Randoms...

Here's some various pics that just didn't get a post of their own and have been lingering...enjoy!

Big Cousin Cody and Baby Leo!

We haven't seen much of Cody now that he's so grown up with a real job and everything! He stopped by for lunch a couple weeks ago and we had a great time catching up!

2 beautiful girls! Sarah's birthday is the day after Sophia's so the princesses dressed up to enjoy cake and ice cream!

Meredith's kiddos, Shelby and my kids
Jacob, Sophia, Sarah, Andrew, Shelby, and Leo


I took Sophia to Nickelodeon's Story Time Live (a stage show of Dora, Backyardigans, Wonder Pets and Kai Lan). Saying she loved it would be an understatement! We had a great time and many theatre-goers complimented her on her wardrobe choice for the evening.

self portrait of the two of us at the show!

Leo playing with his leftover party balloons!

Mom! They keep following me!!

Sophia in a race against Daddy and Walter!

She's going to make her own double stroller. Leo wasn't too thrilled with big sis in his space!

Preschool Wednesday

Sophia: I'm going to sit back and watch this unfold

Leo: lettme' at him, lettme' at him...I love babies!!! MMMM!

Trevor: Seriously? Are you letting this happen, lady? Wait til' I tell my mom!

Friends, friends, where are you?

Luca and Isabelle hard at work

Sophia was quite meticulous about her design

Luca, Sophia and Isabelle and the starting line of the obstacle course

No need for a photo finish, Leo is on the job

baby Francesca just hanging out

enjoying some water and assembling their trail mix

We hosted Preschool Wednesday this week and had a great time! I've been planning this activity for a while now (surprise, right...) and I'm happy that to report that all the kids were really into it! We had an unexpected visitor in our neighbor, Trevor, whose mom, Jenn, had to run out for a bit. Even in just a few short hours, Trevor solidified my desire to not have any more children. Leo was all over him and poor Trevor just didn't know what to do. The poor kid barely napped with all the noise and had to constantly be in fear of the Terminator, AKA Leo.

For our activity, I read two books on exercising and healthy food choices. Then we customized our own water bottles, filled them up and headed outside to run in the obstacle course I had prepared. Isabelle was really the best at it and did it lots of times! Luca and Sophia had fun, but they only chose out a few specific elements to repeat. Luca enjoyed the racing section and Sophia enjoyed the hopscotch section. Afterwards we went inside and assembled a custom 'trail mix' to keep our energy up while playing. Our trail mix selection included Fruit Cheerios (which, for the record are not much better than Fruit Loops, as I was hoping), Rice Chex, golden raisins, dried cherries, Baby Goldfish and chocolate Teddy Grahams. The kids got to select the amounts of each they wanted to snack on and take home in their own tub.

Planning this little activity was so fun for me! It gave me the fun parts of teaching back without all the stress. Also, like I mentioned before, it was easy to do, but I probably wouldn't have been motivated to do it for just Sophia. I was also surprised at how eager all three kids were to listen and discuss the stories. Usually we all just hang out and play, so it was kind of fun to know that they could be engaged in different ways too. I'm looking forward to our new tradition, I just need to remember to keep my ideas in check...they're only 3!! :)

Happy Birthday, Grandma Sue

Sue with Angie and some very stylish frames!
my festive fall table

are you sure we can't start with dessert?

Leo throwing around his new toy from Grandma

2 princesses and their grandma

Sophia, Lou, Leo, Sue, Angela, and Julie

Lou and Sue enjoying cupcakes and coffee...yum!

Anne and Angela join in the dessert fun!

Julie chose chocolate, no surprise there!

vanilla with pink sprinkles for our party princess!

Because it is just that hard to keep my party gene at bay, we hosted a very low key birthday gathering for Charlie's mom, Sue, at our house on Monday evening. It was her actual birthday that day so it was a nice treat to get to spend it with her. We were also able to finally meet her gentleman friend, Lou! ;) I just didn't have the energy to do a fabulous meal all on my own, so I found the strength to order from our favorite Chinese restaurant! We had cupcakes for dessert and as usual, the little girls had a ball together! Angela showed up in her finest princess dress after telling her mother that she couldn't attend a party without it (LOL!) and then of course Sophia immediately had to change too! Grandma Sue brought all the little ones a fun toy or two from her recent adventures to Merrimack Caverns and we hope that she had a nice day!

