Snow!

It has been awhile since the snow fell, and fell again, and again.  Shortly after Christmas we had an abnormal 60 degree day and it all disappeared.  Here are some pictures of the fun we had while it was here!

Oops...he got me.

Andrew and I got to work on thank you cards this morning.  What else are you going to do at 6:15 in the morning?  I pretty much let Andrew have free reign on this project, with a little guidance.

Me (in a cheerful voice):  "Wow, this is kind of crazy!"

I totally expected a response similar to yes, it IS kind of crazy (with laughter following), but instead it was-

  "Noo..I worked very hard on that!  It's just right."

...and it is just right.  So sorry, Andrew.

Andrew Turns 4!!

Party #1: 

We celebrated in style this year.  I wanted to have a party this year, but I didn't necessarily want to have it at our house.  After searching and pondering I mentioned Chuck E Cheese to Loren.  He immediately said yes (or something of that nature) and thought it sounded like a great idea.  Why not?  

Wow.  Chuck E Cheese on a Saturday night is CRAZY.  It was nuts, but everyone had fun.  Andrew loved his party and keeps asking to go back.  What a way to turn 4!

Party #2:

Chuck E Cheese was on the 13th, so we, of course, had to celebrate again on Andrew's birthday, Monday the 15th.  The large part of the day was a regular day.  Loren had to go to work and Andrew had to go to preschool.  After I hugged Andrew and wished him a Happy Birthday when he came downstairs first thing in the morning he said, "I can't wait to show Daddy that I'm 4!!"  Andrew took treats to preschool and walked out afterwards with a crown on his head and a big smile on his face.  We hung out at the house all afternoon.  Austin took a 2 1/2 hour nap, and during that time Andrew helped me make (another) cake for him.  He poured the water, vegetable oil and cake mix into the bowl (some of which ended up on the stove).  I added the eggs.  Andrew helped me mix the cake batter by placing his hand on top of mine while I ran the electric mixer.  He loved being a party of the cake making process.  He later said, "Mommy I really liked watching you crack the eggs and mix the cake."  :)  

When Loren returned from work we headed to Red Robin for dinner.  There really is no better place for a birthday dinner!  It was calm and...quiet (not always the case, but it was at 5:30 on a Monday night).  Halfway through our dinner the waiters and waitresses came to our table and sang a crazy birthday song to Andrew and gave him an ice cream sundae.  Andrew dove in (literally), but ended up eating only a couple of bites of whipped cream before asking for more grilled cheese.  

We continued the celebration at home with cake, ice cream and presents.  I took a 20 minute video of Andrew opening his gifts (sorry no pictures of that part) which was pretty fun and funny to watch.  His biggest gift was a 16 inch Toy Story bike which he got to ride around the circle inside our house.  It was much too dark to take it outside Monday night and yesterday was yucky and rainy, so maybe today he will get to ride it.  

Andrew had a fabulous 4th birthday that I'm sure he will remember for a very long time.  And it isn't over!  More gifts are coming as we see family this weekend and next.

...and my favorite part happened while tucking Andrew into bed.  With a sleepy smile on his face Andrew looked at me and said, "Mommy, I love you."  

Halloween

We had a fabulous Halloween this year.  It was chilly, but not too cold.  It was awesome to see both Andrew and Austin trick-or-treating.  Andrew was an old pro, and Austin followed Andrew up to the houses and held out his bucket.  I was so surprised that Austin wasn't shy about it.  It definitely helped to have a big brother to show him the ropes.  The funniest moment of the night was when Andrew ran down a sloped driveway and tripped (okay, that wasn't the funny part).  Instead of crying because he scraped his hand, he yelled "Aaahhhh!!!!  My bucket!" as it rolled down the driveway.  Thankfully a very nice man stopped it from heading into the street.  We made the rounds and no one complained when it was time to stop.  Once we got back, Andrew very eagerly helped me pass out candy to a few trick-or-treaters who came to our door.  

Both boys went to bed happy and full of sugar!

Pumpkin Picking

Last weekend we made another trip to Stuckey Farms, but this time it was for pumpkins.  We, of course, couldn't resist the urge to pick a big bag of apples while we there.  We took a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch, which Andrew loved, picked our (one) pumpkin and then took a tractor ride back to the front where we began our apple picking.  It was a great fall day.  I'm thinking we need to hit up another pumpkin patch or festival this weekend!

Austin's First Haircut

Aside from me trying to get Austin's bangs out of his eyes a month ago, today Austin got his very first haircut.  I had no intentions of getting rid of the curls, but even I was willing to admit that his hair was getting a little crazy.  I just wanted it to be 'cleaned up' a bit.  I was so nervous he would wind up with a mullet or the lady would get carried away and then the curls would be gone forever.  I gave the best description I could of what I wanted done, heavily stressing that I didn't want to get rid of the curls, and the lady (sorry, I don't remember her name, but I'm sure it's on the receipt) seemed to understand.  As sad as the haircut pictures look, Austin was a trooper and sat very still.  As soon as he was done I picked him up, he grinned, and all was well.  

