Reagan's Turning One!!!!

Our little baby is turning one year old next week!! We are having a birthday party for her at my Mom's house in Dearborn this Sunday (March 1st) at 3pm. If you're interested in coming, please send me an email and I'll send you directions.

Bathtime with Reagan

I like the fact that Reagan's hair is getting longer, but I'm kind of bummed that I can't get it to go into a mohawk anymore. These pictures were taken when Reagan was still taking baths in the baby tub. I'm now putting them both in the big bathtub at the same time....which is both adorable and stressful.

Quotes from Mandy during bathtime:

"EVELYN! Don't pour water over Reagan's head."

"REAGAN! SIT DOWN!"

"EVELYN! Potties are for peeing, not bath tubs."

"REAGAN! Don't squeeze the shampoo bottle."

"EVELYN! She doesn't like bubbles on her nose. Don't you hear her crying?"

"REAGAN! SIT DOOWWWN!"

"Aww...mommy wishes she had her camera."

What a good little mommy

Evelyn is great at being a mommy. She takes very good care of her babies.

That's some outfit

This is proof that toddlers should not be left to their own devices when it comes to picking out their outfits for the day. While I like the backwards underwear/hood look, I think the shoes on the wrong feet with two different socks is my favorite part.

So Proud!

Jason and I are so proud of our daughters. It's so incredible how they change and grow every single day...

Evelyn:

She is potty trained! She's still going potty in her diaper at night, but during the day, she's going on the potty pretty consistantly. I think the nighttime stuff will take a while to get used to. She's really cute about going potty. She'll be playing and all of a sudden, she'll disappear. The next thing I know, she's half naked and screaming, "Wanna see my pee??" It cracks me up.

Evelyn knows all the letters of the alphabet. For some reason, she's really interested in letters. She started by pointing to a letter and saying, "Wed dat go?" which is Evelynese for "what's that called?" I would tell her and she'd say, "Ooooh." Now she names all the letters of the alphabet when she sees them. Just now, as I'm writing this, she pointed to my Toshiba laptop and said, "T-O-S-H-I-B-A." How cute.

Reagan:

She's walking!! So far, she's taken at least 12 steps. She says "ma ma, da da, hi and num num." She's a very happy baby and gives cute little flirty looks to anyone who will pay her any attention. She eats like a horse! It doesn't matter what I give her, she devours it and wants more. The best way to describe her is "cuddly, but tough." There's nothing she enjoys more than to snuggle with mommy or get a hug from her sister. As snuggly and sweet as she is, she's also able to endure the daily "accidental" injuries associated with being a younger sister.

I'm so glad we have this outlet to keep you updated on their progress and development.

Thanks for reading!!

Love,
Mandy

Fun at Funtastic

We went to an indoor playland today called Funtastic. Evelyn and Reagan had the time of their lives! Grandma and Papa Trombly brought Faith and met up with us later in the day. Evelyn couldn't wipe the smile off her face all day long and Reagan enjoyed checking herself out in the mirror most of the day. They had a great time. We get to go back to Funtastic next weekend for Hunter's birthday!

P.S. There are more pictures of Reagan because Evelyn was having way too much fun to pose for a picture.

Reagan's First Steps

When they said the second child develops faster, they weren't kidding. My little 10 month old baby is taking steps already! So far, I've counted eight consecutive steps. She's really brave...I wouldn't be surprised if she's actually walking by the time she's 11 months. She's really proud of herself and loves the hugs she gets once she reaches me. Evelyn copies her...it's really funny. She'll slowly let go of the couch and slowly toddle over to me just like Reagan. I cheer for her just as much as I do when Reagan walks and she loves every second of it. She's so silly.

I'll post pictures of Reagan standing on her own as soon as I can. For now, I need to come to terms with the fact that I'll soon have two toddlers. Yikes.

Beautiful Reagan

Meet Evelyn's Friends

The treasured "Duck-a-Duck"


(Left to right) Evelyn, Elmo, Duck-a-Duck, BOB (aka big ol' bear), Mama Duck-a-Duck, Baby Duck-a-Duck (she lined them up herself for the photo)

Welcome to our world of stuffed animal friends! We have grown to love these little stuffing-packed critters. Let's break them down in order of importance (according to Evelyn)...

#1. Duck-a-Duck: There is no question that Duck-a-Duck is the king of her stuffed animal friends. He has been with us since two Easters ago and she's been in love with him ever since. He was given to Evelyn from a friend/co-worker of Mary's. Duck-a-Duck rarely leaves Evelyn's side, especially when she sleeps. Duck-a-Duck has been walked in a stroller, served cups of tea, endured Cheerios shoved up his beak and even wore a matching dress with Evelyn for Christmas. Poor Duck-a-Duck has been through a lot...and it shows. Thankfully, Grandma Trombly is there to fix his "boo boos" whenever he needs it.

