This was a fun week - Avi had her school holiday party and we opened presents from Santa this morning.
Avi's school holiday party was fun. She did a good job with both the dancing and the singing. She did ballet to the Nutcracker Suite and a tap routine to Santa Baby. She's only been taking the lessons for 4 weeks so she did a good job considering that and the fact the teacher was in the crowd showing them the moves. However, when we were at Cost Plus yesterday Santa Baby came on the radio and sure enough she was twisting her hips to the refrain of "hurry down the chimney tonight". Too cute.
The singing program was great. She knows all the songs by heart because we would sing them on the way to school and the way home so she belted them out loud and clear over the other voices. First was "boots, mittens, scarf and hat" to the tune of "head, shoulders, knees and toes", then "i'm opening a present" to the tune of "have you ever seen a lassie", then "up on the housetop", then "jingle bells", then "i'm a little dradle" to the tune of "i'm a little teapot", then rudolph the red nosed reindeer" and the big finale of "we wish you a merry christmas". She had a great time!
Yesterday she got a letter in the mail from Santa telling her he would visit her early since we'll be at Luke's on Christmas Day. She was very excited and opened her new pajamas last night and slept until about 7 this morning. We opened presents and had a nice morning. She seemed to respond great to everything we got her which is always nice...the only thing she was initially bummed about was not getting "spike the dinosaur" but when we pointed out that Santa still brought her a spiky dinosaur she was happy.
She played with Emma a bit outside later this afternoon and kept wanting to bring Emma in but we couldn't let her since there were new presents everywhere. Only one more day to the weekend and then we have school the rest of the week and head to the airport Thursday morning for a 7:45am flight to Boston. Can't wait to be with family and see everyone but not sure about a day flight with 2 kids.
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Through November, early December
So it's now December so I'll back up a bit and try to remember everything...
Avi did karate. She did well and it was mostly about safety and listening skills - they called the program "safe side kids" so parents are safe side adults, the instructors were "kinda knows" and strangers are "don't knows". The concept was still a bit over her head but she had fun with the skills they would do like averting someone coming after them or listening for our commands in a noisy crowd - like hearing me say "get on the ground, crawl forward, stand up, turn around, etc". We'll probably try it again in another year.
She's now doing dance class at school once a week and like that a lot. She has a recital for the Holiday program at her school this week which should be interesting. She's also doing swim lessons - she has made such progress and is now starting to do strokes with a kick to get where she wants to go and does really well with her floating. She'll do swimming through the winter and will be a great swimmer by the summer so I can focus on Z when we go to the pool.
We started Avi at school an extra day last week. She now goes M-Th. It'll be good for her since she'll still be 4 when she starts kindergarten next year. It helps her to have another day of structure and since all of her friends on our street are already in school she has someone to play with besides me and Z. It also gives me some 1:1 time with Zach now that he loves to play and is so mobile.
I'm signing Zach up for tumbling to start in January on Mondays when Avi is at school. It'll be nice to have him do tumbling since he's a boy and Avi loved it so much.
I had to work on Thanksgiving but got out early enough to rest a bit and then get ready to head to Susie and Bruce's for dinner. Leslie picked Avi up at noon so she could play with Aubrie before Aubrie had to head to Cory's for the night. We had a great dinner and were home around 8. We spent Friday putting up our Christmas decorations. Avi has rearranged our tree ornaments multiple times but it keeps her busy and makes her feel like a big girl so we let her.
I took Avi to Disney on Ice last weekend as a surprise. She had a blast...loved every minute of it. It started with Mickey and Minnie then Cars, then Little Mermaid and Lion King and after the break it was Tinkerbell. It was a great day out.
This weekend we had Z's birthday party. It was a fun party and thoroughly enjoyed his cupcake plus another piece of cake since most of his cupcake ended up on him. :) His face was a mess but he was so adorable. We cannot believe he's one already! This year has gone by so quickly it's amazing. He's using his signs for milk and more consistently. He'll also walk to his chair with his booster seat when we ask him where his chair is and he'll walk to the fridge if we ask him where his milk is. He's now blowing kisses when he goes off to bed which is too cute! If he picks up a brush he'll brush his own hair or pretend to. He also puts his hand up to his ear when B or I are talking on the phone. It's amazing to me how much more he's doing now at 12 months vs last month. It's a great reminder of how fast they pick things up.
We went to see Santa today. Zach sat really well on his lap and Brandon got a great picture of him looking up at Santa - it was too cute. Avi told him she wanted "Spike the dinosaur" which is this huge, red, automated dinosaur. We'll see what Santa brings her. We're going to do Christmas next weekend for the kids since we'll be in ME for Christmas Day. I think Santa will bring things for her stocking to Hillary's but we'll do the big presents next weekend.
I'll write more after our trip back east - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Avi did karate. She did well and it was mostly about safety and listening skills - they called the program "safe side kids" so parents are safe side adults, the instructors were "kinda knows" and strangers are "don't knows". The concept was still a bit over her head but she had fun with the skills they would do like averting someone coming after them or listening for our commands in a noisy crowd - like hearing me say "get on the ground, crawl forward, stand up, turn around, etc". We'll probably try it again in another year.
She's now doing dance class at school once a week and like that a lot. She has a recital for the Holiday program at her school this week which should be interesting. She's also doing swim lessons - she has made such progress and is now starting to do strokes with a kick to get where she wants to go and does really well with her floating. She'll do swimming through the winter and will be a great swimmer by the summer so I can focus on Z when we go to the pool.
We started Avi at school an extra day last week. She now goes M-Th. It'll be good for her since she'll still be 4 when she starts kindergarten next year. It helps her to have another day of structure and since all of her friends on our street are already in school she has someone to play with besides me and Z. It also gives me some 1:1 time with Zach now that he loves to play and is so mobile.
I'm signing Zach up for tumbling to start in January on Mondays when Avi is at school. It'll be nice to have him do tumbling since he's a boy and Avi loved it so much.
I had to work on Thanksgiving but got out early enough to rest a bit and then get ready to head to Susie and Bruce's for dinner. Leslie picked Avi up at noon so she could play with Aubrie before Aubrie had to head to Cory's for the night. We had a great dinner and were home around 8. We spent Friday putting up our Christmas decorations. Avi has rearranged our tree ornaments multiple times but it keeps her busy and makes her feel like a big girl so we let her.
I took Avi to Disney on Ice last weekend as a surprise. She had a blast...loved every minute of it. It started with Mickey and Minnie then Cars, then Little Mermaid and Lion King and after the break it was Tinkerbell. It was a great day out.
This weekend we had Z's birthday party. It was a fun party and thoroughly enjoyed his cupcake plus another piece of cake since most of his cupcake ended up on him. :) His face was a mess but he was so adorable. We cannot believe he's one already! This year has gone by so quickly it's amazing. He's using his signs for milk and more consistently. He'll also walk to his chair with his booster seat when we ask him where his chair is and he'll walk to the fridge if we ask him where his milk is. He's now blowing kisses when he goes off to bed which is too cute! If he picks up a brush he'll brush his own hair or pretend to. He also puts his hand up to his ear when B or I are talking on the phone. It's amazing to me how much more he's doing now at 12 months vs last month. It's a great reminder of how fast they pick things up.
We went to see Santa today. Zach sat really well on his lap and Brandon got a great picture of him looking up at Santa - it was too cute. Avi told him she wanted "Spike the dinosaur" which is this huge, red, automated dinosaur. We'll see what Santa brings her. We're going to do Christmas next weekend for the kids since we'll be in ME for Christmas Day. I think Santa will bring things for her stocking to Hillary's but we'll do the big presents next weekend.
I'll write more after our trip back east - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Friday, November 6, 2009
It's November...
The night before Halloween, Brandon and I got dressed up and went to a party at Scott and Kelly's. B was MacGyver and I was Britney Spears' school girl. We had a great time at the party and met a lot of new people. It was a great turnout considering 2-3 feet of snow had fallen in the 2 days before the party. B was my designated driver for the night so I took full advantage of that and drank like I was back in college - I had at least 10 White Russians. My world was spinning a bit on the way home but by the next morning I was good as new and ready to go - I did take a nap when Zach did which helped too.
