On the Eve of 2.

Dear Baby I,

I feel like it was just a couple of days ago I sat down to write you your first Happy Birthday Blog. I couldnt believe a whole 365 days had passed. It seemed like forever - it seemed like a blink of the eye. Now here I am, on the Eve of day 760 and I more dumb-founded than I was a year ago. I will warn you...this blog will be much shorter - as I am already crying all over the keyboard!
How did this happen?? First one year now 2??? Before I know it you will be off to kindergarten and then high school, then college(hopefully), then you will be leaving home with some love struck, doe-eyed, do-gooder girl who thinks she knows you better than me! OMG! I think I need a drink...oh great, that's been taken away from me too! Ugh, I digress. Pace yourself Mommy, We are still only at 2.
This past year has been AMAZING, to say the least my Sir I. It has been our first full year in Colorado. We got to travel a ton. You learned to walk and talk and sleep and run and jump and did I say sleep already?? Each day just seems to get better and I swear each day you seem to get cuter. Im not sure how that happens but it definitely works in your favor toward total Mommy/Daddy domination. You are definitely the chief commander of this outfit - and from the looks of it you are not going to have it any other way!
We have had so much fun this past year exploring our new city. I have had so much fun watching you grow and learn and discover the world around you. You are like a sponge - constantly absorbing everything that passes before your little eyes. We discovered your love of the zoo and zoo-ms, (isaarish for museums) you sat in more fire trucks than I could count, and you continue to practice your love of jumping. It has been amazing! Simply amazing. If I could have one wish it would be that didn't happen so darn fast!

These past few weeks leading up to your birthday have been so fun for all of us. Im pretty sure you know exactly what is going on with the whole birthday thing - well at least as far as the birthday = cake part. You do not need any help with anything cake, icing or sprinkles related. All of my "2 years old means no more diapers" brainwashing seems to have sunk in - now lets just see how long it takes for us to actually get you off the diapers.
Well my Monkey Man I promised to make this short and sweet and not ramble on and on with adorable cuteness. I know how much you shy away from attention. I hope you have an amazing birthday - and we hope you like the bike that is coming your way!! You are an amazing little monster, my baby, and I can't even begin to tell you how much you have changed our lives - and those of your entire family. You are a dream come true and a daily reminder of just how blessed my life is. I love you my little Birthday boy - from your piggly wiggly toes to the tip of your nose!
I look forward to experiencing this new year with you and look forward to many many more birthdays to come. sniff sniff.
I Love you Bugger...


Love, Mommy

July 27, 2011.

Breakfast in Bed

Dear Baby I,

We have a secret to tell, you and I. Something that only we have known since June 16. Something that has been the main reason why mommy hasnt written so much in the past few weeks - or quite frankly why it is was such a struggle for Mommy to get out of bed each morning! You -  my beautiful, wonderful, precious, baby boy are going to be a BIG Brother!! Can you believe it??? My Guess is probably not, since you probably cant even comprehend it at all. And by the time you ever look back at these words you will wonder if there were ever was a time when you were NOT a big brother. Let me reassure you that you were indeed once mommy and daddy's 'one and only' - and that is going to be a title not ever taken away from you. We are simply adding a "first" to the beginning of it!

Helicopter Ride!!

So many thoughts, so many feelings, so many emotions have gone thru my head for the past 6 weeks. Keeping it secret was no easy feat either! It's hard to hide the fact that I am constantly nauseous and tired and I am suddenly eating loaves of white bread a day. Nope, nothing strange going on here! Your Daddy was pretty shocked when we told him too. Im not sure he was expecting that particular Father's Day Surprise. Who knew Mommy and Daddy would be so good at this??

My BFF Sadie...

