Connor attended Gavin’s 1st birthday party today and had a blast with Brenna and Gavin.

Check out the gallery for pics…there are some really good ones!!!!

Happy Birthday, Gavin!

Love,

Connor

I’ve noticed in the past few months that Kuddles and Connor are becoming friends.  Kuddles has been good with him and vice versa.  Kuddles knows when to let Connor know when he has had enough (with a little fake bite).  If you watch toward the end of this clip, Kuddles lets Connor know that he is getting a little too pesky.  Connor also knows when he is getting a little to aggressive himself and will be cautious with Kuddles.

Anyways…I’ve seen each of them giving kisses to one another and at times Kuddles is real affection and continually brushes his head up against Connor as they are on the chair together.

Tonight they played for quite a while so I decided to flip on the video recorder on my phone and captured this.

Enjoy!

Here is a pic Uncle Danny took on our way up to New Jersey.

Connor did pretty good for being in the car about 8 hours total.  There was only one “meltdown” on the way up and one on the way home.  Great job Connor!

This picture was on the way up to New Jersey and was soon after we left Richmond after picking up Uncle Danny.

Connor, Mommy, and I went for a walk yesterday evening.  As we past by a blooming Bradford Pear tree, Mommy started to gag and become nauseated a bit.  She said, “What is that smell?”  Well we didn’t figure it out until we past a couple more Bradford Pear trees.  So, on the way back we walked on the opposite side of the street of any blooming Bradford Pear trees so that Mommy wouldn’t get sick.

The only nausea Mommy had with Connor was when we attended a rehearsal dinner of a client and she smelled fried chicken.  It seems as though Mommy has had a few more cases of nausea this go round, but again it has been mild and no actual vomiting…just gagging.

Heart rate was 160 at the ultrasound about a week ago.

Mommy is also much bigger (in the tummy) than she was with Connor at this point.  We are not sure if she is “carrying any different”…but my money is on it being a girl.

Finally!!!  I got the camera out this weekend and yesterday and snapped some pics of Connor.

Enjoy!

Grandpa — time for a haircut???

Grandma, Uncle Danny, Daddy, and Connor all made the long ride up to New Jersey for Bucky’s (Daddy’s cousin) 40th birthday party.  Mommy stayed home so she could rest, spend time with her Mom, and relax.

Connor was “attached” to Daddy’s hip all weekend.  I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without Connor whining and crying for Daddy.  All weekend it was “Hold Daddy”, “Daddy leg”, “Daddy”.  Even “Grandma’s magic” didn’t work this weekend.

Here he is taking a nap with Daddy for 2 hours on Saturday…

Connor was so much out of his normal routine and didn’t recognize a lot of the faces around him that he wanted to be with Daddy the entire weekend.  He had a great time with Jack and Callie.  Jack (his 2nd cousin) is 5 years old and he and Jack had a blast.  So much so that as Daddy, Connor, and Jack were walking to the beach Saturday night to look at the moon and the waves Jack asked, “Will Connor love me forever?”  And I responded, “Of course so!  Connor will love you FOREVER!”  Jack was so good with him!  Callie was great too.  She played the big sister role and tried to hold and comfort Connor at times.

Connor hardly ate a thing all weekend and what he did eat was not nutritious at all.  He did drink a lot of milk, so I was hoping that would keep his calorie intake high enough.  Even on the ride home this afternoon, he didn’t want to eat much.  We stopped at McDonald’s and got the old standby of French Fries, but he didn’t eat much of them.

Well after arriving home, he was still clinging to Daddy for the first couple of hours.  Then it was dinner time and Mommy made us spaghetti.  I didn’t expect him to eat and he was fussing as Mommy put dinner out.  I told Mommy to leave him alone and not to worry about it.  He asked, “Hold Daddy?”  What he means is, “Daddy will you hold me?”  I said no and then he went to his booster seat.  We sat him at the table and the next 20 minutes made up for his “fasting” in NJ.  Spaghetti, shredded cheese, and lots of pepperoni!

This picture says it all!!!

Happy 40th birthday Uncle Bucky!

I was recently asked this question by Laura (Abby and Isaac’s Mom).

This is how the conversation went:

Laura asked, “Does Connor understand about the baby?”

I responded, “Well, he went over to Mommy’s belly the other day, lifted up her shirt and kissed her tummy and said, ‘baby’.”

Laura and her husband smiled.  (But I wasn’t finished.)

I continued, “Then he came over to me, lifted up my shirt and kissed my belly (which is comparable to Mommy’s tummy right now) and said, ‘baby’.”

Laura and her husband laughed.

We recently went for some additional testing (the same tests we had done during Victoria’s pregnancy with Connor) because Victoria is over 35. It is basically just blood work, two separate ultrasounds where they measure the space at the base of the head and then they analyze all the information they gathered.

I know, I know…I should not compare pregnancies, babies, and/or children BUT I am a creature of habit and my profession involves analyzing things, so let’s have a little fun with this. When the kids are older, I think they will appreciate this.

Connor’s heart rate was at 151 beats per minute.
“Baby 2” is 161.

Connor’s ultrasound where they measured the space at the base of the head went off without a hitch. See, the baby has to be in a perfect position for the measurement. Connor did not have a problem and we were in and out of the ultrasound appointment in about 10 minutes.

“Baby 2” took a little longer. “Baby 2” was definitely moving around quite a bit, but would not get positioned so the nurse could take the measurement. After about 20 minutes the nurse told us that would have to give up for the day and come back at a later time. She called “Baby 2” a little rascal. As we left the hospital I told Victoria that “Baby 2” was “stubborn like Mommy”. (Victoria laughed.) (And she just gave me “ugh” as she read this.)

The nurse suggested eating something sweet before the next ultrasound appointment so Victoria went out and bought some dark chocolate covered raisinets. (I am betting they won’t even make it until the next ultrasound because Daddy and Connor will be eating them!!!!)

So, the questions have already started…

1. Are you going to create another blog for “Baby 2”?
2. Are you going to keep up with this blog?
3. Are you going to take the same number of pictures with “Baby 2”?
4. How are you going to keep things fair?
5. Are you going to swaddle “Baby 2” like you swaddled Connor?
6. etc…etc…etc…

Well, as I have mentioned in the previous posts…I (and Victoria) are creatures of habit so if it worked for Connor it will work for “Baby 2” (at least we praying it will).  I know, I am a little naive, but that is part of the reason you read and enjoy this blog.

What does that mean…

We keep this blog and possibly rename it so in encompasses both children.  I will hire a 2nd photographer to take all the pictures of “Baby 2” (luckily I know a husband and wife team, so I think the pictures are covered).

Things will be as fair as possible.

And YES to swaddling.  Connor was an excellent sleeper from the beginning and WE are convinced swaddling was part of the reason!

Love you guys and glad I had a few moments to update the blog.  (Boy, it will be tough when “Baby 2” comes along.)

Donnie

Well, you all remember the Chinese calendar from before…It’s a boy????

Well, my gut feeling (and Victoria’s) is that it is a girl.  And the Chinese calendar agrees with us.  (Remember it was right on for Connor!)  The only gotcha with the Chinese calendar is that “conception” (depends on what they define this as) could have fallen when Victoria was 39 or 40 and it could have also fallen in December or January.  To when variables.  When there are too many variables, I also fall back to my gut feeling.

So, “Amanda Louise Woodruff” might be on her way.  Or will we change it????

I can guarantee one thing…if it is a boy…no names will be leaking out early as Daddy gets to choose this time.  😉