A Mother's Memories...

Preschool Christmas Program 2011

2011-12-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

FRIENDSHIP KIDS PRESCHOOL
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
2011

Ty & his friend Campbell

Drew was so happy to see Daddy walk in the door.
He was able to get off work for a few hours to attend the program.

Drew~ front & center

Ty & his buddy Campbell singing their little hearts out.

Drew & his "Maw"

I snuck back stage & got a quick pic of our little Shepherd

Ty~ the shepherd & Camby~ the sheep :)

Family Pictures 2011

2011-11-01T14:43:00.000-04:00

2011-11-01T13:00:00.000-04:00

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Halloween Adventures 2011

2011-10-31T14:33:00.000-04:00

We had an amazing time this Halloween season!

And this has got to be one of my favorite pictures of the boys. Not the best quality, but I just love how stink'n adorable they are in their little costumes.

Costume Day @ Friendship Kids Preschool

Superheroes off to tackle the classroom

...but first we've gotta hang up our backpacks

strut'n his stuff

TRICK OR TREAT

at Grandma & Grandpa Dillman's House

"Want one Papaw?"

"Hmm...Which house to go to first?"

While Ty went door-to-door working for the candy,

Drew enjoyed eating the candy!

And here's the LOOT!

Not a bad nights work for a SUPERHERO!

Firehouse = Playground

2011-10-16T14:14:00.000-04:00

Visiting Daddy at the Firehouse is always a great time!

There's so much to see & explore!

"Shut the door Daddy, I'm ready to go!"

Future Engineer

"Which button can I push Daddy?"

"This one?"

Dennis & his shadow

We are so proud

(this is Dennis' firefighter number)

Next truck!

Ty briefly tried on Dennis' helmet.

He said it was HEAVY!

Look out world!

Ty found the Blood Pressure Cuff on the ambulance & wanted to see how it worked.

My Big Bird Chair

2011-10-06T11:37:00.001-04:00

This was my Big Bird Chair from when I was little. It's one of the few things we kept (and that survived) from my childhood. It's fun to see the boys on it now. I'll have to dig for a picture of Greg & I with it.

Ty- 3 1/2 yrs old

2011-10-06T11:35:00.001-04:00

Ty is such a cool kid!
He's so fun & growing into a little boy (not much baby/toddler left).

One thing Ty loves best is a PARTY! Here Ty is at Lilly's "Drive-in Movie" party, where each kid got to decorate their own box car & watch a movie outside :)

And he's a great big brother teaching Drew all kinds of things...

Flying a kite w/Daddy on a perfect summer day :)

Drew- 18 months

2011-09-21T11:31:00.000-04:00

Drew attends preschool at Friendship Kids.
He has noticed the other little kids getting to do this cool thing called "going potty" & had started to show some interest too!

Always has his Daddy close by.
His chin is really red here b/c he still sucks on his pointer finger & is drooling with new molars coming in.

Definitely Daddy's Boy

Striking his favorite pose.

Grandma Bowen's 85th

2011-08-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

Tonsillectomy

2011-08-21T22:58:00.003-04:00

Boo, tonsillectomies & strep are no fun! But I was ready to get this over with. I know it's confusing for the boys as to why mom is in bed a lot. I think Ty is still scared by seeing me with a hospital mask on when I had to visit the ER a month or so back. But this surgery should do it. I'm still in the painful recovery phase. As with everything, there are blessings hidden within difficult times. Because I'm in such pain, I can't do much. Dennis has been an incredible blessing. He takes such good care of me. It's been nice to be able to full relax & recoup knowing everything is taken care of. And I've enjoyed seeing him play with the boys outside the window. What a great daddy!

Ty offers to bring me a Popsicle frequently and has on occasion asked if he could lay down with me. Swoon~~~ Pure heaven. I just love snuggling with that little guy. He melts my heart.

Then there's the ever-lively Drew. I'll be dozing in & out on the couch and next thing I know he's standing next to me babbling some story that only he understands. Oh, such happiness.

I'm blessed.

Ely, Minnesota 2011

2011-08-02T14:11:00.002-04:00

Each year Dennis' family ventures nearly to the Canadian border to a small town called Ely, Minnesota. This was our first year as a family of 4. Boy was it a lot of work. But totally worth it!

A picture is worth 1,000 words...

And we're off! DVD players & headphones in use :)
Ty wasn't much for pictures during this trip.

Color Wonder color books were great!

Always fun to jump on the hotel beds :)

Swimming w/Cousins at hotel pool

Drew, our little fish

The big Moose

At a Wisconsin Cheese shop, Ty called this the big elephant.

Thank you God for sleeping kids during the long drive.

Finally here! Time for our first boat ride.

This was our first year to have a pontoon boat. It was so much nicer, especially with kiddos.

