The Daily Giggle

The Tooth Fairy is Coming!

2010-11-16T20:53:00.003-05:00

Annalise lost her first tooth tonight! It has been loose FOREVER, and the permanent tooth had already grown halfway in behind it, so it was time for it to come out. It took barely a tug and only a few minutes of crying due to the blood. I dug out my own tooth fairy pillow from my childhood to pass along to Annalise to use. Very exciting! After bath time I told Annalise to hurry up because the Tooth Fairy has to have all kids in bed by 8:30 or she won't put you on her schedule. I've never seen her get ready for bed so quickly (this was kind of genius on my part, if I do say so myself.)

Now, hopefully tonight won't be the first time the Tooth Fairy gets caught in the act. I'm kinda nervous about it!

Role Reversal

2010-11-14T21:08:00.005-05:00

Today Ricky's best friend Alex was here watching football and the kids were happily playing. Alex looked at the kids and took further notice of what each one chose to play with. Check it out - gotta love that Ryan is playing on a Princess laptop while Annalise is playing Hot Wheels. Fine by me, I love a well rounded kid! It did make me laugh enough to grab the camera, though. Don't worry, Ryan, I think Santa may just bring you your own pretend laptop this year!

Fun with the Daisy Scouts

2010-11-14T17:25:00.010-05:00

Annalise recently joined a Daisy Scout Troop in our neighborhood. Most of the kids go to the neighborhood school, so it's actually nice for Annalise and her friend Issa to spend time with some kids outside of Immaculate Heart of Mary School. And of course Annalise loves being with Emily, too. Today the troop leaders took them on a little hike at our neighborhood park and walking trails. The girls loved it and were excited to look at all the interesting things found in nature.

Getting my blog on again!

2010-11-13T21:25:00.008-05:00

Guess what, everyone? After one year and eight months, I'm attempting to start blogging again. I blame Facebook for taking all of my attention and causing me to neglect my little blog. My friend Mandy, who neglected her blog as well, encouraged us to get back to it. So, as I type this, Mandy and I sit on my sofa watching Notting Hill, blogging away. Yay for us!

So how do you catch up on 20 MONTHS of no updates? There has been the usual - trips, holidays, birthdays, school, activities, etc. I can't cover everything (and don't have the energy for it), so I'll just put in some highlights. A picture is worth 1,000 words, right? So here goes:

After a great summer of 2009, we took a trip to Massachusetts for a family reunion. My parents and my brother Chris' family went as well. It was the first time the kids went on an airplane trip, and they did better than we could have hoped. This picture of the kids was taken at Lynch Park in Beverly, MA. My grandparents lived only a couple blocks from this park and we came here frequently as kids. It was so neat to take my own kids here to play, as I have many photos of myself as a toddler playing at the same spot on the beach.

In October 2009, Annalise turned five. We celebrated with a pottery party.

Halloween 2009 was a blast! The kids were superheroes, as were our dear friends Emily and Ryan Hoder. Our other favorite neighborhood friends, Issa and Mae Allbritton, were Ariel and Diego.

In November 2009, Ryan turned two on Thanksgiving Day. Part of our Thanksgiving dessert was a car cake that he LOVED.

Let's skip ahead to March 2010. Ricky and Jacob surprised Mandy and me with a trip to Vegas! We had about a week's notice. It was SO MUCH FUN! (Jacob & Mandy are our neighbors and dear friends. Their girls are Issa and Mae, in the Halloween post above.)

Annalise had her first ballet recital at Tucker First Baptist, where she is in a classical ballet class with Emily.

Annalise started kindergarten at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School. My mom has taught at IHM for 20 years and Ricky's mom taught there in the 80s for eight years. Ricky and all of his siblings went to IHM, as well as my brother Andrew. It is a special place and we are grateful to be a part of it. Annalise LOVES her school, her friends, and her teachers. It has been a great year so far!

Annalise played a great season of soccer at Tucker Youth Soccer Association (TYSA). We were thrilled to have a WONDERFUL coach this season. Annalise and Emily were the only girls on their team and they did a good job!

In October, Annalise turned six. We had an "Almost Sleepover" at the house with some friends from school and in the neighborhood. It was so much fun! The girls decorated pillowcases, played a game, sang "Tootie-Ta" and "Hi My Name is Joe", they did a conga line through the house, painted nails, and watched a movie. Annalise's teacher made a surprise appearance and the girls LOVED it. It was adorable!

The kid had a GREAT Halloween this year. For her school Halloween parade, Annalise was a rock star. For trick-or-treating, she was a witch. Ryan is LOVING Clifford the Big Red Dog these days, so I made him a costume. He really got the hang of trick or treating and did a good job keeping up with the big kids. I even dressed up this year as the Cat in the Hat.

Well, that's our quick review. I'm making a promise to myself to keep up with this blog! Next post: funny things the kid have said and done lately (which are my favorite posts to look back on).

Ryan's Look-alike!

2009-03-09T14:52:00.003-04:00

My parents were looking through some old photos this weekend and my mom brought over some baby pictures of my dad. Holy Cow! Ryan looks so much like him! If Ryan grows up to look like his Papa, it will be fine by me, as I think my dad is quite handsome if I do say so myself. : )

A New Angel in Heaven

2009-02-09T15:58:00.003-05:00

Many of you know the story of my friend Corinne's beautiful daughter, Chloe. (See my most recent post.) Today Chloe passed away peacefully while sleeping. She was 19 months old. It has been a long, terrible struggle. Spinal Muscular Atrophy is an absolutely horrific disease, and Chloe fought such a brave battle against it, as did her wonderful parents. I only got to meet Chloe in person once, but she has changed my outlook on life forever. And my friend Corinne has taught me so much about motherhood, selfless love, and what truly matters in life. I hope that up in Heaven, Chloe is finally able to do all the things her earthly body wouldn't allow her to do -- running, skipping, dancing, twirling, singing...

I love you, Chloe!

Two Worthy Causes

2009-01-23T12:43:00.009-05:00

Hi All,

There are so many causes that are in need of support, but today I'm posting about two of them. I'm asking that you keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers, and for those who are willing and able, perhaps you may feel compelled to make a financial contribution. I know a lot of those who read my blog are women and mothers, which make both of these close to our hearts.

First, many of you know about my dear friend Corinne's daughter Chloe. You can read about her here in a blog post from October. Corinne and her family are raising money as part of the Jacob's Run, Walk, and Roll to help cure SMA. For those able to contribute even the smallest amount, here is Corinne's fundraising page. I'm also asking you all to keep Chloe in your prayers. Right now Chloe is extremely weak and experiencing severe breathing difficulty. Corinne and Matt are keeping Chloe calm and comfortable with morphine and nearly full-time oxygen. They all need your prayers.

I'm also attaching a "guest blog" from my friend Heather, who some of you may know. Heather's mom is a proud and inspiring breast cancer survivor, and Heather's family will be taking part in the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. The attachment is Heather's mom's story & testimony in her own words. Heather is hoping that the readers of my blog are willing to support her family through prayer, and for those who are able, through a contribution -- no matter how small. To view Heather's blog, please click here and then click Download and select Open.

Thanks, friends & family!
Laura

Another Round of Annalise-isms

2009-01-02T14:23:00.005-05:00

Annalise has been obsessed with the movie "The Sound of Music" lately. It's on the DVR and she asks to watch it daily. While watching, she asked if Leisl was looking for "Old Man Maria." I said, "What?" and then realized that she meant Fraulein Maria!

Today she said, "Mommy, we really need to get a new TV. Ours is scratchy, and we need to get a new one with no commercials." I agree!

Annalise has been very into clothes lately. I often call her a "fashionista." The other day she put something on and said, "Look, I'm fashional."

The other day I had been watching the movie "Waitress" while Annalise napped. When she got up, I'd gone into the kitchen to make dinner and didn't turn the movie off. I realized that the childbirth scene was on, and although it's not graphic, there is a lot of yelling and screaming. I glanced in the living room and sure enough, Annalise was mesmerized, staring at the TV with huge eyes. She ran into the kitchen and said, "Mommy! I don't want to go to the hostible (hospital)! I don't want to grow a baby in my tummy! I'm scared!"

I was changing Ryan's diaper the other day and she said, "Mommy, Ryan's pee-pee parts are different from mine." I said, "Yes, boys and girls have different parts." She said, "Yes, and an octopus has TEN pee-pee parts!"

