2

Today...

James is 2 months

...and he got 2 shots

...and he is still too cute!



...and this 2 year-old is still wild but adorable!

James' stats as of today:

Height: 24 3/4 inches

Weight: 15 lbs. 1 oz.

Head Circumference: 16 inches

Thankful Thanksgiving

We have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. Our greatest blessing is, of course, a new healthy baby, and we also feel so fortunate that SO much wonderful family came out to visit us!! What a treat!! Taylor came a few weeks ago and then my wonderful sister flew ALL the way from L.A. with my beautiful niece Lizzy to see the baby and help me. Katy is amazing - she cleaned my house, did laundry, took care of the baby, played with Daniel, and made me the world's greatest Chili (the Deer Valley Resort recipe for all your skiers). She is not only an incredible sister, but a best friend as well. Love you and miss you Kate!!

After Katy left, my parents flew in a few days later with my sister Stephanie for Thanksgiving. I was so excited that they came out for the holiday, and I could not wait for my dad and sister to meet the baby. My mom took charge of the Thanksgiving meal, which, of course, turned out fabulous!! I just loved hanging out, talking, watching movies, and playing games with everyone. My dad and Bryson also picked up a beautiful Christmas tree and we spent a whole night decorating the house, baking cookies, and listening to Christmas music- so wonderful.

We blessed James the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Bryson's parents, Frank & Cindy, made quite the journey to attend, and we are so thankful they did. They flew on the early flight to Buffalo and drove all the way to Rochester to be there. Then a few hours later they flew home. Thank you for making such an effort!!

The blessing was beautiful; Bryson could not have done a better job. It was a wonderful day.

Here are the pics from our fun time with family:

Katy and Lizzy cuddling James
Bryson and Daniel at the Children's Museum

Lizzy and Daniel driving the Sesame Street Cab

We threw an early B-day party for Lizzy with cupcakes and a pinata. Daniel had no idea that the thing was filled with candy until it exploded. When it did, he FREAKED out and starting shaking with joy- it was so funny.

the presents and cupcakes

Lizzy and Daniel at the museum- can you tell Daniel was ready for his nap?

Lizzy was so amazing with James. She would gently rock and kiss him to sleep. In the car she sat next to him to sing to him and make sure he had his pacifier. She is going to be the best mother (in 30 years when her dad lets her get married :)

two cute cousins hanging out

hi james!

mom and dad holding james after flying into NY

dad letting stephanie have the first bite of mash potatoes

the thanksgiving table

mom working hard in the kitchen

daniel placing the star on the tree, and yes, he has his BYU jersey on for the Utah v. BYU game (go Cougs!!)

Cindy holding James before his blessing

One Month

1 Month!

James is a month old and is all smiles. His Uncle Taylor came in town for the weekend and he could not stop smiling the whole time he was here! James is also starting to coo and make other sweet little noises- I just love it! What a sweetheart. Daniel is becoming more loving with James and actually scolded Taylor a few times when he picked the baby up saying "that's mommy's baby! Put down!" He also reminded me to be 'gentle' yesterday when I was holding him. Thank you Daniel :)

Taylor trying to get little J to smile

Here are his stats from his 1 month check-up:

Height: 23 3/4 Inches - 95%

Weight: 12lb 8oz - 95%

Head Circumference: 15" - 50%

3 Weeks Old

3 weeks have come and gone faster than I can believe. Little James is a dream come true and both Bryson and I look at him and cannot believe he is ours. He eats all the time (and really prefers his meals at night) and weighed in at 11 pounds 6 oz at his 2 week appointment, so we are not really sure what his current weight is. He loves to be held all the time and wants so badly to hold his head up and be part of the conversation when are all sitting around. I think he prefers noise and activity since he becomes unsettled when placed in dark, quiet room, but this works wonderfully as Daniel is anything but quiet around him. Daniel is slowly warming up to the idea of a new little guy in the house and has thankfully been very gentle around him. I found him yesterday sitting behind James, holding his head and kissing him. It was so touched to see how sweet he was with the baby he calls proudly 'my little brother'.

