The Milligan Family

Since My Last Post We've Been...

2012-01-31T10:29:00.000-08:00

Exploring every nook and cranny of our house.
Climbing, climbing and more climbing.

Knitting as much as my children will allow.

Taking bubble baths.

Finding a stinky old cat to play with.

Getting in the way of any possibility of Mommy loading the dishwasher. Discovering creative new ways to get out of the dishwasher.

Finishing one mitten with the hopes of finishing a second sometime this week :).

Yes, we've been busy little bees around here. Ani is our great explorer and seems most happy when we get out of her way and let her do her thing. Unfortunately, that means a lot of emptying bookshelves, laundry baskets, sock drawers and toy bins. She's a one woman wrecking crew and it has been exhausting. She has three people (me, Todd and Norrin) all picking up after her and still she's able to make more messes in less time than any child I've ever met. As for Norrin, one minute he loves his sister and the next minute I'm pretty sure he's trying to kill her. He's at an age where order and rules are a matter of life and death...or you'd think so with the complete meltdown that occurs when things deviate from the plan. So, needless to say, his little sister is not meshing well with what he expects to happen. Luckily, he has school and he's happy to be there. His name is on a chair, he has scheduled activities and there are rules that are not negotiable...he's totally in his element :). As for me, I've been knitting as much as humanly possible. I'm slowly working through my stash yarn first and have successfully avoided buying any new yarn since my NY trip. I feel tremendous pressure to get a few more things made for the kiddos for some reason. Probably because Ani is growing at breakneck speed and I want her in as many hand knits as possible before she grows up and gets an opinion :). As for Todd, he's our quiet photographer. I appreciate his documentation of our life...although he was suppose to be watching the kids in the bathtub, not taking sneaky pictures of me knitting on the floor (surprisingly good photo since I'm not sure how much sleep I'd had the night before) and without him, this blog would be a lot less pretty. I'm endlessly impressed with the angles that he gets and how he can turn the most basic activity into a work of art.

If You Think Knitting Is Boring...

2012-01-25T08:41:00.001-08:00

Then you should probably just skip over this post all together. I've been wielding my knitting needles as fiercely as anyone can to produce lots of warm goodness for my family and now I'd like to document just a little bit of it.

This is a simple slouchy hat I made out of some gorgeous yarn I got while visiting my family in upstate NY. The colors were so beautiful that I didn't want to distract from them with a complicated pattern. Todd says it looks like a baker's hat. I do love to bake, so I'm going to try to ignore that remark and just love that its a lightweight wool that keeps my ears warm.
This is the start of a dragon scarf for Norrin. On Monday, it was Chinese New Year. As I was driving my darling little angel to school, he told me he was upset with me because I didn't knit him a sweater for the Chinese New Year and that Amanda's mommy probably knit her a sweater (never mind that Amanda is actually Chinese...and that her mama doesn't knit). So, I rose to the challenge, took the bait, allowed my 4 year old to guilt me into making him something for the Chinese New Year. For the record, I don't do colorwork very much...at all...and it took me a full day of just knitting with very few breaks to eat and use the bathroom to knit this dragon. And my darling little angel, Norrin came up to me this morning, looked at his future scarf and told me he wanted another dragon on the other end. Uh, huh.

And this very last piece is a sweater for Ani. Its a simple sleeveless sweater that will just be a quick extra layer. I also have hopes of making a simple pair of legwarmers since I can't seem to find anything fleecy and the stupid cotton leggings are not keeping her chunky legs warm. We'll see. I'm not sure how much time I'll have before its spring and the legwarmers will be obsolete.

Up To No Good

2012-01-25T07:46:00.000-08:00

We got a little bit of snow this weekend. It was immediately followed by an icy coating that forced us to be housebound for the day. So, that meant a whole lot of cooking, baking and knitting. It also meant it was the perfect opportunity for a bored little baby to learn some new skills. Thanks to what I believe is her brother's influence (Norrin will climb anything that holds still long enough), Ani has found an absolute love for climbing the stairs. She only goes up, but if she is awake and someone is foolish enough to bring her downstairs, she's on those stairs so fast it'll make your head spin. So, here's our wild woman in action. She just turned 9 months old and I would like everyone to please note that the shirt she is wearing in this picture is an 18 month size. Man, my kids are huge.

Yeah...climbing makes her one happy lil girl.

Another Day at the Please Touch Museum

2012-01-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

My brother, aka Uncle, came to visit this weekend. Since he has a full time job, it was a short visit, but we packed a whole lot of fun in one day.

A picture of my two crazy munchkins...Ani is hoarding some of my yarn, as usual and Norrin is starting his day with a healthy breakfast of fruity snacks :(.

Norrin and Da when we first got to the Please Touch Museum. The building they let these kids run loose in is just amazing.

Love this picture...taken by Uncle.

Da attacking Norrin...I think he really means it :).

Norrin doing some art work with Uncle.

Ani and I found a quiet corner with plenty of baby appropriate toys for her to play with.

My beautiful girl...

Todd took lots of pictures of her to get the best shots of the mama-made hat.

Besides, who can resist taking so many pictures of such a happy little girl.

Our wild little family.

Yes, it was a good day.

A Headband For Ani Rose

2012-01-14T04:31:00.000-08:00

I like headbands on baby girls. However, I don't like the dents they leave in their heads. So I cast on a headband for Ani Rose. No pattern, just a few stitches knit to an inch shy of her actual head size. Then, I added a button and its done. She looks adorable and as her hair grows all crazy, like her brother's, she'll have something to keep the wispies out of her eyes.

Brother and Sister

2012-01-13T14:04:00.001-08:00

Nothing gives me greater joy than watching my kids play. And if they play together, well, that's even better.

The two wild children undoing all the cleaning up their mama did. Ani's emptying her sock drawer and Norrin slowly brings out every toy I've put away.

A drawing Norrin did of him and Ani last night.

Little Miss Cutie Patootie

2012-01-12T13:05:00.001-08:00

I knew she'd make even her mama's amateur sewing attempts look pretty darn cute.

Craft Therapy

2012-01-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

Whenever things feel a little out of control, sometimes I feel a whole lot better if I immerse myself in something crafty. And sometimes, just sometimes, I decide it needs to be sewing. I have made a grand total of three things for Norrin on my sewing machine. I made him pajama pants from a pillowcase, overalls and a wow wow wubbzy costume. All of these items have turned out as good as can be expected from a beginner seamstress...totally wearable, many visible mistakes hidden by the cuteness of the kid wearing them. My mom gave me a wonderful new sewing machine...awhile ago...and it wasn't until today that I decided to use it. Its been one of those days where I've been feeling overwhelmed, under the weather and just plain blah and knitting wasn't going to cut it. I needed instant gratification. I needed to accomplish something I could see and hold...and that something had to be something I could put on our beautiful baby girl, the fabulous Miss Ani Rose. Unfortunately, I don't have the actual baby here to model it for us, so just the pajama pants will have to do for now.

These are the back with a lil bit of contrast fabric at the top.
And these are the front.

Cute, quick and simple...done in less than 2 hours. Now its almost time to pick up the kiddos and with that, I will have the lovely Miss Ani Rose hide all the flaws in her mama's sewing in a few perfectly modeled, most likely blurry pictures.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T06:25:00.001-08:00

On Christmas morning, I heard Norrin slide out of bed and make his way to the staircase. He tiptoed to about halfway down the stairs and I listened to the silence that I knew was him taking it all in. He quickly ran back up the stairs and said, "Mommy! Santa came!" I sat up in bed and looked at his perfect, happy, excited little face. It was one of those beautiful moments that I hope will be burned into my brain forever because there's nothing more wonderful than the face of a 4 year old on Christmas.

We all got out of bed and began the craziness of Christmas morning. Norrin opened gifts for him and Ani. He draped a tag on Ani which was just too cute.

I've never seen him open gifts so quickly.

Even Ani got in the spirit of it.

What a crazy, fun, magical morning.

Then, it was off to Grandmom Meatball for more gifts. Norrin knew about the gifts a week in advance and once the Santa gifts were all open and sufficiently played with, he started nagging us to go to Todd's parents' house. Rita spoiled the kiddos rotten and then fed us a delicious meal.

Rita and Ani Rose.

An easel for our little artist.

Kisses from one very happy boy.

The rest of our day was spent at Stevie's house, aka Uncle Millsy. Norrin loves playing with Connor...even though it can be a bit of a love/hate relationship :), Aunt Anne Marie always has a table full of sweets that Norrin can't keep his hands off of and Ani Rose was showered in attention and loved every minute of it. A very busy and very fun day.

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-27T03:10:00.001-08:00

For me, Christmas Eve is a little more important than Christmas. In the 13 years that I've known Todd, I've slowly established Christmas Eve as our quiet time together...first as a young couple and now as a family of four. Its a slow-paced day full of food and preparation for the next day. I always create a menu with at least a few new things, we make cookies for Santa and do some last minute wrapping. This year's menu was made up of mostly easy dishes, use of the slow cooker and quick prep meals. I made dark chocolate and butterscotch scones, vegetable barley soup, gingerbread cookies, peppered cheese bread, garlic roasted chicken and potatoes, spinach salad with cranberries, walnuts and feta cheese and apple pie a la mode. This was my first time making chicken since high school and I can honestly say it was moist and delicious. However, the true star of our menu was the vegetable barley soup. It was warm, filling and flavorful. It was so darn good that even Norrin ate a bowlful. Anyway, besides the food, we took a short outing for some last minute Christmas shopping (I was a little grumpy to be out of my kitchen), there was the exchange of gifts from me and Todd to the kids and each other and the displaying of the milk and cookies for Santa. Ani was a little unsettled by all the changes in her daily schedule, but she's a much too happy baby to let it bother her for long. Norrin was excited and went to bed relatively promptly. Without further ado, here's a few pictures of our day...

Norrin decorating cookies...he was very serious about it and I'm pretty sure it was his favorite part of the whole day.
Taaa daaa!

Ani Rose in her Christmas striped stockings.

My wild crew- Norrin with icing on his face and Ani with drool on her chin.

Norrin singing many, many Christmas carols while Ani tries to open gifts a little bit early :).

The best gift for a gal who loves to bake- a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. This mama is mighty happy...in case, you couldn't tell.

