21st Percentile???

We went to the doctor on Monday for both of the kids check ups. Austin went happily, knowing that he wasn't going to have any shots, and Colten goes easily because he's too young to fight it!

We get there and get both kids are weighed and measured.

Austin is 47.5 pounds and 45.5 inches. (about 90th and 95th percentile respectively...I had to look it up since they didn't tell me that at the dr office).

Colten was 23 pounds, 10 ounces and 29 inches. That's about the 66th percentile for weight, but only the 21st percentile for height! Yes, we have a short little boy with this one! :-) Oh, and his head circumference was in the 60th percentile (but I can't remember the actual number).

Both boys are doing great. Colten had one shot, the polio vaccine, as we are doing an alternative vaccine schedule with him. This appointment would have been the big MMR shot (among a few others), but I am waiting until at least 18 months for that one. If anyone has any questions about our alternative schedule, feel free to e-mail me...we think it's really working out well! Colten hasn't been nearly as cranky as Austin was after getting shots (we did everything on schedule with him) and has never had a fever from any of his vaccines. Totally worth it, in my opinion! Plus, we have the ability to narrow down a particular vaccine easier if he ever has a reaction. We will definitely be following the same schedule with our next baby as well!

We go for Colten's next appointment at 15 months...right before we move to North Carolina!

Little Rock Snow Day

With the ice and snow we got while in Little Rock, plans were changed a bit and Daddy went out and bought a sled for Austin. The day before the weather hit, we had gone in there to get a few things and I saw some sleds and almost picked one up. I knew I should have, but for some reason just didn't. It would have been better for the boys to sled together, but when Brian got back to Wal-Mart, there were only two kinds left, the disc kind being one of them. The other was some flimsy sheet of foam and we both thought it wouldn't last.

When Daddy got back from Wal-Mart, he and Austin got bundled up for the cold weather. Luckily, Yaya and Bobo had found some snow pants before we even got to Little Rock and had them sitting in our room waiting for us! Austin's red pair were a tad* big, so I had to roll the pant legs up inside of themselves and they ended up working perfectly. (*I really think the red pants would have fit me...just to show you how big they really were!)

When the boys got outside, they weren't real sure where to sled. Bobo's yard was WAY too steep to sled on (at least for Austin!), so I went across the street to their neighbors house and asked her if we could sled in her yard. She was nice enough to let us, which was really good because she had the perfect beginning slope for Austin.

He looks a little scared in this picture...and I'm not even sure it was the first picture I took of him before he went down!

But, he sure did love it...no doubt about it!

Then, at some point, it was Daddy's turn.

I think Austin was a tad cold, don't ya think?

Excuse the snot...

He had a blast and was ready for a bigger, better hill after a while, so Daddy loaded him up in the car and drove over a couple of street to see if they could find a better hill. They did and came back an hour or two later, happy, but cold.

Presents!

It's what Austin has been looking forward to since Christmas! Yes, we are in full "want mode." We keep trying to show him WHY we celebrate birthdays and especially Christmas, but I guess the idea of new toys just takes over in a kids mind!

Colten isn't a pro at unwrapping gifts right now, but he sure loves to see what's under the wrapping paper!

Austin is obviously a pro and doesn't care of it's wrapped or in a bag.

I really thought this picture was really cute. Colten just loved this helicopter!

Party Cake

Colten and Austin were supposed to have a birthday party on Saturday, the 30th at our house. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans.

With a huge ice storm coming our way, we postponed the party until the next weekend and headed down to Little Rock to avoid the ice. Our fear was another power outage and hotel expenses. We just didn't think we could handle two dogs and two kids while holed up in a hotel. It wasn't fun when Colten was a newborn, so we knew with two active kids it would be much worse!

So, our plan was to have a few of our friends over to Brian's parents' house, again, the ice had other plans. Little Rock got a bit of the ice as well and no one wanted to take any chances and get out on the roads. Completely understandable, so we just had a small party with just us and Yaya and Bobo.

We opened up presents first, then introduced Colten to the wonderful world of sugar!

He obviously knew that it was something good because he was getting quite upset as we started singing Happy Birthday to him instead of handing over the cake. Finally, the song was over and Daddy started putting the cake on the tray and didn't even get it put down before Colten had his hand digging in!

The first touch was a little different than he's used to I guess and he looked to us to see if he was ok to continue.

It didn't take him long to realize that he was actually allowed to dig in like this and shoved handful after handful of icing into his mouth.

He finally got into the cake part and by now was in sugar la-la land.

He's pretty proud of himself by now and has done some damage!

Can this boy be any cuter???

Finally, we pulled the cake from his fingers and got an "after" photo. He definitely wanted more and was licking his fingers and trying to get every bit of cake off his tray before we washed it off.

There was another boy who was happy to get some cake that day!

I have to say that Austin did a great job at rolling with things and not being too upset about his friends not being able to make it over. This boy is awesome!

Birthday Morning

Colten woke up to the traditional birthday decorations in our house. He loved it. He would go out, then come back in, then go out again and in again.

Over and over. We always decorate with streamers and balloons for birthdays and I always like to do a doorway with streamers. The kids love running through them, even if it gets annoying throughout the day as we adults have to walk through them as well!

After walking into the living room, he spied the balloons we had on the floor for him to play with. This boy loves balloons! Then, he finally spotted it! His very own couch!

He's been needing his own chair or something. Austin had one similar around the same age and loved it, so we figured Colten would too. We weren't wrong! He doesn't really like it to be in the sofa position though...he will go up to it and pull it out into the bed position and then sit down. Even if someone has just put it back into the sofa position, Colten thinks it has to be in the bed position! He does this with a few other things too...he definitely has his opinion on how certain things should be!

Getting Ready to Turn 5

Austin

4 Years Old

But only for a short time longer....

Like Father, Like Son

Brian loves puzzles. He can sit down and do a puzzle for hours.

Austin is now starting to like puzzles as well, and asked for one while we were at Wal-Mart the other day. It was a 100 piece Transformers puzzle and we went ahead and bought it since it wasn't too expensive. Plus, I think Brian was just happy that his son was looking forward to doing something that he loved to do so much!

We got the puzzle out and I started helping him sort the pieces. We got the edges done and that is when my focus stops. I am not a puzzle lover. Right around the time that the egdges are done, I'm done as well.

Brian stepped right in and helped with the rest of the puzzle. I do have to say, though, that Austin was putting pieces in the correct place even more than I was, so I think Brian helped as little as he could so that Austin could do it himself.

I know that every now and then, Brian would point out the colors or a part of the background for Austin to look for and Austin would do as much as he could.

It takes a lot of concentration, but he did a great job!

Finally, it was done! Austin was so proud that he did this puzzle. I have to say that it was pretty hard with the dark background with lots of smoke, fire and explosions! I think Daddy will have a partner next time he puts a puzzle together!