Jacob Turns 3!!!

It is crazy to think that I am a mother of a three year old!!! I feel like I was just three!!! (Is that weird?!?!) We had Brayden's huge first birthday bash and with how busy our December was, we just could not bring ourselves to throw another party. So, we decided to make an escape to Tahoe!!! Living in Rocklin, bodes well for our family and my grandma's cabin. We love going there!!! And honestly no one loves it quite as much as Jacob. He absolutely LOVES the snow!!! He is a kid that is pretty cautious on most things, but the snow just isn't one of them.  That will be a later post though. For his birthday, we got the cousins together... and they had a blast!!! As you can see in the above picture, the baby rave went really well! LOL Mike has a new addiction to the dollar store, but I fully support it because it has produced some really fun times.

Jacob has been super into Peppa Pig these days, so much so that he has developed an English accent. Which could be the cutest thing in the world. So, naturally we did a Peppa Pig Themed party. However, it is really hard to find Peppa Pig party favors or really anything for that matter!! So we got creative and just placed the toys he already had on top of the cake that Noni made him. He loved it!

Probably one of the cutest things that Jacob has ever said happened the morning after we arrived. For those of you who do not live in California, we are in the midst of a horrible drought!! Any moisture seems like it is from the grace of God. SO, we went to Tahoe knowing that there would be no snow. However we woke up the morning after our arrival to the most perfect snow storm. There was already about a foot of snow on the ground and it was still falling from the sky. No wind and not that icy cold when it snows usually, it was literally powder falling. Jacob woke up and looked out the window and said "Look!! It snowed for my birthday!!" All our responses were, yes absolutely it did!! He had so much fun in the snow!!! He didn't want to come inside, he literally would just fall into the snow!!! Everett enjoyed himself, but was definitely cautious about the cold. And Brayden... let's just say he is a water baby not a frozen water baby.

This crazy little man just blows my mind daily!!! He is so sweet and so intelligent (sometimes scary intelligent). He is also really caring. There are times that Brayden drives him crazy, but for the most part he always wants Brayden around and wants him to be happy.  He is learning more and more Spanish and his verbal language is become insane. The other day he asked Brayden "do you want to see something really incredible?" LOL who says that? Let alone a three year old? Sometimes his language makes it really hard to be a parent because we end up laughing when we shouldn't. Anyways, happy birthday to my eldest!!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are so proud of you!!!

A December Surprise!!

Wow!!! December was a busy month!!! I promise while I am playing catch up on this blog that we did not do as much in the last 4 months! LOL!!! Anyways, December was extra special this year because we found out that I am pregnant!!! Baby number three... which just happens to be boy number three will be arriving August 28th 2015!!! WE are great at making boys!!! This little boy will be named Jordan... although we love this name; Jacob is hands down the most excited about it. So, we can't even change it if we wanted too! I think there is a part of Jacob that thinks/hopes that this little baby will be Michael Jordan.

We are so beyond thrilled to become a family of FIVE!!! Holy smokes!!! I can't believe it's actually happening!!! I can't imagine how much crazier our lives will be, but I know that it is going to be so much more fun and filled with so much love!!! I know Brayden will probably have the most adjusting to do when baby Jordan will come home, but I know he will be a great big brother. He already kisses my tummy and pulls up his shirt and says "baby". He is slightly confused obviously LOL!! Jacob talks about baby Jordan ALL the time!!! The other night he was in the bath tub and with out any prompting he looks at me and says...
"When baby Jordan is here I will ask him baby Jordan what is your name? And he will say my same is baby Jordan!"

I have found that announcing that your pregnant by baby number three poses a challenge. You can't repeat anything that you have done in the past and you kind of want to surprise your husband. So, I held my secret in for 4 whole days!!! And gave Mike his Christmas present... I video taped it.

There is something so special about announcing your pregnant!! And I always dreamed of doing a Christmas announcement! I think he was slightly happy!! Best Christmas present ever!!

Mommy Vacation!!!

So as I was blogging about the month of December, I almost forgot to mention that Kimmy and I went on a major vacation BY OURSELVES!!! Thanks to multiple people making it possible, we were able to celebrate my 30th birthday in style at Harry Potter World and Disney World!!! I have to give a special shout out to Mikey who balanced both kids, daycare, work, and sickness for 5 days with out me. He is truly an amazing daddy and husband!

So we flew out on a Thursday... the rainiest day of the year!!! It has been a horrible drought this year and of course the one day we fly mother nature was actually pouring buckets on us!! Despite the delay because the pilots got stuck in traffic LOL!!! It was a great start to our trip! We spent the first day at Disney World! Kimmy tried to tell me we should only do one of the four parks there, but I knew the fireworks in Epcot would sell her :0) So we did three parks in one day!!! Mad skills right there!!! We started at 8 am and left at midnight!! My legs felt like they were going to fall off but the magic kept me going!! We did absolutely everything we wanted and saw everything we wanted!! Although Disneyland is my first and true love, Disney World was super impressive!!! I can't believe the size of that place!!! We literally took four modes of transportation there!!! We ate amazing food!! Our Moroccan dinner was perfect!!! I can't wait to be able to take the boys there!!! They will LOVE it!!!

I can honestly say, I was most excited about Harry Potter World on this trip than Disney World. I was so nervous that it wouldn't live up to my expectations... but oh my goodness it did not disappoint!! I was literally like diving into the pages of the book!! The designers of this park literally thought of everything!!! Everything from Hogsmead, to Hogwarts, to Moaning Mertle in the bathroom!! It was so impressive!!! What made it even more special was we were able to meet our friends Clint and Laura there!!! It was so great to hang out with our East Coast friends!!! Kimmy made us all amazing sweatshirts before we left... so we wouldn't get lost?!?!? LOL it was just fun to dress the same. We ate at the Three Broomsticks, had butter beer (amazing!!!), and tried different potions. It was so fun being a wizard for a day!!