The water was pretty warm

Bball game by the lake

A beach & camping, best of both vacation worlds.

Smore time!

"...more pictures mom!"

more Ely 2011 pics

2011-08-02T14:08:00.001-04:00

Drew fell asleep on the boat ride

Ty enjoyed driving the boat in circles on the lake.

The only relaxing time Dennis & I had during this trip: NAPTIME! This is our view.

Skipping rocks

The boys all enjoyed time playing catch w/Dennis on the playground.

This is just part of our long UPHILL hike to our cabin from the resort beach & dock.

Ty: the "hind-leader" (line leader) on our way down the hill.

Many stops along the way to pick a flower or two :)

Ty is so funny. He would run halfway up the hill, then sit & say "I need a rest". Funny coming out of a 3 yr old's mouth.

lake view of resort

even more Ely 2011 pics

2011-08-02T14:05:00.001-04:00

more lakeview pics of the resort

Being the "picture-taker" in the family, this is about as good as it gets to prove that I was there too ;)

Aunt Denise floating in her raft (err..boat), as the boys skeem some kind of trouble

Drew LOVED the resort doggies: Fed & Jack

Some more S'mores

Some veteran fisherman of this lake took the boys out for some great catches

A rainy morning in the cabin = blanket tents :)

Grandma watched Drew one night so Ty could go on a "date" with mommy & daddy to DQ.

Puddle Stomping!

Ely pics continues

2011-08-02T14:03:00.001-04:00

The dog would even play fetch w/rocks

Drew enjoyed playing in the kayak

...as well as thoroughly enjoying his ice-cream cone

The first night Drew developed Croup as well as cut a new tooth.

Daddy's boy

found a walking stick

ok, these are the last Ely pics

2011-08-02T14:01:00.001-04:00

Say "Chubby Bunny!"

"Ahhh...I LOVE campfires."

Drew is 15 Months

2011-06-14T13:00:00.002-04:00

His favorite thing right now is to be outside ("side" as he calls it).

And he loves to carry around a bat & ball.

Drew is a climber for sure. He loves to climb up the swingset and slide ("side" also means slide).

Big brother Ty, showing him how it's done!

We discovered that an ear of corn is a great teether.
Drew's teeth have come in a silly order. His top lateral incisors (next to the front two) came in first, so he looks like he had fangs. LOL Finally this past week his bottle two teeth erupted. And just this morning at the doctor's office, we could see that his top front teeth are starting to break through.

And we have now started to teach him how to use a spoon. It's messy & a lot of fun :)

...still working on not gagging ourself with it ;)

Hot Fun in the Summer Time...

2011-06-01T13:27:00.000-04:00

Ty can finally reach the pedals and is learning how to ride w/training wheels!

The boys love to take a wagon ride to the church playground across the street :)

Morning Routine

2011-05-28T13:22:00.000-04:00

Our morning routine is:
6AM- Ty wakes me up, usually by jolting my out of sleep with a quick "Mommy get up!"
So turn the TV on for Ty & get him some mini muffins & milk, then I crawl back into bed.
6:30AM- Drew wakes me up crying.
7AM- breakfast
7:30AM- brush teeth...

The boys think it's so funny they get to stand on the counter & brush their teeth together now.

Then we get dressed & it's off to school!

Drew 'The Drummer'

2011-05-27T11:01:00.002-04:00

Ty & Drew's Preschool Graduation 2011

2011-05-27T10:58:00.001-04:00

Drew, the big man on campus!

Ty & Faith Foster

Ty & Caiden

Ty & Riley

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T13:38:00.001-04:00

Easter was a family-filled fun day!

The kids (nieces Layla & Brianna, and Ty) running down the stairs for an indoors egg hunt

Drew was on the hunt too

water break

Quick picture

tallying up their finds

Family Easter Pic

LOL So funny! Bags on shoes for a muddy outdoor egg hunt!

Drew w/his Easter Basket of goodies from Mommy & Daddy

We hid Ty's basket in his shoe bucket. LOL

2011 Pictures

2011-04-25T13:22:00.003-04:00

Drew Thomas Black
1 Year Old

Ty Allan Black
3 Years Old

We are so blessed!

Boys Birthday Party!

2011-03-19T15:00:00.001-04:00

2011-03-19T14:00:00.000-04:00

2011-03-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

A Mom-of-Two Catch-Up Post

2011-03-08T12:42:00.007-05:00

So, I never thought I'd be "one of those moms" who didn't keep up with their blog or baby books after the 2nd kid. Bwahhhh, LOL! I am officially "one of those moms". I've been taking the pictures, just not taking the time to post them or scrapbook them. These kids are such a joy. Here's a quick recap of the past couple of months...

New Year's Eve 2010

2010-12-31T12:11:00.001-05:00

Dennis had to work New Year's Eve, so the boys & I celebrated with the Howe's.

