The Timmy Boy Times (& Henry too!)

Friday Phone Dump

2012-02-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone!!! Have a fabulous holiday weekend!

Scavenger Hunt

2012-02-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

It is semi decent outside today (read: above freezing....) so I decided we needed to get out of the house for a bit. I threw on my new kicks

:::obligatory bragging picture ahead:::

and got the boys ready to go outside! Before we left I made Timmy a little list of 5 things he needed to find while we were out, and told him I was bringing the camera along so we could document our finds. We only walked about a mile, but hey, it was better than sitting inside, and hopefully it was a fun little learning experience for the boy as well!

The hunt was a success. I think we'll have many more in store as some warmer weather, hopefully, heads our way. (do you hear me Weather Gods?!? I NEED SOME WARMTH!!!!) Fellow mamas looking to kill an hour or two, I highly recommend the scavenger hunt. Do you have any fun ways to kill an hour or two?!?

School Fun

2012-02-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

So Timmy goes to an amazing preschool here in Chicago. I'm not going to name drop here (stalkers you know? lol), but it's fabulous and if anyone local ever needs an idea for a school please don't hesitate to ask me for info. His school is a cooperative school, meaning that the parents take a very active part in the school. In fact one parent assists with the classroom each day, in addition to the three teachers in his class of 18. Working with kids has always been a passion of mine, so I love that I get to take an active part in Timmy's education. It's so much fun to assist in the classroom and get to see what my boy does at school, as well as watch the dynamic between the kids. I was supposed to assist two weeks ago, but Timmy was sick so an incredibly nice Mom traded with me, and I assisted this past Friday instead. We had a great time. Timmy loved that he got to show me around the classroom, and wear the special helper apron, and I loved being a part of the classroom. I snapped some pics while I was there for the class yearbook (yes, they do a preschool yearbook. hilarious right?!?). I'm going to try and only post pics of Timmy for the privacy of the other families, but rest assured, there are some adorable kiddos!

doing some crafts, and rocking his special apron

holding hands w/his best friend. i die of cuteness.

getting ready to paint!!!

Another aspect of Timmy's school that I adore is the sense of community. On the very first day all of the staff knew not only Timmy's name, but mine as well. This baffled me as I hadn't met most of them! They also have a social committee, comprised of parents, who host several special events throughout the school year. There's a concert with a popular local kids band, parents nights out, speakers who come to talk to the parents on various topics, a book club for adults, school picnic, and yesterday was the annual Winter Carnival. Held at a local indoor field house the carnival was a blast. There was face painting, a station to decorate your bikes for a parade, music, a bouncy house, inflatable slide, crafts, and more. This was our first year to attend and we weren't disappointed! It was lovely to spend a fun afternoon with Timmy's friends, as well as the other parents, and have another chance to bond.

so excited about decorating his bike

lolol

getting a snake painted on his face

making some spin art

(oh, and Auntie Gracie was in town! yay!!)

rocking a funny hat Daddy made him

Have I mentioned that I love this school?!?!?!?

Welcome Home Baby Layla

2012-02-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is a very special post for me to write, and I know a lot of my Mom friends who blog are writing the very same one today. I'm part of an online Mom's group. Most of us met when we were pregnant with our first batch of kiddos, and we have formed an incredible bond. This is a group of women from all over the country, and what a group we are! I am so proud to call these women my friends. At time we may argue and bicker just like any friends (and honestly that can be part of the fun!), but the majority of the time you couldn't find a group of ladies more connected and supportive of one another. We're fun, funny, strong, fabulous Moms, and we will do anything for one another.

Last October our strength was tested as one of our ladies, Jeni, was faced with an awful medical situation and was forced to deliver her baby girl, Layla Kathleen, at 24 weeks 2 days, weighing only 1 lb 6 oz. I knew that our group was strong, but the way that we banded together to support Layla and her family was incredible. Each and every one of us did everything we could to help ease the struggle for Layla & her family. We donated money, gifts, cried, and prayed over Layla as if she was our very own. And in a way she is.

Layla is much like her "aunties" in that she is a FIGHTER. This baby girl has progressed in an amazing fashion, defying all the odds for a baby so small. She's a baby that not so many years ago wouldn't have survived, and in many cases today wouldn't make it, but not our Layla - she was going to get through this. I am so proud today to say that she HAS gotten through the worst of it. Today, February 10, 2012, Miss Layla Kathleen is ON HER WAY HOME!!!! She is packed snug as a bug in her carseat, riding home to her Mommy, Daddy, and her beautiful Big Sister Alaina.

Layla, you are a miracle. I am so proud to have been a part of your life and to have witnessed your amazing growth. You have the most incredible, strong mother. She is a rockstar and amazes me each and every day with her strength. Honestly I don't think I could have handled this situation with the grace and dignity she has. You are both an inspiration to me. I hope to have 1/10 of the strength you ladies have. Congratulations sweet girl. I know you are going to love being at home with your family, and oh how they are going to love having you home with them. I am just elated for you. We all love you and are so excited to watch you grow into the amazing woman I know you'll become!

I stole a few pics from Jeni's Facebook wall to share with you. This first one is from the day Layla was born. Gives you an idea of how tiny she was.

Beautiful baby Layla now!

On her way HOME!!!!!

First Food

2012-02-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

Henry turned 6 months last week, which meant he was officially old enough to start on solid foods. Some doctors say you can start as early as 4 months, but for various reasons we chose to wait until he was 6 months old, as we did with Timmy. As I'm sure you can tell by looking at Henry he enjoys eating, however he wasn't the biggest fan of the rice cereal. I'm sure the texture was a weird new sensation and at the end the poor pup did some serious gagging. Oh well, we'll keep trying and I'm sure he'll get the hang of this eating thing soon!!

You want me to eat what???

hmmmm.... this is... different

you know what, maybe this is fun

Timmy wanted to help, and Henry started to really dislike what was happening.

Come on Mom, really??

It's Been a Week....

2012-02-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you've noticed that there haven't been any new blog posts in the past week. I apologize for the lack of posting, but it has been the house of the sick over here. It started last Sunday with Timmy seeming to come down with a cold. By Monday he was a wreck, and it just seemed to escalate for a few days, finally subsiding by Thursday and starting to come around. But of course just as Timmy started to get better Henry & I caught it. Needless to say it's been quite the tiring week around here. We've gone through 6 boxes of kleenex, a ton of boogie wipes, 3 cartons of OJ... it goes on and on. Colds are particularly tough with the little guys because you can't really give them any meds to help out, so what you're left with is totally miserable (read: crabby) little boys. I can't really take meds either on account of nursing Henry, so we've all just had to deal with feeling terrible. We even had to cancel our annual Superbowl Party & Chili Cookoff yesterday which majorly bummed me out. Alas we didn't want to spread our sickness to anyone else, and frankly I couldn't make chili anyway since I can't smell/taste anything right now! lol.

The good news is Timmy is basically better at this point. He's resumed running laps around the house and playing cars all day, and I've gotten a reprieve from watching Cars 2 over and over! Henry is on the way up I think. He hasn't had a fever since Sat night, and I'm hopeful that he's done with them for this illness. He's really congested though which is making it hard for him to sleep (even with the elevated crib, humidifier, Vicks baby rub), therefore making it hard for me to sleep. I think I probably got about 3-4 hours of sleep last night total, though definitely not consecutively. I can't wait for both my guys to feel better and return to some normal sleeping. Mama is TIRED!!!

Well that's our illness saga. Despite us doing nothing last week (seriously, we didn't even go to school), I do have a few pictures to share with you, because I know that no blog post is complete without cute kid pics!!

These are from earlier in the week, before Henry got sick. Just some adorable roly after bath baby pics!

And I mentioned that our Superbowl party was cancelled last night. Well Tim was feeling fine so he went to our friends' house to watch with them. Timmy was feeling perky so I got out our new mini cupcake maker to do something fun with him. I brought over sprinkles and icing for him to let him decorate. I looked away for one second and WHAM. He dumped an entire container of sprinkles out on a single cupcake. lololol. I think I'll be finding sprinkles around the house forever!

Half a Year Old!!!

2012-01-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

Henry,

I cannot believe that yesterday you were 6 months old. This may have been the fastest half a year of my life! Between you and your brother I hardly get a moment of downtime, but you know what? I love every moment of it. You are the sweetest, happiest, chubbiest little guy and frankly I'm not sure how we managed without you!

I waited to post this until today because I wanted to post your 6 month stats. Let's just say it's a good thing I got a new carseat last week because you are a mere 4 ounces away from being too big for the infant seat! As expected you're a big guy! You are 21 lbs 12 oz, and in the 95-98% for weight. You are in the 75% for height at 27 inches. And you have a big old brain inside of your 95% head!

You have been sitting for a few weeks now, which is earlier than your brother did. You grab and play with everything you can get your hands on. You think Timmy is the funniest thing ever, but also get a real kick out of Mommy singing and dancing for you (it is pretty ridiculous looking I'm sure!). You can jump forever in your exersaucer, and also are great at standing if you're holding our hands. You hate being on your stomach, but I could see you bypassing crawling altogether and just going straight to running after your brother!

I love you my sweet little guy. I know the next 6 months are going to fly by and before we know it we'll be celebrating your first birthday (which in typical crazy Caroline style I'm already planning! lol), but for now I'm going to savor every moment with you as my baby.

Love Always, Mommy

trying to eat the sign as usual!

incognito baby

happy boy

Videos

2012-01-25T16:17:00.000-08:00

Some days you need to live our lives to actually witness how crazy/beautiful/fun it is. I have a few videos today so you can witness for yourself a little of our amazing insanity.

First up a little sledding video from our snow day the other day. Timmy was just having a blast! I love the scream when he's coming down the hill.

Now we have a 2 parter. Henry was just going crazy laughing at Timmy yesterday. The video was super long, so Tim chopped it down into two laughing highlights for you. Is this the cutest baby ever or what?!?

Winter Boy

2012-01-22T21:35:00.000-08:00

Timmy is constantly telling me that he's a "winter boy," as is Daddy, and I'm a "summer grill." However Winter Boy really only loves winter if it's snowing! On Friday his dreams came true and we got a decent 5-6 inches or so of snow. It was actually really beautiful. Saturday we decided to go over to a nearby park where there is a good sledding hill and have some fun! It was so fun to see all the kids having fun in the snow. I particularly got a kick out of all of the dad's who were camped out at the top of the hill, having a blast as well. It's as if the snow brought out the inner 10 year old in them all. Taking pictures was a bit more difficult than usual since I was holding Henry most of the time, but we still managed to get some good pics that captured what an amazing time everyone, but especially Timmy, had!
(please forgive me for not editing any of these pictures. I had a lot of important napping to take care of today, but wanted to post the pics in a timely fashion. unfortunately editing fell by the wayside.)

This & That

2012-01-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Nothing too exciting happening around these parts, yet all the same it's been a really lovely week. My last two posts were sort of Timmy/Henry photo free, and let's not kid ourselves, that's what you're really here for, so with this post I'm happy to accommodate. Pictures are what you want, then pictures you shall have! Just some randoms of our week so far.

