The Sorensen's Adventure

Weeeeeee....it's Icceeeee

2012-01-22T16:51:00.000-08:00

It might have only snowed an inch (maybe even less) and it turned to ice rights after but we Sorensens know how to have fun. We took our kitty litter box and a sled went for a spin. Sicily wasn't too sure about it at first but after a while she LOVED it.

Roman had fun pulling her.

Can I just tell you how much we love our neighbors. All of them are so great, caring and so generous. Our fun neighbor Karen let us borrow her old school radio flyer aluminum sled. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! It went super fast and out of control.

**did you notice roman's face...after 5 min of being outside he tripped and fell and hit his cheek on a bench. That's my boy (clumsy but tough)!

Ernie and I couldn't just stand by and watch Roman do it, so we took it for a spin as well. It was so much fun. I love having kids because we get to be kids.

#9

2012-01-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

I know I say this all the time but I really can't believe that my little birdie is 9 months old. They grow up SOOOO fast. She is a little spitfire and has her mind made up about everything. She is 97% for her height and 80% for her weight. She has two little teeth and seems to be just fine with them. Of course we have teeth worries at our house, but she doesn't seem in any hurry to get the other ones.

She says mama, dada, baba, makes the sounds for sheep, and started saying bye bye.

She LOVES her daddy and gets so excited when she sees him (if you remember a few months ago this wasn't the case). She LOVES her brother too.

She loves to eat big people food now and will let you know what she likes and what she doesn't.

She pulls herself up on EVERYTHING, and is a little terror. She loves to be in the middle of Roman's playing and bullies her older brother already.

Here she is waving bye bye...it is THE cutest thing ever. The funny thing is we went in for her 9 month check up and that was the only thing she couldn't do according to what they asked me. We realized we hadn't even taught it to her so we started and it took less than a week for her to pick it up. She did it the first time to the cashier at the grocery store and I got so excited, Ernie has made fun of me since.

How could you not be excited to see this miss thang wave to you?

I guess I'm not very nice...

2012-01-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Apparently I am not very nice when I don't post for a while and then when I do, I post about me and Ernie and don't put any pictures of my babies...hahaha.

Soooo, this one is for Mina (and my mom):

We were able to spend two weeks up at my parents for the Holidays and had a BLAST. It's not often we get one on one grandparent time and we definitely took advantage of it. Here's one of the first nights we were there....just look at the pictures before I tell you the story and let me know if you get it without reading what happened.

Decorating Cookies with Grandma (who is taking the picture)

Here's how it when down:

As you can see from the pics it started out as a good night decorating some cookies for Santa with Mom, Dad & Grandma. Roman even got to decorate his very own gingerbread guy (he referred to it as his GI Joe guy). He put icing on it, then a TON of sprinkles, then grandma went to shake some of the sprinkles off and the leg fell off...not just one, but TWO LEGS....hence the crying (and boy was it a cry). Grandma (the doctor) put the legs back on with some special glue (icing) and all was well.

HAHAHAHAAA it was the most hilarious and saddest thing that could happen to a 3 year old. Poor Grandma felt terrible. Needless to say, the cookies tasted great and we had so much fun.

Together Forever

2012-01-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

10 years of pure bliss...really??? does that happen?

Our marriage has not been all bliss but I've got to say it's been pretty dang close. We are the happiest we've ever been (minus dental school), and even that isn't that big of a road bump that we can't find the silver lining in our days and months.

I have loved my husband from the first time I laid eyes on him.

He called me "the woman of his dreams" after the 1st night we met

and 10 years later

we are still in love, living our life better than we expected.

I think ten years ago we thought we would be spending our 10 year anniversary on the beach somewhere without kids, getting massages and sipping on some fruity drink....BUT...without an income we settled for a night out without kids to a very nice restaurant in Washington. It was a great night, we had a great dinner at Snoqualmie Lodge and my parents happily watched the kids for us (so we didn't even have to pay for a babysitter).

Whatever we would have done, beach or dinner it was great night. We have so much fun together and realize that just spending time with each other is the best way to celebrate.

For years and years I have looked for a quote that represents us and I finally found one. It couldn't be more true. We are the silliest, goofiest perfect couple around and I am so glad that we found each other and that only after 4 months of knowing each other we still are the perfect match.

Anyone can be passionate but it takes real lovers to be silly

-Rose Franken, writer-

Happy 10 years to my love...hang in there for another eternity

xoxo

I'm not going to cry

2011-12-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas is getting closer. Roman and I have had some fun Christmas dates. Since Ernie had to study so much and the weeks were rough, I decided to take my little Romie on some one-on-one dates with his mama. We had some good times.

We live in a big city but where we live is FABULOUS! It doesn't feel like a big city. We have a little quaint community just over the foot bridge where every year they have a Christmas festival. This year Roman and I walked over and saw Santa. He kept telling me "I'm not going to cry Mom" he didn't, walked right up to Santa and said, "Hi Santa, I want a guitar" it was cute.

We also got to ride on a horse and carriage, see some magic shows, watch jugglers, got a balloon sword, had ice-cream. I asked if he wanted Hot Chocolate and he said no mom I want warm chocolate hahaha...and then he saw the ice-cream store and that was that (just like a Sorensen).

A couple of days later, our friends asked if we wanted to join them in going to the National Christmas Tree, so Roman and I went out again. We rode the metro down to the white house where we got to see the trains and the big tree. We had so fun and he got to be with his little buddy Zach, which is always a treat.

Notice how weird the top of the tree is? Apparently with the hurricane this last fall it snapped the old tree in half and they had to bring this one in. You think for a National Tree they could have fixed the top...looks a little off haha.

Here's Roman watching the trains intently. He LOVED it, and could have watched them forever.

This was one of his views.

Here's another...kind of cool the Washington Monument in the background. It was a great night. A perfect way to spend some time with my lil guy.

Hell Week

2011-12-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

It's OVER!!!! Hallelujah!!! Ernie has completed his finals and it's been one nasty week for all of us. I try and post things up beat but let's be real for a moment. Life is not all pretty like my cute little babies....it's rough, sleepless, sicky, snotty, tiresome, cranky, ugly, and plain hellacious. We've survived yet another finals week and I've got to say it's been one of the worst ones (if not the worst yet)...ok the worst yet.

We have had sick babies, sick mama, tired daddy, cold and yucky weather and long days and nights. I'm pretty sure Ernie slept maybe a total of 20 hours this week. Sicily was up no later than 5am the whole week. My sweet Roman was pretty good, but we are all tired.

It's nice to know that this was probably the last hard, hard finals week. Oh we'll still have three more hard finals weeks but I don't think it will be this bad. Did you see that ONLY THREE MORE FINALS WEEKS. We are getting close to the end. I don't want to get too excited but a year and a half left...we are over the half way mark!

Let's kick some booty this next year and a half!!! In the words of Roman HIIIIYAAAAA!

Goin on the go go

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

This little thing is mobile

She's a movin and a shakin and a crawlin and a rollin

She is 8 months on the 8th, and I just can't get over how quickly time flies. She is getting more and more fun. We've been calling her PIP the penguin lately because she kind of looks like one of those penguins with the little fuzz on the sides of their heads.

She still squawks and is a stubborn little thing

She has two sharp teeth and is starting to eat and try new things. We are loving her and getting adjusted yet again on having a baby that can get into things and moves.

My Lovies

2011-11-30T17:48:00.000-08:00

Adoption

2011-11-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

With it being the time of year for thankfulness feelings, I feel like it's the most appropriate time to express how thankful I am for all that I have. I have even felt this more and more. I could go on and list all the things I'm thankful for, but when it comes down to it my family is the most important and most joy I've had in my whole life. I'm sure some of you know that it took us about 7 years to get Roman and then Sicily just came by way of chance, so I have realized that life is precious, unfair, unpredictable, challenging, fragile, fun and most importantly full of surprises.

With that said, we have had the privilege to get to know so many wonderful people while we have lived out here in DC. I was talking to one of my friends the other day and she made the comment that we could really hate all of our friends because everyone out here is so amazing and has so much going for them. For the last few months I've become really close to a family that goes to our church who also has a son Roman's age. They are the most wonderful family and have SO much going for them. They had a hard time having their first son and are now looking into adoption.

