Bozic Family

We had ourselves a Merry little Christmas

2011-12-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

or four.

It started in Webster Springs...

A wonderful couple of days spent with two of our favorite people--Debbie and John spoil us and our kiddos. We ate yummy food, played with fun presents, and relaxed!

Joe sporting his new Spider-man suit

Libby showing off her first creation in her Easy-Bake oven.

The BIKES. Can I please tell you that seeing my kids on bikes made me feel really old! They are getting so big-where did my babies go? On another note--Libby was AWESOME. She took right to it. Joe-not so much. He understood the brakes. The pedaling was a different story.

Later that week, we headed to the Bozic's. We had a great night of Mamaw Bozic's punch and cookies-highlighted by Libby's reaction to her presents. With every one she opened her voice got higher and more excited!

Libby and her first La-La Loopsy.

Aww-they love each other.

This is about the only hug photo I have that doesn't look like Libby is putting Joe in a choke-hold.

Joe and his new drum pad. He is quite the rocker!

I am missing photos from Christmas Eve at my parents because I forgot my camera--I took some with my Dad's though so I will post when I get them. We enjoyed a yummy dinner with my whole family, and then our little troop headed to the Christmas Eve service. It was a low-key event. Readers shared the story of Jesus' birth while the kids dressed up and played the different parts. Libby was an angel. Scattered throughout the service were songs for us to worship to. It was wonderful to be with our church family to celebrate the tremendous gift God gave us in His Son, and so fun to see our kids participate in the celebration.

Christmas Day meant brunch at our place and then RELAXING for the rest of the day.

Aunt Casey and Joe playing with the new toys.

Aunt Kerri and Sami eating the yummy brunch.

Libby and her sideways-"CHEESE". Typical.

I have videos, but Blogger hates me a little. As soon as I figure out what I am doing, I will post.

The light was just right...

2011-11-17T07:30:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago, the light was great in mom's backyard and I happened to have my camera. SO...I took some photos. I think they turned out pretty great, and captured some great moments and faces of the kiddos.

(Libby was much more cooperative with the camera than Joe

as evidenced by the number of pictures I got of her compared to him)

Updates:

Libby loves school. She has made friends; she is really engaging with the teachers and activities; she loves to dance and sing; she now wants to play the horn(please pray for our ears); she is weighing in at 34lbs; she eats so slow that Corey has started calling her Wanda (after his Mamaw); she sometimes talks with a British accent, and her stuffed animals must all be from NY given their accents. Libby also loves to bake, purple is still her favorite color, and her shyness has all but disappeared.

Joe loves Spiderman. He has a T-shirt that he wears all the time. He is now in the habit of changing his clothes at nap time. He is weighing in at 42.5lbs. He loves to build things and play with cars. He is especially good at puzzles. He loves chocolate and cheese. He talks much more plainly now and he and Libby have full conversations in the backseat of the car. He can write his name, and his favorite colors are blue and red (although I am not sure that he decided for himself, I am pretty sure Libby told him-"Your favorite color is red!").

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T17:58:00.002-04:00

From an owl and a skunk.

It has become a tradition that we go to the Smiths house for Halloween. We all have a meal and then get the kiddos ready to go. This year our numbers expanded, and a great time was had by all. Our kiddos costumes were GREAT--thank you, thank you MeMe for making such adorable costumes! Here are photos to show you just how adorable they were!

I have some great pics from Sami's birthday party that I will share soon!

Mountaineers: Rain or Shine

2011-10-01T07:50:00.003-04:00

And last night for the Homecoming Parade, it was definitely RAIN. But that didn't stop us from going! Libby and Joe got decked out in their blue and gold rain gear, and mom and I made due with whatever we had.

Pre-parade. It was a misty rain, but not miserable

The parade was not crowded; it mostly consisted of band parents and friends. We got a great spot toward the end of High Street and parked it there for the next hour and a half. I have never seen my kids so excited! Libby waved until I thought her arm would fall off. She would yell at every float or car or group--"Woo, Let's GOOO Mountaineers." The soaked parade participants couldn't help but smile when they saw her enthusiasm.

About halfway through, the mist turned to steady rain

And Joe? Joe ate candy. (in the above pic, you can see he has stuffed his mouth with laffy taffy). With the low attendance, groups still had LOTS of candy left even at the end of the street. Joe would run out and grab handfuls, bring them to me, and shove it all in my pockets. At one point he was running circles around a light post--sugar overload!

But rain or shine, it was so much fun!

What's been happening around here

2011-09-22T08:56:00.005-04:00

We are in a bit of a schedule these days. Libby goes to school Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She still loves it! Apparently, yesterday she made up a song and led the whole class in it-there was clapping and hand motions too. Her teachers are wonderful, and they love her (which makes us so happy). And she must be enjoying herself because she comes home EXHAUSTED every day. This was after school last Friday.

Joe spends one day with his MeMe, one day with Becki and her girls, and one day with me. I love this photo that Becki took when she had him a couple weeks ago!

It's been fun to spend time with this kid alone. He is developing such a personality (and a bit of a temper). He ALWAYS wants to play ball. I'll walk in the door and he says, "Mommy, you want to play ball with me. It's a good idea!" He also is incapable of smiling for the camera these days. I get this face instead :)

Weekends (and nice days with Daddy) usually involve a park or a walk. Last week-both. The kids love to swing and slide. Joe loves to RUN.

It's official

2011-09-06T15:58:00.005-04:00

Libby loves school!!

She started the day with enthusiasm and it held on all day. She ran into school without looking back. I had to ask for a hug good-bye. And apparently she played hard all day because she was asleep in the car within minutes of being picked up. When she found out that yesterday was a holiday, she said "Mommy this holiday is nice and all, but when can I go back to school?"

She is making friends. She is having fun. It is the start of a great year for our baby girl!

Joe needed a back pack too-and he looks like he should be going to school too, huh?

growing up...

2011-09-01T16:12:00.003-04:00

Deep sigh...Libby starts Pre-K tomorrow. I started this blog to update everyone on her status when she was born and living in the NICU. Now I am telling all of you that she is about to embark on her first school adventure. WOW. Time has flown. And it makes me a little sad. But I'm also a little excited.

She went to her "warm-up" on Monday night. She liked all her teachers and apparently did her "belly laugh" during the puppet show-which made the adults giggle and the other kids a little more comfortable to laugh too. She has a great laugh-it's contagious :) I will post tomorrow with an update on how the first day went, so stay tuned.

kids will play...

2011-07-20T21:30:00.005-04:00

Our kids play HARD! They love the park...being outside is a FAVORITE!! And we have been able to be out a good bit. On the flip side, our kiddos also love a chill evening watching a movie or an episode of He-Man (or Super Mario Brothers or Avatar). Here are some new photos of our outdoor/indoor adventures. You can also check out my blog here to see the ins and outs of our month of July.

Milk and snacks in hand, kiddos are ready for a fun family movie night--the Incredibles.

Joe peeking his head out of the pirate ship at the Honi-Honi while Corey played a gig

Libby played so hard that she fell asleep with her hand in the chip bag

Libby has become quite the ham...this is her striking a pose for the camera.

and of course a couple pictures of Libby Lou Lally on her birthday!

5x a miracle

2011-07-11T10:06:00.004-04:00

My baby girl turns 5 today. To think she started off this small...

But every year she has grown and developed and changed. This year her personality has really bloomed. She is JUST LIKE HER DAD with a hint of Wanda Marple. She has a crazy sense of humor. She never tires of being silly. She is so caring and mindful of her brother. I love to see her heart for him. If we buy her a treat at the store she will always ask, "What are we getting for Joe?" He is never left out.

Libby age 1

Libby age 2

Libby age 3

Libby age 4

Some things remain the same though...

She is still our miracle baby

Happy Birthday Libby Lou Lally. I love you!!

Happy Birthday!

2011-06-20T15:18:00.003-04:00

We call him Joebot and Monster Truck. Libby calls him her "brudder." He is our sweet little man. Full of energy and craziness. He has the best sad face ever. I can't believe he has only been in our life for 3 years. Our family just wasn't complete until he made his debut.

LOVE YOU JOE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

new adventures

2011-06-16T07:04:00.004-04:00

Libby's surgery went off without a hitch last month, and it really didn't slow her down at all! She is an amazing kid (I know I say it all the time, but c'mon, she is!). We've done our best to fill the summer with fun things that she can do too i.e. no water activities.

Here are some photos from a hike we took in Cooper's Rock. She had a blast in the stroller while Joe and I ran and ran and ran. I'm convinced he has two settings: Hi and Lo. Nothing in between. We ended up at the overlook and a fun park where we had a picnic and let the kids play. It was a great day.

More next month... It is just about birthday season here in the Bozic house, so lots of pictures to come!

A month in review

2011-05-10T21:41:00.005-04:00

It seems that life continues to happen, and we remain busy, busy, busy. So here are some photos to help review what we have been up to.

Lovely photo of Libby-one of my new favorites.

Easter--not a "normal" photo int he bunch. But I like this one :)

A trip to Charleston to visit my grandparents... Grandpa is doing SO much better!

Libby likes it when Joe pushes her on the rocket.

More to come as the summer progresses!

Spring Fun!

2011-04-09T20:45:00.003-04:00

It hasn't been much of a spring so far. We have been hibernating in the house for so long, it seemed like it would never end. One good thing about being inside -- we learned that the kids LOVE cup stacking. Hours of fun with 20 cents worth of plastic cups.

Today, however, was lovely. I took the kiddos over to mom and dad's for an outdoor adventure. They wanted to wear their rain gear, despite dry conditions. So I let them, and the photos turned out really cute. ENJOY!

Forever Friends (and a little birthday fun)

2011-04-04T10:09:00.003-04:00

The last couple of Fridays, Shawna and I have been getting the kids together for a play date. It is so fun that our kids have been friends for their whole lives. When they are together, very little is required of Shawna and I. We usually enjoy some coffee while the kids amuse themselves.

Last week was also a special day for a special PawPaw. We took ourselves and the kiddos to mom and dad's house to celebrate! The kids especially loved blowing out the candles on Dad's cake.

Celebrating old friends!

2011-03-22T19:57:00.005-04:00

I feel like I keep starting every blog with "these last few weeks have been hectic" or some variation thereof. But in our life there are seldom weeks where things are not crazy.

A couple weekends ago was especially jam packed with events. One of Corey's best friends Noel was in town for one night and one night only--so his great wife Mandy threw him a surprise party. The Jabbours live in Minnesota right now, so it is always a treat to spend time together. It was really GREAT to get to celebrate Noel turning the big 3-0!

The next day, an extra special visitor arrived at my mom's house from Argentina! Omar was an exchange student that spent a year in the U.S. 16 years ago. He was a student at the same high school my sister attended and the two of them were really close friends.

So when Omar didn't particularly like his host family, he came to stay with us. And then he ended up staying for the summer too. He was one of those people that made you smile no matter what. He and I spent a LOT of time together--no idea where the rest of the family was, but it always seemed to be me and Omar hanging out. He loved 80s music, so I would write down song lyrics for him (also helped him learn English).

Now Omar is a software engineer in Buenos Aires. He hasn't visited since 1998--which means he had met none of our kids or husbands or anything. Joe loved him immediately. It was great to catch up. We just started off right where we left off... Hope it doesn't take another 13 years to have a visit! Libby will be graduating from high school around then (AHHH) for now though--she is just styling in purple shades :)

Staying sane :)

2011-03-11T12:47:00.005-05:00

We are in the thick of things right now. School stuff is piling up. Viruses are circulating around. Weather keeps changing from winter to spring and back again. But the Bozic household has been doing what it can to keep spirits high and stress low. One of my favorite activities is cooking with Libby. She is quite the helper. We both have to wear aprons and she pushes her stool next to the counter. Stirring and measuring are her favorite.

Getting out of the house is also a key part of sanity. We visited Grandma and PawPaw last weekend and it was great. Then we went home and had a fun movie night. You can read about it at my blog here.

We have also just been really silly lately. I laugh at Joe all the time (except the times when I am pulling out my hair because he is stubborn). He is a crazy kid sometimes :)

Fun things...

2011-02-28T14:19:00.005-05:00

We have been busy, but with a new camera, I have also been taking more pictures. The winter chill is still upon us, so we have been staying indoors. That doesn't mean we haven't been having a blast. I'll let the pictures tell the stories (and captions).

Precious moment captured post-bath.

Libby helping me make roasted squash and ricotta stuffed shells.

She LOVES to cook and eat. Look at the tongue stuck out in concentration!

Joe in big boy underpants. He is NOT potty trained, but we are moving in that direction.

Family movie night. The kids got the comfy chairs, candy and strawberry milk.

I got the couch and a Care Bear movie (I think they won in this scenario).

Joe trying to coax daddy into another horsey ride.

Joe weighs right at 40 lbs, so the horsey can only go so far.

Cute kiddo feet. This is mainly me playing with the camera :)

Ball race in the basement. This has become a favorite activity for the kiddos. Libby makes me whistle to start the race.

A fun weekend away (for everyone)

2011-02-22T17:39:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Corey and I headed to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg TN area to stay in a cabin with the Taylors. The kiddos, however, stayed in Webster Springs with Corey's aunt and uncle. They had a BLAST!!

There was dress up

And tea parties

Joe got bored with the tea party eventually

We heard there was also a Valentine party complete with streamers and cupcakes. The weather was nice so Debbie and John took them to the river to see the fish and throw rocks. Libby got to take naps in the tent--which made her SO happy. Thanks so much guys! We had a great time relaxing, and our kids were WELL taken care of.

