Sound Asleep

Doug has the magic touch when it comes to putting the kids to sleep {see here}. I wish that Noah and Leah would fall asleep like this on my lap! I just had to share these pictures...too cute!

Puppy Bubble Blower

Noah loves bubbles, but he makes the BIGGEST mess when he tries to blow bubbles himself. I know, I know, I should just let the kid do it, and I usually do, but it is so much work to clean up the aftermath! Plus the poor kid gets so frustrated because he can't even blow any bubbles, but he still insists on doing it himself. SO, when I was at the store and saw this cute Puppy Bubble Blower, I was all over it! Noah+Puppies+Bubbles=FUN!! This little device has been a HUGE hit at our house! Noah is beyond happy when we go outside to blow bubbles now because he gets to pull the trigger that releases the bubbles...he is very independent! I love how little things like this can make a two year old so happy!

Noah feeding his chalk to the puppy...every puppy needs a treat, right :)??
Noah trying to fix the blower...it ran out of bubbles :(.

Waking Up

Noah fell out of a crib almost one year ago, and due to this scare, he has refused to climb out since. So, whenever Noah wakes up he screams "Mommy" or "Daddy" until we come and get him. I get a kick out of hearing him...he is so desperate to get out, but he won't do it on his own, which I am actually very thankful for! You can see in the video that he tries to get out, but he only does that when we are right there. Here he is calling for me after his nap today. I just had to share :).

***Sorry that the video is dark at the beginning...you get the idea though :).***

Happy Birthday Suzi!

Happy Birthday Suzi!

Today is a very special birthday...40 years old! You are such a wonderful person and such a wonderful mother and wife! We admire you and love you so much! We hope that you have a fabulous day today!

Children's Discovery Garden

Today we went to the Thanksgiving Point Children's Discovery Garden for our play date with Milo. We thought that this would be the perfect place to take the boys since they both love to play in the water and there is a little area there with a huge Noah's Ark and fountains. Yeah...you would think that they would dive right into the fun, right? Wrong! They decided to sit on the bench with us and watch the other kids play in the water...what's the fun in that? Seriously! Milo finally gave in and started to play, but not Noah. I practically had to push him in, and once I did, and he realized that it was fun, he was good to go. This goes back to the fact that Noah is very cautious and has to evaluate everything before he takes part in an activity. After a very short time of playing in the water, we decided to take the boys around the rest of the garden...but, of course, as soon as we decided to do this, they decide that they want to actually play in the water...I guess I shouldn't be surprised, right? Anyway, we eventually walked around the grounds, and I must say that it was absolutely beautiful! We didn't go to the actual gardens, but I hope to go there soon! I have heard that they are amazing!!!

Milo and Noah sitting with Christy and watching the other kids play. It's a good thing that they were free to get into the gardens!!!

Noah starting to realize that the water is fun...although you can't really tell from the serious expression on his face!
Boy, these kids know how to be serious!
Noah petting the duckies in the garden. He really does love all animals...even if they aren't real.
Absolutely beautiful! I was really so impressed with the grounds!

Noah ~ 27 Months

I have been giving so many updates on Leah that I feel I have neglected Noah. So, this post is dedicated to my first born and all of the fun and cute things that he has been up to lately. He is becoming such a unique little guy and I am amazed at how much he has changed, especially during the recent months. Here's a look at some of the things that Noah has been up to...