Yet Another Ryan Trick

2009-01-01T21:47:00.002-05:00

Well, here comes another trick! Ryan started this yesterday and it cracks us up every time. Pardon my hiccups in this video clip!

Ryan's New Trick

2009-01-01T17:30:00.002-05:00

The other day while Ryan was eating, he kept tilting his head to the side. I was saying, "Are you being cute?" He kept on doing it, and soon it turned into a game. Now, when we say, "Ryan, be cute!" he does it. So funny!

Skating with Annalise

2008-12-31T14:57:00.004-05:00

Last weekend I took Annalise skating for the second time. It was sort of a reunion with many of my old skating teammates who were in town for Christmas (most of you know I was a figure skater for 12 years growing up). Those of us who have kids brought them along; it was their first or second time skating and it was fun to see the "next generation" on ice! Annalise did a great job and I was so proud of her! Here are a couple of pics & video clips of the event:

Such a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T14:00:00.007-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas in the O'Connell house. Annalise really enjoyed the season, having a couple celebrations with her groups of buddies, and her school program at school was adorable. And as usual, she loved all of the Christmas lights. Ryan was rather oblivious, and thankfully paid little attention to our Christmas tree, only swatting at the ornaments a few times.

Looking at the Christmas lights at our favorite house - this is only a tiny view of the
thousands of lights and decorations at this house. We love it!

Above: Annalise's school program.

This year we also had a visit from our Elf on the Shelf. Annalise named him Rudolph Elf, and he kept a watchful eye on Annalise's behavior. He left notes for Annalise each morning, and unfortunately he had to give her a few warnings about her behavior and poor eating. Luckily she worked on it and Santa didn't have to put her on the Naughty List, as he'd threatened.

Christmas morning, Annalise was thrilled that Santa granted her request for a new bike. She got a 16" Huffy Princess bike, and she's taken to it so well! Ryan's favorite gift was a V-Tech Move and Crawl ball. After a morning at home, we went to my parent's house for Christmas lunch with my three brothers, their wives, and my two nieces. It was a lot of fun!

My dad with Annalise and my niece Caitlin.

Ryan's First Birthday!

2008-12-31T13:40:00.005-05:00

I'm over a month late in posting about this, how pathetic! Ryan turned one on November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving. Because we were leaving for Charlotte to visit family on his actual birthday, we kept his birthday celebrations rather low-key. The night before his "real" birthday we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant with my parents, where Ryan had his first cupcake. He ate the ENTIRE thing!

The night of his birthday, we celebrated with Ricky's family who were all in town for Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law ordered him an adorable Elmo cake and he made a nice big mess with it. It was a lot of fun!

We can't believe our little guy is already a year old. This year has FLOWN by. It is hard to imagine life before our Ryan. He is so fun, always smiling, and such a cuddle-bug. He's brought so much joy to all of us, and we love him so much. Happy Birthday, Ryan!

A Late Halloween Update

2008-11-25T22:32:00.004-05:00

This update is very overdue, but nevertheless, here are some pics of the kiddos on Halloween. As you can see, Annalise was dressed as Little Orphan Annie and Ryan was a pumpkin. We started the fun with a neighborhood parade, and then Annalise and her best friend Emily went trick-or-treating. Ryan stayed home to help Ricky hand out candy to our whopping one trick-or-treater - how sad!

Happy 4th Birthday, Annalise!!!

2008-10-15T22:51:00.004-04:00

Annalise turned four years old on October 13 - I can't believe it! How time flies. It seems like only yesterday that she was born, yet I can hardly remember life without her. She has brought so much to our lives. She's filled this house with laughter, singing, dancing, hugs, tickles, and sillyness. She is a great big sister & a wonderful daughter. She's a true joy, and we are so proud of her.

For Annalise's birthday, we had a small party at Two Crafty Chicks, a local craft studio. She had her seven closest buddies there, and the girls made jewelry boxes and the boys made treasure chests. So cute! My sister-in-law Michele made an absolutely beautiful Ariel cake for the event that was the hit of the party. The kids had a great time!

Annalise and her beautiful Ariel cake

Annalise, Ricky, and Me

Annalise, Nee, and Papa

Issa and Annalise painting

Miss DeDe reading the kids a story

Today at school Annalise had a little birthday celebration during snack time. Her class is so cute! This is Annalise & her beloved teacher, Mrs. Walker.

A Whirlwind Weekend

2008-10-15T21:46:00.006-04:00

A Visit to Chloe...

I have been wanting to visit my friend Corinne, one of my best high school friends, for over a year. Last July she and her husband welcomed their first child, a beautiful daughter named Chloe Anne. At her four-week checkup, the doctor discovered something was terribly wrong. It turns out that Chloe has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is the #1 genetic killer of infants and toddlers. Chloe's intellectual development is not affected whatsoever, but her muscles are very weak. Chloe is now 15 months old and has had a long road. I have been wanting to get to Orlando to visit Corinne & meet Chloe for so long, and I was finally able to do it last weekend.

We had a wonderful (albeit emotional) visit. Annalise was in good health so she was able to come along, and she adored Chloe. It was so sweet to see Chloe smiling while watching Annalise play, and Annalise would bring Chloe little toys and stickers to hold. At one point Annalise went over and gently kissed Chloe on the head. So sweet! Chloe was much more hesitant with Ricky and myself, which is to be expected since most strangers she sees are doctors, nurses, therapists, or others who are poking and prodding her. But, she finally warmed up enough so that I could sit down next to her and give her some gentle tickles, and she allowed me to stroke her sweet beautiful face as I said goodbye to her when our visit was over. And she gave Ricky a giant grin. We fell in love with Chloe, and we are amazed by my friend Corinne. What an amazing mother and caregiver she is! (And her husband Matt, of course, but he was working during our visit so we missed him.)

Thanks for all of you who have been praying for Chloe. Please keep it up!

Corinne & Chloe

Chloe's Sweet Cheeks!

Annalise admiring Chloe (Annalise loved Chloe's ponytail!)

...And a visit to Mickey!

We decided that since I was going to Orlando, it would be fun to take Annalise to Disneyworld for a day since her birthday was on Monday. We had a great time! We packed 10 rides in one day. The minute one ride ended Annalise would say "I want another ride!" She amazed me at how much "cooler" of a kid she is than I ever was. She went on Goofy's roller coaster, Snow White's Scary Adventure, and the Haunted Mansion and never got scared. I would have been freaking out! Ryan stayed behind and my parents took care of him (since he detests long car trips!). It was nice to give Annalise some time alone with us where we could focus our attention on her.

Annalise saying "Faster!" on the Tea Cups

Waiting in line for Dumbo

A GIANT mess with a Mickey ice cream bar (we changed clothes immediately!)

Exhausted!

Happy Birthday Monkey

2008-10-04T22:37:00.009-04:00

Annalise has a favorite stuffed animal named Monkey. She loves him, although lately I'm thinking that Monkey is a bad influence on her because he seems to be blamed for everything naughty that Annalise does. I've been hearing "Monkey told me to" a lot lately. Oh well, bad influence or not, he is her beloved friend.

So, this morning Annalise announced that today was Monkey's birthday. She said we needed to "make a ton of birthday hats." We had nothing else planned for the day, so why not a Monkey birthday party? We decided to move the party to my parents' house, and my dad even bought some mini-cupcakes for the big event.

Before the party Annalise said to me, "Mommy, I have tears." I said, "Why?" She said, "Because Monkey is getting so big, isn't that sad?" Hahaha, good grief. Anyway, Annalise & I made party hats for everyone (even Monkey's "friends") and we all sang. Cheesy, yes, but not a bad way to spend a beautiful October afternoon. Happy Birthday, Monkey!

A closeup of Monkey

Monkey making a wish

Monkey's party guests

"Nee" passing out cupcakes

"Papa" and Ryan enjoying the party

Interview with Annalise

2008-09-27T14:03:00.003-04:00

This morning I had an "interview" with Annalise. Got some funny responses, so I thought I'd share a few of the questions/answers!

