Babe Lincoln

Thankful

2011-11-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we were hit with an unexpected snow storm. What was supposed to be a couple inches of "wintry mix" turned into half a foot of heavy, wet snow. The poor trees were still full of leaves, and the weight of the heavy snow caused branches to bend, and then snap clean off - taking down power lines with them. Just before 2pm our lights flickered a few times, then went out completely. Little did we know that it would be over 72 hours later when the power would come back.

While this experience was definitely tough - and one that I hope not to repeat again - it made me extremely thankful for many things that I take for granted on a daily basis.

*Electricity - Do you realize how many times a day you turn on a light switch?! It's pretty depressing to walk into a dark house, knowing that it will stay dark all night. I had to complete all my "household tasks" during daylight hours, because I knew that as soon as the sun went down it would be nearly impossible to get things done. Laundry? No. Dishwasher? No. We really got back-to-basics with candles and firelight!

*Water - Luckily, we didn't lose water as a result of the storm. That would have really been bad; like, check into a hotel bad. We didn't have hot water though (water heater runs on electricity), and a cold shower just isn't as tempting as a warm one.

*Heat - It was cold. It was painful getting dressed in the morning. I wore my robe around the house to stay warm. Our gas fireplace was our saving grace - we had it on all day, and it really did put out quite a bit of heat. We all hung out in the living room huddled around the fire for 3 days.

*Internet/tv/entertainment - The kids were pretty much un-fazed by the experience, except in that they kept asking "Can we watch a show?" - to which I would reply "We still don't have power, so that means we can't turn on the tv, remember?!" We were able to charge up the laptops, phones, and iPod to provide some screen-entertainment. I kept wanting to watch the news about the storm, or look up things online...only to remember I couldn't.

*Refridgeration - It is so nice to be able to open your fridge and pour a nice COLD glass of orange juice in the morning. (or have some ice cream in the evening) I ended up throwing most everything away, since I'm pretty sure it was not so good after 3 days. Nice chance to deep clean my fridge and freezer!

*Friends - Some dear friends had us over for dinner and device-charging one night, and we commiserated with our other friends who also were out of power. It made the days go by a little faster!

Jiffy Pop by the fire

What we wore around the house to keep warm

Lincoln LOVES the snow

Washington DC

2011-10-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took a quick trip down to Washington DC. We had never been since we've lived on the East Coast, and Ryan's sister Kimber was in town for a conference - so we figured it was the perfect time to go. We tried to hit all the highlights: Air and Space museum, Natural History museum, various monuments/memorials, yummy food, and LOTS of walking. (My favorite was the cooked-to-order breakfast at the hotel - YUM!!!)It was raining the first day, which added an extra level of difficulty to trekking around the Capitol:

Can you just see the excitement in this boy's face?!

So many {stuffed} animals to see at the Natural History museum:

Ellie was really interested in this little Neanderthal boy:

An extra surprise was a reading fair in the Mall with tons of tents and giveaways. There was a PBSkids tent with several characters from the kids' favorite shows:

Also, the Magic School Bus was there! Lincoln LOVES the Magic School Bus - I believe we've checked out every single book from the local library.

Ms. Frizzle in person

Of course, we HAD to see the Lincoln Memorial. It was probably funny to hear us yelling "Lincoln! Lincoln!" around the memorial as {our} Lincoln was running and jumping off things.

First Day of School

2011-09-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

This is the last year before we REALLY start school...for the rest of our lives! Ahhhhhhh!!! We had such a great experience with our Mother Goose Time group last year, that we're doing it again - just with some different friends and more kids. There are 6 kids, including Lincoln, and all of them will be starting Kindergarten next year. Here's the big boy:

Ellie had to get in on the experience too - backpack and all:

I didn't think that Ellie would care too much about Lincoln being in school, but she often asks "Ellie school too?" and as soon as Linc is out of the car she asks "Where'd Lincoln go?" about 50 times until we pick him up again.

Do you think the kids have changed much since last year?!

Ellie Don't Come In

2011-08-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

While we were visiting my family in Kansas City this summer, Lincoln decided that he had enough of his pesky little sister and commissioned his Nana to write a sign for him. Then he drew the pictures - so Ellie would be able to understand what it said, naturally. The pictures are a number 4 (meaning you have to be 4 years-old), Ellie's face Xed out, and a railroad crossing sign (he was playing with train tracks).

He posted it up and then showed Ellie the sign - pointing to the words and "reading": "Ellie don't come in". Then Ellie would say "Come in!" very happily - to which Lincoln would say, "No! Ellie don't come in" and she would repeat again "Come in!" It basically continued like that for a while! Too hard to keep from laughing at these kids!

Ellie Turns TWO!

2011-08-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

Two years goes VERY quickly!! Looking back, I can't believe how {somewhat crazy} it was to have a baby in England - retelling her birth story each year is quite entertaining! We always say our best souvenir from living overseas is Miss Elizabeth Rose.

Here's what a 2 year-old does for their BDay:
Fun at Jump on In

Presents (She didn't let Linc get away with opening all the presents this year)

So excited to have PRINCESSES!

Dressed like a princess and eating raisins -what could be better?!

LOVE this one...Linc had to assist with the candle-blowing

Yep, 3 cupcakes - it's her Birthday!!

Ellie is so cheeky and spunky and keeps us all on our toes! She loves to play with (and taunt) her brother and wants to be just like him. She will do/repeat anything he says - even if it makes no sense! (Lincoln hurts his head, then Ellie says her head hurts) She talks up a storm - she is a girl who knows what she wants, and knows how to get it. She runs, she climbs, she swings - she gives me a heart attack at the park! She can count to 10. She knows all her shapes and most colors. She tells jokes and teases. She sings at the top of her lungs. We LOVE this two-year-old!

Lincoln's Creations

2011-07-05T13:37:00.001-07:00

Lincoln loves to build. He has always had a knack for making intricate train track designs, utilizing EVERY track piece we have. His favorite is the all-straight track as seen here:

He also branched out with his PBK building set - reminds me of a parking garage in England at a mall we frequented.

{I would like to say I helped him with the building, but I was taking a nap on the playroom floor} :)

Ryan and Linc made a shed for his tanks out of Play-Doh. Very patriotic, right?!

Lucky Layover

2011-06-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

On their way to Europe, my parents and youngest sister had an extended layover in Newark. So the kids and I met up with them and we passed the time at the nearby IKEA - food, shopping, entertainment for the kids, and ice cream - what could be better?!

Taking in a show:

The international travelers:

Playing with Nana:

Ellie tries out all the toys:

In Ellie's words: "ICE CREAM!!!!!"

We had such a great time with Nana, Pop, and Auntie Kelly - why don't you fly in every afternoon, and we do this every day?? :)

The Great Swamp

2011-06-10T07:27:00.001-07:00

In May, the preschool lessons were about "Meet me at the Pond", so we took one last field trip to The Great Swamp. Apparently, it's a huge swamp (hence the name!), and it's only about 10 minutes away. There are nice boardwalk trails {ie: easy for strollers} and a cute nature center. We were able to see lots of wildlife - birds, fish, chipmunks, a frog, and PLENTY of bugs.

Looking for fish and water striders:

Can you spot the frog?

Lincoln + Raquel (the other kids were sick and/or had moved away)
{I think Linc has a little crush on Raquel -he always says she's cute} :)

Ellie was very interested in this turtle!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we got up early and drove out to Long Island with some friends for the Jones Beach Air Show. Anyone who knows Lincoln knows that this sounds like HEAVEN to this guy - water, jets, sand...and more jets!! It really was spectacular. The beach was totally packed with people, but the kids could play and we were all able to enjoy a great show. There was even a performance by some WWII aircraft (B-17, B-29, B-24, Mustangs - for all you WWII aircraft buffs) that Linc just LOVED, as he has been reading about all those planes for quite some time. It was perfect weather and so much fun - I think it will become an annual tradition.

These airplane pictures are mainly for Lincoln's benefit:

On Monday our town held its annual Memorial Day Parade. It's a cute little parade down our Main Street of town - mainly consisting of veterans, Boy Scouts, and the middle school marching band. We all got dressed up in our patriotic gear:

Staking out a spot with our friends AND neighbors, the Lovells.

Ellie made a friend - this girl LOVES dogs.

Ellie and Linc honoring the veterans:

Our "Little Miss Firecracker"...so fitting!

New Camera!

2011-05-21T10:55:00.001-07:00

Ryan gave me a new camera for Mother's Day! I'm not a photographer by any means, but I feel like having a better camera elevates my picture-taking ability at least a little bit. Here's some shots of the kids - we love playing outside!!

Our Royal Couple

2011-05-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate to have Ryan's sister Kimber, and her husband, Julian come all the way from England to visit us! We tried to pack in a lot of fun while they were here, especially as it was Julian's first visit to New York City.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Cool guy on the ferry

Linc loved running along the bricks in the Great Hall at Ellis Island - he thought they were train tracks

Lincoln doing his best Lady Liberty pose, not instructed by me

Empire State Building
We were able to visit Ryan's new office, and then go up to the observation deck on the 86th floor - yikes!!! My fear of heights really kicked in, not helped by my children's LACK of fear and practically dangling halfway off the roof!

Philadelphia
Just a quick 1 hr 45min drive and we were able to see all the historic sights of Philadelphia. Lincoln was especially fascinated by the Liberty Bell and kept asking why it was cracked. We were also able to visit Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin's printing office, and eat some delicious Philly Cheesesteaks.

Other Fun

Ice cream at our favorite local spot, Zita's

We all watched the Royal Wedding together - with special insights and commentary from our British guests!! SO fun!

We had a great time and reminisced fondly of our many visits together whilst living in England. Cheers!

Easter Festivities

2011-04-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a lot of fun Easter festivities the past few weeks. One thing is for sure - the kids love egg hunts - and candy.

We had an egg hunt with our Church playgroup.

We got together with friends for another egg hunt and yummy food.

We had a visit from the Easter Bunny on Sunday morning. As we were walking downstairs Ellie exclaimed "Eggs!" and set right to work finding hidden eggs. She would eat all the contents of the egg before moving on to the next one.

Linc pounded the candy straight from the egg:

(Such a sweet picture - except for the huge swastika on the book! No, we are not Nazi sympathizers!)

Many of the pictures taken by my dear friend, Shar.

Ryan's New Gig

2011-04-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today Ryan started his new job.

He said good-bye to:
- the Financial District
- taking the PATH train to work
- a Fortune 100 company
- a ton of fantastic co-workers and friends

He said hello to:
- a shorter commute by 30 minutes
- the Empire State Building
- a lot of unknowns??!
- an exciting startup company
- this view from his office (!!)

- hopefully a great opportunity for himself and our family!

Lincoln is already requesting to "ride the train to daddy's new office at LinkedIn" - so we may be making a visit soon. I've never been inside the Empire State Building; this would be a good time to see it.

Sunday Best

2011-04-10T11:15:00.001-07:00

Our cute kids in their Sunday best. Ellie's dress is actually a men's shirt turned into a dress!! So adorable! I wish I could say I made it, but unfortunately, I have zero sewing skills. My mom's friend made it and Nana gave it to Ellie when she and Pop visited us last week.{miss you!}

These kids are pretty cute together. They are playing more together and are turning out to be good friends (friends who also know just how to push each other's buttons) :)

Like Brother, Like Sister

2011-04-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ellie has become quite particular about her fashion these days. She especially likes to decide which shoes to wear. The other night she insisted that she wear her shoes AND footie-pajamas.

