Desti-stomach Viru-cation

Did ya get that?  If you guessed that we were dropping like flys, due to a stomach bug that we were passing around in Destin, then you guessed right :(  This post is going to spotlight the fun times of the trip, and even though it may look like everything is hunky dory, more than likely, in most of these pics, someone is in the condo, hovered over a toilet!  Now, back to the part about puking our guts out having the time of our lives...
Every summer, we (Papa, Kay Kay, Wes, Joy, Hayden, Henry, Aaron, Lindsey, Kenadie and now Berkley) enjoy our family trip to the beach!  Wes, Joy and company meet us in Destin, and we never can quite get enough of each other, never ready for the trip to be over, want them to move back to MS, etc, etc, etc...  While Wes and family were traveling 13'ish hours to get to Destin, we were peacefully taking our time and stopped for a little picnic along the way.  A smidge HOT, but seeings how we are a family of many traditions, we couldn't pass up the opportunity!

 And since we have decided that eating out is way over-rated when 4 kids and the hassle of "getting ready" is involved, we ate in every night!  The first night was chicken tetrazini, peas from dads garden, salad, and rolls with any assortment of home baked treats you could have wanted for dessert.  There is ONLY ONE good thing about getting the stomach virus while on vacation... ya know that additional pound or two that you typically bring home with you, well I can safely say that mine stayed at the beach, and I didn't have a choice :)   And, it's also safe to say that Aaron and I look nothing alike :)  See for yourself!  Well, we do both have eyes, a nose and teeth, but that's about it.

Henry was Papa's little right hand man :)

Time to go to the pool!  and a great way to pass time while we wait on our supper--boiled shrimp, corn and potatoes, garlic bread and another wide variety of sweets!

Berkley LOVED her first swimming experience!

This is the day that everyone started going downhill...

Enjoying her little tent on the beach!

Tonight's menu--fried catfish, fried shrimp, hush puppies and french fries.  This is where Kenadie gets sick :(  She's already in bed, poor baby doll dumplin :(  Please tell me I'm not the only one who uses nicknames like this :)???

Wes always gets mad when I post pics of him in his swimsuit on here...  I didn't think this one would bother him too bad :)  Now, I have probably upset him for zeroing in on him... oh well, too cute of a pic not to post!  I'll pay for it later :)   

She's just not quite 100% yet.  This little nap goes on for 3 hours!

Hello Hollywood!!!

A trip to the beach just wouldn't be complete without a photo shoot in coordinating clothes :)

Usually you are worried about having a fussy baby while trying to take pics, not the case this time.  How about a baby who was out passed her bedtime :)

Aaron held Berkley's sweet little head up in this one :)

Thanks Papa and Kay Kay for a wonderful trip to the beach, some parts of it a little more wonderful than others!   A great trip nonetheless :) and I know the kids won't ever remember that they got sick :)

I wouldn't have it any other way

I recently did a little experiment, if you will, because I am typically finding myself saying things like "I never seem to get anything done", or "I start 50 things, but never get back to any of it",or "Have I become lazy, what's the deal here?"  I thought I would record a few hours of our day, and boy am I glad I did!  It sure made me feel much better about my progress in our home, or the lack there of :)
I'll preface this post with the following:
1) If you have one child, this post is by no means intended to discourage you from having more children.
2) If you have two children, you know where I am coming from.
3) If you have three plus children, you will just laugh at me because your life is far more hectic than mine.

So, here is just a typical three hour span of our day.  I didn't record more than three hours, because every good mother knows that I really wasn't using my time wisely by doing this, but it sure gave me insight as to why not a whole lot gets done around here :)

7:00-  Kenadie is up, and ready to start her day!
        - Changed a dirty diaper
        - Put batteries in Kenadie's toy pig, upon her request
        - Disassembled Kenadie's candy basket from dance recital and threw away all trash
        - Checked email and blog and maybe spent three minutes on facebook, checking birthdays :)
        - Berkley is happily playing on floor mat

