February 2012

 Getting ready for the Super Bowl party! Jonny worked for hours on his wings!  They were yummy!!

 We all got together at Keri's for the game--the Davis Family, Walkers, and Smiths.


 We took a trip to the local library for story hour one day and had lots of fun...but we decided to wait a few more months before we make this a habit.  Joy was a bit too young.  Jack loved it!!  (Sara Kate thought it was a bit too juvenile for her, but she was a good sport!!)




 
 

 I started reading a book to the kids and they all ran off.....it was very funny!! 


Jack loves dressing up like his daddy---he feels so big wearing his daddy's ties!

Sara Kate came over several times during the month for homeschooling--Aunt Ju Ju likes to teach Sara Kate one day a week so that Keri gets a break and Sara Kate has a fun recess with Jack.

 We had a few snow flurries one day in February, and Jack went out to try to eat all that he could catch in his mouth!  :)

Joy began to really enjoy her baths in February.  She even began crying when it was time to get out!!

Joy took her first steps in February!  Almost 16 months old!  She took her first steps in the same room Jack did--in the kitchen!  So fun!

Happy Valentine's Day!!  We had fun balloons, crazy straws, yummy candy and new books!

 Our Sonshine church group went to the local rest home and delivered Valentines to the residents.

 Not sure what this is from....but it is so cute!  :)

I love reading to Jack and he LOVES to be read to!  He is showing signs of some real reading readiness already!  (Not sure I'm ready for all that yet!!)

 In the middle of the month, we took a little trip to Kentucky to spend a few nights with Grandmother.  We knew she was sad and lonely after Grandpa Billy died, so we decided to go visit her and cheer her up a bit.  Joy was walking around everywhere with her walker, and took a few more steps on her own while we were there!  We had such a fun time reading books, going to McDonald's, playing games, and eating Grandmother's yummy cornbread.....! My mom and dad were on a vacation in Hawaii, so we spent all our time at Grandmother's house.

 Daddy was soooo happy when we came home!  He had missed all his babies!!!!!  And we had missed him!!!

January 2012

January began with a bang!  We decided we were going to wean Joy off the bottle and move to a sippy cup for every meal.  This did not go over well at all.  At all.  Not even a little.  I would have told you that my Joy was strong willed, but she displayed a will of  steel during the month of January when she went 15 DAYS without drinking any milk willingly.  She would throw her sippy cups, refuse her sippy cups, and just glare at her sippy cups while making the sign for "bottle." If she ever did pick up the cup to take a tiny drink, we would smile, clap, or say "yay," and that would cause her to slam the cup down and not dare pick it up again. (Needless to say, there were lots of opportunities for discipline during these weeks...)  We had to give her milk through medicine droppers, and through very soggy cereal and oatmeal.  We had to give her ice chips and fruit to prevent dehydration.  We talked to her doctor regularly for advice....because we didn't want to do the wrong thing.  She assured us we were doing the right thing, but she told us she HAD to get enough milk...but to not under ANY circumstance give her back her bottle.  At her 15 month check-up, she had lost a little weight, but she was very healthy otherwise.  She told us to be diligent, and so we planned for more battles.  The next morning when I gave Joy her sippy cup of milk, assuming she would reject it fully, she picked it up and drank as if she had been doing that for weeks.  She never fussed about it again.  Praise the Lord!!

We did have lots of fun playing with our new Christmas toys during January too!  Daddy even got in on the fun as we built with our Mag-neat-os! 

Lizzie, Sara Kate, Keri and Hugh came over and we had a fun little lunch on my birthday! (Lizzie was home sick from school.)

The most exciting thing we did on my birthday was to appear on the Dr. Drew Show!  Leigh Anne Tuohy's assistant called us and asked if we would do Leigh Anne a huge favor and appear on the Dr. Drew Show to be interviewed along with Leigh Anne.  It was very exciting, and we were all quite nervous.  After make-up and hair touch-ups, we went into the studio to do the live interview.  It was so fun, and the kids did GREAT!!!  It was quite a birthday experience!

Jack and Joy love getting into any box they can....here they are in a double-box boat!!  :)

Scrapfast 2011 was so fun and complete with four babies!!!  We missed having Mela.  We went back to our Japanese restaurant for lunch and started a new tradition of making a late-night doughnut run to get hot Krispy Creams!  Mmmmmmm!  Even the babies tagged along!

Here we are....!  Mmmmm!

Joy hates taking a bath, but on this day, she was particularly cuddly afterwards.  We took advantage of the moment!

Love this sweet baby!

Even Daddy got to share in the love!

My sweet babies love to read books, and this one is a favorite!!

Sadly, at the end of January, we said goodbye to Grandpa Billy.  We spent several days in Kentucky for the funeral.

Spending time with Grandmother is always so special!!

Me and my sweet Memouse!  :)  I sure do love my Grandmother!