My sweet baby boy is TWO years old!
I have officially left babyland behind.
I have loved, loved, loved having babies and am SO thankful for them all!
I truly can think of nothing better than snuggling with a sweet new babe.
That being said, I kind of wanted to jump for joy when Kyle turned two!
I am ready to move forward with our kiddos (and have already started to do so).
Kyle has really, really blossomed during the past few months.
He talks a LOT and puts 3-4 words together.
He speaks in a very high pitched squeaky voice and at times sounds hoarse. It is completely adorable. I have been told by an ENT (Nila) to encourage him not to yell (regarding hoarseness). This is a bit laughable as he is extremely expressive! I have also tried to get him to mimic me speaking with a low tone of voice. He can do that, but still speaks in a squeaky high pitched voice about 75% of the time.
Kyle spent about 10 months fussing (10-20 months) a LOT!!
Around 20 months, this decreased drastically (AMEN!). He is still very opinionated and emotional (love it!) but the crying occurs less often than laughing now.
He is a super funny little boy!
His sense of humor and sass have his siblings and I in stitches throughout the day.
He is a climber and is constantly on the counter.
He loves being outdoors, reading, playing chase, eating, swimming, and laughing.
He loves trucks, babies, and dogs more than anything else.
He cherishes his siblings and wants to be a big kid for sure. I did move him up to the preschool room at church a couple weeks ago. He is thrilled to be in the same class as Carson. Carson loves having him there too.
Since the kids have gone back to school, my sweet baby has been a bit sad. I catch him at least once a day talking to himself saying, "Erik, Lainey, Carson school? Bus?"
Then when we get Carson, he will ask, "Erik, Nainey school?"
He greets them with a big hug when they get home.
He sleeps well. Goes to bed around 8 PM and is rescued from his crib around 7 AM. He takes one 2 hour nap most days. He does NOT transfer from car to bed so if he falls asleep while we are running errands that is his nap for the day. I really think he will likely try to give up naps completely in the next 6-12 months. This summer he really wasn't happy about napping as he knew no one else was napping. He would often yell out, " I go outside! No seep!" Haha! Poor little guy! (Carson has been napping again since starting pre-k, so Kyle hasn't fought his naps.)
We have a sweet bedtime routine in place. I read him 3-4 short books (he sits next to me on the rocker, won't sit in my lap). When done, he lets me hold him while we pray and I sing him a quick song. Then he is willing to get in his crib, tucks a "baba" under each arm and says, "Rub back mama." I rub his back, sneak away to turn on his music and shut off the lights. He pops up his head and says, " More back Mama!" I rub his back for another 30-60 seconds then leave the room. He then goes to sleep peacefully.
He is really growing up, as for months he would scream and yell and kick when being put to bed. It never lasted more than 5 minutes but it happened every night. I'm thankful he has learned to go to bed peacefully.
My little guy has a BIG spark in both eyes! I love him through and through and look forward to time this year with just my little buddy by my side.
Happy birthday dear boy!
You are a blessing and a delight.
I am so thankful you are mine!
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Family Update
This past year and a half have been difficult from a marriage standpoint. We came through Daron's death, kids illnesses/hospital stay, sick Grandma, job change which resulted in long work days for Victor, and a newborn (plus three other littles) feeling a bit ragged.
I recognized immediately, that we needed to dedicate the year of 2014-2015 to marriage recovery. We tried lots of things - counseling, trips, retreats, prayer, books, etc. but ultimately Victor made the choice to leave our marriage. He has been gone for about three months now. I'm not sure where we will be a year from now, but I do know my struggling husband needs prayer. He is a good man, but he is angry and lost.
The kids and I have been doing fairly well. Carson is my tender-hearted little boy. He misses his dad a lot and at times just seems sad. Erik has been struggling with sleeping issues (I have this almost figured out) and anger. Lainey/Kyle seem the most resilient although they are all doing well. I found a counselor for the kids that I really like a lot!
I haven't been in counseling this summer but will go back soon, once everyone is established back into a school routine.
