Congrats Deanna!

Deaana and Paul were in town this weekend for the Marine Marathon in DC. Congratulations to Deanna for such a huge accomplishment. It was great seeing ya'll!

Pumpkin Patch

Our first family pumpkin before and after the squirrel got to it. John reminds me that he is a CPA and not an artist!

We went to the pumpkin patch and petting zoo on Sunday and had a great time. The weather was beautiful. Colin enjoyed the hayride(s) and Carson enjoyed sleeping!

Happy Birthday John

We celebrated John's birthday yesterday and Colin and I made him an ice cream cake. Grandma and Rod came over to watch the boys and John and I went out for a quick bite to eat.

Eyes Open

It's very rare that Carson's eyes are open (especially during the day). He's been sleeping a lot, but is doing a good job at keeping me up in the middle of the night. I'm already looking forward to the day he sleeps through the night. Colin, on the other hand, has always been our little sleeper, but recently he has been up during the middle of the night with bad dreams. Thank goodness for naps!

Shark Attack!

Uncle Cameron bought this cute little shark towel for Carson, but Colin wanted to try it out first!

Picture Preview - More to come...

New Addition!!

CARSON ALLEN HAMILTON

10/6/08 @ 10:57AM
6 pounds & 6.8 ounces
20.5 inches long

Long Island, NY

One of my co-workers got married last week in Long Island, NY and with my doctors permission John and I made the 5 hour trip to NY. Once we got there, I got kind of nervous being so far away and so close to my due date, but it was worth it. The bride was beautiful and the wedding was a lot of fun. On the way home, one wrong turn had us lost in the middle of NY City. Luckily I didn't go into labor!

For the last week I've been sick with an awful cold. I feel like with every cough, I'm pushing the baby further down. I'm hoping to at least make it through this next week with out having the baby so I can get better and I'm trying to time it so my 12 weeks of maternity leave carries over to the new year. Otherwise, I will have to go back the week of Christmas if I have Carson this week. Although my due date is Oct 18Th, my doctor thinks it might happen before then.

Happy Birthday Bowman

Bowman turned 6 this week. He's such a great dog and we are so happy we have him. The neighborhood kids adore him and he's so good with them. Below is a card some of the kids made him for his birthday. Colin and Bowman have a love/hate relationship. Bowman may not like him pulling his tail or trying to ride him, but he loves the table scraps Colin drops on the floor!

Haircut Please!

Colin absolutely LOVES getting his haircut. You can't beat an 8 dollar haircut at the local barber shop. We go about every 3 weeks even though he doesn't always "need" one. He's had a few bad haircuts, but luckily his hair grows pretty fast.

Colin / Carson

I don't usually do these things, but I saw this one on a friends blog and thought it would be a good post as my due date is now only 4 weeks away. I put the answer to Colin and Carson

1. Were you married at the time? Yes.
2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant?
Colin - John and I were VERY excited b/c it took almost a year
Carson - Shocked b/c it didn't take long at all
3. How old were you?
Colin - 28
Carson - 30
4. How did you find out you were pregnant?
Colin - I had that gut feeling and took a pregnancy test
Carson - Took a pregnancy test for giggles and it was positive
5. Who did you tell first?
John of course and then our parents about 8 weeks later
6. Did you want to find out the sex?
Colin - Indeed! I thought for sure it was a girl, but it was a boy!
Carson - I couldn't wait to find out the sex of the baby and I was sure it was a boy
7. Due due:
Colin - May 4, 2006
Carson - October 18, 2008
8. Did you deliver early or late?
Colin - A few days early (April 30).
Carson - I hope not too early... I still have a lot to do
9. Did you have morning sickness?
Colin - Only for the first trimester
Carson - First trimester again
10. What did you crave?
Colin - Lemons and Juice
Carson - Iced coffee (decaf of course) and lots of ice cream
11. Who irritated you the most?
I think the questions should be who did I irritate!!
12. What was your first child’s sex? Male times 2
13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy?
Colin - 28
Carson - To be determined. I think about 15 so far
14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Luckily No, but I had the flu with my second pregnancy during the first trimester which was not fun
15. Where did you give birth? Howard County General Hospital
16. How many hours were you in labor?
Colin - Less than 2 hours
Carson - To be determined
17. Who drove you to the hospital?
Colin - John
Carson - To be determined. I have a co-worker on stand-by. I hope John is not in DC that day.
18. Who watched?
Colin - John was a trooper
Carson - Hopefully John can make it through again
19. Did you take medicine to ease the pain?
Colin - Too late for an epidural
Carson - We'll see...
20. How much did your child weigh?
Colin - 7lbs 2oz
Carson - Hopefully not too much bigger
21. What did you name him/her?
Colin John Brayden
Carson Allen Hamilton
22. How old is your first born today?
Colin - 2 1/2 - although he likes to say he's six.

