Levi & Anna

Momma and Dada's bed

2012-01-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

We were planning on spending Christmas eve and Christmas morning in Belle. Before we could even think about making the 2 1/2 hour trip, Hayes had to get a bigger car seat. Merry Christmas baby boy, your first Christmas present! Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling very well during Christmas and threw up all over his new seat shortly after this picture.

We made it to Belle for Christmas with the Spurgeon's. I love how Tate really thought he was helping Travis carry the big present.

Giving presents to great grandpa and grandma...

Mom's tree Christmas morning...

Hayes getting ready to open presents...

A little help from Daddy. Tate thought there should be a dump truck inside in every present.

Hayes didn't really care about what was inside the present. He just wanted to chew on the paper. He was very excited that the whole house was awake bright and early to play.

Hayes' got so many fun gifts from Belle:

Trash truck from Travis and Laura:

His first train set from Grandma and Jim:

We love this one, Travis has one just like it.

Tate's Christmas toys from Belle:

We certainly don't have a shortage of Brio trains at our house! Tate's new set from Travis:

We came straight home to set up the track:

We have been playing with it non stop!

Santa came to our house Christmas night and we opened presents Monday morning. It was a little crazy opening presents. Both boys were still sick and crabby. It took several hours for them to open 3 presents each. We opened and played...opened and played...

Even though Santa brought the dump truck to Hayes, Tate was quite pleased that their was a dump truck in at least 1 of the presents.

Hayes' steam roller...

Baking cookies with Daddy...

Tate loves this cookie set!

Santa added to Tate's Plan City with this parking garage:

He LOVES it!

Just having fun, taking a break from the present madness...

He studied this box for a long time...

Hayes couldn't wait to get down and play too!

Monday night we had Christmas with the McWilliams family.
To: Tate
From, Ainsley

A new bike with training wheels!!

Random December

2011-12-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

Pretty morning light...

The boys have been dealing with snotty noses/ear infections/puke/coughing lately so this is what we do to make ourselves feel better
We ride the rocket.

We read dump truck books.

We drive dump trucks

We load our dump trucks with dirt.

We drive our dump truck over the bridge and under the table.

We play with Grandma when she visits.

We slide down on our belly.

We play in our "boat"

and nibble on a present.

We play in the curtains

and chase cars.

We just keep spreading the germs back and forth!

We are hoping to be all better before Christmas!

Just A Little Practice

2011-12-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

Since Tate remembers nothing about Christmas from last year, we have been doing a little practicing. We practice saying Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas. The Merry Christmas part is almost unrecognizable but the Ho Ho Ho is so CUTE! We got our stockings down just to see if Santa had left something in them.

Once we found a present in our stockings, we decided to practice opening presents. It looks like both boys, with their own methods, have figured out how to tear into them.

Don't worry! Mommy re-wrapped the presents before Dada got home and they are ready for Christmas!

I was explaining to Tate that Santa will come down the chimney and will be very Hungary so we will need to leave him some cookies. He was totally into that! He wanted to get Santa some cookies right then.

He decided he liked leaving cookies for Santa's.

Baby's First Christmas

2011-12-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hayes' first Christmas:

Dropped Bobby

2011-12-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it takes a VERY long time to convince Tate to get out of his bed after nap. He knows that getting out of bed means parting with bway-bree (blankie) and bobbie (pacifier).

Mommy even calls daddy on speaker phone hoping that he can convince Tate to get out. Tate enjoys his talk with dada but decides he would like to stay in his bed a little longer.

While Mommy is focusing on Tate, Hayes finds his own way to amuse himself

After Mommy ruined all Hayes' fun, he decided to come over and check on Tate.

Tate will play with Hayes through the bars, but prefers Hayes to not enter his space.

Oh No! Dropped bobby!

Hayes is fast. It took him less than a second to grab it!

Hayes was quite pleased with his find!

Tate was NOT happy!

Now there is no reason to stay in his bed. He was finally ready to get out and play.

7 months

2011-11-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

Mommy got Hayes his very own toy! This is one of his only toys that wasn't a hand me down from Tate.

I was very hesitant to get this knowing he would outgrow it in just a couple months, but he loves it!

He is army crawling every where now! Mommy needed a safe place to put him when she left the room. It is working out nicely!

He is lucky he has a big brother to show him how all the toys work...

He can always make mommy smile. This photo cracks me up.

Hayes is so independent lately and he almost always hold his own bottle. Tate never, ever did this. Mommy doesn't know how she feels about just how big Hayes is getting.

The play gym is a favorite for Hayes. He literally crawls through the tunnel a hundred times a day! Each time he comes out with the biggest smile ever! It's always just as fun as the first time.

7 months has been a big month for Hayes. He has figured out how to get himself into a sitting position and pull up to a standing position. Also, he is climbing the stairs! He started with these 3 steps...

then he moved to the big steps!

He is such a little busy body. He can tear through the play room like a tornado! He is into everything and everything goes into his mouth!

Daddy at 7 months...

Silver Dollar City

2011-11-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

We took the kiddos to Silver Dollar City Saturday to see the lights. Tate and Ainsley are both 35 inches tall but their daddy's were very persistent on getting them on 36 inch or taller rides. We even had to pack Tate's snow boots to give him a little extra height. We did manage to sneak them on a few rides and they (and their dads) had so much fun! Ainsley chose to ride the Caterpillar which left the pink butterfly for Tate :)

Tate and I rode the jumping frogs. He enjoyed the ride at first, but by the end of the ride he was repeating, "T no trog jump!"

This is what he looked like by the end...

Strolling along...

Playing in the Leaves

2011-11-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

The boys and I spent a weekend in Belle while Levi was at guard. Mom's yard was covered in leaves so we spent some time loading the dump truck!

Want some leaves?

Want a bunch of leaves?

It's amazing to compare 1 year ago. last year , Tate hated the leaves. He still didn't want to have anything to do with jumping into a leaf pile, but he did find it quite fun to load them up.

Hayes loved playing in the leaves. We caught him sneaking some into his mouth. This kid will eat anything!

The boy's got to take a ride on Jim's digger. Tate thought it was pretty, "neat" That's his new word :)

Happy Halloween

2011-11-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Just a little late, but Happy Halloween!

October (excluding pumpkin patch)

2011-10-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Can you believe just how big my babies are getting? Sometimes it's hard to believe that we have TWO kids.

We love every minute that we get to spend with these boys, it's not always easy, but they do bring SO much joy to our lives. A month of military leave for Levi followed by a month of pumpkin patch has just about put us on over load. We have felt that we are in way over our heads lately. We totally skipped Hayes' 6-month appointment AND Tate's 2-year appointment! I never thought that I would be that parent who can't get it together but sometimes life gets too crazy! We rescheduled their appointments and 6 shots later, we were told they were both healthy and sent us on our way. Hayes is up to 19lbs (95%) 29in (95%) and his wee little head has finally made it to the 40th%. Tate is 32lbs (90%)35.5in (75%) and his wee little head is getting close to the 40th%.
There is something about the curtains that fascinates little ones. I remember Tate played in the curtains forever. Now it's Hayes' turn.

Hayes is seriously the best baby you could ask for! He is always happy. We love his wide-open smile. He is definitely on the move, still army crawling, but very fast! He is in the next room in the matter of seconds! We are used to him playing with his toys in the bathroom while we get ready for work, but, his morning he crawled right into the shower to find Daddy!

Hayes is extremely hard to hold these days! He is constantly jumping and wiggling. He typically takes his bottle sitting straight up, sometimes he even stands on my lap or jumps on my lap while drinking! He wants to be down on the floor exporing! Often, he won't even finish his bottle. He has things to do, places to see. He LOVES Gus. He chases him all around this house. Gus will generally stay just out of reach; however, I think he has realized that if he plans on getting any attention at all from our family, it will be from Hayes.

