Easter

The Easter Bunny came to the Baxter house and brought lots of goodies!  He brought Aiden a really cool watch with lots of buttons; it even lights up!  He brought Ty some cool sunglasses and Mark some baby toys and baby food.  He also brought a new game and lots of candy (of course).  The boys loved seeing their names on their baskets, and Aiden reminded us of the time all morning long and we were in fact late for church. 

 

 

After opening all the eggs, we ate some breakfast and got ready for church.  We were walking out the door and I actually spilled coffee on myself and had to change my entire outfit.  But the boys looked cute, so I attempted a picture of all 3 smiling. . .  and I got all 3 of them smiling, just at different times. 

 

Mark's good smile . . .

 

Ty's good smile . . . 

 

 

and Aiden's good smile . . . 

 

if only I could get them to smile together or if I had the time to photoshop a picture to make it look like they did.

 

Later, we went to Nana and Papa's house for a cook out and an egg hunt in the front yard.  The eggs were hidden in lots of neat places, even on the cars.  The boys had a great time hiding them.  They also made a new friend, Casen, who played hide-n-seek and other games outside with them after dinner.  Aiden loved playing with him and he asked if he would be at Nana and Papa's house when we came back.

 

 

Layla and Mark will get to hunt next year!

 

 

 

Play Ball!

After two cancelled games, Aiden finally had his first baseball game tonight!  All the parents were anxious and excited.  Most of the kids have never played before and this would be their first game so we knew it would be interesting.  We also knew that we were playing a good team.  Our team got to hit first and our first player got a great hit and got on first- it was a great way to start the game!  Aiden got up to bat and missed the coaches pitches, but he got a hit off the tee.  We had practiced a hundred times what to do after he hit the ball. (drop the bat, run to first), but Aiden hit the ball and slowly jogged right in the middle of the field; the other team got him out at first.  Another one of our players, Cole, got caught in between second and third and had numerous coaches telling him to "run" and "go back" because the other team had the ball.  Poor Cole just looked up and was so confused and he cried right there on the field.  We played a good game, but we lost 10-11.  It got cold as the sun went down and I was juggling keeping the baby warm, watching Ty on the playground, and of course taking pictures of my little ball player.  The boys had a post game huddle with their coach for some words of encouragement and Nathan said, "We didn't win?".  We are looking forward to a great season! 

 

School Egg Hunt

Ty, Mark and I went up to Aiden's school for his Easter party and egg hunt.  We helped hide the eggs with some other mothers and grandmothers.  Then Aiden and the other students came out to find their 14 labeled eggs.  It was fun that way because it made the hunt last longer and all the kids had the same amount.  Ty helped find eggs that said "A-I-D-E-N", except he picked up a few that were labeled Addison. :-)  The kids helped each other when they found their classmates' names.

Then we came inside for a party with Chic-fil-A nuggets and other treats for lunch.  Aiden and Ty ate lots of nuggets and loved their bunny cupcakes.  I enjoyed talking with the other parents about our children and the friendships they have formed within their pre-school class.

 

 

 

 

top row: Addison, Juli, Max, Jillian
bottom: Cole, Aiden, Paxton
(not pictured- Sam)

Trying New Foods

Mark is enjoying the new tastes of fruits and vegetables.  Here he is trying some new foods.

 

avocado . . .

 

apples . . .

 

green beans . . .

Easter Eggs

We colored Easter Eggs today to celebrate the holiday.  The boys loved watching the tablets dissolve and color the water.  I let them do most everything by themselves and we had a few dropped eggs and drops of splashed dye, but they had a lot of fun.  We made an egg for each member of our family including baby Mark.  When we were finished, they were anxious to eat a couple.  This is something I loved doing as a child and has become an Easter tradition in our home. 

