Christmas 2010

This year Christmas morning was a little backward at our house. Scott and I were the ones that woke up extra early while Avery and Kendall actually slept in a little past their normal wake up time. Of course the minute they got up they spied the presents and began unwrapping them. Kendall was so funny this year just tearing into her presents one after another. Even Avery noticed how good she was at it and asked Kendall to help her with one of hers that she had trouble with! They received a joint gift from Santa, which was a mini trampoline, and then several gifts of their own. Avery's big thing was a cupcake maker, and then she also got a music box, several movies, a princess dry erase board and a stocking full of other things. Kendall's big item was a unicorn pillow pet, and then she also got a Snow White puzzle, a princess dry erase board,some books, movies, and a full stocking of presents.

Checking out all the loot!

ballerina music box

Snow White puzzle

"Uni", Kendall's pillow pet

cupcake maker

trying out the new trampoline

Josie got a big bone from Santa

We headed back over to my parents' house for lunch and to spend the rest of the day with family. Avery and Kendall's big gift from Mimi and Poppi was My Twin dolls. The first time I saw them, especially Kendall's, I was a little freaked out because of how much it really looked like her! They also received some extra clothes and hairbrushes for their dolls, some movies, books, gift cards, games, and more. My sister and her husband got Kendall the Alphie learning robot and Avery the Crayola glow board. We had a great time watching them play with their new toys and spending some quality time as a family.

Avery and Kendall posing with their Twin dolls. Kendall kept holding hers by the hair.

Avery's doll even had light little freckles on her cheeks just like she does

We kept mistaking Kendall's doll for the real thing because they were both wearing pink

Avery loves art and got to work on her Crayola glow board right away
Avery talking to her aunt Amy on the phone

Kendall playing with her Alphie learning robot

Avery and Aunt Milly coloring

Avery applied some under-eye cream to my Dad that he had gotten from my sister

And what day would be complete without some rough play with Daddy?

Grapevine Light Show and XMas Eve

Thursday before Christmas we went with my parents to downtown Grapevine for some pizza at Napoli's and to see the lights. Many of the storefronts, like the one above, were all decked out, and then there was a big display with lights set to music in the gazebo area. The girls really enjoyed watching that and dancing to the music. They even got to see Mrs. Claus!



This was our year to spend Christmas with my family, so we spent Christmas Eve at my parents' house in Coppell. My aunt got Dickeys BBQ for all of us and after dinner my parents let the girls open 2 gifts each. One gift was Rapunzel bags with Rapunzel nightgowns and princess slippers. The other was toy violins that play different tunes when you tap the strings. Avery and Kendall are always pretending to play different instruments to music in the car and the violin is a favorite for both of them, so these were a big hit. As you can see from the picture of Scott, they were a hit with the grown-ups too! We did end up leaving them at my parents house however since they are kind of noisy and quite annoying when the strings get crossed and they play one continuous note. We made it back home before 9:00, just in time to put out Santa's milk and cookies and sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn before hitting the sack.

the traditional family pic in front of the tree

opening 2 gifts from Mimi and Poppi

laughing and playing with Poppi

Avery playing her violin

Scott played the violins almost as much as the girls did!

The Bedichek Name Lives On!

We found out this morning that Baby Bedichek #3 is a BOY!!!!! We were shocked, but thrilled! Avery and I both felt like it was a boy, but Scott was convinced it was a girl and nearly had me convinced too. Scott and the girls came with me to my appointment this morning, which was a lot of fun. Avery and Kendall thought it was so funny to see me get weighed, blood pressure taken, and to see me sit on the exam table. I think they just liked it being someone other than them going to the doctor. We heard the heart beat and saw the 4 chambers, saw the spine, the cerebral hemispheres, toes, fingers, and even saw him kicking and lifting his hands to his face. At one point it kind of looked like he waved. The girls just ate that up! And then Dr. New looked between the legs and said very confidently to Avery and Kendall, "You guys are gonna have a brother!" Avery was so proud that she had guessed right. He even printed out a picture with the little part circled so we would have proof for Scott's family which has six granddaughters and one grandson. It is still sinking in for Scott and I, but of course the more we think about it, the more excited we get. I just feel so lucky that since boys and girls are so different, I get to experience them both! I may need to revisit this post here in about a year or two when he's bouncing off the walls or I'm chasing him around trying to keep him out of trouble, but for the moment I just feel extremely blessed!

