Blurbs

Well my blogging fell off for the last few months, but on the long list of things we have been up to blogging about it fell pretty low on the priority list.  But one of my goals for this season and the upcoming year is to get back at it since this is the easiest forum for me to document our lives.  

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In late August we moved! We had been talking for over a year about moving and finding a more permanent home in the area, with more space for our growing family.  While we loved our little house, we hadn't planned on two babies in that house, and the time had come to find something for our family as it is now.  So we packed up, said our goodbyes and moved about 25 miles away to what will hopefully be our forever home.  

We have been in our home for almost four months and we are slowly making progress on making it our own.  Our first order of business was extensive painting, and since then we have been piecing it together.  It took us almost three years to really love our other home and make it feel like it reflected our style so we are our taking our time on this house as well, but I know eventually (with a lot of patience) it will be the house of our dreams!

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With our whirlwind move, we have taken the last few months to really relax and just enjoy family time.  The boys are thriving, and playing together, and I hope to do a post on some of the little personality things they have right now that we simply adore.  

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Most nights this is the scene in our house as they crowd around the tree to run the choo-choo.  We are heading north to Nana and Pop-Pop's house in just under two weeks, and these train loving little boys are going to be in train heaven with all of the train's pop-pop is setting up in anticipation of their arrival! 

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Last month we celebrated Finnegan's first birthday. I thought the first year with Rowen went really fast, but I can honestly say that I think this year went faster.  Our days are blessed by this sweet little boy and we can't imagine life without him or his brother.  He is having surgery this weekend, and hopefully it will only be a little blip in his story.

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On four different occasions I have tried unsuccessfully to take a picture of the boys for a Christmas card.  I don't know that I will get an actual picture of them where they don't look like they are being punished (even though they are being bribed with m&m's) or someone is crying, so I may not send out Christmas cards this year, which on initial thought made me a little sad, but I know won't be the end of the world. 

If all else fails, I do have one back-up...

Well I think this was a good little recap, and hopefully my blogging will pick back up! 

Finnegan~One Year

Our dear sweet Finny,

As I rocked you last night, I fought hard to hold back the onslaught of tears over the fact that today is your first birthday.  Happy Birthday our sweet angel boy.  I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday, anxiously awaiting your arrival, the doctor asking us if we wanted to have a baby today, and then seeing the precious sight of your dark head of hair!

And while that day changed the shape of our family forever, today is just as valuable to us because of the joy, laughter, and love you have brought into our family!  I never thought we were missing anything, but your little personality brings so much happiness to our days, and I love the space you have filled in our family and in our hearts.

Here are a few things that we have learned, and loved about you from this past year:

1.  You have always been a sweet easy going baby.  While everyone said how calm your brother was, you are calm in a different way, and tend to just go with the flow.  You are happiest when you are surrounded by people enjoying a snack at the table.

2.  From day 1, you have loved to talk.  You are such a flirt and love to be social with everyone, so it seems only natural that you enjoy trying to talk to people, and your little face lights up when people talk back to you.  You say da-da, ma-ma, and seem to be trying to come up with a word for the dogs.

3. You are a partially fair-haired blue eyed version of your daddy.

4. You love your big brother, and we see your relationship with him blossoming daily.  As you become more independent, I have a feeling you will spend hours playing together, and hopefully becoming life long best friends.

5. When we pour water on your head in the bathtub you try to stand up, every time.  Not sure why I am including this but it is pretty funny to see.

6.  You will eat almost anything I put in front of you, and love when we put food on your tray to let you feed yourself.  I have definitely let you explore eating with your hands more than I did your brother, and you generally look like pigpen after dinner every night!

7. You have four teeth, are in the 90% for height and weight, and are literally days away from walking. You took four steps the other day so we know full on running will be coming soon.

8.  You love going to school.  When we turn the corner for daycare, you happily start blabbering, and insist on being carried facing outwards so you can flash smiles at everyone you see.  Occasionally if you are really excited you will offer them the raised hand, which you haven't quite figured out how to wave just yet.

9. You have rhythm in your soul!  If you hear music you will start bumping along to it.  In the past week you have started to love dancing to Christmas music too.

