Long awaited soccer practice!

Mitch had his first ever "organized" sports practice on Tuesday. I use the word "organized" VERY loosely...we are talking about 3-4 year old kids playing soccer, after all. It was so great! Mitch was all decked out in his soccer cleats, shin guards, and socks, and loving it. For the first 45 minutes of the hour long practice, he had a blast...then he came over to me and said he didn't want to play anymore. He said he was tired (and he probably was - it was a school day). For the life of me, I couldn't get the kid back out there. Mimi was there, so she tried, and that didn't work either. Mimi was really funny. She looked at me and said, "I don't know, Nicole. I never had one like that!" Hmmm.... His buddy, Gabe (Lindsay's son), is on his team, so Lindsay finally told Mitch she didn't think he could kick the ball into the goal. That got him back out there...long enough to kick the ball in the goal and come back. I give! But, hey... what do you do? It was a good effort. I got some funny video and a couple of decent pictures (I was a really bad photographer that day). Here are a few of the pics...

Love those cheeks!

My friend, Lindsay, did a little "photo shoot" of Jake for me a couple of weeks ago (Thanks Cee-Cee). Most of you have probably seen them already, but just in case...here are some of my favorites. Have you even seen such kissable cheeks? :)

Look What the Easter Bunny Brought...

I'm a little out of order in my posts, but I couldn't leave these out. The Easter Bunny brought Mitch a basketball, a Thomas the Train game for his Smart Cycle and a Spiderman umbrella, and of course a ton of chocolate. Jake got his first football and some teether keys. He didn't get any chocolate, but Mitch shared his!

Look how big he's getting. He'll be sitting up all by himself before we know it!

Here's Mitch reading about his game. I'd hate for him to put that chocolate down!

Hmmm... isn't that supposed to be bad luck?

My little guy just looks so grown in this picture! :(

Why does Daddy always get to do the fun stuff?

Guitar Heroes...

Jack got Guitar Hero for his XBox for Christmas, and Mitch loves to play (so do I, by the way...it's a lot of fun)! Since Jack was using the Guitar to play, Mitch decided to use Shrek as his guitar, but it had to be a naked Shrek! :) Don't you just love that rocker face!

A Mitch "Funny"

Just had to post what Mitch said to me this morning on the way to school. He had his cell phone with him, and we were talking driving down the road. All of sudden he said, "Hold on. My have to make a call. Uh huh. Okay. Bye. Mommy, you can talk now." Hmmm... where do you think he could have gotten that? (By the way, if you haven't picked up on it yet, he says "my" instead of "I" most of the time.)

Easter Egg Hunt

We took Mitch to his first Easter Egg hunt on Saturday. Gary said he tried to teach his egg hunting strategies, but Mitch preferred to stop and check out each egg he found before moving on. Mitch will tell you, "My wasn't fast enough." They also had some little games set up, and Mitch spent most his time playing basketball (I know, real shocker, huh?)! That child LOVES sports! He also enjoyed the horseshoes, especially when he conked me right on top of the head with one...good thing they were plastic! Here are some fun pics of the morning...

Mitch Is Playing Soccer!

I finally found a place that Mitch can play soccer this Spring. I signed him up today, and he is so excited. I'm not sure he understands what he is excited about, though! :) He just keeps telling me, "Let's go play my soccer game now." His friend, Gabe, is playing also, so Lindsay and I are hoping they will be on the same team. His first game will be April 19th, and I'm just hoping it isn't in the 10-12 time frame, since that is when we will be having his birthday party. And since I am certain he will be a star, I know the team won't want to be without him for the first game! :) My little guy is just growing up so fast!

Tallis Christian is here...

My friend, and college roomie, Cathy, had her first baby today! Congratulations Cat! Can you believe it? She actually had a girl! Tallis (Tally) Christian Pierce was born at 8:56 tonight, weighing in at 6 pounds 6 ounces with long dark hair. Mom and baby are both doing well, and I can't wait to see them. I'm hoping to make it to the hospital to see her tomorrow. I'll post some pics as soon as I get some.

