The Flessners

Updates Galore!

2011-05-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy late winter and spring, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I was in NYC for a conference in February and enjoyed a much needed relaxing spring break! Ryan presented in two conferences in New Orleans and Orlando, and went to Italy for 10 days for work. Lucky guy! The kids are amazing, as usual, and a true joy to be around every single day! Here are some of the latest updates - pictures from my phone....but more to come from the other camera soon!

Adelyn gets her first trophy at gymnastics....

And Abel does headstands EVERYWHERE. (This is at the Y after swim lessons)

We celebrate the Butler Bulldogs going to the National Championship AGAIN! Here we are at a pep rally on campus...

And here I am celebrating in alternative ways...

And we put on our fancy clothes to have Easter dinner with my family. It was a beautiful day!

Back to Back: GO DAWGS

2011-04-04T09:54:00.001-07:00

Hell yeah!

Enough said!

Happy Birthday Daddy Ryan!

2011-01-25T07:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Ryan!

He just keeps getting better and better with age! We love Daddy!

I Resolve...

2011-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

To do a better job at posting on our blog???

I've learned to not do resolutions. For me, they're always about losing weight, and frankly, I'm tired of that resolution. So this year, I'm just working on me. And working on me includes making sure that no matter how busy I (we) are, I'm making time for friends and family - and that includes keeping our blog somewhat up to date.

So, what I'm posting below are some of my favorite pictures from 2010 (from after when I posted in July) - which will hopefully lead to even better ones in 2011! Cheers and love to you all!

Celebrating Adelyn's 2nd birthday

Abel's First Baseball Team - check out that swing!

At our friend's lake house - Adelyn had NO FEAR

Abel and Adelyn - great friends!

Big brother helping out little sister...on a hike in Santa Fe

Yoga pose in Santa Fe - I've still got it....sort of

She's just developing it....

We said, "Smile!" and they did this...they truly love each other!

"Adelyn, what do you want to be for Halloween?" Um, Mac and Cheese...so there you have it. Mac and Cheese and Batman!

Abel's 4th Birthday....Daddy's new job is at Butler and Abel's become a BIG Bulldog fan!

Annual trip to Chicago at Christmas and annual picture in front of the tree at The Drake

Daddy does yoga on a hike in Santa Fe at Christmas...

These two would run everywhere if we let them...on a hike in the Santa Fe moutains

Last family picture of the year - love love love!

Joy, joy, joy!

2010-07-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

These babies are the best - and I guess they aren't so much babies anymore, but it's what I'm calling them for as long as I can. Here are some new pictures - enjoy!

Adelyn Lee

Abel Bates

Sibling LOVE!

She's TWO!

2010-06-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Adelyn turned TWO this past weekend! She's awesome. Seriously. The picture above is so indicative of her, it's amazing. She has tons of spunk, even though she's very particular, she's happy all the time, she has a voracious appetite, she loves to read, she's a great dancer, she sings at the top of her lungs, and we hear new words every day.

She's just awesome.

Her birth (and age for that matter) represents much to us. Ryan defending his dissertation and graduating, us moving to Indy, buying a new house, starting new jobs, making new friends....and it all started with Adelyn's birth on May 29, 2008.

WE LOVE OUR SISTER GIRL, ADELYN LEE!!!

She Did It! She Did It!

2010-05-10T06:56:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Court ran the Mini-Marathon in Indy. She's been training hard for months, and she met a huge goal! We're so proud of Mama!!!!!

Spring Update

2010-05-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

It's been forever since I posted - mostly because I was having a terrible time with getting pictures onto Blogger the day I sat down to post about our Florida trip! We are having a busy and productive spring - Abel will start tee ball in June, we're spending lots of time outside taking long walks and playing! Here are some pics from our Florida trip - they speak for themselves - fun was had by all. The kids, needless to say, we're AWESOME!

I mean, really, does it get any better than that?? Love to you all!

Unbelievable!

2010-03-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

This is unbelievable! Butler is going to the Final Four and the Final Four is in INDY! We watched the game yesterday in various places at the Atlanta airport. The picture above is us literally sitting in the middle of the terminal, blocking travelers as we camp out to watch the game. We had a MISERABLE 5 hour layover but had much joy in watching the Bulldogs win! A little history about BU. My grandpa graduated from Butler in the thirties. He was the first kid in his family to attend college. He met my grandmother there. My dad went there. My aunt went there. My great uncle is in the Hall of Fame for baseball at Butler. I went there. I met Ryan there. We now live a mile and a half from campus. And this fall, Ryan starts as faculty there in the College of Education. We are so so proud!

Unbelievable!

GO DAWGS!!!

2010-03-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

WE ARE SO PROUD!

Sweet 16 in SO MANY WAYS!

2010-03-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

GO DAWGS! This weekend was a great weekend for Butler. I participated in the Bulldog Jog, had the best cheering section ever, Butler won and is headed to the Sweet 16, and we had a beautiful Saturday morning on campus. We updated the kids' shirts and snapped these photos. GO DAWGS!

Valentine's Day

2010-03-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

I had these pictures on my phone at Valentine's Day and couldn't get the thing to sync with my computer. I seemed to have worked it out this evening. I wanted to share this picture - I took it for Ryan because he was out of town and I wanted to share how awfully cute the kids looked! Anyway, here's an update and no, Abel's not strangling Adelyn. It's all loving.

An About Time Update!

2010-02-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ok --- I would like to just point out that I know it's been forever. I haven't even posted pictures from Christmas! Basically, right before Christmas, things got really really busy at work and whenever I could, I would nap and just chill out. This afternoon is one of the first afternoons in a long time on the weekend that I haven't wanted to nap (thanks to a nice sleep-in this morning!) - so I'm updating! I'll do better from now on. I promise!

Ryan spent a day in Chicago at a conference in early December. Abel, Adelyn and I spent the day together doing some elves shopping and having all kinds of fun. The kids started their day with a spoonful of peanut butter - a new favorite treat. They both get their own spoons and go to the pantry to get the peanut butter. Nice. I snapped a photo - so cute!

We celebrate Christmas in Chicago - our annual weekend trip to play and have brunch at The Drake. The kids were awesome on this trip and had a blast! The Cox family joined us, so we had quite the crew! We sang Christmas carols, ate incredible food - including lobster that Abel actually had the courage to touch (but said, "Ewwwwwww," and wouldn't eat it for his life!). Adelyn enjoyed devouring Grandma Peggy's ice cream. We got gifts from Santa and did a huge photo shoot in front of the tree at The Drake. It was a wonderful time!