7:30- Berkley is not happy on mat anymore, so she needs to be held for a while
       - Berkley goes to bumbo
       - I empty ALL clothes from laundry basket and other surrounding areas that need to be put away
         onto my bed to fold
       - Kenadie wants to watch a show
       - Kenadie needs help putting on her jacket--not real sure why a jacket is needed?  I just go with it
         though because it will more than likely provide minutes of entertainment!
       - Take a little video footage of Berkley in bumbo because I haven't recorded her as much as I did
          Kenadie
       - Lily wants to go outside, come back in, go outside, come back in, go outside, come back in etc..
          and this goes on throughout the entire day!
       - Lily's food/water bowls are empty, I fill them
       - Kenadie remembers that she wants her Littlest Pets that are in the car

8:00- Berkley's sleepy--put down in cradle
       - Find Berkley's blankie
       - I'm hungry--cook some oatmeal
       - Kenadie's hungry--she wants my oatmeal
       - Cook myself more oatmeal
       - Watch/listen to Kenadie sing the "x" song
       - Get Kenadie milk to go with her oatmeal
       - Get Kenadie's vitamin and rinse out milk jug to be recycled

8:30- Lindsey finally eats oatmeal she cooked a while back, it's cold, needs reheating
       - Lily wants back in...
       - Hoping to get to fold clothes for 20 minutes before Berkley needs bottle
       - Respond to bbm
       - Fix Berkley's bottle for 9:00
       - Kenadie wants me to come see her oatmeal
       - Lily wants out again...
       - Watch Kenadie's silly face
       - Haven't folded any clothes yet, down to 13 minutes before Berkley's bottle
       - Maybe got to fold clothes for 7 minutes because Kenadie needed help fixing her bucket, she hurt
         her toe, Lily wanted back out and Kenadie wanted to show me something with her pets and then
         I had to do a "Mommy, you say Kenadie, how did you sleep last night?" Me:"Kenadie, how did
         you sleep last night?"  Kenadie: "Good, thank you!"

9:00- Give Berkley her bottle, and treat myself to a Say Yes To The Dress episode while she takes her
          bottle.  So, was it really a treat, or can we just say I was using my time wisely :)

9:30- I'm feeling sleepy :(
        - Berkley enjoying herself in the swing
        - Going back to car to look for more pets that are apparently missing

9:35- Back to folding clothes

9:40- Playing with Kenadie in playroom
       - Berkley no longer happy in swing

9:45- Back to folding
       - Realizing I need to wash bottles
       - Change diaper
       - Helped Kenadie in bathroom

10:07- Berkley goes down for nap
         - Lindsey REALLY wants to update blog and believes she will :), but Kenadie distracted
          me, so instead I play with her and her pets :)

10:25- Back to starting blog
         - Washed bottles while uploading pics to blog, again, using time wisely :)
         - Tended to Kenadie while uploading pics :)

And this my friends, is why it would probably be a good idea to call before you just appear at my house :)  Did anyone notice that we are apparently still in our pajamas??? :)  Oh well... I know my girls will only be little for a short time, so in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy our nonproductive days spent together, because I'm pretty sure I have a good enough excuse :)

       

One Of A Kind

Patient, Loving, Selfless, Intelligent, Logical, Hard working, Handsome, Wise, Fun, Lover of all things sports... that's our Daddy for ya :)

Happy Father's Day!!!  We love you very much!

Days 135-162

I am pretty sure this is the longest I have ever gone without posting my "days" pics!   Here is what we have been up to lately...

Day 135,  So, maybe Berkley isn't staying where you put her these days :) 

Day 136,  This is what happens when Mommy doesn't put away her things...

Day 137, Happy 8th Anniversary! (May 17th)

Day 138

Day 139,  Kenadie gets her ears pierced!

Day 140, Where Berkley's hands stay during her wake hours :)

Day 141, This is what happens if Kenadie misses her nap... she falls asleep around 5:30, before dinner, and doesn't wake until 6:30 a.m.!!!

Day 142, Sunday morning, before church.  It's quite an accomplishment to leave our house at 8 a.m., but somehow, we do it :)

Day 143, Kenadie in her make-do boat, Bucky!  And yes, I promise, it is still early enough to be in our pajamas :)  We wake up going full blast at our house :)

Day 144, Drooly

Day 145, Lily in her element... being treated like she's human.

Day 146, Just big enough for the exersaucer

Day 147, On our way to North Carolina to see Wes, Joy, Hayden and Henry.  Everyone made the 13 hour trip so good!  Thanks to buying too much at Christmas, I had this Leapster hidden in my closet for just the right road trip.  Picture courtesy of my phone, hence the poor quality. 