This is my awesome friend Jennifer :)

The kids enjoyed wearing themselves out on the trampoline.

totally posing

The kids had so much fun!
Playing video games...

...making lots of noise...

...being surprised with confetti-filled balloons over the side of the banisiter...

...popping bubble wrap...

...and so much more!

These two are two peas in a pod.

Hugs before going home.

When Ty & I got home, we enjoyed a game of Fishing before welcoming the New Year.

Watching the ball drop

My New Years kiss :)

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T11:39:00.000-05:00

I could not pass up buying this picture of Drew. It's just so "Classic Drew".

Christmas Eve Dennis & I stayed up late wrapping the presents and had them all ready for the boys when they woke up. Ty was so out of it that he didn't even pay attention. Finally I asked him to put an ornament on the tree to see if he would notice the presents then...

This is the awesome ornament that Ty's preschool teacher, Tori, made for us. It has a picture of him as a newborn & one from 2 yrs old. I love love love it!

Finally, I pointed to the presents and said to Ty, "What's that?" He looked at me and said with surprise, "That's my name!" Then he realized they were for him and he got to open them :)

Dennis' parents enjoy coming early to watch the kids open their presents Christmas morning. Drew was more interested in his bottle at the moment.

...ok, now he's waking up...

"Open it Papa!!!"

Ty wanted to help Drew open his presents.

...can you guess what happened right after I took this picture...
(yep, he tipped right on over)

Stocking Time!
Dennis had fun picking out lots of inexpensive little toys for the stockings.

The big hit of the day...Ty's Drum Set

Toy Land

Then it was off to Grandma's House We Go!

Big Grandma tickling Ty :)

Four Amigos?

The guys...Car-talking

Drew got to open his gift first b/c it was his bedtime.

Me & my Bubby

And finally, a few days later, we celebrated with Dennis' family

...Of course after all the gift opening, what do the kids play with...
The Box

Ty's Preschool Christmas Program 2010

2010-12-09T20:30:00.003-05:00

Preschool Christmas Programs are so fun for us as parents. We always wonder how our kid is going to do on stage in front of everyone. Ty cracks me up everytime. He is always front & center. This year we got a HUGE surprise...Ty got to be Jesus as a child. I didn't know it was coming, so I didn't get a picture of it. But I have to tell you, it was one of the proudest moments I've ever had.

This is Ty with his friend Joey. He really looks up to him. We tell Ty that Joey doesn't suck his thumb, and it stops him...for a little while.

...doing the motions to his songs

Pulling Up

2010-11-29T16:26:00.001-05:00

"Help, I've pulled up and can't get back down!!!"
We recently went in to check on Drew as he was crying in his crib, and this is what we found:

And it only took that one time to learn.
Now he's pulling up on everything.
AND falling down a lot.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

The kiddie table :)
Ty with his cousins: Layla, & Brie

The big girl table ;)
Me with my SIL Dana & my Momma

My wonderful parents

Drew enjoyed some of Grandma's homecook'n

...and then a nap with "Big Grandma"

Drew Gets Tubes

2010-11-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

In his short 8 months, Drew has had 2 ear infections. This last one was more concerning since it continued to get worse after 4 antibiotics and his left ear drum rupturing. We even tried Chiropractic treatment. But today Drew will finally get tubes put in both ears and hopefully get some relief.

I thought he looked adorable in his little hospital gown :)

He was quite fussy and disoriented after surgery. The nurse gave us some 1/2 strength apple juice to give him, and boy did he like that! It was the first time he had juice.

He's been putting his arms up by his head ever since he started getting ear infections. It's adorable, but I know he's doing it b/c his head hurts.

Places to Go, Things to See

2010-11-23T16:07:00.001-05:00

At 8 Months Old, Drew has got the hang of crawling.
Well, it still somewhat appears like the worm dance, but looks more and more like crawling. He can be across the room in a flash!

The next member of "KISS"

This shot was an "oops", but I find his little feeties & chunky legs adorable.

"Can't See Me"

2010-11-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Ty loves to hide these days: under covers, in his tent, behind his bed...
Today he discovered that he could hide under the desk area in our kitchen.

"Can't see me!"

Peek-a-Boo!

I love this picture. Man I love those boys :)

Firehouse Visit

2010-11-19T16:31:00.001-05:00

Drew was mesmerized by all the ceiling fans in the bay.

...and also by all the buttons & knobs he could touch in the engine.

Ty enjoyed being able to turn on all the lights.

But I think the highlight of the day for Drew was playing with this glove. (Yes, all my nurse friends...it's a clean one from the bottom of the box ;)

Ty's Preschool Thanksgiving Feast 2010

2010-11-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

I am thankful that I am able to attend Ty's Preschool events. Today was his Thanksgiving Feast!

