Turning 2

I won't even go into the level to which I can't comprehend that my baby is 2 years old. We had a fun time celebrating Scott's big day in a mellow fashion this year. We started on Sunday the day before his birthday with tacos and ice cream at the Ventura pier with Scott's grandma and g pa. On Monday morning (Scott's birthday) we woke up bright and early at Mimi and Papa's house (we had been staying with them all week while daddy was in Daytona) for a fun dinosaur birthday celebration. First of all our baby dinosaurs that the boys had been watching all week finally hatched and the whole breakfast table was swarming with dinosaurs, which was a great distraction while we waited for Parker J and auntie to arrive.

Then we feasted on dinosaur shaped gluten free cake cakes with Dino sprinkles and sirpup - basically Scott's dream breakfast.

We opened a few gifts after breakfast...love Scott's interested look in this picture. Auntie painted Scott the most wonderful dinosaur for his bedroom....I will take a picture at some point...oops for now.

Then we headed to our Dino day...we were early so we got to play at the park first!

climber!

I can't say enough good things about our Dino craft morning. We didn't know what to expect exactly except for building a dinosaur at the end, but we did so many Dino related crafts before hand. The boys loved it!

We colored brontosaurus and dinosaur eggs. We glued dinosaur skeletons. Played with play dough. It was so neat!

Then it was down to business...dinosaur stuffing time. The boys (mommy/auntie) hard at work

Scott's finished product! His new t top even made it to bed with him that night with his pitas! That's big time!

Then we came home (to Mimi and Papas) for lunch and birthday cake. Side note: when asking Scott how old he was turning on his birthday these past few weeks his response....."birthday cake!". Keep in mind that I do not claim to be a pastry chef or a photographer....but here ya go: dinosaur cake du jour!

This was right before Scott stuck T Rex into the flame....whoopsie mom!

who needs a fork anyways?

Later that afternoon we finally came home and so did daddy! Best birthday ever is seeing your daddy after 10 days....yay! We had dinner and more cake, bath, a movie and wrestling....all with daddy!

sadly it was once piece of cake too many....that combined with all the excitement and wrestling led to a pukie boy that night....but much better today.

Thanks to everyone who helped make Scott's day special and to those of you just sent sweet wishes and thought of him that day. As much as I feel like I should have thrown him a big bash I know he had a fun day and this year with daddy's work schedule and Owen's arrival right around the corner this was the perfect type of celebration.

Scott went to his he pediatrician today and checked out great! 31 lbs and 35 inches! A few more 2 year old details: he still loves animals of all kinds and especially dinosaurs (duh!). He loves reading and curious george. He likes practicing his letters and numbers, although sometimes he is confused as to which are numbers and which are letters. He can count to 14 all on his own! We are working on colors but currently everything is pink! But he can tell the difference between all types of dinosaurs (we are talking ankylosaurus, ornithomimus and velociraptor people) so I guess colors will come in due time.

Scott is smart and funny and interesting and inquisitive and I can't wait to see how my sweet 2 year old continues to grow and become a big brother! Love you mr. munch!

Not a potato lover...

I have never been a big potato gal. Don't get me wrong a baked potato every now and then is great (especially with trader joes organic vegetarian chili on top) and on thanksgiving I can kill some mashed potatoes, but I don't really like them any other way....breakfast potatoes are bleh....especially hash brown....gross with a capital "G". And I have always been able to resist potatoes of the junk food variety: chips and fries....not.my.thing. Until today at TJs I just absolutely had to have ridge cute salt and pepper potato chips. What?!?! Random and gross. I guess that's a pregnancy craving for you. It took all my will power not to open the bag while I finished shopping and eat half before checking out...and looking back who would have stopped me? I highly doubt if anyone is going to deny the 9 month pregnant lady from her chips...paid for or not. But I controlled it...because even if no one stopped me I think that would have looked pretty glutinous. And oh snap if they were ever good when we got home. And I am happy to report I didn't eat the whole bag. This was my first true pregnancy craving for either baby. With Scott I couldn't get enough fruit, especially oranges, but it wasn't a craving, it's just what I enjoyed most. And this time around I have been loving spicy food, but I didn't HAVE to have it...and now I have retired from the spice all together thanks to the return of 3rd trimester heartburn! But the chips...had.to.have.em. Craving satisfied! Have a great weekend friends...happy snacking!

