Ice Skating in May

Joshua AND Jason had their first experience ice skating today along with the girls up the street. Mira and I watched. They had so much fun and got a great work out. Joshua just loved it. The rink provides 'walkers' for unsteady kids to push around and Joshua loved that, too. They skated for about an hour and 15 minutes. I am sure he would have gone all afternoon but the public skate sessions are only 2 hours and we got there a bit into it. Mira ran around and I just tried to keep her nearby.

We have all been a bit sick with stomach bugs and sinus issues lately so most days we are just making it through. Plus, now that preschool is over we have to learn a new routine and schedule. The 4 day weekend of Memorial Day was nice but it made this normal weekend of only 2 days seem REALLY short. That's ok, we have a long weekend away coming up. Jason and I are heading to a B&B for two nights and Memaw and Grandad are watching the kiddos. It is going to be lots of fun for everyone. We can't wait!

Baby Tres is now 28 weeks along. I had my gestational diabetes test this week and rhogam shot. Now the appointments are getting closer together. Things are really moving along now. The baby is active a lot of the time now. He/She seems to be quiet for the moment but will probably be playing soccer in there again soon.

Last Day of Preschool

Joshua had his last day of preschool today. He will go again in the fall with the same teacher and new students. There was a nice picnic lunch and his teacher made little books for each of them. Joshua asked me, 'What are we going to do after preschool?'. Good question! I've come to depend on that 2.5 hour chunk of time so we'll have to find other fun things to fill it in.

Mira added 'fish' in sign language and also 'tookie' or cookie, and down in spoken words.

Mother's Day

I think I had the best Mother's Day yet! The day started with well... not starting! I didn't have to get out of bed. It was great. Jason let me sleep in and went downstairs to prepare a delicious breakfast in bed for me with Joshua's help. He made french toast out of raisin bread topped with powdered sugar and sliced strawberries on the side he had bacon and grapes. He even made fresh squeezed oj. My day could have stopped there! I ate and enjoyed the breeze rustling the leaves on the tree outside our bedroom window. When I finally, at the urging of Joshua, wondered downstairs I found that Joshua (with Jason's help) had made a fantastic card for me. It was great.

We prepared for the Mother's Day Tea next. Family arrived around 1pm and we enjoyed sandwiches, tea and other treats until 3 or 4. After that we vegged in while the kids watched 'The Secret of Nim'. We had dinner out at a local 'home-cooking' type restaurant. We put the kids to bed and watched an episode of Heros and that was the day. It was great!

Joshua has one more day of preschool left for the year until fall. He is really looking forward to the picnic. I don't know what I am going to do during preschool time! I've really come to depend on those 2 days, 2.5 hours each week to get things done!

I have another OB check up tomorrow. I am 27 weeks along now. The ticker says that the baby is probably 2.5 pounds! Baby Tres is such a mover and shaker. I had a massage on Saturday morning and the massuse, who also was a doula, said she had never seen a baby move so much! I am really getting excited. It isn't much longer now and I am so looking forward to meet this little one. Lots to do to prepare, well not really, just lots of projects that I think we ought to finish before he/she arrives.

Mira has become MUCH more demanding recently. She is testing to see what screaming gets her, um...nothing, and gets VERY upset when I leave the house or her. Even when she is with Daddy. But thankfully this passes within a few minutes.

Good Report

Both my boys are doing great in school! Joshua received a note today that he had 'his best day ever!' we are thrilled. He is really getting into the swing of things and talking about school... only two more classes left for the semester but we will look forward to next fall.

Jason passed both classes with an A in each and passed his first 2 (out of 5) WPE's (Written Practical Exams) We'll have to see what his plan is for the rest of his PhD.

Mira now says, 'diaper', 'apple' (for all food) and emphatically shakes her head 'yes' and 'no' in response to questions. She has been having difficulty with her afternoon naps and I hope she works it out soon! She falls asleep at 9-9:30am every day but that is not enough to make it 'til her 7pm bedtime.

The seeds that Joshua and I planted indoors are outside and thriving now. He is enjoying gardening and exploring the outdoors. Mira can climb up the slide and go down on her own. She is quite the dare devil so you really have to keep an eye out!

We are planning for our annual Mother's Day Tea on Sunday and looking forward to it. Right now the weather says rain but I hope that changes so we can have it outside as usual. Jill graduates with her Master's degree from SUNY Purchase tomorrow. Way to go, Jill!

Travel

We are up in New York now to see Aunt Jill perform. The kids did well in the car. The 3 hour drive is easy, they were contained and they slept for about 1.5 hours of it. It is the eating out and dealing with all the new stuff: hotel, schedule, etc that is a challenge. I think this is it for traveling without daddy! Jason finishes next Tuesday for the semester. He passed his first WPE!!!! This is fantastic news! Gotta go.

Speech

Mira is really catching on with communication and is adding new words every day. She woke up the other day and looked out the window then made the sign for 'bird'. The birds were chirping loudly outside so that made lots of sense! She nods her head for yes and shakes her head for no. She says 'peek a boo'. She is coming along with the potty, too and we can get through most days on two diapers. She uses them at nap time. If she is nakey butt she will take herself to the little potty we keep in the main area of the house. If we are out and about, I will just try her on the potty when we make stops. It is going great and I have ordered some training pants to make the process go a little easier.

Joshua is coming to the end of his first year in preschool. He has been letting me leave without a fuss about every other time. This Thursday is a Mother's Day tea and I can't wait. All he will tell me is that, 'I can't tell you it is a surprise'. He has been more involved and social recently. I think that a new friend is helping. He has latched on to the most social girl in the class. What a match!

Baby Tres is now at 25 weeks! Welcome to the third trimester. Time is flying by. I am just now starting with heart burn. But if that is my only complaint, I am happy. I still feel pretty good and energetic. I sometimes have trouble sleeping but nothing too bad. Jason and I are getting away to a bed and breakfast at the beginning of June with his and hers massages and two nights of uninterrupted sleep! I can't wait. It will be a nice break from this LONG semester of PhD classwork.

Off to bake some bread!

Breaking Through

Joshua and Mira both had great break throughs before we even had lunch today. At preschool, Joshua's teacher is asking more of him each class. She is judging whether he is truly having a problem (and being hesitant) or if he is just being stubborn. So last week Joshua would not wear a smock and therefore could not paint with the other children. This week, the teacher insisted but found a different style of smock for Joshua to wear. He still wouldn't put it on and paint. She just kept re-iterating, 'After you paint, you can go outside to play.' Finally, he sighed as if giving up, put on the smock and PAINTED! Wahoo! Next week she plans to ask him to dance with the other children. This is something he has resisted doing all year. I can't wait to hear the result.

Mira has been working on getting to the potty. So, today while we were out I took the potty with us and offered it to her periodically. She was dry ALL morning. Yesterday we only used two diapers. I am so excited. She doesn't like to go poo on the potty but catching pees is great. I know that she will have a set back when the baby is born. Even Joshua did and he was almost a year older but at least we are heading toward diaper freedom. I just don't need two in diapers at once!! I think I'd have to go back to disposables if that happens.

Strangers have been asking me questions about being pregnant. That is always my big sign that I am 'showing'. Guess it happened a whole lot sooner this time. Seems like I've 'popped' in the last week or so.

23 weeks

Joshie, Mira and I trudged out in the rainy weather today for an OB appointment at 10:15. Everything is looking good size and heart rate-wise for the baby. My weight increased by 6 lb since the last visit and my blood pressure is back down to 110/60 (a normal rate for me). It had been high since January but this last month when Jason also came back from the dr with higher than normal bp I started getting us out the door for short walks with Jack to exercise and de-stress, added more salads and veggies into our diet and started watching our salt intake. Seems to have worked. I'm interested to hear how Jason's has changed.

After the appointment we stopped into Ikea to recycle batteries and lightbulbs and then to Target to pick up a prescription. Now the house is quiet while everyone naps. Joshua is finally resting after 2 grumpy days of no nap and some really nasty behavior. I unplugged the tv this morning and the Easter candy is gone so I hope that helps things!

Happy Easter

Joshua was SO excited about Easter. On Ash Wednesday, we made a paper chain and for each of the 40 days of lent we took a link off and said a prayer. Joshua's prayers developed well over the 40 days and he went from praying for rc rockets and robots (as if praying to Santa!) to saying prayers for people and things he was thankful for. It was wonderful to see the progression. Then as Holy Week passed he became more and more excited about the Easter Bunny coming and having an Easter egg hunt. It was to the point where he was just a little monster! But Easter came and he got everything out of it that he wanted and Monday, even with the sugar high from all the candy, he was a MUCH better behaved boy. He had parent conferences at preschool on Tuesday and the teacher praised his progress from the beginning of the year. She even surprised me by sharing that during circle time he will speak up when it is his turn! I was shocked. When she asks the children to imagine something (like a fish) and then describe it he comes up with and shares detailed descriptions of his imaginary fish. That's my boy!

Mira is 'talking' a lot more. She has a few new words including 'light', 'sheep', 'thank you', 'Bear', 'pee-pee' and I am sure there are others.... BUT, the biggest change is that she has taken to sign language. She makes all the signs (Baby, Signing & Time) to the intro song on the videos that we watch. She also says 'Thank You', 'More', "All Done', "Eat", 'Milk', 'No', 'Please', 'Night Night or Sleep', and 'shoes'. So, we are definitely going to continue with those videos. Joshua has also started using the signs and understanding Mira's language and that has been a big help.

Baby Tres is now 22 weeks along. It is scary to think it will only be a little under 3 weeks and we will be at the point when we found out about the pre-term labor with Mira. He/She seems to be doing great and I have an appointment on Monday. I am looking forward to it. I have been working on watching my salt and getting more exercise (walks with the dog) to help my blood pressure. Jason has been working on the same thing because his was pretty high, too. 1 more month of school and he is done (for this semester)!

