3 Small Miracles

Well, technically there are FOUR small miracles on our card this year:  Brady, Zachary, Easton and...........I actually agreed to include a picture of myself this year!  ;)  We usually only do the photo card with a picture and message on the front but this year our photographer got a good deal on some card stock and we were able to do a picture on the front AND back for the same price on better quality paper!  I had to come up with a message for the back on the fly (thanks to Google) and really like what we ended up with!  :)

FRONT:



BACK:

It's kind of hard to read but the back says, "May your new year hold many small miracles."  Love it!

Merry Christmas!!!



Poor Santa

Well, we did our parently (is that a word?) duty and made the trek to the mall last week to see Santa.  Brady and Zachary were all about it....Brady's biggest concern was that we would have to wait in line.  Ha!  Luckily, there was no one in line ......but that didn't make it any easier for Zachary and Easton.  Brady marched right up and told Santa what he wanted for Christmas - a cement mixer.  And then we forced Zachary and Easton to go up, too.....and here's the lovely result:

Please note that Brady has a death grip on Zachary otherwise he would've been out of there in no time!  They took two very shots and then I rescued them.  :) 

They were fine as soon as Santa was out of sight and they loved the bells he gave them....

Then we headed to the food court for lunch.....unbeknownst to me, there's a bunch of those automated "rides" there for the kids which was a big hit (and means no one ate)!

Zachy was clearly over his trauma at this point.  ;)

Wordless Wednesday

Blessed

Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday.  It always has been (well, at least since I stopped believing in SC).  So, the past couple of years I've had so much to be thankful for.  I've been thinking about what I've been doing at this time of year for the past 7 years:

• 7 years ago at this time, our house was finished and we moved in.  We were preparing for our wedding (on 12/20) and had my bridal shower here the week after we moved in.  :)  We were so excitied and so loved our house.  I still love it....however, there's just not enough storage space here and I regret not paying the extra $10K for the 4th bedroom!  :(
• 6 years ago at this time, I was still mourning the loss of the baby I miscarried at 13 weeks.  And had been going through lots of infertility testing.  I was getting ready for the "final" test (on 12/13) - the laporoscopic surgery to see if I had endometriosis.....that "test" turned into major abdominal surgery and a punctured colon.  But no endometriosis and still no definitive (medical) answer to why we were unable to conceive.
• 5 years ago at this time, we had finally accepted that we would not be able to have a (biological) child of our own.  We started the adoption process the week of Thanksgiving.  We mailed in our application (and $1500 fee) to the adoption agency we had decided on. 
• 4 years ago at this time, we were in Russia.  We left on 11/18 for "trip 1" and met Brady in person for the first time on 11/20.  We spent Thanksgiving day (11/23 that year) on a plane coming back from Moscow.  We were thrilled to eat our Thanksgiving meal at Burger King at the JFK airport after spending 4 days eating Russian food.  Thirteen days later we went back to finalize the adoption and bring Brady home for good!
• 3 years ago at this time, I was 7.5 months pregnant with Zachary!  And so thankful to have an almost-2-year-old Brady running around all over the place - happiest little baby ever!
• 2 years ago at this time, I was 20 weeks pregnant with Easton!  That's right - 2 years back to back.  And I actually spent the weekend before Thanksgiving in the hospital with a horrible stomach bug that left me completely dehydrated.  I found out that Easton was an Easton (and not a Reilly) the following Monday and kept that secret for 19 more weeks!  Zachary was almost 11 months old and Brady was almost 3!
• 1 year ago at this time, I was still nursing Easton who was 8 months old; Zachary was almost 2 and Brady was almost 4!  Last year was a big one.  We had so much to be thankful for after almost losing Easton when he was only 4 days old.  Easton is now 19.5 months old, Zachary will be 3 in January and Brady will be 5 in February!!

We have so much to be thankful for.  What we went through to start our family was so hard - but I really think it makes us appreciate our family more than most people do.  The struggles we went through made us stronger people and we are grateful for that.  It could have been so much worse.  And we're lucky that it wasn't.  So, this year and for all my years to come, I will think of that.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Weird things about me!

