Memorial Day Parade

Blowing bubbles

We have tried very hard to make it to a parade for Memorial Day every year as a way to have a tradition that shows Wyatt, and eventually his brother, the importance of the day. We are so grateful for all the sacrifice that others have made so that we can feel good about the country our kids are in, it is the least we can do to clap and show our thanks during a parade.

This year we went to our city's parade, and sat with some friends from church. Their oldest girl had the privilege to ride the fire truck - which was interesting to Wyatt as it passed by. Another great attraction for Wyatt was a train that had been motivated to drive on the street. I have to say he did amazingly well considering we were out in the sun, (90 degree sun) for almost 2 hours. He only needed to walk around twice, and the second time it was because he wanted to find some shade.

Watching the parade

We kept him nice and busy before the parade actually got to us with some great bubbles. That little guy loves his bubbles. He is starting to figure out how to blow them himself, which I am grateful for! The funny part is that he doesn't always keep the wand out of his mouth, so today we got the privilege of watching him blow a bubble right out of his own mouth after getting a nice supply of soap off the wand.

The rest of the day was quiet, since we were all beat after being in the sun for two hours. But it was a nice extra day off, one that we made sure to center around our thankfulness for what others have given in order to provide the freedom we all are so blessed to have.

Crafts from Richmond...

Earlier this month I wrote about our family trip to Richmond and the amazing time we all had painting at All Fired Up. I wanted to write a short update on our amazing artistic abilities, since we received the finished products. 

Granted we are not on the road to becoming professionals, but the experience was amazing and the keepsakes that will hold those memories are priceless. I believe this could have been one of those ideas that I had as a mom that has paid off ten-fold.  

Now to decide on a name

Already looking at the camera - 20 weeks

The news it out, we know that Wyatt is going to be a big brother - what is that not what you were expecting this to start with?  Well we also now know that Wyatt will have a little brother come the end of the summer. That is exciting news! We also know that as far as the doctors can tell, everything looks good. Which is a nice added bit of information for me since I've been nervous this time around.

Kicking like crazy, just like his brother

I am actually looking forward to two boys, mostly because I am hoping that they will be able to wear each other out once in a while. Of course that is assuming that this new one has as much energy as Wyatt.

The ultrasound was nice, because Wyatt stayed with my dad so Patrick and I got to spend the time waiting at that long appointment without having to chase Wyatt. Those moments between the two of us are going to be hard to come across, and I am very grateful for the times we do have.

One interesting part of this last visit was that I will no longer be getting the progesterone shots. Not because they are too expensive, as some of you may remember talking to me about, but because I am having a skin reaction at the injection points. Reactions that are not going away within the week. So with mixed feelings I am stopping that procedure, and praying that it will all work out great. On the up side, I don't have to get anymore painful injections on a weekly basis.

you probably can't tell, but he just kicked his own head

 Now all we have to do is come up with a great name for this new little boy - I'll make sure to tell you once we have decided. But in case you didn't know, or forgot, Wyatt was 3 days old before he got his name, so don't hold your breath!

Planting seeds and veggies

For the past 4 years Patrick and I have tried to figure out this gardening business, which isn't exactly my cup of tea, but still we are putting in the effort. And don't get me wrong, we often are proud of our harvests, they just tend to be an over abundance of a veggie we aren't all that fond of. The one year we had zucchinis that were great looking, but I couldn't find enough ways to cook them! Then we had a year where there were so many green beans I was so tired of them I still don't enjoy them like I should. Then last year there was a lettuce experiment, don't get me started on what happens when you eat to many salads! But this year we are at it again, hoping to find the right balance. Luckily for me we have this great little helper who wants to dig in the dirt.

We started our planting experiment with flower seeds. Wyatt was all to happy to get to use the gardening tools and move the dirt around. He did a fairly good job! I was amazed that he even followed directions well enough to plant a couple of the seeds on this own.

Making a hole for seeds, granted we weren't putting seeds there!

Side note: my new job as photographer is much more to my liking as far as the gardening jobs go.

A couple of days later, we decided to put some snow peas and green beans (yeah I know, I already said these were no longer a fave of mine) into cups to get them started inside. I read somewhere that getting vine veggies established inside might make for a better harvest, so we are giving it a try. Wyatt loved putting dirt into cups, and also enjoyed adding the rather large seeds into the cups. We left the messier job of covering back up the seeds to daddy.

I was super proud at how well Wyatt helped clean up the floor afterwards. He is going to be a great big brother as far as helping goes, I just know it.

Nice Weather Boo-boo?

I have been told that to fit in with my husband's family I should keep track of all the boo-boo's my little guy gets. I must say that I have been very lucky, because with the exception of one scratch last year and a surgery last year we have been boo-boo free!

I guess nice spring weather is what breaks that streak. Just put a little boy outside for a little bit and no matter what he is bound to get hurt, at least a little bit right?

