2 months old

It is hard to believe our baby girl is 2 months old already! Addy Jolee or baby is what Clayton calls her, my nickname for her is sister and daddy calls her Addy Jo. What a joy she is to our family. Her personality is already shining through. She loves to be held and bounced on the excercise ball. She is very much a cuddler and likes to sleep in her daddy and mommy's arms. At Clayton's naptime we all lay down in his bed together for a rest. She is sleeping 5 hours at night and then wakes up every 3 hours. She is a bit of a drama queen already! If things aren't going her way; she lets you know it. She loves her big brother. He is great at keeping her entertained. She is smiling lots and starting to coo. Her and brother seem to have their own language they talk to each other in. (3 weeks old)
(4 weeks)

(4 weeks)

(6 weeks)

(7 weeks)

(2 months)

A Baseball Party!

Clayton wanted a baseball party this year. He got quite hooked I guess after getting to go to 3 games this summer. I had fun coming up with ideas and making stuff for the party.

Yesterday we had Clayton's party at our house. It rained early morning and was only going to be a high of 60 so we weren't sure we would be outside, but by 10:00 there was a little glimpse of sun and the rain had stopped so we went ahead with our outside party plans. Brody made a baseball field in the backyard and we rented a bounce house for the kiddos. Clayton had 9 of his friends show up for his party. His Aunt Teresa, Joni, cousin Logan and his Pappa also came for the weekend. He had such a great time!

I decided to once again make the cake this year. I got some ideas off the internet and made a baseball field with a ball in the middle. I used crushed graham crackers for the dirt and found that Wilton sold the baseball player set at Michael's. Just like last year I used Wilton's buttercream frosting recipe. I forgot how good this frosting recipe is! It doesn't leave a greasy feeling in your mouth like some.

My boy is turning 3!

3 years ago on the 19th my little man was born! He has captured my heart just like his daddy. He is all boy through and through. I can just picture his daddy as a child being just like him. He has grown so much in so many ways this year! He can ride his big bike the neighbor boys passed on to him. Last year he could barely reach the peddles.

We took Clayton to see the Omaha Royals this summer and to a College World Series game. He loves baseball! He has to play just like the players; with a REAL ball, bat, helmet and on a baseball field. We have a baseball field in our subdivision that we often take him to play on.
Brody pitches the ball to him and he hits it 3 out of 4 times. I love his little saying, "Keep your ball on your eye."

He is having a baseball birthday party on Saturday with a baseball cake and a homemade field in our back yard.

We got a 4-wheeler from the neighbors a couple years ago and I remember thinking "I can't imagine him being big enough to ride it." He has figured out how to ride it now and zooms all over on it.

Clayton is so much like me. He already is organizing his colors. He picks out matching clothes to wear. He pays attention to much detail. If I changed one thing around in the house he would be the one to notice. He can say his ABCs, count to 10, he knows his colors and can recite "The Pledge of Allegiance".

He is such a great big brother! He is gentle with his sister and loves to hold her. If she is crying he tries to calm her down and some of the time she responds very well. He talks about "when she gets bigger" she can play catch with him and wrestle. I look forward to the bond these two will have. He is always so concerned about her. If she isn't right there with us, he wants to know where she is at.

He has such a sweet side to him. I love getting to lay with him at bedtime and talk about our day. He always says, "I love you so much". He expresses gratitude by saying, "thank you, thank you, thank you."

He isn't my baby anymore. Not because he is a big brother but because he is becoming so independent. We potty trained the end of June because he wanted to wear his big boy underwear. We went completely backwards when Addyson was born but now he is back to underwear with no accidents. He can dress himself, put his shoes on and brush his teeth and he is ready for the day!

He gave up his binkie too! Brody asked him if he wanted to trade his binkie for a baseball helmet. He had been asking for a helmet so he told him if he sent his binkie to the baseball helmet company, they would send him a helmet. So we packaged up his binkie and took it to the mailbox. In the mailbox was a letter from the baseball helmet company that said they left his helmet on the front porch. He was so excited, I wished I had a video camera to record the moment. The first night was a little rough without the binkie but after that he didn't even ask for it. I think it was a bit harder on mommy than it was him.

He loves to watch Curious George. He would probably watch it all day if we would let him. He is going to be him for Halloween and Daddy is going to be the Man in the Yellow Hat.

He loves to help his daddy. It is so cute to see him in his work boots out helping his daddy work. He got a tool set for his birthday and loves that he has tools just like dad. Him and daddy have special play time they call "wrestle run". Brody chases him around the kitchen and living room and then they wrestle in the living room.

We started music again this fall. He loves to sing and dance. I always have the silly songs stuck in my head because we have to listen to his music in the truck 24/7. I go to a women's bible group at our church on Wednesday and he looks forward to playing with his friends at the church. There is a young teenage boy that helps watch the kids during bible group and Clayton just loves him. It is so cute to see him run up to him and Jeremy picks him up.

Tomorrow he will start a preschool program through a church here in Papillion. It is called "Parents Day Out" For 2 1/2 hours on Fridays he will go and get to play with other kids. It is structured like preschool and has a thematic curriculum. They do bible story time and prayer, circle time, music, arts and crafts, outdoor play and have a snack. I have mixed feelings about putting him in right now but we are going to try it out. He has been asking to go to school so when I found this program I thought it would be a great intro to school and would give me a little break. As Addyson gets a little easier, I want to do more school type stuff at home.

It is so hard to believe my little boy is 3 now! He is so much fun! I just love my little guy.