Haley Family

Lake Tahoe Ski Trip

2011-01-25T11:12:00.001-08:00

Chad and I and our friends, Tamara and John Paul, ventured out to BEAUTIFUL Lake Tahoe for a ski trip. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing Lake Tahoe was! It seemed like we were not even in America. Stunning!!!! We stay in a great condo in Incline Village, which is about 20 minutes from the California/Nevada border. So, we traveled into California a couple times to snowmobile and tube. We did all that Lake Tahoe had to offer...skied, snowmobiled, cross-country skied and tubed. We even had a little good luck at casino! It was such a wonderful trip and I am so happy we were able to go. A HUGE HUGE HUGE shout out to my parents and Sue & Johnny for taking care of Annemarie while we were gone. It was a "grandparents" vacation for her and she had a ball!

Santa 2010

2010-12-09T14:18:00.001-08:00

Well, it was time again to go visit Santa! This year we went with 2 of Annemarie's good friends so I thought for sure she would put on a GREAT smile and ham it up for the camera because her 2 friends did just that. I was sadly mistaken. She sure liked Santa from afar, but once she got on his lap, it was game over. As soon as she got off his lap, she was more than happy to tell him that she wanted "two puppies and a Dora doll". I wish I had a video camera to record her immediate change of heart once she was off his lap. I guess I forced in her mind "stranger danger" a little too much. Maybe next year I will get a classic Annemarie smile. Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-04T19:48:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving (as usual!) this year! Chad and I ran the annual Run Thru the Woods on Thanksgiving morning so we burned off lots of calories before we enjoyed our feast! My younger brother, Brad, who lives in Ohio, graced us with his presence this year so that was a very nice treat. He was our professional photographer the entire week. Thanks Brad! My older brother, Matt, and his family drove in from Dallas as well. Annemarie and Zach had a lot of fun playing together and riding their bikes. Sue hosted a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner at her house and the Haley and Angelo families celebrated together. I am very greatful I have a great family. It was just awesome!

Halloween and My Trip to Austin

2010-11-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

I know this is a little late for a Halloween post, but I guess better late than never. Annemarie had SO much fun this year trick or treating. She loved putting on that cheerleader costume b/c she knew that people would give her candy! I wish I would have gotten some "action" shots, but I forgot my camera. Arg.

I went to Austin last weekend to celebrate my friend, Steffani's, upcoming arrival of her 2nd baby. We had a wonderful lunch at Cheesecake Factory and then just shopped around for the rest of the afternoon. It was a great weekend!

Lockhart Trip

2010-10-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Chad's 35th (yes...he is THIRTHY FIVE!) birthday in Lockhart last weekend. It was a super fun trip with lots of family there. Matt, Candace and Zach drove in from Dallas to celebrate with us. Annemarie and Zach had a BALL playing outside all day. They rode of every piece of equipment that Papa had and loved it all! They feed the horses and cows hay every morning and every night. It was very cute. It truly was a wonderful weekend!!!

New Bike!

2010-10-20T16:04:00.001-07:00

Annemarie got a new bike yesterday. Do you think she likes it??? Lets just say that she took a 3 hour nap today. I am fairly certain it was due to the long bike ride she took before lunch!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2010-10-16T11:32:00.001-07:00

We took Annemarie to the pumpkin patch today where she met up with one of her favorite friends, Brooklynn. Those two little girls had a BALL!!! They just played and followed each other around everywhere. It was a beautiful day and we had a good time.

My Birthday Party

2010-10-04T15:47:00.001-07:00

My 29th (Okay...32nd) birthday was on Friday. My parents were nice enough to have Annemarie spend the night at their house while Chad and I went out with a HUGE group of our friends. We went to Goose's Acre for drinks and dinner and then went next door to America's where the "real" fun began. I have a super fun time, but lets just say Saturday was miserable, if you get my drift. Thank you to everyone who went out for the October Birthday Bash. Maybe we can make this an annual thing.

New Cowgirl Boots

2010-09-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Annemarie has been wanting some "cowgirl" boots for sometime now. Everytime she would see them she would just scream and tell us she needed some. So, last night Chad and Annemarie ventured out to THREE different stores to find the perfect boot for our little shoe fanatic. She found the perfect boots and I think she thinks they are permanetly attached to her body. To say she loves them is an understatement! Just look at this happy kids face!

Trip to Arlington

2010-09-13T15:37:00.001-07:00

Annemarie and I took our first road trip (without Chad) together. We went to Arlington to meet Libby Percival. She is 100% adorable and SUCH a good baby!!! Annemarie and Grace had a really good time playing together...well, most of the time. Elizabeth and I took them to McDonalds for lunch on Saturday afternoon and they pretty much stole the show by playing Simon Says. Our good friend, Lacy, came over on Saturday to play as well. She was a HUGE hit with Grace and Annemarie b/c she brought them humongus suckers from Swoozies. Thanks again Aunt Lacy. Oh, the first thing Grace asked for Sunday morning was her sucker! Ha ha!!! It was a great trip and I am so glad we were able to go. Thanks again Grace, Libby and Elizabeth for being such wonderful hosts!

Fun with Daddy

2010-08-25T18:07:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of Chad and Annemarie doing..well, stuff. The first picture is of her in her train box. I am still amazed at the age of 2 (and some change) that kids still prefer to play in the "toy box" rather that play with the actual toy! I think I will open a store and call it "Kid Boxes...Because That is All They Want to Play With Anyway".
The next pictures are from tonight. I was inside cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and Chad and Annemarie had the grand idea to mash a rotten lime with a hammer. I guess Chad's nickname of Chad "The Hammer" Haley precedes him well! I know you probably can't see it, but Annemarie has on a soccer medal. She wears it all the time. It actually belongs to Kaylee Robinson...sorry Kaylee!
The last picture I just thought was adorable. They were coloring together on Sunday morning...still in their jammies, or as Annemarie calls them "jebbies".
On a side note we taught Annemarie her last name. This is what she calls herself "Emmy Ha-Ha". It is very cute when she says it!

Potty Time

2010-08-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Annemarie has been showing a bit of interest in potty training this week. Yesterday we came home from the gym and she said she had to go to the bathroom. After she went, I just decided to get her naked and put her little potty in the living room to encourage her to go. It was quite a site when I walked in to see her sitting on the little potty while eating her sandwich. What....that is not normal???

Weekend in Arlington

2010-08-03T14:15:00.001-07:00

I went to Arlington this weekend to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Elizabeth's 2nd baby. She is due in a few weeks and wishes the baby was here now!!!! I also got to see my goddaughter, Grace. She is one of the sweetest and smartest little girls I have ever met! I got her an apron and hat since she likes to help Elizabeth cook in the kitchen. I think she liked it!!!! It was a wonderful trip and I was so glad to see some of my dearest friends. Thank you again Elizabeth and Lacy for being such gracious hostesses!!!!

Lakehouse Fun....Without Kids!

2010-07-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Dan and Krista Burleson were nice enough to invite us up to their family lakehouse on Lake Livingston for a night. Man...was this ever a lakehouse!!!!! It was so awesome! My parents (THANK YOU AGAIN MOM and DAD!) took Annemarie all day on Saturday and had her spend the night at their house. My dad kept Annemarie VERY entertained with the Children's Museum, the mall, McDonalds and the park! There were like 7 other couples at the lakehouse with us and NONE of us had our kids! It was so fun to hang out and have fun and not have to worry about your kids for a night. I think the highlight of the trip was John Spychaj's EXTREMLY short and hot pink swim trunks he bought at Walmart. Oh...it was nice! Thanks John!

