Dress-up

We had a busy busy November this year. There was good, bad, sickness, and decorating...we are now ready for Christmas...and hopefully a healthy one.

Our Christmas tree went up last weekend.  We were somewhat under house arrest due to medical reasons (I'll spare the details), so I figured it was a good time to decorate.  Our tree is beautiful!  I officially HATE putting lights on a tree, but after a couple of hours of labor and several yells of frustration, we got a beautiful product.  Truth be told, it was all worth it once I saw Gemma's facial expression.  She took interest in every single ornament this year, and helped decorate until every single one was on the tree. Makael on the other hand, had no interest in the ornaments (probably a good thing), but took it upon himself to be the one to add  extra chaos by running in and out of the living room tracking fallen pine needles all over the house. It was magical craziness.

Here's a rundown of our November...

• Gemma turned 3
• Makael realized the thrill of opening and shutting doors (and drawers, and microwaves, and latches,and...)
• I ran my fourth marathon with my sister, and got to visit my friend April in Philly
• Makael got sick, then well, then sick again
• Gemma has suddenly started trying to spell everything and add whatever numbers she can (smarty pants)
• And last but not least...

 lots of playing dress-up

Love her facial expressions!

Makael isn't a fan of anything on his head

Please excuse his onesie...he had just finished eating spaguetti

He'll grow into it :)

Speaks for itself :)

She makes a pretty cute pirate

November 14th

It's November. My favorite month of the year...  I love that the temperature drops and it's okay because Christmas is just around the corner, it's the beginning of the "holiday season" and Christmas music is suddenly acceptable, and it holds Thanksgiving which happens to be my favorite day of the year. Three years ago today it became even more special...our family was introduced to Gemma. No way I could have imagined how much of a blessing she would be.  

Before tucking her into bed last night, I reminded her that when she woke up, she would be three years old.  I'll be honest, she didn't have much of a reaction to that, but she was clearly paying more attention than I realized because she walked out of her room this morning at 6:45 (earlier than she has woken up all year) and asked me where all the people and decorations were for her party. Ha! She's got this birthday thing figured out.  She also wanted to go stand in front of her growth chart to see if she had grown :)

Happy Birthday Gemma!!

Warm beautiful day at the park...  

Pretty lucky to be their mom :)

It's been over a month...

I've become a bad picture taker.  Already! What is it about taking fewer pictures with consecutive kids? I can't figure it out.  It doesn't seem like I'm that much more busy, but clearly something has changed.  Regardless, starting now, my camera is sitting on the counter at all times so I know I can quickly get to it when needed. I'm clearly also becoming a worse blogger.  Last year I averaged about 4 posts a month, now it's about 1 a month.

Here's a summary of our lives over the past month...

We had Makael's birthday party and dedication last month, and to confirm my earlier statement... I didn't take a single picture. How pathetic is that? Although I'm not too worried since Papa took a bunch (which I would love to to see by the way). I can't say for sure since I was busy most of the time, but I believe everyone had a good time. My dad did the dedication which was very sweet.  Not only did he have good stuff to say (as usual), but it's pretty special to see him dedicate his grand kids  Thanks dad! All in all it was a great day, and I'm so thankful to those of you that came to celebrate my little guy.  I learned two important things that day...Makael doesn't like cake, and there's a nation wide helium shortage...who knew?

Little guy in a big boat.

Makael has started saying a few words! About time huh? He has a handful of words now including caco (cracker), unk (milk), eth (yes), gaga (grandpa), and et which is his go-to word apparently since he uses it for several different things. Notice "mama" is not in his vocabulary yet. He's holding out on me. Anytime I ask him to say it, he either says "dada" or just shakes his head and laughs.  Even the words he does say, he only says "when he feels like it". Little stinker! His focus is clearly still on mobility. You should see the little monkey at the park! "What's that mom? You want me to climb up all those steps and come down that HUGE slide all by myself? Sure, no problem!". This month we had our first bloody lip, and by bloody I do mean gushing. And you'll never guess who is responsibly for my first call to poison control...yep. Fun stuff.

