Mike's Corner

Mason is 19 months and 9 days old. Everywhere we go, people comment on what a pretty girl he is. This kid needs a haircut.

We found a place that specializes in kids' haircuts called Pigtails and Crewcuts, but decided to tackle this project ourselves instead. How hard could this be?

We tried to distract Mason with a popsicle, but that only worked for about 42 seconds. Then we tried a yo-yo, a Rubik's cube, a light saber, a keychain, and a gnome. Needless to say, he has a very short attention span.

We finally finished, and Shan did an amazing job. Mason looks like a little boy again!

Gotta love that new car smell!

Shannon had to be at work the other day, so it was up to me to take Addison and Mason to the doctor for their two-month and fifteen-month respective checkups. I felt confident in the challenge, but Shannon sent her mom with me for back-up.

We arrived on time (a feat for us both) and got the kids to the waiting area. After a short wait, we were escorted back to a 4' x 6' room with little circulation. After we stripped the kids, a nurse came in for some "information". It was at this point that I felt like I was on a game show against Sandi. Who could answer the questions faster?

Round 1 was fairly simple: Does Mason point at things? Is Addison holding her head up? How many days a week in daycare? The questions came rapid-fire but I think the score was tied in the end.

Round 2 was a little more difficult. I started sweating a little. The 4 by 6 was starting to feel smaller. Sandi was knocking out answers while I struggled to keep up: How many wet diapers per day? How many poopie diapers? How many ounces of formula does she eat, minus what she spits up? I made up some ground at the end, but I was pretty sure Sandi was ahead.

Final Jeopardy was downright impossible. The air had been completely turned off by this point. Sandi had purposely made me hold the big kid, which was like wrestling a bag of cats. Sweat rings were beginning to show through my shirt: How many words does Mason know? How many hours does Addison sleep at night? What's the square root of 289? What's the capital of Luxembourg? If a train is traveling west at 25 miles per hour...

No winner was officially declared that day, but we were released from our little inquisition with two happy and healthy kids. I guess we all win.

One year ago today, we brought Mason home from the hospital for the first time. Now we welcome Addison Claire to the world. A beautiful name for a beautiful baby.

Mason was born on an Easter Sunday, so this holiday will always be extra special to us. While not everyone in our families could be here this year, many of us got together to celebrate. After a late lunch, we walked down to the pond to feed the geese. And as you can see from the pictures, Addison will be here very soon! We are so excited to meet her, and to introduce her to everyone else!!!

Poor kid didn't stand a chance against his mom and the photographer. When I saw the photos, I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.

IT'S NOT HER FAULT!!! But mom was in another fender bender this week. The worst part? The police officer knew her by name upon arrival. "Hey Mary Ann! Are you O.K.?"