St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is my favorite day because it is my special day! This year was a very special day. We were at the Grand and enjoyed presents in the morning.



The boys both got St. Patrick's Day hats and Seasme Street bags. Andrew got a Fireman Sam DVD (something new to capture his attention for the ride home) and Sam got an Elmo book (soft and small one for the diaper bag).

I tried to get fun brother pictures of the boys and their hats. But this is how they turned out. I love these pictures because I have a feeling this is the start to many "I am not in the mood mom" pictures :)





When the boys took their afternoon nap, Owen treated me to a Special Day massage at the Grand Spa. It was heavenly. The Grand definitely knows how to spoil you. I could have stayed in the Spa all day long. But I didn't and when I got back to the room both boys were up and crying. Even though they were crying...I did like the hugs and cuddles that came with them just waking up and needing their momma.

This was also the day my parents watched the boys so Owen and I could go to the banquet. Even though it was a work function...it was still nice to be out on a date.

So, St. Patrick's Day 2012 was a very good one!

Mississippi Young Bankers Convention = Spring Break

Owen was able to go to the Mississippi Young Bankers Convention at the Grand in Point Clear, Al. This is a family centered conference so the boys and I got to tag along. Owen had meetings in the morning and then from lunch on he was free to hang out with us. The Convention even had family events for us to attend.

While Owen was in meetings I took the boys to the pool.





I wasn't worried how the week would go during the day, but night time worried me. When we first got there bed time for Andrew was later than normal and he had a meltdown. He wanted to go home and sleep in his bed. He tried every trick his book to get us in the car so we would go home. But 30 minutes later he was sound asleep. Sam was no problem. He woke up more than usual but even that was not too bad. After the first night both naptime and bedtime went very smoothly for Andrew. Here is a picture of the Andrew resting peacefully in the hotel room.



My parents came for the weekend to babysit the boys on Saturday night. The convention had a banquet so having my parents in town let me go to the convention. They had a nanny service but I was too unsure of it so luckily my parents volunteered to help us out. We are so lucky! While they were in town we got to hang out and enjoy the beautiful weather and views.



There was a playground at the hotel and it was a perfect one. Nothing was really too high or dangerous for Andrew so he had a blast. Here he is sliding down the curvy slide. He loved every minute of it!







Lastly, here is a picture from our room.



It was a great trip and a trip that helped us realize we can travel with two boys. I can't say enough good things about the experience.

Andrew and Sam

When Sam first came home Andrew didn't want to sit next him or even "hold" him. It was like Andrew knew Sam was too tiny. Now that Sam is awake and smiles at Andrew, Andrew has taken more of an interest. I can actually get the two of them propped up for a picture. Here are a few pictures of Andrew and Sam...







Ok...maybe more than a few. I just love taking pictures of the two of them.

Playtime with Sam

Sam is more and more awake during the day. He is very observant and seems to enjoy tummy time. He likes to look at himself in mirrors and has rolled over from his tummy to his back several times. He is so strong. He is also perfecting his smile. He will smile when we talk with him and especially when Andrew interacts with him. He is such a peaceful and playful baby.

Bath Time

We have been giving Sam and Andrew baths together. Not every bath time but it is helpful to get them both clean at the same time. We have had different experiences each time we do this. One time Andrew was extremely tired and fussy so he started crying which made Sam cry. Having two crying babies at the same time is strange and almost comical, especially when you know one is crying because of the other one.

Then last night we had a fun experience. Andrew had his mickey mouse toys in the bath tub and was asking Sam to watch them fall off the side of the bath tub. Then Andrew looks at Owen and says "Sam likes it". :)

Thomas the Train

A while ago I sent my parents a video of Andrew playing in a cardboard box. I guess it was when we moved in our home and had a lot of boxes to play in :). So my mom got the idea to make a Thomas the Train box for him to play in. She had fun designing it and Andrew loved it too. They brought it when they came for Sam's Sip and See. I thought the box would have been destroyed by now but it hasn't. He still likes climbing in and out of it. Andrew really likes when we push him in it.

Thanks Grandmom :)

Sip and See

A few of my close friends in Hattiesburg hosted a Sip and See for Sam. We had it at our house for a couple of reasons. One it was easier for Sam and the second so our friends could see where we moved. I could not have been more happy with how everything turned out - well except I should have taken more pictures. I was having so much fun talking to everyone and showing off Sam that I forgot about pictures. I did get a picture of the hostesses! I am so lucky to have these women in my life and am so happy that Sam was able to have a special day for him.

Easter Wreaths

We had Sam's Sip and See at our house a couple of weekends ago and I made these wreaths to go on our front door. There is a business in town who gives wreath making lessons and the owner came to talk at the Garden Club I am in. I paid very close attention so I could make my own wreath. I think I did pretty good for my first attempt. I am excited that I can do this now b/c our front doors are more narrow than most so finding door hanging items is hard. Now I can dress up our door more often and not spend a fortune :)

Andrew at 27 Months Old

"Silly Goose"

This is a phrase that Andrew is now saying. We think it is so funny. And Silly Goose sums up Andrew at 27 months perfectly. He is charming, smart and a joy to be around.

