We Caught a Live One!!

This was our last summer visit to Mom Mom's house in O.C. We had a great time as usual and Hunter really enjoyed his time at the beach, chasing the waves to and fro. Mason, on the other hand, enjoyed his quality time with Mom Mom while we were out.

Deja Vu

This past month Mason has really taken an interest in his hands. He sucks and chews on his fingers and thumbs every chance he gets. We are starting to think we may have a true thumbsucker in residence!

During a recent nap, we caught Mason in the act. How cute is he?!

Of course, we have an extremely similar video of Hunter at around the same age, as you can see below. Hunter didn't really take to sucking his thumb, but he tried it out here and there before moving on to FOOD!

Mason's 3 Months Old

Our little Tubba Wubba is already 3 months old, if you can believe that! He is still a complete sweetheart! He loves to smile and coo, and is doing a great job batting at his toys. Mason is fitting in like an old hat at Day Care, and because he is so expressive, Miss Connie tells us that the kids love going up to him and making funny faces because he rewards them with an instant smile.

Mason has been doing a wonderful job with his Tummy Time activities for a while now and can really hold his head up very high on his own. He is also starting to get the hang of rolling over from front to back, but he still needs a little help every once in a while or he gets frustrated with it.

We are anxious for his check-up next month to see how much he has grown. He is filling out so quickly that he is already starting to stretch his 3 month clothing and has graduated to 6 month outfits.

Hunter turns 2!

We had a blast celebrating Hunter's 2nd birthday! (Wow...did I really just say we have a 2 year old? When did that happen? Where did the time go and how can we slow it down?) Hunter invited all of his closest buddies to his bounce party where they proceeded to wear out all of the adults in attendance! The birthday boy was in his full glory and showing his silliest side throughout the day. He had just as much fun running and rolling around on the floor as he did in the actual bounce houses! It was a riot to watch!

After his party and a big nap to recuperate, we ended the day with a nice family dinner, in which Pop-pop and Ya-ya were also able to enjoy since they didn't make it to the bounce place.

We took a million pics throughout the party, but unfortunately these kids are so darn quick the majority came out blurry...so here is what we have left!

Bedtime Rituals

Ever since Hunter was a newborn, Felicia has sung to him at bedtime. Now he sings along too! We love it!

Back to Work

Sadly, I had to kiss both my boys goodbye this morning and send them off to Day Care. In some ways, it was easier this time around because I knew what to expect and was better prepared. I think it also helped that we've known Connie, our Day Care provider, for 2 years now and know how good she is with the kids and just how much they love being with her and the other boys, so we know they are well loved and looked after in our absence.

Even with that, it was definitely the longest day ever and there were moments when I felt like I was missing a part of myself (like a limb or something), but it was my little Tubba Wubba that I was lost without.

Here are a few pics of Mason on his first day at Day Care:

Our sweet boys!

I really don't think there are words to describe just how in love we are with these boys! They are so amazing and sweet and funny; we just can't get enough of them!

This is the last week I have off for maternity leave before returning to work, so I'm trying to soak up every single moment with them, especially Mason who is home with me everyday and will be going to Day Care for the first time when I return to work on July 27th.

Mason has started blowing raspberries and bubbles, he also loves gnawing on his fists (or anything else he can stuff in his mouth). Here are some videos showing his new "skills"!

Our little baker...

Hunter just loves helping out in the kitchen, especially when it involves chocolate treats! Here are some pictures of him helping mommy make rice krispy treats dipped in chocolate and his all time favorite...cake balls! (He even made a few without eating them this time.)

After dinner jam session...

After dinner in the Vandrey household, we generally have dance parties, jam session or some other bit of silliness! This particular evening Hunter wanted to jam on the electric guitar with Dad!

As you may gather from Ryan's song, we had corn on the cob for dinner and it was indeed stuck in our teeth! :o)

New House?

Ryan and I are happy to report that our 3 year search for a new home may have finally come to an end! We were very excited when we came across this house in Forest Hill. In addition to being a larger home with more indoor living space, it is set on a 12 acre lot...can't wait to watch the boys running around the property! The neighborhood is awesome and looks to have other children around Hunter and Mason's age. It is also in a great school district. Almost seems too good to be true, but this is exactly what we have been waiting for and we are SOOO glad we didn't settle for some of the other houses we've looked at in the past!!

The next few months will be hectic with inspections and renting our current home, but if all goes well we should settle on September 14th. YEA!!