Lauren & Ian + 2

NH in August

2010-10-04T16:19:00.010-04:00

We went up to the White Mountains at the end of August for a long weekend. Granny and Pop Pop went too. It was challenging traveling with the kids...and the car ride was long and noisy (Dylan cried a lot!). We managed and ended up having a really great time! Going next year should be a lot easier (hopefully)!

Breakfast time

Goofy!

Joe-Joe and Van

Abigail LOVED their birdbath!

Our train ride in Conway. We had fun, but it was really HOT!

Holding hands with Granny :)

Train with Pop Pop

Out for dinner in North Conway

A beautiful sunset

Abigail's 2nd Birthday celebration at home

2010-08-10T16:12:00.004-04:00

We had a small celebration for Abigail's 2nd birthday at home. Granny and Pop Pop came over for lunch and birthday cake. They bought Abigail her first tricycle!

So much fun!

We made a homemade carrot-cake with cream cheese frosting. Decorated it with a raisin "A" for Abigail.

She had so much fun playing and riding her new tricycle and was completely exhausted when it was time for cake!

Abigail's 2nd Birthday in NY

2010-08-10T16:10:00.010-04:00

Ian had a few meetings for work in NY, so we decided to all head there and visit with my family. Everyone got to meet Dylan and celebrate Abigail's 2nd birthday.

Keeping cool in Grammy and Grampy's pool

Keeping cool inside

I look a little like my Grampy :)

Having lots of fun playing with cousin Felicity

My Boys

2010-08-10T16:05:00.003-04:00

Catching Up

2010-08-10T15:33:00.010-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last post! We are all having a great (but busy) summer!

JUNE

Super Smile!

Dancing with Mommy in the Dining Room

Meeting Auntie Jen

PlayDoh Fun

JULY
More smiles! :)

Swimming with Mommy

Our Plumeria - Summer 2010

Visiting with Granny & Pop-Pop

Abigail trying to put her shoes on by herself

Teething already? :(

Abigail playing in her big ocean book

Indoor Picnic on a HOT day in July

Happy Boy!

2010-06-12T22:38:00.003-04:00

We LOVE Dylan's smile!

Dylan's Video Debut

2010-06-12T22:03:00.002-04:00

Big Sister

2010-06-09T06:13:00.003-04:00

Overall, we think Abigail has been enjoying being a big sister (although she doesn't like when Dylan plays with her toys!) She loves giving him lots of kisses, especially when he is crying.

Abigail is eager to help around the house. After dinner, she likes to carry Dylan's bath to the kitchen.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2010-06-09T05:45:00.010-04:00

It has been almost 2 months since our last post and our baby boy is 8 weeks old already! We have been extremely busy (and tired) trying to figure everything out and balance newborn, toddler, work, and home.

Dylan's first week home

Out for our first walk.
"Hey, it is too bright out here!"

A visit from Grammy!

Abigail reading to her baby, Donna.

Dylan Matthew!

2010-04-20T16:02:00.003-04:00

We are so excited to announce that our baby boy was born on Wednesday, April 14th at 11:09 am --Dylan Matthew. He weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long - a happy, healthy boy!
We headed home from the hospital on Friday and Granny and Pop Pop stayed with us for the weekend to help us out...Thank you so much, Granny and Pop Pop!
Abigail was very excited to meet her little brother and wanted to give him lots of kisses. We are all doing well (despite the lack of sleep) and have been enjoying getting to know our little boy. He is a sweetie!

April Birthdays

2010-03-21T14:41:00.003-04:00

Today we celebrated Pop-Pop and Ian's April birthdays (since we will be a little busy next month!). Abigail had tons of fun playing with Granny and Pop Pop and we enjoyed lunch and dessert together.

Reading her Winnie the Pooh book with Pop-Pop

Spring is here!

2010-03-21T14:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of spring and we enjoyed temperatures in the 70s. We took Abigail out for a walk at the Mystic River Reservation.

Cups

2010-03-20T22:49:00.004-04:00

I need my morning coffee!

I love mommy's orange juice.

Maybe the duck is thirsty?

