Last week I took Ryan for his 3-year checkup, and here are his stats:
Height: 37.5 inches (50%)
Weight: 31.2 lbs. (44%)
BP: 96/58
And much to his surprise and delight, he didn’t have to get any shots! He got the flu mist, so that was a teeny bit uncomfortable, but no shots!
And I told John, I think this was the first appointment that he has had where he has not cried! Every other time he would cry the minute the doctor came in, but this time he was happy and a chatterbox, which was nice!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
A Fun Fall Activity...
Anyone that knows me well knows that I really don’t like fall. 100% of the reason that I don’t like fall is because it’s getting colder…my ideal temperature is in the 80’s, and I will not complain if it’s in the 90’s…I like it hot! So because I don’t like fall, I usually resist fall-like things…warm drinks, fall colors, fall smells, pumpkin anything, etc. Now I like those things individually, but as everyone else is diving into all of those fall activities, I’m pushing them all away with all the strength I have. And what is worse is that I live in a city full of people that LIVE for fall and the changing of the seasons. I’m seriously one of the very few that is not a fan…
But there is one fall activity that I look forward to every year, and for a while, I didn’t think we’d get to do it this year because we were supposed to be out of town every weekend…apple picking. We loaded up the kiddos (plus Kylie’s friend Rachel) and headed out to go apple picking late Saturday morning. We got there around 11:30 and the kids all got busy picking. I pushed Colton in the stroller and actually did not pick a single apple because I was taking pictures the whole time and just enjoying watching John and the kids have fun. I’m not sure how many apples they ate, but I know every time I saw them they were eating :) After we were done picking, we went up to the building and got some apple crisp mix and some awesome salsa!
After we were done with the apples, we headed on down the highway and had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants. It’s a place that my friends and I go twice a year when we go scrapbooking. I absolutely love the place and the kids all really enjoyed it too (John could take it or leave it, which makes me wonder if he’s alive). After lunch we stopped at a local ice cream stand that my friends and I also go to and I got my favorite – a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate.
After that we headed home, and I did some work around the house, talked with the neighbors a little, and then made meatloaf and apple pie for dinner/dessert. It was a fabulous day and the food was amazing. Days like that help me to tolerate fall a little better :)
But there is one fall activity that I look forward to every year, and for a while, I didn’t think we’d get to do it this year because we were supposed to be out of town every weekend…apple picking. We loaded up the kiddos (plus Kylie’s friend Rachel) and headed out to go apple picking late Saturday morning. We got there around 11:30 and the kids all got busy picking. I pushed Colton in the stroller and actually did not pick a single apple because I was taking pictures the whole time and just enjoying watching John and the kids have fun. I’m not sure how many apples they ate, but I know every time I saw them they were eating :) After we were done picking, we went up to the building and got some apple crisp mix and some awesome salsa!
After we were done with the apples, we headed on down the highway and had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants. It’s a place that my friends and I go twice a year when we go scrapbooking. I absolutely love the place and the kids all really enjoyed it too (John could take it or leave it, which makes me wonder if he’s alive). After lunch we stopped at a local ice cream stand that my friends and I also go to and I got my favorite – a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate.
After that we headed home, and I did some work around the house, talked with the neighbors a little, and then made meatloaf and apple pie for dinner/dessert. It was a fabulous day and the food was amazing. Days like that help me to tolerate fall a little better :)
Friday, September 23, 2011
She's Such a Fighter...
Kylie is known to fight and fight until she gets her way. If I tell her she can’t do something, she will argue and argue us about it until either 1.) we give in (not the best solution, obviously) or 2.) we punish her for not stopping the arguing.
She’s most known for fighting to play with her BFF Rachel. She will ask if she can go to Rachel’s house, and if we say “no,” there will be so many reasons and arguments as to why she should be able to go. I’m such a stubborn person, that usually, her arguments make me more mad and I don’t usually give in…I know what kind of trouble that can potentially lead to as she gets older.
Wednesday morning was no exception to her arguing…she was sick (which she never is) and I told her she needed to stay home from school. She was upset! She kept begging me and begging me to let her go to school. I told her that it wasn’t fair to the other kids and that she needed to rest. I left the house, knowing she was mad, and sure enough, about 10 minutes later I get a call and she’s begging me to go. I tell her “no” again and we hang up.
Just as I’m pulling into work she calls again. She argues about how she’s feeling better and that she needs to go to school. I’m so exasperated and sick of arguing at this point that I give in and tell her to go to school. My daughter won the battle.
She could have been fighting for worse things, and I figure if this is the type of stuff I cave on I will do an OK job at this parenting thing :)
She’s most known for fighting to play with her BFF Rachel. She will ask if she can go to Rachel’s house, and if we say “no,” there will be so many reasons and arguments as to why she should be able to go. I’m such a stubborn person, that usually, her arguments make me more mad and I don’t usually give in…I know what kind of trouble that can potentially lead to as she gets older.
Wednesday morning was no exception to her arguing…she was sick (which she never is) and I told her she needed to stay home from school. She was upset! She kept begging me and begging me to let her go to school. I told her that it wasn’t fair to the other kids and that she needed to rest. I left the house, knowing she was mad, and sure enough, about 10 minutes later I get a call and she’s begging me to go. I tell her “no” again and we hang up.
Just as I’m pulling into work she calls again. She argues about how she’s feeling better and that she needs to go to school. I’m so exasperated and sick of arguing at this point that I give in and tell her to go to school. My daughter won the battle.
She could have been fighting for worse things, and I figure if this is the type of stuff I cave on I will do an OK job at this parenting thing :)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Ryan's Birthday Recap...
We decided, now that we have four kids, that doing birthday parties for each kid was getting ridiculous. And it really had nothing to do with any friends the kids were inviting, it was because we have such a large, wonderful family that always wants to come and celebrate with us. But with that comes trying to accommodate everyone’s schedule, and feeding a lot of people…four times a year now.
So we decided that we were going to start celebrating each child’s birthday on (or very close to) their actual birthday. Anyone who is around and wants to join us for dinner and cake and ice cream is more than welcome to, but there is no obligation to be there. We started this with Ryan’s birthday and let me tell you, it was so nice to not be stressed about a party!
