This Sweet Life

Insta-Friday

2012-01-27T13:24:00.000-06:00

Our week in Instagram photos...

The boy loves popcorn so Santa made the mistake of putting this blue popcorn in his stocking. The dye gets everywhere though so we ate some when he was in bed so he couldn't make a mess of it. Santa won't make that mistake again I'm sure!

Sleepy baby

Big boy sitting in his Bumbo already!

This kid is the pickiest eater but he LOVES him some Miso soup.

Chocolate martinis with mom - on a Sunday afternoon.

Snow fun with Grandma!

This creamer is my new BFF. It is AMAZING! Go buy it. Right now.

Cute and comfortable new headphones. They perfectly match my iphone case too!

Captain No Nap. At your service.

This isn't how you watch TV?!

Insta-Friday

2012-01-20T11:56:00.001-06:00

Freaking cute baby!

Hell on Earth. AKA Chuck E Cheese. A little reward for Milo getting through his first dentist appointment with no fingers lost on the dentists part!

Watching Mickey with Grandpa

A little pre-bed Thomas time!

Wordless Wednesday - Hipster

2012-01-18T07:16:00.000-06:00

2 Months Old!

2012-01-17T12:49:00.000-06:00

Weight: 11 lbs, 15 oz

Height: 23.25"

Dear Parker -

Today you are 2 months old already. You have changed so much in the last month that its crazy! You are such a big boy, in size 2 diapers and 3-6 months clothes. You are also so strong - you love to lift your head and shoulders up, and stand while we hold you. You actually like to lay on your tummy on the mat, and when you first wake up you love to do this huge stretch with your arms over your head that goes all the way from your fingers to your toes! It is something I have never seen a baby do before and it is so cute! You can even sit up straight in your bumbo for a little while before it gets a little tiring for you.

You love to make big smiles and you have found your voice and make lots of cooing baby noises. You are also more vocal when your mad then you were last month, really letting us know if something is bothering you. Though not quite as chill as you were last month, sometime needing convincing that its time to relax and go to sleep, you are still very low maintenance generally and can just go with the flow when we are out and about. Everyone says you are such a happy baby and its definitely true!

Your brother is getting more used to you and loves to play with you and sit next to you on the couch to watch Mickey together. He even gives you kisses now! We all love you so much Parker!

Snow!

2012-01-13T12:52:00.000-06:00

Its been a long time coming but we finally got more then a dusting of snow this year! Its only a month late, but ya know, better late then never! Doug went out to snow blow the driveway so I took Milo out to play in the snow for his first time ever. I don't know why we never did it last year, I think maybe it was way to cold most days we had good snow, and before that we lived in Seattle and never got much there so I was glad to finally bundle him up and see what he thought of the stuff up close, and I think its pretty safe to say he loved it!

Now, onto the cute...

Insta-Friday

2012-01-13T12:45:00.001-06:00

You got a problem with my outfit? Put em up!

Vintage awesome Grandma found in her attic.

Early New Years toast with sparkling grape juice.

Who's Alf?

"Time for Christmas Mickey show, brudder!" (Who cares if its January?)

Extra bundling on a single digit degree day.

My movie date to see Breaking Dawn again. He looks thrilled, huh?

Nice hair.

"Huggies!"

Harajuku Minis

Bella!

Finally real snow - a month late, but better late then never!

Insta-Friday

2011-12-30T07:46:00.003-06:00

Only 2 this week that haven't been shared already in other posts - but they are cute ones!

Brothers!

Milo showing Parker all the cool toys!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T19:44:00.001-06:00

It was a very busy Christmas this year! Out to Syracuse a couple days before for an early Christmas with Doug's dad and a visit to his grandparents. Annual Christmas Eve party at my cousin's house. Presents at home Christmas morning, followed by more presents and breakfast at my moms, then more presents and dinner at Doug's mom's house. I'm exhausted all over again just thinking about it!

My boys all dressed up and cute for Christmas Eve.

Yep, these are my parents. They're weird.

The whole cast of characters: Mrs. Claus, Santa, Jingles the Elf, Grandma (who got run over by a reindeer.) Aren't we lucky to get a personal visit from Santa when he's so busy on Christmas Eve?!

Looks like Santa came!

Groggy dudes in matching pjs!

Eating the blue popcorn Santa left in his stocking for breakfast.

Brothers hanging at Grandma's.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:54:00.000-06:00

Insta-Friday

2011-12-23T19:53:00.000-06:00

...better late then never!

First real sticking snow of the season... too bad it didn't last long and a white Christmas is looking like a long shot!

My shopping buddies!

Adorable baby.

The kid's first Pop Tart - love at first bite. Its all about the healthy eating habits over here!

I should get Parent of the Year award for this purchase.

Fancy bracelet from a friend. Now I can pretend this makes up for my daily yoga pants wearings!

Ha. Ha ha ha. So much for a cute picture of my handsome guys together.

Baby smiles!

SURPRISE!

2011-12-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

This weekend I had a surprise party for Doug's 30th birthday, coming up this week. His birthday is 2 days before Christmas so he usually gets the shaft with celebrations so I thought a party was definitely in order this year.

It was actually kind of a double surprise since his cousin, who he thought we weren't going to get to see this Christmas season, came up and surprised Doug and then took him out for a man date while I got the house ready. It pretty much went off without a hitch except for the part where Nick forgot to tell me when they were in the neighborhood, so although we knew they were close the big surprise wasn't quite as in sync as I would have liked. Oh well!

