Adios Penguins

Andrew just completed his 3rd year of preschool.  This was the first year I was genuinely sad at the end of the year bike rally.  Not because I was thinking Andrew has only one more year of preschool before Kindergarten, not because our first baby is growing up way too fast, but because this is the first year he made true friends and because these true friends won't be in his preschool class next year.  Andrew has had playdates with these friends...the first drop-you-off-and-pick-you-up-in-a-couple-of-hours type of playdates.  One will be in the Giraffes next year, not the Monkeys, and the other one is going to a different preschool altogether.  It makes me sad.  I don't know why.  Andrew is a very outgoing kid who has no problem playing with others and has an infectious personality.  Every preschool mom I have talked to says "Oh, you are Andrew's mom?  My son/daughter talks about Andrew."   His preschool teachers have told me repeatedly that Andrew always has a smile on his face and is a very happy kid.  I'm sure he will be fine without these friends next year.  I know he will make new friends.  But, still.  I am sad about it.

I can't say I know a whole lot about what he learned this year.  I saw all of the papers and artwork that he brought home each day, but I struggled to get him to talk about what he actually did and learned.  He never hesitated to tell me what he had for snack each day and he raved about recess.  Apparently those were his two favorite things.  I do know that he is way more in touch with his religious side now (much more than the rest of us), due to the simple fact that he attends a church preschool, and he has developed some mad scissor cutting skills.  He is very good at writing his name and many letters and numbers.  Next year will be the big year as he is preparing for the big, exciting, challenging world of Kindergarten.  

I think Andrew thrives with the structure and routine of preschool.  I have noticed this the past couple of days when he wanted to use his preschool place mat at snack time, insisting on using a napkin instead of a plate (just like at preschool), and then afterwards throwing his trash away (just like at prsechool).  I think I'm going to have to set up my own little summer "preschool" here at home, complete with circle time, art time, snack time, recess time, bathroom break time, etc.  Hmmm...I might be on to something here.  The wheels are turning!  Seriously, Andrew would be so excited about this!

The Penguins

One happy kid!

These two rode their bikes around the circle many, many, many times and stayed right with each other the whole time.  It was very cute.  They are really good buds.

Adios, Penguins!  It was a good year.

Ashley - Two Months Old

At her 2 month checkup on Monday she weighed 10 pounds, 8 ounces (42nd percentile) and was 21.8 inches (28th percentile).

Ashley is smiling ever so sweetly.  Melt my heart sweet.

She has the best two big brothers a little girl could ask for.  They give her endless hugs and kisses, Austin especially.  He constantly tries to pick her up and gives me near heart attacks many times throughout the day.

She is so laid back and has developed a good rhythm to her days.  Somehow most of her days are pretty similar...when she wakes up in the morning, when she's hungry, when she has awake time, when she gets tired again, when she wakes up in the middle of the night.  It all just works out.  Getting her down at night can be harder some days than others, but it doesn't usually take too much effort.

Wednesday night she went 11 hours in between feedings and slept a solid 10 hours straight!!  Asleep from 8:30 until 6:30.  Cra--zy. 

She already puts up with a lot from her brothers...again, Austin especially.  He tried to play catch with her today while she was in her car seat!  Luckily it was a very lightweight ball and she didn't seem to mind at all.  Very tolerant.  A good trait to have with 2 older brothers.  

She has started to do the backwards scoot while laying on her back.  She's a mover!  I have gotten in the habit of laying her on my lap with her head at my knees and her feet at my stomach, and I really can't do that any more because she has many times nearly kicked herself backwards off of my lap!

Like her brothers, she isn't a big fan of pacifiers.  Is this a genetic thing?  So weird.  

Ashley Grace is a very happy, laid back, easy to read, and absolutely perfect (the doctor said so!) baby.