I am hanging in there. I don't ever remember being so tired in all my life and unfortunately yesterday Daniel learned to climb out of his crib. I woke up 20 minutes into my nap (after feeding James every 1 1/2 hours all night long) to a little boy sitting on legs saying "mommy, wake up!". Hopefully this is not the end of Daniel's napping!

Thankfully we have been showered with love from so many people here in Rochester (and all over as well). I have had one wonderful meal after another delivered to my door, sweet friends stop by to see the baby, and a few mornings when people have picked up Daniel for a couple hours so I could rest. We really could not feel any more loved- so thank you!

Here are some recent photos of our cute little guy.

Happy be-lated Halloween!

I know this is a little late (now that baby #2 is here, everything seems to happen a little late!) but here are our pics from Halloween. I hope you all had a great night of trick or treating!

My cute little spider. He actually asked to be a spider this year and my mom miraculously found this great costume when she was out here a few weeks ago.
The loot. Not bad for a 2 year-old!

Our spider and little pumpkin. Daniel had such a great night and has asked me every night since to go trick or treating again. I wonder how long this is going to last!

sweet baby james

We have been home for over a week now and little James is doing great. My mom left yesterday and to say we will miss her is a huge understatement. She could not have been more wonderful or more helpful for the 2 + weeks she was here. Bryson's parents were also left yesterday and we are so happy they were able to come see the baby, even if it was a short trip.
We took James to the doctors on Monday (a week ago) and he had gained 8 oz since he left the hospital! He is such great eater, which is such a blessing since nursing was rather tricky with Daniel.
The birth story is a rather entertaining one- I still laugh when I think about that day, which was only a little over a week ago. I woke up that morning feeling normal (as normal as you can at 9 months) and my mother and I decided to take Daniel to Target to get the finishing touches for his Halloween costume and then to Chuck E Cheese to play some games. That night I noticed a few strong contractions, but I had been having fairly painful ones for over a week. I felt like I had been timing contractions on and off again for over two weeks, so this was nothing out of the ordinary. I was hungry, so I made myself a bowl of oatmeal and sat down on the chair to watch movie with Daniel and my mom. Minutes later I felt something that I can only describe as water balloon exploding under my seat and I knew right away that my water had broken. I was calm as I was sure I had plenty of time to get to the hospital, but my mom insisted that we throw the bags into the car and get to the hospital ASAP. We called Bryson at 9:59 PM to let him know that I was coming and to meet me outside the hospital to take me to the L & D floor (he was working a 27 hour trauma shift at the time). As soon as we got into the car the contractions started to become very strong, but I still thought we had plenty of time.
Bryson met us outside and we headed up to Labor and Delivery. By this time I was in quite a bit of pain. The doctor met us in the room and the first thing I said was that I wanted an epidural. He checked me and then said, "You are at a 10 and need to start pushing. There is no time for an epidural". I was pretty shocked and nervous but realized there was not much I could do at this point. He then measured my stomach and told me he believed the baby was around 8 pounds (which did not ease any anxiety that I had about not having pain medication!).
20 minutes later baby James was born at 11:02 PM, about an hour after my water broke at home. I think I in a state of shock when they placed him on my chest as everything seemed like a blur at that point. I was not prepared to have the baby so fast, but he could not have been more beautiful and I could not have been any more grateful to finally meet this adorable baby boy.
Luckily my mom had only got to the car when Bryson called her, so she and Daniel were able to come back up and meet the baby minutes after he was born. We were all shocked when the nurse yelled out that he weighed 9 pounds 7 oz.!! He was so (and still is) SO big! I think you will notice from the pictures that he does not look like a newborn, and definitely does not fit into ANY of his newborn clothing.
Despite the craziness of the night, the delivery could not have gone any better. Both me and baby are healthy and happy and we could not ask for anything more.

james looking very swollen, but still so adorable

the fam
cuddling with grandma bigler

bryson looks so proud!

i love his chubby baby legs and toes

the next day

the adorable outfit we took him home in (thanks aunt katy!)

daniel wanted to 'cuddle the baby' and was a little upset when we would not let him poke the baby's eye. luckily he has been very gentle with his new brother and usually ignores him most the time.