Hmmm...this looks familiar.

She also LOVES hair bows. Most nights after she is in her pajamas, she will point to where her bows are hanging up and say "Bow". Ryan will put a bow in her hair, and then she says "Bow...more" and he puts another one in. It continues like that until this happens:

In the morning I find bows strewn about her crib. Do you think she has a future in fashion??!

Lincoln's Latest Loves

2011-03-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

Something you may not know about Lincoln - he loves to pray. We recently had to institute a rotation with who says family prayers because Lincoln wants to pray EVERY time. While he does have some funny slip-ups at times, (like saying "In the name of Ellie" or "It came to pass" or something similar) he truly says very heartfelt and genuine prayers. He mentions Ellie about 5 times each prayer. He will say what is on his mind and what he is grateful for - which usually includes toys. Tonight's prayer included...

"I am grateful for my tiny jets. I am grateful for my Spitfire and my German"...

Oh, another thing about Lincoln is that he loves WWII aircraft (hmmm, I wonder where he could have picked that up from??). Ryan bought a guide to WWII planes for himself, and yet it resides in Lincoln's room where he can pore over it at night. He knows which of his toy planes are American, English, German, Russian, or Japanese. He knows who is "good" and who is "bad" - at least during WWII, which is a bit problematic. (ie: "Japan is naughty, Mom!" - um, not very timely Linc!) Sadly, I think he could beat me on a WWII history test...well, I guess if he could read the questions.

Disney World, Part III

2011-03-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY MARCH 13 - DOWNTOWN DISNEY

We went to Downtown Disney for lunch courtesy of the Disney Dining Plan - quick plug for the Disney Dining Plan: we LOVED it! Soooo much food and it's so nice not to worry about what or where to eat. Just check the list of restaurants for each park/hotel and you're set! Each person gets 2 meals and 2 snacks a day for the flat-rate daily price, plus a refillable mug that alone would cost $14! I thought we would be hungry with only 2 "meals" a day allotted to us, but we ended up with so much food that we couldn't even use it all by the end of the trip. Watching all the food ring up at the register, then go to $0 with the meal plan was so satisfying. Definitely recommend it to anyone going to Disney! Okay, back to the trip...

A trip to DisneyWorld wouldn't be complete without letting our kids run around in water fountains! (flashback to here) This time around, Ellie was able to get in on the fun too.

They were soaking wet for the bus ride back to the hotel, but well-worth it for the fun!

Disney World, Part II

2011-03-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY MARCH 12 - ANIMAL KINGDOM & EPCOT

The fun continues!! On Friday we had a relaxing day at the hotel. There was a little "beach" area that the kids dug around in the sand, a fun playground, and a fantastic pool complete with waterslides and cannons that shot water. It was slightly chilly (70 degrees - not that I'm complaining!!) so we spent a lot of time in the hot tub.

Saturday we started out at Animal Kingdom. This is where we made the mistake last time of putting Lincoln on the 'Dinosaur' ride, which turned out to be way too scary for him and resulted in a lot of crying and ride-refusal afterwards. So, we avoided that part of the park and focused on the animals and, of course, more characters!

Ellie really enjoyed brushing the goats!

"I tried to catch a sheep, but it kept running away" - Lincoln

Pretty thrilled to meet Jiminy Cricket...whom they have never heard of, by the way.

Ellie warms up to Rafiki:

We park-hopped over to EPCOT in the afternoon. Lincoln's aunt gave him a miniature playset of the EPCOT "ball" and he wanted to see "the huge golf ball" in person. The kids loved the Nemo ride and the little aquarium. Lincoln was thrilled to find the manatees ("mommy's favorite!") and seahorses. We rode the monorail, and had a yummy dinner in the "Japan" part of the park.

Disney World March 2011

2011-03-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a fantastic vacation to Disney World! Yes, we were just there 10 months ago, but since my sister Ashley is working there again we figured we couldn't pass up the opportunity to go again. And with Ellie being a year older this time around, both kids were able to enjoy all the fun.

THURSDAY MARCH 10 - MAGIC KINGDOM - LINCOLN'S 4TH BIRTHDAY!!!

A pretty cool way to spend a birthday, wouldn't you say?! Lincoln got a special birthday badge when he entered the park, which resulted in many "Happy Birthday!" wishes from cast members and characters. The workers at lunch even sang him a special song! The highlight: Woody wrote "Happy 4th Birthday Lincoln" in his autograph book and then signed his name. Linc was in heaven!! He kissed the book and was beaming ear to ear afterwards.

Riding the shuttle bus to the park:

Ellie loved the carousel - and EVERY ride. She will be our little thrill-seeker, I'm sure.

Lincoln attempts to pull the sword from the stone:

Tom Sawyer Island:

Linc meets his heroes - Woody and Jessie:

Jessie saying Lincoln is 4:

I think he has a little crush on Jessie:

Ellie is excited to have Mickey and Minnie's autographs!

Linc dancing with Goofy in the parade:

Linc collected all the streamers from the parade...and wore them.

It was really fun to do all the "little kid" things - watch all the parades, meet characters, ride the little rides - and make sure Linc had a great birthday. Just watching the kids smile and wave at all the characters made it worth the trip. It really was a magical day!

In honor of President's Day...

2011-02-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

Lincoln has been interested in money lately - saving it, counting it, and asking who is on each coin/bill. I think he is particularly enamored with the fact that he shares a name with a President.

Lincoln: Can I have a coin? (He raids my little coin holder in the car)

Me: Which one do you want?

Lincoln: A penny.

Me: Who is on the penny?

Lincoln: Hmmm...Abraham Linc!

So this holiday weekend, be sure to think about some of the great Presidents over the years...and don't forget our favorite, Abraham Linc!

Lots to Love

2011-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

We've been celebrating Valentine's Day all weekend long. It began with a party at Church playgroup -

Ellie making her valentine holder

(Notice the amount of glue Lincoln is using)

Then making Valentines for Family Home Evening:

Ryan and I enjoyed a nice date (ie: alone!) to Cheesecake Factory on Saturday - Yum!

I just love these little sweeties! (and my big sweetie too - not pictured)

Yes, we still have TONS of snow on the ground...but today was 50 degrees, so there is hope for Spring! We are loving it!

Cutest PJs Ever

2011-02-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

Aren't these pj's so cute??! I call them the "50s housewife pj's". (Courtesy of Ellie's Nana from Pottery Barn Kids)

I think Ellie looks so grown up in this picture.

She is now 18 months old which means:
* Nursery!! She loves it and is doing great - no tears!
* Talking more every day. She really likes to exhibit her skills by grabbing a picture book and pointing to all the pictures and saying the ones she knows. The best is when she says "door" and then knocks on the picture of a door or tries to open it with all her might :)
* Plenty of opinions on everything from what to eat, where to go (she will point in a direction when I am carrying her - yesterday she pointed me to the potty treats stash in my closet. What a surprise...my kids like candy??!), to what to wear (she likes to pick out her shoes).
* Figuring out that crying gets attention; and has been caught fake crying several times. Not good.
* Following Lincoln around and imitating what he does.
* Discovering a love for dancing. If she hears a rockin' song, she will dance...in the car, at home, at the doctor's office. Also sings along to her favorite tv shows - Dora, Little Einsteins, and Bubble Guppies.
* Being quite large, apparently. 25 lb 13.5oz, 33.25 in (90-95 percentile...no wonder everyone tells me she looks big! :) )

Snow days

2011-01-28T11:12:00.001-08:00

We've had a LOT of snow here in New Jersey...accuweather.com tells me that this most recent storm resulted in 18 inches, bringing the total snowfall in January to 37+ inches. Incredible! I have never seen so much snow in my life.

We have enjoyed some time outdoors in the snow - playing, exploring, digging, and shoveling...lots and lots of shoveling!

And plenty of time inside where it is warm!

Here Lincoln is saying "Ladies and benjamin, boys and girls..." haha :)

Christmas 2010: Recap

2011-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas here at home in New Jersey, and it was really fun to start some of our own traditions with our little family.

We decorated cookies to leave for Santa:

Thanks to the Wieners, we have some great costumes for the Nativity play. Since we are a little short on actors, Lincoln doubled as Joseph/Wise Man and Ellie was Mary (and also felt like she needed to be IN the manger with the baby). It was very short, but very sweet.

Then some Christmas carols, opening of Christmas pj's and leaving cookies, carrots, and milk for Santa and the reindeer. I don't know if it was excitement, countless warnings about Santa not coming until you are asleep, or being worn-out from all the festivities, but Lincoln went right to sleep and didn't come out of his room once (which he never does).

****Christmas Morning!****

Santa was very generous to bring a fancy Retro Kitchen for the kids.

"The stockings are filled!"

Ellie with her baby and stroller from Santa, and trying out her new binkys:

Lincoln's #1 request for Christmas was a TRAIN...luckily he got one!

The aftermath...

Lincoln picked out this little ladybug to give to Ellie and was so excited about giving it to her.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, playing, and eating. It was the first Christmas where Linc was really into it and "got it", so it was especially fun to see him enjoying everything so much. He has been asking "Is it almost Christmas again?" and we tell him "Well, in 11 months" :)

Happy BDay to Ryan!

2011-01-24T05:19:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Ryan's birthday this weekend - Happy Birthday to Ryan!! Smashburger + presents + cupcakes + Redbox movie + babysitter + date to NYC + Broadway show = FUN!

I would gush about Ryan here, but I know that would just embarrass him. :) I'll just say that WE LOVE THIS GUY and he deserves to be celebrated year-round for all he does. Here's to another great year, sweetie!

Resolution 2011

2011-01-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

Oops! It's been almost a month since I posted. One of my resolutions for 2011 is to update the blog more often. [Now it's written down - so I have to do it!] Since my scrapbooking has fallen by the wayside, this is all we have right now. We have pictures from Christmas, our trip to Kansas City and lots of snow to catch up on.

Here are some *teaser* pictures (for those who have been begging for more posts...you know who you are) from our first snowfall this season - I've never seen so much snow! It snowed/rained again last night - we are in for a long winter, I'm afraid.

Christmas Festivities

2010-12-20T11:08:00.000-08:00

We've been having a lot of Christmastime fun lately. Last Friday was "family day" at AmEx - and boy, was it a party! Half the adventure is just getting there; utilizing several forms of transportation: walking, train, subway, ferry.

The party did NOT disappoint - the kids were given Pillow Pets upon arrival, pictures with Santa and the Rockettes, face painting, balloon animals, holiday characters, stuff-your-own-animal, and complementary lunch in the cafeteria. It was fun to meet Ryan's co-workers and run into some friends throughout the day.

Then on Saturday we had tickets to ride the "Santa Claus Train" in Whippany. It was a 45 minute train ride and Santa comes through and meets every child and gives them a little gift. Linc was in HEAVEN! He just stared out the window the whole time in awe. Ellie didn't like it as much - she is just so squirmy, sitting down for 45 minutes is not an option for her.

Why didn't you get the big size??

