Stephen turns ONE~!

I didn't realize how much different it would feel to have SJ turn one then it did to have John turn one.  I am much more sad about the fact that my baby is no longer a baby... he is ONE.  Now, when people ask me how old my kids are I need to say, 1 and 2.  That also means I can no longer use the I am still working on loosing my pregnancy weight.... umm... hello! Your "baby" is one! That excuse has officially ran its term.  I have no excuses left, I just simply need to get back to my pre-pregnancy self.  And, boy am I ready!  It is draining in so many ways to be over weight.  Ugh.  Oh wait!! This isn't a weight blog, it is a blog about Stephen!!!!

We planned a birthday party for Stephen on his actual birthday, June 3rd.  We invited all of our immediate family, spouses/GFs/BFs, and Ryan's grandparents.  Almost everyone came to our house on that hot Friday night!  Ryan L and Jinette came early and helped me wash chairs, set up the table in the backyard, pick up the cakes, watch the boys, bathe and dress them! I thought I was "ready" HA little did I know I needed their help! Thank you!! 

The party started at 5:30 and everyone staggered in as their work week ended.  :)  Sara stayed home because she had a cold and didn't want to spread her illness to SJ because he had surgery this week (Again!)  Alana was working at St. Olaf for their reunion weekend.  She was cleaning dorms to get them ready for the alumni to come and stay in them.  And, Grandma and Papa Brown stayed home at the last minute because of possible sever weather in the western suburbs.  Other then that, it was game on!  Jana provided dinner for everyone of brats, fruit salad, potato salad and baked beans.  The perfect meal for a hot summer night!  John served 'ice tea' to everyone, even if they didn't ask for it.  Stephen was so cute, he wore a shirt that said "Birthday Boy," enjoyed his dinner and loved his cupcake!!!  We opened presents....John opened everyones gifts and sat around and chatted.  It was a perfect night.  Happy Birthday Stephen! XO

Birthday Boy Stephen!

Nummy!  SJ waiting for his "smash cake" A cupcake...

First bites... NUM NUM NUM

Birthday kisses form mommy. I love you Stevie Joe! 

Momma and her boys!

SJ was a little 'heat struck' and full of sugar from the cupcake and frosting.

Washing it all down with cold milk

Big brother John enjoying his cupcake too! 

SJ and his Godfather, Mark.  (With Auntie Jinette in the background!)

John "helping" Stephen open his gifts...

Gifts all around! ....

Grandma and Popa Lais: Wheelbarrow, bath toy and Button puzzles

Kelli and Dan: Elmo Camera and Drum

Mark: Sock and Shoes

Grandma and Bopa Patrick: Swim shirts, Beach Bags, and Professional pictures of the boys

Lauren: "Patrick was a saint, I AIN'T!" Shirt

Alana:  Pat the Bunny Book

Glennie Ann: Card and money for his college fund

Grandma Evie: Card and money for his college fund

Mom and Dad: Sand and beach toys and a toy truck to play with outside.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING AND CELEBRATING STEPHEN WITH US!  FAMILY MEANS EVERYTHING TO US!! XXXOOO

Getting behind...

To all of my mommy blogging friends:  Don't let yourself get behind!! 

I feel so overwhelmed about being behind, I think all day about what I need to type on here so that the boys have an 'up to date' "baby book"  .... BUT, finding the time to catch up is daunting!  I would need to be blogging all day for about a week to update the blog on all of the exciting cute things that are happening at the Patrick's.  Boring for you? Maybe.  But, I love this treasure I have been creating.  It will be something I hope the boys will value as they grow up and start their own families. 

Here is to catching up!!  Jana has John at the MN Zoo today while Stephen and I have a day at home.  I did 3 loads of laundry, cleaned the house, made dinner and now that my 'chores' are done.... BLOG TIME! :D

We're BAAAACCK!!!

We took a break from the Internet at our house... it was a long 3 weeks.... but a good three weeks! :D 

I have tons to update on, and Mr. Stephen is turning 1 this Friday!!  Stay tuned!!  ;D

TWIN'S GAME!!!!

