Bi-Annual Post

With coffee in hand I have decided that I need to dedicate an ounce of my time today to catching everyone up on our blog.  I called this the "Bi-Annual Post" because I feel that is about how often I have allowed my self to pull out of blog slack mode and post.  So this may be lengthy, apologies in advance, but the main reason for this blog is to let people know what has been happening in the "Crazy Days with Blayze".  

After returning to work from my maternity leave, life went into fifth gear and took off faster than I was really prepared for.  Having two children is most definitely different than having one.  Would I do things different? NO! However, my chaotic work schedule, baby blues, and trying to keep up around the house made that era of this year a blur.  So, I will start with the very beginning of summer break.

Once a year, I make a trip to southern Oregon to reunite with my best friends, Keshia and KaLeigh.  This year I was blessed to be able to take the entire family with!  We left on a Thursday afternoon and made it to Portland, where we stayed with our friend Cameron and his wonderful girlfriend Kaytlynn.  They had the cutest little dog named Gizmo, who Blayze had an absolute blast playing with.  Josh was able to hit up Mt. Hood for a little snowboarding with Cameron.  On Friday, we visited the Portland Zoo.  Blayze had never been to the zoo before, so I was very excited to experience this with him.  Josh was a negative nancy about the whole thing at first.  Didn't know why we would want to just go look at a bunch of animals, but guess who was taking the longest and most pictures? The Polar Bear was probably all of our families favorite thing at the zoo.  He was flipping in the water and playing with a 55 gallon barrel.

Cameron, Blayze, and Gizmo

Polar Bear

   
After the zoo, we headed further south to Glendale.  Keshia and Ryan just built a new home this previous year, so we stayed there for the next three days.  It is such a wonderful thing to watch my son play with my best friends' sons.  Keshia has Knox, 2 and KaLeigh has Lochlan who just turned 1 right after we visited.  Bruin just observed all of the playing.  Saturday, Keshia's parents held a delicious barbeque at their house and we were able to catch up with old friends.  The kids played, the adults conversed, and we all were full of great food and drinks. Sunday, we headed up to the lake where we used to spend the summer when I was younger.  The boys boated and boarded, and us ladies and Bruin soaked up some sun on the beach.  That evening we were able to head to Wolf Creek for a wonderful Father's Day dinner with Ryan's family.  This sadly led to our last night at the Owens' residence.  The next morning we packed up and were headed north. Every year it is hard to leave my bestie, but I hold onto that year's great memories until the next ones can be made.  I was just so happy all of our families were finally together at once.  

The boys going on a Ranger ride

Monday morning we were in the car once again on a mission to get to the ocean.  After a little car issues we eventually rolled into Seaside, Oregon.  Our condo was literally just a couple yards from the beach.  Josh and the boys had never been to the ocean before, so the best part of this day was watching the reaction once we were down playing on the beach.  We played for a bit, then headed to dinner, and passed out with full bellies and tired feet.  Tuesday morning we went back down to the beach and played as long as we could until we needed to check out of the condo.  Let's just say I felt bad for the housekeeper because we probably left a yard of sand in that condo.  Oops! Coming home with us was a bucket full of sand dollars.

Daddy and Blayze

Mommy, Bruin, and Blayze

Well, duty calls...Bruin is hungry and Blayze claims he is hungry too (he just ate a huge breakfast).  I will try to get on here and finish our summer summary, but no promises.

Big Brother!

Bruin arrived on 2/11/12 at 8:07 a.m.  He weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 inches long.  It was a long labor, but worth every minute of it! Now Blayze is a proud big brother.

  Josh and I were very nervous that Blayze was not going to react well to having a new brother because whenever anyone asked him about having a brother he would say he wasn't going to have one, or that he didn't want one.  When I asked Blayze why he didn't want a brother, he would tell me he didn't want to share his toys.  I tried to explain to him that Bruin wouldn't want to play with his toys because he would be too little, but Blayze didn't understand, or should I say he didn't "want" to understand.
 It was the sweetest thing in the world and very rewarding as a parent to see how excited Blayze was when he first set eyes on his new little companion.  He just stared at him and smiled. 

  After getting home with Bruin, which was the best feeling in the world, Blayze came home and our family was complete.  Blayze was so gentle and caring with Bruin.  He whispers to him when he talks.  One day, I caught Blayze bending down to Bruin and saying, "Hi Bruin. I am your brudder.  You are Bruin."  Blayze also jumps on any opportunity to help us out with Bruin.  He loves to retrieve the binky for us.  
 Josh did not want to have anymore children after Blayze.  I knew that I would never only settle for one simply because I believe children should be able to experience having a sibling.  I cannot imagine how boring my life would have been or still would be if I did not have my sisters.  I did not want my child to miss out on the unique relationship a child forms with their brother/sister.  The best present I feel we could have ever given Blayze is Bruin.  I feel so blessed that I have two little boys who can grow, learn, play, and experience life together.  

We Heart the Snow!

As many of you already know, our family LOVES the snow.  While many people moaned and groaned about the recent flux of snow, the Shea family was jumping for joy.  Yes, even the Prego was happy to see it!  The first morning after it snowed I had Blayze peek out his bedroom window to see what had arrived over night.  He was so excited and couldn't stop talking about going outside to be in the snow.  With a little explanation that we need to get out of our p.j.s first, he was as patient as any two-year-old could be about something they really want to do.  

On Friday we were given a Snow Day, so Blayze and Mommy got a lot of things accomplished in the house, then it was out to play in the afternoon.  Daddy was cold from working outside all day, so we let him go get warmed up while we built our first snowman together.

Blayze was great help with putting the carrot nose on and rolling in the snow while mom formed the snowman's body.  When it was time to go inside we spent about fifteen minutes rolling to the house (Blayze was doing all of the rolling, I wouldn't have been able to get up!) and eating snow, while Mommy was begging him not to eat the snow.

Onto another little tidbit about the snow....Blayze has been spoiled this year by his daddy and his been snowboarding four times already.  He is getting comfortable on his own board, and Josh is getting a great workout chasing after him.  Josh is teaching him how to turn now, so that he can stop himself while flying down the hill.  This will help in eliminating the leash.  It is fun and entertaining to watch Blayze zoom down the hill while giggling the entire time.  Hopefully the snow keeps flying so Blayze and Josh can ride together some more. This last Sunday, Blayze and I went out to my Mom and Steve's house so Blayze could ride the "Kitty Cat".  Our cousin Colton Isbell had a mini snowmobile when he was younger and Nama and Papa Steve bought it for the boys.  Blayze would not push the throttle when it was just my Mom and I out with him, so my mom got quite the workout pinning the throttle and then chasing after the sled.  When Josh and Steve got back from snowmobiling, Josh took Blayze back out to ride the mini sled.  This time Blayze would push the throttle a little more on his own.  He still hasn't stopped talking about snowmobiling since Sunday!  Well, we hope that you snow lovers have also been enjoying the snow, and you snow haters will just know that it will be over before you know it!

Snowboarding with Daddy

Blayze has been snowboarding with Josh 4 times already this winter. He is riding his own board, and Josh usually has a leash in him so he doesn't just fly down the mountain. Goomie, Gramps, and I went with them on New Year's Day to watch. We had a great day watching the itty-bitty-boarder! Here is a pic of Blayze ready to head up the mountain.