STORY TIME....

Tom was telling the kids a story the other day. It was pretty cute...they were both listening so closely! :) Daddy can tell some pretty good stories!

Brandon had socks on his hands because he was scratching

at his eczema...poor baby :(

DUMBO....

Actually, the seat below is called a Bumbo, but (at first) Bailey was calling it the "Dumbo":) This seat is specially designed for babies who cannot sit up on their own, but whose neck muscles are strong enough to hold their head up (the back of the seat is really high up so it supports the baby in a sitting position).

We put Brandon in the Bumbo for the first time this past week. He looked like such a big boy! Truth be told, he was only able to sit in there for a few minutes before his head got too heavy for him and he started to lean/fall forward. My guess is he'll be an old pro at the seat in a few weeks.

While we had him there, we tried a few bites of cereal. He actually did very well with it. Much better than Boo (it took her a week or two before she figured out how to actually swallow it :). Even so, I think we're going to wait a couple of weeks and then try cereal as part of his daily diet. The few bites we gave him seemed to have upset his tummy a bit so we'll wait until we're closer to the "traditional" 4 month start date. For now I'm increasing his formula intake to keep up with his hungry little tummy. He's already up to an average of 32oz a day! What a little man!

PLAY TIME....

Bailey is a GREAT big sister. She loves Brandon to pieces. She will hold him, feed him, bring me things for him, talk to him, read to him, play with him.... just about anything and everything she will do for him.

Brandon, equally, loves his big sister. He has smiles saved just for her. It's incredibly sweet.

I know that this peaceful/loving relationship may not always be here (flash forward to those teen years...or heck, maybe just a couple of years down the road when Brandon really starts getting into Bailey's things) but, for now, it's a great start and I'm enjoying every minute :)

FAMILY...

We took this photo Sunday after bear's "party". Funny (or maybe we should say sad) thing is...we've had this camera for over 4 years and this is the first time we tried the self-timer! Hard part was getting everyone to look at the camera when the flash went off so, we only got part of Boo's smile here but, Brandon was at least looking at the camera! :)

RUD A DUB...

Fun in the tub! Took these pictures today of our sweet boy during bath time...

BEAR'S BIRTHDAY....

Bailey has a bear...and it's a very special bear. This bear is the kind of special that, if lost, we'd offer a very large reward. We're always very careful when taking bear (or Beary as Boo calls her) out of the house for fear of loosing her. I was given this bear as a shower gift and Bailey adopted her as her special friend around the age of 12 months. She loves her bear and you can tell bear (Beary) is loved by her (yes, she's a girl bear...because she's pink Boo explains :) by her worn appearance. Lots of loving there...

So, bear had a birthday. Actually, she has them about once a week but, this time Bailey went all out :) She decorated the dining room table, put out some friends for the party (note Tigger and the plastic duck in the picture below), had Tom and I sit down at the table where we then sang "Happy Birthday" to Beary and Boo blew out the candles (that she made us light :). Then there, of course, was a party game (note the picture below where bear is playing "tape the heart of the wall") and presents (Bailey had wrapped up some of her toys and her brother's books for bear). It was all very, very cute.

Only "bad" part is....now Bailey wants to throw a big party for each of her friends (aka stuffed animals) in her room. Yeah....we could be here a while :)

LIKE MELTED BUTTER....

Brandon Elijah is 3 months old today. Three months already! Amazing!! He is such a good, good baby. He's an amazing joy. At three months, Brandon is really starting to use his hands to grab things...and to eat (his hand, not food :). He recognizes our faces and most definitely knows the (shaking) sound of his bottle being made. When he smiles, like his sister, he lights up the room.

Brandon's a good sleeper; he loves to be swaddled at night. He's not a thumb sucker but he does take the bink. He loves to sit and "talk" with you but he also does great at playing on his own (he'll sit in his bouncy chair and play/talk with his "friends" for a good 30 minutes). He loves to eat; his mouth will start sucking before I can even get the bottle to it... sooo cute!

My favorite time with him is, without question, when we're snuggling. Oh my gosh. He's soft and smooshie. He feels like a soft stick of melted butter...he just melts into you and when he does, I can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be.

DISNEY!

We LOVE Disney! It has to be one of the most magical places on earth...especially when you have children, although Tom will tell you that I'll still be excited when he and I are 80 and the kids are grown with babies of their own :)

Each time we go, Bailey is more and more excited. Her reaction to the characters (or friends as we call them) gets better with each visit. Her expression is sooo sweet. This was a quick trip as it was unplanned, but we were still able to spend two days at the Magic Kingdom. The first day was pretty chilly (windy and maybe 50 degrees), but the second day was perfect (sunny and around 70). We had a really good time and are planning a trip back in November.

It's amazing how quickly time goes by. Last time we were at Disney (in October) Brandon was in my belly. This trip he was so tiny. Next trip he'll be crawling or possibly even walking! Take with that Boo who gets taller in each Disney picture.... it's all TOO FAST! So, we're enjoying each magical moment....

ROLLER COASTER....

As I said yesterday, Bailey road her first big kid roller coaster at Legoland. This ride was geared more towards kids 8 years and older, so at first I said no. But, Bailey really wanted to go on it, so with her persistence and daddy saying "she'll be fine"...I gave in. While the coaster did not go upside down, it was large and had some pretty good sized dips. The photo below tells of the experience :) When Boo got off the roller coaster she was very excited to tell me that she had done it (rode it). When I asked her if she had a fun, she said "yes". When I asked if she wanted to do it again, she said "NO". Looks like the big kid roller coasters may need to wait a couple of more years :)

LEGOLAND....