Doug said he recognized one of my relatives cars but he thought maybe they were here to see the baby, or maybe just for surprise family birthday cake or something but he wasn't expecting a full blown party with his friends and everything.

This invite inspired the whole Hangover/Vegas theme.

The happy birthday banner and other printables were based on these.

I'm pretty proud of this wreath so I hope Doug likes it alot because its going in his office!

Doug loves a certain carrot cake so I got a plain one and decorated it myself.

This pretty much sums up the ideal Milo eating plan.

Those dice were a huge hit with Milo and when he finally crashed hard he had to take them to bed. This is what we found when we checked on him later.

Parker partying it up with all his Grandmas.

Santa Time 2011!

2011-12-19T12:54:00.000-06:00

You know I love a good Bad Santa Photo and this yet did not disappoint! Not only was Milo doing his best to escape while shouting "ALL DONE!" but Parker picked the most unfortunate moment to stretch out since he had just woken up. (Or perhaps you could call it fortunate, since it really adds to the crazy factor here!) The only bad part of this picture is that you can't get a good look at their ADORABLE coordinating outfits.

Next year though we will definitely try the big mall because Santa is even worse then last year's dude. Ridiculous!

One Month Old!

2011-12-19T12:40:00.000-06:00

Dear Parker -

This weekend you turned 1 month old and I literally can not even believe it. It seems like it has only been days since we came home from the hospital, not weeks! And yet, I can barely remember how things were before you came. You have fit into the family seamlessly.

You are still the most chill baby. You very rarely cry unless you are trying to tell us you are hungry. You are also a pretty good sleeper, getting up once or twice a night to eat and usually going back to sleep pretty quick. We even had a couple days with 5 hour stretches in there! And really, even when you don't want to go right back to sleep you aren't crying or anything - just wanting to hang out.

You love to swing, especially in the one that goes side to side, and to cuddle and be held. One thing you don't like very much though is baths. I have a feeling that will change as you get bigger but right now you could definitely live without them.

Milo still doesn't want to hold you but does love to talk about how cute you are and show you the games he is playing. I'm sure it won't be long before he has you into Mickey too!

We all love you so much and can't wait to see what next month brings!

Milo's Pirate Party

2011-12-19T12:19:00.001-06:00

For Milo's birthday party this year we did a nice low key kids party at Explore and More - the children's museum here. You got to pick a theme out of a few choices so we went with pirates since Milo is kind of into them right now and they did a great job of executing it.

They supplied cake so I brought some cupcakes just to make sure we'd have enough for the adults to. (And we did, we had way too much in fact!)

Milo was not into being sung to, which is weird because he really liked it the day before when we sang to him at home on his real birthday. Afterwards we figured out there was a big pirate decoration near the cake that was scaring him a little.

Cake!

And of course the kids had so much fun playing with all the exhibits. Milo was running everywhere and only came into the party room for cake or a juice break!

Three Years Old

2011-12-15T12:45:00.001-06:00

(Obviously the hat went over just as well as last year!)

(Also, the Christmas cake was entirely his idea, and he loved it. Apparently he doesn't know yet that he's not supposed to like having a birthday near Christmas!)

Height: 3 ft 3.75" (93%)

Weight: 36 lbs 4 oz (88%)

Dear Milo -

I can not believe you are 3 years old already! I know I will inevitably say this every birthday, but its true. This year has flown by and you have grown up so much. There is no doubt that you have developed your own personality for sure at this point. When you are happy you are so happy, and when you are mad you are very dramatic about it - 2 extremes really. You are stubborn as can be, but also the most affectionate and loving kid I know! And I definitely think of you as a kid now. Its like as soon as we came home from the hospital with your baby brother you were suddenly so huge and grown up to us! You also have your own little sense of humor and, typical to little boys, you think farts are the funniest thing, announcing "I farted!" and laughing hysterically when it happens.

You are so much like your Uncle Tommy lately that Grandma even calls you by his name sometimes. You are extremely picky about food, have a big temper when you get angry, stick out your tongue when you're concentrating, hate getting your hands dirty, and love video grames and bowling! Its uncanny really.

Your favorite foods continue to be chicken fingers, pizza, pancakes/waffles, pb&j, cereal, and apples. In fact thats all it seems like you eat most of the time!

Your favorite people to hang out with are your cousins Matt and John. You guys can be quite the team of destruction and I wonder what life will be like when you are teenagers together! You also get so excited to see your Grandpa Sorce - just seeing his truck, or one like it, will make you happy!

You love Thomas the Train, hot wheels type cars, and anything and everything Mickey Mouse. You know how to get to YouTube on the iPad or a phone and pull up classic Mickeys to watch, which always amazes me. Also you love to play Wii, or most of the time watch someone else play Wii - especially Wii Sports and Rock Band.

We are still working on potty training, which at this point consists of you sitting on the potty before your bath but nothing has come of it yet. I'm sure you will figure it out in your own time, like you always do, I just hope its sooner rather than later!

Your speech has improved by leaps and bounds over the last year although you are still very stubborn about actually busting out all your language skills and actually using them. Any word we tell you though you can say and remember. Its just getting you to use actual sentences that you continue to work on. You also have started to call other people, besides me and daddy by their names, especially your cousins Matt and John, and your speech therapist Tracy. You call me Mee-ma and Daddy comes out as Dee-dee usually. Grandma and Grandpa are Nee-ma and Beem-pa, and of course you use Bella's name all the time. Occasionally you also call Parker by his name, but usually its "Baby," which I'm sure he'll appreciate as he gets older if that doesn't change!