Fun Days!

It has been a fun week so far. Mitch is on Spring Break from Mother's Day Out this week. Funny how although he only goes one day a week, I felt the need to book up the ENTIRE WEEK of Spring Break! :)

Monday was another pretty day here, so we went to the park with some friends. Mitch's friend, Judah, from school met us there and they had a great time along with Jack Jones and Thomas. This is a picture of Mitch and Judah on the playground.

And one of Mitch and Jack Jones. Yes, Mitch calls him "Jack Jones". He got really confused with his brother, Jack, and his friend Jack, so "Jack Jones" it is!

Sorry, no pics of Thomas. I was feeding Jake when he got there, and I never got a chance to get any pictures of them together.

Yesterday, we went to Mimi's house and colored Easter Eggs! It was Mitch's first time and he had a blast! He had on his little apron that Uncle Josh got him and he was ready. Of course, being the boy that he is, he had no use for the little metal thingy to get the eggs out the dye. He just plunged his little hands right down in the cup and got the egg out! It was too cute! He spent the night with Mimi (always a treat - for him and for me) last night and they finished off the eggs with some stickers.

Since Mitch was at Mimi's last night, Jake and I got to play all night (at least until 8:00 when he went to bed). We had a great time. He is so funny these days. He loves to check out everything around him and take it all in, and he is such a smiley baby! I just love that crooked little grin.

I put him in his Exer-Saucer for a little while last night, and he loves it. Here are pics of him last night, and Mitch in it when he was 4 months old. Wow! Mitch looks a lot older! Look at all that hair, and he had already had a hair cut!

We had lunch at my friend Erin's today. She is a teacher, and is out on Spring Break, so we were able to get together for the first time since this summer. It was great to see her and spend some time together, and Mitch and Megan (Erin's 6 year old daughter) had a great time playing together.

Friday, we are planning on trying out a new indoor play area in Bellevue. Some of my friends have been with their kids, but we haven't been yet. I have great hopes for it! :)

It's been a while!

As my brother pointed out to me tonight, it has been a while since my last post, so I have lots to update you all on!

Let's start with last weekend...Another HUGE thanks to "Mimi"! Gary and I went to a ski resort in Virginia for a long weekend, and "Mimi" kept Mitch and Jake for us. We had a wonderful time. The cell phones barely picked up and Gary's air card for his computer didn't pick up. For all of you who know what a workaholic Gary is...He didn't work ALL WEEKEND! We just chilled out for 2 full days and really didn't do much. We didn't ski because we didn't have the appropriate attire, but we did "tube". They had what is basically a big snow slide that you go down on intertubes. I lasted a whole 30 minutes of our 2 hour session before I wimped out because I was too cold, but it was a ton of fun while we were there! :) Gary had a great time making fun of this "City Girl" for not being able to handle the cold. Here are a couple of pics of the mountains and the ski slopes.


Friday we went to a winery and on the way there, we saw this sign. We loved it so much we had to stop and take a picture.

Next...Jake had his 4 month appointment last week, and all is well with my "quirky" little guy! He is 25.5 inches long (75 Percentile) and 14 pounds 5 ounces (50 Percentile). Dr.Moss took a look at his head and says that for now we don't need to put him in a helmet. He wants to look at it again at his 6 month appointment and if it still has such a flat spot, he will probably suggest the helmet. So, we are working very hard at keeping him off of the left side of his head.

I tried to give him the Similac Sensitive formula in hopes that he would be able to keep it down, but no such luck. It looks like it is going to be Similac Alimentum for him - only the most expensive for my baby! :) Needless to say, I'll be nursing for as long as possible!

Jake really changed in the days I was gone over the weekend. He has found his hands and loves to reach for things. He likes to touch people's faces, especially Mitch's. He is super aware of everything going on around him. I put his floor gym up in the Bonus Room, and he is so funny with it. It has a mirror on it, and he talks and talks to himself in the mirror. He loves it!