So if you know of anyone that is looking for a home for a baby please keep my friends in mind. Here is their profile and a little peek into who they are.

If you want to check out their blog you can see their everyday life.

BEST pull toy off the market

2011-11-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

With some parental supervision the other day Roman found the best pull toy. If you can't quite see we have safely secured his booster seat to a little wagon/pull toy and put Cici on it and pulled her around. It was loads of fun for an afternoon.

Roman started off putting his Simba stuffed animal and we graduated to putting his sister on there (my suggestion)...I know, I know, you are thinking (really Melanie)???? but come on it looked like so much fun AND IT WAS!!!

Here's the start to a great winter indoors

32 and counting

2011-11-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

So I posted the kids with the thankful tree and Ernie said..."what about a birthday post for me?"...so I owe it to my husband. The problem is I only have this one picture of his birthday. I think he's breathing in to blow out his candles but he sure looks mean. I swear it was a good birthday hahaha.

His birthday was on the 4th and he turned 32. We decorated the house and wrote a poster of the 32 reasons we love our daddy. I should have taken a pic of our list but here's a few of the reasons we LOVE him.

1. Because he plays cowboys with me

2. He's goofy

3. He's funny

4. He's got a bald head

5. He plays "Buds" with me (roman)

6. He's a sweet boose

7. He's a good kisser (this one was #31 and Ernie was mad it was down at the bottom, but I put it there because I saved the best for last) haha

8. He's a good daddy

There were 24 more...and many more I can't even count. We love you Ernie!!!!! Happy Late Birthday!

Thank You

2011-11-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again!!! I love it! We had such a great time doing the thankful tree last year we did it again. I think this is our new tradition.

I have much to be thankful...but these two little goofball babies are at the top of my list.

What I Do

2011-11-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

I feel as a mom I do lots of things wrong but surprisingly I do a lot of things right. Lately I've had a lot of my friends and even strangers/acquaintances compliment me on how well my son obeys and how polite and well mannered he is, which is the highest compliment I could possible get (so thank you). Now I think his personality is definitely a part of it. Roman is very mile mannered and is a good kid by nature so it's not as hard for me as it is for some of those stubborn, strong willed children (like I think my little Sicily is going to be).

However, I was thinking of what I do as far as parenting and here are a few things that I do that have worked for us. Granted not everything that I do works for us ALL the time and it's through trial and error, consistency and creativity that things have worked out for us. I'm writing this partly to share what I do, but it's also been good for me to write it down and hopefully use it as a reference guide with my other children.

We have always been a proponant of discipline even when Roaman was young. Some might say too young, but we have the mind set that if you can nip bad behavior in the bud then it doesn't escalate into a 5 year old throwing a tantrum because he didn't get a cookie at the grocery store (and I know y'all have seen that before) So here's some things that we do (at least some things that I can recall off the top of my head):

Punishments (WE BELIEVE IN THEM)
Time outs: I've done time outs since Roman was even a year old. I would put him in the corner even for 20 seconds, and then gradually work our way up to a minute when he could grasp the concept of time outs and what he did wrong. I ALWAYS got down to his level and had eye contact and explained what he did and why it was wrong....and do that to this day.
Good threats: Ohhh the threats...well make it a good one. Don't threaten things that you are going to carry out. If I say I'm going to leave if Roman take a toy from another kid, well, I leave. It's hard to follow through kids are smart and they know if and how much they can get away with.
Taking things away: toys, parks, treats, watching shows
Soap in mouth: some might say this is harsh, but we had a short bout of Roman saying NO to my face and Ernie said if he did it again there would be soap...it took 3 times and no more NO's.

Responsibility: I believe that every child should have responsibilities. Even at a young age, we have tried to instill hard work in Roman. Even if those responsibilities are putting your toys away every night. It's something. Now that Roman is older, he knows what chores he has to do and what his responsibilities are.
Chores: I found that my son LOVES to help, and most kids do. So when I'm doing chores, I find something for Roman to do so that he is a part of the action. He loves vacuuming, washing walls, dusting...they might not be up to my standards but he is learning and that's the lesson more than a clean wall.

Choices:
Parenting with Love and Logic. I love this book. I like the concepts of choices. Now with that said, I think there are boundaries and giving appropriate choices. The idea is that you give a child a choice but the same outcome will happen. For example: We are going to the truck right now, do you want to walk to the truck, or do you want me to carry you...or...we are going to bed, do you want to go to bed happy, or do you want to go to bed sad? Same outcome, but they get to choose how they are going to do it.

Politeness:
Don't test my politeness (an office quote). I will not raise an impolite child. This is a work in progress but it is doable. I can't stand kids that inturrupt, or say I want I want I want...it drives me NUTS!!! Granted my child has said his fair share of annoying things, and has inturrupted me on mannyyy occasions but he is just three and he is improving all the time...AS LONG AS I STILL PRACTICE WITH HIM. It takes constant reminding but I have been told by many many people that he is one of the most polite children they have ever seen. So something must be working.

It's all about mimicking. Once I realized my son was telling rather asking me for things I knew something had to change. I realized that as adults we aren't as polite as we think we are. It took a lot of reflection to realize this. For me and my husband we would constantly ask...or tell each other to grab something, do something without saying please or thank you. We have since learned it is truly all about example.
My son now says : May i please have... instead of I want a...
He probably over uses this phrase but he says it none the less: When adults are talking he knows to say Excuse me..and then waits for the attention and he proceeds.

Eating:
It seems like everyone goes through some sort of picky eater stage. My son went through it and still goes through it. Thanks to my mother in law our eating battles were no more (well at least decreased immensly). She gave me the book Child of Mine. It teaches you that as a parent you have the responsibility to provide what, when and gives the children the responsibility to eat how much, what to eat and if they are going to eat. It is a little hard to watch your kids not eat, but it has lifted the stress and now my son does realizes if he doesn't eat then he'll be hungry.

Other fun things we do:

Thankful tree: We started this last year and I LOVE it. For the month of November we set up a thankful tree and every night we say one thing we are thankful for and hang it leaves on our tree.

Warm fuzzies: Inspired by President Thomas S. Monson (from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints). The idea is that when you do something good for someone else we get to put a "warm fuzzy", which is a little pom pom in a jar and when we fill the jar we get to go out for ice-cream.

Positive reinforcement: see warm fuzzies (it works so well)
Tickets: So I tried to give out "No Listening" tickets because Roman was having a hard time not listening...if he got three in one day he didn't get to watch a show before bed...this one didn't work so well (I'm going to re-evaluate this one a bit).

Anyway...I know they are random things, and I know I'm forgetting some but it's a little peek inside our little lives. If you have any good ideas PLEASE share with me. I'm always looking for other inspiration.

Happy Parenting!!!

Howdy Partner

2011-11-02T04:35:00.000-07:00

That was Roman's catch phrase this halloween. The cowboy dressed up probably 5 out of the 7 days before halloween and probably at least twice a week since we got his costume. HE LOVES his cowboy outfit which makes me so glad. We're definitely getting or have gotten our money's worth. We even learned the boot scoot and boogie song and danced his little heart out. I'll have to get it on video and share.

Here's our little lady bug. She didn't mind being in her costume either...and was sure cute!

Don't mind the strangle...she didn't seem to mind.

We went down to Lee St again down in Old Town. It was fabulous and definitely will do it again. It's our little tradition now. Roman LOVED everything about Halloween. The costumes, the decorations and especially the candy. He learned the trick or treat smell my feet and thought he was HILARIOUS.

Here's Roman and his buddy Noah (we missed our other partner in crime Parker this year).

For some reason here's me and Andrew with the kids. It looks like our little family. Megan and Ernie were taking pics.

Here are the happy little tricksters.

Hope everyone had a good Halloween and has filled their bellies with some sweet goodness...and remember to brush your teeth :)

Are you scared yet?

2011-10-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

DATE NIGHT OCTOBER:

We went down to Old Town Alexandria and did a ghost tour, I've wanted to do this since we moved here, and they only do it during October so I knew what we were going to do for our date this month. They just take you around Old Town and tell some of the weird and bizarre ghosts stories from the time the town was settled in the 1700's until present.

It was super fun. We had a blast. It was something different and interesting than just a normal date. We only had Ernie's camera phone so the pics are great...but they kinda look even spookier. If you haven't done it, I definitely recommend going on one.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post pics of our pumpkin carving. This isn't any ordinary pumpkin carving...leave it to Ernie to make things a bit more interesting.