#2. Elmo: Elmo is most certainly Duck-a-Duck's right hand man. If Duck-a-Duck is nowhere to be found, Elmo will (sort of) suffice. Elmo gets most of the babydoll duties....stroller, diaper, feeding, etc.

#3. There's a TOSS-UP between Mama Duck-a-Duck, Baby Duck-a-Duck and BOB (big ol' bear): Depending on the day, it is imparative that one, two or all of the above friends are present during bedtime. These friends have become back-ups for Duck-a-Duck and Elmo. They may not be "first choices," but they're comforting, none the less.

Well, there's your introduction to Evelyn's treasured stuffed friends. While it might be a boring subject to some, it is extremly important to Evelyn....and what's important to her is important to us. We love you, Duck-a-Duck and friends. Thank you for bringing so much joy to our little sweetheart.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! We spent New Years Eve at my Mom's cottage in Rondeau Park, Ontario. We all had a great time and we can't wait to spend more time at the cottage this summer!


The Sweetest Kiss


Allison and Evelyn making funny faces during bath time



Reagan with that adorable smile of hers

Reagan's First Words

Sorry for the choppy video...I used a web cam to record it.

A Hair Raising Experience

Evelyn and Faith enjoying Faith's new moonwalk.

It's been such a long time!

Merry Christmas, Grandma!



Are you serious?



I'm Innocent

I am so very sorry I haven't updated this since APRIL!!!!!!!!!!!! There are several excuses for why I haven't updated our blog....lack of time, lack of a good camera, lack of motivation, lack of sanity...blah blah blah. Since you're probably not buying any of them, let's just move on....

So, remember when I had Evelyn and I said I couldn't be happier? I was wrong! She made me blissfully happy, but then came Reagan and I now feel like I'm in heaven. My two girls fill my days with joy. They are the cutest little sweethearts and I thank God for every joyous moment I get to spend with them. With that being said, let's talk about how they drive me nuts...

Evelyn is two...need I say more? She's mischievous, yet remorseful....in other words, she's a little stinker, then feels bad about it when I discipline her. Reagan is a BIG TIME mommy's girl....which is so sweet...until I need to do the dishes and she's clinging to my legs and screaming because she wants to be picked up.

The Awesome Stuff...

Evelyn's language skills have increased dramatically. I was worried about that since she didn't even say "ma ma" until 21 months and she was making up words (rather than using the real words for things....we called it Evelyneese). Ball was "a gah," bird was "a bidabidee," her favorite show (Yo Gabba Gabba) was "nuno bee dee," etc. She's finally using (mostly) real words for things. Currently, my favorite phrase is, "Scuse me peeze." She says that when needing to get by me, the dog, daddy...whatever. I love that. Also, she knows every letter of the alphabet. She can say them and identify them all. That blows my mind! Wasn't she a newborn yesterday?

Reagan also blows my mind! She's crawling all over the place (getting into everything she can get her hands on), pulling up on everything and even standing with no support. She can say "ma ma, da da and hi." She has the most beautiful smile...it lights up her entire face. When we say, "How big is Reagan?" she throws her hands up in the air (while most of the time, hitting herself in the face). She's also recently learned how to clap her hands (sort of). We're working on teaching her how to play peak a boo and blow kisses.

Jason and I are doing okay. We are still searching for jobs. Our laundry business took a severe blow when we learned that half of the plant (Solutia - chemical company - our main income) was shutting down. So if anyone knows of any opportunities, please let us know.

Otherwise, we're doing just fine. We love our lives, we love our little family, we love our marriage and we love God. What more could we ask for?

Thank you for spending your time catching up on our lives. Again, I apologise for not updating our blog for so long. I'll try to keep it up as much a possible. My Mom and Ray bought me a wonderful new camera for Christmas, so I am finally able to upload some decent pictures of my cuties.

We love you all!

~Mandy

Our Beautiful Little Girls

Evelyn is 19 1/2 months and Reagan is already 1 1/2 months old. Evelyn is a great big sister...showering Reagan with as many hugs and kisses as she can handle. Reagan loves to watch Evelyn and will stretch her neck just to see what she's up to. Evelyn shows just a little bit of jealousy here and there, but she mostly just loves her to pieces. I'm sure they're destined to be the best of friends.

Evelyn has been doing some really funny things. Her word for "ball" used to be "a gah." Well, I'm not sure why it has changed, but now it's "a GAH gah gah gah gah.." It is so funny. She certainly has her own language. "I want that" is "Ah bah dah." "Elmo" is "Ow." She might not be very good at English...but who needs English when you have Evelynese?

Reagan is smiling now. She gives them out pretty regularly and she has a beautiful smile. She's growing like a weed! She loves to be held, she loves to be swaddled, she loves her sister, but most of all....she loves to EAT!

Above is just a mix-match of pictures I've taken over the past month or so. Just looking at them makes me realize how truly blessed and lucky we are to have two beautiful, healthy little girls. It's just awesome being a mom.