Sunday Timmy's pal Sheri from school had a birthday party at the always fun Fantasy Kingdom. Timmy had a blast playing with all of his friends. He also dressed up as a "scary dragon".....

and spent a little time in jail, although I think Maisy is about to break him out!

Yesterday Henry & Timmy napped at different times, which is a rare occurrence. While I like when they nap together so I can nap too, it was also nice to have some solo playtime with Henry.

We also attempted a little photoshoot. Note to self, if you're using a vase full of flowers to hold up the backdrop, and the baby falls backwards into said backdrop, it's going to end badly! Luckily no babies were hurt, and the vase didn't even break. It was mostly just a watery mess.

I took these pics about 10 minutes ago. My sweet boys playing together. Makes a Mommy seriously happy!

And this might be my new favorite picture. Squeeee!!!!

Mom Confessions

2012-01-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

I feel like there is a lot of pressure these days for women to be the *perfect* mom. Sometimes this pressure is inflicted by society, sometimes our mom peers, and sometimes it's just completely self inflicted. I know that I have a tendency to look at other people's blogs, or pictures on Facebook, and think to myself "Man, she looks so put together. I wish I could be like that." So in the interest of total disclosure, and hopefully to make any other moms (or dads) in the same boat as me feel a bit better, I have some mom confessions.

#1 - I Hide Things When I Take Pictures
There are days like today when you could come over to my house and it would be pretty darn spotless. But for every day like today there are two times as many days where my house is a mess. There are cars nearly everywhere, dishes are in the sink, beds are unmade. It's never filthy, but often times it's messy. I wish I could be a Type-A Stepford Wife, but I'm just not. I worry about unexpected visitors coming by and seeing the mess, but hey, that's life. At the end of the day I sometimes look at the playroom and think "Yikes!" but you know what, I don't actually feel that bad about it. I look at the mess and think that it means we were busy having fun and playing all day. I suppose I could have been cleaning, but instead I was playing with my boys. And yes, we may have too many toys out, but we needed them all for the fun and games we were having. I'm once again (for the 10000th time) trying to convince myself that if I do a little bit each day I can keep the house super clean, but I know inevitably I'll fail and have to do a big overhaul, and that's ok. Life isn't always perfect and clean. I care more about having fun. And like I said, I can always hide things to give the appearance of perfection! lol

#2 - We Wear PJs All Day
There are plenty of days where Tim comes home from work and we are all still in jammies. Some days it's a real accomplishment if I've brushed my teeth! Timmy goes to school two days a week, so we're always good on those days, but other days we aren't always as put together. I don't feel the need to over schedule my kids, or have them involved in 50 million classes. We try to go to the playground and parks as often as possible, have playdates, go to museums, but there are plenty of days where we just stay home and play. I think you need to let kids be kids. And while we do take classes, and Timmy goes to school, we also have a lot of downtime. Downtime where we play, watch movies (I know, good parent faux pas), and sometimes don't even bother to get dressed. I LOVE taking the boys out for new experiences and adventures, which I'm sure you can tell if you follow our blog, but I also love lazy PJ days at home with my boys.

#3 - I Let My Kid Eat Hot Dogs
And Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and food that - gasp - isn't organic. I try really hard to make sure that we have healthy, balanced meals, but it's all about give and take folks. My kid LOVES mac & cheese, and you know what? So do I. It's my favorite food, so if he wants it I generally give in, because that means I'm not eating a box all on my own! lol. There are certain things I'm a stickler for (organic milk for one), but in general I'm not too strict on food. At dinner "you get what you get and you don't get upset," meaning I don't make alternate meals for Timmy. Either he eats the (usually) healthy meal I've made or he doesn't eat anything at all. But at lunch I usually let him dictate what he wants, and generally he picks very typical toddler-esque foods that I know a lot of super moms would cringe at. Also baby food... Henry is going to start food soon and I'm under no delusion that I'm going to be making it myself. With Timmy I had delusions of grandeur. You know, me in a cute little apron, steaming and pureeing foods all day long. Shockingly it didn't happen. So while I'll try to make him some home made baby foods if I get the chance, most likely I'll just be buying it at the store. I'll probably go a little crazy and get it at Whole Foods or something, but I have a gazillion things to do everyday, and not a ton of time to make baby food, this is something I refuse to feel guilty about. The boys will survive! A little takeout never killed anyone!

#4 - I Bribe My Kid
Dum Dums go a long way people. Do you have a screaming toddler who refuses to sit still in the stroller? Give him a Dum Dum. Your kid doesn't want to get dressed? The promise of the park later or a sweet treat just might do the trick. I'm really lucky that Timmy is super easy going and I don't have to fight him on much, but sometimes when he's being difficult I find that bribing him is the easiest route. I usually try to sit down and talk to him, explain what we're doing and why, and get him to do things calmly on his own, but it doesn't always happen. Sometimes we're running late, he's in a mood, and if giving him a lifesaver in the car is going to help, well then fine! A lifesaver it is, literally.

#5 - I Can't Wait to Start Going to the Gym
And no, not just because I want to get fit (which I do, BELIEVE me I do), but because it will be a little break time. Once Henry is 6 months old I can take the boys to the daycare at the gym, and I think it will be great. Sometimes Mama needs a break. I think recognizing that is a great thing b/c it prevents you from going stir crazy. Also I think kids need to have other people watch them so they aren't completely dependent on Mom, and have the ability to go with other people without freaking out. So ladies and gentlemen, know that it is OK to take a break. Hire a babysitter, drop them at the gym daycare, do what you have to in order to have a little break from time to time.

Maybe all of these things make me sound like a bad mom, but I think it's important to get them out there to dispel the idea that we all have to be super mom. I honestly think I'm a good mom, and I think a big part of that is all about balance. Now if I committed all of the previously listed sins every day, and altogether, yeah... we might have some issues, but it's all about balance folks. Balancing the perfect mom moments with the normal mom moments. At the end of the day my kid doesn't care if I'm in jammies, he cares if I'm playing with him and having fun. He doesn't care if the house is spotless, in fact he probably likes that I'm ok with him having a gazillion toys out at one time and not worrying about me constantly cleaning up after him. I'll say it again - BALANCE. It's all about balance. Parenting, like anything else, requires give and take. So while I don't want to see any of you appearing on Hoarders in the near future, I'm telling you it's ok to put down the broom and let things get messy. It's ok to have an easy meal once in awhile that isn't perfectly healthy and organic. I hope that more moms will let you all in on the secret that I think is likely happening in almost every "perfect" home, and that is, simply put, that it's not perfect. At the end of the day I think a lot of moms are like me, and you know... hiding things in pictures so the house looks clean!!

Living Room Mini Makeover

2012-01-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of the Irish Travellers? They're basically this group of totally crazy Irish people who roam around from place to place, complete nomads who are always on the move. They also, incidentally, have some craaaaazy weddings! (seriously - watch My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on TLC. it's absurd!) Anyway these crazies are always moving from one place to the next, never truly settling down. Which brings me to a confession.... I think I may be an Irish Traveller at heart. It's strange because growing up I lived in one house from age 3 until I left for college, so it's not like I was an army brat or anything who was accustomed to moving, all the same I LOVE to move. Since I was 19, 2-3 years is the longest I've stayed in any one place. Any longer than that and I get super antsy and eager to move. We're in that boat again right now. We are working with a realtor right now to see if we want to find a new place or stay where we're at, but in the meantime I decided I needed to make some steps to make myself happier where we're at. Part of the thrill of moving for me is the total redecoration. I love packing and unpacking, buying new things, setting everything up, it's reminiscent of how much fun rearranging your room is when you're a kid. Since we're renting this place a complete overhaul (i.e. new paint, new cabinets, etc) is out of the question, but I could do some other things to spruce up the living room and make it feel shiny and new. I have some before and after shots of the living space so you can see the changes we've made, as well as some detail shots!

The new sofa was a joint Christmas present for our family from Tim's parents. It's a Newton Sofa from Room & Board, and soooo comfortable. The ottoman I purchased so I could throw my feet up. I like to lounge folks! It was a fabulous Target find (the throw pillows are also Target!). I was dying for a chevron rug, but much to my dismay they were out of stock almost everywhere. Luckily I found a Surya rug that was in stock and was just what I was looking for. Lastly I decided a side table would be a good idea, but wanted something narrow since our living space is sort of a strange layout and not all that roomy. I found a great Gear C table at CB2 that was perfect. They only had one in stock and it had a teeny tiny scratch on it, so they said they'd give me a $40 discount. You could barely see the scratch, and let's face it, in the land of two boys and crazy dogs our stuff is going to get scratches and nicks, so I took it as a great deal! Oh and please ignore that cord hanging out of the couch. It's there so I can charge my iPad, and I'm really regretting that I didn't notice it before I took the pictures! I also could have fluffed the couch cushions.... oh, and sorry about the dog. He refused to move! lol

I added some new photos and accessories to the mantle. I know some of my e-friends out there are going to be really excited about one particular addition!

The photo wall felt too small for the wall space so I doubled it in size. I also wanted to make sure we had Henry up there, so it was a perfect time to add some pics. And now that I'm looking at this I'm off to straighten a majority of the frames! lol.
ps - how much do I hate that ugly motion sensor on the wall?!?

I wanted a personalized tray for the ottoman so we could set drinks and things on it. This Clairebella tray from Layla Grace was too cute to resist.

I purchased a wedding date print from Apple Bottom Prints on Etsy awhile back as a wedding gift for a friend, and it was so cute I wanted one for us as well! Mini makeover time was the perfect excuse to order one!

I think that's pretty much the jist of it. I'm toying w/the idea of moving the Blue Dog art by the kitchen and replacing it with some accent wall decals, but I'm waiting to see if another move is in our near future (look out for a post on that!) before I pull the trigger. Other than that I'm pretty happy with how it all turned out! Now I'm on the hunt for a new bed! Maybe in the next few months I'll have a bedroom makeover to share with you as well. (Sorry Tim!)

Weekend Fun

2012-01-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning Timmy woke up and was one excited boy - it was snowing!! He tells me all of the time that he's a "winter boy" and wants it to be snowing, so he was delighted. By Friday we probably had about 5 inches. It was perfect. Not too much that the city couldn't function (although who am I kidding, barring a blizzard Chicago soldiers on), but substantial enough to look really pretty and play with! On Friday Timmy met Tim in our courtyard when he got home from work, and they got to playing! For Christmas Tina & Ben got them a snowball & brick making kit and the boys LOVED it. They had a blast playing in the snow. Apparently snowball baseball is on the future agenda as well!

Saturday morning we had a reallllly exciting adventure. Discover the Dinosaurs came to town, and we headed out to the convention center to take in some dino fun. There were dozens of animatronic dinosaurs, as well as dinosaur games, rides, inflatables, and face painting. Timmy was in heaven. I apologize in advance for the pictures. It was really tricky to get any decent shots in there. It was really dark and there were multi colored strobe spotlights circling around to add to some sort of prehistoric nightclub effect. Anyway I did the best I could! lol.

