Aunt Cary and the funnest birthday ever

Doesn't that sound like a great book title?!

Tuesday night my dear friend Cary arrived from Colorado - she's affectionately known by all of her friends' children as "Aunt Cary". Eli was so excited to see his Aunt Cary and Cole was very happy to meet her. Eli went around the house every day asking "Where Aunt Cary at?". Cary has been hanging out with us and it was a special treat that she was here to celebrate Eli's birthday.

This morning, Eli came downstairs to find a balloon and presents at the table for breakfast. It's so cute now that he completely understands about opening presents. He really enjoyed that. We also used our Shining Star plate for the first time for Eli's birthday breakfast of chocolate chip muffins (with a few chocolate chips on the side!). The gifts he opened were from Baby Cole (Matchbox cars) and his cousins and aunt/uncle in Florida (a recycling truck and a concrete truck). After breakfast he proceeded to run all over the house with the trucks. Have I told you that he's TOTAL boy?! A little running around and then it was time for school.

Fun stuff waiting for breakfast

Chocolate chips and a balloon - life is good

Aunt Cary & I went to Eli's school for snack time and took a giant cookie to celebrate with Eli's friends. All the kids were so excited to see us, especially since we were packing LOTS of sugar. Our plan was to be there for snack time and then bring Eli home - aren't we smart? Jack all the kids up on sugar and then leave. =) We were going to go to the pool but thunder kept us from doing that so we just played at home. Amy, Henry & Samantha came over to see Eli and give him his gift. Then Owen came over to play for a bit. We had about 1-1/2 to 2 hours to total chaos in our house but Eli loved it! He loved getting presents, being the center of attention and playing with his friends.

Birthday cookie for school

Yummy cookie for snack time - celebrating with friends from school

The rest of his classmates - notice only one girl in the bunch!

Eli went for the thick balloon frosting when everyone was done

Eli LOVES the new recycling and concrete trucks

Cool - Matchbox carrying case from Henry & Samantha. We have LOTS of matchbox cars.

The simple joys - a fun balloon

I bought this container to keep the balls cleaned up on the porch - you see how well that worked.

Aunt Cary snuggling Baby Cole

Eli & Owen - fun playtime on the porch

After all that playing, we headed to Chick-Fil-A for birthday dinner with Ryan. (Told you with was a fun and busy day) Eli ate a few nuggets, lots of fries and then was ready to go play on the play structure. He & Ryan had fun running around with the other kids in there.

Eli & Ryan - best buds

Our attempt at a family birthday photo

Post dinner chaos, we headed home to do bath and get our 2 YEAR OLD to bed. But before bed, we tried to get a good photo of me & the boys with Aunt Cary.

Photo op with Aunt Cary

All in all, I think Eli got super spoiled and had lots of fun on his 2nd birthday. And we still have his party on Saturday!!

Happy Birthday Eli - I hope you had a great day!! We love you.

Happy 2nd Birthday Eli

A balloon, presents, chocolate chips for breakfast......it doesn't get any better for a 2 year old on his birthday. Happy Birthday my sweet Eli. Hard to believe that you're already 2. Love you lots!!

Survived our first road trip

Well, we made it - we survived our first road trip with two kids! We went to visit Tim's parents this weekend and had great ambitions as to what our weekend would entail. We thought we'd get there Friday night and settle in. Saturday would be an early bike ride for Tim, a trip to the beach, nap time and then family cookout. Sunday would be another bike ride for Tim and a trip to the aquarium before lunch and coming home. As you'll see, that was W-A-Y too ambitious and didn't happen that way but was very enjoyable.

We started the weekend on Thursday night with our friends Kara & Brian. They came over with Owen & Faye to enjoy pizza and hang out. Eli & Owen had fun jumping in the bounce house and running around like crazy boys. Owen is a bit more calm than Eli but he was running around just as crazy. With full bellies and tired from running around, both boys slept great all night long. I imagine there will be many more pizza nights and hanging with our friends in the future (and that thought makes me happy!).

Friday night, we left home about 7:45pm to head to Tim's parents house. The boys traveled great and we arrived at their house sometime after 11pm. After unloading the truck, Tim snuggled in the bed with Eli to get him to sleep while I got things ready with Cole. It was probably 1am before I got to sleep and Cole was up around 3am. Fortunately Tim was with Eli so I didn't have to worry about him as they were warm and snuggly, snoring away.

