Halloween Happiness

Halloween was a great day - nice and warm (70 degrees!) and full of fun.

S loves to carry J around the house. Don't worry, she does so only if she asks and under great supervision! J seems to really like it!

J enjoys the fall leaves for the first time!

Princess S with friends, E the Robot, and I the Cat.

S with her little brother, Tigger.

Birthday #2, the "actual" birthday

Yesterday Sydney celebrated her "actual" birthday, as she learned to call it. The day was a fairly typical Tuesday with her having a morning bath, play time, and ballet lessons. She enjoyed helping me decorate for her dinner party and of course enjoyed getting a new Playmobil toy and some new Lincoln Logs. She asked us to sing Happy Birthday to her several times and she got to blow out the candles on her left over Princess cake from Sunday. Overall she says she had a great day!

Five Years Ago Today....

....we welcomed Sydney into the world!

Happy Birthday, Sydney!

Birthday #1, the kids party

Yesterday we celebrated S's 5th birthday by taking her and some friends to an apple orchard. The party was originally supposed to be on Saturday, but due the rainy weather we moved it to Sunday and what a beautiful day it was! The sun was shining in a gorgeous blue sky and the temperature was perfect, too. We had a nice little tent with picnic tables to set up shop.

After the kids arrived they went to the moonbounce for lots of jumping and to get out some of their energy.

Then we took our own private hay ride to a secluded part of the orchard to pick apples. The orchard worker explained how to properly pick apples to all the children.

After we got back we were all hungry for cake, cider, and cider donuts. Talk about a sugar rush!!

S then enjoyed opening all her great presents.

Then we went to the hedge maze. I think everyone found the middle except for me. Hedge mazes are quite frustrating. You really think you know where you're going and where you've been, but it is very disorienting walking among 8 feet tall bushes.

To wrap things up the kids went crawling through a tunnel maze, got a red balloon, and got to visit the farm animals.

It was a great day and according to Sydney it was her best birthday party ever!!

Happy Birthday Cousin L!

Today is S and J's cousin's first birthday. On Saturday we helped her celebreate in style. She of course loved her first cupcake ever and S enjoyed helping her open all her gifts. Afterward S read a book to little brother, J, and little cousin, L.

First Foods

J has been on a quest to pack on some pounds after weighing in less than he should have at his 4 month check up last month. He's been getting rice cereal in his bottles as well has had the opportunity to try bananas, pears, and apples. So far he loves eating with a spoon. S has, of course, been very curious to try baby food. She doesn't really like rice cereal, but she discovered she really likes pearsauce. She's always trying to see if she can eat J's leftovers, too. (And strangely she has wanted to eat it with a baby spoon after donning one of J's bibs - that would make a good blog picture. I'll see if I can get a snapshot for you next time!)

At the Playground

J is now big enough to sit in the baby swing at the playground. This suits all of us just fine - S loves to push him, I don't have to carry him, and J gets to have fun! Today he sported his new sweater and hat made by our friend, Hilary! Isn't it cute?!

Happy Again!

J is well over his illness now and he hasn't been swimming in his own spit up for a while either. Here's a nice new photo of Happy Baby so you don't have to keep looking at the spit up one or the sick one!

Rolling Over

The drawback of now being able to roll back to tummy, but not quite yet tummy to back, in a baby who is prone to a lot of spit up is evidenced in this photo. The funny thing is that he really did not seemed bothered by the copious amount of spit up stuck to his face! You can't tell in this picture but there are even specks of spit up on his eye lashes. Poor baby!

Sick Baby!

Well, J has his first illness - a bad cold and an ear infection. I guess this was inevitable with big sister going back to school last week. He was so pitiful today, but he did try to smile and coo while we interviewed a potential nanny. It's funny to hear his husky sounding coos and to see him wrinkle up his nose when it's itchy and snotty, but most of all it's just a little sad to see him so sick. We pray he feels better soon and that the medications will work quickly!