I don't know what made me think about it but there are a lot of weird  unique things about me....mainly things that my "friends" make fun of but when you think about them all at once it's kind of weird.  Here are some examples:

1. I don't like to eat any food that doesn't have to be chewed (apple sauce, jello, etc.).  Imagine anything you could eat if you DIDN'T have teeth - I won't eat it.
2. I'm a control freak.  I ALWAYS drive whenever we go anywhere as a family.  I hate the way my husband (and everyone else) drives. 
3. I don't think that hand-washed dishes are ever really clean.
4. I hate public bathrooms.  I got a bladder infection in high school b/c I refused to use the bathroom until I got home.  :(
5. Speaking of bathrooms, I won't take a drink or any type of food item into the bathroom.  I feel it's tainted if it's been in a bathroom.
6. I won't let my lips touch the utensils at a restaurant....or any utensils other than my own.
7. I hate going to/watching movies.  I prefer TV....especially reality TV.
8. I still sleep with my baby blanket and it has to be touching my face at all times.
9. I can't sleep with pants or socks on.
10. I'm 35 years old and I still call my parents "Mommy" and "Daddy".
11. I have really small hands.  My 4.5 year old's hands will be bigger than mine with in a year or two.
12. I hate massages.  I will not pay a stranger to grope me.  ;)  Freaks me out.
13. I eat my fries with mayo - not ketchup....and my boys have picked up on this strange habit - they dip EVERYTHING (raisins, bread, etc.) in it. 
14. I've given myself shots in my stomach, my husband has given them to my in my hip and I've had tons of blood drawn but I absolutely hate getting a shot in my arm.
15. I love to make lists and fill out questionnaires (hence this post!)

I'm sure there are tons of others but I have to get back to cooking.  Brendan's parents and my parents are coming over for round one of Thanksgiving tonight!  And I'm pretty much making everything myself which is scary - it's only a ham....I'm not crazy! 

 Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

5QF....a day late

Okay, so I'm a day late but Laura at My Little Life does a "Five Question Friday" blog hop every week and I haven't done it in a long time but I love to fill out questionnaires for some reason so here we go!

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?  I can't say that I loathe any song in particular but I do not like the "contemporary" songs.....I only like the traditional, religious songs and my absolute favorite is 'O, Holy Night'.  Love that one....'Silent Night' is probably a close second!  However, I do like the contemporary versions of the religious songs???  I know that seems weird - I guess I just don't like the "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" kind of songs....



2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?  One of the  keys to a happy marriage in my opinion is a king sized bed.  I need my space.  He has his space, and I have mine.  Now, if I couldn't only figure out some sort of sound barrier to block out the snoring I'd be in heaven!


3. Have you ever had surgery?  Oh, yes let's see.....I broke my arm when I was 10 and had to have it surgically repaired (including 4 pins); when I was 29 I had exploratory laparoscopic (sp?) surgery to see if I had endometriosis....the doctor noticed that my left ovary was attached to my colon with scar tissue and while removing the scar tissue, he punctured my colon - they had to open me up to repair the puncture (and no, I didn't have endometriosis!); and of course, I had two c-sections!  :)


4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?  Oh, I don't know....but definitely before Christmas Eve.  My dad and my husband always wait until the last day (literally) to do their shopping and it drives me crazy!!



5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?  A Corvette I guess???  Oh, no wait - I would adopt another baby.  And then get a Corvette.  ;)  And of course, some lypo and a tummy tuck!  ;)

19 (1/2) Months Old!

Easton, you're 19.5 months old now!  I can hardly believe it - you're growing so fast.  :(  You had your 18-month check-up today (a month and a half late).....you weigh 27 pounds, 15 ounces (60th percentile) and are 35 inches "tall" (95th percentile).  Let's see what else you've been up to:

