Metro Ride for #2

Nathan is fully potty trained during the day (i.e., he wears underwear and almost never has an accident). But... he has been very resistant to go #2 in the potty. Instead, he can hold it all day and then once we put his diaper on at bedtime, he goes. So, we've been trying to encourage him to try #2 on the potty and have made a reward chart to encourage and track his progress. If he went 3 times on the potty, he earned himself a ride on the metro train. Well, over Memorial Day weekend, Nathan earned his ride on the metro train. So Monday evening, we packed up the boys and drove to the Vienna station. We took the Metro to Ballston, ate dinner at Chevy's (love the Corn Tamalito) and then rode home. Nathan had a blast.



But the best treat was running into Uncle Matt and Victoria on the train, as they were headed to Union Station to catch Amtrak to "York City" as Nathan calls it (aka NYC). What a coincidence!

Memorial Day at Lake Anna

For Memorial Day weekend, we packed up and headed to Lake Anna for some fun in the sun.  We had a great time playing and relaxing with Grammy, Pop Pop, Uncle Matt, and Victoria.  It was great to have so many adults around to entertain Nathan.  It allowed me to take some naps and go for some walks and Dan could run and catch up on some work.Here's Nathan the fisherman...Grammy, Lucy and Oakey enjoying time on the boat...Matt and Victoria playing Hullabaloo...Uncle Matt and Nathan riding on the boat...Dan and Nathan in the kayak...Happy Memorial Day from all of us! 

Air Show

After a rough start to the morning (unexpected trip to the Pediatrician and two CVS stores to get the Rx filled), we finally made it to Andrews Air Force Base with the Korsvalls. This was our 1st time to the show and it was amazing! There was so much to see and do that we could have spent at least another day there to enjoy all the aircraft.





The big finale was a performance by the Air Force Thunderbirds. Wow, those planes are really loud! Here's Nathan, Emilia and Andrew showing off various forms of ear protection.

Mother's Day

The weather on Mother's day weekend was absolutely beautiful. So, even though Andrew was only 5 days old and I was sore from my C-section, I was determined to get out and enjoy the weather and the freedom to leave the house (bye bye bedrest). We enjoyed brunch with Dan's family at Willow Creek Farm. Nathan especially enjoyed playing with his cousins, Carter and Isabelle.

Life with a Big Brother

So far, Andrew is good sleeper (especially during the day). Here is a photo of Andrew enjoying his first nap in a bouncy seat.


But, then along came Nathan, who dropped a whole bunch of his toys on the kitchen floor next to Andrew. I can't imagine this will be the last time Nathan makes Andrew cry.

Welcome Home Andrew Jacob!

On Friday, May 9th, we ventured home with Andrew. On the way home, we stopped for lunch at Baja Fresh (in honor of Andrew's Cinco de Mayo birth date) and at Babies R Us (we needed some bottles, just in case).

The Brothers Meet

After months of waiting, Nathan finally had a chance to meet his baby brother! We talked up the event for several days and it could not have gone better. Nathan enjoyed cuddling on the bed with mommy and Andrew and was adorable as he gently hugged and kissed his brother. The highlights for Nathan were listening to Andrew as he sounded like a "lion" and exchanging gifts with his new friend.

Welcome Andrew Jacob!

On Tuesday, May 5, at 9AM, Andrew Jacob was born at Fair Oaks Hospital. "Not-so-small Andrew" (as the doctor and nurses called him) weighed in at 8 lbs. 15 oz. and was 20 inches long. The biggest surprise was his head full of blond hair! Andrew is doing well in his new surroundings and mommy is resting comfortably after a long day.

April Rain = Museum

One of the rainy weekends in April (of which there were plenty), we were looking for something to do to get Nathan out of the house. We decided to take a trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum which is really close to our house. Nathan was really excited to see all the airplanes for about a 1/2 hour and then all he wanted to do was go to the gift shop to buy an airplane. We enjoyed our short time there, but wish the museum would allow you to look into or walk through a couple of the planes (like maybe the Concord).

Build A Bear Workshop

In preparation for the baby's arrival, Nathan helped make a present for his baby brother. Nathan picked out a teddy bear, then warmed and kissed his heart before stuffing it. His favorite part was giving the bear a bath. We hope the baby likes it!

Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday, we started the morning with church services at MBC Loudoun to celebrate the risen Lord. Sandra was especially excited to attend, as this was her first trip to church after a long winter of hibernating (also known as bedrest). We then spent the afternoon at Gramma and Grandad's house hunting for eggs and eating a yummy dinner!

Easter Party

The day before Easter, we had a couple of Nathan's friends over for a little Easter party. The rain changed our plans a bit, as the kids did not participate in the outdoor egg hunt. But everyone still had lots of fun decorating cookies, making crosses, hunting for eggs inside and of course, eating. Here's a smattering of photos from the morning.

Easter Egg Drop

On one of the first most beautiful days of Spring, Nathan enjoyed time with his Grammy and Pop Pop at the Easter Egg Drop in Haymarket. Most exciting was the helicopter that came and dropped the final eggs on the field before the hunt began. Nathan also loved having his face painted like a bunny... so much so, that we had a pretty major meltdown when it was washed off before bedtime. He did look cute!