What is your favorite color?
Pink
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Doctor
Where do you want to live when you grow up?
A pink house
Do you want to have kids when you grow up?
Yes
What will their names be?
Clara, Zoe, Jack, Alex, Laura, Dora, Caillou, Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Goofy, Pig
If you were an animal, what would you be?
A pig
Why a pig?
Because they’re pink.
What’s your favorite food?
Macaroni & Cheese, soup, cake, ice cream, muffins, cookies, popsicles
What’s your favorite song?
Yellow Submarine
What do you want for Christmas?
A Christmas tree
What do you want for your birthday?
A cake
What present do you want?
A computer

Sweet Ryan!

2008-09-17T22:58:00.002-04:00

September 11: Never Forget!

2008-09-11T15:51:00.003-04:00

Today, as we all know, is the seventh anniversary of 9-11. Even though I was nowhere near NYC, PA, or DC on that morning, it is one I'll never forget. I doubt any American will ever forget that morning. At least I hope they won't. To forget that morning will be to forget the innocent Americans who were murdered, the heroes that lost their lives trying to save others, and the families who lost their loved ones. And it would be to forget that there are people in this world who want to do away with every American -- no matter if they are young or old, man or woman, Republican or Democrat. It would be to forget those in the Armed Forces who work so hard to keep us safe from those evil beings. And I am so thankful to them. I put my sweet babies to bed each night feeling safe, and for that I owe those brave men & women a debt of gratitude.

Seven years ago, some dear friends of my parents lost their daughter, who was my age. She was headed to Hawaii with her boyfriend for a vacation on the second plane to hit the World Trade Towers. Even though I didn't know her, I think of her a lot. And I think of her parents a lot. Once I had my own children, the ache I felt for them grew even stronger because now I can understand the love a parent has for her child. I can't imagine suffering such a loss, especially at the hands of such evil. So, for Lynn Goodchild, Shawn Nassaney, and the thousands of others who died that day, let's vow to never forget their lives and never take our safety for granted. There are so many who die so that we may have it. Let's not let any of their lives be in vain.

A Few "Firsts" for Annalise

2008-09-08T11:51:00.004-04:00

Annalise had a busy week last week. She had her first day of school, her first day of ballet class, and she participated in her first home improvement project. Here are some pics!

First day of school

First day of ballet class

She's a natural with the spackle! (Notice her wearing one of my old skating dresses - haha)

Bad Parenting or Good Clean Fun?

2008-08-27T13:23:00.004-04:00

Today has been a good day. Miss Sassy-Pants seems to have hit the road for the day, and the typical happy (yet bossy) Annalise is back. We've had fun today, and a little while ago she found an empty underbed plastic storage container. Look what fun we had with it! (And please, don't call DFACS, she was not spared oxygen or left in the box unattended, I promise!)

More Annalise-isms

2008-08-26T22:19:00.003-04:00

It is hard for me to remember all of the funny things Annalise has been saying lately because they've been clouded by a lot of sassy moments. (Please, Lord, let this be a passing phase!) In between her moments of attitude, she does still manage to crack us up. Here are our recent favorites:

Annalise is very into learning jokes right now. She tries to make up her own, and of course you can't really make up a joke. So, she makes up weird stories -- here is an example -- "There was a fan, and it had a face and a mouth, and it was walking down the street. It was on its way home. Then he got in the house and went pee-pee on the floor!" After cracking up, she very seriously asks, "Was that a story or a joke?" I can't seem to explain to her what a joke is, but clearly saying "It's a funny story" was the wrong thing to say.

The other day we were in the car and this is our conversation:
Annalise: "Mommy, how did you pick this car?"
Me: "Well, we wanted something safe with a nice seat in it for you."
Annalise: "Did it have a lot of pieces?"
Me: "Well, a car does have a lot of pieces but it was already put together when we bought it."
Annalise: "Did the lady have a really big bag?"
I had to think for a moment to figure out what she meant, and then I realized that she was picturing Ricky and me lugging our car to a checkout counter, like at Target or a grocery store, and the "lady" (the salesperson) putting it in a giant bag for us to carry! I said, "No, we got to drive it home, they didn't put it in a bag." Haha!

The other day I was at the mall with my mom and Annalise, and we were sitting by the fountain enjoying pretzel bites and an icee, Annalise's favorite treat. Suddenly, just steps away from us, men robbed a jewelry kiosk, smashing the glass counter to bits. People were yelling and running in all different directions for fear of the situation turning violent (which, thankfully, it didn't). It was definitely scary and my mom grabbed Annalise and ran into a store, leaving Annalise's food behind. Annalise was sobbing since it obviously scared her, but in between sobs she asked, "Did they take my icee?" It gave us a good laugh in a terrifying situation!

Annalise has been into making up songs lately. Sometimes when she's about to make one up, she'll say, "Hold on, I need to put licorice in my mouth." Then she kind of taps on her molars and then prepares to sing. NO clue where this came from. One day she said, "Hold on, I can't just make the song up. It has to be in my heart."

Annalise made a glittery gold Olympic medal at a little art studio the other day. At dinner she was modeling it for Ricky. She said, "Look, this is just my style." Ha!

The other day she said, "Mommy, have you seen Daddy juggle? It's amazing!"

And for Annalise's most sassy moment of the day (and maybe of all time) -- today she was naughty and she got a time out. She said, "Don't tell Daddy." I said, "Trust me, I am." She looked right at me and with all of the attitude of a 15-year-old girl, she said, "Trust me, you aren't." I just looked at her. Part of me wanted to laugh, and part of me wanted to smack her! I didn't do either one, but it compelled me to once again pray for patience. It wasn't the first time God heard that prayer from me today! My "mom friends," please tell me I'm not alone!

A Couple of Video Clips

2008-08-26T22:01:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to share these videos for a while, but hadn't due to the internet being down...

This video was taken at Yellow River Game Ranch. I shared some pics in my previous posting, but here is a video I took of Annalise tentatively feeding a deer some saltines. We arrived there at opening, so the deer had congregated by the door, waiting anxiously for people to arrive with food. At one point I had about eight deer surrounding me, one tugging at my shirt hem! A few followed us around, sticking their heads in our stroller basket looking for more crackers. They obviously didn't get the memo that deer are supposed to be timid! They were so sweet, though, and I could have stood there feeding them all day.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

This video was taken a couple of weeks ago. I fed Ryan dinner and he was very tired after not taking a very good afternoon nap. After each bite of food, he stuck his thumb in his mouth. This is just a snippet, but this went on for about 20 minutes! Ricky, Annalise, and I were highly entertained by this.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

So far behind!

2008-08-25T22:30:00.005-04:00

Wow, I've been slacking on the blog lately. The internet has been out on our laptop since early July, and we've made a point of NOT fixing it, as I'm a much more attentive mommy without it! But, the blog has certainly suffered as a result.

This has been a huge month for Ryan. He has his SIXTH tooth coming in, he started crawling, and he had his first haircut (picture below). Next month will be a big one for Annalise, as she'll start a new year of preschool and she'll begin ballet classes! Expect a flood of photos.

I have so many video clips I've been wanting to share, but for now, here are some pictures of things that we've been up to over the past month...

Annalise has discovered her inner Picasso Ryan has been tortured by his big sister.
We made some interesting animal friends at Yellow River Game Ranch.
(That's one ugly turkey!)

A goat checking Ryan out.

Annalise feeding a bunny.Annalise has been having fun with her best bud, Emily.

Ryan had his first haircut!

Back to the Beach!

2008-08-06T16:21:00.005-04:00

How spoiled are we? Only a couple of weeks after our beach weekend over July 4, we headed back to St. Augustine for an impromptu trip. This time my parents joined the kids and me, but Ricky had to stay home for work. We had such a great time, and Annalise loved having both sets of grandparents there to spoil her! Thanks, Pat & Brendan, for so warmly opening your home to us.

Here is a picture overload:

My parents & Annalise Annalise sharing a smooch with "Nee"
Building sandcastles with Papa
My parents & the kiddos
Ricky's parents ("Nanny & Poppy") and the kiddos
Ryan only liked the ocean one bucket at a time Annalise "boogie boarding"
Love my dad's face in this one as a wave splashes them.
A sweet Papa and Annalise moment

Fun at the beach!

2008-07-08T16:05:00.006-04:00

We just returned from our annual visit to St. Augustine, where Ricky's parents live. What a great (but all too brief) vacation! Ryan loved the pool, but wasn't a big fan of the rather cold ocean water. Annalise adores the beach and the pool, so she was eager every morning to get her swimsuit on and hit the beach! She made us laugh in the pool as she pretended to be eaten by an alligator (video clip below).

