Eat, Sleep,CARS...Repeat

This probably does not come as a shock to anyone that has been around Noah lately, but he has a little obsession/fascination with the Disney Movie CARS. At Noah's age we typically go through a phase of intensly liking  one thing , but then we soon move on to something else. For example, Toy story and Buzz Lightyear  was all the rage for a short time. CARS is a different story, I have never seen anything capture his fascination and interest thus far the way CARS has. Noah sleeps in a Lightning McQueen race car bed while clutching a tiny McQueen in his hand.

Noah the CARS Fanatic

Disney has definitely made a ton of money off of the millions of merchandise items available. From Kroger to Target to All-State Commercials CARS is everywhere. Aaron and I can't seem to escape it. Noah has even got up in the morning with the first question out of his mouth is"Where is McQueen?" We have at least 6 Lightning McQueen toy cars. McQueen is by far Noah's favorite-no question about it.

Lightning McQueen Overload

A Corner of Noah's room

Noah's room is all CARS. His bed, his toy bin, his curtains, his wall decals. You name it-if it is CARS, it can be found in our home. We even "rock out' to a CARS CD in the car.
The other day there was a tow truck in front of me in traffic, Noah swore it was Mater based solely on the fact that it was a tow truck.
Naturally, we took Noah to see CARS 2. He was all smiles as we walked in to the theater. He sat through the entire movie, only taking one bathroom break. He was disappointed when the  movie concluded and wanted to see it again. At least when CARS 2 is out on video, I will have a new movie to watch over and over again and new lines to memorize. Noah can recite the entire CARS movie.

CARS Hygiene 

Just some of the things in our Pantry

A Present from Aunt Jennifer during Noah's Hospital stay

Noah @ CARS 2

                                                         

Noah had a CARS themed Birthday Party last year for his Second Birthday. This year he has requested another CARS themed party. We can't disappoint him, so CARS party it is! My Sanity is further diminished by hours of researching CARS party supplies and CARS themed parties. Now I know how my mom felt when I had a N.K.O.T.B  (New Kids On The Block for those not down with the lingo) obsession, and had to everything New Kids.
I suppose I should enjoy my little boy while he is just that-little. When he is in to girls, I will wish he was in to CARS...

Last Years Birthday Cake

CARS Birthday Boy(with Gracie)

A Sunday Afternoon with Charley

What a great way to spend my Sunday Afternoon than with a newborn. Newlywed Lindsay and I ventured to visit Sweet Charley and New Mom Blair. Meet Charley, she is 7 weeks old and absolutely adorable. This was the first meeting for both Lindsay and I with Charley and we were ecstatic and could not wait to get our hands on her. 

Sweet Baby Charlie

Charley looked so peaceful in her swing. She would wake up, Eat and then go back to sleep. The typical newborn schedule .At one point, Charley thought that I could offer her something to eat-which made  for a good laugh, I had  to hand her over to Blair to take care of that! Blair is so natural and you can tell that Blair and Charley are so in love with one another. I could also see during our visit that Charley is going to be a Daddy's girl. Her Father Josh is also madly in love with his new baby girl-whom looks just like him! I asked Josh how he liked being a Dad, to which he replied "It's  hard to imagine life without her."

Let's not forget about Charley's Dog Lucy. She is a cutie, and spoiled as well. She was sure to get in her bonding time with Blair every chance she got.

Blair, Charley & Lucy

Charley's nursery is decorated with the most adorable decor.When you walk in to the room, you know that Blair though out every single detail. The room is filled with rustic items and old family heirlooms.
Charley is so wide eyed and "smart", she is already soaking up all of her surroundings. Blair and Josh-watch out, she will keep you on your toes!

Nursery

Charley's Grandfathers Shoes

Lindsay and I  truly enjoyed our afternoon with Charley (Blair, Josh and Lucy). They are an amazing family, and we can't wait to visit again and watch Charley grow.

Why would anyone have just one child?

I was all ready to blog this week about Noah's CARS obsession until I ran across an article by NY times Guest Blogger Nataly Kogan titled "What's Wrong With One Child?".Aaron and I talked about children prior to  our Engagement and Marriage, the consensus was three children, if our finances allowed but we definitely  wanted at least two. When it came down to it,  what we had discussed did not matter, it was God's will for us to have just one child ,our precious Noah. Due to a life threatening complication (Placenta Accreta) during my Labor and Delivery with Noah, I am unable to physically have another child. We were lucky to have a good team of Doctors, with out which  I would not be here to enjoy my Son.

July 2008

Now that you have the background and reasoning for my blog topic, you can imagine this is a subject matter that  I have spent a good bit of time pondering  and sometimes agonizing over for the past three years. The author of the NY Times Blog Post, writes about how she and her husband have thus far only chosen to  have "just" one child  and how some people are very judgmental of their decision. The author  herself being an only child, would know better than anyone else the impact of her decision. 

As I read the comments to the blog,I was appalled by some of the rude things readers were writing. Many people commented that her decision was selfish and that they owed it to their children to produce a sibling. 

You owe it to your children to be a good parent and provide the best life possible, not to "produce" a sibling.the older Noah gets the more likely we are to get the dreaded question from people that are not aware of our situation "So, when are you guys going to have another one?" This is a very awkward question when asked. It is no fault of the person inquiring, just a very awkward moment for all. There are times when explaining is very simple and others where I would rather not.

Aaron and I have discussed adoption and I have even researched surrogacy. At this point, our family of three seems just perfect for us. So, you see the name of my blog "Dlugos 3" was not presumptive just reality.

I'm constantly thinking of the pros and cons of having one child. The cons are my fears. They include, visions of Aaron and I as an Older couple sitting alone at  the dinner table at holidays if Noah can't make it home, leaving Noah alone with no sibling comfort, and the "spoiled brat" or "weird" label that many only children get stuck with. The worst is that I would ever lose my only child. When Noah was diagnosed with a tumor on the base of his brain, it was the worst feeling in the world. It would be for any parent, especially the parent of an only child. I also wonder what to say when Noah asked why he has no siblings or asks for one for his birthday. The  pro's comfort my fears. The Pro's include, being able to provide more for one child, being able to spend more time with Noah and not missing any events he may be in where some families with multiple children may have to divide their time between their children's events. 

All parents cherish special moments with their children such as first birthdays, first words, first steps etc...For Aaron and I these moments are especially precious since we already know we only have one set of firsts. Some of you may read my FB posts and wonder why I seem to constantly be talking about my child, well now you have a better ideas as to why.

Catching Noah's first Steps on Camera

Society in the past seemed to look down on parents who had only one child. Who would ever do such a thing? I have heard negative things said about one child families. I think one child families are becoming more accepting, mainly due to the economy. The bottom line is everyone has their reasoning for having just one child. It may be due to their own choice or through no choice of their own at all. Happiness is not measured by the number of times you give birth or by the number of children that you raise. Every time I see a huge smile on Noah's face I know that we were blessed with ONE fantastic child who brings so much joy to our lives and vice versa.

Do I have "bad" days when I wish to have more children-of course, I am human and no one loves babies more than I,  but the good days with out a doubt outweigh the bad. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that God makes no mistakes. We have one child for a reason...

Wedding+Swim Lessons=It must be June

June is one of my favorite months. The weather is usually great, so there is more outdoor time with Noah and there are plenty of June Brides and wedding fun. The past two weeks has been filled with outdoor summer fun and a Fantastic wedding! The perfect way to start a Dlugos Summer.
We took a trip to Hovatters Petting Zoo, and all of the kids had a blast. Noah, John, Madison, Madeline, Jimmy and Jackson. We saw Monkeys, Wild Boars, Owls, and snakes just to name a few. The kids flocked to the Bears, and loved feeding them Moon Pies. Their was one goat that followed us for the rest of the trip to the zoo. At some points I wondered if we were seeing a little more than needed with a lesson in the birds and bees from some of the wild animals! There was even a Camel there. As mush as I would have liked to ride the Camel, I kept replaying a recent episode of the Real Housewives of New York in my head, where they had a bad experience riding Camels.

Madison, Madeline, John and Noah

The Start of the Summer has bought Noah's very first Swim Lessons through BOPARK. Noah and Aaron venture to the pool every evening. Noah truly is his fathers son when it comes to water play and his love of water. Noah is like a fish, he loves every moment of the swim lessons. He has his two sidekicks in his class to keep him company, John and Gracie. John, Gracie and Noah have been together since they were infants at daycare. There is nothing better than seeing the huge smiles on their faces when they are together. Noah even jumped off of the diving board in to the deep end(with a noodle wrapped around him)and loved it!!! I'm so thrilled that he is learning how to swim at such a young age. Our Next stop will be T-ball and Soccer!!I'm such a proud Mom.

My Big Man

Last but not least, we were thrilled to be guests at Lindsay and Randy's wedding  at the recently bulit new Alumni Center this past Saturday.I wish the new center was built when Aaron and I got married, it was beautiful  Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Willey! The wedding was beautiful and it was evident that all of Lindsay's hard work and planning paid off.  Everything  tied together perfectly.We loved the Lovebirds theme. Even Aaron commented on how great it was.  I'm looking forward to making the sugar cookies with Noah. Our table was next to the bar and you could tell by the end of the night. The infamous "Blue" drink was a little rough on some of us;) It was Great to see old friends as well. We ventured downtown post wedding. This idea was genius on Lindsay's part, her photographer captured some amazing shots of the Bride and Groom on the most infamous street in Morgantown. Becky was thrilled to get a free T-shirt from her favorite place on High Street-D.P. Dough. I received a number of compliments on my fuchsia dress. Thanks you or all of the compliments. I must give credit to Calvin Klein and Fuchsia!  It was a Great night and just what Aaron and I needed, a fun night out with great friends. 

