Oh my stars...who knew a cold could wreak so much havoc! One or both babies have been sick for almost a month now. There has been less sleep in this house in the last 3 weeks than when they were newborns. And at least when they were newborns they woke up because they were hungry and a bottled cured it. Lately they have been virtually inconsolable because they are in pain and uncomfortable. So.Much.Congestion. And ear infections. And boo-hoo-hoo. I'm stopping now!

Dave went to Lubbock for the weekend so we had planned to go to the lake to be with my parents so I would have an extra set of hands. We packed up Friday morning and everyone was all smiles and puffy eyes... 

Please note C's crossed ankles...that's her new thing and it just kills me.

We hit the lake around lunch time and spent the afternoon outside playing. Parker really didn't feel well. His breathing was so difficult, his congestion so thick, and he had the saddest eyes. 

He woke up around midnight in normal (as of late) fashion, but then he was so upset for the next few hours. He was screaming out, wouldn't take any bottle, I couldn't console him, and my parents thought he needed to go to the ER. Oh joy. So, we loaded up and headed to the ER. We basically wanted to rule out RSV or lung infection since he did serve time in NICU due to underdeveloped lungs. (He is more susceptible to lung issues as an infant.)

While daddy was getting a good night of rest in his hotel room we were kickin' it in the ER at 3:30am. Poor baby! 5:00am rolled around and we left with a diagnosis of an ear infection and possible sinus infection, an antibiotic, and a profile at the hospital in Seguin, TX. Go, team!

On Saturday we drove home to be in our own beds, did lots of resting, watched the Longhorns beat ou (I mean, who would have guessed? I'd like to think my cuties brought them a little god luck), and ordered a pizza in an effort to not leave the house. 

I think the antibiotic has kicked in...my little man only woke up ONCE last night. It was the first semi-full-night of rest I have gotten in almost 4 weeks. Truly an answer to prayer! Here's hoping for a great week and healthy babies by the weekend!! 

Current Favorites...

The Mendenhall house has been under the weather for 3 full weeks now. The common cold hit our house and we went down like dominoes. We've sprinkled in a sinus infection, an ear infection, a few trips to the pediatrician, more sleepless nights than I'd like to re-count, and we've gotten our moneys worth out of the Nose Freda! *Sidenote: I thought that thing was so nasty but I was so wrong! Game changer. 

Because of the illnesses we've done a lot of resting and relaxing at home. There haven't been tons of photo sessions that didn't involve our PJs. I was looking through phone and camera photos and was reminded of a few of my favorites from the last 8 weeks. :) It's amazing to see how they've grown through these photos. Completely holding their heads up, necks are attempting to emerge, and smiles are so infectious! Couldn't love these two more!!

**Please don't freak out over these photos! She loved sitting outside IN THE SHADE, and she was so relaxed and loving the sound of the waterfall. My sister and I were taking tons of photos and when she put her hand behind her head we freaked out! I have about 200 subsequent photos. Ha. We did let her into the sun for a half of a second to take the photo above. She is such a trip!

Parker and Caroline- Future mixed doubles partners! They loved watching the US Open ;)

Everytime I put them near each other they immediately grab hands. It is crazy cute and melts my heart! Seriously, I just can't get enough. 

These two just love their bears. It's pretty adorable how they talk to them, try to kiss/eat them, and Parker giggles like crazy and squeals when he plays with it. 

Y'all. Have you ever seen a cuter tummy time? I think not!

Cutest little Aggies I've ever seen. :) I just can't get enough of them. 

Lake Love...

We spent last weekend at the lake with my family. It was fun, relaxing, so nice to enjoy the weather, good food, and family. And let's not discount the help of a few extra hands! P&C never run short on love and attention but it's on overdrive when the number of family members increase. 

We enjoyed sunrises, sunsets and even a rainstorm. Parker and Caroline spent a lot of time on the swing in many different arms.

We had sunset cruises, wake boarding lessons, and joy rides. 

Last, but not least, we all had to put on our white for mom's annual Christmas card photo. You can imagine the excitement. We've been doing this for as long as I can remember and every year we tell mom that we can wear something other than white. When we upload the photos she always says, "I don't know why y'all fight me on this. You know white looks good." 

Whatever, mom. #matchymatchy #doneanddone 

My favorite photos are always the outtakes captured during a random fire from the timer. :)

Our family of 4. (By this point P was hyped.)

Thanks for a great weekend, Mom and Dad. There's never a dull moment! 

Please Don't Stop the Music!

Our church has the most adorable music program called Tiny Tots & Tunes. P&C get to go and play instruments, sing songs (let's be honest, at this stage we're singing to them), and play with puppets. It's really cute and the babies really enjoy it. I went at it alone the first go 'round and it was immediately clear that an extra set of hands is pretty much mandatory. Last week was mom's week to go with us but a horrible accident shut down our route to church. After 30 minutes in the car it was clear we were all dressed up with nowhere to go!

As luck would have it we were stopped right next to the mall. Mom hated for the babies to miss their morning activity so she suggested Build-A-Bear. I mean, why not? We're always down for a bit of chaos!

We hit the mall 15 minutes before the stores opened... 

so we opted for a few photos....

That went over well. 

The store opened not a moment too soon, and we were on our way!

Mom helped the babies pick out their bears...

Parker put the heart in his bear all by himself!

Parker LOVED his puppy and would squeal and pull it towards himself to kiss/eat it :)

 Caroline did a great job choosing/putting in her bear's heart also. 

 Thanks for saving the day, ZsaZsa! We had so much fun and we LOVE our new best friends. :)