The first time drinking milk from an open cup...this could get messy!

Daddy's Early Birthday Present

2010-03-20T20:26:00.003-04:00

We gave Ian his birthday present a little early (his birthday is not until April 24th).

Abigail carried the present around the house and waited until Ian got home from work to give it to him!

36-weeks!

2010-03-20T20:25:00.004-04:00

Our dr. said that most women usually have their 2nd babies a little earlier. So now I am 36 weeks pregnant. We are thinking our little boy may arrive in the next 2-4 weeks. We are very excited to meet him!

6 weeks

16 weeks

26 weeks

36 weeks & 40 lbs heavier!

The Museum of Science

2010-03-19T22:42:00.004-04:00

We recently got a family membership at the Museum of Science. It is close to our house and is the perfect place to take Abigail on a rainy day.

The baby chicks

Boston/Cambridge Border

Abigail has really been enjoying exploring the museum.

My Cah (Car)

2010-03-10T21:02:00.004-05:00

This is Abigail's cah (car). A Boston accent already! Yikes!

Pillow Play

2010-03-01T20:33:00.002-05:00

Miss Piggy

2010-02-14T16:09:00.003-05:00

When Abigail gets really silly and laughs a lot, she snorts!

Where's my chicken cup?

2010-02-04T14:58:00.008-05:00

Abigail loves to carry things around the house. Her latest favorite is an empty cup that has a picture of a chick on it.

She makes chick noises when she gets to hold it.

I Love My Dada!!!

2010-02-04T14:44:00.003-05:00

Potty Time

2010-01-29T21:11:00.003-05:00

Abigail has been very interested in the potty, so we bought her one. For now, she is just learning how to sit on it and stand up. We will wait until after Baby #2 arrives to begin any potty training.

Future Structural Engineer?

2010-01-29T21:06:00.002-05:00

Abigail has been enjoying building towers with her blocks. We were surprised at how many she can stack on top of each other. Maybe we have a future structural engineer?

Corn Popper

2010-01-21T21:04:00.002-05:00

Since taking this video a few days ago, Abigail has mastered walking up and down the hallway with her corn popper. It makes the popping sound, however, she still likes to say pop pop pop...when she walks with it.

Big Boy!

2010-01-19T15:31:00.005-05:00

6 weeks

16 weeks

26 weeks

Only 12 more weeks to go! We are all very excited!

Done Done Done Done

2010-01-19T15:25:00.004-05:00

Abigail has been saying "done done done done" when she finishes her food/drink, or is full. :)

Abigail's Baby

2010-01-19T11:07:00.003-05:00

We know Abigail will be clapping her baby brother's feet and kissing him a lot. However, we won't let her take his hat off --CLUNK!

Shadow Play

2010-01-19T10:29:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T15:41:00.005-05:00

We celebrated New Year's Day at our house with Granny, Pop Pop, Auntie Jen, and cousins Arianna and Alura. Abigail had so much fun playing with everyone!

Climbing back and forth over Granny's legs

Abigail enjoyed knocking over block structures built by Alura and Daddy.

Reading with Granny

Reading with Auntie Jen

Road Trip

2010-01-01T15:38:00.009-05:00

We have been very busy traveling to see family and friends. We headed back down to NY on Sunday to see my family. Then on Monday morning, we went to PA to visit with Nick, Mariko, Sophia and their family. It was so nice to see everyone and for our girls to finally meet each other. We had a great time, but wish we could have stayed longer! On Tuesday afternoon, we drove back to NY, and on Wednesday we headed back home before another batch of snow came!

Nick, Sophia, Mariko, Lauren, Abigail & Ian

Sophia opening her presents from Abigail

Abigail opening her present from Sophia

Sophia and Abigail playing together

Abigail loved playing the piano!

Rubik Cube

2009-12-26T15:44:00.005-05:00

Abigail loves playing with her Daddy's Rubik Cube. As soon as he solves it, she likes to mess it up again!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T20:05:00.007-05:00

Christmas Eve
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Our tree on Christmas Eve (Santa already put the presents under the tree!)

