Update

Davis spends a lot of time watching her in her swing. He tells me that he wants to make sure baby sister is okay.

We celebrated my Mom's b-day while she was here. My mom's b-day is the day before Gwen's. My Mom is such a special person and I'm so glad I have her in my life. She is such an example to me and I hope to be as great of a mother as she is.

Kristen came to visit us and meet Gwen but she really wanted to see her main man Davis.



My good friend Cathy decorated our door when we came home from the hospital. Thanks Cathy!

She has been doing a lot of this lately. Last night she went 5 hours! I thank you for that sweet baby girl. I just love how she smells and how cuddly she is. Oh how I love newborn babes. They can't talk back, run away, make messes or say NO. I am trying to really live in the moment with this sweet lil' girl and my energetic, crazy, happy 2 yr. old boy!

Gwen

I have become camera happy the last week. I can't seem to turn my camera off. I have too much fun with this little beauty. She makes us so happy. Davis even snapped a couple pics. Today is my first day on my own. I already miss my family and can't wait to go home for the holidays. We are now figuring out what the new normal is going to be. Davis is figuring out his role as a big brother and how to share his mommy. Adjustments are happening but all for the good. We feel really grateful for our kiddos. Dennis keeps saying how hard it is going to be for him to have a little girl because she already has him wrapped around his finger. I LOVE watching him with her.

Sweet Baby Gwen on her way to the doctor.

I caught her in a smile today. She has such a sweet personality. How we love this girl!

She slept the entire time we were at the appointment and this is her coming home....still asleep!

Introducing Gweneth Elise

Introducing Gweneth Elise ~

Our sweet little Gwen arrived Friday afternoon. We are thrilled she is here!
November 6, 2009
12:18 pm

8lbs 1 oz. / 20 inches long
soft pink skin, kissable lips, 2 dimples

We had a great experience with my doctor and his team! The c section was fast with zero complication.

Gwen and Nana Lisa


Gwen with Papa Den and Nana Laura

We have been pretty bummed that Davis can't come into the hospital. They started a new rule that visitors under the age of 21 are not allowed in the maternity area. They started this because of H1N1. I am trying to recover as fast as possible to get home to Davis and let him meet his sista! Thanks Mom, Dennis & Laura for watching him while we are in the hospital. He loves it!

Halloween night we have a little family tradition to make homemade doughnuts and hot apple cider. The perfect warm treat for post trick or treating. This year we tried apple cider doughnuts. Here is the RECIPE. They were eaten up so I guess that means everyone liked them.It was a fun day & night with our little family and friends.

5 Days left!!

We are keeping busy busy! I have 11 days left until my baby girl is in my arms. I can't wait!

Davis and I are making friends some spooky treats today. Watch out you just may get Spooked!

Here is the recipe for these yummy little critters. Recipe

Here are some pictures from our Ward Halloween Party.

He walked around all night with his hat covering his eyes. I think he thought he was more intimidating this way. He is a very handsome COP!

Best costumes of the night

Davis and his friend Ava

Some funny things Davis has said to me lately that I don't want to forget....

Jenna to Davis: What is Mommy's name?

Jenna

What is Daddy's name?

Um Um, It's Babe!

Davis to me: Mom, just leave it alone!

Where are all the people mom? Don't they know the sun is out? Davis says this when we show up to the park and no one is there.

I LOVE these for the WINTER. Check out the website here.

First comes LOVE
Then comes MARRIAGE
Then comes the BABY in the BABY carriage!

We are so excited for you! Our babies will be 7 months apart!

Davis loved carving pumpkins this year. He helped Dennis with everything.



The view from our apartment

A little Halloween parade at Kellogg. The kids had a ton of fun showing off their costumes and eating pizza/candy! It was a fun night!

I have been making yummy treats for the Halloween season. My friend Christy has a great blog that I pull things off of all the time. Check it out. These are the best caramel apples.

