Things I have learned

Today is an emotional day for me. Why you ask? What is it about February 26th that gets Jenn all teary-eyed? Who knows! Hormones? Lack of sleep? The fact that I can barely fit into these large overalls that I am currently wearing because everything else is in the wash? How about D) all of the above! I just fired off an email to my husband about some things he needed to know that were going on and remind him that I love him despite the emotion of the day. That email seemed to be quite therapeutic to this mom who is currently lacking some sleep (and to think that baby isn't even here yet!) so I thought I would share some of my current (albeit rather random) thoughts running through my head. So here you go:

• Being awake from 3:30 to 4:45 am does have it's way of catching up to you in a day or two
• Pirate swords find their way into the hands of little boys no matter where you hide them, er, put them away.
• A piece of paper and pen can make a very exciting treasure map that occupies kids for at least 10 minutes.
• Your husband loves you despite your moods and robustness in the final trimester (and if you are lucky like me, he loves you even more because of it!)
• You have dear friends like Sara who praise you for zipping up a coat in your final trimester not realizing that you are wearing a bigger size coat them normal! (Thanks, Sara!) :)
• Your kids don't seem bothered by your lack of sleep at all, in fact, they seem to be energized by it!
• Coldplay, Outkast, and Shakira can always help a mood.
• Elmo and Disney music can also help a mood (shocking, I know!).
• A five year old who is trying out lying for the first time can break a mom's heart.
• A growing baby's movements will always bring a smile to an expectant mom's face.
• Watching your kids dance is magical.

Have a good day everyone and thanks for the therapy session!

Clayton Beach 2.24.08

On Sunday we enjoyed a little hike down to Clayton Beach. The boys loved the walk as it was full of mud and water. Most of the trail had a small creek running through it and Brennen happily stomped through the water wearing a big smile on his face. Rylan enjoyed a leisurely stroll (which means a snail's pace) through the woods. It was a fun day of exploring and enjoying the sunshine.

The hike through the woods.

Enjoying the mud!

One of the rare times Brennen wasn't splashing through the water.

Mommy explaining what barnacles are and how they eat.

Brennen playing in the water.

I love this picture of the boys!

Lynden City Park

If you haven't been to the "Playground of a Million Smiles" then you are missing out! These pictures don't do the playground justice, but what a wonderful place to explore and play. The boys climbed, checked out all the slides, climbed some more, tried the swings, and then climbed again. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we had a wonderful family time. I love to watch the smiles grow as the boys run all their energy out at a playground. This one was well worth the trip north. The boys are already asking when we can go back.

Silly Boys

I just love my boys. They make me laugh every day. Rylan is quickly becoming the clown in our family which I didn't expect. Brennen has always been hilarious and Rylan has always been the quieter of the two. I think Rylan has been saving up his personality for the right moment and has picked now to display it.

Trying on Daddy's new pants.

Construction worker Rylan.

January pics

Soooooo I haven't posted in a while. I always make these really big promises about posting in a more timely manner and I always fail. Oh well, I guess it is the thought that counts, right? Here are some random pictures from January.

Rylan sleeping in his big boy bed.

Brennen and Rylan trying out the big chairs and the Pacific Science Center.Rylan riding a bug at Pacific Science Center.

Brennen's art work. Ok, I couldn't resist posting this. I asked him what it was supposed to be and he said, "I started drawing a penguin, but it wasn't turning out." I love you son!

I'm not kidding! We need name help!

We have about 11 weeks to go and to quote my sons favorite song..."I'm sending out an SOS!" (If you don't know what song that is then you live under a rock!) We seriously want to entertain any name suggestions thrown at us. Of course, the men have not been shy about naming the baby after them. Our wonderful neighbor and self-proclaimed "Mayor of Wildflower" has offered his name if the baby is a boy (thanks Bruce!). We have an anonymous suggestion of the name Louis (Hmmm.... I wonder where that possibly came from? Coincidence that our best man's name is Louis? I think not!). Even my doctor has suggested his name (Douglas, if you were wondering). After I laughed with him (maybe at him too) he admitted men were not shy about boosting their egos. :)

