Professional Pictures

After rescheduling twice we finally got our (supposed to be) 8 month pictures done. Although, now its a week away from their 9 month birthday!! Between us getting the stomach bug and the weather being rainy or cold, we just couldn't seem to catch it on a good day. But we decided that it was sunny enough to take their pictures last week...even though it was VERY windy! Addison was a trooper, but Ashlyn literally cried the entire time. I don't think we got one good shot of her. If she wasn't crying in a picture, then her nose and eyes were red because she HAD been crying! Nothing made her happy, except when we fed her.....see the previous post on the past photo shoots. My friend Carlie did the pictures. She is starting up her own photography business, so we were one of her first shoots. I think she did great and I am very happy with how things turned out. I think she has a lot of potential and I hope her business takes off....I know we will probably be returning customers! So here are a few of my favorite pictures...this is only about half of them!

Birthday and a Bar-B-Que

We went to my cousin's 1st birthday party and the girls had a really good time! We got stuck in traffic on the way, and the trip turned into over an hour so I totally expected them to be awful by the time we got there. They ate hot dogs and cupcakes and enjoyed the balloons and party blowers that were there...which is good because I recently bought both for their 1st birthday!!
Addison and Pierce, the birthday boy!



Addison trying to figure out how to blow in the party blower!


She was so excited over the balloon, she was screeching


Little party animals


"it goes something like this???"


Addison in her party hat....I thought she looked more like the Travelocity gnome!!


Ashlyn chowing down on some cupcake!


Our balloon hat!



They played with them for days!!






We also had a bar-b-que at our friend Eric and Carla's house. Supercross was here for the weekend, which meant that Ryan's racing buddies were also in town. We enjoyed getting out(even if it WAS with the babies) and spending time with friends that we don't get to see very often. It was also the first time that the girls really interacted with other kids. Ashlyn really took a liking to Keegan("the older man") and he really liked her too! Addison just enjoyed sitting around and eating. In fact, they both ate like PIGS. They had shrimp, quesadilla with cheese, fruit salad, beef, baked potato, plus all of their baby food and bottles that I brought for the evening!!!
Brayden



Keegan and Addison


Ashlyn and Keegan


The girls and Leo just hanging out!

Photoshoot part 2

So because of the weather, we had to delay the professional photographer's photo shoot again. My mom and I went to the wedding chapel again and had another shoot, this time Ashlyn was a little more cooperative. But they have now learned that when taking pictures, they get fed treats. So they start to cry purposely so that we feed them....which means that every picture we get has drool and weird tongues!! Here are some of the newest "spring" pics.














Gotta have the crying shot!!

photoshoot

We were supposed to have our 8 month pictures taken this week, but since the girls got sick we postponed it until next week. But I wanted to take advantage of the pretty day, so I decided to do a photo shoot myself! I decorated a pink bucket and went up to the wedding chapel(they have flowers that are blooming). The pictures didn't turn out very well. My camera battery died, so my mom raced home to get hers. In the 5 minutes she was gone, Ashlyn got angry and nothing made her happy. Then my mom's memory card filled up and we couldn't take anymore pictures! The entire shoot only lasted about 30 minutes. So, needless to say we will just wait for the professional to do it next week!

This was taken just for fun. These goofy hats came with this outfit and I clipped a flower on them and put them on the girls. They look pretty silly in them!









"Hey, sister look back here!"



This is the closest we came to a good shot of Ashlyn




Addison always sticks out her tongue when she smiles!



HAPPY SPRING!!!