• I can still squeeze you into a size 4 diaper.....mainly because that's the size P&G is always doing diaper studies on  ;)
• You wear 24M and 2T clothes and a size 5.5 shoe (little feets like Mommy!)
• You sleep a good 11-12 hours at night and nap for 2-3 hours each day
• You LOVE to eat.  A lot.  I hope you continue to be a good eater because your brothers definitely grew out of this phase
• You still won't drink milk.  We really need to work on this!
• You still use a paci (AKA pa-pa) at bed time - I hate this but I love sleep so I'm waiting a little while longer to put an end to this
• You talk a lot - very little of it makes any sense (to anyone but you) but you seem very passionate about whatever you're saying
• You still love Blues Clues
• You love lemonade and have recently started requesting water (AKA wah-wah)
• You have very little patience and you do NOT like to share OR take turns  :(
• You throw a mean temper tantrum
• You like to dance - it's pretty funny stuff
• You're still a Mommy's boy (thank God) and you'll always be my little peanut!  Love you tons!

Now....how about thoses brothers of yours......


Zachary James......you are 2 years and 10 months old.....let's see what you're up to:

• You weigh around 28 pounds....that's right - within ounces of your baby brother!
• I would guess you're around 39-40 inches tall
• You're a skinny little thing and could wear a size 4 diaper but you wear a 5 most of the time
• You're finally wearing a size 3T....I think you must've gone through a growth spurt recently because you were able to wear size 24M just a couple of months ago!
• You are not a good eater.  :(  It's a struggle to get you to eat anything - breakfast is definitely your best meal of the day
• You still sleep in a crib but you have a normal sized pillow and sleep all covered up just like a big person.  I hope you stay in your crib for months to come!  :)
• You have a "baby froggy" that you LOVE to "nuggle" with.  You ask us to swaddle him in his blanky every day and you carry him and around and take care of him (and worry about him) like a good little "mommy"!  ;)
• You talk really well but you still pronounce Y like a W.....so you say 'wes' instead of 'yes' which is adorable!! 
• You say you're a Momma's boy but I think you're probably 50/50
• I honestly think you're one of the sweetest natured little boys EVER.  There's not a mean bone in your body.  You're a great big brother and I love you like crazy!!

Now....how about Brady Boy:

• You are 4 years and 9 months old!  I can't believe you're getting so big!
• I think you weigh around 45 pounds and are close to 4 feet tall!  You'll be taller than me before I know it
• You wear a size 13 shoe
• You're wearing a size 6/6T in shirts and pants!  So big!
• You're doing really well in school but your handwriting and toe-walking are still a problem; however, your teacher says there's no reason to hold you back so off to kindergarten you'll go next year!
• You absolutely love riding the bus to and from school
• Your teachers think you're just the smartest (and sweetest) thing ever and, of course, we agree!
• You're a pretty good eater....well, not really.  It's a struggle to get you to eat, too.
• You love your brothers so much - I'm so glad we were able to give you siblings! 
• You talk constantly.  If you're not talking, you're singing.  If you're not singing, you're asleep.  Seriously. 
• You go 90 mph unless you're asleep.  Seriously.
• Luckily, you're a good sleeper and very rarely have accidents (very impressive - I would say never but I don't want to jinx it)
• You're 100% Daddy's boy.  :( 
• 4 years ago tonight, Daddy and I were at his company Christmas party but were sooo excited because we were leaving to meet you the next day!  I can't believe it's already been 4 years!!  We love you, big boy!

Wordless Wednesday

An oldie (this is probably when Easton was 13 or 14 months old) but a goodie!

Lessons Learned

My husband and I got married on December 20, 2003 and immediately started trying to start our family.  I immediately started tracking my cycle and realized that a 42-day cycle was anything but normal.  So, I went to see my OB/GYN who put me on Clomid.  The first month I took it, it didn't work.  Nothing changed.  So, the next month he increased my dosage....not only did it work, but I got pregnant!  We went in for our 8-week appointment and saw the heartbeat....and then we proceeded to tell anyone with ears that we were expecting in February of 2004.  We were very excited to hear the heartbeat when we went for our 13-week appointment.....I laid there and listened and watched the doctor's face grow more and more concerned.  He couldn't find a heartbeat.  My heart broke right then and there.  He sent us for an emergency ultrasound to confirm what he suspected - our baby had stopped developing at around 8.5 weeks.  My body never figured it out so I had to have a D&C.  I learned the hard way what a "missed miscarriage" was.  This killed me.   It really messed me up.  A lot.  For a long time. 