These are the adorable center pieces my friend Jennifer made. The kids got to pull out the crayons & color on their placemats :)

"Cheese"
I was so impressed he was wearing this hat he made. He usually won't let you put anything "costume-y" on him.

Coloring with his best bud Campbell.

Catch-up on Ty

2010-11-17T11:12:00.009-05:00

Boy, am I behind on blogging!
Here's a quick catch-up on Ty's happenings:

Ummm...well, it worked the first time I tried it. He just needed a little trim around his ears. That part went ok. Then I decided to trip his bangs, and...Oops! So of course I tried to fix it by evening it out. It looked like I had taken chunks out of his hair! With my head held low, I walked in to Cookie Cutters later that day and asked them to fix it. It had to be buzzed.
All said and done, it's kind of cute.

This is Ty & his best friend Campbell at a birthday party for their friend Faith :)

And these are some great shots that my friend Brooke took at Gabe Johnson's birthday party.

Pumpkin Carving Time!
First we let Ty color the pumpkin :)

Drew was there looking on, smiling as always.

"Half Time"

...game on!

"Look Mommy. Daddy is up to no good."

Dennis had read somewhere that if you spray the jack-o-lantern with WD40, it will keep it last longer. (The verdict...Doesn't Work).

One thing I LOVE about being a SAHM, is being able to go with Ty on all his fieldtrips.

"Mom, no more pictures. You're cramping my style."
I anticipate seeing this look quite a bit in years to come.

Ty's wonderful teacher, Ms. Tori ("Towie" as Ty says it).

...And he's off!
He enjoyed running from me in the corn maze. Kind of fun, kind of freaked me out. I was worried he'd get lost in there. He didn't have a care in the world.

I truly do have a blessed life. I was inside holding our smiling baby, and looked out the window to see my amazing husband playing ball with Ty in the backyard.
If you ask Ty right now what he wants to be when he grows up, he says "a football player". Dennis has been teaching him how to kick the ball.

He good at hitting the ball with his bat too.

And just a few other things I want to chronicle about the amazing little Ty:
1. The other day Ty looked at me and said, "Mom you're awesome!".
2. He's been singing jingle bells (they're learning it for the preschool program :)
3. We've started a chore chart & money jar. More posts on that later.
4. He's learned how to cut with scissors and is taking steps to move up to the 3's Preschool Class.
5. He asks to call "Gam-ma & Pa-paw" on the phone almost every night.
6. And finally, we are suspicious that he has been going in Drew's room each morning and waking him up then coming to our room to tell us that Drew's crying. No evidence yet, but we're working on it ;)

Catch-up on Drew

2010-11-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

Time to catch-up on Drew now.
He is 7 (almost 8) months old and doing so many new things...

...like drinking from a sippy cup...

...eating some yummy homemade babyfood...

...attending fun birthday parties...
(pictures by PurpleLillyPhotography)

Drew & Crew
I love it!

...Ty pushing Drew in his swing...

...playing in his new Jumparoo!...

...more playdates with Crew Young :)...

...trying out new foods...
(His 1st grilled cheese ;)

...it cracks us up how Drew always drinks his bottle with both arms up over his head...

...more new foods...
(Gerber Puffs!)
This was very exciting, but I soon found out that now these are all he wants to eat.

...sticking his tongue out...
(a new fascination)

...and playing "Peek-a-Boo!"...

...and being a bit mischievous...
I sat Ty's cup on his lap as I carried him inside. When I turned to get him out of his seat, he was drinking away. I didn't know he could even drink from these cups yet. He was going to town!

...and finally, "the Worm"...
Drew has started crawling, but it looks more like he's doing the worm dance.
Looks funny, but very effective. He gets to whatever he wants across the room now.
(including power cords, outlets, shoes, and all sorts of things he shouldn't have ;)

Amy's Retro Rollerskating Party

2010-11-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

My 30th Birthday was a BLAST!
Here's a link to see all the pictures from my Totally Rad Rollerskating Party :)

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T09:14:00.004-04:00

Ty loves pictures, can you tell? LOL

Layla as the mermaid Ariel
Brie as a vampire
Ty as a monkey
Drew as a lion

This is the only picture we got of Ty's hood up.

Ty's very first time going Trick-or-Treating.

Drew & Big Grandma

Dana love'n on the little lion

"Here Daddy, hold my candy for me so I can go get more!"

We finished the day visiting our nephews Griffin & Brayton, and niece Montana at their church's fall festival.

Family Pictures 2010

2010-10-21T14:16:00.006-04:00

Pictures by Brooke @ Purple Lilly Photography

It's "Gween"!

