Brooke is THREE months!!

Over 12 weeks has gone by.  The so called "Fourth Trimester" of adjusting to having a baby in the family is over.  This time three months ago, I was the happiest (and most exhausted) person in the world holding my amazing baby girl.  I dreamt about that moment for months, and there I was laying in my cozy hospital room listening to Ryan snore and watching Brooke's sweet face as she slept.  I'm happy to say that I did that again today (with the exception of listening to Ryan snore).   Today I held Brooke and watched her sleep.  There are some changes on her cute little face!  Her eyelashes are long and beautiful.  That comes from the Lane side of my family, and I hope she's lucky enough to keep them!  Her top lip is thinner than her bottom, and they are in a permanent little frown...and I don't really know how to explain it, but it's the happiest little frown.  There is a dimple in her chin that fits my pinky perfectly.  Her cheeks look like they are packing food for the winter, and I can't stop kissing them.  She still tucks her little legs up to get as close to me as possible while she sleeps.  She's definitely a cuddler (she also LOVES the Ergo, and could live in it if I let her!).  She's a great napping buddy because of this, and keeps me warm in the recliner on chilly afternoons.  I love it!
Here are some other Brooke stats:
*I weighed her myself since we don't go to the dr until next month: 12 lbs 2 oz
*Length:
*Size 1 diapers, but we're pushing it.  I'm using up the last of this pack and then we're on to 2's.
*Size 3 month clothes (3-6 months are still a little big but I've packed up all her newborn and 0-3 month clothes.  I can't believe she was so small she didn't fit into newborn clothes 3 months ago!)
*Still nursing and having pumped milk with very little supplementing. I bought a dietary supplement for me to help keep my supply up from Sprouts-MotherLove.  They taste awful, but I've noticed a steady increase in my supply!)
*She's sleeping through the night for the most part!  On January 3rd, she slept through the night from 7-7, and it was glorious!  She did that for 3 more nights, and then started waking up again at 5:30.  I make her cry for a bit, and she goes back to sleep on her own.  I've been really good at not getting her out of the crib until 7 so I have time to get ready for work.  She's doing amazing, and she's done it all on her own! Yay Brooke!
*Doing great at tummy time and lifting up her head! Her neck is so strong!  She loves her Bumbo seat, which helps her to sit up.  She sits in it at dinner on the table, so we all eat together.

*First rice cereal! This girl can eat!!

*Still hates laying on her back.  I can put her on the playmat for a few minutes, but she would rather be sitting up looking at what is happening.  Something tells me she's going to be the talker in school, while Connor will be the shy one!

I am doing my best to really enjoy every single day.  I know now how fast time goes by, and I want to remember every moment with her!  She's already grown so much, and is developing such a personality.  My mom tells me I'm in trouble because she has this twinkle in her eye...it's so true.  Just ask her Daddy, who is so smitten with her!  I've said it before, but she is already a Daddy's girl!  Tonight, for example, she was crying with me.  Ryan grabbed her and started dancing with her in the living room, and she instantly started smiling and looking up at him.  The smile Ryan gets on his face is priceless too.  I'm a sap, as you know, and it brings tears to my eyes just picturing it!

Three months is not a long time.  In pregnancy, as a matter of fact, it seems like an eternity.  In the three months Brooke has been a part of our family, we have had more smiles, less rules and routine, and tons more fun.  She truly brightens our day, along with her adorable big brother.  I just can't imagine my life without these two!! 

Happy 2012!

Ahh...New Year's Eve. 
We hate the crowds at the bars and driving home with drunk drivers.  Call us old, but we'd rather be at home in our PJ's watching a movie!  And that was BEFORE kids!  We didn't even make it until midnight.  The clock struck the late hour of 9:30 and off to bed we went!
Midnight came.  We knew this because of the fireworks and banging pots and pans that could be heard along our street.  I said "Happy New Year" to Ryan, and then we both crossed our fingers that the damn neighbors wouldn't wake our kids up from their peaceful slumber.  This went on for another hour before it quieted down.  I still don't understand why the celebration of fireworks has to continue for hours...
Yup, if there was a Grinch of New Year's, we would be it!