So we asked Ryan where he wanted to eat dinner. He got to pick anywhere he wanted to go, and his answer was “the hot dog place where we play hockey on the table.” That would be Skyline Chili. They give you oyster crackers while you wait for your dinner, and my dad started a little thing where they use their forks and the crackers are the pucks and they play hockey while they wait for their food. So Skyline it was!
We celebrated his birthday the night before his actual birthday because we had a lot of stuff going on the evening of his actual birthday (gymnastics, softball, etc.) No one else from our family ended up coming, so we were able to take our time have a very relaxed evening. We got there and picked our table and we had a fantastic server who brought the crackers right away and immediately after ordering the kids got right to their hockey game! Meanwhile Colton ate some Oyster crackers for the first time :)
We had a great dinner and when we were done we headed home for cake. Ryan opened his presents, the kids did some homework, and then we had cake. After the kids were in bed I hung up the streamers and blew up balloons like I always do for a birthday (so the birthday kid wakes up on their birthday and sees streamers hanging at their door and balloons all over outside their door).
For his actual birthday, my mom and sister took Ryan and Josh to a CBJ pre-season game. When they got home they were so excited and Ryan had so much to tell us! He really had a great time!
So I think Ryan’s third birthday was a success! And to top it off, he really hasn’t gotten many of his presents yet from the family, so he’ll be opening presents over the next couple weeks! You can’t get any better than that!
So we decided that we were going to start celebrating each child’s birthday on (or very close to) their actual birthday. Anyone who is around and wants to join us for dinner and cake and ice cream is more than welcome to, but there is no obligation to be there. We started this with Ryan’s birthday and let me tell you, it was so nice to not be stressed about a party!
So we asked Ryan where he wanted to eat dinner. He got to pick anywhere he wanted to go, and his answer was “the hot dog place where we play hockey on the table.” That would be Skyline Chili. They give you oyster crackers while you wait for your dinner, and my dad started a little thing where they use their forks and the crackers are the pucks and they play hockey while they wait for their food. So Skyline it was!
We celebrated his birthday the night before his actual birthday because we had a lot of stuff going on the evening of his actual birthday (gymnastics, softball, etc.) No one else from our family ended up coming, so we were able to take our time have a very relaxed evening. We got there and picked our table and we had a fantastic server who brought the crackers right away and immediately after ordering the kids got right to their hockey game! Meanwhile Colton ate some Oyster crackers for the first time :)
We had a great dinner and when we were done we headed home for cake. Ryan opened his presents, the kids did some homework, and then we had cake. After the kids were in bed I hung up the streamers and blew up balloons like I always do for a birthday (so the birthday kid wakes up on their birthday and sees streamers hanging at their door and balloons all over outside their door).
For his actual birthday, my mom and sister took Ryan and Josh to a CBJ pre-season game. When they got home they were so excited and Ryan had so much to tell us! He really had a great time!
So I think Ryan’s third birthday was a success! And to top it off, he really hasn’t gotten many of his presents yet from the family, so he’ll be opening presents over the next couple weeks! You can’t get any better than that!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Happy Birthday Ryan!
Dear Ry-Ry,
Oh my little guy…you are turning 3 today…my baby Ry-Ry is not a baby anymore! I asked you last night where my baby Ry-Ry was and you told me “all gone!”
You are such a hoot, let me tell you! You are so very different from your older brother and sister, and even though it can be exhausting and you wear me down, I’m glad you’re different because it helps you stand out. No forgotten third child for you! You are the most stubborn child I have ever met! But your ability to make us laugh helps us forget how frustrated you can make us :) Daddy has nicknamed you “Stink” because you are such a stinker! And what’s funny is that you respond to that name! Little Zora says “hey Stink” and you turn and around and say “what?”
Right now you are very much into two things…Cars 2 and Thomas. I asked you the other night what you wanted for your birthday, and you told me “Cars.” I asked you what else, and you thought for a moment, and then said “Cars 2.” I asked what else and again, you thought for a second and said “Cars again.” You were no help :) But at least buying presents for you is super easy…I got you a couple of Cars 2 cars and some new Thomas trains and you were a happy camper!
Right now we are desperately trying to potty train you. Again, you are asserting your independence and showing us that this will happen when you’re ready. We first tried last January right before I had Colton…that didn’t work. And then we really did it in June, but you are still dragging your feet. And we all know that you are physically and mentally ready for it, but I can see the little wheels in your head spinning and knowing that this is one area that you can control and you will do this when you’re ready. This last week we are making great progress, and I do know that no one goes to Kindergarten in diapers…
You love to play sports, just like Joshie. You want to play baseball outside, and it’s so cute to see you and Zora get out the bases and try to play together. You like to play kickball with the big kids in the court when they get a game going, and of course you absolutely love football. You copy Joshie in everything and yet he gets so frustrated with you…he forgets that you are three years younger than him! But when he does calm down and the two of you play together, it just melts my heart!
Poor Kylie loves you so much and always wants to take care of you, but you usually want nothing to do with her :( You won’t hold her hand and you won’t sleep in her bed with her, which really hurts her feelings :( But again, I know it’s because of your personality and we love you for it! Sometimes you do indulge her and it makes her so happy! She loves to take care of you!
I think you and Colton are going to be great friends. You get so excited when you see him and I think you two are close enough in age that you won’t get as frustrated with him as Joshie gets with you. I have a feeling that you two will be very similar…he already seems so much like you!
You have the most gorgeous, huge blue eyes, and the most amazing eyelashes I have ever seen. Couple those with your beautiful blonde hair and I think you will always have every girl watching you! You love it when we spike your hair, and you still can’t say your “S’s” very well, so it’s so cute when you say “look at my hair, it’s all fikey.” I’m amazed at how blonde your hair has stayed too…which is good since I often call you “blondie.”
Oh Ryan…you are such a special boy! I remember cuddling with you on the couch when you were a newborn and just feeling such a special connection with you. You light up the room and really are such a good boy. You are so good that Daddy and I kept forgetting that you were only two this past summer…we kept expecting you to act older and stop crying, etc., and then we would have to remind ourselves that you were still a baby!
