Long Overdue Christmas Post

Christmas celebrations started for us with Kason's program (breakfast and music class) at his school. It was fun to watch him interacting with the other kids. He loves school and tells us all the time about his friends, so it was great to get to be a part of it for a couple of hours. We started with breakfast and then went to their music and exercise class where they had been working on some Christmas songs. Kason got really upset on his way across the hall to the class because he thought we left and weren't going to watch him. He cheered up when he realized we were still there, but still refused to participate in the exercises. The music got him going again, though. They sang and danced to, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Jingle Bells", along with their regular music class songs.

Singing and dancing



Daddy & Emmy at Kason's school

The weekend before Christmas, we took the kids to San Antonio to see Grandma since we wouldn't be celebrating Christmas there. It was not really a Christmas trip, but we did get to take part in some fun activities - church play, Christmas lights, playing in the leaves, and Santa on the firetruck!

Santa




Christmas was lots of fun this year with Kason and Emily both enjoying the festivities (mostly Kason, though). Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent here at home with our little family of 4. We enjoyed church service, baking, and pizza on Christmas Eve, along with late hours in Santa's workshop finishing up the kids' play kitchen. Santa was very good to them this year with a new wagon and play kitchen.






New Years' weekend, we traveled to Fort Worth to celebrate a late Christmas with my family. Unfortunately, I think we forgot our camera this weekend, as I cannot locate any pictures. As usual, though, Kason had a BLAST playing with his cousins and opening presents again! Emily got sick pretty much the moment we got there, so we ended up cutting our visit short by a day so we could get home and get some much needed rest in our own beds.

We celebrated Christmas with Kyle's family the week of Emily's birthday, so that post will be coming tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Emily!

My sweet little Emily turned 1 year old yesterday. Can you believe it? Where did the last year go?
We were so busy with cake and presents and the aquarium that I didn't get a chance to log on and wish her Happy Birthday on the blog, so here it is...Happy Birthday to my precious little Emmy! Mommy, Daddy, and Kason love you more than you could know!

A Few Christmas Pics

We have been without our home computer for a couple of days, but we are back in business now. It is late and I just finished Emily's bday invitations, so here are a few teaser pics for a larger post coming soon.

We Plan, God Laughs

Remember a couple of posts back when I said I had been under the weather? Well, there is a reason for that (and, things are finally looking up). Kyle and I are expecting our third baby this July (7/11). Some answers to your questions:

1. No, this wasn't planned. When I finally decided to take a test, I was actually well past the time I found out I was pregnant with Kason & Emily because this just wasn't something we were ready for. Oh well...ready or not. We were planning for a 2-3 yr separation between Emily and a third baby, but as the title reads, "We plan, God laughs".

2. Yes, we are very excited (a little apprehensive, too). It's a baby....how could we not be excited?

3. Yes, we are finding out the sex (although Kyle didn't want to originally). The perinatologist from the NT scan made a guess already....girl. We'll see if she was right in 4-5 more weeks.

4. Baby is seemingly healthy. We have had 3 ultrasounds and baby looks great, even measuring a few days ahead. Today, at 13w2d, heartbeat was 164.

My belly is growing quite rapidly and I have already gained more weight than I would like to admit. I'm really not sure how, though, seeing as I have had awful morning sickness. Much, much worse than with Kason or Emily. That, originally, made this whole thing hard to accept. We weren't planning this, so I wasn't prepared and/or ready to embrace the morning sickness like I would have been if we had been trying. But, I have moved past that phase and am finally feeling better (minus the random day of puking).

Emily, of course, has no idea what is going on. Kason, however, will tell you there is a baby in mommy's belly and kiss my belly. When asked if he wants a brother/sister, his response is "just a baby". I'm not sure he gets it quite yet, but I think he will understand a bit more as I grow more and time progresses.

We are very excited to have our children so close together and hopeful that they will be best friends and confidants as they grow older. We are so thankful for our unexpected blessing and are excited to welcome him/her in July.

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Stay tuned for a Christmas post tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Jesus & Merry Christmas!

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Pics to come soon....

Not in the mood for blogging lately

As I'm sure you can tell, I have not been much for keeping up with the blog lately. I think about it, but then realize there are many other things I need to be doing, like relaxing on the couch. I have been feeling a bit under the weather, but am hopeful it is beginning to turn around.

So, even though I'd rather be vegging out on the couch right now while my children sleep, I decided to give a quick update and a few pics. So, if you'll excuse my jumbled up mess, here goes:

We had a nice Thanksgiving here at home. My brother and his family were supposed to join us the day after, but the illness won and they couldn't make it. We were definitely bummed, but will be glad to see them at New Years. Kyle's mom did come stay with us for a week, though, and it was wonderful! The kids adore spending time with grandma and mommy got a chance to really relax and go on a few dates with daddy, including his company holiday party.