This Post is For Sarah!

2010-07-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah..this post is just for you. I know you said I had not updated my blog in a while so here you go! The pictures of just of Annemarie around the house, so I have no good stories or anything. Just pictures.

Random Pictures

2010-06-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pictures I have taken throughout the week.

Annemarie LOVES to play with her building blocks and she is very good at it. She does not want anyone to help her, but we do have to sit by her to "hold" the structure so it does not fall over. She is very particular about where each piece goes. Maybe she will be an architect (Art Vandalay..for my fellow Seinfeld watchers).

The pictures where she has all the "bracelets" on is from this afternoon. I was taking a shower and she got into my bag with my hair bands. She put them ALL on and was quite proud of herself. I think she kind of looks like Madonna from the '80s.

Can you tell she likes her iTouch as well????

Lakehouse Fun!

2010-06-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Angelo's and Haley's went to my aunt and uncle's AMAZING lake house in Gun Barrel City, Texas. We had a total blast! Drew and McKenna were such wonderful little helpers and we were so glad they came along for the fun. Zach and Annemarie liked playing in the pool and the lake. We celebrated Zach's 2nd birthday while we were there too. He is obsessed with Mickey Mouse so most of his gifts were Mickey Mouse related. It was a super trip!!!!

Chillin' with the Dolls

2010-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

I walked into the living room on Friday morning and Annemarie had put all her stuffed animals on the couch. They were all watching Imagination Movers on television. She told her new newest dolls name is Fe Fe. I have a feeling this kid has some imaginary friends in her near future!

2 Year Check Up Appointment

2010-06-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry...I don't have any pictures for this post. It is purely informational. BORING!

Chad and I took Annemarie in for her 2 year check up today. She is 36.5'' tall (100%), 28 pounds (70%) and 19.5'' for her head (95%). Chad and I could not believe she was 70% for weight considering she rarely eats.

As Annemarie was getting measured, she kicked the nurse in the face. I was horrified. The nurse was very understanding, but I pretty much think she thinks we have a terrible kid. She only had to get one shot and as soon as the nurse put her bandaid on, Annemarie ripped it off. Big surprise.

All in all, the appt went well and Annemarie is growing according to schedule.

Our Little Girl is TWO!!!!!

2010-05-30T20:07:00.001-07:00

Today Annemarie turned 2! I still can't believe I have a 2 year old little girl. We had a family party at the house today with LOTS of balloons, cake, ice cream, presents and fun! Annemarie really seemed to enjoy her birthday party. After the party was over, Chad and I sang Happy Birthday to her 4 more times and had to light a candle each time so she could blow it out. It was cute! She got some wonderful and thoughtful gifts from her family. Among the favorites are, the iTouch (big surprise), Dora and Minnie Mouse panties, and a dinasour light. As you can see in some of the pictures, she has her panties on over her clothes. Thanks again everyone!!!! The morning did not start out so great. I had to take Annemarie to the CVS Minute Clinic b/c we thought she had pink eye. She does have a bacterial eye infection so we have to put drops in her eyes THREE times a day. Do you have any idea how difficult that is? It is easily a 5 man job!!!! Although the morning started off bad, it turned out to be a wonderful day! Happy Birthday Annemarie! We love you SO much and have enjoyed watching you grow over the past 2 years.

Scooter and the Zoo

2010-05-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad got Annemarie a scooter for her 2nd birthday. They came over earlier this week to drop it off since they will be in Napa Valley (lukcy dogs) on her actual birthday. Annemarie LOVES it and rides it really well.

My "MOMtourage" group took our kids to the zoo on Tuesday. We are still amazed at how well all the kids did. No one had a meltdown (NO NAPS that day!!) and they all played so well together. The splash pad was by far the biggest hit of the day. It was super hot so they were thrilled to cool off in the water. They also all loved the baby elephant. Sorry...I don't have a picture. It was adorable though.

I guess one toy is not enough....

2010-05-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Last night, Annemarie wanted to ride her tricycle in the kitchen while we got dinner ready. I guess she could decide what she wanted to do more...ride her tricycle or push her shopping cart around. She choose to do both at the same time. It was funny.

She also found the 2010 Pool Schedule for the Woodlands community pools. She was shreking with joy over all the pictures of the pools and the kids with their bathing suits on in the photos. I have a water baby through and through.

New HOT Pink Shoes

2010-05-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Annemarie has a huge obsession with shoes. Any shoes...she does not care if they are too big, too small, 5 inch heels or mens cowboy boots. If she sees shoes on the floor, she is going to put them on. Chad took Annemarie to Famous Footwear today to get her some Converse. He said as soon as they got to the kids shoe section she was screaming with excitment. As you can see, she got some new hot pink Converse. She is actually napping right now with them on.

The other pictures are of her playing in my shoes this morning. I am going to be broke when she turns 16!!!

Ouch!

2010-05-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Annemarie had a little encounter with the concrete at the pool on Monday. As you can see, her nose broke her fall. Poor girl. I totally had to bribe her with a piece of candy so she would stay still so I could get a picture of her battle wound.

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend! One of my best friends, Elizabeth, and her daughter, Grace, came to visit for the weekend. We had a lot of fun and Grace and Annemarie LOVE playing together. I was hoping that Annemarie would be a little more interested potty-training in seeing that Grace was potty-trained, but that was not the case. Thank you again for coming this weekend Elizabeth and Grace. We had so much fun with yall!
Sunday, Chad and I hosted a Mother's Day dinner at our house. The men ordered Macaroni Grill and my mom ordered a cake so NO ONE had to cook! The meal was great and all the cousins loved playing on the steps in our house. Go figure.

Turning All Girly

2010-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Oh my, how the primping starts early! One of Annemarie's favorite things to do these days is put on my makeup. She has her own set of makeup brushes and she loves to "apply" eyeshadow all over her face. It is funny to me b/c I am lucky if I put makeup on once a week, so I don't know where the obsession comes from. Also, she is very into hair accessories now. As you can see, she is rockin' a orange headband with a large flower on it someone left at our crawfish boil. With that said, if this is your headband (anyone) you better claim it now!!

4th Annual Crawfish Boil

2010-04-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

Chad and I hosted our 4th annual crawfish boil this past weekend. We got VERY lucky with the weather and it was a great turn out. The bouncy house was a big hit with the kids, as usual. Chad and Lane cooked 145 pounds of crawfish and I think 140 of them got eaten. Thank you everyone for coming and making it a great party. We had a blast.

Montgomery County Fair

2010-04-12T19:28:00.001-07:00

Chad and I took Annemarie to the Montgomery County Fair on Saturday. It was a gorgeous day to be outdoors. The petting zoo and pizza were the biggest "hits" of the day. Tamara, Lilly and JP met us there as well and Lilly let Annemarie borrow her pink cowgirl hat for a picture.

