Adventures of Sadie Belle and Cashion, too!

First day of Preschool 2011

2011-09-10T20:12:00.001-07:00

We were in the middle of Austin Fashion Week for the first day of school, so we got to take pictures at Bebe and Papa's house that morning. Cashion LOVES his backpack and lunchbox. Sadie is a pro at this point, but was still excited to get back to school. She is so bored at home most of the time. Cashion walked out onto the playground and didn't look back. His "Bumble Bee" class is led my Ms. Kendall and Ms. Ellen and they are downstairs next to the baby class. Cashion made fast friends with the only other little boy in the class, Parker (there are only 5 kids in the class on MWF). He eats all of his snack and lunch everyday and loves the tractor book, asking his teachers to read it over and over again. Being out on the playground is the best part, as far as Cash is concerned. They go out first thing in the morning so they can avoid the heat of the day.

Sadie is in Ms. Erin and Ms. Heyden's class, the Sunflower Class. They have so many great activities to do that Sadie doesn't have a chance to get bored. Art is always open and they have these great journals to write and decorate with pretty tape and things. This year they are given the option of having their snack or waiting until lunch, which I think is pretty cool that they are encouraged to keep track of things like "Am I hungry?" One of the main goals of this year is to make sure that they are emotionally ready for Kindergarten next year.

Cashions together

2011-09-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Cashion got to meet another Cashion! Jacob Hale Cashion, that is. My cousin, Hart, and his wife Jennifer live in Houston with their little baby boy, but we have gotten to visit with them a couple of times over the past couple of months. Jennifer has done quite a bit of family tree research on my mother's family, which has spawned some new interest in tracing our ancestry. Bebe even met a family member in Fredericksburg for the first time this summer due to these new discoveries.

Cashion at 18 months

2011-09-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm walking now!

My favorite book

I love my Sissy

Even if I pull her hair sometimes

I eat all by myself

Cashion has made some big changes from age 17 months to 19 months. He took his first timid step by 15 months, but didn't really walk until 17 months old. Now he walks everywhere and it looks strange when he drops down to crawling on the rare occasion. He can hold onto the wall and step down a step, but still falls down sometimes. He drags all his matchbox cars and other toys out and scatters them all over the floor and then proceeds to cry out as he steps on them while walking across the room. He has weeny little feet. He gets his feelings hurt and cries more than Sadie did at this age, but his tantrums have decreased now that he is getting more words. (He still pulls his sister's hair on occasion, even when he is not defending his possessions). He loves bubbles baths, balls, trucks, tractors, trains, matchbox cars, and his 100 first machines book. He likes to point to each one and have you name it. He repeats most of what we say now. At 19 months, these are some but not all of his words:

Mama, Dada, Sissy/Sadie, Papa, Bebe, Nana, Ball, Basketball, Football, Baseball, Bubble, Bath, Star, Bright, Tractor, Truck, Car-Car, Wee-ooh-wee-ooh (Siren of the Firetruck), More, Wawa (Water), Walk, Doggie, Animal Sounds: Moo, Quack, a snorting sound for a pig, Mow (Meow), Baa, Bock-Bock, Roar, Outside, Playground, Shoe, On/Off (both sound the same), Nino (Dino), Bock-bock (Backpack), Hat, Elbow, Banana, Cracker, Hot Dog, and Thank You.

One of the problems with being the 2nd child is that you have to watch whatever TV your older sibling likes. Therefore, Cashion has seen more Spongebob Squarepants than any one-year-old should. A few months ago, he said "Aye-aye" when he saw the pirate come on and now he says "Spongebob" and sings "Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh" at he beginning of the song. It is hilarious and mortifying all at the same time.

Cashion is a great eater. He ate an entire chicken soft taco with rice and beans at Maudie's last night. He even held the spoon correctly and got the beans to his mouth on his own!

Most of all, I enjoy that he is still a snuggler. He loves to sit and read books before bedtime. Then, he snuggles in for our lullaby and gives really good hugs and kisses. He even asks to kiss his Sissy goodnight. He really is a sweet little boy and I love that I can still cuddle with him even though he is getting so big.

Bath time

2011-09-10T19:20:00.001-07:00

Bath time may be Cashion's favorite thing in the world. He asked for it by name now, saying "bath" and "bubble" with glee! Sadie likes to take a bubble bath in the "big bath" too. Thankfully, she has gotten over getting splashed because it happens a lot.

July 4, 2011

2011-09-10T19:08:00.001-07:00

Cashion and his Papa have a special connection

Sadie and her Bebe

We spent July 4th at the Lake House and actually made it over to the festivities at Quail Point this year. The kids had a great time watching the parade, getting their faces painted, getting patriotric tattoos, stalking the balloon animal guy (who also juggled), eating popcorn and watermelon. It was a real small town celebration. Sadie also got to stay up late enough to watch the fireworks at Horseshoe Bay. She sang along to Katy Perry's "Firework" as she watched her first pyrotechnic display.

Swim lessons

2011-09-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

waiting for your turn is hard

We had a great experience at Nora Martin Swim School this year. Sadie made so much progress and Cashion was a fish right from the get-go. They use T-shirts over swimsuits to be able to safely hold onto the kids but allowing them to feel what it is like to be swimming independently. Sadie was initially timid about going under water, but by the end she was gliding under the water on her own. She was so proud. We got to practice her "flying fish" and "rainbows" at the Horseshoe Bay pool over July 4th. She didn't want to leave the water. We will definitely go back next year and I won't be surprised if both Sadie and Cashion are swimming independently next summer. And the kids get a personalized medal and a lollipop on the last day. What could be better than that?

Gramps in Austin

2011-09-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

Gramps had an extended stay in Austin over the summer due to some visa and passport issues. We were overjoyed to have him here so long, even if the reason was frustrating for him and the weather was consistently in the 100s. We got to check out his hotel room at the W, including the view of the skyline. He got to spend time with the kids at swim lessons, too.

It was really great for the kids (and us) to spend so much time with Gramps this summer. We miss Gramps and Mimi when they are way across the pond!

Sadie turns 4!

2011-07-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Inside the photo booth

The photo booth

Lemonade, Root Beer Floats and Ice Cream Sundaes:

Summertime Treats

Sadie had a 4th birthday to remember. She asked for a dress-up party and a strawberry cake with chocolate icing, which is exactly what she got. Daddy was able to get an airstream photo booth to document all the silliness. The kids were great and everyone had so much fun. It is going to be hard to beat this one.

Sadie's first dance recital

2011-07-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sadie showing off her eye shadow

They definitely had the cutest costumes of the bunch

Sadie and her teacher, Miss Trish

Sadie had her very first dance recital the day before her 4th birthday. She was so excited to wear her costume (and make-up) and show her family what she has been working on all year. They danced to "Little April Showers" from the movie Bambi. They had the cutest little white umbrellas that they twirled and hid behind. Sadie's favorite part of the dance was when she got to skip among the umbrellas. Dana was in for the weekend so she got to relive our days at Shirley McPhail School of Dance.

The girls watching a movie while they wait for their turn to dance. Remind me never to sign up to be a backstage mom. They get a raw deal...they have to wrangle all these bored little girls and keep them from messing up their costumes. They have to watch the dance from the wings while the rest of us relax in the theater.

Easter 2011

2011-07-09T20:18:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know, Easter was a long time ago, but I am doing my best here. He happened upon the Easter Bunny at the mall and Cashion was curious, but Sadie was not (you have heard this story before..."Santa").

We enjoyed another Easter Egg Hunt on the Capitol grounds and this year Granny got to come with us. The next day we went to church, had another egg hunt at Bebe and Papa's, discovered Easter basket surprises and had lunch with the Tingley clan. It is rare that we get everyone together for Easter like this and it was fun to spend the holiday with Baby Jack.

Sadie, Granny, Baby Jack and Jack

Sadie goes to San Diego

2011-06-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

We took a very special trip with just Sadie, her Daddy and I in April. Cashion got to stay with Bebe and Papa while the 3 of us explored San Diego. We went to the Zoo and had a backstage tour with Pam, who took us to meet some of the "animal ambassadors." The highlight for me (maybe more than Sadie) was getting a behind-the-scenes look at the koala habitat. They were making the most unusual howling sound, that you would never guess came from a koala. They had the males in different areas in the back, because they don't get along, and the females with their babies were out in the exhibit for zoo-goers to see. They grow over 300 kinds of eukalyptus for these little creatures because they all have different tastes. And the San Diego Zoo has the largest collection of koalas outside of Australia because they are able to grow the eukalyptus due to the temperate climate.

