Our Family

Gracism

2012-01-15T08:46:00.002-05:00

Me: "Grace do you like my new shirt?"

Grace: "Yes, it's beautiful. You look Mother-tastic!!"

Gracism

2011-12-18T22:34:00.001-05:00

12/15/11
Grace: "Mommy, why did you have two kids?"

Me: "Because Daddy and I wanted you to have a friend to play with."

Grace: "I think you made a mistake!"

I LOVE this child with everything I have!!

I Trust in God and Jesus!!

2011-12-10T21:37:00.001-05:00

The other night I asked Grace if she knew why we celebrate Christmas. She said no, (which I really didn't believe because I know for a fact they talk about it at school everyday, we have books here that we read, and Bryan and I have talked to her about it) so I explained the story of Jesus' birth to her again. When I was done she turned and looked at me then said, "I trust in God and Jesus!" That makes me very proud!

Love, love, love it!!

Magic Kingdom

2011-12-07T14:04:00.001-05:00

My sweet family!!

Daddy and his Princess!

Mommy and RJ on the carousel!

A kiss for Daddy!

Grace and Daddy riding in the front of our flying carpet.

Up in the air...Mr. Straight Face!!

Balloons!!

Disney always has beautiful Christmas decorations!

Our tired babies!

The day after Thanksgiving we took the kids to the Happiest Place on Earth...Magic Kingdom. We thought for sure that it was going to be a stressful day because of the amount of people attending the park, but we ended up having the BEST time at Disney ever!! Very little wait times for the rides we chose, a relaxing lunch, ice cream, and a parade where Cinderella's Fairy Godmother told Grace that she liked her dress!! Bryan and I enjoyed our day with our little munchkins. Wonderful memories were made!!

Bubbles!!

2011-12-02T07:08:00.000-05:00

RJ finally figured it out. Precious!!

Love the concentration!

Festival of Trees

2011-12-02T07:05:00.000-05:00

Our Art Museum hosts a Festival of Trees where local artists and business donate beautifully decorated trees to be sold at an auction which benefits the museum. It only lasts a week and is one of my favorite things to do during the holidays. They not only have trees, but they have wreaths, gingerbread houses, music, and fun activities for children. I just love it!

This tree was awesome! It was made out of water bottles that were cute open and painted to look like flowers. Beautiful!!

This tree was Grace's favorite. It was covered in butterflies!

Hoola Hoops!!

Monkey!!

Me and my babies! Oh, how I love them so very much!!

Santa's Magical Arrival

2011-12-02T06:47:00.000-05:00

Grace and Mommy waiting for the magical moment!

Eating her super healthy dinner!

Enjoying her time with Rae Rae!

HE'S HERE!!!

Love it!!

Every year a local mall has a special holiday party for Santa's magical arrival. This was our first year attending. RJ ended up getting an ear infection so he couldn't come with us, which was a huge disappointment. But Rae Rae, Grace, and I decided to head out there ourselves to check things out. Grace really enjoyed herself. Seeing her face made fighting the crowds worth it!!

Fortune Cookie

2011-11-23T23:01:00.000-05:00

It was just my Mom, the kids, and I for dinner the other night, so we ordered Chinese food. After dinner I gave Grace a fortune cookie. She cracked it open and asked me to read it to her. Not 30 seconds later she told me the following joke...

G: "Mommy, why did the chicken cross the road?"

Me: "I don't know."

G: "Because he fell on his hiney bum! Hahahahahahahaha!" [Hysterical laughter at herself.]

That fortune cookie was spot on!!

No More Paci...

2011-11-17T21:58:00.001-05:00

On Monday, the 7th, I stopped the paci addiction. RJ would go into the kitchen and point to the draw where they were kept and whimper. He cried only for a short while at nap or bedtime. I thought he did very well considering he LOVED his paci. He was a real trooper. How did he make the transition so well, you ask? He now sucks his thumb. Oy vey!

THOSE EYES!!!!

2011-11-14T22:33:00.000-05:00

Perfection!!

Not only do I see outer beauty when I look at this picture, but I also see inner beauty. Humor, imagination, wonder, tenderness...just plain perfection.

2011-11-14T22:27:00.001-05:00

RJ looks just like his Daddy when he sleeps!

These feet! I just love these little tiny feet! I was holding them the other day, admiring how soft and smooth and clean they were. I savored that small moment in time, because I know one day these precious little piggies will be hairy, stinky, sweaty, and pretty much disgusting teenage boy feet! Got to live in the moment, right?

(Disclaimer: Even when these feet are hairy, stinky, and sweaty, I will still love them because they belong to the most amazing little boy EVER! I won't want to hold them and kiss them, though....yuck.)

Gracism

2011-11-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

Grace: "Mommy, do you know why ghostess don't eat?"

Me: "No, I don't. Why?"

Grace: "Because they can't sit down."

