The Blakes

Poor Brody

2012-01-09T22:19:00.001-08:00

The week before Christmas was a tough one for Brody. On Wednesday he got tubes put in his ears and on Saturday he broke his leg. Yep, that is one surgery and one ER visit in the matter of a week. The tubes were planned since our little one has had entirely too many ear infections his first year of life. He did amazing and was a perfect patient. The staff at the surgery center were flirting with Brody and loved his backwards wave. The broken leg happened on Christmas Eve day at the park. He was enjoying some sliding time with Papa when he must have caught his leg. We didn't think his leg was hurt at first since it seemed he got spooked on the slide but his instant cry lasted for about an hour and a half. Needless to say, we spent Christmas Day as a family in the ER. We laughed at the memories we created and were grateful to be together as a family. Like I said, Brody is an amazing patient and was such a trooper. Never a dull moment as a parent.

December Catch Up

2012-01-09T21:24:00.001-08:00

December went by too quickly! I am still in shock that it is January! Here are some December highlights:

Grammy and Papa came down for an early Christmas. We took the kids to see Santa and played at the park for a bit. Both of the kiddos did great with Santa...he is such a sweet old man who volunteers each year for our town.

Family of 4 stockings!
A lazy Saturday morning...we don't get this often since I usually work on Saturdays so we have to savor them when they come. Both kids cuddle dad on the couch for some cartoons.
Drive-in movie to see the Chipmunks. Addie loves going to the movies so we met up with the Hamons and some of our neighbors for a night at the drive-in. We stayed in the car since it was rather chilly but it was great. Brody watched half of it then fell asleep in his carseat and Addie had her eyes glued on the screen.
A walk to the duck pond near our house. We have been out in about in the neighborhood quit a bit since the weather has been incredible. We took a family stroll to the duck pond to "fish" with tree branches and climb trees. Chris has taught Addie to climb trees and she is hooked...she is try to climb any and every tree in her sight...even the tiny ones.
I received this picture on my phone one day. Chris and Brody were cleaning up the garage.
Addie and Jackers have become little buddies. We usually see him at least every other day in the neighborhood. This night we stole Jackers for his parents to go on a date...they had a blast playing and decorating cookies. They might have destroyed the curtain bar in Addie's room but we will not talk about that.
Brody got a new train from Grammy and Papa for his birthday!
Brody is sooo close to walking. He has perfected pulling himself up onto anything and is starting to cruise on the furniture.
The tot lot slide...they like going down together.
Peppermint hot chocolate...yum.
Our pathetic tree this year...yes, it is 4 feet talk and it is fake. Sad. We decided to give since it seemed like an up high battle to keep Mr. Brody away from the tree. Funnily, Addie loved the thing since she could pull up the bar stool and play with each ornament.
How I found Brody after a nap....with Addie.
Sweet boy...
Silly boy...
Silly girl....
Paso Christmas parade with dad...

November Catching Up

2012-01-09T20:51:00.001-08:00

I promise to get better...eventually. :) Here are some November highlights:

Addie loves animals. She is begging us for a cat...we are pretty close to giving in which is HUGE for Chris and I. Nonetheless, the local animal shelter sets up in front of the post office on Saturdays and we typically get suckered into letting Addie fall in love with one of them. This one was adorable.
We spent a lot of time outside in November and December. Brody is a huge fan of the tot lot in our neighborhood as well as he loves one of our neighbors little cars.
Bath time...still a favor in our household...must have bubbles.

Thanksgiving was spent in Modesto this year. It's always great to be with the family.

Savannah celebrated her 4th birthday over Thanksgiving with a bounce house princess party.

More bath time....Our first family fun run...let's be honest though, it was a fun WALK. Addie sported boots for the occasion so she was carried most of the way our sat in the stroller. Brody was super content enjoying the amazing day in Monterey as we joined our family in supporting Athletes for Adoption.

We even got metals for finishing. :)

Monterey Bay Aquarium...Addie is a huge fan of the aquarium and this is Brody's second time. He seemed to enjoy the large fish in the tanks and would point at them as they went by.

1 year photo shoot

2011-12-11T20:53:00.000-08:00

Brody's 1st Birthday

2011-12-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that our Brody-Boy is already one. As I write, I find myself going back one year from today and the joy Brody brought our family when he was born on 12-11-10 at 9:46pm. I remember saying the words, "he is just perfect!" over and over when he was born...and it's still true today. Yes, he is ALL BOY, rather ornery, and persistent but he is ours. And let's be honest, I think those adjectives probably describe most Blakes. :)

To date: Brody has 2 teeth, growing hair (sort of), crawls like a champ (no need to walk in his mind), learned to crawl stairs on his birthday, loves to eat (especially bananas, grill cheese, yogurt and anything else), waves to cars driving by, squeals while swinging, performs hand gestures to "Wheels on the Bus", cuddles Melvin the Monkey always, and loves his sister and Dad (both can make him smile at a drop of hat).

To celebrate our big boy, we threw a Hungry Caterpillar party. I have to admit that Pinterest got my creative juices flowing and there seemed to be no stopping me. I have the excuse that the party planning was my escape from work but I think the reality was that it was my last child's first birthday. :)

October and November happenings

2011-11-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

So, I have been horrible about posting pictures but have taken a ton on my phone. Per the constant pleasant request of Nina, here are some pictures of the kiddos the last month:

Blurry but Brody popped his first 2 teeth.
Addie LOVES spiderman...wishes she could have been Spidey for Halloween. :) Chloe made her this handy mask that she loves to wear around the neighborhood.

