Chrissy K Pratt

Happy Birthday Little Man

2012-01-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little man, my 2nd Angel Baby that God has blessed me with. What a sweetie you are. You mean so much to me and I am so thankful that I was the one chosen to be your mommy. Love you son!

Things that make Micah even more special:

- Always answers my "I love you's" with an "I love you too, Mommy"

- Mommy and Ky get the most kisses from this sweet boy.

- Calls baby brother "Bucket" most of the time.

- Very organized for a 3 year old. I notice little things here and there that show his neatness. (On his own putting his socks in his shoes so they don't get lost once he has taken his shoes off. Lines up toys in an order of some way when he is playing.)

- Loves to cuddle.

- Enjoys playing with Caitlyn, even though they often get into arguments.

- Loves to play sports... football, baseball and wrestling are is favorite. This boy has quite the throwing arm.

- Favorites:

TV Show: GodRocks

Color: Blue

Shoes: "Fit Shoes" (These shoes do not have velcro or laces... they just slide on)

Toy: Cars 'Nesting Dolls'

Food: He is starting to get picky and not want to eat when it is dinner time. More interested in snacking and desserts.

Birthday party for Micah is tomorrow night and the theme is a Superhero Party. Micah chose to dress up as Batman and he is so excited to eat his cupcakes.

My week so far...

2012-01-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

Last year Connie blessed me and Lindsay with a "hunting" trip. Daniel, his dad and his brother in law got to go hunting for a couple of days and so Connie, decided that it would only be fair... :O) that we go "hunting" too. It was an amazing two days of shopping, massage and fun. This year, she surprised us again with a day of shopping. A great way for us mommas to recharge and have some fun. Linds and I were in Claires and saw these crazy sunglasses. They have tiny holes in them and you can see out of them... just not well. We had to take a pic.

This week is Micah's birthday week. He has decided to have a Superhero party. He has been wearing his Batman suit and is ready for his party to come. More pictures from his party to come soon.
For Christmas, my kiddos got Flaarp in their stockings. It is a putty that makes pooting noises. Yes, this morning my sweet boy Micah was playing with it and got it on my ottoman. Oh goodness. He did come tell me immediately and not hide it so that I am proud of. I am also not freaking out anymore because it did come out. Thank goodness.

Happy New Years EVE

2011-12-31T18:14:00.000-08:00

Throwing down "poppers."

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-14T08:07:00.001-08:00

Santa 2011

2011-12-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

The other night we went to The Woodlands Mall to go visit Santa. This year, my kids choose to know the MALL Santa as the REAL Santa's helper. They know that the real Santa can't be everywhere at once, so he has his fake Santas go to the malls and relay kids wishes bask to him. Right now my kids want to believe in Santa and that is their choice. Caitlyn knows that if she really wants to know the truth, I will tell her. But she right now chooses to believe in him and I'm having fun playing Santa.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-11-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

I love PicStitch. I love how you can take a few pictures and stitch them together... hence the name, PicStitch.

I love this time of the year. Its my favorite, probably because you have about a month of celebrating it. This year we have been ready to celebrate and so the day after Thanksgiving we went shopping for our very first real Pratt Christmas tree. This baby is 7.5 feet tall and beautiful. I'm looking forward to a great Christmas this year!

Good Morning

2011-11-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

My pretty girl feeling extra pretty this morning.

Thankful

2011-11-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is not one of my holidays that I get excited about. Probably, because other than the theme of being thankful... the day is spent eating and watching football. I can handle eating and watching football... but in normal portions. BUT... I am glad that there is Thanksgiving. I know I need to remind myself to be thankful for what I do have. So, trying to be thankful and a good mom... I decided to make a Thankful Tree for my dining room tablescape that my kiddos can help me with and make. Micah LOVED this project.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat!

Caitlyn and Daddy worked on this pumpkin together, I think they did a great job!

Fall Festival 2011

2011-10-31T07:28:00.001-07:00

Daddy has been working nights a lot lately and so while daddy is gone, the kiddos and I try to find some things to do to pass the time. Saturday we went to Resurrection Lutheran Church and participated in their Fall Festival. They did a fabulous job... as always.

Meet Aurora, two skeletons and a Fairy Momma.

Happy 15 month Birthday, Ky

2011-10-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

October 27 was Ky's 15 month birthday and we celebrated by going to see Dr. Haggerty and getting our 15 month shots. We sure know how to celebrate. We got his measurements and of course I compared them to the other two Pratt babies. I looked at all 3's shot records book and noticed that I didn't have Micah's measurements in it past 12 months... bummer. But between Caitlyn and Ky... the winner at 15 months is...

Ky Pratt

Head: 19 inches (81%) WINNER

Length: 30 1/2 inches (32%)

Weight: 22 lbs (16%)

Caitlyn Pratt

Head: 18 1/2 inches (75%)

Length: 31 inches (55%) WINNER

Weight: 23.4 lbs (50%) WINNER

So my precious Ky has a big head and a little body.

I LOVE how he always scrunches up his nose. Ky, you are such a blessing to me, I love you.

Ky:

Says clearly Momma, Daaaaaaa - da, No, Uh - Oh.

Sleeps great at night.

Gives great kisses.

Still has "Face Time." (His face has to touch yours for a little while)

The best cuddle-er.

Pulls up to stand and can balance himself for a few seconds, then falls and smiles and claps.

He knows he is funny and tries to make us laugh.

Caitlyn's Funny Story

2011-10-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

*disclaimer* I have got to write this story down before I forget it and it really is worth documenting. This story includes Caitlyn's first cuss word. Not that I really think hearing a cuss word out of my precious first borns mouth is funny... she is only 6. BUT, what made it funny was the story that went with it and the fact that I truly think she had no clue that it was a cuss word.

This past summer we have had quite a drought and the bugs have been coming inside to find water, particularly the ants and spiders. Caitlyn was in her bathroom and taking a bath and noticed a couple of small spiders in the linen closet. She called me and made me aware of the situation and wanted me to spray them with bug spray. I came back after retrieving the spray and began spraying the spiders.

Caitlyn then informed me, "Mom, I bet the spiders see you coming and they say D@m^."

"What did you say????"

"Mom, I bet the spiders see you coming and they say D@m^."

"What?????" I could not believe what I was hearing and I kept thinking I was hearing her wrong.

She repeated it again, "Mom, I bet the spiders see you coming and they say D@m^."

I then asked her, "Caitlyn, are you saying D@m^?"

"Yes" she told me very sweetly.

I then told her in my mommy voice, "Oh Caitlyn, that is a cuss word and we don't talk like that. You're a young lady and need to talk nicely. Some people, mainly adults choose to say cuss words when they are frustrated."

Caitlyn then, very simply informed me, "Momma, I am sure those spiders are frustrated."

I can't argue with that. :O)

Hello Morning Glory

2011-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Look what showed up in my flower garden... Hello Morning Glory!

Oldies (Not Really) But Cuties - Ky

2011-10-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Considering my 3rd Angel Baby is only 14 1/2 months... his pictures aren't really old... but he sure is still a cutie.

- 14 1/2 months old

- Within the last week, he is realizing he can stand.

- Only walks if he is holding onto something.

- Can say Mama, Da Da Da Da, Do (dog), He-oh (hello) But that is all he wants to say. He babbles, but refuses to say specific words for things... "Up, " "More," "All Done." I do notice that he says something that resembles "Thank You" so that makes me happy.

- Sleeps great at night. Because Micah and Ky share a room, Ky is now used to the noise of another person in the room, so when I go check on my boys at night, he doesn't wake up immediately at the sound of the door opening. I can easily cover him, rub his head and stare at him now and it doesn't wake him like it did before... makes momma happy.

- This past month Ky has realized that Daddy is pretty cool! Ky LOVES his daddy. He still is a momma's boy, but gets really excited when daddy walks into the room. I think Ky's absolute favorite thing is wrestling with Daddy in the mornings in our bed.

- We still call Ky "Bucket" once and a while... cause he does still have his fussy times. We call the 10am hour every morning the "Bucket Hour."

- Brinley does not seem to annoy Ky at all. He can hold his own with her. If she is bothering him, Ky tells Brinley what he thinks and pulls her hair. But, she loves Ky and lets him pull her hair everytime. They have a cute little connection between the two of them. I think he won her over by feeding her from his high chair.

Oldies But Cuties - Micah

2011-10-07T05:28:00.001-07:00

My Angel Baby #2, Micah Daniel. What a precious addition to our family he was. We always told Caitlyn that Micah was a present sent from God to us. That we wanted to have a little boy and also that Caitlyn needed someone to play with. Caitlyn and Micah are best buds... but they also pick at each other like there is no tomorrow. One day that will stop... right????

I love these pictures of Daddy and Micah... pictures of the beginning of the "two peas in a pod."

Oldies But Cuties - Caitlyn

2011-10-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

I had to get on our back up hard drive yesterday... something that I rarely do considering it is a hard drive that is not in this computer. It's a little black box that I have to hook up two or three cords to and then push this button and then that button and then spin around and do a little dance to open it... or at least that is how I feel. But I forget that on this crazy black hard drive box-ey thingy, are some really great pictures from the old days. There are way too many to put them all up on here... but I picked out a few that I thought I may not have posted yet and that I would eventually want documented when I get my blog published in a book for keepsake purposes. Here are a few that I found of my first Angel Baby, Caitlyn.

This picture was taken right before her 3rd birthday party. I have no clue what got her upset, but even though she is crying in this picture... she still is cute.

Happy Anniversary Baby

2011-09-28T19:15:00.001-07:00

9 years ago... these 2 cuties got married.

9 years later... We celebrated by going to Kemah. At 3:30pm, Daniel texted me asking me what we were doing for dinner because he was not scheduled to work. I said, I don't know, we could take the kids somewhere or maybe go somewhere for our anniversary. He then replied... if we were gonna celebrate it, that was the night to do it... the rest of his week was booked. Ok, we were going on a date!!! He said, find a sitter. She arrived at 5:30pm and off we went to Kemah, an hour and a half away, with traffic. I have to say, even though it was last minute for us, and really, we don't go nuts and plan for weeks how we are gonna celebrate (maybe we should.) But, it definitely was made special. Daniel and I like to celebrate our anniversary, but in Daniel's words, "Not that we MADE it another year. But that we are just celebrating those years and the years to come."

Us at the sushi restaurant, Red. I have no clue why the picture turned out like it did, but oh well... it's the only one we have of us.
After dinner we went on a walk. Daniel took me on a Ferris Wheel ride. It really was fun and it reminded us of the time we rode the huge Ferris Wheel in Chicago at Navy Pier. But riding the Ferris Wheel still freaks me out a bit. We then fed some fish. I had to take a picture of it... the fish all clumped together looked weird to me. Daniel also requested that I not drop my phone in the water.

After our wonderful, spur of the moment date that my husband wonderfully put together for us. We made it home from Kemah by 10pm, "because we are just that old." - Daniel

I love my husband and look forward to the many more years we get to spend together. I'm a lucky woman.

