Mother's Day at the Zoo!

We had such a wonderful Mother's Day! The kids gave me beautiful flowers. We spent the day at the Kansas City Zoo. The day started off windy and chilly, but it turned into a really pretty day. The kids were so good! Maia LOVED the animals. She spent most of the time out of her stroller, running from one exhibit to the next, or riding on Bart's shoulders. Chase was perfectly content riding in his stroller, playing with his toy elephant. On the way home, we were so hungry, so we stopped by the Ameristar Buffet...Maia ate more than most adults could handle. When we got home, we were able to join our family's Mother's Day celebration in St. Louis via our webcam. It was so nice to be able to see my Mom and Grandma on Mother's Day even though there are hundreds of miles between us. Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mommies! Chase wasn't too sure about the train...His eyes grew to the size of quarters when we went through the tunnels.

YAY! Maia and Mommy on a camel

Maia's "frowny face"

Maia switched to the 2 year-old room at school. The week before her switch, we found out that the teachers take the kids on regular potty breaks, do not use sippy cups, and a number of other fun activities that Maia needed to learn. Needless to say, she received a crash coarse in drinking out of big girl cups, and pulling up her own pants. She's doing really well with the drinking. We haven't really started potty training yet, but Maia does use her little potty chair least twice a day...she'll be ready soon. The first day Maia came home from her new classroom, we asked her how her day was and if she met any new friends. She kept saying "Abby". We asked her teachers, and sure enough, there is a little girl named Abby in her classroom that Maia plays with all day long. Our little princess is getting so big so fast!

Chase's Baptism

Chase was baptized yesterday at the Church of the Annunciation. He was such a handsome little man! Uncle Matt and Aunt Laura are his Godparents.

Grandma and Grandpa Buck brought Maia a special birthday present...she LOVES it!

I thought this was such a cute picture of Maia holding her little brother...Chase loves to cuddle.

Maia also got a helmet with elbow and knee pads so she won't get any "boo-boos" when she rides her scooter and bike. She is so proud of them. Whenever we go outside, she wants to put them on, even if she's just walking around the block.

MAIA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Maia had SO much fun at her Birthday Party yeasterday! All of Maia's good friends in Kansas City came over to help her celebrate her 2nd birthday. It was so nice outside that the kids were able to play outside in the tent and with the bubble blower. (Thanks to all the other mommies and daddies who helped chase wandering kiddos...we've decided a fence is a necessity this summer!) We managed to keep Maia from eating all of the icing off of her Tinkerbell cake before singing "Happy Birthday". She loved the cake! It's hard to believe that 2 years have gone by so quickly.

Carson and BellaMaia wanted to have pink fingernails and toenails for her party

We took our first trip around the neighborhood today with our new 2-seater stroller. Chase seemed comfortable...of course he wouldn't really complain even if he wasn't, and Maia thought it was the neatest thing that she got to ride next to her little brother. I'm sure we will get much use out of this stroller this summer.

We tried to fly Maia's kite today, and found out that neither of us remember how. Maia had fun just holding it, though.

THANK GOD SPRING IS HERE!

Is spring finally here?Maia LOVES her new scooter. Actually, it isn't really hers. It was left on our driveway one day. We left it there for a few days, and when noone came to claim it, it became Maia's.Bart needed a little assistance. Do you think she's happy to finally play outside?!Chase is 3 months old! We can't believe how fast time is going by!

Chase has been spending a lot of time in his activity center. He's getting much better at standing up, supporting more and more of his own weight (it's a tough job for the little chunker!)

Maia has a blast showing her little brother how all the toys work...it keeps them busy! Maia is turning into such a good big sister...this week, when I was getting ready for work, Chase started crying in his activity center. Maia ran over to me and said, "Chase cry, chase cry". She ran back to her brother and gave him her blankie and a big hug. When he didn't stop crying, she grabbed a ball and tried to play catch. Obviously, that made matters worse. As a last resort, Maia rather forcefully shoved a pacifier into the poor boy's mouth. She tried so hard to help! It's so fun to watch them interact, and it'll only get better.

Chase can roll over!

Chase has been able to roll from his stomach to his back since he was about 7 weeks old. We're still working on going from his back to stomach. I guess this time, Maia thought her blankie would help her brother!

HAPPY EASTER!

This is the flooded creek by Mom & Dad's house.

Chase, Jack & Bella. The twins are 4 months older than Chase, but he'll catch up with them soon...He weighed 13lbs 13oz today. He has already started rolling from his belly to his back. His well baby visit is Thursday (not looking forward to the shots) Maia & Carson - just hanging out

Jessie and I relived our highschool days, and saw Steve Ewing play at a local dive last weekend...So much fun!

Chase is 2 months old!

Chase weighs 12lbs 6oz...I can't believe how fast he's growing!

Chase took his first trip to Springfield last weekend. He was so good in the car, sleeping most of the time. We visited Bart's Aunt Dorothy and his Grandma. Maia had a blast at Great Grandma's with all the toys. Both kiddos were so good all weekend. Great Grandma Gaddis and Chase Tickle bugsFinally, the weather was nice enough to run around outside. Maia busted her lip within the first ten minutes she was outside...I guess we need to stock up on bandaids for the summer.Yes...we put our cat on a leash...SO?

"I'm taking a bath, guys"Maia loves to sit in her chair with her brother