Ohio State and The Columbus Zoo

These boys are growing up fast! I can't believe the changes that take place every day with them. Finn is talking more and more and playing very independently with his boats and trucks and planes. His favorite phrases lately are "up high", "around and around", and "up and down". He repeats these phrases like they're on some kind of recorded loop! He also loves saying the word "library", but it comes out "wy way way way" - sometimes with even more syllables added! Once he starts saying it he can't stop himself and repeats it hundreds of times. Whenever Drew asks him what he did today, he always answers "park", whether we've been there or not. The other day he told Drew we saw a horsey at the park (we hadn't been to the park that day and have certainly never seen a horse there! :) I have a feeling this is only the beginning of the tall tales! One day this week he walked into the kitchen and said as clear as day "Iwantadrinkandasnack". It's funny to hear him talking in sentences and phrases. And the biggest news of all......Finn has peed on the potty every day this week! Sometimes more than once a day! I can't believe it! He's kind of obsessed with the potty though, so we're just letting him try it out in the morning, after nap, and before his bath. He's doing great with it and I think I might even move the potty downstairs next week so we can use it more regularly throughout the day. I'm so proud of him for understanding what it's for and for initiating using it on his own without us even prompting it or mentioning it! Hopefully this is a good sign about potty training, but I'm trying not to get too excited!

Mitch is cooing and smiling a lot. He weighed in at 14lbs 6oz at his 2 month appointment - 90th percentile for weight and height! He loves playing on his play mat now and also loves sitting on my lap to watch Finn run around and play. He's doing pretty well with sleeping at night and napping, although he seems to be hitting a little growth spurt this week, waking up more than usual at night to eat. Hopefully it's just a phase! His little face is changing so much every day and I'm starting to be able to see what he's really going to look like as he grows out of that newborn stage. He's just as sweet as can be, he really likes to be held though and HATES his carseat. He will scream from beginning to end of every car trip I take him on throughout the day. If we're home though, he's as happy as a clam being held or playing on his mat.

We took a trip to Columbus this past weekend for the Dublin Irish Festival. We had dinner with Seth on Friday night and went to the zoo with the Gilbrides and the McCanns on Saturday morning. Then we hit the Irish Fest on Saturday afternoon and evening with everyone. It was a blast! On Sunday, we walked around OSU campus with Finn and Mitch. A really fun weekend! Here are the pics...I didn't get any at the Irish Fest because it was too hard to get to the camera while holding Mitch and chasing Finn around in the crowd. Hopefully Erin and/or Nora will email me some pictures!

Drew and Finn at the lake

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend (me and Finn wrestling over my sunglasses)

On the rides at the Columbus Zoo

With Kevin and Ronan in the aquarium

Checking out the manatees

Drew's Birthday!

Close-ups of our work of art (Drew's birthday cake) - thank you for your help Erin!

A happy little Mitch on his play mat

After devouring a Cookie Monster cupcake from the West Side Market courtesy of Aunt Kiki

Some More Summer Pics

Here are some random pictures I found on my phone from the last couple of months...also a great video Drew took of Finn on the slide at Mitch and Megan's. One of my favorites for sure!

The Gilbride/Heffron cousins at the splash park

Relaxing on the hammock

A fat baby chilling out in the sling - note the fat rolls on his wrists and chest. Yep, that's right, he has a fat roll on his chest. This is not an easy thing to accomplish...

Bath time at Papa and Yaya's

Finn's Great Fall

Finn and Mitch at the Fair

Here are the latest pictures of the boys at the Fairview Park Summerfest Fair. Finn lasted for about 2 rides because it was 300 degrees outside. Luckily, Grandma and Mom were also more than ready to grab a quick ice cream and get the heck home to the air conditioning! Thanks for coming with us Grandma!

The boys down in the metroparks for breakfast

Little Mitch in the tub!

More Summer Fun

Our summer is flying by and we are having so much fun! I expected this summer to be a little bit slower than normal with the new baby, but not so! Our calendar has been full of activities and it feels like we have something fun to do every day. We're spending lots of time at the beach, the park, the splash park, the library, and on walks in the stroller. I think we have adjusted to life with an infant a little faster this time around and we feel more comfortable getting everyone packed up and heading out for the day (even if it does take 2 hours to get out the door:).

Finn is getting ready to move into a big boy bed, but the trial run didn't go very well. He was very upset and seemed scared to be left alone in his room without the security of the crib. When he finally settled down (after me reading 100 books and laying with him forever) and we thought he had been sleeping soundly in his bed, we found him sleeping in the middle of the room on the floor with his teddy bear. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. Then, after I put him back in his bed, he rolled off the mattress onto the floor and when I went in to put him back in bed, he said, "Ow Mama. Fall. Boo boo head." It was so cute because he was half asleep but still talking like he normally does. Finally, when we thought he was really sleeping, he just came wandering into our room saying, "Mama? Daddy?" like it was the middle of the day. That's when we went ahead and put him back into the crib for the rest of the night. I don't think we're quite ready for this transition yet. Or maybe I'm just not ready. But we'll give it one more try tonight and see if things get better. Otherwise, we'll just use two cribs for awhile.

Some of Finn's recent toddler-isms:

We were walking the other day with the kids in the stroller and as we passed the rec center, Finn started begging to go to the "center". I told him it was closed and he looked up at me and said, "open it!".

Drew took him to eat at Panera and they had soup. So Finn learned the word "soup". The next day, as we got ready to go to the splash park, I told him he needed his bathing suit. He looked very perplexed and said, "Baby Soup?".

Finn is proving himself to be a true Heffron with his overwhelming obsession with boats! It's nearly all he talks about and he spends most of his time playing with his toy boats that Grandma got for him. In a few years, I get the feeling that Aunt Megan and I will have a lot of time on our hands in the summers as the boys take to Lake Erie for some skiing and wakeboarding! :)

Mitch is getting ready to move out of the bassinet and into his crib. He is sleeping really well! He has slept through the night several times, but usually wakes up at least once to eat during the night. He has been so cute and starting to smile a lot and "talk" to us when he's laying on the changing table. Finn loves chatting with him and laughs when Mitch talks back to him. He's getting better about taking his bottle, but it takes a few little tricks to get him to do it. Lots of bouncing, swaddling, etc. But each time seems to be getting easier.

Here are a ton of new pictures!

Finn's first ride on daddy's kayak at Bradstreets

At Vermillion Beach

Mitch's first trip to Vermillion

Mitch and Jane's first date

Trip to the zoo!

Finn and Annie's rock out dance party in the Australia exhibit

Our treat of choice this summer: chocolate pudding! Yum!

Little Mitch showing off his muscles!

With Grandma downtown to see the tall ships

With Halle on the 4th of July

Looking at the boats with dad

Finn's first Indians game

First ballpark hotdog