See?  I'm not getting rid of those curls just yet. :)

Our fall tree

I thought our house needed some fall decorations since the weather turned quite chilly.  So we broke out the coffee filters, the paints, construction paper, and tape and went at it.  Andrew had so much fun painting and he let me know when he said, "Mommy, I'm having fun!  I put the tape on the leaves and Andrew insisted on putting every leaf on the tree himself.  Austin helped after he woke up from his nap by taking dry brushes and painting the window with them.  He also slapped several of the leaves that were already on the window to make sure they were good and secure.  I think our fall tree turned out quite well!

Apple Picking

This should have been posted a long time ago, but here I am posting it nearly a month late.  I took the boys to Stuckey Farms last month where we met several other friends.  Andrew had been once before, two years ago, but this was Austin's first time.  It was a gorgeous day - perfect for picking apples.  Austin constantly shouted "ball! ball!", and there were several moments where I caught him nearly eating rotten apples he found on the ground.  Andrew was probably a little more interested in talking to his friend Nora than he was in picking apples, but he managed to get into it enough to pick (and eat) a few.  They were really good apples!  I'm hoping we can sneak in another trip to the apple orchard before the season is over.

Andrew's 3rd First Day of Preschool

Well, we've been here twice before (click here and here for a look back), but I can't help but post pictures of Andrew on his first day of preschool, even if it is for the 3rd time.  He still has one more year after this one before (I can hardly even say it) Kindergarten.  He was excited and he had a good first day.  I was worried about the class size with 16 kids because he was used to having 8 and 10 kids in his class, but so far it doesn't seem to be bothering him.  Andrew has a good friend, Max, that was in his class last year and he is also in his class this year.  Andrew has so far talked about Max and several of the girls (but he doesn't know their names).  Even tonight before bed when I reminded Andrew that he has preschool in the morning, he asked me, "Will the same girls be there?"  Very cute.

Turkey Run

Last Saturday we met some friends at Turkey Run for the day.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day!  We looked at the car show first, ate our picnic lunch and then embarked on a hike.  A real hike.  I wasn't sure how long Andrew would last, but he did super.  I am convinced that having 5 year old Mason there was extra incentive for Andrew to keep going.  Our normally timid Andrew was very brave and showed a lot of independence.  We walked down steps a few times (some of them were a little sketchy, too), and every time he refused to hold anyone's hand.  "I can handle it my-self."  Austin took a nice nap in the back carrier.  About 45 minutes into the hike he woke up and got a little antsy, so Loren and I took turns carrying him.  After the hike we all visited the nature center and afterwards the boys attempted to fly a kite while Nikki and I sat and watched.  

It was a good day!

Goodbye Summer

Andrew starts preschool tomorrow, and while I'm a little excited, I can't help but be a little sad that our summer is coming to an end.  Granted there will be many more warm days and many more fun activities planned, but our summer as we know it is ending.  We can't simply do what we want to do, when we want to do it.  We can't play every day by ear.  We will actually have a schedule to follow now.  Andrew will go to preschool 3 days a week (Mon, Tues, Thurs) from 9-12.  I also very recently (as in last Wednesday) signed Austin up for his own preschool class.  I know some other moms who signed there kids up for the same class (at a different preschool than Andrew's), and I originally had no interest in putting Austin in it.  He just seemed way too young, especially because he will be 4 1/2 months younger than Andrew was when he started preschool, and at the time I thought that was a little early.  However, I know how great it was for Andrew to have his own place to go with kids his age, and as much as I hate to admit it, it was good for him to spend a little time away from me.  So, after talking to a friend last week, and finding out that there was still an opening, the idea of sending Austin to preschool one day a week sounded more and more appealing.  I called the preschool, met with the director for an hour, and signed Austin up that very same day.  I'm nervous and excited for Austin, but I can totally picture him at this preschool with his friends.  I am sure he will have fun!  He will go on Thursdays.  It is, of course, an added bonus that both boys will be in preschool at the same time one day a week, and I will get a couple hours to myself.

Back to our summer.
It has been filled with (in no certain order)...

-playdates
-several trips to the Children's Museum
-a 2nd trip to Virginia in July where Loren and I drove one day to VA Beach for a Dave Matthews concert while the boys had some quality time with Grammie.  The boys did fabulous without us.
-two trips to the zoo
-in June Austin started walking, and now he's running
-lunches with friends
-two trips to Conner Prairie
-splash parks
-bike rides
-parks, at least 6 different ones that I can think of
-many visits to the neighborhood pool with friends or by ourselves
-swim lessons - Andrew took a session at the beginning of the summer and one at the end.  He has advanced to Preschool Level 3!
-several trips to Lafayette to visit our friends and our Lafayette friends visited us several times
-Gpaw and Grandma Cyn came to visit for a weekend in August, so Loren and I could go to Chicago for a wedding.  We were gone for over 24 hours and the boys, once again, did fabulous without us.
-two trips to the local water park
-two Indianapolis Indians games
-cookouts
-Turkey Run Sate Park
-playing in the backyard - the pool, the slip 'n slide, the sandbox, mowing
-Andrew finally learned how to ride his tricycle
-Along with the swim lessons, Andrew taught himself to hold his breath, put his face in the water, and float.  He e has only done this in the baby pool or the backyard pool, but this is huge for him.
-and more...