We immediately tried the Clomid again.  No luck - I ovulated but never got pregnant.  We tried several cycles, had all of the horrible tests performed to see why we weren't having any luck.  I had the laproscopic procedure done to see if I had Endometriosis - and ended up with a punctured Colon (but still no Endometriosis and no answers).  I was eventually diagnosed with PCOS and referred to a Fertility Specialist.  We tried several rounds of injectables and IUIs and one IVF with this doctor.  He then told us that our chances of conceiving together were "very slim".  He said that there were problems with my husband's DNA fragmentation and that combined with my PCOS would make it almost impossible.  He suggested we try a sperm donor (which we did) or adoption. 

I grew up with two adopted sisters.  My mom was told she couldn't conceive so my parents adopted my sisters....and then I magically appeared!  So, my whole life I never knew what it was like to have a biological sibling....or a sibling that looked at all like me.  Because of this, I never wanted to adopt.  It sounds so shallow now but it is what it is - I wanted kids that shared their DNA. 

I finally accepted that adoption was the only way we could become parents and started investigating.  A co-worker of mine had recently adopted a little boy from Russia....so I started asking her tons of questions.  So many people have asked me why we chose international adoption.  There are a couple of reasons....I did not want to do an open adoption - I had no desire to have a "relationship" with my child's birth parents.  I didn't want to live in fear that they would change their minds at the last minute - I couldn't take any more heartbreak.  I also knew that domestic adoptions can take years - I wanted my baby yesterday.  People have also asked why we chose Russia.  I wanted a caucasian child.  Not for the reason you may think....I wanted our child to "match" us....because I thought if people saw us with a child of a different race they would think, "SHE must not be able to have kids".  Sounds silly now....but at the time, my infertility was embarassing to me.  I didn't realize how many people go through it and I was totally ashamed of it for some reason.  I felt that God put me on this planet to be a mom and I failed.

So, we proceeded with a very long, paperwork-filled adoption application process.  In October, 2006 we got the news that a little boy was available....but there was a "catch"....he was born with heart disease and had had open heart surgery at 5 months of age in Moscow.  We decided to proceed and let a US doctor review his information....so they sent the information - along with a picture of this little guy:

and we were done.  Check, please!  Sign us up - he's so meant to be with us!  We brought Brady home 2 months later when he was 10 months old!  Ironically, the day we landed in the US was actually the 35th anniversary of the day my parents brought my oldest sister home! 

So, we were thrilled.  I could finally be around pregnant people and babies again without feeling sick.  Life was good. 

But, Brady "needed" a sibling....so, we decided to get a second opinion from a different fertility specialist.  On March 1, 2007 I met with a new doctor who basically thought my previous doctor was a little crazy for telling us that we wouldn't be able to conceive.  He suggested we give IVF another shot.  So, we did.  It was a terrible cycle....the doctor almost cancelled it but he went ahead with the retrieval and I was devastated to hear that he was only able to retrieve 7 eggs.  You see, our first IVF cycle yielded 14 eggs - only two of which were "good"....I'm an accountant - I ran those stats very quickly in my head and didn't like the results.  I cried all the way home.  I felt that we had wasted a ton of time and money for nothing.  The next day the lab called and said only one of the eggs was worth keeping - they wanted to implant it the next day.  When we did our first cycle, 2 eggs were implanted and neither took.  So, I didn't expect much with only one but my doctor assured me, "it only takes one." 

Well, he was right and on May 7, 2007 I found out I was pregnant with this little guy:

Having lost a baby before, I was totally paranoid the entire pregnancy but everything went really well and Zachary James was born on 1/7/2008!  We chose his name because it means "God remembers" which I think is totally fitting.  We asked God for a biological child but he wanted us to have our Brady....but he remembered what we asked for and blessed us with this little monkey!

One would think I would be content at this point.  But, I secretly wanted just one more!  I didn't pray about it, didn't talk about it...just secretly hoped that we would somehow be a family of 5 at some point. 

