Travel Time

Tomorrow I'm heading to Hartford Connecticut for work. I'm going to training for my new position with SPP. This is one of those times when being a working momma is a little hard...for momma but especially for daddy who will be staying home with both kiddos while I'm gone. This will be my first time to leave MK and I haven't left Landon very much either. I'm so fortunate that Jim is such a good daddy and that we have his family so close...I don't have to worry about anything at all while I'm gone. I'm sure he will be a little frazzled when I get home late Friday night (assuming I don't get stuck in the ATL) but he will do great...he always does and that makes being a working mom a smidgen easier. I like that we are such a good team and that he has no problem taking care of things while I'm away. But I'm sure going to miss my little family.

We went to Lavaca over weekend...even after Landon woke up with a horrendous rash Saturday morning. Turns out the strong antibiotic they gave him to fight strep throat didn't agree with him. Poor guy looked awful but it sure didn't slow him down. At all. He's a wild man and even at his orneriest he's still pretty cute. We had so much fun on our trip and got to see most of the family. Maddie Kate even got to show off her crawling skills! We went to see Pocky and Nanny Gayle on Sunday. I didn't get any pictures this time so I will have to get a few next time.

If you think about it say a quick prayer that I will have safe travels and will return safely to my sweet family.


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Landon and Maddie Kate

I haven't had much time to blog lately but I had to share this picture. I'm overdue a blog about MK's baptism and we have lots to share...and I'm sure I will get to it soon. But for now look at this sweetness!



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MK is mobile...

And I should be impressed...considering she's only 5 1/2 months old. And I kinda am...but really, do babies crawl this early??? Landon didn't. She isn't even sitting up on her own but she can inch her way across a room and her latest favorite object to crawl to is shoes. Such a girly girl!!! Here is a video from earlier this week. If you can believe it she's gotten faster since! In this video the goal was the remote and you will see how much she liked the book I tried to replace it with!

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Happy Easter!

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Preschool dollars well spent.

This week Landon asked me out of nowhere if I knew "I'm a little teapot". I said yes and we sang it. He knew all the moves and said he learned it at school. Between I'm a little teapot and Honkey Donkey aka Humpty Dumpty I'd say we are getting our monies worth. :)

Ignore the fact that I can't sing and focus on the cute kid's moves.

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Stella...

She's gone to heaven. I can't believe how quickly she went and my heart is absolutely broken for her family and all the other families who lose their babies too soon. I just can't imagine what they must be going through and I pray that we will never have to know personally. They had a healthy little girl one day and found out the next that she had a brain tumor. I prayed and prayed for a miracle for them and I truly expected one...and I'm so sad they didn't get the miracle we all prayed for. I know Miss Stella's story along with so many similar stories has touched the lives of others in so many ways. I said something to Stella's dad when we were in the Children's hospital cafeteria together that I wish I could take back. I was so worn out and didn't know what to say and I told him that with our situation the reality wasn't as bad as the thought or stories you hear of babies with RSV. Clearly they weren't dealing with a virus and in my need to make conversation I'm surprised he didn't tell me that the reality for them is horrific and is much worse that the stories anyone can tell. Stella's family is so strong and everyone is quick to call them heroes. I'm sure they'd much rather not be this kind of hero...no one should have to go through what they've been through and my heart just aches for them. Please continue to pray for this sweet family. Stella joined her big sister in heaven yesterday and I hope they can play together and send comfort and peace to their mommy, daddy and big brother who need it so much. RIP sweet Stella.


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Sweet Stella

Well, sweet Stella, the baby girl I asked you to pray for back when MK was in the hospital isn't going to be with her family much longer and my heart is just broken.  I don't know her family well - just remember her parents from college - but I just can't imagine what they're going through...especially since they lost another baby girl several years ago.  Keep their family in your prayers during this horribly sad time.

MK's Babbles

MK said Dada yesterday! I tried to get it on video today and she kind of said it but you can see that she has a lot to say. I have no idea where she gets it.