Gemma's focus continues to be on talking. I don't know where she finds the energy to talk as much as she does.  It doesn't matter if she's all alone or in a group of people...she's talking.  She loves using big words, and it doesn't matter to her if she knows what they mean or not. Her conversations are nothing short of hysterical.  Her latest word...dermatologist. She heard my mom and I talking about it a couple days ago, and has used it about 4 times since, completely out of context of course.   She has also started referring to Makael as "our baby". This morning she came into my bedroom and said, "mom, our baby just asked for a cracker".  Ha!

Have you ever noticed how kids effortlessly make friends wherever they go? Gemma is an absolute pro at it.  I'm actually fascinated by her when I watch her make friends with the other kids at the park, or the bagger at the grocery store, or the lady sitting next to us at starbucks, etc. I wish it was that easy for me to make friends.  I've also noticed that while kids will immediately become friends and start playing, the moms seldom even talk to each other.  How weird! So I've made the resolution to at least introduce myself to the mom of any kid Gemma makes friends with.  I might be making a ton of new friends in the near future.

I have a couple of videos I've been wanting to post, but for some reason our laptop is having issues loading them.  Until I figure that out, here's a couple of pictures :)

Sporting their new hats

D

This is what happens after the grocery store.

Fall!!

Let me just say...I love Fall! I guess technically it's not Fall, but it's starting to feel like it. I think this is the time of year when I spend the most time outside. There is just something about the way the air feels and smells that makes me almost giddy. My runs are so much more enjoyable, my morning coffee seems to taste so much better, and I can now add soup to our dinner menu...Hello crock-pot! The kids and I have been going on really long walks every day, one day last week we even went on 4 (one of which was in the rain).  We sometimes go to the trail for our walks, thanks to the handy mile markers, and the fact that I have most of the trail completely memorized, I always know how far we've gone.  Gemma can walk a whole mile without even getting tired, and Makael can go a whole half a mile! Have you seen his little legs? That's a long way for him, not to mention he's basically running the whole time.

I've been told that kids are still considered toddlers when they're 3, but I don't believe that's the case with Gemma.  She has taken some major steps out of toddlerhood recently.  First off, she started coming out of her room in the mornings instead of calling for me to come get her. I'm surprised this took as long as it did considering she's been in a regular bed since she was 18 months old, but I'm also surprised by how much I miss going in to get her.  No denying it's pretty dang cute hearing her footsteps coming down the hallway, but I got no fair warning to this change in our morning routine, and it's just one more thing she no longer needs me for.   The same day she decided to come out on her own, she also asked me to take down her bed rails.  Yep, just like that! I was getting her ready for bed and she sweetly said, "mom can you take these things off my bed, I won't fall off I promise".  She kept her promise...she didn't fall off the bed that night and they have been off ever since.  The only time I had to put them back on was the night she had a sleep over with cousin Ariya. That in itself is weird! She should not be old enough to be having sleepovers! Ariya has stayed with us before, but they've always slept in separate rooms.  They got in bed together (hence the bedrails), got their flashlights,  then talked and giggled until they both passed out from exhaustion...by 9 p.m. Party animals!

Turning one is definitely a turning point in a kid's life. I've taken care of many kids, and it always amazes me how much of a change there is from one day to the next the second they turn a year old.  They suddenly understand more, communicate better, and overall seem more "mature" for lack of a better word.  Makael is no exception. Although he doesn't say any words, he now thinks his gibberish makes sense to me.  He'll stand there, look me right in the eye and "converse" with me, hand motions and all! Thankfully, when there's something he really wants, I'm usually able to decipher what it is. He had his one year check up last week. He weighs 17 lbs 8 oz, and is 29 inches tall. Still between the 5th and 10th percentile for weight, but definitely getting taller.  I have to admit,  I'm loving his tininess!

