Spring Break!!

Spring Break!  Oh how those words mean something completely different now!  Although I was never the party animal, I did enjoy a week off to read, spend time with friends, shop and lay out at all the Spring Training games.  Now, since I work in the school system, I still get a spring break and a week to spend with my kids!  Luckily, Ryan always has some time saved up and decides he needs a break too.  About a month ago, friends of ours found a great deal on HotWire for the Hyatt at Huntington Beach.  That is our favorite place to go, and holds a special little place in our hearts because it was where we went on our very first trip together after I graduated high school, and also where Ryan proposed in August of 2004!  I was so excited to get out of town and hit the beach with the kids, plus this hotel is very nice and kid friendly! 
The weekend of Spring Break finally arrived, and we got one last big winter storm.  It was much needed in this dry desert of ours, esecially since our last measurable rainfall was in mid-December.  Yuck! (Add that to the list of reasons we don't like Phoenix!)  This also meant a big winter storm up north and lots of fresh snow!  We had been waiting all winter to be able to take the kids to play in the snow, but there simply wasn't any!  So, Ryan took the Monday of Spring Break off so we could make an impromptu trip up north.  Ryan's Grandma hadn't met Brooke yet either, so she was excited to have us come up for the day!  We gathered all of our snow gear and loaded up in the car for the drive.  Once packed, it looked like we were leaving for a week!  I seriously think Ryan was more excited than anyone else.  He was jumping up and down in his seat the entire drive-I haven't seen him that giddy in awhile!  It didn't disappoint...it has been a long time since Munds Park and Flagstaff got that much snow in such a short time!  We had a little lunch, visited a bit, and waiting for Ryan's sister and her two kiddos to arrive.  Once everyone was ready, which looked like the scene from "A Christmas Story", we all headed outside to play.  There were snowball fights, sledding, and fort building.  Connor absolutely loved it!  He had this look of amazement on his face looking at and feeling this cold white stuff all over.  He didn't like it when the breeze came and knocked some snow on top of him, but he lasted a lot longer than I thought without a nap!  Aunt Amy helped him build and throw snowballs, and he chased after his cousin BK (whom he admires more than anyone!) the best he could in the deep snow!  Brooke got to stay inside and keep warm with her Great Grandma, but I did bring her out briefly!  Here are some of the pictures from the trip:

Next up, the warmer weather and the beach!  I had Body Back the night before, but tried my best to plan ahead and get everyone packed.  My mom stayed to help so Ryan could load up the car since we were leaving at 5 am the next morning!  I was the giddy one now! 
We got the kids up and expected them to sleep on the drive, but Connor had other plans!  He must have been excited too, because he did not sleep a wink!  He was good though-played on the iPod, watched movies and ate some snacks.  Brooke did great and slept until she got hungry!  We got to the Hyatt at around lunch time, met up with our friends Joel and Chandra and their two kiddos and headed for my favortie burger place in the world: TK Burger!  So delicious! 

Then we went back and headed for the pool.  The hotel had 3 pools, and we spent most of our time at the one with the slides and baby wading pool.  They said the pools were heated, but once out of the water, you had to dash over the the fireplaces or into the hot tub to stay warm.  Ryan took Connor on the slides which they both loved!  By the time dinner rolled around, we were still too full from lunch.  We put Connor and Brooke to sleep in our room (Brooke in the pack and play and Connor in the bed with pillows and a rail) and enjoyed some beverages with our friends next door (thanks to bringing the baby monitor to keep an eye on our two!)

The next day, I had to get a run in so we loaded up the stroller and went for a family run.  It was chilly and beautiful!  I never got bored looking at the waves rolling in or smelling the ocean breezes.  Much different than my runs here!  When we were done, we took a walk on the pier and were in for a real surprise as a group of dolphins were jumping in and out of the water.  We even saw one of the catch a wave and jump right out of it!  Connor loved watching the sand volleyball players, and we even managed a family picture.  The rest of the day was spent at the pool and the beach!

On Saturday, we decided to take a break from the beach and pool and head to Long Beach to the Aquarium of the Pacific.  (Good planning on Ryan's part!).  It was a nice quick drive from the hotel, and we thought it would be something a little different than what we have in Phoenix.  It was awesome!  They had so many touch ponds and the exhibits were nice and close.  Connor had a blast going up to the glass to look at the fish and animals up close and personal.  He liked to watch the stingrays, but he and Ryan were both too chicken to touch them.  I'm weird and love that stuff, so I was elbows deep in the water!  Brooke just hung out in the stroller and took a little nap while Connor explored.  Highly recommend it!

