Arden Wren's Timeline

I haven't had much time to blog, especially from my laptop, as I'm sure you've noticed. But today I found a few minutes to update the blog with Arden's and Elle's timeline pictures. I take one weekly from week one through week six. Then monthly until their first birthday. Then fifteen and eighteen months. And then yearly on their birthdays. Some turn out better than others but by the end of the sessions I'm usually just thankful to have gotten one where they're not crying or blurring the image.

 One Week

 Two Weeks

 3 Weeks

 4 Weeks

 5 Weeks

 6 Weeks

2 Months

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

One of my beauties is finally starting to lose their hair. 

Hint- it's the one that won't roll their eyes if I attempt to put a bow on them. 

         Love these faces to pieces!

Smiles For Miles

      Arden started smiling today! I was watching for smiles because my first two started grinning about this time. But theirs were sweet little grins. Arden's is like a full on celebration! 

     She smiled twice at Audrey, then once at her Daddy. And then I think those two cheesed even bigger in response. Luckily I was able to grab my phone and snap a quick picture of this greatness. 

Snow White and a Blue Dog

This weekend we traveled a few hours south to Lafayette. I used to partner up at the gym with a guy from there so I knew it was Cajun country but that was about the extent of my knowledge of the place. But I quickly learned that buildings in Lafayette may be built with hurricanes in mind because Audrey pointed out, before Barker put the car in park, that the hotel was only 3 floors. Looking around we noticed everything was low to the ground. Hurricanes do more window damage to taller buildings because the wind is a bit faster higher up. She listened intently to what we were saying because she loves science but she still would have preferred to be in a hotel with 10 plus floors and indoor/outdoor pools. The girl has standards. 

After some soccer Hudson had a run in with a overly friendly dog. Hudson, unlike Audrey, loves dogs. But one showed up at the game without a leash and was very excited to see Hudson. It jumped on him, scratching him, knocking him down on the soggy ground and making him cry. I held him for a long time to stop the tears, while I was wearing Arden mind you, and he finally calmed down long enough to play a bit more and enjoy the beautiful Saturday afternoon. But then the dog came back and because I was wearing Arden I couldn't get Huddie off the ground in time to stop him from crying. The dog didn't scratch him this time but the damage was clearly done. Now thanks to people that don't put their dogs on leashes around small children I now have two little ones that don't want dogs close enough to touch them. Great. Luckily after the second episode Barker saw me holding a baby and a distraught preschooler and took Hud off my hands to convince him he was fine and the dog couldn't reach him. It was clearly time to get some dinner and relax. 

As we left Barker noticed that right on the corner of the street the soccer complex was located at, was a big, boring building with the words 'Animal Control' on it. Barker was like "Man that dog is really pressing it's luck this close to a pound." ha! 

So we went to the hotel to clean up and get out of muddy clothes (thanks to the dog) and went to dinner at a place called Prejean's. It was a win! It had a fun little shop, live Zydeco and really good food. Half of it I wasn't sure how to pronounce, it was that kind of good! 

In the gift shop area I found a book called Blanchette et les Sept Petits Cajuns, which means A Cajun Show White. 

Audrey was excited about her new book so Barker attempted to read it to them before bed that night in the hotel but the Olympics were on and the figure skater's outfits suddenly became far more important to her. She loves to design clothes. 

We finally turned the Olympics off and the two big kids crashed.

When we got up to feed Arden at 1 this is what we found, Hudson at the foot of the bed. He does this at home, too.

So Barker picked Muffin up and moved him up to the top of the bed by Audrey.

But this is how he chose to sleep. Sister makes a fine pillow.

So sweet how much they love each other.

I kept Audrey home from school one day last week and when it was time for Huddie to leave he went to her and told her to "Load up!" but she didn't budge. He told her again so we filled him in that she was staying home with Mommy. He got so upset that she wasn't going to school with him. He actually had little tears in his eyes over leaving her just once. And if he gets up before her he wraps his arms around her in the biggest hug when she finally wanders into my room. He just adores her.

He also likes to tease me so when I got up at 8 to wash my hands after changing Arden's diaper he stole my spot on the bed I had slept in and thought he was just too funny. Arden had either wiggled and wormed her way right up next to her daddy or Hud had put her there. I'm not sure. But I had laid her in the middle on her back instead of in her crib and the next thing I know it's a community bed.

Arden hanging out with her Daddy

For brunch Sunday I wanted to try out the Blue Dog Cafe. Audrey thought it was neat because she has a George Rodrigue Blue Dog app on her ipad. 

Hudson thought it was a great idea because they gave out blue balloons.

