Happy Halloween aka "Trick-or-Treat Training"

Daddy took Bear trick-or-treating tonight, while Buddy and Mommy stayed home and greeted the trick-or-treaters. They were gone an hour and a half. Daddy says he kept asking Bear if she wanted to go home, but she was not ready until the very end. If Mommy had known the first-timer would last that long, she would have been more generous while passing out candy.

Can't wait!

Daddy needs a costume next year.
He wasn't keen on mommy's suggestion to go around the 'hood in his new suit.

(I was so bummed when I realized I had the camera on the wrong setting when I took these first few..)

(Pay no attention to the bib, he really wanted his bottle)

After the bottle (which he ate in between several trick-or-treaters).

hannah's goody bag "after"

Okay, seriously... an hour and a half trick or treating for a 3 year old?
Looks like it was for Daddy, doesn't it?

Being cute is hard work, too.

Well Child Check-ups

Bear's 3-year stats:
33 lbs.
38 inches tall

Buddy's 2 month stats:
11 lbs.
22 inches long
39 cm head

Hannah actually seemed to enjoy today's doctor visit. She got to wear a gown with looney toons characters on it, and everyone told her how cute she was. J was able to take off work and go with us, which made everything sooo much easier.

Both kiddos are healthy and happy!

play time!

yesterday our 2 month old held onto his rattle and brought it to his mouth.

kicking away on his personalized blanket from mommy's friend Heather...
hey, these colors match mommy's alma mater!

Bear likes piling toys next to her Buddy

and patting him on the head....

... and tackling him with hugs!

1 girl and 3 cakes

three years ago tonight...

I was packing my hospital bag, anxiously awaiting our daughter's birthday. I was 39 weeks pregnant, and rather than risk the possibility that J would already be gone for training for his new job, we had decided to schedule an induction. I had no idea what to expect from labor; the prospect scared me, and the epidural was a given. I wondered if the ultrasound was wrong and we were having a boy. It wasn't. good thing, too, because we had received a lot of cute girl clothes.

After 6 years of marriage, we were about to embark on the journey of parenthood.
I've always heard that you can't ever be fully prepared to be parents, and I believe that's true. While lately I have been far to aware of the challenges of disciplining a temperamental toddler, I have to remind myself of the joys she brings to our life. And she often reminds me by taking a break from one of her episodes to be the sweet girl we know.

Our daughter is affectionate, fun-loving, and imaginative. She's the most beautiful little girl on this earth. She likes Backyardigans, her baby dolls, playing with chalk, rolling down the hill, picking flowers (and shredding the mums), watching SuperWhy, dancing around, cuddling, storytime.... she narrates everything she sees, and expresses herself very clearly for a 3 year old.

Now, she's a big sister. She is quick to exclaim that her little brother's crying hurts her ears, but she is also quick to comfort him. Unless she is otherwise occupied; then she tells him why she can't come help him. For example. "Brandon, I can't come help you right now, I'm going potty."
Sharing our attention is not easy for her, but she is doing well adjusting over all. She does want a little extra time alone with Mommy or Daddy whenever she can get it, and often asks us to "lay down a second" after we tuck her in at night. (Of course, it's longer than a second.)

Happy 3rd birthday, Hannah-Bear!!!! We love you so much!

Brandon's first time in nursery

Yep... not quite 8 weeks, and we put him in nursery today! When we were at church 2 weeks ago, I had a hard time focusing and ended up feeding him and not hearing the message. While I waited for Joel in the hallway, I toyed with the idea of putting him in the baby nursery. I didn't think he would need a bottle today, but he had been fussy earlier and I just did not know how I would do with him away from me so soon. Yet I really wanted to listen to the pastor's sermon, and even in the nursing mom's room, I always had a hard time focusing with Bear. (Though I did enjoy chatting with other Moms in there!)

Well, I peeked in and they did not look too crowded yet. I know the nursery workers and trust them, but infants can be easy or needy, and it's usually one extreme or the other. A lady who I have worked with in nursery before passed by and said that if I was putting him in, she would go in and be an extra hand. So that settled it. We signed him in and went on to the worship service.. without the baby. It was a lot harder than I expected it to be with child #2, but no tears were shed.

It turns out that today was also fire drill day, so Brandon was able to go for a walk outside! Well, in someone's arms, of course.

looking on the bright side

Our household has been under the weather for almost a week. It finally feels like Autumn here, and our big girl wanted to play in the rain.

