Tuttle's Open House

Yesterday we went to Tuttle's Open House at his new preschool. I was been talking up school and how much fun it would be with his new friends, so I was eager for him to meet his teachers and spend some time in his classroom.

Ms. Ana and Ms. Sarah

His teachers seem very sweet and knowledgeable about two-year-olds. I talked to his lead teacher about her strategy to teach Tuttle to share, and I cannot wait to hear about her success! Luckily, the other parents voiced that the lack of sharing is common among their children, too.

Tuttle loved all the different areas in the classroom, especially the vehicle section (cars, trucks, trains, planes, etc.) and the home living area (kitchen, play house, babies).

Maggie was impressed with Tuttle's classroom, as well. :)

The Tumble Bus was at the school to let the kids try it out for an extracurricular option after the regular school day. Tuttle was in HEAVEN! It is only offered on Fridays, but I may bring Tuttle up that day for some extra school fun.

School starts Tuesday, and I know Tuttle will have a great year!

How cute does Maggie look today in her outfit from Zanna??

Now I just need to make it down to the beach to visit!

Parties and Popcorn

I had looked forward to this past Saturday for months. I absolutely LOVE baby showers, and I could not wait to attend two for two very special women in my life. It was also my first day away from my crazy life with two kids, so I was looking forward to a little break. :) Jay was Mr. Mom for the day, and it was his first time with two little rug rats.

The Ashford Park girls and I threw Jamie a surprise shower at our local spa where we were pampered with pedicures. Jamie is having her second boy, so she told us that she did not need a shower. We look for any excuse to get together, so we planned a surprise shower to welcome Baby Brewer. Everyone brought yummy appetizers, and the girls and I loved having some time together to catch up!

I tried a recipe from Pinterest for a strawberry and goat cheese bruschetta. It was DELICIOUS!

Mommy-to-Be 

I left Jamie's shower to head to Val's baby shower at her cousin Chrisi's house. Baby Charles will make his debut in October, and we cannot wait for another baby to join the group. Val's family flew up from Florida, and I always have the best time with them. They are such a fun and loud bunch!

How cute is Prego Val?

The Grandmothers-to-Be

Val's Family from Florida

After my wonderful husband watched two kids all day, I suggested that he stay home while I took the kids to an outdoor movie at our park. Even though the movie started past Tuttle's bedtime, I thought it would be a special treat.  I picked up some Subway for dinner, and after sunset the movie started. While most kids could not sit still, Tuttle was MESMERIZED! At 10pm, I decided it was late enough even though the movie was not over, and I piled the stroller full of two kids and all our bags and headed home.

I love that our neighborhood has started to host events that really bring the community together.

* Maggie went to the movie, but she was either in the Moby Wrap or being passed around so much that I did not snap a picture!

It really was a perfect Saturday!

Happy 1 Month, Maggie Ruth!

Today Margaret Ruth Thorne has been a part of our family for one month.

At 1 Month, Maggie

• is 8 pounds, 9 ounces (28%)
• is 20 3/4 inches long (30%)
• eats 1-3 ounces every 2.5-3 hours during the day
• wakes up 1-2 times a night to eat between 10:30 and 7:00
• sleeps in a small rocking bed in Mommy and Daddy's room
• LOVES to be held, especially by her mommy
• enjoys the swing and will fall asleep in it
• does not have regular nap times, but Mommy is determined to get both kids asleep during Tuttle's naptime :)
• takes a bath in the baby tub each morning while Tuttle eats breakfast
• must be swaddled to get comfortable 
• fits right in with her on-the-go Mommy and Big Brother
• will only occasionally take a paci (unlike Tuttle who would take it to college)
• likes to lay on her daddy after she eats
• does not like to ride in her carseat, but she can fall asleep after a small crying fit
• is not a big fan of the playmat (unlike Tuttle who lived on it for the first half of his life)
• will tolerate the stroller for our daily walk and will sometimes fall asleep in it
• is already a SPOILED little girl, and we would not have it any other way!

The Moby Wrap

I finally pulled out the Moby wrap yesterday to try with Maggie Ruth. She wants to be held all the time, so I thought the wrap would allow me to get more done around the house and help Tuttle.

I had to study the manual to successfully put it on, but Maggie LOVES it! I vacuumed, mopped, and even ventured to the grocery store (an errand I used to look forward to, but I dread now because there is no where to put the carseat!). I am currently wearing it while I type this blog. :)

Last night the kids and I went to Jay's TRX workout to check out Daddy in action. Jay has really stayed committed to his workout routine and now has eight workouts he tries to attend each week. He gets up at 5am for bootcamp Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. He rushes home from work to sweat at TRX Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, and he helps train a team for a half marathon group on Saturday mornings. It makes me tired just typing it!