We saw tons of other animals...bears, flamingos, arangutans, pandas, a baby hippo and a baby giraffe. It was a really fun day. Sadie had her own camera to capture memories from her perspective.

She is really fun to travel with at this age. She does great on an airplane and can sleep in a regular bed (or pull out sofa, in this case.) She doesn't require special food and can make it through the day without needing to take a nap (although we took a couple of family naps, which was awesome!)

We had lots of treats, including cupcakes and Ghiradelli chocolate sundaes, which Daddy and I ended up eating most of. Sadie rode the little train that runs around Balboa Park and I got to walk around and take pictures of the lush gardens and beautiful architecture. The 3 of us toured antique ships on the harbor and Sadie got to pretend she was a pirate.

We went to Coronado Beach at the Coronado Hotel, which was beautiful and peaceful if a bit chilly. Sadie looked for shells and built sandcastles, which is right up there with her favorite things to do in the world. We took a drive up to the Safari Park, which is also operated by the San Diego Zoo, and has acres and acres of natural habitats with rhinos, giraffes, elephants and all sorts of wild animals. They had a butterfly garden exhibit, which was beautiful, but Sadie was a little apprehensive about the butterflies landing on her. This was understandable since her Daddy and I freaked out a little bit when a bird landed on each of us in the lorakeet habitat. We got out of there pretty quickly, to say the least. Sadie's favorite part of this park was the bubble show. What is it about bubbles and kids? We finished off our weekend with a trip to In-N-Out burger and it was as good as I remember it. Thanks to Bebe and Papa for keeping Cashion, who won't remember that he missed out on this trip but maybe someday we can make it up to him.

Cups

2011-04-30T19:26:00.001-07:00

At Cashion's 1-year-old check-up, Dr. Brown urged us to help him move from the bottle to a cup. Sadie started using a straw cup at 11 months, but like everything else the second time around, we were not as on the ball with this one. So, when he finally started holding his own sippy cup about a week after that appointment, we were thrilled. It seems like such a small thing, but we always held his bottle for him so this was quite an adjustment for Cashion.

Of course, it is even more fun to practice drinking from a cup while taking a bath in the kitchen sink!

Rodeo

2011-04-30T18:59:00.001-07:00

That is a llama!

We always try to make it out to Rodeo Austin when it is here around Spring Break. Sadie and her daddy are always very excited about the petting zoo, and they wanted to introduce Cashion to the experience. This year, Sadie was big enough and brave enough to have a pony ride. She

even tried a couple of carnival games and won a stuffed banana (her choice) by popping a balloon with a dart on her own.

Cashion's Winter "One"derland

2011-04-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

After the snow earlier in the week, Cashion's Winter "One"derland felt like a Spring day. We had a hot chocolate bar and S'mores around the fire pit in our short sleeves. He devoured the cupcake and was delighted to spend the afternoon with family and friends (ditto the rest of us).

Cashion is 1!

2011-04-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

It was really tough getting a good picture with the blocks this time...he was too quick!!

Our baby boy is 1 year old. How did this happen? It may have been the fastest year of my life, but it sure was fun. Can't wait to see how he continues to grow and change in his second year. Even though I still like to pretend that he is a baby, I know he is growing up. He can pull up, cruise on furniture, walk behind his push toy and say several words. His favorite is "book" which he usually requests with his own version of the sign and by saying "a book." Any piece of paper that is folded is considered a book to Cashion, including the tags on his stuffed animals. He is babbling all the time now and we are starting to realize that some of his sounds might actually be words that we weren't recognizing, like "all done" which sounds more like "a da." He says "mama", "daddy", "adie" (Sadie), "bee" (Bebe), "nana" (Nana or banana) and "papa" (which he usually whispers). His favorite books are "Where is Baby's Belly Button" (a gift from the Cord Blood Registry, funny enough) and "touch and feel Baby Animals" at our house; "Goodnight Moon" and "Pat the Bunny" at Bebe and Papa's house.

He still loves to sleep, God bless him. He prefers 2 naps per day and when he doesn't get them he usually makes it up by sleeping late in the morning (why can't he teach Sadie to sleep in?) This week after I picked him up from Sammy's House and he had missed his afternoon nap, he went to bed at 5:30pm, without dinner mind you because when we tried to feed him he cried for his bed. The amazing part is that he slept until 10am! I am not trying to rub this in to all my friends out there with babies who have difficulty sleeping through the night or who wake up super-early, I promise. But, this blog is going to help my poor memory later down the road and I know I will read this some day and think, "Are you kidding me?"

We love our big baby and don't want him to grow up too fast! Love you, Cashion. You are charming, sweet-tempered, and do everything with gusto.

It snowed a long time ago

2011-04-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged since January, mostly because I have been overwhelmed by the number of pictures we have taken since then and we have been battling one illness after another around here. But, hopefully we are past all that now that it is almost MAY!!

Throw in a home improvment project and it is pretty much madness. But, when it is in the 90s in April it is nice to remember the snow we had the day before Cashion's first birthday. He was less than pleased when I sat him down in it (we don't have snowsuits, ya know.) Sadie had fun building a mini snowman and having snowball fights with her daddy.

Aloha

2011-01-29T18:56:00.001-08:00

What can I say about Hawaii in January...amazing doesn't quite cut it. First of all, thanks to Bebe and Papa who made this trip happen. We wouldn't have these amazing adventures together without you. It is hard for me to explain how special it is to get to spend 10 days with my family, not to mention in such a beautiful setting. I got so spoiled getting to see Dana so much over this last month, between the snow storm delays and this trip. I love that she and Ian got to spend so much time with the kids, and I know they did too.

We got to see some whales, enjoy a visit with Anna who lives in Honolulu, eat banana frosties, shave ice and even had ice cream for dinner. We attended a luau, saw waterfalls, sunsets, geckos and lots of chickens. Sadie wanted to know if we could go swimming or to the beach everyday. Ian and Matt snorkeled off the beach at Princeville. Dana soaked up the rays. Mom and Dad relaxed even though they would tell you they aren't really "beach people." I tried to keep Cashion from eating too much sand. Sadie built sand "snowmen" after we saw a real snowman made out of snow from the peak of the mountain on the big island (another family's Christmas card photo this year). We ate amazing food at local places like Ceviche Dave's, thanks to Ian's research and passion for food. We enjoyed cocktails on the deck at the St. Regis overlooking Bali Hai and Hanalei Bay. The girls went for pedicures and a trip to the Lihue Walmart. The kids napped in the car in between sight-seeing stops. We tasted coffee in Kona and rum in Kauai. We drank Pina Coladas and Mai Tais. We tried local fruits from the farmer's market and fruit stands. Ian tried a couple of local dishes the rest of us stayed away from (moko loco and something about spam sushi?) We drove every full-size car in the class, including the Dodge Charger (that thing gotta hemi?) We bought aloha-wear for the kids, because it was just too cute to pass up. It was warm during the day and cool at night. Even the rainy days weren't too rainy. I have always loved traveling with my family, but it might be having my own children on these trips that really makes these moments feel so precious. I love you all so much it hurts.

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-29T18:42:00.001-08:00

Sadie was so excited to see her cousins this holiday. Stacy, Greg, Katelyn, Mason and Gracie came to Austin over New Years and it was so much fun. We stayed in and watched the ball drop in Time Square on TV. It was great. The kids (and adults) had a blast.

Big Girl Bike

2011-01-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

Sadie is doing great riding her bike with training wheels. I think it is actually easier than her tricycle for her since we don't have sidewalks or a patio with a smooth surface. She is steering and pedalling really well, now she just needs to learn how to slow down and stop! I love the helmet we got for her. It says "I love my brain" on the back. :)

Christmas 2010

2011-01-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Service

Sadie driving the "hay ride" at the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm

Our attempt at Santa pictures

It seems like years ago, but Christmas was a wonderful time for all of our family to spend time together. It was fun to watch Cashion experience his first Christmas and see how much more Sadie enjoys it each year that she grows older. She was excited to show her little brother all her favorite parts of the season, too. Though she still couldn't handle the Santa picture. She was excited about going and then wouldn't let go of me when she saw him. Oh well, we got one of Cashion screaming in Santa's lap, just like when his sister was little. Sadie did, however, like decorating the tree this year and wanted to know about each of the ornaments. Cashion loved the abundance of tissue paper to play with and tear up. This was the year that Sadie got her first big girl bike. This might have been a bigger moment for Matt and I than Sadie initially, but when she got to ride it for the first time she was pretty proud of herself. We loved having Dana, Bebe, Papa, Nana and Granny all at our house Christmas morning to have our traditional "pigs" (in a blanket) and cinnamon roll breakfast while opening the kids gifts. Then, we headed to Bebe and Papa's for the Tingley clan Christmas lunch. It is about as stress-free as a Christmas can be for me (thanks, Mom, for your tireless efforts).

