No Kids????!!!!

I'm getting things together today and packed for our kids to spend the weekend in Shiner with their grandparents and aunts and uncle. I'm so excited! Brandon and I haven't had a night away from both kids together since Lillian was born! Lillian stayed with my Mom after Andrew was born and Andrew has spent almost a week with the Koennings a few months back, but we have always had at least one of them here.

So, with our anniversary approaching next week, we finally were pleased to hear that the Koennings are taking the kids for the weekend while we go to San Antonio. We are staying on the river walk, relaxing, and going to the Spurs game Saturday night. Brandon is pumped a bout that because we haven't been to a Spurs game since I was pregnant with Lillian. We used to go to several games a year. Anyway, I just wanted to fill everyone in that didn't know that I will be away from the computer this weekend and sleeping in! I'll let you know how it goes!

Oh, and say a little prayer that my kiddos are good for their grandparents! It looks to be pretty weather on Saturday, so I'm sure they'll have a good visit.

Future President

Forget Obama...here is who we are waiting for!

11 months Have Come and Gone!

It is so hard to believe that my baby boy will be 1 in just a month from today! He couldn't have asked for a prettier 11 month birthday! It is gorgeous outside and I just pray that Valentine's Day will be just as lovely for my little man's party. Please visit Andrew's website...the link is to the left of my blog...to read the new journal entry and see the 2 new photo albums...his 11th month and 11 months old today.

Good Times with Old Friends

I met up with some college friends today at Pappasitos for lunch. Us girls had a bunch of classes together at Tx State...in the SWT days...and then ended up student teaching at the same school. We stay in touch and try to get together several times a year as we have kids and they can play and we can visit.

As you can see, my kids aren't pictured. Wendy ended up being late today, so Brandon had come with us and we had eaten before she made it, so he went ahead and took the kids home since Lillian was tired of sitting...good thing too because she took a 3 hour nap! She must have been really tired.

It was great to see everyone and visit. Wendy's nice friend was good enough to take our picture together. Below are pictures of the kids. Erin's daughter, Ava who is 5 months older than Lillian and then Wendy's son, Jake, who is 2 months older than Andrew. We'll have a new one to join us soon as Erin is due with number 2 in March. Isn't she so cute with her baby bump!

I also added a picture of Lillian below dancing in our living room this evening. This is her first time to wear this outfit and I thought it was cute, so I wanted to take a picture.

A Glimpse into My Life This Week

Some of the cute moments of my week.

My little chefs!!

Andrew loves playing with Lillian's dollhouse while Lillian plays with his cars!

Andrew has started to love the Backyardigans and crawls to the tv to check it out when it comes on!

Lillian wanted her shades on and then said "cheese" wanting me to take her picture.

Random Stuff This Week

We have just been hanging around the house this week. It is too cold to take the kids out. Luckily, Andrew is back to his old self. The teething is over with for now. He has been actually playing, crawling around, and getting into things. My arms are getting a little rest. Lillian has been discovering old toys. She found an ottoman box I have in the living room with some older toys in it and gets them out each day. She found this hat from the zoo and a purse and bear yesterday and was walking around with them all day. Funny how kids just attach themselves to things.

Brandon has been working some rough shifts this week. He was only supposed to work 9-5:30 yesterday, but then someone called in sick and they couldn't find a replacement, so he worked until 11! He was home this morning and then is back again until 11 today too. You can tell he is working too much when the kids miss him! I was pulling out of our driveway this morning and Lillian waved at the house sounding so sad saying "Bye, Daddy!" I called him right away to tell him! Poor baby girl, misses her daddy!

While he was home this morning, I had my 3 month lasik follow-up and got great news that although there still is a little swelling in my left eye, everything looks great and I'm seeing 20/10! That was good to hear.

I also had a little bit of time between going there and picking up Lillian from preschool, so I stopped by Old Navy to use a gift card I got for Christmas while I didn't have kids. I was so excited to try on some size 8 jeans and they almost fit! Just a tad bit too snug. I debated on buying them for when I lose a few more pounds I hope to in the next few weeks, but decided against it since maybe in a month or 2 I'll want shorts for the spring/summer, so I'll wait until then. It was just so exciting to me because this is the first time I've ever even worn a 10 my life and to almost be in an 8 is such a big accomplishment. That has been my ultimate goal. It is very surreal when I can remember buying my size 16's in junior high.

Anyway, that definitely gets me going again on my weight loss goals since I'm so close to where I want to be. I think it will also help since I'm not teaching this year and not getting all those chocolates for Valentine's Day from my students!

That is all I have to report on the news in the Koenning house for this week. I hope everyone is staying warm where ever you are!

Andrew's First Spaghetti

Don't you just love spaghetti? Not only does it taste good, it gives mothers the opportunity to take those messy food pictures of their kids! Andrew enjoyed his first spaghetti dinner, but I think he enjoyed the Chicken Parmesan and garlic bread more, most of the spaghetti just ended up everywhere but in his mouth.

One more!

Now, I really know why my baby boy has been so very crabby lately. I knew he was teething again and miserable and like I said the other day, he got that 10th tooth...well, today he was eating and I noticed another tooth on the bottom too! That makes 11 choppers now! Poor kid was pushing through 2 big ole molars! I know that must hurt! Anyway, just wanted to share the latest update.

What a Beautiful Day!

