4th of July Avalon, NJ

We spent the 4th of July with our good friends, the Dhillon's, at Avalon, NJ. The kids truly enjoyed this mini vacation and had fun playing at the beach and the hotel pool.

watching fireworks..

Brambleton Bettas

Andrew is on the mini-Bettas, our neighborhood swim team. The mini's practice daily and once they are ready are promoted to the real Bettas for competition. So far, he loves it! I am really glad since he hasn't shown an interest in other activities we have tried. He is a little fish in the water!

Such a Happy Baby

Avery is all smiles these days.. even with a bout of croup. She really is a good baby. It's rare to hear her cry. The only time she does is around 5:00am when she wakes up to eat and James or I (depending on whos turn it is) are too slow to get the bottle ready. We all are in love with this little baby and she gets loads of attention. I am enjoying simply experiencing this baby in a way unlike all of my other babies. It is the first time I have had only one baby to take care of and it is truly wonderful! She is starting to roll onto her side and grab objects. She also imitates me when I make an "o" with my mouth or say "NNNNN-GAA". She is such a joy!

8 Hours!

She did it! Avery slept from 9 to 5 last night and Mommy and Daddy couldn't be happier! Also, I realize that the name of the blog needs to be changed. Maybe after a few more nights of sleep. :)

I love...

Words cannot describe how much I love this baby. I love the way she nuzzles her warm fuzzy little head into my neck when I lay her on my chest. I love the way she makes little fists next to her face while she is eating. I adore the way she pokes her neck forward like a little turtle, arches her back, sticks her lower lip out, and stretches her arms above her head when she wakes up. I love how she stares at me when I carry her around the house, even if I'm not looking back.

Easter

We had a nice Easter. We went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch and had an egg hunt for the kids when we returned home. The kids looked so cute in their little Easter outfits. Even Avery had a little pink dress on! The only thing I failed to do was to get a family picture. One of these days I will! Allie went through two dresses in case you were wondering.

Brambleton Easter Egg Hunt

Last weekend, our neighborhood hosted an Easter Egg hunt. My Mom's cousin Carla was visiting so she was able to go to it with us. It was so nice to see her and catch up. We arrived at the hunt right at 10:00 when it was supposed to start but it was already in progress and by the time we got there, there were no more eggs! The kids were so sad but one of the people who helped to put on the event saw their empty baskets and gave them each a few extras. They also had some bounce houses and a petting zoo and the Easter Bunny. It was freezing like it is every year but overall the kids had a great time. James and Carla pushed the stroller around with Avery while I supervised the big kids at all of the activities.

Abbey's first sleepover

Abbey was invited to her first sleepover and Mama worried about it for the three weeks leading up to it! I drove her over and gave the Mom my phone number and explained to her that she could call any time day or night if Abbey needed anything or wanted to come home. I tossed and turned all night but no phone call! She made it and had a great time. Way to go Abbey!

Avery Amelia Kendrick

Haven't blogged in a while as we have been enjoying our new baby girl, Avery Amelia. She was born on March 8 and weighed 8 pound 7 oz and was 21 inches long. She is such a sweet content baby and we feel so blessed.

Getting very Close!

Baby should be here very soon. My real due date is March 20 but I secretly believe it should be March 12 based on several early ultrasounds. Allie was born at 38 weeks which would be one week from Friday based on my real due date or this Friday based on my suspected due date. Anyways, we are ready for her whenever she decides it is time. Clothes are washed, crib is ready... we anxiously await her arrival!!

Holy Snow!

We have seen a lot of snow... and I mean a lot! About 33 inches February 5-6, and another 12 on February 12. School was cancelled all this week and James missed Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday due to the storm. It actually has been nice, like another winter vacation, without all of the stress of the holidays! I've been working on thank you cards and we've gotten together for meals with friends and neighbors. The kids have been busy making their valentines mailboxes (although their party won't be until after Valentine's Day). We've all been glued to the local news coverage of the storm and it has been a treat to be a part of this historic event. (James back probably has a different viewpoint though!)

Andrew and Abbey are 6!!

Andrew and Abbey turned six yesterday. The big party is planned for Saturday but they also had fun yesterday on their "real" birthday. They each got a Birthday crown at school and their classes sang Happy Birthday. Andrew was very excited about walking to the office to get his Happy Birthday pencil as well. I bought them Happy Meals for dinner and they each had a special Birthday cookie from Wegmans. Which, by the way, are the best cookies ever! (Abbey didn't finish hers so I did) At night, Andrew was scared to go to bed by himself (we are going through a scared of bad guys breaking in phase) so I let Abbey have a sleepover with him on his bottom bunk. They looked so cute sharing the same pillow and blanket.

Allie and Troy

Troy will turn 13 this year. He has been a part of the family for a long time. When Andrew and Abbey were born, I was scared we would have to give him away because he was so feisty and I was afraid he might hurt one of the babies. But.. he adjusted and adapted just fine to our new family. He steered clear of the kids however, preferring to find a quiet room to nap in, away from all of the activity. He would only seek attention from James and I when we had a rare quiet moment. Well, this has changed. Allie has always been my animal lover and she took an interest in Troy from a very early age. Now, when she is watching a show, Troy comes and sits on her lap and purrs. He loves her and even sleeps on her bed sometimes. It is so cute to see how he has changed and loves this little girl!

Kindergarten Winter Parties

The Kindergarten winter parties were postponed because they were originally scheduled during the blizzard school cancellation before Christmas. I have to admit it was weird to see the kids making red and green wreaths, gingerbread house crafts, and reindeer candy canes in January. They had fun though and it is always a treat to visit them in their classrooms.