Weekly (monthly) Update

Woah!  It's been awhile!  I was doing so well getting the updates out on time too!

It's been quite a month.  There haven't been that many photo worthy moments, but I feel like we've been super busy just living life.  I'm not sure you want to know every little detail from the month and a half that I haven't posted but I'll give you some highlights.

I'm now 27 weeks pregnant.  It's hard to believe, actually.  In just three short months we'll be welcoming a new little guy into our house.  Miss L is beyond excited.  I'm hoping that she'll come with me to a sonogram appointment later this week and get to see the new baby.  The pregnancy is going well.  So far there have been no complications other than gestational diabetes, but that's well controlled and easy to deal with.  I've been cleaning and clearing things out and getting ready for a new person in our lives.  I have a list a mile long to complete, but we'll all be so excited when the little man arrives.

Miss L continues to do well with her OT.  We tried a gluten free diet, but after seeing no changes decided to add gluten products back in.  She's currently working on some auditory therapy CDs that seem to be helping and that's a good thing!  She's been into drawing and painting lately, and has gotten more and more interested in playing with dolls.  She likes for them to have little conversations with each other and has these elaborate stories of what they are doing.  It's really cute and it's so hard to believe that she's growing up so fast!

Mister W is turning into a toddler very quickly.  He has figured out how to run and is talking up a storm.  We stopped counting words at 50 when we were trying to decide how large his vocabulary was.  He has lots of signs too and between talking and signing can pretty much tell you whatever he wants to.  He is still perfectly pleasant just about all the time, though he is developing a little bit of a naughty streak.  While he is doing whatever he knows he's not supposed to he'll look at you with this grin on his face that tells you he knows he's cute.  He has started to develop some favorites and loves horses and trains.  I can't believe that in a couple of weeks he'll be 18 months old.  I just don't know where the time has gone!

As a family we're doing well.  We took a trip to our hometown and enjoyed every minute of it.

Here are some photos:

I tried to get some pictures of the two of them together, but mister W wasn't feeling particularly cooperative that day.





In early June we met some friends at our favorite park and ate a picnic dinner there as well.  Yum!

I can't believe how tall miss L is getting.









Mister C and mister W love to swing!



We went strawberry picking one last time before the season ended in mid-June.



We went to mister W's first birthday party!  (not a birthday party for him, but one he was invited to)  Mister J turned one and we had such a great time!



My party animal likes his snuggles.



My other party animal likes her cake!



Of course we played.  One Sunday morning we got all the train tracks out.





That same Sunday evening we saw Brad play in a concert at a local park.  I was so sure that it was going to be a rough experience.  The concert didn't start until late (7:30) and I was going to have both kids on my own.  We brought food, coloring books, stuff to dig in the mulch with and bubbles.  I was so tickled (and a little shocked) that the kids did so well!  They were reasonably quiet, played nicely and I think they had a good time.  We haven't tried it again, but I think we will before the year is up!







I loved that mister W insisted on watching from the fence in front of us and thought this shot was too cute to pass up.





In mid June miss L also finished her gymnastics class.  She'll be moving up to the more advanced class in the fall.  I'm so proud that she works so hard and loves it so much!



We played with our friend miss C and visited the chickfila cow.



...and we made the loooooooooooooooong trip to our hometown.  The kids did really well in the car and we're getting it down to a science.  With three kids in tow I doubt we'll be flying it anytime soon, so this was wonderful.

We headed to the town where we went to college one of the days we were there.  Miss L loves her cousin K!



We played at a local splash park.  I'm not sure mister W even got wet.



...but everyone else did.



Mawmaw and Pawpaw built a swing set in their backyard and we had a BLAST playing on it.  It's sort of like having a park in your backyard!



Miss L learned how to cross the monkey bars.



We went to cousin K's t-ball game.









...and we played some golf in the front yard.





Since we've been home we've been staying in a lot.  The weather has been really awful for hanging out at the park (at least at the times of day when we usually go) and I've been feeling like I have a lot I'd like to get done in the house so we've done lots of playing here at home.

One of our favorite things to do, of course, is dress up.





The fourth of july was fun this year.  We knew we'd be heading to the local fireworks, but this year our church had a picnic as well.  I love potluck and this one did not disappoint.  They had pony rides, an apple pie contest and even an ice cream truck!  It was a blast and I really hope they do it again next year!



