And Without Further Ado

We took family pictures a few weeks back.

Not. Half. Bad. :)

Now for the plug.  We can't say enough great things about Erica of Elevee Photography.  Not only is she awesome to work with, she takes amazing photos.  Seriously - check her out if you are in the market.  I mean look at the shot of that smile!!  Killer!

These Moments

Sometimes, the best moments happen when there is no plan.  When there are no entrance fees and no packed diaper bags and no melt downs from being over stimulated.

Sometimes all it takes is a rake and a pile of leaves to create a special moment.

These are the heartwarming moments that make being parents the best job in the entire world. :)

Nursery Updates

With a new little man entering the household in a few months, we thought it was time to take a good, long look at the nursery and figure out a way to make it his.  We don't plan to paint it a new color nor do we plan to replace any of the furniture.  I don't even think we will move any of the wall hangings! Thus creating the challenge.  How do we make some subtle changes to James' former room so that baby boy #2 feels like it is his.

We spent a lot of time transforming this former storage space into the kick-ass nursery that it currently is.

In looking around, we quickly realized the best way to transform this space is with the accessories. We are thinking a new color scheme for the textiles (curtain, crib skirt, changing table pad cover, etc.).  Some new photos in the picture frames (pregnancy announcement, revised baby belly, etc.). Some new books and stuffies (James has already claimed his favorites and moved them into his new room). That kind of stuff.  Here are some initial thoughts.

Changing Pad Cover

Curtain Fabric

Wall Art

Stuffies & Stuff

We are liking the silly monster look and digging a grey/green color scheme to replace the yellow and white.  A lot of this is just spit-balling - we haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet.  It is fun to have another room to play around with again!

August in a Nutshell

Since it is the last day of September, I thought it would be appropriate to update you on our August happenings.

Yup.

I'm that far behind.

The eighth month of this year was a crazy one filled with trips, visits and baseball.  I was harboring our baby secret from many which wasn't easy (darn morning sickness!).  We did our best to keep our busy toddler occupied and I think we were successful.

Nationals Game
We treated Grandpa Q. to some tickets to the Nationals vs Phillies game for Father's Day this year and we decided to join him at the game.  This was James' first baseball game and I think he had a great time.  His favorite part?  The ice cream, of course.  He truly is his father's son.

Play Dates & Playgrounds
We took advantage of the beautiful August weather by spending lots of time outside.  Many playgrounds were visited including one with daycare buddy, Rafa.  The boys (and the parents) had a blast at the playground and at lunch that followed.

Dutch Wonderland

When I was a kid, my parents took us to Lancaster, PA on vacation a lot and we always had a great time.  We decided it was James' turn to experience this rural, Amish-filled locale and what is a trip to Lancaster without a visit to Dutch Wonderland!  Ed scoped out a really cute hotel called the Fulton Steamboat Inn which was a big hit with the little man.  Not only is the hotel shaped like a true steamboat, there was a great playground to play in and a huge pond filled with hungry ducks offering hours of endless entertainment.

We began day one of our weekend away with breakfast at the Red Caboose Motel.  Now, this is a place that is near and dear to Ed's heart.  When he was a kid, he and his family stayed at this unique motel where you literally sleep in a train car.  We decided to skip the overnight and settled for a yummy breakfast in their cafe car.

After our delicious breakfast we headed to the main attraction - Dutch Wonderland!!!  This place is the perfect place to take an active toddler who needs to burn off lots and lots of energy.  We hit the ground running and went on every ride that James was eligible to go on.  He loved anything that had to do with cars, the spinning panda bears and the log flume which he was able to ride with Mommy and Daddy.  Towards the end of our visit, we hit the water park and he LOVED it!!!

One of my favorite parts of the day was replicating a photo with James that I took with my sister back  in 1980-something.

It seems that the pretzel has moved and has been slightly updated, but it was still a fun moment to share with my little man.  Our day ended with an authentic meal at an Amish-run restaurant.  The food was great, but I think they judged our allowing James to watch Mother Goose Club on the iPad during dinner. :(

Day two brought us a lot more fun with a visit to the Strasburg Railroad Train Station where we took a trip on an old fashioned train thought the Lancaster country-side.  This was James' first real train ride and he loved it.   

A Visit from the North

The last weekend of August brought us some guests - Grandma M., Aunt Adriana and Uncle John!  It was a rainy weekend but we managed to make the best of it.  Thank goodness for Chibis!!

So there you have it...August in a nutshell.  I'm hoping that I will be able to update you on September by this Thanksgiving. :)