Hayes says Mama!!

Since I mentioned during the last post that we were working very hard on saying 'Mama', I had to make a post today to update that Hayes is, in fact, saying Mama!!!  Cutest little sound I have ever heard!

Another recent update about my little man: He has gotten his very first tooth and I think he will have his second any day!  I have tried to get a picture of this tiny little chomper, but haven't had any luck as of yet.  I do have many pictures of Hayes chewing on "Sophie" the giraffe - the best teether ever!  Although, the little guy chews on EVERYTHING right now!!

Babbling Baby

Monkey is babbling like crazy!  Like all other newly found talents, this little guy babbles 'babababa' and 'dadadadadyyy' non stop.  I guess we can say his first word was 'DaDa'.  We are working very hard on 'MaMa'!

Kate Lately

My little, "big" girl has been quite busy lately, so I thought I would make a post about what has been going on in her life. First, she went on her very first field trip a couple weeks ago, to the Cincinnati Zoo. Mommy was just as excited about this exciting 'milestone' as Kate was, so I went with her...and so did Nanny :) Kate felt so special to have both Mommy and Nanny going with her, she even said to me "My friend's won't have their Mommy's at the zoo, but I will, right Mommy?" I realize that there will be a day when it won't be so cool for Mommy to tag along, so I am taking advantage now and enjoying it while it lasts.

She was so excited when she saw the bus...it was a REAL school bus, that is right, a big yellow school bus. This was confirmation for her, she is officially big now. I tried to get a picture of her getting on the bus, but she was just too excited to slow down enough for me to capture it...so I will have to hold that memory in my mind :) The kids had a blast. Ms. Katie let the kids decide what we got to see.  We spent most of our day at the bug house and the nocturnal house. I can't describe how much I love watching her interact with her friends, I could write a book about all the cute things they do and say. One little girl asked the zoo keeper "Where are the dinosaurs?", his response: "There aren't any more dinosaurs.", her response "Well, where are they?"...and the conversation goes on.I love the mind of a 4 year old.  The highlight of the trip for all the kids wasn't the monkeys, the lions or even the baby giraffe. Rather, the best part of the day was watching the big polar bear take a poop. As I have mentioned before, the word 'poop' has become very funny to my little princess, so you can imagine the giggles that came when ten 4 year olds watched the polar bear turn around to take a dump right in front of them!

Here are a few pictures from our fun day!

"Preschool 2" 4 year old's!

Kate and Claire - Best Buds

Ms. Katie showing the kiddo's the bugs

Kate seeing how much she weighs in bugs

My favorite!

I also want to tell you a little bit about the little Mommy that we have in our house. Kate has become such a big helper with Hayes. I have been trying for several days to post one of the cutest video's I have seen. She fed him an entire jar of sweet potatoes. Well, 1/2 the jar was eaten and the other 1/2 was on his face. She kept telling me "Mommy, you go cook dinner, I've got this." The funny part is that Hayes ate better for her than he has ever eaten for me. When she isn't taking care of Hayes, she is taking care of her 6 baby dolls. The baby dolls take naps in Hayes' bed, bounce in Hayes' excersaucer, drink from Hayes' bottles and eats Hayes' baby food….all 6 of them. They have to take turns, of course. One day, many years from now, she certainly will be an excellent Mommy with all of this experience.

She is even a Mommy to the dogs

Lastly, I want to mention a few random cute things she has done/said lately. We go to the library every weekend to get new books for the week and a couple weeks ago, she decided she wanted to dress up for the occasion....jewelry and dress up shoes included. So, I figured why not? She was so proud of her outfit, but was sad when we left the library because no one told her she 'looked beautiful'. No worries, we went to the grocery after the library and several people noticed my little fashionista while she pushed her mini grocery cart behind me.

Getting ready for the library

Returning last weeks books

Checking out new books

 Kate amazes me with her memory.  It probably is perfectly normal for her age, but I am continuously astounded.  I bought her an Amelia Bedilia book because I always thought they were funny as a kid.  I read it one time to her two nights ago.  Tonight she was reading to her 6 babies and read the entire book (pretty long) almost word for word. 