Halloween day was fun. B and Avi built a snow tower in the backyard with all of our snow. That night Avi was Snow White and Zach was a cow. Avi had more fun getting dressed to trick-or-treat than actually getting the candy. After about 30 minutes she decided she was done and we headed home. She had a lot of fun standing in the door passing out the candy instead. After the treats were passed out Emma and Tom came over so Emma and Avi could play until bed time. They play really well together and are very agreeable about taking turns for each other's ideas, etc. Z was already in bed so I had some nice down time for the rest of the night.
I had to work Sunday which was a bummer but only one weekend day a month isn't bad at all! Monday we finished making Avi's bird balloon projects and then went shopping for a cabinet for her room. She plays in there a lot these days and we needed something she could put her toys away on. She loves her jewelry box and ponytailers, etc which can make a big mess so we got a 3 shelf bookshelf. She puts her box of My Little Pony's on top and the other shelves are full of the rest of the stuff. She feels very big when she cleans her own room! We love that.
Zach has decided he wants to walk everywhere. I had guessed early on when he started crawling with the crab crawl that he would start walking at Halloween and I was right. He still occasionally crab crawls but it's mostly when he's tired or if he's trying to escape from Avi. It's so cute to see him wobbling around so proud of himself! He's eating on his own now. Doesn't like to be spoon fed anything except cottage cheese (I started him on it early so that someone else in this family will like it with me). He loves strawberries and any fruit too. He's had some chicken but meats are still a bit too tough for him.
Avi starts karate tomorrow. It should be interesting to see how she does as an individual vs a team. I'm sure at this level it's more about listening and obeying the instructor than doing punches/kicks. We'll see how it goes...
Project for the day is rice krispie treats....yummy!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Early October...
I cannot believe it's October already. This year is going by so fast and before we know it, Zach will be 1!
Zach is still working on mastering a narrow base of support. He will sometimes take a step on his own but isn't ready to walk yet. He loves to get around crawling and is really quite fast on his hands and feet - not the traditional hands/knees. He's still waving bye-bye and occasionally to say hi. We're working on blowing kisses and he'll bring his hand to his mouth when we say "blow kisses" but doesn't have the release down yet. It's very cute though! He'll also give a mouth kiss sometimes when I ask for a kiss - he usually doesn't stop at one though which gets a bit messy. He's doing really well eating - he loves strawberries and bananas this week. He's had chicken, cottage cheese, sliced cheese, broccoli, deli turkey, eggplant, rice, canteloupe, pancakes, waffles, peaches, mandarin oranges, yogurt...I think we're doing a better job giving him a mixture of food than we did with Avelyn. She loves all of the above so we have it in the house where I don't think we did when she was just learning to eat.
Avelyn continues to do well with her writing letters and numbers. She tried her homework on her own on the way to the dentist yesterday and completed it but instead of a 3 she did B's. It's hard to know how much to correct her and push her since she's only 4 and has a whole year to work on writing and really will still work on it in kindergarten too. For now I'm just glad she enjoys it and likes to write her name on everything. We've taken books out of the library for her to "read" - we only need to read them to her once and then she reads them on her own pretty accurately using the pictures and recall of our storytelling. She still loves to play dress-up and her latest activity is to play in her room. She brings up her bucket of "my little ponies" and her doll house and just plays and plays and plays. She'd stay up there all day if we'd let her! Right now she's working on what she wants to be for Halloween - it changes daily - yesterday it was a dragon, this morning it was bat girl and tonight she told me a butterfly. We'll make a decision this weekend so I can start making it!
I went out with Jessica and Rebecca Monday night for girls' night. It was a blast and it felt good to be out without chasing after our monkeys. Of course most of our conversation was about our monkeys but we still had a great time and vowed to go out at least once a month.
That's all for now...
Zach is still working on mastering a narrow base of support. He will sometimes take a step on his own but isn't ready to walk yet. He loves to get around crawling and is really quite fast on his hands and feet - not the traditional hands/knees. He's still waving bye-bye and occasionally to say hi. We're working on blowing kisses and he'll bring his hand to his mouth when we say "blow kisses" but doesn't have the release down yet. It's very cute though! He'll also give a mouth kiss sometimes when I ask for a kiss - he usually doesn't stop at one though which gets a bit messy. He's doing really well eating - he loves strawberries and bananas this week. He's had chicken, cottage cheese, sliced cheese, broccoli, deli turkey, eggplant, rice, canteloupe, pancakes, waffles, peaches, mandarin oranges, yogurt...I think we're doing a better job giving him a mixture of food than we did with Avelyn. She loves all of the above so we have it in the house where I don't think we did when she was just learning to eat.
Avelyn continues to do well with her writing letters and numbers. She tried her homework on her own on the way to the dentist yesterday and completed it but instead of a 3 she did B's. It's hard to know how much to correct her and push her since she's only 4 and has a whole year to work on writing and really will still work on it in kindergarten too. For now I'm just glad she enjoys it and likes to write her name on everything. We've taken books out of the library for her to "read" - we only need to read them to her once and then she reads them on her own pretty accurately using the pictures and recall of our storytelling. She still loves to play dress-up and her latest activity is to play in her room. She brings up her bucket of "my little ponies" and her doll house and just plays and plays and plays. She'd stay up there all day if we'd let her! Right now she's working on what she wants to be for Halloween - it changes daily - yesterday it was a dragon, this morning it was bat girl and tonight she told me a butterfly. We'll make a decision this weekend so I can start making it!
I went out with Jessica and Rebecca Monday night for girls' night. It was a blast and it felt good to be out without chasing after our monkeys. Of course most of our conversation was about our monkeys but we still had a great time and vowed to go out at least once a month.
That's all for now...
Monday, September 28, 2009
Early fall...
Zach is now able to stand up without any support. He can move from hands/feet right up to standing. Still doesn't go anywhere but he's mighty proud of himself and will clap his hands once he's standing. He still has his feet very wide apart but I'm sure that will change this week as he gets more practice. On occasion he'll take a few steps just holding onto my pinky but then he gets distracted and sits back down. He's eating more and more different foods. He now really like crackers - like ritz - and wears the crumbs well. I see lots of baths in our future. He's also waving to say "bye-bye" which is so cute because he usually has a huge grin on his face too.
Avi is now writing her whole name - she needs some help with her Y and N but overall she has come a long way in the last 2 weeks. She gets homework from school too - last week she had to write her A, B, a, b, and 1 and 2. Her 1's are fabulous! She's really enjoying her new class. Tomorrow they are taking a hike to explore nature and see the colors change in the foothills. I'm sure they'll have a blast! She wants to make a "manners box" to have here at home like they do at school. Any time she uses her manners (please, thank you, or lends a helping hand) her name goes in the box - so far that's all she wants is for her name to be in the box. We'll see how long until she asks for something for being so good.
We had a great time last night - our friends Suzie/Bruce, Scott/Kelly and Tom/Jessica came over for a surf/turf party. It was a nice night so we were able to eat outside. Started off with chowder that Brandon had made which was so delicious as well as clams and salad and crab stuffed mushrooms, then we had steak and tuna from the grill and side dishes of asparagus with feta cheese and capicola as well as portabello mushrooms. Everything was so delicious!!! Dessert was a fruit custard pie. Everyone was stuffed at the end of the night and it was great to have everyone over. Tom/Jessica's daughter Emma came over too and she and Avi played all night together and had so much fun too. Avi slept in until 7:30 this morning!
Zach's asleep and then we're heading out to run errands and meet up with Laura for lunch. I'm also meeting someone while we're down there to sell my nursing clothes. I sold all of my maternity clothes over the weekend. I still have a lot of baby stuff but will probably keep it until next spring when I can sell it all!
Avi is now writing her whole name - she needs some help with her Y and N but overall she has come a long way in the last 2 weeks. She gets homework from school too - last week she had to write her A, B, a, b, and 1 and 2. Her 1's are fabulous! She's really enjoying her new class. Tomorrow they are taking a hike to explore nature and see the colors change in the foothills. I'm sure they'll have a blast! She wants to make a "manners box" to have here at home like they do at school. Any time she uses her manners (please, thank you, or lends a helping hand) her name goes in the box - so far that's all she wants is for her name to be in the box. We'll see how long until she asks for something for being so good.
