Anson at one

Anson is ONE! We celebrated many things on that special day including having made it through the first year with four very young children...the party was really for us ; ) Really though, watching Anson grow from five pounds to be the official "chubby bubby" of the family is something worth celebrating! God has brought much joy to our hearts through caring for this precious boy who is laid back, a bit noisy & has some yummy chub chub... love that!

All about Anson Ellis at ONE year old (give or take a month)

At his one year old appointment:

29 inches

21 pounds 9 ounces

size 4 shoes

size 12-18 month clothes

Anson jumped up to the twenty something percentile, I wish I could remember but truth is, I can't remember a lot of things..but my children are alive & well & that is what matters ; ) We were not really surprised that A was three pounds heavier than his bro with his insatiable appetite coupled with waiting to crawl for an entire month after O. 

These two are a hoot with mustaches... 

or attacking mommy...

Doing things together is just a way of life for these two but really, they seem to truly enjoy each other's company & are not too happy when separated. I love their interactions & look forward to seeing that special relationship develop over the years to come. 

Onto the big boy & what he is up to at ONE year old:

• figured out how to crawl in forward motion the week he turned 11 months old after being Owen's number one supporter for the previous month clapping excitedly for him each time he crawled, hahaha!
• has completely caught up to his brother & can move fast & pull up on anything...even a flat wall : ) 
• can take a couple steps toward something if holding on
• says mama, dada, gaga, papa & lately loves to say "li-li-li-li-lah" I think he is saying the name of his best girl Lilah ; ) 
• answers "ya ya ya ya" when you ask him a question
• gets beat up on by his bubby but shows him up by stealing food off his tray at meal time...no wonder there is a weight difference!
• sucks his thumb & gets this faraway look in his eyes
• looks just like his Daddy so much so that we refer to him as "baby Robby" all the time 
• waves every time you call his name as if to say "I'm right here, not doing anything wrong!"
• is VERY vocal & screams or growls while eating or playing
• happy to chill in the wagon or stroller on a walk
• does the cutest squeal/breathing in when excited about something
• has five teeth- three on top, two on bottom & chooses to test their strength frequently on family members causing some tears
• LOVES his sisters & all the ways they entertain him
• had a crazy fly away hair style until his recent matching summer buzz cut to further confuse people who struggle to tell the twins apart ; ) 
• is obsessed with putting small toys inside cups 
• does the motion for "twinkle" when you sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• likes to hand you something when you ask for it
• always looks surprised...

Sleepy Time: Anson values sleep although not quite as much as Owen but still, I get some good naps from this buckaroo! He goes to bed by 6:30 every night & wakes around 7:45am followed by naps around 9:45-11 & 2-4. He most always wakes before Owen but usually no more than 20 minutes earlier. It provides for some sweet cuddles with my chubs. If his thumb is in his mouth during a pre-nap diaper change I can rest assured that he will be asleep within minutes of laying him down. If not, he likes to play peekaboo with his best bud until Owen checks out & goes to sleep which prompts some screaming on his part, possibly another snuggle from mommy & then sound sleep. Either way works for me : ) Once he is asleep he is down for the count & not much wakes him.

Hungry Bone:  Goodness sakes, this boy is already eating us out of house & home! The only thing he dislikes is bananas which I happily passed along onto him from my distastes ; ) Some faves: any meat but especially steak, cheese chunks, yogurt, lima beans, broccoli, mac & cheese, crackers, yogurt covered raisins, the list goes on & on! He stopped nursing a week before his birthday making me feel all sorts of emotions including sadness but glad to see what it feels like to not be providing nourishment for another (or two) which I have done for five & a half years without a break. So far, so good on enjoying my post baby/nursing body! Back to chubs, he figured out the sippy cup around his birthday & sucks down his milk pretty quickly. We phased out the bottles just before 13 months for both boys & it was so not a big deal like I thought it would be. I don't see his hunger going away anytime soon so I will keep up with the chopping & cooking! Whatever he eats it is by the fist full!