Napa - An Anniversary Celebration (Part 6)

2011-09-28T07:20:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning, our last full day to enjoy California. Our plan was for Tracy and I to go get a facial together, but unfortunately they only had one facial specialist which for both of us to have a facial, we would have had to take ALL morning long which would take way too long. So we decided to just have one of us get the facial and my sweet friend, Tracy gave me the slot... even though I truly believe that she should have had the facial. Here is just one picture that I took of the spa before the facialist came and got me.

After my facial, off we went to enjoy the day.

Pictures of course had to be taken at the beautiful vineyard, Poetry, a Cliff Lede Vineyard.

Because we loved Bottega so much, we decided to have lunch there. Gnocchi... yummy. Maybe it was so delicious because we were so hungry. We had not made a reservation for this restaurant like we had with all the others. We just showed up for this one because it sounded good. When we walked into the restaurant, the hostess told us the wait was going to be about 1 hour and 15 minutes. We thought, sure, we can wait... people are getting up and leaving. Surly they will call our name soon. The wait really wasn't bad. We were able to sit outside on their patio and enjoy the weather and great company. But, apparently when the hostess says 1 hour and 15 minutes... that is what she means... even if there were tables available. Exactly 1 hour and 15 minutes later, we were seated. It was weird, but we learned our lesson. Always make a reservation. Opus One Winery - Owned by Robert Mondavi & Baroness Philippine de Rothschild

What a beautiful entrance into this place. We would drive by many times and just admire the beautiful view.

This was our last trip to a vineyard in Napa and while we were walking to our car, Daniel noticed by our car that some grapes had fallen off the fine and were laying on the ground. Well, you cant waste them, so he went and picked them up. We tasted them... they are nothing like the grapes you eat at the grocery store. As we were driving home, we noticed that if the grapes had fallen off the vine, then the stem would look like it. Ours didn't look like it. OOPS Apparently, or so we think... the farmers CUT some of the grapes and let them lay on the ground to alter the flavor of their wine. Sounds like a great assumption to me.

After being out and about... this is what we came home to in our sitting room. Cheese spreads, delicious breads, grapes and wine. Delish.

For our last night, we ate at Auberge du Soleil, the best view in Napa Valley.

We arrived just as the sun was going down and so the view was amazing. We were able to sit on the deck... See were the first "cone" shaped roof is from the left... we sat there on the second story balcony.

Here is the view... only imagine it as the sun is setting, it was very beautiful.

Prime New York Beef, Wild Mushrooms, Yukon Gold Potatoes and Caramelized Shallot Sauce.

Toasted Vanilla Angelfood Cake, Trailside Strawberries, Soft Strawberry Cream. This was simple, but very delicious.

While we were traveling around Napa, we passed this sign many times and kept telling ourselves that we HAD to stop and get a picture of Daniel and I under it. We kept telling ourselves... next time. Tonight was the last night we were going to be able to take the picture if we ever were going to do it. So on our way home from dinner, Jason pulled over, we ran to get under the sign to take a quick photo... we were on a fairly busy street. Unfortunately you don't see us very well, but you do see the sign.

This trip was AMAZING and a true Once In A Lifetime experience for Daniel and I. The vineyards were all wonderful, the food was great and my added weight from the trip is proof that it is true, the ranch was beautiful and completely serene and to top it off, the company was the best. The memories we made will last forever.

Napa - An Anniversary Celebration (Part 5)

2011-09-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally made it back home, safely and with no more "excitement" from me or my stomach. Daniel, Jason and Tracy went and hung out on the patio by the pool and I went and rested for a little while in my room. I didn't have to rest long, bout an hour and I was pretty much back to normal. I had to hurry and get back to normal, we had a special dinner to go to that night... Bottega. Being a "Food Network" watcher like I am, I was very eager to go to Bottega because that was Michael Chiarello's restaurant.

Burrata Caprese creamy whipped mozzarella burrata, golden bear ranch heirloom tomatoes, toasted bruschetta, basil oil & balsamic caviar

Truffle-parmigiano fries
We had heard rumor that Michael is at his restaurant pretty much every night and that he walks around and greets his guests. The rumor is true and Tracy and I were able to get our picture taken with him.

Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo!

Saturday was a day that would involve shopping, food, wine tasting and driving in a convertible. Yes, we decided to drive and a "perk" of staying at Calistoga Ranch, we had a menu of cars that we could borrow for the day. We "settled" on a Mercedes E Series convertible. Ours was the 2nd car from the left.

Breakfast: Dean & Deluca... I have never been to one before and it reminds me of Hubble & Hudson that we have here in The Woodlands.

After an afternoon of walking around some beautiful stores and shopping... I couldn't find anything that I wanted to buy for myself specifically... but we did buy some olive oil and some "thank you for watching our children" gifts. We then went to the Joseph Phelps Vineyard for some Insignia wine. Claude was our host for the afternoon and I really enjoyed hearing him tell us about wine, how to drink it, how to get the best smell when you first smell it... and so on. I learned a lot from him.

September 3, 2011

September 2004 - 7 years ago in Virginia!!! (Just thought I would throw this picture in for fun)

Dinner was at Press Restaurant in St. Helena, California. Look at that chocolatty yummy goodness.

Napa - An Anniversary Celebration (Part 4)

2011-09-23T13:54:00.001-07:00

We had 4 vineyards to visit on Friday and so we needed to hurry and move on from our first visit from Staglin Vineyard and move on to Fisher Vineyard. I am going to emphasize the word "hurry." Unfortunately our driver was late when he first picked us up from our Lodge, late enough to where it "encouraged" him to drive speedy... which is where he earned the name, Ricky Bobby from Teladega Nights... sometimes we called him Scotty Bobby. While we were at Staglin Vineyards, I over heard the conversation that "the Fisher Vineyards view is beautiful up there, but the road to get there is a bit curvy." What??? How curvy??? Oh goodness... it was nauseating curvy. No joke. Scott had a way about his driving, he liked to accelerate fast and break fast for the curves. 20 minutes later and arriving at our destination... I felt horrible. I felt horrible because I actually "felt" sick and also felt bad that the beautiful lunch we were to share with Cameron Fisher, I had absolutely no appetite for. After hearing how horrible I felt, Jason asked Scott if he could go back down the hill and get me a sprite or something that can ease my stomach... cause for some reason... they only had wine at a vineyard. :O) Scott returned with a bottle of Sprite and some Dramamine. THANK YOU!!! On a side note... one of the portions served for our lunch was a tomato salad... that Daniel ate and loved!!!

After lunch, we then went on a tour. Below is a picture of us going downstairs into their mountain where they stored their wine. It amazes me how cool it is in a mountain... they don't need to air condition it at all.

Well, it was time to pack up and move on... we were running about 30 minutes late... again. I was nervous because I have not yet gotten back to feeling 100% well again and we had to go back down the mountain. This time around I sat in the front seat (I felt so horrible that 2 grown men and Tracy had to sit in the back, while I sat in the front) just so that I could concentrate on the road and not get as motion sick as I would if I were to sit in the backseat. It did not work. We ALMOST made it to our destination. We entered into Francesca Vineyard and hit a speedbump... oops. Speedbump 1... I'm ok, kinda. Speedbump 2... "Pull Over, Scott!!!" Yes, I threw up at the entrance to that beautiful vineyard. So, remember that yummy breakfast that I had, the Huevos Rancheros that I said I wanted to have again and again... I changed my mind. Karen, I believe her name was, our hostess completely was sympathetic to us and molded our visit to our needs. We had a wonderful time.

While we were enjoying our wine tasting, we noticed that on the wine corks, that each one had a different "fortune cookie" saying on it. We asked about it and she told us a story that I cant really recall except that this cute little girl came up with the idea and nick named it "fortune corkies." Clever.

This one was probably my favorite "fortune corkie." A good sermon should be like a womans skirt; short enough to rouse the interest, but long enough to cover the essentials. - Ronald Knox

Napa - An Anniversary Celebration (Part 3)

2011-09-19T07:36:00.001-07:00

Friday Morning, up early... or so it felt. We woke up at about 6 or 6:30am Napa time... cause really that was 8 or 8:30am our time. So we woke up and got ready for the day. Yes, we had to stop and get a picture. I love this one of me and my love.

Dinner the night before was so yummy, we decided to go back to The Lakehouse and have breakfast. Delicious again. The breakfast pictured below was really yummy, Huevos Rancheros. A crispy taco shell with a fried egg on top and covered with sauce, cheese, black beans and yummy goodness. I really enjoyed this breakfast and told Daniel that I would order it every time if the opportunity presented itself.

So our first day to go tour wine country, we settled for touring in... a Bentley. Ummm, wow. Those cars are REALLY nice and so roomy inside... I guess they really are worth their asking price. That is our driver, Scott aka Ricky Bobby... more on that later.

Just before getting into the car I saw this beautiful plant, so of course being a tourist, I had to take a picture of it.

Our first stop, Staglin Vineyards.

I was walking through their entryway and noticed hanging on a wall was a "Parent Trap" poster with signatures on it. I thought that was odd to notice hanging at a vineyard. I soon found out that The Parent Trap was filmed at this location.

The lady in purple is Sherry Staglin, the owner of the vineyard and we got to tour it with her for a little while.

Inside their wine cave.

A picture of Daniel and I ready for a wine tasting inside their Wine Cave. Notice me taking a picture with my cell...

This is the picture I was taking. :)

After the tasting, hosted by Kaia we were able to enter their "vault" of some special wines and of course I notice this huge pinecone they had in a decor basket. Kaia was sweet and told me I could have it, unfortunately I didn't see myself being able to bring it home safely, so I settled for a picture with it.

Napa - An Anniversary Celebration (Part 2)

2011-09-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

After a short rest in our lodge, we then got ready for our first night out for dinner. Of course we had to take a picture or two before we walked to dinner.

On our walk to dinner, we stopped at Calistoga Ranch's Wine Cave. Of course this picture I took from the website so you could see how beautiful it was on the outside...

... and this picture we took so you could see how beautiful it was on the inside.

We chose to eat at The Lakehouse. It was the restaurant that was part of the place we stayed in Calistoga Ranch. One thing that made it pretty cool was that you had to be staying at Calistoga Ranch to eat there, it was not open to the public. (website picture)

My precious friend, Tracy before dinner was ordered. Picture One

Picture Two.

Dinner was delicious, I cant believe I didn't take a picture of it. BUT, I did take a picture of my dessert. It looks like I just had a stick of butter, but it actually is a cheesecake and it was yummy.

After dinner we came back to our beautiful room and were surprised that the maid service came back out to turn down the beds. Wow, I have never stayed at a place where the maid service visit your room more than once. This is what we came back to our first night...

Napa - An Anniversary Celebration (Part 1)

2011-09-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

A few months back, we were at dinner with friends of ours, Jason and Tracy Elliott and Daniel asked me where I would like to go for our anniversary this year. I just looked at him with a blank stare and had no clue what to say. Usually what we do for our anniversary is a dinner together... but never a trip somewhere. I then started thinking of some places around here... like a weekend to Austin, San Antonio (where our honeymoon was) or perhaps even Galveston. All would be great because all would be a weekend away with my husband. He then told me to think on a larger scale and then he suggested Napa. "REALLY??? Is that even possible??? A trip to NAPA???" Yes, I heard him right and to make it even better, our friends wanted to go as well to celebrate their anniversary too. Yay, so we started making arrangements to make this wonderful trip happen.