Horseback Riding

2011-11-02T23:19:00.003-04:00

Dunny likes Grace's boots!

Ready to ride!

Grace grooming Tiani the Terrible.

We went to our cousin's house so I could take pictures of Brittany and Brianna with their horses. Grace got to groom the Tiani the pony and ride her. Brittany then took Grace for a ride on Dunny. Grace had a blast!!

Hula Dance

2011-11-02T23:10:00.001-04:00

Grace did the hula dance at every house we went to. She would say "Trick or Treat!", then start doing the hula. She ROCKS!!!

Halloween!!

2011-11-02T22:59:00.000-04:00

Dessert!!

Hula girl action shot!

Chef Boy RJ on the go!!

He would NOT stand still for a picture.

Setting out to trick or treat in the wagon.

Quick photo for Daddy before trick or treating.

Halloween Eve

2011-10-30T20:09:00.001-04:00

RJ painted that adorable little pumpkin at school this week. I wish I could have been there to see his chubby little hands holding the paintbrush and creating this masterpiece! Love it!

Our little entryway is decked out in Halloween decor. Quite festive if you ask me!

Princess Tea Party and Story Time

2011-10-27T23:06:00.000-04:00

So, over the summer I started my own photography business. I've enjoyed taking photographs for quite sometime. I used to play with my Dad's old 35mm Nikon and actually took decent photos. Most of my photos were of animals or something in nature. Then I had kids. I bet I have thousands of pictures of my kids. I love capturing their little faces, hands, fingers, toes, belly buttons, etc. in that particular moment. Not to mention that both of my children are EXTREMELY photogenic!

Anyway, two nights ago I was thinking of some ways to practice with my new camera. I planned to set up a backdrop and place my daughter, dressed in her Halloween costume, in the center of my little makeshift studio and shoot away. Well, she didn't want to do that. "No stank you, Mommy." Ok. Then I thought I would have her sit with one of our dogs and get some "little girl and her sweet puppy pictures". The dog wasn't having it. She ran 2.5 miles with me that afternoon, then played outside with her brother until dinner time. Once she came inside she was too tired to do anything.

I finally told my daughter that my idea wasn't working and I was just going to pack everything up and put it away. She said "No, I'm coming!" and ran into the room. She put on her princess dress, necklaces, (I helped her with the tiara), and she got out her tea set. Then, I got the MOST AMAZING photos of my sweet little girl. She never wants me to take pictures of her, but that night the stars were aligned just right. She is so gorgeous...I can't stop looking at her! I'm really lucky this little package of perfection in MY daughter!!

Gracism

2011-10-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

"Mommy, you smell like a rainbow!"

2011-10-17T22:22:00.002-04:00

Cell Phone Fun

2011-09-28T12:29:00.001-04:00

I took these pictures in the car on our way back from Mississippi last month. My new cell phone has several cool options for taking pictures. I kind of like the retro look! Both kids were trying on Mommy's glasses. Grace's face in her picture is too funny!

Why not?

2011-09-19T23:03:00.000-04:00

Grace has been asking me to take her to Sea World. So last Wednesday I said "why not?" and we went. It was just the two of us and we had a great time. Grace rode her first roller coaster, Shamu Express. She LOVED it! We rode it 4 times and would have gone a few more times if it wasn't getting so late. I really enjoyed spending the day with her. These are memories I will cherish forever.

This was taken on our way out of the park. She was a tired little girl and a bit on the grouchy side.

Gracism of the day: "Mommy, penguin poop smells gusgusting!"

SHOES!!!

2011-09-19T22:51:00.000-04:00

I feel like I am constantly picking up shoes. Everytime I turn around there is another pair of shoes under the couch, under the table, in the middle of the living room, in the hallway, EVERYWHERE!!! But yesterday, while I was picking up said shoes, I had a different mind set. I decided I loved these shoes in my house. You can see why.

A Girl and Her Dog

2011-09-19T22:46:00.001-04:00

A Boy and His Dog

2011-09-19T22:44:00.000-04:00

RJ Update!

2011-08-17T22:04:00.000-04:00

As of August 15th, RJ is 16 months old! We blinked and we no longer have a baby. We have a little boy who is into EVERYTHING!! At his doctor's appointment, this week, he weighed 20lbs 6.5oz. He is a little low on the curve for his weight, but he and Grace caught some sort of stomach bug and he went on an eating strike. He is however, 31 1/4 in tall, so he is growing normally!

He can say "Momma", "Da Da", and "golfcart" (he LOVES Grandpa's golfcart and takes multiple rides on it when he's over there) and maybe "truck". He really doesn't need to speak, because Grace is his spokesperson. He can play peek-a-boo with his hands, he can wave hello and goodbye, he knows where several body parts are and he can point to various objects. He's one smart cookie!