Because I have neglected this blog over the summer, I will inundate you with pictures of some of what we have been up to. This in no way captures the entire summer, because I often found myself without my camera, but it will give you a good idea.  Enjoy!

*

*

*

*

State Fair

A few weeks ago we visited the State Fair.  We put off going because it was so incredibly hot.  When the last weekend came, I decided we were going no matter what.  It turned out to be one of the best days to go because it wasn't too hot, it was overcast, and quite comfortable.  We all had a good time.  Andrew had an absolute blast.  He had been talking about the 'bee ride' for the past year, and was very excited he got the opportunity to ride it again.  He also got to pick out a couple of other rides, AND he was tall enough to ride them by himself!  I've never seen the kid smile so much.  We saw some animals, tractors, ate junk food, enjoyed a lemon-strawberry smoothie, walked through the Pioneer Village, Andrew of course rode a few rides, and we very simply enjoyed the day at the fair.

My Climber

These pictures date back to June and July, but Austin hasn't changed one bit.  In fact, it's gotten worse.  He still is and probably always will be a "climber".  Most of the time he is quite agile and careful and I don't have to worry too much about him.  Other times he will climb on top of the kitchen table and as quickly as he climbs up, he falls off.  He cries, maybe there's a bump or bruise on  his head, he gets over it.  As soon as I put him down, he runs back to the table ready to climb it again.  Unbelievable.  I have recently removed the kitchen chairs and they are now in the basement storage room.  Andrew eats his breakfast and lunch at the bar and Austin eats in his highchair.  Dinner is in the dining room or the porch (thankfully those tables don't draw Austin's attention nearly as much).  Who needs kitchen chairs?  Andrew was never a climber, so this has been so very new to me.  It's a huge understatement to say that this kid keeps me busy.  Oh, and the other thing...if Austin happens to climb on top of something, he will randomly leap towards the nearest person, whether they're ready to catch him or not.  So unnerving!  I love you dearly, Austin, but this "no fear" thing is making me a little crazy. 

Our 4th

Here is a glimpse of what we did during the 4th of July weekend.  We visited my Grandpa to wish him a Happy Birthday, we drove to Lafayette for a fun and tasty cookout at the Engels', we hung out at the neighborhood pool (sorry, no pics of that), Loren washed the cars, we went to the 4th of July Parade which took place on the 5th, Loren mowed the lawn, there was a lot of sand box playtime, and I think we also went to Costco - I'm sure we did several other things as well.  It was a fun, hot weekend and the boys were happy and exhausted when it ended.

Oh, the Twilight Saga

I have been a reader most of my life.  I always read books when I was young(er).  I can't say I did very much leisure reading when I was in college, but when I was pregnant with Andrew I read book after book after book, mostly because I couldn't sleep.  And, rather embarrassingly, I hadn't read a book since.  Andrew is 3 1/2.  I found myself in the middle of Costco, in the mood to read a book, and saw they had the first 3 books in the Twilight series.  I decided if I was going to start reading something, it didn't hurt that it was the most popular thing out there and probably an easy read.  

Well, I bought it and got hooked.  While the rest of the world is watching the movie version of the 3rd book, Eclipse, I am reading the first book.  I will read the other 3 books and probably (maybe) watch all of the movies.  I'm sure I can borrow them from somebody.  

It's pure Fiction, but I am enjoying it and, if nothing else, it has reminded me how much I love to read.  

All About Daddy

Andrew and Austin have the best Daddy in the world.  He is very involved, loving, he takes time to teach as opposed to simply discipline.  Andrew adores him.  It's obvious that Austin does as well.  Every morning when I walk into Andrew's room I expect "Hi, Mommy!!, but instead  I hear, "Where's Daddy?!"  Loren has tried to explain to Andrew what it is he does at work.  Andrew listens very carefully, but he continuously insists that Daddy watches Basketball and Football with Mitch and Rick when he goes to work.  It's hard to understand what exactly it is that Loren does all day.  He's very smart.  He does things that I can't comprehend, let alone Andrew and Austin.  People count on him at RR.  We count on him at home.  He works very hard and we appreciate all that he does, both at work and at home.  Being a Daddy is undoubtedly a tough job, but we couldn't ask for a better one!  

*Happy Father's Day, Loren!*

(Kick back and relax...you deserve it.)

The Slip 'n Slide

It has been so HOT and HUMID here this week!  So, what do you do when it's too gross to go to the park and Mommy is too lazy to take on the pool again?  Well, you break out the trusty slip 'n slide.  Andrew was really excited.  Austin was really fascinated.  I can't say the slip 'n slide was used as it was intended to be used, but the boys had fun.  Andrew even created his very own personal Water Park when he had the brilliant idea of putting the slide on the slip 'n slide.  I never would have thought to do that!  

Sidenote:  the multi-purpose slide (the basement, the pool, the backyard, the slip 'n slide?!) has turned out to be the best $10 I ever spent at a garage sale.

