The Slagley Family

Christmas 2009

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 03:02:00 +0000

A glimpse at Christmas at our house... No chimney, so we just hung stockings on the china cabinet.

The kids playing at their new table and chairs set. It was so cute, they each had a fake cell phone and were playing so seriously.

Blake got his very own Pottery Barn chair. These are BIG hits at our house, and it has been the source of some fights lately (who knew a 1 and 2 year old could already fight?), so we got Blake one too. He got some cute new clothes too! Mostly manly clothes, so Brandon was pretty happy.

For Kate, it was boots, boots, boots. She told Santa at the mall that she wanted boots. And she got them! She got real cowboy boots, and she is obsessed with them. She did not take them off all night! Here is a nice pose for you.

Everybody wears smocked dresses with cowboy boots, right?

Precious little boots!

The kids got a 2-seat wagon, and they love it. Kate gets right in and buckles herself in. Blake just opens the door, climbs in, the climbs back out, again and again.

Kate also got some warm Ugg-like boots. They look hilarious/adorable. She is looking so big all of the sudden. Maybe it is the fact that she is carrying on the funniest conversations with us and making us laugh like she is our age.

We have been trying to stress the fact that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth, and that we just get gifts as our celebration of him. She was so sweet saying her bedtime prayers tonight. She said "Dear God, thank you for Jesus." (And Daddy, and Mommy, and Bubba, and Raggedy Ann, and Dora, etc.) Not sure she totally understands, but it made me so proud of her to know that at least she had picked up on the true gift of Jesus! I hope we always remember to thank God for Jesus on Christmas, and everyday!

Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Headed to look at this...

Happy 5 year Anniversary to me! Brandon and I have been married 5 years today! We are taking the kids to stay with my parents, and we are off on a getaway! He has been working ALL THE TIME for the past few weeks/months, and we are ready to both be in the same room for longer than 2 hours at a time. I feel like lately, he comes home from work (if he comes home from work, he has been on call too often), we eat dinner, play for a few minutes, bathe kids, put them to bed, and then we both crash. I am looking forward to some sleep, some strolling through stores, some good food, some sleep, some sitting by a fire, and some more sleep!
We are going to...

Gatlinburg! Hopefully we won't have the lovely bedding in our cabin... I will take pictures of ours. I am pretty sure all the cabins have the tacky quilted country motif. These are not necessarily our cabin or room, they are just random pictures to give you an idea of what I am looking forward to. See you soon!

Having Some Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:18:00 +0000

I haven't blogged lately because we have been so busy, but we are having some fun around here! I have been doing a ton of sewing, trying to do some Christmas shopping, and trying to keep up with these guys! Don't let Blake's "unsure face" fool you, he loved this!

I don't think this toy wagon was intended to carry a small child, but no harm done! They were literally squealing while they were going through the house. It was funny because when Blake got out, Kate got in and looked right at him and said, "It is my turn, you pull me!" I am pretty sure he just turned around and found something else to play with. Isn't it funny that she thinks he can understand and play with her like other kids her age!

See his smile now? He is a sweet boy! He likes to run up to you, give you a hug, and then get right back down to play some more. He doesn't have too much time to snuggle, so I take it while he gives it to me! He is getting so big, I can't believe this will be his second Christmas.

These Kids...

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:57:00 +0000

These guys make me laugh all the time! (And make me want to scream a lot too!) I was doing laundry the other day, and came in to find them lounging on the dirty pile watching tv. They looked at me like, "can you move please, you are in our way."

Blake's hair has the cutest little curls when his hair first dries. I had to post a picture just for the memories!

This picture is the epitome of these kids. Kate is doing something to Blake, and he is looking at me saying, "Is this ok?" She sure does love him! We were going to Bible Study last night, and I told her to come on, that we were leaving. She said, "Wait, can Bubba come too?" Like we would leave without him! I guess I don't just tell him to come on, I have to pick him up, so she thought we didn't want him to go. I love these guys!

