Potty Training Begins...

We are determined to have Grady potty trained before his new little brother arrives in November! This is not because we feel pressured to do so, but because we don't want to deal with two little people in diapers at the same time. We've been talking about the potty with him for weeks now (actually months) and are finally ready to take on the potty training challenge full force this weekend. Grady loves sitting on the potty, but for some reason won't do anything on it! Then he thinks he should get an M&M....he gets quite upset when he realizes he only gets one if he makes a "deposit" so to speak. he he.... We went out today and bought pull-ups and even some "big boy underwear." I tried to make a big deal of it to him so he would get excited about the prospect....but instead he took one look at the package and threw it as hard as he could on the floor. We definitely have our work cut out for us! When we got home, he told me he wanted to go to the potty, so I of course sat him there, but again he did nothing except try to unravel the entire roll of toilet paper (which is why it's not in the picture). I went to capture the moment on camera (thinking one day we'd look back fondly on him learning), and he got very mad at me and yelled "NO WAY!" a hundred times. Guess he likes his privacy. :) Tomorrow we will start "Potty Bootcamp," which is supposed to potty train toddlers in 2-3 days (aside from at night). We'll report back on Monday! :)

27 weeks.....

I am just now at about the 27 week mark in my pregnancy, the age our little niece Hannah was born at just about three weeks ago. It's amazing that right now our little guy is the size she was when we first saw her! Experiences like this make us realize how truly lucky we are to just have a healthy pregnancy... it's something I think I took advantage of the first time around because we just didn't know any different. It hardly seems fair that little Hannah has to work so hard everyday, while our little guy still rests warmly in my stomach. We are just incredibly thankful and now truly realize what a blessing that is. Prayers have definitely been answered with Hannah though....she is doing well (despite a few small bumps in the road) and growing everyday! Here are a few recent pictures of her!

Fourth of July!

This post is a little out of order, but that's okay! :) We went to Pinehurst for the Fourth of July holiday to visit Mimi and Popeye (Grady's new names for Tracy's parents). We had a joint birthday party for Grady, Tracy and Mimi (since their birthdays are all within a couple weeks of each other). Grady got a guitar and microphone for his birthday and absolutely LOVED it (as you can tell in the video). :) We also went to the July 4th celebration in Pinehurst where Grady got to climb up into a firetruck and ride a pony for the first time! We also watched fireworks that night.... Grady was fascinated by the lights, but wasn't too crazy about the noise. I included a picture of Grady's first July 4th since he was only about 2 weeks old then. I just couldn't resist! :)

Just being silly while eating his cake.... :)

Riding a pony for the first time!

Grady's first Fourth of July (at only two weeks old)! :)

Our niece, Hannah Brown Schacht, is here!!

Hannah Brown Schacht, our first niece, made her way into the world on Thursday, July 16 at 27 weeks (13 weeks early). She is the most precious little miracle you will ever lay eyes on! She came in weighing 2 lbs, 4 oz and was 13 inches long with bright red hair (just like her daddy)! While she is tiny, you can already tell she is a little fighter and the nurses have already said what a great baby she is. So far, she is doing well.... Please keep her (and Kelly and Louis) in your prayers, as she will be residing in the NICU for a while longer (at least the next two months).We were lucky in that we were able to meet her for the first time on Friday. Grady is already in love with his cousin and asks about "Baby Nanna" all the time (and we mean all the time)!! Kelly and Louis have also quickly learned that Hannah has an obsessive aunt and uncle too that absolutely adore her...he he...we just can't help it though!

As you can tell, she definitely has her daddy's feet and toes!

Hannah was also baptized while we were down in Florida, so we got to be there for the big event. Grady wasn't allowed in the NICU, so he got to watch from the window with Brandon. The hospital staff even had a little white baptismal dress, a hat and booties for her, which was really sweet. Here she is all dressed up! Have you ever seen anything so precious in all your life?!!!

Vero Beach, Florida!

A group of us gals (with the exception of Grady as the only male) headed down to Vero Beach, FL, for Kelly's baby shower. Grady actually got his own seat for the first time since he turned two a couple weeks ago....all I have to say is thank goodness for lollipops and family! We had a great time at the shower, got to see some good friends and family, and even enjoyed some time at the pool and beach!

It's a.......BOY!

We had our 20-week routine ultrasound and found out we're having another BOY! :) Most importantly, he is healthy and doing well! Pictured below you will see the 20-week profile....we're halfway there! This pregnancy is going much faster than the first one!

Father's Day!

Grady and Tracy made Brandon breakfast in bed for Father's Day, went out for a nice lunch and then headed over to Raleigh to go to "the bouncy place" (can't remember the name). Grady LOVED it (and so did Brandon)....bouncing wasn't such a good idea for pregnancy though, so I stayed on the sidelines! :) And just for the record.... Grady has the best dad in the whole world!

Grady Turned 2!!

How in the world did our little baby turn 2?! Here he is attempting to blow out his candles...

We just couldn't resist putting a picture up of him from 2 years ago when he was born! Time flies!

Wedding Fun!

Grady spent the entire night on the dance floor at the wedding reception for Michelle (Tracy's cousin) and Justin! Even when we tried to get him to take a break, he went straight back out on the dance floor. :) And surprisingly he kept his tie on all night! (The newly married couple are pictured at the bottom!)

The joys of moving!

We moved into a new house a couple of weeks ago... mostly to give us more space for our growing family! We are still sitting amidst what seems like hundreds of boxes, but Grady is definitely enjoying them! Having a 2-year old definitely makes unpacking a bit more challenging. :) One day I will actually get a picture of our new house on here.... when I can find the time to actually take one! Saying goodbye to our old house (pictured above on the right) was kind of sad! :(