It's been a busy month so let's get caught up on the latest happenings. It's been so nice having Cody home more after tax season. We have been able to travel on the weekends and do lots of fun things. The first pic is at the Tinkertown Museum on the way up to the Sandia Peak.
We went to Santa Fe and took Nellie to the Children's Museum and strolled around the plaza and art galleries. We also at Blue Corn Cafe, the restaurant where we had our first date TEN years ago!
We went to our first Isotopes game of the season. Unfortunately it rained, but still had a good time with our friends!
We spent a weekend in Clovis. Here's me and the girls. Ron, Cody, and I were judges for a chuckwagon cook-off.
Ron judged gravy, Cody judged biscuits, and I judged cobbler.
Now, I am not gonna lie, peach cobbler is not my favorite but I tried to be partial and fair. There were three other ladies who were judging with me so we were able to talk about each entry.
Ugh...I was stuffed with cobbler!

In another exciting news...Cody is an official CPA! Well, he already was but we had the swearing-in ceremony.
I am so proud of my babe for passing all four tests the first time! The pass rate average is about 45%. He is one smart cookie!
Such cuties!
And then Macey, Bren, and Andy came for a visit for the weekend. We took the girls to the zoo. They played so well together and it seemed like they were actually talking to each other sometimes.
Bath time! It's tradition that the girls take a bath together. Don't worry we'll stop this tradition at least by the time their 12 :)
Enjoying the bubble machine and sandbox.
Nellie and I on Mother's Day. Some sweet friends from our home group had us over for lunch and it was so lovely.
Some recent house pic's.

Now, on to the latest Nel Bel pics. Here's a dress I made with my friend's sewing machine. It's a simple pillowcase dress but I am just so proud of my creation :)

Nellie is quite the little climber now. She can climb onto all chairs and couches. Unfortunately she climbed on to our couch the other day and toppled off hitting her little eye on the ottoman. She cut it and it swelled up a bit. :(
A little pillowcase dress that Janny sewed for us while in Clovis.

Here is Nellie on her 18 month birthday. At her check up she was still in the %15 for weight and the %50 for height.
Nellie has learned how to "smile." Well this is the face we get when we ask her to smile.

We aren't officially potty training but she has been telling me sometimes when she has to poo so sometimes she will go on the potty. I try to set her on there often so she will get use to using it.

In closing, here is video of Nellie saying what she says when we change her diaper...

Easter and Las Cruces Fun

So, here's our family Easter pic...finally. We had a wonderful service with the most amazing music and Pastor brought the Gospel. Afterward we had lunch with several families who don't have any family living in town. There were two other kids Nellie's age for her to play with.
Before church.
Hi sweet girl!

I took a few pics in her dress but then we changed clothes before she started her egg hunt. There was way too many goatheads and stuff to get filthy in.

Look Dada I found an egg!!! Cody helped take Nellie around find eggs filled with goodies like organic, natural gummie treats...mmmm!
By the end Nel was so pooped. This was way past her nap time. I picked her up and cuddled her for about 30 seconds and she CRASHED!
One more family pic before church.
Nellie got in to the kitchen stuff and plopped herself down in this casserole dish and put a bowl on as a hat. She still loves to sit in boxes, under cabinets, or small areas.

She also learned how to "knock" and even say "knock." She has learned SOOO many new words and everyday she repeats a new word I say. (note to self: must remove "crap" from my vocab ASAP)

This is a dress my friend Chrissie help me make. I also made Nellie a pillowcase dress. Pics to come of that one. It was so fun to pick the material and ribbon to make these. Made me want a sewing maching...but not bad enough to actually get one. I'll just borrow my friends :)
Here's the back view. It buttons at the top of the shoulders.

The other day I wanted to clean her seat and I put it in the tub with her and she sat right down in it to play the whole time. I think this is a funny picture!
Fun spring outfit!
We took a trip down to Las Cruces to let Cody get in some extra work before the end of tax season. We had a playdate with Nellie's friend Macey. Getting ready to go on a wagon ride.
Hello Mama's!
Macey ended up wanting to walk. It was rough pulling her downhill in this thing.
Brianne, Macey and us.
Checking out the dogs and talking about life and politics and who just went "poo poo."
Speaking of poo poo, Nellie will sometimes tell me when she went poo poo. Or I'll ask her and say "Nellie did you go poo poo?" And she responds "Itsa poo poo" as she reaches down for her diaper.

Ending on a very good note, tax season is over!!!! Cody can now come home at 5:30 and doesn't have to work weekends. Stay tuned for our celebration adventure to Tinkertown, Santa Fe, and the Isotopes game.

Austin and Pigtails :)

We recently went to Hudson's first birthday party and they had a fun jumping ball pit thing. Nellie LOVED it! She was standing up and going crazy and climbing up and down the slide. That is Hudson and his Mom, Dana in the background.
Playing with her friend Avery.
Woo Hoo, Mama this is the best!
So here are the babies over a year ago at Avery's first birthday party. Nellie's is in the middle with Avery on the left and Hudson on the right.
Here they are with Chase (a new friend born since then) on the far left. Look how big our babies are!
Here's Nellie and Hudson. I can't believe what a chunkster she was!
Here is Nellie enjoying some light reading while going poo poo.
Playing with her friend Ina. Nellie learned how to say "Ina" so she now she is constantly asking "Ina?" "Ina?"
At a baby shower. Mark was giving Nel static hair.
Woah, what is this crazy man doing to me??!!
I was recently discussing transitioning dresses into shirts. Here's a recent example. Nellie debuted this Ralph Lauren dress last July.

Here we are in March already for Spring!
Last week, Nellie and I flew to Austin to see Jason and Sarah. Our first day there we went and ran around in a nice park by the river. Then we heard from some other parents that the Children's Museum was free that night so we headed downtown. This is us in the toddler area. She loved it!
This wind tunnel really freaked her out. I would put her in it and she would run out terrified.
Trying out the experiments.

Aunt Sarah showing her the ropes.

Hanging out with Uncle Jason in the morning.

This is a super cute pillow dress that they bought her for her first birthday but she is just now fitting into it. An Austin original!
We just happen to be there during South by Southwest (SXSW) so the atmosphere was super fun. We just wandered around listening to no-name bands playing everywhere there was an open space.

Enjoying some warm sun!
Oh silly Uncle!
My parents came up and met us on Friday. We went to a super cool sushi/steak place overlooking the lake.

Nellie loves her Papi. She cuddles and kisses him all the time.
Cuddling with Aunt Sarah. They pulled up an app on the iphone where you touch the bear and he giggles and moves. She thought it was hilarious!

Thanks guys for a great week!
Nellie's hair is long enough for cute little pigtails. We are still in the experimental phase trying to figure it out.
See, I keep the bangs out. This day is was kinda messy.
Here's another try.
I clipped her bangs back. (we are going to let them grow out to match the rest of the hair so no cutting)
Much straighter part this time. Aren't those cute!!?? Her hair is really starting to thicken up. No more bald baby!
It's finally getting spring time, despite the few random snow storms this month. Here's the girls enjoying the sun at a picnic in the park. It's suppose to reach...gasp...70 this week! I have already been collecting and washing cute spring clothes for Nel.

Let the countdown to April 15th commence...17 more days!!! And May 1st is Cody's official CPA swearing in ceremony!

And in closing here is a video of Nellie playing peekaboo with us. She really crack herself up!