Ring in the New!

2009 was an eventful year--it brought us our Baby Jude, some career excitement, and as Scott mentioned to me today, 10 years of our togetherness. (aw)

Scott and Becky and Xmas Jello Jiggler Heart

Our plans to ring in the new year this eve include some Chinese food, a bottle of wine, a movie and hopefully some soundly-sleeping children. (...at least when the good parts are on! Don't try watching the movie "Angels and Demons" when you have a child who wakes every hour or two!)

Everyone thinks you're so sweet, but there's a little troublemaker in there!

2010 is sure to bring us more joy and excitement as we watch our boys learn and grow, share our lives with our family and friends and explore opportunities career-wise and otherwise!

Happy New Year!

Love,

Becky, Scott, Liam and Jude

ETA: Our Chinese food was YumYum! :) Our fortunes were:

Jude's: You will be unusually successful in business.

Liam's: The only way to have a friend is to be one.

Becky's: Don't be hasty. Prosperity will knock on your door soon.

Scott's: You need not worry about your future.

Phew. I guess we have everything under control, then. All the best in 2010!

ETA again! (1/1/2010): We had leftover Chinese food tonight, with leftover fortune cookies, too and these were our fortunes:

Scott's: Time is the wisest counselor.

Becky's: Your present plants (not plans, plants) are going to succeed.

Liam's: Your dearest wish will come true.

Glad my orchid will survive, then. When we asked Liam what his dearest wish was, he said, "two houses." When I asked him who was going to clean these two houses, he said, "mens." Phew, thank goodness it's not me. It already takes me a day and a half to clean this one (with my helper), imagine cleaning two houses every week! Eeep!

Catching up

Well, at least you know that I'll be posting twice a month to celebrate my favourite boys' monthiversaries. Whew, it's just been busy AND with our friend Liam being so interested in playing on the computer, I'm lucky if I can even turn it on in the morning without it being the centre of Liam's attention all day. We had a computer abstinence week last week and that seemed to break the cycle a bit. Now all I have to do is hide the mouse ("quamma" is what Liam calls it. He sees it as another camera since it's always beside my camera on the desk). Liam has become quite adept at his computer literacy skills. He can navigate the internet to find Sesame Street and Thomas the Train sites and plays the games on the Thomas site with pretty good accuracy. One is an emotions game where he has to choose which tank has a 'sad' face. He can read the words sad, angry, happy, scared, etc. and pick the appropriate face. It's neat to see, but if he could, he would stay on the computer alllll day. Or at least most of the day with a few running breaks built in.

Liam playing with his Snowflake bear from our Polar Bear Express Train Ride

Jude enjoying his train ride

Figures. I had 5 minutes to post these last two posts while Liam was playing on my phone (I wonder who he called/texted today) and he caught me. He's now sitting on my lap and trying his hardest not to touch anything or he is banned from my lap. He's reading through this picking out everytime he sees his name. :)

The fam at the Polar Express

Anyway, things are crazy. I'll post more once everything has settled down. As it stands, we're leaving in a few days to drive home to Ottawa for Christmas if everything works out.

Well, Liam's now listening to NPR on my phone. Hm. I've never listened to NPR on my phone...

Merry Christmas!

Love,

b

Jude taking down Liam for all of those pokes in the eye

Happy 28th monthiversary, Liam!

Happy monthiversary, buddy! You're off to school today for the last day before Christmas break. You'll have a fun day for sure!

You're losing some of your cute words--"eatmoil" is now "oatmeal" but we still have "bullzeedoh" and "compeedu". :) You're reading words in books, cereal boxes, signs that you recognize. You've amazed the neighbours and you never fail to amaze Mommy and Daddy. You're a smart little bunny.

We love you. Enjoy your day.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Baby Jude

Happy 4-monthiversary, Jude!

Happy 4-monthiversary, sweet boy! You had your doctor's appointment today. You are a big boy! You weighed in at 19 lbs 13 oz, and 25.5 inches long. You also had some vaccinations today, which made you a little sad and a little sore this afternoon. So, you spent the afternoon spitting up and Mommy and Liam spent it dodging your aim. :( Poor little guy.

I was able to catch a good picture of you and Paulie before you started feeling yucky. Here you are--so smiley!

We love you, baby!
love,
Mommy, Daddy and Liam

Not to compare or anything...