We survived the stomach virus

Monday morning Addison woke up with the stomach virus. I know it has been going around like crazy, but I've been really careful to not take the girls out unless I HAD to. I don't know where she would have gotten the germs, but she did. She threw up 6 times. It was so sad...her eyes would water and she couldn't breathe...then when she would catch her breath she would whimper this little squeaky sound that just broke my heart. I actually cried too while she was throwing up! The worst of it only lasted about 3 1/2 hours, but we are still working on getting her appetite back to normal. She is still sleeping a lot too. But I feel more confident with sickness now because I know how to handle it. For some reason it seemed to help to just strip them down to nothing but their diaper!! It was pretty messy at first, but I got it all under control after a few barfs!! I ended up calling the nurse, just to make sure I was doing all the right things and she told me that Ashlyn and I would probably get it next. She said to give it 24 to 36 hours and if we didn't have it by then we were in the clear. Well, 24 hours went by and we felt fine......35 hours went by and we felt fine.....right on the dot--36 hours I heard Ashlyn in her crib gagging(it was about 11:00pm). I raced in there and she was sick!!!! So we had to do it all over again, but this time it was through the middle of the night rather than during the day. Ashlyn seemed to handle it much better than Addison. Addison made such a production out of throwing up...she even projectiled 2 feet!! Ashlyn was very dainty about it all. She would get very still and focus on what was happening. She never cried through it...she meant business!! When she finished, she went back to sleep! By 3am she seemed to be feeling better and hadn't gotten sick in 2 hours so I put her back in bed. This morning its almost like nothing ever happened!! Ashlyn is her same silly self again...without an appetite though. Now, if Ryan and I can make it through Friday afternoon we will be in the clear....I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!
I made our couch into a make shift hospital bed. I covered it with a sheet since Addison kept spewing everywhere!



Ashlyn was so tired and weak, it was so sad....but sweet because she was a cuddle bug!




Even when she was feeling terrible, she still was curious about the camera!

one sick baby, one mobile baby

Poor Addi has another cold. For the last 3 months in a row, she has had to go on antibiotics because she gets sick--and typically passes it on to her sister. I have a feeling that within the next few days Ashlyn will start getting it too. Its so sad, Addison just sits around with her mouth wide open because she can't breathe through her nose. Now she is losing her voice and she sounds like a sick little pony! She hates suction and spraying, but I have to do it. The only thing she enjoys is Tylenol...because its cherry flavored! I think today she might look a little better, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Ashlyn is going to avoid the cold and Addison is on the mend! I was planning on getting their 8 month pictures taken this week but with Addi looking so sickly I decided to wait until next week(assuming Ash doesn't come down with it)!

Yesterday(March 9th), Ashlyn realized that she can crawl! Well, its a mixture of a crawl, an army crawl, an inch worm and a bear crawl! But, nevertheless she can get to where she wants and what she wants! So, I guess I officially have a mobile baby! Its kind of funny to watch her face when she gets determined to get to something. She focuses in on it and starts to slowly move forward, but she is still so unsteady on her hands that she wobbles and falls a lot. I feel a little sorry for her because she looks so pitiful and helpless, but she is getting stronger each time she tries it again.

I never quite learned how to post a video that doesn't have messed up sound(this is in reference to my last post). I'm just going to forget about it and never post another video because I just can't get one to work?!?

Here are some pictures of this past week:
Ashlyn loves to climb on top of Addison. She has done this since the day they were born, hence the reason we have to sleep them in seperate cribs! Addison is not much of a cuddler but Ashlyn loves to snuggle up to anything or anyone that is willing.



This is Addison throwing one of her loud(and I mean LOUD) fits. These fits turn her entire body beat red and make all the veins in her bald skull pop out!! Ashlyn is looking on like, "whats wrong with you?!?"



Addison singing into the microphone. I think Ashlyn quickly went over and stole it out of her hands and another fit was had!



This was taken several days before Ashlyn actually could move from this position. For 2 weeks she would get into position and then just rock back and forth.....but now she can actually move!!!!

Ashlyn's first word(kind of)

Late last night, Ashlyn discover the "d" sound. She now is constantly saying "dadaa dadaa dadaa dadaa". I know she isn't relating it to Ryan yet, but I think its the first step to talking!! I'm so excited! Here is a video of it! As of now, she only does it when she is about to start crying. Its nice though that she is saying it because when she is upset I can say "hey daddy, she wants YOU"!!!! LOL! I've never posted a video before so hopefully its as easy as it looks....