Pictures....

These are all out of order... and randoms... I don't have my computer right now, so I am just using ones I snapped on my phone.  I just thought I needed some pictures! ;)

I am not sure what SJ's deal was... BUT, This is 3M - where daddy works! :) 

Shaving cream anyone?!
John wanted to get in on the shaving cream action... clearly he was a bit confused as to where it should go.... LOL

SJ was hanging out with daddy... so, of course they had an Oreo snack! :)

Papa Steve's "Old Timer" glasses!

John is so cute in these glasses! :)

The biggest Cheesy Ham I know. Biggest. 

Stephen's fine art skills... EEEK. 

I took SJ to the library one morning while JR was at school.
SJ LOVES books, it was a hit! 

SJ "needed" to do the kid computers.
He was nearing a big fit about the computers because I told him he was not going to use them.  After I broke down and told him he could, all he wanted to do was try on the head phones.  (Notice the computer screen is on the "sleep screen" and there was nothing coming out the of head phones...)  One fight I was glad I avoided. 

The potty training obsession begins!!!  He is obsessed with going potty.  
I would say that we are still pretty far from being trained. I have to remind him all the time, and he needs full assistance.  If I don't get there quick enough, it is a mess.  He is a strait shooter...  : /

SJ and his un-ties.   Yes, if you are trying to count them... he has on 3 pairs.
If only you could see the back view-- it is cheeks, and all cheeks! :) 

More of the triple unties situation! Maybe he has 4 pairs on in this picture??

This is a pretty "old" picture... from a month ago?
The boys wanted to have toasted mallows - so Ryan made a bonfire with I got the boys dressed.
It was super fun, for all of the 3 minutes they lasted! :) 

SJ and his mallow.  He did not want his toasted!   As soon as he though his mallow could possibly be compromised by the flames it was nearing he started screaming in fear it wasn't going to come back.  He has his raw. 

Too bad this is blurry... It would have been such a cute one! 

<3  Brothers <3
They both wanted theirs cold.  No one even roasted a mallow after all that! 

John and Stephen standing by their snowman! 

We all got together for my mom's birthday this year.   It was fun to surprise her!  We all had pizza, tres leches  cake and chipped in on a charm for her bracelet.  

Blowing out her candles!

(Her party was the same night we made an offer on our soon to be new house in Woodbury!!) Wahoo!!

SJ enjoying a popcorn snack! :)

JR and SJ were HUGE troopers one afternoon last week.  I had to run about 6 errands, yes 6!  I needed to get them done and they needed to come with... I totally bribed them saying IF we got them all done and they didn't cry at any of the stops, I would get them an ice cream treat.  It worked! ;) And, right after this we went to meet Sue and Ryan at the new house so the boys could run around and play a little bit.  It ended up being a fun day- even though I was a bit nervous as it started out. 

SJ and his cookie ice cream

John has taken a big interest in Papa Joe's "tree things"
Ever day as we drive on 494 to bring John to school, he always asks  what the "things out there are?"  And I never knew what he was talking about until it dawned on me! It was the tree tubes Papa invented!! :)  He has been asking all about what papa does at work, how he grows trees, how the trees get into that "thing," and so on.
One afternoon, as we were outside, John came running over to Ryan and I and said, "I made a tree thing like Papa Joe for Nana and Papa Steve!! They have a new tree!!!  SEEEEE!!!!!"

A few days later and John was checking if his tree "thing" was working.
He looked up and said, "How does that tree get in this THING?!!!" 

THE FOOT PHONE!
I wasn't here for the original "foot phone" but... here is Ryan's take on the situation:
SJ had fallen and got hurt, Papa Steve said something like, SJ is hurt and needs to go to the Dr.    Suddenly John dialed up the Dr. on his foot and had a whole conversation with the Doctor-- "Doctor! Doctor!!  You come here and help my bro-der?! He hurt! You Come?! OK, Good! Bye!"

John helping his brother get out of lot 11 safely.
We went walking up there with Ryan one night after work last week.   It is so beautiful up there and the weather sure helped!! :) 

Brothers! Cheese!!

Sunny March days!

This March will be one I will remember! :) It has been such great weather! I LOVE it!!
We have been playing outside just about all day, everyday.
Today, we were all playing outside by 8:15am.  John was catching bugs (warning to all bugs: do not come to Nana's house, you will not make it off this property with all your limbs, or even alive for that matter!)  and climbing the little tree in the sandbox. :)
SJ has perfected climbing up the ladder on the swing set and going feet first, tummy down on the slide.  The yard is littered in balls, bats and little plastic hockey sticks.  We did a nature hunt for all of papa's plants that are coming up, SJ even sung them a little song "ni-ni-P-ants" (as John chimed in, "NO! Morning PLANTS!") this went on for a while.
John and Stephen have had almost everyone of their meals this week outside on the deck, and our heat is off, the windows are open and I am thrilled! Spring it here! :D

We did take a little break from our outside fun to drive to St. Olaf to pick up Auntie Alana today- Let's just say, I drove way past Northfeild... and got us very lost. : / However, the boys were screaming with excitement the whole ride down.   When we finally got there, we picked her up and headed back to good old Mendota Heights.  Alana got the boys a couple new books (thanks Auntie!!) and she read them to the boys- one about starting school and one about little bears.  Very cute.
This morning, (early this morning, to the tune of 5:30am) John found some nail polish in the mud room, painted his finger and said, "look mom, Nolly Polly! Ya, Ya likes Nolly Polly!!"  : / Yes, John, she does... (luckily it was white polish, and he only got one finger done before I stepped in and stopped all the "fun" ;-)

E-O-N

Ryan and I have full conversations spelling every word out.  F.U.L.L. C.O.N.V.E.R.S.A.T.I.O.N.S.
John has tried to catch on.  A few weeks back, it was a Saturday morning and Ryan and I were trying to make our plan for the day.  We were deciding between taking the boys swimming or to the zoo.  As we spelled everything out, John piped up, "E.O.N.!!  Park!  Mom, we are going to the PARK! E.O.N!"  (All with one hand on his hip, in a very serious manner.)  We thought it was pretty funny and very clever at the same time.