Mini Bike and High Heels

2010-04-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

Chad got the mini bike up and running so he was taking Annemarie for rides on it. As you can imagine, this was VERY exciting for her. Then the battery went dead so she was trying to help him fix it. He was using a little screwdriver and Annemarie kept saying "baby driver". It was pretty cute.
If you don't already know, my child has an enormous obession with shoes. It does not matter what they look like, whos they are, if they are 4 sizes too small or 10 sizes to big. If a pair of shoes is laying on the floor she snatches them up and puts them on. As you can see, she found my "fancy" heels and decided to put them on and pretend to go grocery shopping. It really made me laugh b/c I NEVER wear heels anymore and she LOVES them.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T12:10:00.001-07:00

It was a super fun and very happy Easter this year!!! Matt, Candace and Zach come from Dallas to spend the weekend with family. Annemarie and Zach had a ton of fun playing with each other. There were FOUR seperate egg hunts at Sue's house on Sunday. The first one was for the little kids, the second one was for Ethan, the third one was for Drew and McKenna and the last one was for the adults. It was a lot of fun and the eggs were filled with money, lotto tickets and of course candy!!! I hope everyone else had a very Happy Easter as well!

Just Having Fun

2010-03-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pics I took last week and this week. Annemarie's new favorite activity is Playdoh. She wants to play with it all the time! She won't sit in her high chair to eat, but she sure will sit there to play with Playdoh. To bad it is not edible!! Also, if she eats her dinner she gets a popsicle after dinner. This bribery has worked quite well over the past few weeks. Nice parenting...hun?

Having fun outside

2010-03-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

St. Patty's Day Chicago Style

2010-03-15T19:16:00.001-07:00

Tamara and I took our annual trip to Chicago to visit our best buddy, Kelly, for St. Patty's Day. It was a wonderful trip filled with lots of food, fun and drinks!!!! They dyed the river a neon green this year so that was really cool. We have decided that it is not quite as easy to hang with the 20-young-year-olds as it used to be. Thank you again Kelly and Jay for being such wonderful hosts!!! We look forward to next year!

2010-03-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Annemarie's great Aunt Susan got her this adorable butterfly wing/wand set!! It is so cute and I am thinking it will make a perfect Halloween costume for next year. Thank you Susan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting Ready for Summer...in our glasses

2010-03-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

Annemarie has become quite fond of sunglasses these days. I guess she is getting ready for summertime. And of course the "a mama" (as Annemarie calls me) had to rock the toddler glasses as well.
NOTE FOR ELIZABETH PERCIVAL: That is the gold skirt I bought at your neighbors garage sale for $.25!!!

Playing in the trashcan??

2010-02-26T11:44:00.001-08:00

The other night after Annemarie's bath, she decided it would be fun to play in our bedroom trashcan. Yep, she is a strange little girl! Funny, but strange. I am going to stop buying toys b/c apparently playing in the trash can is as fun as playing with a $25 toy! Go figure!!!

Playing "Dress Up" and Kennedy Elliott

2010-02-21T17:57:00.001-08:00

The Elliott family came over last night for some BBQ and to hang out. Annemarie and Kennedy hit it off quite well! They LOVED watching Imagination Movers on the computer and eating animal crackers. It was really cute.
Last week I was getting ready in the bathroom and Annemarie brought me my bra and underwear. I guess she thought it was time for her to try out a training bra. It looks a little big to me, but she did not seem to mind.

Mardi Gras Beads and Being Silly

2010-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

Chad and I have been telling Annemarie that we are going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year. To show her support she is styling some beads of her own.
Last weekend, Annemarie trotted off to our bathroom. I figured she was going to come back out with a arm full of my shoes, as she usually does. After about 5 minutes and no Annemarie, we went to check on her. She had propped herself in the bathtub, with no water, and she was still in her clothes. She was just playing with her bath toys. It was cute.

Playdate / Toothbrushes

2010-02-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Annemarie had some of her friends over yesterday to play. As you can see, the hot spot for the day was underneath the easle. Annemarie and Lilly thought it was sooo funny to get under there and push the easle around while Brooklynn tried to play on the other side. It was cute.
Annemarie HAS to have 3 different toothbrushes to brush her teeth. Hmmm....maybe she gets that from her Mimi, who is a dental hygentist.

Playing Outside with Pudding, Of Course!

2010-01-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

Today we were playing outside after lunch and Annemarie kept on asking for pudding. So, I went in to get her one, only she did not want to eat, she just wanted it to be outside with her. Hmmmmm.......yes, it is strange.

Babysitting / Lockhart "Mans Weekend" 2010

2010-01-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

I got to babysit Reese, one of Annemarie's little friends, the other day while Janna went to an eye exam. They were so funny playing together. Well, they were wrestling a lot which I found super funny.

Chad and his friends went on a "Man Weekend" trip to Lockhart last weekend. Yep, they picked the COLDEST weekend in 14 years to go and dove hunt. What are the odds? I think Chad told me they drank 10 cases of beer in 3 days. Now if that is not in the Guiness Book of World Records, it should be. They all had lots of fun and Matt "accidentally" shot a Mockingbird. Chad told him it was a dove and oopps...it was not. Isn't against the law to shoot a Mockingbird?? Don't tell!!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T18:27:00.001-08:00

It was a very fun-filled Christmas for us this year. Both my brothers were in town so we had the whole Angelo family for Christmas. My mom hosted a lovely Christmas Eve dinner. Zach and Annemarie had a great time playing together at my parents house. On Christmas Day we spent the afternoon at Sue and Johnny's house where the festivies continued. After another wonderful meal, we opened even more gifts. Annemarie had 3 favorite presents this year. 1. A pink tricycle. 2. A pull out Dora couch. 3. Big Lego building blocks.

If you are wondering, yes, that is a life size Dora character in some of the pictures. Lilly Hopkins turned 2 on Christmas Eve and Tamara and JP hired a Dora character to make an apparence at her party. It was so funny. The kids all got a big kick out of her and Lilly just could not get enough of that Dora doll.

Santa and Shopping Cart

2009-12-11T17:50:00.001-08:00

Chad and I took Annemarie to get her picture taken with Santa yesterday. I did not expect her to hop up in his lap with a huge smile and pose perfectly for the camera....BUT I did expect to get at least one decent shot of her with Santa. She was very interested in Santa, from afar, but as it got closer to her turn to sit on his lap, her grip around my leg became more and more intense. So, here is the best picture we got of her with Santa. I sort of want to send it in to the Ellen show. You know how Ellen puts up those really funny pictures of kids screaming in Santa's lap??? He he he
The other night, Chad put Annemarie in her toy shopping cart and pushing her around the house. Annemarie pretty much thought it was the best game ever. Too bad Chad is getting too old to only play the game for like 5 minutes!

Curly Mullet and Santa Hat Fun

2009-12-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

The other night, after bath, Annemarie was playing and her hair went SUPER curly and formed into a mullet. It was too funny not to take a picture of. Gigi gave Annemarie a Santa hat today and as you can see, it has been a big hit. Merry Christmas!