At the start of the winter break, our house got broken into. We were home and it was really scary. We think they got spooked because nothing was taken after they got the door open - or maybe they saw the police arrived which happened really fast. Doesn't matter - we were safe and all was well! Within a week, we had a new dog and alarm system! We welcomed Winter Solstice Flessner to our house on the first day of Winter. My sister suggested the name - we call her Winn. She's soft, cuddly, and spunky!

We celebrate Christmas Day in Indy at home and Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Dave's. We wait at the top of the steps (per a Cranfill tradition), open presents, have a delicious breakfast, and head over to Peggy and Dave's where we open more presents, play with our cousins, and eat a delicious meal (Adelyn gets very comfortable at the dinner table!)

We celebrate Christmas in Troy with Mimi and Bobby. We open presents, play with our cousins, and paint pottery for Mimi's birthday!

We get lots of snow! We have real winter in Indiana! We sled, shovel, and play - it's awesome!

Adelyn helps cook! She's more interested in the Theraflu box - I tell Ryan I don't blame her!

We come across a picture of Mama at 3! Isn't that just the perfect combination of Abel and Adelyn?

Abel and Adelyn snuggle on the couch, share a blanket, watch TV, and read. Adorable!

Abel even reads cookbooks. Be still my heart!!!

Daddy plays Winter Olympics on the Wii. I was so excited when I found this for him for a (VERY!) late birthday present as anyone who knows Ryan knows how much he loves the Olympics. In this photo, he's downhill skiing.

And finally, yesterday, Mama ran a race - the Polar Bear - five miles with my running buddies through downtown Indianapolis! I've taken to a run/walk method for now to save my knees, but still love it!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2009-11-27T17:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays! Be sure to check the post below for the Elf Yourself holiday card :) Ryan, Abel, and I had a BLAST choosing this year's song!

We had an amazing day yesterday! My friend from school, Nikki, and her son, and I did the Drumstick Dash - 4.5 miles through Broadripple. Here we are at the end:

At the last minute, I suggested to Ryan that he walk it with the kids in the stroller. He quickly registered and was on his way. That meant, at the end, we could all get our picture taken!

It was an INCREDIBLE way to start the day!

We came home and cooked and prepared all day. The plan was for my parents to come over for dinner, and my sister and her family join us for dessert. However, the turkey wasn't cooking as quickly as it was supposed to, so they ended up there for dinner too - which was great! We LOVED having a big group at dinner, but are currently shopping for a bigger dining room table :)

I was especially excited because this was Adelyn's first Thanksgiving where she was eating actual food! She was all about it - as she is all food---she's her mother's daughter!

After dinner we played and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas (Thanks Grandpa Dave for bringing it!) The instruments Abel got for his birthday were a big hit among everyone - and we had a great time relaxing by the fire (the first of the season!) and ending our day - Abel found an especially comfortable spot on Grandpa Dave!

2009-11-27T17:19:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Some Updated Photos From My iPhone

2009-11-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

Abel plays with a birthday present - he may or may not be a future ball player, but it's a joy for me to see!

He also draws an airplane...

Mama runs a 5K...

And has the best cheering squad EVER!

Everyone practices saying cheese...

And Adelyn sits in a big girl chair!

Happy Birthday Abel Bates!

2009-11-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Abel turned THREE yesterday! We had a great day celebrating with him and he was awesome all day long. The best shot we got of him with his cupcakes his eyes are slightly closed.... but it's still cute! He's doing so many new things (as is Adelyn) - I'll post more on that later! Nonetheless, we celebrate our kids everyday - but yesterday was especially special!

The Project School

2009-11-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

When we moved to Indy last year, I took a job at The Project School. It was a first year charter school, opening in a neighborhood that has just begun to go through revitalization, and its philosophy adhered to everything I ever hoped I could find in a school. When I got the job, I was so excited.

I went to work basically right when we moved. I never really had a maternity leave with Adelyn - that's how much this job meant to me. Last year was the hardest year of my life. My young family had just moved, Ryan and I started new jobs, we had a brand new baby, and I felt like I was basically in my first year of teaching again. I look back on it and can't believe what we did that year.

Today, we hosted a press conference for the Indianapolis mayor in our new green space that our school leader and others spent countless hours making happen. In September, we stood at the window of our building with such pride as we watched bushes get planted, a fence get put in, and grass get planted.

Our building is a restored car factory. Our green space was a brown field in the middle of an extremely industrial part of town.

But our school is so much more than a building. Yesterday I walked into a room where staff members were sharing new ways they were conferencing with students, and I sat in a meeting where people were feeling positive about being supported and the teaching they are doing. On a day to day basis, I work with teachers who are genuinely working on becoming the very best teachers they can be. They work endless hours. They are constantly making changes to their teaching to be better than they were the day before. They are the epitome of what a teachers should be. They are teaching the way children should be taught. They are celebrating kids for who they are and teaching them how to truly be life long learners.

As I stood at the press conference with media there, I listened to the people speaking, but I mostly watched the students who were so well behaved and so proud that this was their school. I felt so much pride - and it made all of the work we do on a day to day basis so worth it!

I wish I had better pictures. I wish there was a way to document the emotion and pride I felt today. These photos are the best I can do.

Visit our site at www.theprojectschool.org and click on Indianapolis (our sister school in Bloomington just opened this year).

It's just awesome!

Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

Me: Abel, what do you want to be for Halloween this year?
Abel: Ummm, a cow.

So that's how it came to be. And go figure that my mom had cow masks! So, we created costumes with pillow cases and safety pins and the kids looked SOOO CUTE!

We went trick or treating on our street with Mimi, Bobby, Lily, and Sam. The kids were all over the place! This was the only shot we could get of the four of them together:

Adelyn has this whole trick or treating thing figured out!

And the whole candy thing figured out too!

We carved a pumpkin (Adelyn ate the seeds before they were cooked - the girl sees food, she eats it!)

And played in our BEAUTIFUL yard!

TPS Fall Festival

2009-11-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

This year was The Project School's first annual Fall Festival (pronounced festibal by Abel) The kids had a BLAST. These are pictures of fun in the Bounce House with Lily and Sam:

And pictures of Mama getting a pie in the face.

Before:

After:

I had whipped cream everywhere. The garbage bag totally didn't help! Abel DID NOT LIKE IT when Mama got a pie in the face. I could hear him crying above everything else in the crowd! Once I was cleaned up and Mimi and Bobby arrived,

everything was perfect again!

