3rd Birthday Party

We celebrated Junior's birthday the Saturday after his actual birthday. Then on Sunday we went to the H family's house to celebrate Junior's and a few others' birthdays. At our house we rented a bounce house for Junior and of course I made the BLUE cake that he had been talking about for the past few weeks. That's all he wanted for his birthday when you asked him. Below are the pictures from that weekend.

3rd Birthday

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY, JUNIOR

3 year old stats:
42 inches tall
34 lbs.

Well, not only was it a busy day, it was Junior's birthday today. We tried to make it as special of a day as we could and still leave some excitement for his party this weekend. I bought a "Happy Birthday" balloon to surprise him with when I picked him up from school and he was thrilled to say the least...until we got to the car and he realized it was not the balloon we had previously talked about him getting on his birthday. He said, "wait a minute...cars balloon!" He was referring to the Lightning McQueen balloon we had seen in the store last week when getting Nana's birthday balloon. I had told him we could get that one for his birthday. But when I was at the store today I decided against it because it did not have "Happy Birthday" on it. I had no idea he would remember and be disappointed! So I had to promise him that we might get it for his party.

Then when we arrived home from school he quickly ran inside yelling, "Make birthday cake!" repeatedly. We had been talking incessantly about his birthday cake and that it would be "blue" because if you asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he replied, "blue cake". He did not realize that we would not be making it today on his actual birthday but instead on Saturday for his party. He was not happy with that answer. He already had the mixing bowl and spoon out on the counter ready to help me bake it. I quickly called Daddy to pick up a store bought cake on the way home to appease him. I had already bummed him out with the balloon, I couldn't stand him going through any more disappointment on his birthday. Daddy was able to find a small baseball cake which worked out perfectly.

Tonight we had Juniors favorite dinner, spaghetti, then had cake and ice cream and then finished the night off with a few little presents. I would say it was a wonderful, but EXHAUSTING day! (We only took video of the cake and birthday song, but got still pictures of the present opening.)

Before Daddy got home Junior was throwing this present around the house telling me, "This one a ball." I guess I should have wrapped it differently.

We played this once before bedtime and Junior won! Fair and square!

We LOVE you, Junior! Happy Birthday little man!

1st Day of School

Junior attended his first day of preschool today and it seemed to go fairly well. He gets to go 2 days a week this year as opposed to the one day a week he went last year when he was 2 years old. At home he was ready to go to school, getting his lunch box, back pack and camera out (I told him I had to take pictures of him before we left). Then it was a different story when we walked in the door to the school. He still cried (like last year) as I left him, but only for a minute. He was easily distracted by the teacher playing with blocks and dinosaurs with him. He caught a glance of me watching from outside his door a few minutes later and just smiled and held up a dinosaur for me to see. He then continued to play and I left to later return and pick him up. Of all ten of the kids in the class, 9 of them are the same kids that were in the last class together (one boy decided not to come back this year). So I am sure that made it much easier for him to adapt to his new classroom and teacher. It sure is nice to see familiar parents and kids once again for me also. I was told by many of the teachers there that this rarely happens that the whole class remains together.

Junior's day actually started even before we left for school. He attended his first day of speech therapy at the local elementary school at 8am. He will go twice a week for 30 minutes from 8-8:30am and then head off to school at 9am. He will have busy days...but that means he will take excellent naps when I get him home at 2pm. He loved his first session this morning talking about the "ribbit" he made out of play-doh. He willingly left, with a smile on his face, with the speech therapist. So this made me assume he would easily separate from me when we went to school later...oh well, not so much!

Junior's signature pose

Picking him up at the end of the day

She's growing up

I emailed this picture to Daddy and told him I had a BIG project for him when he got home.

This is how I found Gaga while trying to fall asleep for one of her naps today. Looks like we are going to be moving the mattress down!

Daddy and Gaga

It doesn't get any better than this...

First Trip to the Dentist

Junior had his first dentist appointment last Wednesday (26th) and I thought it went surprisingly well! He let the hygienist do everything and anything she needed to do. He went through each step without hesitation. First he climbed into the chair, then got the bib put on, then brushed the dino's teeth, then she looked at and counted all of his teeth (he has 20), then was introduced to Mr. Thirsty (spit sucker), and then received a good cleaning. The hygienist did not want to take xrays just yet because he was doing so well and she did not want to push her luck. She wanted to make sure this was a pleasant first experience for him; which it was! His favorite part was getting to pick out TWO toys from the treasure chest and of course his NEW toothbrush. On the way out he tried to finagle my goody bag into his...I don't think so! I was so proud of him!

Watching her like a hawk

"I've got this down pat, I'll watch cartoons now!"

We are ready for football season!!!

Get your guns up!!!
(This was NOT posed...I came across it when going through all the ones I took...TRUE Tech fan!)

GO TECH!!!

A few pics

Bath time fun

Gaga, not too sure about her new hair style

How we spend our days around here...it's baseball, baseball, baseball 24/7
Look at that form!

And there's the pitch

Sweet Gaga

This is the space between our couch and end table that Gaga likes to try and cut through to get to me in the kitchen. However, she manages to make it halfway and then gets stuck and cries for help.

We celebrated our birthdays this past Sunday at my parents house...we all have August birthdays (my dad, my mom and me)

8 Months Old

Gaga can't believe she's 8 months old either!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Well, another birthday came and went and Daddy made sure I enjoyed every minute of it! I was able to get a pedicure that morning, then off to lunch, mass, a movie and appetizers and drinks with Daddy thanks to Mimi and Grandad that watched the little ones for us. In between lunch and the movie my long-time friend was in town and came by to visit and introduce us to her sweet baby boy. Thanks for stopping by! We loved seeing you two! I could not have asked for a better day!

My friend and her sweet baby boy

Is he not the cutest, most squeezable baby?

Us swapping babies and Junior sneaking in the bottom

Us with our own baby

My birthday cake and song...they were quite the chorus! Oh and check out the cake Daddy made! It was delicious!

Making my wish