The Crowe's Nest

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-13T09:57:00.001-08:00

Sew much fun!

2012-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am learning to sew! Just one of the many benefits of living so close to my Mom and Brendan and Jess. Its only been a few weeks so bear with my amateur work, but here are my first attempts!

Trying to find a way to use my left over material. Little dress and headband for Maggie.

First dress. Thanks to Jess for the lesson on "smocking"

Cute idea on pinterest using Rob's old shirt :)

Modeling the new dress

Photo Friday

2012-02-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Cheese!

Blue crayons are especially good for dinner :)

Christmas 2011

2012-01-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to see Santa at the mall with some friends. It was not a success.

Headed to Christmas Eve Mass. No nursery during the service meant Charlie was doing gymnastics on the kneelers/pew while Maggie proceeded to pass out :)

Is this the cutest knight costume ever? Now Charlie can be the handsome prince when the kids play dress up. Thanks Aunt Jess and Uncle Brendan!!

Matching jammies from Auntie Julie

Just what I wanted!!

ANIMALS

Roar

Hanging out at Nana and Papas the day after Christmas

Our favorite soon-to-be-married couple

Maggie was a big help during the rousing game of charades led by Aunt Erin

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago we went out to Laingsburg to cut down our first ever real Christmas tree. After years of using our artificial tree, I finally convinced Rob to get a real one. We stopped at Tom and Becky's house before heading next door and had a very special visit with the family. Maggie drank hot cocoa with Becky and demonstrated her Irish dancing skills for Tom. The kids loved seeing the animals and riding in the big tractor pulled wagon to find our tree. Maggie even helped Rob cut it down. I am so excited to begin family traditions that will continue as we celebrate Christmas in Michigan for years to come.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Checking out the animals at Peacock Road Tree Farm

Riding in the wagon to pick out our tree

We found it!

Rob handled the saw and Maggie helped tip it over :)

Brrr! It was pretty windy and started to rain

Decorating our first real Christmas tree ever!!

Merry Christmas

First Snow

2011-12-09T11:46:00.001-08:00

See Charlie? Isn't this fun?

Its not so bad Maggie, and the snow is great for eating!

Here Charlie, let me help you with your mittens!! OK, time to go inside!

Sun peeking over the trees

Lucy LOVES the snow

and I LOVE our backyard on snow days! So much room to run around!

Winter has arrived! We got our first snow right after Thanksgiving and it was a wonderful 8-10 inches. The kids were so excited but Charlie only made it outside for about 10 minutes before he ripped off his mittens and decided he'd had enough. That was, of course, after 30 minutes of getting them bundled up. We got a little more snow this morning and I am remembering how slippery it can be, especially in our neighborhood. Maybe we will be sick of it by next month, but for right now I am really loving our first winter back home.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-09T11:41:00.001-08:00

Playing in the backyard before the feast

The Thanksgiving group (Claire took the picture)

Tech tots

Grumpy

Curly girlie

Charlie pretending to skateboard. Not really, but it looks like it right?

Halloween

2011-11-10T10:33:00.001-08:00

SAFE Halloween in downtown EL

Maggie and her friend Lucy loving the candy!!

Carving pumpkins with Dad

Pirates getting ready for adventure

Trick or treating with cousins in the old neighborhood-so much fun!!

Fall

2011-10-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

We have obviously been so busy these past few weeks, where are all my posts!! So a little update on everyone:

Rob is enjoying his new job and we are so glad to see him a lot more than we used to!! He is also loving all of the fun work he has to do now that we have such a big yard. Who wouldn't love driving that John Deere around and building bonfires though? He ran the Lansing City River Run Half Marathon with Jess last month and finished with a respectable time :)

I am meeting lots of great girls, thanks to Maggie's preschool and a local MOPS program! I am still sad sometimes and miss our Army life but being in Michigan during the fall (FOOTBALL SEASON) has been so exciting and fun. We have been able to see the Spartans play, watch the marching band practice before home games and tailgate. I am still struggling with what I should be doing/involved with here but am just trying to focus on my number one job and savor these quickly passing moments with Maggie and Charlie.

Maggie is doing well in Preschool and I am thrilled with the program she is attending. The teachers are so sweet and it is such a caring and fun environment for her to be in. It is amazing as ever to see her brain growing and she is really interested in letters, pirates, dress up and riding bikes with the neighbor kids these days.

Charlie is running, climbing and jumping all over the place. He is still not talking that much but has picked up lots of signs (as have we) thanks to some DVDs from the library. His favorite sign is "candy". He LOVES playing outdoors and follows his big sister everywhere. He is such a sweet little guy!!
We have been very busy with lots of visitors, already seeing Dad, and both Emma and Bridget twice since we moved in. The kids also got to spend a fun weekend with the Crowes while Rob and I were able to see a movie and have a date night at Lansing's Oktoberfest with Brendan and Jess. We are so glad to be able to see them and the girls frequently and of course, my Mom! She has dinner with us regularly and the kids couldn't be happier to see her! Oh, and Maggie is requesting I mention her awesome racing in the Dino Dash at MSU. She is so proud of her medal and we had a great time being active with some friends!

2011-09-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Ready for Preschool!

We're BAAACK!

2011-09-14T09:20:00.002-07:00

After a long summer we are finally back online! What a crazy few months it has been. Here's a little summer...

May
- Rob finished out his job with the 911th and we had a tearful Change of Command mid month
- I visited Bridget in NYC over Memorial Day weekend. It was SUPER!!

June
- We packed up our house and loaded the truck. All of our things headed to storage
- We drove both cars (with some help from Aunt Erin) back to Michigan and moved in with a very gracious Mom!
- Looked at 15 houses in 3 days and made an offer on a house!
- Spent lots of time at the zoo, Impressions 5, and water parks around Lansing
- Celebrated the bithdays of our beautiful neices

July
- Spent 4th of July in Grand Haven. Maggie loved the fireworks!
- Visited the Jamiesons up north and remembered why we love Michigan SO much!
- It was HOT!
- Stressed over the house but finally...

August
- Closed on the house! Yipee!
- Had a wonderful week on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with the Judge Family
- Got the keys to our house!

September
- Moved in to the house, still unpacking
- Maggie started Pre-School!

Being home in Michigan feels fantastic! I am still sad about leaving the Army and missing my friends in Virginia, but it is really great to be so near to family and finally be able to have a place of our own. Please come visit :)

Blue eyes

2011-09-14T09:20:00.001-07:00

Taking a break

2011-07-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let our faithful readers know we are on hiatus until we are settled after the big move! I am taking pictures of the kids and will be sure to do some back-blogs when I can upload them to our computer. Check facebook for our mobile uploads :)

May

2011-05-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

Family shot with cousin Simon

Charlie's First Birthday

2011-04-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Charlie's first birthday with two parties and a car trip :) We had lunch at Kellys with our family. Yummy food and great service! After the lunch we stopped at Angie and Chris's house to celebrate with Rob's high school friends. Angie and I both had babies on April 16th!! Lilly and Charlie had a fantastic party and we had so much fun before we got on the road to head back to VA!

The Birthday Boy with Aunt Emma and Aunt Larry
Cousins!!

Happy Birthday dear Charlie!

The Birthday Twins!!

Charlie LOVES cake! Thanks to oxiclean we were able to save the shirt!

After the cake extravaganza

Rob and all of his girlfriends :)

Michigan

2011-04-22T12:44:00.001-07:00

Hanging out with Aunt Claire
Special time with Grandma

Mr Blue Eyes

The guys

Charlie enjoying the cupcakes Maggie decorated

Making cupcakes with Nana

Maggie's new friend

We got to see Leila and her girls! Maggie loved playing with Sienna!

