Slideshow Video (with sound)

Stupid Facebook!

Well well WELL, hasn't it been a long time since I've updated. Facebook took over my life, apparently! I'm so glad this blog is still active. I would've been crushed if it had been deleted due to inactivity or something. ANYway,where to begin...

Reagan is now 2 1/2, but thinks she's 4 and Evelyn is actually 4. How time flies. We have a new house in Trenton and we love all the extra space. Jason is now working as a contractor for Wide Open West and has put school on hold for the time being. I'm staying at home with the girls and we still have our laundry business.

Evelyn:

Evelyn is a full-blown kid! Her baby and toddler years seem like a distant memory. She is in preschool and loves it. She's doing very well, though she has a hard time with her extreme shyness. She doesn't tell me much about her day-to-day activities, but I know she loves it because she gets really excited to go each day. Some of her favorite things include art projects, playing Wii Fit Plus, playing with her sister, playing with her grandparents, having tea parties and watching movies such as Toy Story 1, 2 and 3, The Wizard of Oz, Pete's Dragon, The Sound of Music, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Alice in Wonderland. Duckaduck is still her favorite, but he sometimes takes a back seat to her pillow pet.

Evelyn is four years old and everything that that implies. She's starting to get sneaky and starting to test boundries. She's smart and has figured out that she can get away with things when I'm not looking. I'm finding that this is a challenging age to deal with. Regardless of the challenges, though, I'm really enjoying watching her grow into a real person. She's starting to understand that she has a voice in this world and I'm starting to let her have one.

Reagan:

Reagan was a challenge as a baby. She cried and whined most of the time and just when I was ready to pull my hair out and scream at the top of my lungs, a switch was flipped. She turned into the most charming little girl. She has a "spark" and if you've ever spent more than five minutes with her, you know what I mean. She loves to do anything her sister does and she proudly proclaims that, "Sissy is my best fwend." She still cries loudly on occasion, but she spends most of her day smiling and being cute. She talks almost as well as Evelyn, which just amazes me. She can't wait until she gets to go to preschool like her sissy, so we're sending her next year (a year earlier than we sent Evelyn). I'm sure she'll love it (and I'll love my alone time for 4 hours per week).

Here are a few recent pictures...


Reagan Playing at the Detroit Science Center


Halloween 2010


Evelyn's first day of preschool



Reagan trick-or-treating 2009

Reagan's Birthday Round 2

We got together with my Dad, Ann, Paula, Kyle, Katie, JT, Christopher, and Jessica for Reagan's birthday. We met at Funtastic, where the girls and Christopher (Reagan & Evelyn's cousin) played for a while. Then we went to a new pizza place for a pizza buffet....could you think of a better meal for $6? Reagan was cranky, but she really liked her company and new presents! She was too sleepy to eat her cake, but Mary and George gave it to her when they had her the following day. Mary said she'd eat whatever Reagan didn't eat because she loves carrot cake. Well, I'm not sure there was anything left for Mary. That kid can EAT!!

Thank you so much for celebrating Reagan's birthday with us! Although she was grouchy, I know she had a great time.

Same Parents....Different Kids

Since this blog is sort of my online 'baby book' for our kids, I thought I'd point out some of the differences that I've seen between them so far. In fact, they are SO different from each other, I can only think of one strong similarity...SILLINESS! But more on that later.

Eating:
Evelyn eats like a little bird. If she takes two bites from her dinner, we consider it a good meal. She'll eat more of her favorite meals, but for the most part, she has a two bite maximum. Reagan eats like a horse. She's never met a food she doesn't like. She loves veggies and actually prefers them over other things. Evelyn literally gags when a vegetable even touches her lips....I mean REALLY gags!

Sense of Humor:
Evelyn likes to be teased. Even as a baby, she thought it was hilarious if I would hold something up for her to grab, then quickly pull it away. Try that joke with Reagan, and you'd better expect some screaming. Reagan likes the element of surprise. Peak a boo, jumping around corners, and shocking her in general cracks her up.

Cuddling:
Evelyn has just recently started cuddling. She's just never been much of a touch-feely baby. Reagan, on the other hand, wants to cuddle every chance she gets. She'll even stop playing with her favorite toy just to come up and lay her head on your knee for a little cuddle time. She also gives kisses almost ever time you ask her (she leans in and smacks her lips and everything). We used to have to trick Evelyn into giving us a kiss by telling her we had a boo boo on our lips.

Pain:
When Evelyn has a serious fall, she cries for a max of 30 seconds. When Reagan falls...even when she catches herself and she isn't hurt...the world ends. Frankly, I think it's her ploy to get more cuddle time.

Listening:
Since she learned the word, "no," Evelyn has listened. She's tested me here and there, of course. But for the most part, she's always been a good listener. Reagan? Not so much. Every single day, I find myself saying the same thing..."Reagan, don't touch, honey. Reagan, don't touch. NO Reagan! Reagan! REAGAN! NO! DON'T TOUCH!" (btw...I just found my first grey hair. I named it Reagan).

Kid's Choice Awards:
Evelyn...clearly a Daddy's girl. Reagan...clearly a Mommy's girl.

And now for the silliness:

My kids are so silly, it's crazy! They goof off nearly every waking moment, which provides me hours of entertainment (and hours of time on the phone calling Jason, grandparents and other friends and family about the funny things they've done). They certainly have silliness in common. Other than that, I'm not sure they share one single trait. And, I wouldn't change that for the world. I love how different they are and I can't wait to see what kind of grown-ups they will be. While I don't make it a practice to compare my girls, I do like to cherish their individuality.

Happy Birthday, Reagan!!!

Group Picture! Ian is the only one who looks like he wants this picture to happen. Everyone else is probably thinking "get this over with so I can go and eat some cake." (including Joel)


Reagan's first taste of cake....she likes it...as you will see...

Faith...if you touch that cake, you might lose a finger.

Digging in...

I wish my mouth was bigger...

Smoosh, grab, eat, repeat...

SO BIG! (so messy) This is where my "friend" (if we can call her that) encouraged Reagan to put her hands on her head. THANKS, CARRIE!!! ....just wait.

The aftermath...look at that cake! She demolished it!

Reagan's party was a lot of fun!

Special Thanks:

Mom and Ray, Thank you SO much for allowing us to have Reagan's party at your house! Everyone seemed to have a great time!

Thank you to everyone who came to Reagan's party and thank you for all the awesome gifts!! She's been having so much fun with her new presents! It's cute to watch her decide what to play with next. Of course, Evelyn thinks all the gifts were for HER....yelling at Reagan each time she tries to play with her bath toys or read one of her books. They have both benefited from Reagan's snacks and cookies, though. I gave them some cookies today and Evelyn told me (in her own language) that Reagan was enjoying the cookies. She said, "Raygee nummy num happy mouth!" She's so darn silly.

Reagan's birthday doesn't end here! We're going to get together with my Dad, Ann and family to celebrate her birthday again! I'm looking forward to seeing Reagan devour another cake. I hope our girls realize how lucky they are to have SO MANY family members who love them so much.

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