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Ryan on the beach

Annalise with a starfish that Ricky found in the sand

The most exciting part of our trip was when Ricky, my sister-in-law Meg, her husband James, and I rented a boat and went deep sea fishing. The fishing part wasn't exciting (at least not for me), but there were countless dolphins and porpoises swimming and jumping around the boat. So, Meg and I moved to the front of the boat and sat with our feet hanging over the edge in hopes to see more. We certainly did! Each time the boat accelerated, porpoises would gather right around the front of the boat and swim their hearts out. They were directly below us, perhaps four feet below and we could hear them communicating with one another, which was absolutely amazing. At one point there were eight of them surrounding us. They were so close that when they would jump up, we would get sprayed with their blowholes. I'd never been so close to this type of animal in a free environment, and it was wonderful. Here are some pictures and videos. These were NOT taken with a zoom lense - they were actually this close! It was spectacular.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Another round of Annalise-isms

2008-06-27T22:52:00.004-04:00

Annalise is getting older, and she is obviously speaking more clearly. I admit that I miss hearing the words she once mispronounced or used incorrectly. So, I thought I'd make a list of the things she currently doesn't say correctly because they are so cute and I don't want to forget. Soon enough she'll be saying these correctly as well...

Music is "you-sic"
Short sleeves are "up sleeves"
Lemonade is "Len-uh-made"
Chipmunks are "Chicksmunks"
Candy Cane is "Candy can"
The Beatles are "The Beebles"
A belt (for pants) is a "Seat belt"
Hospital is "Hoss-tuh-ble"
Computer is "puter"
When singing "Twinkle Twinkle," instead of "Up above the world so high," she says "Papa love ya world so high."
When telling us a story, she always says "Once upon a time, in a very land."
Behind is "up-hind"
Instead of "My heart is beating," she says "My heart is beeping."
And, our all-time favorite, which she's had wrong for years is: Piggy Bank is "Pibby Cake"

Also, a few funny/unexpected things she has said this week:

When the toilet was running longer than usual, she said, "Uh-oh, we need to call a plumber." (I had no idea she knew what a plumber was!)
She was showing something or other to my dad, and she said, "Papa, you can blog this!"
When a friend called, Ricky answered the phone and said, "Long time, no see." Annalise said, "Daddy speaks Spanish!" Hahaha...
She was singing a song to me and then asked me to sing one. She passionately said, "Mommy, sing loudly, loudly...FROM YOUR HEART!"
Today she said to me, "Mommy, do you want to come see my little brother named Ryan?"

More Mr. Giggles

2008-06-18T22:03:00.002-04:00

Ryan always cracks up when we take his clothes off over his head. Even if he has been crying, this always makes him laugh. I have no idea why! But, it's one of my favorite things that he does, and tonight I captured a few seconds of it. Just wanted to share!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

To the Dads in My Life

2008-06-15T11:56:00.013-04:00

I am blessed to have many men in my life whom I love and admire. Some of them are dads, some are not. But, today I'd like to give a "shout out" to the three most important "Dads" in my life.

To Ricky, I am so proud of the Daddy you are to Annalise & Ryan. For someone who was always a bit nervous about fatherhood, you are a natural. The kids' eyes light up when they see you come home every day, and that makes me so proud of you & happy for them. No matter how exhausted you are, you never turn down Annalise's requests for "chase," "Candyland," or "Tick Tock." Thank you for working so hard for our family, and thanks for bringing such laughter and joy to our lives. You are a wonderful dad & we love you!

To my Dad (Annalise & Ryan's "Papa"), you are such a gift to our family. Whether it is fixing our broken appliances or playing Polly Pockets with Annalise, you are always there for us no matter what. And even if I roll my eyes at the silly things you teach Annalise, I actually love it because those are the things that Annalise will remember when she's all grown up. I admire you so much as a father, and I am so happy that my kids love you just as much as I do!

To Ricky's Dad (Annalise & Ryan's "Poppy"), we are always thinking of you even though you are far away. Every time Annalise is with you, she just lights up, and I can't wait to see Ryan do the same in a few weeks. (I will make sure that Annalise

brushes up on her U.S. Capitals before our visit - haha!) You are proof that a grandparent doesn't have to be down the road to be a much-loved, important part of a child's life. We are so grateful for you and we love you!

An Extra Bathroom...Who Knew?

2008-06-11T18:09:00.003-04:00

Funny story from the day...

Earlier today I promised Annalise that we'd play Candyland in her room during Ryan's nap. Two phone calls in a row delayed the plan, and when I got off the phone, Annalise asked if it was time to play. I said, "Yes, I just have to go to the potty first." She said, "I have a bathroom upstairs, it is right next to Ryan's room. You can use it if you want. Come on, I'll show you where it is." She took me by the hand, led me upstairs, brought me into the bathroom and said, "See, it is right here. You can use this potty if you want to." I just said, "Oh yes, that's right, I forgot there was a potty here." Haha...I know it was just a scheme to get me upstairs close to her room, where I couldn't escape Candyland!

Too Cute Not to Share

2008-06-07T22:14:00.002-04:00

Just had to share this cute picture...I love Ryan's chubby chubby cheeks!

Annalise a Future Hoarder?

2008-06-04T23:16:00.003-04:00

So, tonight I looked in Annalise's "playroom," which is just an area behind our sofa in the living room. Even though she has a large toybox and a big cabinet, toys are still piled up everywhere. I said to her, "Annalise, let's look in your playroom and gather some toys that you don't want to keep." First she started dragging toys one-by-one to the center of the room that she DID want to keep. So, instead I said, "Okay, just bring me the things you do NOT want to keep." She walked around her playroom for a while, dug through her toybox, and peeked inside her backpack, all the while mumbling to herself, "Hmmm...what do I not want to keep..." Do you know what she came up with?

A small sticker she peeled from a plastic table, a tiny bouncy ball, and a white crayon.

Hahahaha...this is why all the "toy purges" take place when she is at school or napping. I can fill a garbage bag and she never even knows anything is missing!

Summer Fun!

2008-06-03T22:44:00.005-04:00

One fun thing about summer is spending time with friends we normally don't see during the week, even when they live down the street! Today we went to my friend Mandy's house, and Annalise played with her sweet little girls, Issa & Mae. The girls went swimming in the plastic pool while Ryan napped peacefully in Mae's crib. They had a great time slipping, sliding, and snacking! Here is a cute picture of Annalise and Issa!

Wedding Bells for Annalise?

2008-05-29T11:39:00.002-04:00

I just had to share this. Annalise has a little "boyfriend" named Nicholas. Even though they've only played together about five times, they immediately developed a mutual adoration for each other. Last night I had to bring his mom, Lisa, a sewing order, so Annalise went with me so she could play with Nicholas. They had a great time together, as usual.

When it was time to go, Annalise gave him a hug, and then she just sort of looked at him for a few seconds and quietly said, "Someday I'm gonna marry you." Nicholas didn't say much, but when she walked away, he yelled after her "I'm gonna marry you, too, Annalise!" And as I was saying goodbye to his dad, Lisa was walking Annalise to the front door and I heard Annalise say again, "Someday I'm gonna marry Nicholas." Lisa said, "Oh good, I'd like to have you for a daughter-in-law." Hahahaha...so cute!

Happy Six Month Birthday, Ryan!

2008-05-26T19:30:00.001-04:00

Some Pictures to Share

2008-05-24T17:24:00.004-04:00

Today my brother & sister-in-law, Jeff & Michele, came over to take some pictures of Annalise & Ryan for us. We had fun and they did a great job! I just wanted to share some fun pictures from the day...

Our little family

Annalise's "piggies"

Annalise & her "friends"

Ryan's sweet cheeks

Annalise trying to look innocent

Another sweet Ryan pic

A Couple Funny Annalise-isms

2008-05-23T22:23:00.002-04:00

Today Annalise said a couple of funny things to me...

Very seriously, she said to me, "Mommy, we don't say 'I don't love you' to someone. That's not nice. No, we can just say 'I don't love monsters.'"

Tonight she was playing with Ryan and said, "Yay!! Good boy, Ryan!! Mommy, Ryan put his finger in his nose just like I do! See?!" And she looked at me with her finger crammed up her nose. Nice, huh?

Some More Gymnastics Moments...