Boo Boo at the Zoo Zoo

2009-11-01T08:22:00.001-08:00

Every year, the Indianapolis Zoo does something called Boo at the Zoo (Abel referred to it as Boo Boo at the Zoo Zoo). We went this year and the kids loved it. There were Halloween decorations everywhere, the animals were out, Adelyn barked at the dolphins during the dolphin show, we took a train ride....and so much more. The pictures are of seeing if we're tall enough to go on the big kid rides, imitating flamingos with Grandpa Dave, and posing with the decorations!

First Trip to The Movies

2009-09-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

I was looking to do something out of the ordinary this weekend and had the bright idea of taking Abel and Adelyn to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. My sister had taken her kids, said it was good, and I decided why not give it a try? We had a blast. Abel loved the movie, and Adelyn loved the popcorn. Adelyn provided more entertainment for me than the movie. She was so cute sitting with her sippy cup and popcorn just munching away. And she looked so so little in her seat! Ryan took this shot of them in their chairs right before the lights went down. Not the greatest lighting, but you can certainly see how focused they are on their experience!

A Walk in the Woods

2009-09-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time outside this weekend, and I was able to run ahead to take a couple of pictures. Abel had fun collecting leaves that have fallen, and Adelyn kept up with us the whole time. She jumped on Ryan's soldiers right before we reached the top of a very long, steep hill! She proceeded to take a 3 hour nap that afternoon! We are so enjoying fall and seem to be in a really good rhythm at home.

Tricycle Fun!

2009-09-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Adelyn will not be left behind! She is giving Abel a run for his money - and has no fear in doing so! They are becoming such good friends, and this picture proves it perfectly!

Look at these faces....

2009-09-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry, but these are some sweet, sweet, sweet faces!

Labor Day

2009-09-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

We met Ryan's entire family at his parents' house over Labor Day weekend. Abel had a BLAST playing with his cousins, roasting marshmallows, flying kites, and having extra snuggle time at night. His grandparents were able to come down too - such fun!

The Indianapolis Indians

2009-08-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

This summer, we had a series of events we did with families with The Project School. One night, we went to the Indianapolis Indians baseball game. The park is amazing, we had a great space for all of our families, and the kids had a blast. There were fireworks at the end of the night - and that was the perfect cap! This picture of Abel and Lily (TPS's school leader's kid) really shows how fun the night was!

My Dancing Babies

2009-08-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

Our kids love to dance. Their feet both start kicking when music comes on in the car, they move to the music all the time, and Abel LOVES to sing. These are two shots - one of them dancing together in a gallery in Santa Fe, and the other of Abel dancing with the "Orange Dancing Lady" in downtown Indy. It's "art" that he is truly enamored with. :)

Summer Fun

2009-08-31T08:01:00.001-07:00

Summer was quick this year. I was in NYC for a conference for a week, and then we were in Santa Fe for 10 days, and then I was back to work! My year round calendar created a short summer for me this year, but I'll have 3 fantastic weeks off in Oct. and again in March/April! These are just a few quick shots of the kids playing. They continue to be truly awesome!

State Fair

2009-08-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the state fair this summer. Abel was able to ride rides for the first time (he's getting so big!), and Adelyn is generally happy all the time - and very excited to be included! We saw the world's largest pig, a break dance competition, the Peking Acrobats (Abel called them the Peking Apricots), and we ate and ate and ate. It was a hot hot day and we were all dirty and sweaty at the end of the day - but we had a BLAST!

Adelyn Belated Birthday Pics

2009-07-17T11:23:00.001-07:00

It occurred to me that I never posted pictures of Adelyn from her birthday. Even though we're getting ready to celebrate her 14 month birthday, she has some great pictures from the actual day! She got to celebrate 3 times - one time with each set of grandparents and the actual night with us. :) She had two cakes AND ice cream - yummy for all of us! So here are some pictures of sweet Adelyn Lee!

Gardening?

2009-05-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm attempting to have a hobby - this year I actually planted flowers AND we built 3 raised beds to have a vegetable garden. We've planted a bunch of different peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, different kinds of zucchini and squash, and herbs. Abel helped with planting flowers in our front yard - he's a great helper, but struggles with being told no to things like using the spade....

Water Table!

2009-05-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

You have never seen such wet kids - who weren't either in the bath or the pool! Abel and Adelyn had a BLAST playing in the water table that we filled up for the first time last weekend. It was a hot day and we went through several changes of clothes - note to self, put swimsuits on first! It was so hot, Wrigley even got involved!

Happy Birthday Sweet Adelyn Lee!

2009-05-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

We really can't believe it has been one year. The year has flown by and sweet sweet Adelyn Lee has just gone with the flow the entire time. She's an incredible baby/almost toddler and we couldn't be more lucky. Her favorite things? To play. She loves to just play. She plays and plays and plays. She crawls and climbs everywhere, and goes on our many errands and outings without a care in the world. She lounges in the stroller and loves to take walks. She LOVES her brother, and therefore loves anything he loves! They are very very good friends. She eats anything and everything and drinks milk like we've been holding out on her for months! Could we be more lucky? The best part about Adelyn's birthday is that it will always mark a huge turning point in our lives! Since her birth, we have moved, started new jobs, and worked incredibly hard to get into new routine at the Flessner house. We are grateful for Adelyn (and Abel!) everyday and proud to celebrate this day!

Ok, I'm obsessed with my kids in grocery carts...

2009-05-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of them in a grocery cart at Marsh (or maybe it's Super Target, doesn't make a difference, really). They have seats that the kids can strap into in the front - it's hilarious! Adelyn loves it, but Abel lasts just a few minutes before he wants to walk.... which is great except for what he really wants to do is pick up every single food item that looks interesting to him! Anyway, here's a picture of them - like I said, I'm obsessed!

Abel and Birds

2009-05-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Abel loves a lot of things - animals is just one - but in the past couple of weeks, we've had some pretty significant interactions with birds....in Broad Ripple one evening, a mama duck and her ducklings waddled right past us...he was amazed by this!

AND, our neighbors have chickens - which Abel can't get enough of! Here he is trying to get as close as possible!

Tricycle!

2009-05-28T09:43:00.001-07:00

Abel's daycare had a huge Indy 500 celebration month, which apparently so does every daycare in Indy! We didn't have a bike of any sort for him yet and weren't sure what we were going to do. Our neighbors gave us one for him to use to practice on and use at the daycare's "500". But, one day Grandma Peggy showed up with this Radio Flyer! He has lots of fun on it, but hasn't quite got the pushing on the pedals yet. His feet will rotate as long as he still has momentum from a push! More pics to come from the events at daycare!