Norrin's Christmas 2011 Performance

2011-12-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

On December 23rd, Norrin had his Christmas party with a short little caroling performance that the family could attend. He sang loudly and he looked at me the whole time...except when Michael started slowly blocking his view. There was some pushing, a few words were exchanged and Norrin kept an arm pressed against Michael for the remainder of the performance to remind him that he better stay on his side. It was funny, sweet, entertaining and heartwarming to see our little man remembering just about every word of four different songs. And his confidence was beautiful. A truly proud parent moment for us.

December...So Far

2011-12-15T02:10:00.000-08:00

Oh, my, we've been busy this month. First, we managed to kill another camera. We take about 500 pictures on a weekly basis and eventually, our cameras can't take it anymore. We don't buy the most expensive cameras, so that could be part of it, but we have little ones...with sticky hands...and drooly mouths. Anyway, now that we have a new one there's plenty of pictures to show you :).

First, there's been lots of crafting for Christmas. I've become a virtual knitting machine, cranking out numerous hats and neck warmers of varying types. This lovely hat that Miss Ani Rose is modeling is the only example I'm showing because I can't ruin the surprise for everyone. I've taken on the challenge of knitting another vest for Norrin's Christmas performance. I'm about three quarters of the way through and wondering what's so wrong with a store-bought sweater vest :).
At the beginning of December, my mom came for a visit and watched our wild babies while Todd and I went out to dinner. It was nice to have some time together, drink wine, eat fancy food and not play defense at the table. My mom claims that she loves spending time with the kiddos, but I'm not so sure. Ani cried and carried on the most. When I got home, she snuggled into my arms and started looking at Grandmom and patting my chest as if to say, "this is what I wanted, Grandmom". Not sure if she meant me or the milk :).

Ani's drooling up a storm. She's on six teeth and counting. She's also very mobile. Crawls, cruises and scoots everywhere....God help me.

Grandmom Jump brought apples and pears...so Norrin had to have one of each.

Then, he had to bring out more for me and Da.

Here's a shot of our little cruiser.

And when she wants to be held and I want to get things done, we compromise with the Ergo carrier.

Yes, there's lots to be done. Crafts to finish, presents to wrap, cookies to bake. Its always an adventure though.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T01:33:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was a little busy for us. Todd played his usual football game with his childhood friends in the morning and then we went to two different places that were not even remotely close to one another. The first stop was Grandmom Meatball's. She made one of the best meals I can remember in the almost 13 years I've known Todd. Ani Rose was a big fan of the turnips, although the cranberry sauce was a close second. Norrin refused to eat. He was only planning on eating at our second stop, his friend Henry's house. However, even there I had to sit next to him and convince him to try at least one bite of everything. Between running around, wrestling and barely eating anything all day, Nor must have been the only one to lose weight on Thanksgiving. It was really nice to spend time with family and friends, but we were truly exhausted in the end. Poor lil Ani was the most vocal about her busy day- she cried on and off almost the entire one hour drive from Amy's house to ours and then proceeded to stay awake until 11:30 pm just to remind me that she is to be asleep in the comfort of her own home no later than 9 pm. Norrin was ready to do it all again the next day...crazy child.

Ani and Mommy on the way into Grandmom's.

Norrin bringing a little of Mommy's pumpkin spice bread to Grandmom Meatball.

Norrin and Ani playing with some building blocks.

The architect at work.

Posing by his masterpiece.

Ani was so tired at the dinner table, we thought Uncle Jimmy was going to put her to sleep with the soothing forehead rub.

Norrin pretending to eat a turkey leg very convincingly...my little barbarian.

Two out of three Borrelli children greeted us (blocked our entry to their home).

Amy pouring coffee- the most necessary part of our meal because the turkey sure didn't slow Norrin and Henry down.

Ed showing just how refined he can be :). Love this picture.

Ani nursing herself to sleep on a mama who wishes she could be sleeping, too.

Our beautiful, sleepy girl.

Oona Loona Noona

2011-11-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, I had an imaginary friend named Christopher. I don't remember every detail of Christopher's existence, but I'm told I yelled at my grandmother for sitting on him. Someone also told me that its unusual for a girl to have a boy for an imaginary friend. I don't know if its a sign of genius, insanity or creativity, but now my son has an imaginary friend named Oona Loona Noona and she is a girl. He refers to her as his imaginary friend and we've had at least three birthday parties for her with three imaginary birthday cakes. We never call her Oona for short- she is Oona Loona Noona and she has curly hair with a bow on top. Sometimes she's as big as Norrin and sometimes she's as small as Ani, but she drives her own car. Norrin has drawn several pictures of Oona Loona Noona. And without further ado, here she is :).

Because I Know You Missed Us

2011-11-18T07:06:00.001-08:00

October was one wild and crazy month. Then, we all got sick. First Norrin, then me and then Todd. Ani managed to just get a little bit congested, but she's also working on sprouting a fourth tooth, so she really didn't get off that easy :). These pictures were taken in October...before we all got sick...because who wants to see pictures of us under a blanket of Kleenex?

Norrin posing with one of his great chalk masterpieces.

Norrin creating another chalk person.

Mommy and Ani Rose...and yes, I did knit that fabulous cowl I'm wearing :).

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2011-11-04T08:29:00.001-07:00

Todd was looking through some photos and he found a zip drive with some pictures that my brother, Norrin's beloved "Uncle" took. Norrin can't be any older than one and a half to two years old in most of these pictures. It was a really great surprise to find a few more pictures documenting our adventures.

Norrin and Mommy at the farm.

Norrin and Mommy at the Please Touch Museum.

Norrin's favorite game for a while- Stickers on the Face.

Norrin at the Philadelphia Zoo.

At a gas station in upstate NY...being goofy for the camera at an early age :).

Punching ducks game at Jeepers.

Squishing spiders game at Jeepers...a lot of animal cruelty games...hmmm, maybe that's why they closed.

Bouncing with Da at Jeepers.

Smooch break for Mommy.

Never happier than when he's bouncing...should have named him Tigger.

Winter walk with Da.

Mac-n-cheese at Friendly's.

Da in the snow.

Attack of the killer dinosaur...Spike was a gift from Pop Pop Fish.

Knick knack, patty whack give your dinosaur a bone.

Norrin in his super cute stripey jammies trying to figure out Jacob's Ladder.

Snuggling with Rolo.My beautiful boy.

Breaking the rules at an early age at the Camden Adventure Aquarium.

Ice cream at Friendly's. Yum.

Playing with Da.

In Center City with Pop Pop Fish.

Hope you enjoyed this short walk down memory lane. I can't get over how much Norrin has grown.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T02:21:00.001-07:00

This is Norrin running and Ani and I are the blurs in the background. This was the pace he maintained for his entire trick-or-treating experience. He ran so fast, he tripped...more than once.

Every set of stairs, I held my breath. He was so excited...was he paying attention to each step? Ani was all smiles watching her big brother run around as happy as can be.

The first house gave us animal crackers...a bag for Norrin and a bag for Ani. She isn't ready for an animal cracker yet, but the bag they came in kept her entertained for half a block.

There were many times that Norrin had to empty his little black cat candy bag to make room for more candy. A very rare occasion when Norrin was actually standing close enough to us for a picture.

Ani eventually grew tired of sitting in the stroller and decided the view would be much better in her mama's arms.

This is Rita and Joseph's house. They spent their Halloween exactly how I would've liked it- in a dark house, not opening the door for anyone. But since that's how I choose to spend my daily existence, one night out and socializing didn't kill me...mostly because Todd did all the socializing :).

And here's what a crawling baby looks like.

Halloween really is Norrin's favorite holiday. I have never enjoyed asking strangers for candy. Even with the scripted dialogue, I'm uncomfortable with the whole thing. So, I've had to break out of my shell a little bit more and embrace this candy coated day of craziness. Norrin negotiated for 5 pieces of candy that night, but then only chose to eat 2. He watched one Halloween special, we read 2 Halloween books and we were in bed by 9 pm. Ani has been getting a little power nap around 7:30, then staying up until 10 pm the past few nights. But she's pleasant and she's too busy perfecting her motor skills to bother with anyone, so I knit :). As of 2 days ago, she's started trying to pull up on the furniture. She hasn't figured out how to do this, but she paws at the couch like a little puppy and if you help her stand, she smiles like she won the biggest prize in the universe.

Happy Halloween Parade

2011-10-31T08:03:00.001-07:00

This morning, Ani and I went to a parade at Norrin's school.

True to himself, my little skeleton, aka Norrin talked the entire time. "Hi, Mommy!".

"Look, I'm a skeleton!"...because I needed to be told...even though I'm the lady that bought the costume...and the lady that has been there for two events in which he had already worn the costume.

"I love you, Mommy. I'm going to my party now.".

"Bye, Mommy. See you later!"

And there were some songs sung before he went back into school to have a party. Not a bad way to start this spooooky morning. Can't wait to pick up the sugared up lil skeleton and continue with Candy Fest 2011.

Dancing At Norrin's Birthday Party

2011-10-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Monster Mash 2011

2011-10-27T10:59:00.001-07:00

On Friday, October 21st, we went to the Monster Mash at Please Touch Museum. We did this last year with Norrin and we loved it. This year was even better. They had some great trick-or-treat stations, a photo booth we could all squish into and enough free food to keep us going. Ani wore a dress that Grandmom Jump made with vintage Halloween fabric and a felt witch's hat. Norrin was a skeleton...which I bought from Target.

My little witch and my happy skeleton.

Rocket launcher room- one of Nor's favorite activities.

Ani was content in her stroller.

Although I couldn't resist handing out some kisses.

Too distracted to look forward at the camera, but still a lovely Miss Liberty.

Nor was so excited to see the Hungry Caterpillar again this year.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

2011-10-27T10:31:00.001-07:00

For his 4th birthday, Norrin requested chocolate cupcakes with purple frosting. He told everyone in his class that I was going to make them, so I had to deliver. I made buttercream frosting (which is quite literally sugared butter) and we made a lovely mauvey purple with some food coloring. I couldn't resist using some purple decorative icing to write Norrin's name on them.

After school, we took him to Friendly's. He was not happy when after three dollars of tries at the claw game, Da was not able to win him something. Todd and I think the world would be a much better place without those stupid claw games.

Ani Rose just went along for the ride with a look of utter confusion. This was not the usual routine on a school night.