Thank you for being such a great boy and for making me so happy! I can’t imagine life without our little Ry-Ry…you are such an important part of our family and we love you so much!!!
Happy 3rd Birthday!
Love,
Mommy
Oh my little guy…you are turning 3 today…my baby Ry-Ry is not a baby anymore! I asked you last night where my baby Ry-Ry was and you told me “all gone!”
You are such a hoot, let me tell you! You are so very different from your older brother and sister, and even though it can be exhausting and you wear me down, I’m glad you’re different because it helps you stand out. No forgotten third child for you! You are the most stubborn child I have ever met! But your ability to make us laugh helps us forget how frustrated you can make us :) Daddy has nicknamed you “Stink” because you are such a stinker! And what’s funny is that you respond to that name! Little Zora says “hey Stink” and you turn and around and say “what?”
Right now you are very much into two things…Cars 2 and Thomas. I asked you the other night what you wanted for your birthday, and you told me “Cars.” I asked you what else, and you thought for a moment, and then said “Cars 2.” I asked what else and again, you thought for a second and said “Cars again.” You were no help :) But at least buying presents for you is super easy…I got you a couple of Cars 2 cars and some new Thomas trains and you were a happy camper!
Right now we are desperately trying to potty train you. Again, you are asserting your independence and showing us that this will happen when you’re ready. We first tried last January right before I had Colton…that didn’t work. And then we really did it in June, but you are still dragging your feet. And we all know that you are physically and mentally ready for it, but I can see the little wheels in your head spinning and knowing that this is one area that you can control and you will do this when you’re ready. This last week we are making great progress, and I do know that no one goes to Kindergarten in diapers…
You love to play sports, just like Joshie. You want to play baseball outside, and it’s so cute to see you and Zora get out the bases and try to play together. You like to play kickball with the big kids in the court when they get a game going, and of course you absolutely love football. You copy Joshie in everything and yet he gets so frustrated with you…he forgets that you are three years younger than him! But when he does calm down and the two of you play together, it just melts my heart!
Poor Kylie loves you so much and always wants to take care of you, but you usually want nothing to do with her :( You won’t hold her hand and you won’t sleep in her bed with her, which really hurts her feelings :( But again, I know it’s because of your personality and we love you for it! Sometimes you do indulge her and it makes her so happy! She loves to take care of you!
I think you and Colton are going to be great friends. You get so excited when you see him and I think you two are close enough in age that you won’t get as frustrated with him as Joshie gets with you. I have a feeling that you two will be very similar…he already seems so much like you!
You have the most gorgeous, huge blue eyes, and the most amazing eyelashes I have ever seen. Couple those with your beautiful blonde hair and I think you will always have every girl watching you! You love it when we spike your hair, and you still can’t say your “S’s” very well, so it’s so cute when you say “look at my hair, it’s all fikey.” I’m amazed at how blonde your hair has stayed too…which is good since I often call you “blondie.”
Oh Ryan…you are such a special boy! I remember cuddling with you on the couch when you were a newborn and just feeling such a special connection with you. You light up the room and really are such a good boy. You are so good that Daddy and I kept forgetting that you were only two this past summer…we kept expecting you to act older and stop crying, etc., and then we would have to remind ourselves that you were still a baby!
Thank you for being such a great boy and for making me so happy! I can’t imagine life without our little Ry-Ry…you are such an important part of our family and we love you so much!!!
Happy 3rd Birthday!
Love,
Mommy
Monday, September 19, 2011
A Surprise Weekend in Indianapolis!
A couple of months ago, we, along with three other neighbors, planned a surprise weekend getaway for the kids. We were so excited about it, and had learned to talk in code around the kids so that none of the kids had any idea what was going on. This past weekend was the big weekend and everything went off without a hitch!
Friday morning we woke the kids up and told them that we had to take them to a baby-sitter’s house because Grandma couldn’t watch them that day (as she normally does on Fridays). We got everyone ready, and around 7:00 AM as we were about to leave the house, John stopped them and told them that we were lying, there was no baby-sitter, and in fact, they were not going to school that day. They were to get in the car and we wouldn’t tell them anything else!
I had gotten them each a new book, and it was waiting on their car seat when they got in the car. We got everyone loaded up and off we went. We went to Tim Horton’s to pick up some breakfast and what do you know - one of our neighbors pulled up beside us! The kids were so excited and the questions started coming…”where are we going?” “Is it Chicago?” “is it the airport?” and so on…
We drove over to Indianapolis and outside of a 20 minute delay because of a wide-load truck, we had an easy drive. Our first stop was to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. We weren’t originally going to go there, but we started hearing such wonderful things about it and I read so many great reviews about it, that we decided we couldn’t pass it up. And boy am I glad we went…it was definitely my favorite part of the trip!
The kids walked through a huge dinosaur exhibit, and the kids loved the Egypt exhibit where there was an airplane they could play in and houses and shops to play in, there was a wonderful Barbie exhibit that the girls loved (even us big girls :) ) and the boys ended up laying in too, and an exhibit that showcased three kids that changed the world, and another exhibit that had a clubhouse and Sundae shop to play in…the whole place was so wonderful and the kids absolutely loved everything they saw!
After that we went to the hotel and checked in. There the kids saw the waterpark and were super excited! We got unpacked and headed out for a late dinner. Right before we left the kids found out that the other two sets of neighbors were there, which of course was a wonderful surprise!
We got to the Cheesecake Factory and had a 1 ½ hour wait. Thankfully, it was attached to a mall, so John and I took the kids on a walk that ended with playing in the Apple store :) The kids were so good! We didn’t sit down to eat until around 8:30, and yet the kids were wonderfully behaved!
Dinner was a little bit of a pain as our waiter really sucked. Us adults didn’t order our meals until after the kids’ meals had arrived (because he never came back) and our drinks weren’t refilled, etc. I actually asked the manager to take off the automatically applied tip (because there were 10 of us) because of how bad the service was. Thankfully, our manager was awesome and finished bussing our table, getting our cheesecake, whatever we needed because he knew we had 6 little kids that wanted to go home! But again, the kids were so good!
