Walk By Faith

Liam's Birthday Party!

2012-02-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Liam's birthday at the park. It was a bit chilly, but we moved it to a different day to avoid the rain. He was insistent on having a horse party at the park, so we were glad we were able to do it!

Brendan was so excited to have so much area to run around in.

Peyton enjoying a ride on a dinasour!

Kara was all over the place!

Cousins!

Kara, hitting the pinata!

Liam's requested horse cupcakes

Liam decided that our birthday song was too loud for him.

Happy 4th Birthday Liam!

2012-01-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

We cannot believe that our baby is 4 years old. These years are just flying by! We celebrated Liam's day by taking him to lunch at Farrell's and just spending the day together as a family. We had cake and presents and watched Dolphin Tale, twice! When Liam woke up in the morning, I asked him what it felt like to be 4 years old, and he said, "I'm older now, so I can cook and drive!" Those seem to be the things he looks forward to the most! We are having Liam's birthday party on Sunday at the park. He is super excited about a pinata and his horse themed party! More pictures to come.

Christmas

2011-12-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve, Liam and I made(haha) cookies for Santa before we headed to Deron's parents for dinner and presents.

Then when we got home, we read the Christmas Story and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.We opened up one family present each (Liam somehow opened two...)

We set out cookies and milk for Santa...

This is Liam's present that he asked Santa for. In fact, it's the ONLY present he asked for! We hid it behind the furnance door (because that is where Liam thinks Santa comes into our house) and made it look like it fell out of Santa's bag

In the morning, Liam was so surprised that the cookies and milk were all gone, and he found a note from Santa!

We relaxed all day, then headed to my parents for a little dinner and presents with my family. For some reason I do not have any pictures from there... Sorry! We had a great Christmas and it is so neat to see how much Liam enjoys this time of the year and is really learning.

Happy 1st Birthday Brendan!

2011-12-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Our little baby turned 1 year old today! We cannot believe how fast this year has gone by and how quickly Brendan has grown! We celebrated his birthday at my parents house with some family and friends. Brendan was a little overwhelmed and was a bit cranky! I don't think he really knew what to think of his cake as he just played with it and wouldn't eat it. He has a small taste, but then tried to dump it off the side of his high chair! He opened a few of his presents, but was quickly taken by other things! He got a lot of great things, so thank you family and friends!

We have Brendan's 1 year check-up on Tuesday, so we'll get his new stats then. For now, the little guy has 8 teeth, is walking like a pro along the furniture, and will hopefully be walking anytime soon, he is still a great eater, and really enjoys his brother.

Happy Birthday Brendan! We all love you so much and hope you had a great birthday!

11 Months!

2011-11-22T07:46:00.000-08:00

(this was taken from my phone, sorry for the blur)

Our little boy is 11 months old! We really do not know where this last year has gone. It sort of hit me yesterday that my baby is growing up when I was mailing out his birthday invitations! He is growing up so fast!

Right now, Brendan is:

*Cutting 3 more teeth (2 of the 5 have come in already). He already has 3, so when these are done, he'll have 8 teeth! (He really wants to eat chocolate cake for his birthday!)

*He is standing on his own quite often. We all cheer for him when he does it and he gets so excited and claps!

*Still only saying Dada and Babba. Momma is close behind, but still just "mmmmmmm"

*He is shaking his head yes when I ask him certain questions

*Only plays with his brothers toys, not his baby toys.

*Loves playing with and beating up his older brother. These two are going to have lots of fun growing up!

*Eating pretty much anything he is given

*Gets into everything, even if it wouldn't be possible for him to get into it

Tis' The Season

2011-11-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

It's bad enough that Thanksgiving hasn't even passed and all the Christmas decor, commercials, and seasonal delights are upon us. Usually I can wait until after Thanksgiving to start giving into to the wonderful tastes that come with the Christmas season, but not this year. Peppermint seams to be my downfall this year. I have become addicted to Peppermint Mocha's/Frappuccino's at Starbucks, and I hear that the White Peppermint Mocha is just as delightful. And to add to the peppermint craze, I came across Peppermint Oreo cookies at Target yesterday, and dare I say, they are no more! They were fabulous! I usually am all about the Pumpkin flavor during the fall, and even the apple cider drinks, but those have not even graced my lips this season. I feel, along with most of society, that I have completely bypassed the fall season and have gone straight into Christmas!

Cake Pops - Attempt #1

2011-11-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my sister Brittany and I attempted to make our first set of cake pops from my cookbook by Bakerella

We were going to make pumpkins, but everyone was out of the orange melting candy, so we opted for the Mummies! It was a lot of fun and we definitely learned what worked and what didn't! This was great practice since I am planning on making cake pops for Brendan's b-day next month!

Here is a picture of our cake pops....

(It was really hard to get the mummy wrap right!)

And, here is what the mummies in the book look like:

Despite their appearance, they were absolutely delicious! Now, we just have to perfect our design!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

This year we went to our church's Hallelujah Party for Halloween! Liam had lots of fun playing all the different games and Brendan just enjoyed dancing to the music in his stroller. Brendan was a pumpkin, and Liam was, of course, the Red Power Ranger! We can't wait for next year when Brendan is a bit bigger and can walk around and enjoy the festivities!

(Sorry there aren't many pictures. It was a little difficult to get good pictures)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today we headed out to the Pumpkin Patch in Yucaipa, and had a lot of fun. Most of the time when we go it is during the week, and there are many more activities during the weekend. Liam loved looking at all the different pumpkins and wanted to take pictures of them all. He rode the ponies and fed some very aggressive goats, we took our pictures, and picked out some great pumpkins. We were glad we went early in the morning because it was really getting warm! I am so excited that fall is here. I love this time of the year!

10 Months!

2011-10-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Brendan is 10 months old now, and I just realized that I never posted his 9 month check up stats!

Weight: 20.11 lbs.

Length: 27" (he grew 6" from 6 months to 9 months!)
He is in the 50% for everything!

I know for a fact that he has gotten bigger and taller in just the last month! This kid is getting heavy fast. He has his third tooth coming through the bottom. None on top yet. He loves to play on the floor and be free. He pulls himself up on anything he could possibly think of and we've even caught him letting go of whatever he is standing next to and just sort of standing there for just a bit. We have nicknamed Brendan the Whining Tornado. We call him tornado because when he is in his walker he is a hazard to not only the house, but mostly our feet. This kid books it in the walker and runs over our feet at any chance he gets. He also whines quite a bit unless he is on the floor playing. He will run around in his walker with his hands thrown up in the air and will whine until he gets taken out of the walker.

He loves saying "Dada," and we will hear him just sitting around playing saying Dada. We are working on Momma. Right now it is just "mmmmmmmmmm." The one thing that I wish could change more than anything is that Brendan does not sleep through the night! He wakes up 2-4 times a night. It is getting so hard to keep dealing with the little amount of sleep that I've been getting. Luckily he goes right back to sleep afterwards, but it is I who is having the hard time going back to sleep. Hopefully the routine will change soon!

We are excited to be planning a first birthday party, but cannot believe that it is almost here!

(sorry for more bath pictures, but this is only place Brendan sits still)

Mini Golf Date

2011-10-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today Liam and I went on a date, and we decided to go miniature golfing. We haven't taken Liam mini golfing yet, and we had a coupon for a free kid's gold at Fiesta Village, so off we went. I have been trying to have little dates with Liam every couple of weeks so we can have some quality time by ourselves! We had a lot of fun, but it was really hot. We only go through one of the courses and by the 10th hole, Liam was so sweaty and he was starting to loose interest. Next time we go, I think we'll go in the evening when it is cooler and all the lights are on. For this being Liam's first time mini golfing, he did pretty good. His first hole was a hole-in-one!

9 months old!

2011-09-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

It is so hard for us to believe that we will be planning a birthday party for Brendan in a few months! Where has all the time gone?!

