More Pancakes and Syrup!

Another New York winter means another trip to the Maple Tree Inn to enjoy buckwheat pancakes and fresh maple syrup!!

Here we were last year in March 2011:

And here we are this year!
Some differences:

Haven now stands while she eats (not a normal occurrence, I promise!) and is quite rowdy and distracting to all at the restaurant:



She also now feeds herself (or at least attempts to feed herself):



Can time slow down, please?

Photos, photos, photos!!

Here is a collection of random photos from my camera and phone. It should give you an idea of what we have been up to:

Haven has discovered a new way of rough housing with Dad that she absolutely loves! She calls this, "1,2,3" and asks to play it whenever Mike is home. Please note Mike's psychiatry beard...doesn't he look official? :-)







Haven tried her hand at finger-painting this week and LOVED it! It was very goopy, very messy, but oh so fun!





Of course we have been doing a lot of cooking, which means Haven has been doing a lot of tasting. Love to cook with this girl in the kitchen!







This is Haven's preferred way of sleeping at night and at bedtime.



Haven has been really into Dr. Seuss books lately. She knows the book titles and can jabber some of the rhymes. It is very cute and I love when I find her reading through the books on her own.





Of course we have been spending lots of time at the Museum of Play! Haven especially loves grocery shopping at Weggies.





After a particularly exhausting trip to the museum, Haven got to eat her PB&J sandwich while watching a show. I had a very sticky couch after this experience and learned that I need to limit the amount of jam on my toddler's sandwich.



One morning, I came up the stairs to find that Haven had gotten into my makeup bag. Obviously, she generously applied her blush in all the wrong places! She then proceeded to put blush on the carpet. Hmmm...

Haven and Seth

I hope this blog will one day be something that Haven will look at to learn what she was like when she was little. It's for that reason I like to blog the everyday, simple things we do.

A big part of Haven's life right now is her good friend, Seth. How I love these two! They have been friends since birth as Seth was born our first November living in Rochester and Haven was born in January. It's amazing to see how they have grown up!


March 2010


May 2011


January 2012

Haven and Seth have become very good friends and they play together every week. Whenever they first see each other they will exclaim, "Hi Havey!" and "Hi Seth!". They both have high-pitched kid voices which make their greetings all the more adorable. Haven loves Seth and will wait at the window when she knows he is coming over.

Seth and his mom, Celeste, have been immensely helpful through the winter months! In addition to music class, we visit the Museum of Play together weekly:





And also have Tuesday play dates:





Seth is one of the kindest and sweetest little boys I have ever met. He is so nice to Haven and puts up with her sometimes dramatic ways. He always has something funny to say and loves to give Haven hugs and kisses. Celeste and I appreciate how well they play together because it gives us some much needed adult conversation!

What a fun little friendship!

Bowling for Birthdays!

On February 18th, Mike turned the big 2-8! Thankfully, he had the day off and we were able to celebrate as a family. The highlight of the day was our family bowling trip! Because Mike is always the fun and creative one, he came up with the idea to take Haven bowling and to say that she loved it would be an understatement. It was so cute to watch her take in this new experience:

At first, the most exciting thing was watching the colorful balls come out of the machine.



Then she realized it was fun to actually roll the ball down the lane. There were several "Bye bye ball!" heard during her turn.



She was so serious about the bowling and thought that her contribution to carrying the ball made all the difference :-)



She even accompanied me during my turn!



Yes, the final score says it all. Not only did Haven roll 3 strikes, but she also beat Mike and me. The people in the next lane thought it was hysterical that our little muffin was rolling strikes!



Could this be the face of a future bowling champion?!



Happy happy birthday to the best husband, father, and friend I could ask for! Mike is an extraordinary person who blesses and touches my life each day. I cannot think of a better person to be on this journey of life with...love you always!

My Sweet Haven

I have been meaning to write this post since Haven's birthday, but I wanted to wait for her 2nd year photos to be taken. Photos courtesy of Lisa Ruth Photography

Every time I see these pictures, they make me smile. They are far from posed and perfect, but I feel like they capture the essence of who Haven is at age 2. This is not a posed or perfect time of life, but it is one full of smiles, giggles, and endless energy...all of which I see in these pictures.