Swim Lessons

Andrew has come a long way since last Summer when he wouldn't let go of either Loren or myself in the pool.  Even with water wings, he clinched tightly to whoever was holding him and was very content watching everyone else splash around and have a good time.  I was fine with that.  I felt pretty comfortable myself knowing that he wouldn't run and jump in the pool.  Sometime last Fall/Winter he and Loren went to a parent participation swim class, which was intended to help Andrew's issues with the water and pool, and I think it did.  I signed him up for his first non-parent class a couple of months ago and it started yesterday.  So far, so good!  Before the swim lessons started, I managed to take him to the neighborhood pool a few times, and also to a pool playdate.  At the playdate, Andrew was hesitant, but eventually brave enough to jump into the pool from the side - several times.  I started off catching him and then began to pretend to catch him.  Andrew had his water wings on, but he went under water a bit and didn't seem to care.  

Swim lessons started this past Monday and he did a fabulous job.

As always, I am so proud!!!!

Bowling

The plan on Saturday was to take 2 vehicles, drop Loren's car off at the Toyota dealership for an oil change and then go next door to the bowling alley and after bowling (and possibly lunch), pick up Loren's car and head home. Well, we drove 2 vehicles to the Toyota dealership, only to find it closed for floor cleaning. We went bowling anyway. Getting an oil change was an excuse to go bowling, but there was no reason not to go bowling if we couldn't get the oil change. Andrew had a lot of fun. Everyone had a lot of fun. Austin very badly wanted to crawl down the lane to reach the pins. Hey guys! We have a baby stuck in the middle of the lane! Could you help us out here?! The scores aren't worth mentioning, but lets just say we are all better at Wii bowling than real life bowling. After bowling we treated ourselves to lunch at Scotty's (yum!) where Andrew had his first ever glass of chocolate milk.

funny dance

And another video! If you know Austin you will get a good laugh out of this, and if you don't know him you should still get a good laugh out of it. He was tired, sick, he was just given a dose of Motrin and Benadryl, he was listening to music on the radio, and he had a medicine dropper.

I give you Austin's funny dance...

Austin's First Steps

Austin took his first steps last Wednesday. We were at a playdate and out of the blue Austin took a couple of steps from a small picnic table to me. I got tears in my eyes, half from joy and half from Oh, my goodness...my life is about to change, and I can't call my baby a baby for much longer. I had just explained to a couple of other moms that I had no idea when Austin would start walking. Well, he certainly showed me! Since then he was taken a few steps here and there, but he definitely still prefers to crawl. Yesterday I was lucky enough to catch him on video (see below). He's getting more confident, or cocky. This morning I turned around and while in the midst of drinking from his sippy cup, he took several steps.

Enjoy! Andrew wasn't too impressed, but he will be once he can chase Austin around.

Massanutten

Our Massanutten vacation was over a week ago.

It took us 12 hours to get to Virginia on Saturday.  We found out that stopping for dinner was as little challenging with a dog.  We went through the Arby's drive-thru and then found a nice cozy spot of grass (which turned out to be a little wetter than we thought) right in front of a used car dealership.  It worked.  Although, we ended up moving our blanket to the gravel because it was getting too wet in the grass.  Because of our arrival time (1 am) we went farther than Massanutten, as planned, to Loren's mom's where we stayed until Monday after breakfast.  Then we drove to Massanutten - a place where I have never been and Loren spent many childhood vacations/family reunions.  We had the place to ourselves until Wednesday when we picked up Loren's younger brother Evan from the Appalachian Trail.  Thursday through the weekend several other family members came and went - Uncle Mike and Natalie, Jessica (one of Loren's cousins), Uncle Brad and Uncle Gary, Grammie, Aunt Kerin.  It was a relatively low-key vacation, and it was a lot of fun.  We played games, attempted puzzles, gave the boys bubble baths, went to the park, played basketball (well, shot baskets), took a hike, watched deer out our window, bought a Wii...

We went to the Massanutten Water Park.  This was awesome!  There was something for everyone.  Andrew had a blast.  Austin had some fun, but mostly he endured the adventure since we went in the evening (when it was cheaper), which took us past the boys' bedtimes.   As soon as we arrived, Andrew went down a big slide on one of his Uncle Mike's lap (which we learned wasn't allowed) and he didn't like the water splashing in his face.  After that experience he refused to go down the slides again (except for the small froggy slide) until the very end when Natalie convinced him if he covered his nose and mouth it would be okay.  It totally worked!  Andrew is normally timid in situations like this and usually becomes the observer - the one who loves watching everyone else go down the slides, but doesn't dare try it himself - and he is very stubborn when he decides he doesn't want to do something.  The fact that he overcame his fear and stepped out of his comfort zone and braved the slides (especially the big one!) was amazing to me.  I was SO incredibly proud of him - so proud I had tears in my eyes.  I was incredibly nervous (so nervous I squealed!) when he went down the bigger slide, but he made it down several times safely. 

We also went swimming, Loren and I played Racquetball one night until we got kicked off of our unreserved court, enjoyed many talks with family members (including several about Walmart), which led to many late nights, and then it was time to pack up and head home.  Austin was generous enough to wake up at 5 am the morning we had to drive 12 hours.  

