My 100th Post

It doesn't get much better than this....

Freaks of Nature

I have decided that when it comes to teeth my kids must be freaks of nature. I was at a baby shower this weekend and was talking about teething and "mommy" stuff and apparently my children have an absurd amount of teeth by their first birthday. Reagan and Brody both had 16 teeth by their first birthday. I didnt realize that wasnt the norm until I had several moms tell me that their children only had 2-4 teeth by their first birthday, a few moms even said their babies didnt have any teeth by their first birthday. Hmmm who would have thought..... am I the only person who has babies with lots of teeth.

Frances Meadows

Today we went to this super-fun pool and the kids had a great time. It's in Gainesville and there is a whole section that is great for kids. REagan could touch anywhere in the "splash zone" and so she and her friends ran all over the place and I didnt have to worry about her. Brody was a little more reserved with the water but finally became fixated on this neat little water canal thing that had all these gates you could open and close to make there be more or less water. It wore them both out and was lots of fun!!!!

It's official

Brody is now officially walking more than he is crawling. He has been taking steps for a while now but just in the past few days his primary mode of transportation is walking... I am so happy and I am sure his poor little knees will be too... look at the second picture and you will notice his beat up knees. There is no stopping him now... he is determined.

INK

There is this great place close to our house call INK (Interactive Neighborhood for Kids) and last time Damian and Megan were in town we went there. It has all these miniature rooms set up for kids like a grocery store, a doctors office, a bank, a dentist and Reagans personal favorite the 50's Diner. They also have an old plane a police car and firetruck the kids can climb up into. Its great to let the kids run around and use their imaginations. Here are some pics from our day at INK.

This is what we do when the misbehave =) J/K these cages were in the Animal Hospital.

Megan and Reagan at the Diner.

Brody liked the little jungle gym that was in the center of the city.

Reagan being a doctor

Damian helping out his sick patient.

Reagan the police woman.

Gross!!!!!

We have officially entered the nose picking stage.... GROSS!!!!

Happy Father's Day

Over three years ago I sat anxiously in a waiting room. I was not anxious about the doctors appointment, I was anxious because I knew what the ultra sound tech was going to tell me... that I was having a baby girl. Call it mothers intuition but I just knew it was a girl. The reason I was anxious was because Stephen, was sitting next to me, hopeful that we were having a boy. Not that he wouldnt love a little girl (which is ever so obvious now) but because he had always talked about having a boy. I guess there was a little part of me that was worried that he would somehow be dissapointed that it was a girl.

Sure enough "it" was in fact a girl.... but at that moment nothing else mattered because a father was born. It was amazing. As soon as he saw that little baby swimming around inside me he instantly loved it. Less than five months later Reagan was born and Stephen has never been the same since.

We dont always agree on how to do things when it comes to the kids but one thing is ever apparent. Stephen is an amazing father and he loves his kids more than life itself. He would move heaven and earth to make them happy. I learn things from him everyday, even when he doesnt know I am watching and I know:

that there isnt anything he wouldn't do

for them

for us

for our family

Happy Fathers Day Stephen. I love you so much and couldn't imagine where our family would be without you and your unconditional love.

Yellow River Game Ranch

Today I took my kids to the Yellow River Game Rach. We went with some friends from the neighborhood. They all loved it! We have ben before but Brody was really little when we went and Reagan was still at that runnung away from mom and not listening stage so I was a nervous wreck but she did great this time and Brody was happy checking out the scene from his stroller. This place is a game reserve for all sorts of animals. Some of them have been injured and rehabilitated here but it is great because deer and squirels and pigs and all sorts of animals just come right up to you and eat out of your hand. They are just roaming around and will walk right up to you and take a cracker from your hand... its really neat. They also have some animals in cages like black bears, cougars and racoons, fox, coyote, and buffalo. Ironically I use to go here as a kid and love that I can now bring my kids here to enjoy some of the same fun that I did when I was not a whole lot older than Reagan.

Big ol' pot belly pig

Brody was reaching for all the animals as they walked by...it was really cute because the last time we went he wasnt really old enough to care about the animals so it was fun to see him looking.

Reagan wanted to hold this baby goat so bad... she kept kissing it on its back : sweet but oh so yucky!!!

Feeding the deer

We had a great day...they both zonked out five minutes into the car ride home.

One of my favorite things about summer....

Do you think Brody looks like anyone familiar?

He is only the spitting image of his DADDY!!!!! (Especially since I just cut his hair in this little crew cut.)

Big News in Reagans Room

Reagan has been sleeping in a big girl bed since she was 16 months old. Up until last night we had bed rails on it. I probably could have taken them off a LONG time ago but just never got around to it because they are a pain in the butt to take off. Yesterday Reagan had a mishap with poopy panties and kind of got it all over one of the bed rails (gross I know) so that was all I needed to get those rails off. Now she is sleeping in a "bed like mommy's" says Reagan. The best part of all of it is that you can see how cute her room is (it is my favorite room in the whole house) without being distracted by those ugly bed rails. Good job Reagan. (She thinks she is hot stuff).

Vegas Baby

Well we have been home for over a week now but I am just now getting around to posting about our trip. It was a great trip, I did realized I am not such a huge fan of Vegas itself but the time away was much needed. It was so nice to lay out by the pool, sleep in, take 2 hours to eat dinner (without having kids get crazy) and it was nice to be able to walk down the street holding Stephens hand and not worrying if my child was running in the opposite direction. We saw three shows while we were there, walked all over the strip, ate lots of good food, got massages, did some shopping and just enjoyed eachothers company. A HUGE thanks to my babysitter Sarah who kept my kids happy, healthy, and loved while I was gone. She is great with my kids and I am so blessed to have someone I can trust my kids with.

At dinner before "The Blue Man Group" our second night. The Blue Man Group was an awesome show (it was Stephens favorite). If it ever comes to where you live I would highly reccomend it.

Our Hotel

Rainforest Cafe inside MGM (I think that is where it was)

Stephen and my step-dad Don....they just couldnt help themselves.

Inside the shark exhibit in Mandalay Bay

The Dolphins at one of the hotels (cant remember which one)

Me and my mom (my mom and stepdad came late thursday night so it was fun having them there to hang out with) and not having to compete with my kids for my moms attention =) j/k

My beautiful mom and stepdad

One of the shows we say was Cirque Du Soleil shows called "O" and it was really cool. It is all in water and the set moves and changes. Definitely would reccomend that one. The other one we saw was called "Ka" and none of us were impressed with it at all.... in fact I was really dissapointed in it (which has never happened with a Cirque show before)

Out on the town one night.

All in all it was a great trip but I have to say that I was appaled at the number of people that had their children there. It is NOT a family destination (despite what anyone tells you). It made me sick evertime I saw a mom or dad pushing a baby stroller through the city at midnight with a crying baby in it. The city was kind of dirty... there is a lot of drinking everywhere (which I dont do). There is sex everywhere (which I do do) I just dont want to be handed a card with a naked girl on it every time I round the corner... and I just dont get the whole appeal of gambling. All I could do was sit there and think of how many new Coach purses I could have bought with the money that was just going down the drain.... call me materialistic but I like to be able to see and touch what my money has bought.

Margarittaville

Cirque Du Soleil store

We're back

We are back from Las Vegas... had a great trip but it seems while I was gone my computer went crazy and is not recognizing my memory card so until I get it fixed you all will have to anxiously await the details of my trip.... don't hold you breath, it may take a while.