Elmo Getting a Bath

2009-12-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

Chad and I have nicknamed Annemarie "Linus" because she is totally attached to blankets. It does not matter which blanket...just give her a blanket and she will drag it around everywhere. This was becoming a problem at bathtime b/c she wanted to take her blanket in the tub with her. When we would take it away from her she would freak out and SCREAM all through bathtime and cry "night-night"...which means she wants her blanket. So...tonight we diverted her with an Elmo balloon so I could hid her blankets while we went to the bathtub. Success!!! She wanted to take Elmo in the tub with her and bathe him, dry him off and then brush his hair. It was pretty funny, thus the pictures of her in the tub with an Elmo balloon.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T10:48:00.001-08:00

It was an awesome Thanksgiving for us! Sue and Johnny hosted Thanksgiving dinner at her house and this year she rented at bouncy castle so that all the kids had something to do. It as a HUGE hit!!! Matt, Candace and Zach drove in from Dallas so it was great to see them. All the cousins played really well together. Chad fried his wild turkey he shot a few weeks back. It tasted pretty good!! Kelly and Jay came in from Chicago and it is always wonderful to see them. It was just a great weekend filled with lots of laughs, friends and family.

The Houston Zoo

2009-11-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

My mom and I took Annemarie to the zoo for the first time last week. It was a GORGEOUS day and Annemarie had a ball. We got lucky enough to see the seals put on a "show" and the monkeys were quite active. I know the pictures are not great, but if anyone has a trick on how to get an 18th month old to stay still/pose for a picture while at the zoo, please share your secret!

Annemarie and Reese at the Children's Museum

2009-11-09T11:36:00.001-08:00

Janna and I took our girls to the Children's Museum on Thursday. We had been a few times before, but it was during the summer and ridiculously crowded. That was NOT the case this time! We were almost the only people there until about 6pm. All of the sudden it got really crowded and we wondered why. Come to find out, Thursday nights from 5pm-8pm is Free Family Fun Night. Good to know for next time! The girls had a blast, as did we!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome Halloween!!!! Annemarie dressed up as a ballerinaon Friday and Saturday, but she did wear 2 different outfits. Friday, we took her to the Panther Creek Shopping Center trick-or-treat festival. All the business in the shopping center handed out candy. It was a lot of fun and LOVED carrying around her pumpkin with all her hard earned candy. Saturday, we trick-or-treated on our street and then went to a street party at Kerrie and Paco's house. Annemarie wanted to so bad to keep up with the big kids that there was nothing that could stop her. I think she made her last knock on a door at 8pm. She seriously had a ball. It was really fun to watch her get excited about the candy and all the Halloween decorations people put up outside their houses. Good times!

Like Father Like Daughter and First Ponytail

2009-10-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Chad went and bought some new hunting gear for an upcoming turkey hunt he is going on. As you can imagine, Annemarie just had to try it on as well. I think Chad looks like an Iraq kidnapper and I think Annemarie looks like a tiny warrior from the movie Gladiator.
I finally got Annemarie's hair in a ponytail today. She looks so cute and so old!!!! Braiding will be next!

Sunday Fun

2009-10-25T17:50:00.001-07:00

Chad got the mini-bike up and running today so Annemarie loved that, of course. She makes a pretty cute biker chick, if you ask me. One of our neighbors, Anne, gave Annemarie a Halloween doll today while we were playing in her driveway. You should have seen the look on Annemarie's face when Anne, gave her the doll. She was soooo excited. Anyway, that was her new favorite toy for the rest of the evening. Chad totally "took one for the team" today. I was super tired today and just irritable. So, he offered to take Annemarie for the afternoon so I could have some quiet/alone time. It was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Chad!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2009-10-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today we ALL (Chad, Annemarie, myself, Gigi, Drew, McKenna, Jane, Paw Paw Angelo and Mimi) went to the Pumpkin Patch in Spring. It was GORGEOUS day and everyone had a great time. We went for a train ride, had a snow cone and played around in all the big pumpkins. Annemarie was in heaven because she was outside the whole time and got to have a snowcone and chips as her snack today. Who wouldn't love a day like that?

Who Needs A Baby Sister/Brother When You Have A Cat?

2009-10-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

I pulled out some of Larry's old cat toys that she used to love to play with when she was a kitten. Annemarie thought they were new toys for her. When I explained to her that the toys were for the cat, she immediatley starting giving them to Larry. It was reallly cute and funny.
Also, I gave Annemarie corndog today for lunch. She thought it was cool to hold it, but really did not think much about eating it. She nibbled on the breading a little bit. It was worth a shot.

Birthday Celebration at Brio

2009-10-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have the most awesome friends!!! Janna, Christina and Tamara all treated Erica and me to a birthday dinner at Brio last night. It was a WONDERFUL meal with lots of laughs and good stories. I am truly thankful I have met these wonderful ladies in the past year (except you Tamara....we go way back!) and the friendship has grown strong. After we shut Brio down we decided is was a good idea to go to Baker Street Pub for more drinks. Why is it that late night beverages sound like a great idea at the time, but in the morning it is usually a mistake?? We will ever learn? Thank you again for a wonderful birthday dinner. You guys rock. Happy one-day-early Birthday Erica!!!!!
The pictures of Annemarie are from yesterday and I just thought they were cute so I wanted to share.

Our Little Angel....NOT

2009-10-02T08:42:00.001-07:00

Oh....being a toddler. Annemarie is having these horrible meltdowns around 5pm every night. She throws the worst fits over nothing. There is nothing Chad and I can do to console her, so we just let her work-it-out until she has calmed down. The above pictures are from her Wednesday night fit. After about 45 minutes of a full force tantrum she finally ran of out steam and laid down on the kitchen rug. It was too funny not to take a picture of it.

Britney Spears and the Lockhart House

2009-09-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

Last week my friend, Sarah, and I went to see Britney Spears at the Toyota Center. It was pretty much AWESOME! Yes, she did lip-sync about 85-90% of the show, but the show itself was so great. Some of it was super weird at times, but the dancing was incredible. She performed for 2 hours straight and did a heck of a job. I am really glad we went and I surely got my moneys worth. I tried to post some pictures I snapped of Britney, but they did not come out well and were really blurry. O-well.

This weekend we went to the Lockhart house and brought our friends, The Ellen's, along for the ride. We had so much fun, but I think Reese and Annemarie had the most fun of all. They played outside pretty much from sun up to sun down. Almost all of their meals were eaten outside as well b/c they just did not want to come inside...at all! We nick-named them "pigpens" b/c they were sooooooo dirty. I did not think it was possible for 2 little girls to get this dirty, but they did.

Unfortunatly, Chad broke his hand. He had an unfortunate mishap with the skeet thrower and after a trip to the Lockhart Clinic, it was confirmed he broke his hand. That sucked, but we still had a blast...broken hand an all. He is going to make an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow to find out if he needs a cast. Ugg!

Annemarie "Pebbles" Haley

2009-09-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

It was a big hair day for Annemarie. I FINALLY got her hair in a Pebbles-esque hairdo. This was a big accomplishment for two reasons. 1. She finally has enough hair to put in a ponytail. 2. She actually sat still long enough for me to put her hair in a ponytail. I gave her my cell phone after she ate dinner while I played with her hair. Genius!!!!!!!!!!!

