Hello 2013!

Well, a lot has been going on around here... and yet, not that much all at the same time!  The holidays were filled with family and fun to be had for all.  Matt and I just celebrated our 5 year anniversary.  We've certainly managed to have a lot going on in the past 5 years... and there's no slowing down for us anytime soon!

1 day shy of 13 weeks with baby #3!

That's right folks, baby #3 is on his or her way!  Christopher has zero clue even though I daily talk to him about the baby in Mommy's belly.  Jack on the other hand the experienced big brother and is convinced we're having a girl.  We've been trying to come up with boy names (since we've already used the two we knew we liked) and Jack is no help.  When I ask him what some names for a baby boy should be, I am told in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice "No Mom, it's a baby girl!".  Well, excuse me!  Baby's due date is July 29th.  So if he or she is like her brother's it will be within a day of that... but I'm sure now that I've said that it will be way off!  Ha!

I am definitely going to try to blog more often... and coming out of the 1st trimester I think I should start having the energy to do it!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years!

30 Days of Giving Thanks: Day 23

Today I am thankful for my nephews.  Right now, we only have nephews on my husband's side of the family and we all have boys... that's right, NO girls in that generation!

This past weekend my brother-in-law & sister-in-law drove up from Texas with their 3 boys.  Sunday we were able to get all of the boys together and it was so great to see them all playing together!  Jack had been talking about his Texas cousins for WEEKS and was so happy to get to run around and play with them.  I love getting to see them all interact and play with each other.

Tommy is the oldest at 8 (and 1/2!) and he has all of the typical personality traits of the oldest kid.  He was born about a month after Matt and I started dating.  I remember getting to hold him when he was just a couple weeks old.... I can't believe how old he is now!  Even looking back at our wedding photos (where he was our ring bearer) it is amazing to see how grown up he has become!  He is super athletic (just like his parents) and into all of the "big sports" (baseball, basketball and soccer).  He's such a sweetheart too... especially with the little ones!  I think he truly loves being the oldest.

Luke is one of a kind!  He's a total sweetheart but hilarious at the same time!  Numerous people have told his mom that she should write a book with all of the funny quotes she posts on Facebook from him.  Luke was just 4 months old at our wedding  He is the kid that can get along with everyone!  He reminds me a lot of my two youngest siblings who were always carrying on conversations with adults when they were little.  Not shy at all!  If you look in the background of the picture of Tommy and Christopher above, Luke is the figure in red in the back lying on the ground... he had just jumped back over the fence!

Brady is my the youngest of Matt's older brother's kids and my adorable godson!  He's an adorable fun loving little man.  He has some unique needs that only makes him more special to all of us.  It was hilarious to watch him as he walked through the kitchen while folks were cleaning up from Thanksgiving and would sneak a pop can off the counter and run off... he's crafty for sure.  He's great at playing games on the iPhones/iPads.  I love watching him enjoying life!

Our youngest nephew Evan is just a little over 24 hours younger that Christopher.  He's got quite the personality already, that is for sure!  He's so physically active he's already running around everywhere!  We always laugh at the expressions he has... he has the most hilarious looking scowl when he's not happy with something.  Uncle Matt gets that look a lot ;-)  It's great to watch him and Christopher interact and I hope they'll be good friends growing up.  Right now the difference between them is the fact that Christopher has an older brother and acts like it... always fighting for toys or wanting to wrestle with Evan.  Evan is not usually too happy about that, ha!

Being an aunt is so much fun!  I love watching all of their personalities develop as they get older... hopefully we'll have more nephews (and maybe a niece or two) in the future once my siblings start getting married and having babies!

30 Days of Giving Thanks: Day 5

I know, I know... I've already missed 2 days.  Oops.  The weekend really got away from me apparently... you would think I would actually be able to blog over the weekend?!

Today's post is how thankful I am to have such an amazing support system.  I've already posted about my husband, but this is a more general post about my/our support system.  They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I would agree!  Both my husband & I work full-time outside of the home.  My mom watches the boys when we are at work and she is truly a huge blessing to us!  There are days that I get really down about not being able to be at home with my boys, but they have such a great time with Grandma during the day!  Plus, getting to see my mom on a daily basis is awesome!

Both sets of our parents will watch the boys on the occasional weekend evening so Matt and I can have a date night.  I think that Matt and I taking time as a couple is very important for our kids to learn what it may take to make marriage work.  How else will they have successful marriages in the future (if that is their vocation) if they do not have parents leading by example?

