So, by this time last year I think I had done 6-7 posts not related to the previous year. I know its not a competition - I'm not going to win a prize if I have more blog posts than the previous year. But it's a little bit of a reality check for me. Like finding Maggie's "First Year Calendar" in a pile of stuff on my desk and realizing that I haven't written anything in it in...well, months. (Maggie - I had the info, it just wasn't in your calendar - and I fixed that tonight, sweet baby girl!) Anyways...I can't believe its the middle of February. I honestly don't know where the last month and a half have gone. Except I do. Three small kiddos, a house (almost) under construction, lots of other projects (things we help coordinate for church, camping trips we're helping plan, and lots of work - for Kyle - getting ready for his first trip with TIME to Honduras). Anyways, it shouldn't surprise us. I guess it doesn't. But we are busy. Like, very busy. Like holy moly where is the end in sight busy? But (preaching to myself and to Kyle) - there is an end in sight...the Honduras trip is in April, Maggie will be weened within the next few months, and once we're out of design phase, our house will become primarily our builder's problem instead of ours (right Luke)? Plus, we're surfacing from a week where both Rebecca and Maggie have ear infections and Maggie has bronchitis (but at least not RSV) - both are on antibiotics and Maggie has to do a nebulizer treatment 3-4 times a day. I think we've all got colds too. Such a joy. (But we're thankful for medicine and the improvement we're seeing!) Needless to say, it's been a rough week+.
Anyways, here are some photos and updates in what is sure to be a very long post (since its covering so much time)...
Along with not blogging (and not doing ALL sorts of other things), I have not been taking any pictures. Can I use the winter-time its not pretty outside excuse too? Anyways, here are a few shots of the kids together one afternoon when it was nice outside.
Owen and Maggie
Rebecca and Maggie (the ball was suppose to prop Rebecca up because Maggie kept pushing back and making her fall over.)
The three musketeers stooges munchkins.
MAGGIE
One day this week (remember - we're sick) no one napped at the same time (usually a goal I pride myself on achieving at least a little)...Maggie and I were up playing so I busted out the ol' camera. Got a few cute ones of her SITTING! She's gotten so much more comfortable sitting up! I still usually put something behind her, but its totally not necessary. Her fall is quite graceful actually.
How you like that hair? That part in the back (the faux-hawk) is always standing up like that. It's only recently that the front part sort of lays down. And its looking a little strawberry blondish to us...only time will tell.
Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr! (I'm very growly.)
Oooooooooooooh! I LOVE MY FINGERS!!!!! THERE THEY ARE AGAIN!
And did I mention I roll now? Yeah, I'm cool like that. I actually did it for the first time in the pediatrician's office for my 6 month check-up in January (tummy to back on the exam table). Now I'm ambi-rollous. I'm all about rolling to get to my toys. Or mostly to get off my tummy when mommy puts me on my tummy which I'm pretty sure she knows I hate. (Yes, I do. But you have to learn to crawl sometime or the pediatrician - and your grandmothers - are going to be mad at me.)
Other Maggie news? She is working on learning how to eat Puffs. Unfortunatley, O & R are more interested than she is. Seriously - how am I going to ween this girl??? (She has bitten me a few times recently so I'm getting such mixed messages from her! - When she bit me the first time, Owen heard me squeal. When I told him why (he asked), he said - that is such a bummer!)
OWEN
I'm certain I've mentioned this, but this kid is SO good with his sisters. He truly loves to try to get her to laugh using his silly voices, faces, and moves. And he is very successful at it.
BETTIE? FA LA LA LOOH! OOOGHIE - DI DOCKIE DOOOOH!
Do this Maggie!
Momma! She's got my hair!
Other recent developments in Owen's life:
- He no longer takes a nap. We've been debating whether to go down this road for a while. And its been a good thing. He would still fall asleep if we had "nap time" but it meant he was no where near tired at bedtime. And with he and Rebecca sharing a room, that meant some nights they were up until 9:30-10:30. Yikes. Kyle goes to bed at 9 or 9:30 so you can see that this is not ideal... Now he has "quiet play time" in his room - he gets to pick a toy (we had to specify - not the iPad) to take into his room and he can play with it or "read" any of his book. It's been great. He's in there for 1-1.5 hours and does so well. Plus, its good practice for him to entertain himself! And now even if Rebecca isn't tired at night, since he conks out pretty quickly she doesn't have anyone to antagonize (for the most part) so they both fall asleep better/faster.