Sadie says (part 2)...

2010-12-20T17:48:00.001-08:00

"That house is made out of logs, it is called a cabbage."
The next day:
Matt: "What is that log house called?"
Sadie: "a lettuce"

Sadie says...

2010-12-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

...the funniest, no grossest, stuff.

"Sometimes at bedtime I get hungry so I eat my earwax." (Seriously?)

Turkey Day

2010-12-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

Cashion enjoying the yummy turkey and stuffing

We had a lovely, quiet Thanksgiving Day at Bebe and Papa's house. Nana joined us and brought the Razzleberry pie (a crowd favorite!) We filled our bellies and then the kids (and I) couldn't fight the Turkilepsy. As usual, Mom, it was delicious.

Gramps and Mimi visit over Thanksgiving

2010-12-04T10:24:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed many yummy meals with Gramps and Mimi and her family throughout the week. Here we are at Pat's house (Wendy's mom) with their extended family. They are always so welcoming to us.

Wendy's sister, Erin, loved on Cashion and her kids, Avery and Ryan, were great playmates for Sadie.

Sadie with Mimi and Avery

Cashion at 9 months

2010-12-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

During Cashion's 9th month, he started cruising and he can lower himself to sitting from standing at the couch. He can pick up and eat Cheerios by himself and is liking solid food better than his bottle. He is quick with his smile and it is SO big. His first word was "Mama" (woohoo, I got one...Sadie said "Dada" first.) We think "Baba" is actually how he says "Daddy." He is waving "bye bye." He has 6 teeth (4 on top and 2 on bottom). Cashion can play on his own for a while now. He is so interested in toys and can turn the pages of a book that we are reading to him. He is in 12 month size clothes and weighs 21 pounds (70th percentile). Dr. Brown said that babies who start out as big as Cashion usually start to slow down on their growth about now and show their true position on the growth chart. His is 28.5 inches tall (50th percentile) and his head circumference is 46.5 cm (80th percentile.)

Cashion loves his friends and caregivers at Sammy's House where he spends 3 half days per week. But, for the first time he cried when I walked away from him a couple of weeks ago. He gets so excited to see me when I return that he quickly crawls over to me with a huge grin. He loves everything that his sister does. Sadie loves to give him hugs and kisses and teach him about things.

Halloween weekend with Dana and Ian

2010-12-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend with Dana and Ian. We just hung out, ate good food and played with the kids. Can't wait to see you both again soon!

Alice in Wonderland

2010-12-04T09:28:00.001-08:00

I finally convinced Sadie to choose a costume that I could manage by promising that we would all go as characters from Alice in Wonderland. So here we are...Alice, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. We enjoyed the neighborhood block party with Papa, Dana and Ian, but Bebe wasn't feeling well so she stayed home. Dana and Ian went trick-or-treating around the block with us. I am so glad we got to share our Halloween with them.

Sadie laid her loot out in rows on the couch to survey the goods. This is so her personality. Then she ate one piece and went to bed. She enjoyed a treat after dinner each night until she was ready to trade the rest in for Toy Story 3 (thanks, Nana). For weeks after Halloween, Sadie was talking about what her costume would be next year and having candy to give to her friends. Man she loves Halloween!

Fall Fun

2010-12-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

Sadie carved her pumpkin with her Daddy, but wasn't wild about the "goop" inside. She is really into all things holiday now. Each year she gets more and more excited about each holiday-related activity. It is so much fun to experience it with her.

She even got to wear her costume to dance class. Check out Miss Laurie (big bird) and Miss Trish (Elmo)!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

This photo of the kids cracks me up. It captures each of them so well.

Owen, Cashion, Sadie and Seville

We visited Sweet Berry Farm to pick out our pumpkins this year. We love picking strawberries there in the Spring, but this was our first Fall outing. It was fun but crazy busy! Tons of families there on a Saturday. There were lots of photo ops and we took advantage of a lot of them. We were hoping the cool morning temperatures would hold out, but it got hot fast. The kids dutifully posed while we snapped away, though maybe not quite enjoying it. The sun was really bright. But, mission accomplished: pumpkins - purchased, hayride - riden. We headed to Bluebonnet for lunch, which was lovely as always. In fact, so lovely that Sadie, Cashion, Matt and I returned for breakfast the following morning after spending the night at the lake house. We rounded off this fun Fall weekend with s'mores (sorry Cashion, you were to sleepy to roast marshmallows with us.)

Tangerine Dream

2010-10-28T14:29:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed another wonderful October weekend at the Tangerine Dreamhouse in Port Aransas with some dear friends this year. The number of kids doubled from last year, so it was busy and loads of fun with 6 kids. I love the weather this time of year down on Texas beaches and it is not busy at all. Cashion had his first experience with sand (not too tasty) and Sadie was a little bit braver about the waves (just a little bit.) She was really into sand castles and looking for shells, which was fun to watch. Cashion took lots of naps, so we only stayed at the beach for a little while at a time. I loved getting to spend so much time with our friends and their children. It is such a luxury to get to play all day and then put the kids down to bed, then still get to have a great meal and conversation with great friends. These days restaurants are so hectic with so many kids and we don't really even get to talk to each other before we have to leave to put the kids down, so I really appreciate this time together. I hope this will continue to be an annual event!

Cashion at 8 months

2010-10-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, this has been an amazing month of change! Cashion is now crawling all over the place and pulling up on the couch! He still falls backwards sometimes and bumps his head, but usually recovers pretty quickly with a hug and a kiss. He is really interested in toys. He bangs things together with both hands and still needs to "taste" everything. Speaking of tasting, he has learned to love food. He now eats 2 jars of baby food at one sitting. He eats quickly and without much mess, which is a huge change from last month. He still loves his bottle and likes to drink it facing away from you so he can rest on your chest. I started this when he didn't want to take a bottle from me initially, thinking it would be better if he couldn't see me and it has kind of stuck. He fusses everytime the bottle is finished. He drinks it so fast it hasn't had a chance to hit his belly yet! He uses one finger to poke and point at things. Cashion is starting to pick up the Graduates "puffs", but still has trouble getting them into his mouth since they tend to get stuck in his hand. We have moved him into a rear-facing toddler car seat since he has outgrown the infant seat. Cashion loves splashing around in the bath. He is such a water baby.

New York City

2010-09-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing trip to NYC to visit Dana and Ian. We covered a lot of territory by subway and on foot. No taxis here, except for the car service that provided the car seats. The stroller that Bebe found for us that held Cashion in front and Sadie in back (either sitting or standing) was great. I don't know how parents do it on their own in the city. There are many subway stations that only have stairs, so you have to somehow get the stroller and both kids down. Thankfully, we had at least 2 and sometimes 4 adults to maneuver ourselves and our stuff down the stairs. The first night, we wandered around Dana's neighborhood in Brooklyn. We met Dana and Ian back at her apartment where we narrowly missed the Brooklyn tornado. Seriously, there trees pulled out of the ground. Amazingly, we had beautiful weather the rest of the weekend. We headed out to Coney Island on Friday morning. It was pretty deserted, but fun to imagine what it used to be like. I loved all the kitchy painted signs and backdrop of the old carnival rides.

Then, we headed to Little Italy for the San Genarro Italian Festival where we met Ian on his lunch break. We were too full from our Nathan's Hot Dog to partake in the street food, but it looked delicious. Then, we shopped while Cashion napped in the stroller and Matt carried a sleepy Sadie on his back in the Ergo carrier. Next we went to the building where Dana works and met all of her work friends. They loved Sadie and gave her a lip gloss and a bag to carry it in. Then, we headed downstairs to FAO Schwartz where we saw everything from Barbies to Legos. Dana bought Sadie her very own personalized puzzle with her picture and Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog."

Saturday morning we had a delicious brunch at Rothschilds (which we had all to ourselves) and headed up the Bronx Zoo, where we took advantage of the free admission thanks to Dana's work who was having a corporate family day. It was huge, but we got to see the lion cubs and enjoy the lush, vegetation-lined paths. The kids fell asleep on the subway on the way home, so we grabbed a bite at Bark (gourmet hot dogs) and headed back to the apartment to watch the UT game.

