Craddock Family Chronicles

Evan is 2!!

2009-04-20T14:56:00.006-04:00

My little man Evan is two years old now. Where did the time go? He had a great day I think. His Daddy had school Thursday night so he took Thursday off of work to spend the day with Evan. We took him to get chicken nuggets and french fries and then ate that while watching airplanes take off. He also got a Birthday balloon at Meijer. We then went to Cascades park and played. Both babies love the park so much. And of course you have to have ice cream on your birthday so Evan and Katie each got their own ice cream cone. Came home to open presents from us so Kevin could be there. The rest of the night was sitting at home and Grandma's and Grandpa's stopping over to see the Birthday boy. His Grandma and Grandpa Kolbe stopped by. They got him a tractor shirt, which he LOVED, and a new big tractor book that has all kinds of tractors in it. Then Grandma and Grandpa Roach stopped over and got him a Thomas the Train set to go with the Thomas the Train set that we got him. He loved it, he had to help Grandpa put it together. Then Grandma Shelia and Grandpa Howie stopped by. Evan got a new tractor that makes noise. Again, tractor equals Evan was in love with it. He got wonderful cards in the mail and a gift certificate to the Toy House from GG&GG Kolbe and Juli and Karen. He had a fun time shopping there. He got two new tractors and more Thomas the Train stuff. It was a wonderful Birthday. Thanks to everyone for such wonderful gifts. He was one happy boy :)

Easter 2009

2009-04-15T14:58:00.005-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter. The kids loved their Easter baskets. We went my Great Grandma's house first. We had an Easter egg hunt at their house for all the kids. This Easter egg hunt has been going on for as long as I can remember. It was so fun seeing all the cousins hunting for eggs. Then after naps at our house we headed to Kevin's mom and step-dad's house but I forgot to bring my camera. We had dinner with them and the kids had to go outside with Grandma and Aunt April and see her "park" as Katie called it. It was actually all her pretty flowers and the kids each got to pick their own flower and they thought that was the greatest. It was such a blessed day!

Random pictures

2009-04-15T14:57:00.002-04:00

Here are some fun random pictures for everyone to enjoy! This is also my new way of uploading pictures. It is easier for me and you just have to click on it and it will make it larger for you. You can also order pictures or download the pictures.

Bowling

2009-04-15T14:53:00.003-04:00

During Spring Break we took the kiddo's bowling with my mom, my Aunt, and my cousins. We had such a great time. It was the first time bowling for both babies. Katie and Evan loved it so much that I can't wait to take them back. They each took a turn bowling and they even had their own shoes. They looked so stinkin cute in their bowling shoes.

I am such a slacker

2009-02-17T13:50:00.002-05:00

Wow, it has been awhile since I updated everyone. Since someone has been harassing me to "update already" (Jess) I am going to update. We had a great Christmas, yeah didn't post about that either, but it was very tiring. The kids loved it though and it was nice to have Katie understand what Christmas was about. Evan would open one present see what it was and have to play with that one immediately. He wanted nothing to do with the rest of the presents, he liked what he had already got, silly boy.

Kevin started his new apprenticeship and he also starting working days. He loves the job and definitely loves working days. Ever since I have met him he has worked nights, he worked nights for 11 years, so it was a little bit of an adjustment. He also is taking classes courtesy of MACI. They are paying for him to go to college to get his journeyman's license. MACI did offer him a buyout a few weeks ago and we are not taking it. But I hear that over 100 are taking it, so maybe that will save MACI from doing any layoffs.

Katie is in speech therapy class. She goes once a week and she loves it. We tell her she is going to school because it is at Flora List Elementary. Her teacher is really sweet and I already see major improvement. She actually tested at the normal range for her speech but she had a few things that needed to be worked on. She is also my little shopping buddy. I took her to the crossing the other day and we had a blast. We tried on shoes, she told me what stores we needed to go to, and she even told me that she needed a new shirt. So of course she must need it, after all that's what she said, so I bought her a new princess shirt for this summer. When we tried on the shoes she kept telling me how pretty they were and which ones she likes. Man, we had a lot of fun, I can not wait to go again. This might cost me too much money if I am not careful...hahaha. We also got Katie a twin bed to replace her toddler bed and she loves it.

Evan is growing like a weed. He has already outgrown his shoes and those are a size 7. He is wearing almost the same size as his sister and she is 17 months older then he is. He is madly in love with tractors and I know he is just itching for summer to come so he can go for rides. My favorite is when he randomly comes and gives me and kiss and hug, it just melts my heart. He likes to go shopping to but I think he likes to say hi to everyone. He is definitely not shy at all. He will be 2 less then two months and I can't believe it. Evan would also live outside if I let him. Snow or rain that boy loves to be outside.

I just spent the past weekend with my brother who I have not seen in over a year. It was wonderful. I stayed at my parents house the whole weekend so I could see him as much as possible. I also got to see my sister but not for very long. Hopefully the next time I see her will be longer. Now if I could just get them both to move back to Michigan all would be well.

