Blake's Baptism

We had Blake's baptism during Saturday night's mass service this weekend.  My sister Shannon and her husband Chad are Blake's Godparents.  He looked like such a handsome little man.  :)

If this outfit isn't a "mini Aaron" outfit, I'm not sure what is!

Blake did wonderful during the service.  He didn't cry at all while he was being baptised. He just stared and looked around all content :)



Just finished getting the water poured over his head!

Father Tim with Aaron, Blake and I

Blake with his Godparents

G & G Bertucci - with Addy & Blake :)



G & G Tarara with Addy & Blake

Grandpa Lowell wasn't able to make the trip from Michigan.  We thought of you and missed you - but COMPLETELY understand how hard it is to make the long drive.  We can't wait to see you in March :)

After the service we had everyone over to our house for supper & cake.  We had a great time sitting around our kitchen table talking, laughing, etc until after 11 at night - definitely not something we usually do so late into the night.  Good company and good conversation :)

I made/decorated Blake's baptism cake.  I have to say I'm pretty proud of how it turned out.  I'm starting to get more successful in my cake decorating abilities :)



Mama, Blake and his cake!

Funny thing - when our niece Brynne showed up to church, her and Addy had the same dress on!  I had just picked it out for Addy this week and Shannon said she's had it for Brynne for quite some time.  My sisters Angela and Shannon end up doing that a lot for their girls...buying the same clothes without knowing/talking about it.  I guess Addy is now old enough to be in the same line of clothes of them so I'll start doing that too! 

Addy and Brynne in their matching outfits!



Miss Independent

Lately Addy has been wanting to do everything on her own...especially when it comes to dressing herself.  Usually if you let her try for a while, she then allows you to help her - but on this day, she was bound & determined to get her pants on ALL BY HERSELF!  Apparently if you walk around and move to different locations...it helps you get your clothes on!

It started by the couch...(standing on her pants, so they weren't coming up!)

Moved not very far but closer to her kitchen...(trying to get her feet to peek out so she wouldn't stand on them anymore)

Then walked around to the front of the couch...(pulling them up, but they are getting stuck on her cute little diaper butt)

Back over by the patio door...(still working on pulling them over her backside)



And FINALLY...we have success!

 Sometimes I love lazy Sunday's where doing our hair isn't necessary and we can wear outfits that basically look like we are in pajamas all day long because we are aren't going anywhere!!  That was what we were doing on this particular day!

Snow Day Safari!

Today I went on a little field trip with Addy & Blake's daycare.  We went to "Snow Day Safari" at the civic center - it was a fundraiser to get a Children's Museum in Rochester.  We really are a big enough city for a children's museum, I think the reason we don't have one is because we are so close to the Twin Cities.  I HOPE HOPE HOPE that enough money gets raised.  There are so many Saturdays where we want to just get out for a bit and do something entertaining, and at Addy's age those options are sort've limited in the winter.  If we had something like that, we'd have a good few hours of entertainment for her...and then Blake when he gets older.

I've just started to hear about it, but I guess it has beenin the works for quite some time now...and we are getting close!  SO EXCITING!

The event today was lots of fun.  They had lots of little exhibits, and then a children's singer: Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime band.  They were so good - if you have little kids, I would recommend them!  Apparently they've been nominated for a grammy.  There was one song they sang that got me a little teary eyed.  It was called "The First Day" and it talked about how everyone gets nervous on the first day (of anything...going to school, the dentist, etc) and it talks about how mommy and daddy were nervous too on the first day you were born and such.  So cute!!



Here we Go!  Not sure why, but pictures of little ones on a mission from behind are SO cute to me!

 

Addy & Autumn "digging for fossils!" (Addy could have stayed here all day)

Building a House!

Addy also went to a farmer's market and got mama some flowers and weighed the fruit she wanted to buy, played bean bags (in which I said that her daddy would be proud to start her young!) and also played some music with some instruments.  They also had other exhibits there like send a letter to soldiers, playing other sports, a bouncy house (Addy DID NOT like the bouncy house...too many kids bigger than her, she got tossed around a bit!), story time and of course the concert.

Oh my goodness Addy LOVED the concert!  She's really into music these days (singing and dancing to songs, doing "actions")...and she danced the entire time at the concert, I got some good actions shots!


Dancing Dancing Dancing!



Blake was such a good little boy today!  He just smiled and looked around - very curios. Here is my handsome man during the concert!



Addy dancing with some of the older girls @ Julie's (Paige, Autumn, Julia, and Julie).  Her "BF" @ daycare (Kyra...Addy calls her Kewa it's so cute when she says it!) wasn't there today.  And the other little girl Wynter that is Addy's age was up front jamming!

