February

This month turned out to have some of the coldest, warmest, and one of the windiest days this winter. No wonder everyone is sickly! Payce enjoyed the snow and also playing outside on warmer days. I think he is confused about the weather. On a couple of the warm days he has asked if it was going to snow. Who wouldn't be confused? We all got a little cabin fever in late January, early March when we had below freezing temperatures for several days in a row. I think we are ready for spring (minus the wind) and it's warm temperatures.

Mommy's little helper

Payce reading to Knox

We love our Uncle Craig visits

Riding a pony at a local circus

6 Months

Another month down and half a year to go. Six months doesn't sound so bad, but when I think of it as half a year, it makes me sad. Where does the time go? Knox is getting so big and mobile. He is all over the house in his walker, now making turns and getting stuck in places less often. He follows Payce from room to room. On the floor, he is rollling and manupulating himself in all directions. The blanket on the floor is becoming pointless because he usually ends up rolling off of it. Everything goes to the mouth now and he is working on cutting his top two teeth. He is still liking his cereal and we have now tried peas and carrots. He liked them both! Knox started the da da da babble and of course we chalked it up to "da da" as being his first work. He is also saying mama when he cries and will repeat us saying hi while he waves his arm. His favorite vocal thing to do is growl. I think he likes the way it sounds. One day I caught him looking in the mirror on my closet door, while in his walker, and growling at his reflection. It was too cute!

Unfortunately, this was the first month of major sickness. We went to Knox's well check and found out he had an ear infection. Three days later, Payce ended up with the flu and then Knox got it. Upon ending the flu, Payce got double ear infections and Knox's second ear got infected. It took a while to get over it all.

6 Month Stats:

Height- 27.9 (95%)

Weight- 20lbs 5oz (92%)

Head Circumference- 17 3/4in (95%)

Sick babies

January 2011

Knox cut his first two teeth this month! The lower right center tooth came in on the 15th and the lower left center one came in on the 31st. I already miss his toothless grin. We started rice cereal on the 17th and Knox loved it! He kept grabbing the spoon wanting more. Payce was excited that Knox could eat something from a spoon. He laughed and cheered for Knox as he ate.

Knox got a walker for Christmas and he has enjoyed every bit of it. It's like a new found freedom for him. He can creep forward in it and likes that he is upright and can see everything. His focus is usually on his big brother. Payce's new way to make Knox laugh is clapping. We are closer to the day that anything big brother does is funny.

Knox is sitting up on his own but is still a little off balanced. He can pretty much get to what he wants all around him by turning and reaching or rolling. He reaches for our drinks and can just about knock something out or your hand. He is still a very content and happy baby, man are we lucky!

Our little Paycer is growing so fast! He likes to imitate people, especially Zach, when playing. Recently, he was pretending to mow the grass with his huge dump truck. He chose a cap out of his closet that is the color of Zach's mowing hat, wore gloves like Zach does, and had his rope around the back of his head and over his ears. I asked him what the rope was for and he said "it's my ear things, I am listening to music on my i phone". Zach uses his phone with ear buds to listen to music when he mows. I am a little nervous that he pays such close attention! Our days are busy and full of building, hauling, puzzeling, and pottying. It's the good life!

Payce is doing awesome sleeping in his big boy bed all night. We have finally been able to do our bedtime routine of reading books and praying and then leaving him in bed to fall asleep on his own. He loves us to read to him and always has a book in mind that he wants read. He is developing his own opinions about things, especially when it comes to choosing his outfit for the day.

Payce, January 2009

Knox, January 2011

Vintage Meme

I miss my Meme often and think about her almost daily. Meme was a great cook and usually made her meals from the cook book in her head. Some of her famous recipes included chicken and dumplings, stew, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, peanut brittle and other Christmas candy, fried chicken, fried okra, corn bread, just to name a few. Did I mention she was a good cook? Notice I didn't say a health conscience cook. I think her goal was to fill the belly and put a smile on your face, and she did just that! I made chicken and dumplings the other night and used a recipe from a cook book. My cousin, Tyler, asked if I used my Meme's recipe. I was almost ashamed that I hadn't.