Which he promptly turned into a weapon and tried to eat. I think both kids ate more at brunch than Barker and myself. It was delish! Def one of those places we'll visit again. Plus, another live band! This one played When I'm 64 (it was 50 years to the day from the Beatles iconic Ed Sullivan appearance) and my little Beatle-maniac stared at the banjo, double bass and violin most of the time we were there. 

Another mini memory making excursion in the books.

Victory is Mine

    I'm not often the kind to toot my own horn but tonight I, by myself, in the dark and drizzle, took all 3 kids to dinner at Chick-fil-A, the busiest place on Earth, the one on Youree no less, for cupcake decorating night, and then made it back home with all three of them unharmed. {insert slow clap here} 

    It's not that I was too lazy to make dinner, although that does sound like me. No, you see my children love decorating cupcakes like I love a steaming hot shower free of interruptions by preschoolers, the little Sonic type ice in my drink (because it never seems to attack my face), Barker's squinty eyed smile, the smell of freshly Xeroxed paper or catching a Dave Matthews song from the very beginning on the radio. In other words, it's one of their favorite things in the world. So even though Barker was working until 7:30, and it was rainy, cold, and I'm outnumbered, I took my minions to the dreaded chicken place. The one who's parking lot is like a game of Frogger. And it was worth every germ we came in contact with. They had a blast playing, eating, winning prizes and decorating the hell out of those cupcakes. 

Check out my cake bosses...

 Big A's flower

(She came up with this idea alone. I wouldn't have made it back to our table with the chocolate chips, much less come up with the idea to use them and a yellow m&m stolen from brother to make a flower)

 Boom. 

    Parenting 3. That's how it's done. 

    Now I have to go bathe all 3. If you're Catholic, please light a candle for me now. 

Raise Your Hand if You're Growing Up Too Fast

Hudson had his first Soccer Shots class recently. 

It went really well. He's so coordinated on a field. I wish he didn't trip over his own feet in the house so often. 

And Audrey starts spring soccer March 1st. She's on the South Shreveport Strikers. It's her first outdoor soccer team.

Goodbye lazy Saturday mornings in pajamas with scrambled eggs and toast. Hello gloves by 8am and scorching hot chocolate. 

Too Cool for School

Now that Hudson is 2 we figured it was time I suck it up and let him start school. Audrey started at 2 years old but for some reason I was just NOT ready to share Hudson yet. But he so badly wants to go and cries when we have to walk Audrey to her room and he isn't able to stay. So I allowed it. It's only a few hours 2 days a week but I miss him dearly when he's gone. I don't think the feeling is mutual. Day one he walked right into his room, sat down at a table and started working a puzzle. The teacher took his coat off and he never looked up from the puzzle. No tears like other kids. No hug. No bye mom. Just acted as if he'd always gone to school. I'm sure next week he'll ask me to drop him off a block away. He used to get upset when we'd drop him in the church nursery but after being there 5 days in a row for 3 hours at a time while I volunteered at VBS last summer, he's now excited to go. And school was no different. He did just great!
I on the other hand- lost it. I bawled like a baby. I'm not ready for my babies to grow up and leave me. It ripped my heart out to let him go but I have to do what's best for him, not what I want, because that's the job of a mother. 
So to celebrate I had a shirt made for him, like John Belushi's Animal House character. ha! I'm sure hardly anyone would get the joke these days but Barker  (due to his frat daddy past) and I thought it was funny. 

But no animal house like behaviour here. His teachers said he is a model student and they wish they had a whole class room just like him. If I heard most other parents make such a remark I'd likely roll my eyes but I must admit, he's just the greatest gift. So far no sign of terrible twos in sight. But- I've heard many people say three is when it gets tough so his teachers next year may have a different story to tell. 

A Hunting We Will Go

This deer season Barker figured Hudson was big enough to go hunting with him. He'd text me the occasional picture or video to let me know they were ok on their boys only trip. 

(Sorry about the terrible iPhone pics. Barker is many things but a photographer isn't one of them.)

I won't post any pics of the many deer they got but I'm glad they were able to bring home plenty of meat. Our freezer went out so we had to restock it. They had a blast and the red neck in me thinks Hudson's adorable in his Carhartt coveralls. : ) 

But Audrey and I were glad to have them home. It was way too quiet here that week. 

Although the house had never been cleaner.

