Reality Check.....

Kids grow up SO fast!!!

Lydia rode a carousel ALL BY HERSELF! This may not seem like a big deal to some, but this was a big deal (maybe more so for mommy!). Lydia is very tentative about many things, and to see her ride on this carousel made us beam with pride. She is really growing up!

Please enjoy the video of this experience.

Notice her death grip on the horse.. :)



AND "little" Joe is getting so big. Physically and just in what he's able to do!

He is now 4 months and eating cereal. He had his 4 month check up this morning, and he's still 90% across the board. Are we surprised?!



Everyone comments on how similar Joey and Lydia look. What do you think? Here's a picture of Lydia at 4 mo. and a picture of Joey at 4 mo.



I thank God for these kids every day, and am so blessed (and challenged!) by them! I am amazed at the love I have for them. To think that God's love for me is even so much greater than that love is an overwhelming thought!

What we've been up to

I haven't blogged in a while, I realize!

We haven't been up to much. A lot of the days have been inside avoiding the heat (for anyone who knows me well, they know how much I loathe heat!) I am excited for the average temp to get back to at least the mid 80's! There have not many trips to the park. Thankfully we have a pool in the back"yard". I have also started doing more crafts during the day with Lydia, which has been fun!

Most of our "nights" are spent doing P90x which is apparently the latest craze! The kids go down, Marc and I get our workout gear on, and we do our workout. It's actually been very difficult, as it's time consuming and when the kids go down, I just want to wind down. However it has been nice to get in better shape, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel (in about 60 days!), and hopefully when itis over we will be glad we did it and resume a workout routine that is more normal for having 2 little kids. It is definitely an extreme workout(at least for us) and has pushed us. It is also fun to be able to do it together.

Joey has been a delight. He is a smiley and content baby and even laughs a lot! And Lydia continues to spoil him with hugs and kisses, and she loves to rub his fuzzy head. So cute. :)

That's all for now. Joey is 4 months next week, so I'll put up more pics then. Until then, enjoy our 3 mo. professional pics done by our friends Rich and Leeann Chang(see previous post for link to pictures).

Professional 3 month pics

Go here to find our professional pictures of Joey. They were done by our friends Rich and Leeann Chang (Chang2Studios).

Joey is 3 months!

We made it to 3 months...woohoo! 3 months was actually a few days ago, but I finally got around to do the blog. The pictures were taken today. :)





Lydia showing some love!


Lydia wanted to put a "flower" on Joey's head. We don't eat sunny side up eggs at our house, so I guess it kind of does look like a flower... :)


Joey's is talking a lot these days, saying "ooo" and "ah-goo", very cute! We had his 3 month appointment, and he is in the 90th percentile across the board. Lydia is enjoying her little brother and is quite the little helper, always ready to get mommy a burp cloth or Joey his "patsifier". And Joey loves to just watch Lydia as she swarms around him.

Time off, time together!

Whew! We've been busy! We've been enjoying Marc's time off by going here, there and everywhere! So far we've been to the Indiana Dunes, Botanical Gardens, Rockford, the city, and now we're in WI for a few days. It's been nice to have a lot of time together. We've also been able to see a lot of family, which has been great. Here are pics from some of our outings/visits.

Visiting Kristin and Ethan at the Indiana Dunes



Botanical Gardens with Grandma Woerner





Visiting Neighborhood Park with Grandma and Grandpa Woerner







Children's Concert Downtown Arlington Heights

Joey taking a snooze...





Porch time at Grandma & Grandpa Wise's house





Harrington Beach State Park, WI
Lydia walking with Grandpa in the lake

Strawberry Fest

We went to Strawberry Fest, and although we didn't eat any strawberries, we enjoyed our time there. Lydia even got to dance with the Coyote and Moose from Timber Lodge! Here are some pics from our time there: The first pic of Marc and I since I was pregnant with Joey. And last but not least, the dancing. :)

A Day Full of Outside Fun

Today we spent a lot of time outside enjoying the beautiful weather!
During the day we went with Grandma Woerner, Aunt Nicole, and Aunt Lisa to the Botanic Gardens. Lydia loved all the flowers, water, and leaves! Hopefully we can go back again sometime this summer and get to see some more of the exhibits. I have no pictures to share, since I left my camera in the car. :(

Then tonight we enjoyed a brass band concert in downtown Arlington Heights. It was kind of like Ravinia, on a much smaller scale. Since this was a last minute decision we had to get dinner on the way, which happened to be McDonalds. Notice Lydia enjoying some french fries with her movie star sunglasses. The best part about the concert was it was FREE! We will be going back for more of their Thursday and Friday night concerts!

Joey enjoying his pacifier at the concert:















And Lydia enjoying her french fries: