Aunt Steph is at it again...

My dearest friend, Steph, has taken some more fabulous pictures! Oh, the decisions she causes me to make with her gift!! While we were in NC a few weeks ago, she took Andi's 1-Year pictures, Aubrey's 2-Year pictures, and then pictures of the 3 Clark grandkids! Click HERE to go to the page...the password is 'clark2012'

ENJOY!

Updates complete

Yes, almost a year later, I have FINALLY put Owen's birthday party pictures up! Look back in July 2011 to find the post of his birthday party and also a random picture of all of the Voelp grandkids, post labeled "COUSINS"! Also, I added a post with random pictures from August, so look in the August section for that one!! I am going to try to get myself caught up, but I have said that before, so I am not promising anything!! But, I may try to condense my posts to be one or two...or maybe four...catch-up posts, instead of a bunch of posts. And, then, my goal will be to stay on top of things from here on out!!!

Owen plays Tball!!

Owen has started playing Tball and it is seriously the cutest thing! What a hoot! He is having a blast and is so excited for his next game! Randy is enjoying being out there with him, helping to coach the team! It is so much fun to watch all of the little ones out there...it is so comical to see all of the funny things that the kids do out there! What cracks me up the most is to see how many parents it takes out on the field to keep the kids concentrating on the game! They are all out there splashing in mud puddles, picking the grass, playing in the dirt, and doing anything but watching for the ball! It is so cute!!

These pictures were from the 1st (and only) practice!

First Game...Owen was on the pitcher's mound and did so good fielding the balls! I have to say, I was quite impressed, even if he is my own kid!! I can tell he has watched a ton of baseball with his Daddy because he has all the moves down pat! You can almost tell from some of these pictures what I mean!

The video that you are about to see is just too funny not to share! This is Owen and Coach Christian...the sound you hear is not Owen hitting the ball, but instead, Coach Christian's head...OUCH! He was fine and believe me, I checked on him later in the night because I felt so bad! And, yes, I did ask him if he was OK once I stopped taking the video. I was just in such shock at the moment and I didn't know what to say!

Pittsburgh Marathon/Half Marathon

This past weekend, I ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, my 3rd half marathon...13.1 miles! My first, I ran with my Dad in Myrtle Beach when I was 18 weeks pregnant with Owen and I only technically ran about 6 miles of it and walked the rest, due to doctor's orders. My 2nd, I ran shortly after we moved to Pittsburgh, in the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon/Half Marathon, with a time of 2:10:32. This year, I beat my time and finished in 2:03:20. I was pretty proud of my time this year and I look forward to running more in the future, possibly another this fall! Sunday was a hot day in Pittsburgh for running...75 isn't hot normally, but for long distance running, it is pretty hot! In 2009, it was chilly and raining, which was actually really nice when running long distance. I have to admit I felt like I was struggling at the end of the race on Sunday, much more so than during my previous half in Pittsburgh! Actually, at the end of the one in 2009, I was disappointed that I wasn't running the full. This time, I was happy it was over and wasn't disappointed at all that I wasn't crossing the finish line on the full side! Anyhow, it was still fun! I ran with some great friends, Dorsi and Joslynn! I ran with Joslynn for about 5 miles and then we parted ways. I was so proud of Joslynn! She has only fun one other race, a 5K, so this was her first big race and she did so good!! It was a wonderful day and a great way to start the day and to end the weekend!!

Now, I said I ran with Dorsi...but, she actually ran the full marathon, so we didn't run the whole thing together. I actually only ran about a mile with her somewhere in the middle of my run when we "ran" into each other along the way...pardon the pun! We rode down together and hung out with each other before the start, but she was being paced by someone else, so she had to meet up with him. I can't tell you how excited I was for her after her big finish! 26.2 miles is such a long way and she trained so hard, with lots of pain and worry that she wouldn't finish due to some injuries. She was so nervous and worried for the entire week before, so naturally, I was nervous for her as well! I was getting text messages along Dorsi's run to update where she was and her expected finish time based off of her pace. So, I was waiting at about the 26 mile mark to see her pass! It was so exciting to cheer for her as she passed by me just before she crossed the finish line!! I actually got emotional after snapping a couple of pictures and realizing that she had, in fact, MADE IT!!! After she passed me, I made my way to the park where we were meeting up and I couldn't wait to give her a big hug! I was such a proud friend! She felt great the entire time and is already planning her next marathon! They say, once it gets in your blood, you are hooked! And, I guess that is true! I feel that way about running in general, but they say once you have the marathon itch, you are really sucked in!