We had a great time last night - our friends Suzie/Bruce, Scott/Kelly and Tom/Jessica came over for a surf/turf party. It was a nice night so we were able to eat outside. Started off with chowder that Brandon had made which was so delicious as well as clams and salad and crab stuffed mushrooms, then we had steak and tuna from the grill and side dishes of asparagus with feta cheese and capicola as well as portabello mushrooms. Everything was so delicious!!! Dessert was a fruit custard pie. Everyone was stuffed at the end of the night and it was great to have everyone over. Tom/Jessica's daughter Emma came over too and she and Avi played all night together and had so much fun too. Avi slept in until 7:30 this morning!
Zach's asleep and then we're heading out to run errands and meet up with Laura for lunch. I'm also meeting someone while we're down there to sell my nursing clothes. I sold all of my maternity clothes over the weekend. I still have a lot of baby stuff but will probably keep it until next spring when I can sell it all!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Summer is over...
Time goes by so fast...haven't written since just after Avi's birthday over a month ago.
We had a great block party. Lots of the neighbors came this year and it went all day. We rented a dunk tank too which kept the kids busy. There was lots of food and Paul had his funnel cake maker going which was oooooh soooo yummy! Topped off the day with a movie in the driveway - Bedtime Stories.
We unfortunately were sick for Labor Day weekend. Brandon and I took turns over the weekend and Avi was sick on Tuesday. Zach stayed pretty healthy the whole time but had some diarrhea.
Avi started soccer earlier this month. Her team is 4-6 year olds. She is the youngest and there is a girl on the team who will be 7 in November. Brandon is coaching and the kids get a kick out of his energy and they stay focused on the drills really well. The practices are outside and the games are inside on turf. Avi seems to do really well outside but I think gets tired after a while. For the games she definitely gets tired and I think a bit overwhelmed by the bigger kids. She did much better this week for the second game than during the first. The games are set up in 4 10-minute periods. Avi played the majority of 2 periods this week. She likes to run up/down the field but isn't quite getting into the action yet. She'll kick the ball if it comes to her and she does a great throw in. We'll see how she does this week. It's a 4 game season so 2 more games to go.
She is doing great in the Tiger room. She is working on writing her whole name not just Avi. She can write Avi very easily now so we've moved on to all 6 letters. We're heading to the library today to get some early reader books which have mostly sight words in them that her teachers recommended. I can't believe she's nearly reading already.
Zach is 9 months old. He's doing a great job crawling around - he does the crab crawl method mostly on his hands/feet. He's cruising along everything now too. He'll even stand for a few moments without holding on. I give him until Halloween and he'll be walking. He was almost 2 inches longer than Avi at 9 months at his appointment Friday. I had been wondering when he would pass her being that he's a boy but I didn't think it would be this early. Maybe he's just in a growth spurt - he's sure eating a lot. He has really come a long way feeding himself in the past few weeks. He loves fruit and cheese! He's using a sippy cup mostly for water but we'll start formula in there too soon. A lot of his food still ends up in his bib but he's gotten a lot better and hasn't really figured out how to feed Cabo yet so that's good.
Brandon and I took a day off together last week. He surprised me with a morning together at the spa - a nice hot bubble bath, massages and facials. It was fantastic as usual! I've been to this spa before and this was the best massage I had had. We then went fly fishing for the afternoon. We didn't catch anything but it was so nice spending time together kid-free.
Zach is sleeping right now and then we'll head out to run errands - our favorite Monday past-time. Back to schoo/work tomorrow...
We had a great block party. Lots of the neighbors came this year and it went all day. We rented a dunk tank too which kept the kids busy. There was lots of food and Paul had his funnel cake maker going which was oooooh soooo yummy! Topped off the day with a movie in the driveway - Bedtime Stories.
We unfortunately were sick for Labor Day weekend. Brandon and I took turns over the weekend and Avi was sick on Tuesday. Zach stayed pretty healthy the whole time but had some diarrhea.
Avi started soccer earlier this month. Her team is 4-6 year olds. She is the youngest and there is a girl on the team who will be 7 in November. Brandon is coaching and the kids get a kick out of his energy and they stay focused on the drills really well. The practices are outside and the games are inside on turf. Avi seems to do really well outside but I think gets tired after a while. For the games she definitely gets tired and I think a bit overwhelmed by the bigger kids. She did much better this week for the second game than during the first. The games are set up in 4 10-minute periods. Avi played the majority of 2 periods this week. She likes to run up/down the field but isn't quite getting into the action yet. She'll kick the ball if it comes to her and she does a great throw in. We'll see how she does this week. It's a 4 game season so 2 more games to go.
She is doing great in the Tiger room. She is working on writing her whole name not just Avi. She can write Avi very easily now so we've moved on to all 6 letters. We're heading to the library today to get some early reader books which have mostly sight words in them that her teachers recommended. I can't believe she's nearly reading already.
Zach is 9 months old. He's doing a great job crawling around - he does the crab crawl method mostly on his hands/feet. He's cruising along everything now too. He'll even stand for a few moments without holding on. I give him until Halloween and he'll be walking. He was almost 2 inches longer than Avi at 9 months at his appointment Friday. I had been wondering when he would pass her being that he's a boy but I didn't think it would be this early. Maybe he's just in a growth spurt - he's sure eating a lot. He has really come a long way feeding himself in the past few weeks. He loves fruit and cheese! He's using a sippy cup mostly for water but we'll start formula in there too soon. A lot of his food still ends up in his bib but he's gotten a lot better and hasn't really figured out how to feed Cabo yet so that's good.
Brandon and I took a day off together last week. He surprised me with a morning together at the spa - a nice hot bubble bath, massages and facials. It was fantastic as usual! I've been to this spa before and this was the best massage I had had. We then went fly fishing for the afternoon. We didn't catch anything but it was so nice spending time together kid-free.
Zach is sleeping right now and then we'll head out to run errands - our favorite Monday past-time. Back to schoo/work tomorrow...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Avelyn's birthday week and visit from grammy and papa John
We had a great weekend the other week with Avi's party on the 8th. She had so much fun at the park where the party was held and so did her friends who were able to make it. They kept themselves busy with the water and the climbing stuff and the parents were able to sit in the shade and relax. She loved her Ariel cake and really enjoyed everyone singing Happy Birthday to her. After the party she took a well-deserved nap and when she woke up we opened presents. She is very into My Little Pony right now so she got some of those as well as Play-doh (another favorite)! Overall it was a great weekend.
We went mini-golfing on Sunday. She had had so much fun doing it in SC so we tried a local course here minus the sunken ship, etc. She had fun but wasn't really into the "game".
She is signed up for pee-wee soccer which starts on 9/9. We've got her cleats, shin guards, and ball so she's geared up. Should be so much fun watching her run around chasing the ball. She has a great kick when we play with her so I'm interested to see how she does with a team sport.
My mom and John flew in Wednesday as a surprise for Avi's birthday. I picked her and Zach up from school and we went to the airport but she didn't know why. She was so excited to see them come up the escalator. We had a great visit with many projects around the house - restaining the deck and erecting our new gazebo. We now have a beautiful outdoor living space protected from the sun.
Zach is crawling everywhere and standing up to everything. Last nigth he was waving back when we waved at him - too cute. He's still working on solid solids but can maneuver rice krispies and pieces of bread pretty well. He's got 5 teeth (3 up top and 2 on the bottom). Unfortunately we loves to use them to nip you if you get too close so he's learning the words "no bite"! I've started some sign language with him - right now just doing more, eat, milk and all done. He's not copying anything yet but they say usually around 9 months so we've got a copy weeks before we should see anything repeated back. He's just so happy all the time and his smile will make your worst day better. He's still sleeping really well and taking good naps during the day. I wish I could crash anywhere/anytime and people would make sure I was safe! The joys of infanthood - or maybe he's a toddler now?!
Brandon's up fishing today so it's me and the kids. Zach is currently taking a nap after waking up at 5:30 and Avi is making me some Valentine's cards (yes, it's August) as she just got up at 7. We'll be running errands later to complete our outdoor space and just get out of the house.
Our block party is next weekend and that should be a blast. The next weekend I have to work and then the weekend after Labor Day we're heading back to Estes Park for the weekend but this time staying in a cabin with some friends.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Back from Myrtle Beach....
We had a great time in Myrtle Beach...both kids traveled well considering we got up at 3:30am Monday morning to catch our flights. Luckily both flights were on time. We got to Wilmington, NC and drove to Myrtle Beach and arrived at Lakewood Campground around 3:30pm. It was a long day but we all survived!