When Zachary was 7 months old, I started feeling a little nauseous.  After two days of this, I took an old pregnancy test I found in the bathroom.  I was still nursing Zachary so there was no cycle to miss...besides, people with PCOS don't ovulate on their own anyway....so in hindsight, I don't know why I even took the test.  But, I did.  And it was positive!  Shock doesn't even begin to describe what we were feeling!  On March 31, 2009 we welcomed sweet Easton Nathaniel (we chose Nathaniel because it means "Gift from God") to our crazy family:

Easton was 8 pounds, 14 ounces when he was born.  He was born hungry...sucking on his little fingers.  He nursed like a champ when he was in the recovery room with me.  I remember the nurse being so impressed that he nursed for 45 minutes straight.  But then he wouldn't eat.  I asked every doctor and nurse I saw why he wasn't eating and they told me that "all babies are different" and not to compare him to Zachary.  So, they sent us home with a very lethargic baby who wouldn't eat.

Two days later, Easton started throwing up what looked like blood (turned out to be bile).  We took him to the local children's hospital "campus" who then transported him downtown to the main campus.  After about 9 hours of inconclusive, grueling tests the doctors recommended exploratory surgery to see if they could figure out what was going on.  There was a suspected "blockage" that they needed to investigate.  It turns out, his intestines were twisted 360 degrees.  He was within 6 hours of death.  6 hours.  Death.  What???  He had intestinal malrotation and volvulus.  Luckily, they saved him.  He should be fine.  He's growing like a weed and is the love of my life. 

So, clearly I've learned some lessons with all that we've been through.  I'll be the first one to admit that I'm a control freak.  I plan everything.  I worry about everything.  But, I've learned that my plan means nothing.  God's plan is all that matters.  If things had worked out the way I had planned, I wouldn't have Brady.  Or for that matter, I wouldn't have any of my boys. 

Things really sucked for me/us for a while there.  That miscarriage really messed me up.  Infertility really messed me up.  But, I had to go through that to get HERE.  I like it here.  I love my little guys - they just happen to be the coolest little people on this planet (in my opinion!)  I try to explain that to people that are going through the 'life sucks' period.  When a guy has broken up with them or they can't find a guy or whatever it is.  God didn't put us on this planet to be miserable.  They're not being punished - they're being taught.  He's teaching us lessons.  When you're going through the "learning" period, you'll have a hard time accepting that.  But that's what's happening.  He's right.  His timing is right and sometimes the lessons are really, REALLY hard.  They suck.  But it does get better. 

I also think that God has a sense of humor.  I think He sits up there and looks down at those of us that think we're in control and just laughs.  I thought that what I was going through was the worst thing ever at the time.  I thought it couldn't get any worse than that.  It so could have.  I see that now...but I didn't then.  Hindsight is amazing.  I get it now.  I wish that no one ever had to go through the sucky times....but I'm not in control of that.  There is a plan for everything - it's not our job to plan it all, though.  We're just here for the ride.  Sometimes it sucks and sometimes it's amazing.  You just have to hang on and keep the faith!!!

Shellac'd!!!

I've been obsessed with this new Shellac nail polish phenomenon ever since I heard about it a couple of months ago.  Well, all the hype is worth it!  I got my first Shellac manicure on Saturday and it's the best thing ever.  I guess the big thing is, it's supposed to stay on (chip-free) for up to 14 days.  But, the other cool thing is that it dries instantly....which is really weird to get used to.  It was very odd to be able to get things out of my purse right away without worrying that I'd mess up my nails! 

So, here's a picture that I took on day one (and yes my feet were soaking in the whirlpool when I took the picture - it was a very rare ME day which was great!)  They really look the same today (three days later):

To add to my excitement, I was able to get FRENCH!  All the research I had done online led me to believe that there were only a few colors to choose from and French was not an option.  It is true that there are only a few colors but luckily french is an option!!

I was really just investigating during my manicure.  I wanted to see if this was something I could do myself at home and it totally is - the only catch is I have to buy the special UV lamp that "cures" the polish.  But that would pay for itself after a few uses so I'm okay with that.  Very exciting!!!  Clearly, I need to get out more!!  :)

"Wonderful" Giveaway!!