This smart little girl makes me very proud, but it can make disciplining a bit tough.  She likes to get up several times at night before finally drifting off to sleep  and so last night I decided to try something new.  I explained to her that if she got out of her bed for any reason (I listed all of the recent ones - her back "scratches", she needs more water, she needs a bandaide...etc.), that I would take her books away (she gets 3 books to read by herself before she has to go to sleep).  30 minutes goes by and I think I have finally figured this out.  Ha, not so much.  I heard the door open and I think to myself "I really don't want to take her books away, but I am going to have to do it".  So, she walks down the stairs whispering "Mommy, my back scratches".  I say "Ok, Kate, but I am going to have to take your books away", in a happy little voice she says "I know, Mommy, but that's ok because I'm done reading them anyway".  Teenage years are going to be tough!

The moments that I will cherish forever are those like last Sunday when Kate and I were using the water hose to clean her "Big Pink Car" and it turned into a water fight...fully clothed.  She and I were soaked, but I haven't laughed that much in a long time.  I am really looking forward to having more time with the kids so I can enjoy moments like this while they last.  My life wouldn't be the same without this precious girl, she is growing so fast, but she will always be my baby.

My beautiful girl making a pizza after a fun day
playing water wars outside with Mommy!

Happy Half Birthday, Baby Boy!

To my sweet baby boy,
Happy half birthday to you! Wow, I cannot believe how quickly the previous 6 months have gone. I will save most of my sappy recollections of the day you were born for your first full year birthday, but today, I just want to say how incredibly happy I am that God put you in my life. The past 6 months have been a whirlwind. Honestly, having 2 kids is much more difficult than I was prepared for, but I wouldn't change a single thing. We tried for so long to give Kate a sibling and now I know why God made us wait, it was clearly because he was perfecting you. You are truly the happiest and most content baby I have ever seen. The only time you ever cry is when you are tired or hungry, which is a good thing since Mommy and Daddy have taken a little longer to adjust to the change than perhaps we expected.



Mommy's Favorite Times: I can always count on bath time for some good giggles from both of my babies. I love how you know when I am starting the bath water and you kick your little legs as hard as you can out of excitement. You just love your big sister, so bath time with her is definitely one of the highlights of your day...and mine too ;) After bath, bottle and books comes snuggle time! I love to get you all swaddled up, snug as a bug, and then rock you until you either fall asleep or grunt enough to let me know you are ready to get in your bed. I always kiss your little cheek, lay you down, put my hand on your little chest and say 'Good Night Sweet Boy'. I think you know this routine because as soon as I tell you good night, you turn your little head and drift off sleep. I leave your room every night with a big grin on face :)


Milestones: You have been right on target for most of your milestones. I know you are fully aware when you are doing something new because for the first few days after your accomplishment, you will practice it non-stop! First was your little grin. Once you learned how to smile, your personality started to shine. Daddy and I call you 'Cheeseball' because we just look at you with a smile and you practice that toothless grin of yours. Then came your little coo's and giggles. You love to 'talk' to Mommy. You are too big to sit this way now, but you loved when I would bend my knees, lay you on my thighs and talk to you. You would listen so carefully and then 'talk' back to me; too precious for words. I absolutely love your laugh, I can't get enough of it. I'm not sure why, but you love to be startled...apparently it is hilarious! Kate can make you laugh at any given moment - I am amazed at how connected you two are (she loves to say 'gitchi gitchi goo' and tickle you...I honestly have no idea where she got this as I don't think I have ever said it, but you think it is very funny!). Oh and then came the raspberries. You blow raspberries when you are happy, when you are sad, when you are tired and even when you are eating (quite messy!). I wasn't sure if you were ever going to roll over; you hate tummy time and had no interest in partaking in any activity that involved such. However, you finally rolled over on June 27...just a few days ago! You actually started sitting up on your own before you rolled over, amazing! I am very proud of your milestones and look forward to the many more we will watch you achieve in the years to come.


Sleeping Habits: You have been a good sleeper from day 1. The entire first week, I had to wake you for feedings, even at night. Your nights progressively got longer and at 8 weeks you were sleeping 8 hour nights! By week 12 (when Mommy went back to work), you increased your nightly sleep to 10 hours! I admit that I am a bit obsessed (some say too much) with your schedule, but my payoff is a good night sleep for the entire family (well, for me and you..Daddy and Kate always sleep good). You take 3 naps a day, usually 1.5 to 2 hours each and then go to bed between 8 and 8:30, waking up at 6:30 every morning. You have to be swaddled very tightly at nap/bed time (the miracle blanket is your best friend) and you really like to have your paci.