The campground was huge. Luckily the villa we were in had a golf cart that came with it so we were able to drive around in it each day/night. The first night we drove to the beach and just kind of wandered around the waves for a few minutes since it was such a long day.
Tuesday we got up and ate breakfast and then headed to the beach. We loaded up the golf cart and took the 2 minute drive to the beach. We did some body surfing - my first time in a long time! The surf was pretty strong and I wasn't really ready for it so I did about 3 rides and was done. Avi had fun playing in the sand making sand castles. She didn't like the salt water or the big waves much.
During the week we pretty much had the same schedule: eat breakfast, Avi and Brandon went to the cafe so he could work and she could socialize and watch a movie, headed to the beach, came back to eat lunch and nap, and then each night we either cooked out/went out to eat/went mini golfing.
It was a great trip for sure! Avi loved being on vacation at "miracle beach" as she called it. Zach really started crawling while we were there and the A/C vent was his best friend whenever it came on.
Saturday we packed up and went to a breakfast buffet and then we drove back to Wilmington while Carol and Don headed back to Raleigh. We made it to our hotel around 12:30 and luckily they found a room for us so we went up and settled in for a while. After lunch we went to the pool for a bit then came back to nap and then out for dinner. By now, Zach was not feeling so great - pretty wheezy and coughing - we think the humidity did not agree with him! Our flight Sunday morning was at 5:30 so we were again up at 3:30am. Again, both flights were on time and we got back to our house around 11am Sunday morning.
Monday we took Zach to the doctors and they gave us a nebulizer to try. By Friday he was still wheezing so we took him back. This time his throat was red and he had pus on his uvula. The rapid strep test was negative and she thought it was a sinus-y type infection since infants don't have sinuses the infection was dripping down the back of his throat. So now we have an oral steroid for 5 days and an antibiotic for 10 days as well as the nebulizer. Fun stuff for sure. Zach feels better as he is now eating again. He didn't drink or eat really well all week and had lost 3oz from Monday to Friday (Monday he weighed in at 18# 14.5oz and Friday he was down to 18# 11oz). His "voice" is now hoarse though so I'll be calling again tomorrow so see if this is just a side effect of either the steroid/antibiotic or there's something new to consider. UGH!
We've got Avelyn's 4th birthday party next weekend. I cannot believe it's been 4 years already. She is such a big girl! I just enrolled her in pee wee soccer that starts next month so that should be great - she loves to kick the ball and it will be interesting to see how she puts it all together to play the sport.
Zach is really crawling everywhere now. At first he was getting up on hands/feet and propelling himself forward but now he has the hand/knees working together. We've got to close the doors and use Avi's tunnel to block off the front room to contain him. It's amazing what he gets in to too - I had to rearrange Avi's toy shelves to put her books on the bottom and her "dress up" stuff up top. Today he was having a good time using the step stool to stand at while reaching down to the floor with one hand and picking up a mirror and then squatting down to get back to sitting on the floor. He definitely gets less frustrated now that he can move around where he wants to which is usually to chase Cabo! :)
That's all for now...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
BBQ and more early July updates...
We had a great BBQ last Saturday. About 45 people (including kids) showed up. We borrowed a bouncy house from a neighbor and I had filled about 50 water balloons so the kids kept busy. The weather held out great with early rain and then clouding over so we didn't bake. Everyone had a fun time and there was enough food to go around. The house was empty around 10!
I had to work Sunday and had a full day. Monday Avelyn started her next session of swim lessons so we went to those early and then came home for a quick snack and then headed to the park to meet Jessica, Landon and Adelyn. After playing at the park for a while we went to lunch at Qdoba - our favorite! We went home after lunch and Avi took her nap and then we played around the house until Brandon got home. He and Avi played outside for a while while I got Zach ready for bed with a bath. He just loves to splash in the water now.
Zach is now able to clap his hands both on his own and when he sees someone clapping he'll join in. Sometimes he does it in rhythm with our song "clap, clap, clap your hands" which is just too cute - he's so proud of himself. He's also "crawling" across the room now using his legs to propel and arms to pull - he's not up on all fours yet but he makes due!
I had to talk with Avi about making sure she plays with her smaller toys on the table top and doesn't leave them on the ground. We had to call Zach "zaczilla" this morning while Avi was setting up her train set Zach kept smacking the bridge over. He can also move himself from prone on his belly back to up to sitting which makes it easier since he can correct his position himself and doesn't start crying all of the time. He also couldn't wait to get ahold of her puzzle pieces too. Should be an interesting next few months and beyond!
We head to Myrtle Beach on Monday and will be there for a week. We're excited for the beach but not really looking forward to our first traveling experience with 2 kids but I'm sure it'll be fine - Avi's a good traveler and Zach is so laid back.
I had to work Sunday and had a full day. Monday Avelyn started her next session of swim lessons so we went to those early and then came home for a quick snack and then headed to the park to meet Jessica, Landon and Adelyn. After playing at the park for a while we went to lunch at Qdoba - our favorite! We went home after lunch and Avi took her nap and then we played around the house until Brandon got home. He and Avi played outside for a while while I got Zach ready for bed with a bath. He just loves to splash in the water now.
Zach is now able to clap his hands both on his own and when he sees someone clapping he'll join in. Sometimes he does it in rhythm with our song "clap, clap, clap your hands" which is just too cute - he's so proud of himself. He's also "crawling" across the room now using his legs to propel and arms to pull - he's not up on all fours yet but he makes due!
I had to talk with Avi about making sure she plays with her smaller toys on the table top and doesn't leave them on the ground. We had to call Zach "zaczilla" this morning while Avi was setting up her train set Zach kept smacking the bridge over. He can also move himself from prone on his belly back to up to sitting which makes it easier since he can correct his position himself and doesn't start crying all of the time. He also couldn't wait to get ahold of her puzzle pieces too. Should be an interesting next few months and beyond!
We head to Myrtle Beach on Monday and will be there for a week. We're excited for the beach but not really looking forward to our first traveling experience with 2 kids but I'm sure it'll be fine - Avi's a good traveler and Zach is so laid back.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
End of June, early July...
We had a great time camping up at Grand Lake the last weekend in June. We went up with our neighbors. It was raining when we first arrived but cleared up in time for a quick fire and marshmellow toasting. Our neighbors got a bit lost on the way and arrived around 9:30. Brandon helped set up their tent and then the girls slept in the pop-up and the boys had the tent. Zach woke up early in the morning so he and I took a walk. We got to see 3 bull moose which was amazing - they were about 30 yards away! Once everyone was up we headed to the pancake breakfast they serve and said good morning to the horses that were waiting for their daily trail ride. After breakfast we headed downtown to the lake, We set up camp near the water and Brandon and Tom kept the girls busy with fishing and I kept Zach busy playing. We threw the ball for Cabo of course and then headed in to town. The state chili cookoff was taking place so we hung around there for a while while Emma and Avi played on the playground. We headed back to the camper for naps and then started dinner. After dinner we made a fire and toasted more marshmellows and made s'mores. We hit the sack around 10. We did the pancake breakfast again Sunday morning then packed up the camp and headed home. Once home we cleaned out the camper and then relaxed. It was a great first trip for Zach!
Getting home Sunday meant we had 3 days with Matthew and Alexia before they moved to St Louis. I watched Matthew Monday morning while Amanda and John went to their close for the house. Avi and Matthew played all morning and had a great time. Tuesday after work they movers were still packing up the truck so we hung out out front and ate dinner at Lucas'. That night Amanda and the kids stayed with us since the moving truck had hauled away all of their belongings. We got up early so say goodbye and take a few last pictures including their car driving away down the street. So far Avi is dealing really well and refers to their house as "just a regular house, not Matthew's".
