Friday, January 1, 2016

2015 Year in Review

As part of my 2016 New Year's Resolution, I'm going to get organized with the multitude of photos that I have of my kids that grows exponentially by the month.

2015 started out with our new realization that I was pregnant and due in August.  I had about one week of nausea and exhaustion, which was so much different than my pregnancy with the twins.  

The girls and I took a 3 week trip in April to Alaska by ourselves to visit my parents.  We went all over (as much as you can do with 2-1/2 year olds), built a snowman, and I got a speeding ticket within the first minute of getting behind the wheel in Alaska.  It was an awesome trip!

Ellie (left), Caroline (right)

Ellie (left), Caroline (right)

Mom holding Ellie and Dad holding wiggle worm, Caroline.  Impossible to get a good picture of Miss C

Ellie in white vest, Caroline in Grey vest

Caroline giving PopPop a kiss


The girls vocabulary has grown at the same rate as their hair over this past year.  Caroline and Ellie both care most about what their sister is doing at any given time and they have settled well into their nicknames of Ellie-Bellie and Miss C....and they introduce themselves as such insisting that we all refer to them with these names.  

The girls looked forward to "baby brother" being born those last couple months as the room on my lap grew less and less for them to sit and snuggle.

Caroline, right, and Ellie, left


Cal was due August 6th and born 5 days later on Tuesday, August 11th at 2:40pm weighing 9lb, 9oz.  

Kenneth Cal, one day old

I was diagnosed the day before with choleostasis, which was only discovered through SE-VERE itching that Blake insisted I get checked out.  He was right, and as soon as the Dr saw me, he had me admitted to the hospital and I was induced with Cal the next morning.


Big Sissies, Caroline on right and Ellie on left

Cal was born with blonde hair and eye lashes, blue eyes and the most gorgeous dimples on each cheek that the Dr could see as soon as he delivered Cal and put him on my chest.  I've been gushing every since.  

Cal at 2 weeks old

Cal at one week old

Cal at 2 weeks old

Sorry Cal, I think I'm going to have a lot of pictures in your life of Mommy and Daddy gushing over you....







And we even managed to get a family photo taken when Cal was two weeks old.



Ellie and Caroline adjusted really well to having Cal around.  My mom was here two weeks before he was born and stayed another 5 weeks after, which made the transition for the girls SO much easier than it could have ever been without her.  My Dad came the day after we got home from the hospital and stayed for a week, and Sharlene, Blake's mom, came for week 2 and 3 of Cal's little life.  Lots of help and lots of fun for the girls!

Ellie on left, Caroline right.  Both still attached to their thumbs and their bunnies

Ellie is a little mommy to Cal and has been that was since the beginning.  She loves to hold him, give him kisses and if I ever ask her if she wants to hold him, the answer is always "yes".  Caroline, not so much.  She will come over for a kiss on his forehead (or a body slam on occasion) but I can't think of a time where she has actually wanted to hold him so far.

Ellie, left, Caroline, right.

Ellie, left, Caroline, right


Caroline with her classic laugh, right and Ellie, left


My parents came for the girls 3rd birthday in October and Kenny and Sharlene came immediate after their birthday for a visit.  Ellie, left, Caroline, right.  


And like always, I try to take advantage of Sharlene coming in town to get a family picture...two.  Caroline next to me and Ellie next to her Daddy.






Can't get enough of that little lip on Cal.  He has the best facial expressions.



Then, we had Halloween sneak up on us and the girls dressed up in their Wonder Woman outfits that they got for their birthday from Aunt MJ and Uncle Jesse.  (How perfect that our look-alike blonde headed twins have an Uncle Jesse....throwback to Blake and I growing up in the 80's!)

Now do they know who Wonder Woman is...of course not, but they sported the outfits with total excitement.  





Saturday, December 19, 2015

A Trip to Chick-fil-A in the Digital Age

How many photos does it take to properly capture a moment like this?  Grandmom came into town for a visit over the summer and as with every visit, we have at least one lunch with just us girls at Chick-fil-A.





















Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Souers Summer Survival

Like everyone else around here, the only way to survive the summer is to spend it in the water.  At least that's what Blake and I think.


Caroline and Ellie, on the other hand...not so much.  They loved strutting around in their swimsuits and shoes all summer long and somehow, they didn't get that wet.


Even if we went to the pool, they loved walking around the pool and moving all the chairs around.


These girls are constant motion.  They aren't overly dirty or climbing on top of things, but they are busy!


I enjoyed taking them to the splash pad near our house just to change it up from the backyard sprinkler or the neighborhood pool.


The setting is really beautiful and there always seems to be a nice breeze coming off the lake giving us a little reprieve from the oppressive humidity and heat.


Caroline and Ellie seem to enjoy it too, but for all the reasons that I hadn't anticipated.


I brought my camera on this particular day with the intention to get at least one cute picture of them playing in the fountain.


Instead, I got pictures of them taking a snuggle time out with beach towels...


Digging for treasure in the beach bag...


Playing on the stairs...


And pushing each other out of way to get where they need to go in this entire wide open area.  These girls are always on top of each other!


And as far as getting cute little picture of these girls playing in the fountain.... well, this is what I got.  And, sad to say, this is the best one.


Oh well.


Better luck next year.