Ernie had to by a dremel for school that day and so when we sat down to carve the pumpkins he whips that thing out and decides to use it.

Roman's scary face

Ernie's puke face

The boys hard at work

For a boy who doesn't mind getting dirty Roman didn't love getting his hands in there and scooping the guts. He did however LOVE taking pics. Here is the night from Roman's view (don't mind my head being cut off)

He also wanted to take pics of our spooky decorations. We've been busy ghouls and goblins at our house. Here our are ghosts and our spiderspebs (that's how Roman says spiderwebs)

Fall Fest

2011-10-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...I LOVE LOVE LOVE fall. Virginia has some pretty good fall weather also. We went to the Cox Family Farm with some friends this past weekend and then we carved pumpkins. It was an great weekend, which we needed because the past two weeks prior were mid-terms so we seriously only saw Ernie a few hours all week.

We were immediately greeted by a cow, (I gotta say that Roman looks like such a stud in this pic).

6 months

2011-10-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Growing up...

It's been a hard month for me, with Roman turning 3 I am realizing that I don't have my baby boy anymore...or that he's growing up and is a little boy. I hear him say funny things, do crazy stuff and is still so cute and I just don't want him to grow up anymore. He is independent yet still need his mama, he communicate so well and I can reason with him, he is genuinely still excited about things...I just don't want it to stop.

What makes it easy is that I have Sicily to help as a buffer to growing up, however, she herself is growing so fast. She is already 6 months...can you believe it??? It's very weird. She is in the 86% for her height (27 inches) and 89% for her weight (18.1 lbs). Still my big (little girl).

Here's my kids...cute as ever, busy as ever which makes me tired as ever

She sits up with assistance, still won't do it fully on her own but she is a rollin like crazy!

This is Cici's signature pose...she seriously does yoga stomach poses all the time...in this pic she found some halloween spider web that she's getting with her toe.

Signs

2011-10-07T04:41:00.000-07:00

My sister in law is amazing in so many ways....she has her own vinyl sign business and has some new signs she is doing for the holidays. Here's what she's been working on.

She can pretty much do anything you want...so if you're looking for some good Christmas presents here are some that are unique and affordable.

Check her shop out Sayings For Life.

Date Nights

2011-09-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

So in our life, date nights are far and few between...since in school we have tried to get our dates on but most of the time it's more difficult than we think. Now we have two kids, it's even harder to find a babysitter that wants to babysit two kids.

...BUT...

We are instigating our monthly date nights. We have planned the dates out for the whole year. We sat down together and made a list of all our ideas and then I placed the ideas into date envelopes included the activity and any tickets, money or anything else we need for the date. It sounds so corny but it actually worked and now when a month comes up we don't have to ask "what do you want to do"? which is our normal frustrating conversations when we try and plan something. We just grab the envelope and viola...date ready!!!

So we went on our first planned date last weekend. We decided to go on a bike ride, and grab a little something down in Old Town. We left in the morning, which was so fun to switch things up and go on a morning date instead of an evening date, and rode down the Mt Vernon Trail (such a pretty trail) past Old Town Alexandria then rode back and got a little pastry and rode home. IT WAS FABULOUS!!! I love going out with my hubby and can't wait for the day that we can have more time to hang out by ourselves. It's so needed and I've got to say that after ten years, I still can't get enough of him.

I don't have any pics of us...not that anyone really wants to see us, but it would be fun to just have pics by ourselves. I feel like all our pictures consist of our kids (don't get me wrong, they are a lot cuter than ernie and I).

3 years too fast

2011-09-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is 3!

Can you believe this little baby

is now this little (big) boy?

The Crash

2011-09-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well....my little daredevil had his first real crash (that didn't take long huh)? We were going over our foot bridge by our house and he was going down, I was in front to catch him, but a lot of good that did. He just got his foot stuck and totally ate it. Through the screaming, tear and the blood he said to me (but mom...can I go down the hill?) Gotta love the persistence!!

This first pic has some shock value, Ernie wanted to make it look real bad (which it is)...no broken bones, just a little scratched, scraped and dented.

Here's the little guy

He's trying to give me a sad face

It didn't work so well..he was and is a pretty happy guy even though he crashed his bike.

Being a big kid

2011-09-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here's what my little Romie-Rome is saying these days:

As we are walking down the street and I'm in front of him he yells "mom...don't beat me up", instead of don't beat me

When asking for a favor he says "mama, can you do a favorite"

Looking at my bracelets he asks "can I have a wrist to wear"?

Other funny things:

he constantly wants to be like his daddy (pretends to study, wears his little scrubs, works on pretend patients, has a helmet and ride his bike like daddy)

he climbs up on the crib and yells "hi cici" and plays peekaboo with his little sister, which i absolutely love

he is a daredevil on his bike and cruises like crazy..here he is going down "the grassy hill"

Love this little guy who is growing up so fast...he'll be 3 on the 22nd (my heart melts as he gets older and can't believe my baby is a little boy)

We've Been Feminized

2011-09-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Yes it has happened...our house is getting finally fighting back with some estrogen!!!

Sicily and her bling...I gave in and pierced her ears.

Roman told me later that day that he wanted to be a girl so that he could get his ears pierced. And then that evening Roman conned me into this:

should I be concerned by this?

Here's at least a couple of manly shots of Roman while shooting his wooden gun and catching a fish this summer to balance the feminimity of painted toenails.

ooo baby baby...ooo baby baby

2011-09-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Cici is almost 5 months but we just had her 4 month check up since we were out of town. She is healthy and strong and lovin life.

Here are her stats:

26 inches (92%), 16.8 lbs (87%), and 22.8% for head size.

I don't know why my babies have such small heads. When Roman was her age his head size was at least 44%, he was also 26 inches and 18 lbs, so they are roughly the same size.

she is opinionated

loves her mama

follows me wherever I go

loves being outside

loves moving, in the stroller, baby bjorn, in your arms

she is feisty and can scream like no other baby i've ever heard

she has her meltdown moments between 5-7

she is not a cuddlier but likes to be held

i love this sweet baby girl

Trip Series: part 2

2011-08-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

Roman's first time fishing

He really took to fishing a lot more than we thought he would, he absolutely LOVED it and once he caught that first fish he wanted to go fishing everyday while we were gone

Roman started fishing with daddy

Then he wanted to cast by himself (I'm pretty sure there wasn't any bait on it after the 1st cast into the bushes)

Sicily and I just enjoying the day

1st catch..Roman didn't want to touch it

Proud daddy and happy boy=happy mom and happy day!!!!

Trip Series: part 1

2011-08-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

The first weekend we were in Utah we were able to get some family pics done, and then we were also able to have Sicily's baby blessing. Ernie gave her such a beautiful blessing. It's hard to sit there and not shed a tear when you see your husband get emotional and hold his little daughter in his arms and bless her with the ability to alleviate pain and suffering in the world, to have faith and hope that life will be good, to marry someone for eternity. It's one of those moments in life that you wish you could just stand still and capture everything word, every sound, every look, every smell and every feeling.

She was perfect, the dress was gorgeous (made by my AMAZING sister-in-law, Samantha.) And we were surrounded by most of both of our families. My grandparents were even able to make it. It really was a special day. It was the perfect way to start off our trip.

Here's my precious little baby

I've always wanted this picture and I finally got it. My sweet grandma, my lovely mom, me and my sweet baby girl

Our little family on Cici's big day

Here are the other family pics that we took by my friend Heather Telford. She is fabulous.

Highlights

2011-08-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

Well our trip is half over and we have had a blast so far and looking forward to the next couple of weeks go end it with a bang. I'd really like to add some pics but I can't figure it out from Ernie's phone so you'll just have to wait.

Anyway, here our some quick highlights:

1. Roman is officially a fisherman.
2. Ernie's hair has grown back from the lack of stress but he continues to shave it.
3. Sicily ate rice cereal for the first time today and didn't like it.
4. I pulled a David Hasslehoff yesterday at a lake and helped a guy save his son.

You'll have to wait for the full stories and pics to come. Hope wherever you are you are enjoying your summer!!!! Take a lil time to relax...I'm going to go have some homeade ice-cream, sit on the deck and read my book.

