The Pierce Family

Lexie's 6 months old!

2009-04-18T15:42:00.007-05:00

It is unbelievable how quickly time goes by! Lexie is rolling from back to front and front to back, she can sit up unassisted, she says "Mama" (except that it sounds JUST like "Dada" to the casual observer ;), and she has been given the green light to start eating some table food. I didn't tell the doctor, but I had already given her some little bits of cracker...such is the life when you're baby #3 - poor Chloe NEVER got any early perks!!

Spring has Sprung!!!

2009-03-29T20:29:00.010-05:00

Time is flying at mock speed! Where do I start? Lexie is growing by leaps and bounds - she is rolling over, sitting up, and is just as happy as she can be! She smiles her beautiful, gummy, ear-to-ear smiles all the time. Whenever she hears her sisters, she cranes her neck to find them. and laughs her little heart out at them. She thinks they are hysterical! Both Chloe and Grace delight in making her laugh, too! All it takes is Grace's cross-eyed face or Chloe's jumping around making funny noises. They are a blast...I am so blessed!

Spring Break was full of excitement; we went to Albuquerque and had a great visit. We stayed the whole week. We got to visit with Nana, Papa, Mema, G.G., and all of our aunts, uncles, and cousins. (We really missed the Mouffes, but we know they are loving being back at home in Phoenix). The kids had a major cousin fest with tons of sleep-overs. They were exhausted and delirious at the end of the week. Needles to say, I think we are still catching up on sleep. But it as well worth it!

Imagination Movers Concert

Loving G.G.

Fun at Mema's House

Hiking La Luz Trail

Fun at Nana' House...

Lexie's 4 months old!!!

2009-02-03T22:04:00.006-06:00

I can't believe Lexie's already 4 months old! She's getting big way too fast, but we're loving every minute of it. :) She weighed in at 14 lbs 14 oz at her well visit yesterday. She continues to sleep like a champ at night - 9 hours on average! Woo-hoo!!!

Love those dimples!

Lexie got to start cereal today - yummm!!!

Open wide!

Grace and Chloe had cereal, too...not their first time, tho!

Party in the tub...

Where did January go, anyway???

2009-01-28T16:02:00.006-06:00

Time flies when you're having fun...or running around like crazy! I returned to work after the Christmas break was over. It was good to be back, and we've gotten back into the swing of things (thinks like - Mom works again, and Dinner?...I thought you ate lunch just a little while ago, and laundry...again?...ugh!) HA! I have decided that Mark and I need a wife - someone to do all of those menial, but highly important jobs. Any takers? Can't promise much of a salary, but we'd love you forever! ;> Hee-hee! Life with three girls is wonderful-I can hardly imagine life without little Lexie. She is as sweet as can be - a very easy baby. Grace & Chloe are great big sisters, too. I am really enjoying my new position teaching gifted an talented, and it's great to be back in the classroom. The little girls are doing awesome at NeNe's house; they have a great time together.

We took the girls out for a night out on the town. One of Mark's friends got married at the Ballpark at Arlington. We had a ball - no pun intended!

Chloe received the High Flyer award for her class this six weeks. The whole family got to watch. WAY TO GO CHLO-CHLO!! We are so proud of you!

We got to stay home yesterday and today for the "Ice Storm of 2009" as the media has coined it. Today we sprayed our hair pink - even Rosco's! (Poor dog is probably ready for us to back to school)!

Check out my sweet and sassy girls!

We are looking forward to spending Spring Break in Albuquerque!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-03T22:31:00.004-06:00

We have been so busy since Thanksgiving! We celebrated Grace's 4th birthday in true Grace style...it was a Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, Wiggles shin dig. We had a ball!

Christmas was so much fun with the girls! They were definitely on the "Good List" this year because Santa came and left a messy boot print and soot in front of our fireplace.

Lexie turned 3 months old - laughed out loud for the first time (at her daddy!) - and started playing in her exer-saucer. She has been sleeping through the night for over a month now (WOO-HOO)! She is getting SO big! We all enjoy her immensely!

Mark and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary by going out to Cowtown for dinner and a movie. We got to stay out all night long while NeNe stayed at our house to watch all 3 girls! We had SO MUCH FUN!!! We didn't get home until 11:30 the next morning! NeNe confessed she'd needed a nap!