January 8th and 80 degrees! Isn't Texas wonderful!? Of course I don't feel the same when it is over 100 in summer, but I'll forget about that for now. The kids and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the park and then came home and played outside here. Here are some pictures.

Lillian enjoyed playing with a soccer ball and then driving her new vehicle in the yard when we got home. You can tell by looking how Andrew feels! Poor baby boy is just miserable with his teething. He just wants to be held and comforted. Hopefully it will be over soon!

Thanks Jamie!

I have been wanting to get black-out curtains for my kid's rooms for a while now. Andrew's room, especially is really bright in the morning and I'm sure it helps on him waking up early and contributes to not napping as well either. Well, my step-mom, Jamie volunteered to make the curtains! I mailed her Lillian's curtains and she was going to look for something to go in the nursery since I just had a white valance in there. She ended up ordering the same sheet I have for his bed and finding some other cute fabric that matches the colors to make his curtains. Check them out:

I'm so impressed with how well these turned out knowing she didn't have anything to start from. You can see that the frogs on the lamp are the same as the ones on the curtain. So cute! They are great, Jamie! I love them!

Here is Lillian's room with her curtains hung...she had the curtains before, but now they are lined to make her room darker. They were more sheer before.

Going along with this, I've been working on organizing the toy room more now that our Christmas tree is down. Here is how it looks now. I like the idea of the kitchen more out so they can use the counter on it and it splits up the room nicely into play areas. Let me know what you think. It has been tough trying to find places to put things now with baby and kid toys. I want them where they can get to them to play, but some things just have to be on the shelf since we are running out of room.

Andrew news update: He has been extremely fussy lately and wasn't sleeping well and today napped about 3 hours total! I was worried he may be coming down with something, only to find out this evening feeling in his mouth that he got his matching molar on the left side of his mouth to the one he got a month back! That makes 10 teeth now!

One Last Christmas

Just when we thought our toy room was full, we had one last Christmas to go. The Koenning's drove in yesterday morning to have Christmas with us. It was so nice to see everyone and Brandon, his sisters, and Mom cooked some great stuff! Brandon made his 2nd turkey ever and it was delicious. Andrew even enjoyed a few pieces.

The kids got some great new gifts too. Lillian got some new clothes and toys including a power ride-on pink vehicle. She is still a little timid about pushing to button to make it go when she rides and just wants to push herself along. We'll see when she decides to take off. Maybe when it warms up again, we can try it outside. Andrew got a push-along riding toy and some new clothes too.

***On another note, Andrew has had a few firsts lately. He got his first pair of shoes yesterday and looks so grown-up in them. He also had his first big-people food meal at lunch today. I made them Mac and Cheese and he loved it! He has had big-people food for a while, but is is usually just to supplement when he is done with his baby food while we are eating. We are now officially moving him to table food!

Afternoon away from the kids

So, I finally got to get hair hair cut and high-lighted after many months. It is hard to get out without the kids working around Brandon being home. I had a nice afternoon visiting with my beautician whom I love! She has been doing my hair since my wedding. I told her if she ever leaves the place, I'll follow her! I'm still driving down from Round Rock to South Austin just to see her.

I got to spend my gift cards from Christmas. I have desperately needed new clothes since losing weight. I bought one pair of jeans and a few shirts to get by a few months ago, but was waiting for Christmas, so I got some good deals on sale today and was proud to find a dress that I love. I haven't bought a dress in about 5 years it seems! Now I need an occasion to wear it!

It was a good afternoon, but poor Brandon had two grumpy kids that wouldn't nap today for him. Andrew crawled right up to me and wanted me to hold him when I got home and Lillian came and gave me a kiss and hug without me even saying anything to her! I guess they did miss me! Needless to say, Brandon was happy to see me too!

2009 is Here!

Happy New Year to you all!

Brandon had to work New Year's Eve and got home around 6 pm and then had to be back this morning (New Year's Day) at 7 am, so needless to say, we didn't ring in the new year with a bang. I did wake up at about 12:08 and turn over and say happy new year to him before going back to sleep!

This morning, the kids and I treated today like a normal day. We went to the gym and let me tell you, it was wonderful...not crowded at all. I like to enjoy that before it becomes overcrowded in the weeks to come with what Brandon and I like to call "the Resoluters" that crowd the gym for a month or two at the beginning of the year. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad people are resolving to lose weight and work out, but it sure is a pain to us that go everyday normally.

Brandon will be working until 7 tonight. So he called to apologize earlier since it will be a long day for me and I'll be putting the kids to bed on my own. (He originally was supposed to only work until 5:30.) So one good thing has come of it. We are getting To Go from Olive Garden for dinner, so that I guess will be my special New Year treat.

It is funny how your life changes with kids. My cousin, Ashley, wrote in her blog about a New Years Eve in her past and it got me thinking about that too. I remember 10 years ago last night going to a movie with my sister and some friends and driving back wishing happy New Year out the car window to everyone we saw knowing that it was 1999 and I would be graduating high school in just a couple of months.

The following year, I celebrated the change over to the new millennium in Austin! Brandon and I sat at the state capitol building watching the fireworks over the city. It was so great.

Maybe years down the road when my kids will sleep and tend to themselves in the morning, I too will stay up for the New Year again and have another fun story to tell and remember. We'll see!

May 2009 be a wonderful year for us all! Happy New Year everyone!