Just Another Day in Paradise

The Red Hair

2012-02-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

First, I by no means want to offend anyone with red hair when I say this. I just never in my life imagined I would have two little gingers. When I look at Nash I often think "Wow - you are more red than Deacon was". I went back and looked at some old photos, and it looks like I just forgot. Deacon WAS just as red. His has toned down a bit and is a nice brown/red mix. So Nash, there is hope you won't look like Shaun White.

Sleep Training

2012-02-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Can be rough and tough at times, but when the training is complete, the reward is immense.

Up in the gym...working on my fitness

2012-02-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

The rigorous ab routine we have been putting Nash through is working. He's sitting up quite well at 5 months!

Still Acceptable

2012-02-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

Still so innocent - a playdate in the tub is kind of the best.

My Best Gals

2012-02-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

My gymnastics girls are really special.

We've known each other since we were 7

We have traveled all over North America together, most of it before the age of 15

We spent 25 hours/week together between the ages of 7-18

We have spent hours and hours laughing with each other, sometimes AT each other

We've broken bones together

We've done really really stupid things together

We've cried on each others shoulders when Coach BL was mean to us

We've shared clothes

We've gotten in fights

We've had our body fat tested together.....when we were 11

We've shared too many adult beverages together

We were in each others weddings

And now we are sharing our prized possessions with each other:

These two couldn't keep their eyes off of each other

(Greg was the babysitter while we gabbed)

Yep - my kid is the one with puke all over him.

Baking

2012-01-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

One of the first 5 sentences I hear in the morning is "Momma make cookies?" Before I can even answer he has a grin from ear to ear and is shaking his head 'yes'. He really just wants to watch the Kitchen Aid spin around and try to mimic the movement with his head.

A huge deal

2012-01-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

Deacon transitioned to a 'big boy' bed. That's a HUGE deal around here. For those who know us well, you were probably all concerned he was going to graduate from high school still sleeping in a crib, but you'll be happy to know we made the big jump.

It has gone 100000000 times better than I imagined. I thought it would be a traumatic event where he would get down and play instead of going to bed, open up the door and fall down the stairs or come into our room. It's been just the opposite. He stays on his bed and even waits for us to come get him in the morning and says "I get down now?". I did find him on the floor the first two nights with his blanket and pillow. He obviously didn't fall but he was still asleep, so who really cares where I found him, right?!

Praying this behavior is the norm and he doesn't decide to act out my greatest fears.

Our Baby

2012-01-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

I could kiss your face 1000 times a day. (and I'm pretty sure I do)

You just went through a major growth spurt, I can tell. And bless your sweet little heart, I think you've figured out this whole concept of sleeping through the night again. 2 weeks straight of pleasantness. (It's safe to say if there is any 'going backwards' you'll be left to fend for yourself. It's time.)

You've settled into your routine and are at that stage where it's really easy to predict what comes next. You're almost 5 months old and that really just blows my mind.

Twilight Zone

2012-01-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

Picture 1 was taken on Feb 24th 2010. Baby was 4 months old 21 days.

Picture 2 was taken on Jan 23rd 2012. Baby was 4 months old 22 days.

Same Daddy, Same Outfit, Different Baby.

Deja Vu.

Total Admiration

2012-01-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

I'm enjoying this time that these two seem to be smitten with one another. I know someday, all too soon, they will be fighting with each other.

A little Taste

2012-01-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

We had ourselves a couple little bites of banana. Nash did NOT take to food like his brother. He really wasn't interested. We'll try again in about 3 weeks.

The biggest challenge of the whole ordeal was trying to focus on just the baby for 5 min. I kept hearing 'Mom - I stuck!' I would let him out and then 'Mom - I stuck'. Funny the first 2 times, annoying the 45 times after.

Momma's Day Out

2012-01-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

Between us there are 13 children

3 nursing Momma's

1 Momma of twins

1 Momma has 4

1 Doctor

9 husbands

Multiple Dogs

Our common bond?

Our husbands used to knock one another around on the football field.

We needed a day out so we planned back in November. An incredible day with some incredible ladies. Lots of laughing, eating peanut butter, admiration of one another's boots or hand bags, wine purchasing, complaining about how little sleep we get, and talks of when we can do it again.

A homemade Snowboy

2012-01-16T13:26:00.000-08:00

First snow of 2012 and I find it a complete travesty that it hasn't been labeled "Arctic Blast 2012" or "Winter Warrior 2012" by our local news stations. The city hasn't shut down and the roads are bare and wet. Seems Seattle may have figured out how this whole snow thing works. I hate that.

BOYS

2012-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

There is too much testosterone in my household.

School

2012-01-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

Our favorite little game. 'School'. We don't go to school to learn, we simply act out the process of GOING to school.

1. Put on helmet

2. Hop on bike or scooter

3. 'Bye Mom'

4. 'Bye Deacon'

5. 'OK lobe you'

6. 'OK love you Deacon'

7. 'Have fun at school'

8. 'OK have fun at school Deacon'

9. Ride away on bike or scooter

Repeat 100 times/day.

And just like any great big brother out there, D borrowed N's pants, put them on and peed in them. SO nice.

4 months

2012-01-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

Height: 25.5 (70th%)

Weight 15.0 (40th%)

Head - 12th%

You are definitely my smaller little man. But oh.my.goodness. your smile. It's ridiculous. A grin from ear to ear all the time. I spent the entire 30 min with your pediatrician talking about your bowel movement, or rather, lack there of. You went 15 days without pooping. Then you went 10 days. Then 7. We have saved a lot of money in diapers, but this last week you went 4 times in 7 days. Kind of a big deal.

You are pretty awesome little dude.

Looking Back

2012-01-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

The highlight of 2011 was welcoming our Nash Gregory.

Please check out the talented Kim Charie and the pics she did of our little family back in early October.

Merry Christmas To All

2011-12-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

Family, food, presents, laughter, children, a new skateboard that is keeping my 2 year old BEYOND occupied (he's pretending to ride it to school), love and creating special memories. We are blessed. We are grateful. We are spoiled. This really is the most wonderful time of the year.

1 Short Year Ago

2011-12-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

We found out this little guy was forming in my womb.

I woke up and KNEW I was pregnant. I had a headache (which I never get) and wanted to crawl right back into bed as if I hadn't slept in months. I came downstairs and Greg said "No you aren't - stop being dramatic." After opening gifts I finally convinced him to find an open drugstore and buy me a pregnancy test. An agonizing 3 min wait as the little hourglass spun around on the test. PREGNANT it read. I wasn't prepared, I wasn't quite ready, but my goodness, what a blessing to have this little man.

Mr. Happy

2011-12-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

Not pooping isn't making this little bugger frown.

He received his first chiropractic adjustment and I have high hopes this is going to get things moving. (GASP! You did that to your baby?! Yep - and he is A-OK. I'm only angry I didn't take any photos)

Christmas Time

2011-12-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. I really do.