We left EARLY Thursday morning and headed to the airport. I don't love the idea of leaving super early, but I do love the idea of arriving at your destination early in the day so that you have an entire day to enjoy and not waste. We arrived in San Francisco. Oh my goodness, the weather was amazing. We had left weather in Houston at 106 degrees and flew into San Fran at 66. It was soooooo nice.

First stop, we went to a restaurant in Fisherman's Warf and ate on the patio, overlooking the bay and Alcatraz. What a view.
The restaurant we ate at was called Boudin. A delicious place to eat at. They have wonderful food, but they are known for their bread. They bake the bread fresh every day and then to cool them off, they place the bread in baskets that hang from a track that travels throughout the store. You can kinda see one of the baskets hanging next to the store sign.
First meal in California... fish tacos.

We then headed to Calistoga Ranch, our home away from home. Oh, it was heaven to stay there. We were amazed at how beautiful our place was. Check it out:

This was the main building, it is what we arrived to. Only there were always gentlemen outside welcoming guests and offering to drive us in a golf cart to our lodge.

Our lodge consisted of two rooms separated by a deck. The deck and this room pictured below shared a fireplace. The fireplace is located under the tv on the right. Below is our sitting room.

This is the other room, the bed is facing the deck.
Our bathroom was beautiful.
LOOOOOOK at this outside shower. Complete privacy and completely awesome to get to shower under the stars.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to school I go!!!

2011-08-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

I am so happy for Caitlyn... she is finally back in school and I know she is thrilled. This morning she told me she was excited, nervous and ready to start First Grade.

Yesterday Caitlyn and I made the beads to hang on her backpack so just in case if there was anyone else in her school with the same back pack, you would know this one was hers. We LOVE the backpack... look how it sparkles. It looks amazing when the sun shines on it.

Off to FIRST GRADE I go!!!! Here is to a GREAT 2011 - 2012 year!!!

Caitlyn's Day to Meet the Teacher

2011-08-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today Caitlyn got to meet her teacher, Mrs. Wright and we are excited. Well, I am... Caitlyn is still unsure of this year. She has it stuck in her head that no teacher can be better than her Kindergarten teacher and no school year can top last year. She insisted that we must go and visit Mrs. Genseal and say hi first before we go to meet her new teacher. Caitlyn acted shy like she always does, but I know she was thrilled. Crazy enough, THAT was when I teared up, not when we walked into her 1st grade classroom. I guess it was because I saw Caitlyn tear up a bit and I knew how much this meant to her. She has been talking about going and visiting Mrs. Genseal all summer long. We did get to chat and Mrs. Genseal raved about Mrs. Wright and how wonderful a teacher she was, which is of course what I expected. BUT, what I didn't expect to hear was that Mrs. Wright had earned the Teacher of the Year award a couple of years ago. We also learned that she took last year off to spend time traveling with her husband, who is a pilot, but she returned to teaching because she loved it that much. This is good news and I'm so happy that Caitlyn is in her class.

33

2011-08-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking today about the number 33. There are some good and some bad things about it. I think 33 is actually a pretty number to look at... like 11, 22, 44, 55, 66. I like how both numbers are the same. I have 3 kids, that is one of the numbers out of 33. I "bing'ed" the number 33 and what came up was pretty interesting. Below are what I found to be the most interesting, whether they are actually true or not.

The atomic number of arsenic
33 is, according to the Newton scale, the temperature at which water boils.

Jesus's age when he was crucified
Jesus performed 33 recorded miracles
The jersey number 33 has been retired by several North American sports teams in honor of past playing greats:

In Major League Baseball:.
- The Houston Astros, for Mike Scott

33 is a number that doesn't scare me... cause I'm 33. That is for about the next month. Next month I will be 34... not sure if I really like 34, because it is pretty close to 35. And then when you think of the number 35... you think of 40. Oh my... Im not ready for this.

Anyway, in honor of 33 and 34... I scrolled through my picture album on my computer and picked the 33rd and 34th picture listed.

33. Ky was 3 months old at this time... LOVE. Look at him cuddling with his daddy.

34. Caitlyn, my 1st Angel Baby.

Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

I cant believe summer is almost over and I've got mixed feelings about it. This summer has been a pretty balanced mix of some fun and some boredom. Summer started with tears from Caitlyn, she was extremely upset that school was over and that Mrs. Genseal was not going to be her teacher anymore. The tears lasted a few days, but then she realized that she could now sleep in, play with her brother, have a HOT lunch instead of sandwiches and do crafts all day. So what is one thing you do when school is out... take the family to the mall and ride the carousel. Love this pic, Caitlyn is having a blast and Micah is a little unsure. It's usually the other way around.

Micah's discovered markers. We used to be ok with Caitlyn having crafts in her room, she would create and play teacher and wouldn't make a mess. Well, after new carpet and her brothers marker discovery... that had to change.
Caitlyn got to go to 2 VBS's this summer. She loved them. This was her second year at the Lutheran church one and first year at Spring Baptist. She was unsure if the Spring Baptist one would be as fun as the Lutheran one. Of course, she ended up loving it.

Micah was too young for a VBS this year, so we tried to be entertained with some crafts and fun. I love the food coloring and water "craft." I love how they can mix colors and see what new colors they make... even if it is a yucky brown. He liked it... for about 10 minutes and then he was done.
Gabe and Ky turned one this year. I can't believe it has already been a year since my 3rd Angel Baby was born. This picture is from Gabe's birthday party. Just looking at the picture... can you believe that Gabe is only 5 days older than Ky? It looks like he is a whole lot older... it's the hair, I think. At this time, Ky has yet to start pulling up to a standing position.

Ahhhhhhh Happiness!
Caitlyn was invited to go to our neighbors, Iris's 9th birthday party at Sweet & Sassy... tons of fun.
Fishing makes my husband happy. Look how relaxed he is. This was the weekend that he, Papa Fred and Jason caught like a bazillion fish. They were thrilled, this summer fish really weren't biting.
I have had the privilege of getting to sing backup for my husband at church a few times this summer. I've really enjoyed it. One, I have realized how much I enjoy singing and how much I have missed it since high school. And Two, I really like singing with my man. That I actually get a chance to do something with him that he is really good at. So much fun. The picture below was taken after one of those services while Caitlyn and I were waiting in the car for daddy to join us at Taco Bell... fine dining. (Can you hear the sarcasm??? :o) )
Fun Summer of 2011!!!

Happy Birthday Ky!

2011-07-27T08:37:00.001-07:00

About three years ago, I found out I was pregnant... and with a boy. I was worried a bit. I really didn't know what to think about it. I guess you can say that even though I had always said that I wanted one of each, a girl and a boy... that I really was hoping that I was pregnant with another girl. For three years before that, little girls were all I knew and I loved having the frilly pink things all around me. I loved having the bows and dresses to doll up my little girl. When I thought of little boys, I thought of mess, mud, dirt... BUGS! It freaked me out. All my friends assured me that there was something special about little boys and I would love having one. They couldn't describe it but would tell me that having a little boy was really special. That yes, even though they are messy and sometimes a bit of a handful, that little boys really do love their momma and can be so sweet and gentle.

Oh my goodness, they were right!!!! When Micah was born, I was smitten!

Just 11 months later, I found out that baby #3 was on its way, and we soon found out later that it was another boy. I was nervous again of having 2 boys in my house, double the mess and double the bugs... but I am finding out now how much I am loving it. I now have 2 little boys (and a little girl) who love their momma and I am in heaven. Yes, sometimes I am overwhelmed, but at the end of the day and they are all snug in their beds, I remind myself how blessed I am.

My Ky, oh how I love him so. Ky is growing up quickly:

- Last night I realized how much he is trying to pull up to stand.

- Gives great kisses.

- Can say Momma... but wont unless I ask him to.

- Can ask for "more"... but wont unless I get onto him because he is screaming for "more"

- Has slept through the night for a while now... but is a VERY light sleeper. I check on him every night and it wakes him up and he gets really angry.

- Loves to play with his brother and sister in the bedroom.

- Has never taken a pacifier and is just fine with that.

- Within the past couple of days have started babbling a bit more. Ky is a "strong, silent type"

- LOVEs the bathtub and pool. He's a water baby!

- He loves food... but is a bit pickier than his brother and sister were at this age.

- Loves food so much that you cant seem to feed him fast enough. He gets angry if we aren't fast enough. (We are working on the screaming in between bites.)

- Ky is my first baby that actually will lay his head on my shoulder when I'm holding him.

Ky - I love you so much.

Happy Birthday to you!

To blog or not to blog... that is the question.

2011-07-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ok... I am not blogging these days and honestly Im not sure if I want to anymore. I love reading others and seeing pictures out there in blogland... but just not being able to do it in my blog here in PrattWorld. I keep telling myself that I should so that it documents what we are doing from day to day and have memories actually here to "flip" through. But honestly... I can do that in Microsoft Word. I wonder if I have backed off a bit cause of privacy. You know how everyone is so skeptical these days about who looks at what... and so on. Maybe thats what it is, subconsciously. I think also, with 3 kids I found it hard to sit down and document everything... but that cant be true... I have friends out there with just as many kids or more than I have and blog beautifully. Hmmmm, what to do, what to do???

Happy 6th Birthday to my Caitlyn

2011-06-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

The first words spoken to my first born on June 9, 2005 at 8:54pm was "Oh My Goodness!" over and over again. I was in shock and amazed that God chose me to be this beautiful little girls momma. I couldn't believe it... I was a MOMMA!!! I had wanted this little girl for so long.

She has been a blessing to me. She has made me feel many emotions... and some of them have not been good. But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. She is the one I first called my Angel Baby. She is my daughter and I love her so much!!!

Caught You

2011-05-20T07:07:00.001-07:00

Micah was quiet, I didnt know where he was.

He HAD to be up to something.

Caught You!!!! (Hiding and eating Fruity Puffs in the dining room under the table)

Pretty Floors

2011-05-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Daniel and I have wanted laminate floors for a long time, no matter where we were living. But of course new floors are not cheap. So we have been saving and this year was the year to get to do it. So out go the yucky carpets and in goes the gorgeous new floors. We did laminate in the dining room and living room and then recarpeted all the bedrooms and closets. We ordered during the Spring Sale and got a GREAT deal on everything... even the EXTRA thick padding for the carpet. It is like walking on clouds.

Just realized that I only took pictures of the laminate and not of the carpet, oops.

Finally Getting Around To Easter

2011-05-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

I went to get my camera this morning so that I could take pictures of my living room... cause it has not been redecorated by my 2 year old yet today. I realized there were some pictures on the camera that needed to be downloaded first and I then realized that it has been a long time since I have emptied my camera... by there being Easter pictures on it. WOW These are the first time I have seen these pictures, my wonderful hubby took them so that I could help with the egg hunt. There are some really good ones, and then there are some not so good ones. :O) But I must add, it is NOT easy getting all 3 kids smiling for a photo at the same time.

Pratt kiddos and cousin Gabe. Oopsie Daysie Ky.
"Happy" Easter to you!

