The Watterson Post

2010-11-17T20:30:00.001-08:00

Hey dad (and anyone else who doesn't facebook) I figured out how to update my blog from my phone! Maybe now it will have something new more often! No promises of course.

2010-11-17T20:26:00.001-08:00

Oh the mess two two year olds can make!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T19:28:00.001-07:00

This is Preston back in the day. :)

September and October Random

2010-11-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch
Tornado we "happened-upon"
Dorothy doesn't like the prickly hay
Lazy
Cute little swimmer. Yes, this was just a week ago in Houston. Hard to believe since it's been so cold here the last two days.
Great Mema
Mimi & Papa
No, Chase cannot make a normal face in a picture
Pure talent
Love this pic!
Excellent table manners as always
Mommy's little shopper. Who am I kidding....she's usually running around like a crazy person at the store.
Biker Gang
The super hero secret hide out
Cousins
Great Grandmother Rice and all her greats.
The crazy people in my family who ride things like this. I'll gladly stand behind the camera.
Chili cook-off with granddaddy
weeeeeee
The babies needed to go for a walk.

First Day of School!

2010-09-02T12:50:00.001-07:00

Chase started Pre-K this year! He goes five days a week for 1/2 day. Getting up in the morning has been an adjustment for all of us but we're in the swing of things now!

Baby Grace

2010-09-02T08:53:00.001-07:00

Chase and Ava are proud to announce their cousin Grace!

Alaska!

2010-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday To My July Babies

2010-07-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

Birthday pancakes on the big day...(my mom used to do this for me and my sisters, I love this tradition)

Summer Fun

2010-07-29T09:36:00.001-07:00

Sea World

Family Reunion

Galveston

Marble Falls

Little Rock

A few more pics

2010-05-12T12:12:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more fun pics that go with the below post. :)

Fun With Mimi & Papa

2010-05-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Chase and Ava had a great week at Mimi and Papa's house while Preston and I took a little trip. Here are some pics from their fun times:

We met up with the whole family when we met half way to get the kids back.
Then we tried to get a family pic. First Ava wouldn't put her drink down.
Then mama took the drink away.
Then there was a melt down. ha.
Preston and I didn't take many pictures on our trip but here are a couple from The Garden of the Gods.

2010-05-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

The kids were so cute at their school program. Here's Chase's class...he did so good!

Ava's class is too young to actually sing a song together so they just walk on the stage for a minute (escorted by a parent) while the teacher introduces them. Ava pretty much just climbed all over the stage. :)

Making Progress

2010-05-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

The house is coming along slowly but surely. :)

Here's a before picture of the above bathroom

Lots of painting

Here's a before picture of the other bathroom (above)

Easter and More

2010-04-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Easter 2010

Bunny ears on little sis.

Yes, you will hug me for a picture.

Lazy Saturday morning.
White donuts rule!

Nap in the car.
Never too young for technology.
Just thought this pic was funny. ha.
Chase got a new slide on his playground.

We went to the circus. So fun.
Both kids loved it!
They got a glow sword!

T-ball and Other Stuff

2010-03-30T11:56:00.001-07:00

Chase plays t-ball now! We've had a couple of games and he has done great!

Supportive sis.
No, there is no rule that says you can't wear your halloween costume in March.

Thunder Party!

Preston turned 30! His mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law surprised him with a fun party!

Fun with Uncle Wade!
We love our back porch!

Too tired to eat.
Bought this for $5 at a garage sale.
Added a can of heat-resistant spray paint!
See ya!

Longest Post Ever

2010-02-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

Longest Post Ever - This is for you dad who called me out on my lack of updates (see comments on the previous post). I think the current trend of waiting a few months then having one big update is a trend that you all can come to expect from me. :)

So here we go, from most recent to back in early December:

We had some fun in the snow last week. Preston was even off of work for a day and a half so including the weekend we were snowed in for about 4 days! It was fun but we all got a little stir crazy at times.

Here's an additional use for your recycle bin:

Unfortunately there are no hills around our house so the only way to make the "sled" go is to pull it! Dad got a work out!

Preston and Chase decided to make a snow man...

within 5 minutes Chase decided he was cold and went in...so Preston built a snowman by himself.

I did help pull the sled a little. :)

We found a new friend on our back deck.

Chase goes through phases with toys. At this time he was into playing "trip" and would pack every bag he could find with his toys and would transfer ALL of them with him wherever he went in the house.

At the science museum you wouldn't believe how much time my kids can spend at this table. Stacking and restacking cups. Maybe I should buy a whole bunch for home!

We took a little trip to see my parents.

Chase giving the 4-wheeler a try

We got a new dish washer and...oh the fun that can be had with the box!

We had a party at our house on new year's eve. Here we are at midnight. That's right my 4-year old was wide awake. But don't worry, the 1-year old had already been asleep for like 4 hours by this time. :)

Preston's parents came for a visit and were an AMAZING help with getting some things done around our house!

Remember that green floral wall paper? I try to forget.

The master of pain rolling!

We had a fun Christmas time in Houston with Preston's side of the family.

Ava and Aunt Wendi

Me and my sweeties.

Ho Ho Ho!

Thank you Mimi!

Nice vest Wade.

Ava and Papa.

We had Christmas with my side of the family at our house. Nice decor huh? We have our furniture in now. :)

It was also Kyle's birthday.

Still thinks she's the favorite. Oh and did I mention that my baby sister is going to have a baby! Woo-hoo! I'm an aunt x 2.

Ava and Grammy.

Chase enjoying one of his new toys...oh wait..no, that's Preston. :)

Chase and Ava had a Christmas program at school. Soooooo cute! Ava didn't stay standing where I could see her but here is Chase's video:

I've been meaning to show you all our new family photos that Judson took.

