Twos!

Wow - hard to believe, Lil C is two months and her brother B-man is going to have his second birthday soon. Though with Aunt Nae Nae's big wedding coming up, we celebrated this weekend!

Check me out in my cute baby legs. they are a little big, but oh so cute and keep me warm on our chilly mornings!

somtimes mom makes me laugh - we have so much fun together just talking back and forth. Can you see how light my hair is getting too?

Such a pretty girl! And a good eater - filling out for sure!

I am here in my carseat, which I do pretty well in. Sleeping is going well too - most nights I sleep from about 11pm to 3 or 4am. technically that's sleeping thru the night!

Posing for mommy!

Friday we had a double birthday for Brennan with his friend Ezra - they are ten days apart! It was fun and low key - just at a local park with a couple friends! We had brown bag lunches and just had a great time playing Ring Around the Rosey, eating cupcakes, playing in the sand volleyball court, and rocking the playground!

The birthday boys! Brennan and Ezra - they are killing their cupcakes!

It was so fun after the party b/c we started our new tradition of baking birthday cakes together. B did great at icing it, though as you can see, his finger went thru it a few times... (and I am not really a good cook, even from a box!) We had to add his new favorite characters too - McQueen and Mater!

Present time!
Check out my new vacumm - one of the two things Bman loves to do more than anything (the other is mowing the lawn). Yes, it is pink, but the options at Target were limited (either this or some cheapo thing for a baby), so we went with it, to dad's dismay........ B LOVES LOVES LOVES LOVES it! And it actually picks things up!

This was the BIG present - a tricycle for B! We had bought him a really cool one, but a friend gave us this one and it is just like new, so we went with it! Perfect!

Happy Twos B and C!

Wow - time flies!

So the last three weeks have been crazy - from a stay in the hospital with lil C (check out www.mccoolbaby.blogspot.com for details) to a visit from Mema, then Aunt Jessie, then 10 days in STL, we have been BUSY! And mama McCool goes back to work part time after Labor Day, right after Aunt Nae Nae's wedding (and who cannot wait for that?!!!!). Gosh, time flies. Campbell is almost two months, and Brennan is almost two years! Next week we do the two month check up, two year check up, and mama's postpartum check up - all at once (that will be a fun visit!). Here are pics from our life lately.

Grndpa and his babies

@ Court's friend shower - what a fun day!

mama mccool and her babies

PJ who never smiles - mocking me with the camera but loving his little girl!

lil C

Courtney and her moms!

mom, C, deb, and "suiz"

silly boy!

this is my life....

looking a little rough, still have weight to lose, nursing one and chasing the other

C smiling...

busy boy -watering mema's plants!

cozy w/ mema

chowing w/ grandpa R

cheesin it up w/ uncle pat

p and k

feeding the very aggressive baby goats

hmmm,doesn't the sign say "no climbing"????!!!!

Court's family shower

Sally, Mary, and susie!

my little bird

Time to swim!

Last weekend we went to a fun pool party - and I got to hang out with my buddy Isaac!

Daddy and Nick - just hanging out

Catie was so nice to take me swimming!

Fun times with the noodles!

Brennan had such a great time at the pool party that we signed him up for swim lessons starting in August (which we had planned to do anyway!) - we really think it is important for him to get comfortable in the water and excited about pools so someday he can be a little fish and really swim! We may also be starting soccer for 2 year olds this fall - Brennan already loves to kick his soccer ball around the back yard!

I'm a big brother!

Meet my new sister, Campbell! She is wonderful and I am the best big brother. I love to say, "hi baby" over and over and give her lots and lots of kisses and hugs. My favorite time of the day is when I get to hold her. It is so special!

poor little guy

We were all set - got the baby pool filled up and it was warming in the sun Saturday morning, B-man was getting his swim suit on and lots of sun block when I noticed..... he was BURNING up! And crying over nothing. 101 fever. NOOOOOO!!!!!!

Needless to say, no swimming for us. He had no appetite either. Instead we napped and watched Noggin. Just want to say, THANKS ISAAC!!!!!! (JK Amanda!!!!!). Fever gone by Sunday AM, but B was lethargic. He slept tons on Sunday - so much that I had a hard time getting him to bed last night (we started around 8pm and it was after 10 before he was actually asleep!!!! Slightly frustrated mommy who was so thankful to daddy for stepping in and taking over!).