Are we ready for this? Can we handle this?? Is it too Soon? Boy? Girl? SO many questions, so little time. One thing I am certain of  is  you are going to be one helluva a big brother!! Any kid would be lucky to have you to look up to and show them them the ropes! I can only imagine how long it will be before you are teaming up against me. Not long enough, Im sure!
We decided to wait until we told everyone else - ok Mommy did, your daddy is a bit of a blabber mouth. I wanted to make sure we were 'out of the woods' and had our first doctors appointment. I wanted to make sure the dozens of tests I took were indeed accurate, not just a coincidental fluke! I surely feel pregnant! And quite frankly Im looking the part too. I swear I was not this big at 6 months with you!!
July 27, 2011.
Doctors visit #1. We were an hour early, the Dr was an hour late. You made yourself comfortable with the lobby, the patient coffee station, the decorative waterfall - it was a blast. Finally our turn. The doctor was very nice, I was seemingly happy with my decision to have gone with the mid wife vs the MD. WE went thru the office stuff -  history, info, and all the blah blah blahs that has to be done. Next up the physical exam. I knew this was going to be tricky. I had a feeling you were not going to like being in the room for this but our options were kind of limited. Either you come in and hopefully sit thru this or we tie you up in the lobby and hope you are there when we come out. Daddy said you had to come in with us. Whatevs. I thought the rope would hold you.

The no Chocolate  before dinner Protest

Of course you hated it. You thought the Dr was trying to hurt me and screamed for Mommy to hold you the whole time. And then there was all those buttons and switches for you to mess with!! Daddy had his hands full for sure!

Aunt Sue and Lily!

So there we were about to see your new brother or sister for the first time. The little alien teddy bear popped up on the ultra sound screen and I was relieved to learn I wasn't dying of a foreign tumor all these weeks. There it was Monkey - your future guinea pig, your future playmate, your future cohort, your best friend in the making. I could feel my eyes start to water up with all the images racing thru my head of the two of you growing up together playing in puddles and snow. Making snowmen and pulling each other in the wagon, riding bikes...I could see it all and I loved it!  Pure Joy. Pure Love. I couldn't wait to tell everyone!! Until...
Until my euphoria was broken with the words you never think you are really going to hear wrapped in a paper gown laying on a cold table in stirrups with a woman jamming a 'flashlight' somewhere up your ribcage..."Well, looky here...I think we have 2 of them...""Ha," said the Dr, "how about that - you kids are having twins."
HOW ABOUT THAT??? Twins??? What??? As in 2 babies???? We only need one!!! This must be a mistake! get a real MD in here - what was I thinking with a quack of a midwife?? Call 911!! We need a second opinion!  All I could do was laugh until I cried. I wanted to look at your daddy but I was afraid he was going to drop you or I would fall off the table! I turned my head and just saw him standing there with his jaw hanging wide open in total disbelief. Any trace of color or sunburn completely gone from his now pale white skin. Im pretty sure we said nothing. We just stared at the screen looking at the 2 fuzzy alien teddy bears squirming around. The Dr. laughed at our disbelief. "Well you did say it felt different this time" she joked, "I will give you kids a minute to adjust" she said as she left the room. Oh this will be different I thought, Different indeed but I think we are going to need more than a minute to adjust! But I guess really that's all you get. There is no going back, no changing what lies ahead, just a minute to shift gears and get your eyes back on the road.
So my Little monkey baby boy that is the story of the day the game changed for us. We instantly went from our little family of 3 to a family of 5. I can't even begin to imagine how the next few months are going to play out for us. The realization of us soon having 3 children under 3 years old hasn't fully set in (thankfully). Im so excited. Im so scared. Im so expecting all of the unsolicited advice of what "we need to do." Changes are coming kiddo. I just cant tell you when, where or how!

Thing 1 and Thing 2

I can tell you one thing for sure remains the same. You are going to be an AMAZING big brother - and these two little ones are going to follow you around like puppies! These are going to be two VERY lucky kiddos! They are being born into a family with a mommy and daddy ready to love them and a big brother ready to show them how to get dirty, sticky, and into everything! And whether we have one more or ten more (which we are NOT) you will always be Mommy's first one and only. My monkey baby boy. My Baby Isaac. I love you more than ever - and that my bugaboo - will never ever change.

Everyone needs to rest in a bucket!

