If Blogging...

were a course, I would get an F! There are just not enough hours in the day for this Mommy to get everything done. I am going to try and do a little better, but I will stick to my word of not blogging while my babies are awake.

There is so much to say, but it is all sort of random. It is so hard to get back to blogging when you have been away for a while.

I found this picture of our little man while I was looking thorough some pictures. Gavin is growing so fast, unbelievable that he is about to be 7 months old.

This little girl enjoys sitting out in the garage with her Daddy no matter what he is doing. She will sit out there for hours and talk to him while he washes the car or works in the garage.

I am thinking that we have another dog-dog lover in our house. This little boy will watch Beamer all over the house and scoot as quickly as he can to get to him. The funny part is, Beamer will not even make eye contact with him.

Miss Emma turned 27 months old on the 15th and I did not post about it, so we will let this serve as her 27 month old picture.

Guess who helped me cook breakfast Saturday morning? She had her own bowl and yes, she cracked her own eggs. They were on the counter, running down the cabinets and egg shells were all in the bowl. She had so much fun cooking with me and felt like such a big girl.

Speaking of big girls, she woke up Saturday morning and said, "Mommy, I am a big girl. I don't want to wear diapers, I need panties on today." Needless to say, we grabbed the panties and she has gone to the potty faithfully for 2 days now. Guess she just made up her mind she was ready and we are so proud of her.

Emma is so responsible these days with brushing her teeth, getting herself dressed and putting her shoes on all by herself. She is so independent and wants help with NOTHING. We have gone places with shirts on backwards and inside out. She went to the Drs. office last week with shorts, a shirt, bug crocs and a cowboy hat. Did I mention that NONE of it matched? Sometimes it is just best to pick your battles with a 2 year old. So I want to offer my apologies to all the Mom's out there I thought were crazy when their kids looked like, pure MESS! We are officially part of the club these days.

Dreams Come True

I am living the life I have always dreamed of and I am loving every minute of it. What more could I ever ask for, seriously? Like every other Mommy in the world, I believe I have the most amazing kiddos ever.

We took our first walk tonight through the neighborhood with Gavin in his car. The little ones really seemed to enjoy themselves as we strolled. Gavin could hardly take his eyes off his Big Sister and she could hardly keep her hands off of him.

Gavin has the updated model of this car and it is so nice and quiet compared to Emma's. I highly recommend spending the extra $ and getting the Quiet Whisper Step 2 car. Ours was a gift and we love it.

One of our cousins owns a car dealership and gave this to Gavin. It was so cute, because they told us they gave us this one so we would come back and buy his first car from them. They even joked about putting their dealership sticker on the back of it.

I fall deeper and deeper in love everyday. These two give me a reason to be the very best person I can possibly be.

What a week...

it has been in the Frazier household. Honestly, it has been the roughest week we have had as parents. It all began last Friday when Emma came down with fever of 101.7. This poor baby was sick for 7 days straight. We visited the Dr. twice and the Emergency Room once in the past week to be diagnosed with Croup and Pneumonia. On day number 4 of her sickness, our Little Man started running a fever and also had to be taken to the Dr. He was diagnosed with an ear infection, they also gave us a prescription for the Croup if he just happened to get it too. Needless to say, the prescription has been filled and we are currently treating him for Croup also. Ugg...I just want the germs and infection to leave my house and my sweet little family. I need my babies to be back to their jolly little selves and I need it QUICK.

As if all of this was not enough, Gavin received his cranial band and had his initial fitting yesterday afternoon. They actually put it on his little head, marked it with a sharpie and cut it down to the perfect size right there while we waited (the mold was made 2 weeks ago).

This is our sweet friend Aaron who has worked with us at the facility to get Gavin scanned and fitted for his cranial band. He has gone out of his way to make us feel comfortable with our decision to move forward in this process.