 

 

 

Mark joins the dinner table

Today, Mark had his first taste of solids.  He had some baby cereal and loved it.  After the first bite, I couldn't feed it to him fast enough.  His big brother Aiden was the same way; a fussy eater because he always wanted more.  Mark is usually on the floor in his seat when we eat dinner, but today he joined the table and could see everybody.  He was upset when the cereal was gone (3rd pic) and didn't want to hang out at the table anymore, so I fed him while the boys ate.  It's nice to have our whole family eat together (at least for a short time)!

 

 

Happy Baby

Baby Dedication

Today at church, we dedicated Mark and committed to raising him in a Godly home.  We were glad to be a part of our church's annual dedication ceremony and even more excited because Layla was dedicated as well.  Aiden and Ty stood with us on stage; Aiden was perfectly still and Ty started hopping around about half way through the ceremony.  He was getting restless and wanted to move around.  We know how important it is to show God's love to our kids in our home on a daily basis and this was just our public commitment to doing that.  We are thankful for our church family and all the support they have given our family.  It was a special day for our family!    

 

Mark 5 months

Mark . . .

 

 

loves to cuddle

still sleeps around the clock. Rarely he'll take a nap in his crib because we are on the go so much. He usually naps in his car seat.

has been up at night lately. Sometimes 2-3 times to nurse.

has started doing this ear piercing scream when he gets upset. It is very high-pitch and not fun to listen to.

is still exclusively on mommy's milk

loves tummy time and rolls from his tummy onto his back, but not the other way yet.

likes to stand up (supported) a lot more

smiles at anyone who talks to him (especially his brothers), and also smiles at himself in a mirror.

is almost too big for his 6 month clothes. They are getting tight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . . Mark had enough of picture taking and he let me know it.

Chief is 50!

Happy 50th Birthday Chief!

 

All of Chief's grand kids helped him eat a yummy chocolate stampede after a celebration lunch at Longhorn today. 

The boys and I made him 50 of his favorite chocolate chip cookies and came up with 50 reasons why we love chief.  The boys' number one reason was because he has a fast car; but we know they love him for so much more!  I am blessed to have a wonderful father and I'm glad my boys get to have him as a grandfather.

Ashley's Wedding

My best friend from high school got married this weekend in Rockmart, GA.  The whole family came to attend the wedding.  It was a beautiful lakeside ceremony and a fun country BBQ reception.  Ashley and Patrick brought me to tears as they read their vows to each other.  I am so happy for Ashley; she was smiling all day!  The boys were nervous at first to get on the dance floor.  Aiden watched as the girls were doing the "cupid shuffle" and really wanted to go dance.  He finally got out there with the bride herself.  By the end of the night, I had to drag the boys off the floor.  It was a lot of fun celebrating their wedding day!

 

 

 

Doc Update

Our 2 big boys had their annual check ups at the doctor today.  Aiden asked me multiple times if he was getting a shot.  I knew he wasn't, but I thought Ty may be getting a few, so I avoided the question, but Aiden was very concerned.  Ty wasn't worried.
At the doctor, both the boys did an eye test for each eye.  Ty passed, but Aiden's left eye was a little weak, so we will have to take him to an opthamologist.  Aiden had a hearing test which he passed, then the nurse took their blood pressure.  Aiden was amazed by the gauge and watched the whole time and of course he asked what the numbers are for. Then Dr. P checked out both of the boys for an exam.  He had Ty jump up and down, and told Aiden to hop on one foot.  He told us that they both look great and are up to par with their motor skills.

Here are their stats:

Aiden
Weight: 46.6 lbs   83%
Height: 44 1/4 in   76%
BMI:  16.73   83%

Ty
Weight: 35.5 lbs 83%
Height: 40 in   91%
BMI: 15.60   35%

Aiden's BMI has dropped since his last check up and is now in the normal range.  Ty's is great because he is so tall.  Both the boys only gained a few pounds in a year.  Its amazing how they grow so fast when they are babies and then really slow down at these ages.  Mark was really good during the check-up and taking all 3 wasn't as bad as I expected.  The boys did great!  We are so blessed to have 3 healthy kids.