Sunday, July 28, 2013

Dupage County Fair


It's almost 1am on Sunday morning and I'm blogging from bed.  I've had a bit of a Captain George's (ate waaaay too much on a seafood buffet on vacation when I was younger)  experience tonight and am really regretting my food choices.  What's not pictured is the corn dog and steak on a stick I also ate.  Gross!  Why did I think all of that was a good idea?

Despite how I'm feeling now, we had a GREAT time at the fair with Nana and Papa.  Jackson loved looking at all the animals, except the ducks which are apparently far scarier than a massive cow. 

We spent $20 on tickets for him to ride the rides and he wasn't really into it at first.  I was a little bummed but he warmed up to it. He was thrilled when we found the Truck Track from when the carnival was by our mall.  It was the same amusement company.  

The kids were exhausted after a couple of hours and were ready to come home.  Papa too.  He didn't think to bring long sleeves and it was freezing! 

After Jackson's swimming lessons, a seven mile run, and a trip to the county fair, I'm tired and hoping I can pack a lot of punch in the next six hours of sleep.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Caroline Jane ~ Thirteen Months

I just did one of these a week or so ago so it feels weird to do it again but it's good to get caught up!  I know some of these pictures are repeats on the blog but I use these layouts to drop into the kids' baby books.  Then I copy and paste the info into the photo book too so I always have these details saved.  It's a lot of work but I love that I have all these special details of the kids.  Anyway...

Caroline Jane, at thirteen months you:
  • have started army crawling.  FINALLY!!  It's so weird to not have a baby moving all over the place.  You're just always pretty content right where you are.  Mommy puts your snacks across the room to make you crawl to them.  You are pulling up on your knees and showing much more interest in getting around.
  • are starting to get a little pickier with your eating.  If you are eating something you really like, you leave the other stuff on your tray hoping Mommy will give you more of the good stuff.  You still grunt and moan when you eat.
  • are getting a little naughty sometimes.  You love feeding food to Claire and don't really care that Mommy tells you no.
  • are teething and it's really bothering you.  Your canine teeth are coming in and you have been so fussy and harder to put to bed.  Sometimes it takes three or four attempts to get you to bed which is so unusual for you.
  • have the best laugh.  Everyone loves to tickle you because your laugh is just so great!
  • were talking more right after your birthday party but you haven't been saying as much lately.  You still say Mama and bye-bye fairly regularly.
  • get so many comments about your hair!  It's really getting long now and can get a bit unruly.  Mommy likes to put it in pigtails with two little bows but you rip those out all the time. 
  • love your brother so much.  He makes you laugh daily. :)


Saturday, July 20, 2013

A Lettter To My Sweet Boy

Dear Jackson,
 
I cannot believe that you are three years old!  I feel like it was just yesterday that we were bringing you home from the hospital and so scared because we had no idea what we were doing.  Truth be told, we still don't!  But luckily we just do our best each day and you seem to be growing up to be a pretty great kid. 
 You are really getting a great sense of humor.  You love to joke with Daddy and me and ask us silly questions.  One of your silliest is asking us if we are Barack Obama.  When we say , "Noooooo" you laugh and laugh.  You and Charley really love to laugh together too.  The best sounds in the world come from the back seat when you are making silly faces in the back seat with each other and you are both belly laughing!

You are one very strong-willed and stubborn child!  You want things your way immediately when you want them.  Daddy and I get frustrated because sometimes you get so mad that we just have to go home.  We try to take you fun places but many times they are just too overwhelming for you right now.  For instance, Daddy really wants to take you to sporting events but usually the loud announcers scare you and if there are fireworks, you are terrified!  Someday you will be able to go with Daddy and have a great time.