My favorite things these days

2011-02-09T10:15:00.003-05:00

Our camera is close to dying, so the only photos I have were taken on my phone. But I wanted to share a little about the kiddos and us as a family. Things have been CRAZY in the Bozic household for the last month. Getting in the groove of a new semester is usually stressful enough, but now Corey has band practice twice (or more) a week, I am trying to have play dates with other kiddos and work and study -- you get the point.

BUT...we are here. We are learning to appreciate the little pieces of time we have together as a family, and I am loving the time I have at home with the kids (especially on Friday when I am not doing any school work). We have dance parties and tea parties and movie nights with popcorn.

Here are a few snapshots of my favorite things these days...

Libby writing her letters and making Valentine's for her friends. She can write all of them, but when she gets bored, she writes "stories" which are squiggly lines on paper. This story was about snakes... very appropriate.

Joe being my cuddle buddy while I study. He throws fits and can cry on command, but MAN this kid is sweet. He gives the best hugs and makes you feel like a million bucks when he runs to you and says "Oh Mommy, I missed you so much." Makes me melt.

The kiddos will be off for an adventure in Webster County soon, so I will definitely update then.

The new things

2011-02-03T15:11:00.002-05:00

The newest thing in the life of Libby is this GIRLINESS! I am not very girly. So I am always confused when everyday she asks to wear a long dress and wants to have tea parties, take care of babies etc. The new girliness means that we watch Angelina Ballerina, wear her ballerina dress and shoes as often as possible and twirl (we twirl alot).

Joe in the other hand is fascinated by the drums. He is crushed when the drum sessions have to end. He makes all sorts of things into drums-tupperware, tables, Libby. I will try to write a longer blog about all their many new adventures and anecdotes, but I thought this short post would tide everyone over for a moment :)

Getting settled in...

2011-01-23T14:00:00.003-05:00

Every semester is an adjustment. This one is no different. But we have already had some adventures that I will share. First, the kiddos had their well-child visits (6 months late). Libby weighed in at 31.5 pounds-Joe 38. They both measure 37 inches tall. Dr. Tony was really pleased with how well they are both doing!

Another adventure has been Corey joining two bands. One is a wedding band, the other four guys that like to play music and hang out. The wedding band is serious business though, and because they have a gig in a couple weeks, he has been practicing A LOT. While I knew marrying a drummer would require me to listen to him practice, everyday for an hour or more is more than I bargained for. In an effort to be supportive, the kiddos and I joined mom and dad at the women's basketball game yesterday (to give Corey 3-4 uninterrupted hours to practice). The kids had a great time. Libby loved everything-especially the food. Joe was harder to please, but I think he had fun.

Libby and Dad walking to the car. I always think these photos are sweet.

The Rest of the Holidays

2011-01-10T08:53:00.005-05:00

We had a great break and tomorrow I go back to school. Our first order of business after our Webster trip was to make some fun craft projects to give everyone for Christmas. Libby and Joe had a great time making paintings for everyone. Libby especially loved the purple paint-go figure!After our Webster trip, we celebrated Christmas with the Bozics--complete with the best pepperoni rolls! Libby got a Dora house that she had been asking Pappy for since long before Christmas. And Joe got a tool bench that he calls his "Handy Manny". He loves it! It was great to relax and let the kids play for the evening. Christmas Eve was spent with my family. Everyone was in town and it was CRAZY! But the kids had a blast. I don't have many pics from here because Dad made me take photos with his camera all day. Christmas morning was spent at home--for the first time ever in Corey's life. The kids woke up to find more presents under the tree. Joe loved his train set and Libby loved her princess dolls, but the favorite for both was probably the $5 microphones we put in their stockings. We've had so much fun watching Libby perform. Later that morning, the family all headed over for brunch. Corey had an omelet station going and I made coffee with my new French Press. It was a great day. The rest of break has been pretty great. I took the kids out in the snow a couple days ago. Joe was not a fan, but Libby loved it. She made snow balls and angels. She wanted to make a snow man, but it was just not wet enough snow. Maybe next time.

Quick post of some new pics

2010-12-10T08:13:00.004-05:00

I am in the middle of finals, so not much time to write. But I needed a break from learning the rules of evidence, so I figured I could post some fun photos of the kiddos.

Kiddos at their first mountaineer game. Libby is chomping on a pepperoni roll!

Daddy and Joe; Mommy and Libby looking nice on Thanksgiving. No one cooperated for a full family photo.

Pappy and Joe dressed in the same outfit for Mia's bday party this year :)

A Big Trip to celebrate a Big Day

2010-11-10T16:26:00.008-05:00

So on Sunday, Corey turned the BIG 3-0. His present? A trip to Austin, Texas with our best friends the Taylors. We all arrived on Friday around noon ready to explore the new city-and especially ready to eat. Friday night we hit a local tex-mex place called Chuy's. It was amazing! There was this jalapeno cream sauce that I will never forget! Saturday was filled to the brim with all kinds of activity. First I got to reunite with one of my best friends Ellen who moved back home to Texas last spring. She met up with us to go to the first annual Gypsy Picnic-a gathering of 30 food trailers that are unique to Austin. We got to try pulled pork tacos, bratwurst, and the most amazing donuts I have ever tasted-one was maple with bacon called the flying pig, the other was cinammon and sugar. It was very indicative of the live music capital of the world-a great stage was set up and we got to listen to several bands while we enjoyed our food. Once we were full, we decided to explore downtown. We walked down 6th street - a very famous street in Austin. That evening we hit a famous BBQ place called Rudy's. There was quite the plethora of food--brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage, cream corn, beans and potato salad. It was amazing. Then we dressed ourselves up and took ourselves back downtown to 4th street. We hit a really fun bar called Cedar Street and listened to an awesome 80s cover band called the Spazmatics! Sunday was more laid back. We went to the infamous Round Rock Donuts, which was awesome. Did some shopping at the outlets and hit up a sports bar called Pluckers for lunch. Corey finally found a hot chicken wing that challenged his palate! Then went down to South Congress Ave--which was full of all kinds of vintage shops and where Corey got a free hug that apparently was the best hug ever. We took it easy that night and soaked our soar feet and bodies in the hot tub, ordered a pizza and packed ourselves up. It was a great trip with great friends, and we can't wait to have another adventure soon!

Our Crazy Bunnies

2010-11-04T08:36:00.004-04:00

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. It was Joe's first Trick or Treating experience, and he loved it. The kiddos dressed up as Max&Ruby--a show about a brother and sister bunny that is eerily similar to Joe and Libby in real life. They both were pros at saying "Trick or Treat" and "Thank You." By the end of the night, they were tuckered out from getting a lot of loot.

In other news, Libby and Joe are great. They play really nicely together (most of the time) and are growing up so fast! Joe is still in a crib, but we think we are tackling big boy bed and big boy pants at the same time over my winter break. More to come later!

The last month

2010-10-11T11:06:00.004-04:00

Oh goodness... school has begun again. Thus posts are few and far between, but I have a few minutes today to tell you how we all are. Libby and Joe are both great! They are funny and vibrant kiddos. Libby is getting to be a really big kid-who loves to play dress-up and pretend. She is a fabulous dancer and a really good big sister when she wants to be. Joe idealizes Libby. He follows her around. He says what she says. They are both getting bigger and bigger-albeit, Joe is growing up at an alarming rate! He is taller and denser than Libby now. He weighs in at around 35 lbs. Libby is right at 30. Joe loves to color now-and Libby is working on her letters, so we have table time everyday to let them practice. They both also really like jumping-off tables, couches, toy boxes. It is kind of terrifying, but they love it. I am pretty convinced that they are monkeys.

Libby making a funny face-she is SO much like her daddy.

Fun with the Taylors x 2

2010-09-10T21:26:00.006-04:00

Our best friends live in TN which means that we see them when we see them. Usually holidays mean a few hours of time together; We try to make it down there once or twice a year. But all that has changed these last couple of months. The Taylors were in town at the beginning of July-so much fun was had that we went down at the end of July. Once we realized Joe would be ok in the car, we packed up the kids and headed down as a family the weekend before school started for me. It was crazy to have all three kids, but it was so much fun too. We took the kiddos to a park, to a fountain.

Another perk of visiting TN is getting to see my friend Erin! And even better, she got to meet our kiddos for the first time. It was instant friendship!

We took ourselves to a pub. There was a lot of hanging out and watching them destroy the Taylors house. I cannot tell you how many times we cleaned up the toy explosion. But we said our good-byes completely expecting to have an 8 week drought of Taylor-age. But the next week, the Taylors decided that being at the season opener was really important! So we readied our house and did the whole thing over again!

Now we are gearing up for the Syracuse game--too may weeks away!

Our first family trip to the beach

2010-08-14T10:22:00.006-04:00

We just got back from our first family trip to the beach and it was a blast. Most of my family rented a house in Bethany Beach Delaware this year. The trip got off to a rocky start with ridiculous traffic that added 2 hours onto our drive. The kids were great though-we have never had Joe on a long journey so we weren't sure how he would do. Once there, we settled in. There were 11 people total (3 young kiddos) so it was kind of a tight fit. Joe ended up sleeping in a pack 'n' play in the walk in closet and Libby was on an air mattress. They slept great. We stayed in a golf community resort area, so there was a playground right around the corner and several pools to play in.

The ocean was a little rough, but Libby liked getting her feet wet. Joe liked sand. We actually didn't spend much time at the beach-it required a lot of prep and a 10 minute shuttle ride to get there, and the kids were only happy for an hour or so. We spent the majority of our time at the pool and it was a HUGE hit. In fact, by the end of the week, Libby and Joe could both "swim." Joe could go with just water wings. Libby was a bit more timid and required 2 noodles, but once she had them, she was fast in the water.

Belated Birthday Photos/Libby's New Room/Our Trip to TN

2010-08-06T09:56:00.008-04:00

The kiddos had a fabulous Yo Gabba Gabba themed birthday party! While the kids had a great time eating the cake, the real fun was had outside on the swing-set and sand box. At the end of the day everyone was so sweaty that everyone needed sprayed down with the hose. Apparently that included me since Elliott grabbed the hose and sprayed me right in the face!

Once the birthday party was over, Corey and I got serious about transforming Libby's room into a "big-girl" room. She was ready for a twin size bed and new color scheme. It is very PURPLE.

FINALLY, Corey and I took off to TN to visit our friends the Taylors and celebrate my birthday/end of internship. We had a great time. We went to Dollywood and rode some great coasters, had a fun BBQ with friends and hit up some outlets. But of course the best is just being with our best friends.

a summer recap

2010-08-04T08:17:00.006-04:00

I have spent most of my summer in a law offie. So the hiatus on blog posts can be mostly blamed on that. On top of that, I wasn't home a lot, so I didn't really take a lot of pictures. But we happened to have had the BEST nanny in the world. On her last day, she presented me with a CD of 347 pictures that she took of our kiddos throughout the summer. So I can share all the things that they did with you. But before I go on, we want to thank Alexis for all she did for us this summer! You are the best and our kiddos adore you!

AND NOW PHOTOS....

Our Miracle-4 years later!

2010-07-11T19:29:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that our little Libby is 4 today? I can't. She has blossomed into an amazing little girl. She has a huge personality in her tiny frame. I think it's easy for us all to forget just how unlikely her arrival was. But God was faithful. He has pulled her through years of therapy, 2 surgeries, a month of casts, and dealing with a baby brother who is bigger than she is. She laughs a ton. She loves to make silly faces. She has such a sweet and thoughtful heart. We love you baby girl!

Birthday season

2010-07-06T21:18:00.003-04:00

I know everyone is going to say "Where are all the photos?" And my response is "On my mom and dad's camera because ours died right before the party." However, I wanted to update everybody and PROMISE to post photos soon.

Last weekend we had Joe and Libby's birthday bash-Yo Gabba Gabba style. The kiddos had a blast and were thrilled to have some of their friends and most of their cousins in attendance. Everyone ate and enjoyed-the kids played outside and entertained all the guests.

We got to celebrate another very special girl on Saturday too. Ainsley Reese turned 3, and Corey and Scott smoked three pork butts to celebrate her arrival on this earth! It was a great weekend filled with friends and food and all kinds of fun. Corey and I even convinced Scott and Danie to add 3 hours onto their 7 hour trip home - and Monday we all piled in a car and headed to IKEA and the mall. It was a great trip ALL around.

Again, pictures to come!

Another month!

2010-06-20T21:23:00.004-04:00

Our lives are super busy-between work and kiddos, we have had our hands full. But Joe turned 2 today! While the festivities are not until next weekend, we did have a fun weekend all together. Yesterday, the whole family piled in the car and we made a day of shopping, dinner out, a trip to the park and all rounded out with Dairy Queen. The kids (and grown ups) were exhausted by the end of the day.

The last month has been fun! We have found out that Joe has a LOVE of the water. Be it the pool or the tub, he is all in all the time. We took a trip to my grandparents in Charleston, and he was delighted to roll around in the kiddie pool all afternoon. A couple weeks ago, we visited my mom and he jumped into her pool with all his clothes on. He is talking up a storm and able to say clear words--his favorite phrase being "It's Stuck."

Libby is also growing up. She has a love of dancing and caring for her babies. She has started to want to watch full length movies (fun for us) and sings the songs for hours (not fun for us). She is a very loving and caring child. She is always concerned about others-especially her brother.

