Happy Birthday Nicholas James!

Happy Birthday Nicholas!

My (last) baby has turned two. We moved the high chair to storage and made the switch to 2% milk. We packed all your 18 month clothes in boxes and gave you another haircut which made you look like a little man. You no longer drool or cry when we put you down for naps. You have favorites and things you refuse to do. We laugh when you make silly faces and you love the attention. We let you wander around the house without fear of you getting hurt. You eat all the food that your big sister does and sometimes clean her plate when she is done. You play on your tablet and cuddle your favorite blanket when tired. I am not sure when all these things happened but you are no longer a baby.

Two years old.

Nicky, you are all boy. You love basketball and baseball and football and really any type of ball. You love to wrestle with your brother and play fight with your dad. You love the color blue and could win a chicken nugget eating contest. You think farts and burps are funny (thanks Nick). You could play cars all day. Revving their engines around the couches and up the walls. You love shoes. You LOVE shoes. I have never met a child that was such a shoe fascination. I actually hide your shoes from you so you don't end up wearing them 24/7. Nicky, you are silly and joyful and wonderful.

Nicky, you are also a handful. You love to run and jump and test the limits of gravity. You never hold still and therefore you have had numerous injuries. Can we give mom a break please? Do we have to jump down every step? Can we sit on our butt a little more so we don't fall off the chair, taking dinner with us on the way down? As a matter of fact, can we sit on the chair at all so we aren't always perched on the table? You eat the crayons you color with and occasionally draw on couches and walls and yourself. You act up in church and just want to say hello to every pew. You would love nothing more than to play outside 24/7 even if its snowing and I have yet to get you dressed for the day. Not a care in the world.

Nicky, you are so sweet. Your crooked smile brights up my day and your stoic looks always let me know that you are taking in the environment. You like when I snuggle up to your neck and give you kisses, always letting out a quiet giggle. You like when I sing you a song before bed, but only one, before I cover you up with the blanket Nona made you. You like to put your fingers in the crochet holes and pull it close to your face in comfort. You love your daddy so much. You like to 'brush' your beard in the morning with him and snuggle on his lap watching cartoons in the afternoon.

Nicky, you do things your own way, in your own time. You may not talk much but it is getting there. You say 'yea' a lot which helps out a little when deciding on if you want milk or juice for breakfast. Forgive me when I lose my patience with you and sorry I probably only took a million pictures of you when I took two million of your sister at this age.

Nicky, you are so loved. You make our family marvelous and keep your dad and I on our toes. We would not trade a single moment - even the moments I am cleaning the wall of crayon or dragging you out of church like a rag doll - for any other moment in the world. You are beautiful and smart and funny. I thank God for you daily.

Happy birthday Nicholas James Jr. I hope today was as wonderful for you as it was for me!

Marlee Turns Three

Every Girl Deserves Birthday Flowers

Happy Birthday Marlee Jo!

Three years ago, I was holding my greatest accomplishment, my sweetest gift, and the biggest challenge of my life, all swaddled in a blanket on my chest. Today, she wakes up and while she does not want to be cuddled on my chest, she continues to be the sweetest gift that God has given me. 

I say this as she demands chocolate milk without a bother to say hello. 

How do I sum up three year old Marlee into one blog post? Marlee is my strong willed child. A "three-nager" if you will. She knows exactly what she wants and exactly when she wants it. She can be shy at times but once she is warmed up, she is non-stop action and giggles. Marlee is a good mix of girlie girl and superhero. I am not sure where she gets it from but she loves anything pink, adores playing with make-up (especially Grandmas), and is convinced that she is a princess. I can blame her father for the last one. On the other side, Marlee loves to wrestle, run "super fast", and play baseball. I could watch her and Nicky run around in the backyard all day. Until one of them starts screaming of course...

Marlee is also quite the entertainer. She loves to sing and dance. She often makes up songs depending on what is going on around her. Her new song "I Am Sorry So Don't Cry Nicky" is sure to be a big hit. She also loves to color, draw, build blocks, and play her "Ohdoe" - which is just a Kindle that she has mysteriously named Ohdoe. Marlee is incredibly smart (I know all moms say that) and has a huge vocabulary with the cutest hint of a lisp. I love to ask her questions about her day because she remembers everything and in such great detail. 

I did a little interview of Miss Marlee of some of her favorite things:

What is your favorite color? PINK!

What is your favorite toy? My bear

What is your favorite food? Applesauce

What is your least favorite food? Seeds in the apple ("I don't like those.")

What is your favorite TV show? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut butter sandwich

What is your favorite snack? Fruit snacks

What is your favorite animal? Bear

What is your favorite song? "You Are My Sunshine"

What is your favorite book? Baby animal book (I have no idea what book that is)

Who is your best friend? "You! And Isaac and Nicky and Daddy!"

What is your favorite cereal? "The ones with the marshmallows in there"

What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play!

What is your favorite drink? Juice

What is your favorite store? Target! (That's my girl)

What do you want to be when you grow up? "A big girl!"

Hopefully I can remember to 'interview' her every year because she was so cute answering all the questions with such concentration. 

