Hide-n-Seek

Justin's new trick is climbing under the exersaucer! He doesn't like to be in it anymore - it is to confining for him! But crawling under it and playing with toys is so much fun. The first time he went under there I didn't see him do it. I walked back intot he room and couldn't find him anywhere! All of a sudden I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and there he was smiling a proud smile at me! Silly boy!

Hi Mom!

finding a toy
funny faces

Bird Invasion

I have no idea what has gotten into these birds lately. The past few days they have been all around our house. In the front, in the back, down the street, and in the trees. It is kind of eerie to go outside and hear them all squawking. Brian and Sean were so amazed by all the birds. I wonder if someone left out a big bag of bird food?

The pictures don't really do justice as to how many birds were outside. And the funny thing is that when I went out to take pictures, they didn't fly away. I guess that they know there is safety in numbers too!

birds,

birds,
and more birds
in the tree
close-up in the tree

80 Sheets

Someone, I won't say who, decided to get into a box of wipes today. They thought it was so much fun to pull them out and throw them all over the floor. They even decided it was fun to eat some of them! They had such a great time and made mischievous faces. They looked like they knew very well what they were doing and that it was not allowed. But they kept it up anyway, because they knew that they were too cute to ever get in trouble. And they were right because they didn't get in trouble, they only got photographed. I know it won't be long before this person graduates from 80 wipes to the 1000 sheets of Charmin!

For a fun game to waste time go to http://charmin.com/en_us/pages/restrooms/index.html. You get to throw toilet paper rolls to bears that pop out from behind trees! Cha, cha, cha!

what a face

trying to clean his feet
mmmm, wipes

My First Baby

I had to include a post for Roc. He was, after all, the first baby! Roc is the best dog ever. He is always happy, always willing to play, and always wants to cuddle! He is protective and at the same time so gentle and tolerant with the kids. He is going to be ten years old this summer! Sometimes he acts his age and other times he still thinks that he is a puppy! He loves to lick people - but only those that he knows. I guess his dog mom taught him about not licking strangers! He was definitely partial to me when we first got him. Then when Brian was born, he changed his allegiance. I guess he knew that the baby needed me more!

Roc enjoying one of his favorite toys

he has had this rubber bone for a long time
posing for a picture

Chopstick Cow

We ordered Chinese food tonight - one of the boys' favorites! They even choose it over McDonald's most of the time. They always order the same thing - Chicken and Broccoli. Brian will sometimes eat and egg roll, but Sean stays with the chicken, broccoli, and white rice. A great neighbor gave them kid friendly chopsticks for Christmas and they love to use them. Brian wouldn't let me take his picture tonight, so maybe I will catch him on film next time.

When I was a child, my favorite place to go for dinner was to the Japanese restaurant, Benihana. The chef cooks the food on a grill right in front of you and throws the food, knives, and spices around like a circus act! My grandmother used to take us for birthdays and other celebrations. At first, they used to fix the chopsticks with a rolled wrapper and a rubber band. But eventually, I learned to use them without the training aid. I hope to one day teach the boys. I am sure the skill will come in handy when I go to Korea!

getting it all in with chosticks

concentrating on picking up a piece of chicken

Justin Candids

These are just a few recent pictures of Justin that I like. Everyone says that the third kid will have so many less pictures taken of them. Well, Justin has thrown that theory out the window and down the street and through he woods! I guess it is partly due to the age of digital cameras and also because of the blog. I just cannot help from taking pictures of him all the time. I do take pictures of Brian and Sean too - but they are not always willing participants and have been seen running away screaming when I take out my camera!

who me?

look at me!
nice shoes
try, try, again

Broccoli Nose

Justin is still a food thief and becoming much better at it. He wants anything and everything that anyone is eating. Animals, people in a store, kids on the playground, all fair game. I think he might even try to chase down a hungry squirrel for an acorn! He got his hands on Macie's food again today. She does think it is funny to share a few pieces with him. And it helps her to eat better when she sees Justin eating. Nothing too unusual happened until I saw his face. Macie saw it too and kept yelling, "Nose! Nose! Nose!" I had to laugh - Justin had a small piece of broccoli stuck on the tip of his nose right between his nostrils! He didn't even know it was there and when we laughed at him, he of course laughed right back!

Broccoli Nose

What a face!

Stuck on Baby

Justin loves balloons. When he sees them he gets excited as only babies do - his arms wave around at mach speed and his legs kick more than Beckham's in a soccer game. With all of this commotion going on, he is smiling and talking and breathing in and out at a quick pace.

