A Year Later

And a year later.....
How does that happen? Well time flies when you are having fun. Jack is now 3 and Emma is 16 months. Emma is walking everywhere and Jack has discovered the terrible threes and boundries. He tests everything and is a master manipulator. You tell him he needs to eat his dinner...he's gotta go to the bathroom. Tell him to go to bed....he's gotta go to the bathroom, there's a ghost in his room, he's scared, can you lay down with me?, etc, etc, etc. And when you actually want him to go to the bathroom....Lets just say the potty train rides pretty smoothy most days. He's really into his cars, trains and SPORTS. At first it was just golf and hockey....but lately it's I want to play baseball everyday. Or I want to play football everyday. He dresses like a Viking most days.
Emma is saying more and more words everyday. She's got banana, Jack, Daddy, Momma, Cookie, Mo (more), Cow. She is in the big girl class at daycare and I'm sure her potty train will be leaving the station before long. She watches and copies everything her big bother does. And she's pretty brave. She climbs higher and falls harder but gets right back up and at it again. She loves her baby dolls and tries to rock and sign Rock A Bye Baby....I only understand the K but it's adorable. We are busy but it's fun!
I found a new hobby, since I haven't been able to get my creative scrapbooking brain back since becoming a mom...knitting. I love making little hats for my friends, family and kids. Someday I will have a room for crafts for now it's a bag that sits on the coffee table and a nice quiet hobby to do while they nap.

Beautiful Fall

The leaves have almost all fallen...we've had the most beautiful display of color this year. Last year an early snow made the leaves all fall off way to fast. I was happy that last Saturday the kids behaved enough to head outside and get a few pictures...it's amazing what a week can do and the color is gone. Yesterday we did have some fun a head to a pumpkin patch and we got ice cream at the Chocolate Ox...amazing that it was in the mid 70s for October! Emma is now 3 Months Old! Time flies by way to fast. Even faster the second time around. She is awake and alert more often and loves to coo and laugh. She loves her swing and bouncy seat. She is starting to get the hang of the jumperoo and loves being upright. She is starting to grab at her toys that hang above her baby gym. Her hand eye coordination is pretty good! I bet we will have another golfer. She arches her back like she wants to roll over but we haven't seen any rolling yet.

Jack is a BIG BOY! He has done so well on the potty training. He wears underware everyday and even went over to a friends house with them on. He loves being outside, wearing his cowboy boots and hockey vest, coloring, watching Cars and Toy Story and reading books. He's been into sports on TV lately and sleeps with a full sized football. He's becoming a good helper...I often find his cereal bowl in the garbage can. At daycare I think they use paper plates. So he's cleaning up without being asked too. Pretty impressive for a two year old. He is very attached to his Daddy Buddy and asks me every morning where he's at. Daddy Buddy's golf seasons ends today...Jack couldn't be happier.

Back 2 Work!

Our one last summer fling was a trip to the Pine Grove Zoo. It's a tiny zoo about a half hour away from our home. But it's a perfect zoo for a two year old. You could walk around the whole zoo in less than four mintues. There are probably less than 20 animals in all but enough to make a little boy pretty happy. And for five bucks it was well worth it. They had five bears, two tigers, a cougar, wolves, elk, prairie dogs, antelope, deer, peacocks, emus, turkeys, donkeys, goats, cows, rabbits and tortoises. Jack loved the donkey. He got to feed him some feed pellets. The funniest thing Jack said at the zoo was to the donkey. The train (not part of the zoo) went through town and blew it's horn and Jack who was feeding the donkey said, "Ears Hurt Donkey?" We couldn't stop laughing. His sentences are getting better everyday! We had a blast at the zoo.
One week under my belt and I'm feeling pretty good about working "full" time and being a full time momma of two. I'm glad my "full" time is four days a week. Because I do love my long weekends with the kids. I'm just always amazed how fast my days go at work. Our office just continues to be extremely busy which in this economy is a blessing. It's also a blessing because I never have time to spend one minute looking at the clock and wondering how much longer will it be until it's time to go home. My biggest problem is when I finally do look at the clock it's quarter to five and I have fifteen minutes to get an hour worth of work done so I can get to daycare to pick them up on time. It was a big week of firsts: My first day back to work, Emma's first day of school and Jack's first day wearing underwear to daycare!!! Emma did great....she's so laid back and well behaved she probably doesn't even realize she is not at home. Jack didn't do so hot the first day with his underwear BUT he was dry all day on Wed and Thrus!!! Hoorray!!! He is amazing!! He went from not caring at all to being a big boy in a matter of just two weeks. Today we've had one accident but I'm not complaining at all. His reward which he picked out himself was "Doc Hudson" a $3.50 matchbox car from the Disney's Cars Movie. He was pretty excited to pick him out at the store. He loves these little cars. He has to sleep with one in each hand.
We also had a first with Emma...first time caught sucking her thumb!!! Naughty Naughty!!! And she must have liked it. She's been thrashing around trying to get it back into her mouth. I feel bad for her because she wants to suck on something and she can't. She gags on pacifiers and she can't get her arms to coordinate enough to get her thumb in her mouth. I really don't want her to become a thumb sucker so I found the tiniest pacifiers I could find (and one brand we didn't already have) and we are going to give that a try. She has my gag reflex for sure! She had been pretty content with nothing but now being a little bigger she (being a girl of course) has changed her little mind.

