My baby graduated!!!

OK, so it was only Pre-K but still, a big day in our family.

It was a day filled with tears on my part. Crying because he was leaving the most wonderful Pre-K program I could have ever dreamed of. Crying as we said goodbye to his WONDERFUL teacher, Ms. Leslie. Crying because I was going to have to find some way to entertain my son for the next three months. Crying because I was losing my five hours of freedom every Monday thru Thursday. Crying because... well, I digress.

But seriously, I am having angst because this school was so wonderful, how will I ever find a school that could even remotely compare? I would love to put him in a private school but Kyle and I have a hard time justifying the money we'd have to spend to send him to private school just for Kindergarten. If he was starting middle school or high school, the choice would be much easier but being that it's only his first year, what would it hurt having him in a public school for this year? We can always move him to a private school if we don't like the public school system, right? Has anyone else struggled with this decision? If so, what helped you make the decision you did?

Anyway, back to the graduation.. Gatlin got to wear a cap and gown and then they had a sweet ceremony in the chapel. They sang several songs and the teachers all spoke about the fun things they did all year and about how wonderful the kids were. (Insert me crying here). Then, they called each child down one at a time, gave them a certificate and a Bible and told everyone what each child said they wanted to be when they grow up. Here's what Gatlin said...


(Insert more tears here)

We finished up graduation with a traditional hot dog lunch in the gymnasium and then, just like that, my son was a Pre-K graduate and on his way to Kindergarten.

Gatlin's class

Gatlin and his precious teacher, Ms. Leslie

Gatlin and his buddy, Ryan

Can anyone tell me what happened to my little sweet boy who couldn't hold his head up, drooled everywhere, and needed 6-8 naps a day?
Congratulations, Gatlin. You have learned so much and I can't wait to spend the next three months with you doing who knows what; haven't figured that out yet..

Seven months old?!?!?!?

I'm tearing up just typing that title! Where has the time gone? I am blown away that my sweet newborn is now seven months old. I decided to take her pictures outside this month in this gorgeous weather we're having (finally!). She had her six month vaccinations yesterday (I know, late) so I didn't get many smiles out of her but enjoyed just taking pictures of the many faces of Gracyn.

Please ignore her crazy nap hair ;)







Sitting up on her own!!

Daddy was working in the backyard and decided to get in on a few pictures..


I think she's saying "enough already"!

Next, it was my turn..



Then Gracyn decided to get in on the photography action and took a collection of shots that she'd like to call
"A Beautiful Perspective"





Happy seven month birthday, sweet one. We love you more than you will ever know. Father Time, you are very cruel!

I wonder...

If you find your child like this after swaddling her mid section to stabilize her, is it time to stop using the swing? :)

Spring is in the air!

Like any good Texan mom, I took advantage of this beautiful spring and took pictures of my children in the bluebonnets. It took two separate trips to some far away places to get some good shots of each child. Sure, there were patches of bluebonnets all around San Antonio but my mom and I thought it would be good to drive south an hour or so to a little town called Poteet where we heard the flowers would be amazing. Well, they were OK and by the time we got to a good patch, Gracyn was exhausted and would have nothing to do with any of it! So I got some good ones of Gatlin and decided to try again another day. Flash forward to three weeks later and the panic that set in thinking I may have missed the opportunity to get Gracyn's pictures in the bluebonnets during her first spring on this earth. So, my mom and I set off again in search of the perfect field. This time we headed north an hour or so to a 'scenic loop'. Lo and behold, we found a gorgeous strip of bluebonnets worthy of the perfect pictures I had envisioned. I got some great shots of Gracyn but never really got the "money shot" with both children. I can't blame it on the children or the flowers, this one was all me and my lack of photography skills. I decided on the way home that I'd like to take a photography class and that I need a better camera. Yes, a better camera. Perhaps a digital SLR camera (not that I really know what that is, I just heard it's great). That will make my bluebonnet pictures perfect and make up for my lack of skills... hint, hint, Kyle! :)

Day one.. the best shot of the day


Day two, much better field and much happier Gracyn!


Best shot of the two kids.. good of Gatlin but Gracyn's examining her adorable baby toes!

And last, but definitely not least...

Four year old conversation

Today, Kyle dropped Gatlin off at school. As he was signing him in, this is the conversation he overheard between Gatlin and a little girl in his class....

Little girl: My dad is on a trip.
Gatlin: My dad went into the woods and shot a pig.
Little girl: I like pig. I've eaten pig before.

You just can't make this stuff up!

Everything is exciting and new to a five month old!

Gracyn is really beginning to enjoy this wide world around her. I love to watch her discover and experience things she's never seen or touched before. Her favorite thing to look at is still our faces (which I love more than anything) and she is always trying to touch our faces and bring them close to her. She used to suck on our noses but now she gums them HARD, which means my sweet baby girl will be cutting teeth soon, I'm afraid. I love her gummy smile and will miss that so much when her baby teeth poke through.

A few weeks back, we decided it was time for Gracyn's introduction to the new exersaucer. I was at the store when Kyle put it together and when he called me to tell me she was playing in it, I was a little sad to be missing it. I told him to grab a camera and get a picture. All he had was his iPhone so, excuse the picture quality...

Her other latest discovery is her feet. She found them one night while sitting in her bumbo and now she tries to get them in her mouth at every possible moment. Our personal favorite is when she plays with them on the changing table. Unfortunately for you, it is cutest when she's a naked baby, but I am not about to post a picture of her like that! So, I took a couple of her with her diaper on. Not as cute, but still pretty cute.

Busted! Who me?

You would think we were first time parents, wouldn't you? But, we are last time parents, which I think may be even worse. I found myself wishing for each new stage to come with Gatlin like rolling, crawling, and walking. Now, I find myself wishing that each day would be like the last and that Gracyn would stay at just this stage in life forever. She is more fun than should be legally allowed and I am trying to cherish every moment because tomorrow, she'll be bigger than today and a little less baby.

The incredible egg...

So, Gatlin has been learning about dinosaurs lately and has become completely immersed in them. He tells me all about the meat-eaters and plant-eaters and even uses words like "omnivore"! Pretty snazzy, right?

Since he has found a new passion, my mom decided to get Gatlin a dinosaur egg where the dinosaur actually hatches. As soon as Gatlin opened it, he begged me to put it in the water so he could watch it hatch. I think he thought it would instantaneously become a dinosaur so I had to explain to him that it would take several days. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with how it actually "hatched". I expected the shell to just disintegrate, but it actually hatched out of the shell like a bird would! I decided to journal it's growth with pictures and now, I'm going to bore you share them with you!

Day 2
Because Day 1 was just an egg and I forgot to take a picture of it :)

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Finally hatched!
Gatlin named him "Rhino" (don't ask me why) and took him to school the next day to show all his friends. Now, Rhino is a member of the family, even playing board games with us. It's amazing how something so small can bring so much joy, isn't it?