the gingrich blog

the annual crawfish boil...

the time has come. yummy, spicy crawfish and potatoes and most of all...the mush!  yum!  

buddy (he's officially not a barry anymore) hosts a heck of a time each year and this was no exception.  we may be the (next to) youngest folks there, but i look forward to this event, seeing the friends, and eating the yummy food (atleast watching j & gang enjoy it)!

j, ever so proud of that pile and t'anna...well, precisely why i don't do crawfish...just the other goodies!

 

the one night a year when i actually get to visit with val!  zu had too much fun before the party got started!  it didn't last long, but i couldn't resist a snapshot of it!

 

the girly gingrichs!

andy and j taking care of business!

 

em's first 8 months...

may has dawned...  we can't believe how quickly these days are passing by.  our sweet girl is 8 months old!  

...she's sleeping on her belly

...she really doesn't care much for food.  to date, the only thing she'll dabble in is pears and peas.

...still no teeth, but they're on their way!

...chronic ear infections.  boo!

...she enjoys gerber puffs!  it melts my heart every time i see her pick them up and get them in her mouth!  the look (and smile) of success is heart warming!

...she has mastered crawling!  

...she is pulling up on low objects like the coffee table.

...she does not enjoy me leaving her.  mama's girl today (and will certainly change)!

...she has begun to play with her toys.  her favorite is the rattle and noisy ones!

...she sleeps in her crib for a few hours and then makes her way into mom and dad's bed.  (wonder how long this is going to last?)

...she loves her brother.  she watches his every move.  he's mostly helpful with her, unless she's taking away his trains and trucks.  yikes!

our emy girl...you're STILL more than we ever imagined - sweetness and beauty!  you are pure joy and are giving us such happy times!

i he(art)...

if i could have it my way, i'd make lots of crafty gifts and sell a few too.  this is just what i did with these blocks...  take a peek.  

 

 

 it's so fun to customize!

day with dad...

j wanted to take the kiddos hiking...and so he did! (i went to run a few family errands so i missed out.)  not only did he hike with 2 kids, 1 on his back and the other wandering, but he also snapped some pictures!  quite the dad he is!  lucky lucky children!

 

 

goin' to austin...

oh boy does z ever love spending time in austin!  he's learned all of the cities that our relatives live in and he is very proud to tell you!  whether we're with him or not, while he's in austin, he has a blast.  gramm's always has a little agenda for him!  t'anna and buddy are typically partners in the good times!  

this time he played in the pool with gramms & t'anna and found a BIG dirt pile across the street and made it his second home!  silly boy loves to get dirty!

 

 

thank you for loving this sweet boy and giving him such wonderful experiences!

work it, own it, work it...

baby girl learning to pull up on her own...and having mastered the sitting up on her own, she couldn't help but pose for mama!

 

 

you're thinking model, aren't you?  

we're a little crazy about the sweetest, prettiest little girl in the entire world!

a big move...

well, we have survived something i didn't think we could.  sounds dramatic?  you should have seen me (or frankly, my son) these first few weeks of the dreaded daycare transition.  i recently took another job, working normal-late hours, so the necessity (that was inevitable to keep z entertained w/ a curriculum) to move them had come.  i'm all for em staying in a home daycare but the thought of two drop offs make ZERO sense.  and i digress...

the kids moved and it was incredibly tough on the big (lil) guy...which in turn made this a few miserable weeks for mom.  he would literally kick and scream every morning saying he didn't want to go to 'big boy school' (as we called it as we were hyping it up for weeks ahead of time).  when i would turn the corner to enter the parking lot, an onlooker would have thought i was plucking hairs out of his head.  VERY DRAMATIC thing for the ol' Gs!  i felt absolutely horrible as he held on to my leg, crying with big alligator tears, and screaming for me to stay.  the teachers were incredible as they did their very best to love on him and encourage him to be a part.  the best (absolute BEST) thing that happened was Abram Bernal (as z refers to him).  Abram is my dear friend, Kristie's, child.  the boys are only a few weeks apart and i was elated that he took z into his group and welcomed him warmly each day.  he made this transition doable...along with time and wonderful teachers.  when i finally walked away from there (in tears), i was only half way done.  i still had my little em, who i knew would forgive easier than z.  

i'm pleased to say that we have successfully survived the transition and both children enjoy their days...z more so than em.  z looks forward to the very fun activities, the songs, the art, the outdoor time, and the friends every day!  whew...

here are a few pictures of the fiesta parade they had at 'school'.

 

aren't these buggies the cutest things?

 

and zu and abram with their 'floats' that their mommies put together at the very last minute!  mimi actually did most of zu's.  love that lady!

mimi fun times!

we're spoiled to have grandparents come up to see us regularly!  we (j & i) enjoy it, but the kids LOVE it more...as you can see!

on mimi's most recent trip up to babysit us (all of us) while dad tended to business out-of-town, we graced luby's for some good ol' southern cafeteria food (scrumptious).  and what a perfect place to photograph your best company?