Baby Sean is Here!!!

We have some exciting news... little baby Sean was born on Thusday, June 11th 2009 at 1:21pm! Their little man weighed in at 8.3 lbs and has light hair and blue eyes. Both Mom and Baby are doing very well.

Medford Wine and Art Festival and Babies

This weekend was wonderful. Jon had two different golf tournaments. So, he was a little busy. Saturdays tournament had a dinner/BBQ at the Flying W afterwards. We brought Jake and he had a blast. He loved seeing the airplanes and our friends got to spend some time with him which was nice. On Sunday, we went to the Medford Wine and Art Festival. It was really neat. I love walking down Main Street. Our new house is close enough that we can walk. Jake had fun people watching and walking around.The weather was beautiful so we decided to have a family BBQ Sunday night and everybody took a dip in the pool. Everybody except Jake of course! So, far he has not shown much interest in the pool. It suprises me because he loved swimming at the Y. I am determined to make him a pool kid. I love being in the pool and could stay in there all day. So, I am just gonna keep trying!

OH, my friend Lindsay had a beautiful baby boy. They named him Chad Jonathon "CJ" Unitas. So cute. I can't wait to go and see him once my nephew is born. We are still waiting on little mister Sean. My sister has an appt. tomorrow so we shall see..

Library Day

Reading a Barney Book
Found a cool toy

People Watching, His Favorite!

My Wish

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

and each road leads you where you want to go,

and if you're faced with a choice,

and you have to choose,

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

and if one door opens to another door closed,I

hope you keep on walkin' 'til you find the window,

if it's cold outside,show the world the warmth of your smile,

but more than anything, more than anything,

My wish,

for you,

is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

your dreams stay big,

your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you,

and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this,

is my wish.

I hope you never look back,

but ya never forget,

all the ones who love you,

in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive,

and you never regret,

and you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace,

in every mistake,

and always give more then you take.

But more than anything,

Yeah, and more than anything,

My wish, for you,

is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

your dreams stay big,

and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you,

and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this,

is my wish.

-Rascal Flatts

June Update

First of all I can't believe that it is June already. So crazy. Jon, Jake and I have been enjoying the weather every chance we get. Each day seems to fly by now that we can be outside. Jake and I both love being outdoors. We stay out as much and as long as we can. Recently, we have been exploring more parks and playing in our own yard a lot! I have been enjoying the pool and Jake has been loving our new outdoor toys (donated to us by my amazingly generous neighbor Karen and her children.) Jake is talking more each day. Also, he finally beginning to use some sign language. I have been showing him the same signs for months ans thought maybe it was a waste of effort! Then, all of a sudden he just signed. He can say "all done" in and "more." Both are very helpful with mealtimes. His frustration levels have really gone down lately too. The more I help him communicate, the better he has been! He now says,"help," which sounds more like up when he gets frustrated with a toy. I love it and he likes that I can help him when he needs it. I absolutely love this age. He is such fun! I can sing songs to him and teach him new things. I really get satisfaction out of teaching him. I look forward to teaching Jake the alphabet and how to read. It is amazing to me how fast he can learn and how much he remembers.

Jake brushing my hair

We are also anxiously awating the arrival of my nephew Sean. My sister is ready to go, but her due date is June 10th. We will know more by tomorrow when she has another ultrasound. Our bags are packed and we are excited!!!!

Parks, parks and more parks

Lately, Jake and I have been slightly obsessed with going to the park. This week alone, we have been to 3 parks. A few days ago I was on the way back from shopping and spotted a new fun park with a lake. Then, yesterday AM we went to Freedom Park with our friends and had so much fun! The weather was perfect and we even stayed for lunch. Then this morning, we went to visit Daddy at work and played on the playground over there. Jake loves exploring and has NO fear. You can't take your eyes off of him. I love that he has such energy. There is no couch potato in this little boy. We go on daily walks and stay outside pretty much all day if it is nice. Oh... an update... after a few hard core days of discipline, the biting has ceased! He is still getting frustrated at times, but we are working through those moments with eye contact and increased communication. The more patient and positive I am, the better off he is! So far, so good.

Trying Ice Cream and New Ad

Jake was allowed to try mommy's ice cream last night!! He doesn't have a sweet tooth yet, but he LOVED it! We didn't get the best video of it because by the time it was rolling, he was kind of over it. He just kept coming back for more and saying,"peesseeee" How could I resist?

Jake's newest Toy's r Us ad... he is the little one in the lower left corner... hehe

Weekend with McKenzie

Jake and I had a fun weekend together. Jon was away for a golf trip with his friends. So, Jake and I treated ourselves to dinner out on Friday. Then we had friends in on Saturday. My friend Chrissy came up from Baltimore and brought her little girl McKenzie. She is a month older than Jake and they could pass for twins. They played together and we had some fun mommy time once they were asleep. It was so nice to be with Chrissy and just hang out. I miss having my girls around me. Life is so crazy that we only get to see each other a few times a year. I cherish them whenever they come around. Chrissy and I were pregnant at the same time, both two weeks late, both had unexpected c-sections, sleep trained our babies around the same time and now we are experiencing toddler life together. It has been a crazy journey, but a fun one. I loved seeing her as a mommy and although Jake was a little rough boy at times, they had lots of fun! Here are a few pics...

Sharing/fighting over a pretend cheerio box in the morning
Diaper time, just woke up!

Babas and blankies

Barney...enough said

Bath time, for some reason Jake only lasted five minutes

I was that mom at Target today...