Steve and Jana were on a trip to NYC so Steve gave Ryan and I two of his season tickets- WOWIE!  They are second row behind the Twins dugout.  Right in the middle of the action!! 
It was a cold, windy, rainy morning.  Ryan went to work extra early because he was leaving early for the game.  I was home wondering if the game would still go on with the yucky weather conditions.  I called Ryan to ask what he thought, your kidding right?  Caroline, it's Minnesota! Dress warm! hahaha  Not 2 minutes later, Alana texted me asking if the game would still be on with the weather-- I was glad I wasn't the only one thinking about how frozen and wet I would be in a matter of hours! :)
My mom came over to watch the boys and Ryan and I headed to Target Field! YAHOO!  Steve and Jana treated us to the seats and my parents treated us to the parking and food.  It was prefect!  All we got had to do was enjoy our day together.  :)  Thanks to both sets of moms and dads. 
We parked forever away because we are the worst at navigating through Minneapolis especially through traffic ...  As we were walking to TF, a girl in a big tan truck hollered at us.  I was a bit confused... then I realized it was ALANA!! haha  she was still looking for parking--
Ryan and I got lunch, a steak sandwich and a cheese burger.  Ryan ate most of both of them- they were huge!  I was just trying to watch for the ball I was planning to catch, since I didn't catch the one thrown to me at the last game...!! ;D   Alana and her friend got to our seats about 1/2 way through the 3rd inning.... parking was terrible!  We had a great time!!!  Lots of laughing for us sisters to do.  :D  The boys in front of us caught ALL the balls, and they were not willing to share- I even asked.  lol
Ohhh, AND the weather got soo much better!  There were even peaks of sunshine! :)  I still needed my jacket and blanket for the wind and random rain drops.  I also won't get into who won or lost... it was pretty bad.... but we didn't let that wreck our prefect day out! :)

Guacamole through a ... STRAW???

Alana was home for the Easter weekend, her and Steve were going to grab burritos at Chipolte so Ryan called Steve and invited ourselves along. ;)  It was fun to see Alana, since she is away at school we cherish our get-togethers!  On our way out the door, I noticed the mail man came. Ryan has been waiting patiently for his CPA letter of final approval and I noticed it was in our mailbox!  We were in a bit of a hustle out the door, but I grabbed his letter.  The first thing Ryan said when we got in the car was, did I get my letter yet?? I told him it wasn't there, just bills!  Once the kids quited down, I pulled the letter out of the stack of bills-  Ryan was THRILLED!  And, I was SO happy to be there to see his face as we opened his letter and read it together. 
We go to Chipolte, Ryan and Steve ordered and Alana and I played with the boys.  As we ate, John was very interested in his guacamole- avocados are a staple at our house.  He was sitting between Steve and Alana, so he knew it was game on! haha Ryan and I were not in direct reach.  ;D  John took his straw from his cup of water and plunked it right into his cup of guacamole and started sucking.  We all laughed because his face was turning darker shades of red, but he persisted.  All the sudden, the guacamole began traveling up the straw... and he grew a huge smile of accomplishment.  Oh John, always doing things a little different!  ;) 
Dinner was quick and to the point, the boys last a matter of 10 minutes on a good night!

Easter Weekend!

We had a blast!! On Friday afternoon, I tried super hard to get all of the cleaning done so that we could have the whole weekend to spend as a family.  It was a success- Ryan came home to a sparkly clean house! :) 
Friday evening we relaxed, read books and dad and the boys wrestled.  On Saturday morning we had the fence company come out to finalize our new fence plans!  We can't wait to have a privacy fence- it will be super nice for many reasons- privacy from our neighbors who are outside all day/night, it will keep John in the yard and it will make our yard look more "put together" or organized if you will.  Around 9am we headed to an Egg Drop in Woodbury.  It sounded like fun- a helicopter was going to drop 10,000 eggs onto a field for kids 12 and under to pick-up.  As we approached the freeway exit it was mad chaos! We did a u-turn and headed home. 
We did our family Easter on Saturday afternoon- dying eggs in the backyard ... 

So much for the little wire egg spoon....hands were much better! ;D 

So excited about the egg dying!! Too bad it was chilly and rainy on Saturday.

Very proud of his eggs- this is the finished product. 8 eggs

Even though John looks like he is in pain... he was just saying "CHEESE!"  Stephen sat in the stroller for the egg coloring event- he just watched.  :)

The little boys headed right to the tub and then to bed for naps.  Ryan did yard work and I kept getting things done around the house.  And, most importantly the bunny came during naps!!!  There were plastic eggs hidden in the hallway upstairs and leading down the steps.  As John opened his bedroom door and saw all the eggs, he looked at Ryan and I and said, "OH NO!! MESS!! NO NO NO!"  (I guess he is listening when I say things are a mess....) 

We carried SJ down the steps and look what the bunny left the boys...

SJ thought the pin-wheel was very cool. :)

John and his goods!

The kids were not so sure about the chocolate bunnies.... neither was I!  They looked at them, took a bite each and then went on playing.  I sure dodged that bullet....

 John and Daddy playing T-Ball!  He caught on fast- it was a great toy!

They both loved the bubbles! 

John opening the PBC eggs, lining them up... and then forgetting about them!  hah I was surprised at how uninterested they were in the candy-  :)

SOME of the many eggs John found! He really liked collecting them, but wished they were filled.  He opened each one and looked at Ryan and I sad that they were empty.  Oh the expectations of a 2 year old.....