10.  You love to crawl around and wrestle with your dad on the floor.  Sometimes you crawl away just so you can get a better angle to tackle him from.  Best of all, you almost always include a little growl in your counter attack!

11.  When I put you to bed, you  let me rock you for a little while.  You never fall asleep for me, but you do lay there just as content as can be snuggling on my shoulder.  I adore it, and I hate when I have to lay you down in your crib.  At night you sleep with your gators, who we often hear you wrestling with in the early mornings before you are ready to get up!

12.  When you smile, it shines all the way up to your crinkly blue eyes.  You are such a happy little boy and we are blessed to call you ours!


Binny, Binnegans, Finny, Bitty, cat, Finn, Finnegan, we sure do love you, and we hope this is the first of many happy birthdays to come!

Finnegan ~ 11 months

My dear sweet Finny, Binny, Bitty,

Tonight as I rocked all twenty something pounds of you before bed, I prayed, as I often do in your case, for time to slow down.  I prayed to let these last few weeks, days, and hours pass slowly because I know too well every time I look into your big blue eyes, babies simply don't keep.  And as you try with all your might in everything you do to gain more independence, I pray that you will stay my bitty baby for just a little bit longer.

Today you are eleven months old, one month away from the big one year old status.  Everyday your personality grows as we see more and more of your loud, wild, courageous, kind, soft hearted spirit.  You wake up everyday with a smile, and usually an 'a-dah', and fight bed time most nights, simply I believe because you don't want to miss out on the action.  This trait carries throughout the day, for when I pick you up and put you on a hip you turn your torso out so you can face forward and greet everyone who makes eye contact with you.  Like your brother, you are a happy baby, and your face lights up even with the smallest hint of acknowledgement.  

You are literally moments away from taking your first steps.  I may be making a bold assumption, and may have to eat my words later, but I think you will be full on walking before your first birthday.  You hold no fear of falling and are quickly letting go trying to take off on the freedom of your two feet.  We bought you a walker to help get you there, and you zoom about the house on that.  Just like days after we brought you home, you talk all. the. time.  You mimic sounds we make and we can get ma-ma  and da-da out of you.  

Right now you are a momma's boy, if I leave the room, or walk off without you, you start hollering because I left you behind.  The only times I can quickly disappear are when you are playing with your dad and brother.  You love that dad doesn't hold you with kid gloves anymore and lets you roll around on the ground with him and your brother.  And you are a little fighter, I think here soon you will be beating your big brother up for which ever toy he doesn't let you have.  He secretly loves that you have begun to play with him.

You now have four teeth!  And are as happy as a clam that I have started giving you table food when we sit down to eat as a family.  You love to be included in meal times, and sit happily picking up whatever I offer you on your tray.  In the last week we have transitioned you to whole milk and you seem to be doing great with the change.  And in a few short weeks we will take your bottle away for good, a move that I know you are ready to make. 

When I think about this time last year, anxiously awaiting your arrival, I never could of imagined the sheer joy and sunshine you would bring into this family.  Your little big personality makes our days brighter and we are so happy to call you ours.  Happy one last month as a 'baby' sweet Finnegan James!

Beeper, Bitty, and Buzz...

While things have been rather quiet here in our little corner of the internet, it has been anything but quiet outside of the computer.  In the last two months we have made the decision to move, found a home, will be closing mid next month, and will be renting our current home out.  It is a lot, and while there is oodles more I could mention on that topic, today I would like to talk about my three little boys: Beeper, Bitty, and Buzz.  Yes I said three, and no, there isn't a baby, but rather a space ranger.

Dear Beeper,

Our sweet first born.  Gone are most of the traces of the wobbly little baby esk boy you once were as most of your baby fat has gone away on your journey into toddlerhood. Each and everyday you teach your dad and I new things about being parents, especially now as we are traveling through the wild woods of toddlerhood.  Some days things are great, and some days are harder for your little soul, but you are learning and growing, and we constantly see the lightbulb turning on as something new clicks with you.  Your vocabulary has taken off!  I know I wasn't the most patient about this, but as I have learned, you will do things in your own time, and talking was the same.  On the way to school you love to point out the busses, and trucks, and your two favorite words are probably buzz and baby, what you call Finn.  You are also starting to sing, and we catch bits and pieces of the theme song from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, your current favorite. Speaking of Finn, you love him these days, and when he isn't trying to tackle you or steal your favorite toys, you seem pretty happy to have him around. You are such a sweet little boy, and it shines through in your big personality.  You still love to give hugs and kisses, especially when you are the definition of a sweaty and sticky little boy.  We love you so much Beeper!

