Hide & Seek

Almost every night at bed time Doug and Andrew play this little game where Doug will hide behind the wall at the top of the landing of the stairs and as Andrew rounds the corner, they both say "boo!" and then they both laugh hysterically. It is a fun little ritual that the boys really enjoy. Tonight, Andrew and I went upstairs first to brush teeth and Doug followed behind us. After I changed Andrew's clothes, we both heard Doug from around the corner calling in a whisper, "Andrew ... Andrew." Andrew got really excited and said, "hide and seek!" ... and yet again, Doug and I looked at each other and thought, "when on earth did our little boy get so big and learn about things like hide and seek?"

In Tyler news ... he has really fallen in love with his feet. His teachers told me that he was sucking on one of his toes like it was a pacifier and he was holding his other foot in his other hand, ready to go with a back-up! Andrew loved his feet around this age too. Not all babies are fascinated with their feet, but my boys definitely are / were.

Weekly Rewind

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks and I am not even sure where to start this post.


Topic 1: Zeke

As you know, our beloved Zeke passed away on Friday and the whole thing is feeling rather surreal to me. One minute she was sleeping at the side of our bed, I went into the office as usual and then the next minute she was gone. I think that I just need closure, but I think that finding closure will be pretty elusive. Major has been spending a lot of time inside with us, which is helping all of us adjust. We have been waiting for Andrew to ask about Zeke and he finally did on Saturday after his nap. Doug went upstairs with Major to get Andrew when he woke up from his nap and Andrew asked where Zeke Lou was. Doug replied, "let's wait for mommy to get home to talk about it." I got home shortly thereafter and we told Andrew that Zeke went to be with Shelby. He said, "Zeke is at mom mom's house outside?" We replied in the affirmative and that was that (Zeke and Shelby are buried at mt in-laws). We think that he understands as much as an almost 3 year old can understand these type of things.

Topic 2: The Baptism and Convalidation

Douglas and I have a standing reference to an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. There is one episode where Ray leaves Debora behind and he goes to a party by himself because she is not in the car when she said she would be ready. This reference is to being "AIS" or A$$ in seat by a certain time. In other words, everyone needs to be AIS by a certain time or the car is pulling out of the driveway without you. We often reference something like, "Ok, AIS in 10 minutes" or "AIS is at 2:00 p.m.", etc. So ... we decided we wanted to be AIS by 10:20 so that we would make it to the church by 10:40. Then it started raining, Doug was complaining about his suit, Tyler was still hungry ... so, we didn't make our AIS time, but we were not too far behind schedule. Then, after we get on the road, Doug realizes that he forgot his wedding ring (which Andrew had been playing with while we were getting ready) and he had to have it for the convalidation service. So, we turned the car around to get it and which meant we were pushing it to make it to the church on time, forget arriving early! We made it to the church right at 11:00 when the service was to start -- luckily it was a private ceremony and we were not rushed, despite getting there later than we intended. Everyone socialized until everything was set and then the services got started.

Deacon Don did a wonderful job and the convalidation was really special. Our friends Scott and Harriet did the Old and New Testament readings and then we recited our vows. Right about the time it was time for our vows Andrew decided he wanted to be standing up with mommy and daddy. Rather than fight with Andrew to have him sit (which would have meant a big cry fest) we decided to have him just stand with us -- it was actually really sweet and even more memorable to have him join us. After the convalidation we took a short break and then went straight into Tyler's baptism. Douglas and I did the readings and then we all went outside so that Tyler could be welcomed into the church. After the official welcoming we made our way to the font for the actual immersion. We hadn't discussed whether we were going to do the immersion or just the sprinkling, but since the water had been warmed and it was just our family and friends we decided to go ahead and do the immersion. Tyler loved it and my favorite photos from the baptism are from the immersion. After the water, the Deacon performed the anointing, the white cloth was presented and the candle was lit. We all recited our intentions for Tyler and just like that the service was over. Andrew missed part of the service because he was outside with Peepaw, which actually ended up not being such a bad thing because if Andrew had seen Tyler get in the water, he would have wanted to get in too!


