Hey Sailor!

Kailey and Daddy were having a fantastic time playing with his new cover. What a cutie-pie! Too bad there wasn't sound because the giggles were priceless!

Good Plumbing!

Owen's been having some trouble with his, well, plumbing lately. We tried Prunes and within an hour, things were moving nicely. I know, this is probably way too much information, but the picture is priceless. We now have prunes on our food rotation, because as Nancy would say, "Good and good for you!"

Big Flirt?

So, Owen and Avari are only a month apart (yes, she's an older woman...you go, Owie!) and they really enjoy each other. We got them together when they were only a few months old and Avari enjoyed touching Owen's head in a sweet, affectionate way. Today, after a little reacquainting time, it was Owen who was the pursuer. We do have to teach him to be gentle, but right now, Avari seems to be able to hold her own!

Marathon Man!

This morning, Paul completed the Bayshore half marathon with some fellow Coasties from his office. Hard to believe, but it was his first marathon EVER and he's been preparing since February. This was the culmination of 27 pounds of weight loss and many hours on a treadmill (It's not too fun to run outside in TC during the winter!). The day was perfect for a good run along the lake and we all cheered him on as he crossed the finish line. We are so proud of his accomplishment; someday, I'd love to run it with him...ha!

Happy 32 to me!

I've been a little MIA lately because we've had a ton going on. The basement is FINALLY almost finished, so we've been moving furniture, redecorating, rearranging, etc. It's been a lot of work, but so worth it! The kids now have their own rooms and they are over the top girl/boy. (Here's hoping for Owen to sleep in his own room)!

Anyhow, last Friday I celebrated 32 glorious years. It was a relatively quiet birthday, but very nice. It started off with Smoothies at "Crema" with a group Coast Guard ladies. Each came loaded with gifts and chocolate cake from Potter's (Thanks, Krista!). It was such a nice surprise and so overwhelmingly thoughtful. It's hard to be away from family, especially on special days, but these CG spouses really go out of their way to make it an extended family.

Later we had big, juicy burgers from Culvers and topped it off with Butter Pecan ice cream. Yummy! Thanks to everyone for helping to make my day as special as it could be!

How you doin'?

Due to Owen's head issues, we watch his milestones very closely. Due to my anal retentiveness, I am ridiculous about it... Owen hadn't sat up on his own yet, so of course I have been very worried because it's a seven month milestone. Yes, he's sat up for about 2 seconds, then would topple over usually with a face plant, but nothing where he's actually balanced...until today! With my handy-dandy new camera, I was able to snap some good shots, including one where he looks like Joey from 'Friends' exclaiming, "How you doin'?" Oh, this one's a charmer, alright!

Hurray for Owie!!

A Pirate Says...errrrr!

Kailey is on a new pirate kick. Her favorite song is "A Pirate Says, Errr" by The Backyardigans. We found these old scarves while cleaning out dressers and tied them on her head. She was in Heaven and walked around the house saying, "Errrr, Errrr, Errrr." We then went to Target and taking off her pirate scarf was not an option, so she imitated the old peg legs while there too. It's strange what kids will like, I never thought Kailey would love pirates!

PS. How about these great shots with the new camera? Ha-cha-cha!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's still hard for me to believe that I get to be in 'the club' who celebrate Mother's Day. Originally, all I wanted for Mother's Day was to take an uninterrupted nap, however, we ended up having a wonderful time yesterday just playing and having fun as a family. Paul did so much to make my day as special as possible, including hooking my up with a new camera! This camera has only a 0.7 flash delay...and yes, I was finally able to take some perfect pictures of Kailey and Owen!

Celebrating Mother's Day allowed me to reflect on my role as a mother. It is such a different time in my life compared to where I was just a few years ago...everything is different! However, I wouldn't change a single thing about my life right now and I can truly say I have never been happier. I am thankful for so many things in my life, including the fabulous role models that I have had on Motherhood. Grenna, Bubbie, Nancy, many aunts and friends have guided me through this wild ride. But, the most inspiring will always be my own mom who has shown through love and sacrifice how to be the best mother that I can be. Where would I be without you, mom?

And finally, thank you Paul for being an amazing partner and sharing this journey with me. You have given me two beautiful children and a wonderful life (even though I complain too much about moving around, etc., etc., etc.). No matter where life takes us, I am blessed to share this life, this role of mother, with you!

Catching Air!

Just when I thought we should have sold the Jumper at the neighborhood garage sale, Owen discovered the joys of bouncing. He nows loves to use his tiny, little chicken legs to jump as fast as he can. Pure bliss with tons of fun for all!

Playing Around

We're in the hunt for a new camera that will capture quick smiles by a two year old. How frustrating it is that our digital just isn't fast enough to preserve our memories. Until then, most photos from Kailey will be something like this...

Owen is slowly moving past his screaming phase and is a sweet, little delight! Kailey amuses him to no end and I think the feelings are starting to become mutual. She loves to kiss her brother and tickle his toes. Ah, if only I could capture it on film!

A Little Girl and her Dad...

Nothing warms my heart more than seeing the love between Kailey and her Daddy. What a lucky little girl!

Bathing Cuties

I'm not sure if it was more fun searching for the bathing suits or puting them on Owen and Kailey. Both had a marvelous time in the pool, ocean and jacuzzi in their snazzy new suits. We won't be wearing them outside in TC anytime soon, but I may just have to put them on for giggles.

Jungle Larry's Carribean Gardens

Kailey's favorite game is to go through all of her animal noises with a "How about, Monkey"..."How about, Lion"...etc., etc. So, when given the chance to go to a zoo, we jumped on it. We prepped Kailey for a few days that we would be heading to the surprisingly decent Naples Zoo and by the time we entered, she was almost squealing with delight. All Kailey could talk about was the Lion. Unfortunately, she didn't realize that a lion is quite large and had some reservations about spending any quality time watching him. She would cover her eyes, turn her head, and proclaim loudly, "I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay," as if to convince herself that she could handle the Kind of the Jungle.

In the end, after seeing lions, tigers, panthers, zebras, hyenas, gazelles, alligators and many others, her favorites were the water, ducks and the airplanes flying overhead. By the way, Owen was completely underwhelmed by the whole thing and ended up sleeping through most of the zoo.