Backfloats in the Bathtub!

Sean learned this great trick from his cousins, Braeden and Emma. They like to take baths together when we have sleepovers, and it has been a great learning opportunity for our little man! He doesn't always try with them there, but as soon as he is on his own, he puts his brave face on and goes for it. Now, I can't get him to sit up to even wash his hair :) Love my little fish!

Birthday Week....

Wow! What a great week Sean had! It started off with an awesome birthday party last Saturday and continued with many special moments this week!

I had Monday off, so I was able to spend some extra time with him. We played with his new toys, napped, and played some more. He got some fun gifts from his daycare friends (at mom's) throughout the week, too. How did they know he liked money and coloring?! Perfect! Then on Thursday, his birthday, he got to bring a special birthday treat to his other daycare. There they had a little party, took pictures, gave him a present, and had him wear a birthday hat all day! He loved it! We finished his big day by meeting Uncle Nick, Auntie Amy, Braeden, Emma, Charlie, and Uncle Nick and Auntie Molly at Applebees for supper. It is all the kids' favorite place to go, so what better! The staff also sang to him, which was super cute :) And we all enjoyed some yummy desserts. My favorite part is watching him soak it all in; the attention, the songs, the gifts, and the fun. What a special little man we have :)

Graham and I were even able to sneak away for a date night...haven't had one of those in a long time. It was nice to have time together, and Sean loves his beautiful babysitter, Bailey. Fun was had by all :)

We enjoyed the warmer temps this weekend and spent some time outside, too. We cannot wait for Spring and Summer to get here! We have been living vicariously through many friends and family members who have been able to "escape" to the beach this winter...Graham assures me that next winter, we will be one of those "people" once again :) Thank goodness :)

Birthday Party!

Oh, what fun we had! We celebrated Sean's 3rd Birthday Saturday with our family and friends. He was in disbelief that the party was for him. He now understands how birthdays work and absolutely loved the attention on him!

He wanted a "dinosaur" birthday, so Graham and I worked hard to pull it off. A tradition that started with my mom, is to make the birthday cake. I found an awesome dinosaur cake pan online. We stayed up late the night before making and decorating this beloved cake. It is so fun to "show" him before his guests arrived. He had the perfect reaction and showed everyone as they walked in the door. The late night cake making was worth it! Graham says that watching "Cake Boss" has really helped his technique :) I couldn't agree more, honey. I was also able to order dinosaur invites, had my sister make dinosaur cookies, got him a new dinosaur shirt, found a dinosaur puzzle, dinosaur books, and made fun dinosaur party favors...It was really fun to get into the theme.

He got awesome gifts that he hasn't wanted to put down! He got to stay up late, and he was up and ready to play early this morning. What fun he had! Thanks to everyone for making his birthday so special. We love you, guys!

We are still in disbelief that our baby boy is turning 3 years old and not sure where the time has gone! We are proud of our little man. He is an awesome little boy with a love for life, family, and friends. We love his "big, bear hugs" and his passion to be independent. We love him so much and know he is bound for greatness.

Snow Days...

School was called at 11:00am this morning, so I had the pleasure of picking Sean up early from daycare to spend the rest of the day together. We enjoyed naps, snacks, playing in the snow, a yummy dinner that Nana made, a bath, and now a "Bob the Builder" movie. Fun, fun day!

I also got to try out my new van in the snow...I was quickly reminded that I no longer have 4 wheel drive...bummer! My Sienna is still a nice ride, Sean LOVES it, and Graham is glad we finally have one (he has wanted one since we found out we were pregnant with Sean...something about a "family car"). I am learning to adjust, and it really isn't so bad. I just wish I could speed up faster at intersections, plow through snow drifts without a care, follow the car in front of me a little closer, and not worry about all those pesky hills...my time will come again...someday. For now I will enjoy knowing my family is safe, and that now I have room for a family of 5 in the next couple months :)

Sold!

We sold our 4Runner this past weekend, and we turn it over to the new owners on Friday! So, now I have to drive VERY carefully...

Scary to have it sold! It is a little bittersweet for me, as I love my 4Runner. But, the time has come for me to get a "mom mobile" for my growing family. Sean can't wait to have a car like his cousin, Braeden! He wants the movie "on the top of the car." I think it is so sweet! The search is on for our "new" family car. Hope to get one this weekend or soon after.