Speaking of Parker, you still don't want to hold him, and won't give him a kiss, but you do talk to him and like to show him the games you are playing on the phone. My favorite is when you talk about how cute he is. "Baby SO CUTE!"

Milo, we love you so much and even when we have our moments of you acting out like a toddler (and oh when you do you don't mess around!), you continue to amaze us and make our lives the best they can be! We can't imagine our lives otherwise!

First Bath

2011-12-02T07:15:00.000-06:00

Obviously the jury is still out on his feelings on the bath.

Either that or he just inherited his mother's chronic bitch face.

Insta-Friday

2011-12-02T07:11:00.000-06:00

Cute hat from a good friend on a cute baby!

Who needs a boppy to sit on when you have a doggy!

Grouch Face

Mother-in-law saves the day with cupcakes!

What?

First trip out alone with 2 kids and it was a success - even if it meant using the mac truck of shopping carts. Parker slept the whole time and Milo used the other seat as a personal play area - they were both perfection.

Advent calendar made from baby socks. So cute!

Totally bought this for Milo, and then used it in my coffee the next morning. Its really as good as it sounds!

Linking up here as usual:

Insta-Friday

2011-11-25T18:50:00.001-06:00

Its been eventful since the last Insta-Friday post so I've got lots this week!

Milo likes to find the biggest cups he can to drink out of at my my mom's house. Mission accomplished, I'd say.

Freaking awesome. The end.

The drinking of milk from the cereal bowl is so cute it kills me!

Oreo cheesecake on our anniversary. Its what our wedding cake was made of so we have it every year.

Celebrating Milo's last night out as an only child with pizza and arcade games.

And of course "Ouf-cream" to end the evening.

We're such rebels we put this up the night before my c-section. A whole week BEFORE Thanksgiving!

Adorable snuggly new baby.

Baby's first Bills game. A milestone in Buffalo.

Kickin' it old school with the gift he got from Parker at the hospital.

Linking up here:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T13:51:00.003-06:00

We are definitely thankful for this crew!

Then and Now - Puppy Onesie

2011-11-23T21:38:00.000-06:00

Milo on hospital discharge day

Parker on hospital discharge day

Welcome Parker

2011-11-23T21:32:00.001-06:00

Parker William Cole

11/17/11 10:21am

8 lbs 0 oz, 21"

The Story:

We had a scheduled c-section this time so it was much different then last time. We checked in at the hospital at 7:30am, had some monitoring and got prepped for surgery. We went into the OR at about 9:45am, I got a spinal, and Parker was out by 10:21am. It was all very chill and afterwards I was not nearly as groggy or out of it as the first time. In fact, I was eating a donut by 11:30am.

Parker was able to come right into recovery with me and he nursed right away like a pro whose been doing it forever. Seriously, the kid is a champion breastfeeder. Nor coercing needed, he just does it and does it well.

We had nothing exciting happen in the hospital and they let us out a day early. The surgery was on Thursday, we were discharged on Saturday afternoon. And really, with the nasty food, pay tv, and the parade of nursing students in my room, we were ready to go!

Things have been going good at home. Parker is a super chill baby so far. He pretty much only cries when he wants to eat and he usually goes pretty much right back to sleep after eating at night. Milo seems to like him so far. He tried to share a cookie with him in the hospital (and he NEVER wants to share cookies!) and likes to show him the games he is playing on our phones. He also likes to talk about what he's doing and will stand on a chair to be able to "help" change his diaper. He's a great big brother and I think they are going to get along just fine!

39 Weeks

2011-11-14T17:09:00.003-06:00

Comically large, but definitely not as sausage-y. So I guess we'll call that a win. Thank god this baby comes out on Thursday!

38 Weeks

2011-11-04T19:23:00.003-06:00

1. The belly is much rounder this time. It definitely does not look like I've dropped yet compared to last time.

2. Valuable lessons learned the second pregnancy - never allow yourself to be photographed in head to toe blue velour. (Not that I'm not wearing the velour this time... just keeping it off the internet!)

Insta-Friday

2011-11-04T12:41:00.001-06:00

Candy giver-outers on Halloween

New coffee maker! Had a Tassimo for years and it never failed - in fact we sold it when we switched. Then we "upgraded" to Keurig and it died an untimely death. Over you, poorly made Keurig - I'm a Tassimo woman again!

Drinking from Red Cup and browsing Christmas decorations... 3 weeks before Thanksgiving and not ashamed of it!

The boys trying to get rid of the leaves from the TWELVE TREES in our backyard. Overkill on the trees? YES.

Playing with Uncle Tommy's old cars that Grandma found in the attic!

Linking up with Jeannett again over at Life Rearranged.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:41:00.000-06:00

from the two scaaaariest monsters out there tonight!

Insta-Friday

2011-10-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up to share my week with some crappy looking phone pics for my first ever Insta-Friday. Because I just got an iPhone again and I can!

Words cannot express my love for these waffles. The end.

Halloween party at play group so, obviously.

Sneaky peak at the man's costume. There must be much sugar being consumed for that hood to be and a smile on his face!

Doug says this is a frog. I say its a monster to match Milo. I think I might sew a horn on it tonight then there will be no debate. (Because they HAVE to coordinate!)