Profound statements from Joshua

We were out with Joshua's Godmother, Carie, her sister-in-law and two nephews yesterday when Joshua said, 'They have two babies just like we do.' I thought at first he was referring to himself but he doesn't usually call himself a baby. He went on to clarify, 'Just like Mira and the baby in your belly.' How wonderful that to Joshua Baby Tres is already part of our family and to be counted along with the rest of us.

We had a wonderful morning at Storyville, an interactive children's museum like add on to one of the local libraries. We had lunch at McD's afterwards and then home for non-naps, errands and a nice walk on the promenade downtown. It is a busy week for us with school, field trips, play dates, family visits and three nights of work for me. I hope I don't forget it is Easter and take a moment to celebrate.

Permissions and Photos

As you are probably already aware, we are making changes to the blog and our photo sharing account to make it more secure. We feel this is safer for the kiddos so I hope you will bear with us on these changes. If you are reading this blog post it means that you have an account now on our blog. You have an email address and password that you use to log in to view it.

The same will also be true for our flickr account. You can view the photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlowens/ . I am currently making changes so that the photos will only be viewable by friends and family and will not be publicly viewable. I think you will need to create a flickr account (it is free) and ask to be our friend. I'll work with you to work out the kinks.

Thank you for your understanding!

1 yr checkup for Mira

Mira FINALLY had her 1 yr check up yesterday. She is 28" long and 19lb 6oz in weight. Both measurements are the 25th percentile for her age. The dr. would like to see her gain in percentile for weight or at least not drop. She has been steadily dropping percentiles over the year. So, we are the high fat family. Joshua, Mira and I have been told we can add fat and calories to our diets :-) How fun! She also got three shots and impressed the dr by imitating the dr's actions with the stethoscope. Dr. Paxson said,'I haven't seen a 1 year old do THAT!' :-) Smart kiddo! She also had her final thumb check yesterday and everything is healing well.

Baby Tres is 20 weeks now, halfway! He/She is kicking up a storm. Quite the wiggle worm in there.

At church on Sunday, the children had a seder dinner. Joshua participated and actually tried some of the various foods. I was shocked. He also ate 'Green eggs and ham' at preschool yesterday.

While Mira and I ran all over the place, Memaw and Grandad kept Joshua out of trouble and raked leaves in our yard. What a HUGE help. We all had a fun lunch at McDonalds and the kids were very well behaved. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Lastly, Happy Birthday Papa!

Blueberry Pancakes

It's Sunday morning, foggy and early. We are up making and enjoying blueberry pancakes. Mira has plowed through two so far. I think Joshua has had the same amount.

Last night at dinner Joshua and I got into a conversation about the effects of drinking too much pear juice. He went on to say, 'Mommy, there are two kinds of poop.' Oh? Was my response. 'There is squishy poop,' he said. To which I replied, 'And what is the other kind?' 'Stick poop,' he said. Jason pointed out what a fine job he did with categorizing and describing. :-) Little budding scientist, LOL

Mira said, 'diaper' this morning. Maybe that is it for the bathroom talk right now :-)

Both the kids are enjoying getting outside more. Mira loves to go down the slide and Joshua likes to go down holding her. They both enjoy swinging. So, as much as we can we go outside to play. Can't wait until it is 60 consistently!

Joshua is counting down the days until Easter. He made a paper chain for lent and we have been talking about prayer with each link that he takes off. I think I will save his 'Prayers" that we have written down. It has been fun to see them progress.

We had a sonogram for Baby Tres on Friday. Baby seems to be growing just right. We watched him open and close his mouth like he was yawning and wiggle around. Each time we tried to get an image of his/her face baby pulled away or turned his head. Little stinker.

Signing

Mira had her first significant temper tantrum. She really likes phones of all kinds and got into a pretty big huff when I needed our house phone to call for pizza on Friday afternoon. She went into a screaming fit and was REALLY mad. It was the second time I needed a phone that she had on Friday and neither time was pretty.

We picked up a video of babies doing sign language for Mira to watch. I've noticed that she likes to follow along with Joshua's videos and will mimic or do what the characters are asking so I figured it was worth a shot. She did 'please' yesterday and that was on the video only she signed it on my body instead of hers. It was very sweet.

The weather was warmish today. Almost 60 and sunny. We spent a lot of time playing outside to take advantage of it. This evening we compiled a potluck bbq dinner with our neighbors. Jack was in his glory since he also got a playdate with their dog Rori. Joshua enjoyed having Staci and Stephanie (and the dogs) to chase and play with. I know he has sad some great things recently and I just can't remember them right now.

Tomorrow is a checkup with the ob. I am 18.5 weeks now and things seem to be moving along rather well. Today we had Omar, Arnoldo and Tio Jose over helping us work on finishing the basement playroom. It is almost ready to paint! Oh and I got to play 'plumber' when I went to clean the traps in Jason's and my sinks and ended up having to replace the pipes under my sink. So much for saving myself some time!

Checkup

Mira had an appointment yesterday to remove the surgical dressing and check her incision. Everything looked to be healing well. The dr suggested that she could just have a bandaid on her thumb from this point forward. I honestly just stared at him. A bandaid on the thumb of a 1 year old....any other suggestions? So he ended up wrapping it again. This time smaller and I can take it off and re-dress. The wound just needs to be kept clean. She sits and sucks on her hand, even with the dressing on it. I can just imagine how many bandaids she would have eaten by this point.

It was an almost warm day that ended up sunny after the morning. We made our way down to a local garden shop and picked out pansies to plant. Joshua chose burgundy ones and purple ones. Tomorrow we are going to start a few seeds indoors. He is enjoying watching the ones he planted from Nanny grow so I thought we could do a few more. Every days he does in and waters the seedlings. He is very good about remembering.

1 week out

It has been 1 week since Mira's surgery and she is doing great. She has managing to keep this third bandage on just fine and we are mostly able to keep it clean. She uses her hand a lot and has not complained at all about any discomfort. We will go tomorrow and have the bandage and stitches removed. Joshua is going, too so we will see his opinion of the whole thing. I think he is curious as long as whatever is happening is not happening to him.

Mira finally got her 2nd top front tooth in today. So that completes 4 on the bottom and 4 on the top. I think she can take a break now :-) 6 teeth in about a month is enough for Mommy!

Baby Tres is a little gymnast and is already moving around a lot. I am almost to 18 weeks and am getting kicked regularly. I even felt one from the outside the other night. I have an OB appointment on Monday and a thyroid appointment Friday of next week so I went for my blood draw today. I hope my numbers are better this time. I am pretty sure my weight is up. I've been checking it and by my scale I have gained 5 pounds. So that is good news. Now that the weather is starting to warm up I've been getting out with the kids, Jason, Jack (whomever will join me!) to walk when I can. I can't believe how out of shape I am! I guess a winter of sitting around trying not to be sick all day will do that to you. Other than that, YES I am taking it easy! I nap with the kids pretty much every day and do only the stuff necessary for taking care of them or the house. I wonder now if I didn't have contractions throughout my pregnancy with Joshua and just not realize it. I have already been feeling some this time around.

The basement playroom we have been working on is coming along well. We are almost done with the drywall and spackling and ready to move on to the painting stage. I can't wait! We are really trying to thin things out in the process and that has been a great motivator, too.

Operation

The past two days have been a whirlwind but I think that the tornado is calming down. My parents came out Sunday evening to be able to watch Joshua first thing in the morning on Monday. Jason, Mira and I were up and out by 5am in order to be at the hospital at 6am on Monday. We navigated our way to the pediatric pre-op room and waited for our turn to be seen by first the nurse, then the surgeon and lastly the anesthesiologist. It was comforting being in a place where the people do these kinds of procedures every day and there is a steady routine to how things work. On the other hand it was also very comforting that the dr's and nurses did not treat us like having surgery was an every day occurrence. I felt especially comfortable after the anesthesiologist came in, sat down on the floor where Mira and I were playing, examined her there and explained what was going to happen. He truly got down on our level.

The surgery itself went quickly. Jason took Mira in and I am very glad. I could not have seen my baby girl like that. We waited about an hour and then got the call that the surgery had started. They were with her for about 40 minutes and then she was wheeled by the waiting room screaming, alert and awake. We were able to meet her in recovery about 5 min later and sit with her while they monitored her and discharged her. We were only there another hour. She was intermittently groggy, fussy and thirsty until we left. When we walked out of the hospital she immediately perked up and calmed down. She slept on the drive home and when we got home she ate a little bit before we laid her down for a nap. And by eat a little bit I mean a bowl of applesauce and a bowl of yogurt. She was hungry!

She slept for about 2.5 - 3 hours and then woke up when I went in to check on her. My mom noticed that her fingers had slipped pretty far down into the cast. I called the dr and within about 10 min she had the cast completely off. So, we headed back to the hospital (a 45 min drive on a good day) and went to the ER to have a full cast applied. That lasted until 11:30 am today when that one fell off, too and we had to head back AGAIN. This time they padded her hand well and then basically taped her hand and up her arm. They put it in a makeshift sling and we are hoping this one will last until next Tuesday when the dressings can come off.

Her thumb looks good though. The incision is clean and the stitches are intact. She is in great spirits and hasn't had an pain medications since 4pm yesterday. I had a sigh of relief when the surgery was over yesterday and we were heading home. I guess that was premature. I will sigh again after next Tuesday and I can stop worrying that I am going to have to race down to the hospital on a daily basis. She has a bit of a name for herself among the staff at the dr's office as a Hudini. Although I can honestly say she didn't make the casts come off they literally just fell off. I hope this one sticks!

One more tooth

Mira's bottom right tooth came in that we have been waiting for. She now has one more that is on the brink and then she will have gone from two teeth to 8 in about a month.

We are set for surgery tomorrow at 7:30 am. Now it is time to actually think about getting down there and stuff. I've been putting it off but I have to think a little so I know what time to set the alarm for.

Busy Week & Preparations

So the week started out at 8 degrees with 7.5 inches of snow and now today it is going to be 68 and sunshine. Doesn't seem possible! I hope that we are able to get out and enjoy the lovely weather. I hear there is some rain on the forecast for tomorrow but as long as it is warm, I don't care!