Well, since then, if John isn't feeling "heard" he will say yell, "E.O.N.! I want some milk! E.O.N!" (or, a snack, or outside or to go swimming...)  
Or, if he wants to feel like he is "part of the conversation" he will chime in as Ryan and I are spelling things out with, "E.O.N., yea, work was good today, yea, it was." 

Un-TEEs!! AKA: Unders

Stephen is obsessed!
He is constantly taking off his pants, pointing to his parts and then bee-lining it to the nearest toilet as if he is about to burst with urine.  I am not really sure where this sudden burst of potty training interest came from, especially because he is a bit young for boys to train...and he is terrible with his aim and timing for that matter!
Tonight, he went digging through the dirty clothes pile to find some un-tees.  He found a pair of John's Toy Story ones and proceeded to get them on.  He put both legs through the waist hole first (good,) but then put both legs through one leg hole and up they went... all the way up past his belly button.  Ryan and I got a good chuckle out of it especially because his meaty little buns were sticking out the bottom of his shirt as he ran trotted around proclaiming UN-TEES!! UN-TEES!! with pure satisfaction on his face, it was pretty much a strut around the kitchen, he was wearing John's unders, he put them on him self and he had just peed in the little green potty all over the floor (while sitting on the potty.  Like I said, the aim is terrible.)  Not five minutes later, he had put on three more pairs of unders he found of John's.  By this point, it was a safety hazard-- he was doing a mermaid walk around the basement.
Have a gotten this lucky as a mom?! Am I going to have 2 kids that are super easy to potty train?! If so, I have earned it! HA

Moving Update

Things are coming along!
Last week, on Tuesday SJ and I dropped JR off at school and headed to Sears to return the appliances we bought for the other house and picked out ones that are a little different for the new house.  We also got to return the disposal, and water heater.  :) We are now getting black appliances and I am SO excited to see them and use them! They are being delivered on the 24th. Yahoo!
I have been calling around to get prices on the cost of running a couple gas lines... so far I have nothing set in stone for this.
On Friday, our Realtor, Sue met us at the house so we could see it again, measure the laundry room, re-look at our "plan" for the kitchen appliance rotation, and let the boys "pick out" their bedrooms.  (they are identical rooms... it was mostly just for them to see the house)  I actually went about 45minutes early with the kids and let them run around the backyard playing and collecting pine cones.  They had a blast!!  Both of them didn't want to leave, John has been asking "can we go to our new blue house yet??"  That's a good thing...we were worried about the transition for him and SJ.  I hope that is a sign that it will be smooth...!
Over the weekend, Ryan and I got everything from the sub-basement moved into the garage, we got all of the outside toys and "stuff" by the back of the house moved into the garage. And, we went through all the boy's clothes, took out the ones that don't fit, re-organized them and packed their clothes for AZ.  And, we got started on our new washer/dryer stand. :) We cut the big pieces of wood, and measured the rest.  The boys woke up from the sound of the table saw, so the wood cutting party was over, but that's when we headed outside with the boys for some hockey, tee-ball, and volleyball practice! We grilled wings for dinner.  It was SO nice out, I <3 spring!
We have TONS to do still, but we are making progress!  
Moving while you are not pregnant (& on bed rest) or nursing/have terrible mastitis is a breeze! ;)  I love that I can help with everything -- it makes things so much easier!
This week, I need to get paperwork/address changes made, do more organizing and then next weekend we are moving everything we have into the garage here, except for what we need for the week- we will be "packing" suitcases for the week with clothes and essentials.  THEN, we close the 23rd and our truck is rented out for the morning of the 24th.  Ryan and I are going to start in Bloomington, put everything from storage into the moving truck, then go to Patrick's move everything from the garage into the truck and unload it ALL into our new house on the 24th.  THEN, the unpacking and organizing begins!!!  Words can not describe how badly I can't wait to have systems in order, places for everything, bins and labels on things and less of a cluttered/messy/disorganized life! haha

11 Questions

WOW! A 'mom-friend' of mine, Jodi tagged me in a blogging game! :) I am a newer blogger, and I love that I have so many friends that blog- this will be a "different" post, and a fun one! :) Thanks Jodi!!

The rules are:  Post a picture of yourself, tell us 11 things we might not know about you, answer the 11 questions asked of you, then write 11 new questions and tag some friends to play along (let them know you tagged them!)

Ok, I am failing before I start... I don't have my computer (with all of my pictures on it) right now... the screen broke, thank goodness we bought the protection plan, but as for now I am picture-less....

11 things you might not know:

1). As "un-sporty" as I am, I have always wished I was a "sporty" person! I am sure there are many jaws on the ground right now. haha!  Hopefully these little boys will bring out the sporty-ness in me ... and I can learn with them how to play sports as they do.  Tee-ball here we come! ;) 

2).  My first real job was at the DQ on Snelling Ave. Truth be told, I sometimes miss those days... I had so much fun there.  Oh those red DQ polo’s, they were the best! 