He loves to hit balloons and squish them and lick them and kick them and even just stare at them in amazement. I guess maybe the following happened he had fuzzy pajamas on and was doing his army crawl all over the carpet before he picked up the balloon.

He grabbed it and rolled over onto his back with it. When he does this, he reminds me of an otter swimming around to pick up shells and then rolling over to crack and eat them. He does this all the time - he crawls around on his belly and then when he gets something, he rolls to his back to lie down and study it.

Then he held it between his hands and was lifting it up over his head and then back to his belly over and over. With each sweep by his head, more and more static electricity was generated. We were laughing and laughing as his hair was beginning to stand up like he had been struck by lightning.

Justin soon tired of the balloon and began to crawl away. Just when we thought the fun was over, it came crashing back! As Justin crawled away, the balloon stayed with him. First it clung to the back of his head. After a minute he realized something was back there and tried to get it. But try as he might, he could not reach it because as he turned, so did the balloon. He would stop and look over his shoulder but the balloon was nowhere to be found. This was funny to watch - it was like a dog chasing his tail!

While watching the balloon clinging to Justin, I couldn't help but singing the Band-aid jingle in my head. "I am stuck on band-aid brand 'cause band-aid's stuck on me...." Great, now this song will be in my head for days to come. If you see me singing to myself picking the kids up from school or in line at the grocery store, feel free to join in to sing the chorus with me! The more the merrier!

So that everyone can be as crazy as me, I went searching on You Tube for the old band-aid commercial. I found this one from the 1940's - too funny. 'It even stays on in dishwater!' I couldn't find the 'stuck on' commercial but I did find this funny one from the 1970's for McDonalds, I think I actually remember it! Now I will really date myself - Do you remember Freshen-up, 'the gum that goes squirt!' I used to love it! Okay enough, I could reminisce on YouTube for hours! I just have to share a few more - maybe you remember Fruit Stripe Gum or Where's the Beef?

In the end, I did help him out and gave him back the balloon. But that pesky balloon decided to now stick to the front of his head. The boys were roaring with laughter. The balloon with static electricity reminded me of some great childhood memories. I remember my parents rubbing balloons on the carpet and on our heads. Then they would stick them on us and onto the ceiling. My brother and I would jump and jump to try to reach them. I want to play this with the boys more often and in the hope that they play this with their kids one day.

static boy

where is the static guard? stuck on Justin

Chocolate Clown

Justin has officially been initiated into the Batter Lickers Club! After the boys licked some of the chocolate cake batter, Brian Sr. decided it was time for Justin to join in! He first put a little onto his finger and then let Justin lick it off. Next, he showed Justin the bowl and he dove right in! When he finally surfaced for air, the chocolate on his face reminded me of clown make-up, or maybe a mustache! He kept trying to get more batter and his arms and legs were waving around frantically. At the same time, he was sticking his tongue out and smacking his lips!

Of course, we let him stick his head into the bowl again. That is one of the advantages of being a baby. You get to do things that your other siblings are not allowed to do so that Mom can take some cute pictures. After Justin licked the bowl, Brian and Sean were trying to grab it and get the rest of the batter out too. But since they were not the baby, they were not allowed. They had their turns before and had gotten a lot of the batter already!

Maybe this is why he turns his nose up at the sight of baby food. He is allowed to taste choclate cake batter, why would he want strained peas and squash? And he also gets crackers and pieces of Poptarts and Cookies and Graham Crackers that his brothers drop on the floor. I even caught him trying to shove a few Gummy Lifesavers into his mouth. Luckily, I was witness to this and was able to pull them out before he choked. But wow did he protest!

the chocolate clown

Dad and his protege

Surprise Mom!

These pictures are from Jan. 17th - anyone that knows me, knows I need to have things just so and cannot have a picture of the first time Justin pulled up in the house on the wrong date! I have taken about 400 something photos since the 17th! Can you say obsessed with pictures? I feel the need to capture everything and anything that goes on to preserve it forever. I actually feel guilty that I didn't have this blog for Brian and Sean. It makes me take so many more pictures so that I have something to write about.