As a professional I also sometimes have "extra-curricular" activities in which I participate.  I am the chair of the local section of American Chemical Society for 2012 (yes, I am somewhat counting down the days) and tomorrow I will be leaving for a business trip for a training course.  I continually toy with the idea of going back to school for a graduate degree, and even though I haven't yet found a program that fits what I want to do, my family is extremely supportive.

With having such an amazing support system to lean on to help raise my wonderful kids, I constantly hope and pray that I do not ask too much of those around me.  I understand and appreciate how much our family does for us and hope to never take advantage of their generosity.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July everyone!  Here are some fun family pictures from our HOT day today!

Christopher hanging out on my back before our town's 4th of July parade!  I absolutely love being able to walk to our city's downtown from our house!

My favorite guys watching the parade... that's a yawn from Jack, not a surprised look.

Hot baby playing with the flag that was passed out... he & I walked home shortly after this shot.

Later that day after naps and lots of inside time, we went to the city's festivities at the park.

Me and my boys... Jack cheesing it up!

I love my silly little boy!

Daddy took Jack on a fair ride!  It was a fire truck that went around in circles... Jack LOVED it!

Jack's favorite ride was the train... he had to sit in the engine all three times he rode on it!

On the train!

Getting ready to leave... we lasted maybe an hour because it was so hot!

Today's plans were a bit spur of the moment because we were supposed to go to my grandma's but that was cancelled.  Please say some prayers for her as she's in the hospital and has a long road of recovery ahead of her.  Thanks!

Happy 3rd Birthday Jack!

On this Father's day, we're also celebrating the very person who made my husband a father.  Jack turns 3 today!

June 17, 2009

With Mommy & Daddy at his 1st birthday party!

Jack's first day of school!  (September 15, 2011)

Dear Jack,

My sweet baby boy, I can not believe how big you have gotten this past year!  I don't mean big in the physical sense but you have become such a big boy in your personality this year.  This year you became a big brother and oh, you are the BEST big brother I could ask for your little brother.  You were so sweet to your baby brother from the moment he was born.  I love to see how good you are to him, encouraging him to do new things (like crawl) by cheering "you can do it Chrisfer!"

You finished up your first year of school going to Seton Preschool at Grandma's church this past year.  You cried on your first day and it broke my heart, but ever since that first day you LOVED going to school to see Miss Anna and Miss Kathy.  You made some adorable new friends and learned so much in class.  It makes me so proud to think of how much you have accomplished this year!  A year ago you were in diapers 24/7, now you use the "big potty".  You now love to sing the ABC's over and over again instead of Mommy or Daddy singing songs to you.  We had to get you a new bike helmet this year because your head grew so much!

You [still] love to be outside all.the.time.  Now you're riding your bike by yourself, playing lacrosse in the back yard with Daddy and catching bugs.  You really are all boy!  We want to have a backyard campout this summer because I think you will love sleeping outside!

You are so very full of personality as evident in your 3 year old pictures!  You're funny and crazy, but stubborn just like your mommy.  I love continuing to watch you grow up in to such an amazing big boy!

Love you little man!

Mommy

You were cracking up so hard at something silly Daddy said that you covered your face!  So dramatic!

Looking like such a big boy!

Opening a present at your birthday party yesterday (June 16, 2012)

Family Circus!

I've been pretty terrible about doing family updates lately, so here's one to try cover the month of May!

Matt and Jack on the see-saw at our parish elementary school (where we hope to one day send Jack).

Jack eating ice cream at Dairy Queen with Bapie and DzaDza (Matt's parents)!

We got to go to the circus on my birthday and it was awesome!  I hadn't been to the circus in years, but when the opportunity came up through my work to get discounted tickets I knew Jack would love it!  Matt had to work that day, but luckily got a couple of hours off to come with us.  Our seats were probably about 15-20 rows back from the floor of the arena and our section was configured strange so that we ended up with only 3 seats on our side of the aisle and we got them all.  Could not have been a more perfect excursion!

Matt and Jack checking everything out!

Trying to take pictures with my phone

Daddy snuggles!  Jack was definitely getting tired by the end!

Me and baby boy, who did enjoy it, but had to take a nap in the middle!

The elephants were my favorite and I'm pretty sure Jack loved them the most too!

This next week I'm going to a conference and I'm bringing the whole family so they can enjoy the town where the conference!  Hopefully I'll be able to have a bit of fun with them!

Our Song

Katie at NFP and Me is hosting a linky on telling the details on your wedding song!  So here it goes... and I'm going to deviate a bit and add a few more of my favorite songs from our wedding!


What's your song?


"The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson
You can listen to it and view the "official music video" here because it wouldn't let me embed it.