I think the Hogwarts Express was one of my favorites. It's how you travel between two parks (yes you have to pay for two parks to see all of Harry Potter World, these park designers are no dummies!) But there were different scenes going there and back, which just showed even more detail!! I just can't say enough about this park!! Matt told Kim before we left that "If you buy a wand there, you cannot  come home." Granted we didn't buy one, but I think we came as close as possible too...

The wands actually did magic tricks through out the park!!! Seriously the coolest thing ever!!! WE did another long day at this park, we were actually the last ones to leave LOL!!! Walking through Jurassic Park at night without any people is slightly creepy. Here is our before and after shot...

Obviously we were both a little tired... But I do love that scarf!!! I'm like a real Griffindor member! 

LOL

So, believe it or not, we actually went to Florida for a wedding! Kimmy's cousin got married and it was beautiful!!! I got to meet so many people from her family!! We had a great time!!

I'm thinking a mommy's trip should be an annual event?!?!

The Holidays....

It seems that the end of the year is our family's busiest time of year. Everyone's birthday falls within a four month period AND Christmas!!! Whew!!! It just flew by!!! It was quite exciting that I had this Christmas off, because it was a Christmas that both boys could really enjoy.  We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Pleasanton with family. It was so awesome this year because Jacob really got into it... he would constantly talk about how Santa Clause is his best friend. It's now May and he still wants to read Christmas books!!! Above is our attempt at a family photo, for a card... for those of you who got that Christmas card, I apologize. LOL For those of you that didn't... here is what you missed...

Story of having two kids... one was happy, one was not! Or they were both insane... (I guess I should be happy that we got one of the four of us looking at the camera!

 One thing that they both loved was decorating the Christmas tree. Jacob really liked to put the ornaments on nicely, whereas Brayden liked to throw the ornaments at the tree and hope they stuck. Again, another difference in their personality! But one thing they have in common is they are both completely adorable!!!

 And we did our annual Christmas tree hunting!!! The boys had a great time, but as I recall Everett and Jacob both had breakdowns, but Brayden was all smiles. It was mostly dirt so he was happy!

We saw tons of family and it was great for all the boys to hang out!!! They really make the best of friends!! And of course all our little boys looked so cute all dressed up for the Christmas Eve festivities!!! They are just so dang cute!!! All THREE of them!!! We could not be more blessed...

The best thing about the holidays hands down was watching the boys have all the fun!! They got bikes and toys and clothes.  Spoiled rotten of course, but as Jacob would tell you, "It's because Santa is my best friend and he loves me!"

Favorite picture of the holidays!!!

Brayden's 1st Birthday

Seeing as my youngest is about to be 18 months old, I find it only fitting to blog about his first birthday :0)  We did a "small" get together.... LOL!! Yeah right! It is in Shadd tradition to have a big family party for any baby's first birthday.  It is so wonderful to think that your baby has now turned into a toddler, but I think the celebration is more for the parents reaching the milestone of  "YAY!!! You survived a year!!" Life with two has been busy, and Brayden is definitely our busy little child. It is hard to imagine life with out him. He had a blast at his party, especially with the cake eating. Mike and Debbi made another amazing basketball cake. Of course, banana flavor! Brayden LOVED it!!! Mike did a great job decorating... these boys seriously could not have gotten a better dada!!!

He only looks unhappy here because he doesn't have the cake in front of him, and he is wearing that hat. LOL!!!

It was so great that so many people came out to celebrate my little man... it was kind of like a family reunion!!!

As much as people talk about how Jacob and Brayden look exactly the same, their attitudes could not be more different. We always joke that Brayden is going to be our X-games competitor or be the one to always use the statement, "Yeah I can do that!" I have a feeling we are going to see the inside of the ER a few times with him. He just amazes me. He wants to do everything Jacob does, which makes for some interesting accidents when you have a 1 year old trying to be a 3 year old lol.

I should just do a post on Brayden's injuries, but others may not find that as funny as we do so I'll just list them... (One photo included... the cut on his eye which turned into a black eye)

                     1.  Black eye... tripping over a toy at school and hitting the edge of the cabinet.
                     2. Fat lip x2... One was from running in the house with a hoola hoop and tripping over it and banging his face into the ground. The second was hilarious (sorry Brayden, but you didn't even cry) He decided he wanted to ride down the driveway in his little car. About two pushes down he thought "hmmm if I lift my feet I can go faster!" I saw it happening and just couldn't react fast enough and he slammed his face into the parked front bumper of the Vu. It looked like a cartoon. I went to pick him up and he cried because I picked him up LOL!!
                     3. Constant scraped knees and bruises because he falls ALL the time!!!


The funniest thing about Brayden is he is super goofy, super energetic, and he never cries from getting hurt. He is one of the toughest kids I have ever seen in my life. I am so proud of him!! Some of his accomplishments over the last 18 months are...

                 1. Walking at 10.5 months
                 2. First word was nana (for banana, which is still his favorite food. He can eat up to 3 a day)
                 3. He calls  everyone who he loves Mama.... For a long time I thought I was special, but for him it is just a term of endearment.
                 4. He eats literally anything!!! He LOVES sushi, especially unagi.
                 5. He is one of the best cuddlers out there! As rowdy and crazy as he is, he always makes times for hugs and kisses. He will just randomly stop playing and come over and just lay on top of us and give a hug. It's the best feeling in the world.
               

Our world is totally different with Brayden, but I would not change one second of it! He has made us all better as a family. I love this little dude so much!!! Happy Birthday little man... sorry this post comes so late!!