Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Just A Little Reesie




A few pictures for a big update (that I've been waiting to share because I didn't want to jinx it!).  She is now completely potty trained!  I am just so excited that she is trained and entire year before Wyatt was (he waited until 3 and a half to do what she did by 2 and a half)!  In addition to saving me tons of cash, she is also ready for school in the fall, easier to take places (although I will say that it's MUCH easier to take care of um, business in public, with Wyatt), and just so much more grown up with those pesky diapers and pull ups!

Anyway, I took these at Wyatt's last game when she was being particularly cheerful and kind to her little brother.  She can be such a sweet little girl when she wants to be!

Monday, May 30, 2011

School Update!

Wyatt's school does "pony pictures" each spring, and we just got his back from his teacher at our parent teacher conference last week!


How adorable is he on that pony?  He was so excited when we pulled into school and he saw them!

We had our second parent teacher conference with his teacher, and it was so nice to get some feedback about how Wyatt is doing.  We can call anytime, but unless he comes home without a stamp, I've never really felt compelled to! 

A few funny tidbits that we discovered are that Wyatt thinks our address is "close to his school," our phone number is "1," he wants to be Buzz Lightyear when he grows up, and he is apparently the most eager cleaner - upper in his class.  If you were going to ask me which one of those things I'm most surprised by, it would be the cleaning!

Academically he is doing really well!  He just needs to finish writing his letters to get into a phonics book, and we'll keep working on that through the summer.  For a little kid who only goes to school twice a week, that's a pretty big accomplishment.  No one in his class is in a phonics book yet, but she said he's one of three who are pretty close!  The thing we found most surprising was that Wyatt, who drives along in the car and goes through his life telling me what letter every single thing he sees starts with, will not tell Ms. Cindy any letter sounds!  He is such a little stinker! She said that he is a leader in the class, and the little kid that everyone else wants to play with.  She said that he shares well some of the time, but that in a class of all boys, they all always want to play with the same thing! 

At his school we can either walk them in and go in to get them, or we can do "car pool," where they take him out of the car in the morning and then bring him out and strap him in when I pick him up.  Before Hudson was born (and I was still working), pick ups and drop offs were Brian's thing, and Brian always walks him in and goes in to get him.  Since I almost always have the other two I always car pool.  Wyatt told me recently that he loves car pool because he feels like a big boy when he gets to walk in by himself.  His classroom is right at the front of the school, so one day I watched him go in his class.  He hopped through the doorway and started high fiving his friends!  I was laughing so hard at how big he seemed and part of me was so sad because he is getting so big!

One more thing I don't want to forget, on Thursday I picked him up and asked him how his day was.  He told me, "Mom, it was great!  I got a sticker for being the best dancer in my class.  Ms. Cindy have me and Joshua stickers and we high fived!"  I am a little shocked by this dancing accomplishment, but he was just so proud of himself!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Wyatt's Last Game!

Wyatt's last tee ball game was last Saturday (told you I'm behind).  I can't tell you how bummed we were that his season was ending.  When we were getting ready for the game that day he told me that he doesn't want to play soccer anymore, just baseball!  They do have Fall Ball, so he will probably play that, but I hate limiting his sports at the age of 4!  Unfortunately, scheduling really just limits us to one!

For most games there were three coaches on the field with him - two in the field and one with the pitcher (mainly to stop any balls that might hurt the kids).  For the final games the coaches left the kids in the field on their own (except the pitcher) to give them a chance to make their own decisions.  It was a pretty big step for the kids to figure out where the plays were and doing it on their own.

He played in the outfield for two innings, and he also got to pitch (we he loved)!

He made a few good stops with throws to first, which I guess is probably the only thing they can really do when "pitching" in tee ball!

Who's on first?

He got three good hits, and he had a great day!

It amazes me that last year when he was playing soccer we couldn't get him to give the other team high five's!

Final team huddle!

He was not interested in taking a picture at all!
It was a great season, and we are just so proud of what a great job he did.  Not only was he the youngest kid on his team, he barely met the cut off to play.  Things that I was worried about, like his attention span, his size (in comparison to everyone else) and his socialization became non issues. He learned so much in just one season, and he still asks every day if he has a game anytime soon.  I am so looking forward to watching this guy play as he gets bigger!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Hudson's First Trip to Busch Gardens!

