The Hampton Five

Happy Hanukkah!

2012-01-12T13:25:00.011-05:00

Judah loves seeing the candles lit for Hanukkah. This year we had him put the candles in the Menorah and help light them (with Dan's help). It's so fun that he is getting old enough to help with these traditions and understand a little bit more about why we do them. He loved learning and singing the Hanukkah song and the dradle song.

Here are a series of pictures of him helping on one of the nights.

Crazy Iz

2012-01-12T13:23:00.002-05:00

Yep, that's a match in her hair. And yes, it was the second time that week she put one in. She also attempted a bobby pin (a very normal thing to put in your hair) and a Christmas tree ornament hook. She is one silly girl. And no worries, we hid the matches.

Happy Anniversary!

2012-01-12T13:18:00.002-05:00

Dan and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary this year! It's crazy to think that in 9 years we have lived in 5 different houses, lived in DC/VA and Boston, had 3 kids, Dan went through med school and graduated residency, Dan started his fellowship and signed a contract with an Ortho group, I graduated from nursing school, and a bunch of other things.

We didn't do anything this year because we had just had Kelila, but we ordered take out from our favorite thai restaurant and had a quiet night.

I love Dan more today than I ever thought possible. He is an amazing man, husband, and father. I am so blessed to be married to such a good looking guy too.

Happy Anniversary Trix!

Christmas Lights

2012-01-12T12:19:00.014-05:00

There is a house close by that goes completely crazy with lights and those big plastic light up toy soldiers/snowmen/disney characters (you know the ones I mean...think tacky). They even had santa there for the kiddos to see as well as hot chocolate and cookies. And they do it all for free! So, even though it was in the low 20's and Kelila was only a couple of weeks old, we decided to bundle everyone up and head out. Izzy and Judah were really excited to see Santa, until Iz had to sit on his lap. Then Iz started crying. We decided not to get a picture of Santa with Kelila because it was so cold.

Checking out the lights...

Izzy loved pointing at all the lights

I love this picture

Excited to see santa (we wanted to get a picture with Dan's phone since it has a flash, but his phone died literally as they were next up)...

And let the tears from Iz begin...

The kiddos during December

2012-01-10T12:39:00.021-05:00

Here are some of the pictures of the kiddos during December. We have some cute kids. They are always entertaining!

Spaghetti time!

This one cracks me up. Classic Izzy

"Nap time". Judah likes to tell everyone to close their eyes and go to sleep. Then he makes a rooster sound and says its time to wake up. He does this over...and over...and over again. It is kind of cute though.

Breakfast at the "big boy table" as Judah calls it. I'm not sure why he thinks the kids table is the big boy table and not the actual table, but whatever makes him happy...

Yep, he still loves his cars

Practicing their "doctor" skills

Bonding with Kelila

Having fun with Daddy's phone

Showing off their new jackets that they got from Grandma Hampton for Hanukkah.

Some Izzy cuteness

Judah had a lunch date with Daddy

Kelila is 2 weeks old!

2012-01-10T12:35:00.005-05:00

Everything looks great. She had a little bit of a cold, but nothing significant. Here are the numbers:

Weight: 10 lbs 4.4 oz
height: 21.75 in

Keep it up Kelila! I decided to take out the big bows too and here are some pictures of Kelila at 2 weeks with one of them.

Great things Judah says and does

2012-01-10T12:29:00.006-05:00

Here are a couple of great moments I don't want to forget hearing...

The conversation I heard while sitting downstairs with Kelila:
Judah: 1, 2, 3. Time out!
Dan: Judah you don't give time outs to daddy.
j: why daddy?
D: because that's not how it works.

When explaining Santa coming on Christmas eve after we've all gone to bed Judah said he wanted to take out the bed in our sofa sleeper so Santa could get some sleep. Judah has such a sweet heart and spirit!!

Dan and I are big on teaching accurate names for anatomy and explaining in an age appropriate way when he asks questions. It was pretty funny when I went in for the parent/teacher conference and one of the first questions she asked me was "have you guys been talking about nipples at home?". Apparently Judah has been talking about them and at least one other kid has gone home and told his parents that he has nipples. Haha!

He loves to hold Kelila! And he is always looking out for his sisters. They are so blessed to have him as a big brother.

Park time!

2012-01-10T12:26:00.005-05:00

Kelila had her first trip to the park when she was 11 days old. It was cold out, but it wasn't horrible so we bundled the kiddos up and headed out. It is always a good thing to get Izzy and Judah out of the house to burn off some energy. :)

Date with Judah

2012-01-10T12:24:00.002-05:00

I love my dates with Judah!! We went to breakfast at one of my favorite places, Sugar. Daddy got to spend some time with Izzy and 10 day old Kelila while we went out. I love my little dude!

Newborn pictures of Kelila

2012-01-10T11:21:00.024-05:00

We decided to get newborn pictures of Kelila. We have always wanted to do them with the other kids but never got around to it for one reason or another. Our friend Hope Mabry took these and they are awesome! Kelila was 9 days old when we took these. It is crazy how much work it took to get Kelila asleep (not to mention stay asleep). Hope came completely prepared with the space heater, heating pad, lots of blankets, carpet cleaner to spray after Kelila had her pee and poop incidents, not to mention all the stuff needed for the actual picture taking.

There are a ton of pictures, and there are usually a black and white and color of the same picture, but I couldn't decide which ones to post....

Look at those cheeks! And I love the curled toes!!

Love all the wrinkles!

Haha! It's funny because it's true...

I know this is the "classic" newborn pose, but I love it!!

The first week

2012-01-10T11:06:00.008-05:00

Dan made my transition back home with 3 kids really easy. He has been amazing with doing things around the house and helping with all the kids. This truly has been the easiest adjustment to adding an additional child. It's not really "easy" but definitely easier with my amazing husband around!

Here are some pictures of Kelila during the first week

Check out those cheeks!

I love it when babies smile in their sleep!!

Baby yaws are awesome!

sleeping baby

daddy with his girls

Kelila is one week old!

First Bath at home for Kelila

2012-01-05T11:32:00.016-05:00

Judah loves to help with things. He gets so excited when we ask him to do things and usually replies something along the lines of "um, sure mama". So, he jumped at the chance to be on the step stool and help give Kelila her first bath at home. Although, I think he preferred to watch instead of actually do anything. That's ok, it's the thought that counts.

Kisses before we start...

Getting ready. On a side note, pictures of me from behind are never a good idea. Uggg...definitely time to lose that weight!

Judah helping (and yes, those are knives right next to her)

Iz waiting for her turn to get on the step stool and help

Iz "helping"

staying warm during the sponge bath

The post bath/towel shot that every kid has

This is the outfit that Izzy went home from the hospital in. It didn't fit either of them...

Ruffle Butt!!!

First well visit checkup for Kelila

2012-01-05T11:30:00.002-05:00

When Kelila left the hospital, they had her weight as 9 lbs 2 oz. It's normal to loose weight, in fact every newborn should in the first day or two.

