His best friend, his bunny.  He cannot go to sleep without it, it calms him down within a millisecond if he’s upset, he has just about chewed its paws off, they’re almost black, and  it stinks . . . . really stinks, he loves to hold the paws up to my nose so I can say “Pewww-eeeeee” - cracks him up every.single.time. If you take it from him, he grabs it, and lets out a horrible growl to let you know how irritated he is with you for taking his precious friend. If he sees it anywhere, he calls for it, “Buhhh-eeeeee, Buhhh-eeeeeeeee” - I think he’s close to actually saying “Bunny.” He would love to carry it around with him all day.  If he does set it down so he can play with something else and then happens upon it during the day, he immediately grabs it and the biggest smile comes across his face, as if to say, “Oh friend, where HAVE you been?” LOL

As for me, I’m terrified we’ll lose it, scared he won’t take to the new one I ordered because it doesn’t have his stink  . . . . . uhhhh, smell, on it, wondering if he’ll be carrying it with him to his first day of kindergarten, or better yet, across the stage at his high school graduation.  Oh yeah, peer pressure should get to him by then.  Even so, I’m armed with pictures of said bunny and I will NOT let him forget the importance “Bunny” has had in his life. Should make for some cute pictures to show at his rehearsal dinner.

Here’s Holden and his Best Friend, Bunny . . . .

It was a BEEEEE-YOUUUUUUU-TI-FUL day today!  The first day that I haven’t wanted to pass out from heat stroke every time I walked out the front door.   Thank goodness for air conditioners.  Holden asks to go outside all day long every day, as well as Kasen, but at least she understands that it’s too hot, he doesn’t.  Well, they were scrambling to find their shoes when I said that we could go outside and play.  Holden grabs his shoes and says, “Shoooooes, Owww-side” - too cute.  Normally we have them wear shoes because their feet would burn on the concrete, but today, today we didn’t need no stinkin’ shoes, it was cooler on the concrete - yahoooooo!!!!  ;) We started out with a snack, played with insects, then we moved on to playing ball.  We had some swing time, slid down the slide a LOT, played in the fort, rode on the glider, had tickle fights on the grass, each had a ride on the tricycle, we rode the plasma car (Kasen pushed Holden and I, then I pushed her), we played with the water table and then it was time for sidewalk chalk.  It was Holden’s first time with the chalk and I could not stop laughing.  I took tons of pictures and I had to share them before going to bed tonight because they’re just too cute.

Kasen and Holden started out drawing together on the concrete, but then Holden moved on to writing on the post. LOL

Holden then decided to taste the sidewalk chalk!  The face he made after he took a bite was priceless.  I was SURE he wouldn’t do it again after THAT face.

However . . . . he did . . . . he tried the red next . . . .

. . . then the pink . . . .

. . . . then the purple . . .

Kasen was mortified and tried to get all the chalk out immediately.  By the way, I had already wiped his mouth clean a few times before those last pictures were even taken. LOL

And really, there’s nothing cuter than a chalk bum!

Our day did NOT start out well, but the day ended fantastically - the kids and I both were so excited to play outside.  We headed for the backyard before 3:00 p.m., and after playtime, and the kids taking a walk with Mae Mae and Papa, they didn’t come inside until 6:30 p.m.  They were wiped out when they went to sleep.  Love that.  The cooler weather was exactly what we were needing.  I’m hoping for lots more of those days - wonderful, wonderful memories were made.

See ya’ later!!

Just a little bit of fun before Holden hit the hay.  He was playing earlier on the slide, actually in the buff , but he wasn’t sliding too well like that! LOL  Kasen wanted to stay outside and play, so Brad took over outside duty.  I then headed inside to give Holden a bath and get him ready for “Nigh Nigh” as he says.  Well, as I was gathering all of his stuff, he saw Brad outside and had a fit.  He was grabbing the doorknob, standing on his tip-toes, saying “Oww-side!  Owww-siide!  Owwww-siiide!”  Listening to that cute voice and watching him work so hard to get outside, I, of course, took him out for one last little playtime.  And that’s the reason he’s in his jammies.  A few slides did the trick and he was ready to head for bed.  LOVE the look on our little man’s face in these pics.  Love, love them!

