Too cool

I sent Sidney Kate to her closet to grab her crocs and she came out with boots. Way better choice!!

The movie was fun and she lasted the whole time!! Even better was Embree Claire slept the whole time!! Score 2 for Mommy and Daddy!!

Tomorrow is up early for pictures then get home and party!!

Birthday Girl!

Heading to watch a movie outside with all her friends!!

Perfect shirt for such an occasion!!

Wolfpack Comparison

You want to avoid comparing children as much as possible, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to compare Sidney Kate's coming home Wolfpack picture and Embree Claire's. Uh-dora-bull!

Sidney Kate-taken April 30, 2008

Embree Claire-taken April 18, 2011

Embree Claire's First Shots

The outfit that Sidney Kate and Embree Claire wore home from the hospital is the same outfit I wore home from the hospital...30 years ago. :)
Here are some shots we took before checking out Monday.

The New Lil Venable Fam!

As with Sidney Kate, I made a puzzle for those in the waiting room to figure out the baby's name. We also put one in our neighbor's mailbox for them to figure out...Jackson was in 2nd grade when I was pregnant with Sidney Kate and I figured he, and his family, wouldn't mind another puzzle to figure out this little one's name. Pretty sure all the "E"s were making it tough for folks-but I think it was fun anyway. :)

Ta da!! Although Sidney Kate still calls her "Jetta" when people ask what her baby sister's name is. :)

Daddy's new little girl!

Daddy's girls. Since this picture Sidney Kate has determined that we are "Daddy's girls" and I'm the Queen, of course, she's the princess and Embree Claire is his angel.

The new Lil Venable Fam!

Last Days Before ECV

Here are some pictures of our events the Friday and Saturday before Embree Claire's big debut! We hit up some Mexican food Friday night...surely Mexican food and a trip to Wal-Mart induces labor...right?! Well, it's didn't that day but it might have helped. :) Here are Daddy and Sidney Kate in the beautiful tree outside the restaurant.

We're all pretty sure this induced labor for Miss Embree Claire! Uncle Josh is getting his MBA and part of his project this semester involved none other than KRISPY KREME! We spent Saturday evening with friends at Uncle Josh and Aunt Jill's. We ate super yummy food and taste tested doughnuts for dessert! Sidney Kate, Brett and Lindsay went first for the taste testing. Giving numbers 1-5. Very intense!

Anytime we talk about going to Aunt Jill's, SKV whispers to me that she wants to "feed her rat." Haha! I think he's technically a Brazilian rat...it worked out for everyone. Jill fed our kids a lot of doughnuts and our kids fed hers a lot of raisins.

Easter Fun with SKV and ECV

As you saw in my previous post, this Easter was a little scary for one Venable girl.  Sidney Kate was left traumatized by her breakfast with the Easter Bunny and ended up not wanting anything to do with him.  By morning, however, she was wondering where her treats were and didn't seem to care how they got in the house.  We did explain that the EB gave Daddy a call on the phone and Kevin met him outside to retrieve the treats.  This seemed to be fine with her-she got treats so she was happy!

Easter Morning Boo Boo

Getting out of the bathtub accident. OUCH!

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

Before going to be terrorized by the Easter Bunny...

What seemed to be an innocent trip with Gran Mary and Papa ended up scaring her of the big white bunny. Who wouldn't fear that thing coming into your house at night to hide goodies though?! Clearly Mommy and Daddy didn't think this through.

The evening resulted in SKV asking us to email the EB and tell him to put the treats in the basement. That seemed to be the plan until Kevin went downstairs to turn off lights. She heard the steps from her room and immediately started crying. Then we decided Mommy should call the EB on the phone and tell him to "just stay away." The EB ended up calling Kevin on his phone so they could meet up and hand off the girls treats.

Videos upcoming...

Holding 101

Learning more everyday. "She's so cute!"

At home!

We are all at home and getting use to the new norm. SKV was pretty adamant that baby sister's name was Jetta yesterday and I don't see a reason to tell her any different. :)

SKV has been holding and helping a lot. We are trying to learn a new inside voice-apparently what we have been using is a loud one. :D

Daddy is maintaining his best daddy/husband ever award. He is keeping us calm and keeping SKV involved and playing.

Stay tuned...

Embree Claire's Debut!

April 17, 2011
7lbs 8oz
19.5 in

She decided that "on time" was how she wanted to roll and she did! Shortly after the start of Sunday, Palm Sunday, contractions began. By 2:00 am we were in the hospital because they were 3 minutes apart. By 2:03 pm we were hearing her first cries.

Everyone is doing great and SKV is a very happy big sister! I have a sweet video of the first time she saw ECV. They are sure to love each other!

