Big BOY Bed (and room)

showing love for his new sheets

playing "peak a boo" with dad

the finished product (notice sock monkey has a diaper?, E said he had to poop so we put a diaper on him)

showing off his new room
still working on this wall, need some ledges. E playing with his tool chest

We did it, E has transitioned to his new bedroom and big boy bed. We took our guest room and converted it to E's new room, leaving the nursery as is for Malachi. E has been so excited about all the sports stuff going into his room, I took him shopping and showed him stuff as I got it. It's been fun for me, because I love moving things around and design.

He has slept in there 2 nights and done great. The first night we played in his room for about an hour before bedtime. Then he wanted to read in his bed, so Mark and I crawled in and we all read "Goodnight Moon" (one of his favorites). Then i began to pray, E interrupted me and said his first prayer!! It was awesome, no repeating, no mimicking, just straight from his heart... "Dear God, thank you again, amen." He gave us each a kiss and then rolled over and went to sleep. He slept through the night and in the morning before Mark went to work we heard him stirring. So we went in to congratulate him on his big night and he greeted us with an enthusiastic "Look, big boy bed!" It was great, he was so proud of himself and we were proud of him for staying in his bed even after he woke.

Happy Birthday E !!!

he's picking the Doritos off every one's plate

learning to rise his new "bike" with Nani (he didn't put down that hammer for 3 days)

opening his presents, Noah is showing him what he needs to be excited about.

a little icing, some Doritos powder and of course a lollipop

blowing out his candle.

swinging away at that pinata!

all smiles with Nani and Papi

So our little boy is now 2. I have to admit that the time has flown by. Mark and I were reminiscing over the last 2 years and it has been a true joy to have E as our son. I can't imagine our family and life without him. granted there are moments that i have wanted to trade him in for a different model, but those moments of weakness and frustration have been few and far between. I love just the way he his, crazy, wild man and all.

We had a party here after church for his birthday over the weekend since Nani, Papi and Andrew were here for the FL/GA game. Some of E's friends came over and the boys ran around the backyard, kicking balls, playing with bubbles and wrestling. We had a pinata and they all took quite a few whacks at it, finally mark had to break it apart and candy, army men, and balls came flying out as the kids dove in for some goodies. E loved having so many people over and so many of his friends at "his" house. There were 6 little boys age 2-4 here just having a ball and 2 girls who hung close together as to not get trampled by the herd.

We had pizza and cake, but all E wanted to eat were the Doritos and lollipops that fell from his pinata, so that's what he ate. His face and hands were stained orange and every time I looked at him he had a lollipop in his hand and one in this mouth. He also loves party hats (I don't know why) but he asked for one for days leading up to the party. So we got some the night before and they were a huge hit. He wore it all day and even for breakfast the next morning. He got tons of gifts and now thinks that any bag with tissue paper in it is a gift for him.

Halloween

posing in his costume, but where did that whistle go?

riding the carousel

waiting to get into the zoo

making sure the streets are safe

blowing his whistle.

Ezekiel was a lifeguard, an ocean lifeguard to be exact and yes there is a difference between a pool guard and an ocean guard, just ask Mark. We have t's and sweatsuits from Mark's D.S.B.P. days (Delaware State Beach Patrol) so I took his logo and recreated it on photo shop, then made iron on's for E's very own lifeguard shirt. Pair that with a whistle, hat, flops and board shorts and boom you've got a little lifeguard who loves to blow his whistle.

We took him to the zoo for Spooktakular a family friendly Halloween event. We met the Burke's there and E and McKenna got the hang out see animals, get candy and ride the carousel together. The hit of the night was the giraffe overlook. E went crazy pointing passionately saying"giraffe, giraffe" and then "bye, bye giraffe". It was pretty cool. Spooktacular is a nighttime event so they had thousands of carved lit pumpkins lining the path and candy stations all along the way.

He also got to dress up and go to a party at the Y and visit daddy at work and get some goodies from Cindy the front desk coordinator. He still loves wearing his lifeguard shirt and tells us that it is just like daddy's. So cute!!

Change on the Horizon

helping daddy hold that drill steady

jumping on the mattress watching Monday Night Football (with no pants on)

a natural foreman!

It's been a while since my last post. Sorry bout that for those of you that look frequently. I promise to get better. We've been battling a long case of the common cold around here. First me (with no meds being pregnant takes a few extra weeks to get rid of the congestion and cough), then E got it, then I got it again!! Some how Mark stayed clear of it all which is great, because with his job he can't go to work with even the sniffles right now as everyone is on red alert with the swine flu.

But more exciting than any of that, E is about to turn 2!! And with Malachi on the horizon he's getting a new bedroom with a big boy bed and sports stuff everywhere. He and Mark were working on putting his new headboard on tonight and it was so cute!! E was all about the drill and any tool dad was using. They were being men and E loved it (I think dad was having a pretty good time too with his own cheering section rooting him on!). Enjoy the video and pics.

Catching up

E and the girls - lizzy, lexi and caroline

Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk

Walking up to the "Cape" - dad's old stomping grounds from his beach patrol days

E and I at Hershey Chocolate World

MMM!!, Grottos pizza, a Delaware tradition

Riding the tea cups - he loved it!!! Little adventure man

Playing at Cape with Grandpa

ICE CREAMIN!!!!!

Playground fun in N.C.

"tricking" Preston into playing with him.

feeding the deer, or force feeding the deer

learning to feed animals at the petting zoo of the Tweetsie Railroad in Boone, N.C. with Nani

It's been a long time since my last post. We've been keeping ourselves pretty busy a little traveling, some new adventures in Jax, Mark's classes started and just everyday craziness. I thought I'd throw up some pictures to show what we've been up to.

On the road again . . .

Getting ready for the softball tourney

Dancing in a mud puddle with Kennedy

my little Superman

Ezekiel and Meagan (she shared her goldfish, automatic BFF)


playing hide and seek with k

E and I went to Clewiston for the weekend. I went back to play in an alumni softball tournament from my high school. It was so much fun (hot, humid fun). My girlfriends from high school were all there, the old crew back together again. Ada and Amber have little girls a few weeks older than E. The kids played so well together. Kennedy and E shared a splashy mud bath around a light pole (it rained and rained hard). Meagan and E hung out on day two and Meagan shared her goldfish and helped me edit my photos. It was so fun to see everyone and meet their kids.

We spent lots of time with Nani, Papi, and uncle Andrew. E was obsessed with Preston (mom's dog). Preston was a good sport, E is not very gentle with him and Preston never reacted. he deserves a day at the doggie day spa. All is all it was a great trip, we were ready to get home and see Daddy. When we pulled up in front of the house Mark was outside and e started streaming (screeching) "Daddy, Daddy!" It was so cute I got a little teary eyed. Well, off to Delaware for good times with the Baughmans!!!

Fun at the Park

on the move, "escaping from Ashley"

learning to jump on the rubber bridge

the slide, E's favorite!!!

on an adventure

playing some bells with Syd and Zach

We went to the park today with the Abels. Sunshine Park at the beach is a favorite among every kid I know. The layout is great and the park is rather large with an open field behind and a turtle pond. Plenty to keep the kiddos busy. Ezekiel pretty much follows Ashley anywhere and she is so patient to play with him and explore the park. Syd is a great playmate too, she's always looking out for E and trying to show him something new. Zach has the energy to keep up with E, so when the girls are pooped, Zach swoops in and entertains. We played for a while, but it was hot. So Kel and I made an executive decision to take the kids to Chic-fil-A (or "the Mooooo" as Ezekiel calls it). Every good play day ends at Chic-fil-A!!!!!