Brendan is definitely an independent little guy. He hates to be contained and is really only happy when he can crawl around the house. He is an expert crawler now and is getting into just about EVERYTHING! He pulls himself up on all the furniture, whether the item is stationary or not, and scoots along the furniture. He is trying so hard to clap and wave and is really almost there! He has 2 two teeth on the bottom and we think we might have caught something coming in on the top. He loves to eat and continues to cry while he is eating because mommy just cannot feed him fast enough! He has started some of his stage 3 foods and is liking them so far! His sleeping habits are getting a little better. He is only waking up 1-2 times at night instead of 3-4, plus, he is starting to find more comfort in his bed and sleep is becoming easier for us at night and during the day because he likes sleeping in his own bed! He continues to laugh hysterically at Liam and loves it when Liam includes him in his play!

Brendan has such a big personality and is really just a happy guy all the time. We are so blessed by him and cannot believe that he is almost 1!

Sea World!

2011-09-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we took a trip to Sea World with Auntie Brittany, Auntie Leanne and Kara, and Auntie Laura and Aliva. It was just a girls and kids weekend. We had lots of fun on our first trip there. Liam had been talking about going there for weeks, and he couldn't believe the day was finally here! We had lunch at a local park, which was great for the kids and the wallet! We got a hotel, which ended up being a great idea, and we were able to take a break from the heat and rest and swim, then go back later in the evening! Liam was a trooper. He had 1 melt down during the day and was the only kid that didn't fall asleep until 930pm!

Liam so excited to go to Sea World!

What Auntie B does for her little man!

Looking at the sea turtles

Trying to get all 3 kids to sit still for a picture is a challenge

Brendan enjoying his new shark hat to shade him from the sun

Sharks!

Getting ready for Shamu

Home Made Fruit Roll-Ups

2011-08-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

This recipe was in my September issue of Food Network Magazine, and it really got me inspired to make something home-made for my little guy. He LOVES fruit snacks, but they are so loaded with sugars and preservatives that I would much rather have him eat something that is wholesome and you can pronounce all the ingredients. We decided to make a Strawberry-Banana flavor, and they turned out really well! They are time consuming, so don't try to make them in the morning and have them be ready by lunch!

For the complete recipe, go to FoodNetwork.com

Bath Time Fun!

2011-08-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Brendan has been loving his baths now that he is in his big boy bath chair! Here are a few pictures of bath night the other night!

Liam always looks so excited to take pictures

Taking a bite out of tigger

Making splashes

Everything goes in the mouth for this smiley guy!

4th of July!

2011-07-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun on the 4th! We went over to my parents house for a bbq and Liam did some swimming in his little pool. We tried to get Brendan in the pool, but I think it was a little too cold for him, and he started freaking out. Afterwards, we headed over to Yucaipa High School to watch the fireworks. We found an empty field behind the high school and sat in the trunk to watch the fireworks. Liam loved them, and each color was a Power Ranger. Brendan just watched for the first half, then fell asleep! It was a great night! Liam has been asking each day since to see more fireworks!

6 months - a few weeks late!

2011-07-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

It's a few weeks late, but here is Bredan's 6 month update!

Brendan had his 6 month check-up about 2 weeks ago, and it doing well. He is almost 18 pounds and measured 24.5 inches. The doctor was a bit concerned because at his 4 month checkup, he was the same height. To me that's not correct. We all feel that he has gotten taller, and he no longer fits into his 3 month clothes and barely his 6 month clothes. His feet are hanging out of his car seat and in general, he just feels longer. The doctor said she wants to watch it and we'll make sure to check him at his 9 month check-up. She said that if he had lost weight, she would have been more concerned. I think he was measured wrong at his 4 month check-up, but that's my own opinion :)

Brendan is trying so hard to crawl right now. He really tries to pull himself to things that he wants and he actually gets there. He will be mobile before we know it. He's sitting up pretty good, but still falls over after a while. He eats like a champ! If he hasn't had his meals by a certain time, he gets really cranky! He loves his brother and really enjoys playing with him. Liam is the one person that can make Brendan laugh hysterically. His personality is really growing and he is so much fun. He loves going places and seeing people, and loves to ham it up with the ladies!

5 Years

2011-06-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today Deron and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary! We went to the movies and out to lunch at our favorite restaurant, Chevy's. I can't believe it has been 5 years already. But, 5 years and 2 kids later, here we are! I am lucky to be married to such a great man. We've had to endure a lot as a couple and family over the last year, and I wouldn't want anyone else by my side. I love you very much Deron, and look forward to many more years together!

Brendan - 5 1/2 months

2011-06-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

Brendan is just doing so much more these days. And, I realized the other day that it has been a long time since I have taken pictures. So, here are a few pictures from today.

Brendan is such a smiley baby. He loves laughing at his brother, and has been trying so hard to sit up. I think within the next few weeks he should be sitting up pretty well. He LOVES to eat baby food. We cannot feed it to him fast enough, and he gets so mad when it is all gone. We are pretty sure that he is getting a tooth. His drooling has increased quite a bit, he's really chewing on his fingers and he seems to have a lot of discomfort when he is drinking a bottle. Hopefully, we will see something pop up soon! He is growing up so fast and we are loving watching his get bigger. He really loves his brother and wants to be involved in everything Liam is doing. I can't wait to see these two boys as they grow older.

1st Week of Preschool - Complete!

2011-05-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

Liam started preschool this past Thursday, and he is having a blast. I will admit that when I dropped him off on Thursday, I spent the rest of the day worrying and hoping that he was going to have a good day, and wouldn't tell me he never wanted to go back when I picked him up. All my worries were gone when I went to get him and the director told me that he acted as if he's always been going to school there. He ate all his food, took his nap, played well with the kids, listened to the teachers and even helped clean up! The cleaning up part baffled me because we cannot even get him to do that at home! The whole way home all he did was talk about school. He really had the best time. On Friday when I dropped him off, he sorta freaked out and started crying. But he was fine by the time I got to the car and did great once more kids started getting there. He gets reports sent home each day and everything has been positive. He even seems to favor one kid, Wilbur, since that is who his teachers says he's been playing with each day. It makes my heart smile to see my little boy enjoy something so much, and since that something is school, it makes me even happier. Hopefully he will always love school :)

Here is his first project: a caterpillar, from the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar

When I picked Liam up on Friday and we were going to get his stuff, he said to me, "Mom, did you know that caterpillars turn into butterflies? They are hungry, then they turn into butterflies!"

Water Fun

2011-05-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

The other day we took a walk with Auntie Leanne and Kara at the University of Redlands. It was so hot and we happened to come upon that great fountain near the quad. Liam had so much fun running around in the water, and hasn't stopped talking about how much he wants to go back to the water!

5 Months

2011-05-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Brendan is 5 months now and it feels like he is growing like a weed. He is loving baby food. Sometimes he just gets so angry when we give him a bottle because he would rather have baby food. He is so interested in what we are eating, and have started letting him gum on some Mum Mum treats. Everything that he touches go into his mouth. This kid is all about having something in his mouth, whether it be edible or not. He just wants to be like his brother. He watches everything Liam does and could laugh at him all day. He cannot even just lay around. He needs to be sitting up or standing in the action. He is rolling over like a champ. One day he rolled over during his nap, and had been doing ever since. Brendan also seems to really like books. One night I was reading him a book and just got so excited and was turning pages and making cooing and laughing noises. His hair is also growing. He never really lost too much in the back since he has been sleeping on his stomach since he was about 5 weeks old, so it is really growing! I think his hair grew over night one night when I was closing. When I woke up with him in the morning, it looked like his hair had grown about a 1/2"! We are so excited to see how his personality it growing and how well these two little boys are interacting. They love each other so much and you can really see that they will have a great friendship!

life has gotten the best of me!