I spent most of this morning reading old blogs and laughing at how I swore up and down I was 'one and done' after you. God must have laughing too. Either He read them and thought "you thought this kid was rough just wait..." or "Wow! You 'tamed' that beast - let's see what else I can throw at them..." Either way it must be true - God laughs at those who make plans. Regardless we will welcome these blessings - and challenge - with open arms and open hearts. I can only imagine the open blogs that will come from this too - when I find the time!
I can't even imagine the road we are about to travel but I couldnt imagine it with anyone other than you and your Daddy. I love you both - and Thing 1 and Thing 2 - my little alien teddies -  I love you both too.

I Love you Magic Monkey Boy!
Love Mommy

23 Months of Fun!

Dear Baby I,

Wow. Mommy is quite the slacker lately! I havent written a thing since Father's Day- how am I supposed to remember what an amazing little monster you have been this past month??? Oh that's right - I have the mental scarring from your bizarre but frequent "I hate the car seat" tantrums and "Uncle Ronnie  spit on the floor" episodes permanently etched in my brain!! Geez...I hate would hate to forget any of that! :)
So what I am about to say here is going to shock even Me. Your own Mother. THese are words I thought I would never say concerning you - my dear baby Isaac - but I am going to say them and hopefully forego jinxing myself with some evil cosmic twist of fate. Here I go....
You. Isaac. Are quite the Sleeper. OMG! I cant believe I said it!!! I hear Earth Angel playing in the background and I think I actually have goosebumps. Part in disbelief that I have actually jinxed myself and partly because I NEVER thought this day would come! But you have morphed into one little boy who loves to sleep - and hates to be woken up. FOrget all that earlier talk of me not being able to wait until I can ruin your sleep with smashing pots and pans! Sure that will come in your teen years (I PROMISE YOU THAT!!) but for now it's like this little piece of glorious heaven on Earth! You Nap like a champ! You sleep thru the night! You have even ASKED to go to bed! (Yes, mommy did cry tears of joy that day!)
It took the longest, hardest, painstaking, baffling 20(ish) months of our lives...But we did it!! Im so proud of you little monkey! All those late night drivebys at the local firehouse - see its a good thing I didnt drop you off!


Im not saying you arent completely OCD about your new love of sleep. You are the only kid who needs to sleep in his own bed, in his own room - exclusively (which makes traveling anywhere SO much fun!). You need  to have your specific - yet random assortment of dozens of stuffed animals, blankets, and toys in your bed. And of course we need to name them all before we call lights out. Good Night Scout, Good Night Bear, Good Night SHeep, Be quiet George! We need to have our 3 major Bs  - Binkie, Blankie and Baba. You need no less than 7 pillows topping your bed and of less not we forget we need to discuss what will be for breakfast in the morning. But I will take that any day over the alternative kiddo! ANY DAY!!
In other news Monkey Man, we had a great trip to Las Vegas Last week. We got to see Uncle Ronnie and the dogs. You were super excited about playing in the pool - until you realized how freaking hot it was outside! You will never go outside without shoes again thats for sure! Im really not sure how we survived living in Vegas. It is just so HOT!!
You and Uncle Ronnie had a great time together! You learned to Bless yourself (yeah!), spit in the car (boo!), genuflect (yeah!), and repeatedly tell people I beat you (boo!). YOu even taught Uncle Ronnie all about the internet...Well,  I guess it was a partial success!
Back here in Denver - and everywhere else - the big story is the heat. It is HOT! Like Vegas hot - only without the air conditioning. Boo. The heat makes everything harder - and in your case more miserable. You are HATING your car seat these days - actually just the car in general. Im not sure if you want to just stay in the hot house all day kiddo - but you getting me to the point where that is exactly what we are going to do if you keep flipping out every time we venture out of the house.
Tough Love Kiddo. Mommy is ALL about it!


Well, Summer is flying by. It is already the end of July and I have to admit I was a little giddy when I saw the pumpkin display at the store the other day. Time is flying by monkey man. I will gladly wish the summer away but I hate to think in doing so you get a little bit older. You will always be my Monkey Baby Boy! I guess the older you get the more you keep me on my toes! You play harder, sleep harder, eat messier, and scream louder these days. Did I mention you are a thousands times cuter too?? It melts my heart each time  you tell me "Mommy pretty" and "I love you too Mama" YOu really are learning how to work your Mama over well! It may be tough to stay a step ahead of you...But I will kiddo!! I will!!