The next morning we got up and went down to breakfast. John stayed behind because all of the drains in our room (which was a huge suite!) were clogged, so he waited while the maintenance guy fixed them. Ryan had a meltdown at breakfast because I wouldn’t let him put butter on his fruit (so mean I know), so I took him back up to the room and within minutes he was asleep (no nap the day before :) ). But while I was there, I smelled the horrific smell that was the result of the drain cleaning. The guy assured us that he would get rid of the smell, so while we went down to the waterpark, he put some machine in the room that was supposed to clean the air.
So we took the kids down to the waterpark and they had a blast! Kylie and Josh went down the raft waterslide with John and I multiple times, and Ryan had so much fun playing with Zora in the little pool. Colton spent the entire time in the stroller sitting next to me (I sat on the edge of the pool most of the time because the water was a little colder than I liked :) ) and he was amazing! He didn’t fuss at all, and actually fell asleep for a while (he was in the umbrella stroller, which was why I was shocked he fell asleep).
At break time we headed back to the room for lunch. Since the machine was still cleaning our air, I grabbed the lunchables and we sat outside our room and ate lunch. I’m glad no one came by because we were a sight! After lunch we headed back down to the park until 3:00 when they closed for an hour. At that time we went back to our rooms to start getting ready for dinner. And the maintenance guy was right…the bad smell was gone from our room!
We all got showered and met downstairs. All 18 of us were heading into downtown Indianapolis to Hard Rock Café for dinner. We had a wonderful meal, a great server, and an overall great time! And again, all kids were fantastic! Colton fell asleep in his carrier (thank goodness because he was tired a fussy!), so John and I really did have an enjoyable dinner.
After dinner we headed back to our room where almost all of us watched the Buckeye game. The kids were insane! They were loud and crazy and seemed to be having so much fun! There were so many games going on, and at one time, a huge pillow fight on one of the beds. A couple of the families left during the game, but our one neighbors (who had the room next to us) stayed the whole game, and by that point, the kids were slowing down :) The boys were playing video games, the little ones were watching movies, and Kylie and Jill were playing a quiet game themselves. The kids definitely crashed hard that night!
Sunday morning we got up and took our time packing up and checking out. We then headed to Cracker Barrel and had a really nice lunch…the food was great, the service was great, and the kids, again, were phenomenal! We loaded up the car and headed home!
It was such a great weekend and the kids had a lot of fun. Thankfully they are off school today, so they can catch up on their rest and get back on a semi-normal schedule. I hope they have as great of memories of this weekend as I do!
Friday morning we woke the kids up and told them that we had to take them to a baby-sitter’s house because Grandma couldn’t watch them that day (as she normally does on Fridays). We got everyone ready, and around 7:00 AM as we were about to leave the house, John stopped them and told them that we were lying, there was no baby-sitter, and in fact, they were not going to school that day. They were to get in the car and we wouldn’t tell them anything else!
I had gotten them each a new book, and it was waiting on their car seat when they got in the car. We got everyone loaded up and off we went. We went to Tim Horton’s to pick up some breakfast and what do you know - one of our neighbors pulled up beside us! The kids were so excited and the questions started coming…”where are we going?” “Is it Chicago?” “is it the airport?” and so on…
We drove over to Indianapolis and outside of a 20 minute delay because of a wide-load truck, we had an easy drive. Our first stop was to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. We weren’t originally going to go there, but we started hearing such wonderful things about it and I read so many great reviews about it, that we decided we couldn’t pass it up. And boy am I glad we went…it was definitely my favorite part of the trip!
The kids walked through a huge dinosaur exhibit, and the kids loved the Egypt exhibit where there was an airplane they could play in and houses and shops to play in, there was a wonderful Barbie exhibit that the girls loved (even us big girls :) ) and the boys ended up laying in too, and an exhibit that showcased three kids that changed the world, and another exhibit that had a clubhouse and Sundae shop to play in…the whole place was so wonderful and the kids absolutely loved everything they saw!
After that we went to the hotel and checked in. There the kids saw the waterpark and were super excited! We got unpacked and headed out for a late dinner. Right before we left the kids found out that the other two sets of neighbors were there, which of course was a wonderful surprise!
We got to the Cheesecake Factory and had a 1 ½ hour wait. Thankfully, it was attached to a mall, so John and I took the kids on a walk that ended with playing in the Apple store :) The kids were so good! We didn’t sit down to eat until around 8:30, and yet the kids were wonderfully behaved!
Dinner was a little bit of a pain as our waiter really sucked. Us adults didn’t order our meals until after the kids’ meals had arrived (because he never came back) and our drinks weren’t refilled, etc. I actually asked the manager to take off the automatically applied tip (because there were 10 of us) because of how bad the service was. Thankfully, our manager was awesome and finished bussing our table, getting our cheesecake, whatever we needed because he knew we had 6 little kids that wanted to go home! But again, the kids were so good!
The next morning we got up and went down to breakfast. John stayed behind because all of the drains in our room (which was a huge suite!) were clogged, so he waited while the maintenance guy fixed them. Ryan had a meltdown at breakfast because I wouldn’t let him put butter on his fruit (so mean I know), so I took him back up to the room and within minutes he was asleep (no nap the day before :) ). But while I was there, I smelled the horrific smell that was the result of the drain cleaning. The guy assured us that he would get rid of the smell, so while we went down to the waterpark, he put some machine in the room that was supposed to clean the air.
So we took the kids down to the waterpark and they had a blast! Kylie and Josh went down the raft waterslide with John and I multiple times, and Ryan had so much fun playing with Zora in the little pool. Colton spent the entire time in the stroller sitting next to me (I sat on the edge of the pool most of the time because the water was a little colder than I liked :) ) and he was amazing! He didn’t fuss at all, and actually fell asleep for a while (he was in the umbrella stroller, which was why I was shocked he fell asleep).
At break time we headed back to the room for lunch. Since the machine was still cleaning our air, I grabbed the lunchables and we sat outside our room and ate lunch. I’m glad no one came by because we were a sight! After lunch we headed back down to the park until 3:00 when they closed for an hour. At that time we went back to our rooms to start getting ready for dinner. And the maintenance guy was right…the bad smell was gone from our room!
