This time has really gone by so fast.  Where is the pause button or the “stop and let me enjoy” button.  Connor is nearly 2.5 yrs old and our 2nd baby is about 4.5 months from being here.  I was just commenting while over my Mom’s house (after looking at a picture of Connor during his Easter shoot) that, “My boy is growing up!”

Just a short snippet of two things that happened in the past couple of days that reminds me of how innocent and precious kids are.  Buddy, I love you for making these moments for/with me!

1. The other day Daddy scraped up his leg while playing softball.  After returning home that night, I got to show Connor my “boo-boo”.  He was thrilled Daddy had a “boo-boo” and he decided to show me his two skinned knees as well.  The “innocent” and “funny” part happened a few minutes later when I was looking in the refrigerator for something to drink.  Mommy and Connor joined me in the kitchen and next thing is I hear Connor say “boo-boo” and a sharp pain shot up my leg as he decided to touch my “boo-boo” which was still burning and “raw” from the injury.  I jumped and said “OOOOWWWW”, Connor looked frightened, and Mommy laughed.  I had to hug him and tell him it was ok…that Daddy’s “boo-boo” hurt and not to touch it.  Then he says, “Band-aid.”  I replied, “Yes, I need a really BIG band-aid.”
2. Connor and I were washing the car today.  He has learned how to use the hose.  I showed him how to hose the car down.  The only problem is I turned my back to him for a few seconds and the next thing I am shrieking like a little girl because he is spraying me with cold water on my back.  He had no clue what he was doing and was only trying to help me out.  I loved it!

We went over to Mimi and Grandpa’s house to have dinner and birthday cake. Brenna, Gavin, Chad, Catherine, and Catherine’s parents all were there. The kids had a great time.

Aunt Catherine made Daddy the coolest cake for his birthday. Everything on the cake was edible except the pole for the flag stick. The golf balls and tee were white chocolate, the sand was graham cracker, and the grass was icing from a “special tip”. Thanks Aunt Catherine!

Daddy's cake

Daddy's cake

Daddy (Uncle Donnie for Brenna) taught Brenna and Connor how to climb one of Grandpa’s trees out front. They liked it so much that after dinner they said, “I wanna climb the tree.” Outside we went again and then we play chase in the front yard. Uncle Chad (Brenna’s Daddy) soon joined in.

After that Brenna and Connor went and played in the sand. Or what they really did was relocate the sand from the sandbox to the front of Grandpa’s shed. Hopefully he doesn’t mind!

Connor in the sandbox

Where is that bug???

This is where the sand was "relocated" to.

Partners in crime

Somebody was "caught red handed"...pink dress????

Look at Mommy's reaction as Connor dumps sand on my "boo-boo"

Mommy and Baby 2

Brenna

Brenna and Uncle Donnie

The 3 of us!

After 5 mins in the car...

As we had breakfast this morning, I asked Mommy if she wanted a boy or a girl. She finally let is out…”A girl.” I asked her why the change. (I remember her saying she wanted to have another boy because Connor is so cute and good.) Now she wants a girl?!?!?!?!

Well, she wants to be able to dress a girl and buy pretty little dresses and outfits. Daddy sees dollar signs! She also wants to brush her hair and put her in pigtails. If it is a girl, hopefully she will have hair sooner than Connor. Remember, he was still bald when he was 12 months old.

Daddy’s hoping for a boy so we can reuse Connor’s baby clothes and so I don’t have to redecorate/repaint the baby’s room.

We both agree that it does not matter but, we have our difference of opinion on this. Victoria knows the brother-sister relationship from her upbringing. I know the brother-brother relationship from mine. I think that is part of the reason we have our own hopes.

So, Baby 2…don’t take this the wrong way. We are looking forward to having you join our family…but Mommy wants a girl and Daddy wants a boy.

Victoria thinks it is a boy based on how she is carrying the baby. I think it is a girl based on the fact that she has had some minor nausea (morning sickness) during this pregnancy. She didn’t have any with Connor.

We are scheduled to find out on May 3rd….

Stay tuned!

Connor and Daddy have had the pollen strike them this Spring. Normally I do not have a problem and can’t recall ever taking anything for allergies. This year has been a different story. I broke down and took some Claritin today.

Connor has had a similar problem. We gave him 1/2 tsp of Zyrtec based on the doctor’s recommendation and it seems to be helping.

Mommy on the other hand is not bothered at all!!! For the 9 years I have known Mommy, I always remember her taking a nasal spray because of allergies. Well, she is not having a problem at all this year. I know they say that when a woman is pregnant, her immune system is boosted, but this is unbelievable. As bad as it has been and with her history of having problems…it is just amazing what being pregnant can do.

Here is a video of our boy helping outside. He loves getting involved and helping out as much as he can!

Now if we could only minimize the effect the pollen has on him. The last few days have been tough on him. Red eyes, sneezing, a runny nose, and a stuffed up nose have made it tough sleeping at night.