Our entire wedding party entered into the reception to the song "Hey Girl" by O.A.R. because O.A.R. was a big part of our college lives.



The wedding party song was "Road Outside Columbus" by O.A.R. because I love this part because it pretty much explains why I love that I have ended up here:

Surprise, Surprise, I traveled here.
Four hundred miles from where I'm known.
My friends are here.
A couple years I've spent, I found I have a second home. 

Did you always have a song or did you have to find one?


Nope, definitely didn't always have one.  In fact, we definitely struggled to find a wedding song... and by struggled I mean, Matt was no help.  Ha ha!  I love him dearly, but what song we danced to didn't matter much to him... it only mattered that we were dancing as husband and wife.

Why did you pick this song?

A friend (and my maid of honor) played the song for me the first time and I immediately liked it, but didn't really think of it being "our song".  Ultimately, I thought it was fun and quirky, just like us!

What does it mean to you?

It's perfect because it was all about us loving each other just the way we are forever! 

How was the meaning changed since you first chose it?

It means more to me because it has proven to be so very true about how we love each other... ESPECIALLY since we have kids!  We have to be silly and love each other through the not-so-perfect parts of life.

 
Won't you share a picture of you two dancing? (Doesn't have to be a wedding picture!)

Well it definitely has to be from our wedding because Matt and I rarely dance (I should say Matt rarely dances), so here is a picture courtesy of Cherished Moments Photography. 

Photo provided by Cherished Moments Photography

Hope you've enjoyed!  Be sure to go check out the other posts at Katie at NFP and Me!

Merry Christmas!

This was scheduled to be posted December 23rd, but somehow it didn't and I never noticed.  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  I'll post a Christmas follow-up soon I swear!

This year will be a big year for visiting family during the holidays.  Our Christmas celebrations started last weekend with Matt's grandma and a party out of town with our friends from college.  When we were celebrating with Matt's grandma, we got to participate in a Polish tradition of breaking of the bread.  The wafers are similar in consistency to communion wafers.  We each got a wafer and then went around the room breaking pieces off of each other's wafers while we exchanged well-wishes for the holidays and upcoming year!  It was a very neat tradition in which to participate and we might keep it up each year... it is something that they did with extended family when Matt was younger but haven't done in years.

Jack holding his youngest cousin, Evan.

Jack, Evan and Christopher... they're all making strange faces but at least their eyes are open!

Matt with our youngest nephew and Christopher!

Jack giving his great-grandma (Busie, a Polish nickname for grandma) a kiss!

My sister-in-law with her son Evan and me holding Christopher... both babies were all tuckered out!

Actually the celebrations started with Jack's Christmas program and party at school.  Of course we have decorated our tree too!

Matt with the boys while Jack enjoys snacks at his Christmas party!

Jack putting one of his snowman ornaments on our tree!

Getting to put the angel topper on our tree!

Ta-da!

My company does a childrens' holiday party every year... definitely beats the lines at the mall to see Santa!  Mommy had to be in the picture because Jack wasn't so sure about Santa.  Santa also appears to have never held a baby before...

We continue into this weekend with a day trip to Indiana to celebrate with my Mom's side of the family; all of my cousins will be in town which is quite the accomplishment considering 1 lives internationally and 2 more live out west!  Christmas day will be jam packed as well waking up at home then going just across town to my in-laws' and my parents' homes. 

This is Jack enjoying the train that goes around my parents' Christmas tree.

The day after Christmas I'll be headed on a couple hour trip with the boys to visit with my dad's side of the family, unfortunately Matt has to work.

How are you celebrating this Christmas season?

Oh, Christmas Tree!

One of my favorite family traditions is having a fresh cut Christmas tree in the house!  We have a local Christmas tree farm that is only open one weekend a year.  It is a family operation and they always have a great selection!  Very excited to get our tree set-up and decorated, but here are the pictures from the Christmas tree excursion!

Our tree is right behind us... it's about 6 ft tall, which is kind of small, but our living room has been overcrowded with "enough" toys & gear for two boys!

Matt cut down the tree but then Jack wanted to help, so my sister held the tree up so Jack could help Daddy cut it down "again".  Jack's response after my sister let it fall... "Do it again!"  He's on to us...

My almost 2 1/2 year old little boy looks SO old wearing one of Daddy's winter hats... he must have a big head!

Baby bear Christopher all snuggled up in his little pram/coverall... he slept the whole time!  So snuggly!

My sister has come with us when we go to the tree farm... it's definitely helpful to have an extra set of hands when Jack is running around the field (that little guy is FAST)!