So much for doing whatever PJ wanted on Father's Day. Though we complied with his one request - that we ask him to do nothing! Easy enough (though one time I asked him to bring me my keys!). We planned to go to dinner, but opted out and instead got Five Guys Burgers take out last night. Yum Yum. Mommy had cravings for a greasy burger and fries!

B is lucky to have the BESTEST DAD in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! A dad who would do anything for him and is so involved that mommy is thankful too. What would we do without him? Be more stressed out, that's for sure. We are so thankful that he helps 50/50 with everything in day to day life, especially with another one coming any day now! Lucky little B!

Naked bootie

I need to post a pic, but Saturday during nap time, B totally took off his diaper and stuffed it between the bed and the wall! Then slept for a good two hours without wetting the bed - nice. I laughed when I went to get him up and saw him in a t-shirt and nothing else - such a cute little naked bootie. I ran to get the camera - will post that precious shot soon.

So B is really in to the potty lately. So I am taking advantage of it. Saturday he announced POOPY to me, so I said, do you have to go poopy? And he said yes - so I sat him on the potty. Needless to say he did not go until the diaper was back on him but it got me thinking - we need a potty! So Sunday I bought the kind that sits on the regular toilet (we have such a small house I don't need another item taking up room - plus my bff suggested that over the kind you have to clean out for a variety of reasons, all of which I agree with). So B sat on the potty yesterday and peed in it! I couldn't believe it - so exciting! He was so excited too. While I am not quite sure we are ready for "potty training" - I am going to pursue this and encourage this new fascination. We are too close to little sister arriving to really push this for now, but we'll see!

Also got B a little gift for when I am in the hospital with new baby sister. He is getting a new pull suitcase filled with a potty book, a new truck, and these great bristle blocks that I used to have as a child - LOVE THEM! He is going to be SOOOO excited! I am soooo excited!

Beach and Speech

Brennan just enjoyed a very much deserved beach vacation with the McCool clan - Kiawah Island 2009!

Running in the water - fun times!

Mommy and B enjoying the sunrise - mommy is having her baby very soon - about 1 month to go!

Brennan chasing Baz and Quinn in one of the warm sandbars that the high tide leftover every day - so fun!

in his new helmet - taking a ride with daddy. You can never be too safe!

Digging with daddy in the sand - this sandbox is much better than the one we have at home!

Is it time to get our own big wheels? It appears so!

Sand exploration - feels good!

Water time fun!

B loved the warm water the high tide left!

Spaghetti night! We did this last year too, but no pic to compare - darn.

Click here to see pics from last year's Kiawah trip!

And my sister in law also posted some vacation pics on her blog! Her little man Cooper is just precious. He and Brennan are just 1 year apart, so it was like looking in history to last year!


Switching gears here......

This morning we had B evaluated for speech by a Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist. Going in to the evaluation, I was feeling like he would not qualify. Yesterday I wrote down all of his words and came up with over 50 - that is quite the improvement over the past 2 months when he didn't even have 10! And I also started reading a book called, the Late Talker, which I returned - Brennan was above and beyond all of the marks. You know how mother's instinct really can tell the truth? Anyway, we had him evaluated anyway - they want us to work on a few things and gave us some tips such as:

• Have him choose between name - meaning, when I ask him if he wants something say, "Does Mommy want a cookie or does Brennan want a cookie" and encourage him to say "Brennan Cookie" instead of just Yes or Cookie.
• Continue to prompt for 2 words (they would like him to increase his 2-3 word phrases in the next 2 months - totally doable!)
• Encourage him to identify himself as Brennan and Me - so sing a little song like, "I see Brennan, I see Brennan, Me Me Me, Me Me Me" (think "Are you Sleeping")
• Leave words out of songs/books - such as Brown Bear Brown _____, what do you see
• Encourage him to take back bites and alternate sides - so having him take a bite on the left and right - helps with tongue development
• Use a vibrating toothbrush to stimulate his gums and encourage him to use his tongue in a side to side motion rather than just thrusting forward
• Encourage him to lick his lips (amazing how something like that affects speech!)

So I think we are in a good place. They encouraged me to call back at 23 1/2 months if he does not increase his 2-3 word phrases - something about how the rules change at 24 months for various things. Will do!