Yeah last weekend Doug mulched all the leaves and we had all kinds of grass showing. Now? Notsomuch.

I'm linking up with Jeannett at Life Rearranged.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T13:32:00.002-05:00

Feeding the Goats

2011-10-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

Miracle of miracles, my kid got close enough to some goats this weekend to feed them. And he couldn't get enough of it! The thing is, he loves dogs, but he isn't a fan of animals much bigger then dogs. Like when we saw big horses and cows and what not at the fair? Not. A. Fan. At all.

So it took some persuading to get him into the petting area of this garden center place we were at this weekend. (And obviously by persuading I mean bribing him with popcorn.) But once he got in there and saw that the goats were about the same size as Bella it was on! We spent every quarter we could find feeding those goats and had to drag him out of the place.

Now the baby cow that was there? He would not pet that guy for anything. He did get about 2-3 feet away from him, but if the cow came forward he stepped back. Hey, progress is progress, even if just a little.

I found some more quarters in my car though so we may have to go back and feed the goats again this week I think!

36 Weeks

2011-10-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

aka black is no longer slimming

...but more slimming then cheap blue velour

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T13:47:00.002-05:00

Look what I can do!

2011-10-11T20:38:00.002-05:00

Holy crap I made a quilt - like from start to finish. The first thing larger then a table runner that I have finished in fact so far. And I seriously thought it would never get done! I started it in June for my brother's birthday at the end of July. I finished it at the end of September. BETTER LATE THEN NEVER, TOMMY.

Its 60" x 72" and definitely a "don't look too close" kind of a thing, since it was my first thing so big.... and it was even larger then I was prepared for. But, being a non-crafty guy, brother won't care or probably even notice the mistakes. The quilting is in the long black areas with white thread, vertical lines roughly 1/4" apart. In hindsight I probably should not have chosen such a contrasting color since you can see every imperfection, but it does look very cool. I love it though, for all its time consuming-ness and issues since it is my first finished real quilt.

Pattern is Balanced Connections from here. And those Atari and Pac Man prints by Timeless Treasures? Awesome.

34 Weeks

2011-10-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

It is completely shocking to everyone that asks that I still have 6 weeks left. Really, I'm huge? I HADN'T NOTICED.

32 Weeks

2011-09-24T14:18:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

28 Weeks

2011-08-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

aka Third Trimester aka Large and in Charge

Even those horizontal stripes last time can't hide how much bigger I am now! On the upside I passed my glucose test this past week. On the downside I am having some serious um... down there pain most of the time, thanks to the babies position or something, which my doc said is pretty common in subsequent pregnancies and there isn't a ton that can be done for it. Support garments are the only possible help, so there is a tank with built in support belt on it way to me as we speak. Nice!

Please note the fully finished nursery behind me in Milo's picture. Yeah, I've made some serious headway on Parker's room but it def isn't finished at this point!

Wordless Wednesday - This is Not Staged

2011-08-24T14:17:00.002-05:00

New Office

2011-08-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

With just under 3 months until we have 2 CHILDREN, we thought we should, you know, think about getting Parker's room set up. I mean, by now with Milo we were done with everything - ready to go. Notsomuch this time.

So first things first, the guest bed went bye bye and the office was moved into that room, and it is GLORIOUS!

Look! Doug can be on the computer and I can be sewing and we aren't bumping into each other!

Non-claustrophobic sewing area, with room for all my junk!

Office area. You don't have to have your back to the TV just because you want to use the computer!

Seriously, its the little things. It is not so exciting though if you are planning on staying overnight at my house because now you are stuck with the pull-out sofa.

Oh well, sucks to be you.

26 Weeks

2011-08-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

And this is where I beg for fall to come just so I can wear long sleeves again, as much of the weight I'm gaining seems to be going straight to my arms. Yay!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T03:02:00.000-05:00

24 Weeks

2011-07-31T11:06:00.000-05:00

Nothing much new going on this week, except that I am feeling all around HUGE. Which is scary since there is still a little over 3 months left to go.

In other news, CAN YOU BELIEVE WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER BABY IN JUST OVER 3 MONTHS. Probably we should get started on the nursery and stuff, huh?

Milo the Adrenaline Junkie

2011-07-28T12:47:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago we went to Canada with Doug for a work thing and hit up Canada's Wonderland before coming home. I was a little skeptical about how Milo would like it because he can be a bit weary of new things at first. But after the first ride he was hooked and he dragged us all over the park, even getting mad when we wanted to sit on a shady bench for a few minutes!

"This train ride is for babies, bring on the excitement!"

Screaming with joy in the upper right hand corner.

Obviously you need a snow cone the size of your head when its 95 degrees out.

And here, Milo's first rollercoaster. He was loving watching this one while we stood in line for another ride so we decided to let him try it. After waiting in line for almost half an hour they almost wouldn't let him on because of his height but he was JUST tall enough for it.

And he LOVED it! Doug had to drag him off the thing kicking and screaming. Um, and I mean that quite literally.

House Tour - Downstairs

2011-07-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

Living Room - previously all dark green carpet. Ick!

Dining Room - same carpet. Because who doesn't want carpet under a dining table?

(Thank goodness my Dad could install the floors for us or we probably would still have that nasty carpet!)

Entryway - leads to the Kitchen and 1/2 Bath

1/2 Bath (and I think "half" is generous. More like closet with toilet in it!)

