First Girly Post!

Today I got to celebrate and focus on Parker and Payton.  Three very sweet ladies: Johnna, Kelli, and Kara, threw the sweetest baby shower to help celebrate the impending arrival of my baby girls.  They decorated Johnna's house in gray and pink ... and I got to take a lot of the decorations home to put in the girls's nursery!  

We received so many sweet gifts to help get us started on our journey as a family of 5!  I can't wait to meet these baby girls and put all this stuff to good use!

Name Banner in Nursery Colors

 Make Your Own Headband Station!

(The one thing I have repeatedly said I am the most excited about with the girls: HEADBANDS!)

More Flowers for the Headbands

 Yummy Food! Perfect After Lunch Snacks

 Delicious Sweetly Chic Cake by Miss Kara

More Decorations

(and a sonogram picture you can't see because of the flash) 

Twins' First Aggie Gear 

Starting the Brainwashing ... Even in the Womb!  

 Jordan Having Fun after a Long Weekend at Aunt Alli's House

Hannah and Her Party Dress!

 All The "Barrett" Girls ... The Two In My Tummy Included 

 Kara, Me, Kelli, Johnna

Sweet Hostesses

Thank you so much for making today so special for me and my growing family!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like ... Fall?

Fall has always meant back to school time for me.  Even though I love a break from he summer heat, I've never really enjoyed fall all that much.  Fall meant early mornings, no more sleeping in, homework, and as an adult, grading papers.  Now that I stay at home with Barrett, fall means better weather to play outside, cozy mornings by the fire, answering questions about why a leaf is red, and cuddle times with blankies.  It ALSO means anticipation of the holiday season!  (Which if you know me, you know I live for the holidays.)

This particular fall means capturing a last few months with my only child before he becomes a big brother.  One particular morning this week we spent some time in the kitchen making Pumpkin French Toast.  (Which, again, if you know me, you know I don't do mornings very well.  I usually throw some Cheerios in a bowl and make sure he's got a cup of milk to buy me some time to wake up completely.)

These pictures remind me of pictures of my mom and I making cinnamon rolls when I was about 2 years old.   I wish I had one of those pictures to post next to these :) His favorite part was probably using the Spiderman spatula I bought for Matt, but I didn't actually get a picture of that part!

Measuring the Pumpkin

He Likes to Stir with a Fork in a Circle

Eating at "Barrett's New Table"

"Big Boh-NAN-ah"

In the past week or so, Barrett has become even more of a chatter box.  We Facetimed with Gamma the other night, and she couldn't believe how much Barrett was trying to tell her.  He was so cute trying his best to tell her about his day and all the toys he was playing with.  Nana and Papa noticed the same thing when they were babysitting him the other night.  It's so fun to listen to him try to put more and more sentences together.  

Things I Typically Hear During the Day:

• "Mommy, What you doing?"
• "How doing Mommy/Daddy?'
• "I play with (insert given toy here)'
• "Mommy, what this?"
• "Mommy, who is?" (Who is this? ~ While pointing at a picture or a book)
• "This-ah Barrett's BIG boy bed!"
• "Daddy go work ... at hockey!" (Matt WISHES!)
• "Oh! Oh! I/Barrett go get it"
• "He wants bilk." (I want milk)
• "He wants a snack" (I want a snack)
• "Here ya go Mommy.  This is for you" (as he's handing me an object he really thinks I need)
• "Barrett put up cups!" (while he's helping me unload the dishwasher)
• "Wear tennis shoes/Toms" (and Lord help me if I make him wear the "wrong" shoes
• "I-ah go shopping at-ah ... Target" 
• "Butter sandwich.  And bilk.  And chicken nuggets!" (His request everyday for lunch. Butter sandwich = PB&J sandwich)
• 
  

And then there's the after nap cuddle time that I can't seem to get enough of.  This is how we spend a good portion of our afternoons before Matt gets home from work.  For some reason, I think it's hysterical when he laughs at a show he is watching.  Maybe because it doesn't happen often.

This particular afternoon is was cold and overcast, so we had the fire going and the house was dark.  It was the perfect setting for a snuggly afternoon, and then he got a case of the giggles!

 Such a Sweet Sound!

Halloween 2013

This Halloween was much different than any other Halloween we've had.  This is the first year Barrett can really eat candy, go Trick-or-Treating, and understand that he he dressing up in a costume. This is how we spent his first Halloween.  He was just DAYS old then!  And last year we got a little more adventurous, but he was still to little to Trick-or-Treat.  I can't believe how BIG my little monkey has gotten in the past year!

This year, we started the day by decorating a Mickey Mouse pumpkin. He loved it much more than I thought he would.  He ran around the house yelling "Mickey Punkin! Mickey Punkin!!!"

Happy Halloween Picture

Then we had some Pre-Trick-or-Treating fun with the Besancons. 