I tried to give him Rice Cereal today for the first time. He didn't want any part of it! He just spit it right back out at me! At first I thought I had it too thick, so I put some more formula in it...no luck. Then I thought I would warm it up some more...no luck. So, I tried mixing some apple juice in it to sweeten it...no luck. So, I thought I would just wait and try again later when he was more hungry...no luck there either! Any suggestions, anyone? I guess I'll just keep trying. He is having a really hard time going 3 hours between feedings, so I think he needs to get some "food". Here is a picture of the horrible face he made when I tried to feed it to him.

I think he would rather eat his bib! (Thanks to Uncle Josh and Aunt Leah for the bibs)

As for Mitch, the last couple of days have been gorgeous Spring-Like days here, so Mitch has been able to play outside. Mimi got him soccer goals and a soccer ball for Christmas. He has been getting them out of the garage, setting them up, and playing soccer in the yard (Yes...HE is doing it himself). HE LOVES IT! He is a different kid when he gets to play outside. I don't think I realized how much he missed it. I had so much fun watching him and playing with that I forgot to get the camera out. I'll post some pics soon.

I think I have caught up on most everything. I'll try not to get so far behind next time. I know it makes for a really long post! Oh...and I'll do better about taking pictures. I didn't have many to post this time.

Thumb-sucker no more!

I can't believe it, but my "baby" is no longer sucking his thumb! Mitch has been sucking his thumb while he has his "night-night" (blanket for those of you don't know that term) for as long as I can remember. The general rule (and I use that term loosely) has been that he can't have his night-night out of his bed. But...all of you Moms out there know how that goes! Since Jake got here, Gary has been talking to Mitch about how big boys don't suck their thumbs, and Mitch has been trying less and less to get that night-night out of his room. A week or so ago, I started noticing that it was taking Mitch a lot longer to fall asleep at night. And, of course, it was Mimi that pointed out to me that she didn't think he was sucking his thumb. (Why is that I never notice these things?) She was right!!!! My big boy broke himself of his thumb sucking habit! I just can't believe how much he has grown up in the last few months! I am so proud of him!

Thanks "Mimi"!

I knew the streak couldn't last forever, and it didn't! Most of you know that I ALMOST never get sick (yep, I said ALMOST). I can't remember the last time I was out of commission...that was before Monday, anyway. I started feeling bad Saturday, and was a little worse on Sunday. Then Monday came and I was at home by myself again. I thought I would just keep going even though I really didn't feel great... doing the laundry, cleaning up the house, fixing meals, chasing kids. That didn't happen.

By about midday, I had called my "mommy". Funny how even at 32, when you don't feel good you still go to "mommy"! :) She never missed a beat. As soon as I told her I didn't feel good she asked if I wanted her to come over. The answer... a big whiny "Yeessss!!!" She came over Monday afternoon. She spent all afternoon doing my laundry (literally 5 loads or more), cleaning up my house, fixing meals, and chasing my kids...all while I laid in bed. She spent the night Monday night, and took Mitch to school on Tuesday morning. Then she came back and did more laundry (probably another 5 loads or so) and took care of Jake before she went back and picked Mitch up from school. She spent Tuesday night also, and most of the day on Wednesday, taking care of me and my boys. She even made me homemade vegetable stew. When she went home on Wednesday afternoon, she took Mitch with her, and brought him back home today.

All because of my wonderful Mom, I was able to kick this bug in a few days. I honestly don't know what I would have done without her. I am NOT a complainer...and I couldn't function! I am so thankful to have such an amazing Mom! Thanks "Mimi"! We all love you and miss you! We kind of got spoiled to having you here! :)

Happy Birthday Alex!

Today is Alex's 10th Birthday, and we had his Birthday Party at Pump It Up last night. We had 14 boys and everyone had a blast! For those of you who have never been to a party there, they have kids (high school age or so) who "work" the party. This basically means they play with all of the kids. The guy we had was great! He turned the lights off and they played Hide and Seek and Dodge Ball in the dark. It was just the right amount of craziness for a room full of boys! Of course, Mitch was right in the middle of it all, not having a clue that he isn't as big as every one of the other boys!

