Davis turns two!

Wow!  It's been a while since I've added a new post.  If you can picture me sitting here typing while wearing Reece in a sling and simultaneously typing and bouncing on an exercise ball, you may understand why.  I'll let y'all know if this gives me motion sickness...

Davis has "seemed" like a two-year-old for a long time, so it actually felt right to be celebrating this birthday.  We had a wonderful party with family and close friends at White Deer Park, near our house.  Davis had a ball and we did all those regular birthday party things--snacks, presents, cupcakes, singing, and bubbles!  D's favorite part was probably all the balloons that Daddy blew up for him (using a helium tank, not his lungs) and that are STILL hanging around my house almost three weeks later.

Here are a few pictures from that fun day...

 

Mamaroo

Where have you been all my life, Mamaroo?  This is the greatest invention!  Let's face it, when you have two children under age two, you are crazy.  Also, you don't have the luxury of just holding and staring at your new baby all day long.  I totally did that when Davis was born--and I do it a lot with Reece, but sometimes the big boy needs a snack or something that requires two hands.  

We really didn't need much baby stuff for Reece, but when I saw this thing on Ellen's Mother's Day show, I thought I might "need" it.  Turns out, I was right.  Reece loves it and luckily, today I realized you can adjust the speed to make it go pretty fast.  It has five different motion settings (from "kangaroo" to "car ride") and nature sounds, AND you can even plug your iPod into it so baby can hear some good tunes!

I highly suggest this as a baby gift for new moms...

Snoozing away...his hair looks red in this picture!

Mud

For the past couple of weeks I have thought of several things I'd like to blog about:  adjusting to life at home with two children; the hand-food-mouth virus that Davis acquired and that has ruled our house for the past week; the wonderful help we've had from two awesome grandmothers (Nana has been with us since Monday and my mom is coming back to help the day after tomorrow--we are all so spoiled now!); Reece's first "real" outing to the farmer's market; etc...

But, I think I will write about mud today.  Nothing makes me happier than to see my boy find such joy in such a simple, natural thing.  Yesterday evening Davis had lots of silly energy.  Thank goodness, the rain had gone away and we were able to get him outside for a while.  He quickly discovered some cool mud puddles and, not surprisingly, made the most of them.  After a solid week of way too much time inside, way too much television, and way too much sickness and worry that Reece would get sick, we have been happy and relieved to get out a little.

Sidewalk chalk and a puddle, a natural combination

Proud of himself after his mud bath

What a little boy's feet should look like as often as possible

Early morning iPad session with Nana...and yes, Davis is eating an Oreo before breakfast

So far, the "calm one"