The difference

2011-07-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Being up at the cabin and having a husband who loves to fish an a son who is learning and loving how to fish I've learned something.

The difference between men and women is:

Men can fish and never get enough. As Ernie said "just because I go once all day long doesn't mean I got it out of my system"...I will never understand this

Women can fish for an hour and be done for the rest of the summer. I'll take a book and sit by the edge of the river.

I'm glad that Ernie has Roman and Roman has Ernie

Experience

2011-07-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, as I'm sitting here at our desk writing a list of things to remember to bring on our trip to Utah and realized that we have been out here for 2 years....and I can't believe how the time has flown. We are half way done!!! YAY!!! There are so many things that I have learned out here in DC. So here's my experience as a 2yr vet in DC:

1. "The Mall" is not the one where you go shopping at

2. If you want to make friends easy...get a dog, if you don't have one other people will treat your kids as one

3. Treat other people's dogs as their children to make friends.

4. Learn to parallel park

5. Get a GPS

6. Don't expect that 5 miles will take you 10 minutes like out west...plan for at least 1/2hr

7. If you don't have allergies, you'll get them living here

8. People dress up more, and they have the real version of Fendi, Gucci, or Louis Vuitton

9. Avoid tourist attractions from May-August

10. You're lucky if you have a washer/dryer in your house, if you have parking, and if you have more than 900 sq ft

11. If you like food, you'll like living here

12. Plan on sweating in the summer...A LOT!

13. When people talk about a hike (it's really a walk on a nature trail), you definitely don't need hiking boots

14. DC has the cleanest metro stops that I have ever seen

15. There are THE best parks out here which is ironic because there are way more kids in Utah.

Love it here...but knowing that we are half way done makes me SO incredibly happy!! Here's to the next 2 years, may they be better than than the last.

Cousin Time

2011-07-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

We were SOOOO lucky to have my brother's family (Ryan) come down from Philly and spend time with us for the 4th of July...the sad thing is that these are seriously the only pics I took all weekend. Cora and Roman played so well together. It was super cute and so much fun. It's been a week since they were here and Roman asks about her coming to stay the night over and over again.

Tres Mesas

2011-07-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

My little birdie is growing and growing. I can't believe it's been three months. I just had to post a pic of Romie when he was three months and compare my babies...such cute little kids. I'm one lucky lady :)

What do ya think??? Any resemblance?

I just had to write this funny story: I went to the grocery store today and Sicily was whining in the car and then all of a sudden quiet, I thought she fell asleep and when I got home I went ot get the kids out and realized that Roman had his fingers in her mouth and she was sucking on them....of course after he was riding in the cart at the grocery store (EEEEWWWWWWWWWW)

Babies

2011-07-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

Having a baby has made Roman want his own baby...here's my baby sleeping

Here's Roman with his baby...he has been using his little froggy as his baby and wants to put it in a baby bjorn...it's super cute how he takes care of his baby just like me taking care of Sicily

Dating

2011-07-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

We went out for our first date since Sicily was born this past Tuesday. I was REALLY REALLY excited and a little nervous to leave her with someone. I remember leaving Roman with a babysitter for the first time when he was about 2 1/2 months old. I think I texted the babysitter at least 3 times while we were out. This time I did much better. Ernie's friend from school, Mina, came over and watched them. I was a little hesitant to leave both because Roman LOVES Mina and I knew that he wasn't going to get the attention he normally gets, but we did it and left both. It was fabulous to just go to dinner and not have to worry about a big kid spilling everything and making a mess, or a little one crying the whole way through dinner (what is it about dinner time that babies feel the need to cry???)

Anyway, we didn't do a whole lot because it was spur of the moment but we were able to go eat at a cute little restaraount then we went to Trader Joes and got a chocolate bar and went to Gravelly Point Park and watched the airplane fly over us. Needless to say it was a perfect evening away with just my sweetheart.

Here's our crappy photos...but at least something to remember a good night

I didn't forget...I thought I'd wait

2011-06-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

I know Father's Day was a couple of weeks ago and I sure didn't forget to post about my wonderful hubby. I just wanted to post on a day that I everyone else didn't

So here's to you my sugybuns:

We didn't do much...but we did have a bbq with some friend and Roman and I (well mostly me) made him a pinata with his favorite thing...CANDY!!!!

We made him a sign and since my mother's day sign stayed up until the day before father's day I told him he could keep his up just as long, but he said he wanted it up until Roman's birthday with is in September. We'll see how long it'll really last :)

We are SO lucky to have an Ernie for a Daddy. He is seriously the funniest, goofiest, and sweetest guy around. He puts all the other dads to shame (especially the ones out here). Roman wants to be just like him and I couldn't think of a better person for my son to look up to. Ernie is fabulous with our kids, I know Sicily will have him wrapped around her finger.

Love you bee bop babe

Reading Rainbow

2011-06-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

It seems like summer time is my reading time...I've been reading a lot (mostly while I nurse) which has been fantastic...here's my most recent list

Easy read...but very surfacey, it seemed like the climax of the book was the end and then it just stopped. It reminded me of The Giver. Good but not that great.

I don't really like circus', they kind of freak me out so I was hesitant with this one, but as I started reading I really enjoyed it but then it got a little too weird and didn't finish it.

For some reason I never read this book growing up and a book club at my church was reading this one so I thought I would read it. Again, I thought I wouldn't like it and was warned at the weirdness but I enjoyed it and was very creative.

Best Book I've read in a long time. If you like to read about this time period (which I love) you will love this and fall in love with the main character. For it being 110 year difference I find myself relating to her in more ways than I thought. LOVED IT and would definitely recommend it.

Morning Bliss

2011-06-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing morning today and took advantage of the nice overcast, somewhat cool weather so I took Roman out for a little bike ride. We scored a great deal on one of those balance bikes this last winter and he is just barely tall enough to ride it so we've been practicing almost everyday and he's getting pretty dang good.

he even took a lil break to pick me a flower *sigh*

ooooo...my sweet babes

Sicily in the born just enjoying the day

we tired her out...being a baby is such a hard life :)

GO NATS!!

2011-06-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

We went to our first Nationals Game last night. It was Ernie, Roman, and Sicily's first professional baseball game...and it was fabulous. We went with our friends Andrew, Megan and Noah. We had such a fantastic time. Roman loved every minute of it, from the train ride in, the rain delay and splashing in puddles before the game, to eating his teddy grahams Roman had the TIME of his life.

Even though there was a rain delay and we were up on the 3rd level it was the perfect night. The boys were so excited to watch the game. Roman was totally into it. The first batter got up and broke his bat and all night and all day today he has been talking about the bat that was broken and how cool it was. He learned to say "you're outta here", and "safe" and "swing batter batter swing" it was hilarious.

On the way home he said "should we do this again mom?" With a lil guy like ours I would love to do this again any day :)

Me, Sicily, Noah, Megan and Roman (sorry for the quality, these pics are from Ernie's phone)

Little girl and mama...she was decked out in her National's themed outfit. She was the best little baby and didn't mind the noise and being out and about.

Andrew, Roman and Noah. The guys getting their game on...GOoooOOOO NATS!!!

my husband....the dr

2011-06-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well we are in the first stages of the final stages of dental school. I need to first say how much I love and adore my husband and appreciate all that he does for our family...especially being in school. I know it's a HUGE sacrifice but it will be worth it in the end.

(not a super good picture but the business cards turned out great!)

We just ordered his business cards...I was super excited for him. He started working on patients in the last two weeks. His first patient he had to do a cavity in the back of their mouth which he said was a little more difficult because he wasn't used to big cheeks (he's used dentaforms which don't have tongues or big soft cheeks so it's quite a change to work on a real person). The other difficulty was his sweating. His assistant kept wiping his head off before the sweat dripped onto his patient...haha. I'm sure it was a combination of nerves and just being too dang hot at the school.

I'm super proud and if you know anyone who needs work done in the DC area let us know

isn't she lovely?