We are getting the house ready for Marlee's party tomorrow and are so excited to have everyone over to celebrate my baby girls third birthday. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I will have a three year old! Where does the the time go? 

Happy Birthday Marlee! You truly are my sunshine! Your smile brightens my day and watching you grow has made me so proud to be your mom. I hope today and everyday is amazing because you deserve the world. 

We love you to the moon and back!

Happy Birthday Nicholas!

Happy birthday to my baby boy!

Nicky turns one today and while his party is not for another 10 days, we will certainly be doing a little celebrating today.

Today started out with some green birthday pancakes which was a delight for Nicky but not so much for Marlee. She took one look at the green and said "caca". Green was not my best choice. I was able to look back at all the monthly Nick posts and it is just amazing how much he as grown. 

One thing I can say about baby boys is that they are 100% different than baby girls. Nicky is the most active child that I have ever met. He never holds still. He is even active when he is sleeping. 

Nicholas is a climber and jumper and destroyer. Seek and Destroy Nicky. Currently, his favorite thing to do is climb on the couch and he is so proud of himself when he does. It is absolutely adorable - until he jumps off the side. This little boy has no fear. And while I know that boys will be boys, I am not sure my heart is going to be able to take it. The bruise to his chest and scratch to his back is a mystery but the abrasion to his nose is from him pulling the lamp down on his face. And these are just a few of his injuries. 

Nicky has ten teeth now and it is a good thing because food is his best friend. Peanut butter and jelly, pasta, oranges, crackers, pancakes, bananas, and the list goes on. He loves his food. He is my healthy little boy. 

And he makes my heart so full. 

I love you so much baby boy. Or should I say big boy?

Happy birthday Nicholas James!

Marlee Turns Two

Pink Birthday Girl Pancakes!

Two years old!

Marlee Josephine.

My baby is now two years old.

A sweet, sassy, funny, beautiful two year old. 

The smile and willpower of my older sister, the sassiness and determination of my younger sister, and the silliness and joy of my baby sister. 

The beautiful hair of my mother and the laughter of my father. 

The love of life from my husband. 

The reason I wake up and smile every morning.

Stubborn and dramatic and emotional.

I love everything about you. 

I have watched you grow and learn. 

I know your likes; chocolate, chalk, babies, cartoons, binkie, milk, blocks, crayons, beans, pancakes, wrestling, peanut butter, dress up, tea parties, hide and seek, dancing, baths, music, and anything tiny. 

And I know your dislikes; ants, hair brushing, flies, dirty hands, vegetables, and loud noises.

You never cease to amaze me and some days I can't take my eyes off you. 

I don't want to miss a moment. 

I look forward to this next year of your life and continuing to watch you blossom into a little girl. You forever keep me on my toes and I would not have it any other way. 

Happy Birthday Marlee! 

Bring on the terrible twos. 

Party Sunday

Sunday we celebrated Nicholas getting Baptized and Marlee turning two! 

Even though she doesn't technically turn two until Thursday. 

We were blessed to have family and friends around us as Nick was blessed by Father Joe at church. It was a beautiful day and he looked so handsome in his baptism outfit. He did so good with the water and oil. Not a peep from him! He was restless as always but that is to be expected from my little squirmy boy. Marlee on the other hand was over church before it even began. She hung in there though with the help of family keeping her distracted. 

Ceremony

Distracting Marlee

Godparents, Father Joe, and Us

Family

After mass, we took the party back to our house and celebrated with cake and cookies. 

And coffee. Lots of coffee.

Marlee stole the show from here on out. We ate cake, opened gifts, and then played the night away. 

Oh and boy did we play.

We managed to open every single toy, one by one. And test them all out in one night. It was amazing. Marlee loved it and so did I. She was just tickled with joy. It was like Christmas in July.

We had a tea party.

And we played with her new easel which is actually a giant MagnaDoodle so no messes!

Genius invention.

We played with stickers. Lots of stickers. 

Then we moved on to dress up. She was flying like a fairy here.

And drinking some cold drinks.

Then doing some cooking.

While adding to our costumes. She is a doctor chef princess here. 

Then we did some more tea party fun. Nick got in on the fun. Nice princess headband hubby.

Pause for a little snack!

It tasted like plastic. 

Time for a break so we could feed the baby and be sassy. 

Then we moved on to the blocks. She loves to stack stuff and knock it down of course. 

Nicky was thrilled with all the toys too! Yay! More stuff to chew and drool on.

Today we woke up and started all over again. We started with painting on the Sophia easel, dressed as a princess. 

She decided Nicky needed an outfit too. He wanted to be a fairy.

Marlee thought this was hilarious. 

I thought he looked pretty darn cute. 

So far my house is a disaster and the kids are both down for a nap by noon. It was such a wonderful Sunday that I hate for it all to end. Luckily we have a ton to play with to keep us entertained for a long time!

Congrats Nicky on your big day. You are truly a blessing and we are blessed to be able to share you with God and family. 

Marlee Jo, I hope you had a great birthday. Your smile brightens my day and I have to say that you make me smile everyday. There is nothing greater in the world.