I'm sure I left something out.  I wish I could recount every last detail, but this is the best I could do!  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  

Dylan

We had been entertaining the idea of getting a dog for awhile.  We visited the Humane Society, but the reality of actually getting a dog made us a little nervous.  We knew we wanted a small dog, friendly, good with children, relatively low-maintenance - to name a few of our criteria.  We didn't do much research, but a couple of friends, who also volunteered at Humane Societies, knew we were possibly in the market for a dog.  Abby came across this absolutely adorable Chihuahua (mixed with another unknown breed) at her Humane Society and immediately thought of us.  She and Mitch brought him to our house one evening and we immediately fell in love.  I thought Loren and I would discuss adopting him in private, but Loren said, "Nope, I'm good."  Dylan had a rough past.  He had a broken jaw, which was repaired though surgery.  Abby took care of him throughout the surgery and healing process and as soon as he was deemed "adoptable" he was ours.  He officially joined our family on May 12th and he was been wonderful.  He is somewhere between 1 1/2 -3 years old.  He is house trained, but has a bit of a skittish peeing habit when he gets nervous (we have identified when that happens and have been able to manage it pretty well).  He is very low-key and puts up with the craziness of 3 1/2 year old and 13 month old boys extremely well.  Andrew adores Dylan and Austin is intrigued and excited about him.  We are so very happy and lucky to have him!

A busy Monday and First Day Back From Vacation

These times aren't exact, but they are close - you'll get the idea.

6 am - Austin woke me up

6-8:45 - changed Austin, unloaded the dishwasher, fed Austin, loaded the dishwasher and ran it, started 2 loads of laundry, unloaded the dishwasher again, put things away, started a grocery list, went through a week's worth of mail.

8:45 - Andrew finally woke up, got him dressed, made his breakfast.

9:00 - 10:50 - put Austin down for his nap, sat and talked to Andrew while he ate breakfast; while Andrew watched a show (or two) I ran on the treadmill, did some other exercises, folded and put away the 1st load of laundry, started a 3rd load, fixed my 3rd cup of coffee, and played with Andrew.

10:50-11:45 - Austin woke up from a much needed long nap; I prepared snacks, loaded the boys into the double stroller and took Dylan on a 30+ minute walk.

11:45 - 12:30 - popsicles for all (because it was HOT outside), then lunch

12:30 - 1:00 - started mowing the backyard while Austin played in a water table/kitchen and Andrew did a little of everything.

1:00 - I put Austin down for another nap; after setting up the sprinkler for Andrew on the section of the yard that had already been mowed, I continued mowing with many interruptions from Andrew; at 2:00 I finally finished the backyard and took a much needed shower.

The rest of the day was filled with more laundry, a tantrum from Andrew, chiropractor, more dog walking, Loren coming home, dinner, play time with Daddy, dishes, bath time, putting the boys to bed at 7:00, more mowing, and then it was finally time to relax.

and a couple more moments worth mentioning...

After I helped Andrew get dressed this morning Dylan ran down the stairs in front of us and Andrew said, "Look! Dylan is running down the stairs! (as if it was the first time he saw him do it).  Dylan doesn't fall down the stairs like Daddy falls down the stairs."

While I was mowing I emerged from amidst the pine trees near the back of the fence and saw Andrew with his shorts around his ankles peeing on the crabapple tree carrying on a one-way conversation with Austin who was a few feet away.

Happy Mother's Day!

Friday night we attended a cookout with some of Loren's co-workers and the boys didn't get to bed until about 9:00.  Saturday night we attended a block party.  Austin went to bed a little after 8:00 and Andrew went to bed around 9:30.  Aaaahhh...maybe they will sleep in on Mother's Day!  Ha. Ha. Ha.  They were both up early and all day was touchy to say the least, but all in all it was a good Mother's Day.  The sun was shining; Loren made french toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast; I was given 3 vases (which Loren decorated, and I love) - one from Loren, one from Andrew, and one from Austin; I went to Sun Down Gardens where I bought Shasta Daisies and Blackeyed Susans (and even planted them in the yard); we had Bub's Burgers for dinner, and the boys were put to bed at 6:30.  Phew!  It was a good day!

Soiree

A little croquet, a little corn hole, friends, dresses, big hats, dapper young men, cheerful kids (one a little more crazy than the other), a bunch of people, including Andrew, yelling at a big screen for the 'fastest 2 minutes in sports'...and you have the Kentucky Derby Soiree.  Not at our house, but at our friend Mitch's house.  It was fun!  Sorry, I can't tell you which horse one. :)

Where Have I Been?

I obviously haven't been posting very much lately.  My apologies.  It isn't like there hasn't been anything happening around here.  The truth is I have been scrapbooking, and scrapbooking, and scrapbooking.  Seriously. Since the end of January.  It started with my decision to start scrapbooking as of 2010, but once that began I had to go back and get caught up.  The good news was that I already had the pictures printed.  The bad news was that up to that point I had only scrapbooked Andrew's first year.  I was over 2 years behind on Andrew and I had yet to begin scrapbooking anything from Austin, and he was over 10 months old at the time.  Daunting, YES.  But if I didn't start then, it wasn't ever going to happen.  So, that is where I have been!  Working on the past while keeping most of the 'present' in my head...


