DecembER

We spent two of the first three Fridays of the month of December in the ER...first with Isaac who decided as I was cooking dinner one evening that my dutch oven lid might feel good if he dropped it onto his big toe.  He immediately decided that it did not and as I tried to hold ice on it to slow the bruising that rushed under his toenail he let us all know by screaming his head off.  Of course this screaming stopped once we got to the ER, after which he proceeded to charm the pants off all the hospital staff.  Everyone that came in kept asking, now what is wrong with this little guy? 

Thankfully it was not broken and as of yet the nail has not fallen off, but it is still very black.  We are also very thankful to good friends who let us drop Peter off at their house unexpectedly while we made our first but as we were soon to find out not last trip to the ER.


Here his toe is a few days later. (Sorry for the poor pictures, getting him to hold still is hard!)

Little did we know that the following Friday (the night before Alan was to graduate) we would be there again, only this time with Peter!  He woke up from his nap sounding like a chain smoker and after playing outside and a warm steaming bath I think he was worse, not better.  So again the on call nurse sent us to the ER at the Children's Hospital. 

We were grateful for a slow night and after a diagnosis of croup and some steroids we  were on our way home.  I am not sure that Peter realized that going to the hospital is not supposed to be fun since he got a Popsicle to help with the taste of the medicine,  enjoyed a great salt water fish tank, received two new books and had  mom and dad's undivided attention. The doctor was also pretty impressed the Peter know what a stethoscope was and that he could actually pronounce it and tell him what it was for.  Thankfully Grandma and Grandpa were visiting and Isaac was already asleep for the evening so that was one less worry for the evening.  Peter was also kind enough to pass it on to his brother the week later...but I think that we are all finally all healthy!

November in Review

November was a busy month for us...despite my best efforts the last few months of the year always seem to be that way!  To start the month off with a bang Isaac started walking on his own and started to collect lots of new bumps and bruises.  I don't know who was more excited, Peter or Isaac!  It is so fun to see them play together-they are such boys!

The week before Thanksgiving we went to Iowa for Alan to take a review course to prepare for his boards and we visited with cousins.  We were fortunate to be there during their town's tree lighting ceremony and Peter had his first visit with Santa.  Not surprisingly Peter went straight up to him, jumped into his arms and told him what he wanted for Christmas.  (a red train tie and a bicycle helmet)  Although it was freezing Peter had fun riding a train, seeing Christmas trees, getting his face painted (is he not the cutest reindeer ever?) and eating chocolate.  Isaac spend the whole time bundled up and half frozen I think but he was a trouper!

We also visited their library earlier in the day and Peter had a ball following his older cousin around trying to be just like him.  He has reached this stage where he tries to be just like the older boys he sees so he had so much fun playing/copying his cousin.  Isaac had fun practicing his walking skills and trying to keep up with everyone else.

 For Thanksgiving we went to my parents house for dinner and spent some more time with cousins and aunties. 

We had a busy but very fun month full of family.



October in Review

Here is what else we were up to in October besides Isaac getting a tooth and Halloween.  One evening we went to a local Orchard where you can pick apples and they have fun things to do with the family.  Peter loved the pumpkins, swinging with daddy, the "train ride" but most of all the bounce pillow.  It was a giant bounce pad that was like heaven for him.  I think he could have stayed there all night, as you can see he got some pretty good air! This was also the evening we discovered our key fob was broken and I had to crawl through the trunk to unlock the car!



 We went to visit my parents on Columbus day because everyone had the day off.  Peter's favorite part was the babies.  My family had new baby kittens that he adored and was surprisingly gentle with and new baby cows that loved to lick him.  He also raided the last of the cherry tomato plants (I think he ate a few pounds....every time I turned around he was over there eating!).  Isaac was content to hang out in the swing and watch all the action, although thanks to his aunt Leslie he had some fun in the leaves too.

 We also switched the boys beds...which they were both thrilled about.