Otherwise, we spent a great weekend in the cities. Nick, Molly, and I took Sean to the theme park in Mall of America on Saturday morning. He loved everything that went high and fast! I really think I am in for it! Thank goodness for Nick and Molly, as they went on all the rides with him. He even talked Uncle Nick into going on the Log Ride. As we were waiting and watching, we noticed that people really didn't get wet, so that was good...we thought! Our two guys got drenched on the ride! It was hilarious! Sean was so concerned about getting all wet, it was precious! Thank goodness we were staying in a hotel nearby and were able to get him changed quickly. But poor Nick, he had to drive home like that...what an Uncle!

Graham was able to meet us at the hotel, and we had a great time playing in the pool and going out for dinner. Our little man is a fish, too! He was jumping in, swimming with a fun noodle, and trying his back float :) Not sure where he gets this from ;) We stayed up late and enjoyed every second we had together.

Our weekends always go way too fast. Sundays are sad for us, but now it is Monday night and I am so looking forward to Friday when I get to see my man again.

Time to Catch Up!

Wow, as I look at my blog, I noticed it has been awhile since I have updated...let's catch up!

Sean: He is quickly becoming a very independent almost 3 year old! He loves to "walk" in the stores, strollers are for babies. He is good at organizing his things, whether he is putting them away or lining up them up by size. We love giving him responsibilities, and one is to feed the dogs and let them outside. The dogs seem to like him even more now...We changed his bed at Nana and Papa's house to his cousin Emma's old toddler bed, as we are going to be using his "old" bed for the babies' crib soon. He thinks it is awesome:) He still has no fear and loves to climb as high as he can.

Graham: Now he is the only one of us traveling back and forth. I worry constantly about this, but he is a trooper. He is excelling in school and has met some really cool people. He is getting into his workout routine and feeling great about that, too. He is Sean's best buddy and loves to rough house with him. I have also put him to work helping me organize our baby stuff again. So, his car is always loaded with something to bring to Mankato or back up to Duluth. He never complains and is always wanting/willing to do more. I am so lucky!

Me: I am growing and growing. I only wear slip on shoes and my belly button is about to pop! I am 25 weeks along, and our babies look great! At my last ultrasound, Baby A was approximately 1 lb. 9oz. with a heartbeat of 144 beats per minute. Baby B was approximately 1 lb. 11oz. with a heartbeat of 158 beats per minute. Now the guessing games can begin! We are waiting to be surprised at their birth, but can't help wonder... :) Otherwise, school is going good for me. I enjoy playing with Sean as much as I can.

Hope you are all doing well. I promise to stay more on top of this in the future.

Back to Reality!

What a wonderful couple weeks we had as a family. It was so nice to have Graham home and some quality time together.

Christmas was amazing this year! Sean absolutely loved Santa and all the presents. He was able to play with his cousins, build a snowman, and get totally off his schedule :) He got trucks, books, pjs, and games. Graham and I took a day to sort through all his old toys to make room for the new. We feel so organized...finally! We even have some of the toys heading up north to surprise him when we visit daddy.

We enjoyed great visits with family and friends. Even though the weather didn't cooperate much at the beginning of Christmas, we were able to reschedule to get our visits in. All the snow sure made Christmas fun! It was a true winter wonderland here! Reconnecting with everyone was awesome. Time just goes too fast, and we wish we could see them more often.

It was also great to have Graham home for some doctors' appointments! He was able to come to an ultrasound and prenatal check up, so much better to have him here in person rather than listening over the phone :) He also was able to take Sean to an appointment, poor kid is just coming off meds from his 3rd strep throat since Halloween! Oh, did I mention that he needs glasses?! Yep, at his eye appointment he learned he has to join the ranks of us "corrective lenses" folks. He picked out some cool ones, so now we wait for them to come in.

Today we are back to reality. Graham left after lunch to head back up to Duluth, and Sean and I are left trying to remember what to do without him. We miss him terribly and can't wait until the day we are a family again. We are counting down the days until Friday...5...

Enjoy some of our holiday pictures! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and have a great New Year!