We love Hayes so much, but often times, we feel so bad for him that he is the second child. He never gets story time to himself, and rarely gets our undivided attention. He seems happy with the way things are and even though he doesn't know any different, we do! It takes a conscious effort to make mention of all the same mile stones and to take all the same pictures as the first child.
Look at that crinkle-nosed smile and that red hair! Doesn't he just make you smile! His hair is starting to get really thick. It's as light as always, though.

We haven't been getting much sleep in the McWilliams' house lately! The one thing we have going for us is that both of our boys are very anxious to go to bed. Assuming that the day has been fairly routine, we take them upstairs at 8pm, lay them down, say good night, turn off the light and close the door. We rarely hear another peep from them....until around 1am! Tate usually wakes up crying for his baba which he has lost or that he wants momma and Dada's bed. Hayes wakes up to play with his glow worm several times. We hear lots of whining and crying until 5am when we are sure to be up with at least one of them!

Tate is constantly pretending to be asleep. He lies down, closes his eyes and says, “shhhh.” He may be in a mid-sprint with Ainsley then he drops down to the ground and falls asleep. Lately, he has realized that he doesn’t need to lay down to pretend sleep. We catch him walking around the house with his eyes closed or sliding down the slide or even eating. He is getting lots of bumps and bruises with this new game and making giant messes at dinner.

Last week after church, Tate ran off ahead of us in the parking lot. Levi said, “Tate Bennett” to get him to stop. Tate thought it was so funny and started repeating, “T Benny” over and over. I purposely gave my kids one-syllable names because I didn't want any nick names to form. I guess it's OK if Tate decides to give himself his own nick name.

Tate is currently the only child we have that likes to be held since Hayes is always the go. Levi and I are both trying to take full advantage of the fact that he still likes to cuddle. One of us always has him in our arms or on our laps. Tate frequently says, “up please” I’m typically busy making dinner, or whatever, but try to make a conscious effort to always pick him up and give him a hug. I know it won’t be long until he out grows that.

Tate got a card board fire truck for his birthday. He frequently says, “momma drive” or “dada drive” Levi is way too big for it but he squeezed himself in last night. Levi made real loud obnoxious driving sounds and siren sounds and held his hands out like a steering wheel. He was driving fast and out of control. Tate was sitting on my lap and got very scared. We then talked Tate into driving the fire truck really fast. He climbed in and Levi and I glanced at each other, both very curious about what he was going to do. He held his hands up to the pretend steering wheel, made a real loud motor sound and started shaking his whole body as if he was on a super bumpy road. It was hilarious. He is starting to get such and imagination.

I stuck Hayes on the bike expecting a huge disaster. To my surprise, he was very sturdy and loved his bike ride. I think he is a natural :)

We love these boys more than anything! I love this picture. I feel like it accurately demonstrates an average day at the McWilliams house. We spend hours on the front porch and in the front yard. We all certainly love our fresh air!

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (7)

2011-10-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Tate and Ainsley have become quite the little helpers! They take turns helping drive the train...

They walk along the train with Papa to talk to all the visitors...

Haul loads of pumpkins...

and help with the feeding...

I know Pa is very thankful for all their help!

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (6)

2011-10-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Inside Papa Scott's barn is straw mountain! All the kids who visit the pumpkin patch love straw mountain, especially Tate and Ainsley! It would be pretty neat, as a child, to be able to play in a jungle gym in your grandpa's barn every day. I know they probably think he built it just for them! They certainly think it's all theirs! We can't hardly drag them out. These two-year-olds can certainly play just like the big kids. They have mastered the rock wall and they know their way through all the tunnels.

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (6)

2011-10-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

It was another beautiful weekend at the pumpkin patch! Tate and Hayes enjoyed showing Grandma and Sheila all around Saturday.
Here are some of my happy boy...

Peek-a-boo!

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (5)

2011-10-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

Remember Halle? Her momma brings her out to the pumpkin patch every year. She is always as cute as can be!
2009:

2010:

2011:

Momma's 2nd Birthday

2011-10-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that tomorrow is Tate's 2nd birthday! I Recently came across these photos of my 2nd birthday party...

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (4)

2011-10-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

These two little kids are having the time of their lives!

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (3)

2011-10-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

The weather has been perfect for the pumpkin patch so far making it great for Hayes to tag along. I think he is starting to enjoy being toted around all day.

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (2)

2011-10-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Tate loves to help feed all the animals at the pumpkin patch. He found this bag of corn and knew exactly who he wanted to feed.

Hayes 6-months

2011-10-07T19:00:00.001-07:00

Hayes is army crawling everywhere! The first day Hayes took off crawling he went straight for Tate, who was intently watching tv, and bit his toe! Tate was quite shocked and started crying! Later, Tate was lying in the floor and Hayes crawled to him, pulled himself onto Tate’s chest and stole a toy right out of his hands. Tate handled the situation nicely, surprisingly! He just froze and glared at me like it was all MY fault. Thankfully, he knew this was a situation that Mommy should handle! This morning, Tate shut himself, along with Hayes, in their bedroom. Not long after, I heard Tate screaming, “No, T’s truck!” I have a feeling that things are only going to get worse for the next 15 years or so rather than get better! I was checking out Tate's 6-month post and it was so similar...Same clothes, same toys, same milestones etc.
Hayes is sleeping great. He always goes straight to sleep in his bed. We don't really give him an option. Once 8pm arrives, he is on his own. Sometimes we hear him playing in his crib, but typically drifts off to sleep rather quickly. Occasionally he wakes up during the night for unknown reasons and is NOT happy, but mostly he sleeps straight through till around 6:30ish
He is eating baby food like a pro these days. He even sits up in Tate's high chair like a big boy. We have noticed recently that he pumps his fist (the sign for milk) during his bottle or when he sees his bottle. Time to start adding a few more signs! Oh, and 2 teeth popped through one day while I was at work. I was completely surprised when I came home to find two bottom teeth!
We drug this toy out of the basement for Hayes as soon as he started sitting. Hayes is so lucky to have a big brother show him how it works :)

Peek a boo!

This picture makes me want to just scoop him up and hold this little cuddle bug!

On the go...

Hanging out with Grandma

He always brightens my day!

Remember Tate at this age:

Months 1-24

2011-10-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Months 1-6:

Months 6-12:

Months 12-18:

Months 18-24

The monthly pictures in the chair are getting harder and harder to get! I think I am done because most of them look like this:

"Tra" and "Lal La"

2011-10-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

Travis and Laura were in town for Tate's party. It usually takes a little while for Tate to warm up to Travis because he is so mean, but he went right to "Lal La"
Laura and Tate caught grasshoppers in the field...

Travis taught him how to stomp on pops...

They couldn't leave Hayes out! Everyone needs a little cuddle time with smiley...

Pumpkin Patch 2011 (1)

2011-10-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

This is not exactly the view you want to see at the pumpkin patch the night before the opening day:

The McWilliams boys spent a LOT of time building this giant slide for the season. I have to admit, it was really fun and it was goint to be a huge hit! Unfortunately, it caught on fire and burned.

Tate thought the fire truck was super cool!

They blocked it off the best they could and got everything ready for a group of 100 scheduled to arrive at 9am the following morning. My boys had a great day! Tate was in heaven getting to ride the tractor and train ALL day long!

Hayes was a little grumpy about being outside all day and having his schedule completely messed up. I like to think that my babies are adaptable to new situations, but it just isn't true! He really didn't like having to nap in his stroller and he came home with a bad sunburn (I'm still getting use to having a red headed child). I was quite determined to get a decent photo of his first day at the pumpkin patch! I love this one...