Well what about when it's not nice enough to play outside but all those outside toys are calling your name? You guessed it- boo-boo number one of 2011! To help burn off energy that has been bottled up during this horribly raining spring, Wyatt got to ride his trike around the basement with daddy. And he is just about tall enough to completely pedal on his own, which is where the issue is.

The little guy got his foot stuck in the pedal as he was trying to pedal across the floor, and we all know that is not a good thing. Luckily, daddy was right there and kept it from getting too horrible. In the end all that was needed was a little bubble bath and a great Big Bird band-aid from mommy.

So here is the documentation of the first boo-boo of Spring 2011.

The Moon Mommy



The moon!



Last night (ok so this wasn't actually last night - uploading pictures took me a week, but I wrote it the day after) Wyatt helped Patrick do some weeding. It was a great chance for the boys to get outside, and dirty, while making the house look better. I always am super glad when I don't have to spend too much time outside especially weeding because it tends to set off my allergies.

When it was close to bath time I went out to gather them both up, just to find Wyatt starring up into the sky. It was a clear night, which is not normal for us! I asked him what he saw, and without looking away, he pointed his finger and said, "Moon, mommy". He was so proud of himself, it was adorable. He then glanced at me and said, "moon, high, sky, mommy".  Then he tried to jump in order to reach it.



Tiny little half moon is what caught his eye



Just to make the whole event stay more clear in my mind, this morning, on our way to the gym, he stopped on the porch and looked up. "No moon mommy" he told me. "moon hiding"  He seemed very distraught that the moon was no longer there. I told him it was sleeping, but we could look for it tonight.

I'm amazed at how smart he is getting. His memory is great. I mean really, he should have moved on from such a great discovery after 14 hours, I mean he would have a couple of weeks ago!




Telling us where the moon was



Washing up

For a little while I was starting to worry because Wyatt had entered a phase of not wanting to take a bath. He had always loved bathtime and we usually had to drag him out of freezing cold water because he wanted to keep on playing.  I'm not sure what happened that we had to through that phase of no baths, but I am glad it's over.

So now that the weather is starting to warm up a little, I am grateful that Wyatt can get a little bath time in after he had been playing outside in the mud and dirt! And that little man loves to play outside. Actually I don't think loves is a strong enough term.

Anyway, this week we have tried to teach Wyatt how to use a washclothe to wash himself. After Patrick washed Wyatt, Wyatt decided to practice on his rubbery duckies!  It was so cute. The only thing was as soon as I ran back with the camera, the little ham dropped the duck and wanted to pose for the camera. But still it was a great moment for us. It was fun and adorable for a two-year-old who tends to have many cute moments a day.

Mother's Day

I was blessed to have an extra day of Mother's day over the weekend. My lovely men treated me to a nice home-cooked meal Saturday evening followed by a good cleaning job of the kitchen. I don't know a mom who doesn't love being cooked for and then doesn't have to clean up the mess!

Sunday was also great. We all enjoyed some wonderful blueberry muffins from a local bakery and then had a nice sunny morning for church. After which I got a nice break while Wyatt took an excellent nap and Patrick did some grocery shopping.

I also lucked out with dinner because we celebrated Mother's day at my mom's house, as well as a mass birthday party for all the May birthdays in my family. It was a great chance to catch up on the whole family's lives since now that most of us cousins are grown up, we don't seem to spend as much time together.

Wyatt did an excellent job of staying busy. He spent a good while playing the bongos with my cousin David, who was playing the guitar. It was cute.

Wyatt also did a great job of presenting Nana with her mother's days gifts, which I know meant a lot.

I'm starting to really enjoy this Mother's day concept!

First ear of corn of the season

I'm sure from some of the other posts it is clear that we are finally back in our house. I am not sure I said why we weren't in our house though!  After some of the horrible winter storms of the year we ended up with some water damage on our walls. That resulted in an almost seven week process of having a contractor take down the drywall inside the house (all the exterior walls), drying the studs and killing any possible mold growth. Then it they had to put up new walls, all new woodwork and refinish all my hardwood floors. As I'm sure was obvious from my previous posts I was not happy with how long it took, or the crazy amount of dust and dirt they left in my house. All I can say is thank goodness insurance paid for 95% of it, and that it is over! At least if I ever have to go through such a project again I will be better prepared.

Anyway, to celebrate finally being back in our house, we had a nice summer meal. Granted my kitchen wasn't completely put back together and the food reserves weren't quite as I had remembered, but still we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Wyatt was especially grateful for some corn on the cob, well I did too!

I think he got his great love of corn on the cob from me and his great job of cleaning the cob from his grandpa. Sure it's not completely cleaned off but considering he hasn't even gotten his 2 year molars yet, he does an amazing job.   I am hoping that this means we will be getting a lot of corn on the cob as the summer progresses, well if it ever really gets here!

