Abbey Makes a Stand or Two...

Abbey stood up on her own today for the first time. Yesterday, she kind of half did it on her changing table, so I knew it wasn't far behind. But when I walked out of the kitchen this morning, she was standing all wobbly next to Adam in her cute little onesie. She sat down pretty quick, but I had that moment of awe. When you see one of your kids make a milestone, you feel so proud. And when I went to the eye doctor, my mom said she did it again. Little Abbey turned nine months on Wednesday....and has decided she hates baby food. Mostly, she either spits it at me or whacks the spoon when I try to feed her. But currently she has ONE tooth, so when she leaned over my arm today to try and take a big bite out of my sandwich, she just kind of gnawed it. Cute. She's been eating leftover stuffing all week and LOVES it!

Tonight we went to dinner at Bridie Manor with Todd's buddy Terry Potter, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson Ethan who is four months younger than Adam. The food there is usually good....service laughably slow. At one point, Abbey was sitting in her Daddy's lap across from me and I was putting my hands over my face and taking them away "surprise" I'd say and she'd just laugh. Ah, what a sound. Adam, my boy, ate his fries, now sharing with Abbey who was introduced to them last week. He ignored his chicken, ending his meal with stealing some of my spaghetti. He drank from my water glass and Abbey wanted to do the same. I let her and Todd did, too. So Adam took my cup and insisted on giving her some, too. I love those moments. Love my kids...love spending time together as a family.

Adam's 2nd Birthday Party!

Getting ready for Adam's party, I wasn't anxious like I have been before most events or happenings in recent years. But I had planned it for a while, keeping things simple and informal. Appetizers and pizza, ice cream and cake. I wanted to do it on his actual birthday versus the next day Saturday because it always adds a special element to celebrate on an actual birthday. Tammy came early to help me pull things together, running to Price Chopper for a few things, including some latex green helium balloons to go with the ones I had put up the night before. They were there when he woke up from his nap and he gathered them all up and brought them in to show me. I thought it was so cute. Tammy made a very cute birthday sign...I had asked her to make one, but thought it's be be a sign. I LOVED what she did, even cutting out little paw prints and modge podge-ing them! Adam didn't choose when he asked, so we put all his favorite things on the cake :) I set up the appetizers and Tammy picked up the pizza...which Adam went right for. He ate it with love...and was not interested in eating his cake! Adam made his own WII remote and was busy attacking Devin with it! Adam was SO proud when we sang Happy Birthday to him! When he got his cake, he tossed it at Devin...he just thought he had a big playmate!! So Daddy fed the cake to Abbey who LOVED it. I like this picture of Uncle Chuck and Aunt Missie. Bobby admiring Tammy...his long-time hobby. Adam LOVED this Thomas card from Melissa that moved when you pulled a tag. Holly and Ron... Tammy took a lot of these photos...kind of acting like a photographer for the event!!!! Adam's second birthday was nice....I missed my father and father-in-law being a part and a few of my friends who have shared so much with me. All of Todd's local brothers stopped in, which was nice and Colin was in town and brought his new girlfriend. Adam was happy and enjoyed the day and the attention. His favorite parts where playing with people and being sang to, eating pizza and playing with his new toys. It was a wonderful birthday for my little boy...I was excited for him the night before like I used to get before my birthday as a kid. My, how things change.

Adam's Birthday ...Before the Party

Adam ate like a whole thing of blueberries for breakfast on his birthday....one of his favorite foods! Look closely at this picture and you will see Abbey in the background laughing at Bailey who is jumping up to see in. When his Aunt Sarah called to say Happy Birthday, he did NOT want to get off the phone. She sang him Happy Birthday and he started singing, too. Then my mom called and he walked around with both. Sarah stayed on with him for like 20 minutes, seriously. My Mom hung up I think after like five minutes...I admired Sarah's interest. That was the first time I had seen him that interested in talking to someone that much besides his dad. Earlier in the week, we took Adam to Toys-R-Us, looking to see what he might like. He loved a model dinosaur that was way overpriced and he hugged the whole time we were there and this chair with Lightning McQueen. We passed it and he was like ooo oo ooo. So....I pulled it out of my car and set it up for him after breakfast. He loved it! His reaction was to check it out "under the hood". He even wanted to share it with Abbey! I Love this picture...an actual picture of him looking AT the camera smiling!!!