Happy Birthday Blake!

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:05:00 +0000

It is a few weeks late, but we celebrated Blake's first birthday on Nov. 1st. He is a Halloween baby, but it is too hard to plan a party with all of the Halloween parties going on.
We had friends and family over to help us celebrate, and we had a blast. It was a pretty big party for a one year old, but we were sort of over-compensating for not having any celebration for Kate's second birthday. And good thing, because she thought it was HER party! We had kids jumping on the trampoline, swinging, playing on the slide, and parents playing beanbag toss. There was a ton of food, and lots of fun people. We could not have asked for a more fun party!

I love his cake! Brandon's parents let me pick out a design and they brought the cake with them, which made my life easier!

You can see, he enjoyed it! He does not waste any food, so he made sure to get every last bite.

After the party, he was worn out! He loves the Pottery Barn chair just like Kate!

Happy Birthday, we love you!

Guess Which One Enjoyed It More

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Kate and her ballerina friends, Campbell and Anna.

Kate figured out REALLY fast that she could get free candy by just saying Trick or Treat.

Kate would run towards us waving her arms- I think she was the first kid to every door.

My little giraffe just hung out on Daddy's shoulders, and that was just fine for him. He didn't want much to do with being on the ground that night.

"Look what I have!" She was a little not-so-put-together on Halloween, she had a wal-mart bag for her candy and she was wearing her Nike tennis shoes. At least she could run and not bust her face!

Holding Campbell's hand... sweet girls!

Blake didn't have quite as much fun as Kate, but maybe next year!

Happy BIrthday Blake!

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:49:00 +0000

Enjoy a picture show of Blake now, compared to Blake last year!

Blake- you have changed so much in this first year! You are the sweetest baby that can make me smile any time you look at me. You have had me wrapped around your finger since day 1. People always say there is something special between a mother and a son, and it is true! We love you so much, and Kate cannot get enough of you! Notice how pictures show that Kate is often "loving" on you. I also noticed that you end up on Daddy's shoulders a lot too, maybe protection from the wild girl on the floor! It was an adventure having you two kids so close together, but I wouldn't change it for the world, you are more fun everyday! Happy Birthday!

Boots Were Made For Walking

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Kate found my cowboy boots the other day. She put them on herself and had a blast.

She thinks they are just her size!

I love how they come halfway up her legs. I would love the find Kate some tiny cowboy boots, anyone seen any?

Begging To Be Outside

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:46:00 +0000

When the weather is ugly, Kate is miserable! She was begging to go outside, but it is just misty-rainy, which is even harder to explain to her why we can't be out there. I like to open the blinds of our front door window so they can look out, and they love it! Please excuse Blake's funky hairdo. He has a lot of curl that appears with humidity- why is it always the boys?

Who wouldn't adore these smushed-nose faces peering out? It cleared up for a minute, so I snapped pictures, and then we headed out for a walk. I love that it is cooler, but can the rain stop?

Sorry about the sporadic posting frenzy... we have been home a lot more. Kate's mothers' day out has had "fall break" and Blake has had a fever. More new posts below!

Mid-Week Date Night

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:33:00 +0000

Who says it has to be a weekend for a date night? Brandon has been working a lot lately and was on call for a lot of the weekend... so I planned a special night last night. I had planned on making some yummy quesadillas, but he called in the afternoon and said he wanted to eat leftovers (I never like to eat leftovers, but he acts like it is a new meal every time). So, we had a good repeat dinner, and then we put the kids to bed. We got The Unit Season 4, Disc 1 in the mail from Netflix yesterday, and we have been waiting to see it- we love that show. Once the kids were in bed, we fixed a bowl of ice cream and a glass of wine, then we curled up on the couch and watched all 4 episodes on Disc 1. It was so nice, and we should do that more often. I always feel bad asking my parents to come watch the kids if we are going to be out for awhile, because they both work. And, we really can't afford to pay a babysitter AND go out on a date... so we improvised and had a "date" at home. I highly recommend watching The Unit if you haven't already- it is a show that both of us like, and that is hard to find!

