Summer is Here

We've been enjoying some of summer's finest things recently.

Lately, it seems like no week is complete without some baking. My friend, Courtney, joined us this week for cupcake cones. They were delicious and so fun to make and decorate!

Her favorite part of baking? Eating the cake batter!

If there is anyone else who loves sweets more than Bridget, it's Courtney!

We can't get enough of the pool, but it's a task I'm not quite ready to conquer on my own with both kids. My high school friend, Sara, was in town this week with her two kids. We attempted the pool with them...2 moms and 4 kids under the age of 3! Bridget and Bella had a ball in the water, while the little guys clung tight to their mommies! You should have seen us with all our stuff-strollers, pool floats, toys, snacks, towels, sunscreen, extra clothes, extra diapers. Whew! The kids lasted about an hour and then we headed back to our house for lunch and playtime.

Seeing Noah gave me a sneak peek as to what's in store for us as Ross starts to become more mobile!

Sometimes the afternoon rain brings slightly cooler evenings, so we head outside whenever we can. Ross hangs out in the background while Bridget burns off the last bits of energy for the day. I love these baby months with Ross, and I don't want to wish them away, but I can't help but think about what it will be like next summer. He'll be walking around, playing, following Bridget and getting into all sorts of 1 year old mischief. I can't wait! The thought of those two running around the driveway together seems so picture perfect!

She loves practicing her shapes. Her rectangles kind of look like triangles, and her squares look like circles...but hey, she's only 2!

The look of concentration

Courtney brought her this bubble gun on Friday and it's perfect. She can do it herself without spilling the bubbles!

And here's Ross in his usual position. He can't wait to break free of the Bumbo and chase after his big sister!

Lunch with Bridget

I knew it was too good to be true...

For the past few weeks Ross had been napping like every mommy hopes. I would put him in his crib, close the door, walk away and hope for the best. And I was getting the best. He might whine or whimper for just a minute, and then it would be silent. I would peek in his room and feel so proud when I saw him sound asleep! Between this and an almost completely potty trained toddler, I was feeling good. Kind of like Super Mommy!

However, I know from experience that most things babies do are short-lived. Whether they're doing something good or bad, they usually only do it for a few weeks at a time before they change things up again. And that brings us to this week. We've been busy this week and not at home as much and I guess that's taken a toll on my perfect little napping baby. I'm back to having to rock him to sleep, which is really not that big of deal. The problem is that while I'm rocking Ross, Bridget is on her own. The possibilities are endless as to what she might be doing. Is she,

A) Destroying something?

B) Getting into something dangerous?

C) Having a potty accident on the couch or carpet?

I worry about these things and I also feel incredibly guilty for leaving her on own for 10 or 15 minutes at a time while I rock Ross to sleep. But really, she is (usually) so good. She has always been good at playing on her own and entertaining herself. She's usually reading books, playing with her kitchen or watching TV. I would love to know how other moms of more than one deal with this issue...hopefully I'm not the only one abandoning their two year old!

So anyway, today was a bad morning. HE WOULD NOT SLEEP. I spent all morning trying to get him down. We rocked, we bounced, we nursed, we cried. It was almost noon before he finally gave in. So to celebrate, Bridget and I had lunch together outside at her picnic table. It was nothing too exciting, but anything that is a break from the norm is always fun for her. And I wanted to be sure that I spent every second with her while he slept. She is so sweet and I love her so much! I know I've said it before, but she's adjusted so well to having a new baby in the house. She is such a big girl now and I can hardly believe how grown up she is!

The usual...PB&J!

She took this chip off my plate and told me it looked like a hair dryer. I can see it!

All good meals end with a cookie!

So happy to see this smiling face when he woke up!

Father's Day Love

We had a great Father's Day visiting with both my parents and Todd's parents. Todd spent his day just as he pleased...eating big meals, sipping a cold beverage or two, watching golf, and loving his two babies. As usual, I didn't pull my camera out enough in between all the fun we had, but I think just these few pictures says it all. They love him and he loves them so very much! He's THE BEST!

Bridget spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa Johnston last night and couldn't wait for us to get there today to give Daddy his big surprise!

Making each other laugh!

A Full Day at Home

Today we woke up with no plans on the agenda and I decided to keep it that way. No errands, no shopping, no play dates. Just a full day at home with my babies. Lucky me!

The kids wake up anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30. Bridget usually wakes up first and announces, "I awake Mommy. It's wake up time. Wake up, wake up!" I get myself ready, change diapers and then head downstairs for my coffee-the important stuff first! We hug and kiss Daddy goodbye and after that the day is all ours.

Bridget has 3 favorite breakfast foods, so every morning she chooses which one she wants. Oatmeal, Cheerios or Waffles? Bridget and I enjoy breakfast together while Ross is already back asleep for his first nap of the day.

Today it was Cheerios!

He's likely to catnap, so after we breakfast we usually have just enough time to get Bridget dressed, brush hair and teeth and make our beds. We start to hear little grunts and groans through the baby monitor...Rossy Boy is up!

Hmmm...which hair bow will we wear today?

Hey Rossy Boy!

After a little playtime in the nursery we head downstairs where I'll feed Ross and Bridget can catch up with her old friend, Dora. We'll entertain Ross until he starts to yawn and rub his eyes and when he sleeps is when all the fun happens. Today it was paint AND play-doh!

Just hanging out while I make lunch

The morning winds down with lunchtime and nap time. Today I hit the jackpot. Both kids were ready for a nap at the same time and nobody fussed or fought it! During that one peaceful hour I got so much done. Phone calls, laundry, a little dinner prep...and maybe just a few minutes of bad daytime TV!

