Wordless Wednesday: Fun with Uncle Ry!

Uncle Ryan flew in from Tahoe last night, and boy were we excited! Owen couldn't wait to wake him up this morning to play, and we couldn't wait to introduce him to Bryn! We're heading home later today to spend time with our family, attend Mallory's wedding, and hit the beach for a few days.



As you can tell, though, the fun has already started - Owen just can't get enough of Uncle Ry! Words can't express how excited we are to have him home for the next few days!

Picture Happy

If you know us, you know that we LOVE pictures! Randy took some photography classes in college, and I've just always been one to have a camera at the ready. I love catching candid moments, special moments...anything, really! The amount of pictures on our camera is obscene, but I love that we have so many of our special memories preserved.

When Owen was a baby, I decided to take a picture of him on our rocker every month, so that we could watch him grow month by month. As everyone says, it is hard to keep up with the amount of pictures that you take for the first child with number two...but we're trying! We've started taking Bryn's monthly pictures on the rocker, too, so I thought it would be neat to put them side by side (or one on top of the other, in this case!)

At this point, Bryn is both longer and heavier than Owen was at this age, and she is a miniature mommy. Comparing my baby pictures to hers is unbelievable. Owen, on the other hand, is Daddy's clone. Even as he gets bigger, he continues to look just like Daddy! No matter who they look like, though, I think they are the cutest darn kids to walk the earth! (And I am glad that our picture obsession will help us document that!)

Here is Owen and his puppy at about two months old

Bryn and her giraffe at exactly two months old

My little loves - at 24 and 1/2 months, and 2 months

Cute, huh? Come on, admit it! They are one cute pair!

Hey, Hey, Hey...It's Jammie Day!

When we were little, my aunt used to call every once in awhile and say, "Hey, Hey, Hey! It's Jammie Day!" We LOVED jammie day! My mom would take us to her house and we would hang out with our cousins in our jammies...all day. We watched movies, ate fun snacks, and just hung out. So much fun!

When we had Owen, we got a box full of jammies and blankies with a note that said it was our turn to do Jammie Days with our own kids (see picture below!). I just talked to my aunt the other day, and she said she was excited to be able to go buy jammies for Bryn. It is such a neat memory, and I love that she's passed it on to my own kiddos. Have we done it yet? Sure! Just yesterday we were beat from our day of fun at Sesame Place, so...Jammie Day! With two kids...let's just say that we have had plenty of unofficial jammie days. (Read: Lazy days where mommy doesn't get the kids dressed...and she stays in her sweats all day, too!)

Soon enough, though, we'll be having real Jammie Days of our own. If you get the call...be ready! Just jammies and fun all day! Thanks, Aunt Jod, for the memory...and for reminding me how much fun it is to relax and be silly!

Elmo's House

Today we spent a fun-filled day at Sesame Place - or Elmo's House, as Owen has taken to calling it. We almost called off our plans last night, but we made a last minute decision early this morning to brave the "possible showers" and head to the park. I'm so glad we did! The pending rain must have scared lots of others off - we had few to no waits for rides, and the kids had a BALL! Owen loved the rides, the parade, and - most of all - the water play areas. After a great day of fun in the sun, we packed up and headed home...just as the rain started. It was a fantastic day!

The cousins hitting up the water slide together

Here is what Bryn thought of our day! She was such a good girl while her big brother played!

Owen and Jeffie cooling off in the water

Viv helping Owen dry off - so cute!

Thanks Ali, Joce, Viv, and Jeffie, for making our day extra special! And thanks, Pa, for getting us the tickets! We love you!

Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Smile!

Here it is...one of Bryn's first smiles caught on camera! Isn't she beautiful?!

They're a Hit!

A BIG hit! Owen LOVES his new clubs!

Owen showing off his swing

Going to look for his ball (ok, so it was really Daddy's ball that went that far, but a boy can dream!)

I have to admit that the clubs are ADORABLE. And, my little guy swinging away is about as cute as it gets! He loves playing with them - I see lots of Daddy and Son golf dates in our future!

Six Things You Need to Know About Me...

Six quirky things about me...

1. I am obsessive compulsive about a few things - I HATE being late, I wash my hands often (especially if someone has been sick - I should buy stock in hand soap!), I like closets to be well organized - especially the kids' (maybe because I love playing with their cutesy clothes!)

2. I love ice cream. Not like a little bit - ALOT. I guess ice cream is kind of an obsession, too. We don't need to go into the morbid details, but lets just say that I eat it often and leave it at that! I have a Dunkin Donuts coffee problem, too, but that is another story...