2011-06-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

It's been 2 months and I can't even believe it

sicily is already an amazing little girl

ernie has had a harder time bonding with her because she cries A LOT or pretty much anytime he holds her but he informed me the other day after he went running that he wouldn't trade her (like that was an option) haha

Her 2 month stats:

Weight: 12lb 12oz (92%)

Height: 23 3/4 in (92%)

Head: 15in (35%) apparently we make small headed babies

what she does:

for the past week she has been sleeping 6-9 hrs a night (HALLELUJAH) for the past 2 nights she's gone 8pm-6am and will go down in her crib awake and put herself to sleep at the same time we put roman down

she is googooing and gagging and wants to talk

she likes to sit up and look around

she smiles and pays attention

she LOVES her mama

she loves being outside

isn't she lovely?

isn't she wonderful?

love you cici, happy 2 months with us

Sprinklers

2011-06-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

SPRINKLERS!!!

here are roman and his friends playing in the sprinklers and doing what boys do best...GET MUDDY!!!

Roman is always the dirtiest, muddiest, stinkiest little boy....and I love that he doesn't care

Thankful Thursday

2011-06-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

1. ran over 2 miles this morning

2. baby girl slept through the night last night

3. fireflies are out

4. 1st watermelon of the season was AMAZING

5. i have the cutest kids around

here's roman watching bob the builder and feeding cici a baba

Poolside

2011-06-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

our first day at the pool this season

roman had a blast the pics prove the genuine joy and fun of a 2yr old

lil birdie hanging out on the side...her hat is a little big

she had fun dipping her toes in and didn't mind being there

(let's hope it stays that way otherwise it'll be a lllooonnnnggg summer without our precious pool time)

just a couple more

2011-05-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

i can't resist posting a couple more...and showing off her pretty little nails

too big

2011-05-28T04:07:00.000-07:00

here's birdie

6 weeks and growing

she's rolled over once and scoots around like crazy

she is focusing on people and things really well

she is sleeping 6 hrs at a time and even went 9-5 one night this last week

she LOVES being outside and will be throwing a fit while we are inside but once i step foot outside she is quiet

we are lovin her more and more everyday

Tough Cookies

2011-05-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

We had our first soccer practice this last Saturday it was FABULOUS!!!
Here's our lil guy doing his thing. He did sooooo well and followed instructions super good. He was so focused and didn't goof off and really enjoyed every part of it.

His coach kept calling them "tough cookies", and was so great with the kids. They did little drills and "tricks" as Roman likes to call them.

Here he is in his soccer garb. We even got him some shin guards and socks. He was a bona fide soccer player.

This is him with his little buddles in a huddle. They were all so cute and had so much fun. Can't wait for next week!!!

Couldn't Ask for More

2011-05-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

A week late:

this is what i came home to last Saturday after I got an afternoon to go shopping by myself while Ernie stayed home with my babies

Then the next day I woke up to Roman saying "treasure hunt mom and footprints"

ernie and roman hid easter eggs with coupons in them for me, and then I got this little card at the very end

if you can't read the bottom, it says

"you have accomplished an amazing FEET, 3 kids myself included"

my creative and sweet husband made my mother's day the best day ever and I couldn't ask for more

the only reason i am the mother i am is because of the father ernie is...thanks honey

mother's day was the same day that my little birdie turned ONE MONTH OLD

I can't believe that it has already been a month

at her two week appointment she was 13.5 oz over her birth weight

so we must be doing something right because she is growing and growing and growing

one month and she is:

sleeping 5-6 hrs at a time at night

going through 80 diapers a week

looking more like a girl

scooting her way off the sleeping wedge and even turning sideways

she lifts her head up super good

she likes to be held (by her mama)

and we think she is going to have blue eyes

one month with her and we all realize

it's a good thing there are two parents

the baby bjorn is the best

that all our burp cloths have gotten more use than the whole time we've had roman

it's a good thing we have a washer and dryer in our condo

she is perfect and we couldn't imagine our life without her

(except that it would be a LOT quieter)

love you baby girl

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ME...and HAPPY ONE MONTH TO MY BIRDIE FOOT

Upside Down

2011-05-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

I went into the kids bedroom to get Sicily one night and looked over and saw Roman like this on his bed. I couldn't resist taking a picture. Upside down and in the froggy position. What a cute little goofball!!

Spring has sprung

2011-05-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

I hope your Easter time was fabulous. We had a great day, and great days leading up to it. I wish I had more pics of the morning and I didn't even get a pic of Sicily's first Easter but I put her in her Easter outfit afterwards and tried to get a couple of pics.

Roman decorating Easter eggs with Grandma Hayes

Easter Morning on the egg hunt. Roman was seriously the best easter egg finder. He kept beating his little buddies to them.

Just like his daddy...can't wait to eat the candy!!!

Here's Ci-Ci in here outfit. She didn't like me playing dress up but they are cute pics regardless.

This one she looks like she's smiling but she really is crying

LOVE MY BABIES!!!

New Baby...New Mama...New Life

2011-04-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well, my mom is gone. She is such a fantastic mom and I'm so glad she was able to come out, I really don't know how I would have done it without her. I can't believe two weeks has passed. Now I'm a mom with two kids and a husband in school so really it's like being a single mom at this point. I recently read a blog about a women who had a new baby (i can't think of the blog right now, and I don't want to look it up) but she was still trying to be the productive person she was before she had the baby. She made lists, prioritized her life, had schedules, and appointments, things to do and had everything in order. She tried to do these things after she had her precious baby and realized that to truly enjoy her mommyhood, and her little newborn these "to do's" need to be put aside and decided to have a "to don't" attitude. I love the concept for so many reasons. First and foremost, my little birdie is only going to be a newborn once and to try and "keep up" with the mundane things of my life I am putting her aside and not really enjoying her or my lil guy. So I'm initializing my "to don't" attitude also.

This means a few different things:
1. my house will be messy
2. i probably won't be ready before 9:30...or 11am for that matter...or not at all
3. i will take naps by my sweetness
4. i will hold her in my arms while i read a book, while i put roman down for a nap, or while blogging
5. dinner will not be on time
6. i will run out of milk
7. i will fall asleep while nursing at night just to hold her for a minute more
8. she might have a sleeper jammy on all day and not have a cute outfit on
9. my projects, and to do's will be delinquent but...
10. I WILL BE LOVING MY BABIES AND NOT REGRETTING THE TIME I HAVE WITH THEM

HERE'S TO "TO DON'TS"...and here's to being a mom!!!!

Birdie smile

she sleep like roman with her arms up in the air

she does not like to be swaddled so don't try

she doesn't just sit and be quiet when she is awake...she is a very loud baby and is always making some sort of interesting noise (this is her in the middle of one of her noises)

she'll take the binkus for a little bit (I LOVE the newborn binky!)

My sister in law sent us some vinyl cars and buses and we put them on roman's wall..HE LOVES LOVES LOVES them. They turned out soooo cute (Thanks Samantha)

He was so proud of them, and sings a song about them overnight before bedtime

Grandma bought romie some ice-creams so he eats a bowl and then...

shows off his muscles (what a little crack up)

One Week: Sicily

2011-04-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Ok...I didn't post pics of her last time...I know cruel huh? She is the sweetest thing on the block, so here she is:

Things I love:

she squawks like a little bird when she wakes up

she is very ticklish and growls when you touch her legs

she likes to be snuggled

she has chubby cheeks

she sleeps a lot

she looks like her daddy

she has grown out of the newborn size

so far she's kept her hair...let's hope it stays a little longer

one week down

2011-04-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Having a new baby is fantastic...however my lil guy has had a little bit of a hard time not having all the attention. So Sicily had a fabulous idea and got Roman a present...here's Rome and his new tools. He LOVES them so much that he wants to take them everywhere and fix everything. Its a good thing that most of my furniture has the rustic look

Other things I've learned this week:

newborn clothes will not last much longer

i am so glad I have a mom who has taken the time out of her life and been here to help me

showering is going to be a little bit trickier

sicily doesn't like Target

an I-pod at night while nursing has not only come in handy but keeps me entertained

i forget how many diapers and wipes a little baby goes through

roman never cried so a newborn cry is something to get used to

i have a sweet big boy

and i have a precious lil birdie who really does squawk

Bubbles

2011-04-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

We gave Sicily her first bath today...and what a helper I have

Roman did such a good job with the washcloth...and they he took matters not his own hands.

She actually didn't mind the bath which was nice...we are having fun with our little lady. Roman is being such a good helper and is more attentive than I thought, we shall see how long that lasts.