Sue's Birthday, Bath and Toilet Fun

2009-09-10T18:13:00.001-07:00

We hosted Sue's birthday party at our house this year and had a lot of fun. All the kiddos made sure we had plenty of noise while we had dinner and very loud singing voices during the Happy Birthday song. Sue was sooooooo excited to get an iPod and lots of iTunes gift cards.
Annemarie loves to try and flush the toilet but could never quiet crawl up on to the toilet seat, until tonight. She thought she was hot stuff once she got up there. Yes, she does look like a 17 year old high school boy with her crazy hairdo. You know how 17 year olds wear there hair all pushed down in their face? Anyway.....enjoy the pictures!!!!!!

Boots, Ballet Outfit and Bike Riding

2009-09-01T10:39:00.001-07:00

Annemarie had her 15 month appointment yesterday. She is 23.2 pounds (60%) and is 32.5 inches tall (95%). She had to get 4 shots so you can imagine the screaming that went on during that torture. We were talking to Dr. Haggerty about her "breath holding spells" and she was kind of laughing at us and saying to be prepared for the Terrible Twos(which by the way is a total myth. Terrible Twos start around 16 months and last until the kid is 3 years old) because Annemarie is going to be a doozie. Great. Everything else was fine and we don't have to go back until Annemarie is 2 years old.

We started going on family bike rides at night and Annemarie LOVES it. She looks so cute in her little pink bunny helmet. She also is 100% crazy about shoes. Any shoes. She can spend about an hour playing in all my shoes. She LOVES Chad's boots and always wants to wear them. It is pretty funny.

I got her a new ballet outfit this weekend as well at Jazzrags. It might be the cutest store ever built. I decided she will be a ballerina for Halloween this year and the new ballet costume is her outfit. Perfect!

McKenna and Drew Start 2nd Grade

2009-08-25T18:51:00.001-07:00

Today was McKenna and Drew's first day of 2nd grade at a brand new school. Laura has followed her mother's footsteps and celebrates the first day of school with a party. Laura invited us over for the celebration. Ther was cake, ice cream, goodie bags and first day of school stories.

First Ballet Class

2009-08-18T10:13:00.001-07:00

First off, THANK YOU to Jody and Elizabeth for telling me how to upload more than 5 pictures!
Annemarie had her first ballet class today with 4 little friends, Lilly, Brooklynn, Caroline and Reese. It might have been the cutest/most chaotic thing I have ever witnessed. They all looked so adorable in there little tights, leotards and skirts. The class is 30 mintues long every Tuesday. It is kind of gymboree type class with little songs and dances added in as well. Ms. Boni (the instructor) is trying to teach them how to listen and follow instructions. I don't know how well they followed instructions the first time, but they sure had fun. I think my favorite part was watching them all run around in their ballet outfits. It was just classic.

Children's Museum - Downtown Houston / Perry's Dinner / Steffani's 29th B-day

2009-08-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

It was quite an eventful Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Chad, Annemarie and I went to the Children's Museum in downtown Houston on Friday and had a total blast. Annemarie just played, played and played some more. As you can see, as soon as we got in the truck to come home she was out cold. On Friday night there were about 12 couples that all went to Perry's for a very nice dinner. The company and food were great, the "service" was much to be desired. I went to Austin Saturday morning to celebrate my friend, Steffani's, birthday. It was super fun and I was so glad I was able to go. Now, there about about 10 more pictures I wanted to put on this blog post but it only allows me to post a maximum of 5 pictures per post. If anyone knows how to increase this, PLEASE let me know.

Kitchen Project Complete!

2009-08-09T11:46:00.001-07:00

Yeah!! Our kitchen upgrade is complete. We got granite countertops, travertine backsplash and a new sink/fixtures. The contractors started on Tuesday morning and finished Saturday night at 8:30pm. Vicente, the fellow who did our backsplash, worked his tail off. He sure had his work cut out for him. The demolition part of the backsplash job took him twice as long as expected. Anway, the final product looks soooo great and we are thrilled with our new kitchen. Tracy, you won't have to look at our ugly 3x3 beige tiles anymore!!!!

Kitchen Fun

2009-08-05T18:32:00.001-07:00

This week Chad and I are having new countertops and backsplash put in the kitchen. Annemarie thinks this is the most awesome thing EVER and has taken full advantage of the situation. As you can see, she helped me pull out ALL the water bottles and tupperware out of the cabinets. Then she thought it would be fun to sit her tupperware drawer as if she were playing in a sandbox. The kitchen remodel is scheduled to be completed on Friday. I will post some pictures of the new kitchen once it is complete. Stay tuned!

Face Dive Into The Wall

2009-08-02T19:03:00.001-07:00

My poor little baby looks like a bruised unicorn!!! Annemarie took a really hard face dive into a wall, at my friend Erica's house, on Friday afternoon. She was "power walking" through Erica's kitchen and tripped and smashed her head into the wall. She actually hit her head right on the corner of the wall. Within in 10 seconds she had a HUGE goose egg sticking out of her head resembling a unicorn. The swelling went down sooo much overnight, but she is left with a wicked bruise. Poor baby.
The night before, Annemarie got SOOOOOOOO mad that she had to put a diaper on after her bath that she actually threw a fit so bad she turned blue and passed out. No lie!!! She was "out" for about 3-5 seconds and it was terrifying. I yanked her off the floor and Chad slapped her on the back and she woke up and was fine. My doctor said it is common for children from 6 months to 2 years old to do this. I was shocked. When Chad was a baby he used to hold his breath and pass out if he was not in reaching distance of his mother. Hmmmmmmm, I wonder where Annemarie gets her temper from?????

Free Labor, Corn and ET

2009-07-27T18:22:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures over the past 2 weeks. The first 2 are of Annemarie mopping the floor. Chad spilled his coffee on the kitchen floor last week so I went to get the Swifter Sweeper to clean it up. Annemarie was fascinated by the mop so I put her to work. Is it too early to get rid of my cleaning lady? The next two pictures are from tonights dinner. Annemarie is very interested in corn on the cob. We have tried to give it to her a couple of times in the past with no interest on her part. Tonight I tried again. She just sort of licked the butter and salt off the corn, but once we were done with our corn on the cob she just HAD to have the empty cob. She went to town slobbering and chewing all over it. It was pretty funny. The last picture is from last week as well. I was folding my laundry and she kept on trying to put on my pajama shirt. Finally, Chad just put it on her and she did not like that. I think she sort of looks like E.T. when Elliott dresses the E.T. up in that dress. You know what I am talking about?
Annemarie's new favorite food is nuts, any kind of nut will do. She loves peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans and sunflower seeds.

Sweet Kisses

2009-07-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video I took of Annemarie a few nights ago giving away kisses to Chad and me. It is so cute and so sweet. Ahhhhhhh.

Fun Around the House

2009-07-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures that I thought were kind of funny and cute. After lunch today, Annemarie had her bathing suit on b/c we were meeting our friends at the pool for the afternoon. So, I got some cute shots of her riding around on her scooter in her bathing suit. If that does not say Top Model, I don't know what does! I also got a super cute video of her giving out kisses to Chad so I will post that later this week.

Dinner Time

2009-07-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Annemarie is a very picky eater. Chad and I have really been trying hard to get her to eat the same dinner as we do. Tonight we got so excited b/c we would look over at Annemarie's high chair realize that more and more of her food was starting to disappear. FINALLY, the kid decided to eat dinner!! This is GREAT. So, dinner was over and I went to get Annemarie out of her high chair and ALL her food was in the bottom of the chair. She was just chewing everything up and then spitting it out. The picture above will show you what we dealt with. Ahhhhh!