Worn Out

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Kate started going to Mothers' Day Out 2 days a week this fall... and she LOVES it! She talks about school all the time, and she really wears herself out. She goes down for a nap around 2 or 2:30 on school days, and this day, I woke her up at almost 6. I went in, talked to her, she didn't budge, so I went to get the camera, and she didn't budge until I stepped on a noise-making toy. When I woke her up, she was so grumpy because she wasn't ready to get up. And, yes, we are still attached to the pacifier for naps and bedtime. I have tried to talk her out of it and that is NOT going to happen. My pediatrician told me not to worry until she is closer to 3, so that is what I am banking on. Maybe I can talk her out of it by then!

Campbell and Kate are in the same MDO class and they do everything together. It is so funny to hear them talk to each other. We were walking the other day, and Campbell leaned towards Kate and said, "I love you Kate, you are my best friend." If we do not see the Compton ladies for a day or so, Kate will say, "let's eat with Campbell" or "I need Mrs. Katie." She loves Campbell's daddy, Ben too. He is also a resident, but does not work at the same hospital as Brandon. But, if you ask Kate where her daddy is, she says that he is "at work at the hospital with Dr. Ben." So cute! These pictures were from after "school" one day, and you can see how tired they are. We are so thankful to have such sweet friends!

If That Is Not A Big Boy...

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:52:00 +0000

I don't know what is!!! Whenever Blake wakes up and Kate is not up yet, he makes tons of noise just to wake her up. When I walk him down the hall, he is so loud. I put him down with toys in the living room while I make coffee, but he gets down the hall so fast and starts hitting Kate's door. Too funny! It is like he doesn't know what to do when she is not there.

Kate is hugging Blake- looks like she is tackling him, but he was giggling... sometimes we have to quit hugging because it gets a little rough!

Just another "hug."

Blake has TAKEN OFF! It is like he went from a few steps to really walking around in just a matter of days. He walks from room to room now and has started walking with his toys in his hands.

Cute little diaper butt! I love how babies are bow-legged, I think it is cute.

Taking steps while flashing his teeth. He also started saying "mama" today and has gotten to love the sippy cup. It is like he just grew up all of the sudden! I guess I will have to enjoy him for awhile, because even though I miss my baby, we are not ready for number 3!

Kate has had so many posts, I thought it was time for a just Blake post. We love this boy!

Busy Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:25:00 +0000

This was not supposed to be that great of a weekend! Brandon was originally going to Auburn without me and the kids this weekend- which I was not thrilled about, but he doesn't get to go often. But, late Friday night, Brandon's brother called to tell us he had two tickets. Brandon got off the phone and I told him that I would love to go, but it was too late notice, and no one would be able to keep the kids. Five or ten minutes later, Brandon's parents called to tell us about his youngest brother's high school football game and Brandon told him about the two tickets and they said, "if you ever get tickets to the game, we would love to keep the kids." We immediately made plans to drop the kids off with them on our way to Auburn the next morning... they did not have to ask us twice! While they were there, Blake improved his walking skills and can now walk from the couch to the tv or from the kids' play chair to the computer chair where I sit. He goes slowly, but if he is unsure of himself, he just squats for a second and gets back up to go. So, he is off! We have a way to go, but he is our early walker- not even 11 months- yikes!
This was on our way home today- Kate was giggling and saying, "I want to hold you." She says this a lot in the car, and I always say that I will have to hold her when we get there because I can't reach her, so I thought she was talking to me. But, I turned around and saw her holding Blake's hand and it melted my heart. We were in Brandon's car, but they normally can't reach each other in my car. (Disclaimer- it was not sweet much longer after this, she started yanking his arm and we had to cut out the hand holding.)