In February, Loren and I got dressed up and went on a "date" to an awards banquet in which he, along with other members of a group, were nominated for an award.  His group didn't win, but it was quite an honor to be nominated.  Cliche, I know, but when only the final 2 individuals/groups in each category are invited to the banquet, it is indeed an honor.  I'm upset at myself for not getting a picture of us all dressed up.  There was a picture taken at the banquet from one of Loren's co-workers, but I have yet to see it.  My friend Nikki came down from Lafayette and watched the boys, put them to bad, etc. for us.  It was so nice to be able to go out and not worry about the boys.  I knew they were in good hands!  


Loren and I celebrated Valentine's Day with Bubs Burgers takeout.  I can't remember what else we did that day (the exact reason I need to keep up with this blog), but I do remember that it was a good day.  Enough said. 


At the beginning of April, within a week and a half or less, we had nearly every family member (with the exception of Loren's brothers) through our house.  It was great to see family and we had a great time while they were all here.  We went to Granite City and even to a movie while Loren's mom was here.  The movie can't go without mention.  It was Hot Tub Time Machine.  It sounds weird, but it was actually quite funny.  I can't tell you how nice it was to sit in a movie theater for the first time since I can't tell you when.  I tried to remember the last movie that Loren and I saw in a theater and I can't remember.  It has been that long.  I'm talking years.  


I met with Andrew's preschool teachers and he is doing great.  To paraphrase, "He always walks into the classroom with a big smile on his face, he participates, plays well, is very cooperative, interested in 'science' activities, he tends to follow the actions of others (can be good or bad), and is wonderful in class."  According to his teachers Andrew plays with everyone, but has made one friend in particular - Max.  He happens to live in our neighborhood and I am hoping to set up a playdate (or a few) this summer.  I also recently found out that Andrew and Max will be in the same class next year, which I am excited about.  Not that Andrew wouldn't meet new friends, but Miss Diane and Miss Sandy kept going on and on about 'Andrew and Max', so apparently they are a good pair.  


We, I mean I, bought a new lawnmower (exciting, right?).  After trying to cut the grass recently with our 'green' lawnmower (which I loved last Spring/Summer) and failing miserably, I took the boys to Lowe's (after calling Loren) and picked one out by myself (again, after calling Loren).  That night, I'm not sure if he knows I saw it, Loren had a big smile on his face when he started up the new self-propelled, gas-powered lawnmower.  Green was good while it lasted, but our green lawnmower had a short expiration date.  It's still nice to have it around when we miss a patch with the gas-powered lawnmower (I did this) and can whip out the other one without making a lot of noise or wasting even a little bit of gas.


I joined a couple of local Moms clubs.  I haven't been too involved, but I'm sure that will change.  It's one of those things where I can be as involved or not involved as I want to be, but it's really nice to be a part of.


We are getting a dog.  I will explain more about him later, but he is the sweetest.  The absolute sweetest little dog (I want to call him a puppy, but he isn't quite a puppy) will soon become the next member of our family. 


The rest I either already blogged about or can't quite remember right now... 


                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                              Stay tuned!  There will be more!

Austin's Stats

Do these cheeks look like they belong to a one-year old in the 13th percentile?! Well, they do.

Austin weighs a whopping 20 pounds, 1 ounce (woo-hoo! he can face forward in his carseat!), which happens to be the exact same weight Andrew was at 9 months!

He is 28.5 inches long which puts him in the 13th percentile for height as well.

Austin is still our little peanut. It's baffling to me how much of a difference there is height & weight between the boys. It will be interesting to see how they turn out!

Happy (Belated) Easter!

The boys each received baskets with a few 'treats' in them and we had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.  Andrew was really into the egg hunt this year and Austin didn't quite know what was going on, but he pushed his wagon and stopped when he saw a plastic egg.  Pretty good for a rookie, I think!  I knew exactly how many eggs the Easter Bunny hid in the yard and I wouldn't let Andrew stop until all were found, despite his requests of "Now it's time to open the eggs and see what's inside!"  We helped Andrew find the last few that were a little more difficult to find.  When we gave Andrew a hint he excitedly said, "Okay!" and hurried over to try and find every last egg.  Grammie (who had arrived just prior to the Easter Egg Hunt) helped Andrew count his eggs.  Andrew then moved to the porch where he checked out his loot and proceeded to consume a little too much sugar.    

It was fun!

Happy 1st Birthday Austin!!!

I can't believe it has been one year...

The presents...

The cake...

Austin didn't want anything to do with his cake (a giant cupcake!).  He was pretty mesmerized by the candle, though.  I tried to feed him a bite and Andrew tried to feed him a bite, but Austin was much more into feeding his cake to Andrew (which Andrew loved).  Oh, well.  I guess it's a good thing he isn't addicted to sugar, right?