Monkey see...monkey do!  Here they are having a jumping competition...I have a feeling this is just a glimpse of what is in store for us.  Bedtime is going to be interesting....

 Here is our handsome little man trying to be like daddy.  He is such a smart dresser...good thing his daddy got a job or we might not be able to feed his addition...:)

Walk with me

So Isaac has been trying to walk for a while, he started by standing a month or so ago and a few weeks back started taking a step by  himself and then two steps and then three last Thursday and then tonight he just took off!  I counted up to 9 steps in a row, it won't be long and he will be running!

Kids say...

the funniest things!

The other day Peter picked up one of Issac's dirty diapers that I had just changed and put it to his ear (only pee filled) and said Mom, I can hear the Ocean!  I still laugh when I think about it!

We were getting ready to brush teeth the other night and I was helping Peter stand on the toilet (our bathroom is too small for a stool) so he could reach the sink and I reminded him to be careful because it is slick with socks on.  Peter said "I know mom"  with just a hint of exasperation in his voice. Where did he learn to say that? 

Trick or Treat

We had a fun Halloween this year with the two kiddos at our ward's trunk or treat.  Growing up I never went to a trunk-or-treat and had the luxury I guess of going door to door but as a mom with two little ones I see the definite value of this method of candy gathering!

Our little Pooh Bear and Lion.  Peter was not sure about his costume when I pulled it out a few weeks back to make sure it fit, but by the time Halloween came he was excited, I think mostly because he got to roar at people.

Isaac of course did not understand at all what was going on but enjoyed the people watching.  Peter I think remembered from last year and kept talking about getting candy.  He did a really good job at saying trick or treat and thank you even though most people gave him candy before he could even speak.  I think next year we will try to take the boys door to door to get that experience.

Have you ever seen a cuter little Pooh Bear?

Our trunk: the spider tree.  We make popcorn balls again this year and made them look like spiders.  The kiddos really loved it, some of them even had to get help getting their spider down from mom and dad! :)  You can't tell because it is too light in the picture but the web and tree glowed in the dark.

Here is Peter's haul.  I could not believe how much candy he got!  And he got a lot of good stuff too, last year it was mostly suckers and smarties but when we (as good parents should) inspected his candy after he went to bed we found that the crap candy as I call it was at a minimum.  Now if we can just keep mom and dad out of his bag...

Isaac Update

Isaac's first tooth broke through yesterday!  Hooray!  I was wondering if he was ever going to get any teeth-it sure will make eating solid foods much easier.  I know you can't see it in the picture, but I will post another once it is a little bigger.

He has also started clapping which is really fun and he seems to know that clapping goes along with being happy and excited.  Peter thinks it is great that his little brother claps and will even help him clap if Peter thinks that he deserves some adulation.

Isaac is becoming more and more brave each day with his standing, I think I counted half a minute today of him standing all by himself.  I have a feeling walking is just around the corner!

Possession and a miracle

I had to take the car to the shop today because I swear it is possessed.  We had someone break in a few months back and we decided to leave the key entry broken so they won't try to break in again, which was successful I might add...but then we started having problems with our keyless entry and then I had no way of getting into the car.  It was annoying to have to crawl through the trunk to open the doors but I decided yesterday that no matter what the cost, we had to get it fixed because the car started locking spontaneously and I had gotten out of the car and it locked my kiddos inside!  A moment of panic and then a miracle, the key actually worked in our broken mangled keyhole.  It hasn't worked for months and hasn't worked since, but I am sure grateful it worked then.  A mother's prayer answered. 

So for the next few days we are sporting a minivan...I feel a little silly but at least I know I won't be locked in or out of it!

Recipes

Here is the link for the curry recipe that I made for Peter's birthday per a few requests.  A friend made it for us and this is where she got the recipe.  I think she likes the blog that it is taken from but I have not looked it over so this is the only recipe that I can actually vouch for.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Enjoy!

