Disney World - Day 1

I'm much slower in this process than I thought I would be.. But regardless.. here we go!

We headed to Richmond on Tuesday afternoon because we could stay with my parents (THANKS Mom and Dad!) and get a direct 1.5 hour flight from RIC to Orlando for cheap :)  I almost always fly Jet Blue or Airtran because of the airfare.. and now that we have to pay for Burke its worth saving!  Also, they offer direct flights and we can be there early in the morning (9 am) and be back late at night (9-11pm), so I don't feel like we waste days traveling!  Burke enjoyed his "first" plane ride!  He was so well behaved, I hope it's always that easy :)  This was actually his 3rd, but he doesn't remember the first two!

Our flight headed out on Wednesday morning at 7am.  It made for a really early morning and no one could really sleep, but on the bright side, we were at our hotel (Wilderness Lodge - which we highly recommend!) by 10:00am and at the Magic Kingdom by 11am.  We were able to check-in when we got there, so we headed to our room and unpacked a little and got ready for the day.  We didn't have luggage, since Disney picks it up at the airport and transports it for you (LOVE this service) so we headed to Magic Kingdom to start our trip!

We enjoyed a boat ride over, which was exciting for Burke (who had never been on one - that he remembered - before).  Then walked in and saw the "castle."  Burke knows the castle from the beginning of Disney movies, so it was exciting for me to hear him yell "castle" when we saw it.  He still talks about going to "the castle and see Mickey Mouse." Burke was scheduled for his first ever haircut that day too!  I was really excited to have his first hair cut on Main Street USA!

We went first for the Buzz Lightyear ride, which we knew he would love.  We stopped by the castle for some pics and they were having a show so watched that first.  Burke seemed very interested in the show (Mickey, Minnie, etc), so it was nice to catch a bit of it on our way in.  The Buzz ride didn't have a long line at all so we headed straight in!  As for the ride itself, he wasn't scared but a little unsure of what was going on. 

After the ride, Buzz was signing autographs so we got in line for our first character experience.  It was pretty great! You never know how little ones will react to characters and I was REALLY hoping Burke would love it.  He loves Buzz so much, but he is a pretty big guy, especially to a little boy! Burke ran right up to him and gave him a high five and hug.. We took pics and mommy almost cried! 

 

After Buzz, we grabbed some lunch, then headed for Burke's haircut.  The lady who cut it did a good job (let's be honest - he didn't have much to cut!) but Burke wasn't so sure and I was impressed with how quickly she was able to do it and the way she was able to keep him distracted.  They give you Mickey ears that say first haircut, some hair and a certificate.. It was a great way to start the trip!  I have to say, he looks a little older to me, but his hair also looks a lot thicker!  Poor kid is 26 months and just had his first haircut!  I will probably have all of my kids first haircuts on Main Street USA! And if you are wondering.. It "only"  cost $18, but you do get embroidered Mickey ears (worth about $15 anyway)! After the first haircut, we ran into a parade, had prime viewing then headed back to the boat for a ride to our room for naps and pool time!

 

 

Parade time!

After a solid nap for all, we headed to dinner at Kona Cafe at the Polynesian.  It was a totally new place for us, but the food was great and Burke was well behaved!  We'll definitely be going back to eat there.  After dinner we headed back to MK for some time in the park.  We rode some of the kiddie rides and Haunted Mansion (Burke was scared to death!).

We stayed for the light parade, which is always fun!! 

It was quite a GREAT first day!  But we were ready for bed :)

Disney World...

Back in July I told Brian that I desperately wanted another trip to Disney World.. We debated whether to go in September (before my 30 week cut-off of no traveling) or wait until baby was here and go in January or May.  Burke was a very easy baby, but the thought of taking all the "baby stuff" and we decided September it was.  This was also the first trip (Burke's 3rd) that is was just the 3 of us.. before we had gone with my parents.  We had some great trips with my family, but I was happy to have one last trip with just the 3 of us before we had another baby.  I was really excited when we finally booked it and super thrilled as the date got closer. 

Well, last week was it!  It was by far the BEST disney trip I have ever had! Now, that being said, we've had some amazing experiences and I do love it.. but there is something totally different and magical about taking your 2 year old to a place of dreams.  Watching through their eyes the "realness" of everything!  People tell me all the time, we are crazy for taking him so young, since he won't remember.. but my answer is simple.. we will remember!  I will ALWAYS remember his face when he saw Mickey Mouse for the first time.  The awe of the castle and his amazement in Buzz Lightyear (his favorite!) and the amazing experience with Woody crawling around the floor playing figurines with him... Every morning we asked him what he wanted to do and his response was "go to castle and see mickey mouse." It was an amazing experience and I am so glad we did it!

I am going to try my hardest to chronicle each day, so I have records :)  We do have lots of pictures, so I am excited to share those too!

i'm terrible at this..

This blog has definitely taken a backseat to life these days.. Our days are filled with work, work and more work and I can barely keep up!

