Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Big Boy, Big World

It seems like the Novoa world is ever expanding (at least that's how it's felt for the past several months) and that means that it was time for Oliver to leave the confines of his toddler bed and finally move into his big boy bed. We purchased a really awesome bed that has the ability to grow with him. He was super excited for it to arrive but also very patient. When it finally did get installed he couldn't wait to try it out. We furnished the bed with a superhero sheet set which has all his favorite characters including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and of course Spider-Man among others.

The new bed pre-sheets and pre-Oliver seeing it.

Oliver loving his new bed.

Capturing the first moment Oliver sees his new bed!

So the big world portion of this post involves our recent trip to Maine for 4 days. We were invited to spend some time at an amazing house in Maine by our friends Katie, Angie and Aliza. Our time there was made even more spectacular by the fact that a bunch of our other friends/aunties were there as well. It was a truly wonderful time and Oliver wore himself out silly. 

Of course the first place we spent some time at in the Maine house was in this awesome backyard playground. To say that the kids enjoyed this tremendously would be an understatement. 
A child's dream backyard.

Tire swing fun with his buddies.
 The beautiful sunset on our first night was well worth the drive up.


 And the morning sunrise the next day was even more worth the drive.

There's almost nothing better than playing with the aunties!

We had our very own Lasagna competition.

Oliver enjoyed eating Angie's birthday cupcakes just a little too much. 

Some Auntie love.

Our very own piggy back race in the backyard.

The truly inspiring view!

Nothing like spending some relaxing time on the hammock. 
Lots of cooking action. 

The view of the back of our vacation mansion. Not too shabby.





Friday, August 10, 2012

Growing Up Novoa Part Deux

So as many of you know by now we are expecting our second child in October/November 2012! This time around we chose to inseminate me (Marina) through IUI using the same donor as we used for Oliver. This means that Oliver and his sibling will be full siblings. Not that being a half or full sibling matters in how close the kids will be but it's a nice result.

I'm almost 27 weeks now and feeling great. The second trimester is definitely all it's cracked up to be. I don't feel nauseous any longer and for the most part my energy is pretty high except for the morning, mid-afternoon and night. Up until about 25 weeks I was still able to run a little but now I'm temporarily hanging up my running shoes until after the baby is born. We also found out that we are having another boy!! Jennifer and I couldn't be more happy.

Oliver is SUPER excited for his little brother to arrive. He talks to him constantly and reminds us that he is going to be "our" baby and that Oliver is going to share his toys, room and mommies with him. Oh, and he's also going to help change his diapers...(Oliver, I hope you keep your promise ;-)

Oliver is really sprouting into quite a remarkable boy and never ceases to amaze us with the incredible things that come out of his mouth. He's constantly asking questions and making observances which makes us feel assured that his brain is working at full capacity all the time. It's also truly wonderful to carry on a full conversation with him and to hear his very own thoughts. I never anticipated that being a parent could bring such joy to my life.

So with that, here are a few updated photos of Oliver, his baby brother and us.

A little Oliver X-mas cheer!
Excited to go out in the snow....no really, he was excited.

Going to see Disney on Ice with his buddy Zoe. 

Post Disney on Ice lunch.

Oliver doing what he loves best...telling Mommy what to do.

A little fun at the Westport beach.

Loving his pony ride at Davis Farm Land.

Making funny faces with his cousin Tristan. 

Enjoying the backyard pool.

Our little flying superman.
Oliver having a little cuddle time with Grandpa after they return home from their long trip to Germany.
Oliver gives a typical "Oliver" expression to the camera.

Nothing like a little tickle time with Grandpa.

INTRODUCING....ROWAN PORTER NOVOA!
The newest addition to the Novoa family!
These are the most recent photos of our new baby, Rowan. He's 26 weeks 6 days old here and completely content snuggled up to my/his placenta. It's kind of like a security blanket for him. 









My crazy wife completing the Tough Mudder!
My wife's crazy wife completing the Color Run!

We are really looking forward to welcoming our newest addition and experiencing the roller coaster ride of two-child parenting. Here's to an exciting 2012!