BUT New Year's Day...now THAT I can get in to!  The first day of the year!  A fresh start! New goals!  And Football!!!  This year we planned to go tailgating and watch the Cardinals game.  Cheap seats considering their awful record and failed chances at playoffs.  We loaded up the kids and all of their necessities and headed to our meeting place.  Ryan's mom came to meet us and we handed off Connor and Brooke to go get spoiled for the day while we had some adult time.  It was a blast!  We bbq'd, drank some and had a good time chatting without having to stop mid-sentence to go tend to Connor.  I love my babies, but it sure is nice to have some serious adult time every once in a while!

Our nosebleed seats-still good!

Last year was amazing.  In January, I went back to work part time at a school I love.  In February, I found out I was pregnant!  In March, we went to Florida to visit Jennie and Robert which was such a fun trip!  In May we found out we were having a little girl. :) In June we went to Montana and got to spend time with my family. In July Connor learned to swim. In August, I went back to school and it was the hottest month on record.  It was NOT a joy being pregnant with that heat, but I made it!  In September I had my final baby shower and anticipated the arrival of our little girl.  In October our beautiful Brooke joined and completed our family!  In November, Connor turned TWO!  And in December, we celebrated our first Christmas as a family of four.  Who would want a wondeful year like that to end?  So this year, I'm not considering it a "fresh start".  It's simply a continuation of great one.  I do have a couple of goals though!
1.  Run.  I need to get back into shape, and running was the way I lost all my weight and then some after having Connor.  I'd like to run at leat one half marathon and beat my crappy time of 2:55. :)
2.  Learn to use my fancy new camera!  I love it, but I need to get it off that automatic setting!
3.  Take a trip with Ryan, just the two of us.
4.  Get Connor to talk.  It's coming...whether he gets help or not!
5.  Spend as much fun time as possible with the loves of my life!  After all, that's what we look back on his the memories we make!

So, Happy 2012 everyone!  I can't wait to blog about all the exciting things to come!

Merry Christmas!

I can't believe Christmas and New Year's is over already! It always seems to sneak up on us, and then pass us before our very eyes.
We were anticipating Christmas this year.  Not only was Connor on his 2nd round of breathing treatments and steroids, he didn't care at all last year...not even for the bows so we often reapeated "Next year...".  Fast forward to this Christmas!
We ventured out to Glendale Glitters this year sans stroller.  We let Connor walk and I had Brooke in the Ergo-which she LOVES by the way!  Connor did great!  He loved all the lights, the petting zoo, kettle korn and even watched a good amount of Polar Express on the big screen!  Definitely something we will do every year!


Connor and Daddy watching Polar Express




 


Dark, but me, Connor & Brooke watching Polar Express eating Kettle Korn

 Rachel, the kids' BFF and sitter, had a PJ day and has someone in the family dress up as Santa Claus.  He brings gifts and candy for the kids, and Rachel takes their picture with Santa! (Sidenote-the day before I spent way too much so I could have Brooke's pic taken with a mall Santa.  I just had to have one because I did it with Connor.  I didn't bother with him-he's deathly afraid of the guy-Next year I'll know not to!)  Connor was good until he was put on Santa's lap, and then the tears flowed.  Brooke just sat there with her cute chubby cheeks looking adorable!  Rachel put the pictures in a card frame for us, and made three ornaments each with their handprints and footprints, as well as a picture of them in a Santa hat.  I can't wait to look at them next year and see the size difference! Have I mentioned how much I love her???

And let's not forget one of the best parts...BAKING!!! Connor helped me decorate the cookies this year, and he took this job VERY seriously!!  He was so cute!
 
 


 
On December 23rd, the four of us packed up for the day and went to Ryan's mom's.  His stepsister, Deon, was in town with her three kids and we wanted to spend some time with them.  It was so much fun to see them play with our neice and nephew, who are the same age as Deon's oldest.  Her youngest, Chloe, is a little over a year and Connor had fun playing with her!

After Connor woke up from his nap, we heard it...that wheezy sound when he inhaled.  Because of our FOUR experiences last year with croup, we knew immediately where this was headed.  So, Ryan excitedly *sarcasm* packed Connor up and took him to urgent care while I stayed back with Brooke.  He called a little while later to let me know that not only did he have croup, but strep on top of it.  Ugh!!  I should have known his throat hurt-he wasn't eating his normal foods, only soft cold foods for about a day.  I just thought it was because he was so busy playing!  :(  It would help if he was talking, but that's a different story!  Off we went to the pharmacy to pick up his steroids and antibiotics.  I had the unpleasant task of letting everyone who had come in contact with him (namely all of his cousins that he had been playing with) what the result of the urgent care visit was.  Of course I cried because I thought I had ruined Christmas.  Yup, I can be a little overdramatic sometimes-I admit it!  My in-laws assured me everything would be fine, and my mother in law made sure it was ok that we still came over Christmas Eve.  The only problem was that my little nephew Jack had just recovered from croup, so he was going to stay home to nap instead.  I felt awful that we were the cause of everyone not being there.  Connor had 3 rounds of antibiotics and almost 24 hours by the time we went over (late), but he still just wasn't himself.  Our kiddos were nonetheless spoiled rotten by Ryan's family, and Brooke was passed around to the family getting lots of love and kisses!!  I changed them into the Christmas PJ's, and by the time we got home, they were both put to bed to wait for Santa.
(With all of this, I had to keep Brooke away from Connor.  That meant no kisses from big brother, and I had to make sure he kept his gross hands out of his mouth and away from everyone, especially Brooke.  It was quite fun...)

Christmas morning came and he saw his new cottage house from Santa, played in it for approximately 30 seconds, and wanted to sit with his juice and watch Elmo! All that time wrapping his presents, and he literally could not have cared less!!  Ryan and I opened our gifts-I got him some new PJ pants (a big deal because he has to have the Tall size!), a new watch band for his watch, some DVD's, the Sons of Anarchy soundtrack, a Suns shirt and a beer brewing kit (he had been talking about doing this for a year now, but then decided it was too much work with two kids, so he has to pick out a new gift!).  Connor and Brooke made him a collage with pictures of the three of them in a frame to hang.
                                         
                                    

I got an engraved necklace from the kids with a pearl (their birthstones are coming in the mail), a new watchband for my watch, some new pretty undies (woohoo!) and something that has been on my wishlist for YEARS! (seriously it was on my wedding registry) a KITCHENAID MIXER!!!!! Ryan spoiled me-he said with all the baking I've been doing, it's a gift for him too! Ha!  I'm in love...

My family came over later in the morning in the PJ's.  This is our new Christmas tradition and I love it.  None of us got out of our PJ's all day!  We FaceTimed with my sister, which I think was Connor's favorite part of the entire holiday.  We ate sticky buns, drank mimosas and opened our secret santa gifts.  Then the gigantic piles for Connor and Brooke needed to be opened!  Again, Connor wanted nothing to do with any of this, so I opened them all!  These kids just have no idea how spoiled they are...they are so well dressed and have so many fun things to play with because of our families!  After Connor went down for a nap, we started making our big ham dinner.  Football was on in the background, there was no time limit, no stress...just family and fun.  Just the way Christmas day should be! 

I always take a minute and just sit back to watch on Christmas Day.  I have such great memories over the years!  We always spent Christmas Eve Eve with my Dad where he said "santa came a little early just for us), then dinner with his side of the family, and I will always remember Grandma's potato soup and excellent taste in clothing-we always looked forward to that!  Uncle Tom pretending to be Santa on the roof at Aunt Mary's house when I was little, waking up to loads of presents under the tree, playing with toys all day long with Jennie.   When I got older and started dating Ryan seriously, I was able to spend Christmas Eve  with Ryan's family at his Grandparents house.  It's crazy to think back to those days when none of us had kids.  His family was so close back then, and it's when I was introduced to chili and tostadas, a family favorite! 

Now I have my own little family, and Ryan and I are having to make decisions about how we spend the holidays.  Sometimes it's tough and we can't please everyone.  However, I think to when Connor and Brooke are older and I want them to look back at their memories of Christmas with the same happiness that I do.  I want them to remember Christmas morning with just the four of us in our new PJ's and the smell of coffee brewing, sticky buns baking and the lights and home made ornaments on the Christmas tree as they wait to open presents.  I want them to remember digging into their stockings and opening their presents with excitement.  It's moments and memories like these that I always imagined when having a family!