On Tuesday, Mira had her pre-op appointment for her surgery this Monday. That went fine. It was mostly paperwork. She did get weighed and measured though and she is STILL too tiny to turn her carseat around. She only weighs 18 lb 12 oz (needs to weigh 20 lb) and is 28 inches tall.

On Wednesday we mostly stayed in. Tuesday and Thursday tend to be our big running around days since we are already out for Joshua's preschool.

On Thursday, Mira had her first big blood test and did great. She just watched the whole time while the technicians and I sang to her. She didn't flinch when the needle went in and she didn't cry or fuss one bit. It was amazing. I had to wait until later in the day to have her x-ray done when Jason was home.

On Friday we had story time at the library and then Joshua's dr. appointment. We were able to get outside and play since the temperature was in the 50's. Jack took advantage and ran away. So we had to get him back. Thankfully Staci and Alex (our neighbors) were able to chase him down.

I have been giving Mira a chance to go potty on the training potty and she is doing great. Earlier in the week I was sitting her on it and asking her to go potty. Then within a day or two of that I could tell she was actually trying to go when I asked. So I took a risk and yesterday morning I let her run around without any pants on. She took herself to the potty by herself all morning and didn't have one accident. She went poopy on the potty later that day and today we are trying again. I am so proud of her! I think we will keep this up for a week and then I am going to see if I can get her to start telling me. It is so much fun!

Snowy Day

By the end of the snowfall today we had about 7" or so. It was enough for Joshua to spend a good deal of time outside sledding, building a snowman and throwing snowballs with the neighbor kids. The weather was NOT WARM. Ok, you might be saying, 'When is a snowy day warm?' however there are snow days when you could survive with heavy clothes and gloves and not loose a limb because of the cold. Today it was in the 20's/low 30's and very, very windy. I was surprised at how long Joshua stayed out because he usually doesn't like the cold but he was entertained and when he did come in he snuggled up in a blanket to get warm.

We had soup and muffins for dinner. It just seemed right!

Snow Day!

We went to bed last night with the snow falling and estimations of 5-8" by morning. It was only 2" or so when we woke up but the snow is still falling so we may yet get a few more inches. It is certainly enough for Joshua to go sledding. Mira isn't thrilled about the snow but she does like to ride in the sled. I guess March is coming in like a Lion! I love these late winter snows. But really only when they bring mountains of snow and shut everything down. Jason was off to school this morning and said that NO ONE was on the road but he also said that school didn't get any snow and was therefore not closed. So he is driving slowly. He has midterm review today for a test on Wednesday and homework due.

We are without a water heater for the moment. I hope that the snow doesn't get in the way of getting another one in place. We could have had one installed on Saturday but I found an energy efficient one that qualified for rebates and it was not available until this Thursday. So we are washing our dishes as though we are camping and turning on the water heater just to take a quick shower. It has a slow leak out the bottom. I hope it doesn't bust!

The teeth are coming!

Mira got another tooth in yesterday, top middle left, and has three more that are just below the surface. She is dealing with this all rather well but has moments of fussiness.

Joshie has been needing our attention more and more but school (for Jason) and house (for both of us) have been draining our time. The hot water heater went up this weekend and took some time of research and phone calls to get straightened out. There are, of course, always a dozen pots in the fire and Joshua does not understand why at any given moment we can't go outside to ride his trike or play legos. So, things have been escalating more and more but we are managing.

Mira has her pre-op appointment this Tuesday and then surgery next Monday for her thumb. We had a taste of warm weather on Friday and are back to snow and cold today. Spring is March 20 and I am counting the days!

Baby Tres is 15 weeks old. She has relieved me of my nausea and I can stay up a bit longer without crashing so all that is good. I have been tossing and turning in the early hours of the day but it may just be all the other stuff going on and not the pregnancy. But between that and Josh and Mira taking poor naps, I am tired. Baby's little body is almost fully formed and now she will spend time growing and fully developing all her parts. Seems like time is flying!

new teeth and new skills

Mia is now crawling down the step from our kitchen into our living room. She has been able to crawl up this step for a while now but usually just stood at the top and hollared when she wanted down. As of Friday, I think, she started making her way down the step. Guess it is time to show her how to go down the flight of stairs.

Mira is also cutting teeth left and right, top and bottom. She has a new front bottom tooth on the right and her two top middle front teeth are coming in as well.

Happy 1st Birthday, Mira!

Sunday we celebrated Mira's 1st birthday with a teddy bear themed party. Aunt Jill came down and Grandma Owens flew out. It was a really fun time and we enjoyed having our guests!! Joshua and Mira were very sad to see Grandma go today but thankfully she AND Papa will be out after Baby Tres comes along.

Mira just loved her party. She was very social, toddling around entertaining her guests. She loved when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her and smiled and clapped along. She opened presents with lots of help from Joshua and was just plain cute for the day (well she is every day!)

She was scheduled for her 1 year appt today but due to a flat tire we could only take 1 child 1 place and since Joshua missed school twice last week his needs trumped hers. The appointment has been rescheduled to MARCH 31!!! Very frustrating but there was just no other option today. Her hand surgery is scheduled for March 9 and she will be in on March 3 for a pre-op appointment.

So I don't have any updates on her height and weight and all that jazz but I imagine that she weighs about 20 pounds now. She is just moving from 9mos to 12 in clothing. She has grown a little but I am just tired of the 9 mos clothes!!

It seems that everyone is finally over that nasty flu bug. Until Sunday Joshua was still having residual issues but it seems that they have finally worked themselves out. Jason is going crazy with school and work and has midterms tomorrow and homework due. He is working hard to complete it all!

I had a checkup on Monday for Baby Tres. We heard the heartbeat, a wonderful 150 bpm. There was some concern since I have managed to loose 3 pounds but both my dr and endocrinologist are working together to try and figure out the cause and hopefully get me back to gaining weight soon. :-) Trust me, I AM trying!!

Have Hair Problems? Call Joshua!

Joshua was patting Mira's head a dinner tonight and said, 'If I pet her head like this, it will make her hair get BIG.' If that's all it took, we could market his magic hands to the hair club for men!

We had been very busy AND THEN the whole house came down with a stomach bug. Mira started it out and I didn't realize it. Then Sunday morning at 7:30 I started and thought it was morning sickness that thought vanished quickly as I was on and off sick every 30-60 min until 3 and again at 6. Jason started in next and then Joshua. When I called the dr she said, 'Don't eat anything, it will just come back out.' We were a mess. None of us are up to speed yet and we are trying to get enough food in with just a bland diet but everyone has at least returned to a functioning level. At 4 on Sunday I called out the door to my neighbors who were visiting outside and passed Mira off to them with a few diapers until her bedtime at 7. She was just wondering around the house and no one was really able to care for her. Unfortunately, she managed to infect two other people in two different households. Typhoid Mira.

So, in trying to explain this illness to Joshua I said there was a bug or a virus in our blood that was making us sick. Later that day he asked if I still had 'Spiders in my blood pressure' it is interesting what his brain translates to!

We are still working on getting the house and everything ready for our guests and Mira's first birthday party on Sunday. It would have been impossible if my parents had not come out Monday and stayed until this evening. They took care of us and cleaned the house. Amazing. Things may not be exactly as I had envisioned them but the house is clean and the important stuff is getting done and that is going to have to be enough, this time.

11 weeks down

I haven't journalled much of this pregnancy. I guess the idea is the less I count the days the faster they will go and the sooner I will be out of this yucky stage. The days have been long. I am exhausted all the time and generally nauseated. But I have not thrown up. I just have to eat constantly whether I feel like it or not and that keeps the major sick feelings at bay. I hope that by next week it will start to fade.

I am definitely gaining weight (whether water, bloating or otherwise!) my belly is getting chubby less where the baby is growing than I think where the food is going. Mira's pediatrician suggested weighing myself on an accurate scale once a week to be sure that I continue to gain consistently since there are 3 of us relying on my body right now! So rather than invest in an expensive scale I think I will just see if my primary care physician will let me us his once a week.

I tried a new endocrinologist this past week. My thyroid numbers are high right now but she changed my medication to bring them down. She seems like a good fit so far and I like that she doesn't need me to come in to the office just to review bloodwork, the office is in town (not 30 min away) and she seemed to hear what I was saying & asking. So hopefully this will go well.

So, we are in the third month and almost to the end of the first trimester. I am looking forward to the fun parts of pregnancy: growing belly, feeling great and duh the BABY in the end. I have to remind myself that there really isn't anything we need to be doing right now. We don't need clothes or a room or any baby things this time around so it is just 'business as usual' for a while. Oh and by the way I am pretty sure I have felt a 'flutter' or two :-)

Sleep Happens

Last night Mira slept from 7:30pm-5:00 am without waking up! I of course was up all night worried that she wasn't waking up but I really could get used to this! I hope it is a trend. I've been waiting for her to start sleeping through the night.

Joshua seems to be doing well with 'Love and Logic' and so are we. I think he likes having choices and realizes that things happen because of his actions. It has been a learning experience for all of us but I believe we are on to something here. Certainly, I am in a better mood at the end of the day and that makes everyone happier!!

Updates

The kids have been sick with cough, cold and pink eye issues for the past week or so. I tried to avoid it but I am not doing such a great job. I hope it passes soon! The nights are long when Mira cannot breath through her nose and wakes up very frustrated and hurting.

We have been working with Joshua using a book called, "Love and Logic". You can see more on the website, loveandlogic.com (I think). Anyway, it is a whole new route for us. Nothing else was working for us to communicate with Joshua and this seemsto be working so far. It is not magic but the difference has been that at the end of the day I am not at my wits end as I have been in the past. He is learning that Mommy and Daddy mean business and that the ball is in his court to make good decisions so it is a win/win situation.

We are watching Mira to see her nursing habits. I plan to start weaning her around her first birthday and she has shown no signs that she wants to wean so this is going to be interested. She likes to nurse through the night the most. She nurses 1-3 times during the day but since she has been sick AND teething she has wanted to nurse more. It is hard. So once everyone is well I think we can start cutting back at least one nursing at night and then go from there.