Mister W loves horses, but like most big things he loves, he gets a little nervous up close.



Miss L LOVED the rides.  She rode both horses they had and I'm glad we don't have room for one.  :o)



Mister W did not want to ride a horse...



The fourth of july fireworks celebration was great, though I forgot my camera (and we both forgot our phones)!  We got a bucket of chicken and took our blanket to the football field for a picnic.  Miss L and Mister W had a blast running around and dancing and there was a point where mister W was dancing with a chicken leg in his hand and every so often he'd stop and take a hunk out and then keep dancing.  It was HILARIOUS.  If I'd had some way to document that, I would have.  It was so funny.  Miss L made a friend on the blanket next to ours and they played catch and bubbles nearly until the fireworks started.  It was so much fun and I can't wait to go back again next year.

...and finally a few photos from last week.  Once a week or so mister W will wake up before his sister does.  It's during these mornings that I really get to see his little personality shine through.  He is just a different boy when he is on his own and the attention is all on him.  I enjoy these little times with him even though he mostly points up stairs and chatters about his sister.  I think he enjoys being on his own, but feels a little lost without her.



He's telling me something here...





Have a wonderful week and I'll be better about getting my posts out!

Weekly Update

I might have to start calling these something else. :o)

The end of June and first half of July have been filled with regular summer fun. We haven't gone on any trips, but we have been having a blast here at home. Miss L got a tricycle as a prize for filling up her sticker chart. She actually earned it before we went to our hometown on vacation, but we waited until we got home to actually purchase the thing. Now it's an almost daily occurrence that miss L and her dad walk around the neighborhood with her bike in the evenings (except on the days when we might boil walking ten feet out of the house). One evening in late June we decided to take the bike to a local park for a change of scenery.

She rode right onto the playground.



...and eventually abandoned her bike to play!





There is seriously a moment each and everyday where I almost cry thinking about how little she used to be and how big she is now. There's a slide at this particular park that can only be accessed by climbing up a ladder made up of a series of disks. A few months ago, she'd not have even attempted it but now she just climbs right on up.





...and down the slide she goes.



You know that my big girl wasn't the only kid at the park that evening. There was also a handsome chunk of a baby hanging out with us. I'm a SUCKER for a baby in a hat (or shoes!) and I love this baseball cap. It's getting to be too small (as you can see) so I'll have to find him a larger one. I love those chins!







Miss L spied on us through a hole in the side of the slide.



Miss L had never done these before. When I showed her to step from one to the other she had a little trouble balancing and reaching at first, but kept practicing and by the end was hopping from one to another. I just can't believe how big she is.



... and we rode off into the sunset...



Early July always brings fun. Brad grew up in a family that celebrated the fourth of july in a huge way, so it's a time of fond memories for him and we're figuring out what our family traditions will be. Since having children we've skipped the fireworks. Miss L has always been in bed long before the fun began. This year, that was our plan again.

Miss L didn't nap on Saturday the 3rd. She seems to be in a place where she'll nap everyday for a week and then not nap for awhile and then just go back and forth, and that day she didn't. We decided to set up the pool and the ball sprinkler in the backyard and enjoy the lovely weather we had that weekend.





Miss L didn't spend too much time in the actual pool but she had a BLAST playing in the water.



Sweet baby W got in on a bit of the action.



After a short dip in the water he was very happy to have a rest on the blanket.



At least the car got washed.



Then we made a spontaneous plan. Of course, there was a time when we made lots of those, but not anymore! I was sitting in the backyard and said, hey Brad we've never been to that fourth of july celebration in a nearby town that they have every third of july. Maybe we should check it out. Brad said, yes! So we grabbed a bucket of chicken and made our way to the high school football field where the festivities were held. Remember miss L didn't have a nap? Well, she fell asleep on the way there and was rather serious when we boarded the shuttle bus to get the actual football field. I thought she would be so thrilled about riding the bus, but she mostly just stared straight ahead. When we got to the stadium she remained serious as we found a good spot for our blanket and got set up.

The third of july was also the day of my niece's wedding. I can't believe I'm old enough to have nieces getting married and we were so disappointed not to be there so we took some photos to send them a special message so that they'd know we missed them.



Then we got to the important business of eating that chicken.