Kitchen - used to have nasty light blue linoleum.

Of course Milo has his own kitchen in here too!

(The old appliances and light blue countertops will the next to go in this house for sure.)

Family Room

Back Yard

(Hello, like 17 trees! A little overkill but very shady.)

I think this lowered space was meant for a hot tub. So much for that!

House Tour - Upstairs

2011-07-19T18:03:00.004-05:00

Look at me! I'm finally posting pictures of our "new" house that we moved into like 6 months ago! When we bought it the places was covered in old person wallpaper... like every surface. So we did all the walls and we changed out all the flooring in the downstairs.

Classing up the joint with a mailbox decal.

The very first thing we did was paint the door red - it made a huge difference... and I've always wanted a red door!

A crowded Office/Sewing Room - now soon the be the nursery.

Guest Bedroom - now soon to be the office/sewing room because it is much bigger then the blue room.

Full Bath

Its actually a jack and jill bathroom upstairs so you can also access it from the master, where we have a separate sink and vanity.

Accessory wall next to the closet. No walk in closet here so I had to get creative.

Master Bedroom

Milo's Bedroom

(You're welcome Disney/Pixar. You clearly owe your last quarters profits to us.)

22 Weeks

2011-07-18T07:57:00.000-05:00

Coincidentally, 2 crappy phone pics this week. Yay!

New and exciting this past couple weeks - real baby kicks. First few felt around 19 weeks but at 21 weeks they became consistant and predictable. The kid is pretty chill unless I'm laying down and he goes totally crazy when I'm floating on a raft in the pool!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-12T19:44:00.002-05:00

20 Weeks

2011-07-06T12:04:00.002-05:00

Happy 5th Birthday Bella!

2011-07-06T11:58:00.002-05:00

We love you so much! Especially Milo I think, who screams BEEEEEEEEEE-WAAAAAAAAA whenever we have to take you someplace like the vets or groomers!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T03:01:00.002-05:00

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Introducing...

2011-06-27T12:41:00.000-05:00

Mr. Parker William Cole. Yep, another boy!

She snapped a pic of the proof he's a boy, but that seems inappropriate for the internet. ;-)

Father's Day Weekend

2011-06-20T14:03:00.001-05:00

On Saturday we went to visit Doug's dad and take a ride out on his boat. This pretty much sums up how Milo felt about the whole experience.

Until he fell asleep and there was no more whining to be heard.

On Father's Day Doug, my brother, and my Dad played golf with my uncle and his 2 sons. Its an annual tradition and this was Doug's first year being here to participate. Obviously I had to make my guys shirts for the event.

So even if they sucked they would still look good!

"I don't care what day it is, you can't make me pose for a picture!"

Afterwards we all had a cook out and Milo stayed up way too late playing with his cousins. He had so much fun though so it was totally worth it! Also, did you know horseshoe pits can double as a sandbox?

2 and a Half Years Old!

2011-06-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

Height: 36.5 inches

Weight: 33 lbs, 7 oz

2 and a half. Aka ALMOST THREE. Crazy.

At 2.5 Milo

loves to snuggle while watching tv
wants you to read lots of books to him before bed
sits on the potty, though he hasn't gone yet
has SO MANY words! His language really exploded early this spring. He is starting to use some 2 - 3 word sentences, though not many on his own.
loves watching The Fresh Beat Band, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Yo Gabba Gabba
is really into trains
counts to 10
knows his colors
knows most of his letters
knows lots of body parts
can draw a face
LOVES Bella! He will scream and cry and yell "BELLA!!!" at the top of his longs if we have to drop her off at the groomers or the vet

Some of my current favorite things he says are:

How (are you) doin?

Milo: "Hi!'
You: Hi!"
Milo: "How doin?"
You: "Good! How you doin?"
Milo: total jibber jabber long answer

Here (he/she/it) comes!
See (you) soon!
High Bigh (Five!) Alright! Woo Hoo!

Wordless Wednesday - Mad Scientist

2011-06-15T12:22:00.003-05:00

16 Weeks

2011-06-05T10:59:00.001-05:00

At some point between 14 and 15 weeks I stopped feeling like I was going to vomit all day long, so yay!

My fingers seem to be swollen as my rings are now just tight enough that I had to take them off because they are itchy all the time.

Also, this weekend I was able to drink home made coffee for the first time in 3 months. I don't know what it was but I could drink coffee from Starbucks or Tim Hortons or wherever but I couldn't even think about making it at home without it making me want to puke. Reunited and it feels so gooooood, even if it is decaf (lame).

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T13:38:00.000-05:00

14 Weeks

2011-05-23T06:11:00.000-05:00

I'm certainly not still wearing any regular clothes like I was this time the first time around!

Welcome to my Life

2011-05-05T12:36:00.001-05:00

{source}

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T20:31:00.000-05:00

We hope you had candy for breakfast too!

10 Weeks

2011-04-24T20:17:00.002-05:00

Lets compare, shall we?

Uhhhhhh, WHAT?! If I continue to be this much bigger then by the end I'm going to need my own zip code. Yikes!

Easter Eggs!

2011-04-22T11:43:00.002-05:00

We colored Easter Eggs today for the first time and Milo loved it! Seriously, he thought this was the funnest activity ever. Even when we were done he had to put the eggs in a second color.

Please note the blue lips from when he grabbed a dye tab and put it in his mouth before I could get the water in the cups. Yum!