James Franklin is Here!

Our little boy made his entrance last night and both mother and baby are doing very well!

James Franklin Richards
Born Thursday, October 15th, 2009
11:02 PM
9 Pounds 7 oz.

We are in love!!

I promise to upload more photos and the birth story soon!

Picture Perfect

It took 2 different sessions (the first one ended with him throwing props at the photographer) but we finally got a few great photos of Daniel at the portrait studio. The photographer assured me that most 2 year-olds have a very difficult time, but I was still slightly mortified. Luckily he totally redeemed himself the second time as he sat there and smiled the whole time :)
I think they turned out so cute. Here they are:

Pregnancy Update

I cannot believe that I only have 3 weeks left before the big due date! I am getting so anxious to meet our new little boy. I do have to say that I am nervous to go through labor and even more nervous about having a newborn in the house again (I just remember sitting on the couch and nursing for what felt like ALL DAY LONG with Daniel!), but I know everything will work out well (plus my dear mother will be here to help).
Daniel seems to be in denial about the whole thing, that, or he really just does not care. This was our conversation this morning:

Me: Daniel, is mom's tummy getting SO big!
Daniel: Yes (which sounds like Yeth- he has a slight lisp), mommy's tummy is so BIG!
Me: Your little brother is in my tummy. Are you excited to meet him soon?
Daniel: Um... no.
Me: You don't want a little brother?
Daniel: No... a kitty!

This is one of our many conversations that usually end of with him either ignoring me when I ask about the baby or telling me there is a puppy or kitty in my stomach. I am very afraid that he is going to be in complete shock when we bring home a new baby! For all of you that have 2+ kids, please send some advice or insight my way as to how I can make this transition easier for little D- I would love to hear from you!
As for me, I have definitely hit that point where I feel pretty uncomfortable most of the time. Eating has become somewhat of a nightmare as anything (ANYTHING) I eat gives me heartburn and if I eat past 6 or so, I pretty much suffer all night long. But I really cannot complain too much- both me and the baby are happy and healthy and do not have much longer to go :) Again, I cannot wait to meet this little guy!!

Bryson took this pic the night we went out to celebrate my 28th B-day.

Scary!