I can't wait to see what next Christmas has in store.  I just hope we can skip the croup! 





 



 

Brooke is TWO months!!

I can't believe I am actually writing this post!  Today is December 9th, (I know, it took me awhile to post this) which means Brooke is TWO MONTHS old today!  Our sweet girl is growing so incredibly fast!  Here are her two month stats from her doctor visit and development!

*22 1/2 inches (58th%), grown 2 inches since birth
*10 lbs, 9 oz (44%), gained 3 lbs 3 oz since birth
*size 0-3 months clothes and some 3 month (just not the pants)
*size 1 diaper
*still nursing, but will drink bottles of pumped milk
*when on her stomach, can lift her head to look straight at you-not for too long, but she's getting there!
*likes to sit up and look at everyone and everything-inlcuding her crazy brother who runs around the house at night!
*smiles!!
*coos at you when you talk to her
*loves to be swaddled
*loves to be held
*loves her swing when she's sleepy
*not so much a fan of laying on her back to play or be in the bouncer seat for too long

Check out these smiles!  She definitely is a Daddy's Girl already!  When Ryan talks to her, she coos and gives him THE BIGGEST smiles ever!  He's in serious trouble...and he knows it!  I love her cute little smile-it reminds me of how sweet and innocent she is, how much happiness she has to look forward to!  I love the brightness in her eyes and the little corners that turn up on her usual frowny face.  Sweet, sweet, Brooke!

 I started back at work on November 23rd, and she is spending the mornings with Connor at their sitter, Rachel's house.  I think Rachel was excited to have not only a baby, but a girl!  There are currently all boys with the exception of one lonely 2 year old girl (who was also excited for some extra estrogen in the house).  I got Brooke adjusted to take a bottle awhile back and she does so well with it. I just have to make sure I remember to pump enough for a couple bottles!  It did feel strange getting her ready that first day.  I did great until I pulled down the street to drop them off...that's when the tears started.  I choked them back, got my babies out of the car, and walked them up to the door.  As I was explaining instructions for Brooke, I started again!  (I have to throw in here that I am so incredibly grateful for Rachel-she is AMAZING and loves my children so much!  She is the reason I was absolutely at peace with going back to work at 6 weeks!)  I quickly left and got myself to work before all of the makeup was off my face.  Luckily, the three hours went by SO quickly!  I was back to pick them up in no time, and realized that it was going to be easier than I thought.  I LOVE my kids, but it was nice to get dressed in professional clothes, do my job and talk to adults.  It's even better that I only do that for a short time before I get to leave and spend the rest of the day with Connor and Brooke.  I count my blessings for such a great balance every single day!!!!

Then I get to come home!  Connor has lunch, and usually Brooke too.  I have had to figure out a system for a lunch routine.  This was SO EASY with just Connor.  But now...well it takes some creativity.  I have to leave Brooke in her carseat for a few minutes while I get Connor's lunch ready.  Elmo's World gets turned on or he plays.  Then I give him his lunch and milk.  By this time, Brooke is usually yelling at me to get her out of the carseat to eat.  So, I either have to leave Connor at the table until he's done while I feed Brooke or I take the Boppy over to the table with me and they both have their lunch!  Then I put Brooke in her swing or bouncer while I put Connor down.  On really nice days, Brooke is passed out in her swaddle in her crib.  On not so nice days, she has to cry for a few minutes while Connor and I get a little snuggle time in-usually it is the latter.  We read a few books in his room, listen to his music, and cuddle until I put him down.  He usually whines because I think he wants more mom time, but at that point, Brooke can be really upset!  Whew!  I finally get out to Brooke and then she wants to finish lunch before she officially is down for the count.  I love this part of the day because I just get to sit with her, rock and just take in all of her cuteness!

