Tessa is One!!

Our sweet Tess turned one last week.  I have been wanting to post photos from the big day for over a week now but have been putting it off because I couldn't begin to think about what I could try and say that would sum up what the past year has been like or what my feelings are about our baby turning one.  I still can't answer those things now but what I can say is that we love her more than I ever thought was possible.  When you first become a parent you have this feeling about your first born of 'How will I ever be able to love another baby this much'.  And for me when Tess was born it was like I became a Mom for the first time all over again.  Tess is just so stinkin sweet.  She is so happy all of the time.  She recently started walking and is really starting to explore the world around her.  I feel like every time I blink she is learning something new or mastering a new task.  I can't wait to see what she does next.  Most of all when I think of Tess I think of her smile and I think of her laugh.  She brings so much happiness and laughter into our home.  It was so fun for us to be able to spend a whole day celebrating her!

We started with breakfast and presents at our house.

We quickly moved to my parent's house to start setting up for the party.  I think the official temperature the day of the party was 110 degrees so thankfully my parents agreed to allow us to move the party to their house so that there would be more room for people to hang out indoors in the air conditioning.  Thank you Mom and Dad!!

Then Tess put on her birthday dress.

And opened presents.

And we sang happy birthday.

And she ate cake.

And was one happy little girl.

 

Tess really was a great birthday girl, she was happy and smiling all day! Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate her birthday.  It really means more to us than you all will ever know that we are surrounded by such wonderful friends and family. 

Never Wake a Sleeping Baby

We have a pretty simple philosophy that we stick to at our house "never wake a sleeping baby".

So if your baby falls asleep while boating in the Ozarks you just sit next to her and make sure she doesn't roll off of the seat and you let the tired girl sleep.

And if your son falls asleep while you go for a run you simply wheel him on in to the kitchen and let him finish his nap.

A sleeping child generally equals a relaxed parent.  It's a win win situation for everyone.

Colin's 3rd Birthday

Knucklehead turned 3 last week. This year I wasn't nearly as emotional as I was the past two years on Colin's birthday. I think with the first birthday you feel this big sense of accomplishment. I mean you watched this tiny little person grow into a mobile, babbling ball of joy and you made it through with no permanent damage. On the second birthday there was the realization that your 'baby' is no longer a baby; he talks and is becoming independent. I had a hard time with this last year.  Letting go of the baby phase is tough.  On Colin's 3rd birthday though I mainly just felt excitement. To say that he amazes me on a daily basis is the understatement of the century. Some of the things that come out of his mouth are just so incredible. I love that after years of wondering what he is really thinking now I finally know what is actually on his mind. Now don't be confused into thinking that I understand why he is thinking the things he is or that I know where he comes up with some of his ideas the point now is simply that he can communicate with us in at a much more advanced level. I know it is silly to say you are proud of a 3 year old but I really am proud of the little person he is becoming. He is so smart and he is really becoming interested in finding out how and why things happen.  And you should see him with Tess, he really does love her and he loves making her laugh and smile.  I love the way he is just absorbing the world around him.  Knowing that he is watching Keith and I and looking at us and our behavior to help mold the kind of person he will become pushes me to want to be a better person. And the funny thing is that one of my greatest hopes in life is that one day my children will think back on their time with me and say that they are proud of the person that their mom was. Ok, ok, ok, maybe I am a little more emotional about this whole birthday thing than I thought I was. But really what better time is there to look back and reflect a little than when you are celebrating a birthday?  Colin Joseph Street I hope you had the happiest of birthdays, I can't wait to see what your next year brings. We love you.

The cake was supposed to be a purple dinosaur.  It was one of the two things that Colin actually requested for his birthday.  I think this looks more like a blue dragon but luckily Colin didn't seem to mind.

The second thing Colin requested for his birthday was for all of his cousins to be there.  Here is a picture of all of the cousins who were able to attend.

I thought we should try and get a picture of Keith, Colin and I for the special day.  Why can't we ever all be looking at the camera at the same time?

How stinking cute are these chairs??  They look like little adults sitting in them.  I love it.

And so the summer birthday run around at the Street house has officially begun.  In less than a month Tess will be 1!!

On an unrelated note, I officially de-friended facebook.  So if you are trying to get a hold of me shoot me an email or give me call.

The latest and greatest

Some short notes on what the kids are up to these days

Colin:

Colin talks non stop.  Here are some of his most commonly used phrases.  I hear these each up to approximately 100 times a day:

• Why?
• Why that?
• Who that?
• What that girl/boy doing?
• I told you many times ago.
• Bonk in the head donk (I am fairly certain that Colin has created an entire fictional language where this sentence actually makes sense.)

