I'm Back :)

Well, after taking a break from the blogging world, I think I'm going to try jumping back in! We'll see how long this lasts...my 3 little boys keep me very busy, so time at the computer is limited now-a-days!!

Lots has happened since I last blogged, so here is a whirlwind update.  We welcomed our 3rd baby boy into the world on February 23, 2010...Gavin Scott. 

He is such an angel baby!!  He is very laid back, very content and happy most of the time, and such a sweet, sweet baby!  The Lord knew I needed an easy one :)  Especially with two other little boys so close in age!  My labor with him is one I will never forget - the most intense, painful time in my entire life!!  Thank goodness it went so quickly (I was in the L&D room for 37 minutes)...because it went so fast I could not have any pain meds, so he was born natural.  We chose not to find out what we were having (although Jason apparently knew all along because he saw "something" on one of the million ultrasounds we had).  I figured with our track record that we'd have another boy and I was right!!  I love him to pieces...I couldn't have asked for a better baby!!  He is now almost 4 months old and he's growing up WAY TOO FAST!  In fact, it seems like they grow up faster and faster with the more kids you have!!  I don't want him to grow up so quickly!!  Here is a recent picture of my sweet happy baby:

Cole just had his 2nd birthday...he is such a sweetie (when he's not screaming or fighting with his brother).  He just had his doctor's appointment and he was in the 100th percentile for height...he is very tall!!  He was in the 60th percentile for weight.  He looks so different from his big brother with his light blond hair and bright blue eyes.  He adjusted VERY well when Gavin came along which surprised us since he is such a mommy's boy!!  He does very well playing on his own, but he loves to follow his big brother around and copy everything Landon does!!  Here is a recent picture of him (on spaghetti night):

And then last, but not least, my big boy Landon!!  Wow, that boy is growing up TOO fast!!  He talks so "intelligently" for a 3.5 year old...and is sometimes TOO smart.  He LOVES having a baby brother.  He tells me every day how much he loves baby Gavin.  He is also a good helper and big brother to Cole.  He is such a funny little guy - always has the funniest expressions and funny faces!!  He LOVES playing outside - especially baseball with daddy.  Here is a recent picture of him (eating lunch...hence the food in his mouth, but such a nice picture otherwise):

So that is the update on my 3 boys.  I think that's all I'll update for now - it's getting close to lunchtime and then NAPTIME...YAY :)

Birthday Cakes I've Done

So my friend referred me to the Birthday Cake Round-Up so I thought I'd post a few of the cakes I've done for my boys' birthday. I am by far no experienced cake decorator, but I enjoy trying to make the cakes for their birthdays :) The Curious George was my first cake, the Farm Animals my second, the Lightning McQueen my third, and the Jungle my most recent.

Landon's 2nd birthday (Curious George):



Landon's 3rd birthday (Lightning McQueen):



Cole's 1st birthday (Farm Animals):



Cole's 2nd birthday (Jungle):


I enjoy doing these for my boys' birthdays, but I'm glad there are only a couple each year :) Starting next year I will have to do THREE a year!!

Wow, this is embarrassing...

I can't believe it's been almost THREE months since I've blogged...summer has arrived and we are now busier than ever!! We spend so much time outside that I hardly have any time indoors anymore!! And you can tell, my house feels like a wreck :)

Wow, so much has happened in three months!! Cole turned ONE in June!!! I can't believe that my baby is already one!! He has days where he can be a difficult child, but I love that little boy to death and he is such a sweet boy with such a handsome smile!! I have a gazillion pictures from his birthday that I will try to post later.

We just got back from a day at the beach, Wildwood, NJ, on Friday. It was Landon's first time to the beach. He absolutely LOVED it!! He loved the water and he loved the sand - he didn't want to leave. He still asks to go back!! I was burnt so badly and now I look like a bright red strawberry, so I can't say that I wasn't glad to come home!! It was so fun watching Landon have such a blast though. Cole didn't enjoy it as much, but there isn't a whole lot he really enjoys now-a-days :) He did like playing in the sand, but he didn't like the water at all. I was surprised by that because he loves water...bathtime is his favorite!!

The boys are getting so big! Landon turned 2 1/2 in May...it's so hard to believe he will be THREE in November!! He talks so much and does so many different things that it is hard to remember that he is only 2 1/2!! He's a smart little cookie!! The things he comes up with keep laughter at a high in our household!!

We are still loving our new home...what a blessing!! It's been perfect for us!! The basement is finished for the most part, although we still need to add some trim and a few final touches. It's awesome having the extra space down there...the boys LOVE the playroom!! Once it is completely finished, I will post pictures.