Dinner time is the harder part of the day as well.  They are both up from naps.  Connor likes to go outside or play with his toys inside.  Brooke will hang out in her bouncer and stare at the lights in the kitchen for a short amount of time.  I'm counting down the minutes until Ryan gets home, because usually both of them are crying at me! Poor Ryan has worked all day, driven in rush hour, and comes home to be put to work! Ahh, the life of a parent!  He takes whichever child is in the most need of something, and I finish dinner.  By the time I get food on the table for everyone, Brooke is usually hungry unless Ryan has been able to give her a bottle.  This is the beginning of her fussy time, and there have been many meals with Brooke in one arm and a fork in the other! 

After dinner, one of us tends to Brooke/cleans up dinner while the other gives Connor a bath and gets him ready for bed.  This time is pretty busy as well, but we are really getting the hang of it.  Finally, after some rocking, feeding, reading and music, they are both down.  Whew!  Then we sit on the couch for a few minutes together before one of us is about to fall asleep and we decide to go back to bed.  Then we check on both of our babies before we join them in dreamland!

Christmas is coming soon and I can't wait!  Then I'll be hurrying to write Brooke's three month post! Slow down!

Brooke is ONE month!

Now she's actually older than one month, but I finally sat down at the computer!  What lucky parents we are.  She has settled right into this family!  Before she was born I worried about the following things (and more!):

1.  Connor adusting
2.  Having a newborn and an almost two year old and spending time with each
3.  Would she eat well?  sleep well?  cry a lot? 
4.  Managing to get out into public with two kids


The list goes on and on...but these were on my mind daily.  And here's what I've discovered in a month:

1.  Connor's amazing.  He's a natural big brother.  He cares for her deeply, shares with her, loves to help with the bottle and binky, and looks for her when she is out of sight.  He gives her tons of love, pats her on the head and checks to make sure she has her eyes, ears, nose and feet on a very regular basis.  If it's possible, I love him more now that he has settled into his protective role as Big Bro.

2.  This one is still a bit tough sometimes, but 1. seems to help with that.  He usually understands that when I am feeding sister that I can't get up.  Luckily I also have an amazing sitter who has been watching Connor in the mornings to keep his routine and Connor still gets to go play with his friends.  He gets one on one time there with Rachel, and I have gotten to bond with Brooke in her first month of life in a way that I'm not sure would have happened without Rachel's help.  I also happen to be married to an incredible man who works all day, yet still comes home with the energy to play with Connor or snuggle with Brooke, whichever is the most in need at the time.  My friend from Stroller Strides, Sara, gave me great advice when I was still pregnant to try to spend time with just Connor whenever I can.  Luckily, since Brooke is a great sleeper, I have been able to still do so.  I feel like Connor and I are as close as ever, but that he is also becoming more social and feels comfortable asking others for help or love.  This one will always be on my mind!

3.  Yes, Yes, and No!!  Whew!  I don't know how I lucked out with two such mellow, laid back babies, but I did!  Brooke immediately nursed within 10 minutes of birth and hasn't stopped since!  She latches well, which has made my milk supply plentiful.  I've been able to store a nice stash of pumped milk in the freezer too!  I'm hoping to nurse/pump as long as possible!  I enjoy our time while she eats...listening to her little sounds and watching her beautiful eyes as she falls asleep.  She's my last baby, so I guess I'm taking every moment in.  She sleeps so amazingly well too.  She has gotten into a routine of going to sleep at 8:00 after about 2 hours of fussiness.  Even her fussiness isn't bad.  She just fights going to sleep.  We use a humidifer that also provides white noise, and a Miracle Blanket (how did we every do without that when I had Connor.  Throw away your SwaddleMe's and get the Miracle Blanket!!!) to swaddle her when I lay her in her crib.  She goes to sleep without a pacifier.  The combo of the white noise and swaddle is working!  Then she sleeps until around 2:00 am when she wakes up for her feeding.  Connor is still using the glider, so I come out into the living room to change and feed her.  Then, it's back in the swaddle!  At this point, she's up a couple hours later, and I feed her and then sleep with her on the couch.  Otherwise she grunts and groans for the next couple hours.