After the services we had a small get together at our house. It was so great to catch up with some of the folks we had not seen in a while and to spend some quality time with friends that we wish we could see more of!

Topic 3: Tyler Update

Tyler is doing great, he is getting bigger every day and he is reaching lot of fun milestones. He has discovered his feet and enjoys playing with them on a regular basis. He can roll all the way over, although he mostly rolls from his back to his stomach. He is getting stronger on his stomach and can lift up his head and chest. He has just learned to make "raspberries" -- he loves the noise and seems to enjoy the spitting that accompanies it as well. He recently had his 4 month check-up and he weighed 12 pounds, 5 ounces and was 26 3/4 inches. He is 25% in weight and 95% in length (too bad for him that will not last!). We also got the go ahead to start giving Tyler cereal and baby food whenever we are ready. The doctor actually encouraged it because Tyler had not gained any weight over a 4 week period (he went in to get a prescription for his thrush and they weighed him then). The doc was not too worried, but we are going to take him back in at 5 months to make sure he has put on some weight. I have increased the amount of milk he gets in his bottles at school from 6 ounces to 8 ounces and we are going to slowly introduce some baby food as well. We'll see how he responds to the baby food and take it from there ...

Topic 4: Andrew Update

Andrew is a riot! We have so much fun with him every single day. He makes us laugh and smile ... and want to pull our hair out on occasion too! We have been talking to him about his birthday recently and he is getting pretty excited. He keeps telling us that he wants pizza, juice and birthday cake. We are trying to teach him his actual birthday too, but he seems to only want to say, "In July" when we ask when his birthday is. He has been learning the days of the week, so we ask him what day it is every day -- he usually responds that it is Thursday, so once a week he gets it right :) In all seriousness, it seems like every time I blink Andrew has mastered something new or is saying something that completely floors me. It seems like yesterday that I was worrying out loud to my mommy friends that Andrew was not talking as much as I would like, but in all actuality that was over a year ago ... and clearly, I had nothing to worry about!

Topic 5: Everything else!

I recently started a new job that I am really enjoying. I am going to be traveling to Calgary next week for several days and Doug is going to have to juggle taking the boys to school and Andrew to his swimming lessons. He is a little nervous about managing Tyler since he is a bit of a mama's boy, but I know that my boys will be thick as thieves when I get home.

In other news, we are starting to watch the Harry Potter movies again to get ready for the 5th movie that is coming out next week. It is a tradition to re-watch the previous movies to prep for the next movie or book, or as in this case - both! So much time elapses between the release of the books and the movies that we need a recap before the next ones come out. I am planning on skimming over book 6 to get ready for book 7's release July 21. In case you were wondering, yes we plan on getting book 7 at midnight with the rest of the Harry Potter loving fools!

In sad news, Studio 60 is officially over. The last episode was great and wrapped everything up just as one would have hoped, but I am still disappointed that NBC cancelled the show.

It looks like 4th of July is going to be a rainy one this year so the fireworks are probably out, but we are still going to enjoy the day off and some yummy barbecue. The 4th of July also marks 11 years that Douglas and I have been a couple ... we don't celebrate our dating anniversary per se, but since the whole country celebrates us with fireworks and the day off, we still acknowledge it ;)!

R.I.P. Zeke Lou Moore

Hello, faithful readers, Doug here. I don’t want to take away from my beautiful bride, but I have a story to tell and I think this one should come from me. Ten years ago, almost to the day, my wife and I were still a new couple facing our first dating anniversary. We were also experiencing our first (and only, for that matter) extended time apart. Anne had gone to Italy on summer vacation and we were missing each other terribly. She did the coolest thing and wrote me a note for each day she would be away and sealed them in individual envelopes and placed them in a shoebox so that I would get a letter a day while she was away. Basically the coolest thing anyone had ever done for me. Anyway, I knew I needed to do something pretty cool as well, so when one of my co-workers told me that he saw this cute Beagle puppy at Citizens for Animal Protection (CAPS), I had to go check it out. I had always been partial to Beagles, and since I was in my first apartment away from home, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. I had already picked out a name for my dog that didn’t exist, Zeke.

