Natalie is 2!

Our precious baby, Natalie, turned two on the 25th!  These past two years have flown by!  I feel like I was just in the hospital recovering from my c-section and getting to know our little girl, but here she is growing up right before our eyes!

Our first family picture two hours after she was born.  She was born at 9:41 am on May 25, 2011 and weighed 8 lbs. 8 oz.

Adding Natalie to our family has been exciting, exhausting, and so very enjoyable!  She has been feisty from day one and has always kept us on our toes (especially since she did not consistently sleep through the night until 15 months, no matter what we tried).  She is very stubborn and always wants her way, yet can manage to be so lovable and turn on her smile when she knows we need it.

We spent her birthday weekend attending a family baptism, which is always fun in our family, since the kiddos can all play together.  The next night I took the kids to meet some new children their age and to have some fun outside and by staying up late.  Overall, the weekend did not consist of any extravagant parties, but I know both kids had fun together and enjoyed the holiday weekend, which is all the matters.

Natalie is becoming a little lady these days (unless she is being her tomboy self ha).  She loves to take care of her baby dolls by feeding them, changing their diapers, walking them in her strollers, and putting them to bed.  Natalie also loves to help me with whatever I am doing.  She helps me clean, unload the dishwasher, fold unfold the laundry, and take care of the babies I watch on a daily basis.  Our little girl is quite the animal watcher.  She will sit and stare out our windows looking for the "Bushwack's" dog, Winston, squirrels, birds, and bunnies.  If Natalie is ever upset we know that taking her to look for animals will make her happy no matter what.





I cannot believe our baby of the family is already two.  She has changed our lives in more ways than we can count, and we cannot wait to see what she grows up to be like.

Oops... I neglected the blog! Happy Mother's Day!

Well, here we are well into Spring.  I think we are finally getting into the warmer days of this season and will be permanently seeing warmer temperatures (thank goodness)!  We are halfway through Spring and I feel like we haven't even been able to enjoy it that much.  Guess we better get ready for the hotness of Missouri Summers soon!

Things have been super busy here these days and the weekends have been packed with activities!  My two best friends are getting married in June, so there have been showers, parties, and so on!  Not only is one of my best friends getting married, but she is marrying one of my other dearest friends.  I do have to say that I played a vital role in them getting together and could not be happier for the both of them.  I am looking forward to their special day and am honored that I will be standing up there with them as they profess their love in front of family, friends, and God. The weekend after that my maid of honor from our wedding is getting married to a wonderful man and their wedding will be beautiful and exciting as well.  June is going to be a great month filled with lots of love!

Future Bride and her Maid of Honor 

Me and my Maid of Honor

Here at the Sharktank we are winding down with Matthew's first official year in preschool.  He has loved every minute of it!  The social aspect of it has been wonderful for our first born and we have seen him grow so much thanks to the part time program he attended. The teachers always made sure to recognize important holidays, like Mother's Day.  Matthew came home with this project today.

I could not be more proud of him lol.  He got my age correct (thankful he didn't say I was 70) and I do love pizza, apples, and olives.  I have been on a cupcake making binge lately for parties and showers (and I am loving it), so I am assuming that is why he thinks I like them so much.  And... we do go to Walmart ALOT!  I hate to say it, but we go there at least three times a week.  I could not run my own business and have two kids if it was not for that store!

Being a mom has been one of the most rewarding, yet challenging jobs I've ever had.  There are some days I cry tears of joy by watching them discover, learn, and grow, but I am not going to lie... I have cried a lot tears of frustration (I mean who doesn't as a parent?).  Like I said in this previous post, parents are not given a manual at birth and making decisions, disciplining, and getting judged by others can brutal.  But, all of it is so worth it.  The smiles, hugs, "I love you"s, and experiences with my children can never be replaced.  I always say I used to think I knew what love was, until I had my children.  Having a child of my own taught me what unconditional love really is.  I know Mr. Sharktank and I would do anything for our kids.  They are our life and we are complete because of them.

I look forward to spending Mother's Day this year with the kiddos and soaking up the beautiful weather (as I cross my fingers that the forecast stays the same).  We have so many fantastic mothers in our lives!  We would not be where we are today if it were not for my mom, Mr. Sharktank's mom, and the other motherly influences we have.  I am lucky to have so many friends who are fabulous mothers as well.  I can honestly say that most of the moms we know are caring, loving, responsible, and provide their children with wonderful environments.  We take pride in keeping positive influences in our lives and I think it shows with the circle of friends we have who are also good parents.  So, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  I hope you enjoy your special day with your babies no matter how old they are!