4.  I have this down now!  Woohoo!  Connor always opens the garage door, I set Brooke down in the carseat, get him in (he likes to buckle) and then take Brooke around to my side and get her snapped in.  Connor used to like to be carried out, but he's gotten used to this now.  As for outings, I finally got my BOB Duallie.  I LOVE IT!!!  It took a little convincing on Ryan's part.  He wasn't sure it would handle as well and be too big.  But we quickly figured out that having Brooke in my Ergo wouldn't be the easiest to always do, so we sold the single on craigslist and put that toward my double.  It's fantastic!  I have the carseat adapter for Brooke, and Connor loved being right next to his sis.  So now, a month later, I've mastered the exit strategy with both kids.  I can't wait to use it for running soon!  I'm getting used to my diaper bag being filled with necessities for both kids too.  So far it's easy since I don't need formula and many bottles.

Ok, those were my main concerns, and I feel much better now a month later!  Now, onto just Brooke.  Here are her one month stats:

8 lbs 13 oz
21.5 inches long

Solely nursing, but also drinking from a bottle
Still fits into newborn clothes-0-3 month is still too big!
Just switched to size 1 diapers at night, still using newborn during day
Her "firsts" this month:
*trip in the car
*Dr's appointments (including newborn screening)
*Restaurant visit: Mimi's Cafe
*Pictures-by Rachel Janssen Photography
*Trip to the park (walked with me in the carrier)
*Birthday Parties! Daddy's 30th and Brother's 2nd, and Unbirthday present. :)
*Umbilical Cord fell off at 2 weeks old
*Night in the crib at almost 3 weeks
*Real bath at 2 weeks and 2 days
*Shopping trip with her friend, Kamryne and my friend Erin (they are 5 weeks apart!)
*Halloween!  Wore a onesie that said "Daddy's Little Pumpkin" and went to Pumpkin Patch
*ride in the double stroller the day before she turned 1 month at the outlet malls!

She's finding her hands and getting them to her mouth on a more regular basis, but those hands are also waking her up and making her quite fussy during the day.  She grunts and kicks her feet when she's upset, and lets out some very cute warning sounds before she gets to screaming.  Even her angry, hungry scream is cute.  I'm letting her sleep on me during the day, especially in the morning when it's just her and I.  I love smelling that wonderful baby smell and listening to all of her little sleepy sounds.  How quickly we forget what those are like, and how quickly they disappear!

It's bittersweet-I can't wait to see what the next month will bring, but I don't want her to grow!  I do look forward to smiles, giggles and more!

Connor's 2nd Birthday!

My little man turned TWO on November 2nd.  I officially have a toddler.  Whew!  As I woke up to take his birth minute picture (Ryan thinks I'm crazy, but as long as he lives in my house, he will have his picture taken at 3:24 am every year!).  And yes, I cried.  I thought back to the night he was born, reliving how the day and night went, and how I felt when I officially became a mom.  I love this little boy more than I can even say and am so incredibly privileged to be his mommy.  He has taught me patience, how to live in the moment, have fun with the smallest things and to remember to stop and enjoy the little things in life like seeing an airplane in the sky or a bug on the ground.  His smile can light up a room, and his eyes-oh those eyes!!  There is something magical about his eyes.  I think we're in trouble when he's older!  We made sure to celebrate his two years with us over the course of a couple of days because he deserves it!

Here are his 2 year stats:
26.8 Pounds
(I can't remember height-now I have to call the dr!)
Size 2T shirts
Size 18 month pants
Size 4 diapers
Size 6W shoes
Finally likes something other than Baby Einstein: Elmo's World and Thomas
Loves his pal, Sammi
Is an amazing Big Brother-loves his sister already so much!
Still in his crib-big boy bed coming in the next few months
Loves racquet balls, or if there is a choice of colored balls, blue.
Loves building with the mega blocks
Loves being outside whenever possible
Loves to rock and read books before going to bed
Sweetheart-he really is my little lover boy!  Loves kisses and cuddles!