You can see more of this photo on the Valentine Photo Card page of the Photo Card Cafe' website. As of today it's not too late to order Valentine cards!

Chase was getting tired of smiling!

But he did great in this one:

No I will not give you a big smile...but I will give you this little smirk.

Scraping the ceiling. Not fun.

What's worse than Preston scraping the ceiling?....ME scraping the ceiling. Easy. But REALLY messy.

unfortunate photo

2009-12-18T10:26:00.001-08:00

All moved in!

2009-12-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

I just posted most of this on Facebook but I realize there are a few loyal readers who don't have a Facebook account....(ahem....dad). So this one is for "the rest of you"!

We're all moved in! Yay! It was much harder process than I thought it would be and I'm glad it's over. :)

Yesterday:
Today:

(yes, the curtains and light fixture will soon meet their end....or better yet find a new home via Craig's list)

The day we officially moved out of our old house we went over to say good buy to our old rooms. It was really sad to me. It was mine and Preston's first house...it's where I brought home my babies from the hospital. :( sadness.

Bye bye Chase's room.

Bye bye Ava's room. :(

OK I'm over it.

We had fun putting up our Christmas tree last night! They were such big helpers!

Chase was a pro!

Ava wasn't exactly a pro but she sure tried!

Daddy taking video.

Mommy helping with the ornaments.

Then after the kids went to bed I arranged it fit for a home with a 1-year old! Top half only!
I don't think so!

Moving boxes make for great fun! I've hummed the "pop goes the weasel" song about a million times today. It never gets old....well at least to them it doesn't.

And I just added this one in b/c I think it's super cute. I tried to get a cute picture of Chase too but he would not have it.

I thought you might enjoy this before some of the wallpaper also meets it's end. This house was built in 1976 and I don't think it's been updated since. (We purchased it from some of our best friend's grandparents so I'm not making fun of Apoo and Grandmommy...I mean, I'm sure it was da bomb back in the day.)

Anyway, here's the kid's bathroom (yes, it's metallic):

Master bedroom:

And my personal favorite; Chase's room. Notice the curtains are exactly like the wall. :)

Priceless

2009-11-30T13:10:00.000-08:00

Just some random stuff

2009-11-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

What a handsome (and tall) little turkey! Here is chase at his school fall program. :)

Fun time at the park. It's soooo funny when Ava tries to run. It usually ends with her falling.

She thinks she's so big!

Chase rolling down the hill

It's hard to get a good picture of this kid these days....

Playing at the zoo.

Fun with friends.

Again with the bad pictures of Chase.

That's right she's in the "glam squad".

Click on this link ;)

2009-11-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

Hey people. Sorry for this boring post but I was wondering if you would click on the following link to help me drive some traffic to Photo Card Cafe'.

Christmas Photo Cards, Photo Christmas Cards, Holiday Photo Cards, Photo Holiday Cards, Photo Christmas Magnets

Oh and some people had asked me about a coupon code so here is one for 20% off: PCCBFFXMAS09
Pass it on to whoever you want.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Don't worry! Never Fear! The Flash and Wonder Woman are here!

All the kids at our church class Halloween party.

Breakfast out on Halloween morning

Fall festival our church.

More Halloween fun!

October Photo Update

2009-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random October things. We've already started the Halloween festivities so I'll have pictures of The Flash (aka Chase) and Wonder Woman (aka Ava) up here very soon.

Ava in Bible Class. She's such a good student.
Eating lunch with the big kids.

The whole crew at lunch time.

Tea Party at grandmas.

Preston showing us his mad muddin' skills. ;)

We had a fun visit with Cooper and his mom and dad.

Checking out the cows.

My baby is getting so big!

No we will not go to bed!

Daddy and Ava. (Ava had to borrow a hat from my mom for the cold day.)

The 4-wheeling crew

U2 concert at Texas Stadium! Was awesome!

Houston to California to Arlington

2009-10-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

A week of traveling!

We visited Mimi and Papa

Then Preston and I ditched the kids with the grandparents and spent a few days in California! (Part business trip and part fun in Santa Barbara)

Then we met up with Uncle Wade and Aunt Wendi at their place!

More September Stuff

2009-09-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

We traveled to my parent's house last weekend. We got to hang out with the family. Even baby Noah was there! It also happened to be the weekend of the county fair.

Here we all are after dad and his friend won the chili cook-off!

Chase and his second cousin waiting to ride a ride. It was a little muddy as you can see.

Me and my friend Stacy.

Another ride with the cousins.

swings!

The kids with granddaddy.

No trip to the fair is complete without rinsing off in the hog pin.

Grandmother Rice with all of her great grand babies.

Me and my honey.

Cheese!

Ava and her peeps.

I finally found someone who is a bigger mosquito magnet than I am.

A few weeks ago we went on a retreat with our church friends. We had a great time! (Ava stayed with her aunt and uncle.)

The girl raft (AKA the cool people).

Superman caught on camera.

The boy raft.

Float trip crew.

On The Move!

2009-09-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

The grandparents have wanted to see this much anticipated video! She walks! (Well...at least when she feels like it.)

Check out these cuties! In other news, we took a little trip with some friends to Branson for labor day weekend.

We're Moving to PreSchool

2009-08-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting outside of Chase and Ava's preschool today watching the moms come and go as I was getting all of our things together and I realized something. If you were looking for a way to capture the face of freedom, relief, and weightlessness you wouldn't need to look any further than outside the doors of a preschool. All of these moms go in carrying a ton of stuff; lunch boxes, bags, blankets, car seats, baby carriers, and whatever else their kids may require, but then you should see the change in them as they are leaving. It's amazing. They go from totally weighted down to totally weightless and free in a matter of minutes! I'm not saying these moms don't like being with their kids but boy, moms need a break some times. And the prospect of 5 uninterrupted hours of time that is not dictated by anyone else or their schedule brings a little smile to these moms faces as they practically skip to their cars!

