Keeping up with the Kompagnes

Twirly Girly

2010-08-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Back to Reality

2010-08-12T18:46:00.001-07:00

Summer vacation went by entirely TOO fast and now I am already back at work! Tomorrow will be the third day and I'm definitely feeling it tonight. Luke came home tonight and fell asleep on the couch and slept from 4:00-6:00pm lol Luckily we still got him to go to bed at 9 tonight. So the kids are feeling it too!
This week has been so incredibly hot and humid- it's just horrible to be outside. The night before the first day of school I was worried about being able to fall asleep early enough and getting up at 5am (instead of 9 or 9:30 lol). We got the kids in bed and I realized it felt pretty hot in the house... so its already bedtime and we realize the central air is not working anymore! I was worried about leaving Cooper in a hot house all day and figuring out how to get someone to look at it and see if it was beyond repair. We always had window units before but last year got an older, used central air unit really cheap from a garage sale and just paid the cost for installation and coolant or whatever that gets pumped in there. So it was a gamble on how long it would work for us- although I was hopeful it would make it a full year! We finally figured out to put in an old window unit and move Cooper's kennel to the basement and our friend was going to come look at the air conditioner in the morning. Problem semi-solved but after all that I couldn't fall asleep!
I'm feeling very lucky right now because the kids are doing really good with going to the babysitters. Charlotte started to whine and chase me once but then I carried her around a little more and got her interested in the kitties there and she couldn't care less that I left! lol Luke was super excited to go back and play with his friends. I was worried that he would forget about using the potty and have more accidents but he is doing really well and hasn't had an accident over there yet. I'm really happy that both kids seem to be having a fun time at the sitters... although I did expect Charlotte to at least miss me a little and I think she's perfectly happy! I guess I'm not needed as much as I thought haha
I'm also feeling very lucky that the central air unit was able to be fixed with a $29.95 part and a service call fee! woohoo! Fingers crossed it lasts for a little while now.
I have a great job and get to work with wonderful people, I have a nice cool air conditioned house, and happy kids- so this first week back has been pretty good! Oh, and I get to work 80% which I hope is every Wednesday off to be at home with my babies --- I'm very excited and hope this arrangement works out well for our family.

8 States in 6 Days

2010-07-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not very good at planning ahead. It gets to be the end of summer and I decide we really SHOULD take a family vacation. So after much discussion and internet searching... we decided to go to Amelia Island, Florida. Since it was a long drive we wanted to break up the trip by stopping at The Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. We were a little nervous about the long car trip but all in all the kids did great. A borrowed portable dvd player, books, toys, and lots of snacks helped us survive the long car ride! We got up and left at 4:30am Sunday thinking the kids would just fall back asleep till like 8 or 9 ... umm nope! Even though it was dark they were all wide eyed and wondering what was going on. It took Luke about 30 minutes to ask if we were in Florida yet. haha Then he had such a good time playing with his Nana and cousin Colin the day before he just kept saying he wanted to go to Colin's house (this continued the whole trip). The GPS said about 8 hours to Gatlinburg and then another 8 hours to Amelia Island... silly me forgot to add in all the minutes you lose for potty breaks and needing to let the kids get out and stretch their legs. Soooo that added almost 2 hours to every leg of our journey.
We got to Gatlinburg about 2pm and had plans to take the kids to Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies... when I thought about Ripley's attractions I was skeptical but all the reviews on Tripadvisor and online sounded pretty good. We stayed at a dated, but CLEAN motor lodge that was 1/2 block from the aquarium so it was easy walking. We spent a good 3 hours and it was really geared towards young kids and Luke loved it. His favorite part was the penguin play place where kids could crawl through a plexiglass tunnel through the penguin habitat- there was even a place to pop your head up and be face to face with them. Needless to say he had to have a baby penguin toy after that!

When we got done with the Aquarium we grabbed a quick dinner and walked around Gatlinburg. It's a little hokey for my taste... seriously who buys an airbrushed t-shirt anymore??? But there were lots of people and things to see so that was fun. I talked JW into driving up to Clingman's Dome the highest point in Tennessee.
You drive to a parking lot and then walk about half a mile to an observation tower. It was cold, cloudy, and misty up there. Neat for the kids to see and feel.

Luke walked up with baby penguin in tow. JW carried Charlotte all the way up and back just so he could brag he carried her to the top of a mountain. lol I got to carry Luke down the trail as he decided he had enough walking! It was a fun free family activity. We drove back down the mountain and there was still time for the boys to go swimming. The motel pool had a slide and JW and Luke had a great time "shooting like a rocket" through the slide (some guy at the pool told Luke he shot out like a rocket and I got to hear this repeatedly during our trip as well!). I was a little worried about the kids being able to fall asleep in the hotel since we don't usually share a room together. They were so tired every night and even once it was naptime for Charlotte they both went to sleep pretty fast.
So Monday morning we got up and left the hotel about 7am to continue our drive. We got out at a rest stop in Georgia and whoa it was hotter than you know what! The kids were getting a little restless by that point and then all the sudden Charlotte starts crying like in pain. I wasn't able to easily comfort her and people kept staring like we were stealing this little baby from someone else at the rest stop! She finally calmed down and walked around by herself a little and then started crying again. It was so hot she was turning all red in the face and I was getting really flustered that I couldn't help her. I figured she was a little constipated- I wished I had packed some gas drops or something for her. We comforted her and gave her lots of apple juice for the rest of the journey. She had a little more trouble when we first arrived to the hotel but finally IT passed. :)

So we finally made it to the hotel. Beautiful resort called the Amelia Island Plantation Inn. I never stayed in a 4 star hotel and was a little nervous about that! All the rooms were ocean front so that was another bonus to wake up and see and hear the ocean from the balcony. There were lots of families with small children- of course they mostly had the really fancy expensive strollers that I will never be able to afford haha but often the pools were empty and the beach was wide open and we felt at ease!

The kids were at first interested in the ocean. Then Luke got some salty water in his mouth and he decided he liked the pools much better! Charlotte got knocked down by a little wave and she also decided that the ocean was a little scary for her.

Both were okay with being carried into the water and playing in the sand but other than that weren't thrilled to be on the beach. At some point in my life I will be able to lay on the beach and get some sun, but this trip didn't allow too much for that since I had to chase little ones around... but that's okay we still had a good time.

The hotel had two large pools and one kiddie pool with a playground- this was one of the reasons I wanted to stay there and it was nice for the kids.
We took a river cruise from Fernandina Beach (the historic town part of the Island) up to Cumberland Island, Georgia. They split passengers with small children on one boat and older couples on another boat. Boy was I glad for that when Charlotte was the first child to start getting fussy! She finally fell asleep in JW's arms and then it was Luke's turn to whine about getting back to land haha. We got to see small sharks cruising for little fish by the shore, dolphins, wild horses and hear the history of both islands. Luke got to drive the boat for a little bit and he loved that.

We walked around the historic district of the town and ate some dinner there- always a treat with two tired, small children. :) We mostly spent our time at the pool and going to the beach. We searched for shark teeth, but didn't find any. We saw little lizards and a turtle walking across the golf course one morning!
On Thursday we checked out about 10:30am and headed back to Gatlinburg. I talked JW into taking the scenic route over the mountain instead of going around the mountain like the GPS lady wanted us to do. Of course, in the midst of trying to determine we were on the right path Luke starts yelling that Charlotte was puking! JW had just given her some juice and I think she just got it down a little wrong so coughed and threw up a little. So that was an emergency pull over to get her cleaned up and changed and then study the map some more. Luckily, she was okay and we were going the right direction. Luke kept describing what he witnessed coming from Charlotte's mouth and that his stuffed animals were puked on... oh what fun to hear! So then we twisted and turned up over the mountain until we were sick of scenery and just wanted out of the car! Very pretty views on the North Carolina side of the mountains... but after awhile we were done. So then JW and Luke hopped in the pool and I took a tired Charlotte with me to Gatlinburg to look at shops and get some food. I decided to go to Fannie Farkle's since I read about it on Tripadvisor and they a giant corndog called an Ogle dog that people raved about. I got one of those and a smoked sausage with onions and green peppers for JW. It turned out pretty good for dinner (much better than the subway I was originally going to pick up!). The next morning we got up and went to the Pancake Pantry for breakfast but again with two tired crabby kids who didn't want to eat and only wanted to fuss... it wasn't so enjoyable! JW was ready to head home but I wanted to explore more in the Smokies while we were there. We took a little hiking trail off of a visitor's center that said it was good for strollers. Luke loved it- he finally perked up and was running down the trails and having a great time. The trail went along a creek and led to a small waterfall so at least we got to see a little more of nature there. We headed home about 10:30 and got home around 8pm! We have been sleeping in this weekend so I think everyone is still tired from our trip. JW and I both agreed we were glad to go somewhere and have some family time. It was much needed!

Watch Me Jump!

2010-07-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

So far this summer Luke's been crazy about going fishing, catching frogs, and now that its HOT outside he wants to go swimming in the lake. JW always goes with him on the paddle boat to where its really deep and you can't see any "seaweeds". Then they put the anchor out and jump off and pretend to push each other off, etc. I don't like to swim in the lake unless I can see clear water with sand under me! There's a few places you can anchor out that are like that and its nice to lay on rafts and just float there (although with 2 small children I rarely get the chance to do this!). Luke's been begging JW to take him out every evening and he can usually talk him into it. Tonight it was my turn! Of course, I tried to take my camara and get some cute shots but he doesn't want his picture taken much. haha This little boy is so stinkin' cute, I think I'm spoiling him this summer and giving into him too much lol.

He is usually is a pretty good boy still but I've been letting him skip the afternoon nap and you can tell that he is tired when the tears start flowing over every little thing. It gets exhausting towards the evening but then if he does take a nap then its really hard to get him to fall asleep at a decent time. But like I said he's so stinkin' cute that when he smiles sweetly and tries to bargain with me for no nap or just one more jump... he usually wins.

Miss Char Char's New Shoes

2010-07-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my mom and I took the kids out shopping with us. I love Target brand diapers because they work well and they are sooooo much cheaper than Pampers or Huggies. I wish Target was closer though! Oh well, its a good excuse to go shopping then! We went to Kohls too just to look around. I wanted to look for new sneakers for myself but I looked to see if there were any little girl sneakers on sale too. I spotted these cute silver Nike's and just had to try them on Charlotte.

As soon as she saw them she started going, "Shoe! Shoe! ehh ehh" in her little baby voice. I tried one on her and she was soooo happy. Immediately she was begging for the other one to go on her other foot and trying to kick off her croc shoe that was on that foot. When I tried taking them off to try on a larger size she got really upset!!! She was kicking and flailing and protesting! lol It's kinda funny and cute now, but I have a feeling it won't be funny anymore when she is in her teen years! Anyways, I got the size 6 on her and that seemed to fit better for this fall. She would not let me take them off at all. She ended up wearing them out of the store to keep her happy. At least they were on sale and then we had a 15% off shopping pass so that made them even cheaper! They are pretty cute, too bad they don't have them in my size!

Catching Up

2010-06-23T08:38:00.001-07:00

This post is probably just going to seem like recap of what's been going on so far this summer. We went to the zoo one day with Aunt Kaki and had a great time. I have several diet pepsi can coupons that are for a free child's admission and Charlotte is still free so we may be making several zoo trips this summer! Luke has a stuffed animal snake that he had to have after playing with one at his cousins house. He named it "Slimey". He carried this stuffed animal snake around with him and sleeps with it, etc. Loves this snake- so I was excited when there was a demonstration where Luke could touch a REAL snake!! So cool. He wasn't scared at all! Charlotte seemed a little afraid to touch any of the animals. She was holding her arms up high to stay away from it! (we now are the proud owners of more of these stuffed animal snakes as part of a potty training reward- which I will post more about later!)

Luke's favorite part was seeing the peacock's with their tail feathers all on display. He's a spoiled first-born so he got to go on lots of rides. lol Here he is riding a pony named Gayle. Charlotte freaked when I tried to have her touch the pony!

Here Luke is riding the Sky-Lift above the African Journey with Aunt Kaki. Something about that ride still makes me a little nervous!

Charlotte was happy anytime she could be walking on her own like a big girl.

Here's a boy excited to ride the choo-choo train.

And here's a girl surprised by the choo-choo train whisle! :)

Luke did visit the dentist for the first time... and I was soooo happy with how he behaved! I'd been prepping him a long time but then I didn't want to overdo it. Important things to remember are little things like saying, "You GET to go to the dentist." instead of "You HAVE to go to the dentist." He sometimes can be shy around new people but I think since it was just the one hygienist that he talked with and then the dentist later on he was pretty comfortable. He told them about the fish we had caught that morning and did a good job following directions. He has one little cavity (bad mommy!) that we have to go back in July but he won't really know that it will be much different. They won't have to numb it or anything (which is the scary part!) so hopefully it will be an easy visit again! He was such a good boy listening that the hygienist let him pick out two prizes! Here he is when he first got laid down in the chair.

We've had some big storms here lately to ring in the summer season. One was bad enough to knock out the power for a night. It happened around 6pm and then we had the evening to entertain the kids (at least it stayed light to around 9:30 so didn't have to use lanterns and flashlights too long). JW has been working 10 hour days plus Saturdays so he went to bed pretty early. I attempted to lay Charlotte down around 9 but I think the thunder was keeping her awake. We decided to try putting a dvd on the laptop for Luke and he thought that was sooooo much fun with just a camping lantern on. So I set him up with "Cars" on the laptop and some snacks. Soon Charlotte joined him at the little table. Charlotte finally started to try to smile on cue and do a big cheesy smile so I thought these were kind of fun moments. Little Miss Lottie ended up staying up until about 10:30 and Luke was up until about 11:30!!! Luckily, the power came on about 3am and the kids slept in late.

Frogs and Fishing

2010-06-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Summer is rolling along, a little too quickly I think! Oh well- that's the way it goes. JW has been busy working all year (Thank God!) and then this week he is doing 10 hour days and possibly Saturdays. He's a little bummed right now because World Cup soccer started and he can't just stay at home glued to the TV! I think Holland is playing right now so I better text him the scores throughout the morning. Today, I am taking Luke to the dentist for the first time... I'm a little nervous about that. I'm not sure they will do much more than let him sit in the chair and show him all their cool gadgets and count his teeth. He doesn't seem too afraid yet but he can get shy around new adults so I'm just hoping he lets them look in his mouth! I've been brushing those teeth for three years now and I want reassurance I am doing a good job haha

Luke would love to spend every minute of every day outside along the waters edge. Lately, it has been trying to catch frogs! He could do this allllllllllllll day. We don't actually catch any frogs but he gets close. Right after I typed this, he came up to me and asked if we could go outside. Since Charlotte was still asleep, its much easier to help him do what he wants without having to chase her everywhere! So we hurried and put our shoes on and ran out to the water. We looked in the water, tried to catch frogs, stirred weeds around with a stick which was "making hot chocolate", and saw some fish jump. Then he wants his fishing pole, which always makes me nervous since I've not had to take a fish off of a hook for a long time. While he was still messing with his stick I cast out the bait just for kicks and right away a fish grabbed it! Agh! Here mommy's going "oh no!" and Luke's jumping up and down all excited that we actually got a fish! It was just a little 4 or 5 inch bass but I didn't really want to touch it. It had one of those 3 pronged hooks in its mouth... ughhhh! I tried a few times but couldn't get the hook out.. may have repeated the word crap a few times (nothing worse- I promise!) and then put it back in the water. I gave the fishing pole to Luke and went to get pliers out of Daddy's tackle box. It took a me a few attempts and the fish had to rest in the water a few times in between, but I finally got the hook out! I was so proud of myself and happy for the fish haha. Luke was all smiles that we had caught a fish. So then he wants to take a turn. He dips the bait in off the edge of the pier and to his surprise he caught one! Pulled it up and it was THE SAME FISH!!! Not too bright I guess! Mommy was disappointed that I had to do this hook thing all over again but Luke was so surprised and so happy! Luckily, when we pulled him out of the water and flipped the hook one way he just fell off- Phew!!!

And now by this time I am actually finishing this post I can gladly announce that Holland wins!!! 2-0 over Denmark! Woohoo! That should brighten JW's day even if he is stuck at work. :)

Finally... its Summer!!