First, Aunt Jennie flew in from Florida to be here for the big day.  How cool is that! Connor LOVES Aunt Jennie-she spends a lot of time on the floor playing with him, so he was a happy camper.  Especially since the past month, I've been so occupied with his new sister!  The morning of his birthday, he woke up to donuts.  (we always had a birthday donut with a candle as kids, so I've carried that on!)  He had two candles in his donut, and we started to sing "Happy Birthday" but he kinda freaked out.  He's not a fan of loud singing, or maybe just bad singing.  But when he got to eat his donut, he was happy-as you can tell!

Then he got to have one present, which is his new Leap Frog birthday cake that actually lets you blow out the candles! I was hoping it would help him with his fear of singing the happy birthday song and help with counting...so far, so good!



He got to spend the morning with Rachel and his friends and then had a special Sonic birthday lunch that we took to Nana at work.  He was so excited to see her!  After his nap and some play time, we ordered pizza, one of his favorites, from Pullano's!  What a fun day!

His birthday party was planned for that weekend.  I had planned it before I had Brooke and because I wasn't sure when I was going to have her, I invited family only to Rio Vista Park.  That way I wouldn't have to clean my house after just having a baby and because I knew the kids of all ages would enjoy the place.  It's beautiful there!  We were able to get a ramada right by the pond, so the ducks came to visit often.  I decorated with an Elmo theme since he's recently taken a liking to him.

We had sub sandwiches, crackers, cheese, grapes and the cutest cake!  Ryan's mom got his cake from Bakerwee (a family fave!) and they did an amazing job!  The little Elmo on the top turns into a spork for him to use while eating his birthday slice.  The Sesame Street decorations were rings that the kids could wear.  I loved it and it was a big hit!

Then it was present time!  He wasn't too interested in opening his presents, so Ryan and I had the pleasure of doing it for him.  He was spoiled!! He's set on winter clothes (ps-he looks adorable in jeans and long sleeved t's!), a train set, Thomas tent and toys, educational toys to help him talk, and of course, some trucks! 

It really was a fantastic day-beautiful weather and surrounded by people that love him the most!  He's grown so much in the past year and I can't wait to see what the year brings to him!  Happy second birthday little man!  We love you so much!!!

Ryan's 30th Birthday

I'm behind on my blogging...as can be expected since becoming a mom of two!  So, I have to catch up on a few important events!

Ryan turned 30 on October 20th.  He doesn't think it's a big deal...in fact, every year he says his birthday isn't a big deal.  Every year, I have to tell him that birthdays ARE a big deal.  If he hadn't been born, I wouldn't have the wonderful life I do, and our children wouldn't be on this earth.  So, as long as I'm alive, birthdays will be a big deal.  Plus, HELLO! It's his 30th!!

Now, poor planning on my part.  I had a baby right before his big day.  (ha!).  However, just because our plans to go on the Price is Right were squashed didn't mean I couldn't attempt to have a surprise waiting for him two weeks postpartum. 

On his actual birthday, he recieved an ipod shuffle because he always complains that his Touch is too big when he's at the gym.  I got steaks and potatoes to make for dinner, his favorite.  Even though he had to bbq them, it was delicious!  Then, since it was just us I got a strawberry cheesecake, his dessert of choice.  He had a great night and even got to have a few drinks with his buddy Bobby.  He thought the fun stopped there!  The next night, we went to Bobby Q's which is Ryan's favorite restaurant.  Waiting there for him were our closest friends-Joel and Chandra with their two kiddos, Chad, Chandra's brother, Wes and Christina and Bobby.  Ryan's mom came a little later too-she did give birth to him thirty years ago after all!  We had a blast there-ate some great food, had some great laughs and then I gave him his little overnight bag and told him to go have a few drinks with the boys and have a night off! 

He's accomplished a lot in his thirty years.  He may not think so, but it's true.  Ryan is the most determined person I know.  When he sets his mind to something, he does it with his whole heart.  I've been lucky enough to spend the last 11 1/2 years with him to observe this.  Plus, he has given me two of THE MOST amazing children in the world, and is determined to be the best father to them.  It's not hard, he's a natural, as he is with most things.

Thirty years may not seem like a long time to some people, but I'm proud of what he's done in thirty years.  And, as the song says, I can't wait to see what happens in "his next thirty years"!! 

Happy 30th Birthday to the best husband in the world!!