2010-12-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

Lincoln begged me to buy these at Target. Now we're working on tossing them in the air and catching them in his mouth. Fun times! :)

Thankful

2010-11-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

We have much to be thankful for in the Giles home. We had a fun Thanksgiving this year celebrating with friends, and I was thankful not to cook the turkey for the first time in the last 4 years! It was a delicious potluck feast shared with good conversation and lots of toys to keep the kids occupied. The only picture I got was this one of Ellie, who unfailingly reaches for the camera...I think all pictures of her will look like this for a while.

We are also thankful to live in such a great town. It has a special old-small-town feeling and is so family-oriented. The small main street has little shops and street lamps that are already decorated for the Christmas season. Today there was the annual "Christmas Walk" which was basically Christmas trick-or-treating. Local shops and businesses handed out treats, roses, candy, hot chocolate - even elf hats! Ellie and Linc were in heaven with all the cookies and popcorn.

The fun culminated with the appearance of Santa!

It was really special to see Lincoln's look of wonderment as he waved and said "Hi Santa! Hi Santa" with a big smile on his face. I think it's going to be a very magical Christmas this year for Lincoln.

Carlos and his Best Friend

2010-11-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

Lincoln is not "Lincoln" anymore...at least that's what he insists. He is Carlos (from The Magic School Bus), and will not answer to "Lincoln". To keep us all in correct character, Ellie is now "Dorothy Ann", Ryan is "Arnold" and I am "Ms. Frizzle".

Well, "Carlos" has a new best friend; and it just happens to be a 2 ft tall skeleton - complete with moving limbs and freakishly-glowing green eyes. "Carlos" has been in denial that Halloween is over, and when we went past the clearance section at the grocery store he HAD to have this skeleton (skelligan as Linc...I mean "Carlos"...says it). And for 75% off the original price, I decided to indulge him...all in the name of science, of course. "He's learning anatomy" is what I have to keep telling myself when I see that creepy skeleton peeking out from under the covers, or hanging from my kitchen cabinets.

He really loves this skeleton though, and "Carlos" has asked him to play catch, given him a tour of the house, tucks him in bed at night, and gives him lots of hugs. So, it is kinda cute (but still creepy!).

Why I keep all bathroom doors shut...

2010-11-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ellie takes pumpkin carving into her own hands:

Everyone digs in - literally

(Ellie felt particularly proud to be standing on the table)

Pirate Lincoln and "Pirate Princess" Ellie...at least that's what the package said. I guess it's not nice to call toddlers "wenches"

We love CANDY!!

Pumpkin Patch II

2010-10-13T11:20:00.001-07:00

We must really love pumpkins around here, because last week for playgroup we went to yet another pumpkin patch in the area. I have to say that this one was much more fun - a lengthy hayride, pumpkins, donuts and apple cider, and activities for the kids. We now have 6 pumpkins, and it's not even mid-October!!

Linc on the hayride

The whole playgroup gang

Each kid was allowed 1 pumpkin from the patch - as soon as we got off the hayride Lincoln went right to work filling his whole bag with pumpkins, then trying to heft it around.

Ellie chooses her pumpkin

Hay maze!

Pumpkin Photo Shoot...Take 1

2010-10-05T11:29:00.001-07:00

We went to pick out a pumpkin this weekend, and I had imagined a lovely photo-op of Linc and Ellie in the autumn splendor. Well, I didn't get any "perfect" pictures, but the more I look at them, I think it captures the essence of these kids rather nicely.

Ellie "cheesing" - with gansta pant leg

Linc is trying

Making an escape:

Our little ham:

Nap Protest

2010-09-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Poor second children...unlike their first-born siblings, naps are definitely more hit-or-miss. Ellie has almost given up her morning nap, but if we're out and about she usually crashes in her carseat around noon. However, when we are home, it doesn't necessarily mean that she will take a nap. Today this is what I found:

She had dumped out all her blankets, binks, and friends AND taken off her shirt and threw it out of the crib for good measure!

I guess she didn't want to take a nap today! :)

Also, Lincoln drew his first real (ie: recognizable) picture yesterday. Can you guess what it is??

(Maybe it's only recognizable to his mom, but I'm curious what you think) :)

First Day of Pre-School!

2010-09-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

A group of us from church organized an at-home pre-school this year. The kids are all close in age and each of us moms takes a turn to teach a week at a time. We ordered the curriculum from Mother Goose Time, and it comes with lesson plans and basically all the materials you need. It seems like it will be a great first-school experience!

Lincoln is all ready with his backpack:

Ellie wanted to wear a backpack just like big brother:

The pre-school class!

They were all so proud to wear their backpacks - so cute!

NYC - Visit to the Intrepid

2010-09-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

As another portion of our stay-cation, we went into New York City. It was the first time we drove in, and it only took about 45 minutes - not bad. Lincoln really loves jets and has his own aircraft carrier, so we thought we'd take him to a real aircraft carrier, the USS Intrepid. It was a great museum, and he really loved everything!

Ellie checks out the upper flight deck:

Linc really has a thing for the "space shuttle Discovery" - he loves it! I think he learned about it from an astronomy book he has, but I'm not quite sure.

I don't think I'd want these little rascals flying my helicopter!

We rounded out the visit with H&H Bagels, a little shopping, a walk through Times Square, and some Tasti-D-Lite. What a day!

Jersey Shore - Giles Style

2010-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ryan has this week off work (he's done with his 2 year rotation and starting his *real* job at AmEx next week - hooray!), so we decided to take a stay-cation! At the top of our list was "The Shore" - we've never been, even after living in NJ for 2 summers. [I think having two little kids has something to do with that :) ]

It was a beautiful, hot day at the shore.

Ellie liked chasing the seagulls:

Lincoln liked digging in the sand:

But they both LOVED the splash pad on the boardwalk!

We all had a great time and enjoyed some cotton candy afterwards. It almost felt like being back in Brighton!

Peach Pickin'

2010-08-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

The other day we went peach picking with some friends to a little farm literally less than 10 minutes away from our house. Who knew New Jersey was so agricultural??

Lincoln was very entertained by the chickens.

The peach orchard was pretty, but it was a HOT and MUGGY day. By 10am we were already sweating. This is the "We're really hot and ready to leave" picture:

I made a yummy peach-cranberry crisp...and also had some other help taking care of the peaches:

Ellie is ONE!

2010-08-06T04:13:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to put into words how much we love this girl. Before she was born, I couldn't fathom how I could love another child as much as my first. She has touched our hearts and expanded our love beyond what I even thought possible.

She loves to wrestle with her brother and do everything he does.
She always wakes up with a smile.
She gives her Daddy the biggest smile and "Hi Dad!" when he comes home from work.
She loves books.
She waves to strangers in stores and knows how to turn on the charm.
She is determined to walk.
She points and makes noises to let her opinions be known.
She is a tease.
She is independent, yet, likes to know where her Mommy is at all times.

Love, love, love this girl!!

More B-Day pictures:

Why is Lincoln so happy? Because he just opened all of Ellie's presents...

Evolution of cupcake-eating

2010-08-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

Concerned and curious

Testing it out

She seems to be enjoying it...

"Hmmm...pretty good!"

Cupcake destroyed. Ready for more

This 'n That

2010-08-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Now that we're done vacationing for the summer (boo hoo!!) we are trying to keep busy with some fun things around the area.

The kids and I met up with some friends at the zoo this week.

I can NEVER get these two to both look at me for a picture...

Linc carrying a bird on a stick. (My mom would freak out - she hates birds)

We took a family hike at the Watchung Reservation close to our home. The scenery was beautiful and it was much cooler in the shade of the woods.

Lincoln inspecting for trolls under the bridge:

Linc took this picture of an ant:

Throwing rocks in water was the most popular activity of the hike.

Giles Reunion 2010

2010-07-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Giles family reunion in Sun River, Oregon! Thinking about it now I wish we were still there...so many fun things to do, and so many fun people to be with.

"The Amazing Race" included making a sled and racing a team member across the finish line:

Link and Grandpa Pete hiking up the volcano:

When asked afterwards "who is your favorite cousin?" Lincoln answered "Peter!" Peter was so sweet to Lincoln.

That's a lot of grandkids!!

Ellie and Grandpa Pete

Ellie and Gram Leanne

Ellie took her first steps July 15th! We were all sitting around talking after dinner and she decided to take off on her own!

KC Summer

2010-07-06T17:52:00.001-07:00

The kids and I returned from a trip to Kansas City to see my family. It was a nice break away from the usual day-to-day here in NJ, and so fun to see Nana, Pop, and Aunt Kelly.

Some trip highlights:

Royals Game

Lincoln even got to hit and run the bases in a fun "kids zone" at the stadium

Fishing with Pop

Crayola Kaleidescope/ Train Restaurant/ water fountains

Swimming

Deanna Rose Farmstead

Ellie Rose with a calf named Ellie Mae - who is a Jersey! Also notice the eye injury courtesy of Lincoln and a watering can :(

We all had a great time!!

When it's a little too quiet upstairs...

2010-06-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

...this is what I found!

Isn't Ellie a little young to be so mischievous??

Ellie on the Move

2010-06-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Miss Ellie is on the move these days! She can easily climb the stairs, is fully crawling on hands and knees (no more army crawl), and can pull herself up and cruise along things - yikes! As you can see here, she also is discovering the fun of opening cabinets and drawers.

Sometimes she even climbs inside the bigger cabinets, which is pretty cute! [sorry, no photos] She is certainly keeping me on my toes these days!

Ellie is now 10 months old - she is a happy and friendly girl with a BIG toothy smile to share with everyone.

Wookie Cookies

2010-06-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Gram Leanne sent us some fun Star Wars cookie cutters - she sure knows what her son and grandson like!

Link helped me roll out and cut the dough with the cutters

Darth Vader, Yoda, Boba Fett and Storm Troopers!

Then we all decorated the cookies for Family Night:

Yum!!

Stair Climber

2010-05-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

Looks like life just got a bit more interesting here at the Giles home

American Flag Store

2010-05-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, my siblings and I LOVED to buy souvenirs when we'd go on vacation. From Washington DC to Hawaii we were always asking "Where is the gift shop?" I now know what a waste of money those "precious" souvenirs can be, but I have also learned the fun of checking out some of the *finer* gift shops.

We drove by some huge gift shops in Orlando - each with it's own unique store front - the Giant Mermaid, the Wizard, the Animals with the Possessed-looking Eyes, and the American Flag. Lincoln desperately wanted to go into the latter and kept calling it "Wal Mart" (I guess Wal-Mart and Americana are synonymous, even to a 3 year-old). These are the gems we found:

Yikes!! An alligator is eating my hand!!

True

The cutest thing in the store

The lady in line ahead of me actually bought these...wow...

Link and Ellie liked playing the small guitars

Luckily, we got out of there with only a giant lollipop for Lincoln - on sale from $3.00 to $2.99! What an amazing discount!! :)

Disney World!

2010-05-17T11:31:00.001-07:00

My sister is working at Disney's Animal Kingdom this summer, so my parents planned a wonderful family vacation. My parents, grandparents, and all my siblings were there - FUN! We visited all the Disney parks and relaxed in the pool at our rental house. Both Lincoln and Ellie just loved all the extra people to play with, and we all loved the warm (HOT!) weather and time together.