2008-05-23T21:49:00.006-04:00

We've completed another session of gymnastics. It's so cute watching them learn the different elements. I told her teacher that we'd continue taking gymnastics until any real flipping begins because I don't think my nerves could take it. She said, "No, that's just when we kick you outta the gym!"

This is Annalise on the vault. So cute. I guess you've gotta start somewhere!

I didn't start recording this clip on time, but this is Annalise on the bars. I love the proud "ta-da!" at the end.

This is Annalise in the "pit," which she was very leary of only a few months ago.

And Ryan likes gymnastics, too!

Really Good Giggles!

2008-05-12T22:33:00.002-04:00

Just yesterday I was telling my mom that Ryan didn't seem to laugh much unless I tried really hard, tickling him all over and catching him in the right mood. He's smiley as can be, but he was really stingy with the laughs. In all honesty, it had me slightly worried.

Well, tonight was a different story!

I took him out of his doorway jumper and the poor guy was covered in drool and he had a leaky diaper. He was a sorry sight. I said, "Ryan, you need a bath!" and he just busted out with giggles. Not sure why that was funny, but who cares! He was giggling his heart out and so was I. I said it over and over (Annalise chimed in, too), and apparently it's quite a funny phrase to an infant. Hopefully he doesn't keep me waiting on another round of giggles because I want more, more, more!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

ABC's of Me!

2008-05-07T22:55:00.006-04:00

I got this from my friend Candy's blog, so I thought I'd put it on mine as well:

A-Attached or Single? Attached to Ricky
B-Best Friend? So blessed with many best friends! Ricky, my mom, the BFF, & Beth
C-Cake or Pie? Well, if we're talking desserts, I'll take tiramisu. But, between the two, cake please!
D-Day of Choice? Sunday, because Ricky FINALLY gets a day off!
E-Essential Item? My laptop (it's love/hate though, since I'm addicted)
F- Favorite color? Green & blue
G-Gummy Bears or Worms? Either one as long as it is red
H-Hometown? I don't want to get specific, but it's in Georgia and I still live there.
I-Favorite Indulgence? Tiramisu!!!!
J-January or July? July, but I know I'll whine about the heat, just as I whine about the cold in January (I'm a major whiner about weather.)
K-Kids? My sweet daughter, Annalise, and my happy roly-poly baby boy, Ryan.
L-Life isn't complete without? Someone in your life who knows ALL about you and loves you just the same!
M-Marriage Date? June 2, 2001
N-Number of brothers and sisters? Three brothers - I love them all; they are all so different, but they all make me laugh!
O-Oranges or Apples? Apples. Oranges taste better, but are too messy. (I can still remember being four years old at preschool, and being really annoyed because peeling an orange left my hands really, really sticky. Oranges have bugged me ever since.)
P-Phobia and Fears? Phobia: Needles. Fears: A house fire and being trapped under water (obviously not at the same time).
Q-Quote? Hmmm...tough one...in high school my quote in the yearbook was "When elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers." Lame, but I'll stick with it until I can think of something better.
R-Reason to smile? Hmmm...just one? But, the biggest reasons are Annalise & Ryan's sweet faces & giggles.
S-Season of choice? Autumn (I'd say spring, but the dang pollen ruins it!)
T-Tag ten people? No thanks, whoever wants to can do it.
U-Unknown fact about me? Here is a weird one: the middle toe on my right foot has been itchy for three years.
V-Vegetable? String beans with lemon & kosher salt.
W-Worst habit? This is gross - when I'm stressed, I pick my toenails. It replaced the former fingernail-biting habit of my youth. I've gotta kick the habit since it's sandal season!
Y-Your favorite food? So many...how about a Steak & Shake burger & fries! And a cherry coke!
Z-Zodiac Sign? Virgo

A Dream (FINALLY) Come True!

2008-04-27T22:33:00.008-04:00

We'd all dreamed about this moment for over six years, and this weekend it finally came true. Our dear friends, Julie and Michael, finally became parents! They received a call on Thursday that they'd been selected by a birth mother, and they had a little baby girl waiting for them. The 10-day waiting period was up, and she was officially theirs! So, with the addition of "Avery Hope," they became a happy family of three. So, today the "BFF" had lunch at our house and Avery was the guest of honor. It was so exciting to meet her! We were like the paparazzi, flashing pictures from the moment they drove into the driveway until the moment they took her home. She is a stunningly beautiful baby, and so peaceful and alert. It was so amazing to see Julie and Michael with their daughter. I cry every time I think about it. I cried all over again this evening, when I went to the adoption website and saw "Placement" on their profile.

It is truly amazing how God works. I believe He meant for Julie & Michael to become Avery's parents. She was worth the wait, and we all fell in love with her instantly. What a beautiful, selfless gift Avery's birth mother gave to both Avery and to Julie and Michael. Wherever she is, I thank her for making my friends' dream come true.

The new family of three!

Avery Hope

The cake "before"

The cake after Annalise & Jordan got into it when nobody was looking

The "Class of 2025" babies!

Julie, Avery, Me, and Ryan

Julie, Michael, Ryan, and Avery

The "BFF" & babies (Jordan and Annalise were not up for pictures)

Big Week for Ryan

2008-04-24T15:48:00.004-04:00

Ryan is nearly five months old and he's had a fun week! We brought the Exersaucer out of storage and let him try it out. He's still getting the hang of it, but so far, so good! (I think Annalise is having more fun with it than he is.)

Also, Ryan tried rice cereal a couple of weeks ago, but he wasn't a big fan (who can blame him?). So today I gave him a taste of peas. I think it was a big hit! I have a feeling that this guy is going to LOVE baby food.

What the heck is this?

Hmmm...I think I like it!

So Far Behind!

2008-04-24T15:21:00.009-04:00

Wow, I've been a slacker on updating this blog this month. I'll try to catch up a bit...

I just returned from a weekend in Washington D.C. with Kelly (pics coming soon), and while I was gone, Ricky had his workers pull out all the horrible azalea bushes along the front of the house. They are pretty about two weeks of the year when they bloom, but otherwise, they were contributing to us having the worst yard in the neighborhood. Bad advertising for Ricky's business, that's for sure! So, anyway, it was a happy surprise when I got home. Right now it's just pinestraw, but we're working up a plan for it. Anyway, the day I got home from my trip was such fun. Annalise and Ricky enjoyed planting new flowers in our pots, followed by us trying to teach Annalise to play badminton. Ryan had fun just watching the world go by. Here are some pics!

Our house "azalea free"

Annalise "breaking up the soil"

Annalise & Daddy planting Carlos Lantanas

Look at those dirty hands!

Ta-da!

Trying to teach Annalise to play Badminton

Ryan happy as a clam

Braves Opening Weekend

2008-04-12T21:54:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we went to the Braves vs. Mets game. Of course I didn't watch a minute of the game. I was too busy chatting away and taking silly pics with Julie, Kelly, and Leslie. Ricky probably watched some of the game, but he was also busy having fun with the hubbies. I just can't get enough of my friends - they are the best! Thanks for the fun time, everyone!

Two Peas in a Pod

2008-03-31T22:26:00.005-04:00

I just had to share this picture I took today at gymnastics. This is Annalise and her beloved friend Emily. They are so cute together and just adore each other.

We met Emily's family at a neighborhood block party in September. We had no idea such a great family was right around the corner! We're so happy to have met them. Emily also has a little brother named Ryan, age one. We look forward to when the age gap closes a bit with the two Ryans so they can become great friends, too!

You're Never Too Old To Want Your Mommy

2008-03-29T21:22:00.006-04:00

It's been quite a week around here. Annalise and I have had bad colds, pink eye, and in the past two days, we've battled a stomach virus. Friday it hit Annalise, and at exactly 6:00 a.m. Saturday, it was my turn. I'm still battling it, but I'm starting to feel a bit better. I'm hoping I'll be well soon, as Annalise was a new little girl the day after she got sick. (And please, Lord, don't let Ricky & Ryan get sick!)

Anyway, this morning when I woke up sick, Annalise and Ryan decided to get up early as well. Ricky was working, so I was alone. All I can say is suddenly I felt like a little girl who wanted her mommy! That sounds pathetic since most moms just rally their strength and get through situations like this. However, I'm blessed to have my parents just five minutes away. So, when called upon, my mom immediately came to my rescue. And my Dad, too. Mom came over at 8:00 a.m. and sent me straight to bed. Meanwhile she fed and entertained the kids and she sent my dad to the store for all the essentials - Gatorade, chicken & rice soup, and crackers. She stayed at our house for eight hours until Ricky came home.