16 weeks (belly pic #2)

Here are my 16 week belly pics. I feel like I am bigger at this point than I was with Kendall, but when I look back at pictures it doesn't really look like there's much difference. I think the real difference is that I am older and keeping up with 2 kids while pregnant is a lot for this body to handle! How sad is that? I cannot imagine being one of those women who does this at 40! I definitely have a new appreciation for older mothers! In all seriousness, I am really feeling pretty good now other than just getting tired easily. Luckily, that's solved on most days by laying down w/ Kendall at naptime and resting or taking a quick snooze. One bit of exciting news to share is that I began feeling the baby move this past week! One night I ran to Walgreens to pick up a prescription and felt the baby move a few times while I was sitting there in the drive through. So far they are just light little kicks or punches, but they do seem to be getting a little more frequent every day (that or I'm just noticing more). I love those little reminders that the baby is always right there with me:)

16 wks

Here's a random pic I decided to throw in of Scott and I at the office Christmas party last Friday night. We had it at Shogun this year- yummy!

Christmas Recital

Last Thursday night Avery and Kendall had their Christmas Dance recital. Despite Kendall not taking a nap and it taking me FOREVER to do 2 buns in the new way that the dance teacher showed us, we managed to arrive on time at the church. My parents and Scott's parents also got to come and watch. Kendall performed a tap number to "Mele Kalikimaka," and Avery did a tap number to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and a ballet to "O Little Town of Bethlehem". They both did a great job! Kendall did the majority of her dance moves with some reminders from her teacher down front and Avery remembered nearly all of her dances. Avery was such a little performer with a smile plastered on her face the minute she started walking onstage. Scott and I gave them each a rose at the end of the recital and they couldn't have been more proud! On the way home Avery thanked me for the rose and Kendall kept telling me how beautiful it was and refused to let go of hers. Here are some pics from the recital. They didn't allow flash photography, so the action shots don't look too good, but I guess it was better than nothing!

Kendall had a grass skirt for her "Mele Kalikimaka" dance

Kendall (middle) with her class onstage
Avery getting ready to tap

Avery performing her ballet

. . . and more ballet

after the show (Kendall was SOOO tired since she decided not to nap that day and wouldn't smile)

Thanksgiving 2010

We had a busy and fun Thanksgiving this year! On Wednesday the girls and I spent a good part of the day with my parents doing some shopping together. Here are the girls and I all ready for our shopping trip.

We spent Thanksgiving Day with Scott's family over at his parents new house in Roanoke. The day went by fast with all the cooking, eating, game playing, and napping that we did. That evening the little kids opened their Christmas presents from Memaw and Dedaw and from their aunts and uncles, and the big kids and adults did a dirty Santa gift card exchange. Avery and Kendall stayed busy the rest of the evening playing with their new toys and with their cousins.

The Bedichek girls around the kids table (little Mason wasn't quite big enough yet)

Avery and Kendall getting high 5's from their cousin Mason
Cousin Braden helped Kendall join in a game with the Koosh ball
getting ready for the dirty Santa gift card exchange, which was really tame this year
Kendall opening one of her presents- a Disney princess Aquadoodle

Avery got to work right away on her new Lite Brite

Memaw, Dedaw, and the grandkids (poor Mason!)