I think Link was in shock at Magic Kingdom - how do you explain all sorts of crazy themed rides to a 3 year-old?! Going from space, to pirates, to Mickey Mouse must be a bit confusing! He's been really into Toy Story lately, so he loved the Buzz Lightyear ride and was SO excited to meet Woody and Jessie.

Ellie was a good girl, even though she could only go on a handful of rides.

Ellie practicing her standing at the fish tanks in Epcot:

I'd say Lincoln's favorite "ride" was playing in the water fountains at Epcot. He ran around for over an hour just loving it. (Yes, I've become one of those parents who lets their child run around in a diaper at a theme park...oh boy)

Us "kids" even got away for an evening to hit up the big rides at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom while the grandparents and great-grandparents watched the kids. (Thank you!!) My sisters, brother, and sister-in-law in line for the new Toy Story ride:

On our way to the airport Lincoln asked "Go to Disney World again?" We all had such a great time, none of us wanted to come back home.

A Boy and his Boots

2010-05-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Lincoln can't quite get over the fact that it isn't going to snow anymore this season. Here he is getting sprayed by the hose in 85+ degree weather while wearing his snow boots.

Ellie 9 Months

2010-05-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

9 months seems like a LONG time ago - we were living across the ocean, we didn't know what to do with two children, and Elizabeth was a helpless newborn. She has become this beautiful little girl just brimming with personality.

Ellie:
- Is cutting her 6th tooth (2 on the top, 4 on the bottom)
- Learned to pull herself up in her crib - and peeks through the slats as I leave the room...so cute and sad!
- LOVES "real" food - if there is some real food being eaten around her she wants nothing to do with her baby food or puffs
- Adores Link and loves to wrestle with him on the floor (she's a pretty worthy opponent!)
- Still crawls by sliding along the floor on her belly - but man, she is fast!
- Can clap and wave "hi" or "bye"
- Charms everyone wherever we go! I always say, my kids make me a lot of friends!
- Is just a joy to be around and is our special little girl. I can't imagine life without her.

(Compare to Lincoln 9 months here)

Potty Training Progress

2010-04-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

I really thought it would never happen... but last week Link surprised us with his initiative to use the toilet. Maybe it was a month of reading books about "being a big boy" and using the potty, or maybe it was our neighbor asking him "You still wear diapers??!" - but whatever it was, his interest was sparked and he is off and running.

On Sunday the 18th he was presumably stalling from his nap when he said "Use the potty?", so Ryan took him in - and lo and behold - he went! Wow! I was stunned. He went again later that day, and Ryan upped the ante and told him if he went 2 more times he would get a special "Crocodile Train" he'd been wanting. Well, I guess that was the incentive Lincoln needed, because he was determined to get his "cropadile". The next morning we were off to Toys R Us to buy the coveted "Cropadile"...and many more trains to keep up his interest.

I made a special sticker chart for him, with every 3 potty times getting a train car. He has whizzed through 2 charts already (and now he has to go 5 times, and the prize is a Matchbox car...much less expensive!) and he is doing great. The other incentive he likes almost as much as the cars/trains? A hip-hip-hooray from mom and anyone else at home! It is so cute - he just beams and says "3 cheers for Lincoln!"

He is still reluctant to wear underwear all the time, but he does seem to especially like the "Wall E" and "Dash" ones he picked out. I have him wear the underwear a couple hours a day at a stretch, but haven't been brave enough for him to try them out of the house or for naps. He has used the potty at Arby's (yuck), McDonalds (eww), and church successfully, too!

I'm sure we still have a long road ahead of us, but I feel like we are making some serious progress! I may not have a kid going to school in diapers after all!

Big Kids

2010-04-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of blogs where moms post their babies "stats" - a funny concept, if you think about it. I'm happy not to post my height and weight every few months!

More for my own record keeping, rather than to brag (are measurements something to brag about?? I guess I can be proud that they eat so much?...or maybe I should be embarrassed!!) here are their latest standings:

Lincoln at 3 years old:
weight: 36 lbs (75-90%)
height: 38.5" (75%)

Ellie at 6 3/4 months old:
weight: 19 lb 3 oz (90-95% percentile)
height: 28.5" (off the chart - the tallest baby girl there ever was??! haha)

Regardless of their size, they sure are cute!

Easter Festivities

2010-04-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Our Easter weekend started out with an egg hunt with our playgroup friends on Friday.

Ellie chatted with her friends on the quilt:

Link searched for eggs and tasted the sweet rewards:

Then on Saturday we headed to the Turtle Back Zoo. It was only about 20 minutes away, so we opted for the year membership in hopes of returning several more times.

Easily Lincoln's favorite part of the zoo - the train ride!

Cute boy playing at the zoo playground

I realized Easter morning that I hadn't given Lincoln any instructions regarding what to do when he woke up. He knew that the Easter Bunny was coming, but I didn't tell him to wake us up, or wait to go downstairs, etc. So I was a little nervous when I heard doors opening and closing in the morning - we came out of our room to find this:

Lincoln had gotten dressed (notice the backwards shirt), went downstairs to the kitchen and helped himself to a peanut bar, and went back upstairs and was waiting outside his room with his shoes next to the stairs. The Easter baskets were right downstairs - so he either didn't see them, or was an extremely patient and good boy to wait for us!

"Ooh, Snow Trooper!"

Mmmmm...chocolate bunny

Ellie got some Puffs, binkys, and books from the EB; but liked playing with the plastic eggs even more!

Lincoln had lots of fun looking for eggs in the yard - shaking each one, and opening a few of them immediately, only to spew candy all over the grass. He picked up one egg and said "Worm!" but I looked at it and didn't see anything. It was only after opening the egg that I noticed the slug that had squeezed in the egg through the tiny air hole in the bottom - yuck! (I was too grossed out to take a picture) After that he would pick up an egg, look at it, and declare "No worm!" before putting it in his basket. :)

Link's Sister?

2010-04-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today whilst battling the Wal-Mart pre-Easter crowd I was mistaken for Lincoln's sister.

Little girl: "Why is her brother blowing bubbles in the store?" (Yes, Link found the huge bottle of bubble mixture in the cart, opened it, and was blowing bubbles...but that's another story)

Girl's mom: "That's not her brother, it's her son"

I guess I'm at the age when I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Do other people think I am my kids' nanny or sister? I surely look old enough to be a mom...right? [you don't have to answer that] :)

A little something I copied from this website, but then made it with paper since I don't have a sewing machine. Peeps and Easter go hand in hand!

Proud Sister

2010-03-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

I have to brag a little about my brother and his wife - they entered a contest where they were asked to take a Nokia N900 phone and re-design it to be used for something else. They came up with an idea to use it as a bike dashboard - to track speed, distance, and even integrate a light, horn, and GPS among other things. Then they were chosen as one of three finalists and actually had to create this invention!

Not only were they able to pull it off in less than a month, but they WON the grand prize at the convention held in Las Vegas!!

These two are so crafty and creative, I can't say I'm surprised they won. [I am one proud big sister]

Check it out here and here and here

Congrats Brett and Sarah!!

Too Cute, Too Smart

2010-03-23T19:24:00.001-07:00

Ellie is just a little doll! She is now proficient in sitting up all by herself, and has practically mastered a one-armed army crawl in 2 days! This girl is on the move...yikes!

Lincoln discovered the magnetic properties of batteries, and then put them to work with his Thomas trains, of course.

Every Girl Needs a Purse

2010-03-16T11:56:00.001-07:00

Even baby girls need purses...even if the "purse" is her brother's bowling set bag.

Ellie managed to get the strap around her arm, and then happily rolled around with it. This isn't the first time she has found a purse to use either - she has done the same with Ryan's...ahem... "Men's carryall"

Happy Birthday Lincoln!

2010-03-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

I really can't believe it, but yesterday Lincoln turned 3! Ryan took the day off work and we made it a day all-about Link.

*Gifts in the morning - why wait?!

An aircraft carrier picked out by Daddy

*Gym class with Mommy

*Lunch at McDonald's playplace

*Bowling!

Celebrating a good bowl

The birthday guests

*Cupcakes

*This is how we found Lincoln when we went up to bed - light on in his room, sleeping with his astronomy book open. So tired after a fun-filled day!

We love our Lincoln! Now we're working on him saying he's 3 instead of 2 :)

Hint of Spring

2010-03-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

2 weeks ago, our yard looked like this:

Now almost all the snow has melted, and it looks like this:

I am SO ready for Spring!!

We enjoyed a fun visit from my parents last week. We must have been having so much fun that we didn't have time to take any pictures. :) My dad had to travel to Europe but was able to stay over on both sides of his trip. My mom helped me decorate the house, shop, and of course, play with the cute kids! The morning after they left Lincoln asked "Where Nana and Pop go?" and then followed it up with "Nana and Pop come home soon"...yes, we sure hope so!

Link contemplating jumping into the muddy puddle

Can this girl's eyes get any bigger or more blue??! (Notice the kids matching St. Paddy's Day shirts - thanks Nana and Pop!)

The Kids Love...

2010-02-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

*Snow

Ryan and Lincoln enjoying the snow we got last week. It was quite the storm, and work was cancelled for Ryan - I guess snow days aren't just for kids!

*Real food

Ellie is quite the independent girl and likes to feed herself. Her favorites: apple slices, orange wedges, puffs, and rice rusks.

*Star Wars

Lincoln got a fancy Star Wars book from his Nana and knows every character by name (thanks to a little help from his dad, who has been grooming Link's love for Star Wars for quite some time)...He also sleeps with a Storm Trooper, R2D2, and the Emperor's shuttle every night. :)

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

I unintentionally chipped this out while shoveling snow/ice from our driveway - perfect!!

6 Months

2010-02-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that 6 months ago...

Has now become this...

(notice the one little tooth on the bottom!)

And life couldn't be sweeter!

Pizza!

2010-02-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Ryan's parents gave us some neat pizza-making tools: a sauce ladle/spreader, a cheese shaker, a pizza cutter, and some yummy Crate & Barrel flatbread dough mix. Combine that with pepperoni, bacon, sauce, and lots of cheese and this is what you get!

One pepperoni for the pizza, one pepperoni for Link...

Not quite circular...maybe if I tossed it in the air?!

Yummy!!

January Fun

2010-01-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

Despite the cool NJ weather (no snow though, luckily!) we are having lots of fun together. Here's some recent updates:

Ellie
Is getting her first tooth! (I didn't even attempt to take any pictures yet because they never turn out well - always lots of tongue and drool and no teeth!)

Loves to eat her rice cereal and join us at the dinner table. She also found a nice ottoman! HAHA

Is still affectionately known as "baby sister" by Lincoln. My mom found the perfect shirt for her...she should wear it every day.

Loves the Jumparoo...and wearing sweet little leggings and ballet shoes :)

Lincoln
Wants to wear his boots (rain boots or snow boots) every day. This is what I woke up to last week:

Had lots of fun at the Imagine That! museum that we went to for playgroup.

Ryan
Celebrated his {age not mentioned} BDay last week!! We had a quiet celebration at home - just what he wanted.

Jamie
(not pictured)
Enjoying meeting new people, organizing the house, playing with my kids, and am grateful each day for a *real* clothes dryer! :)

Back in the US of A

2010-01-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true...we're back in the States. We've actually been back for a month, but I'm just beginning to recover from the craziness that comes with moving across the ocean, traveling to see family out of state, Christmas, and of course the endless unpacking and organizing.