Also, Alan and I made some homemade candycorn this last weekend...and even though we practically burned our fingerprints off and it took a few attempts to perfect, we really like them.  A few suggestions if you make it though..do not involve children, work fast, don't cook longer than it says, when you are coloring the dough do not knead too long or it hardens and won't stick to each other, work in small amounts or have a really long work surface, work on a non stick surface-it will stick to your wooden table.

Slacker

The past few months have been a whirlwind and thus my absence from blog posting. From birthday parties, job interviewing, my back deciding to be a royal pain, church callings, and a major lack of sleep due to my adorable little monkey Isaac, I have just not been able to sit down and collect my thoughts. But at least I have been taking pictures...

August 18, 2011

 Isaac is getting the hang of eating food now and is about 50/50 on getting the food in his mouth.  He is really funny about new things though, if I try to sneak something in he notices right away and does this little cough-body shudder and looks at me like "what was that?"  we then try again and he is usually ok with it! 

Here is Peter and his new painting shirt!  He has really started getting into painting, although as you can see just about as much paint gets on everything else as it does on the paper! Thank goodness for Crayola!  He was also super creative this particular day and decided that the little plate I put the paint on for him makes a great hat.

 What a colorful head of hair!

 August 21, 2011

Peter is really into being like his daddy, here is our future Cougar fan sporting his dad's shirt as a nightgown.

 August 29, 2011

No other reason for this picture other than he is just too cute.  I do remember that he bumped his head on that DeWalt sander a few times though.  This poor kid is either going to have one tough head or brain damage from all the tumbles he takes!

 September 4, 2011

Can we say daddy's boy?

 September 8, 2011

Isaac has pretty much perfected pulling himself up onto anything, this was at our hotel in KC and he loved standing and laughing at himself in this mirror! Thankfully that took the attention away from the nearby light socket.

 September 9, 2011

Peter has always loved ties, but now he not only wears them but likes to hang them all over the house.  After our trip, he has started pairing his ties up with shirts and hanging them just like daddy's suit. (which he calls a swimming suit even though we have told him many times it is his church suit)

 Here is Isaac enjoying the fact that he has an older brother with lots of cool toys, he is going to give Peter a run for his money in the mess making department I think...

More to come...

things that make me laugh

The other day at church we were getting all settled in and I had Peter say hi to the lady that sits in front of us.  We sit behind her and her family most Sundays and she has even watched the boys for us so Peter knows her pretty well.  Peter obliged and said hi and she turned around and said hi can I shake your hand Peter?  To which he looks at her for a moment deciding and then raised both hands and proceeded to shake and wiggle them vigorously!  After a good laugh we settled on a "high 5."

Peter will often bust out singing "John Jacob Jinglehiemer Schmidt" at the most random times, apparently this song plays through his head often.

When Peter really wants something  our conversation goes something like this...
Peter-Please Daddy/Mommy
Mom/Dad -Please what Peter?
Peter-Peter NEEDS, Peter NEEDS it!
Mom/Dad- Peter needs what?
Peter-Peter NEEDS a cookie
Mom/Dad-How do you ask with manners?
Peter-Please Mommy/Daddy (this is done in the most pleading , angelic voice while trying to sign "please" so hard that he about takes his shirt off!)

We have hit the terrible twos and when he starts throwing a fit, he will sometimes stop lay down on the floor and bang his head on the ground and then start crying even more....

We are moving...

...sometime after Alan takes his boards!  But Alan was offered a job in the Kansas City Area which he accepted so we at least now know where we are headed!  YAY! 

Peter Turns 2!!

Peter turned 2 and we of course were so excited to celebrate that we spread the festivities out over a few days to make sure and include anyone who wanted to join in with us! :)  On Sunday Peter woke up to balloons and streamers everywhere, he was so excited he ran into the living room exclaiming " "Balloons, look at that!" It was a bit of a challenge tearing him away to eat breakfast and to go to Church but with some fabulous parenting skills of bribery (he got to hold one on the way to church) we were successful.  My parents and sisters came over for a dinner of Coconut Chicken Curry (one of Peter's favorite meals) opening of presents and of course cake and ice cream.