Sunday morning we went to Chinatown to have Dim Sum at the Golden Unicorn (along with about 100 European tourists and lots more locals.) Sadie wasn't a fan, but we all loved the dumplings and crispy duck. So, we did what everyone should do when they have eaten way too much chinese food...go get a doughnut. The Doughnut Plant is well-known for their creative take on doughnuts. We tried several, all delicious.
We walked through Brooklyn Flea (Market) and bought a few vintage children's 45s in bright colors. Apparently, Zac Braff was there, but we didn't see him. We did see "Felicity" (Keri Russell) down the street from Dana's apartment, which is funny because I have seen her in Manhattan before. (Ian saw Padma from Top Chef while we were there, too). Dinner was amazing at Frankie's in Brooklyn. We sat outside and enjoyed the crisp September evening with delicious housemade pastas and antipasto. When we were walking home, Sadie saw a star and wished for ice cream. Not two doors down did we pass Blue Marble Ice Cream. And as Matt said, "How often does a Dad get to make his daughter's wish come true?"
Monday, Dana took the day off from work and went shopping at Zara with us before she headed off to an interview. We hit H&M and then took a break in beautiful Bryant Park while Sadie slept in the stroller. Dana met up with us here and then we went up to Alice's Tea Cup. It is such a sweet little tea room that has the kid thing down. After the "fairy dust" they sprinkled over her that required a bath before we contaminated Dana's apartment with glitter forever, they offered wings for Sadie to where and a plastic tea cup. All in all, we felt very welcome with our kids in tow this trip. It still amazes me how families navigate this city on a daily basis, but there is so much to do here we could come back again and again. Thanks to Dana for letting us invade her space and to Ian for taking her in. It certainly would not have been as successful a trip without those two. Love you guys and see you next month here in Austin! Click on the NYC slideshow to see more pics from the trip.

Cashion at 7 months

2010-09-09T14:58:00.001-07:00

I love this look that he does. He tucks his lips in and says "Ooooooh."
Coming up to sitting

Everything in the mouth

Cashion's favorite book and if you look closely, you might be able to see the 2 teeth on bottom.

Cashion just figured out how to come to sitting from a crawling position today! I am always so amazed to watch typical development in my own children. It really is miraculous. He is just starting to figure out how to crawl on hands and knees, but he sure can motor around on his tummy now. He is sitting fairly well now, though he does occasionally still lose his balance. He still does not love baby food. I am not sure how much he actually swallows, between him spitting it out and getting it all over himself as he is constantly grabbing the spoon. His favorite book is "Where is Baby's Belly Button?" He giggles at the babies as you lift the flaps. He coos the sweetest sounds and is more of a snuggler than Sadie was. He is my sweet boy.

Sadie the Ballerina!

2010-09-09T14:46:00.001-07:00

Mommy teaching Sadie "first position"
Sadie is the one without the skirt

With Miss Trish at the "Teacher Barre"

OK, so if you know me at all you know that I almost couldn't wait until Sadie turned 3 to put her in dance class. I was definitely more excited than Sadie was, but she thought the leotard, tights, tap and ballet shoes were pretty "cool" (as she has been saying lately.) What makes it even more fun is that she gets to take dance class with Miss Trish. Possibly the sweetest woman ever put on this planet. She taught Dana and I as well, which makes it so special. She is in her eighties, but very spry. She has a helper teacher now, but she was right in there getting up and down off the floor with the little girls (and one wild boy who ran around the room the whole time.) On the first day, Sadie learned to tap her toes and heels and march in her tap shoes., after her initial hesitation where she sat in my lap for the first 5 mintues. Then, they changed into ballet shoes and did a "princess dance" with mood-setting twinkle lights and wands. If that didn't sell her, I don't know what will. Next time I won't get to stay and watch, so here are a few pics of the first day.

Fruits of Summer

2010-08-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like the stories I tell on this blog sound a little like bragging, but honestly I am more surprised than anyone when things like this next one happen. We just got back from Central Market, where I dragged both kids to get milk and a couple of other essentials. I usually avoid going to the grocery store in the heat of the day with both kids, but these were desparate times. So, I strapped Cashion into the Ergo and buckled Sadie into the cart and off we went. Sadie has always loved vegetables, beans, and fruit. I never had to push her to eat them. In fact, she will eat broccoli before she eats pizza, hot dogs or mac and cheese, when given the choice. So, we were walking through the produce section and she got so excited. She started picking out things to put in the cart. "Broccoli, let's get that!" "Yellow peppers, can we get some?" "Can I try a tomato?" "We need blackberries." She even picked out the multi-colored heirloom tomato pack and asked for some when she got home. She chose a mango, even though I have never bought one before. We didn't need this much produce since we will be at the lake this weekend, but I didn't want to say "no." So, we bought a little of everything and I will parcel it out over the next few days. I wonder if she will be a vegetarian someday.

Preschool 2010-2011

2010-08-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about Sadie beginning a new school year with Ms. Stacy. She commented that Sadie is very organized and goes from one center to another around the room. Sounds just like her. She does like order, even if no one else understands what that order is. The big excitement in the new class is that they have a guinea pig named Annabel. It should be a fun year!

Haircut

2010-08-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

Sadie had her third haircut this week, but it was the first one that was more than just a trim. Her hair had finally gotten so long that it was starting to get in her way. And since it can be a fight to brush it and put it in pigtails, we opted for a shorter do. I think it is really cute and it might even be curlier now that we took some of the length off. One more piece of evidence that we have a big girl on our hands.

Cashion at 6 months

2010-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Big changes for Cashion over the last couple of months. Since turning 6 months old, he has figured out how to roll from his tummy to his back, crawl on his belly, sit by himself briefly and start to eat a little bit of baby food. His is now 75th percentile for height, weight and head circumference. Weighing in at...19 pounds! Just a little perspective, Sadie didn't weigh 20 pounds until after her 1st birthday. He does seem to have slowed down on gaining weight, though. He is starting to look longer rather than just round, though he still has those adorably chubby cheeks and thighs. Cashion is not really sure about rice cereal, but seems to like applesauce. It seems like he spits more out than he swallows. He is babbling with sounds like "bababa and gaga" and he can squeal really loud.

He is enjoying a couple of mornings a week with Bebe and likes to watch the other babies at Sammy's House, where he goes with me to work a couple of afternoons per week. He continues to be an amazing sleeper! How did we get so lucky? He is sleeping from around 7:30pm to 7:30am and then taking 2-3 naps during the day. This boy loves his sleep, just as much as his sister did. He is such a happy baby except when he is teething. He seems to be working on one of his top teeth now. He sure drools a whole lot more than I remember Sadie doing. But, his smile lights up a room and his giggle is priceless.

Sadie sayings

2010-08-22T16:56:00.001-07:00

We are squarely in the world of "why" now at age 3. And unfortunately, "because" doesn't usually do the trick.

"I'll be-really-have" instead of behave.

"My voice is too small" when singing in the car.

"A bee took a bite of my cheese."

When talking to her monster doll: "Be careful, don't bite my hand. No biting and no spitting. That is not a good job. I'll take your teeth off if you're not nice."

"Cashion is my best friend...and Max."

Cashion's first tooth

2010-08-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Cashion's first tooth broke through his gums this weekend. It is on the bottom in the middle and so far we haven't spotted any others. He is such a happy baby that when he fusses you know he is either tired or something hurts and this little tooth must have really hurt. He slept most of the day on Saturday and Sunday, so he may be going through a growth spurt too. It makes me a little sad that he won't just have a gummy grin any more, but toothy is cute too. We will start giving him some rice cereal at the end of the week when he turns 6 months. Oh, how time flies!

Sno Beach

2010-07-31T11:40:00.001-07:00

Sadie has been in preschool 5 days a week all summer while I have been working, so we have not done as many fun summer activities as we did last year during the week. So, I decided to take her to Sno Beach for a snow cone after school the other day. It was in the 90's and sunny, perfect snow cone weather. Cashion was along for the ride and didn't seem to mind. I was so surprised that Sadie ate the whole thing! She usually takes a few bites of a treat and then is done, but this seemed to hit the the spot. She chose a combination of (sugar-free) pink lemonade, fruit punch and cherry.

4th of July

2010-07-11T12:01:00.001-07:00

4th of July at the lake house is always relaxing and full of good food (thanks mom!) From the turkey sandwiches to the cheesy potatoes, and don't forget the desserts, we always say,"It just tastes better out here."

We donned are red, white and blue and stuffed our faces, as usual.

It won't be long before Cashion will be enjoying the delicious food and festivities.

Sadie overloaded on Disney movies, but that is what is great about having 2 TVs!

Another successful weekend at the lake, made possible by the ultimate hostess...my mom (or as you know her on this blog, Bebe.)

Hopefully we'll make it back out before Labor Day!