Over 4th of July weekend we had reservations at Jellystone in Estes Park. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time since I had camped in a Jellystone back east growing up. We thought we were in a bit of trouble when the host has to lead us to our campsite. We headed what felt like pretty much straight uphill and around a bend to our site. We set up the camper and made a quick fire before heading to bed. Brandon left to go fishing with Steffan at 6 and both kids woke up at that time too. We hung around the camper until 9 when we drove back to the front of the campground to the playground. Yes, drove because earlier I had walked to the bathroom carrying Zach while Avi walked and I lead Cabo too. The walk back to the camper was long as Avi had to stop a few times because it was so steep. We played around until it was time raise the flag for the day with Yogi. Avi ran right up to him when he came out and was really excited to see him. After the flag was up we headed toward town. We spotted a dog park so stopped to let Cabo swim and run around a bit. In the same area was a playground so we went over there but it started raining about 15 minutes later so we headed back to camp. We waited out the rain in our camper and decided to eat lunch while we waited. Once the rain stopped we headed back to the playground until it was time to nap. After the naps Brandon got back and we headed into town for dinner. Zach had a good time in his seat and did well for his first dining out experience - I gave him some water from the straw and that kept his attention for a while and he managed a few little bits of bread too and then ate his dinner - sweet potatoes - mmmm! After dinner we got back to camp and Brandon and Avi made a fire while I put Zach to bed. We roasted some marshmellows and then Avi set off to visit our camping neighbors - she's so outgoing that she introduced herself to the parents and the 2 kids and shared her glow sticks. They were fast friends for sure! We went to bed around 10:30 I guess. Zach woke up around 2 and after feeding him we got to sleep until about 6. Both Brandon and I were exhausted and decided to call it quits on this camping trip. We packed up the camper and headed home.
That night Avi and I headed to Town Center to watch the fireworks. She was really into it this year and kept calling out the colors and making the hissing or boom sounds she heard. They lasted about 25 minutes so she was in bed by about 10 and so were we! On Sunday we went to the pool - Avi is a little fish and Zach is sitting up so much better now that he was able to play in the water and splash around a bit.
Zach is really starting to pull himself up well now. I couldn't get him to stay seated once he figured it out on the music table Monday. He doesn't really have the leverage on anything else yet. He's also trying to crawl. He gets on his belly and alternates pushing his arms up straight with pushing his butt into the air. Today he got on all 4's with help but didn't go anywhere.
That's all for this post - we're having a BBQ on Saturday which should be a lot of fun and then we head to Myrtle Beach the next weekend to spend a week with Brandon's folks. Avi can't wait to feed the "eagles" again!
Getting home Sunday meant we had 3 days with Matthew and Alexia before they moved to St Louis. I watched Matthew Monday morning while Amanda and John went to their close for the house. Avi and Matthew played all morning and had a great time. Tuesday after work they movers were still packing up the truck so we hung out out front and ate dinner at Lucas'. That night Amanda and the kids stayed with us since the moving truck had hauled away all of their belongings. We got up early so say goodbye and take a few last pictures including their car driving away down the street. So far Avi is dealing really well and refers to their house as "just a regular house, not Matthew's".
Over 4th of July weekend we had reservations at Jellystone in Estes Park. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time since I had camped in a Jellystone back east growing up. We thought we were in a bit of trouble when the host has to lead us to our campsite. We headed what felt like pretty much straight uphill and around a bend to our site. We set up the camper and made a quick fire before heading to bed. Brandon left to go fishing with Steffan at 6 and both kids woke up at that time too. We hung around the camper until 9 when we drove back to the front of the campground to the playground. Yes, drove because earlier I had walked to the bathroom carrying Zach while Avi walked and I lead Cabo too. The walk back to the camper was long as Avi had to stop a few times because it was so steep. We played around until it was time raise the flag for the day with Yogi. Avi ran right up to him when he came out and was really excited to see him. After the flag was up we headed toward town. We spotted a dog park so stopped to let Cabo swim and run around a bit. In the same area was a playground so we went over there but it started raining about 15 minutes later so we headed back to camp. We waited out the rain in our camper and decided to eat lunch while we waited. Once the rain stopped we headed back to the playground until it was time to nap. After the naps Brandon got back and we headed into town for dinner. Zach had a good time in his seat and did well for his first dining out experience - I gave him some water from the straw and that kept his attention for a while and he managed a few little bits of bread too and then ate his dinner - sweet potatoes - mmmm! After dinner we got back to camp and Brandon and Avi made a fire while I put Zach to bed. We roasted some marshmellows and then Avi set off to visit our camping neighbors - she's so outgoing that she introduced herself to the parents and the 2 kids and shared her glow sticks. They were fast friends for sure! We went to bed around 10:30 I guess. Zach woke up around 2 and after feeding him we got to sleep until about 6. Both Brandon and I were exhausted and decided to call it quits on this camping trip. We packed up the camper and headed home.
That night Avi and I headed to Town Center to watch the fireworks. She was really into it this year and kept calling out the colors and making the hissing or boom sounds she heard. They lasted about 25 minutes so she was in bed by about 10 and so were we! On Sunday we went to the pool - Avi is a little fish and Zach is sitting up so much better now that he was able to play in the water and splash around a bit.
Zach is really starting to pull himself up well now. I couldn't get him to stay seated once he figured it out on the music table Monday. He doesn't really have the leverage on anything else yet. He's also trying to crawl. He gets on his belly and alternates pushing his arms up straight with pushing his butt into the air. Today he got on all 4's with help but didn't go anywhere.
That's all for this post - we're having a BBQ on Saturday which should be a lot of fun and then we head to Myrtle Beach the next weekend to spend a week with Brandon's folks. Avi can't wait to feed the "eagles" again!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
More of June 2009...
June has been a busy month...Avelyn is enjoying Polar Bears. She finished her swimming lessons and has been working on writing her name - right now that's Avi but we'll work on Avelyn once she figures it all out. She loves to talk up a storm and most of our conversations focus on why things are the way they are - like why don't dinosaurs live anymore and other profound questions. Brandon took her ice skating a few weekends ago and she enjoyed it but will need some practice. We are heading to Grand Lake this weekend for our first camping trip of the year. She is so excited to go "campering" she asks about it every day.
Zach is doing great too. He's eating solids 2-3 times a day and getting so big. He can sit up on his own too and has already started to figure out how to move to his hands and knees. He really likes to get on at least one knee and his hands and then go from that position to his belly. Once on his belly he can scoot around and tries to get his knees under him by sticking his butt in the air but can't quite get there yet. He has also been trying to pull himself up from sitting but doesn't have the leverage he needs yet. I can tell it won't be long though! He pretty much sleeps through the night and takes good naps too. We'll see how he does with camping this weekend. Should be interesting!
Avi's friend and our neighbors move to St Louis next week. We're not looking forward to it and it will be a big loss. Avi has said anytime they aren't home that "they must be at their new home" soo she has an idea that she won't be seeing him but doesn't realize it will be permanent. We'll see how it goes over the next few weeks!
Zach is doing great too. He's eating solids 2-3 times a day and getting so big. He can sit up on his own too and has already started to figure out how to move to his hands and knees. He really likes to get on at least one knee and his hands and then go from that position to his belly. Once on his belly he can scoot around and tries to get his knees under him by sticking his butt in the air but can't quite get there yet. He has also been trying to pull himself up from sitting but doesn't have the leverage he needs yet. I can tell it won't be long though! He pretty much sleeps through the night and takes good naps too. We'll see how he does with camping this weekend. Should be interesting!
Avi's friend and our neighbors move to St Louis next week. We're not looking forward to it and it will be a big loss. Avi has said anytime they aren't home that "they must be at their new home" soo she has an idea that she won't be seeing him but doesn't realize it will be permanent. We'll see how it goes over the next few weeks!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Early June 2009
Well, Avi is now in the Polar Bear room. She moved up this week and is enjoying her new class and getting used to her new teachers although there is a bit of separation anxiety from them. She goes to swimming lessons during the school day too which helps - she gets to ride the school's van to get to the lessons so I quiz her on our way home about who she sat next to, etc. I have to remember not to answer with "fine" when she asks me how my day was (and yes she asks us) so I give her detail and hope to hear some from her too - ie - what was for breakfast, lunch, snack, how was swimming?, who'd you sit next to?...
Zach continues to get bigger and more fun! He loves to sit up and really likes to be helped to stand up too. He's rolling over from his back to his tummy on occasion. His favorite things to play with right now are his shape sorter and the stacking rings -mostly because they are fun to chew on. He's eating 3 meals a day when we're at home consisting of cereal, veggies and fruit. He's on the Stage 2 foods now so they're a bit more thick. We've given him the biter biscuits too which is pretty funny. He basically gnaws on them and then they slip out of his hands but it keeps him busy and works on his grip too!
Zach continues to get bigger and more fun! He loves to sit up and really likes to be helped to stand up too. He's rolling over from his back to his tummy on occasion. His favorite things to play with right now are his shape sorter and the stacking rings -mostly because they are fun to chew on. He's eating 3 meals a day when we're at home consisting of cereal, veggies and fruit. He's on the Stage 2 foods now so they're a bit more thick. We've given him the biter biscuits too which is pretty funny. He basically gnaws on them and then they slip out of his hands but it keeps him busy and works on his grip too!