Addie is officially into princesses in full force and loves this game on my phone that allows her to dress them up.
I taught Addie to follow my finger to be crossed eye. Haha!
Brody also learned to crawl (finally)! He is into EVERYTHING that he shouldn't be like stairs, light sockets, pulling up the carpet, drawers, etc.
Addie played with a friend's bunny and was in heaven...she asks a lot when she will have an animal.
Same house, Addie caught a lizard thanks to the couching of Jack Hamon.
Just like mom as a baby...Brody is sucking his thumb.
BroBro the Dragon and Princess Addie for Halloween.
Neighborhood pumpkin carving party

Sweet baby Selah!!...I got to experience my first live birth besides my kiddos. Shiloh and John asked me to join in this unbelievable moment and I LOVED it. She is a beautiful little one and I loved being there. Thanks Hamons! xoxo

"Summertime Barbie" as Chris calls Addie whenever she wears her sunglasses.
BroBro the Dragon...started loving books.
The dryer has been the newest toy for the kids...here was Brody's first time in it.
THE BIG IPOD-Y!!! Wow, its a bit embarrassing how much Addie loves the iPad (aka Big iPod)
Dad and Brody in the rain.

Our saving grace

2011-10-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Meet Chloe...she is our life support lately. With crazy work schedules, Chloe is with our kids two days a week and loves on them more than we could dream. Addie adores her "Chlo-Chlo" or "Chloe Girl." I always come back from work to find them in some kind of pretend play world with tents, crafts and toys. We love Chloe and are sooo thankful for her in our lives.

Shiloh's Shower

2011-10-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

It's always great to celebrate a best friend. Shiloh is pregnant with her third and it's A GIRL! A girlie girl tea was thrown in her honor and it was a blast. We made bows, headbands and anything else that is pink and big to put on a baby girl's head...Shi has two boys so we had to have lots and lots of pink. I am so blessed with these 3 gals in my life and consider them my Paso Family. We all met pre-kids except for sweet Jayden who was only 10 months old at the time. Wow time has flown and there are now a ton of kids surrounding us all. We don't all get together enough but whenever we do, it is so sweet and so valued.

September - October

2011-10-21T19:28:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy but fun fall season. I cannot believe that October is almost gone! Between Chris's job, wedding season and 2 rug rats, the time has flown. Here are a few snapshots of the last month:

We have spent some great time with our dear neighbor Fatma the last 2 months. If Addie had her way, she would go over to Fatma's house every day and play. She gets spoiled over there with tents, princesses, princesses and more princesses. We are so thankful for Fatma and Todd. We ventured to the Avila Valley Barn one day with her and had a great time. We even met up with Dad for lunch in SLO at Panera...yum.

The time we have together as a family of 4 seems to be slim lately. Unfortunately with my job, we really only have Sundays after church. We have been trying to be intentional with doing something with all of us when we can. Picnics in the downtown parks have been one of our favorites...Addie runs around with sticks and acorns (baby hats as she calls them) while Brody rolls around on the grass.

Addie's sweet friend Lucy spent the night and brought this HUGE baby with her. I opened up her bag to get out her jammies and I literally had to catch my breath because it looked like a real baby stuffed inside her bag. We forced Chris to take a picture with the baby and Brody...it was as big as he was...and he is a BIG baby.
My favorite shirt on BroBro is this Charley Brown shirt. He makes me laugh in it. I put a beanie on his head and laughed even more. Good grief!

Parades!! Addie LOVES parades. Chris took the kiddos to the Pioneer Parade a few weeks ago and they had a great time. I think they saw more tractors and cows than anyone should experience in one day but it's a great event in the community.
Cookies and more cookies. Addie and my new activity together is baking...really anything with sugar. We have gotten rather good at chocolate chip cookies and now we are mastering my mom's pumpkin bread recipe. Luckily we try to share with our neighbors and friends so we don't swell up like a balloon.

9 months

2011-09-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

The "Little Man" is 9 months old and weighs in at a hefty 23 pounds. He is cute, cute, cute...spoken like a true mom. Brody holds true to an ear infection almost every 6 weeks (sigh) but other than that he is perfect. My bald baby is finally cutting his first tooth and will crawl one of these days. I am convinced he knows how but he is perfectly content rolling everywhere or just sitting up. :) Addie can make Brody laugh just by looking at him...he thinks she is amazing. While he is sitting in his highchair, she will jump to him and he gets this deep belly laugh. It warms my heart to hear them "play."

Addie's pictures taken while out to eat

2011-08-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sweet friends that live too far away

2011-08-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

We sadly had to say goodbye to some of our favorite people and neighbors this month. The Pulliams were the kids we would play with a few times a week...parents chat and kids run around. We are thrilled for their adventures to Texas but still find ourselves looking over at their driveway whenever we drive by...just not the same without them. The Cranks are our other dear dear friends. Addie calls Josie her "very best friend" and also says "Josie is a nut!" They are just too fun together.

Our pool

2011-08-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our backyard...here is one of Addie's favorite "pools." She loves filling up big plastic bins to play in...it's rather funny. The heat has kicked up a bit so we find ourselves getting creative when we don't want to load up to the real pool or water slides.

Nina and Pots 2011 Visit

2011-08-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

We had one of the best visits with Nina and Pots this year. I love watching them both interact with the kids...it warms my heart. Addie was a huge fan of them both and was constantly wanting them to play with her. At one point, I walked into my bedroom to see Pots with a "crown" on his head pretending to be a king with Princess Addie. Nina was always willing to engage in Addie's pretend world of dolls and whatever else they came up with. It was great. This was Brody's first official meeting with Pots and he thought his glasses were amazing. :) All in all, we were so sad to see them leave and wish we saw them more.

2011 Mid-State Fair

2011-08-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite times of the year is the fair time in Paso Robles. Yes, it's a great excuse to eat greasy foods as well as enjoy rides. Addie is a HUGE fan of everything related to the fair. She is still talking about it and it was over a month ago. :) Brody enjoyed his first ride on the carousel as well.