We are Family

2010-07-09T14:50:00.001-07:00

Cashion got to meet lots of his family in the past month. First, we had a visit from Gramps and Mimi all the way from London. We celebrated Gramps' 60th birthday out in Lakeway with family from all sides.

4 generations of Swinney men: D.W., Matt, Cashion and Mike Swinney

Sadie gettin' some Mimi love

Then, we headed to the lake house for the 4th and cousin Richard got to meet the little boy.

Finally, we got to visit with Stacy, Greg, Katelyn, Mason and Gracie for a few days.

They loved on Cashion and played with Sadie. Here they all are..."the cousins."

Love all of you guys! Come back soon.

Toddler Duet

2010-06-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2QL-xRhPFE

Sadie didn't have school this week, so we were able to play with friends we see often and some we haven't seen in a long time. We went to play at Kai's house on Thursday, who Sadie hasn't seen in over a year. Kristy, Kai's mom, is a friend of mine who is also an occupational therapist that I work with sometimes. Kai and Sadie are only about a month apart in age, so they play together really well. Click on the link to see a video of them playing piano together. I love the way they are sitting on the bench together.

Sadie's 3rd Birthday Luau

2010-06-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

Sadie is 3. How did that happen? It didn't really hit me until her party. I think I had been so wrapped up in the planning that I didn't realize the impact it was having on me. She is definitely a little girl, no baby left in her at all.

The luau was fun, but hot. We had a heat index of 100-105 that day. Thanks to everyone who braved the heat and came on over. The kids had fun splashing in the pool and playing on the playscape (a big thank you to Nana, Bebe and Papa for Sadie's BIG gift). It was a little crazy, but at least it was contained to the backyard.

I made Paula Dean's pineapple upside-down cake and it was delicious, if I do say so myself. I will definitely make it again. I loved putting the marachino cherries in the pineapple rings, so kitchy.

Bebe made the tropical cupcakes and we had Hawaiian Punch for the kids, Wailua soda and Pina Coladas for the adults. There was a lot of sugar going on.Cashion donned his surf gear and straw fedora for the occasion (pictured below with cousin Amy).Sadie had a pink grass skirt with matching lei accessories, though she added a princess crown for good measure. The Ariel Barbie was her favorite gift. Happy birthday, Sadie. You'll always be our baby girl no matter how big you get.

Cashion at 4 months

2010-06-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy is 4 months old now and about as chilled out as he appears in that picture. He is sleeping great and happy as a clam the few hours that he is awake per day. He must be going through a growth spurt, because he is taking 3 naps per day and sleeping 12 hours/night waking up only once to eat. He puts himself to sleep all by himself, which somehow happened on its own. We didn't even have to Ferberize him! And he is completely out of the swaddle now. He gets so hot, that he just sleeps in a onesie. No footy pajamas for his kid.

He is so smiley. He coos and squeals when he is excited. He can really get those arms and legs flailing, too. He is able to reach and grasp a small toy and bring it to his mouth. He prefers to suck on his two middle fingers, which apparently his Bebe favored too, as a child. He scoots backwards on his back by pushing with his feet and gets mad when he reaches the bumper on his crib or ends up off the blanket on the floor. He is rolling from his back to his side, though not all the way over yet. He sits in his Bumbo now and prefers the bouncy seat to the swing. He can kick the toys hanging down on the bouncy seat, which makes the music turn on. He is definitely starting to play, which just thrills Sadie to no end. He really gets a kick out of her, just smiling and giggling at how silly she can be.

We saw Dr. Brown today for his 4 month check-up, so here are the stats:

Weight: 16 pounds, 10 ounces (90th percentile)

Height: 26 inches (90th percentile)

Head Circumference: 43 cm (75th percentile)

He is a big boy, but not as big as we thought. I was sure he was approaching 20 pounds. We are probably going to have outgrown the infant car seat by his 6 month check-up!

Memorial Day at the Lake

2010-06-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Memorial Day weekend at the lake house with Bebe, Papa and his cousin Lou. These weekends aren't as relaxing as they used to be ,with a toddler and an infant in tow, but it definitely keeps things interesting. Sadie spent a lot of time outside playing with roly-poly bugs (pictured above), splashing in the baby pool, learning to ride a tricycle by herself, making s'mores, and learning to play Bocce ball. We managed to get both kids to sleep around the same time in a room we all shared, so it worked out just fine. Sadie didn't even wake up when Cashion cried in the middle of the night, what a blessing. The funniest thing happened when she did happen to wake up when Matt turned on a light to read before falling asleep. She saw him reading and without a word picked up a book to look at until he turned off the light.

We had a little impromptu photo shoot. Here are some of my favorite shots.

Lost Pines

2010-05-27T08:07:00.001-07:00

We had our first little vacation away from home a few weeks ago at Hyatt Lost Pines near Bastrop. I was a little hesitant about it only because I didn't know how our new little family of 4 would do in one hotel room. It worked out great! The hotel was so accomodating. They even brought us a little travel-size pack of baby shampoo and such when they delivered the pack-n-play to our room. We had given Bebe and Papa an inflatable toddler bed for Christmas which Sadie absolutely adored. She even asked to take a nap. Is this our child? We were on the ground floor and our sliding glass doors opened onto the most beautiful butterfly garden and a view of the horses and longhorns on the property.

Bebe and Papa came down to join us for dinner and smores. They have a kids buffet set up at their level that is free for kids 3 and under. Sadie even enjoyed the tricycles and ride-on toys they had out for guests. This place is really all about families, which was perfect for us.Matt and Sadie enjoyed the lazy river the next day and Cashion had his first dip in a pool.We all agreed this would be an ideal location for a family reunion or gathering of friends with kids. I hope we get to go back and enjoy the movies on the lawn some day soon.

Dana and Ian visit from NYC

2010-04-29T14:25:00.001-07:00

We had an awesome time with Dana and Ian this weekend. I was so sad to see them go. Not only did they get to meet Cashion for the first time, but we all got to celebrate Papa's birthday, too! We did our typical meal-to-meal tour of Austin, but stepped it up a notch to show off what our great town has to offer to our Yankee-friend, Ian. He can appreciate good BBQ and Tex-Mex as much as we can. Miss you guys already! Come back soon.

Dana and Ian at the Broken Spoke where we enjoyed Chicken Fried Steak and shuffleboard

Papa and the kiddos at the Salt Lick

Dana swore she saw Cashion mimic her wink

Strawberries and Bluebonnets

2010-04-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

I love Spring in the Hill Country. These are pictures from our day trip to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls with Bebe. The bluebonnets were near the lake house. Lunch at the Bluebonnet Cafe was just icing on the (strawberry short)cake.

Birth Announcement

2010-04-17T13:12:00.001-07:00

Cashion at 2 months

2010-04-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

We had our 2 month check-up last week and he is doing great.

Height: 23 1/2 inches (75th percentile)

Weight: 14 pounds 6 ounces (95th percentile)

Head Circumference: 41 cm (75th percentile)

He is wearing 6 month onesies now and filling them out (something Sadie never did.) We have an all-American "Carter's" boy, whereas our little baby girl was more of a long, thin French baby fitting in "Petite Bateau" clothing. He has graduated to size 2-3 diapers, though we were able to squeeze him into the size 1's to use them all up.

He is really smiling and cooing now, especially when you change his diaper. He loves being naked and taking baths. He is sleeping 4-7 hours at night and eating more frequently during the day (yay, good sleepers!) He started sleeping longer stretches after I started swaddling just his arms at night (a tip from another mom that works like a charm because he tends to get really hot and try to kick out of the swaddle, but his arms flail and wake him up if we don't do it.)

He is able to get his hand to his mouth, which he sucks on instead of a pacifier. He can bring his hands together and can track me with his eyes around the room (translation: "don't let that food source get too far away.") He bears weight through his legs and is holding his head up really well now.

Matt and I have had a couple of nights out in the last few weeks, but Cashion doesn't like it when we go away so he has given his grandparents a rough time. He will take a bottle, but only if he is really hungry and tends to fuss when I am away. Otherwise, he is a fast eater, nursing no more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.

All in all, we are learning to read his cues and figuring out his quirks. We are loving this little snuggly boy.

Not quite 3

2010-04-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sadie is 2 for a couple more months and I am holding on to this because I can't wrap my mind around 3 years old yet. Here is a little sampling of the conversations we are having lately:

Sadie says "Look red and white balloons...like cherry and coconut" (she relates colors to jelly bean flavors)
Daddy says "6 more bites" at dinner and Sadie says "No, seven." (she counts past 30 now, still skipping sixteen, but doesn't understand which is more or less.)
Shortening everyone's name, Mommy to Mom, Daddy to Dad, Maggie to Mag, Bebe to Beeb and Papa became Poppy or Pop.
I told her she couldn't wear lip gloss in public until she was grown up. She agreed and informed me that she would be grown up when she is 4.

