The Wendorff's

Valentine's Day 2012...

2012-02-14T16:09:00.001-05:00

I don't know why, but I have been looking forward to Valentine's Day since before Christmas. I love having a reason to decorate the house, spoil the kids, get them dressed up in coordinating outfits and make a craft to give away. This year I decided not to buy Valentine's for the boys to give out, but instead make my own. Everyone asks me where I found the time to home make Valentine's with three small babies and the trick is to start early. I made the heart shaped crayons over a week ago, I asked my mom to make Irelyn a shirt over a month ago, and I also my friend to make Irelyn a korker bow over a month ago. I wanted to bring a snack to playgroup too, so I made cake batter rice crispy treats from a recipe that I found on Pinterest. I hope you all enjoy the pictures from earlier today!

Our home made heart-shaped crayons. Something I also found on Pinterest.

Getting this picture of my babies makes it all worth it!!!

Don't you just want to squeeze her?!

Opening presents from Grandma Dawn.

Paul opening his BIG card from me and the kids.

Irelyn wearing her shirt that Grandma Sheri made
and her bow that my friend, Meghan, made.
LOVE them both!!!

Sledding and More...

2012-02-14T15:49:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we bought the boys a little cheap sled at Target. Thank goodness we didn't spend much money on it because, as much as they love the snow, neither of them really like riding on the sled. We are all hoping for one more big snow storm so we can make another snowman before winter is over.

Beckett trying out the sled.

He seemed to enjoy it at first, but he quickly changed his mind.

Paul trying to convince the boys that sledding is fun.

Two weekends ago we took the boys to Winterfest, where they had a huge hill to sled down. We thought they would like this better than being pulled around the yard. We were wrong. Paul took both boys down the hill once, which they were not happy about.

I was only able to get a few pictures of Payson sledding down the hill.

Believe it or not, all of that snow is a layer of frozen ice over a river.

Getting pulled up by the tow rope.

At least they like the mascot.

Payson getting his face painted.

Checking it out in the mirror.

Super cute.

On of the projects the boys recently made at playgroup was a bird feeder. The pine cone feeders have peanut butter and Crisco on them. We hung them up right outside our living room windows. For the first week or so, I didn't see any birds interested in them at all. Then I noticed that Beckett's feeder disappeared and I assume a squirrel took it. Finally, I started seeing the same bird come by a few times a day to get a snack. The boys get so excited every time they see the bird. He just the prettiest little bird!

Progress Report...

2012-01-28T23:09:00.002-05:00

Payson - 2 years 8 months

- He gave up his pacifier almost two weeks ago

and it was much easier than we expected.

- He is potty trained at home,

but still wears a diaper to go out and sleep.

- He loves giving his siblings hugs and kisses,

even when they don't want them.

- He is becoming quite the negotiator.

- He loves going to play group.

- He is my only baby that wakes up during the night.

- He is learning how to dress himself.

- He remembers everything you tell him.

- He would watch cartoons all day, if we let him.

- He tells me which way to turn when I drive.

- He has mastered how to use my iPod and his tablet.

- He loves to play in the snow.

- He tells me I am bad and sends me to timeout.

Beckett - 1 year 9 months

- He is talking up a storm!!!

- He is the biggest Momma's boy.

- He is loves his blankie, teddy bear and panda bear.

- He could eat all day, if we let him.

- He is finally over his screaming phase.

- He is learning and coping everything from Payson.

- He never wakes up at night.

- He hates getting his hair cut or nails clipped.

- He pretends to go pee pee on the potty.

- He likes to be in his room alone.

- He loves balloons.

Irelyn - 6&1/2 months

- She weighed 16lbs.3oz.(50%)

at her six month check up.

- She looks exactly like Payson at this age.

- She has been sleeping through

the night for one month now.

- She prefers to sleep on her tummy.

- Her hair is finally growing in!!!

I've trimmed the long sections three times already.

- She just became interested in solid foods.

- She takes three naps a day, totally 4-5 hours.

- She is very easy going.

- She is a Momma's girl.
- She loves her giraffe teething toy.

Auntie Sheridan's Visit...

2012-01-28T23:09:00.001-05:00

Last Tuesday, my baby sister flew in from California to visit us. As a special treat, I let Payson stay up late to come with me and pick her up from the airport. By the time we got home, Beckett was still awake in his room, so I let him come down stairs to say hi. The boys were SO EXCITED to see their Auntie Sheridan. Even though they haven't seen her for about nine months, the boys have such a good relationship with her. They love playing with her and saying her name over and over again. The boys went to bed very late that night and it took them forever to wind down to fall asleep.

Since we only see Sheridan a couple of times a year, I decided that we would celebrate a few holidays with her while she was here. On Wednesday morning she woke up to Valentine's Day decorations and a present from the boys. Later that morning she went with us to play group, then we both enjoyed a nap during the kid's nap time and then we all stayed in for dinner.

Opening her Valentine's Day gift.

She got a teddy bear and a jacket.

Payson playing with the trains at playgroup.

Beckett drawing on the chalkboard.

Auntie Sheridan and Irelyn at playgroup.

Circle time.

"The doors on the bus go open and shut...."

Being silly with Auntie Sheridan.

On Thursday, we celebrated Sheridan's birthday. She loved the Patriots jersey we got her, especially since they are going to the Super Bowl. It was Paul's day off, so we spent the day shopping, eating lunch at the mall and then we went to the Texas Roadhouse for dinner.

Payson taking a picture of Sheridan
opening her birthday present.

A Patriots shirt!!!

On Friday, we celebrated Christmas. For fun, I had a present each for Sheridan, Paul and myself. We spent the morning taking the kids to the gym, then we ate at Ground Round for lunch and went to a hockey game that night.

Beckett at the gym.

The boys finally enjoying the bounce castle at the gym.

Irelyn got to spend lots of time with her Auntie.

Irelyn is finally big enough to play in the ball pit at the gym.

Payson talking to Irelyn. LOL.

Beckett played with Irelyn too.

Beckett loves balloons.

Having fun in her walker.

Paul's Christmas present.

Sheridan's Christmas presents...

I bought her and I matching pants.

Me and my BABY sister!

Enjoying her birthday cupcakes.

Getting annoyed with me taking pictures.
She is gonna kill me for posting these. Lol.
That's what big sisters are for.

I think she got some much
needed rest during her visit.

My pretty girl at the hockey game.

Beckett thought he new puck was so cool.
Payson was very jealous.

So he tried to take it!

Trying to say "puck".

Payson finally got a turn to admire the puck.
I don't think Beckett got to play with it
for the rest of the night.

Showing Irelyn the puck.
I don't know why, but I love this picture.

Early Saturday morning, Paul took Sheridan to the airport before he went to work. Unfortunately, her flight ended up getting delayed and then ultimately canceled. She was able to get a flight out of the airport in Burlington, Vermont. So I had to quickly pack up the kids, pick her up from the Plattsburgh airport and take the ferry across Lake Champlain to get her to the airport in time for her flight. It ended up being a long day for all of us.
I hope she enjoyed her visit. We miss her already!

Our Little Shutterbug...

2012-01-13T15:30:00.003-05:00

This year for Christmas, Payson and Beckett received a Vtech camera from Grandma Sheri. Beckett doesn't seem to have any interest in taking pictures, but Payson has already taken over 650 pictures. He is taking pictures of everything around the house and we even let him take it to a hockey game. It is so cute to hear him say "look at me guys" or "say cheese". I am so happy that he has my love for photography. Please enjoy some of this pictures he has taken.

Mommy on Christmas.

Grandpa Tom.

Grandma Dawn.

Uncle Daniel and Cousin Derek on Skype.

Daddy.

One of many pictures of Beckett (which he hates).

Making Mommy and Daddy pose.

Of himself.

At the hockey game.

Baby Sister.

His waffle.

