May and June News

It's been too long since I've updated this thing. Life has been great. I feel like I'm always saying that, but its true. I ran my 1st 5k race in early May and am running another on July 7th, with Stu, Marie and Joe and my friend Tessa. It was really fun and I am enjoying running a few times a week in the early hours of the morning to get ready for the races. I am also taking yoga with brother Calvin a few times a week. We LOVE our instructor and it feels good to be more active. Stu works harder than anyone I know, at the office and then at home to make things beautiful and he is even more handsome and wonderful now than when I met him, I didn't know that was possible. Speaking of working hard, we are days away from finishing a nearly complete remodel of our home. It started out as just painting the living room, but slowly morphed into more. It is so exciting and Stu and I have tried not to complain of things being in limbo for 3 months. I mean come on, a little dust and disorder doesn't hurt anyone, right? :) Plus I've been able to take the boys to my Mom's house a lot, to get them out of the construction, and that has been a blasty blast! Burke and Sam are growing up fast and doing new things all the time. Sam has crawled a couple times, but mostly scoots around on his behind and squawks for me to pick him up. :) He and Burke are playing together more and more and Burke LOVES to hug and kiss him and share with him, yes, share! :) Burke is the best big brother ever!! I even wrote a song about it.

B is for the best big brother ever

U's for up and that's how he will grow

R is to remember that we love you

K is for his kisses oh how sweet, oh how sweet

E is for his eyes of sparkling blue

Abraam is his coolest middle name

Put them all together they spell Burke Abraam

A boy that means the world to me!

and of course I wrote one for Sammy...

S is for the sweetest little guy

A is for the apple of my eye

M is for the mighty man he'll be

U's for up and that's how he will grow, that's how he'll grow

E is for his eyes of sparkling blue

L is for the love that fills his heart

Put them all together they spell Samuel

A boy that means the world to me!

A few amazing things that Burke has done lately are 

1) he stepped on something sharp on the deck and immediately said 'walk it off, walk it off' as he paced back and forth.

2) I slammed my fingers in the car door right when we got home and hadn't gotten the boys out of their car seats yet, and as I was crying next to his open door he said 'take a deep breath Mom'. I did and it really helped. :)

3) he can jump on a tramp pretty dang good

4) he can ride his bike super fast and can even coast for a bit with both his legs up

5) he calls me 'Diaper Lady' in a funny accent like Mike Meyers says on the movie Austin Powers, when I am changing he or Sam's diapers. It makes me laugh out loud every time. He has a great sense of humor.

A few amazing things that Sammy has done lately are...

1) slept through the night!! since Memorial Day!!! 

2) beed the cutest little guy in all the land :)

3) eats as much as a baby gorilla

Here are a few pics of the kids and our house remodel. It's not complete, or decorated, but you get the idea.

As Burke would say in this instance, 'two brothers in Burke's bed together'

Sam in tow. I love this little pouch carrier. Burke didn't like to be in it, but Sam can be in there for hours. It is very helpful for me. :)

Sam chewing on a stogie. For real. And hating every minute of it.  Grandpa Grater says Sam looks like Winston Churchill so Stu was trying to see if he really looked like him with one of those in his mouth.

Happy Mother's Day!! Stu got me this amazing B.O.B. double jogger stroller for Mom's Day and me and the boys LOVE it!! Thanks baby, you spoil me!

2 brothers out for a stroll.

A sleeping angel. Look how big Sir Burkeshire is in his crib. He almost takes up the whole thing!

Playing around at Grandma Madelyn and Grandpa Al's. Right when I took this picture, he said 'cheese' and smiled really big, on his very own.

So I had to get a picture of that too. :)

Sammy Bear eating lunch @ Grandma's. The happiest little piglet that ever was.

There were some tunes playing and Burke busted into this adorable dance.

More cute dance moves.

Signing Grandma's cast. He colored all over it in various colored crayons and markers. He loved doing it and Grandma loved showing it off.



THE BIG REMODEL

A few before (and during) pictures....

MARIE, JOE AND MAX ARE IN TOWN!!! :)

From left to right, Max, Burke, Stu and Sam.

Max is seriously so stinking beautiful and has the best personality. He is so playful and is crawling everywhere. He even stood on his own once!! Ya, he is amazing!! We love you Max.

