Cannon-balling into summer!

The first official 2017 Doud Cannonball took place at the Tanglewood pool this past Memorial Day weekend....Or as Dakota calls it, "Cornball!" We are hoping to have her diving off the diving board by the end of the summer, because she is becoming quite the swimmer.

Our baby boy is now ONE! He had such a fun party, and we felt so loved by our friends and family that came to help us celebrate. I think the highlight for the kids was the bounce house with a slide. And the margarita machine was a hit with the adults! It was so fun, and I hope to make this an annual fiesta. Look how adorable the cousins are in their dresses!!! Baby Dirk's girlfriend Willa was there and too cute for words. This video sums up Dirk's highlight.

The poor birthday boy somehow caught strep throat and had a 104 degree temperature in the wee morning hours of his birthday. We had to call the triage number for our pediatrician just to make sure he didn't need to go to the ER. Luckily we got him in to see his pediatrician on his birthday, and he got better with antibiotics in time for his party! 

 

Uncle Derek might have liked the bounce house as much as the kiddos. He certainly loved pelting Aunt Jess with the balls inside of it! 

Mothers Day weekend was amazing. We headed to Six Flags San Antonio and rode roller coaster rides (the kid versions) and played at the water park. I didn't realize how many rides Baby Dirk wasn't able to ride, but Dirk and I took turns letting Dakota get the full theme park experience. We both rode the tennis shoe roller coaster with her. At first, I was nervous she was not going to be a fan, but after our first mini-drop, she was all smiles. I love the picture of her and Dirk with their hands up! She loved how high we went in this airplane ride. It won't be long until she is riding the big roller coasters.

Daddy surprised me with a gorgeous hotel, Hotel Contessa on the Riverwalk. Baby Dirk and Dakota had so much fun playing in the curtains in our room. It is the best thing ever to watch them play with each other. Fingers crossed this continues as they get older. We walked down to the Riverwalk and Kota loved the ducks! I think she "talked" to each one we saw. After dinner at Rainforest Cafe, we headed back to the hotel for the evening. The next morning I met up with my BFF Amber and her Mom and some friends for a Moms brunch at McAdoos. It was a)Delicious and b)So amazing that Dirk and Joe watched the kiddos! 

I felt spoiled for sure! I also had a Mommy & Me photoshoot prior and got the pictures just in time for Mothers Day. They are stunning and something I wanted to commemorate that this may be all the children Dirk and I have. It's hard to think we are done, but sometimes it's even more difficult to imagine a 3rd in the mix. As much I would love to have a third, I try to balance all the questions- will we be able to give all three the attention they crave? (I sometimes worry about this with just 2!!!) Can we afford it?  And then what happens if one more, is actually twins? Hard swallow... We haven't made any permanent decisions, but we are going to pray about it this summer and see where that takes us. 

 I love how different Dirk Allen is than Dakota. He's not as cautious as she is, wanting to climb on top of everything. He is definitely the extrovert out of the two of them. He's waving to everyone now. And at swim school his favorite part is the bye-bye song, and he is the only child in the class that waves and smiles the entire time he is being spun around on the frog float! And then he gets angry when his turn is over, reaching out for the float for me to put him back on it. He loves water and spinning car wheels around. When Dakota takes his walker, he will find something else with wheels on it and entertain himself with that. He started walking this past weekend, taking 6 steps on Memorial Day. He only says a few words, Ma-ma, twoooo, Da-da, Oww!, and Bye. When I see him break into his wide grin, I am reminded how fortunate I am to call him my baby boy.

Even though it says "Never Grow Up," I do want them to grow up... but I want them to do it a little more slowly. Dakota is going to be 3 in three short weeks. She is chatting up a storm, growing into her own little person that cracks me up! When she sings, "I'm going to wash that man right out of my hair," I see her future in a high school musical unfolding. She is a wonderful big sister, and only needs a few reminders to share and not hit. She  is picking up social cues- saying please, excuse me, and thank you! At school, they say she will check on her baby brother and bring him toys. Often times when she is repeating things she hears, she sounds like an expert on the matter. I simply adore the girl she is growing into.