Megan at "In This Wonderful Life" is doing a  great giveaway - you can enter for TWO chances to win a "Keep Calm" print - they're really cute and, as always, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I win.  One day, I will!  I just know it!!!

You can check out the site here to pick which one you'd like to win!  I chose the "Keep Calm and Drink Wine"...I love it and "need" it in my kitchen!  These prints are really reasonably priced so I may end up just ordering some soon anyway. 

We had a very interesting weekend.  More to come on that later!!

17 (and a half) Months Old!

Okay, I realize this is extremely late and I haven't posted monthly updates in well, months but here we go:

Sweet Baby Easton, you're 17 (and a half) months old!  What have you been up to lately???

• You weigh 27 pounds and you're around 35" long (not an exact science)
• You wear a size 5 diaper and size 24 Month clothes
• What can I say, you're still a terrible sleeper.  You sleep through the night most nights but I would say 2 or 3 nights a week you wake up at least once.  :(
• You eat like a horse!
• You're saying all kinds of words like shoes, cheese, baby, Momma, Dada, cup, snack, etc. 
• You're very demanding (does that mean spoiled?)
• You looooooove watching Blues Clues
• I think you can count to two ;)
• You use a fork really well for your age but you still refuse to drink anything but lemonade from a sippy cup - we have to work on this b/c you're not getting enough Calcium
• I'd say you're only about 51% Momma's boy much to my dismay but I love you like crazy anyway!

Now, how about those big brothers of yours???

Zachary James, you're 2.5 years old (32 months)!?!  How did that happen??  Here's what you've been up to lately:

• You weigh 28 pounds....a whole pound more than your baby brother! 
• You're also wearing a size 5 diaper and still have absolutely no interest in potty training
• You only wear size 24M clothes (just like your baby brother) - you're such a peanut!
• You're a great sleeper - you rarely wake up when your roommate does
• Your favorite color is red
• You're officially a Momma's boy (finally) and it makes me so happy! 

Brady Boy, you're 4.5 years old!!!  I can't believe it!  Here's what you've been up to:

• You started what will hopefully be your final year of pre-school last week and you're riding the bus this year!  I swore I would never let you do it at such a young age but you LOVE it and it makes my life a whole lot easier! 
• We've been taking a break from speech and OT this summer and you're still doing really well - we need to get you back on track, though because you need to work on your fine motor skills to get ready for the big K!
• You're 100% potty trained now - even at night!  We're so proud of you!
• You go 100 mph 14 hours a day.....you're only quiet and still when you're asleep!
• You're 95% Daddy's boy....but I love you tons anyway! 

Popsicle Light Sabers

I realized last night that the boys (plus their dad) have their first official tradition together.  Whenever they eat popsicles, they all like to act like they're light sabers.  I have no idea where they got this from but they do it every single time and Easton gets so frustrated because he's the only one that's buckled in a booster seat and can't reach his brothers so Brendan usually has to sit down and have a popsicle with him so they can "battle" it out.  It's really cute...and very silly all the same!

Great Giveaway for a Great Cause!

Melissa and Nathan at www.themiddlethatcounts.com adopted their son Iliya from Russia and are raising money to help bring a new brother or sister into his life!  They are doing a GREAT Giveaway on their blog to help raise money - unless you've been through it yourself, you probably have no idea how expensive adoption is!! Just click on the link to give them your love and support! They are giving away lots of great prizes - just click on this link to check it out:  http://themiddlethatcounts.com/?page_id=2370 !!

I'm sure they would appreciate your thoughts and prayers!!!

Blog Hop

I'm *trying* to participate in Jenna's blog hop but I'm not doing a very good job so far!  I've read several new blogs and still haven't commented??  What's wrong w/ me?  ;)

Anywho.....got some somewhat good news today - I have an interview on Wednesday for a job at my #2 choice of hospitals so I'm hoping it will go well!  If I get that job, it would mean I would have TWO part-time jobs for a few months (plus being a full-time SAHM) while taking online classes.  So much for my life being easier!!!