Then there was a little excitement for the evening. Miss L actually used a portapot, which was shocking but wonderful and she spent some time with the big kids on the moonbounce. There was a beach boys cover band playing that evening and we were located way too close to the speakers for our poor baby, but so far he seems to still be able to hear. He never did go to sleep like I thought he would. We blew bubbles and hung out until fireworks time.



When it was nearly time, we laid down on the blanket to get ready!



There were a few things that didn't cross my mind when I was spontaneously coming up with this. The biggest one, of course, was the fact that there would be fireworks and we had a BABY. So the music is blasting away, then the fireworks started going off, and they were close and LOUD. Poor baby W SCREAMED his way through the first twenty minutes or so of the show. I tried to cover his ears and then realized that was making him more mad than the fireworks. After that it started raining ash onto us and that's when I really felt like I failed the poor guy. I know my lungs were feeling a little, well... fireworky, so I know his had to be a lot worse. All in all it was a great night and we're already plotting our return next year. I made some notes in my calendar so I wouldn't forget to sit far far away from the speakers! We stood in the line to get back to the bus for nearly an hour, after which both kids were nearly asleep. She rode the bus back to the car with the same expression we came with. Of course, you know what the first thing she said when she woke up on Sunday morning was? "Can we ride the bus again?" :o)

So the fourth of july isn't the fourth of july for Brad unless you set something on fire. He went to the local fireworks stand and got some of the pop things you throw at the ground and some snakes for him and miss L to enjoy. We skipped church that morning and so when sweet baby W was taking a nap we headed out front to play.



Miss L did not know what to think at first, but quickly enjoyed watching the things grow out of the fire.







She had a hard time getting the little poppy things to pop, but enjoyed trying!



The following weekend included two birthday parties. One for a child in miss L's regular playgroup and one for miss L's friend C a family friend.

At miss L's friend little miss D's party we made sand art. We'd never thought to do that before, but it was so much fun! She loves the little whale she made and it makes me think I should get some things for that and hide them for the inevitable rainy (or 500 degree) day.





Miss D is too cute!



Mmmmm... cupcakes!



Between parties miss L had a really good nap and Brad took sweet baby W's elephant photos. I can't believe how big he is already. 5 months old?!?!?! It's just not possible!











He's doing all kinds of things now including teething! Oh goodness!!

We had to wake up miss L to go to miss C's party.



She wasn't sure she wanted to wake up, but by the time we got there and saw all the fun she was ready to go. She was a little girl at this party, the other guests were all around miss C's age (five) and so miss L felt like a big girl. So cute!







The party was a pirate theme and there were pirate bandanas, patches and beads at the door to help get you in the spirit. Sweet baby W channeled his inner pirate.



Brad did too.













What a great day! Miss L has been talking about birthdays ever since. She wants to go back to miss D and miss C's parties and has been singing happy birthday. Two great parties on one full day! We all slept great!

The next day, still talking about how much fun she had the day before, miss L wanted to wear her pirate patch. She actually ended up wearing it to church.





She got suckers at both parties. She's never had them before so this was a first for us. She did great though. This was the last one (and she did great with the others which is why she's sitting on the couch). She was very excited that it made her mouth turn blue.







Today was a GREAT day. We had a little reunion of sorts. My roommate from the hospital (those who followed me on carepages will remember her as the great roommate that I was so fortunate to have in the beginning) came over today for a playdate. She has a son around miss L's age and they never got to meet in the hospital, but they definitely hit it off right away.



It was also so fun to get the babies together and see the fruits of all our hard work in the hospital. I have to admit that I love this photo of the three of them, but when I look at it I see the little boy who is missing. There are supposed to be four babies on that couch. I think those moments are just always going to be there. The fact of the matter is, he is missing and is missed.

These three are too cute though! They don't even know that they were hanging out together before they even exited the womb!



I also love these pictures with the big brother/sister pair. I love how sweet baby S is looking at miss L's hair and thinking, how can I get that, and how sweet baby W looks like he's just wondering what in the world is happening!



I really love this one too. What a great bunch!



Finally, I was in the kitchen tonight making dinner when I looked into the living room and saw this scene. Don't judge me! Brad's been gone for several days (home late tonight though, woohoo!). I just thought this was sooooo funny!



See you next week! (or you know...)