Terra, AJ, Kailey and Mark and all their kiddos came to visit us at the patch! We always have a good time showing them all around. They have been coming down visiting us at the pumpkin patch before any kids were in the picture!
The Geggs:

Connor Leesman:

My little man, Tate, in the animal maze:

Tate was so happy to see Ainsley! They really are BEST freinds and it is so cute!

The Birthday Chair

2011-09-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

1st Birthday:

2nd Birthday:

Choo Choo Tate is Two!

2011-09-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Choo Choo Tate is Two! Well, not quite, but we did throw him a choo choo train party last weekend.

Every time someone asked him if he was going to have a party, he responded by saying, "Yeah, eat bites." Somehow he had realized that parties were for eating! I tried to explain that there would be presents and new toys but he was more excited about the bites!

Blowing out the candles with Grandma...

Finally digging into the Choo Choo bites:

Tate got LOTS of super fun toys!

He enjoyed opening the first couple then he grew bored with the process. He loves all his goodies, though!

Playing with his presents!

Hayes enjoyed all the attention he got at the party also!

Thank you to all my family who made Tate's 2nd birthday very special!!

Cuddling

2011-09-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

We are happy to have Daddy home after 12 very long days of military training! The boys gave him lots of cuddles this morning.

Tate at 22 months

2011-09-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

This little boy brings so much happiness to my life. I truly enjoy every bit of the stage he is in. He loves life and always helps Levi and I find joy in very simple things. He is very sweet to his Mommy. He loves to give hugs and kisses and I always catch him inching closer and closer when we are sitting on the couch watching tv. He wants to sit on my lap and read books and surprisingly allows Hayes to squeeze in too! I frequently hear Tate say hi to Hayes in the sweetest little baby voice. He signs, "I love you" as he is riding away on Papa's tractor. Levi and I spend a lot of our time admiring this adorable little guy with his most adorable little smile...

We spend most of our day playing outside. He isn't opposed to helping me pull weeds, prune the shrubs, water the plants or whatever. I'm not sure if he would ever get tired of wandering around outside! He thinks he is such a big boy and can help with everything. Sometimes I am amazed at just how big he is getting, other times, I try to take in everything that is so little and cute.

baba

2011-09-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Tate is still completely attached to his "baba" We limit him to bed time, nap time and occasionally car rides. We have discussed many times about taking it away completely, but he is so excited for nap time and bed because he knows baba is waiting for him. No need to mess up a good thing, right? The only issue we have ran into lately is that it takes a lot of persuasion to get Tate out of his bed. It's just so hard for him to depart with baba.

Mommy and Hayes get a little impatient after 30 minutes or so. I have been putting Hayes in Tate's bed to play while trying to convince Tate to get out.

Of course Hoot Hoot is always there too. We tell him that Hoot Hoot will keep baba safe all day.

Luckily, this little guy doesn't like pacifiers.

Back to Mammoth Springs

2011-09-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

We spent a few hours at Mammoth Springs last weekend and had quite and enjoyble time! We forgot to take shoes for Tate but we found a giant sand box and didn't need them anyway.

We were all occupied playing in the sand when Tate heard the Big Choo Choo!!! He was so excited!

Hayes enjoyed his first time swinging

Tate decided to join him

It wouldn't be a trip to Mammoth Springs without checking out the water

5 months!

2011-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today my baby turns 5 months! He really is such a sweet, sweet baby. We love him so much and couldn't have asked for a better baby.

I love his little toes peeking over...

Some New Pictures

2011-08-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

We have been staying really busy these days doing nothing more than everyday things. 6 bottles, 2 spoon feedings, 4 toddler meals, 12 diaper changes (minimum), 3 naps, and 2 baths are keeping this momma busy!
I have hesitated posting new photos since they are just snaps around the house. I feared they might bore everyone to death! Recently, though, I have gotten into trouble by some of my family for not posting frequently enough. Here you go (you know who you are)...
I feel like such a lucky momma to be greeted by this cutie every morning, even if it's 5am! We lay around in our jammies for the first half of the day. I love little footed jammies on babies!

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Snack:

This little guy is getting so big, so fast! At his 4-month appointment, he was in the 95th % for height and weight. His stats were almost exactly the same as Tate's 6month stats.

And this little guy is obsessed with saying, “big”. The bigger, the better! He says big truck, big choo choo, big tractor, big bite, etc. He says big crayons, meaning a lot of crayons. He is now saying big Momma and big Dada. I guess that is a compliment coming from a 1 year old who thinks big things are cool!

Throwing rock into the river with Grandma

The whole family at Dawt Mill

My boys with identical blank stares

Remember how obnoxiously happy Tate was?

Well, it looks like we are going to have another obnoxiously happy boy:

You might not think they look alike, but their personalities are so identical that we sometimes feel like we are raising the same child over again. That may be partly why Levi and I see so much of Tate in Hayes.

I knew if I waited long enough, I would eventually get a puking photo :)

Here is Tate's:

Daddy stealing some Hayes time

Mommy's turn

Taking a ride on Papa's bumble bee

Hayes doesn't look too excited, but I think he really did enjoy the ride. I am starting to notice that he wants to do what Tate is doing. Hayes notices now when Tate walks out of the room and becomes much less happy.

Play time with Andrew

Working on his sitting skills. Getting closer!

Are you getting sick of pictures yet? You asked for new pictures. I have a million jumperoo pics, be happy I'm limiting myself to posting only one!

Remember these pictures of Tate? These were always some of my favorites that Levi snapped one morning before church.

Levi took these of Hayes a few weeks ago and love them also. The light that comes through their bedroom windows in the morning is so soft.

Ainsley Turns 2!

2011-08-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we helped Ainsley celebrate her 2nd birthday!

The birthday girl:

Lots of presents!

Hayes and Andrew had a good time at the party too!

Our attempt to get a photo with all the cousins:

Look how much she has grown this past year

4-months

2011-08-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 4-months old this week! He is typically a very happy little guy and frequently gives us big, mouth wide open, smiles. His smile is enough to brighten any one's day!

Hayes is really enjoying all his toys. He will spend a lot of time with anything that crinkles, lights up, or is fun to chew on. The play mat continues to be a favorite, but I'm not sure how much longer he will like it considering he is rolling all across the room now. Notice how he is keeping his round teether close by :)

He still loves to sit in the bumbo so he can see all around and watch Tate zip by. Hopefully, he learns to sit by himself soon because his thighs are out growing his chair.

Bath Time!

We were all sitting on the front porch enjoying some cooler weather during the last thunder storm. Hayes was steeling all the attention with his high pitched squeals and giggles.

He wasn't a big fan of the thunder. This is possibly the most pathetic look I have ever seen. I think he is going to have big animated responses to things just like his big brother.

Hayes is certainly declaring his own spot in the family. He is, more than ever, demanding his own attention and is starting to throw fits when he doesn't get his way. When you enter the room, he is quite aware and wants individual attention for himself. No more sharing with Tate all the time.

We are excited for the day that Hayes and Tate can play together. I don't want him to grow too quickly, but it is something that we think about frequently. We hope so much that they are best friends. I know that Hayes certainly thinks his big brother is pretty funny. I catch the best smiles when Hayes is watching Tate.

I know everyone has heard the story, but for documentation purposes, here it is:
It was 100 degrees outside and I accidentally locked Hayes in the truck. I knew instantly what I had done and knew that I only had a few minutes, at most, before he over heated or worse. I picked Tate up and put him in the breezeway and told him to stay there and be a good boy. I then ran to the garage and found a frost free water pump and began banging on the driver side window as hard as I could. I couldn’t even chip it. That’s when I started panicking and worrying that I wouldn’t be strong enough to bust through to my baby. I frantically called Levi, who was working, to send help. In my mind, I knew I didn’t have time to wait for help. I jumped on the hood and tried the windshield. I found much relief when I busted it on my first try. Ten or so hits later, I had a hole big enough to crawl through. Hayes was happy and content the whole time and Tate is now telling everyone about the boo boo on Dada's truck.