Here we are in the game. We looked like drowned rats after we sat in the rain for an hour. I kept asking if we could leave, but Brandon just reminded me that we had no kids to rush home to- we should just enjoy being there. We were so soaked that I think we smelled like mildew by the end of the game, and my jeans were still damp this morning!

The POURING rain in Jordan Hare Stadium. I did not get out my camera for this, I copied this picture from somewhere else, but it is what it looked like. A friend works on rain/storm drains and said that drains are built for 2 inches of rain an hour, and anything above that is a 1 in 100 year storm... which just happened to be last night! It was at least 2.5 inches of rain in an hour- and we stood in it! We had such a great time seeing friends and enjoying Auburn- hope we get to do it again this season!

Cute Phrases

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:53:00 +0000

I have been noticing Kate saying all kinds of funny things lately, and I don't want to forget them, so I thought I would share...
Kate has a hard time saying words that start with "sp" so she just uses an "f" to start it instead. For example, "sprinkler" is "frinkler." One day, Blake was trying to climb up the legs of a barstool in the kitchen and I heard Kate scold him and say, "Bubba, don't climb that." And when he did not quit, she said, "Do you need a fankin?" I wish she hadn't learned the spanking threat from me, but it is used quite a bit around here!
When we go out to eat, she gets to drink a "frite" and drinks every last sip! Some moms are funny about kids and soft drinks, but I could care less with a caffeine free sprite! Kids need a little treat every now and then too! And, is there that much difference in sugar content between apple juice and sprite?
She started Mother's Day Out this week (hallelujah!) and loved it. Yesterday afternoon, when I picked her up, I told her that Blake and I missed her and that he wanted to hear what she did all day. She simply said, "Dude, I went to school." I just could not stop laughing! I couldn't figure out where she got "dude" until Blake was whiny later in the afternoon and Brandon said, "Dude, you need to chill out." She picks up on everything!
She was screaming her brains out the other day because she wasn't getting her way, and I was ignoring her (which has actually been the best way to get her to stop, because she is not getting the attention she desires) and my mom called. She heard Kate screaming, but we talked anyway. When I got off the phone, I said, "Kate, that was GiGi and she was very sad that you were acting like that." And she immediately stopped crying and said, "I'm sorry GiGi, I'm sorry Mommy." Later on, Blake whimpered in the car because he was so sleepy and Kate said, "No no bub, that makes GiGi very sad." I guess I have found another way to stop temper tantrums.
Anyway, she never quits talking! When I picked her up from her first day of school, her teacher told me that she is definitely the "class talker." I don't know how much she will enjoy that as the year goes on! I am sure there are things I am forgetting, but these are a few funny ones.
As for Blake, there is no talking! It is kind of freaking Brandon out because they are supposed to know a few words by the time they are one, but Dr. Peters told me from the beginning that the second ones take a while to talk, especially with a very verbal older sibling... so we will just let him take his time! Sometimes I wish Kate couldn't talk quite so much anyway!

Riding Horses

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:27:00 +0000

Our friend Montana had her 3rd birthday party last weekend at Oak Mountain Stables and Petting Farm. We had so much fun! Kate had a blast riding the horses- and Blake was a ladies' man and enjoyed being passed around. I didn't know how Kate would handle riding a horse, but she did it all by herself and even cried when it was time for her to get off. We just got back in the end of the line to ride again and again. Here are some pictures of our fun day! Katie loves Bubba, and you can tell he loves her too!

Want some pretty grass?

Petting the goat flipped her out! That same goat tried to eat the leg of my shorts.

Look at the dirt on Kate's face! Kate and Campbell are best friends and these pictures capture their sweet personalities.

The big girl riding all by herself.