Mr & Mrs. Randy Willey

Love the Custom Cake Topper

Leslie, Becky and I 

I hope all the fun we have had the past few weeks is a sign of how great the rest of the summer will go. Next week, we will tackle and Discuss Noah's CARS obsession.

Is it Spring yet?

The recent weather has left us thinking "Is it Spring yet?". One day this week it was in the mid 80's and towards the end of the week, it was rainy, windy and simply miserable but we made the best of it, hoping the end of the non-spring like weather is near.
This beginning of the week was filled with a little bit of stress. The normal everyday stresses that sometimes come with parenthood. Towards the end of the week, we were feeling a little better.
On Friday, My friend Tiffany and her husband Adam found out they are expecting a baby boy, due in Early September. We were very excited to hear the news and now we can start shopping for a new baby boy!
Noah is doing great with going to the potty. He has been in underwear for almost three weeks. He is doing such a great job. As a reward, we went to Chuck E. Cheese this week. We decided to try out a new location, so we were not familiar with the exact location. To our dismay, as we pondered over the directions(not even the GPS picked it up) Noah kept shouting to us "Chuck E. Cheese is back there", assuming he had no clue what he was talking about we kept pondering. Well, what do you know? Noah was right, he had seen the sign as we passed it and was trying to direct his poor senile  parents in the right direction. Noah had a blast and we were exhausted. But overall a good time by the Dlugos'.

And what would the week be with out a wedding? Saturday we attended the wedding of Emily and Johnny. They are such a sweet couple and I am sure they have nothing but a wonderful journey ahead. I used to work with Emily's mother, Trish  at WVUH and I miss her dearly. Trish,being the talented lady that she is, made a ton of cookies for a cookie bar, all of the centerpieces, favors and even Emily's veil. Needless to say everything was beautiful,but we would not expect anything less from Trish.

Emily and Johnny

Last Saturday, April 16th also was the date that Aaron's father, David Dlugos passed  eight years ago in 2003. We miss him greatly and think about him daily. We know that he is always looking out for us, especially Noah David.

David and Aaron

We hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy your Easter. Until next time....

A Fun Filled Week

This past week seemed to have flown by pretty fast. This week was filled with a Baby Shower, Friends Visits, a photo shoot and a Sorority obstacle course for WVU Children's Hospital. Noah was the participant in the Sorority Obstacle course. The event was a fundraiser and  let some of the many tiny patients participate. The kids love to get out and have fun and the organizations like to be reminded of the kids they are helping at the Children's Hospital.  Noah had a blast, and even got to meet the Mountaineer.

Also, this week the newly married Becky and Rich came to visit. We don't get many visitors, so when they come to stay it is always nice. Noah thinks Uncle Rich is the coolest, and just walks around yelling his name.During their visit, Becky and I went to a baby shower in Honor of Blair and her soon to be Daughter Charley. Lindsay our other friend, joined us for the baby shower. We all had fun, and it was great to see Blair. Even pregnant she is still in skinny jeans-love it!

It was also nice to have friends over for dinner. Aaron the chef of course.  The chocolate Fondue and strawberries was wonderful. Lindsay and Becky also enjoyed some chocolate flavored wine.
To end our week, today we had a Spring/Easter Photo session with Debbie of Legacy Photographiques, who was also our wedding photographer. We were blessed with a beautiful day filled with bursting sunshine. I can't wait to see them. Always great to see Debbie.
Another week comes to a close, I hope everyone has a great week. Until next time....

Why Not?

I have decided to jump on the bandwagon, so to speak and Blog. i figured why not? It is a great way to express yourself and share with others. The name of our blog "Dlugos 3" best describes our family. Aaron, Noah and myself. We often  use the name when signing our Christmas cards. I am sure most of the time the blog will consist of posts about our 2 1/2 yr old son, Noah David.
Noah and I have a Mommy Son night twice a week, the nights that Aaron works late. This week we did one   Movie Night with Shrek and Jiffy Pop on the stove and the other night was trying our hand at making Chocolate Chip cookies. Noah really loved the latter. The baking was definitely his favorite of the two activities this week. What child or grown up does not like to sneek in to some of the batter?
Aaron and Noah also had some "man" time this week. They went to a Pens Game. Noah came home with a Pens logo stick and has been hitting a ball around with is all week. They had a blast.
Also, this week we hit a Major Milestone with our potty training. Noah has gone two days in a row with no pull ups and no accidents. When we are out he asks to go to the potty. Our baby is becoming a big boy. I wish I could hold on to those baby moments forever but I can't. It does make me sad at times knowing we only get to do things one time around, with just one child, but  we are with out a doubt excited for every minute we spend with Noah and enjoy watching him grow.
I hope this is one of many blog posts we get to share. We wish everyone a wonderful week. Until Next time...