Playtime

2008-12-21T17:16:00.004-06:00

Lexie LOVES to play on her jungle mat. She bats away at the animals dangling down as she coos and laughs.

2 months old!

2008-12-02T19:40:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday, Lexie!

I'm what????

2 months old ALREADY?????!!!!

Awww shucks...!

Ohh, Gracie!!!

Chloe lately

2008-11-18T13:47:00.008-06:00

Chloe has been very busy lately. She's finished her first season of outdoor soccer as a Grasshopper. She really became a great player - stealing the ball from the opposing team and taking it in to score a goal. Woo-hoo!! Don't worry about her missing soccer in the off season because she's started indoor soccer with many of her outdoor teammates! Now she's a unicorn. She really liked the fast pace of indoor (no quarter breaks) and banking it off the wall.

She had her team party where she received her first trophy - talk about a proud moment! You should have seen her grin!

Chloe LOVES school and her teacher, Mrs. Peacock. She created a science hat for the annual Hughes hat parade. The science vocabulary word Chloe chose was "seasons". She displayed all four seasons on her hat. It was a fun family project!

Today we had Thanksgiving lunch with Chloe at school. All 5 of us had a good time! The kindergartners wore Pilgrim and Indian hats. Chloe was a Pilgrim. She looked so cute! She didn't have the traditional trimmings; check out her tray! Mark likes to think that the corn dog was really a turkey dog. The entire kindergarten sang a turkey song for all of the parents after lunch; it was very sweet!

Gotta love the Milk Mumu

2008-11-17T21:41:00.008-06:00

One of my faves...(thank you, Kelly & Karson!) I HIGHLY reccommend it to all of my lactating friends!

Nurse on-the-go stress free!
Anyone can make a nursing cover,
but the Milk Mumu makes nursing classy

15” of boning allows you to view baby,
while leaving your hands free to nurse

Large double-lined terry cloth pocket to store pacifier, breastpad, or to use as burp cloth

Grace's future profession...

2008-11-17T21:20:00.005-06:00

Have you ever seen "What Not to Wear" on TLC? If not, you've got to catch it - I guarantee that Grace will have a spot on that show in about 15 years. Watch out Stacy and Clinton! We've always known that Grace has her own distinct fashion sense and has to dress herself, but now she's letting Mark and I know her opinion of our wardrobes...

Mark's experience: "Daddy, I don't like those shoes." This was Grace's response to Mark's casual, leather slip on shoes. It was pretty funny when she told him what she thought. The funnier part was that Mark CHANGED his shoes! Poor guy is now reluctant to wear them. She's given him a complex!

My experience: "Mommy, I don't like those shoes." Grace's wisdom on my shoe choice. "Well, actually, I like them - just not with those socks." I was wearing white socks with black crocs studded w/ sparkly jewels (which was probably my saving grace). Another time, I actually influenced her wardrobe. :) I had a dark pink tank underneath a light pink shirt. "Mom, I like your shirt; it's cool. How'd you do that?" She then followed suit w/ a turquoise tank underneath a brown shirt - very cute! I was so impressed with myself!

Halloween

2008-11-05T08:27:00.005-06:00

The Pierce Chicks clucked their way through Halloween - just as cute as they could be! We decorated the house, played at the pumpkin patch with the Suarezes, carved jack-o-lanterns, and went to Trunk-or-Treat at church. We had a ball!!!!

Life with 3 girls...

2008-11-04T21:51:00.010-06:00

is SOO sweet! Chloe and Grace LOVE their baby sister. Chloe holds Lexie all the time and is amazingly patient when she begins to cry (and that cry is LOUD!!) Grace proudly introduces Lexie to everyone who stops to "ooh" and "ahh" at her when we're out in public. She then explains that she is the ONLY big sister and little sister in our family...all with a very loving smile upon her face!

Lexie is now a month old - I can't believe that much time has gone by already! She is just SCRUMPTIOUS!! She has gained over 2 lbs from her birth weight - and is now 8.15 oz and an inch and a half longer. She has a nasty case of acid reflux, poor little chick. Her doctor increased her dosage today, so I am hopeful that it will help her. She's really battled it this past week - neither of us has gotten much sleep!

She smiled at me for the FIRST time today! One of those real smiles - not a random sleeping, or I've got gas smile. She was looking right into my eyes while I was sweet talking and cooing at her. Right on cue, she flashed a big, beautiful smile. Her blue eyes twinkled, and mine teared up! She is such a precious little thing! God is so good!!!