I usually do not blog about things that go on in our day to day lives. This blog has been mostly dedicated to posting pictures for family and friends to see what we are doing, but something so scary happened to me today that I just feel the need to share.
Daniel and I were grocery shopping at Wegman's today (the world's GREATEST super-market) and he asked to get a slice of pizza, which sounded great to me as well, so I had no problem saying yes. We ate our lunch upstairs and as we were walking down to the main floor, he wanted to go get one of the free apples that they offer children in the bakery section. I had a few bags in one hand and his little hand wrapped around my other. We walked up to the bakery and I noticed he let go of my hand, but continued to stand next to me. I asked the bakery worker for an apple and within seconds I had a little red one in hand and looked down to hand it to Daniel. Yet, within that short time he had taken off and was gone. I scanned the room and did not see him. "Did you see which way my son went?", I asked her in a panicked voice. She had not.
I then started running all around the different aisles, bolting between the Chinese food section, bread, and the row of cakes and sweets. I still saw no sign of his little baby blue shorts, sandals, and curly blond hair. I realized that there were 3 huge exits to the street within feet of where we were standing. I was then convinced that someone had seen him, grabbed him, and had bolted to the parking lot. The thought that I would never see my little boy again popped into my racing mind. I started to yell out "has anyone seen a little boy?". People around me started looking as well. I felt like I was going to vomit. I then ran across the store to the produce section, bolting from each different area looking for my baby. It had only been about 3-4 minutes since he was holding my hand, but it felt like I had been running aimlessly, in slow motion, in the store for an hour. Just then I looked over a large display of peaches to see a sweet looking women holding Daniel. He had a huge grin on his face (with pizza sauce still on it) and was holding his arms around her. I ran over and grabbed him, almost squeezing the life out of the little guy. She said she found him near the Halloween candy display and figured he was lost. I thanked her profusely and then noticed that I was shaking, my heart was beating rapidly, and I started to cry. She put an arm around me and said "it happens to the best of us". I thanked her again and held onto Daniel ever so tightly as we walked out of the store to our car. I was still crying and just sat in the front seat with him for a while so that I could hold him a little longer before putting him in the car seat.
This may seem a little dramatic to some of you, and maybe I am being slightly irrational (due to pregnancy hormones?) but it was such an awful experience. The whole way home I talked to him about 'staying close to mommy' but what was really going through my mind was the horror of never seeing Daniel again and how my life would really be over without him. It could be that I have been following the horrible Jaycee Duggard story too closely, but I do think that the threat of children being abducted in a place like the grocery is very real. I cannot imagine what parents go through when they lose a child- it would be the most horrible and tragic thing to ever happen to someone.
I have decided that I am going TODAY to get one of those backpacks with the strap attached to them.

Big 30!

Yes... my sweet hubby turned 30 today!! I can't believe it. We already celebrated the big day with a little bowling party last weekend (I will post some pics in the near future) since Bryson has a really hectic week. This morning he came home after a 27 hour shift and the three of us had a yummy German Pancake breakfast and opened cards and gifts.
At his little shin-dig I had a contest to see how well 'you know Bryson and the year he was born-1979'. Here are the questions I asked:
How well do you know Bryson (and 1979- the great year he was born)?

1) Bryson was born in:
a. Maryland
b. Utah
c. Texas
d. Virginia
2) What was the top hit on the Billboards Chart in 1979?
a. We are family- Sister Sledge
b. Message in a bottle- The Police
c. Rapper’s Delight- The Sugarhill Gang
d. Another Brick in the Wall- Pink Floyd
3) How much did a stamp cost?
a. $0.11
b. $0.13
c. $0.15
d. $0.17
4) Bryson did the following to celebrate his Elementary School Graduation:
a. Ditch school and the big graduation
b. Put 2 snakes in his teacher’s desk
c. Rent a limo to pick him and his friends up outside of the school to go get lunch and baseball cards.
d. Start the school on fire.
5) Bryson is the ___________ of 10 kids?
a) Oldest
b) Youngest
c) Middle
d) Are you crazy- he does not come from 10 kids!
6) The top grossing movie of 1979 was:
a. Kramer vs. Kramer
b. The Muppet Movie
c. The China Syndrome
d. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
7) Bryson is fluent in what language (other than English):
a. Spanish
b. French
c. Portuguese
d. German
8) Who won the Super Bowl in 1979?
a. Steelers
b. Cowboys
c. Chargers
d. Seahawks
9) Bryson played the following instrument as a kid:
a. Tuba
b. Piano
c. Sax
d. Violin
10) Bryson was pulled over and taken to jail wearing a mullet, cut off shirt, and sporting a few sweet fake tattoos (on his way to a Monster Truck Rally with friends in college) for the following:
a. Failure to yield to a pedestrian
b. Unpaid Parking tickets (which had been sent to his 80 year-old grandma’s house)
c. Expired Registration (which the notice was sent to his 80 year-old grandma’s house)
d. Expired license (which the notice was sent to his 80 year-old grandma’s house)
11) True or False? Bryson is an Eagle Scout:
a. True
b. False
12) One of Bryson’s hidden talents is:
a. Karaoke
b. Chess
c. Curling
d. Ballroom Dancing
13) Bryson played collegiate lacrosse (and intramural soccer), but what was his favorite thing to do in college?
a. Study for Organic Chemistry
b. Pick up chicks
c. Rock climb
d. Snow ski
14) Which baby is Bryson?

a.

b.

c.

d.