Pee in the potty. Sorry if this grosses you out.
I think it's funny.

Mickey Mouse.

Mommy and Beckett.

AND..... (Don't look if you don't

want to be grossed out again!)

His very first poop in the potty! He ran straight for
his camera, as soon as he was done. It was super funny.
P.S. I blurred it out....

Cardinal Classic...

2011-12-31T23:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, we took the boys to Plattsburgh State's annual hockey tournament, the Cardinal Classic. We were lucky enough to have seats right on the ice, which gave the boys plenty of room to move around. The boys seemed to really like watching the hockey players and Irelyn did great at her first hockey game. What I loved most was the homey feel of going to a small town hockey game. I could help picturing our future as we sat there... running into friends at the game and hopefully watching our kids play hockey on the ice. We had so much fun, that we went back today to see the Plattsburgh State win the tournament.

Mommy and Irelyn at the game.

The boys loved sitting on the ice.

Game #2.... I let Payson bring his new camera.

Christmas 2011...

2011-12-31T23:18:00.004-05:00

This year Christmas was fun, exciting and exhausting. Leading up to the big day, all three of the babies had a cold and Irelyn had her first ear infection. Paul's parents flew in from Columbus on Christmas Eve and the boys were super excited to see them. They stayed with us from Saturday to Wednesday and while they were here, we showed them the property of our future home (it's still not started....long story) and we showed them around the Plattsburgh area. Once again, our babies were spoiled with presents from everyone in our families. We hope all of our family and friends had a great Christmas and we wish we could have spent the holiday with my family in California too.

Paul reading "The Night Before Christmas"
to the kids on Christmas Eve. Our family tradition.

We had to us Grandma's iPad because
our book is packed away.

Everything set up and ready to go for Christmas morning.

The boys coming down the
stairs on Christmas morning.

The boys slept in their matching pajamas
from Auntie Ann & Uncle Daniel.

They went straight for their new work bench.

Beckett LOVES his Grandpa Tom.

Beckett opening his stocking.

Payson noticing that Santa ate the
brownies and milk that we left for him.

Grandma Dawn helping Irelyn
open her stocking.

Payson opening a present
from Auntie Alison in Chicago.

Payson opening the big gift from Grandma
Dawn and Grandpa Tom....a VTech Innotab.
Grandma Sheri got the boys the Vtech
camera and a game to go along with it.

Grandpa Tom opening his picture mug.

Grandma Dawn got one too. It is for
their new Keurig brewer.

Paul helped Irelyn open her gifts after her morning nap.

Our three babies on Christmas!!!

Surprise From Santa...

2011-12-31T22:48:00.002-05:00

The day before Christmas Eve, Santa Claus (aka- our friend/builder, Mark) dropped by our house for a surprise visit. We were in the middle of dinner and caught a little off guard because we thought Santa was going to surprise us on Christmas Eve. Luckily, the boys are too little to understand what day it really is. Beckett seemed confused and scared during the whole experience, while Payson was excited and hyper that Santa was in our house.

Santa in our kitchen.

Payson showing Santa where are tree is.

Telling Santa bye.

Santa Claus & Mrs. Claus...

2011-12-14T22:47:00.001-05:00

Today, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus made an appearance at our playgroup Christmas party. Payson was so excited all morning and was running all over the house saying "We're gonna see Santa today!" over and over again. When Santa first walked in, Beckett walked right up to him, but when it was our turn to visit with him, he was not happy. The clothing store, Aeropostale, donated teddy bears and the boys loved them. Paul was also able to join us and that made today extra special!

Mrs. Claus ready a story to all of the children.

Our three babies with Mr. & Mrs. Claus.

Paul jumped in to help calm down Beckett.

Irelyn LOVED her teddy bear too!

Irelyn- Five Months Old...

2011-12-14T22:29:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share some cute pictures of our FIVE month old baby girl. Time is flying by and, before we know it, she will be walking a talking like her big brothers. She is really into playing with her toys now and is so close to sitting up on her own. She is affectionately know as "baby sister" to her big brothers, who kiss and talk to her all day. She takes three naps during the day and is sleeping really well during the night. With the exception of waking up for her pacifier, she sleeps all night in her crib from 8pm to 7:30am. Everyone tells me what a good baby she is and how they LOVE her pretty bows (thank you Meghan!). I am really looking forward to starting her on solid foods soon and spending our first Christmas with her.

This was her special outfit for my birthday lunch
and everyone in the restaurant thought
she was SO CUTE!!!

Family Pictures...

2011-12-14T22:09:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had family pictures taken. Going to a portrait studio is something we have never done as a family, but my mom offered to pay for them so I decided to give it a try. We all wore coordinating outfits that I think we all looked pretty good. Believe it or not, the best photo of us was the very first one they took. We also had a picture taken of just the kids, before their patience wore out. Overall, it was a good experience, but I don't think we will be taking studio pictures again any time soon.

Wendorff Family - December 2011

Payson-2.5 years
Beckett-1.5 years
Irelyn-5 months

Here are a couple of pictures of Irelyn that I took on my own. I think they turned out super cute!

Christmas Card 2011...

2011-12-14T21:55:00.002-05:00

With a little help from photoshop, I was able to combine two good pictures of the kids into one great picture for our Christmas card. We hope you like it!

Our White Thanksgiving...

2011-11-25T18:16:00.001-05:00

Let it snow! Tuesday night, around midnight, it started snowing here and I was SO EXCITED! The next morning Payson woke up around 7am. Usually if he wakes up that early, I tell him to go back to sleep or give him my iPod to play games so I can get a little more sleep, but not on Wednesday. I was so excited to see how much snow fell overnight. As soon as I looked out the window, I was wide awake and up for the day. To my delight, the was about 4-5 inches of snow everywhere and it was still coming down.

It normally takes Paul about an hour to get home from work, but Wednesday morning it took him over two hours. He had to drive slowly and carefully because most of the roads had not yet been plowed. He got stuck twice, once going up a hill and then around the corner from our house. Once he got home, he had to shovel the driveway in case we needed to get out later.

On Thanksgiving, we stayed home all day and spent quality time as a family. Paul took the boys outside to play in the snow and build their very first snowman. We rearranged our living room, put up our Christmas tree and then ate our Thanksgiving dinner.

Overall, it was a great holiday and we received around 8-10 inches of snow, but I am sad to report that our snowman has already melted. :(

The view out our front door Wednesday morning.

The boys checking out the snow.

Our van covered in snow.

Snow balls!!!

Payson and Beckett had so much fun eating the snow,
but didn't understand why it melted.

Daddy is finally home!!!

Paul shoveling the driveway,
just in case we needed to leave.

Our house. You can't even tell where the
circular driveway used to be.

I love how the snow clings to
the smallest twig or branch.

Beckett crawling around in the snow.

Paul helped the boys make their very first snow man!

Paul with his babies!

Irelyn had fun watching the
boys play in the snow.

Hey! Daddy threw a snowball on my head!

Paul teaching the boys how to make snow angels.

Irelyn at 4 Months...

2011-11-15T21:22:00.001-05:00

Our baby girl is 4 months old already! This afternoon I took her for a check-up and shots. She is now 14lbs.2oz and 24.5 inches long. She is the apple of our eye and happily tags along everywhere we go. She loves watching her big brothers and seems very interested in tv. While Paul was on vacation, I started sleep training her and she has done really well. I have stopped using the miracle blanket to swaddle her, when she sleeps, and have started using the woombie instead. Other than swaddling, I am using the same routine and techniques I did with both boys to sleep train her. The only down side is that I am getting less sleep now because I have to get up to feed her or give her a paci, but I know in a few short months I will be getting uninterrupted sleep again.

I finally bought some headbands so
she can wear all of her flowers and bows
that my friend, Meghan, made her.

I don't know why, but I love this picture!

LOVE HER!

My favorite picture from her
mini photo shot at the doctors.

