Bella's 1st Birthday Party

This past weekend we attended Bella's 1st Birthday Party. Jeannie got a "bounce house" for the kids. At first, Braden would not go near it, but by the end of the evening, you couldn't get him out. We all had a really nice time. Most of Jeannie's family was there. They are such a nice group. They always make you feel like you are family.

I was proud of Brian because he did not wrestle Dan, Jeannie's husband in the "bounce house" this time. They wrestled the last time which was quite amusing, but not a good idea! Brian did get in the house with the kids and at one point bounced off the side! He got stuck and all you could see were two feet up in the air. The house almost tipped over and all you could hear was someone saying, "MAN DOWN!" It took the people who were by the house a minute to get over to help him because they couldn't stop laughing. I did NOT have my camera at the time. It was terribly funny.

These are pictures of Braden, Bella, Gabby and Kayla in the "bounce house". It was hard to get any really good pictures because the minute one would stand up, another would fall.

So much to update!

Wow, it really has been a while since I have updated this blog. We have been doing really well. To begin, here is somewhat recent picture of me. My belly has grown this past week, or at least it feels that way, so I will have to get another one. I feel really good. Getting a good night of sleep could go little better, but I can't complain too much.

There are not many days left of teaching for me. I have to say, I am ready to be done. I am home with Braden today, I just had so much to do that couldn't be done on the weekend. He seems to be trying to change his sleep schedule, but it is hard to do with my work schedule. He is waking up at his normal time, between 5am and 6am, but is very tired and wants to go back to sleep right away instead of taking a nap later in the morning. What I think his body is trying to do is sleep in and only take his afternoon nap. The hard part, is I have to leave the house at 6:30am when I work and 7am when I watch the kids so he just isn't getting a chance to sleep in. I am guessing that this will work itself out when my school year ends. I am also hoping that he will be sleeping in his "big boy" bed by the end of June also. Brian and I have set everything up in his new room and the weekend we did Braden was very interested in his new bed. He went into his crib and brought his blankets to put on his new bed. We took the hint and with some advice, went and bought a bed rail and tried to get him to take a nap in his new bed. It didn't work as well as I was hoping, so he is still in his crib.

Other than that, we have been outside so much. Braden has helped Brian and I weed, wash the cars, and we of course have played, played and played outside. Braden can't get enough of his wagon. I think he went for a ride in the wagon 4 times yesterday! He went twice with me and twice with Brian.

These are pictures of Braden hanging out with me in the house.

These are picture of Braden outside with a roll of wrapping paper, really, who needs toys!

Busy week

It has been a busy few weeks here. Brian and I have had a lot of graduate homework to do. Usually it is spread out enough that we are never overwhelmed by it, but this week, we both were swamped. We are all doing really well. I am glad that tomorrow is Friday. This weekend I plan on finishing Braden's new room. He won't be moving in for a while, but I want to slowly move his things over and have him get used to it. It was so much fun to go shopping for a new comforter and dresser. Brian and I put the dresser (an IKEA purchase, of course) together last weekend. I love that store. I am so excited that they have one in Michigan now. We can officially move back now. :-) I honestly don't know where else to shop because we go there for everything!

I have a two videos for this post. He can say "wawa" aka water. I tried to get him to say it in the bathtub, but I wasn't very successful. You will also hear his babble.

The blogger is not letting me upload any pictures right now so I will try again this weekend!

I almost forgot

Braden's new words he can say, that we understand!

1. Cheese
2. Eye
3. Down
4. Down stairs
5. Ready (he only said that once, but we are pretty sure it was ready)

Easter Weekend

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. We did. My Dad and Juli came to visit Maryland. They stayed in Bethesda on Friday night and hung with Mel. They came up Saturday and we spent the evening with them. On Sunday we went to church and had a wonderful Easter dinner. I love being Polish. So much great food and wonderful traditions come along with it, and it is such a blessing to share those with Braden. I hope he grows to love the traditions as much as I do. If you aren't sure what I am talking about, Easter has traditional Polish dishes that make the house smell so wonderful.

