Thursday, December 31, 2009

Isaac is Two Months Old!


It's been a month of smiles! Isaac is a happy boy, and he's becoming more animated every day. He's starting to coo and "talk" more, and he has started to chuckle a little bit when something strikes him as funny. He is completely enamored with Noah and loves to watch him, and he likes to sit in the book nook with us when we read stories to Noah before bedtime. His naps are starting to get more organized, and he typically takes three long naps during the day, along with a number of cat-naps. He wakes up once a night to eat and typically sleeps pretty well at night. Here's a couple more pictures from today.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Our Christmas Gift

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Family Picture


We used the tripod and snapped this family picture on Christmas day.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!


Our Christmas began at 6am when Noah woke up with a cough and runny nose. We were concerned that he's coming down with a cold, but once he had breakfast in our bed (dry cheerios), he was fine.

We went downstairs to discover that Santa had left footprints in our living room! Our tree and stockings were bursting with presents, thanks to everyone who sent us gifts this year! Noah followed his string to find the best present ever: electronic drums! He has been playing them all day, and the best part is that there's volume control. The happy boy reluctantly went to take a nap, and he'll surely bound down the stairs to start playing with all his new toys soon.

Isaac has also had a good Christmas. So far, he's opened some great presents and taken three long naps. He found a monkey at the end of his string that he can sleep with as a pillow someday, just like Noah sleeps with his puppy pillow.

This is our first Christmas ever at home. We're enjoying our day and thankful that we didn't travel this year with Isaac. But, we're missing Mom and Dad and Dave and Stephanie and family in Arizona. We've had years and years of great Christmas memories in Arizona, and we're looking forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Here's some more Christmas pictures.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Happy Hannukkah!


We're a few days late, but we want to wish you a happy Hanukkah!

Squeaky Clean


Isaac loves taking a bath! He rarely cries and seems to really enjoy the warm water. We're currently bathing him in a bath chair (it's kind of like a little baby lounge chair) in the kitchen sink. Isaac's hair is still nice and thick, but it's starting to thin out and get a little lighter.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Nutella


This is what happened when Noah ate Nutella for the first time. It was a hit, to say the least!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Pop Quiz




Time for a pop quiz: Which baby is Noah, and which one is Isaac? Look carefully....

The main clue is that Isaac has so much dark hair, otherwise it would be very difficult to tell! The first picture is Noah, and the second picture is Isaac. They both have loved being held like this!

Friday, December 18, 2009

"I'm Up, Mommy!"


Noah still takes an afternoon nap on most days. Once in a while, however, he decides that he isn't going to take a nap. He usually cries for a while because he wants to come out of his room (we put up a gate during nap time), but then after a while he usually settles down and "reads" books to himself. The other day when he wasn't napping, he kept saying, "I'm up, Mommy!" over and over again. When I went upstairs to check on him, this is what I found - he was sound asleep in his book nook. When he woke up later and realized where he was, he laughed and laughed!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Napping Under the Christmas Tree

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

All Bundled Up




It's cold here in North Carolina (but not as cold as up north, of course! It's still getting into the 50's on most days), but it's usually not too cold to take a walk around the neighborhood and look at the fire station or go to the Harris Teeter. We just bundle up, and off we go!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Enjoying a Good Book




Isaac really loves the book 'Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See?' He lifts his head up soo high so that he can really take in the pictures!

Pouring




Noah has been having fun doing some Montessori-inspired activities in Tot School lately. He has been working a lot on pouring water, and he's become quite skilled. I filled up a seltzer can with water, and he practiced pouring it into two cups. Then, I put colored water in a little pitcher that he also practiced pouring. Of course, now that he can do it, he insists on pouring everything by himself. Sometimes that's just not a good idea (like pouring a gallon of milk!), and he gets quite upset with me. I often try to find real-life situations where he can help, and that seems to make up for it!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Off The Charts!


I snapped this perfect picture of Isaac while he was smiling at Noah this morning!