SJ enjoying his football egg!  A very happy baby!

Our Sunday was super busy!!  We woke up bright and early (as per our usual) bathed everyone and I baked caramel rolls.  We headed to my parents at 9:30a with our rolls and Easter card John made for G & P.  Brunch was egg bake, caramel rolls, fruit, ham, blueberry coffee cake ...

The kids looked for eggs (filled with gum balls and jaw breakers...haha... pre-filled eggs are not made for 2 year olds!) and played with their Easter baskets goods- squirt guns and chalk while we got all the food ready. 

GRRRRR!  The eggs were shaped like little animals- soo much for just solid colored eggs! haha.  They were really cute!

SJ and his egg

Can you tell he has an ear infection??  Poor boy- he was a trooper though!

Ed's beard was... interesting! :)  SJ was intrigued!

Then, it was time to eat- John was sitting at the head of the table, like the king... as always! ;D

SJ got to sit next to the head of the table, in his highchair! :D  This was his first time having eggs!  He loved them!  Eggs, ham and cantaloupe. 

The boys played outside after breakfast while I got to drink coffee and chat with the adults. :) 

SJ and grandma enjoying the sunshine before the Patrick's headed home for naps!  :)

We went home, napped the boys and Ryan and I re-packed the diaper bag.  Then Ryan had some homework to do, so he spent an hour reading his case studies. 

Around 1 we headed to Great grandma and Papa's condo for the Brown side Easter!  It was so fun to see them!!  It had been way too long-- our sick winter kept us from many family gatherings.  The older girl cousins played with JR and SJ while I got to chat with the aunts about music, technology and being a mom! :)  Great conversion!  Then, Ryan took John outside with Papa and looked at his garden.  John loved running around outside and spending time with Papa.  SJ and I stayed inside to talk (surprised? haha - I know what you are thinking- Caroline, talking?!  no way! hah)  and SJ enjoyed a sample of most of the desserts. :)

John and great grandma and papa's, sitting on this little chair with a teddy on it.  He thought it was so silly! He had the girls (Jackie, Alana and Tera) wrapped around his little finger!  He was un-wrapping all the candy he could find, sampling it and then going for the next piece. :)  

Then we got the boys snuggled in their car seats so they could nap and hopped on 169S to head to Jordan.   (By the time I go to Jordan, I was pictured-out  ... I only took a couple at the Brown's and none in Jordan! Oops)  We ate dinner in Jordan, and then there was a table FULL of desserts.  It was a bit ridiculous... but very tasty!  I has a piece of cheesecake that I shared with JR and SJ.  We played outside and hung out.  John went on rides up to the cemetery with my parents until the golf cart got a flat! haha  So, uncle Mark and Tom came to help.   John walked ran thought the cemetery while we were waiting for the rescue crew. :)  He was going from grave to grave kissing them.  (not sure what he meant by it... considering he doesn't understand the concept of graves... but it was still cute!) 

Then he played in the little playhouse and enjoyed an ice cream sandwich with uncle Dan and aunt Terri.  SJ enjoyed playing with cousin Rachel and uncle Dave.  Rachel is pregnant, and having a girl!!!  The Kreuser's have 3 baby boys, so it is due time for a little girl! :)  Jack, John and Stephen we DO love having you too! ;D

Around 8:30 we put the boys in their jammies (we actually changed them in the bed of the truck-- very country like! lol) and headed home after a loong day- John was awake the whole way home, and SJ was sleeping before we pulled out of the drive way. We unloaded the truck and I put the boys to bed while Ryan did homework. 

WOW- I had to do this post 4 times!!!  Each time, it kept getting deleted!  UGH.  So, I shortened it each time I had to re-type it.... and it is still super long. haha

Nothing to Say

I have Easters' post almost done... it is a long one! 
The last month has been a drag!  It has been rainy, snowy, cold and dark with a couple peaks of spring time sunshine.  Maybe I am having seasonal depression??  (along with most of the state!)  We have been busy here with repairs to the house, appointments, school and work.  The saying, if you have nothing nice to say, just say nothing at all fits.  I have nothing fun or exciting to blog about... so I am holding out on the crabby posts! ;)  This spring, or lack there of has been hard after the long cold winter. 
We are having a garage sale this weekend... it was time to de-junk our house AND make some extra cash! That has taken most of my time in the last weeks.  Going through everything and getting rid of things we haven't used since we moved in on Ashland, or things we won't be needing in the future.  :)  *hoping for a good turnout!!*

If you or someone you know is in the mood, stop by this
Friday and Saturday 8-12 for our GARAGE SALE
8 families have added to the sale!!! Baby gear and clothes/Maternity/Women's clothes and jackets and shoes/Men's clothes/Purses/and household items!

Stephen's FIRST Haircut!