Roasting marshmellows

Spring

2011-04-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hopping around the yard! Yo Ho! Pirate Maggie! Brave little boy!

Tinkerbell Party

2011-03-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

Sparkly Pretzel Wands
Setting up the food table
SOO excited for thier party!
Hooray for March Birthday Girls!
Lunching
Fairy Wand Craft Table

Fairy Crrowns
I LOVE cupcakes!
*Mom made the cute napkins and table runners!!

Family

2011-03-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

I forgot to bring the camera to the St Patricks Day Parade in Old Town so I have way fewer pictures from the weekend than I want :(. However, we were able to get a few! Aunt Erin, Bridget and Simon were all here to celebrate Maggie's birthday on Saturday. We had a pizza party and ice cream cake, requested by the birthday girl. A very fun weekend with the fam!!

Happy Birthday Maggie!!

2011-03-03T09:50:00.001-08:00

Interview with Maggie on her 3rd birthday!

What is your name: Maggie!!
How old are you: holds up three fingers
Favorite color: pink and purple
Favorite food: salmon
Favorite toy: scooter
Favorite show: Little Bear
Favorite kind if ice cream: cherry
Favorite thing to wear: dress up clothes
Favorite snack: fruit snacks
What is your brothers name: Char-luls
Favorite place to go: the pool park

Trying out her new scooter and helmet

Lunch with Daddy on her birthday

Yes, she chose to wear this small summer dress for her birthday dinner!! Silly girl!

In like a Lion?

2011-03-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

March seems to be creeping in quietly and I am all for it!! Last weekend we took advantage of the nice weather and went downtown to visit the Air and Space Museum and run around the mall. Maggie also had a blast with her good buddy Ellie and they entertained us with thier silliness while Beth and Andrew got a date night! Cute in thier matching pjs huh? Maggie also modeled some of her birthday gifts from my Mom. Sweet little red riding hood cape and "Sound of Music" dress!

my sweetle beetle
little red in outer space!

on the mall
here comes trouble!

Valentines and Stuff

2011-02-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day!! While I didn't get to spend much of it with my main Valentine, I was able to enjoy a beautiful day with my two little sweeties and some good friends. The weather was beyond nice and we got some great time in outside. Maggie had fun at her Valentines party and exchanged some treats with neighbors too. We had heart shaped waffles and pink milkshakes for dinner and watched a movie together while waiting for Rob to get home from a loooong day at the office.

Here's the part about other stuff. I have to recommend a great book that I have recently finished for book club. Nurture Shock was a great read and a fascinating look at parenting. I especially loved the chapter on teaching self control. It is less of a parenting manual and more "these are the things we thought we were doing right but actually might not be that great". Fascinating!! Pick it up if you have a chance!

Weekend Pictures

2011-02-06T12:10:00.001-08:00

Abby Maddy

2011-02-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Check out my friend Stefanie's new business Abby Maddy!!

Sick

2011-02-01T08:37:00.000-08:00

Is this the winter of being sick? It sure feels like that at our house!! I think I have spent more time at the hospital on post than I have with Rob. After a great visit with Bridget a few weeks ago I came down with a nasty virus and probably passed it to both of the kids. Charlie has had a super high fever resulting from an ear infection but is feeling much better after his first 24 hours of antibiotics!! I am feeling hopeful that the month of February is going to be a much healthier one.

What else is new? Maggie is enjoying her classes (gymnastics and zoom around the room) and is already asking to take ice skating next session. I have a feeling that soccer would be more fun.

Charlie had his 9 month well baby check and is still on the small side. The Doctors were a little concerned about his weight (3%) but are hoping that it is because of all of the crawling he has been doing. We are on a high calorie diet and I have been adding whipping cream and coconut oil to everything I can. He is a very active guy and surprising fast as he crawls around the house looking for trouble. He is pulling up to standing (though has trouble getting back down) and making lots of new sounds (mama and dada).

The other night in the tub they had a fantastic time playing a new game. Charlie would say "dada" and splash the water and Maggie would do the same which would send him into the cutest giggling fit I have ever seen. The bathroom was soaked after a few minutes of play but the entire family was cracking up! It seems like his first year has flown by and its hard to believe he will be one in just 2 months!! Even crazier? One month from tomorrow Maggie will be 3!

Here is a recent picture of my two sick kiddos :(

Look Mom!

2011-01-12T06:04:00.000-08:00

This week, playing quietly in my room while I folded laundry and her brother napped, Maggie called to me "Look Mom!" I turned around to see that she had arranged her little dolls in a row outside of their dollhouse. "Look Mom! They are all laying in the grass looking up at the stars in the dark. They are a happy family all together!" What a sweet girl!

Christmas

2010-12-30T10:39:00.001-08:00

Happy Christmas 2010

Charlie LOVED the packaging
Santa baby

Tired after a long day

Santa??

Christmas Eve

2010-12-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas at our house this year with Rob's family. We enjoyed a delicious Christmas Eve dinner (thank you Nancy!!) and attended the early service at church with Maggie. She seemed to enjoy it and we sat right behind her friend Molly who was happy to share toys during Mass. Ready for Christmas Eve Dinner

Sisters

Green crowns!

The Chicago couple

She had to trade for a pink crown

I love Nana!

December

2010-12-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

Exciting events in December included a birthday dinner with Andrew and Danielle, birthday weekend in Philly with Jen, Dave, Julie and Erin and Dave. We had great seats (apart from being surrounded by Navy fans) at the Army Navy game and had a super yummy dinner at Tequilas in Philadelphia. Maggie had a sleepover with Ellie and Charlie hung out with Aunt Erin. It was a great weekend!! We also had Rob's Company Christmas party which was great fun! The highlight was Santa's arrival in the Rescue Truck. My wonderful friends took me out for lunch at Restaurant Eve and we did a cookie exchange as well. I am sure I forgot something this month-it totally flew by!!

Daddy's Company Christmas Party.

The closest she has ever gotten to Santa with a smile on her face!!
Ready for the snow!!
Hanging out with Uncle Andrew

Good News!

2010-12-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

Charlie decided to give me an early Christmas present this year. Guess what it is? No more dairy allergy!!! YAY!!! I am so excited to actually enjoy the food this Holiday season. He has also decided to skip baby food all together. He had his first taste of real food on Thanksgiving and has not turned around since. We pulled out the old baby food mill and have been giving the boy everything we eat these days. Mac and cheese, stromboli, roasted chicken, he loves it! Maggie is thrilled to see him progressing and cheers him on at meal times "you are finally eating baby-yay-good job charlie". So cute! December is upon us again and the calendar is packed already. We have, count them, 4 parties this week to keep us busy! We are also going with friends to check out the Grinch who Stole Christmas ICE extravaganza at the National Harbor. Last but certainly not least we are celebrating my birthday this year with lots of fun stuff!! Check back next week to see pictures. Happy St Nicholas Day!!

He looks so much like Rob!
Besties

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

Hanging out in the helicoptor at the Battalion Holiday Party

Maggie still hates Santa :(

Maggie and her Martin Aunts!

Turkey was GREAT! As usual, well done Rob!

Family shot!

Sissy decorating the tree

Charlie is finally eating!! Not baby food though, just grown up Thanksgiving food!