What's been going on...

2010-05-23T21:12:00.004-04:00

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. I finished my first year of law school (YAY)! Corey and I went on a cruise (YAY)! Kiddos both got sick (NOT-yay). I started my new summer job! My best friend got married! LOTS OF STUFF!

Me and Melissa at her Bachelorette Party in Deep Creek!

Melissa in her BEAUTIFUL dress. The wedding was wonderful!

We have been doing so much, and I am so glad to be a little more boring now! Libby is completely better now - she just had a virus of some sort; Joe is on the mend. He got an infection and ended up needing IV antibiotics and a couple nights in the hospital. Meanwhile, I was starting my job--needlesstosay it was a little hectic!

But that being said, Libby and Joe are great. They are learning and growing and doing SO many new things. Joe can count to 10 (it takes forever, but he gets there). He knows all kinds of words and has conversations (and I can understand a few words). Libby has become a kid. No longer a toddler. She has Corey's sense of humor and laughs alot. She is learning some letters and loves to play pretend. This morning she sat in a chair and rocked her baby who was "sick" for 10 minutes.

All in all, we are great. Transitions are always tough, but we are together and that is what matters!

Outside and Easter Fun

2010-04-04T19:45:00.004-04:00

Spring Break arrived last weekend, and Corey and I took a nice trip down to Knoxville to visit Scott and Danielle Taylor. One of the highlights was getting to watch the Mountaineers defeat Kentucky! We were the gold and blue in a sea of Orange, but I think a lot of the other people were rooting for us too!

Once we got home, the weather was too wonderful to keep the kiddos inside. They love the great outdoors, and we have enjoyed letting them run and dig and play. Joe is fast. He runs and runs until he is exhausted. Libby likes to draw with sidewalk chalk and collect sticks. She is more deliberate with her energy.

Easter was also a lot of fun this year. Claire hid eggs for the kids to find after dinner, so we all watched as they wandered around. Two of my friends from school came to dinner too--they helped the kiddos find the eggs and tried to keep Joe reined in. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon!

Brittany , Joe and Lindsey celebrating finding an egg

Grandma and Libby having a nice hug (Libby is wearing her new PJs with a tutu)

Libby loved hunting for eggs-this is her and Lindsey with her loot

Joe found an egg "all on his own"

All in all the kids are great-we are great-school is stressful and so is work. But only a few weeks until my first year is over and I am so looking forward to summer!

An actual nice hug between the siblings

This is what most hugs look like-Libby tackling Joe or vice versa

Oh so verbal...

2010-03-09T15:05:00.003-05:00

Libby has always been very verbal, but Joe is joining the conversation now. He can say all sorts of things, and it is fun to hear his voice. Surprisingly he is extremely soft spoken and quiet. He has his moments of LOUD, but generally he talks softly. He can say "Neigh" and "Moo" and "Dada" "Mama" "MeMe" "Bibby" for Libby "fish" "waffle" and more. He is good with names -- one of his favorite people is our friend Stu-"Du" to Joe.

Besides the talking, the kids are growing. Libby has become quite the little girl. She loves all things princess! Everything she does now is so grown up. Her vocabulary is great and so is her sense of humor. She is just like her Daddy. Libby loves to help-cook, clean, discipline Joe (she is not allowed to do this, but occassionally she puts him in Time Out). The other day, she wanted to help our friend Becki with her baby Ella. So Libby held her. It was super cute! Ella was not very amused when Libby was trying to give her a kiss

Apologies for the hiatus

2010-02-06T11:12:00.004-05:00

I know that it has been awhile since we posted. January has been a busy month. I am getting back into the swing of school, and unfortunately our family has also been plagued with viruses. Two weeks ago, we all (minus Corey) got a stomach virus that knocked us pretty hard. Libby had to go to the hospital to get fluids and medicine because she just could not stop throwing up. Then this week everyone decided to get colds. So Libby and Joe are both coughing and snotty.

Despite the illness, the recent snow was too good to pass up. This morning we bundled them up and let them loose. Libby made a snow angel and Joe "shoveled" with daddy. Once inside, Libby had some hot cocoa and then passed out. She wore herself out!

family cookie making-Libby is quite the helper and Joe is quite the eater!

Kids having a movie night with Daddy. Libby is finally able to sit through a full length film, her favorite is Tinkerbell (thus the costume). Joe likes the popcorn!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T09:44:00.006-05:00

We started our Christmas Journey at the Bozics house December 23. We let the kids open their gifts and the fighting commenced. Libby got a piano and Joe could not understand her reluctance to share. The result was the Libby and the piano went in one room and crying Joe went in another.
Christmas Eve morning the kiddos woke up to their surprise from us: a tent-complete with sleeping bags and flashlights. Libby loved it. Joe just wanted Goldfish crackers. Later that day we went to my parents house. We had a relaxing afternoon before the chaos began. Everyone arrived for dinner and presents. I ducked out early to hear Corey play drums at church and then tucked the kids in bed after a long day.

Mom and Sami cuddling

Christmas Day, Corey had to work so I took the kids back to my parents' to play with Sami and Claire. It was great to spend an entire day in PJ's! When Corey got off work, we packed the kids in the car and went to Webster Springs. The dual DVD monitors from Gramma and PawPaw made the trip easy as pie (both ways).

Webster was relaxing. The kids had plenty of playmates and new toys to keep them entertained, and the rest of us took turns taking naps. Libby got fun toys-her favorite being her hopscotch rug. She loves to throw the "stones" and jump up and back! Joe got a drum set so he can be just like his daddy. It is the most adorable thing. He loves it. So does Libby!

We got home and quickly prepared ourselves for a "Very Merry After-Christmas" with our best friends, the Taylors and Jabbours. It was great to hang out with everyone. We did brunch with 6 adults and 5 kids ranging from 5 months to 3.5 years. Later on, we went to the Mountaineer basketball game - which was awesome. The Taylors returned with us for late-night gaming and fun.Adults relaxing while kiddos take naps
Ainsley making a silly face

Now we are picking up the house and figuring out where all the new toys belong. I still have a week and a half off so I'm trying to be a bit lazy!

6 Years Later

2009-12-20T20:54:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that Corey and I have been married for 6 years. And we have done a lot in that time. We have finished 9 semesters of college; obtained 3 degrees (working on the fourth); had 2 children; 4 surgeries (2 for me and 2 for Libby); 1 apartment and 2 houses. We have made wonderful memories.

In other news, I have finished a semester of law school. After 2 weeks of the most intense finals I have ever taken, I am so excited to spend time at home with the hubby and kids. I will hopefully be able to update the blog more!

Joe and Libby are still great. Joe is into everything-his favorite thing is Corey's drums which he is absolutely not allowed to play with. But every opportunity he gets, he runs into the drum room. Libby always lets us know when he is in there. She is quite the informant. Everyone has been enjoying Christmasy things. The kids love the tree and Libby adores Christmas lights. Promise more later!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-28T07:10:00.005-05:00

I've been on break all week-but it is a working break. I have used the extra time to get myself ready for finals. But I have also spent a lot of time with the kids! Libby and I decorated MeMe and Pappy's Christmas Tree. She loved it! She put all the decorations in one spot. Joe was really good too, he didn't touch the tree (except with the fishing pole Deb and John got for him). Thanksgiving was spent with the Bozics! Libby and Joe were great. They loved the people and the chaos-and they slept through the entire meal which was nice for Corey and I. Here are some pics from the day.

Happy Halloween Weekend!

2009-11-02T07:01:00.004-05:00

Another post-I know you all are surprised. I can't write much, but I'll share pics from our weekend. On Saturday, Libby went on her first Trick-or-Treating adventure with her best friend Elliott. She dressed up like a butterfly and had SO much fun. I'll save the whole story for Corey-who actually took her. Suffice it to say that she had an AMAZING time!

Sunday was pretty so we took the kids to the park and got some super cute shots of them playing. Enjoy!

Libby, Elliott and Aidan in their "costume suits" as Libby put it

Libby and Elliott running down the street
Joe loves to put wood chips on everything-swings, slides, his mouth.
Joe on the slide
Libby balancing on the beam
Libby discovering a spider on the beam-she talked to it for a good minute
Most of the pics are of Joe running away-he loves to run!
Libby on the top of the jungle gym

October Fun

2009-10-25T10:09:00.005-04:00

Kids in their Halloween shirts, and behaving for the camera

We have had another crazy month, but the kids are great-and so are Corey and I. We have not done a whole lot-other than school and work, but it feels like we've been running a marathon. I can't tell you how excited I am for Thanksgiving.
Libby and Joe are both doing great. Libby is becoming a little parent. She tried to put Joe in "time-out" last week. I had to explain that only mommy or daddy puts Joe in time-out, but I think she was a little annoyed that she wasn't allowed. She has also become ridiculously independent. She dresses herself (most of the time), walks everywhere by herself etc. She does not want any help from anyone. The other day she picked out this outfit-a black shirt and black pants with a pink head band. I thought she looked very "Audrey Hepburn" so I took some pics.She loves to make funny faces-and cracks up if you make them with her. I've mentioned before that she likes hide-n-seek. But the funny thing is, if she hides, she jumps out as soon as you are done counting and says "You pound (found) me! Good job!" We are trying to teach her to stay hidden, but oh well.

Libby also likes to use our camera to take pictures now. She has her own, but when ours is available, she loves it. This is one she took at breakfast of me washing dishes. She gets really excited when the picture comes on the screen.

Libby dancing in the living room

Mr. Blue Eyes-he loves a bath!

Joe is growing all the time. He went to the doctor to have his 15 month check up and shots 2 weeks ago. He was 28 pounds 12 ounces (90th) and 30(ish) inches tall (75th). He loves to be chased and to read books. He loves blocks and legos. He is saying more words now including-"cheese" for the camera, "das" for yes (when he says it he nods -but it looks like a bow), "ba" for bath, ball, book, any word starting with "b". He's a hoot-he's too strong and too tall for his age, so he is constantly getting into trouble. One of his favorite things to do is climb inside of things, especially laundry baskets. He's been a bit of a grump lately because he is literally getting all of his teeth at once.

He's a goober for the camera!

Libby and Joe playing together-Libby would push Joe around by bumping him with the rocket

I thought this was hilarious-Libby with the remote, watching TV.

And this is lazy Joe-too cute!

In other news, I am more than halfway done with my first semester. It is a lot of work, but I'm keeping up-mainly because of Corey. He's been great! Also, Corey got a full-time day shift position, so NO MORE NIGHTS! It makes me so happy I cannot even express. I'm sure there are tons of things that I am forgetting, but I'll post again as soon as I can.

Where we are...

2009-09-30T06:15:00.003-04:00

It's been a hectic month. Libby went up to Pittsburgh, where her doctor was very pleased with her progress! Corey went to Deep Creek for a leadership conference with 17three our college/young professional church. I got to go for one day of it and it was a lot of fun. I ran a 5k with Ellen. We placed 3 and 4 in our age group (there were only 7 people in our age group...shhh).

But in the midst of all our craziness, we have been home. The kids are home more than they are not-which is great. I haven't been a faithful photographer, but I have some new photos that are pretty cute.

Things to note:
Libby is pretty well potty-trained (she even started asking to go to the potty herself)

Joe says "Baa" when you say "What does a sheep say"-he also says "Baa" for every other animal.

Libby wants to do everything "herself" she wants to dress herself and walk by herself etc.

Joe's favorite activity is to run around the house with his blanket on his head-which contributes to 75% of the bruises on that poor kid's body.

There are more, but it's early and I cannot think of them. Enjoy the pics!Libby lounging in her princess chair

Joe loves to climb in or on or off of anything

Libby and Joe in their wintery PJs (it got cold last night)

Libby wanted to "hold" Joe which I thought was hilarious

Pretty Libby

Settling into a schedule

2009-09-13T15:30:00.005-04:00

Our Big girl with a Big smile-she's rediscovered her love of the camera!

We've been busy these last two weeks. In addition to all my new law school activities, we went to Corey's 10 year reunion. Scott and Danielle and Ainsley came in for the festivities. Danielle took pictures but I didn't-so check out the Taylor's blog for that post. It was great to get the kids together. Libby and Ainsley played together really well-on their way to being best friends.

Joe and Libby snugging on the benches.Libby's baseball stance when she gets tired of standing up straight

In our house, the kids have been playing all sorts of new games. Libby loves hide-and-go seek. She counts to 10 (sometimes in Spanish) and gets so tickled when she comes to find one of us. She has also started pretending to play the piano and singing songs. Her best songs are "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Row, Row, Row your Boat," and "Jesus Loves Me." She sits on the edge of a box and "plays" on a table toy.

Joe still loves books. He has started liking to build with blocks. But he climbs everything. He climbs onto the couch, onto the bench, onto chairs and tables and anything else that he can pull up on. He is talking a little bit now. His first phrase was "Sit Down." I say that to him probably 100 times a day-no wonder he can say it so well.
We've tried to make some fun out of my non-studying hours. Last week we took the kids to the park in Star City. They had a blast running around-and then getting Chick-Fil-A for dinner! On Saturday, Corey and his dad went to the Mountaineer game. The kids got super cool Mountaineer gear from Gramma, but Libby preferred her princess dress to her cheerleader outfit. Joe looked super cute in his jersey-with the flying WV on the butt!

All in all we are adjusting. Every week it is a little easier!

Libby all bedecked-princess dress, Dora back pack and sunglasses!