I knew parenting would be tough, but I think I underestimated just how mentally exhausting it can be. Jake has entered many new stages this past month. Some are amazing and wonderful and others... well... tough. Jake is a sweet, funny little mama's boy. He can play independently and loves to be snuggled and loved. He is also a busy bee and very active. The kid never stops moving. It is truly amazing. Up until a few months ago I would see bits and pieces of resistence but overall he was very well mannered and pretty easy. Lately, he has started throwing major temper tantrums and biting out of frustration!!! I never thought I'd have a kid that bites. It horrifies me to tell you the truth.

Jake found the playing cards!
Jake with his cuz in the bath
Playing peekaboo with the camera

I am doing a lot of reading about these new found behaviors. I am slowly accepting that Jake may be/is strong willed. I think this can be a wonderful trait and can benefit him later in life, but it is tough right now. I want to be a Godly, loving parent who adores her children for who they are. I also want to discipline when behavior is unacceptable in a way that is consistent and effective. Recenetly, it has been down right challenging. We are learning who is boss over here. Today Jake bit his cousin two times, ME and then threw a HUUGGEE tantrum at Target because he did not want to sit in the shopping cart. (which I have never not let him sit in) These things may sound small to some, but to me they are all new and overwhelming at times. I stuck to my word at Target and forced Jake to sit. He screamed louder than I am capable of. I was totally that mom...but, within 30 seconds he quieted down and sat the rest of the shopping trip. So success??? I guess. I was sweating afterwards because it was so embarrassing to me. I have never really cared what others think, but for some reason moments like that I do. I want them to know that he usually a good boy.I know who cares what these strangers think??? Most of all, I want to make sure Jake knows that I love him more than anything on earth and that I will put aside my own comforts for his best interest. I also want him to be respectful to me and to others. I am trying each day to discipline consistently and hope that I find joy in the little successes along the way. On a lighter note, Jake is still adorable and loves to give kisses and hugs and that always helps!

Jack and Jake learning what a clock says

Mother's Day

I had such a nice day yesterday. Jon is the best husband! He always makes me feel so special on mommies day! First we started off the day with Jake sleeping in (always amazing!) However, we had church nursery duty at 8:00. I was going to wake Jake, when Jon decided to let him sleep in and that he would go by himself. (luckily another woman was there to help him) So, I had some nice quiet morning time which around here is rare! Then, we spent the whole day together. We played outside in the sandbox, watched barney in bed together and walked to the park (my favorite thing to do) . Jon even fixed my bike seat so Jake and I can ride together now! You might notice I have new pics too. As if the day wasn't nice enough, Jon got me a new camera for Mother's day and it is pink!! We ended the day with take out from our favorite Italian restaurant and were in bed 8:00. It was an awesome day! Thanks hunny!

Jake loves going down the slide on someone's lapJake is learning to sit like a big boy. The newest lesson: Do not throw bowl full of food on floor!

Our little Jake the snake

Stomach Bus Strikes again!

Jake is a little sick over her with yet another stomach bug. This time is not as bad though and he is already showing signs of improvement! Last night he was so upset and worn out that he fell asleep in my arms. Even though he was sick, I loved the feeling of him sleeping in my arms! Definitely have baby fever again...
Jon and I are in the midst of draining and refilling our pool because we have some chemical issues... soo annoying... just want to swim!

Jake's new thing

Jake's new thing is that he loves to make people kiss. When Jon and I are standing close he pulls us together. Then, he smiles and giggles. Last night, we were all laying in bed watching Barney (ofcourse) and this went on for 10 mins. Here is a picture of Jake doing with my sister and I. Hillarious!

Nikki and Eko's Shower

This past weekend, we all headed down to Alexandria, Va to celebrate my sisters baby shower. It was so wonderful. The decoration looked great and the food was amazing. All of our guests came and had a nice time. It was so nice to see Nikki's friends and some of our dear family friends. Nikki looked beautiful as usual and she is just so happy to be so close to her due date. We had a sailing theme for the party becuse Eko loves to sail and their baby room will have a sailing theme. Carol found an amazing cake guy to do a sailboat cake for us! I cannot wait to meet my nephew and see my sister as a mom. Nikki is so kind, giving and thoughtful. She is going to be an amazing mommy! Eko is such a patient and gentle man and will make a wonderful daddy too. At the end of the weekend, we celebrated my dad's birthday at this adorable French Restaurant. Such a great weekend! I miss my family already!

Jake had fun and a lot of attention. He was very ready to be home by the end of the trip though and today we are focused on getting back to routines and normalcy. (is that a word?)

Weekend at Pop Pop and GG's

Last weekend, Jake and I took a trip down to B-more to visit my family and get ready for Nikki's baby shower. The weather was amazing and Jake loved being there! I had a anice relaxing weekend and a lot of help. It was so nice to spend quality time with fam and just do nothing together. I miss home sometimes and a nice long weekend together always make me feel better.

On my way home, I was reflecting on how different MD and New Jersey are. In MD, people drive slow... my pace, turtle. People fly Maryland flags and sing "Maryland, My Maryland" at their graduations! Talk about pride!! People are not in a rush and they are always friendly. Cashiers talk to you and you can always count on hearing random 80's and early 90's songs on the radio. (they are kind of stuck in a time warp on music) Although, I think it is easier to say the grass is greener when your not actually living there. I have come to love this place called, Jersey. The shore is 45 mins away and there are lakes everywhere. Everything is organized in little,"townships" instead of counties. Every town has a main street and people don't lock their doors (still bizarre to me). I have learned to speed up a little and realized that maybe some people just don't want to talk right now?? (again bizarre) I have also learned that it is not normal to say "grill out," or "going to the beach/ocean." Both places have their perks and all that matters is that your happy in the end and you make home where the heart is. However, I will always be a Maryland girl at heart.

Jake talking on the phone in a chair that GG and Pop Pop bought for him, and yes that is a sorority composite in the background. Dad loves it!

Jake hugging/crushing the poor cats

Hillarious...

http://vimeo.com/3263721