When I arrived at CAPS, I asked where the Beagle was, and was pointed in the right direction. Now, I am sure that most of you have heard this story, but this is my time, so bear with me here. I walked up to this six month old puppy and looked at her sweet eyes and told her I was not going to take her home. She continued to give me that look and I told her again that I was not taking her home, as I stroked her head and back. She then moved in for the kill. She licked me on the nose. I meant to tell her again that I was not taking her home, but what came out of my mouth was something along the lines of “Excuse me ma’am, what do I need to do to take this dog home?” I filled out the necessary paperwork, and that was that. A few days later, Anne was to arrive back home from Italy, and it just so happened that that was the day that Zeke was to come home from CAPS. I had our friend Mandy pick Zeke up and leave her at my apartment, and since she had just been spayed, Mandy left her in the bathroom. When we got back to the apartment, I had Anne sit in the living room and close her eyes. I then had Zeke come out of the bathroom. Zeke walked right up to Anne, and so began our 10 year love affair with a certain female Beagle with a boy name, our dear Zekie Lou.

Our time with Zeke was filled with highs and lows, as with any pet who is more surrogate child than anything. We adored her, of course, but sometimes she could make us so angry we could scream, and sometimes did. We took her almost everywhere. Not too long after we got Zeke, she actually jumped out of Anne’s car as she was driving down the street. I remember chasing her down the street one day after she made a break through the front door of the apartment. I remember ER visits and thyroid medication (fatty boombalatty!). I remember destroyed carpet and chewed French doors. I also remember getting a call from the management office of my new apartment in Austin on our first weekend there saying that I needed to get back and put our Dear Zeke inside because she wouldn’t stop howling on the patio where we left her. But more than anything, I remember my loving dog, who could always make me feel better, no matter what, with that simple gesture that won my heart to begin with, a lick on the nose. I loved my Zeke, she was like a daughter to me and I will forget all the evil things she did. I will never forget the nose kisses.

Zeke passed away this morning 6/29/07, at 9:30 on the way to the Veterinarian’s office. When I let the dogs in for breakfast this morning, Zeke was very lethargic, panting and uninterested in her food. Any of you who know our Zeke will know that the food thing was definitely cause for alarm, even without the other symptoms, this dog never missed a meal in her 10.5 years on this planet! Anyway, we were rushing to the Vet and she just stopped breathing. I'll be honest; to have her die right next to me has to be the worst thing I have ever experienced. I took her to my parents house after having the Vet give her the once over, just to make sure, and laid her to rest. Right next to her sister Shelby. Right where she would have wanted to be. Night night Zekie, mommy and daddy love you, and we will miss you so much.

Zeke Lou

It is with a sad heart that I write this post ...

Zeke passed away unexpectedly this morning. Doug was with her when she passed away.
He knew something was wrong this morning when he called the dogs in for breakfast and Zeke didn't come, she was laying in the grass panting. He helped her inside and she was not interested in her food, so he called me at work to tell me that something was really wrong (those of you who know Zeke, know that she NEVER missed a meal). We agreed that he should take her to the vet. She passed away in the car on the way to the vet -- Doug says he knew right away.

While it came as a shock, I think he knew this morning that today could be the day because he took a blanket with him and took some photos of her before he left for the vet. She will be buried next to her sister, Shelby at my in-laws.

Zeke was the most loyal of dogs and never lost her puppy spunk. She was the best cuddler and she was so patient with Andrew ... we will miss her terribly.

Tyler's Baptism Photos

Andrew and Tyler dressed in their church best!

Andrew on the move and being a sweet big brother

Tyler getting ready for his big moment



"This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased"

Mommy and Tyler

Reciting the Baptismal promises

My favorite photos ... Tyler being immersed in the water

After our convalidation and presentation of the Bible (look how excited Andrew is!)