Our last few weeks

2009-08-27T07:00:00.007-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of fun. I'll start with our very spontaneous decision to drive to Martinsburg to get me a new computer. We found a computer online that was 1. affordable 2. more than adequate 3. lightweight and 4. OUT OF STOCK everywhere we looked. We could have ordered it, but there was no timeframe for delivery. So the only store that had ANY was the Best Buy in Martinsburg WV. So Corey and I threw the kids in the car, drove 2.5 hours to the eastern panhandle and then back. When we got there, Corey dropped me and the kids off at a Chick-Fil-A so we could eat and play until he was done purchasing the computer. The drive home was ok-and we ended the day at a birthday party for Addi Smith. My kids were of course a bit cranky, but overall it was a really fun day. And I love my computer.

The rest of the weekend was pretty relaxed. Early that week, we visited MeMe and Pappy who were in Deep Creek. It was SUCH a fun day. The weather was perfect for the first few hours of our visit so the kids played in the sand and in the lake. Joe LOVES the water. He dove head first into the lake as soon as we got there. Libby is a little more timid, but still had a great time. She loves the swings and the sand. She would walk in the lake but didn't want to try to "swim" very much. Later the day got rainy, so we packed the kids up and headed to Candyland in Oakland MD. This is a place of my childhood. And some things are just as good when you grow up too. This place has 700 varieties of candy-all the modern favorites and tons of the classics. MeMe and Pappy let Libby pick out a whole bag of fun treats (that we are using to help potty train). After that adventure, we headed back to the condo and took the kids in the indoor pool. We were the only ones there and it was a blast. Joe was content in water wings and one of us minimally holding him while he swung his arms and legs around. Libby was happy to be held by one of us while we were swimming or to be in a floatie. By the end, we were exhausted.

The next day I started Orientation (Corey wanted a bus stopesque picture of me on my first day). And I love it already. There is a lot of work. I spend every evening reading and briefing cases. We just dive right in. But I've met a lot of great people and my professors are wonderful-so far. My opinion may change as the year goes on. The kids have adjusted really well. Their Daddy is a great playmate, so when he is here they don't even realize I'm gone. On the days that our moms take, the kids are so excited they don't care.

On other fronts, potty training is going really well. Libby has very few accidents-usually 1 a day. She loves her panties and every time she pees she says "I did such a good job." She will never lack self-motivation. She has started liking to play hide-and-seek which is fun. Joe and I hide and she counts and comes and finds us. When I count, she rarely hides-just runs away but that is fun too. The kids are playing together a lot better too. Last night I looked over and Libby said "I'm rubbing Joe's shoulders." It was precious!

That's us in a nutshell. We are getting along. My first official week of classes is almost over and I am still enthusiastic. And my family-Corey, the kids, my parents, his parents and so on have been so supportive. Everyone in school thinks I'm crazy because I have 2 kids and I'm tackling this huge task. But when you have support like I do, it doesn't feel like a heavy burden. So thanks to all of you who are helping shoulder the weight.

Finally here is a video of Libby walking. Blogger finally let me upload it!

A Little Weekend Fun

2009-08-09T15:30:00.003-04:00

We've kept busy over the last few weeks-with birthdays and physical therapy and the everyday things that go on. So it was nice to get a call on Friday from Corey's Aunt DeeDee inviting the family down for a BBQ the next day. We were celebrating Brandon's (Corey's cousin) homecoming after spending a month in Africa. It was really fun! The kids loved being outside-and getting to see their cousins Aubree and Mia. Libby made a new friend named DC-a fluffy cat who actually was petable. The boys (Brandon, Corey, Chris, Rick and Danny) played with the toys that Brandon brought back from Africa-by toys I mean drums. And the rest of us enjoyed good food and conversation.

In other news, I am letting the followers of this blog know that the posts will be fewer and farther between because I start back to school next week. The first year of law school is busy-coupled with kids and lives etc, I am unsure where blogging will fall in. But we'll see!

Updates

2009-08-05T07:30:00.002-04:00

Sorry I don't have pics today. I promise to post some soon. We've been busy lately. The kids are great. Libby is walking on her own a lot now. She is getting stronger and stronger-and smarter. She has learned to take her splints off at night, which makes them slightly ineffective! We go to Pittsburgh next week for a follow-up so we'll have some new input from them.

Potty training is also going okay. We haven't been too hard core, but Libby is getting it. Yesterday she sat on the potty and she knew that she had done something. She turned and looked in the potty and cried "Oh Mommy, there is a little bit of yucky in there!" She had pooped on potty and was very excited about it. As long as we initiate the going to the potty, she will do her business-but so far no sign of her telling us!

Libby also had her 3 year check up on Monday. She weighs 24.6 pounds and is 33.5 inches long. Both are below the 5th percentile, but just right on her curve. She is growing and that is what matters.

Joe is also growing. He loves to eat and play and gibber-jabber all the time. He can say "Ball" and "Book" and he knows what "No" means now. He is also a fit-thrower. When he doesn't get his way you would have thought the world had ended. But most of the time he is just as happy as a lark.

As I said more pics later!

The Joys of Parenthood

2009-07-25T06:31:00.003-04:00

It has begun-Potty training. In a way, it is pretty easy with Libby. She is not frightened by the potty. She stays dry for a long time. BUT she never initiates the potty. I will ask "Do you need to go to the potty?" She says, "No" or Not yet." I say let's try-5 minutes later she is happily flushing away her "yellow" as she calls it. In time I know she will get it, but man this is harder than it looks!

In other news, Libby is walking without support. She is stiff and steps gingerly, but she is doing it. She is MUCH more upright than she used to be. I am amazed at her determination. She got some new shoes for her birthday and I think that they are definitely helping her keep her feet flat on the floor. I'll try to get some video soon!

Joe is great. He is happy to read a thousand books a day-or sit in your lap and watch Libby. He loves to play with blocks and to put things in and out of boxes/bins. He can say JUICE, HI, and BALL. I think he can say LIBBY too but he doesn't do it often. And as I type, I think his hair has grown an inch on the back of his head.

To end this blog, I wanted to write down a few things that I do NOT want to forget later.

1. Libby says "enbaloop" for "envelope"

2. She now sings what we are doing to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"

3. Joe now thinks that walking deserves TONS of praise since we clap and cheer for Libby. He goes crazy for her when she walks and expects the same in return.

4. He gives me a kiss every morning when I go and get him out of bed. And he greets Corey with a "Da" and running hug whenever he gets home from work.

I also want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY Grandma! Today is my Grandma's birthday and she is one of the reasons we have this blog-my grandparents live in Charleston, but like to keep up with the kiddos. I love you and hope you have a great day! P.S. Libby has to use her princess blanket every evening when she watches TV-she loves it!

3 years later

2009-07-14T12:30:00.003-04:00

It is VERY difficult to imagine life without our sweet Libby. She is a fixture in our family and it was a lot of fun to celebrate her this year. We had a Dora party-because she asked for it. The same folks who came to Joe's made the trek again (thank you!) to share in the festivities. Corey grilled hot dogs and our parents contributed some sides so that we had a great spread of food. Corey and I made a cake and decorated it like a map from Dora's show. She loved being sung to. She clapped and smiled and "blew" out the candles with very minimal help from me.

Gifts were more fun this year because she understood that they were hers. But she also wanted to get each one out after unwrapping. It was hard to explain that she had to unwrap all of them before we could play. But she loved seeing them and was very grateful!Of course it was a madhouse with all the kiddos here, but it was fun for them to play and interact with each other! Once everyone was gone, Libby settled into her new Dora jammies and got to play with her new gifts-especially her camera and the new additions to her doll house.

Just an aside-my niece Claire bought the wrong size shirts and gave us the youth-smalls for Joe or Libby to have later. Corey thought it was hilarious that both he and Joe could wear them. This picture is the evidence.

Oh the places we've been

2009-07-09T21:23:00.007-04:00

We have been doing some traveling to celebrate some very special people's birthdays. Our first trip was to Summersville to celebrate Ainsley Taylor's second birthday. It was great to see the Taylors but a long day in that Joe REFUSED to sleep. He finally fell asleep while I was holding him and I felt every bit of his 26.5 pounds!

Libby and Ainsley got a little time to reacquaint themselves. Libby loved the sand and the bubbles. Ainsley dove right into the water-Libby said it was "to big-a-me". All in all so WORTH the trip. It was the first time all 7 of us have been together since Joe was a newborn.

A few days later we went down to Buckhannon to celebrate Chris (Corey's brother)'s birthday. It was a surprise party and Chris was actually really surprised. It was just family, and so much fun. The Bozic's have a GREAT house and yard that we utilized after we ate. Libby and Aubree rode around in the Barbie Jeep and played ball. Libby loved the swings! Joe was curious about everything. He walked into every room just to make sure that everything was okay. He also ate off of everyone's plate that he could reach. Poor Mia barely got dinner because he kept swiping her food.

All the while, we have been adapting to post-surgery, post-cast Libby. At first she cried every time we tried to get her to stand up. It was discouraging to hear her say that she didn't want to stand up anymore. But Libby isn't kept down for long. We got her splints yesterday and she wears them without complaint. And her first round of therapy started this morning. It was just an evaluation, but I think it let her know that she could stand up again. So tonight she stood of her own accord. Then I took her into my office to use her parallel bars and she took her first independant steps! I was thrilled to say the least and Libby was proud of herself too. We are heading in the right direction. I captured it on video but blogger is being silly. I'll try again later.

Libby's deCASTification and other things from the week

2009-07-01T09:31:00.004-04:00

This last week has been a good one. Libby finally adjusted and accepted her casts (of course right before they were coming off). Because of Joe's birthday, there were lots of new toys to capture their attention. My favorite day was when Libby decided that we should all dress up. I got some pictures and they make me smile all the time. This is Joe all done up ala Libby. This will be one of those pictures we bring out to embarrass him for decades to come! Libby gave me a hat and necklace. She was dressed as Princess P from Super Why.Libby also drew her first smiley face (I drew the circle).

This week we had Joe's one year appointment too. He is 26.5 pounds (95th percentile) and 30.5 inches long (75th percentile). He's a healthy baby boy-developing appropriately and right on track. Dr. Tony was very pleased with him! Joe was less than pleased with his vaccinations and finger-stick, but by the next day he was back to his happy self.

Libby's decastification was good. Unfortunately, she was VERY sad to see her princess pants go away. Fortunately, the doctor said that the left leg is straight and the right has less than 20 degrees to go. He seemed pretty confident that physical therapy would help that! After the casts were off she was very sensitive and emotional. It was a rough evening, but she woke up a bit happier. I put her "make-do" splints on and she likes them. Next week we will get her real splints. She hasn't really tried to walk-she is still sore and her muscles are stiff. We'll keep everyone updated on her.

Our Little Monkey turns 1

2009-06-23T11:06:00.004-04:00

It is hard to believe that Joe is 1. He is part of the family and it seems like he has always been around. I rock him and forget a little what it was like when he was small. So on Sunday we celebrated the little man with a Monkey party! Corey and I made and decorated the cake as well as the basement. It was so fun. It was mainly just family with my friends the Smiths thrown in for good measure (they are family!). Everyone had a great time playing and eating! Joe loved his cupcake (they were banana!). Joe was unsure at first, but after a taste the cupcake was gone in a flash!

Libby had a fun day too. She got to play with her cousin Aubree and her friend Elliott, so it was a great day!

Joebot-we love you. We are so glad that you are here with us and that you are you. We love your energy and your intensity. You could read books for hours and piddle with toys till kingdom come. The last year has been better and more fun (a little harder but worth it) because you were a part of it. I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

2 weeks down 2 to go (hopefully)

2009-06-17T07:54:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe it has been 2 weeks. We are all adjusting, but everyday gets a little better. We have been able to play more. Libby's favorites are playing with Play-Doh on the porch, playing with her doll house, riding in her wagon and shoveling rocks into a bucket.

Libby saying "cheese" for the camera

All things considered, this has been better than we expected. Of course she is almost 3 so there have been fits and frustrations. The hardest is her interrupted sleep. There have been very few nights that she has slept through the night-she'll get stuck or hot or slide off her pillow.

Corey showing us her new "princess pants"

We visited the doctor yesterday and got new "princess pants." He thinks in 2 weeks we should be able to switch to splints (HOORAY!). The process was not fun-Libby cried and I wanted to. She wasn't hurting as much as scared, but it was hard. Once the pants were on and the promise of "chicken and fries" was in her mind, everything was all better.

Joe has been great. He celebrates his first birthday on Saturday-REALLY hard to believe. He is into everything, and annoys Libby to death sometimes. Other times she loves him and plays with him. He doesn't understand why she can't play as much, but he is getting used to it just like the rest of us. More photos after his party! Joe showing off his drumming skills-just like his daddy

Libby's surgery

2009-06-08T06:52:00.006-04:00

All in all the day went really well. We tried to capture the whole day in pictures, so I will describe the whole thing. Libby woke up and was not allowed to eat, so she had a juice pop and crushed ice for breakfast. She thought it was really cool to eat the ice with the spoon. She never complained about being hungry-which I think is a miracle in and of itself.

We got to Pittsburgh around 11:40 and got all checked in. The wait was manageable. We were brought back to a play room and Libby was really happy. She was even happier when Pappy arrived to be a much needed distraction. Her favorites were the little car and a game she played with Pappy where they fed animals weird foods. (aka the elephant eats ice cream?)