2010-06-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful for Summer vacation!! One of the perks of my job, is the 2 and a half months I get to enjoy at home with the kids. We've had a good first week off and I already feel like I've accomplished a lot of things around the home. Hopefully that motivational streak will continue and I won't start procrastinating!
Luke's definitely entered the more difficult age of 3 and I am learning every step of the way. :) Of course, one minute he is screaming in a rage at me and the next minute he is as sweet as pie! He's so cute and smart and really the apple of my eye (even when he is torturing me with tantrums!) He definitely has caught his dad's fisherman gene. He loooooves going out on the rowboat with daddy. They have caught some pretty good sized bass, which is VERY exciting for Luke. We have been working hard on potty training this week and he's been doing really well with #1... not so much with #2! But we are working on it. He's getting to be such a big boy! Oh and he had his 3 year old check up and weighed 37 pounds and was 41 inches tall! 98th percentile for height and 90th for weight so he IS statistically a big boy as well!
Charlotte is babbling more and using more words mixed in with the babble. She's definitely a cutie and melts my heart. I love having a little girl to dress up and play baby dolls together. I also feel like just in this week being home, I've gotten to really bond more with her (which makes me sad for all the time I have missed this year while I have had to work) but I should just be thankful for the time we have now this summer. Charlotte gives the best hugs and kisses and wants to be a big girl and do everything just like her brother. I've got some really cute photos and videos of her antics around the house. However, I still need to download my camara software onto the laptop so that I can use them more easily when I post!
JW's been working steadily all this year so that is a blessing (you never know with the economy and with his job). We are hoping to get some updates done to the house this summer... that will pretty much keep us busy and broke! Someday we will be able to take a vacay. We will probably just do some fun local things like going to the zoo or Children's Museum. My main goals this summer are to spend good quality time with the kids and then to get the house more organized! I lack in organizational skills but if I have a good system in place I can use it... its just getting a system set up that I need to work on.
Sounds pretty boring but I am looking forward to feeling like I have the time to do these things instead of rushing around for work.

This Boy

2010-04-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

This boy has my heart like no other. I love his crazy expressions, his talkative ways, and his blossoming imagination. Sometimes I can't believe how big he is getting and I get so proud of the new things he learns. Luke is turning 3 on the 13th and we had a Batman party to celebrate! He has been waiting for his special Batman "peelona" (pinata) for a looooong time- probably since cousin Colin had a Thomas the Train pinata at his birthday party.

Against my better judgment, I made Luke's birthday cake. It turned out alright for homemade, but I think I like the look and taste of a bakery cake myself! I found a Batman template online and filled it in with chocolate frosting. Then I pushed chocolate chips into that shape to make it a little bit darker. I didn't really want to mess with black food coloring paste- I thought that could get pretty messy! I made a lasagna recipe from The Pioneer Woman's blog and it was really easy and really yummy! I've not made any of her recipes before but I loved the step by step picture directions- very helpful! We learned that Charlotte loves cake and especially ice cream... she begged a lot off of Nana's plate! She definitely likes her sweets- she must get that from me! haha

For his birthday he got some new Imaginext toys (very cool Fisher Price play sets for boys 3-9 yrs- highly recommend for the little guys!) including some Batman vehicles, a Space ship and space station, a talking Iron Man toy (Charlotte seems to like him too! She just thinks its a doll for her!), a cozy Batman blanket, Spiderman toothbrush, Spiderman chair and tent, and a camouflage "hunting bag", and some new clothes. I think he was pretty excited about the new stuff to play with- Soooo excited that he didn't want to go to bed at night! lol

Luke was a happy little guy and that makes mommy happy too. It's so fun seeing him grow older and learn new things all of the time. He constantly talks to us and if you don't repeat or expand on what he has just said then you hear, "Mommy, talk at me!" lol I can't imagine my life without him and am so proud to call him my son. :)
Right now, Luke and Daddy went out on the rowboat to try to catch a fish and Charlotte is laying down to take a nap... geez it's quiet around here! I'm hoping to enjoy some of the spring weather and take a walk around the lake soon. Hope you all are having a great spring weekend too!

Easter

2010-04-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

We had a good Easter weekend for the kids. On Good Friday, I was off of work so I took Luke to a free Easter Crafts session at the library. This seemed like a fun thing that a stay-at-home mom would get to do and since I could get my own mom to watch Charlotte then Luke and I could go try it out! When we got to the library, Luke was all about playing in the little toy/reading nook. He discovered puppets and in particular liked a medieval knight puppet. There were also these older girls running around and being loud... oddly enough I remember them from the park last year and they are REALLY annoying. Last year when Charlotte was a baby they were trying to tell me that they were going to get her out of the swing... ummm I think not. They were bossing Luke around.... momma didn't care for that. They also randomly would put their hands on me and I'm not a touchy feely person anyways so I didn't really enjoy these kids that were strangers trying to hang on me! So, sure enough, the girls were at the library and one of them did put their arms on my shoulders... bleh! I have been telling Luke he has to be quiet in the library so I kept pulling him to the side and whispering, "We don't run around and be loud in the library. We aren't playing with these girls." He listened but all the action was hard to resist! Luckily, it was craft time soon. A very tall lady came and said "C'mon little boy, it's time for crafts!" Well, he's pretty shy to new people so he ran the other direction when he saw her! He was more interested in playing- I picked him up and waited for him to scream but he held it together. It was really nice, we first got to dye two hard boiled eggs (score for Mommy who hadn't colored eggs yet at home!). Then we made a basket out of paper- this put some pressure on me since the woman in charge seemed to want it done EXACTLY like the model. I was trying to get Luke to use the glue stick or help fold but he was like, "nahh you do it mommy." lol We seemed to be slower than the rest of the bunch haha I'm REALLY not that crafty apparently. Then they gave him some grass, candy, and his two dyed eggs to put in the basket! It was really cute! Then we made an Easter Bunny visor... he liked cranking the die cut machine for the pattern.... and that was about it. I hurried along trying to assemble all the pieces the nice ladies had already pre-cut and Luke whispered to me, "Mommy, I'm sick of it." Not in a mean way, but in a bored/sad way..lol I'm thinking Mommy had enough craft time as well haha but I told him to hang in there we were almost done and could go get some books then. That perked him up. He helped me glue on the last pieces and even let them take his picture! Maybe Charlotte will be more for crafts... I'll have to try with her in a couple years!

On Sunday we had an Easter egg hunt and dinner at my sister's house. That was pretty nice. The kids all had fun playing. Charlotte had a very pretty dress that her Uncle Chad picked out for her. We thought she looked like a little "Dutch Girl"! Of course, Monday Luke came down with a fever and then puked in our living room. I'm thinking he probably caught something at the library... it was probably from one of our little annoying friends!

Sadness

2010-04-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day home with the kids for the start of my Spring Break. Finally!!! That's all I can say about that! However, it was a very bittersweet start to vacation time as on Thursday we lost one precious little 9 year old boy who was a student in an elementary school where I work. His mother also works at the school and on Wednesday he was accidentally hit by a pick-up truck while he checked the mail. His mother and little brother were right there as well...soooooo incredibly tragic and heart-wrenching. I can't imagine the pain they are going through and as a parent I don't know how you cope. It shakes me to near paranoia with how do I keep my kids safe! The sad fact is though that I can't, nothing is a guarantee in life ...accidents happen, illnesses happen, and it only takes a second for life to be forever changed. I read parent blogs, news stories, even the files of some of my students, and my heart breaks into a million pieces. I pray every night that children would never get killed, get cancer, experience abuse or trauma and yet I know it is not a prayer that is likely to happen. I don't know why these things happen and would like to be able to make sense of it all, but it never will. At least not to me. I
This morning I was watching The Early Show on CBS (I actually got a moment to watch something besides cartoons) and a boy named Justin was talking about his diagnosis of a inoperable brain tumor. His goal is to shoot 40,000 baskets which represents the number of people who are diagnosed with brain tumors in the United States each year! He is also raising money for the National Brain Tumor Society in the hopes of funding more research and a cure for others. I was really impressed with the poise and ability this 13 year old showed in describing his goal. Here's a link to the segment and his website if you want to check it out. What an inspiration.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

www.justinsquest.com

I was very thankful to have this Good Friday holiday to be with my kids and enjoy some quality time together. I will definitely be holding them tighter this week and counting my blessings.

Getting Ready for Easter

2010-03-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Easter seems early this year and it feels like we have a lot going on in the next few weeks! Spring Break is rapidly approaching (Can I get a Woot! Woot!), Easter is next weekend, and Luke's 3rd birthday is coming up! At the local park they had an Easter Egg hunt for the kids on Saturday. It was cold but at least once they started the eggs were gone pretty fast! Luke got plenty in his basket so that was good. He had fun and announced in the end "I won... those kids didn't get all the eggs." At the end they could trade their plastic eggs in for some dimes and a brown paper bag with some candy. He liked the candy part! There was a worn out looking Easter bunny who looked like he had seen better days. You could pose your kid with them for a picture but Luke wasn't having any of that! But he had fun and gets the idea of an Easter egg hunt. He knows he should be a "nice" boy so the Easter bunny will bring him a basket. When Cooper gets in trouble Luke says the Easter bunny is not going to bring anything for Cooper. This morning I said Cooper was being good and Luke said, "The Easter bunny will bring Cooper a T.V. (really T.B. is what he pronounces) to watch!" lol I'm not sure why Cooper needs his own T.V. to watch.... Daddy's still waiting for a big flat screen for himself!

Yesterday, Nana and I also took Luke to get a much needed haircut! He wasn't too excited about it but he got to sit on my lap again and he held still for the girl. They made it shorter than I thought, but I think it looks cute! Almost a real big boy haircut!

It kinda tickled!

Last Monday when I had off of work, I did manage to take both kids to the library for the first time. Luke liked that but he wanted to play puzzles instead of look for a book right away. Charlotte was busy trying to climb on the kids chairs and falling off when I was trying to help Luke look for a book. She's at a difficult age to contain right now since she just wants to run around by herself! We eventually found some books and managed to get out of there. The weather turned out pretty good so we also went to the park by the lake. They loved that as well!
Charlotte HAD to walk by herself- a new thing now she does the alligator "death spiral" to get out my arms whenever we are outside.

Spring!!!.... I think

2010-03-19T18:58:00.001-07:00

It's been sooooo nice this week with temps in the mid-60's after work! The spring peeper (frogs) are always singing in the dark when I open the door at night or in the morning, the birds are chirping, and I've spotted a few purple crocus bundles blooming by the side of the road. Oh, and I did see a baby horse and a baby cow when driving past some Amish farms yesterday so I took that as a good sign that spring has finally arrived! We've been able to take the kids (and Cooper) on much needed walks after dinner. It feels so nice to have sunshine on your face and get some fresh air. Unfortunately, the next few days are predicted to be cold, rainy, and possibly some snow. What a bummer! But at least we have had a taste of what spring can bring and look forward to warmer temps again soon.
Spring Break week is right around the corner and I am ready for the vacation time to just relax a little bit and play with the kids. I'm hoping its nice enough to go to the park and I've never taken Luke to the library so maybe that's something else easy we can do. Hopefully the kids will let me sleep in a little bit that week! That's probably wishful thinking! haha I don't think I'll be "sleeping in" like I used to in my early 20's for about 20 more years but at this point in my life that's okay!

Awww they're holding hands...

"Why am I wearing so many colors Mom??"

A much needed drink break after the walk...

St. Patty's Day Fun

2010-03-19T18:52:00.001-07:00

Our Little Lottie

2010-03-06T18:56:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe it was a year ago today that Charlotte came into our lives. What a joy to have a baby girl.

What a difference a year makes! Charlotte is a very observant little girl. She never wants to miss out on something her big brother is getting to do! She loves to be carried around. She's becoming a full time walker. She only wants to eat big people food. She loves babies and puppies. She may be a little more impatient and gets upset when she doesn't get her way...

But she's an absolute joy and light of my life (along with her big brother Luke) and we are lucky to have her as our little girl.

Long Time No Blog

2010-02-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

* I started writing this post a few weeks ago and never got a chance to complete it so this is a little dated...*
It seems like forever since I have been able to post anything new on the blog here... our computer crashed at the beginning of January. We took it to a local repair shop and the guy kept promising it would be done like every few days FOR A MONTH! Well maybe 3 weeks... but it was approaching a month and getting pretty annoying. It was a good thing in a way since it helped break us of our computer habits and spend more time together in the evenings. JW's even watching The Bachelor "On The Wings Of Love" (does it get any cheesier than that??) Ha! One of the girls got kicked off in one of the first few episodes for fooling around with one of the producers... and JW was hooked! If you happen to watch the show- we couldn't believe Ali left for her job... CLEARLY she was Jake's perfect match! We also got a big laugh since Cooper (our big light colored golden retriever) was bugging us and he was making a face just like Vienna!) haha Alright, if you don't watch The Bachelor you have no idea what I am talking about so sorry about that! *UPDATE Vienna was proposed to at the end... bleh! That's all I'm going to say about that! :)
It's been snowy and cold here in Indiana. I think everyone is ready for spring at this point. There was a snow day today so I got to stay home with the kids. Luke played in the snow today while Charlotte took a nap and I shoveled a path up to the cars. He was so cute talking about a baby snowball and daddy snowballs and mommy snowballs (sized accordingly). He was saying that the babies want to get to their home and he has to take them home. He would tuck them into a pile of snow then. He had fun for a long time rolling around in the snow and then we got to go inside for hot "choco-lot" as he calls it.
I can't believe Charlotte is 11 months now! She is always trying to get into something or climb up onto something. She is definately a girl who knows what she wants and she lets us know with a point and a "egh!!" Usually its something she knows she shouldn't have like the remote, a cellphone, a pop can, Luke's cups, etc. She's pretty persistent too! She has walked 7 steps at one time but lately she does a couple then drops to her knees since she crawls faster. She now can say "mama" but mostly she says "dada". She also point and says "duck" and "dog" (unfortunately more than mama!!!) lol She also loves to be chased. If you say, "I'm going to get you!" she takes off laughing hysterically and grinning from ear to ear the whole time. Charlotte was sleeping through the night finally, but then we all caught a yucky cold/sore throat bug and since then she has been waking up around 3:30 or 4:30am. I usually just feed her a bottle and she goes right back to sleep. It just stinks when I know my alarm will go off at 5:20am as I get to lay back down at like 4:45! However, I feel she will get back into a better pattern soon so I'm not too worried about it.
Luke got to go ice skating for the first time. He may or not be the next famous Dutch speed skater *you be the judge*

Christmas Bliss

2009-12-29T19:40:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas and I am really enjoying my vacation time at home with the kids. For the most part, everyone has been in really great spirits and we are having a great time with loved ones. Luke was officially spoiled on Christmas eve, Christmas morning, and Christmas day haha but it was so much fun to see the joy on his face. I've also been able to spoil him with attention, playtime, and kisses and let him know that he is a loved and cherished child. Charlotte as well is a joy to be around. At 9 months she is showing her little personality more and more and its so fun to watch her grow. One of my favorite moments this Christmas was her reaction when opening a special American Girl doll that my grandparents gave her for Christmas. Lottie just went crazy for the doll's face she could see through the box- she was crawling all over it and trying to get at it, I couldn hardly get it away from her to open the box! She also does this funny "egh egh egh!" laugh when she's excited and she was doing that. It was so cute! The other night she slept 10 hours without me having to get up!! That's a record for her... I thought it was a Christmas miracle and maybe from then on she would always sleep that long. Well, the next night we had to get up around 2am, so I guess I'm not in for consistent all night sleeps but hopefully soon!

Today my mom and I took the kids outside in the snow. Charlotte's first time out in the snow- which she enjoyed the sled ride into the woods and would wiggle her arms and feet when she got pulled. She wasn't so happy when we stopped so that Luke and I could sled down the hill a few times haha. But both kids had fun.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few days! Geez I love these kiddos. I am one lucky momma.

Cookie before bedtime! *GASP*!

My little sassy girl

Give me my doll!!!!!

"Hot Choco-lot" in his special little Christmas cup from Oma and Opa

Cool dude!

Taking my baby for a walk (cutest baby girl present!)

Sledding with Mommy!

Here Comes Santa Claus...