When we first came back to the US, it was strange for me. Besides the awful jet-lag (waking up at 4am for a few days!), I didn't realize how accustomed I had become to the English lifestyle. It was weird to hear people talk without a British accent. I freaked out when Ryan would drive on the right-hand side of the road. I kept thinking "pounds" instead of "dollars". I missed pick 'n mix. Sadly, most of those things have been reversed back to my usual American-brain mode...except the pick 'n mix - I still miss that. I really loved living in England. I will always be grateful for the opportunity we had to live there, if only for a short time. We made wonderful friends and have beautiful memories that we will cherish forever.

However, things have been great here. I absolutely LOVE our new home. Ryan chose it on his own a month before we arrived, and he did a great job. It instilled further confidence that he should continue to choose our homes without me (this is the third time he's done so).

We had a fantastic Christmas with my parents in KC. All my siblings came home for Christmas, so we were all together for the first time in who-knows-how-long. We had plenty of aunties and an uncle who wanted to hold Ellie and play with Lincoln, but of course they had to compete with Nana and Pop too! The kids were much-loved to say the least! We ate, played games, watched movies, rocked out to Beatles Rock Band, talked, and enjoyed a white Christmas together. It was hard to say good-bye...it always is!

Now we're back in New Jersey and continue to get settled here. Almost all the boxes are emptied out; it's just figuring out where to put everything! I'm pacing myself and trying not to expect "the perfect home" just yet. There is still lots of organizing and furniture-purchasing that needs to be done, but will require more time in both thought and available funds. :)

Our little town is so cute and our ward is great. There are 20+ kids in nursery, so Link is bound to make some new friends. We haven't been in a ward where Deacons pass the Sacrament for a LONG time (maybe never?) - in Brighton 80 year-old men did, and before then we never had any young men in the wards! It's refreshing and fun to have big families and lots of new people to meet.

Lincoln just loves the snow so much. Too bad (for him) most of it is melted here. He still prefers to wear his snow boots around every day and is very proud to put them on and off himself.

Ellie is just getting so big! She is now over 5 months old - rolling all over the place, chatting in baby-talk, eating rice cereal, and always charming strangers with her bright blue eyes and beautiful smile.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to be better with posting on the blog...so hopefully massive, belated posts like this won't happen! :)

Latest Pictures

2010-01-08T09:40:00.001-08:00

Jamie and I have been busy moving into our new home and celebrating Christmas. She will likely get back to her usual blogging, but while waiting here are some pictures of our kids.

He loves decorating the tree and he also loves running around in diaper only. I better turn down the temperature to encourage more clothes.

He isn't particularly good at decorating the tree.

New Hat!

Lincoln {Hearts} Bowling

2009-12-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

I don't know how it started...maybe all the way back to when I was pregnant with Lincoln and would watch my sister's bowling league at BYU. The bowling vibes must have soaked in, because Lincoln loves bowling. He watches bowling on YouTube. He has several sets of bowling pins that he sets up and bowls over. He plays bowling on the iTouch. Whenever he sees a show, commercial, story, or bowling things he just loves it! His Nana found a shirt with bowling on it, and he pretty much wants to wear it every day (tied with his Thomas shirts).

That said, we decided it was time to take Lincoln bowling, and boy did he LOVE it! We let him bowl Ryan and my frames as well, and he was just a little bowling machine. He picked up the ball all by himself (6 or 8 lb balls - even lifting up heavier ones at times on accident!) and would place them on top of the bowling ramp and send them flying.

Waiting for the ball to come back - aren't those little bowling shoes the cutest??!

Each bowl deserved a celebratory dance:

Even bowling for all of us, Link managed to get the high score for himself! Not too bad for a 2 year old!

He wasn't quite ready to leave...although I'm pretty sure he would have stayed all day if we let him.

Paris in a day!!

2009-11-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

I had been wanting to get to France the whole time we've been here...I mean, it's SO close! Even with the relatively short distance, there was the whole business of getting there, not to mention dragging two small children around the city. Hmmmm... Well, a couple weeks ago I said "Why not?! Let's do it!" and Ryan made it happen. [What a fantastic husband I have!!]

We took the Eurostar train from London to Paris, which was a memorable experience in itself. We got the First Class tickets, and WOW was it worth it! Picture this: wide, comfortable seats, champagne (sodas in our case) being served before dinner, choice of dinner menu, hot towels - we just felt so...luxurious! The staff were so kind to change our seats to a 4-person facing section as well, which meant Lincoln could have his own seat.

Lincoln spreads out his stuff for the train ride

We were snapped back into reality when poopy diapers had to be changed (although there was a special private changing compartment), or when Lincoln got his hand squashed in the automatic sliding doors.

(it's a little hard to tell with his chubby hands :) but the left one was squished pretty badly. The band-aid is not part of the injury, Link is just really into band-aids right now)

We made it to Paris and took a cab to our hotel, which was quite a bit out of the city. It was wonderful to have a beautiful tour through "The City of Light". We saw all the major landmarks and took in the French ambiance.

The next day we bought some pastries and a baguette at a street market, went to the Eiffel Tower, walked down the Champs Elysees, ate some delicious ice cream at the Haagen Dazs restaurant, went to the Louvre, and took a river cruise on the Seine. Phew!! It was a perfect Fall day. Ellie was great the whole time and would just look around or sleep in the stroller. Lincoln did pretty well, especially since he was sick and also wanted to run around rather than sit. Ryan and I were champs with the stroller maneuvering and lifting up and down MANY stairs. (I never thought I could loathe subways or cobblestone streets so much)

We set off to come back home on Sunday, and 6 train/subway rides later we made it. Anyone who knows Lincoln knows how much he adores trains; he was in heaven. He would look out the window and point out all the interesting things and name all the colors of the other trains passing by. Usually a loud "Choo choo!" would be thrown in every few minutes. ;) Even after all the trains, when we got off the last train in Hove he was crying for more trains. Oh boy. Next time, maybe we'll just take a train somewhere and back just for Link. :)

Bedtime Fun

2009-11-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

We put Ellie in the bath with Lincoln a while ago and he just loved it. Now he requests "Lincoln take bath, Baby Sister?" almost every night. He really likes to watch her kick in the water and just laughs and laughs at her.

Recently he has been trying to make her kick HIM by putting his face or legs within kicking range. Silly boy!

The kids also love their story time with Daddy. Lincoln's new favorite is reading the stories that are in the cute kid's magazines that they sell here. They are sold at any grocery store or newsstand and always come with stickers and a little toy. I wish they had them in the States!

Lincoln is talking more and more, and the more he talks the funnier it gets! Kids really do say the darnedest things! The other night we were having some potato soup with bacon on top and Ryan told Lincoln that bacon was made from pigs. Link then said "Peppa Pig!" (I'm not sure if it's in the US, but it's a really popular cartoon here). When he would want more bacon he then asked "More Peppa Pig?" Then he ate a hot dog and Link said "George!" (Peppa Pig's little brother). Strangely enough, naming the food actually made him want to eat it - so we might be naming other things as well! Any ideas for beef or lamb?! haha

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'!

2009-11-07T06:24:00.001-08:00

Ellie is 3 months old! Wow - I know I say this every month, but boy, the time just flies by!

We really couldn't ask for a sweeter little girl. She is so much more talkative than Lincoln - constantly cooing or gurgling and will respond back to me if I "talk" to her. She wakes up with a big smile every morning, legs kicking in excitement. She is the best sleeper, and if she's fed and tired I can lay her down in her crib with her binky in her mouth and she will just drift off to sleep when she's ready. [I KNOW! I am sooo lucky!!] I haven't had her weighed or measured in a while, but I can tell she is a pretty big girl. She fits perfectly into 3-6 month clothes, so I bet they won't last too long!

Yesterday Ellie rolled over for the first time! She hates tummy-time (just like Lincoln), so of course she rolled from her tummy to her back. She looked so pleased with herself as if to say "Ha! Now I don't have to stay on my tummy!" Here's the after shot:

And one more of our little cutie wearing jeans and a sweater like a big girl!

Ellie's Blessing Day

2009-10-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ryan blessed Ellie at our church on Sunday October 25th. It was a beautiful occasion, and particularly special because we had Ryan's parents and his sister and brother-in-law here to share our joy with us. Ellie was adorable in her little white dress and behaved well during the blessing. Ryan gave a beautiful blessing to our little girl. Our ward has quite a lot of elderly persons, so a baby blessing is a fairly rare event (as opposed to when Lincoln was blessed in Provo - you practically have to make an appointment before the baby's born to be slotted in! jk).

Some pictures of our little princess:

The whole group (with weird lighting behind us):

Our family of FOUR!

This is more indicative of a typical Sunday for us :)

Brett and Sarah and other stuff

2009-10-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

Last week my brother Brett and his wife Sarah came to visit! It was so fun to see them and see some new things with them.

We went to London - unfortunately, not to sightsee - but to register Elizabeth's international birth and apply for her passport. It was a neat experience to go to the US Embassy in London; I felt like a world-traveler with my "foreign born baby". Just like back in the States, it was a long wait - I guess that's the same everywhere! Thankfully, there were a lot of toys there for Link to play with which kept him occupied for the majority of the time. When Ryan and I finally had our number called we discovered that we left one vital piece of documentation back at home - her birth certificate!! Ahhh! I thought they would turn us away right then and there, but they were able to process the rest of the documents and have Ryan and I declare our oaths in Ellie's stead, and we could just mail in the birth certificate. Phew! I was eying a Reese's in the vending machine the whole time(they are really hard to find here) but Link shoved a small piece of plastic in the coin slot, which seems to have broken the machine. Oops! [And if you're wondering why I couldn't use a bill instead, it's because the smallest paper bill is a 5 pound, so there is no bill slot] :)

Another day we went to Arundel Castle - a huge castle only about 40 minutes away from Brighton. My favorite part were the beautiful gardens. I especially loved to watch Lincoln explore the gardens and enjoy the open spaces. [Ah, maybe one day we'll have a house with a nice big backyard!] I imagined what it would be like if he was a little prince playing in the gardens all day.

All these structures were made out of wood carved to look like stone.

We also went to the Royal Pavilion here in Brighton, which was pretty amazing. It was the vacation home for King George IV when he was Prince Regent. It is lavishly decorated - including an enormous chandelier held in the claws of a dragon. Sorry, no photography was allowed. :)

Brett and Sarah's visit was far too short and we miss them already. It's so fun to have family around!

Other than that, we have been enjoying the beautiful English autumn by going to the park or taking walks. My brother brought our new stroller (pushchair/pram/buggy in proper British) that we bought online that was only sold in the US. It is the Joovy Caboose Ultralight and I LOVE it! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a double stroller who has a baby and a rambunctious toddler. Link loves his "special seat" at the back and really likes the drink holder so he can get to his juice or water bottle on his own. Check out this link to see it!

