My boys...

The water has only gotten up to about 76 degrees so Noah hasn't gone in yet but he likes to throw things off his raft and make Daddy fetch them for him!

Our new pool!

This has been Mike's baby over the last few days. We can take it to FL with us as well but for the next couple months it will be a welcome retreat from the heat!!

Gus & Mama Bear found a new home...

So today was the culmination of a few years of saying "should we? or shouldn't we?". My allergies have been a constant struggle since we got Gus 4 years ago. In yet another moment of denial we decided to add Mama Bear to the mix. With Mike working more and more it seemed he never had time to clean the litter box and now that Noah is older he's always going after Gus which usually ends up with one or both of them upset. So now they are both Vermont Kitties.

A very nice lady drove all the way from VT and scooped them up. It was devastating. I never thought it would be so hard, ever. I cried all afternoon and into the evening. Mike was going to call in sick just so I didn't have to watch Noah but I wasn't (quite) that bad.

So now our sweet litte Mama Bear and Gus are living with someone else and we'll never see them again. Ugh, it feels terrible. It's messing with my mind too. Today Mike went with Dad, David & Mikey to Cooperstown. After he left I turned to Noah and thought to myself "Ok what do we now?" I had this instant flashback as if he had gone off to sea and we were alone. It's aweful. Luckily I know we've done our time and he is coming home tonight. And I know Gus and Mama will be fine, especially since they are together. I just never thought it would be so hard to give them up.

On the road again...

Well we've decided to move to Ocala, Florida! We have been talking about it a lot since we were there in March. It will be nice for Noah to get to know his Dad's family better. I get to be closer to the beach, and Mike doesn't have to shovel snow anymore, win-win-win!

It's a big move and of course we'll miss my family here in NY but we're ready for a change. Mike was always going to make Noah a Gator one way or another! ;o)

So come August 1st we'll be...on the road again!

When the cats away....

Ok so this is what I get for thinking the BAG would keep him occupied for 2 minutes while I switch the laundry. He has so many in his mouth he can barely keep his lips shut.

This cracks me up everytime!

Sunny and 70, perfect for the park!!

We discovered this beautiful park called the Crossing at Colonie. They had a giant pond with fish and a gorgeous playground. Noah was absolutely in love with the space shuttle!

Hunting Wabbits

This one is in honor of Grandpa Don. He's wearing his camo and riding a horse. Don't they hunt fox on horseback?

Happy 30th Mike!

Well, unfortunately Mike had to work all day on his birthday but Noah and I brought him some cake and balloons to work. Here Noah is displaying his new found talent of plugging his nose, and then laughing hysterically. He also loves Daddy's visor!

He's going to give me gray hair!

One of Noah's favorite things to do in life is torture his parents. He knows he's not supposed to be up there but he slides his little leg over and leans as far as he possibly can without falling....which he has mis-calculated 2 or 3 times and then he gets right back up again!

A beautiful day in the Northeast!

It was SO beautiful today! I decided to take Noah out and play with his new chalk. He is a very talented artist...oh the rainbow isn't his...he did the little yellow squiggly to the right of the cloud :oD

Worthy of Broadway

I would like to point out there is not a tear on his face. Wave a toy in front of him and he'll forget it ever happened. Is this why parents always say "wait 'till you have your own children..."?

Ahh, an afternoon without changing diapers!

Noah was so happy to be outside. Luckily we have a long driveway so when he takes off running he can't get too far! We were outside waiting for Grandpa so I could go on my first "playdate" since Noah was born. Thank you for having me Nicole!!!

My little man is getting so big.

Sometimes I look at him and I just think he has grown up so fast already. Here he was being a little smarty pants trying to get the milk out of his sippy cup.

These were in our backyard this afternoon!

I was upstairs and heard a rustling in the backyard so I looked out and saw these guys drinking from the creek about 20 yards from the house. If you look close you can see a third one to the left. So cool!

Cousin Ayla gets a new toy!

Ayla is getting so big...7 months old already! Here is Noah in his jumper at 7 months also.

Noah was happy to let his Cousin Ayla borrow his favorite jumper, he's such a big boy!

Can you feel the energy this child exudes?!

Ahh...Calm

Noah's 1st Coloring Book

He was really more interested in chewing on the crayons but I had fun coloring the polka dots ;o)

My Little Shutterbug

When Noah was first old enough to really notice the camera he used to immediately run and try to grab the lense. Now I get the distinct impression he poses for me, my little ham.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

We went for "take 2" of Spring at the park. It was beautiful but still a definate nip in the air. Noah wanted a quiet moment to reflect on the good times ;o)

Noah being silly....i'm testing video hosts...

Spring? What was I thinking?

Ok so "Spring" may be a bit of a pipe dream at the moment. This was poor Mike and my Dad trying to meet in the middle of our driveway today after Mother Nature dumped a quick little 16" overnight!

Spring is on it's way!

Today is a beautiful day in Upstate NY! We got outside and took Noah on our first walk on the bike path since the fall. It's about 65 degrees but feels even warmer in the sun. I think about 2 ft. of snow has melted in our yard since last night! Yay, it's almost time to plant my new hydrangeas! ;o)

Back from Sunny FL to Snowy NY :o(

We just got back from our weeklong vacation in Florida with Mike's family. We had such a good time and Noah was really able to get to know everyone. It was about 75 and sunny most of the time we were there so it was wonderful!!

Noah cooking with Nanny

Snuggling with Grandma
First steps on Cocoa Beach!
Five little ladybugs...
Learning to use the Turkey Caller from Grandpa

Can you tell who is who?!

Mike, 1979

Noah, Xmas 2006

Mike, Xmas 1978

Noah's First Haircut!

I let him play with the drawers in the bathroom for 30 min while I ran my fingers through his hair and cut away!

Before: He looked like he hadn't been fed in a week.

After: Too cool, I think he's screening my calls!

Update on Gus and Dakota...

1/27: Well I think Mike is having a hard time parting with our furbabies. For now they will stay put but I think if we found someone that would really love them we'd definately still consider giving them up.

We love them very much but Gus and Dakota need a new home. I just can't live with my allergies forever and Noah has gotten so fast on his feet, Gus does not appreciate him tugging on him. They are both very affectionate but it must be on their terms. Dakota is very skiddish around new people but she is very sweet. Gus has a bit of a temper if you try to manhandle him but he loves affection - if he comes to you. Gus (Orange) is almost 4 yrs old and Dakota (Black) is almost 3. They really need a home without small children where they can just do their own thing. We have had them both since they were babies and they are both spayed/neutered. They both have always been indoor cats.

We wish everyone a happy, healthy New Year!

We had a wonderful holiday season this year. Noah's Grandma, Nanny, & Aunt Kim came up from FL to spend some time with us. We are really looking forward to bringing Noah to FL in Feb to meet the rest of the family as well!

Noah playing in his crib

Noah's first birthday!

It's been a whole year since we brought our little man home! We are so proud to have him and look forward to many years of memories to come!

My little man is getting so big!

Today is our 5th Anniversary. It's amazing how our lives have changed in the last few years. Noah took his first steps today, he is growing up so fast!