Philadelphia

2010-11-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful weekend in Philly! Aunt Kate and Uncle Steve graciously offered to host our visit and it was SO GREAT to stay with them. We enjoyed the time together as well as our visit with Grandma. We surprised Caeli at her birthday party on Thursday and spent time with Dad and Aunt Erin at the Please Touch Museum on Friday. We even got to go out in Manayunk without the kids! On Saturday we had lunch with Grandma and visited the Waterworks with Aunt Erin before dinner at a very yummy, pink restaurant. The food was great but the kids were totally squirrely. We will have to try it again next time! Aunt Erin took us to south Philly for some amazing doughnuts on Sunday before heading back to VA. A super mini-vacation and absolutely wonderful weather!! We LOVE Philadelphia!!

Doing some shopping with Aunt Erin at the Please Touch Museum. She really liked the crackers!
Charlie and Grandpa helping Maggie check out!
Her most favorite part of the PTM, the Hospital! She repeatedly told us that she needed to go back because she was sick. Ha!

A little dance on the obvious stage.

Taking a ride on the beautiful old carousel.

Puzzle time

Reading some books with cousin Maddy. She also wanted to read Curious George goes to the Doctor over and over again. Notice the red bandage on her ankle.

Really hard to get them both to smile!

Charlie sweet

Before our tour of the Philadelphia Waterworks

Champion!!

Halloween

2010-11-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Little stinker

Could they be any cuter?

Hydrating before the big game!!

Fairy Pumpkin

Charlie at 6 months!

2010-10-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

October/6 months old/ATM

2010-10-24T18:30:00.001-07:00

Holy Cats its almost Halloween! I seriously do not know what I do all day but sometimes I am so busy I hardly remember to breathe! I really want to blog more often but between M and C, life seems to fly by! Recent updates on the minis:

Maggie is growing up way to fast. She is constantly surprising us with her language ability and has begin the exhausting "why" phase. A typical conversation at our house: What are those things in the air? Bats! Why? Because they have wings? Why? Because they have to fly around to get food? Why? Because they eat insects? Why do they eat insects? Because they are delicious! That's silly Daddy! Insects aren't delicious! They are to bats. Why? (it never ends!!). She is fully potty trained during the day and did an excellent job this morning at the Army Ten Miler (more about that later). She is trying my patience as a mother and teaching me to pick my battles now that she likes to choose her own clothes. Yesterdays outfit: clover green shirt, avocado green leggings, purple socks and black party shoes. Awesome. She is so much fun and keeps us cracking up all day long!
Charlie had a week-a serious week!! On Monday at his 6 month check up the Dr told me he is developing and growing well, but he is not gaining weight fast enough. He weighed 14.8 lbs and was 25.5 inches (heavier and longer than M was at 6 months). She advised me to push the solids and the bottle as much as possible. I wondered if she wanted to come over and try her luck, it is obviously not happening when I am around. I stressed about it for a few days and then just decided to chill out, let him lead with the solid food and continue to nurse on demand as usual. He did enjoy a french fry, some bacon, a bite of doughnut and a pretzel stick over the weekend. Maybe he just doesn't like slimy squishy baby food??? He is such a sweet little guy with smiles for everyone. He loves taking his naps and goes down so easily at night as well. We heart him!

The weekend was a great one with a visit from the Ag-nowskis (our great friends Jen and Dave from Germany). Jen and I even managed a trip downtown to meet up with her sister. Well, at least for the the hour before Rob called to tell me the kids would not go to bed and he needed back up. It was great spending time with them and we cant wait to see them again. Maybe in December...right Jen?? :)

Rob ran the Army 10 Miler today and it was awesome!! We all took Metro to the Pentagon (race start/finish) and hung around the Hooah zone while Rob ran the race. We even got to watch him finish, barely, thanks to our neighbor Michelle who spotted him while I was trying to get Charlie a toy. It was a beautiful day and we were proud of our runner. He finished with a better time than the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in 75 minutes!! Great Job!! Just think what he could do if he actually trained :)
Enjoy some recent pictures from the pumpkin tunnel!

Bottles

2010-10-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

So it has been a little over three months now that Charlie won't take a bottle. At first is was somewhat flattering and I couldn't be mad at him b/c he was really so young. Guess what Charlie? It's starting to get old! I thought maybe introducing solids might help him get over this hump but surprise, he could care less about real food too!! I am trying so hard to be patient and understanding and appreciate all of his GREAT facets (there are so many) but I am sooo frustrated as a Mom. Selfishly too, I am coming to terms with the fact that I might not get what I want for my birthday this year, a trip to Texas to celebrate Megan's birthday and see all of our old MSU friends! Just a little rant, I know. And just another lesson in parenting. There are only so many things you can control and patience is required way more than I ever imagined!! Updates: he has two teeth now, is rolling over and over and is working on sitting up! He is a social little guy and is much happier when people are playing with him or looking at him!

In other news, the long weekend was a welcome break for busy busy Rob and I didn't mind the help either! We watched the MSU game (amazing) with the Jamiesons and spent Sunday with Bridget downtown checking out the capital, the botanical gardens and the National Cathedral. I miss my family so much and it is always so great to be able to see them, even just for a few hours. Maggie wore her purple tutu the entire time and was quite the entertainer. Wherever we went people were taking pictures of her. And a visiting couple from China asked to have their picture taken with our family. Note to self, leave the ballet costumes at home next time!!

September

2010-09-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

It's fall!! Well at least it is starting to feel like it! Football is on tv, the spartan t-shirts are in full rotation and the temperature has finally fallen below 90 degrees! I can't believe it is almost October!! This month saw the start of swim and dance class for Maggie, a birthday for Rob and the start of solid food and a tooth for Charlie! I have been busy with the FRG and trying to attend our Mom's group as much as possible. I am still working with Charlie to get him on a bottle but we are not seeing much success...sigh. Maggie is such a great big sister and is really starting to help me a lot more with her little brother! She can get him giggling harder than anyone...the cutest thing ever!! Enjoy the recent pictures!

5 Months!

2010-09-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Picture post!

2010-09-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here you go (Mom)!

Holy Cats!

2010-08-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

I have been horrible at keeping up the blog this summer...or to be honost, maybe since Charlie's arrival! I remember when Maggie was his age and I would blog at least a few times a week!! Either way, we have been busy and enjoying the last few weeks of summer. A few happenings since we returned from Michigan:

1. Charlie had his 4 month appointment and weighed in at 13lbs 6oz and 24". Bigger than Maggie was at his age but still on the lower side of average.
2. We had a visit with a wonderful friend from Missouri! Maggie and Charlie were able to meet Cathy, who was so sweet to come see us while in DC.
3. Rob and I went to see Tony Bennett at Wolf Trap with some friends. It was a wonderful evening out and even better b/c Aunt Kate and Maddy were watching the kids! THANK YOU!!!
4. Maggie is almost back to being totally dry all day in underpants-whoo hoo! She is also a certified fish-swimming under water and leaping into the pool. Today she even started fishing toys off the bottom of the pool.