We've been busy getting some projects done around the house.  Just today I finished painting our basement floors so the kids can play down there while it's still unfinished.  It looks great but my shoulders are seriously killing me now. I think I've done more than my fair share of painting...it's David's turn next time. Unfortunately, the drama involved in the selling of our old house is still not over, which has been stressful for us, but we are really enjoying making our new house into our new home!

This is where he is most of the time we are outside. 

Going through her collection of postcards from Grandpa...she LOVES getting mail.

See what I mean?

Her current favorite activity...washing everything in the bird bath.

Best walking partners I've ever had!

9-9-11

Nine- nine- one- one...Makael's birthday! Has a nice ring to it huh?  I've never given much thought to the actual date my babies could possibly be born on, after all, the day is special regardless, but I have to admit Makael's date is pretty cool (and easy to remember). Today marks one year from his birth! It's baffling how this past year has flown by.  As cliche as it might sound, it feels like it was just yesterday that they handed me the most perfect 5lb 7oz baby boy in the world. Oh my word! There was a lot going on in the room after he was born, and I know I was partaking in several simultaneous conversations about who he looked liked, how small he was, what his name was, etc, but the only vivid memory I have is holding him for the first time, and thinking to myself how crazy it was to have THAT much love, so instantly. 

Fast forward a year, and he still has me pretty smitten :) 

3 days

3 months

6 months

9 months

1 year!!

Vacation

A little bit of Destin...

Love this picture of them!  Gemma's first time on the beach. 

Makael's first time...his opinion of the beach didn't really change the whole time we were there. 

Waving to mommy...I wish I had cropped this before posting it. Her facial expression was so cute!

MUCH happier inside!

Pretty sure they were the cutest boys on the beach

Working on balancing in the waves

Forget balancing...laying in the waves is much more fun!!

Couldn't resist posting this one :)

She LOVED it!!

I had to get a picture of the cute swim suit.

Taking a snooze on the beach..I should have realized it was a sign he was getting sick. He never fall asleep on me anymore.

And we're home!

Wow, what a crazy few weeks we have had.  Things seem to feel like they are in overdrive.  I'll try and give a quick rundown:

We started off the craziness by going to Destin for the Boyd family vacation.  What a great week that was. I'll admit I was pretty nervous about our first 14 hour road trip with two kids, but it went incredibly well (both ways). One of my favorite things as a mom thus far has been watching Gemma play on the beach and swim in the waves. She couldn't have loved it more.  Makael on the other hand, not so much.  He seemed the most content inside, or sitting on a towel where there was minimal contact with any sand or water.    We got to eat lots of good food, go shopping, go scuba diving (sans kids of course),  and even have an all family dance party on the balcony thanks to Gemma...she can get a party started for sure! You know it's a good family vacation when you're sad to go home :)  We are definitely blessed.

Since getting back we finished packing up the house, and have moved into our new house.  Gosh it's been crazy! Moving day was especially crazy. I can honestly say that without the help of our friends and family, I don't know how we would have made it.  Again, we are very blessed. I promise we won't be moving again any time soon :) It feels really good to be in our new home though.  Every day I seem to love it more, and I'm actually really enjoying the whole process of unloading boxes and putting things away. I have all sorts of decorating plans flying around in my head, but for the sake of David (and our bank account), I'm trying to pace myself :)  Gemma still asks us if we are going to our pretend home or our real home any time we are are driving around. The "real" one being our new house... Apparently we were just pretending before. Makael doesn't have much of an opinion, he's just glad his new room has a ceiling fan.

There have been a few changes with the kids lately.  Just today, Gemma sat with us through the entire sermon at church, without making a peep. That made her seem so much older to me.  There's no way she would have sat quietly before.
Makael seems to be realizing that in just four weeks he'll officially be a toddler.  Sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning he figured out the true meaning of temper tantrums. Yeah that's been fun. Along with that, he has also figured out how to run, walk in circles until he falls down, and do a somersault.  Okay, that last one is more of a work in progress but he'll have it soon enough.