Well, it did not take me long to get some stickers put on this new accessory my son is sporting. These stickers are actually just very temporary and not really wanting to stay on. We have ordered permanent vinyl stickers that should arrive in the next couple days.

So far, so good. Today we had to wear the band for 1 hour and then remove it for one hour all day long. The time will increase over the next 4 days until we are wearing it 23 hours a day. We should be to that stage by Wednesday if all goes as planned. Believe it or not, Gavin does not seem to mind it at all. We will see how it goes tomorrow when we increase the length of time he is required to wear it each day. The only problem seems to be the sweat, poor little fella. We have been told by several people that his body will adjust to the heat within about 2 weeks and he will stop sweating. I sure hope this is true for his sake. My goal is to get some better shots of him tomorrow and of that sassy little girl of mine.

Speaking of Emma, she is just the sweetest little girl ever. This morning she woke up and Gavin had his band on and she said, "Brother, I like your new helmet. I like your stickers Gavin." I am telling you she loves her little brother and is so protective.

Between Doctor visits, paying for our cranial band, buying medicine and an additional humidifier we could have gone on a really nice tropical vacation. I feel like we have spent so much money this week, maybe because we have. Oh and did I mention, we need to buy 3 new toddler car seats tomorrow? This little guy needs more room for his thighs and his helmet. OUCH...we will really be broke.

I just keep reminding myself...we are blessed, oh so blessed.

Wordless Wednesday...

Happy 1/2 Birthday

A special little boy had a very special day today as he turned 6 months old. He was so much fun when we took him outside this evening to get some shots of him.

That smile melts my heart more and more everyday. Not just because he is mine, but I think he is the happiest little fella I have ever come across. Seriously, he smiles non stop. When I hear him talking on the monitor in the morning and I go in his room, he is smiling from ear to ear.

He got real serious on us when we put him in his car. It was the cutest little thing. Today was the first day we put him in this little car and he did pretty good. Give us a couple more weeks and we will be cruising the neighborhood.

I loved this picture of him looking up at a tree in our front yard.

Do you think he likes this car? I think he loves it and I can not wait till he is sitting up a little better, so we can go on walks with him. Emma has a matching pink one, but hers is not quite as fancy. They have added a cup holder since we purchased hers, too cute!

No birthday would be complete without a cake. Just something simple to help us celebrate this little guy.

We sing Happy Birthday to our kids every month on their Birthdays and Gavin seemed to really enjoy it this month.

I am not sure I could have a sweeter little boy on my hands. I hope he always has the same zest for life that he seems to have now.

Milestones...this boy has become wild in the past month to say the least. Here are all the things he has done between month 5 & 6:

• Eaten cereal, fruit and he started vegetables last night
• Wearing a Size 5 diaper
• Still nursing, no formula (Yay me!)
• Rolls from back to stomach & stomach to back
• Laughs really loud all the time
• Very ticklish
• Loves to pull my hair
• Can get up on all 4's and rock back and forth
• You will wiggle your way out of our arms and to the floor in no time flat
• Scoots everywhere before you even know it
• Cut 2 teeth on the bottom within 1 week of each other
• Got released from physical therapy for Torticollus
• Measured for a Cranial Band for Plagiocephally
• Ate from a spoon for the 1st time
• Attended your 1st Volleyball game at Mommy's school
• Love to take baths
• Stare at your Big Sister all the time & hold her hand
• Drool constantly
• Enjoy watch Baby Einstein DVD's

Just in the past month it seems like you have become more of a little boy. I must admit that I got really excited tonight when I saw you in that blue car. Your Daddy & I started looking at dumptrucks and boy toys last week and it made my heart giddy. You are going to be so much fun, but I think you might be a very active little thing.

You are such a JOY, JOY, JOY to have around every second of the day. Your little cheeks and smile can light up any room and people often tell us that you put a smile on their face. One thing is for sure Gavin Thomas Frazier, we LOVE you more than we ever thought it was possible to love. Never stop smiling, Son!

Thankful...

