Mamarazzi

Samantha had a photo shoot today compliments of her personal Mamarazzi.

Self portrait :)

What a beautiful girl!

Enjoying today

We are enjoying our day today. The kids are doing so great.

Carson is now the proud owner of a booster chair which he loves. He sits at the table like a big boy now! He was over the high chair and was yelling "out" after being in it for five minutes.

He is seriously diggin' his booster chair.

Here he is pictured during breakfast this morning, reading his Highlights High Five magazine....

All he is missing is his cup of coffee!

Samantha was busy being cute this morning. It's hard work you know!

Samantha is starting to lift her head up very well. She enjoys practicing sitting up, rolling over, and standing. She supports her weight in a stand better than Carson did at this age.

Every day spent with these kids is the best day ever!

Rough life

Someone's gotta sit on the couch with their Hawkeye snuggie!

Daily Dose of Cuteness

Samantha models one of her cute little outfits.

She was all dressed up today - why not?

Fingerpainting

Carson did some finger painting at his favorite picnic table with his best bud Chase yesterday.

He is quite the budding artist.

The wall in our backyard is entirely full of graffiti from this boy.

He goes bananas with his sidewalk chalk and everything is covered.

I love to watch him express his creativity, even if it means our house, grill, chimnea, and patio table are covered with artistry.

Carson says two to three new words every day - the latest is "Ready...Set....Go!"

Our little lady looked on from her papasan chair while the boys goofed in the backyard.

She weighs just over 13 lbs now and she is seriously the perfect baby.

She tracks Carson all over the room and smiles at him all the time - I can already tell how much she is going to look up to him.

She coos all day and loves to snuggle.

She is just perfectly sweet.

Carson goes back to gymnastics today. I signed him up last Friday. Our first class was semi-disastrous...Carson was all over the place....He wanted to jump on the trampoline when the class was on the beam....he wanted to swing on the rings when the class was doing the pit....Meanwhile you can imagine me chasing him all over the gym with Samantha in the Baby Bjorn.

It was more like a track meet for me.

But today is going to be better - there's nowhere to go but up! :)

Valentine's Day Princess

Samantha had a wonderful first Valentine's Day.

Her Valentines were Daddy and Carson and I think they are

the only boys that will be permitted to be her Valentine

until 2034.

Just talkin'

Here Samantha tells us all about it....

Go Lobos!

We went to see UNLV play New Mexico this week in basketball.

Coach Alford coaches the #15 UNM Lobos and he left us some great tickets for the game.

We had an amazing time with the Olivers, watching Coach's team take it to the house.

It was great to see Coach so happy and enjoying success with his new team.

Since Iowa basketball is having a rough season, we will be following those Lobos well into the NCAA tournament, I believe.

You can't leave these two alone!

I sprinted upstairs this morning to throw Samantha's dirty PJs in the wash (we will not discuss the poop blowout which caused her PJs to be dirty...really, I am traumatized)....and I came back to find Carson entertaining Samantha by pointing out her hands, eyes, ears, and nose....and by pointing them out, I mean he was sticking his fingers in all of these areas with the gentleness of a bull in a china shop....

I think he has realized that she is a person.

If he only knew that in not too many months from now, she will be all up in his business!

Think he likes it?

I got Carson his very first Happy Meal this week.

He was such a good boy while getting his hair cut - it was time for a treat.

Hmmm...did he love his Happy Meal?
I think that's a yes!

Sweet cheeks

Baby Samantha - pictured during tummy time.

What a sweet, sweet face!

Minding his own business....

Poor Carson.....just trying to make some Valentines for the family with stickers and construction paper....when someone comes along and mohawks his hair and attacks him with ladybug stickers. Se he fought back...Daddy nearly left the house with a ladybug sticker on his own face later in the night. SuperBowl watching in our house was never this fun!

All smiles

Samantha was all smiles yesterday. So out came the paparazzi...trying to capture every one!

She is Daddy's little girl!

Another fun week...

We had another fun week - Our friends Kathryn and her little girl Brooklyn came by on Thursday to see us and Carson and Samantha thoroughly enjoyed their visit.

Hope they come to see us again!

Below - Sam and Brookie

Carson touching Samantha's bottom...

I'm sure she's saying to herself..."Just wait big brother! Just wait until I can get you back!"

21 Months

Carson turned 21 Months old this past week.

Our monkey pictures don't work so well anymore, but that's OK!

Carson strung four words together for the first time this week...At the park when his ball rolled away, he said "Oh no! My ball!" So dramatic!

Carson has music class on Sundays and he is getting so much better in the class - when it first started, he was a little whiney and wanted to be held during the class....Now he is dancing in the middle of the circle, playing the tambourine, and high fiving the other parents.

He is also getting close to climbing out of his crib...not sure what we will do when that happens...

3 Months!

Sam will be three months old tomorrow!

She is such a smiley, sweet, perfect baby.

She is so special and we can't imagine life without her.

Bobbin' around town

Carson and Samantha love their BOB stroller.

We BOB around town all over the place.

Here are a couple of cute pics of them at the Springs Preserve last week.

Thanks Uncle Mike!

My Uncle Mike visited us in Vegas this weekend.

We had a fantastic time hanging out with him!

He is Carson's Godfather - they are two peas in a pod.

We enjoyed his visit so much and we hope he makes his trip to Vegas an annual thing.

Samantha enjoyed smiling at him for most of the weekend.

We did the park....

The Springs Preserve....

Where they played in the sandbox....


And then came home to watch Dora (Deeeeeeeeeee!)
I anticipate that Uncle Mike will be searching his local channels for some Dora viewing of his own in Chicago...




So nice to meet you Uncle Mike!

We also did Lucilles, BB Kings Blues Club, Table 10 at the Palazzo, Music Together class on Sunday, and countless park visits. It was a trip packed with fun.
Everyone should have an Uncle Mike. I am so glad that we do!