Cayden is 1!!

Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet nephew Cayden! He was born a fighter at just over 2 pounds and 3 months early! He has blessed us in so many ways and is a strong, smiley, happy boy now. I'm so very proud of you! And big congrats to Mandy and Chad, who have survived the first year as parents!

Summer Fun!

Mal came to Open Swim at the Rec Center with us because I was nervous taking both kids.  Connor had fun jumping off the side multiple times and Mallory even went down the two watersides. Maddie and I swam too and enjoyed splashing in the shallow areas. 

One of my favorite times of the day is first thing in the morning when we have our snuggle time. Man, I'm gonna miss this when I go back to work. Connor loves to snuggle Madeline in my bed. 

We've been to quite a few River Cats games this year and Connor and Michael have been to even more. It's such fun to have a nice stadium close to our house. We're really enjoying introducing the kids to the love of baseball. 

Swimming lessons have continued and Connor is now in the Minnows class. He was doing such a great job, but then got Swimmer's Ear infection, so we had to cancel the second week. Shucks! He's been a trooper and is feeling better now.

Connor began gymnastics this summer and these are his two friends from preschool who are also in gymnastics. Tanner and Connor H. are such sweet boys and the three of them are so much fun together!

We joined my family for a foothill outing while our English relatives were visiting. We first went to Columbia and walked around, had a picnic, and watched Connor pan for gold (aka rocks). Then we headed to Twain Harte lake and spent the day enjoying the cool water. It was so fun to spend the day with family from across the world and enjoy introducing my kids to a place we have such fond memories. Even Maddie went in the water and splashed around. 

A very happy 4th of July!

 This year, we had a very mellow and fun 4th of July! We met up with my dear friend Kirsten and her family and watched the Roseville Independence Day parade. Connor had a blast hanging out with his good friend Lilliana and running after candy thrown during the parade. Afterwards, we went out to an All American lunch at Red Robin together. That evening, we just hung around home and Michael made us a delicious bbq dinner with try tip and corn on the cob. After Maddie went to bed, we did some fireworks and sparklers in our front yard. We are thankful for our independence, good friends, and a blessed family!

Visit to Modesto

This past weekend, we went to Modesto to spend some time with our English relatives who are visiting from the Shetland Islands. Jeremy, Heather, Rachel and Paul were such a joy to visit with and get to know better. Connor loved playing with Paul and making a "waterslide" in the backyard. Maddie was tired out and took an almost 2 hour nap in Poppy's arms. It was a lovely day!

Madeline Emma is 6 months old!

It's so hard to believe that our baby girl is already 6 months. She has brought so much joy to our lives in the last 6 months. She is very smiley and her laugh is just about the best sound I've ever heard. Connor is still the most talented in making her laugh and smile. We started introducing solids foods to her in the last couple weeks. She's not thrilled with rice cereal or oatmeal, but has been enjoying carrots, sweet potatoes and banana. She's sitting up independently and will sometimes play in a seated position for 20 minutes at a time. She enjoys pushing up on her feet and bouncing. She's able to roll back and forth and can travel pretty well by rolling. She's sleeping in her crib nightly now, usually from 7:30pm to 5:30am. Occasionally, she'll wake earlier throughout the night, but some nights she sleeps through. We had her well-baby check up today and she weighs 17 pounds, 3 ounces and is 25 inches long. She's beginning to outgrow some of her 3-6 months clothes, so we're getting down the 6-9 month wardrobe. Overall, Maddie is a very healthy, happy girl. She is the ultimate blessing!

At her 6 month check up with Dr. Jain

Family Pictures

We figured with Connor turning 4 soon, Maddie coming up on 6 months, and Michael and I celebrating our 7 year anniversary, we should get some portraits done! We got a few shots of the kids (to be posted later when they're printed), but here is a preview of our family one. We feel very blessed with such a wonderful family!

Hanging with the family in Modesto

This past weekend, Dave and Jill took Connor to a SF Giants game and then he got to spend the night with them. We drove to Modesto on Sunday to pick him up and got to visit with lots of the family! Connor and Maddie are so loved!

This is Connor riding the bike that Michael rode as a little guy!

Maddie took a nap in the crib with bedding handmade by Grandma Jill.

Happy Anniversary!

12 years of love, 7 years of marriage, 4 years of parenting... Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband. I know God made us for each other. You brighten each day and fill our home with love and laughter. I appreciate all that you do for our family. You are a generous, hard-working, nurturing, loving, affectionate, thoughtful man and I am so very blessed to get to call you my husband! Looking forward to the next 70 years!

Pictures from the last week...

Being creative at Art Beast with friends Sophia and Jackson 

Maddie started sleeping in her crib this week! After trying to climb out of the bassinet, we decided to transition Maddie to her bed. Some nights have been better than others, but overall she's doing great! She often puts herself to sleep and has slept a few nights from 7:45pm-5:30am!!

This was an art project Connor and I did this week. I taped his name on a canvas and he went to town with the paint. He really enjoys these kinds of activities and I think he's very talented!

Daddy was in Seattle this week and we were all missing him, so we took a trip to Big Kahuna to get a special treat to cheer us up. We missed you Michael! 

This past weekend, we tried out the church close to our home, Southport Community Church. Connor enjoyed the preschool class and we enjoyed worshiping with Maddie with us! :)

Maddie is sitting up independently now. She's pretty stable for awhile in a seated position which is opening the door to more activities and ways to interact with her. So fun to watch her development!

Swim Lessons

Connor is finishing up his first session of swim lessons! He's enjoyed being a Starfish and seems to really like his teacher Tyler. It's fun to have Sophia there too. She is taking the Parent and Me class in the same pool. Connor keeps his eyes out for them and will shout across the pool, "Hi Danielle! Hi Sophia!" It's so sweet how much he loves them! Connor seems very comfortable in the water and he's getting more comfortable going under water each day. He enjoys blowing bubbles and kicking too! He looks forward to swim lessons and is bummed on the days we don't have them. I think he'll be a strong swimmer in no time!

FOOD!

On Monday, June 18th, we offered rice cereal to Madeline. She's been eyeing our food lately and reaching for food, so we thought she was ready. At first, we thought she liked it, as she grabbed the spoon and held it in her mouth. But after a few bites, Maddie would spit out any cereal that was on the spoon. We'll keep trying! We're excited to introduce new foods to her and Connor is excited to feed her. We are all so in love with this little girl!

Clearlake Camping Trip

We had another great trip to Clearlake for the Mallory/Mitchell reunion. We played lots, swam, boated, barbecued, roasting marshmallows, enjoyed time with family, and celebrated Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

An Interview About Daddy... By Connor Louis

My dad's name is... Daddy.
My dad is... Thirty-one.
His hair is... blonde.
His eyes are... blue and black.
He likes to wear... Giants stuff.
He love to eat... with me.
He is smart because he knows... Me.
My dad works hard at... Cintas.
Daddy always tells me... not to yell down from bed and not to put toothpaste on the floor. And that I'm a good baseballer.
If he could go on a trip, he would go to....John's Incredible Pizza.
He would take... Me. C-O-N-N-O-R.
I really love it when my dad... doesn't go to work and stays here with me all day long.
If I could give my daddy anything, it would be... Me.
My favorite thing about daddy is... when he gives me hugs.
My dad likes... The Giants, I would say, but I don't know for sure.
My daddy's favorite color is... blue like me!
Daddy likes to... play baseball with me.

Happy Father's Day Michael. You are such an amazing father to our children! Thank you for providing for our family, bringing laughter and happiness into our home everyday, and loving us all with your whole heart. You are an amazing man and I am so blessed to share this life with you. I love you!

Megan