2009-12-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

Luke is VERY excited about Christmas this year and we've been hyping him up all month! This morning he said Charlotte was going to go on Santa's naughty list because she knocked an ornament off the Christmas tree! So he generally gets the idea of it all. He saw some presents I had wrapped for family members earlier in the week and wanted to know where his was. I told him Mommy and Daddy had a Christmas present for him but we didn't wrap it yet. So last night we finally wrapped the presents from Santa and a big box with an Chalkboard/Wipeboard/Magnet easel got wrapped up for Luke from Mommy and Daddy. He was sooooo excited to see that big present this morning but immediately said, "I wanna open it!". When I tried explaining we have to wait until Christmas.... then came the tears. I would give in and let him open it tonite since it is Christmas eve and it's from us, but I know JW would not agree with that. I double checked with JW got home from work but as expected he said Luke has to wait for tomorrow! I think Christmas is fun when you are a kid and then as you get older and don't believe in Santa anymore it loses some of the fun... but then when you have your own kids to hype it up to and try to make Christmas special it becomes magical again. I can't imagine what next year will be like when both kids know about Santa and are sooooo excited to see what will happen on Christmas morning.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and happy and healthy 2010!

Charlotte at 9 months

2009-12-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

Charlotte is now 9 months, weighs in at 19 pounds 4 ounces and is at the 60th percentile for height and weight compared to other girls her age. She is eating babyfood a little better now. Sleeping in her OWN room, but we still wake up at least once or twice in the night! Ohhh how I long for the days where she can sleep 10-12 hours through the night. She has learned how to "turn around" in going down the two steps into our dining room. She also last night pulled herself up on Luke's ride on scooter toy and used it as a walking support! She loves to take laps around the living room now but unfortunately she doesn't know how to turn corners so I have to stand there and turn it for her. She definately lets you know when she wants something.. she does a whiney/frustrated sounding "ehhh!" until she gets what she wants. She pretty much wants whatever her brother has but she also likes dolls. She seems to study the faces on dolls more than Luke ever did! She's getting to be quite the big girl in all that she can do!

First Snowfall!!

2009-12-19T13:46:00.001-08:00

I'm FINALLY on Christmas Vacation... seriously didn't think I would make it to this point a few times. Unfortunately, (for him) JW is having to work this weekend but it is a blessing to have work available! The kids and I have spent the day playing and organizing the house. When Luke woke up and he saw we had a few inches of snow he was soooooo excited! I promised him when Charlotte took a nap we could go out and play. He kept asking me, "My baby sleeping?" as she crawled past us on the floor.. "ummm no... does she look like she is asleep?". But he kept asking anyways! Finally she took a nap and I got him all bundled up. We threw snowballs, tried making a snowman, made snow angels, he literally rolled around in the snow, and soon was getting snow in his gloves and decided it was time to go inside. I think we probably spent more time getting him bundled up than we did actually being outside. But that was okay with me! It was still fun.

Getting Ready for Sinterklaas

2009-12-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Since J.W. is from Holland we will be celebrating Sinterklaas this weekend! This is the first year we are trying to follow more of the true Dutch traditions and having Luke and Charlotte put their shoes out by the fireplace and sing Sinterklaas songs so that he brings some treats overnight. From what Tante Essie has told me, kids in Holland do this off and on over 3 weeks!!! We started this week and I'm not sure Luke totally understands and he is a little confused by Sinterklaas and Santa being different people... but he is pretty much game for anything that will result in finding chocolate in his shoes! Today we also received a BIG box from Oma Janny and Opa Henk that Sinterklaas accidently delivered to their house instead! How nice of them to send it over for Luke and Charlotte! We took out the cookies, treats, and chocolates for Luke but we left the presents still a secret until December 5th! He found a big hollow Sinterklaas on the counter and came running to me saying, "Look Mommy, it's Holland! I found Holland!" hmmm I guess we have been talking about Holland and dutch traditions with Sinterklaas coming up but he is a little confused still! I guess it will make more sense as he gets older that Holland is a place!

Please enjoy JW (in a lovely *ahem* camo hat) singing Sinterklaas songs with Luke mumbling what I think sounds like the "ABC's" except he may be saying ABD and 'Appy, appy, appy' over and over??!! (Note to self- need to work on the ABC song...)

Sinterklaas Kapoentje,

Gooi wat in mijn schoentje! (throw something in my shoe?)

Gooi wat in mijn laarsje, (throw something in my boot)

Dank je Sinterklaasje! (Thank you Sinterklaas!)

If you want to know more about Sinterklaas traditions in Holland, I found this Wikipedia link to be pretty informative! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas

Flying by...

2009-11-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have felt like they are flying by. I can't believe we are halfway through November!!! It's been a rough month so far. My Auny Jayne (and faithful blog reader) had a heart attack a few weeks ago and is still in a coma and on a ventilator. For awhile, it seemed touch and go as to if she would wake up at all, but now we are hearing some positives. So we continue to pray that she pulls through and is back to her knitting and quilting self soon! It seemed like Luke and Charlotte were coughing and/or had runny noses for the last few months. Now they seem pretty healthy and I am thankful for that! Hopefully, we can keep the flu at bay! Charlotte is now 8 months. Wow, she is really starting to interact and making those first steps towards communicating and it warms my heart! She claps when you tell her to or she claps and looks at me and her little eyes say, "Aren't you going to do it too??" or "I'm doing it Mommy!!" (she knows how impressed I am!) and also she started waving "hi" in the mirror a few weeks ago... now she is REALLY doing it when you tell her say "hi" or "bye" she waves with one or both hands haha and just smiles so happy because she knows it makes us smile. She is pretty good at walking along the couch or tables but she has to hold on. She FINALLY started crawling on her knees this week... a REAL CRAWL! She still goes down to her belly though since that's the fastest for her. Luke loves it when she "chases" him and does a really pathetic "Awww.. baby's not doing it" when she won't go after him. Charlotte still likes to be held a lot. Right now we are having sleep issues because I am realizing that at 8 months she is old enough to sleep the whole night in her crib... but she realizes that she is 8 months old and can get what she wants if she just cries! She wants to sleep in between mommy and daddy in their bed and that's what happens every night at some point. I've been talking with JW about getting the carpet installed in her room so that we can finally put her crib in there and help her get used to sleeping in her crib all night. Mommy's gotta get a whole nights sleep at some point this year!! It's starting to wear me out. Luke must be going through a growth spurt lately because he is eating alllll the time. He will eat his dinner really good and then still be asking for more all evening! I'm trying to give him peanut butter sandwiches or cheese or fruit to try to fill him up and he keeps wanting more!! He's such a big boy now but of course he still is my baby hehehe. Here they are tonight in a video... Luke's going crazy with his Wheelie Bug from Oma and Opa and wanting Charlotte to chase him. She starts out on her knees but then goes to her belly fast. She just started waving consistently so I was surprised she did it right away when I said it! So cute!!!!!!!!! Love these kids!

Spiderman and Little Miss Bee

2009-10-31T19:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! We had a pretty good day today and of course had fun trick or treating this year with Luke. We managed to score H1N1 vaccines for the kids this morning so they both got the shots for what it is worth! Luke had to be poked twice since he was kicking, screaming, and flailing... but he was fine right afterwards. Charlotte already had a runny nose but hopefully it won't turn into anything too serious. Aunt Kathryn came home for Halloween and we visited with her in the afternoon. Then we all went to Amy's house for pizza and pictures before trick or treating! It was very cold and windy so Luke didn't last very long trick or treating before he announced, "I'm done." It was too cold to take Charlotte along so she stayed with my mom to help pass out candy. Here's Luke with his loot... (Charlotte wanted to check out the candy as well!) he wanted to take a bite of everything and then just give it away or put it back. He doesn't seem to like a lot of the candy he bites into haha But he does like M&M's and most chocolates! He started getting a little hyper haha but I guess that's what Halloween is all about when you are 2! Here is a video of Luke's first solo trip up to someone's door. He said the trick or treat and the lady confirmed for me that he did say thank you all by himself haha I'm such a nosy mom! You can tell from his walk that he was proud of himself!

Busy Baby

2009-10-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Charlotte's been a busy baby in her 7th month of life. She started eating some finger foods (and refusing baby foods...), started pulling herself up to standing, walks along furniture holding on, claps her hands, imitates "da-da-da", and all while fighting off a nasty virus earlier this month! Her mommy is very proud of her. Her little personality shows through more and more each day. She does the cutest little laugh when she holds your hands and thinks she is walking. She definately gets to where she wants to go, although she still prefers to be held and carried a lot! :) I can't believe how "big" she is getting although she still seems like a little peanut when she is standing up! She still does a belly crawl but really only crawls to something that she can pull herself up on and stand. Luke didn't pull himself up until around 9 months I think so I wasn't quite prepared for this! If I am remembering correctly I think Luke babbled a little more whereas Charlotte often seems pretty quiet still. She's been spoiled in the sleeping area in that her crib is still in our room and she often shares our bed halfway through the night. She is getting a little bit better about letting us lay her down for naps in her crib and staying asleep for longer stretches at a time.

Take a Hike

2009-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons we bought our house was for the location (the house has been a "money pit" and we have had all sorts of woodland creatures invading us) but we are on a small no-motor lake with a game preserve across the road. We love to be able to just walk across the road and take small hikes in the woods. Luke loves this as well, however during the summer we had to avoid the woods because of too much poison ivy and too many mosquitoes! We kept promising him once it gets colder the buggies won't be so bad and we can take walks in the woods. Well, finally today everyone felt well enough to be able to get outside for some fresh air and take a little hike together. It was also nice to do something as a family that we all enjoy because sometimes that just doesn't seem to happen very often anymore! I had yet to try Charlotte in the Ergobaby carrier on my back. Now that she can hold her head up good, it was a perfect fit. I wasn't sure if we had her in right at first, but she never cried and fell asleep pretty fast so I think that means she was in okay! I loved feeling her little arms around me. We hiked back to the dam and looked at the water rushing through and then we climbed up onto a high ridge where you can see more ponds out in the game preserve. The cool, crisp autumn air felt good in our recovering lungs. We saw some wood ducks flying away with their weird squeaky call and a couple blue herons flew over the water. I wished we would have had an extra person to take a shot of all four of us on our first family hike into the woods. Maybe Aunt Kathryn or Nana can tag along next time and try to get a good shot of us all together!

Grummies

2009-10-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we have our first case of the grummies for the season. Luke woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and coughing. Of course, I watched an informational program on the swine flu last night so I am freaked out! I'm sorry, I mean the h1n1 flu! I don't care what they say... swine flu is just catchier so that's what I continue to call it. If they wanted to get away from the idea of pigs and people being afraid to eat pork then they should have come up with a snazzier name than h1n1. So right now I am wondering whether to call the doctor. Luke's technically in a high risk group of under 4 years old and I read that you should call the doctor when you see symptoms for them. He has a gunky sounding cough, fever, runny nose... hard to tell with 2 yo if he has a headache or body aches. Charlotte has a dry cough every once in awhile so I am keeping an eye on her closely. I pray she doesn't get it as well, no matter what it is! Right now, Luke has some tylenol in him and he is laying on his new spider man foam fold out couch (I couldn't resist!) and he is happily watching the movie Bolt. Charlotte is napping in her crib after having gotten up at 6:00am still. Let's hope we are all healthy soon!
Back to mommy duty...

More Than Corn

2009-10-04T17:20:00.001-07:00

There's more than corn in Indiana... but there sure is a heck of a lot of it around right now! Getting into the Fall spirit, Nana and I took Colin, Luke, and Charlotte to a corn maze. The boys were already approaching naptime so it was a gamble on how the afternoon would go! They had a great time running through the corn and deciding which way to go next. Colin (who is notoriously clumsy at times) tripped at least 4 times in the maze. I can still here his loud "aghhhh!!" everytime like he couldn't believe he fell down again! Then we snuck through some thick corn to reach the pumpkin patch! With all the pumpkin vines in the patch both boys were tripping... but still having fun. One of the best things about this farm was that in addition to the maze and pumpkin patch they had a pumpkin sling shot to shoot little pumpkins into a pond, a tricycle race track, and a big slide going down a hill. Even though the boys were getting tired, they perked up for shooting pumpkins out of a slingshot and Luke did the slide first with me and then by himself about 4 more times! He loved the slide!

The weather has been so cold, rainy, and dreary this weekend so it was nice to get out and enjoy some Fall activities while the sun was out! It definately helped wear out the two toddlers and they have some fun new experiences to talk about now.

Like the New Look?

2009-10-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that my blog started to look a little bit different lately! Through Twitter I met Nicole a.k.a the Grudgemom who was offering to help people redesign their blog! I took her up on the offer and she has been working hard over the last month on a new design and I love it! I didn't give her much to go on as far as a design theme and she did a wonderful job. I like to call it my "big girl blog" since I have a more updated layout with links along the top for reviews and giveaways (If I ever have those opportunities come along!). She is also a mom of an adorable little girl named Penny and a great advocate for breastfeeding. Check out her blog and some of her other design work along her right hand column. Thanks Grudgemom!

International Babywearing Week

2009-09-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Okay I know I am a little late on this but Sept. 21st-28th is International Babywearing Week! There are numerous benefits to wearing your baby.
It has been said that carried babies-

*get a better view of the world- babies pushed in strollers or in car seats only get to see the adult world at knee-level
*learn more- not overstimulated, but calm and alert, which is the optimum state for nervous system development
*become independent faster- when your baby feels loved and cared for then they are confident and trust that you will be there to meet their needs
*regulate their own physical responses -better motor skills, coordination, and sense of balance from observing you and listening to you
*are calmer - when you are close to your baby you can quickly respond to all of her needs
*cry less -less stress hormones from crying means your baby is happier and more peaceful

In honor of International Babywearing Week, I am sharing our on-going journey through babywearing:

The Snugli... (Didn't use too long since it killed my shoulders & back after Luke got over 15 pounds)

A metal-frame backpack carrier that I hoped would be more comfy (not so much...) But did use for hiking a little bit.

The SleepyWrap... (Loved this for newborn months...I honestly need to learn more ways to tie it now that Charlotte is bigger!)

The Hotslings (Loved front carry position before she could hold her head up well..perfect around 4 months. Also loved the pretty fabric! Now when we do the hip carry Charlotte seems to want to arch her back away from me...not sure why that is!)

And Finally the Ergobaby Carrier (This is my go-to carrier right now and I think it will be useful for quite some time now that Charlotte is getting bigger and even Luke can still ride in it. I didn't have the infant insert so 4+ months is when we started using it. Ergobaby also has a new Heart2Heart infant insert that looks more secure for younger babies to ride in this carrier.)

My Little Superhero

2009-09-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

We are ready for Halloween!!! My sister tells me that I should just dress Luke in a cutesy costume of my choice since this is the last year he may have less of a say in what he is wearing... well the kid already has a say and he got so excited to dress up like Spiderman that I couldn't deny him! I should have also waited until closer to Halloween when these costumes are on sale BUT mommy couldn't resist! I think he still looks awfully cute with his Spiderman padded muscles! Unfortunately, he thinks he ought to be able to climb the walls just like Spiderman... or fly. Sorry bud, it doesn't work that way! I intend to make Charlotte a bee costume but I haven't started on that yet. The Batman hat is a winter fleece hat that we found at Wal-Mart. It says "one size fits most" toddlers but it's already a little tight! I think Lukie's got a big noggin like his dad. haha
In good news, JW was told he can start back at work the middle of this week. He is very happy about that. He will also have to work all next weekend so its a little strange to go from no work since March to working into the weekend. Hopefully he will be able to get close to 40 hours a week and stay employed. Some of the other guys have only been getting 20 some hours a week so that would probably make him less than being on unemployment! So we will see how that goes. Maybe his attitude will be better now that he is going back to work. We can always hope! haha
Charlotte is crawling all around on her belly still. She gets where she wants to go very quickly. She gets up on her knees sometimes but does not really take off that way. She is eating lots of veggies and rice cereal but then we determined she wasn't pooping so now we have backed off of the food and giving her juice to try to help move things along... She still doesn't have any teeth- seems like she ought to soon! She loves her Mommy and Daddy. She always gives us smiles and is generally a happy baby. Her eyes are still blue, but have brown and green mixed in the center so I wonder if they will change to brown eventually. Still not much hair so it is also hard to tell what color that will end up being! But we think Lottie's a cutie and a sweetie.
As far as work goes for me, let's just say I think I am ready for Fall Break! Unfortunately, that's not until the end of October.