Joslynn, me, Dorsi before the race!

There she is...almost done with her first marathon!!! And not even hurting...just truckin' along and makin' it look easy! Love that girl!!

And there she goes...approaching the 26 Mile mark! Amazing!! I am such a proud friend ;-)

Dorsi and I after the race! All smiles! SHE MADE IT!!!

ALV-1 YEAR OLD!!!

So, the time has come to post Andi's 1 Year picture and "stats"! I can't believe it! I am so happy and proud and sad all at the same time. I just wish the past year could have slowed down a little bit. I feel like I blinked and she is already ONE!

Andi has really done some growing over the last few months. At her 1 year well visit, she weighed 19lbs 4ozs and was 28.5in...almost 25th % for weight and right on 25th % for height. That is a long way from the 5th % where she started out and stayed for a long time! She weighs less right now than she did at her last appointment (which was a sick visit towards the end of her 12th month)...there are a few reasons for this...1. she was wearing all of her clothes and a wet diaper at that visit, whereas at her well visit, we stripped her down, 2. she is on the go a ton now and I swear she never stops moving, even in her sleep, and 3. she is apparently in a transition stage with food and still isn't quite as interested in her baby food, but not quite ready to go fully into finger foods either. The doctor wasn't concerned at all, so neither am I! She is a healthy girl!

She is really keeping us on our toes these days. She literally gets into EVERYTHING! There isn't an inch of this house that she hasn't explored! I would venture to say she is going to be my wild child, my dare-devil, my fiesty one (that she already is)! She is a sweetheart, don't get me wrong, but she is a mess!! And, she definitely lets you know exactly what she wants! She always points towards whatever she wants and grunts or "yells" until you acknowledge it! And, just in the last few days, she has started nodding, as if to say, "Yes", when you get what she wants!

Andi and her big brother have become the best of friends in the last few weeks! Not that Owen didn't love her from the get go, but he has really started to have fun with her lately. They play together so nicely, which isn't something I was expecting with their age difference. He is so helpful with her and shows her how all of her toys work. They chase each other all over the place and "wrestle" on the floor, giggling the whole time! It truly is such a joy to see and hear! Last night before bed, after playing like crazy together, Owen told me, as I was closing his door, "Mommy, I love you and I love her!" I knew exactly who he was talking about...his baby sister!! That just melted my heart!

Andi's favorite thing in the world is a ball! She loves nothing more than to throw a ball across the room and then chase after it! I really believe she would do it for hours if she could! Her favorite place to play with them is in the kitchen. It must be the hard floor or something. But, just don't let the ball get stuck under the table or chairs! That really gets my fiesty girl upset!! Don't worry, though, her big brother usually comes to her rescue! Something else that Andi loves to do is open and close doors/cabinets/gates! We always think she is trying to get into whatever she is opening, but really she just wants to open it, close it, then open it again! And, if whatever it is closes completely and she can't get it opened back up, she gets so mad and that temper comes out full force!!

Her tricks are still about the same as last month. But, she has started giving hugs, where she puts her head down on my chest when I ask for a hug (sometimes). She "loves" on her babies and stuffed animals too, which is so sweet! And, she is also "blowing kisses", which means she is putting her hand up to her mouth and pulling it away. She will also make the kissing sound from time to time when we ask for kisses, but it isn't usually associated with blowing kisses. She is still not walking and still doesn't seem close to me, but I guess she could surprise me and take off any day now. Believe me, I hope that is far into the future. She is SO FAST at crawling and I have a hard enough time keeping her bruise-free with that because she gets into everything, so not walking yet is perfectly OK with me! She is starting to be my climber! She climbs onto the dishwasher when I am loading/unloading it, she gets on top of any box that is sitting around, she climbed onto an ottoman with ease at my parent's house, and she has also climbed onto Owen's chair/table several times. I am going to have to watch her closely! Even by 2, Owen wasn't a big climber and could barely get himself onto the couch. If she was bigger and could reach her little legs up easier, I know without a doubt that she would be on the couch in a heartbeat. I honestly just don't think Owen ever had the desire, whereas Andi definitely does!!

Andi is still in size 4 diapers and can still wear some 9 month clothes (only onesies and some of her PJs), but has quickly moved into all 12-18 month size. I have been so used to her being in the size that is a little behind her age, so now that she is right on, it seems strange to me.

We had a blast celebrating Andi's birthday! She had TWO parties...one in NC at G-Ma and Papa's house and one in PA at a local restaurant! I will post pictures at some point...I know, I am so incredibly behind already, so the chances of that happening before her 2nd birthday are pretty slim, but I will try!

