LUCAS | DIG & DUMP 2nd BIRTHDAY PARTY

We decided to have Luc's birthday party a few weeks early while we were at the beach, and we all had so much fun! Luc is well into the "construction phase" --  diggers, dump trucks, cement mixers, tractors, and the whole shebang, so it was a pretty easy to throw a very simple party that we knew he would love...

Of course, I had the best party planner around to help me decorate and prepare everything for her baby brother. She was so excited to help, and insisted on doing most of the work.

 Thanks again, Publix! 

   A very proud big sister.

 She just couldn't wait for him to see it all, 

so we let her "announce" that the party was ready for the birthday boy's arrival!

His reaction was just about as perfect as you could imagine.

 A few weeks ago, he got a crash course in the art of blowing out the candles... He saw Sissy do it, and he was sold! He was just so excited to tackle this milestone. It happened almost too quickly. It can be so hard watching our baby boy be so eager to grow up. *cue waves of tears from Mommy's eyes

 I used to love throwing big parties for everyone, but that just doesn't happen anymore. I do love that our small, intimate birthday parties allow them to really taste their cake in their own way... They stick their fingers wherever they please, and their reactions always give us a great giggle.

FROSTING FIGHT!

 Yep, she's definitely mine... The girl loves her buttercream.

We all loved watching him open all of his birthday gifts... He was so excited for his new dump truck and helicopter from Grammy and PawPaw.

And when we brought out his new balance bike, he was so thrilled! He has been begging for rides on his sister's bike for weeks, so we decided to go ahead and get a bike for him too... He loves his "ike-ikle" so much. We also invested in a top-rated helmet to protect that fragile noggin. No more head injuries, if Mommy can help it!

 Thanks for partying with us, Bamba & PawPaw!

Happy, happy 2nd Birthday, Luc!!

We love you very much, and we are so proud of you.

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LUCAS | DIG & DUMP 2nd BIRTHDAY PARTY

Farewell, BabyBerry | Hello, Brand New BLOG! {plus a new video}

The time has come to say farewell to ourbabyberry.com... But the good news is that we are moving to a BRAND NEW BLOG! You can start following us over at wineplusapples.blogspot.com where we will be sharing our favorite family recipes, the latest photos and news on our family, and much more!

Most of you already know that BabyBerry was started when we found out we were expecting Brynn. It seems absolutely crazy to us that we just posted Brynn's 5TH birthday on the very same blog- through it all, we have documented 2 pregnancies, 2 relocations, and each and every milestone of our growing babes to share with you all, and it has truly meant the world to have you in our lives! I will be turning this blog into a book soon, hopefully after just one more post of Lucas' 2nd birthday party...

So, farewell to you, BabyBerry. We will miss you, but we are excited to move on to a brand new place to post about our favorite experiences! Of course, I have to share one last video... xoxo

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Farewell, BabyBerry | Hello, Brand New BLOG! {plus a new video}

Brynn Roslyn | A Sleeping Beauty 5th Birthday

Our girl is officially a five year-old-- I just cannot believe that we can say that now. Honestly, the age of five has hit me a little harder than expected. It just seems like such a huge milestone in life, something that not very long ago seemed so far away from our reality. Alas, here we are...

Soon, it will bring your first day of Kindergarten... your first sleepover.... your first experiences without us within an arm's reach. A little piece of my heart is sad, but a huge part of it has butterflies of excitement for you.

Brynnie Ballerina, your daddy and I both know - without a shed of a doubt - that you are capable of so much than you can even imagine right at this moment. Your extreme independence, your strong spirit, and your determination to master any and all challenges placed in front of you are all something that is very special. Oh, the places that you will go, should you only dream of going... We are just so proud of you.

This year, we waited an extra week to celebrate your birthday with Grammy and PawPaw. Brynn was also very involved in the planning of her party. She wanted a castle, so we built this one together, and she even helped pick out "Maleficent's thorns" to go with her Sleeping Beauty theme.
She recruited Grammy to help her decorate the table with her dolls. It was quite a meticulous task... So, thank you, Grammy!

I really, really wanted to spring for a professional cake this year, but while I think that fondant cakes are absolutely stunning, I often find that they aren't always as tasty... Since Brynn and I are both big "cake" people, I decided to order a fairly plain whipped cake from Publix, and I made Aurora's crown from fondant myself. I am obviously no professional, but it turned out much better than I expected... and at a fraction of the price, which made Daddy happy! The cake was also delicious, which made us girls happy too. Win, win.

Like I said, she was happy with the cake-- and even enjoyed an icing fight with PawPaw!

Happy, happy 5th birthday, sweet Brynn.

We all love you so much!

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Brynn Roslyn | A Sleeping Beauty 5th Birthday

LUCAS | 22 MONTHS

It has been quite some time since I posted an update on this boy... That's right, I said BOY. All traces of baby are virtually gone. He is two months shy of TWO, and I can tell you that part of the reason that I haven't posted is because he keeps his mama very busy!

Favorites.

Book: Little Blue Truck, Hungry Caterpillar, and Dig!
TV Show: Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Handy Manny
Food: Green smoothies, carrot souffle, pasta with alfredo, and anything with ranch dressing, BBQ or A1 sauces, and he loves to snack on Nilla wafers and Belvita crackers.
Activities: Doing puzzles, playing with his vehicles, reading, coloring, jumping from high places...
Sights & Sounds: Anything construction-related, especially "diggers" and tractors... Also, he is obsessed with helicopters and airplanes.

daddy's clone. I know his daddy doesn't get very much credit in the looks department, but he and his sister both look so much like him! Luckily, that's where they get their adorable rosy glows and complexion... and those eyebrows too! ;) And as far as his personality goes, it's pretty much all "daddy"

 the two year molars are well on their way... it has been a rough week for him with this teething, so I know we are all ready to move past it!

Trains, planes, and automobiles... Nonstop.

Height & Weight: The month of July was a rough one for us... We were all constantly sick and on antibiotics, and we had two big family emergencies as well. The only bonus to being at the doctor so much was that we got regular updates on their heights and weights... Lucas is now only 8 lbs lighter than Brynn, and 6 inches shorter. He is still a big boy! We also realized that he outgrew all of his shoes, so we took him in for a new pair... And he was a whole size bigger than what he had been wearing! One of his feet is actually a half-size bigger than the other, so we were pretty close to being forced to buy two pairs of shoes to accommodate his clodhoppers, but luckily they were close enough that we could still manage...

Clothes: He is wearing 2T and some 3T things... He is by far the most expensive of the two kiddos so far. I feel like we are buying new clothes and pajamas for him constantly!

Words & Expressions:
Sissa = Sissy
Papou & Baba = Pacifier and blanket
PiePad = iPad
Car-Car = Car or vehicle
Ger-Ger = Digger
Sama Ticter = Cement Mixer
Gy kruck = Fire Truck
Helltata = Helicopter
Titty = Kitty
Gagain! = Again!
Bimba! = Timber!

.... to be continued.

Some of the best times of my life have been staying at home with this guy... He is just your average sweet-natured, mama's boy. Always clinging to me, plenty of  hugs and kisses, and he can barely stand to be separated, whether it's by doors, baby gates, or distance...  Unlike his very independent and strong-willed big sister.
He is usually very well behaved, but he likes to sneak into his sister's room and steal her coveted writing utensils and paper. He loves to write and color. I think most of his interest stems from the fact that it's something that he can do with his beloved Sissa...

Happy 22 Months, Lucas

We are so loving watching you grow into boyhood.

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LUCAS | 22 MONTHS

Brynn Roslyn || Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)

         Our Brynnie Ballerina is not only turning FIVE in just under two months, but she is also starting VPK in a few weeks! She is just growing up too quickly... and growing ever the more fiercely independent by the day. As a matter of fact, I had to do some major negotiations - that would make even the District Attorney proud - to even get this photo session in during Luc's nap! She drives a hard bargain, but in the end, she got to skip her nap AND watch ballet videos on youtube... Honestly, I didn't really stand a chance.

Here she is... Our VPKer.

My favorite color is : PINK

My favorite food is : CHOCOLATE

My best friend's name is : BROOKLYN

My favorite song is : "'BOUT DA BASS"

My favorite thing to play with : MY BALLET SHOES, MY DOLL HOUSE

My favorite animal is : LION

My favorite movie is : "Aurora" aka SLEEPING BEAUTY

My favorite book is : the ELLA BELLA BALLERINA BOOKS

When I grow up, I want to be : A BALLERINA (I know you all are shocked...)

Daddy and I are so proud of you, Brynn. 

Go get 'em, sweet girl!

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Brynn Roslyn || Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)

LUCAS | 17 MONTHS + EASTER

Our boy is 17 months old. I feel like I can't even look too far ahead with him, because I know his second birthday will be too close for comfort. He is growing up so fast. We won't get any stats on him until his 18 month appointment, but I'm quite sure he has surpassed the 30lb mark. We have affectionately started calling him "Bashy"-- short for "Basher"... It fits his personality quite nicely.

We had a pretty lazy Easter around here. They got to enjoy their baskets, and we all enjoyed our time together. Weekends have been so busy lately, so it was nice to have a day just to reflect on the meaning of Easter and all of our blessings. We also attempted a photo session, since it has been awhile... the cooperation we had is pretty evident in these shots. The only ones I didn't post are the ones of Lucas screaming and hitting at Brynn for hugging him too tight. Can't you feel the love?

the crooner || this boy could not be more like his daddy. he is constantly singing... if he hears a song, he tries to sing it. lately, he has the all of the faces to go along with it. below, you see "the crooner" look, which I've been trying to get on camera for weeks! I can't even handle those brows...

 blowing kisses to grammy and grandma janet!

our dancing beauty || Ballet is going well so far. She has two productions this year; a small one in April, and they are also doing Alice in Wonderland in June. I'm still trying to figure out what to expect for their big production, and I'm just praying that she has a great experience. :)

She will begin swimming lessons for the first time next week, and she is registered for VPK at her current preschool for this coming Fall. So, this girl has a lot going on lately! She is still the best big sister-- so selfless and helpful to her little brother. Her daddy and I are so proud of the sweet, extremely bright, and caring lady that she is becoming.

LUCAS UPDATES || Not much has really changed in the way of his eating and sleeping habits, so I will just update the milestones that I can manage to remember.

He now has 9 teeth, all but one of his molars. The last molar and his canines are well on their way, so things have been fairly traumatic around here lately. Lots of pain and suffering.

He still isn't saying many words. He likes to mimic the sounds, but he isn't saying the actual words yet. We have been working on animal names and sounds, because he really enjoys it.

His favorite book is Little Blue Truck, which he is constantly reading. Favorite shows are Little Einsteins and Handy Manny (he watches TV in the car due to his motion sickness issues, since he is still rear-facing in his car seat). He loves to try and put on his own shoes. He will only eat when he has utensils- if he doesn't have them, he will "ask" for them, and by "ask", I mean grunt... He adores watching the planes fly over our house. He could sit out there all day and watch them fly by. He is getting really big into dump trucks, which I'm sure is just a gateway drug to the lot of the construction equipment phase. He loves to "count" to five with his sister... He pretty much does anything and everything that she does or wants him to do. He has figured out how to tackle her, and they both think it's hilarious for her to run from him and for him to tackle her like a linebacker! Yet another thing he gets from his daddy. :)
When I asked Allen what he wanted to remember about Lucas at this age, he said his "kick hugs"-- which I will admit are one of my favorite things too.

Happy 17 Months, Bashy!

We love you so much, sweet boy.

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LUCAS | 17 MONTHS + EASTER