Here are a few pics from the weekend.

We colored Easter eggs on Friday. Braden thinks they are a "ball".

So cute.
On Easter, after he ate lunch, we give him an Easter basket filled with plastic Easter eggs. Each egg was filled with one M&M. He had a great time opening each one.

The three of us. (I am so excited for there to be another one.)

Braden was making sure each egg was empty.

Braden's Hair Cut

I took Braden to get a hair cut today. He will look great for Easter now. We are spending Easter here with Mel, my dad and Juli. My dad and Juli are visiting Mel tonight and for a little bit tomorrow before heading up here. We are all really excited to have them here.



FYI the hair-cut experience has not become any easier. He screamed last time, and he screamed this time.I have tried to trim it myself, but they do a better job. The lady cut his hair much shorter than last time, but it still looks good. He loved the lolly pop they gave him afterwards.

A taste of next year

Being home these past two days has been wonderful. I am getting a little taste of what next year will be like. Braden and I have gone grocery shopping, and have played, played and played! He is talking up a storm. I think he said "floss" and "down" today. He sounds like he has said "outside" also. It is hard to tell. He just looks you right in the eye and babbles. It is the cutest thing. I have been trying to get in on video, but he just doesn't let me!

Here are a few snap shots from the past two days.

Braden loves to get his picture taken. This was the best smile I could get out of him.

Braden reading "The Tooth Book" by Dr. Seuss. This is one of his favorite books.


















This is Braden and his new ball. That is the one work that is unmistakable. He says "ball" all day long!


















"Thanks for my new ball mom. I love it!"






















This is Braden in the pillow case. He thought this was very funny.

To the Aquarium we went!

This past weekend Jeff and Shelly came to visit. Braden had a very nice time with his grandparents. Friday night we all relaxed, as they had a quite a drive behind them. Saturday we were going to go to a local farm to see the petting zoo and some other attractions, but it turned out that they were not open yet. Easter weekend is the first weekend of the season for visitors. I am hoping to try again this next weekend. I know Braden would love to see the animals. Sunday morning we headed out to the Baltimore Aquarium. There wasn't much of a crowd, which was perfect. We were able to go right up to each tank without waiting and Braden was able to see so many of the fish on display. It was nice. You can't bring a stroller in so they have you check it and give you a backpack to carry the baby. Braden enjoyed his view on daddy's back. I decided that we should go to the aquarium in the morning so Braden could get his afternoon nap in, which is the most important one for him, and he was tired as we were ready to go. We took a quick stop at the Cheesecake Factory to grab some desert for later, which was delicious. Braden did not appreciate skipping his first nap, and made us quite aware of that in the afternoon.





















Braden and my water bottle.

















Braden, Mommy and Daddy.

















Us + Grandma and Grandpa Wysocki
















Braden checking out some fish.
















Braden munching on some animal crackers. Check out those cheeks. (Ignore Brian in this picture, he wasn't ready for the picture to be taken.)


Jeff and Shelly left Sunday evening to a crabby Braden Michael, but fortunately he wasn't inconsolable the entire weekend. He is 16 months old, what can I say!!!





As for me, I am feeling great. I had Brian take a picture of me, but he cut off the top of my head, so I will have to have him try again. I can't believe I am half-way through this pregnancy. It has been so fabulous this far. I have felt the baby kick and so has Brian. I completely missed the flutters that are supposed to happen first. I must have been teaching that day! :-) I am on spring break and go back to work next Tuesday so I should have a few more updates on the blog this next week.

Kate had a boy!

Some of you may know my friend Kate Walker (formally Lighthart). She has recently had a baby boy! What a beautiful baby. I just thought I would spread the news. To sneak a peek at this cute bundle of joy see him at www.joshandkateplus1.blogspot.com

Sonogram

We had our official sonogram last Thursday. Everything went well. I will hear from the doctor at my next visit the results. They were checking the size of the baby, all the organs, etc. They will let me know if there is a change in my due date at that time. Brian and I were able to see our little one moving around. They baby moved his/her arms and mouth. We were able to see the spine, eyes and nose.

