The Train Park

There's a really neat railroad park in Scottsdale that we visited today. They had tons of trains, playgrounds and even carousel and train rides! It only cost $1 for the carousel and $2 for the train for adults. Kids 3 and under were free! It was a fairly inexpensive park and Rowan had the best time.

Big Train!

The carousel. I was afraid to back up too far away from him to take this picture because he seemed rather unsturdy a top his horse. :-)

Rowan chose the green car of the train.

The little train.

Rowan on the slide.

Here's a little bonus video of Rowan & Roger golfing in the backyard tonight:

Quick Pic & Update

Baum Updates:

-Roger moved out of his cubicle and into a "real" office. Its pretty big and I think he loves having his own space.

-We found a new (used) car! Its a 7 passenger SUV so it should hold us all more comfortably! More to come after we actually get the car.

-Rowan continues to crack us up with his words and phrases. He loved the car shopping. At one dealership, the salesman had given him a sucker but when Rowan found out he couldn't sit in the cars with the sucker, he got rid of that thing pretty quickly. :-)

-Baby is very active. I have another one of my weekly doctor's appointments tomorrow. Progress is being made so maybe Baby will come early?!?

-In the past week, Cooper has eaten a jar of spaghetti sauce (he pulled the glass jar off the counter), a chocolate bunny (I accidentally left on a low shelf in the closet) and several fake plant leaves. Cooper has not been "naughty" like this in a while so I think he's feeling a bit neglected. :-)

That's all for now!

"Guffin" with Daddy

Rowan got a cool new golf set for Easter from his Grandma

He was eager to try out "guffin" with Daddy. Roger made sure he held the club correctly... Rowan even took a practice swing before each shot.

Watching his ball fly...

Headed off to retrieve his ball from the rocks!

20 Months

Rowan Christian: 20 months

-Weighs about 25.5 pounds

-Correctly identifies colors 99% of the time

-Loves working on his sticker book, coloring & painting

-Still obsessed with matchbox cars

-Identifies when someone feels happy or sad

-Wants to wear "bockers" (boxer briefs) over his diaper

-Enjoys playing with his friends, especially Joey & Brayden

-Is showing interest in his potty chair

-Seems to be getting sillier by the day

-His hair is lightening up from a few days in the sun and his eyes change color depending on the light and what he's wearing. Some days they're grey.... some days, bright blue!

-Asks to visit "daddy's office"

-Puts 3-4 words together

-Favorite phrases: "I do it" and "No Buggy, that's mine"

-Will be a big brother in 3 weeks, if not before.

A "Wheely" Fun Playdate

Our Mom's Group had a "wheely" fun time at the park today. All the kids brought their trikes, bikes or ride on Audi's (if you're Rowan). I didn't actually get any pictures of him riding his car but I can assure you, he had a fun time.

New Blankie

Rowan got a new blankie today... isn't it cool? The fabric on the front has his name on it, the fabric on the back is so soft. Baby C got one too. I almost took a picture of his, but then decided not to. ;-)

Rowan's Shirt from Roatan

Dear Aunt Amanda & Uncle Nathan,

Thank you for the awesome shirt. I like how Roatan sounds like my name. I also really like the turtles on the shirt and I pointed them out about 1,000 times today.

Love, Rowan

Park Time!

We were scheduled to go on a Fire Station tour with our Mom's Group this morning but unfortunately that was rescheduled so we went to the park instead. Rowan & Joey had a good time running around and enjoying the sunshine.

This picture made me laugh because Rowan & Joey were so interested in what these bigger kids were doing that they just squatted and watched for a while.

We Can't Wait...

...for Baby C to get here. We (I'm) officially ready for Baby to come. I know I'll miss the sleep and I'm sure I'll occasionally miss the "peace" of having only one child around the house but my discomfort is making those things seem trivial right now. :-)

The nursery is finished, the car seat is in the car, diaper bag is packed and Big Brother has passed his training with flying colors.

This is actually one of the things we are most excited about. Seeing our wonderful Rowan in a new role. I can't wait to see him hug, kiss and love his little brother. I'm excited to watch them develop a relationship. I can't wait to see Roger, Rowan, Cooper & Baby C together. My boys....

I am 35 weeks tomorrow. Only 2 more weeks until I am considered full term. I know that Baby will be here soon enough so I plan to enjoy this next month or so loving on my first baby boy. My bed sleeping, real food eating, silverware using, word speaking, helpful big baby boy.

A Small Bribe

Rowan, whatcha got?

A new car?

That's right.... After Rowan cooperated and posed for me, he got a brand spankin' new matchbox car. Best 97 cents I spent today!

Quick PIc

I am taking an online photography class and LOVING it so far. Anyway, for one of the assignments we needed to take a series of pictures of something using different settings SO I bribed Rowan with a popsicle and got what I needed. :-) Cooper was my model last week and was much more cooperative. I thought this was a cute shot of him. He got his hair cut yesterday and is currently obsessed with flip flops!

Rowan Knows....

...his colors!

Rowan is doing so well with his colors. He refused to name them for the camera so instead I asked him to find me a specific color and he did. He was very intrigued by the holes at the top of the papers, haha. What a big boy!

Quick Pic

Little Man is feeling better!

Baby C

In honor of having about 5 weeks to go before we meet our second little man, Roger & I decided to unveil the first letter of his first name and give you some time to consider what it might be. :-)

Rowan Somersaults

Rowan has been sick all week long. He started out being diagnosed with Croup on Tuesday and after still being feverish today, was also diagnosed with the flu. Poor baby has spent the majority of the past days snuggling in my lap and feeling lousy. Tonight, however, he felt well enough to do a few somersaults for the camera.

Just Because....

Big Bro in Training

Rowan got a Cabbage Patch Baby today. His name is Baby Doll.

Rowan enjoys giving Baby Doll lots of kisses and perhaps even biting his nose a time or two.

Rowan loves putting Baby Doll in the baby's swing, bouncy seat, etc. I'm hoping he doesn't get too upset when he realizes our REAL baby will use these over his doll.

Smiles, snuggles, and a flip or two completed Rowan's first day with Baby Doll. He talks to the doll in a high pitched voice a lot like adults talk to babies. Its pretty precious.

Rowan Knows...

Rowan is great at identifying the parts of his body. He knows head, hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, belly, feet, hands, and he can also identify his bottom. :-) Not all of these parts are pictured here because I forgot some when I was making the video. So here he is, fresh out of the bath and all jammied up. Enjoy!

We've Been Busy!

We've been busy lately!

I've been searching for fun, special, cheap things for Rowan and I to do together. Some of them are things we won't be able to do as much once the baby is born and some of them are great indoor activities that will be perfect to do in the heat of the summer with an infant and toddler.

We've been busy going to the Playfort, trying out different playgrounds, playing at Tot Town with an Anthem mom's group, doing sticker books, vrooming matchbox cars down the slide, practicing our colors, signing up for pre-school, talking about Baby Brother, drinking out of a straw, going on lunch dates, spotting hot air balloons and playing with friends.

We've been busy having SO much fun that even butting heads with a big three year old couldn't dampen our spirits. Check out the impressive bruise on Rowy's forehead! We will be busy these next weeks too going to the fire station and story time at the library so don't be surprised if you don't hear from us (just joking).... Ahhh, the wonderful, blessed life as a stay at home mom! :-)