Baby McCutie

Twice!!!

2011-09-03T22:16:00.002-04:00

Two video highlights from our beach trip:
1) Owen loves singing...and playing his guitar...and playing drums...and playing harmonica...and clapping....and if he can't do them all at the same time he has no problem telling you to do one of them. Owen's lyrics usually include either "Hallelujah...Praise the Lord!!!" or some kind of jibberish that he makes up.

2) The Fort Fisher Aquarium was a lot of fun....especially when Owen could apply his Finding Nemo knowledge to the real fish right in front of him.

We actually posted to our blog!!

2011-09-03T20:38:00.018-04:00

Summer is always a fun season of the year for our family. It marks the end of the school year and the start of a much needed break for Brian. Brian took one graduate school class but was around every afternoon.

We started off the summer by taking a trip to NJ for the McHugh Invitational Basketball Tournament. It is a rare occasion when Brian's whole family is together in one place. We cherished the time we got to spend with everyone. Sadly we only got a few pictures because we were so busy taking care of Reagan and Owen. We did manage to get a picture of Reagan with her sweet little cousins, Maggie and Audrey. In earlier years we have a ton of pictures of the guys playing basketball and this year we left with a ton of pictures of the three girls together. Life has definitely changed. :)

We also took a trip to State College to celebrate the Fourth of July. My (Brynne) sister was moving from State College to the DC area and we got to spend some time with her before she left. We also got to spend some sweet time with my cousin, Will and my Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike. Owen loves visiting their house.

Uncle Mike made Owen's life complete by taking us to a farm filled with every kind of tractor imaginable. Owen is beyond obsessed with tractors these days. He especially likes John Deere and every night when we pray before bed he prays for John Deere lawnmowers. :) It was so fun to see his face when he saw all the equipment and then realized he was allowed to sit on all of them!

In July we traveled to Syracuse for Brian's brother Chris's wedding. We got stay with our dear friends the Fitzgeralds for a night and meet their beautiful baby girl, Ellie before the wedding festivities started. We are so excited for Chris and his wife Sara. It was a beautiful wedding and really fun to celebrate with them.

The summer was finished off by our annual trip to Kure Beach, NC. We got to spend 9 awesome days with my (Brynne's) family and then a week with the McHugh family. It was so wonderful to spend extended time away with our family.

It was Reagan's first trip to the beach and she loved being in the water.

Owen loved all the attention and time with family and especially loved getting to hang out with his cousins, Kelly and Judson.

It is always sad to leave our beach trip because it means Brian goes back to school and summer is over. We had such an awesome summer together as a family. We are loving being a family of four. Owen and Reagan love each other so much. Reagan smiles any time Owen is in the near vicinity. Owen is such a sweet big brother. It is so fun to watch how loving and gentle he is towards her.

Owen is 2.5 years old and Reagan is already over 5 months old! They both changed so much over the summer and seem so much older. Owen talks non-stop and says the funniest things. He loves music and puts on singing shows for us every day. He has a guitar and plays it all the time. Reagan is so smiley and laid back. Lately I look at my kids and am baffled by how much God has blessed me with. I often find myself thinking "Wait, how did I get so blessed to be a parent to these awesome kids?!" We are blessed with more than we could ask or imagine!!

Reagan is Almost 4 Weeks Old!!!

2011-04-23T21:47:00.021-04:00

We've been fielding the question, "Who does she look like?" a lot since she was born. The answer is her brother. See if you can figure out which of the pictures below is Owen and which is Reagan?

Here are a few more pictures from the last few weeks.

Welcome to the World, Reagan Marie!

2011-03-29T21:31:00.000-04:00

Sunday evening at 5:41 we welcomed Reagan Marie into the world. She was 6 lbs 13 oz, 19.5 inches long, and screaming her head off! Here are some pictures of the past 2 days.

30 is the best yet! :)

2011-03-27T01:32:00.000-04:00

I am sitting here writing this blog post at 1:34am as I time out contractions that I have been having for the past 3 hours. They are still only 8-10 minutes apart but I am praying that they start to come closer together. I am ready to meet my little girl! :)
This month I turned the big 3-0. It sounds so weird to say I am 30. I know 30 really isn't that old but I feel like the 20's flew by. Before I know it I will be 40! This birthday really was one of the best I have ever had. Brian surprised me with a night away at a hotel in downtown Lancaster. It was sooo fun and perfectly planned by my awesome hubby. My family stayed with Owen and then we all went out to dinner together the next day. My dad and sister came the day before my birthday and made me a steak dinner and I went out on a dinner date with Bri on my actual birthday. I felt like the celebration just kept going. So many people sent me nice cards and gifts and I just felt so blessed and loved!
I feel like this past year was a growing year for me where God just continued to show me that he loved me beyond measure. In the past I had really struggled to accept God's love and also struggled to accept the love of people. God has continued to chase after my heart and this year I really was able to receive his love and all the blessings he gave me through the people around me. I am so thankful that we serve a faithful God that never stops chasing after our hearts.
Now here I sit waiting for my precious baby girl to be born. Hopefully it is today, but we shall have to wait and see. :) I can't wait to hold her and see her sweet face. I feel blessed beyond measure to have the chance to raise a little boy and a little girl. This baby girl hasn't even come into this world yet and she is already loved so much by so many people. I think my dad has called 5 times in the past 24 hours to see if I was in labor. This little girl already has him wrapped around her finger! :) Stay tuned for pictures of this sweetie.
Here is to 30 being the best year yet!!!

P.S. This is the best chocolate cake from Costco!! Also, Owen LOVES to sing happy birthday to himself and I think he thought this cake and song was for all for him. :)

Since Owen turned 2...

2011-03-12T17:17:00.000-05:00

...we had an awesome tractor-themed birthday party for him, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He was, and still is, completely obsessed with his tractor cake and still walks around the house saying "terr-actor-cake," blowing out fake candles, and singing, "Happy to you! Happy to you! Happy Owen. Happy to you!"

...we spent 3 days at the Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA while Owen was being treated for severe 2nd degree burns down his entire right arm. The poor little guy pulled a mug of boiling-hot tea off of the counter and burned his arm, but fortunately did not spill any on his face or on his pregnant mom. The ER staff here in Lancaster were amazing working with him while he was still hysterical and in shock, and then Owen got to ride in an ambulance with his mom to the hospital. Lehigh Valley's got a great burn unit there, and together with their pediatrics unit, where we stayed, they did a wonderful job of treating Owen's wounds and keeping him comfortable.

Here are a few videos that I took to document the accident.

Saturday morning before his surgery, Owen was set up in his bed with a laptop watching movies to keep him entertained.

Saturday night after his surgery Owen enjoyed one of the many ginormous cookies that Mimi and PapPap bought him.

Our parents were hugely supportive during our time in the hospital, and we are grateful for everyone who was praying for us. We have been back to Allentown twice now for follow-up appointments and the doctors say that his wounds are healing nicely. We have one more appointment next Monday, and by then he should have all of his bandages off and full mobility of his arm back. His Mimi, Deb, got him a great Little Critters book about getting hurt and going to the hospital. This has seemed to help him process what happened, and he has been talking about it more since reading the book. The worst part for him right now as his arm heals is just how itchy it is. Please pray that this passes quickly and the healing process is expedited. Through all of this we are amazed at the resilience and wonderful spirit that our little guy has. He has been such a trooper through it all, and we are so proud of him.

Chicago Videos

2011-02-05T16:03:00.000-05:00

Brynne and I received a digital video camera for Christmas this year, so here goes with our first attempt at posting a video......

My dad's mom, Grandma Judy, unfortunately passed away last month, so Brynne, Owen, and I went to Chicago for the viewing and funeral. The bright side of things was that we got to spend time with my dad's dad, Grandpa Pat, with my cousins, whom we rarely see, and with Owen's cousins, whom he loves, loves, loves.

Beware of the background noise on this first video. There were 20 adults spectating during the photo shoot. Notice how much my brother Dan's little baby girl is enjoying herself in Great-Grandpa's arms!