Firetrucks + Hockey

Scott and I got to join Andy and Zoey when they went to watch Danny's Ontario Fire Department hockey team play the FDNY Hockey team in Ontario. Of course I have zero pictures of the game or the kids in the arena. But we did get a couple pics by the trucks before and after the game. This was Scott's first sporting event and overall he had a good time. But at first he was a little freaked out. Right when we were walking down to our seats the announcer came on to introduce the players....Scott was not a fan of the loud voice that came from no one. We finally got him settled into his seat then Danny's team scored: horns, lights and lots of cheers = lots of tears from my boy. By goal number 3 Scott was better, but still not crazy about the noise. I'm sure he will get used to it, I told Brian its time to start taking him to more sports events, no arguments there I'm sure!

After the game Zoey's Daddy (aka: Wowo dadda, or just dadda...Scott calls him dadda too, not to be confused with daddy or just plain dad that he calls Brian) took us onto a truck! Totally awesome!

And we attempted to get both kids to pose in front of the truck....fail.

Thanks for a fun day out Richards fam!

Jumpin'

If you know Scott you know that he spends a good percentage of his day jumping. In things. Off of things. Just randomly. His dear friend Zoey gave him a jumper at Christmas and we just got around to getting it set up. After a long (rainy) morning at the indoor play zone we set it up that evening...just incase we didn't jump and climb enough.

In case you are wondering I'm not using this as my birthing tub...but it is big enough to double as one. Scott had a blast. Definitely a toy for use under adult supervision only!

Valentine's Crafts

Scott asks me to paint or do crafts ("caaafs") every day it seems. This past week we focused on some homemade valentine's. I'm thankful for my creative little boy...and for washable paints!

Lovelies...

Saturday Andy and I took the kiddos to the beach...only to have it start raining the moment we parked. Good job checking the weather mommies...plan b: park for two hours!

S & Z loved the see saw and went back to play on it time and time again. It was even more fun when pregnant mommies bounced it from one side - hey at least I didn't make my side go all the way down to the ground : / P.S. Even more fun with one prego mommy and kiddo on each side!

This ladder went above our heads...but no problem for our littles...they took it to the top over and over.

And the slides....also fun!!!

Don't forget about the tunnel...

Even the best of friends have their moments!

We never fail to have a good time (even when we fail to check the weather). Can't wait to add baby brother and baby sister to this mix soon : )

Cousins for Jay

Parker J gets two new cousins, one in February and one in March. This is the last picture of Parker with his two pregnant aunties and his cousins in the bellies. Ryder Cole was born on February 1st and is as cute as can be (haven't met him in person yet but I hope to soon). Now we are just waiting on Owen so we can take this picture again - cousins outta the bellies! Little boy cousins are so much fun!

Two boys...

In approximately six weeks we will have two boys. Wrap your head around that one!!! We are so very excited to meet Owen. We are so curious about him (as we were about Scott too) what will he look like, what will his personality be like...and in some ways we are extra curious will he act like his brother, will they look alike? Not to compare the two (which I know is a hard thing) but when you have one you just automatically wonder if they will do things similarly or completely opposite. I think it is so exciting that Scott is going to have a little brother. A built in playmate. A best friend. And I'm so excited that Brian and I get to be Mommy and Daddy to them.