I really started thinking about all of this b/c I was in awe at the amount of stuff I have to pack into my car on a school morning...particularly the first day of school back...It's like we're moving in! I made three trips getting it all (including the kids) in there! But then after I lug all their stuff in and drop them off and am coming back to my car...all I have is my keys. :)

Here they are on their first day back:

(seriously...this is the best pic I got of Ava. I mean, open your eyes kid!) When I dropped her off someone said, "Ava! You grew some hair on your head this summer!" Yes, it's true! I can even put a clip in it!

Chase was really excited! We got in the car and were just backing out of our driveway and he said "Are we almost there yet?". Ha!

And now here's the view from where I sit (that's Rachel Ray):

Stuff

2009-08-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo update for all of my blog readers...all 2 of you. :)

Also I thought I would pass along Chase and Ava's stats from their doctor appointments.

Ava: 19 pounds (20%), 29 inches tall (25%), and get this...head is 18.25 inches (80%) -> girl's still got a big noggin

Chase: 33 pounds (25%), 41 inches tall (60%)

Trip to Colorado with friends:

Summer Time Swimming:

Children's Museum:

Frontier City:

Check out that face! But he loves it!

Happy Birthday Ava!

2009-07-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

My little girl turned one today! I can't believe it! She's so spunky...lots of personality. She tries to say lots of words...sometimes she succeeds. She can stand but hasn't taken any steps yet. She loves her brother, son shine school, avocado, grapes, cheese, playing in Chase's room, climbing steps, watching baby einstein movies, etc. She has a temper when she doesn't get her way. She's finally getting enough hair to put a little clip in.

Here she is eating her birthday pancakes this morning. :)
This evening we took a fun bike ride.

A few days ago in Houston we had a little birthday party for Ava and Chase.

Hey this is not bad!

I think I'll have a little more.

mmmmm!

Yes, I definitely like birthday cake!

No, those messy fingers may not touch your new present!

Chase already had a birthday party a few weeks ago but don't worry he still enjoyed being the center of attention again....oh and the cake too.

And opening presents is always fun!

Here is a picture of Ava one year ago today....I think her looks have improved over time.

Also I thought you might like to see a comparison picture of Chase and Ava both eating their 1st birthday cake. (First: Ava July 2009; Second: Chase July 2006)

Baby Noah

2009-07-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

My Nephew Noah was born! He is sooooo cute and so sweet.
Proud mom and dad Amy and Pete

Lots of dark hair.

Noah was born with a heart defect that is going to have to be corrected with surgery in the next 3 or so months. Please keep him and his parents in your prayers!

Fun in Houston

2009-07-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

We took a little trip to visit MiMi and PaPa's house. It was super fun!

The whole crew
Teacher Wendi shows Chase how to do his work book.

Fun in the pool!

Chase loves the pool...Ava is not too sure.

Chase loves his little sis. (Yes, that is a Harry Potter lightning bolt on Chase's head)

ahhhhh

Ava and Uncle Wade and Aunt Wendi

View from the top.

Me and Ava!

Other Random Stuff...

Ava and her class at Son Shine School. She's the blonde in the front.

This is Chase dressed like a super hero at a friend's birthday party. :)

Happy Birthday Chase!

2009-07-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

Guess who just turned four! Chase!
I can't believe it!

On his actual birthday we got up and had birthday pancakes. My mom always did that with us on our birthdays when we were growing up so I thought we would start that tradition this year!
This is what birthday pancakes look like! (That's a "4" in case you can't tell ;)

We had a super fun birthday party at McDonald's the next day!

We made lots of noise!

Ava thinks she's so big!
Nothing like happy meals!

We put batman tattoos on the kids...here's the only good picture I have to show for it. :)

They're actually all sitting down!

Mom, enough pictures already!

Mom and dad get to stand and eat off the trash can while the kids sit at the table. How gross is that! (Way to look normal Preston)

Chase with one of his birthday presents!

Trying out his new Spiderman bike! (Can you tell we're into superheros right now!)

Aunt Leah and Uncle Kyle

2009-07-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

My baby sister got married!

Chase and Leah before the wedding.
Ava and Leah

Chase did such a great job as a ring bearer! Look at that smile!

Cute!

Our family.

All the girls.

Family

And then the flower girl was all worn out!

CONGRATULATIONS LEAH AND KYLE!

Random June/July

2009-07-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ava climbed up...but then cried to get down!
Please can I have a bite!

OK!

Chase and Ty getting ready to ride the mini roller coaster!

Visit to the park with friends...yes it's 100+ degrees outside. :)

Don't forget the girls at the park.

Fourth of July parade

Ava liked to clap for everyone

More at the parade

My Big 4 year old!

My high school age baby sitter actually made this dress for me! Thanks Alley!

Napping with granddaddy

Got this mask at a birthday party for a friend. Can't stop wearing it. :)

ZZZZ's and pasta

Happy Birthday Leslie!

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

Just a little shout out to my good friend Leslie who is turning the big 3-0 today!

Here's are some "fun" facts I found for you:
You are now older than 42% of Americans.
You're not alone, 3,789,800 Americans will turn 30 this year.
15% of Americans are in their 30s
July 7th Facts:
1930 Building of the Hoover Dam Begins
1984 "When Doves Cry" (by Prince) hits #1
See who else has your birthday: http://www.famousbirthdays.com/

Have an awesome day! Miss ya!

(PS I was going to post an old picture of us from collage on here but that was SO LONG AGO that non of the pictures are digital and I would have to dig through old boxes of photos and then hook up the scanner...I'm tired just thinking about it.)

