And he's 2!

Maybe it's because there are three of them making the time go faster, but it seems far too soon for this little boy to be 2 years old! A crazy day 2 years ago, with an overcrowded hospital, almost passing out on my way to the OR, a chorus of "whoa" as they pulled Connor out and saw how big he was, a trip to NICU for a collapsed lung, hours of waiting for a room and an update on how he was doing, but what mattered most was: He's here!

And now he's been here for 2 full years. He truly has completed our family in the most amazing way and his quirky, dimpled grin has charmed every person he's met.

He loves anything Avengers, especially Hulk. He adores his dog. He's very particular about how things must go: prayer before every meal, his blanket and pillow every time he wants to lay down (even if only for a minute or two). Just this evening as we ate cake he became very distraught until we moved James's water cup next to James's plate.

He's finally talking. Not as much as the girls were at this age, but it seems being the 3rd child and a boy has basically doomed him to not talk on schedule. He has about 30 words, but he's learned to communicate in a dozen other ways, including grabbing my hand and dragging me to where he needs my attention.

At his doctor appointment, he stayed in the same percentages, while simultaneously outgrowing both his sisters at their 2-year mark (in fact, he weighs more than Megan did at age 3, though, that doesn't mean much). He was 35" tall (50th percentile) and 27.3lbs (25th percentile). He finally outgrew his heart murmur, which wasn't a huge concern, but I'm pleased that it's no longer any kind of concern at all. The pediatrician adored him and even called him over at the end of the appointment just to play with this spiked hair (he loves having his hair done and will run from the bathroom to show it off whenever I finish styling it).

Since it is a 2nd birthday and not a real milestone one, it was a quiet evening at home celebrating his special day:

He didn't quite get the concept of blowing out the candles, but he sure loved looking at it!

Father & Son

 Within moments of taking his new toy from the bag, he "Hulk Smashed" the dog, then ran around showing everyone what he got.

Then, all at once, he wasn't a baby anymore, but well on his way to being a preschooler.

Kindergarten Rodeo

I finally managed to dust off my digital camera and take a few pictures for memory's sake. I've been terrible about taking pictures lately, but I did remember to tuck it into my purse when I went to Cadence's school to volunteer at the kindergarten rodeo. I spent the majority of the time at the facepainting station, painting the class "brands" (each teacher designed their own) on cheeks and hands, but I had the perfect place to see everything that was happening and keep an eye on Cadence's good time.

It started with a parade as all the kindergartners rode their horses around the cafeteria

Roping some steer

Every time I tried to snag a picture of just Cadence, her friend would jump in.

This one was at the facepainting station, her "brand" is hidden by her sleeve.

Afterward, they did pictures. This was Cadence goofing off with her friends while they waited.

Panning for gold.

Barrel Races!!

Gah. Sometimes it just hits me how big she is. And in only a few short weeks, I'll be once again collecting all the paperwork to enroll Megan. Which reminds me of this important shot:

Megan and I dressed up for Dr Seuss at work/school. I was a star-bellied Sneetch and she was an adorable Who.

March Happenings

Okay, so this first group of pictures isn't quite March. It was end-of-February-almost-March. ;-) James went on a overnight camping trip with other people from the ward, giving us girls (and Connor) the chance to do girly things like manicures and facials and watch girly movies and eat chocolate. It was a fun night all around.

Later (actually in March now), we got to go to the "soft opening" at Robyn's new job at Mod Pizza. Free pizza and a night out, score! The kids enjoyed it. I tried a pizza combination that I'd never be willing to try if I was putting my own money into it. Plus, we got a firsthand glimpse of where Aunt Robyn will be when she's not hanging out with us. :-)

Other March happenings? School and work, school and work, and a little bit of sickness. I actually got knocked over by a strange viral thing, which is highly unusual. I can usually power through a cold, but this virus knocked me on my back over a 3-day weekend. The kids all cycled through it and had rough days, but we all survived and we're all (mostly) over the lingering cough, just in time to enjoy spring break!