We all got showered and met downstairs. All 18 of us were heading into downtown Indianapolis to Hard Rock Café for dinner. We had a wonderful meal, a great server, and an overall great time! And again, all kids were fantastic! Colton fell asleep in his carrier (thank goodness because he was tired a fussy!), so John and I really did have an enjoyable dinner.
After dinner we headed back to our room where almost all of us watched the Buckeye game. The kids were insane! They were loud and crazy and seemed to be having so much fun! There were so many games going on, and at one time, a huge pillow fight on one of the beds. A couple of the families left during the game, but our one neighbors (who had the room next to us) stayed the whole game, and by that point, the kids were slowing down :) The boys were playing video games, the little ones were watching movies, and Kylie and Jill were playing a quiet game themselves. The kids definitely crashed hard that night!
Sunday morning we got up and took our time packing up and checking out. We then headed to Cracker Barrel and had a really nice lunch…the food was great, the service was great, and the kids, again, were phenomenal! We loaded up the car and headed home!
It was such a great weekend and the kids had a lot of fun. Thankfully they are off school today, so they can catch up on their rest and get back on a semi-normal schedule. I hope they have as great of memories of this weekend as I do!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
An Evening At The Park...
The other evening I took the kids over to the school playground to play (I love that the school is in our neighborhood and it's just a 3 minute walk to get to the playground!). It is so much easier now compared to last year in that Ryan can go play and I don't have to worry about him climbing on the equipment and falling. So I walked around holding Colton watching them play, took a bunch of pictures and even played a little kickball until Colton let us know that he was done being in the stroller and ready to go home!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A Check-Up...For Me This Time...
Thanks to Obama, I can now go and get a physical, immunizations and lab work done for free. I use the term “thanks” loosely as I used to only have to pay a small copay/fee for those items, and the rest of the things I had done (i.e. sick visits for the family, etc.) didn’t cost me a ton of money as they do now. But anyhoo…I usually try to stay on top of check-ups and things like that, but since it was 100% free and it earned me points for our challenge at work to earn an extra PTO day, I made the appointment and went.
Stats at the office were good, BP was 106/64 and my weight (116 lbs.) is officially back to where it was before I had Colton (which is fabulous, although I definitely don’t feel 100% happy with how I look…I desperately need to tone up!), and I’m measuring at 5’ 3” (I believe I have shrunk as I swear I used to be 5’ 3 ½” but oh well). They took some vials of blood for blood tests and I received my flu shot and a DpT shot.
This was my first time meeting the doctor (I had read rave reviews about her Angie’s List so I decided to try her out). I loved that she came in and met me first, asked me some questions and talked to me, and then left so I could change into a gown and then came back in to do the exam. I really liked that she has two kids, and her youngest is a little newborn, so she can relate to a lot of my issues.
Which is what I decided to talk to her about…weird as it was the first time I met her, but I had to do it. Over the last few months I have found myself so short and snappy with people. I feel myself doing it, but, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t stop doing it. I also found myself so annoyed with everything and everyone. Even my good friends were annoying me, which seemed so strange to me. I also found myself not enjoying being with the kids. Of course I still loved them, and did whatever they needed me to do, but if you asked me what I would like to be doing, it would not have been playing with them…I was just doing it because that’s what I was supposed to do. And for those that know me, that is not like me at all…I LOVE kids, and I have always enjoyed being around them and playing with them. I have also found myself super tired lately. But, over the last few months, I have chalked all of these things up to being a mom of four kids, one of which still gets up multiple times during the night. I truly felt that I had just hit my max and that it was perfectly normal that any “free” time I had I would want to just sit and relax and not play with kids. Or that my tiredness was affecting my tolerance of those around me. But over the last couple of weeks, I started to think that maybe this wasn’t normal…or right.
And my doctor agreed. She thinks I have a bit of post-partum depression. Thankfully, from what I read and hear about, it’s not so bad that I don’t still love being around my kiddos…especially Colton. But she didn’t like that I no longer enjoyed doing things I used to enjoy, or that I wasn’t super happy around my kids like I used to be, or that I was so annoyed by everything around me. So she prescribed Zoloft (the safest to take while breastfeeding). She told me what to expect over the next week, couple of weeks, and so on, and told me that she wanted to see me back in 6 weeks to see if it was helping.
I went back to work and immediately started Googling Zoloft and side effects and whether it works or not, etc. There are side effects to worry about (the biggest one I’m worried about is the weight gain – I don’t want all my hard work to be thrown out the window), but based on what everyone was saying, the benefits far outweighed the side effects, so I came away from it knowing I had to do this.
I took my first dose last night and so far I don’t notice anything. My doctor said that I might feel nauseous over the next week, but thankfully I don’t feel that way…yet. I really hope this works…I hope that I can get back to loving life and everyone around me like I used to. And more importantly, I hope that this truly is just PPD and that come next spring I can stop taking the drugs (as my doctor is hoping as well).
Stats at the office were good, BP was 106/64 and my weight (116 lbs.) is officially back to where it was before I had Colton (which is fabulous, although I definitely don’t feel 100% happy with how I look…I desperately need to tone up!), and I’m measuring at 5’ 3” (I believe I have shrunk as I swear I used to be 5’ 3 ½” but oh well). They took some vials of blood for blood tests and I received my flu shot and a DpT shot.
This was my first time meeting the doctor (I had read rave reviews about her Angie’s List so I decided to try her out). I loved that she came in and met me first, asked me some questions and talked to me, and then left so I could change into a gown and then came back in to do the exam. I really liked that she has two kids, and her youngest is a little newborn, so she can relate to a lot of my issues.
Which is what I decided to talk to her about…weird as it was the first time I met her, but I had to do it. Over the last few months I have found myself so short and snappy with people. I feel myself doing it, but, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t stop doing it. I also found myself so annoyed with everything and everyone. Even my good friends were annoying me, which seemed so strange to me. I also found myself not enjoying being with the kids. Of course I still loved them, and did whatever they needed me to do, but if you asked me what I would like to be doing, it would not have been playing with them…I was just doing it because that’s what I was supposed to do. And for those that know me, that is not like me at all…I LOVE kids, and I have always enjoyed being around them and playing with them. I have also found myself super tired lately. But, over the last few months, I have chalked all of these things up to being a mom of four kids, one of which still gets up multiple times during the night. I truly felt that I had just hit my max and that it was perfectly normal that any “free” time I had I would want to just sit and relax and not play with kids. Or that my tiredness was affecting my tolerance of those around me. But over the last couple of weeks, I started to think that maybe this wasn’t normal…or right.
