Welcome to Our Family!

On November 23 at 10:13pm my long and cumbersome pregnancy finally came to a blissful end, and we joyfully welcomed our third baby boy into our family!!!! At 7lb. 9oz. he cried heartily and sported a full head of dark hair. Big and pink and healthy, we couldn't be happier, but he needed a name! Once again, we had been unable to commit to a boy's name prior to the birth.

But by the next afternoon, we had decided on Grant Martin Justice Nagy. It seems to fit him, and will be a good strong name as he grows into a man.

It's still surreal to believe that I am a mother to three boys. I am outnumbered in this family, for sure, but I will certainly take three boys over three girls any day!!! What mom wouldn't want three strapping young men to take care of her in her old age?

Welcome, baby Grant! You are a blessing and we love you so, so much already. We can't wait to watch you grow and learn and develop your special and unique personality. My only word of advice for you is to learn to be tough quick, because your big brothers aren't likely to go easy on you!

Pumpkins and Trees and Racecar Drivers, Oh My!

Happy Halloween!In case you can't tell, Calem is a tree and Isaac is a racecar driver. Both boys picked their own costumes, completely unprompted. The fact that my 4 year old boy chose to be a tree (and not just any tree, "a fall tree, mommy. with fall leaves and crunchy leaves") instead of a fireman or power ranger or dinosaur is just one more example of how special Calem is. The kid truly thinks outside the box and marches to the beat of his own drum. But I love him for his creativity and I must say he got many, many compliments on his tree costume. And it really didn't come as a surpise that our 2 1/2 year old who eats, drinks, sleeps and lives for all things trucks and cars wanted to dress up as a racecar driver. He LOVED his costume and I think he believed he really was a racecar driver.
However happy they were about their costumes, nothing compares to the sheer joy of a bag filled with candy, and an opportunity to eat piece after piece after piece until it just doesn't taste good anymore!

And no Halloween is complete without the carving of the Jack-O-Lanterns. Being the smart and savvy mom that I am, I have stealthily succeeded in making this a Grampa and Daddy tradition, always completed at Grampa's house--and the mess stays far, far away from my happy home!

The boys watch, with disappointed faces because they are not allowed to use the "big knife" to cut the lids of the Jack-O-Lanterns. Isaac's face really says all there is to say on that matter.

Isaac had a blast scooping "guts," but was cautious about using
the spoon because he did NOT like the slimy stuff on his hands.

And in the end, we had a very friendly Jack-O-Lantern indeed
and a very proud little boy with a grin to match!

Pick Another Peck (or 2 or 3) of Apples

Apple picking has fast become our most loved, most anticipated family tradition. Calem was nearly 2 the first time we took him apple picking, and it has been something he looks forward to ever since. Once again, we returned to Miller's Apple Hill in Amherst for an apple-picking bonanza. This year we picked 2 1/2 pecks of apples. That's about 35 lbs. of apples!

Scott and the boys on the hay ride out to the orchard. Both boys were so excited to have their very own 1/4 peck bags to fill with their very own apples. We encouraged them to look for the little tiny apples just right for their hands. They really enjoyed hunting for them, and turned out to be perfect for snacks because they went through a phase of not wanting their apples sliced, but wanting whole apples for a snack.

Taking a ride on the hay wagon out to the orchard was less than comfortable for me and my ginormous, 8-month pregnant belly--but well worth the family fun and bounty of delicious apples we brought home.

I'm pretty sure more apples landed in their tummies than in their apple bags!

Calem managed to fill his bag!

Notice Isaac's is still empty, but his mouth is still full!

As much as the boys love picking and eating the apples out in the orchard, the trip would not be complete without a refreshing drink of fresh apple cider. They look forward to it so much, and the apple picking may very well be a means to an end! They like to take their little bottles of cider and relax in the pumpkin corral when we return from the orchard, and before they use their second wind to tackle the hay mazes in "Pumpkin Land." It's always a full and tiring day, but something we all really look forward each fall. I'm pretty sure it will be something we still put on the calendar and drag the kids to even when they're 17 and complaining they have better things to do. This family tradition shall live on.

Now, what to do with 35 lbs. of apples...

Anybody's Guess

Meet Baby Nagy #3. Images taken about 2 weeks ago show a perfectly formed miracle at 20 weeks. Still so miniature and teeny tiny--estimated only to weigh in at 10 oz., yet so perfectly human in every way. It was amazing to watch our new little one moving around, waving arms and stretching legs. What peace of mind it gives parents to hear a doctor say that everything looks perfectly normal and healthy. We are lucky to have such cool technology that gives us a glimpse at our next baby so soon before birth. Check out the bones, the shapes, the

silhouette of our beautiful baby!! I find the photo of the spine especially incredible. Yes we can learn so much from these ultrasound photos, but I'm mostly glad that we didn't learn anything scary or

uncertain. We are thankful for a healthy baby who appears to be pretty darn cute so far. We could have learned whether to expect more blue in our future or throw some pink into the repetoire, but it will remain a surprise until November. It was tempting, and the doctor seemed disappointed that he couldn't give us the news, but it's really fun to drag out the suspense and make people squirm. Especially Scott and those of you friends out there who are just dying to know! (You know who you are.)