Doctor Visit

2009-09-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Charlotte had her 6 month check up this week. She weighed 17 pounds 10 ounces and was 26 inches long. She is in the 73rd percentile for weight and 60th percentile for height. In comparison, at 6 months Luke was 19 pounds 2 ounces and 27.5 inches long. So she is a little bit smaller but still good sized for her age. She had to get some vaccinations at her appointment so that was not fun. She slept really good that evening but then had a really fussy following day at the babysitter's house so I felt bad for her! Last night she woke up crying like she was in pain and she never seems to get upset like that so I was really freaking out at 11pm. I tried getting J.W. to help me figure out what was wrong but he barely opened his eyes and obviously thought it was my problem to deal with and worry about! I tried various things to help her calm down and then decided MAYBE she was teething and dug out some homeopathic teething tablets. Has anyone else used these before? It seems odd but after giving her a few of those she did calm down and go back to sleep! I was so relieved!!! I can't see or feel any teeth emerging but she has been chewing like crazy and she is 6 months so maybe the teeth are coming in finally. I guess time will tell!
Charlotte is crawling alllllllll over the place now with her belly crawl. She can spot any tiny speck of dirt (*GASP* yes I said dirt) or paper or whatever is on the floor and can get to it within seconds. Maybe this will motivate us to vacuum more often! ha! It's mostly little bits of leaves that Cooper brings inside or shreds of paper/toys that Cooper has managed to rip up! Don't we have a wonderful pet? Charlotte also likes to go for Luke's toys including his matchbox cars and transformers. Big brother does not really appreciate this!
Charlotte has had rice cereal off and on for the last few weeks and then two nights ago we started sweet potatoes. She gave me the cutest look when I gave her the veggie for the first time and she looked like she liked it! However, after a few bites she refused to open her mouth. We tried it again tonight and she ate a little more but still ended up just refusing to open her mouth after awhile. Maybe she isn't that hungry!?! I guess we will try carrots and see if she likes those!

She Likes to Move It! Move It!

2009-09-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

(Anyone else have that annoying lemur toy from McDonalds that sings that phrase repeatedly?? We sing that around here a lot since it gets stuck in your head!)
Well Charlotte is officially on to a new era in her babyhood... she is mobile! Last weekend she really started pulling herself along by her arms and pushing with her feet so that she scoots in a belly crawl/army crawl/creeping mode. Point of the matter is, the girl gets where she wants to go! No more laying her down and walking away for a moment or having her lay happily on a towel in the bathroom while I shower.... she gets into everything! Luke has some toys with small parts that we have to make sure are picked up and of course there is always a stray piece of cereal on the floor from having a toddler around so we will have to keep more of an eye on her. She also is starting to go straight for Luke, Cooper, or any non-toy item she spots. She kind of "chased" Luke today while he was standing and playing his guitar while "Mighty King" was playing on THe Lion King dvd... we had to rewind several times mind you. So this was serious business of him playing his guitar-tar along with the song and he didn't appreciate his sister coming after him no matter where he moved! He ended up tapping (kind of a test hit I think) her on the head with the guitar and then harder so he got a time-out. He did say sorry right away and she didn't even cry so it wasn't that bad BUT here come the times of siblings fighting over toys I think!

Back to Work

2009-08-29T19:30:00.001-07:00

I haven't yet said much about being back at work these last two, almost three weeks... it's been a difficult adjustment to make. I am missing the kids while at work and (I think) they are missing me as well! I am working full-time, but part of my position this year is supervising half of the week. I am now the only SLP at one elementary plus a small christian school and then supervising at another elementary, a catholic school, and a children's home. We are rushing to start therapy much earlier this year due to a new service delivery model. I feel like there is just paperwork upon paperwork upon paperwork to be completing at all times. The beginning of the school year is always busy with hearing screenings, students transferring in and out, new students to screen- evaluate- and enroll, etc. and it all comes with gobs of paperwork! We are also learning to bill Medicaid this year so that adds (you guessed it!) MORE PAPERWORK! It's just been crazy and lots of new things to learn and keep track of. Once I had kids I learned to make LISTS... now I have to write everything down at each school so that I don't forget something important. I blame it on the "mommy brain" because I used to be able to remember everything so well! As soon as school started, we all got sore throats/runny noses so that didn't help adjusting to the work routine either. Basically, I am just exhausted by the time the kids go to sleep and feel like time is just flying past me. I am sure I will get into a routine and it will feel better but for right now its still feels like we are adjusting. I am still nursing Charlotte and hope to continue for as long as possible. I am finding it hard to find the time to be able to pump at work and keep up a supply for at home. One day this week I opened the freezer and only a few bags of milk were left... she drank like 4 or 5 bottles whereas I only brought 2 bags home that day! I'm not sure how people keep up their supply while at work but it may be that I just don't have enough time or maybe my pump is not the best. With Luke I nursed until about 9 months of age. I was hoping to go longer with Charlotte but I am starting to worry that is not going to happen as easily as I had previously thought. Another peril of being a working mom I guess.

JW was supposed to start back at work this coming Monday, however was told he is laid off for at least another two weeks. He is really bummed about that. He is sick of being at home all day and would like to be working. Hopefully business will pick up soon and he will be back to work! It's too bad the roles are not reversed with him having the more stable job and me being able to stay home. But it is what it is and we are that at least one of us is working and can make ends meet.

The best part of my day is when I walk through the front door and my little Lukie smiles at me and says, "Mommy's home!" and comes running to give me a BIG hug.

One Cool Dude & Lil' Lady Lottie

2009-08-26T16:28:00.001-07:00

Rainbow Connection

2009-08-23T19:02:00.001-07:00

This has been a week of rainbows! I can't remember the last time I have seen a rainbow, but this week I have seen 3 big, gorgeous ones! This rainbow appeared out over the lake this week after it POURED ALL DAY... seriously I was thinking we were going to have to start building an arc. I think our town got 8 inches in a day! We have had several other rainy days this week and I loved seeing the rainbows out after the sun appeared. For some reason they instantly make me feel hopeful...

Charlotte at 5 months!

2009-08-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Charlotte is already 5 months! She is definately getting bigger every day. Right now, she is fitting in 9 month size clothes! The biggest event this week for her has been the attempt at starting some rice cereal. She is always grabbing at our food, drinks, and utensils so I thought she wanted to try some REAL food (well if you call that stuff real haha). I haven't felt terribly successful in our 3 attempts at the rice cereal. More seems to end up on her face, her clothes, and spit back in my face! She loves doing raspberries now with her tongue and so she gets a bite and then blows it back out! It didn't seem to me like she swallowed much, but she has been having more tummy trouble so maybe she got more than I thought. As you can see we made quite a mess!

Charlotte is constantly chewing on anything she can get her hands on. She also likes to grab at anything within reach- including Luke's hair or clothes which he does NOT appreciate! She gets up on her hands and knees and does a few rocking movements. She loves to be carried. She loves it when you pretend to sneeze or do peek-a-boo. She loves getting a bath Most of all she loves watching her big brother Luke. Her eyes are on him all the time! He got some good giggles out of her the other day when zoobering her belly.

Don't Tell Me Summer is Over

2009-08-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe summer vacation is ending this week (well at least for me!). Work starts again on Wednesday, but I will be meeting with other SLPs on Tuesday to go over some things so REALLY my last day is tomorrow. :( I've packed in a hair appointment and hoping to get the oil changed on my car as last minute t0-do's. Time this summer has flown by! I am not sure if it is because of JW's knee injury, adding a new baby, or just time going by faster as I get older. I feel like there were so many projects I wanted to get done but procrastinated on. I still have between 10-15 lbs to lose before I feel better about myself and can fit in my Fall pants for work. Didn't exercise enough, didn't get my pictures in albums, didn't go on any vacations, didn't get my clothes sorted and organized... lots of didn'ts.

BUT we did have 5 months at home as a family. We did spend countless time swinging, playing soccer, and fishing with Luke. We did spend hours and hours (more like days!) holding Charlotte and cuddling her. We did eat wayyyy too many bowls of ice cream. We did get to catch up with some great friends. We did share fun cookouts and zoo trips with family & friends.

JW will be staying at home with the kids for now while he is laid off. Please pray for him... haha... no seriously... we may need to start praying now! ;) He doesn't think he is cut out for the stay-at-home-dad thing but he has gotten a lot of good practice this summer! I start to feel choked up and get teary eyed when I think about being gone every day for hours and hours... but I know it will be okay. I will adjust to the new routine and schedule and so will the kids. I'm going to try to have fun and enjoy these next few days and not get too stressed about going back to work!

Oh, did I mention we bought a pool at Aldi's for $24.99?? It cost our guests more than that to feed their family of 5 at Subway before heading to our house. It definately lived up to the money spent today! We had 2 adults and 4 children in it at the same time, playing and having a blast. It was so humid and hot today, it was a lifesaver!

ERGObaby Carrier Review!!!!

2009-08-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

I am soooo excited to have the opportunity to review an ERGObaby Carrier on my blog! The very nice people at Ergobaby sent me their "HandsFree System" which includes the ERGObaby Carrier, Front Pouch, and Backpack. This carrier was invented by a Mom who wanted to keep her baby close, but also wanted to be comfortable! I have been dying to try this carrier since I have been learning more about babywearing and hearing about different products through other moms on Twitter. I heard ONLY the best about the Ergobaby and at first wondered why it was so great! Initially, I thought it looked similar to a Snugli or Bjorn style carrier with snaps and buckles...and FYI those kill your shoulders and back! However, I learned that the design of the ERGObaby allows your baby's weight to be distributed between your hips and shoulders. It also allows for a natural, more ergonomic seating position for the baby and helps prevent compression of their spine. Here is what you need to know about the ERGObaby carrier:
*Can be used for newborn up to 40 pounds. For newborn to about 4 months you would also need to purchase the "newborn insert" which is a special pad to cradle the baby in the carrier.
*Can be worn 3 ways: front (facing parent), back, or hip carry.
*The shoulder and waist straps are padded thick to be extra comfy.
*VERY easy and quick to put on.
*Folds up fairly small for easy portability
*Has attached hood to provide sun shade, privacy while nursing, and/or to support head of child if sleeping.
*Also comes in Organic fabrics
*Chosen as 1 of the 20 best products in the last 20 years by Parenting magazine

I've mainly been testing out the ERGObaby Carrier around the house, playing in the yard, at the park, grocery shopping, and the ultimate test- a zoo trip! It has been very comfortable and I love how the majority of the weight is hanging from my hips instead of my shoulders. It's really neat how Charlotte is in a seated position- almost as if being held. If she is tired, she falls asleep very quickly in the front carry position. I love that her little arms go around my waist and we are very close together.
At the zoo, I was able to take Charlotte in the ERGObaby carrier and then just take a single stroller (instead of the giant double!) for Luke. I like to have options as far as where to put the kids if they get fussy. Charlotte was happy being worn, but Luke was acting "scared" of the animals! I think he was putting on an act for us, but anyways...I suggested he ride in the ERGObaby so he could get a good view of the animals and be safe and secure with Mommy. He liked that idea so I popped Charlotte out and put her in the stroller. I turned the carrier into the back position and had Luke climb on and away we went! So easy!

Things I LOVE about the ERGObaby Carrier:
*I love that Charlotte is held belly to belly with me in the front position (No fabric from the carrier in between)
*I love how fast and easy it is to put on and get her inside. Definately user-friendly.
*Fabric seems strong and durable. Buckles are heavy-duty and there is reinforced stitching at the seams.
*No complicated tying involved.
*It is even comfortable with Luke carried and he is over 31 pounds.
*Hands are FREE to tend to Luke, do housework (I know you're thinking that never happens!), push shopping carts, make dinner... whatever you need to get done!
*Handy zippered pouch in front that is big enough to hold my wallet and cellphone. I used the detachable Front Pouch to carry my camara at the zoo. The Backpack can be worn seperately or attached when child is in back carry position- this would be awesome for hiking!
*It's machine washable!
*Numerous benefits to babywearing.

If you know me in real life and want to test out the ERGObaby carrier just let me know and you can borrow it for a little while! For more information visit: http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

A Love Story

2009-07-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

My Grandparents will be celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary on Friday July 31 st! They have a great story of how they met 59 years ago! From what I recall, Grandma was engaged to be married to another man. She worked in a record store where one day my Grandpa came in and told her, "You aren't going to marry that guy." She asked, "Why not?" and he said, "Because you're going to marry me!" Apparently he must have been a very persuasive (and handsome) young man because indeed they were married within just a few weeks of meeting! He bought her a cherry coke for 5 cents and off they went to Pocahontas, Arkansas to elope (there were less requirements in that state). What an adventure that must have been! Now 59 years later, they compliment each other so well. I hope they have a wonderful anniversary!
It sounds like love at first sight. How about you? If you are in a long-term relationship, did you know right away you had found "the one" or was it a gradual process of falling in love? I'm curious so please leave me a comment and let me know!
Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa!!

Knee, Work, and Bumbo Fun

2009-07-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well, with the help of his physical therapist and lots of exercises, his knee is doing pretty well. He still is supposed to wear a special knee brace for a year post-op when working. He was released from Workman's Comp. a few weeks ago, but was immediately laid off. We aren't sure how long he will be laid off but we are hoping that business picks up soon. He was bummed to not go back to work. I was bummed to not have him go back to work! haha However, this is allowing him to try to finish up projects at home (i.e. CHARLOTTE's Nursery!!!), spend more time with the kids, and work on his online Ethics course he is in the midst of completing as part of his Associate's degree/Journeyman Electrician courses. So our weeks seem to be flying by and I really want to put the brakes on! I am starting to get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think about having to go back to work full time after being home for so long! I am blessed to be able to have5 months at home with Luke and my new baby girl, but sometimes I wish I could at least work part time. Maybe someday, huh? The way things are going right now, I am afraid JW will be the Stay at Home Dad and I will be the full time worker (bleh!). When I am working, I can't imagine staying home all the time and when I am home all the time, I can't imagine working. It may take me awhile, but I will find a balance again once school starts. I am also venturing into becoming a part-time supervisor this year. I will still remain at the same schools but also adding a few others. I will supervise a 4 year Bachelor's level speech aide. This means she will be doing the therapy with kids while I complete lesson plans, do all testing, paperwork, conferences, etc. I also hope I can find the right balance in this new position and that it doesn't add too much stress! :) In other less downer news, Nana found a Bumbo seat on sale today! I have wondered whether this would be a useful product since Charlotte gets restless and wants to sit up all the time, but doesn't quite have the trunk support yet! I was surprised that it was hard to get her chunky little thighs through the leg holes! Luke had to sit in it as well and his thighs must be thinner than hers because he just popped right in! Both of them had fun looking at each other and interacting from the Bumbo seat. Charlotte REALLY loves watching her big brother. She is fascinated by Luke. I can't imagine how they will be interacting when they get older. I think it's going to be hilarious!
Other things that are popular in our house this week:
* Luke's "Cars" light up sneakers (Diego shoes have been worn down to the rubber inside)
* Humpty Dumpty (Daddy even knows from memory that it's on page 55 of the Mother Goose book)
* Ronnie crying on Big Brother (I get to pretend to cry & Luke pats my arms and says "There, there, it's okay"
* Grapes
* Attempting to do hand sign (thumb & pinkie out) and say "Hang Ten Dude!" or "Cool Dude!"