May 19, 2011

2011-05-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it has really been a long time since I posted a post. I know that I get in these ruts where I have lots to post and then some days not anything to say at all. So I was trying to be all "on top of things" and write a couple of posts all in one day and then actually "POST" them over the course of a couple of days. This way it would "look" like I was posting everyday. YUP, that didnt work. The post about the kiddos at the playground... inserted itself before the royal kiss insert. I have no clue how to fix it... so oh well. Ok, enough rambling here, maybe. Life has been a bit crazy here. We got new floors... oh I love them so. I have some pictures, but I am waiting for the perfect time to take the "after" pictures, and with 3 kids all under the age of 5, that may never happen. But I will post the pictures soon. Until then, here are a couple of things we have been up to lately.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE ice cream? Daniel found this flavor at the Blue Bell Factory when we went camping. I was thrilled when I saw it in the freezer at Walmart. Yummmm, I should be an ice cream connoisseur.

Our community group got together this past sunday for some yummy crawfish. Yes, that is Ryan, Caitlyn and Ky looking at a swimming pool full of crawfish. That pool and the cooler next to it held a total of 96 lbs of mudbugs. We had a great time.
And I couldn't post without a picture of my "mommas boy." Oh how this boy has me wrapped around his fingers.

This is his new silly face, with that tongue to the side like that.

The Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures from a REAL Royal Wedding. ;O) It has been 8 1/2 years since this wonderful day... God has blessed me with this wonderful man whom I love and thankful for.

I figured that many of my blog followers... all 3 of you, may not have seen me with blonde hair. So I figured I would show a couple of pictures of the blonde hair days... and my baby looking sooooo young. Wow! (I took these with my camera phone, so sorry for the poor quality)

The REAL Royal Kiss!!!

Playground Days!

2011-04-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Checking out a bug :O)

Ky's Many Faces

2011-04-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sibling Love Part 2

2011-04-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn is transitioning to a bigger bike... and one without training wheels. We dont have it mastered yet, but while we are learning Micah is wanting to ride a bike too. So he decided that he needed to ride Caitlyn's old bike... princess decor and all. He actually does pretty well... if pretty well is reaching the pedals only and depending on us to push him down the sidewalk and steer. But he loves it. So I think I am going to make him a "boys bike." I honestly think I am just gonna take Caitlyn's old bike and change it with some spray paint to look like a boys bike. Why not... boys bikes are supposed to look a bit rough. :O)

Sibling Love

2011-03-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

Ky is 8 months old now and until recently hasn't slept through the night consistently. (The past week has been pretty good, except last night. Ky was extremely disturbed at 5:30am with a poopy diaper, but I am sure you didn't need to know that.) I don't know if his sleeping habits are because (1) he just hasn't learned how to sooth himself back to sleep well or (2) if he is like his daddy and just not a great sleeper or (3) just a hard headed little kid and doesn't want to sleep well. I hope that it is that he hasn't learned well on how to sooth himself and that will hopefully remedy itself soon. Please God. BUT, as a way to help him learn faster, (fussing it out in the middle of the night) we moved Micah into Caitlyn's room so that Ky's screaming wont wake him. Caitlyn was THRILLED to say the least on having a roommate, even though she knows it is for a short time. The first evening I came in to check of the kiddos and see what they were up to on their first night together, this is what I saw:

LOVE it!

Love

2011-03-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

While I was doing my normal routine this morning, I came across a couple of things that brings a smile to my face and that I loved... I will say that being up that early will NOT be on the "love" list.

I love:

- the smell and sound of brewing coffee.

- how my son, Micah says candy, "can-ney"

- to hear my babies babble in the monitor, this sound is way better than the alarm clock

- to hear Caitlyn sing. She may not realize it.... but she is singing ALL the time. Im not sure if she is singing songs off the radio or her own songs, but it is beautiful.

- to see Caitlyn come tell me she made me something. The papers build up and unfortunately I do have to throw many of them away, but I love to see her creations.

- to hear Micah come tell me in a pleading voice, "Hold you???"

- Ky's big toothless grin and beautiful big blue eyes.

- to hear from my husband, "Lets go on a date!"

These are just a few of the long list of "loves" I have that I wanted to share.

Spring Break Camping

2011-03-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it and I did survive! We went camping for Spring Break. All in all... it was fun and full of memories, both good and bad. I know you're wondering about the bathrooms... they were both ok and yuck. There were two different bathrooms to go to. The one that is located in the small field behind our tent was an outhouse, pretty much. It was in a building, not one of those tin shacks, but this outhouse was a cement building with metal potties inside and a hole down into the "center of the earth" or so I "affectionately" called it. BUT, there was also an "indoor" potty up at the top of a hill to the right of our tent. The indoor potty was actually pretty clean for a campsite potty. So that was the one I would hike to as much as possible.

The first couple of nights were pretty nice. A nice cool day and chilly evening. A snuggily type of night, great for camping. Then Thursday happens. The wind, that is already blowing pretty hard changes and comes from a different direction. It starts to get hot. Camping starts to not look so fun. We had a great tent, but no tent can handle high winds. We thought that the tent would buckle (which it did collapse a bit and then pop back up) or blow away. A collapsing tent is pretty scary for a two year old who is trying to take a nap inside. Also, those tents get pretty hot inside. Poor baby (and me) could not take naps inside those tents once it got pretty hot. So to stop our insanity, Thursday afternoon we all packed up and went to Brenham, Tx. and visited the Bluebell factory. We had a great time. We were too late for the tour... but for 6 kids, 4 under the age of 2... they really didn't mind. As long as we were still gonna get ice cream. Which we did. $1 for a serving. It was very nice to feel like we weren't gouged in prices... like I sometimes feel we are everywhere else.

We ended up leaving on Friday, instead of Saturday. Awesome! The winds were still pretty crazy and when the power hungry park ranger told us to move our car, which my husband very cleverly parked to block the wind from blowing our tent away, we were done. I told her we could move the car, we had just put it there to keep our tent from buckling or blowing away, she responded with, "It would be nice if we could all do that, but your car is causing erosion." Seriously???? I just looked at Daniel and he read my mind, "ok, pack up... we are going home." There just was no way we could stay another day in the hot sun and crazy winds... and yucky toilets. So we packed up and headed home, but first stopped at Sonic for a frozen treat.

Our memories:

- Smores, yum!!!

- Yes, Daniel did bring his guitar and we did listen to him strum it the first night. No, we did not sing Kum by Yah.

- Climbing trees

- Playing at the camp playground

- BlueBell factory

- Crazy winds

- The pottys... thats all I have to say about them

- Beautiful scenery

- The bees that thought they were welcome at our campsite

- Ky waking up multiple times in the night and the only way to keep him from fussing and waking up the entire camp grounds, was to nurse him

- Micah's impersonation of Auntie - "Storm James, come back here!!!"

- My first time camping and us being under prepared for a few camp items and Lindsay saving the day and letting us borrow theirs... whether it was cooking spray, bee killer or matches... yes, we forgot to bring matches.

There are so many memories from our first time camping. Im glad we went. (I should have taken more pictures.)

It's in the water

2011-02-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is... but everyone is having babies (not me, just in case you were wondering). It must be in the water.

But anyways, I have been busy attending baby showers... or at least getting ready for the ones I have been invited to. I have had to miss two because of my babies being sick, but that is another story. I wanted to create something specifically made for the baby on the way. Here is what I came up with, Growth Charts. I love them and hope that the parents who receive them love them just as much. I think I am going to sell these charts, not the ones pictured below... but Growth Charts in particular. So if you're interested in having one specifically made for a precious baby, give me a call. Im thinking of selling these "babies" starting at $15.

Twin Growth Charts :O)

We're Going Camping

2011-02-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

Oh goodness, it's actually gonna happen. We are gonna go camping for Spring Break this year. Daniel has grown up camping and has many wonderful memories from it, so many that he wanted to start the tradition for our family. I grew up going on traveling vacations and staying in nice hotels... far different from camping. If you know me... Im a girly girl and camping just doesn't seem to be my thing... but it will be now. Now, I have done mission trips and youth camp trips and so on... so I have done my share of "roughing it," but when I think of vacation, usually I think of relaxing, sleeping in, going somewhere new and exciting. Camp ground bathrooms aren't really exciting and I KNOW they aren't new. :O)

But honestly, I am getting excited about this. Seeing Caitlyn talk more and more each day about going camping and spending time with her cousins is making me excited. Seeing Daniel's eyes light up when he talks about it or is shopping for the camping gear is making me excited. I think we are gonna have a wonderful time making wonderful memories... stinky bathrooms and all.

Think this is gonna be us??? Haha

Not the best VDay

2011-02-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to all my friends. I hope you all had a great day. Me... I think I will consider it not one of my best Valentines day... and I never want to have one like it ever. Actually the day started off nice. I gave my babies their valentines and then sent Caitlyn off to school promising to see her at 1:30 for her class party. I was excited and looked forward to seeing her and having that time with her, just mommy and Caitlyn... and 17 other classmates. But then, I started feeling horrible. Long story short, I did go to her party and we had a great time... but I was eager to get home. We got in the car, backed out of the parking space and then CRASH!!!! Yup, I backed into a parked car. Sheesh, my very first wreck ever. I have never been a fan of the parking lot at Caitlyn's school. There are only so many parking spots... so parents will also park along the sidewalk, behind the parked cars. It's not illegal.... its just a huge inconvenience. It wasn't a horrible crash, just gave my car a small dent and a dent in the other peoples car as well. I waited with Caitlyn for the car's owner, who ended up being very nice and understanding. I gave her my info and now I am waiting for the insurance to call and tell me they are wanting raise my payments. Let's hope for accident forgiveness. Happy Waiting Everyone.

Date Night

2011-02-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

I LOVE date nights with my hubby and having his undivided attention, hehe. It's hard to get and give undivided attention when you have 3 little ones vying for your attention too.

Here's to trying to take a picture with a camera phone. :O)

Traffic

2011-02-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

There's traffic in Micah Land.

When you look at this, all you may see are some toys lined up. What I see is organization and order. I thought I understood the mind of a 2 year old and what a 2 year old can do because of going through it with Caitlyn. But I am quickly and continuing to find out how different Micah is from her and in my opinion, from a lot of other 2 year olds. I know every little one is different and I LOVE seeing the difference in Caitlyn and Micah and I really cant wait to see how in the world Ky can be different from them. But, this is one of the places where Micah shines. Please, let me brag. :O) Really, how normal is it for a 2 year 1 month old little BOY to be so organized and extremely good at putting toys away??? I think I would expect it from a girl... but I have always thought of boys to be completely messy. Yes, he does have his moments, but he also has these "line everything up" moments. WOW. Im a proud mamma, can't you tell???

Howdy!

2011-01-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

6 Months

2011-01-27T06:17:00.000-08:00

Has it really been 6 months since this precious angel baby has come into our lives? I am so blessed and honored that God saw Daniel and I fit to raise this little guy, to raise 3 precious, beautiful children.

Ky:

Is starting to babble some. Mamamama, Da da da da da da...

Likes to "motorboat" (LOTS of spit everywhere.)

Joins us at dinner time in the high chair

We introduced peaches the other day, he wasn't crazy about them at first.

He is very ticklish under his chin and has a great laugh.

Loves to bounce in his bouncy chair. He's got it down and I am waiting for him to catapult out of it.