She had her first check up 3 days later and everything looked great. Here were her stats:

weight: 9 lb 10.8 oz
height: 21.25 in

I think they may have weighed her wrong at the hospital that last day because a weight gain of 8 oz. in 3 days is quite a jump, but if they were both correct, way to go Kelila!!

Hat like Andy

2012-01-05T11:29:00.006-05:00

Judah wears his hat everywhere. It's pretty cute.

Izzy likes to steal his hat. She had just taken it and ran away when we took this picture. Renegade Izzy...

Going home

2012-01-05T10:51:00.019-05:00

My stay in the hospital was pretty uneventful. I had great nurses (until the last day-Oh Nurse Anne, you and I did not get along) and I loved that I called in my order for food whenever I was hungry. They were really good at working with my dairy free diet too. It was pretty funny because word got out that I was a NICU nurse and the rumors started going around that I was from San Fransisco (I think this is because I had mentioned that we were originally from CA and had lived in San Diego) and that I worked in the NICU at the hospital we were at. Hah! Good times...

The outfit. Who would have thought that finding a gender neutral outfit that wasn't yellow with ducks would be so difficult.

Kelila and I

In the car seat for the first time

Iz gave Kelila a hug without being prompted. It was so sweet!

Iz helping to rock Kelila

As soon as we left the hospital, we went to pick Judah up from school and then we went home. We bought Iz and Judah gifts and said they were from Kelila and that she said she wanted to let them know they were special and loved. Judah totally called us out on that because he knew that Kelila couldn't talk yet and he told us that fact. So, we said he was correct and we bought them so that they knew they were special. Oh Judah...

Iz with her new baby doll

Iz got mad about something and then threw the baby doll. Hmmm...mental note made

Judah's new "hat like Andy". He LOVES it!!

Judah wanted to hold her...

Kelila in the bouncer for the first time

Some bonding time with daddy

Judah and Izzy meet Kelila

2012-01-05T09:44:00.010-05:00

Dan brought the kiddos in to meet their new sister after their nap the day after Kelila was born. They were both so sweet with her, wanting to hug and kiss her!

It was definitely chaotic though! I know the Judah and Iz were just excited to be in a new place, but they were touching everything and being their normal loud and crazy selves. It was really overwhelming for me, probably because I had just had a baby the day before, and I absolutely had a "moment" after they left where I started crying and wondering how on earth I was going to handle all three of them! But, it was great to see them and let them meet the "baby" that we have been talking about for months.

Judah kissing Kelila...so sweet!

All the kiddos...well trying to get all the kiddos

The girls

Iz giving some hugs to Kelila

Our first "family of five" picture. Judah did NOT want to have his picture taken.

While mommy is away....

2012-01-05T09:42:00.001-05:00

The dinners that were delivered came with some dry ice. Dan decided to do a science experiment with the kiddos while I was in the hospital with Kelila. They loved it!

Just hanging out at the hospital...

2012-01-05T09:37:00.008-05:00

Here are some random pictures I took while hanging out at the hospital. Dan was home with the kiddos so I had a lot of time to just hang out with Kelila.

Kelila Grace

2012-01-03T11:12:00.015-05:00

Kelila Grace made her entrance into the world on November 30th at 1:52pm. She weighed 9 lb 12.2 oz and was 21 inches long. Here's the story...

This little one was due on November 21st. I thought for sure she would come on time, if not early...and certainly not more late than Izzy or Judah. Neither of the other kids made it to their induction date, so I definitely didn't think this one would. I mean, really, why would my third kid "cook" the longest?

Dan's parents came into town on the 23rd so I was glad that I hadn't had her before then. But, I was hoping that she would be born by the 25th so we would have someone here with the kids while we stayed in the hospital. Well, that day came and went and the Hampton's were supposed to leave on Monday the 28th. Since I still hadn't had the baby, I was scheduled for a biophysical on that Monday, another doctor's appointment Tuesday, and the induction Wednesday morning. Susan stayed until Tuesday morning to help out while I had my appointment on Monday which was really helpful. On Tuesday after I dropped her off at the airport I made some arrangements with our friends, the Mabry's, to watch the kiddos for us while we went in on Wednesday.

Wednesday morning I was really excited to meet this little boy or girl (I was convinced it was a boy) and also really nervous about the induction. We dropped the kiddos off at the Mabry's house around 6am and headed over to the hospital. We got all checked in and then the induction process began.

Pitocin was started at 8:30 and the contractions started within 5 minutes. Crazy! At about 9:20 I was 3 cm and the doctor broke my water. By about 10:45 I decided I had experienced enough of the painful contractions and I got the epidural. At 1:50 the doc had me start pushing. I literally pushed through 3 contractions and she was born at 1:52pm. They placed her on me right away and Dan got to announce that it was a girl! I got so teary eyed because everything with the induction went completely fine, there were no complications, and we had another girl!! I mean, I never thought I would have one girl, let alone two!! I was also really excited that we were able to use the name we picked out for a girl.

I had a lot of bonding time with Kelila right after she was born and then they took her to do all the measurements. I didn't think she was as big as Izzy. I guessed she was around 9 pounds. So, when they put her on the scale and she was actually 2 ounces heavier than Iz I started cracking up.

A lot of people have asked how we came up with the name and how you pronounce it. Kelila is pronounced Ka-lee-lah. It is a Hebrew word from the book of Lamentations that means "perfect, utterly". We were trying to come up with middle names and I loved the sound of Kelila Grace and I LOVED that together it would mean perfect grace.

We are truly blessed. We have another healthy child. We had amazing friends watch our other kids while we had Kelila. We have had a bunch of meals brought to us from the women in our small group, not to mention the huge amount of frozen meals delivered from Stacey and Jessica. Wow...just wow.

Daddy holding his little girl for the first time

Kelila with her mommy

Thoughts during this pregnancy

2011-11-27T21:41:00.004-05:00

So, I am sitting here, feeling accomplished because I actually got to achieve my goal of catching up on the blog before this kiddo came. Little did I know it would be because this baby has decided to not come yet (he/she is now 6 days late- almost 7). Maybe the baby was just waiting for me to finish. Here are some of my thoughts...

What a whirlwind of a pregnancy. I feel like it has flown by and taken forever at the same time. We were surprised to find out we were pregnant again, but we have been so excited since the moment we knew. It definitely made things more challenging with our move to Boston, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

These last few weeks have been really challenging though. I have been super tired and uncomfortable and I thought this kiddo was for sure coming early. I kept having little runs of contractions here and there up until the Saturday before he/she was due. Since then....nothing. And I do mean nothing. I think I've had one contraction in over a week.

I am so anxious to meet this little one and know if it is a boy or a girl. I can't wait to see how the dynamic of our family changes (hopefully for the better) and begin to see the personality of this new little one. I'm also excited to see how Judah and Izzy respond to the baby. I know Judah is excited but I'm not sure that excitement will stay long once he realizes how much time I have to spend with the baby. I'm a little worried about Iz. She does not do well when I am around other babies at all. I am trying to come up with ways to make sure she knows she is still special and that she is loved just as much, if not more. We will see.