Kason and Emily are both doing fantastic. Emily really wants to walk and pushes her push-walker around everywhere. We are trying to encourage a few steps, but a couple seconds of standing alone are all we have managed so far. She is signing more words now, saying hi, mama, and dada, waving, clapping, dancing, playing pat-a-cake and so big, etc, etc. She has four teeth. The top two have a huge gap, but it is sooo adorable! She loves to play with Kason's toys and he is getting much better about sharing with her. He is still loving school and comes home singing new songs all the time...right now, Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Their Christmas program is next Thursday and I can't wait to see it!!!


Kason enjoying his new Cars bedding


Emily crawling up the stairs for the first time


My little Warehouse Mouse


Happy Halloween!

Have you ever seen a cuter mouse?

Smitty

His first (and better be only) time sitting in the back of a police car. Taken at the Hot Air Balloon Festival

Skydivers from the festival

He loves FIRETRUCKS!!

Happy Halloween!

This pic was taken at Dan & Kate's Halloween party tonight! We plan to take them (mostly Kason) to trick or treat at a few houses in the neighborhood tomorrow night and then pass out candy at home. Check for a great big post in a couple of days about all the fun from this weekend.



Warehouse Mouse & Smitty (from Disney's Imagination Movers)

I take it all back

After my post the other day, Emily decided to prove me wrong. Remember when I said she was teething, but was such a trooper and rarely complained? Yeah, well, disregard that. Lately, she has been cranky and clingy about 1/2 of her awake time, screaming bloody murder if I even attempt to put her down. She has also decided to keep us up all.night.long. Tylenol has nothing on this teething thing. I will be off to the store today to get some ibuprofen in hopes of a better night's sleep. Those two little top teeth are so darn close to breaking through, but they just won't come out. Instead, they are content to sit there and swell up my little girl's gums and cause her extreme pain. GRRR!!!

P.S. I am miffed about the recent recall of teething tablets. All these makers of children's meds and homeopathic remedies (and formula, for those similac users) need to get their acts together and give us safe products for our children.

A couple of things I forgot....

on Kason's post. Nothing big, but things I want to remember.

1. He is fully potty trained. After quite the battle with pooping on the potty, he finally got over his fear about a month and a half ago. Yay!!!

2. As he was outside swinging today, he counted straight to 30. I was amazed. After some prodding, with "thirty-....", he answered "thirty-one" and then, kept going. He can count and count and count if we just tell him what comes next, as in thirty, forty, fifty, etc. Who knew?

3. He has also been playing with Emmy's music table and loves to put it in Spanish mode to hear the Spanish ABC's. He loves music and picks it up right away, so he has a lot of it down. My Aunt Carmen (who was also my high school Spanish teacher) would be so proud.

4. Since we are on the topic of music, I should also mention that he loves Toby Keith's, "Getcha Some". A little inappropriate for a toddler? Maybe. But, it's oh so cute!

Emily - 9 months & 2 days

My sweet little Emmy -

Petite: that's how everyone refers to you. And, you are. Today, at your appointment, you weighed 16lb 14oz (13%). You have lost a bit of weight this week with your illness, though. You would have been somewhere around 17lb 5-6oz if you had not been sick. But, either way, you are just that, petite. You are now 27 1/4 in long, though. While not tall, you are definitely growing.

A proficient crawler, puller-upper, and sorta-cruiser, you keep Mommy and Daddy on their toes. You are so curious and want to check everything out. The fireplace is one of your favorites, so we'll have to work on that before the cold weather arrives. You can say hi and mama and dada, often in context and are working on bubba. You light up when your brother walks into a room and love to "wrestle" with him. You absolutely ADORE other children and they adore you, as well. Now that you are bigger and the weather is nicer, we lay a blanket on the front lawn and you get to actually play with the big kids instead of watching them as they play. It's a whole new world for you!

Even though you are tiny, you are a wonderful eater. Fruit is your favorite, but you eat your veggies, too (even if I do have to sneak them in sometimes). You have begun eating table foods and love it (especially carrots and peeled grapes). You are still nursing and mommy thinks we will have no problem going to a year, maybe more.

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Your favorite things:

Mommy, Daddy, Kason, and all other children, animals (as long as they stay out of your face), helping Kason with his puzzles, toys, toys, toys, chewing on anything you can fit in your mouth, watching SuperWhy (Kason gets to watch this in the morning while you are eating breakfast and no matter how hard I try, I cannot turn you away), blowing raspberries

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Other new things you are doing:

Signing - So far, you can do more and all done (in your own cute little way). Kason loves to help teach you new signs!

So Big - You put your arms up as high as you can when we ask how big you are. So cute!

Peek-a-boo - You've loved peekaboo for a while, but are just starting to pull the blanket over your own face to play.