Preston's Road Trip

2009-06-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Preston and 3 friends went on a road trip. Can you guess where they went? (He can post more pictures from the trip later if he wants...I couldn't find them.)

Preston is on the left. :)

New York!

2009-06-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Me, mom, Amy and Leah all took a girls trip to New York! Soooooo fun!

Here we are on our double decker bus tour.
Me in Times Square

30 Rock (poor Amy)
More Times Square

All the other good photos are on one of their cameras...I haven't even seen them yet. :)

Time with Mimi and Papa

2009-06-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Papa came up to help Preston with the kids while I was in New York (more pics on that later).

Before that, Ava went for a visit by herself to stay with Mimi and Papa.

Wendi came up to visit a few weeks ago too!

Arbuckle Wilderness

2009-06-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Arbuckle Wilderness was lots of fun. We came from my parent's house and some of our friends met us there for the day. Preston and I had just as much fun as the kids!

Mini Family Vacation

2009-06-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night before Memorial Day we spent the night at a hotel and then went to Arbuckle Wilderness! It was really fun. Chase loves to stay in a hotel...especially one with a pool!

Ava loved to talk to herself in the mirror!

We had fun swimming. This was Ava's first time to go swimming!

One little monkey jumping on the bed!

I'm running out of time but i'll post pics from Arbuckle wilderness later among other things like time spent with mimi and papa, preston's road trip, my new york trip, etc.

Trip to Emory

2009-06-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip to my parent's house for my sister Leah's wedding shower. I don't have any pics from the shower but here are some other fun pics!

Ava with my sisters.
Chase hauling a basketball.

Ava and her Great Grandmother Rice.

Chase and crazy aunt Leah.

I'm going to be an aunt in August! This is Noah! (oh and Amy too.)

Preston showing off his mad skills.

Chase and Granddaddy.

Chase's School Program

2009-06-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Yes I know this is overdue but here is Chase's school program. He did so good....last year he just stood there! (Top row...second from left.) Sorry about the poor quality photos...I need a new camera.

Here is video from one of the songs:

Fun Videos

2009-04-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here's Ava's new talent: Clapping!

Chase was watching Kung Fu Panda and decided to make up his own fighting moves!

More Randomness..

2009-04-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Born to be a Wildcat! I'm hoping she'll be in the Alumni Magazine!
Chase and his friend Bryce

Visit to Uncle Pete and Aunt Amy

Chase napping

Goin' for a ride!

Chase and Bryce with Mr. T-Rex

At the zoo.

Ava loves her pillow...she pulls it onto her face when she gets in bed.

Comfortable?

hey there!

Love my sis!

two cute kids

Ava and her friend Levi.

Chase and his friend Haley (Levi's big sis).

Weeeeee!

Random Suff in March

2009-03-30T13:54:00.001-07:00

Swingin' on the porch.
Day at the park

Ava in bible class

Preston's birthday

A few fun pics

I'm 8 months old now!

Broken Bones

2009-03-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

While in Alabama Chase decided to climb up on the back of a booth at a restaurant and took a little tumble to the floor. He broke his collar bone. Here he is at the emergency room in his little hospital gown. And below he is in his sling. He's doing great and doesn't even mention it any more. He doesn't wear the sling any more either. (Try keeping a sling on a 3 year old.)

Alabama

2009-03-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

We took a little road trip to Alabama for a cousin's wedding. It was really fun. We got to see family and we even took an extra day for a little fun for just the 4 of us.

2 Kool 4 Skool

2009-03-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

Monster Trucks!

2009-02-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

Preston took Chase to a Monster Truck rally with some of their friends last weekend!

And by the end it was time to go home and go to bed. :) (yes, preston is faking.)

Photo Update

2009-02-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Chase loves his tricycle. He has had it for a long time but is just now deciding that it's super fun.
Ava likes sitting in her bumbo seat to watch me cook dinner.

Ava and daddy napping.

Here are a few pics from the last NBA Thunder Basketball game that we went to.

Chase does really great at the games and has a lot of fun but usually by the 4th quarter he gets a little bored and can be found watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my iPod.

Ava does great at the games too!

Ava is 6 months old

2009-02-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

I thought I would give a quick Ava update. She is now 6 months old and we went for her well-baby check up a few days ago. Unfortunately she got 4 shots and was in a bad mood for several days. She seems to be back to normal now.

Here are her stats:
Weight: 14.4 lbs (20%)
Height: 25 1/4 in (30%)
Head: 16 3/4 in (50%)

She had been right at 50% in everything up until now. She's a lot smaller than Chase was!

Funny Story:
So Chase came running into the kitchen a couple of days ago laughing and saying "Ava can't see!" I thought "oh boy what have you done now". So I go in to where she is sitting in her car seat waiting to leave to go somewhere and the car seat is upside down. At first I was like, where is she? But then I ran over remembering that she was actually in the car seat. She was just hanging out up side down. She wasn't crying. I turned her back over and she looked a little confused but then started smiling like it was all a fun ride! haha! Good thing she was buckled in! Here is what it looked like:

(no, I didn't leave her in there for this picture....what kind of mom do you think I am? Now her brother...that's another story.)

Random January 2009

2009-01-31T21:30:00.000-08:00

That's right! Guess who can sit up now!
Chase thought it would be fun to sit in Ava's exersaucer...I guess to be fair it was his first.

Ava really hates tummy time. The girl can sit up but she has only ever rolled over like twice. Oh well. :)

Ava and mom

Visit to the fire station with granddaddy

Love the fire truck!

Love the Jumper!

Aunt Wendi and Uncle Wade came for a visit!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas hanging out with our families.

First we were at home:

Then we went to Grammy and Granddaddy's house:

(we played lots of Wii)

Then we went to Mimi and Papa's house:

Ava's Elf Dance!