4th of July

2009-07-05T09:51:00.001-07:00

We had a very eventful 4th of July celebration this year. We went to 2 parties and had lots of fun. The first party was Erica and Chris Prihoda's house. They had the most awesome baby pool ever!!!! The second party was at Eric and Reenie's house. All the regular crew was there to celebrate 4th of July as well as Eric and Forest's birthdays. As usual, the washers tournament was in in full force all day and night long. Annemarie lasted until 6:30pm which is really good considering she only had one nap all day.

Children's Museum - Downtown Houston

2009-06-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Children's Museum in downtown Houston. Myself, Annemarie, Laura, Jane, Drew, McKenna, Ethan and Kate all went together. It was sooo neat and sooo fun!!!! Laura and I thought for sure that Annemarie and Kate would just have total meltdowns around 11:30am, but they did GREAT!!!! There is a specific area just for toddlers. It is designed for children under the age of 2. Annemarie and Kate (and Ethan) loved it. After lunch we took all the kiddos downstairs where the real action was. Holy cow....there was sooooo much stuff to do, look at, and experiment with. It is a very "hands on" museum so that is great. The only thing I did not like was the fact that it was so crowded. Once school starts back up this Fall the crowds should thin out as well. Oh...the first picture is just a funny picture of Annemarie reading her book chair before bedtime.

Tough Love

2009-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

This week Chad and I decided it was time to get "tough" with regards to Annemarie's eating habits. There is about 10 things she will eat willingly, 6 of them being snack foods. At her one year check up with Dr. Haggerty, we were instructed to give her the same dinner as we were having and if she did not want it then she went to bed hungry. It has been 2 nights and she has gone to bed without dinner both nights. Hopefully she will learn soon. It sucks, but we are going to follow doctors orders.

First Plane Ride to Mississippi

2009-06-15T19:17:00.001-07:00

We took our first family trip to Mississippi, via airplane, this past weekend. It was so great to see all my dad's side of the family. Annemarie did really really great all weekend except for about a 15 minute meltdown on the way home yesterday. She finally cried (well, screamed) herself to sleep and fell asleep on Chad's shoulder. My grandmother was able to see 4 generations worth of family in one room. That is pretty neat!!!! I posted a few pictures from our trip. Thank you again so much to my Aunt Linda and Uncle Jim for making us feel sooooo welcome and making the trip super easy on us. THANK YOU again!!!!!

Annemarie Walking

2009-06-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video taken on Friday night showing Annemarie's newest skill...walking!!! She has been taking a few steps here and there for about a month and she finally just decided she can walk all the time. It really amazes me how much babies can improve on a skill in a matter of days. She is a "full time" walker now and it is so much fun!!!! It is like a whole new world to her...and for us! Enjoy!

More Pictures From Annemaire's Birthday - Sorry the pictures are so small. I don't know what happened!

2009-06-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some better pictures of the birthday girl on her big day...thanks to Elizabeth!!!! As you can see, she was interested in the cake at first but then realized it was not so much fun. Chad got her a motorized 4-wheeler that she thinks is pretty darn cool. She LOVES pushing the button to make it go. I guess we need to get her a helmet. Chad says that he is just prepping her for Indy Car debute in about 15 years. Uhh....I think NOT!
Annemarie had her 1 year check up yesterday. She weighs 21.6 pounds and is 30 inches long and her head is 18.5 inches round. Dr. Haggerty said to stop cold turkey regarding her bottles. She is actually doing okay with the whole thing. She had a hard time drinking milk from a sippy cup yesterday, but by 4:30pm she realized that I was not going to give her a bottle she caved in and took the milk from a cup. She thinks that only water should come from a sippy cup. Everything else seemed good. Hooray for that!

Look Who's 1 Year Old!

2009-05-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Annemarie turned 1 year old today!!!! We had a little party at the house with family and a few friends. Chad and I did not get really get any good "party pics" of Annemarie, but I know a lot of other people did so I will post those later. Annemarie was certainly overwhelmed by all the commotion that was going on at the house. She was not so sure she wanted to dig into her cake. She kind of poked it a few times and then started to cry. She got some GREAT toys!!! One of her favorites is a little pink and blue car that her Aunt Laura gave her. Annemarie and Grace fought over that car like cats and dogs. The car finally had to go in "time out" since they could not figure out how to share. Attached are just a few pictures that we happend to get on our camera. I promise to post more once I receive them.

New Chair and Nap Time

2009-05-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Since Annemarie's birthday is this weekend, Chad and I decided to get her a "mini" chair for the living room. I went and bought it last week and have been hiding it in the dining room. This morning, little miss snoopy, found it. Chad would remove her from the dining room but she just kept on going back in there to play on her chair. So, we just decided she could have her birthday present early. She LOVES it. Attached are some pictures of her playing on it today. As part of our Haley Family evenings, we go on a walk every night before dinner. Annemarie has not fallen asleep in her stroller for months!! Tonight, she just crashed out in her stroller and it was so cute. Enjoy!

Potty Time or Play Time?

2009-05-20T20:02:00.001-07:00

We decided to get Annemarie a potty (pink of course!!!) just to start introducing it to her. Chad took it out of the box and put it together. I kid you not, she played with that potty non-stop for about 30 mintues. I got some video of her taking it all apart and trying to put it back together so I will post the video soon. Anyway, I think Annemarie thinks the potty is a toy so I don't see potty training happening anytime in the near future.

Kelly and Jay's Wedding

2009-05-17T20:14:00.001-07:00

"The Big Day" finally came for Kelly and Jay!!! They got married on Saturday, May 16th, 2009 in Austin, Texas. Man.....it was an AWESOME weekend!!! The rehearsal dinner was at Green Mesquite BBQ. We had the back patio reserved for the party and there was a great little country band that played while we all enjoyed some delicious BBQ. The wedding ceremony was held at the University Catholic Center and the reception was at Mansion of Judge's Hill. It is this adorable little hotel that has a lot of "botique" touches throughout the property. Kelly and Jay had an amazing reception with an AWESOME band and great food. Kelly looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding gown. She looked so classic and I think she should be in a magazine. Today, Kelly and Jay left for an 11 day honeymoon in Costa Rica. Congrats to the newlyweds!!!!!! You make a super couple and you will love being married. Thank you again for letting us be a part of your wedding weekend.

Happy Mother's Day to All the Mamas!