Adorable!

2009-05-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

This picture deserves no words other than we are amazed every day by the sweetness of this child!

Costco

2009-05-06T17:39:00.001-07:00

Family trips to Costco are becoming a regular part of our routine. Abel and I can go through several containers of berries in one week, we fly through avocados, and formula, diapers, and wipes are a steal. Putting both of the kids in the cart is just too funny for me. It lasts about 45 seconds and Abel usually ends up walking or in the big cart. I couldn't help but to snap a couple of photos with the handy dandy I-Phone!

Adelyn Lee at the Park!

2009-05-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

This girl can't get enough of playing! She loves the swing, the slide, and climbing ANYWHERE. I snapped these shots at the park this past weekend while we were visiting Ryan's parents! Our niece, Haley, was an awesome helper!

Adelyn Lee at Gymnastics

2009-05-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Abel is back at gymnastics, and Adelyn and I are spectators. It's hard to keep her occupied. Last week, she couldn't get enough of watching the Elite gymnasts practice - and I enjoyed it too. I'm not going to push any sport on my kid, but if this is her interest level as of now, right on!

At Ryan's parents house this weekend, she practiced sit-ups and a bridge.

Target!

2009-04-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

We are at Target all the time. Half the time, I really don't know why we are there, but we are. I think I posted before about Ryan and Abel's matchbox car game there, but we always end up with all kinds of things. Target has the cheapest baby food, but now that Adelyn is starting to eat that less, we may be at Target less.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I was running errands with both kids and of course, Target was on our list. This is a picture of them in the cart. Adelyn would not sit for anything and before too long, Abel was done riding too. By the time we were at checkout, he was trying to get out of the cart and Adelyn was in a full stand. I had to laugh, and I had to take a picture. The cashier wasn't too amused, but I didn't care. This picture was so indicative of our life these days!

Abel and Adelyn Love

2009-04-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Abel and Adelyn are really good friends. They laugh with each other in the car, Abel sings to her to help her stop crying when she's protesting something, and they just generally entertain each other all the time. However, they are sister and brother and it's not all friend love all the time. Abel has started really wanted to get more involved with Adelyn's "upbringing". Last night, while I was snapping photos, we started with this super cute one. (It looks like he's choking her, but he's not. We worked hard to make sure that wasn't happening!

Abel was really getting into it and wanted to make sure Adelyn was smiling too.

Then, he wanted to pick her up and carry her. So, he pulled her into position...

Picked her up.....

And then they both took a tumble! But everyone was ok and still laughing!

So cute!

Abel Updates

2009-04-09T15:48:00.001-07:00

Abel's personality is pretty amazing. Things around our house are devine and stupendous. He makes up songs about whatever is happening around him - just today he made up a song about the double stroller and how it should be outside and we should be on a walk (I promptly got everyone ready and we hit the road!). He repeats nursery rhymes and sings along to just about any song you have on the radio. Give him something to throw and he throws it - far! He LOVES his new daycare. He knows everyone by name, never cries when Ryan drops him off, and seems to always be doing what he's supposed to be doing when we pick him up. This week, they had a jump-a-thon. He jumped 19 times in 2 minutes. Here's a shot of him practicing at home. You can't really see air, but he has it!

His most recent obsession is matchbox cars - or is it hot wheels....Mama is still working on the difference between the two. For $0.99, we can take him to Target and choose a car. There's a whole game Ryan plays with him to choose the car and they have a great time. Abel brings home the cars and every night he organizes them. It's hilarious! Here are some shots of him and his cars (and yes, we are still working on the big eyed cheese!)

Adelyn ALWAYS gets her paws on the cars too. This does not go over very well. Abel retaliates....

But in the end, she usually prevails!

Some Adelyn Updates

2009-04-09T15:34:00.001-07:00

Adelyn is about 10 1/2 months now. Time flies by and we haven't done an incredible job documenting the past few months, but here are some shots of her most recent activity!

She likes to play with Legos - just like her brother and no, they NEVER argue over them!

You can also just put a bunch of toys in front of her and she's happy playing ----but she is starting to move around A LOT!

She crawls everywhere and it's next to impossible for me to get a decent shot as she moves so fast! She likes to walk with a helper, but she is still up on her tip toes!

She LOVES to nap with Mommy and Daddy (and we love it too!)

And she chews on EVERYTHING. She has her two bottom teeth and the others are slowly coming in! --Please note that she is only wearing one sock - within seconds of putting socks and shoes on, she has them off!

Happy Birthday, Court!

2009-04-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

As you all know, it's Court's birthday. However, there are a few things you might not know about Court. Here are just a few: She loves to play games (especially if her game piece is red), she pronounces the word fruit in a very interesting way, she dislikes the smell of cinnamon air freshener, she touches foreheads with Adelyn in the most precious way, she has a "sweet, sweet boy" conversation with Abel every morning, and she has a knack for giving hugs at just the right time. Here's to a fantastic mom, a fantastic wife, and a fantastic friend. Courtney Lee, you are loved!

Hello Again!

2009-03-01T08:31:00.001-08:00

Lots of new posts! It's been a busy month. Every second of every day is full, but full of good things, so we can't complain! Usually this time of year drags by, but I have to say January and February have flown by for me! The kids are great. They are in a new daycare (we call it school for Abel - he loves the he, Mommy, and Daddy are all going to school!) and all is well. Enjoy our updates!

Gymnastics at DeVeaus

2009-03-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

This fall, we signed Abel up for gymnastics at the same gym I worked out at when I was a kid living in Indy. This program and gym is amazing and far superior to what we were doing at The Little Gym. Ryan usually took him on Saturday mornings and his teacher, Mr. Brian, was a BIG fan of Abel Flessner. We are currently taking a break from gymnastics as we have a lot of full Saturdays and we only want Mr. Brian to be his teacher. However, we'll get him signed up in the next session! Here are some highlights:

Stretching at the beginning of class with his classmates...

Stretching out his stomach doing a bridge...

Walking on one of the beams...they have to walk and squat down to pick up a beanbag. It makes them use so many different muscles and takes a ton of concentration!

Jumping on the trampoline...Abel finally has jumping down. We worked on this for a looooooong time!

Swinging on the rings - Abes does this on his own!

And playing in the pit. They have to bounce down a trampoline runway and then jump in the pit. Abel has been really apprehensive about jumping in the pit, and just started getting confident enough to do it on his own! Once in, they "swim" through the pit! That's a good workout!