2008-12-19T09:02:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Picture With Santa!

2008-12-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

A Few Fun/Funny Things

2008-12-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

So I found Chase putting his new dinosaur stickers to use yesterday.
Lovely...

Raise your hand if you're cute when you sleep.

Last Saturday we went to a kid's Christmas party put on by Preston's work. It was at Incredible Pizza. Chase (and Preston) had lots of fun!

Notice little sister checking out the cool game. I have a feeling Preston will have 2 kids wanting to sit in his lap next year!

Preston and Chase on the race cars!
Sometimes Preston drives too fast....
...and causes a pile-up. haha.

The kids got to talk to Santa and have a picture made.

Chase told Santa he wants a scooter...I have a feeling Santa might pull through. ;)

4 Months

2008-12-02T21:45:00.000-08:00

Ava is now four months old! She had a doctor appointment today and she continues to be 50% in weight, height, and head size (12.8 lbs, 24 in, 16 1/4 in).

Thanksgiving Fun!

2008-12-02T21:36:00.001-08:00

We had a great time during the week of Thanksgiving in Alabama with Preston's side of the family. It was great getting to see everyone and Ava finally got to meet family she had never seen before!

Four generations of Watterson's

This is us out to dinner in case you were wondering what it looks like.

Another Four Generations

Trip to Maryland and DC

2008-12-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

I tagged along with Preston on a business trip to DC a few weeks ago. We went up early and spent a wonderful time in Maryland at a bed and breakfast right on the Chesapeake Bay. Super Fun. Here are a few pics:

Random November Stuff

2008-12-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a few randoms from November:

Making cookies....this is just shortly before he actually took a hand full of flour and rubbed it on his stomach and his jeans....nice.
Happy Baby

Ava with Aunt Amy

Chase with granddaddy on the farm

Two kids on a horse

Piglet is very interesting (and yes, she really is that bald!)

Chase playing doctor. He's taking her blood pressure with his toy medical kit. ha.

Hey Friends

2008-11-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. It's mid November and for me that means photo Christmas cards are in full swing! I just wanted to throw out a 20% coupon code to Photo Card Cafe' for anyone who wants it. Just type this code into the shopping cart exactly like this (no spaces before or after): PCCBFFHOLID08

Take a look at the holiday photo card designs...

Oh and even if you don't know me at all feel free to use this code. :)

Halloween and Stuff

2008-11-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

Halloween shirts...though you can't see much of Chase's
Little pumpkin

Butterfly!

Captain Hook!

Bed time story

Three months old.

Brother and sister.

Out with the old (and broken)

In with the new. (it's a Honda Pilot if you can't tell)

Totaled

2008-10-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

So as most of you probably know, me and the kids were in a wreck last week. We're all fine as well as the drivers of the two other vehicles. It was pretty scary though...I mean I completely freaked out which is way out of character for me. But seriously, what if one of my babies would have been hurt?

All three cars had to be towed and I found out yesterday that my car as well as one of the other cars was totaled. So who's insurance is paying for all of this? That would be mine.

Here are a few pics. I never even saw the other side of my car where it actually hit. I assume it's much worse.

Word to the wise for all of you moms and dads out there: If your baby is crying in the car....just let them cry. You never know what might happen in those few seconds you are reaching back trying to dig the pacifier out of the car seat.

So now I'm on the hunt for a new car. That has an up and down side.

1) I get to go car shopping!
2) I have to go car shopping.....with the budget nazi...aka Preston (just kidding...love you honey)

Oh and also...the wrecking yard (in the "bad" part of town) is a really scary place to go by yourself.

Typical Day

2008-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Wanna know what the typical day for a work-at-home mom looks like. Well here ya go:

One kid in my lap, one leaning on me, coffee in hand, pacifier hooked on finger ready when needed, cell phone in hand, and laptop open for business. :)

Cute father/son pic:

A few fall pics:

One Average Kid

2008-10-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ava had her 2 month doctor visit today. She was 50% on height (22 1/2), 50% on weight (10.6), and 50% on head circumference (15 1.4). The doctor said that he very rarely has a kid at two months who is "quite so symmetrical". haha. She also got 3 shots which was not fun AT ALL. She cried way more than Chase ever did at doctor appointments. Poor girl.

Do I look older?....don't answer that.

2008-09-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to all those out there who have been bugging me about the lack of new pictures....I don't want to hear it for a while!

Here's what I have to say about my birthday (see below photo): Here's me with my "30 crown" that Amy bought me. She relentlessly reminds me that she is still in her 20's.
This last weekend we went to Houston. Here are a few pics:

Preston's 10 year HS reunion was this weekend. We go to get all dressed up for the event.
Here is Ava and her uncle Wade. Ava has a stinky diaper.

Ava loves aunt Wendi.
Sleepy heads.

A few weekends ago we also went to Emory for a visit. The county fair was in town so Chase (and Preston) had a great time on the rides:

Sorry about the head cut off but I thought it was funny how Ava is staring Grammy down.

Love aunt Amy.
Four-wheeling in the rain.
Chase and Ava and their 2nd cousins, Ashland and Meredith.
Chase is a little worried that he'll never escape!

Check out the new design!

2008-09-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

So Photo Card Cafe' has a new look. Check it out!
http://www.photocardcafe.com/

There are also a few new photo Halloween cards this year.

A Few Things

2008-09-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

We had some friends come visit this weekend. Super fun! Chase had a great time with Cooper. Here they are at the Route 66 stop, Pops.

Ava already has some best friends! She was the first of four babies born to my friends at church...and all girls! (BTW she is on the left.)
Smiley face!
And poor Lucy had knee surgery 2 days ago. She's so sad and out of it right now. It's really weird b/c she's usually crazy hyper. But it all went well and she's on the road to recovery.