A few pictures of Mr. 8 Months Old

2011-08-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

We went over to some of our sweet friends house for me to snap some pictures of their newest addition. Addie and Brody tagged along and played in their amazing backyard. Between the hammock and tire swing, Addie was in heaven. When we were done, I used some of Amy's props to snap a few quick pictures of Brody since I LOVE their backyard...it is the best place for pictures. Brody is a weed growing before our very eyes. Chris and I were just sitting on the couch last night wondering where the last 8 months have gone. Brody is still the master of sitting up and has no (I repeat no) intentions of crawling anytime soon. Funnily enough, Chris and I will try to encourage BroBro to crawl almost every day but the little man just rolls over and laughs. I guess it will happen before we know it so we should enjoy the lack of mobility on Brody's part. Brody is all about babbling and is saying "Dadadadadadadad" all day long...Chris loves it even though Brody is not saying it in reference to him. :) Addie is a sure laugh for Brody and is interacting with him more each week. Just tonight we were at a BBQ for Chris's work and Addie kept yelling to get Brody's attention to tell him that she made a new friend. It's sweet to watch the friendship form between them...I pray it just gets stronger and stronger.

Family Pictures

2011-07-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am elated right now! We finally had our family pictures taken and I am beyond thrilled. My associate, Kayla, met up with us last week at one of my favorite spots and captured my sweet family. It was interesting being on the other side of the camera...I know we were so awkward. Nonetheless, we love them all...here are just a few.

July randomness

2011-07-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

I find myself stocked that July is going so quickly. We have had an eventful last few weeks and sadly I have not been too great at the camera front...I am trying to "be" with the kids instead of behind the camera all the time. Here are a few funny moments int he Blake household:

Brody has started sucking his thumb. The does this reverse suck and it's really funny.

Addie has been getting herself dressed lately and this is the latest outfit...two tutu skirts...one becomes the shirt and the other the bottom. She thinks she looks beautiful.

No way, Brody has big eyes?! Hehe. Brody is all about eating these days. Addie has enjoyed helping out with his food. He looks like a little bird because he mouth is always open for the next spoonful. :)

Capitola 2011

2011-07-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual trip to Capitola with Chris's family. Unfortunately Chris couldn't join with him only being 4 weeks into the new job but we had an incredible time. We started the trip off with a visit to the Monterey Aquarium and Addie was in heaven. She has been asking to go there for about 2 months now. She loved running around with Savannah and she even got to touch "Mr. Ray" in the tank. :) The weather was absolutely amazing this year so the beach was a blast with all the kiddos. We spent another day roller skating (Addie passed but the Boone kids were rockstars) and another at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. I found myself not wanting the time to end. It's always a blessing to be with the Modesto gang and I always leave knowing I have an incredible family. Thanks for the trip, Mimi and Papa!

7 months old

2011-07-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

Brody has passed the 7 month marker. He went to the doctor yesterday and weighs 19lbs 7oz and is 28 inches long. Healthy as can be (thank you Jesus!). He is still high up there in height but has come down in the weight some...needless to say, we are feeding him solid foods 3 times a day now. The same thing happened to Addie around the same time...got to love a lower milk supply. He has grown to master the sitting up world for the most part so we naturally had to capture him doing his "tricks." He loves the new view since he has more access to toys to shove into his mouth. Chris and I were just talking about how his eyes light up when he smiles...he is such a joy.

This is a look we get a lot from Brody since his eyes seems to be glued opened. He is such an observer.

Disneyland and Legoland with the Cousins

2011-07-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

We couldn't have hoped for a better trip with the Fleming gang. It always warms our heart to be with them each and makes us long to live closer. The cousins all got along perfectly considering we were running on little sleep between 3 full days of theme parks. Quinn was adorable in her thick southern accent saying about Brody, "I want to hold that baby!" I can still hear her now and it makes me smile. Aidan impressed us with his personal hand drawn lego characters for everyone on the trip and Canon make hearts melt every time he was told happy birthday because he is just too stinkin' cute. All in all, it was perfect. Are you guys ready to move to California yet?!?!? :) Wishful thinking I know but how we long to live closer.

This picture is one of my favorites since it tells a HUGE story about Brody's life....Vegas+this hotel= Brody. :)

6 months

2011-06-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Our little Brody Boy is a growing weed. He is half a year old and gets cuter by the moment in our eyes. He is definitely showing us what he does and does not like. He wants to put ANYTHING into his mouth and will grab any object that is in front of him. He still loves the Frog-Duck disc toy and will break out into a full on cry if he drops it (which he does a lot). We are determined that he is capable of sitting up but he has no intentions of putting forth the efforts. He thinks Addie is stinkin hilarious and laughs at her high pitched voice she always uses to talk to him. Brody still loves to be held..all the time...and is working on his afternoon naps to lengthen them out for mom to work. We are making baby steps with the baby food since I wanted to wait until after Disneyland (pictures coming) to jump full force. He tried bananas for the first time the last two nights and seems to like them. I let him like my homemake apple juice popsicle today and he was in heaven. All in all, he is perfect.

Addie is still wearing here Christmas jammies...she LOVES them. Please note: it's been in the 90's here lately and she still wants them on.

Mother's Day and Baby Dedication

2011-06-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

Our church does baby dedications on Mother's Day so it was time to have both kids dedicated. It was sweet to have them presented together with Mimi and Papa by our sides. I found myself a bit teary eyed as Pastor John prayed over each other our beautiful kids asking the Lord to guide and protect their paths. We spent the rest of the day hanging out as a family relaxing around the house.

Photo Credit: Addie Blake Photography :)

2011-06-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

We start them early in our house...here is one of many pictures taken by Addie. She loves using the point and shoot.

Friends

2011-06-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

Easter {part 2}

2011-06-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

All dressed up and ready for church and the Easter festivities.

Pictures from April

2011-06-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

The point and shoot camera was finally off loaded. Here are a few pictures from April. We packed up the family and went to the circus while in was in town. Addie had a good time but I think the adults enjoyed it more. It was 2 hours long and she wasn't too impressed with the high wire acts...she just wanted to see the animals. We acted like the tourist parents and paid for Addie to ride an elephant. It was awesome. In between fearing she was going to fall off the creature, it was fun to watch her smile as it walked around. Brody eat/slept the whole time...so he like it too. :)

Princesses

2011-05-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a dream weekend for Addie. She had two friends spend the night...on different nights thankfully. Miss Lucy stayed with us Friday night and was a doll. I loved hearing them both playing with every (I mean every single) toy in Addie's room. After the bomb exploded, it was time to play dress up with some of Addie's costumes and princess dresses. I giggled since they both had to put on the dresses with matching shoes and jewelry to top it off (thanks Aunt Stacey again for all the fun jewelry!!). Lucy was the changing diva since she switched outfits 4 times in the matter of 5 minutes. :) There is something so precious about little girls playing together.