3).  My biggest hero? Surely my husband, Ryan.  He is my biggest rock, keeps me grounded, and plays life by the rules- always! :) (Ok, so this is not "something people don't know..."  but it in an important thing)

4).  I miss the days when my mom did all of my laundry, folded it and put it away.  I am still not a laundry person, I like to wash and dry our clothes, but when it comes to folding and putting it away, Oy, it's bad news.  At night I catch myself thinking about if I could hire someone to do one thing for me the rest of my life, it would be doing all of the laundry.  Nothing is better than fresh, folded (and ironed) clothes! 

5).  I get motion sickness very easily! Flying? Ask Jana... when she took John and I to AZ when John was a year old, I was oh. so. sick. on the plane, the "little baggies" couldn't come fast enough.  And, for that matter, why are they so small?!  

Jana and Steve have a swing-set at their house with a glider on it.  The boys love the glider, when I have to just watch then swing, my stomach turns. Eewww, not for me. 

6). I thought breastfeeding would be an easy thing... before I ever did it.  I actually think nursing JR until he was 9months (and pumping for him until he was 13months) and nursing SJ until he was 14 months was a huge accomplishment for me. I am so glad I did it even though there were many long, hard, (very) painful days and nights.

7). I am not a fan of lake swimming.  I have never been and I never will be.  I have a million reasons why I don't like it, but I won't get into them.  :) However, I love spending time at lakes! :D haha  Bonfires, watermelon, sunscreen, late nights, grilled food, boat rides, and... bug spray! 

8).  My favorite song is a song that my sister-in-law, Lauren wrote for Ryan and I.  It is called Snow.  She wrote the song, made music to go with it and had it sung and recorded! It is such a beautiful song.  (Lauren, is there a way to put a link to the song on this blog??)

9).  I bought my first car (all by myself!) when I was 19.  I worked my booty off in high school at the DQ and nanning.  I am still proud that I did that alone- I bought the manager of the dealership's car! I looked at cars for about a week, and once I decided on a make/model, I told the man helping me that I wanted to know which car was driven by his boss?! He thought I was nuts, BUT- IMO, which car on that lot do you think was cared for the best?! Clearly the managers!!  That day I drove away with my new Chrysler Pacifica- limited edition, 5K miles on it.  :)  It was kind of sad to return my 1994 green Honda Accord to my dad that night...

10).  When I am crabby or in a bad mood, I just need to go to bed.  Really, it's usually because I am tired. Being tired gets to me and if I can sleep, I wake up a new person! :)

11).  I don't consider myself a Coke-a-cola addict any more! :) I thought breaking that habit I picked up with pregnant with John would be much harder to break.  But, it wasn't!  :)  

Now onto Jodi's questions...

1.  What super power would you like to have?

I would like to be able to fly.  It would be so much faster to get places and I am not a fan of driving-- I drive a ton!  Flying sounds fun! :)

2.  If you could do any job in the world, what would it be?

I would like to be a CEO somewhere! Really! I am getting good training right now... I am CEO of the Patrick family! LOL- kidding! I would like to run a small business someday- maybe a daycare, a pre-school, a nanny service or something like that.   (I really just like being in-charge! haha)
3.  How many kids do you want to have?  Why?

Oooh, this is a tough one!  I am going to say that we are taking it one baby at a time, and that we aren't sure yet.  However, we are very open to adoption!  I can never say never to more kids... :)

4.  Where is a place you would like to travel? 

One place?! I have lists and lists! I want to see the world.  There are new places I want to go with Ryan, and with our family everyday.  Hmmm, pinning it down to one place? I am going to say that I want to go to a very remote island, a non-touristy place.  

AND, someday, when our kids are older, I want to go on a mission trip.  I want to go on one for a couple weeks, alone, working, playing and teaching children that don't have the basic needs all children should have.  This would be a dream come true for me to do this.  

5.  What celebrity annoys you the most?

Probably most of them!  I don't pay much attention to celebrities.  They catch my attention when they are pregnant or have small babies- that's when I like them! :) So, when they are annoying, I ignore them! haha

6.  What is the last good book you read?  (I need some new good ones, so I'm hoping this sparks some ideas for me, haha).

Books? What are those!? LOL I haven't had the time to sit and read for fun in about 5 years!  Yep, wedding planning, wedding, pregnant, nursing, pregnant, nursing, moving, selling a house, moving, and now moving again... reading didn't have time to come up.  I am an article reader, a news junkie!  I love reading newspapers, and articles online.  

 7.  If you are married or have a significant other, what are your favorite and least favorite things about them?

Favorite?? Sappy, but true.... everything!  I have no complaints, we make a good team, we put our relationship first, are really good at checking in with each other about life, we are up-front and honest, and I love how dedicated we are to our family. It keeps me on my toes! :)

Least Favorite? He is a very time-orientated person.  If you say, "I'll be home from Target in an hour." You should be home in an hour! haha.  Being late for something is not an option.  I am a late person, I have always been one to "push the clock" but, since having kids, I am never anywhere on time! It is so hard for me ... I know, bad. 

8.  How many places have you lived in your lifetime?

I am a "home body" ... I grew up on Portland Ave. in St. Paul.  From there I moved in at my parent's apartment on Grand Ave. and then Ryan and I bought our first home on Ashland Ave. (three blocks from my parents!)  We are living at my in-laws in Mendota Heights between homes right now- our next move is to Woodbury! That's going to be a big move for me!! haha!! So, I have lived in St. Paul, Mendota Heights and (soon to be) Woodbury. 
9.  What inspired you to start blogging?

The fact that I was horrible about keeping up with the boy's baby books!  I never did a good job of it.  I loved how well my mom kept mine, and Jana kept Ryan's.  I want that boys to have some kind of "baby book" when they get older. 