The kiss-off from Kasen. LOL

Kasen helping Holden take off.

See ya’ later!!

Kasen just returned from a camping trip with Brad’s parents, her Mae Mae and Papa.  She’s one very lucky little girl to have such great grandparents.  They are making such wonderful memories with her, ones that will definitely last a lifetime.

Me, well, I couldn’t have been happier to see her run into my arms this afternoon.  I really missed her.  Holden and I even played in her room a lot while she was gone so we could have some pretend “Kasen time.”  Holden has started calling for her now.  In the past, he’s called her “KayKay,” “ShaySay,” and now his latest is “Kayyyyyy-Seeeeeeee.” LOL  I could tell that Holden was a little off his game while she was gone, but he hung in there.  Kasen waited patiently for Holden to wake up from his nap after she arrived home.  She discovered him first on the monitor, saying “He’s sitting up.  He’s sitting up.  Can I PLEASE go see him now?”  It’s very sweet how much she loves him, and it’s definitely a mutual admiration society . . . . . well, most of the time! LOL  He seemed pretty excited to see her enter his room and they even read a few books in his crib together and played a bit before getting on with the afternoon.  They had fun chasing each other and playing with trains, balls, and a pretend vacuum cleaner (Holden’s fave).  We only had one infraction which landed Kasen in time-out.  My favorite line ever - “You can’t be mean to me.  I’m FIVE now!” LOL  Well, being mean to her little brother was what landed her in time out.  Holden did his usual - going to her while she was on time out, pointing his finger at her and yelling “No, No, No, No, No.” LOL  Then he would squat down so he could see her eye to eye.  It actually turned out great because it made her laugh, and it happened 10 seconds before her time-out was over.  Everything ran smoothly after that, thank goodness.  Just testing her limits I’m sure - has to see where she stands . . . guess she found out.

We had a little play time in the backyard late in the afternoon, it was a little cooler then.  They really did great.  Kasen is such a good helper when Holden starts getting into things he shouldn’t.  It’s a good thing too, because he’s super fast now.  A lot of the times, she can get to him before I can and steer him in the right direction, which is wonderful.  Actually, she can be quite the Mother Hen.  I gave him a cheese cracker this afternoon and she promptly took it from him, telling me, “That cracker has cheese in it.  Do you know that cheese has milk in it?  Holden CANNOT have milk.” LOL  She’s right about the milk, but he’s doing quite well with the crackers . . . . as long as he doesn’t have too many.  Funny girl, she is one smart cookie.  Okay, back to playing in the backyard. They both had some swing time, they played in the fort, and Holden ran around touching stuff and saying “Hot! Hot!”  LOL  He’s not a fan of the hot.  We were outside the other day and he touched one of our patio tables and yes, it was super hot.  He pulled his hand back so fast, put it on his chest, and looked at me with the most serious (and shocked) face and said, “Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot.”

Here’s Kasen playing on the swing, obviously upside down.  Look at that sweet face.  Oh, how I’ve missed it.  The cuddles all afternoon and the numerous times she said, “I love you” and “I missed you soooo much” just warmed my heart.  I was holding her quite a bit today, and when I had to get up, she said, “Nooooo, I wasn’t done loving on you yet.”  Awwwww, another Mommy melting moment.  What a sweetheart. <3

See ya’ later!!

This is what Holden says every single time he sees me on the phone, all while he furiously reaches for the phone . . . . and cries.   He loves to say “Hi,” “Bye,” and “No!” LOL  And he loves to press the buttons.  It’s almost become a huge hassle because he does not want me talking on the phone now at all, HE wants to talk.  We do have a phone that has been plugged in, but the telephone line has not been connected . . . . . . which is great.  That means it makes sounds when he pushes the buttons, he can make it ring, but at least he’s not calling China.

Check out the tears in this photo.  I finally gave him the phone so he could talk to my Mom, after a HUGE meltdown.  He quieted down the minute he had the phone in his hands.  Stinker!