New Toys!

2011-08-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

We have been stuck inside way too much! We have had to be creative with playtime lately to prevent total boredom. We went to the basement in attempt to find something to do and found each of the boys something new they had never played with. I think they were quite pleased with their "new to them" toys!
Hayes got to try out the jumperoo for the first time...

We set up the Christmas train for Tate:

The Magic House

2011-08-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

Levi, Tate and I all had our very first visit to the Magic House over the weekend. Tate had a great time. There was plenty of stuff just for his age. He played in the sand and water tables for a long time. He went down the huge slide, stood with mommy next to the electric ball, and ran all around just exploring.

He loved the mirror maze. He thought it was so funny that he was around the corner, but somehow he could still see us!

Lots of different tunnels

He wasn't too happy about wearing the red vest, but he put up with it so he could play in the water.

He immediately recognized this scene from one of his favorite books. He spent a long time pointing out all the familiar objects.

We stood in a long line for the electric ball and Tate really had know idea what was even happening. I insisted that we give it a try. This picture makes it totally worth the wait!

Party Time!

2011-08-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

We headed to Belle Saturday to attend Kaiya's 1st and Isabella's 3rd birthday!
Kaiya:

Isabella with her moth:

Tate got to try a drink box for the very first time. He thought it was pretty neat. Actually, he drank 2!

Owl Cupcakes:

All Better!

2011-07-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tate has had another rough week! He had a fever from Wednesday night until Sunday morning that was accompanied with some form of severe pain. We are unsure if it was a sore throat or his teeth. Either way, he constantly held his mouth and said, "boo boo" He refused to eat anything for several days and had something covering his skin very similar to the chicken pox. I sure hope for Hayes' sake that it was just a severe case of chiggers.

Thankfully, he is back to being a happy, hungry boy!

A Nice Swim!

2011-07-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

We took the boys (even Hayes) for a swim at Willow Springs pool. Since it was only 95 degrees instead of 105, we thought we could tolerate the heat. I think Levi was a little hesitant taking them both, but I insisted.
Hayes looked so cute in his new swimming attire:

He was so excited for his first swim! The sound coming from him really is as loud and piercing as it looks like it would be.

Just for a comparison, Hayes:

and Tate in a hooded outfit around the same age:

From

I think it was a success swimming with Hayes. He didn't seem to mind being in the water. We even made several trips around the lazy river!

The pool at Willow Springs has a nice toddler section. Tate enjoyed the little slide the first few times...

Once he spotted the big kid slide, he was pretty insistent that he WAS going to slide down it. The life guards said he was too little and everything pretty much went down hill from there. He thought Daddy was the one preventing him from sliding on it and only wanted Mommy! He then REFUSED to play in the toddler area. It was so sad. We didn't know how to explain that he was too little.

Butterfly Palace

2011-07-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

We recently took the kiddos to the Butterfly Palace in Branson. We though it would be a great way to escape the 100 degree weather we have been having.
Tate is pretty fascinated by butterflies!

He got a tad disgusted with the situation. Every time he thought he was going to catch one, it flew away.

Hayes and Andrew, who are already best buddies, stuck together most of the time:

Random Photos Around the House

2011-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

We haven't left the house much lately since it has been so hot. We have been pretty bored, just hanging out and playing around here. Luckily, we have had a smiley baby to to play with and keep us entertained.

Tate is getting along with Hayes much better. Here are some examples of the brotherly love (if you can call it that)we have noticed:
-He doesn't have any interest in playing with him, but he has accepted the fact that he will be present and doesn't mind too much if we are holding him.
-He always asks about him first thing in the morning by cradling his arms and saying, "bra bra?".
-He tries to say his name, but the best he can do is "Ahh."
-If I ask Tate if he wants to go play with me, he always runs over to Hayes and tugs on him so I can bring him to the play room also.
-He Hates to hear him cry and always runs to pat him.
-When Tate is too rough around Hayes, I tell him that he hurt brother. He gets so sad that I sometimes think he might cry. He shakes his index finger to say,"sorry". He must have made that sign up himself assuming he would be using it a lot.

I'm not sure if too many people agree with us, but Levi and I think these little boys look so much alike. Everyday we are amazed at how much Hayes reminds us of Tate a year and a half ago. Their hair and noses are their main differences. Their mouths, eyes, big foreheads and saggy cheeks are pretty much identical to us. They both have big smiles that light up their whole face.
smiley Tate:

Smiley Hayes:

It looks like the slobbering and teething has begun. Hayes has been chewing on EVERYTHING. He constantly has his fists in his mouth or pretty much anything he can get ahold of. Sophie the giraffe continues to be a favorite.

Levi and I used to do the divide and conquer tactic to take care of the boys and to ensure each one of them had a happy day. He took one child and I took the other. We still do to some extent, but lately we have started playing and hanging out as a whole family. Tate has been more tolerant at sharing his Mommy and Daddy and Hayes really enjoys watching Tate and all his action.
Daddy and Hayes

Daddy and the boys reading a magazine to Mommy...

Mommy and Hayes:

Hayes' new trick:

This is how Mommy and Daddy want Hayes to sleep:

This is usually how we find him:

Since we are now dealing with a roller, the nights are getting a little rocky! He is constantly getting his arms and legs stuck between the crib. Lately, we have been letting him sleep on his tummy and he seems to be sleeping a little sounder.
Napping in the pack n play:

Hayes had a visit from a girl last week. Luckily, he hasn't shown much interest in girls, yet! He and Libby will be in the same class at the same elementary so I'm sure this photo will be pulled out again at some point :)

Holding hands:

We planted a couple trees in the back yard hoping for some shade at some point in the future. I'm beginning to wonder if these things will ever get to growing. One shows no signs of life, one is smaller than a blade of grass and the other two we have named Tate and Hayes.
Tates tree:

Hayes' tree:

I know they look like the saddest little things. They are just trying to survive the heat. We take good care of them, water and check on them everyday. I'm sure this won't be the last you hear of these trees. Hopefully, the next photos I take will show a LOT of growth!!
My little goofball:

4th of July

2011-07-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Levi and I both had a 3 day weekend over the 4th which was a nice change of pace from our typical holiday. We crammed as much in as possible. Friday night we headed to Belle for a quick visit and Owensville fireworks. Hayes got all sorts of attention and loved every minute of it. Tate, my poor little guy, was just having a really bad weekend. He was in so much pain from his teeth. He held his hand in front of his mouth and repeated, "boo boo" To top it off, he had a fever for 4 days straight and we were giving him Tylenol and ibuprofen around the clock. Luckily, he really likes medicine and frequently asked for it.

we made our first trip down to the lake. We went early in the morning so my babies could avoid the heat.

We didn't stay long, just enough time for Tate to ride the tube

and jump in for a quick swim.

We snapped a quick picture of Hayes on the boat and headed home.

Tate enjoyed the big fire works but did not like the little ones we had. He tried to be brave and help Daddy...

but decided he better run FAST!

He thought it would be safer to sit on the steps with Grandma and Hayes.

We also had a bbq at Levi's parents where Tate and Ainsley got to take a little swim. These two are really starting to be best buds!

They love the pool that Pa always has ready for them. It even has ducks!

and they Love the ducks!

Hayes and Andrew (my new and super cute nephew) snoozed and missed most of the fun.

Here is our attempt at getting a picture of them and their daddy's.

We tried sparklers once more and Tate still didn't like them. Maybe next year.

Look How Fast They Grow!

2011-07-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

Tough Kid

2011-07-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is painful to watch!

Tate at 20 months

2011-06-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Tate turning 20 months has been a tough one for his momma. We are out of the teens now and with each additional month, it feels closer and closer to the big TWO! Everyday, I notice new things that he has learned and it reminds me just how big he is getting. I love to watch him grow, but it's also sad that he reminds me more of a little boy than a baby.