We went to the zoo on Friday.  The night before, Easton decided to give "crying it out" one more try (okay - I decided) and was up for around 2 hours in the middle of the night.  This is the result:

Maybe he'll listen to his mother from now on!  ;)

And, we're back............

So, big changes here! We recently decided after lots of "Mommy Guilt" that it would be best for me to be at home with the boys (rather than paying almost half of my salary to a baby-sitter) while working part-time in the evenings/at night. So....I gave my notice at work back in April. Luckily, they asked me to stay on part-time (mainly from home) in the interim so I've been doing that while looking for a job at a hospital (which is NOT going well.) So, I'm hoping this big life change will inspire me to get back on the blog wagon but we'll have to see. I really want to do it since I'm not good at updating baby books or scrapbooking or anything like that. So, we'll see!

So far this summer we've been having quite a bit of fun. We've had several trips to the zoo. Easton and Zachary rode the Merry-Go-Round for the first time....Brady's a seasoned pro....

The train ride is always a big hit....

And poor Daddy gets to pull the wagon up and down and all around the hot, hilly Cincinnati Zoo!

Which has led to a lot of this....

Quite a bit of this.....

As well as some of this.... We've spent some quality time in the backyard.....

And Brady's been taking swimming lessons....which means Zachary wants to also so we're working on finding him a class....he tagged along last time and got in the pool and floated by himself!!! Quite a big feat for Zachy!

All this activity and Easton still doesn't sleep well! What's up with that kid? He certainly didn't inherit this "problem" from me!!!

A Day of Blog Silence for Cohen

This sweet baby boy is being laid to rest today. He was born on Monday, June 7, 2010 and fought very hard, enduring several surgeries and setbacks until he lost his battle on Friday, June 18, 2010. Please pray for his heartbroken parents, family and friends.

A few of my Favorite Things

I love to think about things that make me happy. When I got my first job out of college, I had one of those daily calendars on my desk - the ones where you tear off a page for each day - and each day it listed 5 things that make people happy. The morning after I met my husband, one of the 5 things was "meeting your one true love." I kept it....just in case....and it turned out to be true! Anyway, here are a few others:

• washing my face after a long day
• all 3 boys sleeping peacefully in their respective beds - at the same time
• the sound of any of those boys laughing
• when any of the boys hug/kiss each other without me asking them to (and even when I ask them to but it's way better when they do it on their own)

• reality TV
• the fact that at 4 years old, Brady has realized the importance of turning the light off in a room before he shuts the door - he should share this concept with his father who, at 34 years old, still hasn't adopted the concept fully
• removing an uncomfortable bra after a long day (TMI - sorry but it seriously makes me happy)
• my first Coke of the day
• FOUNTAIN POP
• wireless internet
• sound AND video baby monitors
• car seats - not only for the safety purposes, but for whatever it is about them that make kids sit still and be quiet without trying to escape (unlike high chairs??) for sometimes long periods of time - extra bonus....they also make kids sleepy
• DVRs
• pedicures
• shopping
• "monkey kisses" from my boys
• Easton's sweet smiles when he sees/hears me come into the room and when he first wakes up in the morning

• Naps
• When my 4-year-old holds the door open for his Mommy – I am bound and determined to raise 3 gentlemen who say please, thank you and excuse me and hold the door open for people
• air conditioners
• my comfy bed
• date nights - I vaguely remember what those are and hope to encounter them again soon
• chips and salsa
• black and white pictures

there are soooo many more....I could go on and on but I'll have to save some for next time!!

Crying It Out

I decided tonight was the night. I knew it was coming....I was actually planning on doing it two weeks from tonight. But, I took Easton upstairs for our nightly ritual of me laying down with him on our bed while he nurses himself to sleep and then very carefully moving him to his bed. But he didn't fall asleep this time so I decided to just get it over with. He screamed for 10 or 15 minutes and then went to sleep. It was the same with Zachary when we did this at around the same age....then when he woke up in the middle of the night and we wouldn't take him out of his room, he cried for 2 or 3 hours until he fell asleep - which made Brady start crying and Brendan had to go in and sleep with him the rest of the night. I'm hoping that's not the case with Easton. Either way, it will be a long night!