Allergic

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Apparently, Kate is allergic to fire ant bites. Brandon went to get her from Sunday school this morning and they said she was in the office. I had gone to get Blake and when I saw him walking towards me empty-handed, it kind of freaked me out. They will page you if your child is bad or sick, but I had not been paged. She was sitting in the lap of the nursery director eating a sucker smiling, so I figured that whatever had happened was ok now. Then, the director asked me if Kate always reacts this way to ant bites, and I realized that these may be her first ones. (Mosquitos are a different ball game, she is covered in them!) Her foot was fat, red, hot, and tight! Her sandal wouldn't fit over it, so she was carried to the car. We went to Walgreens on our way to lunch to get some Benadryl, and then met my family. Kate was a ZOMBIE the whole meal! My whole family could not believe that she was that quiet and zoned out. She passed out in the car on the way home, and then slept for 3 hours once we got home. When she woke up from her nap, she played for a little bit, but then collapsed on the couch and covered up. Brandon was reading her some books and snuggling with her and said she was hot, and she had a fever of almost 103! She is now dosed up with more Benadryl and Motrin, and she is off to bed! Poor thing!

On a more fun note, Blake is all over the place! He has taken a few steps at a time and then sits down once or twice, but he is climbing all over the couch, the kids' chair, and trying to get onto the coffee table! He is busting out teeth everywhere too- he is showing you his top 2 (and tip of 3) teeth here. I can't believe he is already this big!

Playtime

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:10:00 +0000

Turner came over today and he was a little less excited than Blake to play. Blake was a little too in his face!

A sweet "hug" from Blake and a gentle "high five" from Turner, and somehow Kate slept through it all.

The stare down. It is funny to watch kids this age stare at each other and make noises like they are actually trying to communicate.

New Projects and Bossy Kate

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:47:00 +0000

These are some new projects I have been doing lately. The little dress is so cute on! It has little side vents that button and it just makes it hang so cute on Kate. The john-john was fun to make, but I am not used to so many details! The smocking part was fun, but the actual construction of the outfit was tedious! It turned out very nice though, and it is fully lined, so I feel like it will hold up nicely. The pattern can be unsmocked and reversible, which is my next venture! The john-john took so long that I don't think I am going to sell them on my sewing blog because I barely have time to make one for my own child! But, I will probably end up selling that style of dress once I make one or two more and get comfortable with the pattern. I really do love smocking and sewing but my love of sleep has suffered lately to get these finished. :)

Kate loves "talking down" to Blake. She is constantly saying, "No No, Bub!" and "Don't bite!" when he is just putting toys in his mouth. She just doesn't realize that is what babies do! We laugh that she has started calling him "Bub" because it sounds like a northerner- my dad still has a touch of a Michigan accent and we like to say that is where she got it. She has gotten a little mean recently, I hate to say. She has this evil little giggle and I know she is torturing him. Yesterday she was pinching his cheeks so hard they turned bright red, and she pulls his ears (like they need to stick out more) so hard. I get more upset than he does. For some reason, he puts up with it. He may whimper a little bit, but he just looks at her wondering what she is doing. I had to explain that if she loves him like she says she does, then she cannot want to hurt him. Then she gets tender-hearted and hugs him and tells him she is sorry. She got so sad that she cried today, but I had to explain that he loves her and forgives her even if he can't tell her. It has made me tear up more than once to see her realize that she is hurting someone (I know it sounds cheesy, but I can't help it- I used to say the random tears were pregnant/nursing hormones, now what can I blame it on?) She really is sensitive, but I am hoping she will learn soon to not hurt him in the first place. The picture of him by the jumperoo kind of reminded me of Brandon's brother, Christopher. Some of Brandon's family has said that Blake looks like Christopher since birth, so I thought I would show this little glimpse that we saw. More and more people have been saying that Blake looks like Brandon lately- it is funny because we look at him and only see Blake!

How can Kate hurt this sweet face? :)

They Will Hate This Later...

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:29:00 +0000

"I will help you in."- Kate
"No thanks, I can do this myself."- Blake
I couldn't resist the bottom pictures. They couldn't wait for the water to fill up. Blake was dying to get in. He watched Kate hike her leg up and he thought he could do the same. They won't love these pictures later, but they made me laugh.