10. What do you eat for breakfast?

COFFEE! :)  Mostly, I like the smell of it, I don't really drink that much.  But, we eat a lot of eggs (hard boiled and yolks removed), yogurt and granola, and protein shakes- vanilla flavor. 
11.  What are you wearing right now? 

My "mom-i-form" :

Black Capri yoga pants, white running socks, a tank top with a zip-up North Face fleece jacket.  

My 11 Questions:

1. Do you save all of your receipts for your purchases? If yes, how long do you keep them?

2. The best day in your life?

3. Your favorite organizational tip?

4. What time do you usually go to bed at night?

5. Do you consider yourself a Facebook/internet -aholic? 

6. How often do you talk to your parents?

7. One good recipe that you can share... family friendly, please! :)

8. If you won an expense free vacation for you and a guest, to leave tomorrow, where would you pick to go? And, Why?

9. What is your most prized material thing? 

10. What is your favorite and least favorite household chore?

11. What is the best gift you have ever received? 

OK, I am going to tag, Rachel Tupy, Jana Patrick, Kristin Jewell, Lauren Patrick, Deirdre Otis, and Betsy Manzel!  I know you are ALL busy women, This is just for fun... if you have time! :) 

Thanks for reading.... that was a long one! Oofta!

Stephen's been busy too!

Stephen has turned into a ham for the camera!  If he sees that I have one, he will stop everything and say cheese!! While tilting his head to the side, displaying a huge cheeky smile.  :)
Stephen is still a mamma's boy, he is a calm little guy that loves to play.
His speech is beginning to take off! He will say almost any word that you ask him to say, however, many of them are hard to understand still.  Almost all animals are still "puppies" and he sure loves animals!
He is a cuddle bug that puts stuffed animals and blankets to shame.  SJ loves to snuggle, give hugs and (long awkward) kisses (HA HA).  SJ has found a couple of Lauren and Alana's "loveys" from then they were small, But I am not going to let him get too attached... Mom Bunny and the little (tiny) puppy that was in their doll house.  He adores them both. :) (AND, Alana and Lauren: I am NOT letting him take them out of the house, they will be here safe and sound (and very loved) when you return!) ;)
 Lately, he has been missing his brother...  When we bring John to school, the whole car ride when we leave is, "John??" "Bro-der John??" "kool?" (school)  "JOHN!??" "BRO-DER?!"  They have both picked up on the "brother" term, and I love it.  I want their brother bond to be extra strong and to know that they are brothers for life.  :)  They have been loving the love hugs. It is so sweet, the other night we were at Lifetime, and the boys were showering after swimming. Ryan and I were getting their clothes ready for when they were done and when we turned to see what they were doing, they were standing in the shower, hugging, saying "bro-ders" It was pretty sweet, except when we noticed one of SJ's hands fell a little low and was holding JRs bum! LOL  Ryan and I got a pretty good laugh out of it! ;)
Stephen has been a rocky sleeper lately, the whole blog about him getting up in the night is still happening, I would say less though.  He has become a very early riser too.  (as early as 4:15-6am) I really am not one that will ever "get used to" seeing 4:15am on the clock! ;)
He is a drink-a-holic!!  He loves to be drinking, all the time!  I took the boys for their well-child exams a couple weeks ago, and they asked me, "how many ounces of milk are they drinking/day?"  I was kind of caught off guard, I "guessed" and said 25 ounces.  The other day, Ryan and I were talking about ways to save money on our groceries, and right away, we realized that the Naked juice consumption was out of control! We were buying 5 of the big jugs a week!! WOOF. That's when I started to think about how much SJ is drinking?  When I started to add up the (take and toss 8 oz sippys) ounces, I was quickly getting over 80ounces/day! I called his doctor and they wanted to see him right away.  We went in the next day and first they wanted to rule out diabetes- ruled out! his blood sugars were well with in range! (relief) However, they are looking into it further... we are waiting on some more blood work to come back and I have to drop off a urine sample on Monday. (fun, huh!?) I hope it is just that he is a "big drinker" : / Boy, do I hope that is all!

We took the boys to the MN zoo today, SJ was a speedy little thing! He was darting in and out of the families, between strollers and never looked at an animal the entire time! HA.  By the time we were almost back to our truck, he started to slow down, quickly all of the sudden, I realized I was almost dragging him. The craziness caught up with him! :)  We had a fun little lunch in the bed of the truck after the zoo.

**Ear Tubes! When I had SJ at the DR this week, his Dr. noticed his left ear tube is gone. :(  I am super bummed, I have no doubt that we are not out of ear infection land.  And, every time we go on a plane, he gets one... I have all of my fingers crossed for when we go to AZ in 3 weeks. His tubes lasted 13 months.  I was hoping to get use of them through the summer....

Let the packing begin!!!