Other news - looks like I will be putting another 'ticker' up on our page soon. We are expecting Baby Tres. The Dr's due date which is pretty fuzzy at best is August 19. Baby Tres was our New Year's surprise and we are anxiously looking forward to all the change and excitement he or she will bring.

In a matter of minutes

Joshua stuck something up his nose and shocked himself. Do I get a nap now?

We were working on discipline and had him in a quiet time in his room. We were actually standing right outside the door and I had removed all the toys from his room but there was a googly eye sitting on his dresser and at some point in the quiet time he must of stuck it up his nose. When he was done in quiet time he came out saying, 'Can you get the eye out?' It didn't take much questioning to figure it out. Luckily, he had a snotty nose and was able to blow it out in a tissue.

Then, we went downstairs and he requested a 'donut' (a bagel) So we were busy toasting that. Jason had one, too and Mira needed a snack. Things were busy. Joshua asked about getting the bagel out with a knife and we said, no you do not use a knife to remove anything from the toaster. Then he asked if you use your fingers or your hands and we said, your fingers and then I turned my back and heard a metal thing drop and Joshua holler and cry. I found the little cheese spreader knife with a ceramic handle sitting on the ground next to chair placed in front of the toaster. The handle probably keep him from getting more hurt than he did. I think only one finger touched the metal of the knife and that is the finger he hurt. Although he did have an ache further up his arm a few minutes later.

And it is now that I am thankful that we live on a street with two paramedics.

New Tooth

I have been feeling like Mira has been teething but not seeing anything to confirm this and then this morning I looked and low and behold she had a new tooth! Her top right incisor came down. So now she has her two front bottom teeth and one incisor. Funny girl.

Mira is 11 mos old, Joshua to the dentist

Just one more month and Mira will be ONE! It is hard to believe that this year has gone by so quickly. She is so vibrant and happy and joyful. I am so happy that her sleep has done a 180! Now, we put her down to bed and she just drifts off holding on to teddy and listening to her sleep sheep. She is still waking up 2am, 4am and then 6:30am for the day and I can't figure that out but I am sure time will tell.

I think Mira has gained weight even since Christmas. Her increased sleep may have something to do with it. Her thighs are filling out and I can feel that she is heavier. She is up to about 20 pounds now.

Joshua went to the dentist again today. He got a clean bill of teeth and made some progress as far as talking to the hygienists. He still had a difficult time when it came to the exam but thankfully they just had the dentist look and not the dentist and the hygienist. He will go back in 6 mos and we can hope for more small steps.

School is also going well for Joshua and we are planning to sign him up again next year. The program then will be 3 days instead of 2 but since it is still only 2.5 hours I think this will be ok. We'll have to see how it goes.

I LOVE Target

Today Mira finally received the high chair she needed since she has been standing up in the portable high chair/booster we had her in. The new chair has a 5-point harness and is stand alone. Target had all their baby gear on sale half price so we got the chair for $35.

Then I couldn't pass up the sit and stand stroller they also had on sale. I've been looking at them and the price was right. We assembled everything and took the kids for a walk after lunch. Joshua loved the freedom of being able to sit forwards or backwards or stand. Mira loved being able to see everything and I loved that they were contained!

I picked up a number of other things, too. The sales were just great and I like to stock up on gifts for the nieces and nephews while I can get good bargains.

I also had a fantastic talk with Aunt Jacque today. She gave me a number of ideas to try with Joshua since discipline again has not been working. It has helped being home and back on our regular schedule but Jason and I have again been feeling like we are at our wit's end. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my son. He says the funniest and sweetest things and can be VERY kind but he also has an intense personality and can be VERY difficult to manage in the next second.

We enjoyed dinner with Ron, Christine and the kids on Friday evening. Mira impressed them with her tricks, saying 'ow' when she bumped her head, meowing, saying 'uh-oh' when she dropped anything, smiling, running around the house and just being her cute self. Josh and Val enjoyed flying their new planes. Yana tried to stay out of Joshua's reach, the dogs played together, Jason and Ron chatted non stop and Christine and I of course enjoyed our time, too. We even had a surprise visit from Godfather in his new Lotus.

Insight

Joshua was talking about Godfather tonight at dinner. He said, "Did Godfather bring gifts for everyone? Is he good at giving gifts? Is he 'Santa'?"

The End of Christmas the beginning of a new year

We arrived home last evening after a long day of travel that started before the sun came up and ended after the sun went down. The kids did reasonably well but today will be the start of getting back on routine minus sugar and tv. I'm thinking the fruit snacks and juice box that Josh ate for breakfast yesterday may not be the breakfast of champions.

It is good to be home in spite of the empty fridge which will have to be corrected quickly. Mira is up with me now as I write this post and Joshua is sleeping in. Hopefully we will get a little nap in before he wakes up. I've got lack of nap yesterday and jet lag on my side.

Mira's vocabulary continues to expand and now includes 'no' which comes out more like 'doh' and 'meow', 'arf', 'ow' and 'uh-oh'. While getting ready to go yesterday morning (at 4:30 am) I asked Joshua if he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He said, 'No, I am having a hard time keeping my eyes closed!' He was so excited to ride the plane and fell asleep only moments before we touched down in Baltimore then start straight up with an excited, 'DID WE LAND!' Joshua is certainly a creature of routine and I am looking forward to getting him back on track to hopefully correct some of his crazy behavior. He was becoming quite unruly by the end of our trip with hitting, spitting, running around and just general no listening.

Alright, it is back to bed for Mira and me. Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas!

We made our way out to California for Christmas this year but not before we had a wonderful Christmas celebration at home with my side of the family. We made special arrangements with Santa on Monday and he came early. Joshua wrote a note Monday night and left out cookies and milk. We were able to help him add manners but he really only wanted to say, 'Dear Santa, Bring me presents'. He was thrilled and really understood the Santa concept this year. So, Tuesday we had Christmas morning and Aunt Jill & Aunt Tara were in town to see the kids rip into their presents. Joshua got a 'rocket jet plane with a control and two wheels.' He remarked that Santa got it just right. Mira received a wooden shape sorter. Other gift highlights were LOTS of books, fleece pillow case and bath robe for Joshua, magnetic animal matching game for Mira.

Throughout the day more family arrived and we opened and shared more gifts until dinner time when the house was full. We had a wonderful ham dinner where everyone brought something and then the madness began. We had to clean up and finish packing for our trip.

Wednesday we left the house at 4:30 am for the airport. The roads were ice but there were no delays so we set out. Mira did better on the flight than I expected but still only slept 1 hour of the 6 hour trip. Joshua watched movies and played and also did well. But there was NO FOOD on the plane and by the time we got off Joshua was more tired and more hungry than we realized. He flipped out trying to get in the carseat and then proceeded to fall asleep. At the house, once we got some food and a nap/rest in him he was a whole different boy.

Thursday, we celebrated Christmas in California and Santa came AGAIN. Kirra and Mir both got doll houses and Joshua got a building table. Mira also received a music table and Joshua a scooter. They loved those presents and the MANY others they received. After our Christmas with Grandma and Papa we made our way to Aunt Donna's house for the BIG family Christmas. The party was chaos but the kids did great. Mira was exhausted and finally passed out. She slept through an amazing amount of noise. Joshua was asleep pretty much as soon as he hit the car seat.

Today was much more laid back. We relaxed, playing with the kids new toys and had a Christmas dinner here.

Mira has been having a language explosion. She now says, 'Papa, dog, arf, up, and star'. She knows 'nose and mouth' if you ask her to point to them. She is just loving having Kirra around again to play with as is Joshua. It is really cute to see them toddling around after each other. They are all playing very nicely together.

The children are in bed and I think I am going to relax as well. I uploaded photos from here but not from home yet. I will get to them... Tara :-D

Almost Christmas

Every day (many times a day) Joshua asks, 'Is it Christmas?' or 'Are we to the big box yet?' (referring to the calendar with Christmas circled on it). To which I answer, 'This is Christmas Season but it is not yet Christmas Day' and 'No, we are not to the big box yet but we can count the days.' Joshua is so excited about Christmas this year. He has asked Santa for a "Rocket Jet Plan" and I think Santa will be delivering just what Joshua wants. He has successfully NOT opened the presents that are starting to accumulate under the tree and loves all the signing and crafts and other merriment that go along with the holiday. Tomorrow is his preschool party and we are making cookies. Memaw and Grandad will be watching baby girl so that I can give my full attention to Joshua.

We have had several breakthroughs in preschool recently. He has started singing and participating in circle time and I am ecstatic! He is still having a hard time sitting still and keeping his body parts to himself but I think it goes along with feeling more comfortable and opening up to his class. I think it will improve, we are working on it anyway. So it looks like he has come out from behind the bookcase.

Mira is an excellent walker now. She has started climbing as well. So now we have to be extra careful with the stairs. She has also had a sign language explosion and can use the words, 'more', 'all done', 'bye-bye', 'clap' and 'excitement' successfully. She has some more sounds and words as well including meow, arf and pat. She loves to jabber on while sitting in her high chair, car seat or while toddling around the room. She is a lot more emphatic about her needs too she will come to me if she is tired, hungry or wet and put her arms up to be picked up. She leans over if she wants to nurse. It is awesome to be able to interact with her in a more meaningful way.

We are working on getting Mira to sleep for naps and bed time. She still requires a lot of interaction but I guess it will come in time. She mostly goes down at 7:30 and wakes up between 2-4 then she is up for the day at 6. She has a nap in the morning that is short and one in the afternoon with Joshua that is longer. She reverted a bit food wise while she was sick but we are getting back on the wagon slowly now.

Lots going on for Christmas so I hope to post again soon but certainly after the festivities I will try and make a few comments about it all. Check out my page on facebook to see videos of the kids.

what do you want from Santa?