2010-10-15T10:02:00.002-04:00

Awhile back we were having an issue with Ty coming in our room and wanting to get up at 5am. We'd walk him back to bed and tell him it wasn't time yet. He'd stay in there for about 10 min or so, and come back in saying, "Mommy, Daddy, get up". It had been 10 minutes...surely it was time now, he thought. And we'd repeat the cycle for several days before we finally decided this wasn't just a phase.

Thankfully, one of the great benefits to Facebook, is that I could post this problem, and receive lots of feedback from other parents. One of them suggested getting the Teach Me Time clock. $50 seemed pricey, but at 5am I'd pay anything to sleep just a bit longer. So we gave it a try. And...

It works!!!!
This clock is so cool. It functions as a nightlight, displaying a yellow color. And at whatever time you set, it will turn green telling your child it's ok to get up. Of course it took some practice. At first, he'd still come in our room at 5am. We'd ask, "Is it green yet?" And he's say, "No, lello (yellow)". And we'd say, "Ok, it's not time to get up yet, go back to bed." We had to repeat the process a few times. But each night, the process was fewer and fewer. Til finally he now stays in his room until 7:00 where he bursts into my rooms saying, "Mommy, it's gween!".

My "After Party"

2010-10-06T22:02:00.002-04:00

I recently attended a Celebration of Life for a friend of mine who passed away. Leaving there, my mindset on funerals totally changed (at least how I want mine to be anyway). I know...this is totally morbid to think about. But it's important to let those you love know your wishes. And after reading a fellow blogger's post on the same topic, I was inspired to post my thoughts.

Mrs. Vicky Lacy's funeral was a CELEBRATION. For one, it was at her home church. Where else should such a celebration of a homecoming be held than in the very place she worshiped God each Sunday? In lieu of flowers, the family requested that guests bring bouquets of balloons. It was a beautiful sight as I walked in, to what is usually a very somber situation, to balloons everywhere. Of course there will be tears, but I'd like them to be broken up with great singing and worship. Now...as if this post isn't morbid enough...I've also had a change of heart about cremation. It's always seemed so strange and scary to me. But letting a body decay and take up space is also not-so-appealing. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, right? Plus there's no awkwardness of having a body present at the funeral and last memories with that mental picture.

Anyway, do what you want...I'll be gone & basking in God's presence by time this happens. Just thought I'd share :)

The Busy Life of Drew

2010-10-02T14:38:00.002-04:00

Drew is growing so fast. He does something new almost everyday. So I try to keep my camera handy and capture the moments as they happen. Here are a few recent developments :)

He's starting to sit up by himself for a few seconds.

He loves to play with his toys. And of course, everything goes in his mouth. We've had drool for months now...no teeth yet.

He's moved up from the baby bath tub into a bath seat and is enjoying trying to grab all the toys.

He's pushing up (and of course, smiling all the time)...

...and up on all fours ready to crawl.

Walk to Remember 2010

2010-10-02T13:37:00.002-04:00

It was a soggy Walk to Remember this year, but still a beautiful scene to see all the people who came out to remember the precious lives of our babies.

Ty was VERY excited about the hallway FULL of balloons.
Family members are encouraged to take a balloon and write their baby's name or whatever they'd like on the balloon. We then carry the ballons on the walk & release them at the end of the ceremony. The sea of balloons is a beautiful sight, this year it was more of a sea of umbrellas as we walked ;)

My amazing friend, Jennifer Howe, and her boys came out to support me :)

I thought it was cute seeing Ty's drawings on the balloons this year.
We have a purple one for Riley who would be 3 1/2 years old now.
And another purple balloon for our baby who we miscarried in 2006.
The silver balloon was Ty's special balloon that he wanted to draw a doggie on. I guess he thought his brothers in Heaven needed a pet.

I enjoy doing these things...Rain or Shine.

Rascal's Fun Zone

2010-10-01T13:33:00.001-04:00

We enjoyed some fun family time last night at Rascal's Fun Zone!

St Francis & Clare Festival

2010-09-25T16:17:00.000-04:00

My Couch Potatoes

2010-09-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

Ty is 2 1/2 Yrs Old

2010-09-23T20:20:00.002-04:00

I Love This Kid!
He is so full of life and energy.
It's been so fun to watch him learn & grow.
He knows his colors and can count to 20. He's wearing big boy underware now and using the potty. And he's in the "I do it" and "Why" stage.
Both exhausting & adorable.
His giggle is contageous. And I get such a kick out of watching him wrestle around with his daddy. He's conquered his fear of the bathtub and has even moved up to the shower :) Hooray!! I wish I could remember all the funny things he does & says. Ty is just so much fun.

Rock'n & Roll'n

2010-09-16T12:58:00.003-04:00

This week Drew has mastered the art of Rock'n & Roll'n (rocking on all fours & rolling over, that is). His wonderful babysitter, Theresa, captures these moments and texts pictures to me when I can't be there.

