What Nolan Has Been Up To

Nolan has been becoming less of a baby and showing he is ready to become a toddler lately. While he still hasn't taken any steps, he gets to where he wants to go and he gets there fast. He has learned he loves to play in the fridge and in the cabinets.

He has also shown off his dancing skills.

And lastly he has been to the doctor way to many times for one week. He has had a rash around his mouth for a few weeks, but I figured it was from his pacifier and extra saliva. But when it started getting around his eye I took him in to the doctor. He has a skin infection and is on antibiotics so hopefully that will clear up soon. The next day he also fell down the stairs. He was going down the safe way, but picked his arms up and fell backward cartwheeling down. We picked him up and he had a bloody nose and lip. We brought him in immediately to the doctors. By the time we got there he was acting fine and just wanted to play. No serious injuries at ll thank goodness. However with the scrapes, his infection, and then just normal bumps and bruises from cruising around he looks like a mess. He is all boy for sure.

Getting Ready for Olivia

We are slowly but surely getting ready for this little girl to come. We have her crib (although not yet set up) a double stroller, plenty of clothes, and almost everything else we need to get. The boys are very excited and Tyler even said yesterday "I want my sister to come now!" Nolan has no idea what is coming to him. The boys made her a bear at Build a Bear and Justin has picked out her going home outfit. .Having a daughter has also made me a little more crafty I guess as I also made her a bow holder for her room. I am hoping within the next couple of weeks her nursery will all be done.  We only have about 5 weeks left until we should meet her!

Cousins!

BJ, Abbi, Toby, and Norah are in Colorado for a while so we have had lots of fun with the cousins. One night we went over to Todd and Jessie's for dinner. The kids had a wonderful time playing in the yard, riding bikes, throwing the football, and just being with each other. We also had BJ, Abbi and some friends over here one night. BJ and Abbi got everyone pizza and all the kids jumped there hearts away on the trampoline, playing games downstairs, kicking the soccer ball around, talking Star Wars. We are very excited to see BJ and Abbi and the kids later this week. Always a lot of fun to make memories with the cousins.

Rain Day

For the most part it has been a very dry hot summer so far. One day we got a nice relief from the sun where it seemed to rain on and off all day. Tyler and Carter absolutely loved it. The found that their side walk chalk they left outside, when wet, acts more like paint. They had  a blast "painting" everything. They also of course had fun just splashing in the puddles and mud, finding bugs in the yard, and once it started thundering, counting how far away the lightening was. Very fun day indeed.

Zoo Member Night

Last week the zoo had a zoo member night. We got there somewhat late and flew thru the zoo, but we still had a lot of fun. The boys got to feed the giraffes (including Nolan) some lettuce, but Tyler seemed very scared to do so. We got to see the tiger walking around, the mountain lions playing, and watch a hippo fall asleep. It wasn't too hot thanks to it being at night and I am very glad we got in another zoo trip before Olivia gets here.

Tee-Ball

The boys are officially in the swing of their tee-ball season. We missed the first two practices while we were in Maryland, but they seem to be doing just fine anyway. The are on the Blue Jays this year and very cute in their uniforms. The love going to the games and are always asking when the next game is.

At the first game Carter got upset because he never got the ball. Tyler, who was playing first base, let Carter catch one, and then all was better. During the second game they actually got to play 3 innings (they usually only get 2 in within the hour time limit) and Carter did not want to keep playing. However when told he wouldn't get snack unless he played the whole game he got back in there.  He also got to play pitcher during one game, but since he doesn't run for the ball he only got it once. Once he did though he was so proud and shouted "I caught it!". He does seem to get bored during the games and not really pay attention or even run for the ball like the rest of the kid while they are in the field, but he says after the fact that he has fun and he gets very excited to every game. He seems to enjoy hitting and just being with all the other kids the best (besides the snack at the end of the game of course).

Tyler of course loves every part of the games. He has gotten so much more athletic in the past year. He hits the ball hard and far, fields the ball very well, and runs a lot faster than just a year ago. Since he is one of the oldest and played last year, the coach has put him at first base a couple times already. He does a great job of getting the ball and throwing it back to the catcher. He is also great at encouraging all his teammates, telling them great hit or great throw. He also is very good about encouraging Carter and helping Carter out.   So much watching them both play together!