The anesthesia team was running a bit late so Libby wasn't called for until 2:00. Funny thing is that around 1:55 she curled up on my lap and fell asleep. When the anesthesiologist saw he got Corey garbed up to take her to the OR. Corey grabbed Libby and took her back, they threw a blanket over her and administered the gas under the blanket. She never woke up to know she was being put under! What an awesome answer to prayer.

Then we waited. Corey read a book and listened to music. Rick and I took a nap in a pair of recliners (he has the ability to fall asleep ANYWHERE). Ate snacks. Anything to make the time pass faster. All in all Libby was in surgery for right around 5 hours. It was the longest 5 hours of my life. My mom and dad arrived around 6:30 and gave us a chance to go get some dinner. Right before we were going to eat, Dr. Deeney arrived to tell us he was all done. He was happy with how everything had gone. The left leg was almost straight and the right could get there with therapy. He said they put casts on her (hot pink) and they would see her in 2 weeks. While I was going with dad to get dinner, someone came back to get Corey and mom to see Libby. I wish I could say it was a pleasant reunion, but she was confused and agitated. Mom only stayed long enough to give her a hug and then she waited to get me.

The rest of the evening was spent settling Libby down. She would fall asleep for a moment and then wake up crying. The only thing that calmed her down was when I talked or sang to her. So we had in depth conversations about all the fun things we are going to do. It was a long night with very little sleep. Between nurses taking blood pressure and Libby waking up, we maybe got 2 hours of sleep. An Aside: Around 4:00 am, the nurse came in to administer some more pain meds since Libby was complaining about pain a bit. Since she was awake the nurse decided to go ahead and do a blood drawl-finger stick. So she pricked Libby's finger and then squeezed the blood out. Tears were just running down Libby's face, but when the nurse was done, Libby turned to her and said "Thank you." It was so pitiful.

The next morning was better. Libby was aware of her surroundings, able to drink some juice and eat a few bites of food. She took a nice long nap and watched some of her favorite TV shows. After lunch we were discharged (Hooray!) The ride home was fine. Once we got here, Libby went to sleep in her own bed and so did her mommy and daddy. She didn't wake up until 5:00 pm.

She had some visitors-Pawpaw came to say hello. And then Meme and Pappy came to visit and bring Joe back. (P.S. Thank you Meme for taking care of Joe so that he didn't have to suffer through a super long day in a hospital. He was MUCH happier playing with you).

All in all, things are ok. Libby is frustrated and whiny sometimes, but she is also sweet and determined. She has already figured out that she can army crawl and roll. She can get out of chairs and bed-and we'll have to make sure that she doesn't start trying to walk since she isn't allowed to bear weight on her feet.

We've appreciated all the concern and prayers that you have poured out on us. Libby is a special little girl and I am excited to see all that God can do through her!

Surgery Rescheduled for Wednesday

2009-06-02T07:32:00.003-04:00

It has been a stressful couple of days here in the Bozic house. We went to bed on Sunday as ready as we could be to get up at 4 a.m. and take Libby to Pittsburgh for her surgery. But at midnight my phone rang and it was our Doc calling to say he had been called into the OR because of a car accident. He was unsure how long he would be there and he was not comfortable operating on Libby after being up all night. He said that his nurse or secretary would call us later to set up a new time for this week.

We called his office and when we talked to his secretary she said he didn't have any available OR time until August. But she said she would talk to him about it and would call us back. So we spent the whole day waiting for a phone call. Finally she called and said that there was OR time available Wednesday at 1:30. So our doc cancelled all his appointments for Wednesday afternoon and penciled us into that time slot. Beth (the sect) made sure to tell us that it is RARE for extra OR time to be available so thanks for all your prayers!

We'll drop Joe off with his MeMe and head up to Pittsburgh around 9:45 on Wednesday! Keep praying!

Our first vacation since kids

2009-05-26T14:58:00.005-04:00

Corey and I have done all sorts of things these last 3 years of parenting, but going away for a week is not one of them. In fact the last vacation we took was after we graduated from college-so we were due. And in January we shared these thoughts with some friends who felt the same way. So our trip to the Dominican Republic was born. Four couples (the Burdettes, Iliffs, Mercers and us) journeyed south and had a great time. There were days of clouds and some sun, it rained pretty much everyday, but rarely hindered our morning pursuit of the pool or beach. We ate great food and went to bed early. In general, it was a relaxed week with no agenda and lots of laughs. I will spare you pic after pic, but you can go to our picasa web album and see them (thanks Ash for the idea).

http://picasaweb.google.com/colebozic/PuntaCana?feat=directlink

Meanwhile, our kiddos were being wonderfully cared for by both sets of grandparents. Of course Joe started really walking while we were gone and Libby seems to have doubled her vocabulary. That's what you get for leaving them for 6 days. Our reception when the kids woke up Saturday was less than exuberant, but throughout the day we got longer hugs and more fearful expressions when we would leave a room-you could almost hear Libby or Joe asking "are you coming back soon?"

Now we are gearing up for Libby's surgery. It is happening Monday morning and we need all your prayers. I'll let you know how we are doing when we get home on Tuesday.

Mothers Day belated

2009-05-14T16:07:00.004-04:00

Mother's Day was different than in years past. Last year we celebrated our mothers with a big lunch that everyone attended. The year before we were in Tennessee and celebrated with our great friends Scott and Danie (the year before that I think I was on bed rest with Libby). This year was much more low key. Corey and I are going on vacation this year, so I fully expected that to cover mothers day and possibly my birthday as well, but Corey was extremely thoughtful and got me a few small things that I have been wanting-one of which was a subscription to Cooking Light magazine (hooray!). Unfortunately Corey had to work all weekend, but it allowed me to spend the whole day with my mom which was really fun.

The whole gang (Me and Libby and Joe) headed over early and got there in time to read with PawPaw and make cookies with Gramma. Libby was not a very good roller so she made pancakes instead. She loved making cookies-I think we have a little chef on our hands! She did not like the dough on her hands at first, but after a bit she dug right in to "help" mom get them all baked. She was much less interested in eating them than I thought she would be though.

Rob came by for a few minutes to wish mom a Happy Mother's Day. Joe couldn't get enough of Rob's hat. Besides the drool, I love this pic of the two of them!

Later in the day my grandma (mom's mom) came over and we enjoyed hanging out with the kids and eating a great dinner. Joe adores my grandma and she couldn't resist picking him up whenever he came over to her. Despite her 87 years and arthritis she would get a hold of all 27 pounds of Joe and cuddle him for a minute or two until he wanted down. I'm sure she was sore the next day, but she wouldn't complain.

After dinner and bath time, the kids entertained us all with some dancing. They were so full of energy, I didn't think they would ever want to go to bed, but the day did indeed come to an end. It was a low-key mother's day, but I loved it just the same.

A pic of me and Joe-Libby is much less compliant in taking pictures these days. Joe still humors me!

A fun and crazy week!

2009-05-08T19:54:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we made a much needed trip to Knoxville to visit our friends Scott and Danielle. It was so fun to hang out without any kids or any agenda! We played Wii; we jammed-ok I listened while they jammed; we played dominos and ate good food. It was great.

Corey and Scotty being all musical.

Corey and Danielle being silly.

Scott and our friend Bart who joined a jam session on Saturday.

Our kids were with all kinds of people-thank you to all our babysitters-especially my momma who kept them both nights we were gone! They were angels-at least so I heard.

Coming back, we've been cleaning house and staying indoors due to LOTS of rain. Libby and Joe are as great as ever. Joe took some steps over the weekend-5 or 6 at the most. He gets too excited to go very far, but he is on his way (my life will be so chaotic when he really gets moving). Here are some pics to show you how cute they are.

Libby likes building forts with whatever materials are available to her. And she wants us to sit in them not matter how small they are. Joe who seems to be flying toward me. He is such a HAM!

Cows and Sheeps and Chicks Oh My!

2009-04-30T09:30:00.004-04:00

I do realize that sheeps is incorrect, but that is what Libby kept saying at the WVU Farm yesterday. Shawna and I (being brave parents) loaded all 4 kids into her van and headed to WVU Farm yesterday to participate in Kids Week. A guide took us around and we got to see and pet all the animals. Libby was in heaven, Elliott loved all the tractors Addi and Joe were content in the stroller. It was absolutely a great trip! Here is a play by play:

First we saw the cows. Libby got to pet a calf that was only a few days old. She was so gentle. The bigger dairy cows were next. Libby wanted to say "Hi" to all of them. At one point she reached out to touch one and it looked up at her and Elliott-I think it spooked him a bit and he wasn't really interested in touching any of the big animals after that. Libby however was persistent in her need to pet and talk to all the cows.

The "sheeps" came next. And there were lots of them to pet and look at. Some had been sheared already, but some were really wooly (and really dirty-not the fluffy white things on TV). Libby loved the sheep. She talked to them and called for them-making kissy noises like we do for cats and dogs. She did not want to move on, but the next building housed the new born sheep. We weren't able to pet any of them, but Libby was fascinated. Elliott and Libby stood by the fence mesmerized.

We walked down the hill and saw more cows. Libby acted like we hadn't just seen cows with her enthusiasm. Every stall brought shouts of "That's a big Cow!" or "Hi Cow-Come here". At the end of this little area was a place where the kids could play. There were cut outs of pigs and cows, a peach tree with velcro peaches, stufed chickens with eggs inside and wooden cows to milk. There were also some baby goats and a bunny to pet. Elliott really liked milking the cows-Libby loved the peach tree. They both petted the goats and talked to the bunny before we moved on the chicks and ducks.

The chicks and ducks were cute but hard for the kids to see because the walls were so high on the pens. But we held them up so they could see. Libby liked patting the horse. And then as we walked out, Elliott's dreams came true. He got to sit on a John Deere tractor. He was in hog heaven! I wasn't sure we would ever be able to leave. But we did and we got home, fed the kids and put them all down for a nap. WHAT A FUN DAY! Hope you enjoy the pics.

Always changing

2009-04-23T07:44:00.004-04:00

Libby and Joe playing with the curtains. Libby and Joe both think this game is really fun. Libby hides Joe in the curtain and then lets him out and says "Peek-a-boo."

I have few pictures this week, but heaps of stories! Libby is as always hilarious. She has a very active imagination and retains a ridiculous amount of information. She loves to play with her baby dolls and makes Corey and I hold them and say hi and feed them etc. Recently Joe got an inflatable penguin and Libby loves it too. She holds its fin and walks around with him. She reads books to him while he sits on her "wap." She has also started speaking Spanish. She loves Dora and Diego so the other day she was walking up the steps and started counting them in Spanish. She also says "Help, Help, Ayudame, Ayudame" whenever she wants us to help her. We've also been teaching her her full name- Libby Grace Bozic (pronounced Bibby Grace Mozic). The other day I asked her what her name was and she said it. Then I asked her what my name was. She thought for a second and then said "Mommy. Mommy Grace Mozic." I love her!

Libby trying on Gramma Candy's boots

Joe is also growing and changing. He can now wave and high five (and he understands when you ask him to do said tasks). He has taken a couple of steps-but is still content to crawl. He hits his head on everything (Corey says there is a magnet in his head that is attracted to sharp corners). He is happiest when he is with Libby-even when she is being the bossy second mom. She mothers him and any other child within her grasp. We visited Shawna and Elliott and Addi the other day and the kids played outside. Joe loved the grass (he has finally come around) and Elliott was ALL over the place. But when Libby decided she wanted to go inside she started yelling to Elliott "Elliott come down here please." And then "No, no Elliott don't run dat way, come here. Come see Bibby." Luckily Joe doesn't mind being mothered a little extra. I'm sure he will someday.

April pictures (Easter, Dad's Bday etc)

2009-04-14T11:20:00.006-04:00

Since I have been bad about pictures lately, I snapped about a hundred in the last few days. I will spare sharing all of them, but I will show the best!

This month was kicked off by my dad's birthday on April 1. Since Libby is a little older, she helped with EVERYTHING. We made PawPaw a card, we wrapped his present, we made the cake (Libby ate the icing mostly). Libby loves birthdays and since we didn't have birthday hats, she made her own with the wrapping paper. It is self-adhering paper, so we made hats and bracelets. It was a really fun gathering. However, Libby refused to sing Happy Birthday until 2 days later and she got upset when PawPaw was taking the card home-must not have sunk in that we were making it FOR him.

We have also been trying some new foods lately. Joe had some egg yolks scrambled and Libby had a bowl of cheerios with milk in it. She was so proud of herself-she kept saying she was eating cereal like Mommy. Joe also is eating toast, pancakes and steamed veggies cut up. Libby LOVES PB and J roll-ups and pickles.

Easter was fun and hilarious as always. The kids got new outfits courtesy of their MeMe-who can't resist a party dress! Lucky for Joe she is also gaga over little boy clothes now too. So Libby and Joe put on their Sunday best and I snapped some shots of them. Then Sami woke up and we got some pictures of her too. It was the first holiday that Casey and I did not buy the girls matching outfits, but lo and behold Casey bought Sami a coordinating dress! The photo shoot did not go smoothly though. Neither child would smile at the same time. Then Sami kept trying to sleep. We tried getting them to kiss or hug, but the photos mostly look like Sami is attacking Libby. I kept taking pictures because they got funnier and funnier!