Happy Birthday, Dear Lexie!!!!!

2008-10-03T18:10:00.005-05:00

Our precious little Alexandria Rebecca was born on October 2, 2008 at 7:15am. She shocked us all with such a petite, little birth weight of 6.95 oz. She's a skinny little thing - 20 inches long. She is absolutely perfect, and we are completely in love. God is so amazing to have blessed us with this little girl. Chloe and Grace can't get enough of her and can't wait to play dress up with her! We decided that Lexie bridges the gap between her sisters - she is a mix of them both. She has Chloe's hair and many of Grace's features with a skin tone that is right in the middle.

What a Weekend!

2008-09-11T22:04:00.008-05:00

We had an awesome weekend...

Friday movie night turned into boogie central pajama party (inspired by the new Ariel movie we were watching) and then dress up in new Hannah Montana shirts after bath.

Chloe had her first soccer game as a Grasshopper and did AMAZING! Go #7!!!!

We also went to the butterfly exhibit in Southlake. Chloe attracted them like crazy. Grace (whose favorite IS butterflies) was petrified of them! She warmed up to them a little bit!!!

Your bed awaits you, Lexie Lu!

2008-09-01T08:19:00.004-05:00

We worked on Lexie's nursery yesterday, and it is so sweet! Mark set up the crib and changing table and arranged the furniture (I'd drawn a diagram because I am a dork)! I finished making her crib sheet - which will be sooo soft for her little head! I kept going in her room last night and rocking in her rocking chair. The room looks so precious with the soft light from her lamp. I love the material and colors. I can't wait for this little baby to come!!

Chloe's First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-26T21:57:00.006-05:00

My sweet, not so little anymore, Chloe started her first day of kindergarten today...she absolutely LOVED it! (No surprise there). All four of us piled in and took Chloe to school this morning - each of us excited and anxious. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Peacock, and Chloe so enjoys her room. I didn't cry (woo-hoo), and I only peeked in on her once (Mrs. Peacock totally busted me, too)! Chloe and I are thrilled to finally go to school together!

SURPRISE!!!!!

2008-08-24T13:01:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I went to a "luncheon" with my sweet friends only to find they had thrown me a surprise baby shower!!! After the realization of what was going on finally sunk in, I had to fight off tears! It was such a complete surprise! The decorations were so precious - using the nursery colors: purple and lime green. The food was DIVINE!!! And they even got a cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes (Southlake - TO DIE FOR)!! I did what every good mother would do w/ gestational diabetes - I cheated a little! Thankfully I had changed out of my denim shorts (for fear of being a bit too casual). I was actually being lazy and opted for a cute black skirt instead of ironing (God forbid) my khaki shorts. It turned out that I was dressed just right - even put on a necklace (phew)!! Maggie had been in communicado w/ Mark (many times) and the girls had successfully passed lots of emails back and forth without me finding out! My mom was in town and got to be there, which was so special. Congratulations, girls! You totally pulled it off! Thank you, sweet BAMS, for such a precious shower! I love you guys!

Watch out, Mia Hamm, here comes Chloe!

2008-08-12T21:13:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures of Chloe's soccer debut. (Okay - so maybe I am the overzealous mom who went a little camera happy at the first practice)... Her team name is the Grasshoppers. She looked so darn cute with her little shin guards, soccer shorts, cleats, and pony tail swishing about!!! Her cheeks get so red - just like Mark's! Check out her prepractice hair-do, too - done all by Chloe!

Wiggle, Wiggle!

2008-08-08T13:43:00.005-05:00

When I was scrapbooking my little heart out in Bowie, TX, Mark was home playing Mr. Mom. He took the girls on a special date to the to Wiggles concert - which is, by far, one of Grace's ALL TIME favorites! She wiggled her little booty off throughout the ENTIRE event. Chloe even put on a happy face for the concert, even though she thinks she is a little old for the Wiggles. Notice the big, I am having so much fun, grin on her face!! She sang and danced her heart out with all the "little kids".

My Handy Man

2008-08-05T22:49:00.005-05:00

I SO love that Mark can take my nutty ideas and create them! Check out this stuffed animal storage contrapment he built! (I must admit - it is not an original idea on my part - thank you, internet)!! LOVE IT!!!!! Now I don't have to throw out/donate all of the girls' stuffed animals in my current nesting phase! Oh, and on that note - thanks for rearranging the game room furniture, Babe - and you, too, Uncle Brian!! (Only a month and a half until Lexie arrives)!!!