Getting Christmas cards from people you haven't heard from in a while, Holiday parties, Christmas cookies, Christmas lights, gift exchanges, Elf on the Shelf, but mostly, having children to share this all with.

This year I'm overwhelmed with the emotions I'm feeling. I love love love these two little kiddos so much I could squeeze their little faces off. Deacon wants to 'yook at the yights' every.single.day. So we hop in the Tahoe and drive to the cul de sac behind our house to take a peek at the fancy lights, every.single.day. I'm surprised the cops aren't waiting for us because we are the dark vehicle that is kind of lurking there all the time. I'm in love with how chill Nash is. (With the exception of Friday, December 16th. He cried for literally 5 hours. His bro gave him a nasty cold and obviously he was pissed). I'm in love with how much Deacon loves his little brother and cheerfully screams "he smiles!" when Nash gives him a gummy grin. And I'm in love with the fact that Nash doesn't make anyone work hard for a smile. He wants to show it off at every opportunity.

Every parent knows what I'm talking about. The love that makes your heart burst at the seams and when you only have one you think "I don't know if I could love a second just as much" and then...you simply do. And your heart multiplies.

Since it's the end of the year and things are going to get busy, I want to document where we are at. I don't want to forget these times. Ever.

Nash is wearing 6-12 mos clothes and pushing upwards of 15lbs. (we will know exactly at the beginning of Jan). Diaper size 2. While his sleeping has digressed after a solid month of sleeping through the night, I won't complain. It's a quick 5-8 min feed and then right back to bed. He still hates the car/car seat, but finally enjoys the swing and is able to tug at things on his play mat. He rolls over from his stomach to his back and is close to wanting to flip from back to stomach. He still loves his Mamma.

Deacon has become the fart police. Anytime someone toots he says "what do you say?" and will say it over and over and over again until he gets an "excuse me". He always replies with "thank you". I hear the following phrases often:

"I no like it"

"No problem"

"I show you"

"Deacon's turn"

"Mine"

"I ount want to"

He's obsessed with 'Are You My Mother?' and his Teddy Bear Bible. He loves the later so much he sleeps with it. The kid is endless energy and since coming to the gym with us so often, he can lift, and swing, a 17lb kettlebell (his toenail still has a bruise from the time he dropped it on his toe), can demonstrate a mean burpee, pretends to jump rope (makes the whistling sound of the rope and all), and can do a 12" box jump. He asks to go to "nastics" at least twice a week. He loves 'Braprils' house and would follow Brennan around all day everyday if we let him.

Since we started potty training him (phase 2) I used to push his penis down to aim everything into the toilet until one day he slapped my hand and stated "Don't touch anything!" I now let him whiz all over the place, as he's right, that's his area for touching, not mine!

His favorite songs are The Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Wheels on the Bus, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He helps me "Scoop It Dump It" (feed the dog) every morning. He's still in a crib and will stay there until next spring, he's in pull-ups and has peeing nailed. He still poops in his pants and then says "Deacon! Why in pants? Go poop on the toilet!"

Another new year means another year of growth. Nothing stays the same. In trying times I try to take a deep breath and remember just that. Someday, we will look back on these times, even the trying ones, and yearn for them. The years where we could whisper into our babies' ears that Santa is watching so they better be good.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011

2010

2009

Santa coming by on a Fire Truck

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

This year was really fun. We had 'special coffee' (hot chocolate), almost brought home a pint sized tree and dad had a little helper. It really is amazing how little boys are fascinated by tractors...basically from the time they come out of the womb. Even the little one couldn't keep his eyes off of it.

Nearly 50lbs of dead weight hanging on my hips.

Bare Minerals is clearly failing me....I think I need more sleep

How about this one?

"I help you Dad" he likes to say

Finished - gifts wrapped and all!

Normal?

2011-12-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hi People!!! I haven't pooped for 8 days. In fact, I have only pooped 3 times in the last 30 days. Apparently this is normal. My mom is kind of freaking out.

It's Holiday Season....

2011-12-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

And the chaos has begun.

Who names their elf "Chad"? My son, that's who!

This little guy found his feet, belly laughs, and only poops every 5 days.

I wish this picture wasn't blurry, but these two are pretty cute together. Nash enjoys his bath time until Deacon gets too aggressive with the scrub brush.

3 months old....and a trip

2011-12-05T13:38:00.001-08:00

Somebody turned 3 months old last Thursday. This same somebody took his first round trip flight. Destination=Boise, ID.

He was a golden boy and slept the majority of the 24 hours we were gone. He chose the decent of our returning flight to announce his presence to the world.

I think only 6 people turned around in their seats to give us dirty looks. Not too bad if you ask me!

Some days....

2011-11-30T18:30:00.001-08:00

I just don't care.

TWINS

2011-11-22T14:39:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry, but these two kids look so much alike. Deacon was just more chubby.

2+ months

2011-11-22T14:13:00.001-08:00

I'm late - I was late getting you to the Dr for your 2 month appointment and I am late getting your stats up. You actually aren't even really 2 months anymore....your 3 month birthday is next week. That is frightening. It's going by far too fast. You weighed in at 12lbs12oz and were 24.5 inches. You started sleeping through the night the week of November 14th. It came as a surprise. I wasn't expecting that to happen so soon. You are generous with your smiles and don't make anyone work hard for one. You adore being swaddled. Your eyes get drowzy and you stop crying the minute we get you all snuggled in. I can't kiss your lips enough. Even when you are screaming your little head off I sneak in a few kisses. There is only one little thing you do that drives me bonkers. You HATE the car. You start wailing when we get you in your carseat and unless we are heading down the highway, you don't stop crying. You freak out everytime the car slows down. It makes me sweat. I think I'm going to get a speeding ticket because I want to fly through yellow lights and keep the wheels moving. (Don't worry - I do actually stop) The car issue aside, I love love love you little Nash. You are a total Momma's boy.

It happened....

2011-11-22T14:10:00.001-08:00

I was busy with Nash and someone was quiet for too long. I walked around the corner to find my beautiful white wall scribbled with black ink. Good thing it was a Crayola Washable. This is only the beginning....

Winter

2011-11-15T12:31:00.001-08:00

Bring it on Winter! We are ready for ya!

It's NASH....

2011-11-11T12:15:00.001-08:00

And it's not that hard of a name. So when you ask me what his name is, and I say Nash, I don't need you to say "what?". You heard me. Don't wrinkle your nose and say "that's interesting" or "that's different" because I know you mean 'I don't like it'. His teachers will someday thank me that he isn't named John or Mike or Matt, because they already have 3 of each of those in their class. And it's fitting. My little 'Nash Potato'.

I love you little chinchilla. Thank you for being a good sleeper.

