Huston - May 2013

 

Island Lake Park

Huston, another month has passed and you are still changing so much I have to keep a list going so I won't forget things to include in your blog.  The picture above is from one of our recent trips to the park....you are park obsessed.  Luckily we have quite a few amazing ones in the area to visit.  This one is Island Lake Park and we were able to walk around the lake and you found a love for skipping rocks, inchworms and contemplating what the fish are doing.

Our typical day begins with you getting up, asking for a waffle and while I cook it you go in your room and pick out your own outfit and get dressed.  I give you your vitamin and you tell me how strong it is going to make you.  You then immediately want to know the agenda....."What's something fun planned today?"  I either tell you MOPS, community center or free day and then you list off everything you would like to do and who you would like to see.  I think you might be getting a little spoiled with all the fun things we get to do on a daily.  But I love that you don't want to just stay in and watch TV, so we go for it.  If we don't have a set plan, it is usually the park or exploring some of our new attractions.  And you always want a flower cookie from Panera.

Silverdale Waterfront Park with Fairyn

Digging for treasure

Always an action shot to take

Castle Park

Castle Park

Wildcat Lake

Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

Sharks with Mason

Feeding birds

Slides at zoo



Tigers

Unfortunately your love for baths has gone in the option direction of your love for being outside.  We now have to talk you into taking them and Daddy had to get creative....now he finds animals hiding in your hair that he has to get out.  You think this is hysterical and he can usually get you washed.  If I'm the one doing it you just play the control freak..."It's a teeny bit too hot, I like it just warm."  "It's a little too much water."  "Don't get soap in my eyes, just my boogers."

You have found the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I hoped we'd skip this step, but no luck.  It is cute hearing you say their names though.  You also like Rescuebots, Imagination Movers and Doc McStuffins.  You are also starting to show more and more interest in non animated shows.  Some of your favorites are How It's Made, The Voice, Big Bang Theory and you like to watch baseball and antique car auctions with Daddy.  You even suggested we get a '67 Chevy Impala to drive to Nama's house.  Dream big kid, dream big.

Getting packages in the mail is the best thing ever to you.  Every day you ask if we are expecting one and if one actually comes, you get more tickled with the box than what is inside.  You do like to be fair though and every now and then will say it's about time Nolan gets a package.  You are really proud of your big brother role and you try to take care of him and will give us commands if you think he's upset, "Give him a toy, give him boobie, sing him song".  You thing he is pretty funny and he things you are pretty funny so we have lots of gigglefests over nothing at all.  I love it.

I think you might have a little bit of an engineer's brain.  You will get toys out and try to figure out things to do with them.  The other day I walked into the living room and you had the string of the yo-yo tied to the knob on the entertainment center and pulled across the room to the ottoman and had blocks and other toys hanging in the string.  You love to build with blocks and play your angry bird games too.

You get very frustrated when you can't figure something out and will throw and yell at it.  If you don't want to do something or you can't figure it out you whine, "I can't no how."  But then if I keep making you try you will look at me with such pride "I did it all by myself!"  You drive us a little nuts with just screaming this high pitch sound out of the blue and throwing stuff in the air to watch it fall.  If you do get in trouble, you will go in your room and talk to yourself in a fake crying voice, "Daddy won't let me throw my bird.....Momma spanked my bottom.....I'm sitting in my room.....etc, etc, etc."  I promise I don't laugh at all.  Maybe a little.  You also really want to tease and your little comebacks are so awkward.  I don't laugh at those either.  Promise :)

Daddy is teaching you so many fun things.  This is great bonding for you two...much embarrassment to me when you blurt them out in public.  Some regulars are: "Get in the kitchen woman, make me a sandwich!"  "Shhhh, men are talking."  "Watch it you brute."  "Silence, you monkey."  "What the heck?"  "Ohhhhh gosh."

Even though you can drive us nuts, you will do something cute 10 minutes later.  We are really proud of you and the little man you are becoming.  xoxox

Nolan - 6 months

Nolan, we met you six months ago...time has flown by.  You have had lots of firsts this month...first food, first tooth, first knot on your head thanks to your brother (accident), first modeling experience and your first semi-crawl.