Getting her check-up.

Getting her shots. I know, I am so mean for taking pictures.

Beckett at 18 Months...

2011-11-15T21:19:00.001-05:00

This post is long overdue...

My baby boy is 18 months old! I can't believe Beckett is getting so big. He still seems like my baby, even though he is doing so much more at this age than Payson was. He is also doing things so much sooner than Payson did, but I'm sure that is because he has a big brother to look up to. He is talking up a storm, and I seem to be the only one that understands him. I feel like his personal interpreter. He feeds himself really well and easily eats more than Payson at every meal. He still loves meat and ate about a quarter of my steak the other day. He loves to sleep and rarely wakes up in the middle of the night. He loves his alone time and will sometimes spend over an hour in his bed, either before he falls asleep or when he wakes up, happily snuggling his blankie. He is the biggest mommy's boy and must be around me at all times. He has finally started giving Mommy and Daddy kisses on his own, something he was only giving to Irelyn. He is often annoyed at his big brother and screams when Payson is bugging him, knowing full well that Mommy will rescue him. He loves going on walks around the block and knows where is "spot" is on the stroller when Mommy is pushing Irelyn. I guess I am done for now, but I could go on and on. It's sad to think that he is going to be two years old before I know it.

Being goofy in the backyard.

He loves to lay on the blanket
in the front room and
pretend to go "nigh-nigh".

He does this when he wants to annoy me!

Beckett's new big boy bed.

Payson and Beckett checking out the new bed.

Ready to sleep. He did great his first night!

Paul's Vacation & Birthday...

2011-11-15T21:17:00.001-05:00

Last week Paul took a vacation from work to celebrate his 35th birthday and to get some things done around the house. It was so nice to spend a vacation at home instead of traveling, like we always do. The boys really enjoyed having Daddy around to spend time with them. While he was off, we cleaned and organized the house, set up Irelyn's nursery in the sitting room next to our master bedroom, and we picked out the fabric and placed the order for our new sectional couch. In 4-6 weeks we will be comfortably sitting on our huge couch...just in time for our Christmas visitors.

Here are some picture from last week.

The boys playing outside in our huge backyard.

Payson picking leafs off of a tree.

Beckett enjoying the fall weather.

Irelyn all bundled up
and fast asleep in her stroller.

Paul - 35 years old
& Irelyn - 4 months old.

Paul reading to the boys before bed.

Payson's creation with his cars.

Everyone agrees that
he has inherited my OCD.

Irelyn playing in her jumper.

Beckett kept waving and saying hi to
something and I finally realized that
it was a spider. It was super cute.

Daddy and Payson sitting together at a restaurant.

Beckett sitting next to Mommy.
His first time in a booster seat!!!

Halloween...

2011-11-01T22:20:00.001-04:00

I was super excited for Halloween this year because Payson is finally old enough to "get it". I was lucky enough to find $5 costumes online for Payson and Beckett. I was NOT about to spend $20-30 per costume that they would only wear a couple of times. I don't even like spending more than $5 on shirts for the kids. I decided not to buy Irelyn a costume, instead I got her a onesie that said "Baby's First Halloween".

This year the boys got to participate in three Halloween events...

Party #1:

Our first event was a small party at playgroup. The boys wore their matching pumpkin shirts instead of their costumes. There we tons of people there so I was happy that Paul came with us to help with Irelyn.

Payson standing in the middle of
everyone during circle time.

Eating his pumpkin shaped cheese.

Beckett eating one of the pumpkin
chocolate chip cookies that I
brought to share with everyone.

Beckett signing for more cookies while
Payson steals his cheese.

Party #2:

The second party we attended was with a playgroup that my neighbor recommended to me. It was kind of awkward for me because I had never met any of the people there, but all that mattered was that the boys had fun. It was extremely hard for me to meet and talk with the other moms there because Paul didn't come with us, but I did make a few new connections.

Within 10 minutes of getting there, this little girl
decided to hold hand with Payson and drag
him around the room....he didn't put up a fight!

I love the look he is giving me, like he
is embarrassed to hold hands.

Halloween Day:

We started off Halloween Day by carving pumpkins. Paul was sleeping, so I was the one busy carving and taking care of all three kids. While they seemed interested at first, they eventually got bored of waiting for the final product.

I let Payson draw on his pumpkin "face".

It looks just like him!

I asked Payson what shapes he wanted for the eyes and nose,
and whether he waned a happy or scary mouth.

My favorite picture of the day!!!

Our little Army Men.

Thank God for the wagon. Walking
would have been a nightmare.

Irelyn trying our her new snowsuit.

Their first house...

Paul went with us to the first few houses
and then went home with Irelyn to pass out candy.

I don't know if the boys had more fun
trick-or-treating or passing out candy!

Bonus Pictures and House Update:
Breaking land for our house got delayed a few weeks and is now scheduled to start the week of Thanksgiving. This means the house won't be completed until the beginning of April. All of our belongings, that were in storage, were delivered to us last Monday, so we are now all settled in to our house and the boys are thrilled to have their toys back.

Thanks for the matching shirts, Grandma Sheri!

Family Outing...

2011-11-01T21:14:00.000-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, we took the kids out for a fun day at a pumpkin patch but they didn't have any pumpkins. There was a huge pumpkin shortage this year because upstate New York had a lot of rain and flooding back in April and then again from hurricane Irene. Luckily, there were lots of other things to do that the kids enjoyed just as much. There were lots of animals to play with and pet, a small playground and a horse-drawn carriage ride.

Beckett tried to kiss the kitty many times.

Payson giving the kitty a hug.

The boys enjoyed riding a seesaw.

Beckett hated riding with Payson
while Daddy was on the other side.

California Visitors...

2011-11-01T20:50:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my mom came to visit us and meet Irelyn for the first time. Grandpa Bryan, who is a truck driver, arranged his truck loads to take him to New York so he could visit with all of us too. While they were here we showed them the site of our future home, went to a petting zoo, we took the ferry to Vermont and spent the day at the aquarium, and we took the boys to their play group at the gym. The week went by way too fast and we are looking forward to Grandma Sheri visiting again in a few months.

Petting the animals with Grandpa Bryan.

Grandma Sheri taking lots of pictures.

Beckett loves to kiss animals more than people!

Taking the ferry to Burlington, VT.

Irelyn happily tagged along
everywhere we went!

Everyone enjoyed the aquarium.

Payson did the funniest thing...
he saw a group of kids on a field trip
listening to a speaker at the aquarium,
walked right up and sat down with
them. All of the kids and teachers
thought he was so cute and funny.

Beckett riding a bike at gym play.

Payson is obsessed with wearing the helmets.

Grandma Sheri cuddling with one of
her new grand babies.

We took some group photos before Grandma
flew home to California.

Our Dream Home...

2011-10-16T16:12:00.001-04:00

Last Friday, Paul and I signed the contract and finalized the plans for our custom home. We have spent the past month going back and forth with the designer to create the design for our dream home. Our land is scheduled to be cleared on the 25th of this month. After they clear enough room for the house, we will walk through the property and decide which trees and foliage to leave on the rest of the property. Our house is on a corner lot and we chose to have the front of the house facing south. The next step is to dig for the basement and, we are told, it will only take 120 days to finish our entire house. Over the next few months we will be picking out every little detail. I can't wait!!!

We are very excited to share our final design with everyone.

*Click on the image for a larger view.*

Front View

Our house is considered a cape style home because it is a story and a half high with a steep, pitched roof with end gables.

Left View

Rear View

Right View

First Floor Layout

Here is a detailed description of the layout of our house:

Basement:

we have included a full basement in our design that will be finished at a later date. There are two entrances to the basement, one in the garage and the other off of the main living area.

First Floor:

5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms and 3 Car Garage

-The four bedrooms off to the right are for the kids and our guests. There are also two full bathrooms, so everyone has plenty of room to get ready in the mornings.

-The main living, kitchen and eating area is one open space. This was something that was at the top of our list to include in our design. We really want to be together as a family as much as possible and this space helps us achieve this. The living area has a cathedral ceiling and a large dormer on top that will make this room feel huge. There are stairs that lead up to a loft area that looks down into the living area. This is the only finished area on the second level for now.

-Our kitchen will include a large walk in pantry, something that I really wanted. We are planning on purchasing an all in one double oven/gas stove with range to the ceiling. Our island area in undecided until we meet with the kitchen designers, but we are hoping to fit another seating area there too.

-The left side of the house includes a half bath, laundry/mudroom, garage, master bedroom and bathroom. The half bathroom was important to me because it is close to the living area and also because I do not like the idea of guests using our personal bathrooms with our things laying around.

-The laundry/mudroom was another important part in our design. Considering the snowy weather here, we needed a room to get bundled up in before we went out and a room to take off all of our wet clothes and shoes.

-Our master bedroom and bathroom is something we are really excited about. In our room there is plenty of room for our king size bed, a 6'x6' walk in closet and a nook area that includes a bay window and seating area. Our master bathroom has his and her sinks with a lowered makeup area in the middle. Instead of a huge bathtub that frequently goes unused, we decided to design a huge 6'x5' open shower area that will include a built in bench, half glass block wall, two shower heads and rain shower head in the ceiling. Paul also fit in the most important thing to him...a walled in toilet.

Second Floor:

-Like I mentioned before, the only finished area on the second floor is the loft that overlooks the living area. There are two dormers over the kids bedrooms that complete the look of the house. The rest of the second floor will be pre-wired and plumbed for future bedrooms, bathrooms or other living areas as our family expands.

We hope you love our design as much as we do and we would love to hear what you think of our dream home!

#214...

2011-09-19T21:57:00.002-04:00

I'm sure you are all wondering why the title of this blog is #214. The main reason is because this is my 214th blog post since I started blogging about three years ago. The second reason was to give a mini shout out to Dave Matthews(If you are a fan, you will understand.). Anyway, back to the point. Blogspot has recently changed their editing format and now they show the total number of blogs that you've posted. When I saw that I have already posted 213 blogs, I was overwhelmed with a thankful feeling. Thankful because I've had, at least, 213 great things happen in my life, over the past three years, that I've wanted to share with everyone. God is good!

Since Paul and I have met, we have been through so much. We've moved across the country three times, got married, and had three babies in less that 26 months. Tonight, I realized that my blog is the diary that I've always wanted to start. Now that we are settling down in New York, I am looking forward to many more great things to blog about as our babies grow up.

Last Week...

2011-09-18T21:43:00.002-04:00

Last Tuesday, I took the boys to a playgroup to get them out of the house. They were so excited to play with other kids their age and I was happy to be around other moms again. The playgroup meets three times a week, so I plan on taking the boys as often as I can.

On Wednesday, we met with our builder to start the process of designing our house. We talked about all of the features we do and don't want to be included in the plans they draw up for us. Then, we drove over to the actual site where our home will be built. Our lot is currently full of trees, so it was hard to picture the size and shape of our property. We were very excited to find out that our kids will be going to a great K-12 school that has a high school hockey team. Their mascot is the Eagles and their colors are red and gray. We were told that our house will be done within 120 days of the basement being dug, probably giving us a February move in date. Everything here seems to be falling into place.

We did find out some bad news though. We will not be able to rent the house down the street from our future home, because someone made an offer to purchase it. I am disappointed because I was really looking forward to looking out the window at our home being built and getting to know our neighbors over the next few months. Luckily, our builder found us another home to rent that is not too far away. This house is even bigger, with four bedrooms, giving us plenty of room for people to visit over the holidays. We still need to figure out when and if we are getting our things out of storage, but either way, we be just fine until our house is done.

*The site of our future home!*

*Payson at the playgroup.*

*Snack time at the playgroup.*

Just a few pictures from
around the lake house...

*It's hard to see, but there is a rainbow

towards the right side of the photo.*

*They wanted to follow me outside

while I was taking pictures.*

*My sweet baby girl smiling!*

Irelyn: 2 Months...

2011-09-18T21:14:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that our baby girl is already two months old. Last Monday, I took Irelyn for a check-up with our new pediatrician. She weighed 10lbs.8.2oz. and is 22.25 inches longs. This puts her in the 25th percentile for both height and weight, making her perfectly proportional. After her doctors visit, we took her to the mall to get her ears pierced. We picked out little princess cut, cubic zirconia and white gold earrings to match the diamond earrings that Paul gave me. I was so proud of her because she only cried for a few seconds and then she was fine. She looks so cute!

Irelyn has definitely added something new to our lives, mainly the color pink. She is becoming more aware of her surroundings and loves to watch her brothers run around. She is starting to smile and cue at us, but I'm having a hard time capturing those smiles on camera. She has also begun to have longer stretches of awake time, so we bought her a little bouncy seat because our other one is in storage. I am still swaddling her, something I never really did with the boys, so I believe that is why she is such a good napper and sleeper. I try get her down for the night around 9pm and she will usually sleep until 3am. We love her more every day and can't imagine our life without her.

*September 10th- wearing her first

3 month size outfit.*

*At the doctor for her check-up.*

*I felt bad because she was completely asleep

when the nurse administered her shots.*

*Marking the spots for her piercings.*

*Ear #1....*

*....and ear #2.*

*So pretty!!!*

Lake House & House Hunting...

2011-09-10T17:00:00.000-04:00

Last time I blogged, we were staying at a hotel, spending our days getting to know the area, starting to house hunt and desperately looking forward to settling into the lake house, that would be our temporary home for two months. Well, a lot has changed since then. We are still getting to know the area and house hunting, but the lake house, that we were really looking forward to living in, isn't working out so well. With the lake on one side of the house and forest on the other, there are just too many bugs to deal with. They were everywhere in the house, so we sprayed, but that only helped for a few days. When I take the boys out on the deck, I have to knock tons of spider webs down with a broom, only to have the spiders build more webs overnight. The stairs inside the house are very slippery and steep, making it a chore to come and go from the house. The stove is electric, so I was burning everything I cooked. There are knick knacks everywhere, that the boys are more interested in than their toys. Nothing is baby proofed. Payson is waking up at the crack of dawn every morning because the shades in his room don't block enough light. The water we use to clean, eat and shower with comes from the lake and tastes funny to me. Anyway, I could go on and on..... So with all that said, we are moving out of the lake house in two weeks. We have no idea where we are moving to, but we do know that we are moving closer to Plattsburgh, which is where we eventually want to end up.

House hunting has been another issue. We've decided that the town of Morrisonville is the area we like best. It is only 10 minutes away from Plattsburgh, where all of our shopping and doctors are located. We have looked at the only 7 or 8 houses that are in our price range, fit our needs, in the neighborhood we liked and that overall appealed to us. So, we have decided that if we can't find a home we love.....we are going to design and build our dream home!!! Other than the fact that this prolongs our temporary living conditions and that our things will be in storage until our house is done, we are excited!!! We don't have a final design yet, but we know for sure that we want 4-5 bedrooms, at least 3 bathrooms, a basement, a big kitchen that is open to an eating area and huge family room, a 2-3 car garage, a mud/utility room, and at least 1 acre of land.

As of tonight, Paul is on midnight shift. Something I'm not too excited about, only because I get scared being all alone at night with the kids, but he says that he gets paid more for working that shift, so I will give it a try. Plus, he will be home in the mornings to help the boys get up and home at night to help with dinner and bedtime routine.

I guess that's all I have for now. In the next couple of weeks, we are going to concentrate on finding a builder and design we like, so our home will hopefully be finished by winter.