2009-05-10T19:11:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the new and veteran moms out there. I hope you had a super day!!! We had a great Mother's Day at the Haley household. Annemarie slept in until 7:30am and Chad took care of her this morning while I slept in. I got my Mother's Day gifts and it was way more than I expected. I just asked for a new Ironman watch because my band stunk so bad from sweat I was almost not able to wear it anymore. I did get a new Ironman watch AND a Bodybugg!!!! I can't believe Chad surprised me with that. I had been commenting on how it would be cool to have one, but they are pretty expensive. My friend, Sarah, has one and really likes it so I had been talking to her about it. Anyway, the Bodybugg was a huge surprise and I got it all set up tonight. I am eager to use it tomorrow. For those of you who don't know what it is, the Bodybugg is basically a device you wear on your arm that tracks your calories burned versus calories taken in. It is supposed to help either gain, maintain or lose weight/muscle. Back to our day....we went to lunch and then hit up the mall for a bit. Annemarie had her first ride on the carrosel today and she LOVED it. Tracy took our family portraits today at Rob and Laura's house and I think she got some good pictures. Annemarie was a trooper and did some good modeling poses!! We had a nice dinner afterwards with the Haley family. All the kids had fun playing and it just turned out to be a great day. I was sad I did not get to see my mom on Mother's Day though. Boo hoo. She and my dad went to Dallas for the weekend to visit with Matt, Candace and Zach. Annemarie took her first 3 steps this week as well. Chad and I were both able to witness it so that was soooo neat. We have been working with her everyday on walking, so hopefully she will be in full force by her 1st birthday at the end of the month.

Look Who's 11 Months Old!

2009-04-30T17:55:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Annemarie is 11 month old today!!!!! It is sad and exciting to think that next month at this time she will one year old. My my my..... We have had some ups and downs over the past several months. She was throwing the worst temper tantrums ever for about 3 weeks. That has sort of subsided and she is doing a little better. She went from taking 2 naps a day (each one was about 45 minutes) and this week she is now taking one very long nap. It is about 2-2.5 hours long. I really hope she keeps the one nap schedule for good. She is in a pretty good mood when she wakes up and it is so much easier to plan outings around one nap versus two naps. She can now stand, unsupported, for several minutes at a time. I think she wants to walk, but does not quite know how to do it. Chad is going to work on getting her to walk this weekend. She talks (okay...babbles) non-stop. It is like she is chatting it up with some imaginary friends or something. It is very cute and I just like to watch her while she does it. Gigi let us borrow one of those crawling tubes and she LOVES it. She thinks it is so funny to crawl as fast as she can from one end to the other. She really is so much fun to play with and I love listening to her laugh. It is like music to my ears.

Just a Few Pictures

2009-04-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

The first picture was attempt to get of picture of her standing without holding on to anything, but she grabbed for the chair when I got my camera out. O-well.
The other pictures are of Annemarie trying to escape us after bath time because she HATES being dried off and having lotion put on her. She usually makes it out the bathroom door, but Chad recovers her and brings her back. It is like wrestling a screaming monkey to get her in her pajamas.

Easter and a Trip the ER....Again!

2009-04-12T10:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone. I hope the Easter bunny broughts lots of goodies to your little ones. Attached are a few pictures from yesterday afternoon at the park with my mom and dad. Annemarie LOVES the park and would stay there all day if she could. She loves to watch the older kids play. As the blog title says....yes, we had yet another trip to the ER last night. It is getting kind of commical how often we go there!!! I got very sick late yesterday afternoon and was vomitting and had diahrrea for about 6 hours. Around 8:30pm, I called Chad into the bathroom b/c I had gotten really sick on the floor and I felt really faint. Well, I blacked out (big surprise) for a bit. Chad called my parents and they came over to stay with Annemarie while we went to the ER. I was hooked up to 2 IV bags and put on anti-naseau and anti-diahrrea medications. I was severely dehydrated, thus causing the blacking out. I feel better today, but not 100%. Everyone is at Sue's (my mother-in-law) house while I am sitting at home. It sucks!!!!

3rd Annual Crawfish Party

2009-04-02T19:25:00.001-07:00

We had our 3rd Annual "Chadie" Crawfish Boil at our house this past Saturday. My my my...what a turn out we had!!! The confirmation number on the evite said that 93 people were attending, and and I am fairly sure 92 people showed up!!! It turned out to be one of the prettiest days of the year. The sun was shining and the breeze was blowing. Chad (and his trusty helper, Rob) cooked 150 pounds of crawfish and almost every last mudbug was eaten. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the kiddos LOVED the bouncy house. What an AWESOME investment that turned out to be! Here is a funny story. I checked the mail on Monday and we had a card addressed to Annemarie from our neighbors. The note on the inside read "Dear Haley's...we saw the big party at your house on Saturday and figured it was a 1 year old birthday party for Annemarie. We wanted to come over and drop off her gift in person, but did not want to distrupt the party." Enclosed was a gift card to Walmart. How funny is that???? I had to explain to our neighbors that is was not her birthday and it was a crawfish boil that was about 3 times as big as it has been in years past. I felt like a jerk for not inviting them. Oops! The party was even so awesome that it caused Reenie Depoy to go into labor!! She and Eric welcomed a handsome baby boy, Tripp Wesley, into the world at 1:20am on March 29th!! YIPPEE!!!! Congrats again Depoy Family!!!

Look Who's 10 Months Old!

2009-03-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Annemarie hit the 10 month mark today. I feel like she just turned 6 months last week!! She is really fun to play with these days, but has mastered the skill of throwing a total fit if she is doing something she does not want to be doing!!! She LOVES being chased around the house and is sooo curious about everything. She loves to play in the dishwasher. She HATES diaper changes. She is still a very picky eater, but I guess some food is better than no food at all. We started her on half whole milk/half formula in her bottles now. She seems to do just fine with the taste so that is good. She is getting some curls in the back of her hair, but it is straight as a board on top. She can stand (unassisted) for about 3-5 seconds so I am sure walking is not too far away. She finally started saying DaDa and Chad is thrilled! Before anyone comments on her outfit in the pictures....yes, I do realize that her "chee chees" are showing. I guess that is allowed when you are 10 months and not a day after!!!

Saturday In The Park

2009-03-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

Annemarie's new favorite spot is the neighborhood park. I swear she would live there if we let her!!! She LOVES watching all the other/older kids play and gets so excited when she sees people walking their dogs. I have a feeling she will be begging us for a dog when she is about 3 years old. Jesse, Jude and Emily accompanied us to the park on Saturday so it was super fun!
Lately, when Annemarie crawls she stops and pushes herself up onto her feet and hands and tries so hard to stand up. She wants to walk soooo bad. She is getting really good at pushing her walker around as well. It is fun to watch.

A Special Post Just for Pappa Angelo

2009-03-11T17:54:00.001-07:00

At my baby shower last year, my dad got Annemarie an Astros outfit with the hopes of taking her to a game this season. I just realized that she is about to outgrow the outfit so I wanted to get a picture of her in it. She sure would make a super cute Astros bat girl!!!!

9 Month Stats and Some Fun Pictures

2009-03-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

Chad and I took Annemarie to her 9 month check-up. She weighed 19lbs 11oz (75%)and was 28.25'' (75%). The nurse had to prick her finger to run some blood work, Dr. Haggerty had to dig a splinter out of her hand and she had to get a Polio shot. As you can imagine, Annemarie was NOT happy about any of it. She SCREAMED the entire time we were there. Dr. Haggerty was kind of dumbfounded by how upset Annemarie was and the fact that was not calming down. You know your kid is throwing a fit when your pediatrician is surprised by their behavior!!! Annemarie is anemic so I had to start her on iron supplements. She is not very interested in meat. Gee...I wonder where that comes from???
Annemarie's Great Aunt Karen (sorry Karen...I know you don't like that name) came for a visit from Ohio. Annemarie took to Karen really well and really fast. It was fun watching them interact.
Tonight, Chad had some pudding and as you can see from the photos, I am not sure if Chad actually got to eat any of his pudding. He he he

Look Who's 9 Months Old!