2011-05-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! Just realized that I haven't blogged in quite some time! We've been super busy around here since I've gone back to work. There literally is no time left in the day anymore! I've been back to work for about 4 weeks now and things are going well for the most part. My schedule has changed significantly compared to before I went out on leave, and I am now closing 8 times a month. This was hard on me the first few nights, but Deron is doing a great job taking care of the boys at night. In addition to the closing shifts, I no longer have the same days off each week. My days rotate every 4 weeks, so my days off are not consistant. We are adjusting to these changes though. It's been a little tough considering I worked the same schedule for 7 years. We have also been trying to find a good preschool for Liam to start going a couple times a week. Our regular babysitter injured herself and hasn't been able to watch the kids since I went back to work and Liam is dying to get out and play with friends. He is so determined to go to school too. That seems to be the only thing he talks about these days. We are going out on Friday to observe in a couple of places, so hopefully we will be able to find something perfect for Liam and us. There aren't any pictures with this post... I haven't had time to take them off the camera. Hopefully I can download them soon and get another post up here for you all.

15 1/2 weeks

2011-04-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

Brendan is 15 1/2 week now and growing every day! He is changing so much, it just amazes me. He is starting to be more content sitting in his bouncy chair (except when mommy is at work, then he doesn't like to be put down...). He loves grabbing toys and playing with them now, and is showing a HUGH interest in our food. I was eating a piece of bread the other day and he looked at it, spit out his pacifier and started making the motions for wanting a bottle. I let him gnaw on it a little bit, and he was loving it! I think we will be starting rice cereal any day now! This is the first week back at work for me and I am missing the boys. But, Daddy is doing a great job taking care of them. They are all working on getting used to each other without mommy around during the day. Brendan is having a hard time adjusting to having some independent time. He is a little man that wants nothing more than to be held constantly, but obviously that is not something we can do with a 3 year old, housework, cooking, etc. to get done in the house. Smiles are all over the place with Brendan. He loves to laugh and give us his shy little smiles all the time. He LOVES his brother. The other day Liam and Brendan were just sitting there talking to each other and laughing. It was the most adorable thing I have seen. Liam has really been a lot more helpful when it comes to his brother too. The other morning I was getting ready for work and Brendan was tired, but wouldn't fall asleep. When Liam woke up I asked him to lay next to his brother and tickle his back, and Brendan fell right asleep! Liam was so proud! We have a check up next Thursday to see how big our little man is getting and for more shots....

Here is a picture of our adorable smiley boy!

Brittany's Birthday Cake

2011-03-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

This year for my sisters birthday, I offered to make her birthday cake. Since taking my first cake class, I was inspired to try something new. I used fondant for the first time, and while I was something new, and I was nervous, it turned out great! I made a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, and it was really good. And most of all, Britt liked it! Happy Birthday Sis!

Love that smile!

2011-03-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Liam was very excited for St. Patty's day this year, probaby because he sort of understood what we were celebrating. He kept telling us we had to wear green because it was Irish day! We had gotten the boys matching shirts, so we took a few pictures of them. Brendan didn't really cooperate and Liam gave his taco tounge and cheesy smile. But, they are cute none-the-less.

Rainbow Cupcakes

2011-03-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

Thursday, the boys and I went up to my parents house to make some fun cupcakes with Brittany. We had lots of fun, and realized how much time it takes to make this kind of cupcake with a toddler! :) They turned out really cute and delicious. Only downfall, they are NOT figure friendly!

Liam.

2011-03-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Liam just amazes me these days. He seems to grow so much every day. He is asking more and more questions and his favorite question is "why?" This is getting more and more tedious to answer because he asks why about EVERYTHING! Liam's vocabulary just seems to grow and grow and there are some days that he will say something, and sound like one of the adults. He loves his brother to pieces, and tells us often, "I love him too much" or " I do love him mommy." He is so helpful (most of the time) and gets us diapers, pacifiers, burp clothes, etc. when we ask for help. His eating habits are finally starting to take a turn. While he still will not eat most vegetables, he is getting better about at least trying the different veggies. He talks daily about going to school and taking the bus. He just can't wait to go to school, and loves going to day care to hang out with his buddies. He tells us often how much he loves us, and wants to be involved in everything we do, especially in the kitchen. He loves "working" in Grandpa Corydon's dental lab, and pretends that there are dental labs in our house often. His imagination seems endless. He always seems to make something out of nothing and it works just as good as the real thing. There are many days that we struggle with Liam's strong willed spirit, but are very grateful that he is pleasant most of the time. Liam has been asking a lot about Jesus and it is neat to see how he is taking it all in and understanding what we are teaching him.

We are so proud of you Liam, and are excited to see you grow and learn. God has great plans for your life and we can't wait to see where He takes you!
-Love Mom & Dad :)

A Day at the Park

2011-03-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

On Monday, my sister Brittany and I took the boys to the park. Liam ran around and played while Brendan enjoyed a ride in the carrier! Of course, Liam's idea of playing at the park turned into hitting the walls with sticks and playing in the dirt! Typical boy.

This is how Liam takes a shower...

2011-03-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Never a dull moment when Liam takes a shower. He is always so full of imagination and silliness!

Honey Chicken with Snow Pea Rice

2011-03-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

In continuation with my goal of trying a new meal during this month, I found a recipe in one of Rachel Ray's cookbooks that reminded us of take-out gone healthy! It was really good, and didn't have all the grease that you would find at a take-out chinese restaurant! If you want the recipe, let me know. It is quite long and was taking too long to type up!

these are all the ingredients, it was quite a lot!

Pizza Pot Pies

2011-03-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Giade De Laurentiis, and it was so good! You really could put any ingredients in that you would like. The recipe here has brocolli and chicken in it, but I'm sure any of your favorite pizza toppings would be delicious!

Pizza Pot Pies

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary leaves

2 ounces diced pancetta

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pizza Pot Pies:

3 cups Tomato Sauce

2 cups diced roasted chicken

2 cups broccoli cut into small, bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds pizza dough

1/3 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions

Special equipment: 6 (10-ounce) ramekins

For the Tomato Sauce: Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, and pancetta. Saute until the pancetta is crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine, and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl combine the Tomato Sauce, chicken, broccoli, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Divide the chicken mixture evenly between the ramekins. Roll out the pizza dough and cut circles with a pairing knife that are 1-inch wider in diameter than the ramekins. Place the circles of dough over the filled ramekins and press down to seal, making sure to pull the dough over the edge of the ramekin. Brush the top of the pizza dough with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cut a small slit in the top of the pizza dough with a pairing knife. Bake until the pizza crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Chocolate Cake in 2 Minutes!

2011-03-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

In my new Food Network magazine, there was a section on "10 Minute Desserts." Since I had all the ingredients, I decided to try the Instant Chocolate Cake to see if it really worked, and it did. It was delicious and perfect for a chocolate cake craving without all the fuss of making a chocolate cake!

Directions:

Whisk 1/4 cup flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth. Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes.

*I would suggest whisking the ingredients in a separate bowl, then transferring it to the mug. There was flour left at the bottom of my mug!

A Look At the Boys

2011-03-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

Today I was looking at pictures of the boys, and while there are similarities, there are also a lot of differences! It is so neat to see how these two boys can share so many features, yet be individuals as well!

Brendan - almost 3 months!

Liam - almost 4 months!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes!

2011-03-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to use up all the chocolate chips that I had in the pantry and make some cupcakes! I made a chocolate chip cupcake with a chocolate ganache frosting! It was so delicious! On a few of the cupcakes I put a cream cheese filling. It was good, but way too rich!

(with the cream cheese filling)

Since my cake decorating class is over, I feel like I need to keep baking things in order to stay fresh! I have 3 weeks left before I have to go back to work, so I am going to try out a few more recipes before my time becomes very limited! The next project to come is going to be Brittany's birthday cake! I have decided that I want to try using fondant!