  
And POOF! Just like that another weekend is here and gone. We packed a lot in just a little time! YOU and Daddy had a great together out at Horsetooth Canyon yesterday. You even weasled a new toy out of him...I bet that was hard! Today, Sunday, we had a great Mommy and Me morning at the bakeshop followed by a little bit of shopping and a VERY messy hummus lunch! Why do the weekends have to be so short? AS I sign off here you are tucked away in bed, covered in blankies, binkies,  and toys and of course stripped down to nothing but a diaper. I hear ya kiddo - jammies are so overrated!
Good Night my little Monkey Bug. I hope you have sweet dreams and sleep tight! Mommy Loves you more than the moon and the stars and all the mosquitoes in Colorado!!!


I Love you Bugagaboo!

Love, Mommy

Dear Daddy...

Dear Baby I...

And we are back!!! After a brief hiatus, our friend Mr. MacBook is back in action! Who knew a little spill off the kitchen table could do so much damage!
This past weekend wasFather's day and I would like to take a moment - a brief moment - to brag about your Daddy. You are one lucky kiddo, kiddo! Not only do you have a Mommy that thinks you are the Bees Knees but you also have one of the greatest Daddy's ever made(except for you Nono, of course)! I love the way you light up when Daddy's work truck pulls up to the house every afternoon. YOu get so excited to have your daddy home. You are definitely your 'Daddy's Little Man'. YOu follow him around like a puppy - or shall I say - Like Doc!

All day long you carry your tools around the house 'fixing things' things like your Daddy. There is also that new obsession with the boat - just like your daddy. You even leave your clothes and shoes strewn all over the floor - JUST LIKE DADDY!! (ok, you have a better aim at the hamper than Daddy) You sure learn quick Monkey Man!!
Unfortunately we live in a time w

hen not every kid is as lucky as you - some kids grow up not even knowing their dads. You, on the other ha

nd, have one of the greatest role models on earth when it comes to learning how to be "A Man". Watch and learn kiddo - Your Daddy isan incredible Man and Father and you can learn a lot from him - except, possibly, where the hamper is. Always remember, you have two parents who love you - and each other - more than anything in the world. I hope some day you realize what an amazing gift that is.
Happy Father's day Daddy! You deserve it!
In other news you have been quite a terror lately. Not in the regular Isaac-hellion-way but in a crabby-sick-miserable kind of way. At first we thought it was pink eye, then we thought you had severe allergies, now, weeks later we finally got the strep diagnosis. I completely blame Aunt Krissy. :) She is evil, Monkey! She was probably coming up with this plan for weeks! Ugh!!....(relax Krissy, my forgiveness can be bought) :) Hopefully now we are on the mend - and yeah! for you one more medicine to take. It is scary how much you like to take medi

cine. Im sure that is just another 'quirk' you picked up from your Uncle Ronnie.
We finally took Daddy's boat - or shall I say Isaac's Boat - on its maiden voyage. YOu loved it - minus the cranky-miserable-sleepless-screaming part. I think your favorite part was spitting all the peanut shells on the floor with Uncle Ronnie. Oh Uncle ROnnie - we can count on him for teaching you how to spit on the floor, medicine fetishes, and learning to say "mommy beats me". I hope the life lessons only get better from here. The water was pretty darn cold - and you are not a huge fan of the life vest - but I have a feeling you are going to be a BIG fan of "Isaac's Boat" - and I am sure that is the best present Ever you can give your Daddy for Daddy's Day (although Im sure the Bonsai tree we got him is a close second!)
Well my monkey, the summer is in full effect and we have so much planned and so much to do! I hope you enjoy every minute of it (aside from the evil strep...Aunt Kri$$y). We have festivals and farmers markets to go to, parades to watch, Libraries to visit, fountains to jump in, hoses to drink from, and plenty of parks to hit up! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! THis week we get t

o go see Aunt Sue and the Horses!!! You are already so excited to see the horses. Now if we can only get you to touch one!
Rest up my Monkey man and get the most out of that nap! Our fun is only just beginning!!