Baby Bellies

2011-01-21T21:40:00.001-05:00

Owen and Daddy thought it was funny to put O's soccer ball inside his pj's. We couldn't resist taking some pictures. Enjoy! :)

29 Weeks!!

2011-01-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe I am already 29 weeks pregnant with our little girl. Some days it feels like the next 11 weeks will fly by and some days it feels like soooo far away. She moves a lot and so far everything has been healthy with this pregnancy. Every day I find myself more excited to meet her. Brian and I took a 29 week picture and as we were looking over the picture we heard this little voice saying "cheese". We looked over and Owen was holding the 29 week sign trying to get us to take his picture. He often gets confused and tells me that he has a baby in his belly. :)
This past weekend I got to hang out with two of my dear friends, Abby and Liz, who are both pregnant with little girls. They were in town for a beautiful baby shower that Abby's mother threw for her. It was so fun to spend time with them. We took a picture to capture all of us in our pregnant state. Lookout boys.....the little girls are about to outnumber you! ;)

Christmas 2010

2011-01-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

Now that all the presents are unwrapped and all of the decorations have come down we're ready to sit down and blog about Christmas. This year we were in NJ along with 10 other McHughs, 3 Hodges, 2 Pacellis, and 1 Soon-To-Be-McHugh. The living quarters were tight, nap time and bed time were delicate operations, but in the end everyone survived and boy did the kids have fun together!!! We had the pleasure of meeting our beautiful niece Maggie for the first time, and Owen couldn't resist hugging and kissing her. A good sign for his soon-to-be little sister. Here are some highlights.

Gram bought the kids all matching outfits, but they couldn't quite keep it together for one good photograph.

By far the biggest highlight of Christmas day for Owen was his new play kitchen. It wasn't even a minute before he was pouring coffee, frying eggs, and baking in the oven!!! (Obviously all things he sees his mommy doing at home).

It brought us such joy to watch Owen spending so much time with his extended family. At this point he has mastered almost everyone's name, but its Aunt Amy who has captured his heart like no one else!

We hope that celebrating the birth of our Savior meant as much to you as it did to us, and that the first couple weeks of your New Year have gotten off to a blessed start.

Fall 2010 in Review

2011-01-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

So, what to do when you haven't posted in nearly 2 months? Well, I figure just post a bunch of pictures, because that's really the best part, right? (Note: Owen's growing quite a healthy self-confidence in his physique as displayed in the last 2 photos)

Fall = Pumpkins = Lots of yummy food and fun!

2010-11-08T21:48:00.000-05:00

I looooove anything pumpkin flavored. Who can resist a good pumpkin cookie or a nice slice of pumpkin bread!? Someone was giving away neck pumpkins at church the other day and said they worked well for baking. I had never actually cooked a pumpkin and baked with it before. I always bought pumpkin in a can. I decided to try it and planned to make a chocolate pumpkin cake out of it.
These days Owen loves to pretend to cook. He pulls out all of our pots and pans and spoons and just goes to town "cooking". If you ask him what he is cooking he with either say "apples" or "eggs". I let him pull a chair up to the counter and help me with the cake. He had the best time. We just might have sampled slightly too much batter. :)
The cake turned out really good. I got the recipe off of allrecipes.com I am sort of obsessed with this website now. It has the best recipes and tons of reviews from people that have tried them. Yum!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T21:19:00.001-04:00

Latest Happenings......

2010-09-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

The month of September has flown by! It is hard to believe summer is over and fall is underway. We started the month by taking a trip to Pittsburgh to visit my (Brynne's) family. It was such a fun time. Owen loved spending time with his Mimi, Pap Pap, Aunt Brit, Great Aunt Ellen and my cousins Tori and Ashley. Pap Pap bought Owen his first power tool set and he still plays with his tools constantly!! I am thankful for this new toy. :) O also got to take a slow ride around the yard on Pap Pap's quad. I am not sure who was more excited about this....Owen or Pap Pap?

The second weekend in September we traveled to Allentown, PA for Brian's first Marathon! I was SO proud of him. He trained so hard over the summer and did a GREAT job! We were joined by Bri's parents, his brother Chris and Chris' fiance Sarah. It was fun to cheer Brian on and hang out with family.

Later in the month Grandpa McHugh came for visitnwhile Grandma was in TX visiting Brian's brother and his wife. We went to a fall festival at a local farm. Owen had a great time going on a hay ride, feeding the animals and running around outside.

We were also visited by Grandma McHugh and Aunt Megan at different times during the month. It was fun to have them here! What a great way to end the summer and head into Fall!!

Let's Go PSU!!!!!

2010-09-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

We didn't actually get to watch the Penn State game today but we had fun wearing our gear! Our kids are destined to be Penn State fans..........

Yogurt :)

2010-09-01T14:37:00.001-04:00

This is what happens when we let O "feed" himself his yogurt.........some days it is cleaner than others. Sometimes he gets tired of the spoon and just digs in with his hands. :)

Our Summer

2010-08-23T22:24:00.000-04:00

What better way to communicate just how quickly this summer has flown by than to make one quick blog post for the whole thing? Think about it: we spent so much time anticipating all the things we were going to do this summer, and before we knew it, we'd done them all. So here they are presented in what feels like the same amount of time as they actually took place. (Mar, even though I just made this up, is it a convincing enough reason for why we haven't posted anything since Mother's Day?)

Summer officially kicked off by watching the US squeak out a tie against England in the World Cup with Cousin K, Uncle Tim and Uncle Chris.

We traveled to NJ for the 17th annual MIT, and Aunt Kathryn's high school graduation. Though we didn't get any pictures of the actual basketball tournament or the actual graduation, we do have lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

We extended our trip a little bit by visiting Brynne's Uncle Pat, Aunt Zane, and cousins Chris, Tim and Courtney in Connecticut.

I spent the month of July on campus at West Chester University starting a Master Degree program, but we did manage two camping trips: one in our friends Jeremy and Allison's backyard with Owen and their kids, and the other just Brynne and I at Rickett's Glen State Park to celebrate our 6th anniversary.

The summer culminated in over 2 weeks at the beginning of August in Kure Beach, NC. We spent the first week with Pap Pap, Grammy, Aunt Megan, Aunt Brittany, and our friends Molly and Kaitlyn. To celebrate Molly and I turning 30 and Aunt Brittany turning 16, Brynne organized our own version of "Minute To Win It."

The second week, Jeremy and Allison and their kids joined us. One of the highlights from our week together was a trip to the Fort Fisher Aquarium.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T21:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Mothers Day! I had the best day today with my favorite guys. After church Owen took a nap while I got some walking and pilates in. We drove to Hershey and had dinner at Red Robin and then went to Hershey's Chocolate World. They have a fun little ride that takes you through all the steps to making Hershey's chocolate. Owen sat through the whole thing and loved it! He is walking now and loved walking around chocolate world grabbing at everything he could reach. He just couldn't understand why he couldn't pick up the world's largest peanut butter cup and walk away with it. :) Last year we took a ton of pictures on Mothers day with me holding Owen. This year we tried but all he wanted to do was get out of my arms and walk around. So much has changed in a year! I just love my little guy so much and think he is perfect for our family. He is so much fun and keeps us laughing. He loves to go outside and is always pointing towards the front door saying "out". He also says hot, da da, mom, uh oh, yeah and no. He is a little peanut weighing in at 21 pounds at his 15 month checkup.
I had fun celebrating being a mom to Owen today. I feel blessed beyond measure to have such and amazing husband and son.

Happenings.....

2010-04-11T15:35:00.000-04:00

Brian had off four days for Easter break and we had a wonderful weekend. We had amazing sunny and warm weather and we definitely made the most of it. Friday we went for a hike and tried out our Kelty backpack. Owen seemed to enjoy it for the most part but freaked out a little at the end. :) We finished the day with a cookout and the next day traveled to NJ to spend Easter with Grandma and Grandpa McHugh, Aunt Kate and Uncle Chris. It was such a fun time. Owen enjoyed playing outside with some new toys and going for walks with Grandpa. He still isn't walking but loves to move around holding on to someone's hand. We took some pictures of him playing in the back yard. His Great Aunt Ellen bought him the plaid overalls and he looked soooo cute!

I am so thankful for the wonderful weather we have been having. Owen and I go outside every day for walks with his wagon or to play at the park. O loves to be outside. He is really turning into a pleasant little boy. His new favorite foods are cucumber and yogurt. It didn't take long to also discover that he loves ice cream. :) His vocabulary includes Da Da, Mommy, hot, hi and yeah. He laughs and smiles all the time and will make friends with just about anyone. He loves going with me to the grocery store and riding in the front of the cart. Friday we went to the store and he talked very loudly from the moment we entered the store to the moment we left. He waved at everyone and got a lot of attention. The sounds and pitches that come out of this kids mouth are hysterical. He gets very animated when he talks and pretty much doesn't stop all day. When he wakes up in the morning or from a nap he just sits in his crib and squeals and talks to himself for at least 15 minutes. He is just the funniest kid. He keeps us laughing every day. We are constantly blown away at how blessed we are and with how wonderful our son is.