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Girl! We Love You to the moon and back! And, we can't wait to see what your 2nd year will bring!

Happy 1st Birthday Anderson!!!

One year ago today, my whole world was changed forever in the best possible way! You see, I always thought I would have 3 boys. And, even though we didn't know what we were having and I felt absolutely blessed with another gift from God either way, I just knew that this baby was boy #2 and I think I even secretly hoped it was a boy. In fact, it is safe to say that I was terrified and downright scared to death at the possibility of having a girl...don't ask me why, I can't explain it! But, the moment she was laid on my chest, every worry and fear disappeared and my heart melted for my sweet little teeny tiny baby GIRL!! And this has been the most amazing year with her added to our family! What a wonderful and amazing blessing from God! He sure knows what He is doing! Happy 1st Birthday to our sweet Andi Leigh!!

ALV-11 months old!

(Sorry for the delayed post...I started this post a few weeks ago and forgot to come back and finish it. The picture was taken on the correct day, though!)

Our baby girl is growing so unbelievably quick. It is so hard to believe that she is already 11 months old. It makes me sad and happy all at the same time. I wish I could just slow the clock down a tad.

Andi continues to be such a joy! She keeps us on our toes and keeps us busy! She is a mess and gets into EVERYTHING! And when she gets ahold of something she shouldn't have and we take it from her, she gets so mad! In fact, she has even thrown herself on the floor and had a little bit of a tantrum a few times. That honestly scares me to death...if she is throwing tantrums at 11 months, what is to come at 2 and 3? And 14? Ahhh!!! She is relentless with the stairs and we have had to put a gate at the bottom. I swear she has a radar that tells her just when the gate is open, too, because she goes right for it as soon as she realizes! And, she finds a way to get into whatever she wants! She is a little stinker and we literally cannot take our eyes off of her! She is much more "active" than we ever remember Owen being at this age!

She has a few new tricks, which is always fun. She is now cruising the furniture and can stand for a few seconds without assistance. I don't think she is close to walking yet, but she could always surprise me. She is pushing her little push toy around, but gets really MAD when it runs into the couch and she can't go any further...she hasn't quite figured out how to move it to go in another direction. She LOVES to climb on things, which of course is a bit scary! There is a stool in our kitchen that she is obsessed with climbing on and she has also climbed right up onto Owen's small chair in his playroom a few times. She is definitely waving and saying "Hi" now, although it still comes out "Ahh!" in a shrill voice, which is actually adorable! And, she can also wave bye as well, but she doesn't say anything with that. She is also shaking her head back and forth if we say "no, no, no".

Anderson is doing much better with textured/table foods. She will eat any "snack" that we give her and has started eating some pick up foods, like cut up fruits---bananas, grapes, strawberries (bananas are her favorite, the others she could do without), cheese, peas, cheese quesadilla. She won't really go after much of that after the first few bites, so she still gets mostly baby food, but we are working on it. She is in a strange stage right now where she isn't really ready for full blown table food, but isn't thrilled with her baby food either. So, I am really hoping this won't mean we have a picky eater, but I guess we shall see.

She is now wearing size 4 diapers and size 12 month clothes. There are only a few 9 month clothes and a couple of bigger 6 month onesies that still fit her, which is crazy to me. Not necessarily because she can't fit in them anymore, but more because she seems to have almost completely skipped over the 9 month clothing. She kind of went straight from 6 month clothes to 12 months. Andi weighed 19lbs 7ozs at her last visit. She is now in the 25th percentile...woohoo!! She has recently had a huge jump on the charts, that is for sure! We didn't have her length done because we were there for a sick visit, so I am not sure where she stands with her height.

Speaking of being sick, the tubes are doing their job, but not quite how I had hoped. Andi got an ear infection only 1 month after her tube surgery! I was disappointed to say the least. But, the tubes did their job and the infection drained, which meant that there was very little discomfort for Andi. The only part she seems upset about are the drops that I have to put in her ears. They are antibiotic drops to clear up the infection and lets be real, having drops put into your ears is NOT fun, no matter what your age is! I was hoping for infection-free ears now that she has tubes. Oh well! At least she doesn't have to be on oral antibiotics that upset her tummy and at least she isn't in pain like before the tubes.

Well, I think that sums up our baby girl at 11 months! I can't believe that I will be posting about her 1 year stats soon! Why do they have to grow up so fast? I am not ready for that day to come!