Teething - You have two bottom teeth and are working so hard on cutting the top two. Your poor little gums are so swollen right now, but you are trooper and rarely complain.

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Mommy and Daddy love watching you turn into your own little person with your own opinions. We love watching you grow and learn each day and are so excited for the future. We worried a lot when I was pregnant with you that, even though you were planned, it happened too soon. We now see there was nothing to worry about. You fit right in and our family would just not be the same without you in it. You are our sweetie pot pie, our sugar plum, our Emmy-pants, our princess. We love you more than we could ever put into words and are so thankful to have been blessed with the two greatest gifts in the world.



Best Buddies:

Kason - Just Shy of 27 Months

I realized today that it has been a while since I've given individual updates and since I am using this as my own tool to keep track of milestones, etc, I need to get on the ball. So, here we go...starting with Kason.

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As I have mentioned before, you are turning in to a big boy right before our eyes. Gone is the baby we came to Texas with, and in its place is a little boy who continues to amaze his Mommy and Daddy.

From the day we brought her home, you have been the most wonderful big brother (although, we are already beginning to see some signs of future sibling quarrels) to your baby sister. You can be quite the little monster when you wake up from any sleeping period, until you see your Emmy. Then, you get the biggest smile on your face and rush right over to her.

We put you in a preschool/MDO a couple of weeks ago at our church and you love it. You go 2 days/wk, love your teachers, and are making lots of new friends. You tell me everyday that you played with Nathan and Carter (and a name that we cannot decipher). We are so happy you are doing so well.

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What you are Learning:

1. To read (sorta) - You continue to love books and letters, playing with them all.day.long, and are on the verge of reading short words. You know all of your letters, uppercase and most lowercase, and their sounds. In the past week or so, you have begun sounding out short words and trying to put the letters together to make words. You constantly pull your letters out and ask mommy to build words with you. Mommy and Daddy are amazed and cannot believe how quickly you catch on to new things.

2. Counting - Your counting skills are also improving daily. You can count to 20 and can now count objects.

3. Puzzles - You LOVE puzzles and can do 12 piece puzzles with no help and 24 piece puzzles with just a few hints.

4. Manners - You say please and thank you with semi-regularity and are getting very good at sharing your toys and taking turns.

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Things you love:

Letters, numbers, puzzles, cars, trucks, trains, watching football and soccer with daddy, playing football, soccer, basketball, baseball, wrestling with anyone who will let you, playing chase, tormenting Maggie, eating, Buzz Lightyear, SuperWhy, The Letter Factory, music, dancing, riding your tricycle, painting, coloring

You love any chance you get to play with other kids...Emily, the neighbors, your many cousins, school and church friends, random kids at the park or Chick-fil-A, etc, etc.

You want Mommy, Daddy, and/or Emily at your side at all times, whether we are watching Super Why on the couch or playing in the play room. You are a social being and want to interact.

You love to be silly and the center of attention. Anytime we are somewhere new or new people come over, you immediately begin putting on a show. You sing songs, you dance around, etc and can brighten up any room.
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In conclusion, you are the most wonderful, smart, curious, loving, gentle, rambunctious, little boy any mommy and daddy could ever ask for. We love you so much and are so blessed to watch you grow every day.

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Emily's 9 month appointment is tomorrow, so I will update afterwards.

Reminiscing

Tonight, Kyle was saying how he couldn't believe we have been in this house a year. Actually, we closed Oct. 21, so not quite a year. It feels like a year to me, though. A lot has happened since then...for starters, I'm not pregnant anymore. We have a beautiful, almost-9-month-old baby girl and Kason has grown sooo much since we moved in to this house. I went back tonight and looked at some old pictures from this time last year and am in shock at just how much he has grown and the little boy that he is turning in to.

These are some pics of him around this time last year....Emily, too. :P

October Busy-ness

October is shaping up to be a fun and beautiful month. The weather has been AMAZING and we are enjoying every minute, whether it be at the park, swinging in the backyard, playing with the neighbors, or laying out a blanket in the front yard. This past weekend, we went to the DFW area to visit family and had a great time. And, in the coming weeks we have the Fall Fest at church, the air show, the hot air balloon festival, and of course, Halloween.


Here are some pics from the past few weeks.

Emily & Nanny at the park

The Grandkids

MawMaw & Emmy

Kason with his new obsession, SuperWhy

Look at me...I'm crawling!

Kason brushing the goats at the zoo

Just being pretty

Family shot at the zoo

3 Big Things around Here

1. Emily has begun to crawl...very slow and wobbly, but we fully expect her to be crawling all over the place in a few days. She can also go from belly to sitting and does it all.the.time! She also is beginning to pull up in her crib, which means we lowered the crib mattress.

