The photos

Helping with the biggie noisy maker

The cake disaster

Take away gifts for the girls

take away gifts for the boys

take away gifts for the baby

The cake for the party

His new tractor and wagon

Friendly Fireman

Wearing the official hat

loading up the kids

looking out the window

Meme riding the fire truck

decorating cookies

Happy Birthday Baylor

Opening gifts

The gift wagon

playing with the balloons 

opening gifts on Tuesday

blanket from Yaya

Reading one of his new stories

Baylor driving the John Deere cake

Happy Birthday Baylor

So much fun we did it again

and again

cake and ice cream with the tractor

Baylor's Birthday Celebrations

Wow what a whirlwind of a week!! Sunday was Baylor’s Birthday party at the firehouse with our friends and family so the weekend was spent getting ready. Saturday morning I made the cake. Baylor helped with the measuring, dumping and controlling the big noisy maker. We put it in the oven and moved on to another project. The batter did not look perfect for some reason and it did not rise very much but it looked fine. I went to turn it out one side stuck and cracked off. The bottom stuck too. Since I knew we were going to Wegmans after the cake was done, I did not worry about it or freak out. We went shopping and bought the rest of the stuff we needed for the party and went home. Baylor and I repeated the process and this cake batter looked perfect and tasted perfect too. Baylor says ‘Taste it?’ each time we stop the mixer. We put it in to bake and it came out perfectly. I let it cool on the counter and boxed it up to decorate on Sunday. I had made Chex mix, pretzel/kiss/M&M treats, ones with candy corn Hugs earlier in the week. I packed the boxes for the kids. Friday night I made the tractor cookies and bagged them up for the kids. I packed the boxes and laundry baskets with the items I had made and things we needed like the bowls and trays and stuff. It was a good day to get stuff done. Lori was home and was able to play with Baylor when I needed some time to get things done.


Sunday I was up early with Baylor and worked on making the frosting for the cake with his help. Lori kept him busy outside while I worked on it. It came out so good, in my opinion, that I did not want anyone to see it until later. I wrapped the cheese weenies in crescent dough and put them in the fridge for later. We went over to the fire hall at 2:15 to start setting up. Mom, Lori and I went down. Anita was trying to get Baylor to take a nap and Dad and Norman were at the house. Molly showed up around 2:30 ish and was a lot of help arranging and setting up. Lori and Molly blew up the balloons, with the helium tank, and I don’t remember either one of them taking a sample! Mom went back to the house at 3:00 to work on the pretzel dogs and crescent dogs. I had to go back at 3:45 to wake up and dress Baylor. He was not into it but went along pretty well. He was very shy when people started arriving and just wanted me to hold him. He kept hiding his head when someone would talk to him. Everyone except one family we invited was able to make it so we had a lot of people there. I asked everyone to eat when the arrived and told them about the table with the cookies and food markers for them to color their own cookies. That was my idea to get out of having to provide games or other entertainment. It was funny to me how the seating worked out.  I had a RB coworkers table, an Mombians and Gaddy table, a BookSpan coworker table and a grandparents table.  Around 4:45 the firemen came in and put one of the big fire hats on Baylor for a photo. Then they took the kids out for rides in the fire truck and Baylor loved it. They took us down to Liberty Forge and turned around. He just looked out the window the entire time. We got back and they took another group of kids for a ride. The fire man explained a few things about the cabin and why they have different lights, red lights so you are not blinded when you get out at night. By the time the rides were done and people had some more to eat it was time to do the cake. I had a number 2 candle and I helped Baylor blow it out. Molly helped me to cut and serve the cake and ice cream. There was not much left of the sheet cake. Them the gift opening started. There were so may wonderful gifts. Of course Baylor saw one that he wanted, the dump truck, and was not much interested in anything after that. It was nearly 6 when we were finished and people started to leave. I hope I was able to say good bye to everyone but there was so much going on I am not sure I did! Lori took Baylor and Anita home so he would be safe and happy at home while we cleaned up. Everyone was a great help in cleaning up and we were out of there in less than half an hour. Lori brought the mower and wagon down for the gifts. We took them home and I opened them all up after Baylor went to bed. Molly stayed for a nice visit and it was good to catch up with her.