RJ is still in love with his big sister. Only she can get him to laugh so hard, he can hardly breathe. I love having a little boy. He's an amazing little person!

2011-08-10T13:31:00.000-04:00

Practicing with the kickboard in the pool.

Love the tongue hanging out of her mouth while she's concentrating!

Big Sister Reading to Little Brother

2011-08-10T13:28:00.000-04:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture! They were so cute together.

Splash Park with Friends

2011-08-10T13:23:00.003-04:00

Met some friends at a local splash park. The kids had a great time!

Water Day at School

2011-08-10T13:21:00.000-04:00

Swimming Lessons

2011-08-10T13:17:00.000-04:00

Both kids have been in swimming lessons for three weeks this summer. They both have advanced so much. RJ and I are in the Parent-Child Aquatics class and Grace was moved from level 1 to level 2. I don't go in the water with her, in fact they don't let parents on the pool deck during lessons, because of the distraction. It's been hard to get pictures of her during her lessons, because I'm so far away. Hoping to get some before the classes end.

2011-08-10T13:09:00.000-04:00

Grandpa took us to Rainforest Cafe. Notice the chocolate on Grace's face.

2011-08-10T13:05:00.000-04:00

Grace loves Mazie!! (when she's not stinky)

An airplane flew over!!!

2011-08-10T12:48:00.000-04:00

Grace had a party to celebrate the "ocean" at school. These cookies were our contribution!

Our Sleeping Angels

2011-08-10T12:45:00.001-04:00

I know I shouldn't, but I think it is sooooo cute when he sucks his thumb!!

Grace is sleeping with "Snuggles" my childhood toy!

(May 2011)

Ballet Girl!!

2011-08-10T12:41:00.000-04:00

Grace wanted to try a ballet class out. She enjoyed it, but would get tired halfway through the class and stop participating. She may try it again when she gets a little older.

RJ's First Haircut (April 2011)

2011-08-07T14:08:00.001-04:00

RJ reacted quite differently from Grace with his first haircut. He was actually happy and seemed to enjoy the process! We took him out onto the front porch, gave him a toy, and Bryan got to work. Cake!!

Little Artist

2011-07-04T22:01:00.000-04:00

Creating a work of art at school!

Sharing a Cookie

2011-07-04T21:49:00.001-04:00

Grace is sharing a cookie with Daddy at her "Beginning of Summer Party" at school.

RJ Turns One Year Old!!!

2011-07-04T21:12:00.001-04:00

We invited family over for RJ's birthday party. He wasn't sure what to think about his cupcake.

We had another photo shoot a few weeks before RJ's first birthday. He was an angel! Such a happy boy!

I'm So Cute!!

2011-07-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

March 12th. RJ has quite the personality. He's a very sweet boy!

Playing!!

2011-07-04T20:59:00.002-04:00

Grace turned 3!!!

2011-07-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

Mini celebration at home!

Grace turned 3 years old in February. Her birthday fell on a week day, so we had a mini celebration for her at home. We had a cupcake party for her at school, then threw a family party for her that weekend. She was a happy little girl!!

RJ 9 months old

2011-07-04T18:58:00.007-04:00

RJ turned 9 months old in February. We had a photographer take some pictures of him. It was one of the coldest days of the year. We were all freezing our butts off, but RJ didn't seem to mind. He was so happy to be outside playing! The pictures turned out great!

2011-07-02T14:49:00.002-04:00

Daddy and RJ at the Rustic Inn Restaurant!!

Holy Moly, it's been a long time!!

2011-07-02T14:19:00.008-04:00

The school year has ended, I taught the first session of summer school, and NOW I am officially a stay at home Mom! I have long wanted to stay home with my babies. It has all been made possible by my wonderful husband!

So without further ado, here are some updates...

Gracism

2011-01-10T20:32:00.001-05:00

Daddy: "What do you want for breakfast, Grace?"

Grace: "Pancakes!"

Mommy: "What kind of syrup do you want on your pancakes?"

Grace: "I don't know."

Daddy: "I have boysenberry syrup."

Grace: "I want girlsenberry syrup."

Gracism

2011-01-09T08:22:00.003-05:00

Bryan was putting Grace to bed the other night. He tucked her in, then read her a story. After about 20 minutes, Grace started yelling for me at the top of her lungs. When I went in to see what was the matter I found Bryan asleep next to her. He was so tired that he didn't budge, even with all her screaming. Grace looks at me and says, "Mommy, why is your husband asleep?"

RJ Update...

2011-01-08T14:48:00.005-05:00

"I got my first tooth!!!" RJ has been working on getting his bottom two teeth for the past two months. His right one finally broke through and his left one is not far behind.

I can't believe that RJ is 8 1/2 months old! Our sweet baby is getting so big, so fast. It seems that all at once he makes huge advances. He can now pull himself up to a kneeling position, he is beginning to feed himself, and he knows what NO means, although he chooses to ignore that word. He will turn, look at us, smile, then go right back to doing what we was doing.