I love you baby rug rat!
Love, Mommy

On the Run

Dear Baby I

Have I ever told you watching you run makes me giddy?? Aside from your little white boy dance(/bounce) and your (not so) new found love of jumping, I cannot think of anything that makes me smile more than watching you run. Head bouncing like a bobble head and your "ahhhh" yell like you are talking into a fan, melts my heart every time I see it. Of course it usually end in some kind of fall or skinned knee, but you are quite the toughie! Usually you stand right up, smile, and say "I okay!" I know I say it time and time again - but you are the cutest kid ever kiddo!!
We have had such a busy May! After Gramma's visit - which you have since been saying "gramma go in blue truck" - we have been busy getting in summer mode. Not sure how spring crept in and snuck out so quickly, but the heat is here and my guess is it is here to stay. Your Daddy couldnt be happier! He can finally try out that new boat of his. Oh the boat. Im sure you will LOVE it, Mommy on the other hand may need some convincing. (like always)
Memorial Day was here and gone and the official start of summer has begun! We spent an awesome long weekend in NEPA. A surprise trip in to visit Noni and Nono. They were shocked - and loved having you around the house. The flight in was a nightmare. NIGHTMARE. I will never not buy you a seat again no matter how tempting it may be. YOu were tired, cranky, squirmy and LOUD! Did I mention it was a midnight flight? When we finally got to NEPA, Mommy was ready for a nap - a long nap!! YOu were ready to roll.
You made yourself right at home. Nona's room was rearranged in no time. You found all the breakables in seconds and just for Nono, you got as many crackers as you could find all over the floor! Perfect! You were running the show and had everyone eating right out of your hand! Just how you like it.
Nepa was hot and sticky - a not so fun combination - but you didnt seem to mind. You had so much fun sitting on the porch playing cars. I dont think Nono or Krissy ever sat on the porch in the heat so much! When it got too hot you were perfectly content in the house carting all your (my)"care burrs" from Nona's room to the living room - over and over again! You also wore yourself - and NOna out by teaching her to jump - over and over again!!



And then there was the parade. Oh the powers of the mighty West Wyoming Parade. You were over the moon!!! You were in awe of how many fire trucks could go down the street  - slowly -and throwing candy!!! It was like a dream come true!! And you got to sit on the curb and run out into the street to pick up your candy. Poor Emily had to restrain you from wanting to march off with the parade down the middle of the street! I never realized how far back a single parade could set back months of toddler training! You waved and waved your little arm off and shouted HI!! to every person who passed by. It was great! YOu were so happy - it (almost) made the the flight in worth it!
Since we have been back in Colorado we are still on the go-go-go!  Sadie was thrilled to have you back as you were equally excited to see her. Daddy had a boat sitting in the drive way (yeesh.). And it looks like the heat followed us back. Luckily the we left the mosquitoes behind, but the moths are crazy here - you keep yelling "butterfly" every 2 minutes!
Speaking of yelling - your vocabulary has taken a massive leap lately! you are starting to put together sentences - my favorite one being "Mommy, pretty is." Ok, I admit it - when you said that I cried - but just a little! You are also starting to sing your favorite songs - like "itchy itchy fider" and "Hoppy bertday to You. Bear" which is immediately followed by you giving yourself a big clapping "YEAH, now cake!" YOu are so damn cute I man!!!
It amazes me how much fun you are these days - and you are even sleeping like a champ (knock on wood) Everyday I wish I could freeze time and keep you at this age forever! But that wouldnt be fair to you- plus we don't have the freezer space! :)
So I will continue to watch you grow and learn and discover and I will write it all down just so I dont forget how amazingly cute all your little idiosyncrasies are - even your annoyingly cute cries of "its too dark" when you are out side in the sunshine or we have all the lights in the house on. Oh my I monkey you are truly the apple of my eye!
I love YOU Pirate Monkey Man!
Love, Mommy