Birthday Debrief

Where to even begin?? I am exhausted, let's start there! ;)


Let me just say that this post is a long one, but in my defense, I have two beautiful babies to 'debrief' about! They've come so far in the last year and Sophia so enjoyed becoming the big sister!

I'm not exactly sure how I threw this party last year being 9 months pregnant! I mean, I love parties. I love themes. I love planning. It's in my nature, but sometimes even I think maybe I get myself in over my head. I wouldn't exactly say I felt that way, but I was certainly at my limit (I'd also like to add that I couldn't do it, pregnant or not, without my team of awesome helpers including Charlie and Mom and all my other friends that are always so willing to help! Thanks guys!). I'm glad that I let go of Sophia's party and let someone else plan it. I absolutely think I'd be in the looney bin had I done both their parties at our house in the same week! On the flip side, I really only think I have a few more years of this craziness. I mean right now, I get to control the parties, themes, games, cakes, etc. and in a few years the kids will probably have their own ideas of what they want and don't want, so I have to cherish it! I also think that in the future each kid will have more of a small party with their friends and then we'll do a combined family party mostly just consisting of cake and ice cream....which leads me to my other thought...



Will Leo ever have friends of his own? Of course, I mean I know he will...but when? Right now all his "friends" are Sophia's friends. Will I have to wait until he's in school before he'll get to have some for himself? There are a few babies we hang out with but it will take at least another year or so before the age difference will start to work itself out. And let's face it, I'm not very good at making friends. I thought about it when Sophia started Mother's Day Out, that maybe I could make friends with some of those moms but realistically...when do I ever chat with them?? I barely even see people drop their kids off or pick them up, so that's out. I do feel like this is one of those things that the younger kid gets the shaft on, especially when they're so close in age. I'm just hoping this dilemma will work itself out soon! ;)



Part of me is hoping though that through this transition of partying that I will soon get to go back to planning the menu, games, entertainment and party favors for both kids, even if they do get to choose their own theme! In the meantime however, I'm okay with farming out Sophia's party and doing the big at home bash for Leo and really, it's kind of like Sophia gets two parties since he really doesn't know what's going on yet and she is thrilled with that idea! In fact, I've often thought that if I were to go into business for myself, which would probably never happen, but if it did, I'd like to be a party planner for kids. I think I'd stay away from the adult stuff, people get a little too crazy and demanding about that, but I could handle the kid stuff.



In other news I'd like to just mention a few things about their development, speaking of birthdays! I feel pretty good about how Leo's been doing. I know I've been worried in the past about some of his developmental milestones, but the past month or so I feel like I've seen a change. In fact, most of the things that he wasn't doing 3 weeks ago at his Parents as Teachers 1 year screening, he has started doing. Even at the time I knew that 3 weeks could make a difference in the life of a toddler, but in his case, it was a significant difference. I'm happy to report that he is standing on his own, he is walking while only holding one hand, he is now coming down the stairs on his own (as long as you turn him around first...he's so lazy!), and I really think he's very close to walking. I think maybe within the next 3-4 weeks (I hope!!) it will happen, and we'd love for it to happen before Halloween. It's not that he'll be trick or treating, per say, but there are some community events that we like to go to and it'd be way better for him to be toddling around and not have to be confined to the stroller. In terms of language he continues to babble a lot! He says 'momma' and 'dadda', and has for a while now. As far as other words, there is nothing I can really say is definite, but he will say words (and sometimes phrases, no joke) clear as day and then you'll never hear them again. It's crazy. Everyone who hears it agrees that he said whatever it was but he is determined not to be a show pony and will not speak on command! He understands quite a bit of language though and will usually get the toy or book to which I'm referring, not always, but he's off to a good start.