I think that is all for the updating. I promise to do a better job with my blog :)

Now please enjoy these pictures. They are just random pictures. I will post pictures of my brothers visit later, the good ones are on my mom's camera. So when I get those I will post them. :)

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-14T21:16:00.003-05:00

We finally got some family pictures done. Along with Katie's 3 year pictures and Evan's 18 month pictures (even though he is almost 20 months old..oops) They turned out well I think considering Evan did not want to sit still long enough to get his picture. He did like walking up to the camera super close and then say cheese and smile. That picture wouldn't have turned out very well..haha.

Katie turns 3

2008-12-14T21:01:00.003-05:00

Saturday, was Katie's 3rd Birthday and it was a great day. We did not have a party for her but it was just as special. Kevin and I let her open her presents from us in the morning. She opened her first gift and said "Oh thanks Dad". It melted my heart and yes she calls him dad for some reason..HAHA. Then we took her and Evan to Mcdonalds so they could play at the indoor jungle gym. Also, Katie's favorite is chicken nuggets and french fries. They both had a blast. Then in the evening Grandparents and Aunt April stopped by to wish her a Happy Birthday and give her special gifts. My parents were there, Kevin's Mom and Step-dad Steve, Great Grandma Shelia and Grandpa Howie, and Aunt April were all there. She got such wonderful gifts and loved them all. Oh and her Daddy bought her balloons, one for her and one for Evan because you have to have one for each. That tickled her when she woke up and there they were. What a great day!!!!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-17T21:42:00.002-05:00

I figured I should get around to posting the kiddos Halloween pictures. The kiddos had a blast and Kevin and I had so much fun. Katie got on real quick and Evan really didn't understand, but thats ok. They got a lot of candy but all they wanted was the suckers.

The cutest thing EVER

2008-10-27T21:51:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-27T21:17:00.002-04:00

Sunday, the kiddos carved their first pumpkin and it was a blast. Both kiddos would use a spoon but they would not use their hands. We really had a lot of fun with it.

Even getting your haircut by Daddy.....

2008-10-27T20:56:00.003-04:00

is terrible in Evan's eyes..LOL To save money, Kevin, decided that he could cut Evan's hair like he does his own. I was against it, but I knew it would save money. Evan, HATED it, and cried the whole time. However, as soon as Daddy turned the clippers off and we said all done, he stopped crying. And he looks so cute with his little buzz cut. Love it!!!

Playing in the leaves

2008-10-26T14:20:00.002-04:00

The other day was very nice out so we took the opporunity to take the kids outside for some fresh air. They played in the leaves and had a great time.

My sick Katie lou (a very long read)

2008-10-20T14:02:00.005-04:00

Saturday, October 11th was Kevin's big 30th birthday party. The party went great but that night Katie got really sick. She threw up all night long. By late Sunday night, early Monday morning, I took her into the ER because she was still vomiting. They were worried about dehydration so they gave her some anti nausea medication to see if she could keep her fluids down. It worked, so we were sent home. We went and saw her pediatrician the next morning and she said it was a virus and to keep giving her the medication so that she does not become dehydrated. By this time Katie was also having diarrhea. She would only vomit at night and I had her on a strict diet. I made sure she kept drinking her gaterade to keep her well hydrated. Well Tuesday morning, very early, I took her back to the ER because she was still vomiting and I was a little scared. We waited 5 hours for the ER dr to give us 3 minutes of our time. I was not a happy camper. There is more to how angry I was but I just won't go into that. I called the pediatrican again the next day and they said if she continues to vomit, then they would like to see her again.

So, Wednesday night she vomited again but this time I thought it might actually have been caused by the two french fries that we let her have so I didn't stress to much. Well, Thursday night came, and like clock work, she vomited again. So I took her back to the pediatrician on Friday and they finally decided to do blood work. We went straight the the hospital lab so that we could get the results that day, and I am so glad we did. That evening they called and said that Katie needed to go up to the hospital because her potassium was really low, so she would need an IV. It was suppose to take 6 hours but they decided to keep her over night.

She was such a trooper. She did cry when she got the IV but the techs that did it were fantastic. Everyone was so gentle with her. They gave her all sorts of her favorite stickers and one of the nurses even gave her a stuffed kitty cat.

It was hard seeing her in the hospital hooked up and being poked for blood. But I knew it was for the best. She is doing better. We are waiting for a stool sample to rule other things out. She was discharged from the hospital on Saturday evening.

Well during this whole week of Katie being sick. Kevin was sick and missed a week of work, Evan ended up getting really bad diarrhea. And Friday when we found out Katie needed to go to the hospital, I was very sick. It was not fun seeing Katie so miserable and feeling miserable myself.

I have done so many loads of laundry, disinfected my house numerous times and I think finally everyone is on the mend. It has been one crazy week!!