Ava's Announcement

2008-09-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share this! A version of this can be found on the baby photo birth announcements page at http://www.photocardcafe.com/. :)

(shameless plug)

Happy 1 Month B-day Ava!

2008-08-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today Ava is one month old! Can't believe how fast time is flying! Here are some pictures of her today. Yep, that's right I even managed to get a smiling picture!

Chase the Golf Pro

2008-08-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Preston, Chase, Ava, and I all went to the driving range. Chase even has a little golf club just his size. He seemed pretty interested at first but then he was very busy making sure all the balls stayed in the bucket. :) haha...he's very organized! Ava had a great time too...sleeping.

Crazy kids
Are you looking at me?

Ava Photos

2008-08-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Shannon took some cute pics of Ava a few days ago. Check them out...here are a couple of my favs!

Do they look like brother and sister?

2008-08-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Several people have told me that my kids look alike and several have told me that they don't. Maybe they don't so much now but check out these baby pictures!

Pink Hat = Ava; Blue Hat = Chase
I think from just below the nose up they look very similar...same nose for sure. But the lips are a little different...Ava has more girly lips. :)
This is Ava of course.
And this is Chase at about the same age.

Here are a few more pics that I thought I would share.
Here's daddy with his kiddos.
Thought this was funny of Ava in the sink. haha. Worried much?

I know I've kind of beat Chase's birthday into the ground on this blog but here are a few more pictures that my friends took of the joint birthday party at the park...I forgot my camera at this one. Chase is not a big cake/dessert fan. He would rather have a sucker than a cupcake. I don't know how we're even related. I can't fathom such a decision.

Ava's First Chick Flick

2008-08-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

That's right folks. Ava has successfully been to her first movie theater movie! Mom, Leah and I all wanted to go see Mama Mia at the movies and we were like "why not?". Ava pretty much slept through the whole thing...having a quick bottle in the middle.

We've had a really fun week with all the family being here and all. Today Ava is 1 week old and the last of our house guests just left a few hours ago. She and I are just sitting here watching TV (Chase went to visit his grandparents for a few days). Yesterday at church someone said "wow, I can't believe you are out and about and here"! I thought that was strange since Ava was almost a week old at the time. I have to say I'm NOT a home-body and neither is my family. We all get a little stir crazy if we sit around too much...and since I have felt pretty great since we got home, we have had a very busy week. I thought I would give you a quick run down of what all we have been up to during Ava's first week of life...mostly so you can think we're crazy. :)

Mon - Ava born 3:41 p.m.
Tues - Go home from hospital around 5:00 p.m., dinner at home
Wed - Dinner out with our families
Thurs - Ava doctor appt (she weighed 7 lb, 4 1/2 oz), lunch out, shopping trip to target with all the girls
Fri - lunch out then 4 hours of clothes shopping with my mom and sisters!
Sat - Breakfast out then coffee shop, later we all went to a book store to hang out for a while, dinner out, later that evening Preston and I left Ava with my mom and sister and we went to get dessert by ourselves...it was a nice mini date. :)
Sun - Church, lunch out, then that night was the movie

Great week!

Birth Story

For those of you who are interested here is Ava's birth story:
On Monday morning, July 28th Preston went to work really early as usual and very shortly after that I started to have pretty regular contractions. They weren't very significant at first but then they started to pick up in intensity so I called Preston right after he got to work to tell him to come back home...it was baby time! We didn't waste much time after he got back and were headed out the door by 8:30 or so. We dropped Chase off with some friends (thanks guys!) and headed on to the hospital. Now I know the ladies there get lots of false alarms walking in their door but she was VERY skeptical as to whether I was really in labor or not. She asked all her questions with an unbelieving tone to her voice, "now is this your first pregnancy?", "your contractions are how far apart", "well we'll take a look and see if you're dilated". I was like look lady, no this is number 2...I've done this before, contractions are only 6 minutes apart, I was dilated to a 5 six days ago, and yes I am definitely in labor so lets get this show on the road so I can get my epidural! (Of course I'm way too nice to actually talk to her like that....but I was thinking it! ;) Once I was admitted we moved up to the delivery room. I got my epidural very quickly....way before I was in any real pain so that was awesome. Our nurse was great! Preston and I just hung out, called family, wrote in Ava's baby book, and talked about what we thought she would look like and made bets on how much she would weigh. I'm not sure who won b/c I can't remember what numbers we bet on! Things went a little slower than I thought considering my labor with Chase was pretty quick...but this one was about the same. Nine hours total in labor isn't bad! At 2:45 or so our nurse said it was time for shift change and that she would be leaving...I was sad b/c she was so good. I was dilated to a 9 and she said it wouldn't be long. After that our new nurse didn't come by for 45 MINUTES! I was starting to be in some pretty bad pain and felt a lot of pressure and the urge to push...I knew things were happening. There were a few people in and out and we called the nurses station at least 3 times but they all said "we'll page your nurse". She was a no show! I was getting mad...I'm still mad about it. When she finally came in she said OK lets see how far along you are and when she checked she was like "oh man! you're crowning!" Yeah no crap lady! About that time the anesthesiologist came in and got me nice and comfortable again. The nurses told me not to push and I said "I didn't know I was!" How can you know when you can't feel your lower half! My doctor literally ran down the hall and got there just in time for me to push about twice and Ava was out in no time! (Quite a change from Chase's 2 1/2 hours of pushing.) I was really in shock that it was so fast and there she was. It was soooo cool. I can't explain how it feels to see a whole person that you created for the first time. AMAZING!

Here are a few more pictures of the last day or so:

Chillin' on the couch
Ava and daddy
Bath time!

More Pics...

2008-08-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

Doing Great!