P.S. True Confession: This morning at church I was looking down at Owen's hair at church and felt envious over the light blond coloring. I realized that when I was his age I too had blond hair and didn't have to pay for it. :)

Haircuts and M&M's :)

2010-04-11T15:21:00.000-04:00

Owen got his fifth haircut and we fed him M&M's to keep him still in his chair! He is at the age when sitting still doesn't really happen so we had to come up with something good. The M&M's worked their magic and helped O to sit still for a while. In the past when we have cut his hair my job is to distract him and keep him still while Bri does the cutting. I usually tire of coming up with ways of getting a young boy to sit still and get distracted and Brian gets annoyed with me and the whole process is tons of fun. :) This time we agreed to not get annoyed and just kept feeding the M&M's. It was the best haircut process so far!

Pasta Pasta Pasta

2010-03-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

Owen loves spaghetti and does a great job feeding himself. I just couldn't resist taking pictures of him during lunch the other day. Ciao!

"F"-"R"-"E"-"E" spells FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

2010-03-20T20:49:00.000-04:00

If you know me well you know that I (Brynne) love free things. Especially when it pertains to food. I love going to Costco just to get the free samples. If there is a free sample to be had anywhere around me I will be eating it. It doesn't even really matter if I like it....if it is free, chances are you will see me putting it my mouth. Maybe I should be ashamed to admit this, but I am not. :) Today if you wore your pajamas to Brusters you got a free waffle cone!!! They also offer free cones for little kids any time you go. So, we slapped on some pj's tonight and headed off to Brusters. Owen loved his little cone and Brian and I ate way to much ice cream. It was over 70 degrees here today so it was the perfect weather and the perfect way to ring in the spring season.

Spring is Coming!!!

2010-03-11T16:33:00.000-05:00

Owen is getting so big! He has definitely moved from being a baby to a little boy. He has such a fun personality. He loves people and is always smiling and laughing. He has learned how to wave and shakes his head and says "yeah" whenever he is asked a question. It is sooo cute! He is close to walking but is not doing it yet. He will walk while holding on to one of our fingers but just won't let go.

Today I took him to get his first ice cream cone with my best friend Allison and her little girl Elliana. We sooooo wished we had a camera. They both had chocolate ice cream all over themselves. Owen loved it and held his cone all by himself. I had to change his outfit when we got home and found lots of chocolate sprinkles under his onesie. :)

He really loves going outside and loves going to the park. We had some gorgeous days here this week and went to the park several times. Below are some pictures from our park trips. We just keep falling deeper in love with this little boy! I will forever be thankful for his life. God blessed us with more than we could ask or imagine when little O was born. :)

Snow is Falling......Again!!

2010-02-11T16:32:00.000-05:00

The other day I posted about the wonder of the snow and how it forces us all to slow down. At the time I was truly enjoying being forced to relax and stay at home. Fast forward to a few days later and I was struggling to keep this perspective in place. Tuesday night we got pounded with over a foot of snow to add to the 20+ inches we had gotten a few days earlier. We live in Lancaster city and things get slightly crazy when it snows a lot. The city is not the best at clearing off the streets and there is really no where for all this snow to go. Cars end up getting plowed in. Many people have been putting chairs or garbage cans in their spots to claim them. Shamefully, we did do this earlier this week. One sort of feels entitled to a spot after they have spent several hours digging their car out.

Brian had school cancelled yesterday and today. Yesterday I started to feel slightly stir crazy by the afternoon but we managed to have a fun day indoors. This morning we woke up and decided to venture out. The roads are crazy in the city when it snows but because we live in the city there are many things close by that we can walk to. I called our friends, the Peters, and asked if they wanted to walk downtown to a local coffee shop. We met up at the end of our snowy street and proceeded to pull our kiddos on sleds down the sidewalk. Some people shoveled and salted out so well that at times we found ourselves dragging the sleds on the concrete instead of snow. Owen loved riding in the sled and enjoyed his cinnamon muffin at the cafe. :) He had so much fun that he tired out and fell asleep in his sled on the way home. Too cute!! Check out the picture below.

When we got home O went down for a nap and we started shoveling out parking spots. I actually have never had so much fun shoveling! We don't often see our neighbors in the winter because no one wants to go out in the cold. Everyone was outside today trying to shovel out cars and sidewalks. We all sort of helped each other and it made the task much easier. There is some sort of community feeling with people you don't even know very well when you are in these situations. I enjoyed getting to spend some time with our neighbors. The weather outside is actually quite beautiful. It didn't feel too cold and the sun was shining brightly.

Right now we are just relaxing and are thinking Brian might not have school again tomorrow. He already has the day off on Monday for Presidents Day. If he has tomorrow off it will have made for a 6 day break from school. We are definitely not complaining. :)

Snow is Falling

2010-02-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

I am always skeptical when there are reports of big snow storms coming. I feel like people usually get all hyped up, all the milk and bread disappears from stores, people cancel plans and then nothing happens. This time I was totally wrong. We actually got more than they were calling for. There is something so sweet about snow that forces the world to stop and relax. Snow doesn't care about the places you were scheduled to fly, the things on your "to do" list or the people you were scheduled to see. It just comes and with it brings a sort of childlike excitement and wonder. You can't do a thing about it except watch it fall. It presents you with a choice to get annoyed about the places you can't go and the people you won't see or you can sit back and listen to the laughter of children sledding and the enjoyment of a good nap on a snowy day. Today we chose to just surrender and savor all the little joys the day provided.

Being stuck at home provided the perfect opportunity to spend the day as a family. O got his first sled last week from our dear friends the Gormans. What divine timing! We took him out in it today and pulled him up and down the sidwalks and the empty, snow-covered streets. He had a big smile on his face as he rode along and ran his hands through the fluffy snow. This time out in the snow instead of crying the whole time like he did back in December, he lasted for 20 minutes before deciding that the big poofy coat and pants he had on were just too much to bear. Bri spent 2 hours shoveling out our cars while O and I played inside. Bri did manage to take a break and come up to the door so we could feed him a handful of M&M's for some "shoveling energy". :) Of course, O and I had to eat a few as well because it is hard work watching someone shovel so much snow!

Right now we are waiting to put O to bed and then we are going to bake cookies and watch a movie. We already found out that church is cancelled tomorrow so we have another relaxing day on the horizon. I am soooo ready for sunshine and warm weather but I am thankful for this little break in the midst of a busy month.

O's Cake

2010-02-04T21:01:00.000-05:00

You might have read my previous post about my new adventures in cake baking. I have embarked on a quest to perfect my cake baking skills and my sons first birthday proved as a lovely opportunity to practice. I think I still have much to learn about cake decorating but thanks to my friend, Mary Grace, I attempted to make the cake into the shape of the head of a teddy bear. Mary Graces youngest son was born on the same day as O, just a year earlier. She made her son a Lightning McQueen cake that could have seriously been sold in an expensive bakery. She has major skills. O was a good subject to practice on because I think he would have liked just about any cake we would have put in front of him. Below are the pictures of how it turned out. It is probably at the amateur level as far as birthday cakes go but I had fun doing it. My next adventure is to try to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Stay tuned......

O.T. Turns One!!

2010-01-25T21:58:00.000-05:00

How do individual days go by slow sometimes yet the years just seem to fly by? How is our little guy one already? I remember being up in the middle of the night when he was first born and feeling like that stage would last forever. The sleepless nights left as fast as they came and Owen Teddy went from being a little baby to being a little boy. We will be eternally grateful to God for giving us our son. He is SO much fun! He loves to crawl around and have people chase after him. He often stops and looks back with a giggle and a smile to make sure you are still coming after him. He babbles constantly and says da da, no and yeah. It sounds like he also says ma ma but it only seems to come out when he is whining. Hmmm.....He gives big, slobbery kisses and giggles most when he is being tickled by his daddy. This little guy will eat just about anything. He loves green beans and broccoli and oranges and one of his favorite foods is chili. :)
Words truly cannot express what we feel in our hearts for this little boy. January 25, 2009 our lives were changed forever. In one instant our lives became infinitely brighter and sweeter and more joy filled. We didn't know it was possible to feel this much love for one little baby. He is perfectly made in every way and is perfect for our family. A day doesn't go by in our house where we don't talk about how adorable we think he is and just how much we love him.
Our family came for his birthday party and it was wonderful! He was so cute and funny with his cake. He wasted no time digging into it and even managed to offer some to his cousin K. We eventually had to cut him off. We are so thankful for our family and for all the love they pour out over our little family of 3. Below are some pictures from the party.