I apologize for not posting pictures or videos today, I promise there are plenty coming soon!

Right now I'm off to shop for fabric swatches :)

On the go!

It's been over a month since I've blogged.  I'm pretty sure that's the longest I've gone between posts. In case you haven't heared, we put our house on the market in April and this whole process of selling our house, finding a house, and getting everything ready to move has basically taken up all my free time, as well as my sanity. Ha!  I wish I could say it's been a great experience overall, but the truth is, it has been hard, stressful, and pretty emotionally tiring. There have been a few disappointments along the way, and we are still in the midst of negotiations, but Lord willing we will be in our new home in three weeks! 

I'm not so sure Gemma fully understands what "moving" means. She's been pretty adamant about not wanting to sell "her house" any time we bring up the topic, but she definitely got excited the first time she saw her new room.  She got especially excited when I showed her her new closet. Go figure.  To say she's into clothes right now would be an understatement. She typically has 6-7 wardrobe changes a day. Not only does she like wearing them, they are her current choice of "toy". I let her bring a toy or two whenever we go somewhere...last week she took two pairs of pants to Target, and just a few weekends ago she took 7 bloomers (those diaper cover things) to a family get together.  A little strange...but whatever floats her boat.  Her looks are starting to change some. People are starting to tell me she's looking more and more like me...maybe it's the fact that she can wear her hair in a pony tail now.  Regardless of who she looks like, she's definitely looking older and more beautiful by the day.

I thought you guys might enjoy this cute conversation:

G: Mom I'm hot, can you put smoke on me?
Me: What do you mean you want smoke on you?
G: You know... that stuff.
Me: Oh sure, I'll put some perfume on you. 

Makael is a walker now!! He still has his fair share of tumbles throughout the day, but he's getting the hang of it.  At his rate, it's safe to assume he will be running withing a week and a half. It's pretty adorable to watch him toddle around but it still weirds me out at times.  He just seems too tiny! He now also gives "high fives", signs "all done", and pushes his little toy cars around like the best of them. I guess I'll embrace the fact that he's  becoming a "big kid".

Makael walking...and thinking Gemma is oh so funny!

9 Months

Can you believe it? Makael is 9 months old! He actually turned 9 months last Saturday but his nine month check up wasn't until today so I wanted to wait and be able to add all of his stats.  Little man is now 16 lbs 7 oz, and 27 inches tall.  Out of the 2 percentile and into the 10th percentile!!! There was definitely some celebrating going on at the doctor's office today.  What a relief! He really does love to eat these days. He's still puts up a good fight when it comes to his bottles, but put some real food in front of him and he's a happy kid.  There are only a few things that he will absolutely NOT eat, two of them being carrots and cottage cheese...no way no how! Everything else he's pretty much okay with, and if there's something he's not wild about, I can usually get him to eat it by mixing it with yogurt or apple sauce.  You would be grossed out by some of the concoctions I've had to come up with, but hey, a mom has to do what a mom has to do.  It's obviously working right? He's growing!

He's a little climber for sure! He hadn't showed any interest in our stairs, and then one day last week he just decided he was going to give them a try and climbed all the way up to the top.  He was half way up by the time I realized it. Now...there's just no stopping him.  We tried a variety of barricades but he outsmarted us every time.  Where there's a will, there's a way I guess.  The baby gate has to be up at all times now, either upstairs to keep him from falling down, or downstairs to keep him from climbing up. Even that has gotten to be problematic though, he likes to climb that too, which of course leads to him falling and getting hurt...better than falling down the stairs I guess. Gemma's little pink chair is another issue. It sits next her bed and she uses it to help her climb up. I guess Makael figured if she could do it, than he could too. After finding him hanging from Gemma's bed rail with only one foot on the chair's arm rest, we now have to flip it over if he's playing in there. Gemma really likes that arrangement though, she can use it as a slide that way :)