2. Emily is sleeping through the night! Wahoo!

3. Kason starts preschool next Tuesday. Mommy is sad, but I know Kason will have a blast. He didn't cry this week when we dropped him off for Sunday School, and didn't want to leave when we went to pick him up. So, we know he'll do great.

And, now, a few pics....

Playing with the farm


Reading night-night books

Kason playing on the new addition to the playroom..the castle slide (thanks Sean & Tina)

Fall is Coming!

Pumpkins, scarecrows, Halloween, and cooler weather are in sight! Can you believe it? It is 76 degrees outside right now and it is almost 3:00pm. Amazing!

Fall has to be the best time of the year. You can enjoy almost every day outside, and we fully intend on taking advantage. Kason and I spent the morning outside today and we'll all head back out after naptime. In a couple of weeks, we will be going to the fall festival at church. I am in the process of getting Halloween outfits together for the family to wear.

As for Halloween costumes, Kyle and I will most likely not be dressing up, but Kason and Emily will be the cutest little kids you've ever seen. Kason will be Smitty and Emily will be Warehouse Mouse, from the Imagination Movers (check out go.disney.com if you don't know who they are). I am in the process of making their costumes myself. I think they'll turn out great. Pictures to follow in a couple of weeks.

I would tell myself...

that my kids don't need me to be super mom...they need me to be a happy mom.

Reflections of Motherhood

Sleepy Time

In the past few weeks, Kason's night and naptime habits have gotten out of hand. For whatever reason (we can't seem to figure it out), he does not want to go to sleep in his room. Most nights, we give in and let him get up for a while, but we have decided it has to stop. So tonight, we went Supernanny style with him (well, sorta). Supernanny says, tell them goodnight and you love them, then leave. Everytime after the first that they get up, you simply take them back to bed without talking. That's where we differed. We can't stand to put our crying little boy to bed without acknowledging him. So, each time, I picked him up, hugged, shushed, and kissed him, laid him in bed, kissed him again and said, "night night, I love you". And, each time I left he was once again calm and said, "night night, I love you" back. After about 5-7 times and 30-45 minutes, he was finally down and asleep. Pretty painless and very little crying. Here's hoping we can keep it up and get him back to bed.

We are fairly certain he has nightmares since he sometimes wakes up shrieking and punching/kicking. The shrieks are so shrill sometimes it makes my heart race and stomach churn, but, we go check on him and he is back to sleeping peacefully. At some point, though, it seems every night, he actually wakes from these dreams/nightmares and makes his way to our room. As of right now, we have no intentions of stopping this. I, myself, had nightmares often as a child and ended up on the couch or in my parents' bed, so I know what it's like. So, each night, we take the blanket off the foot of our bed and make him a little pallet next to the bed. When he shows up in our room in the wee hours, we get his pillow and blanket and he goes to sleep on the floor. He is happy just being in our room, so it works for all of us.

As for Emily's sleeping, after about a week and a half of tortuous sleep, she seemed to get a little relief and is doing pretty well now. Our little Emmy has had horribly swollen gums for several weeks now, which we believe was the culprit of the poor sleeping. And, today, her first tooth has finally broken through. We expect to see #2 in the next few days, and are hoping for even more relief for our baby girl. Yay!!!

Sweet Dreams!!

Labor Day

We were planning on going to the DFW area this weekend for a visit with family over the long weekend. That was thwarted, though, with Kyle's need to work overtime (for the next 3 or more weeks). Yucky for less time at home, but the extra $$ will be nice.

So, we had a great weekend staying at home. I got to take advantage of Labor Day sales and do a little fall/winter shopping for the kiddos, we went to the park, played with the neighbors, grilled, and today, sat in traffic forEVER to spend the rainy day at the Galleria. We were supposed to meet Lee there as well as Sean, Tina, and the kids. However, since our approx. 25 mile drive took us almost 2 hours, we got very little time with any of them. But, Kason had a blast at the Galleria's play area and we had a yummy dinner at Freebird's, so even though Emily was super tired on the way home, it was still a good day.

Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Birthday Par-tay & More!

For those of you who missed it, Kason had a fantastic time at his birthday party (even though it was a bazillion degrees outside). He got LOADS of Thomas the Train books, toys, and clothes and LOADS of Toy Story books, toys, and clothes and he loves it all!!!

Here are a few pics from the day and a few others from the days following when his cousins got to stay for the week (before we all got sick!).


Playing in the blow-up pool before our good neighbors, Dewey & Cher, brought over the water slide (thanks, guys!)



The homemade cupcake stand, cupcakes, and toppers.

Riding his new bike (a balance bike)

They adore each other....I hope they always will.

Just chillin'

Riding his trike through the sprinklers

Cracking Up! This is Emily 99% of every day. She is the happiest baby I have ever seen!


Cool Dude!

Tyler and Emily...I love this pic!

Modeling his Cars helmet