We took the kids downtown tonight for the Christmas Tree lighting and to see Santa. There was also a little parade. I was so proud of Joshua. I knew that he would not sit on Santa's lap but I asked him if he would stand next to Santa and he said, 'Yes'. AND he did it! He stood next to Santa and told him he wanted a "race jet plane". He was very clear on this point. Mira, since she is already not feeling well, did not take kindly to Santa holding her and screamed. She has an ear infection though so she is just unhappy right now, period.

I can't wait until we are all healthy again!

Sickness

Mira had her 9 mos checkup today. She weighed in at 18 lb (50%) and 26 inches (10-15%) The Dr. commented that she had really thinned out and I pointed out that it was probably because she was walking. She just shook her head at my crazy early walking children. In every way Mira is doing great and the Dr. was pleased with her development.

I kept Joshua out of school today due to his ongoing sickness and had him checked out as well. The Dr. diagnosed either bronchitis or pnuemonia and rather than have him (US) suffer through an x-ray, sent him home with antibiotics that should take care of either and a prescription for using his nebulizer 2x a day. I also talked to her at length about his extreme shyness. She recommended that he see a pediatric behavioral psychologist and we are going to look into doing so. Even if, as she pointed out, it is only to give us new skills to help him in difficult situations. She didn't think that taking him out of preschool was a good solution. I am going to talk to his preschool teacher still but I tend to agree. He likes going to school, I think he needs that kind of interaction or we will not be addressing the issue. So we will see.

Now it is on to naps and such. I hope that Joshua takes another 3 hour nap like he did yesterday. He truly needs it!

Christmas Decorating

Last night, we put up our new Christmas Tree. We ordered it last year after Christmas so this was the first time we had ever seen it! Joshua was so excited all day to put it up. In the morning, we were out buying suits for Jason and out to lunch. Joshua has had a cold and fever so he was actually manageable while we were out. Usually he just moves too fast!

Today, we dug out the ornaments and decorated the tree. Every year, the kids pick out a new ornament. This year, Joshua picked one out at an arts festival over the summer. He was so excited to open his 'new' ornament and put in on. Mira even put hers on. She really examined it before hand though!

The camera status is that we are using our old digital camera (from 1999). It works well but transferring data is problematic because the storage technology is no longer supported. So, it works for now but obviously not ideal. I've been planning to buy a digital SLR for years so this may be the impetus I need to actually get it done BUT that is going to take a bit of research. We still should pick up a digital point and shoot for just the random every day stuff...

No PIctures

Joshua broke our camera yesterday so we will be without pictures until we get that issue resolved. I have some photos from Thanksgiving that I need to post but after that...

Yes I know. This situation is dire.

Happy Thanksgiving, 2008!

Thanksgiving was at our house this year with Nanny, Grandad, Amy and the Gang, Arnaldo and Mr. Mark. It was great and we had enough food to feed an army. Joshua was so excited about the 'Thanksgiving Feast' and couldn't wait for the eating to begin. Although, when it finally started I think he had one bite of food. Crazy boy. He loved that his cousins were here to play.

Tara had surgery on Monday of this week to remove her kidney. She came through just fine and is recovering at home. But, Mom went up there to help out and so she had Thanksgiving dinner with Jill, Tara, Aunt Jo and Uncle Phil. Sounds like it was quite a meal. Tara was released from the hospital Wednesday night so she also was able to join in the feasting.

Yesterday, we drove out the the 'burg to have a mini reunion with some of my high school friends. We met at Chili's and reminisced for three hours. Mira was a star. Everybody just loved her. Joshua was shy but survived. After hanging out there we visited my friend Lisa and her parents and then over to Great God Mommy and Daddy's house (Aunt Carie's Parents). Joshie has been coming down with a cough and by the last house he was a mess. Mira was exhausted and we were ready to go home.

So today the little squirt woke at 5:30 ish. We are working on her sleeping and it is going so-so. She did have a really long nap yesterday before we left. I hope that helps her to get back on track.

Hip Hip Hooray!

Joshie, Mira and I met up with our friends Adriane, Chase and Mattingly at an Extreme Bounce place. You know the kind. They have huge moon bounces all set up indoors to play on. So on the drive there Joshua says, 'Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray, I'm so excited today. Happy, So Very Happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart' He was piecing together parts of songs from SuperWhy and a couple of Bible Songs. He sings bits of songs all the time now and it is hilarious.

We had Joshua's Thanksgiving Feast at Preschool on Tuesday. The craft was a paper bag Turkey. After a potluck meal together the kids sang songs they had learned. It was a nice morning.

More Updates

We have been having the Ultimate Dance Party in our home the past couple of nights. It starts around 6:30pm and ends at 7ish so don't miss the fun! We just turn on the music and let Joshua dance and move. He loves it and it gives him another opportunity to use up some of that endless energy he has. With cold and rainy weather becoming the norm, we need more creative ways to let him play.

Mira is also getting her groove on. She likes to stand and wiggle and bounce. It is REALLY cute.

To the Park

Today, in between rainy spells, Joshie, Mira and I went to the park down the street. Recently for preschool Joshua had to make a picture out of leaves that he had collected. Joshua, of course, made a rocket. So today on our way to the park we found leaves that looked like something. We found a small yellow leaf with a stem that looked like a mouse, a tulip poplar leaf that looked like a cat's head and a maple leaf that looked like a bird foot print. Joshua picked out another maple leaf that looked to him like an ogre's hand. He played in the puddles and made boats out of the some of the leaves. It was a fun walk and we had a nice time at the park.

Mira's sounds are sounding more word like as she 'talks'. She is standing and walking around the kitchen table. It is fun to see her on the go. Joshua has been enjoying WordWorld on PBS and is surprising us with he letter and letter sound knowledge.

Cutting Hair and other musings

October was a very busy month with Aunt Trina and Kirra out to visit. We did so many fun things and I was able to post lots of pictures but I haven't been diligent about writing in the blog to explain all of the events. At this point, I am not even sure what I left out. I will start with today and work backwards.



The kids are exploding with new skills these days. Joshua continues to drive us batty with his 'terrible threes' but we are expecting it and looking forward to age 4. I don't really want him to get older, just less whiney ;-) How I ended up with a whiney child, I will never understand. In any case, Jason raced auto cross today and place second in the novice category. First place was another BMW Mini with a driver named... Jason. How funny! I stayed home with the kids while he raced. We went to church and there was a luncheon afterward. Plus, we had naps to consider. Over all it was a good and productive day. The leaves are at the tail end of changing colors and falling off. Soon, it will just be cold with no pretty autumn to look at.

Yesterday, I made my first attempt at cutting Joshua's hair. I looked up instructions online and picked up scissors at a beauty supply store. Already, I saved $5 on the cost we usually pay for taking him to the barber. I have to say, I think I did a pretty good job. I obviously need more practice but I am sure I will get plenty! I kept Joshie still with his bucket of Halloween candy and the Incredibles movie. The cut took about 15 minutes. I also helped Jason blend his hair cut later that day. I guess I need to hang my sign out as a barber, too! Cutting hair is something I thought I would NEVER do, having no inclination or talent for it, but here we are.



Friday, we had a very nice LONG walk in the gorgeous weather. It was 70! We wore Joshua out. I really need to do something like that EVERY day with him but with all the other household chores I don't get out as much as I would like. He really needs a good 30+ minutes twice a day of just hard playing in order to be manageable. So, on days that he doesn't get that in, I try and at least get him out for a walk around the nearby streets.



Joshua had another good day at school on Thursday. He was excited to turn in his art assignment to Miss Joan. The task was to collect leaves and create something with them on a piece of paper. Joshua chose a rocket, his favorite thing to make these days. I assisted only with applying glue to the leaves. Otherwise, Joshua did everything else including asking to add paint to his piece of art. I was so proud of him. He often rushes through guided activities like this and this time he was really interested in working on the project. Miss Joan helped Joshua walk in the circle with his classmates, singing the ABC's. She said he was a little weepy. I imagine he probably turned into a wet noodle and whine the entire time. But, he did it and maybe next time will be better. Baby steps. He is definitely participating more and more each time. He still says, 'I don't want to go to school' but I think he is enjoying his time there when he gets there.



Mira ... is no doing 'Peek a Boo' as well as her other tricks. She took several steps today. Grandad is one of her favorite people as is Daddy and she walked to both of them. She said, 'Cat' yesterday. I am not sure if it is her first word. She also says, 'Hi Dada' and 'Bye-bye.' Jason said he heard her say 'Cat' the other day, too. I would be funny for cat to be her first word since dog was Joshua's first word. She communicates her needs better each day. She has a very distinctive short, loud, "AH' sound that she makes when she needs something. She will bring toys to you to for you to play with her. And, if you start a game and stop she will move your hand or body to indicate that she wants you to keep playing.



We are working on sleep with Mira. We have started a bedtime routine of getting pj's on, nursing, reading 2-3 books and turning of the room light. Then we lay her down, pat her back and ... she cries. We do the patting again until she falls asleep and usually she is down until 11 pm. I try to nurse her before I sleep and that has been working reasonably well. She'll sleep until 4 or so. The unfortunate part is that she is waking up now between 5 and 6. That is a little early for me. With the time change, too, it is quite dark at that hour. Because she is up and we have quiet alone time, I have been working on infant potty training with her then. Although I don't like the early hour, my days have been a bit more productive because of getting up then AND I really do like my time with just Mira-baby. Joshie and I get uninterrupted time together when Mira is napping in the morning. We often read stories or play legos then.

Well - I suppose I should end this BOOK that I have written tonight. Tomorrow will bring more adventures and joys to share with you.

A good day at school

A couple weeks back now Joshua had a not so good day at preschool. His class was having a fire drill and he ran away from the group. His teacher had to shout very loudly, 'STOP' to get his attention. Since that day going to preschool has been a challenge. He was sad about his teacher yelling at him and was hesitant to return to school each school day.