Potty Training

2011-11-11T12:07:00.001-08:00

We'll get there. I'm in no rush. BUT this dude had it figured out. He was in underwear for about a month. He stopped making mistakes when it came to pee pee. Pooping in the toilet, however, was a very scary thing for him. Everyday it was a battle and everyday he wigged out. After the 8th time he pooped on the floor, Greg made the executive decision he was to be back in diapers. So we slowed down and will get him some pull-ups so he can still go pee when he wants. We have had him sitting down, but lately he wants to stand up, just like Daddy. I guess I should just get used to the fact that I will have to get down on my hands and knees and Lysol underneath the toilet on a daily basis since I have all boys.

I realized I have never thanked my parents for teaching me to go to the bathroom in the toilet and for teaching me to wipe my own butt. So, thank you, Mom and Dad - potty training is a kind of a parental nightmare.

Silly Boys

2011-11-10T12:38:00.001-08:00

We're still here - busy growing, smiling, laughing and pooping our pants. (Have I mentioned I change about 20 diapers a day?!)

Mommy: "Deacon - what's on Nash's pj's?"

Deacon: "Ummm - a tree!"

M: "Right. What's this?"

D: "Ummm - I nunno."

M: "It's a snowMAN"

D: "ohhh, right, a snowBOY"

M: "Yes, a snowMAN"

D: "No, Momma, it's snowBOY"

Ok - you win. We can call it a snowboy all winter long.

More Halloween Festivities

2011-11-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Remember when Halloween revolved around finding the perfect scandalous costume and then head out to a bar for a party that never quite met your expectations? Maybe that was just in my world?

Well this little party had no sexy rainbow brites or naughty witches, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. Watching toddlers play 'Pin the Nose on the Jack O Lantern' was pretty stinkin' cute!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

My Little Scarecrow and Tiny Giraffe hope everyone had a sugar filled evening!

Little Boys

2011-10-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day. I kept smiling thinking how lucky I am to have these two little boys. Deacon bounced his heart out at the bounce house for two solid hours. He squealed in delight every time he was knocked over and bounced around on his face. He made a friend and followed her everywhere and held her hand at the drinking fountain. Nash slept in his carseat the whole time with a pleasant little smile on his face. I really can't wait until these two can play together. I can, however, wait until they can fight with one another...

Sorry all of my pictures are from my crappy blackberry camera phone. My memory card crashed in my real camera and I'm waiting for amazon to deliver a new one.

Holding Hands

Snuggle Time

2011-10-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

I adore our quiet time together when no one else is around. Even if the only time we get is at 3am.

Sigh...

2011-10-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days. One child cried and puked all day after a sleepless night, and the other threw tantrums and whined. I THOUGHT Deacon was sleeping, come to find out, he was trying to join a nudist colony. I found him like this, just hanging out:

He removed every article of clothing, including his diaper. I'm thankful I didn't have a mess of pee to clean up.

The Things They Learn

2011-10-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

This conversation occurs in our house every single morning.

D: Mama what doing?

Me: Pumping, Deacon

D: Oh, pumping. It's working! Baby milk.

Me: Yep, I'm getting milk for the baby.

D: Deacon pumping too?

I finally gave in. He even asked to have his shirt taken off.

Sigh. I will save this photo for his future therapy sessions.

Red Heads

2011-10-12T13:22:00.001-07:00

We get asked where the boys get their red hair quite a bit. I think it's pretty clear its from their great grandma on their Daddy's side. (Look at that smile!!)

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

The boys' Papa and Grammy came into town this weekend and we headed out to the pumpkin patch. Cow roping, cow rides, pig races, horse rides, pumpkins, bounce house and hay rides - I don't think there is anything this pumpkin patch forgot. It was nice to have extra hands around the house, and the boys got to enjoy their grandparents. A fantastic weekend!!

Pretty nervous about the cow rides

Roping the cow

Baby Nash snoozed the whole day

Grammy and Deacon

Playing on the playground with Papa and Grammy

Dancing with Mama

Bapa and Deacon

Mamma, Grammy and Nona

Taking a time out for a feed and a quick snooze

Deacon and his second cousins (I think these two thought they were at prom with this pose)

Sweet Baby

2011-10-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Nash is doing awesome. He's being pretty darn easy on me. Last night he slept 7 straight hours. (I should have jumped into bed when he went to bed so I would have slept 7 straight hours). He's starting to smile. He'll be 6 weeks on Thursday. He's precious.

Deacon - 2 Years Old

2011-10-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Dr confirmed everything your dad and I have been thinking for a long time. You have a lot of energy. I wish I could have some of it. You are 30lbs and 36.5 inches tall. You will eat just about anything. You eat a lot. Sometimes you have 3 breakfasts. You amaze us everyday with some of the silly things that come out of your mouth. Like when we ask you what you are doing you will say "oh just sitting here". You can count to 10 and love to find anything/everything to count. You are currently OBSESSED with washing your hands and brushing your teeth. You put your pointer finger to your mouth when we ask you a question and say "ummm" before answering, as if contemplating a very hard decision. When you don't get your way you pull on your tongue until you gag or throw up. That is NOT cute. You love choo choo trains and motorcycles. You finally learned your brothers name and say 'hi' to him a lot. You want to get in his bath bucket with him and then throw a fit when you can't. (back to the pulling on your tongue.) When I come downstairs in the morning you yell "Mommy!" and run to give me a hug. It's a great way to start my morning. You are still a sleeper. 2 to3 hour naps everyday and you sleep from 7pm to 7am. You say 'men' instead of 'Amen' at the end of our prayers. You are a blessing. You are learning new things everyday and tantrums aside, you are really, really fun. We love you so very, very much!

Nash - 1 Month

2011-10-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Nash,

My little buddy. The one who goes everywhere with me. You are one month old. In some ways I feel like you should be 18 and in others I feel like I just gave birth to you yesterday. You're funny. You like to be held MUCH more than your brother did, but you don't like to sleep there. You really like to sleep in your crib. I give you a lot of credit, you are really good at it. You are still only sleeping in 3 hour increments, and Mama is VERY tired, but you go right back to sleep and I'm thankful for that. You don't waste any time when you eat, I still think you poop an abnormal amount, but you sure are filling out. You don't have scrawny little legs anymore. You've been the a Husky game, a couple of birthday parties, the mall, on various errands, a few restaurants, and friends' house. Your older brother is really kind to you. He likes to hold your hand in the car and pat your head and say "shhhh". You hate the car. The second it starts to slow down you start squealing from the back seat. Sometimes it makes me sweat. We absolutely love you, and are so blessed that YOU are the addition to our family. We are looking forward to watching your little personality develop.

A 2 year old bday party

2011-10-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

New mom's - don't ever fill out party invites a week after you give birth. I put different times on various invites I sent out. Some said 3, some said 2 and I had one family show up at 1, and apparently put that the party went from 1-3 on theirs. That's sleep deprivation at its finest.