11 weeks

2011-03-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

11 weeks may not be a huge milestone, but since we finally got a picture of Brendan smiling, I though I'd post it with a little update of what he's doing now! I can say that he is really different than Liam. While they may look a lot alike, their personalities are different. Brendan loves to be held. If he is not being held, he is crying. And, crying has become something that he does often. This is becoming very frustrating since sometimes he seems to cry for no reason at all. Liam hardly ever cried. He loved to just relax and hang out. Brendan is trying to pull himself up into a sitting position. When he is sitting in our arms he is always try to sit forward. While we are driving around in the car, we see this little head trying to sit forward, then he gets mad because he is restrained. Brendan only wants to sleep on his tummy. Liam was never this way, so we are letting him sleep on his tummy, but monitoring him all the time. It has been 4 days and nights since we've started tummy sleeping, and it is going very well! Brendan is also sleeping in his own bed now, which has been great for me at night! He hates tummy time, and hates the swing and bouncy chair! All of which make it very difficult to get anything done. Liam loved his bouncy chair, so this is much different for us. When Brendan is hungry, he expects food NOW! And when that food is not there right away, he turns into Jack Jack from The Incurables! Brendan does, however, have is fun moments. In the midst of all the frustration, there are lots of smiles and laughter and snuggles. He really is a good baby, just different than the first time around. But there are some things that are the same between these boys... They are definitely Mamma's boys!

Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Stoup!

2011-03-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

We tried out a new soup recipe last night from Rachel Ray, and it was delicious! She calls it a "stoup" because it is thicker than a soup, but thinner than a stew. It was very flavorful! We put ours in some bread bowls and made some cheesy, garlic toast out of the bowl tops!

Chicken, Corn & Black Bean Stoup

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 lbs. chicken tenders, cut into bit size pieces

Salt & Pepper

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob (we used frozen)

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

3 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 qt. chicken stock

1-15 oz. can black beans, drained

juice of 1 lime

1/4 C. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus some for garnish

hot sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)

Sour cream, for garnish

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the chicken and season with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and chipotle chili pepper. Cook the chicken until lightly browned, about 3-4 min. Add the onions, cor and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 min. Dust the chicken and veggies with the flour, stir, and continue to cook for 2 min. Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken stock. Bring the stew up to a simmer and the add the black beans. Simmer the stew for 15 min. Add the lime juice and cilantro, and stir to combine. Taste and check for seasoning, adjust if needed. Use hot sauce here if you'd like. Serve the stoup garnished with a little sour cream and some chopped cilantro.

Imagination Movers!

2011-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

Liam LOVES the Imagination Movers from Disney Channel. We found out in December that they were coming to L.A. and bought tickets instantly! We went yesterday with our friends Laura and Alivia, and had so much fun! Liam was in awe most of the time. He just couldn't believe that he was seeing them in person. He picked out his souvenirs, wobble goggles and a hat, which he had on the entire time. We got to see all of the movers, plus Nina, Warehouse Mouse and Eddie the Monster. Choo Choo Soul was there too! It was a great show, and as an adult, I had a lot of fun too!

Snow Day

2011-02-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

Today we took a trip to Oak Glen to play in the snow! Liam loved it! I even caught him eating the snow! It was really crowded up there, and it was hard to find a parking spot, but we ended up finding a spot in front of a closed store and there was a large area to play in that no one else was playing in. It kept us close to the car and close to a diaper changing area for Brendan. Brendan didn't really know what was going on, so he just fell asleep in his big snow outfit!

Eating the snow!

I can't put my arms down!

(This reminds us of the Christmas Story movie!)

And this is what the little guy looked like when we got home. He didn't get his nap today and he fell asleep while eating his Happy Meal. What amazed me is that Brendan was screaming the whole way home, and Liam still managed to fall asleep!

Final week in cake class

2011-02-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday was the last day of our cake class. This week we learned how to do flowers. I loved making these flowers. My icing was a little dry, but it gave the flowers a more realistic look! I am really going to miss taking these classes each week and learning something new, but there is always 3 more classes to take! I feel like I learned so much in just those 4 weeks! My next challenge is to make Brittany's birthday cake for her birthday next month!

Oh those 3's...

2011-02-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

I love this face. I love this little man. But, today, he is has seriously been testing my patience! I have determined that the 3's are far more terrible than the 2's! At least in the 2's they are not as vocal and do not know how to really hurt your feelings. In the 2's, they are learning what the different words and emotions are. In the 3's they use those words and emotions to their advantage and try to break their parents! Liam has been so back and forth on everything that he makes us feel like there is nothing we can do correctly. We had to hold him down in order to get him dressed this morning because at first he can do it all on his own, then he wants mommy to dress him, then he doesn't want to be dressed at all. One minute he wants to go to daycare, when we get there, he wants to go home. One minute he wants to get the new Wiggles movie at Target; next minute, he is throwing a tantrum in the parking lot, yelling at me to take it back, while people are staring at me, giving me the look like I do not have control over my child. One minute we are at Carl's Jr. getting chicken stars (his request); next minute, yelling at me to send them back, after I've already paid for them, because he doesn't want them. That is just a taste of today. His new trick is to request that we feed him in order for him to finish his meals. A result of seeing is brother being fed by mommy and daddy. There are times that I feel that I am failing as a parent because I feel that I should have more control over my child and he should be respecting and listening to me. But, my many years of child development classes and one-on-one experience with children tell me that I am doing just fine. And I know that I am when my child comes up to me after being disciplined and tells me that he loves me. Just in that moment, when I am being yelled at by my own child and feel that I have no idea what to do in that situation, it feels like everything that I have studied and experienced has flown out the window! In addition to already turning to God for strength and direction, we have started using resources such as The Strong Willed Child, Bringing Up Boys and Tempering Tantrums by James Dobson, not to mention Super Nanny (because those naughty chairs do work most of the time). Don't get me wrong, not all of our days are like today. There are many moments where Liam just makes us smile and he shows how much he loves us and his brother. He really is a good kid, which is probably why the bad days take such a toll on us. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it just feels like it is so far away!

Whoopie Pies

2011-02-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

Here is our first try at a recipe from our new whoopie cookbook! We modified it a little bit and they turned out great! We made chocolate whoopie cakes and filled them with the classic buttercream, plus some black cherries, then rolled them in mini chocolate chips.

2 month check-up

2011-02-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

Today was Brendan's 2-month check-up. He has put on the pounds and now weighs 12 lbs 9 oz. and is 22 3/4" long. He's doing great and is very healthy. I cannot believe how much he is growing. This week he really started smiling at us and it is so adorable. He is getting more and more alert every day, and his neck is getting even stronger. Today Brendan had his first set of shots, and the rest of the day was a nightmare. With Liam, he would cry at the doctors office and then that was the end of it. Brendan woke up from his nap screaming and then didn't stop for the rest of the night. It wasn't consistent, but it was a whole lot more than what he normally does. He usually never really cries at all, but this was crazy! He is now sleeping and hopefully will sleep for his normal 6-7 hours before waking up. We are praying for sanity tomorrow if this continues!

Here is a picture from this week:

Week 3 in cake class!

2011-02-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

Here it is... our week 3 project!

This one was by far the hardest so far. The people were hard to make, I think mainly because the instructor told us to use a certain tip for the entire person and I think it would have been easier to use a smaller tip on the arms and legs! But I'm just the student :) It was neat to see how this cake came to be though. So many people in the class had great ideas and everyone's cake looked different! I'll let you know how this one tastes since it has a chocolate fudge and strawberry filling!!! Next week we are making flowers!

Testing my own flavors

2011-02-16T22:00:00.001-08:00

Since I have been having an urge to explore my baking skills, today I decided to make cupcakes from scratch and add in my own ideas. I made a vanilla lime cupcake with cream cheese frosting! It was really good. I had my friends Leanne and Laura taste test them for me and they really liked them, but we all agreed that the lime flavor wasn't strong enough. Not a big deal, just need to add a little bit more! I was really proud of myself for just trying something new! The cream cheese frosting turned out really good too! I can't wait to try out so many new ideas that have been floating around in my head!

My New Obsession!

2011-02-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

Since I've started taking these cake decorating classes, I've realized how much I enjoy baking! I have always loved to cook and bake, and these classes have brought something out in me. I am feeling the urge to just be adventurous and try new things. I bought 2 new books on sale the other day and I am really looking forward to dirtying up the pages trying out all these wonderful recipes!