Austin is one special little dude.  He is cool and calm and easy going, he makes us laugh, he scoots more than he crawls, he bangs his head against the back of the highchair when he wants out, he loves playing in the pantry and we never know what we will find in Daddy's Coke Zero box, he loves crawling stairs, he grabs any toy that Andrew is playing with, he stands in the bathtub, he loves being outside, he (very recently) started sleeping in until after 7:00, he lays his head down on the floor (or anything nearby) when he is tired, he hates wearing hats, he is obsessed with the dishwasher and will come scooting when he hears it open, he loves to swing, he loves chewing on my hoodie strings, he is curious, he is strong, he is active, he is loving, he is Austin... and he is so much more than these words can describe!

Happy 1st Birthday!  We love you!

The One Tooth

Austin's second tooth is going to break through any day now, so I thought I would take this opportunity to show off the best picture I have of his first one, which came in at 9 1/2 months!  Andrew had 6 teeth when he turned one (his first one came in at 7 months).  I think that's partly why I'm having such a hard time with Austin turning a year old soon.  He still looks like a baby to me.  He's starting to develop a bit of toddler-like personality, which makes things a tad difficult when he has this sweet, innocent, baby-like face...with only one tooth.

Spaghetti Dinner At Our House

Last night we had spaghetti for dinner.  It's a favorite of ours, but it had been awhile since I last cooked it.  This was Austin's very first spaghetti experience, which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy, and, as expected, made a big mess out of himself.  When Austin was done eating, he started tossing spaghetti off the side of his highchair.  One piece managed to land on top of his head which, of course, he was oblivious to.  Austin, being 11 months old and a novice at eating spaghetti is naturally excused for making a big mess.  Andrew...I'm not sure what happened there.  He was using bigger utensils than normal, so maybe he had issues getting the spaghetti in his mouth.  I'm not really sure.  And Loren?  Well, he always eats like that.

I HEART warm weather!!!

Needless to say, I am VERY excited that we can play outside!!

(Dont' forget to click on the collages if you want a better view.)

Video - Austin has moves!

You may have to turn up the volume to be able to hear the music in the background and get the full effect. Andrew was watching some of the Wiggles and Austin, in the midst of roaming around, paused a few times to dance along. Funny stuff!

10 Months Old

It is so hard to believe that Austin's first birthday will be in two very short months.  One one hand, I can't wait until April.  I am so over this cold weather!  However, I just can't imagine having a one year old yet.  So, I won't think about April.  It's still February and Austin is just 10 months old. 

He is quite possibly the most content and 'chill' baby I have ever been around.  Feed him at meal time, give him his formula on time, an occasional snack here and there, change his diaper, get him to bed at 7:00, and down for naps when needed (and possible), and you have the happiest baby in the world!  He hasn't always been so happy (he was much more high-maintenance in his early days), but being mobile has helped out a ton.  If we wants something, he goes and gets it - or tries to get it.

  He just does his thing. He crawls all over the place, he stands, and cruises.  

He explores everything - if the refrigerator opens, he's right there grabbing condiments out of the bottom of the door; if the bathroom door opens, he's in there crawling between the toilet and the sink; follows his older brother around, dances to anything that remotely carries a beat...music, Loren playing the guitar, Andrew singing, me singing, the sound of the ice coming out of the ice maker, etc. 

 He has become very squirmy during diaper changes.  He tries to roll over, we prevent him from rolling over, a giggle-fest ensues.

He babbles - says dada alot but just looks at me and laughs when I try to get him to say mama.  

Austin is a great eater.  He eats a lot of finger foods and prefers finger foods.  The only way I can get him to eat some pureed food is by mixing it with infant cereal so it's a pretty thick consistency.  We're down to applesauce and jar meat, both mixed with cereal, and the rest is finger foods.  He loves fruit - bananas, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, cooked apples.  He isn't a big fan of vegetables, but he sometimes eats peas, green beans, or cooked carrots.  Cheerios and cheese are a daily staple.  Oh, and bread.  He loves torn up pieces of bread.  You get the idea. 

His tooth!  I almost forgot to mention Austin's tooth.  He got his first tooth at about 9 1/2 months and we're still looking for more.  Andrew very sweetly walked up to Austin today and asked him, "Austin, do you have a lot of teeth yet? No? Okay."  It was cute.

Austin also likes to chime in during dinner conversation with his own story to tell.  He doesn't want to be left out!

Enjoy the pictures - a little glimpse of Austin as a 10 month old.

Austin is a true blessing, and I can't imagine life without this little guy!!!!!!!

Modern Art

I found myself in dire need of a project yesterday.  Something (anything!) to keep Andrew busy for even a few minutes.  I had nothing.  Until I found my box of craft (popsicle) sticks and glue. Hmmm...this could be fun!  I started out trying to build a nice popsicle stick house.  You know...with four sides, built up like Lincoln Logs.  My plan was to get it started, while showing Andrew what I was doing, and hopefully he would continue working while I got some things done in the kitchen.  He didn't want anything to do with the nice square-shaped house I started to build.  Andrew wanted to do his own ("You do that one and I do this one").  He insisted that his house should be in the shape of a triangle.  

(It has Frank Lloyd Wright written all over it.)

I could use some more ideas that involve building and construction.  Help!!!

