First time for everything!

Stella Ross had a big weekend. She went swimming for the first time and proved to be a little fish just like her brother. Personally I thought the water was WAY too cold to be swimming in, but Stella Ross kicked and played like she was in the bath tub. I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time in the pool!


Stella Ross also got her first taste of bananas this weekend and loves them. She starts shaking and jumping when she sees her mesh feeder coming. Now she looks for it after each meal! So cute!

See Rafe Go!!

Let me brag for just a second on my sweet boy! Rafe finished reading his first book tonight and I couldn't be more proud of him. (he's pretty proud of himself, too) Lately Rafe has really taken an interest in reading and the school-teacher in me jumped ALL over it! I pulled out some books I used with my students and starting working with Rafe. He gets so excited every time we read with them and will even sit and read by himself instead of playing. AHHH!! I love it. So we have been reading the Dick and Jane series books and he finished the first series tonight, all 200 pages! Of course this was blog worthy! Go Rafe go!!

Loving her brother!

This little girl LOVES her big brother. She absolutely ADORES him! Lately one of Stella Ross's favorite things to do is get in the bed with Rafe and "cuddle" with him. (although her cuddling is more like face pulling, ear pulling, hair pulling but best of all BIG kisses!) I hope Rafe will always be willing to have his sister in his room. She sure does want to be there!

Rafe's T-Ball Banquet

What a fun night! We are so proud of you!

Rafe and some of his teammates!

Rafe trying to be "cool" when he got his trophy

Happy Boy!

Go Pirates!

Rafe and Coach Cox

Why is this happening so fast?

I don't know what is wrong with me these days but I am having a VERY hard time accepting the fact that my BABY is about to start kindergarten. I don't know if it is because school is about out for the summer, and I know the next time the bell rings my baby will be there, or the fact that he is turning into such a BIG boy right before my eyes. In the past month Rafe has "graduated" from preschool, received his last "T-Ball" trophy, started flying (not riding) on his bike without the training wheels, taken a HUGE interest in writing and reading very hard books all by himself. Where has the time gone? I look back at his baby pictures and feel like it was just yesterday I was giving him rice cereal for the first time like I am with Stella Ross. I guess before long I will be writing the same things about her. In the meantime I am just going to enjoy this summer with my "baby" before he leaves me for school every day next year. I better get stocked up on boxes of tissue!!

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday (noticing a theme with the icing?!)

4th birthday

5th birthday

My wish for Rafe is that he goes into this next chapter of his life with the "superhero" attitude of conquering anything he puts his mind to. I love you, Rafe.

Mommy

The End of Preschool

I cannot believe my BABY is not going to preschool anymore. I have been so sad about this and thinking about him leaving me next year to go to school EVERY DAY! We have absolutely loved everything about Brushy Creek Baptist Weekday School and will miss it so much next year. Rafe has made so many great friends and sadly they are all going to different schools. I know Rafe is ready for 5K, but I wish we had preschool to do all over again.

Before his 4K graduation

At Monkey Joe's for the End-of-the-Year Celebration

Rafe and his best buddy, Nolan. Tired from

all that jumping!

5 Months!

Rafe LOVES his sister

This is how I found Stella Ross after her nap!
So cute!

Rafe looks REAL excited about this new toy!

Wow! It is hard to believe Christmas was five months ago. I feel like I just blinked and now Stella Ross is SO big! She is really starting to be a "busy" girl. Her are some likes and dislikes from this month:

Likes:

playing on the floor on a palate

rolling across the room (the days of her staying where I left her are over!!)

her "loveys"

being outside

swinging

taking a bath in her new seat

GREEN BEANS

her feet

anything to chew on

Baby Einstein videos

her brother!!

Dislikes:

RICE CEREAL :(

trimming her nails

waiting on her milk!

getting in her car seat (at the rate she is growing I don't think she will be in her infant seat much longer!)

I feel like Stella Ross has changed SO MUCH in this past month. She is getting so big and changing every day. She is not a little baby anymore and this absolutely kills me! We are having a wonderful time watching her grow and learning to do so many new things. I can't wait to see what this month has in store for her!

Where is my baby??

It is SO hard to believe Stella Ross will be 5 months old next Tuesday. Where has the time gone? She is so much fun these days and really starting to show her fun personality. Here are some recent "play" pictures!

Poor Stella!

Rafe LOVES to talk about Stella Ross's "spike". This morning before school it was exceptionally "spiky". Rafe said, "I know what Stella Ross can be for Halloween, the Grinch. Her hair looks just like his!" As much as I hate to admit it he is right. Too funny!

Thank you for making me the happiest Mommy in the world. I love you both SO MUCH!

Stella Ross in her new hat Mrs. Pam made her!

Rafe (or Jack) for Nursery Rhyme dress-up day

Happy baby! Why is she getting so big?

Rafe and Mommy at his WONDERFUL Mother's Day

school program.

Big brother Rafe feeding Stella Ross.

He did MUCH better than I did. She loved

him feeding her. So sweet!