*The lake house.*

*Playing a game on my iPod.*

*Check out the water level after all of the rain from Tropical Storm Irene. We used to be able to walk right our onto the dock.*

*I made Payson's day....*

*Every morning the boys smother

Irelyn with hugs and kisses.*

*Smiling at Mommy.*

*Playing on the deck..*

*This is how we roll in Target. Lol.*

*I'm so glad he loves his blankie.*

*I am so glad that I've continued to swaddle

Irelyn. She takes really good naps

and sleeps great at night for me.*

*Daddy showing the water to the boys.*

New York or Bust...

2011-08-25T14:56:00.008-04:00

Hi Everyone! After a very busy and crazy week of packers, movers and driving, we've finally made it to New York. While the house was getting packed up, Paul and I took turns taking the boys out so they would be out of the way. I took them for one more group play date at a bounce house place. The boys wouldn't bounce in anything, probably because there were so many bigger kids there, so luckily they had other things to play on. We split the 10 hour drive into two days, spending the night in New Jersey. The first day of driving was long and frustrating because of traffic, but the second day was an easy and beautiful drive through the Adirondack mountains.

Since we've arrived, we have been staying in a hotel until our temporary house on the lake is ready. The owners of the house, who are originally from Switzerland, were nice enough to let us park our other car there, so we didn't have to worry about it in the hotel parking lot. We have also spent two days driving around with a realtor looking at houses and getting a tour of the area. And yesterday, we took the boys blueberry picking. More blueberries ended up in their tummies instead of the basket. The Plattsburgh area definitely seems like a great place to raise our kids.

Through it all, the kids have done pretty well. Beckett does seem to be needing some extra attention, hugs and kisses. He really likes taking his blankie everywhere we go. I personally think it is because he is the middle child now, not because of the move. Payson has been asserting his independence a lot lately. He doesn't like to sit in high chairs or hold our hand while walking. "I do it!" comes out of his mouth frequently. And Irelyn has been the best baby, just tagging along wherever we go. She smiled for us for the first time this morning. It made my day. Now I just have to get a smile on camera. Luckily, we have kids that adapt well to everywhere we go and they have no problem staying on the same sleep schedule. I can't wait until my next blog all about our lake house.

*Payson at the bounce place.*

*Beckett riding the roller coaster

at the bounce place.*

*He loved it.*

*I drove 90% of the way to New York.*

*Irelyn's first bath with her crazy brothers.*

*Locked in their chairs to watch a movie.*

*Walking to the blueberry bushes.*

*Picking blueberries.*

*He wouldn't look at the camera.

At least I am in a picture for once.*

*Daddy and his baby girl.*

*Payson feeding Beckett blueberries.*

*Daddy showing the boys how to blow

bubbles in the hotel pool.*

Goodbye Virginia...

2011-08-16T16:07:00.004-04:00

One last blog post before we pack up and move...

This last week in Virginia is going to be crazy. I am trying to see all of my friends one last time and make sure we don't forget to pack the things we need for our first two months in New York while our things are in storage. Our things are getting packed up Wednesday and Thursday, they load everything onto the truck Friday, and then Saturday we drive away. Moving is definitely bittersweet. I am excited to see what the next chapter in our life holds, but I am so sad to leave my great friends behind.

I will try to keep everyone updated on facebook until I can blog again....

*I got into a little fender bender with all three kids in the car, but everyone was ok. Only minor scratches on both cars.*

*Irelyn at 1 month old.*

*Playing at the park.*

*My sweet baby girl.*

*Irelyn at Hallie's birthday party.*

*The boys at Hallie's party.*

*The Birthday Girl.*

Grandpa Tom & Grandma Dawn Visit...

2011-08-09T17:25:00.008-04:00

On Friday, Paul's parents arrived from Ohio to meet their newest granddaughter. Before Paul picked them up from the airport, we took the boys to the water park for a little fun. On Saturday, we went to the soft play area at the mall. And on Sunday, we took the boys to the park after breakfast.

Gotta go. 11 days until we move and so much to do...

*Water park fun...*

*Payson...walking on water. LOL.*

*Grandpa Tom and Irelyn.*

*Grandma Dawn & Irelyn.*

*My favorite picture from their visit....

Grandpa Tom playing "This little piggie..."

with Payson. He loved it.*

*At the soft play area...*

*Playing at the park...*

Pictures with Grandpa and Grandma

before they left...

*Top: Paul with Payson @ 7 weeks.

Bottom: Paul with Irelyn @ 4 weeks.*

Washington D.C. Beauty...

2011-08-01T14:56:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, one of my closest friends, Brittany, invited me to visit the L.D.S. Temple in D.C.. We toured the visitor center, watched a movie about Joseph Smith and took a walk around the Temple. I am so glad I went. It is a very important place to Brittany because of her faith and because she served her mission there for 18 months. I will never forget the time we spent together and the great conversations we had that day. I am going to miss her so much!

Irelyn's Birth Announcement...

2011-08-01T14:55:00.001-04:00

What We've Been Up To...

2011-07-21T21:43:00.006-04:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks around here. We all took Irelyn to her first pediatrician visit, which wasn't fun because the boys were bored. My friend, Claire, and doula for Irelyn's birth came by to visit us. Many people have come by to drop dinner off for us. Something we greatly appreciate, especially Paul because he has been the one taking care of all of us. I'm sure having one less meal to prepare has made him happy. My midwife and her birth assistant also came by for their follow up visits. We, also, took the boys to the Spray Park. They really loved it, but the best part was that it was FREE.

Today, I had a trial run at taking care of all three babies by myself. I told Paul to take a well deserved day off because he has taken such good care of us. He ended up going to see the new Harry Potter movie, he walked around the mall and went to Panera for lunch. He came back a new man. Wish me luck when Paul goes back to work on Monday. I will be a full-time Mommy of THREE!!!

*Irelyn's first time in her car seat.*

*Our first time as a family

of five in our mini-van.*

*At the doctor's office*

*Finally got a picture of Beckett

holding her, and he loved it.*

*I tried to get all three of them....*

*....but that didn't go so well.*

*Claire holding Irelyn.

I love this picture of her!*

Pictures from the Spray Park...

*Payson is getting more brave.*

*In the tree house, next

to the Spray Park.*

*Our first picture as a

family of FIVE!*

*This is how we roll now...

two strollers!*

So In Love...

2011-07-21T21:29:00.005-04:00

Every chance I get, I am dressing up Irelyn for a photo shoot. It is so much fun. I love how easy it is to take pictures of newborns. All they need to do is sleep and it makes the most beautiful picture. Plus, Irelyn makes the funniest faces when she is awake and they make for great pictures too. Please enjoy my favorite pictures from my three photo shoots, so far...

Photo Shoot #1

Photo Shoot #2

Photo Shoot #3

Meeting "Baby Sister"...

2011-07-12T21:26:00.004-04:00

"Baby Sister" is what Payson has decided to call Irelyn. He seemed a little confused when he first met her, because he kept saying "Baby Beckett" (Beckett was still asleep). We are sure now that he has totally grasped the concept that the baby is Irelyn and she is no longer in Mommy's tummy. When Beckett saw Irelyn for the first time, he didn't really care. He was too excited to see Mommy. But later that day when the boys got to visit me again (I was resting in our guest room downstairs), they both loved Irelyn and wanted to give her kisses. Payson is especially fond of her and constantly asks, "Hold it, Baby sister?".

So, I guess you can say that everything seems to be going pretty good. Paul is making it a point to take the boys out somewhere each day and is a one man show, taking care of all of us. We have been extremely lucky to have friends drop of meals for us too.

Enjoy pictures from our first couple of days as a party of five...

*So excited to see Mommy and Irelyn.*

*Kisses, kisses and more kisses.*

*Proud Daddy.*

*Finally a picture of me with

my three babies.*

*Taking a nap in the moses basket.*

*From this morning...too cute!*

Irelyn's Birth...