Dan has been so supportive of me during this pregnancy. I am truly blessed by him everyday. Not only does he handle my bad moods, but he works so hard and then comes home and tries to help me out as much as he can. Every morning, even the days he has off, he goes downstairs early with Judah to have breakfast together and I get to sleep in a little more. He never complains about it either. That is amazing to me. I get mad if Judah wakes me up early, I can't even imagine what things would look like if I had to go downstairs with him too. Like I said, I'm truly blessed. He is such a great dad and the kids love him so much.

When I think of having 3 kids I get completely overwhelmed. How do people do this? How do I manage all 3 without the support of everyone we know in DC? I'm not even the best mom that I can be to the two I have. How do I try to be an even better mom to all three? I have definitely been super emotional about all of this. It kind of makes me feel isolated and alone. I know I'm not, that I have a few people here, but it's different. And again, Dan has been so supportive of my feelings on this. He has never told me to get over it or figure out how to handle it. He just lets me have my moments.

I have been blown away by the thoughtfulness of our friends back in DC. Between the phone calls and texts to keep in touch to the amazing care packages, cupcakes, a book that has letters from everyone saying goodbye, gift cards, and dinner packages being delivered, I am at a loss of words. I get so emotional just thinking about it. It is so hard to keep up with people once they leave and the fact that so many of our friends are still trying is amazing to me.

I am blown away that I get to be the mom to Judah and Izzy. They are two of the sweetest and funniest kids. I can't get enough of them. Well, I do get rather annoyed with them a lot of the time, but I think a lot of that has to do with being pregnant and stressed. I am trying to take time to enjoy them more and more each day. Sometimes I'm good at it, sometimes not so much. Irregardless, my love for them is endless. I would do anything for them. Their smiles and giggles are infectious and seeing them grow up and start to play more together is amazing to watch. I can't believe God decided to bless me with them. I'm not sure why He thinks I can handle two energetic and loud kiddos like them, but I'm so glad He does.

I know that with God I can do all things. But, that is hard to remember when you are going through the craziness of it all.

So, there you go. Some of my thoughts. Here's hoping this little one makes it's entrance soon because I can't wait to put a face and name to the little person who has been kicking the heck out of me these past few months.

Finding our Christmas tree

2011-11-27T20:32:00.026-05:00

We went to a Christmas tree farm that was about 20 minutes away to get our Christmas tree. It was so fun getting to continue the tradition (even though it meant that we still hadn't had baby number 3). Dan's parents were out so they went with us too.

We typically name our Christmas tree and this year we asked Judah what it should be. He decided it should be called "Christmas" but we are calling it Chris for short.

The next day we put on the lights and the kiddos helped us decorate Chris. We have already had one ornament casualty but overall not bad.

Walking to where the trees are

There was a sign that said almost there with a little santa that the kids loved.

Judah picking out a tree

Not sure why I like this picture of Izzy's hair, but I do.

The tree we all decided on

Decorating the tree the next day (not sure why, but Judah wouldn't take off his sunglasses)

The star Izzy put on

More decorating

Taking a break to hang out with "ghangsta Iz"

Not sure what Judah did to make her cry, but I think it is a funny picture

Trying to get a few pictures of the kiddos in front of the decorated tree.

Date night with hubby and a cute moment with Judah

2011-11-27T20:31:00.001-05:00

Dan's parents came out on the 23rd and since the kiddo hadn't come yet, Dan and I got to go on a date night. We went to dinner at a new restaurant and then went to see a movie (we saw the Hoover movie and I wouldn't recommend it). It is so nice to have date nights with my hubby!

Before we left I was talking to Judah about the fact that we don't know when the baby will come and it may be in the middle of the night. I said that if that happened we would wake him up and let him know and it would be grandpa and grandma who were there in the morning. I guess I didn't explain well enough that the baby may not be coming that night because when we got home from our date night, we accidentally woke Judah up with our laughing. He came downstairs saying "baby coming?" with a big smile on his face. We said no and we were sorry for waking him up. He immediately started to cry and said "baby's not coming". My heart melted! He is so sweet. He was so excited and I felt so bad that I couldn't make it happen for him. It blows me away sometimes when I think of Judah's sweet spirit. He is so kind and gentle. I love that kid something fierce!!

my hubby loves me

2011-11-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

Dan came home early on Friday the 18th and we went to get some coffee. On the way home the groupon of the day came up on my email. It was for 3 housekeeping sessions for super cheap. I told Dan I wanted that for my "push present" not thinking he would actually do it. But, we came home and he went to the computer and got it!! And then, to top it off, he let me have the afternoon off to go see Breaking Dawn part one and get a mani/pedi. It was an awesome day.

I am so beyond blessed by this man I get to call my husband. He has been so supportive of me and helpful during this pregnancy. I don't know what I would do without him.

Feeling Special

2011-11-27T20:25:00.002-05:00

Stacey and Jessica from DC completely blessed me the other day. I received an email card from them that said they had arranged for a bunch of dairy free meals and meals for the kids to be delivered on Dec. 1st. Wow. To know that they wanted to do something special and came up with a way to bless us so tremendously is amazing. I was so touched (and yes, I cried...shocker) by them. I am honored to call them friends.

a mama shower

2011-11-27T20:22:00.002-05:00

I joined a women's small group this year. It has been great getting to know a bunch of women from our new church.

The day I had a complete meltdown at Costco, they actually surprised me with a "mama shower". They made a chicken pot pie (without the peas since I don't like them!) and homemade pumpkin cupcakes. They even showered me with a bunch of things for me, like a scarf, gloves, gift certificate for a pedicure, gift card to sephora...

I am so blessed to have women who want to invest in my life, even though we have only known each other for a few months. There are a couple of them who have even been "on call" in case we went into labor.

So grateful...

frantic moments

2011-11-27T20:19:00.003-05:00

There have been a few moments where I become overwhelmed by the fact that we are going to have 3 kids aged 3 1/2 and younger. Here is a post I put on facebook about one of those moments while inside of costco.

Why yes, I did just have a mini melt down inside of Costco. Between the kiddos pushing each other, izzy spilling hot chocolate everywhere- including all over judah, the realization that at some point I'm going to have to do everything with 3 kids, thinking of everything i still need to do before this kid comes, and the cost of this Costco trip (stocking up on everything we would need so I don't have to go back for at least a month after #3 is born), I totally started crying. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. They are right...I am.

I just have to keep thinking to myself: I know I can do this with God, I know I can do this with God...

Some randomness in November

2011-11-27T20:15:00.006-05:00

Trying out the new ergo with Izzy

Judah enjoying another special treat in the car

The crazy Iz

Family movie night

Headed back to DC

2011-11-27T16:51:00.003-05:00

After a long few months with interviews and lots of conversations...We have come to the long awaited decision. We are going back to DC/VA in August for Dan's job. The contract has been signed and mailed and the licensing process has begun.

Sorry guys, you thought you got rid of us. :)

Early Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T16:44:00.002-05:00

I decided to go dairy free a couple of weeks before this baby is due so that we don't have any of the issues with the dairy/colic in the is baby that Izzy and Judah had. So, I made Thanksgiving dinner the first weekend of November this year. I mean, what is thanksgiving dinner without a lot of butter? I made turkey, homemade stuffing (or I guess you could call it dressing since I don't actually put it in the turkey), homemade cranberry sauce, two different kinds of green beans, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Can you say YUM! And, there aren't many things better than leftover turkey sandwiches. The only thing missing were having some friends over to enjoy it with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween!