He plays like a little boy now. He can entertain himself for a long time with his truck, trains and tractors. He drives them all around with little motor noises and lots of beep beeps. He drives them from one room to the next, loading and unloading. Momma finds it all very fascinating and can watch him play for hours!

He loaded Mr.and Mrs. Noah and some of their animals in the farm train and took them for a little ride. He also unloaded all the wooden cars so that he could haul all his plastic cars across the room...

He built a road out of his books...

and he pretty much has a tractor in his hands ALL day!

We also read lots of book. He has always loved books, especially ones with trains, trucks and tractors. He will sit and listen to every single word, book after book. We just can't get enough books for this kid.

I keep these blocks put up because they are very hard and dangerous with a baby around. He is getting very good at using them to build very tall towers and then wildly knocks them down. Last week he asked for the blocks and this is what he built...

Even though he is getting much better at "quiet" play, his rowdy play is also getting much wilder! He is still jumping off the couch or pretty much anything he can climb on. He likes to belly flop on his daddy, or mommy, or the floor. He is one tough kid.

When he gets really excited, he starts running around with his head out like a chicken and his arms way back. When his daddy and I see this, we start getting nervous. It is usually followed by something bad!

He still loves playing outside. We open the door and out he goes with his own agenda.

Dora taught him how to wiggle his hips and it's probably the cutest thing you have ever seen!

Trying out his new slide!

Tate is still overly, overly exaggerated about everything. We just hope he is having a good day because bad days are starting to get extra bad!

All this excitement just because Gus entered the room!

One more of my handsome little guy!

12 weeks!

2011-06-22T17:19:00.001-07:00

Hayes turned 12 weeks today! He is such a sweet, sweet baby!

He freely give smiles in exchange for a little attention. He smiles a big, wide open smile. If you talk to him during his bottle, he will smile so big that all the formula runs out of his mouth. Messy, but so darn cute!

I am back to work and we are all adjusting to our new routine around here. Hayes is sleeping awhopping 8-9 hours a night and has been doing so in his own room for a few weeks now. He is even napping like a champ! There is one point during the day that I get 1.5 hours that BOTH boys are sleeping which allows me to catch up on things (or nap also)
Cooing at Momma..

It is so obvious just how big my baby is getting when I lay him on the couch. He just doesn't fit like he used to. I am in the process of packing away his 3-6 month clothes. I'm sad just typing this. He was in the 95% for height and weight at his 2 month check-up. I don't even want to know what he weighs now!

Don't you want to just squeeze those chubby cheeks?

Hayes is growing quite fond of his big brother. He will turn his head all around just to follow all the noise and action!
Reading books together...

I'm usually back and forth trying to decide who my boys most resemble, but this next picture looks EXACTLY like Levi!

This is one of my favorite pictures. I'm so happy to be this cuties momma!

Same Lips!

2011-06-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hayes:

Tate:

Water Fun!

2011-06-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, Tate has grown to LOVE water. The creek that we play in every day is starting to go down so we have had to find new water activities to fill our days.
Slip n slide! Look at Levi's face, no wonder Tate cried at the bottom.

Sprinkler!

Swimming pool! Mom blew up the pool while Tate was napping so she could surprise him when he woke up.

A trip to the river!

I love this picture! These two kiddos love their daddy's!

A nice swim in the river and a few Cheetos = two dirty kids.

2 months!

2011-06-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

This was our attempt to get Hayes' 2-month photo in his Hayes chair. It was quite a task with big brother Tate around! Tate does not like when Hayes sits in either chair.

Yep, Hayes got flipped over backwards

and he wasn't happy about it!

After much work, we finally got a sweet picture of my sweet little 2-month old

Springfield Zoo

2011-05-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

We wasted all of Saturday waiting for the rain that never came so Sunday after church we headed to the zoo, rain or shine!

We had such a fun time. Tate enjoyed every bit of the day and so did Mommy and Daddy. Hayes was little less enthused, but was a very good baby.

We headed to see the giraffes first since they are our Favorite! Tate thought this was the only giraffe he was going to see...

This is the look he gave Levi when he caught his first glimpse of the "real" giraffes. Priceless.

We bought some giraffe food which Tate initially thought was for him. He got a nice size bite before we noticed. He became so excited when he realized what the biscuits were really for.

Remember last year when the giraffe wanted my baby?

Thankfully, the giraffe was better behaved this year.

If you are wondering where Tate gets his extremely exaggerated excitement, well...

Even though Hayes was perfectly content laying in the stroller, we just felt so guilty leaving him in there and missing out on all the fun.

What else could possibly be this interesting to Tate?

Turtles!

Break time for Hayes

Tate took his snack break next to the lion,

same place as last year.

Again, Hayes really didn't want out of the stroller but Mommy made him get out for a quick picture with the elephants.

Truthfully, Tate didn't really want to get out for a closer look at the elephants either.

I'm not sure why he thought the elephants were so boring and he loved the sleeping fox. Last year he was so interested he about flipped out of my arms.

This year he was so excited he put his index finger to his lips and said, "shhh" then grabbed my cheeks and screamed in my face.

We ended the day with a train ride which was a big hit with the boys!

8 Weeks Already!

2011-05-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Hayes is 8 weeks already?

He is growing way too fast!!

Mommy isn't quite ready for her newborn to be 2-months old.

He is already cooing to me with the sweetest little voice

and he thinks his mommy is pretty funny.

One thing that is for sure is that I cannot get enough snuggles from this little guy!

We brought the play gym out of storage and Hayes already loves it. He spends a lot of time kicking and cooing while watching the lights and animals.

Life isn't that simple though, he is always on the look out for trains that might crash into his head. It's really hard to be a baby with an older brother!

We all get nervous when we see Tate doing this...

He means, "Give me my baby, now!"

Last week, Hayes got to meet his youngest cousin, Cole. Hayes is only 4 weeks older than Cole but appears to be a whole year older. Cole is a little shrimp and Hayes is a giant! They are so cute together. We wish he didn't live in Kentucky!

Tate hasn't woke up for his midnight bottle for almost a week now. That meas he sleeps straight through from 9pm until around 3:30. I can not complain about that!

We love these chubby cheeks, bright eyes and red hair! Can't imagine life without him!

Bad Bruno!

2011-05-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

There was a boy who had a dog and Bruno was his name-o.

Tate LOVES Bruno.

Surprisingly, Bruno is very tolerant of Tate and he is actually very protective. He doesn't allow strangers or other dogs to come into our yard without a huge commotion. He also goes on all our walks with us. He stands between the stroller and any cars that may pass on the gravel road and he hangs out while we play in the water.

Sounds like a perfect dog, right? Well, No! This is what he did to our front door when we went away for the weekend.

Hand Me Downs

2011-05-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

It brings back so many memories when we dress Hayes in Tate's clothes.

And here is Tate (a tad older than Hayes is currently)

6 weeks!

2011-05-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

My baby is 6 weeks! He is turning into quite a happy little guy. He loves to be talked to and is finally starting to smile and talk back. I have even noticed him smiling at Tate when he is being rowdy. Hayes has finally stopped giving me such a mean glare (which you can see in the photos of his first few weeks) and now has a look of happiness in his eyes. I think he has realized that this place, and his family, isn't as bad as he once thought.

Giving some cuddles to Daddy on his birthday

and Mommy on Mother's Day

Tate at 18 months

2011-05-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

One thing that is for sure is that this kid loves life! He very freely gives smiles and giggles and will do almost anything just to make you smile.

Our day always starts out with milk and grapes. I know it sounds like a strange combination, but it is not a pretty scene at our house if we run out of either of these things.