Being a mom of 2 is getting better and better. I feel like I am more 'in the swing of things' and am getting closer to a regular daily schedule, which seems to be an important factor in my happiness and sanity. :) Ellie is sleeping like a champ through the night (down at about 10pm and waking up about 6am to eat, then sometimes sleeps a little more)- which is completely wonderful. I especially love to watch Lincoln interact with Ellie and enjoy her more and more. One of our new favorite things is at bedtime when we say prayers together we put Ellie on Lincoln's pillow. He is extra sweet to her during these times and usually offers her his blanket, snuggles next to her on the pillow, and once even read her a story. She just smiles and watches him in adoration.

(You may also notice Link clutching/biting his 3 Thomas bath toys, which he always insists on taking to bed.)

And here's a recent picture of Ellie doing one of her silly smiles:

Sorry this post is so long - I guess that's what happens when I don't write in 2 weeks! :)

Drusillas!

2009-10-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend we headed out to Drusillas, a cute zoo/playground/amusement park/Thomas-land - in other words, Lincoln's dream outing! My parents took Link there while they were visiting, but Ryan and I wanted to see it for ourselves. We weren't disappointed! Despite the cold, windy weather we had a great time.

Link driving like the crazy-boy he is! (notice the R-sided steering wheel) :)

Thomas!! Link is still talking about "Ride big Thomas!"

Playing in the gift shop...first he lined up all the toys...

...then sorted them.

Link LOVED the big slide! It was pretty tall and fast, he must have gone down it 20 times!

And Ellie's 2-month birthday was Saturday - wow, time flies! She liked Thomas almost as much as Lincoln.

Recent Favourites*

2009-09-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

*Note the British spelling of 'favorites' :)

Lincoln is talking more and more - still not in more than 3-word sentences, but he has been adding a lot more adjectives to his nouns. My recent favorites are "cool!" and "fancy!". The other night I was away at Mutual and Ryan was putting Link to bed and I guess he wanted to wear his pajama shorts over another pair of pajama pants and when he put them on he said "Ooh, fancy!" I wish he got a picture of that!

He also calls things funny names, for example:

Ryan: What is this, Link?
Lincoln: Flower
Ryan: What kind of flower?
Lincoln: Sunshine flower!
Jamie: What do you think of the flower?
Lincoln: Cool!

Another funny one

Ryan: What do you want for breakfast?
Lincoln: Cereal bar
Ryan: What kind of cereal bar?
Lincoln: Kids one (as in "the one with kids on it" or on other days "Tiger one")

He also has a new thing of saying "Woo hoo, we made it!" at the end of Sacrament Meeting at church...or when he thinks it's the end of the meeting, which usually means on fast/testimony day he is saying it after every person. I have to admit, it is pretty funny - especially when Ryan and I feel like saying it after keeping him behaved for over an hour!

Another favorite thing of mine is our cute baby girl! It is too fun dressing her up Sunday mornings - I keep making us late because I am snapping pictures of this beautiful girl before church. At 8 weeks old tomorrow I almost feel like she is no longer a baby - she is smiley, bright-eyed, loves to wake up with coos and giggles, can hold her head up well, and slept through the night (8+ hours) 4 nights last week (YAY!!). What a good girl!

Beachy Head

2009-09-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

Being very pregnant and then having a new baby hasn't allowed us much in the way of venturing out into the English countryside, but today we felt we were ready to take an outing as a family. We decided to visit Beachy Head - a beautiful spot known for its breathtaking white cliffs...and subsequently the world's most popular suicide-by-jumping location. Luckily, there were no jumpers today, but we did get some amazing views of the HUGE cliffs.

The edge of the cliff is directly behind them - notice no fences or anything!

Walking up to the biggest cliff - I kept a tight grip on Link, I was nervous he would bolt toward the edge!!

The white cliffs extend for miles and miles along the coast.

Link enjoying his "ice wowwy" (ice lolly - what they call popsicles here).

I am not one for heights, and the thought of standing on a potentially-crumbling cliff made me VERY nervous (even several feet away from the edge), but Ryan did persuade me to take one look from the edge. YIKES! Ellie slept the whole time - so I think that's a good sign that we'll be able to take more family adventures!

Sweet Rewards

2009-09-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a baby person. I've never been one to ask to hold babies at church or coo over seeing a new baby in the grocery store. They just scare me a little - so small and fragile and the constant guessing game of trying to figure out what they need just makes me a little anxious. I don't think I'm very good with babies either; some people just have that "magic touch" and unfortunately I'm not one of them.

That said...I love my babies! Lincoln was the absolute perfect baby and I thought I would be in for it with the second one, but Ellie has been wonderful as well. She eats well, sleeps well, and I am getting to the point where I feel like I am "figuring her out" a lot better.

At first, she would get really frustrated sometimes when I would try and feed her, and I didn't know why. Now I know that if she isn't hungry, there is no way she is going to eat. Link would eat any time it was offered to him! When she is tired she likes to be held, binky in her mouth, blanket around her, and cuddled to sleep. I finally got my cuddler! Sometimes when she is fussy all she wants is a little space and just wants to be put on the floor or in her bouncy chair and she calms right down. I'm sure to jinx it, but last night Ellie slept through the night until 6am!! I thought I was dreaming!

I think the very sweetest reward is when babies start to smile. Finally some confirmation that they know you exist and love you!! :) Ellie's first *real* smile was last week and I was able to capture a couple grins. Of course, my pictures can in no way capture the real cuteness of it all.

Ellie must be eating enough, because she keeps growing! She had a home visit checkup last week and weighed 11.2 lbs (90th percentile) and is 23 inches long (95th percentile). I remember thinking that Lincoln wasn't a baby for very long, and already I am starting to see that with Ellie. Here is a 6 week picture:

And we can't leave Lincoln out! Here he is with his newest phase "No pants!" which he requests every morning. No, I don't oblige him every day and he ALWAYS wears pants out of the house, so don't worry!

"Well Done, Link!"

2009-09-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Lincoln had his good friend Ashy over to play. The two play so well together - it's actually easier having a friend over because they occupy themselves without the need for me to be constantly entertaining them.

The boys were playing out back and I was feeding Ellie inside in the living room and I hear Ashy saying "Well done, Link! Well done!"
"Hmmm, I thought, what could Lincoln be doing that Ashy likes so much?? That can't be good."

This is what I found when I looked outside:

Link was climbing up the trellis on our back wall with Ashy close behind! They really were doing well - I was pretty impressed! Luckily, no one fell or was hurt and I could just sit back and laugh at these silly boys. I guess this is what happens when you don't have a jungle gym in your backyard and have a very inventive child.

Kayce Comes to Visit

2009-09-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

My dearest friend from BYU came to visit us this past week! Kayce and I met freshman year when we lived 2 doors down from one another in David John Hall. We had no idea that 9 years later I would be living in England and she would come visit - what a great friend!!

On Thursday we drove to Stonehenge - it was VERY windy, but such an amazing sight to see. I've actually been before, and wouldn't you know it hasn't changed much in 10 years?! haha

We then headed to Salisbury Cathedral where they have the Magna Carta. It was a beautiful cathedral and interesting to see the document that has shaped much of what the US constitution is based on.

On Friday it was my birthday, so we celebrated by shopping here in Brighton and then ate dinner at this great "American" restaurant - Woodie's Diner. It was really cute with an American/surf theme, Jones Sodas, and burgers and shakes. Our favorite part was the little US flags they put in the burgers!

On Saturday Kayce, Ellie, and I took the train up to London. It was a whirlwind visit, but I think we got in most of what Kayce wanted to see. We took a bus tour, walked through Hyde Park, went to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square. It was a beautiful day and fun to have a "girls day" in London! We saw this hotel and had to get a picture for Ellie - how fitting!!(her full name is Elizabeth Rose for those that don't know)

We had to show Kayce our beautiful Brighton seaside!

On Monday we did more shopping and finished off the trip with a visit to the Brighton Pier for fresh donuts, Brighton Rock, fun rides, and just plain silliness!

Thanks for coming, Kayce! We miss you already!!

Bank Holiday Weekend

2009-08-31T12:54:00.001-07:00

This Monday was "Bank Holiday" here in the UK - which is funny because they don't give their holidays names (Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc.) just a general "Bank Holiday". We had a fun time as a family of FOUR (it's still weird to say that!) going to a little farm here in the English countryside. They had lots of chickens roaming about, goats, cows, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs, pigs, turkeys, and peacocks. Lincoln has no fear when it comes to animals! Here he is feeding some rams random grass, leaves, and even a feather that he found on the ground.

I like how Link is making the same face as the ram in this one!

My favorite part of the farm was the scrumptious farm restaurant. We had the lamb stew which was delicious, with some yummy fudge for dessert.

Sunday was Ellie's debut at church! Here is our attempt at a "kids going to church" picture - clearly Link wasn't cooperating.

It sure is fun putting a little dress on a girl!

Surviving!

2009-08-24T00:49:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday my mom left after helping us for 2 whole weeks. It was really sad to see her go, and even worse was the impending doom that now it was all up to me to take care of these two little kids. I was remembering when my mom left after helping when Lincoln was born and how I just cried and cried and thought I could never do it on my own. Now I look back and wonder what was I thinking?! One kid is EASY! I'm hopeful that one day I will look back at this time and say "What was I thinking?! TWO kids is easy!"

Things have actually gone really well. I've managed to shower every day (a definite accomplishment in mommy-world!) and all three of us have coordinated naps on most days. Lincoln is doing well with the adjustment overall - he only gets sent to timeout a time or two a day when he gets a little excited (ie: rough) with baby sister, but loves to come up to Ellie and tickle her or have help holding her. Here they are sharing the Boppy pillow together:

We took Ellie to the beach for the first time this weekend! She really enjoyed it - okay, she slept in her carseat the whole time - but it was fun for us! When we were getting ready to leave Link said "Beach - rocks - windy - cold" I guess he knows what an English beach is like! It was actually beautiful and sunny, and yes, some nude sunbathers were out again [not pictured] :)

Ellie is growing! Last week she was weighed and is already 4.3kg (9 1/2 lbs)! She is a big girl! She is being more awake lately and getting more into a routine with feeding. She loves to be in motion - either in the Bjorn or in the car, and also just loves to lay on the ground and look around. My favorite is when she puts her fuzzy little head on my shoulder and holds on with her tiny hands. It melts my heart! It also melts my heart when I see my two kids together; what could make a parent happier?!

We're looking forward to another good week, and maybe even venturing out with the two kiddos on my own! We'll see how that goes!

My UK Delivery Experience

2009-08-18T03:12:00.000-07:00

I've been promising to tell about the differences between healthcare here in the UK and the US, so I thought I'd list a few. Some are funny, some things I like better here, and some are just strange! I wanted to make sure that I survived the whole experience before saying anything! Now luckily, it's a very interesting experience that I can look back on and share with Ellie. (Note: this was just my experience, may not be representative of all UK deliveries)

- At prenatal checks they never weigh you. I had to request to check my weight a couple times just because I was curious. So I don't even know how much weight I put on this pregnancy!

- Most women never see an OB/GYN - you are seen by the community midwives for all your checkups. You would only have an OB if you are an at-risk pregnancy or would be having a scheduled c-section.

- They don't check dilation/effacement until you are in active labor; leaving you with no clue when the baby may come!

- The prenatal checkup schedule is much less frequent than in the US. Even at the end of pregnancy you only see the midwife every-other week.

- When I had my glucose tolerance test they have you buy your own "gatorade" and bring it to the lab to drink for the test.