Alex got a cell phone for his birthday. Here he is showing it off to a couple of his friends.


Here's a couple of them playing Dodge Ball and Hide and Seek with the guy who worked the party.





Mitch wanted to climb the rock wall, so he said. I think he really just likes the "fall" down. Of course, he wanted "Daddy" to help him!


This is one of my favorites. Mitch and Tyce (Mitch's buddy who is just a few months older than him) had a great time "jumping" off of the mound in the center of this "jumpy". Mitch thought he was jumping, but he really did more of a "fall". Check Tyce out in the background (blondy in grey shirt), though. He is really airborne!

Here's Jack being "King of the Jumpies"! Just a couple of minutes before this, though, he wasn't quite so cool. He hopped up on this, and kept tumbling right on over! Yep, I captured that on the camera also, but spared him putting that one on the internet! Is it just me, or does he look soooo grown?

Don't you just love this t-shirt? Alex does!

Here's the guys pigging out on pizza, cake, and ice cream. We finally found out that all you have to do to get them to be quiet is put food in front of them!

In case you are wondering about Jake... "Mimi" (my mom) came to the party and took care of him for me the whole time!!!!

Time to brag on Jack

Okay...It is time to brag on Jack a little now. Earlier in the week I had planned a "play date" with the some friends and our little ones for today. I later found out that I would have Jack with me today. He was such a trouper! We went to the play area at the mall and then ate at the Food Court. I can't even begin to tell you what a help he was to me! He went and looked around a little while the kids played. Then he came back and put Mitch's shoes on him while I finished feeding Jake, and then helped me "wrangle" him to the Food Court. He sat with the kids (mine and Christy's) while I went and got our food. He even gets Mitch in and out of the car for me! What more could I ask for? Thanks Jack! You are a great big brother!

SNOW!!!!

We got up this morning, and it was SNOWING! My friend, Lindsay, and I were just saying yesterday how we couldn't believe we hadn't had a snow all year at all. Mitch was so excited and couldn't wait to get outside and play in it. He's come a long way... Last year he wouldn't go near it!

My little guy is ALL BOY! He wanted to get his baseball bat and hit the snow flakes as they were coming down. When it quit snowing, he wanted to ride his 4-Wheeler and his Motorcycle in it. (By the way, for those of you who remember Mitch arguing insistently that a Motorcycle was actually called a "Der Der Der", he has finally come around, and now calls it a Motorcycle like the rest of the world.)

We left Jake playing in his crib while we went out, so I don't have any pics of him in the snow, but here are some I took of Mitch.

I'm a sucker...

I took Jake to Portrait Innovations today for his 3 Month pictures. I thought I was doing good. I went to get their $9.95 package... Yeah right! I should have known better. $87.29 later, I left with packages of 4 different poses. Oh well, your only 3 months once...and 6 months once...and 9 months once...and it just goes on and on!

Anyway, Jake did great! He was quite the ham for the camera. Here are the ones I ended up ordering. Don't worry, I'm sure you will ALL be getting copies. Heaven only knows what on earth I will do with all of these pictures!

3 Months Old Already!

Wow! I can't believe my little "Baby Jake" is already 3 months old! He is such a sweet and loving little boy. He has the sweetest little smile, and loves to show it! I love this time when they start showing their personalities. I think Jake is going to be "Mama's Boy". Unlike Mitch, who is "Daddy Football Buddy", which he will tell you every time you ask who's boy he is! :)

Here is a picture of Jake taken today and a picture of Mitch taken when he was 3 months. Do you think they look alike?

Play Date at "The Jumpies"!

A group of my neighborhood friends and our kids went to Pump It Up this morning for a "Play Date"! Until a month ago, Mitch was terrified of "The Jumpies". He wouldn't go near them. Now, you can't get him off of them! He had a blast. Here are some pictures...

The slide is his favorite!....



Here's one of Mitch and Kaitlyn (Mitch's girlfriend...he likes the older ladies...she's 5!)...

Jake had a good time, too. It looks like Mitch has some competition from his little brother. That big grin of his is directed at Kaitlyn!