Answers: 1) D 2) D 3) B 4) C 5) A 6) A 7) C 8) A 9) B 10) D (probably B too) 11) C

Hope you have a great day Bryson!!! I am so proud of all you have accomplished in your 30 years and cannot wait to see what the next 30 hold for both you and us :)

Summer, Part II

I cannot believe it is September and we are drawing near to Fall. Summer is pretty much over- where did the time go? I am so excited for our upstate NY fall, but I will miss all the warm weather and sun we have enjoyed this summer. I also could not have been happier spending so much time with our loved ones- what a treat :) As always, my pictures are out of order. We spent 2 fabulous weeks at Deep Creek this year with the Richards. Daniel and I drove home and on our way, we stopped by NYC to spend some time with Marylynn and Zoe Thomas. Here are the pics:

Marylynn and I with Daniel and Zoe in Times Square

Daniel could not figure out why he could not eat this large and wonderful M&M


It was a struggle leaving FAO Schwartz without 20 stuffed animals, but we managed to do it!

I really think he would have played on the piano all day. I finally had to take him off since there was a large line forming to get on, but he was SO cute running up and down the keys.

Chasing pigeons in Columbus Circle


DEEP CREEK!!

On the boat with two of my favorite girls (and little Jordy & Jayne)

Yes... we had the annual 'Richards' Challenge', and as it is every year, my team rocked it!!

Daniel being cuddled by his aunts Crystal and Lauren

Bryson and Frank hanging out in front of the campfire

Daniel, Jordan, and Ryan throwing rocks into the water

Jordan's famous 'smile' face

Climbing rocks on the beach

Daniel came up to me with this very determined face and said "I wanna hit momma!'


Then he hit me with the noodle and made this face.

What is better than running around outside barefoot with a chocolate ice cream? I am not sure

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting our precious new niece Jayne Magelby!! I must tell you that this girl is so beautiful and may be the best baby I have ever been around. I was there 2 weeks and I may have heard her cry 2 or 3 times- honestly!!

Summer!

This summer has been so wonderful so far. We have been so spoiled as we have been able to spend so much time with family and in the sun! I uploaded my pictures out of order, and I am having a hard time moving them around, so I am starting with the end of our vacation and working forward.

We ended our vacation with a great night in Las Vegas. My sister Katy got my mom, dad, Bryson, Lizzy, and Nancy all tickets to go to the Donny and Marie Show. They were so cute and we got to go backstage and meet them afterward. Then we went to Lawry's for a fabulous prime rib dinner- it was so delicious!

We spent a few nights out on the houseboat at Lake Mead. The weather was hot (of course) but the water was perfect.
This looks rather uncomfortable- poor kid!

Bryson looked great out on the wakeboard despite the fact it was his first time this season

Before we went to the Las Vegas and the lake, we spent 4 days on Solana Beach in San Diego. We could not have asked for better weather and it was SO fun to spend time with Katy, Justin, Tommy, and Lizzy (and of course my Dad).

Daniel and my dad at the San Diego Zoo. He loved riding the 'big zoo school bus'

Katy and I in front of the Panda exhibit

Tommy and Daniel loving the fish

The orangutans were so cute. They were just as interested in us as we were in them.

Tommy relaxing in the flower beds in front of the beach house

Lizzy and Daniel buried in the sand

beautiful little lizzy on the beach

The grand kids burying grandpa

The weekend before we headed out West, Bryson's family came up to visit. It was a short trip, but we were able to do so much, including the Palmyra Pageant.

bowling

playing on Lake Ontario Beach

yes...the water is green due to an algae outbreak, but Daniel still managed to have a great time. I, however, did not go anywhere near the water.