Over the last year I have tried to use some of the resources my Meme left behind to bring joy to myself and others. Meme was very talented with sewing/quilting. I don't think she ever had any formal lessons, but she was gifted indeed. I remember enjoying outfits she would make us when we were young, not enjoying them so much as a teen, and then enjoying them again when she would construct pieces I requested in my college years. She had a storage cabinet of fabric and other totes of it stashed in places. I share my Meme's love of fabric and sewing. I will not dare say I am equally as talented, but I value that I am similar to her in this way. I have been fortunate enough to take ownership of some of her fabric treasure and such. When I need a release or have a crafting itch, I usually put these materials to work.

My friend, Amy, inspired me to begin making hair accessories for a local boutique she works for. I began doing this last spring and continued until I had Knox. I haven't had the extra time lately to continue, but I enjoyed it so much. Out of Meme's huge can of old buttons and the addition of other vintage jewelry and buttons, I made bobby pins. I named my little project Vintage Meme.

I have used bits of her fabric in appliques on baby and kid t-shirts for my children and as gifts along the way. My favorite throw pillows are some I made from her fabric. Most recently, I made my special niece, Brynne, an apron completely out of Meme's old fabric.

My hope is that each treasure passed on from Meme's inspiring is cherished as much as I cherish the memories of this great woman.

You will be missed

How fortunate we are to have certain people in our lives, especially the special ones who leave marks on our souls. My Great Grandmother was enjoyed by this world for 97 years and 10 months. She is now being enjoyed in heaven. I will miss her gentleness and can't wait to see her again.

Grandmother with Payce, November 2008

Grandmother with Knox, November 2010

Tis the Season

December began with lots of preparation for Christmas. Of course, I was behind on everything and wished we had decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving. Maybe next year ;) Payce was excited about getting a tree and helped us pick this one out. It was perfect! We have enjoyed having a real tree the past two years. Zach's job is getting the lights on the tree. He is best at it. Payce and I decorated and Knox was our cheerleader.

Post has a yearly Christmas parade and our family had a float in it. Payce and a few of his cousins rode as reindeer/elves and Papaw was Santa. It was a very cold night but lots of fun!

We were lucky enough to have our sweet friend Savannah come visit from Austin. Savannah and I went to cosmetology school together and now she is pursuing her BSN through the Texas Tech school of nursing. We miss her already.

This is what it is like trying to get a picture of three handsome boys in front of a pretty Christmas tree. oh well...

We visited Vintage Township in hopes to see Santa. The information we had about Santa being present the day we went was a miss print. Oops. The kids had fun riding the carriage pulled by horses, though, and I snapped this cute picture of P and Brynne.

Baby's first Christmas!

Tyler gave us this little bike that one of Cari's former patients put together for Tyler. The man apparently recycles old bike parts to make working bikes of all sizes. This one is perfect for Payce now, and he has learned how to pedal. He never forgets his helmet and thinks his sunglasses are a must! Cute boy!!

Our good friends, the Brehmers, had a little Christmas get together for all of our families that are close. We stuffed ourselves and played hard! Payce built up the courage to ride the zip line with Zach. I think he wants one of his own now.

Christmas Eve we celebrated amongst the four of us. We opened gifts and then made cookies for Santa. Payce is quite the little cookie cutter. He wasn't sure about leaving Santa cookies and milk but when he saw it gone the next morning, he was surprised.

Our sweet babes in their Christmas pj's.

Christmas morning

I didn't get a good shot of them with their loot, but Santa was GOOD!

Proud Papa

Can someone please take over the picture taking?!! I failed at getting pictures of the kids with grandparents at Christmas. Urgh, what was I thinking? Sorry Nana and Papa and Bmaw and PopPop.