Scrapbookers' Paradise

2008-08-05T22:37:00.004-05:00

I went with some girlfriends to an amazing little piece of scrapbooking heaven in Bowie, Texas...Hobby House Hill . It's a bed & breakfast that caters to scrapbookers. There are 2 crop houses complete with individual stations set up. Each station has a long table w/a cushy chair, shelving, a rolly cart, lamp, trash can, etc...there's even a pool, hot tub, and massage therapist on site. It was awesome & I can't wait to go back! I got a bunch of pages scrapped (if that's even a word) - despite swollen ankles and sleep deprivation. It's like being in Vegas - you completely loose track of time. (Which explains the 2:00 & 4:30 am bed times...hee-hee)!! All very well worth it! Check out their website:
http://www.hobbyhousehill.com/

My Productive Weekend

2008-07-28T17:56:00.004-05:00

With my people up in Amarillo, I took full advantage! I got a pizza, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (which made me call Mark at 11:30 pm boo-hooing), and got to work on Lexie's baby bedding. I created her bumper pads. I thought it would take a day - HA!!! Try all weekend! Here is a pic of the 2 short bumpers; the long bumpers will have 3 decorative buttons on them...(still attaching those)! Doesn't the green look sooo soft! I've rubbed my face on it a few times while imagining what Lexie will look like!

Daddy's date weekend

2008-07-28T17:41:00.004-05:00

Mark met Matt in Amarillo for a weekend getaway with the kids. I opted to give my swelling legs a break and stay home for some much needed R & R. The girls LOVED playing with their cousins and having a special date weekend with the daddies!!!

Ode to Ice Cream

2008-07-27T14:55:00.005-05:00

Blue Bell has done me in - meet my new infatuation...Candy Jar flavored ice cream.

Could this be why I failed my glucose tolerance test??? Nah....

BRENHAM - Just when you thought that all possible ice cream flavors had already been created, Blue Bell Creameries has come up with another new idea, in time for National Ice Cream Month. Candy Jar is reminiscent of the jars full of candy that old-timey general stores used to display on the counter near the cash register, to entice children and grownups alike to make one more small purchase as they were checking out.
Candy Jar Ice Cream is a rich caramel ice cream containing pieces of all of your favorite candies—peanut butter cups, chocolate chunks, peanut brittle, chunks of caramel and chocolate crisp pieces. Whatever your favorite, it’s probably there!

Mi Vida Loca

2008-07-21T13:34:00.030-05:00

After some of the silly things I've seen this week, I wanted to write about my crazy life!

I'll start with Small Fry, Grace. Her sense of style and clever mind never cease to amaze me. She walked into the kitchen the other day with her "Kenna Kate" dog carrier on her head and said, "Look, Mom. I'm an astronaut!" She cracked me up - clever, little thing!

When it was time to get dressed for the day, Grace came down in her custom digs. Her shirt and shorts matched just fine - but the best part was the hot pink boots! She said, "Mom, don't I look beautiful?" I replied that she looked like a cowgirl but was quickly corrected. "I'm like Hannah Montanna!" Go with it, fashion queen! (You know you're in Texas when your daughter wears cowgirl boots with shorts)!

Oh, and the best was Sunday morning. The girls
"played" quietly until 8:30 while we slept- talk about wonderful! We didn't know about art class ...

Now, moving onto Miss Chloe. She LOVES to play dress up. Her imagination is so fun!

We've had Christmas in July...

a wedding (to Garrett, of course)...

and many dog days of summer!

New Family Picutres

2008-07-14T22:47:00.002-05:00

While we were on vacation, Liz took some wonderful family pictures for us. She has a photography business in Vail, Colorado... http://www.lizpykephotography.com/

Mark's New Love

2008-07-14T16:07:00.002-05:00

After many years of sacrifice, my man has returned to his true love...truck driving (yummy)! No, he has not switched careers, we have FINALLY traded in the Altima for a Toyota Tundra!!! We went on an extended date night after a friend's wedding to the dealership (rather than a movie - which would've been much less expensive)! Although, I must admit, going to the dealership while the girls were with Miss Bonnie was a much more productive use of our time. This was a purchase we've put off for a VERY long time. Thankfully, we still got a fair amount of trade-in for the Altima. It was a little bittersweet driving away without her, though. She was the first car we purchased after we were married. She served us faithfully - we got 150,000 miles out of her. Seeing my sweet Mark behind the wheel of his true love, a truck, made it all worth it! He deserves it after trading in his first Tundra for our family van and driving the Altima for 4 years (talk about a rite of passage...neither of us EVER thought we'd drive a van). He is the picture of selflessness!