Deacon's 2 year old party was great. SO small, such great kids, lots of playing, make your own pizza's (GULP! those that know me know this was hard for me to watch pizza sauce going all over the kitchen), bouncing in the bounce house, playing with the train table, a green 'digger' cake, and great conversation. There were only 4 kids here, but at moments it felt like 15. 2 year olds are busy, and loud, and like to run. Couldn't have asked for a better evening. Thank you to all that were there and spoiled my child and took part in the festivities!

Child Potpourri - Picture Overload

2011-09-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

A cell phone purge. Some of the photos/videos we have collected over the past month or so.

Side note - I JUST NOW switched to the new version of blogger. Where have I been? Uploading more than 5 photos at a time is a dream.

Days before giving birth to Nash. Sweet mascara under my eyes.

The boys' proud Bapa

Heading home

D is obsessed with rain boots

Someone should be sleeping

Snoozing at the Husky game

Sleeping with Mom

D's first 'real' haircut. Did not go well.

The haircut outcome

Reading to Nash

Nash at the game again

Dancing

Love this pic

Nona and Bapa

Out on Bapa's new fishing boat

Taking a walk with Dad while Mom feeds the baby....AGAIN.

Nash's First Husky Game

2011-09-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

We took our 3 week old to his first Husky game. Some people might call that 'bad parenting'. It ended up being amazing because Nash slept through the night after we brought him home. By slept through the night I mean we put him down at 7pm and I went in and woke him up at 5am to eat, then put him back down and woke him up again at 8am. It was amazing.....and only lasted one night.

We learned that pregnant women and little babies are a bit of a novelty and will bring looks, comments, and lots of conversation. I have to give credit to the three pregnant women at our tailgate, Heather, Steph, and Dana, who are all in their last MONTH of pregnancy. That's a long day for a pregnant woman!!

Nash and Baby Conniff #2, still in utero, were the hit of section 22.

(If you are wondering why my husband makes stupid faces in all of his pictures.....you are not the only one.)

Mama's Helper

2011-09-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Every time Nash gets a bath, someone wants to help. And by help, I mean try to get in the tub that would fit his two feet.

Coming Up for Air

2011-09-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

I wish I had more time to blog - but I think the main reason I haven't blogged is because I don't have many pictures. I feel a bit guilty about that. We took 1,000 the first week Deacon was born. We have 10 of Nash. I guess that whole 'the second kid gets less' rings true in our house. Oh well, more for him to talk about in his future therapy sessions.

Here's a snapshot of where we are at:

1. Deacon is watching a pinch more TV than he used to

2. Deacon is also very emotional. Excited for that to pass

3. Nash has a lot of gas - I know newborns poop a lot, but this dude takes the cake.

4. I'm not as tired as I was the first time around. I really think that is because I've probably just been tired for the last 2 years

5. They have both cried in the car at the same time. It's a treat.

6. I'm trying to figure out how you comfort your two year old when he bites the dust on the concrete while you have your baby strapped to you in the bjorn.

7. We went to the library today. We are working on Deacon's 'inside voice' and trying to teach him that he can't run in between the book shelves and then pop out and scream 'TaDa!!'

8. Nash likes to cat nap on my chest - I really like that.

9. I feel pretty damn lucky to have two healthy kids and during those moments when I think it's just a bit much, I remind myself it's only going to get easier and someday I'm going to miss this. (Just like the country song, right??)

Happy 2nd Birthday Best Buddy!!!

2011-09-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see you tomorrow!!! Our Dad's think they are going to enjoy the Husky game with us, but I bet we will cause lots of trouble!!!

You're Outta Here!!

2011-09-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Nash made it 7 days in our room. I kicked him out last night. He is the LOUDEST baby I have ever been around. He snorts, grunts, toots, poops, barfs, burps...you name it, he makes that sound, all.night.long. He's loud, and I'm an incredibly light sleeper. Bad combo. It didn't make sense to keep him in there anyway. I always took him into his room to feed him, in hopes of not waking Greg. I had lofty goals of nursing him in our bed and falling asleep with him by my side, but I couldn't do it. I can't figure it out, and the spit up on my sheets makes for more laundry. No thanks. He slept awesome last night. So did I. He's just so teeny in his crib.

First Bath

2011-09-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Someone's umbilical cord fell off, his penis is all heeled up, so he got his first bath. He stunk. Like spit-up. He's a puker, just like his brother. I promise, Heather Conniff, I won't bathe him twice a day.

We went to his 7 day appointment at the Dr, and he's back to birth weight (actually exceeded) so I'm thrilled about that. But he's tiny. Deacon was always 90th+ percentile for the first couple of months, and this little dude is in the 47th for weight and 60th for height. He also has a peanut head. I can't remember the percentile, but I think it was 20-something. I love that all of Deacon's newborn clothes hang on Nash. And that I don't have a pair of socks to fit him. I just hope he's not 5'2" like his Momma.

Fun in the Sun

2011-09-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this weather - and loving having Greg home. I'm so sad that next week he has to be back in the full swing of things. It has honestly been so fun. And as for me not working.....I could really get used to it. I baked yesterday. Do you know how long it has been since I have baked? Since I have had time to bake?

Our First Couple of Days

2011-09-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

We are adjusting....and adjusting quite well. Baby Nash is really mellow. He eats well and sleeps fairly well. (Sleeps awesome during the day and pretty good at night). Deacon talks about his baby all the time. He still is learning that he has to be gentle and the baby can't jump in the bounce house with him. All in all, I just can't get enough of all my boys.

Nash Gregory Carothers

2011-09-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

My Labor:

I started feeling contractions about 6:00pm. Nothing too intense so I didn't stop to time them, or really even make note of them. After the whole 'false labor' from the prior weekend, I wasn't going to give these much thought. 7:00pm hit and the contractions took on a whole new level. They were REALLY intense. About 5 min apart, and lucky me, mostly in my back. I jumped in the shower, and started thinking about calling my Dad to come over and hang out with Deacon. About 9:00pm we decided it was time to call my Dad, knowing it would take him about 40 min or so to get there. We left for the hospital around 10:00pm. The contractions were coming hard and coming fast and I did a lot of praying and a lot of swearing on the hour drive to the hospital. I'm not sure you should say a prayer and then say a naughty word. I think those actions are contradictory to one another. We were heading up I-405 and then all I could see was a sea of brake lights. You have got to be kidding me - traffic at 10:30pm!!! I swore some more. We arrived at the hospital at 11:00pm. I barfed 3 min after getting through the front doors. Salmon was a poor choice for dinner. They checked me, I was dilated to a 5 - YES! that means I was being admitted. Remember, I was trying for a natural birth. An hour after we got here, I was checked again. I was a 7. We were moving quickly! At this point I also through in the towel on the whole 'Natural Birth'. I have complete and total respect and admiration for all of the woman who are able to do this. I tried - I'm not one of them. I'm a wuss, and I'm totally OK with it. An hour after I got my epidural I felt like maybe it was time to push? The Dr checked me and his eyes got pretty wide as he told me, "It's time to push, and this baby is basically ready to fall out". Deacon was a long, hard 20 hour labor complete with pitocin and catheters and 30 min of pushing, so I did not anticipate this. The Dr told me when to start and off we went. 3 pushes later my prize was lying on my chest. The whole thing was surreal. So fast, and pretty dang easy.