A couple days before Easter, Ryan and I were laughing at how long SJ's hair was compared to JR.  John had the clean shave look, and Stephen was rocking an over grown mullet- it was time for a cut!!

On Friday evening we took him to Kid's Hair.  He took his job very seriously, studying every move the lady made, watching her scissors and comb.  But, he didn't move much, needless to say, it went smoothly!  Ryan and I were glad we made it a family affair-

So mellow-  can you tell he has a double ear infection???  He looks kind of sad doesn't he??  :(

Brotherly.... love?

Last week, the boys were in the tub.  One of their favorite things to do!  John was hording the toys and splashing most of the water out of the tub as Stephen was refusing to sit while he was also trying to splash all the rest of the water out of the tub.  It is quite a party here!
Stephen decided he wanted the toy boat, but John wanted all the toys.  I tried to use this as a teaching moment.  Explaining to John how to share and that SJ is a baby and he doesn't know how to ask for a toy...so, let's just give him one!  Well, JR was not taking to the idea of sharing his toys and SJ was done waiting.  All the sudden, SJ lunged at JR and bit his arm- really hard!!

OUCH!!!  After icing it for 20 minutes, it still bruised.  And, every time John went near Stephen for the next couple days he would say, "NO Beef, NO Bite me!!  NICE BEEEF"

Here is John explaining what happened-  NOOOO BITE ME!

I tried to rally after the bite- I put Stephen down for a nap and I told John we were going to dip cookies in milk!  A first for John! :)

He was a disaster by the time he was done dipping his 3 Oreos-- he could have used another bath... haha

Catching up....

I have TONS to catch up on, it is going to take me a bit!  I do have the pictures to jog my memory...but I still want everything to be as fresh as possible!! 

Pray for some time in my schedule opening up....

Go ahead, look him up!!

The Board of Accountancy (finally) reviewed the CPA candidates from last October!  And, that would include RYAN!  :D

This was the last step for him-- he has been approved! 

Since I am sure you want to see it for yourself.... Click on this link and search by last name. 
I'm looking forward to the recognition dinner in May!! 

YAHOO!!

You're going to give me a chicken?!!?!

My mother in law, Jana, has a blog and she has a great entry this week!  Please, if you need a great laugh- this is where you will find it!! :D

Jana's Blog

Jana writes every Wednesday- tune in! 
Lauren, I'm loving your Christmas present that keeps giving!!

Visiting the Easter Bunny and a Night at Carlson's

I took off blogging this week-  I needed it!  As much as I love that I have so many of our memories "on paper" I also was getting sick of sitting at the computer.  So, I took the whole week off and I am not going to look back! :)

On Friday night we went to bed early- the boys were sleeping by 7pm and Ryan and I by about 8:15.  It would be an understatement to say we were all tired. 
Saturday we woke up, tired still- Why?! So, we all had a lazy morning and stayed in our jammies until 11am! :D We had breakfast and read books.  It was nice to do nothing.  At about 11 both Ryan and I got the itch to get moving! Too much laying around... We got everyone ready and headed to the MOA to see the Bunny!!
There was not a line at all!! We walked right in- perfect!!!  Ryan and I drove separate because Ryan was volunteering at STA so he was just going to go strait there from the mall.  We took the double stroller, but I wanted to let John walk.  He has been loving going on walks when he gets to actually walk.  So, this was the first time I have let him walk while we were in public somewhere busy.  I have been practicing having him hold on to the side of the stroller while walking, and holding my hand when we are crossing a street or if we hear/see and emergency vehicle.  It took us almost a half hour to walk one length of the mall- but John was in wonderland!  He was pointing ot everything, laughing and cheering.  He saw the Bubba Gump Shrimp man, and ran to him for a quick high-five. The bunny was on a break when we got there, so the four of us walked around Camp Snoopy Nickelodeon Universe.  John was in complete shock, he has never been anywhere like it.  He was waving at every kid, chapped for every ride and would only hold daddy's hand.  Stephen was thrilled too! He was like an owl- his head spinning in every direction, trying to take it all in.  He was screaming (in a good way!) and "talking" the whole time. 
We walked right in to see the Bunny, he was very friendly- and it was FREE!  You could take all your own pictures- LOVE IT!  I was very curious to see how this was going to play out.  John was scared of Santa (and the Easter Bunny last year)  but Stephen was very intrigued by Santa.  It was the opposite this time!  Was thought it was great, he gave him high-fives and sat right next to him smiling for the camera.  Stephen was un-sure, he wasn't crying, but it was scared- stranger-danger!  The boys got their "treat bags" and we headed to run a couple quick errands at the mall.  We got most of them done but then Ryan had to leave, so the boys and I walked around and had a lovely time.  We even stopped for a kid-size dish of ice cream for the boys to share.  Every two bites John had, Stephen got one.... John thought that was perfectly fair! haha
Then we went home for naps so the boys would be ready for our night.  While we were napping, Ryan was at STA bartending for their auction dinner.  He had an excellent time seeing friends and having some "guy-time" :) 
We headed to Carlson's for a pizza dinner.  Things have really changed since we first started hanging out with the Carlson's-  haha  We now find having a pizza party, surrounded by 3 (soon to be 4) highchairs, talking about Kristin's pregnancy, the best kind of knives for chopping up food for the kids, and singing along to the kids music a perfect Saturday night!!  Thanks for having us over- it was a blast! 