- They asked me if I'd like to have a home birth, and they're actually pretty common here. I said "NO" - I'd much rather have all the equipment and help that a hospital has...oh, and I don't want to have to buy a new bed after delivering the baby in it!

- I don't think I saw any computers in the hospital while I was there. I am so used to seeing a computer with monitors in every labor room, plus several at the nurses' station for charting. Everything is charted on these little blue notes that you carry around with you during your pregnancy and while you are at the hospital.

- While in labor, they don't have monitors to check the baby's heart rate or your contractions. The midwife would occasionally put a doppler on my tummy to listen to the baby's heartbeat, but nothing continuous, and as I said before, no computer read-out or printed reading.

- The doctor on the delivery unit placed my IV for my antibiotics - and totally missed the first time - badly! I still have an ugly, huge bruise. Good thing I was in labor so the pain was minor in comparison!

- The bed I was in for delivery had no pillows, the left stirrup was broken, and it took 2 midwives the better part of 5 minutes to figure out how to put the bed together. Maybe they should not use that room next time!!

- They offer Nitrous Oxide as a method of pain relief. I used some while I was being stitched up and I really think it was just oxygen. It did NOTHING! The only benefit was that you suck it out of this plastic mouthpiece, so I was able to bite on that while the doctor (same one who botched my arm!) was taking his sweet time with the stitching - oh, and not numbing me up properly. He kept saying "This would be a lot better if you had an epidural" - um yeah! You're telling me!! As you can see, I was not impressed with this doctor...maybe it's a good thing I didn't get an epidural...if he was administering it I may be paralyzed!

- My midwife Tina was amazing. She was so kind and really helped me to calm down while experiencing my very quick, unexpected, natural delivery. There was no "team" of doctors and nurses in the room when Ellie was born like in the US - just Tina and Ryan. It's a good thing Ryan wanted to cut the umbilical cord, because if he didn't do it I don't think there would have been enough hands to manage it all!

- They don't give you a hospital gown! You are told to "bring your own clothes to deliver in". Minutes before Ellie was born I finally took my pants off and my new baby was placed on the very shirt I wore into the hospital. Afterwards you just wear your own clothes or a nightgown. I'm a pj pants girl, so I had to go out and buy a nightgown especially for the occasion.

- I wasn't stitched up after the delivery for what seemed like a very long time (long enough to call both our families) - I was telling the midwives that it must not be too bad a tear or I would be losing a lot of blood!

- Babies aren't measured for length. I asked why and was told that "length doesn't matter" so they don't do it. Everything has to be very cost-effective in a national healthcare setting; length doesn't have any particular health implications, so they don't check it.

- You can leave the hospital any time you want after delivery (as long as everything checks out okay). I had a roommate (yes, a roommate - more of that to come) who delivered a baby at 4am and was gone before noon.

- There is no baby nursery, which means they don't bathe the baby after the birth, and don't keep them in there while you sleep. You have to keep your baby with you 24/7 - if you go into the bathroom you just wheel your baby along with you.

- They don't give you any diapers, wipes, onesies, or pads in the hospital - bring your own!

- I was lucky to snag 1 of 2 private rooms in the "mother/baby" unit (someone tipped us off beforehand that we could at least try and ask for one), but sadly was moved that first night because someone needed the room more. My new room was a big room that can hold SIX moms and their babies, only divided by curtains, with the bathroom down the hall. Luckily, there was no one else in there when I first came in, and at most there were 3 of us - but still slightly uncomfortable nonetheless. No privacy, and I felt badly when Ellie would cry knowing that she was probably waking up someone else's baby. Utah Valley hospital is like a hotel compared to the hospital here!

- When you come home from the hospital, midwives come to your house to check up on you and the baby 1 day, 5 days, and 10 days later. They see how everything is going, how you are healing, weigh the baby, and answer any questions. I LOVE this! It's very reassuring to be able to ask questions and make sure you are doing things right; I think I question myself more this time around because I'm always comparing the 2 kids.

And here's a picture of my cute kids!

One Week Later

2009-08-11T04:52:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine that just over a week ago we were a family of three awaiting the arrival of our little girl. Then right on her due date, little Elizabeth came into the world. (Well, not SO little - weighing in at a nice 8lb 12oz - surprising us all!) We had to stay in the hospital for 2 days so that Elizabeth could get IV antibiotics; I was Strep B positive but barely got in one dose of antibiotics since the labor was SO fast. Her blood results came back negative, so everything was fine and we could go home.

I am so lucky to have my sweet mom come all the way over here from Kansas to help out. Everyone here is amazed that she would come all this way to see us, even after she was just here a couple months ago. I can't thank her enough, and I might not let her leave! Ryan also gets a very generous 2 week paternity leave - so we are well taken care of!

Here are some pictures from the past week of our little Ellie:

Lincoln is very sweet with his new sister. He rarely says her name, but refers to her as "baby sister". He will spontaneously run over to her when she is laying on the floor and get very close to her face and smile and rub her head and say "cute" or "soft". We are trying to capture one of his sweet moments, but our little guy always has a "cheese!" at the ready before we are able to snap the picture.

Daddy's little girl

Link Meets Ellie

2009-08-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Rose Giles

2009-08-03T04:08:00.000-07:00

Natural birth is hard. We wanted drugs, but things went too fast. The midwife first checked on us around 445-500 am. Jamie measured a 2-3 cm. By 613 Elizabeth was born. Jamie handled it very well, I think she probably held back showing all the pain she felt for my sake. It was over quickly though which was nice.

Oh and giving birth in the UK is a very different experience. I'll let Jamie fill in more details but, we didn't get a pillow for her bed until about 530, the bed itself was broken so we couldn't really use the stir up things, and they wrap the babies up in rough towels. Oh and we are expected to bathe and clean our own baby! I know I sound like a spoiled brat, but we really noticed a difference in the level of care.

That being said, the people that have been taking care of us have been wonderful. Having the midwife coaching Jamie with a nice British accent made it sound a little more pleasant then the NY/NJ accent. We even knew to ask for a private room and there happened to be one available (usually they have 4-6 women sharing a room). Anyway, enjoy the pics.

Going to the hospital

2009-08-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

We'll let you know...

Anticipation

2009-07-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

Waiting for a baby to come is a crazy adventure! We've been dreaming of this little person since Thanksgiving (when we found out we were pregnant), and now 9+ months later the time has nearly come. It's so bizarre that one day I will be pregnant and the next day I won't - and even more bizarre that I have no idea what day that will be! The hospital bag is packed, the babysitter is on-call to watch Link, the baby clothes are washed, the baby seat is in the car - now we just have to wait...

I'm pretty much past the scared/nervous part and am just excited to meet my little girl. Ryan is definitely excited and is on constant "contraction watch" and is sure that any little change means she's coming - NOW. He even announced that I was having contractions on Facebook and I ended up with crazed emails from my mom asking if I was in labor. :) Lincoln is aware that a baby sister is coming because he always asks me to "Draw baby" for him, uses earbuds to "listen" to my tummy (like a stethoscope or ultrasound machine), and Ryan tells him stories about Lincoln and Daddy flying in jets to see the baby in the hospital. Other than that, I think he's in for a big surprise.

Here's my 39 week shot. I never made it to 39 weeks with Link, so this is a first for me!

Link wanted to get in on the photo-shoot - looking handsome in his church clothes.

The boys hard at work cutting the grass this weekend. Link is a great helper!

38 Weeks

2009-07-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand (mostly my mom) here is a recent pic of my pregnant belly. 38 weeks down, 2 to go... or if she decides to come as early as Lincoln, just a few days to go! (Link was 9 days early) Unfortunately I don't have any real gauge of when she'll be born because in the UK they don't check dilation/effacement at all until you are in active labor! I even asked my doctor at my last appointment to check and she looked shocked and appalled. Just one of the many differences between healthcare in the UK vs. the US - more of which I'm sure to share after the delivery.

Now for some cuter pictures! Here is Link in the foam pit at a little gym we go to. They have trampolines, bars, climbing things, etc. Link calls it the "Jumping Place", appropriately. We go with a friend from Church, Ashy - who Link just adores. It's so cute for him to have his first real "friend".

We have also been transitioning Lincoln from taking a bottle at bedtime, with really good success thus far. He was seamless with going to a big bed and taking away the binky, so I really shouldn't be surprised. This little guy is just too good! Here is a typical "Lincoln face" - being the little joker that he is. He would pretend to take a "big sip" out of his cup, only to take the tiniest little sip and make a milk moustache and start laughing. Ryan and I inevitably start laughing too. How can we resist?!

Our Techno-Saavy 2 year-old

2009-07-17T03:16:00.000-07:00

Lincoln has an iPod Touch - well, I actually have an iPod Touch, but from the day I got it he has pretty much claimed it for himself. I know, letting a 2 year-old play with an expensive electronic device is probably not the wisest idea. We get some pretty interesting looks from people watching him use it on the bus or in the doctor's office that seem to say "Spoiled American kid"...well, that may be so, but it keeps him entertained, and he knows how to use it really well!! He can play the bowling game - changing the ball color and lanes with ease and then bowl a strike. He scrolls through our family pictures. He watches downloaded videos of "Little Einsteins" and "Super Why". He does all of these independently without any help or prompting from us.

But the most impressive of all, is that he loves YouTube. If we type in a search for him (ie: Jets, Trains, Bowling [yeah, he loves bowling]) he will go through the video clips and choose the ones he wants to watch. He even has his favorites that he can recognize from the thumbnail pictures. Here are Lincoln's YouTube picks of the week:

I'm just waiting for him to send an email to someone! I don't think it's too far off!

More Beach Fun...no nudity this time

2009-07-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

For a Friday family date night we took a picnic to the beach. The nice thing is that we literally live 5 minutes from the beach - it's so easy to get to and Link LOVES it. The unfortunate thing was that it was COLD and windy! (England in July!) We braved it in the name of family fun and Link still managed to enjoy himself.

Lincoln playing "Rock slide" down the groynes (pronounced 'groins' - we have a few laughs with all the signs that say "Keep off the groynes" haha)

On Saturday we went to the Brighton Sea Life Centre. It's the "oldest seaside aquarium in Britain"; and while maybe not as flashy as Sea World, it had its own charm. Lincoln liked to see the "Dory" fish (he loves Finding Nemo right now) and they had the biggest sea turtles I have ever seen!

But Lincoln's favorite exhibit did not feature any fish. It was a model of Brighton - complete with little cars and people that just fascinated him. Go figure!

"Tire, nose"

2009-07-03T05:52:00.001-07:00

We were eating lunch and Link was playing with one of his toy cars. He has this weird thing where he likes to take off any tires that can be removed from his toys - I have a bag full of tiny tires that I have collected from him! We were preoccupied with the dishwasher repairman and then we hear "Tire, nose".

Oh, please NO!! I see a car with no tires and search frantically around his high chair for the loose tires. Nothing. I ask the dishwasher guy if he has a flashlight, but he doesn't. Luckily, I decided to ship our 72 hour kits with us over here - which happen to include flashlights and batteries. Also, luckily Ryan was at home today in honor of celebrating the Fourth tomorrow (it's our patriotic right as Americans, right?!) so he was able to put Link in a headlock so I could look up his nose. Yep, a nice little tire shoved up into his right nostril. After some unsuccessful blows we determine it's definitely stuck.

