Pappy's Here for a Visit!

Ric's dad was able to come to town this weekend and spend some time with us, and especially his new granddaughter!

Ryan is thrilled to have "Pappy" here - and he keeps saying his name over and over. His favorite thing? Playing ball with Pappy...which really means, throwing the beach ball in his general direction, and then chasing it when Pappy throws it back. (Ryan doesn't have the "hang" of catching the ball yet.)



We're so glad that Pappy made the trip from Pittsburgh to visit! :)

A Beautiful Day for a Temple Sealing

Ric and I had the wonderful opportunity to join our friends Harry and Debby Jones and their kids at the Boston Temple today as they were sealed together as an eternal family.

It was such an incredible experience! As part of the sealing, I was asked to stand in as proxy for their daughter who passed away when she was 5 a couple of years ago. It was so incredible to kneel at the altar with this incredible family and help them to become a complete family. I was so honored to be asked to help them. (THANKS guys for the opportunity!)

Congratulations to you all - it was a special day and we were so happy to be a part of it!

Cupcake Mustache!

Do you think he liked it? :)

Being cute...

Look at those little cheeks! She's getting so big! I can't believe how fast 6 weeks has flown by! Now she's starting to smile - and I'm starting to feel like myself again! (In fact...I actually went to Target earlier this week with BOTH kids all by myself! It's the little things, you know?)


Ummm...I think it's just a lucky shot that I got her winking! Of course...just after I took this picture, she spit up her breakfast! hehe






Hey Bright Eyes! :)

As she sleeps...

Don't you just love this? I could watch her all day - it does wonders for my blood pressure! :)

Bugged!

Well, I guess since Ryan is a boy, it was bound to happen...

I was sitting on the couch the other day feeding Megan while Ryan was playing by the front door. He came over to me with his hand held out saying "Bee, Bee" over and over. He held out his hand and proudly displayed a dead beetle.

Hmmm....

Of course I told him to throw it away, it was "dirty" (his new favorite word), but no...he kept on playing with it. Since I was stuck on the couch for a little while longer, all I could do was shake my head and laugh pitifully. Yes, he pretty much mangled it and eventually it was in pieces that could only be picked up by the vacuum. (Good thing I vacuum at least once a day now! It's the only way to keep up with the crumbs!)

It begins...a boy and his bugs! *sigh*

Back to school for Mom

Wednesday and Thursday were days that we were anticipating for some time and a little nervous about when they arrived. Marni returned to teaching again at New England Tech for two classes; Wednesday afternoon and Thursday night. Our biggest concern was the baby-sitting arrangements on Wednesday (4 hours for class) and me getting home from work early enough to get the "hand-off" from Mommy.

This week went well and last night's "hand-off" to Daddy was near flawless with Mommy and Ryan waiting in the front yard while Daddy parked his car. Marni left immediately (a little rushed to get to class) and I spent time with Ryan outside while Megan was sleeping in the house. All-in-all, this week went well.

Ric

Score: Ryan 2, Nursery 0

Round two of Ryan meets the Nursery at church today and currently, the score is Ryan 2, Nursery 0 . This is the second week in a row that Ryan didn't last in the Nursery room. Just as the wee ones were getting started in the nursery today, there was a major outbreak of crying by at least 3-4 tots which seemed to only worsen the situation. So after about 15 minutes of hysterics from Ryan and others, Ryan was paroled to the hallway with Dad for a while. When it came time for songs and food, Daddy deposited Ryan back in the nursery with the others since it seemed that they might have settled down and accepted their fates for the next two hours, but this time Ryan received and executive pardon for the remainder of the day and was sent to the Primary room with Mommy and Sister Jessica Miller while Daddy ruled over the Young Men in the Bishop's office for today's lesson.

I Love You

Ryan has been signing "I love you" for a while...

Last night he said it! :) This kid just melts my heart over and over again!

Our first adventure OUT!

OK...so it really shouldn't be so hard, but it seems SO overwhelming when I think about taking BOTH kids out in the car to a store, etc!

It had to be done today though...I had to make a bank deposit. Plus, the ladies at the bank had been begging to see Megs, so I did it. Guess what? We survived!

It's a logistical puzzle though, do I take Ryan out of his seat first? Or Megan. If I take Ryan out, I run the risk of him running through the parking lot into the street. If I take Megan out, I have to set her down somewhere to get Ryan. I decided I would get Megan first, set her on the sidewalk, then get Ryan.

We ventured into the bank...luckily, there weren't a ton of people in there. Ryan decides he's going to run all through the lobby while the girls pay attention to Megan. Of course, he doesn't want to leave when the time comes and decides to plop himself on the pavement when I try to pick him up to put him in his seat.

But we made it...it was short and sweet. Whew!

PS -Yes I could have used the drive through, which I use every other time, but it was fun to show Megan off!

Monday's Word of the Day

Ryan seems to be saying a new word every day lately. Just a few days ago it was "hippo", yesterday it was "church" (which actually sounded more like "douche"...hmmm....)