The cake pops book is by Bakerella and I am so inspired by her. She makes the most adorable and creative things. She has a website, www.bakerella.com, and she blogs about all of her baking adventures! This may sound cheesy, but I would love to be like Bakerella and start my own baking adventure :) There may be more posts in the future of things that I have made from these books as well as things I have created on my own!

Peyton Leann Brown

2011-02-14T08:22:00.001-08:00

Our newest family member arrived yesterday, February 13th! She is 9lbs 6 oz and 21 1/2" long. She has all the boy cousins beat! Deron and I went and visited the new family yesterday and she is so cute, and feels really big! We look forward to seeing her grow and interact with all her cousins! She is definitely the princess of the McCandless family. Congratulations Sarah & Erik!

A great recipe for kids!

2011-02-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I have one picky eater on my hands! Liam trys so hard to make sure he doesn't eat ANY vegetables! He will, however, eat most kinds of fruit. So, I went to my Deceptively Delicious cookbook to see if there was a recipe that I could use to incorporate some veggies into his fruit, and there was! It is a fruit dip, and it is a hit in our house! Liam will eat an entire apple with this dip, plus he is getting some carrots at the same time.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip (with carrot)

1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
1/2 C. cream cheese
6 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
1/4 C. carrot puree
1/2 tsp. salt
fruit slices for dipping

Stir the peanut butter, cream cheese, chocolate syrup, carrot puree and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Serve with fruit!

My New Favorite Thing!

2011-02-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

I already love peanut butter and chocolate, as well as snickers. This combo rocks! By far, my new favorite candy bar!

My Adventures in Cake Making

2011-02-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

I started taking a cake decorating class last week with two of my friends. I am so excited for this class, and I am really looking forward to learning new things.

After our first class, I realized how much time, and money this class is going to require! There is so much that we have to buy in order to make these cakes, but we were able to find a great deal at Michael's on an Ultimate Cake kit that would be good for this class as well as the other 3 classes that Michael's offers. It was $199, but I had a 40% off coupon plus getting 10% off for being in the class. I ended up paying only $108! This is probably one of the best investments I have made in a long time!

Our first lesson is to make a traditional cake, or a character cake, make the icing and have it partially done when we come to class. This is the first time I have ever made homemade butter cream icing, and it was so easy! There are only 5 ingredients, including water (unless your making chocolate butter cream, in the case, you add cocoa powder).

Since I made a Batman cake already this year on my own, I wanted to try something harder for my class. The instructor wants us to challenge ourselves and do a character cake, so I decided to try a football helmet!

I'm not sure of the colors that I am going to use yet, but since our team, the Packers, just won the Superbowl, I just might use their colors!

I am making a French Vanilla Cake with a Chocolate Pudding filling! Our homework was to crumb ice a cake and bring it back to class on Wednesday, along with all our icing colors that we would need.

Here is my completed crumb iced cake (it fell apart on me where the mask is... but I "glued" it back together)

And, this is the "finished" product. I ran out of yellow while completing this in class, and if I made another batch, the color wouldn't match anyways. But it's cute, and I like it :) More importantly, it tastes delicious!

Seven Weeks

2011-02-04T19:51:00.001-08:00

Each week I am so amazed at how much Brendan is growing. He is 7 weeks old now, and I actually feel like he is older! He is such a funny little guy. The faces he makes at his brother just crack me up. He is definitely putting on the pounds, and that is evident by his growing legs and belly that now gets big when he is eating! He is still loves to stand and tonight he would hold onto my fingers and try to pull himself up. I think he wants to be like the grown-ups and his brother, and just run around. His neck has been really strong this week and his smiles are getting more frequent. He is also a lot more observant than he has been in the past. He enjoys his baths now and actually cries when we take him out, as opposed to crying because he is getting a bath. He still wants to be held all the time, which is hard on Deron and I, but hopefully soon this will change. He loves riding in the car and going places with Liam and I. It is so exciting to see him change everyday, and Liam is patiently waiting for the day that they can really sit down on the floor and play together!

6 weeks.

2011-01-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

Brendan is 6 weeks old today. He is growing so much, and is such a great baby. He really is quite relaxed and hardly ever cries. The only downfall is that he ALWAYS wants to be held! This would be great if he was our first born, but he is not, and it is difficult to hold a baby while tending to a 3 year old, but we figure it out! He loves to eat, and you can tell because he is getting some of that adorable baby fat on his legs, face and back! His spitting up has minimized quite a bit compared to how much he was doing before. This I am thankful for, because it just frustrates me to no end when he does spit up. His favorite position to be in when he is awake is standing. This kid has such strong legs, it amazes us! He is doing pretty well sleeping at night too. He usually wakes up after about 5 or 6 hours, which is usually around 2am or 3 am, and then doesn't wake up until about 7am-ish! This extra sleep is really helping me since I am not getting naps during the day. He is smiling a little bit here and there, and mostly at Deron. He does an adorable piggy noise when he is hungry, but we have mostly attributed this to his stuffy nose that he still has. We have a 2 month check up in about 3 weeks, so we are looking forward to seeing how big our little man has gotten.

We're Going Private!

2011-01-26T16:47:00.000-08:00

As of Friday, we are going to make our blog private! If you want to continue to read our blog, please e-mail us and we will add you to the list!

Liam's Birthday Party

2011-01-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

This year we had Liam's birthday at Uncle Howie's pizza. It was Batman themed, so of course, Liam had to wear his Batman shirt, and even his utility belt! He had a blast. All of our family and friends were there and we all enjoyed pizza, cake and games. Liam got lots of great gifts and is having lots of fun playing with them ALL! He fell asleep yesterday in his chef hat and apron and has had it on ever since!

The GROWING Spring Cleaning List:

2011-01-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

I have decided that while I am at home until March, this is the best time to get some early Spring Cleaning done. I started a list on Monday and there were about 5 things on it, but as of today, there are 19. While I keep finding things that need to get cleaned, or organized, or donated, I haven't been able to get much done with two kiddos! All that seems to be getting accomplished is myself becoming overwhelmed. Maybe now that most of the January birthdays are over, we can focus on getting this place organized!

Go through the maternity clothes - completed
Clean out Deron's clothes
Clean out Deron's shoes
Clean out Christy's clothes
Clean out Christy's shoes
Organize Tupperware cupboard
Go through Liam's clothes
Go through/organize Brendan's clothes
Clean out and clean fridge and freezer
Organize cups/bottles cupboard - completed
Get rid of radio in bedroom
Clean out bills box
Clean out & organize toys (lots and lots of toys)
Clean out our closet
Clean out boy's closet
Clean out junk drawer
Shred paperwork
Complete taxes!!!!! (Most important)
Finish mailing out birth announcements

I'm sure that this list will only get longer, but even seeing this list in writing is stressing me out because it seems like sooooooo much! Having another child really does make less time in the day, especially when he seems to always be hungry and wants to be held constantly!

The Boys

2011-01-21T12:51:00.001-08:00

Brendan was wide awake yesterday and the only thing that seemed to make him happy was being propped up on the couch next to his brother. Perfect picture time!

They even watched a little Handy Manny together!

Liam is 3!

2011-01-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Liam turned 3! I can't believe that he really is already 3 years old. It feels like those three years have just flown by. We started out the day by opening a present from Aunt Lisa and Uncle Matt and then he got his prized possesion, a new vaccum. This is something he has been asking about for 3 weeks. It is not a real vaccum, but a toy Dirt Devil vaccum that he found at daycare, and decided he had to have it. He has been playing with it ever since he opened it. We skyped with my sister and her family and then decorated Liam's cake! We made a 3-tier 3" round cake. Just Liam's size!

Later in the afternoon, we headed to Jump Zone so Liam could do some jumping! He fought us so hard that day when it came to his nap, so this is how he looked when we got there!

We have never been to the jump zone before, so Liam was a little hesitant to just jump right in, but he finally warmed up and got into the jump areas where there were kids his size! It was really hard to get pictures because he was running all over the place. Afterwards we headed to Red Robin for birthday dinner. The waitress even surprised Liam at the end with a birthday ice cream!