Kevin and the BIG 30

2008-10-16T21:50:00.003-04:00

October 11th, Kevin turned the big 30 and we had a huge party for him. It was an Over the Hill theme and we had fun with it. I was really stressed before the party about not having enough food, it was my first party alone that big. But my parents bought some $5.00 pizza and we had plenty. We had a really good time and I think Kevin had a blast. We had a volleyball net for the adults and tons of toys for the little ones. We then had a bonfire at night, which was the best part. The only thing that was terrible was the mosquito's. They were TERRIBLE!!!!! We had bug spray for everyone to spray that they were swarming us looking for a nice spot to feed. I think I sprayed my self about 3 times. Of course once the bonfire started they were all gone.

Random cuteness

2008-09-29T21:53:00.002-04:00

Just thought I would share some cute pictures.
Katie is pictured with our new kitty Ninja!
Aren't they so cute?

Hillsdale County fair

2008-09-29T21:47:00.005-04:00

Last week we went to the Hillsdale County fair with my parents and had a great time. Katie and Evan both rode the rides and had a blast. Evan loved the horses, he kept calling them "horsee". We had to take a time out of riding rides to eat dinner. I have never seen Katie eat her food so fast as she did that night. She stuffed so much food in her mouth and declared she needed to go "back to the fair". It was a great night!!

Great fun

2008-09-15T22:07:00.002-04:00

Everyone knows that my Katie and Evan have so much energy. So this weekend we bought them their own "moonbounce". They needed something to keep them busy while they can't play outside. They are used to playing outside for hours almost everyday. It was only $21.00 at Walmart and it was worth every penny. It wears them out, so they are going to get their energy out this winter. Here is a video of them jumping.

So very much rain

2008-09-14T20:37:00.002-04:00

This weekend we got so much rain. It rained for three days straight. I and the kids were tired of being cooped up in the house. So we decided to play outside in the rain. The kids had so much fun and so did Daddy. They jumped, splashed, and fell in the mud puddles. They were so filthy afterwards but it was so worth it. Here are some pictures.

Calhoun County Fair 2008

2008-09-08T21:19:00.001-04:00

Ok, I know I should have posted this awhile ago but I have just been so crazy busy. Better late then never right?

We absolutly love the Calhoun County fair. It is so much more fun then the Jackson County Fair. This year Katie rode the rides all by herself. She loved it so much and tells us all the time she needs to go to the fair. Good thing the Hillsdale fair is coming up. She was not afraid at all and it was so awesome seeing her act so grown up. She also rode the pony. She LOVES riding pony's. Evan LOVES tractors, seriously this kid is obsessed with them. Well the Calhoun fair had so many tractors to look at. He truly enjoyed himself and I don't think I have ever heard the word tractor uttered so many times in one day. He just kept running around and saying "tractor". Cutest thing!

Potty training

2008-09-08T21:17:00.002-04:00

I am proud to say that Katie is almost 100% potty trained. She still has a few accidents but thats ok. She loves wearing her "big girl panties". She even told the cashier at target "I have big girl panties on, look" and lifted up her shirt. She is so proud. I am loving only having one in diapers again.

Labor Day fireworks

2008-09-08T21:10:00.002-04:00

We took the kids to their first fireworks show and they did great. Katie was a little scared but once I had her tell me what colors she saw, she did much better. The finale scared her and she was almost in tears but she is still talking about them. Evan did awesome. They did not scare him one bit. He also is such a friendly little man. He kept running off to get in people's faces and say "Hi". He had us cracking up.

The Wiggles Live in Concert 2008

2008-08-13T21:42:00.003-04:00

Miss Katie Lou has loved the show The Wiggles now for awhile. She knows almost every song and dances right along with them. She can also name all the characters. She has their toys, books, and movies. We got the chance to take her to see them live in concert in Detroit. They were playing at The Palace and it was worth every penny. Although Evan sort of likes the Wiggles we opted to let him stay the night at Gma and Gpa's house because we felt he was just to little. But you better believe we are taking them both again next year.

All day long we would ask her where she was going and she would say "Go see the Wiggles". Not sure she knew what that meant but it was so cute anyway. We stopped at McDonald's first to eat dinner just down the road from the palace, and you would not believe the number of kids in that place. Everyone had the same idea as us. We bought her a shirt when we got there and then just before the show started Kevin bought her a light up wand. I am so glad I bought that because the wand tied into the show. We had floor seats and while we were waiting Katie was running around trying to get some energy out. She was getting pretty bored and then the lights went out. She was no longer bored. She was so focused sitting on her Daddy's shoulders. She stared in amazement. Then the Wiggles came out in the big red car and Katie hollered "Its the Wiggles" It was magic to her and Kevin and I will cherish this forever.

Because we had floor seats two of the wiggles walked right behind us and Katie went nuts. She was hitting Kevin on the head saying "Its Muarry, its Jeff". Those are the two that walked behind us. She sat of Kevin's shoulders most of the time dancing and hollering out who she saw. And every time Jeff Wiggle fell asleep she would say "Wake up Jeff". If any Wiggle left the stage she would ask where they went. I can't even tell you how much fun we had. The best part was at the end. They turned every light out on the stage so that all you saw was the flashing wands. Then they had there own twinkling lights and sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. What makes it so special is I had bought that wand for her when I almost didn't because they were expensive and also that she sang the entire song with them. And she was not quite about it either, she belted that song out and held that wand up. Just Awesome!!! I will save that shirt and wand in her baby box so she can always it. And now here are the pictures. Just click on the link and it will take you to all the pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/superhottie1582/TheWigglesLiveInConcert2008?authkey=hgCHvzpdlNk

Jackson County Fair 2008

2008-08-13T21:26:00.003-04:00

We took the kiddos to the Jackson County fair this past week and had a blast. Even kept calling all the cows "puppies" and Katie pointed out all the animals. Katie rode the pony ride all by herself. She also got her picture taken with a baby Kangaroo. It was a great day and it wasn't hot at all, which made it perfect.

Painting is fun

2008-07-24T23:24:00.001-04:00

Just a day at the Craddock house painting a picture. Evan's first time painting. Yes, I was brave, and yes, he did eat it. HAHAHA!!! But it was super fun and not to hard of a clean up.

Future makeup artist

2008-07-24T23:21:00.001-04:00

Katie loves playing in her Mama's make-up. She like to put it on herself and on her mama. She puts her lipstick on and then says "so pretty"

Popsicles anyone?

2008-07-24T23:20:00.002-04:00

Just the kiddos enjoying some Popsicles

Katie goes to the dentist

2008-07-24T23:17:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, Katie went to the dentist for the first time and she did AWESOME!!! She sat right in that chair and let the lady put the tools in her mouth to count her teeth. The only thing she would not let her do is use the polisher. They took pictures for us and printed them right there. I would load those but I don't have a scanner. But I did take one picture of her in the chair with my own camera. She got her own goodie bag with toothpaste and a new toothbrush. She also got to pick out a treasure from the treasure box. She was so proud, and truly enjoyed it.

Trip to Indy

2008-07-24T22:49:00.004-04:00

When I found out I was pregnant with Evan I joined a message board. I wanted to meet other mommies who where experiencing the same things I was. Well some of us ladies created a small private group so we could share info and photos and not worry about internet predators. I have been a member of that group now for two years and it has been amazing. We share everything and I can tell them anything. They are a great group of women who I consider friends.

Well this past weekend we drove down to Indianapolis to meet up. There were three ladies from the group who were able to come. Jamie, her son DJ, her hubby Scott and her mom. Renee, her son Ethan, and hubby Andrew and Nansie, but didn't get to meet her kiddos but thats ok, next time. It was such a wonderful trip and it was great meeting these women face to face for the first time. It was also wonderful seeing our little ones play together. We took our kids to the Indianapolis Children's museum (which I highly recommend) and it was great. There was so many wonderful things for the kids to see and play with.

After the museum we went and hung out with my Uncle who lives in Indy. He had three dogs and my kids loved those dogs so much. Especially Katie, I don't think she did anything else besides play with those dogs.

Those kids are wonderful travelers. Its a four hour drive and we only stopped once on the way there and we didn't stop once on the way home. They did not complain once. They did not mind staying in a hotel room or even at my uncles house. They just went with the flow. And poor Katie went without a nap at all on Friday and was so good. They both were really good. I had such a great time and hope that I can meet more ladies next year. We want to try to make this a yearly thing at different places. Here are some pictures, and there are a lot.

Weekend Trip to Lake Michigan

2008-06-30T12:44:00.003-04:00

This past weekend we went to Lake Michigan for two nights. We went with my parents, my Aunt and her family, my sister, my Grandma and her boyfriend(everyone calls him Grandpa Howie), his two kids and there families. We had such a great time.

Friday night we went to the beach at about 7 and it was so much fun. Although I didn't dress the kids up in their swimsuits because I thought they would not like the water or it would be too cold. Boy was I wrong. They LOVED it. The loved both the sand and the water. Katie kept saying she was playing in the sandbox. They didn't mind that their diapers weighed as much as they did, they still enjoyed themselves.

Saturday we went shopping at some local shops that were really neat. Then we stumbled across a kids museum that was awesome. It was the neatest kids museum I have ever been in. They had a section for the 0-4 year olds but the rest of the museum was not to much older for them that they couldn't enjoy it. Evan ended up staying outside to catch some zzzz's. But Katie and I had a great time. Then Saturday night we tried to beach again but it had rained so the water was cold and the temperature had dropped a little.

It was a great weekend and we can't wait to take the kids back to the beach.

There are a ton of pictures so I have included a link to view the pictures. Just click on the picture to take you to the album of pictures.

