A Little P and A

A Little P and A
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I am not sure how or why this has started but it has come to my attention we often call our kids P and A....perhaps it is just that life is hectic and busy and to fully state their name would take too much time...Daddy and I are serious about making full use of our time and that saying the full name might take too much time or effort...Anyways, we may work on correcting this in the future so that the kids know their real names ...but until then...Here is a little P and A cuteness for you!

My two boys hammin it up for the camera...they seriously love LOVE each other already...it is craziness in my opinion....I would think A would like P to leave him alone...and I would think P would wish A would leave as he got more attention before.....

I have heard the second child is the "troublemaker"...here he is already starting in....sticking the tongue out for the camera....

Mr A doing the superman pose....He likes to be swaddled only when he is tired and cranky...otherwise he loves to flare freely and most of the time without clothes on...

He has also been hamming it up as much as possible lately...he is loving the attention he gets from smiling and cooing...

Mr P checking out his first credit card (with his pic on it)....Yes, Yes...this is from the one and only Chuck E Cheese..It was a reward for how AWESOME our Mr P has been at Potty Training...Do you still call it Potty Training when they are doing so well???? We have not had an accident in a long time...He is going on his own (without us even knowing) and then finding us to let us know "He DID it"....He is adorable and such a BIG boy...We are very Proud of him and his efforts....

One Month Pictures

One Month Pictures

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Okay, so it is almost time for our two month pictures but we just received these the other day...and are too cute to not post a few of the favorites.....

"Is this my good side??"

"Maybe the head down a bit..."

"Seriously, try to avoid my double chin--okay"

"How about a relaxed shot"

"the thinker look..one hand under the chin..."

a little collage with the footsie's...

"Would you like one where I stare off at the stars..."

Yes, yes....mommy loves all of Mr Ashten's Pose's!

6 Week Check-Up

6 Week Check-Up

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So Mommy had her 6 week postpartum check-up and was not committed to the insane asylum...so all is good in our home! No, seriously this is good news...Okay, I am kidding (slightly) but the Doctor did say that ALL appears to be well with Mommy and the family...so I thought I would give a sort/of update on everyone at this point.

Ashten-6weeks old:

-Pretty much knows his nights from his days

-Gives Mommy a good stretch of 5-8 hours of sleep at some point during the night

-Purely Breastfeed baby, but does take "pumped" milk from a bottle (2-3 oz approx every other day)

-Is definitely smiling and now even making cooing sounds in response to things we do

-started the "superman" pose while sleeping (see above pic)

-fists are open more open (not cletched) while awake

-more aware of surroundings and insistent on having his surroundings changed (thus--Mommy and Daddy must move off the couch and walk around)

-Has an opinion on a lot of things (ie: Lets us know through his great vocal cords quite often)

-We have no idea of his measurements (weight or height) -will check into this..He seems so long to me though...

Preston-25 1/2 Months old:

-Is a very PROUD Big Brother (LOVES his brother still ) and BIG BOY--he will tell you so himself!

-Has been potty training for the past week and a half and is doing great, very few accidents or just "mini's " as we call them as he catches himself in the act...really none with number 1, just number 2's.

-No diapers or pull-ups!

-Sleeps 12+ hours at night and 2-4 hours for a nap (closer to 2 at this moment bc we are potty training and get him up immediately when he stirs-thus not allowing him to fall back asleep.

-Pretty much eats anything and everything...major sweet tooth like his Mommy!

-Speaks in sentences

-Is working on his alphabet, colors and counting-and seriously doing very well.

-Loves to spell his name for you (usually messes up the "T" and calls it "I")

-Passed his Parents and Teachers exams with flying colors...

-Cutest thing he says in my opinion is "what honey?" or " I love you ..."

-Is extremely loving and affectionate...very well behaved and mannered..

-No idea on measurements but will find out soon

Mommy and Daddy -6 Weeks Postpartum

-Mommy feeling pretty good at just having a baby, but can't wait to "finish" getting back into shape...Daddy says I am already there (You can tell he is trained...right?)

-Mommy and Daddy both need to learn to relax a little more...and that everything does not have to be perfect....

-Daddy has returned to the road and is much happier-; Mommy's feelings are still up in the air

-Both feel extremely blessed at having two of the sweetest and most wonderful children in the world!

-Both wonder "what the heck?" when our sweet and wonderful children have not so sweet and wonderful moments!

-Blessed that we have a healthy family and our struggles are insignificant when compared others..

Trick or Treat Time!!!

Trick or Treat Time

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The week with Nina would not have been complete without a little "Trick or Treating" ...and in Preston and Ashten style--we couldn't just do this once--we had to do it twice...with Trunk or Treat one night and Trick or Treat the next...Can anyone say "Candy Coma"? Preston's friend-Julia and her family invited us out to enjoy "Trunk or Treat" with them at their local PDO place...it was a first for us and a GREAT time....Very safe and enjoyable experience for the kids...and a lot less walking....

An Adorable pair, eh?? Seriously, why is Preston always flirting ...and where does he get this from...