He used to eat cereal but he began getting very angry every time I got out the box of cheerios. After a few weeks of melt downs, I figured out that he wanted the raspberry on the box, NOT the cheerios!

Since my discovery, we looked up the sign for grapes which he now uses for most fruits. Until his vocabulary increases, we will be sticking to sign language at meal time. This 18 month old is still obsessed with tractors.

We found this adorable video on you tube that we have watched hundreds of times.

Tate also has a strange obsession for ducks. I'm not sure why? I decided search for duck videos and came across this duck song. Tate isn't too amused by it but Levi and I watch it almost daily. We sympathize with the man at the lemonade stand who has to deal with grumpy ducks who always want to eat grapes :) It sums up our life with an 18-month old perfectly!!

He is very sweet with his brother. He likes to tickle his toes and hold him,

but he hates it when Mommy holds him. This is Tate pouting because he isn't getting all the attention! I think it is possible that Hayes has caused Tate to inter the terrible 2's prematurely.

On a different note, I'm pretty sure Tate isn't color blind!

Easter Day

2011-05-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

Remember this? It was Tate's most adorable first Easter bunny. I searched all over the internet last year looking for the perfect, boyish bunny.

Since I put so much time and effort into Tate's first Easter, I felt like I needed to do the same for Hayes. Even though it is difficult to find a suitable boy bunny, I did manage to find this one for Hayes that I believe is even cuter!

The Easter bunny left this bucket for Hayes

He already loves Sophie the giraffe!

The Easter bunny spoiled Tate as well. No Candy for these boys, though!

Tate loves his critter shack! He is now obsessed with bugs of all types. We caught a couple caterpillars (since Mommy isn't scared of them) and kept them for a day. Now he even tries to pick the bugs (dog ticks) off Bruno for the bug box.

Check out Tate's Easter outfit. I didn't realize how similar it was to last year, white shirt and blue plaid shorts. Boys are so easy! I can't even imagine trying to pick out an Easter dress for a little girl. All we need around here are polo shirts and cute shorts!

All my boys...

1 Month Already

2011-05-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here are just a couple pictures of my baby till I find some more time and energy.

Easter with Grandma

2011-04-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Grandma came to visit and brought great Easter baskets for the boys!!

Tate was super excited!

Then we took a walk to the creek

Tate and Grandma played and played

Tate had such a happy day. I love watching him play and get so excited. He definitely enjoys life.

After an hour of splashing, Tate cradled his arms and went to check on his baby.

Tate still loves to have ALL of the attention, but he always wants to know where Hayes is at and what he is doing.

Tractors

2011-04-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

Who knew riding a tractor could be this much fun...

Being a big brother is a pretty hard job. It becomes a little more fun when all the "big brother" gifts just happen to be related to tractors. He got several new tractors and a barn to park them in, a couple new john Deere t-shirts and a super cool tractor sippy.

Cousins

2011-04-20T11:35:00.001-07:00

I don't know if I should feel more sorry for Hayes for constantly having two toddlers shove a pacifier in his mouth

Or if I should feel more sorry for Ainsley for having two (almost three) boys to pick on her.

Hopefully they aren't all this rowdy and chase her around looking like this...

Photos by Lindsey

2011-04-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had Tate's 18 month photos and Hayes' newborn photos taken by Lindsey Thompson. Here are a couple I copied over from facebook.

jpg">

The Elephant Quilt

2011-04-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Mom made Hayes this adorable elephant quilt.

At least his Grandma's made him a quilt of his own since his mommy never got around to it.

Love these baby feet...

Another Egg Hunt

2011-04-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

We had our own Easter egg hunt for Tate and Ainsley and there were all kinds of eggs filled with lots of toys and candy just for them!

Checking out all the fun stuff

Blowing bubbles with Dad

This photo is quite comical to us. Tate and Ainsley don't typically allow one another to touch them. Sometimes there is a breakdown if they even look at each other. I guess Easter is a special occasion for everyone.

The Tate Chair

2011-04-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

first 6 months

Second 6 months

third 6 months

Tomorrow Tate is 18 months! The Tate chair pictures are becoming more and more difficult. Generally he would rather stand on it and jump off than sit pretty and smile for me. The 18 month photo isn't even in his chair. He perfers Hayes' chair now. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to get a decent photo. I try really hard and this is seriously the best I can do each month.

Home with the boys

2011-04-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Monday was my first day at home by myself with both boys. The day went better than anticipated. Tate was quite sad, however, when he realized during his breakfast that Da wasn't home.

Tate spent the day showing Hayes all his toys in the play room

but Hayes wasn't too interested

When Tate isn't trying to poke him or sit on him, he is quite sweet to his brother.

First Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Tate and Ainsley went to their first Easter egg hunt this morning. The day started off with a little picnic from McDonald's...

Tate even shared his french fries with Ainsley and she ate straight from his hands.

The dads were quite competitive when it came to helping the little ones find the eggs.

.JPG">
Heading back to show Mommy, Grandma and brother how many eggs they found...

Miss Ainsley in her sun dress and pretty little Easter basket...

Tate thought he was pretty special when the Easter Bunny picked him up.

One of my favorite pictures. I just love when I capture the excitement on his face.

1 Week Already!

2011-04-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hayes is going to fit right in around here. He looks and acts just like his brother (except with much less hair) and enjoys sleep about as much as the rest of us!
Hayes was born with really bad bruising across his forehead and cheeks. While we were in the hospital, I sent Levi to the baby boutique down the road to pick out a new hat for Hayes. This is the one he chose. Maybe I should let Levi pick out more of the boys' clothes.

Finally his bruising was getting a little lighter when he manged to get two bleeding cuts across his face. He has now lost all privileges to his fingers!

Hello sweet smile...

Hello blue eyes...

Flying Kites

2011-04-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Even though having Hayes home with us has been a big adjustment for Tate, I would have to say that he has had a terrific week. The weather has been excellent and Levi has played with him outside ALL day, every day! We have been giving him an enormous amount attention and he has been loving every moment of having Ma and Da home with him. The little squirt got 2 new teeth this week. He hasn't had any new teeth since before his first birthday. We just knew he was going to save them for when we brought the baby home and we were right. He has taken it like a pro, if it weren't for him giggling so much, I wouldn't have even been able to see them coming through.
Papa Scott brought over a kite for him to fly. Tate was so excited to watch it fly and crash. I love all his happy expressions and couldn't choose just one or two to post so I'm posting a bunch.

Stroll Around Mammoth Springs

2011-04-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

We took our first outing as a family (with the help from Grandma) last weekend. It took forever to get both boys ready and loaded up in the truck, but once we finally made it out of the house, the rest of the day went fairly smooth. I think Tate had a wonderful day outside at Mammoth Springs. He threw sticks in the lake...

Checked out the waterfall...

Got a little cuddle time with Hayes

and here is the first photo of us as a family of four...

When the train went by, Daddy took Tate and ran up the hill to get a better look. Grandma took the camera and ran after them. Tate was quite fascinated with the "choo choo".

Watching the ducks together...

Tate got so excited with all the ducks and had to get out for a closer look.

First Day at Home

2011-04-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

It was past Tate's bedtime when we got home from the hospital, but Grandma and Tate were still awake and waiting on the front porch when we pulled in. Tate finally got to meet his baby brabre (brother).

We had lots of visitors the first full day home.

It was soo nice outside! While everyone was taking turns holding Hayes and intertaining Tate, Levi put together our new double jogging stroller.

We went for a stroll through the yard to try it out for the first time.

If you were wondering who Tate was waving at from the stroller, well...

Meet Hayes

2011-04-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hayes was born at 6:03 on March 30th. He weighed in at 8lbs 11oz and 21 inches. We have had a very, very busy first week. Hopefully I'll get caught up on all the happenings around here and get more pictures posted!