Dear Bitty,

Sweet, loud, WILD, Bitty.  You are so different from your brother in so many unexpected ways, and parenting you in a lot of ways seems like a wonderfully different experience.  Not to be forgotten, your BIG personality shouts through, and if we aren't paying enough attention to you, you make sure we know your displeasure.  In the last two months you have lost all traces of a little baby, and I often lament to your dad that you are simply growing too fast.  From the minute you wake up in the morning you are moving, always on the go.  This past weekend you figured out how to stand up in your crib, and you were pleased as pie with your new found skill.  Your teachers as school politely describe you as busy, and most days when we pick you up you are climbing up on something, and when you hear us  you turn around with a big gummy grin.  I don't think your grin will remain the same for long, as you have your first tooth, and I'm sure many more will join it soon.   In the meantime, you think you can eat everything we are eating, and start hollering and hooting if we don't give you a taste of what we have.  You are big Bitty, and can be described as solid.  About two weeks ago when you weren't feeling so well you weighed in at almost 21 lbs, and this weekend you started wearing the same clothes that your brother wore last summer when he was around 16 months.  I have a feeling shortly after the new year you two may be in the same size.  Speaking of your brother, you love him, your face lights up when he pays attention to you, and you turn absolutely giddy when we let you down on the floor to play with him, although right now your favorite game is to attempt to climb up on him, which he isn't too fond of.  You have such a happy easy going personality Bitty man, and these almost nine months with you as part of our family have been truly magical!

Dear Buzz,

I didn't think I wanted a third son, but you are around so much these days that you might as well be an official family member.  You are often the source of many tears though sir, so if you could stay in your designated area instead of falling with style during dinner, book time, and bed time we would greatly appreciate it.  Beeper simply doesn't understand that you are not an extension of his arm.  Now I understand that you have information about the evil emperor zurg, but I doubt you are the only one who knows it given how often you mention this information, just saying.  And while I'm happy you are around most days, I know in the future you may become the main source of  sibling fighting, so if you could help keep the peace with your laser beam and karate chop action figure skills that would be greatly appreciated.  I'm sure you are going to be around for years so this is only the beginning of our relationship with you.

We love you Beeper, Bitty, AND Buzz!

Finnegan: 7 Months

Dear Finny,

This past weekend you turned seven months. You are closer to being one than you are to being considered a newborn which is shocking.  You in the last month have shifted from a squishy cuddly baby to a man on the move, always trying to wiggle your way out of my arms.  You simply don't have the time to sit still these days.

Each day your bright personality continues to flourish, you shout and make your presence known if we aren't paying enough attention to you.  I think you are determined to not fall prey to the second child status quo.  Each morning you play quietly in your crib and when we come into your room your little face lights up.  At feeding times you can't contain your excitement, and you almost always start kicking your little legs furiously.

Oh your little legs, I'm sorry that I am writing about this on the internet, but you have the most adorable rolls around your knees. And the rolls don't stop there, they go all the way up your legs, and when we tickle your thighs you can't contain your laughter.

Earlier this month you had your six month appointment, weighing in at 19lbs 15oz (65%) and 29 inches (90%).  Clearly you are growing and thriving.  You are getting the hang of sitting up, but don't appear to have the time to sit still because as soon as we sit you down you flip to your stomach and are on the move.  Gone are the days where we can put you on the ground and you will actually stay in that spot, usually we find you half way across the kitchen playing with the plastic water bottles, which right now are your victory prize.  Your crawl isn't a crawl by the technical definition, but you sure know how to get places fast.  This weekend we stood you up holding onto the couch and we could see the little wheels in your head turning on how you could get to standing up there more often.  

You are in love with your brother, when he comes into the room your little face can't contain the joy.  You watch him like a hawk, and we know you are just waiting for the day where you can tag-along with his every move.  He is becoming more and more interested in you, and your bond seems to be growing by the day.