I know that Braden will be happy to have another kido in the house. He LOVES playing with other kids. He cries when we leave Jeanne's house. Gabby and Bella just make his day!

Brian is currently wrestling at a tournament. I hope he does well. Braden and I won't be in attendance. I wanted to watch, but it is not close and it is going to be extremely crowded. I sent him with the camera so I will hopefully have some pictures.

I will get a new picture up of me soon!

Braden's Version of "Please"

Despite this cold weather, everyone is doing well. I am feeling great. I had a doctor appointment last Thursday and everything looks good. I am officially 6 lbs heavier but feel wonderful. I will get another picture up soon. I am sure my belly is a little bigger now, but Brian and I don't always notice right away. I still haven't grown out of my clothes yet, but that is just around the corner. I have been feeling little movement which is very exciting.

Brian is wrestling in a tournament this weekend. Yes you hear me correctly, HE is wrestling. He entered this same tournament 2 years ago, and it was the first time I have ever seen him wrestle. It was fun to watch, but I am not much of a wrestling fan. Plus, that gym smelled so bad, it was hard to stay for too long. I am going to try and snap a few pictures of him wrestling this year to share. It should be sight. I will also snap a few pictures of him unable to move the next day, which always humorous!

Braden is doing well. We taught Braden to sign "please" a while ago, and he is very good at it. You are supposed to rub a small circle on your chest, but Braden has a different version. He signs "please" by rubbing his belly. It is so funny. I was making dinner the other day and we were able to get him to sign for the camera. I also have a video of him saying "ball" and other things that you need a professional baby translator to understand. Hope you all enjoy!

A picture of my new look

We had a snow day. They were calling for a whopping 2-4 inches. We (Brian) didn't even need to shovel because it isn't sticking on the sidewalks! Brian and I have learned to roll with the punches here. It is nice to have a little break in the middle of the week, but all they end up doing is tacking on days to the end of our school year and it is HOT in June.

Anyway, I had Brian take a picture of me today so here is my belly!

I feel good again!

I have made it completely out of the uncomfortable part in the beginning of pregnancy. No more sickness and tiredness. It was SO hard to be sick and tired with a little guy! I barely made it to his bed time certain nights! Now that I am in that 4th month, I feel good. My belly has started to show and it reminds me how much I love being pregnant. Everyone knows at my school that I am pregnant which also provides some relief. I don't have to worry about looking pregnant anymore. I was finally able to talk to the principal at my school today and tell him about our good news. I had a hard time telling the principal at my school for two reasons. The first is that he was very busy these past few weeks and every time I stopped by his office he was unavailable. The second is that I knew he would ask me what I am doing about next year. I told him that I will not be back. I have had a hard time coming to terms with not working for a little while. You work for so long to build a career and it is a weird feeling to stop. Don't get me wrong, this was part of our plan; have another baby and I would stop working for a little bit. It is just a life change.

I will get a picture of my growing body up soon. Next week I have another doctor appointment. The week after that we have our official sonogram. I am excited for that. It is always amazing to see the baby move around and not feel it. I should be feeling some movement soon. They say in the second pregnancy it is easier to feel the movements. There have been times that I thought I felt those butterflies, but I wasn't sure! It is still early, I am sure it will happen soon.

Tomorrow I take Braden for his 15 month shots. I will give you an update afterwards on his weight and height.

Smiley

What a weekend. Brian was gone with wresting for a good portion of it so come Sunday, I was exhausted. We were able to relax today. We stayed in PJ's for most of today, but I guess everyone gets to do that every once in a while.

FYI--The second ticker at the top of the blog lets you know how many weeks pregnant I am. So for example 14w5d means 14 weeks 5 days.

Finally, enjoy the pics. Check out Braden's hair in the second two pictures. The fourth picture is of Braden with baby Preston. This little guy is 3 months old and what a good baby!