Just for Laughs

2012-01-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Today I found THIS website, where you can upload a picture of yourself and find your celebrity doppelgängers. I did myself first and the results were so spectacular (just wait - you'll agree I'm sure!) that I spent way too much time finding pics of loved ones to upload so I could see their results. Most of them were hilarious, aside from my cousin Maggie who just got really lovely beautiful blonde actresses as her results. Jerk! I figured you could probably use a good laugh so I'd post our family results here!

I think it goes without saying that people have a hard time telling me & The Rock apart. I mean our resemblance is uncanny! Surely you can waste a few minutes and find a doppelgänger of your own. Head on over to that ridiculous site and then let me know who you look like!

Happy Birthday Grandma Kiki!!

2012-01-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

Today is Grandma Kiki's birthday! One more year until the big one! We should start planning a killer party now!!! We love you so much and wish you a wonderful day full of family, friends, fun, and lots of love!

Knock on Wood..

2012-01-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

So far we've had a mild winter. A really lovely, mild winter. In fact it's been so nice that I hesitate to even write about it for fear that I'll jinx things and our balmy days will turn into some sort of record breaking blizzard before I know it. So quick, everyone run to the nearest item of wood and starting banging the heck out of it! I mean it, RUN NOW!!!

Ok, now that we've gotten that taken care of lets move on to that gorgeous mild winter I'm speaking of. This week we've had days in the high 40s, and even low 50s. Now remember, I live in Chicago so this is monumental. I mean I'm accustomed to going outside to play for sure if it's above freezing, although if the wind chill isn't bad we can tolerate the twenties & teens. I remember on our trip to Disney World last year it was in the 50s when we arrived and all of the locals were bundled in parkas. Us Northerners were ready to hop into the pool! lol. So needless to say the weather has been begging us to be outside, and man we've been happy to oblige!

Friday we had a gorgeous sun filled day in the low 50s. I told Timmy we could meet Grandma at the playground and you would have thought I told him he won the lottery he was so excited. The boy has been doing laps around our house lately, so needless to say I think he's been feeling cooped up, and the playground was the perfect remedy. I took way too many pictures, but it was so nice out and I got a new lens for Christmas that I hadn't gotten to play with yet, so I couldn't resist. And without further ado, park pics!

Friday Phone Dump

2012-01-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I cleaned out my phone, so it is a perfect time to join in the rest of the blogosphere and post a Friday Phone Dump! Most of the pictures this week are Instagram pictures taken on my iPhone. Instagram is a great little social media tool that allows you to take, edit, and post fun pictures to the internet. Either just to Instagram, or Twitter & Facebook as well. I have some serious Instagram love! If you're a user as well please follow me @Lineygal!

2011: A Year in Review

2012-01-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

2011 was a fantastic year for us. As we move into 2012 I want to take a moment to look back at an amazing year. It was certainly one of the best two of my life, as it brought us Henry! Best wishes to you and yours for a fabulous 2012.

(oh, and if you want to waste some time looking back, here are our reviews from 2010 & 2009.

5 Months Old

2011-12-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

Henry,

Happy 5 months you chunky little love!! You are just the sweetest, happiest little guy and the past 5 months have been fantastic. You are so alert and aware now. Mimicking faces, grabbing for and playing with toys, sitting unassisted a few times, really trying to chat - you're a very advanced young man!! You light up when you see your Mommy, which makes me the happiest gal in the world.

I think Timmy is still your favorite person. You watch him so intently and crack up at everything he does. The other day you were crying and I had to go to the bathroom so I sent your brother and told him to cheer you up. When I got out of the bathroom the two of you were laying on the couch together hysterically laughing. Be still my heart! I died and went to heaven! As I write this you are snuggling with your Cousin Maggie and giggling at Mabel. Such a snuggle bug.

As far as sleeping goes you're back and forth. Sometimes great, sometimes not so great. The past few nights haven't been your best work! You are a champion eater. One more month and we can move onto solids. I have a feeling you'll love that! As it is you are chewing (and drooling) on everything you can get your chubby little hands on.

The highlight of your fifth month was undoubtedly your first Christmas. You were passed around like crazy, everyone wanting to love on you. Oh, and of course, you were completely spoiled. When looking back on 2011 I will count it as one of the best years of my life, because it brought me you.

Love you,

Mommy

this was too hilarious not to post

Christmas Celebrations: Part Two

2011-12-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

Onto the rest of our Christmas celebrations!!! After Timmy's nap we got all dolled up and headed to Tim's Aunt Mame's house. Every year Aunt Mame hosts a wonderful Christmas dinner with turkey and all the fixings. It's Tim's favorite meal of the year! I regret that I didn't get many pictures there, we were so caught up in spending as much time as possible eating!! lol

Our little family getting ready to head out!

Auntie Gracie & Henry

The Carey Family

After Aunt Mame's house we headed over to Granny Franny's for the Gallagher family celebration. Timmy had a blast playing with his cousins, and Henry was passed around like crazy. This freed me up to have a glass of wine and chat with my cousins which I love! As always we filled Franny's house to the gills with people and presents! These are times I'll remember all my life.

Timmy playing w/the big guys, Jake & Quinn

This picture cracks me up. Hannah posing for a picture as the boys wrestle behind her. And sweet little Charlie sleeping through it all! lol.

Henry & Aunt Maggie

Mackenzie snuck a kiss!

Timmy wearing his "cowboy hat" that he loves to wear at Granny Franny's. In reality it was my Great Aunt Mary Lou's Easter bonnet, but hey Timmy, whatever floats your boat!

Timmy rocking some amazing Christmas glasses!

Charlie & Timmy helping Aunt Honey to blow out her birthday candles! (her birthday IS on Christmas, which gives us something extra to celebrate!)

Timmy & Charlie having a blast together

Christmas Celebrations: Part 1

2011-12-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

As I know I've already mentioned we go sort of crazy at Christmas. While I admit I have visions of spending a cozy Christmas morning at our own house (which I almost got due to a strange illness), I also love our St. Louis Christmases, full of family, friends, and lots of love. We have narrowed Christmas down to only going to 4 places while we're in town (yes, that's the minimized version!), which is hectic, but for us totally manageable. This post is just going to have the first two celebrations, and when I post later today or tomorrow I'll put up pictures from the other two. I figure why not spare my readers the world's longest post, and spread the holiday love a little bit longer!!

This year we spent Christmas Eve at Grandma & Grandpa Carey's house with Grandpa Joh, Grandma Kiki, Auntie Gracie, Uncle Jim, Grandma Ma, & Papa John. We had a fantastic meal (I was told it was Gracie & Jim's favorite!), ate too many cookies, and opened an incredible amount of presents. It was a perfect evening!

showing Grandma Kiki which presents to open first

helping to unwrap

Auntie Gracie high-five!

Grandma Ma & Baby H (she's magical at getting Henry to sleep by the way!!)

Uncle Jim got an iPhone!

Auntie Gracie's new macbook pro!!

After the Carey festivities we drove back to Grandpa Pete's house to spend the night. Christmas morning we woke up and had presents with Grandpa Pete & Grandma Donna, and later Aunt Betsy & Uncle Mike came by for brunch. This may be the last Christmas in the house I grew up in, as my Dad is likely moving, so it was really special to have Christmas morning there.

snuggling with my Christmas baby

Timmy & Daddy opening presents

Hen digging into some gifts

not a great Grandma D shot, but Henry looks so cute! He was a happy Christmas morning baby.

ahhh.... Henry is blurry, but I still couldn't resist posting this!

rocking out on his new guitar!

A fantastic start to a fantastic Christmas! I'll be back with more pics soon!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town (a wee bit early...)

2011-12-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Each year we head to St. Louis for the holidays. Since Tim and I both grew up there it's the obvious place for us to spend the holidays, as all of our extended family is there. Since we live out of town Santa likes to make an early visit to our house. He could come to St. Louis, but it makes more sense not to transport big gifts, and honestly we like to have a little family Christmas all our own. I'm a bit envious of people who get to have Christmas morning in their own house, and imagine one day we'll move in that direction, but for now we love that we're able to spend it with so many of our loved ones.

We decided to have Santa come smack dab in the middle of the week - well a day later, Thursday. We wanted to wait until it was semi close to Christmas, and last weekend wouldn't work because we had Tim's work party on Saturday, and we wanted to be home the evening before to get ready with Timmy.

Wednesday night the preparations began. Timmy and I baked cookies for Santa (I took the easy slice & bake route. It's been a rough week!), set out the milk & cookies, wrote Santa a letter, then read The Night Before Christmas before going to bed. Next up, Tim & I turned into Santa's elves putting gifts together. We got everything done around midnight and headed to bed...... where I stayed awake until almost 2am due to an unusually fussy baby who couldn't sleep.

Timmy decided we needed chocolate chips, sugar cookies just weren't good enough!

Apparently Santa wanted to share his cookies with Timmy!

Henry's loot

and Timmy's

Thursday morning we woke up bright and early, set up our cameras, I threw some cinnamon rolls in the oven, then woke the boys. Timmy was so excited. He went racing down the stairs and exclaimed "Santa brought me a bike!!!" It was just the reaction I was hoping for. Henry was less animated! lol
Tim took a video on his phone of the morning, which I'll make sure to post when I get it uploaded from him! We were all spoiled this morning. After presents and breakfast Tim had to head to work, and Timmy and I played several new board games, where he promptly beat me every time without cheating. I am seriously the worst at games! Ooh, and some of Santa's elves, in the form of delivery men, arrived with a new couch for us! Hooray. Great start to our Christmas present season!

watches!!

Christmas Magic

2011-12-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

We've been in a holiday mood over here in Careyland. The tree is trimmed, wrapping paper is flying about, Christmas music is ringing in our ears, and we're all doing our best to be holly jolly. Here is some of our holiday fun!

Buddy the Elf. Buddy is from The Elf on the Shelf, which is a bit of a phenomenon these days. It's an elf who comes to your house to spy on you for Santa (creepy right?!?), and then every night flies to the North Pole to report to Santa how you've been behaving. It's sort of the most awesome Christmas blackmail ever! You get to name your elf, and we went with Buddy, since we've been watching a lot of Elf starring Will Ferrell lately. Each morning when your elf returns to your house he is supposed to be hiding in a new location for you to find him. There are some amazing ambitious moms and dads out there who have done all sorts of crazy fun things with their elves, but I'm a tired Mama, so Buddy kept it pretty simple!

Tim and I went to a Christmas Party at Ben & Tina's last Friday and we wore these beautiful matching Christmas turtlenecks. Is it sad that Tim looks better in a women's shirt than I do?!?

Some of my Chicago mom friends and I adopted a family from an amazing organization called Christopher House again this year. Christopher House helps to provide education and various support to families living below the poverty line. We had a single mother and her two children, and I dare say we went above and beyond in spoiling them! (I stole this pic from my friend Tara, so the quality isn't the best since I don't have the original file!)

A lot of people make gingerbread houses, but for us a gingerbread train seemed much more appropriate. Grandma D stopped by with a pre made kit for us, which Tim & Timmy had a blast decorating. They may have decorated Baby Henry along the way as well!!

