visit with Grandma Pat & Great-Grandma Ioma

On Saturday evening, Sean and Carter got to have a short visit with Sean's mom & grandma! They were in Colorado on a "Mystery Trip" and had a short stop in Lakewood on their way from Estes Park to Colorado Springs. They weren't sure of the destination until the last minute, so had no idea they would be coming to Colorado...what a nice surprise! Unfortunately, I was working all weekend & didn't make it to dinner. I am so sad I missed it! Sean said they had a nice visit and also got to see his Great-Aunt Nona who used to work for my Great-Grandpa Beard in Fredonia back in the good old days. I would have loved to had the chance to talk with her...hopefully there will be another time for that.

The boys met them at White Fence Farm which is a fun, family-style restaurant. They have farm animals on the grounds and lots for kids to see & do. Sean said Carter loved the tractor! (I'm not surprised as one of his favorite books is his John Deere tractor book that Grandad gave him.)

Sean, Carter, Great-Grandma & Grandma Pat

Mother and son

Sean's mom sent me this very special figurine last week and it moved me so much, I wanted to post it here. I don't know if you can tell in the photo, but it is a pregnant mother holding her first born. I cried when I saw it because it depicts such a tender moment between mother and son. Not only that, but it made me think of how special our time alone with Carter has been. In a few short months, he will become a big brother, and that is all he will know for the rest of his life. He is such a sweet boy...words cannot describe how much love Sean & I feel for him. He is a true joy and delights us every day with his silly, eager & determined nature. We know he will be a wonderful big brother, but I want him to always know that he is special just the way he is!

Thank you, Mom B, for such an amazing gift. It will be something I always treasure as I watch our two boys grow and remember the special places they each hold in my heart. We love you!

baby's first outfit

Today, Carter and I met my friend Kristin for lunch. Kristin is a dear friend & one of the most thoughtful people I know. She brought the baby his FIRST gift...this cute outfit! It looks so tiny to me, I can't believe we are going to have a newborn baby again in a few months. Thanks, Kristin! You shouldn't have...but I love it!

I bought this onesie for the baby because I thought Sean would appreciate it:

It says: "my carbon footprint" on the front & is made of organic cotton. Every eco-friendly dad's dream! (Well, maybe that is a bit of an overstatement.) Did I mention I got it on sale?

bye-bye

We took Mimi to the airport on Sunday afternoon. We were all sad to see her go...especially Carter! Mimi takes such good care of us!


Thanks, mom, for all of your help with Carter so that I could sleep/work and Sean could tackle his "honey-do" list. We miss you!!!

at long last...

Since my mom was here for two weekends, she was kind enough to watch Carter for us so Sean could finish up some things in the basement. He was able to finally put up the banister for the stairs and frame out the windows. Everything looks great! It is amazing how much nicer things look now that the finishing touches are in place. I am so lucky to have a handy husband who does such quality work. Thanks, honey!

New clubhouse

This afternoon, Grampy drove Carter and me to pick up a new outdoor clubhouse! Well, it's new to us...I found it on Craig's List and everything worked out great for us to use Grampy's truck to go pick it up. Actually, it has taken me months to find one on CL, be the first to inquire about it (they are a popular item & seem to sell FAST), and have a means to pick it up. Plus, this one had always been kept inside & is in mint condition. It was Carter's lucky day! And baby brother will be able to enjoy this one day, too!

Carter was ready to go even before it was assembled.

Just after we unloaded it off the truck...

The finished product!

The left side is the "clubhouse" with a table & chairs, clock, phone & chalkboard.

There's a cool tunnel to crawl through...

And a slide off the clubhouse.

Thanks, Grampy, for helping us bring my new toy home! We couldn't have done it without you!

Double Birthday Celebration!

On Monday night, we had a big birthday celebration for Mimi & Kelsie Rae. Their birthdays are a week apart, so we had a big blow out! Sean grilled steak & chicken and we had a great meal topped off by yummy cupcakes (no, I didn't bake them!). It was fun and the rain didn't start until after dinner, so we lucked-out.

Mom & me modeling our new age-specific lotions...
Mom's: Menopause & Beyond

Mine: Pregnancy & Motherhood

What will they think of next?!

The Birthday Girls!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear...

The whole gang!

Just the girls...Mom, Debbie, Tina (Kelsie's friend), Kelsie, Amy (she's like one of the family) and me.

Just the guys.

Carter, Sean & Grampy

Kels, Amy & Mar

Cousins

Taylor & Carter

Kelsie & Amy

playing in the fountains

This afternoon was HOT...so Carter and mommy headed to Northfield Stapleton to play in the fountains. He loved it!

I tried to get a shot of him "drinking" the water, but this was about as close as I could get. He was having so much fun splashing and chasing the other kids there.

I had to shut off the video because Carter took off running for the street. Little did I know that he was actually running towards the outdoor speakers. He thinks they are "drums". Can't imagine what it's going to be like chasing after TWO boys! This mommy needs running shoes & an extra set of eyes to keep up!

Fun in the sun

Carter & I caught some rays this afternoon at the Beilman pool. Mostly, Carter splashes and I cool off by putting my feet in the water. It's pretty awesome...now if I could only get the dog trained to bring us fruity drinks!

The video is a little long...

It's a...

BOY!

We had our 20-week ultrasound this afternoon and found out we are having another boy! Carter is going to have a little brother and we couldn't be more excited. I'll admit that I was pretty surprised when they finally told us it was a boy (we had two docs and a new sonographer in the room...both the docs knew, but they were waiting for the sonographer to announce it & she wasn't as sure as they were. It seemed like forever before she finally said "boy"). Anyway, this whole pregnancy has felt different, so I was sure we were having a girl, but I am so happy to have another little boy. We love Carter so much & I think it is so much fun having a boy! Two boys are better than one, right?! Hopefully our two boys will grow up being best friends. Bring on the cars, trucks & trains!

Now that I know we already have everything we need for this little guy, I am going to get busy trying to find a double stroller...that's pretty much all we need! I've got to have an excuse to shop for something!

Oh, and by the way, everything checked out great with the baby. He is measuring right on-target and is developing just as he should. He was so active during the ultrasound that it was hard for the sonographer to follow him around. What a healthy little guy--we are so thankful!

Botanic Gardens

Sean had Friday off, so the three of us headed to Denver's Botanic Gardens for a family outing. Sean had been there a few weeks ago & got us a membership. After 11 years in Denver, I finally made my first visit to the Gardens and was pretty impressed! What a cool place to visit! They are undergoing a huge renovation, so we had to fight the construction, but other than that we had a great time. AND, we can take six guests each time we visit so next time you're in town, we can take you, too!

Sean & Carter hanging out by one of the many fountains.
Lily pond

Another fountain with one of the Dinos (a temporary exhibit at the Gardens).

At the entrance to the Japanese Garden

Carter & Mommy at another fountain.

Carter chasing a turtle (aka Turtie)

Daddy & Carter by yet another fountain.

Check out that big dino behind us!

Family picture in the Japanese Gardens.

This place is cool, Dad!