Hayes Rowan McWilliams

2011-03-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

So, if you are wondering how we decided on Hayes, here ya go... You probably remember that I have many, many naming rules that I make myself follow.

1. Absolutely no family names

2. I really didn't want a 2 syllable name that ended with the "n" sound (no matter how much I liked it). They are all just so popular and trendy.

3. Levi wanted a name that no one else had and it needed to be a name that he thought sounded like a basketball player. ?

4. I really wanted a one syllable name to avoid any nick names from forming. Plus our two other babies, Tate and Gus, only have one syllable names.

In addition to all of these previous rules, we have added a few since he is the second child: 1. No left over names that we liked before but didn't use for Tate. 2. It had to sound ok when paired with Tate and in our opinion, have the same level of trendiness.

Very early in my pregnancy, a friend of mine mentioned that she liked the name Tate and that it reminded her of the twins she knew that were named Tate and Hayes. I loved it instantly and so did Levi. It fit ALL of our rules and we thought it was neat that both Tate and Hayes are more commonly known as last names.

Rowan, on the other hand, breaks our two syllable ending in "n" rule. We decided that since they were our rules, we could break them if we wanted. :)

Baby H.

2011-03-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Only one week until my due date which is crazy to think about. I still feel very unprepared. It seems like I was still frantically getting things ready the last time around. I have a box of newborn diapers on hand, batteries in the baby monitor, pacifiers/bottles washed, and a second baby crib installed. Besides that, all we have been doing is waiting for the arrival of baby H.

I had to place the elephant directly in front of the "H is for *****" so his name can remain a secret a little longer :)

Sunday

2011-03-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Levi and I finally had a day off work together. It seems like this is becoming a very rare occurrence. We definitely took advantage of our free day and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
Tate and Daddy playing before church...

After church we had lunch at Rockbridge and Tate got to play in the water with Papa.

Playing Outside

2011-03-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

Levi has been working really hard on a couple outside projects the past few weeks. The projects aren't near as big or fancy as the fire place project he tackled a couple years ago, but they have still been very time consuming. Plus, his deadline (the baby's due date) is getting closer and closer.
Project #1: Installing an outdoor wood furnace in hopes of eliminating propane next winter

Project #2: Building a raised bed for our 5 new blue berry bushes. Apparently, blueberries are very picky about their soil. We had to mix it with saw dust, 3 inches of pine needles, and a bunch other stuff. If these 5 plants produce 2-3 cups of blueberries per week I will consider all this work a success. Tate loves blueberries and we spend a fortune on them at Wal Mart.

While we have been spending extra time working outdoors, Tate has grown to LOVE being out side. He runs around everywhere and thinks he should be able to go anywhere he wants. He refuses to stay near by and is long gone in the matter of seconds. He is certainly going to make gardening difficult for us this summer. No more sitting on the ground on a blanket like last year or jumping on the front porch in the jumperoo. Now, he likes to play in the road and then walk to the lake...

or check out the cows in the back yard that are surrounded by an electric fence.

Then there is this in our front yard that he thinks is super fun to walk over...

If you slide the block over, there is a 20 foot drop into a well. NOT safe for a 1 year old.

We also can't ignore the fact that we have this dog that runs wild in the yard. Tate loves him, but he is constantly being knocked down and ran over.

Tate has had a few of his buddies come play recently and he toured them all around his yard.

On a different note, as soon as I saw this next picture, I realized it was time for a hair cut! This was his second official hair cut and it did not go as smooth as the first one. He cried the whole time. Thank goodness it only took her about 2 minutes. Hopefully I'll post some pictures of his new hair cut soon.

My Happy Boy

2011-03-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

Play Time with Tate

2011-03-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Until recently, Tate thought it was his personal mission to knock down any sort of tower that Levi and I would build. Last week I noticed this behavior for the first time...

Not the greatest picture of Tate, but this was his first tower, ever!

He is pretty obsessed with zebras. He calls them chee. He cycles through favorite animals but currently at the top of his list are zebras and ducks.

He loves to play with his toys...

Just checking to see if he unloaded all of them...

He loves to play with Daddy too!

If we are lucky, the weather is warm enough to play outside a little.

Then back inside to warm up and have a little snack.

Yummm, peanut butter crackers

Occasionally, we have to get the drill out and fix our toys.

Then on to more building and stacking.

A quick picture before he destroys it

By the way, the UPS guy delivered a green chair last week that matches Tate's. Tate thinks it's pretty cool to have 2 chairs to jump back and forth. He is going to be in shock in a few weeks when he has to share his new chair and when he doesn't get ALL of Mommy and Daddy's attention.

Blankie

2011-02-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

All the parenting guidelines and doctors recommend to take the pacifier away at 12 months. Levi and I failed miserably at that attempt. Not only is our 16-month old still attached to his pacifier, we have allowed him to now be attached to his blankie.

Once we realized he was becoming a little attached, we thought it was ok because we didn't really think it would lead to anything.

We just thought it was cute

Especially since he chose these adorable Aden + Anais blankets to become attached to...

I'm not sure if he would take a nap without it now. This is how we find him after nap time...

Quite possibly the sweetest boy ever!

This is his, "Don't take my blankie away" look.

Most days he isn't allowed to take it out of his crib. We make him leave it in there for next time. Recently, however, he has learned that his little arms can squeeze through rails and he sneaks it out when we aren't watching.

Happy Valentine,s Day

2011-02-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from Tate

To: Tate Love, Grandma

To: Tate Love, Mommy

Tate got lots of Valentines from his many, many girl friends!

Snow Man

2011-02-13T17:33:00.000-08:00

Luckily, West Plains didn't get near as much snow as the rest of the state of Missouri! Grandma B. and Sheila made their way down through the snow to spend last weekend with Tate while Daddy was at guard and Mommy was working. Tate had such a fun weekend playing with them and he even got to help build his first snow man!

He painted pictures for both of them to thank them for such a fun weekend.

6 weeks till baby!

2011-02-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

Only 6 weeks until baby boy #2 will be here! It hardly seems true. Our last couple months of being pregnant with Tate was so much more hectic. We were frantically finishing up the nursery...

finishing up baby quilts...

attending baby showers...

and going through all the baby stuff.

I have hardly done a single thing this time around. I already feel sorry for the second child who will always be stuck with hand me downs and left over things. He doesn't even get his own nursery! I did find a couple really cute outfits that aren't Tate's hand me downs. They are so tiny.

Tate at 15 months

2011-01-31T15:41:00.000-08:00

Tate had his 15 month check up last week. Here are his stats:
He is 31 inches tall (exactly 10 inches longer than when he was born). This new added height means he can now open and close the doors.

He is 27 pounds (75th percentile)which means he is a little chunky but so, so cute!

and his head circumference is 17 inches (<5%).I'm not sure what that means exactly. I'm afraid he looks like the shrinking head people on Beetlejuice and no one will tell me :)

Snow Day!

2011-01-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

Levi and I both rushed home from work and quickly got changed and headed up the hill for 30 minutes or so of sledding before it got too dark.

Tate didn't understand what was happening or why he was all bundled up. He was quite confused with the whole situation. We rarely get a big smile for the camera anymore, but I love his serious expression and big eyes just as much!

Bruno walked by and knocked Tate down in the snow but he didn't seem to mind

A quick photo before they headed down the hill...

And they were off...

Carrying the baby and the sled up the hill:

Tate's turn to go solo:

Mommy's turn:

Headed in to warm up:

A little hair gel provides all kinds of amusement

Hanging Around the House

2011-01-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been boring and cold! We have been stuck playing inside every single day. This is how we have entertained ourselves...
We watch the birds fly by. Tate calls them birs.

He tinkers with his tool set.

We load up all of Noah's ark animals in the dump truck and transfer them to the tool bench.

We read the Very Hungary Caterpillar

and bible stories.