Cooper Ate The Sassy.... ;)

2009-07-19T11:18:00.001-07:00

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Luke has just been using his pacifier at nap and bedtime for quite awhile and that was a surprisingly easy transition for him. We lovingly refer to them as "Sassy's". We have been to slowly convince him he doesn't need it anymore because he's a big boy! Lately, he has been refusing to give up the Sassy and leave it in his bed when it's time to get up in the morning. I finally decided we had enough because we were headed backwards instead of forwards on this getting rid of Sassy task. This morning he still had it in his mouth after he was brought upstairs. I told him that he's a big boy and he doesn't need a Sassy anymore. We talked about ways to get rid of it... here are some suggestions I have been told:
1. Cut the end off. (Most of Luke's had chew marks and open spaces on the sides already so I'm not sure he really sucked on them too much anymore and he didn't mind them being slightly broken)
2. Take it to Build-A-Bear workshop and have them put it inside the stuffed animal you are making. (Cute idea but he doesn't know what Build-A-Bear is and I'm not sure I really want to go there myself! Haha. I can see him throwing a fit in the middle of the store after the bear is all sewed up with the Sassy inside!)
3. Tell child that babies in Heaven need Sassy's and tie a helium balloon to the Sassy and send them up to Heaven. (For one this kind of depresses Mommy and two I could see him chasing after that balloon!!! Funny to be the old fisherman out on the lake who see's balloon floating by with a pacifier attached!)
4. Throw it away. (I think this is what my family did with me as a child. I was easily convinced that I was a big girl and ready to throw it out. Luke doesn't seem too keen on that logic so far!)
5. Have a Sassy funeral. Set a date, dig a hole, and let them say their final goodbyes. (Again, I find this depressing! I can also see Luke attempting to dig it back up anytime he is outside).
6. Make up a fable about the Pacifier Fairy. Have child put Sassy under pillow before bed so the Pacifier Fairy can come in at night and take it away. (I'm pretty sure he would pop it back in his mouth as soon as the door was shut).
So this morning when discussing a few options of what might happen to Sassy. Luke said "Cooper eat it?" and I said, "Yeahhh Cooper knows you are a big boy and you don't need a Sassy anymore." Luke threw the Sassy on the ground behind him and said "I don't need Sassy". I did a "psst" to JW and mouthed for him to grab the Sassy off the floor and hide it. Then I said to Luke, "Whoa did you see that? Cooper just ate the Sassy!!" He looked at me in disbelief and looked at Cooper and said "nooooo!" I just kept telling him Cooper knew he didn't need it so he ate it! Luke soon forgot about it and we went to the grocery store and on the way back home he started saying he needed a Sassy because he was getting tired. I have just been repeating that Cooper ate it. He said, "Cooper poop it out?" and I said "Ewww gross! Even if he did poop it out, I wouldn't want a Sassy that was in doggy poop!" and he agreed that would be "Ewwy". Naptime came and he cried and looked pitiful but I am sticking to my story. He eventually fell asleep and I'm sure he will do fine in a few days. It's hard not to give in... but I know it's time.

Girly Girl

2009-07-16T12:15:00.001-07:00

Charlotte seems to be growing, growing, growing this week! She looks and feels bigger and heavier. She now pushes up on her elbows and holds her chest up off the ground so she can watch what is going on around her. She also likes to sit in the jumperoo and dance her little feet on the ground to bounce! She's still sleeping through the night and I will probably jinx myself to say again that the child has only given me 2 rough nights in her entire life! We have been feeling pretty girly around these parts lately. We have made tutu's and I've been out trying to find matching hair bowbands for getting her picture taken next week! Picture People has a great coupon right now for a free portrait package, so this is a great excuse! (E-mail me if you want me to forward you the coupon- I think it's good until July 25th!) I think she looks adorable in her tutu and all her little dresses. There are so many great summer dresses at Wal-Mart for like $3.00! Can't beat that when you are on a budget! I also found cute black metal letters to spell her name out on her wall in her bedroom. The walls are pink so I think the black will look nice against it! She has such a long name and Luke had nice big white wooden letters which cost $5.00 each. So fortunately these were only $1.50 each so I could spell her whole name out! :) Now when Charlotte is on her tummy she constantly kicks her legs and tries to crawl. She scootches around pretty well! She loves to hold on to dolls and stuffed animals when she is sleeping on her side. She also still loves watching Luke whenever he is in close proximity- I suppose his wild antics are pretty entertaining! Her head also swivels around as soon as she hears Daddy say anything. She locks in on him and starts to grin right away! I guess that is what they mean by a Daddy's girl. I can't wait until she is big enough to do dance lessons and other girly stuff. I will be her proud mama watching on! Sorry nothing like 'Toddlers in Tiaras' though- that would be a little extreme! I think we will keep her au naturel! I took this picture today... who do you think she looks like?? A Kompagne or a Rehling??

Momfinitions!

2009-07-15T05:38:00.001-07:00

Here are my five favorite Momfinitions (Motherhood inspired definitions). This link has tons of great funny ones! http://www.parentsconnect.com/articles/mom-definitions.jhtml

Motherload: (Noun)- As seen pictured above- All the baby junk you have to cram into the diaperbag to be able to go anywhere. May or may not include diapers, wipes, pacifiers, toys, blankies, sippy cups, bottles, hand sanitizer, powder, changing mat, extra clothes, wetbags, snacks, bandaids, crunched up cheerios and countless crumbs at bottom of the bag are a constant feature. Forget anything crucial-(i.e. extra change of clothes for baby or Toddler's juice cup) and your heart may skip a beat. "I'll be ready in a second, I don't want to forget the motherload!"

Twurse: (Verb)- Tweeting your thoughts while nursing on Twitter. Much easier done if you can tweet from phone or laptop and not the desktop like I have to do. "Baby is having a growth spurt, I've been twursing for the last hour"

Twump: (Verb)- Similarly, filling the often boring minutes when you must pump by tweeting on Twitter. "I hate pumping, twumping makes it a little more entertaining."

Death Spiral: (Verb)- When holding Toddler in the store and he chooses to spin wildly in your arms like an alligator in the attempt to be released from your arms so he can run away. "Watch out, he's going into the death spiral!"

All-Night-TV-A-Thon: (Noun)- Those first few weeks with a newborn when you are resigned to the fact that you will be up all night and the only way to stay awake is by watching re-runs of House Hunters, Info-mercials, and my favorite early news program World News Now. I'm sure many a steam mop has been sold to new mother's while they wait patiently for baby to eat and go back to sleep. "I THINK I may have purchased the Debbie Meyer greenbags during my all-night-tv-a-thon, but I can't remember if that was real or not."

Got your own funny Momfinitions? Comment and leave me your own hilarious creations!

Already 4 months!

2009-07-09T15:15:00.001-07:00

Charl0tte had a doctor's appointment today for her 4 month check-up! She did not appreciate the doctor putting her on the crinkly paper and checking her out--and she let him know that she didn't appreciate it! She weighed 15 pounds 8 ounces (90th percentile) and was 25 inches long (77th percentile).. her head was 94th percentile! Sister has got a big head I guess! :) He said she probably is just making a growth spurt here. In comparison Luke at 4 months was 16 pounds 6 ounces and 25/5 inches so pretty similar! The doctor agreed that we are very lucky that she has been sleeping through the night consistently now since about 8 or 9 weeks of age. We all went to the doctor together so Luke got to witness the shots... I think that was the only time he was actually quiet and he did look a little concerned for her! She had to get 3 shots so that's always hard to hear her cry and then cry harder with the next poke. She did however, calm down faster than the 2 month shots and fell asleep before we left the building. So far they haven't bothered her! (haha Luke just came over and yelled "Elizabeth!!"- as if calling me from another room...took me a little bit to figure out what he was saying... then he said Kompagne but sounds like "ko-pa-ness") Luke also was "dancing" in his car seat on the way to the doctor's office and said "Mommy I dancing!" then he goes "Mommy I Michael Jackson!" LOL He saw a lot of news coverage when he had passed away and the old Thriller video was fascinating to him!

Just a Little Holiday Trauma

2009-07-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have always looked forward to the 4th of July. It's a tie between Christmas and the 4th for my favorite holiday. We used to sit on my grandpa's sailboat overlooking the lake where the big fireworks display occurs. I could sit on my own on top of the boat or by myself at the end of the pier and enjoy the cool summer night and some silence amongst the booms. Watching the fireworks in the dark always made me reflect on where I was in life, often what I had and didn't have and still wanted. Honestly, I remember wishing on every blown out birthday candle, shooting star, and sky lit up with fireworks that I would someday meet my soulmate. When JW was here visiting and we got to watch the fireworks together, it was so nice to share our American holiday with him and I wondered to myself, "Wow, did God really grant me my wish? Does that really happen?" haha Now we are married for 8 years and unfortunately we take a lot for granted! I need to conjure up great memories like those so that I don't get lost in the shuffle of taking care of two little kids and one annoying dog! Last year we sat out in our backyard around a fire while listening to the hum of the baby monitor mixed with distant fireworks that we couldn't see. It was really lovely just to be together and chat even if we couldn't see a display! This year we stayed at my mom's house so we could watch the fireworks from their backyard. We thought Luke would enjoy it! Ummmm not so much. The neighbors were shooting small fireworks off in the evening and he was a little worried and scared of it. A couple of teenagers were throwing poppers at each other (smart neighbors, huh?). He kept an eye on them and wanted to go inside or have his ears covered sometimes. A little later on, Luke decided he wanted to go outside and swim with Colin and Karlson. He was in the water when the neighbor threw a big one. He started flailing and kicking and crying in the water trying to get back to where I was standing. I was reassuring him that he was okay....mind you he is still screaming in terror... and was reaching to help pull him in and then the neighbor threw an even BIGGER firework into the water. I was so mad but all I could do is scoop up the traumatized toddler and try to run him inside as quick as possible. He was soooo scared. We tried going out again later for the large display because I was going to cover his ears and they are far away... but nope he saw a few and FREAKED OUT again. :( Luckily for me, Daddy took him inside and held him on the couch and reassured him). He was fine as long as he was inside. I got to watch the display but it wasn't as fun without JW and Luke enjoying it as well. The local radio station pairs music to the show and it always brings a tear to my eye to hear "What a Wonderful World" with the fireworks and of course, "Proud to be an American". So this year, I did reflect on life again but in between times I ran in the house to make sure Charlotte was still asleep and that Luke was still happily sitting with Daddy on the couch. I guess that's the life of a Mom, but I am lucky to experience that as well! Maybe I would have never had any of this, had I not been wishing on those candles, stars, and fireworks in the past.

These pictures were from a very nice cookout at Aunt Amy's house on Friday. The boys wore their matching fireworks shirts we *ahem* they made out of pasta noodle patterns and sparkly paint! Colin and Luke looked like little twins in their matching shirts. Charlotte also had a matching onesie, but had to do an outfit change so she could wear a cute patriotic summer dress as well!

As for Luke, we had three nights where fireworks were still being blasted around bedtime and I had to lay in his bed with him until he fell asleep. Hopefully, karma for traumatizing a toddler with fireworks is a real B*&^%!

End of the Journey

2009-06-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

For the entire month of June I have been using Twitter to micro-blog my mommy adventures and competing against 29 other very cool moms for a grand prize! To start the Sling and Swaddle adventure Hotslings supplied us each with our very own baby carrier and Miracle Blanket gave us two swaddling blankets. In return, we were to be tweeting and blogging about our experiences day to day with our newborns! I had never used Twitter before and wasn't sure how it worked. It was a little confusing and overwhelming to figure out how it works but now that I use it... I kind of like it... well okay Love it sometimes. :) I have been trying to keep up with my tweets and occasionally posting info. on this blog for the contest. Hopefully you all have enjoyed the information that I shared! I know at least the family loves seeing any new pics of the kids. I realized I have more pictures with Charlotte and I together than I do of Luke and I when he was a newborn and mostly that is because of this contest! So that's a great gift for us in the future. I also was just dipping my toes into the babywearing pool when I bought my Sleepywrap carrier. Now that I also have a Hotslings carrier and have been tweeting with other moms, there are several styles of carriers that I would love to try out! Seasoned babywearers say you can never have too many types! I find that when I am wearing Charlotte, her head is up close to me so I naturally talk with her while I am walking around and describe what we are doing. Great for speech and language development! She gets a good view of the world around her instead of being stuck in the carseat stroller...which by the way she usually hates to ride in! If I try to just carry Charlotte while I go in a store or play outside with Luke, I notice how quickly my back starts aching. The difference is amazing! Wearing her in the Hotsling allows her to be comforted and feel close to me while I am able to tend to Luke, clean, or shop! I love having two free hands when it gets busy around here. Babywearing is beneficial for baby, convenient for mom, and Hotslings makes it fashionable.

I definately have also seen the benefits of swaddling your baby. Dr. Harvey Karp lists it as one of the 5 S's for infant sleep solutions! http://www.colichelp.com/shop/happiestbabyontheblock.html
I never had any luck with the swaddling blankets that use velcro that you can buy at Target or Babies R Us. They never stayed tight and the velcro was loud enough to disturb the baby. The Miracle Blanket did look complicated at first when we got one for Luke, but once you get used to it, it literally goes on in seconds. Charlotte is still wearing hers and she has yet to wiggle any body parts out of it. I think I mentioned before that I love how it stays in place and I don't have to worry about blankets or covers coming up around her mouth. That takes a huge worry off of me at night when we go to sleep. Our little girl has spent all but one night at home swaddled in her Miracle Blankets. :)

I was a little skeptical of this Twitter journey at first but it has ended up being very fun. I have met so many great moms from all over the place that love to laugh, share, support, and offer advice on any subject! It's a great way to connect and not feel so isolated if you are a mom facing the day to day challenges with your kids. The hardest part is fitting what you want to say in 140 characters or less each time! Since we have our computer on most of the day, it has been fun to type a little message quickly as I walk through the dining room or check what other's have tweeted! I will be tweeting as Shera_Mama from now on, but probably not as often as I have been (JW will be glad for that! haha) I'm thankful to have met my new Twitter friends including the Sling and Swaddle mamas and hope to stay in touch as our babies are all close in age! This contest has offered a lot of new experiences and created some great connections! Thanks Hotslings and MiracleBlanket and all the sponsors!
www.hotslings.com
www.miracleblanket.com
www.slingandswaddlejourney.com

"Babies Don't Keep"

2009-06-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

Babies Don't Keep

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

How time flies. I love this poem because it reminds me of what is truly important in day to day life. I don't want to spend all my time cleaning and stressing about what to make for dinner. I want to live in the moment and enjoy my children while they are young and still WANT to be around me! Trying to enjoy each minute with these two! :)

8 GLORIOUS Years!

2009-06-27T21:07:00.001-07:00

Thursday we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe huh? We were so young... and now we are so old! Ha! Most of you already know that JW and I met on the internet back in 1998. He lived in Holland at the time and we were fortunate enough to be able to meet each other in person several times and then married in 2001. Since we had to wait on a fiancee' visa, then had 3 months for him to move to the U.S., and then 3 months to get married it would have been hard to plan a wedding! We decided to combine a wedding and honeymoon and go it alone. I was still an undergrad at the time and JW did not have a job lined up in the U.S. so we had to save what little money we had to our names. With help from in-laws we bought flight and hotel package and that was it! We flew to Oahu 3 days after J.W. arrived from Holland (talk about jet lag!). I think the ceremony, including flowers, minister, and photographer cost $50.00. I got my dress for $15.00 and his outfit at Old Navy. We rented a car just one day in Hawaii and that was to drive to the beach we were to be married. Lucky for us it was beautiful and isolated with no one around. We had arrived early since we didn't know exactly where we were driving and had fun taking pictures of each other and got sunburned before the minister even arrived. The ceremony was great although I couldn't stop laughing that the minister called Janwillem "Jan" with an English J sound instead of the dutch Y. Things were said in Hawaiian that we had no idea what they meant- could have been calling us stupid tourists for all we know but hey it was romantic! For us, it was perfect. We longed to be together and there we finally managed to pull it off.

Anyways, as I look back at that day it seems sooooooooooo long ago. Who would have imagined we would live where we live and be lucky enough to have two beautiful children and still have each other. We take it for granted a lot. We try not to bicker over silly things. We try to cooperate to make a happy place for a family to grow and thrive... but marriage is hard sometimes (I don't think anyone would disagree with that statement!). Sometimes I wish it was as easy and simple as it was back then and sometimes I don't. We have wonderful memories of the last 8 years...or as JW put it last month (sarcastically- mind you) "8 GLORIOUS Years!" with a smarmy smile that made us both bust out laughing. I still appreciate having him in my life (even if I forget to show it sometimes) and he is a good daddy to Luke and Charlotte. Let's hope we do what we promised to do and stick together forever!

**Geez did we need tans or what!!!

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Still Hotsling-ing it!