Peter definitely understood much better this year what the cake was all about, it was all we could do to keep him from diving in during the singing of Happy Birthday.  As you can see he thought it was very tasty.

A few days later we had Peter's friends from the neighborhood and from Church come over and play in the sprinkler, paint, eat and anything else that they could think of to make a complete mess of themselves!  If Peter's nap later that afternoon was any indication he had a great time, I hope everyone else did too!

It is hard to believe that just two short years ago this little man entered our lives and how dull and empty it would seem without him.  I am so grateful to get to experience the world through his eyes, it helps me remember what is most important in life-to laugh, to love and to learn! 

Some of Peter's favorite things at 2 years of age:

books

balls

food

his daddy

his brother

his mommy

his teddy bear

the swings at the park

going fast down the slide

sesame street

the zoo

the moon

balloons

ties

running

jumping

laughing

bathtime

dogs

swimming

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY!

6 Months

Our little guy is very quickly becoming not so "little!" At his 6 month visit he weighed in at 20 pounds 7 oz and 28 inches long (90th percentile in both) and in the week following has started crawling and just today pulled himself up into a standing position on the couch! I just stared at him for a minute in disbelief as he sat beaming at his accomplishment! As if life wasn't crazy enough chasing Peter around! He tends to try and chase Peter around so at least I will know they are in the same direction! I am exhausted just thinking about it!

I took pictures of Peter at this age on our bed and thought I would do the same with Isaac...little did I realize how much more mobile he is than Peter was! I couldn't get the kiddo to stay still for longer than 2 seconds so I didn't get as many good photographic shots, but I think they are still

cute all the same.

Firsts

Some "firsts" that have been happening in our home lately that are kinda hard to capture on film:

Peter
Went pee-pee in the potty
Goes completly under the water at the swimming pool and holds his breath (taught himself!)
Said a prayer all by himself
Climbed out of his bed (which is surprising because I thought he would do that way before now, but I am not complaining!)

Isaac
Had pizza ( well just the crust, and you would have thought it was chocolate the way he went to town!)
Has enough hair to style in a mohawk
Drank from a cup (which is good since he has decided to veto bottles)
Moved from the pack n play to a real bed

End of July

Can you believe that July is already over?  I can't But I am so ready for the fall, this heat this summer has been nasty.  It is so hard to take the boys outside to play because I am afraid they are going to get heat stroke.  So we have been trying to find fun things to do inside, thank goodness for playgroup, the YMCA and the library!

Here are my boys reading in bed one of the evenings when Alan unexpectedly came home early.  Alan's family might recognize which book this is. 

Here is Isaac on all fours...practicing his downward facing dog pose of course...he has been doing this for weeks and does pretty good until he falls on his face.  This last week he learned that he can move from this position to sitting all by himself so that is he current favorite thing to do.  He thinks he is big man on campus when he sits all by himself.

We did brave the heat one morning to head to the Botanical Gardens to feed the fish and play in the splash park.

He is Isaac sporting the new onsie that I made for him since he outgrew the one he got for Christmas.  Don't look too close because you will see his lunch on there as well. 

Weak Sauce

For those who aren't familiar with me and my life prior to getting married and babies, I used to be a pretty fit individual and prided myself with being very strong and capable physically.  I have played sports pretty much since I could walk and have spent many hours of my life on courts, fields, in the gym and enjoying just about any physical activity outside that you can.  Well, I am here to say that I now consider myself weak sauce, and I will tell you why.  Since having Isaac I have been trying to make it to the gym at least once a week to attempt to get myself back into shape and after some not so consistent weeks due to crazy summer schedules I have now decided that I am up for twice a week.  I am happy to report that I was able to meet my goal this week...the sad report is that I am SO sore!  I didn't even do much which is the crazy part, but Wednesday I woke up and could barely move.  I am ashamed to admit this, but it is true...how embarrassing! 