He's gotten the hang of feeding himself cheerios, Gerber Graduate puffs, and freeze-dried apples. I've tried giving him fruits and smalls bits of chicken, but...he gags. So, it is now confirmed that I have TWO dramatic children.

RJ eats two whole jars of baby food three times a day, eats 2-3 snacks of cheerios or apples each day, and still has several bottles. The kid is a MOOSE!

He is such a happy baby. He LOVES his big sister. Grace will sing, talk, or just be silly with him and he gets the biggest kick out of it. I hope and pray that they will always be friends, be eachother's advocate, and take good care of eachother. They are the greatest gifts God has given Bryan and I. We are so honored and blessed to be their parents!

Did Someone Say Chocolate?

2011-01-08T14:47:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-08T14:14:00.002-05:00

"Morning Mom! Look what I can do now!!"

Christmas Morning

2011-01-07T22:05:00.004-05:00

Both kiddos playing with their toys!

"Look at my tiara! How did Santa know that I'm a Princess?

RJ got lots of good stuff from the Big Guy too!

" Mickey Mouse book of trucks! Although, I really don't care what it is just as long as I can put it in my mouth!!"

"A microphone! I always wanted a microphone!"

A very happy little girl! Her little brother was still sleeping, so she opened her presents without him.

Grace immediately saw that Santa ate his cookies and drank all his milk.

When Grace finally woke up I think she forgot it was Christmas morning. We told her what day it was and her face lit up with excitement. She hurried out of bed, then slowly crept around the corner into the hallway to see what Santa left her.

Christmas morning finally came around! Santa Claus brought lots of fun stuff to Grace and RJ. RJ woke up around 6am, ate his breakfast, drank a bottle, played for a little while, then took his morning nap, all the while Grace and Daddy were STILL SLEEPING!! They didn't wake up until 8:30!!

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-23T06:37:00.005-05:00

Official Taste-Tester!! Yummy!

Fresh out of the oven...they look delicious!

Ready to put them in the oven.

Dirty hands!

Coating the cookie balls in sugar.

(There was typically more sugar on the counter and floor then there was in the bowl.)

Rolling the dough into balls.

Stirring the molassess into the sugar mixture.

Last night Gracie and I decided to make a batch of Grandma Fox's famous Ginger Crinkle Cookies. Gracie and I were the "cookers" and Daddy was the "eater". Grace helped me by rolling the cookie dough into balls, covering them with sugar, then placing them on the baking sheet.

This was one of the best nights I've had in a long time! Grace was really into making the cookies and helping out. I enjoyed spending some quality time with my sweet little girl. It was such a simple, impromptu activity. No planning or scheduling, just a spur of the moment thing.

...a wonderful memory I will keep forever!

Letters

2010-12-07T20:53:00.003-05:00

Grace loves to draw and write. She has recently started talking about writing numbers and letters. Here is a picture of her writing practice. The only letter that she did not write herself is the letter "G". Everything else is her own. Not too shabby for a two year old!!

Oops, I skipped Thanksgiving....

2010-12-06T22:18:00.003-05:00

Since Thanksgiving is a very special day, Grace got to use a very special glass for her milk. "Princesses use special glasses like this too!"

Grace, Aunt Rae Rae, and "Arj"

Our sweet little family!

We have a LOT to be thankful for!!

I couldn't do very much for Thanksgiving since I was recovering from hernia surgery again, so we had a very quiet day at GG and Grandpa's house. We mainly lounged on the couch all day watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade then football! It was a wonderful day!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! (pictures are out of order, but oh well...)

2010-12-06T22:00:00.012-05:00

Everyone is playing so nicely together!

This is Grace after the Christmas Parade. She was all paraded out!!

In the span of two weeks RJ has learned to sit up, clap his hands, and Army crawl. He is into EVERYTHING!! Boys are definitely very different than girls. The kids doesn't sit still!

At his last doctor's visit he weighed 18lbs...that's just six pounds shy of his big sister!

Bundled up for the Christmas Parade!

G waiting for the parade to start. Is that the most precious picture ever??

Mommy and G!

SUPER STAR!! A very serious one, at that!

Baby burrito!

Ta Da!!

The weather has been so nice. Beautiful, sunny skies and cold crisp air! Love it! This past weekend my Dad and I took the kids to a Christmas Parade. We met up with Aunt Rae and Uncle Marc. It was a great day. RJ slept for most of it, but Grace really enjoyed herself. She loves the marching bands, the dancers, and of course, the candy that was thrown from the floats!

Gracism

2010-12-05T08:08:00.003-05:00

Bryan and Grace were sitting in the kitchen together. Bryan had shirt on, that he cut the sleeves off of. Below is the conversation that took place...