Christmas Morning
Abigail's new chair

Hey! That's my name!

Santa card :)

Presents from Granny and Pop Pop

A xylophone!

Let it Snow!

2009-12-25T19:59:00.003-05:00

We got about a foot of snow. This was Abigail's first time playing in the snow!

Abigail had a difficult time walking in the snow because it was so deep!

Early Christmas in NY

2009-12-25T19:47:00.004-05:00

We had an early Christmas celebration in NY last week. Unfortunately, a snowstorm forced us to head home a day early. However, we will be back to visit again next week!

Abigail had fun playing with the dogs!

She also liked all her new toys and books!

Moving Furniture

2009-12-02T15:40:00.006-05:00

Now that Abigail can walk, she has shown interest in rearranging the furniture around the house! The funny thing is she moved this dining room chair all the way down the hallway to the living room and then returned it to its place around the table...maybe she likes things in order like her Mama! :)

Officially Walking!

2009-11-30T21:36:00.002-05:00

Our little girl is an official walker! She walked all the way down the hallway, explored the kitchen and circled the dining room a few times tonight!

Walking to see Mama and Dada:

I better wear my sneakers to chase after her tomorrow! :)

Turkey Day!

2009-11-30T21:24:00.005-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving together. We have so much to be thankful for!

Ian made a delicious meal for us which included turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, brussel sprouts and pecan pie!

After dinner, Abigail started walking a few steps on her own for the first time! Doesn't turkey usually make you sleepy? :) She really enjoyed falling on the pillows!

Granny's Birthday

2009-11-23T14:34:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Granny's birthday on Sunday.

Abigail had so much fun playing with Granny and Pop Pop!

It's a BOY!

2009-11-13T20:23:00.002-05:00

Today we found out that we are having a boy! We are all very excited!
Abigail enjoyed seeing her baby brother on the ultrasound too! :)

Sunday Hike

2009-11-08T14:54:00.004-05:00

It was a beautiful fall day today. We all went to the Breakheart Reservation for a hike.

Abigail likes stepping on the leaves!

Walking on Fall Leaves

2009-11-08T14:47:00.003-05:00

Abigail giggles when she steps on dry leaves!

Pop Pop

2009-11-07T14:08:00.003-05:00

Abigail loves her Pop Pop! She also loves saying his name. :)

Playground

2009-11-04T21:19:00.005-05:00

Having fun at a local playground!

Playing the drums

I can feel the vibrations! :)

Cool xylophones!

Time to go home

Walking with Pop-Pop

2009-11-04T21:17:00.002-05:00

Rice Pudding

2009-11-04T21:09:00.004-05:00

Abigail has been trying to feed herself with a spoon. :)

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T14:14:00.007-05:00

Our kangaroo!

16-weeks

2009-10-29T14:55:00.004-04:00

Today we had our 16-week appointment. Our doctor did a quick ultrasound so we could see the baby. The baby is very active and had a heart rate of 152 BPM. We have nicknamed the baby "Wiggles". :)

16-week belly picture:

Balancing Cup

2009-10-25T15:14:00.003-04:00

Abigail discovered she can balance her cup upside down. Luckily, her cups have spill-proof valves in the lids, or this would be very messy!

Ticklish Belly

2009-10-25T15:05:00.003-04:00

Nesting cups

2009-10-25T14:58:00.003-04:00

Abigail has been trying to put her cups together, instead of just chewing on them.

Baptism

2009-10-25T14:57:00.008-04:00

Abigail was baptized on Sunday, October 4th. We celebrated Abigail's baptism with her godparents, Jaime and Tim and with all her grandparents.

A kiss for her dog!

She wore a beautiful silk dress given to her by Mike and Sarah.

Abigail cried a lot in the church because it was her morning nap time and the organ was loud and startled her.

Lauren & Ian +2!

2009-10-17T20:08:00.008-04:00

Although we won't officially be changing our blog address, we wanted to officially announce that Baby Schmellick #2 is on the way! We are very excited! He/she is expected to arrive April 2010.

