Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday we had a lazy sunday afternoon to recover from all the craziness of this weekend.  Here is a video of the kids playing with Carter's new hokey pokey elmo.

Carter's Birthday Party

Today's the Day we've waited for

Because you're not a baby anymore

You've grown into the prettiest toddler we've ever seen

Happy Birthday number 3

(Neil Sedaka - Happy Birthday Number 3)

Today was Mr. Carter Owen Shadle's third birthday party.  We went to a local squirt park and had a blast!

Mommy spent way too much time yesterday making monkey cupcakes.  Meme and Mike just don't appreciate the artwork because both asked me "What are the green things?"  And in case you are wondering too, they are the eyes!  (The red dots are the nostrils.)

But the kids didn't care what the monkey's looked like, they just wanted to eat!

I will eat you now.

Then it was time to swim.  Long story as to why my kids didn't have swimsuits, but let's just suffice it to say I forgot everything this morning.  Except the cupcakes, because that would be just wrong.  But you know what?  My kids had a ball swimming in a pull-up and shorts.

As you can plainly see.  And who dosen't love a little baby strutting around in a diaper?

There were smiles on the faces of my kids and all their friends (except the one little girl who didn't like the water, sorry Rachel!)

Of course the cousins were there as well.  Carter has taken to calling her my best friend Riley.

Then we made some balloon animals.  The kids stuck stickers onto balloons which made them look like fish, frogs, pigs, cows, cats, dogs and lions.

Here is Avery's fish balloon.  We were so busy running, splashing, sticking stickers, eating cupcakes and throwing balloons we ran out of time to open presents.

Cars!  His friends know him so well.

What an awesome coloring book!

Aunt Margie told him to close his eyes while opening the present.

Woody and Buzz Lightyear!

It was a busy day, but I know Carter had the best time.  There were so many times watching him smile, giggle, laugh and play that I was so so so happy.  And in love with my little boy.  I'm so happy we had this birthday party for him, but Mike and I have decided to do birthday parties every three years.  Or so.

Anyways, this is how the birthday party ended.

Yes, we were rear-ended.

By my Dad.

All that matters is that we are all safe and sound.

Crazy day, huh?

Just playing in the dirt

Yesterday and today we have been laying low and taking it easy.  The last week and a half has been super busy and crazy between baseball, spending time with the Shadles, meeting our cousins for the first time and spending two days at Meme and Bob Bob's house.  So today we slept in, stayed in our pajamas until 11, and played in the dirt.  As you can see, we had a wonderful time.

The Last Day of Summer

Tomorrow Brendan goes back to school (and Riley on Friday.)  So we enjoyed one last day of summer with our cousins before the craziness of the school year sets in.  It was a beautiful day, the kind that I have been dreaming about all summer.  No scorching heat or high humidity, just pleasant breezes and cool temperatures.

We went on a walk through the park, past the pond and saw a turtle.

The kids saw one of the attrations of Sidney:  the big rock.

Uncle Patrick was the perfect Uncle and even took Carter for a bathroom break.

Our big three year old boy.

Weren't these type of slides supposed to be banned in the continental US because they are a death trap?

Between being 10 feet off the ground, nothing to stop the kid from falling and made out of metal that is blistering hot it was the most fun thing on the playground.  But we all survived.

The cousins had a great time too.  That is until Brendan decided to step into the mud next to the pond.

Watch me, Mom!  I'm going to do the monkey bars!

We had the best time with you today, Brendan and Riley!

Cousins

From left to right:  Carter, Brendan, Avery and Riley

It's so good to have them back on American soil.  The cousins are getting on smashingly.  The Labbett house is back to its normal craziness with five adults, an eight year old, five year old, three year old, 1.5 year old, a dog and a cat.

Bat man (and woman)

Bat masks made at preschool story time about nocturnal animals. 

Baby #3 Update

**Updated 8/20 I fixed the link.  Or at least I hope I did.**


Yesterday I had my check up and one hour blood sugar test.  Thankfully I passed it this time and won't have to take the dreaded three hour test.  Although I did just squeeze by with a 129 and the cut off is 130!  Baby bingo is looking great although he was really squirming around with all that sugar in his system.  We are still working on names, but I think we may have a winner.  I have another baby name poll, so see what you think:

http://www.babynames.com/namelist/9760138


Also we picked out bingo's coming home/picture taking outfit:

How cute is that!

We can't wait to meet you Bingo!

(Don't worry, bingo is just a working title.)

More Baseball!

Today was day two of Carter's baseball league.  It was a long hard day for him.  We went to Meme's pool this morning, took a short nap in the car, relaxed at home for an hour and then straight to baseball.  Mike thinks that his running has improved from yesterday, with a little more hustle and a little less...........prancing.  I'll let you be the judge:

Carter was having tickle wars with the other kids.

