Busch Gardens

This Fall has been crazy, but we were able to have a Family Day at Busch Gardens a few weeks ago. 

These cousins loved riding the Elmo roller coaster together.

Hudson obviously takes his roller coaster riding very seriously.

Hudson hopped on the Clydesdales while Reese enjoyed her first ride on a "real" roller coaster.  My adventure loving girl was so excited to ride the Loch Ness Monster.  Wyatt said that he thinks he'll wait until next year to ride a big coaster.  Yeah.  I don't think that's going to happen.  It doesn't seem to interest him.  Plus, we probably scarred him for life with the whole dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom thing.

Mimi and Baba would like to thank Hudson for cooperating in getting a picture of all of their grandkids.

Reese and I decided to ride Verbolten together.   Again, this girl is brave.  It has a  dark section and the coaster drops out from under you at one point - and she rode it TWICE.  I was only good for one ride, but Aunt Allison rode with her the second time.

She also became a tad obsessed with the Battering Ram.  Like 10 times in a row obsessed.  She and Piper would hop on and off.  I was honestly worried about her tummy, but she was fine!

Colin was nice enough to take a ride on this exciting ride with his little cousin.

And the four older kids finally got to ride the Battering Ram together.

As it inched closer to dark, we got ready to leave.  Hallowscream is fun during the day, but it's definitely not kid friendly at night! 

Meeting the Cousins!

Today was a big day for baby Reese! First, Didi (my mom) stopped by to see her this morning for a little bit. This afternoon she had a bigger group of visitors come see her! Brian's parents, Aunt Allison, Colin and Baby Piper all came over! She got to meet her cousins for the first time and she got to see Aunt Allison for the first time since she was in the hospital.

The first thing that Colin asked when he walked in the door was "Is Wyatt home?" That was really nice to hear because I was afraid that with their age difference (2 and a half years) they wouldn't be able to play together, or might not like to. But Colin asked me 3 times before Wyatt walked in the door a half an hour later, so I knew he was excited to see him. The boys had a blast playing together. Colin would run in a circle around Wyatt, and Wyatt would turn to look at him until he got dizzy and fell down on the floor.

Piper looked at her "baby cousin" and babbled and then proceeded to try to put Reese's fingers in her mouth. But she smiled and looked so cute staring at Reese. Colin asked if he could hold her and then he went and washed his hands and sat down on the couch. He held her until she started crying and then gave her to me so I could feed her. Once I was done he asked if he could hold her again, so he climbed back up on the couch and I gave her back. At the end he told me that my baby was "nice" just like his baby.

Piper trying to figure what Reese is doing

Staring at her baby cousin

Wyatt giving Piper a kiss

Colin holding Reese

Piper getting some much needed sleep in Reese's swing

Long Overdue Wyatt!

Brian and I have tried to spend as much time as possible with Wyatt since we got home from the hospital. We've been traveling back and forth to the hospital in the morning, afternoon and at night, but we try to get him tucked into his own bed and follow his routine at night as much as possible. Once Reese is home everything will hopefully be back to normal - the new normal. But especially after last week when he was getting shuffled around, he really just needs some time with Mommy and Daddy. Daddy has had a lot of fun over the last few days playing with Wyatt, while I've been doing more "observation." I'm feeling significantly better after the surgery than I was a few days ago, but I still can't lift him or get up and down or allow him to be around my stomach. I'm looking forward to just having the whole family in the house and figuring out where we go from here.

On Monday Wyatt and I went over to Brian's parents' house to hang out with his parents and Allison, Colin and Piper. Wyatt and Colin have recently started to have fun playing with one another, and they had a lot of fun at Grammy and Grandpa's. They played together in their playroom, they went outside and played on the swing set and they ran around the backyard taking turns hitting off the tee. Brian came over to pick Wyatt and I up and he played out back with both boys for a little bit too. It was nice to have a day to hang out with family and to watch Wyatt play. I've really missed being able to hang out with my Little Fella since the C Section and even the last few weeks of the pregnancy were difficult. Hopefully as I start feeling better I'll be able to play more, but I do need to be careful since he walked up to me and smacked me right on my scar yesterday.