10 Months

On Sunday Nolan turned 10 months! He is getting so big so quick! While we were in Maryland he started eating a lot more (right around when his top teeth came in as well) and hasn't stopped. I am pretty sure he is gaining weight and we won't have an issue with him dropping in percentiles. He drinks three bottles a day, anywhere from 3-6 ounces. For breakfast he has some his oatmeal and cut up fruit, lunch is usually some veggies, some more cut up fruit and some yogurt. He also seems to like lunch meat and cheese for lunch. For dinner he eats whatever we eat. He loves blueberries, chicken, lasagna, hot dogs, and cantaloupe.He also loves sweet potatoes, but we still mostly give that to him in baby food form as its just easier that way. Nolan takes 2-3 naps a day depending on when his second nap ends. He is getting to be a much better napper though and takes at least one long one, if not two, a day. He has mastered the stairs and cruising around. He is no longer happy to sit in a lap when outside, we wants to be out crawling around in the grass and dirt. He loves to pull all the puzzles and books off the book shelves and get into Hana's dog food and water. He absolutely loves bath time and races to the bathroom as soon as he thinks he might get one. A couple of times when we have let go of his hands he would stand there for 10 seconds or so, but lately he is getting more timid in that area. He babbles all the time, but still no words. Nolan is becoming quite the mama's boy, with wanting me more than any one else. I am sure after a  few weeks of Olivia being here he will have to get over that. He is still the happiest, easy going baby we know and we enjoy him so much!!!

Nana and Bapa

Nana and Bapa were in town for a quick trip and the boys loved seeing them. Bapa helped Justin put up the net on the trampoline and the boys loved swimming in their hotel's swimming pool. Nolan even got his first taste of swimming and LOVED it. He sure is a water baby, as long as he isn't on his back. Nana and Bapa will be back in a couple weeks for a week to work at the Women's US Open and we are all excited to spend more time with them then.

Summertime!

The boys are enjoying the warmer weather and everything else that comes with it. While they are enjoying going to church on Mondays and Wednesdays, they are also seeming to enjoy being home during the day and playing outside almost the entire time. We got a trampoline for them and they are constantly on it. If they aren't on the tramp they are playing baseball in the backyard. We also planted our flowers, went to the fountains to play in at America the Beautiful park, and have rode our scooters around the park. If it wasn't so hot we would be doing a lot more, but it just zaps my energy so quickly. Luckily the boys have been behaving well and seem to be ok with our low-key summer.

30 week Appointment

Once again behind on the blog! Last week I had my 30 week appointment. It was pretty uneventful. Everything looks and sounds great. One more appointment in 2 weeks and then I am onto weekly appointments.  I am feeling pretty good, but getting tired quicker and Nolan seems to get heavier by the day when I carry him around. We finally got a crib and her double stroller ad we hope to start working on the nursery in the next couple of weeks!

Great Trip!

We had a wonderful time with Oma and Opa and were sad to have to leave. Carter actually insisted that he wasn't going to leave. When we said we know you will miss Oma and Opa he answered " no I won't because I am staying here!". On Sunday morning the boys got to eat Opa's pancakes one more time and take Dickens on a final walk. They played outside some and we took some pictures before heading to the airport. Carter was having a stubborn moment so he isn't very happy in any of the pictures however. The boys once again did great on the flight, even though it was also completely full. They were very restless once we were off the plane however so once we got home we made them run some laps outside instead of doing their legos like Tyler wanted to do. We had a great time as usual with Oma and Opa and are already missing the, Thanks for a great visit Oma and Opa!

National's Game

On Saturday Opa, Justin, Tyler, Carter, and I went to the National's baseball game. We rode the Metro to the stadium, which the boys loved, and had great seats. The boys got to see the racing President's, Opa caught a free tee-shirt, and Tyler got on the big screen dancing. Of course they also got to eat hot dogs, crackerjacks, and cotton candy. After the 4th inning Justin took the boys to the playground for a little break and it started raining during the 5th inning but it didn't last long. The Nationals lost, but it worked out ok as it made a shorter game. Both boys fell asleep on the Metro on the way back. When we got back Oma told me she and Nolan had a great time playing all day and he took great naps for her. We went to Red Robin for dinner and the boys got to get some new lego's from Oma nad Opa for when we returned home. Both boys now say the baseball game was one of their favorite parts of our trip.