Sophia is growing up to be such a character, and although this is nothing new, it gets funnier! She seems to be fairly coordinated and is adept at both standing on one foot and hopping on one foot. She loves to kick the ball and play hopscotch. She also really enjoyed hitting the ball off the tee at Leo's party. She loves the park, although the swing is still her favorite activity, she does like the fire pole and the rock walls. She picks up words and their meanings quickly and will use them accurately in conversation....for instance at the doctor yesterday when the pediatrician got out his tool to look in her ears she looked at him very innocently and said, "Is that you're odoscope?" He was shocked, laughed and told her that yes, it was. Then she made sure to tell him that she had one at home. She is very social and makes friends easily. She is still fairly resistant to change, but is getting better and is very thoughtful towards her friends. Of course, we're still working on the concept of sharing, but she does pretty well with it. I feel like her fine and gross motor skills are progressing equally, unlike Leo who is still mostly focused on gross. She is still a momma's girl who loves to snuggle and be in my lap whenever possible. She and her Daddy share lots of fun times too. He is a little more rough with her than I and I guess that's a daddy's prerogative, but sometimes it makes me nervous! ;)



Finally, to end this epic post, here are their stats from their yearly check-ups yesterday...


Leo:
Height: 32.25 "...............100th%
Weight: 28lbs 10oz.........100th%

So, there's really no shocker there. I didn't expect him to be on the charts, but the doc said he's stronger than most 'big' babies he sees and is happy with his development.

Sophia:
Height: 40.25"...............100th%
Weight: 36lbs.................95th%

Doc laughed at Sophia's 95th% and said, see, she's petite! Ha! Actually, she is a little string bean, I think her percentage is just so high b/c she's so tall! She couldn't get much skinnier!

The First Birthday Bash

Two birthdays celebrated, partied, and cleaned up (well, sort of!)! I can check that off the list for this year! I still can't believe Leo is a whole year old. Yes, I've been anticipating this moment and now that it's here, I have mixed emotions...I know, I'm so fickle! I am happy to have much of that baby stuff behind us including baby food and formula! I am also happy to see Leo growing up and understanding language and learning to talk and I can't WAIT for him to walk...but on the flip side...he's going to get so big and so independent and my cuddles will become less and less. The sweet innocence of babydom is slowly drifting away and that makes me sad. But, this was a big day and I'm so proud of my little boy.


He woke up happy and ready to party! Charlie and I got him a crawl through tunnel since crawling around is pretty high on his list of activities...this kid is BUSY! We had a house full of folks and food. Thankfully the weather cooperated and it was a pretty great day to be outside. It was a bit overcast, but the temps were in the upper 60s so it was just perfect to play the day away...not to mention perfect for the fabulous outfits I found! I got Leo a shirt that said 'birthday boy' with a football on it...perfect for the theme (which was Balls, Balloons,and Bubbles...oh my!). For Sophia I found a super cute and girly football 'jersey' to coordinate with Little Bro. They looked pretty darn adorable, if I do say so myself! The balloon artist/face painter was a big hit with the kids and it was fun to see all their designs. Leo did great with all the people and commotion and was pretty social the whole afternoon.


When it came time for cake he was utterly uninterested. He was pretty tired, but still, he didn't want to try it and was put off by the very presence of it on his tray! After everyone trickled out both kids took an awesome, and much needed nap. Since they both napped a bit late, I figured we needed to get out of the house and get some energy out.


We headed to the mall for a low-key dinner of soup and macaroni (Leo's absolute favorite meal by the way) and a ride on the carousel. Then we came right on back home, accompanied by Bama and Shelby, to try his cookie cake. Now, I know, I'm crazy, I get it...but cookie cake has been a tradition in my family for more than 25 years and I could not let his first birthday pass without it. I hoped that he would be more inclined with this dessert, but no. It immediately went off the tray and into the happily awaiting mouth of Walter. I'm sure he'll warm up to cake soon enough so I'm not too worried about it, but it's just funny to see how different Sophia and Leo really are...she gobbled up both kinds of cake offered to her on her special day!


All of us are beat. Sophia wanted to spend the night with Bama tonight, so after a long day I hope they survived bedtime over there! Leo fought sleep for just a bit before drifting off into slumber. I'm so thankful for such a sweet boy and I love him more and more each day. I love watching him grow and learn and I love watching him bond with his sister. I have two great kids and I couldn't have asked for a better party! Happy Birthday, Little Man, I hope you had a great day!

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One Year Ago...