Eating: You nursed exclusively for the first 4.5 months. I supplemented some formula for a month and then you started exclusively on formula around 5.5 months. So far, you have had rice cereal, carrots and peas. You are still trying to figure this whole spoon thing out, but you seem to like the taste of peas the best so far (oddly enough). I usually have to make the spoon do fun things to get you to open your mouth (the airplane trick only worked for a few days, so now we have Peter Cotton Tail hopping down the bunny trail).  Right now, you eat 5 bottles a day, 7 ounces each and have a little ‘solid’ with your 4^th bottle. 


Miscellaneous facts: You love to hold things, preferably a blanket or a finger. You love your big sister; she is a very funny and entertaining girl. You often show the same emotions as Kate; if she is laughing so are you, if she cries, so do you.  You giggle uncontrollably when you are startled. You pucker up and start to cry when someone raises their voice.   Your favorite toy is clearly your vtech ball that lights up and moves. You like to bounce in the frog jumper. You are a bit of a Mommy's boy and sometimes get sad when I walk out of the room. You aren't a big fan of being held and rocked. You love to be tickled on your belly.

My sweet little Monkey, I wouldn't change a single thing about you.  You are such a blessing to our life.  We have enjoyed the last 6 months more than words can describe and look forward to what the future holds for you!

 

Had to add a few tiny pictures

First bottle.  Look how tiny!

Birthday Celebration's

We had a very busy week and weekend, but I wanted to make a quick post about two very special birthday's we celebrated this weekend!  Saturday was Diane's (DeDe) birthday, so we went to Mt. Sterling to celebrate with her and Madi.  DeDe had a great afternoon with all 3 of her grandkids (let's just be honest, they are much more fun than any adult!).  I think DeDe had a great afternoon, even if Ronnie wasn't there yet :) 

Sunday morning we headed to Nanny and Papa's house to celebrate Mom's birthday.  Like DeDe, Nanny had a great afternoon with her 3 grandchildren as well.  A little swimming and a lot of playing were on the agenda for Sunday afternoon.  We also enjoyed a fantastic grilled dinner and oreo ice cream cake.  Did I mention that Kate was in heaven with such a cake filled weekend? 

Nanny and her babies

Yum!

Today, before we headed home, we stopped in to see Ronnie (Papaw)!  We don't get to see Ronnie much, so we always like to take advantage of the time we do get.  Kate and Hayes both had a little fun with their Papaw today :)

I will do my best to have another post this week full of cute and funny kiddo updates.  For now, I will add a few more pictures from the weekend so I can watch a movie and have a beer with my hubby :)

Kate and Malia having a tea party with Bill

Always a happy boy

Swimming in the baby pool!

Milestones and Roller Coasters

Milestones:
First, a few updates on our little guy.  He is growing so much so quickly and is reaching new milestones everyday, two of which were just this week.  He is now sitting up all by himself (such a big boy!) and we started feeding him rice cereal, his very first "solid".  This little cheeseball is so precious, he brightens our lives so much.  Kate informed me this morning that "Hayes' face is cuter than his body".  Yes, baby girl, Hayes does have a precious little face....and so do you. 

Solids: He certainly isn't the eater that Peanut is, that is for sure.  From day 1 of eating solids, I remember Kate opening her mouth wide for the next bite.  Hayes, on the other hand, isn't quite as interested in the new food selection.  It isn't that he doesn't like it, he just doesn't think it is as appealing as the bottle.  We will get there, but in the interim, it sure is cute to watch him try to master this new skill!

"I can do this all by myself"

Sitting Up: I notice a difference in his strength and his ability to sit up on his own everyday.  Below is a video of him sitting up on Kate's bed on Monday, today he can already balance himself for 3-4 minutes before toppling over!  I still can't believe that this little guy is 5.5 months old, where does time go?!?

    

I just love this video.  Cracks me up everytime he topples over.

Sounds:  So, you have seen Hayes' giggles, his first coo's and even his funny raspberries.  He now has a new noise he makes and it sounds like he is yelling at me.  Perhaps he is.  It is cute now, but not so sure how cute it will be when he is 13!  I haven't yet gotten this new sound on video, but as soon as I do I will be sure to share. 

