tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80091781481094677802024-02-19T15:53:08.098-05:00noe place like homeIt is not No.... or NO WEE. It is Noe like "boy"!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-53241724542280304782011-09-06T19:00:00.000-04:002011-09-19T00:49:31.234-04:00pre-k for DaxDax had his first day of preschool. Yay for Dax!!<br />
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He was excited but a little nervous the first day.<br />
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He was really quiet when I left and he looked rather small too. He was brave and did not cry one bit. When I picked him up he was so excited to tell me everything they did. His favorite part? Treat box at the end!<br />
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Walking to the field.<br />
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In the dugout.<br />
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Good hit Dax!<br />
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Run...run!<br />
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On the way to the game I asked him if he was excited. He said he was but he was a little nervous about the bases. Xavier then went on to explain to him the <em>finer </em>points of running the bases as only an older brother with <em>much </em>more experience can<em> </em>:) Sure enough, the first time around the bases he went right from 3rd base to the dugout! It was so cute...I was so busy watching that I didn't get a picture of it. To his defense, they had only 1 practice before the first game and needless to say...he is no longer nervous about running the bases and has not made that mistake again!<br />
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Enjoying the snack after the game.<br />
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One of the moms made baseball cake pops for each of the kids. CUTE!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-34648724243146877872011-08-27T00:42:00.000-04:002011-09-19T00:43:50.028-04:00my angel baby...<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=015qre.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/015qre.jpg" /></a><br />
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with fangs!<br />
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Lincoln has had his top 2 teeth pop through..but not the font teeth!! He has grown a set of fangs. I have said before that Lincoln reminds me more of Xavier than Dax and this is just another example. Xavier grew his teeth in the same way! Secretly, I LOVE it:) <br />
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(My mom pointed out that the shadow in the first picture does look like little set of wings. I have to agree:)Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-85504376776553561462011-08-24T15:00:00.000-04:002011-09-20T22:03:56.643-04:00Goodbye Julia..you will be missed!! <br />
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Julia was a huge help to us this summer. She watched the boys a couple days a week and helped get them to 2 sessions (that is 4 weeks people!!!) of swimming lessons, trips to the explorium, library, park, etc. It was so nice and helpful to be able to have the big boys be able to do all these activities (most of them outside in the scorching heat) without having to tote an infant around too! <br />
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The boys loved her and I did too. In addition to being such a smart, sweet girl she is a fanastic baker too. Not only does she bake...but she bakes (and eats) totally vegan. She brought me several of her tasty treats and I will say that her mad skills exceeded my expectations. Her berry pie ROCKS!! It was restaurant quality for sure:) Miss you already!<br />
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He picked out his lunchbox and backpack in his new favorite color...RED!<br />
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Dad and Xavier on the first Day.<br />
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Funny story: I packed up some of Xavier's lunchbox the night before. I included a note and a joke for his first day too. Since it is a new lunchbox I wanted to be sure that the sandwich container that we used last year would fit in with everything else and when I stuck in in there, it was going to be a perfect fit. Yay! So after a busy first morning and dropping X off with no tears from either of us, I came back home and walked into the kitchen and was struck with a strange thought. I don't remember actually <em>making</em> Xavier's sandwich this morning....no, I am quite certain that I did NOT make it at all. I saw the sandwich container in there from last nights fit test and just zipped up that luchbox without a sandwich!! So I quickly made the sandwich and made the trek downtown once again to bring the boy his lunch. Just call me preoccupied:) Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-88226628423675229622011-08-16T23:00:00.000-04:002011-09-18T23:03:09.603-04:008 monthsHere we are at 8 months, 2 teeth, almost crawling, and Lincoln is just so busy!!<br />
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I think he looks a lot like me in this picture. He is a starting the "<em>da, da, da</em>" babble and is so, so close to crawling.<br />
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Everything...I mean <em>everything</em> goes right in the mouth.<br />
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Love his little face!<br />