Meanwhile, Adelyn plays with her carseat while Mama runs around taking pictures. She's such a breezy baby!!!

The Children's Museum

2009-03-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

We finally became members of The Children's Museum in Indianapolis. This place is incredible. There are a hundred different things to do and see. It is a really great way to spend the morning! We went a few weeks ago and then last week with one of Abel's friends. It's a ball. They have great things for Adelyn too! So, here are some pictures to highlight!

There's a new Lego exhibit related to castles and knights. Abel had lots of fun playing with the Legos - they have Legos there of all sizes for kids of all ages!

Abel and I used the magnetic knights to tell a story about finding the hidden treasure.

Abel dressed up as a dragon...

And Adelyn hung out in the dragon chair. :)

We went to the comic book super hero exhibit and had our picture taken in Gotham...

And Abel and I attempted to create our own comic strip.

We went to Playscape where Abel played in the water table. He's not too keen on putting the smock, but once he gets it on, he loves playing!

And Adelyn played in the baby section with all the toys. The area is padded and she loves to sit and play!

Before we left, the kids took a spin in the authentic Indy 500 race car. They were so cute sitting together!

The Children's Museum is awesome. This was just one trip. The next one we went on included much of the aforementioned, but also the train section. They have authentic train cars and engines and Abel LOVED getting on and off them. There's still so much more for us to see!!!

Stand Up!

2009-03-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

For days and days, Adelyn worked as hard as she could to stand up on her own. She would grab the ottoman and pull so hard, her fingertips turned white. She FINALLY succeeded - and now she will have it no other way. She wants to stand all the time. She's dying to crawl too, but she's not quite there. She'll go backwards, no problem- and she scoots all around everywhere, but we don't have an actual crawl yet!

TPS Work/Play Night!

2009-03-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

At the end of January, there was some work a few of us needed to talk about so we decided to get our kids together. There are several of us at work who have kids about the same age, and the kids had a ball playing. Adelyn and Sam hung out on the floor - Sam is crawling and proceeded to crawl right over Adelyn.

After a few minutes, she wasn't having it anymore, and worked hard to get him off of her! Good girl Addy Lee! The looks on their faces are priceless!

Meanwhile, Abel had a ball playing with his group. They did a little photo shoot on the couch. Abel wasn't quite sure what "make a funny face" means.

Then, they proceeded to play with a blanket. They played under the blanket...

They took turns on who was going to be outside the blanket...

And they picked the blanket up and walked circles around the house for several minutes. I can't remember a time I laughed harder!!! Check out Sam in the corner watching them and dying to be included!

Snow!

2009-03-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

Indiana doesn't tend to get a lot of snow - and when it does, I swear the whole state shuts down...and that's just for a few inches. After living in Wisconsin for so many years, that part kind of blows my mind. However, Abel loved the snow we got this year (about a foot in a couple of days), and he and Ryan played for a long time! I had a few days off of school (always so much fun!) and the snow really made winter complete! We had Adelyn out for a little while, but she just kind of sat there - so maybe next year she'll actually be able to play (provided we get some snow!)

Sleep Strike!

2009-03-01T06:25:00.000-08:00

Anyone I've talked to in the past few months has heard me talk about Abel's sleep strike. We battle this every single night, but know it's not going to last forever. One day I walked into his room during a nap and he was sleeping on his chair. It wasn't his bed, but at least he was sleeping!

Happy Birthday Daddy Ryan!!!

2009-01-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

Cheers to Ryan Bates Flessner for a most extraordinary year! He got his PhD, moved his family to Indianapolis, started his first job as a professor, welcomed a new little girl into his life, and supported everyone with 100% of his energy all year long. We are all SO LUCKY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY RYAN!!!

Our very own Four Christmases

2009-01-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right, we celebrated Four Christmases this year! We could have had our own movie - and possibly even recruited Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn to co-star...quite frankly, we could have used the extra hands during all the traveling! Below are our posts - I didn't post a single entry in December. I'm such a SLACKER! But, hopefully the posts below will show you why! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday (if you celebrated anything, of course) and new year and wish all an incredible 2009!

Christmas in Troy

2009-01-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

After we left Columbus, we drove to Troy, Ohio. Ryan's parents only live about an hour away, so that was really convenient! We got there late, but opened presents the next day. Ryan's sister, Jill, and her family came over. They loved playing with the kids - especially Haley. She's 10 now (we can't believe that!) and was a HUGE helper. I could use a Haley around every day. She runs and grabs things for you, washes off the pacifier, plays with the kids - it's awesome!

Both of the kids got toys they loved. In this shot of Adelyn, she's hugging her new Eric Carle cards tight!

And Abel got his first matchbox cars. He carried all of them everywhere with him. He stacks them all up under his chin and carries them. He's still carrying them (all of them) around everywhere at home!

At the end of our trip, we went to this old historical home in Troy to see a gingerbread house display. The houses were cool, but the home was even cooler. It had this beautiful sunroom and we took some really good photos. Here's one of Mimi and Bobby with the kids!

Christmas in Columbus

2009-01-06T17:16:00.000-08:00

Every year, we work really hard to get my dad's side of the family together. We come from all over - Indy, Columbus, Minneapolis, Colorado ----and years before that we were coming from even more places. We have all grown up together and this gathering is really special to all of us. Three of us have kids very close in age, and I'm hoping they'll know each other they same way I know my cousins. This year, we got in from Santa Fe at about 1 in the morning, and turned around the next morning to get there. We were tired, but really excited -- and the day was great!

Sweet Adelyn Lee was again, a rock star. She just kind of hung out all day long, met her newest cousin, Gabe, bonded with Harper (Harper LOVED Adelyn), and wore some more new Christmas clothes!

Abel, meanwhile, bonded with everyone. He played with Nancy and Maury (my aunt and uncle), helped with the trash, and played with his new puzzles with Hannah.

And here's a shot of the next generation - it was a long day and hard to get everyone to sit still, but I thought we made a really good attempt!

Christmas in Santa Fe

2009-01-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to be able to go out to Santa Fe this Christmas to celebrate with my mom and dad. It is the most beautiful, magical place. We were two days delayed getting out there due to the horrible weather all over the country, but luckily, our delay was in Indy so we were able to stay in our own beds! The biggest bummer of that all was the fact that we couldn't tack two days on at the end of the trip!

Traveling with two little kids and everything required for them is a huge pain in the you know what. However, this was our second time in about a month and we seemed to have it all under control. Getting through security takes FOREVER. Thank goodness the new Indy airport has a family lane! Abel was INSISTENT on carrying his own bag - which made the walking and getting through security that much longer, but he was awfully cute!

