Snow!!

We had our first official "snow on the ground" day today.  I got the boys all dressed up (no snow pants, though) and brought them outside.  They were not at all fond of the boots, but I think they will just need a little getting used to.  They acted the same way when we transitioned from sandals to shoes.  They got to try on the winter jackets for the first time as well.  They are size 24 months and obviously a little bit big on them... but cute nonetheless.

Zachary wondering what this "stuff" is (notice he's carrying his doggie):

Nicolas exploring the front lawn:

Great Papa!

This afternoon we went to a party for my Aunt's 60th birthday.  My grandfather was there and I have to say that he is the sweetest and cutest man ever!  He loves my boys so much and it is the most wonderful thing to see.  I just hope that he is around long enough for the boys to have actual memories of him.

He is 87 years old and loves to dance.  He goes dancing as often as possible which is usually 3 times a week during the summer.  I hope that I will grow old the way he has.  He is still so active and so together.  My father looks more and more like him everyday.  So, it's not surprising that Zachary naturally gravitates to my grandfather the way he does to my Dad.  While we were at the party, Zachary walked right up to his Great Papa and asked to be picked up.  Great Papa did so quite happily and took him out on the dancefloor for a little dance.  Later on my grandfather's girlfriend Sandra joined them.  I took a few pictures....

Great Papa and Zachary:

Great Papa, Sandra, and Zachary:

My little helpers

Zachary and Nicolas have been so helpful lately.  They seem to want to be with me wherever I go and since I try and get household chores done during the day, they tend to be around me when I do various things.  They love helping me with the laundry.  They will help me put clothes in the washer and transfer them to the dryer.  But I must say their favorite part is pushing the button to start the dryer.  I have to do it twice so they each get a turn.  It's hilarious.  Their other favorite activity is to help me empty the dishwasher.  It is so funny to watch them.  So, I took a little video of it.

The look of pride and accomplishment on their faces is priceless.



I really think that their future wives should thank me for all the hard work I am putting in now to train them to be helpful husbands!

Sliding...

The boys went down the slide feet first and sitting up all by themselves for the very first time today!  They were playing out in the yard with our neighbor's son (who is 2 1/2) and since he was sliding feet first, the boys figured that's just what they should do.  So, they did!  I have been trying to show them all summer but the best I could get out of them was sliding down on their stomachs.  All it took was Raphael showing them how twice and they never looked back.  I guess sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing!

Fun Coloring

The boys have been playing with wax crayons lately.  They love drawing on the paper and putting the crayons back in the box. 

They got some paints and stamps from Grandma and Grandpa this week so we decided after nap to try them out.  Here is the outcome...

The boys at the start of the activity:

Zachary in the beginning:

Zachary not liking the paint on his hands:

Nicolas making some great artwork:

Nicolas, the aftermath:

Nicolas' hands covered in paint:

I honestly think they got more paint on themselves than the paper... but that's the fun of it!
 

My little men..

Here are some pictures of them all dressed up for Grandma's birthday yesterday...

Zachary:

Nicolas:

Visit to the allergist...

Today was Zachary's appointment with the allergist.  Thankfully Grandma and Grandpa were here to stay behind with Nicolas so I didn't have to drag him along.  It was a good thing since it was a long and not so pleasant experience.  But at least we walked out of there with answers.  He has a mild allergy to peanuts (but none of the other nuts) and he has a 50/50 chance of outgrowing it by the time he's 6 (or so).  I was given a prescription for an epi-pen and explained how to use it.  My hope is that I never need to use it!

I also had him tested for dogs since he has previously reacted and we have a few family members and friends that have dogs.  The reactions he has had in the past were in fact to the dogs.  We were told to try to minimize exposure to them as much as possible.  But when he was going to be somewhere that has a dog, we should give him some antihistamine as a preventative measure.  I am so sorry for him since I know how much he loves dogs.  And honestly, how do you keep an 18 month old that loves dogs away from them?  Let's just hope that in time he grows out of it...  But until then, my son's health comes first...

Here we go again...

Zachary started to get a little cuddly after lunch and when I picked him up, he felt warm.  So I checked his temperature and sure enough... 101.1 F.  Excellent!  Now that Nicolas is over his fever bug, Zachary has decided it's his turn to get it.

The stuffed dogs...

As I mentioned in the earlier post, the boys are in love with two stuffed dogs.  Zachary is crazy about his a little more than Nicolas.  It is so funny to see how excited they get when they see these two little dogs.  I promised some pictures so here they are....

Zachary and his dog (he seriously walks around the house holding on to it):

Nicolas and his dog:

The two of them together hugging their dogs:

Update on the fever...

Thankfully Nicolas was pretty much fever free yesterday and is completely fever free today.  We had a full night's sleep on Sunday but last night not so much.  Nicolas woke around 4:30 and after letting him cry for about 10 minutes, I went in to check on him.  His jammies were a little wet so I changed him and tried putting him back down.  He was very unhappy with that and continued to cry off and on for at least another hour or so. 

During this time Zachary was obviously awake but was ok.  He cried only whenever I went into the room.  All it took was for me to give him his stuffed dog and he was fine.  He is so attched to it these days.  It is just so adorable.  I plan on getting a picture of him with it and I will post it when I do.

On another note, Steve and I were able to get the H1N1 vaccination today.  So, our little family is completely vaccinated... that is unless they decide the boys need a booster in a few weeks...

