Frank's 4th birthday party

This weekend we concluded Frank's birthday celebration week with his big party on Saturday morning.  I had planned a very low-key outdoor party with a bounce house, but the weather forecast (100% rain) cancelled those plans, so we had to come up with a new idea.  We decided to have the party primarily in the garage, so Frank and I did A LOT of cleaning and decorating to get ready.  We borrowed a  smaller bounce house from a friend and then had the kids do a snowflake painting craft.  They loved it!  I think the party turned out really well, and I know that Frankie had so much fun.  Bennett and a bunch of Frankie's friends from school came to help celebrate.  I am so thankful for the wonderful friends Frankie is making at White's Chapel.  

We served donuts, fruit, and muffins for breakfast, and we let the kids run wild in the garage.  They loved the bounce house, and Liliana loved it too!  During the party, Steve caught Frankie and a couple of his friends running into the dining room, grabbing his presents, and sneaking them upstairs to open them.  Frankie told me that his friends Sebastian and Bennett were the "lookouts."  He is SUCH a stinker!  After a couple of hours, the rain subsided so we opened the garage and let the kids play outside.  It was a wonderful morning. Nana and Papa and Grandma Helena and Grandpa Andy were in town to help celebrate Frankie's special day.  

We worked really hard to get the house ready for the party (and ready for visitors), and I was so happy when people commented on how warm our house seemed.  We are now completely unpacked, and all of our pictures and paintings are hung up on the walls.  It is finally starting to feel more like home.  

Here are some pictures from Frankie's party:

Frank is 4!

Oh boy, I cannot believe that my first baby is four years old!  Frankie is such an interesting kid.  He is smart, articulate, and strong-willed.  He is constantly negotiating.  He does not take "no" for an answer, especially when it is Mommy or Daddy saying it.  He frequently goes to bed without eating dinner, and he gives me absolute hell when I am home alone at night and have to put him to bed by myself.  But he is also so loving and thoughtful.  He adores his little sister, and he wants to be just like Mommy and Daddy.  He likes to play pretend, and he frequently dresses up in our clothes, including my sparkly high heels and purses.  He likes to shower with Daddy, "shave," style his hair, and use makeup.

We started his birthday celebration on Sunday after church.  We went to Mellow Mushroom for lunch and Frankie got a huge chocolate chip cookie sundae.  On Monday, he continued his birthday celebration at school where he had pumpkin bars with his class.  Monday night we were so excited to give him his presents--a big boy bike and a play dough set.  We gave him the bike first and his reaction was so bizarre.  Frank had the bike in the back of his tahoe, and we all went outside for him to do the big reveal.  Frankie looked at the bike, frowned, and ran inside the house without saying a word.  I ran after him and asked what was wrong.  He said, "I don't want a bike, I wanted play dough or something."  This is exactly why four year olds should never open presents at birthday parties in front of their guests.  We gave him his other gift, which was--ta da!--play dough, and he was then very happy and grateful for both the play dough and the bike.  I swear it is a waste of money to buy this kid expensive/big gifts though.  He is happiest "playing" with a tape measure, a mop, and a bucket!

At four, here are some of Frankie's favorites:

(1) Friends:  Bennett and Harper.  Harper is a little girl in his class at school, and Frank thinks she is a princess.
(2) TV shows:  Scooby Doo
(3) Food:  cheese pizza, english muffins, sandwiches, pumpkin bars, and candy
(4) Toys:  play doh, play kitchen, and loves to clean and use tools
(5) place to eat out:  chic fil a
(6) things to do:  clean, play outside, art

Frankie is still wearing pull ups at night, and he is really nowhere near being nighttime potty trained.  He hates going to bed.  He has really big feet, and he is still tall and skinny.  Most people say that he looks like me.  He is pretty shy and very well behaved in public or around other people, but when he is at home, he is headstrong, defiant, and full of energy.  My mom has been telling me for two years that kids start behaving better when they turn four, and I really hope she is right!  We have his big birthday party this weekend.  I originally planned a very low-key outdoor event, but the weather has its own ideas, so we are now moving the party inside.

Life and death

One of my best friend's 17-month-old baby girl passed away this week.  I cannot even begin to comprehend the loss, the grief, and the heartache that she and her family must be feeling.  It was not out of the blue; they knew that their daughter would have a long, hard fight for her life before she was even born.  But, still, hearing the news that she had died was gut-wrenching for me.  Jennifer and I were pregnant together, and Lily and Kennedy were born only a few weeks apart.  I cannot imagine life without my baby girl, and I am sure it is even harder for the Coopers, since Kennedy was their first and only child.  I attended the viewing and the funeral, and it was truly a beautiful tribute to Kennedy and her short, but powerful life.   But the experience was very emotionally draining.  Before the funeral officially started, Jennifer spent a few minutes at the front of the funeral home crying over Kennedy.  The image of a young mother--my friend--crying over her deceased baby girl is one that will haunt me for a long time.  The pain was evident on Jennifer's face, even from a distance.  My heart is breaking for her and her family.  I am so thankful that she has such an amazing support system of family and friends to help her and Mark during this time.  She is one strong, brave, and amazing mama.