He was also doing the bunny hop:

Catch that ball!

At 7:23 he walked off the field and said "I'm done with this show.  I'm done with this show."  Then he climbed up in the van.

Luckily we managed to get him back.

Ava had a great time with her Meme.

This may seem like a lot of pictures, but believe it or not, it dosen't even come close to the amount that are on my camera.  I took almost 200 photos yesterday and 100 today!  That's all for tonight, but don't worry I have enough for a thousand more blog posts. 

Smart Start Baseball

Today was day one of Carter's Smart Start Baseball.  It's a one week long league where they practice for four days and on friday they will have a game.  Today was a blast.  Exhausting for all of us, but still a blast.

There was plenty of digging in the dirt

and balls rolling through legs.

But, he also threw some good balls.

Not too bad!

I'll put up some more pictures tomorrow of Daddy and Roo as well as more baybah (Ava's baby speak for baseball.)  We can't wait to see the game on friday!

More Pictures from Grandma and Bo's House

Grandma and Grandbo pretty much have little kid heaven in their backyard.  There are swings, a sandbox, a play house and on some days a campfire.

What campfire would be complete without marshmallows?

Avery's mouth is just a little full.

Carter boy has work to do!

Carter's tattoo

This is Carter's tattoo from the baseball game.  He calls it his Penn State Baseball.  His Bo would be proud.

HELP!!!

I need one of my medically trained family members to tell me this is totally normal.  Yesterday at my Mom's house a vein in my leg started burning and itching.  This morning that vein looks like this:

I'm just assuming this is the beginning of a varicose vein because of pregnancy (yeah, fun.) 

For those of you who come to this blog for cute pictures and stories of the kids, my apologies. 

So, what do you think?

Our weekend in Youngstown

This weekend we had a great time in Youngstown, Ohio!  (I know, you're totally thinking that's the first time that sentence has ever been written.  But really, we did!)  I had a wonderful afternoon at our very favorite bride and groom to be's wedding shower. 

Uncle Jason brought flowers for Tiffany and her Mom,

and his Mom too. 

The food was delicious (quiche, mmmm) the company was wonderful and I got to practice taking a lot of pictures. 

Then later that evening Avery stayed home to have a tea party with her grandma, while Carter went to his very first baseball game at the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.  It was the perfect place to have a first baseball game, our seats were really close to the action,  and Carter got to see four homeruns!  Carter gives a great big thumbs up to the baseball games!  The thumbs up is his Dad's signature pose.

He also had everyone laughing by yelling "cow ball" instead of "foul ball."

Carter with the guys:

(See, I told you the thumbs up was his Daddy's signature pose.) 

It was so nice to spend some time with our family.  What a great weekend!

Carter has something to tell you

Today we went to a kid's book club at a friend's house.  It was so much fun!  This group has a LOT of little boys, so the theme of trains was very appropriate.  The kid's read The Little Engine that Could, made a train cookie snack and then made their very own train.  He is in love with his train right now, and even asked if he could take it to bed for his nap!

Fear

It seems like every day Carter is getting bigger and bigger, just racing away from toddlerhood and closer to being a preschooler.  Everyone that has spent time with him knows that he is scared of the "scary bad mans" and he sees them everywhere.  Sometimes he talks to them and invites them to dinner (no really, he does) and sometimes he just stays away.  But lately his imagination has been in overdrive and he is scared of many other things.  Including the episode of Curious George where get gets a cold and has to get the germs to leave his body.  I don't know if he was freaked out by the fact that Curious George went inside his own body, or that there were singing germs there.  Either way, we are quite often discussing the difference betweeen real and pretend.

Then last night, he had a nightmare.  Let me preface this by saying Carter wakes up every day calling for Daddy.  Some days when I go in and say that Daddy is at work, he starts crying and pouting because he dosen't want Mommy.  We've tried preparing him the night before, but still without fail he wakes up wanting Mike.  But back to the nightmare, he woke up last night at 9:30 calling for.............Mommy!  When I went into his bedroom he was crying and wanted to sleep with Mommy because Mommy protects him.  It's so nice to know that when he is scared or hurt he still wants his Mommy.  We got to cuddle and looked all around his room to show him it was safe, then he went back to sleep.  And I must say, I've done wonders because it is ten till 9 and he is still sleeping.  I'll be watching the Curious George's a little more closer, we don't need any more nightmares about singing germs in his nose!  

Just enjoying our playset

Just another busy summer day.  Two playdates.  One check engine light.  Four loads of laundry. 

Then we unwound on the playset.

This girl is all over the playset.  She has no fear.