This is so random, but I have to say one of my favorite things about summer is being outdoors, enjoying the flowers and the smell of grilling out!!! We have some nice shade in our backyard (wish I could say that about the front), so it's nice to send the boys out to play on their new swing set and just enjoy the outdoors :)

Well, I know I need to post some pictures soon, but the boys are finishing up their lunch and now it's time to clean-up. Hopefully I can get some pictures up before the next 3 months!!

Spring Fever

Well, I have a terrible case of SPRING FEVER!!! We had several nice days in a row and lately it's been a little cooler...I want spring back full-time!!! I am loving all of the pretty plants that are no blooming!!! Spring is one of my favorite seasons...fall being another!!

So, I missed my American Idol recap last week...things were a little busy around here!! Needless to say, I was not one bit surprised that Megan Joy was voted off. It was definitely her time to go!! So, last night...agh, so boring!! I was not very impressed with the night, however there were some great performances!! I have to do a quick recap because I have a fussy 10-month old. I'm not sure I will do this in the right order either. Danny started the show and he did OK, but it was most definitely not his greatest performance. Kris also did well, but once again, not his greatest performance. Lil, well, I think she will be leaving the show very soon - she has not done well the past several weeks and I would not be upset if she were voted off tonight. Scott, I thought he did OK, but I think he will be leaving soon also. Allison did VERY well, I was very impressed by her song!! There is a lot of hype about her probably being in the top two. I don't agree with that (yet), but I do think she sings well. Anoop was OK in my opinion. He did much better than the past few weeks, but I'm still not crazy about him. Matt was AWESOME - I loved it and I think he is definitely one of the strongest in the competition. And last but not least, Adam. I was so disappointed that I didn't get to see his performance because my DVR cut it off since the show went over it's allotted time. However, I watched it on YouTube this morning and I love that song and his version! He was HOT (voice, NOT looks) - that boy is such an incredible singer. He drives me crazy as a person, but he has won me over with his voice...such talent! So, in my opinion, the bottom three should be Lil, Scott, and Anoop. I think Lil should be the one to go home, but it's hard to say - we will see tonight.

Well, I had so much more I wanted to write, but I need to tend to my little hungry boy!! He was still sleeping when I started this post...I should've known better that I could make it through an entire post in peace and quiet :)

Sadie

We now have a new addition to our family - her name is Sadie and she is our 16-week old Chocolate Lab. I sometimes think we are still crazy for bringing a puppy into our new home, but we love her!! As some of you know, I am fine living without a dog (not saying I don't like them), but Jason REALLY struggled when we had to find a new home for our other dog, Smokey. When he really, really, really wanted a new puppy, I thought I'd be a good wife and be OK with it. So we brought Sadie home last Friday, March 27, 2009. Hey, at least there is another girl in this household...she may very well be the only girl we'll ever have - LOL!!! So anyways, here are a few pictures of Sadie:




I've gotta run - time to bring Sadie in :) I sure hope this potty training goes VERY quickly!!!

Motown week...blah

Well, I must say that I wasn't super crazy about A.I. last night...I mean, some people did well, others I could have cared less for. Here is my review on each contestant:

Matt - I really liked him a lot!! He is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I think he has had two great weeks in a row now and definitely one of the top contenders!!

Kris - I really like him a lot also!! I love the song he sang, "How Sweet It Is" - I absolutely loved it! I think he did a fantastic job and I hope he makes it very far in the competition.

Scott - Oh Scott. Well, I really like him as a person, but I don't think last night was one of his greatest performances. He is such a sweet guy and I really wish him the best, but though I think he may stick around for a few more weeks, I don't see him making it past the top four.

Megan - Wow, her performance was awful in my opinion...she has such a unique voice, but her song choice was terrible and she just did not do it well!! I would not be surprised at all to see her in the bottom three tonight!

Anoop - I thought Anoop did good...nothing to rave about, but he didn't do badly either. I am just not really on board the Anoop train - there is something about him that just rubs me the wrong way. Is it just me, or does he seem cocky at times?

Michael - Not a good night for Michael in my opinion. I really wasn't impressed with his performance at all and I would not be surprised to see him in the bottom three tonight.

Lil - Also a very disappointing performance. This should have been her week to shine, but as great of a singer as she is, she did not pick a great song nor did she sing it very well. Sadly, I think she may be in trouble. This is two weeks in a row now where I have not been super impressed by Lil which is a shame because I really liked her in the beginning.

Adam - What to say...well, I am not a big Adam fan because he is just weird, but WOW, that boy can really sing...he is AMAZING!! I much prefered this look (no nail-polish, dark eye-liner, etc), but I'm sure he will revert to his old look next week.