2011-11-27T16:29:00.012-05:00

I made capes for all of us for Halloween this year (thank you Cummins for the link to the cape that you made last year!) so we could go as a family of superheros. Each of us has our first name initial on the cape too. Not as creative as our costumes last year, but hey, I'm super prego and have a broken foot. Judah goes around saying "superhero Judah" while he runs with his arms out.

We didn't get as many trick or treaters as I would have liked so we had a lot of leftover loot, but it worked out fine since we didn't go trick or treating ourselves for that long.

Trying to get a family shot. (this is one of the few prego pictures we have of baby number 3-poor kid.)

Trying to get a shot of their letters

Love the snow for our halloween pictures

Trying to steal candy from Judah's pumpkin

Going trick or treating

Some blurry pictures of trick or treating

Fall festival at our church

2011-11-27T16:22:00.006-05:00

Our church put on it's second annual fall festival. There were moon bounces, games, lots of candy and snacks, pictures, cookie decorating, and costume contests (the winner was a kid who was a washing machine! I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was so creative and cute!). We didn't stay too long because we wanted the kiddos to get to bed, but it was great seeing so many people there.

The family of superhero's walking into the fall festival.

Judah getting his face painted

Izzy waiting to get her face painted like her big brother

She sat down, and then immediately started crying. I guess it wasn't what she was expecting. So, no face painting for the Iz.

Playing one of the games

Decorating a cookie

Snow...before Halloween

2011-11-27T16:18:00.003-05:00

We had a couple of days with snow in OCTOBER this year. Crazy! These pictures were of the first light snow we had. Then we had one later that week that produced a little more. Kind of crazy. But, I do love snow!

Uncle David and Aunt Kiki visit

2011-11-27T16:12:00.004-05:00

David and Kristen came out for a quick visit which was awesome! It was great seeing them and the kids were SUPER excited. We went out for breakfast at one of our favorite places, made a birthday cake to celebrate Dan, David, and Kristen's birthday (which again, Judah was really excited about), and had lots of playtime. I'm sure they left more tired than they came. Kristen helped me work on the capes for the kids and they had a great time wearing them while flying with Uncle David. I wish we lived close again so the kids could see them more often. Judah and Iz love having them around, and so do we.

Flying!!

Because standing IN the toy box makes playing so much more fun

We took a walk after breakfast at Sugar and Izzy loved, and I do mean loved, hanging from this railing. She just hung and kept lifting her legs up and down. This kid has some serious abdominal and arm strength!

The Lantern Festival

2011-11-27T15:57:00.010-05:00

Every year there is a lantern festival at the Jamaica Plain Pond. We decided to head out and see what it was all about. There is music and food and most people dress up in their halloween costumes (we did not since I wasn't finished making them). There are a bunch of lanterns that people make that you can purchase, or make your own. Then everyone walks around the pond and you can see the entire thing surrounded by little lanterns. It was fun. Judah loved picking his out and carrying it around.

Picking out the lantern

Showing us his lantern- he really was happy about it.

Carrying his lantern

The closest one is Judah holding his lantern

Trying to get a shot of what it looked like around the pond with everyone's lanterns

Dan and the kiddos

Our family picture. I think it is awesome that the rest of them are all in jackets and I'm in a short sleeved shirt.

Happy Birthday daddy!

2011-11-27T15:42:00.009-05:00

Dan asked for an ice cream cake for his birthday this year (and a yummy dinner of dry aged rib eye steak with garlic and blue cheese creamed spinach). Judah was super excited to go and pick the cake up and to help decorate it. He couldn't stop talking about it. It's a good thing it wasn't a surprise because it would have been ruined for sure. Judah is definitely at the age where I have to be careful of the things I say around him. He repeats everything and doesn't understand what needs to be kept a secret yet. It is fun to see him get so excited about things though. He practiced singing happy birthday to daddy for days. So precious!!

Judah helping to put candles on the cake after he and Izzy decorated it.

The finished cake

Izzy isn't quite sure what to make of all the candles and she wasn't too happy that I pushed her away from the table when we lit them.

Judah with his daddy

Running errands with mommy

2011-11-27T15:40:00.003-05:00

Iz and I run a lot of our errands while Judah is in school. It probably isn't the most fun for her, but she doesn't seem to mind too much. Things are so much easier with one less kiddo to tow around!

The grocery store

Hanging out at the car dealership while the Honda had something fixed

Izzy is 18 months old

2011-11-27T15:30:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that Izzy is already a year and a half old! Here are her stats:

weight: 25 lbs
height: 33.25 in

She is average for her weight and tall for her age. She is sassy and sweet at the same time and man can she throw a serious tantrum. She has the most infectious smile and her laugh is contagious. Izzy has absolutely no fear which makes me think she will make a trip to the ER at some point in our future. She loves to give hugs and kisses too. Iz is "stealth". She is really good at sneaking around you to steal something or get into something she shouldn't. You never see her actually steal the object until she is running away and you never see her start to get into whatever you don't want her to until it is too late. And, Iz absolutely adores her big brother. It is so sweet to see the relationship between them grow.

I love this girl so much!

Picking apples and pumpkins

2011-11-26T22:31:00.032-05:00

We took the kids to pick apples (and pears) and pumpkins at an orchard nearby. It was so much fun! It was the first time we have ever done it and we will definitely do it again. Judah had fun picking the fruit from the tree while Izzy preferred to pick up the fruit that had fallen on the ground. There was a kids area we took them to after we picked our fruit and Judah had a great time, Izzy kind of did. She gets so mad when she can't do something that her big brother can, like the moon bounce. There was a train that you had to take to the orchard area and Judah thought that was great!! All in all, a great day and lots of pictures...

Judah wanted woody to enjoy the drive to the apple farm too

My handsome hubby and our two kiddos

The train

Riding the train to the orchards

A lot of pictures of the kiddos walking the orchard and picking their apples and pears

Izzy LOVED riding the tractor with Judah.

Judah on the caterpillar ride, which he did not like...

Climbing the wall

The Judah Man with the pumpkin he picked out

Rainy afternoon

2011-11-26T22:28:00.001-05:00

Since it was a rainy afternoon, I decided to have some craft time with Judah after his nap. We decided to make a rocket. He loved putting the pieces together and flying it around everywhere! Craft afternoon was a success!!

Judah's special treat and the park

2011-11-26T22:22:00.008-05:00

I went to starbucks to get a drink for myself to enjoy while at the park with the kiddos on a crisp October morning. Judah asked for a hot chocolate so I went ahead and gave him a special treat. He loved it! He kept saying "mmm, so good mommy. So, so good". Izzy had some of my special pumpkin scone so she was happy too.