3. I am super close with my mom. In high school, I could not have said that same, but since I got married and had kids we are closer than ever. We are like junior high school "BFF's "- we're totally silly together and we love to shop and just hang out together. I can only hope that when my kids are grown, we'll have as much fun together.

4. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being pregnant. I know lots of people think I am nuts for this one, but I really do love it - all of it. In fact, if I had to chose a different career, I would go back to be a labor and delivery nurse. The feeling of that little baby growing inside of me is just so incredible. I love how I feel being pregnant - I love my belly and knowing that my child is in there. And the outcome...indescribable. I could go on, but I've made my point. Ok, one more time...I LOVE it!

5. I can't stand deer or geese. Really. Can't.Stand.Them. Maybe it is from growing up in the Poconos - they are both everywhere and plain irritating. Deer seem to be everywhere you look up there and they are nuts. I can't tell you how many people I know who literally had a deer run into their car. Seriously - they're crazy! And don't even get me started on geese. They are dirty and loud. I lifeguarded at a lake for several summers and man, can they make a mess of a lake. Ugh.

6. I married my high school sweetheart. Ok, so maybe I wasn't in high school at the time, but he was - that still counts, right? We've seen each other through lots of ups and downs, and I'm so lucky to have him! In fact, 8 years ago tonight is when it all became "official" and we began dating. Cute, huh? ;)

Thanks to Kelly at A Rainbow After the Rain for tagging me! This was a fun one! Instead of tagging people...if you read this and haven't been tagged...please play along!

A Pro in the Making

How cute are these?! These super cute toddler-sized golf clubs arrived at our house today - and boy, do I know one little boy who is going to be mighty excited when he wakes up from his nap! Any guesses as to what we'll be up to this afternoon...and all weekend for that matter?

Randy is totally into golfing - I can't relate. There's really nothing enticing to me about whacking a ball with a stick to see how far it will go - but hey, he likes it - to each his own. Anywho, between Daddy and Papa, Owen was bound to inherit the obsession...and oh, did he! He is good - I mean really - he's pretty darn good as far as two year old golfers go. (Yes, I might be biased, but what mom isn't?)

So, along with his second birthday came the need for his first real set. I'm all for his beloved hobby, but Daddy is going to have to make sure O is clear on the fact that these are for outside - I am worried that real clubs and a toddler could equal danger for anyone within a 5 mile radius. But, until they pose any kind of immediate danger, I know that O will love them! We are heading to Mama and Pa's tomorrow, so I'm sure they'll get tons of use this weekend...and I'll have lots of great pictures, too!

Wordless Wednesday

Ok, so not quite "Wordless," but I do want to share this. With the exception of my adorable kiddos, husband, and family, this is one of my all time favorite photos. Randy and I met working at the camp that this beautiful lake is on. I was a lifeguard and he worked on "the hill" (the adventure - read rugged - camp site.) We met here...got engaged here...had Owen baptised with water from the lake here...It is one very special place, and this picture always makes me smile!

And the Award Goes to...

ME! Wow!

I'm working on my official acceptance speech :) - but for now - just a big thanks to Val for sending this award my way! My blog has only been up for about two weeks...but I'm making progress!

Now, the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. You must nominate 7 fellow bloggers for this award.

Sarah @ These are the Days - she's the one that got me blogging!

Colleen @ Classy Mommy - she's got a super fun site for Mommy's!

Dawn @ A New Day is Dawning - she's just starting her blog up - just like me!

Jo-Lynne@ Musings of a Housewife - I love reading her blog - funny with great mommy info!

Jenn K @But Wait it Gets Better - she's got super cute pics of the kiddos!

Margie @ Gunning It - cute pictures, and I love checking out her fun products

Beth @ Total Mom Haircut - LOVE the title and checking out her blog

Gotta love my fellow CCP and PMB bloggers!

Lions, Tigers, and...DORA!!

Fun! We went to a super fun playgroup at Sarah's house today. The kids took a walk in the "jungle" to help Dora find her missing bacpack. Owen had a great time - and he LOVED his safari hat! (So much so that he HAD to wear it while he watched a show before bed.) He had a great time looking for animals and prizes - he was already out this evening looking for bugs to put in his little bug house!

Thanks, Sarah, for arranging such a great playgroup! (And sorry we had to head out early - Owen was beat and it was well past nap time!)

Here is Owen in his jungle gear!

The jungle

Owen getting a prize
With a Bobo (monkey) - he's not too sure what to make of him!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Owen!