It's so fun to read back through the blog and reminisce. I totally laughed at some of the updates about my OB appointments and am happy to report that recently I have finally started losing some of that leftover weight. It's been much harder to do with Leo than Sophia but I feel good about getting into a better routine...anyway, I digress...this post should be about my little boy and not so much about the toll he took on my body...haha! :)


It's hard to believe that it's been a year. I was so ready to meet him and now he's changed my life forever. I sat with him in his rocking chair tonight before putting him to bed and I remembered how I sat there exactly one year ago, talking to that little boy still in my belly, ready to meet him and welcome him to the world. He has a big day ahead of him tomorrow, but he's had a great first year so far!

The Princess Turns 3

Okay, so I know it's taken me forever to get pics of her birthday up but I've been trying to prepare for Leo's party too! Remind me again why I thought two parties in one week was a good idea!?! ;) Whatever, it's a lost cause, you all know I'd do it again! Enjoy some pics from her special day!



Here's a rundown of what you'll be seeing...she opened presents first thing...hooray! Charlie and I got her a princess dress, wand, and tiara as her big gift, plus the Belle shirt she chose to wear to her party. We went and picked up her cookie cake, a tradition, and munched on a little treat while we were there. I was very disappointed the cake people DID NOT follow my instructions and we got no princess-themed picture, but at least the cake was de-licious!



Princess Tiana not only made an appearance but hosted Sophia's entire party. She had 11 little friends and cousins there ranging in age from 8-2. They decorated tutus, played Princess, Princess, Frog, and pin the jewel on the crown. It was a pretty adorable party and I didn't feel bad (okay maybe once) that I hadn't planned any of it! It was kind of nice to just show up. During the PPF game, Sophia was going around in a circle, not wanting anyone to be a frog, and when she got to her cousin, Angela, she stooped over and very lovingly said, "I like your crown." Then she stroked her hair and sat right down next to her. It was seriously adorable. I think she's a little young for that game yet!



She got tons of great presents. Among the favorites are her high heeled Aerial shoes from Luca and Massimo and her princess vacuum from Uncle Stacy and Shelby. She gasped when opening it and was just beside herself, and of course my mother said, well she is my granddaughter! I could have been offended, but well, it's true that I don't share that love affair with my vacuum so what could I say!? ;)



After the party, the four of us had a low key pizza dinner and got ready for bed. She had a great day and is so grown up already! Despite the mood swings and tantrums, I think 3 is going to be a great year!

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Balloon Festival

the first balloon to launch...everyone cheered!
enjoying a makeshift picnic with PB&Js and apple slices

all the other balloons prepare for flight

the polka dot balloon was a Sophia favorite

these two balloons crashed in mid air!

It didn't seem to phase anyone, so maybe it's normal!?

the angelic little Leo sat and watched

heading off for a more personal inspection of the remaining balloons

Our friends Don, Shelly, Russ and Beth joined us for a picnic too!

Shelly and Beth enjoying the scenery

the "balloon glow" is held at sunset

I tried to snap one more pic as we were heading out, but it's hard to coordinate pictures with all the pilots and their fire!

We weren't the only ones with the idea to head out to the balloon festival this Friday night! It was the first year for the festival in Overland Park and it was a hit, to say the least! Sort of last minute, I decided to take the kids and go see the balloon launch, scheduled for 5:30 pm on Friday. Long story short....TONS of traffic and TONS of people meant the launch was delayed an hour and we got to see it all and then some! The balloon glow was pretty cool, although it probably would have been more impressive had we been able to stay longer, but it was getting too late as it was. Plus, we had to walk a mile (literally) to the car and fight traffic once again. I do think it was worth it...I mean without sounding completely cheesy, it was a pretty spectacular sight to see all those balloons launch. Sophia was so excited and we had fun guessing which balloon would be next to set sail. She was also very brave considering she is terrified of loud noises and was able to handle the blowers going off. I think we'd be happy to return next year, and I'm pretty sure the organizers learned a lot about what to do and what not to do this time around! ;)

Green Thumb in the Making

We had lunch with Grandma B on Friday as a pre-birthday kick-off for Sophia. Grandma loves when we come by and of course Sophia and Leo love to play with all her toys and watch TV, not to mention Sophia loves the McDonald's we bring! For Mother's Day this year, Sophia planted flowers for each grandma and since Grandma B lives on the sunny side of the building, her plant is really flourishing. Sophia was so excited to see how tall it was and how many blossoms there were. I also think it makes Grandma pretty happy to have it doing so well. It reminds her of Sophia and keeps her feeling cheery.