Having a deep conversation with his Mimi.

Holden cracks me up with this smug grin.  You can just hear him saying “Yep, I got what I wanted.”  Silly boy!

See ya’ later!!

Holden’s cutting his molars right now, so he’s been quite fussy lately.  Now, we also have a five year old cutting her adult molars.  I thought it sounded funny when she said that she had half a tooth and when I went to investigate, it was like looking in Holden’s mouth.  I could see half of her tooth poking through her gums.  Whew, crazy around here!!  Teething strips for everyone. LOL

I haven’t taken as many pictures of Holden lately because he is ALWAYS on the move.  He hardly ever sits still now, and continues to climb on the kitchen table.  I’ve been putting the chairs on top of the table and the kitchen island so I don’t have to remove him 100 times a day.  He is still getting in to everything he’s not supposed to.  The thing that cracks me up the most lately is him dancing when I turn the vacuum cleaner on, he likes to groove. LOL  Smacking the the juke box with his hand is code for “turn that thing on” - as soon as he hears a tune, he’ll start busting a move.  He was getting Kasen to turn on musical toys today so he could dance.  I’ve never heard of a child starting to dance when he hears a drill saw, but Holden sure does.  Funny, funny boy.  He’s talking a LOT - I think he has about 20+ words now.  He asks to go “owww-side” every single day.  When he touches something he’s not supposed to, he says, “Hot” even when it’s just wet.  Falling is so frequent around here that I just look for blood immediately.  I always pick him up and say, “Oh honey.”  Soooo, now when he’s upset or he gets hurt, he comes running to me and cries, “Honeeeeeeyyyyy.  Honeeeyyyy.”  So sad, but precious.  First thing in the morning, he asks for his “Bobble” (bottle) and he asks for his “Buh-eeeeee” (bunny) every single night - actually, he’s asking for it a LOT during the day now.  He used to leave it in the crib in the morning, but now he reaches back for it and won’t leave the crib without it.  That poor bunny, it’s looking BAD.  It was washed again today.  I can’t wash it more than about every three days or it would fall apart.  I did ask my friend where she bought it for him, and I’ve already got one on order.  I’m just hoping he’ll take to it so we can retire the poor bunny that once had white paws to his memory box.

Here’s our little man - both sides, happy and serious.  Can you tell how much he’s slimmed down with all that walking?!  I knew he had, but looking at the serious picture, I can really see it.  Little man is growing up . . . way too fast!!

It looks so funny to see that big molar in his mouth just surrounded by gums.  Love those pearly whites he has~

See ya’ later!!

Yep, that’s little dude truckin’ down the sidewalk this afternoon.  This is one of the main reasons I’m soooo busy, he’s EVERYWHERE!! LOL

This first picture is done in watercolor, so the colors are darker.  Looks pretty cool I think.

See ya’ later!!

I wish that I could say that our long weekend has been fun and carefree, but so far it’s been rough . . . really rough.  Brad started working Friday night and is STILL working - he’s been on and off of the very same conference call since then.  I think they’re going for a record, or they’ve already set one.  Whatever, not fun.  Not fun trying to get the kids to be quiet, not fun missing him, and frustrating not getting to do fun family stuff.  Oh well, we’re still hoping for some free time for him tomorrow.  It’s been HARD on both kids.  Kasen and Holden were both acting up and now Kasen is coughing non-stop.  Ugh.

I decided we would try a mini photo shoot this morning, and that didn’t go quite well either! LOL  Kasen was really cooperative, but Holden didn’t want anything to do with our demands.  Soooo, I just shot and hoped to capture a few good shots.  And that’s what I got, a few good shots.  I’m guessing we’ll try to watch fireworks next year - crossing my fingers!

Here are the kiddos - I actually love these!  I did try to get both kids in the same shot, but like I said, didn’t go well.  Sooo, what you see is what you get! LOL

See ya’ later!!  Happy Fourth!!!!!!!!!