 You talk all the time and just have so much to say.  You have an extensive vocabulary and we just look at each other and shake our heads when we hear some of the things you come up with.  Currently you are saying something I think is the cutest. When something is hurting you, you look at it and say, "Stop ouching me!"  Another thing you say makes us laugh every time.  I played a Raffi album and you heard The More We Get Together.  Because of the way it is sung, you call it Moooooore Together.  It's so funny to hear you drag out that word every time you ask for it.
 Music and dancing are still your favorite things.  Most everything you do somehow revolves around music.  When a good song comes on from one of your shows, you frequently stop what you're doing and say, "I just need to go dance right now."  Many of your friends are girls and you have such a good time dressing up in their princess clothes.  Daddy cringes a little bit but we all think it's pretty cute how much you love to dress up.  Especially the shoes!  When we have a big play date, you get a little overwhelmed and play by yourself in another room.  You get really quiet and act so differently around big groups of people.
 You are so independent when you go to school, church, or the gym.  You know your teachers and hardly look back when we drop you off.  You just go in and start playing!  You show a lot of concern when others in your classes are upset.  You don't want anyone to be upset.
 Potty training is still of no interest to you.  I ask you all the time if you want to try to go on the potty but you always say no.  Sometimes you'll sit on the toilet but nothing happens.  I have to keep reminding myself that you will eventually be potty trained.  Eventually.
 Right after your birthday we switched you to your big boy bed.  The crib is gone and you are loving your big boy bed!  You even took a nap in it today which is something that very rarely happens.  You go to bed around 7pm and get up early!  Usually it's around 6:30 but sometimes it's as early as 5:45am.  I can't get myself out of bed that early so you just read books and play in your room until I come get you around 7am.  You go to your room every day for rest time but you very rarely nap.  You could really use the sleep too!  You are a grump so often. :)
Sweet boy, you have made our lives so much happier because we get to be your Mommy and Daddy.  You make us laugh all the time and we love you so much.  Charley is a lucky girl to have you as her big brother.  We love you soooo much.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Caroline Jane ~ Twelve Months

This month got away from me!  Now that she'll be 13 months in four days, I should probably get her 12 month info documented. :)
Caroline Jane, at twelve months you:
  • are 31 inches long.  I don't think we can say tall until you stand up on your own.  That puts you in the 96th percentile.
  • weigh 23 pounds and 4 ounces which is the 89th percentile.
  • still have a big head but it fits the rest of you.  It's in the 93rd percentile.
  • have TWELVE teeth.  All four of your molars are now broken through.
  • still take a bottle at night before you go to bed.
  • have a few words.  You say bye bye, hi, mama, and ball.  Once you said all done and it was clear as day but you haven't said it since.
  • still aren't crawling.  You can move all over the place with a combination of rolling, pivoting, and scooting.  You get up on all fours all the time and move your arms but you don't move your legs. 
  • sleep about 11 hours at night.  You go to bed around 7:00 and wake up anytime between 6:00 and 6:30.
  • are trying to cut down to one long nap, Mommy thinks.  You want to take a really long morning nap of about two hours and then you don't take much of an afternoon nap.  Hopefully we can get this all sorted out soon!
  • LOVE music.  Whenever you hear music or someone says the word dance, you just start bouncing and rocking.  You love it!
  • have such a fun time giggling with your brother.  You love to make each other laugh in the car. 
  • eat really well.  You eat more than your brother at most meals.
  • wear a size 4 diaper, 18 month clothes, and a size 3 shoe.
  • love going to the pool and splashing in the water.  Even if the water is really cold, you still splash around and love it!
  • are still a really easy baby.  You are usually in a pretty good mood and love watching the world around you.

Your first year was absolutely wonderful.  Mommy and Daddy are so blessed to have you as our daughter and can't wait to see you grow up!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Jackson's Third Birthday Party

After celebrating Charley's birthday just two weeks earlier, I was really looking forward to Jackson's low key Pajama Party in the Park!  He had some fun Happy Birthday pajamas to help start the celebration the night before.
 
 After he went to bed, I decorated his door with streamers and had these balloons waiting for him.  He was so excited to see them in the morning.  And he was even more excited that it was his actual birthday.  For the last several weeks he had been asking many times each day if tomorrow was his birthday.
 He had a blast at the park and loved that all of his friends were there with him!
 