We have been talking about going to Busch Gardens for awhile, but we were finally able to go the Sunday before last (and yes, I am so behind on blogging that I am writing about something we did almost two weeks ago)! It was Hudson's first trip, and I have to brag about him.  He was such a little dream.  He sat nicely in his stroller all day and didn't cry or whine.  Such a good little baby!

Our first stop as usual was Sesame Place.  Reese loved seeing Abby Cadaby.  I couldn't believe she got her picture taken with her!

Because I was pregnant last summer, I didn't get the "opportunity" to ride this ride with the kids.  This ride is about as hard core as I go.  I don't know why I can't ride roller coasters anymore, I used to love them!

Hudson tried to cross the bridge!

I just love the facial expressions in the next few pictures!  The looks on their little faces make it so worth it!  There are times they don't listen.  They throw tantrums.  They drive me crazy some days.  But there is nothing better in this entire world than seeing them happy and having fun! And the smiles make the bad days disappear from my memory (kind of).







We had a really fun day, and by the time we left (around 3:30) everyone was exhausted.  Hudson was not thrilled during parts of the ride home, and I think we were shocked that Wyatt didn't fall asleep.  There was massive traffic on the highways and we ended up using the maps app on our iPhones to get us home a back way!  They had such a great time, and once we get an idea of what Brian's work schedule is going to be this summer we will definitely plan another trip!

Monday, May 23, 2011

At the Imagination Movers Concert!

The kids just had THE BEST time at the Imagination Movers concert.  Their music is really great - something I don't mind listening to in the car - and the kids LOVE it.  The best part of the show by far was that the guys actually came into the audience.   Wyatt got high fives from Rich, Scott and Smitty, and he was thrilled.  Reesie was dancing in the aisle, and she got some high fives as well. They had such a good time!  It was definitely worth the drive and the money.

Here are a couple of videos (a little shaky) featuring their high fives from Rich and Smitty!



Thursday, May 19, 2011

On Our Way to See the Movers!

We bought tickets to see the Imagination Movers in concert months ago.  I can't remember if it was the week before I had Hudson or the week after, but it was definitely around the time he was born.  Because we learned our lesson from Brian telling the kids things like, "We're on our way to see Mickey Mouse!," as we pulled out of our driveway for a 16 hour trip, we decided to wait until we were on our way to Richmond!

We left Hudson with Brian's mom for the day, so here are Wyatt and Reese's reactions to finding out the news (Hudson's reaction would have been very boring anyway)!  More about the concert later!



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A Couple Funnies

Here are just a few things the kids have said or done lately that made us laugh (and I don't want to forget!):

  • Wyatt saw a picture on his car seat, and while my mom was strapping him in, he said, "Look Didi! That means, don't pinch little boys pee pee's in the buckle!"  That's never actually happened to him, but I'm pretty sure that right now getting pinched down there is his worst fear!
  • Last night the kids didn't agree on which show they wanted to watch before bed.  Wyatt wanted to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Reese preferred the Fresh Beat Band.  I told them that they needed to settle it while I bathed Hudson, or they wouldn't watch a show.  This what I heard:
      • "Reesie, don't you want to watch Mickey Mouse?"
      • "No. I want to watch the Fresh Beat Band!"
      • "Reesie, it has Daisy and Minnie. You like them. They like to wear pretty bows in their hair, just like you."
      • "Um, no Wyatt."
      • "But it has Toodles.  You get to pick the Mousketool and it's like a game!"
      • "Oh. Okay, Wyatt.  I would like to watch Mickey Mouse!"

Monday, May 16, 2011

Hudson's First Word!!

On Friday morning I was getting ready to change Hudson's diaper and he was babbling like crazy.  Just as clear as day he said "Dada" three times!  I think I shouted, "oh!" and then pointed to him because Brian looked over from the kitchen and I told him to listen!  Hudson said "Dada" again for his Daddy to hear, and now he's saying it all the time.  Over the last two weeks he has become such a big boy, he sits up to play all the time (and he is so happy doing it), he actively plays with all of his toys, he's starting to creep when he's on his tummy, and now he's starting to learn words.  I can not believe that he is getting so big, it seems like he was just born!!!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Strawberry Pickin'

On Thursday we went strawberry picking with Stephanie and Natalie.  I told the kids that we were going and that morning, and they asked about it all day.  We left right after naps and dropped Hudson off with my mom so I would have more hands to wrangle the big kids (and take their pictures!)