I was in the kitchen, Brian and Sean were playing else where and I forget where Brian Sr. was. I could hear Justin babbling away to himself and peeked around the corner periodically to see what he was up too. Boy, was I in for a surp rise when I looked in and saw him standing up at his activity table!I did learn from Brian and Sean not to get too excited. When babies are trying out a new skill or doing something funny - loud, obnoxious, over joyful parents tend to scare the bejeezus out of them. And then they either fall and hurt themselves or won't repeat the trick for weeks. This is especially true if you were planning to show them off the next day! Or if you have a photo shoot the next day and your sweet little baby now has a black eye or a huge lump on their forehead!

surprise Mom!

concentrating

Eggs, Please

For the last few months, Sean has been asking for eggs breakfast, lunch, and dinner! If you remember, he never had eggs before that because he was allergic. He passed his food challenge test and has never looked back. We are really hoping that the same thing happens with his diary allergy in the near future.

It is funny how before his test, he knew he couldn't have eggs because they made his belly sick. And he never once complained or asked for them or anything containing them. He was so great at birthday parties and such. He had and still has his share of meltdowns, but never one about what he cannot eat because of his allergies. I guess he really did understand. We did have tantrums about eating Skittles for breakfast. He even went so far as to tell me that he needed to "taste the rainbow!" That wise comment came at about age three!

Now it is like he cannot live without eggs. I think that he is making up for lost time or something! I guess the old saying is true about not being able to miss something you have never had. Well maybe not, I do remember finding him behind a door at about two years old with a box of a dozen Dunkin Donuts! He had licked the icing off every one of them. When we found him, he just stared at us and flashed his best smile. I bet he thought I am caught now, so I better look as cute as possible! I never heard Brian Jr. so upset!

Maybe I should take out some stock in cheese and ice cream and milk in case he grows out of his milk allergy soon! We are all in trouble then. The kid eats more than anyone in our house, I cannot imagine letting him lose with a whole new food group!

Today, he talked his Dad into making him some eggs and wanted to help with the scrambling part. He did a really great job and said the eggs looked like a yellow tornado as he stirred them!

Chef Sean

Random Stuff

I got this off of another blog I was lurking around on - it looked like fun and was different form any other of these lists that I have seen. Feel free to post your own list!

1. What kind of SOAP is in your bathtub right now? Dove, Suave Kids Hippo and Johnson's Baby Wash
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No, my kids wish we did
3. What would you change about your living room? I would make it bigger and get a new sofa
4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? clean - surprisingly
5. What is in your fridge? too full to know and too much to list
6. White or wheat bread? whole wheat
7. What is on top of your refrigerator? plates that need to be hung on the wall
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? off white with blue/pink/green sea shells
9. How many plants are in your home? 1 - African Violet
10. Is your bed made right now? Nope
11. Comet or Soft Scrub? both
12. Is your closet organized? for the most part
13. Can you describe your flashlight? probably low on batteries
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Plastic
15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No
16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? is this a trick question?
17. Curtains or blinds? mostly curtains, blinds in the bathrooms, room darkening shades in bedrooms
18. How many pillows do you sleep with? 2 under my head and 1 to hold onto
19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? no, but kiddos have a nightlight
20. How often do you vacuum? when crumbs start to stick to my feet or when baby and dog can get a meal off the floor
21. Standard toothbrush or electric? standard, electric ones scare me
22. What color is your toothbrush? blue
23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? yes but it doesn't say welcome
24. What is in your oven right now? pots and pans, black stuff that sets off the smoke detectors
25. Is there anything under your bed? too much to list, hope nothing that is alive
26. Chore you hate doing the most? all of them
27. What retro items are in your home? air popcorn popper, husband, non electric curling iron
28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yes, but kids can still find me
29. How many mirrors are in your home? 6 too many
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? yep, kid's coin jars, money in the sofa and junk drawer
31. What color are your walls? Arizona white with various fingerprints and slobber
32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? baseball bats? kids with ear piercing screams? barking dog? biting baby?
33. What does your home smell like right now? too stuffed up to know
34. Favorite candle scent? Yankee Candle - tea and honey
35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Claussen Dill Spears
36. What color is your favorite Bible? white - my Grandmom's
37. Ever been on your roof? Nope, I was on the one in house I grew up in though
38. Do you own a stereo? Yes, from 1993
39. How many TVs do you have? 4, none in the kid's rooms
40. How many house phones? 4 real, 5 pretend that sing songs and teach letters and numbers
41. Do you have a housekeeper? Yes, but I wish I wasn't the only one
42. What style do you decorate in? Early Childhood Dirt and Grime with some Toys R Us
43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? whichever shows less stains and wear
44. Is there a smoke detector in your home? yes, 6 and 2 carbon monoxide ones, and kids who tell Dad I tried to burn the house down when it was only a little fire in the toaster oven
45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? besides the kids & dog - scrap books, baby books, photo albums, Blankie, my jewelry, adoption paperwork, laptop

Tooth Number 3!