May 2009
What a busy month we had in May...
My mom and John came out for a visit at the beginning of the month. They flew in on Monday and then headed west to Glenwood Springs for Tues-Thurs while I was at work. Then were back over Mother's Day weekend. We had a picnic in the park and flew Avi's kite and we got our garden planted. We planted squash, cucumber, watermelon, eggplants, carrots, parsley, oregano, peas, beans, zucchini, canteloupe, tomatoes and bell peppers. As of now the tomatoes, squash, carrots and zucchini look the best. We'll see what comes from the other plants.
Michelle and Dave came out for a visit over Memorial Day weekend. We walked up to the top of the Mother Cabrini shrine one day, had a BBQ on Saturday after Dave helped Brandon redo part of our kitchen floor, and on Sunday we helped our friend Leslie start the process of painting her new house.
Zach is now eating solid food. He's loves his cereal for sure. He's sitting up really well on his own and becoming really aware of everything around him. I'm sure there was more this month but since it's June now I'll leave it at this but those are the highlights.
My mom and John came out for a visit at the beginning of the month. They flew in on Monday and then headed west to Glenwood Springs for Tues-Thurs while I was at work. Then were back over Mother's Day weekend. We had a picnic in the park and flew Avi's kite and we got our garden planted. We planted squash, cucumber, watermelon, eggplants, carrots, parsley, oregano, peas, beans, zucchini, canteloupe, tomatoes and bell peppers. As of now the tomatoes, squash, carrots and zucchini look the best. We'll see what comes from the other plants.
Michelle and Dave came out for a visit over Memorial Day weekend. We walked up to the top of the Mother Cabrini shrine one day, had a BBQ on Saturday after Dave helped Brandon redo part of our kitchen floor, and on Sunday we helped our friend Leslie start the process of painting her new house.
Zach is now eating solid food. He's loves his cereal for sure. He's sitting up really well on his own and becoming really aware of everything around him. I'm sure there was more this month but since it's June now I'll leave it at this but those are the highlights.
Friday, May 1, 2009
End of April...
I can't believe April is over already. Time goes by so fast. Last weekend was cold and rainy. We got the garden pretty much ready for plants and will put them in the ground tomorrow. Sunday started out nice and sunny but turned rainy and cold. We had our neighbors over for a BBQ and hung out inside watching the Red Sox game. The kids all played well together for the night and did well being cooped up downstairs.
Monday Avi had a playdate with Davin so we went to Little Monkey Business and they played really well together and managed to both eat their lunches. Avi, Zach and I then met Brandon for some shopping at Kohl's.
The week at work was uneventful and very busy! Thursday night the kids and I stayed late near work for Happy Hour and they both did a terrific job. Today we did our closing for our re-finance of our mortgage. It was scheduled for 11 so we left the house at 10:30 and got a call from our mortgage guy that it was delayed and they weren't sure when it would be today. We went to the mall to walk around wait for the phone call and when we'd had enough of the mall we went to the closing office. Brandon went to get our lunch and luckily we brought Avi's portable DVD player and she was happy to watch Madagascar. Zach woke up, ate and then spent the closing in my lap playing quietly. We got home and they both tooks naps.
Avi had a few minutes to herself upstairs and decided it would be a good idea to bring the scale over to the counter so she could reach the scissors and give herself a trim. I honestly don't think we would have noticed she'd cut her hair if she hadn't confessed to Brandon that she's cut her hair and it was dangerous! There is one patch that is cut to a crewcut look but her curls cover it pretty well and she'll be sporting a trendy side-swept bang look for a while.
Hopefully we can get the plants in the ground tomorrow, I have to work on Sunday and then my mom and John arrive in town on Monday for a week's visit.
Check out the new pics of Zach sitting up by himself. He's getting stronger each day and can sit unsupported for over 10 minutes without face-planting!
Monday Avi had a playdate with Davin so we went to Little Monkey Business and they played really well together and managed to both eat their lunches. Avi, Zach and I then met Brandon for some shopping at Kohl's.
The week at work was uneventful and very busy! Thursday night the kids and I stayed late near work for Happy Hour and they both did a terrific job. Today we did our closing for our re-finance of our mortgage. It was scheduled for 11 so we left the house at 10:30 and got a call from our mortgage guy that it was delayed and they weren't sure when it would be today. We went to the mall to walk around wait for the phone call and when we'd had enough of the mall we went to the closing office. Brandon went to get our lunch and luckily we brought Avi's portable DVD player and she was happy to watch Madagascar. Zach woke up, ate and then spent the closing in my lap playing quietly. We got home and they both tooks naps.
Avi had a few minutes to herself upstairs and decided it would be a good idea to bring the scale over to the counter so she could reach the scissors and give herself a trim. I honestly don't think we would have noticed she'd cut her hair if she hadn't confessed to Brandon that she's cut her hair and it was dangerous! There is one patch that is cut to a crewcut look but her curls cover it pretty well and she'll be sporting a trendy side-swept bang look for a while.
Hopefully we can get the plants in the ground tomorrow, I have to work on Sunday and then my mom and John arrive in town on Monday for a week's visit.
Check out the new pics of Zach sitting up by himself. He's getting stronger each day and can sit unsupported for over 10 minutes without face-planting!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Week after the snowstorm...
Zach is now 4 months old - he's getting so big. At his check-up he weighed 14 pounds, 13 ounces and was 25 1/4 inches long. He's starting to sit up a bit in the tripod position but still easily falls forward. We've got him in the jolly jumper in our bedroom doorway and he likes to swing around and is starting to bounce while he's in it. He's such a happy baby and you can make him smile so easily! We haven't started solid foods yet but I've been spooning formula to him while he's sitting at the table in his bumbo seat. He still has a bit of the tongue thrust so he's not quite ready for a meal! But soon I bet...
Avelyn continues to make us laugh! The other day she turned to Cabo after Cabo had squashed some of the plants in our garden and said "do you see how sad I am?" and had the most pathetic look on her face. Such a drama queen. She's doing great riding her bike and has asked every day on the way home from school if she can ride it and luckily our weather has been fantastic this week so we've been outside before and after dinner most nights.
Our snow was gone by Monday afternoon - unfortunately some of our neighbors' basements flooded there was so much water in the snow. We stayed dry thankfully! You would never even know there had been a snowstorm a week ago - today it's supposed to be 80* and the sun is shining bright. I'm heading outside to do some yard work. I took the day off today for a mental health day. Kids are at school and Brandon's at work! Have plenty of chores to do around here too! :)
Avelyn continues to make us laugh! The other day she turned to Cabo after Cabo had squashed some of the plants in our garden and said "do you see how sad I am?" and had the most pathetic look on her face. Such a drama queen. She's doing great riding her bike and has asked every day on the way home from school if she can ride it and luckily our weather has been fantastic this week so we've been outside before and after dinner most nights.
Our snow was gone by Monday afternoon - unfortunately some of our neighbors' basements flooded there was so much water in the snow. We stayed dry thankfully! You would never even know there had been a snowstorm a week ago - today it's supposed to be 80* and the sun is shining bright. I'm heading outside to do some yard work. I took the day off today for a mental health day. Kids are at school and Brandon's at work! Have plenty of chores to do around here too! :)
Friday, April 17, 2009
Big snowstorm...
Well, we had a fun easter last Sunday. Avi found all of her eggs with a few pieces of candy as well as a few presents (bubbles and a puzzle). When she was done she turned to us and said "can I go on an egg hunt now?" - we weren't sure what she was referring to since she had just done an egg hunt! We roasted a turkey breast and had a nice dinner that evening.