Air Show

We finally made it to the Indianapolis Air Show.  We have thought about going the last couple of years, but decided not to at the last minute because it was too hot, or something.  Well, it crept up again this year and for the week leading up to it I had it mind as a possibility for that coming weekend.  The forecast called for rain or a decent chance of it.  I watched the forecast all week, and it never wavered.  We were going to play it by ear, and I knew a couple of my friends and their kids were also thinking about going.  The day arrived, the sky looked pretty darn good, and any chance of rain or thunderstorms seemed to be in the evening.  We went for it, but soccer came first.  I did as much of the necessary preparations before soccer (packing lunches mainly), so that after soccer we could swing by the house, walk Dylan, load up, and drive to Mt. Comfort Airport by way of the Kia dealership to drop of Loren's car for an oil change (yay random Groupon!).  Oh, we also stopped by Target so I could pick up some sunglasses and Lowes for some earplugs.  We finally arrived there around 1:00 I think and we didn't know it at the time, but totally lucked out by parking on the runway.  We had no choice; it just happened to be the line we were in.  The air show parking is so organized.  I was impressed.  We had to walk (I mean push really hard) 2 strollers through a large grassy field to get to the seating area, but we found out later that it was well worth it.  It turned out that those parked on the runway (one not being used of course) could bypass all of the cars stuck in the grass parking lot who were waiting and waiting...and waiting.  Anyway, our friends met us there an hour later and the boys had some playmates to run around with.  I have to say my vision of the air show was much different than what it turned out to be.  I pictured a lot of people packed tightly together, but this place was perfect.  There was plenty of space to spread out and any seat was a great seat.  The kids could run around without getting dirty looks.  It was relaxing and fun.  A lot of smaller planes performed neat tricks as well as some bigger ones that were pretty cool, but nothing compared to the Blue Angels.  They don't come to our air show every year, so I'm very glad we made it this year to see them.  It. was. awesome!  But, it was LOUD.  Oh, my goodness.  The ear plugs didn't last long with the boys, and they luckily didn't seem too bothered by the noise.  I feared that poor Ashley would wind up deaf.  I kept trying to cover her ears, and I'm pretty she was unharmed by the noise.  Time will tell, but I'm not worried.  If you ever have the chance to see the Blue Angels in person, you should definitely do it.  So cool!

the Blue Angels!

Mutt Strutt 2011

On May 1st, we attended the 8th annual Mutt Strut with Dylan.  It is the Indianapolis Humane Society's largest fund raiser.  I have to say I was amazed at how many participants there were and at how many different kinds of dogs there were.  Wow.  Who new?  It is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Instead of 30-40 cars (that's somewhat of an estimate) racing around the track, there were hundreds of dogs and people walking around the track.  Maybe it was thousands.  I'm not sure, but it was a lot.  Dylan had no problem completing the 2.5 mile stroll.  It was a fun experience for all of us (Ashley slept through the entire thing!) that I'm sure we will do again and again.

Hop Scotch at its Finest

I bet you can't hop scotch like this!

Ashley - One Month Old

on 4/22/11...

9 pounds, 4 ounces (52%)

20.5 inches (28%)

"We're doing pretty well for the moment."

Yesterday when I was beginning to cook dinner, hoping Loren was coming home any time in the next 3 minutes to relieve me of child duties or at least help with them so I could cook dinner without a couple of boys running through the kitchen or a fussy baby in my arms, I get a text at 4:57 that says, "ETA 5:20".  Bummer.  I was hoping he would be home to relieve me of child duties so I could get dinner on the table in peace.  I responded with "OK- we're doing pretty well for the moment."  I then looked around and realized we were doing far better than pretty well...

All 3 kids were entertaining themselves (lets face it - at 3 weeks old, sleeping is Ashley's only form of self-entertainment) and it was soooo quiet.  It was a moment I wanted needed to be able to remember, and so I grabbed the camera and captured the moment.  

Thankfully it lasted for more than one moment, but I can't say it lasted long enough for me to get dinner cooked or even long enough for Loren to arrive home and witness it.  By 5:15 I found myself standing in the middle of the kitchen nursing Ashley while simultaneously trying to cook dinner.  Austin had been stripped down to his diaper since his clothes were now soaked and he had made his way to the dining room table where he practiced unscrewing and screwing the lid on a nearly empty container of grated Parmesan cheese.  He was doing a fabulous job at not spilling a single grain.  Loren came home about 10 minutes later right as the Parmesan cheese found itself in a nicely formed pile on the table.  He went up to change.  I started vacuuming the mess (yes, off the table).  As soon as I shut off the vacuum the doorbell rang.  Dinner was still cooking on the stove.