My Love:

Nash Gregory entered the world at 2:39am weighing 8lbs 2oz and 20 inches of pure perfection. How does one hit the jackpot twice? My heart filled with instantaneous love the moment he was placed in my arms. Greg hovered over the top of us, ooohing and ahhing, displaying what a proud Daddy he was, once again. The first thing I noticed, his red hair. What. Is. The. Deal?! I don't know how we make red heads, but I love it. I love that Nash looks just like his brother. I love that he is not as portly, his hands are bigger and he loves to just look at me when he's in my arms. I love that for the first 2 hours of his life, my voice was the only thing that soothed him. That I will never forget. I love that when Deacon came to meet him we placed Nash in his lap and he said "no no no no" and pushed him away. I love how content Nash is, even if he is in a birthing coma and most likely this peace, will soon dissipate. I love watching Greg sit and rock him. I love that I get to go home to a house full of boys. I love that God has truly truly blessed me and that I have two healthy children and a spouse who is just as enamored as I am. I love that the diaper count is Emily - 1, Greg - 4. Nash is peaceful, nursing well, allowing us to get some cat naps, and so very very perfect in our eyes. Another gift from above. My heart is overflowing.

Weeks 38 and 39

2011-09-01T16:27:00.001-07:00

It finally hit. The "I'm done being pregnant, let's get this show on the road" feeling. Every woman hits that point, and if they try to say they 'feel great' this late in the game, they are lying. My babe had dropped quite low, I was 3cm dilated 50% effaced, rolling over was a joke, carrying my toddler up the stairs was not happening (yes, I realize I lift heavy weights, but the weights don't squirm or try to kick me in the gut), and eating 5 grapes filled me up as there was simply not enough room for a baby, organs, and food. Baby Baby come out!!

Week 39 and min before we left for the hospital

Monkey See Monkey Do

2011-09-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

I just adore watching these two together. Deacon thinks Cole walks on water and will do anything he does. He watches him to decide what his next move should be. If Cole plays in the sand, Deacon plays in the sand. If Cole jumps in the water, Deacon jumps in the water. In fact, he will ONLY do it if Cole does it first. I told Cole's parents, when they get older, and get into trouble, we will know who was the brains behind the plot, and who was the follower. :)

Waiting to make sure Cole jumped first

Week 37

2011-08-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

This week can be summed up by two words FALSE.LABOR. Whatever the heck that even is. Such a frustrating weekend. I had contractions that were very sporadic and all over the map on Friday that stopped about midnight. Saturday I woke up feeling sore and tired, but back to normal....until about 1pm. The contractions started again. This time they were consistent, getting stronger, and more painful as the evening went on. By 9pm they were coming every 4 min., lasting 40 seconds, and taking my breath away. We got ready. We called the hospital. They told me to wait until they were 3 min apart, and lasted 90 seconds. We waited. They started lasting 90 seconds, but were 5, then 7, then 10, then 15 min apart. Finally at 3am everything just stopped. To say that I was exhausted and sore on Sunday is an understatement. That much pain for no end prize completely sucked. I experienced nothing like that with Deacon - it's really amazing how the same body can have such a different experience. So I guess everything is back to normal and we continue to wait. :)

Prom

2011-08-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

We are so very blessed to have some of the greatest neighbors one could hope for. These people stop by just to chat, share dinners with us, are willing to be "on call" when I go into labor, and throw some great summer parties. This year was "Prom" theme. We decided to make sure we went in our classiest attire, and don't think I didn't shake my belly to some Michael Jackson. This party was complete with many varieties of boxed wine, a ding dong/Twinkies table, bologna sandwiches - your choice of mayo or miracle whip, and of course lots and lots of glitter. SO.MUCH.FUN.

Jax's 2nd Birthday

2011-08-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe these little boys are already turning two! Jax and Deacon go to church together and have been at the same babysitter since they were 3 months old. It's pretty darn cute to watch these two play together.

How many boys does it take to open one gift?

Playing chase

Tag! You're It!

Jax the Birthday Boy - so very serious

Deacon loves a good party - means there is always a good cupcake

Splash Park!!

2011-08-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Not really a favorite of Deacon's. He is not a big fan of getting wet, but we tried! He preferred playing on the big toy and eating crackers.

Gimme a kiss I will give you a cracker

36 Weeks

2011-08-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Less than a month away!! (My due date that is, I guess we will see if I actually go into labor in less than a month). I'm WAY bigger this time around. Everyone keeps telling me I look like I'm "ready". I secretly want to flip them off because all they really are saying is "you look giant - how is it possible for you to get any bigger?" Well, watch me!

Yo Gabba Gabba Undies

2011-08-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Does this make you laugh?? No, he wasn't crying because of his new big boy undies, he was throwing a fit over not being able to have Daddy's iPhone. We have kind of started potty training, although more of just 'practicing' with it. No sense in trying to do this in full force since he would take a million steps backwards in a few weeks when the baby is born anyway. He's also only 22 months, so I'm not going to make a big deal. Not to mention, we went through 3 pairs of underwear in less than 2 hours, 1 of which he took a giant crap in. We (me) decided to be done for the day and maybe try again on a different day. :)

Our Evolving Family

2011-08-02T10:59:00.001-07:00

In an effort to capture this moment, I asked a friend if she would be open to taking some family pictures - capturing just the three of us, for the last time.

She was so gracious to take the time to do it, in between raising her own young children, having a stellar career at Microsoft, and nurturing one of the largest gardens I have ever laid eyes upon (I was envious), her photography has not made it onto her list of "top priorities".

It was such a great evening. The weather was amazing, the pictures were effortless, as we chatted the majority of the time and took snaps between our convo. It always makes me smile when people comment on how much energy Deacon has. I know nothing different, but I think he exhausts other people simply by observing him. He ran from the swing, to the "tractor", hung on the rings in Rachel's garage (fellow Crossfitter - this lucky lady has her own set-up in the garage), ran to the sandbox, chased some chickens, chased a kitty, ran through the fields, and of course, splashed in the river.

The excitement is upon us as this new little baby is soon going to transition from womb to world. I will be honest, I'm not quite ready for swaddling and sleepless nights, but I'm ready to no longer carry the extra load on the front end (and a bit on the back end as well), I'm ready to change diapers that don't smell like something died, and I'm ready to snuggle a little man who will sit still for 30 seconds and let me kiss on him. 35 weeks down, 5 to go!

