Casey and Lauren Coats

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

C+L=5

Casey & I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on December 29, 2012! In the past we have gone out of town or stayed in a hotel in Dallas for a few days to celebrate, but being that we had a 9-day-old baby this year we stayed home. ;) Casey's parents came over to watch Sawyer while Casey, Dayton, & I went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and dessert! We love their chicken nachos and get them every time along with their 35th Anniversary cheesecake! Yum!!! I also like to get their cafe mocha coffee. It's $5, but so worth it! We had a great little date and Dayton slept through the entire thing. ;)

It was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary a little low-key this year.

Before heading out to dinner!

Our 3rd wheel ;)

We look tired because we are tired.

9 straight days of being up throughout the night with a newborn and worn out during the day by a toddler! ;)

Happy 5 year anniversary to the love of my life! :)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Snow Day {2012}

As I said in my Christmas post, we got snow! A White Christmas, indeed! It didn't really start until the late afternoon/evening, so by the time we got home from my grandparents house in Mabank it was already dark and hard to take any decent pictures. The next morning was Dayton's first doctor's appointment so we made plans to play with Sawyer in the snow when we got home. Dayton had a double ear infection which really upset me and put a small kink in our plans, but nevertheless we played with Sawyer outside (mainly Casey) because she loved it! I took a quick picture with Dayton because it was his first snow and then whisked him back inside since he was sick - poor baby!

Here are the pictures we got that day…they make me look forward to having snow days next year or the year after when both of my kiddos can play in it together. I see many snowmen and snowball fights in our future! ;)

Fun times with the kiddos!!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Our Blessings in 2012

Casey & I started an end-of-the-year tradition in 2009 where we think back on the year and write down all of our blessings from that year. I got the idea from Paul McDill's blog post because his family does something similar. You can read about our previous years' blessings here, here, and here!

Now for 2012's blessings on The Coats Family :)

Got pregnant with our 2nd baby!

Casey and Lauren both got to attend Catalyst, Lauren for the first time

So many friends and family came to celebrate Sawyer’s 1st birthday!

Vacationed in New Orleans using credit card points/miles

Lauren was able to stay home with Sawyer for a 2nd year

Sawyer's tubes in March improved her health--no ear infections since!

Lauren completed 13 hours of school, as well as her first of 3 internships

Casey & Lauren both got to go skiing on spring break in Colorado

Our CG (community group) grew and we were blessed with getting to know each other better!

Got a tax refund

No car trouble this year!

c|Life’s dnow had over 350 kids

c|Life’s youth camp had 219 kids

There were over 400 kids at See You At The Pole

We saw many students saved through these youth events

Started a student leadership team called “the 12” which we both enjoyed leading

Lauren made extra money by keeping twin boys Luke & Monte as well as another boy, Braden, that Sawyer loved playing with

Part-time job at Playschool at Mimosa Lane (and in the room with Sawyer)

Made a great, new friend--Charity--at Playschool

Found loving homes for Lucy & Ella

Casey’s enjoys playing basketball with friends in the mornings

Received lots of free babysitting from grandparents living close by!

Celebrated with Paul and Jill on their adoption of Julia

G-Momma paid for Sawyer to take private swim lessons, and she loved it

Charlie & Ginni had Mathis, who is sure to be Dayton’s good friend!

Rachel and Jordan had Conrad (an answered prayer!)--another friend for Dayton!

Casey celebrated 5 years at c|Life

Financial blessings

We celebrated our 5^th year of marriage!

Lauren got to participate in a 7 week Beth Moore bible study series with other women from c|Life

Lauren is still enjoying friendships made at pokeno each month

Generous gifts given to us at Dayton's baby shower thrown by awesome friends!

Healthy baby Dayton was born!

As usual, God has blessed us abundantly and we are thankful!!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

SG at 21 Months

Little Sawyer Grace is growing fast! She's 21 months old and a big sister!

Here's this months recap:

She's talking non-stop! In fact, just yesterday Casey asked if she could just be quiet for a little bit! Heehee ;)
She's wearing mostly 18 months and 2T clothing.
She wears size 3 diapers… I had moved her up to size 4 last month, but they were just too big so we went back down to size 3.
She still really loves going outside - she loves the front yard, the back yard, the park, the swing, the slide. Everything about outside. I'm looking forward to the summer months so that we can enjoy the outdoors more. :)
She loves to dance! Casey turns on his speakers in the bedroom and she will dance all around and squeal. It is so fun and cute! She also loves to dance to songs played on Sesame Street.
Speaking of Sesame Street--she's still a fan of Elmo!!
Sawyer is blossoming when it comes to food - she is more new foods and more of them! Growing girl!
She's still obsessed with milk - I need to start her on water and juice more because we are going through several gallons a week!!
She still loves her babies!! She tries to imitate what I do with Dayton with her babies. She loves her bubba, but she doesn't care too much about him…haha. For the most part she just plays and pays attention to him only when he cries. At that point she comes and gets me and says "baby cries" It's cute. :) She will give Dayton his paci (she actually puts it in his mouth and holds it there until he gets it good and settled), she covers him with his blanket, and throws away his diapers for us. :) Good big sis for a 1-year-old, if you ask me!!
Sawyer still gives us sweet little kisses and hugs and it melts our hearts! LOVE it!!!
She still adores her daddy, but wants me when she is tired, hurt, or sad. I still like that. :)
Sawyer usually goes to bed around 8pm (sometimes as late as 9 and every now and then as late as 10) and she usually gets up between 7am-8:30am. We love it when its closer to 8:30 ;) I'm convinced that if I got a blackout curtain that she would sleep later. I need to just get that done and see…
Sawyer is a sweetheart. She is tender and kind, but also super spunky! I can tell that she really isn't strong-willed though because a harsh word can get her crying easily. Discipline is a challenge to find the right method because at times it seems like we can't get her to stop yelling "no" at us and other times a firm word to her makes her lip quiver.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Sawyer as she went from 20 months to 21 months old…

watching Sesame Street together

What is cuter than a little girl in house shoes and a onesie? Nothing!

More Sesame Street :) I should probably find her a new show, but she doesn't get bored with it--even if it is the same episode over and over!

Bubba's car seat is a hit!!!

The last picture of my "only child" -- I wrote about this already, but I cried taking this picture. It still makes me feel emotional to just look at it.