Little Bitty Birdie Foot: Sicily

2011-04-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

And here she is.....Sicily Sorensen

April 8, 2011

Born @ 7:06

9lbs 1oz 20 in

Here's the perfect story:

My mom came into town Thursday night and was able to stay with Roman while all the action went down.

I went in to my Dr's appt on Friday morning and I was dilated to a 4. I thought I had some random contractions that night but nothing specific. My Dr was going out of town this weekend until Wednesday and I didn't want his partner to deliver and he didn't want me to wait so he sent me into the labor and delivery.

I called Ernie and he met me at home, we drove to the hospital at 11:30, was admitted and the wait began. I got on potocin at about 12:30ish, and started having contractions. I dilated to an 8 by 4:30 and hung around there for a couple of hours and then about 6:45pm I pushed and 15 minutes later the little birdie came. We were all shocked how big she was. Here little face was bruised from coming out so quickly, but everything else was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!

We thought her hair was going to be really curly but after she got all cleaned up it's just a little wavy. She has a Sorensen beak (nose), Roman's mouth, Ernie's peanut head...and really nothing of mine (I don't think). She has the longest little fingers and fingernails, and her little bitty birdie feet are long and skinny.

She is a sting little baby, and is already a great eater. I'm going great, and feel amazing. I didn't have any complications and was surprised that I pushed her out so quickly without any assistance.

Roman is a lot more interested in Sicily than I thought. He likes to put his finger in the binky and have her suck on it. He gives her little hugs, and will cuddle her randomly. So far so good...more to come!!!

Tribute

2011-04-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well, as the days are closing in to having this new little lady bug in my life. I just have to get sentimental and pay tribute to my wonderful, sweet, adorable, cute, funny lil guy that I've had the privilege to spend 2 1/2 years with him by ourselves. I know I've mentioned this before, that I am a little sad that it won't be just Roman and me anymore but the other day it really, really hit me. I know two kids will be wonderful and I'll make the transition, but seriously I have had THE BEST time hanging out with Roman.

Most of you know it took Ernie and I about 7 years to get pregnant. It was a very hard time in my life and from the day that I found out I was expecting I never took it for granted. I, in no way am saying that other women take getting pregnant for granted but there is a certain amount of appreciation when you finally get something that you waited for so long. Being a mom is something that I always wanted to do and I'm so happy that I get the opportunity to have children.

Sooo....here's to my lil guy who will always be my lil guy no matter how big he gets. I will miss our alone time and hope that he in some way remembers the fun times we had just me and him. I love you Rome!! Here's to the next few days with just us...

Goodwilling

2011-03-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

I discovered our good will a few months ago and I go occasionally. Usually to drop things off and then Roman and I will go in and explore. Our goodwill isn't the greatest but I have to brag and say we have had the BEST luck with finding books. The past couple of times we have walked away with about 5-10 books (all being about 79 cents-$1). It is fabulous, and they are in GREAT condition.

Here are some of the ones we have found:

Freight Train
Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear
Biscuit Books
Morris the Moose
Dora the Explorer
Curious George Books

and a variety of other books
Firetruck books
Raggady Ann books
Usbourne books

LOVE LOVE LOVE a good deal!!

Pillow Talk

2011-03-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

I've had these pillows on my couch for a while now, and just felt the urge to switch things up but living on such a tight budget I haven't felt like I can go out and buy new fabric, or even new pillows for that matter...so here's my solution.

I cut up a basket liner that I had laying around that I wasn't using anymore and made some strips and just sewed them right on to the pillow...I think they turned out pretty good. I'm liking the little change. Just enough to add some more texture to my couch. So what do ya think? Should I add more ruffles, or keep them how they are? The lighting is really different on both of them, I had a little helper switching settings on my camera.

The Final Countdown

2011-03-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well I'm 37 1/2, I've got 17 days left...and the final countdown has begun. I had an ultrasound today because my doctor is afraid of the baby being too big since Roman was 8 lbs 2 oz and 8 days early so if I went full term he probably would have been over 9 lbs. It was fun to see lil lady at this stage...it was actually kind of hard because she was so big, but we got the best close up of her sucking on her fingers...it was adorable!!!

So here I am belly and all. I don't think I will be able to fit into this shirt much longer. I look pretty big but I don't feel as big which is nice. I have really tried to be vigilant at walking through this whole pregnancy and I can really tell the difference in my energy. I must admit, I haven't been quite as good this last week or so because my crotch hurts (tmi, i know)...but doing good all the way around.

B & O Railroad Museum: Spring Break

2011-03-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

We took Roman up to the B & O Railroad Museum up in Baltimore this past week. It was fabulous and Roman LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. If you have a little kid that is into trains, I would highly recommend this museum. We went at the perfect and worst time, it was great because we were there literally by ourselves, but they do have a train that you can actually ride but wasn't running yet, and they also have a Thomas the Train ride that doesn't start for another month but it costs quite a bit, but Roman didn't know the difference and had a great time regardless.

This is the second oldest railroad stations in the United States. They had a train yard that we walked around. Roman couldn't stop running, and loved every single train.

Me and Rome on a weathered caboose.

He literally was running up and down the train yard.

They had a miniature train set and Roman was stoked to see them all going.

We got to go inside a few different trains, and Roman could pull the levers, push buttons, twist knobs. He loved being the engineer.

I tried to get a picture of him looking out of the engineer seat but he could stand to look at me long enough to get a picture.

Daddy & Roman on the back of the caboose (notice anything different with Ernie's hair?)...we shaved it off. That is his new spring break look.

Not A Baby Anymore

2011-03-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

So we've got all our baby stuff out obviously since we are going to have a baby in less than a month. We are having too much fun playing with everything. I think Ernie and Roman had a little too much fun with the Baby Bjorn...haha.

These two...they are posing the same way (can you tell they are related?)

It was a tight fit but we squeezed Roman in it...I was cracking up so bad :)

Being a kid again

2011-03-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of things this week that I love about being a mom:

1. Getting to use a new box of crayons
2. Flying a kite
3. Making creations out of toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, bottles, and cans

This is our newest creation:

An empty almond canister...turned into a new flower pot. We painted our little can.

We went to the "Handy Manny" store aka Home Depot and bought some pansies

Filled our little can up with some rocks

Loaded it with dirt

Put our yellow flower in and patted it down

TAAA DAAA!!! Roman was so excited to plant this flower. I told him we were going to do it and for two days he just kept begging me and begging me. It sits on our little porch and every time we come or go he says hi to his little yellow pansy.

Later that day we went and flew a kite for the first time...HE LOVED IT!!! So sad I didn't take any pics but I'm sure there will be more days of kite flying so I'll post some pics of the goofy guy flying his kite.

Happy SPRING!!! Let's hope it comes soon and stays a while.

I can't even think of a title for this...

2011-03-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

I don't usually post really personal stories, or experiences and try to keep my blog light and funny and really mostly about Roman and our little adventures....BUT...this last month has really been a month of reflection and a time where I have been affected by someone else's loss and trial.

In February a family in our Church's congregation gave birth to a little boy at 26 weeks. He weighed 1 lb 14 oz sure gave up a fight. He finally lost and his kidneys failed and was taken off life support this past Tuesday.

On Wednesday another family in our congregation was put on bed rest in the hospital. She was 27 weeks and was pregnant with twins. On Saturday she went into labor and gave birth to two little girls, one survived and one didn't.

Of course being pregnant I am much more emotional but this has given me so much perspective about life in general. This has reminded me that life is so precious and I am truly grateful for the healthy little guy that I have and regardless of the pain and uncomfortableness that I have being pregnant I am SOOOOO grateful that everything is going well and that my baby girl is healthy and strong.

I hope this post gives you perspective on how hard life can be and how minor our trials can be (and I don't want to minimize specific trials of others by any means) but for me I know I can focus on my little trials and blow things out of proportion and watching others go through these experiences strengthens me as a mom, wife, friend and woman and grounds me in the knowledge that we can truly get through anything life can throw at us.

I pray that things will go well for our friends and their little girl. May the Lord bless them and comfort them.

Going on a BEAR hunt

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

It was my month for pre-school so I decided to do a bear hunt theme. We read the book "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" it is the cutest book. I love reading it. I made some binoculars out of toilet paper rolls for the kids and then we walked outside and went on a bear hunt. It was fabulous.