We chase the balls all around the house.

We make little motor noises while driving our cars.

We sing the itsy bitsy spider.

We dump bottles of Downy all over the floor and lick the lid.

We help ourselves to a little snack.

Smiley Ava comes to play

We try really hard to climb on the tractor all by ourselves.

We are VERY VERY happy when Daddy pulls into the driveway!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T09:22:00.000-08:00

I snapped a few photos of Tate at home before we left for Belle for Christmas.
Checking out Frosty's nose...

Digging in his stocking...

Happy boy playing with his toys...

Uncle Travis helped Tate put the electric train together.

The train engineer:

The next morning we woke up to SNOW!

Tate was so tired on Christmas morning. Everyone was up and ready to open presents except for Tate! We actually had to wake him up.

Little People's Noah's Ark from Mom

Snacking on some goldfish from his stocking while trying to find some space to play with his toys in the messy living room.

Tate's toys from Belle:

Santa came to our house while we were gone!

Checking out his new crayons. I love his little excited face!

It was extremely hard to get a picture with him and his toys. He was constantly on the move playing and running around.

Toby the turtle:

Daddy couldn't wait to put the basket ball goal together!

Tate didn'even wait for it to be put together before he started dunking the ball

He was really interested in the net

He love his mega blocks dump wagon

1-year ago

2010-12-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

1 year ago we put our baby in a Christmas bowl...

2 years ago we spent our first Christmas in our home...

Babies of 2010

2010-12-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

So many of our friends have had babies this year and I've had so much fun blog and facebook stalking all of these cuties.

March 22nd - Gabriel Medlock

April 14th - Ava Hunter Campbell

April 15th - Kathryn Grace Uebinger

June 14th - Chloe Martha-Mae Gegg

August 1st - Mason Glane Chambers

August 16th - Kaiya Cadence Rippey

August 18th - Eli Jace Corlew

August 22nd - Connor William Leesman

October 28th - Sophia Reese Drummond

November 17th - Natalie Reese Lansford

December 15th - Cole Wayne Hunter
Due any day!!! - Baby Girl Hart

I was afraid that all of our friends would have babies in 2010 and I would be the only pregnant person in 2011, but the list of babies expected next year is growing at a rapid pace. I already personally know 4 people with my EXACT due date. Crazy!

To Tate, Love Santa

2010-12-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Santa has been very busy this year wrapping Tate's presents.

To:Tate
Love, Santa

Your mommy is getting very tired of picking up mega blocks every day and thought you would like a wagon to store them in.

Your daddy has been waiting for you to be big enough to play ball with him ever since you were born.

Now you will have your own place to sit while watching your Baby Einstein videos and cartoons. No more sitting on the floor!

Your first set of crayons.

Merry Christmas Tate, Love Isabella and Kaiya Rippey. Your mommy was soo excited when this came in the mail last week!

On the Go!

2010-12-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

He is walking everywhere now!

Still a little wobbly

and a lot more bumps and bruises!

It is so fun to watch him play now. He has his own agenda and is always very determined to accomplish his goal. He will literally spend an hour moving coins from one location to another or sorting toys into different buckets. Last week he was helping Daddy do some banking and one by one he moved all the receipts across the room and put them in a "safe place."

Even though he is such a busy body now, he always takes a break to give me a hug before he is on his way again. He loves to hug Gus too but is rarely given the opportunity.

He loves to point out certain thing in his books. He always looks for the kittys, trains, tractors and cows.
MOOOO...

Possibly my favorite picture of all time :) He was just too cute all kicked back sleeping with his paci falling out of his mouth.

We thought about taking his pacifier away once he turned one, but it's just not possible right now. I don't think he has EVER fallen asleep without it and I don't think we could make it to town without it. We do limit it to nap/bed time, car rides and public places. He knows that when he gets up in the morning he has to take it out and leave it in the crib. Maybe when he is two we will take it away for good.

What Does a Rooster Say?

2010-12-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

Tate cockledoodledooing 13months from anna mcwilliams on Vimeo.

A Few Tricks

2010-12-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

Tate's Tricks 13 months from anna mcwilliams on Vimeo.

13 months

2010-11-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

After 13 1/2 months, I can finally say that we have a walker! I have been doing a really bad job of keeping up pictures lately here are a few of my recent faves.

Just can't get enough of this book...

He doesn't understand that he is too big to ride this wagon

Once he figured out how to sit on it without tipping, he insisted that I pull him around the house.

Back to the park to enjoy one more nice day before the weather turned bad

Weeee!

He became very angry when he couldn't climb up the slide...

Tate and Ainsley put on their first song and dance production for us this week. It was quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen. We had 2 cameras, 2 video cameras and 6 adults singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider behind the scenes. They did a perfect job!

Another Boy!

2010-11-19T18:04:00.001-08:00

I'm sure everyone knows by now that we are expecting another boy in March. It's a good thing it's a boy because my list of pink must haves was growing.
These are possibly the cutest burp cloths ever...

Boy toys just aren't as cute as Lulu the Garden Doll!

I was for sure going to have one of these poufs made if it was a girl

but in these fabrics...

And she was definitely going to get one of these to take to Grandma's...

But, if I search long and hard, I can find things for little boys that I just LOVE. I think our little boys will definitely need this giraffe rocking chair! :)

I've had my eye on this toy for a while. Maybe having another boy will help me justify the purchase.

And these too!

Fall Fun!

2010-11-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

Monday was sunny and in the 70s so back to the park we went. I really never get tired of this smile:

It usually takes him a a little while to get enough courage to actually let go, but he is always giggling by the time he reaches the bottom.

The green slide is for babies, time to move on to the big kid slide!

Tate and Daddy both look pretty concerned...

Truthfully, I was quite concerned also. It was VERY high for my little boy.

But it was sooooo much fun!

He has more fun each time we go to play. This particular time he cried once he realized we were heading back to the car. He kept pointing to the slides and signing please. He knows he almost ALWAYS gets what he wants when he signs please.

While Levi was at guard last weekend, Tate and I went to Belle to visit family. I had a funny suspicion that he was not going to like playing in leaves; but, I just couldn't resist.

He even got to drive through the leaf pile in my old wagon...

Finally a smile!

Playing at the park

2010-11-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

I'm just now getting around to taking these off my camera. Only a month or so late.

We have taken full advantage of the wonderful weather we've had this fall. When we weren't out at the pumpkin patch, we were playing at the park.
Swinging...

but not too fast. He gets kinda scared.

Daddy is always so much fun...

The Flying Airplane

2010-10-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

11 months - flying airplane from anna mcwilliams on Vimeo.

My little cow

2010-10-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Possibly the cutest cow ever

This little cow is into everything

Tate and the lady bug collected candy at trunk or treat last night

Pumpkin Patch (part 4)

2010-10-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Only 1 week left of the pumpkin patch this year. It's been a busy year. I have taken tons of pictures but just can't keep up with posting them. Here are just a few:

Picking out the perfect acorn squash...

Working together to empty the whole bin onto the ground...

Sneaking off with one...

Happy Girl

Recently some of our friends brought their kids out for a visit at the pumpkin patch. Miss Halle was all dressed up just as cute as she could be.

Terra and AJ brought their kids down from Springfield.
Preston laughing at the Turkey...

until it bit his finger.

and Chloe

Such a happy baby

Monthly Photos

2010-10-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

first 6 months

second 6 months

Pumpkin Patch (part 3)

2010-10-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Last week we had Lindsey Thompson take pictures of the McWilliams clan out at the pumpkin patch. The session was a complete nightmare. We had at least one crying baby at ALL times. Here are a few pictures I copied over from facebook. Somehow she managed to pull a few smiles out.

They both had their mouths full of crackers to prevent the tears.

Same Time, Same Place

2010-10-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

One year ago:

And now: