Abrie's 3rd Birthday

Abrie's 3rd Birthday was FUN! Just ask my kids! :)

Andy liked the "Bounce House". At first, he couldn't figure out how to get past the very first "bump" (Top Left), but once he firgured out he could go around it, there was no stopping this boy! Once he got to the end, he started hamming it up and had everyone laughing and flirting w/him!

There was a Pinata - good times. Andy got his first sucker - sometimes it pays to be the 2nd kid!

Abby was MOST impressed w/the "make-up" table... "I want Santa to bring me a Make-up Table like Abrie's Grammy has at her house". So, Debbie has this toy make-up table complete w/REAL kid make-up. Bottom left picture - wow... Check out that Blue Eye Shadow - I just had 8th grade flashblacks! :)

The birthday girl decided she wanted a "Princess and the Frog, Toy Story, and Dragon" Birthday. Boy, I thought I had it hard w/a Cinderella and Belle Party! Her Daddy made an AWESOME Dragon cake and her Mommy let all the kids pick what they wanted. Birthday Girl - head. Abby - "I want a wing" (solid white chocolate btw).

Great Day - Great Friends. Looking forward to how you top it next year!

Gogurts and Pizza

Just a couple random photos from the other night...

Gave Andy his first frozen Go-gurt. Yep, like Abby, he thought he was really getting away w/something sinful!

Abby enjoying her's while sitting "pool side" and then some more of her in her pool. Nothing really special, just a fun evening - just us. Seems like we are always out and about this time of year. It is a rarity for all four of us to be home, and happy, and awake, and in the yard at the same time - just enjoying the summer!

Then, then it was dinner time. Top left photo - Andy just crawls over and crawls up on the picnic table like he had been doing it forever. We thought he was going after Abby's little toys. Nope. He wanted her food and to sit at the table like a "big kid". Once we got him a plate and food of his own, he was happy!

One and Four Year Old Check-ups.

Shots Suck. Really Suck. Just ask Abby! Last year they said "No Shots until your Kindergarten Boosters". Well, they failed to tell me that they do those starting at FOUR, not FIVE. Miss-leading to say the least. Oh well... I WAS smart enough to not tell Abby this tidbit - just in case. But, I didn't have time to prepare her for them ahead of time. Which, she usually does just fine when I did this winter. In fact, one time, the office was running late and I thought we were going to have to come another day to get her H1N1 booster and she started crying "But, I wanted my shot today" - huh? Anyways....

Took the kids in for their check-ups today. Both are healthy and happy and perfect as far as our Dr. is concerned.

Abby is still off of the chart in both height (44") and weight (shocker), but perfectly proportional - whew. She also answered all the Doctor's questions re: strangers, nutrition, and habits wonderfully. She did in fact answer most by herself - which the doctor was most impressed w/her. "She's a smart one - very advanced for her age." (awe, shucks...)

Side note: Today she says "Mommy... B-E-A-R spells Bear, right?". Yep. Sure does - Harvard here we come! :)

Andy is in the 75-80 percentile on both height (31") and weight (24lbs 5oz). Head. Well, his head is still big. Must be all those brains! :) He is "above average" on most of his learning milestones. Ex. they need two words by ONE. He has about 6-8. So, we are good. Other than that, there isn't much to report on him. Seems like he is still going to the Doctor every five minutes at this age - unlike Abby that is down to once a year now. So, most of the appointment was centered around her - which of course, she ate up!

Abby had to get FIVE shots and Andy needed FOUR. It was a HIGH DRAMA morning in our house. We got home by 11:15 and *I* was already exhausted for the day! Apparently Andy was to - he preceded to sleep for the next 3 HOURS while Abby nursed her arm on the couch watching PBS.

Good news? I got a TON done today!
Until next time... We are Healthy, Happy, and Loved!

Too Many Pictures!!!

So, I logged on today to start sorting Andy's Birthday Pictures. I got overwhelmed and quit!
Here are some cute ones from today though...

Andy with all his "Birthday Loot" this a.m. So cute and so BOY in this. He knows that the cars go in the carwash - how?

The right hand side is Abby and Elizabeth at the Wilsonville Water Fountain Park by the Library today. Kids had a good time playing in the water - thanks to Cy even Andy got to go play. And the mommies had a good time chatting in the shade!

Andy's FIRST Birthday Party!

This last weekend was a busy one for us! Andy's Birthday on Saturday and his party on Sunday. Hectic week prior getting ready for the BBQ and celebrating Abby Birthday. But, we did it (w/a LOT of help from Friends and Family) and it turned out to be a GREAT day for all!

The Birthday Boy making his entrance...

Water Balloon fun for ALL w/in tossing range!

Gifts...


An ATV from Mommy and Daddy...