The boys loved the binoculars and spotted so many animals in the forest, (elk, deer, giraffes, fox, wolves, moose and of course a bear). Of course Roman was the one saying, "Shoot Em" when all the other boys were just looking so by the end of the walk all the boys were on a shooting spree, whoops. It was kinda funny.

The most ironic thing was is that we actually saw a bear, which I had no intention of seeing. We walked through our little culd-a-sac and low and behold someone had one of those wooden carved bears on their stoop. It was perfect for our hunt.

I tried to get some pics of the actual bear hunt, but of course I went to take a pic and the battery had died so I only got them inside looking through the binoculars. Super fun day, with some super fun boys!!!

I don't know why he looks so sad in this pic. Probably because I made him stop playing so I could take a pic.

Sweet Days=Happy Days

2011-02-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hope your February was as sweet as ours....LOTS OF LOVE FROM THE SORENSENS!!

My days consist of a lil two year old who is pretty dang sweet...however by the end of the day I NEED a break. Our nightly routine is Ernie eats dinner and then spends about an hour with Roman while I get my much needed alone time (lately it's been bubble baths and books)...well, I could help but stick around for this lil play party.

I had an idea a while ago about putting the trains around our kitchen through our living room and dining room...Ernie of course fulfilled this dream and topped it off with filling the cargo wagons with chocolate chips. Roman was in heaven...there's nothing like Daddy, Chocolate Chips, and Trains to make a boy's day.

Of course Valentines Day is a SWEET day. We had a great day with walks, and cards, and lil presents. To top it off we dipped marshmallows in chocolate and rolled them in sprinkles. This was Roman's big treat. He LOVES marshmallows.

I got some pink marshmallows, skewered them, dipped them in white chocolate and then got a bunch of fun valentines sprinkles. They turned out to be not that bad, but then again it's sugar, sugar and more sugar.

YUMMY!!!!

Hope your February was as sweet as ours. LOTS OF LOVE FROM THE SORENSENS!!!

33 weeks AND 49 days to go!!!!

2011-02-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

Here it is...it's not a very good picture. We don't have great light in our place but it is what it is and even with better light I don't know if I'd look any better than just being 33 weeks pregnant.

Here's me at 32 weeks with Roman

Weird but Sweet

2011-02-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

Ernie and I went on a walk today and Roman was super whiny (he hasn't been feeling very welt this weekend)...anyway, here's the conversation out of the blue:

E: I was talking to my friends at school about if we ever got a divorce...
M: a divorce, oh great...
E: that I wouldn't feel bad about giving you half my money because of what you go through everyday while I'm in dental school
M: oh, well that's sweet of you...I'd take that money and wouldn't feel guilty
E: I don't know how you do it, putting up with a whinertoad everyday
M: Thanks honey, I'm glad you see my sacrifice

The End. I love my husband, and it was nice of him to think of my sacrifice as well. That makes me feel better, but I hope he realizes I'll be taking half his money regardless of divorce or not...hahaha

Wakeboarding and Army Guys

2011-02-16T04:52:00.000-08:00

Remember these guys...well we have them all around our house now. They are no fun to step on but pretty fun to play with. Every since this summer Roman has had a fascination with wakeboarding and he thinks any kind of board is a wakeboard, he has some "wakeboard" shoes (lil DC skate shoes), and he does a wakeboard dance, wakeboard walk...and anything that is sideways is wakeboarding.

Well...according to Rome these army guys are wakeboarding because they have a platform on the bottom to help them stand up. Good imagination lil guy. Lotsa laughs!

SiCily'S SnUGgle SpAcE and the BiG boY BeD

2011-02-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

The bedding is complete...now it's just decorating time. My talented, lovely, incredible sister-in-law, Samantha made all the bedding for me. She is AMAZING!!! I keep telling her she needs to do this for a living and sell her creations. I absolutely love it. It's a little bright, not necessarily something I would choose off the bat, but it's so perfect and I feel like it just fits.

Here's the quilt. It seriously turned out better than I thought. The back is the fabric that I fell in love with. It's an Amy Butler fabric and then the rest of it is a compilation of some Amy Butler fabric and other fun ones we found that go with it.

Here's the crib set up. The zig zag strip is so adorable. You can't see it very well, but it's the best "stripe" ever!

The curtains I already had for Roman's room go pretty well, as does the shelf. I think I want to bring some melon orange into the room so show ya once I get it. At the front of the crib I made a little hair accessory board that I could attach little bows, barrettes, flowers etc (I'm sure I'll have plenty). I've already started looking at how to make some, so that's one of the next projects I'll be working on.

We can't forget about Roman's BIG BOY BED!!! He love it, and has made the transition pretty easy. Every time someone new comes over he wants them to go up to his bedroom to look at his "bubble blanket" which is his quilt. It's pretty funny. It's sad to see my little boy growing up, but we are so excited at how fun and entertaining he is and for the next little baby to enter our lives. Let the good times come!!!

Obsessed much?

2011-02-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

My friend on Facebook posted this article about mormon blogs. I thought it was interesting because I find myself looking and blogstalking other peoples blogs and quite a few of them are mormon. It's a funny cultural thing. I'm not sure why we do it. And I have to say mine isn't nearly as interesting or popular like some of these other ones. However I must admit, I get envious of how cute, and trendy they can be. I like looking at pretty things, and seeing what and how others live. I never thought my life was super interesting but as my friend pointed out, (who is married with no children) my life is completely different which is interesting to her and vice versa. I find her life super interesting and fascinating because it's what I don't have...not that I want her life but it's fun to see how people live.

Anyway...if you are mormon or are one of those women who look at pretty blogs check out this article and take a peek at some of the fun blogs that are on the list. I'm hooked to some of them.

Here's the article: Mormon Blogs

Missing You

2011-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

I'm sure we've all felt this way at one point.

Dedicated to my love...xoxo

Spend Smart Eat Smart

2011-02-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

My mother in law sent this to me. She is a dietician so of course she is concerned with how well all of her kids are eating, and with my background in health I find this very interesting at how people eat, eating patterns and what they spend their money on (good healthy choice vs convenience, price etc). Anyway it was fun to look at so I thought I'd pass it along. SpendSmartEatSmart Where are you? Above, below or the same?

We are almost dead on with how much we spend, and generally stay within our budget.

Enjoy grocery shopping!!!

Sunday Fun

2011-02-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

We now have church at 3 pm so our mornings are filled with trying to get through the day...

A tubby is a sure good way to kill time

Seriously...how much cuter can that be? Sorry I know I'm his mom but seriously so cute!!!

He was wrestling the soap container

It turned into a pretty good match

I think the soap won

Happy Week

2011-01-31T12:01:00.000-08:00

I saw this on the Young Married Chic blog...and I loved it. It's a perfect way to start my week. Happy Monday!

I believe in pink.

I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.

I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.

I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.

I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe

in miracles.

-Audrey Hepburn

Pregnancy Workout

2011-01-30T17:07:00.000-08:00

So as I'm approaching the end of my pregnancy I am not as agile as I once was, my body is aching a little more, I have less energy which is a little frustrating because I have been doing really great about walking up until now. Like I mentioned in previous post...this baby is low, low, low which puts a lot of pressure on my crotch so if I walk more than 2 miles I just ache and ache and ache.

Here are my life saving exercises that I love to do in the final stages of pregnancy.

Dromedary Droops
Get on your knees with your palms flat on the floor. Your head should be level with your back and shoulders, and you should be facing downward. Tighten your stomach muscles and buttocks, arch your spine and let your head droop downward. Hold this position for several seconds, and slowly return to the starting position.

Pilates Clam
Lie on your side with your hips and shoulders in a straight line. Bend your knees so that your thighs are at a 90 degree angle to your body. Rest your head on your top arm as it is stretched out overhead, or bend, whichever is more comfortable. Support your belly with a towel or pillow to make more comfortable. Stack your hips directly on top of each other vertically. Open the knee only as far as you can go without disturbing the alignment of your hips. Slowly bring your knee back to the start position.

Balance Ball (arm workouts)
Sit on the ball, feet shoulder width apart, using low weight dumbbells do a variety of arm curls, over head press, arm extensions, lateral arm extensions, tricep extensions.

Balance Ball hip rotations
While sitting on the ball, feet shoulder width apart. Swivel your hips in circular or figure eight formation.