Oh Izzy

2011-11-26T22:19:00.002-05:00

This little turkey gets into all kinds of trouble if you leave her alone while she's awake. This particular morning she had taken off her pants and socks. I'm lucky I went in to get her before the diaper came off. Her latest trick is to climb out of her crib. It is pretty amazing - she hoists herself over the side of the crib and then hangs on the outside for a second before she lets go so that she doesn't fall and hurt herself. She is too much!

Love from the DC/VA mamas

2011-11-26T22:15:00.005-05:00

I received a package and was blown away by what was inside. My favorite cupcakes shipped from DC to me! The DC/VA mamas wanted to send me something to let me know I was being thought of and that they missed me! They also gave me a gift card to Babies R Us which I used to buy the Ergo I've been wanting. I am so blessed by these ladies. Wow. Sometimes there aren't enough words to explain...

Cuteness

2011-11-26T22:14:00.003-05:00

Judah has been holding Izzy's hand when we walk from the car to the front door. I love it! He is such a good big brother.

Indoor Playground

2011-11-26T22:09:00.004-05:00

They have a great indoor playground here. I took the kids for the first time and they loved it! We will definitely be frequenting the playground during the cold months.

Football season

2011-11-26T22:03:00.006-05:00

Dan taught the kiddos to say "Go Chargers!" and yell "touchdown". Here is a picture of Izzy attempting to say touchdown while pointing.

Judah and Izzy taking turns wearing Judah's "football shoes". He thinks he has to put on his slippers whenever he wants to play football now. It's pretty cute.

Because being pregnant isn't challenging enough...

2011-11-26T21:39:00.003-05:00

So, we were starting to have some cooler days so I decided to take out all the jackets and sweaters and bring them downstairs. I was trying to be "resourceful" and take as many jackets down at one time as I could. Little did I know that Izzy had moved her water bottle to the stairs. Since I couldn't see where I was walking due to all the jackets, I stepped right on her sippy cup and went down a couple of stairs. Who would have thought that falling down a couple of steps could cause so much damage...

I'm not entirely sure how I fell/landed but I ended up on the ground with my legs in front of me. I don't think I got up from that spot for 30 minutes, not because of shock, but because my left foot hurt so bad (one of the toes on my right foot didn't feel so great either). Dan was at work so it was just the kiddos and I. Judah was so sweet and such a big helper. He heard me crying, that's right- I'm not ashamed to admit it, and he came down the stairs to see what had happened. I asked him to go up to his room and get my phone and he did it without asking why or procrastinating. Then I had him go up the stairs and help Izzy down. He held her hand and slowly walked her down. If I wasn't in so much pain, I would have been taking pictures of the sweetness.

I called Dan to see when he was coming home and he still had another case to do. So, I eventually got off the floor and crawled up the stairs to get the kiddos pj's and then I went down the stairs sitting down. I think the kiddos ate english muffins and popcorn for dinner because I couldn't stand up long enough to do anything else. They got to watch a movie and stay up late (they thought this was great!) while I laid on the couch with my swollen and bruised feet propped up. Dan came home and looked at my foot and said it looked like it could be broken. We decided that I would try and go in the next day for an xray to find out for sure.

So, Friday morning I had a meeting with our new pediatrician that I couldn't miss. I put both the kids in the stroller and used that as my "crutch" to hobble to and from the appointment. Then I went and had my foot xrayed. Within minutes Dan and his attending doc looked at result, and sure enough, I broke my foot. Apparently they initially thought that putting a cast on and giving me crutches was the best option for this kind of break. I laughed out loud when Dan said that. Um, right...a 7 month pregnant lady with two small kids to take care of and you want me to use crutches. Haha!! They had already realized that and had decided to make me wear a fracture boot. One of the perks of being married to an ortho surgeon is that his attending was able to write a prescription for the boot on the spot, and then he called up to the department and told them I was coming for it. I didn't have to wait at all! Thank goodness because I had those two crazy kiddos with me!

I was so thankful for the quickness of the whole process and I was really grateful that it was my left foot that was broken and not my right which meant I could still drive.

A picture of the broken toe on my right foot.

The fracture boot

Enjoying September Weather in Boston

2011-11-26T21:32:00.008-05:00

It is so nice having a "backyard" where the kiddos can run around. We still need to be out there because it isn't fenced in, but the kids love it.

Another day, more play

Playin' around

2011-11-26T21:23:00.005-05:00

Bath time!

2011-11-26T21:19:00.002-05:00

It's so funny to see how different the skin coloring is on our kiddos. But, they are super cute and they love the bath!

A care package from DC

2011-11-26T21:17:00.002-05:00

I received a little care package from the Family Ministry team and it made my day! It was so sweet of them and it meant a lot to know that they were thinking of me too.

Judah's first day of school

2011-11-26T21:07:00.003-05:00

Judah started his first day of school in Boston on September 6th!

I started the search for Judah's school a little late and was very limited in my choices. We were really fortunate to find a Montessori school that we like and thought would be a good fit for Judah. The first week was a tough transition for him and I was a little worried that we had made a wrong decision, but after MANY conversations with the director and teachers as well as some more time, things became much better. Judah LOVES school and I am 100% confident that we made the right choice for him. He asks to go back to school every day when I pick him up.

We started out sending him Monday-Thursday from 8:30-11:30 but he was the only one getting picked up early and he was having a meltdown everyday. So, now he goes Monday-Friday from 8:30-1. He gets to eat lunch with all his buddies and I love that they have taught them how to "set up" their lunch spaces with a place mat and setting out their food and then they clean up their spots too. Complete with wiping the table and sweeping the floor. So, my question is...when does he start doing that at home? He actually does love to help around the house.

Cape Cod

2011-11-26T20:56:00.011-05:00

We went to a beach in Cape Cod for Labor Day. There are a bazillion different beaches to choose from but we picked the closest one so we could get home and deal with less traffic. It was a little too rocky for my taste, but Judah loved being able to throw the rocks in the water. It was great getting to a beach one last time for the summer though.

skateboarding with daddy

2011-11-26T20:40:00.015-05:00

The kids love to skateboard with daddy. Nothing like some fun in the parking lot. :)

Judah playing with his "special toy" after riding the skateboard with daddy

Iz hiding in the bush

Playing on the little hill

Izzy loves to eat

2011-11-26T20:38:00.001-05:00

It's so funny watching Iz eat. She shovels the food into her mouth like she's never had food before. Here is the aftermath of some pasta...

Judah's not quite sure what to make of Izzy's way of eating

Splash parks

2011-11-26T20:30:00.008-05:00

One of the best ways to beat the heat during the summer when you don't have access to free pools or the beach is to go to splash parks. It's so funny to watch the kiddos different personalities at places like this. Izzy runs right for the water or whatever catches her eye. Judah stands back and watches for a while before he plays in the water...which is usually just before we need to leave. Either way, they both love them.

Another day at the park...

Passing time in August...

2011-11-26T20:24:00.005-05:00

Breakfast date with the kiddos

Yay for dessert dates

Mmm.. more donuts on another day

Izzy sporting her new necklace and bracelet

Some hugs

Happy birthday to me!