Sunday was date morning -- we dropped the boys off at my parents and headed to mass.  Then went to Dixie's for their brunch- YUMMY!  Came back to our house and did more organizing. At the end of all of this cleaning, our goal is to have everything we own to be in a bin or dresser.  No more "junk-drawers" or any randoms ...  we are making huge progress!  I can't wait to be totally organized! :D

John, "on a ride"  He was thrilled!!!  we just made "motor" sounds and he was screaming and cheering! :) Simple joys. 

Stephen taking is all in- a happy camper!

John loving the bunny!

Lo Lou  John has been saying "love you" So sweet- I Lo Luo too, John!

Our (productive) Weekend

We got a ton of work done this weekend!! Even though, it really is just the tip of the iceberg... we have a million projects that need to happen, are happening and need to be finished...
Saturday morning I watched the boys while Ryan cut up lilacs, and hauled away 6 loads of brush and yard waste to the dump.  Ryan made amazing progress on our yard! I was pretty shocked when I got home with J and S.  He still has to dig out all of the lilac stumps and roots and then pull out the stone edging, fill it in with dirt and plant grass.  In other words... just the tip of the iceberg!
I took the boys walking.  We needed to get out of the house but they couldn't play in the yard with all the work going on.  We walked to my parents where Jinette and Ryan were staying for the weekend.  My brother Ryan helped John fill the bird feeders and followed him around the yard while Jinette and I got to have some time to chat- I haven't seen her since their wedding!!!  We drank coffee and played with SJ too. :)
Lunch time crept up on us and my mom had her own yard work to finish so we walked home.  I fed the boys lunch.  When Ryan got home from his 6th dump run, I went to get my hair cut/colored... it had been way, way too long!  Ryan put the boys down for their naps.  When John woke up Ryan had the hair-cut itch so he buzzed all of John's hair off.  John likes the feel of it, but the poor boy- bald! ;) JK, I am just giving Ryan a hard time.  It got a lot shorter then he had intended... and felt pretty bad about it.  No worries- hair grows back!!
We went to Nana and Bompa's house for dinner of steak and potatoes.  John sure had missed Nana!  It was nice to catch up with each other-  Ryan and Steve watched a baseball game and Jana and I chatted.  Steve and John painted a picture and then both boys cleared out most of the kitchen cupboards on to the floor.  :)  Sooo much exploring to do!  We had ice cream for dessert and then went home to bed. 

On Sunday, it was date morning!!  Ryan and I had big plans! haha- sarcastic! We had breakfast, dropped the boys off at my parents and headed to church.  After church we raced the clock to see how much we could get done before our 1pm pick-up time.  We started in the garage- first we tore out this old metal bench thing that was totally worthless- none of the drawers worked and it was taking up a ton of room!  We un-nailed it from the wall and put it in the alley for the junk collectors to take!  Same with our broken snow blower, TV, DVD player, and a trestle.  (It was all "collected" within a couple hours...YAY!) We put the winter stuff away (shovels, sleds, ice scrappers, salt etc. up in the rafters and got down the summer stuff (sprinklers, sand toys, trikes, pools, and put the sensory table in the backyard.)
Next, we headed inside.... we went to the basement and re-organized a bunch of stuff.  Made a pile of things I have been collecting to garage sale and another pile of trash.  (Note to self: never move when pregnant!!  I was super preggers and sick when we moved here.  My mom and MIL packed up our apartment.  (Thank you!!) But, when you don't pack yourself, everything just isn't where you would have put it and you don't de-junk while packing....) Anyways, this is what we were desperately doing.  We have everything in the basement in plastic bins now- got rid of 10 cardboard boxes! Yay!!  Then, carried garage sale stuff to the garage, and loaded the bed of Ryan's truck with trash. 
I collected all of our winter gear (jackets, snow pants, boots, mittens, hats...) washed them all and packed it away for next year.  I got all of there summer clothes out!  Switching out the seasons of clothes is one of my least favorite jobs... it always starts out as a "small" project...and quickly turns into a mess!  It is done now-- Bring on the sunshine!! :D  I filled the hats and mittens bins upstairs with sunscreen, swimsuits, sandals and sunhats. We are ready~
Then Ryan and I went upstairs- we got more garage sale stuff out of SJ's closet I had been collecting up their and brought that to the garage.  We went through all of our first aid stuff- assessed what we needed, was expired, had to much of....  We went through our files too, de-junked them- shred baby, shred! :D 
It was quickly 12:30... so we took all the trash we had collected and threw it away and headed to my parents to get the boys. 
They were out walking!  SJ was sleeping in the stroller and my mom was trying to keep John from jumping in every puddle he could find. haha  We headed to Target to get more plastic bins and do our grocery shopping... $350 later we headed home.  Not a good week for our budget.... and I even had $37 in coupons!! I guess I need to watch more of the show, Extreme Couponing!   It was nap time for the boys.  So, Ryan and I split up duties.  He worked outside more and I put the boys to bed and finished organizing inside.  By dinner time we were so tired!! 
Great grandma Kreuser was in town at the History Center with my parents, so they stopped by on their way to dinner to see the boys.  We all looked terrible- in our work clothes, dirty, tired and hungry.  She didn't seem to mind- she raised 10 kids on a farm!! haha- she knows what real dirt is! ;D
Dinner of spaghetti, salad and rolls.  Then, all Ryan wanted to do was have an hour (yes, just even an hour) of simply family time.  We hardly ever get this-  all 4 of us together with nothing else to do.  We went out on the porch with a big blanket and read books and played.  They little boys even wrestled a little! Our hour quickly ran up and it was bedtime. 
Goodnight!

