Twenty Seven

I'm getting pretty up there in my 20's now... Celebrated my 27th at the beginning of this month with my favorite people. Sam ended up only having class until 10 AM so we were able to spend pretty much the whole day together! YEAH! Much different from last year's birthday, when he was studying pretty much all day long. Anyways, he showed up with flowers and breakfast after his class and then we skipped out to Knoxville to do some of my favorite things.. Chipotle for lunch, then I dragged Sam to Ulta where I browsed for a little while and picked out a couple new items that I had been needing. It was amazing! Kinda funny how something so simple could be so much fun! Then we made a stop at Target because, well, it's Target. haha!

How cute are my kiddos! I can't get over Marshall's little grin in this photo:

We headed back to Harrogate and got a sitter for Ivy so we could enjoy a short dinner date together. Finished off the evening with a delicious chocolate cake for dessert. The day couldn't have been more perfect! One of my favorite birthdays ever! Mainly because I was able to spend the entire day with the ones I love most! There's no where else I'd rather be at the age of 27! Thanks, babe, for such an awesome day!! And thank you to family and friends for all the well wishes! Loved reading all your messages!

 

Marshall at 4 months (almost 5 months)

I know he is already almost 5 months but just wanted to do a little update with some pics I took a couple weeks ago.. My little munchkin is already over 4 months now! At his checkup he was 14 lbs and 24 inches long. A little over 25th percentile for weight and a little over 10th percentile for height (So they told me).. Might not be big compared to other babies but he feels so big to me! Especially compared to how petite Ivy was at his age..  

I can't get over how easy it is to make this kid smile and laugh every single day. His giggles are getting louder and longer, too. It is soo fun! He ends up getting the hiccups almost every time, it cracks me up. 

This month, he really has started paying more attention to all of his toys and grabbing at everything in sight! He especially loves soft things, like a lovey or a little stuffed animal. His hands are still his favorite thing to chew/suck on, though. And thus, is usually covered in drool within a few minutes of being awake. ;)

Not really sleeping very long at night yet but we are getting better. Still has a dream feed around 10, then usually will go til about 3-4am.. Most nights he still wakes up around 2ish but only cries for a couple mins every time before going back to sleep. I know we'll get there someday, maybe after we are done with breastfeeding...

He always amazes me with how patient and laid back he is. If there are moments I can't feed him right away, or if he has a dirty diaper, etc, you almost couldn't even tell he was concerned or frustrated about it. He usually just sits there and waits or makes little worried faces or noises, haha! Because I am with him all the time, I can tell pretty easily if he's frustrated at something but most people probably wouldn't think he's upset because he rarely throw fits. The only time he gets super upset is if I wait too long to put him down for a nap. Still likes to be swaddled tight so when he's ready, he lets me know. Doesn't fuss a whole lot after that, though.. Usually asleep within 5 mins of being in his bed. Easiest kid ever!

Marshall really does bring so much joy to our family. Ivy is still such a BIG fan of this kid. She tells everyone that he's her brother, everywhere we go. It's adorable to hear her talk about him. And Sam can't get enough of his buddy. Good thing too, because Marshall thinks the world of his daddy. His face just lights up every time he sees him! We just love our happy boy to pieces!!

Spring Break part 2 - Alabama

After Gatlinburg, we stopped at home for a day, then headed to Alabama for the weekend. Sam and Neal were running a 50 mile race on Saturday and the Hinson's were blessing their sweet baby Lucy in church that Sunday. Tyson drove up with his kids on Saturday afternoon for the occasion (wish I would've gotten some pics!) and it was so fun to see him for a short time. It was a crazy week/weekend but we had so much fun seeing everyone. 

Date night on Friday before their Saturday race: 

Saturday's race- Lake Martin 50.. Sam and Neal started early in the morning (while raining!), then Kristin and I drove out with all the kids and made it just in time to see them at their halfway mark (about 15 minutes before Neal ran through, then Sam came 10 mins after). The timing honestly couldn't have been more perfect- especially because if we would have missed them, we would have had to wait a couple hours to see them pass through the aid station again. So it was a nice quick visit to lift their spirits and give them a moral boost, then we took all the kids to Chick fil a for lunch right after. They finished up the very muddy race around 10 hours and 10:50.. Way to go guys! Y'all are some serious rockstars!

I didn't get any pictures of Sunday but no worries.. Other than a few meltdowns from Ivy, it was a great day. Haha! Lucy looked soo precious in her blessing gown and Kristin's pork sandwich dinner was soo delicious. Thanks again for having us, guys!

Spring Break part 1 - Gatlinburg (long post)

Spring break was a few weeks ago and we decided to meet Kristin and Neal down at a cabin in Gatlinburg for a few days. The pictures describe just how much fun we had! The cabin was so perfect for all of us and the view was incredible! Couldn't have asked for better (or more beautiful) accommodations. It was especially fun to meet baby Lucy for the first time! She was just such an angel! And so darn cute. And Marshall was a champ! He just tagged along and caught naps whenever he could get the chance. Ivy had a little bit of a hard time when we were at the cabin but when we were out and about, she was great! Anyways, there was only one day that was rainy/snowy but other than that, cool clear skies! We were able to get in some good hikes and sight seeing, and on the day that it rained, we went to our favorite indoor water park and stayed all day long. Thanks Kristin and Neal for driving your whole family out to visit us! We had a blast!

First hike- Laural Falls.. It was beautiful but a bit crowded... Seemed to be a popular tourist spot. Still super cool to see and a perfect hike for little kids:

After lunch we hit up downtown Gatlinburg and the Airtram up to Ober Gatlinburg ski resort:

Next morning, Neal and Sam went for a quick trail run in the park:

 

Wild Bear Falls Water Park! The kids had a blast while the mommy's hung out with the babies. ;)

 

The next day we did a little shopping in Pigeon Forge, then met up in the afternoon for one more beautiful hike in the park.. This one had a wide, flat trail so we decided to take the babies in the stroller. They were so warm and cozy and fell right to sleep within minutes! It was adorable. Marshall seems to like his cousin Lucy, so far. hehe:

Such a gorgeous place! Sam caught some amazing photos that really captured the beauty of our hike..