Saturday morning, boys were up by 6:30am and we started our day (I was pretty tired, I keep threatening to start drinking coffee). Eli ran around outside before we enjoyed a pancake and bacon breakfast - it was yummy! We let Eli run around more and play in the yard. Tim, his Dad and Eli ran to the grocery for Grandma to pick up things for the cookout before lunch and nap. Family and friends started to arrive at 4pm and the fun started. There was such a great turnout and there were kids running all over the place. Tim's dad had once commented that he'd love to have the kids running around and he got his wish. Lots of energy and excitement. It was a lot of fun to watch them playing together and Eli running around like one of the big boys. We ate lots of good fun (surprise surprise!) and enjoyed talking and catching up with everyone. I'd say the fun winded down about 7:30pm when the kids were falling apart. We just knew Eli would sleep soundly all night. He went down pretty easily but woke up crying for Daddy in the middle of the night.

This morning, Tim & his Dad changed the oil in his truck while Eli continued to explore the yard and terrorize the two fish in the fish pond. He loves to throw the resin turtle and frog in the pond. I think he even threw a rock in there this time. After a morning of exploration and playing with Grandma & Grandpa, we ate lunch and then packed it up to head home. (and boy was there a lot to pack / get together - it felt like we were leaving for a week when we left home Friday night!) The boys traveled great home - Eli fell asleep pretty quickly and slept for 1-1/2 hours (half the trip) and Cole also slept most of it.

So as you can see, the only thing from our list of plans that we actually did was the family cookout but it was great! We really enjoyed just hanging at Grandma & Grandpa's house and letting Eli enjoy being there. It's very laid back at their house and being away from home allows me some time to forget about all the things that have to be done (laundry, cleaning, etc). Although we didn't get as much sleep as we would have liked, I think we came back mentally rested and are ready to tackle the week ahead.

It's going to be a busy week. Aunt Cary arrives from Colorado Tuesday night (and will be here through Friday - woo hoo!), Eli's 2nd birthday is Thursday (how did that happen?!) and then Tim's parents will be here Friday to help us get ready for Eli's birthday party on Saturday. Whew - I'm tired thinking of it all.

Thank you Grandma & Grandpa for a great weekend, for taking care of us and for a wonderful cookout. And of course, there are pictures to share.....

Eli & Owen "bouncing" Thursday night

Ready to go to Grandma's - Eli pulling his & Cole's suitcase around the house

Watching Bob the Builder with Grandpa

Look at that sweet face

Uh-oh, turtle and frog in the fish pond

Landon & Cole - Landon is Tim's cousin Brady's son

All the kids running after a real live frog - ribbit, ribbit

Hanging on the deck, burgers & dogs cooking in the background

Look at this crew - Eli, Hunter (cousin), Jake & Morgan (cousins) and Ali (daughter of one of Tim's life long friends)

Brady (Tim's cousin) with Landon and Tim with Cole - no one probably ever imagined

Eli got lots of attention from everyone and he loved it

Mommy & Cole hanging on the deck

Eli did not like the shower at all

Spreading mulch for Grandpa Sunday morning

Grandma & Grandpa - Eli took this picture

Mommy Update

Had my 6 week check at the doctor today. All checked out well and I got the thumbs up to start exercising again. =)

So that was the physical check, but the mental? I'm actually doing great there too. I'm much more relaxed at home this time and enjoying it. So many people have commented on how I'm doing - in a positive way. Tim even commented the other day that I seem to be very happy and enjoying being a Mom. He's right - I'm embracing the domestic bliss! My neighbor Amy had an observation that I think hit the nail on the head. She said that with one child, I tried to keep doing all the same stuff I did before Eli got here but with two, I've accepted / embraced being a Mom and am not trying to do as much. It's so true!! I love having my two boys and every day I find myself letting go of more and not getting stressed out. The boys will only be little once and there are so many things that can wait until they're so big that they don't want Mom around.

First smile and coo

Just got Cole's first true smile and some good coo-ing. Guess who "got it" - ELI!! He is sitting here on the bed talking to his little brother and Cole is smiling at him. Perfect....