This picture of Drew & Emerson (babysitter's dauther) is awesome. What are the chances of getting two very busy kids to stop and smile together like that!?

Up on all fours, ROCK'N!
He's not quite crawling, but he gets around by rocking then lunging forward.

Drew has been rolling over from belly to back since only a few months old. Now he has mastered rolling from back to belly. This is great b/c he is a belly sleeper and would get rolled onto his back @ night and was like a turtle on it's shell. I would have to get up several times to roll him back over. So he's on his own now :)

Going...Going...

Gone!...He did it!

Drew is 6 Months

2010-09-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

Drew Thomas Black

6 Months Old

A Picture in My Mind

2010-09-14T09:57:00.002-04:00

For those of you who read my blog regularly (when I post regularly;), you know I am picture-happy. But some moments can't be interrupted to run and grab a camera.

This morning I had such a moment with Ty. The boys had gotten up early as usual, so Drew was ready for an early nap. After putting him down, Ty said he wanted to lay on mommy's bed. So I put off the many things I wanted to get done to spend a moment with my precious boy.

We snuggled together under the covers and he played his games on my iphone. The moment was so priceless because as he played his game, I was able to gaze at his beautiful face without him being annoyed I was looking at him ;) I sat there and just took in his adorable features: his pouty lips which I remember being able to see on his ultrasound pictures, his long dark thick eye lashes, his eyes that seem to be changing from hazel to a dark green, a miniature version of his daddy's forehead, his precious little ears that have already been through surgery for tubes, his sweet little nose that used to look like mine but is developing into more of a mature little boy nose and I think will look like his daddy's.

Ahhh...it was just such a great moment. I wanted badly to take a snapshot of his precious face from my point of view from the pillow. But I stayed, soaked it in, and tried to imprint the picture in my mind.

Playtime w/Daddy

2010-08-24T13:34:00.002-04:00

On the MOVE

2010-08-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

Oh boy...and so it begins.

I love that smile!

Pushing back
And going forward (on carpet, I might add!)
Exhausted and snuggling w/Aunt Dana after all that work :)

GREEN

2010-08-18T13:52:00.003-04:00

Guess what color Ty learned this week at Preschool????

They do an amazing job with Ty at Friendship Kids Preschool.
Especially Ty's teacher, Mrs Tori.

And this is exactly why I send him! He has so much fun doing messy things that Mommy wouldn't dare try at home :)

Rocking with Papaw

2010-08-18T10:32:00.003-04:00

Drew's Playdate w/Lydia

2010-08-12T10:21:00.005-04:00

Drew got to spend some time with his friend Lydia Stewart today! These beautiful babies are just a few weeks apart. I'm excited to watch them grow up together.

These two babies were friends before they even made their first appearance. Here is Drew & Lydia in their mommy's belly at our "Amy & Amiee Shower".

After lunch, we went swimming with the Stewarts. I didn't get the best pictures. It's hard to hold a wet baby who can't sit by themself and a camera at the same time ;) But he was super adorable in his swimtrunks.

Ty's first time swimming was with the Stewarts too. Here's a pic:

Swim Lessons

2010-08-09T15:31:00.004-04:00

Ty had his first Swim Lesson today.
This is a 4 week Parent/Child class at the YMCA.
It's for 18 mo to 3 years. So Ty is one of the oldest in the class. But I think this was better b/c he was so proud to show off his "moves".

At the beginning and end of each class they do these cute preschool songs w/motions to get them used to splashing and moving around.
Here Ty is doing the song, "This is the way we splash our hands, splash our hands, splash our hands...This is the way we splash our hands, in the swimming pool." :)

Then the instructor throws out a bunch of ducks into the pool and the kids have to kick to move around and collect them.

Ty likes to get a duck then shoot it in the basket. Look at that perfect form!

The "Itzy Bitzy Spider..."

"...out came the sun & dried up all the rain..."
These songs are cute b/c it gets them used to having the water sprinkled on top of them as they do the motions.

Drew was there looking on.

Afterwards, we went outside to play in the "big pool".

Bib Time

2010-08-09T10:12:00.004-04:00

It's that time in baby development where drool is a constant stream and babyfood gets everywhere! Time to start wearing bibs.

Before I was a mom, I always thought it was silly that moms had their babies where bibs all the time. Weren't they just for feeding time? Plus it covers up their cute outfits! But as with MANY other "I'd never" comments I made before I was a mom, I've had to eat those words.

At this phase in a baby's life, if I don't keep a bib on him, his shirt is constantly wet from drool or stained from the yummy carrot baby food.

Fun in the Sun

2010-08-06T14:57:00.000-04:00

I have some of the best friends. And what's even better is that we get to work together! And play together. Today was one of our many playdates. Bri had us all over to her neighborhood pool, and boy did we all invade the baby pool!