Doesn't seem to be in any hurry to grow any hair, but I love that cute little bald head.

Ky is such the cuddler, I melt every time Im holding him and he just rests his head on my shoulder.

When he is on his belly, I see some signs that he is wanting to start to crawl. He is already trying to lift his little tush in the air and to get those knees under him.

Superman!!!
Ok, no more Superman.
Ok, I'll just rest here for a while.

Happy 6 month birthday to my Ky. I love you so much!

Second and Third Sights of Valentines

2011-01-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

Usually I get all excited when Fall comes around, because I get so inspired on ways to decorate my home and make it all warm and cozy feeling. This, me being inspired usually lasts until Christmas and then for some reason I lose all inspiration for decorating. Well, not this year. So this is my New Years Resolution... to keep my home cozy feeling for my family and try to have some type of decor up with the time of year that it is.

So here is Valentines:

First Sight of Valentines

2011-01-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my crafty friend, Kelly from hautemamafashionista

Rodeo Art Show 2011

2011-01-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

I am very proud to announce that Caitlyn's art work was selected for the Rodeo Art Show this year. There are 4 ribbons that were handed out: Blue, Red, White and Multi-Colored. Caitlyn got the multi-colored one, FINALIST!!! We are so proud of you Caitlyn!!!

Notice what she named her artwork... "Chrissy" (Im so proud) :O)

Laundry

2011-01-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

New door hanger for laundry room... wonder if anyone will read it?? Haha

Micahs 2nd Birthday Party

2011-01-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Micah!!! Yes, my son is now a 2 year old and we celebrated by having an Astros Baseball Birthday Party. We had a wonderful time and everything turned out wonderful for a "small" (nothing in our family ever ends up being small) family party.

Homemade cupcakes. Yes, even the toppers are homemade. :O)

Notice the baseball tattoo. The tattoos and silly straw cups were our party favors.

Happy Birthday Micah, we love you!!!!

Micah is 2!!!

2011-01-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that my baby boy is 2 years old today. 2!!!! He was just a baby the other day. Again... where did the time go? When I was pregnant and heard that I was having a little boy, I was very nervous. All I knew at that time was how to raise a little girl and was unsure what a little boy would bring into my life. Everyone told me how wonderful little boys were and how great it was to have a "momma's boy." Also they would say how sweet little boys are and loving to their mommas. Wow were they right. Now I do have to say that my precious Micah is not a Momma's boy, he ended up being a HUGE Daddy's boy and I am actually ok with that. But my precious Micah is a sweetie and does love on me quite a bit and it just melts my heart everytime he does. Micah Daniel, I love you and you are very special to me.

One of my most precious and favorite pictures taken of me and Micah. This picture is of us still in the hospital, he's only a couple of days old.

Dedication Sunday

Micah's FIRST mohawk

Halloween 2009
Winter 2009

Jump to Winter 2010

I am beginning to notice how organized Micah is and how he likes to play. Check out those cars nicely lined up on the window sill.
Sometimes I affectionally call Micah, "Linus" cause he loves to carry his blanket and binky everywhere.

Micah LOVES cars and balls. I really should count all the cars and balls that he owns... but I know I will lose count because he has sooooo many.

Micah, I love you so much.

Ky - 5 months old

2011-01-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

I cant believe this little guy is already 5 months old. He turned 5 months on December 27. Wow, time is flying by so fast. But during these past 5 months, he has managed to get me wrapped so tightly around his precious little fingers. I don't know if it is because he is my youngest and last, or is it because he is definitely a mommas boy or if it is because he is the cutest little baby in the world... in addition to my other two. But whatever it is, I am in love.

Merry Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

So this was our first Christmas as a family of five and as much as having 3 children has rocked my world... a whole lot... I do have to say that Christmas this year was the most fun so far. I really do enjoy watching my babies opening their presents on Christmas morning and seeing their faces light up with excitement. I am looking forward to the many more Christmas's to come, the precious moments of celebrating Jesus's birthday.

Christmas Morning

Caitlyn REALLY wanted a Pillow Pet, a pink pig. So she was thrilled to see it when she opened her present.
Making Christmas ornaments with Mommo (Christmas Eve)
Horsey
My cutie, Dorothy.

It's Beginning To Look...

2010-12-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

...A Lot Like Christmas. :O) I love this time of year. November and December are my most favorite months I think. There is just something about the feeling in the air around this holiday season. The parties, the songs, the movies, it's all wonderful. But of course there has to be an end to everything. :O( Honestly, December 26 is probably one of my saddest days, all the Christmas holiday hustle and bustle is over. I know New Years is just a week after Christmas... but for some reason, it just doesn't feel the same to me. Weird, I know. You know that feeling that you get on a Sunday night? The one that the weekend is over and Work/School is tomorrow... yup that is the feeling I get after Christmas. Ok, thats enough of that. I still have 10 days to Christmas and 10 days to enjoy. :O) In anticipation for this season, I made me a Christmas ribbon tree. I love it and now hope that it will hold up through the summer, cause my beautiful ornament wreath that I made last year didn't. Bummer. This was easy to make and not really all that time consuming.

Thankgiving Weekend Part 3

2010-12-09T08:16:00.001-08:00

The last part of our Thanksgiving weekend was something I will remember for a very long time. At first when I heard of a Drive Thru Safari, I thought all we were going to do was "drive thru" and look at animals. Well, we did do that... but we got to roll down our windows and feed these animals. That made a huge difference in what our experience would be. I actually had a BLAST. Ok, I have seen these animals at the zoo before, but there is a huge difference when they are popping their head into your car window and are inches from your face. WOW. The camel freaked me out the most, he was not aware of personal space AT ALL. Caitlyn rode in her Nonni and Papa Fred's car with her cousin Sarah. Micah and Ky were in our car. Ky slept through the entire thing. Micah was very excited to see the animals... but once the camel invaded our space, he freaked out and sat on my lap with his beloved binki and blanket.

At the beginning of our trip, Micah sat in daddy's lap.

Here he comes!!!
YIKES!

Trying to help Micah feel better.
Ummmm, driving the car in the big open field was what ACTUALLY made him feel better. "Watch where you're going!"

We had a really great Thanksgiving holiday this year.

Polar Express (Thanksgiving Weekend Part 2)

2010-12-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving weekend was soooo fun. Thanksgiving Day was great and we had more to look forward to for the weekend. Daniel's parents took us, Daniel's sister's family and his Aunts family to the Polar Express on Friday night. So fun and some wonderful memories were made. The Polar Express is totally for kids... but watching their faces light up or be excited in anticipation makes it totally worth it for the parents. We had a blast.

Waiting for the train to arrive... It was cold out there. Oh, I am sure you are thinking... "It's cold out there and all she dressed her babies in are pj's???? Well, yes. But only on top. Both Caitlyn and Micah have warm stuff layered under their pj's. They were very toasty.
My Moby baby, Ky. He loved this thing, but who wouldnt love being held 24/7.
My niece Sarah and Caitlyn, best buds waiting for the train.
My niece Sarah, 2nd cousin Will and Caitlyn watching the Polar Express movie while we waited on the train to arrive. 3 hineys in the air... a photo op you can't pass up.
Caitlyn and her Nonni... waiting.
Daniel and Micah... waiting
Yay... we finally made it on the train after a 45 minute wait. Micah and his Papa Fred. Micah sat in the same seat with his Nonni, Papa and cousin Storm. It was a wild seat with 2 wild boys.
Sarah and Caitlyn thrilled to be on the train
Ky, within the past month or so is really starting to bond well with Daddy.
Daniel trying to talk Caitlyn into joining Sarah and go dance in the aisle. Caitlyn wasnt too sure of it. Yes, she is my cautious one.
Me and my handsome hubby. I think this is the only time the whole time I didnt have something in my hands. There was lots to hold and not a lot of room to put down.
See. (Moby-ing Ky, 2 hot chocolates, tickets to give to conductor who was coming down the aisle, I think I had rice crispy treats in my lap, and of course after this picture was taken, the camera too. :O)
Micah getting his bell from Santa.
So much fun. I am so glad that we got the opportunity to go. I hope that my kiddos will remember this day. I know Micah and Ky wont, but Caitlyn probably will and I hope it will be one really special memory that she has with her family.

Thankgiving Weekend Part 1

2010-12-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

I got the chance to host Thanksgiving at my home this year. Whew... thats a big job but I am glad to say that we did it and now I feel accomplished. I now have nothing to fear, I actually CAN host and cook Thanksgiving dinner. Well, actually... my mom, sister in law and I divided the menu up... but still it is a big job and someone had to do it. :O)

Since it is not too often that we all get together, we tried to get a family photo... ummmm, not sure if they turned out too great.

My nephew, Gabe's feet are on my mom's head. Ky's not paying attention.

Daniel is about to sneeze in this photo.
Caitlyn's eyes are closed.
We just weren't ready. HAHA

Guess we need to try again.

Who is who?

2010-11-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

Can you tell which of my kiddos these two babies are???
I didnt get to take a picture of Micah with the reindeer bib when he was a baby. At his first Christmas, he was 11 months old and he was not using bibs then, he was a clean eater. But the pictures here are of Caitlyn and Ky... which one is which... Caitlyn is the first one and Ky is the second one. They look similar... but you can still tell a difference. :O)

I Am Thankful

2010-11-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for my beautiful family that God has blessed me with.

And I am thankful for my handsome hubby.
I am also thankful for each one of you, my friends and family.

But most of all, I am thankful for my salvation and that Jesus came for me. I hope I will always remember to be grateful and thankful for such a blessing.

Must...Get...Into...The...Blogging...Mood

2010-11-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

Ugggg, I have not been into the blogging mood lately, what's up with that? I hate it when I am in that mood... cause I know in a few years when I look back, Im gonna be upset with myself for not being up to date on my entries. Oy. But, in my defense, I have not had the time. Daniel got the opportunity again to travel with Robbie Seay on one of his tours for 9 days. What an opportunity. My musician hubby got to go be with musicians for 9 days and see the world... errrr, some of the United States. But he still had fun, none the less. When he came home, he was home for a day and then shipped off again to go hunting. What can I say... that boy is lucky that I grew up in a family where hunting was important for the men to do... and so I was ok with him going off and having fun. While he was away, we were busy here at the house. Well, not all that busy... but 1 parent with 3 kiddos for 2 weeks, it felt busy and exhausting. Here are a couple of pictures of what we were up to.

This first one is a picture of a growth chart that I made for a special friend of mine who is having twin boys soon. I enjoyed making this for her, so much that I made another one for another friend of mine who is having a little girl soon. I'll post a pic of hers soon, but after I give it to her in a couple of weeks. :O) I took this pic before I added the hanging ribbon to it, but you get the gist of what it was to be like.

Girls time in the kitchen. Mom came over and us girls made a homemade bbq pizza. It was yummy I must say.

Celebrating Caitlyn

2010-11-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn worked very hard to get all smiley's and good grades for her first 9 weeks of school. So as a reward for her, Daniel and I asked her what she would like to do to celebrate and she chose to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Congratulations baby, you did a great job!!!

Daniel, Caitlyn and Micah went off to play games. Ky and I just chilled back at the table. I guarded the tickets that Caitlyn won and Ky napped.