Let them eat cake :)

2010-01-20T21:46:00.000-05:00

A little while back I decided I would like to learn how to bake homemade cakes. I grew up thinking cake just came out of a box and that was that. With Owen's first birthday coming up I thought it would be fun to make his cake.....from scratch. I have always felt like my baking skills and especially cake decorating skills were lacking. So, off I went to Borders bookstore to find a cookbook that could magically turn me into a famous baker. Quickly I realized that there are way too many cookbooks for one to choose from. Suddenly I became overwhelmed and pondered just how I would choose the right one. Who knew there were so many cake cookbooks?! I sat there for hours, sipping hot coffee and mulling over several books. My mind soaked in page after page, my courage rising that I could indeed become a good baker. Finally, I decided to purchase "The Art and Soul of Baking" by Cindy Mushet.

Tuesday I set out to make my very first homemade devils food cake with dark chocolate ganache frosting. Of course Owen cheered me on from his seat as he happily munched on spinach and chicken. :) There are so many things I had no idea about. Did you know that your eggs have to be at room temperature and you need to slightly beat them before adding them to the butter and sugar? Oh and by the way......6 minutes feels like an eternity when you are trying to cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer. I am proud to say that the cake actually turned out pretty good. It was a little flat and I think it is because I didn't cream the butter and sugar long enough. Apparently this process creates air bubbles that gives the cake more volume. Next time I just have to grow more muscles and beat the mixture until my arm about falls off.

To add to the fun, Brian and I watched Julie and Julia the night before and it was most inspiring, in case you couldn't tell. So inspiring that I am now going to attempt to make O's birthday cake into a cool teddy bear shape. Of course I will have the help of my dear friend Mary Grace who is a pro at decorating cakes. Stay tuned for how it turns out.................

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T22:08:00.001-05:00

This year we traveled to visit my (Brynne) family in Pittsburgh for Christmas. We had a wonderful time! Christmas Eve we went downtown and then spent the evening with some of our closest friends. Christmas day was spent with my dad's two sisters and their awesome families. Owen got lots of fun toys, clothes and a new chair that Brian is jealous of. :) Below are some of the pictures from our trip.

Oh Christmas Tree.....

2010-01-05T21:35:00.000-05:00

This post is a little late but we still wanted to share this fun experience. :) At the beginning of December we started a tradition with friends that we hope will last for years to come. We went with our dear friends the Hess's and Hoover's to State College to Tanenbaum Tree Farm to cut down our Christmas tree. The day started out with a yummy breakfast at the Hess's house. We then were off to a snowy State College to get our tree. It was the perfect weather for cutting down a tree. The kids had a great time and did so well the whole day. After we all selected our trees we headed for lunch and hit up some of our favorite food spots from our time at Penn State. Yogurt Express was a favorite in college and still is! It brought back good memories. It was an awesome way to start out the Christmas season.

Let it snow!

2009-12-21T21:18:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we got over a foot of snow in Lancaster! Saturday we spent the day inside getting things done around the house. We got excited to take Owen out to experience the snow for the first time. The only thing is that our son hates to get dressed. Any time we go to change his clothes he gets very upset. You get his shirt anywhere near his head and he throws a mini tantrum. We are not sure why he does this. He is very dramatic and can put on a good show. Sometimes it is comical. I wonder where he gets this from? :) Needless to say, he did not enjoy getting his snow pants and jacket on. He became slightly happier when we got outside but still did not love it. It was still a fun experience. We at least managed to get a few pictures.

Thanksgiving in NJ

2009-12-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

We had an outstanding Thanksgiving in New Jersey with my family. Everyone made it home, even Tanner after a surprise trip up from Newport News on Friday morning, and Aunt Terri and Aunt Mary Carol flew in from Chicago, too. Highlights were...

... an amazingly delicious turkey feast cooked by mom
... continuing to watch Owen and his cousin, K, grow up together. They constantly kept us entertained with K doing most of the moving and Owen doing most of the talking!
...seeing my sister Beth for the first time since finding out that she's pregnant! She's about 19 weeks along, but you'd never know it just by looking at her.
....throwing Beth a baby shower (girls only).
...playing A LOT of Band Hero (any suggestions for unlocking Taylor Swift should be directed to Kathryn).
...bowling with all the "kids."
...playing A LOT of late-night nerts.

Almost 10 months!!

2009-11-13T10:18:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe our little guy is almost 10 months! Time has gone by so fast. He started doing an army crawl across the floor last week. He kind of wiggles like a worm to get where he wants to go and it is so cute! He has tried a lot of foods and actually really likes chili and pasta. Now he often just eats whatever we are eating for dinner. He gives kisses when asks and is cutting his first tooth....finally. He continues to be such a joy and blessing to us!

October Happenings

2009-10-31T21:37:00.000-04:00

October has been a fun month. Owen hit the big 9 month mark and continues to change every day. He looks so much older. He really doesn't like being on his stomach so he hasn't started crawling yet. He has started pulling himself up to a standing position and can walk while we hold his hands. We think he will go straight to walking and skip crawling.
The three of us took a trip to Pittsburgh to visit my family. Owen got to hang out with many of his second cousins and was spoiled by his Grammy and Pap-Pap.

Owen got a fun visit from his cousin K a few weeks ago. The boys were so cute together! When O saw K he smiled and started squealing loudly. He loves being around other kids. We tried to get them to sit still for a photo shoot but it didn't last long. :)

O has been trying all kinds of new foods. This past week we had him try spaghetti, chili and oatmeal and he loved all of it. His hair keeps getting long and when he wakes up in the morning he often has a pretty sweet "bed head". The picture below shows him after his breakfast.

Philadelphia Distance Run

2009-10-19T21:03:00.001-04:00

September 2oth was the Philadelphia Distance Run that Brynne and I had been training for with Team in Training. Many of you know that a few weeks before the race Brynne was battling stomach issues and ended up having ischemic colitis. The doctors advised her not to continue training and not to run the race. This was difficult news for us to swallow, but I decided to continue training and Brynne decided to cheer me on all the more. Thanks to the generosity of a lot of you, I was able to exceed my fundraising goal of $2000, and collectively, the Team in Training participants from Central and Eastern PA and Southern NJ raised over $250,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Being a part of Team In Training completely enhanced this whole experience for me. I enjoyed every mile of training, from Lancaster to Pittsburgh, from Kure Beach to Basking Ridge, knowing that in the end I'd get to run 13.1 miles through downtown Philadelphia with the purpose of saving lives and finding a cure.

Race day was picture perfect. The perfect weather, the perfect temperature, and the contagious energy of around 15,000 runners. My brother Chris ran with me, and we started out with a conservative pace, fell into a groove between miles 3 and 10, and then picked up the pace for the last 3 miles. My finishing time was just over 1:49, which was right around my goal, but leaves me wondering how much faster could I go? Or how much further? My next goal: the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 2. Stay tuned for more details!

American running hero Ryan Hall (middle) won the race in 1:01. Brynne didn't get any action shots of Chris and I running because she was cheering us on as we ran by, but I made a special request to get a picture of Ryan!

My cheering section. Brynne surprised me the morning of the race with her homemade t-shirt and Owen's homemade onesie. As you might guess Owen got more attention at the race than we did.

Chris and I proudly displaying our finisher's medals.

Owen's second trip to see the Nittany Lion!!

2009-09-12T11:41:00.000-04:00

Too cute for words!

2009-09-06T14:29:00.000-04:00

Owen just hit the big 7 month mark and our friend Val took pictures of him. Our love for him grows every day! 95% of the time he can sit up by himself without toppling over. He used to hate being on his stomach but now he rarely sleeps any other way. He has a giggle that could win contests and makes squealing noises when he gets excited or wants attention. His favorite thing to do is jump in his Johnny Jump Up. When you put him in it he starts bouncing wildly and even gets a running start and swings back and forth. O is such a pleasant and good baby. He loves being around people and and has a grin across his face for most of the day. Before having O I often dreamed of what my son would be like. Never in a million years could I have dreamed up how awesome my son actually is! Thank you Lord for every day we get to spend with this little guy!

We are Raising Money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!!

2009-08-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

Brian and I are going to run the Philadelphia Distance Run (1/2 Marathon) on September 20th. We are partnering with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training to raise money for cancer research and to give money to families going through cancer treatment. Many people have already donated on our behalf but we still have over $2,000 to raise. If you would like to donate please go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/cpa/phildist09/bmchughowc . We are so grateful to all who have given to this cause and are excited to run this race. Thank you for your help and financial support!! We will keep you updated on how things go.

Long Overdue!

2009-08-13T16:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry we have been so delinquent on doing any blog posts this summer! We had some issues with our computer and traveled quite a bit, all which did not help us get things posted. We have had a busy but awesome summer. Brian has enjoyed having the summer off from teaching and we are trying not to think about the fact that he will head back to school in a few short weeks.

