April

I rarely update my blog anymore but I don't seem to have time. Plus, if I were on a computer then I'd have a kid or kids wanting my attention/to play on the computer too. It's 3 am & I can't sleep after 90 minutes of getting the toddler back to sleep. I really feel like if he were my first I wouldn't of had another but I probably still would've. My 22 month old is high maintenance or at least A LOT of work. I thought girls were suppose to be the high maintenance ones. He still wakes up most nights & sometimes it's easy to get him back to sleep & sometimes, when daddy's solution is to throw him in bed with us & he gets use to it so he doesn't want to stay in HIS bed, it's extremely hard. Hence the 90 minutes getting him to a deep enough sleep that I could sneak back out. And I'm sure once I am tired enough to go back to bed, he'll wake up again. *internal scream* They say after 1, it's easy/no big deal adding another. That's still BULLSHIT! It's hard having 2, at least for me.

So, what about Alex, the 22 month old. He loves his sister & at times dislikes his sister. He loves to run around with her & play with her. They truly are 2 peas in a pod. He still isn't talking much & that's frustrating. I know one day he'll just start saying all the words I try to get him to say but it's frustrating knowing he should be talking way better than he is. Daddy, Mama, Bubbo(Bubble)/Puppo, & Go are pretty much the only ones he says. There might be one or two I'm not remembering right now. Oh, Cah(Car) also. He makes car noises, he loves cars or vehicles. He can run, it's kind of funny because it's a bouncy run. He wears size 4 diapers, size 4 shoes(though will need to move up to 5 soon), size 18m or 24m clothes. Still in a crib & has only climbed over the side once. I got the stuff to potty train him but gosh I am dreading it. With Katie we just holed up in the house but we are so much more active now with 2 library story time days & a park date once a week. It definitely won't be as easy & I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with it. He is still rear facing but I really want to turn him around. Katie was nearly a whole year older when we turned her & safety really is important to me so I'm not sure what to do. I'll probably keep him RFing until his seat gets taken out for some reason, then I might put it back FF. Maybe.

Katie. My nearly 5 year old. CRAZY! She turns 5 in 3 months, so  I still have a few months of my 4 yr old. Good & Bad! The attitude from this kid, I tell you. Gray hairs people, gray hairs will soon come. She also has not been listening, I want to bang my head into the wall most of the time. She adores her brother & she hates to see him cry. She's a big nurturer & will be the first to hug him if he's in trouble. She's also the one who accidently locked him in the bathroom a week or two ago. She's smart & I think likes to learn. She can, or has, written all her letters. She's not perfect on them & forgets how to write them but we haven't really been working with her. I should say I, I haven't been, because honestly I'm the only one that does. I know I should work with her more but it's honestly so hard because Alex needs to be right there & all up in it. She doesn't get the attention she deserves at times. Mommy Fail! Back to her, she wears size 4 & 5. Mostly 5's but some or most of her bottoms are 4's. Size 9 shoes currently. She no longer needs her side gate on her bed to keep her from falling off. Side gate isn't the right word but I can't think of what it's called. She's enrolled in the school district so come fall I will have a kindergartener. Say What! She's so excited for school & I probably will feel lost. The time has gone so darn fast! How is my tiny baby, my worked so hard & long for baby, going to be 5 in a few months & off to school? Not fair! :)


Well, I guess that's all. I'm sure I'm leaving out a ton but it's at least somewhat of an update. :)

February

Well, I have a 4.5 year old, which is crazy to me. I can't believe that 5 years ago I was pregnant with her & it's almost exactly 5 years since the first time I got to see her on ultrasound(due to a scare). This girl is full of attitude & spunk. Many people have told me she talks really well, which I have seen more & more of being around more kids her age. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right, the fact she does talk so well & seems to understand so much. She can count to thirty, though her thirty sounds a lot like forty. She has trouble with th & we can't seem to get it. She writes her name pretty well when she wants too. We need to work on her letters more but she knows maybe 1/3. She can write Alex too, though sometimes it's Aelx. :) She loves going to story time & interacting with all the kids. I try to make sure we get out & she has time with other kids. I feel bad she's not in preK but it's kind of pricey and from what I've heard from other parents they're teaching things she already knows. I know it's more about the interaction & being around peers so that's why we go to story time every week & the park. Her size, well, she's starting to actually fit into her age size clothing, sizes 4 & 5 in shirts. Pants, well, she's still skinny and she ends up with barely long enough or high waters. She's growing taller, which is good. I like that size 4's are barely long enough, if not short but it's hard when her waist is still a size 3-ish. I last weighed her 10 days ago & she was almost 30 lbs. WOO HOO! She may hit 31 or 32 by 5! She is crazy active, always on the go. Her shoes size(purely for me to look back on) is 8.