2011-07-12T17:10:00.011-04:00

Where do I start?.... Well, on Thursday, July 7th, I had an appointment with my midwife, and she checked me to see if I was dilating. We were excited to find out that I was already dilated to 4cm! She told me that I could try taking castor oil to try and get things started, so on Saturday afternoon that's what I did. I took the first dose around 2:30pm, and it didn't have any affect on me. So around 6:00pm, I took another dose in hopes of getting my contractions going. By 6:30-6:45, I started getting contractions that were 3-4 minutes apart. We happened to be out at our friends house to celebrate their little boy turning one, so we decided to head home to put the boys to bed. By the time we got home, the castor oil finally kicked in, so I called my midwife to let her know what was going on. After we put the boys to bed, my contractions continued coming 3-4 minutes apart and started to slowly increase in intensity.

At 10:00pm, I called my midwife again to let her know that this was "it" and she should start heading my way. The birth assistant and my doula friend, Claire, we also called, and they were on their way too. They both arrived by 11:00pm, and by then, I was needing to concentrate and breathe through my contractions that were coming every 2-3 minutes. We all just hung out in my living room, watching the Hangover and Saturday Night Live. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. At midnight, when my midwife finally arrived she checked me, and I was dilated to 7cm. I was so relieved that I was making good progress. Very soon after that, I started getting the chills during my contractions and having a small urge to push. Everyone could tell by the signs I was giving that I was getting close. Around 12:45am they suggested I head downstairs because they knew my goal was too give birth in the water.

Once we got down there, Paul finished filling the tub, and I got in. The urge to push became stronger and stronger. After checking me a few times, my midwife discovered that my bag of water was bulging, so she suggested we break it to help the baby come down more. Before I decided what I wanted to do, my bag of water broke during the next contraction. After that, everything seemed to happen very fast. While sitting on my knees and holding on to the edge of the tub, I continued to push and felt every inch of her head and body come out of me. It was painful and amazing all at the same time. Once she was out, I scooped her up from the water, doubled checked that she was a girl, and held her in my arms to keep her warm. I couldn't have imagined everything going more perfectly if I tried.

Please enjoy some pictures from her birth, and I hope none of them gross you out.

*Pushing in the tub.*

*Getting examined my my midwife.*

*Just after pulling her out of the water.*

*Daddy, taking a closer look.*

*We did it!!!*

*We couldn't believe how much she looks like Payson.*

*Paul cutting her cord.*

*Daddy holding her for the first time.*

*The picture we sent out to announce that she was here.*

*My midwife doing the newborn examine.*

*Irelyn getting weighed.*

*Our baby girl.*

Irelyn Ann Wendorff

July 10th, 2011

at 1:48am

8lbs.5oz.

20.5 inches

Happy 4th of July...

2011-07-04T21:12:00.003-04:00

We had a nice three day weekend, patiently waiting for our our baby girl to arrive. Today, we went to lunch at Cracker Barrel and then barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. Instead of taking the boys out past their bedtime to watch fireworks, we bought a few from a firework stand to light in our street. Beckett loved them, but Payson freaked out as soon as we lit the first one, so we only did a few more because he kept begging us to stop. Enjoy a few pictures from today.

*My boys wearing red, white and blue.*

*The boys waiting for fireworks in the street.*

*Our family on 4th of July.*

Playground Fun...

2011-06-30T15:39:00.007-04:00

Just wanted to post some cute pictures

from the playground today...

*Payson waiting for Beckett

to come down the slide.*

*Beckett looking up at me like

"why did you do that Mommy?"*

*He hated the swings, but I made

him take this picture before

I took him out of it.*

*Beckett loves the swings.*

*Looking for turtles in the water below.*

One Day At A Time...

2011-06-26T15:40:00.004-04:00

This past week has been pretty low key. Other than going to the chiropractor or having a play date, we haven't been going out too much. The hot weather, combined with my huge belly make it a lot of work to take the boys out by myself. On Wednesday, my midwife's assistant came by to make sure all of my birth supplies are ready to go. On Thursday, I finally made my laborade, so I can officially say that we are ready for labor and Irelyn's arrival. On Friday, a lady from the moving company came by to look at our belongings so the packing guys bring the right supplies. Finally, on Saturday, we went down to the town of Occoquan, VA. for Riverfest and took the boys on a boat ride on the river. It's weird to think that very soon we will be a party of FIVE!

*Going for a walk in our neighborhood.*

*Beckett trying to keep

up with Payson.*

*My little walking man!*

*Petting someone's dog. They

LOVE dogs. I can't wait until

we can have one again.*

*All Payson wanted to do was

sit and talk to the dog. And yes,

the dog only has 3 legs.*

*This is how I found Payson

while I was busy in the

kitchen...stealing food and

making himself comfortable.*

*Daddy and the boys on the boat.*

*This is as good as our family

pictures get lately. Oh well...*

*Running around looking

at the geese.*

*Payson really enjoys watching animals.*

*From today....the boys in van

on the way to get lunch.*

*This is the house we might live in for our temporary house in New York, unless they show us something else we like. It's on one acre and has a huge backyard that is on Lake Champlain.*

What's Your Guess?...

2011-06-24T11:04:00.018-04:00

It's that time again. We want to know your guess for Irelyn's birth date and weight. Just in case you don't remember, here is some useful information to help you make your guess. Irelyn's due date is July 19th and I am currently measuring 4 weeks ahead. Payson weighed 8lbs.5oz. and was 10 days early. Beckett weighed 9lbs.4oz. and was 5 days early.

(Duplicate guesses are allowed.)

Guesses:

Mommy: July 13th/10lbs3oz

Daddy: July 4th/10lbs4oz

Payson: July 2nd/9lbs4oz (yes, we asked him to guess!)

Grandma Sheri: July 2nd/8lbs13oz

Auntie Sheridan: July 14th/8lbs13oz

Grandma Dawn: July 8th/10lbs4oz

Grandpa Tom: July14th/8lbs

Auntie Ann: July 8th/8lbz9oz

Uncle Daniel: July 15th/9lbs5oz

Meghan: July 11th/7lbs4oz

Laurie: July 9th/9lbs14oz

Teri: July 8th/8lbs4oz

Lauren: July 12th/9lbs3oz

Cynthia: July 10th/9lbs8oz

Susan: July 6th/8lbs5oz

Carla: July 11th/8lbs8oz

Brittany: July 9th/7lbs3oz

Julie: July 7th/8lbs5oz

Jasmine: July 13th/9lbs1oz

Anna: July 10th/8lbs7oz

Summer Fun & Father's Day...

2011-06-20T15:09:00.007-04:00

We've been trying to keep busy and stay cool for the past couple of weeks. Now that our clubhouse pool is open, I've been taking the boys at least once a week. Thank goodness for the kiddie pool, because there is no way I could take both boys in a big pool by myself.

Two weekends ago, we took a spur of the moment trip to Baltimore to use our passes at the National Aquarium. The boys really enjoy seeing all of the fish and watching the dolphin show. Later that night, we went to a Baltimore Orioles baseball game and the boys didn't go to bed at the hotel until after 11pm. We are done taking weekend trips for sure because my body can barely handle grocery store trips.

Tomorrow I am 36 weeks along in my pregnancy, so last weekend Paul spent a lot of time turning our guest suite into my birthing room. He blew up my birth tub and set up a table with all of the birth supplies. He also rearranged the seats in the van and set up Irelyn's car seat base. I only have a couple of little things left to do, like freezing a batch of laborade, and then we will be ready for Irelyn's arrival. The memories of my pain during Beckett's labor have been coming back to me lately and making me nervous. I really hope that each labor is shorter than the one before, like I've heard. I know I can do it, because the moment she comes out will make all the pain and work worth it.

Moving update.... Unless Paul get another job offer, we will be leaving for New York on August 20th. We have a temporary, furnished house set up to live in and most of our belongings will be in storage until we decide on where to permanently live.

