My work buddy and pictures!

We had a slow day last week at work because of school testing so I had a little work buddy! Hallie spent the whole day at work with me! She did great! She slept majority of the day in a swing in my office, played on her playmat, and got fought over to who held and fed her! She is so much fun! We have reached another BIG milestone in that she has slept through the night for a week now from after her dreamfeed at 10:30 until 7am!! SO proud of her! Chance is also doing great! Very busy and talks talks talks! We are getting ready for his 2nd birthday this next week!!

Wearing cousin Dorothy Grace's dress for first day at church

Playing at work

Hanging out on mommy's desk

Big girl sitting in her bumbo

Chance loving on Boomer! All the dogs are so good with him!

Relaxing watching Nemo! Too cute

Good Boy!

Chance is a very good big brother to his sister.  He always makes sure we do not leave her behind when going somewhere, brings her toys, talks to her, etc.  This morning as I was getting them both dressed, I placed Hallie in her crib with her kick piano and got Chance ready.  Chance heard her music and said Hallie's music and went to go check it out!  I put Chance in the crib with Hallie so he could see what she was up to!  He looked and her and said "Hi sister!" He then patted her belly and said, "Good boy!"  Too funny!  Either we need a lesson on girl/boy or one on that sister is not a dog!!  Brotherly love!

Bluebonnets

Our friend Allison's parents have some beautiful property with bluebonnets!  We were lucky enough to take pictures out there this afternoon after naps!  I love how they turned out!  Chance really enjoyed running and looking at all the flowers!  He broke the law and picked a few!

Hallie: 2 months old!

Oh my how time flies!  Our sweet little Hallie is two months old!  She continues to be the happiest thing!  She has a very laid back personality majority of the time.  She lets you know when she is tired or hungry other than that she just smiles and smiles.  She enjoys bath time just like her brother.  I got out Chance's old kick and play piano and she loves it just like he did.  She just kicked and kicked and kicked and watched as all the lights went off and on!  She is a good sleeper at night.  I think she is getting really close to sleeping through the night. She went from 10:30 to 6am this past Saturday!  Yea Hallie! She loves to be swaddled.  When you are putting her in it she gives you such a sweet smile as to say thank you mom!  She enjoys watching Chance play and run around!  Enjoy her pictures! Doctor update: Hallie weighs 10 lbs. 2 ounces and is 21 3/4 inches long!  She is right at the 25th % for height and weight.  Her head is in the 60th %!!!

Chance: 23 months old!

This is more for me to remember the fun things Chance is doing at this age!  Hope you enjoy reading the fun things about our little guy.  He seems to have really grown up these last two months!  I think because we compare him to a little newborn.

• He is very polite and when he does not want something he says "No thank you please" (even when he is upset!)
• He can do a front roll!
• Can recognize letters of the alphabet and sounds they make! (Thanks to Letter Factory)
• He has crazy curly wavy hair (this started right before Hallie was born!)
• Thinks it is his responsibility to reprimand the dogs (tells them "No Sir!" he hears that alot!)
• Will call us by our first names when he really wants something!
• Becoming a better eater, still not a big fan of breakfast other than a smoothie!
• Loves the library and talks about Ms. Joyce (the librarian)
• He has a slight crush on our next door neighbor Caroline (he will just stare at her through the front windows, too cute)
• Will tell you Love you (melts my heart)
• At dinner Hallie started crying in her room, Chance looked at Ben and said, "Hurry daddy, sister crying."  He talks in sentences alot now!
• Will sleep with only three things in his bed: goldfish blanket, blue bunny, and his puppy, nothing can be added or taken away!  very ocd about what can be in his room.  My coffee cup was in there the other day and he told me to take the coffee away!
• I never realized he could have dreams, but when I woke him up this morning he told me He caught a Fox!  Too funny!  He must have really fun dreams!
• Big Daddy taught him how to give knuckles!
• Not so much fun with the temper tantrum throwing!  Learning that you cannot reason with an almost two year old! Best to just distract and ignore.  When it intensifies to absolute madness time out is working!
• Told on himself the other day when he touched the water on the refrigerator.  He told me he needed to go to time out!  Glad he is listening!

We love you Chance Russell!  I will try to post an updated pic soon!

What we have been up to!

We have had a great last couple of weeks!  My sister came down for three days so our kiddos could meet each other!  I think this was the highlight of my maternity leave was having them at our house (other than the birth of Hallie:))  I went back to work this past Monday!  It feels good to be back in the swing of things, but at the same time hard to leave the kids!  They are in such great hands with Tiffany and Ben's mom that I do not worry at all.  But it is hard!  Hallie is growing like crazy!  Her little legs are dimpling and she is sporting the sweetest double chin you have ever seen.  She is the cutest little thing!  Chance is doing great as well!  He really loves his sister.  He will ask me in the mornings where she is if she is not with me!  He will give her the sweetest kisses before bedtime.  He was very excited last night because she cooed at him and we told him that she was talking to him!  He was so proud!!  He is very generous offering her his toys multiple times a day!  He is talking up a storm and has the sweetest little accent!  I wonder where he learned that!  Majority of his words are long and drawn out with multiple syllables.  Such as Gran he pronounces (G-ran-n).  He was telling the other day that Ben cut himself shaving and runs in and says "Daddy cut his sel-elf!"  Love this little boy who is growing up too fast (hurts my insides!)

Dorothy Grace pulling her cousin Chance in the wagon!

The two babies!  Harlan and Hallie

Daddy reading to Hallie

Our happy little one! She has the most gorgeous smile!

Daddy and our little buddy!  Love them!

Mommy and our big girl!

Chance thinks this is what you do with the pump!  He is fascinated by it!

Matching pjs (ignore Chance's horrible haircut)

Hallie: 1 month old!

Hallie was one month old yesterday! It is crazy how time is flying by with her! I only have two more weeks at home with my babies! Parts of me are ready to go back and others really enjoy being at home! I am so glad I enjoy what I do or it would be a struggle to go back. Hallie is a really good baby! She sleeps and eats very well. I think she is even more clockwork than Chance was which is saying alot!! She has officially dropped one of the night feedings and is only down to one around 3 am or so! I am pumping to go back to work and she has never not finished a bottle! She would drink and drink and drink if we let her only then to spit everything back up (hence the need for pure pumping and bottles right now!) That being said my husband is the greatest husband and daddy!  He helps me during the night to pump, feed her and put her back down!  This would not be possible without his help!  I love that man!  Not many husbands would do this!  Little Hallie has her mommy's temperament so far! She gets mad pretty quickly but the next moment is just fine. Ben calls her little Megan!! I calculate based on my home scale she is around 8.5 pounds now! She gains weight pretty quickly! She loves her lamb swing just like her brother and spends LOTS of time there sleeping. She is not phased too much by her loud brother. She pretty much will sleep through all his commotion! She is smiling more and more!  Enjoy her one month pics in her crib!

This awake time is for the birds!