First foods

2011-05-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

So we began...Brody had his first round of "big kid food" on Saturday. Although this is my second child, I feel my memory has gone and I am a new mom all over again. I can't remember how often to feed them solids or how much...so this was an experiment. Chris had the honors and Brody did great. I have been thinking he was ready since he is showing interest in our food. We will see how this goes but it's crazy to think that my baby boy is getting bigger by the second.

Mama and Brody

2011-05-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

I figured if I can't get someone else to get my picture with Brody, I would have to figure out how to do it myself. :) These made me laugh and melt at the same time. I am lucky.

5 months

2011-05-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

The time seems to be flying back with Brody. We sit in awe at the thought of him already being 5 months old. I find myself staring at him almost every day and laughing at the 'little person' he has become. Brody is definitely our social bumble bee and loves and interaction/attention. His eyes truly sparkle whenever someone talks to him...and his arms start going crazy. Brody is ticklish, happy, chubby, and adorable. His feet and hands are still his favorite items to shove into his mouth but honestly he would put anything in his mouth that he can grab. He found this little disc for his Einstein mat that has a duck on one side and a frog on the other. My goodness, he loves that thing! He will have an instant melt down whenever he drops it or if he can't get it off the little hook...it's rather funny. Dad has been teaching Brody to dance (which is hilarious since Chris is not a dancer). Dad and Addie will do an arm dance with Brody to a certain beat and Brody just smiles...while his checks jiggle. :)

Easter {part 1}

2011-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Easter part 2 will be coming as soon as I grab my small camera from the diaper bag...it's a long trip from the kitchen the to computer. :) We had a great Easter morning with Easter baskets opening for the kids. I did find myself wondering how Easter candy made it into the celebration of Jesus's resurrection...but candy for all nonetheless. Addie has a huge sweet tooth (not sure where she got that...just kidding) so she was eating jelly beans within one minute of looking at the basket. Brody loves stuffing anything in his mouth so he was eating his stuffed animal with seconds of seeing it.

After the sweets, we rushed to get dressed since we were hoping to make it to church early. Hoping is the key word. Like any hormonal new mother, I found myself a little teary eyed on the way to church due to the hustle and bustle of things. I felt like my focus was more on getting our family beautified instead of our hearts in the right place. Sigh...the life of being a mom. After church we headed the amazing Jelso house for a long, great afternoon of food, talking and kids playing. Praise the Lord, the Crank family is back in California so we all got to be together for this holiday. We are blessed with our Paso family and love them all.

Bath for two

2011-05-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

We have two water loving kids on our hands! Brody is still a little wobbly so it requires all hands on deck but it's cute to see them in the tub together. Addie's has a sweet way of talking to Brody lately...she gets this huge smile and says, "Hi Brody Boy" in a high pitch voice. It's cute because he just smiles.

4 months old and pancakes

2011-04-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Brody is 4 months old and too stinkin' cute! He had his appointment yesterday and is 17.5 pounds (90%) and 27 inches (97%)!!! He grew over 3 inches in the last few weeks which explains why he has outgrown almost everything! He talks, smiles, coos, smiles, giggles, smiles, drool....you get the picture. His hands and feet are his favorite right now. I feel like his hands are always in his mouth or at least putting something in his mouth. Just this morning he tried to suck on my cheeks. :) I couldn't help but laugh. He is my sweet little boy and is so fun to be with. Oh, at his doctor's appointment, Dr. Anselmo asked if he has rolled over yet (which he hadn't) and then no 5 seconds later, he rolled over. We both started cheering him on...I guess he likes to put on a show.

Addie is enjoying cooking more and more...primarily baking cookies since she loves cookie dough (just like her dad). Saturday morning her and Chris decided to make pancakes for us. Here is the process of baking with Addie...

Last weekend in March

2011-04-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

I find that I have a hard time dumping the pictures off my little camera that is always in the diaper bag...last night I finally got around to it. We spent the last weekend in March going around the county and enjoying the time as a family. This season is interesting to say the least but we are choosing to see the blessing of having extra family time instead of being jobless in weeks to come. We went to Avila Beach for another AMAZING day at the beach. It was 90 degrees there which was incredibly odd but it was beautiful. Addie was in her own little world with rocks and sand while Chris and I were locked on to people watching (especially college kids trying to flirt with each other...priceless). We landed at In & Out for lunch to finish off the day. We are blessed.

Papa came down for a day visit. Addie loves being with her grandparents and misses them all the time. Chris put Papa to work on the house with de-pigeon-fying the house. We had a colony of birds on the roof with more bird poop than one should admit. Addie thought the ladder of death was fun to climb with dad...I was a bit nervous but the adventure was fun for her.

Tea Time with Emily

2011-04-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

This makes my heart melt. Addie had her first officially tea party with her sweet friend Emily. They really just enjoyed eating the cookies and cupcakes but it was cute to watch them pour tea and giggle together as girls. Yes, Addie had to correct Emily's almost every move (not holding the cup correctly, etc) but Emily was a sport with our "smarty pants" daughter. It's times like these that I am so thankful to have a a daughter to do girly things with. Addie is definitely showing her girl side in the mist of her all boy friends group...we are so thankful for Emily and some new girl friends she is making.

Brody and Claire hanging out on the couch together.

I have feet!

2011-03-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Brody has discovered his feet in the last week. His hands have always been a favorite thing for him to suck on, but now his feet are a new exciting thing for him to grab. I love seeing babies roll around while grabbing feet...makes me giggle every time. He is also getting stronger and stronger on his legs and likes to stand up. Naturally his mouth has to open whenever he stands (just like Addie did as a baby too). :)

Hats for the baldie (13 weeks)

2011-03-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise that the Blake babies are baldies...for a few years. Brody has fallen into suite with little hair so we are having to bust out some hats for him to keep the sun off. Luckily for us, my amazing neighbor let us borrow some of her son's hats (thanks Christin!). There were so many great ones but this one melted my heart and made me laugh at the same time. :)

A weekend to remember

2011-03-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was wonderful time with the family. The weather has been incredible so we decided to pack the kids up and head to Avila Beach for some fun. Addie is definitely a beach girl and will play, and play and play. It was Brody's 2nd time there (forgot to take pictures the first time) but he did great. Honestly, he slept most of the time but he was content.

