APRIL

In April there was A LOT of puppy love going around! The kids were on spring break for a couple of weeks, so little Toby added a great element of entertainment for the kids. I have to admit that at about week 3 I was feeling quite overwhelmed with puppy duties. I had my moments where I thought "WOW, we let the Easter Bunny make a big mistake!" But you know what, we worked through it and I am happy to report that we are all in love with Toby! He has become SUCH a good dog. He has a great little personality, is amazing with the kiddos and is a very sweet pup! I am Very happy we let the Easter bunny bring him to our family. 

Carys started solids at 6 months. I thought that she was ready. She was staring at food, really wanting to get her hands on it. And she was starting to not sleep as well. So we got the baby food out, gave it a go, and then had a big let down. She would swallow one or two bites and then be done. For a few days I got her eating carrot baby food. And then she was over it. She would clench her jaw shut or use her tongue to forcefully push the spoon back out if you even tried to put it in her mouth. And then one day she was watching me eat a banana while I was holding her. I put it up to her mouth and she immediately went for it. So I broke off a small piece. She scarfed it up. She ended up eating 1/3 of my banana. And that is when I realized she was just like her older brother Kellen....she wanted Big people food. Non of this "baby food/pureed stuff"! She wanted to chew. It took her a bit to learn how to do it well, but now she is eating off of my plate all the time and eating just like one of the big kids. Silly girl.

Makenna lost her first tooth (well, naturally that is!) It was exciting to have a tooth fall out on its own. It had been wiggly for months and months. And then finally, during spring break it started to get really loose. I could tell it was ready to come out but Makenna was nervous about giving it a good pull. So I took a tissue, took a hold of it, told her I was just going to test it and then out it popped. She didn't even realize it until she saw the tooth in the tissue. It was so cute! And yes, the tooth fairy came and left a shiny gold coin. 

Papa came down to spend the day with us during break. We had a really fun day. We grabbed some pizza, went over to Santee lakes and played and ran around and had a blast at the park. Papa showed us how to do a good handstand on the grass. We tried flying his kite, but the wind wasn't strong enough. He showed us a special seed pod that falls from trees that when you throw it in the air it spins down gracefully. The kids loved it. It was a beautiful day!

As we were getting ready to leave the park Makenna was trying to show off and climb a big tree. Papa saw the opportunity, took off his tennis shoes and was up in the tree in a matter of minutes! If tree climbing is a hidden talent then it is certainly one of his!

Toby and Makenna have a good bond. She adores him and is a natural pet lover. Reminds me a lot of the way her mama was as a kid. I was always the one with a dog or cat in my bed growing up. And sure enough, Toby can often be found at the foot of Makenna's bed when I go to tuck everyone in before going to bed at night.

There are never too many trips to the zoo!

Then again, I practically live at a zoo. My crazy kids. LOVE This Picture! A good representation of my children!

Toby lovin'

Grammy and I took our annual trip up to Time Out For Women. It was a really great conference and a break I really needed. It's so important to take the time to strengthen and rejuvenate yourself. I really hope this is a tradition my mom and I can keep up for many years to come!

Carys at 6 months! Sitting great and cute as ever!

Carys started sitting on her own at the beginning of April. It makes Such a difference in their ability to self entertain once they can be vertical! I would say she was mighty proud herself as well!

Cuddling a sleeping baby....pretty much the closes to a piece of heaven you can find on earth.