Accessories

2010-11-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that Micah likes accessories. You know how some kids hate to wear bows or hats on their head??? Well not Micah, if it is an accessory, than he wants to wear it.

Hat!!!

Sunglasses!!!
Shoes!!!
Watch!!! (This is daddy's old watch)
But the biggest and most important accessory to Micah, is his Binky and Blanket.

My Three Little Ghosts

2010-10-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Family Pictures

2010-10-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

It has been time for us to get family pictures for a loooong while now. I think our last professional family picture was when it was just Daniel, Caitlyn and I. Poor Micah, I slacked on taking pictures when he arrived. So now, I am trying to catch up. Actually, I cant take credit for this time... Our church, Woodlands Point Community Church is wanting new pictures of our staff members updated for the website and also family pictures are being taken as well. The photographer is Chip Gillespie and he is great. I love his creative side to these photos. We went to downtown Conroe, very cool and interesting. These have turned out well (I've only seen these 6) and I am eager to see the rest that he has taken.

Fireman Micah

2010-10-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Fun Fall Questions

2010-10-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

Fun Fall Questions

I love question and answer posts. I love participating in them and I also love reading them on other blogs. This is a fun one that I stole from my sweet friend, Ashley.

1. Do you like Starbucks? Are you a fan of their seasonal coffees?
Yes, I do love Starbucks. The funny thing is, I didn't at first. I thought their coffee had a burnt taste to it, but somehow, I got to really like it. Weird, I know. Seasonal coffees??? Ummmm, not sure. I am a creature of habit so I always get the Decaf White Chocolate Mocha.

2. How do you decorate and prepare for fall?
I love decorating for the fall. My biggest ideas to decorate my home come at this time of year. I love the colors, the smells and the "cozy" feeling this time of year brings. I would love to have one of those scarecrows on my front porch... but I don't have much of a front porch and so I am not sure how they handle the rain. So I don't have one. I have this awesome nook in my home that contain two tall candlesticks that hold white tall candles. I just change out the ribbon that I wrap around them to coordinate with the season. Of course there is this great wire pumpkin that shares that space. I guess I just decorate with just here and there all over my home, pumpkins of different styles and faux fall leaves. LOVE it.

3. Will you participate in your college's homecoming activities?
Unless Lonestar is having activities... we aren't planning on it. :O)

4. What is your favorite fall clothing item and or accessory?
I LOVE fall clothing! Again, I love the colors and of course I love the styles that Fall brings. If I had a million dollars, I would go shopping and buy all the cute layering pieces that Fall introduces. Ooooh, I would have so many boots; ankle, knee, above the knee... not thigh high tho... :O) and scarves to accentuate my outfit. It would be fun.

5. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?
I, like you Ashley, didn't celebrate Halloween as a kid. We don't "celebrate" it now either. We are still trying to find our tradition. We have tried going to carnivals, or just having friends come over and grill while the kiddos are dressed up. I do remember once, just once when I was a little girl we did go trick or treating on my street. I think this was the year my parents decided that they just didn't want to participate in Halloween anymore. Anyways, my costume was Strawberry Shortcake. I thought it was fun...but nothing awesome. I actually enjoyed more the carnivals that my church would do instead on Halloween. The theme at these carnivals, at least the one I remember the clearest was cowboy/pioneer. I sported my pink boots. :O)

6. Do you like Halloween/horror movies? Do you have a favorite?
I HATE halloween movies. I actually really despise it! I hate feeling scared and I hate that the tv people feel ok to show the commercials during the day and they don't seem to mind if my innocent children were to catch a glimpse of the horror movie commercial. (Can you tell I feel passionate about this subject. Yes, I even used the word hate)

7. What is your favorite fall activity?
I enjoy the carnivals. I enjoy the evenings of hot chocolate with marshmellows. I actually enjoyed dressing Caitlyn up last year as a little mini bride for halloween.

8. What is your favorite fall recipe?
Fall weather arrives... so does the soups. My famous and favorite ones to make are Chicken Tortilla Soup and Tomato Basil Soup. (Of course... would love to add more... please feel free to share your fav recipes and I will be glad to share mine with you.)

9. What TV show are you most excited about this fall?
Daniel and I are excited to watch Chase and The Event. So far these have our attention.

10. When do you start Christmas shopping?
I get frustrated with myself every year... cause I know I should be starting now. You find better deals and sales when you are not crunched for time. But... I always seem to wait til after thanksgiving.

11. What do you miss most about summer?
Swimming and laying out. I do not enjoy the extremely high heat when I am out running errands. BUT, love it when Im at the pool.

12. What movie coming out soon are you most excited about??
It is scheduled to come out this Christmas, C. S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader. That was my favorite of his 7 books in the Chronicles. So excited!!!

I'll tag anyone that wants to play along!! I really hope that you do. What are some of your favorites to these questions? Do we share any of the same answers?

2 out of 3

2010-10-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Two out of three of my beautiful babies.

And the winner is...

2010-10-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a 9:00am appt at the doctor to get Ky's 2 month check-up. He did really well. They gave him the shots and he cried, of course. But stopped quickly and was quiet the entire ride home. He wasn't fussy until about 3:30. So right now he is in his bouncy snoozing and taking it easy. I couldn't resist comparing my babies and to see who the biggest of the three so far has been. Here are the stats below for 2 months.

Caitlyn Rayne

Weight: 12lbs 6 oz

Length: 23 3/4 inches WINNER

Head: 15 1/4 inches

Micah Daniel

Weight: 11lbs 3oz

Length: 23 inches

Head: ? (They didn't give me the measurements)

Malachi Christopher

Weight: 12lbs 14oz WINNER

Length: 23 1/4 inches

Head: 15 3/4 inches WINNER

AWWWW, poor Micah, he was my little guy.

Storm

2010-09-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

I met this little guy October 3, 2009. I remember that day. It was a saturday. Three big things were happening that day. One, it was furniture moving day for us into our very first home that we owned. Two, It was Daniel's cousin Kari's wedding day. I was very blessed and excited to coordinate and work her wedding. Three, It was meeting Storm day. I remember at the wedding, Lindsay, Daniel's sister and her husband Jason had to leave the reception early to go "babysit" for a couple of hours a six month old little boy that they were possibly going to adopt. I was very excited for them and eager to meet the little guy as well. When I got home after the wedding and reception, they were at our house chilling for a while. Jason was helping Daniel with moving some furniture in and Linds and her daughter Sarah were playing with Storm. Since Lindsay and Jason live out in Cypress, there was no reason to drive all the way home only to have to drive back an hour or so later to return this little guy to his foster parents, whom we happened to lived near. I walked through the front door and there he was, Storm playing in my empty dining room floor. I noticed he had beautiful big blue eyes and that he was quite a drooler. I also noticed that he was a cautious dude. Poor guy had been rotated through families and didnt really know who to trust and relax around. It amazed me how rotating through families affected even a 6 month old. Even at that age, they do know their surroundings and who to feel safe with. I'm not sure of how Linds and Jason felt at that time... but I knew that he would fit perfectly well with our family and that he would be loved. I also was excited that he would be an awesome cousin for Micah to play with, who is just 2 months older.

Now, almost a year later, Storm is doing well. I hear he has become quite the momma's boy yet he is not "sissyfied." He also is "all boy." He loves to climb and move furniture... we are thinking his body type shows he could be a great wrestler or football player.

He has worked his way into all of our hearts and we would like to make it official...

Adoption Benefit Dinner: Make Storm a Womack!

Location:Calvary Community Church

Time:5:30PM Sunday, October 24th

We love you Storm James Womack!

Thoughts

2010-09-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

So what have I been up to lately? Not much. Same Ole, Same Ole. Surely that cant be true, that NOT MUCH has been going on. So I have been thinking and forcing myself to pinpoint what really has been going on in the Pratt world.

3 KIDDOS: At the top of my list is me trying to get used to having 3 kiddos. 3 BEAUTIFUL kiddos I must add. I'm not sure about you, but for me going from 1 kid to 2 kids was not near as hard as it is for us to go from 2 to 3 kids. I feel like I am having a tough time with it. Getting in the groove and back to normal. Wow. I feel like I am constantly in motion now that I have 3 kids and if I get that wonderful chance to "rest" and sit down, that my eyes and mind are still on the go watching and wondering whats going on? Why is it too quiet in there? What have they gotten into?

Actually last night, I was changing Ky on the changing table, Caitlyn was taking a bath and freshly bathed Micah was wandering around looking for mischief to get into. All of a sudden I hear Caitlyn yell out to me, "Mommy! Micah jumped in the bathtub with me!!!" I yelled out in disbelief, "You're kidding!!!" NOPE! Micah had leaned into the bathtub and fell in, PJ's, santa slippers and all. Oh Mercy.

BLOWOUTS: It amazes me what you remember and what you forget from kid to kid. I was forced to remember this time again that when a baby is 5 or 6 weeks old that they stop having diapers that are both wet and dirty. BUT, when you do actually have that dirty diaper happen, that it is a MAJOR blowout. WOW, is that true or what! The infamous poo that rides up and out the back of the diaper. I really should invest in stock for spray and wash or some other pre-treater. Wow, poo stains.

BLOGGING: I have found a new website/blog that I really enjoy reading. It really is not new, but it is to me. thepioneerwoman.com I love it and I love her humor. She has a blog, recipes, giveaways and so on all on her web page. I have tried a recipe or two of hers and so far they have been a hit here at the Pratt Pad.

KINDERGARTEN: Caitlyn LOVES kindergarten. Of course if you were to watch her face as she gets out of the car to go into the school, you wouldn't believe it. But, she does "freak out" when we mess with her and tell her she cant go back to school cause we miss her at home too much. She tells us nooooooo, that she loves it and has to go to school. I take her to school in the mornings and she rides the bus home in the afternoons. She wasn't sure of the bus at first, but now really enjoys it and the freedom that it brings.

WPCC: Woodlands Point Community Church is going great. I love it and my church family more and more every day. God really is doing a lot in this church and is blowing our minds. It is even growing, very well I might add. This past Sunday we started our equipping classes and I am very excited about the book we are going to be reading/discussing this time. The Reason for God by Timothy Keller. Hmmmm, maybe I should stop blogging and go do my reading. :O) I'll keep you posted on my thoughts about the book.

A couple of Sundays ago WPCC had Fusion. A special event that happens after church specifically made for parents and children. A special, elaborated version of what happens during our kids church. We have a live band, volunteer led games from the stage and skits to deliver a message for our kiddos. It was so fun and I enjoyed every minute of it. One of the songs we sing is "LET'S GO." Micah loves that song. He still walks around the house singing it and clapping his hands. He has some of the moves down as well. Could this kid get any cuter????

Well, that is a bit of what has been going on in our Same Ole, Same Ole world. :O)

Wecipe Wednesday

2010-09-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hey girlies,

Ok, I love to cook. You wouldn't know it if you were to eat at my house every night... but I do love to look at new recipes and see if there are any out there that fall under the category of simple, easy and quick. So, here is something that I consider in that category that I want to share with you and I hope that you would do the same for me. :O)

This recipe is what I call Texas Caviar. Many have eaten this recipe of mine at a get together and always has asked for the recipe. It is a "dip" that is very yummy and should I also add that it is healthy???