I drove from Galveston to Dallas on Friday after the funeral, and I could not wait to wrap my arms around my sweet babies.  I told Frankie that I was going to visit "baby Kennedy" and her Mommy, and we said prayers for her every night since we learned of her passing.  I told him that Kennedy was an angel up in heaven, and he was with me when I first learned of her death and was crying, so I think he at least somewhat understands what happened.  Today, he was outside playing and he picked a couple of flowers and brought them to me inside.  He told me they were for baby Kennedy and her Mommy, and he said he wanted us to bring them to her.   My little boy can be so thoughtful and sensitive sometimes.  We will continue to pray for baby Kennedy and her family, and in the meantime, we will also try to remember how incredibly blessed and lucky we are to have two healthy, beautiful babies.

Halloween 2014 and pumpkin patch

This weekend was Halloween!  Frankie was so excited about Halloween, and I am pretty sure it is his favorite holiday.  He really enjoys being scared, loves to dress up, and adores everything spooky.  And of course, his absolute favorite part was the candy.  We spent all week decorating, pumpkin carving, and going to different fall festivals with his friends and at his school.

I had to work late on Halloween day (I think I work late every Halloween), so I rushed home, ate dinner, and got everyone dressed in a flash and we went to our neighborhood Halloween party to meet some of our new neighbors!  It was really nice, and I enjoyed meeting so many people.  However, Lily was not having any of it.  She hated her costume, and she cried pretty much from the moment we put it on until we got back home and took it off.  As a result, I only got a couple of pictures of the kids (boo!).   Frankie and Frank went trick or treating around the neighborhood, and he got a TON of candy!  We ran into one of Frankie's classmates who also lives in our neighborhood and his mom had rented a golf cart for their family group to get around the neighborhood.  Such a genius idea!  We may have to try that next year.

On Sunday we headed up to the huge pumpkin patch at the Arboretum with Auntie Allison, Rylie, and two other friends and their babies.  It was fun and the kids were really good for the first couple of hours, but then we started to have a few meltdowns and realized it was time to go home.  Lily cracked us all up as she toddled all over the arboretum holding a half-eaten piece of pizza in her hand!

Here are some pictures:

Cousin time!

We got to see baby Rylie a lot last week, between staying at Allison & Steve's house two nights during the week due to toxic paint fumes and going over there Saturday and Sunday to hang out while Frank was out of town.  She is getting so big, and she is so cute!  It is so crazy how big my kids, especially Lily, looks next to a little baby.  We tried to get a picture of all three of them, but Lily would not cooperate, so this is the best we could do.  Love being so close to my precious niece!

Liliana - 15 month stats

Last week I took Lily to the doctor for her 15-month check up (only a month late, ha).  She is still a petite little miss, but she is growing and developing right on track.  The doctor was very pleased with her walking progression, and she did not think she needs physical therapy (yay!).  Lily is 30 inches tall  (19th percentile) and 20 pounds ( 37th percentile).  The doctor was concerned about Lily's pattern of high fevers throughout the last few months, and we came up with a plan of action going forward, which I am happy about.  Although, of course, as soon as I took the time to go back and document all of her strange, symptomless fevers, they seem to have stopped.  She has not had one now in more than a month, which is the longest she has gone since before she had pneumonia.  Hopefully, whatever was causing the fevers is gone, and she will be fever-free in the future!  Love this little lady.  She is really becoming a full-blown toddler.  She prefers not to be carried and not to be strapped in.  Diaper changes are a battle.  She climbs on everything, and she does not mind getting dirty one bit.  She communicates mostly by pointing, nodding, and grunting, although she does have about 10 or so words.  She eats with a spoon and fork, and she wants to drink out of a regular cup like a big girl.

Lily is walking!

Last Friday, I got home from work and I saw Liliana officially "walk" for the first time!  She took about 8 steps in a row towards me.  I am so proud of her!!!  She still mostly prefers to crawl, but now she will cruise from one piece of furniture to another, taking several steps in between.  I think she will figure it all out and be off and running soon enough.  She has been getting very frustrated and opinionated lately, and she really does not like it when you take a toy away or take her away from something she is enjoying playing with.  Her favorite things these days are:  sliding down slides like a big girl, climbing everything and frequently getting up on top of something she cannot get down from; eating her food with a fork and spoon, reading books, and playing with her big brother.  She likes to get dirty, and she is tough.  She is still very tiny and dainty, but she has a huge heart and an infectious smile.