I found this hilarious Charlie Brown shirt for Brody is it works perfectly on him because the child has no hair. It makes me laugh every time. Addie found her old Bumbo chair and now wants to sit in it constantly.

Addie's new favorite drink is hot chocolate. Chris and I have been drinking a lot of coffee lately (don't know why) so she sees us with coffee mugs/cups all the time. She now wants to join in on the fun but she must have a straw for hers.

I had a pictures with Addie asleep in the carrier at almost the same age as Brody. My little boy has just as big of cheeks as Addie so it's funny to see him all flopped over. :)

First time at the pool

2011-03-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Brody experienced his first pool swim that same weekend...he LOVED it and didn't even make a peep the whole time he was in the water. We have another water baby on our hands!

3 months old with a beautiful sister

2011-03-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

The bath queen

2011-03-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Addie has loved water since she was a little girl. Lately, she has been wanting to take a bath for an afternoon activity. She gets in her own little world playing with the toys and filling up random containers with water. Naturally bubble baths are always fun but we also found these Elmo water tablets that change the water different colors (the yellow one is just a little disturbing). I figured it's been awhile since I snapped off some silly bath pictures of Addie so now was the time. She was in a silly mood and loved looking at each picture after I took it.

11 weeks old

2011-02-27T15:45:00.000-08:00

Similarities?

2011-02-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Which one is Addie and which one is Brody? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like my kids look very similar as babies...big cheeks with lots of rolls (love it). As I was waiting for my new version of iPhoto to upload, I decided to flip through all my pictures. I was giggling at some of the sweet pictures of Addie and it got me looking her the resemblance of the two kids. Yes, they definitely have their distinct characteristics but they look very much alike and make sooo many of the same grumpy faces.

Brody is the top pictures and Addie is the next. Below are mine and Chris's baby pictures...I have no clue where our kids get the big cheeks from! :)

The super hero family

2011-02-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

Our sweet friend Jocelyn turned 30 and her son turned 4 so of course we had to have a super hero party...Jocelyn is extremely creative. Now as many of you might know, Chris and I are not the best "dresser-uppers" for parties even though we have done Young Life skits for who knows how long. However, I was determined to jump into the festivities so I dug out all my possible super hero creativities I had. Addie was Super Princess since she LOVES her Rapunzel dress and Brody was Super Baby. I made capes for them both which made me laugh. Chris was a wanna-be Batman and I was Super America...luckily for us, the amazing Hendrix family let us into their costume world for help. All in all, it was beyond fun rollerskating with all our friends while our capes flapped behind us. I suggest everyone should try it sometime...you feel extreme. :) Addie got to experience her first time on skates and Chris was thrilled. She cried at first but lucky for her, her daddy is very patient and taught her the ropes.

Our Lovies

2011-02-16T13:17:00.001-08:00

It's funny how 2 little beings under 40 inches tall can bring us such joy. Addie and Brody are our blessings...here are a few pictures of our silly princess (first time with french braided pigtails) and our sweet Brody-boy who is seriously full of smiles and "talking."

Valentine's Day celebration 1 day early

2011-02-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that Chris and I are not huge Valentine's Day celebrators. However, we jumped on the opportunity to get away just the 2 of us after my dear friend Katie offered to watch the kiddos on Sunday night. Brody was very cooperative and he feel asleep at 6:00 so Katie just had Addie to watch for the 2 hours we were gone. It was great to eat a ton of food and walk around with Chris. We truly have a great time together and yes, he still makes me laugh...a lot...but don't tell him. :)

Pookie turns 3

2011-02-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I am writing this...my little girl is 3 years old. Addie had a fun-filled weekend full of friends and family. We had her birthday party on Saturday and rented out the Pacific Coast Gymnastics place again. As always, it was a hit and everyone had a great time. Kids were sweaty, parents laughed and cupcakes were eaten by all. Addie was running around in her new Rapunzel dress since she is obsessed with Rapunzel (Dad is the prince, mom is the green lizard and Brody is the white horse...you have to see Tangled). She sported a sparkle crown for the birthday song and truly looked like a little princess. She loved being the leader of all the events at the party and is still talking about having all her friends there.

Later that day, we headed to McDonald's with Chris's family where the kids played for another 2 hours and then we finally ended up at our house for the kids to swim the sweat off from the day. Addie was beat that night. Sunday was her actual birthday and we kept it simple. Yes, she wore the princess dress again to church and then played with Rylan later in the afternoon.

She had her 3 year old check up today and is healthy as can be. Thank you, Jesus. Addie is in the 93% for weight and 90% for height...probably why everyone thinks she is 4. :) She is our beautiful girl and keeps us on our toes in so many ways. What a gift we have in Addie.

8 weeks old

2011-02-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

Our little one is officially 8 weeks old this week. He has his doctor's appointment on Friday so stay tuned for his stats...I'm thinking he is in the 15 pounds range. :) His roundness aside, Brody is just too sweet. He is all smiles now and loves to be talked to. His little legs and arms go crazy whenever he gets one on one attention. Yes, naps are still our struggle but he is a pretty good trooper at night so I can't really complain. He is our Brodster or (as Addie calls him) Brody Boy.

The big 3-0

2011-02-02T14:41:00.001-08:00

Hello thirties. I honestly feel like I have been in my thirties for longer since my lovely husband is a few years older as well as some of my best friends. I wasn't sure what it would feel like to celebrate this birthday but it wasn't all that bad. Yes, the night before I had a brief reflection of "what in the world have I done with my life" but I have to say that God has been faithful in blessing me in so many ways. I have an amazing husband and 2 beautiful kids...I don't think I need much more.

