18 Months!

CeCe at 18 months:


Number of words she can say-lost count about 2 months ago when we hit 100.....I would guess between 200-250 now. It is amazing to me!


Favorite foods-raisins (which she calls bobays for some unknown reason), cheese, watermelon and broccoli. She is still a great eater but we have a hard time getting her to eat much meat.


Favorite book-Anything Sesame Street or Little People


Favorite song- She doesn't request any songs yet but Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is our night night song and You are My Sunshine calms her down if she gets hurt.

Favorite toys- She loves to wear beads. We have about 30 strands of Mardi Gras beads and she loves to put them all on at once. She also loves to cook in her kitchen. She will stir away, then bring us a taste of what she has made.

Favorite TV shows- Word World and Sesame Street

Sleep - Right now she is a rock star sleeper! She goes to bed around 7:15 and sleeps until 6:45-7:15! She naps from about 1:30-3:30 every afternoon.

Her imagination has taken off! She pretends to cook in her kitchen, change her baby doll's diapers and take her babies on walks. CeCe LOVES her big brother! She has started calling him Bryce Duke or Brycie Duke and it makes me laugh every time! She is missing him now that school has started back. It is so funny to watch her try and copy what he does....good and bad! On the way home from school today I caught Bryce with his finger in his nose and not two seconds later she was doing the same thing with a huge grin on her face!

When she had that awful stomach virus in November she got really attached to her pacifier (or her ME as she calls it) and I'm having a hard time with that. By this age Bryce only had his in the bed for night or nap time and it was very easy to break him of the habit at his second birthday. She asks for it alot now and I've been giving it to her because of trips/holidays, etc. After our trip in 2 weeks to Orlando (Busch Gardens and Sea World!!!!) I'm going to restrict it to her bed only. I know it will be hard on all of us for a while, but hopefully we can get back to where we were with ME use!

She brightens our life everyday with her sweet voice, happy go lucky personality, wonderful hugs, and the best cuddles we could ever ask for. Our little baby is growing up!!!

Playing with Bryce Taking off her shoes.....something she does 100 times each day!
Sweet girl!
With her ME and Lambie, her #1 lovie
And I took this last night. Bryce and Anthony always lay on this pallet to read books before bed. Last night he left to get something and Reagan jumped in his spot! He was nice enough to share with her :)

Lake and last day of Christmas

Monday morning we left West Point and drove to the lake. We helped my parents host the Borden family Christmas brunch on Tues. morning. We had a great time visiting with everyone who came and the weather was so nice we were able to play outside a good bit and watch the men rake and burn the leaves!

Here is my dad (3rd from left) and his 3 brothers


Bryce on top of the pier

Anthony and Hunter were in charge of the leaf pile this year. Anthony was in heaven! He kept finding things to add to the fire so it would keep burning!

CeCe and her Yeagie (Reagan)

Wednesday marked our last day of Christmas celebrations. Aunt Sandra and Uncle Charles (my mom's brother and his wife) had us over for a delicious brunch and lots of presents and fun for the kids. They bought way too much but of course we all loved every minute of it!!

Bryce's reaction to this Wolverine costume was priceless. He has said multiple times that it is his favorite present this year. He wears it daily!

CeCe knew right away that this pink tricycle was for her! Her face lit up and she ran over and climbed on it. She kept saying bike, bike! She loves to get it out of the garage and have us push her up and down the driveway.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning was wonderful! It is so fun to experience it with our kids. They were SO excited to see what Santa had left them overnight!!


Bryce proudly showing off his superhero costumes
CeCe giving her new baby doll stroller and test drive

Bryce showing off a gift from Cappy and Papaw Ruff

CeCe modeling a dress up outfit from Ho Ho and playing with a new toy

All the kids in their matching PJs helping CeCe to open a gift

It snowed on Christmas Day!!! Bryce wanted to jump on the trampoline in his Captain America costume. Don't worry, he has lots of layers on underneath. He refused to wear a jacket over the costume.

CeCe wanted to jump too

After a late breakfast on Christmas Day at my parents house it has been our tradition to drive on down to West Point to Anthony's parents house. We got there around 3 and dove right back into presents and eating!

CeCe being sweet

Bryce and Daniel playing with one of Daniel's new toys

Unfortunately I didn't take too many pictures.....my battery was really low! Everyone was together on Sunday (which only happens about twice a year) so that was wonderful. Bryce and Daniel had fun playing together and arguing over sharing their new toys!

-Christmas Eve post is after this one

Peabody and Christmas Eve

Tuesday (21st) we decided to go downtown to ride the trolley and go to the Peabody. The weather was very nice and warm that day which was wonderful! We went back downtown on Friday and it was miserable cold and windy!!


Here is CeCe on the trolley
Bryce and CeCe with Cappy and Papaw Ruff in front of the huge tree at the Peabody

Tried to get a cute pic of the kids.....I picture Bryce saying "Come on CeCe, Mama said stand still and smile. And CeCe replying "Geez Bryce, we don't always have to do everything Mama wants us to do you know"!

That week in Memphis we also went to the zoo, the Enchanted Forest at the Pink Palace Museum, the Children's Museum, Bryce's favorite park, and the mall. My camera battery charger was left in Pensacola so I was scared to take too many pictures. We had a blast everywhere we went though, even if it was pretty chilly most days!

Now for Christmas Eve......

Bryce and Jude in their matching sweaters before church

No cute picture of CeCe in her Christmas dress....Miss Thing was in no mood to pose for the camera. I didn't get a single decent picture of her that afternoon. I'm so glad I let her wear her Christmas dress downtown that day, I did get a couple of cute pics that day.

We've started going to a Children's service at Idewild Presbyterian Church for Christmas Eve and it is wonderful! They have little head pieces for the kids to get them involved in the service. And it doesn't matter if they won't stay quiet or still! CeCe and Jasper as angels, Bryce as a wiseman and Jude as a shepherd.

Cappy and Papaw Ruff reading Christmas stories with the kids

Bryce, CeCe and Cappy made the cookies for Santa

Ho Ho Ho!

I wanted to post our Christmas card but can't figure out how to get it from Shutterfly to the blog. I could take a pic of it and post the pic of the pic. Maybe another day! Here is the picture that was on the front of the card.....

We hope each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!!!

Fun in Ollie Branch

We have been in Olive Branch since Saturday and have been having tons of fun as always! Sunday we went to Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Memphis to see our old Pastor Ken and his wife Melinda. Melinda was sick but it was great to get to see Ken again.

Here is Bryce posing outside after church.

And CeCe checking out the presents under the tree before we left

The kids outside posing together

My dad cleaned out the garage for the dogs this week and we've been taking advantage of it for the kids too! Bryce and CeCe have had a BALL out here riding on their toys! Bryce has learned to cut donuts with this big wheel and it is hilarious!

CeCe laughs everytime he does it!

Today we bundled up and went to the zoo. We love the Memphis zoo!!

I'm scared that I may have left my camera charger in Pensacola so I might have to stop taking pics until Christmas Eve and Day. CeCe might have just carried it off somewhere though because in its place in the case were 3 strands of CeCe's beads....!

Bryce's letter/email to Santa

Bryce just typed this letter to Santa:

Santa,
Hey. How Are you? Please can I have a wolverine iron man costume. Aquarium.

Love Bryce Duke