Sandbox Fun!

We have a little green turtle sandbox that was Ryan's when he was a kid! John and Stephen are both loving anytime they can get outside!  John thinks knows he has the best of both worlds.... in our backyard there are still mounds of snow where the house shadows the yard but it is sunny in the other parts.  He goes back and forth between digging in the snow and being barefoot playing in the sandbox. 
Stephen is loving the sand too!  I haven't put him in the snow because it is pretty cold to just lay in snow, but laying in the sandbox makes him one happy camper! :D  He digs with his hands and just simply looks at it, only a couple times did he accidentally put it in his mouth. As soon as his hand touched his lips he would cry- a quick lesson learned for him!

I am out of storage on my blog.... I bought more, but it takes 24 hours to kick in.  I can add the pictures then.  So much for the "free blog" ! : /

Stephen at 10 Months

I took Stephen to his "9 month" well-child appointment on Wednesday.  I had his original "9 month" check-up scheduled awhile ago, but we needed to change it to a pre-op for his surgery.  So, his "9 month" check-up got pushed to a 10 month and 1 week.  :) 
Stephen's stats:
Weight: 19 lbs 10 oz (22%)
Length: 27.75 inches (16.5%)
Weight for length: 69%
Head circumference: 17.75 inches (32%)

My beefy baby is not so beefy after all! ;)  He has slimmed out- he was riding the 80% curve at his past check-ups, but now he is on the lower end of the curve. 
His check-up went perfect!  His ears look great now that he has the tubes, lungs were clear, we counted his teeth- 7 of them with one more just about to pop through.
Now that he hasn't been running a daily fever I decided to start his shots.  He got three of them.  It was hard to watch- the nurse wouldn't do them 2 at a time- poor SJ! 
On the development part of the exam, he is doing great!! The only part he didn't "pass" was that he doesn't clap his hands.  But, really I am not worried at all.  He is a happy, healthy, growing boy! :) 
Stephen has been getting more daring with his "furniture cruising."  In the last month he has been pulling himself up and standing in his crib, at the couch, at toy bins etc.  But, once he was up he was stuck.  Now, he is able to get back down.  On Monday he even climbed up onto the trampoline in our living room!  I couldn't believe it when I saw him completely on the tramp.  Yikes!  We have been sure to keep the door to the upstairs closed... Naturally the stairs will be the next climb he tries...but these steep steps will not be accessible to him anytime soon! 
Stephen is a little fighter!  I can't believe how defensive he is to John.  If he gets within an arms reach of John he swats at him and he shouts in his face.  John's sweetness just says, "NIIIICE BEEF! NIIICE!"  When John gives Stephen a hug, Stephen just cries-- I think the sibling rivalry is in full swing!
Stephen is eating all table foods.  He eats whatever we are having for that meal- except for eggs, honey, strawberries and nuts.  He loves food and so far I have really only found one food he doesn't like- avocados. Other then that he will eat everything, he is a good eater!  The weaning thing isn't going very well.  He has no interest in any kind of formula or BM from a bottle/cup/sippy.  I bought 5 different kinds of pre-mixed formula hoping he would like one of them- nope!
Stephen is sleeping through the night, only occasionally he wakes up. If I nurse him he goes right back to sleep.  He is still sleeping in the swing.  We put him to sleep at 8:30/9pm and he wakes up about 7/7:30am.  He naps on and off while we are running to appointments during the days, but when we are home for the day he takes a short cat-nap in the morning from about 10ish-10:30a and then again from 1-3/4pm.
Stephen loves to play with toys!!  He is very entertained by them- he has 2 toys that I would consider his favorite: Sophie the Giraffe and a plastic french fry.  He chews on them- they are small and the perfect size for little baby hands.  SJ really likes to play with a lot of different toys and is always trying to get in the middle of what ever JR is playing!
Stephen is still riding in his baby carrier for a car seat or as we call it; the bucket. However, I think he is almost bursting out of it!  We may be able to get a couple more weeks out of it... but then it is time for him to graduate to a rear facing 5 point harness car seat. 
Stephen continues to be an easy going baby with an infectious laugh.  Now, if I can just get him to stop being so feisty to John!  They are brothers for life- <3
<3  We love you Stephen!!!  <3