We had donuts for everyone so I stacked them up like a cake and stuck three candles on them.  It worked perfectly!
 
 
 
 It sprinkled a bit but I was really pleased with the weather.  There was a 60% chance of rain but I told all the moms we would be there rain or shine since JJ was so excited for his party in the park.   Luckily, the kids got to play a lot and they didn't seem to mind the crazy humidy.  It made them all extra sticky so the dirt from the park was all over them!  It was bath time for both kids as soon as we got home.
After baths and naps we went to the mall to play for a bit and then went to get cupcakes and dinner.  We had dinner at Choo Choo Johnny's which is such a fun place for Jackson.  He loves watching the trains bring his food and riding this little train.
When we got home we had our cupcakes and opened more presents.  He was in love with this guitar from Baw Baw and was pumped to have a guitar "like Steven's."  He's still loving it and has learned how to be gentle with it.

His party was great and he still talks about it all the time!  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have a 1 and 3 year old!  Wow!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Charley's First Birthday

 Charley turned ONE on June 22nd but we celebrated her birthday on the 23rd.  I had so much fun making her PINK party!  I made this banner with my Silhouette and washi tape.

 This high chair was used for Jackson's party so I knew I wanted to spray paint it pink for Charley's.  It worked perfectly and made for some great cake eating photos.
 The cake was a white cake with white icing that I colored pink.  It was a bit time consuming but so, so easy.  Anyone can do it!  I even made a tiny three tiered cake for her to eat!
 
We had a huge group so even though Charley still is not mobile, I knew I needed something for the 26 kids to do!  Seriously, 26 toddlers and babies.  Oh my.  The bounce house was perfect!  After the party all the adults were jumping too!
 I'm pretty sure Jackson thought the party was for him.  He had the BEST time!
 Our back yard looked like a scene from a movie with all the tents, water toys and bounce house.  Several people said it looked like Owen Wilson might show up at any moment to crash it.  It had to have been a bit overwhelming for our friends without kids.
 
 
 Jackson was in heaven with all the chips and cake.  I made LOTS of pulled pork, mac and cheese, pasta salad, and pb&j sandwiches.  There was fruit and chips too!
 Jackson cried for his smash cake experience but I was pretty sure Charley would know just what to do!  She nailed it!
 
 
 She was so, so messy and went straight up for a bath!
 
 We waited to open gifts until after the party so it wouldn't be as overwhelming.  We only opened three before she was ready for a nap.  It took us three days to open them since we just did a few at a time.
 We loved having Meredith and Kyle (who had just gotten married two days before!) stay a bit after to chat!  They love our kids and we love them!
It was such a fun day!  Now we're getting ready for Jackson's party.  He asks me several times a day if it's his birthday.  Not yet sweet boy.  Just 4 more sleeps.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Addy's Pool

Monday was actually warm enough for swimming (it's been in the mid sixties here) so we decided to try out "Addison's  ducky pool."  My friend Renee has this great neighborhood pool with a toddler area.  The pool is 9-12 inches and has a little slide with a pad at the bottom.  JJ was so excited! 
It was perfect to let Addy and Jackson splash around (and fight over toys) while we talked and held the little ones.  Addison's little brother Rece is 10 months and there's ANOTHER BABY coming in September!  She'll be busy!
Charley played in the water some and then she was happy on a towel.  She is starting to pull up more and was really curious about the contents of the diaper bag.
Right as we were packing up we saw a little boy fall and bust his eye open right I his brow bone.  Ouch.  He was freaking out and I decided that I want to keep the kids in a bubble so they don't get hurt.  More for my sake than theirs.  It looked so gross and seemed like such a wrench in the fun pool plan.  :). I'm kidding!......kind of.
We had to snap a quick pic on the way out.  These two are so sweet to watch! Hopefully it warms up more and we can go again soon!