And my doctor agreed. She thinks I have a bit of post-partum depression. Thankfully, from what I read and hear about, it’s not so bad that I don’t still love being around my kiddos…especially Colton. But she didn’t like that I no longer enjoyed doing things I used to enjoy, or that I wasn’t super happy around my kids like I used to be, or that I was so annoyed by everything around me. So she prescribed Zoloft (the safest to take while breastfeeding). She told me what to expect over the next week, couple of weeks, and so on, and told me that she wanted to see me back in 6 weeks to see if it was helping.
I went back to work and immediately started Googling Zoloft and side effects and whether it works or not, etc. There are side effects to worry about (the biggest one I’m worried about is the weight gain – I don’t want all my hard work to be thrown out the window), but based on what everyone was saying, the benefits far outweighed the side effects, so I came away from it knowing I had to do this.
I took my first dose last night and so far I don’t notice anything. My doctor said that I might feel nauseous over the next week, but thankfully I don’t feel that way…yet. I really hope this works…I hope that I can get back to loving life and everyone around me like I used to. And more importantly, I hope that this truly is just PPD and that come next spring I can stop taking the drugs (as my doctor is hoping as well).
Monday, September 12, 2011
Colton Turns 8 Months Old...
Colton turned 8 months old yesterday (on 9/11…strange). I just can’t believe how fast the time has gone by…wasn’t he just born???
Right now he is exhausting me by constantly moving! He still can’t sit on his own for any longer than 5 seconds before he topples over (and back), but that kid has decided that he wants to move! He has never made any attempt to get up on all fours to crawl, but when he’s on his belly, he will stretch his little arms and legs out, use his little toes and knees, and push himself wherever he wants to go. It started out slow…it would take him a while to get anywhere, but now, he’s there in a blink of an eye!
Because of this, we need to remove all little toys (which is so hard for Ryan to understand and remember to do) and watch places like the bottom shelf of our coffee table, which is where Colton likes to pull the kids’ games off of and try to open them. He is a rolling, scooting on his belly machine :)
As far as eating goes, he’s a pig! Nursing him just doesn’t seem to be enough anymore…I usually feed him, and then he’ll want to eat again an hour or two later. When he eats jar food, he will eat at least two of the stage 2 jars, if not three! He loves everything we have given him so far…applesauce, bananas, peaches, green beans, corn and sweet potatoes (all of my kids’ favorite), broccoli and chicken, peas, yogurt, and everything else! He’s getting really good at picking food up off his tray and eating it, so we’re able to give him some of the baby snacks, broken up, and he will entertain himself eating them. We’ve been slowly starting to introduce some table food as well…he had some pancake when we had pancakes for breakfast on Saturday, part of a tater tot when we were out to eat and he had a little bit of a cookie when I was baking cookies this past weekend.
As far as sleep goes, he’s still a pistol! He takes great naps…we can still just lay him down with his paci and one of his special blankets (the large, breathable swaddle blankets), sometimes we turn the music on but not always, and he’ll go to sleep. But during the night he’s still getting up every 3 – 4 hours, which is taking a toll on me, that’s for sure! But I know that it will be over when he turns 1 at the latest since I’ll wean him then :)
He is babbler as well! And a loud one at that! He has a lot to say and will make sure you are listening to him :) He watches in fascination when I say “momma,” and I know he’s trying hard to say it. I’ve noticed when he’s really hungry and I’m getting ready to feed him he’ll keep saying “mmmmm” in a whiny voice, and I think he’s trying to say “momma” :)
Overall he is fitting into the family so nicely! The kids love him more and more each day and love finding out what they can do to get him to smile at them. The only complaint I have is that he is not sliding into the “4th child position” very easily. He is a very needy and demanding baby! He doesn’t care that I have three other kids to take care of as well! But that’s OK…I keep hoping that because he’s keeping me on my toes, it will help shape his personality later on in life and he’ll be just as demanding and hard working as if he were the oldest child :)
Right now he is exhausting me by constantly moving! He still can’t sit on his own for any longer than 5 seconds before he topples over (and back), but that kid has decided that he wants to move! He has never made any attempt to get up on all fours to crawl, but when he’s on his belly, he will stretch his little arms and legs out, use his little toes and knees, and push himself wherever he wants to go. It started out slow…it would take him a while to get anywhere, but now, he’s there in a blink of an eye!
Because of this, we need to remove all little toys (which is so hard for Ryan to understand and remember to do) and watch places like the bottom shelf of our coffee table, which is where Colton likes to pull the kids’ games off of and try to open them. He is a rolling, scooting on his belly machine :)
As far as eating goes, he’s a pig! Nursing him just doesn’t seem to be enough anymore…I usually feed him, and then he’ll want to eat again an hour or two later. When he eats jar food, he will eat at least two of the stage 2 jars, if not three! He loves everything we have given him so far…applesauce, bananas, peaches, green beans, corn and sweet potatoes (all of my kids’ favorite), broccoli and chicken, peas, yogurt, and everything else! He’s getting really good at picking food up off his tray and eating it, so we’re able to give him some of the baby snacks, broken up, and he will entertain himself eating them. We’ve been slowly starting to introduce some table food as well…he had some pancake when we had pancakes for breakfast on Saturday, part of a tater tot when we were out to eat and he had a little bit of a cookie when I was baking cookies this past weekend.
