Road Trip!

This past week, we bravely embarked on a road trip to Austin, TX. Much to my surprise, the kids did wonderfully in the car!!! We loved visiting with Aunt Mary and Uncle Enidio. Also, the kids loved getting to meet other family members for the first time. The kid's great grandmother celebrated her 80th birthday and Ayden was delighted to get to join in the celebration.

On our way to Texas, we stayed a night in Shreveport and two nights in Lake Charles. Both cities were very pretty and we enjoyed the new experiences. In Lake Charles we stayed at the L'auberge hotel. It was incredible!! The hotel/casino was good for allowing Ayden to walk around and be as loud as he wanted. While the casino was not somewhere I wanted to stay, I didn't have much say because my father was paying for it. (I did not do any gambling because I am too cheap of a person to risk losing one penny!! )

We are all glad to be home and look forward to a week of hanging out at the house. Jessie Ann and Chance were both so excited to see us as were we of them. Since the road trip was so successful, I plan on making the trip again in the Spring...but next time, John will have to come along!

Eating Solids

Anna Claire has begun eating rice cereal. She is doing so well with it already! Yesterday, when I started feeding her Ayden wanted to try it. So, I gave him a bite and he made a face like "why would you give me this?". It was so cute. Jessie Ann and Chance quickly realized that they now have two people to stand under when eating! I have a feeling that if I were to drop some of it that they too would give me the same face as Ayden!

19 Months

I am staying home now with Ayden and loving it. I admit somedays are harder than others, but we have a lot of fun. We go to the park, library, zoo, and we might start going to a dance class if I can talk his daddy into letting him take dance. He is a very happy boy and I am so blessed to have him. He is also a great big brother! He loves his Anna Claire-but he calls her baby. He is constantly kissing and hugging her. I have a hard time keeping him off her. Anna Claire is so easy. She spends most her time sleeping so it frees me up to spend time with Ayden.

Walking

These last few months have been very challenging now that little man can walk/run. He absolutely loves testing his boundaries and seeing what mommy and daddy will do. I have the hardest time trying NOT to laugh when he is being so BAD. The times when he does this the most is when daddy is not around.
We truly are blessed with him and are so glad he is in our lives. Everyday he does something new and we just love being apart of these times of development. For instance, he can now do the sounds of a monkey, cow, chicken, and lion. He also does a roar sound at Jessie-apparently he thinks she sounds like a lion. Speaking of Jessie, poor Jessie! She never gets a break. Ayden is constantly harassing her. We are debating getting a puppy after the new baby comes so that Jessie can get some peace.
We are moving back to Birmingham!!!!! I can't wait! Ayden is going to love his house! Currently, we live in a condo so he doesn't have much space to run around and climb on stuff. Plus, we don't have a backyard for him to play in. However, in our house we have plenty of room and we plan to make a play room downstairs-poor John, we are getting rid of "Club JP". Anyways, we look forward to spending time with our friends and family back in B'ham and to an eventful summer. Ayden will have a new sister at the beginning of July!!!