Joshua had a Halloween party last Thursday that went really well and I was hopeful about school on Tuesday. He let me leave without a tear and when I returned both his teacher and the assistant praised his good behavior! It was fantastic news to hear. He was even sent home with an, 'I had a wonderful day at school' note. I believe that Joshua will outgrow his shyness and difficulty in social situations. I think that experiences like this one, where his is uncomfortable but reassured that his is still well liked, will help him grow. I am so proud!

Congratulations to Mr. Obama! What a historic day for our country. I am eager to see what lies ahead.

Halloween

Halloween was a hit! Joshua couldn't wait to go trick or treating. All day he was so excited about all the candy he was going to get. Joshua was a ghost, Mira was Pebbles and Kirra was a little puppy. Jason was a ghost buster (Spengler), I was Wilma Flinstone and Trina was a witch. We had the neighbors over for pizza before hand and then went out for about an hour to the four nearest streets. Afterwards, Jason and Joshua snuggled on the couch watching Ghostbusters and Mira and Kirra conked out in bed.

Mira is WALKING!

Yes this is now my 2nd child that has walked at 8.5 months. I thought the first time it was just a fluke! So, Mira has been standing up on her own in the middle of the room for a little bit now. She could get to standing completely on her own without the help of a chair or toy to support her. Only in the last week or so had she started cruising and only when something caught her eye. She has been cruising along the couch and between pieces of furniture. But tonight while I was up in our bedroom and Jason was in the basement playing with Joshua, Mira took 3 steps for Aunt Trina in the living room. Thankfully, as soon as Aunt Trina hollared to me to come down, Mira decided to perform again. Daddy was not so lucky and only got a 1-2 step performance. I guess she decided that she needed to be able to keep up with Kirra and Joshua!

We have been very busy with traveling to visit Aunt Jill and Aunt Tara and exploring the Amish countryside. Right now, I am working fast and furious (ok maybe not but I am definitely working!) to get Halloween costumes completed. I hope it warms up a little bit by Friday when we go out Trick or Treating!

3 yr checkup for Joshua

Thursday was a big day. Joshua had his first field trip with preschool and his annual checkup. The field trip was to a local orchard. We all rode a tractor around the farm to a field where the kids 'picked' little pumpkins just the right size for them. Joshua and Kirra had lots of fun picking out pumpkins. Then, we rode the tractor back to the barn and had a snack of cider and apples. They even showed us how the cider is bottled. Joshua did great on the trip. It was nice to see him interacting with his classmates. He waited SOOO patiently with his hands in his lap for his turn to pick an apple and he even stood up and sang along when the teacher lead them in rhymes.

In the afternoon we had his annual checkup. It was a difficult appointment because Joshua is so shy and does not like anyone touching him. But we got through it. He weighs about 34 pounds and is about 41 inches tall. Even the measurements were a challenge because he just would not participate. So he is about in the 95 percentile for height and 75th for weight. Tall and skinny as usual. The dr said he is looking fine so we are pleased with that.

All the kids are now sick with a cough. The nights have been long as they take turns crying, coughing and just being awake. I hope this passes quickly.

Hand Appointment

Mira had an appoint.... ooooh she just did 'so big' sitting here next to me :-D I love my life :-D


So Mira had a hand appointment yesterday. The dr. determined that there is indeed a bone in the extra thumb and Mira will need surgery to remove it after her first birthday. We will call in January to schedule the surgery in March. It is out patient and she will recover several hours at the hospital and then come home with a cast for 3-4 weeks.

Happy Birthday, Jason!

Last night we celebrated Kirra's (1), Joshua's (3) and Jason's (31) birthdays. We had Amy's gang, the godparents, our neighbors Cyndi & Howard and our friends Kim & Ryan over. It was like a nursery in the house with 7 little ones 3 and under. On top of that there were 4 middle schoolers. It was a fun evening though. Amy's girls, Stephanie and Noella, were having a good time giving Kirra hugs (and stealing her toys). Joshie was running around like a crazy man. Mira was watching it all and Kirra liked the other little people to play with but didn't like the toy stealing.

Mira is sitting with my now, the only one that would wake up at 6 am after such a busy evening, and eating cheerios. She is yawning but I don't see her going down for a nap right now. She is really doing well with finger food and has had bananas, watermelon, plums and now cheerios. She also tried ice cream for the first time on Joshua's birthday and that was a hit (duh!)

On Friday we took the kids to a farm ice cream stand and petting zoo that also had a really cool play set. They loved that! Yesterday, our town was having a street festival and we wondered around there before naps and the party. I know Josh and Kirra liked the costumed dancers in the street and Mira enjoyed and danced to the music.

Happy 3rd Birthday Joshua

Joshua is officially 3! Yesterday, he celebrated by having cupcakes with his friends at pre-school. He opened one present before school and then after school he had a pretty typical day with naps and such. We went to the park in the afternoon and when daddy got home we had the meal Joshua chose: chicken nuggets with honey, peas, noodles, apple sauce. After dinner he opened presents and then we had ice cream.

Tomorrow, we will have a birthday celebration for Joshua & Jason with a few friends and family. Not a party though :-)

Mira has started trying little pieces of food and is doing ok on this new skill. She has had eggs, plums, bananas and cereal and is moving the food around and swallowing for the most part. It is pretty funny when the piece comes popping back out whole. She is also enjoying having Aunt Trina and Kirra around. They arrived on Wednesday afternoon.

Joshua was great in the airport when we went to pick them up. He likes that Kirra is walking and there is someone else to play with. We are really going to enjoy their visit!

It is late. I hope to get back on tomorrow and report on the gathering but until then... good night!

In control

or not :-)

Mira is trying out new skills that show she is more in control of her body. She is learning to clap and blow raspberries. She stands unassisted at every chance she gets. And she gets very frustrated when you take a toy away from her.

Joshua has started a new program on the computer called handipoints.com It is a way for us to keep track of the tasks he completes during the day and reward him. He loves the time in 'kitty land' and since we have been using it for a week we have noticed that the very negative behavior has been on a decline. I think the structure is helping. Also, he receives 3 bells at the beginning of the day. He has the ability to loose the bells for any negative behavior without any prior warning (hitting, kicking, spitting, leaving the house, yelling, etc). He can as get them back if he performs some extraordinary task (bringing mommy a diaper without being asked, playing nicely with Mira) Then at the end of the day he can pick one special activity for every bell (Go to the park, eat a treat, play with daddy, read a book, etc). If you want to try handipoints for your kids, please indicate that we referred you (nettie_owens@yahoo.com) so that Joshua can earn a cool robot costume on the site!

Kissy, kissy

The family has been sick. It started with Jason/Joshua and then Mira got it. She has just been a runny mess and crying in spurts. I think that she is getting a little bit better. Today she didn't ooze quite as much but she was still unhappy.

Mira is pulling up consistently at the couch and chair and Jason even saw her let go for a few seconds and stand on her own. She isn't cruising...yet. She is such a mover and shaker that I don't imagine it will be long. She has also added 'kisses' to her repretoire of tricks. She makes a little smacking 'pwch' in your direction. Very cute.

Joshua is doing better and better in school. Today he received a note from his teacher that he played nicely with the other children in his class. He learned the letter 'B' on Tuesday and the shape, 'circle' today. He turned in his first 'homework' assignment a coloring sheet of a bumble bee. It is fun to see him so excited and happy and proud.

growth spurt

Joshua needed new shoes for school so we stopped at the outlets to try and find some. Our first stop was Stride Rite where we measured Joshua's foot. Now keep in mind that the shoes he is currently wearing are 7.5/8... His foot was a size 9.5!! I imagine his toes have been pretty squished. No wonder his shoes were getting harder to put on. So we got a size 10 velcro sneakers and he is all set for school. We'll have to see if any of the other hand me downs will fit him. He is about 40" tall now (I think) I need to remeasure his height, too!

So I guess for his birthday he could use a few pairs of socks :-)

Back to the usual routine

I love the beach. Returning home to our usual routine is always hard. It is so fun to get up and walk on the beach in the morning, come home for breakfast, swim and sit until lunch, eat, nap, play, eat, walk on the beach in the evening. Nothing to do but relax. We returned home on Sunday evening. I left Monday open so that I could do the mountain of laundry and unpacking that always follows our trip.

Saturday and Sunday were perfect beach days. Joshua got comfortable running up to the water and then running up the beach as a wave came in. Jason did carry him out past the breaking waves to float for a little while on Sunday but that was not his favorite. Mira had no problems with the sand so keeping her out of it was the problem. We took the stroller right on to the beach as well as a blanket for her to crawl on. Saturday afternoon my family joined us in swimming and dinner. It was fun to have all the little ones playing in the waves AND to get to float around with the adults. We made tacos and pina coladas to top the evening off.

Joshua had preschool today. He learned the letter A and that there is a difference between upper and lower case letters. He is still reciting Mary had a little lamb and Hickory Dickory Dock from the first couple of classes but he likes to combine them. He is very interested in the hamsters and frogs that they have in the classroom. He likes snack time. He is still very hesitant about participating in circle time but I hope he will warm up to it. Meeting friends and working on his 'shyness' were the two big reasons why I signed him up for preschool.

Mira is all over the place. She is sitting up and pulling up regularly. Because of all her new skills she is starting into a bit of separation anxiety. So, I am not able to plop her in the living room with toys right now. She just crawls right over to the kitchen to find me. Then she fusses at the step until I go get her or she figures out how to crawl up it, which she has done once or twice now. She says 'Ma Ma' with a bit more conviction that she is actually speaking to me and will have a 'conversation' with you if you speaka her language.

At the beach

We've been enjoying our time at the beach in spite it being cooler than usual and overcast. It is supposed to rain soon but this evening is our going out night and we are planning to shop so it won't be a big deal.

Joshua finally got in the water right before we headed back to the beach house today. He had been keeping a good distance up to that point. Jason and I were happy to seehim getting wet and he had a big smile too.

Mira's second front tooth popped through yesterday. There is a photo that makes it look like she has her top teeth, too, but that is not the case. I imagine they aren't too far off. I uploaded a bunch of photos and I'll add more soon. Surf's Up, Dude!!