Here are pictures from the past few weeks...

*Payson at the kiddie pool.*

*Beckett cruising around the edge.*

*Payson and Hallie enjoying a snack.*

My friend, Brittany, hosted another one of her cute parties and this time the theme was bugs. Everyone made a bug inspired food for the kids to enjoy and then kids played in the water outside. So fun!

*I made spider cupcakes.*

*Payson eating his food.*

*Beckett after all of the water fun.*

*Beckett wearing his shirt

from Auntie Sheridan.*

My friend, Claire, is a doula and while she was at a birth I watched her son Karl (20 months). It was just a small taste of having 3 kids. I think Karl had fun, even though my boys are crazy compared to his quiet and calm personality. I really love Claire and I am looking forward to her attending Irelyn's birth.

*Having fun in the driveway with

Beckett and Karl.*

Last week, both boys had a unexplained fever for 1 day each. Not fun having two cranky babies.

*My pathetic boy...*

*The best part of sick kids....snuggling!*

Yesterday was Father's Day and I tried to plan a special day for Paul. We got him a card, shirt and carrot cake for being the best Daddy ever! I also had a trip planned on a charter boat along the Potomac River, but the captain's boat was having problems and we didn't want to wait around. We decided to take the tour next weekend, if the weather is nice.

*Paul and the boys(before the trip was cancelled).*

*Paul wearing his new shirt.*

So excited that I got a cute picture

of Payson and Beckett. I'm going to blow them up.

*Payson is such a rough kisser!*

*Ducks!*

*My birth tub ready to go.*

*Another car set cover that

I made for my sister in law, Ann.

She is due 6 weeks after me

with baby #2. Gender unknown.*

*Our new set up in the van

to make room for Irelyn's seat.*

Busch Gardens & Virginia Beach...

2011-06-04T18:50:00.018-04:00

Last week, Paul took some time off work so we could take our last family vacation before Irelyn arrives. It was so nice to have him around all of the time because I am feeling BIG these days. Before we left town, Payson had his 2 year check-up at the doctor and got two shots. He now weighs 31. 4 lbs. and is 33.25 inches tall.

During our vacation, we stayed at a hotel, and the boys loved swimming in the pool every night. Payson enjoyed running down the hallways, and Beckett came home a much better walker. On Wednesday, we went to Busch Gardens, and it ended up being 93 degrees that day. We were drenched in sweat by 10am. We were so excited that Beckett could finally go on all of the kiddie rides. He is definitely more adventurous than Payson. Despite the heat, we had lots of fun, and the boys passed out before we even left the parking lot.

On Thursday, we took a day trip to Virginia Beach. Our first stop was a little petting zoo. The boys really enjoyed all of the animals, but Paul didn't like smelling like goat afterwards. Next we had lunch at a Greek restaurant on the beach, and the food was very good. Finally, we took the boys down to the water to see the ocean for the first time. Beckett seemed to enjoy getting his feet wet, and of course, Payson hated every second of it. He hates the sand just like his Mommy, plus he was afraid of the water.

Our last day away was Friday, and we went back to Busch Gardens for another day of fun. The weather was awesome that day. We took the boys on all of the rides again and then ended the day at the water park in Sesame Street. I was afraid that Payson would freak out there too, but I was smart enough to give him a cup to play with and that's all it took. He spent the whole time filling up the cup and dumping it out. He doesn't like to run through the water but loves to dump it on his own head. He also enjoyed dumping it on Beckett and trying to get Mommy and Daddy wet. He even started dumping water on other kids. It was really funny. Beckett just enjoyed walking around and watching all the big kids.

I am so thankful for all of Paul's hard work that makes it possible to take vacations and create family memories that will last a life time. Once you are a parent, everything you do is for your kids. We really hope that, even though Payson and Beckett won't remember our trip, they had a good time.

Here are just some of the pictures from our trip.

If you would like to see all of the pictures, please click on the link below.

*Busch Gardens & Virginia Beach Vacation Pictures*

*Payson ready for the pool at

the hotel with his new Mickey Mouse

swim trunks from Auntie Alison.*

*Going back up to our room

after playing in the pool.*

*Payson and Daddy.*

*Meeting Bert.*

*Beckett's first ride. Yes, my husband

made me squeeze into that boat

at almost 8.5 months pregnant!*

*Watching the Elmo Show

with Bert and Ernie.*

*Daddy taking Beckett on his

first BIG ride. I still can't believe

they let babies on this thing.*

*Paul said he giggled and sqealed

the whole time.*

*ELMO!!!*

*Hugging Abby.*

*Swings.*

*They loved the Airplane Ride.*

*Loving the Lady Bug ride.*

*Drinking their bedtime milk with Daddy.*

*Watching cartoons in the morning.*

*Chickens!!!*

*He wasn't afraid of them at all.*

*Beckett walking around with Daddy.*

*Having fun on the tire swing.*

*Love them!*

*The boys petting the baby goats.*

*My boys at the petting zoo.*

*Payson hated every second of the beach.....

especially the water and the sand.*

*Beckett and Daddy enjoying the beach.*

*Our only family picture of the trip....

and of course my hair looks horrible.*

*Beckett started to demand

that he feed himself.*

*Wearing his new Mickey Mouse

sunglasses that Cousin Cara picked out.*

*Payson loved the Dragon ride.*

*Daddy and Payson with the dragon.*

*Airplane ride.*

*Balloon ride.*

*Payson collecting water. He must have

done this 100 times.*

*Walking around...*

*Payson loves dumping water on people.*

*My favorite picture of our trip...*

*Watching the Elmo show

one last time.*

*Me and My Love*

Payson is 2!!!

2011-05-27T14:43:00.015-04:00

We can't believe our baby is 2 years old!!! The 27th was his actual birthday and that night we went out to Red Robin to eat dinner. Earlier that day, Paul finally got a call offering him a position in Burke, NY. We are excited and sad at the same time to be moving. On the 28th, we had a small party at our house. Paul wanted me to keep it small, so I could only invite Payson's four closest friends. It was great to hang out with everyone, especially considering that we are moving in 3 months. We hope everyone had a good time because we sure did!

*Payson's birthday party invitations.*

*Daddy and Payson at Red Robin.*

*Being silly.*

*Payson's birthday cake.*

*Payson watching everyone

sing 'Happy Birthday' to him.*

*He really liked it!*

*Blowing out his candles.*

*Eating cake with Hallie.*

*Opening his gifts.*

*Daddy and Beckett at the party.*

*Our attempt at getting 6 kids to

take a picture together.*

(Adeline, Hallie, Payson, Beckett, Joshua

and Lucas trying to get away)

*A family picture.*

*Happy Birthday Payson.*

Payson Thomas at 2 years old...

-He loves trains, planes and Elmo.

-The only meat he will eat is chicken nuggets.

-He knows all of his ABC's.

-He can almost count to 20.

-He knows all of his shapes and colors.

-He can sing his ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle and Itsy Bitsy Spider.

-He is still very attached to his paci.

-He isn't potty trained yet.

-He loves to yell "All aboard the train".

-He tries to be as independent as we let him.

-He still sits in time-out.

-He needs a haircut at least every two weeks.

-He is a great big brother.

-He would eat string cheese and watch Sesame Street all day if we let him.

-He is very sweet and kind.

-He is starting to flirt with girls.

-He loves anything sweet to eat.

*I totally forgot to post Beckett's birthday party invitation....so here it is. It was too cute not to share.*

Dear Payson...

2011-05-27T10:56:00.004-04:00

I can't believe you are already two years old. I can perfectly remember when I realized that I was pregnant with you. I was so excited to take a pregnancy test and made your Daddy look at it with a flashlight to confirm what I was seeing. I can remember when we found out that you were a boy. We had two ultrasounds that day and I cried because I was so happy for your Daddy. I can remember when I felt you kick for the first time. I was driving in my car down to the Keys to visit my friends for the day. I can also perfectly remember when you were born into this world. As much as I didn't want a c-section, that is the way you were meant to arrive. You were so worth the wait.