There are many more that I am forgetting. She is a riot and never forgets ANYTHING we say. I guess she is keeping us honest.

Easter

2010-04-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Easter weekend with family and friends. These are pics from the annual FUMC Easter Egg Hunt on the Capitol grounds. The weather was warm, as you can see. We had to strip Cashion down to his diaper because he is so hot-natured. Sadie got her "big pink egg" which is what she said she wanted to look for when we were on our way there.

Granny meets baby Cashion

2010-03-23T07:33:00.001-07:00

Granny came to Austin for a family wedding and to meet Cashion. She got lots of good snuggle time with him while Sadie was in school on Friday. What a special thing for our kids to spend time with their great-grandmother.

Kite Festival

2010-03-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

We got to enjoy a beautiful Sunday last weekend at the Kite Festival in Zilker Park. Sadie's favorite was the Dora kite being flown close by (surprise, surprise). Cashion slept in the stroller the whole time, he loves being outside on a breezy day. (This is me playing with my new camera and fun picture effects.)

One Month Old

2010-03-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Cashion at 4-5 weeks:

growing out of size 1 diapers already
wearing size 3-6 months
belly getting rounder and rounder (I'm not used to this shape of a baby, but it is awfully cute)
eating every 3 hours at night
taking a bottle with Daddy and Bebe (Halleluja!)
still sleeping most of the day
loves his baths
smiling when he can focus on our faces
smiling as he falls asleep in our arms
pooping every 3 days (too much information?)
doesn't like to be swaddled anymore
holding his head up better than any 5 week-old I've ever seen
grunting all the time...he is such a boy
falls asleep literally every time we get in the car
outing include Kerby Lane, Maudie's, El Patio, Green Mesquite, brunch in the park, Central Market, Zilker Kite Festival, and lots of time doing pick-up/drop-off at Sadie's preschool

Sadie in the snow

2010-03-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

We actually enjoyed some large snow flakes and a little accumulation in Austin when Cashion was about 2 weeks old. Bebe taught Sadie how to stick her tongue out to catch a few flakes.

Hook 'Em

2010-03-09T08:31:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the world, baby Cashion

2010-03-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

On February 5th, 2010 we welcomed our baby boy into the world and into our family. We are so blessed to complete our family with Cashion Mathews. He was a whopping 9 pounds 6 ounces on his birthday and continues to grow at an amazing rate. As his Daddy said, "It looked like he could eat the other babies in the nursery." It is hard to believe he will be 1 month old on Friday! Where does the time go? Big sister, Sadie, is so sweet with him and patient with me.

We have been adjusting to life at home with two kiddos and so far things are going well. Busy, but good, thanks to all of the help from family and friends. Cashion is a sleepy, hungry and generally happy baby. When he gets a little fussy, he always calms down when he lays down next to Sadie. It is so sweet. He looks a lot like Sadie did when she was a newborn, but with a little boy haircut and a cleft in his chin. Occasionally, you can see a little dimple on the right side when he smiles, but it is not as pronounced as Sadie's. He did smile a big open-mouth smile at his Daddy and me yesterday, which was the first time while he was wide awake (we have seen a few smirks and heard an occasional giggle while he is asleep.) He has dark hair and blue-grey eyes that are beautiful.
I am going to try to enjoy every moment, because this stage goes by so quickly. We love you baby boy.

Christmas and New Years

2010-02-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun celebrating the holidays with family and friends, that I got out of the habit of blogging. And since we are expecting the baby boy on Friday, there may be another long pause in this journal. However, I couldn't let the festivities go completely unnoticed before we dive back into the world of having a newborn.

Sadie, Dana, Bebe and I went to see the Nutcracker at the Long Center. Sadie was a little fidgety, which is to be expected, but generally she did great. The next day was Christmas Eve and the service at our church is perfect for kids this age, short and sweet with the addition of "ears" for all the kids to play a part. This is Sadie's 3rd appearance as a lamb.
Christmas morning was really fun this year. Sadie had been eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival, but was sad to learn that he came while she was asleep (should have been a little more clear about that one.) She tore into gifts with gusto, but wanted to play with each one before moving onto the next.
It was wonderful to have so many of our family members enjoy this at our house again this year. Bebe, Papa, Dana, Granny and Nana were all troopers to head over first thing Christmas morning for breakfast and gifts. Then, we headed over to Bebe and Papa's house where Papa had collected as many members of Santa's plush reindeer team he could find. Apparently, he had shop managers on speed-dial trying to locate the remaining members. He sure does love his Sadie Belle. The Tingley clan and Nana joined us for lunch and Sadie enjoyed baby Jack, Amy and Frank's new little one (Dana and cousin Jack watching Granny's great-grandkids interact below).

When Dana returned to NYC, Stacy, Greg, Katelyn, Mason and Gracie arrived from Missouri. We had an awesome time hanging out and eating at a number of legendary Austin spots (thanks to Mason's interest in the show "Man versus Food"). He tried to beat the record at Juan in a Million, enjoyed lots of Salt Lick BBQ and attempted the 14 inch Round Rock Donut...something only a teenage boy could do all in one weekend. Once again, Gracie and Sadie were two peas in a pod, but all of the kids were so attentive and sweet with her. I wish you all lived closer!

So, then it was back to real life and the preparation for baby #2. Sadie is fully moved into her big girl room, in all its pink and green girly glory. She has done great sleeping in her big girl bed and I have been counting my blessings that she still takes a long afternoon nap. She is loving preschool and really coming out of her shell there (those of you who spend time with her outside of school are saying, "what shell?" but apparently it has taken her this long to get comfortable with a group setting.) She eagerly awaits baby brother's arrival, or Cleatus as we have come to call him instead of mosquito bite. (You only have to wait a couple more days to learn his real name!) We are trying to make some time to do a few special things for Sadie during these days leading up to the dramatic change in her life. Sunday we took her to her first movie in the movie theatre. We saw "The Princess and the Frog" and she did not move a muscle the whole time while sitting in my lap. Soaking it all in as usual. She will get another Daddy Day on Thursday before we take her to Bebe and Papa's to spend the night before we go into the hospital on Friday morning. So, stay tuned for a renamed blog. What will it be called now?

Holiday fun

2009-12-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

We have been doing a pretty good job of celebrating the "Christmas season" (as Sadie says) on a daily basis. Most of our activities center around either Christmas lights or food. Go figure. This weekend we visited the Marble Falls Walkway of lights (see pic above) and it was much better than the Austin Trail of Lights for a toddler. It was easily walkable because it was so compact. There was plenty to see and Sadie loved it.

We have made peppermint cocoa, spiced apple cider, peppermint fudge and enjoyed some holiday candy. We still plan to decorate a gingerbread house and make gingerbread cookies with Bebe.

This pic is from the Capitol Tree Lighting and Congress Stroll, where Matt had a Shop787 retail space set up for holiday shopping. It was a cold night, but festive. Dana arrives on Saturday for 11 days! So, we are really looking forward to continuing our festivities while she is home.

Thanksgiving weekend

2009-11-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

We had a fun and busy weekend over Thanksgiving. It started with a Wednesday matinee performance of 101 Dalmations at the Long Center. We were shocked that Sadie sat through the whole thing with her eyes glued to the stage. Then, we had a relaxing Thanksgiving Day with Bebe, Papa and Nana.

I got inspired by one of the other mom blogs that I read to try to do something in the Christmas spirit every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas morning. I don't know if we'll make it, but we're off to a pretty good start. Friday, after her Daddy painted her big girl room "Ballerina Pink" in preparation for her move out of the nursery, Sadie helped set up the nativity scene.

Saturday, we went to the Chuy's parade downtown and got to hear several of our favorite Biscuit Brothers Christmas tunes. This is the Children Giving to Children parade, where everyone brings a toy to donate. This year, Sadie is starting to understand the concept of giving to other boys and girls who are less fortunate.

Finally, on Sunday we went to cut down our Christmas tree in Elgin. We went to a different farm this year, Evergreen Tree Farm, because the Elgin Tree Farm didn't open until noon. It was a lot smaller and it felt more intimate, but we had a harder time finding a tree that would work in our space. Sadie saw the nativity scene at the farm and said, "there's baby Jesus and his mommy and daddy!" She loved the donkey and goats, as usual, but also really got into the games (tether ball, bean bag toss) and thoroughly enjoyed her marshmallow that they had set out for roasting over a campfire. After her nap, she helped decorate the tree and got a kick out of turning on the lights.