Texas Caviar

2 cans black eyed peas, drained

1 can hominy, drained

1 bunch green onions, diced (4 - 5)

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 tomato, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1/4 t. garlic powder

1 (8 oz) bottle of zesty italian dressing.

Throw this all together and let the flavors mix in the fridge. The longer the better.

Ok... your turn. :O)

6 Weeks Old

2010-09-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

I cant believe Malachi Christopher is 6 weeks old already. ALREADY. Wow, and I felt like I was just pregnant.

So whats new with Ky???

- He is a good eater. Eats pretty much every 3 hours on the dot.

- He loves to be held. He is quite a cuddler.

- Just within the past couple of days, he has started to let Daddy hold him without crying and even has started cuddling with daddy. (This was an issue for Daniel, he kept saying that this kid didn't like him)

- He definitely is vocal when he is not happy... which happens a lot during the day. He doesn't seem to be an easy going baby for very much of the day.

- He "puts up" with his vibrating bouncy. (That is a good thing, he will at least sit for a while when it is on, but when it isn't... he wont have it)

- Our bouncy that has made it through Caitlyn and Micah... just died and so a couple of my friends generously are letting me borrow their things. One is letting us borrow her bouncy and another is letting us borrow her swing. Well see if Ky gets better with chillin' in those chairs and not being held all the time. (THANK YOU to my friends)

- He is not much of a binky baby or a thumb sucker. He will take his binky every once and a while... but he does not need it to fall asleep.

- Ky likes his baths.

- Sleeping. He is a good night sleeper. Not through the night yet, but he does well. After we have our night time feedings, I just bundle him back up and put him back to bed. He stays quiet and falls back asleep. (He sleeps in our closet and does great)

Ladies Man

2010-08-26T10:34:00.001-07:00

Oh goodness. Yes, I must say that my Micah is a little Ladies Man. He is quite the charmer and he knows it. Daniel used to tell Micah, when he was a small baby that if he kept those blue eyes and dimples... that he would be able to choose whatever girl he wanted. I agree. But now, I agree even more, his humor is hilarious. Blue eyes, dimples and makes you laugh, what a guy.

Ok... it is that time of year. The weather doesn't make you feel like it is that time of year... but Fall is closely around the corner. I love the Fall and early Winter time. I am my most creative during this time of year. I love the smells, cozy feelings and chance to create crafts. Well, thank you to my friend, Amanda (whose blog you can go check out) I am starting to get in the mood to start decorating my home in Fall decor. Hobby Lobby, here I come, and I hope to come with some gift cards... my birthday is in September... hint hint. :O)

Below are a couple of crafts that I will maybe try to attempt.

Caitlyn's First Day of School (after pictures)

2010-08-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn had a GREAT first day at school. I didn't hear every detail of how great it was... she was very vague, but she did say she liked it and did like her teacher. She told me that she did make some friends, but they cant talk during class time. They can only talk after they raise their hand. :O)

I love this picture. It is of Caitlyn showing me how they walk down the hallways. "Hug yourself and catch a bubble."

Today Caitlyn rode the bus for the first time. She was excited and finally gave me that excited smile once she was on the bus and waved to me from her seat. I think she was nervous that she would miss the bus. So once on it, she knew that everything was ok and she would get to school fine. Caitlyn has been wanting to ride the bus forever. For years when we would be in our car and we would see a bus, she would tell me that she wanted to ride one.

So, I am anxiously waiting for 3:30 to get here so that I can meet her at the bus stop and see how she liked riding the bus and also how today went. And wouldn't you know it, on her first day of riding the bus, it looks like it is gonna rain.

UPDATE: She did not like riding the bus. I asked her why. She told me that when she gets out of school she wants to see mommy and the bus is not fast enough. *sniff* Also, she had that feeling that she would never get home, so that worried her.

So we will see what we will do. I told her we may compromise and I take her to school in the mornings and she ride the bus in the afternoons. That way we have more time in the mornings and I can let the babies sleep longer in the afternoons. The school is only 5 minutes away, so I think that this may work best.

Caitlyn's First Day of School

2010-08-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well, today finally and actually happened. My baby is growing up. Caitlyn did great today. She was a bit nervous, but who isn't on a first day of school. She did not cry, me on the other hand did tear up a bit, two times. When I grew up, my mom and I would always pray before I left the house. We would pray that I would be protected during the day, that I would be like Jesus and to have a great day. I love that tradition that we had and so I started it today with Caitlyn. That is when I first teared up and I also teared when we were walking down the halls at school and I mentioned that the teachers in the hallway were there to help her if she were to ever get lost and not be able to find her classroom. I dont know why I teared up on the second one. Maybe it was because being lost and not finding her classroom has been something that has concerned Caitlyn for a while and so maybe it was cause the teachers would be the ones to help her and not me.

Here are 3 of the 100's of pictures that I REALLY wanted to take, but Caitlyn was done taking pictures once we got to her classroom. So here are the "before" pictures and I am going to take more, the "after" pictures when I pick her up from school.

In her classroom. Once we walked in was when her nervousness set in a bit. But she did great.
This picture was actually the first one I took... how it got to be last in this post, I have no clue.

Hats

2010-08-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

The other night we went over to our good friends house, the Moody's for dinner. A YUMMY dinner I must add. After eating dinner, we just hung out and enjoyed each others company... in between running and trying to find or keep up with Micah. Well, one of the times we went looking for him and where he ran off to... this is what we found. He found Kelly's trunk-of-fun. Actually that is not what it is called... but I bet you if we were to ask Micah, he would have called it that. He found HATS and shoes in this trunk and was having a ball playing with them. I freaked a bit, cause it was a very nice display that Kelly had in her formal dining room, but Kelly did not mind and let Micah continue to play in the "trunk-of-fun." Thank you Kelly for being so sweet and allowing him to play with the hats and shooos (shoes). He LOVED it.

He thought Kelly was HILARIOUS when he had her put multiple hats on her head. He laughed so hard.
Thank you again, Kelly. We love you.

First Trip Out

2010-08-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it. I had my first trip out with 3... on my own. I guess it really doesn't count, cause I did have some help. BUT, I guess I would still consider this as our first trip out. We went last Thursday, when Ky was a week and a couple of days old, to Nonni's for Caitlyn's piano lesson. I did load the kiddos up all by myself, but Nonni came out and greeted us when we arrived and helped me load them up when we left... which I am and was FULLY grateful for!

So how did I do??? I think I did pretty well. We made it there all in one piece and I remembered EVERYTHING... except for Micah's Blanket and Binky (a "just in case" thing to have)... and Caitlyn's piano lesson books. (In my defense... I thought she was finished with her books and beginning new ones, haha.) :O)

Ky

2010-07-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

My little bundle, Ky is doing well.

So far:

Good Sleeper... yes.

Eater... not sure yet on that one.

Cuddler... definitely.

Binky User... maybe, but leaning more to the yes side.

Reflux... yes, think so. (so far has been sleeping in car seat at night for that propped up position.)

Cute... Overwhelming YESSSSS!

Malachi Christopher Pratt

2010-07-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

Malachi (Ky) Christopher Pratt

Born Tuesday, July 27, 2010

12:35am

7 lbs 11 oz 20 inches

Celebrating Ky

2010-07-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have about one more week to go and I guess you can call me a procrastinator because things are just now starting to come together at the Pratt Pad for Ky to join us. This past Thursday night, July 15, 2010, I was blessed from a friend of mine who threw me a Celebration Dinner at The Grotto to celebrate the arrival of Ky. I had a wonderful time. I have to say I am blessed with some wonderful friends and I hope they all know they are loved and cherished by me and my family. Such a beautiful cake... yes, from Lindys and OOOOOOOOHHHHH was it yummy. This picture made us laugh when we first looked at it... like the monk that is in the mural over my shoulder? Thank you to Kristyn for taking some pictures that night. I cant believe I left my camera at home... on the charger in anticipation to bring with me that night.
A diaper cake from the Elliott family for Ky.

These two spit up cloths have nothing to do with the Celebration Dinner. I just wanted to include them in this post cause it is something I made specifically for Ky, today, by the way. I made spit up cloths for Caitlyn and Micah before they were born and I felt obligated to make Ky a couple as well. Gotta be fair. :O)

Here It Is

2010-07-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the outfit made by my cousin in law, Kaylee. She made the bandana top and bow and bought the leggings. Soooo cute. I think the model helps make this outfit even cuter. :O)

Madalyns Madness

2010-07-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

My mom told me the other day that I should be expecting a package in the mail soon for Caitlyn, Micah and Ky from my Aunt Nancy and cousin in law, Kaylee. I got it yesterday and wow was all I could say when I opened it up. What a great gift from those two. I took pictures of what my cousin in law made for Micah and Ky and will show a pic of what she made for Caitlyn, later. If you're interested at all in checking out her site, feel welcome to. www.madalynsmadness.com

She sewed and monogramed two blankets with silkie edges... an important necessity for my kids.
She monogrammed a spit up cloth and made a diaper wipes container for Ky.
This is for Ky as well. The white circle is a little baseball.
A shirt for Micah and a onesie for Ky. CUTE! I just laughed when I saw this.
This is for Micah... and boy does she know him well. He always has some type of "ouch" on him somewhere. It is a boo boo bunny. The tag that came with it says: If a boo boo has you feeling crummy, stick an ice cube in my tummy. Hold it to your boo boo tight, soon everything will be all right!
This is for Ky. It is a bag filled with Wee Wee Teepees. You can see two that I pulled out. The tag says: Changing a baby boy is not all glitz & glory and can be a horror story! When it's time for a change, Dont be fooled, Use this little tool. Cover his wee wee with this little teepee.
Also this binkie clip is a baseball, for Ky.
Of course all of these are baseball themed and way cute. Thank you Kaylee and Aunt Nancy for such a wonderful present for my babies.

Swimming with the Pratts

2010-07-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

You guessed it... there will be no bathing suit/swimming pictures of me and my belly. Sorry for the disappointment. But here are a couple of my cuties.

Micah was terrified of swimming, no joke. Bringing him into the water was not very fun. He would moan and hold onto you with a death grip. But after repeat attempts of getting into the water, he now loves it. He loves standing on the side and kinda/sorta jumping into your arms. He loves it so much, I have now had to go get one of those bathing suits that have floaties within the suit. Havent used it yet, but will soon.

This Past Week

2010-06-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Daniel had a youth camp to play at this past week with WoodsEdge. Oh how I missed him and glad he is back home. Now knowing that, he had his computer with him and that makes it really hard for me to blog, especially from my iPhone. So, here are a few pictures from this past week.

On Tuesday Caitlyn got to go to her Nonni's house to have her piano lesson and then spend the rest of the day... and night with Nonni and her cousin, Sarah. Just the girls. They had a blast. Well, actually Nonni tortured them the entire time she had them. She had the nerve to take them to Chick fil a for lunch and then Chuck E Cheese for dinner. Then they stayed up a bit and she read them books before bed. In the morning she forced them to have fun in the pool and sprinkler. :O) I know that they had a blast and I am wondering how Nonni is gonna top this sleepover. So this picture is of Caitlyn, on our way to Nonni's.

