Donut Eating

My mom has created a donut lover out of my child. The chocolate frosting is her favorite. She licks every last bit.

Jeep Driving

Emma LOVES to drive her Jeep. Her favorite thing to do is go fast and then stop so that she spins out. Makes me nervous for her to have her license one day.

My Little Lifesaver

I mentioned in an earlier post that I became part of a club that I never thought I would be part of. The club I was referring to was cancer. Right before Christmas, I was diagnosed with skin cancer (melanoma in situ). It is the earliest form of skin cancer. I was very blessed to have had it found early and I thank my handsome little man for that. I went in to the dermatologist because I had met my deductible for the year with William's birth, and thought it was a great time to go. If William had not been born, than I probably would not have gone in.

The cancer was caught early and a few weeks ago I had a minor surgery on my leg to remove more skin for testing. Thankfully all came back clear. I am now a cancer survivor and I truly hope to never see that demon again. 

It is a scary word to hear and many things run through your mind. 95% of the time I felt confident and positive that all would end well but there is always that little voice in the back of your mind that makes you think differently. As a mother and a wife, I just want to be strong and healthy for my family. I always want to be there for them. The recovery of the surgery showed me how much it is hard to always be strong for them. My husband is amazing and took charge of everything. He was a great rock to lean on and it really spoke a lot for our family. I am surrounded by great family and friends and learned to lean on others when help is needed. I think everyones positive prayers and thoughts helped me be strong and I am so thankful for the special people in my life. 

I do highly encourage everyone to consider getting their skin checked. I never thought I would be diagnosed with cancer, especially at a young age, but it truly can happen to anyone.

Thank you William for coming into my life! You are my lifesaver.

Twice The Celebration

On Sunday, we celebrated William's baptism and my birthday. It was a beautiful day that was filled with so much meaning. I was thrilled to be sharing my special day with my little man.

All dressed up in his christening outfit.

He did such a good job when the Deacon poured holy water over his head.

 We were thrilled to have Andy's Aunt Nancy and Uncle Mike be the Godparents.

The evening before we celebrated my birthday and being kid free. We had a great dinner with Nancy and Mike downtown. It was so fun to get dressed up and enjoy some adult conversation.

While we were out to dinner, the kids made my birthday cake. They did such a great job.

Look at those cuties!

 Thanks Nancy and Mike for coming to town and helping us celebrate. We had an amazing weekend!!

Checking Myself Out

Raindrops

Someone loved dancing in the rain!

Pillow Talk

Will absolutely loves it when someone talks to him, especially his big sister.

Just Sitting and Thinking

Happy 3 Months William Matthew

Happy 3 months to our handsome little man. I feel like there has been some wonderful changes between the 2nd and 3rd month. We are doing a great job figuring out your wants and needs and you are becoming more predictable. You typically only eat every three to four hours during the day and sleep through the night. Getting you to sleep at night it the hardest part of the day. You cry a lot and have a hard time calming down. We try nursing and the pacifier but nothing works. Your dad will typically rock you until you fall asleep. If you are able to suck your thumb you do. You love your thumb! You also love to smile and giggle. I absolutely love making you smile and hearing you laugh. It is easy to. As long as someone is looking at you and giving you attention, you will smile at them and melt their heart. We love you little man!!

Learning to sit in the bumbo.

Loving his thumb.

William Matthew at 3 months.

Our Winter Break

We were stuck inside for most of our break. The weather was not on our side this year. With our inside time, we mastered learning how to play the Wii. It usually only gets used to watch Netflix but now the girls know how to use it properly.

My 5 year old

Emma and I did our annual Mommy & Me interview a few weeks ago. It is so fun to see what she has to say. Most of it I could predict but I never knew that the wind made her sad.

Her height and weight

32 pounds - 5%

39 inches - 15%

Some pictures from her birthday.

Our princess.

Singing and candles at breakfast.

Later on in the day, Gammie and Papa came to have pizza and cake. Gammie made the cake and Papa did the decorating.

 Love this picture of her opening one of her gifts. All she wanted was a Belle nightgown and she was so happy to get it.

You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello

The year 2012 came and went with a bang. It certainly was a memorable year with many happy times. I think I closed my eyes for a moment and found it over. I am sad to say goodbye to 2012 for many reasons but mainly because time is going by too fast. I just want to freeze time and keep all this blissfulness in my pocket for a little while longer. Some of my favorite memories include:

• Teaching Emma to rollerskate.
• Abby's hair being long enough to put in pigtails.
• Finding out we were pregnant with our third child.
• Taking a family trip to Disneyland.
• Emma winning the pig race at the Rodeo.
• Rediscovering Austin during Spring Break.
• Abby and me pictured in the newspaper.
• Hosting an Easter egg hunt for our neighborhood buddies.
• Visiting the Waco Zoo.
• Welcoming and meeting our two new nieces, Elle & Rosa.
• Taking a long family trip to California and Colorado.
• Watching the girls take dance lessons.
• A family trip to the beach.
• Emma learning to swim.
• The girls getting matching TOMS.
• Abby starting preschool.
• Emma starting her last year in ELE (tear).
• Taking the girls to see Thomas the Train.
• Abby's obsession with everything Disney.
• Watching the kids play with their cousins during Thanksgiving.
• Afternoons outside with our neighborhood friends.
• Emma turning 5 and asking for a party with friends. So proud of her social accomplishments.

The number one memory of 2012, was welcoming our handsome little man, William. Life is so amazing with him in it.

We look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for us. 2012 did end with some interesting news for me that I will share later on in January. I became part of a club that I never thought would happen. So heres hoping 2013 is filled with joy and happiness.