Looking forward to visits from Bridget and Megan in the next few weeks but trying to focus on just enjoying the everyday moments with my children. Beth recommended a wonderful book "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" which has been a reminder to me how precious this days are and how quickly they pass by. I highly urge my Mommy friends to pick up a copy (if you have time:)

Michigan

2010-08-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

Michigan was, as usual, WONDERFUL! I spent a total of 2+ weeks there with the kids and Rob joined us for the second week which we spent with his family on the west side of the state. Highlights from the trip include:

Lansing
1. Arriving to the hotel in Toledo during a tornado and sitting in the bathroom with 2 kids and a dog

2. Caddie's 3rd Birthday party (carnival theme-VERY fun) and surprise visit from Bridget and Dad

3. Visit to Brighton to meet Miss Lilly

4. Potter Park Zoo and a pony ride

5. Visit with LJ, a trip to the MSU dairy store and feeding the ducks

6. Riding the horse at Meijers and other shopping excursions

7. Meeting up with an adorably pregnant Sara

8. Visit with Great Grandpa Martin

9. Charlie's party and quilt

Spring Lake
1. Spending time with Aunt Erin, Aunt Emma and "Aunt" Larry (and the rest of the family)

2. Coast Guard Fest! Boat tours, carnival, fire works, Pronto Pups
3. Visiting Brony and Heather and dinner at Pasche's (YUM)

4. Great Lakes Irish Music Fest and Irish Dancers!
5. Date night!!!
6. Maggie's first night camping and s'mores

7. Lake Michigan!

8. Charlie's first swim

We drove through the night to get back to VA and Rob did a great job. It is a million degrees outside and we miss the back yard at Nana and Papa's very much!! Maggie is a swimming machine and was leaping off the diving board (in her duck) before we knew it. Charlie is smiling all the time, giggling, and trying to eat his fingers off these days. Life with 2 kids is so busy but we are having too much fun!

4th of July

2010-07-12T08:04:00.001-07:00

"me and baby charlie are having a sitting party"
Can't catch me!

Waiting for the fireworks with Kate

Sweet Charlie

Interview with Maggie

2010-07-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this interview with Maggie!

Whats your name: Maggie Baby Crowe
How old are you? 2
Whats your brothers name: Patrick
What is your favorite food? potatoes and corn and broccolis
What is your favorite color: orange and purple
What is your favorite movie? Toy Story
What is your doll's name? Lisa and then, I don't know what the other one name
Where are we going on vacation? Grandma's house!
What is your favorite thing to play? extra toys
What is your favorite dessert? cake
What do you like to do at the pool? jump in just like that
What color are your eyes? I not know
What is your favorite thing in the whole world? bracelets and necklace
Who loves you the most? Daddy and Mommy!

She was a little confused about her brothers name but at lease she got part of it! Have a great week!!

Charlie's Baptism Weekend

2010-06-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

We just had a fantastic weekend with Mom, Grandma Judge and Aunt Anne! They came down to DC for a visit and we were able to coordinate Charlie's Baptism for the same weekend!! Godmothers Aunt Bridget and Aunt Erin were here as well and Charlie could not have been more perfect! He looked adorable in his little white suit and was completely happy throughout the service. He also wore a special baptismal garment made by his great-great uncle that was passed down to us by UJ-THANK YOU!! He was one of 7 babies baptized at Good Shepherd on Saturday but Father Chuck kept the service rolling and did a great job. It was so special for me to have Grandma and my own Godmother celebrate with us (they were also at Maggie's).Maggie played with her friend Ellie and had a great time with her at our house afterwards. Rob and I even got a date in too!

We took a (very hot) trip to Arlington National Cemetery yesterday at Grandma's request. It was my first trip there and it was an extremely peaceful and beautiful place. I look forward to a return trip with Rob hopefully when the weather is a little more cooperative.

We are excited for the 4th of July weekend (and our 7 year anniversary) which we will spend with my Dad and Caeli!! Hopefully Maggie has a little longer attention span at the fireworks this year!

8 week check up

2010-06-21T09:46:00.001-07:00

Charlie's 8 week check up has come and gone. He seems to be doing great and growing right on schedule. He was not a fan of the shots but was a brave little guy and slept the rest of the day! His official stats are 10lbs 2oz (34%) and 22.4" (56%). I guess he is going to be bigger than his sister!!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Rob, Dad/Barry/Grandpa Elmo, Reg/Dad/Papa, Brendan, and all of our Daddy friends and family. We love you so much and are thankful for all you do for us!

2 months old!

2010-06-14T08:24:00.001-07:00

Charlie will be 2 months old tomorrow-CRAZY! We have found a routine and things have really calmed down at our house. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely days I think I will loose my mind, but overall life with 2 kids is pretty manageable!

Charlie continues to be a wonderful little baby and aside from his suspected stomach issues, more on that later, he really seems to be doing well. His official 8 week appt is on Thursday but in the meantime he is about 10 lbs and growing everyday! He is so much more alert and is smiling-hooray! He is giving us anywhere from 5-7 hour stretches at night (depending on how much water I drink everyday!!) followed by a 3-4 hour stretch. We are going to baptize him this month as well when Mom, Grandma and Aunt Anne are here.

Miss Maggie seems to be doing better as well. The quiet corner has replaced time outs on the stairway though she usually finds herself there due to her excessive screaming. Happy or sad, it seems to be her newest way of expressing herself. Not so much fun!! She is doing much better at staying in her bed all night and we anxiously await the arrival of her new alarm clock to help her stay in bed a little later. She loves dancing to music and her newest favorite song is Break your Heart" by Taio Cruz. She asks for it all the time...

Rob is busy as usual and gearing up for the busiest time of year at the Company. We are in planning mode with the FRG and looking forward to some fun family events this summer. I don't think we will make it to the shore this summer but we are all excited for our trip home to Michigan.

Twins

2010-06-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or do these two look so similar?

Memorial Day and new strollers!

2010-06-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial Day weekend with our great friends Jen and Dave! It was so much fun to see them and I don't think I have laughed that much in a very long time! We also had a great BBQ with our playgroup friends and Maggie really enjoyed playing with her friends in the baby pool and sprinkler. Guess what else...we FINALLY got our double stroller! I used it yesterday to take the kids to the pool and am very happy with it. Maggie was so excited to ride with her brother.

What we've been up to!

2010-05-19T10:59:00.001-07:00

It has been a busy few weeks since Charlie's arrival! It is hard to believe it has already been a month!

Update on the boy: He is a super sweet little guy! He is eating well and sleeping about 3 hours at a time during the night. He is a hungry guy but goes right back to bad apres food! He is over 8 lbs now and getting nice and chubby! The only thing that seems to bother him is his sensitive stomach. He did not tolerate formula well but is happy to take a bottle of milk! We are enjoying him so much and love watching him grow!

Update on big sissy: Maggie is doing pretty well overall though we have had a few normal regressions. She loves to help with Charlie though we have to make sure she does not try to hold him on her own. She so wants to carry him around like a doll-not a good idea!! We are getting back into a routine now that the flurry of family visits has passed. I am hoping to get an earlier bed time and try to force back her very early waking time. She has been getting up at 5 lately which is WAY too early for everyone. Will let you know how that one works out!

Enjoy the pictures from the past few weeks!!

Mother's Day trip to Mount Vernon with Nana!

Sweet Maggie!

Potomac View

Mother's Day with 2 kids!!

The Crowe Men fast asleep

Fun times at Burke Lake Park

Ready to ride the train!!

new pics!

2010-05-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Oh BOY!!

2010-04-25T06:17:00.001-07:00

Maggie has a brother!! After 9 long months we are so excited to add baby Charlie to our family. He is the sweetest little guy and we are so smitten with him already. Maggie has been a huge help and loves to hold, change and tickle her little brother. He is eating and sleeping very well and we are surprised how well everyone is doing. As some of you may know, Maggie was a pretty high maintenance little lady so in comparison Charlie seems so relaxed! Rob has been off of work for the past week and thanks to the Army's new paternity leave, he gets to spend another week with us! It has been awesome to have him home, as well as help from Aunt Bridget and Aunt Erin (the first weekend) and meals from our playgroup and church friends. Thanks to all of you for the support and love since Charlie's arrival. We are truly grateful!! For those of you interested in the birth story, it is posted below. If not, check back again for more pictures soon!!