Pigging out (April 29)

Baby #2

Alright, so I've been fairly quiet about this second baby, mostly because I have felt nervous about this one. I wasn't like this last time. I was happy or tired but that was it. This time there is an anxiety surrounding me, probably because Wyatt was so early and I'm worried about going to term and having a healthy baby. After 3 great doctor's appointments I am starting to feel a little more comfortable about the chances I have to experience a healthy delivery.

Today I got my first progesterone shot. I will be getting them once a week for the next 17 weeks to help this pregnancy get as close to term as possible. It sounds like the odds are in my favor, especially since I am in overall better physical health this time around. I was surprised that the shot wasn't as horrible as I had pictured. Granted, it was no flu shot. This is a thick compound, which means I get to have that stupid needle in my rear end for a good amount of time while the nurse slowly pushes the meds in. After doing some research online I decided to ice the area before hand, it I really think it made all the difference since it took the edge off the pain of the needle itself.

On top of the shot today, I had another visit with the mid-wife and that was a great visit. Once the shot was over, it was all good. In fact when we were listening to heartbeat, which has been difficult with this baby as it is an active little one, it kicked so violently that the nurse felt it! She was shocked as she hasn't felt such power in a one this early ever. I am hoping that is a good sign that this baby wants to be strong and healthy, so between my health goals and the shots maybe this time will go well.

I'm including the ultrasound picture from the 10 week ultrasound, even though that was weeks ago, because I am comfortable now with the anxiety, oh and next month I get more! So now is the time to put in your guesses on the sex!

New baby at 8 weeks - yeah that was a while ago now...

Trip to Richmond

After a long month out of our house, we left for our annual trip to Richmond to visit Patrick's family. I have to admit, after getting my shot first thing in the morning I was not prepared for the eight hour drive that followed. Thankfully Patrick and I decided to spend a little money and bought an in-car dvd player to help Wyatt survive the drive, and it was a great investment.

Once we actually arrived, it was a wonderful trip. The weather was amazing. It was so much warmer than home, and I needed the sun! You don't realize how much you need the sun until you get some. The only down side was the spring allergies, and my poor sinuses didn't react well. But naps and meds got me through.

Wyatt enjoyed every second he got to spend with his Oma, Opa and Aunt Bridget. I think he was most glad to play outside. Oma's wonderful neighbors let Wyatt borrow a small basketball hoop and ball, so between that and his tee-ball set, outside was a great way to spend our days.


Loving Chocolate Milk


We made a few outings while we were there. The first experiment did not go as well as we would have hoped. The museum had a special exhibit of Picasso art, which Oma treated us all too. Although it was amazing art, Wyatt didn't want to sit in his stroller and slowly ride through the museum. Opa graciously took him around the outside to check out the water features and flowers which allowed Patrick and myself to check out the art. I have to say it just isn't my style - although we did enjoy making up stories of what the pictures could be and laughing with each other.

A fun time was had by all when we took a trip to Cartwheels and Coffee. Wyatt enjoyed the indoor play area and I appreciated the chai latte and a break! I wish there was something like Cartwheels at our house. It would be worth a weekly trip for me, and I am sure for many of my mommy friends.

We also took a little trip to Carytown to paint some lasting memories at All Fired Up. It was so much fun to actually make our own art. Wyatt did amazingly well paint his own picture frame for Easter. He loved dipping his brush into the paint and smearing it all over the ceramic frame. Then it was just as fun to put the used brush into the water to clean it off. I was amazed at how long he sat there focused on his art creation. I guess a little bit of Uncle Jordan's artistic abilities have rubbed off.

Then there was Easter, which was great fun. (Easter post)

Overall I was very glad to have gotten a great break in the sun for our Easter vacation and I think the whole family enjoyed themselves.

Easter 2011

Easter has been a great holiday for the past few years because we get to get away from the crap weather of northeastern Ohio in order to spend some wonderful family time with Patrick's parents in Virginia. This year I was so ready for the warm weather, and I must say the great state of Virginia did not let me down. We had to spend a few afternoons inside in order to stay cool (see my Richmond Trip post for details).


Easter was a nice little holiday this year. I have to say that being pregnant and not taking as well as I would have hoped to the warmer weather, I enjoyed the quiet day.




Wyatt enjoyed his easter basket, which was a great improvement from last year when he didn't care

about it all. The Easter Bunny left him great large eggs with small trains (Thomas) that were a crazy big hit. Next he found the bubbles, which distracted him from breakfast!



Showing us where to go for church



After a great church service, Patrick picked Wyatt up from the kids Sunday school room to discover that Wyatt had enjoyed a wonderful easter cupcake in place of that breakfast he skipped!

 

I was grateful that Wyatt took a great nap which meant it was the perfect time for mommy to take a little rest. That we could have energy for the egg hunt that followed. Last year Wyatt couldn't have been bothered with such an event, but this year he was all about it. the hunt last longer than anyone would have expected!

Overall it was a great holiday and I had a blast watching Wyatt enjoy it so much.