You always seem to be starving and grabbing at our food, so we decided to feed you rice cereal.  You loved it.  Since then you have chewed on a bagel, animal cracker, carrot, soft pretzel and a Red Robin french fry. 

first food - rice cereal

Along with your first food came your first tooth!  It's just barely poking out but it is there and I'm sure more are to follow because you are chewing and blowing raspberries on everything in sight.  You are also sitting up unsupported, scooting and rolling to get where you want and are up on all fours like you are about to crawl.  Your little bald head is finally filling in to and you are getting lots of hair.  You love to grab our faces and get a fist full of skin and have quite the grip (ouch) and you are throwing your arms up and down like a mad man trying to grab things.

Everyone comments on what a happy baby your are.  You will pretty much smile on demand and only get upset if left alone too long or you get too hungry.  Daddy thinks you are going to be his ladies man because anywhere we go both the mommas and the baby girls go nuts over you.

You want to play at the playground and parks with the other kids so bad.  You squeal at the kids as they run by and have the biggest smile on your face watching brother laugh.  You are sitting up enough now that we can let you get in the middle of it if we are in a "soft" place...but you still face plant every now and again.

You also love to be thrown in the air and love love love to dance.  We had our first dance party in the living room and you and Huston danced your little bottoms off.

Your laid back nature makes it easy for us to get out and about and you just soak it all in.  I know Huston can't wait until you are mobile, he wants to play with you so much but can't quite pick you up (did I mention you are 19 lbs already?)....but I think you'll be all over the place any day now!

This first half of your first year has flown by way to quickly and although I wonder where my itty bitty baby I brought home from the hospital is I have to say that I love watching you learn and grow.  Daddy, Huston and I love you so much and have so much fun with you.

modeling diaper cover

playing with grass at park

sitting up at cookout

Good grief.....

I will never forget. 18 years ago while driving to school I was annoyed because Rick and Brad from my favorite radio station, the KATT went to static.  I drove the rest of the way in silence and once I got to UCO and everyone was watching the news coverage I discovered why.  For the first time I realized that there was true evil in this world.  Growing up you hear about things, but if you are lucky you never really feel their impact.  Things like this did not happen in Oklahoma. 

Everyone deals with grief differently, but I completely separate myself from it.  I don't watch the coverage or trials or follow the stories.  I basically pretend that it's not happening.  I drove by the OKC bombing site daily on my route to work.  I saw the stuffed animals and mementos attached the the fence around it.  I saw it slowly transform into the beautiful memorial that it is today.  But I have never gone to the memorial myself, just driven or walked by.

Since then there have been so many tragedies...school shootings, 9/11, bombs, natural disasters.  I hear that they happen.  My heart hurts for those affected.  But I still stay unattached.  While in NYC, I went down to Ground Zero and only felt numb.

I used to feel guilty about this.  But now as the occurrences, both caused by nature and led by evil, increase....maybe I am a lucky one.  If I am able to distance myself, maybe I can keep a little joy in my heart and in the lives of my boys.  I hear people say things like "What kind of world have I brought my children into?".  I can't think like that.  They are here and I need to surround them with love and laughter and when they are older, then, they can discover the tragedies.  I know that someday something beyond my control will affect them.  But maybe, if they grew up with all they love I can give they will be better equipped to deal with it themselves.

I can only hope.

Huston - April 2013

Huston, Spring is here!  We are starting to get a regular schedule and you love all of the fun things we are doing.  We have joined two different MOPS groups and regularly do story time, the community center and play dates.  With all of this pretty weather we have been getting out more and are starting to appreciate all of the beautiful scenery we are surrounded by.

We try to get to story time at the library before it starts so you can pick out some books to take home.  You spend a lot of time selecting them and we read them in the library.....but once you get them home you completely ignore them until they are due.  I think we are going to try to only check out one book at a time and see if that makes a difference.  You do like story time, but you are kind of between the toddler and preschool age groups and it depends on the books on how interested you are.  You sit with me and Nolan at first, but will slowly make your way to the circle.  Since you like to be class clown, I think the quiet room intimidates you a bit.  You also learned the heartbreak of outgrowing a friend.  When we first started going your friend Ryver was always there and now that we don't see him as often, you asked me why he doesn't like you anymore.  It has a lot more to do with him not being in the same places as you, but I think in your little heart you took it as he doesn't want to play with you.

There is a park by our house that we love.  It is by the water so it's scenic, it's clean, close to home and has lots of fun playground equipment (on soft flooring).  Nolan and I can sit in the grass and watch you run wild.  The last few times we went you instantly made a friend and played, climbed rocks and rolled down hills.  You also think going barefoot in the grass is the best thing ever.