This is a video we took at our 8-week dr. appointment (6 weeks ago). We got to see the baby's heart beating. Abigail was very excited because she thought she was watching TV. :)

This is me 12-weeks pregnant.

More updates soon, especially after our next ultrasound (in November) when we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl! :)

Apple Picking

2009-10-11T14:29:00.009-04:00

We enjoyed a wonderful fall weekend up at Applecrest Farm in New Hampshire with Granny and Pop Pop! Abigail liked the apples, just not the peel!

Fast Walking

2009-10-10T20:31:00.003-04:00

Abigail was very excited to walk around the house this evening!

Art Projects

2009-10-10T20:14:00.005-04:00

Abigail has been enjoying trying to color (mostly trying to eat the crayons!).

She also likes to wrinkle and fold the paper (early origami!)

Next week, we will try homemade PlayDoh!

Mama's coming to get you!

2009-10-05T11:48:00.002-04:00

Baby Book

2009-10-05T11:39:00.002-04:00

Abigail loves seeing pictures of herself when she was a baby. She asks me to see this book at least 4 times every day!

Mama!

2009-10-05T11:34:00.002-04:00

Abigail said "ma ma" a few months ago, but since she got her front teeth in, she has been calling me "na na". She is now (finally) calling me "ma ma" again! :)

Ball Runway

2009-10-05T11:27:00.002-04:00

Abigail likes using her ball runway, but doesn't let the balls roll all the way to the bottom before she gets them!

Abigail's New Favorite Mode of Transportation

2009-10-03T11:32:00.003-04:00

We took Abigail on a little hike through the Middlesex Fells. She really enjoyed riding in the backpack carrier that her Aunt Jen and Uncle Troy gave to us.

She wanted to reach out and touch everything!

Abigail visits the Museum of Science

2009-10-03T11:24:00.004-04:00

We had such fun at the Museum of Science. Abigail enjoyed the Butterfly garden the most! She was very good about reaching toward the butterflies but not touching them...

Then again... maybe they were just out of her reach... :)

Abigail loved the giant Lite-Bright board...

And her daddy had fun too.....

Cousin Mark Visits from England

2009-10-03T11:21:00.002-04:00

Mark had to do a whirlwind tour of the Eastern Seaboard in mid-September but managed to squeeze in a dinner visit to meet Abigail. We're so glad he came!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2009-09-10T21:08:00.004-04:00

Abigail loves reading books with her Daddy, but insists on turning the pages without Daddy's help.

Stairs

2009-08-26T10:53:00.004-04:00

For the past few weeks, Abigail has been having fun climbing up the stairs!

Aloha!

2009-08-24T11:17:00.003-04:00

Abigail likes to wear plumeria flowers behind her ear like mommy!

Hawaii 2007

Reading to her baby

2009-08-24T11:15:00.003-04:00

Birthday Party in the Park

2009-08-24T11:10:00.003-04:00

We celebrated Abigail's birthday for the third time at the park with lots of friends!

Abigail liked trying to drink water from my bottle.

If you're happy and you know it!

2009-08-15T15:24:00.002-04:00

Our trip to New York -- An early birthday celebration!

2009-08-05T20:30:00.009-04:00

We went to New York the weekend before Abigail's birthday to visit with family and friends. We had a BBQ to celebrate Abigail's 1st Birthday. Abigail got to meet her great grandparents, Poppa and Mary. She also got to meet Mommy's close friend Mandy and her husband, Joe. She had fun playing with her great grandmother, Nanny and her Grammy and Grampy too! Abigail was happy to see everyone!

Meeting Poppa and Mary

Meeting Mandy

She liked swimming in Grammy and Grampy's pool!

1st Birthday!

2009-08-04T19:53:00.005-04:00

Abigail’s 1st birthday was on Sunday, August 2nd. Unfortunately, she got her first cold two days before it and had a fever and lots of congestion. Thankfully, on her birthday, she had no fever and was feeling well enough to play with Granny and Pop Pop and eat birthday cake!

Her first doll!

Walking with assistance. She walks very fast!

Carrot cake cupcakes

I like cream cheese frosting!