Happy Birthday Brian

This past Saturday was Brian's birthday. Because he had a wrestling tournament all day, Braden and I went to visit him. We did get to go to dinner on Sunday. We went to Olive Garden before we headed out to the Hippodrome, a theatre in Baltimore, where we saw Wicked. What an amazing show. If you are unfamiliar with the story line, this musical tells the story of the wicked witch of the west from the Wizard of Oz. It was so well done and what a twist!!! Brian and I don't get out enough so it was really nice to have a night alone. We are off from work today and spent the it just hanging out. Brian is doing the taxes right now. He loves doing taxes. When we get the tax manual in the mail he gets so excited. It is very humorous.

Anyway, I hope you all have a nice week!

More snow

Brian and I have been off of work the past two days. We didn't get too much snow, about 4 inches, but we did get ice to cover it. That is messy. It is slippery here and Marylanders don't like snow let alone ice!!! I am not sure if they are going to cancel tomorrow yet, but you never know.

Braden has been sick. He is congested. It doesn't seem to bother him too much, I just hope he kicks it soon. Since he has been sick, we did not take him sledding. He has been sleeping and taking lots of baths trying to get better. He is just the sweetest little boy. He is giving so many kisses and I love them, except when he has a runny nose!!!

I had a doctor appointment today. I am 13 weeks pregnant and feeling a little better. I am still very tired, and very particular about food. I wasn't this picky when I was pregnant with Braden. This time, I can eat something one day and just looking at it the next will make me sick! I was able to hear the heart beat today and all my tests that I had last time, came back normal. This pregnancy is going so fast. I have already made my official 18 week sonogram. At that visit, they make sure the baby is growing at the correct rate, they adjust the due date if needed, and we get to see some really great pictures of the little one. We can also find out the sex of the baby at that time. I don't think we are going to do that. Sorry to all of you who like to know that stuff. I want a healthy baby, but a little girl would be nice. Another little boy would be perfect also. Brian doesn't want to know at all. I could be persuaded. I guess it really doesn't matter, we have enough 0-6 month clothes for another baby, boy or girl.

Well, I may be back to work tomorrow, but we'll have to wait and see.

Here are some pictures of Braden. Enjoy!

OK, here's an update

Well, I know it has been a while! Sorry about that. By the end of this entry, hopefully you will understand why.

To begin, Brian and I have spilled the beans. We are expecting our second child! I am 12 weeks pregnant and feeling sick and tired. With this pregnancy I am sick at night and asleep by 9 - guaranteed! I has been really hard for me call anyone or update this blog since I have been so sick at night. Today was better though, I made dinner. That is an accomplishment considering Grape Nuts has been my dinner of choice lately.

Brian and I are very excited about the second baby. We couldn't have asked for anything more. Being a mom has been amazing and I can't wait to share my love with another human being.

Health-wise, I am doing fine. I am not showing yet. I have had only one doctor appointment and have another one next week. I was able to see the baby at the last visit with the portable sonogram machine at my doctor's office. I was able to see the beating of the heart, which is always unbelievable.

Brian and I have started our graduate classes. I know to some, we sound a bit busy, but I must say, I love graduate school. I love learning, writing, reading and researching health topics. I have some great friends in my class and it gets me out of the house every once in a while.

Finally, Braden is doing well. He was so funny tonight. He kept making himself laugh. He just thought he was so funny. Brian and I could not stop laughing. He is talking up a storm but I still need a translator. He gives kisses on command, well, when he feels like it and you ask for one. He has also decided that milk is just not that good. He has gone from drinking above the recommended value, to barely any! He does not seem malnourished by any means, but milk does a body good, right? I will get a belly shot of him so you can see his ever expanding midsection.

Here are some pictures of Braden.







This is Braden helping me clean. He loves to sweep. He swept for about 30 minutes that day!



