Kings Island!
75 degrees and sunny: our weather yesterday here in Northern Kentucky.  Perfect.  What made the day even better, you ask?  Watching two little girls eat ice cream, ride roller coasters, see dinosaurs and watch snoopy on ice!  We went to Kings Island for Madi's birthday and these two girls were in all their glory.  Madi is the thrill seeker - she rode the red racer, top flight and even the new wind seeker.  Kate, on the other hand, was nearly in tears on the tiny great pumpkin roller coaster.  Kate prefers bumper cars, playing games (well, winning games) and watching shows.  She is fascinated with dancing and singing, so the snoopy on ice show was just perfect for her.  As the ice skaters twirled and lifted, Kate would turn to her Daddy and say "Daddy, can you do that?"....Kevin's response: "Of course Daddy can do that, Daddy can do anything!".  Ha!  Let's just see it, Daddy :)  I absolutely love that Kate believes him.  In her eyes, Daddy can do anything.  Greg won Madi a stuffed animal and on the way home she said "Daddy, when you get Uncle Greg's age can you win one for me?".  So precious.  We couldn't have asked for a better day!

 

A Tribute to the greatest men in my life.

My dad: the first man in my life.  He was and still is such an important role model for me, more than he will ever realize.  I idolize my Dad’s strength, his optimism, his sense of humor and his dedication.  Many men are considered to be the rock in their family, but my Dad should be considered a super hero.  I picture my dad as a giant, holding his entire family in the palm of one hand, with the other hand covering us for protection.  I have never met another man that has the strength of my father.  As I reflect upon some of the most difficult times in my life, what I remember most is that my Dad somehow pulled us through and had a smile on his face and an optimistic outlook the entire way.  I did and still do go to my Dad during my darkest moments.  As an adult, I can finally appreciate the dedication that my father had/has to his family.  My Dad had no limitations when it came to providing for his family.  He was willing to do whatever it took to make sure Mom, Jeremy and I had everything we needed and more.  For this, I will forever be grateful.  I love my Dad’s personality.  His sense of humor and gregarious demeanor are incomparable.  The world would be a better place if everyone had a little bit of my Dad in them J  

Did I mention what a great Grandfather he is?

It is because of my father that I held such high expectations for my husband; amazingly enough, I found this guy when I was only 14 years old.  Kevin is the love of my life.  Although he is an exceptional husband, today I want to focus on his role as a father.   Kevin is the picture perfect Dad, from playing soccer with Kate to teaching her how to ride her bike to even fixing her hair.  He is incredibly hands-on, the way I always dreamed the father of my kids would be.  He never seizes to amaze me with the support he provides and the encouragement he gives all three of us.  He balances me.  Together, I think we make a pretty good team.  He genuinely loves interacting and spending time with both kids, regardless of how tired he may be when he gets home from work.  Honestly, I could write a book about all the admirable qualities of my wonderful husband such as his integrity, determination and whit...just to name a few.  Some of my favorite moments in life are when I can just sit back and watch him be a Dad.  I am so grateful that my kids have such a wonderful role model in their father and I have my wonderful father-in-law to thank for showing Kevin what a great Dad is.  I pray every night that Hayes takes after his Daddy and that one day Kate finds a husband just like him. 

I have so many pictures of Kevin being a GREAT Dad, but here are just a few:

Coach Daddy

Best Buds!

Nightly bedtime routine

She has him wrapped around her finger!

Kevin just being a great Dad!

An old picture, but a favorite of Papaw and Kate

I can’t go without mentioning today a couple other great men that I have in my life, my grandfathers.  My Papa was the epitome of a family man.  From him, I learned that life’s most precious moments are those spent with your family.  Papa was a wonderful father to my Mom and grandfather to me.  I was and always will be his “Precious”.  Although he isn’t here with us anymore, he will always be in my heart.

This makes me smile and brings a tear to my eye

 My Poppy is another admirable man in my life.  I see the love that he still has for my grandmother after all these years and it makes me hopeful for the many years Kevin and I will have together.  He has shown me what a marriage should be and I pray that 50 years from now Kevin and I still look at each other the way he and Mamoo do.  My Dad clearly got many of his great qualities from Poppy and I feel honored to be able to call him my grandfather.    

Poppy playing with Kate

:)

On this father’s day, I am feeling very fortunate.  I have nothing but blessings to count for the men in my life.