Two Years, Two Months

Jack and Emma are growing up! Emma will be two months old already in two days. Her two month check up appointment is a week from Friday on the 10th...poor girl will be due for shots. The two month mark also sends this stay at home mom back to work in a week on Tuesday Sept. 6th! It's hard to leave them with someone else but for the past two months I've had at least one child with me for every waking and non-waking hour of the day. Our two attempts to get a babysitter ended in Emma having the flu and no date night. The second time our baby sitter canceling at the last minute so the kids came with me to my appointment anyway. I know I will enjoy my time back at work...for the simple fact that I won't having to be worrying about my kids. Or running from one diaper to the next. We will also fall back into a schedule of sorts. I've never been a dictator about schedules but having some order is helpful. Jack's been allowed to stay up later this summer so that he can play with Glenn when he comes home...however that later keep edging towards 10pm which was great for Dad. Not so great the next day for Mom and Jack. Jack will be practicing this week being in bed before 8:00 so that he is not to tired when he has to wake up at 6:45. Also we will be having lil miss Emma practice some bottles so that she can be ready for school as well. I may be calling my mom and singing to hear it's the most wonderful time of the year.......as she always did with aunt carol when she sent us kids back to school in the fall.

Photo Contest

Boredom can lead to many things.....like actually reading the magazines that lay on my coffee table or buried under piles of mail on my counter. Today I picked up the Lake County Journal which is a Brainerd Lakes Mag...they are having a photo contest. The photos have to be taken in the Lakes Area. So I entered in two categories People and Lighter Side. Of course both pictures were of Jack and Emma. Because what else do I take pictures of. Maybe we will win something. They give out prizes to tenth place. And mostly gift cards to the local greenhouse! I titled them More Hockey Daddy Buddy and This Little Piggie

Yellow Streak

Jack has had a yellow streak! He's been using his potty for a week now. He will even stop playing and go potty! He also used the potty at daycare which impressed his teachers! It's kinda a bittersweet transition...he will really be a big boy not my Baby Jack! He has been so sweet to Emma lately he will come up to her and say "Oh Honey," and give her a kiss. He's also kept us laughing with his many movie lines. He is one of those people. The kind that can watch a movie a hundred times in a row and then insert lines from the movie into everyday life and crack up a whole room of people. I think my favorites are "Oh, Yeah!" (Lightening McQueen) and "Don't Touch it!" (Buzz Lightyear-about his laser). "To Fineatty and Yond" is another cute one. He is also always saying "Fixth it momma!" His Little Buzz Lightyear's legs have to be perfectly straight. But as a Two year old Jack can't understand that some action figures have pose-able legs. We may need to glue Buzz's knees straight...his bendable legs are starting to get on my last nerve. If he's not carrying around Buzz he is two fisting Racer McQueen and Doc Hudson. He carries those two cars everywhere and sleep with them at night. He won't fall asleep until he's got one in each hand.
Emma hasn't been quite as entertaining lately. She is just such a good baby. I say it a million times every week but she is really good. On her best nights she will wake up only one time and on her worst maybe twice. The only bad thing is sometimes she is wide awake at ten when I'm ready to go to bed...but she doesn't cry she just makes little noises in her bed. We have two more weeks together of Maternity Leave and then it's back to work/school. I'm excited for the kids to be back to daycare. Jack loves it! He is so cute with his friends when we leave. Saying goodbye to all of them. Emma should do great she manages a bottle just fine. And the girls at work can't wait for me to be back so that makes it easier to feel needed.

Flu Bug....Quit Buggin' Me

We've officially all had the flu over the past two weeks. It's hasn't been fun. The hardest part is the lack of sleep. Emma gave me a really hard time because she's been so good at sleeping and she didn't sleep at all for two nights and slept all day instead. She got sick right as I was getting better so I was already exhausted as it was. She is bound to be much better by tomorrow. She's been sleeping all morning.
She is sure going like a weed...she's already out grown the newborn clothes and is filling in the three month clothes easily. She is really tall. At her one month check up she was 9lbs 12 ozs and 21 inches in the 50th percentile for height and weight.
Jack was 22 lbs and in the 3rd percentile....hmmm maybem sister will pass him by. She was 6 ozs bigger than he was at a month. And a about a pound bigger at birth. So I guess she is slowing down.
Three more weeks and than back to work. Jack can't wait to show off his new sister at school.