Please be in prayer for my kids, husband, and me as we navigate this unexpected territory. Thanks.
I recognized immediately, that we needed to dedicate the year of 2014-2015 to marriage recovery. We tried lots of things - counseling, trips, retreats, prayer, books, etc. but ultimately Victor made the choice to leave our marriage. He has been gone for about three months now. I'm not sure where we will be a year from now, but I do know my struggling husband needs prayer. He is a good man, but he is angry and lost.
The kids and I have been doing fairly well. Carson is my tender-hearted little boy. He misses his dad a lot and at times just seems sad. Erik has been struggling with sleeping issues (I have this almost figured out) and anger. Lainey/Kyle seem the most resilient although they are all doing well. I found a counselor for the kids that I really like a lot!
I haven't been in counseling this summer but will go back soon, once everyone is established back into a school routine.
Please be in prayer for my kids, husband, and me as we navigate this unexpected territory. Thanks.
School is back in session!
My kids started school two weeks ago. Erik is in 2nd, Lainey in 1st, and Carson in pre-k. It's a little hard to believe that I have three kids old enough to get on the bus each morning!
Last year we had a really hard time with Erik's teacher. He was quite a bit ahead of the kids in his class, and rather than adjusting the curiculum for him, she just ignored him completely. She actually told me, "He's too far ahead, there is nothing I can do."
Now Erik is smart, but he's no genius, and with 120 kids in the grade I promise you there were things she could do.
We ultimately ended up switching him to a different class for the fourth quarter, after trying a few other solutions suggested by the principal. Needless, to say, it was stressful and I was feeling a bit anxious about the teachers for this year.
I am happy to say, Lainey and Carson both have teachers that we know and like.
Erik, as the oldest, has a teacher unfamiliar to me, but first impression was very good. And two of the kids in his class, have parents who teach at that school so I'm pretty sure, she is a highly valued teacher, if other teachers trust their kids to her.
Our first week back was eventful as Erik ran (hard) into a pole at recess, resulting in a HUGE goose egg and medium size gash on his forehead. He recovered just fine, but I got a call from the nurse on day 1. Ha!
Poor Carson was left on the bus on his second day ever riding the bus. He gets home around noon so there are only about 15 pre-k kids on the bus. Apparently the bus driver completely forgot about his stop, because he drove right past my sitter and Kyle without even slowing down. I was working and didn't realize he was forgotten until about 20 minutes after his drop time. By then, the whole route was finished. Thankfully, we caught it before the bus driver went home!
Carson seemed fairly upset that day, but got back on the bus the next day without any issues. Ha!
Praying for a peaceful, happy school year for all three of my kiddos!
Last year we had a really hard time with Erik's teacher. He was quite a bit ahead of the kids in his class, and rather than adjusting the curiculum for him, she just ignored him completely. She actually told me, "He's too far ahead, there is nothing I can do."
Now Erik is smart, but he's no genius, and with 120 kids in the grade I promise you there were things she could do.
We ultimately ended up switching him to a different class for the fourth quarter, after trying a few other solutions suggested by the principal. Needless, to say, it was stressful and I was feeling a bit anxious about the teachers for this year.
I am happy to say, Lainey and Carson both have teachers that we know and like.
Erik, as the oldest, has a teacher unfamiliar to me, but first impression was very good. And two of the kids in his class, have parents who teach at that school so I'm pretty sure, she is a highly valued teacher, if other teachers trust their kids to her.
Our first week back was eventful as Erik ran (hard) into a pole at recess, resulting in a HUGE goose egg and medium size gash on his forehead. He recovered just fine, but I got a call from the nurse on day 1. Ha!
Poor Carson was left on the bus on his second day ever riding the bus. He gets home around noon so there are only about 15 pre-k kids on the bus. Apparently the bus driver completely forgot about his stop, because he drove right past my sitter and Kyle without even slowing down. I was working and didn't realize he was forgotten until about 20 minutes after his drop time. By then, the whole route was finished. Thankfully, we caught it before the bus driver went home!