We are doing great.  Summer is slowly coming to an end.. The kids go back to school on Wednesday and camps are over, which allows for a lot more family time!  We'll be headed to Disney World in one month and I've never been so excited! This will be our first trip with just the three of us and although we will miss my parents and sisters, I'm excited to spend one last week in Disney World as a family of three.  The next time we head to Disney World we will be a family of four!  We are going right before the 30 week cut-off (for those who remember, Burke was 6 weeks early and I was in the hospital even before that, so I have stricter rules this time) and it should definitely be hot!  But we'll be taking it easy, swimming and enjoying some family time.  I would say its definitely deserved after my 70+ hour work weeks over and over again!

Over the last month, I feel like Burke has grown up so much.  His vocabulary is amazing, he knows his colors (well most), shapes, loves reading and doing puzzles.. but his favorite is still anything buzz or trains :)  We are in the process of preparing his "big boy" room and are getting excited about the new baby! 

We're doing well.. just staying busy...

More to come later :)

Burke is 2!!

I have been terrible at blogging over the last few months, but really wanted to get something up for Burke's birthday!  It's sooooo hard to believe he is already two!  It's a little sad, but he is such a good little boy and so fun to play with.  We love this stage!  He's been going to daycare since May 16 and seems to enjoy it (minus drop-off).  He loves spending his days/evenings at the pool with mommy and daddy. And we LOVE taking him to the pool.  It's so nice for Brian and Burke to come visit me at work and have dinner together.  For those who don't know.. being the youth and recreation director at a country club results in 75+ hour work weeks in the summer.  I miss seeing my boys, but it's so nice that they can come to the pool! 

I'm sorry to say I can't post pictures from this computer, but will try over the next few days!  All our pictures are loaded onto Brian's camera.   Burke had his two year check-up yesterday.  Doctor was impressed with his weight gain (finally on the charts, but still not cracker 25lbs) and said he seems perfect!  Made me happy.. he did ask if he was reading on his own and my face must have said it all.. But really he just meant does he "read"/look through books on his own. 

We did a combined birthday party this past weekend at the pool with Wyatt and Ethan.  The boys all share a birthday week, so we decided to combine it!  It was sooo fun!  I'll post pictures soon!

At 2 years old:

- Burke is 24 lbs 6 oz  (fully clothed with diaper and two trains in hand) and 33 inches tall
- He's wearing 18 months clothes and a size 4 diaper (and only b/c we ran our out of 3 so moved him up), he does wear some 24 months things, but in pants/shorts he can still fit in 6-12 months too!
- He LOVES running around and being free! I am constantly chasing the man... he's pretty dag on fast
- His favorite foods are cheese enchiladas, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, ANY fruits, pizza, mashed potatoes and "cookies" (which translates to sweet things)
- He knows most animal sounds now - my favorite is still a horse. We totally need to get it on film!
-He has a pretty extensive vocabulary, but still has rambles too :) His favorite phrase is "what's that?"
- He really loves playing with his train set, buzz lightyear/woody, reading books and cars
-He would probably watch TV all day everyday if we let him!
- He loves going to the park and sliding!
- Sleeps about 11-12 hours at night and takes a good 3 hour nap...


Hopefully I'll be back soon!

Number 2?!?

In case you missed the previous posts (well the picture of Burke anyway).. We are super excited to announce we are expecting!!!  Burke will be a big brother in November (due date is November 29th.. Let's say a prayer this baby waits and doesn't decide 32 weeks is okay like it's brother!).  I'm only 12 weeks pregnant, but we don't plan on finding out the gender.  We didn't with Burke and loved it, so we won't again!  We'll just decide on a gender neutral name and go with it.  Can't wait!!!

Birthday weekend..

I need to do a better job of keeping up with this blog and journaling our lives! This past weekend I turned the big 2-9, so it was  weekend of fun! I do have pictures on the camera, but am too lazy to post them.

Friday night, Ashley watched Burke so we could head out on a date.  Brian and I NEVER go out, but he planned a night out for my birthday!  It was nice to have him plan it all (babysitter included!).  We went for Mexican, a little shopping and then went to the movies.  I have been to the movies FOUR times since Burke was born.  It's quite sad, b/c I love going, but having children really changes things.  Brian and I used to go at least once a month, if not once a week (that's also when we had student discounts and tickets weren't $10 - seriously?).  We went and saw Bridemaids.. It was a GREAT movie! I can't say I even saw trailers before hand, but I did hear on the radio that morning it was good, so we decided to try it out.  I would easily pay another $10 to see it again.  And Brian even loved it too! 

Saturday was a bit rainy and yucky, but we bought a new TV for the bedroom, which we've been wanting and cleaned the house a bit.  Sunday morning we went out for brunch, decorated cupcakes and then had dinner with friends. Sunday was my birthday so we met up with a bunch of friends at PKs.  It was a great night out and I am so glad we did it!  I had a great birthday weekend overall!  Thanks to everyone who came out!!

Monday Burke started daycare.. and well that could be a whole post in itself.. It has gone terribly!  Adjustment is s00oo much worse this time around.. But I'll write more on that later... Have a good one :)

A month of pictures to catch us up :)

We've been a little busy this month.. I guess it's safe to say we've been a little busy this year!  I'm finally done with teaching for the semester, so I feel like I can breathe!  We had a great Easter, Mother's Day and all the regular days :)  Hopefully I will have more pics to post soon!