Anson's extra 3/4th inch gave him enough height to show a tiny bit of his leg making him look less like a "floating baby."  That little smirk kills me...

one last one with my handsome Anson & his hamster teeth as his daddy calls them...

My precious Anson,

I can't believe it has been a whole year since I saw you face to face in that operating room. We were shocked to see chubby cheeks knowing that you were still such a little guy! I loved you long before that moment & could not wait to have you in my arms.

We along with many others prayed that you would grow strong & healthy. The Lord answered that prayer & you came out crying & made tears stream down my face. Holding you & that twin brother of yours together for the first time was a moment I would love to experience a million times over.

Your growing & changing this past year from a teeny tiny five pound baby to a busy boy that loves to laugh has been a delight to take part in. You are an incredible gift from the Lord & we are praying that He would reveal himself to you as you grow & that you would give your life to serving him in whatever capacity He sees fit. 

Love,
Mommy

Owen at one

Owen is a big one year old as of March 8th! What a year it has been & we are thankful not only to have survived year one with our brood but more so to have this sweet boy to care for.  For being only a mere three pounds at birth, Mighty O has surprised us with his go get'em kind of attitude.  He has one speed....super speedy all the time & keeps mommy & daddy on the look out for his whereabouts if we step away for a second.  We love Mr. O!

Like I said before, thankfully those little buckaroos are one for an entire year giving me ample amount of time to write their one year old blog posts ; ) I do want to record it all soon though because they change each & every month so, here we are...

All about Owen Marshall at ONE year old (give or take a month)

At his one year old appointment:

28 1/4 inches

18 pounds 8 ounces

size 4 shoes

12 month clothes (sometimes 9 month)

With his weight & length he jumped from the 3rd percentile to the 10th percentile leaving the "adjusted age" classification for being a preemie in the dust! We came across a new book called "Cowboy Slim" & laughed about how we dropped "Cowboy Small" as a nickname for the yittle guy but could stick with "Slim" instead. O keeps his slim figure by crawling rapidly everywhere & pulling up constantly coupled with spitting out LOTS of what we offer him at meal time. 

He LOVES his brother & the combination of those two keep us all busy & smiling...

Owen is known for having the cutest little grin...

It was so fun to tag team pictures with my friend Brooke when we were in Dallas just before the boys' birthday. I had this idea that I would read the boys one of our faves while they paid attention to the story & got their picture taken...Ha! It is more of a true lifestyle photo...those are better anyway right?

Back to Mighty O & what he is up to at one year old:

• loves to be on the move & looks for things to crawl into 
• pulls up on furniture & cane take a few steps sideways or towards something
• has been found in Daddy's office screaming because he tried to crawl over a metal support on his desk but got stuck 
• crawls up to the bookshelf, stands up & pulls every single book off in 2 seconds flat
• says mama, dada, gaga, papa
• attempts to repeat sounds
• waves hello & goodbye
• acts like he hates his car seat when you put him in but never even peeps once we are on the move
• points frequently & likes when you point back at him
• torments his brother by stealing most everything from him
• tries to stack block but always knocks them over
• can climb up the slide on the school bus
• makes me grin ear to ear every time I put him down in his crib, he pops up, pulls up & squeals while he waves bye bye & sometimes says "buh buh"
• when he gets excited he totally spazzes out jolting his arms up in the air & flopping onto the ground. he did this when he got inside the make shift tent off Char's lofted bed the other day
• has four teeth, two on top, two on bottom...they are sharp!
• had a natural O-hawk until his recent summer buzz cut by his personal stylist (mommy)
• loves to crawl around the chair in his room while a sister chases him
• enjoys being read to but has a hard time not eating the book
• very squirmy with diaper changes or getting dressed
• is a water baby & crawls quickly to the tub if you ask if he wants to take a bath
• makes a "fish face" often

Sleepy time: The O-meister is so busy while awake & truly values sleep. He sleeps soundly from 6:30pm-7:45am & usually naps from 9:45-11 & 2-4. On occasion the boys are grumpy, cry their way through dinner & are delivered to their sleeping quarters at 5:30 where they fall asleep with no problem & sleep till 7 or 7:30.  Sometimes he takes a bit to fall asleep but can be heard practicing making sounds & banging on his crib to get some attention from his bro before snuggling up with his blankie & his horsey. He is usually found sleeping on his tummy or side with his middle finger in his mouth. He could sleep through a tornado with all the racket that goes on here during nap time & never disturbs him.