- No more training wheels. They were on then off then on and now they're off for good. He loves it. And sweet Nana is a great sport about us always coming to use her (great) driveway to ride. The bikes pretty much live over there. I have high hopes for our new driveway/street...
- He's growing up too fast in a lot of ways...sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a teenager, or an old man...not sure which one. The other day he told Kyle that "eating veggies is ridiculous". And he and Kyle continue to delve into the ever expanding realm of astronomy. To hear the two of them talk about stuff...Beetlejuice, Galilean moons, helium, quadrillion, expanding, Orion Nebula, new stars every day!...It's just funny to hear a four and a half year old talk this way...
REBECCA
In the words of my dear friend Katie, this girl is cray-cray (crazy). Seems like every week she is saying/doing new things - mostly saying. And the more she can say (and say she does!) the more we see her cray-cray little personality...
- You know that walk that cartoon characters do when they're sneaking up on someone...knees high, tip-toes, arms bent out in front? The other night we caught a glimpse of her sneaking out of her room at night and walking down the hall like that. Where do they learn this stuff? When we caught her she giggled and said "My neaky!!!"
- Everything is "my". Not in the mine-itis sort of toddler way, but instead of saying I or I'm she says my. So, it's "my hungry," "my (s)neaky," "my need go potty."
- Rebecca is potty-training! I can almost write potty-trained...it's gone surprisingly smooth! We (of course) had a rough first couple of days, but she's really gotten the hang of it. She still doesn't do #2 in the potty very well, but the peepee part has gone really well. Of course, now half her diet is gummy bears (her reward) - and Owen's too. He is on our team when it comes to encouraging her to go because when Rebecca goes to the potty not only does she get a gummy bear, but so does he! (Thank you Katie F!) I should also give her some credit because training was essentially her idea. We were content to wait until warmer weather (less clothes) and Maggie getting a little older, but one evening a few weeks ago Rebecca came into the kitchen naked with poop on her hands from having gone in the potty all by herself. We started to scold her for not asking for help and she started crying and said "I go potty myself!" - she was so proud of herself. It was clear she wanted to potty train and we just couldn't put it off any longer. Plus, a 2.5 year old training herself is worse than just sucking it up and doing it ourselves!
- She has rediscovered her toy kitchen and all of the "kitchen bood" that goes with it - she loves to incorporate Maggie's (real) stage 1 and 2 food containers into her play. Or just get them out of the pantry and make towers all over the house with them. Seriously, I find gerber containers in the strangest places. There have been more than a few times when I've gone to feed Maggie and there is nothing in the pantry and I have to scour the house looking for where Rebecca hid the food.
- Another big girl update - seems like I have probably mentioned this (?) - but she's in a big girl bed. Surely I've mentioned this. Her toddler bed has been a pretty nice transition going hand in hand with potty training. Still struggle with getting out of bed early in the evening, but we're working on it... She knows our limits for reading/singing at night so now she has worked Owen into her rotation of asking for things - Owen, sing me Twinkle Star, Owen, sing me Vision. And of course the sweet boy sings to her.
- Has been rough to her books lately - we've had several favorites (including Dorz aka "George" - Curious George) get seriously injured in a ripping accident. Not sure what this is about.
*House update: We are still in the "design/permit phase". We have worked with our architect and finished our floor plans (layout) and the four exterior elevations (what the house looks like from outside from all 4 sides). We've run in to a couple little snaffoos re: power line clearances and may have to rework a few things, but that's the only thing standing in our way from getting building permits. So, hopefully soon...
Kyle went to the house last week to check on something and there was a big ol' dumpster in our lot. And he immediately noticed that there were men working on a new fence at our next door neighbors - so of course he thought - Well...isn't that a little rude? This guy next door who we haven't even met yet (although we had via email, we just didn't realize where he lived) put a dumpster in our yard? But then he asked the men if they knew anything about the dumpster (were they using it for their fence work?) and they said something about the house next door being torn down soon. That's our house! Yep, it was our dumpster. We just didn't know we had a dumpster yet! So...we have a dumpster. That has to mean stuff will start happening, right??? :)
