Playdate with the Hoffmans!

My dear friend Bridget came over this morning for a playdate with her 3 youngest kiddos.  Joey is 7 and in school these days - but we did get to play with Caroline (3) and Tommy & Matthew who just turned ONE last weekend!  Molly was in heaven of course and thinks it's sooo cool that Caroline gets to have TWO baby brothers to play with.  Molly wanted to help Matthew with his bottle, even though he can hold it just fine himself . . . so "helpful" - she is.   

Thanks for coming over to play today guys!  Come back soon!

Molly Lately . . .

Mom, I'm not a big girl yet b'cuz I still have a lot of growing to do.   

Molly LOVES to tickle and be tickled all the time!  She loves to jump on Daddy - and makes him close his eyes and lay down before she jumps.  She (and I) love to give nose kisses still and Molly tries to get anyone and everyone to chase her - doesn't matter where we are.  A common phrase you will hear her say to her friends as she's already running - "Let's play chase!"  

While sitting on my lap - we were singing songs to Baby #2 in my belly.  Molly likes it when the baby kicks when she's singing so we are usually staring at my belly while singing.  Out of no where she stops singing and says to me, Mommy, you have a BEEAAAUUTIFUL tummy!

Molly has about 50+ babies and stuffed animals but they ALL get love from her. I am not kidding.  She loves them all the same and not one goes neglected for more than a few days. The other day Panda Bear was her "baby" of choice and she sat by him at breakfast and then had him on her lap on the way to "school."  I went to get her out of the back seat when we arrived - and she told me "just a second, mom" as she proceeded to cuddle with Panda and looking him in the eye said, I'm going to miss you SO MUCH but I will be back soon and we will play again, OK?  

Molly is VERY excited about Halloween this year and already has "ideas" of what all of us should be for Halloween.  As of right now she thinks I should be Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street, Daddy should be Cat in the Hat and her baby brother/sister is going to be Pluto and of course - Molly wants to be Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  Whenever a new Halloween costume catalog comes in the mail she LOVES to look at it with Daddy.  The other night, she was looking at a new one with him and there were a lot of princess costumes but none of them more risque' than Princess Jasmine from Aladdin with her short halter top.  Molly exclaimed, Oh Daddy - you can be Jasmine!!!   

Molly has been using my old phone lately as her "pretend" phone.  She likes to have it in the car with her along with her keys and she pretends she's driving as well -  from the back seat.  The other day we drove to the park to meet her friend Ellie and before I could get her out of the car she said, Just a second, mom - I need to text Ellie and let her know we are here.

Her teachers at school this fall send home a one-page sheet with details of how Molly did that day, lunch, nap/no nap, who she played with, etc.  Lately the teacher simply writes Happy & Talkative.  That pretty much sums up Molly!  

Pix of Molly helping bake cookies this morning . . .

Bump Update - 34 Weeks!

Molly and I gave Mike John Hiatt concert tickets for Father's Day and last night was the concert at the Uptown Theatre!  Mike and I didn't know what to expect but the concert was AMAZING and we had such a fun time!  Hiatt was so so cool live and I'll never forget the spine tingling versions of Cry Love & Have a Little Faith in Me he did!

We had our babysitter take a quick photo of us on our way out the door - 34 weeks!  My belly is getting REALLY big!  Baby is already head down and low and ready to go!  

I officially waddle now.   *smile*

 

Monday Morning with Grandma & Grandpa

Grandma JoJo & Grandpa Don stopped by on their way home from a week in Florida this morning. . . We were so excited to see them!  Molly loved showing them her baby brother/sister's room and telling them how excited she is for her baby brother or sister to get here - just a little over a month away!  

Pizza Night!

Sunday Morning Brunch

It was a cozy, rainy Sunday morning so after mass we checked out Urban Table for breakfast as we had never eaten breakfast there before and heard it was yummy!  Molly was certainly in heaven - as she got to try strawberry milk for the 1st time ever! Wish I had a pix of her HUGE EYES when we were pouring it into the cup.  Wishing everyone a little Strawberry Milk today . . . xoxo

Dinner with the Schmitzes!

My dear friend friend Gretchen and her hubby Jake - along with Baby Andrew came over for dinner last night -- margaritas and tacos!  It was so good to hang out - our 2 families - Molly just LOVES Baby Andrew (7 months) - but let's be honest - we all do.  I can't get enough of his amazing blue eyes and his sweet blond hair and happy personality!   Molly and he are just a little over 2 years apart!  Who would have thought when we were college roomies almost 20 years ago that we would have babes so close in age - our #2 will just be 9 months younger than Andrew . . . so cool.  

Can't Hardly Wait!

One of the perks of Baby #2 is we haven't really had to buy any baby items because we have everything we need this time around.  We did purchase a double-stroller the other day on sale online - and it arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon.  Molly and I had so much fun putting it together immediately when it arrived!  Molly put one of her baby dolls in one side and then she sat in the other side and she said, "I'm so esscited to take my baby brother or sister to the park with us!"  I am dreaming (wishing) for a couple new swaddle blankets and perhaps a Moses basket to carry Baby wtih me to the shower so Molly is not feeding him/her fruit snacks while I'm not looking!  But, we have the basics - and truly - aside from diapers and onesies and a couple blankets (and my boobs!) - what more do you REALLY need?
NOTHING.  Nothing but love. :)

As much as I have loved going to the pool with Molly this summer and watching her play in the sprinklers, eating popsicles together on our front porch, the sweet smell of sunscreen and our pool towels hanging over the railing of our mud room to dry -
I am suddenly itching for fall.  Autumn has always been my favorite time of year - but bringing home Molly in early November three years ago made Autumn even MORE awesome for me.  Now, I not only associate fall with cozy fires, red wine, snuggly sweaters, jeans, hot cocoa, colorful autumn leaves and pumpkins - but bringing home babies!  When we brought Molly home from the hospital 3 years ago it was an unusually late fall - meaning the leaves were still turning and had not all fallen yet.  It was 76 degrees out the day she was born and for the weeks to follow.