OBX 2008

Our 2nd annual OBX trip... 10 adults and 6 kids under one roof! Unfortunately, the great grandparents weren't able to make the trip, but we thought of them often and missed them. Colin enjoyed what he called the "swimming house" and would wake up every morning with a huge grin on his face. He was a BIG fan of the pool and liked the beach and his shovel. Tropical Storm Hannah had us leave one night early, but otherwise we had perfect weather. Already looking forward to next year. Carson will make kid #7 and maybe somebody else will be the pregnant one.

First Day of School

Colin started his first day of The Goddard School two weeks ago. He was in an in-home day care on our street from 12 weeks to 2 years, so it was a hard transition for all of us. He adores his day care provider, but he still gets to see her which makes it somewhat easier. I get the privilege of dropping Colin off everyday at his new school and it's nothing but tears and then when John picks him up in the afternoon he is as happy as can be. I think with time he'll get used to it. He talks about his school all the time and is so proud of all his art work hanging on the refrigerator.

Great Falls, VA

We spent the day with our neighbors, Justin, Holly & Jada in Great Falls, VA. It was a beautiful day and Colin enjoyed the waterfalls and hiking. I don't think my doctor would approve of me being 7 months pregnant and hiking through the rocks. Holly is also pregnant and due 4 weeks after me.

The Zoo

We decided to brave the Zoo today even after Colin woke us up at 6am because "the sun is up". We really need to make an effort to do more activities like this with Colin because everything is so close. The monkey exhibit was my favorite and I think Colin enjoyed feeding the Giraffe the best. He's now fast asleep..!!

The HoCo Fair

You can't beat the local county fair! Animals, Tractors, Food, Rides, Music, and more... Colin enjoyed it and just made the height limit for the kiddie rides.

Kelly - It was great running into you. Hopefully we can get together soon.

Boom Boom

An afternoon swim at Great-Grandmother's house cut short by the thunderstorms. Madi was scared of the thunder, but Averie and Colin didn't seem to mind.

6 Months

Just 12 weeks left!! It's crazy to think that I'm already in the 3rd trimester. I feel like this pregnancy is going by fast, but all the symptoms have been pretty much the same. The leg cramps that I get are awful and the kankles are not very attractive. October is just around the corner and we are excited to meet the new addition to the family. I think Colin understands that something is happening.

Catching up with the girls

Finally, after months of trying to pick a date that would work with everybody, we were all able to get together at Noelle's house for burgers and hot dogs. We all went to high school together and live relatively close to each other. Colin joined us too, but he was too busy hanging out with Noelle's parents in the garden and hot tub.

Crab Feast

Family, Friends and Neighbors came over for our annual crab feast. Crabs and beer for everybody, but crabs and O'Douls for pregnant me! Colin wasn't a big fan of the taste of crabs, but he was a champion at smashing them!

Colin's New Room

Colin has been in his new room for about 3 weeks now. I still haven't gotten used to the idea that he can get out whenever he wants. I've had special visits to my room in the middle of the night and sometimes he'll wake up when I'm getting ready for work and come visit me in the shower. I liked the safety of the crib where I knew he couldn't escape. We are leaving his old room the same for when the new baby comes and Colin does not like when we say it's not his room anymore.

The Al Bundy look!

I can 't keep his fingers out of his mouth and his hands from down his pants.

Mickey, Castles, Fireworks and more...

Our trip to Florida was a HOT one. We spent a few days with the Krauszer's in Vero Beach and then a few days in Disney to meet Mickey Mouse. Colin and August got along great which was really nice to see.

Colin's favorite things to see were Mickey Mouse, Fireworks and the Castles. He now thinks all hotels are castles and fireworks by far were a highlight of the trip. We enjoyed Sea World a little more than Magic Kingdom as there were more things for the kids to enjoy.

Augie and Colin playing at the beach