Happy Birthday to me!

Can you believe it?  I turned 35!  How did this happen.  I don't feel 35... I don't think.  Maybe I do.  The bags under my eyes, the grey hair, the... yep!  35 for sure!

We got bikes for our birthdays (Casey's is in November).  We try to not get anything for each other unless there is something we all need or could use.  What better family activity (when the weather is not 100 degrees) than going for a bike ride to the park!  Or to get ice cream!

I know Luke loved it as much - if not more - than we did!  This was truly a moment where I said "this is why you have family!"  It was priceless riding off in the sunset seeing your baby boy on the back of your husband's bike.  Smiling.

I will say I have not been on a bike in FOREVER!  Boy did my butt hurt on that seat.  That will make a girl go into labor early for sure!  Here's to many bike rides as a family of 4!

 Casey putting the final touches on the bike seat for Luke.

Look how big my little boy looks!

High Five Luke!  Let's go!

That was fun!

St. Christopher's Chronicles.

We have been so happy with Luke going to Mother's Day Out @ St. Christophers.  He seems to really love all the ladies there and they certainly love him... of course.  I am so grateful that our situation has worked out so well!

We get the church newsletter every month that usually has a section about the day school that he attends.  In the October Issue, there is a picture of Lucas in all his glory.  They got such a cute shot of him painting!

Children's Museum.

So back in August we had a "family day of fun" planned.  A morning of appointments, followed by lunch with just the three of us (ok four of us including baby #2) and then the Children's Museum.  It was the day Casey and I were finding out what the sex of our second baby was.  In my mind, it was going to be a magical day.  We were going to have so much fun and be over the moon to hear we were having a baby girl!  Well the day didn't go as planned... but does it ever?

Lucas woke up at 3 AM that day, so when our alarm went off at 6 AM we were already up.  Then we got ready to go to the hospital for our "gender" appointment.  On the way, the car broke down.  We had to call a cab.  The hospital didn't have me on the schedule.  And we found out baby #2 was a boy.

Don't get me wrong.  I am very blessed and I know it.  But I am also human.  I am also a woman.  It was a very rough day for me full of anger and lots of tears.  The realization that I would go through life without a little girl was the icing on the cake.  Never mind the fact we had to leave the hospital to go tow our car and would not be able to have lunch or take Lucas to the Children's Museum.

Since I will be 35 when I deliver #2, the doctor wanted me to have the sonogram early (week 17) to see if there were any issues sooner than later.  We knew we would have to go back in a month for the exact same appointment as I would be further along and therefore the baby would be bigger.  At the end of this terrible, no good, very bad day Casey and I decided we would redo "the day of family fun" in a month.  I was so looking forward to erasing the bad taste in my mouth of the day we had just had.

This time the day turned out much, much better!  Baby #2 is still a boy (just saying...), but we had a great time just the three of us.  Lucas loved the Children's Museum!

Breakfast (instead of lunch) - daddy + luke.

Hi momma!

 I do what?

Luke our water lover!

Daddy + Luke playin'.

Our bus driver.

 Pretty sure this chair was not part of the museum, 

but he liked climbing on it anyway.

Mommy + Luke at the molecule table.

 He was loving the Bike Shop.  Boys and their tools.

Happy Boy!

Going for a ride (even though the cart wasn't moving!)

John Deere II.

Casey recently bought some paint to fix up his old tractor.  I love it the way it is, but Casey is a "fix-it man".  I took some shots of the tractor (to possibly hang in Lucas' big boy room) before it's made over.

John Deere.

When we found I was pregnant with Lucas, Gran and Granpa (Casey's Parents) gave us Casey's old John Deere.  It is so adorable and we can't wait for Lucas to be able to play with it.  He recently became aware of it in the backyard and now he likes to pretend to drive it.  So cute!  It's hard to believe these are all candid... not that he can "pose" at this age!

A day at the park.

The weather was finally nice one morning a few weeks ago that we ventured out to the park.  By the time we had been there for only 20 minutes, it was of course hot and Lucas was sweating.  He sure had fun though!  We can't wait for the cooler weather so we can enjoy the outdoors more!

 Ahhh...shade!

 What can I get into now???

 Look at me!

 Lukey... Peek-a-boo!

 Mr. Curious.

 It's hard work playin, momma.

Sreaming through the bars!  Ha.

Brady + Lucas... best buddies.

Lucas loves his older cousin, Brady.  He is just enamored with him and think he is the funniest and coolest thing around.  It is so fun to see them together.  Lucas was making funny faces while at dinner with Brady on Chris' birthday, so of course I had to get a few shots.  The pictures do not do it justice, but we were all cracking up!

 Look over here boys!

Lucas... what are you doing? Smile.

Great smile Brady!