Weekend Trip To Lake Michigan

Picking Strawberries

2008-06-19T12:49:00.002-04:00

The other day Katie and I went and picked strawberries. She was a great picker and helped her mama a lot.

Evan's first Haircut

2008-06-19T12:40:00.001-04:00

Well a few weeks ago Evan got his very first haircut and he hated it. His hair was getting really long and curly in the back and it just really needed to be cut. He sat on my lap and cried the whole time. He even hollered at the hair dresser trying to get her to leave him alone. It was so funny. And as soon as he was done he was back to his happy self.

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

2008-06-18T22:02:00.003-04:00

Saturday we went to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo with my parents and had a wonderful time. We even had a picnic lunch. Katie went on a boat ride (well it was a canoe) and she loved it. She also loved that she got to groom the goats. And the best part of all for Katie was all the water to play in. That girl is a fish I swear. Here are some pictures for ya.

Ice Cream Man

2008-06-01T22:26:00.003-04:00

The ice cream man goes through our neighborhood almost everyday. Katie knows its the ice cream man because that is what we told her but she never knew what he actually did. So Friday we bought her ice cream from the icecream man.

**note to self** Do not buy the blue one again. It stained her face..LOL

Giggle Monsters

2008-06-01T22:17:00.002-04:00

The kids had a fun night with just mama, Daddy had already left for work. We laughed and laughed, I just had to get in on camera.

Binder Park Zoo

2008-06-01T22:15:00.002-04:00

Saturday we went to Binder Park Zoo and had a really nice time. Katie got to feed a Giraffe and Evan got to pet a goat. We took a tram to the Wild Africa area and Katie kept saying it was a choo choo train. She would just say over and over "I rode the choo choo train." It was so cute!! We can't wait for the next zoo trip.

Dominos Petting Farm

2008-05-26T21:31:00.003-04:00

Sunday we took the kids to the Dominos Petting Farm in Ann Arbor. It is such a lovely place. They had all kinds of animals to look at and feed. You could pet almost any animal and feed almost any animal. They also had pony rides and hay rides. Katie loved feeding the goats, cows, lamas, and sheep. We took the wagon so they could get in and out easily to feed or look at the animals. We all had a really nice time. Katie even went on a pony ride and loved it. She was not scared at all. The ducks thought Evan's fingers were food and he didn't even notice that they were nibbling on him.

Bicycle built for two

2008-05-19T21:52:00.002-04:00

We bought a new bike trailer for the kiddos today. They LOVED it!! We have been wanting one for a long time so we could go to the Falling Waters Trail. We also wanted it for vacations and such. It was a great investment. Katie was chatty and Evan was screaming. It was so fun and they went twice around the block without complaining.

Random pics of the cutest kids on the planet

2008-05-12T22:23:00.002-04:00

Just had fun snapping pictures of the babies today. Evan cooperated a little bit more then Katie (which is weird). Katie was so busy with her stickers at her new desk, who has time for pictures.

When a one year old and a blue crayon meet

2008-05-12T22:11:00.003-04:00

Today Evan got a hold of his big sisters crayon and he just loves to eat them. Well his Daddy said "Evan we don't eat crayons" and didn't take it out of his mouth. I thought he did and this is what I find. HAHAHA It was all over his teeth. Needless to say that crayon met its fate in the garbage.

Birthday present from Mama and Daddy

2008-05-01T21:42:00.001-04:00

Forgot to post what Kevin and I got Evan. Its a new outside ride on toy that grows with him. It has a floor board in it now with a push handle for adults. But when he gets bigger you take the floor board out and the push handle and he can push himself around with his feet. He LOVES it!!!

A day at the park

2008-05-01T21:12:00.002-04:00

The other day we took the kids to Ella Sharp park (which is my new favorite park to take the kids) and Katie had a great time. It was the first time she had been to a park this spring. She was so proud of herself. She went down almost every slide. Big deal considering last summer she wanted nothing to do with them and now she just LOVES them. She really loved the twisty slide. She went down that one over and over again. That is a big deal when last year she hated those also. She is just growing up so fast. The only slide she didn't like was the tube slide. Daddy made her go down it and she came out sideways. She wouldn't go down that one again. They had a smaller jungle gym for 2 year olds and one for older kids. She loved them both. She was not afraid of the bigger one at all. It was so fun watching her enjoy herself. Evan loved the swing, which is no surprise. That boy loves to swing. We will for sure be going back to that park.

Evan's first meet with concreate

2008-05-01T21:09:00.002-04:00

Evan was playing outside today and fell and face planted right into the driveway. He still has his new walking legs. He is always falling down but usually catches himself with his hands. This time his hands didn't help him. Poor guy he was so upset. He is ok though, just some nasty sores that will heal with time. A french fry made him feel all better.

Happy First Birthday Evan!!!!!!!