Hungry Bone: Owee O is on what I call a carbalicious diet where he would happily consume a package of graham crackers & a loaf of bread each day. He is a picky guy but tolerates most bread products plus some other things. His favorites: pancakes, PB&J sandwich, graham or ritz crackers, yogurt (his absolute favorite), yogurt covered raisins, pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, sweet potato chunks, peas & Chick-Fil-A nuggets.  The only meat other than those nutritious nuggets that he happily consumes is red in color. He LOVES steak....guess we just need to make that more ; ) I keep offering him other things & he keeps spitting them out.  He was nursing three times a day until the week before his birthday where he decided he would rather act like a crazy person with too many wiggles & bit mommy one too many times. It was bittersweet to be done nursing but I am so thankful that we made it a year! He has successfully transitioned to whole milk in a sippy cup & did so just after his birthday.

Sensitive Soul: Owen has revealed some of his sensitive side lately which in turn has caused some good laughs. Owen has always been a fan of Bella girl but on our last three week trip to Texas he experienced some memory loss. We walked in the door to one very excited puppy dog. I sat Owen down on the ground to go get a bag & he went bonkers screaming & trying to climb up my leg! Poor little guy was soooo scared & would shudder if she came near him for a few days! After some quality time those two were buddies again but it was a rough couple days : ) A couple weeks ago we enjoyed a meal with the Lent family followed by some time on the front porch with bubble blowing by the big girls. The boys were crawling around & I noticed Owen scream & that he started crawling towards me. I thought maybe he hurt himself but Robby saw it too & told Charlotte to blow some bubbles again. Oh my goodness, Owen was TERRIFIED of the bubbles & we being the fabulous parents we are could not stop laughing! I stooped down & stayed with him until he managed to at least have a serious look on his face without tears.  We laughed after joking about how easy it would be to discipline him...."Anson, you go to time out! Owen, come here, I am going to blow bubbles on you for one minute straight!" Just for the record I don't think you should discipline your children utilizing something that terrifies them...just a funny thought : ) We also mentioned how awful our bubble guns might be for him ; )

My friend Jocelyn takes pictures of her boys in their Daddy's boots each year on their birthday so I thought I would do the same for my little buckaroos. I almost cried from laughing so hard when I saw the result. It looks like a little floating body over some gigantic boots, haha!

One last one with sweet Owee-O.....love that boy!

My precious Owen, 

How has an entire year passed since you were first placed in my arms? I have loved you since that first ultrasound with two little heartbeats. I immediately felt filled to the brim with joy knowing how much I have loved your sisters & knew that my heart would only expand to love two more babies at the SAME TIME! 

We along with many others prayed that you would grow healthy & strong. God answered that prayer & let you keep growing until the day He had chosen for you to be born.  Your cry was one of the most incredible sounds I have ever heard following months of waiting to see what the outcome of a challenging pregnancy would be. 

You have grown & changed so very much this year! We are delighted to see you learning new things, playing with Charlotte, Eloise & Anson, squealing, crawling & making messes. You are a gift from the Lord & we are thankful for you.  We are praying that you would grow to understand the love God has for you & that you would do mighty things for His kingdom. 

Love, 

Mommy

Meet our niece!