Mom, if you read this, I remember that every time I got sick as a child, you would sit next to me for the longest time, gently stroking my hair. I loved it. It was one of my favorite things, and had you not been busy with my little ones today, I may have made a request for you to do it again! (No I'm not kidding.) No matter how old you get, I suppose there is nothing like the love you get from your Mom & Dad. Thanks for all of your help, you are a true gift from God!

My Sweet Dad & Mom

Four Months of Ryan

2008-03-26T16:00:00.004-04:00

Before Ryan came along, I used to (jokingly) say, "Girls rule, boys drool." Well, even though the drool part proved correct -- at least in Ryan's case -- I retract that statement. Ryan is four months old today, and I just love having a little guy in our family. Not that having a newborn boy is that much different than having a newborn girl, I suppose. But, I love my "Mama's Boy" and I'm looking forward to all the Tonka trucks, dinosaurs, and superheroes that are bound to start making their way into our home soon. (Annalise already has cars and trains covered.) Happy "Four Month" Birthday, Ryan! We love you!

Some Sweet Ryan Faces

A Very Happy Easter

2008-03-24T23:59:00.011-04:00

This year we celebrated Easter in St. Augustine with Ricky's parents. Ricky's sister Meg & her husband James, were there as well. As always, time we spend with them is full of belly laughs!

We were only in Florida for two full days, but we had a great time. Ryan did pretty well on his first "road trip" and Annalise just had a blast the entire weekend. It was her first trip there to sleep in a "big girl bed" and she was very excited (though a tad nervous) to have her own room. We colored eggs and Annalise was very excited that the Easter bunny left her a basket even though we weren't home. She asked me if the Easter Bunny had a car, and when I said "no," she was concerned that he would drop the baskets hopping down the street, but I think he did okay!

I made Annalise & Ryan their first coordinating outfits. They looked so cute and I was hoping to get the perfect, frame-worthy photo, but it didn't happen. Oh well, enjoy the ones I did get!

Family Flewd, NOT Family Food

2008-03-16T16:53:00.004-04:00

This made me laugh so much that I think it's worth sharing. Last night my mom (Annalise's "Nee") was over, and I turned on Family Fued, which Annalise calls "Family Flewd." I said, "Annalise, look what is on." She said, "Family Flewd!!!!" My mom misunderstood her and said, "Oh, this is Family Food?" Annalise said, "No, no, Nee, not Family Food, that's for lunch. I said Family Flewd!" Haha!

Annalise's First Movie!

2008-03-16T16:30:00.002-04:00

Today Ricky and I decided to go ahead and take Annalise to see her first movie at the theater. We saw Horton Hears a Who. I got a little nervous when we walked into the theater, which was already dark and loud, and Annalise had big tears in her eyes saying, "I don't want to go in there!" Oops - I had prepared her to sit quietly & wait patiently through the previews, but I forgot about the darkness and noise level. Luckily she heard kids laughing and decided it would be okay.

Anyway, Annalise really enjoyed the movie! Or, well, she mostly enjoyed her popcorn, fruit snacks, and an especially rare treat - a Sprite. She repeatedly said to me, I'm having a soda!" Thankfully the movie was only 88 minutes, yet it outlasted the snacks and she began to get a bit antsy. However, all-in-all it was a lot of fun to take her and hear her squeal & giggle (particularly at parts that weren't even funny). She didn't ask me nearly as many questions as I feared, and she really did far better than I could have hoped. I'm looking forward to our next kid movie!

The Latest Annalise-isms

2008-03-12T10:59:00.002-04:00

One thing I love about having kids is that I can count on getting a good laugh every single day. Annalise never lets me down and always gives me something to laugh about, even when I have to stifle the laugh.

Her latest:

While flipping channels last night, she heard two seconds of an American Idol performer singing "Eleanor Rigby." She said, "Mommy, is that the Beebles?" (instead of "Beatles"). I was very impressed that she detected a Beatles song, but I'm loving that she calls them the Beebles!

Ricky and I were talking the other day while Annalise sat playing on the computer. Out of the blue she said, while shaking her head in apparent disbelief, "Mommy, you are so funny. I can't even believe it."

While running around the house and barking like a dog, Annalise reassured me, "Mommy, I'm not a real dog. I'm just a pretend dog." Thanks for the clarification! : )

While watching the Brady Bunch she said, "Mommy, can we go to Greg's house? Does the Brady Bunch live far, far away?"

At church on Sunday, we were all standing, and Annalise said, "Mommy, pick me up, I can't see Jesus!" (The previous week, she said, "Pick me up, I can't see God!")

Why, why, and more why...

2008-03-07T19:29:00.004-05:00

Annalise is nearly 3.5, and I had decided she may be old enough to go see a movie at the theater. Ricky and I had planned to take her to see "Horton Hears a Who" next week. I've really been looking forward to it, but I'm now having second thoughts. I'm sitting here with her watching "Home Alone," which she has never seen, and she can't seem to go longer than 10 seconds without asking me questions about what the characters are doing. I told her that if we go to the theater, she isn't allowed to talk. Of course she asked why. I suggested we practice being at the movies by quietly watching "Home Alone." Didn't work. Needless to say, it is not looking promising that she will have her first movie theater experience next week. We'll see!

My Latest Addiction!

2008-03-06T22:27:00.007-05:00

There is always something new to be addicted to on the computer, and I'm like a junkie in search of my next fix. First it was making photo slideshows. Then MySpace. Then Photoshop. Then my blog. And now it's Scrapblog, which is more specifically an extension of my current blog addiction. It's like Blogger was the gateway drug and now I've become addicted to all things blog-related!

Earlier this week I was encouraged to blog my heart out when I discovered that blogs can actually be made into "Blog Books." There is a website where you can easily transfer your blog into cool layouts that are printed in a soft or hardcover book. Well, I stink at scrapbooking (a former short-lived addiction), so I was thrilled to know that while I'm blogging, I'm actually scrapbooking as well! Well, if my blog will become a keepsake, I must spice it up, right? Enter Scrapblog. Basically you make scrapbook pages with your photos. I used it for the "Ryan is Three Months Old" post. Below is another page I made. I love this thing! I can't get enough of it, at least until I discover the next habit-forming techno-drug!

Ryan is Three Months Old!

2008-03-06T15:29:00.004-05:00

Feelin' the Love

2008-03-03T22:20:00.003-05:00

Annalise woke up on Saturday with a plan. She said, "I have an idea. You can drop me off at Nee and Papa's house and then come and pick me up!"

I said, "So, you want to get rid of me?"

She said. "Yes."

I said, "Ryan doesn't want to get rid of me."

She said (in a happy sing-song voice), "But I do!"

Gee, thanks.

Annalise at Gymnastics Class

2008-02-25T15:35:00.009-05:00

Annalise has been taking gymnastics for a few weeks at our local rec center, and she loves it! Today was the last day of the session, so they allowed us parents to come into the gym and take pics and videos. It was fun to see them up close, and I was quite impressed with Annalise's balance and agility!

Annalise hung from the highest of the uneven bars and shimmied
her hands from one end to another as her teacher held her feet.

This is a video of Annalise hopping on a balance beam.

This is a video of Annalise walking on an elevated balance beam (it looks like her teacher is holding her, but she isn't).

Ryan's Christening

2008-02-25T15:23:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, February 23, we had Ryan christened. We were honored to have Father Richard Lopez, a former teacher of ours, perform the ceremony. Ryan would not stop grinning at him during the christening, which was so cute and had everyone laughing. Thankfully he stayed quite calm during the entire event, even when he had the water poured on his head. It was such a nice day with family and life-long friends!

Ryan grinning at "MoLo"
Our family of four
Ryan in his post-christening duds, chilling at the party

Annalise: The New Cindy Brady?

2008-02-05T23:04:00.001-05:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Annalise and I now share a passion for one of my all-time favorites: The Brady Bunch! One day I was watching it and she liked it, so I now record it on our DVR since it comes on at 4:30 a.m. Sometimes I'll turn it on and we'll watch it together, and she's already picked up the theme song! She's very interested in all things Brady and she's asked me lots of questions. I've had lots to explain: No, there aren't two mommies, Alice is the housekeeper. Yes, Mr. Brady's hair does look funny, those are called sideburns. Yes, Tiger did steal Cindy's Kitty Carryall and hide her in the doghouse.

