Birthday Fun Begins...

Well, we're on the one week countdown until Mr. Cruz's second birthday and he received his very first birthday package in the mail today. He was so excited. He is a very slow present opener and loves to look at/play with each gift before moving on to the next one. Very different from his brother. :)

Thank you, GeeGee! He was thrilled about the Elmo goodies and I'm sure he'll have fun picking out a little something at Target. He also really enjoyed naming the colors of the smiley face stickers on the envelope.

The Carnival!!!!

It seems like its always carnival time around here. This year was the most fun yet because Cruz could go on a ton more rides! 

I love it when they sit in the double stroller, which is rare nowadays, and I can see how big they've gotten! Living near the big park always pays off when big events are taking place. Carnival goers are practically parked on our street anyway. 

We started off with the Fun Slide and Race Cars, both of which Cruz and Rowan loved. I didn't get any photos because I was on those rides too. :)

Cruz is our more fearful child and I really didn't think he would like the rides but he did. He even went on the swings by himself. This makes me look forward to Disney World even more.

Rowan and Roger are constantly squinting in photos. I think its the combo of the sun and their blue eyes.

Big boy! :)

Cruz will not do long tunnel slides by himself but he'll happily go if his brother will hold him in his lap.

There were tons of fun booths at the carnival. The boys got stickers from the Sheriff, tried on firefighters gear and sat in a fire truck. The smells from the fried carnival food smelled amazing too... we used self control and stayed away. :) 

Outings like this are a blast now that the boys are so big. I truly felt like I had two kids today... not toddlers or babies, just kids. I'm glad there's another one on the way otherwise my baby fever would have increased exponentially. :)

Coloring

We have a busy day ahead. Rowan needs new sneakers, I need some party goods for several different occasions, then we have swimming lessons, naps and Cooper is going to the vet. I hope to squeeze some park time in too on this beautiful day. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to running around so crazily this morning but I am thankful that the stores don't open until 9:30 so that we can enjoy a little quiet time before we leave.

The boys colored quietly, practiced colors, practiced writing letters and enjoyed getting to use markers. The morning sun warmed up our office and reflected beautifully off of the wood floors. I enjoyed a bagel and colored along with the boys.  Such a peaceful start to a busy day!

Cruz's Favorite Color

Cruz officially has a favorite color so I can stop buying him blue every time I buy something green for Rowan. I can now buy him his color. The craziness in this video is so typical these days especially when the boys are playing together. 

Funny story... Apples are my big pregnancy craving. I could literally eat about 10 a day.  I had a dream the other night that my friend Megan bought me an apple tree. That's true friendship. :) 

Busy Busy Weekend

We had another busy but super fun weekend that completely wiped me out! Grandpa and Deona are here to visit and we've been having a blast with them. They were able to come to Rowan's t-ball game on Saturday morning and then we hit up the zoo. Sunday, we ate lunch at Red Robin, hung out and played and went out for dinner... apparently we ate a lot! :) They are here until Wednesday so some more visiting and birthday fun for Cruz is in store.

The gang (minus me) at the zoo!

Rowan's favorite parts were riding the train, watching people feed the giraffes and climbing on the log fences. That boy sees everything as something to climb these days.

The boys were tired out from walking so they got the best view from on top of Daddy and Grandpa's shoulders.

The zoo we went to was really neat. The exhibits were all interactive, the animals were up much closer than at a typical zoo and best of all, there was a giant playground. Cruz loved playing in the tunnels. He was also much more into the animals than his brother was. On a side note, a little boy started hitting Cruz on the playground and I was so proud of Cruz for not hitting him back (even though he deserved it :) ). Hopefully the "we don't hit" concept is sinking in!

A Little Bit of News....

Its true... Baby Baum #3 is due to arrive around September 28, 2012.  I am 12 weeks along and *hopefully* out of the exhausted phase so I will probably be posting more regularly again. :) We are all so excited especially Rowan. Its going to be so fun to go through this with him being almost 4 since he can understand so much more. Be checking back for more baby details along the way!

Thoughts from Rowan...

Now that he's older Rowan remembers and talks about special times with Grammy and Grampy. Its also a little harder for him to say good-bye than it used to be. Here are some things that were Rowan's favorites while Grammy and Grampy were visiting.

-building a shelf with Grammy 

-learning how to chew gum 

-when Grammy gave me pennies for my gumball machine

-building a cardboard house with Grampy

-eating at the place with the Macaroni and brown bread (Outback)

-having Grampy push us fast in carts at that one store

-playing Sequence with Grampy

-getting big kisses and hugs from Grammy

In other, non grandparent related news, Rowan has learned to skid on bike and think its AWESOME. The boys needed to earn 112 quarters to fill their m&m tubes and they succeeded in earning 126. They proudly turned their tubes in to their Children's Ministry leader. 

The Birthday Begins

We had such a wonderful weekend with Grammy and Grampy and one of the definite high lights was getting to do an early second birthday celebration for sweet Cruzy.

Cruz insisted on a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party.

Cruz's birthday lunch was at Red Robin where he enjoyed a new favorite treat... chocolate milk.

Cruz enjoyed everyone singing to him

and he definitely enjoyed his birthday sundae.

Brotherly love!

After nap time we had some more birthday dessert!

Blowing out his birthday candles.

Enjoying his Mickey Mouse oreo.

Cruz started out opening his gifts on Grampy's lap

but after opening his new beach towel, he decided that would be a better spot to sit!

Cruz opened all of his gifts by himself!

I was so proud of Rowan too. He did such a great job being happy and excited for his brother. Grammy and Grampy rewarded him for a big brother job well done with a new beach towel of his own. :)

My *almost* 2 Year Old

First off, I can't believe that my BABY is almost two. Sigh. I adore his little profile. Cruz has the most adorable little cheeks. I love how his little chin pokes out from behind them. I love his thick dark eyelashes and I love the way his little eyes focus on the task at hand. This photo paints a picture of toddler sweetness and I need to focus on that because....

My easy going baby definitely did not turn into an easy going toddler. Cruz has an opinion about everything and he is starting to voice it... rather inappropriately. Tantrums and kicking are the current methods of choice. Deep breaths, time outs, and looking at sweet pictures like this one are reminding me that its just a phase. 

On the plus side, Cruz is quite the talker now, he loves his brother, loves the park and gives the sweetest snuggles and kisses. He's also very excited about his 2nd birthday. He can't wait to be "big like Rowy!"