Thanks Carmen!

We have a very hard time getting pictures of us as a family. Usually it is either Johnny or I behind the camera and the kids do not stay put long enough for us to get set up. We have many pictures of the kids, but very few of them all together. So before they got too big....we thought we would call in an expert! Carmen is an amazing photographer and someone I have know since highschool. She was able to capture our family in photos that I did not think were possible. Please check out her blog to see a sneak peak of our photo session and look through her portfolio to see more of her amazing work!

http://carmenvandyckphotography.com/blog/two-times-the-fun/

Thank you Carmen for coming across the bridge and spending the morning with us. It was so great to catch up with you and we are so pleased with the pictures you have taken.

She's walking!

Last Wednesday (June 17th), Ashlyn decided she wanted to walk on her own and she has not stopped since! She has been taking a few steps for the past month, but was still more comfortable holding onto the walls and furniture. Now, she gets upset if I try to pick her up or hold her hand....she just wants to do it herself and she is very proud of her new independence. Go Ashlyn!

Ashlyn's update

Ashlyn is a little spitfire. She is extremely independent and prefers to do things on her own time. She is not walking independently yet, but that does not slow her down. She is the better climber of the two babies and I often find her on top of pieces of furniture when I turn my back for just a second. Ashlyn has started to speak and now has several words.....ball, bubble, hello, uh-oh, doggy, kitty, Jackie. She loves to read books about animals and will mimic their sounds. Her favorite is the elephant and she gets her arm going just like Mommy and Daddy! Ashlyn loves to play with balls and will point out anything that looks like one. She is still tiny and only reached the 20 pound mark in the past few weeks. This was a big deal though because we got to turn her carseat around to be forward facing like her brother and sister! Ashlyn has already developed a fetish for shoes...what will she be like as a teenager?

Caelan's update

I haven't updated anything about the kids in a while, so I thought I would briefly describe what they are up to! We have their big 18 month neo-natal follow-up clinic appointment at the end of this month and Caelan has an ENT appointment this week to check out his ears. He has had a few hearing assessments that demonstrate mild hearing loss...mostly attributed to too much fluid in his ears. I guess we will discuss the need for tubes in his ears. He does not have any intelligible words other than Momma and Dadda, but it is very easy to understand what he wants. He will bring you over to the object of his desire and point and babble unitl you get it for him. He has been walking well for several months now and has discovered how much fun it is to have someone chase him. He prefers to walk rather than being in his stroller and I let him walk most places we go now. He is extremely loving and sweet and I call him my "people pleaser". He is never far from my side and comes back to check on me and give me a hug every so often when we are at the playground. He is most upset when he knows that he has disappointed someone. He is happiest when he has food in his mouth. He has started to discover trucks and trains and loves to play in dirt and/or water.

Such a Big Boy

Caelan is becoming so independent. He has recently figured out how to walk down the stairs while holding the railing and to go down the slide on his bottom...both of which he used to do sliding down on his belly. He seems to be gaining skills so rapidly these days! He watches how Shaylah does things and then tries to imitate her. He is sure enjoying the summer-like weather we have had the past couple of weeks.