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Tiny Dancer

I love the song Tiny Dancer by Elton John - it's one of my favorite songs!  We just happen to have a tiny dancer in our house...and boy does he have some energy and some awesome moves!  I didn't get his latest dance party on video but I got a few pictures that showcase the little dude's moves.

Tiny dance and his tinier sister...precious.  We sure love these two!

Maddie Kate is 5 Months Old!

Sweet Maddie Kate is 5 months old and she's such a doll.  She weighs 15 pounds.  We started giving her rice cereal at night between 4 and 5 months...she wasn't too sure at first but she's getting the hang of it.  We're doing it now just to get her used to eating from a spoon and also to get used to solids...we'll start a more consistent solid feeding schedule and with fruits and veggies when she turns 6 months.  Miss MK is just the sweetest baby.  She has perfected rolling over and now won't spend much time on her back at all.  She's been sleeping in her crib for a couple of weeks now and every night she ends up on her side or on her belly.  She still sucks her thumb but since she's cut two teeth and they're bothering her she also likes to chew on a paci...or Sophie the giraffe or the chew beads Nana got her...or tonight, Daddy's finger.  Ha!  I finally feel like we have more of a normal routine.  MK goes to bed fairly consistently between 7 and 8 - right around the same time as her big brother and she sometimes sleeps all night and sometimes wakes up around 1ish for a bottle.  We are enjoying a little bit of consistency but we are still looking forward to the day she sleeps all night more than one night at a time.  I'll post more when I post her 6 month stats and pictures but here are a couple from her 5 month photo shoot and from her first taste of rice cereal!  She's wearing the same onesie in both sets of pictures...totally a coincidence, however, Mommy is not fashion forward...and while she has found some super cute things and is getting better...MK still wears the same things over and over...and over.

What is that?  I'm busy sucking my thumb.

Okay, I'll try it but only if you let me do it myself!

What is that, wallpaper paste?

Grody

On second thought...it's not so bad!  Keep it coming!

Jungle Journey Playset!

We just ordered this super fun swing set for our favorite kiddos! We can't wait for it to get here and Landon has been helping his daddy get the yard all ready!!




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"Armpaint" and play time with Maddie Kate

Landon has fingerprinted a lot this weekend! This morning he started out fingerprinting then progressed to "handpainting" and for his grand finale "armpaint" That was a fun mess to clean up!




Maddie Kate is enjoying the exersaucer for short periods of time these days!



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Abracadabra!!

Today Jim spent the day home with the kiddos while I went to work. At some point during the day Landon found his Valentine bag from school and decided his Cars pencil should be a magic wand! He moved it in circles over his hand to make a rabbit appear! Daddy thought he needed a hat so he found one and Landon became quite good at making rabbits and lions appear! When I got home Landon greeted me wearing a t-shirt, no pants and his magic hat and he was carrying his wand! He showed me his new trick and I had to get it on video! He was much more excited about it off camera but I still had to share. His little imagination is taking shape and he is so much fun. We love it when he does things we didn't specifically teach him. I'm not sure where he learned to be "Landon the Great" but we think it's pretty awesome!!

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Dinner time conversations

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What a difference 4 days can make!

In the 4 days since I posted Maddie Kate's 4 month blog post she has officially cut her first tooth and tonight she rolled from her back to her tummy!! Her big brother didn't cut teeth until he was 8 months old an I'm pretty sure he didn't roll over until he was closer to 6 months! I've heard moms say before that with their second kiddo they were a little sad with each milestone because it meant they were growing up and after the first, when you anxiously await every milestone because everything is so new, you want your new baby to stay little. I didn't think I would feel this way but yep, I definitely do! Maybe it's because we really only want two kiddos and because I know that this will probably be our last time to watch a kiddo reach the milestones. MK is definitely growing up fast and we are enjoying her so much! Of course I wouldn't want her to "slow down" but it would be nice if she would stay a baby a little longer. At this rate she'll be in college tomorrow. Okay, yes, that's a stretch, I know, but it's happening so fast and I hope we can always cherish our sweet moments with our baby girl!
*Edited to add that I looked back through the blog and turns out Landon could roll over from back to tummy at 4 months and he also weighed almost a pound more than MK at 4 months. I was right about the teeth though! Glad I have the blog to reference since we all know that I can't be bothered with baby books!