So proud of his eggs! Thank god they are destined to go to straight to being deviled eggs though, since they might be the ugliest eggs ever. Milo didn't care though!

Santa is scarier then the Easter Bunny

2011-04-20T12:20:00.003-05:00

Despite how terrified he looks, he isn't crying for the Easter Bunny again. Which is a heck of a lot better then what happens when he sees Santa. Winning!

Personally, I prefer Santa and his presents, but the kid really loves his chocolate I guess.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

Milo says...

2011-04-11T18:59:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T17:08:00.000-06:00

He speaks... and counts!

2011-03-26T17:07:00.003-06:00

Milo has really started talking in the last couple months and, though he is obviously still behind others in his age group, he has come a long way in a short time. He has lots of words, he repeats everything, and he can name some body parts, animals, and letters. But what is most impressive to me is that he can count to 10, as well as recognize individual numbers out of context! This completely shocked me the first time he did it and it is adorable. It took me forever to catch it on video though because he loves to skip right to the end for the pay off when he sees the camera come out but I was stealthy today! He whispered the last couple numbers here but he does say them and I'll take what I can get on video.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T17:13:00.002-06:00

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T10:33:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T03:00:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T03:00:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T03:00:00.000-06:00

Strange Love

2011-03-01T12:37:00.004-06:00

Most kids get attached to things, right? Like maybe a teddy bear or a blanket or something? And while Milo loves his blankie for sleeping there is something he loves even more. An old, no battery, no fun, pink razr cell phone. He has actually had this thing for a while and he never really cared too much for it. But, a few weeks ago he rediscovered it and its been all over. He eats with it, he sleeps with it, it goes EVERYWHERE with him.. Pretty much the only time he doesn't have it is when he takes a bath, and even then its on the co

unter where he can see it.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

God forbid we should ever lose this one. Thank god no one uses them anymore so you can probably buy one cheap on Ebay, or someone would be really upset!

The BIG BOY Bed

2011-02-18T11:24:00.002-06:00

There is no denying it anymore, I have a little boy now, not a baby.

The first full day in our new house he slept right in his big boy bed, instead of the crib he had been sleeping in at Grandma's house. And, since its been like 3 weeks I think I can pretty safely say, without jinxing anything, it has been a smashing success!

At nap time he either plays for a few minutes before sleeping or goes right to sleep usually. We've only had 2 non nap days and he quietly played in his room the whole 2 hours both times. Which I'll take any day over him screaming from his crib for an hour! (Though really I think it was my fault because I put him down too early. He was always an early napper but he's starting to push his naps later now and it kind of caught me off guard!) At night he goes right to sleep and sleeps 12-13 hours without a peep. From day 1.

I really thought this was going to be difficult but it was so easy, TOO EASY really, that I think I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop! I guess he was just ready to be out of his crib!

Also I think it helps that its all Cars stuff, even though before I had kids I totally thought character rooms were ridiculous and my kids wouldn't have them. I'm eating my words now!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:35:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T03:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T11:37:00.004-06:00

I didn't get many pictures this year, but its been crazy here. Lots going on with the new house and what not. So, better then nothing:

Christmas at Doug's mom's house a week early

Christmas Eve party

Handsome cousins

Mrs Clause, Santa, Jingles the Elf, Grandma (who got run over by a reindeer)

Oh yes, my friends, I am related to all these folks!

Nope, still not a fan of the man in red.

Cousins in their green Christmas pjs

Christmas Morning!

(I assure you this is not as obnoxious as it looks. You try stuffing gifts, many in giant boxes, for 5 adults and one toddler under the worlds smallest Christmas tree!)

It was a little weird not being in our own house at all, with all of our Christmas stuff in storage, but next year will be better!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-29T01:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-22T01:00:00.001-06:00

The 3rd time is not the charm.

2010-12-21T20:04:00.004-06:00

Another classic bad Santa photo! I'm a mean mom though, because I love it.

And that tie? It kills me its so stinkin' cute!

Milo's Yo Gabba Gabba Party!

2010-12-21T12:15:00.006-06:00

Since we lived in Seattle last year Milo didn't get to have a big huge 1st birthday party with all of our family and friends. So, while I'm not a big fan of the giant-invite-everyone-you-know-party for every birthday, I though Milo deserved to have his big party still!

For his 2nd birthday we did a Yo Gabba Gabba themed party. He loves Yo Gabba Gabba, and really, I don't mind them either, as far as kids shows go.

Here's a reference in case you ~~live under a roc~~k don't have a toddler.

The invite, from here, which I love!

We had the party in my mom's church basement since we're still living in her house, which is too small for that many people inside.

Food Table

Gifts and Drinks

Cake Table

Complete with yo gabba gabba cupcakes...

and this amazing Brobee cake my mom made.

Love it so much!

With photos of Milo from the last 2 years hanging over the cake.

The Tables

With a variety of Yo Gabba Gabba coloring pages for the kids (and adults!) to color while they hang out.

These marshmallow sticks turned out so cute and were a huge hit with the little ones! I was I could take credit from the idea, but they came from this super smart lady.

Bowls of m&ms, cheese balls, and colored goldfish on all the tables - pretty much Milo's most favorite things!

The super cute DIY banner I got from this shop.

The favors - cookies and Yo Gabba Gabba mix cds, done by Milo's Grandma and Grandpa Levitt.

Party Time!