Here are a couple of his silly moments in pictures.





We are now having conversations with Andrew. Well we have been but his 2 to 3 phrases are now becoming true sentences. He is a sweet boy who still loves his momma. I am still doing the night time routine with him. We read 3 books, say our prayers, sing "Twinkle, Twinkle little star", Trucks (an Owen original song), "I love you" (from Barney) and the ABC's.

We have pushed his bed time back to 7 pm. We now eat together as a family when Owen gets home around 6 pm. I love family dinners, but it is causing me some stress b/c Andrew doesn't eat as much when he is eating what we eat. So hopefully this changes soon.

He can say his ABC's. He just now started saying K better. It used to be j,j and when he would use a K word it sounded like T. But this is getting better.

He can count to 10, but skips 7. He consistently forgets the #7.

Andrew is very opinionated and can be a little bossy. But he gets that honestly from me.

We call Saturdays "Pancake Day" because Andrew some how knows when it is Saturday and requests pancakes for breakfast. This means Owen and him get to go to McDonalds in their pjs and get pancakes for everyone. Andrew loves it! He wants the butter on his pancakes and syrup to dip the pancakes in.

He takes one nap a day. On weekends this is becoming more of an issue than ever before. Andrew has always been a good napper, but recently it has been hard for him to wind down and take a nap at home. He now gets out of his bed to play. But he does listen to bribes so this is working for now. For example, I told him he can't throw his animals and pillows down or he won't get to watch any Fireman Sam for the rest of the day. So what does Andrew do...he still throws all of his animals down, plays a little bit and then puts them back on his bed when he falls asleep. I have seen him do this on the video monitor. Fireman Sam has been a great bargaining tool at our house.

I think that sums up Andrew for the month. I am sure I am missing some fun memories.

Andrew's Mommy and Me class

I decided to try Mommy and Me once more with Andrew and Sam together. I knew I could do it, but the Valentines Day party was very overwhelming. Before we went Andrew and I had a pep talk. I encouraged him to listen to Ms. Madalene (the teacher) and to follow her instructions. For example if she asks you to play with the balls - you play with the balls or if she asks you to get mommy a toy - you get mommy a toy. Well Andrew proved to me yet again that he is smart and really understands you because he participated and was an angel. At one point he kept going over to the kitchen. There is a kid gate but he knocked it over two weeks ago and I wasn't going to have him start that again. At the beginning of class we was intrigued and kept going over there. I pulled him to the side and in my "I mean business" voice I told him if he goes over there again we are leaving - no questions and no warnings. And he listened!! Now to be fair he did try a couple of times but listened when I told him no. And he may have sneaked over there once but that is not the point. The point is he is a great child and he impresses me on a daily basis.

Here is a picture of all three of us having a wonderful Mommy and son outing :)

Sam's first Mommy and Me - the first year

Yesterday Sam and I went to Mommy and Me. Oh my heart melts with this class. He is the youngest by one month. The oldest is a year old. Sam did great. He cooed, he looked around, and he melted my heart minute after minute.



Here is Sam participating in texture time. He loved it and showed off by lifted his head high.

One memory I want to remember is when we sang the "Hippo" song. You swing your child from side to side or up and down. I held Sam pretty close but did try to do those motions. Sam gave me the most precious yet terrified look. He had not felt that movement before and his surprised face was so sweet.

Sam at 2 months

I like this picture because he is smiling


My handsome baby boy

Sam is now 2 months old. He is growing so fast - too fast.

He is more awake now and very observant. He will sit and stare and memorize his environment. I am enjoying him so much at 2months.

Here are some Sam facts!
* He eats every two hours - sometimes (and by that I mean rarely) he will wait 2 1/2 hours.
* He is not fond of the bottle and refuses to drink formula. I can take the formula request, but the bottle is going to be a hard one for us all since he will be joining Andrew at day care at the end of month. He does drink out of the bottle, but it is slow and you can tell he is not happy about it.
* He is becoming very good at the eat, play, sleep schedule. In fact his naps are so much better when this happens.
* He usually goes to sleep for the night while I hold him between 7 and 8 pm. Then I put him in his bed after 9 pm and he sleeps until anywhere between 3 and 5 am. I feed him again and he is good until 6:15 or 6:30 am. Having him sleep until then is great because it helps me get Andrew up and eating breakfast before I get Sam.
* He still gets swaddled at night but his hands usually break through at some point during the night.
* He has ROLLED over several times. First time was at 7 weeks. I even have it on video. He actually likes tummy time.
* He is making new noises now and is starting smile at us.

We had Sam's 2 month check up last Friday and he is definitely a growing boy. Here are his stats:
weight: 14 lbs and 2 oz (94th percentile)
height: 24 and 1/8 inches (90th percentile)

He is an absolute blessing. He is still a peaceful and happy baby. He fits in perfectly with us and am so in love with him.