My mom watched Drew, so that Ty & I could have a day together. I love that little guy!

This is one of my newest friends Shelly & her little guy Layton (left) and my friend Emily's little man Gab (right).

My "way-too-good-looking-to-be-a-mom-of two-kids" friend, Katie and her adorable little Addy. Katie & I go way back to high school and now we work together :)

The adorable Addy again.

My little man again :)
He's become quite the little fish since getting over his fear of baths.

Miss Mya Young.
Her momma Carissa is one of the best friends anyone could have. She was there with her two other kiddos, Ayden & Crew, as well. I didn't get a picture of everyone, there were so many of us.

The beautiful Emily and handsome Gabe.

I really enjoyed my day at the pool w/Ty.

...and he was conked out before we got out of the neighborhood.

1st Babyfood

2010-08-05T12:29:00.002-04:00

Drew is 4 1/2 months old now. And he's been eating cereal for a month, so it's time to try babyfood. On today's menu...Squash!

"Hmm...somethings wrong w/my cereal mom. It's orange."

"I don't know about this."

"Hmm...well that's not too bad."

"I could get used to this!"

Bath Evidence

2010-08-05T12:20:00.003-04:00

I think we've finally conquered Ty's bath anxiety. I'm sure you're all sick of hearing about it, but this was HUGE in our household. Last night I said I was going to give Drew a bath, and Ty said he wanted in too :) Then this morning he asked for another one. I wasn't in much of a mood to do another one this morning, but since he was so excited I thought I'd keep this momentum going!

Of course Drew could care less either way. He's so layed back and such a happy baby :)

Ty Takes Showers

2010-08-02T09:08:00.002-04:00

This morning I hopped in for a quick shower before running Ty to preschool. To my surprise, Ty asked if he could get in too! I said yes, thinking yeah right, this will never last. But he did it! He took off his own clothes, hopped in, leaned his head down & let the water run over him, and said, "Okay, I'm done". Hey, it's a start! And it's MILES away from the coaxing and crying that we've been getting trying to bathe or shower this child. Something awhile back must have scared him tremendously, because he's been literally terrified of getting in the tub or shower (mostly at our house). So this is a BIG step and we were sure to make a big deal out of it.

Miss Tori, his wonderful preschool teacher, also had me send some shampoo to school today. She said they play outside in shower-like sprinklers and was hoping to get him used to washing his hair that way :) She's awesome!

Mamble!

2010-07-31T14:03:00.001-04:00

Ty has missed seeing his best friend Campbell ("Mamble") at preschool since he is staying home with is mommy now. So we arranged a playdate for them to visit Dennis @ the firehouse.

"Look Daddy...Mamble's here!"

They enjoyed climbing all over the trucks.

Maybe this is foreseeing the future!
Two firefighters in training :)

Drew was there looking on as the boys ran around.

My friend Jamie came along too. She's just a big kid at heart.

Peek-a-Boo!

Campbell wanted to put on Dennis' helmet til he realized how heavy it was.

Ty thought Daddy looked scary with his helmet on. His face is priceless!

"Mmm...how's this work Daddy?"

I was proud of myself for getting this shot. I am constantly in awe of the job my husband does. We are so proud of him.

Drew is 4 Months

2010-07-29T22:08:00.004-04:00

Drew is such a joy. He is the happiest baby. I could just eat his cheeks and give him kisses all day long. The older he gets, the more people have commented that he looks more and more like Ty. While that is true, I still get glimpses of features he shares with his brother Riley as well. Drew truely is a completion to our family.

Bloopers

2010-07-29T22:05:00.000-04:00

So you know how at the end of some movies, they show the BLOOPERS. Well, here are a few of our bloopers (funny faces) while trying to get a few good pictures:

This kid cracks me up all the time. He's got the best facial expressions and an even better Smile :)

Play Time!

2010-07-29T22:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to some great friends, Jennifer Howe & Alison McDaniel, Drew has some new toys to play with. He's growing up so fast!

My monkey laughing at his monkey :)

Drew's Babysitter

2010-07-29T21:25:00.002-04:00

While I've returned to work just one day a week, it has still been hard to leave my baby. But it has been easier knowing he is in great hands. This is my wonderful friend Theresa, who loves on Drew while I work.

And this is her super adorable daughter, Emerson, who loves it when Drew comes to play!

Theresa is so great. On my first day back to work, I got this picture text of the two of them hanging out. I just had to laugh at Drew's expression :)

So Sweet

Playdates/Mom-dates

2010-07-29T21:15:00.003-04:00

One of the wonderful things about being a SAHM (minus my 1 day/wk nursing job), is getting together with other moms and their kids. Of course, we call them "Playdates", but really it's for us moms as well. On this day, Drew & I got to visit my friend Brooke's farm. If you haven't visited her blog before, you must check it out! She's such a neat person.