While in Florida we visited Legoland. This was our first time to Legoland (it actually just opened in Florida this year)and we had a good time. There were several rides that Bailey was able to go on and a couple of really neat playgrounds. There was a pretty strong wind that day but the sun was out so it was still nice. We spent close to 6 hours at the park and got to do/see just about everything. Bailey even went on her first "big kid" roller coaster; I'll post that picture tomorrow :)

FLORIDA...

Last Wednesday, we decided to take a quick family trip to Florida. Tom was scheduled to drive down to take care of some medical issues with his brother and then to visit his parents so we decided that the kids and I would go along with him and make a mini-vacation out of it. We visited family, Legoland and Disney. We had a really good time! I'll post more pictures over the next couple of days, but for now I'll post one of Tom, his parents and the kids. Unfortunately, I forgot until late (the night before we left) that I needed to take a picture! Oh well...at least we got one :)

More pics to come!

DAY OF LOVE....

In our house, Valentine's Day is called "The Day of Love". This year, I have lots of love to go around! I'm blessed with our newest miracle who is growing, happy and healthy PLUS doubly blessed with my precious Boo (who had a party at school today :). Add to that a wonderful husband and "The Day of Love" is pretty great indeed!

DADDY'S FAVORITE....

This is Tom's favorite way to "watch" the baby....I'm pretty sure I have pictures of him "watching" Bailey this way too :o)

What a great method!

JAKE AND THE NEVER LAND PIRATES....

Yesterday was Bailey's birthday party. We had a great time! The theme she decided on was, "Jake and the Never Land Pirates". Now, for those of you who are not familiar with Disney's latest success, the story is a cartoon which focusing around three pirates (Jake, Izzy, Cubby...and their bird Skully). They live on Never Land and search for treasure with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee standing in their way.

The problem is...Disney has yet to put out any party supplies for Jake and the Never Land Pirates so, I had to search online for bits and pieces and try to put it all together. It must have gone okay because after everyone left, Bailey turned to me and said, "the party was lovely....best party ever!" :o) Gotta love that! Pretty high praise coming from a 4...oops, I mean 5 year old :o)

We had crafts (including my first attempt at face painting :o), lunch then cake and ice cream, breaking of the pinata and then gifts. It really was a great afternoon.

Happy Birthday Boo!

Sure...the patch wasn't Brandon's favorite but,

the real problem was...he wanted his bottle!

SO, THEY DIDN'T LIE...

Before having Brandon, I did as I believe so many other mommy's do....I wondered if I could love another as much as I love my first. My love for Bailey ran so deep, that I was sure that it wasn't possible; that I would not have the ability to love my son as much as I loved my daughter. So, I did what any rational person would do...I asked every mother I knew (and a few that I didn't really know, but simply ran into) if it was possible, "can you really love your second, as much as you love your first?".

The answer was the same from every woman I spoke with, "yes, you can". Each of them told me that they too could not have imagined the ability of their heart to stretch to include that second (or with some of them their third or forth) miracle the way their heart loved that first one but, it does happen. Did I believe them? Absolutely not. I mean, what mother is going to say, "you know what? I really love my first child but my second...hmm....kinda". I figured that the deep dark secret, the true lie of motherhood, was that you really only love your first child with that all-consuming, self sacrificing, undeniable love and that the children after that you loved but, not with as much depth or passion.

Turns out...they didn't lie. You are able to love your second (or I'm sure your third or forth) with as much depth, as much passion, as much all-consuming love as your first. Somehow, God grants us the ability to love differently but equally. The awesome part of all this is...your first love is still there. I think that's where the fear initially comes from. I explained it to my girlfriend Glenna this way....before I was married, I loved other boys. But when I met my husband, I had to make a choice. I had to choose whom I was going to love. There wasn't the choice of, I'll love you as much as I love him. You choose (and yes, I am very happy with my choice :). So when God blessed us with a second child, I figured I'd have to choose whom I was going to love more. That's the awesome part...you don't have to. The awesome part is...turns out, they didn't lie.

OUR MIRACLE GIRL....

...is 5 years old today! Bailey is SUCH an amazing girl! She is kind and thoughtful, energetic and bright. She LOVES her family, friends and all things Disney. She is a WONDERFUL big sister. She's figured out that money is something to try and earn (she now asks for dollars instead of coins ;). She has started to grow out of her insecurities and is stepping out to make friends. As with most of us, she likes to feel included and safe and in that environment she flourishes. She does well playing on her own and has quite the imagination. She loves to run and play and really enjoys being outdoors. On the flip side...she also really enjoys watching videos (i.e. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). Boo is silly and dramatic. She's very emotional, but she can also be very focused. She really is an exceptional little girl and we praise God for her daily.

We had a small party for her at school today (no, she's not wearing lipstick...her lips just look really red in these photos! :). Her "real" birthday party is at our house on Saturday...she's super excited for that! Even though her party is Saturday, we did allow her to open her gifts from YiaYia and Popo today. She LOVED them :)

Happy Birthday baby girl. We truly adore you.