I Wake Up!

Thanks, Kid. No, Really...

The last couple of months, Ainsley has started waking us up using a new method. In the past, when she woke up, most of the time she'd play with her toys for a while. We'd hear her on the monitor and have a leisurely morning wake up.

Now, however, she's taken to screaming at the top of her lungs:

MOM! I WAKE UP!  MOOOOM!  I WAKE UP!!

Don't think it doesn't piss me off that it's "Mom!" she screams and not "Dad!" WTF?!

Normally, I'm already awake with Xander, so this isn't too startling. But occasionally, Xander will let me sleep in--and it's on those mornings that the monitor scares the crap out of me.

Yesterday, when Ainsley WAKE UP!!, I went downstairs and discovered exactly how much my daughter she is.  Check this awesome hair.  I'm pretty certain that my family has very similar pictures of me (and my awesome hair) like this at her age.

Also, sorry about that kid...our hair kinda sucks.

And Now for a Little Xander


After waking up, Ainsley decided it was time to go get Little Brother.  Per her usual, she asked to be put in Xander's bed.  This time, however, she did not try to lay on him and smother him in his bed.  Instead, she felt it necessary to show how she could pick her nose. Xander, in turn, offered up some pretty solid scrunchy face.

Xander's Birthday

The Spread

So, in June, we had Xander's first birthday party.  As promised, I'm here to report on the festivities...and show some of my sister Alysse's awesome pictures.

First, I must thank Aunt Sarah for letting us use her home..there's no way we would have been able to fit all our friends and family in Casa Stewart.

A metric crap-ton of
awesome people

Please note the beauty that was the taco bar. I think I may have to have taco bar at every party. Mmmmm!

So, we held the party on a lovely Saturday in June. I was very excited for this party and its outcome for two reasons: 1) I didn't get drunk (unlike Ainsley's first birthday, when I pushed myself too hard and raided Aunt Sarah's cabinet) and 2) I wasn't pregnant.  Before you get all judgy (though really, anyone who'd read this isn't judgy), I didn't know I was pregnant at Ainsley's party. I found out five days later, but it definitely explained the stress/need to drink!

Outdoor Fun...and a SPRINKLER!!


As always, Grandma Fitzgerald arrived with chalk. Ainsley and Kaelynn both enjoyed playing with the chalk. Of course, Aunt Jill had to get in on the action, too!

Aunt Sarah provided a sprinkler for some backyard fun.  All the kids loved the sprinkler immensely. It was one of those wacky sprinklers that shot water everywhere...so much fun!  Ainsley ran willy nilly; Faith and Ripley enjoyed the sprinkler.  I think Kaelynn was less enthused. Either that or she was showing her sass-face for the camera!

Friends and Family Are Cool!


So, just like Ms. A, Xander took a big ole nap during his party. Grandma Ballay got her baby hoggin' hands on him, and he passed right out!

CAKE!!

Alysse said Sean was looking
at me in this picture. *grin*

So, for Ainsley's birthday, we ordered from Halls Takes the Cake, which makes delicious...and very expensive cakes.  They messed up the flavors of hers, so we had a discount on file that I'd forgotten about.  We took advantage of that with Xander's cake and it was awesome.

Unlike his sister, Xander was willing to Tear. That. Cake. UP!  I kinda knew he would, Xander enjoys playing with his food.


Presents!


Xander, of course, was showered with lots of presents.  The hat that Grandma Fitzgerald got him was a big hit with the crowd, and he seemed to not mind wearing it.  Sean was in charge of Xander's presents this year, and he did an excellent job. I was particularly thrilled that Xander got a Cookie Monster doll instead of the standard Elmo. Well done, husband.

This is exactly the
kind of cute you can't handle.

 All in all it was a great party, and we were happy so many people could come out and celebrate Mr. Awesome's birthday. Now, I just need to write those thank you cards!

THE POOL!!

So, Laura Romano got Xander a little pool for his birthday.  Today, now that I have a few things moved off my plate, I was able to dig it out for them.

Watching Ainsley OCD out

At first, Xander didn't want to have anything to do with it. I put him in an there was screaming. Lots of it.  So he hung out on the side of the pool for a while.

The pool has these blow up butterflies that velcro to the sides of canopy thing. Ainsley, of course, fixated on placing and removing them over and over and over.  Xander watched and occasionally messed up her groove. He got in trouble for that from Miss A.

Then I let the dogs come out, and they were thrilled to have such a fancy water bowl. Boomer and Sadie got to hang out for a while, but they ended up annoying us by barking like idiot dogs at the neighbor's Jack Russell terriers.  Annoying Jack Russell terriers. 

In the pool!

At least Sadie's embracing the pool made Xander more amenable to it.

At one point, Ainsley decided it was time for them to dry off...so she got out her towel and started drying herself and Xander off. I was able to get the towel away from her before she threw the towel into the pool.

Ainsley decided to smell the flowers on the porch...and requested I take her picture while she was doing it.

"I want picture, Momma!"

Ultimately, the pool was a big hit with a little boy.  I got a lot of pix of his cuteness.  

Ainsley, of course, threw a *huge* fit when we put the pool away: "WANT POOL!!!"

Chillin'

Xander's Senior Picture

The Stewart Children At Play

Yesterday, when Ainsley and I went to get Xander up from his nap, she decided they needed to play in the bed together. Hilarity ensued.

They had a grand old time rolling around and wrestling together.  He, of course, used it as opportunity to try to rip off Ainsley's glasses.  She used it as an opportunity to sit on his head and suffocate him.

"I GET HIM!!"

Scrunchy Face

And Then There's This...


Xander has been more and more expressive. The last few weeks he's been making this hilarious scrunchy face. I've tried and tried to catch it on film...and finally here it is!