When I think back over this past year, I really feel like Haven's spirit and personality took off. Her little brown eyes now seem to sparkle when she is trying to tease me. Her little laugh is contagious, with a giggle that erupts when Mike tickles her or plays, "1,2,3". I love how she exclaims in her high-pitched voice, "A-BEEEEEEE" whenever she sees her binkie. I love how she begs to be in the kitchen when I am making any meal, desperately wanting to be a part of whatever is going on. She makes me laugh as she insists on sleeping on her floor every night, for reasons that Mike and I still do not understand.

We have spent many hours at the Museum of Play where Haven excitedly exclaims, "Bye bye choo choo" each time the train ride is over. We have taken lots of walks, spent time in the pool, colored with markers and crayons, had "bubble tubby" with Elmo bubbles, played with friends, baked chocolate chip cookies, read books, traveled across the country, jogged down the Erie Canal, eaten ice cream, scared pigeons, attended music class, played "Go Go", drank chocolate milk, watched shows, played with Nemo, attended weddings, put hair in pig tails, played in the leaves, picked apples and pumpkins, visited Virginia/Idaho/Utah/California, and went on numerous bike rides.

Some things that I always want to remember about Haven at this stage in her life:

*the way she smiles and whispers, "Hi Dad" each time we pick Mike up from the hospital
*her funny fascinations that come and go (my button jar, stashing farm animals in the laundry bin, pulling out the carbon monoxide detector, putting make-up on her face)
*her love of the Museum of Play (how she knows exactly where we are going, the cute way she says "seum!", her love of the fish tank and Nemo fish)
*her sweet voice when she says, "Hi Mama"
*her cute dance to "Elmo's Got the Moves"
*her distinction between "A-Beeee" (her binkie) and "Abby" (the Sesame Street character)
*her excitement when we visit "Wegees" to get a cookie
*how she says "bye bye" to anything and everything
*her puckered lips when she wants a kiss
*how she loves to play with Mike's doctor tools
*the way she picks out my shoes each morning
*the way she shuffles her feet along as she tries to run
*the way she strums Mike's guitars
*the way she pumps her arm to dance to music in the car
*the way she sings, "Bye bye B.B."
*the way she points and says, "Elmo hat" each time we come down the stairs

Haven's entrance into this world came as a surprise and even now, I still do not feel like I have gotten over the surprise. The surprised feeling is different now; more amazement than shock. I am amazed how much I can love this little spirit. I am surprised at how much joy, and sometimes frustration, she can bring into my every day. I am amazed at the feelings of protectiveness that arise in me when I feel like she is being threatened or compromised. I am shocked at how deeply I want to be a good mother; to be someone Haven loves and adores. I want her to understand each day the feelings of love I have for her; how deep and real they are. Haven is my partner-in-crime, my little buddy on days when the hospital hours seem long. I don't know what I would do without her...

Happy birthday to my sweet, strong-willed, opinionated, funny, entertaining, beautiful, and joyful girl. You are the light of our lives and we love you forever.

2nd Birthday Celebration

Haven's birthday was a nice and simple day spent with our little family. We had fun doing several of her favorite things, and of course, we enjoyed lots of yummy food.

Her day began with an early morning wrestle on the bed and an apple treat. Haven thought this was perfect:





Then she had a special birthday tubby with lots of Elmo bubbles:







She also tried out a new hairdo - a big girl pony tail!







And of course, Haven had to take a birthday nap because even 2-year olds need their rest:



Then it was off to the Museum of Play! Haven played with the Lite Brite:



Danced on the colorful floor:



Mailed a few letters:



Played with the trains:



And even had a tea party:



After a yummy dinner with Dad, Haven opened and played with her gifts:







And then she enjoyed a very red, and very messy, Elmo cupcake (you have to love Wegmans!):





I can hardly believe my sweet Haven is 2!!
Happy Birthday Baby Doll!!