And I was very quickly brought back to the unpredictable, chaotic, fabulous reality that is my normal life every other moment of the day.

Austin turned 2!

...and I turned 32!!!  

Our day started off with yummy pancakes from Loren.  The boys helped make them - actually, Andrew helped while Austin poured water from one cup to another cup and wound up making a mess.  But, that's okay...it was his day.

 We had a relatively laid-back day.  It was rainy and dreary for the first half, but the sun finally came out and it turned out to be quite nice.  We were going to go to Red Robin for dinner, because there really is no better place to celebrate your birthday, but after going on a long family walk, we opted for Stacked Pickle takeout on our screened porch where the boys could get up when they were done and play in the yard.  It turned out that the best place to celebrate our birthdays was our own backyard!

our long family walk (Ashley and I are hiding on the other side of the camera)

The birthday boy - what a sweet face!

"cheeeese!"

Enjoying our first outdoor dinner of the year!

Austin blew out his candles all by himself!

It's nearly impossible to describe this quirky child without following him around with a video camera, but I will do my best.  He is funny, mischievous, daring, shy, loving, defiant, athletic, independent, did I say funny? 

 He watches and imitates Andrew, yet he is very much his own person.  He has a way mocking his Daddy without it being obvious that he's mocking him.  He will run around the house and then plant two hands on the wall or on the arm of a chair will simultaneously lifting one leg up in the air as if he's a ballerina.  He nods his head in agreement (one single nod, or maybe 2) to almost every question you ask him, but it's usually when he's in trouble and he knows that he's supposed to agree with what you say to him.  If you ask him if he wants broccoli for dinner, he will mostly definitely shake his head.  Speaking of broccoli, he will not touch a vegetable!  None.  Ball, ball, ball!  He loves to play ball - throwing, kicking, shooting baskets, anything with a ball.  He loves hoo-hoos (trains).  Chuggington is the only show that he gets excited about.  We recently had to upgrade our doorknob locks to keep him out of the pantry and in his room (walking downstairs by himself at 6 am is not okay with me).  Loren also installed a new out-of-reach lock on our sliding glass door to keep him from going outside all of the time.  He most definitely keeps us on our toes.  Many times while we are eating dinner Austin will let himself down from the table (he won't sit in his booster anymore) and run lap after lap around the circle in our house (which includes the dining room) while the rest of us finish eating.  He walks up to Loren and, without saying a word, turns his back to him...this is the sign for pick me up and put me on your shoulders.  He flips on his light every morning when he wakes up and hollers or pounds on his door until someone comes and lets him out...this can be at 5:10, 5:45, 6:00.  He is usually very good about sharing with Andrew when Andrew asks Austin nicely if he will share with him.  If Austin doesn't want something he will pull his right arm swiftly across his chest.  Austin loves to give Ashley hugs, and today I caught him offering her a fruit snack when she was crying in the car.  He can be entertained and occupied by himself for quite awhile with paint, glue, dry pasta, or water.  He climbs on and jumps off our furniture...sometimes in a way where it seems like he thought there was a pile of pillows waiting for him on the floor, but there wasn't, and then he starts laughing at himself, and does it all over again.  While in the midst of dancing to music he often pauses and strikes a pose - he puts his head on the floor with his bum in the air for a few seconds- and then stand up and continues dancing.  

And there you have it...a little of what makes our special, quirky, entertaining, fun-loving little 2 year old little boy so special and wonderful!

My Lilac

I don't remember when I bought this lilac bush.  We have lived in our house for 5 years, so I'm going to guess I bought it 3 years ago, maybe 4.  There isn't much in our yard that I have planted that I'm particularly proud of or attached to.  I haven't killed our hostas or daisies yet, so I guess I'm pretty proud of those.  My little peony bloomed for the first time last year, but it still looks pretty sad overall.  My lilac, though, flourishes every year.  Well, it has a lot of new growth every year, but I have yet to see an actual lilac flower.  Until 2 days ago, that is!

one year ago... 4-2-2010

this year...4-9-2011

so exciting!!!!

lack of sleep?

