Thursday, June 25

Family Pictures

Last week Chris took a couple of vacation days since he didn't have any scheduled for the entire summer. His first day off, Thursday, we went to get family pictures at Portrait Innovations. The boys cried ALOT; Austin was tired and overstimulated and Bradley was freaked by the photographer. However, we still managed to get some good pictures! Above is our family portrait; I love it! It is a little hard looking at it knowing Brayden and Lexi are missing (can't you imagine our family with 2 more precious blessings?!!), but we're very thankful for our 2 boys here on Earth. Below is a precious pictures of my 2 oldest boys! I can't believe how old they both are getting. Austin isn't a newborn anymore, and Bradley is such a big boy! Friday Austin had an appointment with the cardiologist to have an ECHO. It came back looking OK. He still has a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), a type of opening in the heart between the right and left atrium, however they are going to follow it and hope it closes on it's own. He'll go back in the fall for another ECHO. This is related to his prematurity; he had another opening at birth too but they were able to close it with medicine. So, we'll take this as it's not too big of a deal at this point. Then, Saturday Bradley got a BIG BOY bed! I can't believe my oldest baby boy is getting so big. He was perfectly content staying in his crib, but alas he had started to break the spindles out of the crib! ha ha He is one strong, big boy. :-) Chris also started tilling the backyard in preparation for our sod. We have red clay, and it's like cement. So, he did that to help break up the soil and then will go back and rake it. I also started cooking for Father's Day. We had both fathers over Sunday for lunch (Chris's sister and my brother and their families). Needless to say I cooked a lot, but it was well worth it. We had homemade BBQ pork, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, string beans, freshly baked bread, and homegrown Wicker tomatoes. An awesome southern meal that was completed with homemade peach cobbler and ice cream. (one of Chris' patients brought him a whole bushel of SC peaches; they were so good). All the Dads seemed to thoroughly enjoy their meal; it's been a long time since I cooked like that. It was a busy long weekend, but it was fun. We but the boys to bed the other night, grabbed the baby monitors, and stayed outside until midnight drawing out the backyard beds. It's going to look great we think! We had our irrigation system installed this week, next is the sod and mulch. Chris is hoping to get a load of mulch delivered for us to put out this weekend. I keep reminding him that we do have a 3 month old (who requires a lot of attention and not too much sleep) and 3 year old. How crazy are we to be doing this right now? It will be worth it; we just have to run out there and get things done when the boys are sleeping or tag team staying inside with Austin. Bradley likes to get right in the middle of yard work; Chris and I have always loved being outside. Bradley enjoyed being outside with Chris while he was tilling which I couldn't. Bradley is all boy though, in fact he was covered in dirt head-to-toe and had to be carried straight to the bath. Anyway, that is about it. We go to the doctor Thursday, so I'll post that later. Night night!
Brothers!
Our big 3 year old!
Our big 3 month old (well that is his adjusted age)
Our Sumo wrestler!
Look at that smile!
He really didn't want to smile big for any pictures!
Cheese!
We love these little boys so much!
His Mama loves the spiked hair; it does that on it's own
Bradley still loves to "rock, rock."
Austin was fast asleep by the time we took the last pictures.
He looks like such an angel. I imagine his little brother and sister looking like this sleeping safely with our Lord in Heaven.

Tuesday, June 2

Just having fun!

Wow, there is no doubt that they're brothers!
Bradley using the Bumbo Seat. Bradley's legs were too big as a baby to use it!
I smile all the time!
Look at that sweet face!

Bradley sick with his double
ear infection asking if he could PLEASE
watch one more show!
They already love each other so much!
Good way to end this post - Austin's thoughts on his Bumbo Seat!

Memorial Day

We often get doughnuts on holidays, and Memorial Day was no exception. Bradley loves his "do do's"; that was his word for dougnuts for a long time. It was so cute, but he says it correctly now. That is a little sad for us, because he is growing up.
Chris worked most of Memorial Day weekend, but he got off early Memorial Day. We took it easy and hung out at home all day. That evening we headed over to Saluda Shoals to celebrate Bradley's dear friend's, Anna Grace, 3rd birthday at the Splash Park. They cooked out, and we had yummy, homemade birthday cake. It was fun, and we are definitely going to have to go again! Bradley and his "Grace"
Happy 3rd Birthday!
Bradley was surrounded by little girls, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the attention!
Bradley ran and ran the entire time we were there.