Here are a few pics from the beach:

Before we knew it, it was time to leave!  Two of our favorite people, Ryan's aunt Sandy and Rhonda, live near the beach in Chino Hills, and we couldn't leave without spending some time with them!  We usually stay with them when we go to California, and it really is one of my favorite places to stay.  Good company and beautiful surroundings.  I missed sitting out in their backyard with them in the mornings drinking coffee, watching the birds and reading the paper. We had a great lunch and Connor had fun running up and down the stairs and played with Sandy's Lincoln Logs.

It was so nice not having an agenda or having to cook or decide what to do for fun.  We ate awesome food, played in the pool, built sandcastles, knocked them down, went for lots of walks enjoyed the fresh air and beautiful chilly mornings and evenings and spent time with some good friends.

Then, it was time to head back to reality. It was such a memorable trip, and although life has changed and vacations are more difficult, we realize how worth it it really is to do.  The memories we make outweigh the fear of traveling with two small children and I'm so excited for all of the vacations we take in the future!

Brooke's 5 month, Connor and other news!

Our two little ones are growing so fast that it's getting hard to keep up!  Brooke has been sleeping a little less, but settling into a nice routine.  This just means I have less time for oh, say...blogging, cleaning, laundry, workouts etc!  But that's ok because I'm getting to spend time with the two best kids in the world.  

I've made the decision to go back to work full time next year.  This was a difficult decision, but it's time.  I feel like I've been the luckiest mom in the world to have Ryan support the decision to spend so much quality time as a stay at home mom.  It meant giving up money to put into savings, going out to dinner, buying random things at Costco, and regulary haircuts.  But what it did buy me was the opportunity to see Connor's every first and document it, see his beautiful smiles and watch his personality flourish.  I'm getting to do the very same thing with Brooke.  And by the time I go back to work, she'll be almost a year old, so I'm hoping I'll still get to be there for all of her firsts!  Plus I know that both of my children are in the best hands possible with their sitter, who has become a great friend to me the past year.  She is a wealth of knowledge and has the same morals and values that we hope to instill in our children.  She spends so much of her life loving other people's children, and I often refer to her as Connor's BFF because he loves going there so much!  I'm excited to also get to be a professional again, and then be able to come home and spend a ton of quality time with my family.  I'll have to remind myself that quality is superior to quantity! 

I'm 5 months!

Brooke is now almost 6 months old.  I'll update you more on her growth at her 6 month mark, but some firsts she had during her 5th month of life are:
*sleeping longer
*first time in the bouncer...she's like a little rabbit jumping up and down so much!
*can't fit in the swing anymore-Ms. Piggy's little tush hits the ground! (it's a travel one)
*feet are ALWAYS in her mouth if she's laying down.  Seriously.  Diaper changes, bedtime, when she wakes up, when you hold her laying flat, while eating, etc.
*giggles and laughs constantly.  This girl is SO ticklish! 
*holds toys and puts them directly in her mouth
*eats 6-8 ounces at each feeding, which means I can't keep up.  I still nurse at nap and dinner, but that's it!  I actually stopped pumping right before our trip to California.
*first time in snow!  (more to come)
*first time at the beach! (more to come)
*Wears size 2 diapers
*Wears size 6 month clothes

I know, not the best picture, but I couldn't help it!  I love the rolls on her thighs, and this outfit!

Busy working away!

Connor is doing AMAZING in his big boy bed!  One of us will lay in bed with him, read a couple books, turn on his music and then usually he wants to count to ten, announcing "Oooooone!" holding up one finger.  Then he touches each of your fingers and tries to repeat the numbers.  Then it's lights out, "Nigh-Night" and blows kisses.  Some nights he gets out of bed and opens and shuts the door until we tell him to get back in bed, but most nights he's asleep in no time.  This is one of those milestones you hear horror stories about, but since Connor has been sleeping in his own bed in his own room since he was 3 weeks old, I really think he's comfortable in there-crib or bed!  We even went on vacation (see post) and he slept in the hotel bed all by himself!  It was awesome!  He is also talking more and more.  He really tries to repeat everything you say.  We're still having to learn what some words mean, as he has trouble saying /l/, /y/, /r/, /g/, /j/.  Any of those sounds he kind of skips over, or replaces with another sound.  He has a Baby Einstein alphabet book that he got from Nana (Yaya as he calls her) that he likes to say the sounds with, and also a dvd from Grandma that he loves to watch and repeat.  He's really catching on quick.  Crazy that two months ago I was getting ready to sign him up for speech testing and therapy!

Daddy's girl!

Ryan has been a little slow at work and has been on 36 hour weeks.  This has allowed him to stay at home with the kids on Friday mornings.  At first, he was really excited to spend some extra time with his kiddos, but quickly realized how difficult it is!  Both kids seem to need him for something at the same time and decide to whine just when he's had about enough.  We've all been there, right!?!  He's so good at keeping a cool head and figuring the situation out.  Since the weather has been so nice, he usually loads them up in the stroller and goes for a run or to the park.  They are good and worn out by the time I get home for lunch-Daddy included!!

