Ummm and I love you.....

Last Monday, Connor said something that just thrilled my soul and warmed my heart.  He told me that he loved me for the first time.  I've been telling him that I love him everyday for two years.  He has never said it to me or anyone else until Monday. 

We were on our way home from school and I looked back and said "Connor, I love you!"  Usually he never says anything or turns his head.  I know he does this because I want him to tell me so bad, because usually he has a smirk on his face.  Anyway.... he looks up and says "I love you Mommy". 

It was absolutely the sweetest words I've ever heard.  Now he'll say it back to all of us.  He's even got a little confused.  Today when I told him that I loved him he said "I love me" instead of " I love you".  But that's okay!  I know what he means.

He's been talking our heads off lately.  I usually have to be the translator for everyone else.  I guess because I teach little kids and am familiar to "their" language, but really I think it's because mommy's just have that special touch with their little ones.  Anyway, another one of his favorite things to say is ummm.  When I don't know where he is, I can yell "Connor, where are you?", and he'll yell "Umm in my room".  This past week, any questions we ask him he answers with ummm.

He's our little mess and we love him very much!

Up next on the blog will be a huge post about Caroline.  It's been months since I've posted about her monthly accomplishments, so I've got tons to catch you up on! Until then.....

Snow Much Fun!!!

As most people in the South did, we TOTALLY enjoyed the snow we received in February!  When we woke up about 6:30, we couldn't believe our eyes.....  Jed and I were up first; we were just like children.  We were running around from the front yard to the back yard, taking pictures, and recording on the video camera.  It hadn't done this in 17 years. I was 12 years old the last time it snowed, and Jed was 15.

We let the kids sleep.  Caroline woke up first and then she helped us wake up Connor.  We put her in his bed and they just laughed and laughed at each other.  Can't you tell they love each other? 

You can't tell it in the picture above, but Caroline was sick during the snow.  She had just gone to visit Dr. E. on Thursday; she had double ear infections.  So, she didn't get to go outside very much.  Here's Connor's first reaction to the snow......   

We ate breakfast and enjoyed watching it snow.  It took forever to find warm clothes for everyone.  We're just not use to dressing so warm.  Connor had on four layers.  First, we all went out together for a family picture.  Our sweet neighbor, Hunter, took it for us.  After the picture, Caroline went right back inside.  We left her in her walker, and she stayed at the glass front door watching us play. 

   
Connor stared and stared at the snow.  And yes, he is in purple gloves.  I could not find his other red one!  He likes to play with them; we searched the house and couldn't find it.  So...he wore his sister's.  He cried and cried.  It was that or not play in the snow at all.  His daddy didn't like it either, but we had no choice!  We couldn't not play in the snow because of one missing red glove!

I got busy making a snowman.  And just let me say, making a snowman is SO much harder than it looks.   I told Jed I was going to have to google it and find out the best way.  I didn't.... but I sure did think about it.  I actually made our snowman about three or four different times.  When I would get the head on, Connor would knock it down.  Maycee, our dog, even knocked it down once, too.  Don't laugh, it was quite pitiful!  It wasn't as big as it looks in this picture.  It actually wasn't much taller than Connor, which isn't very tall at all.

Connor loved playing in the snow and being hit by snowballs.  He would just laugh and laugh.  It was so cute!  He and Jed also made snow angels. 

 

  

We finally had to force him to go inside, dry out, thaw out, and get warm.  Boy, he didn't like that part!!!!  He screamed and screamed and cried and cried!

The next time we went out, Caroline was down for a nap.  We recorded some more and took lots more pictures.  It was so beautiful. 

Connor decided that our security sign would make a great snow shovel.  He absolutely loved shoveling the snow and throwing it on his daddy.

On Saturday when the snow started melting and the sun was out, my mom and dad came over and brought my nephew Brock.  We wanted the kids to play together in the snow.  We had a blast with them.  My mom and I teamed up and attacked my dad in a snowball fight!  I've not laughed that hard in such a long time!!!