We went in for Isaac's one month well-check this morning, and he is officially off the charts, just as we had suspected. He weighs 13 pounds, 7.5 ounces (greater than 97th percentile), and he is 24 inches long (greater than 97th percentile). He's quite a big boy at 5.5 weeks old, isn't he? That explains why my back is so sore at the end of the day, and why only a few of his 0-3 month outfits still fit him. He is starting to wear mostly 3-6 month clothes now. We are so thankful that he is perfectly healthy and growing so fast!

Isaac is full of smiles these days, and it is a delight to see his eyes light up as he smiles with his whole face. He's getting really strong, and he rolled over for the first time last night. We were doing tummy time while Matt and Noah were reading stories and getting ready for bed, when Isaac started crying, arched his back, lifted his head up really high and rolled right over. It was awesome :-)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Whitewater Rafting Center


We all had a blast at the U.S. National Whitewater Rafting Center on Thanksgiving weekend. Mom Diamond, Matt, Noah, Isaac and I had fun watching while everyone went whitewater rafting. The boys all were very skilled at rock climbing, and they had a lot of fun on the two zip lines. It was a great way to spend a beautiful day. Here's the pictures.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Mommy's Boys

Monday, December 7, 2009

Blueberry Song

And now, a song about blueberries ("bu-bies"). Please clap afterwards!

Noah's Song About Pickles

The Lanigans gave Noah a guitar when they visited for Thanksgiving - what a perfect present! Noah had so much fun performing for our guests during the holiday. Here's his song about pickles (pronounced "ba-boos"). He's quite a performer, don't you think?

Writing M's and O's


Noah was having fun drawing on the dry-erase board when all of a sudden, he started writing M's and O's. How cool!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Face of Potty Training


Noah has been potty training for the last few weeks, and things are really starting to come together! We talk about the potty all the time around here, sometimes it's all we talk about! Noah has been doing a great job of peeing in the potty for about three weeks now. We started by setting timer to remind him to go, but now he just takes care of it on his own. Matt has motivated me to be brave, so now Noah even wears his big boy underpants when we go out of the house. He only wears diapers at night and during naps. Well, the last thing we're working on is pooping in the potty. We promised Noah that when he poops on the potty, he can eat ice cream with sprinkles. You can guess from this picture what he did yesterday! Yeah Noah!!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Isaac is One Month Old!







Friday, November 27, 2009

A Table For Twelve


We had a great Thanksgiving here, and we hope you did too! It was our first Thanksgiving at home in about eight years, and we were excited to host the gathering of 13 people (our table only needed to seat 12 because Isaac peacefully slept through the meal). We could have fit everyone in our dining room, but it would have been a tight fit. Instead, we moved our dining room table into the living room and attached it to our kitchen table. Viola! We had more than enough room! We ordered almost the entire meal from Fresh Market, and it was just as good as if we had cooked everything ourselves. In addition, we cooked a second turkey to have for leftovers, so the house smelled so good.

Our household has expanded by nine for the Thanksgiving weekend: Mom Diamond is visiting from Atlanta, Jim is visiting from San Francisco, and the Lanigan family is visiting from Long Island, NY. Our days have been busy and relaxing at the same time, and we are all having a blast together. Tomorrow, we're heading out to the Whitewater Rafting Center.

Here's some more Thanksgiving picture.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Tot School Gone Wrong


Noah and I had fun making a Thanksgiving craft where we traced our hands and made a wreath out of them. The wreath says "Thank you God for my family." It's hanging on our back door, and it looks great, but while we were making it I had a lot of cutting to do, and Noah got into all our craft supplies. It's Tot School gone wrong, but it was an easy clean-up, and we now have a great decoration!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Family Pictures


When Mom Diamond was visiting, we had the chance to take some more family photos. Enjoy!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Mommy's Happy Day


I had a great birthday (or "happy day" as Noah calls it) today. I got to sleep in for an extra hour, and I woke up to the delicious smell of waffles, made by Noah. We spent the morning at Costco and even ate lunch there. For most people, that wouldn't be a great way to spend a birthday, but I loved it. We had a leisurely afternoon then went to spend the evening with our Life Group. It was great to spend the evening with friends, and our Italian themed social event was so much fun. It was the perfect happy day. Here's the pictures!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

A New Workout Routine


Our new double stroller has arrived! We just need to add the attachment to hold Isaac's car seat, and we'll be off to see the neighborhood. I have quickly learned that pushing a double stroller is a whole new kind of workout. I pushes great, but it's a lot more weight, and that's before Isaac's car seat is attached! I guess I won't need to renew my gym membership anytime too soon!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Ta Da!


Isaac is getting so strong! He can easily break free from his swaddling blanket, and we usually find him in this position of victory, as if he's saying, "Ta-da!" Isn't he a little cutie?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Lounging




We've become quite the family of loungers. There's really nothing better than staying in our pajamas and lounging around the house with nowhere to go, just enjoying spending time with Noah and Isaac.

Monday, November 16, 2009

The Perfect Nap


Isaac had the perfect nap while Baubie was holding him in the nursery. He was very content and sweet, and Baubie loved every minute of it!

Beautiful Day for a Walk


It was a beautiful day for a walk, and we enjoyed the fall colors on our walk to the neighborhood playground.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Painting With Baubie


We had a fun week with Baubie this last week. Noah is certainly thriving on all the attention he's been getting ever since Isaac was born! Everyone asks us how Noah is adjusting to being a big brother. Right now, it's the best thing that's ever happened to him! He has loved having Baubie here, and Grammy and Yaya the week before. Also, Matt is off work so he has had lots of Daddy-time too. Reality will hit when Matt is back at work and I am needing to take care of Isaac and give Noah the attention he needs. But for now, the party continues!

Noah and Baubie had fun sponge painting with finger paints. They each got quite creative! Here's a few more pictures.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Drummer Boy


Noah created a fun new way to pay with PlayDoh. He turns all the cans up side down and molds the PlayDoh over the bottom of the can. Once he's done, he has a great drum set! The lids are cymbals, and he can create some great rhythms with a pair of chop sticks. Noah absolutely loves drumming, and we think he has a great sense of rhythm. Of course, we have to clap and cheer after each song comes to an end.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Glamor Shot

 

When we un-swaddled Isaac, he rolled over to pose for this glamor shot.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Brothers


We had a fun photo shoot last night after bath time. Noah and Isaac had fun laying next to each other, and Noah made funny faces to try and make his brother smile. Here's a few more shots. Enjoy!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Tummy Time




Isaac has some tummy time every day, and he likes it! He has already started lifting his head, and he has managed to turn his head from left to right. All that hard work makes a 1-week-old baby sleepy!

Settling In


We've been a family of four for more than a week now, and we're starting to feel like we're settling in. Matt has some time off work, and it's so nice to have some true family time together.
Isaac is a happy baby, and he is doing a great job of eating and sleeping. He has lots of cute facial expressions and frequently smiles. He is not bothered at all by his noisy big brother, and we have sound that he can sleep through anything. While he is napping, we can have the radio on, Noah can play his drums, and we can carry on a loud conversation - all while we're all in the same room. Isaac has had nine months in the womb to get used to all the noises, so he says it's no big deal. The funny part is that when Isaac cries in the middle of the night, he wakes up Noah, who is used to his peace and quiet while he sleeps. Speaking of middle of the night, Isaac is currently going four hours between feedings at night, so that means I can sleep in blocks of two blocks of three hours, plus an extra hour or two of naps. That's not too bad!

Here's some more pictures from around the house.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Fall Fun


Matt and Noah had fun playing in the beautiful autumn leaves this weekend. The lighting was perfect, and Matt took a lot of great pictures. Ahh, the fun of lounging in a pile of leaves!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Family Pictures


We hated to say good-bye to Grammy and Yaya yesterday. They stayed with us for a week and a half and became essential parts of our life and survival during that time! Noah thrived on being the center of their attention while Matt and I went to countless doctor and acupuncture appointments last week, and during our time in the hospital with Isaac. Also, the time change occurred right when we came home from the hospital, so that meant that Noah was waking up bright-eyed at 6am. Grammy is an early riser and was happy to fix him breakfast and play while Matt and I tried to get some more sleep.