I've been wrapping like crazy. Bows, boxes, glitter are swirling around and have completely consumed my dining room table. I'm very happy to say that we're almost at the finish line wrapping wise!

The holiday cheer of others has come our way in the form of Christmas goodies (thanks Grandma & Grandpa Carey!) and cards from loved ones around the country. We love seeing so many happy faces and reading your lovely notes!

And speaking of Christmas cards I finally have all of ours sent out. In case yours got lost in the mail (which is entirely possible since I recently received a card returned to me that I sent in 2008!) I want to share our family photo from our card.

Hope some holiday magic is filling your lives right now as well!!!

Oh, and stay tuned b/c Santa came to our house early! Tomorrow I'll have a special Santa post for you all!

Cars

2011-12-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

We have an obsession with Cars in our household. A deep, serious, life altering love affair with Disney/Pixar Cars. Oh Lightning McQueen, how did we ever survive without you???

It's no surprise then that I find cars all around our house. In my purse, the bathroom, bookshelves, in every nook and cranny. The other day I went to hang up a new ornament on our tree and look what I found. Here we have Ramone, Francesco Bernouli, & a color changer Lightning McQueen all residing in different spots in the tree. Oh Timmy, you crack me up.

Oh, and they're not ALL in the tree. I went to get some cleaning products out the other day and VOILA, good old Sally was there to surprise me!

Weekend Fun

2011-12-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, as promised my post about the weekend. Better late than never right!!

Every year Granda Pete comes to stay with us for his birthday weekend. There's no one he'd rather spend his birthday with than the boys, although I think Tim & I bring quite an allure as well! lol. Timmy and my Dad are sort of kindred spirits, and one of their similarities is their deep love of trains. Timmy has literally been saying for months that he wanted to take Grandpa Pete to the All Aboard Diner for his birthday, which is where we went to celebrate Timmy's bday. We knew it would be the perfect place for lunch for both the birthday boy and the little guy, so we headed out to the burbs. Timmy's favorite part was the train bringing a birthday treat for Grandpa (which Timmy promptly ate!), and he's been singing the birthday song from the diner all week long!

Timmy & the Birthday Boy! At this particular moment Timmy was entranced by a Thomas the Train movie that was playing.

Henry Love.

Brothers!

The food train all decked out for the holidays!

Grandpa Pete & Timmy just chatting and eating ice cream.

Watching the trains before we left.

Sunday night we had a fantastic holiday fun night. Each year Navy Pier holds a Winter Wonderfest. Sunday night they held a special event where you had to buy tickets to attend. My mom bought tickets for us, and we all went together. It was such a blast. The entire place was decorated as a holiday wonderland. We went ice skating, rode a train ride, played in bounce houses, Timmy drove cars, ate funnel cake, rode on a Ferris Wheel, took a carousel ride, took in a Ralph's World concert, and more. It was a blast. Usually the Wonderfest is crazy crowded, but the evening event was really open and there were no long lines to wait in. We've decided it will be an annual tradition. It was so much fun!

The Centerpiece tree.

Our fam.

sliding!

Getting ready to ice skate. Timmy was getting tired! lol.

He was so excited to ice skate, then a bit freaked out once we were on the ice. I love how stiff my arm is!!

skating w/Daddy

The Big D tests out her skating skills!

Riding the ferris wheel with Daddy

silly faces

candy cane tunnel

Grandma D and tired Hen

Happy Birthday Grandpa Pete!!!

2011-12-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

Good old Grandpa Pete turns 64 years young today. We were lucky to spend the weekend with him, so a birthday celebration post is coming, but until it's up we wanted to wish him a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Love you so much!!!

Progress Report

2011-12-10T20:27:00.001-08:00

Friday afternoon Tim & I had our first parent teacher conference for Timmy. Yes, you read that right. We had a preschool parent teacher conference. How hilarious is that??? Actually I will say it was incredibly beneficial. This is his first schooling experience, and he's not always forthcoming with how his day was, so it was really nice to have a chance to talk one on one with his teachers and see how he's doing. As suspected they like the boy. He's smart and delightful, so that was no surprise! They also mentioned that he is sensitive, which we were aware of. He's not thrilled about changes in his routine, and sometimes gets upset if things don't go according to his schedule. For instance one day I was sick and Tim took him to school. He was incredibly excited about Daddy taking him to school, but cried when he left, where as when I take him he's fine with me leaving, because that's the routine. Well most days. Twice now, because of weather, I've driven Timmy to school instead of walking like we usually do. Both of those days there were some tears. His teachers assured us that this is very typical for the age. They also said that the good thing is that Timmy has become so comfortable with his school environment that he is very easy to comfort. They said often within a minute he's totally fine. The other night he told my mom "sometimes it's hard to say goodbye" which cracked me up, as I knew it was something he heard at school. I love that he can vocalize his feelings.

The other topic we discussed a lot was how Timmy has made such a steadfast friend in a little guy named Alex. They are almost always together, having a great time. The teachers seemed really pleased with their relationship, and the confidence that the friendship has given both boys. He plays with lots of kids, but Alex is by far his best friend.

All in all we had a great talk and really learned that Timmy is doing great and progressing a lot. I'm so happy that he is in such a loving school environment. Hopefully he'll keep up the good work and we'll get a good report at our spring conference (oh yes, there's another one! lol).

Outside of Timmy's classroom there was a bulletin board with some photos of the kids in the class. These are pictures of the pictures, so the quality isn't great, but I wanted to share them with you anyhow.

Timmy working on painting paper towels with an eyedropper. Each day there is a new art project the kids can try out.

The picture & the finished product.

Timmy & Alex playing in the water table, which also has different toys/activities in it each day.

Playing the bongos with Alex. Often Timmy is discreet about his day, but he had so much fun playing the drums that I heard allll about it right away!

The other thing I want to report on is our potty training success. FINALLY!!! Tim and I have been working on this for months with Timmy, to no avail. He just showed no interest. I'm not sure if it was peer pressure from school, or simply that he was ready, but Sunday morning he woke up, used the potty, and hasn't looked back. Since then he's only had one accident, and that was on Tuesday when he was playing with a new toy and really distracted. One accident in a week? I'll take it. We're still doing pull-ups for nap/bedtime, but he's even staying dry at most naps. I cannot tell you how proud I am of him, and excited not to buy/change diapers anymore. Well at least not for two kiddos! lol. So many of my mom friends told me one day their kid just decided they were ready, and lo and behold they were all right. All that stressing was for nothing. I guess he wasn't ready. I'm counting this progress as a holiday miracle!!! hehe! He's such a big kid now!

4 Months, 1 Week, & 2 Days

2011-12-08T11:26:00.001-08:00

So I missed the boat on the "Henry is 4 Months" post. Oopsie daisy as Timmy would say! Maybe my loyal followers should just realize right now that I'll likely post his monthly updates a few days (ok, maybe weeks) late from here on out. I'm a busy lady!! And let's face it, it's tough to post when your fabulous little baby wants to be held for all of his naps!

using his new skills to remove the sign and try to eat it!

Dear Henry,

You've changed so much this month my chubby little love! (and believe me, at 18 lbs 1 oz, and 95th%, you ARE chubby!)You have such a smiley, happy, REAL personality now. When you're mad you're MAD, and have a loud voice to let us know, but more often than not you're just a super happy guy. Whenever Mommy & Daddy walk into a room you light up and give us huge smiles. And Timmy? Forget it. He is just your favorite person! You laugh and laugh at him, and your gaze is constantly following him around. I have a feeling you two are going to be trouble!!!

You're definitely not a newborn anymore. The jet black hair that you were born with is being replaced with a new golden shade. I'll admit I'm sad that you're losing that gorgeous color, but I know you'll be adorable with any color hair! You really play with toys now. You grasp and hold things, pass toys from one hand to the other, and interact with objects. The ability to remove your paci and put it back in is a fun one! lol. You're doing much better at sitting up and have been spending time in the Bumbo chair or propped up on the couch. It's fun to see you turning into a big boy.

As far as milestones go this month we've had quite a few. You made it through your first bad cold which was long and no fun at all. I'm not sure there is anything sadder than a sick baby. Unfortunately having an older brother in preschool means there are a lot more germs around here. On a happier note you celebrated your first Thanksgiving, met more family members, were Baptized, and met Santa Clause!

I love you forever sweet boy!

Mommy

Deck the Halls

2011-12-06T20:48:00.001-08:00

Just a little glimpse into our holiday decorations. There are a lot more than I'm showing, but I wanted to give you a peek into our pretty little Christmas house!!

the coach house all lit up

Our beautiful tree! I love the new tree skirt that goes with our stockings. Land of Nod, where I got the stockings, was sold out of the coordinating tree skirt last year so I was delighted they had them in stock this year!

stockings all hung by the chimney with care, in hops that i'll get Henry's personalized one of these days (yes, I know, rhyming fail....)

the mantle overlooking the tree

christmas card sneak peek! as soon as my address labels arrive they're on their way.

I meant to post this w/the last entry. I just like this little shot of Henry watching us get the tree up.

Christmastime is Here!

2011-12-04T18:25:00.001-08:00

We had a Christmassy weekend here in Careyland. Saturday we took our traditional holiday trip to Lake Geneva, WI. Every year, on the first weekend in December, the adorable town of Lake Geneva hosts a Christmas festival. You can visit Santa & his reindeer, listen to carolers & musicians, stores pass out cookies & wine, and watch the holiday lights parade at dusk. It's a day that we love year after year. This year we really lucked out as temps were in the 40s, which is semi unheard of for Wisconsin in December. I distinctly remember wearing Uggs & my giant puffy coat the past two years. This year? I went without a coat for a bit! We were also excited that Timmy spoke to Santa this year. He didn't sit on his lap, but the allure of free toys was enough for him to at least talk to the man!! And hey, as long as there aren't tears I consider the visit a success!!!

posing with Blitzen

Timmy was enamored by the reindeer

ok, so there were a few tears because being the mean parents we are, we made him leave the reindeer!

eskimo boy

just a little window shopping

Daddy & Timmy getting ready for the parade

watching the parade! (sorry for the photo quality. it's a cell pic!)

Sunday Tim & I went to the storage unit, which is always an adventure, and got our Christmas decorations. I have dreams of us being a cute little family all clad in puffy coats, hats, and scarves wandering through a paradise of trees selecting the *perfect* one to bring home, as snow gently falls.... but in reality acquiring our Christmas tree really consists of Tim and I putting on grubby clothes (I rocked some amazing neon Adidas pants this year. oh yeah, attractive!) and heading to the semi-filty storage unit and digging through boxes. Oh the glamourous life we lead!!! We packed up the car and brought home all of our decorating treasures. I'll do a post w/pics of the decor soon, but for now I'm just doing pics of the tree decorating. Timmy did an amazing job helping this year. The tree may be lacking ornaments above toddler height, but it was so much fun to have him help, so a lopsided tree is well worth it!

hanging the first ornament

showing off an ornament from Christmas 2009

so excited to decorate!!

there were about 3 branches that Timmy tried to put ALLLL of the ornaments on!

putting up the star!