7 weeks

comparison

Bear @ 6 weeks 12/6/05

Buddy @6 weeks 10/7/08

6 weeks already?

6 weeks ago this morning, I finally went into labor at 40 weeks 5 days. Time is passing too quickly, as Brandon is waking up. Everyone comments on how alert he is during his wakeful periods.
Today, he activated the music and lights on his play mat by reaching for his toys. I'm not sure if he realizes the connection yet, or is just beginning to reach toward objects, but I still think it's pretty cool. Hannah loves to help, whether it's by bringing us his paci (and stuffing it in his mouth), a diaper for a change, or even wiping. As I was changing his diaper this morning, Hannah pointed to his boy "parts" and asked, "what's that?" I was wondering when she would ask. She is also still amazed that his umbilical cord fell off and left his belly button in place.

He's a pretty good sleeper... 2 4-hour stretches between feedings last night, and in the past week he has slept for 6 hours 3 times. During the day he is not as fond of sleeping, and prefers to be held. But I'll take sleep at night any day and cherish the cuddle times during the day... they will pass far too quickly! He also tends to spit up a lot, though after some feedings he doesn't very much, which leaves mommy confused. He smiles more every day, and the sounds of his "coos" change.

6 weeks- what are they looking at?

sometimes sissy comes on a bit too strong

playing "together"- Brandon 6 weeks, Hannah 35 1/2 months

a visit to the park

We had originally planned to go to the Country Ham Festival in Spring Hill today, but as the time to leave approached, we got really hungry. So we called my GranWendy and GranDad and asked if they wanted to meet for lunch first. Then we decided to go to one of their favorite parks/walking areas... Bowie Nature Park in Fairview.

Pancho's was yummy as always. Bear is really into trying to help people lately. Yesterday she helped me put groceries on the checkout conveyor. (That was also my 1st trip to the grocery store with just the 3 of us, no help from J.) Today she grew very angry that she could not help the waiters carry our finished plates away from the table. She finally settled for picking up her plate and giving it to the waiter.

Upon our arrival at the Nature Park, we stopped at the visitor center to use the restroom. Bear loved seeing the turtles and fish in the aquariums and snakes in their tanks. (She even kissed the glass...) Then we crossed the driveway to see the pretty mosaic-covered statues: a squirrel, a tree, and a giant tortoise. I suspect someone who's into geo-cache left a bobble head happy meal toy on the squirrel's head, and thought of my brother when I saw it there.

Next, we took our loaf of bread that I picked up at Aldi on the way and headed toward the duck pond. Talk about aggressive ducks and geese! They frightened Bear, and I don't blame her. She was a trooper, and continued feeding them from my arms. (Man, she is getting really heavy.) I was bit twice. Thankfully they don't have teeth. We shared our loaf with some other kids, and tried throwing the bits of bread as far away as we could, but there were probably 2 dozen ducks and geese, so distracting them was difficult.

After the duck feeding frenzy, we walked partially down one of the trails. We kept a couple of pine cones for a craft project (though keeping them might not be legal... shhhh).

Finally, we finished our visit to the park at the playground. GranDad and Daddy played with Bear while GranWendy and I sat with Buddy.

Buddy slept almost the whole time, except toward the very end, when he drank 2 oz of formula.

It was a beautiful, warm fall day- perfect. My Dad took all the pictures, maybe he'll e-mail some to me so I can share them with y'all.

5 weeks

meeting the older cousins/maddie's party

the batgirls

hannah and daddy couldn't keep her party hat on
em loved feeding her cousin!
jewelry party game!

new header

I'm keeping the blogger address the same but changing the header. We dubbed Hannah "Baby Bear" before she was born and before we knew her gender. The nickname stuck. Brandon's nickname has been harder to come by, but for now "Buddy" seems to be the lead, as noted in a previous post by big sister's observation that "Brandon's name is Buddy." Well, Daddy calls him "Big Shooter." (For all the sprays we had in our faces the first week home.) So this blog shall now be referred to as Bear & Buddy's Cave. Until further notice.

5 weeks

• we see an occasional smile (or is it gas?)
  
• brandon slept 7 hours last night, 6 the night before last. mommy & daddy hope this continues

Photo soon...

********************
from the big sister:

Hannah: "Your name is Lauren."
Mommy: "That's right. Your name is Hannah."
Hannah: "Brandon's name is buddy."