Since We Last Spoke: Winter 2013

Bradley's Baby Dedication

This is the last installment of "Since We Last Spoke" posts - thank goodness! It feels great to be caught up and now we can chat about real time events:) Happy Friday!

January 2013 Snow Day

Since We Last Spoke: The Holidays 2012

The holiday season started out with a big milestone for the Big Guy - solid food! During the first two bites, he was a bit skeptical. From the third bite on, he couldn't get enough! Thus far he has liked everything except beets. Can't say that I blame him. His favorite foods are anything and everything that doesn't have beets. I really can't pinpoint a favorite because he gobbles everything up.

Bradley's appetite is serious. He has milk before a meal and then he will scarf down two jars of baby food. That means we can go through 5-6 jars of food a day. We may go broke trying to feed this kid. 

Addison's favorite past time is mothering her baby dolls. When she is playing with her babies she often likes to get dressed up and "go to Publix". She has quite the imagination and sense of fashion. Her fashion philosophy is more is more!

Each year we split holidays between our families. Thanksgiving was spent with the "Tew Crew" and Christmas was spent with "The Hamlations" (Can you tell Brad really likes nicknames?)

At Thanksgiving, I was tasked with creating arrangements for Tula's pretty tables. November in Mobile doesn't yield many pretty blossoms, so I focused on using foliage to create the look. I think the combination of colors and textures turned out beautiful. Best part of these arrangements is they were free! I trimmed them from The Tew's front yard that morning in my pj's:) 

Aunt La made the most adorable paper grocery bag turkey for the kid's table. These pictures don't do it justice!

2012 Christmas Card Photos

This Christmas was so amazing. Addison was old enough to start grasping the true meaning of Christmas and was so excited about all the different activities of the season. It's just magical to watch her experience all the traditions of our faith with such joy and excitement. Bradley was thrilled to finally receive some "boy" toys to play with:) Below are pics from all our Christmas events....

Christmas Morning 2012

Hamilton Christmas 2012

Shipp Christmas 2012

New Year's with The Tew's

Since We Last Spoke: The Fall

Hold on to your hats folks! I have mastered making picture mosaics and this post is full of them. The first few weeks as a family of four were an absolute blur. Looking back, that time was just a fog of balancing feedings and diapering with entertaining a two-year-old.

Thankfully, Bradley is an easy baby and we just kept trucking along not missing a beat. For me, the biggest challenge as a new mom of two was (and still is) figuring out how to leave the house with two little ones without hours of preparation.  

I've found that most days my time is spent making sure that my children don't look like neglected rag-a-muffin's while I look like a hot mess of spit-up stained yoga pants and dirty hair. Lets face it, I would rather have a few extra precious minutes of sleep instead of spending that time making myself look half way human in the morning.

You can probably see from the photos that Bradley is a round little guy. He loves to eat and eats well making that cherub face as round as a butterball. People often tell me that he looks like his sister, but they couldn't have more different personalities.

Like most first born children, Addison is strong-willed and independent (the apple doesn't fall from the tree:). I bet I hear "Mommy, I do it. I can do it" no less than two dozen times a day. Yet she is very cautious of new things and new people. She tends to be very shy when she is out of her element.

Bradley's personality is just the opposite. He's a passive, laid-back, go with the flow kind of guy much like his Daddy. He smiles all. the. time. I mean all the time. When I take him to church and Bible study, his teachers often tell me how much he likes to "talk" and laugh at the other babies and children. I think he will be my social butterfly.

Late summer faded to fall quickly and Addison began going to mother's day out for the first time. She was so excited about her first day and was thrilled to carry her PBJ in a lunch box. Addison enjoys school so much and adores her teachers and friends. When I wake her up on school day mornings, she pops right out of bed. I can't get her to school quick enough!

We are so fortunate to have two healthy children, but Brad and I were reminded what a blessing their health is when Bradley was 8 weeks old. A few days after he tuned 8 weeks old, I took Bradley to the doc for a routine check-up. The doc noticed a place on his chin that I thought was just a pimple. A few hours later, we were rushing Bradley to Children's Hospital with a very high fever that kept increasing. He had a severe staff infection that had begun to spread. He spent a couple of days in the hospital while receiving the highest doses of antibiotics that he could get. But through this scary time, God was sovereign and in control. He provided Bradley with wonderful doctors and nurses in a pediatric hospital only minutes from our home. He prevented the use of harsh diagnostic tests that could have caused serious side effects.  He healed Bradley's physical body quickly and without the aid of surgical intervention.

Brad and I praise God for giving us comfort and peace during those days and for healing Bradley. While we were at Children's, we noticed so many parents walking the halls with children in much dire circumstances. My heart broke for those parents whose hospital stay was more than just a few days but rather in and out of weeks and over years. I think about those sick children and their families and pray for miraculous healing and for continued strength. The Lord taught Brad and I a valuable lesson during that time. That health is a precious blessing to be thankful for and that God is with us always through all circumstances.

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The dog days of summer begin yielding to the crisp fall air and trees begin to dazzle us with their many colors - love it! When the kiddos and I went to pick out the perfect pumpkin, Addison posed herself for the camera. Can you tell why her nickname is Sassy?

Fall also means another season of church league basketball. Brad never misses an opportunity to play intramural anything...football, basketball, softball...he lives for it. He always seems to be on the winning team too. Here he his with teammates after winning the league championship. What a stud.

Addison was obsessed with all things Auburn and Aubie for several months during football season. Obsessed may not even be a strong enough word. Perhaps crazed, fanatical, infatuated would be more appropriate. 

We weren't surprised when Addi requested to be Aubie for Halloween. Of course Aubie needed a football to carry for her costume to be complete;)

A holiday wrap-up is coming soon!