After his healthy dinner of mac-n-cheese and broccoli, he wanted ice cream. They sang to him, which he loved. We had to discuss every word on their birthday song. "If you're good, you'll get your wishes. If you're bad, you'll do our dishes". I still can't believe my baby boy is 4!

New York, I Love You...

2011-10-27T07:56:00.001-07:00

I was really dreading the idea of getting in the car for another five hour drive with my darling little devils, but they did really well with the whole thing. And there's just something so wonderful about New York in October. The temperature is just right, the leaves are absolutely stunning and my mom's soups are calling me :). I drove up on a Thursday and Todd drove up Friday night after work. Todd got up early on Saturday and took his usual morning stroll around the farm. He took so many beautiful photos (as usual) that it was almost impossible to pick. So, bare with me with the photo heavy post :).

Trees on the farm.
One of Norrin's favorite features- the hammock swing.

Kisses for Ani Rose.

This one was had to be posted...it looks like we're posed in front of one of those fake photo backgrounds, but this was just taken during one of our walks.

Norrin running back to hunt for frogs.

Another picture from our walk. So beautiful.

Loved the composition of this photo. Just shows how slow and peaceful our morning walk was.

Lots of great textures for Ani to get her hands on.

Back in that darn swing!

Norrin running back to the house.

Ani and Da.

Todd and I in our usual snugly picture. Its pretty much a required photo these days.

Me and Ani on the porch of my childhood home, aka Pop Pop Fish's house.

Norrin picking all of Pop Pop Fish's daisies.

Ani chowing down at the Cheesecake Factory.

The captain insano car ramp Norrin got from Pop Pop Fish for his birthday.

Ani in the playroom. Love that crazy hair!

Another amazing picture by the pond.

Norrin pushing Colleen in the swing.

Norrin bouncing on the trampoline.

Norrin and Colleen bouncing :).

And we'll end with three gorgeous photos Todd took on another walk around the farm.

Proof of how secluded the farm is.

So much to explore.

Dinnertime!

2011-10-22T02:41:00.000-07:00

So, on October 20th, Ani was officially 6 months old. Yes, this is an important milestone, but unfortunately for her, her 6th month falls exactly on Norrin's birthday. So, we said "Happy half-birthday, Ani", then proceeded to focus all our attention on the squeakier wheel (aka Norrin). Prior to this giant milestone, we started letting her sample some solids at dinnertime. She wanted what we were eating, but spaghetti with spicy sauce would be a bit much for her palate. So, we started with the basics- sweet potatoes, banana, rice cereal, etc. She loves it. A natural born foodie :). She gets her own spoon and Mama has hers and we go to town. She's quite good at getting the spoon in her mouth, as long as there's no pesky food to weigh it down.

Ani Is Mobile

2011-10-22T02:29:00.001-07:00

Yes, through a series of army man crawls, rolls and inch worming, Ani has figured out a way to get whatever she wants...even if its across the living room. She also has a technique where she pulls herself up on her hands and knees and launches herself forward, but she finds this useful only for short distances. Yesterday, she pushed herself up to sitting and found her balance. She sat there as proud as can be while she enjoyed playing with her toys at this new angle.

Norrin is 4 Years Old!

2011-10-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

Norrin turned 4 yesterday. In honor of his special day, he woke the whole family up at 4am and we had to give him a present. He tried for 1am, but luckily he was just a little bit too tired to fight me at that hour. So, 4am...yeah. Thanks to that super painfully early wake up, this is my only picture so far. Happy birthday, you little bugger!

Vacation September 10-17, 2011

2011-10-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

This post is very picture heavy. We went on vacation in Stone Harbor, NJ and it was a wonderful, exhausting, busy, fun, occasionally relaxing, but mostly crazy week :). During the week, Todd and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. Anyway, it took me long enough to get these pictures up, so I won't burden this post with too many words.

Welcome to Stone Harbor!

Two of the most beautiful people I know.

The view off one of the three balconies of the home we rented. This was our backyard.

We played a lot of Jenga.

And Norrin used the blocks for building all sorts of cool castles, trains and buildings.

There was a trip to the Cape May County Zoo where Norrin hugged a bear...

Fed some goats...

And posed with a bobcat.

Ani was just along for the ride...as usual.

Sunset at the house was really amazing.

And, of course, there was plenty of beach time.

Ani had her toes dipped.

We dressed her like a little Amish baby since she still is too young for sunscreen...although I did put a little on those chunky legs of hers :).

Norrin made friends and she was at the beach two of the days that we were. They were only a month apart in age and they both loved digging in the sand and playing in the ocean. This gave Todd and I the freedom to cater to Ani.

A man was nice enough to take this picture. All of our pictures on the beach turned out great because there weren't crowds of people there. It gave us some beautiful backdrops.

Da on the deck with his happy little girl.

Breakfast in Cape May.

There's this wonderful organic cafe where you eat at tables set up in an eclectic little garden. Ani had just woken up from a nap and wasn't quite sure what the heck was going on.

We did some shopping in Cape May, then when we decided to go to lunch, Ani decided it was time for nap number two :).

We went to a nice Mexican restaurant...again, where you can eat outside...and Norrin ordered a hamburger. He was pretty happy about his food choice :).

There was miniature golf.

Norrin had to start dancing.

And acting like a wild man.

And this is where he gets it from.

Another great Norrin face.

Trying to scare Mommy and Ani. She loves him so much!

The last day got a little cold. Luckily, I brought along some of my knitted goodness for me and the little girl.

Slackers!

2011-09-09T02:35:00.001-07:00

Eventually, I'll get some pictures of the kids up here, but for now here's just a taste :).

What We've Been Up To

2011-08-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

We've been kissing baby toes:

Spending time with Grandmom Meatball while Mommy's at yoga:

Attempting to ride our big boy bike...a few feet in our yard:

Reading almost every night:

Snuggling with our favorite toys:

Playing London Bridges Falling Down with Grandmom Jump:

Teething:

Looking adorable:

Sharing smiles with Mommy:

Sleeping:

Wearing as much ice cream as we can eat:

Bathing:

Enjoying a little bit of nudity:

Making silly faces for Da:

And making silly faces with Da:

A Day At The Beach

2011-08-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to the beach. Stone Harbor according to the adults, "Miniature Golf Beach" according to Norrin :). Norrin ate and ate and ate the entire car ride in anticipation of playing at the beach without the interruption of being hungry. Ani refused to take a long nap through the traffic, but at least she had Grandmom Jump to keep her entertained. The day was wonderful. Perfect temperatures on the beach and in the ocean, but a little too windy for the baby. We took turns holding her and keeping her above the worst of the blowing sand. She loved the ocean. It instantly calmed her, she laughed and gurgled and loved having her toes dipped. Norrin ran and played in the waves, getting braver as the day went on. He buried every toy he could find in the sand (lots of fun for Mommy when it was time to clean up). And at the end of the day, the whole family slept well...even if our beds were a little on the sandy side.

On the way...

Mommy is always a multi-tasker...reading and nursing.

Time for a little toe dipping...

Norrin sprinkled Ani's feet...she loved it.

Mommy and Ani Rose

Da and Ani Rose.

Happy baby girl.

Me and my love.

Love that crazy baby hair.

Weekends Are Exhausting

2011-07-25T08:47:00.001-07:00

This was the first weekend in a while that Todd didn't have to work. Against my natural instincts, I made no plans whatsoever. I controlled my urge to book some major outing so we could be a lazy family together. There was very little cleaning up...one load of dishes, one load of laundry and a lot of focus on being together. We watched movies, made art, read books and took naps. There was a trip to the pool, just father and son...which has improved their bond significantly. Ani has been working hard on rolling over. Every minute that she was awake, she preferred to be on the floor working on moving from her back to her tummy (she's only made it halfway so far, back to side). She also had big eyes for her boys. Da and Norrin were far more interesting than Mama and I was only given any kind of attention when her belly felt empty. Norrin is his usual nonstop self. He runs from one activity to another. Nothing makes him happier than being home with his family on the weekends. Thanks to a full work week, he was extra clingy to his mama...not that that's really any different when I don't have a full work week :). Norrin was thrilled to have someone who could "take the baby", so we could snuggle. And even when I had Ani in my arms, he stayed close to my side and those were my favorite moments...snuggled up with both my babies.

Yes, Norrin was so exhausted after the pool that he fell asleep with his hand in a bag of Craisins.

My Sleepy Family

2011-07-19T02:48:00.001-07:00

The family and I are taking these lazy days of summer quite literally. The weekends have had their adventures, but the pace has definitely been slower. My mom is watching Ani on the days I go to work and it has been wonderful. I don't worry about my baby because she's with family who loves her and as an added bonus, my home is becoming more clean and more organized than its ever been. My mom is helping me purge a lot of unnecessary things. The best and most necessary change of the weekend was Sunday's major cleaning and emptying of the bedroom. Norrin had a severe allergy attack. He had been wheezing in his sleep for a few days and Sunday morning he woke up with a croupy cough, unable to catch his breath. After a trip to the ER, a nebulizer treatment and some breakfast :), I began the thorough cleaning of our room. Bed linens and curtains were washed, furniture was moved, there was sweeping and dusting and pillowcases received new covers. He still sounds raspy at night, but its improving. Todd, who's always had allergies, says he can feel the improvement and that makes me happy. So, its back to work today for 4 days in a row. Thank goodness for those lazy summer weekends :).

Ani Rose smiling up at Da.

The perfect way to spend a Sunday...baby snuggling.

No more pictures, please.

Sleepy baby, sleepy Da.

Norrin and Ani watching morning cartoons.

The Kids Are Alright

2011-07-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

The first day was rough...on all of us. I spent the whole day thinking I forgot to do something. Did I put the car in park? Am I wearing underwear? Is my case set up properly? Norrin cried when I wasn't there in the morning and both kids were weepy that night. It was all very dramatic. But on Friday, things went a little bit better. Ani was a little cranky, but that's because she's started teething (she's trying to win the tooth race and get a tooth before Norrin who got his first teeth at 4 1/2 months). Norrin was happy and I worked hard at dividing my attention between two mommy-deprived kids. So, everyone felt loved and it was a relatively peaceful evening. Of course, next week we get to do it for four days in a row instead of two...that should be interesting.