New Hampshire

2009-07-23T11:12:00.006-04:00

In July, we went to our favorite B&B for a long weekend with Abigail. We celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. It was our first getaway with Abigail, besides visiting family in New York.
We all had a lot of fun (except for our encounter with blackfly on top of Wildcat Mountain!)

The gondola ride to Wildcat Mountain

Abigail loved looking out the windows in our room! We had a beautiful view of Mount Washington.

Climbing down the steep staircase from our bedroom

Breakfast

Abigail meets George!

Sunglasses

2009-07-23T11:08:00.002-04:00

Dancing in the Car

2009-07-22T20:11:00.003-04:00

Abigail loves dancing to music in the car!

Walker

2009-07-22T19:20:00.004-04:00

Abigail loves her new walker. However, she gets easily distracted by things around the house and wants to touch everything!

Swimming in the Pool!

2009-07-22T18:47:00.003-04:00

Trying out her new float!

A cold water bottle!

Summertime fun at the park

2009-07-22T16:30:00.004-04:00

Abigail's first time on the swings

Playing in the sand for the first time!

The sand tickles my toes! :)

Lunch with the Amy, Andy, & Angela

2009-07-22T16:27:00.005-04:00

2 weeks ago we got to have lunch with Amy, Andy, and Angela. They were in town for a conference, and it was so nice to see everyone! Abigail really enjoyed meeting Angela!

Music

2009-06-27T21:09:00.003-04:00

Abigail enjoys listening to and making music! Her new favorite instrument is a small egg shaped maraca.

Exploring the house

2009-06-27T21:00:00.003-04:00

Abigail enjoys exploring the house. She is very good at crawling on our slippery hardwood floors.

Dancing in her highchair

2009-06-21T11:18:00.002-04:00

Abigail is Jack Johnson's youngest fan! She loves listening and dancing to his music! :)

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T11:13:00.001-04:00

I love my Da Da!!!

Visit with Cousins!

2009-06-21T11:08:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago, we got to visit with Auntie Jen, Uncle Troy and cousins Arianna and Alura at Granny and Pop Pop’s house. They hadn't seen Abigail since she was 3 weeks old!

Abigail had a lot of fun playing with everyone. She especially liked playing with her cousins and hearing them laugh!

10 Months Old and Crawling!

2009-06-03T15:04:00.004-04:00

Abigail turned 10 months old yesterday and crawled for the first time! Very exciting!

Abigail rocking to the Alphabet Song!

May 30th: Almost!

2009-06-03T14:51:00.002-04:00

Abigail is very close to crawling!

Creeping

2009-06-03T12:35:00.002-04:00

Abigail is creeping around on her belly...she is FAST!
EVERYTHING is still Da Da! :)

Clapping and Blowing Raspberries!

2009-06-03T12:22:00.003-04:00

Video

Picnics at the Park

2009-06-03T10:09:00.004-04:00

We have been having beautiful spring weather! Abigail loves eating lunch at the park and playing on the picnic blanket.

May 2009

2009-06-02T20:55:00.005-04:00

Abigail is 9 months old now.

She enjoys knocking down towers of blocks.

Abigail is getting ready to crawl. She is pushing up on her hands and knees and rocking. For now, she is creeping along on her belly and getting around very quickly...it is time for us to babyproof our house!

Abigail loves spending time with her Pop-Pop!

Mother’s Day

I wonder what’s in these canvas bins?

Toys!

We have been putting the blocks on our noses and now Abigail does it too!

Abigail loves to stand up and hold onto furniture.

Can you see my teeth?

April 2009

2009-05-24T11:56:00.007-04:00

Abigail is 8 months old now.

Abigail sits up well on her own now, but is still a little wobbly, hence the Boppy pillow behind her. She loves taking her rings off of the stand, but hasn’t tried to put them back on yet.

Our Easter cutie!

Abigail loves playing on the big drum her cousins gave her. Especially with her Granny.

Abigail having fun with Mommy.

Out for lunch in Boston to celebrate Daddy’s birthday

Abigail eats Cheerios without any help from Mommy or Daddy!