Today was the day we had Gavin's appointment to have his head rescanned and to meet with the specialist to determine our next plan of treatment for this little guy. I would be lying if I said I did not struggle a little today or that my heart did not hurt the past couple of days. I thought I was okay with all of this, but I must admit that I have had very mixed emotions about this as the time got closer for us to find out what our next step would be. After a long day, I sit here tonight at peace with the decisions we have made in regards to Gavin.

We started our morning out at the Orthotics and Prosthetics facility having his head rescanned to see if the measurements had changed from one month ago. When they put this sock on his little head, I could not help but laugh. It reminded me of how some of my students come to school in the morning. He looked so cute.

This is the machine that scanned his little head. It took several times to get a good scan because he kept moving, but we finally got one. This boy is WILD!!!

Technology is just amazing and thank God for it. Immediately his head popped up on this computer screen and the technician went to work crunching numbers, comparing it to his previous scans and aligning everything up. It was amazing to watch.

Just another shot of him comparing Gavin's scans that were done 4 weeks apart to see if there was a change in his Plagiocephally.

We took Emma along with us today so she could be involved in this process. We wanted her to be fully aware of what was going on with her baby brother and see exactly what he would be wearing in the next couple weeks. Did not take her long to pick up the cranial band and try to put it on herself. All day she kept saying, "my brothers getting a helmet like me"...yes, we require her to wear a helmet when she rides her tricylce.

After leaving the prosthetics facility, we went to see the specialist who had a good time doing some test on Gavin to document his range of improvement with the Torticollus and give us her recommendations on the cranial band. She was so impressed with how much he had improved and how active he was compared to last time.

Just look at that happy little fella, he never stops smiling. We were so proud of him today through out all of his appointments. He is such a super good baby boy.

So, we will be getting our helmet next Friday, September 11th. We will begin wearing it immediately and within the first week we will work our way up to wearing it 23 hours a day. As for how long he will wear it, that is unknown. It depends on how much growth he has and how quickly he responds to it. Our goal is to have him out of it by his 1st Birthday, so that would be within 6 months.

Despite the fact that it was a long and emotional day, I am THANKFUL. Thankful for health insurance, thankful for amazing health care, thankful for a healthy son, thankful for a supportive husband, thankful for a daughter that can put a smile on my face when I am sad, thankful for our pediatrician who referred us to therapy, thankful for the second referral that led us to the facilities we are working with presently, thankful for an understanding boss and coworkers who filled in for me today and are concerned, thankful for our families and friends support, thankful for prayers, thankful for Mrs. Jenny that loves and cares for my babies like they are her own, thankful we were so aggressive in getting this taken care of early on and most of all thankful for my GOD that will carry my little family through, while walking this journey with us, protecting our hearts along the way.

Busy as can be...

The last 2 weeks have been super busy around our house. I have missed blogging so much, however I made a vow to myself that I would NOT blog if it took a single second away from my sweet babies after I returned to work. Well, needless to say...I have not had time or I have crashed when they have crashed every night. I feel so GOOD about my decision and know that I am doing the right thing. I am hoping that with school underway, I will have some free time on my hands.

Look who is trying to be Mr. Independent these days? Our little man is growing so fast...he will be turning 6 months old this week and it is hard for us to believe. We will be traveling back to the specialist on Tuesday for our second head scan and to find out if we will begin wearing a helmet. We are ready to do what is best for Gavin and move forward with the next plan of treatment.

Here is a recent picture of the top of Gavin's head. We are pretty confident that he will have to wear a helmet to help with the Plagiocephaly. Our prayer is that he will remain the happy, sweet, easy going little boy that we have on our hands now and of course that it reshapes his beautiful little head. We are so thankful that he is such a healthy little boy and thank God for him daily.

Yawning as I type, so I am off to lay in bed and talk to my sweet husband before I fall asleep.

