Duh mom.

I love what a preposterous question she thinks this was.

It's when I ask her 'whether we'll like the new baby better than her'...and no, we are not having a boy...I think I caused a little confusion and some false excitment. Sorry Kate!

the brave little toaster.

Took Hadley to get her flu shot last week, and although she was a tad nervous on our walk back to the room (she kept pointing at me with her most serious little face and saying "Mama you hold me."), she didn't even flinch when she got the actual shot. Of course, me popping a reeses pieces in her chubby little cheeks right as they were giving her the shot probably didn't hurt either. She smiled after the nurse was finished and when a glittery band-aid was placed on her new owie, Hadley very politley asked for a 'My Little Pony band-aid please'. The nurse said, 'we only have glitter bandaids.' And Hadley informed her that she could 'go to da store to get My Little Pony band-aids. And that she would need 3 My Little Pony's'...one for the her shot owie, one for her finger owie, and one for her chronic knee owie that has lasted 6 months. The girl knows what she wants.

Two of the same.

Hadley channeling her inner Vera De Milo.

Lily-love.

A few weeks ago Ms. Lily Jay Barton and her mama were in town. And these are the only stinkin' pictures I got. But at least I have proof of a fun night out with my gals, our boys, and no kid...one kid, but not mine, so it counts. This little bean is absolutely delicious, and the most content little person I've ever known. Just like her Mom & Pops. I've warned Jamie that you only get one good kid, so I'd stop with Lily. As for our family, we're banking on baby 2, maybe they will get just a touch of Ryan's personality, otherwise, we're doomed.

Tough nuts.

Nobodies gonna mess with these two at the playground...chances are noone will want to play them either. But that's neither here nor there.

A little bbq...a lotta love.

This little 'hostest with the mostest' threw a bbq a few saturdays ago, and we couldn't have asked for anything better. Even with a little drizzle in the air, I loved sitting by the fire, cozied up with Hadley, making smores, and passing the time with great friends.

And Miss Jane, may have met the future Mr. Jane (Joc's bananas adorable nephew). It was love at first sight for these two (okay, so it took Hads a couple snacks and an hour or so to warm up), but after that she was smitten.

Hadley & Justin sitting in a tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G. My gal is no prude on a first date.

I heart my mom.

There are a million and two reasons why I love my Mom...and this is just one.

She's my favorite.

Hadley woke up from her nap the other afternoon and I always let her hang out by herself for awhile after she has yelled "Mama, come dit me" because she usually needs a little time to get all of her 'shaky samness' out. This particular afternoon she was rather quiet, so I peeked in to see if she'd fallen back asleep, and indeed she had not. She had turned on her lamp, and was quietly reading some books...that's her little hand peeking out on the right (yours not hers). When she noticed me she said "Hi mama, lay on my bed, I read you a story." Oh I could eat her!

Allie love.

The other night we went to Kip & Lis' to visit the kiddos. Hadley is sooo in love with baby Allie, and insists that baby Allie is most definitely in my tummy too. Madeline was there as well, but the wild naked monkey woman was never still so I have no photos.

Hadley hamming it up with two of her favorite peeps.

Hadley we only do that during Mardi Gras or Seafair...and never to boys in our own family.

Late night McDonalds.

I remember watching 'Supersize Me', a long time ago, way before kids...and saying to Ryan, 'this is disgusting, our kids/family will NEVER eat there. How sad is it that two year olds know what McDonalds is?!' Oh if I had a dollar for evertime I said I would NEVER do something pre-kids... Hadley's college would be paid for. She could even go to one of those fancy catholic colleges. Let's just say, everything you ever thought or knew changes when these little people come...for better or for worse. And do know, every single time she sees the golden arches and says "I want french fries Mama, but I don't want you to eat them all."

welcome baby boy.