2008-05-01T21:05:00.004-04:00

I can't believe that our little guy is ONE. That year went by so fast. He is just growing up so fast. I have enjoyed every minute of it. These pictures are of his actual birthday, 4-16-08. It was just us and we made Evan a small cake and played outside. Playing outside is one of his favorite things to do. He LOVED his cake. His daddy smashed his face in it and he thought that was funny. Then he realized there was cake on his face and proceeded to eat that. He had me laughing so hard. It was a really nice birthday.

Evan's first birthday party

2008-05-01T20:58:00.002-04:00

So I know it has been awhile since I posted. We had a nasty virus on our computer that we had to get fixed. But anyway we are back up and running. Here are pictures from Evan's first birthday party. It was a great party, very low key. We had a great time and enjoyed everyones company. Evan was so excited to see everyone which made it even better.

Let the fun begin

2008-04-17T21:10:00.002-04:00

EVAN IS WALKING!!!!!!!!!!

He was chasing after his wiggles car today and just decided to go for it. He was so proud and so was mama.

Playing outside

2008-04-08T13:14:00.002-04:00

It was such a beautiful day outside yesterday that we had to play outside. Both babies just love being outside so we really enjoyed ourselves. We take them for a ride around the block with the wagon at least once and then we play play play. Evan not walking yet has not stopped him at all from exploring the outside world. Katie loves her slides and goes down them over and over again. And they both LOVE their wagon.

Princess Katie

2008-04-02T14:41:00.002-04:00

Today we played around with Katie's Princess stuff and she loved it. She got every thing on and then we had to look in the mirror. She wore it the rest of the day. She had earrings, necklace, crown, and a bracelet. She even has a princess wave.

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on its way

2008-03-16T21:43:00.003-04:00

Katie and I colored Easter eggs today. I took a egg carton and glued construction paper over it so you couldn't see the Meijer logo and such. Then I let her imagination go wild and color all over it. Then we colored eggs. She is a bit young but it was fun. She enjoyed dipping her own fingers in the water more. Her fingers are now funny colored. Then we put zoo stickers all over the eggs. It turned out really cute and I can save the egg carton for her when she is older. I am a nerd and save almost everything she makes.

Potato head according to a 2 year old

2008-03-16T21:27:00.003-04:00

Katie just loves Mr. Potato head so I thought I would share him with you. Too cute!!

Look at him go

2008-03-13T21:20:00.004-04:00

Evan has started showing interest in walking. He can walk behind things and walk if we hold his hands. He also can stand without holding onto things. I don't think I am ready for another walker, it means that he is no longer a baby. He is just growing up so fast.

Gymnastics day 2

2008-03-06T20:36:00.003-05:00

Well tonight was the second night of gymnastics with Katie. She goes every Tuesday and Thursday night for the whole month of March. It was much more fun tonight. They brought out more things for the kids to do. They had the big balance beam, a smaller balance beam, a bar to hang fun, and more mats to climb over. Katie was a pro at the big balance beam. I thought for sure the big one would bother her but she loved every bit of it. She hung from the bar like a monkey and did everything else. She and I had a blast. I can't wait to go back on Tuesday. Here is my little gymnastics star on the big balance beam. And of course more pictures.

Gymnastics

2008-03-04T20:25:00.003-05:00

Katie is a new gymnastic star. She does gymnastics twice a week at the YMCA for the month of March. I hope this gets rid of her cabin fever. She loves to move and groove and she really seemed to enjoy herself. Here are some pictures of my new gymnastic super star.

Impressions 5 museum

2008-02-29T13:51:00.002-05:00

Thursday afternoon we took the kiddos to Lansing to the Impressions Five museum. They have a new wing called the First Impressions. It is designed for kids 0-4. Katie loved it and Evan was ok with it. We also went with another mom and her son Robert. Katie loves Robert. It has a big house with a kitchen, a big climbing structure and another climbing structure with a slide. It also has various toys and a big long water table to splash around in. Katie loved the water thing. She also loved the small climbing structure with a slide. She would just go down the slide over and over. They have small water proof things to wear so there close don't get wet while playing with the water and also water shoes since you have to only wear your socks. It was very cool and very well put together. It was a great way to get the kids movin and grovin because they have cabin fever so bad. Here is a slide show of the great time we had.

My video game superstar

2008-02-29T13:46:00.002-05:00

For Christmas Kevin and I bought ourselves the new Nintendo Wii. It is awesome and we love playing it all the time. Well one night Kevin let Katie play. It was the cutest thing. She was bowling but not actually bowling because she is only 2. But she would move her arm with the Wii controller in hand like her Daddy was doing. Now whenever we play the Wii in front of her she says "Katies turn".

Evan has a new tooth

2008-02-12T21:43:00.001-05:00

One of Evan's top teeth finally popped through and guess what, he is going to have the same gap as his sister. YAY, I just love the gap that Katie has and I will love Evans just as much. The other tooth has yet to make an apperance but I can see it so I am pretty sure there will be a gap. If you look closely at this picture you can see the new tooth.