Easter also brought Easter baskets-or in this case Easter back packs. Gramma Candy filled each bag with fun goodies for the little kids. Libby loves it. Also in the realm of goodies was a tunnel for the kids to crawl through. It was a big hit with kids of all ages, including my brother Rob who got "stuck". Libby and Sami thought it was HILARIOUS!Just a pretty picture of Claire and Libby to end the very long post. Two of the prettiest girls in the whole world in my opinion!

Joe's 9 month doctor visit

2009-04-06T15:42:00.002-04:00

Just an update after our doctors appointment today.

Joe weighed 24 pounds 10 ounces = 95th percentile
Joe measured 29 inches long = 75th percentile

He is right on track and even ahead in some of his gross motor skills. And Tony was pleased with his growth and disposition-Joe has come a long way from the fussy, spit uppy baby that he once was.

I'll post later with new pics etc.

The New Things

2009-03-27T11:04:00.005-04:00

There are new things everyday around here. Here are this weeks highlights. Joe has successfully moved from bottle to sippy cup for all but one feeding. He can only use the straw cups right now, but he does great and enjoys it. The only feeding left is the one before bed and it's Corey and I who are holding onto it more than Joe. Joe has also started walking behind wheeled toys. Video footage to prove it below.

Libby has come into herself and her twoness. Her vocabulary is ever expanding and more and more sentences are coming out intelligibly. She is a great eater-trying everything I make from lentils to vegetarian chili-mac. The spicier the better for this child! She loves to brush her teeth and have mommy make her hair pretty. I like to french braid it on each side-adorable! She loves to play outside and be with her friends. Last week Shawna and I took all the kids to a little park near our house. There wasn't much play equipment, but there were swings and a slide. The slide was high and steep, but our daredevil kids were unfazed. They must have gone down it 100 times. Joe and Addy watched from the grass where they sat for 45 minutes without moving. Libby also cannot decide if she likes Joe or not. Some days she plays with him nicely-giving him toys and letting him chase her. Other days she lashes out at him if he even gets near her. The other day I heard him making noise and walked into the room to find Libby sitting on him saying "Go Joe, I wanna ride." She's a hoot and a handful!

Libby pretend sleeping on the coffee table-she even snores!

More to come as they grow and change (Joe goes for his 9 month appointment April 6).

Pictures as promised

2009-03-18T10:24:00.004-04:00

I know that I have been really bad about posting-I wish I could say that I am really busy, but the truth is I just use my time a little differently now that there are two little rascals moving about the house. When Joe goes down for the first nap, I exercise and shower while Libby plays (or exercises with me). Then the lunch preparation begins. When both kids are down in the afternoon, I have quiet time and I watch TV-or sleep-or read-or do anything that is nearly impossible to do with the kids awake. The afternoon is when the kids need a lot of mommy-initiated play. Then dinner, baths, etc. By the time they go to bed I just want to sit down and hang out with Corey! It means there is not a lot of time for blogging, but I still want to record their lives and share it with all of you so please forgive me if they are sporadic. Libby's rendition of "Mary had a Little Lamb"

Information Only (no pics sorry!)

2009-03-09T09:12:00.002-04:00

We have had a really uneventful week. The kids got colds again so we have been wiping noses and fighting through meals for most of the week. The kids are great despite the snot. They have started playing "together" sometimes. Libby will run away and Joe will chase her. But Libby quickly tires of Joe's immaturity and goes and plays by herself. She is still singing everything. Her newest song is "Mary had a little Lamb" which comes out more like "Mary had a doodoo lamb.." We are constantly asking her to sing songs and she usually obliges unless there are strangers around-she can be a little shy.

I weighed them both yesterday and Libby was 24 pounds and Joe was 23.5. She is already competitive! Also accomplished this week was the booking of the surgery. She is scheduled for June 1. It looks like we will only have to stay for 1 night and then of course go back for checkups etc. UPMC is moving into their new hospital at the beginning of May so we will get to be in it (hopefully it is nicer than the old one).

Other than that we have been hanging out with friends and catching up on housework. We did leave our kids overnight with their MeMe and Pappy on Saturday and enjoyed a night out with the Allens. Sunday morning, Pappy heard Libby and thought she was knocking on the door upstairs but when he came out of his room she was knocking on the grandfather clock in the hallway. She is hysterical sometimes!

Corey has some time off later in the week, so I will try to take some pics and post for all of you who don't get to see our kids on a regular basis.

Our Weekend Away

2009-02-25T10:53:00.004-05:00

Joe turned 8 months on Friday and our way to celebrate was to take a trip without him or Libby. With the help of MeMe and Pappy (who took Joe) and Aunt Debbie and Uncle John (who kept Libby), Corey and I were able to go to Gaitlinburg TN to spend the weekend in a cabin with our friends Scott and Danielle. It has been a long time since we have had a weekend away and it was truly wonderful.

Scott and Dani had told us they were going on a weekend trip and when we asked if we could join in another cabin, they asked us to just stay with them. It was so fun. We played pool and soaked in the hot tub. We napped and watched movies. It was great to spend time with our friends and away from our kids. Scott made yummy food (I think his perfectly cooked steaks were my favorite-although the lava cake came close), and Corey and I took a really nice walk in the warm weather.

While away, our kids had a wonderful time too. Libby was DOTED upon by Debbie and John. They played "tennis" (badminton) in the hallway and she ate them out of house and home. Joe charmed his MeMe and Pappy with lots of smiles and laughs. He is into everything, but that grin gets him off easy most of the time. I think the weekend was great all around!

In other news, Libby went to the orthopedic doctor yesterday and it looks like we are scheduling surgery for the end of May (after our vacation). He was really pleased that she is walking, but agrees that it is time to correct the tight knee capsule and get her on the road to walking with straight legs. This is an answer to prayer and also a reason to pray. Keep her in your prayers-they have never let us down!

2009-02-16T08:04:00.004-05:00

This is Joe trying to get Libby out of the box with the baby broom. He loves his big sis.

We had another fun-filled week with our kids. It is never boring that is FOR SURE! Libby and Joe have started playing more and more. She is sharing (mostly when we ask her to) and playing "catch" with Joe. There are still multiple outbursts a day of "MINE", but we are dealing.
Libby is obsessed with Joe's bottom drawer where the hats live. AT LEAST once a day she gets out hats for ua all to wear.

Wednesday brought Casey and Sami to the house since my mom and dad lost power overnite. It was hilarious! The kids slept okay - Joe woke up a few times- but Casey slept on the couch and I slept on a recliner because the wind was making a piece of our porch ceiling scrape against the siding right outside of the bedroom. It was SO loud. And at 6:00 am I got a wake up call from my dad saying to go get mom because they had no phones or power. So the day began.

The kids had a great time playing. Sami and Libby are able to play and communicate much better now. Libby entertained everyone with her songs and Veggie Tale monologues (she loves Larry Boy from Dave and the Giant Pickle). Luckily Thursday and Friday were a bit more uneventful and we recuperated a bit from the storm. Saturday Libby went for her first trip without Mommy or Daddy. Gramma and PawPaw picked her up and took her to Charleston to visit her Gigis and Aunts and Uncles. From what I hear it was a great trip. Casey's blog should have some pictures as soon as she uploads them. Corey and I (and Joe) spent the evening in Deep Creek with our friends the Allens. It was fun to sit around and play games without an agenda. Joe didn't sleep great, but we all survived! And yesterday we all were home again. Libby came home with pent-up energy and drew all over the walls (cream of tarter mixed with water gets it off the walls) and Joe was spitting up everything (which he hasn't done in a long time). But we were all together and that is good.

Yesterday was not as good of a day for Corey's parents who experienced some serious plane difficulties on their way home from their cruise (an engine went out on their descent into Atlanta). They are ok, but a little (maybe alot) emotionally scarred. So Becky and Rick, this song is for you - so you know you are loved.

Partners in Crime

2009-02-06T10:32:00.004-05:00

Libby doesn't always want to play with Joe. In fact she spends much of her day yelling - "No Joe" or climbing for higher ground when he approaches. But I have witnessed a few incidents lately that are showing me a change that is happening in their relationship. The first incident was on Tuesday. My parents kept the kids for a couple of hours while I went to a Young Life meeting and I was late getting back. It was after both of their bedtimes, so we rushed to get everything into the car. I grabbed Libby and my Dad had Joe. But Libby couldn't see that and she was EXTREMELY upset in thinking that I had forgotten Joe. She kept repeat, "Go get Joe?" and "Where Joe". She was so relieved when Dad put him in the car seat. She said "There you go Joe, go Libby house." It was endearing to say the least.

The next incident was no less adorable only frightening as well. I was working the other morning and I heard Libby talking to Joe. This is not uncommon, but she was rooting him on to do something. So imagine my surprise when I came into the family room to see Libby on the landing cheering Joe on as he climbed his third step. He has been pulling up on EVERYTHING but this was his first unattended climb. I was scared, but not so much so that I missed the photo opportunity. Here is Libby enticing Joe up the stairs. Here is Joe's delight at being able to play with his big sis. He is a handful-doing more earlier than any of us expected, but with Libby's help, Corey and I may be in for a whole new level of chaos!

Favorite things

2009-01-30T17:25:00.003-05:00

So everyday we are learning the favorite things of Joe and Libby. It's amazing what these kids love. For instance, Libby LOVES to feed Joe. I let her help one day when we were leisurely eating breakfast (not our normal insane rush to finish so I can get back to work). She was great. Granted Joe was covered in the food, but both kids were happy and enjoying their meals. I used bribery to get Libby to finish hers. "If you take a bite of pancake you can help me feed Joe." So now a monster has been created and she wants to feed him every meal. She'll see me bring over his food and say "Mommy, help you Joe?" It's great and awful-great that she wants to interact with her brother and awful because it makes every meal a marathon and a mess!

Joe is also discovering his favorite things. One of which is the vacuum cleaner. He will crawl right up to it and pat it. He can push it while he is crawling. I thought the noise would frighten him, but it doesn't. He happily crawls along while I sweep. He desperately loves his sister and tries to be wherever she is. It is not reciprocated most of the time.

Other favorites:

Libby loves the CD player and the farm songs CD I found in her closet. She loves Yo Gabba Gabba and can sing almost every song on the show. She loves to be pretty "like a princess" and dress up. She loves to play with her doll house especially with the Daddy who often goes to the potty and takes a shower! She loves walking around (to the glee of everyone who has ever known her or heard about her).

Joe loves baths. He is psycho in the tub-splashing and laughing. He loves Yo Gabba Gabba too. He loves Peek-A-Boo and his Daddy's silly faces. He watches the cats every move when he decides to come around. HE loves people and wants to be around them all the time. He loves food and Baby Mum Mums.

We are growing and figuring out what being a family of four is all about. Joe is a great sleeper and Libby is doing ok these days (although she is being a bit of a pain to put to bed lately). Corey and I are "storing" my mom and dad's pool table for them-it is a hard job! And are excited to watch the Steelers in the Super Bowl. We've been busy and tired, but we are enjoying watching them both grow and change and develop. More later!

Better

2009-01-21T07:41:00.007-05:00

This week brings less snot-which is a wonderful thing when it comes to kids! We are getting along much better despite the VERY COLD weather. We haven't been out much-mainly because of the snow and extreme temperatures. Pappy visited on Saturday and that was fun. Libby was laughing so hard that no noise was coming out of her at all. Pappy tends to have that affect. While he was here, Corey got in some ping-pong time and I was watching/talking from one of our recliners. I managed to tip it all the way over and Libby was SO concerned. She kept saying "Mommy, you ok?" The funny part is that everyday she reminds me of the story. "Mommy fall in da chair. Are you ok Mommy?" And then she kisses my head and says "All better now." Too cute!

Libby and Joe are able to play more together which is fun. Joe is getting around better and better-he is even starting to pull up onto things-my leg, the bouncy chair, the stairs (thanks mom for showing him that one!). Here is a video of the kids playing in Libby's room. As soon as Joe gets close she references the times that he pulled her hair and also when her cousin Sami pulled her hair (I think she is slightly traumatized).

As for milestones, Joe is racking them up quickly. He can crawl with his belly off the floor now. He can get himself to sitting and pull up on some objects. He makes a lot of noises, but nothing like Mama or Dada yet. He can eat biter biscuits and Baby Mum Mums. Libby is doing great as well. She is walking alot of the time now. She chooses to walk to her destinations without prompting. She loves to color and climb, to sit on the counter (bad habit) and play her keyboard. Her vocabulary is ever-expanding and she is easier to understand. Here is her rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star...

Tagged

2009-01-18T21:36:00.004-05:00

My other mother (aka MeMe or Becky) tagged me.

Anyway, here are the rules.

1) Choose the 4th folder where you storeyour pictures on your computer.

2) Select the 4th picture in thefolder.

3) Explain the picture.

4) Tag 4 people to do the same.

Here is my pic

This one is from Libby's 2nd birthday party. She had just woken up from her nap and was ushered downstairs to see her slide and a room full of balloons. She was WAY more excited about the balloons than we expected and we had some of them still blown up until November I think.

I tag Ashley Iliff, Casey Vanderbilt, Danielle Taylor, and Ashleigh Burdette

Sick

2009-01-12T09:28:00.004-05:00

Our poor kids have been sick all week and thus no posting. It's just a cold, but they are both pretty stuffy and unhappy about it. Last week, we took Joe for his 6 month check-up and he was 20.5 lbs (87th percentile) and 26 inches long (50th percentile). He is definitely evening out after that major burst of gain. But since then, both kids developed a cold that they can't shake.