Monday morning we went shopping to get some new socks, etc and Avi actually rode the bike Santa got for her at the store so we called Brandon and she couldn't keep in how excited she was that she wasn't scared anymore. We played outside later that day but she wouldn't ride her bike. Since it was so warm and used up some of her new bubbles with Alexia and Matthew. She had swimming on Tuesday - this was her last week of this session - she has no problem going in the "cold pool" now (that's the lap pool) and she's working on her sitting dive from the edge. It's amazing to think how far she's come since last summer. Wednesday was a nice night and Brandon was outside with her and she agreed to ride her bike and couldn't wait to come back inside and tell me how great she did. Hopefully we're over the hurdle of not wanting to ride her big-girl bike! Brandon left on his fishing trip Wednesday night at 1am. Thursday night was Avi's last swimming lesson and then we came home, took a bath, ate dinner and went to bed. Today we woke up to snow. It started out as rain but around noon really started to pick up and we now have about 10 inches out there. The kids were out in force after nap time and are now at the age where they love the snow. We used our sleds in our driveway and the kids stayed busy for almost 2 hours sledding down our driveway and having so much fun!
Not sure what we'll do tomorrow since it's supposed to snow some more but we'll see.
Monday morning we went shopping to get some new socks, etc and Avi actually rode the bike Santa got for her at the store so we called Brandon and she couldn't keep in how excited she was that she wasn't scared anymore. We played outside later that day but she wouldn't ride her bike. Since it was so warm and used up some of her new bubbles with Alexia and Matthew. She had swimming on Tuesday - this was her last week of this session - she has no problem going in the "cold pool" now (that's the lap pool) and she's working on her sitting dive from the edge. It's amazing to think how far she's come since last summer. Wednesday was a nice night and Brandon was outside with her and she agreed to ride her bike and couldn't wait to come back inside and tell me how great she did. Hopefully we're over the hurdle of not wanting to ride her big-girl bike! Brandon left on his fishing trip Wednesday night at 1am. Thursday night was Avi's last swimming lesson and then we came home, took a bath, ate dinner and went to bed. Today we woke up to snow. It started out as rain but around noon really started to pick up and we now have about 10 inches out there. The kids were out in force after nap time and are now at the age where they love the snow. We used our sleds in our driveway and the kids stayed busy for almost 2 hours sledding down our driveway and having so much fun!
Not sure what we'll do tomorrow since it's supposed to snow some more but we'll see.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Early April...
I put up more pics in the web albums so check them out when you can...
I can't believe it's April already! Time sure flies by with 2 little ones to look after.
Zach has recovered from his RSV and is growing so fast. We had his 4 month checkup this week and he's weighing in at 14 pounds, 13 ounces and is 25 1/4 inches long. He's holding his head up very easily and doing well with tummy time. He's rolled over a few times but not yet consistently for me to boast that he's rolling. He's loving chewing on his fingers and constantly has them in his mouth. He's starting to bring other objects up to his mouth but it's still mostly his fingers that he's knawing on. No teeth yet but lots of drool!
Avelyn is doing great too. She is back in swimming lessons and just looks so much more comfortable in the water than last year. This summer at the pool should be lots of fun. She's loving playing outside in our backyard and this year she's old enough to be out there with only an occasional peek from me - she's swinging, going down the slide, wandering around picking up sticks and watering the lawn. She keeps busy and we pretty much have to drag her back in the house for meals and naps.
Tomorrow is Easter. We colored eggs today and Avi was able to keep focused and was very proud of herself. She's been carrying around her easter basket all week and should have a fun time doing her "egg hunt" tomorrow morning. If it's nice we'll extend it outside but the mornings are still cold around here so probably not.
I'm sure we'll take lots of pictures tomorrow morning and post them sometime soon...
I can't believe it's April already! Time sure flies by with 2 little ones to look after.
Zach has recovered from his RSV and is growing so fast. We had his 4 month checkup this week and he's weighing in at 14 pounds, 13 ounces and is 25 1/4 inches long. He's holding his head up very easily and doing well with tummy time. He's rolled over a few times but not yet consistently for me to boast that he's rolling. He's loving chewing on his fingers and constantly has them in his mouth. He's starting to bring other objects up to his mouth but it's still mostly his fingers that he's knawing on. No teeth yet but lots of drool!
Avelyn is doing great too. She is back in swimming lessons and just looks so much more comfortable in the water than last year. This summer at the pool should be lots of fun. She's loving playing outside in our backyard and this year she's old enough to be out there with only an occasional peek from me - she's swinging, going down the slide, wandering around picking up sticks and watering the lawn. She keeps busy and we pretty much have to drag her back in the house for meals and naps.
Tomorrow is Easter. We colored eggs today and Avi was able to keep focused and was very proud of herself. She's been carrying around her easter basket all week and should have a fun time doing her "egg hunt" tomorrow morning. If it's nice we'll extend it outside but the mornings are still cold around here so probably not.
I'm sure we'll take lots of pictures tomorrow morning and post them sometime soon...
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Early March...
Well, I've been back to work for 2 weeks now. It was a fairly easy transition. The school both Zach and Avi go to is about 2 blocks north of the hospital where I work so I can see them both at lunch when I nurse Zach. The hospital has been very busy so I'm right back into seeing patients and doing my administrative duties too which is nice. The days go by really fast but we're not getting home until almost 6 some nights so it's a bit hectic to do dinner some nights. We'll figure it out though - it's really nice now that it stays light so much longer - Avi can play in the backyard for a while when we get home and Zach will hang out in his bumbo seat or fall asleep in the swing.
Avi starts swimming lessons in another 2 weeks which will make life even a bit more crazy 2 nights a week but they only last for 3 weeks. She's doing great in school and has gotten over her hurdle of counting correctly past 12 - she was forgetting 13 because her "th" sounds like an "f" so 13 and 14 sounded the same to her but now she's got it. She's doing great with Zach too - she loves to help out and tries to perform a show for him each day. She also told me the other day that "when my boobies get big I'll help feed Zach" - it was too cute! I told her she could save herself for her own kiddos many years from now!
Zach is doing great too! He's gotten so big - I can't believe he's 3 months old already! We had to bring him to the doctor Friday because of his cough - he was quite wheezy and having a bit of trouble breathing normally - they diagnosed him with RSV but a minor case of it - his oxygen level was 100% (as high as you can get) so they told us to use the humidifier in his room and elevate his head to sleep. He's had no trouble sleeping or eating and today he sounds better - not coughing as much and not nearly as wheezy. We'll see how tonight goes...They weighed him at the doctor's office and he is now 13 pounds, 3 ounces so he's put on about 9 ounces in a month.
We're getting ready to plant a vegetable garden in our backyard once the weather warms up - around here they say to wait until after Mother's Day. We started some seeds in some biodegradable cups and will transplant them when it's time. It'll be fun to see Avelyn garden!
That's all for now - hope spring comes soon!
Avi starts swimming lessons in another 2 weeks which will make life even a bit more crazy 2 nights a week but they only last for 3 weeks. She's doing great in school and has gotten over her hurdle of counting correctly past 12 - she was forgetting 13 because her "th" sounds like an "f" so 13 and 14 sounded the same to her but now she's got it. She's doing great with Zach too - she loves to help out and tries to perform a show for him each day. She also told me the other day that "when my boobies get big I'll help feed Zach" - it was too cute! I told her she could save herself for her own kiddos many years from now!
Zach is doing great too! He's gotten so big - I can't believe he's 3 months old already! We had to bring him to the doctor Friday because of his cough - he was quite wheezy and having a bit of trouble breathing normally - they diagnosed him with RSV but a minor case of it - his oxygen level was 100% (as high as you can get) so they told us to use the humidifier in his room and elevate his head to sleep. He's had no trouble sleeping or eating and today he sounds better - not coughing as much and not nearly as wheezy. We'll see how tonight goes...They weighed him at the doctor's office and he is now 13 pounds, 3 ounces so he's put on about 9 ounces in a month.
We're getting ready to plant a vegetable garden in our backyard once the weather warms up - around here they say to wait until after Mother's Day. We started some seeds in some biodegradable cups and will transplant them when it's time. It'll be fun to see Avelyn garden!
That's all for now - hope spring comes soon!
Monday, February 23, 2009
February 2009
I can't believe February is almost over. Time passes a lot quicker with 2 kids to chase after.
Avelyn is doing great at being a big sister and is so willing to bring him to us that we have to keep a close eye on her. She loves to tickle him and entertain him and he just grins and giggles at her which she loves. Zach is getting so big so fast.
Already when I look at some of the pictures of him he looks so much bigger. At our last appointment for his 2 month check-up he weighed in at 12 pounds, 10 ounces and was 23 1/2 inches long - 75% for both. There are times when he looks so big - like seeing him fill up the swing now and times when he looks so small - like when Avelyn is sitting or standing next to him.