Can you tell who the real Ashten is??? How random that one of the cars had this prop...and it certainly freaked out a few of the trunk or treat parents....think they thought we were letting the little girl carry around our "real" baby....DFS was probably called...

and no night of Trunk or Treating is complete until you can check out the loot...and yes we checked out the loot over and over and over....again....

On actual Halloween Night, we went over to our Neighbors for their Annual Halloween Get together....It was our second year and I think the number of kids doubled from last year....check the archives....:) and yes, I think Preston is once again flirting...this time with little Mia...

and Preston doing his two other favorite things....Eating (of course) and hangin out with one of his best buds....Parker!

Yeah--a family photo....I think this might be the first and only one we have since Ashten's arrival to us....too bad you can't see Baby Ashten...and P man is in a costume...we will have to work on this....

and finally getting to the real deal...Trick or Treat! Preston loved the experience and really did not want to go home...and why would he...Lots and Lots of candy was attained...and ingested...we still have two large bowls full...Nina and Ashten did not have as good of a night however handing out candy--Daddy had to be alerted to come serve as back-up as Mommy and Preston were way too caught up in their Sugar high....

Halloween Parties!!

Halloween Parties

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Preston and Ashten were pleased to host not one but TWO Halloween Bashes at their house in the past two weeks...The first was a Parents as Teachers Bash--Nina happened to be in town and was a great help snapping this picture for us...what a fine group, eh?? Funny how most of us now have or are expecting a second child...the group keeps growing and growing!!!

Preston was a giraffe for Halloween, but decided that he wanted to be a construction giraffe...He is all boy and loves his tools! Check out the cool pumpkin he decorated with stickers too...

They also had the third Annual Halloween Bash at our house for his BFSG group!! I cannot believe how much these kids have grown ...again we have gone from 6 to 10 (which I always forget!) and are expecting number 11...craziness!!! We are missing Lucy and Zoe in this picture...quite sad...but they were under the weather...

Preston's friends got to see him in a different costume this day too--Super/SpiderMan....Yes, my son ran around like this all day and has been since we have started Potty Training...Mommy has a theory on how to make this work....we'll see if it works...thanks to the other mom's for not caring my kid ran around in the underoo's all day...

Finally, Ashten also got to meet his future gf--Chloe ....she is absolutely beautiful and despite the size difference is only 6 days younger...That's okay, he is going to be her protector...heaven knows he is getting used to being tough with having a Big Brother around!

Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch

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So I didn't lie when I said we did ALOT when Nina was here...We also made a trip to the local Pumpkin Patch (which is something Mommy and Daddy didn't think we would be able to do this year) but thanks to Nina's help and free tickets from a friend we took advantage of a gorgeous day.....and went out and enjoyed an awesome pumpkin patch and farm....

Preston and Nina hand in hand....

I couldn't resist getting this photo op...hopefully we will come back in the years to come and see how we have grown...although the pumpkin patch we went to last year was equally as fun...not sure Mommy or Daddy has a preference....but maybe every other year....

Preston and Mommy feeding the goats...and trying not to get our hands eaten...yes there are signs warning of this....and Mommy, Nina and Daddy scared little P man as we thought his hand was going to get eaten on one occasion...the kid is fearless though and after only a tear or two...he went back to feeding the animals...

Nina and Ashten strollin....Ashten once again was on his best behaviour with Nina nearby....he really did love being with her....just like Preston does...it must be something about Gramma's...if only my boys were ALWAYS on their best behaviour with Mommy and Daddy...

Daddy and P checkin out a pig...Preston was as grossed out as mommy and wanted nothing to do with him...who can blame him...

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Unfortunately, all of these photo's came from our first 15 minutes at the pumpkin patch...We just got a new camera and had no idea we needed to charge the battery so soon...and it died...Thankfully, Nina was prepared with her own camera and we got some great shots with the pumpkins, out on the wagon ride and train ride...or just playing on the great toys they had out on the farm..bad news...Nina hasn't sent these to me yet so I can't post any of them...Anyways, point is--Both boys (and Mommy and Daddy) had a great time....it was another Awesome family memory and we were so happy to share it with Nina...thanks Nina!!!

(Not) A Lazy Sunday

(Not) A Lazy Sunday

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Okay, Back to trying to "Ketch up" on the week with Nina....It started with "Boo at the Zoo" on Saturday and led to a Not so lazy Sunday....as it was Cousin Ainsely's 4th Birthday Party!! It was a Dora Bash....I think she like the decorations and all the Presents...Mommy loved the yummy cake and delicious Pizza!!

Of course my two Boys take after their Mommy and love the food as well!! While all the other Mommy's try to make their kids eat ALL their dinner, my son is asking for thirds....seriously--the kid eats EVERYONE under the table!

Afterwards, we headed back to the neighborhood for our Halloween Parade! The weather was horrible...very cold and windy--thankfully they both had very warm costumes...and Ashten was snug as a bug in his warm stroller...

Preston at the snack line with good friend, Danielle--she lives across the street and think she may have a slight crush on the P Man...she is a cutie and so very very sweet!

and Preston with his best buddy--Jack-Jack....aka "the skunk"

Nina opted to stay back at the house and cheer us on as we strolled past the house...yes she was the smart one!