Grace: "Daddy you have hair under your arms."

Bryan: "Yes, I do. How did it get there?"

Grace: "When you cut your hair, the hair falls down and sprinkles under your arm pits."

Bryan: "Does Mommy have hair under her arms?"

Grace: "No, she has long hair because she doesn't cut her hair, so it doesn't sprinkle under her arms!"

Perfect explanation of hairy arm pits!

RJ Waves Hello!

2010-11-17T20:44:00.004-05:00

RJ is waving at the beginning of the video, then he gets fussy. You can hear Grace in the background wanting me to film her. Too cute!

It's COLD outside!

2010-11-08T06:01:00.000-05:00

The Boy Can't Get Enough Food!

2010-11-07T22:21:00.005-05:00

Meaty B!!

Very sleepy little angel!

Here's a quick update...

RJ can eat! Typically he will eat 2 jars of baby food at a sitting. This is WAY more than Grace could ever eat. He loves his food! He still doesn't have any teeth, but EVERYTHING goes in his mouth and he is constantly drooling. Any day now we expect to see a little chopper sprout up. He has become a bit more mobile. He rolls around and will even get up on his knees and elbows and scoot. Unfortunately he rolled off of the bed in our hotel room when we were in New Orleans. He didn't hurt himself, but we realize he's very quick and are extremely vigilent now.

Grace continues to make RJ laugh and RJ continues to adore his big sister. Bryan and I are so very blessed to have such amazing children! We count our blessings every day!

HALLOWEEN!!

2010-11-05T22:34:00.010-04:00

Our little Hungry Hungry Caterpillar got dressed up just for pictures. It was way too hot to make him ride around in that costume. We put his pj's on him and he hung out in the stroller while Big Sister Fairy Princess went door to door for candy. Grace got the concept of trick or treating this year. She really loved getting lolli-pops! However, she was scared of many of the costumes and decorations so our night was short lived. That was ok by me, since it was a Sunday night and we all had to get up early for work and school.

I LOVE how Grace is walking in this video. She is just the cutest little girl ever to walk this planet!!

Much Needed Update

2010-10-25T20:40:00.007-04:00

Happy baby!!

"All aboard!!"

Mommy, RJ, and Grace

For whatever reason, Grace started to get very moody at the Pumpkin Patch. She didn't want to take a picture with her brother, she didn't want me to take a picture of her by herself, she didn't want to pick out and buy a pumpkin. She wanted to pout. (I caught the pout on camera!) Needless to say, we weren't there long and we left empty handed.

She was happy when we first arrived at the Pumpkin Patch. Things turned bad quickly.

Grace ~

What an amazing little girl! She is so smart, so funny, and so sweet. She loves reading books and singing songs. Grace will make up her own songs and sing them for long periods of time. They are quite creative. In fact, her favorite times to sing are while we are out shopping. She not only entertains me, but all the customers in the stores get a kick out her as well. I love it!

Grace now draws people with little arms, hands, legs, and feet. She can also rhyme words. She is also a very sweet big sister. She talks to RJ all the time and still likes to kiss him when she sees him.

RJ ~

He's growing like a weed! He had his 6 month checkup today and he weighed 17 lbs even! For as big as he looks, he was only in the 50th percentile. RJ is such a laid back little boy. He likes to observe his surroundings. He is also a very happy baby. RJ smiles continuously and loves to laugh!

Gracism

2010-09-14T21:01:00.001-04:00

Grace: "Mommy, you are a bad Mommy."

Me: "Why am I a bad Mommy?"

Grace: "Because you say bad words!"

RJ's Baptism

2010-09-14T20:38:00.004-04:00

RJ was baptized on Sunday August 22nd. The service was beautiful. RJ slept through the entire think, only opening his eyes when the water was poured on his head.

A reception followed at GG and Grandpa's house, with bagels, egg casseroles, bacon, sausage, and every kind of sweet treat you could think of. It was such a nice day.

Our Little Champ

2010-09-13T21:47:00.003-04:00

RJ is growing like a weed. We are estimating that he weighs at least 15 lbs. His next doctor's appointment isn't until the end of October, so we won't know for sure until then. He has been sleeping through the night for many weeks now. What a champ!

I have been trying to get him to try some rice cereal on a spoon, but he has been very successful at spitting it out. This week, however, he seemed to get the hang of it. Yesterday he tried sweet potatoes for the first time and wasn't impressed. Tonight was a different story. He ate both rice cereal and sweet potatoes, and dare I say, he liked them!

RJ loves interacting with Grace. He will stare at her for long periods of time and will laugh or squeal when she plays with him. My hope is that they will always be great friends. I am blessed beyond words to be the mother of these two wonderful children!

Grace-ism

2010-08-08T21:58:00.001-04:00

Last night I went in to kiss Grace good night. She hugged and kissed me then said, "I love you.......always!" My heart melted! God I love that kid!