Braden also loves to help cook. It is adorable, until you are the only one home and he will not settle for playing by himself. He wants to stir what is in all the pots on the stove. Tricky.

Anyway, I have been able to subdue him by giving him his own bowl and spoon. This is a fix, but only for a short period of time!













It was warm enough the other day to wash the cars by hand. This is Braden helping with the hose!
















This is our messy little boy. So cute, and so messy.

Braden's Dance

Today I was able to spend the day with Braden at home. It was nice to spend the day here. Today Braden showed me his new dance. He turns in a circle and stomps his feet. I only caught a little bit of it but it is still cute.

2-hour Delay

We have finally received some snow in Maryland! It began yesterday. It is only a dusting of snow, but it is so nice to see. There is a 2 hour delay for all schools this morning, so Brian and I are just hanging out with Braden.

It has been a while since I have updated the blog. We are all doing well. Braden is trying to talk. It is the cutest thing. I just wonder what he thinks he is saying.

Well, here are some pics of our smiling boy!





This one is Braden playing with chop-sticks at our favorite sushi restaurant.

BIG THANKS TO ELIZA!

Doesn't the blog look great! Thanks go to Eliza Rista.
She did it all and I just love it!

Everything Ravens!

Wow does Baltimore have Ravens fever! This city has been talking about the game today for a week, at least. If you don't know, the Ravens are playing the Colts today in a playoff game.

In the past, Brian and I have always noticed how everyone wears purple on Sunday for the Ravens games. I have never seen so many large men in purple jerseys. They are everywhere. Even in church, there will be many people dressed in purple ready for the game! This week has been no exception. Both our high schools had a Raven's day yesterday where everyone wore a jersey. EVERYONE is wearing Ravens gear.

They have had news specials this week which told the story of the history behind this game. The Indianapolis Colts used to be the Baltimore Colts until about 23 years ago when they packed up the team in the middle of the night and left! The people here are still bitter. On the news yesterday the news reporter reported the arrival of the Colts by saying,"Well, the Colts have SNUCK back into town this evening."

Everyone is very excited to see the Colts come back to Baltimore so the Ravens can send them home! We are going to a friend's house to watch the game! It should be a good one. So if you don't have a team to cheer for--GO RAVENS!

Changes AGAIN...

Sorry for the changes, I am working on the site, but am a little unsure of what I am doing! :)

Braden is growing up!

I love watching Braden grow and learn. It is hard to describe the feeling I get when watching him achieve his milestones and knowing that I am helping him make those steps. Today Braden ate dinner with a fork. I had to help a little, but he seemed to enjoy it. He has done it before, but not for an entire dinner.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Christmas Break

Brian, Braden and I traveled to Michigan for the Christmas holiday. It was nice to see everyone and be able to celebrate the time with our family. Braden was spoiled, as we expected. He was able to meet so many people and was very good during the trip. He traveled relatively well and slept well for the most part. We did have our days (& nights).....but that is also to be expected.

I don't have many pictures from our trip. We kept forgetting to get the camera out. These are pictures from Christmas day. Just in case you wanted to know, this is what we did on our trip: We had dinner and my dad & Juli's Christmas day and spent the evening at my Uncle Gregs. Christmas Eve was with Juli's family. The day after we saw friends of mine from high school (& I turned 27). The 27th we traveled to Brian's parent's house in Rockford and had a nice Christmas dinner. The next day we visited my pregnant friend, Kate, her husband Josh and her mom and dad. The next day Brian's aunt, uncle and four kids stopped by to say hi on their way from Chicago to Alpena and then it was back to my dad's where we stayed the night and fly out the next afternoon. I bet you are tired from just listening to that! I know I am tired from doing that!


Braden's new popcorn popper. He LOVES it. We had to hide it in the morning so he wouldn't wake up those still sleeping.


I really love this popper mom.


This is all of us playing Cranium on Christmas day.



Brian and I.



Grandpa and Braden.











We are back to work tomorrow. How the time flies!


P.S. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We wish everyone health and happiness in the new year!