Happy 2nd Birthday, Wade!

Wade turned two while Graham and I were in the hospital, so we scheduled his party for a few weeks later so he could have a day all to himself. After all, this will likely be the last party for awhile that is all about Wade, since he and Graham have birthdays just two days apart.

It was a monster themed party and I had fun planning and decorating. I started before Graham was born, since I knew April would be a busy month.

It was the first time that Wade really got excited about presents and he did score some great loot! (Thanks all!) He seemed like he had a blast at the party and is really enjoying his new toys now.

Graham was at the party too, of course. He was sporting his monster onesie in honor of the big day!

Welcoming Graham...

I am (finally) excited to announce that Graham William joined our family on April 6, weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 oz. and measuring 20.25 inches. He was (and still is) completely healthy and perfect - a wonderful blessing for our family.

Not surprising, having two kids has made us much busier than we used to be (hence the belated blog post) but the last three weeks have been wonderful. While Graham requires a lot of attention, as any newborn does, he hasn't been too difficult and we have been enjoying him immensely.

Wade visited the hospital on April 7 to meet his new brother. I was worried about bouts of jealousy but aside from some poking & prodding, Wade has been a great big brother and has adjusted well to the change in our lives. He knows that Graham is usually "night-night" and is pretty good about leaving him alone when this is the case. We didn't know if the baby was a girl or a boy until April 6 - now I'm hoping that having two boys means they will grow up to be the best of friends.

Graham deserves a solo picture - and a close up without a hat so you can see his dark hair. This picture was also taken in the hospital and I'll have to try and update the blog again soon with new pictures. Graham has already passed the 10 pound mark and is changing every day.

Pre-Easter Festivities and Almost Two Years Old

Last weekend we went to two Easter egg hunts. Wade wasn't overly into it, but he did pick up eggs and enjoyed playing with them on the way home. I think the eggs were more fun for him than the treats inside of them.

This week Wade had his 2 year well visit at the doctor's office. Everything is going really well. He measured 37.5 inches and 36.2 pounds. The doctor had some tips to help him get used to being a brother and we'll take all the advice on that front that we can get.

Spring Break 2012

Spring break definitely means something completely different today than it did during our college years. I obviously don't get spring break, but Ryan and Wade have been enjoying their time together this week. They've done some productive things (had the garage door fixed, got the baby stuff out of the basement, ran errands, etc.) and some fun things as well.

On Wednesday morning, I met Ryan and Wade at the zoo. Even though Wade has been there before, this was the first time he seemed into it. It was a beautiful day and after two hours of walking around, we were all pretty exhausted. Unfortunately for me, I had to go back to work while they got to take naps.

Today we went to Fun Friday Puppet Shows at the Carousel in Faust Park. The puppet show was okay, but the real fun was riding the carousel. Wade saw it the second we walked in the door and waiting 30 minutes through a lame puppet show tried his patience a bit.

Riding the carousel was serious business! You have to hold on tight and no smiling!

Surprise Shower for Baby Brueckmann

Yesterday I was surprised with a party/shower/sprinkle when I walked down the hall to have lunch at work. I didn't expect any festivities for baby #2 so they manged to really surprise me. I was also excited to see Ryan and Wade in attendance.
PracticeMatch kept it on the small side, inviting mostly employees from my department but many coworkers contributed to several gift cards for us. We still need a thing or two for baby, and if it's a girl, we'll have fun clothes shopping with the gift cards. (If not, there will still be plenty of diapers, wipes, and other stuff that we'll need along the way.)

Wade hadn't visited the office in months so it was fun for everyone to see him. He was pretty quiet overall, but liked walking around the office and looking out the windows. He's enjoying playing with the balloons (Mommy's, as he calls them) back at home and I still don't think he realizes that we'll be bringing a baby home in just a few weeks. He may wish for more balloons instead.

36 Weeks and Counting

This blog has gotten very little attention lately, so an update was long overdue. Yesterday I had my 36 week ultrasound and baby is doing well. Already estimated at 6 pounds, 9 ounces, we are expecting another big baby though the doctor thought maybe not quite Wade's 10 pound size. So we've got just about 4 weeks left and I will definitely be ready.

We have been enjoying the spring weather and I think Wade would stay outside all day long if we let him. There are often tears when it's time to come inside.

Trying out the slide at a nearby park

A Visit to Indiana

We went to Indianapolis for the weekend to see the Emsleys and to celebrate Aunt Chris's 40th birthday. On Saturday morning while the Emsleys were busy with basketball, Ryan, Wade and I headed to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

It was similar to the St. Louis Magic House and Wade had fun playing in the toddler area.

All that fun was exhausting!

Wade sharpened upon on his baby-care skills. On that note, I should give an update on the baby front. I'm 29.5 weeks and measuring at 33 cm (instead of the more average 29.5 cm), so no one should be surprised if this baby is just as big as his/her big brother.  April will be here before we know it and we're doing our best to enjoy the quiet and to prepare for our new arrival.

Happy Birthday, Chris! (Brett, sorry to catch you mid-song)