First time is a charm

Life is definitely different for the second child...less individual time with their parents, having to share with their sibling(s) since leaving the womb and often getting second hand toys/clothes/etc. However, by being second in line Sawyer gets the opportunity to watch his brother pave the way on things, and he is then able to pick up on things very quickly. I remember working with Jack for several weeks to ride his big bike (with training wheels). Sawyer hopped on and off he went. Go See-Saw!

Knock on Wood

Do I dare say that I think we are starting to get into the groove of three kids? My fingers are crossed as I type.

Like Brother, Like Sister

We might have another thumb sucker in the family?

Pelé in Pink

Jack Patrick Egan (and family) were drenched with excitement on Saturday morning...literally! A downpour forced many of the soccer spectators to their cars (including Sawyer, Grace and I), but the 5 year old team also known as Mario's Tigers of Notre Dame stuck it out. Within minutes of my retreat to the car, Scott let me know via phone that Jack scored his first goal of the season...he was in a full stride and nailed it according to Daddy. I didn't see it nor do we have any pictures of it, but here is a blurry photo of the MVP after the game. He discarded his soaking wet clothes and let me wrap him in his Grace's blankets. I guess his euphoria allowed him to overlook the pink.

Bundle of Boy!

I stayed up way past my bedtime last night, but it was so worth it! My brother and sister-in-law welcomed their second son into the world on September 21st at 9:59 a.m. (in Perth, Australia). Mason Wesley Greene was 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 19 inches long. Aaron says he has dark hair and doesn't look like his brother. They are all crazy about him, and I know Austin will love having a little brother (most days!). Welcome to the world, Mason. We love you and wish we didn't live so far apart!



Scott and I are now the proud aunt and uncle to four boys...
Conner Egan
Austin Greene
Taos Egan
Mason Greene

Between her cousins and brothers, Grace is never going to be allowed to date. Poor girl!

Without further ado...

Meet Grace Harper Egan. Gracie blessed our family on July 1st at 1:38 a.m. Our baby girl was 21 inches long and weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces. Her big brothers were instantly smitten with her and visited the hospital several times. Scott and I grinned from ear to ear the moment we met her, and we haven't been able to wipe that silly grin off of our face in the past two months!



Grace has been a champion sleeper from the beginning. She loves sleeping in your arms, in the swing, in her car seat (far too often) and now in her crib.



Oh, she loves catching some zzzz's on the beach, too.


In the blink of an eye, our little Gracie was two months and in just 12 days she'll be three months. It's exciting to see her growing and changing, but it's also a little bittersweet since I think she is our last bambino. Grace smiled early and often...she knew how to get our attention amongst the chaos of our family. She loves when her brothers talk to her and sing to her. Gracie also loves to kick the rabbit chime on her play mat, watch her mobile, take walks, be outside, read books and talk to us. She is becoming so chatty...a girl for sure!


She still has bright blue eyes and dark hair...who knows??



Grace wore her first tutu to our neighbor's birthday party on Sunday. Mommy and Grace are going to have fun with her wardrobe!


Scott wears his heart on his sleeve, and it's apparent how much he loves his three kiddos. He has fallen head over heels in love with his daughter...we all have.

Future SNL cast member

This kid is too much. Too. Much. A clever, witty, smart little comedian. On the way home from school the other day, I asked Sawyer to tell me about his day. Sometimes I get a detailed description, and other days I hear, "I'm too sleepy to talk." The later statement he learned from his brother (a stalling tactic by both boys). On this particular day, Sawyer informed me that when "my head is up YES"...meaning I will talk to you. Most importantly he let me know that when "my head is down NO"...meaning leave him alone. Now when I look at him he loves to smirk tilt his head downward. Do you think I can try this with the kiddos, too?



One of Sawyer's passions is food. Eating it and cooking it. We made some yummy chocolate pudding together. Sawyer loved pouring in the milk, whisking the pudding and of course licking everything.



At a party the other day the kids were asked to sign their names on a banner for the birthday boy. Sawyer sat down immediately and said, "S-A-W-Y-E-R." He was proud of his signature (posted below).

KINDERGARTEN!!

Having worked at elementary schools in the past, I was so excited for Jack to begin kindergarten. HOWEVER, I had no idea HE would be this excited! Of course there have been the typical adjustments to going all day and every day, but he couldn't be more in love with kindergarten.

