Weekly Update

Another week in our house has gone by rather quickly.  It's been filled with all kinds of things: playing, playgroup, meetings, chores, cooking and eating and even a doctor's visit.  I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying past us.  It seems like just about the time I get so tired that I think I can't possibly prepare another meal or sweep the floor again, it's Friday and the weekend is here.

Here's a little of what we did this week:

Tuesday we had playgroup at our house.  It had been a long time since we'd hosted and this was quite an event for miss L.  She was so excited to have her friends over until right before they came when it seemed to dawn on her that she'd be sharing her toys.  We talked about it and I think she'd made her peace with the situation before her friends arrived.  It was a busy busy day filled with lots of playing.  I'm not sure how I managed, but several of the other moms even cleaned up the toys and left my house clean before they left.  What a lucky girl I am!  Miss L and mister W were both pooped that afternoon and I enjoyed a quiet time of near silence.

Another day, Wednesday I think, we headed out to a museum after Brad got home from the office.  We'd taken miss L there before, but she wasn't as interested in the planes and space shuttle on display.  This time she thought it was the BEST.  As soon as we walked in and she saw the planes she started running toward them to get a closer look.  I thought she'd enjoy it, but I was so surprised to see how excited she was to see all this stuff.  Mister W loves anything that moves, so it was right up his alley as well.  I guess we're going to have to go back more often!

Miss L is excited to arrive.



The first thing we visited was the space shuttle.  Miss L told us that someday she's going into space in a rocket.  I guess we'll see!



This photo is so out of focus, but it's miss L looking up at the shuttle.



They have these chairs built into the railing all around the museum and we'd stop every so often and sit.  Mister W had a hard time passing a set of them by since he could just crawl into them on his own.



After the space exhibit we checked out the planes.



Mister W in another chair.  :o)



After that the week was full of regular life stuff.  We met with and fell in love with a doula who will hopefully be present when new baby makes his appearance.  We also went as a family to the perinatologist for an ultrasound weight check of new baby.  Until just about 15 minutes before the appointment I'd sort of planned on going by myself, but when Brad suggested we all go I thought it was a wonderful idea.  The kids were actually pretty quiet and well behaved (thank goodness!) and I think miss L enjoyed getting to see her baby brother.  The ultrasound tech we had was especially good with her trying to point out all of the various body parts and though I'm not sure if miss L really saw what she was pointing out, I'm hoping that she's feeling closer to her new brother.  She asks often if he is ready to come out!

The weekends have started to take on a bit of a routine.  We've been hitting the farmer's markets lately because the fruits and veggies are just simply too yummy to pass up and we always pick up a loaf of bread while we're there.  This weekend we splurged on some blackberries and after we got home we put some in mister W's yogurt.  I think he likes them, or at least he likes wearing them!





We spent some time cleaning up the house and I'm not sure why but I did snap this photo of miss L cleaning up her books.



While Brad vacuumed we hung out.  Mister W found these glasses and I thought it was too hilarious.  He just seems to make this funny face when they are on.





Today we did a lot of baking.  We made some sweet bread (because Hawaiian bread is expensive and Brad makes the BEST sandwiches on it) and some pound cake and while those were cooking Brad and the kids played play-doh.

Mister W says, "CHEESE!"



We have this set that makes finger puppets of sesame street characters.  Everyone seemed to have fun doing this.













All in all a really great week!  Now I have to go eat some pound cake.  See you soon!

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!