Who knew that getting a new baby brother could be so much fun for a two-and-a-half year old? We took some family pictures, which you can see here.

Monday, November 2, 2009

We're Happy to be Home


We brought Isaac home from the hospital yesterday afternoon, which was about twelve hours earlier than expected. Laura and Isaac were doing so well that the doctors released us whenever we were ready to go home. We couldn't wait to introduce Noah to his new little brother, so we chose to come home early.

So far, Noah has been very curious about Isaac and has been observing him from afar. He loves that Isaac's clothes have lots of snaps, and he likes comparing the sizes of their diapers. He likes to turn on music for Isaac to listen to, and he has been keeping track of where his little brother is and what he is doing.

Little Isaac had a very contented day today, his first full day home. He was quite happy to eat and sleep all day. He wasn't bothered at all by all the noise his big brother was making, although Noah's drums are currently out in the garage, so it was a relatively quiet day around the house. As the day is winding down, we're hoping he continues to be content throughout the night, as we dream about getting a few hours of sleep.

Here's some other pictures from the hospital and home.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Isaac Makes Seven!


Grammy and Granddad came to meet Isaac yesterday evening at the hospital. They were able to hold their seventh grandchild!
Overnight , Isaac was able to go and have a party in the hospital's nursery, where he was the only baby there. He received lots love and attention, even got another bath and had his hair styled. The nurses gave him a mohawk with a little gel - very cute! We were able to sleep off and on through out the night, catching up on much-needed rest.
Here are more pics from Grammy and Granddad's visit as well as our chic little baby.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Mommy and Baby Napping




Here is a sweet pic of Mommy and Isaac. One more here.

Welcome Isaac David Diamond


We welcomed Isaac David Diamond into the world today at 4:17a.m. Isaac tipped the scales at 9lbs 13oz! Both Baby and Mommy are resting well now. Laura is about to enjoy breakfast and Isaac is taking a snooze after a busy morning being bathed, poked and prodded.
Isaac has a full head of hair - which is dark brown with a hint of red, his Daddy's feet and Mommy's ears. He looks remarkably like his big brother Noah!
We thank God for our precious little boy!
Here are a few pics - more on the way.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Plan C

And then there's plan C. It's Friday, and we're not in the hospital, so things have changed. At my OB appointment yesterday it was determined that I'm progressing along on my own, and my induction was moved to Monday (11/2). However, the doctor didn't think that I'll make it to Monday because I'll go into labor on my own before then. So, we're still waiting! I currently think that we're going t0 have a Halloween baby...we'll find out soon.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Waiting for Little Brother


We're going to meet our baby boy this week and we're all so excited! Grammy and Grandad arrive tomorrow to take care of Noah while we're in the hospital. We've nested like crazy all weekend, and everything is clean, organized, sorted, and dog-hair free for at least a few days. We're as ready as we can be!

We have two plans for the week: Plan A is that I'll go into labor with the help of acupuncture. It worked perfectly when Noah was born, so chances are that it should work this time too. I have an appointment on Tuesday afternoon, which means baby boy could be born as early as Wednesday morning. Plan B is that my OB will induce me on my due date, which is Friday.

Either way, we'll meet our baby boy this week. We can't wait to hold him in our arms and look at his little face and tell him we love him.

Friday, October 23, 2009

The Great Pumpkin Patch

We all had fun picking out our own pumpkins at the Boy Scout pumpkin patch. As usual, we also took a lot of pictures! We ended up picking out a Daddy, Mommy, Noah and Baby pumpkin, and they're doing a great job of decorating our front porch. Noah goes to look at them every day, and he likes to arrange them in order by size. Today, he took the baby pumpkin, gave it a hug and then held it up to my belly to show baby. It was a very sweet moment!