wHeRe DoEs TiMe Go?

As a child, the summers, days, and hours seemed to last forever! These days, I can't seem to find enough hours in the day to do what I need to get done, but I manage to reserve time to do some of the things I want to do...like spend time with the kids. A dirty house won't be remembered, but my time with the kids will be. I think our heads get filled up with a bunch of useless crap & worry the older we get, and our schedules seem to get busier and busier. This is probably why I love wine & running (not together!) They help clear my head. I just want to play ALL day, like I used to! Maybe I will.

Highlights of the past couple weeks:

• Sports have sucked for me lately. Pats lost the SB to the Giants...again. Carolina lost (at home) by ONE point from a buzzer-beater, heart-breaking 3 pointer by Dook. I mean, do they sit around and shoot ONLY 3-pointers in practice?
• Payton was sent home from school, not once, but twice in a week. She had the poops, and then she had pink-eye. I'm glad to say all that is in the past, but now she has a cough. Bring on the spring! I'm so sick of us being sick!
• Payton had her first dentist appt. She did better than we expected. She loved playing the games in the waiting room, and pranced back to the chair when they called her name. They had "Nemo" on TV above her head, but she never let them lie her down. The dentist did the exam while I held her down in my lap. That wasn't a pleasant experience, but she quickly got over it and was onto bigger and better things...like playing with giant toothbrushes and models of teeth.
• Payton attended Mattie McKinney's 4th birthday party...a Princess party at a ballet studio. Let's just say what she lacks in coordination of her feet, she makes up for in beauty ;) She'll grow into those legs soon! She did enjoy rolling on the mats. She almost got enough courage to sit under the parachute when it was pulled down. *almost*
  
• We finally were all well enough to go visit baby Knox Killar. What a cutie pie! Payton and Kyler had a great time playing together while I got to cuddle with the baby. Celeste (Knox and Kye's mommy) better not blink. He'll be 6 months before she knows it!
  
• Payton shocked us with telling us her left from right as she was putting her shoes on one day. It's crazy how much she's learning! Also, for Christmas I got a David Yurman ring. It has a peridot stone, which is Griffin's birthstone. The stone is surrounded by small diamonds, which is Payton's birthstone. This ring is very dear to me, as it represents both our kids. I mentioned this to Payton when I got it...almost 2 months ago. This past week, she noticed my rings. She pointed to the right hand ring and said "Griffin." Then she pointed to my engagement ring and said Payton. The girl is smart. Very smart. Note to parents...watch what you say. They ARE ALWAYS paying attention!
  
• Britt and I took Madi and Payton (and Griffin) to Plaza Fiesta. I've always heard about this place, but had never been. We went on a Friday afternoon, so it wasn't too crazy. It's a giant playground for kids. Slides, ladders, more slides, punching bags, mats, climbing wall, and stairs. The girls had a blast...until they went down a very long, very windy (windy, not windy!) enclosed slide. They were pretty ready to go after that "scare."
  
• I ran almost 12 miles on Saturday. Nope. No one was chasing or forcing me. I *chose* to do it. One step closer to being ready for that half marathon in April! The Cooper River 10K should be a breeze this year...that traditional beer at the finish line is going to be sooooo sweet! First post-race one in 3 years. Happy to say I'm not going to be preggo for this one! Two kids is our perfect number. Our family is complete!
• Saturday evening I took my Valentine out to Sullivan's for dinner, then uptown for drinks. Our friend, Jen, babysat for us (thank you Jen!) We took the train from the 485 station to Sullivan's, then uptown. It was COLD. Like 20 degrees, cold. Going from 60 to 20 is quite a change. Go figure it was one of the coldest nights this winter and I had plans for us to be outside. Mix in my sore legs, and it made for some fast, funny walking! We somehow managed to drink enough to stay warm, and thoroughly enjoyed the night out, but were quickly reminded that although we pretend to still be in our 20's, we aren't. Trying to navigate to the bathroom through a very loud, dark, and drunken crowd at Whiskey River reminded me to stay far, far away from the "club" scene. Our glasses of wine at Urban Sip, the bar on the 15th floor of the Ritz Carlton, were very nice, and the scene was more our speed. Also, we had fun at Vida, another bar/restaurant uptown.
  

Our little drummer girl...playing with Kyler's set. Uncle Gary will be proud!

Is American Idol in her future? Definitely not if she takes after her parents!

Cuddle time!

Again, cuddle time! Meet the newest Killar: Knox Corbin. 2 weeks old.

Kyler trying to get Payton's attention. Flirting already? Yes. Kye is a ladies man!

Playtime at Plaza Fiesta with Madison

Weeeee....the girls preferred the small slide after going down the mega covered, twisty one!

Note the ever-present baby wipe in Payton's hand. Always cleaning and wiping up. Wonder if she'll be so eager to clean when she's a teenager?

Hanging out

GO TAR HEELS! (it's a good thing they slept through this awful game!)

love.

Think they're starting to look alike?

Speaking of time flying, Griffin is already 6 MONTHS OLD! We'll be planning for his 1st birthday before we know it. He's SO much fun now. He's animated. He's busy. He's funny. He's loving. He's cuddly. He's loud. He's totally into sports, on TV at least. He's so strong. And he LOVES his big sissy. It's the sweetest thing I've ever seen. His face lights up when Payton is around. Things about Griffin at 6 months:

• Weighs 19 pounds, 7 ounces (only 75-90%...we're not used to having a "small" baby" HA!)
  