With their snuffles, we haven't really been out of the house except to go to MeMe and Pappy's and Grammas. At Meme and Pappy's the kids got to open some belated Christmas gifts from Aunt Nancy and Uncle Chris-Libby's favorite being the GIANT crayola crayon bank. It is 3x as big as she is and she likes to carry it around everywhere.

Yesterday a couple of my friends came by to watch the football game and Liz brought her puppy Max. They came last week too, but I didn't post any pictures so here are some. Libby LOVES Max and is really gentle and playful with him.

A New Year in so many ways

2009-01-03T10:54:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone out there. Our new year was very uneventful and wonderful. Corey went to a conference for 5 days and returned on New Years Eve. Libby welcomed him home by walking ALL over the place. We have video of her up on her feet for over a minute. She could kick a ball, pick up a ball and throw a ball without falling down. It was absolutely AMAZING! Corey said it was the best welcome home gift ever. Second only to Joe being able to sit up on his own most of the time.

Corey pretending to be mad about putting the bed together

Corey was exhausted and I was exhausted so our new year was boring-we went to bed early and slept 10 hours! For us that was a wonderful celebration. The day brought some changes to Libby's room-we transitioned her to a toddler bed. She was excited during the process and when it was complete she laid down on the pillow. However, at the end of the day she was MUCH less excited. She is an easy put-to-bed child. Reading a story and saying our prayers and then into bed without a fuss is a typical night for her. The new bed must have been a little unnerving for her though and she cried. Corey went in first and she said "No white pillow" which sounds like "No wipe piwoah". So Corey ditched the pillow and rocked her for a bit. She still cried a little and we decided if she was not asleep by 9:30, the crib was resurfacing. But at 9:25, she was asleep and slept straight through. Her nap the next day brought a few tears, but she slept again. Finally last night she waved nigh-night to Daddy and went to sleep with no crying. The only strange thing is that she rarely tries to get out. In the morning I still find her sitting with her blanket in her bed.

Libby and Joe both got to sport their wintry duds to go to MeMe and Pappy's house on New Years as well. They kept the kids so Corey and I could go to lunch and piddle at the mall and Town Center. The kids got Mickey and Minnie hats from Corey's Aunt Deedee and Uncle Danny since they just visited Disney Land (or World) over Thanksgiving. Libby loves it and it looks great with her new coat and boots from Gramma Candy.

Finally, a few pics of Libby today. She let me braid her hair and she walked for the camera!

Christmas Part 2

2008-12-29T15:57:00.004-05:00

Joe and his PawPaw (see the resemblance?)

The second half of our Christmas adventure was spent with my family. On Christmas Eve, Corey and I hosted my brother and two sisters and all their families-since mom and dad's kitchen is still a work in progress. It was so much fun! We let Libby open her present first-a little house that she loves! And then we ate and opened presents. Some of the highlights were a WVU hat for Joe and Libby's Yo Gabba Gabba guitar. But everything they got was wonderful-to put it in a post would be too long even for me. So if you got a gift for us-trust me we love it and will use it! This is my sister Casey and her gift from me-which I made, I wish homemade gifts didn't take so much time and I would do them more often.

My mom and sisters stayed at the house to watch our sleepy kids so Corey and I could go to church. We were beat, but it was a really great service and we are both glad to have gone. Afterwards, our friends the Allens came over and we sat around the tree until much too late. It was really great to spend time with our friends-just talking and enjoying Liz's Christmas present-a puppy named Max.

Christmas Day took Corey to work and me and the kids to my parents house. It was a day that we all spent in our PJs, eating cookies and opening the rest of our gifts. I got some really great kitchen stuff and Joe got some MUCH needed clothes (all in 12 months or 12-18 months). Libby and Sami looked too cute in their matching PJs and they played with toys together. There was some fighting, but overall the day went off without too much trouble. Libby and Joe took a much needed break with PawPaw and the DVD player. And afterwards, PawPaw took his own break. It was all really great. And being together is always good. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Part 1

2008-12-24T09:18:00.006-05:00

These posts will be long, but there is so much to tell! We've had an extra busy holiday season already and it is only Christmas Eve. There have been 2 birthdays, 2 Christmas sessions, 1 anniversary and Joe's 6 month birthday. It all begins with Pappy's birthday. We celebrated with dinner at Meme and Pappy's house. The whole family was there-so lots of kids running around. Libby and Aubree played while Mia and Joe watched from the sidelines. Dinner was great, but I have a sneaky suspicion that Pappy's favorite part was having all his grandkids together. See MeMe's blog to see more photos of that celebration.

After Pappy's birthday, our Christmas journey began. We left for Webster Springs to visit Aunt Debbie and Uncle John on December 20-which in one day was our 5th anniversary, John's birthday (no age disclosed!) and Joe's 6 month birthday. As usual, Webster was a laid back trip. We all rested and enjoyed the company. Libby had a great time opening her presents and Joe's too. He helped on the bags! Libby was tickled to get her first tricycle and also a whole set of baby play things-high chair, bed, stroller! I was tickled by the adorable outfits both kids received. Joe liked the paper, and the keyboard!

Libby was basically attached to John the whole weekend. They put together all the toys and played. As a surprise for all the grandkids, John and Deb bought a set of tents that connect with a tunnel. Needless to say Libby was in it all the time. She even had a picnic lunch in it! Joe even liked it-he crawled through the tunnel with minimal assistance from Mommy.

Corey and I had a great time too. It's always wonderful spending time with people who genuinely love you and your kids. John and Deb wore themselves out playing with Libby and Joe. We left on Monday morning stuffed to the gills with toys for both young and old. We had an ok trip until we got about halfway home. Joe decided to hate the car at that point! No idea why he started crying, but it was basically non stop for the rest of the drive.

We all survived though and got ready for Christmas number 2. We headed back out to MeMe and Pappy's house last night for pepperoni rolls and fun! I love our tradition of Collassesno's pepperoni rolls on Christmas-it's easy and stress free for all of us! So we ate and then geared up for presents again. Libby and Joe entered with adorable outfits that only lasted for about 10 minutes. We couldn't get a good picture, but there is always tomorrow. Libby got an awesome doll house that has entertained her all morning and Joe got some fun toys for boys-baseball and basketball toys and of course some drums. Daddy got his leatherman tool and I got a bunch of really fun stuff-of which my favorite is Christmas music and a beautiful teapot! (Libby called it a P pot).

Afterward, we all sat around and were entertained by the kids. Joe enjoyed wrapping paper in a box and Libby was into everything! My favorite part of the evening was Libby pretending to have hiccups. She would breath out and wave her hands in the air-then say "Hiccups!" Then we all had to have the hiccups as well. It was too funny!

We still have my family get together tonight so there will definitely be more posting!

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! It is a special time of year to celebrate the birth of Jesus-our Savior! Enjoy!

Traveling near and far

2008-12-16T12:04:00.005-05:00

The kids and I headed to Charleston over the weekend with my mom. We visited my grandparents and their newest addition - Pepper.
We also visited my sisters, helped make Christmas cookies and admired Kerri's new kitchen which is beautiful.

Libby and Joe were great. Libby had a sleepover with Claire and she was great. I think Claire could get Libby to do anything-she is so in awe of her. Joe and I bunked up with my grandparents and he slept great. While there he started scooting forward on all fours. By the time we got home it was almost a crawl-here's the video to prove it!

The only not fun part of the trip was the drive home. We drove my friend Melissa home so I sat in the back with the kids. Libby watched DVD's but Joe was less easily entertained. He cried a good bit, but we made it home without too much trouble. Now we are all just gearing up for Christmas-it's almost here! This is Libby in her zippy PJs. She wouldn't let me take them off!

2008-12-08T17:27:00.004-05:00

Today was a nice day. Corey had to work, but since the kids and I had nowhere to go, we stayed in PJ's all day. Libby has been walking more-she thinks it is a game, but that's ok for now. She got her new splints and they are pretty great. At the moment she wears them for about an hour a day, but we have to start increasing the time gradually. She calls them her special blue pants and wants to show them to Daddy as soon as she gets them on. It is such a relief that she likes them. Her last braces were not a hit and she threw a fit when she had to wear them.

This is a video of Libby walking. Her onesie is buttoned over her pants in an effort to keep them up so she won't trip over them. She's pretty amazing.

The rest of the fam is good too. We had kind of a crazy weekend-we went to our niece's birthday party on Saturday and passed 9 accidents. The bridges were all frozen! The party was fun-and belated happy birthday to MIA who turned 1 last week! The drive home was fine-the roads had been treated and were no longer slick.

When we got home, we got ready for Mountaineer football and our friends Candace (Candice ??) and Josh and their son Noah. The 7 of us enjoyed watching the 'Eers win (well only 3 of us were awake to see it, the kids+Candace were snoozing).

Sunday was a nice day to regain lost energy. Corey and I watched football and played with the kids. All in all a nice way to start the week. This week will be busier. Wrapping and finalizing gifts. Getting ready for the traveling to begin!

Our low key holiday

2008-12-02T10:10:00.005-05:00

We had a very low-key Thanksgiving this year. I definitely missed the hustle and bustle of having fun with lots of family, but I loved the fact that I survived a holiday without either child melting down. Libby's first Thanksgiving was great and AWFUL because it was her first big stimulation and we ended up in a dark room away from everyone, trying to get Libby to calm down. Joe's first Thanksgiving was spent at home with my parents and brother-in-law, Will. Corey had to work (yuck!) his parents were out of town, my sisters were in Charleston and my brother went to his in laws. I don't know that I have ever been to a Thanksgiving meal with 3 other adults, but it was nice and there were plenty of leftovers to enjoy.

Joe drooling... I just think it's hilarious that babies don't care about drool or spit-up.

To make up for not having Thanksgiving, Corey and I had two shopping trips planned. One to the Tanger outlets to Christmas shop and one to IKEA to birthday shop for Corey-belated! We had a great time and are thankful to both his parents and my mom for making the babysitting happen for those events!

Me and the kiddos-neither of which will smile for the camera!

Saturday was less low-key than Thursday for us. My mom watched my nieces while Kerri and Casey shopped the sales in Columbus so Claire and Sami spent the day with us. It was a lot of fun. We made cookies and played Sorry. We got into the Christmas spirit by watching Elf! By the way, Libby LOVES the Christmas tree. We told her she can touch anything she wants as long as she touches it with one finger. So she'll look over and say "One Ginger?"..."Like This?" It is so cute to see her ring all the snowmen bells with one finger. She has managed to get some of the ornaments off with only one finger. She especially likes Corey's Joe Montana ornament and a random skiing snowman. We have also started singing Happy Birthday to Jesus which is really cute!

Unfortunately, I have very few photos from this weekend because I had to hide the camera from Libby. She can now turn it on and take pictures.

This is one of Libby's lovely photos!

Adding some cheer

2008-11-24T09:46:00.005-05:00

I am well aware that it is not yet Thanksgiving, but I also do not care. We decorated our house for Christmas on Saturday and it is so fun and festive. Why not enjoy the Christmas season as long as you can? Libby loves it. She loves the tree and the lights. She loves her Little Peoples nativity. She dances to our musical ornaments and plays with the Joe Montana ornament that keeps mysteriously "falling" off the tree. Joe does not notice much, but I think he likes the lights.

He's doing great. He turned 5 months old last week. By our scale he is 20 pounds and 28.5 inches long. He fits nicely into 9 month clothes! He is rolling EVERYWHERE now. Gone are the days of laying him on the floor to go grab a drink or take a bathroom break. If I do, I come back to find him under a table or stuck on some piece of furniture.

We have all been moderately busy-Corey with work and me with the kiddos. My friend Shawna and I have been making time to get our kids together lately. Elliott and Libby play nicely together and Addy and Joe mostly sleep. I took this pic mainly as blackmail-notice the lovely pink gloves! They finally got tired and sat together in the chair to watch some Yo Gabba Gabba. I could not get both of them to smile nicely, so this is them making funny faces! That's all for now. We will have a Thanksgiving post later in the week-we definitely have a lot to be thankful for!

Catching up

2008-11-11T10:10:00.002-05:00

Since the funeral, the whole family has been playing catch up. Trying to catch up on sleep-still not there yet. Catching up on work and bills and everything. In the midst of all of this, Corey celebrated his 28th birthday. We're planning a trip to Pittsburgh, but for his actual birthday, we had dinner with his parents. Libby sang Happy Birthday, which sounded like "Appy Dirtay oo oo." She also blew out the candles on his cake and enjoyed it just as much as everyone else.

Her present to Daddy was taking a whole bunch of steps. In a single go, she took 24 steps. That is the most by far she has taken in a row and now she just gets up occasionally and walks across the room.

Joe has also mastered rolling. He's eating like a champ and giggles alot. But he's a homebody for sure. Away from home and his own bed, he is an unhappy camper. That means that I stay home more often-but it's worth it if he sleeps well.

Libby reading big girl books. This is one of her new favorite things to do. These books are a lot longer, but she will sit through you reading them.

Libby climbed into the chair. I found her sitting there when I came out of my office one morning!

Another way to remember

2008-10-29T14:50:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we lost our Mamaw (Corey's maternal grandmother). It was quicker than any of us expected, but I think that is probably a good thing. Mamaw to us and Gigi to the kids was an awesome lady. Her house was always a place you could be sure to get a good meal and a rest from the world-it is by far the best place to sleep I've ever been. Mamaw wasn't able to do as much as she would've liked to the last few years, but she always kept up with her family. She loved hearing about the kids and Debbie always made sure that she knew when we updated our blog. So she would have been thrilled to hear that Libby is reading books to herself now-mostly ones she has memorized-especially since Mamaw was a teacher and an avid reader herself. She also would have been excited to hear about Joe trying food and almost rolling over.