We got out Connor's plastic rake, shovel, and hoe for them to play with.  We found Connor's other red glove, so he didn't have to wear his sister's anymore!!!  His daddy was so glad! 

We dressed Caroline up in a million layers so she could watch the boys play.  She still wasn't feeling well, so she only stayed about 10 minutes.  She posed with my mom for a picture.

The boys played and played until they were frozen.  They both cried when we had to go in.  I could have too!  It was so sad telling the snow goodbye.  I hope it doesn't wait another 17 years to do it again!  I would love to play with my children in the snow again!   

Our Big Boy

Two days after Christmas, we had Connor's second birthday.   Time has flown by.  It doesn't seem that enough time has gone by for our little boy to be two years old.  As I type I'm reminded of the saying "time flies when your having fun".  Yes, it does!!!  I can't help but think about the two years we've spent with him, watching him grow before us everyday.  So of course, I had to pull up some old pictures.....

This was our baby boy when he was two months old--dressed up for his first outing at church.  I know you're thinking, "Why didn't he get out until he was two months old?"  Well...he was born early and right during the middle of the worst RSV season Dr. E said he had ever seen, so Dr. E didn't want him out in it.  I was told to keep in until March, but I didn't make it.  We got in the middle of February right before my maternity leave was over!  Anyway here's our little man.......

Here he is at his first birthday party, which was at the airport where daddy works. 

And here he is on his second birthday...

As I told you awhile back in a much earlier post, Connor LOVES Elmo.  Of course, we had to have an Elmo birthday party.  We had the party at church on a Sunday afternoon (two days after Christmas).  Lots of family and friends came to help us celebrate.  Here are the little friends--Zach, Audrey, Brock, Bailey, and Connor.

We also had a VERY special visitor come to help us celebrate.  Can you guess who he was? 

Yes, it was Elmo himself--all the way from Sesame Street.  Connor was pretty scared of him at first.  The only Elmo he knew was on TV and the ones he carries around the house, so imagine the look on his face when a giant Elmo walked into the door that was much taller than his dad.  And poor Audrey, she never left her mommy's side.  Elmo terrified her to death!

                                          

After Elmo met everyone, we played some games.  I wasn't sure how they would go over, but the kids enjoyed them.  We played musical chairs, Follow Elmo, and Pin the Nose on Elmo.  Connor wouldn't wear the bandana, but don't worry, he didn't win the game even though he was looking!

After we played games, we cut the cake.  I made Connor's cake this year (with my mom's help).  I also made the cupcakes. 

Ashley found this website for me and I got the idea for these cupcakes from it.

Here are the other cupcakes.  I just bought the sugar Elmos faces from Hobby Lobby and stuck them on top of the iced and sugared cupcakes.  I thought both turned out cute.

 

Here's the birthday boy enjoying cake at the kids table with his little friends. 

Elmo sat by the gift table which was right in front of the kids table.  Connor kept yelling across the room to him.  He would say, "Eat Melmo, Eat!". 

Here he is keeping an eye on Melmo....

And here's Elmo, staring back...

Connor joined Elmo by the gift table to open his presents.  He was so funny opening presents!  This year he actually opened his gifts by himself.  He would tear them open--piece by slow piece--and give Elmo his piece of wrapping paper, tissue paper, or bag.  He would say "Here Melmo".   And of course, Elmo would take it.

                                               

Two of his favorites were his tricycle from Maw-Maw and Pa-Paw and his hand-made wooden train from Nay-Nay and Pop-Pop.  Jed and I got him an Elmo laptop.

  

Before the party was over, everyone posed with Elmo for a TON of pictures.  I'm so glad Elmo was such a good sport! 

                                  

I know I haven't mentioned Caroline much in this post, but she was there.  She loved Elmo and even posed with him for a picture.  She was just too small to do anything with the bigger kids. 

                                              

The kids....This is the best we could do!  Notice Audrey is not in the picture.  We tried our very best, but she ran away.

