Living life with THREE little Boyds: Summer is almost over!

I can't believe I let a whole month go by since my last entry. I can't do that when there's a baby around...there are too many little milestones to document!

Our days feel a little strange right now. Gemma doesn't start preschool for another week and a half, but all of her friends/cousins are already in school, and the pool isn't open until 5:00. I think Gemma and I are both ready for school and dance to start back up so she can see her friends regularly and we can get our fall schedule underway. She's so excited about school this year...which makes me so happy! She's such a big kid now, and it's a little surreal for me sometimes. She's not a baby, not a toddler...a BIG KID. I know I've said it before, but this parenting stuff gets harder and harder as they grow up. I get a little (okay a lot) annoyed at all the emphasis put on breastfeeding vs. formula feeding, cloth diapers vs, disposable diapers, sleep training...the list just goes on and on and on. Let's face it, there's no way to do things perfectly, and in the broader scope, those things really don't matter all that much. Once they get to a certain age, parenting becomes more about developing their character, teaching them right from wrong, and helping them learn how to process their emotions. Truth be told it's flat out terrifying. I wish I could go back to the days when my job was to help her transition from a bottle to a sippy cup. Even potty training is a lot less scary! There's no way around it, she's growing up, and growing up fast!

Makael isn't taking his time growing up either. In just a few short weeks he will be 3 and officially be in his last year of "toddlerhood". I have a lot of feelings about this, but I'll save those for a post closer to his actual birthday. They say there's a special bond between boys and their mommies. I totally believe it. I was secretly relieved when we found out Esmé was a girl, I wasn't ready for Makael to lose his role as "my little boy". He is such a fun kid and in such a great phase.
He recently got introduced to the show Wild Kratts which has only intensified his love of animals. Elephants still remain the favorite, but he has a special appreciation for kangaroos, whales, squids, and even worms now. Pretty sure his 3rd birthday will for sure be involving animals ;)
Our biggest issue with him remains getting him to eat. Our last visit with the specialist and dietitian was a little disappointing. We didn't see any progress between the visits and had to pay $400 for a complete panel of blood work, which came back normal besides letting us know he's anemic (and we already knew that). I'm very thankful everything came back normal, but I'm frustrated we still don't have any answers. I've decided not to go back to the specialist for a while and see if I can try and get him to eat with my own methods...and by methods I mean guesses. Thankfully I've been a little successful. He's still not eating healthy foods but I've actually been able to get him to eat cookies, cheerios, and even potato chips on a more regular basis. I know that sounds crazy and incredibly unhealthy, but I'm not exaggerating when I say he will NOT eat solids. This is actually a huge step for him! He'll be getting weighed at his 3 year check up in a few weeks, and I'll also be discussing all of this with his regular pediatrician, We'll see where he's at and go from there.

Another little someone will be going in for a check-up...her 4 month check up! I'm glad that's still a few weeks away. Esmé is seriously THE BEST baby. If you are planning on having a baby soon (or sometime in the future), you should seriously pray you get one just like her. She's so easy! It's almost unfair. She can "play" on the floor for a good hour, has set herself up with the perfect nap schedule, somehow learned how to put herself to sleep without any sleep training, and sleeps 12+ hours every night. God love her! Now that she's been with us for three months, she's aquired a few nicknames, Ezzi, Ezzi Wezzi (thanks Gemma), Mae Mae, and the most popular...Chubbers. She's just a little ball of squeezable rolls! I can't wait to see how big she's gotten. In the last month she has learned how to roll, sit in the bumbo, and giggle (oh my gosh the cuteness!!). Sadly, she woke up this morning with her first fever. The rest of us have been sick the last couple of days so I figured it was just a matter of time, but I still hoped it would bypass her. She wasn't so lucky, but has still been her perfectly pleasant self, just asked for a few extra cuddles today.

Some pictures of nothing in particular...