A FEW AFTER PICTURES

Remember that things are complete quite yet, or decorated all the way. :)

The beautiful living room walls.

New door and paint everywhere. The door has been stained since this picture.

New entry way light. And the big dark wood panels, which once were a barfy pink color, have been stripped and sanded down to the original mahogany. Thanks to Stu!

The downstairs playroom/office.

The new bathroom vanity. Stu just installed the glass tile back splash yesterday! So pretty!

The laundry room.

Closeup shot.

Mirror isn't hung, and the painting or glass tile back splash isn't done, but check out the sweet vessell sink and gorgeous granite countertop that Stu picked out! Love it! It is so elegant.

I cut bangs. Sonya, this picture is for you since you wanted to see what they look like.

Stu is training Burke how to rub his back with one of those ball massage thingies.  A little to the left Burke, and put some muscle in it :)

You rub my back, I rub yours. :)

Latest and greatest

Life has been getting better with Sam sleeping through the night more regularly. The first 6 months with a new baby is....well....hard, to put it lightly. :) So we are just coming out of that phase and enjoying the kids more, going places like normal people again, and thinking more clearly with more rested brains. :) I'm sure every parent says this, but Stu and I agree that we have the cutest, most wonderful boys that ever lived. We love them more and more every day and they keep getting cuter and more fun. Burke is still talking up a storm and can now open doors on his own (look out!). He wants to sit on the potty all the time now, but won't go to the bathroom there yet. Baby steps though, we are so proud of him! Sam is sitting up on his own!! and.....has curly hair!! It is so adorable and goes with his big cheeks and eyes very nicely. :) Here are a few pictures of the past few weeks in our lives. Enjoy!



Burke loves pasta, and he loves feeding himself. He says 'do it yourself' whenever he wants to do something on his own.



Burke loves Pooh Bear and wants to be with him always.


And I mean always. :) He frequently sleeps with him in his crib and will roll over on his belly and make him talk, so we'll hear on the monitor 'Have you seen Piglet' or 'I have a rumbly tumbly'. It is terrifying to awaken to that, but he loves it so we put up with it. :)




Dad and Sam. This picture was taken about 2 months ago and he has really grown into those crazy eyes. :) They don't seem all that crazy anymore. :)


This is an almost daily ritual. Burke wears Dad's shoes and walks around the house. So cute!


Brothers true!


Sam has a mustache! We're pretty sure he will have a walrus mustache by the 3rd grade. He'll be bossing all the kids around on the playground with the intimidation it brings. :)



The first 'brother bath'! They loved it so so so so so much!


Sam's 1st solid foods, oatmeal and bananas. Yum!


Burke loves the new big wheel that Grandpa and Grandma Grater got him. He rides it every day, inside and out.


Sam is so ticklish on his neck and tummy. This is a picture of one of our tickle sessions. He will gut laugh over and over, it is so much fun.


A spring wreath I made. I gave it to my Mom, so it no longer graces our door, but I thought it was cute so I wanted to show it off. :)


Dad and Burke snuggling before bedtime. Burke rarely snuggles with Dad, but he just got out of a bath and was especially tired from a long day so he chilled on Stu's lap for a long time.


Go Bolts!!



Burke helped me wash the bird bath. He scrubbed and scrubbed for about 10 minutes.


I love cleaning the bird bath!


What a big helper!


Burke and Sam playing together before breakfast. A daily occurrence.



Easter picnic at the park.


Burke always wants to get in the crib and "lay down with brothers together" whenever Sam is in there. He'll lay next to him and kiss and hug him then cry when Sam pulls his hair, then when he stands up to show mom how good he is at balancing or bouncing on his butt, I'll pull Sam out. It's a cycle we do many times a day. :) I'm so glad they love to play together.


Simon at the park enjoying the sunshine.


Burke can go down a slide now....all by himself. Our little munchkin is growing up.


Enjoying a mouthful of plums at the park.


Check out Sam's curly hair!!!! I usually comb it straight down after a bath and it always dries pretty straight with a slight wave to it, then the other night I just ran a towel through it after the bath and it dried in little ringlets on top of his head. Our little Sammy has beautiful curls. It is so adorable!!


Curly head with big beautiful blue eyes. Watch out ladies! :)




Sam is sitting up! He seemed to get good at it from one day to the next and is loving the independence. What a cutie pie.