Thank you, Rachel, for your time and the beautiful photos!

Summer

2011-07-28T16:07:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things. Fresh flowers almost daily.

34 Weeks

2011-07-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Let me just say I completely forgot how tired you get towards the end of pregnancy. I fell asleep, again, on the couch at work. I just needed 20 min of rest and I woke up, panicked, forgot where I was. I feel guilty that #1 has a book all about my pregnancy with him, completely filled out, including many pictures. #2 has a book, with about 4 sentences in it, and no pictures. I'm not hopeful it's going to get done. I'm sure it is the first of many things he will think are 'unfair'. I figure I'm teaching him a valuable lesson early, Life is Unfair. (for the record, I am child #2 and I couldn't give two hoots about this sort of thing)

Mr. Conniff asked me over the weekend if I had stopped working out all together. :) The answer is no, but I have gained 27 lbs. I don't know how. I did jack sh*t as far as working out with Deacon and gained 28lbs total. (I also once downed a whole package of Oreo's on my own) Truth is, I don't actually care. The Dr keeps telling me I have great blood pressure and the babies heart beat is really strong. We are healthy.

I think #2 is going to be smaller than #1. I will be surprised if he's over 8lbs. I don't know - motherly instinct I suppose (side note - don't believe anything I say. I was sure my motherly instinct was telling me I was having a girl.) I also think this is going to be a Pritchard baby with a full head of dark hair. It's going to make people scratch their head even more trying to figure out where the red headed one came from.

I'm down to almost a month. Eeeeek.. Our nursery is done, but I still feel like I have a lot of things to do. Bottles to locate and clean, blankets to wash, things to wrap up at work, etc. Nothing that can't be done in a weekend, so I'm sort of storing it all up for Labor Day weekend. If he decides to come earlier, that's going to throw me off. :)

Boy Time

2011-07-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Do these fine gentlemen look like they are ready to win a race? 7,000th (ish) place isn't too bad either. Who really tries in a 'fun run' anyway?

Trucks

2011-07-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

Every little Boys Dream.

Lacking Updates

2011-07-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am fully aware I don't update my blog much as of recent. I have a good reason. Mostly because I work a lot. At the end of the work day, I'm done. Spending time with my family is FAR more important than logging back on to my computer, of which I've already sat at for 8 hours during the day, and by the time the little one goes to bed and Greg and I have had the chance to catch up, I'm too exhausted to even think about blogging. Be patient with us. Things will slow down.....soon.

30 Reasons We Love You

2011-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

30. You will strike a pose every time Deacon says 'Freeze Dance'

29. You think you look best in the color beige...aka 'flesh color'

28. You are the head chef in the family and cook 6.5 nights/week

27. You let Roo sleep in between your legs

26. You will watch the same re-runs of The Office with your wife every.single.night

25. You are willing to DIY almost everything around the house....it saves us A LOT of money

24. You take Deacon to Home Depot every time you go

23. You're trying to become the next Dave Matthews in your 30's

22. You are a really good Crossfitter

21. You work really hard....most days

20. You can make a mean pulled pork

19. You like ice cream as much as us, even though it wasn't like that in the beginning

18. You enjoy a good trip to Nordstrom, even if you hate trying to find parking

17. You are rough around the edges, but that's fake. Really you are a gentle soul.

16. Your favorite food is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

15. You like to spend a lot of time with us

14. You hate being busy on Sunday evenings

13. You are an incredible father you can't get enough of your son

12. You check on Deacon with me every night....it's just part of our routine

11. You will run to the grocery store for me at pretty much anytime. The only time you say 'no' is when I want a sandwich from the deli.

10. You are a snuggler

9. You cut flowers from the backyard and bring them to me in a vase

8. You are anal retentive about your yard, and even though it drives us crazy sometimes, we secretly love it.

7. You help fold laundry....even if it is just your clothes.

6. You sing along with Deacon's kids CD's

5. You talk about doing 'boys only camping trips' when the kids are older.

4. You can eat a whole package of Oreo's at one sitting

3. You ALWAYS read instruction manuals, so I can just get a 're-cap'

2. You don't have any grey hair...in fact no hair at all, so nothing to worry about there.

1. There isn't a day that passes that you don't let us know how much we are loved. You make us your priority and never forget to tell us you think we are the bees knees.

Happy 30th Birthday to our loving Husband and Father!! We really think you're incredible.

Day 3....

2011-06-29T09:09:00.001-07:00

Our very first trip to the ER. We didn't get a fancy cast, no blood to show or a scar to keep forever, just a 105 fever and a little boy who was VERY unhappy about his ID tag on his ankle. We waited 1.5 hours for the Dr to tell us we had done a good job of keeping him hydrated, feel free to put him in a cold bathtub, and gave strict instructions for me to stop wrapping him in blankets (how in the H was I supposed to know??!! - he kept shivering, apparently that is the fever breaking), and told us it was probably a virus that would go away in a few days.

How many days is it OK to let him have his bink outside of his crib and watch as much TV as his heart desires?

Sick Buddy

2011-06-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

It took a 103+ fever to get this wild little man to snuggle. As much as it broke my heart to hold a little guy who was on fire, I soaked up every second of it. He was naked under that blanket and ended up falling asleep. Just like that. He didn't even pee all over. (Which frightened me even more) Thankfully, he seems to be back to normal today.....which means no snuggles.

30 Weeks

2011-06-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that can't believe I'm down to the 10 week countdown? Two months. Eeeek! So excited and also so nervous.

I'm SO big. So much bigger than the first time. I am OK with it this time around. Funny how that works. My back hurts.....bad. I'm still doing sit-ups, I'm still lifting heavy weights, I'm still trying to 'best' other people's scores. I refuse to run. My belly button sticks out (this I am NOT ok with) and Deacon likes to kiss it. I've been one of the lucky ones where sleep has not been an issue......until this week. My wedding ring doesn't fit anymore. I have to pee 45 times/day and the baby LOVES watermelon and cucumbers. The baby does NOT love ice cream. It's unfortunate, because the Momma does. I think these last 10 weeks will be hard, especially since my 20-month old has surpassed the 30lb mark. Carrying him is a challenge, and I don't like that.

Men At Work

2011-06-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Busy day at the office for these two. Lots of reports. I only hope they were able to stay focused and not distract one another with 'pull my finger' jokes.

Yes - that is in fact a tiger statue on Greg's desk. It is just as hideous from the front as it is from the back.

Projects

2011-06-15T09:23:00.001-07:00

What would summer be without a list of projects to work on? Greg built a deck (finished pictures to come) and baby #2's nursery is slowly getting transformed.