You have changed my life in so many ways. There isn't anything I looked forward to more as a little girl than growing up to be a mommy and you made me a Mommy. I had a list of baby names at 10 years old. Little did I know then that 'Payson Thomas Wendorff' would be the name of my first child.

You are turning into the funniest and sweetest little boy. You love to love us. You are also so much like your Daddy. Not only do you look just like him, but you have his sense of humor too. You make me laugh, smile and get annoyed everyday....just like your Daddy. You have grown up and learned so much, just in the past few months, that I can't even imagine what the next year of your life will be like. I can't wait to hear what things will come out of your mouth yet.

Everything I do everyday is for you, Beckett and Irelyn. I might not be perfect and I might make mistakes as a mother, but I always have the best intentions. I want you to know that I love you and will always be there for you. Happy Birthday!

Love, Mommy

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Payson...

In the Loop...

2011-05-13T20:30:00.004-04:00

Well, it is Friday night and I just put the boys to bed. It looks like I've made it through another week alone without Paul. While he is away, I try to send him as many pictures as I can so he can see what the boys are up to because they change and learn things so quickly. I try to keep my iPod with me so I can take pictures and email them on the go. I know he loves getting the pictures because he misses us so much. I know it is just as hard for him to be away, as it is for us. Thank goodness, this is his last work trip and I won't have to worry about him making it to Irelyn's birth. Here are some of the many pictures I've sent Paul this week.

*I took the boys to Costco and got asked SO MANY times that day if they are twins.*

*Payson crying because the 'Signing Time' video in the van was over.*

*"HI DADDY!!"*

*One of our favorite things to do before bed is check in on Payson. Paul always leaves his room saying "he's so cute" or "he's my buddy". Lol. This is Payson passed out in bed.*

*Here is Beckett passed out in his crib. We rarely check on him because he is such a good sleeper and wakes up easy from the door opening. As long as his door stays closed, he sleeps through everything. They both love their Elmo doll.*

*This is Payson lining up his trains in the window first thing in the morning. He is my little collector and organizer....but then he will violently knock all of his hard work down. I don't get it. I think it is a boy thing.*

*On Wednesday, I took the boys to JoJo's soft serve ice cream and got Payson his very own ice cream cone.*

*At first I got a bowl of ice cream for Beckett and I to share, but as you can see he is definitely saying...."where is mine?"*

*So, I got him his own too....*

*Definitely NOT my best idea because they both were a sticky mess after we were done.*

*What have I started? Now he is going to demand his own every time.*

*Payson passed out on the couch at 10:30am. He had woke up multiple times the night before, forcing me to let him sleep with me so I could get some rest.*

*On Thursday, we played with the water table and ate popsicles in the driveway.*

*Later that day, I caught Payson sneaking some marshmallows in the kitchen. This is exactly why there is a lock on the pantry.*

*"We miss you Daddy!"*

Baby Shower, Mother's Day & Water Fun...

2011-05-10T21:12:00.005-04:00

Last weekend was super busy for us. On Saturday, my close friend Brittany threw me a baby shower at her home. Our girl time was so much fun that I forgot to take any pictures! Other than that, it was a great day. Brittany made an amazing spread of food including sandwiches, fruit and veggies, zucchini bread and fresh strawberry cupcakes (made by my friend, Kami). We played a few games and swapped many "Mommy" stories. I was also lucky enough to receive many gifts for Irelyn including lots of clothes, books, bibs, burp cloths and two hand made blankets. It was a wonderful and happy day.

Mother's Day was on Sunday and, once again, I didn't get one single picture of me with my boys. It was the only thing I truly wanted on that day. We did try to take a few but the boys were NOT in the mood to cooperate. Oh well... It was still a nice day. Paul took us out to lunch before he left on a 6 day work trip to Maine and California.

Although we miss Paul bunches, we are trying to keep busy to help the week go by faster. Today, we went to Brittany's house and brought our water table and pool for the kids to play in. I was so happy that our friends Jasmine and Adeline could tag a long too. I really think that play dates were invented so moms could hang out and catch up. I don't know what I would do without my Virginia friends. Enjoy the pictures from today....

*Mr. Beckett getting all wet.*

*Making a funny face.*

*Brotherly love. Payson LOVES Beckett.*

*Adeline snuggling with her Mommy.*

*Ky-man hanging out at the table.*

*Hallie playing in the pool.*

*Payson dumping water on his head.*

*Eating a snack. Both of

their mouths are full. Lol.*

*Payson, Hallie and Adeline.*

Back to Normal, One Year Check-Up and Our Day in DC...

2011-05-02T15:27:00.007-04:00

After a long week of visitors and events, our life is finally back to normal, and we are exhausted. It was nice to see everyone, but even the boys seem glad that they are back on schedule. It is hard to imagine that in less than 11 weeks we will be a party of 5! I am feeling great and weighing less than I did even before I got pregnant with Payson. Five more babies and I'll be down to my goal weight....just kidding! I hope the upcoming weeks go by fast because we cannot wait to meet our baby girl.

*Payson snuggling with Grandma "Fairy."*

*Payson wearing Grandpa Bryan's

cowboy hat. He thought it was cool.*

*One last picture with

Grandma Sheri and Grandpa Bryan.*

Last Friday, I took Beckett for his one year check-up and shots at the pediatrician. He now weighs 22lbs.4oz.(66%) and is 31 inches(93%) long. In the past three months his height has jumped quite a bit. At every previous visit so far, he has measured only 1/4 of an inch taller than Payson did at the equivalent age, but this time he is 1 and 1/2 inches taller than Payson was. Payson hardly grew at all from 9 to 12 months, and at one year, he was 25lbs.11oz. and 29.5 inches long. It's funny that they are total opposites.

*My handsome brown-eyed boy!*

On Saturday, we decided to take the boys to the National Zoo, but when we got there the parking lots were full, and we weren't about to look for street parking. So, we ended up going to the aquarium across the street from Paul's work and then took the metro to the Capitol for a tour. Those are just a few of the places that we want to make sure we visit before we possibly leave Virginia. I am so glad our boys can just go with the flow because it ended up being a really long day.

*Beckett and Payson*

Some pictures of the beautiful architecture in the Rotunda at the Capital...

Beckett's Party, Easter and Saying Goodbye...

2011-04-25T15:26:00.006-04:00

The day after Beckett's actual birthday, we held a party at a local park. The weather wasn't too bad, but because the park is along the Potomac River, it was very windy and colder than I had hoped for. Luckily, our friends and family still braved the conditions to show up for the celebration. My beautiful vision of the day didn't come true, but we still had a good time. Everyone dined on sandwich trays, pasta salad, watermelon and chicken nuggets with french fries for the kids. We had a dinosaur cake, dinosaur shaped rice crispy treats and dinosaur favor boxes for the kids. I can't believe my baby boy is ONE!

*Our Family*

*My handsome boys!*

*The photo banner that

I made for the party.*

*Beckett's dinosaur cake.*

*Favor boxes for the kids.*

*Payson coloring Easter eggs

with Grandma Sheri and

Grandma Dawn.*

*Mommy reading an Elmo

Easter book to her boys.*

*Payson Thomas...23 months.*

*Beckett...he's not a baby anymore. ;(*

*The awesome train table

from Grandpa Tom and

Grandma Dawn for the boys.*

*Grandpa Tom playing with the boys.*

*A picture with the boys

before Tom and Dawn flew home.*

*The awesome kitchen set-up

for the boys from Grandma Sheri

and Auntie Sheridan.*

*One last picture with

Auntie Sheridan before

she left on Monday afternoon.*