RJ Rolled Over

2010-08-08T21:54:00.003-04:00

RJ rolled over by himself this afternoon! He's been trying for the last month. He kicks his feet up in the air then rolls to the side. Today he actually got all the way over, then managed to work his arm out from under him so he was flat on his belly! By the look on his face, he was pretty proud of himself!

4 Months Old (well, almost)

2010-08-07T21:38:00.005-04:00

Sportin' my airplane shirt!

RJ discovered his thumb a few weeks ago.

RJ had his 4 month checkup on Thursday (a little early). Everything went well. He's growing just as he should. He weighed 13lbs 10oz, which is more than half what Grace weighs! He's really trying to sit up on his own, he's very vocal, he chews on everything, and he's super smiley! He has a great disposition. RJ is very interested in Grace now. He smiles and gurgles when he sees her. And...a very cool thing for Mommy...he's sleeping through the night!! Woo hoo!!

Grace-ism

2010-08-07T21:35:00.002-04:00

We were at the pediatrician's office the other day. Grace was sitting up on the exam table and she pointed at the jar of tongue depressors saying, "Momma, are those the ahhhh sticks?"!! "Yes Gracie. Those are the ahhhh sticks." I love looking at life through the eyes of a child!

2010-07-27T21:10:00.004-04:00

Grace and RJ were mesmerized by Yo Gabba Gabba!

The little dude showing off his muscle shirt.

Pink jumpsuit and pink boots...ever the fashionista!

I have been so busy with my two kiddos, that I haven't had much time to blog. I'm trying to get caught up before I go back to work in August. I have really enjoyed my time home with our little boy. He is such a good baby. Grace still loves her little brother and like to keep tabs on him when she wakes up in the morning or comes home from school. She is the BEST big sister ever!!

3 weeks old...sweet baby boy!

2010-07-27T16:15:00.002-04:00

We are blessed again! RJ is a very laid back baby. He sleeps way more than Gracie ever did. He rarely cries and he's super cuddley. Bryan, Grace, and I are so in love with him!!

2010-07-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

11 days old

Gace-ism

2010-07-27T16:11:00.001-04:00

"Mommy, it's clock-o-one on my watch!"

Grace and Her Baby Brother!

2010-05-28T10:59:00.003-04:00

Grace was so excited to see her new baby brother in the hospital. She was also very interested in the chair, the buttons on the hospital bed, etc. But, she did keep coming back over to hug RJ. When we brought RJ home, Grace ran over to him and in a very loud and excited voice said, "He's got hands!".

Grace has been amazing through this whole process. The first thing she wants to do when she wakes up, or comes home from school, is to see RJ to hug and kiss him. She is very patient with Mom and Dad too. If we are busy with RJ and she needs something, she accepts the fact that we are busy and she waits until we are done. Bryan and I are so blessed to be the parents of these two wonderful children. Thank you God for sending them to us!!

More Baby RJ

2010-05-23T23:50:00.003-04:00

2 days old

4 days old

4 days old...so sweet!

1 week old

RJ is such a laid back baby. He is so calm. He sleeps and only fusses when he's hungry. He has made life very easy for us!

Baby RJ's Birth

2010-05-17T16:02:00.006-04:00

Well, it has been a month since RJ's arrival. Two kids have definitely doubled our fun and our work, hence the reason I have not posted anything about RJ's birth. So here is the run down...

I saw the doctor on Wednesday, April 14th. He said I was about 2-3 cm dilated and that RJ would be arriving within the next 36 hours. On one hand, I was glad to hear that because I was very uncomfortable by that point. RJ was sitting very low and putting lots of pressure on my lower back, etc. On the other hand, I got very nervous thinking about the whole process of giving birth, how our house wasn't ready, the baby's room wasn't ready, and I still had to go back to work to tie up loose ends. Yikes!

I called Bryan to let him know what was going on, then headed back to work to tell my principal and my students that it was going to be my last day for the year. Everyone was super supportive and excited for me. I finished what a had to do, then got a call from Grace's school. Her teacher said she woke up from her nap crying and comlaining that her ear hurt. I immediately made a doctor's appointment for her.

While Bryan took care of getting the dogs to the kennels for boarding, I took Grace to the doctor. I started having mild contractions. Grace did, in fact, have an ear infection and was put on antibiotics. We brought her home and my Mom came and got her for the night, in case we had to go to the hospital.

Bryan suggested that we go out for sushi (the dinner we had the night before Grace was born). My contractions got more intense while eating dinner and I thought for sure RJ would be born that night. We went home and just rested. The contractions weren't regular, but they sure were uncomfortable. Around 10pm I decided to take a warm bath. That was the best decision ever, because it felt wonderful. A nice warm bath really did work to ease the pain. When I got out of the tub, the contractions stopped, so I went to bed.