I love my husband for his anal retentive attention to detail - really, I do. That is not wall paper, it is paint. I saw it in a magazine and after searching and searching I finally found a stencil I wanted painted on the nursery wall. (Thank you Etsy) I'm in love with how it turned out, and how much time and love Greg put into it. He also helped me construct my Pinwheel mobile. I'm anxious to see what this looks like when we get it all put together. My mom is making the bedding, and we still have stuff to hang on the walls, and items to organize on the hutch, but so far I'm happy as a clam (whatever that really means) with the progress.

Some Time

2011-06-15T08:37:00.001-07:00

Now that I have some time to myself I'm finally able to play catch-up! I'm currently sitting in my 2 hour glucose screen, and while I feel completely awful (WAY too much sugar at 7:45am), I'm enjoying the sheer silence. No one hear calls me 'Mommy' or 'Honey', and at this moment, I will take that.

1.5 weeks ago we hopped yet another flight to Montana, bringing Deacon's total to 4 round trip flights. We enjoyed a gorgeous resort, some sun, 4 children and a lot of bagels (maybe I just ate a lot of bagels). I'm so thankful we got some sun, because us Washingtonians were seriously vitamin D deprived. So what if Deacon wore his swim trunks paired with his North Face!

The Carothers side of the Family

Grandparents and the Boys

All of the Grandkids

Someone just woke up

Our soon to be family of 4

This $7.50 bus is Deacon's best friend and favorite companion. It goes everywhere with him, including bed time and nap time.

I got stuck in this slide - dumbest slide in the entire world. It probably makes every fat kid at school have TERRIBLE self esteem. SO narrow.

Since this trip Deacon is obsessed with hanging! The bars at the park, the handle on the grocery cart, even the wash cloth rack in the bathtub (I'm sure that will break off soon)

"Bear! Bear! Raaawr!"......every time we walked past him in the lobby.

Learning

2011-05-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

Deacon is so eager to learn all the things that Daddy does. It sure is going to be nice to dish out the chores to all these boys when they are older!

Sun's Out Gun's Out

2011-05-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

We've waited SO long to see that fireball in the sky, you would have thought it was 95 degrees, as opposed to 70. We are praying this is the beginning of that season we call 'summer'.

CHEESE!

Such a little Ginger.

Staying in Shape

2011-05-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

My workouts always begin with this same facial expression:

"You want me to do WHAT?"

Somehow, someway, the work always gets done.

I'm wondering if boy #2 will be stronger than boy #1 because of my efforts to not really change up my routine just because I'm pregnant?

And yes, we took a serious jump in growth these last 2 weeks. Not quite 25 weeks, but close enough.

My Buddy

2011-05-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've had a pal with me 1/2 days at work this week. I'm BEYOND tired of the snot running down his nose, in which he brings to me, and mine turns into a viscous sinus infection, in which I get to fight 'naturally'. We've literally been sick every other week since February, so I pulled this little guy from his babysitters house and he gets to hang out with me. How do I get anything done? That's what the iPad is for. And the new scenery. And the rocks in my flower pot. I got to pick up about 100 of those at the end of my day yesterday. It's actually been the BEST. I love having him with me. He says funny things. Like when I put a new diaper on him he waves at his little man parts and says "bye bye pee-pee". We also have been spending a lot of time outside, and I'm praying that kills the snot. And we can get some health around here.

Helping me run some calculations

Scolding me

Week 23

2011-05-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how it's even possible, but more than 23 weeks have already passed by. Someone is really moving and shaking, and someone else's pants are getting tighter and tighter.

First Date

2011-05-13T11:13:00.001-07:00

Deacon asked Lucy on a date to the park. He OBVIOUSLY likes older, more mature women.

Hoppy Easter!

2011-04-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

Confession: I ran out of time to get all the things done I had wanted to for Easter. I found myself at Safeway at 7am on Easter morning looking for egg dye or plastic eggs to hide and a small Easter gift for the Mr. There was nothing left. I found him a ball and some new coloring books/markers and of course a chocolate Easter bunny (another confession - my pregnant belly got the best of me and I ate it instead of him), but he didn't get anything extravagant and exciting. We dyed the eggs with food coloring (which turned out just fine, so who really cares) and Deacon still got to have his first hunt. The poor thing is sick......again, so he wasn't really up for a lot of celebrating anyway.

Do you see how annoyed he is?

Sharing his prize with Roo

After our hunt and our special breakfast we headed off to church to remember the real reason for Easter. We sang (and someone danced in his seat) and listened to the message and then went back home to get ready for Easter dinner. Dinner ended up getting moved to a different location as Grandpa was really sick and we are trying to get the little one's healthy again, rather than infect them further. It was a very nice, very low key afternoon.

Sharing an Easter smooch.

Helping with Chores

2011-04-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Deacon learned all about putting some 'elbow grease' into getting the truck washed. He was a good little helper.....until he got himself soaking wet and realized it wasn't THAT warm outside.

No More Guessing

2011-04-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Remember how I was 93% sure I was having a girl? Remember how I convinced everyone around me it was DEFINITELY a girl? I guess I don't have that 'intuition' that other Mom's do. I guess a completely opposite pregnancy means nothing. I guess that old wives tales, Chinese calendars, pencil tests and carrying differently are also not indicators of gender. We are OVER THE MOON to be welcoming another little boy. Deacon is going to be SO excited when he realizes he gets a brother. I'm going to be surrounded by testosterone, and hopefully, two little boys who need their Momma to kiss their oh so many bumps and bruises.

Such a Boy..

2011-04-18T10:16:00.001-07:00

Belly hanging out of his shirt, beverage in hand, shoes on the couch, sucked into Sports Center. The only thing that's missing is his hands down his pants.

Date With Dad

2011-04-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Deacon has a great Daddy. He took him for a special day on Saturday. They had a great day bonding, doing "manly" things and Mom got the whole day to herself. (I should have relaxed, but instead spent the whole day painting Deacon's old room for the new baby) The Carothers boys met up with the Conniff boys and went to Motocross and then enjoyed themselves a nice dinner at Zeke's pizza. Sounds like the two little ones even got to share a Popsicle treat!

18 Months

2011-04-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

You made it to another milestone -the big 18 months! You weigh 27.10lbs (80th%) and are 35 inches tall (95+%). You realize that you are over half of my adult height at 18 months?? That is sad.

Some of your favorite words include the following:

seat, car, truck, Roo, hi, bye, bath, nigh night, cheese, nana (banana), Bapa (Grandpa), Momma, Dadda, sock, foot, shoe, no, yes, owie, up, down, more, please, thank you

You can make animal sounds for the following animals:

owl, dog, cat, sheep, wolf, bear, lion, cow, horse, snake, monkey

Your not afraid to do anything physically. You would jump off of the back of the couch if I would let you. I'm waiting for the day you take a header out of your crib. With all the jumping and commotion you cause in there, I'm sure it won't be long. Speaking of cribs, you adore sleeping and just hanging out in there. You were REALLY crabby this morning so we put you back in your crib and after talking to yourself for an hour we took you back out and you were much happier. I guess you just needed some time to wake up (don't worry - I get it). You really like the train, anything automotive and the TV is like your crack. We have had to make a conscious effort to no longer leave it on because you would watch it every second of every day. You really aren't that into milk, cheese and bananas are your passion and raisins are coming in at a close second.