WELCOME REAGAN CATHERINE TROMBLY!!!

Our new little one has finally made her arrival! She was 7lbs, 14oz. She is beautiful and we fell in love with her immediatly.

I ended up having a c-section because she was in the breech position. Although the recovery time is longer (and more painful), her delivery was a peice of cake. On Monday, March 3rd, I went to the hospital at around 10:30 am with contractions. They started getting closer together and Reagan was still breech, so they did a c-section (a day before I was scheduled for a c-section).

The minute they took her out and showed her to me over the blue curtain, I cried my eyes out. She was so beautiful and I already loved her so much! She looked so little compared to how Evelyn was when she was born. She's just so tiny! We also realized immediately that Reagan's lungs were working just fine. She was wailing right out of the gate.

Evelyn is already an excellent big sister! She softly pats Reagan's head all the time and brings her all kinds of toys. She seems to love her already...it's really amazing.

We're so very proud of our babies. We're so blessed to have two beautiful, healthy little girls!!

You can count on many more pictures to come. Thanks to all who have sent your congrats!

Love,
Mandy and Jason

Two Days to Go!

I'm sorry I haven't written any updates lately. We have been SO busy getting ready for our new addition lately. We've been organizing and moving things around to make room for her. We also had three rooms painted and the carpets cleaned. Our house looks great now! My mom, Ray, George and Mary have been so helpful, too. My mom has been over our house several times to help us organize, then took me shopping for the many things we'll need for the new baby. Ray has been doing a lot of home improvement projects that needed to be done. Mary and George have taken Evelyn any time we've needed them to, which has been a big help. It's so nice to have such loving and helpful people in our lives!

Well...here's the big news: My doctor decided to induce my labor a week before my due date because our little baby is measuring a little on the big side (surprise surprise). At 38 weeks, she was already measuring around 8 pounds! And since they gain about a pound a week at this point, an early induction is a good idea. We'll be going in at 9am this Tuesday to start the induction process. Both my mom and Mary will be in the delivery room with us. We'll be at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital and if everything goes smoothly, we'll probably be home on Thursday.

I'm very glad I'm getting induced. I've been having semi-painful contractions for at least three weeks now and I'm excited to get things moving along. We can't wait to meet our new little bundle! We also can't wait to see Evelyn's reaction to having a new baby join our family.

We finally finished the baby's room and it looks adorable. I'll be sure to post pictures (as soon as I get my camera fixed).

Well, I'll be sure to update this blog with pictures and stories shortly after we get home from the hospital. Until then, wish me luck! I can't believe there will be FOUR of us in two days!!

Does anyone know where I can get a time machine?

Tick Tock Tick Tock.... The wait for our next little sweetie is excruciating. I'm now 32 weeks pregnant, so I only have about 8 weeks to go...but it seems like an eternity to wait! I want to meet our new little one!

My pregnancy is going pretty well. My doctor said she's already head-down and isn't likely to move from that position, which I was very glad to hear. I've started nesting like crazy! Today, I went into our basement and cleaned everything in sight. Yesterday, I was walking by a door knob and decided I needed to scrub it for 10 minutes. LOL! I was the same way when I was 8-9 months pregnant with Evelyn. One day, I decided that our wood pile needed to be moved...so there I was, moving the pile log by log, while my neighbor was yelling "What in the world are you DOING?"

We still haven't done ANYthing with the baby's room yet. We haven't even decided which room she will have. We'll probably get working on it by the end of the month. Does anybody like to paint?? There's pizza and beer in it for you! *nudge nudge* I think I have Jason talked into painting OUR bedroom while we're at it. It needs it soooo bad.

Evelyn is doing great, too. She's so darn silly! We have a little fight we get into. When I say, "Evelyn, say ma ma" she immediately says, "da da." So we go back and forth...ma ma, da da, ma ma, da da. Little stinker! She's also been getting into EVERYthing. She used to be really good....stopping whenever I say, "no." But now, if she gets it in her head that she wants to do something, no amount of "no's" will stop her. She's been having a blast playing with all of her Christmas presents, but nothing is compared to mommy and daddy's stuff. Christmas morning was funny. She had loads of new toys that she opened, but of course, she ended up playing with daddy's coffee creamers for two hours. Go figure.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. 2008 is likely to be as exciting (if not more exciting) for us as 2007 was.

Love,
Mandy

All Dressed Up and Ready for Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's just around the corner and we are so excited! Last Christmas was fun with Evelyn, but this Christmas will be even better. Evelyn knows how to open presents now, so it will be a lot of fun.

My pregnancy is going very well. I'm about 30 weeks pregnant now (can you believe it?) and I'm due March 4th. I have a feeling it will sneak up on us just as fast as Christmas did. Why does time seem to fly by so much faster when you're a parent?

We hope everyone is having a wonderful season and we hope to see you soon.

Num Nums

Our day at the Cider Mill