As far as sleep goes, he’s still a pistol! He takes great naps…we can still just lay him down with his paci and one of his special blankets (the large, breathable swaddle blankets), sometimes we turn the music on but not always, and he’ll go to sleep. But during the night he’s still getting up every 3 – 4 hours, which is taking a toll on me, that’s for sure! But I know that it will be over when he turns 1 at the latest since I’ll wean him then :)
He is babbler as well! And a loud one at that! He has a lot to say and will make sure you are listening to him :) He watches in fascination when I say “momma,” and I know he’s trying hard to say it. I’ve noticed when he’s really hungry and I’m getting ready to feed him he’ll keep saying “mmmmm” in a whiny voice, and I think he’s trying to say “momma” :)
Overall he is fitting into the family so nicely! The kids love him more and more each day and love finding out what they can do to get him to smile at them. The only complaint I have is that he is not sliding into the “4th child position” very easily. He is a very needy and demanding baby! He doesn’t care that I have three other kids to take care of as well! But that’s OK…I keep hoping that because he’s keeping me on my toes, it will help shape his personality later on in life and he’ll be just as demanding and hard working as if he were the oldest child :)
Thursday, September 08, 2011
My Gifted Child...
Last night was curriculum night for grades 3 – 5 for our elementary school, which means we got to meet with Kylie’s teacher, as well as “meet” the new principal. We also got a letter sent home saying that we were to attend one of the gifted services sessions as well…
So Kylie did really well on her Terra Nova tests last year…really well. She was in the 95th percentile or higher (she was in 98th and 99th in two of the areas) in math, reading and social studies. Science she was much lower (83rd I think), but even that was considered above average. We also found out from our friend that works in the district office that because our school district is so good, the gifted students are on a different bell curve than other school districts, otherwise a large portion of our school would be “gifted.”
Anyway, we learned that now that she has been classified as gifted, she will be considered gifted all the way through high school – there is no retesting or anything like that. We also got a glimpse of what options are open for kids in high school, and made especially easy for gifted children (i.e. getting both college and high school credit for classes in high school, flex time – this allows kids that participate in sports or arts for hours a week to not take those classes in high school, etc.). We also learned about a math program in the 5th grade that lets kids combine two years of math into one, therefore entering pre-algebra in 6th grade, and if they are super smart, they can move faster and enter algebra in 6th grade (yeah, I took algebra my FRESHMAN year!).
So for the most part, when it’s time for math (that’s all they’ve started with so far), the gifted teacher will come and get Kylie and a couple other kids and take them to her room and teach them. Kylie loves it!
This whole process has been somewhat numbing for me…we are never ones to really brag about our kids. We support them and they know we’re proud of them, but outside of super accomplishments, we rarely tell friends about things they may have done. Of course our families know every little detail, and I like to use this blog to brag about my kiddos, but I know that there are so many kids out there that are fantastic, and I want my kids to grow up with humble attitudes, so I don’t feel it right for them to watch me brag nonstop about them and expect them not to have that mentality.
Anyway, I’m trying to take it all in, and absorb the magnitude of it all. This of course means some extra work for Kylie and extra responsibility, which of course she loves. But it’s also a wake-up call for us to be sure that we’re keeping up with Josh and Ryan and Colton when their turns come. So far Josh is doing super well in school. Now whether he’ll do as well as Kylie did on the tests, who knows, but I definitely feel a bigger responsibility for keeping up with him on school work, even though he hardly ever needs my help.
Most of all I’m just so proud of my little girl. I can’t remember the last time I really helped her with homework. She usually races home from school and gets it done and we just check it at night. I would love to sit here and say that I had something to do with all of this, but in reality, God gave her the amazing mind and wonderful work ethic, and she has put forth all of the effort needed to get her work done.
I love you princess and I’m super-duper proud of you!!!
So Kylie did really well on her Terra Nova tests last year…really well. She was in the 95th percentile or higher (she was in 98th and 99th in two of the areas) in math, reading and social studies. Science she was much lower (83rd I think), but even that was considered above average. We also found out from our friend that works in the district office that because our school district is so good, the gifted students are on a different bell curve than other school districts, otherwise a large portion of our school would be “gifted.”
Anyway, we learned that now that she has been classified as gifted, she will be considered gifted all the way through high school – there is no retesting or anything like that. We also got a glimpse of what options are open for kids in high school, and made especially easy for gifted children (i.e. getting both college and high school credit for classes in high school, flex time – this allows kids that participate in sports or arts for hours a week to not take those classes in high school, etc.). We also learned about a math program in the 5th grade that lets kids combine two years of math into one, therefore entering pre-algebra in 6th grade, and if they are super smart, they can move faster and enter algebra in 6th grade (yeah, I took algebra my FRESHMAN year!).
So for the most part, when it’s time for math (that’s all they’ve started with so far), the gifted teacher will come and get Kylie and a couple other kids and take them to her room and teach them. Kylie loves it!
This whole process has been somewhat numbing for me…we are never ones to really brag about our kids. We support them and they know we’re proud of them, but outside of super accomplishments, we rarely tell friends about things they may have done. Of course our families know every little detail, and I like to use this blog to brag about my kiddos, but I know that there are so many kids out there that are fantastic, and I want my kids to grow up with humble attitudes, so I don’t feel it right for them to watch me brag nonstop about them and expect them not to have that mentality.
Anyway, I’m trying to take it all in, and absorb the magnitude of it all. This of course means some extra work for Kylie and extra responsibility, which of course she loves. But it’s also a wake-up call for us to be sure that we’re keeping up with Josh and Ryan and Colton when their turns come. So far Josh is doing super well in school. Now whether he’ll do as well as Kylie did on the tests, who knows, but I definitely feel a bigger responsibility for keeping up with him on school work, even though he hardly ever needs my help.
Most of all I’m just so proud of my little girl. I can’t remember the last time I really helped her with homework. She usually races home from school and gets it done and we just check it at night. I would love to sit here and say that I had something to do with all of this, but in reality, God gave her the amazing mind and wonderful work ethic, and she has put forth all of the effort needed to get her work done.
I love you princess and I’m super-duper proud of you!!!
Friday, September 02, 2011
Trip to MN, Punishments, Cute Things, etc.
I was in Minnesota the last couple of days for work. It was a whirlwind trip (flight left at 6:25 AM and the returning flight the next day did not get in until 11:00 PM), but I still managed to have fun :) It was great meeting some new people and doing some different work than I normally do, and then the we also got to go the Mall of America, which I had never been to.
That place is huge! I was just amazed at all of the stores in it, and then of course the fact that there’s a mini amusement park inside too. I convinced (OK, really dragged) my coworker to ride one of the roller coasters with me, and it was so much fun!