Despite the sweltering heat, Bridget loves to be outside and asks nonstop to go out and play. The driveway is partially shaded in the afternoon, so I can bear it for all of about 15 minutes. She drags every toy out of the garage one by one and then I lure her back inside with some sort of bribe...a popsicle, a movie, a phone call to Daddy.

Late afternoon is when we all start to get a little antsy. Ross will take one more nap and Bridget is likely to start destroying the house at this point. Sneaking into cabinets, climbing the pantry shelves and emptying her dresser drawers are just a few of her favorite afternoon activities. However, some smarty pants over at Nickelodeon obviously realizes this and they put all the best shows on at this time of the day. You know, the shows that turn kids into zombies while they watch. You could say their name 20 times and get no response..."Bridget. Bridget. Bridget. Bridget."

Yep, a little late afternoon TV keeps us all sane!

I try to do a quick power clean before starting dinner. Bridget loves to help me cook, but let me be honest. There is nothing helpful about a 2 year old standing on a chair at the kitchen counter next to knives, raw chicken, a hot stove, glass bowls, or whatever else I might need for dinner. But I let her do it anyway because it makes her day...and that's what this stay-at-home mommy gig is all about!

Chicken Pot Pie!

Once Todd calls to say that he is on his way home, Bridget and Ross take position in the living room to welcome home their daddy!

(Look closely and you'll notice this is the 3rd outfit Ross has had on today...he's a spitter-upper and we have to change his clothes often!)

And that's it...a full day at home. Now I think tomorrow I'll need to get out of the house to run an errand or two:)

Big Sister, Little Brother

Every morning after Ross's morning nap, we head into the nursery to play and get the kids dressed and ready for the day. Today, Bridget asked to hold Ross. That's a request I love to hear! Here is the very funny series of shots I got. I sure do wish I could get more of them both smiling and looking at the camera, but these funny ones might be just as priceless!

4 Months of our Rossy Boy

4 months old today!

Happy 4 month birthday to Ross! I'm sure I say this all the time...but where has the time gone? I can't believe he's 4 months old already. He's our perfect, sweet baby boy and we love him sooooo much! A few of our favorite things about Ross...

His fuzzy little hair that is growing back in after falling out about a month ago.

His big laughs that he gives us when we just barely give him a little tickle.

He's usually mellow and relaxed and we feel so lucky that we can do so much with him...parties, going out to eat, church, library visits. He does it all without much complaining!

His happy jibber-jabber that we hear so often.

His bright, blue eyes just like his big sister.

One of his favorite things to do right now is lay on his playmat and listen to the music, watch the lights and try to reach for all the toys. He could play here forever!

And being cute isn't the only thing he's got going for him. He can roll from tummy to back; he loves grabbing and playing with toys; and is still a very good eater. I'm happy to still be nursing him and I'm excited to start on baby food pretty soon. His 4 month check up is later this week where we'll get all his stats and measurements.

He is still waking once at night to eat, but honestly it doesn't even phase me anymore. It takes no more than 30 minutes and then it's right back to his crib for a few more hours of sleep.

Bridget loves him and we get such a kick out of hearing her call him "Rossy Boy" just like we do. She is very eager to help him do things lately and is never out of his sight for very long. If I'm nursing him in his nursery, she's right there dragging all his toys out. If he's in his walker, she's right behind him pushing him around the house. And if he happens to take an extra long nap (rare, but it does occasionally happen!), she starts asking about him and wondering where he is.

Poor Ross isn't sure if he likes this game!

Letting us all know that SHE is the big girl!

Loving on her baby just like we all do on Rossy Boy!

We're excited to take our first family of four trip next month. Just the four of us swimming and playing in the sand on a beautiful beach not too far from home!

New Things

Some fun new things are going on here! First up, potty training. Still working on it. In fact, she just completed her second potty chart yesterday. Prize #2? A trip to the party store for a balloon of her choice. Once there, it was an easy decision. She went with one of her favorite characters, Pablo, from one of her favorite TV shows, The Backyardigans. She dragged the life-sized Pablo balloon out of the store like it was a dog on a leash! She kept saying, "Come on, Pablo. Let's go!" Now, wouldn't you know as soon we got home with this prize she had 2 potty accidents. We're definitely still in training mode with it all, but I know she's doing her best and is going to be completely diaper free sooner than later!

Look at all those stickers she earned!

She's one proud big girl!

Grandma and Grandpa Johnston gave Bridget some gardening tools in her Easter basket and we just recently got around to planting some seeds. We planted sunflowers and she is already thrilled with the little green sprouts!

Ross got some new things this week too. We pulled Bridget's walker from the attic the other night, wondering if he would like it. Hmmm, what do you think?

Yeah, he loves it! And how could you not love that huge, happy smile? Guess who else loves the walker? Bridget. We've caught her stuck in it several times!

Ross is almost 4 months and with that comes the introduction of solid foods. He'd nurse every 2 hours if I'd let him, so I figured a little rice cereal at dinner time might help fill him up a bit more. Not to mention, that Bridget finally started sleeping through the night soon after we introduced solids to her. Keeping my fingers crossed that Ross will do the same! He wasn't quite sure what to think of it, but he ended up eating most of it. By the second night, he was already gobbling down the whole bowl. What a piggy!

First bite

Classic first food face!

And remember our backyard deer from a few weeks ago. Well, here are its babies! They are so cute and we've been seeing them nearly every afternoon!