Singing

2009-11-30T10:43:00.001-08:00

I love these moments when Sadie is busy doing something and she thinks nobody is listening.

Our little veggie lover

2009-11-18T17:26:00.001-08:00

Amazingly, some of Sadie's favorite foods are vegetables. She loves steamed broccoli, edamame, raw baby carrots, fresh tomatoes and black beans. I would love to take credit for her food preferences, but I have to say that I have offered her any number of foods with lesser nutritional value and she chooses the veggies. Sometimes the junk food seems so much easier, but I am glad that she challenges me to have fresh vegetables in the house for her. But, I know she is my child because of her love of cheese!

Daddy Day

2009-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

Sadie and her Daddy had a special day today. Since Matt had to work all weekend to put on his Shop787 event, he took today off to spend with her. They grabbed a "chocolate muffin" and headed to the Austin Zoo (yes, those two LOVE a zoo.) That left me with a glorious morning of rest, garage sale preparation and errands. Thank goodness she was tuckered out and took a 2+ hour nap (sorry Bebe, no nap when you were on duty yesterday.) So, I am going to cap off this lovely day by heading to Bess Bistro for Flavors of Austin (another of Matt's projects) with girlfriends from church.

Hey Cupcake

2009-11-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

Sadie did such a good job at the pediatrician's office this afternoon when she had to get a couple of shots that we headed to Hey Cupcake afterwards. Sadie and I enjoyed this enormous red velvet one with cream cheese frosting and whipped cream. Yum!

Naming baby brother

2009-11-05T15:03:00.001-08:00

Now don't get too excited. We won't even share our names with Sadie because she can't keep a secret, so you'll have to wait another 3 months until he arrives. But, Daddy did ask her last night what she thought he should be named. Her answer..."mosquito bite."

Halloween

2009-11-05T14:51:00.001-08:00

Sadie was a "bumble bee princess" (her words) because she has a wand. She still has some funny substitutions for pronouncing some sounds, like "fr" for "tr", so she had fun "frick or freating." She was much more into it this year and especially liked the lollipops she received from our neighbors.

We enjoyed seeing our neighbors at the block party before trick-or-treating. It is so cool to live in a neighborhood with so many young kids. Here is Sadie with her friend Davis, the train engineer.

Missouri

2009-10-31T10:28:00.001-07:00

It was great to visit Stacy, Greg, Katelyn, Mason and Gracie in Smithville with Nana last weekend. Sadie and Gracie are 2 peas in a pod. They had so much fun together, which was also a nice break for us. They played Polly Pocket, colored and watched Dora or Snow White most of the time. Gracie was so attentive and patient. She would do anything Sadie wanted to do and for how ever long she wanted to do it. We threatened to bring her home with us since she would be such a good babysitter.

We went to the Smithville High School football game on Friday, where Greg is head coach, Katelyn is a freshman and Mason will play football next year. It was cold, but an exciting game. Sadie and I stayed for the first 45 minutes or so before she needed to go to bed, but she clapped and cheered when the rest of the crowd did. She was really paying attention, because once she even said, "He caught the ball!"

On Saturday, we visited a pumpkin patch in a nearby town. There was a petting zoo and playgrounds for the kids (and some questionable singing talent). We had a grandfather driving our hay ride out to the pumpkins, who was a little crazy and I was sure we would end up covered in the mud that he splashed through. Sadie can't wait to see her cousins again!

Port Aransas

2009-10-28T07:44:00.001-07:00

We had a great trip to the beach with a whole crew of friends from Austin (mostly Trinity folks.) Except for the ER trip to diagnose Sadie's ear infection, we enjoyed a relaxed weekend in the Tangerine Dreamhouse.

The weather was great and the house was perfect for the 13 adults and 3 kids that stayed in it.

I have decided that October is the perfect time to visit a Texas beach...cooler temperatures, no crowds and off-season rates.

Unfortunately, these were the only pics I took of the weekend because a wave jumped up and splashed the camera (and Sadie) shortly after this shot was taken. She was happy to play in the sand after that. Her daddy even dug a hole deep enough for her to sit in, which she thought was funny.

We even had a shrimp boil the last night, which was a perfect ending to the weekend.

Dana's visit

2009-10-14T08:57:00.001-07:00

Sadie loves her Aunt Dana. We had a quiet few days hanging out at Bebe and Papa's house, shopping a little and eating Mexican food before Dana had to go home to NYC on Monday. We missed "Eeeeeen" this trip, but hopefully we'll get to see him soon. Looking forward to Christmas when she comes home again!

Gramps and Mimi

2009-10-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

We had a great visit with Gramps and Mimi, who came all the way from London a few weeks ago. We Skype with them some and talk about them often, but it was so nice for Sadie to get to spend some quality time with them and make her own memories.

Waco Zoo

2009-10-14T08:39:00.001-07:00

Weeks ago we woke up on a Saturday morning and were watching Jack Hanna when Sadie said she wanted to go to the zoo. I had heard that the Waco Zoo was great, so we packed up and headed out. It more than lived up to our expectations. It was lush and green and the animals were active and accessible. The picture above is Sadie sliding down the otter slide. She hesitated as she slid down and it looked like she was going to get wet.

This was the closest to a giraffe I have ever gotten. So cool!

There were lots of little play areas for the kids (and kids at heart).

The orangutan was part of a new exhibit that had just opened. I wish I had been quicker with the video camera because when we walked up he raised his arms to stretch and Sadie mimicked him. So cute. We will definitely go back.

Pavlov

2009-09-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite new sayings that Sadie has is when she wants to ring the doorbell. She says, "I need to bark the dogs." Sure enough, Molly obliges every time. Good watchdog.

Breakfast with Daddy

2009-09-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Fairytales

2009-09-12T12:56:00.001-07:00

Bebe is enjoying shopping for dress-up clothes for Sadie. This one was a winner with the wings, even though we had lingering glitter in her room for days. As soon as she put it on she said, "I'm in a fairytale!" Then, "I need a wand and a crown." Her teachers at school keep marveling at how verbal she is (and polite, always saying "thank you".) It surprises me what comes out of her mouth almost everyday. Smarty pants.

Happy Birthday, Daddy

2009-09-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

We had a great Labor Day weekend at the lake house and celebrated Daddy's birthday with chocolate cupcakes. "Happy Birthday" is Sadie's favorite song to sing and she doesn't reserve it just for birthdays, though it does come in handy when we are actually celebrating one. She often "bakes" cupcakes in her kitchen and asks us to blow out the candle after she sings to us.

Matt and I went to the first UT football game on Saturday, but Sadie donned her cheerleader outfit to get into the spirit, too. We saw several families with kids her age and younger at the game and couldn't help commenting that it did not seem fun to keep a toddler entertained at a game that she would tire of after 10 minutes, where she couldn't move around at all. I felt the most pregnant I have felt up to this point when we left at halftime. There is very little room in those seats. I may not be attending many games this season.

Good night, Sleep tight

2009-09-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Sadie says the most adorable thing at night when her Daddy and I are putting her to bed:
"The sun is going down and the moon is coming out and the stars.."

Rain, rain don't go away

2009-08-31T09:07:00.001-07:00

We actually got a little rain shower last week and Sadie has been dying to use her umbrella and galoshes. Don't you just love her little big-girl undies? She doesn't even fill them out, but I just want to pinch her all the time (in a nice way.)

Dress-up

2009-08-27T13:45:00.001-07:00

I have been wondering when Sadie will really start to get interested in playing dress-up and it seems now may be the time. Today she pulled out all of her pajamas and starting putting them on. She needed some help, but hey, why not work on dressing skills while we're playing? (My occupational therapist friends are giggling right now.)

Does anyone else think she looks like Joey from "Friends" when he puts on everything the Chandler owns? At least she's not going commando.

First day of Preschool

2009-08-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

I just dropped Sadie off for her first day of preschool! She did pretty well considering she is not used to being dropped off anywhere other than Bebe's house on a regular basis. She only cried for a minute and then was off to explore the Magnadoodles. We got off to a little bit of a late start this morning, but we made it basically on time (9am). She was a champ and ate all of her breakfast quickly, which has never happened before. I got to use school as a good excuse to buy her this adorable tote bag with her name on it and these super cute bento boxes for her lunch. Packing her lunch has been the one thing I had been stressing about, but it was actually pretty fun when I put it together last night. We'll see how long that lasts. She went to school in her big girl underwear, not training pants, so that will be another adventure. So, hurray for Sadie starting school and hurray for me to get a little time to myself before baby #2 arrives (for those of you who don't know, we are expecting a new arrival around February 10, 2010!)