Maternity Leave is Over

2011-07-14T02:41:00.001-07:00

In ten minutes, I will be walking out the door on the way to work after 12 blissful weeks with my sweet Ani Rose. I think I'm going to cry.

On The Farm

2011-07-06T07:49:00.001-07:00

We spent Fourth of July weekend in NY. I drove up to NY with both kids by myself on Friday and it went really well. I chose Ani's sleepy day and started the drive at 10am (which is the start time of her first and longest nap). Norrin watched Tangled and the only part that was high anxiety was when I needed to take us into a rest area to use the bathrooms. Todd joined us on Saturday evening. We enjoyed the outdoors, bounced on Grandmom Jump's trampoline, had a couple outdoor fires for toasting marshmallows, hunted frogs, went to yard sales and playgrounds and squeezed as much quality time in with our far away family as we could. Norrin fought bedtime every night, Ani was asleep by 9:30 at the latest every night and Todd and I wished we could have slept in at least a little bit past sunrise each morning :). Grandmom Jump made some delicious food, Pop Pop Lollipop got to spend some quality time with his newest grandchild and Pop Pop Fish climbed some scary playground equipment with Norrin (really have to get those photos off Todd's cell phone :)). The drive back wasn't so nice. I decided against my better judgement to leave on 4th of July with Todd. It was not Ani's sleepy day and we didn't leave until late afternoon. Ani cried for all, but 45 minutes of the 5 hour drive. We stopped 4 times to try and calm her down- nurse her, burp her, change her diaper. Then, we gave up. She cried for the entire length of 206, which is about 40 minutes. Then, she stopped by the time we got to I-95, but she wouldn't go to sleep. She sat there, mad as could be until we got home. Norrin whined and cried for most of 206, as well, but fell asleep almost as soon as we got on I-95. The visit certainly had its ups and downs, but at least I know if timed well, I can do it all by myself.

Norrin and Ani watching Fraggle Rock on the one super rainy day.
Hay bales...lots of hay bales.

Norrin bouncing on the trampoline with Uncle and Brittany.

Pop Pop Lollipop on his tractor.

Little Miss Ani Rose.

Thom by the fire.

Ani's Fourth of July dress.

The Kids Play Dress Up

2011-07-06T07:38:00.001-07:00

One day, Norrin decided that he and Ani needed to play dress up in the knits Mama made for them :). Norrin put the first hat I ever knit him on Ani's head. Then, he found his purple gnome hat and his stripey sweater that just barely fits him this summer. He decided Ani needed a sweater, too, so I opted for her short-sleeve yellow sweater. Then, they played on their tummy time mats (Norrin made his own "mat" out of his robot comforter). Even though Ani can't "play" the way Norrin does, its sweet to see he tries to include her in his playtime.

Norrin Totally Rocks!

2011-06-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, I made dinner to the soothing performance of my little rockstar, Norrin Radd Milligan. He knows where the volume control is on this particular toy and he knows that rock music sounds best when its really, really loud. His sister, Miss Ani Rose, has been accustomed to his ways since day one and slept through everything- the pre-dinner performance, the cooking and serving of dinner and all the conversation that happened in between (also at full volume because Norrin prefers to yell most comments at me like I'm in need of a hearing aid).

Father's Day Weekend

2011-06-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

This was a whirlwind weekend for our little family. Pop Pop Fish (my dad) was visiting on Wednesday and Thursday. It was a short visit, but I was happy he had a chance to meet his new granddaughter and at this point, we don't do a whole lot except nurse and nap :). He left Friday morning. That night Norrin had his end of the year performance. They sang This Land is My Land and Under One Sky. He did a really good job and was just so stinking cute. I'm having a hard time downloading the video on the blog, so we'll have to settle for pictures for now. He was given a certificate because as of today he officially moved up to preschool. I gave him some playdough, took him to Friendly's then to a playground. It was a great day for him and an exhausting one for me. Ani slept through most of the adventures, then gave me a hard time when we got home :). On Saturday, we went to our nephew, Jack's, birthday party. Norrin loves playing with his cousins and gave us a hard time when it was time to go. To quote him directly, "I'll leave now, but I don't love you anymore and I'm going to live like a mean boy". As I've said before you can totally gauge how much fun he's had by how much he hates us when its time to go :). On Father's Day, we went out to breakfast, visited Pop pop Joseph in the hospital and went to the playground. Once again, Ani slept straight through everything. When we got home, I entertained both kids while Todd took a nap. Then, when Ani and I went up for a nap by some miracle, Norrin fell asleep on the couch at 6:30. Todd carried him to bed, I made a late dinner, we watched a movie and it was a very peaceful ending to his special day. Ani stayed up for most of that time, but she was so pleasant and then she was asleep by 9:30. It was a good weekend. And as of today, Norrin started preschool and Ani is exactly 2 months old. Time is just flying by with these two wild and crazy kids.

Ani right before we went to see Norrin's school performance.

Norrin sitting with his classmates. He was looking all over for me and was so happy when Miss Erin showed him where I was standing.

His graduation certificate. He's so proud to be a big boy going to preschool.

The calm, sweet little boy I came home with after a full day of adventures :).

Norrin passed out in the car about 15 minutes before we got to Uncle Steve's house.

A picture of Ani by Norrin Radd taken on Father's Day.

Ani at 2 months old!

How I've Spent My Maternity Leave

2011-06-14T05:55:00.001-07:00

My maternity leave is more than half over. I can't believe how fast the time has gone and how big my little girl has grown in that time. As a slightly more seasoned parent, I've learned to take it a bit more easy this time around. I still feel a little bit guilty every time I resort to pancakes or crackers and cheese for dinner, but that guilt only lasts about 5 minutes. I snuggle my baby girl and I nurse her as frequently as she lets me, but this time around, I put her down to use the bathroom :). It helps that she is a very easygoing child. She's more willing to accept snuggles from other people, she doesn't always have to sleep right next to her food source and she is okay with quiet observation until its her turn for some attention. The house is still messy, but the dishes don't spend as much time in the sink as they did when Norrin was an infant and I have plenty of time for some knitting :) . I'm currently working on a cardigan. I started this project about a year ago. Then, I put it down when I was about halfway through because all that time I had been following the pattern incorrectly. Now, as part of a summer knit along, I've started over. The yarn was a gift from Todd for our wedding anniversary and I need to make something beautiful that I know I'll wear. A cardigan is a safe bet and the color will be lovely for fall. Other than that, I've been eating...a lot. I forgot just how hungry a nursing mom can get. The hunger is far worst than any hunger I experienced while pregnant. I have no problem packing away three, yes, three breakfasts. Yesterday, we didn't have any eggs, so I just reheated leftover Chinese food and that was my meal at 10 am. Its disturbing to me until I realize that not only do I feel better when I eat every 2-3 hours, but I have a freezer full of milk for my baby girl and very little fear of having to spend money on formula and the needle on the scale hasn't creeped up at all for me. As for Ani, today was her almost 2 month appointment and she is now 12 pounds, 8 ounces and 24 inches long. So proud to be the mama of a thriving infant.

Snuggling a sleepy Ani Rose.

The Hampton Cardigan in a cheerful yellow-orange.

The Franklin Institute of Science

2011-06-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we took the kids to the Franklin Institute of Science. We were looking for something different to do and we love places where Norrin can use up some of that 3 year old energy. The science part was well over his head (most of it's over my head, too), but every exhibit felt like a video game and he really just wanted to know how to play it :). You know he had a good time when he has a meltdown about leaving. He's so tired that he's starting to stumble around like he's had a few too many, but its just too much fun to leave behind. He was asleep about 5 minutes into our car ride home :).

First stop- everything you could ever want to know about airplanes and then some.

Then, on to the magic of electricity.

Norrin went through the Giant Heart, but not without Da holding him close.

He had no trouble climbing through the giant blood vessels without a parent.

Then, Norrin and I peddled some bikes to make our opera singers appear on a screen and tell us all about the importance of exercise. With every turn of the hand peddles, Norrin threatened to fall off the stool he was standing on. Thank goodness Da was close by.

And as for Miss Ani Rose, she was content to nurse in the not so private areas where seating was available, ride in her stroller and fall asleep in Mama's arms.

Our Newest Addition

2011-06-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be seven weeks since this beautiful little angel blessed our family. She is a very thoughtful little girl. She is quite content to sleep...a lot. When she's awake, she's happy and observant. She has great head control already and has recently started "talking" up a storm. Norrin is a very loving big brother. He gives her hugs and kisses, wants to hold her, helps change her diaper (unless its really, really poopy) and talks to her. He calls her "Anigirl", which he's heard me say more than a few times. She also has earned the nickname "Lil Bit" from her mama because in all honesty, she's a very petite baby. Even at almost 12 pounds, she has such a delicate way about her that makes her seem smaller...to me. Everyone else comments on my giant baby, so I guess its just me :). As for juggling two children, I'm working on it. I've been taking each day as it comes. Some days the kids seem like they are ganging up on me. Some days Ani is just going to have to cry...because her older brother is a bit louder about his needs. Some days Norrin is the neglected one. And some days everyone ebbs and flows in a way that makes me wonder why we don't have six more children. Each passing week we have more good days as we learn to live with each other, as we accept that things are different and as we realize that while its a big change, its a beautiful one.

Ani sleeping (in a hat knitted by her Mama).
Norrin in his "Big Brother" shirt...Todd had to give Orwell a shout out- "Big Brother is watching".

Both my babies sleeping. This was when Norrin was in the middle of a terrible virus that lasted a good 5 weeks. He was miserable and he sounded like he was drowning in his own mucus every night. This was one of the few peaceful moments we had during that time. Nothing makes a parent feel more useless than a sick child that can only be treated with Tylenol and popsicles. Poor lil man.

My sleepy little girl.

Smiling in her sleep after a quiet nursing session with Mama :).

Ani Rose this morning...smiles for all of us.

Ani Rose Milligan

2011-06-06T06:01:00.001-07:00

Born April 20, 2011 at 6 pm. 8 pounds, 13 ounces. 21 inches long.

Yes, Folks...We Went to the Aquarium Again

2011-04-04T09:52:00.001-07:00

I wish I could blame my aquarium enthusiast son for the numerous trips to the aquarium, but his mama is just as much to blame. I want to do things that keep me on my feet and moving. If the weather was warmer, we'd be subjecting everyone to pictures of hikes and trips to the zoo. So, here's some pics from yet another trip to the aquarium where the weather is always consistent and if you get there when they open, you get almost full run of the place :).