Good Food and Decorations....

CAKE!

MORE CAKE!

Thanks to everyone that made this day so special!

We were so happy to see you all and have you share in this special day w/us!

Special Thanks to Austin and Mom for BBQ/Food help.

Jessica and Deb for bringing Blueberries!

Amy for party prep ahead of time.

Kevin and Amy for water Balloon assistance.

Kati, Dad, Ashley, & Crissy for documentation help.

Sara, Sarah, and Deb for cake serving.

Chris Samuel and Amie for helping w/Garbage and Clean-up.

And everyone else I'm forgetting or didn't see you do, but somehow got done while I wasn't looking! We couldn't have done it w/out you and you are VERY appreciated!!!!!

We feel VERY blessed to have you in our lives!

-The Browns

Andy's FIRST Birthday

My little "Andy Man" turned ONE! What a day...

It is HARD to believe that 12 months has gone by so fast, and yet it also feels he has been a part of our family forever. I couldn't ask for more in a little man. He is pretty mellow, easy going, smile is almost always present, and just as cute as can be!

He is a sweet and loving and cuddly. He is stubborn ("No", what is that mean? Must mean "do it again"). He dances. He makes messes. He is soft. He is funny. He is my baby... And, I don't care when he reaches 6'3" - he always will be!

It was an emotional and happy week here at our house - we are jam-packed of celebrations over about nine days! It makes you sit back and reflect on just how far we have come in the last 5 years... It took us four tries, over just as many years, to get the 2 angel-faces we have. Two C-sections, Two Milk Protein Allergies, and many many sleepless nights and emotionally draining days. But, in the end, we have two healthy, happy, and social babies! Who could ask for more really?

For Andy's Birthday we started at the Mall for pictures - of course! :) He did great:

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Then we made a quick stop at the Children Play Area. It was great - it was a Saturday and there were only THREE kids in the entire area. So, Andy got to play/crawl around w/out getting trampled.

Next Stop? Build-a-Bear. Andy, no surprise, picked a Puppy. But, shortly after picking it, he was more excited about watching the noisy machine fill the animal, and was pre-occupied w/tasting the foam heart they put inside. Quality Checked I guess... :)

For Lunch? Gustav's. We took Abby to the same restaurant and they even sat us in the SAME BOOTH as when we were there w/Abby - what a coincidence!!!! Probably even more amazing we remembered which booth we were sat in three years ago! Andy is a Carb and Protein-aholic. So, we figured that he would enjoy the fondue, bread, and weenies - we were NOT wrong!

But, the REAL excitement was when dessert came out. There was Raisins, Apples, Whipped Cream, and FIRE! What more could a little boy ask for? Apparently, not much...



Our evening was topped off w/dinner and gifts at home that evening. Sister gave him some new cars, Mommy got him a new bath toy, and Daddy got him a "Lighting and Doc" Cars, car.



All in all it was a GREAT day. We love you Andy - Happy Birthday!
Love, Mommy

52 Weeks Old!

Andy is 52 weeks old today! Now, that is different from a year old - that is tomorrow (sniff, sniff...)
Can't believe my baby will be a year old tomorrow!

Here are some bath shots from today. He loves to play in the water as the bath fills. He apparently likes to make out w/the duck on the spout as well! Splashing and standing while bouncing (not necessarily at the same time) are other big favorites!

Enjoy!

Abby's 4th Birthday!

FOUR years ago today, on a 108 degree day in Hillsboro, after 24 hrs of unsuccessful labor, at 1:24am, my life changed forever. I became a Mommy to all 9lbs 10oz, 21" of dainty goodness. Pink cheeks, tiny fingers, BIG blue eyes, and more love than I ever thought one person could give.

Abby is amazing. She is FULL of spunk and love and questions and smiles and princess! She makes me so happy and proud to be her Mommy. At four she spends most of her time in "Imagination Land". I love to sit back and listen when she thinks I'm not. Whether I'm in the car or on the computer or in the kitchen... I have an ear tuned to her dialogue. *THEY* say you can learn a lot about what you hear at these times. I'm always pleasantly surprised by Abby. Mostly it is PS lessons learned (use your words), Dreams she wants to come true (I really like your pretty dress). But sometimes it is the harder stuff (death, timeouts, etc). Even in those moments I'm surprised how smart and insightful she is. It is always amazing how much she drinks in from the world around her!

She makes me see the "pretty" parts of the world that I never saw before, she makes me chuckle on a daily basis, and she loves me unconditionally. For all that - I thank her!

I Love you Abigirl - Happy 4th Birthday!

Trav and I made a decision three years ago when Abby turned ONE. We said that we would spend our Childs' Birthday w/them - all day - doing what they wanted... Now that we have two kids' birthdays w/in three days of eachother, I'm SO glad we made that tradition a reality.