Before the splashing began. They had a blast in the tub tonight. Brandon is on call tonight and it is sad when I use bathtime as an activity just to pass time until bedtime. I let them play until they were little prunes!

After the splash fest... all smiles (for Kate). Blake does love playing but sometimes he looks at me like- can you stop her from splashing me now?

Best Buddies

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:17:00 +0000

These kids crack me up! They are really enjoying each other these days. Kate gets a big kick out of playing with/torturing Blake, and he gets a kick out of all the attention. She loves dressing up- notice the nice dress over some pink play pants- and putting her dress up stuff on Blake too. If I hear her giggling and him whining, I know that she has put something on his head, and today it was her mesh laundry bag. She also wants to go with me to get him from naptimes, and I let her get in his crib to play and she pretended to put him "night night." He is doing his whiny face saying, "get her out of here." I really think this is getting more fun everyday. But, they are wearing me out. That Kate is something else. She just decided that she didn't want to sleep in her big girl bed last night and cried, screamed, and threw herself against her door until after midnight. She said she wanted to sleep in Mommy's bed- which she has NEVER done in her life- so I was not giving in. Until Brandon reminded me that the morning was coming sooner than we would like and we needed sleep, however we could get it. So she slept with us for the first time, and then today she got a night light so she would have no reason to be afraid, and she is quiet so far... fingers crossed. Anyway, sometimes I couldn't smile more because of them, and sometimes I want to sell them on Craigslist.

Girls' Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:23:00 +0000

I had another weekend with NO kids! Brandon stayed home with the kids so I could go surprise a college BFF (best friend forever- for those family members who may be reading and not know) after she got engaged. Melanie and I went to Oxford, MS, on Saturday afternoon and showed up shortly after Lauren and Christopher got engaged. It is hard for me to call her Lauren, because I have only called her by her last name since I have known her. Anyway, he proposed and had her family waiting back at his parents' house for a little party. She had no idea that friends were coming too. Melanie and I were the outsiders, being her Auburn friends, so we had to wait and meet some of her MS friends to make sure we were in the right place. (Because Melanie's GPS told us to go way down the opposite end of the street... glad we can read good ole street signs and house numbers ourselves!) We were just kind of hanging around outside of Christopher's parents' house and then he came outside to let us know we were in the right place. Nevermind the fact that his parents' house looks like a major historical landmark and I just couldn't believe it was their home! Beautiful! Anyway, we walked in the front door and Lauren's back was to us but she turned around when she saw other guests' reactions. She really stared at us for at least 10 seconds before giving us a hug... I felt like I needed to re-introduce myself to her. Oh yeah, one reason it was such a big shock is that I have been MIA as a friend since I have been pregnant or with a newborn for over 2 years. I did get to see her last summer, but I am sure she was not expecting me to show up! So she was very excited that we could be there to share in such a fun weekend. I was on CLOUD 9 all night, just being with old friends and being around so many of her friends and family that I feel like I know because of living with her. Did I mention that I lived with Lauren and Melanie for 3 out of 4 years of Auburn? So, I was thrilled to be with them all night again. (And maybe that old bond is so deep down and that is why we all had white jeans on?)

The couple in the bottom picture is Lauren's parents- I love them! They were so much fun to be around and they have always treated me like I was one of their own. And no, I am not sitting in Donnie's lap, I was on the arm of his chair. Also, I am not a wino, but just happened to be carrying around my wine glass because the caterer snatched it up the one time I set it down. Lots of the guests were amused at the fact that I have 2 kids, so one guest didn't know my name and I was dubbed "2 kids."

The lucky man- Christopher! Can you tell he and Lauren had been in the sun all day? I guess that day was worth the sunburn! I got to know Christopher better this trip, and it makes me laugh how perfect he is for her. Lauren is one of a kind- she knows what she wants and doesn't take anything less... and he takes it all in stride. I can't wait to be around him more in the years to come!