Adam's Birthday Wake-Up

For months, i've said that I wanted to fill up the dining room the morning of his birthday with balloons to be there when he wakes ups. While he doesn't have the same obsession with balloons as he once id, he still loves them. This is what happened...wonderful moments...I love Adam's understated joy. He's a kid who you have to earn his smiles and laughter. I can tell how happy he is by the look on his face...

Guess They Just Know

Adam just took the pink bow that fall off Bailey's head last night and tried to put in in Abbey's hair. I used to think, as a 19-year-old, that babies were born a blank slate and we filled them with gender roles. Ha. Having a boy and a girl has brought me over to the they are kind of born this way! I never made Adam fall in love with trucks...though Abbey, loves them, too. And when I was so touched a couple of months ago because it looked like he wanted his stuffed bunny out of the closet, it turned out he just tried to rip the football out of his hands off. And although he always asks to try out my hair clips, he just knew the pink bows were for girls.

Trick-or-Treat!!!!

Abbey looking cute and adorable in her pumpkin costume....ready to go!! On our way....Adm surprisingly let him put his Elmo costime on! Mommy walked him up to his first house...the professor's wife. He wasn't sure what to think as I dragged him up there! At the next house, I could tell he was getting interested in this theroy of walking up to the door and getting something put in his bucket. Walking around the block. Going to Robbie's Hosue....Both mine and Tammy's favorite picture of Abbey. Maddie and Caitlin LOVE Adam and Abbey. Some more houses around the block... Going to the Straights...Kathy had specifically asked for them as was waiting! Daddy took Abbey home and me and Tammy took Adam across the street...I thought it'd be fun for Tammy to take him up. He watches Brenda's dogs so much, he felt right at home walking in to get her "dees". Love this pic Tammy took as we headed home! Adam started to sort his candy out right away!! Holly brought her stepdaughter and granddaughter Anya over. Adam fell in love, giving her one of his trucks! He was smitten :) Asked Tammy if she wanted to stop by on her way out of town to see kids dressed up and was glad she joined us...and took a lot of these pictures for us :)

TIred. And the Terrible Twos.

Tired. For a few nights, Abbey slept until 6:15ish but this morning she was up at 5am. I fed her and put her back in her crib and she got very angry.... I took her out and she was still just plain ticked off! Finally gave her a bottle and then I actually got her to rock to sleep by about 7am. I got a 20 minute nap and she was back up. Actually what woke me up was the sound of our printing re-setting because apparently the power had gone off and while a sound like that wouldn't wake most people nor myself in a past life, now that I'm a mom I hear everything, including Abbey chattering a few minutes later. But that's OK, I guess I achieved my goal I guess. I never let Adam get up for the day before 6am and I'm not going to let her think it's play time either....I just can't! I WILL NEVER be a morning person!

Last night, when I brought Abbey over to kiss her Dad good night, Adam kissed her and said goo-goo-ga-ga which is his affectionate noise when he's tickling her. Very cute. Makes me feel good when they show each other love.

Adam has entered terrible twos full force now. Moody like a teenage girl :) He has been going to time out for hitting and making this screeching whine noise. Sometimes he cares, after a long ten minute time out earlier this week he sniffled "..I good". (I had told him he can sit in there until he was good hahaha). But a lot of the time, he doesn't. Last week, he was crawling behind Abbey spanking her. He went into a time-out and when he came out, he went right into the kitchen and started spanking her again. *sigh* Funny and Frustrating! He'll burst into tears when a show ends, especially Thomas the Train, even if he wasn't really paying attention. He throws and he hits.... but he talks so much now. His quirky sense of humor comes out more than ever....putting his monkey blanket between our faces when I am carrying him to bed for kiss, something that began as a concillatory offer from him a month or so again when I would want a good night kiss and he wasn't in the mood. He thought it was hilarious the first time he did it and still does.

Halloween Pre-Gaming

We were meeting Grandma Kathy, Chuckie & Missie and Collin and his new girlfriend for breakfast at Dahl's. We thought it would be fun to take Adam in costume. He HATED it. We took it off right away lest he resent it ...but I grabbed a picture first in case he wouldn't put it on later. Grandma brought Adam some Halloween stuff, including a cool skeleton straw he loved. He was in love with Grandma that day! Abbey let Uncle Chuckie hold her....she didn't cry like Adam always used to when he saw him! Daddy tried on Adam's Elmo costume on his head to help Adam get over his trepidation. HAHA I think Todd looks like some sort of freak WWE character :) Abbey liked it!! Right before we got ready to go trick or treat, we had Domino's. It was pretty good....Tammy showed up just in time to take this picture and have a few. And the trick-or-treaters started at about the same time....