Daniel, Lauren, and Adam

Lauren and I checking out the skate board competition at the lake.

Catch-Up

This summer is flying by and we have been busy! Between birthdays, trips, and holidays I have had little time to blog- but here are a few highlights from the past few months :)

Daniel's 2nd Birthday Party

The summer started off with Daniel's 2nd birthday on June 1st. I planned it as a swim party, but since it was in the mid 60's, only a few kids braved the water. Luckily Bryson came to the rescue by putting warm water in the pool, so I guess it was not too frigid. The pictures are actually out of order, but it was a great day filled with pizza, cake, swimming, presents, sandbox, balloons, and of course, friends.

Daniel looks cold but having fun with friends
The Happy Happy Birthday Boy!

Loving the cake

He easily blew out his candle and wanted to 'do it again'!

Some of the attendees

It is SO fun to be 2!

One of the 2 cakes I made (It was an attempt to make a Disney 'Cars' cake)

This one was a little prettier

Some of the party food

Memorial Day

What is better than a cupcake in the pool? I really don't know.

Lots of babies!
Some of the delish food we ate that day

Bryson's Plastic Surgery Gradation Party

(No... he did not graduate, but will in 4 years!)

Some of Bryson's good friends in the program
Us at the very fun party

4th of July

At a surgical resident BBQ

Enjoying the great weather

This picture is not the best quality, but it was dark and I did not have my good camera. We watched the fireworks next to the Genessee River downtown Rochester. Since we were literally RIGHT under where they were lighting them off, they were the BEST fireworks I have ever seen!! Daniel loved them.

Brown's Berry Patch

Feeding the goats

The Fam on the enormous jump pad

Daniel helping me look for the ripe raspberries.

Bryson pulling our little berry picker on the wagon

We learned that if you let your little 2 year-old eat pounds and pounds of berries, they will have some GI issues later that night! Poor Daniel, but at least he had fun while we were there!


MORE PICS TO COME! I did not have my camera while we were vacationing in Las Vegas with my family, but as soon as I get the pics I will post them :) Hope you are having a great summer!

Little Jordy is 2!!

My sweet little nephew, Jordan (or Jordy, as we call him) turns 2 tomorrow!! I really have so much love for this little guy as he was born only 2 days after Daniel and we have been able to spend SO much time with him these past 2 years :) Jordan is such a sweet and kind little boy who is enamored with trucks (which he pronounces 'butt crack' for big truck!), balls, water, and basically all things boy. He has the sweetest little smile and laugh and I am so happy that Daniel will always have this wonderful boy to call his cousin and dear friend. I love you Jordan and hope you have a wonderful birthday!!!

2 years gone by 2 fast!

Dear Daniel,
Tomorrow you turn 2 and I just want to say thank you for making me the happiest mommy in the world. Your dad and I agree that these past 2 years that have been the best of our lives and we cannot even remember life before you came into our family. You are the light and joy of our every day and we love you so much. I know this is cliche, but it really does seem like yesterday the doctors placed you in my arms in the hospital and you became our son. It amazes me how much love for life you have after only living for 2 years - you are so full of joy and energy and I feel so blessed to spend my days with you. I love you more than you will ever know and I hope you have a great day tomorrow!!!
xoxo- Mommy

No Show :(

For all of you that tuned into 'Rate My Space' last night ... they aired the wrong show!! I was SO bummed as I have been waiting months to see their episode :( I guess producers from the show called Katy yesterday to apologize and told her that their show will air this Saturday night (tomorrow night). Hopefully you will be able to catch that one. Sorry for the mess-up!

Watch it!