2008-07-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

We're doing great around here. We came home on Tuesday and everything is going well. We've had some bad moments at night but other than that she pretty much sleeps and eats. She changes everyday. Here are a few pics of the last couple of days.

Chase also had a little birthday party while all his grandparents were here. :)

Meet Ava!

2008-07-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ava Nicole was born July 28, 2008 at 3:41 p.m.
7 pounds, 12 ounces, 20 inches long

I'll write more later but I thought you might like some pictures!!!

On the way!

2008-07-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

We're on the way! No time for a long blog. Contractions coming fast. Wish us luck.

See you soon Ava!

How is it possible!?!

2008-07-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

How is it possible to be dilated to a 5 (that's right 5!) and effaced 80% and not be in labor? Seriously. My body has this uncanny ability to hold a baby in. It's ridiculous.

Yes, I had a doctor appointment today. It was good I guess. I know I should be happy that things are still progressing but I'm actually kind of mad that I'm not in labor yet...considering. OK, rant is over. The appointment was just the usual. She told me to go to the hospital if I start experiencing any kind of regular contractions since it's likely that it will be a fast labor (I am already half way there after all). So that's good...to not be very likely to be in labor for hours and hours. I just don't want to miss the epidural window! All will be fine. Miss Ava is really low now. I visit the ladies room pretty frequently. :)

I had another ultrasound which was fun! It was so different than any others I have had. She's just so big and cramped in there compared to last time I saw her. The measurements indicate that she is around 7 lbs and 5 oz right now. That sounded OK to me since it hopefully will mean that she won't be any bigger than Chase was (8lb, 14oz) even if I go to my due date. We'll see I guess! Pictures below...

The top one is straight down on her face...that's her hand up by her face on the top...not a huge cheek. The bottom on is a profile...she's looking up.
Here's me with 9 days until the due date.
And of course Chase wanted me to take his picture too!

Quick update

2008-07-15T13:33:00.001-07:00

I'm having a pretty good week. I have my moments of feeling good and also of feeling not so good. I also have my moments of completely freaking out about taking care of two kids while also working from home and keeping up with all the other millions of things we do in a given week. It's a little stressful to think about. :) I'm sure it will be fine....right?

I went to another doctor appointment this morning and I'm now 4cm and 70%. How can I possibly not go into labor like right now. Seriously. But I'm probably going to hold out another 2 weeks and 2 days until the due date....or longer. Sigh.

In other news, this week is Vacation Bible School at our church. Chase is loving it. Not to mention Preston is in the drama. You're going to love those pictures....coming soon.

Happy Birthday Chase!

2008-07-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Chase celebrated his third birthday over the weekend! What a big boy! Can't believe my baby is three! We celebrated by going to breakfast at Krispy Kreme....candles and all!

Party pictures coming soon!

A little Aunt and Uncle time!

2008-07-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

This week Chase spend some time with his Aunt Wendi and Uncle Wade just for fun. He was there for 4 nights and I think they all had a lot of fun. I'm told that he was a good boy. Chase is a really good traveler!

Here are a few pics:

If you want more details you can see Wendi's blog...

Doctor Appointment

2008-07-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Had another appointment today! More progress (T.M.I. alert)! This time I was dilated to a 3 and still 70% effaced. Moving right along! I've actually felt better this week so that's good (though, it does make me feel like labor is farther away). I went to step class at the gym this morning and I felt great. We did some driving yesterday and I swear I could see my feet swelling. Salty food all weekend, being out in the heat a lot, and then sitting in a car for too long is definitely a recipe for fat ankles. A few days ago I was reading more of my old blog from last pregnancy and realized that at this point last time I already had the car seat in the car. So I decided I should probably go get it out of storage and clean it off. :) After hosing it down in the yard and letting it dry it looks like new! (No it's not in the car...we'll probably wait a bit on that.)

Lovely feet.

4th of July Festivities

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

We had a great 4th of July weekend! Here are some photos:

Friday night we went to the big fireworks show at UCO with some friends. Chase really thought it was cool!
Saturday we had a picnic at the park and then fed the ducks!
Then Saturday night we went to a big 5th of July celebration at our friends' house. There was good food, swimming, volleyball, a moon bounce, and fireworks.

Chase was a little more scared this time b/c we were so close to the action and it was so loud!

The next morning Chase crawled into bed with us and fell back asleep. Two late nights in a row can make a kid tired!

Ava Update! - 36 weeks!

2008-07-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well it's JULY! Due date month! Man I can't believe how fast June flew by. Crazy!

So I had a doctor appointment today. You know, one of those that's not fun but fun all at the same time. T.M.I. ALERT....if you don't want to know how I'm progressing to labor please jump down to the next paragraph. :) So as of right now I'm dilated to 2 cm and am 70% effaced. If you don't know what that means...well...look it up on your own. My doctor also commented on how the baby has dropped based on the measurements of the belly. So things are happening! yay! But before you or I get too excited lets not forget that at this point in my last pregnancy i was 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced and Chase was still one day past his due date. But it's just so hard to not read something into every little feeling!

I went back and read my entry for the 36th week of pregnancy with Chase and man are things different! I said my bags were already packed...honestly this is the first time that I have even thought about the fact that bags need to get packed at some point. I also said that I had gained 24 pounds total...um, not so this time. I'm only 1 pound away from weighing as much as Preston!!!!

Anyway, 'how am I doing' you might be wondering.... Well, I've been better. I can't even walk around without having braxton hicks contractions...and some of them hurt. (Yes, this is also the same as last time.) I can't sleep. I've been up since 4:00 a.m. just b/c I couldn't get comfortable in bed! I just feel generally uncomfortable all the time...and I even feel a little sick today.

Wow, what a Debbie Downer.