Wyatt, Natalie and Reese.  Wyatt did a pretty good job making sure no green strawberries ended up in our basket.  Let's just say, a few got chucked across the strawberry field.

Walking through the strawberries

This is how Wyatt chose to pose for a picture.  He's not big into having his pictures taken right now.

Checking out the horse on the other side of the fence. 

"Downtown Pungo."  This is where the Strawberry Festival is held every year.  I haven't been in ages (Brian always works Memorial Day Weekend), but I'd like to go back.  They have strawberry everything and a parade and a lot of carny activities.  I was actually in the parade ages and ages and ages ago when I was in middle school!

"Super" jumping.

Reese looking for a red strawberry.

Reesie and Natalie

Running to pay for the strawberries.  They were so excited to bring them home, and then Wyatt said, "Hey Mommy, I don't think I'm going to eat the strawberries, I just picked them for you and Reese and Daddy."
I was amazed by how cheap the strawberries and the other fresh produce was.  In addition to the strawberries I also picked up some potatoes, and I'll probably go back soon to get some more veggies.  I think this caused my sister to refer to me as a "locavore." I had never heard this term before, but it was on her AP English exam!

The fresh strawberries are sooooo good, and we've been eating them constantly.  I still can't get Wyatt to eat them, but he is the pickiest eater on the planet.  He eats like, 6 non-snack items.  Chicken nuggets, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, yogurt, cheese, oranges, apples and carrots (very slowly).  He'll eat his weight in pretzels and goldfish, but that's about it.  The kid doesn't even like ice cream.  Or Chick Fil A chicken nuggets.  He has no idea what he's missing, but thank goodness Reese isn't that picky (or picky at all).  But I will get him to eat this strawberries.  Even if I have to make strawberry shortcake to get him to!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Visiting with Mason

My mom and Dad kept Mason last weekend while Marc and April went to a NASCAR race in Richmond.  We were really excited to see him - we rushed over Friday afternoon to see him, and then he came to Wyatt's baseball game on Saturday.  He has gotten so big since we saw him a month ago, but I know first hand that's what babies do.  Check out the pictures of Mason and his BIG cousin - we can't wait to see him again!

We love him,even if he's an Orioles fan!

Visiting?

"Hey Big Baby, you're really annoying me."

Baby cousins!

All 4 of them!  Wyatt and Reese just finished a jam session with their keyboard and guitar!

Mother's Day Weekend!

We had a nice, relaxing Mother's Day Weekend.  Brian and the kids went to Chick Fil A to get me breakfast on Saturday morning (of course they're closed on Sundays!), and then he went to work for a few hours.  He met us at Wyatt's game and then we all came home and they spent the afternoon taking naps and playing bubbles outside.  I went off for a few hours by myself - got a pedicure, took advantage of Frappucinno Happy Hour at Starbucks, splurged on some new blush - and then came home.  I love my kids more than anything, but it was nice to have a few hours to myself!  Not having to worry about fights, or  anyone asking for juice or fighting over their place in a shopping cart is a nice little getaway sometimes.  My mom is really great about offering to take the kids every couple of weeks so I get some breaks, but I usually use those for errands.  On Saturday I just got to relax and it was great!

My parents invited us over to their house for a Mother's Day dinner on Saturday night.  They picked up Bella pizza and garlic knots and we just hung out at the house.  While we were there Bella (the dog, not the pizza place) was being exceptionally good with the kids.  She is trained so well, she doesn't jump on them or tackle them, and she always loves to play.  She is only a few months older than Wyatt after all!  I decided that since she was being so good, Hudson could have his first little session petting her.

Reaching out to pet her
Sizing each other up

Enjoying his first doggie kiss! 
It breaks my heart that Hudson is the first of our kids who didn't get to know Noelle at all, and he was the first who didn't get to pet her.  She was such a good girl, and I know she would have loved this little guy as much as we all do!  He'll know her through stories though, because Wyatt talks about her constantly.  A few weeks ago Brian asked him who his favorite dog is, and Wyatt replied, "I have two.  Noelley, and the dog you're getting me."  He also mentioned this mysterious dog the other day too, but we have no immediate plans to add another four legged creature to our family!
 