My sister Katy's episode of 'Rate My Space' airs today on HGTV at 5:30 PM EST- so don't miss it!! I have only seen pics of her new 'space' so I am SO excited to watch how they renovated her beautiful new living room. I am not sure when it comes on on the West Coast, but I think it is the same time (I think- you will have to check). Anyway, anyone in Rochester who wants to come over and watch it with me is welcome!!

And Baby #2 is a....

Another wonderful, ball-loving, food-throwing, cuddly, crazy boy in the house - we can't wait!

I had the ultrasound this morning and thankfully the baby's anatomy looks great. The little guy had his feet tucked up under him (so cute), so for a while there it looked like baby # 2 would remain an 'it'. The ultrasound tech had me use the restroom, walk around, and move positions. Even after all of that he was still covering himself. She said, "I am going to give it one more try" and seconds later we FINALLY saw what we had been waiting to see for months!

Bath Time

Baths are somewhat of an Olympic event in our house with swimming, floating, splashing, and kicking all occurring each and every night. Daniel loves baths but often requests "no soap momma!", which I have to ignore since he gets so stinky at the end of the day (especially his feet)! Here are a few pics from the other night:relaxing, I guess?

floating

The bruise on his head is from where he fell of his trike earlier that day- poor kid!

What is this face?!Even after the water is drained he has a hard time getting out. I guess he is just winding down a little here, maybe meditating about his busy day? :)

My two boys :)

Happy Belated Mother's Day!!

I know this is very late, but I hope ALL the wonderful moms out there had a great Mother's Day! I have decided that Mother's Day is really a day of gratitude for so many reason. Here is a small list of the things I felt grateful for last Sunday:

1) My own wonderful mother who to this day continues to show me how to be a loving and selfless mother.

2) The incredible opportunity I have on this Earth to care for and nurture children of my own. I don't think about it enough (nor give enough thanks) for such an amazing gift that we women have! How awesome to be entrusted with beautiful spirits to raise. It is such a joy and I feel so very blessed get to take on the challenge of being a mother.

3) I am so fortunate to have such great examples of mothers all around me; my mom, sister Kate, mother-in-law Cindy , sister-in-law Shannon, and all my friends who are raising children as well. They are all such inspirations to me and continually make me want to be a better mother.

4) And last but definitely not least, my wonderful husband, Bryson. Bryson makes me feel like I am the best mom in the world. He works so hard to support my in my role and inspires me to be better every day. I could never ever do it without him.

Speaking of my cute hubby- even after working a 27 hour shift in the hospital (with NO sleep), he came home on Sunday morning, got Daniel ready, went to church, and surprised me with cards, beautiful flowers, and a delicious chocolate cake. He is the BEST!

Finally Some Sun!

Bryson had a week off last month and we were both in need of some serious sun (it is STILL cold in Rochester) and R & R. Shannon and Cindy so kindly offered to watch Daniel for us while we went on a 3 1/2 day, 4 night Caribbean cruise. It was so so so wonderful sleeping in, eating more food than I will admit to, and reading in the sun. Despite being blissfully content on our cruise, we both missed Daniel so much and were very excited to fly home to see him. We actually spent most the trip talking about him. I guess every morning when Cindy pulled him from his crib, Daniel would say ''mommy, daddy bye bye... but back later''. It seemed like the poor kid was reassuring himself that we would come back! He was very busy the week were gone and was in great hands, so I know that despite missing us, he had a great time.

We started the trip off spending the weekend in Maryland with the Richards

Daniel, Elyse, Adam, and Ryan riding in the jeep to go get ice cream
Daniel and Jordan loving their sweet treat. We took the kids to watch the planes land at the airport in D.C.

Daniel could not contain his excitement! He loved it :)

Bryson teaching Daniel how to skip stones into the Potomac River.
Monday morning we caught a very early flight to Miami and boarded our boat.

Miami looked so beautiful in the back round as we left the port.

Our first port was Key West and the weather could not have been better

I had never been to Key West and really enjoyed walking around what I thought to be a cheery and quaint beach town.

