Sutton's ONE!

Sutton turned one on Monday and he had a great day. It was really cold and windy, so we didn't get out much, except to play in the leaves for a bit.




After that, Sutty had his first taste of cake and he LOVED it! He ate all the frosting first and then he shoved the whole cupcake in his mouth. I love my little piglet!

Dear Sutton...

Hi my sweet Sutton Button! You are almost 1 and I just can't believe it! Mommy remembers the day you were born like it was yesterday. My heart was so full of love that I couldn't stop crying tears of joy. You are the sweetest little boy...you love to cuddle (especially really soft things) and you give the best kisses. If you walk by a stuffed animal or a blanket on the floor you will stop whatever you are doing, bend over, and cuddle it. Then you'll go about your business. It's the cutest!

Lately you've become really vocal. You say mama and dada and nana. You just babble all day long. You will grunt and make a "ennn" noise and sometimes point when you want something. You're always on the go and you follow Ford around like a little puppy dog. You want to do everything that he does. I love that you love him so.

You walk, wave, sleep through the night, eat anything you can get your hands on, and we're working on clapping and blowing kisses. You have the cutest little buddha belly, even though the rest of you is fairly tiny. You have a few chubbs left on your legs and mommy loves them!

I can't wait to see how your personality continues to develop. I can tell already that you are going to be persistent and demanding like Ford, but you listen when we say no. You are also busy just like Ford.

We're having a pumpkin party for you on October 30th. I'm ready to see you eat (or wear!) your smash cake!

I love you sweet boy!

Dear Ford...

Hi Ford! You are getting SO big and you are SO smart. You sing your ABC's and you can count to 12 without missing a number. You have recently started singing and it cracks us up. For the past few months, you had something stuck in your ear. Dr. Roy wasn't sure what it was, but he thought it might be wax. We gave you drops hoping it would come out but it didn't. It even made you fail a hearing test! But, it fell out all on it's own one day. As soon as it came out, you started speaking more clearly and talking up a storm! Mommy and Daddy felt so bad because we think it was delaying your speech! We're so sorry!


You are such a little mimic! You say things that mommy says like cute! Perfect! Of course! Beautiful! My favorite thing that you say right now is "Mom! What are you DOING?" It's what I say to you when you've done something I don't like. You remind mommy everyday that it's important to speak nicely to people. You are SO well-mannered. You say please, thank you, you're welcome and excuse me. You say it all without being asked, too. Mommy thinks God blessed her with boys so that you can become good men.


I love you with all that I am and I'm having so much fun being your mommy!

Going Private...

I've decided to go private with my blog. If you are interested in following us, email me at akalinz@aol.com and I'll get you all set. Thanks!

Labor Day in Oklahoma

I've been a bad blogger the past few months. We've been traveling SO much and it's been hard to keep up with things. We spent Labor Day weekend (also my 30th birthday) in Oklahoma with my family. We had lots of fun celebrating and even got to take the boat out twice! Sutton didn't go, he's still too little. Ford had a blast, though. He even fell asleep on the boat!

First Steps

Sutton took his first steps on July 31, 2010 at the age of 9 months and 1 week. I managed to get a few shots of him while he tried to walk to me. Sooo cute!

Boys in the Bath

The boys took their first bath together. It only lasted a few minutes, but they sure had fun!

Finger Foods

Sutton is SO over baby food. All he wants to eat is real food. It's hysterical because he shoves a handful in his mouth and it all falls out, then he can't figure out where it went. I have to admit, I love the simplicity of baby food. Finger foods take a bit of time to prepare, but after seeing this smile it will be totally worth it!

Standing Sutton

Sutton learned a new trick while we were in Oregon. He is now standing on his own and crusing ALL over the place. Today, he stood for a 20 seconds unassisted. Ford was walking at 10 months but I think Sutton might have him beat!

Ford is TWO AND A HALF!

We took Ford in for his 2.5 year check up on Monday and it was quite the appointment. He didn't want to "participate" at all, he just wanted to sit there and whine. Thank goodness Dr. Roy has a boy Ford's age so he totally got it. Ford weighed in at a whopping 28 pounds, which is the 25th percentile. He was scared to death of the measuring device for the head and length so we didn't get those measurements. But, he has a peanut for a head and he's taller than most 3 year olds. He wears 3T tops and 2T bottoms and he's in a size 11 shoe. He knows all of his colors and shapes and can spell his name with some assistance. His vocabulary has expanded and he will have a full blown conversation with you. He is still a whiner, but if you point it out to him he will stop. Matchbox cars and all types of balls are still his obsessions, and he's gotten quite good at playing by himself. His imagination is through the roof! When we were in Bend over the 4th, the house we rented had a cat-door. Ford kept sticking his head out of it and yelling loudly. We couldnt figure out what he was saying, until I went outside one day to listen. He was pretending that he was at Chick-fil-a and he was placing an order. He would say, "chick nugg, fench fy and doddor pep", which is what I order when I go there. Then he would say, "Fank ah, see you next time!" What a HOOT!!!

