Remember this little guy?

Found this little gem on Jeremy's old cell phone... look how cute our exersaucer-loving little man was!!

NICU Reunion

Noah had his NICU reunion last weekend. We had been back with him for a few appointments, procedures, etc... but it was the first time our whole fam, Lily included, had been at Georgetown since the day we brought him home. We have come a long way! No matter why we are at Georgetown on a given day, I find myself remembering driving into the parking garage on the wee hours of July 5th. Just thinking about that day makes me cry... but as I watched the little man toddle around his party, there was just such an overwhelming sense of pride in how far our little man has come.

Characters, balloon animals, music, ice cream... it was quite a party!

Noah wasn't quite big enough to enjoy the bouncy castles, but we made sure Lily felt like it was a party for the big sisters of NICU kids, too. She had a blast.

More tears... Lily giving the contents of her piggy bank to the "Pennies for Preemies" fund. We talked to her about bringing a few of her pennies, but she emptied the whole thing.

Apple Picking

Back to Homestead Farm yet again! It was too cold for the pool on Labor Day, so we headed to pick apples. (Noah was quite a bit bigger than his last trip.)

Walking Man

What's a car ride without a balloon??

After a string of birthday parties for his big sister's friends, Noah was a bit tired in the car on our way home from the pool. Lily made us so proud - she had a balloon from a goody bag that she was really excited about, but she let her fussy brother have a turn. She told us (direct quote here) "I thought maybe Noah was crying because he wanted the balloon. So I let him have a turn for a minute and he's happy. See?!" Sniff, sniff... and as you can tell, Noah was pretty psyched to have a turn.

Grandma and Grandpa's 'hood

Noah loves the swings as much as Lily does. They had fun riding in the wagon to play at the several playgrounds near Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Cudding with Great Grandma

Big Little Cousin!

Noah met our "little" cousin Cruz while we were in Kansas City. Although Noah is six months older, Cruz is the bigger guy between the two.

Ears Feeling Better!

We love Noah's ENT, but between all of Noah's doctors and the little guy's frequent ear infections, we don't want to see him as much anymore! Last week he had tubes inserted... our hospital isn't our favorite place to be, but he did great.

We were worried about not feeding him for most of the morning, keeping him entertained in the prep room, etc... but Noah was as good-natured as ever. Imagine J. singing "I don't want no scrubs..."
Recovery room! Sleepy but ready for snuggles.
Feeling better the next morning... yup, we gave him a cookie. He earned it.
And back to his normal self by dinner time :) Thanks to everyone who sent positive thoughts our way!

Why do we bother with toys?

Noah loves, loves, LOVES those greeting cards that play music.

First Cubs Game!

Daddy and Noah decked out in their Cubs gear and ready to go.
Lily snuggling with Daddy on the way in to the game...
Soriano hits one out of the park!!!
Stopping for a little snack...
What a fun afternoon! Cubs swept the series, too :)

Playtime

Whether it's at the playground, in the sandbox or in front of our house, the little man loves being outside with his big sister.