And then of course stretching, stretching, stretching. I am in love with stretching, it makes me feel so good.

Little Gremlin

2011-01-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

I can admit my guy looks like a little gremlin. This is after a good long nap.

Funny story: ok I remember another funny thing he says. If he passes gas and he's sitting down he will say "Smoke Stack" I have no idea why. I remember in Utah we passed a smoke stack which had smoke puffing out the top and I told him what it was...apparently he locked that in his vault and uses it. The first time he said it was in the tubby and he passed gas...it was hilarious!!!

Crack Ups

2011-01-26T10:43:00.000-08:00

This kid cracks me up. He talks like he is an adult, and me just writing it out doesn't do it justice. These are just a few off the top of my head.

He'll say things like
1. I fink (think) so. Example: I'll say, Roman it's snowing outside. "Yeah I fink so" or Does this piece go in this puzzle? "Yep, I fink so"
2. Probably not. Example: Are your shoes upstairs? "Probably not" Are you ready to go? "Probably not"
3. Look at you real serious, point his hand and say "be careful...dangerous" as I'm carrying him down the stairs.
4. I finish. Example: are you done going poo poo "no i finish"
5. Oh that'd be great. Example: How about we go to the park today with our friends. "Oh that'd be great" Daddy is coming home "oh that'd be great"

Recent things he's said:
The other day he saw me chewing gum and said to me "Mom don't swallow it, don't take it out of your mouth or else I spank you." At least he remembers what I tell him.

We were at Good Will yesterday and there were a bunch of belts and he said "mom look it's like Ernie's belt" he has been calling Ernie by his first name a lot.

He and his little buddy have full on conversations. My friend and I will be walking and they will sit in their strollers saying things like
Parker: Time for play?
Roman: No not yet, walk first, then go on the elevator.
Parker: Oh yeah

Or be at our house and they will be in roman's bedroom talking
Roman: This is my big boy bed
Parker: It has a green blanket? Do you sleep here?
Roman: Yep, I go night night.

He really is a character and Ernie and I will look at each other and just bust up laughing.

Gimme love, love, love, love, crazy loovvee...

2011-01-24T04:35:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of love flying around our house lately. I love Valentine's Day...maybe I just like Love.
Here's what we've been up to:

It's been SOOOO cold at our house so we've been little cuddle bugs keeping warm by doing some fun crafty projects. Roman and I cut out a bunch of hearts to stream up.

The idea was to put something that we loved, liked, thankful for on them...kind of like our thankful tree, but we've yet to do it. Maybe we'll start this week. I got Roman his very own pair of scissors and he LOVES cutting things (not that's he can really do it himself, thank goodness but the attempts are fun for him).

We made lots of love card for all our grandmas. I asked him what he wanted on there and I stuck whatever he wanted. It was a fun...and messy project. The chalk and stamps became a favorite, thus ending on the floor making a HUGE mess (I should've taken a picture of that).

I had this door hanger that has Christmas stuff on the back and was painted red, green and white but I haven't used it in years so why not repurpose it...I think it turned out pretty cute.

I was trying to do this by myself but I looked over at Roman watching a show and he said "mama you need help" so in the end he added his little touches to it..as well as finger smudges and rips...it couldn't be made with more love than a little two year old wanting to help :)

Happy Day to you!! Enjoy the love floating around.

Little Ladybug...11 more weeks to go

2011-01-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

So I'm now 28 1/2 weeks...boy how time flies when you are pregnant and no one knows hahaha. Pregnancy #2 is amazing, I love to be pregnant, it seriously is the best thing ever and I'm so privileged to be able to experience it, especially for a second time. Now that I'm all experienced with pregnancy here's what I do know:

Left: With Roman (look how pointy my belly is) Right: Sicily both 28 1/2 weeks along. I look about the same size (darn, I thought I would be a little smaller with this one)...oh well such is life. I've already gained 22 lbs and at this stage I gained 20 with Roman...so here's to another 15 and I'll be the same with Roman :)

1. My crotch hurts a lot worse with this pregnancy (TMI, I know but seriously it does ache)
2. I don't have time to be as lazy with this little bundle. Chasing around a 2 yr old is a lot harder than sitting at a desk for 8 hrs like I did with Roman.
3. Pregnancy in the winter is so much better than summer.
4. Bubble baths are a necessity for my body and sanity
5. All my symptoms have either enhanced with this pregnancy or come a lot quicker. For instance: I didn't have heart burn until the very end and I'm starting to get it already. (Note: make sure to eat lots of small meals through out the day instead of eating it all at dinner).
6. Food thoughts are the same...I can eat whenever, wherever, whatever I just need to eat.
7. I've been a lot more lax about this pregnancy but I have been better at exercising and I can totally tell. It is getting harder for me to walk because I ache so much, so we'll see what the next 11 weeks brings.
8. Nesting has been a constant with this pregnancy. From day one I have been cleaning out, organizing, organizing purging, cleaning and organizing some more. I'm worried about space and two little kids.
9. I'm a single mom and now know what some moms are feeling like when they don't have a partner to help.
10. I'm in love with my little Roman and I am worried and that I won't love my new little girl as much. It's the hardest thing for me to comprehend. It's like I'm grieving in a sense that I'm losing my baby boy whom I absolutely adore and love being with, and yet he's growing, changing which I love but am missing him as a baby.

This is what I don't know:
1. I don't know how to be a girl's mom
2. I don't know how to do cute hair
3. I don't know how I'm going to juggle getting groceries and two kids from the car to the house
4. I don't know how I'm going to have two little kids sharing one room.
5. I don't know if I can remember how to care for a baby again.
6. I don't know how the nightly eating times are going to work and then be productive the next day.
7. I don't know how Roman is going to react to a new little person around
8. I don't know how Ernie is going to react (I think she will have her daddy wrapped around her little finger).
9. I don't know how I'm going to get anything done (do moms of two or more get things done).
10. Lastly I don't know how I'm going to do it. I know it's one of those things I'm just going to do, but I'm nervous, scared, excited, anxious, ready, not ready...all jumbled into one. I really am excited for a little girl and ready for another life changing event. I need this, Roman needs this and even though Ernie might not think he needs this he totally needs a little girl.

11 more weeks to go...here's to our little lady bug!!!

you are my little bird

2011-01-14T05:39:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for some great kids music. We have some Wee Sing CD's that Roman loves but honestly they give me a headache after so long listening to them. We listen to the Pandora Toddler Station which has some fun Disney songs but it seems like they play the same ones over and over again. So if you're like me I have a great solution and new fun music for kids that you may actually like.

We got this great CD from Ernie's mom. It's cute folk kids music that I absolutely love. It's a woman and her daughter and husband that sing the songs, which is really cute. I really don't get tired of hearing it. It's the music that's playing on my blog right now. I have the Sunny Day CD but this CD is a great one to listen to as well. Anyway, I highly recommend it.

Yummy Soup

2011-01-12T04:30:00.000-08:00

I love winter because I can make soup. It must be in my genes because my mom likes soup as well. Ernie doesn't really care for it, but when he starts making dinner he can complain. Anyway, I posted some yummy soups on my new food blog, MelsFood. The Zuppa Tuscana Soup actually was rated #2 on my friends blog 365daysofcrockpot. If you have any yummy soup recipes please share with me...I could always use a new recipe.

Stay warm and happy soup!!!

Utah trip: part 2

2011-01-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

After Christmas and bowling and my parents leaving we then the all time highlight of the trip...we went to the fire station. Our best friend, Brad has a brother-in-law, Owen and he is a fireman up in Highland and he let us come and check out the place. He got a call right when we got there which sucked but at the same time Roman got to see a little action. Thanks to Capri, we were still able to look around. Roman was in HEAVEN!!!

He's trying not to smile in this picture but is SOOO excited to be there.

I shut the door on him and he seriously has talked about that non-stop (mommy shut door while I drive)...he thought it was so funny and again is trying not to smile but actually really liked it.

The last part of our trip was pretty low key, not much going on but the older cousins were sure sweet to Roman and let him tag along. They took him sledding out in their yard, pulled and pushed him up and down. They were so fun and Roman already misses them.

Pure Joy!!!

Thanks Emma, Dylan and Alex for playing with Romie Rome...he misses his boys and Emma.