At the beginning of July we traveled to Pittsburgh to spend time with my (Brynne's) family. Though Brian was supposedly training with my dad to join him in the mortgage broker business, they managed to get in two rounds of golf. Meanwhile, Owen and I got to spend fun time with Brittany and Grammy Deb. Owen was very spoiled and loved all of the attention. Brian and I went to an amusement park, Kennywood, to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We left Owen with Pap-pap and Grammy for the day while we ran around like kids all day and ate more junk food than we probably should have. It was so much fun!

The next few weeks were spent back in Lancaster. Brian did some painting and put some finishing touches on drywall and trim in our house. I am so thankful to have such a handy husband! After three years our house projects are finally coming to an end......at least for now. Owen turned 6 months old and along with that milestone he started eating solid foods. He did well with it right from the start. Sweet potatoes and prunes are his favorites.

At the end of July we packed up the car and headed south for a two week trip to Kure Beach, NC. We spent the first week with Brian's Mom, Dad and sister Kathryn. My family came at the end of the first week and stayed through the second week with us. It was such an awesome time! The weather was perfect and we just loved getting to spend so much time with our families. Owen was loved on constantly and Brian and I were able to relax a lot. We are still amazed and continually blessed by the love our families pour out on us.

We left Kure beach and headed up to New Jersey for the McHugh Invitational Tournament. This is a three-on-three basketball tournament that the McHugh's organize every year to raise money for the V Foundation. It is always so fun when the whole McHugh family is together. Owen got to spend some time with his cousin K. The boys were so cute together! They are going to have so much fun together when they get older..........and will probably get into lots of trouble together. :)

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

Technically this past Sunday was my second Father’s Day as an actual father (Owen was a microscopic 6 weeks in existence last year at this time), but really my first since Owen was born. He thanked me for helping give him life with a really cool beer stein that Mommy painted and glazed, and a half-gallon growler of Iron Hill Brewery’s Honey Double Witbier, a delicious Belgian Ale, my favorite. I decided to wait until after church to have a drink, so I settled for some OJ to go with the pancakes that Brynne made for me. Since it was such a beautiful day here, after church and after lunch we packed up and headed to Susquehannock State Park to do a little hiking.

Portions of the trail overlook the Susquehanna River near Mt. Johnson Island, the first bald eagle sanctuary in the world. Owen helped keep us on trail..........but then petered out about half-way through the hike.

We had to cut it short when he started wailing uncontrollably due to being hot and tired, without having spotted any bald eagles. After returning home, the celebration continued as I was "allowed" to have hot dogs for dinner and what goes better with hot dogs than a nice cold glass of Honey Double Witbier? We capped off my first real Father's Day with a photo shoot in the backyard.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, I hope your day was just as enjoyable.

Memorial Day Trip to Chicago

2009-05-27T20:29:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we traveled to Chicago to see Brian's extended family. I have to confess that I was really stressing over flying with an infant. What if he cried for the entire flight? What if everyone on the plane hated us because we had the crying kid? We waited until the last moment possible to board the plane. The only person behind us was a father traveling with his little girl who looked to be just over 1 year old. He must have had the same idea as us....keep our kids off the plane as long as possible. As we walked down the aisle to find our seat you could just see the look of terror on people's faces, wondering if they would get stuck sitting next to a crying baby. I suddenly felt guilty for all the times I, too, sat on a plane and grumbled under my breath about the crying child behind me or the little kid kicking my seat.

All of my fears were unfounded because Owen did AWESOME!!! He ate and then slept for a little bit and then was cheerful for the rest of the flight. He was passed around to many people throughout the weekend and handled it like a champ. Brian has a wonderful and large family. :) It was so good to see them and introduce them to Owen. It was a highlight to introduce Owen to his great-grandparents and to see cousin Kelly for the second time. The boys were so cute together! Grandma McHugh keeps buying them matching outfits that make them look even cuter. We took over a hundred pictures of these little guys together! What a blessing to be a part of such an amazing family.

We love Owen....and Penn State!

2009-05-21T07:28:00.000-04:00

Aunt Megan came to visit last weekend and loves taking pictures of Owie. She just emailed these to me last night. Could he be any cuter?? I don't think so!

Hmm.....

2009-05-12T09:43:00.000-04:00

This morning I went out for a run with Owen. We passed a man wearing a tight blue sweatsuit. He was walking two dogs, listening to his ipod AND smoking a pipe! I thought I was juggling a lot by holding my ipod in one hand and pushing the stroller with the other. Now if only I could walk dogs, while pushing the stroller while wearing a tight blue sweatsuit......skills.....that would definitely take major skills.......

2009-05-11T07:51:00.000-04:00

Dear Owen,
Yesterday was my first Mothers Day as your Mom. I got pampered and celebrated all day. As I reflected on the day I recognized that without you there would be no celebration and pampering for me. You have filled my life with more joy than you know. I love being your mom and getting to spend every day with you. In the morning you always wake up with a pleasant spirit and just lay in your crib making adorable noises. When I come in to your room to pick you up you get the biggest smile on your face. What an awesome way to start my day! Your smile melts my heart. All it takes is one look from us and you get a huge grin across your face. You have had some issues with allergies and reflux and yet you have still managed to have a peaceful and happy demeanor. I know when I don't feel good I am not half as cheerful as you have been! I enjoy watching you discover new things like your hands and feet. You are not one to really suck on a pacifier but you seem to love sucking on your hands. Daddy seems to think you will be right handed because you seem to suck on that hand more than your left hand. We will have to wait and see if he is right. No real words come out of your mouth yet but you seem to have plenty to say to us. You babble and coo more and more each day. You and I have daily conversations where no audible words are spoken but they are some of the best conversations I have ever had.

Being your mom has already shown me how often I fall short and how imperfect I am. I have been praying that God helps me to walk in todays grace instead of living in yesterdays mistakes. You are a forgiving little guy and never seem to notice when I am in a bad mood or when I don't do things right. In spite of my many shortcomings I pray that you would grow up to know that you are loved by a God who formed every part of your being in perfect fashion. He loves you more than I ever could and I hope that through my love you are able to catch more of a glimpse of God's great love. I am so excited to walk through life with you. I dream of all the things you will get to do with daddy and I. We will surely take trips to the park, sing silly songs and dance around the house. You are a joy to me and you will always be a sign to me that God is faithful and he answers our prayers. I love you Owen. Thank you for making my first mothers day and my life such a wonderful experience.

Love,
Your Mom

The Best Mothers Day!

2009-05-10T22:39:00.000-04:00

This was my first official Mothers Day as a mom and it was awesome! I have the best husband and son in the world. The day started with a five mile run. Brian found a new trail that we will surely visit again. We ran in the early morning sun with a beautiful creek to our left and farmland to our right. We may have burned calories by running but we consumed way more than we burned throughout the rest of our day. :) We got home and Bri made us pancakes with peanut butter syrup and bananas. We then took a nap while Owen napped and afterwards got ready for the day. The three of us did a little shopping and then got Qdoba burritos for dinner and ate at a nearby park. The night was topped off by a cheerful Owen getting a bath and then Brian and I munching on some brownies with soy ice-cream. The soy ice-cream was thanks to poor Owie who can't handle dairy. But seriously, the soy ice-cream is actually pretty good.
I love my boys a lot and am so thankful that they are what I get to wake up to every day. Thank you Jesus for giving me more than I could ever deserve!
P.S. Yes, those actually are his shorts on his head. Thanks Bri for that one!

Life Just Gets More Fun!

2009-05-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

,

Life with Owen gets more fun each and every day. He smiles all the time and talks in his own little language constantly. New sounds and pitches come out of his mouth daily. He still loves his bath time and for some reason talks non-stop as soon as we take him out and put him in his towel. I think he likes the freedom of no diaper and no clothing. :) He is moving on to 3-6 month clothing and seems to be getting bigger by the day.

With the warmer weather we have been having, Owen has gotten to go on his share of runs with the jogging stroller. One of the best parts about running for me is getting to listen to music on my ipod. I love running, but I love music even more. My favorite thing is to download a new cd and head out for a run to discover what the music will gift to my listening ears. I lose all track of time and sort of forget I am even pounding my feet on the pavement. As I thought about this, I realized life with Owen is much like going out for one of my favorite runs. When I go into his room every morning he looks up at me and smiles. I smile back and realize that the day ahead is like a new song being unfolded in front of me. I am not sure what it will sound like but I know Owen will do new things and I will get to discover more of his sweet personality. I may love music, but oh little Owen how I love you so much more...........your song is sweeter than any I have ever heard before.

Tales From A Bathroom Floor.........

2009-04-09T12:18:00.000-04:00

Our little O is 2.5 months old! There are moments at 2 a.m. when you feel like time drags on and you will never get sleep again. But then I look back and can't believe my son is almost 3 months old. Time does go by fast......most of the time.