You see what I'm dealing with here?

As we were getting ready for preschool this morning, I was trying to get Andrew to sit still so I could put his shoes on.  He was turning circles in the kitchen completely oblivious to me.  I started to count.  Andrew hates it when I start to count.  He eventually walked over to me and sat down.  As I put his hoes on, I explained to him (something like this), "If you don't want me to start counting, then you should listen, behave, and do what you are asked to do.  We are trying to get ready for preschool and I need your cooperation.  You are actually in control of this situation.  If you do what you are asked to do, I won't count.  If you don't do what you are asked to do, then I will count, and if I get to 3 then you go to timeout."

Andrew's response, "The end.  That was a great story."

A Little Lopsided

Do you notice anything wrong with this picture?  Look closely.  It might be obvious; it might not be.  It certainly took me a really long time to notice it and it's my body; however, I think it's *SO* obvious now.

  I'm crooked! 

I may not be 100% square with the camera, but I am seriously standing up straight in this picture.

Let me take you back to January 3rd.  We had some friends over for the Colts game which we watched in the basement.  I spent a lot of time on the floor watching the game and playing with the boys.  My back started to really bother me and it would catch every time I moved or tried to stand up.  It took my breath away.  By the time I went to bed that night I was in a world of pain.  I could barely get in bed, let alone change positions.  I ended up laying in somewhat of a diagonal positon (because I couldn't move in either direction) and Loren had to stuff a pillow behind me and in front of me.  It was excrutiating.  I was still in a lot of pain the next day and Loren had to take off work because I could barely move and I couldn't lift anything or anyone.  I went to the doctor and he said I strained my back.  He prescribed me a muscle relaxer, Naproxen, and lots of rest.  I took it easy that day, but I felt I could manage after that and Loren went back to work.  It was tough, but I did it and my back gradually started to feel better.  It never got back to normal, but it was better.

For some reason last Thursday night was difficult for me.  Every positon I laid in (left side, right side, back) was uncomfortable.  I was able to sleep, but every time I woke up I was pretty uncomfortable, and my back continued to hurt pretty bad once I was up and moving around.  After I took a shower in the morning I just happened to notice that my hips were lopsided!  It was bizarre and it freaked me out.  I thought it was partly due to the pain I had (I was favoring the side where I felt the most pain), but it was obvious that something wasn't quite right.  I called my friend, Jess, who has had a lot of experience with back issues and chiropractors and who was (and still is) recovering from back surgery to see what her take was on my issue and chiropractors.

I ended up taking both boys to a chiropractor later that morning.  He looked at me and took x-rays, but I didn't find out until the following Monday, the 25th, that I have scoliosis.  I was shocked, but things started to make sense.  It certainly explained my lopsidedness and my pain.  I have had episodes of back pain periodically throughout my adult life, but I always attributed it to pulling something, lifting improperly, even lifting weights.  I really didn't have an exact explanation, and there was always a large gap in time between episodes.  There was a time in college when I tried sleeping on my bedroom floor for awhile because my back bothered me.  I remember being in a lot of pain after one of (if not the) first trips to Virginia.  I remember not being able to bowl one night around 4 years ago (yes, I was on a league once), because my back hurt too much, and most recently was last summer.  I was in a lot of pain for several days and it took all I had to get out of bed several times in the middle of the night to pick Austin up out of his crib, nurse him, and then lower him back into his crib, all while cringing in pain.  There were probably more episodes, but those are the ones that come to mind.

I have had a stressful week of going to the chiropractor (4 times!) and doing some research and wondering if this is the best treatment for me, and what is scoliosis? and what does it mean for me and the rest of my life? I kept trying to figure out if I did this to myself, if it's genetic, and how in the world did I not notice my lopsided hips before?  That still baffles me.  Dr. H is pretty certain I've had scoliosis for quite some time, and it possibly went undiagnosed as an adolescent.  Remember the scoliosis screening we had to go through in P.E. class?  It's quite possible I had it then, but maybe not as bad...who knows.  He told me I shouldn't beat myslef up over it and most cases of scoliosis happen for unknown reasons.  He also told me that the likelihood of me needing surgery is pretty remote.

I'm feeling better.  I have been squatting to the floor instead of bending at the waist, and I even walked on the treadmill yesterday, but I have to be careful with every movement.  My range of motion is limited and I could pretty easily hurt myself.  I sit with a pillow behind my back and a 'lumbar roll' behind my lower back in the car.  I can get down on the floor if I sit on my knees, but I can't sit Indian style criss-cross applesauce(?) style.  Even though I've probably had scoliosis a good part of my life and not known it, it seems to be bothering me more now.  The entire month of January I have been in some degree of pain or discomfort.  The chiropractor is going to help get me sorted out.  He won't be able to reverse my scoliosis, but he will hopefully be able to improve the curve a little, lessen the pain, improve my range of motion, and, most importantly, help me lead a normal life.  The goal is to do this drug free and surgery free.  If there are exercises I need to do at home, I will do them.  I will do whatever he tells me to do.  My biggest fear is that my back issues are going to affect my kids, and I'm going to do everything in my power not to let that happen.