Taylor and Nolan take flight

Stamford Balloon Parade 1

Stamford has a tradition to have their Balloon Parade the weekend before Thanksgiving. It's an adorable local version of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Our friends Justin and Destiny watched Carter so Nolan and I could have a day to ourselves. He loved it.

Stamford Balloon Parade 2

Bubble and Squeak

Bubble and Squeak is Chris's nickname for Carter because of the gorgeous new baby sounds he makes. This is for the Grandmas...

Disaster on Day 2

It's only my second day home with the boys by myself. Yesterday was Chris's first day back to work from paternity leave and they day went rather smoothly. As a matter of fact, it was very uneventful. BUT today...today is a much different story. Chris left this morning and Nolan had his first entire helping of food since Saturday. On Saturday, Halloween, Nolan woke up from his nap running a 101 degree fever. Needless to say, we had to skip Trick or Treating this year. Sunday he seemed fine, but still not eating well. Monday same, Tuesday he had a small cough and runny nose. BUT today...today he woke up with a crazy nasty cough. He sounds like a whooping, barking seal. It hurts your chest just listening to it. So, I've been trying to keep him apart from Carter, but the most I can do is make sure he doesn't touch, breathe or cough on him. I only have 2 hands after all. Nolan has a nebulizer at home, so after going to the park and playing outside this morning, we came back home and he had his Xopenex. It helps control his cough and his wheezing. Then off to bed for a nap. He told me he was hot and that he was tired. He didn't feel like he was running a fever, so I took him up and put him straight into nap time. I came back downstairs and on the monitor I could hear the coughing. It sounded like someone who had been smoking for years. Then...YACK! I turned on the video on the monitor and could see that he had thrown up all over his pillow. He was practically lying in it. Carter was still asleep in his car seat from our trip to the park, so that gave me the opportunity to run up and confirm the pukage. Sure enough, he was still throwing up when I got there. SO, we took off our clothes and sheets. I threw Nolan into a bath and simultaneously put new sheets on his bed. 20 minutes later we were clean, puke free and in pj's ready for our nap. He ended up sleeping for a couple of hours. Fortunately, that's the only puke incident on record so far today. We went to the doctor and Nolan only has a viral infection, I was a little nervous it was the flu once the puking started. Nothing like a good puke fest on your second day home alone with the kids to get you indoctrinated as a 2 child parent. I just wish he would feel better.

Nolan meets Carter #1

Nolan meets Carter #2

Still waiting, but closer

We are still waiting for Baby #2 to make his appearance. The good news is I'm having some irregular contractions, they are often enough and strong enough to make me think something is progressing. So cross your fingers, that we be posting baby photos soon. As of right now, I'm taking long walks and sipping raspberry tea in the hopes of moving things along. I think some spicy Thai food might be in my future tonight. I probably won't get to post anything before I go to the hospital, but will post the minute we arrive back home.
We'll keep you posted!! Tick tock.

My Belly, the Ticking Time Bomb...

We are within 2 weeks of my due date. There is nothing big to report, except to say we are just waiting. Chris is ready, Nolan is as ready as a 2 year old can be and I am definitely ready for this little man to make an appearance. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick tock....

I think Nolan is going to be in for a big surprise when Baby Brother Rhodes is finally here. He talks about the baby in mommy's belly, but it's such an abstract concept for a 2 year old. He asks me if the baby will open the door and walk out? Um...no, but thanks for asking. He's also asked me if the baby will come out and talk to him? Of course, I have to explain that the baby won't be able to talk for a very long time, but Nolan can teach him new words. I think he was a little bummed out about this.

Right now, I go to the hospital weekly to get a Non-Stress Test on me and the baby. I also get an ultrasound weekly. So the docs have a close eye on the baby and he's doing just fine. Other than that we are waiting. Nolan was on time, so the OB expects this one to be early if anything. We'll see. You can't predict these things, God knows I'm ready. We'll try to keep you posted here if anything develops. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock...

GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

Touch a Truck

Nolan gets a haircut

I bought a new camcorder small enough to fit in my purse. This is my first attempt to post video. Let's see if it works...

Yes I have pics...