Carson seemed fairly upset that day, but got back on the bus the next day without any issues. Ha!
Praying for a peaceful, happy school year for all three of my kiddos!
Summer Overview
This summer has been, in a lot of ways, my favorite summer. There has been an unexpected, unwelcome change in our house which I was discuss briefly in a later post. While this posed some challenges this summer, we still had a great time.
My kids are getting bigger and I love it. With my youngest being 2 (!) we can do a lot of fun things that are much more difficult with newborns or pregnancy. After so many years of not sleeping through the night (7) I honestly feel like I can accomplish tons each day since my sleep has been fairly uninterrupted for almost a year now.
Erik and Lainey spent 4 weeks at St. Johns camp. It runs from 8:30-12:00 and they love it! They took classes ranging from baking to hair and nails to lego robots to soccer. It's a fun camp, close to our house, and run by cream of the crop teenagers. Erik wants to volunteer there in middle school. I would love that!
Aside from camp, we really spent a lot of time at the pool this summer. Carson learned the basics of swimming independently (can swim almost a lap and jumps off the diving board) and Lainey earned some freedom by getting to a level 3 swimming class (I no longer require her to stay right next to me).
Our pool complex is wonderful. THere are four pools - 2 kiddie pools and 2 lap pools. In order to safely take all four, I keep Kyle in a life jacket at all times. If Carson wanted to go in the bigger pools, he needed to be by my side or wear his life jacket too. Erik and Lainey swim well and just check in with him if they change pools. I keep my eyes on them, but really they swim quite well.
I think we spent 4-5 days at the pool every week which was fun for everyone!
We also took small day trips - went to a Blue Crabs game, Orioles Game, toured the Naval Academy, went to the Baltimore CHildren's museum, National Building Museum twice (once for regular admission and second time for the BEACH exhibit -fun!).
We were supposed to visit friends in Norfolk, but I ended up getting the stomach flu that weekend. Err! We are hoping to reschedule this trip for sometime in the near future.
My kids only have 8 full weeks off of school so that summer flies by! I think it's a pretty perfect length. No time to get bored, forget less when going back to school, but still time to do fun things that are much harder to do during the school year.
My kids are getting bigger and I love it. With my youngest being 2 (!) we can do a lot of fun things that are much more difficult with newborns or pregnancy. After so many years of not sleeping through the night (7) I honestly feel like I can accomplish tons each day since my sleep has been fairly uninterrupted for almost a year now.
Erik and Lainey spent 4 weeks at St. Johns camp. It runs from 8:30-12:00 and they love it! They took classes ranging from baking to hair and nails to lego robots to soccer. It's a fun camp, close to our house, and run by cream of the crop teenagers. Erik wants to volunteer there in middle school. I would love that!
Aside from camp, we really spent a lot of time at the pool this summer. Carson learned the basics of swimming independently (can swim almost a lap and jumps off the diving board) and Lainey earned some freedom by getting to a level 3 swimming class (I no longer require her to stay right next to me).
Our pool complex is wonderful. THere are four pools - 2 kiddie pools and 2 lap pools. In order to safely take all four, I keep Kyle in a life jacket at all times. If Carson wanted to go in the bigger pools, he needed to be by my side or wear his life jacket too. Erik and Lainey swim well and just check in with him if they change pools. I keep my eyes on them, but really they swim quite well.
I think we spent 4-5 days at the pool every week which was fun for everyone!
We also took small day trips - went to a Blue Crabs game, Orioles Game, toured the Naval Academy, went to the Baltimore CHildren's museum, National Building Museum twice (once for regular admission and second time for the BEACH exhibit -fun!).
We were supposed to visit friends in Norfolk, but I ended up getting the stomach flu that weekend. Err! We are hoping to reschedule this trip for sometime in the near future.
My kids only have 8 full weeks off of school so that summer flies by! I think it's a pretty perfect length. No time to get bored, forget less when going back to school, but still time to do fun things that are much harder to do during the school year.