Charlie's Birth Story

I should have know what was coming when I wanted to eat BBQ for dinner! After a few days of on/off contractions I had a huge craving for BBQ and called Rob at work on Thursday (the 15th) to ask if he was interested in going out for dinner. We ate at Red, Hot and Blue and joked that we would be having a baby soon since we also had BBQ for dinner the night before Maggie was born. Little did we know that we would be in the hospital just a few hours later!

We were laying in bed reading when I felt a weird "pop". I remarked on it to Rob and a minute later I felt the gush. "I think my water just broke" I said. I was not having contractions yet so we calmly got our things ready to go and called Beth who was kind enough to come over to the house to stay with a sleeping Maggie.

We checked into the hospital around 11:30 and after some initial tears at the unfortunate start to my labor (I did NOT want my water to break first) and a few contractions, the Dr checked me at midnight to find I was contracting and at 3cm. I was not able to walk around like I wanted b/c they were worried about cord prolapse but I was able to sit on the ball for awhile. Unfortunately baby's heart rate kept dropping after my contractions and I had to move back to the bed. Knowing that I had not progressed much and that laying down made the contractions WAY worse, and that it was the middle of the night and Rob and I were getting pretty tired, I asked for the epidural. Because I was GBS+ they wanted to keep things moving and gave my some pitocin after the epidural. Needless to say, I was ready to push in about 2 hours! After 3+ hours of pushing with Maggie, I was totally surprised that Charlie slipped out in about 90 seconds!! Literally 4 pushes! He was pink, crying and they put him on my chest immediately. Rob was able to cut the cord and he nursed right away. While it was not my *ideal* birth, it was so much quicker, less painful, and more joyful than Maggie's arrival. I am so happy with how things went and thankful for the great hospital staff that helped us. Rob was an AWESOME coach and did a great job of helping me all the way. Charles Patrick was born at 4:50am on Friday April 16th. He weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 19.5 inches long!

We were able to leave the hospital on Saturday afternoon (whoo-hoo) which was awesome since we were sharing our room with another family and nobody got any sleep. Bridget came down from New York on Friday morning to take over from Beth and Erin arrived on Saturday just as we got home from the hospital. It was so great knowing that Maggie was home with her Aunt in her own environment while we were at the hospital. THANK YOU BRIDGIE!!

Update and Pictures from Easter

2010-04-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Not a ton to report! Baby may or may not come early, a little flu bug yesterday brought on some contractions, etc but seem to be subsiding again! We are still a few weeks from my due date and not sure what this little one wants to do! Luckily, my Mom was with us last week and helped me get a TON done before baby's arrival. The nursery is ready and there are two weeks ready to go in the deep freeze. I think Maggie is getting anxious as well, less for the arrival of a sibling and more for the visits from family that will come with the baby.

We had a great Easter weekend with the exception of the MSU loss, but enjoyed some awesome weather with my Mom and sister. Here are a few pictures from our "spring break".

Enjoying the peeps in her Easter Basket!

Coloring Easter Eggs with Aunt Bridget before the MSU game

Pregnant Mommy!! (about 36 weeks)

Easter Egg Hunt in the front yard. She found all of the eggs but was only interested in the ones with candy in them!

Cherry Blossoms and Kites

2010-03-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

oh baby!

2010-03-26T09:41:00.001-07:00

Happy spring! Or is it winter again? Since yesterday I think the temperature has dropped about 25 degrees! Things are good in the Crowe household besides a small trip to the hospital on Wednesday. I had a couple of contractions throughout the night and then a TON of braxton hicks throughout the morning. They asked me to come in to be monitored and sure enough they were coming every 5 minutes. Fortunately though we were not progressing in any other way and they gave me a shot to stop the contractions which worked like a charm! Since then things have been smooth sailing though I am on a somewhat restricted regime (less lifting of Maggie and no long walks-BOO). Mom is headed out next week for Easter and the timing could not be better! Hopefully we can get everything crossed off the list in time for baby's arrival (be it early or on time). I did check one thing off my list and got a new diaper bag-yay! I wasn't really sure what I wanted but it definately needed to be a. washable and b. big enough to hold the trimmings and trappings of 2 small children. I found this one at the PX and (since it had birds on it) could not turn it down. Happy Friday!

Pics

2010-03-23T06:41:00.001-07:00

Nice!

2010-03-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

1. GO STATE!! What a crazy game yesterday! Hoping we can pull out another win against Northern Iowa this week!

2. Spring has come to Virginia!! We had a beautiful (though busy) weekend and are so enjoying the warmer weather and pretty flowers. We got our new stroller and have been giving it lots of time outside. Maggie loves playing with chalk and we have been to the playground everyday.

3. The Crowe kids are growing and growing! Maggie finished up her gymnastics class this morning and did a great job! The teacher encouraged me to sign her up for dance class as soon as she turns 3. How fun will that be? The belly is getting bigger and bigger and #2 seems to be increasing in size everyday. Its hard to believe that my next appt will be the big 36 weeks! My due date is in 6 weeks and I am so looking forward to having Mom here for Easter to help me get everything ready for the debut of baby 2. Somewhat closer to choosing a name though we change our minds weekly :(

4. Happy (belated) Birthday to my dear Grandma Judge! How cool is it that she got an ipad for her 85th Birthday? You are awesome Grandma!! I love you!

Pictures are next!

Weekend Pictures

2010-03-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Little Diva lunching with Daddy
St Patrick's Day Parade in Old Town

Hooray for sunny days!

All dressed in green for the parade

A teddy bear picnic!

Birthday Cake Pictures

2010-03-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Maggie!!

2010-03-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

2 years old!
1st Birthday cupcakes!

Home from the hospital-March 2008

Happy 2nd Birthday Maggie!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!!

2 years in the making!

2010-02-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

Last night Rob and I had our first night (together) away from Maggie! I know, I know-it has been almost 2 years but being so far from our family and Rob's work schedule has made overnight trips almost impossible! Last night however, our great friends Beth and Andrew watched Maggie so Rob and I could have a night on the town before we have two kids and never leave the house again (joking...I hope). We stayed at a hotel in DC and went to the top rated Indian Restaurant in the city for dinner. We have been wanting to try out Rasika forever and were happy to find the food worth the wait. We walked around DC, rode the Metro and felt like teenagers again! We got some breakfast at Eastern Market before returning to pick up Maggie this morning. According to Beth she had a great time and slept all night without any problems-whew! It was great to spend the time together as a couple but we both were happy to see her smiling face when we picked her up!

In other news, she is completely potty trained (during the day) and the transition to the toddler bed is complete! The first night was a little rough but since then we have had a few *perfect* nights and a few where she wakes up once and comes to get a snuggle from Mom or Dad but goes right back to bed. She loves her "big girl bed" which is extra special b/c it was made by her Papa (Rob's Dad) when the Crowe kids were little. I have some more projects to complete in her room but we are getting closer to being finished!

Maggie and I are headed to Florida on Tuesday to visit the Pantanos and are so looking forward to getting out of this snowy place! Keep your fingers crossed that it is not a full flight and they have an extra seat for her. Last chance to fly before her 2nd birthday!!

Pictures

2010-02-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

Ready to face the BLIZZARD!
Our back patio after the 1st storm
I heart snow in a pink bowl!
Playdough fun
Leave a message!!

snOMG 2010

2010-02-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

This storm is crazy! After finally shoveling out after the 23 inches we got over the weekend, we received another 8 inches today!! Aside from a quick trip to the library and a walk down the street for a Super Bowl party we (well-Maggie and I) have pretty much been stuck in the house.