• 27 3/4 inches tall (90%), head 95% (hey, it has to be big to hold that smart brain!)
• He's had 2 ear infections. Had to use a nebulizer (asthma medicine) for a bad chest cold.
  
• Rolls around to get what he wants. Pushes up on his hands and turns around. Still not getting his knees underneath him to crawl, but I think it will be soon. Lazy boy!
• LOVES to be in his exersaucer and stroller. Loves going running with Mommy!
• ALWAYS has a smile on his face. Such a happy baby boy.
• Traces of blonde fuzz on his perfectly round head. We feel bittersweet about that, as we love that baldy! Doctor says she thinks she sees 2 bottom teeth trying to make their way in...for now, gummy smile and constantly drooling like a faucet.
• Eating stage 1 & 2 baby foods 3 times a day. Gobbling, I should say.
• Holding a sippy cup with handles on each side. Still not good at turning it up when it gets low.
• Loves pulling his feet to his mouth and nibbling on them.
• Is very ticklish, especially on his belly and thighs.
  
• Is sitting up pretty well on his own, with the occasional side tumble.
• Pulls hair with those sweaty little hands and doesn't let go. Ouch!
• Wears mostly 12 month clothes, and size 2-3 shoes.
• Sleeps 13ish hours every night, and takes 3 naps a day, usually 1.5-2 hours each, and is finally easy to put down to sleep.
• Sucks his thumb. Either one. He might favor the left one a little more.

Trying hard to get those teeth in!

Standing against the ottoman, alone, for a quick second...

Pick me up, Mommy!

Carrots. Better the second time.

Praying that Dook misses that damn shot. It didn't work.

Mmmmm, green beans...it's what's for dinner.

Reminiscing...

Those were the days...

Trying to feed himself already...or maybe just chewing on the spoon. Either way, he looks cute covered in carrots.

His nebulizer treatment. This lasted about 2-3 days. He didn't seem to mind. He just tried to chew on it!

Our handsome little Valentine!

Holding his sippy, but won't lift it when the milk gets low. It's a good start though!

Wait, is Griffin happy, sad, sleepy, mad? I can't tell because he almost always wears this face. I guess that makes him happy!

BUBBLES!!

Maybe I can pop it by staring it down?

Nope, but I sure am funny!

Let's try one more time...

We are so in love with Griffin. When we found out we were pregnant with him, we couldn't imagine loving another baby as much as we love Payton. Then we met him. That's all it took. He makes my heart smile. He is perfect, in every way, and we love him with everything we have. We are fortunate to be able to experience raising both a boy and girl. So far the journey has been more rewarding than we could have imagined. Griffin is very much a boy's boy. He loves watching football and basketball. He loves "flirting" with pretty girls. He's noisy and stinky, yet sweet. Payton is into baby dolls, everything pink, purses, lip gloss, ie-lip stuff, matching her clothes and picking out her shoes and bows (and is very opinionated and fusses if she doesn't get her way), Elmo, Barbie, Mickey Mouse, music, dancing, books, and is very observant and cautious. She's shy with new people or situations, but eventually enjoys being the center of attention. They are very different from one another, but love each other very much. We plan everything around these kids. Everything. We don't ever like to leave them and would tuck them into our pockets and take them with us everywhere...only if we could!

Yes, Payton. They WERE all worshiping you ;)

Check out Payton's balance...not bad for a tall, clumsy almost-2-year-old!

Literally trying to climb out of the stroller. Griffin wants to join in the Princess Party. Hey, can you blame him? There were a lot of pretty princesses out there! #alreadygotgame

Tumble time!

She couldn't wait. Kept jumping in line. Patience: Something we'll certainly work on!

(PS...I look funny with a flash for a head! lol)

Notice where Payton is...back left, watching, waiting, contemplating.

CAKE!

Even Daddy and G-Money came to celebrate Mattie's 4th birthday!

Tumble time!

"Warming up" (ie-getting up the nerve to join in) at Mattie's princess birthday party

Little UNC cheerleader?!?! GO HEELS! (and she says it...good girl!)

Our Valentine was not ready to be out of the bed!

She thinks she's funny....and clearly needed a tissue.

We think she's freaking hillarious!

Eating some of Daddy's homemade chocolate ice cream...thanks for the ice cream maker, She-She!

Carolina BLUE looks great on her, don't you think?

The spring is near. Flowers have been blooming, and the grass is green...this all means we're due for some "wintery mix" (read: cold rain) that scares us southerners into thinking we need to clean the milk and bread off all the shelves of every Harris Teeter in the region. The Charlotte salt trucks were out and about all Monday night "protecting" us from some wintery mix in the forecast (the low wasn't even freezing). I don't think a drop of anything, except possibly bird poop, dropped from the sky that night. Glad to see our tax dollars hard at work. I'm thinking of becoming a meteorologist when I grow up. I mean, how wonderful to be paid for something where I can consistently be incorrect! At least the mountains are finally getting some well-needed white stuff! Too bad we aren't heading up to the house this weekend :(