Right now we're awake because Wyatt had a nightmare tonight. He woke up with a piercing scream and wouldn't stop, so Brian went to check on him. He's only done this once before and I've done some research and it's not uncommon for kids his age to have nightmares, but this one really scared him. He stopped crying, but he's been awake in his crib for over an hour. Brian finally went and slept on the floor in his room because hearing Wyatt ask "where Daddy go?" through he monitor was breaking his heart. From the sound of things Brian is asleep, but I can still see Wyatt awake in his crib. I hope he gets some sleep and can calm down.

Brian and I are really starting to be amazed by things that Wyatt has been doing the last few days. He's saying more words than ever and picking up on words the first time he hears them. It didn't go so well the other day when my brother Marc told Wyatt that my future sister in law April's name is Wicked Witch as a joke and Wyatt said "Wicked Witch." His new favorite thing to say though is "Silly goose," which comes out more like "Siwwy goose!"

The other night he had brought all of his toys into the den and I told him that we needed to clean up and take everything back to the playroom. I thought that I would need to help him, but he just started picking everything up. When he missed something I would remind him "Wyatt, don't forget your drum." Then he'd run back into the den and pick up his drum. He did this over and over again, each time getting the specific toy I'd told him about. Then last night, while Brian was getting him ready for bed, Brian had to put all the overnight diapers in the diaper stacker. While he was doing this, Wyatt went into the cabinets on his dresser and pulled out the Desitin, the Baby Powder and the Baby Lotion and set them on the floor where he gets ready for bed. Brian didn't even ask him to! Tonight when we got him ready for bed, Brian asked him to get all his supplies and he pulled them out again!

He's been so helpful recently that we really think that he'll be great when his little sister comes home...hopefully today! I can't wait for them to meet each other!

Pushing his cousin Piper in the swing

Checking on Piper

Playing something with Colin where they keep saying "You're off!" I don't know the rules to this game.

Choking up on the bat

Getting ready to connect with the ball

Smiling at Gretsky the cat

Playing in the weeping willow

He seriously loves this tree

Piper!

Baby Shower!

Yesterday my family, a few friends, and the bikini brigade (my sister's friends who do my yard work) got together for a Baby Shower at my Mom's house. I had a great time! The decorations were cute, the food was yummy and the cake was delicious! We got a lot of great stuff...a ton of really cute outfits (her wardrobe doubled yesterday), new bottles (we used Drop Ins with Wyatt, but I always forgot them and had to go back and get them), a wipes warmer, crib sheets, a really cute Sesame Street humidifier, and the super cute pink play mat and booster seat that I really wanted and more! We are so grateful for everything!

Wyatt was there of course, and while he refused to sleep all day, he did enjoy seeing his grandmothers and great grandmothers and aunts and the bikini brigade. He would basically lead whoever's hand he could get where he wanted them to go and make them play with him. He saw his baby cousin Piper and said "Baby. Baby." I don't think he knew what to do when she cried, but since he told me "No," I'm pretty sure he thought that I was the cause of it. He refers to my sister and her friends as "the girls" and will pretty much follow them anywhere. They've been at my parents house 24/7 this summer, but as I mentioned, they've also been doing stuff around the house for me, so he sees them a lot.

Today I took some gift cards that we've gotten over the last few weeks to Target and picked up some things that we still needed (you know, fun stuff, like replacement bottles for my breast pump). Tomorrow we have my 37 week appointment (the next to last one) and we're going to be taking our 10% off registry items coupon to Babies R Us to get some other stuff that we still need...like her mattress! I'm really trying my best to get us ready for Baby Girl to get here. She still needs a middle name (although I think we both know what it's going to be, we just have to make it "official") and we have a ton of stuff to so around the house, but we'll get there!

The cake. Seriously, it was so good. I'm about to go have a piece now.

Chandelier Decorations

Piper. She wasn't that excited about the Baby Shower I guess.

Excited!

Yesterday the Virginia Zoo broke ground on their new Asian Exhibit "Trail of the Tiger." We love to go to the zoo. We're members, so we can go as much as we want and Wyatt always has a great time! It's the same zoo that we went to as kids with a lot of improvements (and some things are still the same). They also have a lot of neat programs for kids, like the Zoo Boo at Halloween and the EggStravaganza at Easter. The area that we currently like the most is the Africa exhibit, where there are giraffes, elephants, zebras, rhinos and lions - including two baby ones who were born at the zoo last year. The Africa exhibit is so nice that it's always difficult to go to the other parts of the zoo because they just aren't as built up. Alright - the barnyard is a nice place and Wyatt and Daddy really like it - I just can't stand the smell of the pigs. The reptile house hasn't been touched since we were kids and it's dark (obviously) and just not that fun. Every time I'm there I also think about the part in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when Harry talks to the snake (in Parseltongue obviously) and the snake escapes. Eeeeeew.

