How to tell it’s the end of the week

And I just don’t care.

Hey, at least it isn’t a box of cookies this time!

Pumpkin painting

Yesterday we did a fun little craft that Braedon absolutely loved!

We painted pumpkins!

Look at that concentration.  He picked those little pumpkins out when we went to the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago and has been carrying them around the house ever since.  I don’t dare try to put them up and use them for decoration.

Not surprisingly he used up all the paint.

Adilyn supervised…

Although she could have done better.  I turned my head for 10 seconds and Braedon was licking his pumpkin.

Adi thinks he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed.

Another visitor!

I guess all it took for our friends and family to come visit us was to move back to the west coast.  Since we have been back we have had all kinds of visitors, both friends and family, and I have been loving it!  This last weekend my oldest, best friend came to visit with her boyfriend.  We have known each other since we were about two and her family is my family and vice versa.  Heck, I even peed on her mom’s couch.  Too much info?  Sorry.

Gina!

We got to spend some time catching up, she got to meet Adi and I got to meet her boyfriend.  Not like it matters, but like I already told you Gina, I approve!  Braedon and Adi also received some nice presents from Gina and her mom Margie.  Thanks so much!

Meet Auntie Jared, according to Braedon.  You see, we have had a lot of female visitors, some are real aunts and some are really close friends so I will call them aunts.  So after introducing Braedon to Jared, he later called him Auntie Jared.

Adilyn could hardly contain her excitement meeting Gina for the first time.  Thanks for stopping by, Gina!

Dragons are cute

At least this one is!

This morning was trick or treating part one.  Santana Row, which is a bunch of outdoor shops and restaurants, puts on something called Mommy and Me on the Row once a month and this month was trick or treating, face painting, pumpkin decorating, and fun music.  I was able to get all three of us dressed, fed and out the door by 10 am to make the event!

Before we left we practiced saying, “trick or treat,” and “thank you.”  I also explained to Braedon that when he says trick or treat he will get a piece of candy in return.  I think he liked that idea.

I think he was hoping candy would just magically appear once he said the magic phrase.

Okay, we practiced and now here’s the real deal.

First time trick or treating and it was a success!

At one point he told me he had enough candy.  Is this really my child?  I had him keep truckin so he could bring in more candy for me, I mean him.

Post trick or treating we stopped at Starbucks, which was right in the center of all the music and entertainment and Braedon enjoyed a granola bar, after he consumed some candy of course!

Adilyn’s birth story

I realized that I haven’t documented Adi’s birth story like I did with Braedon, so I wanted to get it written down before I forget.
I went to my doctor appointment on the morning of August 31, which was a Wednesday, and everything was looking great.  I was a couple centimeters dilated and almost completely effaced.  I had mentioned to my doctor that my Ulcerative Colitis symptoms were starting to return and that I couldn’t get my meds until after Adi was born because we were so close to delivery.  She decided that it would be best to get induced pretty much right away before my symptoms got any worse.  She offered to have me head to the hospital that afternoon but I opted for the next morning.  This was very last minute and we didn't have anybody set up to watch Braedon.  Looking back I don’t know what we would have done with the babysitting situation if I had gone into labor a little early on my own.  We were not prepared! 
Anyway, after the babysitter arrived on Thursday morning, Derek and I headed to the hospital to be induced.  I checked in at about 7:30 and got hooked up to the monitors so they could monitor Adi for a while.  At about 8:30 my doctor came in and broke my water to see if that alone would get the contractions going.  Derek and I walked the hall, yes there was only one and it got quite boring, for about a half hour until he decided to make a Starbucks run.  I walked for a little bit longer and then went back to my room and waited for Derek to return with some coffee!  After hanging around for a while the contractions weren’t picking up so they decided to start some Pitocin.  While we waited for contractions to pick up we played card games, read magazines, watched t.v. and did some more walking.  I may have thrown in a few squats and lunges to make it more interesting.  Every hour or so they would up my Pitocin since it still wasn’t doing much. 
Finally around 5 in the afternoon my contractions got to the point where they were getting uncomfortable.  Not unbearable but I definitely had to stop and breathe through them.  By the time dinner rolled around I was very uncomfortable and couldn’t really eat anything because the contractions were coming quicker and were quite strong (This was new to me but the doctors and nurses didn’t care what or how much you ate during labor.  Both lunch and dinner were brought to me.  When I had Braedon I only got ice chips).
By about 6:30 the contractions really picked up and I was in pain.  I felt like I wasn’t getting a break as they were coming so strong and fast.  This was about the same time that Derek decided to head home to check on Braedon and be there to put him to bed.  With each contraction one more nasty thought came into my head about Derek and him not being there when I was in so much pain! Finally I texted him and told him to get his butt back to the hospital.  By the time he got back I had already ordered my epidural and was waiting impatiently for it.  Once I got my drugs everything was all peachy again.  The doctor checked me and I was only a 5.  At this point it was about 8pm and both Derek and I thought it was going to be a long night.  However, from this point on things progressed really fast and I went from a 5 to almost 10 in about an hour and a half.  When my doctor came in to check that last time I was at about a 9 and a half and she figured I would be pushing real soon.  She had asked me if I was feeling any pressure down there with my contractions and at that point I wasn’t, until the very next one.  I don’t remember feeling that much pressure with Braedon, but with Adi I was wanting to push!  When I told her I was having pressure they got everything ready.  I pushed for about a half hour and then Adi was born at 9:57 pm.  She came out so much easier than Braedon!  I didn’t have any tears and needed no stitches.  Derek got to help catch her and then they put her directly on my chest, warm goo and all.  She was perfect!  Derek cut the cord and then the nurse got her all cleaned up, measured and weighed her and then handed her back for some more cuddle time.  Everything went perfectly and I couldn’t have asked for a better labor and delivery or a better doctor and nursing staff.