Owen gave us his first real smile at 6 weeks and hasn't stopped since. He has started making fun cooing noises and loves laying under his jungle gym play set. Who knew staring at dangling things and hitting your hands against them could be so fun?! He has also started sleeping like a champ. Last night he slept from 8:45 to 5:45 and then went back to sleep after he ate until 8:45! Lets hope this continues.

He still has some fussy periods each day. He has what we call "special places" in our house. These are the places that calm him down when he is fussy. One of these places is on a fluffy rug on our bathroom floor while the bathtub water is running. As soon as you lay him in there he calms down. One day as I laid beside on the floor I wondered why he liked this so much. I discovered that when you lay on the floor you can feel and hear the vibration of the water running through the pipes below the floor. Apparently O loves this sound and feeling. One night he was super fussy as we got ready for dinner. I picked up Owen and told Bri to grab our salads and meet me in the bathroom. We ended up eating dinner as Owen happily lay on the bathroom rug. I realized that I would do anything for this little guy but also would do crazy things for a moment of peace and quiet and an uninterrupted dinner. :)

Some days I have wondered if I could be enough for my son. What if I made or make mistakes in taking care of him? I realized and am learning that God gave me Owen and his personality to teach me more about Himself. Owen is perfect for me and for our family. In the same way, God gave us to Owen with all of our goodness and sin to ultimately lead Owen closer to Himself. I may not always be enough for my son but God always is. Brian and I may not be perfect, but we are perfect for Owen and Owen is perfect for us.

Sometimes when we are in the midst of a hard time it seems like it will never end. But I am realizing that morning sickness fades away into a distant memory, contractions eventually end, babies do stop crying and you will eventually get some sleep. When the hard things end you are left with valuable lessons learned, and in this case we are left with a beautiful baby boy who at this moment is laying on the ground looking at himself in a mirror and smiling. :)

WE ARE...

2009-03-25T18:00:00.000-04:00

So Owen got to visit his future alma mater this past weekend as Brynne and I took him to State College to see her mom, her Uncle Mike, Aunt Karen, cousin Willie, and her sister. We love to show him off and of course everyone has been more than willing to love on him. You'll see in some of the pictures that he is now smiling purposefully, and he's starting to wear "real" clothes, not just his newborn sleepers. This opens up a whole new realm of creativity for Brynne each morning as she picks out what he's going to wear, and gives me something to look forward to when we Skype at the end of the school day.

Side note: I started wearing sweaters to school over my shirt and tie this winter because I have a whole stack of them and they wouldn't have been worn otherwise (and it seriously cut down on having to iron all my shirts). Well for some reason my students got the greatest kick out of it and especially loved when I wore argyle. We even dubbed Thursdays "Argyle Thursdays." On occasion a few select students who weren't too cool to dress like their teacher would also wear argyle on Thursdays. Anyway, here's Owen doing his part to keep the tradition alive (my students will get to see these tomorrow and I know they're going to go crazy!).

Owen and Kelly

2009-03-01T21:24:00.000-05:00

Last weekend my brother Tim and his wife Bethany were in town with their son Kelly. Kelly's a month older than Owen and this was their first chance to meet each other. My parents and my aunts Mary Carol and Terri were in town to witness the event also. Here are some highlights.

Two Weeks Old

2009-02-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Owen celebrated his two week birthday today, and officially passed his original due date, which was yesterday, 2/7. We can't imagine what the last two weeks would've been like if he hadn't been born yet. Here are some highlights from Owen's second week of life, which wouldn't have happened for another couple of weeks:

1) Skyping with cousin Kelly, Uncle Tim, and Aunt Bethany.
2) Peeing on me while getting his diaper changed on his changing table.
2) Going to church for the first time.
3) Peeing on Brynne while getting his diaper changed on our bed.
4) Going for a walk around the block for the first time.
5) Peeing on Brynne while getting his diaper changed in his Pack 'N Play.
6) Regaining the ounces he lost after being born, taking him back up to his birth weight.
7) Peeing on me while getting his diaper changed on the changing pad of the Pack 'N Play.

Stolen My Heart.....

2009-01-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

For 9.5 months I carried this little guy around and wondered what it would be like to meet my son for the first time. I wondered if I would instantly love him. I wondered how I would do with labor and little sleep afterwards. All it took was one look, one look and I knew my life would never be the same. His sweet little face melted my heart and I knew I would do anything for him. I love Brian immensely, even more after this experience, but I love Owen in a way that surpasses anything I have ever felt. I can't stop staring at him. Can't stop thinking about him. Can't stop talking about him. I have hopelessly fallen head over heels in love with my son. I am overwhelmed with the gift and blessing that Owen is. More than ever before I have seen God in action. I believe that he is real and my son is living proof of that. This has been the most amazing adventure of our lives thus far.
We are having so much fun getting to know him. This week he has started eating better and is awake for long stretches throughout the day. Last week Grammy Deb stayed with us and was SO helpful. She cooked for us and was an expert at keeping Owen comfortable and calm. Over the weekend we were visited by Pap-pap Colabrese, Uncle Chris, Aunt Kate, Aunt Megan, and Grandma McHugh. Pap-Pap was in heaven as he watched the Steelers win the Superbowl with his grandson by his side. Grandma McHugh has been here this week and has been a huge blessing. She has cooked and done laundry and done a great job loving on Owen. I think we will be seeing a lot of Owen's grandparents over the next few months. :) Owen is one well-loved little boy!

Owen Theodore has arrived!!!

2009-01-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard, Brynne gave birth to 7 lb 8 oz Owen Theodore at 4:50 am Sunday January 25th. She was absolutely amazing during the entire birthing process and is now recovering well. Owen is a beautiful, healthy, bundle of joy that steals my breath every time I look at him. Here are a few pictures.

Fun Happenings.....

2009-01-19T20:09:00.000-05:00

We have been having fun in these last few weeks trying to do things we won't get to do for a while once this little guy arrives. I had the chance to go to the PA Farm Show with one of my best friends, Allison, and her kids. We got to see all sorts of fun animals and a cool show with a horse relay event. The PA Farm Show is hard to describe if you have not been there or if you are not from this area. There are cows, chickens, goats and alpacas...just to name a few of the animals. There are different shows and competitions with the animals and a ton of really good food. :) We had a great time. Below are some pictures of her cute kiddos.

Our friends, Liz and Colin McCabe, came and visited us this past weekend. We had an awesome time with them and even went bowling. I definitely got some weird looks being over 9 months pregnant while trying to bowl. :)

Now that I am allowed to exercise we have been trying to "walk this baby out". Bri and I have been going on a lot of walks in the snow together and have enjoyed being able to get out and move around. I keep reminding myself and praying that my son would come in God's perfect timing and not in my timing. We are excited to meet him and do hope God's timing is in the next 3 weeks. :)

The Home Stretch.....9 months down.....

2009-01-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

We finally hit 36 weeks and have been told by our doctors that we can deliver safely from this point on! We can't tell you how much of a relief that was for us to hear. After consistently having contractions and having to cease being active for the last 19 weeks Brynne is enjoying the freedom of going for walks and cleaning the house again. We're thankful, however, for God bringing us through this time and for all that He has taught us about finding our true rest in Him.

The baby is as active as ever these days, and we are entertained daily by the lumps that we see protruding from and moving across Brynne's stomach. He seems to get the hiccups every hour practically which make us wonder why. Because, when I (Brian) think about it, I can't remember the last time I got the hiccups. Maybe it happens once a year.

We're continuing to prepare for the delivery by attending our birthing class and performing "birthing exercises" such as stretching and squatting. And by "we" I mean Brynne because other than not passing out, I'm not too worried about my own physical condition. As her belly has gotten bigger she's complained that the squats are getting harder and harder, which resulted in the following exchange:

Brynne: I don't like squatting, my belly gets in the way. I'm not sure how much longer I can do these.

Brian: Brynne, you can do it. Sumo wrestlers squat, so can you.

Fortunately for me, Brynne found this as funny as I did, and has successfully continued her squatting regiment.

The nursery is all but finished at this point. The furniture is in, shelves are hung on the walls and hooks hung on the door. I'm extremely thankful to have had a 2 week break from work to get all of this done and for my father-in-law's help on other house projects. Brynne and I enjoyed his visit and our visit to NJ with my family like we never have before. The next time we will see all of them will be as parents.

So now the countdown begins....

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! In anticipation of sending out baby announcements in the next few weeks, we've decided not to also send out Christmas cards, but to post our "Christmas" pictures on our blog. Our friend Val took them and you can check out more of her stunningly creative work on her website at http://lgracephotos.blogspot.com.