His days are filled with journal writing, kindergarten job assignments, counting the days up to the 100 day celebration, word walls, creative drawing, reading, project studies (family quilts and farms so far), field trips (three in three weeks!), playing with his friends and fostering his creativity. He goes on and on about the "26 friends" he has in class, and he loves all four of his teachers. Scott and I agonized over where to send him for kindergarten, but we are so pleased with our decision...ECDC is amazing!

Of course, I remember when Jack's days were filled with reading with me, going on adventures with me and playing with me. I think I am the one who is still adjusting the most.

Here is a school that Jack and two of his buddies created recently. His teacher left it up for over a day to show others. Jack beamed with pride.

The Summer of 2011

Grace Harper Egan - September


The old married folks (aka love birds) with their sweet baby girl


Mr. Kindergarten


Our three year old!!!

This past summer will definitely be remembered for it's excitement, fun and chaos! In a nutshell...

-Grandma and Grandpa came up to help during my last month of pregnancy. Thank God!

-I waddled around in June while Jack played soccer and t-ball, the boys went to camp at ECDC, we visited Silver Beach, we picked strawberries, we rode bikes, Sawyer played trains, Jack took swimming lessons and we all waited for baby sister.

-On June 30th Scott and I went to the hospital to meet our daughter. Grace Harper arrived fashionably late on July 1st in the wee hours of the morning. From the moment she entered our lives at 9 pounds 4 ounces, she's been sweet, beautiful, mellow and happy. We can't imagine our family without her, and the boys instantly fell in love. We all did!

-Eight days after Grace's arrival, we had about 22 kids in our backyard to celebrate Jack's 5th birthday. Lightning Man and his friends loved the bounce house, sprinklers, cake and more. Even I bounced that day! :)

-Jack Patrick Egan turned 5 on 7/11/11. What an amazing 5 years we've had with this boy. He's all about creativity, drawing, sports (soccer, swimming, baseball), jumping off of high dives, riding his new bike (without training wheels, of course) and scooter, playing Yam Slam, being in love with Sofia and Caroline, KINDERGARTEN, playing with all his friends from school, the neighborhood and playgroup. This kid is unbelievable!

-On July 14th, Scott and I celebrated our 10th anniversary! My Mom and Gary were kind enough to take the boys to Indianapolis (with Uncle Tim), so we could at least be home alone with Grace. We reveled in our 10 years of marriage and together dreamed about what's to come. I am in awe of the man I married, and I couldn't imagine a better partner in life...he truly is the love of my life. We're already starting to think of what we're going to do to truly celebrate next summer!

-We were visited this summer by Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Tim, Grandmommy, Grandfather, Gramps and the Baron family. We loved having them all and really needed their help!

-Without giving it any real thought, we drove to TX in early August with our 3 kids (including a 1 month old!) Thankfully, the kiddos did wonderfully and it was so worth it to spend time with all our family and friends in the Lone Star State.

-On 8/22/11, Jack started Kindergarten and Sawyer started his 3 year old class. Both boys have been excited about school this year, and we love ECDC. Jack is now gone all day every day, and that has taken some getting used to....for Mommy! He is overflowing with excitement about what he is learning and all his friends. I'm still a little heartbroken to see him grow up, but it's breathtaking to watch it before my eyes. Sawyer and I miss Jack, but we're having fun together when he's not at school. It's wonderful to have that special time with him, and he loves being home with Gracie, too.

-Our little engineer, Sawyer James, turned 3 on August 26th. He was thrilled to take popsicles to school to share with his friend, and he loved when all his neighborhood friends created a singing obstacle course in honor of his birthday. Sawyer loved getting presents (many train related) and he really loved being the center of attention!! We celebrated with some of his friends from school and playgroup at Fun-n-Fitness, and even Gramps got to join in on the fun. Sawyer is still all about trains...when will this change?? He is also currently obsessed with Bert from Mary Poppins, loves cooking, likes riding his tricycle and his new big bike, loves bubbles and swinging on his new swing, enjoys kissing Gracie, loves reading/"writing" his name/counting/sounding out words, and most importantly LOVES doing things on his own. He's becoming very independent!

-And the icing on the cake was a visit from the Baron family over Labor Day weekend. What a perfect ending to an extraordinary summer!

Fall is upon us now...cooler weather, football season, school days, soccer teams for both boys, church class for Jack and Grace is cooing, smiling and changing by the moment. I am really going to try to get back to blogging now. I can't promise anything, and now that I have three kids I'm officially giving up the guilt...my life is about surviving and smiling. These days, even the ones that are chaotic, I just can't seem to wipe this silly grin off my face.