Thanksgiving Photo Spectacular

2011-12-01T11:00:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful. What more can I say??? I could write a novel I'm certain, but instead I'm going to just do a photo-centric post, and let the pictures speak for themselves!

Wednesday we had a dinner playmate at Chik-Fil-A with some pals. We met up with the adorable Fofie & her baby brother William (who is 5 days older than Henry) and Max and his baby sister Lila. Timmy was obsessed with Lila and told me in the car how much he loved her!

Henry & cousin Hannah on Thanksgiving at Granny Franny's.

It may be time for a Timmy Boy haircut!! lol

Granny Great with her newest Great Grandson Rory.

Henry & Ed watching football.

Daddy snuggles.

At some point the kids starting making foil hats for themselves.... classy!

Timmy & his cousin Charlie. They had such an amazing time together. It was so much fun to watch them play.

Granny Great & Henry.

Grandpa Pete reading to Charlie.

Henry visiting with cousins Amanda & Collin

Timmy playing with Cousin Seth & Amanda.

Aunt Carrie & Henry

Saturday we went to the Carey Patch for a Thanksgiving celebration. This is Hunter, Timmy's Uncle Jim's dog, who he got from my Uncle Jim Gallagher. I grew up with a German Shorthaired Pointer who would have been Hunter's great great aunt or something. I love this dog. He is just sweet as can be and gorgeous!

Timmy and Daddy out for a boat ride.

Our family before the party started!!

In addition to the Carey Family Thanksgiving we also had an extra special reason to celebrate. Grandpa John & Uncle James are turning 50!!!

my guys

the birthday boys & Timmy

Grandpa John let Timmy blow out the candles!

Henry in his farm wear!

Sunday morning Timmy & Uncle Jim went fishing. Uncle Jim dropped the fish which Timmy thought was HILARIOUS!!

Ok - so clearly a great trip right?!?!? Can't wait to see everyone again at Christmas!

Timmy's 3 Year Photos

2011-11-27T20:00:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to taking some official 3 Year shots of Timmy last week. I went to St. Louis last Tuesday so I could spend Wednesday with family, and have Timmy's 3rd birthday photo shoot, as well as get some senior shots of Auntie Gracie. I think we got some fantastic shots! Enjoy!!!

(the pics are uploading a bit dull on here.... but I don't feel like uploading them all to Flikr, so this will have to do!)

And a few Auntie Gracie shots as well!

Friday Phone Dump

2011-11-18T11:15:00.001-08:00

Just some phone pics from the past week.

Saturday we went to our pal Brendan's Angry Birds birthday party. He had the most amazing (and working) Angry Birds cake. Timmy loved it!

Eskimo baby all bundled up to brave the Chicago winds, which have been brutal this week!

The other night we made little car cakes together, which Timmy got to decorate. He did a spectacular job. lol!

Just brothers hanging out.

The other day Timmy got ahold of this photo booth app on my mom's phone. These are just 4 of the 16 strips he took of himself. Hahahaha! That's what you get when you give a 3 year old an iPhone!!

Last Warm Day

2011-11-17T11:21:00.001-08:00

Ok.... so it wasn't really warm, but Tuesday we had the last warmish day that we'll probably see in awhile. Perhaps until next year. Now don't get me wrong, I HOPE I'm wrong, but I'm not feeling to positive about it. So we decided that we needed to take advantage of our tropical 62 degree temperature and have a fun outdoor day!!

Timmy had school Tuesday, so afterwards Henry & I picked him up with the double stroller and we walked over to Lincoln Park Zoo. After stopping to grab some lunch for a zoo picnic, oh and a side of the road diaper change (classy right?!?), we were at the zoo. There was hardly anyone there so we practically had the place to ourselves. It was fantastic! Oh and FYI, Timmy's new favorite animal = snakes. Lovely.....

Here's the boy checking out some animals...

oh, and guarding his lunch from the world's most aggressive squirrel on the left. He may not look too close here, but I literally had to chase him away as he tried to take food out of Timmy's hand.

time for a carousel ride!!

taking advantage of the gorgeous landscaping outside the zoo for a few brother pics

Welcome Baby Rory

2011-11-16T07:25:00.001-08:00

One of the downsides of being an only child is that my boys don't have any first cousins on my side. This is compounded by the fact that Tim is so much older than his siblings so the boys likely won't have any cousins on either side for many years. I was really lucky however to grow up in a big family, where cousins can be more like siblings, and we consider all degrees of cousins as one. So my boys might not have "official" first cousins, but that is really just semantics, and my cousins' kids will just be their cousins. For now my cousin Brian is the only one with a kid (cousin Charlie), and as of yesterday he has two!!

Yesterday, November 15, Rory James Flatley entered the world. From the pictures I've seen he is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not sure if Brian and Katie were hoping for a girl, but from my point of view nothing could be better than brothers. (Just ask my friend Steph over at The Froggy & The Mouse. Or Victoria at Adventures in Mommyhood. I know they'll agree with me!) Brothers have an incredible bond, and I cannot wait to watch my guys grow up together. I know that Charlie & Rory will have the same love and closeness that Timmy & Henry already do. I can't imagine anything more wonderful than my two boys, and I'm so excited for Brian & Katie to experience this world of boys as well! We're also super excited for Rory & Henry to grow up together. They're only 3 1/2 months apart, so I'm sure it will be so much fun for them to play together as they grow up. I'm headed to St. Louis next week for Thanksgiving and cannot wait to love and squeeze Mr. Rory. I know he is a beautiful addition to our family and I love him already!

Henry's Baptism

2011-11-14T08:09:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Henry was baptized into the Catholic church. It was a very low key event (especially compared to Timmy's huge baptism!) but really lovely. We were unable to find a weekend that worked to baptize him in St. Louis, so we had the ceremony at our local parish. The church is beautiful, our priest is a really great guy, and the ceremony itself was lovely. Each Sunday they allow up to 8 children to be baptized. It's a community baptism which was really neat. Yesterday there were 8 kiddos receiving the sacrament, but I dare say Henry was the cutest!! Our dear friends Ben & Tina stood up as Henry's godparents. We love them and I have visions of us being friends forever and our kids (Ben & Tina are having their first in May! hooray!!!) growing up together!

One element of the day that was really special to me was the baptismal gown that Henry wore. It was made by my Great Grandmother Emma Barrett for her children to wear. I *believe* it is 96 years old (though I'm sure one of my aunts could correct me if I'm wrong with that number!), and Henry is the 45th baby to wear it. My Grandma, Dad, and Timmy are three such people who wore it. I actually didn't get to since I wasn't baptized until I was 13, and clearly it wouldn't fit, but I love that my boys have been able to.

All in all it was a very special day and I want to thank everyone who was thinking about us and praying for Henry yesterday. And now.... PICTURES!

First lets start off with a little photo shoot I had with Henry in the family baptismal gown.

I'm wearing a dress?!?

my favorite smiley face!

baby toes & beautiful embroidery

And now, onto pictures from the baptism.

Fr. Ken blessing Henry

pouring the baptismal water

anointing with oils (my face cracks me up here)

Timmy was mesmerized by the stained glass

Henry & Godparents Ben and Tina (or T-Mama as Timmy calls her!)

this was the best family picture we managed to get... lol

happy baby

the gown

oh, and one last picture that isn't baptismy (thats definitely not a word is it?!? lol). Tim took this of Timmy before we left and it's just hilarious. Apparently the 1960s are calling!

hello 1965? it's Timmy calling!

Date Night

2011-11-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

So for a painfully long portion of the year (think Nov-April give or take) Tim and a group of his friends participate in a poker tournament dubbed the "Tournament of Champions," or TOC. The TOC takes place every other Friday night, significantly reducing my social life. Anyway.... the TOC has once again started up, and last Friday was the first game of the season (does poker have a "season"??). This year I decided that I will make the best of it and started my bi-weekly Pajama Party with Timmy. We brought down our pillows and blankets, made popcorn, had Lightning McQueen juice boxes, turned off the lights, and watched a movie. This week's flick?? The ever exciting Snow Buddies. It was quite the production. A lovely little flick about a pack of Golden Retriever puppies. Oh yeah. Fun times! Grandma D joined us for the fun, and we actually have her to thank for bringing over the movie, which hilariously she already owned. Timmy had a great time, and it was so adorable to see him clapping when the movie was over. And thus begins a new Friday night tradition for me. It might not be as exciting as my life before kids, but I dare anyone to tell me that it isn't better!!

A few pics from the festivities....

And Mr. Chubster. lololol. Look at those rolls!

Cardinal Nation

2011-11-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

WORLD SERIES BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok.... so I'm a week late on this, but I'm still so freaking excited that the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series last week. If you're either 1) from St. Louis or 2) a big MLB fan then you should know something very important - St. Louis is a baseball town. We are some of, if not the BEST baseball fans in the country. I'm sure the Yankees fans would want to argue with me here, but there is something that sets STL apart. We NEVER give up on our team. Not when we're having a rough season, not when we're 10 games behind the wild card in August - not never! We are with our team no matter what, loyal and supportive fans. I've literally been to a game where we were down by 12 points and people didn't give up. We just kept cheering on our Redbirds. We also love our old players. At another game I was at I watched as the entire stadium gave So Taguchi, of our 2006 World Series team, a standing ovation while he was playing for the Phillies. Basically we're just awesome. That is part of the reason we are called Cardinal Nation. Because you don't just have to live in St. Louis to be a fan. Once you've been a Cardinal fan, you stay a Cardinal fan. Even if you happen to live a mile from Wrigley Field like we do!!!

Don't believe me?!? Ask Don Draper!!!

Ok, I think you get the point. We're Cardinals fans and we're proud. We have had a whirlwind end of the regular season, and defied all the odds in the post season to bring home our 11th World Series Trophy. So proud of our boys, especially hometown hero (and one of my cousin's besties) MVP David Freese!

To show our Cardinals love here are my adorable guys rocking their new Cards gear courtesy of Grandpa John!

OMG - happiest brothers ever!!!

why do I feel like they're in on something I'm not privy to???

and a little party fun at our house as we celebrated the win (with champagne!!!) GO CARDS!!!

most hilariously awkward photo ever

3 Months Old

2011-11-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is a few days late b/c of Halloween festivities... but here we go!

Dear Henry,

You are 3 months old!! Your third month was another exciting one. We celebrated your brother's 3rd birthday (and visited with lots of family for the occasion!), went to the pumpkin farm, celebrated Halloween with all sorts of festivities, including an awesome dino-egg costume that I'm sure you'll want to kill me for one day! Oh, and the Cardinals won the world series!!! So far they're undefeated in your lifetime!

This month you have become even more fun. Whenever you see Mommy or Daddy you break into a big smile and laugh. Other than when you're having tummy problems (you're quite the gassy creature) you are just the happiest guy. I love your smiley face. There just isn't anything better. You are still in love with the ceiling fan in our bedroom and every night before going to sleep you lay on Mommy & Daddy's bed and kick and coo at the fan. It's hilarious. Speaking of cooing you are trying to "talk" to us a lot more these days. We just love seeing your little personality develop. Last month you were starting to smile and laugh a bit, but this month it is in full gear. This is the first month where I've really seen your personality stand out, and what a sweet one it is!