                                

The Green Family--Thank you Lauren for helping me get things together for the party, decorating the day of, and taking some pictures.  Clif (the very best cousin-in-law ever!) thanks for helping be on kid patrol and taking a few pictures, too!  Although, I've deleted most of the ones you took!  They're the kind you don't want taken of yourself (the ones when you're not looking and when your making horrible faces). 

                                 

The Skippers--my brother, his wife Brittany, and their little boy Brock.  Brock absolutely loved Elmo.  He was actually the first one to speak to him when he walked through the door!

                                 

We had a wonderful day.  Connor really enjoyed himself!  He talked about Elmo for days afterwards.  Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us.  Thank you for loving our child!  I am so glad we could celebrate our little boy's two years of life with such wonderful family and friends and even a wonderful, furry creature from Sesame Street.....

                                 

Christmas Fun

****Extra long post with tons of pictures!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.  It was Caroline's first Christmas.  We enjoyed spending time with all of our family.  Here's a recap of our two days........

On Christmas Eve afteroon, we go to my mom and dad's.  We enjoy opening presents with my brothers and parents.  I didn't take a lot of gift-opening pictures this year (I never use them). 

Jed, Brock, and Connor

Notice Brock's mouth.  He and Connor ate candy all afternoon.

Can you tell?

Here's a family picture in front of my mom's tree.

Christmas Eve evening, we go to my Meme and Paw-Paw's house.  We eat, enjoy time with each other, and open gifts.  Connor really enjoyed opening gifts this year.  After he opened something, he would say, "Ooh, it's pitty (pretty) momma. 

My mean brother put this on Connor's head and said he looked like Caroline with the big bows.  I couldn't resist taking a picture.

Caroline stayed awake the whole time.  She enjoyed playing with her gifts after we opened them for her.  She is such a sweet little girl!  Here she is with her mini guitar that meme picked out for her.  It was a hit with all of the kids! 

Here's a group picture from that night.  We are a very big bunch!  If we continue to grow we may have to start renting somewhere to have Christmas! Meme and Paw-Paw have two children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Meme and Paw-Paw's ended Christmas eve for us.  We went home, bathed the kids, put them in their new Christmas pjs, and set out cookies for Santa Claus using our new plate and cup made by Brooke Ward Williams.  We used the cookies that we made earlier in the week with our cousins.  Connor ate his and Caroline's gingerbread cookies, so we put out some of the one's that I iced for Santa.  We did two girly ones for Caroline and a few boy ones for Connor. 

Christmas morning Caroline woke us up.  She was "talking" and laughing in her crib.  We woke Connor up so he could see what Santa left him.  This is what they found......

Connor got a tractor, Alabama ball and bat, sidewalk chalk, tons of books, a brush, a broom and dust pan, stuffed animal, pjs, clothes, and lots of other stocking stuffers.  Caroline got a toy box, a laugh and learn purse, a spin toy, a picture frame, books, clothes, a pair of shoes, and a few stocking stuffers.

After both sets of grandparents came to see what the kids got, we went back to my mom's for breakfast and opened a few more gifts.  Then we were off to Nay-Nay and Pop-Pop's for the rest of the day.  We enjoyed a wonderful meal, gifts, and just spending time with each other.  Here's a few pictures from our time there.  

Connor opening his stocking.  These are the only pictures of him I could get because he won't pose for pictures anymore.  He thinks its cute to run from me!

Caroline posing pretty for the camera. 

When we finally got home Christmas night, Jed and I took a few pictures with the kids before we put them to bed.   

This picture of Jed and Caroline is one of my favorite holiday pictures! 

She looks so cute I could just eat her up! 

By the time it was my turn, Connor wasn't in the mood for pictures anymore.  We had to bribe him to take them.  That's why he has his blue brush in his hand.  Caroline looks like she's saying, "Please, NO more!".  

Needlesss to say, we had a GREAT holiday!  We are so truly blessed to have such great family!