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Xavier starts back to school tomorrow and Mom is saying Alleluia!! I think Lincoln is too! <br />
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Maybe now he will get a nap in without all the noise that 2 older brothers make. But then again, I think he is used to all the noise and maybe it will be too quiet. We will soon find out!!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-21779345322572823102011-08-07T13:50:00.004-04:002011-08-07T14:08:11.591-04:00a {chocolate} goatee is my fave...<em>Hmm... what ya got there?</em><br />
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<em>Don't mind if I do!</em><br />
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<em>What IS that delicious goodness??? <strong>Chocolate </strong>you say??? Chocolate...where you have you been all my life??? Well...for the last 7 1/2 months? Knock me over with a feather! </em><br />
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<em>Hey, I just noticed I don't have a cone....</em><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Happiness is not so much in having, as in sharing:)</span><br />
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<em>Or so they are trying to tell me...but I wasn't born yesterday!!</em>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-73518857628611257092011-07-16T16:46:00.002-04:002011-08-07T13:59:37.044-04:007 monthsFor those of you that are still following along with my lack of posting here is a new Lincoln post for you. <br />
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At 7 months he is finally sleeping through the night, still not taking a bottle but taking a sippy cup and is eating more and more foods. His favorites are watermelon and cottage cheese....his least favorite food is bananas. He will NOT eat them at all. Not that I can blame him on that one as I am not a big fan either! I will eat them in a smoothie but not if I can really taste it.<br />
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Eat your veggies!<br />
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He has the most nicknames of any of the boys and it seems we all call him something different.<br />
Daddy: Linc<br />
Mommy: Doodle, Do Nose<br />
Xavier: Gooey<br />
Dax: Cheekies<br />
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Poor thing, he may never get to know his real name....<br />
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but he doesn't seem to mind:)Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-63753934972722318422011-06-15T15:59:00.001-04:002011-08-03T16:44:09.405-04:00half yearAnd time just keeps cruisin' by here at the house of Noe. Doodle is 6 months old and has 2 teeth. <br />
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At his 6 month appt. he weighed 15 lbs. 10 oz (40%) and was 27 1/2 inches long (75%). 16 pounds was my guess so mama know her weight:) Lincoln doesn't really like baby food or the bottle but bring on the cheese and bread and he does just fine....he takes after his Daddy there. He loves songs being sung to him and he lights up when he sees any of us come into the room. That also results in having to pick him up because he will not let you leave the room without making his presence known.....loudly!<br />
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He can sit <em>fairly</em> well. (Note the shock of blond hair sprouting up...I LOVE it!)<br />
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Notice I said <em>"fairly</em>"....hee hee....<br />
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Thanks to daddy's lighting fast reflexes he was saved from knocking the old noggin! Good thing for Doodle that mommy was behind the lens on that one! <br />
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So many family members have yet to meet Lincoln. Hope the pictures help in watching him grow:)<br />
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He really is just mostly resting his belly on his legs but he result is kind of sitting:) Well, enough to snap a few quick pictures.<br />
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He is still not sleeping through the night. Any day now right????? He also is not taking a bottle or pacifer..only me...<em>lucky, lucky</em> me. I'm not really complaining because he is a really good baby and just so cute! (Although I may be just a <em>wee bit</em> biased.)<br />
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He is growing so fast and is getting interested in toys and of course whatever his brothers are doing.<br />
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Well, Dax had lunch while Steve watched Xavier eat. Before we left, I asked Dax to ask Steve whether he wanted me to pack him a lunch. He had had some fruit and yogurt earlier so I wasn't sure whether he was going to be hungry for lunch. Dax came back and said "He just wants water." So when we get to the park Steve looks at me and says...did you pack me a lunch? I said No, you said you just wanted water. We both look at Dax. Dax looks back at us and says (somewhat sheepishly), "Sorry". I said what did you ask Daddy? Dax replies "I asked him if he wanted a Gatorade or a water with your lunch"? I guess we shouldn't rely on a 4 year old for communication. I think Dax was SO excited about having a Gatorade for lunch that he couldn't get the question right.<br />
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It was a really perfect day for a picnic, a little cooler than the 86+ degrees we had the prior days. <br />
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This is Xavier's teacher Ms. Parker. We love her!<br />
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Soon, the Kindergarten year will be behind us...I'm not sure I am ready for it to end yet!!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-70510849245806414102011-04-22T00:17:00.000-04:002011-04-22T00:17:02.423-04:004 months<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=187re.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/187re.jpg" /></a><br />
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And time just continues to speed right along. Lincoln had his 4 month check up this week. He is 14 lbs 4 oz (50%) and 25 1/4 inches long (75%). Just for fun, I checked the stats on both Xavier and Dax to see how Lincoln compares. Xavier was 17 lbs 8 oz and Dax was 16 lbs 12 oz and they were both 26 3/4 inches....so our Doodle is just a bit smaller than they were. Although the only real difference I can see is that Linc's legs are not as full as the other boys were. He had to have 2 shots at the appt. and I could not believe that he didn't cry on the first shot at all and hardly cried at all on the second one that the nurse said would sting. He is going to be my tough boy and that is probably a good thing since he has 2 older brothers!<br />
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He really putting his hands and other toys in his mouth and is starting to drool. He is not sleeping through the night yet much to my dismay. I think it is time for some "tough love"! He also has forgotten how to take a bottle so we are trying to re-train him on that so Steve and I can go on a much needed date without him in tow!<br />
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Who could not love that face??<br />
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Bald IS beautiful:)<br />
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*Thanks Jenna for the cute hat!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-60592712522654723652011-04-20T23:55:00.000-04:002011-04-21T23:56:57.965-04:00spring break '11We were beach bound again to FL, but for the first time with Doodle on the outside!! (Our last trip I was pregnant and actually announced the pregnancy to Steve's family when we got down there). We packed up and headed out bright and early and were able to log some miles before the boys were actually awake enough to make some noise. We planned on dividing the trip into 2 days because of Lincoln. We made it to FL but were still about 4 hours from our destination when the baby had had enough. Finding a hotel was another story but we did end up finding one after some intense searching while driving down the highway trying to book something via iphone. Needless to say, the actual driving part was not very fun. The big boys did just fine as always, but Doodle was not really enjoying it...and boy did he let us know!!<br />
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Once we got there, the boys were ready to have some fun.<br />
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A little relaxing by the pool,<br />
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plenty of games...<br />
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One of my favorite things to do is watch the sunset on the beach. The boys seemed to enjoy them too. One night the boys went down in their pjs to say goodnight to the sun.<br />
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We had wonderful weather all week- mid 80's and sun and it only rained 1 day. What I don't have pictures of (as I needed about 15 more hands/arms to carry everything) is time spent on the beach building in the sand and going into the ocean (to "ride the waves" as the boys say) and the awesome homemade icecream at Big Olafs ,but trust me when I say that those were total highlights for all of us!<br />
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Doodle had some highlights of his own <a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=rollingre.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/rollingre.jpg" /></a><br />
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as he rolled over for the first time on the trip.<br />
It was good to spend some time together as a family in such a beautiful and warm part of the country. We made it there and back safely and I look forward to returning many, many, many times with all of my boys!<br />
<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=026re.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/026re.jpg" /></a>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-67999115593319504072011-03-17T01:44:00.001-04:002011-03-17T01:54:09.368-04:003 months<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=240re.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/240re.jpg" /></a><br />
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I cannot believe that three whole months have come and gone since we have brought Lincoln home from the hospital. We all have been enjoying him so much! <br />
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Daddy time!<br />
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Hanging with X. <br />
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Personal space invasion with Dax:)<br />