"Big rock"

Rolling

and Rolling

Picnic

Obsessed with toes in the grass

Made sure we all felt the "tickles"

You still like the YMCA and are becoming a class helper.  They've mentioned several times that you have gotten onto other kids "They don't like that here" and that you like to help out.  Your favorite thing to do there is swim and you drive us completely nuts asking to go.  You've also been asking to go to the beach and Disneyland....I think we might need to start teaching you vacation vs. every day life.

You are becoming more and more independent daily.  You get yourself dressed in the morning and do a pretty good job cleaning up after yourself when asked.  You have a few favorite outfits and I have to convince you when it's time to rotate them and wash them if you feel it necessary to wear the same one multiple days in a row.  You would wear your Cars shirt and shorts daily if allowed.

Your newest thing is your "party".  I'm not sure how this originated, I think it had something to do with a fort we made on a rainy day once, but it has evolved into you throwing all of your pillows, blankets and stuffed animals in a pile, burying yourself underneath and calling it your party.  It makes you very happy, so for now...you can have all the parties you want.  Later as you change your idea of a party, that may change.

I love hearing you play and I hear myself in your toys' conversations.  It keeps me on my toes with what phrases I choose to use around you.  Nothing like hearing you tell your toy to "Quit screwing around" to make me thing twice about my choice of words.  You will also ask me "Is this far enough?" when you are playing outside and go too far.  Or my favorite, when you tell Nolan "That's a good job, buddy."

You love playing with Nolan and you two are so funny.  At five months, he can roll and scoot around a little and he loves being in the middle of things with you.  He will grab your toys, your hair, your shirt....anything to get your attention.  You laugh and giggle with him and love it when we make "him speak" (we use him like a baby ventriloquist dummy sometimes).  You are very concerned that he only plays with soft toys, doesn't eat grass and if he is crying you will tell me to "Give him boobies" or "Sing him a song".  My heart completely melts when I glance over and you are holding his hand. 

I can't write one of these posts without including your funny Hustonisms.  You call me "my lady", if you think we are teasing or tricking you you say "You tricker", instead of cannonball you say "cannonbox", and you wont eat foods with "dirty things" which is anything you don't like. 

The best conversation ever went like this:

Lisa, "Doug, what kind of cake do you want for your birthday?"

Doug, "Chocolate with chocolate chip frosting."

3 minutes pass

Huston from the backseat, "Did someone just say cake?"

Hilarious.

My heart grows bigger every day for you and your brother and I feel so blessed and fortunate to be able to stay home with you.  I know a day will come when you will be in school, sooner than I am ready, so I am enjoying it while I can.  Watching you learn things and seeing you become the sweet, funny, smart boy you are makes me so proud and I can't wait to see what you will do next.  Love you buddy.

Nolan - 5 Months

Nolan you are already five months old and are changing so much.  Your personality is developing and you are a very sweet and happy boy.  You rarely cry unless left along for too long and you laugh and make noises all day long.

Physically you have learned a lot in the past month.  You can roll over both ways, sit up unsupported for quite awhile before tumbling over, you can pick things up and get them in your mouth, you like to stand supported and you will throw your body forward to get what you want when we are holding you.  If we aren't holding you, you will roll and dig your toes into the carpet til you scoot where you want to be.  Usually because you are trying to get near your brother or get a toy.  You are finally getting more hair and we are still debating if it will be brown or red.  Most days it looks brown, but with the right light you can definatly see red.

You have mastered the art of spitting bubbles and can make quite a mess.  The drooling and wet collars have started.  Your runny nose and chewing tell me that you are working on getting some teeth.  You can get your feet in your mouth now too, which is great fun for you.

You also love to be thrown in the air and swing around.  We went to a birthday party at a bounce house the other day and you went down the big slide with me and loved it when we bounced you in the inflatables.  You just laugh and laugh when you see other kids laughing and your eyes follow your brother everywhere he goes.  You want to join in so bad.  Luckily for you, your brother loves to play with you and make you laugh and he is always trying to wrestle and hug on you.  You just hold on to his hair and enjoy the ride, laughing the whole time.

We love you so much little buddy.  I love the way that you look at me so happy and full of love and hope I always make you feel the same way.