Yes, I am severely short on sleep, and I don't see that improving anytime soon.  But, I'm not going to talk about me.  This poor guy started fighting his naps, and even though that has gotten a lot better (we aren't giving up his nap, yet!), he still gets up WAY too early.  This has caused him to fall asleep at 10:00 or 12:00 while watching a show, fall asleep while shopping at Meijer, and even today he fell asleep on the way home from picking up Andrew at preschool.  He was up before 6 this morning.  It's 2 pm and he hasn't had lunch yet.  I don't know what to do with him.  We have gone back to the 7 o'clock (or close to it) bedtime after experimenting with an 8 o'clock bedtime after Daylight Savings (Austin continued to wake up just as early even when we put him down later), bu the early bedtime still isn't enough.  He needs a solid 12 hours of sleep at night and a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon.  How do I make him sleep??  Or better yet, how do I keep him from waking up so early insisting on staying up? 

 

Soccer

It's time for another season of soccer.  And this time Austin gets to play, too!

he loves to do laundry!

"Mommy, can I help you fold laundry?  I know how to fold clothes.  I learned it from Special Agent Oso!"

You want to help me do what?  Umm...sure, of course you can help me fold the laundry!

(He also loves to load the washer and unload the dryer!)

The Dishman

When the fussiness reached an all time high and I desperately need something, anything to help occupy Austin , I pulled out an old trick I used on Andrew when he was 2 - I cleaned out the sink really well, filled it with soapy water, gave Austin several kid-friendly dishes and instant self-entertainment unfolded in front of my eyes.  It's amazing how much Austin loves playing in the kitchen sink.  Andrew deemed Austin the "Dishman" and in this photo Andrew was the Dishman's helper.  It can get a little messy, but for the most part the mess is fairly contained.  Austin could literally play in the water all day.  I have to limit it a little for our water bill's sake (however, it really is cheap entertainment!), but I'm grateful that I have at least one go-to activity on hand for him.

Zoku

Have you heard of a Zoku?  I hadn't until I received one for Christmas from my bother-in-law and his fiancée.  It's a popsicle maker that makes popsicles in approximately 7 minutes!  It's wonderful and so simple.  Freeze the core, insert sticks, pour juice, wait until the juice freezes, use special tool to loosen the popsicles, and tada!  So awesome.  We have only made simple orange juice popsicles, but I look forward to getting creative with different colors and flavors as well.  I have a feeling we will be using this all summer.   

You should check it out!

sweet Ashley Grace

Ashley Grace Garrison

Monday, March 21st - 1:18 pm

7 pounds, 9 ounces

19 1/2 inches

She was due March 24th.  I just knew I would go at least a week early like I did with Andrew and Austin, and I was really worried about who would take care of the boys when I went into labor and while I was in the hospital.  We were very fortunate to have Grandma Cyn come out early to help me with the boys and be here when I did go into labor.  She arrived the afternoon of the 14th.  I went into labor 9 days before Andrew was born and having her come out 10 days before my due date made perfect sense.  Every day I woke up thinking it was 'the day',  but another day went by, and another, and another...In a way it was great that I didn't go into labor when I thought I would because I was able to get as much done as I possibly could - a huge 'stock up' trip to Costco, a haircut for me, a haircut for Andrew, a nail trimming for Andrew, a trip to Kohl's, a trip to Target, and cleaning the house some.

I had been entertaining the thought of being induced for many weeks and my doctor was totally fine withit, but I never felt right about making an appointment.  I really wanted to go naturally, but I also thought I would go naturally a week early.  With every day that went by I was beginning to feel miserable, I wasn't sleeping, and Grandma Cyn couldn't be here forever.  I was so ready.  Loren and I talked about it and on Friday, the 18th, I made an appointment to be induced Monday morning.  I still thought I would definitely go naturally over the weekend, but of course I didn't.  Even though I originally didn't want to be induced, by the time Sunday night arrived I couldn't wait for Monday morning.  After going into labor late at night the first two times, Loren and I were really looking forward to getting a good night's sleep and driving to the hospital first thing in the morning.  Ha!  Loren slept.  I did not.  I was up at 4:15 after giving up on sleep.  Andrew woke up twice after I did which normally might have been a little irritating since it was so early, but that morning I was grateful to be able to talk to him and explain again where Mommy and Daddy would be.  He understood and was a big boy about it all...I was so proud of him.  Once Loren got up and got himself ready, we headed to the hospital.

right before we left for the hospital...

