We took the boys and some friends to the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus this weekend. Everyone had so much fun – MJ and Ty both love animals, so we knew their first trip to the circus would be a hit. Steve was able to get us a suite at the Gwinnett arena, which made it MUCH easier to contain all of the babies and toddlers that were with us!
Chase, Mia, MJ, Ty and Lexi
Chase and MJ
Ty dancing with Jadyn and Jax
Lexi just loves “Ty Ty”
Tigers! Baby Will
Happy Birthday, Steve!
It has been a busy February. Steve went to Panama (yes, the country) for brother Andrew’s bachelor party last week. They had a wonderful time, and Andrew caught a huge black marlin! I stayed home with the boys and took them on a road trip to Birmingham to visit my best friend Kim and “niece” Ella. I actually did remember to bring my camera, but somehow I forgot my memory card (UGH!). So, here is the only decent picture I got with my iphone…
Ella (18 months) with Ty (16 months) and MJ
MJ had his Valentine’s day party at school- the kids were so adorable giving out their cards. MJ’s classmates have adopted Ty as the little brother of the class- they all scream “Ty Ty!” and give him hugs when I bring him into their room. Ty even got to enjoy his very own plate of snacks with the “big kids.”
Steve turned the big 33 on Friday. The two of us enjoyed a simple night out with dinner and a movie (we have become so lame over the years)! 
Cousin James celebrated his FIRST birthday this past Saturday! The boys had a wonderful time at the party… as you can see below, MJ couldn’t wait to get his hands into that cake!
Wait, I am supposed to wait for you to cut it??
Ty: “where’s my cake?!”
And finally, here is a picture of what Ty usually looks like after he tries to eat his eggs with a spoon:
He is so proud of himself! :)
Who, me?!
And yet he looks so innocent! To say that Ty is a busy little boy would be an understatement…he is everywhere! Over the past month, he has learned how to get up onto a chair (usually I find him standing on it or the table), open doors, and slide down the stairs backwards. I forgot how crazy (and yet fun) this stage is… I am so glad I have a few months left before #3 arrives!
Those of you with toddlers will remember the sequence of pulling up, sitting, and standing on the chair!
What?! You mean I am not supposed to go in this room??
He learned the “slide” from his big brother, who is so proud!
Here are a few pictures from our trip to the zoo last week. Hard to believe it is winter- the weather had been absolutely beautiful.
I want to say thank you to Steve for letting me go on our church retreat, Christ Renews His Parish, this past weekend (I was on a waiting list and got in at the last minute). There are very few life-changing events…this was certainly one of them. As a busy mom, wife, doctor, sister, daughter, and friend, I often put on the back burner my most important role- child of God. It was amazing to be in a room full of people all searching for the same thing- a renewal of faith, a closeness to Christ, a feeling of love without judgement – that we too often forget to reflect on in our day to day lives. It was a beautiful, wonderful, prayerful, inspiring weekend that I will never forget.
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
Ty:
I can’t believe my baby is now a toddler! Ty had his 15 month appointment a couple of weeks ago… he is doing great and remains a big boy: 26 lbs, 10 oz (~80%); just over 32.5” (~85-90%). I think he has about 12-15 words, but there are probably 8-10 he says on a regular basis. We finally got rid of his nighttime bottle last month; thankfully, it was much less dramatic than I anticipated. He is starting to eat with a spoon but often gets frustrated when he can’t shovel it into his mouth as fast as he wants. :) He is still such a sweet, happy little boy!!!
Ty having a blast in music class!
MJ:
I wish I recorded the daily conversations I have with my 3 year old. Watching his little mind at work is truly amazing. Below is a sample conversation from this past weekend.
Me: I’m not sure if we should go to the Waffle House this morning. There is a bad thunderstorm out there with a lot of lightning; I think we should stay here and make breakfast instead.
MJ: Mommy, no, we are going to the Waffle House…that is my choice.
Me (trying so hard not to laugh): Well, buddy, actually it is not your choice, it is my choice.
MJ: Oh (looking defeated)…well, I really want your choice to be to go to the Waffle House. Please, mommy?!
Me (still trying not to laugh): Ok, bud, let’s go!
MJ: YAY! That was a great choice. Thank you, mommy! (followed by bear hug and kisses).
MJ is becoming more independent every day, and believe it or not, it makes me a little sad. I lay out his clothes for him, and he now dresses and undresses himself (sometimes it’s backwards, in which case mommy does get to step in and help)! He goes to school three days a week and loves it. He also really enjoys the sports class he takes on Thursdays and is becoming a pro at following multi-step directions. Every day is a new adventure with this little boy, and I absolutely love it.
And he loves his little brother!
Steve:
Steve got a BIG promotion earlier this month and is now the official PRESIDENT of Eagle Rock Distributing! I could not be more proud of him. I have no idea how he juggles the millions of things he has to do, but somehow he does it all with ease. I truly admire the incredible work ethic that has gotten him to this point… but what I admire more is that he is the definition of a family man. Congratulations, my hubs! No one is more deserving.
Me:
After months of debate, I decided to go part time. I am currently working four days a week and will go down to three days a week next month. I found the perfect partner to fill in my other two days, and I know she will take wonderful care of my patients when I am not there. Please say a few prayers that this transition will go smoothly!
Some of you have asked to see a baby bump picture…here is one from Carrie’s baby shower this past weekend. We have come a long way since college!
Baby #3:
We had our anatomy scan this week…it is hard to believe we are already half way there! Baby #3 is doing great and measuring right on track. The official due date is June 11th. Below is one of the ultrasound pics- I still can’t decide if I think it is a boy or a girl!
Happy 2012! We spent New Year’s Eve day with Steve’s family. The Buccaneers were playing the Falcons the following day, so Andrew flew in late that afternoon. He was able to make a quick trip to our house before the team meeting that evening. It was great to see him – while we are so happy that he is playing for Tampa, we hate to miss him on Christmas every year. Andrew’s fiancee, Leah, also flew in for the weekend – the wedding is just 2.5 months away!
Leah, Ty, Andrew, and MJ
Cousin James wasn’t too crazy about the motorcycle!
That night, we had the Lorimer family over to ring in the new year. Both Melissa and I are pregnant (she is due any day now), and I was on call, so we decided to have a low key evening. MJ and Mia had a ball playing together and stayed up until 11:00!
As hard as I tried, I could hardly keep my eyelids open past 11:30. I am going to blame it on the pregnancy, but as I get older I realize that I need a lot of caffeine to stay up later than that! haha :)
On New Year’s Day, we went to the Bucs vs. Falcons game to watch Uncle Andrew in action. Ty is very busy these days, so we had Lisa babysit while we took MJ to the game. We had front row seats just behind the Buccaneers’ bench, and MJ loved every minute. I am not going to mention the score of the game, but let’s just say the Falcons set a team record for number of points scored in the first half – OUCH.
When the game ended, Andrew came over and took MJ onto the field. He was so excited -- it was beyond precious. In the car on the way home, MJ told me how much he loves football and that he wants to be a football player when he grows up like his Godfather, Uncle Andrew. :)