RED ALERT RED ALERT

RED ALERT RED ALERT

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Preston went POTTY on the BIG BOY POTTY

NOT once

NOT twice

NOT three times

BUT SEVEN TIMES TODAY!!!

It was his first time ever having a successful attempt and was so excited each time...he just kept doing it...Mommy mentioned last week in passing to Daddy and Nina that she thought he might be getting close to being ready....but that Mommy really wasn't quite ready yet with a newborn in the house and all....but today for whatever reason --I thought heck with it...Let's give it a go and see what happens.... (WHY, I have no idea--since Daddy wasn't home to help and Ashten has been VERY needy lately....)...But With lots of treats, juice and Halloween Candy Preston was not too hard to convince....He exclaimed " I did it, I did it" after each successful try... and insisted we take his picture next to the success (sorry if you are quesy--but I have seven of these photo's now--I will only bless you with one) and then we would clean the potty, flush the potty, wash our hands, put our big boy undies back on....and get a piece of candy....

Mommy was Ill prepared and after two successful attempts in the AM- we made a mad dash to Walmart for some big boy undies--like Daddy....and much to Mommy's suprise--He picked the spiderman ones..I honestly thought we would have taken to Thomas the Train or Cars, but he really wanted spidey-undies...go figure....

He sure does look cute in them though....

I will note that we did have one accident ONLY throughout the ENTIRE day...and poor little guy was in utter shock when it happened...and went hysterical....so with that...I am not sure if he understands the "feeling" of needing to go...and perhaps we are still a little too early...We will give it ago again tomorrow and see what happens....but atleast he now knows what it feels like to successfully "go potty"....he has only been sitting on one for the past few months now...

Nina Arrives!!!

Nina Arrives!!!

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Nina arrived on Saturday for her week long visit...and Mommy desperately was looking forward to her coming...It is always nice to have a helping hand with two little ones..and we got a lot done!! Nina and Mommy found fabric to make a curtain for Preston's room and found a rod to hang it (Nina sewed it up as if it were nothing), We picked up letters to put Ashten's name on the wall (now it just needs to be painted by Daddy), We found photo albums for both boys and put their pictures in them and a new memory box for Ashten to fill in the coming year, We finished and framed both Ashten and Preston's cross-stich that Mommy did while she was preggers, We painted frames for Preston's pictures, did lots of laundry and cleaning and shopping...but we also did a lot of fun stuff too....Such as taking the boys to storytime (twice), having a Halloween Party for his PT playgroup, going to Carolyn's Pumpkin patch for some outdoor fun, going out to eat and just doing some good ol shopping... I am sure I am missing a "million" other things that we did...but simply it was nice to have Nina around...and Mommy got to have a little breathing room for the week...and we were of course spoiled...

Preston opening one of a trillion "Nina treats" he got all week....

Ashten and Nina hanging out on the couch....he did NOT want to let go of her hand...like all infants...he loves being the center of attention and is completely happy as long as it remains that way--therefore why it is hard to accomplish much without assistance!

Preston and Nina hanging out on the couch (do you see a theme with my boys--they both LOVE hanging out!) I personally love the crossed legs and hand under the chin....this is commonly the way my son likes to watch TV....

and both of my boys LOVE to talk--Nina and Ashten carrying on a conversation...

(Seriously--I wonder where they get this from..not Mommy, right?)....

and Preston and Nina doing the same over lunch..

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Thank you so much for coming down and hanging out with us this week Nina--We miss you already!! and wish that you lived closer so that we could all do this more often....We so appreciate ALL that you did for us this week and ALWAYS...you know you are more than welcome to do this again...anytime!

Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo

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Prior to Nina's arrival on Saturday..we decided since Daddy had a rare day off and it was a gorgeous day--we would venture out and take the boys to "Boo at the Zoo"....our last Zoo experience was not the greatest...so Mommy had mixed feelings but decided to give it another try...(Hey-last time it was only 100 degrees and I was 9 months pregnant!!) We had a Magnificant Day!!! It has been too cold here lately and we ALL needed to get out! It was perfect and Preston and Ashten were both on their best behaviour--hence they both missed nap time...and Mommy and Daddy were okay with that! The Zoo was totally decked out with Halloween decorations, trick or treat booths, and special shows...Preston loved getting a chance to "trick-or-treat" at the different booths within the zoo...why wouldn't he...he loved wearing the costume...and getting candy!!! It was a good way to get him used to going up and asking for candy and saying the all important--Thank you!His favorite animal he claims was the Hippo...but all day long he only talked about wanting to see the Tigers. I really thought there were a lot more animals out and about this day than last...perhaps it was just all in my head because I really enjoyed the day much more than last time!

The rhino, zebra's and giraffe's here were also pretty funny and active....it was probably Mommy and Daddy's favorite part of the day...

Little Ashten also really seemed to enjoy the day out for a stroller ride...he didn't wear his full costume...only his "ghost" shirt because it was too nice of a day...doesn't he just look "spooktacular" too! This was by far one of the best days we had as a family of four thus far...we couldn't have asked for better behaved boys...and a great time was had by all...and the day was only going to get better bc when we got home....Nina was there!

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