  

We needed to be at the hospital by 6 am.  As soon as we got there I was asked to put a hospital gown on.  They certainly didn't mess around!  A little before 7:00 I was given petocin.  A few minutes later my doctor came in and broke my water...and the waiting began.  Loren and I played Words with Friends (aka Scrabble) on our phones, I read from my Kindle, Loren read from my Kindle, I knitted a little, I texted, emailed...all in between contractions that were becoming more and more unbearable.  I was trying to hold out...for what I'm not sure.  I guess I just needed to know that I needed the epidural.  By 11 o'clock, I was ready for it.  I was only 4 cm, but I was hurting, and I couldn't imagine enduring that nonsense for another 6 cm.  More power to those that can go without the meds.  I think you are insane.  Once the epidural was in I got a little woozy and my normally lowish blood pressure dropped a little (not something I remember experiencing the first 2 times), but other than that I was a happy camper.  The rest is a bit of a blur - more hanging out, reading, texting, etc.  Somehow in the next 2 hours I got to 10 cm.  When my doctor came i\

 pushed a few times and the sweetest, most precious little girl became a part of our family!  

Fast forward to Wednesday around 2:00 when the 3 of us came home.  I was a blubbering emotional mess when I saw Andrew who came out the front door first.  He was SO excited and happy.  He kept talking in a super sweet voice and said several times. "Aww...she's SO cute!"  Austin looked absolutely huge to me all of a sudden, as if he had grown in the 2 1/2 days that I was gone.  

I will never forget what Andrew said to me as I followed him through the front door.  He turned around and said, "Mommy, Mommy...did the doctor catch her?!"  So funny!  But, what melted my heart and brought tears to my eyes a couple of days later was something Andrew said to me after he checked on Ashely in the swing.  He made sure she was okay and then ran over to the couch where I was sitting.  In a sweet and excited manner he said to me, "Mommy, thanks for having Ashley in your belly.  Thank you for wishing for her.  I love her!"  It was so unexpected and still brings tears to my eyes.

We are so happy Ashley is a part of our family.  She is so sweet and perfect, and we all love her very much!

the room...

It used to be pastel blue with a cute, fuzzy, Winnie the Pooh theme, but now it is pink.  Very pink.  

1st Knitting Project

Watch out world.  I'm learning how to knit!  Sort of.  I can do one stitch, nothing fancy.  I made a 5x5 square for a charity group who had people knit squares that will be sewn together for a big blanket which will be given to a little girl going through chemo.  It wasn't perfect, and I'm not sure if they will even want to use it.  When I make a mistake, I have a hard time correcting it.  I don't know this little girl, but a friend of a friend does, and that's how I got involved.  I tagged along one evening and joined the group of knitters, not knowing how to knit myself.  Ally, the leader of the group, taught me enough so that I could finish the square.  Afterwards, I wanted to keep going, so I consulted You Tube to learn how to 'cast on' and refresh my memory on the garter stitch (I sound like I know what I'm talking about, but I really don't).  My friend Crystal helped me out when I goofed.  I texted her and she graciously let me stop by her house on a Sunday afternoon to help me correct my mistake, which involved taking it all out and starting over.

I will get this blanket done.

36 1/2 weeks

I'm not sleeping at night

I'm tired.

I have had a sore throat all week.

Thanks to the amount of caffeine I am allowed to drink, I feel good during the day

Andrew is excited.  He has started carrying his baby around again.

I'm not sure Austin gets it, and I'm pretty sure he's going to be confused and jealous.  Hopefully I'm wrong.

The room is pretty much ready.

I have purchased everything I'm going to with the exception of 2 must-haves (a Bjorn and a Bumbo). Shanelle, can you toss those over the pond please? :)  I'm hoping to find those used somewhere.

I'm 1 cm dilated!  Woohoo!

We are almost certain we have a name picked out.

If she arrives when the boys did, it may only be 2 more weeks and maybe a couple of days.  Hopefully not sooner!!

I am very excited and very nervous.

It won't be long!