As of 7:38 p.m. this evening, my baby is TWO! We had a fun-filled family day at a local zoo. Owen loved seeing all of the animals - and Bryn loved her super long nap! It was a perfect way to celebrate our little guy's special day!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Owen! We love you...to the moon and back!

Owen and the owl - he thought the owl was "cute!"

Bryn relaxing in the stroller

Owen LOVED the prarie dog tunnel!

What a fun day!

Party Time!

Yesterday was Owen's big party, and he - and several of his buddies - had a ball! The kids (and parents) had a great time singing, dancing, running around, and playing on the fun gym equipment.

Thanks to everyone who helped to make the day extra special for Owen! He is one lucky boy to have such great family and friends!

Bouncing with Lucas

The puppets were a hit!

Owen took several train rides...he makes his train-loving Pa proud!

Parachutte time!

And now...some videos for your viewing pleasure! :)

Book Meme

Kelly, at A Rainbow After the Rain, tagged me, and it looked like fun, so here goes! The rules are:

1. Pick up the nearest book
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the next three sentences
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you

The book closest to me is actually a book I just finished last week for Book Club, "Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons," by Lorna Landvik.

" "Uffda," said Sally, swatting her son's leg. "Your report card better not show that."

"I doubt it will," said Kari of her nephew, who was valedictorian of his senior class." "

Ok, so those sentences might not sound all that great, but it is a fun read - great beach book!

I am tagging some fellow bloggers:
1. Shannon
2. Dawn
3. Nancy
4. Yvonne
5. Margie

THOMAS!

Owen will be TWO this weekend. Yup, you read that right...two years old! I can't even believe it. Where has the time gone? (Of course, according to Owen, he is going to be four this weekend, so clearly time is moving even more quickly than I have been giving it credit for!) His party is at a local kids gym and he is SUPER excited! He has been singing "Happy Happy to Owen" for days now. So, I decided to let go of my over-planned and coordinated, anal-retentive tendencies, and we took Owen to Wegmans to let him pick out his own birthday cake. He flipped through the big book of cakes, and when he saw this one, his eyes lit up. "THOMAS! And PERCY!" The anal side of me was screaming, "but it doesn't "go" with the rest of the party." The rest of me melted and immediately started giving the order to the sales person. I love that my little guy has things that he is into - Thomas, clearly, is very high on the list - and I love thinking about how excited he's going to be when he actually sees his very own Thomas cake! Now back to getting things ready for the big day...

Wordless Wednesday: My Little Chef

It is breakfast for dinner day! (Yes, I know, pancakes aren't exactly on the BRAT diet, but come on, the poor boy is hungry! And how bad can they be?)

Stirring the batter...

"Look what I made, Mommy!"

"Yummy!"

But Wait...There's More...

Well, here's a quick update to yesterday's poopy drama. Owen had a good night - he had dinner and fun playing with friends, and he seemed to be back to normal. He went to sleep without a problem and while Bryn still hadn't had a poopy, things seemed good for everyone. Cue 3:00 a.m. - I had just finished feeding Bryn, and we heard Owen turn on his music - not a good sign! Randy went out to survey the damage and sure enough, Owen had thrown up. I'll spare you the details, but lets just say that it wasn't pretty! My stomach has still been unsettled since the weekend, so thank goodness for Randy - he went into disaster zone cleanup mode and got the little guy settled. We were ready to head back to bed...but O had other plans. He was pretty sure it was time to get up for the day. So, needless to say, it has been one LOOOOONG day. He's back to normal now - running around and playing like nothing ever happened. We, on the other hand, need naps!

(On a side note, we tried jello with Owen today. We've tried it before and he doesn't seem to like it. But, we figured we'd try again - he's starving and hasn't been sick for 12 hours. His response? "It's bad. It's very bad!" Gotta love a little one's honesty!)

Poopy Problems

So, two kids = two totally different poopy problems in our house today. (Here's your warning - the rest of this post is about - yup, you guessed it! - poopy!) Poor little Owen has been fighting diarrhea all day - he's happy and content playing, but his tummy clearly does not feel the same! So we're doing a modified BRAT diet - lucky for me, two of his current food favs are applesauce and rice, so he's happy. Gotta get him better in time for his big birthday weekend, though! He's one excited little boy - a party at his favorite place AND a Thomas cake? It doesn't get better than that!