The Art of a 2 year old

2008-02-11T10:20:00.000-05:00

Today I let Katie finger paint. She has done chocolate pudding painting before but this was the first time with paint. She had a blast and did awesome at not getting it everywhere. I love doing arts and crafts with her. This is really helping keep her occupied since she has cabin fever really bad.

The finished product. I think this could be the likes of Michelangelo. LOL

More pictures just for fun

2008-02-08T13:13:00.000-05:00

Standing up in his crib.

The way he always drinks his bottle

Play with me sister!!!

Katie Lou and her Daddy

So its been awhile

2008-02-08T12:24:00.000-05:00

First off, little man, Evan, is crawling. He has been crawling for a month now and is a pro. He is also pulling up on everything and is also a pro at that. I think he will be following in his sisters footsteps and start walking by time he is a year old. He is such a babbler (sp?) also. He is always chatting away. He can say mamama, although he doesn't do it very often. He can also give kisses but those are few and far between. He just adores Katie and they play together all the time. He is usually wherever she is. Katie likes to wrestle with him and just doesn't know that he is a baby. It is so cute to watch them play together. Evan had his 9 month check up and weighted a whooping 22 1/2 lbs and measured in at 30 in. Can you say football player? His favorite toys are anything with wheels and any ball. He loves to bat the ball across the room and then chase it. Of course he is still in that stage of "I must eat this". He still only has the two bottom teeth but I can see his two top teeth and they are close to popping through.

Miss Katie Lou is such a little lady. She knows seven shapes and is working on her colors. She has a hard time understanding that the shirt she is wearing is pink. To her it is just a shirt, but she is learning. I am going to enroll her in a Mommy and Me gymnastic class at the YMCA and I am so excited about it. I think she will have a blast. She loves being rough and tumble, plus she gets to play with other kids. She is very tired of being cooped up in the house, so this is perfect. She will tell you how old she is and what her name is if you ask her. When she says Katie Craddock it is the cutest thing in the whole world. She LOVES doing the dishes with her mama. Although all she really is doing is playing in water but its fun. She also loves making cookies for daddy. Daddy showed her how to sneak chocolate chips out of the batter. Another one of her favorite things to do is color. She is really good at just coloring on the paper. She only tried coloring on the wall once and her Daddy yelled at her. We are going to start potty training this spring. I started a week ago but I was letting her run around naked from the waist down and her legs were so cold. So I decided to wait until spring. She is definitely ready though.

Also here is a video of Evan chasing after his ball.

so random updates

2007-11-28T22:15:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a few months since I updated the site so I thought I would update you guys. Katie is loving Christmas right now. The way she says Santa Clause is hilarious, you have to really listen to understand that that is what she is saying. She loves the Santa hat so much. She wears it all the time and hates sharing it with Evan. Every time she sees Christmas lights she calls them "Pretty Lights". She is growing up so fast on me. I can't believe she is going to be two in a few weeks. Where in the world did that two years go. She is talking up a storm, we call her our little parrot.

Evan is growing by leaps and bounds as well. He is my charmer for sure. He loves people talking to him. If we go to the store or something, all anyone has to do is look at him and he is so excited. He has two teeth now and so close to crawling. He just has to figure out the moving forward part and he will get it. And once that boy gets crawling watch out. He is such a happy baby as long as he is fed and changed life is good for him. He no longer likes to rock to sleep which is a little sad but its ok. He takes baths with his big sister now and boy is that ever exciting for him. Actually he just loves being around her so much. He is also my little porker. He wears 12 month shirts and weighs 20 lbs. Although it might be a little bit more now. Well I think that is all for now.

Evan and his jumperoo!!!

2007-09-18T16:03:00.000-04:00

He can really get that thing jumping!!

Katie's first "offical" hair cut!

2007-09-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

Well I went through with it. I got Katie's hair cut professionally on Saturday. I only had her bangs cut though. I could not go through with cutting the rest of that gorgeous hair she has. She was fantastic. She sat on mommy's lap and did not cry or anything. It was really funny though, the stylist was using the comb to bring the bangs down to cut and they were in her eyes and Katie kept pushing the hair out of her face. She hates having hair in her face. I have cut her bangs before but it was just me who cut them. Here are some pics for ya.

Time for more pictures!!!

2007-09-09T21:04:00.000-04:00

Just thought it was time to post some pictures of my babies again. They are just so stinkin cute!!

A new adventure!!

2007-09-07T16:12:00.000-04:00

I am so excited. I am joining Pampered Chef and one of their consultants. I think this is going to be so much fun. I am a little nervous also because you have to cook in front of people and I can cook, just not that great. But we shall see, maybe with a little practice I can get the hang of it. I think this will also be great for Kevin and the kids. It gives Kevin some more one on one time with the babies and a chance for the babies to get away from their mama once in awhile. So if you want to help me get my business off the ground you can host a party or do a catalog party. It would help me tremendously get my business off the ground.