Today? My dad would be proud...

Ehh-ooo-cop-ah (Translation...Helicopter)

I pointed to a picture of one and asked him what it was...I almost cried - it was so cute!

Wall Art

Isn't this lovely? We think it's pencil, but haven't tried to remove it yet.

No idea when or how it happened. How Ryan got a hold of something to scribble with is anyone's guess.

Magic Eraser to the rescue! :) (I should buy stock in that company...)

One Month Old! (Already?)

Yes, it's a blurry picture, but I love how she stuck her tongue out! :)

One month old today! WOW! Time goes even faster when you have two kids!

Megs had her 1-Month checkup today. She is about 21 1/2 inches long (hard to tell because she just doesn't stretch out all the way to get measured!) AND she weighs 10 pounds 13 ounces! Big girl!

She doesn't look like a 10 pounder to me, but she's so long it's all spread out!

Megan is a joy to have in our family! Even big brother Ryan loves to give her kisses!

Mommy SHOULD have seen this coming!

Just wondering....does "Helpful Hints from Heloise" have a suggestion about cleaning cottage cheese from the carpet?

Does a person wait until it dries a little and then sweep/vacuum it up? Or does a person get on her hands and knees and pick up each slimy piece?

Hmmmm...so much for multi-tasking. I *thought* it was a good idea to give Ryan some lunch while I fed Megan. Well...from across the room, I couldn't do a whole lot to prevent this little scene from unfolding.


Usually he does really well with a spoon and lunch, but apparently, he wasn't too excited about his cottage cheese. It even ended up in his hair (which went VERY well with the jam from breakfast!), down his diaper (how that happened I'll never know), and as you can see, all over the floor.

*sigh* just in time for a stamping club meeting tonight!





If you look really close, you can see the white specks of cheese in his hair, on his face, and on his shirt!

UPDATE July 14th: If you let the cottage cheese dry a little (without letting anyone grind it into the carpet!) you can sweep it around to make sure it hasn't stuck and then vacuum! Now you know. hehe

Hot Diggety Dog!

Those of you with kids (and cable TV) will know the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show on the Disney Channel. Ryan has been watching it ever since he discovered Mickey.

At the end of every show, they sing the "Hot Dog" song - actually sung by They Might Be Giants. Usually Ryan just sings "Hot Dog" over and over...today, he got the whole phrase!

Both Ric and I laughed today when we heard him sing..."Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog". WOW - this kid is growing up so fast!

If you've never heard the song...here's a You Tube clip of it (not the best quality, but you'll get the idea!)

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's back to work I go!

I can't believe how fast one month has gone by and now it's time for me to return to work. It's been both wonderful and a handful (Ryan) being home each day and I must say that it's been worth every minute of it too. Not only has it been helpful to Marni but it's allowed me to spend so much time taking care of Ryan and Megan (when she let's Mommy get a break) but also a nice change of pace for our lives to not be scheduled to be somewhere. The big adjustment now will be for Marni and for Ryan to not have Daddy around the house all day. 3 More weeks until vacation in August.

Ric

Week of Firsts - First Haircut!

We finally got to the point where Ryan's hair was out of control! It was growing at all different lengths and just didn't look good. (Of course those different lengths could have been a result of Mom's curl trimming a few months ago!)

So...off to Kidz Adventure Cuts we went! They have the greatest set-up there! Each station has its own TV/Game station. We chose Sesame Street for Ryan to watch as he got his hair cut!











Lindsay started by blowing bubbles and playing with Ryan as she put the cape on him.












He sat there the entire time watching Elmo and his friends while holding the bubbles - for safe keeping, of course! Ric and I were completely amazed that he was so good!

Nothing even bothered him as the stylist was trimming up his "loose ends!"

(He looks like he's upset in this picture, but he's actually LOVING the TV show and telling us all about it!)



And here he is...our handsome little boy! (Mom even got a little *misty*)

Week of Firsts - First Bath!

It was finally time for Megan's first bath this week! Ryan was a BIG help, showing Mom how to do it - since he's a pro, you know.












Meg was pretty good about it at first - she enjoyed the warm water and tolerated being soaped up... but then...












She either got cold, or got tired of all the fussing with the washcloths and such! It ended with a screaming, wet, slippery baby girl! But at least she has that "New Baby Smell" again!

Thanks Mom!

Many thanks to Pam ("mom") for the diaper shipment! It's a great help to us and to the kids to have plenty to wear. We love you and miss you.


Ric

Rough night for Mommy

Well, just as we started to think that we might be on the right track to somehow getting a routine, Megan threw Mommy a real curve ball last night. Mommy was up every hour with Megan and got absolutely no relief; mommy just has the magic touch and the nursing equipment that I don't have. We managed to get Marnell a big nap this morning, but she still feels exhausted and has a headache that she brought home with her when Megan was born 3 weeks ago!

Ric