Big Day for Emma

Today was a VERY big day for our little girl. It was her 1st day back at Mother's Day Out and she was so excited. She has been telling us for 4 days, "I am so excited to go back to Emma's school."

I would love to tell you that she kept this grin on her face the entire time, but when it was time for her Daddy to leave she began crying. She will be going on MWF (9-12) this year and we are looking forward to all she will learn.

Her Daddy and Mrs. Jenny took her to school today. I was sad I could not be there, but I have accepted a new job and today was our teachers first day back too.

We also started Gymnastics today and it was so much fun. It is a Mom & Tot class for 2 year olds. It was the cutest thing ever. Emma participated in everything and did such an awesome job. Here she is warming up and stretching.

Here she is setting up for her front roll. I think she will have this down by next week. She came home and wanted to do her "nastics" on our bed.

Stand up, hands up, hands flat, tuck head and roll, she was bound and determined she was going to do it by herself before the end of class.

So out of focus, but I loved this picture of her on the balance beam. Just look at her little face concentrating so hard.

She was willing to try everything and I was so proud of her. There are 7 of them in her class and they are all oh, so cute! Brookie is in class with us, so it was great to see her and Cassi tonight. Brookie is one of Emma's favorite little friends. I am sure her Mommy will be posting pictures soon.

We MUST get rid of that diaper that is hanging out of her leotard. It drove me crazy this evening, but it did not appear to slow her down at all.

What a great way to end a long day...with a sticker on your nose. The little things mean the most to this little girl and she was so proud of those stickers from her new gymnastics teacher. Just think about what she would do for a tic tac Darla!

26 Months Old...

Sweet girl of mine, you are growing up right before my eyes. You are still such a joy every single day and I am so blessed to have you in my life. People warned us about the TERRIBLE TWOS, but you are still the same sweet little girl that I have always known and loved. Don't get me wrong...there are times when you test us, but for the most part you are such a sweet and caring child.


You are still madly in love with your little brother and can hardly keep your hands off of him. You are amazed that he is scooting around and more active these days.


You are in love with your baby that you sleep with every night and take along with you everyday.

You keep us laughing all day long Emma. I love it when you talk to yourself and say things like, "I am so proud of you Emma for feeding the dog" or "You're so responsible Emma" or "Good job Emma". It is just hilarious to hear everything you say. You are a talker and your vocabulary just blows us away, along with everyone else who hears you talk. It is just unbelievable to us how much you comprehend, repeat, say and remember.

This little girl is as I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T as they come. We often go places looking like this because she always says, "I do it by myself Mom" and YES, she has stopped calling me Mommy already. We can tell her time and time again that her shoes are on the wrong feet, but she insist on wearing them. Oh, how about the new flip flop trend of wearing them between the 2nd and 3rd toe?

Oh Emma, we are proud of you and we love you so much. Life with you is fun and full of surprises. You keep us on our toes and your little laugh is so contagious. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such an amazing little girl.

Y-U-M-M-Y

Our little man got to have something other than milk tonight for dinner. We decided it was about time to give this big boy some rice cereal for the first time. Our goal was to make it 6 months on breast milk, however this boy has a big appetite and we were encouraged by our pediatrician not to increase milk intake.

Emma was just amazed that he was going to sit in "mine" high chair tonight and have dinner at the table with her. After she got over the fact that the high chair was now "his" she enjoyed watching her little brother eat cereal for the first time. She kept begging for a bite, so she got one. As soon as it hit her tongue, you guessed it...she spit it out and said, "that's disgusting" ~ imagine that!

I am not sure if more rice cereal ended up in his mouth, running down his chin or falling on his belly. It was fun to watch him eat and try to figure it all out. I am sure this big ole boy is ready for Mimi's Meatloaf and Squash Casserole, but he will have to wait a while.

I am thinking he liked it, what do you think? I am not sure that he could be any happier. What you see is what we get ALL of the time. This is exactly how my Daddy use to be all the time too. Laughing and smiling, striving to put a smile on every one's face around him. Oh, I miss that man!