Day 148, Today we spent the day in Wilmington.  Wes and Joy live in Kinston.  Also, Berkley is 4 months old today! 

Day 149, Best Friends :)

Day 150, Cousin fun :)

Day 151, We're home!

Day 152, Yes, as a matter of fact you can wash your couch :)  I had never done this before.  I first tested my experiment on an arm rest cover, and before I knew it, our entire house was smelling like Gain detergent :) Ahhh... cleanliness....  A BIG thanks to Joy for just casually mentioning that she washed hers :)  Please tell me I'm not the only person who had never done this before???  And, there's only one word for the water that was in my washing machine...GRODY!!!  I took a pic to show my mom, but wouldn't dare post it on here!  You would probably not be my friend anymore!

Day 153, About to go to our 4 month check-up!

Day 154, Berkley starts rice cereal... time, please slow down!  She did so good and she loved it!

Day 155,  I went to check on Kenadie before I went to bed, and this is how I found her :)  If she had been awake like this, she would have told me "I'm a little old lady" in her best "little old lady" voice.  It's her new thing, and it happens to be funny! 

Day 156, This little girl LOVES some corn on the cob, and it tastes even better when it comes from Papa's garden!

Day 157, Day one of Bible school!  I'm with the babies/ones for the 3rd year in a row :)  We enjoyed taking care of 12 sweet little ones for the week, and this was one of them :)

Day 158, I can finally get on the scale without totally cringing!  We are not best friends, nor will we ever be, but it sure does feel good to be 4 lbs. under pre Berkley :)

Day 159, Day 3 of Bible school, and I'm beginning to think Kenadie can't take a picture without striking some sort of pose...

Day 160, Happy Birthday to me!  I had a great birthday, spent with my family.  I felt honored that Aaron suggested he take the day off to celebrate my birthday :)   And, as if you can't tell, one little girl in this picture was about to find herself in trouble...  I soooo feel like my mother when I say this, but "All I asked for was a good picture of me and my two girls, smiling!"  Oh well...

Day 161, Celebrating my birthday with Papa and Kay Kay!

And if you are still with me... Day 162, This is what your laundry room may look like after a week of Bible school.  You can tell doing laundry was not tops on my priority list this week :)  Making up for it today!

Berkley at 4 months

Today, just you and I went to your 4 month check-up.  You did so good, and hardly cried after getting your shots.  One things for sure, now having had two children, I have come to realize how easy it is when I just have one of my two treasures with me :)  I suppose the more children you have, it will always be easier if you don't have everyone with you at the same time :) 

You are just growing, growing, growing, but not quite as fast as your sister!  Point of interest... I looked back in Kenadie's baby book, and at her 4 month check-up, she was already 2 5/8" longer than Berkley!  They started out with a 2" difference in their length.

Weight: 13 lbs. 9ozs.  (50th percentile)

Height: 24 5/8 inches (60th percentile)

Head Circumference: 15 5/8 inches (20th percentile)

As of today, you are taking  (6) 4 1/2 oz. bottles every 3 hours.  And as of tomorrow, I think we are going to try getting you on a 4 hour schedule.  In this past month, you have bumped your bedtime up to 6:30 pm and usually sleep until about 6:30 am.  We are still waking you around 10 pm for one last bottle, and then putting you right back down, but that is also something we are going to try to drop soon, possibly tonight :)  Lots of changes about to occur in regards to your schedule :) 

You are still super content, and hardly ever fuss.  You are rolling over from tummy to back, as well as back to tummy, and also grabbing at everything like crazy, my hair for one :)  You are very ticklish, and it is still super hard to get giggles from you.  I just love your big gummy smile I get every morning when you wake up!  One of my most favorite times of the day for sure!  You recently made your first trip to North Carolina to see Uncle Wes, Aunt Joy, Hayden and Henry.  It's a 13 hour trip, and you couldn't have done better!  You are still sleeping in the cradle in our bedroom at night.  I just like you right there beside me :)  I suppose when you start to sit up, the cradle days will be over, but for now, I'm enjoying it :)  You have started teething, and I'm afraid the "bibless" days have come to an end!  You keep your hands in your mouth ALL the time.

You are such a joy, and we love you very much!