Oh man have we had the dramatics around us buying our next home...!!  We are however is great spirits about everything that has happened! :)
After a lot of back and forth, multiple offers, many phone calls, signatures and so much built up, bottled up excitement, we got the word tonight that we got a house we LOVE! AHH!  It is in Woodbury still, near the Kowalski's on Radio Dr. We close March 23rd, and this time it won't fall through! ;)
Ryan and I had a wants list, a needs list, and a bonus list.  This house is one that fills everyone of our needs, has many bonus' and only falls short on one the the wants from each of our lists (Ryan wanted a 3rd garage stall and I wanted my own office.) We have 3 big bedrooms, the Master bedroom has 3 closets and a full master bath, there are 3 full bathrooms and a 1/2 bath, main floor laundry and mud room, a fireplace, a huge yard (that is fenced in! (bonus!!)) a big front entry way, no steps up to the house (that way grandmas and grandpas can visit with out the worry of steps to get it) the whole interior of the house was JUST painted, new carpet, new lighting, a big deck, walk out basement, loads of storage and boy, the list goes on... we are thrilled!!
The house does need (most) of the appliances (it comes with a new water heater, mew electric stove and new dishwasher), which is a good thing, because we already ordered them all for the last house... Now, I just have to change them to black and the delivery date can stay the same!  We are going to do a little rearranging in the kitchen.  The stove is electric, (we want gas) and it is located on the center island.  While we were looking at the house and Steve was inspecting it, Jana and my mom came up with new locations for the appliances so that the stove would not be in the middle of the room which was super dangerous. Super dangerous. We are going to run a gas line to the kitchen for the stove, and then put the stove against the wall where the fridge spot is.  Then, the fridge is going to go at the end of the cabinets (where the "desk" area is- we are going to remove the desk) Then, use the cabinets from the desk area to fill in the hole in the island and put a new "cutting board" counter top on the island.  Make any sense?? HA, I bet not... you will just have to come over to see it! ;)
We also need to run a gas line to the dryer (while they are doing the kitchen one) so we can have a gas dryer. And, eventually, the basement is not carpeted, so we would like to get carpet down there.  But, baby, all we've got is time!!!  :D  No rush, we are going to enjoy this move, enjoy the time packing and unpacking, hang pictures and have family dinners. 
I surely have an extra spring in my step tonight! ;) 
(BTW, need a realtor??  Sue Tracy is her name with Exit Realty! She is amazing, we loved, loved, loved working with her! Message me for her contact info!)

Bummed? Yes. Confident and happy with our decision? VERY!

Today we had the inspection for the house we thought would be ours on March 23rd... I will keep this short and to the point.  We were sunk before we ever stepped foot into the house.  There were so many things wrong with the house that a "regular" person like Ryan or I would have realized.  We are so happy we had an amazing inspector!  We didn't even finish the inspection, the list was way too long before we ever got out of the kitchen area, Ryan and I knew it wasn't the right house for us, and our stomachs turned as we said that he could stop inspecting.  We both left as we swallowed our emotions and made an informed, responsible, adult decision. :) 
We were not upset that he was finding (tons) of problems, we were just bummed.  We had been dreaming of that house since we laid eyes on it back in the beginning of January.  I had picked out were all of our pictures would hang, what kitchen things would go where, bought appliances (thank goodness they can be returned!)and most of all, the set up was amazing- it was perfect for the kids.  I am sad that we won't be spending this spring spreading out in all the space that house had to offer, however, I am counting all of our lucky stars that we didn't close on that house and be miserable and neck deep in repairs and maintenance. 
So, here's to being back at ground zero and starting the house search all over again! Oy.

Well Child Visits

I took the boys for their well-child visits, finally! I have been waiting until we know where we will be living, because I want to find a doctor near our new house- which we hope to hear back on soon, in Woodbury. The boys saw a new doctor at the Allina clinic in Woodbury.

 

Stephen is doing great! His S curve isn't riding the 50% curve any more... he has slimmed out a bit and his height has slowed... He weighed 26LBS. He is about 35% for weight and 25% for height. Our big beefy baby isn't beefy anymore! ;) He did great at everything else. His lead levels are way down from last time (YAHOO!) and his Iron is up (YAHOO!) (we get to stop with the prescription iron supplements.) and he had a few immunizations too. He was a trooper- 2 shots and a blood draw. :/

 

John is doing great, too! John is having the opposite S curve problem then SJ. John was riding the S curve at about 10%-20% but last week, he weighed in at 32LBS and was 30% for weight and 45% for height! That is a very exciting thing for us! His appetite has increased tons since we moved from Ashland! (YAHOO!) John got 3 shots and a blood draw. (His lead levels have gone way down too- YAHOO!)

 

The boys are both doing great in their developments! Not really too much to report- which is a good thing. :)

I am a proud mommy! :)

They both need to see an orthopedist this summer... both for different reasons, but TRIA will be seeing us soon.

Stephen's Singing Career...Needs Help from Aunt Lisa!!

Calling Aunt Lisa Patrick!! ;D

Ryan, John and I sing to Stephen at night to put him to bed. We came up with a simple song that John would be able to sing with us. (Night Night Beef, Night Night Beef, Everybody Goes to Sleep) (Which we have edited to be: Night Night, Stephen, Night Night, Stephen, Everybody Goes to Sleep)

Stephen quickly picked up on the song too. He would sing it with us, (Ni, Ni B! Ni, Ni B!) and it became his song.

Last week, SJ took his song and singing to the next level... Ni! Ni! Daddy!! Ni! Ni! Daddy!! He sings in the highest pitch that there is possible. Ever. And, he rocks his head back and forth while he sings. :) I love his little song.

In the morning, he wakes up, opens his door and comes over to our bed. This is when I tell him it is still night time, because it is! 5:15 is too early for me, and John and it should be too early for Stephen too! HA

He will run back to his bed and I lay him in it. On the rare occasion he will fall back asleep, but usually he will lay in his bed and sing songs. They really don't have specific words, it is just sounds in a high pitch. I love listening to him lay in bed singing to his puppy and other animals he cuddles with at night.