Ok- more on the party... when I think of a party to celebrate the night of the engagement, this is not what I think of. I think of maybe a few appetizers and some drinks on a countertop. Keep in mind that we got engaged at Brandon's hunting land and I am pretty sure there was camouflage somewhere on his body (hat maybe?), but that totally was perfect for us. This house was straight out of Southern Living or House Beautiful, inside and out. And, the party was catered with great food (better than I have had at some weddings), and a cocktail bar. We thought we would be going out to celebrate later, but there was no need to leave, the party was so much fun. We took a tour of Christopher's parents' house and saw their wine cellar, movie room, and I was AMAZED at the mirrors in their bathroom. If you want to watch television while you get ready, you just aim the remote at the mirror and a tv appears inside the mirror. I was pretty baffled by it, it took me a few times of turning it on and off to really believe it. I am sure they were laughing at me, and at one time someone asked where I was from and when I said Birmingham, they just nodded and said "oh." Still not sure what that was all about! Anyway, this weekend was so much fun and I was so glad I got to be a part of it. I love you Lauren, congrats again!

PS- I love you Brandon, thanks for taking the kids all weekend so I could feel like I was in college again! (To brag on him, he was on call Friday night, and he offered to keep them after he had been up for 30 something hours just because he knew how badly I wanted to go.)

Birthday Treats

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:07:00 +0000

My birthday was this past weekend and I got some fun treats! My mom gave me some Trish McEvoy makeup and some new necklaces and earings (these aren't the exact ones, but pretty close). Some sweet friends brought me beautiful roses that were light pink turning to hot pink on the tips- beautiful!!! Then, my brother gave us a night of babysitting and paid for our movie, so we went to see The Proposal, and it was GREAT! We laughed so hard, and Brandon even enjoyed it! Brandon took me to a great dinner at Brio, and it is so nice to sit and enjoy a meal and talk to each other. Plus, the food at Brio never disappoints! I got some money from Brandon's parents and grandparents and my grandad, so I ordered a new carseat for Blake. It doesn't sound too exciting, but trust me it is! We needed one and don't have a lot extra in the budget these days, so at least I could get the one I wanted! So I am very excited to see this coming soon. My parents took us out to eat at PF Changs last night, which was also great. And they are watching both kids this weekend so that Brandon and I can go to the beach with a friend from college. I am excited to read and relax all weekend! Last week wasn't the best at our house (Brandon's schedule was awful and he was only home 2 nights), so these birthday surprises were a nice treat!