9 Months Old!!!

Sweet Baby Easton, I can't believe you're already 9 months old! Here's what you've been up to lately:

• You are wearing 12M and 6-12M clothes but I think you'll be growing out of those soon
• You're wearing a size 4 diaper - the same size as Zachy!
• You're still army crawling all over the place. I'm beginning to wonder if army crawling hinders "real" crawling? You get up on all 4's and rock back and forth but I think you've decided it's just faster to drag yourself along on your tummy. Maybe your arms aren't strong enough to support your big 'ole body!
• You weigh 22.35 pounds. The only reason I know your weight is b/c we had a lovely trip to the ER the other night for x-rays looking for some missing matchbox car wheels. Still don't know where they are but I don't think you swallowed them. We'll find out how long you are at your 9M check-up. Your doctor's taking lots of time off for some reason so we won't be going in for that appointment until you're 9.5 months. Doesn't he know that this totally screws up the baby book stats?
• You're pulling yourself up which makes me very nervous. I don't know if it's considered cruising yet but you're really, really close!
• You're into everything - still - hence the trip to the ER.
• I think you really liked Christmas. It was a little overwhelming for you but you seemed to really like all the presents. I'll have to post pictures of that soon.
• You went through a stretch of about a week of sleeping through the night until your Daddy mentioned it and jinxed it - ever since then you've been waking up twice a night.
• You like vanilla and banana yogurt, most fruits and sweet potatoes. You're still eating puffs and Baby Mum Mums but the Baby Goldfish are still a little too much for you.
• You still can't quite figure out how the sippy cup works
• You seem to like to watch Mickey Mouse and Blues Clues and you're quite the little dancer
• You love your brothers and your Daddy.....I'm still hanging onto the hope that you'll be a Momma's boy
• You've started going through a tiny bit of a bashful stage but you're very good at letting other people hold you - when Zachary was your age, he wouldn't let anyone hold him!
• We actually saw the same doctor and nurse that were in the ER the night you started throwing up blood so it was nice to be able to thank the doctor (who we thought was crazy and overreacting at the time) for saving your life. They were amazed with how big you are!
• You're the sweetest thing on this planet and we love you so much we can hardly stand it!

Now, let's see....how about Zachary James:

• You will be TWO YEARS OLD on Thursday! I can't believe it!
• I think you have started a tiny bit of the terrible two's. You've got quite the attitude lately but it's so hard to get mad at you b/c you're so stinkin' cute!
• You weigh 26.5 pounds
• Your two-year check-up is in two weeks so we'll get your official stats then. I think you're shrinking, though!
• You're still wearing a lot of 18-24 month clothes but you can wear a few 2T things
• You're a talking machine - it's hard to understand half of what you say but you sure seem passionate about whatever it is!
• I think your favorite words right now are 'no' and 'mine'
• You found your Crocs in your closet so that obsession has started again
• You love cows, Mickey Mouse and cars
• You still have the sweetest little voice and I love to listen to you talk....especially when you say, "wuv you"!

Now, let's see about that Brady Boy:

• You'll be 4 next month - I cannot believe it!
• Still no luck with the potty training. I'm trying to talk it up as being a big privilege of turning 4 but I really doubt that will work. Something has to happen soon b/c the size 7 diapers are getting too small and that's the biggest size I can find!
• You're mainly wearing 5T clothes and a size 11 shoe
• You're getting really good at dressing yourself
• Your memory is scary - so good
• You're such the negotiator - I think you'll be a lawyer. You like to negotiate with Zachy when he has a toy that you want.
• You absolutely loved and understood Christmas this year. You knew that it was Baby Jesus' birthday and you were so good at not even trying to open the presents until Christmas morning.
• You did GREAT when we went to see Santa - we were so proud of you!
• We're taking you to the doctor this week to see if you're "tongue tied" which may be part of your speech delay....if so, you may need a little surgery to fix it. Poor Pumpkin!
• I'm hoping that you'll be growing out of the terrible, whiney 3's soon....just in time for Zachy to start!
• You're a gentle giant and we love you to pieces! You've come so far in the 3 years since we brought you home!!!!