 Julie had packed a sack lunch for the kids and laid out some blankets to eat at the event.  Our local news, KTTC was shooting the event while we were doing this...and they got taped!  First they took a quick shot of Blake, then scanned the picnic.  Blake, as well as Addy & her friends made the 5:00 news, and Blake made the 6:00 news (which I'm thinking means he'll be on the 10:00 tonight too!).  That was too cool!

This pic was taken around the same time they camera took a shot of him...so this is about what was on TV (but my pic is a little closer!).  Putting things in my mouth are nummers these days!

Picnic time - this is about what was on the news of Addy too!

I'm so glad I was able to go with them today.  I went into work late and then Aaron picked the kids up so I could stay late at work to get things done...but it was totally worth it!

A Fun-Filled Weekend!

This past weekend was full of fun!  It started off on Friday night when Blake decided to roll over!  He had done it a few random times since, but on Friday night, I would lay him on his back, he'd go to his tummy, I'd put him back...and he just kept rolling back to his tummy.  It was fun and exciting!



I just rolled on my tummy!  (please ignore my sister's pink Dora blanket...I sort've spit up a lot so all of my blankets were in the wash at the time!!)

  Saturday morning, Addy and I made some Valentine's brownies!  Addy helped me put in the oil, water and eggs...and of course she helped with licking the bowl.  We made heart-shaped brownies with some fun sprinkles on top.  It was too cute because she was putting on the sprinkles...her finger accidentally dipped in the batter so she went and licked her finger.  It was like a light bulb went on in her head saying, "mmmm this is tasty!" because then she kept purposely dipping her fingers in the batter.

Thank goodness the brownies were only for us to eat and grandma and grandpa Tarara!



Dipping my finger!



Licking the spoon.  I will say that once her spoon was licked clean, she did finish those oranges on her plate too!

 My mom and dad watched the kids on Saturday night.  We planned a date night for 2/12 when I was still on maternity leave...6 weeks ago!  The weather was mild so I went over there earlier in the day to have the kids play outside for a bit.


Pushing Blake in the old-fashioned sled my parents have (I had Addy in this last year too - it is REALLY old.  My grandpa was pushed in it when he was a baby, and he would've been 91 right now).




Blake was very comfy in the sled...fell asleep!

Saturday night we had a DATE NIGHT!  We rarely do a date night.  Most of the time when we do things with friends, we bring the kids with and go to houses where the kids can go to sleep.  So this was an exciting evening!  We had made plans with the Scheel's.  We went downtown Rochester for dinner, drinks, and to go to the comedy club. 

It was Rochester's Winter Festival this weekend.  They had a bunch of different activities going on, but the one thing we did was visited the ice bar.  As you can guess, it was a bar made out of ice (as if I had to point it out!).  It was very busy in the Peace Plaza, but we managed to run into my aunt Judy and uncle Craig there, which was fun.  I must say, I'm always impressed with the events when I do go downtown and attend them.  I most often don't feel like I'm in my town because we rarely do them.  But, I always have a good time!


Self portrait of Aaron, me, Jeff & Rachel @ the ice bar!  One of my fav pics!



"SOCIAL ICE"

I look at the pictures above and see a drink in every one.  I feel the need to say that it was the SAME DRINK the entire time we were there!  I like to have a few social beverages, but that's about it!

Sunday was a relaxing day at home...MAMA EVEN GOT IN A NAP!  Blake was sleeping and Aaron & Addy were playing downstairs and I dozed off on the couch.  I don't think it lasted more than 20 minutes until I heard a sweet little "mama" and opened my eyes to see my little blue-eyed girl STARING at me...then she proceeded to pull off the entire blanket I was cuddling under.  Nap was over -- but I got one!!

Addy and I made more brownies on Sunday...this time to bring to daycare for her Valentine's party!

This time, we didn't lick our fingers and put them back in the batter.  I made sure of that since they weren't staying in the family, LOL!

Then Aaron and Addalyn played outside on our deck for a little while.  Addy made her first snowman!!!  Well, I think Aaron made it and Addy put in a few "pats" every once in a while.  But - none the less it was her first Snowman Making Experience!



Playing outside...water table in the summer, snow table in the winter!

 

Patting down her snowman!



Finished!  I must note - I was improvising and had given them 3 hershey kisses for eyes and a nose...raisins for a mouth.  Well, Addy apparently needed a snack from all of her hard work, so she ate 2 of the kisses, so Aaron put the third on the snowman as a "hat".  The raisins weren't sticking (and I saw her sneak some of those in her mouth too!).  So, it was branches for the face and arms instead!