Danny - I love Danny!! I don't think this was his best week, but I still think he did well :) I think he will be in the competition for quite awhile!! I am definitely a Danny fan (and Matt and Kris fan!).

Allison - She was incredible...that 16-yr old has an incredible voice!! She did MUCH better this week than last week...what a way to end the show!! She should definitely be safe this week!!

So, my guess for the Bottom three would be Megan, Michael, and Lil...I think Lil will be safe, but it will be a tough pick between Megan and Michael...in my opinion :)

Anyways, American Idol aside...the basement is almost finished!! Well, it's almost there. The carpet is being installed as I type...they have almost got that in. The painting is all done (except for the trim) and it finally looks "finished" - I am very happy! I will try to post pictures soon.

Cole is really getting around now...he will walk around holding onto things - he is still a little wobbly, but goodness, he's only 9 1/2 months!!! He has climbed the stairs TWICE today...I was so shocked. I left the room for like 5 seconds and came back - he was on the 3rd step! He's too young to climb stairs! Time to get another gate up!!

Landon is being such a goof as always - I really need to type out my stories on here, but right now I don't have much time...it's crunch time. Still lots to do before everyone comes tomorrow...LOTS of cleaning...UGH!!!

Well, that's it for now!

Good-bye Alexis

To my fellow American Idol fans...last night was the end of the road for Alexis. I saw that one coming. Is it just me or did she really look/act like she could have cared less and like she really wasn't into the competition to begin with? I really think she could have done better, but it's a little too late now. I am VERY glad that the judges did no use their save on her...I have a feeling they will need to hold onto it later on.

Well, with that behind us, I have to share a link to my other blog that I use for Nana and Pops - I will occasionally post videos on there for them since they don't see their grandboys often (they live in MA). I posted a video on their yesterday of Cole and instead of loading it on this blog, I thought I would just give the link and you can watch it if you'd like. I found it quite humorous - but that's because I was so frustrated that day that I was either going to laugh or cry...and I laughed :) Read the description first before watching it (before you assume I am a terrible mother). Click here for the link.

Jason and my dad are making great progress on the basement - most of the electrical is finished, so it's about time to start drywalling. They are hoping to knock out quite a bit this weekend - I'm praying that they get lots done, especially since everyone is coming next weekend to visit and they will need a place to stay!!! It's going to look great - they've done a great job!! Here are a few updated pictures of what they've gotten done.


Well, I've gotta run...mommy duties call!!! I will be back hopefully soon - I have several funny Landon stories to tell!!

American Idol Review

So, to all of my fellow American Idol fans...once again - another great night, well, for most anyway! I'm not a huge country fan, so I was a little worried about last night - I didn't know like any of the songs. But here is how I thought everyone did (hopefully I get the right order and don't miss anyone):

Michael - He did average...he's not someone who is really standing out to me in the competition and I don't think he'll make it very far. I was a little surprised to see him make it into the Final 13.

Allison - I thought she did OK, I honestly don't remember what she sang. She definitely has a great, powerful voice! She's very young and I know that even if she doesn't make it very far in this competition, she'll go somewhere!

Kris - I really like him and I thought he had a great song choice last night!! He has a great voice and I really like him as a person! I hate to say though that I don't really see a WOW factor in him...but maybe it will come through soon! He seems like such a sweet guy!

Lil - I've liked Lil in the past, but I thought last night did not do her any favors. She can really sing, but that was a terrible song choice for her!! I was not impressed at all and think she might be in trouble this week.

Adam - CREEPY!! His song, his appearance, everything about him creeped me out. I really think he has a great voice and can sing, but even though I know I shouldn't judge, there is just something about him that makes me so uncomfortable!! Needless to say, I thought he did terrible last night - the entire thing was just WEIRD! I agree with everything Simon said about him!

Scott - What a sweetheart...that boy is genuine and really sings from the heart. I thought he did great! Is he the best singer? No, but like I said earlier, he really sings from the heart and he's the real deal - such a sweet guy. I can't imagine how much "extra" work he puts in each week and still comes out with a smile on his face and reaches everyone's hearts through his songs!

Alexis - Ever since Hollywood, she has been very unimpressive in my opinion. I think she is a decent singer, but she doesn't really seem to be into it and she has NOT been doing well. I think she might also be in trouble this week.

Danny - LOVE HIM, LOVE HIM, LOVE HIM!! I think they should end the season now and make him the next American Idol. If you can't tell, I am a huge Danny fan! He may not have started the verses out great, but he really nailed that Carrie Underwood song. I really like Danny a lot and I think he will definitely make it to the Final Two, if not win it all!

Anoop - Anoop, Anoop, Anoop (what a cool name). Well, I'm not sure what to say. He did great last night and I really did like him in the beginning of the season, but he seems to be getting really cocky which is a huge turn-off for me. I don't know...I'm just not sure what to think of him, but he did do well last night.