Things that make me smile

* Hot coffee with cream
* Pregnant women
* A clean house
* Open windows
* Hot showers
* Date nights
* Snuggling with the kids
* The feeling after a good workout
* Grilled food
* Martinis
* Seeing Ryan smile
* Christmas Eve mass
* Singing in the car
* Sleeping kids
* Helping someone else
* New cars
* Art projects John and Stephen make
* Airplanes
* Bonfires
* Temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees
* Girlfriends
* My family
* The smell of the boys after a bath (Johnson&Johnson gets me every time!)
* Starbucks
* Family outings
* Arizona
* Apple trees
* Being in the Christmas Spirit
* Weekends
* Homemade popcorn
* Weekends at the cabin
* Skiing (it's been a while, but I do really like it!)
* Christmas songs
* Spring flowers
* Thick, heavy quilts
* Hot chocolate
* A clean windshield
* A can of Coke (However! I have been Coke FREE for just over a month!!!)
* Building blocks with the boys
* Walks in the woods
* Long drives with Ryan
* Dreams of our future
* Disney World
* Sandy beaches
* Nachos
* Reaching a goal
* Coupons
* Leaving Target and spending less then $100
* Pictures of babies
* Long hugs
* Thinking it was Thursday and finding out it is Friday
* Home cooked dinners
* Reading books to John
* Trampolines
* Laundry detergent
* Swimming pools
* Girls night out
* Encouragement
* New socks
* Weddings
* Lemonade stands
* Haircuts
* Columbia zip-ups
* Thinking about my childhood
* Trying something new
* December 28th

I took 10 minutes to see what I would come up with! This made me smile! :D

Thank YOU!

I have been meaning to thank all of my readers for a long time now... Today is the day! :)

I have many reasons to thank everyone who faithfully reads about all of the things going on in our busy hectic lives. First, thank you for your interest in our kids, they are clearly the apples of our eyes, and we are glad that they hold a place in your heart too! Thank you for all of your emails, calls, texts, and comments! I love when I get responses to my posts- it makes them feel so worthwhile. :) And, thank you for being a supporter of my Google Ads, it has provided us with a little extra spending cash here and there- Who doesn't love getting paid for something they love to do!? ;)

I have many very faithful readers as close to us as right upstairs (You know who you are!! haha) and as far away as Australia, Ireland, Canada, Russia, Germany, Qatar, and the list goes on! I do track who is reading (yep, I'm watching you!) (for the safety of the kids...) and it brings such a smile to my face when I see friends from school, my mom's group, relatives near and far, friends of relatives and the list goes on, who faithfully come back and take interest in us. My grandma Glennie who lives in Florida has been so great about reading. I look so forward to all of her emails about what she thinks about each post I write. :) Her support and love she sends so often is very appreciated. The comments you all write, even when short, mean so much- that you took the time to respond to what is happening at our house. Thank you.

I started the blog because I have always admired how my mom kept my baby book up so well. It is something my mom is saving for me- such a treasure! I remember on our birthdays, we would read out of our baby book to the rest of the family. The laughs we got, family bonding time we had and the saved memories... priceless. Jana also did such an amazing job keeping journals of Ryan's childhood- he has volumes! When we got married, Jana gave us his books- we spent many many nights reading his journals cover to cover, (especially while I was on bed rest...forever) laughing so hard, with tears running down our faces. We also love our baby books because they always affirms that our parent did everything, during every waking (or sleeping) moment to be sure we were given every opportunity at the best childhoods/lives possible, all we had to to was start reading. To John's baby book.... I am just not a person to sit down and write (pen and paper). I kept putting it off until tomorrow, or thought, is this event worth taking up this whole page?! And, soon enough, his baby book was very empty, I was pregnant with Stephen and life kept getting crazier. After Stephen was born, after we moved and I settled into the new routine of having absolutely NO routine and really just "winging" life I started to blog. :) It was came pretty easy. I (clearly) am no special
writer, I just (clearly) love my family and want to have record of some things we do and memories I find important. I see the blog as a treasure for the boys and one Ryan and I hold very close to our hearts.

When I post, I am happy to know how many relatives I am able to update at the same time- One other reason I started our blog. When we knew we were pregnant with John, the first person we told was my brother Ryan, he was leaving for a study abroad and Ryan Patrick and I really were torn about him not being here for when we told everyone we were expecting and there was no part of us that could wait until he was home! We (eventually) realized that we would have many of our family traveling a ton during the kids' childhood! Ryan did another study abroad in Ireland, Mark to Italy and Greece, Lauren (for a year (!!) to Ireland, Alana and Mark are away at school (St. Olaf and St. John's), Sara, Kelli, and my parents are working fools! ;) and Jana and Steve do a lot of traveling. So, it was time to have a cover all way to update everyone on our life! :) And, so far it has been a great way for me to reach a lot of people doing something I love- writing about our family.

My brother Mark was a key person in the final decision to start this blog, Mark left for a semester abroad when SJ (his godson) was only a couple months old. I knew Mark would be very busy when he was gone, so I wanted it to make an easy way for him to stay connected to Stephen and our family. This blog was born. I was able to see how often Mark was reading (he was the only person I knew at the time in Italy and Greece) and he was reading a TON! I think he usually checked the blog between 10-20 times a week (I think our most faithful reader to date!)! I loved how consistent he was while away- it meant (and still means) so much to me. Mark called last night (as he does from time to time... when he needs a study break!?) to say thank you for writing the blog. It was so special that he called just to say that he loves it and was laughing out loud while reading it. :) He likes that I put the "real" conversations for the boys and all the pictures. Well, thank you Mark, thank you everyone for reading! Glad you like it!

