False Start!

I had the craziest day yesterday!
The kids & I have been planning a trip to California, to visit my parents. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 11:20am on Saturday. Of course, I stayed up WAY too late on Friday night packing & making sure everything was JUST RIGHT for my first flight alone, with the 2 kids.
We left the house Saturday morning at 9:30am. Everything went our way—no traffic, no line at the ticket counter, a smooth passage through security, and a pretty graceful entrance onto the airplane (of course, I had my hands & mind VERY full, but the kids & other passengers were very cooperative).
After the plane drove out to the runway, the pilot announced that, due to high winds, we would have to wait for take-off. Luckily, a rule was just put in place that limits passenger “entrapment” on an airplane to 3 hours. So, after 3 hours on a completely full plane, in a middle seat, with an infant in my arms (who eats & poops a LOT!) and a very busy toddler by my side (thank goodness for snacks, books & the dvd player!) we returned to the gate. We then stood in line for another 2 hours to re-book our trip. Rod came to pick us up, gather our luggage & bring us home. By then, it was 5:30pm.
So, we’re going to try again on Tuesday morning—I’m leaving our bags packed & anticipating a better day.
Wish us luck!!
(Special thanks to Rod--he gets the "Super Dad/Husband Award" for giving Will his bottles last night & for taking both kids to church this morning while I slept & slept & slept...)

The Dallas Zoo with Dad!

We recently spent a cold Saturday morning introducing Rod to the Dallas Zoo.
Savannah was pretty fired up when Daddy agreed to ride the wooden horses with her (she is yelling, "yee haw!")Will took a break in the animal-shaped bean bags.
Savannah got to hold & play with the mice--she loved it.

Trip to Arizona

Rod & I took the kids to Arizona 2 weeks ago. It was Will's first visit with the Hinze family. We had such a nice time (Arizona is a GREAT place to be in January!)
Will & Savannah with Grandma & Grandpa Hinze
Hinze Girls' Night Out!
My special & wonderful visit with Christie!

Arizona Trip--Makutu's Island

One of the highlights of our Arizona Trip was our visit to Makutu's Island--a 20,000 square foot indoor playground! We spent HOURS running, climbing, sliding, and having an unbelievable time. Savannah was truly in her "happy place." She is such a dare devil--she'll climb anything & she even ended up going down the slides backwards & head first. Rod was dripping with sweat from playing so hard. What fun!

My Boys

I couldn't resist posting this picture of my boys.
Rod is such an amazing father. He loves his babies so much (too much?!) You can just see it in his eyes.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a great Valentine's Day.
Savannah goes to the BEST little preschool. One of the mothers volunteered to host a special Valentine's Day celebration. Savannah's FABULOUS teacher, Miss Amie, offered to hold Will (in the background of this picture) so I could spend time helping Savannah make her Valentine Bag.
Savannah loved using the glitter glue--she was very focused.
Rod gave me beautiful roses (purchased from the young women as a camp fundraiser!) & arranged for a babysitter for both kids while we went out. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner, gelato & a bit of shopping. It was so nice to get away! I made this fresh loaf of whole wheat oatmeal bread for Rod & prepared a special dinner the day after Valentine's Day.

Will's New Spot!

We recently got this fabulous little infant chair for Will & he LOVES it!
He is SUCH a happy little dude & he just loves getting lots of attention from his mommy. So, I can just plop him in this chair & set it on the kitchen counter while I cook, next to my bathroom sink while I'm doing my hair & make-up, or on the table while I'm working on a project. Will just hangs out & stares, laughs, and smiles at me while I get my day done!

Happy Mardi Gras!!!

Today, we went to our first Mardi Gras party! Our neighbors across the street moved here about 6 months ago from Louisiana & they put on quite the shin-dig.

Savannah was queen of the beads & spent a LOT of time choosing her customized collection!

The food was unbelievable--we had etouffee, seafood gumbo, shrimp, king cake & more!

Rod & I stopped to pose with our crawfish before throwing them into the boiler!

The kids gathered around the driveway for crawfish races--so funny!!

2 Month Check Up

I recently took Will to his 2 month check up. He had such a fun time laying on the exam table—kicking & stretching & hearing the paper crinkle underneath him.
He weighs 11 lb. 10 oz., is in the 50th percentile for weight, 25th for length, and 30th for head.
I can’t believe how fast he is growing!!