I have to laugh (because if I don't my hormonal 8 month pregnant self will go bat crap crazy on someone) at the amount of people (strangers, if you have asked me this and you are my friend I take it in entirely different context) who have asked me "are you going to try for a girl?" When friends ask this for some reason I don't find it offensive, they/you know us and are truly curious if we are done at two kids no matter what or will we be having more, boy or girl. But when complete strangers see me out with Scott and then ask what I'm having and I answer and they immediately ask "are you going to try for a girl?" I seriously want to knock them senseless. Two boys isn't good enough? Two healthy children does not a complete family make? We have to conceive a daughter to truly be happy? I get that they don't really mean that, they are just being nice, making conversation etc. But (and its probably the hormones talking here) I find it kind of rude. I feel that they assume that I/we were hoping to have one of each and that we are somehow disappointed that we are having a second son. Wrong. First of all have you met Scott? He rocks our socks off. The kid is awesome. I get two of these? Sign me up. Would I love to have a daughter? Sure. Am I sad that Owen is not a girl? No. Will we have more children? Maybe (Brian will give you a more definite answer in that department but I refuse to make any decisions about future offspring while 8 months pregnant). If we have more children will it be because we are trying for a girl? No. It will be because we want a third child, boy or girl (which ironically I totally thought of a boy name I would use if we had a third boy, but don't know of a girl name - haha, don't read into that). So anyways that question from total strangers....weird right?! Not to mention the "wow you are huge" comments and the "are you sure its not twins?" - oh crap twins, I didn't even think of that...let me go check....yes I'm sure idiot!

On a pregnancy note: I feel like I gave so many updates with Scott and not a one with Owen. All is well on that front. I'm not going to lie I'm a little ready to not be pregnant anymore - I'm starting to not fit in maternity clothes...depressing. And lifting a 30lb toddler with this belly is less than fun, and I move a little slower. Mostly I'm just excited to meet the little guy though. And to be able to sit with Scott or rock him and have him fit in my lap again - poor buddy. Owen and I are going to prenatal yoga with Robin fairly regularly which has been amazing. And Scott gets to stay with his babysitter Michelle which he is loving! Owen still doesn't have a nursery and may not have one for a bit after he is born, Scott slept with us for a while so we figure there is no rush. We are just enjoying the last few days and weeks of being a family of 3 and spoiling Scott with lots of one on one time!

Counting down the days....so excited to meet Owen!

She or Him party...

Last weekend we got to join our friends, The Richards, as they found out whether their next little was going to be a boy or a girl. They had a great party filled with awesome company, yummy food and much anticipation of the cake cutting. Big sister Zoey was excited and practiced her sistering skills on her baby.

The 3 best friends that anyone's ever had....had a chance to play before dinner and cake. Parker J is eyeing Zoey and getting ready to make his move...

See I told ya...in for the kiss. Zoey wanted nothing to do with that....makin her daddy proud I'm sure!

How cute is this cake table? Andy is one of the most talented and creative people I know. She did everything herself basically the day before - wow!

Also, everyone voted on what they thought the next bambino would be: she, him or pterodactyl (Andy's nephew was hoping for a pterodactyl egg this time around). For the record I voted for she (there are so many boys lately...we wanted more girls in the mix, plus I was hoping for a girlfriend for Owen) and Scott voted pterodactyl (he loves dinosaurs).

And.....It's A GIRL!!!

Baby sister for Zoey cake - so very exciting!

That night Scott enjoyed his first and last "real" cupcake. Not gluten free. Before bed that night he already had a rash on the backs of his elbows and knees. Sorry bud we tried, gluten free for you little man. But he enjoyed the heck out of it while it lasted. He ate the whole thing....and was covered in frosting....it was so cute....and the funniest part is that he was so serious about it the whole time....never even smiled....just focused on the goodness at hand!

Mamas, babies and bellies (Owen 33.5 weeks, baby sis Richie 23.5 weeks)

The boys, Hilary and I came back to our house after for bath and a sleepover (hubbies were traveling)

And enjoyed a little bit of a "moonie" to wind down...

Thanks for including us Richards family! We will cherish the memories of learning what your new little will be! We can't wait to meet her!!!!