I really can't complain though as it has given us a chance to work on the potty training!! And, I am pleased to announce that Maggie has pretty much mastered the skill. The week at home and bribery with candy hearts seems to have helped a ton. She is still in diapers at night and probably will be for a while but that is ok with me. Household recommendation of the week: Gerber toddler training pants!!

This weekend we are planning to test out some other double strollers and do a big trip to IKEA to pick up a mattress for Maggie's new bed and some other fun odds and ends. We have to move the queen size bed out of the new baby's room and replace the desk in the office to make the new bed fit. Lots of work but I am excited we are moving forward. Now, if we could only decide on a name!!

Pictures to come tomorrow!!!

Baby Two

2010-02-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

I realize I have been giving small updates on this pregnancy but figured I should spend some time blogging about this baby as well!! I am now 27 weeks along and looking forward to my next Doctor's appointment this Friday. I dealt with some morning sickness early on but have felt great since about 16 weeks! During the beginning of the pregnancy, it felt very different from my pregnancy with Maggie. I was way more tired, sick all day, and just felt yucky! The second trimester however seems very similar to Maggie's! I have been super hungry and while I am trying to make healthy choices I am still rapidly gaining weight! I am still within the "normal" range but was hoping for a fitter pregnancy this time. I am so looking forward to an early spring here in VA so we can get outside more regularly! Last Monday it was 65 degrees and today it is 30 with snow everywhere!!

Baby 2 is a little frog and is ALWAYS moving! He/she does a great job of waking me up all night though (just like Maggie) whenever Rob puts his hand on my belly the baby stops moving. Maybe it's another Daddy's girl!!

I have been craving anything sweet these days and maintain that while spring babies are great, it is frustrating being pregnant over Christmas and now, especially Valentine's Day! I wish I could re-wire my brain to crave carrots and celery instead of chocolate and peanut butter!!

Now that it is officially February we are going to start to get the nursery set up and transition Maggie to her "big girl" bed. I am sure I will have lots to blog about then but for now, just keep your fingers crossed! Since we have all gender neutral stuff from the first go around, baby two will have a green and brown elephant room too! It is nice that everything is in pretty good condition still and that we don't need to buy much in terms of baby gear!

Speaking of baby gear, we are still undecided about the double stroller situation. Thanks to Amanda we were able to find the new Baby Jogger City Select, which is a really cool stroller. We checked it out last weekend and while Rob is sold, I still think it is a little long. I am still thinking about the Bumbleride Indie Twin which Beth has spoken so highly of. We are going to test it out soon since I finally found a store that has one in stock!! Ok, if I forgot any pertinent baby info please let me know!

First Year in VA

2010-01-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

We have been in Virginia for a year!! I still miss Missouri sometimes (mainly our neighborhood and all of our great Army friends) but am pretty excited to be here! Life is busier but there is always something to look forward too. The biggest change/surprise is still how "civilian-ized" my life has become. I love my girlfriends here though and am so thankful for all of the DC knowledge they have shared with me!

Life in the Crowe house is progressing as normal. Maggie loves gymnastics and has started to tell us "jokes" that keep everyone cracking up (example: last night at bedtime I say "do you want Mommy or Daddy to tuck you in tonight?" Maggie says "or....Lucy??"). Rob is busy at work and I am trying to pace myself in this pregnancy and relax about having everything done this month!! Baby 2 is growing (as am I) and though we still don't know what we are having, I had a really vivid dream that it was a girl. Who knows??? Names are still open for discussion and I do not feel any closer to a decision.

Dad and Caeli were here last weekend for the 4 day and it was great to see them! Maggie loved having them around to play with (boss around) and we enjoyed some great weather downtown.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

Ringing in 2010!
Maggie discovers whipped cream!!
Christmas morning
Loves her new baby doll! Thanks Auntie Megan!

Happy 2010!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season and that you are all as excited as I am for 2010. Our first Christmas in Virgina was wonderful. The Crowe's were able to join us and Maggie was finally old enough to really enjoy the season. We spent New Year's Eve with our playgroup/Virginia friends and had a night out in Old Town sans babies before dessert and games at our house. I look forward to everything 2010 will bring, a potty trained toddler and a less stressed husband to start, but mostly the arrival of little number 2!

Snow Day

2009-12-21T07:05:00.001-08:00

My funny kid

2009-12-16T10:32:00.001-08:00

I have a really funny kid! Thought I would share a few recent Maggie-isms that make us smile. When she is looking at a book or magazine she will randomly say "oh, I miss a page". She has a fascination/fear of Santa Claus and is constantly asking if he is coming to the house. One minute she says "I yike him" and the next "Santa's scary-Daddy hold me!". She also likes to call me a "yucky pig" "oink oink". I realize I have been pretty hungry lately but seriously Maggie!! When she does not like something she tells us "I yik-e that" while shaking her head no. She is talking up a storm and surprises me all the time with what she remembers. She likes to list everyone coming to our house for Christmas "Papa, Nana, An Erin and An Emma".

(Rob and Maggie ready for the Army-Navy game)

In other news baby #2 is doing well and wiggling around like crazy! If Maggie turns out to be our quiet child we are really in trouble. We had our ultrasound 2 weeks ago and everything looks good so far. I have to go back again after Christmas but am happy to do so as Rob wasn't able to make it to the last one. Christmas shopping/baking/wrapping/shipping seems to be extra busy this year and I am really looking forward to having Rob around for some long weekends! I have a cookie exchange tomorrow and am trying out a new recipe-Giadas hazelnut biscotti (though they look more like a cookie to me). Hoping they are delicious!!

29

2009-12-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

I'm 29 today! I have been thinking about it for the past few weeks and wondering how I would feel today, one year away from my 30th birthday. Though this really isn't one of those milestone birthdays, it feels pretty significant to me. Maybe because it is my last year in my "20s" or maybe just because I am hyper-sensitive due to pregnancy, either way, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on this December 8th!

My initial reaction to 29 was honestly...fear. Last night I complained to Rob that 29 means I am official old and I was totally freaked out. Thinking about it today however, I have decided I am officially still young and very lucky! I have been blessed with a lot in 29 years and when I think about all the love in my life I am completely overwhelmed! I have been blessed with a lovely, large, healthy, and close knit family. I have so many friends around the world. I have spent my entire adult life in a "profession" of service as the wife of a Soldier. I have a beautiful daughter and the blessing of another baby on the way. And, I have had the love of the most wonderful man I know for almost 11 years.

So today, on my 29th birthday, I am thankful for all of the blessings in my life and celebrate all of the wonderful people who have helped make me the person I am today!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-12-01T05:18:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving! We had a great weekend with my family and we are so glad they decided to make the drive to see us this year. Maggie LOVED playing with her cousin and they had a great time playing with Grandma all weekend. Thanksgiving dinner was another success due mainly to Rob's delicious turkey and some rescue help from Jessica in the kitchen when sweet potatoes caught on fire! Maggie and Caddie did their first cookie bake with Mom and we had a great time downtown checking out the Natural History Museum and the Sculpture Garden. We are headed into the busiest month of the year and are excited for all of the fun things December has in store for us. Hooray for the Holidays!!