Huston - March 2013

Huston, another month has flown by and you will be 4 before we know it.  We are having so much fun exploring our new town and making new friends.  Today you were trying to get everyone straight and were asking which kid belonged to which mom and where you met them.  You decided that Mason had the dog, Ryver had pirates, Daisy was bubbles and Marley had Michael.  I don't know what you'll do if you play pirates or bubbles with anyone else but it set you straight for today.  You are really doing a good job asking people to stop if you don't like what they are doing (opposed to growling at them like you used to do).

Feeding birds with Marley and Michael

Kingston ferry ride

Park with Marley

Bubbles with Ryver

They won't let me take pictures at the YMCA, but you are doing a great job there too.  You know the routine now, so when we go to drop you off you get your name tag and walk right in and do your thing. They threw us for a loop the other day and had a fire alarm go off while we were there and you kept your big boy face on and waited patiently in line outside in the rain while they released the kids back to the parents.

We joined the library and you checked out your first library book and we try to make the story time weekly.  You aren't a huge fan of sitting still that long and you usually sit with me and Nolan rather than in the circle, but you inch your way up there close to the end.

You are still a big fan of Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins and Imagination Movers.  We have gotten so busy lately that you barely watch tv at all now, but when we do our bedtime stories you like it to be about those shows. And you like to dress like a pirate too.  But I have to do your hair "like Jake's" and make sure it sticks up out of your headband.

You have gotten your fathers shopping gene too.  If we are walking the mall and go into a kids clothing store, you look through the racks and tell me which ones you would like.  You picked out the shirt in your pirate pic above.  And you must match.  Every morning you pick out your own outfit and ask me, "Does this match?" 

Some of your funny moments are reciting commercials as they come on word for word and saying everything is your favorite (jacket, friend, brother, clothes, food, anything).  If you say it's your favorite and then I tell you mine is something different, you immediately say "that is my favorite too".  A typical reply to anything we say is "That's impossible!", "You are making me nervous" or "It was an accident".

You are a ball of energy and no matter what we do all day, you still have enough in you to jump daddy at the door and say "Daddy play with me?????" and ambush and climb on him until you get some attention. Most days he can barely take his shoes off first.

You love angry birds.  The game.  The toys.  And now on YouTube.  I'll do a search for them and you watch different kids over and over showing "their collection".  So you know what that means.  Daddy, Nolan and I get to see your collection.  Daily.

I absolutely love to watch you and your brothers relationship grow.  He's grabbing things and rolling over now, so you play and laugh and giggle with him.  You call him your best tiny brother.

Nolan - 4 Months

15lbs 8oz - 60th percentile

25 1/4" - 60th percentile

Head 17cm - 72nd percentile
(updated with 4 month well baby visit, guess I was a little off on the weight!)

Nolan, you are already four months which is conflicting because I can barely believe you are already that old but I also can't really remember what our family was like without you either. 

You are laughing, talking gibberish, squawking at your brother and cooing when you flirt.  You are almost sitting up unsupported and you like to put your weight on your legs while we hold you.  You are a pro at rolling over and somehow manage to scoot yourself right up against me when you sleep...no matter how far away you start off from me.

In the mornings you and your brother have both managed to get in our bed and we have a new game that I wish I could record, but since I'm the one refereeing I can't.  Your big brother loves to hug on you and he'll ask that I put you on him.  You will chew on his face and pull his hair and yell at him and he loves every minute of it.  His laughter is contagious and then before too long you are laughing too.  It's so much fun to start off the day like that.

You aren't always full of joy though...you hate to be alone and you hate the car.  Slowly you are getting better at it, but you have no problem screaming full force to make sure I understand your troubles.

I think you will be a great eater, you would probably eat all day if I let you.  In addition to nursing what I feel is nonstop, we supplement you with formula if needed.  You had a little bit of a corn muffin at Famous Daves and you seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.  I think we are going to be able to start cereal soon which I hope will keep your big belly full.  If we can keep you full, maybe, just maybe you will sleep all night too.  Right now you sleep about 5-6 hours a night in your crib and then I have to come and get you to feed you and we both fall asleep in the middle of it.

You have also found your grip, you held on to your bottle for about 10 seconds the other day and you reach for your toys.  Toys are very important right now because you want to chew on everything....my finger, my shirt, your blanket, anything you can get in your mouth.

We love you baby boy and are enjoying watching you grow.  I know big brother can't wait until you can play with him more.