I can't wait for the episodes to come on when they sing and dance as The Brady Six/The Silver Platters. I'll have to teach her the dance routines! I can just see her now, singing and dancing to "Sunshine Day" and "It's Time to Change."

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Ryan!

2008-01-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

Ryan is now 2 months old! On Saturday we sang "Happy Birthday" to him, and decided to let him try out a "big boy chair" - his Bumbo seat! He is still a bit wobbly, so he didn't stay in too long, but he seemed pretty pleased by it. He looked so cute sitting up!

Fun in the Snow!

2008-01-27T15:56:00.000-05:00

We don't often see snow here, and so we were very excited last week to enjoy a snowy Saturday! It was the first time Annalise has ever seen snow. We had a great time sledding down our neighbor's hill (using a heavy-duty trash bag as our sled), throwing snowballs, and making a snowman. And our neighbor even made us some "snow ice cream" and it was delicious! My parents stopped by and my mom took a few turns on our "sled." It was such a fun day! Check out our pics and a video I took while sledding down the hill - the sound of Annalise cracking up is infectious!

3 Going on 13

2008-01-13T17:35:00.000-05:00

Today I prepared a bottle for Ryan, left it on the coffee table, and then briefly went upstairs with Annalise. While up there, I thought I heard Edgar grab the bottle off the coffee table. I had Annalise go check and she said, "Yes, he got Ryan's bottle!" I screamed "EDGAR!!!!!!!!!!" and ran down and the bottle was where I left it, untouched. I said, "Annalise, he didn't get it, it's right there." She kind of chuckled a little bit and said, "Mama, you was freaking out!" WHAT? Freaking out? Where did she learn that? Sometimes she seems more like a teenager than a preschooler. Heaven help us when she actually IS a teenager!

Smiling & Sleeping!

2008-01-10T08:45:00.000-05:00

It's been a big week here for us. Ryan gave us two great gifts this week - he's smiling AND sleeping through the night!

For five days in a row, he's slept very well. Last night was awesome, he slept 11:00 pm - 7:40 am! A couple of nights have been more like midnight to 6:00 am, but WAY better than getting up for the 3:30 feeding!

And, Ryan is also smiling now! It's the most wonderful thing in the world. That first smile is our payment for surviving those first difficult, emotional, draining weeks. I just love his grins!!! He was so smiley this morning and it really just lights me up. Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a morning person, but those grins take all my grumpiness away and fill me with such joy and gratitude for this little guy!

Happy One Month Birthday, Ryan!

2007-12-26T17:53:00.001-05:00

Well, today Ryan is four weeks old! It's been both the longest & shortest four weeks. In one way it seems like he's been here forever, but at the same time I also feel like I was just pregnant! We're still getting up once or twice a night (not counting trips to his bedroom to insert his pacifier!), but we're adjusting. Ryan is a very sweet little guy with the potential to have quite a temper if you don't move fast enough to feed him or get him out of his crib when he wants to get up! Annalise is getting used to his screams. Last week he screamed so loud that she ran away crying & covering her ears. Today he screamed that loud and she laughed at him. Haha...

Ryan's current stats are: 9 lbs 11 oz. Yes, folks, he's gained a whopping TWO pounds in only three weeks! The boy loves to eat.

I'm counting down the weeks until we can expect a full night of sleep. I know that it will be here before we know it, so right now I'm just trying to make the best of my middle-of-the-night viewings of "Nick at Nite" or HGTV. If only the Brady Bunch were on at 3:00 a.m., life would be so much better!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T17:29:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone already. Since I've been mostly quarantined at home for the past few weeks, I feel like I never really got into the "Christmas spirit." After several weeks of adjusting to life with a newborn, the holiday just sort of snuck up on me. However, it all came together and it was a fun day. Santa was much too generous to Annalise. After opening all her gifts, she was overwhelmed and just wandered around the room playing with an old flashlight. Oh well! Today (12/26) she was able to "take in" her gifts and has been playing with them more.

After a morning of opening gifts here at our house, we went to my parents' house for our family Christmas. The whole Patch crew was there and it was lots of fun! Gift giving was total chaos, as always. We start out saying "Let's open them one at a time so we can see who got what" and the next thing you know, there's wrapping paper, tissue, and bows being ripped apart and tossed into the air in total gift-opening madness. I may have no idea what anyone received, but everyone seemed pretty happy afterwards, so I guess all the gifts were a hit! More important than gifts, of course, was just being with the family. I am very blessed to have so many people in my life to love and laugh with. I have been given so many gifts that can't be wrapped, and for those I am so grateful.

Some pics from the day:

Baby Ryan has arrived!

2007-11-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

We are proud to announce that our little boy, Ryan Holcombe, arrived on Monday, November 26th at 12:14 p.m. He was 7 lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long. The delivery, which was via c-section, couldn't have gone better. I was smiling and chatting with the doctors during it -- quite a change from our last experience!

Ryan is such a sweet little guy! (Unless he's hungry or having his diaper changed, of course!) Annalise adores her little brother, but is definitely having trouble adjusting to "sharing" her mommy. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing around here before too long! :)

Here are some photos of our new family of four!

Family Fun Day - Bowling!

2007-11-23T18:42:00.000-05:00

Today is our last Friday as a family of three! We took Annalise bowling for the first time and she loved it! A couple of times she insisted on doing it herself without our help. She did pretty well, but she made the mistake that all bowlers have made - she crossed the line and wiped out (a few times). And luckily I caught it on video! Enjoy the clip below -- and even with the fall, she got 7 pins on that turn! We had a lot of fun, and Annalise didn't even mind getting some gutter balls (which happened even with bumpers) OR the times her ball just stalled before even reaching any pins at all! She'd just say "Oops!" Haha...

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Trick or Treat!

2007-11-05T15:40:00.000-05:00

Annalise had a blast on Halloween! She's been very excited about being a kitty cat. She dressed up at school and again that evening when we went trick-or-treating with her cousins, Lindsay & Caitlin. She had a great time!

My mom joined us, as is the tradition, and she and Caitlin were both dressed as witches. Lindsay was a cheerleader. They all looked so cute!

We're now doing the daily candy battle, as Annalise wants to hit the candy bucket every morning when she wakes up. Oh well, it was a fun day!

I Love My Girls!

2007-10-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

This weekend I had a slumber party with my best friends from college! Yes, I'm 32 and pregnant and I went to a slumber party. So what? : ) I had requested to the BFF (no, that's NOT "best friends forever") to have a slumber party before the baby comes. So, this past Saturday we all invaded Mitzi's condo. It was a BLAST. I laughed for about six hours straight. And they surprised me with a little shower! I was spoiled with one of Mitzi's world-famous diaper cakes stuffed with onesies, PJs, pants, & toys, a Snap n Go, a monogrammed pillow, a bunch of monogrammed burpies and bibs that Les & Julie made, and a monogrammed diaper bag. They are the best. As I always say, "Friends are the family you choose for yourself." These girls really are my family. I love them all!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea!

2007-10-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

Annalise, I can't believe you are three today. Time has flown by, and I really wish I could re-live a lot of your moments over these past three years. It seems like yesterday that we were all excited about you sitting up by yourself or crawling, and now you are running around, dancing, singing, playing, and chatting away. Where did my baby go? I asked you that last night and you said, "I'm not a baby anymore. Ryan is a baby." You are right, I suppose. But, you are still, and always will be, my sweet baby girl! Thanks for all of the laughs and loving moments over these past three years, Annalise. You have been our little comedienne and the light of our lives. What a wonderful gift we received three years ago today. We can't imagine our lives without you. Enjoy your birthday today, Pumpkin. And, like you and Daddy say "Party like a rock star!"

A Fun Day in Dahlonega

2007-10-01T14:37:00.000-04:00

This weekend Annalise and I joined my parents (Annalise's "Nee and Papa") for a day in Dahlonega. Having gone to North Georgia College, I never miss a chance to go there because I love it so much. We had a great time!