It's truly hard to believe that another year has gone by and that it's time to reflect back on 2008. Aside from realizing that the 2000's are quickly coming to a close and that we are both quickly approaching our 30's, we also celebrated our 4th anniversary, our 3rd summer in Lancaster, our 2nd trip to Disney, and of course our 1st pregnancy!

The year started on a super high note and we wondered if the rest of the year was going to be able to keep up. Less than 5 weeks apart in February and March, I (Brian) took two trips to Florida! (which doesn't even count being in Tallahassee the previous December for a wedding!) The first was my Christmas present from Brynne's dad and her grandfather, and included staying at Pap Pap's condo in Bradenton, 4 beautiful days of golf with her dad, her uncle Pat, and family friend Mick, a visit to the Pittsburgh Pirates' Spring Training facility, and the best orange juice I've ever tasted from Mixon's Fruit Farm. While we were suffering in Florida, Brynne got to spend some good, quality time in cold, snowy Pittsburgh with her family and friends.

The second trip to Florida was strictly business. Brynne and I were "hired" by my parents to "baby sit" my then 15 year-old sister, Kathryn at Walt Disney World, while they toured Israel with some of their best friends. It was extremely taxing, hard work for us, but we fought to see the silver lining in it all :) In all seriousness, I'm not sure we even had as much fun in Lake Tahoe on our honeymoon! We jumped on the beds of our Polynesian Resort hotel room, stayed out at the theme parks until 3 am (you can do that when you stay at a Disney resort and don't have parents with you!), lounged by the volcano pool, ate huge buckets of ice cream, and had the time of our lives with Kate.

In May, my brother Chris joined us for a 5-mile race in and around Lancaster City, and then celebrated with us the very next morning when we found out that we were pregnant. While the last 8 months have had their share of challenges, the excitement and joy of bringing a new life into our families have overshadowed them all. Brynne's pregnancy was made a little bit easier by sharing the experience with our pregnant sister-in-law, Bethany, and our pregnant friends Allison, Betsy, Sharon, Yolanda, Julie, and Sarah, just to name a few.

Another significant change for us came at the end of July when I decided to go back to teaching high school math. Unlike my first 3 years of teaching freshmen and Algebra 1, I now have juniors and seniors and Precalculus and Calculus!!! This has provided a fun new challenge that I see myself doing for quite a while.

In between leaving the bank and starting the new school year, Brynne and I squeezed in a trip with her family and our good friend, Molly, to the Outer Banks. Finally, the fall was punctuated with a few visits to Pittsburgh and New Jersey, and a couple of baby showers. We realize that we have undeservedly been blessed this year by the Giver of all good things, and awaiting the arrival of our son has given us a heightened awareness of the miracle of Jesus' birth. May the Lord bless you this Christmas season by his grace and mercy.

Painting the Nursery

2008-12-13T22:09:00.000-05:00

Some days it's more of a reality that I'm going to be a dad than others. Like getting married and planning a wedding, so much time is spent planning for and talking about the single event of the delivery, that it's easy not to think about life once the delivery is over. But tonight as I was painting the baby's nursery the reality hit me again. Painting the nursery-it's probably the most cliche scene from TV and movies to demonstrate the excitement and preparation for a couple's first baby, which is why I think in the middle of doing it the significance sunk in. I was more than happy to spend my entire Saturday doing something for my son. I felt like a real dad. I know that there will be plenty more "Saturdays painting the nursery" as he grows up and I can't help but feel honored. Honored that God created this little boy specifically for Brynne and I. Honored that I get to follow in the footsteps of my dad as a loving husband and father who demonstrated to his sons the sacrificial love of Christ. Honored that I get to tell my son the greatest story ever told and introduce him to Jesus. Jesus was a baby boy once too. He didn't have a nursery-He had a manger. I'm honored by God's humility that I get to give my son something not even the King of Kings had.

8 Months.........

2008-12-13T20:36:00.001-05:00

Each month I wonder how my stomach could get bigger and then I wake up one morning and realize that yes, my stomach did grow bigger. :) This little guy is still moving a lot and now you can feel and see a hand or foot move across my stomach. Overall I feel pretty good. I am still getting more braxton hicks contractions than I should so I just have to take it easy most days. Brian has been doing an awesome job encouraging me and helping me out around the house. I couldn't ask for a better husband or friend. :) I know my son will be richly blessed in this life by having this man as his father.
This past month included a lot of fun things. We were able to travel to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving to spend time with the Colabrese family. I had my first baby shower there and it was so fun. We felt so blessed by all of the gifts, love and support that people gave. The next week our families traveled here to Lancaster to join us for our second baby shower. It was an awesome time where we were once again overwhelmed by everyone's love and generosity. Baby McHugh is going to be one stylin little guy. I can't wait to put all of the new little outfits on him. Putting all of his clothing, blankets, bibs, etc. away makes this all seem so much more real. We get more excited as each day goes by.
Brian started to paint the baby's room and it looks awesome! It is going to be a chocolate brown color. We have waited so long to put this room together and are really excited about it. I wish I could help but I have to just sit back and watch my hubby do all the work. We will post pictures of the progress soon.
Brian's brother Tim and his wife Bethany are expecting their first baby in 2 weeks. We are so excited to meet this little one and find out if our son will have a little boy or girl cousin to play with. We pray that Bethany and the baby remain healthy and that they have a quick and safe delivery. We look forward to all of the exciting things that lay ahead. God's blessings continue to amaze us every day!

7 Months and Lots of Growth.........

2008-11-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

My stomach has definitely grown the most between 6 and 7 months. It just keeps going straight out! :) The baby has definitely grown a lot. When he moves you can see my stomach move all around. The other night Brian had his hand on my stomach and he could feel different parts of the baby raise up and move across my stomach. What a crazy experience! I am not sleeping so well as my stomach grows, but did buy a long body pillow that seems to be helping. I think all of my pillows are slowly pushing Brian out of the bed, but he seems to having no trouble sleeping.

We have started to clear out the baby's room but have yet to paint it. Brian is going to start working on that soon. We have baby showers coming up in Pittsburgh and Lancaster and are very excited about them. It is awesome to have so many people just love on us and this baby. We feel so blessed by our friends and family.

Monday began the start of our child birth classes. We are doing an extensive class that meets for many weeks. It was a fun and interesting class and Brian even had to give me a massage. I was laying there thinking that I was definitely going to enjoy these classes.

If you know me, you may know that I love music. I was laughing last night telling Bri that I like to give the baby "music time" every day. :) I put my headphones on my stomach and play music and he usually starts moving around a ton. Maybe we will have a great musician someday......

We read that the baby can clearly hear peoples voices at this point. Every night Brian reads a Psalm to baby McHugh before we go to bed. Hopefully he will learn his dad's voice and we are having fun speaking God's truth over this little man every day. I often sit and wonder what God has in store for our son. We are praying that he grows up to know the love of Jesus in ways people can only dream of. It is amazing how much you can love someone before ever even meeting them. This little guy is definitely loved beyond measure.

We Love You Pap-Pap...........

2008-11-13T14:45:00.000-05:00

Last week we got the sad news that my (Brynne) grandfather passed away. What a sweet and dear man he was. He loved being a father and a grandfather and was so excited to meet our little guy. I am sure he will be looking down with a big smile on his face when this little boy makes his entrance into the world. We will continue to celebrate his life and will always have so many fond memories of Pap-Pap. His memory will live on in our lives and in the life of our little boy. We love you Pap-Pap!

6 Months..........

2008-10-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

Some days this pregnancy feels like it is going by so fast and other days it feels like I have been pregnant for 10 years and will be pregnant for 10 more. :) Overall it has gone pretty well. Recently I have been getting braxton hicks contractions that were a little too close together so I have had to stop exercising and rest a little more. This has seemed to help most days. We are so thankful for all of the people that have been praying for us and for the safety of our little boy. Below is my 6 month picture. My stomach has grown a lot and I just can't believe it will get way bigger over the next few months. It is amazing how skin can stretch. The baby moves a lot now and weighs a little over a pound and is between 10 and 12 inches!

"Pop" goes the belly.......

2008-09-29T14:41:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of me at 20 weeks. I am now just over 21 weeks. It was like an overnight phenomenon. All of the sudden I woke up one morning between 19 and 20 weeks and I had this stomach that just popped out. I was standing in front of the mirror wondering whose stomach this was and exactly what had happened to mine? :) People can clearly now tell that I am 5 months pregnant.
I feel the baby move all of the time now and am loving it. One night I was laying in bed and Brian put his hand on my stomach. All of the sudden the baby did some acrobatic move and made Brian's hand jump off my stomach. It was the first time Bri got to feel the baby move. It was one of those moments you want to freeze in time because you know every time you go back to visit that moment it will bring a smile to your face.
This little guy is becoming more of a reality every day. Some days it seems like it will be forever until we meet him. Some days the reality hits that in just a few short months our lives will never be the same. We can't wait!

