purple "shoes" attached to them, and Henry kept squealing and saying, "Look at those little shoes! I want to take them off!"

We all went to Annie's 5 day appt on Friday 5/30, and she did great. The ped was very happy with her weight gain (I can't even remember what it was now...should have written this sooner!) and since she didn't look jaundice at all, she didn't have to have re-test on that. Thank you, God, for a healthy girl!

The doc was great to include big brother and make him feel important.

Another meal and visitor-Julie with Georgia and Marley

I mentioned I've felt so good this time around postpartum. We walked Rainbow Mtn when Annie was 6 days old! While we didn't do the super hilly part, I was so happy to feel like getting out and getting active early.

Happy little hiker!

More tummy time-again Henry wanted to be included! Annie does fine with tummy time at first. She works and works to get that head up, but is finished after a little bit!

Sweet siblings!

We've spent lots of time out back lately...we started out with Henry's baby pool like this (have since graduated to a bigger one). A few days after getting home from the hospital, Steven gave Maggie a bath and then let her get in the pool with Hank. They both look confused about this-ha! What rule followers (sometimes!).

Love those baby blues

Oh yeah-cool treat on a hot day! This boy has a serious sweet tooth.

Practicing his hula hooping skills for when we can go back to Lowe Mill!

We've been doing plenty of sidewalk chalk this month!

Henry is such a little collector and always has been. He went through a phase a few weeks ago with his wallet...he was very interested in Steven's, so Steven found him an old one to play with. He had all kinds of goodies in it (old business cards, pictures of cousins, expired credit cards, a golf tee, a piece of mulch, a putt-putt pencil, among other random stuff...) and would stop over and over to "organize"it. His current kick is wearing a pair of wooden Dutch shoes and two golf gloves around the house. It's always something!

More pics of the kiddos!

"Play date" with neighbor across the street-Lillianna born just 3 wks before Annie!

Aunt Mae came by herself for 3 days to help me with the kids when Steven went back to work. This was SO wonderful!

Lots of expressions from her!

Sneeze!

Proud parents!!

Our attempt at a family shot:)

Annie's first bath while Aunt Mae was here...started out content and peaceful with paci...

Quickly realized this is NOT cool!

Ahh! Much better snuggled up with Momma

Clothed, hair brushed, first hair bow in, and conked out!

At 2 week appt...did great! 8lbs 11 oz! Big girl!

Henry-27 months, Annie-9 days

Eskimo kisses!

Bye, Aunt Mae! We hate to see you go!

Neighbors Jen and Ethan brought meals and gifts by and met Annie. So thoughtful of them!

More tummy time-Annie has that tongue out A LOT!

Nice work, girlie!

She's got lots of dark, crazy hair in the back just like her brother did! When I've had her in the Ergo and get her out, Henry says, "Look at her hair Mommy! It's so wild!" It does get crazy being smushed up against me and sweaty!:)

On Friday, June 6th, my wonderful friend Abby from TN came to meet Annie along with her 2 kiddos and her mom. So special!

Henry loves to hold Annie. He tries so hard, but we usually just have to take her after a bunch of warnings not to touch her face, etc. He tries!:)

I love this picture....Annie's eyes are saying, "HELP!"

Steven's company sent us some pretty flowers to congratulate us on Annie's arrival.

The Andrews came to bring a meal and meet 12 day old Annie, too!

School friends also came by to meet Annie...Henry's good friends Aidan and Ellis along with their momma and my good friend Anne (who is due herself with a boy in November!).

Friend Jessica and her 3 kids came by to meet 2 week old Annie. They swam in the pool for a few minutes.

Another play date...Annie and Ezra! Our small group friends had their baby just 3 weeks before us, so it will be so much fun to watch them grow up together!

Mom came one day (6/12) along with Mary Ellen to spend the day. This was awesome, because Henry was totally entertained by Mary Ellen, and I could get some stuff done while Mom snuggled with Annie.

Snuggle time!

Cousins

Diana came over the Father's Day weekend for a quick visit, too. She actually watched Henry for us at night, and we went to the $ theater (with Annie in tow-she slept and ate the whole time-didn't make a peep!).

On actual Father's Day Annie and I met Jim and Peggy at church (Henry stayed with Steven at home, because he started acting a little sickly).

Then we all hung out at the house, and we grilled fajitas to celebrate Father's Day.

Steven opening presents from his TWO kids!

I attempted a picture of him with both kids...fail! Henry just wanted to wear his helmet and Annie cried!

More content with Daddy one day after work!

During the week, Henry had his first dentist appt and did AWESOME! He was such a show-off and did everything they asked. He earned stickers and a toy afterward.

Henry was eating some popcorn for snack while we were reading....and SOMEBODY started crowding us out, so I took a picture of course!


I've had to figure out a system so that I could get ready in the mornings...since having Annie I have been SO thankful that Henry is at an age where he can sit and be entertained for a few minutes by a TV show (something that was rare before is now a daily occurrence!). Most days Annie naps in her crib while I shower and Henry watches Elmo in our bed (pictured above).

We met Jessica and her 3 kids at the Botanical Gardens one day (6/26) and had such a fun time! Henry had only gone once last year, and now that he is a "big boy", he especially enjoyed it! We don't have a membership, but I'm thinking it might be worth it for us to get one now that he's older and I will be home this year.

This was one of my first attempts at the grocery with both kids...I've since started putting Annie in the Ergo and Henry in the cart, but I tried this first. It all worked fine until we checked out. I had stuffed all the groceries around Annie and on the bottom of the cart, but when the worker started bagging and re-loading he put everything with Henry. I was paying and heard Hank say, "Mommy? Mommy?". When I looked over he was peeking out from a mound of bags, and I couldn't help but laugh! Then he thought it was funny, too. Ha! A learning experience!

Perhaps the BEST thing that has happened this month besides Annie being with us now is that Henry is potty trained!! We started the weekend after we brought Annie home, and he picked up on it very quickly. When we had exposed him to it before, we didn't really use undies consistently. This time, we committed to them and that along with a mini M&M as a reward did the trick! He has had minimal accidents and wears undies all the time now (even nap and when we are out running errands). He still wears a diaper or pull-up to bed, and I think he will for a while, but that's OK with me! He has done remarkably well for a 27 month old BOY!

Henry is getting better about entertaining himself. I was concerned about being at home with the kids, because Henry and I are both so used to going that we get easily bored at the house. He's not the best at playing with his toys by himself and is usually at my ankles after just playing on his own for a few minutes. I think even within just this month that has gotten better! As you can see from the above picture, he has become quite creative-this box is a "helmet" of course! We still go somewhere everyday, and sometimes he says, "I wanna go run errands", but for the most part he is more content being here than I thought he would be.

Annie in her Sunday best. I'm having fun putting dresses on her!

Annie's first neighborhood

stroller ride not in the Ergo or her carrier-she did well!

We had fun at the pop jets at Bridge Street. We also went to the pop jet fountains in hsv, but Henry did not like it. It was SO crowded that I think he was overwhelmed.

These next few were taken right at a month old...she's looking at Steven in all of these. Of course he gets the biggest reactions...it was the same with Henry when he was itty bitty. No fair, but my time will come! :)

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The last wknd in June (6/27-29) Steven's family came in for a visit. They hadn't seen Annie since the hospital, so they were excited. Pizza at our house the first night.