I would like to introduce you to our newest niece, Olivia Noel Valentine. She is just darling....

born February 25th

6 pounds 7 ounces

18.5 inches long

Sweet little Livi-Lou made her debut while our family was in Texas. I was SO sad to miss the excitement & opportunity to photograph the birth but thankful that Amanda, a very special mutual friend got to witness the miracle of a child being born & snap a million pics along the way : ) It also helps to have the "hook up" at good ol' Winnie where I made sure Jenny would be well cared for by my friend Aubrey.  If you are interested in reading more details about the arrival of this cutie pie, you can head over to the other Valentine blog. If you are not up for a long read, in summary, my sister in law is a complete rock star in the natural labor world. 

I was chomping at the bit to get back to Orlando & give that girlie some Aunt Lala snuggles. Once we were home, I snuck over there one evening & told Rob I would be gone for about an hour. That ended up being completely NOT true because I didn't return until a few hours later! I mean really, what can you do when a newborn falls asleep in your arms & you are just too comfortable to move....for two hours? A couple days later, I returned with my crew that could not wait to see their new cousin. Eloise had been talking about seeing "yi-va" since the day she found out the wonderful news. Charlotte said with excitement multiple times each day "I can't believe that Olivia came out of Aunt Jenny's belly?!" They were pretty cute & "yi-va" did not mind some cuddles from the big girls....

Charlotte enjoyed a few minutes then hopped up & was on her way. Eloise on the other hand requested to hold her "yi-va" again & sat just like this for FIFTEEN minutes! A two year old was that interested & that still! She is seriously a little mini mama & will probably have ten babies of her own someday. It made me tear up just looking at her delighted little face as she took care of little Livi-Lou. She reminded me of her big sis when the twins came home from the NICU with her quick & smooth moves while changing Olivia's position all while supporting her neck properly. Too funny! Somebody has been paying attention!

Here are all SEVEN of the Valentine grandkids! I still laugh when I look at this bunch & consider how Bob & Jeannine had their two sons & thought maybe they would have a couple kids each. It was like rapid fire delivery of grandchildren....SEVEN in four & a half years! I love all the little bare feet in this pic...

 Just to recap the birth dates of this bunch:

Charlotte- July 2009
Karis- August 2010
Eloise- May 2011
Isaac- February 2012
Owen & Anson- March 2013
Olivia- February 2014

It has been a busy four years for the Valentine family & we are so thankful for all these little ones to care for. Even though they are all spaced only 9 months to 1 year apart it is crazy to see how much development happens from one stage to the next. Sometimes it gives us hope, sometimes it makes us feel a little stressed, haha!

I had to steal that precious baby away from Elo-mama...

I didn't have her to myself for long before two little guys were all over her!

Owen was going in for a big hug!

and Anson couldn't help but give her a little pinch on the tush...can't blame him...it's what we all want to do to a cute little baby ; )

and lately, a cousin gathering is not complete without a "Let it Go" dance party!

I don't know what the jump from two to three is like since we skipped it & doubled our number of children instead but I am guessing it is the tipping point for many families! Jenny & Steve have had help from Jenny's mom & now the Valentine's who are helping in the transition. I know they are tired but loving their busy bunch. 

Uncle Rob had to squeeze in some snuggles with the popular little lady when he & the kids spent an afternoon there while I was at work.  Jenny texted me this picture & I laughed out loud.  O&A are So interested!

I am enjoying another newborn in my arms anytime we are together & for the first time in forever, not to quote the favorite family movie, I don't feel like I want another baby as soon as possible like I have in the past! Could be that the jump from two to four was just enough to make me feel like my hands are overly full for the time being ; ) Hands that are full are a wonderful thing which is a conversation I get to have with most every person that stops us in the grocery store & I am guessing Jenny will soon be doing the same! 

Celebrating Owen & Anson

Owen & Anson celebrated turning one year old in the Lone Star State which was quite fitting since we refer to them as the buckaroos! We enjoyed the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo just a couple days prior & were in cowboy mode as we baked, sewed & decorated for the big day. The day caught me by surprise emotionally & when I woke I was already tearful & continued to feel that way throughout the rest of the celebrating & snuggling our little baby boys. They were not tearful & had plenty of smiles coupled with happy clapping....precious. 