2011-11-24T17:21:00.003-05:00

My mom was here for my birthday but she ended up getting sick. However, Dan and I were able to get out for the night to grab some dinner. Since my mom wasn't feeling well, I made my birthday cake. It was pretty good if I do say so myself. Welcome to the 30's!!

The franklin zoo

2011-11-24T17:10:00.009-05:00

My mom took us to the zoo while she was here. The kids loved seeing all the animals. They had a carousal too and Izzy had a total meltdown when we made her get off.

Judah riding a horse.

In the petting zoo area. Izzy loved going up to the goat, but did not want to touch it. Judah had no problem petting the goat.

Taking a break in the stroller

Some of the animals

spending time at the park

2011-11-24T17:04:00.005-05:00

We have a great little playground for our townhouse community and it is about a block away from our place. And, there are a bunch of parks all around which is great to give some variety. There have been some beautiful evenings that we have spent at a park. Love it!

The park by our house

Welcome to Boston...

2011-11-24T17:02:00.001-05:00

Dan's bike was previously locked up here. Now, its just the lock. And, the lovely people actually left the cutters they used to break the lock too. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Ice cream in Boston

2011-11-24T13:44:00.007-05:00

To help "get adjusted" to Boston we have been having a lot of ice cream. Ok, so I have had an ice cream addiction for quite some time now and really, I just needed my fix...over and over and over...

Trying out a new ice cream shop that started in the area but now has a couple of stores. Wasn't bad...

Having some homemade ice cream that we made in our brand new ice cream machine. How did I survive without this before?! Judah even helped me make it. I think they liked it too.

Lots of visitors and getting settled

2011-11-24T13:40:00.000-05:00

We have had lots of visitors staying with us to help with the move. My dad came out before we moved and stayed for a couple of days while we were in Boston. The day he left, Dan's mom came into town for a little over a week. Then my mom came out for about a week and a half over my birthday. It was great having all of them visit, and it helped delay the reality of being away from everyone we know for a while. I'm so grateful for all their help with the move!

Headed to Boston...

2011-11-24T13:29:00.006-05:00

To make the flight to Boston fun for Judah I bought him a new backpack to take on the plane. He was SO excited. He didn't know that I was going to put a bunch of new cars and books in the bag for the flight too. This turned out to be a good thing...

Stacey took the kiddos and I to the airport on Tuesday. Unfortunately, our plane was delayed because of weather in Boston. It wasn't too bad when we were in the terminal because the kids could walk around and Judah was excited about all his new things. But, we were stuck in the airplane for over an hour and that is when the kids started going a little crazy. We eventually took off but poor Judah got really nauseous as we started to descend. He kept saying he was going to throw up and he was crying. I felt so bad for the little guy! He kept everything down, thank goodness, but I think he may be a little traumatized because whenever we talk about going on a plane he talks about getting sick. Welcome to Boston!!

Judah's new backpack

Judah passing the time of our delayed flight by playing with some of his new cars

Judah didn't want his picture taken...

Iz on her first airplane

Food Poisoning

2011-11-23T18:09:00.001-05:00

We decided to hang around DC over the weekend so we could go to the wedding of Evan and Betsy on Saturday night. Evan went through med school and residency with Dan and Betsy and I were good friends who helped get each other through the process. It was a beautiful wedding and we are so glad that we went to celebrate with them! However, the little party favor we took home was food poisoning.

Sunday morning I woke up and ran straight to the bathroom. Lets just say, it wasn't a pleasant moment and it just went downhill from there. Dan went to pick up the truck since we were packing up that day and when he got home he said he wasn't feeling that good either. I definitely got the worst of it, but apparently everything GI related is worse when you are pregnant. Dan was such a trooper trying to get things on the truck but he eventually just couldn't do it anymore.

I don't know what we would have done if it wasn't for my dad and some of our amazing friends. Sarah Marsden and Melissa Cummins ran to the store to try and get some things to help me and then they watched our kiddos all afternoon. Dan took me to the hospital because I wasn't keeping anything in and the doctors were getting concerned. So, while I was stuck in the L&D getting IV fluids and lots of medicine to try and stop vomiting, all of our friends were back at our house packing up the rest of our house (since I didn't get a chance to do it), packing up the truck, and taking care of the kids. They even gave the kids a bath!!

I truly don't know what we would have done without all of them. It was the silver lining in this horrible event. We are SO blessed by our friends!!

Dan and my dad still left on Monday like they planned, it was just the afternoon instead of the morning. I got home from the hospital Monday morning and I stayed with the kids and took a plane to Boston on Tuesday afternoon. What a whirlwind last weekend in DC!!

The DC Duck tour

2011-11-23T11:21:00.007-05:00

Dan and I wanted to do the duck tour before we left DC. We decided to wait for my dad to come out so that he could do a "touristy" thing with us. It was actually really fun. We had a great tour guide and Judah LOVED it. The only down side is that they give out duck whistles towards the end. Judah and Izzy still love to play with them. My ears hurt just thinking about it.

Our tourmobile

Waiting for the tour to start

How Izzy spent most of the tour. This was fine by me though because she was a mess before she fell asleep.

The tour guide let every kid steer the boat for a bit. Seriously, the driver let them do it on their own. It was funny how many times we veered off course and the tour guide had to "save us". Judah LOVED it!! He still talks about getting to drive the "car boat".

Our goodbye party

2011-11-23T11:15:00.000-05:00

Our friends, the Carr's and the Paradiso's, threw us an amazing good bye party. We were so blessed by our friends who came to say goodbye. We ate amazing desserts and people shared special moments they remembered about us. Then they all prayed over us. All the kids had a great time hanging out in the backyard too. It was such a bittersweet get together!! It was great to see so many people one last time.

Attempting to get a group shot with most of the group.

Gathering around us for prayer

Izzy's 15 month stats

2011-11-22T17:35:00.005-05:00

Izzy had her 15 month check up a week before we left for Boston. Here are her stats:

weight: 22 lbs
height: 32 in

She is a girl on the move who loves to say hi to people. She loves to give hugs to anyone who will give her the time of day too. She is constantly trying to do everything her big brother does and therefore, is always getting hurt (she has no fear!!). Love this sweet girl!

The sassy girl at her appointment

Some pictures of Izzy at 15 months

a sick Iz

2011-11-22T17:31:00.000-05:00

Another reason that packing gets delayed...sick kids. Poor Izzy had a high fever and was not herself. She did get to have her first popsicle though.

Packing time

2011-11-22T17:30:00.002-05:00

The packing has slowing been coming along. Here are some ways Judah and Izzy "help"

20 Weeks along with number 3

2011-11-22T17:25:00.001-05:00

Where did the time go?!! We had our 20 week ultrasound and appointment before we left. Everything looked good. We decided to not find out if we were having a boy or girl this time. It was so hard walking away from the appointment not knowing! I felt like running back to the room and saying we changed our mind and wanted to know. It has definitely made the planning aspect a little challenging, but it is also kind of fun not knowing. I can't wait to meet this little one!!

4th of July

2011-11-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

For the second year in a row we went to the Air Force memorial to watch the fireworks. We got there early this time because it was so hard to find a parking spot last time. We were either there super early, or it just wasn't as crowded because we got an awesome parking spot right by the exit and there weren't that many other cars. It definitely filled up after though.