And that is how Adilyn came into this world almost two months ago!  I can’t believe how much she has already changed!

Pure talent

Need I say more?

Sharing is caring

Braedon must care a lot about Adi.  I mean, he even shared Mac, his favorite truck.  Adi is one lucky girl!

Either that or he is feeling guilty for the multiple toys he has thrown at her face.

Surprise visitor

Last night we had a special guest for dinner.

Grandpa Motorcycle!!  (That is what we call him because he has a lot of motorcycles and Braedon loves to sit on them when he visits.)

My dad was in town for work and was able to come over for a few hours afterwards.  We kept it a surprise from Braedon and when he opened the door he was pretty excited.  I think a little confused as well.  Braedon got to stay up late to hang out and play with grandpa.  

 

Grandpa also got to hang out with Adi and witness a few of her cute smiles.

We were so glad that grandpa got to come by for a quick visit!

The first of many

Sunday afternoon Derek and Braedon took off for their first boys trip together.  They went camping!  Braedon has been asking to go camping for a couple of weeks now and with Derek off of work, Sunday was the best time to go.

They took their bikes and after they set up camp they went mountain biking, hung around at camp getting as dirty as they could, ate yummy camping food, rented a row boat, did I mention get as dirty as they could?

It sounded like they had a lot of fun.  Braedon came home Monday afternoon exhausted.  We put him to bed at 6 pm.  This was his first time sleeping in a sleeping bag and not in a pack n play, so this was very exciting stuff.  Derek said they laid awake while Braedon talked…and talked…and talked for at least an hour and a half before he finally fell asleep.

Look what they found mountain biking.

A tarantula!  I would have ended the trip right there.  After I made Derek carry me back to the jeep.

That thing is huge!

Braedon wasn’t too big of a fan of the boat.  He kept telling Derek that it hurt his tummy.  Hmmm…either we found out he gets sea sick, or it was the pound of licorice he had that morning.  After a boys weekend you know they ate like crap, tasty but crappy.  When they got home I made them smoothies with blueberries, spinach, pumpkin, and yogurt to try and pump their bodies with some nutrition. 

Braedon thinks camping, “is the life.”

This is the life

A boy and his dog

The pumpkin patch….Cali style

Today we took the kids to Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Patch in Morgan Hill, CA, which is about a half hour from our house.  This was the first time I have ever been to a pumpkin patch in mid October and needed to apply sunscreen and sweated like a pig.  The farm had lots to offer for little kids, but the lines to do any of them were also California style.  We waited in lines for hours.  It was a fun experience but just completely different to what we are used to when it comes to pumpkin patches. For example, instead of hot apple cider they had sno-cones as well as a mister tent that sprayed water for people to cool off from the blazing sun. Although,  Braedon had lots of fun riding a miniature horse and the train. 

Waiting very patiently to ride the horse.  The lines were so long that while Derek and Braedon waited in line to ride the horses I stood in line for the train.

This was his first time riding a horse and he was all smiles the whole time!

After he rode the miniature horses it was time to ride the train…except it broke down and we ended up having to wait quite a bit longer then expected. 

Almost our turn to get on!

We also did a little corn maze that had information about bees and things for kids to play with throughout.

Braedon loves corn on the cob!

We saved the pumpkin patch for last and looking back I wish we would have done that first because I wanted to try and get some cute pictures of the kids with all the pumpkins.

By the time we went to pick out pumpkins it was later in the afternoon and Braedon was hot, tired and cranky.  This does not make for good pictures.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

I can’t help but laugh.  Oh well, we’ll try again next year.