Its obvious people think you are much older than you are and try to ask you what your name is and how old you are. You just wave and say "hi" so I'm guessing they think you are 'slow'. We are still trying to figure out what to do with your hair - it's a mess and it grows really fast. Hopefully someday something changes up there, or I think you are going to be a really unhappy teen.

You sure do keep us on our toes and we love you times infinity.

Baby #2

2011-04-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Little One,

I'm sorry I have been neglectful. It seems as though time is flying by at the speed of light. (or sound, whichever is faster - I forget.) I have only taken 2 pictures of my belly and I'm hoping to do better. I have felt your wee little kicks for about 3 weeks now and last night, for the first time, I could feel them outside my belly. I guess that means Daddy can feel you now. I lied in bed last night wondering if you are a boy or a girl, of course you already know, but the suspense is killing me. We will know soon enough! I also can't help but wonder what kind of unique little personality you will have. Will you be strong-willed and independent, will you jump right into a crowd full of kids? Maybe you will like sitting and observing, being taught instead of figuring everything out for yourself, like pink and pigtails, or maybe you will prefer dirt and bugs? Either way, we are oh so excited to meet you in just 4.5 short months!

15 weeks

18 weeks

A Glimpse into Our Saturday Mornings

2011-04-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

Deacon Rogue.....emphasis on Rogue

2011-04-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

My advice? Be careful what you name your child. This child's middle name could not be more suiting. He's wild. He is a little mischievous. He kind of writes his own rules. His redeeming quality? He gives me a lot of kisses. Even while I'm disciplining him he likes to sneak one in.

We traveled to Montana this past weekend where Deacon put on a great show as a ring bearer. I wish I had video to share, or pictures of him actually coming down the aisle, but I was at the release point and Greg was at the catch point so we both had our hands full bribing him down the aisle. To paint a picture:

Deacon stood with the flower girls ready to scoot down the aisle. I popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth and gave him a tap on the butt. He ran full speed half way down the aisle. Stoppped. Performed no fewer than 7 jumps. Saw his Grandma, talked to her for a moment, ran back towards the top of the aisle towards the flower girls. Watched them throw flowers. Jumped 4 more times. Was turned around by an usher and ran as.fast.as.he.could towards Daddy at the front of the church. He was pretty darn impressed with himself, and I think it's safe to say, so was everyone else in the church.

Feeding the Chicks and Hens

2011-03-30T14:21:00.001-07:00

One thing I learned is that taking a 17 month old to take pictures with baby chicks is a recipe for disaster. I guess I thought he would politely hold the chicks and be amazed by their little sounds. Instead he wanted to grab them by their necks, poke them in the eyes, and crawl in their bed with them. We decided we would venture out and see the hens instead. That was a much better choice.

Taking a peek at the chicks. Notice my death grip on his arm.

Outside with the big ones

Loving throwing corn to the birds

Choo Choo

2011-03-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

I used to get annoyed that we lived across the street from a working train track. These days, it's not so bad. Deacon's eyes light up and he yells "Choo! Choo!" every time one comes charging by. He loves watching them pass by from the window.

Happy 3rd Anniversary!!

2011-03-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Remember this day, just 3 short years ago?? It still blows my mind to think about all the things we have done in only 3 years. I love you more today than I did on the day below. I love that you are the father of my children. I love that you are supportive of me and try to make things easier when the going gets tough. Bottom line is I love you and even on the days when I haven't done a good job of letting you know, I appreciate you.

Why Do Weekends End?

2011-03-22T16:37:00.001-07:00

This weekend was perfect - in every. single. way. The sun came out just enough to keep us out of the house all weekend. We had soccer on Saturday morning followed by a nice long bike ride, some bubbles, some sidewalk chalk, an exploration walk in the woods and Mom and Dad went to a movie together for the first time in 2 years. Sunday was spent on a 7 mile hike, (most being uphill) which even though we all agreed 7 miles was a bit much, it was still so awesome to be out in the woods.

On our way to the top of Poo Poo Point

Taking a break at the top - holding hands tightly so no one falls over the edge

View from the top

Gearing up for our bike ride

Not quite sunny enough for the beach

bubbles!

finding the perfect stick out in the woods

taking our stick for a walk

Start 'em early

2011-03-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Two really cute little boys had their first soccer class this morning. Let's just say that no one in the class really played soccer, or really even listened for that matter, but they sure enjoyed wearing their jerseys, running up and down the field and chasing all the balls. Momma enjoyed the 3 hour nap Deacon took when he got home.

Drinking some muscle milk before practice

Telling his Mom how fast he was going to run

Dads and their dudes

Playing goalie

Too much fun!

Momma's trying to stear the boys in the right direction

Barber Shop A La Daddy

2011-03-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Since you started looking like a homeless child who hasn't had a haircut in years we decided it was time. This is not your most favorite thing in the world - hence your irritated facial expression.

Just Because...I love you.

2011-03-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

One with Nature

2011-03-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

There's nothing I love more than an early morning walk with my favorite little man. He's learning and taking in so much and is absolutely loving being able to get dirty. I'm looking forward to the rain slowing down and getting to do this much more often.

1st Trip to the Children's Museum

2011-03-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

I forget my camera everywhere we go. It's making blogging difficult. No one enjoys a post without a picture (well I certainly don't and I don't take the time to even read other people's if they don't include some visual stimulation). The memories I was able to capture on my blackberry will have to suffice for the time being.

We took Deacon to the Children's Museum as we are having the hardest time keeping him entertained. I read other people's blogs where they give their young ones play-doh or crayons or a little bit of water and some toys and the kids play, just as they should.

Mine? He eats play-doh, he colors on everything except paper, he dumps the small buckets of water I give him and really, all he wants to do anyway is take off all of his clothes and run like a wild banshee through the house playing ball or trying to get the dog to chase him.

Needless to say we try to get out of the house as much as possible.

At the Children's Museum the banshee didn't really slow down. He ran from room to room, knocked over a 6 month old, took a Maraca at the dance party and threw it at another child, ran instead of danced, tried to eat all of the fake food and bounced and thew himself into anything he could find.

I'm not one of those parents that just turns a blind eye and shrugs and says "kids will be kids" so he spends a lot of time getting in trouble. I can only pray someday he starts slowing down...just a pinch.

I'm 90% certain another child will get his runny nose, sorry.