Katie then and Evan now

2007-08-29T15:34:00.001-04:00

Just thought it would be fun to see what Katie looked like at 3 months and what Evan looks like now. They look related but not that similar. You can tell they are bother and sister though.

My poor baby girl!!!

2007-08-24T17:12:00.000-04:00

Well Wednesday night Katie developed a fever and I gave her Tylenol and sent her to bed. I checked on her a 10:00 pm and she had labored breathing, was limp like a rag doll and would not respond to me. I rushed her to the ER and had Kevin meet me there. They did a throat swab and urine test but couldn't find the cause of the fever. Her pediatrician said that if she was still running the fever on Friday that they wanted to see her. Well she woke up Friday morning with a fever. We took her in and she has Coxsackie virus. It is a form of Hand Foot and Mouth disease. She has blister on her tonsils. There is nothing they can do for her except Motrin or Tylenol. So we are living off popsicles, yogurt and applesauce. They said she should be better by Sunday. I sure hope for little Evan doesn't get it.

Evan's 4 month dr. appointment

2007-08-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

Evan had his 4 month doctor appointment this past Monday and he was a trooper. He weighs a whopping 17.6lbs and is 25.5 inches long. The doctor said he was a healthy happy little guy and just growing up perfectly. He had to get three shots and was not happy one bit. He cried until I was able to pick him up and then he just complained until he was home. It really does sound like he is complaining. He did fine until that night and then he was miserable. He still slept through the night though. the next day he was still not himself but today he is doing great. He is back to his happy little self.

Some fun pics!!

2007-08-13T19:55:00.000-04:00

Evan giggling

2007-08-07T21:35:00.001-04:00

Brother and Sister Love

2007-08-06T11:05:00.001-04:00

Katie and Evan just love each other so much. It is so adorable. Last night she wanted me to lay Evan on this blanket that she had laid out for him. Usually, she puts her doll on it. Then she tried to wrap him up in it like her mama does. It was so cute. She also gives him hugs and kisses. And he always smiles and talks to her when he sees her. He just gets so excited. He wants to get down and play with her so bad.

What a Fair Weekend!

2007-08-06T10:57:00.001-04:00

Friday we decided to take the kids to the Ingham County fair. We had a really nice time. Kevin carried Evan around in the front baby carrier and Evan just loved it. I don't think he fussed once. We let Katie get out and see the goats and she thought they were great. Every time she would touch one she would giggle. Sunday, we took the kids to the Jackson County fair. We had just as much fun. Katie just loves the animals and was so excited to see cows. She has a book that has a cow in it and she just loves them. It was a really nice weekend. We are looking forward to the Hillsdale County fair, which is our favorite.

Time for cereal

2007-08-03T12:12:00.001-04:00

Well we gave Evan his first taste of cereal. He had about two bites and then threw up. So his very first feeding of solid foods was definitely memorable. But when I fed him again he gobbled it right up. He ate almost the whole bowl.

Katie and her song

2007-07-29T22:46:00.001-04:00

This is just so stinkin cute that I have to post it again. :)

Some fun pics!!!

2007-07-29T22:29:00.000-04:00

Here are some fun pictures of the kids. The first picture is when her Daddy was giving her a bath. I think he was having more fun. I love the picture of Evan in the bumbo. It looks like he is pondering one of lifes mysteries. The one with Katie and the pony is at the Hot Air Jubilee. She ran up to him and gave him a hug and said he was a good boy. The second to last picture is of Katie in her homemade tent that her mama made her. We put her princess chair in there and she had to go get her dolly so she could enjoy it too. The very last picture is of Katie having her baby attached to her the way her mama carried Evan in his carrier. She didn't like it but it was so stinkin cute!!

Evan talking

2007-07-29T22:26:00.001-04:00

Here is a video of Evan talking. He is such a chatterbox!! He is sitting in his bumbo seat on the counter watching his mama and sister.

Welcome

2007-07-25T14:24:00.000-04:00

Welcome to The Craddock Family Chronicles. Katie and Evan are growing up so fast, so we thought it would be a wonderful idea to keep a family blog for our family to keep up on. We have such a large family and we don't get to see them all as often as we would like. So we thought this would be a great way to keep everyone updated. We were having two separate websites, one for each kid. But that is alot work and this way you only have to keep up on one link. Also, with this link I can update on stuff not just about babies. Although my babies are my world there are other things that I enjoy doing. We will add pictures, fun stuff that is happening and of course silly and cute things they are up to. I am going to try to only put pictures here and send out a generic email saying new photos in blog and see how that goes. If I like it an find it easier that way then I will stick with it but I might just stick with the way I have been doing it lately, which is an email with a link to view the pictures. But we shall see. Who knows!! So whenever you are surfin the web just stop by and check out the latest. There is always something happening at the Craddock house.