On Friday we went to lunch over in Southlake and then met my parents and my sister and my brother-in-law at a little park area behind the Hilton for some family pics. This was my favorite.
After pics we went over to my parents' house to hang out and then have some dinner. My aunt got to come too, so it was almost like having a second Thanksgiving. That night we sat around my parents' fire pit and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. Yummy! The best pic of that bunch gives you kind of a close-up on those marshmallows!

We kept busy through the weekend as well, trying to see everybody one last time. Saturday we hung out at Scott's parents' house for awhile to see Mike, Amy, and Mason again, and then we went to dinner with my parents, my sister and her husband. Sunday we all went to church with Scott's parents, took our Christmas card pics, went to lunch, and Scott and I finished off the weekend with the new Harry Potter movie. Whew! Like I said, it was a busy and fun Thanksgiving!

2nd Trimester, Here I Come!

I am one day away from entering my 2nd trimester, and I realized that to keep with my previous traditions it was time for a belly shot. I can definitely tell that my body has done this twice before! It started making room for this little girl or boy right off the bat. I've even had one acquaintance/friend come out and ask me already if I had news to share.
I am feeling pretty good these days-- no more queasiness or icky feeling, but I am still really tired. But I've resolved that the tiredness will probably stay with me until the baby starts sleeping through the night. Oh well! I went to my second Dr. appointment yesterday and he said the baby couldn't look better. This time I could see all the little parts very clearly, even the spine and little fingertips. At our next appointment, right before Christmas, we will get to find out the sex! What a great early Christmas present!

Big sisters!

Although they already made their announcement on facebook, Avery and Kendall would also like to announce to our blog readers that they are BOTH going to be big sisters! I have been sooooo incredibly tired that I am just now, at almost 12 wks pregnant, getting around to posting their announcement. Avery and Kendall's little brother or sister is due to arrive June 1, 2011, and they are both super excited! Just tonight they were making up songs at dinner to sing to the baby so it will recognize their voices when it is born. I've decided that one definite advantage for the third child is that he/she will have constant entertainment and stimulation courtesy of the big sisters! I have not been too sick, but as I said before, just extremely tired with some mild nausea and lots of general icky feeling. Needless to say, I am ready to get past this 1st trimester so I can enjoy my third and last pregnancy a little more! I am looking forward to my Dr. visit next week so I can see the baby again (he does a ultrasound every time) and hear that heart beating lickety-split. The miracle of life never ceases to amaze and we feel so blessed to get to experience it again!

Happy Halloween from Mariposa and Snow White

This year Avery chose to be Barbie Mariposa and Kendall chose Snow White (surprise, surprise). Kendall was able to wear her costume to school last Thursday, but Avery was sick Wednesday, so she wore hers a little around the house that day and then had to wait until Halloween night to wear it out somewhere. But I did take Avery's money for the pumpkin patch to her teachers Thursday so they could get her a pumpkin and gave them her treat bag so they could take it around the church when the class trick-or-treated. So it wasn't a complete loss I guess. Halloween night we took advantage of Pizza Inn's free kids buffet when they wear a costume and then came back and trick-or-treated in the neighborhood for 30 or 45 minutes. Avery and Kendall got lots of candy and of course I thought they were the cutest little girls out there!

Snow White

Mariposa acting sassy

waiting patiently at someone's door- they took turns ringing the doorbells

Mariposa showing me her loot as we got back home

posing by our jack-o-lantern

Visit from Aunt Amy

This weekend my sister was in town visiting from Tennessee. We had not seen her since she moved in May, so we were all excited-- especially Avery and Kendall. We had dinner at my parents' house and then just enjoyed hanging out together. Avery and Kendall decided to play dress up and then had Amy judge them on the little shows they did. It was pretty funny. We have been watching Dancing with the Stars quite a bit lately, so they are all into the performing and judging thing right now. Although it was too short, we had a great visit and are already looking forward to seeing Amy and Chris at Thanksgiving.

silly faces

posing for their Mimi

a family pic

performing and being judged by Aunt Amy

"We can't wait 'til next time Amy comes!"