A fever

Nicolas has had a fever since yesterday.  It is relatively low grade (under 102 F) but we can't seem to kick it.  We've been giving him Tempra and Motrin to try and get it down, but it still seems to keep lingering.  I have also just let it go without meds to see how high it will get.  So far, it has not crossed 101.8 F.  I guess that's a good thing.  His nose is still runny from his cold.  Thankfully, Zachary is fine... no fever or runny nose.

I need for Nicoals to sleep all night tonight.  He needs the rest and so do I.  He was up for over 2 hours in the middle of the night yesterday.  It's amazing how quickly we get out of the habit of waking once they start to sleep straight through.  He just couldn't seem to get comfortable.  I think he had the chills and couldn't get to feeling warm.  But man, he was like a heating blanket!

I'm giving it another day or so before I head over to see their pediatrician...

Papa actually did it!

Papa (my Dad) was here visiting the boys this evening.  The boys just adore him (well, they actually adore all 4 of their grandparents - which is awesome!) and cling to him whenever he is around.  Zachary had a stinky diaper and decided he would not let anyone else change him but my Dad!  He even held his hand the whole way down the hall and into his room where he stood at the change table and pointed to his diapers.  So, for the first time EVER, my Dad changed a diaper - a stinky one at that!  And to make sure to remember this day forever, I just had to take a picture.... (I also took video but I will not be posting it)

So Smart....

I was watching the Today Show on the tv in my bedroom.  Bon Jovi was performing and the boys were sitting on my bed.  They were bopping away to the music and then all of a sudden it happened.  Zachary started to play "air guitar".  Steve had been showing them how to play air guitar and it is so funny.  But this is the first time that they did it without prompting from us.  I guess Richie Sambora's playing just brought the rock star out in him!  Of course, Nicolas quickly followed suit.  I so wish I could have captured the moment on video!

I am just so amazed on a daily basis just how smart these tikes are!

Bon Jovi Day

For anyone who really knows me, they know that I am a huge Bon Jovi fan.  It almost borders on ridiculous... almost!  Anyhow, since yesterday was my birthday and the release of Bon Jovi's new album (how nice of them to plan it for my birthday!), I figured it was the perfect day for my boys to wear their Bon Jovi shirts.  So, I snapped a few pictures of how cute they looked...

Zachary and his "first Bon Jovi shirt":

Nicolas "loves Bon Jovi just like his mommy":

Nicolas and Zachary, my "Bon Jovi babies"!

It was 2 years ago tonight that I was in New Jersey, pregnant with the boys, and watching Bon Jovi perform at the Prudential Center.  What a great night!

Fun in the leaves...

We had such a beautiful and warm fall day today that we tried to spend as much of it outside as possible.  The boys just love it and sleep sp much better after some good fresh air.  We were joined by Paul and Timmy this morning so I got some cute pictures...

Zachary in the leaves:

Nicolas with his new rake:

Zachary, Nicolas and Timmy:

H1N1

I know this is a touchy subject but after much research, discussions with specialists and talking to others, we decided to have the boys vaccinated.  We had an appointment at 2:00 this afternoon (right in the middle of their nap time) and they did remarkably well considering they only got a little over an hour's sleep.  They went to bed about 30 minutes early and seemed in relatively good shape.  They are such troopers.  I am very proud of them.

A success in every way!

Well, last night was wonderful.  I was on my own since Steve was still out of town and Grandma and Grandpa had to head back home.  The boys were tired but hung in there for me.  They were really quite good.  I got them to bed with no issues and they only woke up at 7:30 or so this morning.  Nicolas stirred briefly at 6:20 this morning but went right back to sleep.  So, I was finally able to get a good night's sleep!

Not being tired this morning was good since I had my first morning with Natalia.  She is sooo cute and a really good baby.  Especially considering she was vaccinated for H1N1 prior to coming over.  I couldn't get her to nap because the boys were way to exciting for her to watch.  But, she didn't cry at all.  The minute Brenda put her in the car seat to go home, she was out like a light.  Honestly, I couldn't have asked for it to go better.  Here are a few pictures I snapped...

The boys playing with Natalia in the exersaucer:

Natalia having some tummy time:

18 month well check-up

After a horrible night (we were awake from 12:30 to 4:00 this morning) we got up this morning and took the boys to their 18 month check-up.  And not surprisingly they are doing great.  I was a little tired and things happened so fast I didn't get all the numbers but they are both 32 inches tall (in the 30th percentile for height).  Zachary weighs about 25.5 pounds (60th percentile) and Nicolas is just under 24 pounds (25th percentile).  Their pediatrician is very pleased with what he saw.  They cried almost the whole visit because I am sure they thought another vaccinaton was coming.  But other than that, all went well.

The boys have been napping for about 2 hours now and I got to take a little cat nap as well.  Hopefully, things will be better tonight and we can all get some much needed sleep... 

Sick...

Well, the boys have been sick the last couple of days, Monday night to yesterday being the worse.  And to top it all off, they had their 18 month vaccinations yesterday morning.  We had a good night last night and the day proved to be far more pleasant today.  Their noses aren't nearly as runny but they seem to have a little cough.  We are seeing their doctor for their 18 month "well" check-up tomorrow.  But I am sure it's just a little cold and we are on the mend.

Steve has been out of town since Monday morning so he is missing all the fun!  Thankfully Grandma (my mother-in-law) has been here the whole time helping me out.  If it were not for her, I do not know what I would have done yesterday...