Who laughs when they get peed on? ME!

I decided I needed to write something on here. I always get on with the intention of writing but inevitably something comes up and I get distracted or I just can't think of anything to share. However, today I have something to share. I guess kids provide you with a wealth of things to share on a daily basis, especially as they get into the terrible twos, which maddox is thoroughly enjoying. Yesterday evening I was changing Maddox's diaper to get him ready for bed when I noticed him pause from his normal squirming. I looked at him and he got this huge grin on his face, started giggling, and then it hit me, literally...on the leg, on the arm, on my pants, on the carpet, all over him. He peed on me. He planned it out and thought it was hilarious and did it on purpose! I was so taken aback that I didn't know what to say and then I started laughing, but stopped that as soon as I realized I need to be a parent right now and tell him that is not appropriate, so I did, holding back the laughing, then turned my head and smiled and chuckled a litle bit and notice Jeff had turned his head and we also laughing. Why did I think it was funny that my kid peed on me? No idea. My only reasoning is that he is just so darn cute and he really did it to be funny. I think he gets his sense of humor from Jeff, although I have been known to seran wrap the toilet on April Fools.

Memorial Weekend

Over Memorial weekend we decided to go for a hike at a nearby nature sanctuary, Raven Run. Well, actually it was more of a leisurly fifteen minute stroll on the handicap sidewalk. But it was still a ton of fun! The company was great. The weather was scortching and humid. The bugs were in heaven and we were too!

Here is Maddox with his "BIG stick." The kids really had a great time collecting sticks and kept trying to find bigger ones than the last. Well, when William tried to pick up a log we quickly changed focus to Dairy Queen when we were done. Embree and me.

Don't be fooled by that back pack Jeff has on. There is nothing in it. Neither Maddox or Matthew wanted anything to do with it. They did a pretty good job wearing themselves out running.

And here is a random picture of Embree. Almost crawling!

Huge (and I mean HUGE) picture post

After quite a few months of no pictures I finally took the time to figure out our new camera and download three months worth of pictures. Here are the first two months...Yes, that means more to come later. The first is just a sneak peek at Embree and how she looked almost a month ago! Crazy how time flies. Here she is probably almost three months old and now she is four months old and going to have her first taste of rice cereal tomorrow!
My dad came to visit for a couple weeks. While he was here he bought Maddox this awesome bike that he loves. I couldn't believe it when he actually started pedaling away after a few minutes of instruction. I hate to admit it but I almost started crying...My baby is not a baby anymore! He can ride a bike! Poor Maddox. It is just a sign of things to come. I am going to be just like my mom, a cry baby, and I hated that she cried when I grew up. Now I will do it to my own kids! Oh well.Family picture before my dad left.
While my dad visited he bought some ice cream for us, a real treat, as you can tell from Maddox's reaction to it
Sorry this one is upside down, but you get the idea. Remind anyone of a Christmas Story?
What an awesome Daddy! All of them sick on the couch...
Here is an up close picture of Maddox after a couple days of a runny nose and wiping his nose on his sleeve. Yes, I am a bad mom I guess. Honestly I got tired of him crying every two seconds that I wiped his nose with a Kleenex so I let him use his sleeve and just changed his shirt several times a day. Life was a lot easier after that.
Maddox LOVES the camera. Here he is taking a picure of himself.
First play in the snow. He loves to make snowballs. The hat he is wearing belonged to my dad's Uncle Melvin, who passed away a couple years ago. It is fun to me that he loves this hat. I am glad too cuz it is the only one that will fit his giant head!
Just thought this pic was funny. When Maddox was a baby and was supposed to use the Bumbo he couldn't because his legs were too chunky and now it fits him just fine!
Maddox and Embree doing some tummy time.
Yummy! Cupcakes. Did I mention Maddox loves frosting? I think that is the second or third time he frosted the same cupcake.
When Jeff and I aren't busy being super duper cool parents, we do super duper cool things, like build this block tower out of Maddox's blocks. This is Jeff's Friday night creation!
Aren't they both so cute?
Along with Maddox's favorite color being pink, he also loves to have tea parties, which have actually turned out to be a great opportunity to teach table manners and how to set a table.
This one is funny. Recently Maddox has fell in love with sprinkles. One time I suggested he put sprinkles on a pancake and now he wants to eat all his food with sprinkles. He even wants to sleep with them, which I will never let him do again. Note the half empty sprinkle bottle and the sprinkles glued to his head and hand. He was literally covered in sprinkles or sprinkle dye.
After a tea party he decided to use the utensils...all of them...to eat his lunch.
Embree's baby blessing
I love this picture. Maddox playing the piano with Grandma Bird.