Justin's third tooth finally broke through today! It was the top one on the right side. I am so happy for him because the area had been white and hard and swollen for a few weeks now. I bet it feels good to him to have the tooth break through his gums and relieve the pressure. Too bad that now the other side looks like it hurts! Thank goodness for Tylenol and Motrin - used as directed of course! ;)

Knick-Knack Paddy Whack...

...give a dog a bone - and baby take it away! Just like the onesie on the head photos, I now have pictures of all the boys eating a Milkbone stolen from Roc. Milkbones make great substitues for teething biscuits - and they are full of vitamins. They might be formulated for dogs, but if you have kids and dogs, I think you will admit that they are very similar in a lot of ways.

Both rely on you for food, both take naps, both are messy eaters, both like to run for no reason, both yell/bark loudly, both eat anything that falls on the floor, both like to pee out back, both have accidents, both love to play catch, both get excited and wound up for visitors - I am sure there are even more similarities too. Luckily, we have such a nice kid-friendly dog. He lets the boys steal his food and treats and just looks at us with a face that says, "Help!" When he has had enough eye poking and tail pulling fun, he jumps over the baby gate and goes upstairs to take a nap.

Today, Roc let Justin crawl over to him and steal his Milkbone right out from under his paws! I guess Justin caught him off guard because Roc usually sees him coming and runs away just in time. Justin was so happy and immediately added his own slobber to Roc's treat. It made for a great snack to gnaw on for a while.

Roc sat back patiently but never took his eyes off the prize. He waited for Justin to drop it, or to leave it unattended for even a second so he could swoop in and steal it back. He looked as if his eyes were trying to will Justin into dropping the Milkbone or send him subliminal messages! In the end, Justin tired of it and crawled away. Roc quickly went over, scooped it up, and brought it to a safe spot to finish it off. I guess he remembered from Brian and Sean that they will eventually drop it - just like he quickly remembered a prime spot was under the high chair!

Justin enjoying the Milkbone

still chewing on itRoc watching like a hawkoooh - he almost dropped itDrop it, Drop it, Drop it!

Worth the Wait

I found this onesie on e-bay for Justin. It perfectly describes him and we have even said that about him before I saw the shirt. It says - I was worth the wait! He definitely was! The wait through almost two and a half years of invasive infertility treatments, countless medications and injections, three surgeries, seven miscarriages, gallons and gallons of blood work, too many tears to count and enough frustration and disappointment for a lifetime. We are so happy to have him, and now that it is all behind me, I would not have it any other way!


The woman I got it from on e-bay makes each one and you can order any size you need, Justin is wearing size 9-12 months. I think you can get them in pink and change hair and skin color too. It is a really nice onesie - the design is embroidered too!

scrunchy nose smile

great smile
so cute
clapping
love those eyes!

Over the Mountain

Justin is becoming a pro at crawling and can even maneuver over cushions and toys - and legs! I caught some pictures of him crawling over my legs as we played on the floor together. He went back and forth and back and forth many times before he got tired. He is growing up at such a fast pace and learning so many new things everyday. We are working on clapping right now - he has done it a few times, but nothing on a consistent basis.

the challenge

getting readya little moregetting closerthe slide to the finish

Silly Boy

There is something really cute about a baby with a shirt on his head. I am not sure why, but I have a lot of pictures of Brian and Sean like this too! Maybe subconsciously we, as parents, stock pile pictures that can later embarrass our kids when they become irrational crazy teenagers! I know I have a few choice pictures of them that I might have to hide from them at some point!

baby blue eyes
long eyelashes

mischievous grin

Justin No Nap!

Justin is usually such a great sleeper, so I was surprised when I put him down for his morning nap and he cried more than a few minutes. I let him go a while longer, thinking that he would tire himself out at any minute. After about thirty minutes of on and off crying, his Dad gave in and went up to get him. Brian yelled for me to get my camera - Justin was standing up in his crib! I think he stood up and then couldn't figure out how to get down. And unlike some farm animals, babies cannot sleep standing up!

He was tired and stuck in the standing position, so he cried and cried! Poor guy cried a little bit longer because I had to capture it on film! We later figured out that he cannot stand up with a sleep sack on. Now he goes down wearing it for all naps, not just at night! Problem solved, for now....

After I took a few pictures, I did lower the crib mattress - two notches, just in case!

Justin standing and crying

so mad
happy again
Are you going to pick me up?