We started off at JC Penney's. Abby got her 4 yr old pictures taken and weren't we pleasantly surprised when we arrived and they had a "Fairy Backdrop" all set up?!?

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She did GREAT! And as always, it was hard to make the choices of which to purchase!

Next, we hit the Disney Store for some shopping. I gave her a Princess Gift Card and she had to budget and decide what to buy based on the amount on the card. For those that want to know, we ended up w/a Princess and the Frog Play set and a Plush Princess Tiana Doll.

Then, it was off to lunch - Red Robin!

She was pleasantly surprised when the Ice Cream Sundae and Singing came after the "Cheesey Noodles"

Quick stop at the park to play...

And then we finished the day at "Disney Princess Ballet"


All in all it was a GREAT day. Daddy and I are EXHAUSTED and Abby is still bouncing off of the walls and playing w/her new gifts.

Next up? Mummy dogs for dinner (her request) and Chocolate Cake for Dessert (Daddy's)!

Abby's 4th Birthday Party!

Abby's 4th Birthday Party!

Planning this party (the party itself) was easy - just pay them and show up. The stress came when my daughter INSISTED on a "Belle & Cinderella" party. Those of you that know Disney, know that Belle is "in the vault". You can find Cindy all day and night - not Belle...

Luckily, Uncle Trevor came to the rescue and found some "Belle Party Supplies" online. I also found a gal online that would make me a custom "Belle and Cindy" invite (see below). Bought some balloons online, made Belle goodie bags, Cindy Candy Bars, and we were set!

Some people make fun for going to so much effort. But, come on... Do I really want to hear "But, I REALLY wanted a Cinderella AND Belle party this year" for the next 6 months? I think not. It is her day, and I wanted to make it PERFECT!

She (we) chose to have her party at Pump It Up Jr. this year - I think it was a big hit!

yummy food and drinks...

and of course PRESENTS!

But MOST of all - GREAT Friends and Family to help celebrate w/our little Abigirl. We love you all! We're so happy that you could be there to celebrate in her special day! We feel so blessed that you are a part of our lives - and Abby's!

51 Wks Old Today!

Just a short post... I really logged on to start working on Abby's Birthday Party pictures.

This is what I have to show for the last four years - not bad if I do say so myself! :)

Sometimes it is easier just to do it yourself!

As a parent we ALL have those moments. That moment when your "little darling" is doing something they shouldn't be doing. Something you should be disciplining. But, all you can do is laugh, smile, or something else that YOU shouldn't be doing.

Then there is the old saying "If you want something done right, do it yourself". In this case I should have!

I brought Abby's clothes downstairs today and started to get her dressed. I Forgot to bring down clean undies. I sent her upstairs to fetch some while I was cleaning up the house for a play date. She comes down the stairs and back into the living room.

Abby: "Mommy, my underwear are suck on the light."
Me: "What?" (all the while I'm thinking - I think I know where this is going and couldn't help but crack a little smile)
Abby (while grinning from ear to ear): "I threw down my underwear and they got stuck on your light.

Sure enough. She had THROWN her underwear over the railing, upstairs, and they got stuck on the light that hangs over our formal entry. This is a classic case of "Monkey See, Monkey Do". I DROP her clothes down sometimes when I want Trav to get the kids ready while I'm upstairs. All the more reason I really couldn't get mad at her. But, we did have a discussion about DROPPING vs THROWING things over the railing!



Never fear... Daddy came home and rescued the undies from the chandelier and we went about our day.
Daddy: "What DO you two do here all day?"

Rob and Kati Guinn!!!

Our Dear, Dear Friends got Married!

Rob and Kati got married this past weekend. We ALL were in the wedding and got to dress-up all pretty:

There was a TON of kids in the wedding party! But, they all did really, really well considering the LONG day, the clothes that had to stay CLEAN, and the NAPS that weren't taken...

Abby LOVED being dressed up, holding flowers, getting her hair done, posing for pictures, and getting fed cake by the groom. Yes, the kids saw him feeding it to Kati and they ALL lined up for a taste. It was like watching little birdies!

Andy enjoy wearing a tux, getting held, crawling the ENTIRE length of the ballroom, flirting w/the bartendar, and then sacking out in Papa's arms for the ride home.


All is all, it was a WONDERFUL day!
Trav and I enjoyed watching some of our bestest friends FINALLY tie the knot! And the beautiful flowers and Cufflinks we got to take home weren't all that bad either!
Here's to you Mr. and Mrs. Guinn...

50 Wks Old Today!

50 weeks! Wow - where does the time go? I can't beleive that in just TWO SHORT weeks I'm going to be celebrating my Baby's 1st Birthday... wow... So fast!