Baby McCutie is a boy!

2008-09-22T20:22:00.000-04:00

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound. We both were convinced we were having a girl and were shocked to find out that we are actually having a little boy! After the initial shock has worn off we are really excited. Brian has already started to plan out all the things they are going to do together. My dad is convinced we need to train him to be left-handed so he can grow up to be a famous pitcher and make us all the big bucks, however, Uncle Chris is going to teach him how to be a punter because there is no easier way to break into professional sports. :) It was so awesome to watch him on the screen. We could see him suck his thumb and move his arms and legs. Below we have posted some pictures of this cutie. Now we just have to agree on a name...........

This is a picture of the baby sucking his thumb.

This was our favorite. Looks pretty cute. :)

This is a picture of the baby's feet. The baby's
right foot is turned sideways behind its left foot.

18 Week Checkup

2008-09-08T21:51:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday Brynne and I had our 18 week appointment to make sure that Baby McCutie was doing OK. All signs pointed to a healthy baby and healthy development for Brynne too. She's starting to show a little more everyday and I've noticed people are tempted more and more to rub her belly. This is one of the most fascinating observations from living with a pregnant woman. In any other situation you're sure to be slapped upside the head if you touch a woman's belly, but a lot of people don't hesitate once they find out she's pregnant. The thing is, until she's somewhere in the ballpark of 20 weeks, her stomach is still the same as it always was. So you're not so much rubbing a pregnant belly, but just her normal everyday belly. I've given Brynne permission to rub anyone back who rubs her belly without asking her-I think it's only fair. So far she hasn't taken me up, but beware!

Here are a few more observations from Brynne's conversation with our midwife, Sherri, at our appointment last week.

-Brynne's been feeling pain toward the bottom of her stomach and Sherri explained that her uterus and bladder are fighting for space at this point and her bladder is extra tender. I always wondered what happened to all of the normal organs when a woman gets pregnant and the baby starts taking up space. Apparently everything else pretty much suffers, to the point where I think Sherri suggested Brynne stand on her head before going to the bathroom so that the baby could force every last little drop out of her bladder when she stood back up. (Thank you to Deb and Kelly for providing additional bathroom-time exercises to help the cause)

-This same pain becomes amplified when Brynne exercises because she feels like everything is colliding together inside. Again, Sherri confirmed that that's exactly what is happening and told Brynne that she needs to stop running until she's past 20 weeks. This made me think, baby or no baby, don't my organs collide around inside me when I run? If it's not good for Brynne, is it good for any of us? No word from Sherri on that question yet.

4 Months and Counting...........

2008-08-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

The baby is doing well from everything we can tell. I have slowly started to feel better and think I may finally be moving out of feeling sick all the time. We are hoping I will get to feel the baby move in the next few weeks. As you can tell from the picture my belly has started to grow. We laugh because it seems to grow more as the day goes on and then goes back down again by the next morning. I am enjoying sleeping on my stomach while I still can. :) We are growing more and more excited to meet this little one. February can't seem to come fast enough.

The past month has been full of lots of fun things for the McHugh family. We went to the beach for a week and then to the McHugh's in NJ for the annual MIT Basketball tournament. Brian did not win but he also did not turn his ankle this year....a big plus! Brian got a new job teaching Calculus and Geometry at Pequea Valley High School. We have been overwhelmed at God's timely provision of this job. His first day of school was this past Monday and things went really well. The school is located in the heart of Amish country and Bri loves to tell people that it is in the lovely town of Intercourse, PA. I had to call HR to get insurance information and the woman I spoke to said there were already rumors circulating about the new good looking math teacher. Apparently my husband is now the "hot math teacher". :) Below is a picture of us from our beach trip.

Brian had a few days off in between jobs and we were able to do a lot of fun things. We started his break off by celebrating his 28th birthday. To celebrate we went into Philadelphia and I had the pleasure of having my first real Philly cheesesteak from Pat's. There are two famous places in Philly, Pat's and Gino's. They are right across the street from one another and there is serious competition between the two places. You have to make sure you know what you are doing when you order or you will get sent to the back of the line. Brian flawlessly told the guy behind the counter that we wanted two, wit, cheeze wiz. This meant we wanted two cheesesteaks with onions and the traditional fake cheese they slap on top. I was so hungry by the time we got there that I thought it was the best tasting meal I had feasted on in a long time. I think the baby liked it too. It was great to celebrate the life of my wonderful hubby in such a fun way.

I also had the pleasure of going to the Denlingers house to "do corn". This is a big thing in Lancaster. When I say "do corn" I mean that you get like 20 dozen ears of corn and cook them slightly and then cut off the corn and put it in bags to freeze for winter. It is a day filled with sticky, messy goodness that tastes amazing. I always eat more corn then I should and then don't want to eat it again for weeks. This is an event that I have started to look forward to every summer. The Denlinger family is amazing and they always make me feel welcome and loved.

I rounded out the summer by taking a fun trip to the beach with friends for a day and Bri got to squeeze in some poker and pool with a few friends. We joyfully await the coming of Fall and all the great things it will bring with it.

Brian Chimes In

2008-08-20T22:11:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have noticed that we started a baby blog, you might have begun to wonder, "What's Brian think about all of this?" Well, it may not happen often, but I've seized the controls for right now and can tell you what the last 15 1/2 weeks have been like from my perspective.

Brynne's willingness to eat fast food/junk food has been an absolute delight! I've never eaten healthier than the 4 years that we've been married, so early on when Brynne requested we drive to McDonalds at 9:00 at night for some french fries, I knew I was in for a 9 month health-holiday. Now don't get me wrong--I embrace the idea of eating healthy and I fully plan on promoting to our children the idea of making healthy eating choices. In fact, it was for this very reason that I agreed to have dinner at Eat'n Park when Brynne had a craving for a salad bar (does that even count as a craving?) For those of you not from the Pennsylvania area, Eat'n Park is like a Friendly's or a Perkins, and I knew we were in for a treat when we pulled into the parking lot and all of the handicap spaces were full. Going inside confirmed that none of the other patrons were even within 40 years of us. And when an old lady broke wind while browsing at the salad bar and was too old to even realize she had just done it and the two old people sitting at the booth right behind her when it happened never even flinched, I couldn't help but bury my head into my menu and thank Brynne from the bottom of my heart for being pregnant and for allowing us to deviate from our normal dinner routine.

Our friend Colleen recently gave us a Panera gift card with a generous balance on it (thanks again, Colleen!). She lived with us for a while last summer and knows full well how much Brynne enjoys Panera. It didn't take long before we scrapped plans to make dinner one night and decided to go to Panera. Wouldn't you know it, we got there and we bumped into our good friends who promptly announced to us for the first time that she's expecting! She said that she didn't feel well but that Panera sounded good to her, which is also Brynne's exact story. Needless to say, we've been to Panera 3 times in the last 3 weeks. It's even to the point where our friends Jared and Kim offered to buy her Maggie Moo's ice cream, and she passed it up for Panera's chicken noodle soup and a garden salad. I find this all very entertaining and the best part is that I still have 5 months more of this.

Heartbeat..............

2008-08-12T21:42:00.000-04:00

Today we had our 14 week appointment. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat for a second time. It is one of the coolest sounds in the world. Yesterday I was feeling pretty sick and wondering if I would ever feel better. This morning as I heard the heart beating inside of me it was such a gift and good reminder that this is all worth it. It was like our baby was saying "hello, I'm in here!". Hearing that little noise just makes this all seem more real and exciting.

We scheduled our 20 week ultrasound for September 22. Just 6 more weeks and we get to find out what we are having! Stay tuned for more pics in the next few weeks..........

First Post!

2008-08-10T20:40:00.000-04:00

Seriously......we are really going to have a baby. This is what ran through our heads as we sat down to create this blog tonight, as if somehow having a blog prepares the way for having a baby. That may be a stretch, but at least you will get to follow along with us on our 40 week journey to meeting baby McHugh.

Right now I, Brynne, am 14 of those 40 weeks along. Obviously the picture posted was taken a few weeks back. So far everything has gone well. I have felt sick off and on but am hoping this will pass soon. On Tuesday we will hopefully get to hear our baby's heartbeat for the second time and in a month we will get to find out if we are having a boy or a girl!

We feel blessed beyond measure that God has granted us this little life that is growing and changing every day. It is amazing to see what happens in the first few months. By now our little baby has all of its major organs and is about the size of an average fist. We have been checking out the following website for weekly updates on the baby's development: http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/Pregnancy/calendar/week/14