Pflugerville, yeah

2009-08-14T12:58:00.001-07:00

I learned about this waterpark-style public pool in Pflugerville last summer from a friend at church and have been meaning to take Sadie there since then. Well, we finally ventured out to find it and it was totally worth it. Think of it as Schlitterbahn for toddlers, but it only costs about $5. Perfect for a morning outing, since she still sleeps that afternoon away (thank you, baby girl.) It has a beach entry, so the most shallow part is only a couple of inches deep, which is perfect for letting her splash around independently. She got up enough nerve to let me take her down the slide a few times, but didn't want to attempt it by herself yet. Maybe next summer. The only bummer is that next week will be the last week that it is open in the mornings, since school is starting. It will be open at noon on the weekends until Labor Day, so maybe we can take her out there again. It will certainly be hot enough.

Potty Time, Excellent!

2009-08-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

So, it's official. Our baby is no longer a baby, but a certifiable big girl. (Or maybe I'm the one's that certifiable). I finally bit the bullet and started potty training boot camp on Tuesday and she has done great. This is a picture of the first day when we switched from diapers to training pants and she was teaching her doll how to use the potty. Of course, she really got into that part. She had a wonderfully nutritious day of juice, lollipops and cookies, but I have to say it was worth it. She has had only one minor accident yesterday and today, so far, and we even were out of the house all morning visiting Tracy and Owen. Yay!!! She usually runs to the potty screaming, "hurry, I've got to potty!" and even though we've had a bunch of false alarms (in search of more stickers and candy), I'd rather be safe than sorry. I know we have a long way to go before we are completely done with diapers at nap and bedtime, but I think we are on the right track. We'll see what happens when she starts preschool in another week.

I'm not making this stuff up

2009-08-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

Sadie says:
"Oh, Honey. Don't do that." (Picture her shaking her head looking down at the floor.)
"It's been a long day" (Big sigh)
"Bless you blanket" (What she named the tissue that she used as a blanket for her babies)

conversation with a toddler

2009-07-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sadie: "Mommy, what kind of car is that?"
Mommy: "A red car."
S: "No, what kind of car?"
M: "A Ford Explorer."
S: "Like Dora?!?!?!"
M: "Uh...yeah, I guess so."
S: "Dora can't drive, she's too little."

Another funny moment

2009-07-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

Sadie, her Daddy and I went to the lake house this weekend for some R & R. We had a great time swimming, playing and napping. She said the funniest thing on the way home this afternoon. We were talking about what to pick up for lunch on the way home and Daddy referenced Napoleon Dynamite with, "make yourself a quesadilla or something." Sadie's response..."a quesa-who?"

Red Carpet

2009-07-21T06:13:00.001-07:00

I am so proud of Matt for what he accomplished in just a few short months. Austin Fashion Week was a huge success and the Austin Fashion Awards was the perfect way to conclude the week of events. And special thanks to Bebe and Papa, who made it possible for me to go to the event on Sunday. Sadie had been sick for several days and I was at the end of my rope. Thanks for taking such good care of our baby girl. (she is feeling much better now :)

Sadie's brush with high fashion

2009-07-17T17:26:00.001-07:00

Even though Sadie has been feeling puny the last few days, she did have an Austin Fashion Week outing this evening (go Daddy!!) Corey Lynn Calter, a designer from LA, set up shop in the old Moxie space to sell her wares while in Austin for the Awards on Sunday. She was there this evening for her event and was so sweet to Sadie. You see, she has a Sadie back home, who is 5, as well as a 20-month-old. She could not have been nicer and even showed us pics of her girls on her camera. Darling with straight dark brown hair. Not only that, but she gave me a dress to wear for the Austin Fashion Awards! I love it and now I love her, too.

Carwash

2009-07-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

I drove through the carwash at the gas station today and Sadie pipes up from the backseat, "Dibble dibble dopp dopp" (which is the sound the rain makes in "Mr. Brown Can Moo" by Dr. Suess, if you are not familiar.) It wasn't until we drove away that she started crying because she was scared by the loud noises that the powerful spray made. She was fine after we went to Walgreens and she got distracted by the aisle of cards.

Sadie and Owen Harp

2009-07-14T12:10:00.001-07:00

Sadie loves Oween (as she calls him). She is so gentle with him and curious about what he is up to. The only thing she is not sure of is when her Daddy or I am holding Owen, she gets a little jealous. She'll say, "Mommy, I hold you" (meaning "you hold me") or "Back" (meaning "give him back to his mommy, Tracy.")

July 4th at the lake

2009-07-14T12:05:00.001-07:00

We had a relaxing weekend at the lakehouse on July 4th, though Daddy had to stay back in Austin to prepare for Austin Fashion Week (going on now!) Sadie had fun in her baby pool, with Bebe playing Mr. Potato Head, with Papa playing ball and with cousin Richard building towers. We missed Aunt Martha that weekend, but were happy to be together.

matching colors

2009-07-03T06:48:00.001-07:00

Sadie surprises me almost daily with something new. This morning she has starting matching colors. She has an obsession with her blue hair bow and doesn't want to wear anything else. Today she said, "Mommy it matches" and sure enough she was wearing her blue whale pajamas. Then she told me that the pink ball was the same as the pink on her baby's bottle.

One week to go

2009-07-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sadie will be getting her cast off next Wednesday and I have to say that barring anything major happening in the next few days, this has been a breeze. She really couldn't care less that she has this rigid fiberglass protective gear on. She has said on two different mornings, very first thing while she is still in her crib, that "I like my boot." I am actually a little worried that she is going to be sad when they cut it off. The only thing we sometimes forget is to put on the cast shoe, but she quickly reminds us by saying, "slippy boot" when she tries to take a step on the hardwood floor. Such a good sport, this one.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay, but we had a great Father's Day over a week ago. I had a grand plan to take a picnic to the zoo, one of Sadie's and her daddy's favorite places. It was one of those 100+ degree days and I was melting, but they had a great time. We rode the train for the first time out there, which was fun. This high school kid was the "conductor" and said, "All Aboard" with about as much enthusiasm as you can imagine coming from a a teenage boy at his summer job. Then is was off to see the animals. Matt and I were impressed with the lions and tigers, but Sadie was more interested in the pigs and turtles (more her size, I guess). We were too hot to eat the lunch we had gotten at Central Market, so we had a cherry sno cone instead, a first for Sadie B. All in all, it was a fun morning and we enjoyed a dinner at Maudie's with Papa and Bebe for further celebration of the Dads we love!

Kids say the darndest things

2009-06-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

We were driving downtown on the way to church when Sadie spotted the state Capitol building and said, "Mommy, a castle!" When I asked her who lived in the castle, she said "Dana and Ian."

The red balloon

2009-06-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

http://studio563.com/eric/

Here is the blog that has Sadie's 2 year old photos. Enjoy!

The cast

2009-06-14T19:16:00.001-07:00

As some of you know, Sadie broke the first distal metatarsal on her right foot after tripping on the rug at home on Wednesday. Even though neither of her parents has ever broken a bone, somehow our cautious little girl managed to break her foot making the trecherous trek across our living room. She stopped putting weight on her foot after that and wouldn't take any steps. So, we made a stop at the pediatrician's office, the x-ray place and the orthopedist over the next several days. She was pretty excited about her "purple boot" and doesn't seem to mind it at this point. She can even take a bath and go swimming because we opted for the gortex wrap that is waterproof. All in all, she is much happier now because she can get back to the business of playing. She will be in the cast for 3 1/2 weeks and then she should be fine.

Sadie is Two!

2009-06-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

We had a really good day on Sadie's birthday. Her daddy took the day off and we went down to the 2nd street district to take some more photos with Eric at Studio 563. He did her one year old shots too and these may be even better, if that is possible. Dana gave us this enormous red balloon that we had filled up with helium and tied to Sadie's wrist with a ribbon. There was a moment we thought she might float away, but she is sturdier than she looks. We headed over to Delish cupcakes to shoot her eating a cupcake and it was absolutely adorable. I will post some pics as soon as we get them. After the cupcake appetizer, we went to La Condesa for a delicious lunch and then headed home for a well-deserved nap.

Saturday we had the tiny birthday party to celebrate (complete with a tiny doll dress to match her own, thanks Bebe.) I can't believe how big our baby is, even though she still only weighs 23 pounds (10th percentile for weight and 90th for height!) Sadie was equal opportunity with the "Happy Birthday" song and wanted to sing it to mommy, daddy, Bebe, Nana, etc. She even blew out her own candles! So big.

'stache

2009-06-14T18:52:00.001-07:00

Gotta love Toy Joy.