Surprise!

We are preparing for our annual beach trek. I plopped Mira in the living room, which is baby proofed and ran out to the car to unload one more bag. When I came back in she was STANDING at the big chair, holding on of course. But, what a surprise! Joshua did this at 6 mos and I thought that was early. Mira has been crawling for a month now so I thought she wouldn't need to walk or stand early but I guess I was wrong :-( So, Mira is just under 7 months and following in Joshua's foot steps. Her 2nd tooth is right under the surface, I can see it but it hasn't cut through yet, probably today or tomorrow it will.

Joshua had his 3rd day of school today and learned "Hickory, dickory, dock" and the number 1. He did not have any problems going into the classroom although several of the other children did. He liked that they celebrated one of his classmates birthdays with cupcakes and milk. He said is was 'HIS' birthday. Oh well, only one more month. He recited the poem and showed me his picture of a mouse and a clock on the way home. Right before naptime he told me I was his best friend ever. It was great. In spite of the frustrating defiance that comes with a toddler because he is trying to be so independent, I love his brain and all the things he comes up with these days.

First Day of School, Birthday & Anniversary

Joshua had his first day of preschool last week. The first day the parent's were to stay and the class was reduced to 1.5 hours. Joshua did better than I had expected and was eager to get into the class and play. He did not stand up for circle time but I expected that, too. The second day the parents dropped kids off and stayed in a nearby room. All the kids seemed to do well (no tears!). I imagine that play went well again but I don't know how circle time went because I couldn't see in. They learned "Mary had a little lamb" and made a little lamb. This week class will be 2 hours and then next week will be 2.5. Joshua remembers his teacher's name and says that he is meeting new friends if you ask him about school.

Mira is working on tooth #2 and she and Josh both had a little cold. So, she has not been sleeping well. The last couple of nights have been better. She is really crawling well now and just about to make it over the step between our family room and kitchen.

Our 7th Anniversary was last Tuesday. Mom and Dad came out for that and watched the little ones while Jason and I had a much needed night out! We really have to do that more often. Then Thursday was my birthday. I spent it out with our friends Christine, Yanna & Val (and our babies of course!) and Jason had dinner waiting when I returned. On Saturday, the family came out for playtime and lunch. We tried to go to a children's art festival but it was outdoors and Hannah (the tropical storm) interrupted that. We had a lot of fun anyway watching the kids play in the underwear out in the rain.

First Tooth!

Mira cut her first tooth today! It is her bottom left one in the front. She is really on the move crawling and is also pulling up, almost sitting up, almost crawling up the step into the kitchen. Watch out, here she comes!!

Joshua is cracking us up with the silly things he says like when he repeats (from Incredibles) 'I am Incredaboy!... You are not affiliated with me.' or while reading a magazine, 'Uh Oh' What is wrong Joshua? 'This is not good.' What happened Joshua? 'I ripped a page...' He starts Pre-school for 3 yr olds tomorrow and we are very excited. He is thinking he will get to ride an elevator and eat candy like he did at Vacation Bible School but unfortunately that will not be the case. I think he will enjoy it though.

Happy Labor Day!

Mover and Shaker

Mira is crawling! As of about two days ago Mira started crawling. She really got moving yesterday when I put my computer on the floor to do a video chat. She thought that was great and made a bee line for the computer. Her movement is not fast yet as she moves her hands then moves onto her toes (like a bear crawl) and on to her knees then shifts forward then starts ago. But she can get everywhere on the same level.

She had her 6 month check up last Friday and I have been meaning to post that info. I think she was 16 lb 10 oz and 25 inches long. I usually remember these things but we talked about a lot at that appointment and it has slipped my mind. She is doing great. The dr was impressed with how well she sits and how strong she is. She loves to bounce in her jumperoo and move on the floor. She gets lots of exercise.

Tonight we went to the pool and put Mira under water for the first time. She did ok with the first time under but didn't really care for the second time. She didn't cry but you could tell she didn't like it.

This morning we were so blessed to be able to visit Kim, Ryan, Ellianna and their newest addition, Faith Lily at the hospital. She was born at 9:33 am weighing 7 lb 10 oz. She and Kim are both doing very well. We arrived at 10 am and got in to see them around 11:30. Joshua did great waiting and was interested in the baby. I'll put some photos up soon. We are planning to go back to the hospital tomorrow or Sunday.

Rocky, Rocky

Mira is getting on all fours and rocking! It won't be long before she is all over the place. She already rolls around to get to things she is not supposed to, namely Joshua's toys. She especially likes his duplo blocks. We'll have to get out the quattros for her to play with.

So, Friday Aunt Carie came out and went swimming with us. The kids loved that. So did we! Saturday, Theresa and Richard, cousins on my dad's side, were in town visiting and came out our way. We had a wonderful lunch, ice cream and dinner with them. It is moments like those that I wish we were a hop, skip and a jump from all of our family. Sunday we went to the Farm Fair with Richard (a coworker of Jason's) and his girlfriend Lacey. It was a great time. Josh picked up turtles, petted ducklings, piglets and goats. Once he got started touching the animals he loved it! There was a moon bounce, pig racing, tractor pull and fair food. We stopped for ice cream afterwards and one of our favorite ice cream spots.

Monday, we had an easy day at home and then went to the pool in the afternoon. Joshua was back to hanging on to the side of the pool again. Guess we have to go every day!

Tuesday was errand day and we got Joshie's hair cut. We also took his book lists in for the summer reading program.

Joshua is surprising us with the things that come out of his mouth. Like the other day he told us that he was going to have a baby come out of this belly and that he was going to put milk in his breasts so that he could feed it. He figured all of this out on his own. I love how he puts things together. I guess we need to talk about who can have and feed babies! His lego creations are getting better every day, too. It is hard to remember sometimes that he is only 2 and 9 mos!

Swimming

We went ahead and joined the community pool and have been 3 nights in a row now. Josh, with his swimmies on, goes paddling around the pool. He doesn't seem to mind, anymore, that he can't touch and even let Stacy and Stephanie (our neighbor's daughters) toss him around tonight. I hope to have him jumping in soon. He almost did tonight. He just loves the pool and asks to go everyday.

Mira loves the water, too, but she has been sick this week so I have not been taking her in. When she does get in the water she splashes and kicks. She lets me lay her on her back and doesn't mind when the water gets on her face. When she is 6 mos old we will see how she does going under.

Wall-E

After a very fun and successful time at a puppet show with Memaw, Stephanie and Dylan; I decided that Joshua was reading to watch a movie at the theater. We went to see Wall-E on Saturday and Joshua sat through the whole thing without a problem. Mira also stayed up to watch even though it was her nap time. Afterwards, we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A and then stopped at Lowes so I could buy the new washing machine I have been wanting. It was a good day. We hung out with the neighbors in the evening and then on Sunday after church and nap, we went to swim at our neighbor's house.

We are going to check out the community pool tonight.

Mira is doing great on solid foods and has so far tried sweet potatoes, rice cereal, squash and bananas. She loves to eat! We have also moved the jumper back into the main part of the house because Miss Mira is a jumping bean. The swing will only do now if she is sleepy and ready for a nap. Otherwise she wants to move or play.

Firsts - Happy 5 Months Mira!

Yesterday was a big day for both Joshua and Mira. Mira turned 5 months old yesterday. She is talking so much these days. Lots of umm's, na's, da's and other sounds. She was even trying to push herself to all fours. I know that unlike Joshua, Mira will crawl for a while before she walks. It is just my gut feeling.

After running a TON of errands yesterday (we sold the Accord, FINALLY) Joshua went for his very first dentist appointment. He was talking all about it as we were driving around and even told me that he wanted to be a dentist for Halloween. But, when it came time to be examined, everything changed, as I expected it would and hoped it wouldn't. Joshua does not like meeting new people and especially does not like people touching him so the whole event was very upsetting. Even though they pretty much just counted his teeth and brushed a little flouride on. He is funny though because later in the day if you asked him what he did he would tell you, 'I went to the dentist, today' and if asked how he liked it he said, 'Yeah, I liked it.' I guess he has short term memory loss!

In the evening, during dinner, we tried solid food on Mira. She loved it! She was grabbing the spoon for more! It was great and she ate up the very little amount that I had prepared for her. Her first food was a barley cereal that I made from what we had in the pantry. I picked up rice cereal at the store and sweet potatoes to puree. What a big girl! Guess it should be no surprise, Mira loves to eat!

Happy 3rd Birthday Ellianna

Joshua good friend Ellianna had her 3rd birthday party yesterday. I guess that means that the big three is right around the corner for us, too! Wow, time flies. She had a very nice party in the park near the playground. The weather was hot but since the party was in the morning it was still very nice outside. Mira and I went to Eldersburg later in the day to see my best friend from high school, Reagan. We had a fantastic visit and Mira flirted with everyone in the resturant.


Mira has been rolling onto her belly and onto her back. She pushes herself WAY up on her hands when she is on her belly and her 'talking' is more organized now. She says, 'la la' and I think a 'da da' came out while we were on vacation. She can pretty much sit on her own, she just has the occasional flop back or forth. She has been very interested in our plates and utensils and other eating objects. So, we are going to start her on solids this week. She'll be 5 months on Tuesday.

Joshua has been enjoying the company of all the middle schoolers on our street. We have between 1-4 kids in the house extra on any given moment. It a lot of fun and often feels like camp Joshua.