Alex, my little Alex. Almost 20 months old & 20.5 lbs. He's small but he's bigger than Katie was. His 18m feet are bigger than K's 2 yr feet were and he hit K's 2 yr weight at 19 months. He may actually be tall like his daddy, I guess we'll see. Oh my gosh, he is a TROUBLE MAKER! He is BOY for sure. He likes to climb on his sister & now our furniture. He will climb on something, then look at me with the biggest smile. He is so happy but is a brat also. He's in the 'let me throw something if I'm unhappy' phase & he recently started hitting. But he can also be the biggest love bug. He loves baby dolls & trucks/cars/trains. He likes to watch cars/trucks/motorcycles driving. He sometimes listens really well. At story time yesterday I told him to put the shaker eggs back and he actually did it. I was super surprised but I guess he sometimes likes to throw away his diaper. He's growing up, becoming a big boy. Which makes me sad, my baby not being a baby anymore. He's in size 4 diapers, size 4 shoes(between a 3 & 4 really), & 12-18 or 18 months(depending on brand) clothes. It makes me sad he's bigger than K was. It's a good thing, I know, but he won't be my baby as long as she was. It's weird to see clothes & pajamas fit him now when 2 months ago they swallowed him. My baby, why can't he stay my baby a little longer! He also has become more of a daddy's boy. He lights up when Mike comes home, both kids do. His speech is lacking in my opinion. He can say some words but he refuses to say more really or I cant understand them. Mama, Car(everything is a car), & Go are his main words. I constantly say what things are, trying to get him to say them too but nope. I know one day he'll just start talking like normal & I'll be surprised.

My babies, my babies are growing way too fast but it sure is fun to see. :)

18 months

I had Alex's 18 month appt today & yup, he's still small. The doctor walked in & just stared at me, like he wasn't sure how to approach the situation. Haha! All in all, I'm not a big fan of him. He was nice enough & after finding out that I make small babies he was ok with Alex being so small. He just stared at me quite a few times and when I asked to forgo the flu shot, he gave me this long schpel on how it's the most important shot today & how he really needs it because the flu is coming. Well fine, but it's the last time. Their birthdays are in June & July, non-flu shot times so I won't have to worry about being pestered again. So, my big boy!

19 lbs 2oz & 30.25 inches

That's a full pound & a quarter inch bigger than little Miss K at 18.5 months. I keep hoping he'll spring up & be tall like his dad but I guess not. He's healthy & happy which is what really matters. He loves to walk around, starting to run. He loves to hug babies & push items around the house. He LOVES all things wheels and gets excited when he sees cars, trucks, trains, or motorcycles. He loves to laugh & he's quite silly. He likes to run away from me, he thinks it's so funny. He's sensitive & cries if sissy is crying. He prefers to drink like a big kid, from a regular cup. He's still not sleeping consistently through the night & it's quite frustrating.

Katie weighs 29lbs 6oz. She knows our phone numbers, our address, & how to count to 20. I need to get her into gymnastics, she's started trying to do cartwheels in the house. 

September 2016

15 months & 4 years

Halloween 2016

16.5 months & 4yrs 3 months

December

My, it's been a long time since I've updated. Last I updated my son turned 1, now he's almost 18 months. What has happened in those 6 months. Well, we moved from Tennessee/Kentucky to Arizona. We arrived in Arizona on my daughter's 4th birthday. We had a party for her in Tennessee, so she did get birthday fun. We bought a house! I had hopes of getting Katie into preK but apparently it's mostly for the poor. If we want her in preK, we have to pay. There is only one school here that offers preK & it's not in our district of course. So, she's not in school currently. We do go to weekly story time at the library so she gets interaction with kids her age. Everyone keeps telling me she needs to be in school.