I got up the next morning around 7 and sure enough the contractions started again. Thank goodness we had Grace and the dogs taken care of! The contractions proceeded to intensify and come more frequently. The seemed to come around 10 minutes apart for the majority of the morning. Around 11am, my amniotic fluid started to leak and we called the doctor. She said for us to head to the hospital to see if I really was in labor. Well, let me tell you...I WAS in labor!!!

We arrived at the hospital around 1-ish. The times are kind of a blur because the pain was pretty intense. While waiting in triage my contractions went into hyper-mode. In the 30 minutes or so we waited they went from being 10 minutes apart to 4 minutes apart. I have never experienced such pain in my life. The nurses finally got me back to a room and at that point I was 8 cm dilated and the contractions were right on top of eachother. All I wanted to know was could they get me an epidural???

Those nurses were so good. They had a whole team working on me...getting my medical history, putting in an IV, hooking up the baby's monitor, etc. They rushed me upstairs to labor and delivery. When I got there I was already 10 cm dilated and ready to push. That baby was coming!! Within 17 minutes of me arriving to L and D, they had the epidural in me and all was well with the world. It's amazing at how quickly I became a polite, civilized, and pleasant person again. Drugs are amazing!!

Raymond Joseph was born at 2:53pm...less than 2 hours after we arrived at the hospital! He was 7lbs even, 19 & 3/4 inches long, and absolutely beautiful!! The nurses, midwife, anesthesiologist, and doctor did a fantastic job bringing RJ into this world safe and sound. Not to mention, making Mommy comfortable in the process!! My hospital rocks!!

The second time around has been really neat. Bryan and I are much less stressed and things are going very smoothly. RJ is a laid back baby and Grace has been so patient with all of us! We are truly blessed!!

Grace-isms

2010-05-17T16:00:00.001-04:00

Grace: "Daddy you're so silly, you're freaking me out!"

2010-04-08T22:07:00.002-04:00

She's so serious, but oh so GORGEOUS!!

2nd Birthday!!

2010-04-08T21:33:00.004-04:00

Grace loved it when everyone sang Happy Birthday to her!

She LOVES cake!!

Kyla and Grace

On February 21st, we had Grace's 2nd birthday party at a local park. Grace wasn't feeling well that week, so I don't have a lot of pictures of her smiling and being her happy self. She did enjoy herself, though. We can't believe that 2 years have gone by. She's growing up so fast! Happy Birthday sweet Angel! Mommy and Daddy love you!

2010-02-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

2010-02-20T21:37:00.002-05:00

Wearing Mommy's boots!

On February 13th, Grace had her first haircut. The haircut went ok, but the french braid did not. Grace got impatient while waiting for her hair to be braided and started crying. She was very tired, so that didn't help the situation. Her hair is just so pretty. I hated having it trimmed, even a little!

More 3D pictures of Baby RJ

2010-02-20T20:49:00.003-05:00

RJ with his right fist over his forehead!

In this picture, he has his right foot over his face.
He put it there about half way through the ultrasonography session and would NOT move it. So we didn't get many more good pictures or video after that. Too funny!

RJ is already in the head-down position with his feet on my lower left side. That explains all the kicking it that area. He is extremely active all the time. I don't remember Grace being this wiggly!

Baby RJ

2010-02-19T21:11:00.007-05:00

Grace's 3D ultrasound!

Raymond Joseph

On Monday, Bryan and I went to have a 3D ultrasound. As soon as we saw RJ on the screen, I thought he looked exactly like Bryan. When we got home and compared RJ's 3D ultrasound to Grace's, he looked exactly like her! It was just incredible!

I am 31 weeks along now...only 9 more weeks to go. Yikes! I'm starting to get a little nervous about it. RJ weighs about 3.3 pounds and is about 16 inches long. Over the next few weeks he will put some meat on his bones and plump up. I have a doctor's appointment next week, and will post the progress then.

Grace has been showing us that she's turning two this week and has been quite testy. I'm worried about how she will feel when RJ gets here. We don't want her to feel left out.

So far she seems to be pretty excited about meeting RJ. She will lift up my shirt and talk into my belly button to tell RJ that she loves him. Then, she'll say "we need to close him up (meaning, put my shirt down) and let him go to sleep".

Grace told me the other day that she wanted to teach RJ how to ride a bike. She is such a sweet loving little girl! She's going to be a great big sister!!

2010-02-02T22:15:00.004-05:00

Three little monkeys climbing up the slide!

Grace enjoyed playing on the playground with her friends!!

Our little Dare Devil!

Climbing the rock wall...

She really surprised me with how much strength she has in her arms. She had no problems hoisting herself up the wall.

There are no words to describe how beautiful she is!

2010-02-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

Sweet little sleeping baby!