Once we got out there, Abel was all into helping out and having everybody participate in everything. He helped take out the trash, helped himself to a huge bowl of guacamole (made right in front of us!), he wanted to brush teeth with everyone, and he and my mom baked cookies together. Abel really couldn't get enough of togetherness!

The first night we were there, it snowed 12 inches. Santa Fe has the most beautiful snowfalls.

These are a couple of shots right outside the house. The house is surrounded by the mountains and the view is amazing.

On Christmas Eve, the tradition in the area is to light faralijtas (I really have no idea how to spell that!) outside. You are supposed to line your house with them and Santa will find your house with help of them. Lots of people have plastic ones. Mom and Dad found a school that was pre-making them (sand, candles, in paper bags) for a fundraiser. We bought 3 dozen and we all lit some. It was so pretty. Abel LOVED them. He ran up and down the front of the house and did EVERYTHING he could to not touch them!

Adelyn was a rock star. She was such an easy baby to travel with, went everywhere with us, ate her own food, and just chilled out. She had a great time opening her presents on Christmas morning. I swear she actually understood what she was doing! She got some really cute clothes for Christmas and had a great time modeling them with her daddy!

So much excitement made it very hard for Abel to settle down to pose for a picture. But, we managed to snap a couple of him and Adelyn and a quick shot of the family - of course, Adelyn was super distracted by his antics! These pictures were taken on Christmas Day.

Christmas in Chicago

2009-01-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

We try to take a trip to Chicago every year to have brunch at the Drake, visit with my sister and her family, see all the lights and have fun shopping. This was Abel's third trip! So here are some pictures to highlight the trip.

A shot of Abel doing scales with Henry and Hannah - they are all three in gymnastics class!

Here's a cute shot of Adelyn and I in our brunch clothes. We found a new party dress for her - so cute- and on super sale at The Gap! Gotta love those super sales!

Here are some shots with Santa. He came walking around while we were brunching at The Drake and had presents for all the kids. We took some pictures - Abel was not so sure about Santa, but Adelyn warmed right up to him. She even grabbed at his beard - which made him VERY nervous. Abel agreed to get in on a photo when we all agreed to take one!

Then, we finished off the weekend with our obligatory picture in front of Christmas tree at The Drake. The tree is gorgeous every year (should be, it's always the same tree!) and it's fun to have a new picture every year. I thought all the pictures turned out really well!

Wishing you a happy holiday!

2008-11-30T17:50:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy 6 Months Adelyn Lee!

2008-11-30T14:09:00.001-08:00

It has certainly been the fastest 6 months ever! I am definitely having moments where I truly can't believe how quickly Adelyn is growing and what an amazing little person she is! We had a big weekend - we celebrated her 6 month birthday, she rolled over, and she is sooooo close to totally sitting up on her own. We've also started letting her cry out her nights - and that is going quite well! We are so proud of our little family!

Happy Birthday Abel!

2008-11-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

Lucky kid - he got TWO celebrations for his second birthday! We had ice cream cake with Ryan's parents while they were here over Halloween. Abel closed his eyes, blew out the candle and then licked the candles. He then had LOTS of fun opening presents from Mimi and Bobby!

In San Francisco we went to Buca di Beppo with Kerri's family and my parents the night before his birthday. Abel had a ball hanging out with Henry and Grandpa Dave. Then, for his birthday, they brought him a pint of ice cream and a bunch of little cones so we could all have a scoop. They also brought out this huge candelabra and he blew out one candle. It was really fun!

The Wedding!

2008-11-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

The wedding was absolutely wonderful. Kevin and Loralie were so sweet and it was so intimate with just a small group of people being there. The kids, of course, were super cute - Abel talked through the whole thing - but I don't think it was too obnoxious! Here are the kids in the car on the way to the wedding. Notice how they are holding hands - Abel did that. He LOVES his sister! He just reached over and grabbed her hand!

Once we got there, Abel stayed occupied with a bag of goldfish crackers and a bouquet of flowers.

Adelyn was beautiful in her party dress and everyone there had lots of fun talking to her. She laughed and giggled and was super cute!

Ryan and I looked pretty good too! Even though we were so tired from busy days and looooooong nights, I thought this picture was pretty good!

At the end of the night, the kids were totally worn out. Between all of the excitement of the weekend, the day, the wet weather, and the good food and company, they both fell asleep in the cab on the way home. Abel slept through getting his diaper changed and his pajamas on! It was a really wonderful day!

San Francisco!

2008-11-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! To end fall break we went to my brother's wedding in San Francisco. We prepared hard to figure out how to get everything we needed there without feeling like we had too much (which we probably did anyway). Here's a few shots (from so so many) to tell our tale.

The flights to and from were great. Abel had a hard time keeping his feet off of the seat in front of him (I only had to have words with one mean man). Adelyn ate, slept, ate and slept. At the end of the first long flight from Cincinnati to San Francisco, Abel was insisting he hold Adelyn.

We got there and had a really fun first day. It was just the four of us and it was so fun! The next morning, we met up with my sister and her kids. As soon as Abel saw his cousins, he grabbed their hands and said, "Dance!" Then he proceeded to start singing Ring Around the Rosie. Clearly he does this at daycare and clearly he is the leader in making it happen!

We really struggled with which stroller to take. In the end, we decided to take the great big duo-glider and I'm really glad we did. We walked everywhere in San Francisco (with a few cab rides here and there). Our second day there, we walked for about 3 hours. The hills were adventure - especially with the stroller! Abel loved being in the front - he even pretended he was Superman!

Here are a couple of shots of the family and the kids. The day before the wedding, the weather was absolutely beautiful. These shots are right outside our hotel in front of the Bay Bridge and on the roof of our hotel.

Sweet Adelyn slept through most of the trip. She was a really easy baby while we were gone! Abel, on the other hand, had 1 million questions and took everything in. I am so grateful he can have these experiences. He LOVED the water. He wanted to get in it and he REALLY wanted to know where it was going! The other shot is of Adelyn on our king sized bed. It was a good thing we had it - pretty much every night, we all ended up in it. Once one of them woke up, the other one woke up. Perks to being at a hotel? Someone makes your bed and leaves you chocolates. Non-perks? You're all in the same room!

Double Stroller!

2008-11-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

My fall break was amazing. I had the best time with the kids and felt like I totally got to reconnect with them after a VERY busy first quarter at school. I was very excited to get out the Phil and Ted's stroller, attach the second seat and take the kids for walks. We had the best time. Abel chatted and Adelyn continued to get used to riding facing forward! She looked so cute in the back seat!