2009-06-24T19:09:00.001-07:00

I've been using the Hotslings baby carrier all this month as part of my Sling & Swaddle Journey! I am really grateful to be able to try a sling style carrier and love that the Hotslings come in really beautiful fabrics. I had the hardest time choosing my fabric pattern but that was part of the fun as well! I went with the Kyoto pattern and was a little worried it would be a little too colorful or clash with what I wear but I LOVE IT and have received several compliments on it! At www.hotslings.com you can find slings in solid colors, everyday patterns,reversible patterns, mens patterns, designer patterns, and even "Haute" silk designs. They also sell cute little detatchable pockets that match your sling, nursing tanks, nursing covers, and kids slings (so your child can practice babywearing with his or her own dolls/stuffed animals- too cute!). As you can see from the above pictures, children up to 35 pounds are able to be carried in the hip position. Luke really did enjoy this- he didn't want me to put him down! In the beginning, I wore Charlotte in the cradle carry but now she prefers the front carry so she can look out and see the world from an adult point of view. With two children in the household it has been a lifesaver to have two free hands some days! The SleepyWrap I have shown in other pictures is an extremely long piece of fabric that gets wrapped and tied around your body. Although it is comfortable, all the fabric will make it pretty hot to use in the summer. I also have found the Hotslings to be much easier and quicker for making trips to go out shopping. I just throw it in the diaper bag wherever we go, and it doesn't take up much room in the already packed bag!

If you are thinking of purchasing a sling style carrier I would definately recommend checking their site! www.hotslings.com

Today we went to the beach/park today because it was terribly hot and humid. Luke loved playing in the water and swinging. Charlotte seemed to enjoy the water and we just needed an excuse to put her in the little Nijntje swimsuit and sunhat from Tante Kirsten, Ome Marco, and cousins Luna and Senna! So cute!

Daddy and daughter, aren't they so sweet together????

Daddy's Day Trip

2009-06-24T10:31:00.001-07:00

Monday we decided to take our first family road trip in honor of Daddy for Father's Day. I was a little nervous since Charlotte usually doesn't ride very well in the car. We went up to the big Cabela's store and then to the IKEA store up in Michigan. We hadn't really traveled much with the Garmin GPS that JW got for Christmas so that was fun as well. We just went where the lady told us to go! I didn't expect to be going through Ohio on the way up, but that is the way she sent us! The ride up wasn't too bad (about 3 hours if you aren't stopping). I only had to crawl in the backseat once to try to cheer Charlotte up. You would think in an SUV there would be enough space for 2 car seats and a person but really there isn't! I was uncomfortably wedged in between but it was better than listening to crying. She was happy to have someone talk to her and show her things. Luke was busy linking his arm in my bra strap and making me pick something up so that he could just knock it down again (because that's sooooo much fun!). The cutest thing he said on the way up was, "See those popcorns Daddy???" in reference to the corn fields! He is a little cutie, even though he is a stinker at times!

At Cabela's they have a large mountain of stuffed (dead) animals in different scenes. Luke loved looking at all the different scenes. He also loved the freshwater aquariums and the little fish "river" where you could feed trout! You could throw a little pellet of food in and the fish would rush towards it and sometimes jump out of the water to get there first! Daddy had a good time even though Luke got a little restless towards the end. He was ready for a nap.

Luke wouldn't pose with me here but Kathryn says we have the same expression!

After Cabela's we managed to go North about 30 minutes to an IKEA store. We need to get a Wardrobe/closet for our bedroom since we currently don't have any hanging space for clothes. However, as cool as IKEA was, I didn't realize how it was like a giant (pretty) maze! We were a little overwhelmed since Luke was very tired and wanting to run away. Luckily, I had Charlotte in the Hotslings carrier and she was happy the whole time and I had two free hands to get Luke! It ended up being a little too stressful though to make a decision on anything but at least I know what they have and the costs. On the trip home I had to spend the majority of the time wedged between the car seats again. Luke was starting to get psychotic! He blew raspberries for literally 5 minutes straight at one point. JW was like, "Well, he's going to run out of spit eventually!" Then he was yelling "Go Daddy Go Daddy Go Daddy!!" over and over and over again FOR-EV-ER! Then he ended with one "Go Mommy!" which made me laugh. It was a little frustrating because Charlotte was trying to fall asleep but Luke would yell or make a weird noise or something and it would wake her up and she would cry. But eventually we made it back home again. :)

Gone With The Wind! (title courtesy of JW)

2009-06-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

5:30 a.m. this morning JW is tapping me on the shoulder... I hear the sump pump alarm beeping to indicate a power outage... he says, Maybe we should get up"... I said "just turn the alarm off"....then loud BANG!... he says, "Get up!" I grabbed Charlotte out of the bassinet (she was swaddled and sleeping soundly in her MiracleBlanket) and ran to Luke's room where I heard him crying as I approached the door. Poor little guy was REALLY scared and stuck in his big boy bed (he still doesn't attempt to go down the little ladder by himself which is nice for Mommy and Daddy!). So I grab him on my other hip- carried both kids back through our bedroom and to the farthest section of the basement. JW was upstairs looking for flashlights and then soon followed us. The wind was howling and rain was pouring. We had no weather radio and I didn't think we could hear the tornado sirens with all the storm noise- it was loud enough that I thought it could have been a tornado. Luke sat on a carpet remnant with his blankie around his shoulders with a very serious expression. I found a chair to sit on and nursed Charlotte while we waited for the storms to pass. It was still dark out, but JW could see that there was a big section of the old willow tree down in our backyard.

The old willow is a ginormous tree that sits on the "empty lot" next door, but it hangs over our yard. Several car sized pieces have fallen off in the past but luckily landed in or close to the water. We were always worried about it falling on us... we had tried to contact the owners of the lot to split the cost of removal or get permission but never received a reply. Plus it's darn expensive to cut down a tree!! Well good news is that the section closest to our bedrooms fell down and did not squish us! woohoo!

Once it started to get light out and the storms passed, we were able to see 3 huge sections of tree that are the length of a pick up truck and several people sized branches piled up all over. JW opened the front door and said something about a tree falling on our cars and I'm like "What?" of course he just continues to walk out the door with his mouth open and doesn't let me know what he saw. A large hickory tree at the top of the hill was uprooted in the wind and fell towards our cars... but by some sort of grace it landed on a sassafrass and a maple tree which braced it's fall. The top of the hickory was touching some power lines and also hanging in mid-air above the neighbors garage (who informed us he has a special mustang in there that doesn't run and has 2 flat tires so he couldn't move it out of harms way...). We heard from the neighbors that the roads were blocked in both directions by trees and power lines. Nipsco eventually trimmed the sections of the tree that were close to the power lines. We had a friend come over and help JW cut the hickory off the roots, yank the suspended part down with a truck, and chainsaw up the pieces. Then Uncle Chad was available and came with his chain saw as well. It took all day to clear that one tree- and it approached 90 degrees today so those boys were sweatin! We still have the mess in the backyard but that will take several days and several large chainsaws to remove. Just what we needed- more yard clean up! The leaves never get raked in the fall and there are so many wild weeds, so this just adds to our wonderful landscaping! There are a couple neighbors who now have nice new skylights in their roofs, thanks to all the wonderful trees around here- so we feel very thankful that no damage was done to our house and no one was hurt.

** Funny sidenote- JW said when the storm was hitting, his first thought was, "I don't want to die in my Budlight pajama pants!" He thought that would be pretty embarrassing to be found in those. Hey- I was at Walmart and he wanted PJ pants and that was the best choice over The Simpsons, Family Guy, or SpongeBob themes... He was on a Budlight kick when I bought them. :)

The Big Boy Adventure Continues...

2009-06-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Well we are one more step closer to having an official "Big boy" in the house (I will consider granting the official title once I am no longer changing size 5 diapers). Luke got his first big boy bed in his room and so far tonight he appears to be sleeping in it. He was all hyper while Daddy put the bed together and then had great fun climbing up the ladder and in and out of the storage space below. For some reason last year I HAD to have this giant (plastic mind you) Step 2 captain's bed for Luke. Yes, it's made of giant, heavy duty PLASTIC. A guy was selling unopened boxes at a garage sale- apparently he gets them from the stores when people don't want site to store items and then sells them on ebay. Anyways, I got it pretty cheap although now I don't know why I felt like I HAD to have it for him. It is up high and he is sort of contained so that's good for a transitioning bed and the storage underneath will be great too. He was excited to see his sports themed sheets and pillows on the bed too! So far he talked until 10:30 and we only had to go down once and tell him to settle down because he was kicking something. I think he fell asleep now. Woohoo! I hope it's an easy transition!

Slingin' & Swaddlin'

2009-06-13T19:33:00.001-07:00

As it has been nice weather outside, Luke wants to be out ALL THE TIME. Who can blame him right? It's not always easy though if JW is busy and Charlotte needs fed or held or whatever. The majority of the times that I have been using my new Hotslings baby carrier have been playing outside in the yard with Luke. I am able to play along with whatever he wants to do and she can peek out and watch or eventually fall asleep. I have also worn it grocery shopping since Charlotte doesn't appreciate being in her car seat for too long. When I needed to clean the house quickly before having guests over, the Hotsling was a lifesaver. It has come in handy when I need to have two free hands to get things done. Luke isn't a kid that just lets you sit in a lawnchair, sip a cold drink, and watch him play. Ohhhh no, you have to be actively involved in whatever he wants to play. If he swings, you need to stand there and there are no "pushing breaks" allowed. If I try to sit and look at a magazine, he brings me a stick and instructs me to fish. I love that he communicates so well and wants to play with me but sometimes mommies want breaks too! At least when I put Charlotte in the carrier he can have my full attention (just like the good ol' days for him I suppose!).
Daddy got home from phsyical therapy and took these pictures for us and let me take a few of him as well. He thought he would be returning to work but the therapists want to do some ladder work/practice and he has too many movement restrictions to return to his normal job. For now they told us it will probably be another month off. I think we both had mixed emotions about that! In one way, it is nice he is home to help, play with the kids, work on house projects. In another way, after 3 months being home all the time together we are getting a little sick of each other. :) I know he misses the routine and commaraderie of the workplace as well. Hopefully we will survive another month.

I also continue to use the Miracle Blanket, although I am starting to wonder how long it will be beneficial for Charlotte to be swaddled. One thing I like about it is that the blanket stays put all night and it doesn't come loose or shift- it stays at her shoulder level (I still freak out about SIDS risks). She is always swaddled in there securely and safely like a little straight jacket! It also keeps babies from being able to scratch themselves at night. Plus I worry that if I don't put her in it she will wake up halfway through the night! Now she sleeps until 6 or 7 and that's really a blessing! I'm not ready to risk giving that up yet! The Miracle Blanket company website was asking for people to post video on YouTube of your baby being swaddled and going from crying to calm. In return they will send you $150.00! Since I do this every night (although she isn't usually crying when I do it) I wanted to try to get it on tape. It took awhile to actually find a night she was fussy and have JW around to tape. Of course, Luke is alongside begging for a book to be read and then for marshmallows... haha but that is real life! Here is the video I posted on YouTube for Miracle Blanket...it works! A doctor recommended the Miracle Blanket to us when Luke was tiny, and I continue to recommend it to expecting friends and new mommies who aren't getting very much sleep! If you already own a Miracle Blanket check out http://www.miracleblanket.com/ for the $150.00 video info!

Let's Go Out To A Movie!

2009-06-11T20:52:00.001-07:00

Tonight Luke went to see his first movie. We saw "UP" in 3D (well I saw it in 3D, he didn't keep the glasses on so he saw a sometimes blurry 2D). Nana came along for moral support (and movie popcorn) since we weren't sure how Luke would do sitting and watching a movie for that long! It was fun and he did a good job. It also helped that the movie was super cute and had a great message for adults as well. A few tear-jerker moments for me! We learned that Luke DOES NOT like popcorn and he DOES NOT want to wear dorky 3D glasses like his mom and Nana haha. Halfway through he got a little antsy and climbed on my lap. He was fascinated by the lightning and thunder in one scene and had to repeatedly tell me "thunder..boom boom...splatt splatt" during quieter moments of the show (thanks Dr. Suess and 'The Wonderful Sounds Mr.Brown Can Do!'). He jumped a few times and got caught up in the dramatic parts so I think he got the whole movie experience!

Daddy stayed home with Charlotte and had a great time. She loves the sounds he makes and always smiles and giggles. I love hearing her laugh- it makes her seem so much older! Whenever she hears JW's voice she starts looking around for him. She needs to practice taking a bottle but she wasn't very cooperative for him tonight. Eventually she took a little bit but it wasn't her favorite bottle so she didn't do as well as she had done before.

I've taken some cute pictures that I will just tag on to the end of this post. I love the outdoor pics of Luke- my camara is so fickle, I never know when things will turn out good or not! Maybe I should read the manual!

Good Recipes!

2009-06-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a dish brought to a lunch carry-in for a class I took last summer. Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe. I finally made it for a cookout and almost everyone asked me for the recipe. It was really good! This may be my "go to" dish to bring places because the only chopping needed was the onion. :)

Oriental Salad

3 Stalks Romaine lettuce (torn in pieces)
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese (finely shredded)
1 small can rice chow mein noodles (fine)
1 small bag sliced almonds
1 bag regular croutons
1 medium red onion (coursely chopped)

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Boil together-cool completely- add 1 tsp. Poppyseads. Add dressing to salad as needed. Dressing keeps well in the fridge!

I also tried another new recipe from www.kellyskornerrecipes.blogspot.com Apparently it's a common Southern dish but seeing as we are Northerners, I had never tried it! It was another easy dish that turned out great.

Poppyseed Chicken
2 or 3 chicken breasts (boiled and cut to bite sized pieces)- I had JW grill the chicken again because I don't want to look at boiled chicken haha
1 16 oz sour cream (I used reduced fat)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 Tblsp. poppyseeds
Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter (a little much- could reduce amount or maybe even spray with pam?)

Mix first 4 ingredients together and pour in greased 9 X 13 pan. Top with crushed ritz crackers. Melt butter and pour over top. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve over rice.

I Want to Ride my "Bike-uh-cycle"!

2009-06-07T09:57:00.001-07:00

We got this used tricycle at a garage sale last year. Luke has been very interested in bikes lately and wanting to sit on the exercise bike that is in our bedroom right now. So we dug out this tricycle to surprise him and he loves it! He can't quite coordinate the peddles on his own. I think if his legs were just a tiny bit longer, he would have an easier time. But he thinks he's doing it, even if he is just sitting on the seat and walking with his feet saying "peddle, peddle, peddle!" Of course, now we hear fits if he can't go out and ride it "I want Bike-uh-cycle!" "Please! Bike-uh-cycle!" But it's cute to see him try to ride it and to see him being excited about it.

We took Luke and Charlotte to visit their Great Grandparents, Bunka Bob and Grandma Shimer. He took his bike so he could show them how he rides it. I was a little worried about how he would behave at their house because he hadn't had a nap and was throwing lots of fits in the morning. Luckily, he behaved very well and was a good little boy. We even went out to eat and he sat on the other side of Daddy and I hardly heard him at all. We were very impressed because you can just never tell with a 2 year old. We had a nice visit!

This morning, Amy and Colin came over to go on a kayak ride with us. Colin and Luke were pretty good in the kayaks- Colin only was standing up for a portion of the time haha. We managed to keep everyone out of the water! Then the boys ran around the backyard picking up rocks from around the front deck and running to the pier to throw them in the water. They thought it was great! They each took turns swinging, blowing bubbles, and playing baseball. They are cute together how they "talk", laugh, and giggle to each other now.

Aren't cousins great???

3 months old!

2009-06-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

Charlotte is now 3 months old! WOW! Time flies when you're having fun. Today she was "hooing" and "ahhing" at her Eric Carle elephant and caterpillar chimes that hang on her car seat. She was really finding her voice today. She is starting to reach for things and figure out how to coordinate her movements to get what she wants. She is a very sweet and easy baby...and did I mention what a great sleeper she is??? It may be in part thanks to the Miracle Blanket she is swaddled in at night! During most of the months I was pregnant, I would have to get up at least once or twice at night. So it has been fabulous for the last month or so where I sleep from the time my head hits the pillow till a decent time in the morning! I love having another girl in the house. She is definately more sensitive to things and it just makes me want to protect her even more. My Aunt Jayne mentioned that soon Charlotte will be wanting to join in the wrestling action with Luke and Daddy... yikes!! I never thought of that. Hopefully having a big brother will be a good influence in her life, even if it means she knows how to wrestle! Charlotte loves watching her brother, riding in the stroller and looking up at the trees, taking baths, and when people sing and talk to her. She does not love riding in the car or being stuck in her car seat for very long (and she lets us know!). She still has blue eyes for now and her hair is still a little dark sometimes looking reddish/auburn! The most common nicknames she is called are "Baby Char Char", "Lottie", and "Char-yee" (from cousin Collin). She is a wonderful little baby girl and we are so lucky to have her in our lives!