YES...I have pics of the house renovated. Problem being.... I'm such a photo whore on my blog that I've used up to much space. Now, they won't let me post anymore photos. BUMMER.  SO, here is what I am proposing....I have posted a slideshow on Facebook. Many of you who check this blog are also Facebook friends. For those of you who aren't, leave me a comment here with the email address you'd like me to use and I can forward on the photo album to you. Right now, I only have pics of some downstairs rooms that are completed. There are many rooms that are a work in progress and I will post those later. I am currently trying to figure out how to get more space onto my blog without having to pay for it. We'll see. 

In the meantime, I'll do my best to post more than just photos from here on out.

UPDATE on the house

We are about a week away from moving into the house. Hopefully, we will be moving in on Friday, September 4th, but that is subject to change. It may get pushed back a couple of days to insure completion. We'll see. As of right now, Jay - the contractor says most everything will be done and available for us to move in, but there will be some small projects to finish after we are there. The biggest change in the house is the paint. I can't tell you how great a coat of paint looks. It's amazing. There was a LOT of trim and doors to paint so the paint seems to be the biggest undertaking. They have completed all of their work minus some touch-ups and the inside is a more modern home. I love it. It's funny seeing something take shape.  We took a LOT of tile out of the entry and put in hardwood floors, we matched the floors in the formal living room and den. This just makes the whole space come together. The only problem now is furnishing the place. We'll get there, but I am finally seeing 'our home' instead of Maxine's house that we tore up.  Our painter has taken before and after pics that he wants to use because it's such a major change. He's supposed to send those to me, so I'll post them once I get them. 

Can you translate this Nolan sentence?

'I put my case-a-teeya in my cock-a-molies!'

Before Photos of House

Tomorrow we close!

First of all, let me apologize for being a bad, bad blogger. I haven't even logged-in  in a couple of weeks. Lately, I've only been putting up pictures and still have about 300 photos sitting on my camera waiting to be downloaded. I'll get to them soon I promise. In the meantime, so much has been going here. As some of you know, Chris and I have been in the process of buying a house. It took us by surprise, but all of a sudden the right opportunity and the right house. The house was built in 1975, and we are buying it from the original owner. It has been a super stressful experience. We have been waiting for about a month and a half to close and finally the day is here. Tomorrow is our closing date and we will officially be receiving the keys. Now, we won't be able to move for at least a month. As I mentioned, the house was built in 1975 and there hasn't been much updating since then. You will hear us talk about the brown bathroom, pink bathroom, yellow bathroom and bird bathroom. I like to call it the 'bird bath'. We will be doing some cosmetic renovations for the next several weeks. We have given our contractor a 4 week timeline, but he's a contractor and by nature I think he's obligated to go at least 2 weeks over. Tomorrow, Chris and I will take some 'before' photos along with the obligatory photo of us in front of the sale sign dangling the keys and looking like dorky first time home buyers. I'll get those posted as soon as possible and keep you up to date on the renovations. 

Thanks Uncle Ben and Aunt Amanda!!

Nolan has been taking a soccer class in Greenwich on Saturday mornings. Of course, I think he is the most talented, most coordinated 2 year old in the class, but I might be a little partial...just a little! Last year Ben and Amanda got Chris some pop up goals for his birthday. This summer Nolan and Daddy have been using them regularly to practice for his soccer class. Yesterday, Uncle Ben and Aunt Amanda sent Nolan a Team USA kit. He LOVES wearing soccer kits and wanted to put it on IMMEDIATELY. Chris set up the goals and had a little 'training' session with him. So these pictures are possible because of Ben and Amanda. Thanks again guys!!!! Do you think Arsenal is calling? 

The World According to Nolan...

According to Nolan...

'Boys have pee-pees...girls have shirts.'

Playing at the Sprinkler Park

IT'S A BOY!!!

We found out yesterday that Rhodes Baby #2 is indeed a boy. The ultrasounds looks good and he's measuring within normal ranges.  So all of that is reassuring. The doctor had to look at his face to check for cleft palates and in doing so switched it to a 3-D image. So we have a close up of his sweet little face!! It's a little weird and super cool all at the same time. Sorry about the scans being so dirty, but I thought you would all like to see our second little man.