Well, there's a quick overview about life around here lately!  Next up...snow and beach trips!

Adventures of a Big Boy...Starring Connor!

Once upon a time a very excited Mommy and Daddy spent hours upon hours searching for the perfect bed for their babe.  This Mommy and Daddy knew that they wanted to find just the right bed for their soon to be son.  Off they went to Babies R Us, Target, Baby Depot and numerous online stores.  One day, while shopping at Baby Depot, they finally decided on THE perfect crib.  It was ordered, and the parents waited patiently for it to arrive.  There were BIG plans!  The room was painted to match a very cute canvas with a football jersey, the #32 and a beautifully painted "Connor" across the top.  The crib finally came, and the Daddy was put to work putting it together.  Soon, his room was finished!! The Mommy spent many quiet afternoons reading to her unborn son in the glider, waiting for him to join the family!

Here was the finished product:

The cat needed to make sure it was suitable!

The finished product!

He even loved it so much, he tried to eat it!

Fast forward two years and three months! Connor has spent a great deal of time sleeping in his little crib!  Finally, after a couple of climbing adventures out of the crib and night after night of attempting to climb in, it was decided that it was time for a "big boy" bed!  Much thought was put into whether or not this was the right decision-after all, wouldn't it be easier for the little prince to stay in the crib until he took a wife?
The search was on for a perfect bed for this big two year old.   Then, on a magical site called "Craigslist", a very nice bed and dresser were found.  It was put together, a new mattress was bought, matching racecar sheets were washed and ready. 

Then nighttime came, and it was time to try it out.  No Goldilocks story here!  He climbed right in, read his three favorite books, and was covered up and tucked in. Mommy and Daddy kissed their big boy, and patiently watched in the video monitor. He fell fast asleep and slept the whole night through!  

And what fairy tale would be complete without...

 

And he lived happily ever after!

Brooke is FOUR Months!

Four months!  Am I really writing this?!?!

My oh my how she is changing!  Just before her four month mark, she caught a little cold.  Just a little stuffy nose, no big deal, right?  Until it quickly turned into more...bronchiolitis to be exact!  So, amidst other "firsts" this month, in a matter of a week she also had her first sick related doctor visit, an ER visit, and breathing treatments. *SIGH*  Luckily, she's resiliant, and recovered very quickly!  They said she should have a cough for about four weeks, and she hasn't coughed in a few days.  We blame it on this awful Phoenix air...horrible air quality, super dry, and just a sesspool of nastyness.  But that's another story!  Back to Brooke! 

* Just over 12 pounds-we had to wait to go to for her 4 month visit since she was sick.
* ------ for length (will fill in after dr visit!)
* Neck is so strong!  She's trying so hard to sit up.  She's starting to fit on my hip! :)
* First church service on the 15th-It had been awhile since we went to church, and we missed the Vineyard!  (Connor cried the whole time at the nursery, but Brooke did great!)
* First laughs!  Brooke is soooo ticklish!  Right under her chin to be exact-Ryan got her to laugh first, and is still the one that can make her laugh the hardest!



* First family hike!  She traveled in the Ergo and slept the entire way up.  The looks we got were pretty fun-Ryan with Connor in the Kelty and me with Brooke!  Once we got to the top, the little stinker pooped her pants so bad that there was no salvaging the onesie.  But since I'm a genius, I didn't bring even a wipe or diaper with me, so she had to sit in her own poop the whole way down.  Otherwise, success!
* First GIRLS DAY!!! (minus Jennie)  Mom, Aunt Mary, Aunt Carrie, Brooke and I went to the Glendale Chocolate Affaire in Downtown Glendale.  It was so fun!  Carrie bought us all totes with necessities.  We didn't even need the stroller-Brooke just traveled in the arms of the wonderful women in our life! 
* First SuperBowl!  Ok, so this isn't that big of a deal, but for Daddy's sake, it's here!
* First solid food!  Rice cereal constipated her, so we tried oatmeal.  It's now becoming part of the evening routine, and she sleeps much better now! 6:30-6:30!

* Trying to hold her bottle.  She grabs for it, and wants to hold it so badly.  She can hold it for a few seconds, but then it drops.
* Nursing is still going strong!  She still recieving mostly my milk, with about 2 oz of formula at each bottle feeding.
* Tyring to reach for toys.  She gets so frustrated because she's trying to get her hands to catch up to her brain!

* She grabs her feet every chance she gets.  As soon as you lay her down on the floor or in her seat, the feet fly up to her hands.  It's pretty cute!
* Starting to pay so much more to her surroundings.  She's nosy and inquisitive, and I love it!  She's constantly paying attention to what everyone is doing, especially brother when he's around.  When she's content, she loves to be sitting in someone's lap.  She's definitely a cuddler, and I love it!

 We can't wait to see what "firsts" Brooke will have in the next month!!