Night Out in Georgetown

On Thursday my parents were so wonderful and took all the boys so Justin and I could have an overnight in Georgetown. We left after lunch and got to the hotel where we took a nap and got ready for dinner. We walked along the canal to go to Filomena's, an Italian restaurant we saw on the travel channel where they have pasta mama's that make the pasta homemade right there in front of you. It was delicious food and we were both beyond stuffed. We went back to the hotel so it could cool down some and we could digest the food some. The plan was to go walk around Georgetown once the sun went down, but I feel asleep and woke up 12 hours later. I think my body needed some sleep! In the morning we got ready to leave and stopped at Ben's Chili Bowl on the way out of town. I didn't have any chili, but Justin says it was good. When we got back to Oma and Opa's we were told the boys behaved very well and went to bed for them just great. Nolan woke up in the middle of the night and they were worried he would wake Tyler and Carter so he slept in Oma and Opa's bed with him.  They say they didn't mind though. The boys played outside, went and fed the horses, had some chick fil a, and got to watch a new movie. They had a blast and didn't seem to miss us at all. However I did get the best reception ever from Nolan. He just kept giving me hugs and giggling for about 10 minutes. I loved it!  Justin and I took the boys to the mall that afternoon to let them play and give Oma and Opa a break. We picked up some pizzas on the way home and then took a nice walk that night before bed.  Thanks for the break Oma and Opa!

Philly Zoo!

On Wednesday we went to the Philadelphia Zoo to meet up with my friend Shannon who moved to New Jersey last year. It was great to see her and her kiddos and the boys of course loved the zoo! On the ride there we learned the boys were old enough to play the alphabet game, which was great because the traffic was pretty bad in Philly. But we finally all met up and off we were. The zoo of course had all their favorites, hippos, lions, tigers, etc. The kids also went on a train ride and splashed in some fountains.  They also had a lot of sculptures to climb on and a kids zoo with farm animals to look at. Shannon's daughter Abby gave Justin a look onto the future of what like will be like with a daughter and boy is he in trouble. She would ask him to hold her and he couldn't resist, carrying her around half the zoo. After the zoo the boys were asleep within minutes so Justin and I took the opportunity to grab from cheese steaks (we both decided we like Gino's better than Pat's) and then we headed back to Oma and Opa's. There the boys got to tell Oma and Opa all about it a take a bath in their big jacuzzi tub with the jets on and everything - talk about a fun day!

Boats

On Monday Justin and I took all the boys down to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore to check out some old boats. When we got there we had a quick lunch and then toured one of the boats. The boys enjoyed going up and down the ladders the most I think. We got to see everything from where they slept, to where they kept their food, and even the boats jail. After the boat tour we went on a submarine tour. The boys really liked that it was painted as a shark. They also seemed to really get how small it was in there and how cramped it must have been for everyone. It was very hot and humid that day so we were all ready to go back to Oma and Opa's house after the submarine tour. We came home, had a little quiet time and then went out for dinner.

On Tuesday all of us went down to Annapolis where we took a 40 minute ferry ride. The boys had so much fun. Carter got to be the life vest demonstrator and they had a little wheel at the front of the boat where both boys got to "captain" the boat. Carter also hung out with the Captain some and saw how everything worked. Nolan mostly stayed downstairs in the air condition with Oma, as he refuses to wear his hat and I didn't want him sunburned. We had some ice cream before we headed back to Oma and Opa's.  It was a very fun day.

Maryland Trip

After the running race on Friday we came home, ate a quick dinner, put the boys to bed and finsihed packing. We had to get up at 2:45 to get to the airport in time. Of course Tyler was so excited he was up every 30 minutes or so asking if it was time to go or not. The plane was full so Nolan was on either Justin's or my lap the whole time, but all the boys did very well. All of them napped a little bit, watched some Star Wars, and colored some.  I am not sure if its because I am pregannat or what but the flight seemed a lot longer than in the past. When we got down to baggage claim Oma was waiting for us and the boys were so excited. We got back to their house hwere the boys played, got into the sprinklers they weren't supppose to and had some pizza for dinner.

On Sunday we got up and went to church with my parents. The boys sat nicely during the children's sermon and then went off to their Sunday School where they had a lot of fun. Justin and I took the boys to a park that afternoon, where Nolan got his first chance to play in some grass. He seemed to like it a lot. He also started crab crawling everywhere as he did not like the feel of it on his knees. The boys climbed to their hearts content and when we got back we had a very yummy dinner.