Symbols of Freedom

Nathan learned about the Symbols of Freedom in his Pre-K class.  Two of them were the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell.  He asked us to visit these national landmarks, so we did.

Nathan asked us if there were whales in the river while we were on the ferry.

First immigrant at Ellis Island.

We love soft pretzels...anytime...anywhere.

My kiddos and the NYC skyline.

I wish they were always this sweet with each other.

Nathan is quite the photographer.  He loves playing with the camera and taking pictures of Mom and Dad.

Hadley was trying to match Lady Liberty.

Who can pass up these souvenirs?

The ferry back to NJ.

The ferry back to NY.  We made the right choice.

And then came our trip into Philadelphia for the Liberty Bell.  This also coincided with Father's Day.

The inkstand used to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Happy Father's Day Randy!  Too bad your other kids were napping.

I told you Nathan is a great photographer.

Luckiest Mom in the World

I say it every year, but Mother's Day is my favorite day of the year.  For some reason, it's the only day when I don't worry about getting chores done.  This year we traveled to Pittsburgh so that I could spend the day with the kids AND my mom.

Before it rained on Saturday, we took the kids to a local park.  As a parent, you forget how fun parks are until you see the joy on their faces.

Nathan was afraid of this at first, then he got the hang of it and loved it.

My Ryan could go down slides all day.  I love seeing his smiling face.

After the park, we went to Mancini's Bread.  It is a Pittsburgh tradition and surprisingly, I had never taken the family there.  We got 2 big loaves of Italian bread and ate one of them while we sat outside.

They gave the kids bread sticks...which ended up being used as ninja swords.

 Ryan did end up eating his though.

It was also Grammy and Charlie's first trip to Mancini's.  And they call themselves Pittsburghers!

 On Sunday, we visited another Pittsburgh tradition...Gus and YiaYias Snow Cones.

Too bad Hadley wasn't able to enjoy a snow cone.  They were delicious.

3 generations of girls.  Lucky to have a great mom and 3 awesome kids to make my Mother's Day special.

Hadley is 2 Months

I can't believe my baby is already 2 months old. She is growing up too fast. She is 10lbs 11oz and is 23in. She is smiling all the time and loves being entertained by her brothers. 

Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

I am horrible at posting new pictures.  Here are a whole bunch of pictures from Easter.

Dyeing Easter eggs is always exciting.  We have to remind the boys NOT to squeeze the hard boiled eggs.  Why is that their natural inclination?

I actually woke Hadley up to participate.  She wasn't thrilled.

Here is what the Easter Bunny left.  I think the kids made out good this year.

Hadley could have actually fit inside her basket this year.

Eating chocolate at 630am is normal, right?

Hadley got a hair bow but it's a little big on her tiny head.

Then we went to Pap Pap's house and played a little bball outside.

Nathan is playing baseball again this year.  His team is called the Oriole Rookies.

Ryan loves playing on the playground while Nathan plays baseball.

Meet Hadley Jo!

On March 8, 2014 at 9:00am, our family was completed with the birth of our beautiful daughter, Hadley Jo.  She is healthy and we are happy.  We couldn't have asked for a more perfect outcome.  

She has the face of an angel. 

Our first picture with her.  Too bad she is crying.  

She was a little grumpy at first.

But then she met one of her big brothers.  Ryan is completely in love with her.  He always wants to "hold the baby" and "give baby kisses."  And he loves calling her Hadley Jo.  I'm so happy to have him to look after her in the years to come.

And Nathan was so happy when we brought her home.  He keeps telling her how much he loves her.  He shows her all his toys.  Being the big big brother is hard work, but Nathan is the perfect kid for the job.

Hadley is an itty bitty.  I forget how small newborns are.

Getting 3 kids to pose for a picture is hard work.  This one only took 20 minutes.

No denying that she's part of the family.  Look at how identical they all look.  Who is who?

Only a few days old and she is already changing her look.  Don't grow up too fast my little love!!

She curls up on me every night and I love it.

And Daddy love snuggling her every chance he gets!

So far, going from 2 kids to 3 kids hasn't been hard.  She is an easy baby and we are getting a good amount of sleep.  I couldn't imagine my life without her now.  We look forward to all the "firsts" we get to experience with her again.