~ He talks our ears off every minute that he is awake. From the moment that he wakes up, to the moment that he goes to bed, he is talking up a storm. He still mumbles a little bit, but he is getting clearer and clearer every day. Doug and I pretty much understand everything that he says, but he does have his moments that he gets a little frustrated with us because we can't make out what he is trying to tell us. We usually always figure it out, and Noah is so glad once we do! I would share with you all of the words that he says, but that list would be endless, as he is learning new words each and every day.
~ He is very protective of Leah. If she is crying, or just a little fussy, he will come and tell me that the "Baby is sad" or "Baby cry". If I don't respond to his request for me to tend to Leah, then he gets a little put out. Leah's needs are very important to him and he likes it when she is happy and content. I am glad that he feels this way because he doesn't mind at all when I have to feed Leah or tend to her in any way...he is very patient and lets me do what I need to do with her. He is such a GREAT big brother!!!
~ He is very cautious and observant. Noah is not one to just jump into an activity and learn as he goes along. He will usually sit back,evaluate what is going on, and then jump in and take part. I am kind of glad that he is like this because it has probably saved us many major accidents.
~ He loves music and he prefers to listen to music then watch TV. He requests to have the music turned on every day while he is playing and when he goes to sleep. Music is very calming to him. Some of his favorites are Dashboard Confessional, Colbie Collet, The Killers, The Children's Songbook, just to list a few.
~ He LOVES trucks...and I mean he LOVES them! He is constantly asking to go and see the trucks around the corner from where we live, and when we go over there he is completely taken in by them. He always says to me "I want to go see the truck move" or "I want to go see the truck move dirt". Whenever we are driving home, he always asks if we can go and see the trucks, and I always do, or I won't hear the end of it. When we are home, he is always playing with is trucks or reading a truck book...no joke! He seriously LOVES trucks! It's so cute!
~ He loves animals and is always wanting to go and see an animal. My parents have a puppy, Meeka, and if I say their names he immediately responds by "I go see the puppy?". When we do go and see the puppy, he immediately goes and gets a treat for her. I am sure that Meeka loves having Noah around because he gets a load of treats from him. Noah also adores kitties, horsies, birdies, duckies, etc....
~ He has a great sense of humor. He is so dang funny and he loves to make everyone around him smile. His laugh is also so contagious and you can't help but laugh along with him. I love that about him!
~ He is VERY ticklish and I tend to torture him by tickling him! I'll do anything to hear that cute little laugh :). I am sure that he will be getting me back really good when he is bigger then me, since I am probably more ticklish then he is!
~ He is very technical. He loves tools, computers, and pretty much anything that is really complex! He even knows how to work our iPhones...we have some videos on my phone and he knows exactly what to do so that he can watch the video...amazing! I will have to get a video of him doing this to share with you...it is pretty amazing to watch!
~ He is very independent and likes to do everything on his own. He can dress himself, although he gets a little frustrated when he can't pull his shirt over his head. He can also put his shoes on all by himself, which is great! Whenever we try to help him with something, he tells us that he can do it by himself. We just let him try to do things and jump in when he asks us to.
~ He is on the path to becoming potty trained. We purchased our first pair of pull-ups last week {boy, are those things expensive!} and he has been doing pretty well going to the potty on his own. We aren't pushing him at all, so we are just letting him let us know when he is ready, and he seems to be interested so we are trying to teach him the ropes. I seriously can't wait for him to be completely potty trained! It will be great to not have to change two sets of diapers!
~ He is a daddy's boy, and I mean he LOVES his daddy! Every morning he asks me "Daddy home?", to which I sadly reply "No, he is at work today." He deals with it, but he seriously can't wait for Doug to get home to play with him. The moment that Doug walks through the door, he runs over to give him the biggest hug...he really loves Doug to pieces! Doug is definitely the one that Noah goes to when he wants to play rough. He comes to me more for comfort, which I am fine with. I really love the special bond that he and Doug share...it's precious!
~ He is a clean freak, just like his mom! He loves to help me vacuum and dust the house...he is such a great little helper!
~ He loves to read, and I am so thankful for this! He loves to sit in his room with me and have me read to him. He definitely loves his books...especially his truck books! He could read them over and over again and never get sick of them.

Well, there you have it...I could go on and on, but I decided to narrow the list down for your reading pleasure :). Here are some dang cute pictures of my little man. We don't know what we would do without our Noah!

Here's Noah waiting for Doug to wake up from a nap. Notice he is playing with my phone while he waits...so funny!

Noah trying to figure out the hose at Grandma and Grandpa's house. He didn't have much luck.
Playing with his digger truck {I really LOVE this picture}.
Here is Noah hidding from me because I was tickling him. You can almost hear him laughing...so cute!
Noah reading his music book...he loves this book...if only the batteries worked!
Chillin' with his little sis.
Noah helping me dust. I gave him his own little duster so that he doesn't use the real ones.
Noah giggling!
I just love that smile!
Noah loves to play in his kitchen. I think that he could totally be the Next Food Network Star...do you?
Building a lego tower with Daddy and Leah.
Noah loves his trains and he is so good at putting the track together.

Leah ~ 4 Months

It seems like just yesterday I was writing about Leah turning 3 months...I can't say it enough, but the time is going by so fast! She has grown so much this past month, both physically and mentally. Here are some highlights from this past month...

~ She is becoming a chunky little thing, especially in her thighs...poor girl {LOL!}. I can't help but pinch her cute little thighs every time that I change her...those rolls are just so dang cute! She also has the cutest little double chin that you have ever seen!
~ She has figured out her vocal cords and she not only talks, but she sings! She will be in the back of the car and hum the same sound over and over again...so cute!
~ She has great head control for only being 4 months old. Very impressive.
~ She loves to stand up and she is surprisingly very sturdy. She might be following Noah's footsteps in terms of crawling and walking...she just doesn't want to take her time!
~ Blowing raspberries are her favorite past time!
~ She can now hold on to toys and keep herself entertained with them for a good amount of time. She loves anything that makes noise, so her rattles are her favorite.
~ She is starting to realize the power of a good cry and that it can get her what she wants. She was pretty quiet for the first 3 months...those days are gone. She loves to be held and will cry whenever we put her down. She pretty much spends every waking moment in mine, or Doug's, arms. She is a smart little cookie and she knows how to get what she wants...that's for sure!
~ She kicks, and she kicks hard!! She is like a machine that doesn't stop...I guess she needs to work off her fat rolls!
~ She still sleeps through the night!
~ She has the prettiest little smile and she shares it with us all of the time! Oh...it seriously just melts my heart to see my kids happy and smiling!