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Some of Lincoln's favorite things to do are talking to anyone who will listen, standing up, swing, bouncy seat and little gym. He is just starting to take an interest in toys and purposefully bat at the hanging toys in the gym. <br />
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He is growing into such a big boy!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-12526708305296111392011-03-16T00:56:00.004-04:002011-03-17T01:48:54.690-04:00baba-tizedSunday, March 6th we had Lincoln baptized or <em>baba-tized</em> as Dax would say. Thanks to all family and friends who were here (and who were here in spirit) to celebrate with us. <br />
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It was truly a lovely and special day. <br />
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On a funny note, we usually go to 8:30 Mass but that Sunday we had the baptism at the 11:30 Mass. It was not our normal Sunday routine and the boys had been up a while, played and had breakfast when we told them that it was time to get dressed.<br />
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<strong>Steve:</strong> Boys, it is time to get dressed.<br />
<strong>Dax:</strong> What?<br />
<strong>Steve:</strong> It is time to get dressed.<br />
<strong>Dax:</strong> What for?<br />
<strong>Steve:</strong> Church.<br />
<strong>Dax:</strong> Church? We have to go to Church? I thought Lincoln was getting babatized today.<br />
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Gotta love my Dax!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-33478434198194103352011-02-17T22:19:00.001-05:002011-02-18T12:35:07.829-05:002 months<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=175edamre.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/175edamre.jpg" /></a><br />
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Our little <em>Linky Doodle</em> is 2 months old already! We went to the Dr. for his 2 month appointment and he weighs 11 pounds and is 23 inches long. I think they said that was 40% and 50%. He has had some issues with reflux mainly at night so we started him on some Zantac and hopefully that will help some. He is still waking about every 2 1/2 hours at night to eat but has been sleeping from 8:00 pm to around 12:00 so at least I have a bit of a break:) Xavier slept through the night at 9 weeks and this is our 9th week so they may still be some hope! (Dax on the other hand didn't sleep through the night until about 5 1/2 months but I am not going to even think about that right now!)<br />
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He is really starting to coo and smile. Xavier can get him to coo and "talk" the most. Dax has a bit of a problem getting in Lincoln's personal space bubble...he just loves him a bit <em>too</em> much:) He doesn't love his pacifer but will take it when he is extremely hungry or tired. His favorite things right now are his bouncey seat and his gym where his wild arm movements knock into some of the toys hanging from it that make noise. And yes, we call him Doodle about 95% of the time...it just fits him perfectly! Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-70847976629731345052011-02-14T21:42:00.000-05:002011-02-17T22:03:52.933-05:00happy {heart} day<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=Vday11re.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/Vday11re.jpg" /></a><br />
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We had a great time preparing for Valentine's Day this year. Xavier's homework was to make a box for all of his Valentines...<br />
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I helped but the design was all his own. Cute! He chose Star Wars Valentines and also gave out Fun Dips. He did a great job addressing everything:)<br />
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Dax also worked on his Valentines.<br />
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The boys did crafts over the weekend too.<br />
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I saw this idea on a blog and made these cookies.<br />
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I just followed the recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms but used Dove hearts instead of Kisses. Cute and easy!<br />
This was sitting at the table for each of the boys when they came to the table for chocolate chip heart pancakes in the morning.<br />
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Dax, Lincoln and I went to a party that had tons of activities and was so much fun for all of us! Here is a really cute treat that Dax got from his friend Sadie. <br />
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Sadie's mom Hillery made the cutest cookie dough pops covered in white chocolate and tiny heart sprinkles. Adorable!!<br />
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We all certainly enjoyed some Valentine treats....all of us except Lincoln. How did he feel about that you may ask???<br />
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'Nuf said!!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-72159034587815756472011-01-14T21:02:00.002-05:002011-01-25T07:58:17.077-05:001 month already<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=251dreamre.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/251dreamre.jpg" /></a><br />
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and getting to be a big boy. Xavier and Dax just love him and we do too! It is hard to believe that you have been with us a month Lincoln...time is going just a bit <em>too</em> fast (although we could hurry up the sleeping through the night part!) Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-3905553612723626162010-12-23T17:14:00.001-05:002011-01-25T08:12:52.798-05:00and now he is six!Happy 6th Birthday to the little man who made me a mommy for the first time!<br />
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The last 6 years have been more incredible than I ever imagined them to be.<br />
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Because the baby was also due in December, we wanted to be sure that Xavier had a special day to celebrate his 6th birthday. The first weekend in December he invited two buddies from his class out to Gattitown which is a place that has video games and cool stuff like indoor bumper cars. We had pizza and I brought cupcakes. The boys had a blast!<br />
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(These cupcakes were really, really good! One of the best I've had. Get the recipe <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html">here</a>!)<br />
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Luckily, the baby came before Xavier's birthday so we also got to celebrate on his actual birthday. Here he is the morning of the 19th. Doesn't he look six?<br />
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He requested homemade pizza, broccoli with cheese and and Iron Man eclair cake.<br />
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Not my finest work but I just had a baby 5 days prior...that's a valid excuse right?<br />
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He opened many wonderful cards and gifts from family, so thank you again everyone. He is very appreciative! The one thing that he kept asking for was a pet (especially since he found out that his cousin Grace had one and she is younger than he is.) We thought that we would go with a fish as a good (read low maintenance) place to start. Xavier had a treasure hunt with clues like a fish net and food before he found the tank that was filled with water but empty. Steve thought that it would be more fun to have Xavier pick out his own fish. So off they went to the pet store to get fish #1.<br />
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Yes, your read that right. Fish #1 lasted about 3 hours when Xavier came to me and said that his fish (still nameless) "was upside down and the bottom of the tank just looking at me with his eyeball." Yikes! That never sounds very good. So Xavier started to ask Steve a million questions about what what was wrong with the fish and before Steve could think he said "It's DEAD!!!" Nice job, Daddy....that was subtle. A few tears later and back to the pet store with dead fish in the bag they went and returned with this<br />
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Xavier eventually named the fish "Goldie" (he definitely gets his creativity from his father) after about 3 days. He also was afraid to have the fish back in his room the first night for fear of this one dying too. He came downstairs the next morning and Steve had him look at it and report back to him in effort to have him get over the fear. However, Steve did check on the fish earlier to be certain that it was NOT upside down for Xavier to find again. <br />
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To sum it all up Xavier said "even though my fish died it was still the <b>BEST</b> birthday ever!" Mission accomplished:)Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-16034705825457887332010-12-21T16:32:00.000-05:002011-01-23T17:01:57.009-05:00#3On December 14, 2010 our little family of four grew to five. <br />
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We could not be happier to welcome our third child, a little BOY! We named Lincoln Patrick. He is perfect and healthy and for that we give thanks to the Lord. He certainly has blessed us once again. <br />
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Lincoln is such a sweet addition to our family and we just love him!<br />
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My friend Denisha did a photoshoot for us. You can see that <a href="http://denishasproulphotography.blogspot.com/2010/12/baby-lincoln-lexington-ky-baby.html">here</a>. She is beyond talented behind the lens and the sweetest person! She also is a busy mommy to three beautiful girls and still found the time to do this for us. Love them!!! So happy to have these moments captured beautifully forever.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-58987214224386130532010-12-05T15:48:00.002-05:002011-01-25T08:15:18.809-05:00going...going...gone {repeat}Since the first child in his pre-school class last year lost a tooth last year, Xavier has been obsessing. We went to the dentist this fall before school started and I asked him if anything looked loose and if we should expect it soon. He said "Not even close." So when Xavier said he had a loose tooth in November, I knew that it would probably take a while. Not really:)<br />
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December 1<br />
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December 2<br />
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He lost it at school that day so I missed all excitement. (It kind of reminded me of the time when Xavier rolled over for the first time ever and I missed it because I was in the kitchen making Steve a sandwich!!)<br />
So the tooth fairy made "his" (the boys insist that it is a boy) 1st visit to the Noe house!<br />