I am feeling pretty good still. I have 18 more days until sweet baby

Sugar & Spice

Thanks to Heather and Caitlin for putting this great shower together for me! I had so much fun and baby girl thanks all of you for all the great gifts. It was perfect with all my favorite desserts and drinks. I couldn't ask for better friends!

By March we will have 10 new babies between friends at Kellogg and church!
It is baby heaven here!

Loving the Fall

Davis is 25 months

We set the camera on a timer and Davis thought it was so funny watching Dennis run back and forth. We did this for like a half hour to watch him laugh. :)

The baby's debut will be on the 6th.

I hope this next baby is as cuddly as my little man. He loves to give me hugs and kisses all day long.

We went Apple Picking and had a great time with friends. It was a perfect fall day and I enjoyed eating all the different apples. The APPLE CIDER DONUTS were so good! I crave them daily!!

Millennium Park
It was a little chilly but it didn't stop the boys from playing in the water. They had so much fun playing in the water. The architecture and art in Millennium Park are amazing. I love the view of the city here.

Dennis and I took Davis to the Peggy Notebaert Butterfly Museum. Definitely worth experiencing while in Chicago.


AZ TRIP in SEPTEMBER

We went to Kurt's football games. Davis held up the posters and ran around the bleachers. Go Saber cats!

We had a couple BBQ's and swim parties while we were home.


Family hike. Picture quality isn't that great. We had it on a timer on top of the car. :)

I couldn't get enough of the clouds in AZ. It may be HOT but it is a true beauty! We had 4 storms while we were visiting. I love the way the rain smells in AZ. It smells like HOME to me.

Loving cousin time!

Back home in Chicago


We did a lot of eating, shopping and playing. Jamie kept me on track and picked me up everyday to go to the gym. We had fun just relaxing before getting back to a new school year. Dennis went camping with his buddies for a few nights and now wants to live in the mountains. I told him he could do that if he wanted to be alone the rest of his life. :) Maybe a cabin someday babe!

Our Sunday picnic turned into...

this guy getting soaking wet! What can you do??


We had a date night and went to see Gladys Knight perform. She came to our stake and we feel so lucky that we were able to attend. It was amazing!!!

Davis 2 yr. birthday, Dennis is back from NY!!!!

What a perfect day to be at the Zoo! It was about 70 degrees all day long! We had such a fun day celebrating Davis' b-day with all his little friends. Thanks for coming everyone!

Cathy & Ava / The ZOO CREW

Davis would trade any day to have Caitlin & Jeff take care of him! He loves them and laughs non-stop when they are around. Love this pic of Jeff! He knows how to party with the little ones!

We took Davis to the Illinois Train Museum. Thomas was visiting for the weekend so we thought this would make the perfect birthday present. Thomas gave us a 20minute train ride and whistled the whole time. Davis was in pure heaven. I will do anything to see his face light up. The best part was at the end he said THANKS MOM & DAD! He is our sweet boy. Happy Birthday Davis! You are truly loved by so many!

Getting ready to open presents from all his Grandparents! Thanks Mom & Dad, Dennis & Laura, and all of his Aunts & Uncles for all the great gifts. He keeps telling me how excited he is to have all these fun things!

Summer and the boys sent Davis a cookie bouquet with balloons. He loved it Summer! Thanks for being so good to him. We still wish you could have come out that week. :)

He loves all his trains! He was thrilled to get James and the circus set!

Playing with his new flying helicopter. Thanks Scott & McCall!



DENNIS IS BACK!!!!!! I can't even tell you how happy we are! It has been a crazy summer with him being gone for so long. Davis and I really had a lot of fun with family and friends but we definitely felt his absence.

Dennis had an extremely successful summer and has accepted an offer with an investment bank in NY. We will finish up our last year at school and then pack up and head to NY! We are excited about the new adventure. I'm getting used to the idea more and more everyday. We will be raising our family in the big city for awhile! Wish us luck!!! We are so proud of you Dennis and so thankful that you have worked so hard.

Davis was so happy to have his Dad back. He won't let him out of his sight!


Chicago Botanic Gardens with friends...listening to music,dancing around, and eating our picnic. Davis loved feeding the ducks and chasing the girls.

Davis 2 yr. pictures,Bronx Zoo, NY Parks

Davis loving the spray parks in Battery Park

Why do park days always end like this???



Taking a break to kiss his mom and give loves to Aunt Kimber!



Bronx Zoo

Central Park

I LOVED this show! Thanks to Uncle Brett for babysitting Davis while we had a girls night. If we look exhausted and sweaty we were! We just got back from the zoo and walked as many blocks as our legs could carry us. Finally we took a cab the rest of the way. I can't believe how much you walk in NY. This show was just amazing. Great way to end the day!

This was the only night we were able to go out with Dennis. He has been working so hard! Only 2 weeks left!

I can't believe Davis is turning 2 in a week! Where has the time gone! Thanks Kimber for all the pictures you took of this little guy. Thank you for taking work off so you could hang out all week. You are so talented and I really love all of the pics.

Baby Ella Ward is here

These are a few pictures I just love. This was my 1st real photo shoot. I could not get enough of this little one. Blankets are done by Baby Laundry.

Happy 4th in Carlsbad

This is Josie. Davis' twin if he was a girl. She is the cutest thing I have ever seen!



Shopping at the Outlets. I think we went 3 different times. Davis got a new train(Percy) from Nana Laura. Fun times!




How great are all these girls! I only wish I lived by them to take advantage of babysitting!

Davis loves suckers. He is constantly wanting one. Funny kid.

Spending time with Papa & Nana. His favorite place to be.


Thanks for digging me a big hole Uncle Kurt. High 5.

Fearless...He loves the water!

Happy Birthday Laura! We surprised her at the party with a cake from ColdStone. It was heaven.


Mark doing all the grilling for the party.



We went to Ice Age 3 in 3D. Davis did great!



Talent show night! These girls were AMAZING!

Liz comes to town!

Utah Trip

Thank you Kristen for such a great trip! We loved staying with you. You really are the BEST! I don't know what I would do without you! Every girl needs a sister. We lived at the pool the entire week. Thank you McCall for all the fun days at the pool. Loved playing with you every day! Summer joined us 1 day with her cute kids. I love seeing her and always wish I could live closer.

Davis & Jackson eating snow cones after a day of swimming.

We all did Glitter Toes thanks to Jaimie!

Jaimie has a company called BABY LAUNDRY. The best minky blankets you will find! We saw a station at the mall that sells her stuff.

The kids loved eating pizza outside so they could keep playing.

Kristen moved into her new place! We love it Kristen!

Love this sweet girl Abbie!

We headed to Thanksgiving Point with Summer & her adorable kids.

LOOK at those faces! Can't get over it!

We had such a fun time in Carlsbad this year. I had to document these two adorable kiddos. Davis & Josie were together the entire trip. Davis would not keep his hands off her. She pretended to not like it at first.

As you can see by these pictures they simply LOVE each other.

I can't wait for play dates with this cute little Josie.

22 weeks

I am going to get caught up and post a picture of each month past. I was so mad at myself for not doing this with Davis' pregnancy. I'm trying to embrace my blossoming body. :)

Thanks Liz for taking the picture. I love that you were here in Chicago with me today. Wish you could have stayed forever!

Rachel & Ellis visit Chicago...

We ate lunch at this cute little restaurant on Lake Shore Drive. We played at the beach and Davis got all wet. I had to buy him a new outfit because he was soaked and I did not bring extra clothes. Hate it when that happens. :)

Our last night was the most fun! We went on an hour long speedboat ride. We did 360's and had a crazy ride. I am so lucky that Davis was asleep in my arms so I could control him. Then we stopped in the middle of the lake and watched the fireworks. A spectacular evening I must say!
Disclaimer...these last 2 pics were not taken by me. My camera battery went out by the time we got on the boat. So sad! I was ready to practice my firework picture taking!