Sling & Swaddle Journey Begins!

2009-06-03T19:20:00.001-07:00

For the month of June, I am using Twitter to tweet some adventures in mommyhood in a competition of 30 moms. Today our package arrived with the new Hotsling baby carrier (After much deliberation and consultation with every female family member, I chose the Kyoto fabric pattern!) and we received two new Miracle Blankets! Woohoo! I love free stuff! I knew I loved the Miracle Blanket and have already been using our old one with her since she came home from the hospital. I'm excited to have a pink one for her to wear since we like to girl it up around here now. I was curious about the Hotsling because I was secretly envious of every mom I saw in (mostly) Target wearing cool patterned slings. The Sleepywrap is very comfy but when the baby is little it is kind of hidden in there and so people aren't aren't sure what you have going on with your outfit! So now I can go to Target and feel like a hip mom- and that's VERY important. haha
I was a little nervous that I wasn't going to choose the right size of Hotsling, they have a nifty chart but it has a lot of descriptors and I wasn't sure if I fit totally in that category. I ended up getting a size 4 and I think it will work great! The neat this is that the sling can be used from 8 pounds to 35 pounds! Depending on the way you position the Hotsling it can be used to cradle a tiny baby or help lug the big kid on your hip. I have to try to get Luke in there, just for fun. He always follows me around in the morning saying "Mommy carry me!" I will share some fun pics of the kids in the Hotsling when I get more time to play with it!
Today JW continued to work on Charlotte's nursery. We debated on whether to get sage green or a pink for the walls. I opted for "Paris Pink" which reminded me of a peachy/pink ballet shoes color. JW agreed on it and said it was light enough- he thought if it was too dark then we would all look like we were glowing. So he got most of the room painted and announced that it looked like he had a bad sunburn! It is a little shocking to the eyes right now haha but I am hoping that once we get the big white trim up and the white crib/curtains/etc. it will tone it down a bit. I don't think he will want to repaint anytime soon so Paris Pink it is! Luke has been fascinated by the whole painting process and hovering outside the door to watch Daddy. He was hamming it up and I tried taking some pictures- enjoy! I think you will be able to tell which one is his classic "mean face" followed by a smile since I told him I would stop taking pictures if he smiled for me.

Charlotte is turning into quite the big girl lately. I swear she grew overnight last night! She seems like a big squishy, cuddly, bundle of baby all of the sudden. The last two days she keeps holding her right arm out straight with a fist! If I hold something out to her and encourage her she really seems to try to grab it but it takes a lot of effort! She also enjoys hearing nursery rhymes and doing the little motions with them. I got a laugh today for "The Grand Old Duke of York..." and when I sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". She continues to sleep through the night and makes her momma proud!
She may be saying: "Do You Want a Knuckle Sandwich?"

Big Boy

2009-06-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

From This:

I am so glad to have some nice sunny weather this last week. It's not too hot yet. I will be complaining about that once it is in the 90's and humid! Luke has been able to get outside and take walks, go on the kayaks, go on the paddleboat, fish with Daddy from the pier and explore nature. It always feels like we are neglecting his little brain when we are stuck inside a lot! Now that he is bigger, Luke is much easier to take places with me as well. He goes to Wal-Mart and can walk in on his own (holding hands of course). No more lugging all 31 pounds of him on my hip. He's getting to be such a big boy. His hands seem HUGE now and let's face it, his poops are man-sized and it's getting pretty disgusting! Hopefully this summer he will be ready to try potty training. But it also makes me sad he isn't a "baby" anymore. I know he still is little and somewhat babyish- which may be my fault since I still heat up his milk "ba-ba's". haha I do make him drink out of sippy's, but he still calls them "ba-ba's"!! Many guests have been shocked when he hands them his sippy and says "Heat it up" or "Make it hot". :) There is a joke in our family that says he will be the only kid in kindergarten requesting that his milk is heated up! haha Don't worry- we will break that habit by then! I hope! He is just getting to be such a big boy, it is hard to believe.

To This:

Just some cute pics

2009-06-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Need a new recipe?

2009-05-31T08:19:00.001-07:00

I made this King Ranch Chicken the other night for dinner. I am attempting to find some new and easy recipes while I am home more. Now that we have a family I would like to make more "meals"....no more frozen pizzas and skillet sensations... or maybe just less of them! This one I got from www.kellyskornerrecipes.blogspot.com I saw some variations at www.allrecipes.com where you could use flour tortillas or doritos instead of corn tortillas. If you have ever eaten at Carlos O'Kelly's my favorite dish is the Lite Fajita Chicken Enchiladas and this sort of reminded me of that!

King Ranch Chicken
3 chicken breasts
1 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 can Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes and green chilis)
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 small package of corn tortillas (I used about half of a 27 ounce package)

Spray 9 X 13 pan with non-stick spray. Tear up corn tortillas and cover bottom of pan. Boil chicken breasts and cut into bite sized pieces. (Boiled chicken didn't sound good to me so I had JW throw the chicken on the grill the night before when we were cooking hamburgers). Mix soups, chicken, and ro-tel together and pour over tortillas. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at350 for 30 minutes. Serve with spanish rice. Yummy!!!

Sling & Swaddle Journey

2009-05-27T13:06:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed a little button on the right hand side of this page that says "Sling & Swaddle". I will soon be receiving a Hotslings baby carrier and a couple Miracle Blankets in the mail! I was chosen to be one of 30 moms who will use Twitter to micro-blog their daily adventures as part of a competition for more prizes. If you want more information you can click on that little button on their right and it will go to the website. I will probably figure out how to put a link that says "Follow me on Twitter" or something like that once I get my account password. I have never used Twitter to "tweet" so I am curious about how that will go!

I have some friends who own the Hotsling and really like it a lot. I am excited to try out a baby carrier that is a little more "stylish" than the Sleepywrap that I already own. I already use the Miracle Blanket on a nightly basis so I am loving the idea of having a couple more! I'm sure I will be posting pics and updates on the blog as well. If you are interested in either of these products than it may be helpful to see what some "real" moms have to say about their experiences.

Looooong Day...

2009-05-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a long day for Mommy, Daddy, and Luke. I don't think Charlotte had a clue! JW was gone all morning and into the afternoon. From the time Luke woke up and came upstairs he was crying, whining, and throwing fits. I am not quite sure what the problem was. The day before he didn't have a nap but then went to bed early and slept a good 12-13 hours that night. I thought maybe he was just messed up with his sleep or maybe he is getting molars or maybe he has a headache or growing pains.. I dunno! Maybe it's just being 2! :) He took a nap in the afternoon but he still acted out the rest of the evening. He kept trying to hit and throw things at us... we are still trying to be consistent with the time outs (because basically that is all we know how to do! haha). Then we went to Lowe's to look for a paint color for Charlotte's room. While I was trying to decide, Luke was grabbing all the little paint swatches. I was trying to keep the workers from seeing the mess we were making because there was no way I could find the correct slots to put them back. I had Charlotte in the cart as well and Daddy had disappeared to go look at something. I pushed the cart a little farther out so Luke couldn't reach the swatches and he goes (really LOUDLY by the way) "No! You get time out!!!" accompanied by his mean face. I almost had to laugh (but I know that's not good to do)... I'm sure I smirked and I think I said "ohhhh, really??". I hope that's not what we sound like when he gets a time out! I try to be very controlled and stern, but not yelling. Anyways, he may be testing us a little with the time outs and behavior or he just had a really bad day. At one point, JW said in a smarmy tone, "You still want 4 kids?" and I kept my mouth shut... No Comment! haha
We were both afraid this would continue into today but so far he seems like he is in a much better mood. Thank God!

She Laughed!

2009-05-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

This morning Charlotte laughed for the first time! She is usuallly very smiley and alert first thing in the morning and today was no exception. I held her up to the bathroom mirror so she could look at herself and I was talking to her and kissing her on the forehead. She smiled soooo big! Then I changed the kisses to a zoober (I am assuming everyone knows what this means, but I am not sure if that is just a word we have used in our family??) and she did a little chuckle! So cute! I got her to laugh 3 times and then ran downstairs to tell Daddy the news. I am not sure he really wanted to be woken up yet just to hear that haha but I was proud of her. The next trick will be getting that on a little film clip to share.

Siblings...

2009-05-21T10:47:00.001-07:00

I LOVE being a mom. I feel it is what I am meant to be in life... as well as an awesome (har har) SLP (Speech Language Pathologist). It is difficult being a parent but it is also very rewarding! People are always asking if we are "done" having children now that we have a boy and a girl. Often finances are brought up as a reason to just stop at two. To me, I don't think it is all about finances. Luke and I were in the car the other day and (of course) running late and much to my despair we were stuck behind a school bus. Then the cutest thing started happening. At every stop, a child would run off the bus and into the arms of their brother and/or sister waiting for them in the driveway. The kids were all smiling big and smaller ones would be jumping up and down with excitement that their sibling was finally home from school! It was such fun to see such pure bliss! At this point in my life I really enjoy having a family with small children. I know they will get older and eventually less cooperative but hopefully we can have a family that enjoys doing activities and building memories together. If you ask me now, I can imagine at least one more child added to the mix. Mom, don't freak out on me! haha When JW and I discuss it, we say let's wait 2-3 years and then see how it is going. I think that would be a good idea since Luke would be approaching kindergarten age and Charlotte would be becoming more independent at that time. Anyways, I imagine what it will be like when the kids are older and how great it will be when they are interacting together. I am sure it won't always be rosy, but I do imagine them having a close sibling relationship (eventually!) and it would be great to have another sister or brother in the mix. The sibling rivalry may have started already though, Charlotte was kicking and wiggling her arms around, like 2 month olds do, and her hand went towards Luke's bowl of mini-marshmallows. He yelled "No!" like she was going to take one of his precious marshmallows... trust me, this kid does not share his marshmallows (I've tried!). I am thinking to myself, just wait until she is 6 months older and she really is trying to grab his food or toys haha! I think our household will get a lot louder with fits being thrown, but I also hope the laughter gets louder as well.

Zoo!

2009-05-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day here. We first received word that our new nephew, Finn, was born over in Holland! We are happy to hear that he and his parents are all doing well! We can't wait to see how he looks and hear all about him. :)

We had plans to go to take the kids to the zoo and that pretty much took the whole day. Luke was a very good boy and got to walk most of the time and didn't whine too much when he was asked to hold our hands. He got to pet and brush goats, ride a pony for the first time, ride on a carousel, ride on a little train, pet a cow, see a peacock with it's tail feathers fanned, pretend to hatch out of an egg, play African drums, and see lots of cool animals! He pretty much liked everything. Charlotte was her usual, content self and slept in the stroller most of the time. We managed to even stop at a few stores and eat at Applebee's together with no fits or meltdowns so it was a great day!

Note to self: If you try to hug a goat... it will probably try to eat your clothes... and if you yell, "No, stop it!" and run... it will probably chase you...but you probably will just think that's funny.

Charlotte is 2 months old!

2009-05-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

At 2 months of age, Charlotte is holding her head up better. She is also smiling more and "cooing and gooing" back when you talk with her. Of course, whenever I try to get a picture of her smiling or talking back to me she stops! Here are some recent pics though that I think are cute enough to share. I am definately excited to have a little girl. I am loving all the cute little outfits and I think she already likes talking to her mommy. Hopefully she will enjoy doing things with me when she is older. It seems like I am always hanging out with my mom and sisters so it makes me hope that the future will bring the same with Miss Charlotte. :)

Say, "I'm smart!".... "I fart!"....hmmm

2009-05-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

I do think Luke is very smart little boy even if he can't say it correctly yet! He has been enjoying swimming lessons with his Daddy. Luckily, Daddy enjoys it as well so Mommy can just watch and take pictures. JW spared me the horror of having to don a swimsuit 6 weeks after having a baby! haha This is Luke's third time with swim lessons and he really is starting to understand and even looks like he is doing a little dog paddle with Daddy holding him. JW also has been having him jump off the side of the pool and catching him and then you turn them towards the wall so they know what to do if they fall in.... Last night Luke jumped off the wall for the first time without holding Daddy's hands. He was very proud of himself. He also enjoyed throwing a little toy octopus out in front of him and swimming for it. It cracks me up that he kept going "See that Mommy? See that octopus?" Here are a few of the cute videos of I got him jumping and swimming.

Graduation, new knee brace, and 2 month check up!

2009-05-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to a graduation dinner/ceremony for JW. He completed the classwork to become a Journeyman Electrician and at the same time took courses through Vincennes University to earn an Associate's Degree. This has required him to go to classes 1 or 2 nights a week for the last 4 years from 5-9pm with a 45 minute drive there and back straight after work. This has been a sacrifice in that he was gone from the time he woke up to the time he had to go to bed on those days. I am proud that he pushed himself to complete the classes and finally is done with it! It was a great opportunity to better himself and it was sponsored by his work. Hey, you can't beat a free college degree nowadays! He also received certificates for having the highest grade point average in his class and perfect attendance (What a nerd! Ha! just kidding). Here he is shaking hands with the president of Vincennes University.

He received a leatherman multi-tool, some "cool" safety glasses, and a $50 giftcard to Lowe's. The program also paid for a hotel for the night so we spent the night at a Hampton Inn for free! Lottie really enjoyed lounging in the big king-sized bed at the hotel
JW has been attending physical therapy 3 times per week and just received a nifty aluminum brace to help stabilize his knee. Right now they are working on getting it to straighten. He still cannot bend it much but I imagine it is slowly getting better.

Today Charlotte had her 2 month check up. She weighed 11 pounds 8 ounces (70th percentile) and 22.5 inches long (50th percentile). Everything looked good. Her rash has cleared up around her face. I switched us all to the Dreft laundry detergent and got dye free/perfume free dryer sheets. I also have been using Aquaphor on her face when she gets out of the bath. That seems to help some! She had to get her first shots today.... :( I believe Tante Kirsten was with me when Luke had his first shots. I think he cried with the initial pain/surprise of it but was soon soothed when he was picked up. This girl... no way... she was ticked for a loooong time! I think she is going to be like her mother. She doesn't forget quickly and once you start crying, you can't stop! She screamed even after I cuddled her and theN I gave up and had to just carry her out of the doctor's office still crying. She does this very sad frown face when she gets hurt and her little bottom lip shudders and it's just ohhh soooo sad! It breaks my heart. Hopefully she won't be too bothered by the shots tonite. Luke has swim lessons, so that is where we will be!

7 weeks old

2009-04-25T19:35:00.001-07:00

It's hard for me to tell the similarities and differences between Luke and Charlotte's looks right now. His coloring is definately darker... her eyes are lighter.... Behavior-wise he was much more wiggly and very active all the time! She is much calmer, laid back and THANK THE LORD a good sleeper! It's fun to compare them from time to time but I know they may be vastly different, as siblings sometimes are. I often think with the same parents, same genes, same environment, same up-bringing that brothers and sisters would be similar. However, we all know this is not true! We all think differently, feel differently, have different emotional capacities and interests. I can't wait to see how these two are the same, but also how they are different.

