18 Months Old

Banks, you are 18 months old- half way to TWO!  

You are FULL FORCE these days!  You love running, climbing, jumping, etc!  You are so curious about everything around you. 

You are wearing 18-24 months clothes, occasionally some 2T.  Size 5 diaper and size 5 shoe. 

Weight: 24.6lbs, 50%

Length: 32.5in, 50%

Head Circumference: 48.2cm, 73% 

You love talking (and screaming)!  Most of what you say we have no idea what it  means, but you mix in a lot of the words you do know!  Here is a sampling of what you're saying:

"Wow"

"Whoa"

"Go-Go" (trucks, cars, anything with wheels)

"mama"

"dada"

"up"

"boat"

"nana" (banana)

"Gigi"

"Pop Pop"

"Papa"

"baba" (sippy cup)

"Bubble"

"Eyes"

You had a little stomach bug this month and didn't eat for FIVE days :(

You have made up for it though! 

Your favorite foods right now are:

Chicken (grilled or nuggets)

Corn

Sweet Potatoes

Blueberries

Watermelon

Strawberries

Raspberries

Goldfish

American Cheese

Mashed Potatoes

Lasagna

Any kind of sweet :)

You are not picky, but boy are you opinionated!  One moment you love a food and the next it is a no. 

You sleep from 7:30pm-6:45ish (give or take) and take one afternoon nap around 1. 

You love "go-gos" and point them out EVERYWHERE!  You are mesmerized by tractors, trucks, garbage truck, cranes, etc. 

You LOOOOVE the outdoors!  You love getting dirty, sticks, dirt, puddles, rocks, etc. 

You have lately really been loving Mickey Mouse...and the "hot dog" dance :)  You still LOVE all animals and reading books!

But the best thing of all right now is...Dada!  He is like a celebrity around here and all day long you ask for "dada, dada, dada....."  I don't blame you, he is the best!

We are working on discipline still, but its a challenge. You go to time out several times a day (give or take haha) and have started full fledged toddler fits.  I love you, but thats what they are- fits.  Last week at the park I gave you a graham cracker and it when you took it- well...you threw yourself on the ground and cried for 20 minutes...yep, twenty minutes.  I know its part of growing up, but its not the most fun stage!  Praying for patience for me and that you learn quickly that fits are not the way to go :)

You love to give "squeezers" and kisses right now...and you give the BEST!  You will squeeze so hard that I will let go of you and you'll be hanging on my neck by yourself! You also love blowing kisses when saying goodbye.  The funniest thing is when daddy and I kiss you scream and then laugh so hard!  It CRACKS us up!  You are so affectionate and I love it.  I hope you will never mind giving you mama a hug!

Banks, we love you so very much and are so thankful that you are ours.  You make our lives so much better! Half one and half birthday, little man!

PC Mountain Weekend

Each year we have made it a tradition to get together with my PC girlfriends.  Well this year since we have had FIVE babies added to the group we thought we would forgo girls weekend and make it a family mountain weekend.  We had SOOO much fun! 

I had been looking forward to this trip since we planned it in the fall!  Well we woke up the day before we were supposed to leave to this...

This was the SECOND huge snow of the season.  I was so scared it would hold us back going to the mountains.  Well Cameron and I were DETERMINED we would make it to the mountains.  We woke up thursday morning and both of our works were cancelled. We kept trying to call the real estate company to see how the conditions were up at Lake Lure...no answer.  Wasn't looking good!  We decided when it finally stopped snowing around 1pm that we would try to leave around 2 and just go for it.  Long story short, we made it and the roads were miraculously easy!  Security guard let us in the house and it was perfect! A little snow couldn't hold us back :)

The rest of the crew arrived the next day and Banks and Piper were happy to see their friends.  A little valentines cookie picnic from Wilson- thanks dude! 

These two had the BEST time together...they are TROUBLE when their forces combine :)

Banks and Wilson bathed together every night and it was one of their highlights of their day. They would squeal, giggle, laugh, throw water at eachother, etc the whole time.  I plan on reminding them of how much they loved bathing together when their 18 ;)

Mommies and babies Saturday morning...all that was missing was Carter!  

Daddies and their boys

Aunt Cam Cam reading to the wild boys...she's the baby whisperer for making them sit still together :)

Group pic...J and Matt yall are hilarious. 

Thats better :)

What a fun group, so blessed by these friendships.

Sweet, sweet babies...I still can't believe that we have FIVE babies!

This is my favorite picture from the weekend.  Piper is so laid back and easy going, so it was so ironic she was the one NOT having it during the picture.  All the kids are looking at her like, what is wrong?!?

Love these girls and these babies!

So thankful that ten years after we all met at PC, these friendships are even stronger than they were then.   Love these girls with all my heart!

These two...oh boy....they are SO much alike and SO much fun.  

Lasagna for dinner....these two tore it up! 

My family

Me, Banks, Piper, and Cam

And then Cameron and I decided to do a photoshoot- and this was the result.  Classic...and typical. 

Lordy help us!

Such a fun time with some of my favorite people!  I loved that all of our kids went down around 7-8 and we had hours of fun as adults!  Its pretty tiring to stay up until 1 and get up at 7 with the littles, but WAY worth it!  So many fun memories made.