The kids had a great time eating lots of food and they LOVED watching the fireworks. Judah kept saying that the fireworks went "boom!" and every time we drive by or see a picture of the Washington monument, he quickly talks about the fireworks.

The only downside to the evening was that Judah found a wasps nest, or just a gathering of them, I'm not sure. We were happily playing and running around at the bottom of the hill when all of a sudden Judah started screaming and running back towards me. He was holding his finger and I saw a little red mark so I thought it was from a bee. I held him and went "running" (as much as a pregnant and out of shape mama holding her kid can run) up the hill to our spot. The whole time this lady was following after me yelling "maam" but I didn't stop because I just wanted to sit down and make sure everything was ok with my little man. We sat down and the lady came up and said the same thing happened to her little girl just a few minutes earlier. She said to check all over him because they were wasps and she handed me some anti sting medication (boy did I feel bad that I didn't stop to see what she needed when I first heard her!). Sure enough, Judah had 3 different stings and they all puffed up pretty quickly. The medicine helped and I kept a close eye on him the rest of the night to make sure he didn't have a severe reaction to them. Praise God that he didn't! The swelling went down by the end of the night and he still enjoyed watching the fireworks. Poor little guy!!

Our view of the monument

The air force monument

Judah showing off his tattoo

The Iz running around (yes, she is holding a chip)

Judah just about a minute before he was stung by the wasps

How daddy plays with both kids at the same time

2011-11-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

Judah sees Cars 2

2011-10-23T17:04:00.002-04:00

For Judah's birthday we took him to see his first movie (well, 2nd actually. He saw batman begins when he was an infant) in a movie theater. We bought him a couple of characters from the new Car's movie to get him a little familiar with it and we talked about seeing the movie on the "big screen". Izzy went to a sitter's and Dan and I took Judah for a special date. Judah got a kids popcorn, orange soda, and gummy bears to enjoy during the movie. He had two of his cars with him that sat to watch the movie as well. We weren't sure how it would go, but Judah did great! He sat through the entire movie and then asked to watch it again when it was over. He loves talking about "big screen mcqueen" and getting to eat all those treats. It was so much fun for Dan and I too.

It's a super dark picture, but it's of Judah sitting and watching the movie with his popcorn and cars by him.

Judah turns 3!!

2011-10-23T16:25:00.021-04:00

I can not believe my little man is 3! Ever since Izzy's party in April, Judah has been talking about his birthday party. So, we threw him a party at a park, and it was hot out! He decided he wanted a monster truck cake so, I made him one. It turned out REALLY big (mental note...don't need to make one that big unless there are going to be 50 adult people). He was so excited when he saw it and he still talks about it today. He also thinks that everyone else should have a monster truck cake. Once again, we felt completely blessed by all the friends who came out for the party and helped to celebrate our little man. After the party, we stayed at the park a little longer and Judah had a great time catching lightening bugs with the Ortiz kids. It was a great day.

I am so blessed to be able to have Judah for my son. He is constantly saying and doing funny things and he is one of the sweetest kids I know. He is always looking out for Izzy, and everyone else. His smile and laugh are infectious. I love this little man!

Here are Judah's 3 year stats:
weight: 30 lb 7 oz (he finally hit the 30% in weight! Yay!!!)
height: 37 in

Judah's monster truck cake

Judah's face when he saw the cake for the first time

The spread

Hanging out and playing around

The pinata

Jude preferred the actual pinata to the candy inside. His mama has not been a fan of me letting him have it ever since because apparently it goes everyone and does everything with him. I, however, think it's so sweet!

Matt and Kellie

The cake...

Blowing out the candles

Izzy gets dedicated

2011-10-23T16:24:00.013-04:00

June 19th was a "triple threat" as we called it. It was fathers day, Judah's birthday, and we had Izzy dedicated. We had been wanting to get Izzy dedicated for a while and kept forgetting to set it up. We finally realized we really needed to make it happen because we were moving in July. Father's day was the day that worked best for Pastor Joel and for Dan's work schedule. It was great that David and Kristen were able to come down from Philly to be there too. Here are some pictures that Stacey took for us.

Love the fist bump. Haha!

Uncle David and Aunt Kiki

Life with boys

2011-10-23T16:23:00.000-04:00

After my shower I walked back into my room where Judah was watching a show on the computer.

Judah: look mommy, my boogie (pointing to a drawer in my dresser)

Me: Judah, why did you put that there?

Judah: (after contemplating) I wanted to mommy, I wanted to.

Another haircut

2011-10-23T16:15:00.004-04:00

Judah desperately needed a haircut (it grows so fast!), so I took him for one. He did a great job sitting there and he was able to pick out a lollipop afterwards. Now, whenever I cut his hair, he thinks he gets another lollipop. Hmmm, I don't think so buddy.

Before

After

More ice cream and donuts

2011-10-23T16:09:00.005-04:00

I swear that I do more than take my kids for ice cream and donuts every day. Really, I do. But, for some reason, these are the pictures I tend to take. So, here are some more dessert dates with the kiddos in June.

Ice cream

More ice cream, well actually, frozen custard

Another donut date

a shirt just like daddy

2011-10-23T16:02:00.005-04:00

Judah loves getting to wear a shirt "like daddy". This refers to the one hawaiian shirt that Judah has and the plethora that Dan has. Dan came home this particular day and told Dan to change his shirt so that he could wear his shirt. It was pretty cute.

Judah and Izzy dancing in the kitchen (before the shirt change)

Judah having fun with daddy

Dan finishes residency!!!

2011-10-23T15:55:00.003-04:00

After 5 years of residency, Dan finally finished his training. Well, he is doing an extra year in a fellowship to specialize, but technically, he could be done. I am so proud of Dan, and his fellow ortho guys, for all their hard work and dedication. I don't think I heard Dan complain one time about his hours, or things he had to do (although, I complained enough for the both of us, and then some). He has worked so hard and is a skilled surgeon. I am so proud of him!! Congratulations Dan!!

Dan and his fellow "graduates" of the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency (from left to right: Will, Dan, Curtis, and Evan)

Dan getting his plaque

The plaque

The Yard's Park

2011-10-23T15:39:00.007-04:00

We went to the Yard's Park the last weekend of May. It is a great "park" because it has a great fountain for the kiddos to play in. We packed up some dinner and met up with the Hank's who even picked up some cupcakes to share with us. Awesome!

Izzy searching for snacks

Cooper trying to sneak a little wine

The Judahnator

Wes and Cooper licking the frosting off the cupcake box

Izzy and Cooper

Iz

National's baseball game

2011-10-23T15:18:00.002-04:00

One of the great things about living in the DC area is the ability to go see baseball for really cheap. We took the kids for a game one random afternoon and sat in the $5.00 seats. It was so much fun and Judah loved eating his cracker jacks.

Hanging out with Madeline and Owen

2011-10-23T15:13:00.005-04:00

I watched Madeline every Tuesday this past year and for a few weeks in May/June I also watched Owen for a few hours on Tuesday and Thursday. We went to the park a lot and it was so fun to see all four of the kiddos play together.

