3 Little Tigers

Here are the three little ones decked out for the LSU game on Saturday...Too bad the cute outfits didn't bring the Tigers any luck!

Snowman

Not to be outdone by his sister, Bennett modeled his winter hat as well. Luckily I caught perfectly in the second picture his new big camera smile. Whenever he sees that I have my camera out, this is the look I get. These days Bennett is tons of fun...He continues to be a little investigator...always examining things closely to see how they work. He loves to play with push toys, trucks, and trains...He loves Elmo, rocking in his rocking chair or on his horse, and riding in the car. He is really starting to talk alot..some of his most popular words are outside, car, baxter, tiger, lise (elise), lila, bye-bye, and cracker...He gives great hugs and is already a professional flirt! His big bright blue eyes are captivating (I know, I am his Mom)...and although he is a typical boy and rough in many ways, he is also gentle, sensitive, and loving. He has a special bond with his Great Grandpa Ray (one of his namesakes) and when I mention that we are going to visit he gets ecstatic! He makes me smile for a million reasons every day, but one of my favorite things that he does is at bedtime...When we lay him down he lays on his back, stretches out his arms for his monkey, Mozart, and rests his feet up on the side of his crib...then, he just smiles and looks at you with the big eyes and off to sleep...So sweet...

I am pretty behind, so I am going to try to catch up. Aunt Mo is in town and we are so excited! We have had a few sleepless nights around here (night terrors for Elise, and now a touch of a stomach virus) and so I have been a bad blogger...

Will update soon..

Love, Nicole

Little Snow Bunny

If we ever do get some snow this winter, Lila Sue will be ready. I must say she was looking extra cute today in her white minky-dot overalls. I even tried her winter hat on her as we got ready to run a few errands. She was so proud. I hate to categorize my children, but Lila remains the quirkiest and spunkiest one of the three. Everything is an extreme with her...She can be the happiest baby on the planet, but when she is not happy everyone within a 15 square radius knows it. She has the best little giggle I have EVER heard, and loves laughing at her big sis and tickling people. She also loves to hum and sing (right now her favorite tune is ABCs) all of the time, LOVES to be held, and thinks it is hilarious to run away from me when I am trying to change her clothes or diaper (I crack up thinking about her looking over her shoulder at me with a devilish grin as she takes off..then I can see the adorable cellulite on the back of her legs as she runs away!). She takes care of her brother, both by helping him when he needs something (his sippy cup or monkey "mozart"), and by letting him know (unfortunately usually with a hit, push, or bite) when he is bothering her. She is still very into her accessories right now, turning anything and everything with a handle into a purse, and using anything that somewhat resembles a phone to make a call. I love the way she hugs my neck extra tight when she is sleepy, lays her head on my shoulder, and says "ahhhh"....I love my sweet Lila sooo much...life would be way too boring without her!

Learning...

My good friend Casey has one of the sweetest Moms you will ever meet. I love her! She recently replaced her sewing machine and she generously offered me her old one. I was so excited because I have been thinking about trying to sew for a while. She gave me a quick tutorial and showed me how to make this beginner dress (modeled by Elise above) using a t shirt and some fabric. I only had to call Suzanne once and my Mom once to come re-thread the bobbin for me (thanks guys!) and managed to finish up this little project without too much trouble. It is pretty obvious that it is "home-made", but I don't mind at all. Why? Because when I showed it to Elise, and told her that I made it for her, she immediately wanted to put it on and she was so proud of me! Made me feel sooooo good! That is enough to encourage me to keep practicing! Next, I need to make a matching dress for Lila...and then I am going to attempt some pants (no, not in this same flowery material) for Bennett. I have so much free time (haha) I needed another hobby!

On another note, quotable Elise had some more interesting stuff to say last night...We were playing trains and waiting for David to get home from work. Lila and Bennett kept moving the train tracks and taking them apart...I could tell E was very frustrated, but she was actually dealing with it rather well (or so I thought)....A few minutes later she said, "Mom, if we give Lila and Bennett to someone else, can we get a new baby? Lila and Bennett are an experience."

Finally, if you want to feel uplifted today, scroll down and read my update on the "Prayers are Working" post...Good news..prayers continue to work!

Sentimental

David found the following email this morning that I had sent out two years ago today to a few of my best college friends. He introduced it with, "Happy anniversary, of sorts.."

**Ok ya'll. I got some big news yesterday.
I won't beat around the bush. I am pregnant with TWINS!!!!!!!!
I have been really, really, sick and the dr wanted to check me for dehydration and then they ended up doing an ultra sound where they found the culprits!!! I had only recently found out I was pregnant, so we were still getting used to that!!! I am 7.5 weeks along, and there were two heartbeats in two separate sacks, so that is a good sign that the babies (can you believe it??) are doing well. We, of course, feel really blessed and thankful, and admittedly a little overwhelmed...But, I know everything happens for a reason....Just wanted to share our exciting news...Love, Nicole**

I've been thinking about that time two years ago all day long. It is funny, you forget so much about when you are pregnant and about those first few months (especially the bad things), and sometimes it takes something like this to bring it all rushing back...I honestly can remember these days two years ago like they were yesterday! I have never felt so many emotions all at once in my life. But, each time I look back I am overwhelmed with gratitude and am truly humbled by how blessed we were, and continue to be, by our two little monkeys that make us smile every day.

Just this week Bennett has started saying "Lila"...and when one walks out of a room and then back in the other one greets him or her like they haven't seen them in ages! Lila is calling Bennett "BB" or something to that effect, and they are starting to do a little of the "twin talk" that I have heard so much about! Don't get me wrong...this is often in between a wrestling match or a biting war, but the love is there! They both are starting to say "Lise" for Elise...and when I get my keys out they say "car, car and bye, bye"...They are changing so much and doing more and more each day...
I really love this age....

So pretty much my line in the email-- "we , of course, feel very blessed and thankful, and admittedly a little overwhelmed..." -- is still the same way that I feel today...Not ALL that much has changed in the past two years! :)

While I am being sentimental, I'll pass on some pictures...We finally had the "one year" and "three year" pictures taken of the kids that we had paid for long ago...I kept pushing it back waiting for Bennett to walk! I am so glad we waited..I feel like she was really able to capture their personalities...
www.bentzphotography.com/parnell