Worn out from the weekend

Whew - it was a busy weekend around here. Hard to remember everything we did. Friday night seems like ages ago - I think we just hung around the house. Oh yeah, Eli got a hair cut. That took longer than expected so we hung out after that.

Saturday: After we dropped Tim's truck off for new brakes, Eli & I went to Ryan's house and walked to the lake to feed the ducks. We saw the biggest turtle I've ever seen in my life. It was scary! The boys had fun feeding the ducks and running around. After snack time, Tim took Eli to try to get new shoes but they were so crowded that it was a bust. Lunch and then nap time. During nap, Tim managed to mow the grass while I hung out with Cole. Saturday late afternoon, we met Kara, Brian, Owen & Faye at the pool. Owen & Eli had so much fun playing together. It was fun for me to watch. Cole & I lounged on our chair in the shade and watched the crazy boys (and their crazy daddies!). Eli went to bed without a fight and slept all night - woo hoo!!

Sunday: Early morning, Tim & Eli went on a bike ride while Cole & I went on a walk. Nice to get everyone out of the house for a little while. After snack, we loaded up for a family trip to REI - always fun. Back home for nap, Eli took a decent nap. Sunday afternoon was Ryan's 2nd birthday party at Monkey Joe's. It was insane!! Not only were the birthday kids running around, there were a ton of other kids too. We took Eli & Ryan there at Easter and they weren't quite ready to tackle it all on their own but this time was a totally different story. The first time Eli took off up the "ladder" to the top of the structure and then slid down the slide by himself, I thought to myself that I really do have a little boy now - no longer my baby. I could not believe how big he looked and was acting there. After running around and getting hot and sweaty, we gathered in the cooled down birthday room to enjoy cake and goodies. Ryan seemed to have a really good time. Eli was so tired when it was over that he dozed on the way home (at 6pm) and again, went to bed without a fuss and slept all night!!

We seemed to stay on the go this weekend and had a lot of fun. Tim & I were both pooped out last night; I even fell asleep on the couch snuggled up with Cole. 

Eli trying to walk in Mommy's shoes

Love running with the big dump truck

Eli decided to try laying on his back

Cole chillin' pool side

Eli got into a splash fest with Owen and his Daddy, Brian

Look at these cute boys - Owen and Eli

Eli & Birthday Boy Ryan on the Monkey throne

Playing in multi-sport land

Look at that big boy climbing up!

And then sliding down!

Can you tell he's having fun? He was soooo cute

My sweet big boy

Random Photos

Had to post some photos from this week: 

Cole hanging out on his play mat

A little tummy time - look at that sweet face!

Eli took his turn on the play mat - hard to imagine it wasn't that long ago and he was "playing" with it like Cole. 

Eli trying out the bouncey chair - being silly

Check it out - lining up the magnetic blocks. Of course, then he destroyed the line by flinging them off the wall but the line up was impressive. 

Happy 1 month Cole!!

Wow, it's hard to believe that it has already been a month since you arrived! It has been fun getting to know you and start learning about your personality. You're a super sweet baby and very laid back (so far!) like your Daddy. I love snuggling with you and you seem to love snuggling with whomever will do so. Just a few comments about your first month:

• When we brought you home, it truly felt like our family was complete. I love having two boys. 
• Your big brother Eli loves you so much. Every morning he wakes up asking "Where Baby Cole at?". He asks the same question when he gets home from school every day as well.
• You're a pretty good sleeper at night. Usually you wake up once, maybe twice, for something to eat but you have been doing very well. Naps, you don't like to take morning naps at all - afternoons you're a little better. 
• You're a slow eater. You seem to really enjoy your milk!
• Right now, you unofficially weigh 9-1/2 pounds.
• You are wearing 0-3 month clothes, really no newborn stuff for you anymore. You're in a size 1 diaper. 
• Belle hasn't bothered you too much but she has taken up residence next to your pack and play in our bedroom. She sleeps next to it to guard you through the night.
• Eli has only smacked you on the head once. I don't think he meant to rather he was excited and it just happened. 
• All of our friends and family have showered you with lots of love. You have been warmly welcomed into our lives, the family, the neighborhood - we're so happy you're here! 