Then we had a really nice dinner with some of the people that we met while we were there and then went back to the hotel and crashed!
While I was away, I really, really missed John and the kids. It doesn’t help that of course I saw families with small children traveling, which made me miss my kids even more. I vowed that when I got back, I would try even harder to remember that they are only small once, and that even though I’m exhausted and sick of filling cups with water or changing diapers or whatever, they were my precious babies and they deserve to have a full-time, hands-on mom…even if I’m faking it because I’m asleep on the inside :)
Yesterday I had to dish out one of the hardest punishments I’ve had to do so far in raising the kids. A couple of weeks ago our nanny told me that Kylie was back-talking her a bunch and that she had a bad attitude. I believed it because we were dealing with the same thing with her. So I told her no friends for 1 week. I told her that hopefully the next time she tried to fight something, she would remember this and keep her mouth shut. So she made it through (barely :) ) that week and I felt bad because we were so busy this week that the first time she could play with her BFF was today (Friday). They had so much planned and she was going to go home on the bus with her and she was just so excited.
But I came home yesterday and Miss G said that Kylie talked back to her again and disobeyed her. I was so mad! For about 10 minutes I wrestled with what to do…I knew I had to tell her she was not allowed to go to Rachel’s, but it hurt me so much to think about how hurt she was going to be…I knew this would devastate her. But God gently reminded me that it is my job to bring my kids up to be respectful adults, and I let myself think to the future of her as a teenager if we don’t stop this behavior now (yikes!). So I told her…and she was mad…and crying…and hurt. She ran down to the basement to talk to Rachel on the phone and I retreated to my neighbor’s house to check on the other boys and to just get away for a minute.
Kylie came over (I had told her that’s where I was going), and we were able to distract her by asking her questions about her second grade year (my neighbor’s son is in second grade this year and was trying to understand what they would be doing all year). When we got home, she and John had it out and after some time in time-out, she and John had a nice heart-to-heart talk.
The one good/bad thing I am seeing is that Kylie is very similar to how I was when I was younger. When my parents would punish me, they would do things to push my buttons after the punishment was given out (it appeared they were just being mean as I told them over and over again how much they were hurting me). I’m able to take that information and hopefully be “nicer” with Kylie. I don’t want to keep harping on the issue…the punishment is given, you cannot change my mind, let’s move on. Unfortunately, John tends to handle things like my parents did, and I had to talk to him last night about how that makes her feel and that he needs to stop.
I still love the fact that Kylie is still young enough that within minutes of being punished, she will come looking for me and/or want to do something with me…I know the day is coming, all too soon, when she will actually hold a grudge for a while :(
In happier news, Colton has learned to smack his lips together like he’s kissing! I don’t think he knows what he’s doing yet, but it’s so cute when he’s just sitting there and starts smacking his little lips together…such a precious little guy!
This weekend is Labor Day Weekend, and except for a wedding Sunday evening, we have nothing going on, and that’s awesome! I can’t wait to just relax all weekend, hopefully get some sleep, and make some great meals!
That place is huge! I was just amazed at all of the stores in it, and then of course the fact that there’s a mini amusement park inside too. I convinced (OK, really dragged) my coworker to ride one of the roller coasters with me, and it was so much fun!
Then we had a really nice dinner with some of the people that we met while we were there and then went back to the hotel and crashed!
While I was away, I really, really missed John and the kids. It doesn’t help that of course I saw families with small children traveling, which made me miss my kids even more. I vowed that when I got back, I would try even harder to remember that they are only small once, and that even though I’m exhausted and sick of filling cups with water or changing diapers or whatever, they were my precious babies and they deserve to have a full-time, hands-on mom…even if I’m faking it because I’m asleep on the inside :)
Yesterday I had to dish out one of the hardest punishments I’ve had to do so far in raising the kids. A couple of weeks ago our nanny told me that Kylie was back-talking her a bunch and that she had a bad attitude. I believed it because we were dealing with the same thing with her. So I told her no friends for 1 week. I told her that hopefully the next time she tried to fight something, she would remember this and keep her mouth shut. So she made it through (barely :) ) that week and I felt bad because we were so busy this week that the first time she could play with her BFF was today (Friday). They had so much planned and she was going to go home on the bus with her and she was just so excited.
But I came home yesterday and Miss G said that Kylie talked back to her again and disobeyed her. I was so mad! For about 10 minutes I wrestled with what to do…I knew I had to tell her she was not allowed to go to Rachel’s, but it hurt me so much to think about how hurt she was going to be…I knew this would devastate her. But God gently reminded me that it is my job to bring my kids up to be respectful adults, and I let myself think to the future of her as a teenager if we don’t stop this behavior now (yikes!). So I told her…and she was mad…and crying…and hurt. She ran down to the basement to talk to Rachel on the phone and I retreated to my neighbor’s house to check on the other boys and to just get away for a minute.
Kylie came over (I had told her that’s where I was going), and we were able to distract her by asking her questions about her second grade year (my neighbor’s son is in second grade this year and was trying to understand what they would be doing all year). When we got home, she and John had it out and after some time in time-out, she and John had a nice heart-to-heart talk.
The one good/bad thing I am seeing is that Kylie is very similar to how I was when I was younger. When my parents would punish me, they would do things to push my buttons after the punishment was given out (it appeared they were just being mean as I told them over and over again how much they were hurting me). I’m able to take that information and hopefully be “nicer” with Kylie. I don’t want to keep harping on the issue…the punishment is given, you cannot change my mind, let’s move on. Unfortunately, John tends to handle things like my parents did, and I had to talk to him last night about how that makes her feel and that he needs to stop.
I still love the fact that Kylie is still young enough that within minutes of being punished, she will come looking for me and/or want to do something with me…I know the day is coming, all too soon, when she will actually hold a grudge for a while :(
In happier news, Colton has learned to smack his lips together like he’s kissing! I don’t think he knows what he’s doing yet, but it’s so cute when he’s just sitting there and starts smacking his little lips together…such a precious little guy!
This weekend is Labor Day Weekend, and except for a wedding Sunday evening, we have nothing going on, and that’s awesome! I can’t wait to just relax all weekend, hopefully get some sleep, and make some great meals!
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