Then we went home and ate birthday cake!

We are having a birthday party on Saturday, in which I have agreed to make Liam a Batman cake. This will be the biggest baking task I have taken on, so we will see how it turns out!

Four Weeks Already?!

2011-01-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

Brendan is 4 weeks old today, and the time has just seemed to fly by!

Some of the things that Brendan is doing... other than sleeping, eating and dirtying his diapers :)
*He's awesome at lifting his head. He lifts up his head and looks around already!
*He has super strong legs and likes to use them to climb up Mommy
*He has given both myself and Deron a smile already! (and it was not while he was sleeping or passing gas)
*He's growing like a weed and he is eating so much!

He is such a good baby and really only cries when he doesn't want a diaper change and during every other bath. We've been having some spit up issues when he nurses, but he seems to do much better when he is feeding from a bottle, so we'll see what changes we have to make! All in all, things are going great in the McCandless household, and Liam tells us daily that he loves his brother, even if he wakes us up at night!

My Handsome Boys

2011-01-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

3 week stats!

2011-01-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we took Brendan to his 2-3 week check up, and he is really growing. He had lost some weight in the hospital (went from 8.4 lbs to 7.13lbs) and had gained back 2 oz. from the time we left till the first check up on Dec. 21st. Yesterday he weighed 9.1 lbs and had grown an inch! He is only about an inch shorter than Liam was when he was born now, and he is almost not fitting into his newborn clothes anymore. Such a change from swimming in his newborn clothes. He is such a piggy baby too! That must be where all the weight is coming from :)

Brotherly Love

2011-01-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

Liam loves holding his little brother. The other night he was so excited to cuddle with him that he insisted that I take pictures of them together :)

Ready for the New Year!

2011-01-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

2010 and is gone, and our family is so ready for 2011. This past year has definitely been a difficult one and we have really been tested, but God has provided and we are making it. The year ended with the birth of Brendan which made all the struggles that we have faced so much better! We stayed home this year and Deron and I made a great dinner that was delicious. Liam had only had a 20 minute nap in the car that day, so he was out at 6:30pm and Brendan was asleep as well.

We were all in bed by 9pm anyways, so we rang in the New Year on New York time! Brendan did wake up at 11:50pm, so I was able to watch the ball drop at the real time :) We hope that everyone had a great New Years and that you all are blessed in this New Year!

Precious Moments

2010-12-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

I love to take pictures of a sleeping baby, mainly because, they stay still! I snapped some pictures of Brendan this morning while he was sleeping and even got big brother in on the action too.

Here's big brother and the new trick that he can do. In fact, he does this all day long!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T15:18:00.000-08:00

We hope that everyone had a great Christmas! We were homebodies for Christmas due to Brendan only being about a week old and for me not really being able to get around to well. On Christmas Eve, my family came over with Olive Garden take out and we enjoyed dinner and presents. Liam was so excited to have his family over, and his expressions to opening presents was so funny. On Christmas day, we opened presents as a family and Deron's family headed over later on in the afternoon for more presents. The kids definitely made out this year! Liam, of course, got the popcorn cooker that he asked Santa for (although it was a much smaller version of what he wanted), in addition to a cool trash truck that's been played with constantly since it was opened.

Welcome to the Family Brendan!

2010-12-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

We welcomed Brendan into the world on Friday December 17th at 7:20pm. After 2 hours of sitting in a waiting room, and almost 2 hours of prep, we were finally able to hold our little man! He was 8.4lbs and 19 1/4" long. A little smaller than his brother, but he was also 2 weeks earlier. Brendan also looks a lot like Liam, it just amazes me. I had a scheduled c-section, that has so far been good. It is definitely more difficult this time to heal because of Liam. I cannot lift anything more than 15 pounds for 2 weeks, and that includes Liam. We were able to come home a little earlier than usual and got home Sunday afternoon. Liam spent time with both sets of grandparents over those 4 days and came home on Monday afternoon. He was able to come and visit us in the hospital and hold Brendan for the first time. I think he was excited, but he looked so scared. It may have been the setting along with this big change and not really knowing what to do. Plus, he is always worried about me and seeing me hooked up to an I.V. and not really getting around probably worried him. I really had a hard time not seeing him for those 4 days. Liam is in love with his brother though! He wants to hold him all the time. We have had our moments, and today has definitely been a struggle, but there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel. It's got to be hard to not be the only one getting attention anymore, I'm sure I went through the same things when my sister was born as well. We took Brendan for his well baby check up yesterday and he is doing well. He's gained a few of the ounces back that he lost in the hospital and has a small case of jaundice, but we are working on getting that fixed :) We are so thankful for this wonderful gift that God has given to us! He is such a blessing.

One More Day.

2010-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

We have one more day until we go to the hospital for Brendan's birth. I am trying my best to relax and get some rest, but it is not really working. I am VERY uncomfortable and I'm having a very hard time sleeping at night. My breathing is getting more difficult and I am having some very painful contractions as well as a complete loss of energy. Having a scheduled c-section is great, but at the same time, it gives me a lot of time to sit around and think about what is going to happen. We are so excited to meet Brendan tomorrow, but we are really nervous too! Liam has been having a bad case of the "mommy's" and he gets upset sometimes when we talk about spending time with his grandparents and coming to visit me at the hospital. He has never spent the night away from us, so lots of change will be happening starting tomorrow. I am hoping that today just flies by and we can get to tomorrow and meet our new little man! Keep us in your prayers as we start our new adventure tomorrow!

We cannot wait to meet you Brendan! God has given us another wonderful gift and we look forward to seeing where God takes our lives!

A Visit With Santa

2010-12-13T15:02:00.001-08:00

Today we took Liam to see Santa, something that he has been talking about doing for weeks now. We were a bit concerned that he would do it, but he was determined to let Santa know what he really wants for Christmas. When we got there, he was a little nervous, but the short wait calmed him down. He walked right up there and said "Hi Santa!" He talked with him and told him that he wants a popcorn cooker and a healthy brother for Christmas. He has grown up so much and was such a brave little boy. During the day, he kept saying to us, "so, Santa said a popcorn cooker? Ok!" or "So, Santa poked my belly and he said 'squeak.'" He was so happy that he got to see Santa today that when we were driving home, he told us that he already missed Santa! The picture is kind of small because it's a copy from the website, but it turned out really good!

38 Weeks...

2010-12-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Today I am officially 38 weeks pregnant, and I am exhausted! I feel like there is still so much for us to do in order to be ready to bring Brendan home, but it will probably always feel like that. It has been really hard for me to do much of anything lately. Liam and I had a "date" day today before the baby comes, and just those 2 hours wore me out! I woke up this morning just feeling drained and in a lot of pain. My belly has been so itchy and I cannot seem to get any relief. My belly is also getting stretched more than usual, and I have been feeling so hungry all day long. I can definitely tell that this little guy is trying to pack on the pounds these last few days :) I've had a few contractions here and there, but nothing to be serious about. I think that the anticipation is also starting to get to me. Since we have a scheduled delivery date and time, all I can do is think about that, and I have been very anxious. I know what to expect already and I'm thankful that this is planned, rather than having to spend 6 days in the hospital like we did with Liam, but I can't help feeling anxious! I don't have a picture for this week, mainly because I haven't had the energy to take one :) Friday is only 5 1/2 days away and it couldn't seem further. We have a lot planned this week including visiting Santa, finishing up Christmas shopping, doing to shopping at Costco and the grocery store, making sure all the bills are paid and doing a few more things around the house. We will post pictures as soon as we can!

Christmas is a comin'

2010-12-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

Wow has this year flown by! Christmas will be here before we know it, but a certain little man will be here even before that! We put our tree up about a week ago, but finally got to decorating it tonight! Liam had so much fun, and most of our ornaments ended up around his level, but that's what makes it original right? I opted to not put all the decorations up since Liam is kinda hands on with the tree and already broke an ornament ball while we were decorating. But, it's done, and we are pretty close to being ready for Christmas. I think we have 3 people left to shop for, then everything is complete. We are working hard to make sure everything is done before next Friday when we head to the hospital to meet Brendan! Here are some pictures of our decorating, and some of the cute little things we enjoy around our house this time of year!