The Little Leagues

I've never seen anything funnier than Calem's first T-Ball game. It was beyond cute to see a couple dozen 3-year-olds swinging with all their might and repeatedly missing the stationary ball sitting atop a baseball Tee. And to watch those same 3-year-olds run either after the ball they'd just hit, or to 3rd base instead of 1st. And then even better to watch the chaos of the outfield. Yes, many smiles and laughs were heard throughout the hour. It is just precious to watch, and Calem really enjoys it. The kids were allowed to pick their own team name, and Calem's team has been dubbed the "Firetrucks." You have no idea how fun it is to watch them all huddle with their "Coach Ray" and yell "Go Firetrucks!!!!" all together at the top of their lungs. Their excitement level is so great, you'd think they were playing in the world series. Four weeks into playing two T-ball games a week, I am amazed at how much better these little 3-year-olds have gotten! Most of them his the ball on the first swing, now. They all know to run straight to 1st base after they hit, and the outfield has started to actually pay attention to home plate and they run for the ball and throw it to first. Chaos has turned into organization and the kids know their places and prepare for their turns. Of course, there is always the occasional kid stooping to play in the dirt around the bases, oblivious of the game going on around them. And they often run with the bat to 1st base, forgetting to drop it after hitting the ball. But the high school students who coach are very patient and the kids love them. They are learning to be part of a team, follow instructions and enjoy a sport. It's nice to see them learn a few skills in the process, and great to see Calem asking to practice at home. I'm just glad he is having f un. We have 5 games left this summer, and I'm pretty sure the Firetrucks will end with a 13-0 record.

Bring on the fresh food!

I have been waiting for summer for...well...ever since LAST summer! Not only am I a Clevelander desperate for an increase in the frequency of sunny days, but I'm so excited about being able to get fresh fruits and vegetables from the many local farms in our city.

Last Saturday, Calem and I were the first ones on the first wagon out to the strawberry field on the first day of "pick-you-own" at a farm just down the road from us. He was really excited about picking strawberries, and I was really excited about TASTING strawberries that actually had taste. Calem was surprised to hear that he couldn't climb the strawberry trees. I guess his only other fruit picking experience has been apples, and he remembers climbing some of the trees to reach choice apples. Apparently he was imagining us picking strawberries in the same way. I told him that strawberries grow on small plants in the ground and he just said, "hmmm."

We picked 4 quarts last Saturday. It is Thursday. We are out of strawberries. I guess we'll be going back this weekend. Calem was a great picker and very careful not to mush the berries. He was also very sure not to pick any that weren't "only ones that are all red, mommy." It was fun, and a special one-on-one time with Calem. And despite the numerous arguments, fights, battles and general antagonization that happens on a daily basis between the brothers, Calem asked if Isaac could come and pick strawberries next time. I said maybe, but it's really more of a big-boy job. He seemed pleased with that.

Now I Need a Vacation!

Our family vacation to Florida was quite a trip. Not so sure it could be categorized as a "vacation" for mom and dad, but the boys were in seventh heaven. Afterall, what could be more fun than hours upon hours of outdoor play time with an endless supply of water, sand, sea shells and other icky stuff washed up on shore?

It was one of those trips that was full of family memories in the making, but a really exhausting kind of fun. I think Scott said at one point it felt like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. That's probably not a bad analogy.

The boys loved the ocean and were not afraid of the water at all! They enjoyed being knocked over by waves and splashed by the surf. Both learned how to make a "castle" with the damp sand using a bucket as the mold. Even Isaac was successful in making "castles" all by himself. Calem's favorite activity was digging and filling holes, while Isaac spent much of his time driving trucks and cars all over the beach. We all enjoyed picnic lunches on the beach and the weather couldn't have been nicer. The water was warm and the air was not stifling hot yet. No one got sun burned, and overall the beach was a huge hit.

Both boys also learned how to "swim" with arm floaties in the pool. There are no words to describe how much they loved the freedom of being able to float and move around the pool without mommy or daddy holding and propelling them. It was a lot of fun and Calem is still asking nearly every day if we can go back to the "hotel with the swimming pool." He got to the point where he would jump into the water, unassisted, and hold his breath as his head went under water. He didn't fear putting his face in the water and just loved it. We've arranged for him to take real swimming lessons one-on-one with a teacher from the YMCA this summer. I think he'll do real well since he doesn't seem to fear the water at all.

Of course there was the normal share of mischief and struggles and discipline and sibling rivalry, but somehow it's all a little more tolerable when the sun is shining every day and a pristine beach is at your back door. (And, of course, I don't have to cook or clean up dinner--because we are on vacation, afterall)

[A lot of the time, the boys played really great together, but you can see by these photos how quickly mischief can happen...]