Fall Weekend!

2008-11-15T06:40:00.001-08:00

The weekend after Halloween was truly beautiful. Our street was gorgeous - the colors of the trees were amazing! We took some fun shots with Ryan's mom and dad and had lots of fun playing in the leaves! Ryan even commented that playing in the leaves with the kids actually makes raking fun!

LOTS OF NEW POSTS!

2008-11-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Make sure you scroll all the way down and hit older posts! There area lots of updates!

Happy Halloween 2!

2008-11-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Firefighter Abel had to stop by the fire station to wish them a Happy Halloween. He was so cute as he walked up the walk, and the fireman who answered the door was so sweet to him! When he got home, he dumped out all of his candy and sorted through his loot!

Oh---- and this was Adelyn Lee's first time in the jogging stroller riding frontwards! She was thrown off a bit and wanted affirmation we were still there, but man, she was awesome!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Abel was a fireman for Halloween. He loved it. He totally figured out how to say, "Trick or treat", take the candy from people, and say "Thank you." It was awesome. Ryan's parents came over from Ohio to join us and we walked for a little while with our neighbors Jennifer and Katie. Katie was Cinderella. It was a GORGEOUS night and we went through 2 bowls of candy. I have NEVER seen so many kids walking the streets in my life. It was really really fun!

Cupcakes

2008-11-01T06:57:00.001-07:00

I decided it would be fun to decorate cupcakes. It took a week to make it happen, but we managed to get it in before trick-or-treating last night. Abel was really into choosing which colors to put on top of the cupcakes and licking the frosting...but much like his birthday last year, wanted the frosting wiped off of his hands immediately! And that smile....he's awfully cute!!!

This one's for you, Gabe!

2008-11-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

See? This happens to Adelyn Lee too! She DOES NOT LIKE IT AT ALL and gets VERY UPSET when her hat falls over her eyes! Cheers to the babies!

Fun with Daddy!

2008-11-01T06:43:00.001-07:00

Still working on posing for the camera! He now sees the camera and automatically says, "Cheese!" and you get this shot. So, Ryan joined in the fun. I think these pictures are really cute!

Pumpkin Carving!

2008-11-01T06:35:00.001-07:00

Thursday night, Abel and Ryan carved our pumpkin. Abel was very excited when the top came off the pumpkin, but wasn't so sure about the yucky stuff inside (quite frankly, neither am I!) They had a lot of fun. Abel kept asking Ryan, "What are you doing?" "Why?" Ryan kept answering, "We're carving a pumpkin for Halloween tomorrow!" At the end of the night, Abel hugged Ryan from behind and said, "I love Halloween tomorrow." SO CUTE!

'Nastics at Houlihan's!

2008-11-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

Abel goes to gymnastics every Saturday morning. He really loves it. It's a lot more structured than The Little Gym was and I love it. At Houlihan's this week, he sat down after we put his coat on to leave and decided to do some stretches and bridges. It was awfully funny. He capped off his evening with a scale on a chair...the scale he discovered how to do on his own. One day he was standing on the chair at our house and he just lifted his leg and hung out. It was a full-on scale! Ahhhh how proud am I? I'm not going to push him to do anything (I'd rather he play soccer) but that's talent for an almost two year old!

Tay-dough!

2008-11-01T06:21:00.001-07:00

One of Abel's favorite pasttimes....tay-dough! Meanwhile, Adelyn hangs out and watches....

Children's Museum

2008-11-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

I'm on my fall break for a couple of weeks (I teach at a year round school so we have longer breaks throughout the year and a shorter summer!). It's been WONDERFUL being with the kids so much and being 1000% less hectic. This week, we went to the Children's Museum with my mom. Abel was very tentative. We spent most of the time at Playscape where there are about a million things for kids to just play with...and he couldn't get away from the push mower (which he has at home!). What can I say? Abel likes familiarity. I can relate. Anyway, we managed to get him to play at the water table for a while, and in the garden. He organized the radishes and potatoes to make sure they were in the right spot! Meanwhile, Adelyn Lee hung out in the stroller....

Cereal For Adelyn Lee

2008-11-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

We started Adelyn on cereal this week. It's only going so-so....she's definitely a bottle girl! But, we know that these things take time, so we'll keep persevering. Meanwhile, Abel has graduated full time to the booster seat. He loves it. We have autumn placemats set up on the island and eating is truly a festive time at our house!

Abel's first birthday party!

2008-10-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Abel's friend, Isaac, from daycare turned two this week and had a birthday party. Abel was invited to the Thomas the Train themed event and he had a blast. At first, I think they were both confused that they were together somewhere other than Loretta's house, but they adjusted quickly and played a lot! They had a Thomas the Train violence free pinata. They had to pull strings instead of whacking it (love it!) and when the candy and treats fell out of the pinata, Abel grabbed all the little plastic dinosaurs and not the candy (how lucky are we!?). They ate cake, and just spent a lot of time looking at each other. It was very cute and a very sweet afternoon!

Abel and the Firetruck

2008-10-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've written about it before, but Abel LOVES fire trucks and all the other emergency vehicles that make noise. He woo woos along with them and notices them everywhere. We found this shirt (perfect!) and I think we've decided he's going to be a fireman for Halloween (mostly due to the $10 costume we found at Target!)

Addy Lee updates!

2008-10-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

She's in the exercauser, the high chair, wearing 6-12 month clothes (including this super cute hat from The Gap)....she's growing so quickly and is still so incredibly sweet!

Abel and Adelyn Lee!

2008-10-19T08:10:00.001-07:00

These two really really love each other. They smile at each other, laugh with each other...Adelyn is totally enamored by her brother and watches him walk all over the room. And Abel wants to include Adelyn in EVERYTHING and be her best friend. There is absolutely NO jealousy on Abel's part and it is soooooo sweet! So here they are, dancing, holding hands, playing with Abel's old exercauser, and kissing.
I included two shots of them holding hands. It was very cute. Abel climbed up on the couch and said, "Hold hands," and grabbed her hands. Then, I took a picture. Next I said, "Smile Abel!" and the second shot was his posed smile. I'll be really psyched when he figures out how to smile on cue!

Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took the kids to the pumpkin patch with my mom. It was a little too carnival like and about 90 degrees out. It was all a little bit overwhelming. So, we climbed on the hay pile, looked at all the animals, bought Abel a balloon...but skipped the pumpkin patch part because the line was about 20 miles long. So, we're going to try a different patch next weekend so Abel can get his Halloween pumpkins!