Our Summer Travels

2008-07-13T21:43:00.004-05:00

We got all of our traveling in early this summer - doctor's orders! As of July 4th, my travel was limited to the metroplex. Having to stick close to home after all of our exciting adventures and fiascos on the return trips home was a welcomed restriction!

Pismo Beach - June 2008
We were able to attend Mark's youngest cousin's wedding in California while getting in a long-anticipated beach vacation. The wedding was absolutely beautiful - outside in the mountains. It made me want to get married all over again - to Mark, of course - for beautiful, new pictures! The girls, especially Chloe (our little Island Girl), fell in love with the beach. Chloe tells us at least once a day that she is going to live in California by the beach. Grace promptly proclaims that she will live with Chloe and that we can come visit them. I suppose by that time, Grace will love the ocean as much as Chloe - despite being frightened by a wave that knocked her over. We enjoyed visiting Mark's family while we were there. We missed the Mouffes, but we had a ball with Pierces, the Pykes, the Tafoyas, Mema, and all of Mark's aunts, uncles, and cousins. Getting together with the extended Pierce clan is always a good time. Oh, and the clam chowder - WOW! Splash serves up an unrivaled, amazing bowl - ordered with extra seafood - enlightening!

Albuquerque - June & July 2008
We took our annual road trip to Albuquerque to visit our folks out there. The girls got to spend some sweet time with Nana, Papa, Mema, and G.G. Nana had a new and exciting toy box that kept the girls busy. She and Papa hosted a delicious BBQ where we ate out on her back patio. Aunt Sara played games with the girls and pushed them on the tree swing out back. Chloe couldn't get enough of that, but Grace was content to push the swing herself with nobody on it! Nana also taught the girls a wonderfully naughty trick - spraying whipped cream into their mouths from the can! Silly Nana! Mema's backyard was converted to Splash Mountain Country. Uncle Matt brought over his water slide - aka "Splash Mountain", and the Pierce boys and girls slid come rain (with quivering blue lips) or shine (as a welcomed relief to the heat). Mema also hosted a couple delicious BBQs on her back patio. It was so nice to enjoy the cool Albuquerque air without dying of heat (like we would at home). We stayed with G.G. after Mark returned home for work. Chloe, our Early Bird, enjoyed waking at the crack of dawn and actually finding G.G. awake! They had many early morning chats over coffee and apple juice. Grace, our little Snoozer, crawled in bed with me for some extra zzzz's. Our cuddle time was priceless! I enjoyed having NOTHING planned while we were there. It was very relaxing, which is just what this little pregnant lady needed! We had a ball visiting and laughing with everyone while we were there. Our Albuquerque memories are among our favorites.

Vail - July 2008
We caravanned from Albuquerque to Vail with Matt and Tamara's family to visit the Pykes. We had a ball! Being back in the mountains of Vail has really tugged on our heartstrings - it's made us want to move to Colorado. Of course, we would want to be in the Vail area. However, I don't know how much we'd enjoy the outdoors after working 10 jobs each to support ourselves! On the bright side, it would satisfy my goal of becoming a ski instructor when I grow up! One of the schools there advertises that the kids and teachers go skiing on Fridays - wouldn't mind teaching there! (I can't say what my other 8 jobs would be). Liz and Jim were gracious hosts - we had excellent food and many fun adventures including a gondola ride up the mountain for a picnic in front of Holy Cross Mountain after the 4th of July parade in Vail Village. Did I mention the snow drift we found? A great snowball fight ensued! The 6 kids had a blast playing. Chloe and Grace now talk about living at the beach with their cousins - Mark and I have been down-graded to staying in a hotel near their house! Liz took fantastic family and pregnant pictures for us. I am dying to print and frame them! It was hard to leave the beauty of Colorado. I actually think Colorado wanted us to stay, too - it took FOUR AND A HALF HOURS to get from Vail to Denver (a 97 mile drive-argh)!!!! It was all worth it!