This time last year we found out that you were going to be a little boy, and never could I have imagined how your little personality would fill our family with so much more love.  Each day you bring new joy to your dad, brother, and I (and Jack and Lola who are very happy that you have started to eat solids), and while I wish we could keep you as my 'bitty baby' I know that I can't stop your growth and look forward to watching you grow into your personality.  

We love you sweet 'Finny Finny Finnegan, he's so Finny Finnegan, he is the littlest apple of my eye'.  Happy seven months sweet angel boy! 

~Brotherly Love~

When we decided we wanted to add to our family, I had visions of Rowen oohing and ahhing over his new brother or sister, and wanting to be around the baby all the time.  He was going to be the most devoted two year old brother the world had ever seen, and I was going to be able capture millions of sweet little moments between my boys as their bond as brother grew.  I sometimes have very unrealistic expectations...

I am writing about the current state of brotherly love in our house because I know someday, maybe even someday soon, these two will be thick as thieves.  But for right now, Rowen simply tolerates the presence of Finnegan, and I think somewhere in his little two year old brain he thinks eventually that guy will pack his bags and go back to wherever it was he came from.   There is one time of the day that Rowen in happy to see Finnegan, and that is when he we are putting Finny to bed...the sheer joy on Rowen's face as he says 'night night baby' could almost be mistaken for love.  Almost. 

Finny on the other hand is madly in love with Rowen, thinks he is the funniest person in the world, and would be happy just sitting around watching Rowen go about his day, waiting patiently for him to throw him a smile or come over and say hello.  Occasionally this happens, and then Rowen remembers who Finnegan is, and goes back to his busy two year old things. In case you didn't know, two year olds are the busiest people in the world, and ain't nobody got time for little brothers! 

I know the day is coming.  The day when Finny finally takes off crawling, heading straight for Rowen's toys that he has been eying here for quite some time.   And when that day comes, and the battle of toys happens, and after the dust settles, I think we will see the brotherly love grow.  I think we will see Rowen appreciate having another little person around all of the time to play with, only after Finny learns which toys he cannot touch, including but not limited to all buzz lightyears, choo choos, and pirate ship little people. And maybe just maybe, Finnegan will finally have the attention of the big brother he seems to idolize.  

And if the love doesn't grow on that day, then they will have to work it out when Finnegan takes up residence with Rowen in a few months.  

We took this picture while on vacation. Clearly brotherly love hasn't arrived in the Rivera house, but maybe someday soon. Until that day we will keep laughing at the current state of affairs.

~Not Always Magical but Definitely Memorable~

Yesterday we returned from a week in Orlando-a little sun kissed, a wee bit tired, but overall happy.  Vacations aren't exactly easy in the normal capacity, but add in a 2 year old and a 6 month old, and they require a whole heck of a lot of patience, grace, and teamwork.  This week Rudy and I rocked the teamwork, which made everything that could be sometimes stressful a whole lot easier to deal with.  And although I whine, protest, and complained the entire time, our drive to and back from Florida was relatively enjoyable.

We rented a house for this Disney trip, and while we have always most recently stayed on property, this will most likely be the best option for us for the next few years.  Everyone had their own space, we could all unwind, and daily swims in the pool in the backyard were mandatory.  It was wonderful. 

This wasn't Rowen's first trip to Disney, but it was Finnegan's, and while he was along for the ride more often than not, I think his first trip had just enough pixie dust to be magical.  Yes I love obnoxious Disney references, shoot me.

 Rowen in his sweet two year old temperamental state would of been happy as a clam just swimming in the pool all day, but he too showed signs of joy and wonder at meeting some of his current heroes.  I hope the expressions of joy stay for at least our next few trips because those are what I find most magical.  

Each trip we take to Disney is different, but special.  Rowen is at a hard age, and while there were moments of disappointment (mainly on my part) he did seem to have a great time, and I think what he enjoyed most was spending a whole week with us.  There were no five am wake up calls, bedtimes were pushed back, sweet treats were aplenty, and there was even a late night dinner complete with T-Rex and a meteor shower.  

And our sweet sweet Finny.  My favorite moments with Finny this trip were in the early mornings, when we would bring him into our bed before getting up for the day, and he would babble and roll around with us.  He truly is such an easy going happy little baby and loves just being part of the group. The entire vacation he was probably happiest riding around in the Ergo taking in the sites.  I know this is probably the last vacation where he won't be completely on the go, so it was nice to have his sweet little baby rolls to cuddle with often! 