Another Picture of baby number 3

2011-10-23T15:11:00.000-04:00

Judah "graduates" from Little Learners

2011-10-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

On May 10th, Little Learner's had their little "graduation". It was so sweet. The kids sang a couple of songs and then they each had their name called and they went to get their certificate. They also received a little bag with a medal in it too. There was some food for afterwards as well. I can't believe how fast the year went by! Judah LOVED his hat. He wore it for quite a while afterwards. I love that little man!

The kiddos singing

Getting his certificate

Surprise Baby Shower

2011-10-23T15:05:00.008-04:00

The two non-prego members of our family ministry team threw a surprise baby shower for the 3 of us who are. It was so sweet of Jenilee and Reagan!! They made these adorable onesies for our kiddos, decorated a little, and got Georgetown cupcakes for us. I feel so blessed to be part of this team!

Oh Iz

2011-10-23T14:59:00.002-04:00

Not entirely sure why, but this funny girl loves to sit in the drawers. She gets in them and plays so contentedly.

Finding a place in Boston

2011-10-23T14:55:00.002-04:00

We were so blessed to be able to fly up to Boston in April and May to try and find a place to live. Uncle David and Aunt Kiki watched the kiddos the first weekend and Dan's parents watched them the second weekend.

In addition to finding a place to live, we took advantage of having some "date" time and we ate at a lot of fun restaurants we probably won't go to with the kiddos anytime soon. We also found a great breakfast place somewhat close to where we will be living. Everything is fresh and local. Mmmmm.....

We ended up finding the perfect place for our family, even if it isn't quite where we were hoping. It doesn't have "Boston charm" but, it meets every one of our needs and that is more important than charm.

A day out with Thomas

2011-10-23T14:15:00.031-04:00

This May Thomas the train made his way to a train museum in Baltimore. We thought Judah would love getting to take a ride on his favorite train character. There were so many fun things for him to do in addition to the train ride too. He LOVED the moonbounce and the spinning ride (which literally made me sick to my stomach watching). He also had a blast on the pony ride, petting the animals, and walking around the trains out for display. The actual train ride on Thomas, well...it started out going well. He loved seeing Thomas as we were boarding the train, and he loved walking on the train. Then we made him sit down and the tears came. It took a little convincing, but he eventually calmed down and "I think" he enjoyed the ride. He still talks about how he cried when he rode Thomas. Overall, a really good time though.

One of the trains at the museum.

Playing at the train tables

Iz on the playground

Judah riding a mini train

Izzy (holding her beloved rocks)

The spinny ride that Judah and Dan went on a bunch. There aren't too many pictures because I couldn't watch since it was making me sick to watch.

Did I mention that Izzy LOVED all the rocks. She likes to put rocks in her mouth, a lot.

Pony ride

Running in the hay maze

Petting animals

Judah walking to ride Thomas

Not happy...

Finally ok with being on the train.

Izzy catching the view...

Judah looking out of the train window

Monster Truck Mater!

2011-10-23T14:08:00.002-04:00

So, Judah is obsessed with watching Mater's Tall Tales. His favorite one is the one with monster truck mcqueen and mater. His buddy Owen likes to watch the video too, although perhaps not as much as Judah. We had Owen over one night so his parents could have a night out and after some play time and dinner, we put the movie on. They were so funny! I told them they could watch the video after they cleaned up and I have never seen toys get picked up so fast!! They kept talking to each other and laughing during the video. It was so sweet to see them! And yes, Judah has monster truck mcqueen and Owen has monster truck mater.

a walk in the park

2011-10-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

Nothing like spending some great family time on the last day of April! It was a beautiful day and we went for a walk down a path by our house. It was so nice!

Just like daddy....

2011-10-20T17:14:00.001-04:00

Gravely Point

2011-10-20T17:09:00.009-04:00

We took the kids to gravely point again at the end of April because the weather was awesome! A little windy, but awesome none the less.

Easter Sunday!

2011-10-20T16:58:00.008-04:00

This year for Easter I decided to get Izzy a fluffy pink dress (I mean really, for how long am I going to be able to get away with this, so I have to) and Judah had an awesome hat and shirt/tie. I was so bummed I forgot to take our real camera out so I could get some pictures.

After church we went over to the Paradiso's house with some other families for an amazing brunch! We had so much good food!!!! Fritatas, french toast casserole, bacon and sausage, fruit, pumpkin bread, homemade scones, and the list goes on and on. It was a great time and the kids handled the late afternoon without naps really well. I love spending holidays with our friends!!

Judah on his way to church.

Trying to get a cute shot of the kiddos together.

It was really hot out so I asked Dan to change Judah's outfit. I wish you could really see it to get the full effect. Judah is wearing plaid shorts, argyle socks, and his dress shirt and tie (with a different plaid design). It was quite a look.

Easter Eggstravangza part 2

2011-10-20T16:45:00.008-04:00

The weather was much better for the Ballston Egg hunt. Here are some pictures from that one.

The moonbounce

Face painting

Waiting for them to say "go!"

Collecting eggs

Owen decided to collect all orange eggs.

We let Izzy try to get eggs this time. Here is her "loot". She had more fun putting eggs in and then taking them out than collecting them.

Easter Eggstravaganza part 1

2011-10-20T16:35:00.010-04:00

Every year our church puts on an Easter Eggstravaganza. For the past few years they have put on multiple ones. We went to two of them this year, the one in Kingstowne and the one in Ballston. Here are some pictures of the Kingstowne one. It was such a bummer that it was raining so much! But, it didn't stop us! Judah had a great time.

A less than thrilled Izzy. Poor thing, always gets the bum end of the deal.

Judah finding eggs. There were so many eggs! Judah kept going until I made him stop after his basket was overflowing in addition to my pockets. I took a couple of his and put them in a basket for Izzy to play with, so she didn't miss out too much.

Playing some golf

Judah petting some animals

Judah and Owen with the Easter Bunny

random cuteness in April

2011-10-20T16:30:00.007-04:00

Judah's new umbrella

Hugs!!

Izzy playing with one of her birthday presents

Breakfast date at Busboys and Poets with daddy

Judah gives up his beloved paci

2011-10-19T18:10:00.002-04:00

We had Judah's speech evaluated and the first thing they asked after they started was if he still had a paci. Uhhh...I have been meaning to take it away, really....

Anyways, it was changing the shape of the roof of his mouth so we needed to take it away. We talked about it with him for a few days and then decided to give it a go. So, on Izzy's birthday (not planned that way, just the day we decided), Judah took his paci's with him to the toys r us and picked out a new toy to "buy" with his paci's. I was so proud of him! He picked out a set with monster truck mcqueen and monster truck mater in it. He was so excited that when we got to the counter he basically threw the paci's at her. He cried a little bit that night at bed time, but that was it. He kept talking about his new toys and how he got them for saying bye bye to his pacis.

I love this amazing little man so much!!

Baby number 3's first picture

2011-10-19T18:04:00.001-04:00

We went to the doctor to "confirm pregnancy" and, indeed, we are having another one. Here is the ultrasound picture they gave us.