Avi just finished her swim lessons and has a few weeks off before doing the next level. She can do her front float and back float all on her own and can swim 10 feet unassisted in the deep lap pool. The next level teaches her more of the strokes and a sitting dive and return to the wall maneuver. She is a little fish and we were at the pool this morning for 2 hours while she played in the water and dove down to get her rings - Zach and I watched from the sidelines!
I head back to work next week. I'll still be working part-time as the PT manager at Swedish and am both looking forward to getting back to work and hesitant about not having more time off. At least I'll still have Mondays and Fridays off with both kids for play dates, etc. Avi loves to be outside - especially now that the weather is warming up - right now she's out back keeping herself busy lining up all of Cabo's toys in a line along the porch steps! She tried to find some bugs but had no luck except for the tiniest spider which she brought in to show me a while ago as it was crawling along her hand - she plucked some grass to feed it too - so cute!
Avelyn is doing great at being a big sister and is so willing to bring him to us that we have to keep a close eye on her. She loves to tickle him and entertain him and he just grins and giggles at her which she loves. Zach is getting so big so fast.
Already when I look at some of the pictures of him he looks so much bigger. At our last appointment for his 2 month check-up he weighed in at 12 pounds, 10 ounces and was 23 1/2 inches long - 75% for both. There are times when he looks so big - like seeing him fill up the swing now and times when he looks so small - like when Avelyn is sitting or standing next to him.
Avi just finished her swim lessons and has a few weeks off before doing the next level. She can do her front float and back float all on her own and can swim 10 feet unassisted in the deep lap pool. The next level teaches her more of the strokes and a sitting dive and return to the wall maneuver. She is a little fish and we were at the pool this morning for 2 hours while she played in the water and dove down to get her rings - Zach and I watched from the sidelines!
I head back to work next week. I'll still be working part-time as the PT manager at Swedish and am both looking forward to getting back to work and hesitant about not having more time off. At least I'll still have Mondays and Fridays off with both kids for play dates, etc. Avi loves to be outside - especially now that the weather is warming up - right now she's out back keeping herself busy lining up all of Cabo's toys in a line along the porch steps! She tried to find some bugs but had no luck except for the tiniest spider which she brought in to show me a while ago as it was crawling along her hand - she plucked some grass to feed it too - so cute!
Monday, February 2, 2009
End of January...
Not much is new around here - Avelyn starts swimming lessons again tomorrow for another 3 week session. She really is turning into a little fish! She loves to jump into the water and wear her goggles so she can see under the water. We'll see how much she develops her strokes during this next session. Zach is growing for sure - not sure how much he's weighing these days but he's filling out his outfits much more than a few weeks ago. We can't believe he's 7 weeks old already! He really enjoys pushing through his legs and standing up in our laps and gets a big grin across his face being so pleased with himself when he does it. He continues to sleep wonderfully - the last 2 night he slept from 10-5. The only trouble we're having is having him drink from a bottle. I mostly nurse him but have been trying to have him drink from a bottle so Brandon can feed him and also to get him ready for day care in 5 weeks. I bought the next level of nipple for his bottles but he still wasn't impressed so we'll keep trying...I head back to work in early March so we have some time to figure it out!
I'll keep posting pictures in the web albums and update this page often so enjoy!
I'll keep posting pictures in the web albums and update this page often so enjoy!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
What a great visit!
There are many pics from our visit in my web album so check them out when you can...
We picked up my sister Hillary and her son Luke last Thursday. They flew out for a long weekend visit to meet Zachary and play with Avelyn. We spent most of Thursday playing around the house and napping to beat the time change.
Friday morning we headed out to Little Monkey Bizness which is an indoor playground for the 5 and under kids. Avi and Luke had a fun time playing and we went out to lunch afterwards. Time for a nap and after the naps we played outside for a while. Our weather was gorgeous all weekend thankfully! No snow for us - just plenty of sunshine and 60* weather!
Saturday we headed up to the National Western Stock Show that's held every year in Denver. We walked around the convention center, saw a lot of cattle and even saw the cattle getting ready for their big days - they were getting hosed off, blown dry and even having hairspray applied to their hooves and tails to beautify them. After the show it was time for naps and dinner.
Sunday Hillary, Luke, Avi, Zach and I headed to the pool. Zach slept through it but the other kids had fun especially in the family hot tub - gotta love warm water! After swimming we played outside for a while then headed in for naps. After naps was playing around the house and watching a movie while the Steelers game was on.
Monday was a free day at the Denver Zoo and the weather was fantastic. We were there for about 3 hours and saw everything and ate lunch. We headed home and took naps then again watched a movie and hung out playing around the house.
Avi and I dropped Hillary and Luke off at the airport this morning and then I dropped Avi at school and Zach and I have been hanging out today. We had an adventure filled weekend with a new adventure each day! It'll be quiet around here without them and we hope to see them again soon!
We picked up my sister Hillary and her son Luke last Thursday. They flew out for a long weekend visit to meet Zachary and play with Avelyn. We spent most of Thursday playing around the house and napping to beat the time change.
Friday morning we headed out to Little Monkey Bizness which is an indoor playground for the 5 and under kids. Avi and Luke had a fun time playing and we went out to lunch afterwards. Time for a nap and after the naps we played outside for a while. Our weather was gorgeous all weekend thankfully! No snow for us - just plenty of sunshine and 60* weather!
Saturday we headed up to the National Western Stock Show that's held every year in Denver. We walked around the convention center, saw a lot of cattle and even saw the cattle getting ready for their big days - they were getting hosed off, blown dry and even having hairspray applied to their hooves and tails to beautify them. After the show it was time for naps and dinner.
Sunday Hillary, Luke, Avi, Zach and I headed to the pool. Zach slept through it but the other kids had fun especially in the family hot tub - gotta love warm water! After swimming we played outside for a while then headed in for naps. After naps was playing around the house and watching a movie while the Steelers game was on.
Monday was a free day at the Denver Zoo and the weather was fantastic. We were there for about 3 hours and saw everything and ate lunch. We headed home and took naps then again watched a movie and hung out playing around the house.
Avi and I dropped Hillary and Luke off at the airport this morning and then I dropped Avi at school and Zach and I have been hanging out today. We had an adventure filled weekend with a new adventure each day! It'll be quiet around here without them and we hope to see them again soon!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year...
Hello all and welcome to 2009!
There are some new pictures in the web album so check them out when you can. We had a good last couple of days visiting before my mom and John headed back home Wednesday. The weather turned quite nice for the early part of the week. Avi went to school Tues and Wed as per her normal routine and that is working out really well. She, of course, would rather stay at home and play with her new brother but has a great time at school with her friends.
We had a party Wednesday night at a neighbors house and I stayed until 10 with Zach and Brandon and Avi came home around 11. We were all a bit spent yesterday but hung around the house and Avi played in the yard for a bit and started climbing the trees out back and was having a grand old time doing it!
Zach continues to do great! He's such a great sleeper - most nights he sleeps from 10-4 and then again 4-8 but he's given us 2 nights of 10-6 so far so we'll take them for sure! He's becoming more of a little person every day and is very alert. We have him doing his tummy time which he really enjoys and sitting up in the boppy pillow he just looks all around trying to figure it all out!
The weather today is supposed to be nice again so we'll head outside soon and maybe venture to the stores and maybe the dogpark for a nice walk. Again, happy new year to everyone!
There are some new pictures in the web album so check them out when you can. We had a good last couple of days visiting before my mom and John headed back home Wednesday. The weather turned quite nice for the early part of the week. Avi went to school Tues and Wed as per her normal routine and that is working out really well. She, of course, would rather stay at home and play with her new brother but has a great time at school with her friends.
We had a party Wednesday night at a neighbors house and I stayed until 10 with Zach and Brandon and Avi came home around 11. We were all a bit spent yesterday but hung around the house and Avi played in the yard for a bit and started climbing the trees out back and was having a grand old time doing it!
Zach continues to do great! He's such a great sleeper - most nights he sleeps from 10-4 and then again 4-8 but he's given us 2 nights of 10-6 so far so we'll take them for sure! He's becoming more of a little person every day and is very alert. We have him doing his tummy time which he really enjoys and sitting up in the boppy pillow he just looks all around trying to figure it all out!
The weather today is supposed to be nice again so we'll head outside soon and maybe venture to the stores and maybe the dogpark for a nice walk. Again, happy new year to everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