Annalise loved the General Store, which, as I said to my dad, offers an amazing assortment of "crap" -- coonskin caps, asian table linens, trinkets of all shapes and sizes, metal Jack Daniels signs, coconuts carved into weird faces, etc . She loved buying marbles (or, as she calls them, "mar-balls"), watching the player piano, rocking in the rocking chairs, and selecting candy. We browsed through different stores (mom & I spent way too long in a children's boutique), had lunch, played on the drill field at NGC, and finished the day with ice cream. The weather was absolutely perfect. I get so jealous every time I'm on the NGC campus. I see the students and I want to go back in time and take their place. I love looking around and remembering different moments from college, both good and bad.

On the way home, we were all exhausted. Or, all except for Annalise. She said, "Nee, wanna play hide and seek at my house?" My mom, wno was totally wiped out, kind of laughed and said, "Annalise how old do you think I am?" Annalise said, "Nee, you three." We cracked up and mom said, "How old is Papa?" Annalise said, "Papa not three, Papa's ooooooollldd" We all died laughing, of course. Poor Papa!

Too many Disney movies...

2007-09-11T16:21:00.000-04:00

Today Annalise wanted to play outside, but it was time for lunch. This is how our conversation went:

Annalise: "Mommy, I want to play outside."
Me: "It's time for lunch, Annalise, we can't go outside right now."
Annalise: "Mommy, I want to go play outside the palace walls!"

Hahaha! I think we need to stop watching Aladdin so much!

What will she say next?

2007-09-05T16:14:00.000-04:00

Annalise continues to crack me up daily with the funny things that come out of her mouth. Thankfully I've been writing most of them down so I don't forget. So, here are a few of my favorites from this summer:

"Mommy, do you remember me? My name is Annalise!"

(In a sad voice) "Awwww...Mommy, Elmo doesn't have nipples."

Me: "Annalise, in this house we take turns."
Annalise: "Mommy, I want a different house. I want Nee and Papa's house."

Annalise showed our friend Mark a tube of Desitin and said, "Look Mark, this is toothpaste for my pee-pee parts."

"I love you, Laura Darling."

"Mommy, I need to check my e-mail."

Said to my mom ("Nee") this weekend at the beach: "Nee, you need to wear your big, big bathing suit at the beach."

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy....I, I, I, I, I, I......I don't remember."

Labor Day at the Beach

2007-09-05T16:09:00.000-04:00

We were happy to enjoy one more weekend in St. Augustine before the end of summer. We had a great time! My parents came down and joined us, and Ricky, James, Meg, and I forced both sets of parents to play "The Newlywed Game." It was hilarious! Once again, Annalise LOVED the waves. She is a dare devil! I celebrated my 32nd birthday down there, too. Annalise was super-excited about the birthday cake. Her favorite thing!

Annalise finally felt her brother move!

2007-08-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

This afternoon Annalise and I shared a special moment. We were snuggled on the couch together, and Ryan (her baby-brother-to-be) was having an aerobics class in my tummy. He was so active that I could see my belly moving all around. So, I rested Annalise's hand on my tummy and she felt him move (up until now, she'd never been patient enough to wait to feel his kicks). She looked at me with big wide eyes and a dropped jaw, and then she started to giggle. We sat there for about 10 minutes with her feeling him bopping around. When he'd stop, she's bend down to my tummy and say "Ryan!!!" and move my belly around to get him going again. So cute. It was such a fun moment. I can't wait to see her reaction when she meets him in person!

Playdate Fun!

2007-08-01T17:39:00.001-04:00

This week we had playdates with two friends we haven't seen in a while. We saw my friend from college, Tera, and her little boy, Ben, who was born only a week before Annalise. Even though we only live just over an hour from one another, we only manage to see each other a couple of times a year. We met at the Mall of Georgia and rode the carousel and had lunch. Unfortunately Annalise was being whiney and not very agreeable, so we had to cut the day a bit short!

The next day we saw our friends Natalie & Lucca. We met early last year at the local library program, but a few months later they moved to Sacramento. Natalie has become my long distance email buddy, a modern day pen pal, I suppose. We were happy that we got to see them while they were in town visiting. We also saw their new addition, Sienna, who is SO cute! They came to our house for lunch, and despite a few sharing/crying episodes, we all had a good time!

Annalise is learning her prayers!

2007-07-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight Annalise said the "Lord's Prayer" by herself without trying to make me laugh by putting potty words in the verses. (I'm trying to make her understand that her bedtime prayers are NOT the time to incorporate the word "poo-poo" for comic effect.) She was so proud that she wanted to say it over and over (or maybe she was just stalling going to sleep?), so I finally had to grab my camera. Couldn't resist sharing it! She just started learning "Hail Mary" so we'll see how she does with that one!

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And we're having a...

2007-07-18T16:39:00.000-04:00

BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

His head, hand, and chest...
a future thumb sucker like his sister? We hope so!

Another cute head shot.

Proof that he's a boy!

And a perfect tiny little foot.

We couldn't believe it when the ultrasound tech said "It's a boy!" We were predicting another girl, which would have been wonderful as well. But, of course we're so very excited! And even though Ricky never actually admitted to rooting for a boy, he's SOOOOO thrilled. Annalise said it was going to be a boy, and she was right! (Of course she also said his name is going to be "Ruthie Patch" - my mom's name - but one out of two isn't bad!)

Broadway Baby

2007-07-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

Annalise is ready to audition for the cast of "Annie." Unfortunately my camera cut off before her grand finale, but you get the idea! Hmmm...sadly she may have inherited my voice talents, but she certainly sings with conviction! :)

Enjoy!
Laura

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Our trip to St. Augustine

2007-07-13T12:04:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week we returned from St. Augustine, FL where we went with our friends Kelly & Seth and their girls Jordan & Mya. We stayed at Ricky's parents' house and had a great time! Here are some pics...

Laura and Annalise relaxing on the beach

All of us enjoying the carousel in downtown St. Augustine

Laura and Annalise playing in the waves!

Annalise watching a dolphin at Marineland

Laura and Kelly on the dock at Capp's

Mya's first day at the beach!

Jordan and Annalise ready to hit the beach!

We're Blogging!

2007-07-13T11:26:00.000-04:00

An O'Connell Blog! Wow, we seem to get more techno-saavy all the time! : )

Here is our blog, and we're hoping our out-of-town relatives & friends (and even those two miles down the road) will check in and catch up on our latest happenings.

This is the low-down on our family...

Ricky is the president and owner of a landscaping company and he's built the business from the ground up. When we met, he was lugging a small trailer around behind an old Mercury Cougar. Very professional! : ) He now has a shop, several box trucks, a crew of difficult employees, and a long list of customers. Of course, our yard continues to be the WORST yard in the neighborhood! I'm thinking of hiring our elderly neighbor to be our landscaper.

I (Laura) am enjoying staying at home with Annalise, and soon there will be another one in tow! This year I will not be coaching the St. Pius Dance Team anymore. I coached for five years and I'm happy to have a break. I had too many distractions to give it my all anymore. But, I am keeping up my little side business, sewing and embroidering baby & toddler clothing and accessories. I've been quite busy lately! But, I'm hoping to have some downtime in the next couple of weeks to sew some things for friends, family, and of course Annalise! My "company" is with two of my best college friends, Leslie and Julie, and it's called Blueberry Daisy. I have a not-so-up-to-date website: www.blueberrydaisyatlanta.com.

Annalise is our toddler, who will be three years old in October. (I can't believe it!) We're already talking about her upcoming birthday party. She is SO MUCH FUN. Every day she says something to make us laugh. Each Tuesday we go to The Music Class, which we both love. We have made some good friends there and we routinely go to lunch at Mama Fu's with about four other moms and their kids. It's insane. I'm sure the employees dread our arrival each Tuesday. But, Music Class brings us both so much joy, and we're blessed by having her teacher, Moira Nelligan, in our lives. Moira is fun, silly, nurturing, talented, and wonderful. She has a Celtic band that she performs with and we have her CD, which Annalise must listen to in the car each time we go someplace. I love Music Class because it's a time I can dance, sing, and snuggle with Annalise and not be distracted by sewing, my laptop (I need laptop rehab), the phone, etc.

Baby #2 is well on the way! My due date is Dec 2, but I'll have a repeat c-section at the end of November, probably a bit after Thanksgiving. Annalise is already getting things ready for the baby, finding spare spoons and pacifiers to help out. We find out whether this baby is a boy or girl on Wednesday, July 18, only five days from now!! We can't wait!