2009-11-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

2009-11-18T10:21:00.001-08:00

I am so excited for Thanksgiving! My mom and all the siblings as well as Rob's sister, will be joining us and I am so looking forward to having everyone here. I think Maggie is going to have a blast with Caddie around too! I went to the Commissary today and was so tempted to get everything for next week. I am slowly getting the non-perishables and picked out Mr Turkey today. Watch out for me next week though-cart will be full!

Maggie and I went down to Williamsburg on Monday to hang out with the Griders. We had a great time and as usual Maggie loved seeing Jack and Hank. I was unhappy that the Puma outlet had NOTHING in her size but I did get some great stuff over the weekend at the outlets with Beth and a head start on the Christmas shopping.

I had my 16 week checkup this morning and so far everything is looking good. Baby 2's heart rate was 140 and I am sticking to my guns and proclaiming this one to be a boy! Rob thinks I am crazy but there is something to be said for Mother's intuition. The Doc also gave me the go ahead to participate in the BN Thanksgiving Party Spouse Flights. I get to fly in a helicopter around DC-YAY!!

Back upstairs to make cranberry sauce and punch for our playgroup lunch tomorrow!!

Interview with Maggie

2009-11-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

Along with some recent pictures, here is a little interview with Maggie!

What is your favorite food? "Um, noo-noos (noodles)"
What is your favorite thing to do? "play"
What is your dog's name? "woof woof-I'm funny"
What does a turkey say? "gobble gobble"
What do you like to do everyday? "coloring-paper"
What is your cousin's name? "Caddie" "baby yay ya"
What should we buy at the Commissary today? "nanas and pickles"
Are you going to have a baby brother or a baby sister? "baby bruder"

It's official! Maggie is going to be a big sister! Crowe baby #2 debuting in early May. Here are a few pictures from the past week!

With Mommy at the Pumpkin Farm. I love my new vest!!

Riding the tractor with Daddy at Cox Farms. We went with some of the families in the Company and had a GREAT time!

One of my favorite friends Carter. We love to eat cheerios together!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

The week so far

2009-10-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Thursday (Halloween lunch at Panera)
Wednesday (carving pumpkins with Aunt Erin)

Tuesday

Monday (does she look just like Rob or what??)

one more...

2009-10-25T17:04:00.001-07:00

Here are Maggie and her little buddy Eli at the Moms Group Halloween Party last week! Too cute!

Just a little something

2009-10-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

I realize I have been really bad at putting up recent pictures and stories but am trying to make this week an exception. I am hoping to add a new photo of Maggie everyday! We will be sticking around home this week as our friends in Williamsburg are under the weather but hopefully will have a visit from Aunt Erin! Maybe some shopping is in order?? We are also really looking forward to Halloween on Saturday and doing some trick-or-treating with our little crab!

In other news we waited for 3+ hours on Saturday to get our flu and H1N1 shots at the Ft Belvoir field house. It was a super long day but at least we are done with it! Maggie did surprisingly well for being stuck in line during lunch/naptime. We all needed a little snooze when we got home :)

Also, a belated congratulations to Schneiders and Pritchards on the arrival of their little girls. We look forward to meeting Olivia and Lucy sometime soon!!

Have a GREAT week!

Crab Costume

2009-10-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some first shots of the crab costume. I know she looks a little frazzled-she just woke up from her nap and was not that thrilled to put on the costume! She also refuses to wear the red headband with googly eyes attached! What do you think? It's this or the strawberry costume that Rob hates but Maggie likes because it is "pink".

Weekend Pictures

2009-10-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

Grumpy face!!
When did she get so big?

Tired out after a long morning at the pumpkin patch. Posing with her "punkie"

Feeding the goats at the farm

I LOVE coloring!!

Long Weekend

2009-10-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Long Weekend!! We stayed in Alexandria this weekend and just spent some time together as a family. Maggie LOVED the pumpkin farm on Friday and we enjoyed being outside on an 80 degree October day! Cox Farms was a blast and Maggie was able to participate in most of their activities. The Hayride, slides, baby animals and live music were all big hits. We also went to the farmers market on Friday afternoon and got some really good stuff including pumpkin ice cream. In true Crowe fashion we spent Saturday watching football and eating all kinds of terrible/delicious food! We took a nice walk with Maggie and Lucy in Huntly Meadows Park and spent a relaxing Sunday eating pancakes, taking naps and a trip to the playground. I think Maggie has having a serious growth spurt-she went to bed before 8 last night and slept until 9:45 this morning! She is also still down for a nap after 3+ hours. I have some cute pictures from the weekend and will update as soon as I track down the camera (which Maggie calls the "key"). Oh, I also finished Maggie's Halloween costume and will have pictures up soon. Question of the day...will she wear it??

We won!

2009-10-06T17:44:00.000-07:00

Beating the Wolverines in East Lansing=AWESOME!!

Finally

2009-09-30T13:43:00.001-07:00

It's finally cooling down in Virginia and I could not be happier!! It is the perfect fall weather for walking with friends and trips to the park. Maggie loves that she gets to be outside more. Rob is back at work after a well deserved break and is busy as usual. Late nights seem to be the norm during command :) We celebrated his birthday over the weekend with Andrew and Danielle and he made it home early on Monday for dinner with his gals! I am quickly writing this between fixing dinner and getting ready for game night with some of the ladies from the Company. I hope they have fun and eat all the food I made today!! I am looking forward to all of the yummys myself-pizza dip, cheese dip with apples, cream puffs, and other fall treats. Maggie is busy busy and her vocabulary increases daily. I am pretty sure she knows over 100 words by now and is working on her animal sounds and colors (she has pink and purple down-my little girl!!). She loves to color and draws me pictures multiple times per day. She also has been terrorizing the dog and chasing after Lucy with her baby stroller while screaming as loud as she can. Anyone else have a screech-er out there?? Still trying to figure out how to make that stop!

Why can I only upload 5 pictures at a time???

2009-09-24T12:15:00.001-07:00

Maggie and Caddie at the MSU Children's Garden
Uncle Rob and the girls
Playing at Impressions 5 in Lansing

Cousins!! (Maggie had to bend down when I did)

Grand Haven, MI

Anyone have any advice for me?? Here are 5 from the Michigan trip! I wanted to include the full Crowe Family shot but promised Erin I wouldn't let it happen!

Michigan in the Fall

2009-09-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's so wonderful I often wonder why we live anywhere else :) We got home last night from our week up north and realized the temperature at 8pm was 82. By mid-September I am so done with summer and yearning for cooler weather. We had a wonderful week with family and were able to spend time in both Spring Lake and Lansing. Rob's Irish relatives were visiting and it was great to see them again (its been 6 years) and to introduce them to Maggie. Rob also got to meet little Laila in Lansing and Maggie had a great couple of days with her best friend/cousin Caddie. Fun stuff we did on vacation:

1. Got fresh doughnuts and cider from the mill near the Crowes
2. Went swimming, relaxed around the fire pit and made s'mores
3. Ate delicious food!!
4. Went to the Michigan Irish Music Festival and ate tacos and grape Faygo
5. Took Maggie and Caddie to Impressions 5
6. Fed the ducks, got ice cream and went to the Children's Garden at MSU
7. Saw lots of old friends/Rob's family in Lansing
8. Helped Mom finally get the Internet at home!
9. Wore jeans and sweatshirts!!!
10. Had Rob's complete attention!!!! (work is pretty busy these days)

It's 9:30 and Maggie is still asleep! She must be super over-tired from the long day in the car and early mornings in Michigan. Pictures from the week to come!

Sweet

2009-09-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this little girl!