So, our first feeding was a success and we plan to stick with the cereal until he is 6 months old and then we will slowly begin introducing fruits and vegetables, unless his sister slips him a goldfish before then.

Self Confidence

This little one here is not lacking in the self esteem area at all. She loves to walk around the house these days talking to her self and saying the following:

• I so proud of you Emma for feeding the dog.
• Emma, your so pretty.
• I like you Emma.
• Emma, I so proud of you for spitting out your toothpaste.
• Emma your so funny.
• Your silly Emma.
• You did a great job Emma.
• Thank you Emma help Mommy with the laundry.

....and the list goes on and on and on and on. She is a mess.

What do we do? We just sit back and laugh all the time. She is so funny and just amazes us more and more everyday. Some days she reminds me so much of myself that it is a little scary.

Emma provided us with our most embarrassing moment as parents on Sunday afternoon. We went to have lunch at a local little 'hole in the wall' Mexican joint that we frequent all the time.

We go in and sit down and Emma immediately begins to start screaming and crying. This goes on for about 3 minutes before we finally understand what she is saying. She proceeds to point to the table next to us, that had flies on it and saying, "I'm scared, I'm scared". Would have been fine if she had stopped there but she continues to scream, cry & be truly terrified for the remainder of the meal. She gets louder and louder as the time goes on.

Truth is, we should have just left. By this time EVERYONE in the ENTIRE 'hole in the wall' is staring and she is screaming, "it's gross, it's disgusting, I want to go home'. I literally thought I was going to die. I had to bury my face in my hands and she kept saying and saying it, there was no stopping her. Oh, that girl... her Daddy was so embarrassed. Everyone in the restaurant thought it was so cute and kept laughing. The employees did not know what was going on because they speak Spanish. Needless to say, I think we have been kicked out of Daddy's favorite Mexican joint. On the way out the door she begins saying, "shoo fly, shoo"!

If I would have had a video camera, I would be RICH from America's Funniest Videos! By the way, I am RICH...I have one of the cutest & most witty little 2 year old red heads I know! If that ain't RICH, I don't know what is!

For documentation purposes...

We have a tooth! Our little man's FIRST tooth broke through the skin last night and his Daddy found it this morning. So yes sir, we got his FIRST tooth at 5 months and 1 day old. So many reasons to celebrate. Hopefully, I can get a few pictures of it soon.

Oh, that's not all...at therapy today...his head/neck were remeasured and his neck tilt is only at 4 degrees. We are almost there sweet boy, we are almost there!

He also saw the specialist today and had scans done of his little head. Good news is... we did not leave with a helmet. However, there are some definite issues that were addressed. We return on September 1st for a second set of scans and if there has been no improvement on the head, he will go into a helmet. Remember all the improvement he is making through PT deals with the neck.

The specialist did indicate that she felt like the Torticollis was positional from him being so jam packed in the womb. This did not surprise me at all, especially since I began telling everyone during my 8th month of pregnancy that I was out of room.

We are still just lifting Gavin up in prayer every chance that we get. After all, this Girl knows that God is in control!

5 Months of being BOY Crazy!

Brace yourself for the cuteness you are about to see. Oh, he has got to be one of the yummiest little things I have EVER laid my eyes upon. First of all...what? Is he really 5 months old? Surely that much time has not already gone by. U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E!!! It is so true and hard to even fathom how fast the time is going by. Seems like yesterday that we were planning for his arrival.

Seriously, this guy is the happiest little thing we have ever seen and this is how he is ALL the time. So sweet, so cute, so laid back, so lovey and so squishy too. You just can't ever get enough of hugging and kissing all over him. Just wait, it gets better.

I mean look at those hands, legs, ankles, cheeks, toes, fingers and feet. This was his 1st time in the swing and he loved it. Good thing we bought 2 of these little bucket seats with our Rainbow, because Emma was not really into him being in her swing.