This year, Lauren has been gone for SO SO long- she is in Ireland for the whole year... (brave girl!!!) and she has been a great reader. I love that she knows what is happening here and when we Skype, she is up to date on life at (our) home.
I know Alana is busy at school too, playing college hockey and having a crazy course load, she is able to sneak in a quick read between classes, or while getting ready to turn in for the night. :)

Anyways, I could go on and on and give shout outs to so many readers, but the boys are ready for me to be done on the "puty" (computer).... thank you! Really, it means so much that you read, support our family, (and support my ads!!) ;)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Ryan, My Super-Husband

This post has very little to do with the fact that I have such a long way to go before I am ever swimsuit ready again, and everything to do with how much support I have from Ryan while trying to be again, someday.  ;)

I had been trying to work out for over a year.  Ryan would help me get everything packed for the gym the night before (put the stroller, diaper bag, snacks for the boys, etc. in the car) and I would spend my days TRYING to work out. Every time I would go it somehow ended in a disaster.  EVERY TIME.  WITH.OUT.FAIL.
I would get there, realize I forgot my shoes or something. (end of work out attempt)
When I remembered everything, I would ALWAYS be paged to the childcare center 20 minutes into my run: CAROLINE PATRICK, REPORT TO THE CHILDCARE IMMEDIATELY! (end of workout)
When I got to the CC, one of them was poopy, had puked, took their clothes off, peed their pants, was LOST etc. (we went home)
OR, if for some reason, I got to finish my work out, the next morning, they both would wake up sick- fevers, runny noses, puking ... you name it.
After really trying to make this work for about 6 weeks. It was the biggest headache.  I was so stressed about the gym, I wasn't getting good workouts in and the boys were not benefiting from the CC.  I called it quits, UNTIL our house sold.
Ryan does understand that making time for me to get to work out is important, and he has been nothing but supportive in any way I have ever asked him to be. Every time.
I came up with a crazy workout plan, and presented it to him to see if he was on board with how much training I wanted to do to get (as close as possible, while still being realistic!) back to my pre-baby self.  It has been consisting of long nights of him home with the boys after working all day.  Oh, and the BIGGIE, it also meant he took this semester off of school!!! 
Ryan has been doing such a wonderful job, I can't stress enough how wonderful it is to go to the gym and be able to put "home-life" on my back burner; not worry about the laundry, who has appointments tomorrow, what phone calls need to be returned etc.  I get to focus on me 4 weeknights a week for what has been turning into 3 hour workouts (not including drive time....) and weekends too --I have been feeling so much more human, been able to clear my mind, and I am loving the time to myself.
Thank you Ryan for being SuperDad and Super Husband!  I don't thank you enough- Thank you for your support, your love and all the long day you put in for me!
You are the best, Pooks! XXOO

Valentine's Day 2012

Ryan and I had a lovely Valentine's day!

Over the weekend, (on Sunday) my parents met Ryan and I and the boys at the MOA.  Ryan and I had some major shopping to do and my parents wanted to take the kids to Lego Land and spend some time with the boys.

Ryan and I are on pins and needles still waiting to see in writing that the house in Woodbury is truly ours.  We are going nutzo! ;) The excitement is eating us alive... in a good way!  Anyways, the house we hope to be living in soon needs ALL new appliances- the last owners took everything but the dishwasher. 
Soooo.... CAN WE SAY A WIFE/MOMMAS/GIRLS dream come true is to get to pick out ALL NEW APPLIANCES?!!  Ok, well, it is surely mine!! I have spent many of hours researching them online, I have been to the stores a couple times to see them in person, read (probably) thousands of reviews, and hunted deals! :) 
We went on Sunday to order them all... Yep, oven/stove, hood, microwave, refrigerator/freezer, disposal, washer, dryer, and water heater.  It was so exciting to pick them out to fit our family, our needs and what we think will work for us for many years to come.  I love them, I think I really do. :)
Ryan was a real trooper, he stood smiling the whole time as I asked all the "dumb" questions, "tried" each one out one last time, and checked online to price match one last time before making final decisions. 

What a Valentine's day! We hope they will be delivered March 24th. Can't wait to use them all!

While Ryan and I were at Sears, my parents had a ball with the boys!  They played at LegoLand for a few hours!! And, when Ryan and I were done and met up with them, both boys were not overly thrilled to see us!
We went and had a little bit of a late lunch at the golden arches and the boys each got an ice cream cone too.  They were both a mess- sticky, tired, and full. :)

John eating his cone! Thanks Gamma! :)



CHEESE! Can we say MESS! ;)


On the actual Valentine's Day...
I was surprised to get a super cute (and of course romantic!) ;) card from Ryan with an arrangement of red roses and other flowers.  That was SO sweet, I thought he had gone way above and beyond at Sears a few days back... I love you Pooks!  You are my best friend, forever and for always - nothing will change that, we make such a great team. 
The boys got Valentine's from Nana and Papa AND a card in the mail from Gamma and Papa.  We are so blessed to have you in our lives. <3

Today was a BIG day!