I am so glad I got as many years with her as I did-I'm glad she got to be a part of our kids' lives (she was the first nonparent to hold Libby in the hospital.) I will miss her - her stories and her laugh-her constant inquiry as to whether or not we were hungry. I will miss her beautiful PJ's and her sharp wit. But we will remember her with pictures and stories, by the cardinals she loved and the meatballs Corey makes by her recipe. But we will still miss her so much.

Our Family is growing up.. and in Joe's case-just growing

2008-10-20T15:33:00.003-04:00

Today is Joe's four month birthday- and we celebrated with a trip to the dock and vaccinations! His stats are as follows:
Weight: 17.5 pounds (90th percentile)
Height: 25.25 inches (60th percentile)

He is a good kid-he sleeps through the night, he eats every 3-4 hours and he smiles. Given that, he also cries in the evenings and sometimes just because. He spits up on EVERYTHING and we do at least 4 loads of kid laundry a week. He loves a bath and has peed on Libby 3 times while they were bathing together-I just laugh and Libby looks at me like I'm crazy.

Libby has really grown up in the last couple of month too. She is talking ALL the time and singing songs. She learned "Jesus loves me" at Sunday School and has gone around saying it. She is a coloring queen and loves to play pretend. She wipes her baby's face because she "spit up" like her brother does. Some other fun words she says are "kink" for pink, "pray" for gray. She is constantly asking "What are you doing" and "What's that" which I will definitely take over "Why" (which I think starts in around 3). She knows her alphabet and her colors and her numbers. She knows "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." But if the 2's are fun, they are equally hard. She makes me laugh and makes me mad. She throws fits and fake cries. She is refusing to eat foods that she formally loved. And her favorite phrase at dinner is "I don't want it." But God gives us good and bad... so I'm enjoying the good and dealing with the bad.

Libby and I read books alot and Joe has started joining in on the fun. Corey snapped some photos of our latest book fest (there is never just one). It's fun to see them interact a little bit.

Changing as always

2008-10-14T10:48:00.004-04:00

With kids nothing stays the same for very long-sometimes in a good way and sometimes not. In our world, Joe is sleeping 12 hours at night (a VERY good change) and taking 3 naps a day. Libby can say just about anything but throws fits (not a good change). The most recent change in our house is trying to potty train Libby. This is HARD work. She knows when she poops and pees, but she is still not great at letting me know. And our first day (yesterday) she would sit on the potty for a bit and as soon as I put a diaper back on she would pee. I am easily discouraged, but I'm learning. Today she is sitting on the potty in front of the TV until she pees. We'll see how it goes. I know if she just pees once in the potty that then I'll be able to talk to her about it.

Last post I mentioned that now the doctors are talking about bracing. She went up to UPMC last week for a second opinion and this doctor said that we should try Dynasplints first. He wants her to stretch as much as possible before they do surgery (if it even comes to surgery). I was slightly disappointed. I don't want Libby to have to have surgery, but I want her to be able to walk. But if these will help her walk, we'll try them. He said try them for 4-6 months and then we'll reevaluate. We still are waiting to hear back from her original doctor-so things may change after that. I'll keep you posted.

A busy week

2008-10-08T12:05:00.003-04:00

We've had a lot going on since the last post. Corey and I went to the WVU vs. Marshall game with our friends the Taylors. It was great to win and to see our friends. Sunday afternoon we let the kiddies play (Danielle has all those pics) and we got to hang out. Libby learned how to open my lip glosses. I caught her in the act of glossing her whole face. She went to another ortho appointment and this one said no surgery-but braces. So we'll see!

A few days later, we bought a new dishwasher and Corey installed it. He did a great job, but it came at the cost of 11 cuts on his hands. The new dishwasher works GREAT! It is so nice not to have to wash our glasses when they come out of the dishwasher.

Last week my sister Kerri came in to see us and give us our souvenirs from her trip to the beach. Corey and I got WAY too much candy (so good) and Libby and Joe got the cutest onesies.

Another ortho appointment

2008-09-26T09:39:00.003-04:00

We have become accustomed to our Pittsburgh drives-I wish it was because we were going to IKEA every couple of weeks, but no. The drive is getting easier, but it wears us all out to go up there. On Tuesday we took Libby for her follow-up with Dr. Deeney. He said that she definitely needs the surgery (hopefully in January sometime). We have to go back in a couple weeks for a consult with another doctor just to make sure they do the right thing the first time-we would like to avoid multiple surgeries at all costs.

Otherwise we are all doing great. Libby continues to be a 2 year old-wonderful and vibrant one second and throwing a tantrum the next. So far she is pleasant much more often than not, and for that I am thankful. Here are some pics from the week-enjoy!

Libby loves stickers-she sticks them all over herself. She ALWAYS puts one or two on her nose and usually on mine too.Libby decorated her cup with carrot strips-I am impressed by her creativity (since I am so wanting in that area)

Here is a tantrum-she didn't want to smile for the picture so she destroyed her creation.

My two cuties-Joe loves his sis, he is always smiling at her.

3 months old!

2008-09-20T19:17:00.004-04:00

Joe is 3 months old today. Here are a few tidbits of his life so far:
He rolled over from belly to back a couple days ago; he likes to swing most of the time. He ALWAYS loves to be walked around ( I don't need an exercise routine as long as he is fussy in the evening-I probably walk a mile around our couches); He smiles a lot and eats well. He sleeps through almost every night from 10-6ish. He wears nine month clothes (16.5 pounds according to our scale) and watches Libby intently whenever she is around. He spits up A TON despite being on medicine for reflux.

Our week was good. My sisters both came in for meetings and Corey and I got to watch Sami a little on Wednesday. She wanted to hold Joe's hand and touch his eyes. But she wanted to follow Libby everywhere. Libby put a pink sticker on her nose and on Sami's and then crawled around the room saying "oink". Sami tried to eat it.

She would do whatever Libby did-too cute! Unfortunately, mom hurt her back so we haven't been able to spend much time over there (Libby gets upset when Gramma can't hold her). But we did go spend the day at MeMe and Pappy's. Libby got to play outside with Pappy and Joe actually got ahold of a toy in his gym. It was a relaxing day! We also spent a little time visiting the Smiths. It was kinda crazy with all four kids, but fun. Elliott was cracking Libby up! Shawna and I got to talk babies and get a break from playing with the toddlers! Addie is too cute.

We go to UPMC on Tuesday, so I'll update when we know more about Libby's legs

Updates

2008-09-15T19:11:00.003-04:00

Our trip to Pittsburgh for Libby's MRI was LONG and exhausting. We dropped Joe off to spend the day with his MeMe (thank you) around 9:00 and by 9:30 we were on the road. Libby is great in the car-especially since we let her watch Blue's Clues on the DVD player (thanks Gramma). Last time we went to UPMC we were late because of construction. Of course this time, no construction so we were an hour early. And to make matters worse, Libby peed through her diaper and mommy packed everything but extra clothes (dumb mommy). So we had a pantsless toddler in a waiting room without food or drink (nothing after 11:00 a.m. because she had to be sedated). But as always, Libby was a trooper. Around noon, we went back and got all of her vitals taken. Then we were shipped to the MRI waiting room-luckily Libby was asleep by this time. And then we proceeded to wait for 2 hours. Libby woke up and played-she was less upset about not eating than Corey or I (we were starving by this time because we didn't want to eat in front of her). Around 2:00 they finally took her and Corey back to MRI land (I am not great with needles in my arm, much less hers so I stayed in the waiting room). Around 4:00 they came and got me and took me to her in recovery. She was very groggy and upset-but juice and graham crackers helped. Soon she was back asleep and we were allowed to leave. It was 5:00. So then we dealt with 5:00 traffic - not as bad as it could have been. We stopped at the first exit that we could to eat-a lovely picture of Corey shoving the food in his face. And we got back to MeMe and Pappy's around 7:00. Libby didn't wake up until Morgantown. And then it was like she was a newborn all over again. She had little head control. She fell over easily. I admit we all laughed-she was smiling and happy so I think that's ok. She woke up the next day fine and dandy.

Libby standing on her own. She is wearing a rain coat that Gramma got her. She refused to take it off all Saturday evening.

Had to end with a quick pic of Joe. He's doing great-sleeping, eating, smiling etc.

Please Pray!

2008-09-09T19:51:00.002-04:00

I was forwarded a prayer request for this family in MS and it hits home. They have low amniotic fluid and the doctors are extremely concerned. They are believers and are resting in God's arms, but no matter what, it is stressful and painful and scary and lonley. Check out their blog to see how things are progressing! sheaandbethanymc.blogspot.com

Also please pray for Libby's MRI on Friday. She has to be sedated (no fun) and that scares me.

Tie a string around my finger... or blog

2008-09-08T08:42:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of things I don't want to forget about Libby and Joe. And the things that stand out now are Libby's funny words.

Elphanunt = Elephant

Sesents = presents

Foffee = coffee

Gickle Gickle = tickle tickle

"No not" = "no I do not..."

That's all I can think of for now, but I'll probably do this periodically so that I can save forever the cuteness!

Our Extremes

2008-09-03T18:06:00.003-04:00

Libby had never been on a growth chart until she turned 2. Joe is OFF the charts in the other direction- he weighed in at 15 pounds 11 ounces at his 2 month appointment. He's even above average in height - we are almost positive this won't last, but at least we can tell him that he was tall once. He had his first round of shots (he did great), and spent the rest of the day sleeping!

Our weekend was busy with Mountaineer football (Libby says "ount-eers" if you say "Let's Go") family and work. This whole month is busy with appointments etc. We'll try to keep you up to date on what's happening!

6 Degrees of Libby and Joe:
My friend Ashley posted 6 things about her son Seth that not everyone would know and tagged a bunch of us to do the same so here goes.

1. Libby doesn't say "yes." She says "okay" - usually with EMPHASIS.

2. Libby sings songs (Itsy Bitsy spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star), but she hides to do it and whispers too. If she catches you listening she laughs but stops.

3. Libby has RIDICULOUSLY long eyelashes that are thick and dark.

4. Even before Joe was born, I associated him with an elephant`(Libby is a frog) and he is living up to the dream!!

5. Joe has his Daddy's eyes and feet exactly.

6. Joe's sad face makes me laugh - it is so overdramatic!

Back to what we know - 9 weeks 2 days

2008-08-26T10:44:00.005-04:00

Joe's first smile caught on camera. And his first Mountaineer outfit that he will probably outgrow before the first game. Good thing Uncle Rob and Aunt Matia got him one that is a bigger size-He's going to need it!

Joe just turned 9 weeks and 2 days old on Sunday. Although not significant to most, this is an important day to us. The reason? Libby came home when she was 9 weeks and 2 days old. So now Joe is at an age that we understand - sorta. He is still very different from Libby. For one, Joe loves to eat (if you can't tell from the chub cheeks). Libby hated eating until she got real food. Joe is fussy throughout the day and sometimes has trouble drifting off to sleep. Libby slept ALL the time, and she only cried when trying to feed her. Joe already sleeps from 10ish to 4 in the morning. Libby didn't give up that 12 a.m. feeding until she was 9 months old.

Libby and Joe enjoying "Yo Gabba Gabba" together. I think Joe is unimpressed.

But they have a few things in common. They are both sweet and light up a room with their smiles. They both have the same chin and mouth. And they are both our awesome babies!

Joe has found his hand and is constantly sucking on it.

I was tagged

2008-08-20T16:42:00.002-04:00

Here are the tagging rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

1. I love coffee. I'm not a coffee snob, but I love to drink it anytime of day. I've been drinking it since I was 16-thanks to Ashley Iliff who bought me my first cup from Burger King on our way to a breakfast picnic at Cooper's Rock. In high school I would drink a cup before school and then take a thermos with me to drink in first period. I am back to my 2 cup a day habit now that I'm not pregnant.

2. I have journaled since I was 13. I have probably 20 some journals with my thoughts, devotions, prayers etc dating back to when I became a Christian. I was really dedicated in high school/college and try to keep it up now. I've gone back through and read them and it is eat to see how much I have changed (and not in some ways).

3. I watch silly teen movies when they are on TV. When Corey is working, I watch the silliest movies, but I love them. The most recent one was Picture Perfect - and guess what the girl got the guy and they lived happily ever after.

4. I don't like cheesecake-despite the fact that I am a dessert queen. It's too heavy even for me.

5. I say "O Gosh" a lot more than I should. I found this out when it became one of Libby's first phrases.

6. I've read Pride and Prejudice at least 6 times. Again I think it's refreshing when a book or movie ends the way it is supposed to. I love Jane Austen and could probably quote most of the passages out of this book

I'm calling out:

Scott and Danie - you two are quirky to say the least and have way more than 6 random things to share I'm sure

Casey V- you are my sis and I love you and want to know what YOU think is random about yourself... I could name several

Jules Mercer- Are you ever going to post again?? Let this be a catalyst

Beth Chase- Having slightly older children gives you a unique perspective

Rachel Yoder- I haven't linked your blog to mine yet, but you are my most random friend for sure! (She was my nurse when I had Libby and we hit it off right away-b/c we both love Jesus!)

Summer Shelton- my only roommate other than Corey and one of my best friends.. I need to link yor blog too!