Cleansing Rain

It is now Thursday. We have been on vacation since Sunday. Sunday was Jason's first autocross and he did great. He finished 3rd out of 5 in his class. From there we headed north to Aunt Jill & Aunt Tara's. Jill was out of town in North Carolina but we had a really nice visit with Tara. On Monday, we had a picnic lunch at a nearby lake and then went to the local high school to fly the cool pump airplane Joshua had received from Aunt Jill & Aunt Tara. Tuesday we were up and out again. We stopped at Wells Beach in Maine and played in a gigantic tidal pool. Joshua loved that. We saw fish, seaweed, a hermit crab and snails. Then it was back in the car to finish our trip out to Bethel, Main and Sunday River Resort. We arrived late Tuesday had dinner and crashed. Wednesday the rest of our gang arrived. We explored the town of Bethel in the morning and then registered for the Mini Meet in the afternoon. We would have gone swimming but we experienced a fantastic thunderstorm on the mountain with hail and everything. This morning we went on a hike up one of the ski slopes and back down. The view was fabulous and the walk was chanllenging but worth every step. I wore Mira in the front pack and Jason and Paul took turns wearing Joshua when he got tired of walking. At the top, we sat on the ski lifts for a break and climbed up a tower for an even better view. The way down was faster but more tricky because it was so steep. Now the kids are down for a nap and I am relaxing. We have had another little storm. They are a daily occurance, this one did not bring hail or even thunder. It was a gentle rain and you could hear the birds chirping in the background. I am enjoying watching the water splat on the porch roof right outside my window. Looks like the sun is peaking its way out now. We will try and go in the pool after nap.

Tomorrow will be the Rallye, BBQ and RC race and Saturday is the Autocross, Funkhana and Banquet. Then we will start making our way back home. Still no moose sightings for us but Mom and Dad saw a bear last night from the resturant at dinnertime.

Prayers, Improv and other stuff

I guess VBS is sinking in for Joshua. Today we were making cookies and Joshua was VERY excited to get to eat one. So when the cookies were FINALLY out of the oven AND cool, he picked one out to eat. He sat down in his chair with the cookie in front of him and said, 'We need to say prayers,' then continued with, 'God is Great. God is good and we thank him for the...' he paused and thought for a moment then finished with, '... COOKIES! Amen.' Then he ate. I just cracked up. In the last week, something has clicked. He is being creative with the things he says and is showing an understanding of the words and their meanings. He is also impersonating as I like to call it lots of objects. He has shown me how a lady bug flies with his hand, how a helicopter flies, with his piece of cheese, how the fire alarm sounds and other noises. He is almost whistling. It is as thought his brain has had a cognitive explosion.

Jason on the other hand seems to be having problems. Yesterday, he was running in the morning with Jack (a first) and going full speed down a steep hill on our community when Jack ran in front of Jason tripping him. Jason hit the ground hard and has road rash and bruises on his arm, hip and leg plus a very bad cut on his finger. He screwed up his iphone in the crash as well. Then tonight while working on his RC car for our trip. He sliced his thumb deeply with the exacto knife. I think I need to put him in a padded room for his protection.

Mira is just being plain cute. She is holding on now when I carry her and likes to talk by moving her mouth and lips as if trying to simulate what we are doing. It is very cute.

Vacation Bible School

We had our first day of vacation bible school today. It is a morning program from 9-12 for a week. I am teaching the 10-12 year olds and have Mira with me while Joshua plays with the other 'too young' kids. It was a lot of fun. Joshua both behaved AND had fun. He and Mira are napping now. I asked him what he learned and he said, 'I had candy.' Well, we'll work on it :-)

Mira is rolling ALL the time! She does it at night and then gets frustrated that she is on her tummy. She is either going to have to learn to sleep on her tummy or learn to roll back over or I am not going to get any sleep!

more rolly polly

After Joshua rolled the first time he rolled again once in a matter of weeks. Mira has rolled over several more times including a time when Jason saw it happen. She is laying on her tummy now as I type having rolled over next to me.

Rolling Over

She did it! She made her way ALL the way over. She has been close to rolling over for a few weeks now and could make it 3/4 of the way or more but just didn't go that final cm. Yesterday though she was frustrated at me with laying her down to tend to Joshua and so in her little screaming frenzy she finally made it all the way. Mira stopped screaming once she made it over since Joshua and I cheered her on. She looked around like, 'How'd I get here?'. It seems that she is either teething or really upset from the shots that she got on Tuesday because she has been in a very bad mood over the last two days. I can see that a tooth is trying to come through and she is shoving her hands in her mouth a lot but it is hard to tell if that is actually what is bothering her.

Today is an errand day, never fun for the little guys but has to be done. We are also planning for our big family vacation. Can't wait to go!

Mira's Four Month Check Up

Mira now weighs 15.2 pounds and is 24.5" long. She is in the 75th percentile for weight and 50th for height. The checkup went fine and she is right on track for developmental milestones. The Dr. asked if we were going to start feeding her solid foods and I said we hadn't yet. I don't feel much motivation to take this step yet. She is doing well on breast milk and we can wait until 6 months or whenever she starts to show an interest in our food.

We ran lots of errands afterwards and Joshua was a good boy in the car, Mira slept. Now we are home and enjoying the cool weather.

Happy Father's Day!

We had a nice relaxing father's day. Joshua had colored a card for Jason and we let him sleep in. After breakfast we were outside playing and saw a little snake on the deck. That was a fun surprise! We had a family nap and then went for a walk along the water. On our walk we saw turtles, geese, ducklings, squirrels and a ground hog. After our walk we check out a new Mexican resturant a couple of towns over.

Last night was Joshua's first night in just underpants (no diaper) and he did it! He was dry! Good Job, Joshua!!

Happy Birthday, Noella!

Today we enjoyed Noella's 2nd Birthday party. We had a nice lunch with presents, swimming and cake. Mira napped while the bigger kids swam. Joshie gets better and better in the water with every dip!

While we were eating dinner, back at home, Mira started just giggling at Joshua. It was so funny! I am really not sure what exactly she was laughing at, most of the time Joshie wasn't even looking at her. But, she does love her big brother tremendously. Joshua is great with Mira, too. He asks us to read stories to her and has even shared his beloved, 'Little Blankie' with her for a few moments.

Mira has taken a very big interest in books and likes to touch and help turn the pages. Looks like we have another book worm in our midst!

I posted pictures from today. I still have lots to post from the party weekend and this past week.

Braving the Heat

We've been trying to make an effort to take a hike every weekend. There are quite a few trails within just a couple of miles of us so it is pretty easy. Joshua 'hikes' for part of the time and then rides in the backpack carrier the rest. I love that he can pretty much run and explore without me trying to hold his hand or correct him all the time. So today we tried to get out of the house as early as possible with the weather being so unbearable. The temp was already in the 80's, humidity was in the 90% range and there was very little breeze. But, the hike was almost entirely in the woods with a lot of foliage. Still, we were just dripping sweat when we finished and pretty grumpy,too. The afternoon called for cool showers and family nap time.

This evening we enjoyed the company of Jason's coworker Richard and his girlfriend Lacey. They also brought her little dog, Otis, along. Jack and Otis were best friends right from the start. Josh loved Otis as well. He was happy to show off for Lacey but did make it through dinner.

Mira's First Swim

Our neighbors, Stephanie & Harry, opened their pool up recently and since the temperatures soared into the 90's with about 100% humidity yesterday (and supposedly again today) we headed over to their house to take a dip in the pool. Joshua, when we last took him, was almost swimming on his own but since it has been a few months I figured there would be a bit of remembering to do. He did great and by the end of the evening we had him reluctently swimming to the pool ladder by himself. Mira we plopped into the water and she was just so relaxed about the whole thing. We have a little floating seat for her and I think she floated around close to an hour. Joshua had a fantastic time as the bigger kids took turns tooling him around the pool. He even went down the slide (and under the water!)... once.





Since moving Mira into the crib we have also begun a little bedtime routine with her of nursing, two stories and then placing her in the crib. She just drifts off to sleep which is like magic to us. She enjoys reading and reaches for the pictures on the pages. She is grabbing at specific objects now and not letting go: the computer power cord, her toes, hair, toys, etc. Her sitting is getting better every day and she is starting to correct her body as it begins to tip one way or another.

Jason let Joshie play with his regular legos and he is having fun with those. He can't always get the little pieces apart but other than that he is building like a pro!

Scary

What a day. It really hasn't been a bad day. Very muggy. We've had thunderstorms this evening. We met Jason for lunch with his coworkers Chuck and Erik but before we made it to lunch that is when the fun started. I was walking with Joshua and Mira up to Kimberly's house to drop off two letters for church. Mira was in the stroller and Joshua was walking and running in front of us. He was doing a good job of staying close so I just let him go. Then in a flash he was running, wasn't looking where he was going and turned his head around just in time to run smack face first into a parked car. He rebounded backwards and hit the back of his head on the side walk. It took him a moment to start crying because he was so startled but I knew it was bad because he did cry. I was expecting broken teeth and a bloody nose but he managed to escape those to things. I carried him and pushed Mira two more houses up to a neighbor that we knew and who was already outside and hollered for ice. Mr. Charlie ran in and got it and by the time he came back out Joshie was fine, no more crying anyway. He has a bruise on his forehead and one on the back of his head. We didn't make to to Kim's. We just went home, I gave Josh tylenol and we headed out to lunch. He seemed fine today, I kept a close eye on him. I am used to Joshua's injuries so most of them do not upset me. Even the ones that are rather bloody but this incident really shook me. He is one tough kid! And... I think he ought to wear a helmet from now on!!

Under the Big Top

Memaw and Grandad took Stephanie, Dylan, Joshua and Mira to the circus yesterday. There were tigers, acrobats, clowns, horses, elephants, and trained dogs among other things. It was fun to watch the kids watching the show. I think even Mira enjoyed all the excitement. Joshua did not like the clown that was standing at the entrance of the tent but once we got around him all was well.

Mira can now move herself 360 degrees just by rolling on her side and back. She hasn't made it all the way over yet but it is fun to watch her wiggle. She is doing alright in the crib. She sleeps about 4 hours and then is up every 2 to eat after that. I've been putting her down for naps in the crib, too. It seems essential to swaddle her to get her to sleep.

I am on a 'green' kick these days and we are looking at ways that we can reduce our waste, gas use and water use. It has been interesting. This week we only had one white bags worth of trash. We'll see if we can keep it up. With raising gas prices the gas usage is going to be critical. Now when Joshua is washing his hands and I turn off the water he says, 'Save the water!'. :-)