Norrin just being the cutest little boy in the whole wide world...in my opinion.

Jellyfish tube.

The octopus was putting on quite the show for us. Usually it hides in the top corner of the tank, but not today. He swam all over the place and Norrin was totally fascinated.

Norrin's picture of Mommy in a shark...I can't begin to tell you what an awkward fit this was at 39 weeks pregnant.

Mommy and Norrin acting scared.

Norrin just hanging out.

Petting stingrays.

And he ended his day with another grotesque choice in face painting- a sea witch.

We took him to dinner at a casual Italian place and he drew on the back of the paper placemats. At the top of his picture he wrote his name all by himself. Of course its backwards, his "N's" look a little like inchworms and his "R's" look like balls with two random spikes coming out of them, but nonetheless we're impressed. For a three year old, writing his entire first name is actually quite difficult, but Norrin has great fine motor skills and the idea is there.

And we'll end this post with two pictures that show just how crazy our little man was by this point in the evening. He was full of energy and needed to be reminded about using his inside voice a few times. But the restaurant was full and busy and he really was hardly heard over all the hustle and bustle.

More Soccer

2011-04-04T09:33:00.001-07:00

This weekend was the second to last soccer game/practice/meet/whatever for Norrin. He looks forward to running around with the ball. He gets very upset when another kid "takes" his ball (even though there's about 20 other balls they could be playing with), he likes to be the leader when they do two laps around the gym for warm up and he's surprisingly patient through many of the drills. However, we learned this time around that he has very little tolerance for too much time spent as goalie. Kicking the ball around... Hanging on the goal...

Getting instruction from the coach (don't let the ball get in the net)...

Boredom has set in...

Maybe if I just stretch my legs out super wide, I can block the ball...

Oh, no, here it comes...

They're ganging up on him...

Well, that was exciting...bored again....

Crying because he doesn't want to be goalie anymore...

Yes, who would've thought soccer could bring out such an array of emotions. Of course, the 1 pm starts are the perfect timing to get overtired three year-olds together for total mayhem.

Another Belly cast

2011-04-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend at 38 weeks pregnant, I had my belly cast made. I had one made when Norrin was in my belly, so it was something that had to be done when I became pregnant with this lil bean :). Here is Norrin's belly cast: This is the new one (believe it or not, Norrin's is still bigger, but this one hangs lower)...

Here's my fabulous friend and doula, Amy, holding it while it dries a little bit more.

And here is a picture Todd took of me a few days shy of 39 weeks pregnant.

I am officially 39 weeks pregnant as of yesterday, which means I have six days until my due date (but possibly 3 weeks before this baby decides to be born if he/she is anything like Norrin). I'm scaring everyone who sees me. I get the quickest service almost any place I go, my patients are asking me to please not go into labor during their cases and my co-workers have comments that range from "you're still here" to "whoa!". I don't know when this child will choose to greet the world, but I'm really, really hoping for a baby before Easter :).

Off To The Aquarium...Again

2011-03-15T02:26:00.000-07:00

Not a lot of words with this one. We had a truly wonderful weekend full of soccer, family naps, a trip to the movies (Mars Needs Moms in 3D), delicious meals and a trip to the aquarium. If this is the last calm weekend we have in a long, long time, it couldn't have been more perfect. So, here we go...

Up the escalator...

Taking a cheese for Da...

Picking a picture to squish on a penny...

This is hard work...

Norrin and Da watching the hippos...

Petting sharks...

Picking the next creepy thing he wants painted on his face...

A very pregnant mama...

Sticking his tongue out like a water snake...

Checking himself out in the mirror...

Upside down jellyfish...

The view of Philadelphia from one of the windows...

One happy little water snake...

36 Weeks

2011-03-13T23:30:00.001-07:00

All belly and really freaking people out with my pregnancy shape. Most of my co-workers look at me like I'm a ticking time bomb and my patients ask me if I'll be going into labor in the middle of their case. Due any day? Not really. One baby? Yes. Are you sure? Yes. Even I'm a little amazed at my body's ability to just expand from my belly. I'm still so scrawny everywhere else. People have asked how I'm feeling. At this point, tired and like a beached whale. I'm waking up every single night with heartburn and nothing is killing it. Not Tums, not raw almonds, not propping myself upright with pillows. All I can do is go downstairs and sit for about an hour. That calms the burning, but it makes for a truly fractured night of sleep. Also, its much harder to get around b/c being mommy to a 3 year old means that you have to be on your game and I'm just not. I waddle a good 6-10 feet behind my son, shouting for him to "wait for Mommy" and "slow down". Thank goodness Norrin listens and in some weird way understands that my movement is limited. He modifies games for me and picks up things that drop on the floor. He still has his moments, but in all honesty, he's been far more patient than anyone should expect from a child his age. As for the good parts, this baby is so active and I will always love the wild gymnastics in my tummy. Also, there's been plenty of talking and planning with Norrin. He loves to talk about when the baby comes and how he's going to help me figure out what the baby needs when Mommy is having a hard time understanding :). He likes to go over every single detail, which includes discussion of the umbilical cord (to quote him directly, "that's where the blood is"), how the baby is going to come out and what the baby will eat. I've never met a child more hungry for detail and I'm enjoying it...even the questions that aren't so easy to explain. He hugs and kisses my belly and calls the belly his sister and refers to it as her or she. I've gently tried to remind him that this baby could very well be a boy (please note the extensive amount of boys in the Milligan family compared to the one girl), but he's not having it. He's as sure this baby is a girl as he is that bees land on flowers b/c they're pretty. Gotta love his confidence. So, at this point, I'm trying to enjoy my pregnancy...after all, I've got 4-6 more weeks to go :).

Goofy Family

2011-03-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

Just some shots of us that are a little bit silly...

Norrin likes to chew faces into his apples...
Snuggling up with Da while watching Charlotte's Web. He insisted on lying on the floor with Da, wearing a hoodie like Da's and when Da got up to use the bathroom, Nor used his potty, too. As tired as Todd was after a long day of work, he was loving his little moment of popularity.

More Soccer Pictures

2011-03-12T07:04:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the true photographer of the family was able to come to Nor's soccer game/practice/whatever you call it when you let 3 year olds run wild with balls and nets. Da was able to take some great photos and I don't really know how I manage this blog without his mad skills. They let the kids warm up, then run around "practicing", then they chose teams. Norrin is on the orange team. I don't know if he chose orange before he knew the cute twin girls were on the team or after, but he loves those little girls. They played Ring Around the Rosy the first time they met. Its very cute. He volunteers to go first for everything and he's loves running around. He didn't want to play at one point when the adults were trying to organize actual games, but really where's the fun in that? After we told him we couldn't leave until we were done cheering for his team, he eventually went back out and played. I don't care for any organization of this sport...I just want him to run and laugh with other kids his age. However, there's a lot of parents that are taking this very, very seriously. We'll just roll with it and as long as he's having fun, we'll keep going :).

Norrin Playing Soccer

2011-02-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

Norrin Scoring a Goal

2011-02-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

Our Saturday

2011-02-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

There was chocolate chip pancakes...syrup applied by Norrin Radd Milligan.

Mmmmm...tasty.

Look at the eyes...the sugar has gone straight to his brain by the second bite.

Mommy, take a picture of me pointing at the pancakes...

There was knitting.

And Norrin's first day of indoor soccer. He really liked the net and he used his hands quite a bit...so I see goalie in his future :).

And to end Nor's perfect day, Da bought him his very first pet...a Betta fish...named Homey Fishy.

Reading With Grandmom Jump

2011-02-26T17:43:00.001-08:00

Grandmom Jump came to visit last weekend and Norrin was completely thrilled. It was a 2 and a half day visit, we spent time at home, time at the spa and time getting my ultrasound :). Norrin made Grandmom Jump read many, many books and this was just one of the moments I captured...in my usual, blurry way. The main reason for my mom's visit was to get a glimpse at the baby in my belly :). Norrin insisted on going with us that day, so me, my mom, Todd and Norrin all squished into a little room to catch a glimpse at the baby in my belly. We told them we didn't want to know the sex and much to my mom's dismay, they made no mistakes about where to place the wand. As hard as she stared, there were no below the belt shots. All the things that were most important looked great. We saw the placenta, the cord, the four chambers of the heart, the stomach, the kidneys and a babe that apparently has a lot of hair (just like Norrin). And surprise, surprise, my baby is measuring big. It was amazing and I loved sharing it with Norrin. He's been the baby's biggest fan and it was just another wonderful moment on this exciting journey.

Busy Little Bees

2011-02-09T02:23:00.001-08:00

Well, folks...we've been extremely busy here. Well, maybe not the lil wild man in the pictures above, but the Mommy and the Da have been very busy. I'm currently 31 weeks into my pregnancy and now the truly chaotic part begins. There are birth classes to finish up, lots and lots of organizing to be done, many prenatals to go to (twice a month now), an ultrasound in a week and a half to finally get a peek at this lil bean who's holding constant gymnastic tryouts in my belly and lots of other preparations that I seem to feel necessary to get done before we become parents of two. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to divide my time between this new baby and Norrin (once again, please note the pictures above...how am I going to keep up with that as a sleep deprived mama?). Many, many people have done it before me and with a heck of a lot more children than me, but its something that I'm really kind of focused on. Hence, the hyper need to organize...control what I can before all control is lost. Norrin is showing great promise as a big brother. There's been belly hugs and kisses and many secrets whispered into my tummy. Sometimes I'm allowed to be a part of the conversations..."I love you, baby" and "Baby, you're going to love nursing when you get out of there", but lately the whispers have gotten much more quiet and it makes me wonder...are my kids plotting against me already :)? Seriously though, Norrin has been truly sweet and aware of this little magical creature that squiggles under his hands and he seems really interested in meeting him or her when he or she comes out. Until then, we are still trying to not be consumed with the need to clean and organize to the point where we miss out on too much time with our firstborn. He will start playing a little indoor soccer with other 3 year olds at the end of the month. For one hour on Saturdays (right up to my due date), I will sit in the gym at the Y and watch my wild man kick a ball around. It will be so cute to watch...and there will be a whole hour of knitting time as well :). I think that's a win-win situation.