It is a well know fact (in Woodruff family history) that Daddy got sick on the Scooby-Do roller coaster at Kings Dominion when he was 10 years old.  I also got sick on one of the carnival rides that go around in a circle when I was about 6 years old.  Daddy could never ride any rides that went in circles as a teenager or an adult.

So with Mommy carrying around the next baby and Connor just a wee bit too small to ride the kiddie rides by himself, Daddy found himself on a carousel (of course this goes in circles), an airplane ride that goes in circles (and up and down), and a boat ride that went in circles.

Here are some videos of Connor having fun at Busch Gardens.  He really enjoyed some of the rides and even had an opportunity to ride one with his buddy Isaac.  They had a blast.

What a fun time he had…he even cried a little bit when the park closed and we had to go home.  We all had a great time and enjoyed some beautiful weather as well!

Unfortunately there is no sound on these video and they also turned out a little dark.

We went to Busch Gardens for the first time this evening.  We went with our neighbors and their kids and a friend of theirs as well.  We all had a great time!

Connor loved Elmo and the princess as well.  We were so surprised.  First he walked up and kind of looked at them and kept his distance.  He didn’t know what to do.  So Daddy suggested he give Elmo a high five and he did.  Then he gave the princess a high five too.  Then Daddy says, “Can you give Elmo a hug?”  Next thing I know he was swallowed up by a furry red Elmo.  Connor loved it!!!!  Then he went over and hugged the princess, then back to Elmo and Connor squeezed harder, then back to the princess and hugged her, then back to Elmo and hugged again, then back to the princess and the back to Elmo, repeat another 3 or 4 times.  This all was going on as others were waiting in line for their turn to hug and take a picture with Elmo.  Daddy and Mommy snapped a couple of pics with Mommy’s cell phone and then Daddy had to pry Connor away from his new buddy Elmo.

What an amazing scene.  Personally after the apprehension he had with Santa Claus this Christmas, I thought for sure he would be scared of Elmo and the other Sesame Street characters.  Boy, was I wrong.  Anyone know where I can buy an Elmo suit????

Here are some pics we took with Elmo:

Mommy and Daddy had a wedding to shoot over the weekend in Nags Head and decided to turn it into a “get-away” weekend as well.  So, Mimi and Grandpa (Connor calls him “PaPa”) had Connor since Saturday morning until Monday morning.  They had an Easter cookout and Grandma attended along with Brenna, Gavin, Uncle Chad, Aunt Catherine, and Brenna/Gavin’s grandparents (Mr. Bill and Ms. Anne).

From all accounts he had a great time!  The Easter Bunny visited Connor’s house on Saturday and then he came to Mimi and Grandpa’s house on Sunday.  Brenna, Gavin, and Connor had an Easter Egg Hunt in the backyard as well.

First thing Mommy and Daddy noticed when we picked him up was that his hair had gotten lighter from the sun he got this weekend.  Getting closer to the shade of blond I was when I was that age.

After getting home, Connor wanted to be a big boy and help us unload.  So, he raced back and forth with Daddy unloading the vehicle from this weekend’s trip.  On the 2nd trip back to the car, he fell and skinned his knee.  Daddy and Mommy were waiting for a big scream but it never came!  He was too worried about helping Daddy unload the vehicle.  Right back to the truck and another bag went into the house.  We did this for another 5-10 minutes.  I got a quick glimpse of the knee and it didn’t look too bad.  I was still a little shocked he didn’t cry, but I really think he was too much into unloading the car to realize that he had “hurt himself”.  What a tough boy!!!!

We finally finished and boy was he mad that there was nothing else to unload.  He stood by the door crying, “Help Daddy…help Daddy.”  We closed the door and calmed him down.  It was time to change his diaper and when I took his shorts off, he was able to see his “boo-boo” and then he started crying.  Now understand this was AT LEAST 10 minutes later before you call Social Services on me.  Yes, I am sure it was stinging but come on…it was not that bad.  Mommy got the “first aid kit”, we cleaned it up and put a band-aid on it.  Next thing I know, he is limping around the house.  He spent 10 minutes helping me unload the car AFTER he skinned his knee.  He was running and walking just fine then.  But all of a sudden, he is now limping because of his “boo-boo”.

Here was a video of him “milking” this so that he could get a Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg.  The video does not do it justice, but you get the idea…

Later, we went outside and he was doing just fine.  He fell again and skinned the other knee but paid it no attention (he hasn’t seen that one yet).  Guess we need to get him knee pads!  As he was playing outside I said, “Show Mommy your boo-boo.”  Next thing we notice, he limps over to Mommy and says “boo-boo”.

Guess he wishes he would have stayed at Mimi and Grandpa’s house — it is safer over there!

Love,

Daddy

Pics of Abby, Isaac, and Connor.