White Puppy

One day back in January 2008 (quite possibly the 25^th, judging from one of the pictures), Andrew and I were strolling through Pottery Barn Kids.  I don’t even remember why we were there (probably looking for or buying an ‘anywhere chair’.  I think I have been to that store a total of 2 times.  While pushing Andrew around the store in the stroller, we spotted a cute stuffed puppy.  Andrew liked it.  Did we really need this puppy?  No.  Was it overpriced?  Probably.  Was it cute?  Absolutely.  Did Andrew catch me in a weak moment?  Of course.  I don’t think I had personally bought any stuffed animals for Andrew to date, so why not? 

That was the day White Puppy entered our family.  Some spontaneous ‘must have’ purchases have proven to be anything but; however, White Puppy has definitely been a worthy purchase.  He started off as more of a lovie that Andrew took up to his crib, and later his bed, for naps and bedtime.  But he now plays a much more important role in our family.  He often eats dinner with us, or is at least nearby when we are eating.  He still sleeps with Andrew at night.  If he isn’t in Andrew’s bed, he is on a “mattress” on his floor.  He rides in the car every preschool morning and for most errands.  He has even had several back adjustments at the chiropractor.  He has traveled with us to northern Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky - he goes where Andrew goes.  He has had many adventures at the park, baseball games, the State Fair, the doctor, you name it.  He often barks when Dylan (our real dog) barks.  The list goes on…

Andrew often carries White Puppy around by holding the back of his neck so he can see where he is going.  How thoughtful!  I quickly learned that White Puppy is thankfully machine washable because after many trips outside and Andrew holding him with dirty hands, his poor neck was filthy.  He comes out brand new everytime! 

I am so glad that Andrew has that one special ‘friend’ that comforts him.  I hope he continues to play an essential role in our family for a long time.  I had no idea at the time how much White Puppy would come to mean to Andrew, and I am so glad that I decided to make the spontaneous purchase that one day in January 3 years ago.

My one concern is this.  What do you do when the little brother adopts White Puppy while Andrew is at preschool?  I think Austin knows how much White Puppy means to Andrew, because he doesn't get too upset when Andrew wants him back, but I’m hoping this doesn't become an issue one day.  

34 weeks!

Here are some pics of my baby belly.  My due date is 6 short (or long, depends on how I'm feeling on any given day) weeks away.  I'm nervous and scared, but *so* ready at the same time.  Although, I haven't even thought about buying itty bitty diapers yet.

 

  Andrew took the 34 week photo of me with my phone.  He was very excited when I asked him if he could take a picture of me, and he took it very seriously.  It was cute.

Big Room Switcharoo

- At the beginning of November we found out that baby #3 is a girl.

- We moved guest bed to the basement and miscellaneous furniture from the guest room to Loren and Heather's room (not that we had space for it, but it works).

- Andrew moved to what used to be the guest room.

- I painted Andrew's old room/soon to be Austin's new room a sort of medium blue.  I have now painted that room a total of 3 times!!  It started off bright yellow when we moved here, then I painted it a dark green when we used it as an office, then I painted it beige (the same as the majority of the house) before Andrew moved in there and now blue.  I will never paint that room again.

- On December 5th, Austin moved to his new room (Andrew's old room) and I transformed the crib to a toddler bed.

 - After a good week, Austin went through a bad spell in the toddler bed which was exacerbated by teething and sickness, so I transformed the toddler bed back to a crib and started over.  All was peaceful again.

 - In the meantime (at the beginning of January), I painted the baby's room (Austin's old room and also where Andrew started out) a very pretty, girlie, medium pink.  Bye, bye pastel blue...

- Hardwood flooring went on sale at Menards in mid January, so we took advantage of it and decided to redo Austin's (new) room.  This was something we sort of planned to do, but were waiting for it to go on sale.    It did and we went for it.  Luckily Loren had a 3 day weekend to work on it!

- We moved Austin, crib and all, to the baby's room for the weekend.  He didn't mind at all.

- Austin's new floor was completed and we moved him back, but without the crib.  He got a new big boy bed!

I think the rooms may still need a little work - more wall decorations and possibly a rug in Austin's room, maybe a new wall color for Andrew's room, but I haven't decided yet.  Andrew suggested pink or purple for his room.  The verdict is still out on that one.

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*Stay tuned for pictures of the baby's room!*