Bryn, on the other hand, hasn't had a poopy in days...since Friday, to be exact. While I know that isn't too out of the ordinary for her age, she seems to be getting a little uncomfortable, so I called the dr and got the rundown of things to do to help her go - a warm bath, an ounce of water, taking her temp...and drinking grape juice (me, that is.) So, like any good mom, I am chugging my juice and no poopy for Miss Bryn yet - I'm off to give her a nice warm bath and see if that helps. Poor thing.

So two kids - one can go and one can't and neither are particularly happy about it. Hopefully tomorrow will bring more for one and less for another! :) Wish us luck!

Growing by Leaps and Bounds!!

Earlier this week, we had Bryn's one month appointment. I was guessing that she was bigger than Owen was at this age - she just feels bigger. Well - I was right! She measured in at 10 pounds, 12 ounces and was 22 and 1/2 inches long...wow! Now, I know that this might not seem huge to you, but Randy and I are not the tallest people in the world, so we were shocked to learn that she is in the 90th percentile for both height and weight! I know that this is likely to change, but again, wow! I can't believe how fast our little princess is growing up!

I still marvel at how quickly time has flown with Owen - I CANNOT believe that he will be two (or four, if you ask him) on Sunday. It doesn't even seem possible. And since Bryn joined us, it seems that time is only moving faster. (Lots of people warned me this would happen, but I didn't think it was even possible...it is!) Just makes you realize how important it is to treasure every minute!

Bryn Marie just hours after her birth - 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and 21 inches long

Bryn today - she's a growin'!

Family, Fun, Food, and...a Stomach Bug?

Yesterday, we spent the day with Randy's family for a picnic where people could stop by to meet Bryn.

Before I say more, I have to tell you that I have the best in laws in the world. Really. We have so many friends who just don't get along with their in laws at all, and after all of the horror stories I've heard (believe me, I've heard some good ones. I'm not going to tell stories on here - to protect the innocent daughter in laws :) - but seriously, the drama I've heard about rivals a good soap opera!) Randy gets along incredibly with my family, too, so we have come to realize over the years just how lucky we are!

Anyway...the picnic was a blast! The kids had a BALL together, and Owen enjoyed some quality time with "Pa" and "Mama," as he's taken to calling them. The adults enjoyed some volleyball and great good - with S'Mores for dessert - YUM! I, on the other hand, hardly got to eat anything...not even a S'More. Somehow, I guess I got a little stomach bug - BUMMER! The good news is that no one else at our house got it - and I am feeling better today. Guess I'll just have to make my own S'More and eat some good BBQ to make up for a weekend's worth of missed picnic food!

Thanks to everyone for making it a fun day for all!

Here's a picture of Owen enjoying cars and trucks that belonged to Daddy and Uncle Ryan - and even a few from Pa's stash.

Owen and Pa had fun picking - and eating - blueberries.

Tom meeting little Bryn for the first time!

The kiddos - boy, did they have fun!

Love Bugs

These pictures say it all! Owen, like any toddler, has his moments with his new baby sister. All in all, though, he is a FANTASTIC big brother!

My Own Little Fireworks

Happy 4th of July!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday! Randy and I usually try to catch some fireworks, but we decided to skip it this year - too much for the kiddos. Plus, as Owen's shirt says, I have my own little firecrackers at home! They keep me hopping and bring more joy than the real thing! Instead, we went to our friends house for a get together. Lots of tots, babies, and adults made for a fun night - the rain certainly didn't deter the kids from playing their hearts out! Our nights out have changed - but are so much more fulfilling now. What could be better than spending time with our family and friends?

Owen and "his baby" showing off their red, white, and blue!

Smiles

The most handsome boy there is...

My beautiful girl - she's still perfecting the art of the smile!

I would say that the best sight in the world is your child smiling, and boy, do mine do it well! :) Our days are busy - and sometimes chaotic - but how can you not love every second of it when you get looks like this for doing anything from changing a poopy diaper to saying "I love you"?

And so it begins...

...my first official blog. Several of the mommies from the playgroup have started blogs, so I decided to get in on the action. I never really thought that I had anything to blog about, but boy, was I wrong. Being a mommy is the most amazing job in the world, and I have so much to share about my days with my little ones. If nothing more, I hope that this will be a great way for me to document what we're up to.

Bryn is only 5 weeks old, and already, it is incredible to watch the bond between she and Owen grow. I am SO blessed to have two beautiful children and the best husband in the world! (Did I mention that he helped me set up my blog? Ok, he basically did it all...but I told him what to do...does that count?)

So here they are...Owen and Bryn...my reasons to smile - and blog!