All kidding aside, we will take any (and do want) suggestions. I love my boys names so I would love another name that goes well with Brennen and Rylan. We do gravitate towards the Irish, but it isn't necessary especially considering my husband is Norwegian! Somehow those Norwegian names just seem to miss being in the list. "Brennen, Rylan go check on Otar!" "Olaf, you are such a sweet boy!" I don't think so! Anyway, I am not really interested in names that start with B or R. There are 24 other letters in the alphabet. However, if there is a really great names that starts with either of those we will think about it. We like names a little different, but not too out there. Certainly nothing in the top ten. So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help us find the perfect name. Keep in mind we do NOT know if the baby is a boy or a girl so we need names for both. Feel free to add your suggestions here on our website, or if you would like to keep them private, email me at JSamuelsen@comcast.net All names become the property of the Samuelsen Family and no royalties will be given for the use of the name. This message will self-destruct in about 11 weeks. :)

My little man is getting so big.

Rylan has been moved into his "big boy" bed. No more crib for him! He was sooooo excited and so ready. Rylan and Brennen will be sharing a room, at least for the next couple of years. It has been a really good transition for both. Brennen tends to be a little worried about the dark, and Rylan just wants to do all the big guy things. The first night in his new bed went great. Rylan got out of bed, but never the room, a couple of times. He then laid in bed and "read" or sang until 10:15 (he was in bed at 8:30). I fear for Brennen that Rylan might have my "reading in bed" gene. Both boys slept in until 7:30. The next night the boys were in bed by 8:30 and Rylan only sang and read for about 45 minutes. Again, the boys slept in until 7. Every night since has been a huge success. We have had no problem with Rylan staying in his bed. The best part for us has been to listen on the monitor (yes, we are using to spy on the kids!) to hear the conversations between the boys. It is pretty funny!

"Nap time" has also been a huge success. I call it "nap time" as a joke since there is no actual napping that takes place anymore. Rylan has stayed in his room reading or playing quietly every day. He waits patiently until mom comes in to get him up. He seems to enjoy this time immensely. It gives me some time to work with Brennen and take a little nap if I need one. I feel so lucky that this is going so well. When Brennen moved to a bed, he stood at the gate in his door and screamed his head off. Rylan doesn't even have to have a gate up because he doesn't even open the door! This is going to help tremendously in the sleep-deprived months after the baby arrives.

Despite all the success with Rylan moving to a bed, it still brings out mommy feelings in me. It makes me sad that he is ready for a bed. I don't like seeing his crib empty, even though I know it will be filled in April. It seems that our second (and I am sure our third as well) has grown so quickly. I think as a parent you are always sad to see things change, but also excited about what comes next. With that being said, I can honestly say I will not be sad when Rylan decides to give up diapers!

My husband is 38 today!

I just wanted to post a very happy birthday to my husband today.

My son said, "Wow Dad! Pretty soon you will be 39 and then 40!" Daddy's reply? "I am so glad you are so good at counting, son!" Too funny!

Happy Birthday Honey, We love you!

Random Christmas Pictures

I love Christmas. I love everything about it, but I especially love the pure joy and unbridled excitement of my kids at Christmas. The boys actually did a great job going to sleep on Christmas eve. Brennen was so cute squeezing his eyes as tight as he could so he would sleep sooner. He knew that the sooner he slept, the sooner morning would come.
Morning did come and it wasn't terribly early like I feared. The boys slept until 7, which if you know my household at all, is actually sleeping in. They were very patient waiting their turns for opening things and equally grateful for each and every gift they received. Now, I just have to weed through the old toys and make room for the new.

Modeling the new robes that Grandma "Bugga" made. They wore them all day!

Brennen showing us the bell that Santa left under the tree. He also left Brennen a letter and ticket from the Polar Express. Brennen really thought about this quite a bit. He said he didn't remember riding the Polar Express, but his stories about it got quite interesting and entertaining throughout the day as he "remembered" things about his journey.

Downtown Seattle Day

So I am a little late posting pictures from Christmas time, but colds have been running rampant in my house. I seem to be the lucky recipient of all the cold viruses which has really taken a toll on my energy level.

Anyway, enough about my ailments. We spent a fun day in downtown Seattle with the family. The boys rode the carousel and monorail, had lunch, and visited Santa. They enjoyed it all.