Okay, so if you were not smiling yet...surely you are after this one. Seriously, what did I do to deserve this handsome little fella? I am so smitten, I can not even think straight sometimes. My heart could just EXPLODE when I look at him.

He reminds me so much of my Daddy in several of these. I would have given anything if my Daddy could have just seen this Big Boy on this side of HEAVEN. He would have been so proud!

This one right here...man, watch out! He looks so tough to me, but he is really just a big ole Mama's Boy. I think the NFL might be calling to draft him soon. Nope, he is all mine and he is not going anywhere. Even when he does get bigger.

Many things have changed between month 4 & 5 and you like/love:

• Blowing raspberries like crazy
• Rolling over from your back to your stomach (both ways)
• Sleeping on your stomach at all times because you choose to rollover every time we put you down
• Wearing size 4 diapers, but after this box you are going to size 5 (that is what size your 2 year old sister wears)
• Weighed 20lbs 12oz. , 26 inches long, 17 3/4 inch head (2 weeks ago)
• Wear size 12-18 month clothes
• Size 0-6 month Pedi Peds
• Nursing exclusively & taking 5 ounce bottles (pumped milk)
• Pull Mommy's hair every chance you get
• Almost grown out of your infant seat
• Going to physical therapy 2 days a week for Torticollis and Plagiocephaly
• Started sleeping in your crib in your room and you love it
• Sleep from about 8:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
• Usually always wear a baseball cap
• Slobbering out of control, we think you will be getting a tooth very soon
• Love to watch your Big Sister's every move
• Went on your first vacation
• Tasted water for the 1st time
• Reaching for and holding onto toys for extended periods of time
• Attempting to hold your own bottle
• Love for Mommy to sing to you
• Taking baths, you kick your legs so hard when it is time
• Think your Daddy is so funny
• Follow our dog Beamer with your eyes all the time
• Like to watch TV, but we do not allow you to do much of it
• Love to ride in the stroller
• Enjoy hanging out in the pool as long as you are in Mommy's arms
• Put everything in your mouth
• Try to suck your thumb or fingers every chance you get

You have recently been diagnosed with a couple of little issues that we are working so hard to resolve and make sure that you get the proper care that you need. We are committed to taking you to therapy, doing therapy with you at home, taking you to Doctors & Specialist to get several different opinions, praying for you and over you and doing whatever we have to do to make sure that you are healthy.

You are working so hard in physical therapy and at home and have already improved the tilt of your head from 20 degrees to 6 degrees. We are so PROUD of you.

Oh Gavin, we love you so much and can never imagine life without you. You give us a new reason to smile, laugh, cry and love every single day. God knew exactly what he was doing when he made you and we will forever be grateful. You are simply AMAZING, Son. I don't know that we could ever put into words EXACTLY what you mean to us, but you are so SPECIAL.

Vacation Overload

It has been forever since I posted, but I knew I could not get back to blogging without documenting the memories of our 1st vacation as the Frazier Four.

The Great Wolf Lodge was wonderful and I recommend this to anyone with children. It was a blast and there is something for everyone.

Emma's favorite part was Story time that took place every morning and every evening. The children would gather around the big tree, often in their pajamas and watch the animated show. It was the same show every time, but Emma insisted that we watch it every time it came on. I could have recited it by the time we left and sang all the songs that went along with it.

Daddy and Emma playing a little ski ball. Emma got up on the alley at one point to try and stick her balls in the holes. I remember doing the same thing when I was little.

This bear was outside the Sweet Shop in the resort and they had some YUMMY stuff.

Daddy and Emma playing in the log cabin that Little Tike's specifically designed for the Great Wolf Lodge. She loved it.

They had a spa called Scoops for the little girls to get pedicures and manicures. We wanted to have Emma's toenails painted, but they would not just do that. It had to be the whole works or nothing. I refused to let them file down on my 2 year old. Needless to say, we went to Target and bought our own nail polish and Mommy did it instead. This was the first time Emma got to have her toenails painted. Fun, Fun, Fun. Oh, she also begged her Daddy to let her paint his (ha ha).