Tess

Tess is doing some real cute new stuff including the following:

• Twirling her feet when she is in her highchair waiting for food.
• Finally getting a tooth!  It only took ten months...
• Clapping her hands when we ask her too.
• Taking a few steps if Keith or I are holding her hands.

Overall it is business as usual at the Street house.

Spring Pictures

A couple of weekends ago we had a friend of mine take some photos of the babies. These are the first professional photos we have had taken that include both of the kids. Getting both of them to smile and stay still long enough to take a photo is no easy task. Lissy (my friend who took the photos) did a pretty good job though if you ask me. She came armed with Smarties to help occupy Colin. Obviously she is a good Aunt and knows how to work with little kids. :) Anyway here are the pics. Enjoy

rubber ducky you're the one

Last time I posted it was because Keith said that I haven't done one in awhile.  This time it is because Keith's Mom told Keith I haven't done one in awhile.  Its good, I need people to keep me on my feet.  Also it gives me a seg-way into telling the story that Colin calls Keith's Mom Grandma Joseph Street.  Why does he do this you ask?  Because he knows that his name is Colin Joseph Street and he knows that Keith's Mom is Grandma Street so he just assumes that her middle name is Joesph.  We have told him repeatedly that Joesph is not actually her middle name but he doesn't seem to care.  Also he seems to think that Tessa's name is not Tessa but rather that her name is Tessy.  And as much as I NEVER intended on calling her Tessy I have to say that it is quickly catching on in our house.  Poor girl, I hope for her sake this phase doesn't last.

Here is "Tessy's" 7 month picture.  She has started to get up on her hands and knees and is able to move backwards.  I have a feeling she will be moving forward any day now.  Then Keith and I will really be tested.  Having 2 kids under the age of 3  in the house and on the move I have no doubt will keep us running non-stop. 

We have been trying to enjoy the unseasonable nice weather these days.  Here is Colin and 'MawMaw Books' (r intentionally omitted so it sounds closer to how Colin says it) at the zoo on Feb 2nd.  Feb 2nd, in St. Louis, amazing!!

And we have reached a new milestone in our house, the kids are now big enough to take baths together.  So stinkin' cute.

We continue to be extremely busy and have several 'projects' that we are working on which I hope to be able to update you all on soon.  And no I assure you I am not pregnant.  Lord knows these two are keeping us plenty busy for now.

updates

Keith told me tonight that he felt like I should do a post.  I told him that he is welcome to come on here anytime and post if he is interested.  He didn't seem too excited about that idea.  So in efforts to post something as a way to keep this up to date I am going to do a quick list of things that have been keeping us busy as of late.

1.  Tess is six months old.  Can someone please explain to me how this is possible? 

2.  Colin tries to put Keith and I in timeout.  He counts to three and then tells us to go to timeout.  This is how he counts "one, two, three, four, nine, thirteen".  Please let it be noted that Colin can in fact count to ten but when he is mad he can't seem to take the time to say all of the numbers so he jumps around a little.

3.  Tess got her first haircut today.  And by haircut I mean I held her and Keith took two snips and cut off her mullet.  I didn't want to have to cut her hair but as evidenced by this picture it had to happen.

4.  After spending more time then I would like to admit planning out the kids Christmas outfits I come to realize that I do not have a single picture of Tess in her Christmas Day outfit.  I have several of Colin but none of Tess.  Family are you reading this?  If so and if you happen to have a picture of Tess from Christmas Day can you please send it my way?  I have plenty of Christmas Eve it is Christmas Day that I am looking for.

5.  This is the only picture I have of the four of us from Christmas.  Not our best moment.

6.  Sleep.  We aren't getting much.  Enough said.

7.  Any time the Brooks cousins get together we try to take a picture of all 14 of us.  This year my Mom surprised all of the cousins by giving us various framed versions of this photo.  It was hilarious looking back at some of the outfits and hairstyles that we all used to sport.  I am going to have to be honest here, in many of the pictures I am the one who seems to look the most ridiculous.

8.  The cousin picture tradition has continued on to the next generation of Brooks cousins.  I wonder if these kids will look back years from now at these photos and think that they look ridiculous. 

9.  I got the Jeep detailed today.  Is it weird that there is little in life that makes me happier then taking my car to Waterway?

10.  I feel like this list should have 10 things but I can't think of a last one so I will end with this.  My babies continue to grow faster then I feel like I can keep up with.  I wake up each day loving them more then I did the day before.