2010-02-02T22:10:00.002-05:00

6 Months Pregnant

2010-02-02T22:05:00.002-05:00

RJ is a very active baby. For the longest time, I could only feel him on my lower left side. Since he's grown a lot more, I can feel him all over. He's constantly moving! I wonder if this is indicative of what's to come???

Grace-isms

2010-02-02T21:59:00.005-05:00

This one is from a couple of months ago...

Mommy: "Grace, what did you do in school today?"

Grace: "Ate nem and nem's!"

(Translation: ate M&M"s)

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We were shopping in Target the other day and for some odd reason Target has all of their spring and summer apparel on display now. We passed a wall full of bikinis and Grace said, "Mommy, are you going to wear those boobies?"

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-02-02T21:49:00.003-05:00

Clyde the Elf left Grace a letter telling her he went back to the North Pole with Santa. Clyde stayed with us for quite a while and was a really big help in making sure Grace stayed on Santa's "Nice" list.

Santa Claus left lots of wonderful presents for Grace to open. Her big gift was a new pink tricycle. Conveniently he included a handle for Mommy and Daddy to push Grace with. It even turns the handle bars so we can steer the tricycle for her...her legs aren't quite long enough to pedal yet.

Christmas Eve

2010-02-02T21:44:00.002-05:00

We had Christmas Eve breakfast at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club. The buffet was delicious and Grace got to spend lots of time with the characters! She had a blast!

(I am almost 6 months pregnant here...getting big!)

More Christmas...

2010-02-02T21:37:00.002-05:00

Making Grandma Fox's famous "Ice Box Cookies"!

Grace really enjoyed cutting out the dough with the cookie cutters. Her favorite was the gingerbread man shape. These cookies are great because they only take 10 minutes to bake...she didn't have to wait long at all to be able to eat them!

Children's Christmas Party at Mommy's School

2010-01-01T09:32:00.004-05:00

Grace was not too sure about Santa Claus! She didn't take her eyes off of him.

All the kids were supposed to close their eyes and wish really hard for Santa to come visit them. As you can see, Grace was peeking!

Listening to the kids sing Christmas carols!

Making a craft with Daddy

Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights

2010-01-01T09:18:00.004-05:00

Grace was amazed by the lights!

"Daddy, can't you see the lights?"

"Oooooooooo...!"

Gorgeous!

Christmas Photo Shoot

2010-01-01T08:35:00.006-05:00

We found a great photographer for our Christmas pictures this year. She only took up 30 minutes of our time and knew exactly what to say to Grace to get the perfect shots! She did a great job!

www.mazzottiportraits.com

Baby Raymond Joseph

2009-11-25T22:54:00.004-05:00

RJ liked to keep his little fists up near his face. He was pretty active during the ultrasound, too. He didn't like the lady pushing on my abdomen so hard...he kept kicking!

Today I had the fetal growth ultrasound. Little RJ is growing just as he should and the results of the genetic tests were normal.

Grace came with us to the ultrasound and was excited to see pictures of her "puppy". Don't know where that came from, but it was funny.

Bryan and I have a lot to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday Morning Grace-ism

2009-11-22T11:22:00.002-05:00

We pull into our church parking lot and I get Grace out of her carseat. As we are walking towards the church she says, "Jeeeesus, where are you? I'm home!"

Getting better at brushing her teeth!

2009-11-21T20:14:00.003-05:00

Grace-isms

2009-11-21T20:05:00.002-05:00

Grace: "I like rice!"

Daddy: "Well, you aren't getting a lot of it in your mouth."

Grace: "I keep trying."

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Mommy: "Do you want to go home with Mommy or stay with GG?"

Grace: "GG!" (as she gives GG a big hug)

Grace: "Mama, go to car!" (pointing to my car)

Well, I ignore her and we all go inside my Mom's house...

Grace: "Shame on you Mama!"

Apparently she was ticked that I didn't listen to her instructions. Man, she's bossy! Where ever did she get that from?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Walt: "Where's Minnie Mouse's tail?"

Grace: "Right there." (pointing to Minnie Mouse's tail)

Mr. Walt: "Where's your tail Gracie?"

Grace: "I don't have a tail, I have a butt!"

2009-11-21T19:55:00.005-05:00

"CHEEEEESE"

We went to visit Aunt Rae Rae and Uncle Marc this morning. Grace loves to play in the fountain. She would dip her hand in the water, then make the sign of the cross. She is too funny!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T21:56:00.003-04:00

Is she not the cutest little piece of garden decor you've ever seen?

It's a...

2009-10-31T21:50:00.003-04:00

BOY!

This past week, I came down with some sort of flu. I ended up having to go to the hospital to be checked because of my fevers and body aches. They checked the baby to make sure that everything was still going well and were able to confirm that he is definitely a boy!! As miserable as I felt that night, the news made my day! Bryan is pretty excited too and Gracie got her brother!

God works in wondrous ways!