Applebee's

Tonight we were driving, and got stuck in traffic a little longer then we were expecting.  While we were driving, John was asking for "num-nums"  ... Clearly he was hungry!So, Ryan and I started talking about where we could stop for food.  McDonald's? Culver's? Famous Dave's? Applebee's?  All the sudden from the backseat we hear: "APPLE-BEES!!" Ryan and I both simultaneously looked at each other and said "DID HE JUST SAY APPLEBEE'S?!!!??"  AHHHHH! :D
We were sooo shocked!  It was one of the most exciting moments- John was smiling ear-to-ear.  He was so proud of himself.  And we were even more proud.  We couldn't believe it~ Go John!! You have been exploding with new words everyday! 
On Tuesday, when we were driving to the MN Zoo, John was pointing out all sorts of things... a go-go (train) truck,  then when we got there.... duck, zeeebra, moose.  It is so fun to hear him talk, he has so much to say.  AND all in the sweetest little voice.  I love it, I love you John.

Mom and John Date

On Monday night, I was feeling like I really needed to get out of the house!  Well, let me back up to earlier in the day first.  Monday morning, I woke up to an email in response to my weaning blog...well, I woke up to a ton of supportive emails!  It was very relieving to know that really, I have a huge support system around me- family, friends and all my mom friends from M&M's.  Thank you!  One mom, Cyndi has a 5 month old who she is still BFing- and she had some extra pumped milk that she offered me.  So, I packed up the boys and we went to their house for a little informal play date.  It was really fun for the boys-a whole room full of new toys and Makenna to play with!! :D Cyndi and I got to chat while the kids played then I got my Cyndi's milk and we left. 
Monday evening, I was planning to take John to got him a new potty chair because his old one broke.  As I was packing the boys up, I thought, hmm...maybe Sara will watch SJ so I can have some time with just John?? Sure enough, she agreed!! :D  So, I dropped of SJ at my parents and Sara and SJ played while John and I went on a date!  (DATE, it is John's new favorite word.  On Sunday mornings, Ryan and I go on a date; church, breakfast and to buy groceries.  It is something we talk about all week and then on Sunday mornings, we tell John that he gets to have a date with grandma and poppa while mom and dad have their date.)  Anyways, after we dropped off SJ, John and I headed to BabiesRUs and found a new Elmo potty.  Of course, he picked it out! ;) Then we went to Perkins and had dinner.  We had a blast!  While we waited for the food, I didn't have to talk to any other adults, or be dividing my time between JR and SJ.  We colored on the menu, played eye-spy, sang songs and read the dessert menu. ;)  We enjoyed our dinners and then John took his cookie and the pie we got dad and we headed to my parents to get SJ. 
Stephen had a blast with Sara, Mike, Kelli and my parents- it was a party over there! We brought the potty inside to show everyone and played for a bit until Ryan called to tell us he was on his way home from school.  I packed the boys up and we headed home! A very fun night! Thanks Sara!!
Now, I just need to get John consistently using the potty...haha

Mail from Nana

Nana has been gone for awhile now (a month or more?) vacationing in Cabo and then to their AZ home.  John (well, all of us!) have really been missing her.  John has a very strong bond with his Nana Jana.  Nana watched John 4 days a week while I had to work from when John was 12 weeks until he was 16 months.  Nana was very good to John, she spent every minute he was at her house in full John mode. Now that I have been home with the boys, I make sure the boys see Nana as often as possible.  This is high on John's list of Favorite Things! :D When Nana went to Cabo, I explained to John that Nana went on an airplane with Bompa and Lauren to the Ocean. Now, that Nana is in AZ, I have been explaining that Nana went on another airplane to a place with no water- the desert! Every time we see an airplane, John points, and shouts, "NANA, HI NANA!!  NOOO WATTY!!!"  He sure misses Nana! 
However, since the boys' surgery, Nana has been sending packages, cards or postcards almost everyday!!  I have been finding John waiting at the front window when for the mail van to pull up.  Then he runs around in circles shouting, "NANA!! NANA!!" It has been really fun for him to be getting all this mail!!  The packages have been filled with all sorts of stuff; matching Sun Devils shirts, movies, Elmo crackers and cereal bars, Highlights magazines, bath toys, play-doh, little boxers for John, and the list goes on.  
I keep trying to have John call Nana to thank her... but everytime I remember, I get sidetracked-  He will just get to thank her in person when she comes home on FRIDAY! :D

Backyard Project Continues...