Katie update: She weighs 28-29 lbs I think & is about 3'2. She is still very curious about the world. We've worked on her letters & she can write her name when she wants too. She can count to 30. She is still crazy active, running around the house. I have been slacking in the teaching/learning department. It's hard with a little one in the house also. I need to get back to it, I'd like her to be able to write by the time she goes to school. She does know my & mike's phone numbers & she knows our address. She's very smart & loves to learn. She seems to have a good memory.

Alex: He weighs about 18 lbs. I can't seem to get that boy to gain weight, I tell you. He's walking now! That's so crazy. He started walking at 16-16.5 months which was a month-month & a half before his sister. He is such a happy boy though teething lately has him very whiny & clingy. He's still breastfed but I'm trying hard to wean. He loves being read too. He's growing so fast and I can't believe it. It makes me happy & sad. He's still not consistently sleeping through the night which is driving me CRAZY! Sleep kid, sleep! He Is A Climber! And sneaky. If the garage door(from inside to the garage) isn't closed all the way he'll go out it to play in the garage. Silly kid! His laugh is so cute & he loves to laugh. He gives great little hugs & kisses. He squeezes your face/head, I love it!

Both kids love being outside & playing at the park. That's most kids though. They still love each other & he loves attacking his sister. I hope they always have this bond & are always close.

June 2016

We celebrated our son's 1st birthday. How is that possible? I can't believe it's been a year since our lives were torn upside down. Alexander completely changed our world. Katie still adores him & he adores her just as much. These two are so sweet & special together. She can make him laugh harder & more than anyone else. They truly have a special bond & I think always will. We went to a Nashville Sounds game(A's affiliate) on Alex's birthday, just like we went to an Oakland A's game on Katie's 1st. Both of the kids were featured on the big screen and separately even at the Sounds game. It was a boring game though, home team lost. We're getting ready to throw Katie a birthday party since we're moving in a few weeks & she'll have no friends at the new place. I feel bad, she made a good friend across the street. I really have to get her into more things in Sierra Vista. She is a social butterfly. So, we're having a 4th birthday party for her and 29 days early at that. Haha. We might end up visiting California in between Tn living & Az living but I really doubt we'll get too. IF we do then we'll have birthday barbeques there as well for her & Alex.

Alex weighs 15lbs 7oz & was 27.17 inches. Size 3 diapers & size 9m clothes, though he still fits in 6/9. On his birthday he had 2 teeth & the hint of a few more. He's had hints of teeth for a month. Well, on June 27th he had 2 full teeth, a half out tooth, a 1/3 out tooth, a 1/4 out tooth, & one barely poking through. 2 full on bottom front & the 4 springlings are on top from left to right (his left to right, my looking at him right to left). He has 2 teeth that want to come out on the bottom next to his full ones. My, how my baby has grown.

Katie weighs 27lbs 9oz. My girl has grown. She was 25 for the longest time. 3T or 4T shirts, the 3T are getting tight. 3T shorts. Size 7 shoes. Her hair is so long but so wispy. She has lost a lot of hair lately, it's very thin. That makes me sad. I'll ask the doctor about it when I get her an appt.

Well, here's some pictures that I took yesterday. My 1 yr old & almost 4 yr old girl.

June 28th, 2016

Father's Day Gift

The brown guy is our first child, our fur-son, Hershey. He's 12.5 yrs old.

10 months

Time is freaking flying. My baby(boy) is going to be 1 in 6-7 weeks, what the heck. Where did the time go. While it's incredibly amazing watching him grow & expand his world it is sad. Sad for that teeny tiny little 6 lb human & my oh so small & adorable almost 3 yr old. They both have changed so incredibly much in the last 10 months. Sad!