Chris surprised me with a party of all my close friends on Thursday. I was supposed to have drinks with a dear friend that night and she "cancelled" last minute. I have to say I was rather bummed since I was thrilled to indulge in a margarita with endless chips and salsa. Deflated from my date canceling, I called Chris and said I would join him at the pool with the kids (he was already down there) and I changed into clothes to something more comfortable. I arrived at the pool to the surprise party and I have to say I had NO CLUE! I instantly starting laughing since Chris got me good, I saw my friend who was supposed to meet me for drinks, and I realized I changed into a super frumpy outfit right before leaving (I did look cute before). It was a great time eating hotdogs, burgers, and cake while all the kids ran around. It was crazy but it's our life.

My actual birthday was spent with the family...went to the Children's Museum. That evening Chris surprised me again with sitters for the kids (thank you Kim and the Pulliams) and a limo for an amazing date night out. We had an incredible 2 hour dinner on the patio of Novo in SLO (the very restaurant used in the Oprah segment for talking about SLO being the happiest place in America...too funny). We enjoyed a bottle of wine, too much food, coffee and cake then headed home in the limo. Like I said, I have an amazing husband and he made me feel spoiled. Not a bad way to start off the thirties.

Some moments in January

2011-02-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

Addie and Brody cuddling on the couch "watching" Pingu.

Addie's Prince...dad. And yes, this is the purple dress she is obsessed with.

Addie taking a picture of Dad.

Brody at 6 weeks

Brody meeting Great Grandma Blake

A picnic with friends at the Atascadero Park.

Modesto Family

2011-01-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we took our first family of 4 trip. I have to say that all in all, the kids did great. Brody did good on the way up and amazing on the way back...slept the whole three hours home! While we were there, we spent some great time with the Modesto family. It was the first time that all the grandkids were together with Brody and Savannah added to the bunch (sorry for the heart over Savannah's face but we can't post any pictures of her until the adoption is finalize but she is stinkin' cute). Also while we were there, Brody got to meet his great grandmother. They had some sweet bonding together since they both fell asleep together...it was very cute.

Outfits with history

2011-01-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

When Addie was born, my mom surprised me with the smocked outfit my dad came home from the hospital in. At Brody's shower, Chris's mom surprised me with the outfit that Chris came home from the hospital in. Since Brody is getting bigger by the day, I wanted to snap off a few pictures of him in both before he out grew them both. It warmed my heart to see him in them...I love that they both have history to them and I was smiling at the thought of Brody's kids (weird to think I know) getting a picture in them some day too.
(Chris's outfit)

(My Dad's outfit)

Brody and Dad

2011-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

Just too sweet...Chris is an amazing Dad with a gentle heart. God knew what He was doing for our kids when he paired us together.

Brody's stats...

2011-01-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, after going to the doctor this morning for Brody's one month check up, we found out our "Little" man is 12 pounds 4 ounces and 22.25 inches long!! Holy Smokes! I couldn't help but join with the doctor in laughing at how big he is. Thank you, Lord, for a healthy baby.

Going to the movie with 2 kids

2011-01-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

I might be a bit crazy...I will blame it on the lack of sleep and desperately wanting to feel like I can still dictate my schedule, but I ventured out yesterday to take Addie and Brody to go see Tangled at the theatre while Chris was in Santa Cruz for the day. I was hoping that Addie will sit in her seat the whole time (and not pee in her underwear) and that Brody will eat/sleep on me. Success! All went as hoped and it was a fun time. However, upon arriving home, Brody had a meltdown and Addie peed all over her carpet in her room within 10 minutes of arriving home. Awesome.

1 Month Old

2011-01-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

Where has the last 4 weeks gone? I cannot believe that Brody is already a month old! He is getting more and more comfortable and developing his little personality. I swore last week that he showed signs of smiling but Chris didn't quite believe my crazy mom discovery. Luckily for me, Brody was interacting with both Chris and I the other day and Chris saw...I even got a little smile on camera when I took some of his 1 month old pictures. He is still our little cuddle bear (sleeping on Chris as I type) and he still loves to eat. He has his 1 month check up tomorrow and I am anxious to see what he weighs. :)

A family becoming...

2011-01-07T14:35:00.001-08:00

The Blakes are slowly starting to feel "normal" with the addition of Brody. We have been out and about since he was less than a week old but it's starting to feel more manageable if you know what I mean. We headed to Morro Bay for a morning since the weather was supposed to be beautiful and had a great time. Addie went on adventure with Dad while I fed Brody then we all took a walk around the bay. Brody slept in the Moby wrap like a champ! On the way back to the car, Chris and I actually got to hold hand...life is getting a little more settled one day at a time.

3 Weeks Old

2011-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's crazy to think that Brody is 3 weeks old and will be a month old tomorrow. Wow! I know I keep saying it, but he is so stinkin' big. Chris has started calling him "Big Baby" just like Lotso does on Toy Story 3. We all can't help but laugh since he sounds just like him. Poor Brody!

2 weeks old

2010-12-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Brody is rounded the corner to 3 weeks old. He looks so much older because he is such a big boy. We had to take him to the doctor's again for a cold and they weighed him to be 10 pounds 4 ounces. What?! I couldn't help but laugh. We are slowly figuring out the sleeping thing each night but that seems to be our biggest obstacle right now. He is becoming more and more awake throughout the day and showing signs of interacting when he looks at us. Our Brody is a sweet little boy and we are blessed.

Christmas

2010-12-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas in Paso since Brody was only 2 weeks old. It was a nice, quiet holiday as a family of 4. On Christmas Eve we went to our church's service followed by our tradition of pizza, sugar cookies and Charlie Brown Christmas. Addie enjoyed the cookies. :) On Christmas day, we got up around 7 and headed downstairs to open presents. Addie was a bit confused why she got more gifts since your "already got her new jammies" on Christmas Even. We couldn't help but giggle. It took us about 2.5 hours to open up her gifts since we had to eat or play with everything right after she opened it. :) Mimi and Papa came into town later that evening so Addie got to stay up until 10. Wow! All in all, it was a great first holiday with Brody.