***DRUMROLL PLEASE***

~ Leah rolls over from her belly to her back! She just started to do this tonight, on her 4 month birthday! Every time that we put her on her belly, she flips right over and gives us the biggest grin. Yay Leah!!!

Well, those are some of the many highlights from this past month. We just love this little princess to pieces! Here are some pics from this past month {sorry there are so many...I couldn't just pick a few to share!}.

She loves those rings!

Look at those chunky thighs!
I just love the look on her face in this picture!

Smile big!
Hold that head up!

The Police

Doug and I LOVE going to concerts, so when we heard that The Police were coming to town, there was absolutely no question whether or not we were going to go. Doug loves The Police and he was so excited when he heard that they were getting together to go on tour. We went to the concert with Steffanie and Raul and we had a fabulous time! Elvis Costello was the opener, and he was great! I didn't know many of the songs, but that didn't matter...he had so much energy and got everyone excited for the show to begin. The Police came out with full force and they were amazing the entire show! It was great seeing them together playing those songs that we all know and love! This concert will definitely go down as one of the best concerts that I have been to! Thank you, Steff and Raul, for a fun evening!! It was worth every penny :).

Me and Doug

Raul and Steff
The Police

Sting
The stage production was great! The big screen was amazing and so clear! I was impressed :).

Blow Out

I had an experience this weekend that I hope that I NEVER have again! I was driving on the freeway with Noah and Leah, and all of a sudden my steering wheel was very stiff. I knew something was wrong, so I got in the far right lane, and as soon as I got there my car started to slow down and I could barely steer the car. I steered my car to the side of the freeway and I got as close to the barrier as possible. I peeked out my passenger door and saw that my tire had blown out! I was so scared and I just started to panic...I was terrified! The cars passing were so close and I thought that I was going to die every time that a semi-truck passed me! I was pulled over at a curve in the road, so I was so nervous that the cars/trucks wouldn't see me! So, while I was in panic mode, I called Doug, who was on his lunch break {thank goodness}, and told him what was going on and he told me that he would be right there. It took him about 20 minutes to get there, and I must say that was the longest 20 minutes of my life! Noah and Leah were screaming and crying the entire time and I couldn't do much to calm them down...plus the cars that were passing me were freakin' me out! I was so happy once Doug got there to rescue us! After evaluating the situation, he decided to move us from my car to his car and then get us off of the freeway, since it was so dangerous. Once we got off of the freeway, we called to have my car towed so that we could get the tire replaced. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to get off of the freeway and be somewhere safe with my babies! I seriously cannot put into words how scared this whole experience was, and I hope that I NEVER have to experience it again! Sorry to ramble on and on...I guess I just needed to vent :).

While we were waiting for my car to be towed, we went to 7-11 and got Slurpees. We were feeling very generous, so Noah got his own banana Slurpee! He was in heaven {see his happy face in picture #2}!!!

Here's the damage...SCARY!!!

Ryan Michael Box is here...

...and he is so cute! We went to see the new addition this evening and I have to say that Alli and Spencer did a great job with this little guy! He's perfect in every way! It was amazing to me that Leah was that small just 4 months ago...it is crazy how much she has grown!

Congratulations to Alli and Spencer! You two are going to be the best parents! We look forward to the many moments to come with little Ryan! We love you guys!!!

Cute Family Picture!

Summer Fun

We have been pretty busy lately...busy having fun, that is! Here is what we have been up to...

We recently got a new bike trailer/jogger/stroller for the kiddos, and they both LOVE it! I have been taking them running with me in the morning and Noah just sits and enjoys the scenery while Leah sleeps or plays with her hands. Heck, as long as they're happy, so am I!

We took Leah to the pool for the first time this past week. We just put her in for a minute and she didn't cry, so she must have enjoyed it.

Happy Birthday to Elizabeth and Madie! We got together for a party to celebrate their birthdays this past weekend...they are growing up so fast! I love you girls so much!!!
We get together with my good friend, Christy, and her little boy, Milo, each week for a play date. Noah and Milo are two months apart and they are great buddies! Due to the nice weather, we have been letting them play outside in the water for the play date...they LOVE it! They wear themselves out, which means they both take a great nap that afternoon, which is always good :)!

We spend most of our afternoons at the park. Noah loves to go down the slide...all by himself! He is very independent :).

I took this cute picture of Noah the other day...he has such a great smile!
Leah's personality is really starting to come out! She smiles all of the time...she is such a happy baby!