So, my teeny tiny 10 month old. He's still not 14 lbs as of 13 Apr. I don't know what to do to make that boy gain weight. I started feeding him 4oz of food at breakfast & dinner. I started sharing my lunch and still this boy is a stick. He's also short so that doesn't help. He doesn't look unhealthy, he looks perfectly healthy, he just has so little weight. I had to pump the other day because he wasn't really eating & K was sick with a stomach bug so I thought maybe some breastmilk would help her. I ended up not giving it to her but the milk seems pretty good. Not a big fatty layer but barely any just watery layer either. It's mostly this in between layer of thick cloud milk. Hmm, maybe I'm making the good stuff right now. He hasn't been wanting regular food either. This boy would throw a major fit when he smelled or saw food but now he'll take a few bites & be done. He might be teething, he needs too. Monster man is still rocking his 2 bottom teeth. They are sharp, my nipples know that for sure. Though he hasn't bit me in a few weeks. He's still not crawling but he scoots. He loves to stand & in the last few days he's started to move his feet around when I'm holding him up or standing at the table. Not a lot but I think a little bit testing the waters. I'm torn because I see these months younger babies far past what he's doing and I am a little concerned and jealous but at the same time my baby is still my baby. He's still a innocent, not super mobile, baby. He can get from point A to point B if he wants for sure. He's gotten into the water bowl & made a huge mess. He goes into the bathroom too. He's barely starting to pull himself up a little but only to his knees and on the wrong dang things. He doesn't try on his play table, he wants to try on his unstable bouncer or the walker. If I'm holding his hands or underarms he'll get stand up. Usually straight up to feet but sometimes onto knees first, then feet. I'm trying to help this boy learn what he's suppose to be doing. He loves to stand though & likes to fight me when I'm trying to get him to sit on the floor. Our table isn't steady enough to let him hold onto that without someone there. It'll open & he'll fall on his head. He finally fell on his butt for the first time. He's the king of the TIMBER! Locking his body so he falls & hits his head instead of bending so he lands on his butt. Oh this boy, he might end up being like his sissy with all her injuries. Minor injuries but still, she falls a lot.

Well, I guess that's all. Have a nice day.

9 Month Check

Mr. Alexander (Salamander Flanders) had his 9 months well baby today & filling out the questionnaire was nerve-wrecking. All the 9 month olds I see & hear are standing already and some are even trying to walk. What the freak. Mr. Alex is not even crawling yet. He'll push himself backwards & he has started pushing with his feet but he's still a ways from crawling, let alone standing by himself! So, all these questions of *is he doing this yet?* and answering no to most of them was upsetting. Also his weight. Now on my scale at home he gained like .8 of a lb in 2 months. Woo hoo! At the clinic he gained NADA! Home scale: 13lbs 10.5 oz. Clinic: 13lbs 4oz.  I weighed him at home after breakfast, 2 hrs before his appt. Also he pooped on the way to the clinic so I guess that might be it. Le Sigh! But thankfully my doctor was A-Ok with no gain because he has grown in length. All of .8 inches. Also she was ok with my non-crawly boy. She had him stand just holding his hands & he supported himself. I've been trying to do it for a week & he'll stand for 2 seconds & be done & that's holding under his arms. I was amazed he stood for her. Then tonight I tried it at home & he did it. He thought it was hilarious to stand. And he even stood holding onto the table(for dear life). So I was proud! So, mister magoo is now 25.6 inches long. In size 6-9m clothes (still with growing room, 6m pants because his waist is small) and size 2 diapers. He LOVES bath time, definitely a water baby. I bathe the kids together & they both enjoy it. I can't believe my little man is 9 months old already, what the heck! It's going so fast! He LOVES food! If we eat, he must eat. He gets so worked up & whines when he wants food. Definitely impatient! Haha. I think he's a way better eater than Katie but shoot, it's been 3 years so I don't really know. Still breastfeeding, woo hoo!

Katie Bug is miss attitude. She likes playing on her tablet (because it's a treat, she rarely gets too), running, & singing. She runs every single day, EVERY SINGLE DAY! She loves singing as loud as can be, my goodness. She two favorite shows/cartoons are PJ Masks & Frozen(Let It Go as she calls it sometimes). She loves having me braid her hair because it's like Anna or Elsa (depending if I do one or two braids). She can spell her name out loud & she can spell Alex also. She is semi obsessed with counting down.

These two adore each other. Seriously adore! When Katie wakes up she looks for her brother and if she's asleep in our bed (she sneaks in after daddy leaves for PT every morning) while brother is feeding he'll look down at her & watch her. His face lights up when she walks by him & he squeals in excitement. He seriously loves that girl. He's a very happy baby & he loves to be tossed in the air. Oh, Katie loves riding her bike/trike. When we go on a walk at night she rides her bike while dad walks Hersh & I push Alex in the stroller. She is extremely excited about Easter, though she's excited by every holiday. She loves seeing decorations. She's bossy on the playground, I sort of feel bad for the other kids but she also follows once in a great while.

Well, I guess I'll go. I know it's a little all over the place but I wrote as it came to me. I want to write stuff down so I'll have record of it but it's hard to remember every thing. So, Good Night!