One of my favorite parts of this vacation, and all others, is the pictures.  I know I can be a bit annoying demanding pictures all the time, but when we get home, and see all of the expressions and moments captured, I am so happy.  This is one of those pictures that we have a version of from every trip we have gone on, and while the first round didn't turn out too great, I am glad we went back a second time and captured this, my new favorite family photo.  

Disney creates a lot of magic for you, but its the memories that you make with the magic that are important. And we have plenty of memories to last us until next time. 

~This and That~

Well I fell off the blog wagon again, but that is ok.  Life is busy, but good, so good, and right now we are in a happy, happy place.  

In two days we will be heading south to Florida for some fun in the sun, and to Disney World!  Rudy and I talk nonstop about how we can't wait to see the sheer excitement on Rowen's face when he meets all of his current favorite people, including 'Mickneeey' and 'Buzzzz'.  When we aren't busy with the magic we will be spending our time here....can't wait!

Rowen is pretty obsessed with anything and everything Rudy does right now. This includes cutting the grass. Today I came home, and while Finny was sleeping my two big guys were busy cutting the front lawn...

I can't forget about our sweet sweet Finny.  On Wednesday he will be six months old...whoa, that went a bit too fast! While he is almost always covering himself (and me) in some form of spit up, he is the sweetest little blob of a baby, drool and all.  He is always lighting up with big gummy grins and has entered the phase where you put him down and he no longer stays put! 

Check out those cheeks!

Yesterday we quietly celebrated Mother's Day, and it was wonderful.  We spent most of the day prepping for our trip, cuddling on the couch, and enjoying time as a family.  We capped it off with a nice dinner out for Mexican, momma's favorite!  We tried to get a picture or two of me and the boys and this is the best we got...

We have a busy few days coming up and then we are off!  Hopefully I will stay on top of blogging our trip! 

~Finnegan-5 Months Old~

Dear Finnegan,

Today you are five months old! I dropped the ball on an update last month, but I don't think the fact that you don't have a four month update with ruin your future, so I am fine with that.  We were busy learning more and more about your little personality, and before I knew it time had gotten away from me. 

This past month you have flourished. You have transitioned out of being a newborn and are simply a baby.  Each day you grow into your chunky little cheeks, and your 'new' hair is growing in nicely.  Your dad commented that right now it looks like a well cut crew cut. Your eyes are still blue, and I'm holding out hope that they are staying that color for good!

You love to smile, coo, and laugh, you are a genuinely happy baby, and we are so grateful for this!  Right now your smiles take up your whole face and if you are really excited you let out a little gurgling giggle.  When we come into get you in the mornings or after naps, you almost always greet us with a big gummy grin!

You are continuing to reach milestones, and we have reached the day where I can no longer put you down and return to you in the same place.  You roll, twist, and turn every which way to get at what you want.  And if we walk away from you, you are sure to get vocal and let us know, 'Hey guys I'm over here, you forgot about me.' 

This past weekend we started playing with baby food, and so far you have tried a few fruits and vegetables, and seem to be loving the new experience.  However, you are still a MESS, I thought this would pass after a few weeks when you were born, but we still go through numerous bibs a day, and I have a feeling this quantity is going to increase with baby food! You still eat four bottles a day, 8oz each, and at your bedtime bottle you get a sprinkle of cereal.  You sleep through the night, and rotate between side sleeping and belly sleeping with your butt in the air. Right now you are the first to wake up on the weekends (you only beat Rowen by a little time) but it is a little extra snuggle time we get with just you, and I love it! 

You love your big brother, and if he enters the room, you won't take your eyes off of him.  If you think you are being included in what he is doing you can't contain your excitement.  I know there will come a day very soon when you will be following him all over the house. You also are starting to get really excited about Jack and Lola, and they are loving that you are starting to taste like the good stuff :).  Each day your personality grows, and we love seeing your little face light up when you discover something new! 

We love you our dear sweet wonderful cheeky Finny...happy five months!!

Little Boy TWO

A few obligatory brick wall pictures of the birthday boy...enjoy!