As far as Sutton goes, Ford can be a great big brother, when he wants to. Ford is definitely Sutton's favorite person. No one can make him laugh like Fordie. Like most 2.5 year olds, Ford's favorite sayings right now are "It's mine" and "Ford do". His determination and stubborness can be quite exhausting, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I just think they are signs of all that he's capable of. Stay tuned for more adventures of Ford:)

Vacation 2010: Bend, Oregon

We had a blast in Bend over the 4th of July. It was so great to see all of Ryan's extended family and enjoy the holiday together. Here's a little secret...Bend is AMAZING! While Sutton was still too little to enjoy all the beauty that Bend had to offer, Ford got to partake in a lot of cool adventures with everyone. He went on a long hike up to a waterfall. He got to go kayaking and canoeing on the Deschutes River. Mostly, though, I think he (and Sutton, too) enjoyed seeing all of his cousins and playing with them. Here's some pics from our fabulous vacation. Cheers!

Ryan and Ford on the river. Pardon the pink lifejacket. He borrowed it from his cousin Paige.

The grandparents with all of their grandkids before the 4th of July parade.

Brittni and Sutton after the parade.

Me and Ford petting the horse that was in the parade.

Grandpa Marv, Ryan and Ford after the hike to the waterfall.

Me and Sutton at the Farmer's Market. YUMMY!

Sutton's first time at a restaurant. What can I say, he doesn't get out much:)

Splish! Splash!

Sutton loves his water table!!!

Baby Jonzen

My sweet friends Fred and Jessie are expecting their first baby during Christmastime. I couldn't be more excited to meet this little bundle of joy! Don't you think Jessie looks like a natural? Sutton sure loved her!

OCD, much???

I'm scared Ford might've inherited a little bit of my OCD. He was "fixing" his bike the other day, and got distracted when he realized that organizing his screw drivers was more fun. Uh-oh!!!

Lightening McQueen

Ford's been a bit interested in the potty lately. He's been telling us when he has to go and even wants to go at school and at the gym. I'm not sure if he's just fascinated with the toilet, or if it's really time to start potty training. Either way, we went to Target and he picked out some big boy underwear. Isn't his little toosh the cutest?

29 Months

Ford turned 29 months on the 18th and he is busy as ever! I feel like every day is a new day with him and he is constantly changing and I just can't get over how darn smart he is. His mind is a sponge right now and his memory is pretty incredible. He can tell me how to get to certain places (Go 'dis way, Ma) like his school or the gym or Target. We went to a bird store by Chick-Fil-A once and there was a cat in the store that he played with while I shopped. Everytime we go to Chick-Fil-A now he talks about that cat. Sharing has become really difficult for him lately (It's mine, Ma!) so on Thursday I bought him a book about sharing. Well, today is Tuesday and he already has it memorized! His vocabulary and his ability to speak in sentences are increasing daily. He has moments where it sounds like he's speaking in tongues, but it's him trying to practice singing or commit a book to memory. It's kind of freaky to hear him do it, but amazing to watch his mind work. He still loves his brother, but only when he's not required to share with him. Hopefully he'll grow out of this, especially since Sutton is soon going to be capable of giving his big brother some grief:)

Greeepa and Unc

Ryan's Dad and Uncle Loren came to town for a quick visit last week and we had so much fun. Ford really enjoyed spending time with both of them, especially since it had been such a long time since we'd all been together. A lot of "firsts" happened during their visit...

Ford got to fly his very own kite. It didn't go so well. Unc tried to help but he could only do so much with no wind:)

Ford learned to bowl, and not just on the Wii. He carried a 9 pound ball by himself and refused help from anyone. He even got a strike!

Too focused to smile for the camera

But, most importantly, the boys got in lots of snuggle time. Thanks Marv and Loren for visiting us. We love you both!!!

More Jesus Food, Maw!!!

Ford is ALL about praying to Jesus these days. Before every meal, Ryan asks a blessing and Ford just can't get enough of saying prayers. When he's ready to pray again he'll yell, "More Jesus food, Maw!" It's hilarious. We pray at least 5 times during dinner and I love that my little man has such a heart for God!

Peeking at me since I got up to get the camera.

Anxiously waiting for us to sit down so he could start praying!

Happy Memorial Day

My grandfather, Colonel Richard Ford Kilborn, is buried at Arlington. My cousin and his wife (also in the military) were so sweet to put some flowers on his grave on Memorial Day. Thanks to all the many men and women who serve our country so that we may be free. I am forever grateful to you and blessed by your selflessness. Also, thanks to Ray and Ramona for sending pics of Poppy's grave.

Sunday Funday

We had some fun in the backyard today. Sutton practiced his waving and Ford practiced his poses. I love my boys:)

Sutton's Room is FINALLY finished!

Today was a big day, we finally got Sutty's nursery finished. I decided at the last minute that I wanted to add letters to spell his name after I realized how much Ford loves his. It took me awhile to find the letter style I liked, but I finally found these at Anthropologie. I toyed with the idea of doing a monogram (SFL) because those are so in right now, but then it wouldn't help him learn to spell his name. And, Anthropologie was out of the large F. And, a HUGE THANK YOU to Melisa and Pam from Little Apple Design (the gals who founded Project Nursery) for such a wonderful design plan. I hope you enjoy the pics as much as Sutton enjoys his room!