2009-02-28T17:18:00.001-08:00

Annemarie hit the 9 month mark today...well she is two days shy of 9 months since February only has 28 days. Annemarie has been "difficult" this week. VERY VERY clingy and wants to be held constantly. I did notice 4 teeth up top had popped through so maybe that was bothering her. She has gotten in a bad habit of automatically fussing as soon as someone puts her down. Chad and I are trying to break her of this habbit. The only food she wants to eat are carbs in the form of snack food. Hmmmm...I wonder where she gets that from?? Her hair is coming in nicely so I hope to get some bows in it by summer.
On a different note....here is quick story for you. Today I was walking down the steps at our house and I missed a step and I fell and heard my ankle pop. I was screaming and Chad came running in to see what happened. I told him that I fell and I thought I was going to throw up. So, Chad tried to move me off the steps on to the floor and I blacked out. The next thing I know, I woke up by Chad slapping me on the face and yelling my name. Chad called 911 once I fainted. He said I was out for a minute or so and going into convulsions on the floor. I think the severity of the pain just caused me to blackout. The ambulance came and ran my blood sugar and it was low. They also ran an EKG and some other tests. I had to drink this glucose stuff and wait until my blood sugar level rose 10 points before they would leave. My dad took me to the minor ER clinic and I had an x-ray done to see if my ankle was broken. Luckily, it is not. I tore some ligaments and have a sprained ankle. I have to keep ice on it today and then heat tomorrow. The doctor said to try and stay off it as much as possible over the next week. That will be hard considering I have a very active child. I am more frustrated with the fact that I will not be able to workout or teach StrollerFit next week. Ugg!!!

This Too Cute Not To Post

2009-02-24T13:28:00.001-08:00

This morning I was getting dressed in the bedroom and Annemarie was playing in the bathroom. I walked in and she had crawled into the closet and was elbow deep in all my shoes. It was just a classic picture I could not pass up. I think I have a shoe fanatic on my hands already!!!! Her teenage years should be very interesting, and expensive!

Umm...Does This Look Safe To You?

2009-02-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

The other morning I was in the bedroom getting dressed. Annemarie was in our bathroom. I thought she was innocently playing on the floor with some bath toys. When I walked in the bathroom, I discovered she had opened up the cabinet under Chad's sink and pulled out all his prescription medicine bottles. Of course, everything went straight into her mouth. I knew they made those childproof caps for something!

Haley Insurance Photo Shoot

2009-02-17T13:25:00.001-08:00

Today we had a photo shoot for Haley Insurance's new ad. Look who's crying. Annemarie was NOT into having her picture taken. We did not get one shot where she was not crying. I am not surprised though. To be honest, it was kind of amusing watching her scream when she looked so cute in her tutu and headband. Drew, McKenna and Kate were such troopers for the shoot.

Just some fun pictures

2009-02-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

Here are few pictures of Annemarie being a goof ball around the house. I swear, that child gets into EVERYTHING now that she has learned how to crawl. It is more like "speed" crawling. It really amazes me how much faster she can crawl in just two weeks. She LOVES to open cabinets and drawers and pull all sorts of junk out of them. She is also fascinated with pulling herself up on anything and everything in the house. She likes to crawl over to the end table and play underneath it. It is kind of funny to watch her examine the legs on the table, considering she has about 100 toys just a few feet away from her. Go figure!!!!

Annemarie crawls

2009-02-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

Look Who's 8 Months Old

2009-01-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

Annemarie turned 8 months today and she has really learned a lot over the past month. The biggest thing she learned how to do is crawl!! Yep, we have a crawler on our hands. She is so funny to watch because she will crawl a little bit and then stop and look up at you, smile, and then keep on going. She has also learned how to pull herself up on the living room ottoman and her exersaucer. She gets so excited when she does it. Her hair is coming in a lot more and hopefully there will be enough hair in a few months to put some bows in it. She LOVES yogurt and will eat any flavor. I have tried to feed her several other foods like, mac and cheese, peas and fruit bars, but she does not have any interest. I got her a baby doll yesterday at Target and she pushed the box, the doll came in, around for about 45 minutes yesterday. Her favorite toy is this singing frog Candace and Matt got for her for Christmas. She just laughs and smiles when she sees it. Now that she crawls, she is on the hunt for Larry, our cat. She LOVES Larry so much and just wants to grab her tail all the time. Chad bought a bike with a nice carrier on the back so we are looking forward to taking her on bike rides...but she has to be 1 year old to do that.

Such a ham

2009-01-16T05:53:00.000-08:00

Brad, my little, brother came in from Iraq this week. He had 2 weeks off so he spent one of those weeks in The Woodlands. He is even bigger than I remember!! Annemarie loved playing with her Uncle B-Rad and vice versa. Yesterday, I walked into the living room from the kitchen and Annemarie had crawled underneath her exersaucer to play! It was quite funny when she could not figure out how to get out. The only things she likes to eat these days are carrots, sweet potatoes, edamame and a little bit of green beans. We have been working on using a sippy cup as well. She is doing pretty good, but I think we have a long way to go!

Play Date

2009-01-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

Today Annemarie had a play date at her friend, Reese's, house. There were 5 little girls there from the ages of 14 months to 6 months. It was so cute to watch them all play together. Annemarie LOVED playing with all of Reese's toys. I did go out and buy her two new toys yesterday. I got her a 2-In-1 walker and a musical stage play set. She loves the musical stage because she can look at herself in the mirror. She just smiles and laughs. It is very funny. She has figured out how to sit up in her crib, but she can't figure out how to get back down. So, she just cries until we get her. Ugg.

Look Who's 7 Months Old!

2008-12-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

Annemarie hit the 7 month mark today and I seriously can't believe it! It seems like time is just flying by now. She has really come into her personality and is a VERY active little girl. She LOVES to scratch everything and blow her mouth so it sounds like a horn. It gets pretty messy when she eats and blows her "horn" at the same time. Her favorite foods are eddemame and sweet potatoes. She is starting to scoot around on her belly a little bit and will rock back and forth when she is on her hands and knees. She also likes to try and pull herself on just about anything. I think I am going to be in very big trouble once she starts crawling. Baby gate city here we come!

Christmas Fun!

2008-12-27T16:28:00.001-08:00

What a great Christmas! The holiday was jammed packed with food, family, toys and lots of fun. We had Christmas Eve dinner at my parent's house along with the Castleberry and Haley families. On Christmas morning we went to church and then celebrated the day at Sue and Johnny's house. We had Sue's famous krout sandwiches and played a numerous games of Wii bowling. The day after Christmas we went back to my parent's house and celebrated with my parents, Matt, Candace and Zachary. There was a million and one things going on, but it was so fun and I would not change it for the world. I just feel lucky we have so many people who love us and want us around for the holidays. Some people are not so lucky.

A Play Date with Lilly

2008-12-10T17:06:00.001-08:00

I had the pleasure of babysitting for Lilly Armstrong for about an hour today. She is so good and did not even mind Annemarie being a bully! The girls were so funny babbling and blowing spit bubbles at one another. I got a taste of what it would be like to have twins! Here are a few pictures from this morning. Yes, Annemarie was still in her pajamas....oops.