Doesn't Reese look thrilled to be having her picture taken?  Her little shirt says, "You wish you could hit like a girl!"  Ha!

Mother's Day was a super easy, super relaxed day.  I got to sleep in until 8:30, and Brian even took the kids to Target that morning so that the house would be nice and quiet so I could sleep.  I'm pretty sure that it was his first ever outing with all three kids alone.  He said it wasn't too bad, but I think he has different expectations of their behavior in public than I do!  Brian helped the kids make me cards and they were so sweet - Wyatt drew a giraffe in his!

They brought me breakfast and coffee and also made me muffins (they really wanted to bake), and we literally spent the rest of the day just hanging out.  We napped, we played, we watched Tigger & Pooh, Reese mentioned that she really wants a little sister named Darby (good luck with that one), and later in the day we went back to Target because we needed toilet paper!  We planned to grill out but the weather was so nasty that I didn't have anything thawed and ready by the time the sun came out, so Brian ended up getting Wawa subs for us to eat while we watched The Amazing Race finale - where the one team that we didn't want to win actually won!  It was nice to have a quiet day at home - especially because summer is quickly setting in and Brian's days are getting longer and longer - which I didn't even think was possible!  I am so thankful to have this amazing little family and be the mommy to these three incredible kids. They all brighten my world in ways I never even thought were possible!
Only one of my kids was interested in having their picture taken with me on Mother's Day! But his onesie says "I love Mom!"


Monday, May 9, 2011

Third Base

Wyatt is really loving playing tee ball this year.


His coach gives them a chance to play at every position.


So even though he does his fair share of time in the outfield,
He also gets his shot to make really great plays in the infield, too.
When he isn't being a completely silly 4 year old.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Hudson is 6 Months Old!


Here is what Hudson is up to this month:
  • He is around 17 pounds. According to the scale in our bathroom that Brian frequently says is "off." He is really big. I think he probably looks like the chubbiest out of all three of them at this age!
  • Wears size 3 diapers comfortably.
  • He is on his last "round" through his 3 month sleepers and fits 6 month sleepers nicely. He is mostly wearing 6-9 months outfits. Crazy!
  • Still exclusively breast fed. He does get a bottle of juice a day because he has issues with constipation, but that's it. He started solids last night!
  • He still sleeps swaddled, and sometimes wants to be swaddled for comfort, but he is such a little free spirit now.
  • He is a terrible sleeper. Seriously, it's pitiful! He wakes up a lot, he only wants to be nursed back to sleep, and I am desperate to get more than 2 or 3 hours of consistent sleep a night. I really need to get his nursery painted and set up (we put it off when I was pregnant because it seemed like too much to do with 2 - ha!), but I don't know when? I am doing something all day, every day. I can't even count on nap time because Wyatt doesn't always sleep. It's just pathetic because it would be a lot easier to let him cry it out if he wasn't in my room!
  • I feel like we're getting there with his routine. He usually goes back to sleep about 2 hours after he wakes up, sleeps for 2 hours, wakes up for 2 hours, sleeps for 3, and I'm trying really hard to keep him awake until his bedtime after that.
  • Bedtime is still 7, but I'd like for it to be closer to 7:30.
  • He talks all the time. He loves to make noises, and he loves it when I make them with him. Our current favorite is "mamamamamama." Maybe that's pushing it, but Mother's Day is Sunday!
  • Hudson outgrew his Baby Bumbo because he is SITTING UP BY HIMSELF! He was literally about to pull himself out of the Bumbo, so we sent it to his little cousin Mason!
  • He still likes to play in his exersaucer, but he is really enjoying sitting up and playing with his toys on his own! He sits on the floor with a bunch of toys around him and reached for things and pulls them closer. He sits on the floor and plays with Wyatt and just laughs and laughs!
  • We had a scare and lost Swisher this month, but we found a replacement. Hudson has just had TWO teeth pop through and it has cause him lots of pain (and was the cause of some sleepless nights).
  • He adores his Daddy and I no longer allow them to have contact during hours that Hudson *should be* asleep. As soon as he sees his Daddy he gets excited and wants to play and I can't get him back to sleep to save my life or sanity.


Playing with his big brother

He LOVES this toy, but so do the big kids.  I feel like I am constantly taking it from Wyatt or Reese to give it back to Hudson!