Andy's agenda didn't change much this week... Dog water, Toilet Flushing, TP unrolling, and finding Sissy's Crayons are still his #1 priority. We are working on "no", but honestly, it was SO much easier w/Abby when it comes to "no" and her learning not to get into certain things!

This week was HOT. Like way HOT. Summer has finally arrived in Oregon and apparently it had been bottling it all up, becuase we were in the 90s all week! Andy played in the pool, enjoyed mastering his sippy cup (finally) and just sleeping really, really good.

Here are a few random shots - enjoy!

Oh! And he is now the proud owner of THREE teeth - finally!

Alex's 6th Birthday

Our good friend Alex celebrated his 6th birthday this week.
His Birthday Party was a TON of fun and Abby had a great time running the "Dress-up Obstacle Course". They had to put on a piece of dress-up clothing and then run a wet and dangerous obstacle course. We all had a pretty good chuckle watching the kids run around.
It was a HOT, HOT day here (like 96!), but everyone managed to keep cool and enjoy the fun!

Happy Birthday Alex - We love you and think you are such a GREAT kid!

July 4th Weekend - 2010

This year we got to celebrate July 4th on BOTH the 3rd and the 4th! Then, we had the 5th to recover from the LLOONNGG weekend!

Apparently, the Hillsboro 4th of July Parade is BIG. Really BIG. There is talk that it is "one of the largest" 4th of July Parade "West of the Mississippi". I didn't buy it. Come on... it is a "small town parade" after all... right? WRONG! This parade was HUGE! We sat on that curb for TWO HOURS. It was great fun and Abby got to see a lot of places/people she knew - like her PS, the Church were she went to VBS, her Gym, her teachers, etc. Overall, it was a really fun time. We just had NO IDEA that it was so big!

The reason we had no idea why it was so big was becuase we are usually at the 4th of July Parade in Good Ole Mt. Angel. This year Hillsboro moved their's to the 3rd and then the 4th we headed down to Mt. Angel to ride on the back of Uncle Norm's truck and toss candy - always good times for all!

This year Abby even made the online version of the Statesman Journal and the cover of the life section of the Appeal - she if famous now I tell you! Famous! :)

Then we headed back home and celebrated the 4th w/some good old fire and friends! Rob and Kati came over and we BBQ'd, did fireworks, and sat around the firepit - good night!

Please note the fairy wings and tiarra needed in order to play w/Fireworks!

49 wks old today!

Today Andy met Rune. Andy and Rune are 2nd cousins - I believe - I'm not that good at figuring that stuff out! But Me and Rune's Dad (Chris Sherrick) are 1st cousins on my Mom's side. So, there. That is how they are related (in case anyone was REALLY keeping track).

Anywho... Andy and I met Mary Dawn and Rune at the Childrens' Museum today. We spent most of the time in the "baby garden". They checked stuff (and each other) out. They were pretty darn cute and I even captured a few good moments.

Rune will be 1 on Aug. 1st - so exactly a week younger than Andy. It was weird for me to have the "smaller" kid for once. That has really never happened to me - Abby has always towered over her playmates. So, that was just weird for me!

Couple more thoughts - Andy is 49 wks old today! Three weeks until his birthday weekend. And as Trav put it, "We haven't broken him yet!" So, that is good!

Lastly... Check Andy out in his little Water Apron... Could he be any cuter if he tried!?!? :) I also like the bottom left picture. They are both like... take the dumb picture already... We are tired of you guys yelling at us to look!

Miss Imagination Land

Abby just makes me smile. Some days she makes me cry, or really, really grumpy. But, for the most part, she just makes me smile. She always has something to say - both good and bad. She always has her "imagination land" mind going as Uncle Austy says. She loves all things "girly" and that just makes me laugh, because I have NO idea where she gets that! It does go to show you how much of that is ingrained!

This last couple of weeks she has started "Disney Princess Ballet" class, had a playdate w/her friend Laci (complete w/Art Project), and the one that really makes me laugh is the picture of her w/one white glove and the microphone. We just found her that way one day... Funny considering it is right around the one year anniversary of MJ's death. Made us laugh at least.

Here is just a random cute picture I took of Abby and our little neighbor girl Rachel. They see each other once a week so her mommy and I can scrapbook and chat. It is something I really, really look forward to every week. 1. I get to catch up on scrapbooking (hopefully), 2. it is a really relaxed and nice quiet day around our house, and 3. Rachel's mommy is just a sweet, sweet lady and I really value her closeness (both in proximity and friendship). Anyways, apparently the girls enjoy it as well. This is a shot from a few weeks ago. They just snuggled in to finish Abby's cartoon before they went off to play. I love both their smiles in this picture - so cute!