Stay tuned-

Our Little Ham

This child can come up with the most random, hilarious things ever! I wish I had more time to document it all but sometimes it's just good to enjoy it. On this day we were waiting on Grandma, Grandpa and Daddy to arrive. So we sat on the front porch and she decided she should make faces. She thought, and, she was-the funniest thing! I think it turned out that the 4 corners and center pictures are her funny poses. The others are just around the yard with flowers and flamingos.

Cousins

A little Animoto from Grace's 4th birthday party. Amber had so many more pictures that I planned to snag from FB but well...life happened. :) So here is what I have.
The girls at Mary and Brady's wedding shower. I don't think I got a picture of them together at Grace's party... On this day Kevin and my dad got babysitting duty downstairs while the womenfolk enjoyed treats and each other upstairs. :) We had the evil plan to all leave and go shopping but I think the girls came up for more food before we could get away.

The girls on their 3rd or 4th round of food...I'm sure. Apparently Sidney Kate saw this in momma's fridge and called it a "Super Carrot!" She just had to have it...and you know how Grandma's are...she left with it.

Video Round Up

Here are some videos that I've taken recently and not added to the blog.
Uncle Chad and Aunt Sharon told us to bring SKV by the night Baby Jackson was born, after questioning their sanity making sure they were positive they wanted such a little visitor, we told them sure!  I picked her up from daycare as usual and took her home for a good scrub down and new, germ-free clothes.  She was just about the most excited little girl I'd ever seen.  It was like all her dreams came true!  She got to hold a baby!!



All I can say is "Watch out Delane!"  You'll soon have a new guitarist to add to your jams.  :) 


An outdoor discovery led to this video.  GG said she picked the twig and straight away stuck it to her tail.  Such imagination at this age!

My words, "Sidney Kate, let Mommy rest."  Her response...

(Love her!)

Day of Celebration!

Who is this adorable baby girl you ask? It's Sammi, Brett's little sister. Sidney Kate was sooo excited (see facial expression) that she got to hold her. That's all she ever wants to do-hold a baby! Her time is coming soon!
 
A fun shot to end the big girls' birthday celebration.
We met up with Daddy to head to the big city to build a bear for "Jetta," among other exhausting things. I noted this to be my last trip down the road-getting too far along. :)
So excited to make a bear for her baby sister, with heartbeat in the bear's arm!
Even as the lady was stuffing her bear she was talking about giving it a bath. She's going to be a huge help come "Jetta's" arrival!
 

Spinning at Grandma's

If you have a spinning chair at your house and Sidney Kate finds it, this is what you do to entertain yourself. :)

Listen closely to their conversation.

Goat Fun!

Well the fun didn't stop this Sunday! Grandma had a field trip planned and it involved KIDS! A local goat farmer (is that what you call them?) had a fresh litter (again, right word?) of kids. Four baby girl goats were waiting for us to come and ooooo all over them. They were just five days old!

I'm pretty sure that all Sidney Kate said was, "Aw, they are so cute!" You can see her opened mouth expression here.

 and here...

The goat plan, I'll distract her and you eat her skirt! Sidney Kate didn't mind the tugging of her skirt being devoured...and she walked away still wearing it. All was well.

Awwww...I think this goat was going in for the sniff too.
About the 3:50 mark you'll hear Sidney Kate not wanting to hold the goat...after holding a few already.

Happy 95

After the baby shower we headed off to Grandpa's for his 95th Birthday Celebration!! 95 years deserves a big "whooah" and he got it! We had food for an army and a tractor cake, along with other yummy desserts, to top it off. Nevermind that mass amount of body heat up in his house...just like Christmas! The tractor was the wrong color, as he noted, but I'm guessing the cake decorators haven't heard of Case tractors...it's a John Deere world these days. This isn't Grandpa's but a picture of one like it...no green here! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!

Baby Shower Bliss

I believe this is our 36 week belly shot. Sidney Kate and I (daddy too) were dressed for church and our baby shower for "Jetta." Sidney Kate was impersonating that guy on Star Trek. :)

She wasn't much into the opening of presents or the acknowledging that she knew me or Kevin. She preferred the food and grandparents.

Again, she wasn't into us this day. I figured she'd be all about opening gifts, but I'm pretty sure she ignored whatever she thought we were doing.

Welcome Baby Jackson!

Today Jackson Craig Freeman entered the world and today SKV got to hold him!!! She was just about as happy as any little kid at Christmas! She sat with Uncle Chad and the boppy and Daddy brought Jackson over. (I have video too!)

Welcome to the world Jackson!!

New Favorite Centerpiece!

I got my new favorite centerpiece this morning! Our latest, and last (unless God has other plans), set of maternity pictures!! We did a few shots but this series made it on the table. FUN!

I asked SKV if she liked it and she said, "It's perfect!". I agree!

Thanks Forever Children's Photography!!