11-06-2009

I can seriously hardly wait for this new born babe to get here!  I'm so excited to have a newborn in our home again!   The sweet smell of a little one right after bath time, all swaddled up in a blanket, nuzzled up in your neck!  Their tiny fingers and nose and toes . . . the way their little butt bunches up in the air when you hold them over your shoulder to rock.  

I can't wait to meet you little one - in just a little over a month now . . .  

Free Concert at the Park!

We joined our friends this morning for a free concert, given by FUNKY MAMA, at the park this morning!  It was HOT - but we still had fun!

Dancing in the Rain . . .

We dined outside again last night and right as we were finishing up - it started to rain - the most welcomed Summer rain!  Molly wanted to go dance with the penguins in the rain . . . so that is what we did!

Friday Afternoon at the Park . . .

We met our friend Ellie and her Mommy and Baby Sister Olivia at the park this afternoon to enjoy the GORGEOUS weather!!  Ellie and Molly are great friends - they love to play chase and be silly together as you can see in these pix . . .

1st Day of School!

Today was Molly's 1st Day of PDO (Parents Day Out) for the Fall and she was SO excited to see her friends again and wear a back-pack "like the big kids, mom."  

 She helped pack her lunch:  string cheese, applesauce, tortilla rolls, and blueberries!  

Outside of her school . . . 

Miss her already . . . 

Molly loves her friends!

Molly's friend Brooks came over yesterday afternoon to play while his Mommy & I worked on our Mothers Group Board stuff - we are in charge of Membership together this year!  

Molly was playing the guitar for him.  Isn't he the CUTEST??  Love his red pants.

We also brought to dinner to Molly's good friend McKinley yesterday - as she has a new baby brother!!
The girls had a blast together - playing dress up with all of McKinley's cool hats and jewelry.

Molly Lately . . .

Daddy, does the sun turn into the moon at night?

Mom, before I go to bed - I need to call the man in the moon real quick on my phone and tell him something.

Molly viewed a baptism at church a couple weeks ago.  Daddy took her up close to watch it and now is obsessed with "baptizing" all of her babies at home.  She says to them, I'm putting oil on your fur head. 

Molly makes Daddy play pretend with her a lot and usually he's the prince or the Daddy but the other day he was her "baby" and she asked him if he wanted some milk and when he answered her, she quickly shot back at him, No Daddy, babies can't talk!!

Smelling black bean soup we made for dinner:  It smells like HOT mom! 

Sometimes Molly will stop playing and exclaim, "I love you!" with her sweet expressive eyes looking at us.  Today at lunch, she stopped eating and I thought she was going to say it - and instead she looked at me with a big smile and adoringly said, You are my cutie! 

Love her sweetness . . .

Pool Time!

How cute are these two?!!?  Daddy has been taking Molly to our gym pool - a few blocks from our house - a lot lately.  Molly LOVES to swim - especially with Daddy who was a competitive swimmer when he was younger!!  Here they are Sunday afternoon on their way out the door!

Bump Update - 32 Weeks!

Date Night!

The hubs and I checked out the latest Will Ferrell movie yesterday afternoon, The Campaign - so hilarious!  Then, we dined al fresco on some fabulous pasta . . . 

Love late afternoon dates when the weather is gorgeous - the only thing that would have made it more perfect was if I had a glass of wine in my hand.  But soon - very soon! 

Indian Summer

That wondrous second wind, the Indian Summer, 

attains its amplitude and heavenly perfection, 

the temperatures, the sunny haze; 

the mellow, rich, delicate, almost flavored air;  

Enough to live - enough to merely be.

-Walt Whitman

Last Class - Fairtytale Ballet Dance Camp!

After my little set-back with food poisoning a week ago - I started getting some major contractions once home from the hospital. So, needless to say - I have not left the house in a week!  I took my hubby's advice to heart and I truly took it easy.  Not leaving the house for a full week is even longer than I stayed home consecutively when we were potty training last April  - but I did not want anything to happen to this little one inside of me and wanted to do WHATEVER I needed to do to keep him/her inside me a little longer - ideally 6-7 more weeks!  I'm happy to report that I am doing much better (NO more cramping and baby is kicking like crazy the last couple of days!)

So, today - Molly and I ventured out for her last dance class of her Fairytale Ballet Dance Camps!  Molly was SO excited to see her friends again!

Molly's good friend, Ellie, was so excited to see us - as were we to see her!

This week's theme was Beauty & the Beast.  Molly has only seen 2 movies in her life  - Beauty & the Beast and Lion King.  She has every word to every song memorized from Beauty & the Beast - so she was SO EXCITED to dress up like Belle and dance and sing to all the songs today!

Molly giving her friend Ainslie some love . . .

SINGING . . . 

Ellie, Ainslie, Mary Jane and Molly!