Jake (Neverland Pirate), Sully, and Boo

After a quick dinner, Hannah and Moses came over to Trick-or-Treat with us.  We had SO MUCH fun hitting the street with cousins.  

 My Little Pirate Eating Halloween Dinner

 Wolverine, Jake, and Rapunzel

Wait a Minute ... You Don't Belong In Neverland!

(this one just made me laugh!)

Off to Trick-Or-Treat!

Cousins.  So Cute! 

Turning 2 is Fun

Birthday Weekend started off with a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Birthday Party!  

Aunt Lindsey and Baby Jordan came to town to help celebrate:

Barrett LOVES Mickey, and he was so excited about all the decorations around the house:

"It's The Micky Mouse Clubhouse. Come Inside; It's Fun Inside"

Mickey Cups

Presents!

Hot Diggity Dog Treats

Just a Few Snacks

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Character Cupcakes

Thank You Kara Clayton for making such cute and yummy treats for us!

He was a little unsure what to think about all these people in his house:

Why Are All These People Here?

But he warmed up eventually!

Even Baby Jordan dressed up for the party!

Present Time:

AAAAANNND Cupcake time!

Watching Everybody Sing Happy Birthday 

(Hannah and Moses helped us out too!)

Sweet Cupcake Face

I Love This Picture

 Family Celebrating Little Man Turning 2

Nana and Gamma Love This Little Guy!

"We Did It!"

(one of Barrett's favorite phrases)

We've been talking about turning his crib into a "big boy" bed for a couple weeks now.  I took the bumpers out of his crib and he thought THAT was his big boy bed.  Maybe we should have stopped there ... Day 1 of the Big Boy Bed Experience consisted of Mommy laying on the floor next to him and finding him in the middle of the floor in the middle of the night.  It's a work in progress :)  We also found him playing with some of his new toys in his new bed.  So I think he likes it ... we just all have to get used to it!

 Big Boy Bed

On his actual birthday we started the dreary, cozy day with a special donut breakfast.  Today was different since Daddy didn't have to work, so we spent the morning exploring all of the new toys and presents we got!  Just a sweet family day celebrating our son. 

We love you little one.  During the past 2 years you have made our hearts grow in ways we never could have imagined.  We love watching you learn new things and grow, even though we wish we could keep you little forever.  You are definitely a precious gift that God has entrusted us with, and we can't imagine life without being your Mommy and Daddy.  Hope you have had a great birthday Little One.

Love, 

Mommy and Daddy

Almost 2!

I love how expressive Barrett is these days.  Yeah, it also means more tantrums and letting me know when he's frustrated. But it also brings lots of giggles and I love yous.  Yesterday he decided to give me a big hug out of the blue, turned his head toward my ear, and whispered "You best friend Mommy."  I would have sat on the floor hugging him forever if it meant I could freeze that moment in time!  

Every night when I leave his room while he's going to bed, the last words I hear as I walk out of the room are "I love you Mommy."  And every night I want to turn around and pick him back up and squish him with hugs. 

He talks a lot about the babies in mommys tummy. He loves to give the girls hugs and kisses. We keep talking about them and how he's going to be a big brother soon .... And I think he's going to be a great one!  And no doubt he'll love having a couple of permanent playmates.  

We also spend our day listening to Barrett narrate his activities:

"Oh! Oh!  Imma gonna get it!"

"Sit on knees" (at kitchen table)

"Up with Mommy/Daddy"

"Play go-gos"

"Help Mommy make-a dinner"

"NEEEEEWW DIAPER, Milk, Cheerios" (every morning when he wakes up)

"Hey Mommy/Daddy how doin?"

"How's going Mommy/Daddy?"

"Throw a ball!"

"Car is zooming!"

"Mommy/Daddy DRIVING!!!"

"Barrett clean it"

"Butter sandwich!" (Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich) 

But my most absolute favorite part of this stage is how he sings along to almost every song he hears on the radio (in addition to the age appropriate songs he songs around the house).  It makes me laugh every time:

After a quick visit from Gamma and Poppy ...

We spent the weekend in Dallas as a family of three to get one last adventure in before the twins are born AND to celebrate Barrett turning 2.

First stop was the Dallas World Aquarium:

And after a confusing ride from the hotel

on the DART, we took Barrett to his very first Stars game.  He really loved watching hockey WITH Daddy this time (instead of watching Daddy play). 

This was my view during the game:

  

The next morning we played a little piano, ate a late breakfast at a coffee shop, and headed to the Dallas Arboretum to visit the pumpkin patch:

We made it home on Sunday afternoon just in time for a much needed family nap time! 

Just a few more cute pictures from the last couple weeks I don't want to leave out. 

Showing Off His Independence

Usual Backseat Attire

Next Blog:  The Big Birthday Party!