Weekend Rewind

Friday morning, Cole & I went to visit my friend Jacque, see her daughter Elizabeth and meet her new son, Jacob. Jacob is a few weeks older than Cole. I met Jacque in prenatal yoga when I was pregnant with Eli. It was so great to catch up a bit and hang out with her. The rest of the day was spent doing stuff around the house and hanging with Cole. He's fairly consistent with his afternoon nap (no napping in the morning) so I was able to make some turkey meatballs and simmer then in sauce for dinner. They were so yummy. I've been able to cook dinner a few nights lately and I think Tim is getting spoiled. =) He's usually the chef in our house and I've found myself being more and more domestic lately. 

Friday night was VERY rough for us. Eli decided that he didn't want to go to sleep. As much as we tried, he didn't want to go to sleep. He ended up screaming and crying from 7:30p - 9:30p. All I could do was sit downstairs and cry myself. It broke my heart. It also hurt that he was screaming for Daddy. He kept saying "Daddy come here". His night time routine has gotten out of hand lately (i.e. takes 1 to 1-1/2 hours to get him down) so we are trying to get it back under control. It's hard with Cole here to do that long of a routine, plus he needs to learn how to put himself to sleep again. That's the trouble with the bed...he can get out. He can't with the crib so it was easier. Now he wants to get up and out of bed and turn lights one. Well, we survived the night but not without an emotional toll on all of us. 

Saturday morning Tim & Eli went on a bike ride and then Ryan came over to give Eli's new bounce house a test jump. We were quite happy with our purchase. It's not as huge as we thought it would be, blew up very quickly and easily and Tim said it seemed to be decent construction. Eli & Ryan jumped for a while and then played in the rest of the yard, even taking a few trips down the slide. After lunch, Ryan went home and we tried to settle into nap time. Eli took a pretty short nap which, after feeding Cole, didn't allow us time to snag a few "z"s. Then it was pool time. Eli had fun playing with Owen at the pool and running around with his big dump truck. I went out with Cole for a little while and Kara had brought Faye as well. It was nice to see our friends and hang out. Saturday night's bed time went much better but I think it was because Tim put Eli down. For some reason, he's just not into Mommy right now. Not nearly as much fussing, screaming or crying - which was good because another night would have killed me.

This morning, Eli & I went on a bike ride. Whew....that was hard!! I think I picked the hardest first bike ride back, 4 weeks after having a baby you could ever imagine. Considering, I'm about 35 pounds heavier than when I used to race, pulling a 33+ pound toddler and the bike trailer, I was probably lugging around an extra 75-80 pounds. It makes me tired just typing that!! Eli seemed to have a good time. I felt much better when it was over and figure that each bike ride from now on just has to get easier!! Then Tim & Eli headed to the man store (i.e. Lowe's) and picked up some things for the yard. Eli seemed to have fun and came home all happy and excited. It was a pretty rainy morning / early afternoon so we figured no pool today. Eli did take a decent nap which allowed us all to get a little sleep. That was very much needed! This afternoon we visited with our neighbors and just hung around the house. Bed time tonight was another Mommy battle. I gave Eli a bath and all was going so well. We read some books, sang some songs and then it seemed like he was asleep. About a half hour later, he was out of bed, at the top of the stairs crying for Daddy. I'm not sure what I need to do. Hopefully we'll get past this phase and he'll get better with me putting him to bed. Otherwise, Daddy has his work cut out for him for the next 16 years!!

Overall, we had a good weekend. We don't get as many chores done these days as we used to but we do spend a lot of time together as a family. We may get on each other's nerves from time to time but in the end, being together is what matters. Being home on leave this time with Cole, I try to whittle the "to do" list down to the essentials of what matters to keep our life moving along. I haven't been trying to add too much but rather enjoy this time. 

Hope everyone else had a fun weekend as well! 

Friday morning - "Hi Baby Cole" 

Naturally sweet, no sugar added

Elizabeth "holding" Baby Cole

Cole & Jacob

Eli & Ryan testing out the bounce house

Mommy & Eli going for a bike ride

Messy boy - lunch ended with a mini chocolate drumstick. Can you tell he enjoyed it?!