Some Daily Moments

2011-01-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

I am officially in my third trimester! And with that has come a couple realizations. That there will be a baby soon and that my firstborn is no longer a baby. This isn't really a surprise. We could see him growing and changing before our eyes. But with another one on the way, we are really trying to embrace these few short months of just the three of us.

Reading to Norrin each night...
The same book, Bad Kitty...

He reads a page, then I read a page...

His constant companion, Mickey (a gift from Santa)...

Long naps every weekend...

The rare nursing sessions...

Replaced by new culinary delights...such as chocolate ice cream, covered in chocolate cookie, served on a chocolate cone.

Yes, this time is flying by and while we have as many crazy, chaotic, loud moments as we do peaceful, quiet, snugly ones, its nice to focus on the joy of raising this little man.

Snow, A New Year and Art

2011-01-12T09:05:00.001-08:00

Time for an update after a couple weeks away :). Norrin had a great Christmas and asked for about a week afterwards if Santa was going to come again...soon. After the initial disappointment, he embraced the winter season by playing in the snow, having hot (or in his case, lukewarm) chocolate and surrounding himself in craft (just like his mama). Here's a small glimpse of what we've been up to...

Playing in the snow with Da.
Throwing many, many, many snowballs.

Looking a little tired after destroying one of three snowmen Da attempted to build.

New Year's Eve spent in Longwood Gardens...crowded, but beautiful.

Nor slept in the car...so he was a little grumpy for picture time.

He was even a little pouty with Mommy.

But, eventually he woke up, we got some dinner and finished just in time for fireworks. Nor liked to look at them, but didn't like the loud noise.

Dinosaurs drawn by Norrin on his Magnadoodle.

Fingerpainting...or as Norrin prefers, whole entire hand front and back painting.

Ta daaa! Another masterpiece.

A Sweet Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T18:27:00.001-08:00

While Norrin still has a case of the sniffles and Da was starting to feel pretty yucky, I was in heaven. I spent most of my day in our kitchen. The day started with eggs, cheese and faux sausage. Then, there was quinoa stew, anadama bread, a chocolate layered pie, tortellini in a creamy pesto sauce and cookies for Santa. I went through almost every bowl, pot and pan at least once and it was all very much worth it to smell all the delicious foods as they were made. Despite the many things coming out of my kitchen, it was the sugary moments I needed to document :). So, here's all the sweetest moments of our day.

Norrin "tasting" the pie filling...
A lot of tasting...

As the cookies were made and finally cooled, Norrin needed to decorate just one for yet another taste test.

Once the official taste test was over, we all sat down to decorate our cookies.

There was a little bit of icing sampling, of course.

Mommy's cookies...

Da's cookies...

Norrin's cookies...which kind of look like someone stabbed them...repeatedly.

Despite how yucky Da was feeling, he was bullied into a game of froggy.

And after Norrin had looked out the window at least ten times to see if the sun had gone away, we were able to open our Christmas Eve gifts.

Now that both my guys are snug in their beds, its time for Santa to work his magic. And maybe an hour of quiet knitting :). Happy Christmas Eve.

Norrin Caroling at School

2010-12-22T17:42:00.001-08:00

Norrin, his classmates and all the other kids from the Y had caroling in the gym today. Todd was able to get out of work for a little bit and we both got to see our big boy sing. They made super cute hats to look like Rudolph and Norrin was really happy to see us both. He sang the words he did know very loud and sort of looked around when he wasn't quite sure what to sing next :). I got a little sentimental in the beginning because my baby is just such a big boy now. He did cry at the end because he wanted us to stay, but the teachers said that only lasted about 5 minutes after we left. It was a nice, short performance that Todd and I were very happy to see.

Norrin Singing

2010-12-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

Norrin's Christmas Vest

2010-12-22T06:29:00.001-08:00

Everyone overslept this morning. Perhaps it was because we needed to make cards and decorate a shoebox for Norrin's Christmas party. Maybe it was because Norrin really, really wanted to watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas...again. Some might say it was because we had to build a pillow house in the middle of our king-sized bed before teeth could be brushed or stories be read. I think we all just decided to embrace the shortest day of the year and caught up on some much needed rest before the holiday madness truly begins. However, it set off a chain of crazy events this morning that resulted in an oreo cookie for breakfast, how quickly can we get a three year old in his "nice clothes", where are your stinkin' shoes, Norrin and a second trip to the Y after I forgot Norrin's sippy cup and swim clothes. In all this chaos, I did manage to snap some pictures of my "little angel" in the vest I finished last night. The vest was actually done on Monday, but then Norrin wanted a Christmas tree on it, so that just had to be done. As he posed away, I got a glimpse of the wacky teenager this child is going to be. He loves to laugh and make other people laugh. His best friend at school is Owen and when you ask him why, he says because he laughs at everything. Nothing wrong with that.

At 11:30, I'm going back to the Y to see Norrin and his classmates do some caroling in the gym. Even when he doesn't know all the words, he sings loud. It should be very entertaining.

Where Did The Time Go?

2010-12-20T01:57:00.001-08:00

Well, we've been MIA for quite some time, but I swear we've been awfully busy around here.

There's been decorating for Christmas...

The watching of many Christmas specials...Norrin seems to like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas the most. When I asked him what his favorite part is, he says when the Grinch steals all their stuff...hmmm...

Lots of belly snuggles...(23 weeks and all belly. I don't really know how I manage to keep myself from falling forward).

There was snow...

But only a dusting...

And a haircut for our lil man...

There was the collecting of firewood...

For a really big bonfire...

At a party...

With lots of friends (Nor liked the redheads the best...just like his Da).

Of course, there's been baking...

And a whole lotta knitting...

Yes, we've been awfully busy. Norrin goes to school 5 days a week and he loves it. Da is working extra hard at his new job and even though I'm part time now, I'm still at work 4 days a week. The midwife scheduled the rest of my appointments and despite how large my tummy has become, I can't seem to believe how soon this baby will bless our family. I have a refresher childbirth class to take, an ultrasound to schedule, more blood tests (yuck) and a house that I'm constantly tweaking in the hopes that it will miraculously organize itself to suit a rambunctious 3 year old and a newborn babe. Norrin's schedule is quite busy, too. He has a caroling performance at school on Wednesday, as well as a party. Since he's just like his mama, he didn't want to buy cards for his classmates, he wanted to make them. We also need to decorate a shoe box for him to collect cards from his classmates and thank goodness the only thing I need to send in for the party is string cheese. Of course, I got it in my head last week that I don't have a Christmas outfit for his performance and wouldn't it be nice if I could knit him a little sweater vest. Yeah...not really sure what I'm thinking most of the time. However, his red vest is almost done and it looks big enough to fit my growing boy. The gifts are bought and most of them are wrapped and now all that's left is the planning of the Christmas Eve dinner and the baking and decorating of cookies for Santa. Every day Norrin asks if its Christmas yet and he stomps his feet and says "Humph" every time the answer is no. He told me one day last week that if we baked some cookies then went upstairs and took a really, really long nap that Santa would come. Trust me, kid...if all it took was a really long nap, I'd be all for it :). So, that's where we are. Hope everyone is making great progress on all their holiday plans, staying warm and enjoying every moment...even the crazy, chaotic ones.

Norrin's First Day

2010-11-15T06:52:00.001-08:00

With two parents working, it was finally necessary to put our lil man in full time care. He started his first day of school today at our local YMCA. He woke up and asked when I was taking him to school. I said after we eat breakfast and get dressed. He wanted to see his new backpack and evaluate what I had made him for lunch. Everything got his seal of approval except the yogurt which he wanted to eat for breakfast. He also had three slices of cheddar cheese and chocolate milk for breakfast...all of which he said would make him bigger since he was a big boy going to school today. When Todd came downstairs, Norrin told him that I was going to drop him off at school and then I was going to come back home. By this time, he was dressed and ready to go, so there was nothing left to do except give Da kisses and allow him to take a few pictures. Norrin was willing to pose as long as he knew he was going to school. On the car ride there, he told me to "remember to visit Grandmom later". Rita and I have a date to do some shopping for our big boy and I thought it was hysterical that he's reminding me of my schedule. At school, he instantly wanted to know where the kids were, he told his teachers that he's bigger than he was the first time they met him, he found a boy named Owen who was willing to roar like dragons with him and then he told the other teachers in the classroom exactly what he wanted to do...hmmmm...can't wait to pick him up and hear how this went. I had to steal my kisses and he waved me off with a barely audible "Bye, Mommy". Uh, huh. So, I was told I could call and check up on him whenever I wanted, but I can't say I'm too worried. Besides, its more fun to hear about his day directly from him :). Now for some pictures...

Down the stairs and on his way...

Come on, Mommy. Let's go!

In the car and still holding tight to his lunchbox.

Mommy- 19 weeks!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T17:12:00.001-07:00

This Halloween was a lot of fun. Norrin was a very active participant since about a week before October started. How he made it to the end of the month is beyond me :). Since day one he has had no problem telling everyone exactly what he was going to be- a spooky pumpkin! He found his costume at a yard sale, so there was no necessary sewing for this mama, but when I heard the weather was going to be cold, I couldn't help making a last minute knitted hat. He ran from house to house and got a whole lotta loot. When he was back at Grandmom's he only had a bottlecap, two lollipops and a Kit Kat. Still, Todd and I thought it would be a rough bedtime, so we decided to let him stay up and watch TV. He wanted a scary movie and chose Jumanji for the five millionth time. While I was upstairs brushing my teeth, he curled up in Todd's lap and said, "Da, keep me warm". Todd snuggled him and that's where he fell asleep maybe no more than 15 minutes later. Todd carried his little boy upstairs and tucked him in. It was a real treat for him because Norrin is without a doubt a mama's boy. And now for the pics...

Norrin waiting patiently for us to get it together and tell him its time for the trick-or-treating to begin.

Okay...one quick pose with Grandmom and then its candy time!

My happy lil pumpkin.

Banging on the door...and he may have screamed, "I want candy", but only to a few neighbors (and Todd might have instigated that one a bit).

He would ignore the steps all together and scale steep hills to see the cool Halloween decorations.

This family will always have to keep their Tigger up. All the kids love it.

This pirate ship was also one of the favorites.

He did make a small pit stop to go down a little slide someone had in their yard. He immediately went right back to candy collecting after this detour.