Precious

2010-07-29T21:06:00.003-04:00

There's Nothing Like A Sleeping Baby

Boys & Fireworks...Oh My!

2010-07-29T20:48:00.004-04:00

And this is why boys need their Daddy...because Mommy is too scared to do fun things like fireworks with the kids. You can see here that Ty is a little hesitant at first (that's when he sucks his thumb).

But soon, he was right in there!!

He LOVED the ones that SNAP when you throw them on the ground.

And this one was for Mommy (I love purple).

Of course, sparklers and fireworks are more fun at night. So Ty got to stay up late one night (since it doesn't get dark til nearly 9pm).

Drew 4 Month Check-Ups

2010-07-20T09:21:00.008-04:00

Drew Thomas Black

4 Month Check-Up
Diagnosis...Perfect!

13 Lbs 12 oz
24 3/4 inches

(I couldn't for the life of me get this picture to turn. Grrrr)

He's growing perfectly.
Rolling over from belly to back.
Kicking off with his feet to get around in his crib.
Trying to sit up.
Taking six 6oz bottles/day.
Eating rice cereal.
Napping 3x a day.
Sleeping 10hrs @ night (for the most part).

Drew is the BEST BABY in the WORLD!
He just smiles all the time.
He's such a joy.

These pictures are from his appointment @ Riley Hospital with Dr Boaz, a neurosurgeon.
It seems that Drew has an interesting shaped noggin. If you feel at the back of your head, we all have a bump at the base of our skull. Drew's is quite pronounced and almost "shelf-like". My Grandma & many other family members says that's just the "Gilbert head" that the boys on my mom's side of the family have ;) This is most likely the case. But just to make sure, we are going to have an MRI done in September to double check. What they are looking for would be a cyst growing that would be causing the skull to grow outwardly in that area. Dr Boaz said he is 98% sure that's not what it is b/c usually babies w/this condition are VERY fussy b/c they have headaches all the time. Drew is such a happy baby, so I really doubt it. But I'd rather check it out to make sure. We'll keep you posted.

This is probably the best picture I have to show you the back of his head. Even this doesn't do it justice. His hair covers the "shelf" a bit.

Mexico 2010

2010-07-13T19:26:00.011-04:00

Dennis & I have taken a trip to Mexico every year since 2004 (except last year). Each year we go with various friends and it's always a great time. This year was extra special because our friends Steve & Stephany were getting married there.

This is the gazebo where the wedding will take place.

These are pics of our awesome room. Each one had a Jacuzzi and hammock on the balcony.

View from our room at night

The soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Mills!

The trip was also special because it was our 7th Anniversary.

This resort did not have a beach, but there was a neat lagoon between the resort and ocean.

Sandals in the Sand
Life is Good!

Karaoke Night!!!...

...followed by a wild ride with 8 of us piled on a golf cart.

Steve decided to check out the lagoon at night.

Bridgett did too...only by accident ;)

Dennis looking on [laughing].

Ahhh...fun in the sun!

The pool had this great ledge where we could put our chairs in. Notice we are parked as close to the swim-up bar as possible :)

Part of the crew
(Dennis & I, Victoria-the maid of honor, Heather-Steve's sister, Stephany & Steve)

The best lunch spot EVER!

Cleaned up & sunburnt for dinner.

...followed by some star gazing over the ocean.

Wedding Day

Time to get ready

The Wedding

Chill'n during pictures

Being a great Best Man and bringing Steve a beverage during the hot picture shoot.

love this picture

Have a great time!!!

Greenwood Freedom Festival 2010

2010-06-26T13:53:00.004-04:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year.
The 4th of July is my favorite holiday. It's warm outside, there's a sense of community, and family gatherings. One such gathering was this past weekend at the Greenwood Freedom Festival. We met up with my SIL Denise & her kids at the parade. Then the kids had a blast jumping in the bounce houses. And I got to enjoy my favorite summer treat: Lemon Shake-up!

That night we got back together and watched the fireworks. We wondered how the boys would react. They did great! Ty sat on Montana's lap the whole time and kept saying "boom" and "more". Drew watched the show as he drank his bottle.

I love fireworks, but what I found out that I LOVE even more is watching my kids watch fireworks.

Drew is 3 Months

2010-06-20T13:46:00.002-04:00

Drew turned 3 Months Old this week!
He is such a joy. I just love to rock with him and stare at his beautiful face. He smiles all the time :)
Today was Father's Day. 2 Years ago, on Father's Day as well, Ty got his first taste of cereal. So I thought it'd be fun to let Drew try today too. He wasn't too sure what to do at first. But Ty thought it was pretty funny to help.