Our Family

Abigail seems to like frog legs, especially the one that connects to her vibrating block!

Abigail is working on training Daddy to entertain her (so far so good)!

March 2009

2009-05-24T11:35:00.006-04:00

Abigail is 7 months old now.

This sippy cup is great!

Mmmmmm...bagels!

I LOVE books!

They are SO tasty!

Checking out the penguins at the New England Aquarium

Splish Splash Abigail’s taking a bath

Abigail was so happy to meet and play with her Nanny in New York.

Playtime in the Rainforest

Blocks are tasty and make good musical instruments!

February 2009

2009-05-24T11:05:00.008-04:00

Abigail is 6 months old now.

She likes to stand up on her mommy and daddy’s lap. Soon enough she will be walking!

Mealtimes are VERY messy, but she loves to eat!

Abigail loves kisses from her Granny!

Practicing standing with Mommy

Abigail is using her jumper now, but needs an exercise step under her feet so she can reach the floor.

Baby-robics

Everything is Da-Da!

Abigail plays her drum from Granny and Pop Pop. Thank you!

January 2009

2009-05-24T10:51:00.003-04:00

Abigail is 5 months old now.

In January, we visited Abigail’s Grammy and Grampy in New York.

She had fun playing with her cousin, Felicity.

When we returned home, Daddy assembled her jumper, but we found out she is not quite big enough for it yet. She still enjoyed sitting in it and listening to the music.

Abigail is lifting more of herself off the mat when she is on her tummy!

She loves tummy time on Daddy.

Here’s Abigail sitting up with support from her Boppy pillow.

Holiday Time

2009-01-22T19:18:00.005-05:00

Well, we're between Christmas and New Year's and Abigail had some other photos that she wanted us to share with you.

First, there's the cute Christmas Dress that her Grammy and Grampy got her. She's so hungry to show it off to you... :)

Last week it was cereal. This week she wanted something with more substance so she tried her book. Not sure what the verdict was, but she's been enjoying the cereal more than her book recently...

Our friend Jaime came to visit and we just had to take a photo of her and our little girl.

Christmas Time!

2009-01-21T19:53:00.005-05:00

The year has flown by so fast. We can't believe Abigail is over 4 months old now and experiencing her first Christmas. I think it's a bit more about us experiencing our first Christmas with Abigail, but it's new for all of us.

Here's our Tree and our Stockings:

Abigail loved her new ball that she got from Santa in her stocking:

Ooohhhh... Books!!! Quick, Mommy! Daddy! Read to me!

Thanks to Granny and Pop-Pop we had a family photo of Mommy, Daddy and Abigail before we enjoyed Christmas Dinner:

Time to Catch Up

2009-01-21T19:21:00.007-05:00

We've been delinquent in our posting again so here's the start of multiple posts to update you all on our little girl. :)

Abigail enjoys some tickle time with Daddy:

I definitely can't blame Abigail for enjoying some smooches from Mommy!

She is becoming so much more vocal and animated these days. Most importantly, she's trying new things, like cereal!!! :)

Mama?

2008-12-04T21:09:00.003-05:00

Abigail knows who her mama is! :)

Fun Time with Daddy

2008-11-28T15:14:00.003-05:00

It's always fun to play with our baby girl. She really enjoys "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes"!

Our Pea in a Pod

2008-10-28T14:38:00.006-04:00

Abigail will be celebrating her first Halloween as a "Pea in a Pod".
Happy Halloween everyone! :)

Abigail's Friends

2008-10-27T12:15:00.009-04:00

Abigail has been making lots of friends with her stuffed animals. She touches them, smiles at them and "talks" to them too! :)
At first, she was a little nervous about meeting her big, brown bear. Now she loves him!

Family Visits

2008-10-27T12:07:00.005-04:00

Over Columbus Day weekend, Abigail got to see her Grammy from New York and meet her Auntie Lisa and cousin Felicity! Everyone enjoyed holding Abigail, especially Felicity. Abigail smiled a lot. The weather was perfect for a walk around the park. We all had a great time!