COLE PATRICK CONNIFF

arrived 9.9.09

6.13oz of cuteness

20.5in. of perfection

I know, it's old news...but I'm still excited!!! Little Cole marched right into this world 11 days ago and we already love all of his little baby guts. He's the perfect mix of Mama & Dada, not that a mix of them could go wrong. CONGRATS! Being at the hospital filled me with all sorts of emotions, realizing that we would be here in 5 short months (God, is that all?!). Hadley was all about the baby and I was (foolishly) thinking to myself, wow, this really is going to be great. And then my bubble was burst as I made the fatal decision to hold Cole myself. The sobs coming from the other side of the room of 'NO MAMA HOLD THAT BABY', probably clouded Heath & Pat's happy little new parent buzz. Once I was able to get her to stop crying and sit on my lap with the baby, promising her there was PLENTY of lap on Mama to share, I explained to her in just a little while Mama, Dada, and Hadley would be bringing home a new baby too...she thought for a minute, looked at me, looked at Ryan, looked down my shirt, looked back at Ryan and in her sternest little voice she said "No Dada you hold this baby (pointing to my stomach)...and Mama hold's me." No questions asked.

First movie...put 'er in the baby book.

During our lovely Labor Day weekend, Ry & I had to come up with a lot of plan B's to replace our Plan A's. Plan A involved a fun filled weekend of outdoor activities. Even as native 'Seattlites' we didn't have the guts to brave the downpour. So instead, we took Hadley to her first movie. Our expectations were very low, thinking we probably wouldn't even make it through half of the movie. But she rocked! She sat on my lap almost the entire time, with her little thumb in her mouth, and soaked it all in. She has yet to find her 'movie whisper', and the seat almost crushed her in half (VERY dramatic as you can imagine from Miss H.). But once we settled in, safe and sound, she was a great little movie goer.

*note to other parents, if you go to a movie with your little one, go late enough that you skip all the previews. There are like 20 minutes of them, and we all know how precious time is with a toddler.

high fashion.

I gave Hads the privilege to dress herself the other morning and this is what she came down in. Loved it. Didn't get to wear it out, but still thought she was pretty cool for picking out this little hodge-podge of threads.

Say it ain't so.

Last Thursday was our last day with Tate before she goes on to become an official first grader! WAH!!! Hadley and Tater have come a long ways from the days of Tatum telling me 'Of all the babies...I like Hadley just a little bit less than Loggie & Maddie.'

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

A few saturdays ago, the B and I hit up a Sounders game. Let me tell you...it was so insanely fun...sober and all (I'm thinking besides the cute little family behind us we were the only 2 out of 35,000 that had a BAC below 0.8%). My mom was the perfect date, and loved rehashing our long lost and forgotten love of soccer, she even remembered what 'off-sides' was. Of course, don't let my blog title fool you. There was no gooooooal, the match ended in a tie, and when we got home Ry reminded me, with a sneer on his face, why soccer is the dumbest sport ever...How can you end a game in a tie? But he didn't get to watch cute little #10 running around for 90 minutes...so he doesn't know what he was missing.

Tate Day.

On Thursdays we've been watching my 'niece' Tatum (she's really my cousins daughter, so whatever that makes her to me). She's 6 going on 13, and the best little helper around. Hadley thinks she is crazy amounts of cool, and Tate is, well, less than impressed with my little two year old. But seeing them together makes me want Hads to have a sister...big time (shhh, don't tell Ryan).

The muffin man.

I came downstairs to her in this little get-up the other morning. She was baking Rudy dog treats, and after she 'served' them to him she started laughing like nobodies business. I asked her 'what in the heck is so funny about Rudy's dog treats?' She said, through stiffled giggles, 'I pooped on Rudy's treats'.

Come on out kiddo.

We had a little party to celebrate Cole Conniff's much anticipated arrival a few weeks ago. He's still snuggled safe inside mom, much to her chagrin. It was a boy/girl shower which always throws the guys off a little bit, I'm sure they dread it leading up to the event, but soon realize we're not going to sip champagne in our church clothes or play games like toilet paper bride. It's just an excuse to get together, eat, drink, and have fun.

My right hand gal...helped with decorations (okay, she made them), brought the apps (which were devoured), and, to top it off, her & her hubby helped with clean up. She's the cats meow!

I promise there were more people there than us, the Conniff's, and the Whitsell's...but I was a bad photog.