Updated to add that MK has 2 teeth now and she's apparently not much a fan of the teething process. Poor girl!!


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Valentine's Day 2012 in Pictures

Chipmunk fun with the iPad!

Maddie Kate is 4 Months Old!

Maddie Kate turned 4 months old over a week ago!  At her 4 month checkup she got more shots and our favorite pediatrician looked her over and told us that she's developing right on track!  She weighs 13 pounds and 13 ounces and she's 25 inches long.  I can't find the sheet that shows the percentages but her length was around the 75th percentile and her weight was around the 50th.  I can't remember her head circumference but it was in the 35th percentile I think...I'll have to update this post when I find it.  Here are some fun facts about our growing girl:

She wears a size 2 diaper

She wears various sizes of clothes depending on the brand.  Some are 3-6 month while others are 6-9.

Her hair is still a little strawberry blonde and it's getting longer!

She has a very fair complexion to go with her reddish hair - we'll be investing in a lot of sunscreen this summer for sure!

We are still mixing rice cereal in her bottles and she takes 5 ounces every 4 hours.

She is sleeping better at night some nights - but some nights she still likes to eat in the middle of the night
We had her in her crib for a few nights but then she got a cold and we moved her back into our room in the cradle and nap nanny.  I'm having a hard time putting her in her crib for some reason...even though it's right across the hall.  I've been super paranoid ever since our hospital stay...which I just finished paying for last month.  Thank goodness for health insurance is all I have to say about that!  And thank goodness for Children's Hospital.  I'm grateful that we live so close...and we paid the ER another visit last weekend because she had so much drainage and a fever - I decided I could be up all night worried at home or we could go to the ER and be up there where they could reassure me she was okay or treat her if she wasn't.  Turns out she has an ear infection but she's doing much better now!  I imagine she'll need tubes eventually just like her big brother.  I sure won't stress about the decision to put tubes in her ears like I did our decision with Landon...they have been great for him!

She has the sweetest grin and giggle and she is quite smitten with her daddy and her Papa.  When she's at Nana and Papa's, Papa spoils her and they're big buddies.  It makes me happy.

She can grasp toys and she chews on everything...and the drool!  My goodness, the girl drools!  I'd think she was teething but I've not seen any signs of any popping through.  She's also a big fan of chewing on her toes.

We haven't started rice cereal with a spoon yet but our pediatrician said we can when we're ready so as soon as she's back to feeling 100% we'll start that.  I think she'll be ready!

She likes to talk and has the sweetest coos and gurgles.  Landon loves it when she talks to him.

She loves tummy time and even though she rolled from her tummy to her back super early she hasn't rolled the other way yet.

She is pretty close to be able to sit up!  She's so strong!!  When she lays on her back we can hold her hands and she'll pull herself up to a sitting position and has just recently starting pulling all the way up to standing.  She can bear weight on her legs for a short period of time.

She's pretty content to hang out in her swing or on the floor when we are home...but she definitely loves snuggle time too!

Here are some pictures of our favorite baby girl at 4 months.  We just love her so much and we're having the best time watching her grow and change!  She looks just like her daddy!

Landon turns 3!