The water was really beautiful as well

Sory for the cheesy pic- but it really was a romantic spot :)
The 2nd night was our 'formal night'. I really think it is such a treat to get dressed up and to go out to dinner with your husband. It was such a fun night.

The next day we were scheduled to dock at Cozumel, but due to the Swine Flu, the cruise decided to spend the day at Nassau (which I was thrilled as I think it is so much prettier in the Bahamas than Cozumel). We walked all over the Atlantis Hotel- which was amazing!

Atlantis has the most incredible aquarium. They also have 4 or 5 pools filled with all sorts of sea life. This one was full of sting rays.

There were also tons of sharks. The one behind me was one of the smaller ones in the tank.The tour guide told us that there are rooms below the tank (the 'Underwater Rooms') that go for $25,000.00 a night, minimum of 4 nights! I guess Michael Jackson is a frequent visitor to these special rooms. That pretty much ruined it for me.
Inside was really beautiful as well

Hanging out on the beach
Bryson saying goodbye to the Bahamas as we sailed off

Our ship :) It was our first time on a Carnival ship and everything was great- the food, rooms, service, boat, and entertainment. It really was a perfect week!

Our last night on the boat. There was a midnight Mexican Buffet on the Lido deck and live entertainment. I miss the cruise!! But I think it will be a while before I can leave my little D again! It was hard to leave him :(

A great week!

We had such a great week with Shannon, Jordan, Adam, and Elyse! They came down for their spring break and despite the snow (yes... it snowed here) and cold temperatures, we managed to plan tons of un activities which made for one awesome week!

Elyse showing Daniel how to play put put

Adam and Elyse striking a sweet golf pose
Shannon and Jordan and the Strong Children's Museum Sesame Street Exhibit

I love this pic of Elyse- she looks so cute!

The two boys working on their Mr. Potato Head toys at the museum

Daniel's first official Easter egg hunt! Once he figured out that there was candy in the eggs, the hunt was over. He sat down on the ground and proceeded to eat EVERYTHING in all of the eggs in his basket. He then realized he could not swallow everything he had shoved in his mouth and spit it out. Then he went looking for more eggs only to do the same thing! We got it on video, but I am having a hard time uploading it. We were laughing so hard :)

Jordan looking for eggs
The highlight of the trip was our visit to Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Canada. We spent one night there and two days playing at the amazing indoor water park. There was also a great arcade, craft room, and my favorite, a yummy dinner and breakfast buffet. Adam and Elyse also had their own 'bear den' to sleep in with bunk beds and a private TV and Nintendo system.

Here is a view of the kiddie pool. It was so warm and had slides and toys for toddlers.

It was so steamy in the park, but I tried to get a good shot of the water slides.

Again- my lens was fogged up, but here I am at the wave pool with Daniel and Jordan.

Ready to swim!
The boys bundled up after a long day at the water park

The entrance was so cute- they had talking animals to greet you.

Adam and Elyse trying to stay warm by the falls (right down the road from the Wolf Lodge)

Daniel's Special Message

We could not be any happier!! And we can't wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl :)

New Hair

When I married Bryson I envisioned all our children to have blond ringlets since his hair is so thick and curly (and we both were blond as babies). Daniel definitely has light hair- but it is more wavy than curly. We came to the conclusion that Daniel's 'curls' were never going to come in and that his hair was far too shaggy- so we gave him a little trim. I think it turned out great! Here are a few pics post-haircut:

And I was far too sick of my blond hair. Well, actually, I was sick of paying WAY too much for highlights, having to sit for 3 + hours in a stinky salon to get them done, and seeing dark roots in a matter of weeks after all of that. Being blond was a pain and I am thrilled with my new color. It is much darker than my natural, but so much prettier than the nasty mousy hue that I sadly call my own. Who knows- I may feel the need to go light again once summer hits but I am loving the dark right now :)

(thanks Bryson for taking the pic :)