 
  

Working Out

Savannah is having such a fun time teaching Will how to play!
When I do my pilates video, I pull out this play mat & the three of us all get a little floor workout together. The other day, while the video was on, Savannah ran over to Will & started lifting his legs while saying, “up and down, up and down.” She’s already helping him develop some serious core strength!
 
  

Shopping at the Science Place

A few days ago, we went to play at the Science Place.
Savannah's favorite exhibit was the mini grocery store, where she was able to fill up her own cart & run her items through the scanner. She's already a shopping pro!

Story Time!

The kids & I headed downtown today for Story Time at the Dallas Public Library. Savannah had a complete blast! However, for Savannah, the real fun didn't come from the actual STORY part of Story Time.

She LOVED dancing to the crazy music...

She enjoyed working on her snowman craft...

And who knew that Hide & Seek can actually be played by 3 kids in a completely empty room? (Not much hiding, but lots of seeking & lots of fun!)

Bath Time!

Since she is such a pro in the tub, I thought Savannah would enjoy teaching her brother a thing or two about bath time.
She loved climbing into the tub to wash him and even made up a song about cleaning Baby Will. Savannah is such a great helper & Will LOVES the water!!

 
  

Brother & Sister

All I can say is, "so far, so good." I'm sure they'll have their moments, but at this moment, Savannah & Will love each other very much!

The Dallas Zoo!

Today I took the kids, along with our friends, Carrie & Maren, to the Dallas Zoo. We had a complete blast.
It was a pretty chilly day (as you can see by the color of Jen & Savannah's noses!) & the zoo was practically empty. So, we all had a fabulous time on our exclusive tour! Will was a total trooper, staying quietly snuggled in his Bjorn the entire time.

I enjoyed feeding the birds. Savannah, however, was a bit cautious. She practically lost it when one of the birds landed on her head!

Standing at the monkey exhibit, while holding my own little monkeys!!

Savannah's face to face encounter with the gorilla. (She wanted to share her carrot with him!)

The highlight of the trip: The carousel! The operator let us go around two times. Savannah chose to ride on the black panther the first time around, and on the flying eagle the second time around. Her buddy, Maren, stuck with the beautiful white horses! The girls had a blast while the moms & Will got nice & dizzy!

Cracking Me Up!

Savannah is seriously cracking me up these days. I know I will always remember that Savannah was a cute & funny toddler, but I am so afraid that I will forget all of the darling things she does every day to bring joy to my life. So, I thought I should record some of her recent moments:
1-We went to the grocery store today. Savannah was climbing all over the cart & I asked her to please be careful. She confidently replied, "Yes Mommy. This is very dangerous."
2-Savannah spent the evening running around the house, chasing the light from her flashlight. At one point, she hollered at the light, "get back here, you stinker!"
3-Rod has spent the past couple of days at home sick. Savannah keeps worrying about having a band-aid big enough to make Daddy feel better.
4-Although it's been 4 weeks since Savannah got a little tiny nip on her arm from the neighbor's dog, she continues to remind me (and everyone else) daily, "the monster doggy bit my arm."
5-She is completely entertained by bath time. Her morning bath usually lasts an hour, and sometimes she takes an evening bath as well. She LOVES being in the water.
6-Savannah is obsessed with drinking water from her Nuby sippy cup. When I asked her if she wanted a burrito for dinner tonight, she said, "No thank you, Mommy. Just water. Just water in my cup." Our biggest battle currently is getting through the night without her screaming for more water. Last night, she wanted 3 cups of water. Tonight, I had a big talk with her to help her understand that she only gets one cup of water & she has to make it last the entire night.
7-She will do anything for a Kit Kat. Since Will was born, we've had some potty training regression. In just two days, Kit Kat bribery has resolved all of our issues.

Finding Focus

About 4 days ago, Will started really focusing on objects—the mobile in his crib, the toys on his swing, and (best of all) the faces of his family!
He is so much fun!!
 

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas!
Savannah was thrilled to open all of her presents. A big thank you to all of the grandparents, aunts & uncles who helped us out with loading her up this year! She loves all of her new stuff!!
After opening presents, we ate our traditional Hinze Family German Pancake Breakfast & then headed out for a very long walk with the kids (we’re so grateful for our beautiful Dallas weather!)
Taking naps & playing with new toys kept us occupied for the rest of the day.
What a fabulous Christmas!!



 

Will at 6 Weeks

Updated pictures of Will—he is growing too fast!!
He has been so smiley lately & is such a good-natured little guy.
Will is extremely active. He spends a lot of time kicking & punching the air, which we all find very entertaining. We love our Baby Will!!