And, yes, that's Abel swinging all by himself on a big boy swing!!!

Water Table!

2008-10-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

I ordered Abel this water table this summer so he could use it outside. HOWEVER, it came without the very important pieces that are used to plug up the table...so we contacted the company and they said they would send us more...but they never did. SO, come the first weekend of October, Ryan got out a saw (very manly) and just created plugs for the table. So, here is Abel, experimenting with his water table, in long sleeves, in October!

Abel and the motorcycle

2008-10-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

So Abel is very enthralled with vehicles of any kind. He woo woos along with sirens, he looks for motorcycles and city busses, and he points out campers and cement trucks. When he and Ryan take the recycling to the library, Abel calls it the motorcycling. It's really hilarious. Last Sunday, SIX motorcycles showed up in front of our house! It was a stupendous moment for him. He and Ryan went outside to see them and Ryan said he didn't know who was more excited: Abel, or the guys riding them because he was so excited. So, Ryan grabbed the camera and one of the guys took the picture.

Sibling Photo Shoot

2008-10-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Since Abel was being so calm, we plopped Adelyn down to try to get some shots. Abel is learning how to say, "cheese" when he's smiling. Honestly, I think that he does a better job when you just tell him to smile! Anyway, I can't decide which picture I like better, so I'm including them both!

Cousin Lovin'

2008-10-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

We were able to get all 5 of the cousins to sit still for about 30 seconds while they were all here in Indy last weekend. After Henry and Hannah got up, Abel stayed seated, so Harper sat with him. She's VERY loving and wanted to have many photos taken with Abel. I'm not sure he knew what to do with all the love!

Some Abel Updates!

2008-10-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Abel has been a busy man in the past few weeks! He is speaking full sentences and asking LOTS of questions. He communicates easily with all of us and continues to love his sister very much. A couple of weeks ago, my friend Jen, from college was in town and we met at Holiday Park. This park has the coolest playground I have ever seen in my life. There were slides that were about 3 stories high. Abel went down them (with daddy) and played hard for a couple of hours. He's also throwing (EVERYTHING) and discovered dress up last weekend when my nephew got some costumes from my mom for his birthday. Abel went right toward the helmet to investigate! Also while the cousins were here, they all had a grand time with their Uncle Kevin!

Addy and the Bumbo seat!

2008-09-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Bumbo seat has returned. Adelyn has developed a ton of strength, so I thought it was time to pull out the Bumbo seat. I snapped this one night while I was preparing her bottle. I'm sorry, but look at how cute she is!

This is how we rest....

2008-09-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

These two are amazing. They get along so well, and they have so many similarities. They both sleep like this all the time...the other night, Abel climbed up on the couch to lay next to Adelyn. This isn't a pose, he put his arms up and just relaxed next to her while she was snoozing. Needless to say, it's a frequent pose at our house!

Mama and Adelyn Lee

2008-09-20T16:59:00.001-07:00

I can't not post this photo. Her smiles are such a joy and in the past couple of days, she has started laughing. She has the sweetest laugh! Ryan snapped this one night and it's just too cute!

Bottle and Fist!

2008-09-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's funny, Ryan and I are starting to say, "Oh yeah, I remember when Abel did that..." Recently, Adelyn has gotten very independent with the bottle. She'll grab hold of it while you're giving it to her and push it away when she's done. She's also found her fist...something else Abel did right about this same time!

"I take big bite mashed potatoes!"

2008-09-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Abel is so funny. He eats almost anything. It's awesome. Tonight, I made mashed potatoes and meatloaf muffins. He absolutely chowed down...and took huge bites of potatoes. He started announcing, "I take big bite mashed potatoes!" I couldn't help but to snap some photos!

Playmat!

2008-09-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

Like all babies, Adelyn used to just lay there on the playmat. She has officially reached the age where she is now interacting with everything hanging from it. Today, she was giggling and cooing as she grabbed all the toys. So cute!

Camp out?

2008-09-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

Abel hasn't been sleeping the greatest lately. He wakes up a lot in the middle of the night and needs loving. We'd probably let him work it out, but we don't want him to wake Adelyn up. Anyway, the other morning, I was up feeding Adelyn and Abel decided he wanted to also come downstairs. So, Ryan brought him down. When he got downstairs, he decided he wanted to sleep on the floor...so, Ryan got him a pillow and blanket. Then, he said, "Daddy you do it too." So, Ryan joined him in hopes that maybe he'd sleep a little more! It didn't last long, but sure was a great photo opportunity!

Labor Day

2008-09-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we went to Troy, Ohio to visit Ryan's family. Everyone was there including his grandparents. They all had a blast meeting Adelyn (it was the first meeting for his brother, his wife, and his grandparents), and Abel, of course, LOVED playing with Mimi, Bobby, Haley, and Zane! He LOVES cousins! We snapped a bunch of photos, but these are some of the best! Abel was super possessive of Adelyn during the cousins photo...he did not want anyone else holding her!

3 months!

2008-09-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

Here's Adelyn's three month carseat photo! She's so stinkin' cute! I'm on a different computer, so I can't put the photos side by side, but she's a big girl....in 3 - 6 month clothes and growing quickly!

I simply can't decide....

2008-09-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

The other night, Ryan was getting Abel ready for bed. Each night, he chooses the pajamas he's going to wear. This particular night, he simply couldn't decide. So, he wore his siren pajamas on top and his dinosaur pajamas on bottom. The next night, he wore the opposite. He really looked hilarious!

Kebun and Yoyee

2008-09-07T16:20:00.001-07:00

Abel is very attached to his family members and thinks about them often. The other night, we walked in the door and he looked at us and said, "Call Kebun and Yoyee." Those people are my brother, Kevin, and his fiance, Loralie. He loves playing with them, seeing them, and talking with them. So, this post is for them...they were over about a month ago (I know, I'm late posting) and I took these pictures in our sandbox in the backyard!

So Peaceful

2008-08-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Adelyn continues to amaze us with her easy-going spirit. While she's developed a wail in the last week or so, she uses it sparingly (usually when she's hungry or wet). Otherwise, she's happy just to be included, and her smiles are enough to melt your heart!

Entirely Too Cute

2008-08-26T18:26:00.001-07:00

When Courtney was in Boston, I took several pictures on my iPhone to keep her updated on what the kids and I were doing. I just figured out how to get pictures from my phone to my laptop, and I thought I'd share this treasure!