Our little man was such a trooper the entire trip ~ he just enjoyed the ride, never once complaining.

Okay, I am not one for posting pictures of myself and especially not in a swimsuit, but this is one of the ONLY pictures of all 4 of us. The water park was all indoors, so it was perfect for us since Gavin was only 4 months old.

Aunt Debbie, Uncle Wayne and Kaiden came and joined us one day while we were there. Kaiden loved the water slides and we had so much FUN playing with him.

Emma and Cousin Kaiden playing with one of the water toys. I am certain they were probably trying to get Aunt Debbie wet.

Kaiden loved trying to get me wet too. We played so hard in the water that I think I just passed out from exhaustion at the end of the day. Boys go non stop, I am going to have to get in shape before Gavin gets this age.

Daddy and Emma playing Whack a Shark. Emma thought it was so funny to see her Daddy doing this and Mommy did too.

Emma loved spending time with Kaiden and could not keep her hands off of him. She talked about him for days after we returned home.

This double stroller is the BEST investment we have made since having Gavin. I can not tell you how many people asked us if they were twins. Uh, I know he is big...but come on.

The resort had a place called Cub Club where the little ones could do all kinds of arts and crafts. Emma chose to paint a turtle bank and it turned out so cute. We really enjoyed watching her paint the little turtle.

This was Emma's 2nd favorite thing at the GWL. She would beg and beg to go back to the Ice Cream Truck. Funny thing was, she did not want it to move. We put tokens in it at one point and she did not like it at all.

Gavin just enjoyed being pushed in the stroller and watching his sister have a good time.

After 4 days we packed up and went to the Westin Galleria, so we could go to the American Doll Store and the Dallas World Aquarium. I had to get this shot. Notice all the luggage on the cart? That is all ours. Oh my, I was so thankful we did not travel anywhere by plane after seeing everything we had to bring along.

Enjoying breakfast at the American Girl Bistro. I bet my child is the first one who has ever brought her dog-dog and her American Girl Baby to the store. Sometimes as a Mommy, I have to pick my battles and leaving dog-dog behind is not a battle I ever choose to fight.

Yes, she is still obsessed with dogs and made sure that he got his own strawberry muffin.

This store was unbelievable. Curtis just kept saying, "I don't know who likes it more, you or Emma" and he was so right. It was the best place ever and this Mommy and Baby Girl were so in love with everything in this place.

Emma in front of all the yearly dolls. They are all so cute and sweet. I can not wait till Emma is big enough to get one of the big girl dolls. Right now she just has one of the Itty Bitty Babies.

Yes, they even have a hair salon where you can bring your dolls to get their hair redone or have their ears pierced. This little lady was working styling hair both days that we went into the store.

Mommy and Emma on one of the little sofas at the store. We could buy the whole place if Daddy would let us.

Is this little doll bed not the cutest thing? So cute that Emma wanted to get in it.

We did not get many pictures of ourselves at the Dallas World Aquarium, only of the animals and I did not figure I would include those. However, we did get some awesome picture of the penguins that we plan to frame and put in the kids bathroom that we are in the process of redecorating.

All in all, it was a great little getaway for us and I am so glad that we chose to stay in Texas. Emma really enjoyed herself and Gavin was such a trooper. We have a journal that we keep after vacations where we each record our 3 favorite things from the trip, so I will share Emma's & Gavin's with you.

Emma's top 3 were:

• Story time at the animated clock
• Playing in the Ice Cream Truck
• American Girl Doll Store

Gavin's top 3 were:

• Sleeping in the bed with his Mommy
• Heated pool at the water park
• Watching Emma

My favorite part of vacation was spending uninterrupted time with my sweet little family. It was so nice to get away without the hustle and bustle of our daily routine.