What? You don't eat your m&ms with a spoon, like cereal?!

Its important for the birthday boy to try the cake AND the cupcakes for good measure!

Not great, but probably the best picture of the 3 of us. I made us all shirts - Doug is DJ Lance, I'm Foofa, and Milo is Brobee!

Two. Years. Old.

2010-12-15T16:35:00.000-06:00

(alternate title - When the Eff did this Happen?!)

(So last year I took a picture of him in this crown and I thought I'd do it every year for the comparison. It went over really well this year, as you can see.)

Height: 37 inches (97%)

Weight: 28 lbs 5 oz (54%)

Dear Milo,

Last Friday you turned 2. TWO YEARS OLD. Which is weird because I'm pretty sure we just celebrated your first birthday like 5 minutes ago. And you were only born like 10 minutes before that. Right?

In the last couple months you have finally started to pick up a few words. You can now say wow/whoa/ow, done, juice, night night, two (as in if someone starts counting you'll sometimes chip in on two, and you're working on three), uh oh. You still jabber all the time too, and I know the words will come on your schedule! Even though you don't have many words I know you understand when we talk to you.

You're so smart too. You like to try to say the letters and numbers when your in the bathtub with them. You're practically a genius with the phones and iPad. You love to play will all manner of cars and trucks, anything with wheels really. So of course its no surprise that your most favorite movie is Cars and you'd watch it over and over if we let you!

Because of your lack of words, and you know, your age, you definitely have your fair share of tantrums. Or maybe I should say TANTRUMS. Because, oh boy are you dramatic and so sensitive. But on the other hand you can usually turn it off and on pretty quickly and be back to all smiles and laughing in no time. It can be very trying for all of us, you included I'm sure! But you're still our sweet boy and I know the tantrums will decrease when you can tell us what you want.

You've become very picky about food. You love pancakes, oatmeal, pizza, pbj, and McDonalds chicken nuggets. Getting you to eat any vegetables and almost any fruit is impossible nowadays! I really hope you grow out of this stage soon because pbj is getting pretty old!

And perhaps the funniest thing about you lately is your absolute HATRED for wearing clothing. It started with just socks a couple months ago and now its all clothes that you full on hate. Its the middle of winter and your always running around in your diaper! But, you do love your shoes still. Any and all shoes! In a perfect world you'd only wear a diaper and shoes - so silly!

Milo, the last two years have been the happiest and most fun ever, all thanks to you. We love you so much!

Crash Course

2010-12-06T11:35:00.004-06:00

We got a crash course in what real winter was like last week. Like clockwork, as soon as December came so did the snow! Bella was not a fan. Neither was Milo at first when the snow was really blowing, but now that its more normal he's little more into it. The true test will be when we go and play in it though. We didn't have a chance last week because his jacket was at his other Grandma's house, but if its not too cold this week we'll definitely try it out!

Yeah right mom, you want me to go where?

Thanks for snow blowing me a pathway, Grandpa!

But what about the rest of my yard?

I can totally do it!

Oh crap, I think I'm stuck!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T11:13:00.002-06:00

This was pretty was the scene here all day yesterday. We ate tons of food (butternut squash bread pudding, you complete me!) and watched Cars. TWICE. Milo might have a slight obsession, no?

But thats ok, we fed that obsession by getting up at 3am and going to Target to get him a Cars big boy bedding set, a Cars car set, and Lightening McQueen slippers. You're welcome very much, Pixar.

Wordless Wednesday: Little Helper

2010-11-10T03:00:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday: Fashion, Baby

2010-11-03T03:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T17:25:00.003-06:00

The man still didn't really get it this year but as long as he was double fisting the candy and being carried up to the houses he was happy. Can you blame him? That's how I'd roll if I could!

Making a case for Autumn

2010-10-29T08:57:00.000-05:00

Living in a place with 4 real seasons definitely has its advantages!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-28T20:50:00.002-05:00

Much like his Uncle Tommy, Milo doesn't really like to have slimy stuff on his hands. I swear Uncle Tommy never touched the guts of a pumpkin in his entire life. Milo wasn't too fond of the stuff this year either!

You missed some Dad.

Supervising is so much fun!

Cookie break - supervising is also hard work.

Ok, I'll try to find some seeds - but only 1 at a time!

Eeeeew slimy!

Wordless Wednesday: Life as we know it.

2010-10-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Patch!

2010-10-24T18:46:00.004-05:00

We actually did 2 pumpkin trips this year. The first was in Rochester with Doug's parents but between Milo being tired and the pumpkin "patch" being in a parking lot he was not thrilled. He did pick out a giant pumpkin though but it wasn't the most exciting day!

So a few days later we went to a farm with a Stroller Strides group that Aunt Amanda belongs too. This was a bit more successful, even if Milo couldn't have cared less about the actual animals there this year!

Showing off his cool vest from Grandma Levitt.

Giant Sandbox!

Playing in water even though it was only 50 degrees out.

Hogging the tractor as much as possible.

Picking out a little pumpkin!

Popcorn from the tantrum-inducing popcorn machine where you come in.

Two sleeping toddlers = a successful trip!

Full House

2010-09-29T09:53:00.003-05:00

Did I forget to mention that we moved back to Buffalo? Because we did. Super fast. Doug accepted a job just after Labor Day and a week and a half later we got to Buffalo.