These little ladies are 2 of the most fun teens you will ever meet. They are such thoughtful and fantastic girls. They constantly were asking if they could take care of Davis for me. They have smiles that light up any room. I truly enjoyed their company this week and I'm sad that they are gone. I hope the pictures tell the story of our week. Thanks girls! If you don't know these girls let me intorduce you. Rachel is my sister in law. (Dennis' sister) Ellis is our cousin.

Remember today...

Today I am overwhelmed with thinking about the new chapter in life that is headed our way. Dennis finished his first year of MBA school today! No more finals, group projects, Kellogg events, Rugby games, or recruiting. I am so proud of him and all that he has accomplished this year. He leaves in 3 more days to go work in New York for the summer. Davis and I are headed all over the place to keep our mind off of being without Dennis. We will miss Dennis so much and can't wait to visit him in the Big City through-out the summer. Great things can happen when you dream big. Thanks Dennis for always working hard and having the dreams and aspirations in life that you do. Thanks to our families for always supporting us and making us feel close to you even though we are far far away. I am your biggest fan Dennis. 1 more year to go!

2 BBQ's, 1 birthday party, 2 Kellogg good-bye parties, taught 3 classes at the gym, swimming playgroup, 1 garage/bake sale = ONE EXHAUSTED PREGO LADY

I have never eaten so many hamburger's in my life!


I woke up today and realized you are almost my big 2 year old!

He wanted to lay down and take a break. :)

You love to discover new things. You are very curious and independent. You talk so much and love so much. You are the sweetest boy but yet tend to be the one tackling all the other kids. You have a dynamic personality and a crazy amount of energy. You are independent and act older than you are. You are completely a mommy's boy. You love to snuggle, cuddle, hug & kiss! Watch out ladies!

You have taught me to slow life down and discover all the simple things in life. I still can't talk about the day you were born without getting emotional. You are my greatest accomplishment and I truly love you more than I ever thought humanly possible. You are going to do great things in your life. We are so blessed to have you my sweet Davis.

I am 17 weeks and feeling good. My stomach has gotten bigger way faster than with Davis. We will find out in a couple weeks what we are having.

Doing Pilates with the YW. They are fantastic girls!

Dennis turns 28! Memorial Day BBQ...

Dennis' is known for his LOVE for a BIG juicy hamburger. They are his favorite! So...I decided his birthday cake needed to be just that. I think it was a hit! Happy 28 D! We also celebrated Zach's b-day today. It was the perfect day with friends, fabulous food (thanks to Lauren & Jason), guys volleyball, swimming, and time chatting with the girls. We had a blast! Thanks everyone for such a FUN PARTY!

Nothing better than a boy and his wagon...

Fun times at Lake Michigan! Hooray for warm weather!

Davis learned how to fake cry. He was sitting here burying his face in his hands. It was pretty funny.


Thanks Nana Lisa for my new Choo Choo!

Lately...

Dennis played in his last Rugby game of the season. They won...great season guys!

Saturday Kellogg had a Mother's Day brunch for all the moms. It was so nice and the food was great. Dennis (with my help) made me my favorite cinnamon rolls.


Dennis' brother Mark came to visit us this weekend! We took him to see Millenium Park. The bean kept us entertained for over an hour.

Finally it is SPRING! We have been outside constantly! I now remember why I loved it here last summer. Everything is absolutely beautiful! Spending time at our park & enjoying the sunshine. Please sun don't take so long to come back next year!



Davis makes this cute face when he smells the flowers. He cracks me up.



We had a Cinco de Mayo party. Dennis made a flan cake that took him literally all day to make. I am very proud of my domestic husband. I give the cake 5 stars!

Davis enjoying his flan cake.


We made homemade pizza and Davis had flour everywhere. It was a really fun night with my boys.

It may not look appetizing but it was really good. :)