My fearless boy posed happily with a big, scary gorilla.

And he even humored his Mommy when she wanted to take a picture of him with Da...such a happy little family.

Towards the end of our night, Norrin started singing a chanting kind of song- "We are going trick-or-treating". It was cute and seemed to motivate him through the last few houses.

Carlos's Birthday Party

2010-11-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Norrin went to a birthday party four days after his own. It was for one of his classmates and his two very best friends were there- Marley and Jacob. There are a lot of photos, but I just loved this moment that Todd videotaped. Norrin was the only one dancing while he sang and my always helpful lil man didn't think Carlos would mind a little assistance in blowing out his candles. Hope you enjoy this moment as much as we did.

Just a Couple More Birthday Photos

2010-11-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

I couldn't help putting two more photos of Norrin on his big day. Rita got him the perfect birthday cake. He was so happy with it. There was purple (the color of choice at that particular moment) and lots of spooky Halloween decorations. He loves it when we sing Happy Birthday to him and I just really think these two photos captured the joy of this little boy, surrounded by family and loving all our attention.

The Monster Mash

2010-10-24T01:48:00.001-07:00

The next week is full of events for Halloween. We started it off with the Monster Mash at the Please Touch Museum. The kids (and parents) came dressed in costume and they could trick-or-treat through the galleries, dance in the main hall or just play with the usual exhibits.

As we walked through the parking lot, Da wanted to take a picture of our lil pumpkin. This is Norrin saying "No, Da!". He had a party to get to.

Norrin was a little dismayed to learn that the tables were filled with mostly healthy snacks, but he collected his free stuff anyway.

He loved seeing the other kids in their costumes. He would scream out what they were as we walked by. These two were "superheroes!" according to Norrin.

Another disappointing table- a coloring book on fire safety. He handed it to me.

Mother Goose tried to engage him in a little nursery rhyme fun, but Norrin was on a mission.

The carousel...Da liked this picture because it showed off his two pumpkins- Norrin and my baby bump.

A little juice break while we rode the carousel.

And this is the blur that Norrin was for the rest of the night. He danced his lil butt off. He danced with princesses and bumblebees, Clifford the Big Red Dog, DJ Disco, The Very Hungry Catapillar and Mommy :).

The whole night was a lot of fun and Norrin didn't want to leave. Little does he know he has a whole week of parties. A birthday party for a kid at school, the Halloween party at school and Halloween itself. All of these events require him to wear his costume and its amazing how popular his costume was. Parents were asking me where I got it (a garage sale in upstate NY) and kids and parents kept pointing him out as we walked around. He did look pretty cute. Although if you ask Norrin, he was a spooky pumpkin and he would give you a loud "Oogety, Boogety!" if you forgot it.

Today Norrin Radd Milligan is Three

2010-10-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

This was the first attempt at a photo...uh, huh.

Then, when I asked my lil man to give me a nice birthday smile, this is what I got. Well, its pretty gosh darn appropriate. Surrounded by goofballs.

Happy 3rd Birthday, my beautiful, amazing, intelligent child. I can't believe how quickly you've grown.

Annual Trip to Styer's Orchard

2010-10-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Styer's Orchard has truly become an annual adventure. However, this time we learned why its most important to make that trip on a weekday and not a Sunday afternoon when the weather is sunny and in the 70's. Norrin has been very involved in all things Halloween and it has hit a level as important as Christmas in our household. Both inside our house and out are completely decorated. Norrin has asked a minimum of four times a week if its Halloween. Actually, it more of a statement that goes like this- "Mommy, I think its Halloween time. Uh huh, I think it is." And I wish I had the camera handy when he saw the pumpkin full of candy that Aunt Di sent over. So, without further ado, here's a few photos from this family adventure.

One of the bucketful of mini pumpkins and gourds Norrin chose to decorate our table.

On our hayride to pick some apples...this time Red Delicious. Yum!

Norrin wanted to carry the bucket.

14 weeks!

He carried that bucket all over the place...until we put a few apples in there. Then, it was a bit too heavy.

A lovely photo of Todd. I wish I could take credit, but he told me exactly where to stand and adjusted all the settings prior to me pushing the little button :).

There were a couple of apple samplings- Norrin ate two apples while we walked around.

My boys on the hayride back to the main marketplace.

Norrin loves a good hayride.

And he loves giant pumpkins.

It was a really nice day.

Hello, Fall

2010-10-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

Norrin started pre-school last week. Todd found a two day program that's two and a half hours long. Norrin had been asking to go to school, but we really didn't have any intention of sending him until we saw how happy he was interacting with kids his own age. Then we found a place that was willing to take him despite the lack of potty training and the fact that he's not quite three (15 days til his third bday!). So, I guess it was just meant to be. Todd took a few pictures. Norrin is so fast these days that its nearly impossible to get a non-blurry photo, but he's what we could get...

A random photo that just screams autumn (I couldn't resist putting this one in).
An Elmo cupcake before school- gotta sugar 'em up good :).

Plus, who can deny the child something he enjoys so much?

Walking into school with his lunch bag- its a bunny rabbit.

Playing at one of the tables...looks like the sugar rush may have worn off.

Showing off his artwork. When I got home, he said, "Mommy, look! I made you a polka dot painting!". Such a cutie.

Shadybrook Farms Apple Festival

2010-09-20T09:15:00.001-07:00

I don't know about everyone else, but after a truly, long, hot summer, I've been ready for signs of fall. For once, I didn't mind seeing Halloween decorations in the store...in August. I've started setting aside a few new soup recipes I want to try and Norrin has begun asking, "is it fall yet?". So, when I saw Shadybrook Farms was having an apple festival, I thought weather be damned, we're gonna pick some apples! It definitely was not fall weather and it wasn't exactly a festival (four random craft booths and a bouncy bounce), but it didn't stop Norrin from enjoying their super fun playground and picking some apples.

Of course, first, there was a nap.
Pumpkins!

Norrin's favorite part of the playground- the playhouse. He said it was Norrin's special house. Downstairs were all his toys and movies and upstairs is where he sleeps and when people come to visit he gives them milk and cookies.

Peek-a-boo, Da!

On the tractor ride to do some apple picking. Norrin wanted his bag open and ready and got mad at me every time I tried to crinkle it up.

He loved climbing the ladder for apples.

But Mommy had to carry him when he wasn't climbing ladders.

Picture of our family photographer taken by himself. Poor Da...if it wasn't for him none of our adventures would ever get documented properly.

Waiting for the tractor to pick us up.

Playing with Da in the "tickle plants".

What a fun day!

Soaking Up The Last Bit of Summer

2010-09-20T04:34:00.001-07:00

Its been all about the playgrounds for this active lil guy. We're still having quite a few hot days, but we know the weather will be changing soon and we'll be forced to find other ways to exhaust the toddler energy.

I love his flushed cheeks...looks just like his mama...and his da. Man, we're a pale family :).

Happy Anniversary!

2010-09-12T05:18:00.001-07:00

Thanks to this wild man...
I truly value our quiet moments together :).

Four years of marriage have flown by, but they have been truly happy years. Thank you for being the loving and amazing man you are. Words cannot describe what a great husband and father you are. I love you, Todd Michael!

NJ Sheep Breeders' Sheep and Fiber Festival

2010-09-12T04:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, my loving husband humored his knitting-obsessed wife and took me to a sheep and fiber festival. Its a four barn setup and it was actually a lot of fun. They had sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas and angora rabbits. Norrin ran and climbed and enjoyed posing in front of the painted cutouts of sheep and pumpkins. I enjoyed the yarn :).

Photo by Norrin. Wish I could say I'm sticking it out, but I've been bloated and round for about a month now.

Caught by Todd loving the yarn.

Photo by Norrin- Da through the cutout.

Taa Daa!

Baaaa!

Ummm...other way, Nor Nor.

The end result-After a beautiful day spent outside, I left with a skein of blue for Norrin's winter hat, five skeins of that yummy yellow-orange and one giant skein of the pumpkin, as well as some roving and a hand spindle to possibly learn a new skill. Norrin decided he wanted to get out the swift and ball winder last night and he started making my skeins into "bird nests" as he calls them :). He's getting pretty good at winding Mommy's yarn.

Our Adirondack Vacation

2010-09-05T09:16:00.001-07:00

So, we left good ol' Philadelphia for a lil bit of mountain air. There was a pit stop at my mom and Wayne's before we were off to a cabin on Lake Vanare in the Adirondack region of NY. Below are just a few of the many photos we (Todd) took. It was tough to narrow them down, but I think you'll see just how much fun Norrin had :).

There are a few things Norrin must always do when he is on the farm. Swing really high on grandmom's swing. And for the record, Da swings him much higher than Mommy. Norrin made a point of telling me that numerous times.
Look out Da! He's about to charge!

A picture by the pond...before the frog hunt begins.

Lots and lots of bouncing on Grandmom Jump's trampoline.

Some quality time spent with Blue.

And a little rest on a big bale of hay.

Once we got to the lake, it was time for a canoe ride with Mommy and Da.

We got a visit from this family! We haven't seen Nicole and Collin in years and it was our first time meeting Corbin.

Corbin and Norrin became quick friends. They played on the volleyball/badminton court...

Climbed walls...

A lot of wall climbing...

And ran down stairs at speeds so fast, I'm pretty sure we all had a small heart attack...

Collin was sweet enough to take a picture of our lil family with the gorgeous view of Lake George behind us.

Norrin and I ventured out a little farther on the dock...

...but he was ready to turn back halfway down :).

He made many visits to our floating dock outside our cabin.

He picked up leaves and floated them into the lake.

Our cabin is the one on the right. Lots of time was spent out back by the lake or on our balcony overlooking our beautiful view.

There were also lots and lots of large rocks for Norrin to climb on.

And for one of our last adventures, we took him to the Magic Forest, which is part of the Storybook Land franchise. Everything was perfectly kid-sized and needless to say, Norrin loved it. Da went on the Ferris wheel with Norrin (please note the look of fear in Da's eyes...he is not a big fan of Ferris wheels).

Mommy went down a giant, plastic, narrow slide that was obscenely high in the air and had a weight limit of 150 pounds. Thank goodness this picture is slightly blurred so you can't see just how utterly terrified I was. And yes, I did drag my hand behind us in a futile attempt to slow us down. Goddamn fearless child!