I pulled up some pictures of Liam from when he was about Jude's age and here they are:

Liam, 3 months

Jude, 3 months

Liam, 3 months

Jude, 3 months

There is one difference to note: Jude's wearing clothes that you would see in Liam's nine month pictures. Let's just say that he's a little, um, stockier... ;)

I love my handsome boys!

love,

b

Happy 27th monthiversary, Liam!

Happy 2 years and 3 months, Liam! Hope you had a fun day playing with Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Jude!

Goofball

And Happy Birthday to Auntie Catherine, too! (AKA "Acaffin")

We love you, big brother Liam!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Jude

Happy 3-monthiversary, Baby Jude!

"Watch it Paullie...once false move and you're lunch!"

Happy happy day, little guy! We hope you have a great 3-monthiversary! You're getting so big and you are fun to hold and cuddle with. You are talking to your toys more, having very deep and important conversations with each and every one of them. You smile and giggle much more, as well, especially to your big brother, Liam (even if he pokes you in the eye). :)

Mommy has lots of cuddles and kisses for you today while Liam is at school. Have a fun fun day!

We love you.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Liam

Happy 26 monthiversary Liam!

Happy happy day, buddy! Hope you enjoy hanging out with Mommy, Daddy and Baby Jude today.
We love you,
love
Mommy, Daddy and Baby Jude

Hey Jude

Liam has been getting as many snuggles as possible. His favourite thing to do these days is cuddle and be sung to. I ask him if he wants Liam's song (You are my Sunshine/Bunny) or Jude's song (Hey Jude) and he almost always picks Jude's song. He also has begun to sing it himself, unprompted. However, it's hard to record the unprompted times, so here is a video of Liam's latest performance. (accompanied by Mommy with Baby Jude on drums) ;)

American Idol, watch out!

love,

b

Happy 2-monthiversary, Baby Jude!

It's been a busy and love-filled 2 months! Happy monthiversary, Baby Jude!

Jude and Paulie...Jude's catching up to you, bear!

"Are you lookin' at me?"

A classic Baby Jude face

Baby Jude, there were just too many cute pictures to choose from. I couldn't pick only one. You are the sweetest baby. You are cuddly, warm and soft and kissable from your cute little red curls on your head to your sweet little feet. But those cheeks...I could kiss them all day long!

You are my darling baby boy and I love you very much. Happy happy day, baby!

love,

Mommy, Daddy and Liam

The First Day of School

Today is Liam's first day of "school".

Liam's snazzy new first day of school outfit. (Yes, that white shirt won't be white at the end of the day, but that's what Javex is for)

In this area, there is a program called Mom's Day Out run by many of the churches where parents can drop their child off for a few hours or the whole day. The church next to our housing community has a wonderful program that Liam is participating in on Tuesdays from 9-3 and it's actually run like "school". Many of our neighbourhood kids attend this program on various days and levels and the school and teachers have an awesome reputation for being loving and fun. So, we thought we would try it out for Liam. It gives him a day of new activities and new experiences and it gives Jude and me a day to hang out, just Mommy and Baby.
Liam will play in his classroom, go to Music class, do crafts (he called them "craps" at first, and then he corrected himself to say "craffs"), have storytime with bible stories, have snack, play outside (with the basketballs!), have lunch, have naptime and then play with puzzles. He knows that after puzzles, Mommy will pick him up.
I'm dying to know how his day is going! I wish I had a Nanny Cam that I could set up in his cubby! ;) Ha, kidding! (sort of)

Liam and Jude

He did well at drop off. On his way over, he did say, "No Miss Tina...No Miss Anita...No go to school," but when we got out of the car, we saw lots of other kids with their mommies and daddies heading into the school and thankfully that distracted him. We went into the classroom and found Liam's cubby and hung up his hat and bunnyhug (hooded sweater for you non-Saskatchewanians) and went to check out some toys. I tried to get him interested in something so I could say "bye bye" and head out, but he was keeping an eye on me. So, I brought him over to the carpet where there was a big 4x4 toy truck to play with and I told him that Mommy was going to go bye bye and I kissed him and told him I loved him and he grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go. We walked over to Miss Tina and I told her that he was latched on, so she showed him the art table, which had an aquadoodle on it and she helped him sit down and draw. I paused for a second and then headed out, leaving my little big boy to his first full day of adventures in school.
Once I got home, I picked up Jude and nursed him and realized how quiet it was around the house. I'm happy that Liam has a safe place to go to have fun and learn new things, but I also really miss him today. He's such a big part of my heart and of my day.
I'm so excited to hear about his first day of school.