Right now we are staying with my parents while we tie up all our loose ends in Seattle and then look for a house. We've been in town a week and both of our cars and all of our stuff are on trucks somewhere between here and Seattle so things are a little crazy right now.

And by crazy I mean Milo has no toys really and we can't get out because we have no car and it has been raining and we're going totally stir crazy. Yay!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T05:00:00.001-05:00

Milo's New Ride

2010-09-03T10:50:00.004-05:00

Milo got a Cozy Coupe last week! He loves the shopping carts that have the cars on the front (even though its like driving a bus through the grocery store!) so we knew it would be a hit. Doug had been dying to get him one and finally he could resist no longer!

He wanted to put it together himself when I wasn't moving fast enough for him. He totally knew where that steering wheel was supposed to go all on his own.

He sat in it like this just hanging out or watching TV. He was all over this car all afternoon, even without wheels.

Needless to say, Milo is in LOVE.

He loves it so much in fact that we have to hide in under a tarp in the garage or else we'd never be able to get past it. And in case your curious, this is the beginning of what happens when you try to drag him away from it.

Its all downhill after that face!

A boy and his... Miso?

2010-08-25T16:34:00.002-05:00

I think Milo might be the only toddler outside of Asia with such a deep love for Miso soup. Seriously, its mind boggling, especially when you consider how PICKY he is!

Stealing someone else's spoon and double fisting is key in order to maximize miso intake.

NY Trip

2010-08-25T16:15:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago we headed to Upstate NY for 10 days for the usual family time and driving all over the state. Sadly, I don't have more pictures because our little point shoot is lost. Most likely left on an airplane or something somewhere between NY and WA. Because that is standard procedure with us. There is a reason we don't spend much money on little cameras anymore.

Milo got his own seat on the plane for the first time, which was THE BEST DECISION WE'VE EVER MADE. Seriously. He was able to fall asleep in his carseat and when he was awake we had a little tray we clipped around him so he could color and, of course, play on the iPad. Getting an iPad easily qualifies as the second best decision we've ever made!
We spent the first part of our trip in Buffalo were we had a family reunion one day and then Milo got spend lots time playing with his cousins (2nd cousins?), Grandma and Grandpa S, and his great grandparents.

Playing golf with cousin John

He wasn't too keen on eating much the first couple of days until we took him to a Chinese buffet where we had to wait for him to finish he ate so much.

Pinkies up when eating egg rolls. We're sophisticated, you know.

After that it was off to Rochester with a stop in Syracuse for Milo to see the rest of his grandparents and great grandparents.

At the Japanese restaurant for my birthday. Probably the only real meal Milo ate in Rochester. Apparently if he's too overwhelmed or tired to eat go with Asian food. Who knew?

Taking Cookie and Elmo for a cab ride at the Strong Children's museum. Also entitled "ticking off the other kids because he wouldn't get out of the car."

Elmo's World!

Milo loved this TV - so big and right at his level. He may or may not need Nemo Addicts Anonymous.

Chilling in Downtown Rochester.

Like father, like son.

2010-07-11T22:01:00.002-05:00

Milo just HAD to bring his laptop with him the other day when we went out. HAD TO. Does it get any cuter then a toddler carrying a little orange laptop?

Be careful what you wish for.

2010-07-11T21:46:00.005-05:00

This picture? Was taken in January. That's just a long sleeved shirt Milo is wearing there.

And this picture? Was taken in MARCH. With just a short sleeved shirt. I know, crazy, right?

So, obviously the sun paid us back for the gorgeous winter weather by being a total biatch all spring/summer, up until July 5th. Thats the "joke" here, that its always crappy on July 4th and then summer starts on July 5th. Its funny because its true. Except I'm not laughing.

After all our whining about what happened to summer, and how much it sucks to have to wear PANTS on the 4th of July the sun decided to be a biatch again, and July 5th we got hit with some crazy hot weather. Officially we spent a couple days in the mid 90s. Here though, my car told me it got into 100+ a couple days.

Have I mentioned we live in the land of no central air conditioning? Seattle folks don't think they need it. I've lived here 3 summers however, and would kill for it. Oh and also, our HOA doesn't allow window units. Seriously.

Some pics from the past few HOT days.

My ghetto fab blanket handing over the door to keep the sun out.

Splashing his little boats in the pool.

Stylish!

Milo's first icecream cone.

Thank god temperatures are going to get back into the normal range tomorrow and we can stop living in a dark dungeon that still feels like a sauna! (Seriously, the bedrooms were up to 88 degrees at night there for a couple of days. WTF?)

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Do you have any idea how hard it is to photograph a toddler and a dog together and have them both looking at you?! Impossible!

Showing off the matching bandana/tie t-shirt I made for them!

And yes, only in Seattle do you need to wear pants and socks on the 4th of July!

Bella the Birthday Girl!

2010-07-03T17:14:00.003-05:00

Bella turned 4 years old today! Of course we had to get her a fancy "Happy Birthday" treat!

This is a pretty big deal since she doesn't really get any treats the rest of the year and is on Rx food!

Milo giving her a birthday gift!

This toy is super fancy and when you throw it hard it makes the actual animal noise of what it is. This one is a dog. Milo loves it as much as Bella does - they both chase it when you throw it!

Happy Birthday Bella!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T20:49:00.002-05:00

Daddy has on his "King for a Day" shirt and Milo is wearing a homemade "I Heart Dad" shirt! There were chicken wings and ice cream to be had today. Not too shabby!