Recent Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Kate turned 2 on May 29th, but she just went for her 2 year appointment on Wednesday. She weighs 26 pounds, which puts her in the 40% for weight, and she is 33 1/2 inches tall, putting her in the 30% for height. When she was born, she was in the 95% for height, so she is falling off the curve a little bit! Kate had to have a finger prick to check her iron, which was low AGAIN, but she did not cry at all! I told her that she could get a sucker if she was a big girl, and it worked. Little did she know, she would get a sucker even if she had cried. I talked to Dr. Peters for a while about Kate's diet, since she would rather eat snacks and crackers all day than any solid meal. I am just trying to make her snacks healthy, rather than goldfish all day long. Evidently all kids do this at some point or another, so the doctor was fine with it, as long as we push the meals.
Kate has had a light heart murmur forever, but Dr. Peters said it was louder than she remembers it being, so we are going to see a cardiologist on July 29th. I am not that worried about it because she had a cardiac ultrasound when she was born and there were no structural problems. I also talked to Dr. Peters about Kate's nonstop repeating and strange OCD behavior. She will replay situations or conversations days after they happen, and she is constantly repeating things I tell her. For example, when we were at the beach, if the upstairs neighbor opened their glass patio door, it sounded like thunder in our condo. She would gasp and run to me every time, until I told her, "It is ok. It is not thunder, it is just the neighbor." Then, every time after that, she would say, "It's ok it's ok it's ok, it's not thunder, it's the neighbor." Repeating it so much that we were going crazy. If an older child displays this much repitition, it can point to autism, so it kind of freaked me out a little bit. She also does things with an OCD nature. I leave Blake's carseat in the car now, but when I used to bring it in, Kate would always have to buckle his seatbelt. Also, she has to have shoes on all the time, but she puts them on the wrong feet... EVERY TIME! When I asked Dr. Peters about it, she laughed in my face. She said that Kate seems like her mind is just running 90 miles a minute and that she is just excited about learning new things and wants to repeat them. She said that she was even a little ahead of the game and just not to worry about it. That made me feel better, and when I told Brandon, my sister, and my mom about it- they all said, "I can't believe you asked her if she thought something was wrong!" To set the record straight, I do not think Kate has learning problems, but I also do see her doing things that seem unusual. I guess I have a girl that marches to the beat of a different drum!
Another recent piece of information- I quit my job, for good. I haven't worked recently anyway, but I at least made it official. I feel like when I have worked since having kids, I have not been fully THERE, but just doing my job and going home. Which, in an NICU, is not good. Your heart really has to be in it or your head can't keep up! Brandon's schedule is also pretty rough right now and he just said that he didn't want to come home from working 36 hours to stay home while I go to work. I also heard that they were not hiring flexi positions because they didn't have anymore and it just made me feel guilty for hogging a position when I am really not working much. I handed in my resignation letter on Wednesday and I feel a real peace about it. I know that the Lord has provided and will continue to provide for us in any situation. That is about it for our house right now!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:29:00 +0000

This is Blake's "lovey" or "Lamby" that he sleeps with. I have been letting him cry it out for a little bit now and he has done great so far (except for when he is sick). I noticed that he was losing interest in his pacifier, which makes me very happy since I am dreading taking it away from Kate. *Side note- she only gets her pacifier for naps and bedtime, but she frequently talks about/begs for/throws fits for it anyway.* Anyway, I realized what was soothing him instead of it, and it is Lamby! He loves his Lamby, but he is chewing the ears right off of it. Do you see the funky dark colored ears? That is straight out of the washing machine!!! I am loving this though because it is truly soothing him. I guess I will just keep washing it and buy new ones when they get too gross to stand.

My roses make me happy! And, that big tomato that will be ripe soon makes me very happy too! Do you see the rose that is about to bloom in front of the tomato plant? We take walks everyday to look at our plants, since Kate "helped" plant them. It is nice to show her the pretty flowers and see how excited she gets. The kids are feeling better today, but we are still laying low to rest before a fun July 4th weekend!

*New (er) Post Below

Happy Birthday Kate (a month late)!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Slagleys) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Kate got some very fun things for her birthday this year! We love playing outside and now we can stay busy while we are out there! My parents, Gigi and Pop Pop, gave Kate this all-in-one slide that has "rock climbing" on one side, a slide on the other, a basketball goal, a place to throw a football and a place to kick a soccer ball. She has been having a blast with it!

Brandon and I knew we wanted to get Kate a trampoline, but we hadn't found a good deal on one (and we really haven't had much time) until yesterday. I went and picked it up and Brandon set it up all by 4:30 or 5. She LOVES it! She kept jumping until she would fall and say, "I ok mommy." After just a few minutes of jumping, Brandon and I laughed because she was completely out of breath. After her bath, she came into Blake's room (Brandon always dresses Kate and I always dress Blake after baths) and said, "thank you tramp." Good thing I know what she meant! Tramp-oline is hard so she just sticks with tramp. She has already asked several more times, "jump, ok?" She is excited to have some friends over to play with it soon!

Meanwhile, she and Blake both have a random fever virus that just makes them spike a fever and be very irritable. They have been really sleepy though, so at least that has made it ok. A virus doesn't stop her from enjoying her new birthday presents.