 

I wish I knew what she was telling him here, she's so expressive!

While daddy & Addy were out playing, Blake and I hung out inside and he worked on rolling over some more.  He was super smiley so I got a bunch of fun pictures of him.  I think this one is pretty good!

We've been super busy lately - and even though we did a lot this weekend, it was all just fun family things (and a date night...totally deserved!).  Gotta love these 'feel good' fun-filled weekends :)

Hello Again

So, I've been wanting to not have a private blog basically since I went private...and I noticed that blogspot is trying to require everyone to have a certain specific google account.  Sooo, I'm back to being public.  I think there is a way I can secure photos so I don't open up another random blog and see pictures of my little baby girl (or baby boy now!) staring back at me.  I'll look into it - but in the meantime, I'm back to being a public blog!

Winter Fun Party!

This past Saturday my parents had a Winter Party at their house with our family, my sisters' families, and our cousin Andrew with his wife and kids.  The weather was perfect!  No wind and 30's so even Blake could come outside!!



My parents have a field behind their house that actually has a decent sledding hill in it.  And, as I have blogged about before, my dad makes a skating rink in our backyard, so there was lots of activities to do.

 

The Blakester and I getting ready to head to the sledding hill

 

Mama's boy in the making!

   

Riding on the snowmobile with Uncle Chad!  We kept all the snowmobiles going up and down the hill getting people from the bottom to the top :)

Grandma Bonnie w/ Blake!



Action shot of grandpa, Addy & Hunter going down the hill!

 

Aaron pulling people up the hill.  Yeah, so, you know that wife that offers to put all of your snow stuff in the car for you, and even specifically asks you where your boots are...and then when you get to your destination and ask your wife where your boots are, she admits she never put them in the car???  Yeah, I'm THAT wife!!  Soooo, Aaron hung out on the snowmobile so his feet didn't get too wet & cold.  OOPS!

  

A view from the hill, it all blends together so it doesn't look that steep, but it is a decent sledding hill for the kids!



After sledding I took Addy on the ice rink for a bit (just with her boots).  Here she is sitting and looking a bit chilly!



Addy "playing hockey" with Drew :)

A fun day :)  After the day at my parents, we actually headed over to my sister Angela's house for Hunter's 2nd birthday party.  I didn't get many pictures from the night, but I did get this one of Hunter & Addy.  They are starting to become little buds when they are together...too cute and fun.  During the Super Bowl (which we also saw my family for this past weekend!), they kept running back and forth from one room to the next, and Addy would yell 'Mon Unter!!' ("Come On Hunter") over and over and giggle as they chased each other back and forth!

Hunter and Addy playing together

The Big Three

Blake was 3 months on the 22nd.  He's a lot of fun right now!  He has started "talking" and tells some good stories these days.  He is also becoming more smiley (although I have trouble capturing it on camera!).  Blake actually has slept through the night once (8pm to 6am) which was awesome :) - and went 2 weeks straight sleeping 8 to 4 ish, and going right back to sleep after his bottle around 4.  However, for whatever reason this last week, he's started waking earlier and sometimes twice in a night...not sure what is up with that!

He rolled over 1 day after his 3 month "birthday", but he hasn't done it since.  He tries all the time going both directions when he's on his back.  It was funny, 'cause he was "practicing" and I had told Aaron to watch him, and as soon as we both looked back toward Blake, he flipped right on to his tummy.  His arms were stuck underneath him and he just looked around like "whoa"!!

He is still not too fond of his bath --- but he is so cute and cuddly afterwards!  I could count on one hand the times Blake's been calm during a bath since he was born - and 3 of those times were in this last week, so I think we might be taking a turn for the better with baths!

Blake spits up A TON.  Oh my - Addy was a "spitter" but nothing like Blake.  It's a successful day if he gets picked up from Julie's in the same outfit he was dropped off in...and that usually only happens when we have bibs on him :)

A rare time I actually captured his smile!

 Even when Blake isn't smiling - there is something about the way this little guy looks at me...oh my the heart just melts.  I mean, seriously! 

Look at that face...kissable?  I think so!

 

Getting bigger and able to use the Bumbo some!



Working on tummy time and being a super star :)

 

A smile caught by daddy on camera



Starting to play in his exersaucer...I love it when they can entertain themselves in here.  Addy loved this toy when she was little.  It's looking like Blake will enjoy himself in here too :)