On this day in history, John started his school career!
He went to visit St. Ambrose 12 days ago and has been back a couple times to drop off forms, pick up paper work etc. and I have had to carry him out of the building each time kicking and crying because he wants to stay and play with his friends, play in the muscle room, sing songs, read books and paaainntt! He has been looking forward to school in the worst way! :) 
He woke up this morning running around the basement very excited, but as the morning went on, the excitement dwindled.  He eat his egg whites, banana and milk as he told me he wanted to stay home with his brother and papa.  : /  He got dressed in his Valentine's outfit of red unders, (haha) red socks, and a red "work shirt" then boys took a few laps of the main level here at home while I taped up John's family picture. (I got a little wallet sized picture of our family, covered it in packing tape (cheapo way to laminate) so he could have his family with him at all times during the day)  As I loaded John up in the car, he was OK going to school.  I fought back the tears the whole way to St. Ambrose- it seemed like such a long drive!!  John called Ryan so Ryan could wish him a great first day of school.  I was surprised at his response when Ryan asked him what he was going to do today, "Me play toys, play with me friends, eat food, sing songs, me read books, lots of things daddy!!!"   As we drove into the parking lot, I went down the mom list, (share, use your manners, remember to go to the bathroom, ask the teachers if you need help....) Then, I said, "John, today I have 2 things I want you to do- 1. Make ONE new friend today.  2. Play with 2 new toys." John was quick to tell me, "Mom! There are lots and lots and lots and lots of friends at school!! AND TOOO many toys! Me play ALL DAY!"  Wonderful- just what I needed to hear! :)
We got to school, and I couldn't wipe his giddy smile off his face! :)  We took a few pictures, and as I went to give him a hug and kiss good-bye, he said, "No time mom! Tooo many toys to play!"
I drove home happy.  I was so excited for him, there is so much to explore and play with, friends to make and relationships to grow, self help skills that will be tested (to the max!) and long naps on school days! :) I am feeling so confident in our decision to send him for the last half of the year. 
When I got home, Papa and Stephen were just coming inside from being outside with Sabo.  SJ and I went downstairs, I cleaned up a bit, did dishes, and made lunch- Stephen played the whole time.  I can't tell you how different it is to only have one kid at home! WOW. I got so much done, I had a lovely lunch with SJ and then we went to walk around the mall and get John new shoes.  It was wonderful to not have to lug a double stroller, gear and a kid under each arm.  (lol- but true!)
We met Ryan at John's school for pick-up.  Ryan was really bummed he couldn't come with for the drop off this morning, but he made it so he had his lunch break at 2 for John's pick-up.  John was so happy to see us! We both got running hugs, kisses, "Me missed you!!" AND a Valentines card from John.  It was great.  Everyone of us felt so happy.  :) 
We got in the car and John ate a half of an apple, a string cheese and passed out. 

John standing at the front welcome desk  (Noah's Ark)
February 14, 2012



Hanging up his bag... clearly we need to get him a backpack still....




John with his teachers-
Ms. Tina, John and Ms. Shannon

 These are the pick-up pictures:

John and his mommy holding the valentine he made for Ryan and I! <3
I just can't get enough of this kid! :)

John and his proud daddy-
It was really special that Ryan came to pick up John at school on his first day.
<3 You are a lucky boy John! <3



I think it is safe to say he liked having the picture of us with him!
He said he played with Stevie at school! :) CUTE.



And this my friends, is what John looked like about 1 minute into our drive home!!!
He was SUPER tired!

Playdate at Tami's

A girlfriend friend of mine just built a dreamy new house in Blaine! I met Tami at ECFE when I had John there, we connected fast- we both had kids the same age, we were adjusting to life as a mom and our living situations were about to change! :) Tami traveled to countries (!!)  with her kids while her house was being built after their town home sold, her hubby stayed here in MN to work and now they are all together living a dream! ;)  Anyways! Another girlfriend, Jackie that I also met at ECFE and I went to Tami's for a play date. 
It was SUPER fun to chat with other moms about life; preschools, potty training, furnishing a home, remodeling (Jackie is about to put a big addition on her house!) etc.  the kids played, had lunch, and decorated cupcakes. 

Nolan, Piper, John, Emma, & Stephen 
(Josh was with his mommy)

Piper squished between the boys! :)

SJ lining up cars



I took this before Tami was ready.... But here is her new kitchen! :D



Stephen and his cupcake with a M&M in his mouth

Emma and her cupcake

Nolan and his cupcake- very proud!! :)



Josh figuring out his cupcake!



John and his cupcake

Thanks Tami for having us over! I love you house and hope to be back again soon! ;)

Just another day ...

in PARADISE! ;)

I woke up (after my nap this morning from 6:40-7:15am... SJ decided to get up at 3:50am!) to an email from Ryan.  Usually 2-3 times a day I get little love notes from Ryan that will pop up in my inbox.  (for sure one of my favorite parts of the day.)  When we started dating waaayy back when, we would write each other love notes, letters of our dreams for the future, and make scavenger hunts for each other all the time.  (I have most of them saved in a big box! They are true treasures.) Anyways, this morning he sent me the lyrics to a song by Phil Vassar, Another Day in Paradise.  I know, this song is a few years old, and I remember when it came out, Ryan and I called each other that day so excited to tell one another that we heard a song written for us!!!  haha! Well, it is still the story of our lives! And, it probably will be for a few years to come- which, even on all the hard days, neither of us would change it for anything! :)

As many of you know, Ryan and I invested in a house that was just not right for us.  It was just not the right set up, location, space anything for what our growing family needed.  Not only that, the house seemed to be haunted- not by ghosts, but by bad luck, maybe? In the first year living there, we had to replace the washer, dryer, garbage disposal, the floor in 3 rooms, deal with a ton of water problems, well... I don't need to go on, or into details, you get the point- we had (and seem to have) bad luck with that kind of stuff!
Since we sold it, we have been staying with Jana and Steve- excited to be safe from our 'disasters' of being homeowners! LOL! Well, we have not been as lucky here either, when we were in AZ, somehow their water heater started leaking and needed to be replaced, and now the day after Jana and Steve left for AZ, their dryer seems to be acting up here in MN! At our next house, we simply plan to buy all new appliances- a fresh start for our fresh start and attitudes about home owning! HAHA I love warranties, I love to see that everything is new and will work... for longer then a year or two!

Anyways, as we are definitely in the throws of parenting, career development, potentially becoming homeowners (again), this song just rings true to how Ryan and I are feeling these past few years.  And, just to make it clear, we love it- it is reality!! :) VERY REAL- lol!

 A link to the song/music video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR4Y6Ll0DwA

Happy Friday!!!