Daniel has been actually interested in gardening this past Spring. He started up a vegetable garden and then in the corner of our yard planted some sunflower seeds. Here is our very first Sunflower, and it popped up while he was gone this past week. I texted him the photo tho so he could see it. Look how tall it is... that is the top of the fence you see behind the flower.
My Micah is such a good boy... but oh how he is busy and keeps me on my toes. I do love the little surprises around every corner... or at least in this drawer. This is in my bathroom and it is my hair accessory drawer. Baseballs belong in a hair accessory drawer, dont they???

OCD

2010-06-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I am not the only one out there that has at least ONE OCD tendency. If I sit here long enough I could probably think of a few. Actually, here are a few.

1.) I never close cabinet doors. It really drives Daniel nuts...cause he runs right into them cause of his height. I can easily walk under them...but not him. The reason I hate to close cabinet doors...I HATE the noise it makes. I dont like the slam!

2.) To put my makeup on...I sit not on the bathroom counter... but in the bathroom sink. It is more comfortable that way. Well, this is what I do when Im not pregnant. Now, I HAVE to sit in a chair.

3.) When it is cold outside, at bedtime I tuck my pjs into my socks. I look my sexiest when I do that. ;)

4.) I hate for my food to touch and mix with each other. I realized this quirk when I was a flight attendant and my roommate at our hotel/apartment went and got/brought us back breakfast. On my plate she had all my favorites and with a napkin...she got a napkin, rolled it up and separated my food choices. :) I thought that was the sweetest thing she could do...cause it showed me that she really knew me...but then wigged me out...cause that showed me that I was weird.

5.) If I am cooking...the kitchen LOOKS like someone has been cooking in it...there are ingredients, utensils and such all over the counters. But if Daniel is cooking...I am right behind him picking/cleaning up EVERYTHING and putting it away... even when he is not done with it. Ex. He could go to the drawer, get a spoon to stir something, stir, put it down to get something out of the pantry. That is when I swoop in and put it in the dishwasher. Daniel gets frustrated cause he needs that spoon to mix in the ingredients from the pantry.

6.) This one is not big...but everytime I go to get my hair done at the salon...I have to go home and style it myself. The hairstylist could have done an amazing job...but still no matter what...I have to go fix it myself at home.

7.) I cannot stand buffets. I will only go if I HAVE to. The reason for this quirk:

I have seen a kid drop a buffet utensil on the floor, say oops and then put in back in the food.

But recently, last night actually. My friends sweetly informed me that I may need to go see a doctor when they heard of my latest OCD. I found out that not only do I not like my food to touch... I am freaking out about Micah and Ky's clothes touching in the drawer. I am sure that once Ky is here and I will have 3 kids to keep up with, I will quickly get over it. BUT, for right now as I am starting my nesting process, I am wigging out just a bit that their clothes are gonna touch. Not because of cooties or anything like that, but I just would hate to have Ky miss out on wearing something that gets pushed to the back of the drawer cause of Micah's big boy clothes are in the way. :O) So how am I gonna remedy this? I got a LUVs diaper box and cut it in half and now the drawers will have "sections."

Oh, I feel much better. :O)

Hello New Puppy

2010-06-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

Daniel completely surprised me with a puppy today. I had no clue. None. He brought me home a full blooded teacup pomeranian. She's such a cutie. Im still trying to pick a name for her, I hate that she doesnt have a name but I am not sure of one now. Cutie, Tink (tinkerbell), Princess are all names that I have entertained but decided not to keep.

Off to bed... I'll blog more later.

Shoo-ce (Shoes)

2010-06-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

Micah has been quite the talker lately. There are a few words that he has down that we KNOWwhat exactly he is trying to say.

Shoo-ce (Shoes)

Eeeet (Eat)

Fa-Fish (Goldfish)

Bice (Bite)

Bar (Nutragrain Bar)

Tank ooo (Thank you)

Peees (Please)

Uh (Up)

Doh (Down)

Kay-Kee (Caitlyn)

Da-Deee (Daddy)

Ma-Mee (Mommy)

Byee-Byee (Bye-bye)

Bah (Ball)

Nigh-Nigh (Night Night)

Those are some of the words that I know for certain off the top of my head. A couple of things that he loves to play with are balls, baseballs, golfballs, footballs, beachballs and so on. Also he loves to wear shoes. He is pretty adamant about wearing shoes or shoo-ce as he calls them, ALL the time. I have even put him down for a nap, took his shoes off and put them in the corner of the crib. Then go in to check on him to find him sleeping... with his shoes on. Such a silly boy and he makes me laugh all the time. He definitely knows how to entertain a crowd.

Brother and sister time, watching Rachel Ray. (Notice he is wearing his shoes in this picture, even now)

Happy Birthday Caitlyn Rayne

2010-06-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Caitlyn Rayne. I cannot believe you are five today. Wow, when they say time flies, it really does. You were just my itty bitty baby just the other day. You are such a sweet little precious girl. I love you and so proud of you. Have a wonderful birthday.

If Caitlyn can do it...

2010-06-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

If Caitlyn can manage 3 babies... I guess I can too. (I LOVE how they are all squished in this umbrella stroller with one hanging off the back) I guess I now have no worries when Ky gets here. :O)

BLOGS and Pregnancy

2010-06-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

I was talking with my good friend, Emily the other day and we were discussing our blogs. What we thought about them, what we thought about what we wrote, if anyone read them at all and how in the world could we get them printed for scrap book reasons. I have heard for a while that there is a program out there that is pretty awesome that you could use... but I havent seen it or heard it actually being used. Hmmmm. BUT, I do know that I can do the simple print out on my computer. It's not flashy, but it works. Now knowing that, I now really want to update my blog regularly so that I have a pretty good record of memories "IN" my hands.

So, here goes:

I am 31 weeks today and progressing nicely. Basically I look like I have a basketball under my shirt, at least that is what I hear and that people say Im not carrying any where else. That's good, who really wants to carry the baby weight anywhere else. I'm feeling ok, back hurts a bit tho and it's only gonna get hotter outside. YUCK Good thing there is a pool down the street and a small version of a pool in our back yard that I could cool off in. After last weeks check up I have come to the conclusion that 1.) I have only 14 more pounds to go before Ky's delivery, before I go past my final weight gain of both Caitlyn and Micah. YIKES, think I can do it??? 2.) My tummy is measuring about 6 weeks bigger than usual. BUT, thats ok cause my wonderful doctor told me not to worry about the tummy measurement numbers. "On 2nd or 3rd baby... you're all stretched out so the numbers really dont mean anything, we really dont look at the numbers anymore." Im thinking, great... what a way to make a woman feel good about herself, you're all stretched out. Ha, I laugh about it pretty often actually. Here's a picture of me and my belly at 31 weeks.

What is this little guys name gonna be? We have chosen only the first name for sure. Nick name and middle name are still unsure. His name will be Malachi. We want to call him Ky... but how are we gonna spell it? Ky, Chi, Kai? I think it will probably be Ky. When I see Chi... I think ch-ee.

Middle name - William (my dads name), Frederick (daniel's dad's name), Christian or Christopher.

So this is what is going on in our lives these days. :O)

Where does Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream come from???

2010-05-28T11:57:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder where chocolate and vanilla ice cream comes from?

Photo courtesy from Caitlyn's field trip to the Oil Ranch.

Kindergarten, Here She Comes!!!!

2010-05-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day for Caitlyn Rayne. About 9 months ago Caitlyn had her first day of pre-school at WoodsEdge. I am so glad that we decided and were able to send her there. A decision I dont think Daniel and I will ever regret. She has learned so much. Her reading is really good, counting is very nice and she has progressed quite a bit with her comfort with crowds. Wow, this time has gone by fast.

Well today was her graduation and I think they made it a special day for her.

Congratulations Baby... I'm so proud of you!!!

What color is your thumb?

2010-05-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what color my thumb is. I dont think it is green, maybe a light green tho. :o) But... I think Daniels has turned a nice shade of green. Look at what he has been up to lately.

This is our vegetable garden. The ones closest are jalapenos. Then also in there is yellow squash, green squash and lettuce. Back in the back is our herb garden which is not as fast as growing as the veggies are.
This area is gonna be sunflowers... you can see them sprouting. No flowers yet tho.

Oil Ranch

2010-05-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, June 19 Caitlyn's class had a field trip to the Oil Ranch. Wow, that place has changed quite a bit since I went back when I was in elementary school. When I went, the place had a barn filled with hay and a rope swing, a cow to milk, a hay ride to go out and feed the cows and a trampoline. Now, this place still has the barn with a face lift, no rope swing. Horses to ride. You can still milk the cows and ride the hay ride. A train to ride, a petting zoo, swimming pool and huge slide. There is more there, but we didnt get a chance to visit it all. Below are some pictures of what we were able to do.

Here is the cow to milk... Caitlyn was not into that at all!!! You can tell by the look on her face how she felt about it.
Train ride. Caitlyn loved the train the most. We rode through a tunnel and all the kids loved to scream as loud as they could to hear the echo. Loved it!!! I wasnt able to get to sit with her on the train, I had to sit a couple of cars down. Caitlyn flipped a bit when she couldnt see me and the train was taking off. But once we took the first corner and she saw me... all was good and fun.
The famous hay in the famous barn. Another favorite.
Caitlyn got to ride a horse. She still isnt a fan of horseback riding. Never really has been. She says it is too bouncy.
Here is Caitlyn's class
A pic of CP3 and me on the hay ride. About to go feed the cows.
Class pic again.

Cows weren't hungry, but the horses must have been starving. They ran up to the wagan and were litterally in our faces. Caitlyn changed her mind on feeding the horses at first, so she gave me her pellets and I got to feed the horses... for the first time. :O) I was proud of myself. Then something must have happened cause Caitlyn changed her mind and wanted to feed the horses. She did an amazing job and fed 3 horses. No fear. I was even more proud of her.
Cailtyn and I had a great day together. The only thing that would have made it better would have been temperatures in the 70's. :o)

Baby Shower

2010-05-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, last week and weekend I was busy getting ready to throw my sister in law, Gabriella's very first baby shower. Wow, what pressure. Her very FIRST. I have to say that I think it was a success and Gabi ended up getting a lot of wonderful things for her son, Gabriel Scott. I had a wonderful time planning and throwing this baby shower for her. Oh how I have missed my "planning" days. (You may not remember that I used to be a wedding planner and absolutely LOVED it) Anyways, we had a great time... I say WE cause little miss Caitlyn was quite the assistant. Really, Im not just saying that cause I am her mother. A lot of you know how quiet my little miss is when it comes to crowds. Well, she passed out to all the ladies their clothespins for the "dont say baby" game. She also announced the winner in front of everyone, the "guess the amount of gumdrops in the bottle" game. (this game was her idea) She also handed Gabi EVERY present and removed EVERY present once they were opened. She took care of collecting and saving tissue paper and tossing the wrapping paper. I was a proud momma. Below is a picture of Caitlyn and I opening our thank you gift from Gabi. Gabi made the bag and it was full of a couple of fun goodies. :O)

This is me and my sister in law, Gabi. She is two weeks ahead of me. Love this girl, she makes my brother very happy. (YES, I am wearing a skirt. I know, hard to believe)