Megan - {{chuckle}} I have to laugh because she has got the weirdest "dance" - she does the same thing EVERY week and it's getting really awkward and old!! What a trooper though for coming out and singing as well as she did while battling influenza!! I thought she sang well. I like Megan because she has a very unique voice, but I could REALLY do without the ginormous tattoo and he weird dancing!

Matt - He is definitely becoming one of my other favorites...I thought he nailed it last night - I really enjoyed his performance!! I loved him at the piano and I thought he did such a great job!! I think he will make it pretty far in this competition...he just brought Danny and Adam some competition (I still don't agree with how great everyone thinks Adam is, but whatever).

So those are my thoughts in a nutshell...I think they need to put me on the judge's panel - right next to hottie Simon :) I really don't care for the new judge AT ALL!! She really irks me and just rubs me the wrong way!!

Well, I've gotta run - it's been a VERY long day so far and it's only 1:00!! I have a very fussy 9-month old who has refused to take a nap for over a week now, unless it's in bed next to me, which I do not encourage whatsoever. I've only allowed it twice just to keep my sanity, but he really needs to learn to nap in his crib. Right now he is up there crying - HOPEFULLY he will fall asleep soon :)

Rough week!

So, I hate to complain and sound so ungrateful, but this has been quite a rough week!! Cole has decided that he does not want to nap...today has been Day 5 of 15-minute naps...and some of those days I was lucky if he even took a 15-minute nap! It has been pretty frustrating, especially since he was taking two naps a day - about 1.5-2 hours each!! He is sleeping through the night, like he always has, so I am thankful for that. However, I feel like I get hardly anything done during the day and I don't get to spend as much time with Landon. I finally caved in and just started putting him in his crib during his usual naptime. Most of the time he cries/whines and not once did he ever fall asleep on his own. I have a very strong-willed child!! He cried/whined for almost an hour once. And yes, I did check on him to make sure he was OK - he was fine...fed, diapered, and had toys to play with. I feel like a mean mommy sometimes, but I don't want to lose my sanity and this child needs to learn that he can't always control me. So, thank goodness the weekend is here and Jason will be able to help!! I am very burned out and tired after this long week!!

Last night, my family came over again to help with the basement...YAY!! It is coming along and I am so excited! The entire basement is pretty much framed except for one small wall underneath the stairs. I will try to get some pictures of the progress they are making.

On a side note, I want to give a shout-out to Ginny...THANK YOU!!! She helped me clean up the look of my blog...she's quite the blogging genius :) I would love to do so much more with it, but I don't have much time to play around with it and she was able to fix my picture and help me figure out how to fix the background on my posts!!

Well, I've gotta run - Landon is begging for some attention!!

It's been awhile...

I know it's been quite awhile - these past few weeks have been C-R-A-Z-Y!!!! Both of the boys were really, really sick. Landon started out first with a really deep chest cough - no other symptoms. It ended up getting so bad that he was throwing up after every cough. So I took him in and they said he had a really bad respiratory infection. Well, then he had a high fever for the next 3 days (103.4) that we couldn't get to come down. So on Sunday, his pediatrician put him on an antibiotic right away since he had really worsened!! It seemed to do the trick and he's finally back to himself (about 2 weeks later). And then Cole got the exact same thing...about 2 days after Landon started with it - so they both had it at about the same time. Cole was at the doctor's twice and his fever spiked to 104.8 (very scary). The poor thing was so lethargic - it was so hard to watch. He had the same thing, but he also had a double ear infection and to complicate things, his two top front teeth popped through!! So it was a really rough couple of weeks. We got hardly any sleep and it was just really, really stressful!! Thank goodness it's behind us!! Here are two pics of my sick little guys...I felt so bad for them - just looking at these pictures makes me want to cry!




We are now in the process of finishing our basement!! We planned to finish it shortly after moving in, but Jason's family is coming at the end of the month, so there's been a big push to get it finished quickly!! I'm not sure we will have it all finished, but hopefully enough done for them to stay down there! Jason, my dad, and my brothers and brother-in-law have been working really hard!!! I will post pictures on the progress. This is what it looked like before they started (well, plus a few studs - I forgot to take pictures before they went up). I am REALLY looking forward to it being done! There is going to be a playroom down there which I am so excited about! Right now I have toys scattered all over my kitchen, family room, and living room! I can't wait for most of them to be downstairs! The basement isn't huge, but it will be nice to have some extra living space :) Here are a few pics:


Well, I have lots to get done this morning, especially with Awana tonight, so I better run!! I will try to write again soon :)