Yes Happy!

We have so much to talk about since the last post.  Things just got very busy, and the blog was so behind that it was too hard to pick up where we left off.  This is BJ writing, by the way.  I told Lindsey that I though I should just jump in and catch everyone up and then we can try to get back on track.  It's been great to be able to look back and see what Elle looked like at certain times, and what she was up to.  We want this again for our kids!

So much has happened since the last post, and I really don't know where to start!  Elle turned ONE in February.  She had a Mickey Mouse party because that was her favorite cartoon (from as early as 4 months old, she would smile so big when Mickey came on TV!).  A lot has changed since then because now, Dora and Caillou are her favorites, along with the Back Yardigans and Handy Manny.

We celebrated her first birthday by taking her to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time on the day she actually turned one.

We had a big Mickey Celebration at our house the following day!  Elle couldn't get enough cake!

Elle had been taking baby steps throughout the month of February, then on February 25th, she walked for the first time! She has been unstoppable ever since!


We had a fun Easter watching Elle hunt Easter eggs for the first time. 

Dying eggs

 About to hunt Easter eggs at the Westhaven Egg Hunt!

 

In May, we took a family vacation with Lindsey's parents and brother.  We were planning on going to Destin, as we usually do, but the oil spill changed the plans.  We opted for the East Coast and went to Hilton Head.  We had a great time, and so did Elle!  She was old enough to actually experience the beach this year, and we had lots of fun.

Picture with Nana and Poppa at Salty Dog Cafe.

Making sure daddy sees all the "ba" (birds).  These were one of her favorite things to say and watch then.

As you could see in the pictures, the Newman family was about to have a new addition!We work with another Pharmacist who's wife is a photographer - Ashleigh Peak. She did some Maternity pictures/ 18 month pictures of Elle in late July just before Brigg was born, and they were amazing!

Last few weeks as a family of 3!

Elle is 18 months!

And then there was Brigg....on August 11, 2010 our lives changed forever, again, in a wonderful way! We welcomed our baby boy, Brigham Jones Newman, into the world. He weighed 8 lbs/8 oz, and was 21 inches long. Names are always a hard thing for us to decide, but we both liked the idea of calling him Brigg, and since this was so close to BJ's intials (BJN), we decided to use Jones as his middle name. Jones is Lindsey's paternal grandmother' s maiden name. So there you have it!

He was perfect!

Brigg definitely takes after Lindsey's side of the family. When he was born, he reminded us so much of her brother, Landon. Lately, he has been looking like her mom, Debbie, especially when she was a baby. I always say that the only thing he inherited from me is a cowlick on his hairline on the back of his neck! How funny is that?

Kerri King came and took a newborn session of Brigg, and our new family of four!

Elle did great with the addition of little Brigg, although she was spoiled rotten with all the extra attention she got from her grandmothers.  We tried to get in several "Elle only" trips/playtimes so that she still felt special, and try to normalize things for her a little bit!

We took her to the zoo for the first time....

The fall just flew by with having a newborn, and a toddler on the go!  Before we knew it UT Football season had come and gone.  (Too bad the season stunk, again - but Elle and Brigg still cheered them on!) 

Our sweet two month old!

Elle and Brigg getting ready for Halloween....

We also made our yearly trip to the pumpkin patch... 

Little Bo Peep and her Sheep make their debut on Halloween!

Before we knew it Thanksgiving was here.  Our family has been greatly blessed!

This Christmas was filled with sickness, unfortunately!  All four of us got a potent stomach virus and spent the days before AND after Christmas so sick!  To top it off, we had to take Elle to the doctor Christmas Eve, and found out she had an ear infection in addition to the stomach virus!  We still enjoyed watching Elle and Brigg open presents, and spending time with family!

Here is what Santa left for Elle and Brigg on Christmas morning!

The best big sister holding her little brother on his First Christmas!

This Christmas was extra special in a couple of ways, not only was it Brigg's First Christmas, but it was also a WHITE Christmas!

Elle is two? No way!

Instead of gifts we decided it would be great to ask for donations for St Jude children's hospital. We have been so blessed to have two healthy children and I cant imagine the heartache some families experience. Elle raised about $400 thanks to our friends and family. We honored to make contribution in Elle's name. I hope Elle will be proud of that when she is old enough to understand.

After Elle's 2nd Birthday, we took her to get her very first haircut!  They cut off around 3 inches, and Lindsey about had a heart attack!

Happy Valentines Day!   Our little valentines before their 6 month/ 2 year well check!

This is Brigg trying out cereal for the first time in February!  He has really put on some weight since we have introduced solids.  He is a big eater!

You are probably wondering what the title of this post "Yes Happy" means. This is my favorite thing that Elle says now. I guess she started it about 2 months ago, so around the time she turned 2 yrs old. She will look at me with the most serious face and say "daddy, happy?" and I will say "yes, daddy is happy, is Elle happy?" to which she responds "Dis (yes), happy too!" I love it when she says this. It actually just makes me stop whatever I am doing and realize how happy I am. It's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and not take a moment to realize what you have. I am thankful I have Elle to remind me of that.

As for Brigg, he has been such a good baby. He had some probles with reflux/colic/milk allergy but once we got that straightened out things have been great. He really loves his Johnny Jumper! This has to be his favorite thing. His favorite toy right now is a this Giraffe named Sophie and a bath toy that is combo duck/cow, strange - I know.