This weekend, Ryan and Ryan went lilac killing crazy! :)  My brother Ryan was in town and offered to help Ryan pull down all of our lilac bushes.  Ryan P. was thrilled to have help!  I couldn't help because I was on baby duty... and having the boys in the backyard while doing this was simply not safe.  So, I took the boys to Burnsville mall shopping for a MOB dress for my aunt Connie- and we found a smookin' hot MOB dress!! ;D 
Ryan and Ryan sure went to town!  We need to clear all of the lilacs (that have been grown over with grape vines) so that we can put up our new privacy fence.  Well, saying that we (Ok, Ryan) needs to just clear the lilac would be a huge understatement.  There is a ton of prep work that needs to be done -- tons.  They guys cut down all the lilacs and cut up the brush.  We have a big pile of the "tree-trunk" parts and 3 huge piles of the "brush" part. 
Today we burned brush in our fire pit while John played in the snow that is left on our yard and I played with Stephen in the backyard. It was great to be outside for a few hours and spend time as a family.  We seem to not have much of this time in our busy lives right now.  Usually someone is at class/work/appointments/running errands/cooking etc. 
Thank you Ryan Lais AND Ryan Patrick ;) for all of the hard, physical work you did this weekend! It was NO small task you took on.  And, we WILL be having you and Jinette over for drinks and cigars in our backyard this summer! :D  Thanks!

MOM Lead Weaning

** Probably more information that you would like to know**  But, something I want for my "records" ....

Please, catch your breath!  To all my biggest critics out there:  until you are my size, you cannot judge that I am ready to be done nursing.
I know that many of you are thinking, you have made it 10 months, what's another 2??  8 weeks of torture for me!  On Saturday, I went shopping with my cousin Miranda, her son Jack and my aunt Connie- what a blast!!!  As I was getting ready to go, I realized that I haven't worn a bra in over 2 weeks! 
First, I don't have one that fits me- do you have any idea how hard it is to find a nursing bra in a size 36 **  ??  The ONLY place I can find them is at Bravo Bras- they custom make bras!  I have ordered over $1000 worth of bras from online boutiques that say they have "bigger sizes"... so far none of them have been my size (I have had to return them all).  However, I can find tons of bras in my size that are not nursing.  I did buy one of these for a pretty penny, the problem is that I can never nurse SJ in public then.  I have to go take the bra off and then nurse.  It is a mess, especially when I have John with me!  And, no I can't just "pull the bra down" there are no "cute" bras in my size- it is only full-coverage yuck!
Secondly, I have bad back pain.  I have been seeing a chiropractor for about 3 months now.  Well, I have been seeing one since I got pregnant with John, but for the last three months I have been going 1-3 times a week.  Being done nursing would decrease my size and I would be able to find a bra that fits and would give me the support I need.
This will also make exercising so much easier-  I love running and I catch myself running at the gym holding myself! Umm... not a great look, not comfortable, and not a good way to work out!
Why do I need to defend myself?! :(
I am a huge breastfeeding supporter- HUGE, HUGE, HUGE.  But, I also believe that I have given breastfeeding a good, fair run.  I had mastitis on and off for 7 months.  I did push through that and succeeded!  I am now just not interested/out of $$ to spend on more custom made bras-- do you have any idea what those cost?!  I am very proud of what I went through to nurse Stephen for 10 months, and I do deserve a pat on the back for that.  :)  In the ideal world, I would love to nurse him until he is 18 months.  That would be wonderful!  But that is just the farthest thing for reality for me. 

So, how is the weaning going???  Well, Stephen is really not that interested- shocked huh?! haha
I have tried breast milk, whole milk, water and formula from a bottle/sippy/cup and the only thing he will drink is whole cow milk (cold) from a cup.  UGH.  That just isn't going to work!!  He cannot have cow milk (as a main source of "milk") until he is 12 months.  I thought *if* I could get him to drink *anything* from *anything* I could start to cut it with formula and he would be fine.  Well, as soon as I add formula to anything, he freaks!  I am SOOO bummed that all my BM thawed a couple months ago- I had pumped and saved enough milk to last about 2-3 months.  I would have been golden.  AHH. 

We shall see how this goes this week as I try to wean little Stephen.