{iPhone Rewind} :: August

Like moths to a flame...haha! They hear the mower start and they go running to the window :)

I'm glad it was a chair and not the wall...?? Sigh.

Maddie wanted to hold Aiden while he had his bottle. Sweet sister :)

Eli's happy place...with a book, with Daddy

Our embryo adoption story was featured on our agency's social media pages for Feel Good Friday

A quiet break in the crazy storm of Toddlerville. Love these 3!

Amazon delivery day is a big deal in our house. Also, there are too many diapers in our house.

New favorite activity: pulling ALL the books off the shelf

Lunch at Daddy's office!

I thought getting 2 to sit still in the same photo was hard haha

Someone's teething LOL

Eli reading to Maddie. And Aiden photo bombing :)

He definitely needs a haircut soon haha

Story time with Grandma via Skype

Soaking up these last days of summer :)

He just can't sit still much anymore

It was this girlie's turn to visit the eye doctor. She has strabismus {crossed eye}, but they don't think it's prescription-related...so we will patch for a couple of months and see if that helps!

Brothers :)

Maddie is doing pretty well with wearing her eye patch! It helps that she can pick out fun designs every day :)

Playing in Granny's play closet is the best!

Maddie has the BEST curls! I put her hair up in a ponytail or a clip and it instantly falls into ringlets. I may or may not be jealous of her amazing hair haha.

Maddie got 2 walls on the same day. Sigh.

Sidewalk chalk is for the sidewalk, outside. Not inside on the tile, guys!!

Toddlers are crazy, and flowers from my hubby are super sweet :)

Happy Birthday, Old Buck!

With all the hoopla around Aiden's party, I didn't get a chance to pull photos off my camera for my Dad's birthday. And I bet he thought he could get away with me not even mentioning it... not a chance! Sorry dad ;)

This year, my dad turned 60! He didn't want us to make a big deal about it, but how can you not mark this huge milestone?? So we had a mini-celebration after Aiden't party, while my parents were still in town. And we kept it classy...vintage, if you will. We took him to dinner at Rockfish, and it was a fun evening of celebrating my sweet dad.

The birthday boy

We asked Lindsay to make some dad-specific cookies, and they were perfect! Some amazing hunter cookies for an old buck haha. Our gift to him will be another weekend visit for the guys to go to a special skeet-shooting course, so it's a multi-weekend celebration!

Happy {late} birthday, Dad! We are so thankful for you, and look forward to seeing you again to celebrate some more :)

1000 Books Before Kindergarten :: 200!

We were able to read another 100 books! Which I think is perfect as we wrap up the summer :)

You can find the first 100 books we read here.

1. The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff
2. The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster and Christopher Raschka
3. The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza*
4. What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
5. I am Abraham Lincoln by Brad Metzer
6. Whose Mouse Are You? by Robert Kraus
7. Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London*
8. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
9. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Erin Carle*
10. Baghead by Jarrett Krosoczka
11. I Stink! by Kate McMullan
12. On Market Street by Arnold Lobel
13. The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble and Steven Kellogg
14. Frog Goes to Dinner by Mercer Mayer
15. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel and Janet Stevens*
16. The Mitten by Jan Brett
17. Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Construction Site by Richard Scarry*
18. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
19. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
20. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, George Hauman, and Doris Hauman*
21. First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
22. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
23. Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
24. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
25. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
26. Goin' Someplace Special by Pat McKissack and Jerry Pinkney
27. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
28. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
29. Henny Penny by Paul Galdone*
30. This & That by Mem Fox
31. Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London*
32. Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! by Mem Fox*
33. Callie Cat, Ice Skater by Eileen Spinelli
34. The Biggest Story ABC's by Kevin DeYoung*
35. Click, Clack, Quack to School! by Doreen Cronin*
36. Froggy Plays in the Band by Jonathan London*
37. Don't Make a Sound by Mary Packard
38. Daddies by Lila Prap*
39. Froggy Gets a Doggy by Jonathan London*
40. If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff
41. Diggersaurs by Michael Whaite*
42. The Stray Dog by Marc Simont
43. Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
44. Froggy Goes to the Doctor by Jonathan London*
45. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
46. Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin*
47. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! by Mo Willems
48. Froggy's Day with Dad by Jonathan London*
49. Corduroy Lost and Found by B.G. Hennesy and Don Freeman*
50. Giggle Giggle Quack by Doreen Cronin*
51. Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
52. Bruno Munari's Zoo by Bruno Munari
53. The Napping House by Audrey Wood
54. The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton*
55. Baby Einstein: Sweet Dreams Mimi by Julie Aigner-Clark
56. Thump, Quack, Moo by Doreen Cronin*
57. Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
58. Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha*
59. The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
60. Dig! by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clamesha*
61. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff*
62. Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
63. A Twin is to Hug by Boni Ashburn
64. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
65. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
66. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
67. Froggy Plays Soccer by Jonathan London*
68. If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff*
69. Duck for President by Doreen Cronin*
70. Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins*
71. What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Drive? by Mark Lee*
72. Good Night Baby Jesus by Adam Gamble
73. You Can Do It! by Betsy Lewin
74. What the Ladybug Heard Next by Julia Donaldson
75. Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
76. Froggy's Sleepover by Jonathan London*
77. Where's Spot? Eric Hill
78. Snowmen at Work by Caralyn Buehner
79. One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom
80. Lots More Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
81. Froggy Plays T-Ball by Jonathan London*
82. Owen by Kevin Henkes
83. Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington
84. Pinkalicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann
85. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
86. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
87. The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
88. Froggy's Birthday Wish by Jonathan London
89. Curious George by H.A. Rey*
90. Dora's Sleepover by Lara Bergen
91. Should I Share My Ice Cream {An Elephant and Piggie Book} by Mo Willems
92. How Do Dinosaurs Choose Their Pets? by Jane Yolen*
93. The Cars and Trucks Book by Todd Parr*
94. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
95. The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
96. Duck, Duck, Dinosaur and the Noise in the Night by Kallie George
97. The Blue Train by Sarah Pitt
98. Garden by Nick Ackland
99. My Turn to Learn Numbers by Natalie Marshall
100. Dinosaur Dance! by Sandra Boynton*

*Some of our favorites

Aiden's First Birthday Photos

I did a little home photo shoot for Aiden's first birthday. I made his t-shirt and the paper garlands to match his birthday party theme. He sat about as still as his brother and sister did for their first birthday photo shoot, but I think we were able to get a few cute ones anyway.

True to form, he had his tongue out pretty much the whole time :)

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Boy! We love you!!

Watch Aiden Grow!

Our sweet boy is 1 year old! As I look through these monthly photos, I just can't believe how little he was...because he has always been our big guy haha. This little chunk-o-monk is such a joy, and this Mama is crying all the tears over the fact her baby boy is growing so fast!