Anyway, the new exhibit will have orangutans, siamangs and gibbons plus Malayan tigers, either sun or sloth bears, Malayan tapirs, otters, giant hornbills, rhinoceros iguanas and giant water monitors. These are animals that my boys especially (they love apes and tigers) have been missing on zoo visits. While the exhibit itself isn't going to open until 2010, it will really be just in time for Wyatt and his sister to really enjoy everything. The new train is supposed to open at the zoo later next month, so that's exciting too.

And as a follow up to any great trip to the Zoo, it's always best to stop by Doumar's Drive-In for a burger, french fries with hot sauce, limeade and a Ringo sundae!

Here are a few pictures from the Zoo Boo in October - I can't believe how big Wyatt's gotten, or how fast the time has flown by!

Baby Yoda with his pacifier with his name on it (fortunately an easily broken habit if your baby gets a cold and can't breathe through his nose!) that we got from my pacifier.

Colin the UPS Driver in the bounce house

Poohzie and Mommy

Wyatt in the pumpkin (Picture People was doing free shots).

Wyatt and Daddy looking at Meerkats

Brian in a Meerkat Mask. Meerkat Manor is one of his favorite shows.

Brian, Baby Yoda, Colin and some storm troopers

Darth Vader, Baby Yoda and Brian

Father's Day!

For Father's Day yesterday we went to the waterpark to visit Daddy, Grandpa and Grammy, Uncle T, Aunt Allison, Colin and Piper. Wyatt had a lot of fun playing in the water and pushing strollers around. His favorite stroller to push was Piper's - probably because hers is so cool! After we went to the waterpark, Wyatt and I came home and took a nap, and then went over to my parents' house for dinner and Brian met us there. We had a really good time yesterday, which is just what my husband deserved!

Brian's Father's Day gift was a candy dispenser (like the old time gum ball dispensers) with the Yankees emblem and special Yankee M&M's with the logos printed on them. We used personalized M&M's as the favors for our wedding and I still get emails from the website, so when I got the email a month ago I knew that was what I needed to get for Brian for Father's Day. I wanted to get him 2 (one for our Yankee room and one for his office), but I decided one was enough and he can keep it wherever he pleases. He also got the book Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, and the book Daddy Hugs by Karen Katz. He also got himself the Indiana Jones Mr. Potato Head, so I guess he had a pretty good day!

Wyatt using his outdoor voice....

Looking kind of Grumpy (and his hair looks really dark)...

Colin's trying to make him smile

At least Colin can look at the camera and smile!

He finally smiled when Colin splashed him with water!

Wyatt and his Big Cousin!

Like I said in the post about Mother's Day, Wyatt is starting to have a lot of fun playing with Colin. The day that we took him to see Piper, the boys went outside and were running around all over the place! They played soccer and then came inside and played with John Deere trucks.

Brian told Colin that there is a picture of him that Wyatt always picks up. It's one of Wyatt's favorites because it has Daddy in it and Colin as well. He carries it around and I'm pretty sure we're a few weeks away from some form of "Colin" to come out of Wyatt's mouth because he loves his big cousin. When we told Colin how much his little cousin loves his picture his face got bright red and he said "Aw shucks!" It was so cute.

Here's a picture of the boys hanging out last week!

John Deere trucks bring boys together. And yes, that's another yellow lab!

Baby Cousin Piper!

I've been waiting for Allison to put up some pictures of Piper Leigh before I put up one of her too (didn't want to steal her Mommy's thunder)! Wyatt's baby cousin was born last Monday and she is PRECIOUS! Wyatt met her last Wednesday before they went home. He just kind of stared at her, but I think he knew she was a baby because I point babies out to him EVERYWHERE. We're so excited to have Piper in the family!

Piper wasn't thrilled to leave her Daddy, but Wyatt tried to calm her down! On a side note - how cute does my husband look holding two kids? :)

Aw!

"So, that's what these look like up close and personal?"Piper with her Mommy and her eyes open. Piper looks like her big brother did, but she has her Mommy's eyes I think. As is always the case with the Bakers there is a Lab in the background!