Let me add that other than that I'm absolutely GREAT!

I have to admit that I'm ready for this baby to exit the premises. But not just b/c I'm ready to sleep on my stomach and not go to the bathroom every 20 minutes....I'm ready to hold her and know what she looks like and show her to my family and friends and see what Chase thinks about her....I could go on and on.

But seriously....get out.

Here is a much needed photo update

2008-06-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here are lots of pics from lots of different things that I have been meaning to post for a while:

Check out that stance! He did really well hitting a t-ball for the first time.
Family Pic
Chase with Mimi and Papa
Another family picture
Rock Star!

Two Rock Stars!
The whole band!
Chase and Papa trying to wake up in the morning.
Chase feeding the turtles.
Chase and friends.

Medieval Times with Grammy, Granddaddy, and Aunt Leah
Chase even got a sword!
Silly faces.
Cheering on the knights.
Father-son camp out. The boys had a blast...I think the dads had an OK time too. ;)

Ava's Room! Finally done!

2008-06-07T17:49:00.001-07:00

We finished Ava's room this weekend! yay! I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. It's a little more girly than I thought it would be when we first started but oh well! I was able to use a lot of Chase's old stuff b/c his room was blue and green and her's is pink and green. A little paint, a new crib bumper, and some homemade artwork did the trick. Here are some pictures...I'll start with the progression of the room:

Several weeks ago Preston's mom and dad were here and they were a HUGE help with getting the room painted. Here is Preston and I taping it up to paint.
Mimi taking a turn at the tape.
Papa getting it all primed for painting.
Preston painting pink!
Here's the final room (well...we still have to make the bed back into a crib from a toddler bed but Chase will still need it for when we have company in a few weeks).
Changing table. We have one lonely diaper in the diaper shelves!

Crib and shelves and Lucy.
Chase getting ready to read books to his little sister.
Here's the diaper bag my mom and dad bought me! Thanks guys! Love it!
I mean do we really have this much clothes already? Most is second hand but I'll take all I can get!

Baby Shower!

2008-06-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

My awesome friends threw Ava and I a baby shower on Thursday! It was really fun! We had it at the Olive Garden over appetisers and desserts. Fried stuff, chocolate, and presents....it doesn't get much better than that! I came away with lots of super cute clothes, shoes and gear. Ava's going to be one well dressed kiddo!

I took a belly pic just before leaving for the shower. Gettin' pretty huge! I'm 32 weeks along now. Only 8 to go! (And yes, that is a tent in my living room.)

Chase's Room

2008-06-07T17:33:00.001-07:00

We officially finished Chase's room today! He has been sleeping in there for a while but now all the decorating is done. Take a look:

Obviously we did a tropical theme! I even hand painted the tree myself!
Chase likes his new room!
I used a big cork board to take up some room on the wall and Chase just loved putting all his art work from school and bible class up! We'll just keep adding to it! (No, I'm not using push pins....what kind of mom do you think I am? Stapler!)

Conversations between Chase and I

2008-06-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling the need to post some of the recent conversations that I've had with Chase. Here goes:

------------------------

Chase: Where we going?
Me: We're going home.
Chase: Where we going home?
Me: To our house.
Chase: Where we going to our house.
Me: In our neighborhood.
Chase: Where we going in our neighborhood?
Me: To our house.
Chase: Where we going to our house.

I turn the radio up loud.

------------------------

(At church)
Chase: Where's God?
Me: In heaven.
Chase: Is that heaven (pointing at the front of the auditorium where the man is praying)

------------------------

(at church before the offering)
Me: Here's some money for you to put in the plate. We're going to give this money to God to use in the church.
Chase looks wide eyed at the teenager that is holding the plate out for him.
Me: No, that's not God...he's just passing the plate.

------------------------

Chase: Cars tee tee in the potty.
Me: No they don't.
Chase: Where do they tee tee.
Me: No, they don't tee tee at all.

------------------------

Chase: Do tigers tee tee in the potty?
Me: No, they tee tee in the grass.
Chase: Like Lucy? (our dog)
Me: Yeah, just like Lucy.
Chase: Do lions tee tee in the potty?
Me: No, they tee tee in the grass too.

(and so on with like all the animals Chase can think of)

-------------------------

Chase is kind of into "always" statements:

"Cars always drive on the road."
"Babies always cry."
"Dogs always tee tee in the grass."
etc.

-------------------------

This is not a conversation but an interesting fact. Chase is REALLY into water towers right now. He looks for them when we are driving around. He'll point out the same ones over and over as if they are new every time!

Chase and friends at the zoo, watching the giant turtle eat lunch.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

We had a fun holiday weekend hanging out with a few friends at the lake. It was a lot of fun to go out on the boat and ride around and watch everyone ski and swim. Good times. The boys played golf, we cooked out, we played at the "beach", we hung out and watched movies, some people spent an unusual amount of time and effort working on crossword puzzles....oh and we got sick. Unfortunately there was a stomach bug going around among us. One by one we started dropping like flies. The good news is that it only lasted about half a day for each person. Preston, Chase, and I thought we were in the clear until our way home. I'll spare you the details. Oh well, we're all better now. :) Below are a few pics of the fun. (It's funny how you stop having any pictures of the adults...only kids.)

Chase, Camden, and Cooper all ready for bed
Chase and Cooper testing out the water
Colt trying to decide if he likes this life jacket thing or not
Yes, this is Chase playing golf with no pants on

Water rescue by Sara H. Chase and Cooper got out a little too far and couldn't reach. This is why they wear life jackets! Sara pulled a "Bay Watch" to run in after them. I would have helped but it would have taken me way too long to just get up off the ground where I was chillin'.
Jay even let Chase drive the boat a few times.
Chase and Preston being pulled on the tube!
Preston on the wake board.