Now for the most exciting news...he took his first unassisted step! Recently he has wanted to do nothing but hold my hand and walk around. He's getting pretty steady and can stand on his own for quite a while now, but until today he hadn't tried taking a step on his own.  And wouldn't you know...it was at the pool. His least favorite place hahaha.  He was holding onto my leg, let go, took a step, realized what he had done, and quickly sat down.  That was just a little too much work for one day...he'll try again tomorrow ;)

He is one sweet little blessing that boy. He has the funniest personality...and recently, quite the little attitude. There is no denying he has a strong stubborn streak. Lucky for us, he was preceded by his older sister, the queen of Stubborn Land, so there's not much he can do that will really shock us...I hope ;)

Gemma showing Makael how to properly drive a shopping cart.

Sweet little guy

Taken on his 9 month birthday.

Had to take this with my phone. No way I was going to take my eyes off of him to go get the camera.

 

 

He really does have a very cute giggle...but I find this "fake laugh" just histerical!

My little helpers

For a long time now, Gemma has been helping me make my bed in the mornings.  I straighten out the sheets and comforter, then she hands me all the pillows. She now also wants to help me unload the dishwasher, vacuum, mop, dust and fold laundry.  She loves it. And I love that she loves it.  More often than not her "help" creates a little more work for me (or at least makes it take twice as long) but I don't mind. There's nothing cuter than watching her concentrate intently as she tries folding one of her shirts, then break out into a smile full of pride as she hands me a jumbled up mess.

Last week while her friend Makinley was over for the morning, they decided to take almost every single toy out of the toy closet.  Our basement was a total disaster! I was thankful that they were playing so well together and giving me a chance to do all the cleaning upstairs, but I have to admit, the idea of going downstairs and picking up all those toys was a little overwhelming.  As usual, I told them to start picking up while I prepared lunch, fully expecting to have to go down later and pick it up myself (at least most of it). They cheerfully began singing their clean up song which lasted the whole 15 minutes I was upstairs. I don't know what got into them, but those girls managed to pick up every single toy! They had every piece to Mr. Potato Head back in the appropriate box, the many MANY key rings back in their bucket which was placed  on the shelf where it belonges, and even the toy basket they had pulled out was dragged back into the closet.  I was speechless...and oh so proud!  I tested them again the next day to make sure it wasn't just a fluke. Sure enough, they had the whole basement picked up before they came up for lunch. I wish you could have seen their faces...they were so proud of themselves. Guess who is going to start picking up her own room now? :) I know the time will come when Gemma will hate doing any type of chores, and we will have countless arguments in regards to the mess in her room, so I'm going to enjoy this "clean" phase of hers to the fullest!

Helping me clean the windows :) I promise her shoes do typically match her outfit.

Makael still can't help me obviously, but he does a great job of including himself. He fully enjoys climbing on the opened dishwasher door (bad boy), or pulling out every piece of silverware... Calm down...I don't let him touch the forks or knives! His favorite thing however, is the vacuuming.  He is fascinated! He will stop whatever he's doing if he hears or sees me get the vacuum cleaner out and chase it wherever it goes.  Sometimes it can be a little annoying trying to vacuum around a moving object, but because of that, I am now a much quicker vacuumer (is that that right word?). 

Busted!

 In other news...we now have a kitten! I'll have you know, I am NOT a cat person...honestly I'm not much of a pet person in general.  I like other people's pets...I just don't like having them. However, David has mentioned a few times how fun it would be for Gemma to have a pet, so when Elly finds a 6 week old kitten in the middle of Providence road, it only makes sense for us to keep him...right? So now we have a cat...and I have to admit I really like it. It doesn't hurt that he's pretty dang cute and loves me more than anyone else.  It was hard picking out a name though.  I thought Gemma would appreciate being included in that process, but instead, she hated anything we suggested and insisted his name needed to be "kitty cat".  She finally agreed to "Samson", with the stipulation that she could still call him "kitty cat". Opinionated much are we?

Meet Samson! Sorry about the poor picture...it was the best I could do.