Even though it was a small family celebration, I still felt the need to do some crafty decorating & made a banner of pictures along with the ones above their seats. It was simple since my recent discovery of spray adhesive, seriously, where has that stuff been through all my crafting years??  Uncle Scott picked up some balloons for the birthday boys on his way over & they had a good time pulling on the strings & seeing them bounce around. 

The banner had a picture from each month of the first year & brought a big smile to my face as I reminisced about all we have enjoyed with them in their first year. 

The cakes were triple chocolate fudge with cream cheese frosting thanks to good ol' Betty Crocker! We added some chocolate sprinkles for a little Texas flair.  I read on Pinterest (of course) to microwave a container of frosting for 15 second blasts x 3 times then pour it over the cake to get a fondant like top.  As usual, it did not go quite a smoothly as Pinterest said it would ; ) I really could have cared less though & moved on quickly to the next task at hand. 

We used the same fabric banner from newborn & one year old pictures to hang on the fireplace over the gifts. Growing up, our birthday gifts were always placed on the fireplace....I like tradition.

Uncle Kyle & Uncle Scott joined us for the entire day which made O&A smiley...

Along with the balloons, Uncle Scott surprised us with this fun addition to the festivities....

 and the most hilarious one mainly because of her little arms sticking out the bottom...

Gift opening was fun. Good thing the boys have big sisters to help them ; ) Those sweet big sisters picked out a couple Green Toy brand bath toys which have really increased the excitement in the bath tub.  They got a yellow submarine & ferry boat with two cars which Owen quickly figured out how to push them along. Those are by far his favorite new thing to play with & works really hard to get them into the right place on the ferry boat. They also got a couple new outfits, a dump truck, super hero figurines, some swimwear for the summertime & a new wagon.  I'd say they made out pretty well for a first birthday!

Thanks to Gaga's fancy machine that does embroidery, I made the boys some snuggly blankies embroidered with their names & a cowboy hat.

Anson felt so snuggled that he immediately began sucking his thumb & leaning up against me.... adorable!

These next two faces are typical of the buckaroos.  Anson looking surprised & Owen cheesing for the camera. Haha! Also, on the first birthday, we have decided to stop calling Owen "Cowboy Small" since we don't want to him to feel inferior to his younger bigger bro. We did laugh until I cried last night when talking about doing all the switcharoos with car seats for our bunch. Charlotte is ready to move to a booster, Anson will get upgraded to her old seat, Eloise will stay the same but Owen, sweet little Owen, he will be able to fit in his infant carseat till he is seven with the amount of food he spits out & the speed in which he crawls laps around the house pulling up on everything along the way ; ) All that to say, he is no longer officially "Cowboy Small" but will always be unofficially that name in my book.... I mean really, he was THREE pounds at birth!

After some lunch we attempted to get a picture of both little guys with their cowboy hats on but it was a futile attempt. We nixed the hats, brought the cakes & sang "Happy Birthday" in four part harmony. Just kidding although that is not unheard of with my musical family ; ) 

The boys surprised us with their response to a cake being placed in front of them.  They were opposite of what I thought they would be. Anson was quite confused as he stock his hands in then flung it ALL OVER THE KITCHEN time after time until a sissy stuck a bite in his mouth...then he was hooked...

Owen who I thought would probably cry sat quietly & devoured at least half of his cake! He cried the saddest cry when we took it away to prevent a major tummy ache.

Anson got a bit messy when he started smearing it all in his hair...

Owen just kept right on shoveling it in!

It took some major cleaning to get the kitchen & babies back in order.  Here are Gaga & Paw Paw with the buckaroos post sugar coma.

This is what we always look like trying to get two babies to look at the camera at the same time ; )

One last picture of each of those precious boys we celebrated on their special day....

It was hard to believe they started SO tiny & are now healthy one year olds bringing much joy to those around them. There is MUCH to be celebrated as we look upon the life of Owen Marshall & Anson Ellis, our sweet little buckaroos. God has been good to us.