Okay, now what?? We don't even have a pediatrician here yet. Do we go to the ER? Try to find a doctor? Could I possibly pull it out myself?? I reluctantly chose the latter and ran to my huge first aid kit in hopes that there were some nice long tweezers. No luck, just regular ones. Praying for the nurse in me to come forth, Ryan held Lincoln's head while I held the flashlight in one hand and the tweezers in another and went in for the tire. After a couple attempts...I had it!! No damage, no blood, no crying (from me or Link - he was very brave), and no day waiting in the lovely National Healthcare ER.

I will always be grateful for my education and experience as a Registered Nurse...I just hope I won't have too many chances to put my skills to work at home!

PS: Our baby girl is due one month from today!!! (Maybe she'll be better about keeping things out of her nose)

An {Interesting} Day at the Beach

2009-06-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the weather was supposed to be completely rubbish (new English lingo we're picking up) - but instead it was absolutely gorgeous, so we decided to head to the beach. Not quite the beach that we native-Californians are used to, but lovely and fun in its own regard.

If you're unfamiliar with Brighton beaches, they're made of stones, not sand. The water must be quite chilly too because there are rarely any swimmers - maybe a kid dipping their toes in or a person wearing a full-body wet suit braving the water. Lincoln loves playing with the stones and was entertaining himself really well by rolling them down a little concrete wall and saying "Rock slide!" Then he decided to toss a stone in the direction of an old man wearing a Speedo laying on his stomach. I don't know if it actually hit him, but we decided it was probably time to leave the beach and give Link a lesson in not throwing things at people...even if you are trying to tell them to cover up more...because, who wants to see old guys (or anyone really!) in Speedos??

Another difference we noted: nude sunbathers!! Yep, we look over and some woman is bearing it all while she soaks up the sun. Are we in Southern France?! Sheesh! I don't know if this is allowed or how common it is here, but next time we come to the beach I'm going to have to bring blinders for Link...and Ryan.

Hallelujah!

2009-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

We have internet!!! It only took nearly 3 months, but we have real internet - so now we can catch up on blogs, download shows (still haven't seen the end of seasons for Lost, Chuck, 24, or The Office), and generally waste time. It also means that we can post more often (theoretically), and fill you in on all the latest fun from England. Thanks to all who still check our blog, even with the lack of activity!

This is Lincoln's favorite job: watering "his" flowers. He takes very good care of them and gives them PLENTY of water. It's fun to have our own backyard for the first time.

Two weekends ago we took a trip up to London. The purpose was to see "Les Miserables" and Kimber so graciously offered to watch Link while we went to the show. We got to take in some of the London sights beforehand, including an amazing fly-over by old and new military planes in honor of the Queen's birthday. Lincoln LOVED it - but actually we all thought it was really spectacular! Here we are in Trafalgar Square (notice Big Ben in the background):

The story as to why we saw "Les Mis" goes back almost 6 years to the day. The touring show came to Salt Lake and Ryan bought tickets - intending to ask me on a date. He then found out I was dating someone else at the time, so he ended up finding another date. Since then, he has always wanted to take me, but as soon as we moved to New York the show left Broadway. When we moved here and found out it was still playing in London Ryan jumped at the chance to get tickets for Mother's Day. The show was amazing - well worth waiting 6 years to see it with Ryan. I wonder what would have happened if we saw the show together in 2003??

What we've been up to the past month

2009-06-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

As unbelievable as it is, we have been living here in England for 2 months already. The time really flies when you are as busy as we have been the past month or so. I would love to have kept up with all our adventures, but we still don't have "real" internet service yet! If everything falls into place we might have internet installed before the baby is born. So here is a quick recap of the past month:

Went to the beach and pier here in Brighton

Brighton Pier has the most fantastic fresh donuts and candy floss (cotton candy). It takes real restraint not to go there every day. Aunt Kimber and Uncle Julian spent a fun weekend visit with us "at the shore".

Took a trip back to the US for Aunt Ashley's mission homecoming and Aunt Kelly's graduation

After serving in the freezing cold (Canada) for 18+ months, my sister Ashley returned home from her mission. It was a joyous reunion and all the family (except Ryan who had business in NYC) was there. Link loved playing with his extended family, going to the petting zoo, and spending almost every day outside in the yard.

Had Nana, Pop, Ashley and Kelly come visit us in England

What fun to have a house full of visitors! Link especially loved all the extra playmates and still talks about his adventures at the beach.

Ryan and I took a fantastic getaway [sans Lincoln] to Italy!

Leaning Tower of Pisa, ride through the Tuscan countryside, great Italian food, The Uffizi, David, shopping, walking along the river in Florence, Duomo, music in the Piazzas, relaxing, and LOTS of gelato. This was the first time I have been away from Lincoln - ever. It was hard to leave him, but I knew he was in good hands with my parents and we had a wonderful time.

Baby Girl Giles continues to grow! Only 7 weeks to go!

New Pictures of our Little Guy

2009-05-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

Jamie and I wanted to post some updated pictures from our move and our new place in the UK. I don't have time for any great captions, that is generally Jamie's domain. But here are the pictures.

English Language Tutorial

2009-05-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of funny words/phrases that they use over here in the UK. Even though we are all speaking English, sometimes it is practically impossible to understand what people are saying. Some seem really strange, but they do actually use them instead of the "American" words we are used to!

English - American

nappy = diaper
lift = elevator
pushcart/buggy/pram/carriage = stroller
ice lolly = popsicle
fizzy water = soda
lemonade = Sprite or other lemon-lime soda
chips = fries (as in fish & chips)
crisps = chips (as in potato chips)
top-up = fill-up or refill (I need to top-up my pay-as-you go phone)
having a laugh = making a joke
nicked = stole
candy floss = cotton candy
motorway = highway/freeway
sleeping policeman = speed bumps
manor coach = station wagon
trolley = shopping cart
let = rent
hash sign = pound (#) sign (I guess because their pound sign is for money!)
hob = stove
post = mail
garden = yard/backyard
cheers! = catch-all word that can mean thanks, good-bye, great, etc.

I'm sure there are more; this is what I could think of for now!

I wanted to include some pictures, but we have temporary pay-as-you go mobile internet (until our real internet can be connected in 3 weeks!) that is SO SLOW. Doing much else besides checking email is practically impossible. I can't complain too much - we were without internet for a week and I quickly realized how technology dependent I am. At least now I can check the weather and email!

Our Son Named Alex

2009-04-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Preston Park, which is a nice park right across the street from Ryan's new office. The grounds are lovely with well-cultivated gardens with flowers and shrubbery. There is also a big playground with slides, swings, and sand. Lincoln loves the park, and particularly loves sand, so he was in heaven!

There were a couple older boys playing in a little wooden playhouse in the sand who were about 7 and 4. Link came over and wanted to play and they said (in British accents, of course) "What's your name?" [We have been working with Lincoln on answering this question, but without too much success. He can answer "How old are you?" but not what his name is. oh well] so we don't know if he said something or just made a noise, but the older boy said "We can't understand you" (We can't understand much of what people here say either!!) They were still trying to shoo him away, but apparently changed their minds and called "Little one! Come back!" and let him join in their fun. Then one boy said "We don't know his name, so let's call him Alex." Ryan and I were sitting on a bench very close so we could see and hear everything, but we didn't make it apparent that we were Lincoln's parents so we could observe this funny exchange. It was really hard not to laugh out loud!

Soon they were laughing, playing, and ruffling his hair - all the while trying to get his attention by calling him "Alex" which obviously wasn't working very well since he doesn't know to respond to "Alex". Finally the older boy must have caught on that we were showing a little too much attention to them and asked "Is he your kid?" and we said yes, and he asked "What's his name?" and we told him, and he said "Oh, I like to call him Alex."

A while later the boy told me "I wish Lincoln was my little brother" which I thought was so sweet. That's probably the best compliment a little boy can get! So Link is already charming the kids of England!

'ello! from Jolly Ol' England!

2009-04-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

YES - we made it!!

We have a new method for beating jet lag - travel with a toddler. Over the course of the 7.5 hour plane ride across the Atlantic (9pm EST to 9am UK time, with the time difference) Lincoln decided to sleep a whopping 1 HOUR! I guess having a personal TV with "Bolt" showing nonstop and playing bowling on the iPod was too much fun to sleep through.

When we got to Heathrow airport a cute old English guy met us to drive us to Brighton. He entertained us the whole 2 hour ride with stories about all the Americans he has met. It was SO hard to stay awake after the sleepless night and listening to his lulling British accent, but we managed to make it to our temporary flat (apartment). It looks just like you would picture a little English home and it's right across the street from a beautiful gothic church.

By this time we were too excited to sleep, so we ventured out into the town. The streets are lined with tiny shops and tiny cars and people bustling about at all times of the day...well, except for in the evenings apparently. We were in a grocery store and asked the checker where we could find a hardware/electronics store to buy an outlet adapter (we bought some in the US but stupid me had them shipped with our other things that will arrive next week) and she looked shocked and said "What?! At this hour??" It was 630pm!! We soon realized that apart from a few convenience store places, most shops close down by 5 or 6pm - even restaurants and ice cream places! That's a big change coming from "The city that never sleeps".

There are a lot of things that are really different here and make us laugh. I am going to wait to write about some of them when I have my camera cord and can provide pictures to go along with the descriptions. Something that we find really amusing is the television here. We had been warned beforehand that British tv is awful, so our expectations were low. We were surprised to find quite a lot of American shows on the cable we have here - but the selection is really odd: CSI, Scrubs, Jerry Springer, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Grey's Anatomy, and Friends all seem to be on CONSTANTLY! There are also a bunch of knock-off game shows like "Are You Smarter than a 10 Year Old?" or "Britian's Got More Talent" that are the same as their US counterparts but set in the UK.

I think many people (us included) assume that many things are similar in England because it's an English speaking country, but we've found that it's just as foreign as any other country. There are a lot of things to grow accustomed to - from grocery shopping, money and exchange rates, driving, to how they do laundry- and we do have brief flashes of longing for our comfortable American life, but every day is an adventure here and we love it. Lincoln especially has done really well with the transition and I am so thankful for that. I will be sure to post some pictures and funny words/phrases of England ASAP!

Still Here

2009-04-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Some have wondered if we have finally "crossed the pond" over to the UK - and the answer is no - we are still here in NJ.

Apparently the expatriate process is quite a lengthy and frustrating one, and we seem to have met opposition at about every step. Today's heartbreak was that Ryan and Lincoln's visas went through but mine was held up. (Discrimination against Canadians, perhaps??) Oh, and did I mention that we are supposed to leave TOMORROW?! Of course, it's a holiday for the UK so the consulate is closed - thus holding my passport ransom for the weekend. I seriously weighed the possibility of breaking in Chuck or 24 style, and had a mental image of my pregnant body dressed in all black and a bullet-proof vest swinging in through some window or climbing up an elevator shaft. Ha!

Instead, I coped by sobbing down the streets of Manhattan until Ryan held me and consoled me. The cheesecake at Juniors may have helped a little, too.

Everything will work out eventually. We have new plane reservations and I have a better attitude about the whole situation. Two days is not going to make a difference in the long-run. We're all together, healthy, and the cable hasn't been canceled yet - so life is good!