Monday Baylor woke up to see all of his new cars, trucks, tractors and everything and he was still fixated on the garbage truck! I needed some personal time so I went shopping while Baylor, Lori and Meme stayed home. I had a very nice time but missed my little buddy and had to get home to make his cake for the Tuesday celebration. I made a chocolate devil’s food cake for the tractor shaped cake.  I frosted it while he played in the living room with Meme.  It of course I make it look like a John Deere.  I think it turned out really nice.  Baylor was too interested in his new toys to care what I was doing.  We had a good day but Baylor never napped so I was a bit worried how he would sleep.  He had a bad night Sunday after the party but Monday he slept great but woke up at 400 am on this birthday.  He started his journey into this world at 2:33 am two years ago and I should have seen that as a sign he was going to be an early bird.  We had his photos at Sears at 10 and Lori took him out in the mall while I selected the photos.  When she brought him back he was asleep in the stroller, something he had never done before.  It did not last long though after he was not longer moving in it.  He took the rest of his nap in my shoulder and Lori went and pulled the car around.  He woke up as soon as I put him in the car seat and was up the rest of the day.  He was a bit disoriented when we got home but soon was pulled together and was ready for lunch and more cake.  We just ate sandwiches and macaroni salad.  Lori helped Baylor to blow out the candle on this cake and then he said do it again. So I had Meme sit down with him and we sang again and he blew out the candle again.  He wanted to do it again so we did with Yaya and Buddy.  And that was enough.  He ate a bit of cake and I later realized I forgot to serve him on his birthday plate.  Ooops.  We opened Nana Barbie’s gifts.  One was a TY owl very cute but Baylor kept using it as a tissue.  The other was a set of starter markers in critter shapes.  Yaya and Buddy brought their gifts too.  Yaya made him a John Deere pillow case and blanket and he loved it.  They also bought him a Carhart jacket.  It is very cool.  

The parties were a lot of work but I enjoyed it all. None of it stressed me out and I am so glad we decided to have a nice big party with our family and friends, even though I originally said I was not having anything other than the grandparents party!!  

Now I have to find room for all the new stuff and make more room because Christmas is coming in 36 days.  UGH.  I will have to post the photos this weekend.  I just have not had enough time to write this all out until now, three days after his birthday!!  Better late than never.

 

    

Happy Hallo.ween

Last night was trick or treating here, of course not on Halloween but the candy tastes just the same.  Lori bought Baylor an Elm.o costume and he did really good wearing it and did not try to take it off once, even the head.  We went trick or treating with our neighbors and we went to the neighborhood, the Lisburn Firetruck was there passing out pizza.  When he saw the firetruck that was all he wanted to see.  We were talking to some of the people we know and they put him up in the truck which he loved!!  He said Trick or Treat, Thank you and Happy Halloween at everyhouse.  I think he really enjoyed the whole experience. 

 And we came home to enjoy the spoils!

Sunday, Sunday how I love this day

Baylor and usually stay home on Sundays because we run around on Saturdays. And we did run around yesterday.  In fact he fell asleep between stores and I had to go home before we were done.  After his nap and playing outside, we went out again!  Luckily there were things there for Baylor so he did not mind.  We we to Stauff.er's for bird food.  Baylor loves his birds and we have several feeders to keep stocked.  Behind the big green feeder is a small thistle seed feeder and there is a woodpecker feeder we don't have up yet.

Besides bird food, there are fish in the ponds that he likes to watch.  One fish was very active and jumped out of the water twice.  I think he may have been showing off for another gold fish.  I am not sure.  And then we went to Wegmans and they have the train in the dairy aisle.  He thinks all grocery stores have trains but if I tell him that is only at Wegmans he accepts that pretty easily.  He loves to watch it and talk to it. 

But today is Sunday and we love them.  If we don't plan to leave the house we stay in our jammies and have M&M's for breakfast.  Today I wanted to go to Willia.ms Grove Flea Market.  I have not been there in three years and boy has it grown!  I did not find what I was looking for but we did see some diggers moving dirt and gravel so we stopped to watch both of them.  They have John Deer.e tractors also so we had to check them out.

We bought some french fries on the way out and headed home.  Lori got off work early and when I called her she was at the light ahead of us so we both pulled into the Weis to pick up eggs.  Almost $60.00 later we left, and only bought an 8 pack of eggs.  We are trouble when we shop together.  It was nice having Lori home because we were able to get some yard work done.  We had a nice afternoon outside playing/visiting  with the neighbors and working outside.  I love these kinds of days. 

Here's Looking at you August

To my male reader and you know who you are darling, this may be a bit TMI. 