With Deacon Don after the Baptism

The Bible we received as a gift from the church

Group photos that I still need to crop, but I am waiting to get the originals

Look how big he has gotten!

My sweet Tyler

Save Studio 60

What can I say - I love, love, love this show. I didn't jump on the Grey's Anatomy or Desperate House bandwagon and I am so frustrated that I found a show that I enjoy and what does NBC do? .... they cancel it! And for what ... more reality television? The silly caveman show? Arrghh!

At least they had the decency to show us the last couple of episodes (they are airing now) instead of just killing the show mid-season and putting the remaining episodes on the DVD.

End of rant.

Happy Father's Day!

The long awaited D-A-D-D-Y photos for 2007. All in all I am happy with the outcome. We continued with the Hawaiian shirt theme (thank you Mr. McG and family for the shirts) but I combined the photos a little differently this year. Most importantly, Doug loved them. If you want a closer look, click on the photo to enlarge it.

Today has been a really nice day. This morning I went walking with my mom, and as luck would have it, we beat the rain by mere minutes. It was a rare treat to go walking with just my mom (no children in tow, no dogs) as the boys were sleeping and Major is in the dog house since he has lost a little too much weight (he is still skipping some meals). When I got back to the house all three boys were awake and Doug immediately thanked me for his Daddy photos. I left the frame on the bathroom counter so he would see it first thing when he got up.

As a side story -- we found out that we were expecting Tyler a year ago today. I took the test in the morning and when I got the positive result I signed a father's day card for Doug from Andrew & the Baby and set up his 2006 Daddy photos of Andrew in the bathroom on the counter. I then wrote on the mirror with marker, "Happy Father's Day to a Daddy of 2!" and I left the test on the counter next to his cards and the frame. When Douglas got up he had a hard time reading the mirror at first because he didn't have his glasses on! When he finally put his glasses on, it took him a minute to put two and two together. He told me later he was 99% sure that I was pregnant but he wanted to be sure before he got excited because he didn't want to bum me out if that was not what I was trying to tell him. :) I can't believe it has been a full year since then!

Ok, so back to this morning ... Doug said that he didn't see the frame at first, but when he finally did see it, he doubled checked to make sure that there were not any other announcements (which there weren't!).

Shortly thereafter, our parents came over for brunch that we prepared. It was nice to spend the morning with them and they really enjoyed spending quality time with the boys while we made breakfast. Another side note -- I love having a big breakfast because it really keeps me full all day long. After our big breakfast, our parents left and we all took an afternoon nap -- ahhh. A perfect thing to do on a rainy afternoon. I can't believe that it is already after 7:00 p.m., daylight savings really plays tricks on me. The day is quickly getting away from me. It is just about time to start dinner and get ready for Monday -- making my lunch, prepping Tyler's bottles, etc. Before I get to the chores though, I will take a minute to fill you all in on the rest of our weekend.

Friday night was really low key. I was far more tired than I realized and after having dinner and putting the boys to bed I fell asleep before 10:00 on the couch watching a Tivo'ed episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Side note 3 -- I am SO upset that Studio 60 is not coming back, it was such a great show!

Saturday was a fun day for Andrew as we went to his friend Grace's 3rd birthday Party at one of those jumping places. Andrew loves those places! He also enjoys all of the juice and cake that comes with birthday parties. Actually, Andrew had his very first real slice of pizza at the party. He had taken bites of pizza before and he had home made pizza cut into strips, but this was his first slice of Papa Johns. At first he was not even remotely interested in it -- he even half cried, "I don't want pizza." So, I pushed it away and told him that he didn't have to eat it. He sat there drinking his juice while the rest of us enjoyed our pizza. Then, I guess after watching all the other kids eat pizza, he decided he would give it a try ... and he ate the entire slice. His daddy was very proud as pizza is one of his very favorite foods!

... and what you all really want to see - more photos!