Santa in the Park

2010-12-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Blakes! We lagged with the Christmas cards this year since we were wanting to have a family picture with Brody in it...maybe we will aim for a New Year's card...maybe. :)

1 Week

2010-12-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

Life seems to be going at a busy and slow pace. It's crazy to think that Brody has past his 1 week marker and moving into the two week marker. He has already brought joy to our lives and makes us laugh. At times he looks like a grumpy old man and other times he looks to precious for words...baby faces are hilarious. By Brody's first doctor appointment he weighed a hefty 9 pounds 2 ounces. I laugh because he loves to eat!...just like his mom and dad. :) Naturally, sleep has been the challenge for us but we are surviving well. Brody is not a fan of sleeping in his bassinet yet he will gladly sleep on or beside one of us in a heart beat. We are taking baby steps in this process and trying to be patient with our little cuddler. Addie continues to engage with Brody throughout the day and give him kisses here and there. I think she realizes he doesn't "do much" right now but we try to tell her that soon enough he will be up and about with her (a crazy thought).

Nina came out for a 5 day visit to help out around the house and with Addie. She is always so sweet and tender with the kids and really knows how to play well with them. My mom loves babies so holding Brody was one of her favorite things. She surprised Addie with a homemade princess dress that was amazing!...Addie LOVED it and would wear it almost everyday. Thanks NIna!

Brody Phillip Blake

2010-12-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

He is here! He is here! After waiting for an extra week, our doctor graciously induced labor on Saturday. Brody Phillip was born on December 11th at 9:41pm weighing in at a hefty 8 pounds 12 ounces and stretching 21 inches long. The labor went faster than what was expected and he is healthly...and stinkin' adorable (looks very similar to Miss Addie at birth). Chris and I were able to surprise Papa with Brody's middle name being named after him since Papa has been such an influential man in Chris's life. It was sweet to see him a bit speechless when he heard the name choice. Addie was been an amazing big sister from the start and is enjoying watching "Baby Brother" throughout the day. All in all, it's great to be home and adjust to a family of four. Thank you to all our friends and family for the prayers...God is so gracious and Brody is truly more perfect than words.

So we wait

2010-12-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

Brody is proving to be just like Addie in delaying his arrival...which I have to say is rather torturous for a woman who is over 40 weeks pregnant. There is something so sweet about a "due date" so to see it come and go is not the greatest. HOWEVER, I have to admit that the extra time with Miss Addie has been a blessing. Chris and I are trying to do those last minute things around the house as well as really playing with the little girl to make each day special with her. Yesterday we made sugar cookies and iced them, tonight we packed up the car to go see "Tangled" at the drive-in (Addie LOVED it) and tomorrow is another family date night. I know we will not remember what our life was without Brody but we find ourselves drawn to Addie in a stronger way. She is our sweet daughter and what a joy she is to us. Saturday is the scheduled induction and hopefully the new addition to the Blake family will make his arrival!

Addie's shoe choice and 39 weeks

2010-11-30T17:03:00.000-08:00

I have to say this has been a completely different pregnancy. My belly is truly getting bigger and bigger by the day.

This is a picture of Addie's shoe choice when we asked her to go get some shoes on to run errands. She is turning into such a girlie girl. :)

Christmas Carols in the park

2010-11-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

Paso has so many fun, small town events to include the townspeople in. This year we got to attend the lighting of the downtown park and Christmas carols with Mrs. Clause. Naturally it's a bit cheesy but that is what makes it so fun. Addie got to spend some time with one of her best friends, Jack-Jack, while running around with a candle in her hand (very safe).

A Paso Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T16:49:00.000-08:00

This year was a completely different Thanksgiving experience for the family since we were Paso bound due to waiting for the arrival of Brody. Luckily, Mimi and Papa joined us for our quiet fest at our home...it's always great to have them in town. Chris and I attempted our first turkey and stuffing dish. We actually did it...and it tasted pretty good! We will have to work on the timing of the Thanksgiving meal next year since we thought we would eat at 4 (to work around Addie's nap) but ended up eating at 1:00 since everything was finished. My thought was better earlier than later, right?! All in all, it was a great holiday and very relaxing.

Addie took this picture of Papa...we were pretty impressed.

Family Pictures

2010-11-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

Holy smokes...we finally bit the bullet and had some family pictures taken. What an adventure but so worth it. I laugh because I now know what my clients feel like when they arrive to a shoot with their kids a wreck and they are all sweaty before we even begin. :) Addie did great and provided us with classic "Addie faces and attitude". I am know stuck with the problem of selecting which images to print for the house...so fun!

Halloween!

2010-11-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a simple day full of candy for Addie. We had the church's harvest festival after church and then a night with the Hamons. I think Addie started eating candy before we went out and had another piece before bed. Needless to say, she was literally spinning around in circles before we attempted to put her down for the night. She didn't have the most creative costume this year but she enjoyed wearing it...butterflies are a favorite in her mind. Jack, Soren and Shiloh were "team Curious George" and they were tied for the best costume with Rylan and Elle who were Colonel Sanders and a rooster. Luckily I have very creative friends. :)

Mimi and Papa's visit

2010-11-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

We never get to have Mimi and Papa come enough but it's always a treat when they do. Baby Blake had a shower on Saturday so Mimi and I headed to do "girlie" things while Chris and Papa entertained Addie. Every year Papa heads to Gettysburg and Addie got to partake in her first Gettysburg attire (chosen by Papa). He did great! Pink with gems with is always a hit for Addie and she wore her hat during dinner.

Trip to Tennessee

2010-11-01T21:49:00.001-07:00

It's hard to know where to even start with explaining this trip! We headed out to TN to celebrate my grandfather's surprise 80th birthday party. It was great being with the whole extended family on my mom's side since many of them have not seen or met Addie - crazy! Addie was a trooper with the chaos of us all...she would walk around with her fingers in her ears or run upstairs to read by herself some because it was "too loud down there!" I couldn't help but laugh.