Wisconsin Summer
The kids and I spent 10 days in WI this summer. Most of our time was spent at my Mom and Dads (they ran an unofficial bed and breakfast this summer). The weather was perfect, so we spent a lot of time outdoors. Fishing, taking long walks, driving tractors, visiting friends (Camp Anokijig), playing cards, visiting local hotspots, etc.
My cousin Austin and his family stayed with my parents the first half of our trip. It was so nice to see them! Terri and I are pretty good buddies, so I always look forward to spending time together in person. (Austin's pretty cool too!)
I was able to see my cousin Anne and her daughter Aly, my friend Katie S, and Pat Scherer family. Hannah got married yesterday (I am old!) and I couldnt get back for the wedding, but I was able to attend her bridal shower which was fun.
The kids and I took a two day break from Plymouth and drove to the Dells. My friend Barb W. and her boys met us at Noah's Ark. My brothers Colin and Kevin both came too! It was a really FUN day! Erik, Lainey, and Carson had little to no fear and went on tons of waterslides. I was so impressed. Noah's Ark is one of my favorite childhood memories so I am glad to share that with my kiddos now. I was so thankful to have supportive family and friends help me navigate it safely with four small kids.
After Noah's Ark we drove to La Crosse and spent the night at the Wettsteins. I hadn't been to La Crosse (or seen the Wettsteins) in 9 years! Way too long! We didn't see anymore of La Crosse than their house as when I left the kids all fell asleep before we were 1 mile from the house.
We went from La Crosse to Verona to spend the day with my friend Nicki and her family of 5. Uncle Colin stopped by again that afternoon, before heading to Shrekfest (he is a goof!).
This trip home was a fun one. I have realized how incredibly blessed I am with kind friends and family. So thankful for that.
My kids are already talking about their trip home at Christmas. Hopefully, I will be able to get that arranged!
This was my first time flying with all four solo. They were truly very, very well behaved during the travel days. I was thankful and proud.
Sure do love my kiddos!
My cousin Austin and his family stayed with my parents the first half of our trip. It was so nice to see them! Terri and I are pretty good buddies, so I always look forward to spending time together in person. (Austin's pretty cool too!)
I was able to see my cousin Anne and her daughter Aly, my friend Katie S, and Pat Scherer family. Hannah got married yesterday (I am old!) and I couldnt get back for the wedding, but I was able to attend her bridal shower which was fun.
The kids and I took a two day break from Plymouth and drove to the Dells. My friend Barb W. and her boys met us at Noah's Ark. My brothers Colin and Kevin both came too! It was a really FUN day! Erik, Lainey, and Carson had little to no fear and went on tons of waterslides. I was so impressed. Noah's Ark is one of my favorite childhood memories so I am glad to share that with my kiddos now. I was so thankful to have supportive family and friends help me navigate it safely with four small kids.
After Noah's Ark we drove to La Crosse and spent the night at the Wettsteins. I hadn't been to La Crosse (or seen the Wettsteins) in 9 years! Way too long! We didn't see anymore of La Crosse than their house as when I left the kids all fell asleep before we were 1 mile from the house.
We went from La Crosse to Verona to spend the day with my friend Nicki and her family of 5. Uncle Colin stopped by again that afternoon, before heading to Shrekfest (he is a goof!).
This trip home was a fun one. I have realized how incredibly blessed I am with kind friends and family. So thankful for that.
My kids are already talking about their trip home at Christmas. Hopefully, I will be able to get that arranged!
This was my first time flying with all four solo. They were truly very, very well behaved during the travel days. I was thankful and proud.
Sure do love my kiddos!
I'm back, hopefully
My blog has been quiet for a number of reason. One is simply that my iphoto storage system isn't working. I was able to save my photos by transferring them to dropbox, but I really hate dropbox as it seems nearly impossible to find what you want. I am now trying to transfer them to smugmug which seems to work much better. For now, posts might be photo-less, but I decided to forge ahead anyway.
Where do you store your photos?!
Where do you store your photos?!
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