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December 3 7:16 pm<br />
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Whoa....bet that will not make it until tomorrow...<br />
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December 3 7:32 pm<br />
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That night the tooth fairy again came to visit the Noe house. Wow...yet another milestone for my firstborn! Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-8548469946584458212010-11-20T11:28:00.000-05:002010-11-20T11:28:21.303-05:00thai pasta salad<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=020re.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/020re.jpg" /></a><br />
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This pasta is sooo good. My friend Hillery served this as part of the "Mommy Food" at the awesome Halloween party that she hosted and was kind enough to pass the recipe on to me too! She added chicken and spinach to it when she served it and had even made a special batch just for me that did not have chicken in it (due to my allergy). How thoughtful is that???<br />
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<strong>Thai Pasta Salad</strong><br />
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2 cups uncooked pasta <br />
1/4 c. cider vinegar <br />
2 TB. sugar <br />
3 TB. creamy peanut butter <br />
2 TB. soy sauce <br />
1 TB. fresh ginger, minced <br />
2 cloves garlic, minced <br />
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped <br />
2 medium carrots, coarsely shredded (1 cup) <br />
4 green onions, sliced <br />
1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped <br />
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Cook, drain, and rinse pasta. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Beat with whisk until well blended. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, cucumber, carrots, and green onions. Mix gently. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and toss gently to coat. <br />
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** I added about 3 cooked chicken breasts, doubled the pasta (actually, I think I just used the whole box) and added 2 cups of fresh baby spinach and doubled the amount of dressing.<br />
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My hubby preferred it warm and it reheated great the next day. You may need to add just a bit of water if the pasta seems a little dry.<br />
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Loved it and can't wait to make it again!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-62769855186552786702010-11-19T22:49:00.000-05:002010-11-20T11:13:21.943-05:00in disguise....Xavier had a homework assignment to disguise his turkey like a family member so that they turkey would make it "safely" through Thanksgiving Day. Here is the Turkey before the disguise...<br />
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and after much deliberation, here is what we came up with...<br />
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<strong>Dr. Turkey</strong>!!!! A Surgeon Turkey to be exact. One that looks suspiciously like someone else we know and love:)<br />
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We mentioned doing a superhero turkey (which really would have been cute too) but in the end, decided that a Dr. Turkey would be more fun. Xavier had some help but he was definitely the <em>idea man </em>on this. His turkey had to have scrubs on with a pocket, string ties at the waist and glasses. He also wanted <em>things</em> in the pocket. We had Dad bring home some real stuff from the OR that we used. The mask was from a large mask, the hair bonnet from a large bonnet, the gloves from big gloves, etc.<br />
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We had a very funny discussion on the way home from school as Xavier excitedly told me about his project. After we decided to to a Surgeon Turkey the conversation went like this.<br />
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<strong>Me:</strong> Alright, let's talk about what we want this Dr. Turkey to look like.<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> He should have scrubs on and maybe a jacket that opens up and you can see all his tools.<br />
<strong>Me:</strong> It would be cool if we had some tools in the turkey's hands!<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> Yes!<br />
<strong>Me:</strong> What besides a knife could we put in his hands?<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> Uhhh, what does he need a knife for?<br />
<strong>Me:</strong> For operating.<br />
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<strong>Silence.....from both boys. </strong><br />
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<strong>Me: </strong>You know... for cutting. (sometimes I forget who my audience is!)<br />
<strong>Dax:</strong> <strong>What???</strong> Daddy cuts people in <strong>HALF</strong>?<br />
<strong>Me:</strong> NO, of course not!!!You know what Daddy does. What kind of Dr. is Daddy?<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> A surgeon.<br />
<strong>Me:</strong> And what does he do at work?<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> Operations.<br />
<strong>Dax:</strong> And scopes!<br />
(At this point, I realize that even though they have the terminology down..they have ZERO clue what this all means! I hope that I have not scarred them for life!)<br />