When I was pregnant with you I was worried if I'd be able to love you as much as your brother. Being an only child I just don't have experience with sharing a parents love. In retrospect I can't believe I worried for even a second. Please know that I love you with all of my heart. It's as if I have two hearts to contain the love I feel for you and Timmy. You light up my life and I don't know how I managed before I had your happy smiling face in my life! I can't wait for next month.

Love, Mommy

oh - and because one picture just wasn't enough this month!!!

2011-11-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

As promised it's time for some Halloween fun!!

Sunday we headed over to Lincoln Park to the annual Ranch Triangle Halloween festival. We've made it 3 out of Timmy's 4 years to this sweet little celebration, complete with costume contests for kids & dogs, trick or treating at local stores, games, face painting, and delicious snacks. We love going, and it doesn't hurt that we are currently undefeated in the costume contest!!! We had a family theme again this year. Timmy dictated that he HAD to be a T-Rex, so that really limited our options. I came up with the dinosaur egg idea for Henry & Tim decided that we should be Jurassic Park workers. It was a hit!

Last night we had a fun Halloween surprise. Grandpa Pete didn't have anything to do yesterday afternoon, so he escaped work early and drove up to trick or treat with us! Timmy was beyond excited. We went over to my mom's street for trick or treating again this year. We live on a weird block where no one really TOT's, and my mom lives on an outrageous block where they go all out. It's a blast! Timmy wasn't feeling fantastic, so we only made it to her street, but we still had a great time. It was a great Halloween. Now if only I could stop eating his candy........

Daddy & Dino-Egg Henry (how beautiful is that face?!?)

costume contest!

amazing dog that won the dog portion of the costume contest. how could he not?!?

face painting fun

ROARRRRR!

Grandpa's here!

trick or treat!!

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

2011-10-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a delicious, safe, and fun Halloween!!!!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! We have our pumpkins, all picked out from our day at Sunny Acres, and we're ready to carve! Tim & Timmy decided this year a pirate pumpkin would be nice. Timmy even got to help carve the pumpkin, and let me tell you, he went to town!!!

Party Weekend

2011-10-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

We're baaack! RCN fixed the internet as promised, I however had a crazy busy/tired day yesterday, so a new post had to wait! Sorry pals! Alright, on to the post....

This weekend was a new one for me. This was the first weekend that my child had more of a social life than I did. He had not one, but two birthday parties to attend! I recently ordered a new calendar (b/c despite living with the tech God I just can't do all my planning on my phone, I need to write things down) so I can start keeping track of my toddler's busy social schedule!

Saturday was our buddy Miles' 3rd birthday party. It was held at a local park that Timmy loves, as the Metra train runs along the back side of the park, so while you're playing every so often you get to stop and yell "TRAIN!!!!!!" as a double decker zooms by. Timmy had a great time at the party, and was enjoying some thoroughly boy activities. What boy activities you ask? Super cool stuff like throwing sticks down a storm drain with 3 other little guys. Crazy! Miles also got some amazing gifts, and I have a few more Christmas ideas now! It was a gorgeous day for a party, and we were so happy to help Miles & his awesome parents celebrate.

train!!!

birthday boy Miles

our sweet little friend Mason

Timmy boy

boys being boys

Happy Birthday time

cupcake love

Henners

sliding fun

Sunday Timmy had another party to attend. This time the party was for his classmate Eliza, at the awesome Pump it Up. Pump it Up is a play place full of inflatable bounce houses, slides, games, etc. Timmy and I have gone there for open play before and he loved it, so I knew he would have a blast at the party. I was right! The slide was an especially big hit and he went up and down it a million times. It was also fun to see him playing with his little friends from his class, especially his best buddy Alex. We may have to do a Pump it Up party next year because Timmy was in heaven! I apologize in advance for the pictures being less than great. The lighting/wall colors/fast moving kiddos made for some difficult shooting conditions!

playing t-ball with Daddy

Timmy & Andrew

heading up the slide for the 500th time

sliding kiddos

so technically this picture is terrible, but I LOVE the faces on Timmy & his friend Alex. they're just having so much fun!

party room

Internet Down!!!

2011-10-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

We had such a great weekend, and I can't wait to post pics for you all to see, but alas our internet has been out all weekend. RCN says they can come fix it tomorrow (I hope I get a discount on my bill for the weekend...), so fingers crossed they come through. I'm at a friends house, stealing their internet right now, but have to go take my wired toddler home and put him to bed. So check back Tuesday, I promise cute pictures!!! If the internet is still out at that point I'll be organizing an RCN boycott ;)

Napping with Baby H

2011-10-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after our very exciting day of doing nothing, it was nap time and Henry and I went up to read Timmy some stories. On the agenda yesterday - "Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site" & "Dinosaur Train," which were birthday presents from his buddy Miles. After we read our stories Timmy told me he wanted Henry to take a nap with him, and asked me to "give him to me (timmy)." He was so excited about the idea of napping with his brother, so I put Henry up on his pillow and let the cute begin. Oh, and of course I grabbed my camera because what was taking place was just too adorable not to document!!

Henry's faces crack me up in these first pictures. He's just not so sure about this hugging!

Lazy Day

2011-10-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's cold and rainy in Chicagoland today... again. Poor little Henry is fighting a cold, so I decided that we would just hang out and have a lazy day at home today (sorry Target, I miss you too!). We spent the morning just hanging out. Playing a little cars, some trains, a leisurely breakfast... you know, the usual. Ooh, and while Henry took a morning nap I treated Timmy to some good clean bubble bath fun!
I tend to get a little stir crazy when we're cooped up (not Timmy though, he can just stay in his playroom endlessly) so I thought it would be fun to watch Monsters, Inc. with Timmy. At first he was reluctant and wanted to watch Cars AGAIN, but a Mama can only watch Lightening McQueen so many times, so I overruled Timmy and turned on some monster fun! I love to be out on the go, coming up with fun activities for my boys, but I have to admit every so often it's fun to have a day where you just relax in PJs all day long (or in my case my amazing senior sweats from high school, that yes, I still wear!!!). But tomorrow I'm ready for some outdoor fun. Do you hear me mother nature? DO YOU?!?

Bubble Bath Boy

crazy hair Henry rocking some tummy time

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we had invites from several friends to go with them to the pumpkin patch. Unfortunately I ended up with a killer case of allergies, and once Tim was up for the bed I slept until 4:30 pm, therefore ruining any outings with friends. We still wanted Timmy to have some pumpkin patch fun, so on Sunday we decided to go, just the four of us. We decided to try out a different farm this year. The one we usually go to is fun, but craaaazy crowded. Our good friends Tina & Michelle always went to Sonny Acres Farm growing up, so we decided to give it a try. It was a bit further away, but I loved it. It had a more cutesy, country feel, and while there was still a good crowd, it was nothing like what we experience last year at the other place. There were also all sorts of fun activities that Timmy LOVED! I think Sonny Acres will become a yearly tradition for us!

So we let Timmy hold Henry for a photo shoot, the results were hilarious. Poor Baby H looks like he doesn't have a neck!

Poor Henry is losing his hair.... he's looking a bit like a middle aged man right now!

face painting fun! Timmy wanted a T-rex. Shocking, I know!!

The Fun Slide!! Tim & Timmy went twice, I was allowed to accompany Timmy once, which was definitely enough! My fear of heights was going crazy on the climb up.

Race Car Timmy

oh lord, Henry looks hilarious in these, but Timmy was so proud to be holding him!

Ok, and there's this. Seriously Chicago just doesn't support their team like STL does. I had to post it just to rub in the face of my Cub's friends that once again the Cardinals are going to the WORLD SERIES!!!!!!! Yeah baby!!!

Dinosaur Lunchbox

2011-10-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

The day before Timmy's birthday party Tim and I went in to wake him up for school. He woke up and told us right away that he NEEDED a dinosaur lunchbox to have picnics outside. We were both cracking up at how adamant he was. That day Tim, being the awesome Daddy he is, stopped at a toy store on his way home from lunch and got him a dinosaur lunchbox for a birthday present. After school today Timmy decided that we should have our first picnic with his new lunchbox. I made some sandwiches, packed up the lunchbox, and we headed outside.

silly picnic boy! (don't worry, the coke is mine)

the coveted lunchbox

Hen loves to be outside.

And in non-picnic related news these little gems just arrived at my house!!! The fanboy will be so excited when he gets home from work!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Timmy!

2011-10-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Three years ago I experienced the most life changing, monumental day that I think one could ever hope to experience. If you haven't had a child (birth, adoption, foster, etc) then you cannot fathom what I'm talking about. I know I never understood the full gravity until I witnessed it myself. If you're already a parent then you know what I mean. Three years ago my Timmy was born and my life was forever changed for the better. So, so, so much better. I cannot believe that it has gone by so quickly. It blows my mind that my guy has gone from this Goliath newborn....

to this sweet one year old.....

to total toddler....

to the KID he is today. No longer a baby, but a little boy. A funny, handsome, intelligent little guy who brightens every day. His smile is infectious, and everyone who meets him falls in love. I couldn't be prouder to be his Mommy.

I'm big on birthdays. Huge. I think birthdays should be the best day of the year, and a full day celebration. This was the first year that Timmy really "got" what his birthday was all about, so I wanted to make sure it was extra special (oh, and set myself up for a lifetime of hard birthday work!). Before I went to bed last night I snuck in his room and crepe-papered it up, then this morning Tim & I woke up at 6:30 to blow up balloons to fill his room. When he woke up he was "so puh-rized!" (translation: so surprised. lol).

After breakfast and school we had a really special treat. Tim took a half day and we drove out to the burbs to the All Aboard Diner. Timmy & I went there this past summer with some friends and he decided back then that we needed to go there for his birthday. He said Mommy, Daddy, & Baby Henry had to come, which is impressive considering Henry wasn't born. We knew it would be the perfect birthday adventure! We got there after the lunch rush, and pretty much had the place to ourselves which was awesome. Seeing the train drive across the lunch counter to deliver his food delighted Timmy. It was fantastically fun!

Daddy & Timmy at the All Aboard Diner

waiting for the food train to arrive

here it comes!!

with the birthday boy

the train delivers a birthday surprise!

sweet face Henry was there too!

checking out the trains up front

a blurry, but oh so sweet picture of Henry

After a much needed nap and some play time in the basement with his new toys we had a special birthday dinner complete with more presents and a cake that Grandma D brought over. Timmy, once again, sang Happy Birthday to himself which cracked me up.

presents and cake!!

present time!

petting his Zhu Zhu puppy (that he HAD to have btw)

one last Birthday song!

DINO-mite Birthday!!!

2011-10-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well if you can believe it my sweet Timmy Boy is turning 3 tomorrow! Timmy wanted a dinosaur themed party, so we had a dino-bash at a local park. Many friends and family turned out to help us celebrate Timmy's birthday in style. What an amazing time we had!!!

it's soooo hard waiting for cake!