On our way out, we had a layover in Dallas for 3 hours. Some of our dearest friends recently moved there so we shot in the dark to see if we could have some time with them during the layover. It worked!!! They swung by the airport and the girls got to play together for an hour while we all caught up. My heart was full from just being with the Cranks...how I miss them all. Addie's sole close girl friend was Josie (and Anna too) so it was fun to see them play.

In TN, we stayed with my brother's family in Memphis and had a blast with their family. Addie (and us too) fell more in love with her cousins and they all got along perfectly. Quinn and Addie would play dolls or walk around in dress up shoes one minute and run around the house like crazies with the boys the next. It was too sweet to just live a few days with them all. I found myself wanting to be closer to them more and more. Can we pull some states closer together?? Or can they all just move to CA? :)

The party for Big Buddy was a hit. He was shocked and surprised by the festivities...I think he is still processing it all. The family really pulled together to pull off a great event and it all ran smoothly. Chris experienced his first southern-coke-with-peanuts drink. I personally think my cousins lied to him to see if he would really drink it...he did. :) We got a little time with my beautiful sister, two younger brothers, and my folks. It's never enough but we have to be grateful for what we had. All in all, it was a great trip (minus the HORRIBLE trip home...another story for another time). Miss you all!

2.75 years old

2010-11-01T21:47:00.001-07:00

Bed hair after a nap...but pretty stinkin' cute.

Our little (big) joy in life

2010-10-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Addie is truly our joy. She has such a vibrant personality and seems to be growing before our eyes. People constantly stop us to commit on how big she is for her age. Lately she has learned to chew gum so I feel like she is a 15 year old. We decided to take some quick family pictures on Friday since we both realized it has been too long since we pulled out the "legit" camera for some Addie shots. She was a little ham for us both and had a great time being her silly self...and yes, she did get a surprise ice cream ,which she LOVED, for modeling for 15 minutes. :)

A new chapter

2010-09-30T20:19:00.001-07:00

Today has been a bitter sweet day for Chris and I. Everything about the day was great...played with a dear friend in Avila, Addie took a long nap, did some shopping for Baby XXXX (still no name yet) and a good dinner with the family. However, both Chris and I feel a bit heavy hearted today. Today officially wraps up our time as the Area Director (me the wife) of San Luis Obispo County. A world wind of emotions come along with this change since it was 11 months in coming: relief, peace, guilt, regrets...the list goes on for both pros and cons. When Chris and I married and moved to Paso Robles, we honestly could have told anyone that we were going to be the staff family in the area until we were 80. No joke, those were our words. It's funny how God has such different plans for us...plans we would not even image or sometimes understand.

With saving you too many details since our close friends and family know the story, Chris is moving jobs to be the associate regional director of our region with his amazing boss, Scott Lisea. Luckily for us, we do not have to move since my job is set here (and we own a house that I can guarantee will not sell anytime soon). The new job is PERFECT for him and matches all his strengths and talents more than we can image. He will basically help teach, train and lead the other area directors in our region. It's just weird to step away from the "front lines" of the ministry. We are both taking a break from leading since I have been a leader for 10 years and Chris 12 years. So, as I write, the first Young Life club for Paso High started tonight and we are not there. It's odd. It's definitely not normal and my heart is honestly a bit saddened by the reality. As I write, Chris will officially be finished as the area director of SLO in less than 4 hours and a new area director is already being considered. As I write, we embark on a new chapter and adventure with this new job tomorrow...and Chris will head out to the Valley to already get a jump start on training leaders in club speaking.

The change is good. The change is hard. I have said many of times to God that "this is not what I wanted" but I honestly couldn't tell you what I am wanting now...I'm 8 months pregnant too so the emotions are high. :) I feel all Chris and I can do and say is "we TRUST you Lord. We trust." The future in additional fundraising is draining for the new role, salaries changed, comfortability left...but trust is what we have left. My prayer is for the best, most fruitful year for all our clubs in the SLO county. May God surpass all our understanding and expectations by bringing more kids than even to his feet. I pray too that our family will still have our eyes set on serving and not become complacent is just worrying about us. May we reach out to those around us and be open to new ministry opportunities we might have been blinded by before. My prayers go on and on so maybe this is a good thing for us to go through since it's bringing me to my knees. Please join with me in seeking the Lord in all of this.

Thanks for listening as we await that God has in store for us in this new chapter of the Blake family.

New floors, 7 months, and the masterpiece

2010-09-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

We have dreamed of changing up our floors since we moved in. This month it finally hit us that it was time after looking at millions of carpet stains everywhere. Chris (with the help of some great friends) tackled the floors himself and they turned out great! Addie calls them her "new floor." She is not used to playing on the wood yet but it will come. I am thrilled beyond words to not have the carpet and I love the way it all looks. Yipee!

The ghetto, myspace self portrait: 7 months and counting.

Addie's latest drawing masterpiece: The Happy Spider. She will draw them anywhere...too cute.

End of the summer water slide trip

2010-09-18T13:36:00.001-07:00

We have enjoyed having our season pass to the local water park in town. Addie started out the summer as a water sliding machine but eventually didn't want to go down anymore...she preferred to crawl around in the water as a "baby turtle." :) Nonetheless, we enjoyed being in the sun for a few hours and playing with some of our favorite friends (or as Addie calls them, "her buddies").

Note to self...

2010-09-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Laying hardwood floors while being almost 7 months pregnant = not good
Having a 2 1/2 year old sick while laying hardwood floors = pretty good (lots of movies to entertain Miss Addie)
Running out of hardwood boards when your kitchen is 80% finish = horrible
Loving a 2 1/2 year old when all she does is throw temper tantrums = I need a glass of wine

:) Not the most relaxing weekend but productive to say the least...

More bracelets please

2010-09-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

Miss Addie is definitely a girl. Her latest love is to gather as many of my bracelets as she can and put them on one arm (not both...just one). She will walk around the house with her wrist flipped out with a little attitude. She has also been carrying a purse around with little toys in it...we had to carry one to the mailbox the other day but Dad had to carry it home since Addie was tired of "lugging" it around. Love it.