Landon,

You are 3 years old and I'll say what I always say...where has the time gone!!?  The last 3 years have been filled with happiness, joy, challenges and even a little frustration.  You are growing up to be such a great little kid and we are blessed that God gave you to us.  You have really grown and changed in the last year!  You are wearing size 3 pants and size 3 or 4 shirts.  You currently wear a 9.5 shoe...but I'm overdue to take you in for a sizing and won't be shocked if you've outgrown them and are ready for a double digit shoe size!  You are officially potty trained!!!!  Just like with everything else...your mommy and daddy stressed about potty training way more than you did.  We kept you in a pull-up far too long...until one night we ran out.  I decided not to make a late night trip to the store for more and the next day I told you that you would be wearing big boy underwear!  You had a few accidents that day but had the hang of it in no time and we sent you to school the day after that in your new, big boy underwear!  You had one accident at school and you haven't had one that I can remember since.  You tinkled on a tree for the first time on your 3rd birthday and you thought that was "so cool!".  We were at the park and there was no bathroom in sight...we had no choice.  We don't let you do this at home...sorry dude.  You constantly amaze us with how easily you seem to catch on and transition...when you're ready of course.  I think your daddy and I learned a lesson...and that is that you're usually ready for the next step far before we're ready to let you get there.  Your vocabulary astounds us.  Just in the last two weeks you've told your daddy and I that you are "very disappointed at us" or that your "very aggravated at us"... cue in the 3 year old frustration on our part...and the amazement that your little self knows those words and how to use them!  Maybe you've heard them before?  Ha!  For now, your daddy still rocks you to sleep and even though we are trying to cut this part out of our nightly routine...for your sake...rest assured we will miss it.  You are a great big brother and you love your baby sister.  Now that she's older and starting to interact a little more you tell her she's cute and sometimes you look at her and say "Maddie, you such a sweet baby". You have a very nurturing soul.  You tell us that you "lub us so much" and when Maddie Kate cries you tell us, "in otay, sometimes babies cry".  It makes us laugh and it warms my soul.  You still like to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse most mornings while we all get ready for our day and your latest favorite "toy" is clearly your mommy's iPad.  You like to play Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and you like to watch You Tube videos...even though we've told you countless times that they're not allowed!  Again, cue in the mommy and daddy frustration!  You like school even though some days you have a hard time letting go and you especially love your time with Nana and Papa!  You love to visit Pocky and you love to go to the farm to visit Mimi and Papa and you can't wait to go fishing in Kansas when we go visit Great Mama and Papa!  You've already informed us that you will not be staying home and that you will be going in the boat!  Ha!  Your favorite food is cheese...you love, love, love cheese and you would eat it at every meal if we'd let you...and sometimes we do.  Your other favorites are mac and cheese, ravioli, chicken nuggets, strawberries and blueberries, lima beans, carrots and you even like chocolate!  There really isn't much you don't like but the foods you don't care for "make you sick".  You love all things Spiderman and Toy Story and you also really like Cars.  You like to read books and you have several favorites.  When we tell you no we are "mean" and you tell us "to be nice" and you've reminded us countless times that "you not like the word no!"  Sorry kid, you're going to hear it a lot...a really lot.  It's for your own good.  I promise.  You don't love to share but if we give you a pep talk before friends come over you do alright...but sometimes you don't.  You're learning.  You also don't seem to like to mind us and you've gotten a few spankings and you've spent a few hours (not all at once) in time out.  Sometimes your daddy and I forget just how smart you are until you repeat something we've said that we felt sure "you didn't hear or didn't understand".  You love to paint, you aren't big on coloring and you love to play the Wii.  You can work it almost all by yourself and you almost always beat your mommy at bowling...and the first time you and daddy played golf you won.  You sometimes call your friends at school "your peoples" and your best friends are Murphy and Luke.  You can make the sign of the cross and you've memorized the lunch time prayer at school.  When we say our prayers together you ask to "say the names" and you're very thoughtful.  You love for us to tell you stories and one of your favorites is the 3 little pigs.  

On your birthday I tried to get a few pictures to remember the day...I took hundreds and the following are the "best"

Not quite in focus...but still precious.

Also, not the best focus...3 year olds obviously can't sit still!

And then there's this one...in near perfect focus...of course.

I'm sure there are plenty of things I've missed here but...kiddo, we love you so much and we're so glad you had a happy birthday and that even with the challenges that come with your age that you are a pretty awesome kiddo. 

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Big Brother's Suggestion

Mommy: Maddie Kate sure is fussy tonight!
Landon: yeah, maybe you should put her back in your belly.

Nice




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