18 Months!

2009-09-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Maggie is 18 months old! I took some really cute pictures but Blogger won't let me upload anything right now!!! Hopefully they will be up soon. In the meantime-I hope everyone had a great long weekend! We had a great time with Erin and Bridget and got a couple of fun little trips in over the weekend (the zoo, Old Town, a picnic at Pohick Bay, etc). I found almost everything I need for M's Halloween costume. If it is as good as I imagine it to be you guys are in for a treat!! I am trying out the OWC again tomorrow, hopefully it will be a little better than the luncheon I went to in April. Have a great week!!

Bad Mommy

2009-08-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

There was a time when the little digital camera was basically stapled to my hand. We had so many pictures of the Muggins we didn't know what to do with ourselves! I don't really know how it happened but I just can't seem to remember to bring the camera with me when we go fun places anymore. So unfortunately you will not have a picture of my sweet girl spinning around Eastern Market in a fit of giggles or eating delicious shrimp on the waterfront with Aunt Claire. You will just have to imagine Miss Maggie in all her cuteness having a wonderful weekend. We also visited the Torpedo Factory where Maggie found some great music to dance to and during nap time fit in a movie-yeah!! Busy week with lots of meetings but a 4-day weekend coming up. Can you believe it is September tomorrow-Hooray for Fall!!!

Thunderstorms

2009-08-28T09:09:00.001-07:00

I love thunderstorms! Especially when they come in the middle of the afternoon while M is taking her nap. I plan on curling up with a new library book and being lazy for a few hours before Claire arrives! She has not been here since Maggie's birthday and I think she is in for a big surprise. We are still debating what to do this weekend while she is here-depends on the weather! Saturday there is a DC Dance Festival which might be fun, or we might try Georgetown, Eastern Market or the fresh seafood market. So many possibilities!!

The Fair

2009-08-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Daddy-I don't like that baby goat!

Birdie ride with Mommy

Happy Monday!! Hope everyone had a great weekend! We did a little shopping and resting on Saturday but on Sunday we went to the Arlington County Fair!! Maggie had a great time at the *tiny* petting zoo, ate some yummy Lebanese food and ice cream and went on two rides! YAY!

Pictures

2009-08-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

Boring

2009-08-18T11:43:00.001-07:00

In reading some of my recent posts I feel I am becoming really boring (maybe except to my Mom). So, I am going to try to make my life seem a little more interesting by posting on something besides my wonderfully adorable little girl. Like what?

On the trip home Megan gave me The Zac Brown Band CD and the new ones by the Kings of Leon-both pretty good! I am really loving the KOL CD though and listen to it in the car all the time. Bridget sent me a mix of some of their older stuff which I am currently working my way through.

My sister Claire is coming to visit next week/end and Bridget will be here for Labor Day. I am super excited to see them and think they will love hanging out with Maggie. Also excited for a night out in DC with some of my gfs this week-whoo hoo!!

So am I a little less boring now? Hope so-have a great week and stay cool!!

Update

2009-08-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Maggie had a 3 day streak going where she used the potty a few times but we are back to just sitting on the chair for fun! She did say "uh-oh pee pee" today during lunch and sure enough she had a wet diaper. We are making steps in the right direction but I am guessing it will be a few more months before we are in the thick of it.

We had a nice (hot) weekend that began with a really fun Company Org day. Maggie loved seeing all of the kids, drinking lots of "melmo" juice, and hanging out with Daddy. There were lots of fun games, races, and obstacle courses for the kids and way too much food! We went to the neighborhood "camp out" (families pitched tents in the common area and camped out with s'mores, ghost stories,etc) with the Zuz's to meet some new neighbors on Saturday and had a relaxing family Sunday at home. Just what we needed after the crazy past few weeks!!

Surprise!

2009-08-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Warning: potty talk to follow!!

Maggie totally surprised me today! After seeing her cousin Caddie interact with her little potty chair Maggie became really interested in "pee-pee". She said it all the time and pointed to her diaper. I kind of thought she was just copying Caddie but we bought her a potty chair anyways when we were out on Sunday. She has been sitting on the chair all week with no results-totally OK with me as I think it is still way early to start potty training. However, during playgroup this morning she walked over to the bathroom and said "mommy-pee pee". We all laughed but I took her in and let her sit there for a few minutes. To my shock and surprise she peed in her potty!! Its hard to tell if it is just a coincidence or the start of a new and wonderful diaper free household but either way-we were all excited. Nothing like a bunch of ladies getting really excited about pee. I will keep you posted on the progress or lack there of, but for today, I will continue to smile and think- I have a really smart little girl!!

Faygo, Vernors and Bell's

2009-08-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

I realize that there are more than delicious carbonated beverages that come from the wonderful state of Michigan but I just have to say how excited I was to bring those three items home with me (along with some others that I have been unable to find here: garlic expressions salad dressing and Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies). What do you miss from your home state and stock up on when you go home??

We are headed to the Zuzulocks for dinner tonight (yup-walking down the street). I made my favorite refrigerator cake (with the above mentioned cookies) and can't wait to dig in! Off to pack Maggie's bag and wait for Rob to get home from work!

2009-08-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Running around with Beckie and Kangas

Having so much fun with Caddie!
Great Grandma with Laila

Happy Birthday Caddie!

Bubbles with Baby

Great Lakes Great Times

2009-08-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Drinking to forget our experience with Jay!Worlds largest (sideways) pavlova-yummy!
Maggie and her new bf Tom

Proto pups taste better without the pup!!

Home Again

2009-08-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

July pretty much flew by with all of our travels this summer! We had a great time in Florida with the Pantanos (and a visit from LL and Reed) and a quick transition to Michigan.

The drive went really well and is actually a lot better than the drive from Missouri. Maggie was absolutely amazing and the best little traveler ever. Having Megan and Beckie along made the drive so quick and easy (with a wonderful soundtrack!)

We spent the first part of our trip in Spring Lake enjoying the pool, company and Coast Guard Fest. Though we ran into some trouble with a crazy waiter at the Kirby, it was an overall success. Maggie enjoyed swimming in Nana and Grandpas pool and Erin and I made the largest, most delicious pavlova ever! The weather was amazing and I have decided we need a backyard set-up like Rob's parents-fires on a Michigan summer night=the best thing ever!

We stayed in Lansing the second part of our trip and had a great time with my Mom and my brother's family. We got to meet my new niece Laila and Maggie had a really fun time with her cousin Caddie. They got along really well and only fought over the baby dolls a few times! I took Maggie to SBS for some Spartan gear and and got her an ice cream at the MSU dairy store.

It was a busy 3 weeks but totally worth it. I am happy to be home again and looking forward to the fun times to come with the Zuzulocks just down the street. Who would have thought we would be so close again after all these years??

Finally-Congrats to Young and Hanna who were married this afternoon! We can't wait to see the pictures!!

Wish me luck!

2009-07-17T10:57:00.001-07:00

I am taking Maggie on an airplane tomorrow-without Rob! We have not flown since last summer and she is a little more active now then when she was 3 months old. Send your calm thoughts our way tomorrow and hope that we get a nice Grandma to sit next to! We are headed off to visit Julie and her family and are excited to see everyone again. We might also get to see LL and baby Reed-hooray!! Rob is hanging out at home with our great friends Andrew and Danielle who are moving to Alexandria and house hunting this week. So excited for them!!! Pictures in a few weeks of our multiple trips. So long!

2009-07-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Baltimore for lunch after dropping Caeli off with Dad in Maryland! We ate lunch at the Rusty Scupper and walked around for awhile to stretch our legs. Looking foward to going back and spending more time there-looks like a fun place!!