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<strong>Me:</strong> In order for Daddy to fix people, sometimes he has to make a <em>small</em> cut on them to get inside their body to be able to help fix them.<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> Is there blood?<br />
<strong>Me:</strong> Maybe a little....but as soon as Daddy is done fixing the patient he stitches the small cut back up.<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> Can we put some blood on the turkey?<br />
<strong>Me:</strong> No. But we can call Daddy right now and tell him our plans and ask him what kind of tools he uses.<br />
<strong>Xavier:</strong> OK, let's do that right now!<br />
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Yikes!!! That was a tricky conversation!! For the record...we put <strong>forcepts</strong> in his hands...but it really looked much more like <em>tongs </em>to me:) <br />
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<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/?action=view&current=356re.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/melanie_lein/356re.jpg" /></a>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-23887584816056914982010-11-01T14:05:00.001-04:002010-11-19T16:52:21.646-05:00another "super" HalloweenThe much anticipated Halloween was another fun event at the Noe house again this year. We had all sorts of activities going on for the week or so prior and Dax and I attended a fabulous Halloween party thrown by my very pregnant friend Hillery. The party was awesome and so much fun. It was blogged <a href="http://missnoeitall.typepad.com/noe_baby_news/2010/10/cute-little-halloween-party.html">here</a> by another friend. (No relation even though we have the name last name...she pronounces it NO:)<br />
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We carved some pumpkins in early afternoon of the actual day. Xavier was really into cleaning out the pumpkin and separating the seeds so that we could roast them.<br />
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Dax wasn't quite as enthusiastic! <br />
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He did not like the feeling. So he thought is was better if he helped Daddy like this...<br />
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Anyway, Daddy and I carved the pumpkins while the boys ran around doing other things. Iron Man for Xavier and Incredible Hulk for Dax....with the help of a tracing kit of course!<br />
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Some friends joined us for Trick or Treating and the kids had a blast.<br />
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Fun times!<br />
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The baby was even dressed in costume! I saw the shirt online and just had to make one. I drew it out and then had some anatomical corrections from the hubby, traced it onto fabric that had iron on adhesive on it and then just ironed it on. Sounds simple enough but took HOURS!!! Anyway, I was pleased:)<br />
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We had a ton of Tick or Treaters and went through 13 bags of candy...that was mostly just giving one piece to each! I wonder if we will have more super heros again next year??Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009178148109467780.post-15540377913573522782010-10-28T13:36:00.004-04:002010-11-21T19:54:35.579-05:004 and fabulousMy youngest is 4! I can hardly believe that 4 years have passed since Daxton Robert came into this world (right on his due date) and made our little family of 3 into 4. Dax is one of the funniest kids I know, has a will of steel and is so full of life and energy. He has such a quick wit and you <i>never</i> know what he is going to come up with next. He loves to give me kisses and will do just about anything for something out of the candy bowl. I love you s<i>weet baby cakes </i>and am so happy that you are mine! <br />
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As tradition dictates, the birthday person gets to pick what they want for dinner and dessert on their actual birthday. As we talked about it earlier in the week, Dax wanted pizza. A day or so later he saw a commercial on tv for this<br />
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and said "Mom! You have to take me there"! He saw in the commercial that the kids meals come in car boxes and he was sold!<br />
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This was his face when we saw it from the highway<br />
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He ordered a hotdog and root beer and he was thrilled with his birthday dinner.<br />
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After dinner we went home to open presents and eat brownie sundaes with a cherry and candles on top! <br />
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Here are some pics from the day. <br />
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We had a family birthday celebration for Dax too that included his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from Cincinnati too. He picked the theme<br />
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and it was a blast.<br />
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Thanks to all of our family for the gifts and well wishes for our 4 year old. They were much appreciated. Thanks also to my SIL Mary for taking pics so that I didn't have to:)Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03690869338401820852noreply@blogger.com1