But you know what, I love it.  I love the stress relief, I love the sweating, I love the child watch, I love 45 minutes of time all to myself, I love feeling like I have an identity outside of the four walls of my house, I love pushing the limits of my body and telling it it can when my brain is saying it can't.  SO despite the fact that I am glad that no body at the gym knows me and that I can do my cardio and lift my weak sauce weights, I feel great-sore muscles included!  It feels great to try and reclaim my body, I guess we will have to see if I am successful or not...

Cruising

Isaac sure does love his walker...and he is one determined little boy.  He will chase me in circles trying to get to me!

funny times

Here are some of Peter's latest and greatest....

We were driving to my parents house for a visit which is about an hour and a half drive, and the last 20-30 minutes or so is through essentially corn fields. We are cruising along and I hear Peter start grunting and I look back and his face is red and with a look of pain on it. He then starts crying. Trying to figure out what is going on I ask him if he poops are hurting him and he states "poop hurting Peter's bum...kiss it mommy!" After a good chuckle and informing him that I am sorry he is in pain but mommy is not going to kiss his bum, I pulled over to let him finish his business and change his diaper. My first diaper change in a corn field!

I was nursing Issac one afternoon and Peter comes to sit next to me on the couch. He looks over and says "Mommy feeding Isaac." And I said yes, he is hungry. Peter then leans on in like he is going to join and and says "Peter hungry too, Peter drink mommy's milk!" I told him he probably wouldn't like it and that he has milk in his cup that is much better. He seemed to be satisfied with that, thankfully.

Peter has been carrying around a t-shirt on a little hanger for about 5 days now and you can find it hung in various places around the house. He will hang it up and then come and say "Like daddy, isn't it?!" This all because Alan hung up a shirt after he had ironed one day so it would stay pressed until he put it on...

He now calls "Mommy where are you and mommy come here" in the mornings after he wakes up as well as "Where mommy go?" Which I think is cute. When I go to get him, he says "There mommy is! and then wants to go see Isaac. Where he jumps on the bed, gets in his face and says "Hi little one!" Isaac loves it!

We were sitting at the table the other day finishing up dinner when it becomes obvious that Peter is filling his diaper, so I ask him. "Are you making a present for daddy?" To which he replies "Happy Birthday Daddy"

July in Review

We have been pretty busy this month, so I apologize for the lack of posts-but I have been diligent in taking pictures so here is the last few weeks in review...

Isaac is a super mover the week after he started perfecting his yoga plank position he moved to hands and knees. I don't know if I should be happy or cry...! But he sure does keep himself entertained moving pretty much where ever he wants to go, the biggest problem is making sure he doesn't get himself stuck under the couch or find some little toy of Peter's to harm himself with!

July 14, 2011

We have spent most of the month going to my parents for 3-4 days during the week while Alan was on his CT rotation and we happened to be there for my sister Leslie's birthday so I didn't have to transport a cake, which was nice. Here are a few pics, before the feeding frenzy. I think every butterfly was called for before the cake was even cut open. (A little fyi: between both our families we celebrate 11 birthdays in the month of June!)

The butterflies were really fun to make and Leslie even helped with them because she likes to learn to do those fun things...all in all I think it turned out pretty cute. ( Note, if you ever make them, make sure to work on a heated surface and make your antennae thick.)

Tired out from our traveling back and forth, somehow Peter and Isaac both ended up in our bed this particular morning...not sure how fair that is that they got to sleep in...in my bed...but I wasn't about to wake them!

July 16, 2011

Isaac has also master the walker this month, this boy is on the go! He also spends a lot of time with his chubby little finger in his mouth trying to work on his top teeth-which is perfect timing since Peter finally has all his teeth in!

Not to pass up the opportunity to be the center of attention, Peter needed a picture too. July 21, 2011

Is he not adorable? He is such a little roley-poly!

July 23, 2011

Isaac can pretty much sit up on his own, he does get a little tipsy when he gets excited or starts concentrating on other things...and he also sometimes gets the giggles in the evenings before bedtime.