Christmas Bake Fest!

2010-12-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

Every year I bake cookies for my employees, and this year I actually thought I was going to get out of it... but they wouldn't let me. I actually thought I wasn't going to be able to handle it, but at last, I have completed my baking day! I only made 4 different kinds of treats, but for some reason, it took from 8am until 730pm! My poor little ankles are swollen. In fact, the last batch of cookies I made were sugar cookies and Deron and I were joking that the stocking cookies were looking a lot like my swollen ankles! Here are some pictures of our baking day. Liam was quite the "help" in the kitchen and Batman even managed to get a little flour on him!

36 1/2 weeks

2010-12-01T19:35:00.001-08:00

I am almost 37 weeks now, and I am so ready for this little guy to be here. Lately, I've been in even more pelvic pain than usual. My sciatic nerve has been really acting up too, which is making getting out of bed in the morning about a 5 minute process. I have a doctors visit on Friday, so I am hoping that things will progress and we will have more plans in place. During my last visit, my doctor said that we would do my c-section on December 18th. Hopefully that date is still set and we will be seeing our little guy in about 17 days. I was trying really hard to work right up until my surgery, but decided that I just couldn't. Thursday is going to be my last day and I am very ready. There are so many things we need to do before Brendan comes, and trying to accomplish these while working is near impossible! Hopefully after Friday I will have some great news to announce!

Well Hello There Brendan!

2010-11-12T04:37:00.000-08:00

Last night we did our 3D/4D ultrasound and we finally got to see what this little guy looks like. We were really shooting for a one trip experience since Liam wouldn't perform during his and we ended up going back 3 times! Brendan was more cooperative except for the hand in front of his face and that he was sleeping most of the time. We did get some good pictures though and are amazed at how much the two boys look alike. We compared their pictures last night and the only real difference seems to be the foreheads!

Pumpkins!

2010-10-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch on Thursday to get Liam a pumpkin for carving and of course for those great photo opportunities! He kept wanting to pick out these little tiny pumpkins, so we finally settled on a smaller size that we could a least fit a face on! He loved the pumpkin patch. What a difference a year made too. He was posing for pictures and just seemed so much more grown up about it this year. There were way too many kids there on field trips, so we just stayed long enough to pose for pictures and pick out a pumpkin.

Disneyland

2010-10-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

About a week back, Liam and I took a trip to Disneyland with our friends Laura, Becky and Alivia. Laura and I have been trying to get the kids (Liam and her niece Alivia) to Disneyland for a while, and we finally got the chance. Not to mention, this would probably be my last visit before Brendan is born. The kids were so excited on the way down there. When we finally got there, you could just see it on their face how happy they were! These two just really enjoyed each other. We were able to get Liam to go on Small World again, since last time he was so scared he hid in my shirt the whole time. He drove Laura around on Autotopia and we took a ride on the train. There was no getting him back on Pirates of the Carribean. We can't forget Liam's visit with Mickey Mouse. He was asking where he was since we walked into Disneyland, and after standing in a long line in Mickey's house, we finally got to see him. It was more one-on-one time than when you find him in the street and Liam was SO happy! By the end of the trip, I was so exhausted. My feet hurt, my back hurt and my belly just felt so heavy. I was glad to be able to get that last trip in with Liam before the baby comes!

27 1/2 weeks

2010-09-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

We are starting the big countdown! Only 11 more weeks to go! This pregnancy has gone by so fast. I had a doctors appointment about 2 weeks ago and everything is great! I was a little worried because I am significantly smaller than I was with Liam, but things are right on track. Apparently because of my high blood pressure last pregnancy, I gained too much weight, 58 pounds to be exact! This time, my blood pressure is low, I'm watching what I'm eating, and I'm feeling great. With the lower weight gain also means that I feel this baby so much more. Many times his punches and kicks are quite painful! Liam loves to feel him move, and Brendan will snuggle up to the side of my belly that Liam is sitting next to. Here are some pictures we took today. I accidentally wore black and orange today, so we thought it would be cute to make a pumpkin face on my shirt!

Life has officially happened!

2010-09-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a while since I have blogged, but like my title states, life happened! I thought I was busy before, but now, we are even busier. I think my day to day routine consists of waking up at 430am, going to work, coming home, making dinner, doing homework, playing with Liam, going to bed, and starting all over. It really feels as though there is not enough time in a day to get everything done! We are working hard to get things ready for Brendan because the weeks are flying by and we only have about 10-12 more weeks! Which also means that I only have that much time to get someone trained at work to take over my position! Not an easy task to do in 10 weeks! Lately I have really started to question why I decided to take classes this semester, after all, the classes end on Dec. 18th and I am currently scheduled for a c-section on Dec. 19th! That is cutting it way too close! Other than the overload of homework that I can never seem to get done everyday, my heart is just not in it because I want to spend as much time with Liam before Brendan comes. Oh the things we do to save some money....

In the midst of all our craziness, we did manage to sneak in an afternoon at Lake Hemet on Sunday with our friends Mike and Leanne and their little girl Kara. It was a nice day, minus all the bee's that seemed to want to attack us! Liam really enjoyed Kara and wanted to hold her and play with her the whole time!

A New Do!

2010-08-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

We've been giving Liam his haircuts since he first starting getting them, but this time he wanted something different! He wanted hair like his Daddy and cousin Aidan, which meant that a lot of hair was getting cut!

Here is a before picture:

This is all the hair that was cut...

And this is the finished product!

He loves his new do! It's taking me a little bit to get used to it because it makes my baby look older, but it does suit him!

Becoming a Big Boy!

2010-08-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a milestone for Liam. He has a little bit of an attachment to his 2 pacifiers. One is blue and the other is green. I can't really blame him, I was the same way when I was little. About 2 weeks ago I read about ways to get kids to let go of their "comfys." One example was to tie the pacifier to a balloon and say goodbye. We have been talking about it everyday for 2 weeks, and Liam decided that he was only ready to get rid of the green pacifier so far. That is a big step for him. So today, we got some balloons and tied his pacifier to it along with a note for whoever finds it. Liam was such a good sport. And afterwards, all he did was ask where the balloons went! Now we just have to work on the blue pacifier, and hopefully that will come soon!

21 weeks

2010-08-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

I'm 21 weeks right now, and feeling pretty good. The heartburn has gotten a little worse than normal, and my feet have started to swell, but other than that, I'm feeling pretty good. Liam has been telling me every day this past week that my belly is BIG! I just keep telling to wait until his brother gets bigger!

30!

2010-08-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 30th birthday! I am officially out of the 20's. I was sad about it for the last few weeks, but it ends up being ok. It's a new decade and there are lots of changes coming, so I guess that it is suiting for a new age to be entered as well. We celebrated on Sunday with a family dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. My Dad had one of his friends make a great cake! I worked on my actual birthday, so we didn't really do anything. I got a cake, magazine, gift card, cookies and candy from my co-workers which was very nice. It was nice to just relax and be with my family. The pictures aren't that great because no one would sit still and the lighting was weird in there. I even had to re-create blowing out the candles because no one caught the picture!

It's Official!

2010-07-29T14:57:00.001-07:00

We had our 18 week ultrasound today, and we were able to get confirmation that we are having another boy! We are so excited. Deep down I really wanted a girl, but this is God's plan, and we're already prepared for a boy right? Liam couldn't be more excited that he is going to have a brother. He is already telling us that his brother is going to sit on his lap and he will share his pillow with him. We have also decided on his name:

Brendan Jason Thomas McCandless

My family got in on the name this time. Jason is my brothers name, whom I never had the chance to meet. He passed away when he was just a baby. Thomas is my Dad's middle name, as well as Deron's!

Here are some pictures from our ultrasound today!