A Belated Happy Mother's Day

Dear Baby I,

What a great May it has been so far! We have been busier than ever - and the spring weather has been agreeing with us tfor the most part - but the rainy breaks have been just as welcomed! You are at such an amazingly fun age right now! I try not to keep thinking that everyday you are one closer to being "too old for your mommy". I want to keep you at this age forever. Mama's little hell's angel.
I have to tell you - I have started this post several times in the past few weeks and can never find the time to finish it! Again I blame you! I cant beilieve how busy you are! "In to everything" doesnt even begin to describe you! The other day I was clearing the dinner table and in the 2 seconds it takes me to walk into the kitchen you managed to find yourself standing on top of the dinner table reaching for the ceiling fan! You are a monkey - and a danger-thrill-seeking-monkey at that!


I think its time to admit you are no longer little baby status and ALL BOY ALL THE TIME these days! If there is dirt, trucks, trains, danger, or water involved you are all over it!
WHen it comes to talking you are like a parrot! You repeat everything!! Even the not so repeatables! Talking to you is like learning a new language. The only problem is I have to remember you and I (and Sadie!) are the only ones who know this secret language! I find myself saying things like  "chi chi" (cookie) and "burn" (granola, dont ask how) in public   - or wanting to yell TRUCK!!!  every time I pass a truck on the road! It's getting hard to separate the 'me' moments from 'mommy' moments - and I couldnt be happier!

So far we have had a busy month! We have gone to Children's museum numerous times and each time it takes me a boat load of patience to get you out of the fire truck (and out of the tutus)! You love to yell "beep beep get out of the way!!" We went to Mud and Frog Classes at the Botanical Garden - note to self, extra sets of clothes for those days are a GREAT Idea! You sure LOVE some mud!!! We hung out at the Pool. We have become regular (interruptions) at church. :)
Mother's day weekend was especially fun! It started out with some prime yard saling where we found a slew of antique Tonka Trucks for sale! I am pretty sure Daddy was way more excited than you! Let's just say for 20 months old you have quite an extensive collection of trucks out back. Sunday we took a trip to Tiny Town to ride the train and see all of the miniature houses. You loved it - and you love your new Conductor's hat!!  The real fun was Sunday night. You and daddy took full advantage of the summer like weather and camped out outside - ALL NIGHT - IN A TENT!! It doesnt get much cooler than that kiddo! Nothing like waking up outside and getting to play with your trucks in the dirt - in your jammies!! Mommy and the doggies, on the other hand, slept all cozy in bed!

We are always on the go! This week you get to spend some quality time with your Gramma and you are loving all the attention! We havent seen Gramma since Thanksgiving so you sure are more of a handful now! You (and Sadie) are giving her quite a workout. Finally someone is here who hasnt read "Trucks" a thousand times!
In other news I can finally report we are in the midst (knock on wood) of a pretty decent sleeping stretch!  Halleluiah!! You have learned a slew of new words lately - some of your favorites being "God," "dark," "is," "Basketball," and "Pradabear". You sure love to talk. My guess is you get that from me - finally something!!! So we are honing in on sleeping and talking - now eating on the other hand, is still a sticky situation - LITERALLY. You are the only kid I know that needs a tubby and change of clothes after every meal - and snack!! It's amazing! Oh well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

Did I ever tell you how much I love being your Mommy?? How much I LOVE that I get to stay home with you everyday and watch you play and learn??  I think most people take motherhood - parenthood  - for granted until they have kids of their own. I know I unfortunately did. I never realized all the love, time, physical and  emotional investment our parents have put into us until I had the honor of doing the same for you. It is amazing how quickly my world has changed. I know it sounds so cliche and you will probably always think your mommy is such a weepy wuss, but it is so true.
These past 2 years have been the greatest experience of my life and I cant believe we are only getting started! I just can't imagine there is something greater in life than being a mother. On that note Happy Mother's day to Me - and to My Mom (your Noni) who mistakingly let me think this whole motherhood thing was so easy all these years!  And to all the 'Mothers' out there who feel the same - Happy Mother's day to you and thank you for what you do!
I love you Monster Trucker Monkey!
Love, Mommy