So, I have not said much about the next steps for a sibling because not much has been going on. We skipped this month because my cycle started on a Friday and I have to go to the office on day three.  That would have been Sunday.  The regular office is one hour away and the weekend office is one hour 45 minutes away and I have to be there between 7-9 am.  Since Lori works weekends I had no one to watch Baylor.  Asking a friend to wake up at 5 on a Sunday was out of the question and I would hate to think of them having to deal with a screaming, tired Baylor at that time of morning anyway.  So I just went on with my month thinking everything was fine.  I use a fertility monitor to know when I am ovulating and I have to do it whether I am trying or not.  Well, for some reason this month I never hit peak to show I ovulated and today is day 28, time for the big show to show up.  I finally hit low a low hormone level which usually happens a day or so after I peak.  Just bizarre for me since as long as I have been using the monitor this has never happened.  So since I did not start today, I could start tomorrow which would put me out again this cycle for the same reasons as last month.  But with as odd as this cycle has been who knows when it will start.
Today I decided to just wait out another cycle because of the oddness of this one and also because Lori is having gall bladder surgery next Thursday and it will be too much to combine all the running to the office an hour away for several day and taking care of Lori.  Her mom will be here to help but then I would have to explain things to her and we don't want that either.  Waiting another month would put a baby due around the last week of August.
I had two wishes when we were trying to conceive the last time.  The first was no birthdays close to Christmas.  I am a January baby and I get all my gifts for the year within 22 days.  It sucks when you are a kid.  No more gifts for another 11 months.  Baylor was due December 5, 20 days before Christmas. Watch what you wish for right?  My second desire was not to be heavy pregnant in the summer.  The weather sucks here and I just cannot imagine adding pregnancy on top of that.  Well, if we try in November and it works, the baby would be due the last week of August.  See a pattern here?  Watch what I wish for. But on the flip side of that both my parents and Lori are August babies and I am sure they would all love for a little one to join them.  So it would be a good thing.  My grandpa Resch used to live by 'Everything happens for a reason' and so it does.
Hopefully this cycle will be more normal and the next one will be fruitful. 

More Apple.s and introducing Addy

Lori was off work Saturday so we took Baylor to an Apple Store/Orchard that she and I have been going to for many years in the fall.  I usually buy enough apples to can pie filling and make applesauce.  Last year we did not go and I wanted to go this year because I missed it and Baylor would enjoy it.

He looks so big but he is not even 3 feet tall yet.  I love his hands looking like they are in his pockets.

Of course his favorite was the school bus.  He started at the driver's window and would peek out each window all the way down. He wanted to back to this everytime we left it. 

The best we could do for a pony ride.

He did enjoy his time in the corn bin.  It was more rewarding than sand I thought.

He was happy to sit on the hay and eat his apple next to the big pumpkins.  When we went to the Appl.e Fest we ate applesauce sitting on hay bales.  He still talks about sitting on the hay when he wants applesauce. He also remembers buddy getting more french fries.   I think that is pretty good memory I think for a little guy who is not even two.

He pulled this apple out of the bin and started munching on it.  Since you buy a bag for a set price and then fill it up out of the apple bins so I was not worried about it.  He wanted to go back to the bus.  He stood at this window for while eating.  I asked him what he was doing and he replied 'wooking out da winow,' and was very matter of fact.

When we arrived home, the firetruck was out and they were having  a driving test.  Baylor loves firetrucks so of course we took him out to see it.  His eyes were glued to it the entire time. 

We were not home long before we left to visit Megan, Jamie and Addy. Megan and I work together and our babies are 4 days apart.  They go to the same sitter now and are good friends.  When we arrived there I found out how good.

It is very dark because of the back light but it catches the moment.  Baylor leaned in to kiss her several times.  Addy's eyes are even closed.  Most of the time she would lure him with a hug and tackle him to the ground.  He did not like that part too much but would still try to kiss her again.  I asked the sitter and she said they do not do that there.

We played outside a lot because it was a nice fall day and heck, the kids love it outside. Baylor ran around with Addy's mower going up and down the hills.  He was throwing the leaves and they blew into Addy. 

The neighbor kids came over to visit with their dog Charlie.  Baylor continued his kissing with Charlie.  He was a very nice, friendly little guy. So was the dog.  

Baylor fell onto the pool cover when he was running around the back yard. He got all his clothes wet so he had to wear some of Addy's clothes and then decided to wear Megan's shoes. I think he rocks the tight pants look.  We had a really nice visit and good food to boot.  We left after 7 and it took about 15 minutes for him to fall asleep.  It was another great day. 

I and Apple.sauce

Baylor amazes me more and more everyday. His knows everything that is going on and talks about it all. He usually knows the here and now and what is coming up in the process. His memory is sharp. We made homemade applesauce today and he asked if we could eat it on the hay. Last week at the Appl.e Festival we sat on hay bales to eat the fresh applesauce we bought. That was a week ago and we really have not talked about it since then. He talks about the school bus and the tractors but not eating on the hay.

He is like the narrator to our lives, just talking through everything and learning new words and concepts all the time. He is starting to refer to himself as I when he is talking instead of Baylor which is so cute.  Mom and I were in the car with Baylor and he said I love you Mommie and I had him say I love you YaYa and I think Mom cried to hear him say it.