16 weeks

2010-07-18T20:17:00.001-07:00

I am currently 16 weeks, and feeling great! My nauseousness has gone away and I have regained most of my energy, except that now the heat has taken it away. I am feeling this little guy move all over the place, especially when I am trying to sleep. It is neat to see Liam's reactions to his brother in my belly. He gives him kisses every day and rubs my belly when we are just sitting down together. The other day I was putting lotion on my belly and he said, "the baby is getting big mommy!" What a cute little kid! We are looking forward to our next appointment at the end of the month where we get the gender ultrasound, just to confirm what we already know!

Swimming!

2010-07-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today Liam and I went to Target and picked up a kiddie pool to take to my parents. We had a blast! Liam loves his new pool, despite the slide having a hole in it. Hopefully the patch will hold! Liam just loves the water. Now both grandparents have some water fun at their houses! Liam even managed to sneak in some work time with Papa. He loves working out in Papa's dental lab.

Grandma is 88!

2010-07-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

My Grandma turned 88 years old on the 8th, and this past weekend we celebrated her birthday! Liam even played a little guitar music for her!

July 4th

2010-07-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry this post is late, but we've just been busy, or too tired to really do much! We started the day by heading to our church's 4th of July picnic. Liam played for a little while in the pools they had there, then we headed off to Deron's parents for swimming and fireworks. The fireworks show was good, as usual, again this year, but Liam was not such a fan of them. He quickly got scared, then came and sat with me while he hid his head under his blanket. When they were over, he said, "yeah!" and was clapping under the blanket!

Family Beach Day

2010-06-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

On Thursday we headed to the beach for our anniversary. We just needed some time to relax together and get away from our everyday stress. We went to Huntington Beach and had a blast. Liam wouldn't put his feet in the sand for about the first hour so his feet were in a bucket until we got the beach tent up. After a while, we headed to the ocean and played in the water and made sand castles, which Liam proudly smashed. Other than the beach being littered with trash, we had a nice day that was much needed!

4 Years Ago Today...

2010-06-24T07:29:00.001-07:00

... Deron and I were married. Today we are celebrating our anniversary! It has been a fun, challenging, growing 4 years, and I wouldn't change it for anything. God has given us many challenges and we are still dealing with a few, but I know we will get through it all together through God. We are excited to see what He has in store for our family this next year since we will be adding a new baby to our family. God has really given me a great husband and our children a great father! We are celebrating today by going to the beach and having a family day. Just a day to relax, which is what we need most!

(sorry the pictures are small. I couldn't find any on the computer so I had to copy them from Facebook)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

A case of the blahs...

2010-06-16T05:08:00.001-07:00

The title basically says it. I feel blah. Still low on energy which I'm hoping will change in the next few weeks. Haven't really been sick, but still a little nauseous here and there. I've had a sinus infection and an earache. The headaches still come and really, I just feel like laying around ALL the time. I've been really trying to watch what I eat so I don't retain so much water like I did last time, as well as keeping my blood pressure low. But, the stuff that I am craving is frozen yogurt, cinnamon rolls and root beer floats. I am just ready for the next stage where I am supposed to have lots of energy and just feel good all the time.

My little Brother Graduates

2010-06-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, my brother David graduated from high school. I really can't believe he is all grown up. We are so proud of him! It was a nice little ceremony at the Redlands Bowl in the evening so it wasn't so hot! Congrats David!

First Doctor's Visit

2010-05-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today we had our first visit with a new doctor for this pregnancy. I was really nervous because I don't have a doctor that I love at Kaiser, until today! She is the best! She was so informative and really listened to the concerns we had, and just took the time to talk with us. This is something that I haven't had in an OB doctor before. It is so refreshing to know that we finally found one, so hopefully this pregnancy will be stress free, when it comes to the doctors side. We got to see the baby for the first time today and saw the little heartbeat on the screen. It is always a comforting feeling when you finally get to see/hear that heartbeat! They measured the baby to get a more accurate due date, and the date had changed by one day. So our official due date is December 27th! That will most likely not be the delivery day because of my previous c-section. The doctor said that she would deliver the baby at 39 weeks unless I went into labor earlier. So, it looks like our new addition will be her just before Christmas!

#2!

2010-05-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know, but Baby McC #2 is on the way. We found out really early, just like with Liam, but we are excited to share. The due date is 12/26/10, a Christmas baby! I am about 6 1/2 weeks right now. Not feeling all that great, having some nausea, already showing, and really tired. It is definitely different having a 2 year old already because I don't get to have those after work naps that I used to have before. We are looking forward to finding out what we are having. I would like a girl, and Deron wants another boy. But of course, whatever we have is fine with us! We are looking forward to posting many more stories!

A New Approach

2010-04-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to get Liam more and more interested in the potty, but haven't had much success. When he was about 1 1/2 he was really into it and went all the time, but lately, not so much. He knows how to go, it's getting him to not be so lazy and just use his diaper. So, we've decided to make him a potty chart and after a certain amount of times of using the potty chair, he will get a prize! He was super excited about it last night when we were making the chart, but has yet to use the potty chair. We'll see how this works out. He keeps going to the chart, pointing to it, then to the potty chair and then says "prize!" Let us know if you all have done anything different that has worker. We are open for any suggestions!

Disneyland!!!

2010-04-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Disneyland! We went with my sister and her family along with my brother and sister! Since Matt and Lisa are moving to Belgium for 4 years, we thought it would be a good time to go. We had a blast. We stayed in California Adventure most of the time, but spend about an hour and a half in Disneyland. Liam was in love with the Toy Story Mania ride, we went twice, and he liked the Ferris wheel too. It was nice weather and it wasn't too crowded, until we went to Disneyland. It was great to spend the day as a family. Liam woke up this morning telling me about the Toy Story ride and him meeting Woody!

Padres Game

2010-04-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Matt, Lisa and I went to a Padres game. Deron was supposed to go, but as luck would have it, he got sick on his vacation. With the rainy, cold weather, we didn't want to risk him getting worse. Nevertheless, we had lots of fun, and enjoyed a big whopping by the Padres against the Braves. The final score, 17-2! I forgot how much I enjoy going to these kind of events. While it might not have been appropriate for Liam yet, since it was sold out, I think this is something we can enjoy when he gets older. I got him a Padres hat that he has not taken off since I brought it home!

Easter

2010-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Easter was much different this year than last year since Liam is older and can understand a bit more about what this day represents. We went to church in the morning, then out for lunch with my family. It was nice to have Lisa, Matt and Emma with us this year. Then we came home for naps, then headed off to Deron's parents house for an egg hunt and dinner. The boys went crazy when we went outside to look for eggs. They were running all over the place. Last year, we had to lead Liam to where the eggs were and help him pick them up. This year, he was a pro!

Eggstravaganza!

2010-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Liam and I colored our eggs today for Easter. We found a kit that make monster eggs, and it was too cute to pass up. Liam was too little for this last year, so I was excited to do it with him this year. He was so excited about all the colors. When he climbed up in the chair he started naming all the colors out. What a smart kid! Here are some pictures of our egg coloring!

They're Finally Here!

2010-04-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

We finally have gotten to meet Emma! My sister Lisa and Emma flew in yesterday and I had the pleasure of picking them up at the airport! It was so nice to finally see my little niece, even if she cried when she first saw me. She is so adorable, and as always, it's nice to have my sister back local. Her husband Matt is currently driving out here from Georgia. They are going to stay here for the month of April and then they are off to Belgium for 3 years. This will be a great month full of family time and fun things to do with the kiddos. Today, Liam got to meet Emma for the first time, and he was so excited. All he would talk about is how he is going to hold the baby on his arm. Here are some pictures of them hanging out today.

What?!? Brittany is 16?

2010-03-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's right! My baby sister is 16 years old, or at least she will be on the 29th! We celebrated her birthday tonight with some yummy burgers and cake! I feel so old when my little brother and sister get older... where has all the time gone! Well anyways, Happy Birthday Britt! I hope your birthday is fabulous!