Maddox Learns to Climb

Maddox finally learned how to climb! Well, I need to clarify...We showed him how. He loves it and really hasn't taken it any further than what you will see in the video, aside from climbing up on the table and dancing in front of the mirror from time to time.

Family Pics 2009

A friend of ours offered to take our pictures for Christmas and Embree's newborn pics as a birth present for us and they turned out wonderful! Here are my favorites, but there are more here.



Maddox was crying the entire time we took pics so this is literally the best one we could get of him, aside from him looking very meanly at the camera in the family pic. Sooo, no cute pics of him and Embree. Oh well. I almost think this is cuter. Terrible twos, you think?

Maddox Turns Two (a month ago)

Here is Maddox with his baby...Frosty. He LOVES Frosty the Snowman and watches the movie everyday. My mom found this stuffed Frosty at the store and now it is his baby. It even plays the song "Frosty the Snowman."

And below is his other baby. Wherever Embree is, there is Maddox, right over her, kissing her, pointing at (or in) her eyes, trying to help her do tummy time and jumping all over her. It will be a miracle if she survives her babyhood without mishap.

Our little big boy turned two last month! Jeff and I, mainly Jeff, made Maddox a sun and moon cake because he LOVES the moon.
I think they turned out pretty good!

Finally, here they are!

In no particular order, here are some pics of Embree Beverlee Bird. The above is her just chillin' on the couch. She is NEVER awake. I can't get her to nurse longer than five minutes at a time. She just sleeps and sleeps and sleep! I have even tried getting her naked and a wet rag and she is just dead to the world...Definitely picked this up from Jeff.

Jeff's classmates often make fun of him for assuming the following position in class that Embree so gracefully imitates.
Maddox sharing his toys with Embree. This is the first morning after we brought her home. He even tried to get her to hold one of the ornaments in her hand.
Hanging out on the couch!

This is the first time he saw her. He wanted to share his blocks with her right away.
He was very distraught that she was upset in this picture.
Here are some hospital pics.

Right after delivery. The delivery went really smoothly. She was born on Black Friday, November 27th at 10:45 p.m. I had my first contraction while I was taking a nap that afternoon. By 6:00 p.m. we were on our way to the hospital. When we arrived I was dilated 6 cm, 100% effaced and at a 0 station. I was in pain! The contractions were about every 3-4 minutes. The doctor who checked me had the nerve to say, "Just let me check you and we will see if you have progressed enough to stay here." Hello!?!?!? I can't even move or breathe and you are telling me you might send me home? Seriously, can't you tell the difference between people in real pain and labor and those who aren't? I wanted to give him a piece of my mind. Good thing I couldn't talk very well.

I kept asking for an epidural but they kept saying they had to draw my blood first and put in an IV and do some tests and paperwork. I kept telling Jeff to go find them and get me something. My the time they finally decided to admit me I was dilated to an 8 and she was at a -1 station with contractions every 2 minutes apart. Still in pain and still no one even concerned about that!

They finally did the epidural after I told them I thought I had to push and checked me to find that I was ready to go! Thanks a lot! Anyway, I am still glad I got the epidural cuz she was face up and so we sat and waited a couple hours for her and me to rest up and then she was born after about 20 minutes of pushing. WAY easier than Maddox's delivery, even though it was more painful.
Right before Embree was born. It being the holidays, I am so grateful to whoever invented epidurals. Amazing!