Tyler playing with his feet


Andrew riding his bike around the block


Daddy with his boys on Father's Day

Milestones

Just a short post to brag on my baby boy ...

Tyler is rolling over from his back to his stomach, holding up his head while on his stomach, laughing out loud, smiling up a storm, drinking 6 ounces in his bottles at school, he has discovered his feet and most importantly (this one he has been doing for a while now but it is oh so important) -- he is sleeping through the night!

Most nights after I nurse him, we change his diaper, put on his pjs and lie him down while he is still awake and he just goes to sleep (knocking on all sorts of wood) and sleeps until I wake him up in the morning to nurse again before we leave for school and work-- we are so lucky!

One smart cookie

Not only is Andrew one smart cookie but he is seriously one humorous little boy! He makes me laugh all of the time with his candid observations and cute stories.

Earlier this week we bought Pediasure strawberry shakes at the grocery store because I had a coupon that made them basically free. When Andrew saw the 4 pack containers he knew it was something special and different (they are in the same type of containers that Starbucks Iced Coffee is sold in). The first thing he asked was if the shakes were for him. Take in mind, Andrew had never seen these shakes before. Once I answered in the affirmative he proceeded to take them out of their packaging and he immediately asked me if he could have one. I explained that they needed to be REALLY cold before he could have one, so we put them in the refrigerator. Later that night after Andrew was in bed we were putting groceries away and organizing the refrigerator and we could only find 3 of the 4 shakes .... hmmmm. We figured that Andrew must have left one out somewhere, but since they are not perishable we didn't think anymore about it. The next day when we got home after work Andrew ran to the freezer and took out the missing shake and said, "Look, it's REALLY cold now!" What a smart cookie!

We have had a nice laid back weekend. Friday night we went out for dinner and drinks to see our friends Paige and Mikey and to help celebrate Paige's birthday. We had a great time and got to meet some of Paige's co-workers and their spouses. Saturday we hung around the house most of the day. I took some photos of the boys for Father's Day and did a little work in photoshop on the annual Daddy collage. Doug and I joke about how he is going to be so surprised at his card! :) In all seriousness, he knows he is getting daddy pictures, he just doesn't know how I am going to put it together this year. I will post the final product next week. After Andrew's nap we ran some errands and came back to the house to watch a movie and make pizza. Andrew actually ate 2 small slices of pizza - a first for him! When the credits started rolling, Andrew said, "Time for night night!" Doug and I just looked at each other in total disbelief. Normally Andrew is trying to get out of going to bed! So we put both of the boys to bed and cuddled up on the couch to watch the movie The Guardian (coast guard movie starring Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner). I actually stayed awake for the entire flick -- we thought it was a pretty good movie, if not a little predictable. It was a great evening!

After my walk with my mom this morning I made smoothies (my new specialty) and then if was off to run more errands, including a trip to the bike shop to test out a new Trek big boy bike for Andrew (check out this cool bike: http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike.php?bikeid=1572000&f=36 ). We wanted to be sure that he was tall enough for the bike before buying it for him for his birthday. It was a great fit so it looks like Andrew has a big boy bike with training wheels in his future!

Tyler is doing great ... he is getting bigger and stronger every day. He has the sweetest smile with the cutest dimples and he is just a happy little guy. He is trying to roll over now too ... he goes in for his 4 month check up in another week, so we may get to report a new development!

The Moore Boys

As promised, I am posting some recent photos of the boys. I have been playing around quite a bit with my camera, using the manual settings and working with my lenses to practice achieving various effects. It is definitely a work in process and when I just *have* to get the shot, I sill put the camera in Program Mode (the camera does the thinking for you but you can still customize some of the settings, including the ISO) or fully automatic. I am trying to practice as much as I can with the camera, taking note of the settings that I use in a given sitting so that I can begin to have an appreciation for “this combination of settings = that result”. I have finished reading the photography books that I bought so I am looking for more now. I might actually go to the library (gasp!) to see what they available before I buy my next book. That way I can make sure I like the book before adding it to my quickly growing collection.