After Norrin was done terrorizing his parents, we explored all the little buildings. Norrin loved the Snow White house and this giant pumpkin.

See how much happier Mommy is to be firmly on the ground.

All in all, it was a wonderful end of summer vacation. Lake Vanare is small and family-friendly. We did so much, but never felt like our days were rushed to get it all in. There was tubing down the Hudson River, miniature golf, Water Slide World, visits to Lake George for ice cream and breakfasts at a wonderful place called Molly's Mason Jar. We were close enough to Albany that we got visits from Grandmom Jump, Uncle and Pop Pop Fish. Norrin took naps almost every single day, which allowed me some knitting time and Da some reading time. The weather was beautiful and it was a really perfect way to end the summer.

Sesame Place

2010-07-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took Norrin to Sesame Place. Its really just a 20 minute drive from our house, but we were waiting until Norrin was at a good age to enjoy it (because it ain't a cheap adventure).

Norrin was thrilled to see Elmo and wanted to give him a high five and "take a cheese" with him.
Norrin and I acting goofy on the merry-go-round. Norrin wanted to ride a purple horse and ran like the devil was chasing him to get the horse he wanted. Horse kinda looks pink in our pictures...hmmm. Every time we went around, Norrin had to scream "hi" and wave at Da. And every time I screamed and waved at Da, Norrin would turn around and yell at me to stop. It was fun :).

Norrin and I on the teacups.

Norrin and Da on the teacups.

Da tried to take Norrin on the balloon ride, but Norrin cried when he saw Mommy wasn't coming with them. Norrin cried the entire ride.

Norrin in the Monster Maze. This was my least favorite activity. Its hard to see where your child is and its hard to see when other kids are beating the crap out of him with these giant punching bags. I had to step in on one child intentionally swinging these bags at Norrin. It took all my will power not to just smack that kid across his face. Norrin was oblivious and happy, so I guess that's the main thing.

Norrin in the "Watering Can" sprinkle area. After getting covered in sand at the Monster Maze, we decided to rinse the kid off in here...

...he loved it.

And for the last ride of the day, Norrin went down a water slide with Da.

Once again, my son proves how fearless he is.

Too Stinking Hot

2010-07-11T10:32:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness for an inexpensive lil getaway right in our own backyard.

In Loving Memory

2010-07-07T04:30:00.001-07:00

June 10, 2003 to July 6, 2010

Rolo Tomasi, we will miss you. All our love, Jaime, Todd, Norrin and Scout

So Many Moments

2010-06-10T02:22:00.000-07:00

I feel horrible that the posts have stopped since February. We had some computer issues for a while and now I've just been working much harder than I'd like and when I'm not doing that, I soak up the moments with my hubby and my son...who wants to sit at a computer when I could be enjoying every waking second with my boys :). Of course, then I remember that this is sort of a baby book of Norrin's adventures and we have so many great times that I want to document them. Monday was a classic example of things I want to remember forever. My brother is visiting or "Uncle" as Norrin calls him and we decided we would drive to Avalon for a kind of trial run (we have a week of vacation in Cape May coming up). There was absolutely no traffic the whole way there and Norrin was excited for the beach. He kept asking me if I brought his sand toys...yes, Norrin, they're in the trunk. We stopped at a deli we like that makes yummy subs...err, hoagies...whatever and then it was off to the beach. There was no one there. We had our choice of parking and we set up our blanket, chairs and umbrella close to the ocean. It was windy and the temps were in the high 70's. The ocean water was cold, but not unbearable. Norrin clung to Todd and I like he did last summer. He wouldn't let his toes touch the water. I asked, "Norrin, are you scared of the ocean?". He said yes. "Well, we should just scare the ocean right back then". With that, I ran towards the waves yelling, "I'm not scared of you, ocean!". Norrin looked at me, laughed and ran straight in, yelling, "You can't scare me, ocean!" And in that moment, Norrin became a true appreciator of the ocean. He ran into the waves, but not too far (two or three knock down moments gave him a bit of a healthy fear), he lied down at the edge of the waves and let the water wash over him, he stomped and splashed. It was amazing and beautiful and a little bit sad to let him grow up just a little bit more. He spent a couple hours getting completely soaked...then, he realized he was kind of cold, so we changed into dry clothes and played at the playground across the street. After about an hour of that, we got dinner at Tortilla Flats where Norrin ate most of his beef burrito and thanked all the waitresses for feeding us. All of Avalon was a bit of a ghost town, but the local mini golf course was open and since there was practically no one around, we played some mini golf. Norrin's first time and he loved it. He cried when we couldn't play again. He stole the bigger clubs from Uncle and Da and made them play with one of the smallest clubs I've ever seen :). He liked the holes where your ball went in one place and came out another. It was like magic to him. And when he was done with a particular part of the course, he would yell "Next hole!" at the top of his lil lungs. It was such a wonderful adventure and we all left exhausted and content.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

2010-02-28T18:46:00.001-08:00

This was a difficult weekend. The terrible twos were in full swing and it was very taxing on all of us. We did manage to have a little bit of fun though.

Fruity snacks while sitting on his piano...this boy really knows how to live it up.

Blocks, not socks.

Snow! Again!

Throwing snowballs at Da...nothing gives him greater pleasure...except maybe when he hits Ma in the face with one...hmmm.

Baking with Ma...he likes to wear an apron, which he calls a cape...even when he's baking, he likes to be a superhero.

Look out, Da!

Hours of fun with the coolest of toys.

Taking a break for a little Rolo snuggling. Rolo is truly thrilled...truly.

Pics From Our Latest Trip To Please Touch Museum

2010-02-28T18:32:00.001-08:00

Just a few pictures...

One of the car displays:

A miniature house...one of the many in this museum:

The shrinking doors in the Alice in Wonderland display:

Funny mirrors:

Practicing a little gardening:

Turn the wheel and watch the ball go up:

Design and launch your own airplane:

We had a lot of fun there, as usual. However, our camera didn't make it through the whole adventure. The battery died by the time we got to the airplane launching.

More Snow!

2010-02-26T01:55:00.000-08:00

Well, its snowing again. This doesn't look as bad, but either way I'd have to go to work today...there's no snow days for registered nurses. Norrin likes to tell us what's covered in snow when he looks out the window. Its his usual ongoing commentary..."Cars covered in snow and trucks covered in snow and tree covered in snow...and park all wet and snowy". Then, when he mentions the park, he thinks he should either be going to the indoor park (Please Touch Museum) or the pool (YMCA). My lil boy certainly is not a homebody. He wants to be out and meeting people. Our last trip to the Please Touch Museum, I got all sentimental. A little girl asked Norrin, "What's your name?" and he said, "I Norrin...what's your name?" and it was just such a shock to listen to my little baby have a big boy interaction with another child. In fact, it seems like every day I'm reminded how much bigger Norrin is getting and its such a wild rollercoaster of emotions. At Target, when we were checking out, he wanted M&M's. I said, "No" and he threw a tantrum in the store. Then, he tried to run away from me in the parking lot, which resulted in me yelling at him. Halfway through the ride home he says, "I sorry, Mama" to which I replied, "why are you sorry, Norrin?" And he says, "I sorry I was bad in Target and I tried to run away". That just floored me. In addition to his conversations, which are just so much more intricate, he has started more imaginary play. His animals talk to each other, his dinosaurs attack each other and then make up, he's brought Bob and Shrek up to bed with Da, he's gone grocery shopping in our kitchen and made faux soup that I've had to taste about twenty times and Zebra has gotten a couple of baths in our bathroom sink. I don't know if I enjoy watching him play more because I'm at work full time, but its really amazing seeing him grow and change every day. Well, hopefully, there will be pictures this weekend. Time to test those snowy roads. Happy snow day!

What We've Been Doing Lately

2010-02-21T03:55:00.000-08:00

Well, we've been hit pretty hard by the snow recently...but its resulted in some warm and snugly times spent indoors. Here's our house during the last snowstorm:

And here's our poor giant pine tree. The weight from the wet snow broke off several branches leaving it looking like someone took a huge bite out of it. We had to move my car out of the driveway for fear that snow would be the least of my problems when I had to go to work in the morning.

Norrin was recently moved into a big boy bed. We had almost a full week of restless, wild nights in the family bed and that was all the sign we needed that it was time to move our lil man into his own bed in his own room. If I needed more confirmation, it came the first night when he fell asleep in the first ten minutes that he was in his new bed. He's got a comforter covered in robots, he turns on his fan every night before he gets under his covers (he likes the white noise just like his mama) and on more than one occasion, he's found a cat buried under the covers with him.

As the weather continues to stay chilly, Rolo has found extra warmth next to our space heater.

Da has been taking lots of close ups of his handsome lil boy:

In between snuggles with Rolo:

I'm not sure when Norrin decided that the cats couldn't walk anyplace by themselves. He carries Rolo everywhere explaining that they're going in the kitchen to eat or to the living room to sit on the couch under the blanket. Scout is too fat for him to carry, so he makes me or Da carry Scout someplace.

One of Norrin's new favorite places to sit...not really sure this is the most comfortable seat in the house.

Snuggles with Da:

Time for Peek-a-boo:

Where's Ma's kisses?

The morning we took Norrin to the doctor, I had him practice saying "Ahhh". He liked it a lot. And by the time we got to the doctor's, he was well rehearsed and performed like we took him to the doctor every day :). I was very proud of how fearless he was.

Here's a picture of Da taken by Norrin. Not too shabby, eh?

Norrin's favorite snack...this week :).

Every time one of us has to leave, we have a game we play that I can't even tell you when it began. Norrin gives us kisses through the gate at the top of the stairs. We have to kiss him through every single space. Its pretty cute and has resulted in fewer tantrums.

And last, but not least, the winter boredom must be getting to Norrin because Da caught him dropping miniature marshmallows into the grate that we have yet to replace.

And that's just a snippet of what's going on here. Norrin is extremely chatty and its pretty funny to hear what he'll say from one day to the next. Some new favorites:

"I missed you today, Ma"

"Da make dinner for you, Ma"

"Shhhh, Da sleeping"

"No, I do it. You get away, Ma. Get away"

"I snuggle with you, Ma"

And there's singing every day. Norrin is constantly working on singing his ABC's. He's got the tune pretty good...he just needs to learn the letters :).