I insisted on getting an action shot after the workout. :)

Go, Daddy!!

 

Maggie is so proud of her Daddy.

 

I am getting ready for a busy and fun weekend!

Chicken and Ribs

Every year we look forward to Jason Green's Chicken and Ribs party to celebrate his birthday. Saturday we piled the whole family into the car to head to Athens for the annual event.

Maggie was dressed and ready to party!

 

I insisted that we grab lunch at Cali-n-Tito's while we were in Athens. I have literally been craving their Cuban Special sandwich for MONTHS. It has ham, hotdogs, egg, cheese, mayo, and jalapenos in it, and it is DELICIOUS. The restaurant has such a fun atmosphere, and Tuttle loved it so much that he did not eat a bite!

Chicken and Ribs had a great turnout. Jay and I had such a great time relaxing in the Green's backyard, and the kids were both so well behaved the entire afternoon.

 Tuttle is officially at the age where he runs around with the other kids and is very independent. Although I enjoy watching him grow up, it makes me sad that he is not my little baby anymore. :(

Our original plan was to stay at Granny's house after the party, but we realized the key was on Jay's keychain at home, so we ended up driving back to Atlanta. We were disappointed not to stay in Athens, but it just gives us an excuse to come back again soon!

The entire family slept in today and had a lazy morning. I did not get out of bed until 10am! Jay and I have also been impressed that Maggie only woke up ONCE the last TWO nights!! We could get used to that schedule. :)

To end the weekend, we hosted dinner at our house to celebrate my mom's birthday that was last week. I cooked my signature dish: Spicy Sausage Pasta with a Tomato Rosemary Cream Sauce. My mom brought Jay's favorite dessert: Strawberry Shortcake. This was the first time I had cooked for my mom and step-father, and I think it was a success!

Happy Birthday, Gram!

Two is Such a Fun Age!

Tuttle is at the BEST age right now! I absolutely love the twos! Anyone that thinks this age is the "terrible twos" has not met my son.

He wakes up in the best mood and is ready to play! He literally runs to his train table every morning. I could watch him set up his barn with all the animals or race his cars and trucks around the couch all day!

His vocabulary has exploded, and he can really communicate what he needs. I feel like he is a real little person now. :)

I cannot get enough of his snuggles, giggles, or energy. I LOVE my little boy to the moon and back!

Random Photos

First off, the title of the blog has changed to reflect our newest family member! Next, I FINALLY cleaned off my camera card to make room for new photos. I had gotten to the point that I was scrolling through the pictures to figure out what to delete, so I could snap a new one. I found a couple of pictures worth sharing, too!

Sweet Girl

We have been going on walks everyday! I love my double BOB stroller!!

 

Enough pictures, Mommy!

 

Jay has been such a BIG help with the kids! I am always shocked how well he manages them. :)

 

Jay and I have joined forces to eliminate Tuttle walking around with the paci. This is mostly because he is talking so much now that it is hard to understand him with his mouth full. As of last night, he has three pacis available to him in the bed, the stroller, and the car. The catch is that they are tied to their respective locations. I was not ready to cut him off cold turkey, so he has pacis available in these specific places. So far, so good. No tantrums over his lack of "bopies" today. :)

Maggie is officially a cuddle bug, but it may become a problem very quickly. She will not go back to sleep after her second night feeding unless she is glued to me or take a nap when Tuttle naps (something I NEED) unless she is snuggled up beside me. I LOVE her cuddling, but I also want her to self-soothe. I will keep you updated!

Adjusting to Life as a SAHM

The kids and I survived our first week alone at home. I would actually say it went very well. If you know me, you know I am always on the go. We stayed busy this week despite the difficulty of getting two little kids bathed, dressed, loaded in carseats, and safely to our destinations.

Baby Burrito

 

During the week, we got Tuttle's haircut, attended storytime at the library, played at the park several times, successfully went shopping at Target, and took long walks in the stroller.

Tuttle enjoyed watching the storm from his makeshift chair.

 

Our favorite adventure was visiting Daddy at Home Depot for lunch today. I dressed Tuttle and Maggie in their Home Depot aprons although getting Tuttle to wear his was initially a battle. It was worth the struggle because the duo was a HIT at Daddy's work!

I tried to get some decent pictures with Jay's camera phone, but these are not my best work!

We are excited to have more time with Daddy this weekend! :)