Liam watching the big kids take the bus to school

We needed to get in some batting practice before heading out

Our celebratory cupcakes for dessert tonight. Liam's is the one with the "happy".

Liam's big boy first day of school present

Moving a tiny bit closer to the edge of the nest...

love,

b

Happy 25-monthiversary, Liam!

Today you are 2 years and one month old. Such a big boy!

We love you!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Baby Jude

Happy 1-monthiversary, Baby Jude!

Happy one monthiversary, baby boy!

You've had a wonderful month of growing. Today you weigh 10 pounds, 10 ounces and are 22 1/4 inches long! You are just as big as Paulie! (although he has a wee bit more 'fluff' than you!)

Hope you have a fun day, little guy!

We love you!

love,

Mommy, Daddy and Big Brother Liam

Baby Dude

Liam lurves his little brother!

He gives "Baby Dude" kisses and hugs and when I bring Jude downstairs first thing in the morning, it's Jude who gets all of the love, while I have to wrestle a cuddle out of my first-born.

"Kiss...mmmmm!"

But who am I to complain? ;) It's awesome seeing the love grow between my two boys. It may be a bit one-sided right now, but it's inevitable that Jude will idolize big brother Liam in no time and they will become close friends as well as loving brothers.

A dream come true.

love,

b

Birthday Party...take 5! ...or 6? ...um, 7???

Scott's home! Yay! That means more cake! :)

Liam is always thrilled to see Daddy, and knowing that when Daddy comes home we get to again have cake and sing Happy Birthday...with candles...blow out the candles..."phhhhht!" just makes Liam's day!

Man, I'd better get six birthday parties when I turn 2!

Mr. Grumpypants...we joke that he's going to need "preventative Botox" to get rid of those worry lines he has

Smile, little bug!


Daddy and Mr. Jude giving YOU the stinkeye

The Birthday Boy

The flower CCC with icing-of-many-colours

Blow, not spit!!

"I'll take...um...um...um...THIS one!"

Having our cake and eating it, too!

It was only the icing that was consumed. The actual cake wasn't even touched! Note to self for next year...

Getting ready to walk off our blue icing

Peekaboo, Nana!

Driving his birthday present around the neighbourhood--yes, the white Lambo!

That grin was plastered on Liam's face the whole time he was driving and hanging out with Daddy!

Alrighty then. One more birthday celebration down...?? more to go! :)

love,

b

Happy 2nd Birthday Liam!

Liam, two years ago

Liam, today

My big boy has turned 2 years old! What a wonderful thing! Liam is talking more, joking more, pretending more, helping out more, understanding more and just being more of a smart, sweet little boy.

Hm. However, sometimes this smart, sweet little boy is less than thrilled to do what you may ask him to do. Like, oh, sit with Puppy for his picture. So, this is the best we could get.

I am outta here!

I did get a couple of him sitting pretty in that 3 second window of stillness, but one was blurry and the other one makes him look like a big crankmeister crank. Although, when sitting in his new toddler-sized Lamborghini, that's another story.

Wave to your people, Prince William

We had a fun day celebrating Liam's two-ness. We fixed the Lambo, played outside with the water and sand tables, watched the hummingbirds at our feeder, opened presents, went downtown to the toy store to pick out a birthday toy, went to the bakery to pick out mini cupcakes for dessert, ate cupcakes both after lunch and after dinner, napped, played with Liam's new presents, and played at the neighbours' house. The only thing missing was Scott--he was at a race in Wisconsin this weekend, so we're celebrating again on Monday when he's home.

There seems to be a problem with the differential...

Outdoor morning fun, while the weather was still cool

All strapped in for strolling the streets of Zionsville

The Toy Store

Pretty colours!

(and Liam ended up picking the tiny cupcakes at the bottom!! Did you happen to see those yummy BIG ones up there, Buddy?)

Four mini cupcakes for Liam, me, Nana and Poppa (sorry Jude, you're out of luck!) Liam's is, of course, the purple one

That last candle just would not go out, until Liam was able to spit it out. Nice.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Liam's present from the toy store--blocks'n'blocks'n'blocks!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the puzzles and the apron set. We made muffins with them!

Thanks Nana, Poppa and Auntie Catherine for the Mr. Dressup DVDs and the Rainy Day Craft Box full of fun stuff!

Learning how to cut with scissors--Liam did quite well!

Cupcakes (and Happy Birthday to Liam) round 2

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Yeesh. Big brothers are exhausting!

Happy birthday, Liam. We love you very much.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Baby Jude