I have been toying around with the idea of securing a domain name and uploading a gallery of sorts and trying to start photographing clients on location in the September time frame (taking holiday pictures of children and / or families). Now if I could figure out a name for this potential business and how I am going to actually get clients …

Enough about me … I know that you really want to know about the boys. They are doing great – no, better than great – and they are getting bigger and smarter every day! Andrew’s vocabulary seems to grow exponentially each week and he is getting taller again so he is starting to thin out. He can get fully dressed by himself (when he wants) and he knows all of his shapes. He has probably known these for a while, but we just discovered this information. We are still working on potty training, but we are making S L O W and steady progress. Andrew is so very excited about his birthday – he talks about it all of the time. He talks about the candles on his cake and his birthday party. He has gotten very good at riding his tricycle – in fact, he pedaled all around the block yesterday afternoon! At Christmas he could barely reach the pedals and when he could he wasn’t quite coordinated enough to make them go very fast. It is amazing how much children develop in a short span of 5 months! We are going to start looking for a big boy bicycle for him soon! At his last doctor’s visit he weighed in at 37 pounds!

Tyler has discovered his feet and he tried (unsuccessfully) to roll over this weekend. He just loves putting his pointer and middle fingers in his mouth. He will spit out his pacifier and suck on his fingers instead! He is going in for his 4 month well baby check-up later this month and to get his next round of shots. I took him last week to be treated for thrush and he weighed in at 12 pounds, 5 ounces. It looks like he is on track to be gaining about a pound a month so far.

We took our first trip to the pool this weekend and the boys loved it. Andrew was a little nervous, but he did well and I know that in a couple of weeks when he turns into Mr. Confidence we are going to wish that he was still nervous. We are planning on enrolling him in swim lessons in July. This was Tyler first trip ever to the pool and he was a champ. The cold water didn’t bother him at all and he just took in his surroundings. Every once in a while someone would inadvertently splash us and he would get surprised, but he didn’t get upset at all.

Memorial Day weekend we went to drive-in theatre to see Shrek 3 and Spider Man and that was a lot of fun, although Andrew got bitten up by mosquitoes so next time we will have to bring super duper protection. Douglas and I went to our friend Petro’s wedding this weekend and got to see a lot of old friends. It was fun to talk and reminisce. It was a Greek wedding, which was a first for us, so it was really neat to see another culture’s traditions. The reception was beautiful and a lot of fun to boot. I have to say though, I was most impressed with the flower girl at the wedding who had to be about 4 years old and who didn’t make a sound during the hour long wedding! I am not sure Andrew would have been able to do it. It made me realize that the ring bearers at our wedding were very young too and they were very well behaved during our service too … so how is a wedding different from regular ol’ church on Sunday? Andrew is not the only 3ish year old that gets antsy in church! It will be interesting to see how Andrew does at the end of this month for Tyler’s baptism and the convalidation of our marriage. The boys stayed with my parents and were on their best behavior. This was the third wedding of the year for us and we have two more weddings coming up in July (Mandy and Paul) and November (Kimberly and Wes) … fun, fun, fun!

At Petro and Christina's Wedding Reception



Check out Tyler's dimples! (Note - this photograph was taken using a wide open aperture which is why the background is blurry - it is for effect. However, silly me forgot to adjust the ISO down from 1000 from the wedding (high ISO for low light) back to 100 for regular daylight. Rookie mistake!)



Andrew playing ball

Andrew at a recent birthday party (which is where the obsession with birthday parties was born):

Playing in the backyard

Grandpa Craig's Visit ... I meant to blog about this weeks ago, but it was the week I went back to work and I fell so behind! It was wonderful to have Craig visit us from Atlanta and the boys really loved spending time with him. Andrew slept in Tyler's nursery on his inflatable Thomas the Tank Engine bed inside on of our camping tents (good idea, Daddy!) so that Grandpa Craig could have his bed. It was a great visit!

Mother's Day with my boys

My last attempt to photograph the boys together