What can I say about Holden?!  Oh yeah, first of all, he’s walking EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME!  It’s precious to see that wobbly walk from one end of the house to the other, but I can guarantee you he won’t be wobbly for long.  He’s getting good.

Holden~~~

Adventurous, loves to climb on anything.  Lover of his stuffed bunny at nap and bedtime.  Screeches when he’s frustrated, but consoled quite easily . . . most of the time.  Snuggles when he’s hurt or tired.  Great belly laugh that can’t help but make you smile.  Initiator of silly games.  Very social, but will certainly check you out (quite seriously) if he’s not absolutely sure.  Warms up quickly.  LOVES his bottle, this might be a problem. LOL  Goes to sleep with almost no effort on our part.  Gives sweet kisses and gentle pats on the back.  Loves playing Pat-a-Cake.  Water is his best friend . . . the pool, the water table, the bathtub, any faucet with running water - makes him squeal with delight.  Favorite toys are things that open and close.  Great at pretending, especially with play food and utensils.  Excellent car rider.  Quietly plays in his crib when he wakes up.  Super smiley in the morning.  Tires easily . . . probably because he’s on the move so much.  Loves his big sister, but will certainly let her know when she takes something that he wants. Loving table food and if he sees us eating anything, he wants to try it too.  He can bang toys, sticks and blocks louder than anyone I know.  Huge smiles result in being thrown in the air, spun around and swinging.  If stairs are anywhere in sight, he motors to them as fast as he can, so he can climb, climb, climb.  Will look at you with those big blue eyes while saying “Owww” and proceed to pinch your arm - turkey!!  LOL  Saying lots of words and having long conversations of jargon that I just love.  Will pull out any plug that he can get his hands on and is fascinated by every single electrical outlet in the house, as well as any cables or cords.  Will spend 30 minutes crawling up and down out of a child’s chair. Throws toys recklessly over his head, one after the other, so you better watch out!  Loves to be carried. Tries extremely hard to sing when anyone else is - sounds hilarious-Brad said he sounds like Frankenstein. LOL  Think he might be able to yodel.  When he gets hurt, he makes a perfect “O” with his lips and says in a very high pitched and exceptionally sad voice, “Ohhhhhh.”  Seriously breaks your heart.  Entertains himself really well.  Sensitive. Caring. Silly. Sweet. Calm. Fast. Brave. One. Completed our family in a way we never thought possible.  Amazing, wonderful Holden - we love you to the moon and back!!

Here are a few recent pictures of the little guy!

See ya’ later!!

Wow, one whole year!  We all can’t believe it.  Can’t believe we survived! LOL  I’m not gonna’ lie, it was an extremely rough start (making me question my sanity 100s of times), but everything worked out and our life couldn’t be more complete with our wonderful little man.  His calm disposition, great sense of humor, adventurous qualities and his winning smile all make our hearts melt and know that he is the perfect fit for our family.  I can hardly wait to see that sweet smile in the morning and I adore the rocking before bedtime when he’s sooo funny and punchy because he’s so tired.  He’s become quite the snuggle bug that I secretly hoped he would become.  I’m his go-to person when he’s in distress and yes, I love that!

Kasen is still head over heals in love with him.  I love to see Brad’s face light up when he comes home from work, Holden rounds the corner, crawling as fast as he can, saying “Da-yeeee, Da-yeeee, Da-yeeee.”  And now he’s walking around the corner, slowly, but further and further each day.  I have to laugh when he crawls up in his chair and now tells me, “Down, Down,” before the words can leave my mouth.  However; now he says “Geeeeet Down” while motioning his finger to the floor - cracks us all up every.single.time.

One year ago today, we met you for the first time Holden - what an exciting, fun adventure that we will never forget.  What a precious gift you are and we are forever grateful to your birth mom for making such a selfless decision.  Every day we feel blessed and honored to have been chosen to raise you and we couldn’t be more grateful.

We love you little man.  ONE YEAR - WOW!!!!  We can’t wait to see what the next year will bring.

Kasen and Brad meeting Holden for the first time.

I’ll be back to show more pictures of Holden - then and now.

See ya’ later!!