Becoming "Real" Parents

2009-04-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I felt like JW and I were truly becoming "real" parents and we owe it all to the Supernanny. We successfully executed a timeout with Luke for the first time and it worked like a charm! We were both in shock that it actually worked. When it was time to eat dinner he started throwing a fit because he wanted ice cream. (go figure!) When I tried putting him in his chair he was kicking the table away and screaming and this was something he had never done before. JW and I had actually watched Supernanny on Friday and she kept going over the proper steps to timeout, which I am REALLY glad we watched TOGETHER! JW typically doesn't care for those kind of programs but on Friday he stuck around to watch tv with me instead of playing games on the computer like usual. So we put him in the timeout chair and told him why... then we sat on the couch and ignored him while he yelled for "Diego Juice!" (His apple juice in a Diego cup). He only tried getting up once and it wasn't too hard to get him seated again. The hard part was keeping my mouth shut! The Supernanny kept telling the dad on the show that there should be no communication during this time and it just seemed wrong not to re-explain everything to the kid. But I kept my mouth shut and then he sat for 2 minutes and I told him why he was in timeout and asked him to say sorry mommy. That took some prompting but he did reach out to hug me first and then he said sorry and we told him how much we love him and hugged and kissed him. I was a little nervous when JW picked him up to put him back in the highchair for dinner then.... My lenient side says just let him be until he decides he is hungry later on!! But surprisingly enough Luke then sat at the table and was all smiles and totally happy and he ATE! The boy ate lots of peas, meat, and sweet potatoes. He repeated to us "I listen" "I dessert"... because that's what we have been trying to instill in him that he can get dessert if he eats good. So then he earned his jell-o pudding pop! His behavior was so totally different and cute and sweet at the table that JW and I kept looking at each other in shock! I am sure it won't always work perfectly but for a first attempt we were pretty proud of our parenting skills with the timeout!

If you notice in these pictures... Luke got a "big boy" haircut courtesy of the Daddy Boutique! He cut it a little shorter than I had expected but it turned out cute. It kind of made me sad for a few hours because he looked a lot older, but then I got used to it.
Charlotte started getting a rash on her face last week and I have been trying to deal with that. I finally got in to the doctor's office this morning and just like I thought he would say, "It's just baby acne". I don't think it really is. I think it's a reaction to something but of course this morning it looked a little less irritated and red. I have just been keeping it greased up with Aquaphor and maybe that is helping and it will continue to get better. I've been all worried about whether it's a milk allergy, food allergy, and that she is going to have horrible red faced dermatitis for the first few years of her life until she grows out of it.. and of course the doctor just says "it's just baby acne". From what I have looked up online I think it's atopic dermatitis that infants can get around 6-12 weeks of life. Of course, I don't think the doctor wanted me to question him and explain to him that I already have diagnosed her through the internet!! Haha! Since it looked a little better today I am hoping to continue the Aquaphor and being careful about what her face touches and see if it goes away on it's own. He said we could try a topical steroid but I think I will wait on that. She is eating good and sleeping good so I don't think it is bothering her too much. When they weighed her today (with diaper and clothes on) she was 10 pounds 10 ounces! So in a month she has gained over 2 pounds! When Luke went for his 2 year check up he was 31 pounds and 35 1/2 inches tall. That's the 85th percentile for weight and 70th percentile for height.
Charlotte is now starting to smile and of course she gives Daddy the smiles the most! I have been trying to get a picture of the smiles but it never seems to work out. She is still an excellent baby and still very content and we are thankful for that. Here are some random shots from earlier in April...
Luke's first fish caught with Bunka...

Looking cute with Nanny...

Watch out for these party animals... cousin Karlson brought home a storm trooper helmet toy on Easter which Luke and Colin also had to wear. Notice Luke's cool Spiderman slippers and yes, that's him under the helmet. He is also becoming quite the light saber fighter when Karlson is around. Karlson always gets to be Luke Skywalker and Luke has to be Darth Vader and they battle around with the collapsable light sabers- complete with sound effects and colored lights! It's just a little frightening!

Hmmm... Do I look like I could use a timeout????

Easter and Luke's 2nd Birthday!

2009-04-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Time has really been going by fast! I can't believe Charlotte is passed the 1 month milestone and now over 5 weeks old. She is getting bigger (and cuter) everyday! Luke had his 2nd birthday party combined with our family's Easter gathering. This worked out well since he didn't like the spotlight being on him last year and cried when it was time to open presents! This took some of the pressure off of him I guess haha. He still wasn't too interested in sitting and opening presents. His cousin Colin helped out because he LOVES opening presents. Luke was more interested in playing with his cousins and the toys. Luke had a Diego cake and loved taking a spoon to the side of the cake while my mom was cutting the pieces! Everyone enjoyed seeing Charlotte in her Easter dress and thought she was such a good baby and so quiet. We all caught sore throats/colds so we are all sick. Poor Charlotte caught Luke's cold the week she came home from the hospital and just now had finally gotten to where I wasn't having to clear her nose all the time and now she has an even worse cold! It makes me so sad for her. Luke was just finally getting rid of all the snot from that first illness and now he has it again full force. Hopefully it will pass through quickly and JW won't get it (he is the only one healthy right now!). Today is Luke's official birthday and I made him muffins and put 2 candles in it to blow out. He enjoyed blowing out the candles but refused to eat the muffin!

Here are some of the pictures from Luke's birthday and Easter.

More cuteness

2009-03-31T05:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted some cute pics of Luke and Charlotte together. Luke has taken more interest in her at times the last few days, so its fun to see him interacting with her! He still makes me a little nervous when he is wanting to touch her and be close but he did a good job being gentle. He did come at her nose once with the bulb syringe since we have had to use that a lot to suck out her nose the last few weks! But I got to him before he could shove it up her nostril! I am already adding more pics of them last night together and a few videos. Luke was super cute and gentle with Charlotte on the couch. The other video is of him going "night night". He has a book called "You Can Count at the Lake" he just started completing some of the phrases in it and it makes me laugh every time and he loves it... I say "eight slow snails..." and Luke says "creep creep creep!" and then I say " Nine ducks march..." and he says "Peep peep peep!". That's our favorite part!

So Happy Together!

2009-03-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Babywearing?!?

2009-03-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had never heard of the term "babywearing". In learning how hard it is to handle a toddler and all his needs, along with a newborn who loves to be held, this may just be my new lifestyle! One of my mom's coworkers recently had a baby and has other small children and told her about a wrap-style carrier she uses to keep the baby cuddled and her hands free to tend to her other children. This style of carrier is supposed to be more comfortable for mom and for baby. When checking out websites and other blogs about these carriers, I read about several mom's who refer to themselves as "babywearers". It's supposed to be great for bonding and have other health benefits for baby. Plus the mom's love it! So I bought myself a sleepywrap. It is basically a piece of fabric 5 meters long.... yes 5 meters long!!!... that you wrap around yourself in various ways and tuck the baby inside to tote them around. It was a little confusing as to how to wrap the fabric the right way but I think I am already getting the hang of it. My mom and I have both worn it now on some walks and so far it's pretty comfy and Charlotte falls right asleep in it. Here's a picture from their website... (I have pictures of my mom wearing it but she would probably kill me if I posted them!) Now- walking on the road or in the woods is one thing. Today I needed to go to Walmart and JW was staying home with Luke and I was going to take Charlotte with me. I tried to take her to a store once before thinking she would sleep in her car seat if we kept the stroller/cart moving.... and she screamed until she was held (very embarrassing in a store!). Luckily, that day Aunt Kathryn was with me and she could hold Charlotte while I pushed the cart and got my groceries. Today I would be on my own. I thought I would try the sleepywrap. I managed to get her in it okay in the backseat of the car and she slept wonderfully the whole shopping experience. However, I was not prepared for hundreds of people staring at me and wondering what the #*!! I had strapped to me! Kathryn said in Oregon people were always wearing baby wraps/slings etc. But ummm not in Indiana so much. It does look a little strange I think. I sort of felt like a character in Star Wars with all this fabric wrapped and hanging. Let's just say it caught a lot of people's attention and I was a little embarrassed. A Walmart worker (older man) who was arranging ground beef asked me how I liked that kind of baby carrier and we had a little chat about it! Then a cute little girl with magenta sequin shoes said "Mommy, she has a baby in her belly!"... and other's just stared and sometimes smiled. By others I mean every person I walked past, and Walmart was packed! I get self-conscious easily so it was a little challenging for me to remember all the items I needed, but I managed to get through it! In other news, Charlotte is 3 weeks old! She is already getting bigger and changing so much. She was 8 pounds, 5 ounces and 20.5 inches at her 2 week check up. Those were at about the 40th percentile and the doctor thought she was doing great! She still has somewhat of a stuffy nose from the illness that went around, but the doctor said her lungs sounded good and wasn't worried about it. She likes her baths now and they make her pretty alert but calm. She enjoys tummy time, although I've learned I have to guard her carefully when she is on the floor since Luke doesn't seem to notice her or tries to get a little too close! She cries a little more during the day (that's why JW preferred to stay with Luke and have her go with me!) haha but I think overall she is still a pretty content baby. Luke is cracking us up on a daily basis. The tantrums have lessened and he is acting more lovingly towards the baby so that is nice. I have been taking him out to walk in the woods in the afternoons and the kid can run/walk/jog for miles and never get tired! Here are some recent pics of our adventures!

Diego Shoes

2009-03-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

Here's Luke modeling his famous Diego shoes. He hasn't wanted to take them off since he first got them! It's funny to see a kid so excited over some shoes.
The weather has finally gotten to be warmer so earlier this week Kathryn and I took Luke and Charlotte to the park. Here are a couple cute videos of Luke and his antics. I love the way he ignores me and does a funny quick turn around in the first video lol What a weird-o! Then on the second video he says "I got shocked!" which he discovered static electricity earlier this year. At the babysitter's house he was going around shocking kids and saying, "I shock you!" and laughing when he gets a reaction.

J.W. went to the orthopedic surgeon's office Friday and they removed the staples from his leg. He was relieved to find out that didn't hurt at all! They said it would be another 4 weeks in the immobilizer brace and no bending his knee. When he goes back in a month they will tell him about starting physical therapy. It sounds like he will be recuperating at home for another 10 weeks. For now he has his whole leg in a tight brace and walks with crutches. He is still keeping it elevated as much as possible. He was able to lay on the floor for the first time and play with Luke tonight and that made Luke a very happy little boy! Which two weeks into being a big brother a happy little boy seems like a miracle! :)

2 weeks old and an almost 2 year old

2009-03-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, Charlotte is already 2 weeks old today! She is growing fast and changing a lot already. When I look back at pictures of Luke it is amazing to see how fast he has grown. Charlotte is SUCH a good baby so far. I am really lucky so far! She is sleeping good stretches at night and during the day she is very content. She only screams when she is being bothered (baths, diaper changes, and clothing changes). When she was born we noticed right away how long and skinny her fingers and toes were! She also had very long fingernails (which was kind of creepy!). She still has a little bit of dark hair, similar to what Luke had when he was born. Her eyelashes and eyesbrows are showing up more but they are light colored right now. Her eyes are blue but may turn brown on us. They don't seem as dark as Luke's. It is soooo cute when she is falling asleep and her eyes start to flutter and she gets a cute gummy smile off and on. She is calm and observant right now. Luke was active from the start and she seems to take things slower so that is nice for a change! I think Charlotte looks a lot like her daddy right now. Something about her eyes, nose, and mouth remind me of J.W. so it will be fun to see how she changes over the next few months!

Luke has been lucky to have lots of people come over to play with him and take him on walks lately. He is experiencing some terrible two's behavior and jealousy/frustration with sharing his parent's attention with the new baby. Daddy can't get up off the couch much to play and often Mommy has things she has to do with Charlotte or the dog or the house so that is hard for Luke. He is talking more and more all the time which is very fun to hear. He constantly points things out to me "Mommy hoop!"... "Mommy bird!"... "Mommy motorcycle!"... "Mommy car!"... he keeps repeating these phrases until you comment that yes, you see the basketball hoop too. He found that he LOVES Milkshakes from McDonalds now. Daddy had one and he got to taste it and now we hear "more shakey" all the time. He has been getting to go outside now that the weather is nicer. He doesn't always find it easy to be patient and wait until Mommy is able to go outside with him and he definately does not like to be told that it is time to go inside! We have a slight obsession starting with the cartoon Go Diego Go! It is about a little boy who is an animal scientist so we learn all about animals. Luke got a dvd of 4 different episodes and we have watched it a million times already! Mommy and Daddy can't get the songs out of our heads now! Last night, Nanny (my mom) came over and brought him new shoes with Diego on them! I have never seen Luke look soooooooooooo happy! He was giggling with excitement and once they were on his feet he started running around our living room non-stop! He kept yelling "Go Diego Go!" and running and jumping and falling down on purpose. His cheeks got red, and he got all sweaty but he didn't stop running! I think those shoes gave him some special Diego powers and he had to show them off. For the first time he said "Mommy, watch.... I jump!" and then showed me a big jump in his new shoes. He gratefully gave hugs and said Thank you to his Nanny and Aunt Kaki for bringing him these wonderful shoes. It was hilarious to watch how excited he got. I think we may have to have a Diego themed birthday party if this keeps up. I want to get a picture of him in his Diego shoes but I don't know if I can get him to hold still long enough. I will try later on tonite!

J.W.'s Surgery... rest of the week drama

2009-03-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

So.... we got to come home from the hospital Sunday night. Luke smacked his sister on the head soon after we arrived home. So that let us know what he thought about this new baby thing! He also has been very needy and when I am trying to relax and get her eating right then he decides to freak out about something. Charlotte was nursing good Friday evening and part of Saturday and then seemed to stop! She coughed up some stuff Sunday morning and then she did a little better with eating then Sunday before we were discharged from the hospital. Monday nursing became really painful. Monday in the middle of the night I woke up really cold and then by 4am I had severe chills and then high fever. I started boiling bottles and syringes and parts for my pump because I felt like I couldn't nurse again anytime soon because it was too painful. Plus I was shaking violently and that wasn't going to work either! I wanted Charlotte to still have the breastmilk though to give her antibodies and hopefully protect her from the virus I had (oh and Luke had it as well so he was not feeling his best either). The discharge paperwork said to call the doctor if you had fever or chills... my whole body was aching and my back and legs felt really tired and I thought I had some horrible infection either from the delivery or from nursing. I called the doctor on call and they said make an appt. once they open at 8am. I finally got the fever under control by the time I was at the doctor at 8:55 and was drenched in sweat and all clammy. They decided the fever/chills was probably just part of a virus/flu and not related to the delivery or nursing pain and sent me back home. Soon after I got home, it was time for JW to go to the hospital for surgery. Our brother-in-law Chad took him. JW was nervous and not really wanting to talk about it beforehand. He had completely torn his ACL, partially torn his MCL, and then also damaged the lateral meniscus so they had a lot to repair. He didn't get home until 6:30 and then Chad and our friend/neighbor Chad carried him down the hill (Of course this day it was pouring rain ALL DAY!). So JW has been couch-bound and groggy since Tuesday evening with his leg needing to stay above his heart as much as possible and on a pain pump and vicodin. We had a nurse visit to check both Charlotte and myself that afternoon. Charlotte was 7 lbs 7 ounces so she hadn't lost too much weight- she is still a little sluggish on pooping but I think she got a little dehydrated when she didn't want to eat for that day so hopefully things will pick up here! That was the only concern. She didn't seem to be jaundiced and it was nice to know she was still at a good weight.

I continued to get fever and chills that evening and through the night. My poor mom stayed around and helped us with Luke and Charlotte and listened to me blubber in misery! She also took a day off work Wednesday to help us and entertain Luke, hold the baby, walk the dog, etc. I think the fever finally was gone by late night Wednesday, now just have a scratchy throat and cough. Luckily, Charlotte hasn't shown signs of being ill and Luke didn't have the high fever/chills part so that was a big relief.
Thursday was rough because Charlotte didn't want to be laid down at night and would wake up every 10 minutes from 11pm-3:30am and only sleep if you held her. I finally fell asleep with her in my arms on the couch by 4am and was then very tired Thursday. Luke was also tired and needy and JW isn't able to get up to help so it has been difficult. Everything always seems to happen at once... the dog needs let out/in, Charlotte is nursing, Luke is crying for something or needs to be fed/changed/etc/, oh and Daddy will say he needs a drink when I get a chance! :) So it has been very overwhelming when I am not feeling good myself. Plus I think the postpartum hormones and emotions don't help that either.

So now we are to Friday. Luke went to his babysitter's so he could run around and play. Charlotte slept much better last night with the help of the MIRACLE BLANKET! Let's hope it works tonite as well! My headache finally went away. JW finally got up for a sponge bath and some new clothes on. His pain pump has run out but he is feeling better and is able to at least get up and go down the dining room stairs to use the restroom a few times a day. So things are hopefully looking up! Here are some pictures of his set up he has on the couch for now.

Here are pics from this morning- He is doing much better today!- The pain pump which is now on EMPTY! And the first time we unwrapped the giant brace to see what was underneath!