Not A Bad Gig

     Sometimes it's cold and rainy and I just want to hide under the covers and not do any work. But then Hud Muffin brings his iPad and curls up next to me and suddenly the view from my 'office' is quite nice ; )

Love my 'job'

Stock Show

Last week I made a quick trip to the homeland. It wasn't for the happiest of reasons but I decided to make lemonade out of lemons. My first stop in Texas was to deliver my maternity clothes to my beloved Jeannie.  Then I swung by her brother's house to see him and his very patient wife...

 They only make boys. I think this is the first time Ray has seen a girl.

 My kids loved getting to play with their faux cousins. 

And on my way back home from Texas we found a few hours to make the Fort Worth Stock Show. I thought this would be the first year we'd have to miss it. But we made it just long enough to do a little shopping, indulge in corn dogs and lemonade...

And ride a bunch of rides...

 I'm still not sure what Hud was attempting here. He just leaned against my face like he was too tired to support his own weight anymore. 

Then after walking and riding all those rides the kids were hungry, again, so we stopped by Jo's because I had to drop off things there as well.

 Adam and Hud played games as boys do and Huddie got to check out all of his fireman gear.

And then we grabbed a quick dinner before heading back home. Whew!

Joy To The World

On Christmas eve, after we returned home from the hospital with Arden, Barker ran to the grocery store while I quickly changed the big kids into their Christmas attire.

Sadly I did not have the time to fix their hair. Yikes!

When he got home from the store he took them to the Christmas Eve candlelight service at church.

After church and Christmas dinner Audrey baked cookies (from premade store bought dough since I had been in the hospital) then the kids put out reindeer food and cookies and milk for Santa and his crew.

We put Arden's Baby's First Christmas ornament on the tree and watched Christmas movies like we do every Christmas Eve. 

This was an ornament Audrey made at school. We thought we had all of our Christmas decor here in LA but turns out we only had our main tree and a handful of Beatles ornaments that go on Audrey's tree. So I bought a few ornaments, kids stockings, and found a few hand made ornaments in our dining room, but this one Audrey made out of Popsicle sticks is my fav. I was bummed the nativity boxes didn't make the move. We have one that our last church gave us that is like action figures almost. The kids can play with them, move them, pose them, etc. I think they really would have enjoyed it this year.

It was a wonderful night, having my completed family warm in pajamas with full bellies under one roof, anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival.

(We may have also sampled a few of Santa's cookies ourselves.) 

The week before Christmas Barker took the kids to see a Santa. Not a North Park high quality Santa (that guy is incredible) but Hudson is too young to know the difference. 

He dislikes all Santas the same.

But Audrey knows the drill. She asked Santa for a scooter and a pogo stick. We tried to tell her pogo sticks were best left to 12 year olds but she wouldn't listen. And somehow Santa managed to find one. Audrey has of course... not used the pogo stick once. Sigh. We knew she wouldn't but I couldn't have her thinking she had been on the naughty list.

So Santa downed the cookies and milk and left the kids some of their favorite things...

Hudson is all about trains and construction equipment

Ha! The look on Audrey's face was greatness.

I'm not sure why she looked so surprised. Since half of our things are in storage I didn't go crazy this year for Christmas. I tried to stick to the whole 1 thing they need, 1 thing they want, 1 thing they read and 1 thing they wear idea. It didn't exactly work but it kept me fairly in check. For instance I only bought Audrey nightgowns. Ok, so I bought every one they had in her size but she loves the Disney princess nightgowns. And I bought maybe a dozen books. But as far as toys I really didn't go over board like I usually do, simply for lack of space in this old house.

Hudson had some epic bed head.

He was saying "Cool."

Arden mostly snuggled with her Daddy

and then they took a nap.

She's really good at getting her dad to sleep.

We were all looking pretty rough but I was just glad to be home.

Other Christmastime activities...

Riding a tractor like his Pop



Audrey was a wise man at school.

It really is the most beautiful church.

Someone from church emailed me this pic they took of Barker reading to Hudson at church on a Wednesday night. This kid looooooves his dad. He mimics how he stands, crosses his ankles on the ottoman, says "Hey Buddy!" when he walks into the room, kisses me and Arden on the forehead, just about everything he sees Daddy do. 
And I'd venture to say the girls are pretty crazy about him, too.

 Arden's first manicure

blow drying Audrey's hair on a cold night

Yep, he's pretty great.

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site is a big hit around here.

Gingerbread house construction

Audrey might have that engineering gene that is so dominant in my family.

We enjoyed many Christmas movies on the couch over hot chocolate.

 It was yet another Christmas for the record books. Next year should be interesting with Hudson and Arden having back to back birthdays a few days before Christmas. 

Oh and will someone please give my husband some ideas of new things to put on his Christmas list? Clearly he keeps asking for babies.