A timeless post...

I'm playing a little bit of catch-up with this post, but I have to say, I'm excited to present these photos.  Almost all of these photos (with the exception of the first couple) were either taken from my cell phone or our small camera and in that it wasn't my usual "routine" of picture-taking and blog-posting (being that it wasn't on the good camera), the pictures kind of went forgotten, but there's so much to share ABOUT the pictures that I had to post for all to see. 

These next series of pictures I had to post purely because of the beauty of this baby.  Honestly, I look at these pictures and my heart flutters.  Charlie is one of the most beautiful babies I have ever laid eyes on.  I do realize he's mine, and that I would have to feel that way even if it weren't the case, but seriously this baby is perfection in every sense of the word.  All of his teeny tiny features are perfect.  His smiles melt my heart and his laughter stops me in my tracks it's so yummy. 

Who says a boy can't "accessorize"... Charlie wears stripes quite well.  Horizontal stripes to boot.

The weekend that Susan was here for her baby shower, we met her and her family down at the Beach Hotel to play in the pool.  Adrey had a ball. 

Love this next picture of the two of them.  Can you tell Adrey is saying "cheeeeeeeeese"!

Last weekend I mentioned that we participated in a walk-a-thon for Down Syndrome.  The team theme was Nella's Rockstars... So Charlie and Bella sported some rockstar shades.  Those, too, were worn well!!



On Wednesday the boys and I made our way to the library for storytime.  I had Charlie strapped to my chest in the Baby Bjourn (yes, he is officially big enough and his neck strong enough to use this and I am LOVING it) and Adrey was walking (double stroller STILL has not arrived... got an email today it wouldn't be here until DECEMBER.... are you KIDDING ME?).  We were the last to arrive (surprise, surprise) and I think people felt sorry for me... I must have looked as dishevvled as I felt!  A man got up off his chair and offered it to me... I politely declined, but he insisted, which was SO nice.  I graciously accepted it and Adrey sat on the floor in front of me.  About 5 minutes into it, I noticed the man (probably in his late 60's) was growing increasingly uncomfortable on the floor.  I spotted another chair across the room, so I got up and dragged it over to him.  I pointed it out to him but he said he was fine.  HOWEVER, Adrey saw me point it out and then Adrey walked over to it and was trying to drag it over by me so that he could sit next to me, but the path wasn't wide enough and he kept digging the corner of the chair into the poor man's back.  All the while I'm quietly trying to tell him to back up (I was in a position that I couldn't manuever moving the chair PLUS I had a baby dangling from my chest) but he kept coming towards me and jabbing the guy... the guy was getting SO irritated... and I can't say that I blame him.  So I had to just get up and step over the chair and leave BOTH chairs high and dry just to escape the situation.  I yi yi.   After storytime the kids all did a craft.  I said to Adrey, "Hold up your pumpkin so I can take a picture and send it to Daddy"......

a)  Adrey LOVES the camera so he was happy to smile

b)  Adrey LOVES to be praised when he creates a masterpiece

a + b = c (below)

c)

After lunch the boys and I picked up Nana and headed to First Watch where we met Nana's friend Jean for lunch.  I'm preeeeeeeeeeetty sure that's the last time we'll be invited out to lunch with Nana.  Or any meal for that matter.  Ever.

I'm not sure what embarrased my 93 year old grandma more...

~ the high-pitched screaming Adrey did when he didn't get what he wanted that made the ENTIRE restaurant come to a screeching halt and all eyes turned on us....

~  the fact that when Jean asked Adrey if she could have a Cheerio he shouted NO and grabbed his Cheerios as if it was his very last meal on this planet....

~  when I handed Adrey his placemat/crayons he chucked them half way across the restaurant...

Did I mention Adrey is two?  Every bit of two.  Yes indeed.

Which makes the perfect segway into describing the story behind this next picture.  Yes, we have our "typical two" moments, but there are the super special two year old moments that happen more often.  And I drink them in.  Last week at school, when I pulled into the parking lot I noticed an old fashioned fire truck under the portico outside.  We got into Adrey's classroom and the teacher said his class was going to be going outside and taking a "joy ride" in the fire truck.  I knew this would be something Adrey would LOVE because he loves any sort of "woo woo" (the sound a siren makes) as he calls them.  So Mama parked herself in the parking lot with the window cracked (for fear Adrey would see me and get sad and not enjoy the ride) and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  But I wasn't about to leave because I wanted to witness the joy that Adrey was going to experience.  And the more I anticipated the event, the more my eyes welled up with tears.  Before his class even got out to the truck, I was a sobbing, mascara-faced, mess sitting in the car.  And when the kids DID finally come out, I couldn't even SEE them because the tears were so thick.  All I kept thinking was that he's too little to be riding a fire truck... BIG BOYS ride fire trucks... TWO YEAR OLDS ride fire trucks.  And the idea that my baby IS two made me cry even harder.  Where has the time gone my friends?  I feel like I blinked and we're here.  That moment will be with me forever.  Watching him and his little friends ride around the parking lot in that fire truck will forever be embedded in my brain.  It was such a touching moment.  An "I-love-you-Adrey-more-than-life-itself-moment" and a "please-stop-growing-at-this-pace-moment".  I would have done anything to freeze time at that moment just so I could experience it a while longer. 

Well, I kind of got off track there... what I was TRYING to say was... all the kids got fireman hats and here's Adrey in his.... LOL!!!!

Friday night the Wayne girls (and Katelyn's friend Maria) and the Ritchey boys (both dads were out of town again) headed to Chuck E. Cheese.   

I kid you not, we walked inside and Adrey about hyperventilated and was running around in circles he was so excited.  I think he thought he had died and gone to heaven.  He had THE BEST time!  I LOVED watching him and all his energy! 



We didn't get home until 10:00 p.m. and after germ-ridden games, pizza and cotton candy, a bath was a MUST.  You can imagine how tired Adrey was and he was none too pleased that I was "styling" his hair with the soap and taking pictures.  The pictures are awful quality and super blurry, but it depicts his mood so perfectly!



 And after bathtime, I went to get myself ready for bed and turned the corner to see Adrey just watching Charlie sleep in his swing.  Oh. Be. Still. My. Heart.

Although there are lots of stressful, challenging moments with two little ones, I have never been this happy in my life.  I love my boys more than life itself.  And I LOVE that I can document all of these wonderful moments I have with them so I can relive them whenever I want...