Two Months Old

2011-10-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

this is from last Thursday.... I somehow just got around to posting today. sorry!!

Henry,

Happy two months!!! I'm pretty sure I was just writing up your one month post like yesterday! Time is flying my boy!

As you reached the two month mark you really upped your game and you've become quite the fun little guy. You are really tracking things with your eyes these days, as well as smiling and cooing. There is nothing better than having you look up at me and smile. It melts my heart. The disco ball above the couch (yes we have a disco ball in our living room....) is a big hit. It makes you laugh and laugh. I also redid our photo wall by the couch which you love. I think it's just the reflection of light on the glass, but you seem to be flirting with the pictures! You also clearly love Mommy, Daddy, & Timmy as we often get big smiles. We're working on tummy time quite a bit, which doesn't please you at all. I know it isn't fun, but alas the ability to hold your head up is a pretty important one in life! You do like your play mat however and are starting to reach up to the toys that dangle from it. I love that you are awake for long stretches now, and so alert. It helps you to sleep longer at night (though we're still only maxing out at about 5 hours in a stretch), and it's just fun to interact with you.

You are deliciously chubby right now. You have cheeks that are completely squeezable, and I spend more than a little bit of time giving them kisses! You also have some awesome hair, which seems to be getting curly to me. I would love it if you had beautiful dark curls, so my fingers are crossed!

The big from the last month would include your first trip to St. Louis to meet all of the STL relatives. Everyone adored you from the first moment of course! You also travelled to Brookfield Zoo, our annual apple picking trip, a few more playgrounds, and attended Timmy's school. A not so fun milestone was your first cold, courtesy of the new germs your brother picked up at preschool. Luckily it was short lived and you were a trooper!

I love you more than words can say little guy (or as Timmy calls you "small brother" hehe!). I am doing my very best to make sure you know how loved you are, and I'll continue to make sure you know that until the day I die. Love you!

Mommy

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2011-10-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Some girls are lucky. And then there are girls like me where lucky doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm one of those girls who won the mom lottery and landed the most incredibly mom ever. Today I need to celebrate my incredible Mom, The Big D (a nickname that isn't her fav, but I say it w/oh so much love), who turned 60 today.

Let me delve into oversharer (is that even a word??) world. My mom had a rough childhood. Her mom.... well to put it nicely she wasn't a great mom. They had a rough relationship and my mom suffered considerable abuse. I know that often children who are abused become abusers themselves. My mom however went the complete opposite route. My mom is simply supermom. She adores children and is an award winning educator. I'm not going to say she and I always got along, or that I never got in trouble, because frankly she wouldn't have been a good mom if I always got my way. How would I have learned anything? But those moments of struggles are far outweighed by the wonderful times we've spent together. Shopping together (since week 1!!!), Saturday lunches at Bread Co after my vision therapy (yes. yes I did go to vision therapy. I'm a special star...), harmonizing in the car, family vacations.... be it little or big, the majority of my memories are simply outstanding, and I know we have so many more years of fantastic moments to come.

There is another aspect of my Mom that I MUST celebrate today, and that is seeing her as a Grandmother. She cherishes my boys as much as I do, and I know that there isn't anything she wouldn't do for them. To see her with them warms my heart. She loves spending time with them, and they love being with her. Having my own boys has given me a new respect for my Mom. I don't think anyone can understand how loved they are by their mom until they have kids of their own. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. I love my momma! Happy Birthday Big D!!!!!!

I lied, I'm not done! A quick explanation of the pics to follow. Last week we threw my Mom a surprise birthday dinner. Loved ones came from out of town and we all celebrated my Mom. It was a lovely time! Here are some shots from the party.

Grandma Donna & Henry

Aunt Betsy with Henry

Sweet Baby Donna (check out that awesome hair!)

Mom & her siblings)

Timmy & Grandma

Henry meets Aunt Toni & Uncle Ted

Brothers in the Park

2011-09-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

The other day Timmy & I decided that a picnic in the park would be a fun way to spend lunch. Timmy is in a phase where he thinks eating outside is hilarious, so I knew he'd think it was a great idea. I chose an area of the park that has a large expanse of land - perfect for crazy boys to do their "party run." What's a party run you ask? It's when Timmy runs around in circles yelling "PARTY RUN!!!" I have no idea where that came from, but it's hilarious and it burns off crazy toddler energy - so win, win. Timmy had a fantastic time running around being crazy and Henry enjoyed laying under a tree looking at the shadows. I also snapped some pictures of the boys, although Henry is easier to shoot these days since he's not a constant moving target like Timmy!! I got some sweet shots for sure!

An Artist is Born

2011-09-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago a local park held their annual Art Faire (yes they spell "faire" with an E. It's fancier that way... and if there is one thing I like it's a fancy art fair!!). It was a gorgeous day so we walked over and browsed through the different vendor tents (where I purchased a lovely necklace for my Mom's birthday). Ooh - and we saw this gem while we were there. Get ready Dad, I think I found a replacement for that toilet seat I broke!!

I actually did purchase a shirt from that booth though. He had a Gods of Rock spray paint shirt that I thought would be awesome for the gym... assuming I ever rejoin the gym..... but that's a different issue altogether! After shopping a bit we went over to an area where they had musicians playing. Timmy did some amazing dancing, and this lady laid on top of her dog.... Don't get me wrong, I love my dogs as much as the next guy and find nothing better than napping all curled up with a pup or two, but I generally don't lay on top of them in public events. She also talked to Tim about her dog for a bit. They clearly had a special relationship!

But my favorite part of the faire was the art tent they offered. Anyone could come in the tent, grab an easel, and get to work. Timmy loved it, and dare I say, I think he may have quite the talent!

The finished product is actually quite lovely and currently resides on my refrigerator. I'm hanging on to it in case he becomes a famous artist one day! You'll all be able to say you knew him way back when..... ;)

First Day of School

2011-09-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

Wow. Time really flies... case in point, my baby is now a big kid who had his first day of school yesterday! He's attending a program two mornings a week at a local coop preschool. For the first few classes I get to attend with him to help him make a smooth transition. I have to say I was just so proud of him yesterday. He was so friendly, polite, and fun. I had some other moms tell me what a sweet kid he was. I was quite the proud Mommy yesterday! To commemorate the occasion I asked Timmy a few questions about himself yesterday so we can document how he changes each year.

Age: 2 (almost 3)
Favorite color: red
Favorite food: macaroni & cheese
Best friend: Lili & Baby Henry
Favorite TV Show: Team Umizoomi
Favorite Movie: Cars (which is the only movie he's actually seen. lol)
Favorite toy: dinosaurs

modeling his red fox backpack

going into school with Mommy ("i like big butts and i cannot lie....")

playing at the sand table

and in non school related news HOW CUTE IS THIS BABY?!?!? ignore the smushed hair and focus on the cute!!

Apple Picking Fun

2011-09-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had our annual trip to Apple Holler for some fall fun! This is the third September in a row that we've headed up to AH. When we got home yesterday I looked back at our old pictures and wow, what a difference each year makes. Timmy has gone from a baby to a full blown kid! I put together this little comparison so you can see just how much he's grown.

We had a blast as usual. It was a lovely day weather wise. When we first arrived I was a bit freaked out because the parking lot was crowded, but the orchards are so big that there are plenty of areas to pick where you feel like you're the only ones there. This year was particularly fun because Timmy was big enough to help out. He just loved that he could pick his own apples and eat them right away - and BOY did he! He definitely out ate Tim & I put together! There are just so many fun shots from yesterday, so I put together a little composite for fun, mostly because I just wanted to play around in photoshop! It gives you a fun overview of the day.

And as if that wasn't enough for you I have even more pictures to share! It was just such a great photo op day!!!

Daddy & Henry out in the orchard

snacking on his first apple of the day

Baby H

brotherly love time

this is just all sorts of hilarious

just some Timmy shots!

apple picking family

Brookfield Zoo Playdate

2011-09-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

Last week (yes this post is a week late... I have a newborn, cut me some slack!!) Timmy, Henry, & I headed out to Brookfield Zoo for a playdate with some lovely ladies and kiddos from a mom's group I'm a part of. We are all scattered throughout the Chicagoland area so it's exciting when we get a chance to get the kids together for some fun. And lets be honest, a huge part of the fun factor is getting to socialize with other grown ups!! I think we were all relieved to see that our little angels all turn into toddler monsters. It's so nice to know it is in fact just the age and that we're all in the same boat!!! It was a blast and I can't wait for our next get together!

crazy kiddos at the zoo

see, one of those awesome monster moments I told you about!

Colleen and sweet baby Ryan

the gorgeous Miss Marina

besties

Photoshoot with Henry

2011-09-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

:::Mommy guilt ahead:::

So the other day I was looking through old photos and realized I have soooo many more of Timmy. I promised myself I wouldn't be the mom that had a million shots of her first and hardly any of her second, yet here we are. I think the problem is that with Timmy I could just sit around and take pics of him all day long, without anything to distract me, while with Henry I can't sit and watch his every move quite as much because I have a crazy toddler to chase. With this in mind I decided I needed to make an active decision to really get more shots of Baby H as well. I decided, as any good momtographer would (lol), that at a photoshoot was in order! Tim was putting Timmy to bed, so I scooped up my cheery boy and started snapping away. He's starting to smile now so I got some great shots. I'm sure you'll agree that this is one adorable little guy!

The Pink Elephant

2011-09-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

We drive to St. Louis a lot. A lot, a lot. I know the route between Chicago & St. Louis and back again like the back of my hand, after all it's not only a drive I've traversed in recent years, but throughout my entire life. In my 30 years of this incredibly boring drive there is something that has always stood out to me. A giant pink elephant on the side of the highway. Accompanying the pink elephant there is a giant man, a space ship, a giant tricycle, and a massive ice cream cone.

Tim and I have been saying for years that we are going to stop there sometime. Well this past Labor Day we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day, as well as break up our trip home, and stop at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Litchfield, Illinois. Let me tell you, it was quite the showstopper. The antique mall is an old school gym packed to the gills with antiques and various odds and ends. The Pink Elephant didn't disappoint, and even had a bonus - ice cream!!! One bucket list item checked off of our list!

The famous Pink Elephant

checking out an old fashioned school desk, and not so old fashioned race car

Baby Elephant

Timmy was bummed he couldn't take off in the spaceship

ice cream time!

crazy hair

Catching Up....

2011-09-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

We've been bad bloggers lately.....

but rest assured, we've been having lots of fun,

and savoring the end of summer.

Several new posts to come very soon, so stay tuned. What was your favorite part of this summer? We'd love to hear from you in the comments section! Remember, if you don't have a blogger login I have anonymous comments enabled as well!

Back to Nature Weekend

2011-08-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

I know this may come as a shock to some of you who know me, but I think it's incredibly important for kids who grow up in the city to have the chance to spend some time outdoors, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and connecting with nature. (On the other hand I think suburbia & country kiddos need to get to the city and experience that as well!) I'm not the most outdoorsy girl. My idea of camping was always a Holiday Inn, or better yet the Four Seasons a la Troop Beverly Hills! lol. All the same I do appreciate the outdoors, and this weekend was perfect for spending some quality time with Mother Nature.

Sunday we hopped in my new car and drove out to Morton Arboretum/ This huge nature preserve has miles of open land, trails, forests, and lush gardens. Timmy was super excited to explore the forest, as well as play in the Children's Garden. It was so nice to just let him run on the trails and not have to worry about him darting into traffic or anything! It was a beautiful day in the sunshine with my boys. What could be better?!?

Henry is hiding inside of that carrier!

One Month Old

2011-08-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

I know I said the next post would follow our nature weekend, but my boy is one month old today so a post is in order!!

Henry,

You are one month old today. I cannot believe how quickly this month has gone by! It's amazing to me because although I know it's only been one quick month it feels like you've been here forever. I cannot imagine how we survived before you were here.

So... highlights of being a month old. You are just an incredibly sweet little guy. You love to snuggle, and your favorite place to sleep is undoubtedly all snuggled up in someone's chest. Speaking of sleeping you're pretty good in that regard. I'd say 3-4 hour stretches are typical, which I can totally survive. Some nights you've even slept 5 hours at a time which was wonderful! You nap off and on all day, usually having a wakeful few hours from around 8am-10ish, and again from 7 or 8pm for a few hours. Those are your longest awake stretches, though lately you've been waking up when it's time for Timmy's nap, and depriving Mommy of hers! You're also a really good little eater, which translates into a good pooper as well. Actually you hate to poop, and that's the only time you really get upset, but I say a good pooper as in plentiful. lol! You are doing really well at tummy time and I imagine you'll be holding your head up in no time. You're also really starting to focus on people and things, and turn your head when you hear Mommy, Daddy, or Timmy talking. You've already had some fun outings in your first month, to the park, Morton Arboretum, the Air & Water show, out to dinner, Daddy's work, Lincoln Park, and Mommy's favorite - Target!

I think the most significant thing to watch over the past month is how much your older brother loves you. He is just enamored and I can see the two of you being best buddies for life. Not growing up with siblings this is new territory for me. Watching the already present bond is just the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. You are so very loved by your family, and I hope you always know and feel that love. Thank you for this first month. I look forward to many, many, many more.

Love, Mommy

Nature Weekend

2011-08-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

The weather in Chicago this weekend was simply gorgeous. Mid 70s-80s, sunny, and a lovely breeze courtesy of Hurricane Irene. Days this beautiful aren't so common in Chicago, so we really made sure to live it up!

I've been hearing about a hidden lily pond in Lincoln Park for awhile now. It's right by the Lincoln Park Zoo, but tucked away in a discrete location. Saturday we decided to walk through the park and check it out. The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is simply divine. It is by far the most tranquil location I've yet to find in Chicago. Being inside the serene preserve made me long for free time and the days when I used to write. I could see myself sitting on a rock by a waterfall, or stretched out on a bench in the sun, creating stories or simply sitting and letting my mind wander. I'll definitely be making return trips to Caldwell.

The boys and I so enjoyed our walk to the pond, and our time there. Timmy played in a waterfall and ran on the path around the lake. A wedding was in progress and we snuck a few pictures. It was lovely to just escape the city and be with nature, without ever leaving Lincoln Park. Sometimes we city folk need a little nature too! I made sure we took several photos since the setting was so gorgeous. Several of them turned out really well. I think there are a few framers in the bunch!!

Stay tuned for the next edition of our nature filled weekend!!!

NY State of Mind

2011-08-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about New York a lot recently, but to be honest this is nothing new or different. I lived in NYC from 2000-2007, and those years were some of the happiest of my life. I love my life here in Chicago, but I still feel like a New Yorker at heart, and miss it dearly. One day, when I win the lottery, I'll have a home in the city again!!!

This has been quite the week for New York. First there was the earthquake, and now my beloved city is facing Hurricane Irene. Strangely this makes me even more homesick for NYC. I have a strange desire to be with my friends right now preparing and battling the storm. What makes this even crazier is that the area of Manhattan I lived in is in the prime danger zone, and I would have faced a mandatory evacuation anyhow. I was there just after 9/11, I was there for the Blackout, I was there for the transit strike, I have so many strong, purely "New York" memories and I feel like this would have been another one for the books. I'm wishing all of my loved ones in NYC, and all of the East coast, well tonight. My hearts are with them as they face this historic hurricane. I have no doubt they'll face it with dignity and strength... and some rocking hurricane parties!!!

I wanted to share some pictures with you all from my time in NYC. I have thousands of photos, and even more memories, of amazing times with amazing people. I'll share just a few with you, but I think you'll see why I loved it so much.

Our subway station, Rector Street

Tim & our new puppy, Alex P. Keaton, at our downtown apartment

Hotel Rivington, Lower East Side

Christmas at Rockefeller Center

Tim manning our dog walking business in Battery Park City

shopping in Soho

my birthday at Tavern on the Green

Helllloooooo skinny! Summer day at Jones Beach

Vespa Ride time

9/11 memorial. View from our apartment building downtown

Randomosity

2011-08-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. I've tried the past week to keep up some due diligence on my blogging, but let's face it, I just haven't been totally up to par since having Henry. A large part of this is due to me not taking as many pictures, and I know that's what you are really here for, the cutie pie pictures! Another issue is my sheer lack of time. I mean I have free time, but there is an important priority I have to dedicate that time to - napping!!! See, I told you it was important! ;) So what exactly is the point of this bad blogger talk? Well I guess I'm giving you an explanation for this post, which is a random compilation of fun from the past few weeks. There really is no rhyme or reason to any of it, but it's stuff I wanted to share all the same... so here goes!

First up - Lollapalooza. You know, the gigantic crazy 3 day music fest held in Chicago every summer. Well part of Lolla includes Kidapalooza, which is an area just for the little ones to listen to kid music and just have fun. Tim took Timmy down on Sunday Aug 7, and aside from the scorching heat I hear they had an amazing time. Timmy got his hair gelled into a mohawk w/red hair gel (which by the way never totally washed out and he now has some light pink hair. oops!), got an awesome tattoo, and rocked out to some music. I'm sad I missed it, but really going a week after having a baby just wasn't happening!

Last week I took my boys out for Henry's first trip to the playground in their new double stroller. Timmy thinks it's really funny to ride by his brother! The playground was quasi successful. Timmy just wanted to swing the ENTIRE time. After about 20 minutes I gave up and told him I was done pushing him. Cue tantrum. After we left the playground we made a Trader Joes run where Henry decided it was his turn to have a meltdown. So basically this was a morning for this Mama to figure out how to juggle two boys out in public, especially when one is squawking!

Henry's first bath! Pretty self-explanatory. Note to self, don't bathe him when he's hungry in the future. It just leads to yelling!

Grandpa Pete (aka my Dad) was in town last weekend for my birthday. Timmy was super excited to have him here, as those two seem to be kindred spirits. My Dad told me how much fun he had. We have such a good balance right now. There's a super crazy fun toddler to play with, then a sweet squishy baby to snuggle. The best of both worlds. Here are some pics of 3 of my 4 favorite guys!

Meet "Helmet Timmy." He's crazy.

And here are some sweet sleepy Henry pics for you. Don't you just want to snuggle him up?!?

Ok, that's all for now. (that's all?!? that was quite a lengthy post!!) If you made it all the way through this you deserve a cookie! So go ahead and get yourself one. I'd make them for you, but I'm tooooo busy. I have diapers to change, babies to feed, and trains to play with! Just another day in my exciting life!

Mama's New Ride

2011-08-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we broke down and got a new car. Let me tell you, this mama is excited!!! We've been needing a second car for awhile. Tim's job requires him to be on the road quite a bit, and while we have a scooter that he can take if he's staying local & the weather is nice, it's just not often that the weather is nice, and quite often he needs to go out to the burbs. Chicago does have good public transportation, but there were so many times that I need a car and the two of us juggling one car was getting tough. We also needed something bigger. Something that fit both car seats better (meaning that the passenger in the front didn't have to sit with their knees in the dashboard!) and had room for guests. We have been looking around for awhile and finally found a good fit for us. So here she is... our new Toyota Highlander. It's a used car, but only had one owner and is in great shape. The interior is pretty loaded, with leather, a backup cam, navigation, an optional third row, etc. It's hard to tell from the pics, but it's a nice greenish-grey color and very pretty. I'm super excited to have a full time car!! And without further ado, here's my new ride!!

Birthdays

2011-08-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Last week was a big week in our house. Tim and I are both Leo babies, with birthdays 4 days apart, on Aug 17 & 21 respectively. I tried to take pictures of some of our birthday fun, but alas didn't realize I had the white balance on my camera on a strange setting, so it made getting good pics inside our house even harder than usual. Oops. Oh well, I'll post them anyway!!

First we had Tim's 31st birthday on August 17. Timmy and I wanted to do some special things for him so we decorated the house & baked him a cake. It was supposed to be a surprise, but when Tim woke up on Wednesday Timmy shrieked "It's your birthday! You're going to have a cake with sprinkles inside and chocolate on top with sprinkles!!!" So much for that! lol. He did make Tim a spectacular birthday poster, and decorated quite the cake. Not the prettiest cake, but it tasted good, and really what do you expect when you let a not-quite-3 year old decorate a cake?!?

Yesterday was my birthday. 30 - eeek!!! I wasn't super excited about turning 30, but I will say we had an absolutely lovely day. My dad was in town for the weekend, so that was wonderful, and my boys all spoiled me. When I woke up Tim & Timmy had decorated the downstairs with balloons. Apparently it's good that I'm so exhausted b/c Timmy had been yelling about the balloons all morning, but I slept right through it! My favorite balloons spelled out "I LOVE NY" to tell me that my gift from Tim is a fall trip to NYC! I couldn't be more excited! Tim also found a website where you can make your own viewfinders, and made a lovely collection of my 20s. After a leisurely morning our little family of 4 walked down to the beach for the Air & Water show. Lunch, a nap, and a family dinner with my Mom, Uncle Randy, Aunt Heather, & Conrad followed. My 20s may be gone, but so far the 30s have been great!

this was the best shot I could get of us. toddlers are soooo cooperative when it comes to taking pictures ;)

the next morning - playing with leftover balloons!

Brotherly Love

2011-08-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

My post from last week still holds true, and Timmy is the most loving big brother ever. He is so interested in Baby Henry, always asking to hold him, trying to make him laugh, and rocking him when he's crying. It's really just the sweetest. I've been recovering from the c-section so I haven't been able to take many pictures recently, but I did capture a few sweet shots that I thought I'd share of my guys!

This one is totally blurry b/c it's from my phone, but it's so sweet that I decided to post it anyway. Just some Saturday morning brother snuggles!!

Yesterday evening it was really lovely outside so we all sat outside on the porch for a bit. Timmy wanted to help Daddy hold Baby Henry and I used the opportunity to grab a few pics. I should start doing videos too b/c as they were sitting there Timmy sang "The Wheels on the Bus" for Henry and told him a knock knock joke!
"knock, knock. who's there? you are!" :::cue toddler laughing:::