Interview with Reese

Last summer I did this interview with the kids, and wanted to do it again this summer.  I figured I needed to get Reese's done before she turns 4 (TOMORROW), so I asked the questions yesterday.  As always, she cracks me up.  I'd love to do it again in the winter when Brian is home more (I think you can see how much she misses him in her answers).  Maybe she'll actually talk about me?  Doubt it!  Ha!

What is your name?  Reesie Piecey

How old are you? 3 for 2 more days

What is your favorite color?  Purple and Pink

Who is your best friend?  Ryan and Griffin

What is your favorite animal?  Monkeys with pink bottoms (baboons - she loves Rafiki)

What do you want to be when you grow-up? A princess

What is your favorite Movie? Lion King 2

What is your favorite book? Cinderella

What makes you happy? When Daddy's home and gives me hugs and kisses.  And loving Daddy.

What makes you sad? When Daddy's not home.

What is your favorite food to eat? Mac & Cheese and Pizza

What is your favorite Snack? Goldfish and Pretzels

What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

What is your least favorite food? Fish

What is your favorite song to sing?  American Honey

What games do you like to play? Soccer, baseball, basketball and football and tennis
What are your favorite sports teams? Yankees and Green Bean Crackers
Who is your favorite baseball player? Derek Jeter

What is your favorite thing you did all summer? Going out for ice cream

Name 3 words that tell all about you? Happy, silly, love

And a few notes that I wanted to add:
Her favorite song is "American Honey."  But she also sings an absolutely adorable version of  "Switzerland" by Bison and "We Are Young" by Fun.  And yesterday she asked me to listen to "Century Girl" by Kelly Clarkson.  When I asked her to sing it for me, I was able to surmise that she actually wanted to hear "Since You've Been Gone."  Ha!

Her favorite holiday is Christmas right now because she wants a Leap Pad.  She loves playing games on my phone, and she saw a Leap Pad at Target the other day and thought it was an iPad for kids.  She said she wanted one for her birthday, but that isn't happening.  I told her to ask Santa Claus for one.  So right now, Christmas is her favorite.  But I know that her favorite holiday right now is actually Thanksgiving.  She asks me at least twice a week to name all the food we get to eat at Thanksgiving, and her eyes get big and she says she can't wait for it!  Plus, she also knows that Parker will return around that time!

I would also guess that her favorite "game" is puzzles.  But soccer, baseball, basketball and football and tennis are also good choices. 

My children have chosen the Packers as their favorite football team on their own.  Brian is a Dolphins fan, but I don't think he's dedicated to raising a new generation of Dolphins fans.  Why put them through that?

Hudson at 21 Months

This is late, especially since Hudson will be 22 months in two weeks!  I can not believe that my baby is so close to turning two.  Time has flown since he was born.  There are some days that he still seems like my little baby, and there are other days where he seems so big.  Compared to the other two he still seems so small, but I know he will seem so big in two weeks when his little sister is here!

Here are a few things that Hudson is up to this month:

• He talks constantly!  He spits out words that I didn't even know that he knew, and he repeats anything we ask him to.  It's especially cute when we try to get him to say the baby names that we're considering! (And no, grandparents, he won't tell you them either!)
• He also likes to sing.  He mainly finishes whatever song we're listening to.  If we're listening to "Some Nights" by Fun, he sits in the back seat and finishes each line, and then starts shouting "Come oooooooooon."  He also does a pretty rocking dance with the drums!  He finishes "Last Song" by the Imagination Movers and "Beth" by Kiss at bedtime when Brian sings it to him.
• "Melmo" is Hudson's favorite thing in the world!  He has a bunch of toys, and he picks them up and says "La, la, la, la!"  He has a little "pack pack" with Elmo on it, and he currently insists on taking it with him wherever he goes.
• He is everywhere!  Climbing up the table, on the table, trying to get over the baby gate when one of the big kids opens it,  insisting that he walk himself to the van, climb in the van - all by himself.  I don't know what we're going to do with him while the big kids are playing soccer and baseball this fall!  He is not going to be happy in the stroller...but he would also be out on the field if he was loose!
• The other day Brian took Hudson and Reese to the store to spend some time with the two of them.  He threw Hudson's necessities in his Elmo backpack.  While they were in the $1 section at Target Brian gave Hudson a Mickey Mouse ("Mouse!  Mouse!") book to look at.  And Hudson tried to shoplift it by throwing it in his backpack!  Ha!
• Cloth diapers are one of his favorite things.  
• We try very, very hard to make sure that he plays with his toys and not Wyatt's.  We aren't eager for any of our kids to "grow up" before they need to, so I don't want Hudson playing with Wyatt's toys yet.   He is very interested in them though, so if Wyatt leaves something out, there's a lot of Hudson shouting "Good guys!  Good guys!" because he thinks that's what Wyatt's Baseball Guys or Hockey Guys or Star Wars figures are called.
• His very favorite game is "Surprise!"  Basically, if I'm sitting on the floor, he runs up to me full speed and shouts "Surprise!"  It is the cutest. thing. ever.
• Hudson likes to brush his teeth.  A lot.  He will basically shout out, "Teef!  Teef!" at least twice a day so he can get to the bathroom to brush them.  I think he wants to be a dentist when he grows up!
• I call him my Baby Possum because I never know if he is awake or asleep.  He is literally THE quietest baby when he wakes up, and he doesn't move.  He just stays on his tummy and waits for us to get him.  Even when we walk in his room, he doesn't make a sound.  It is the weirdest thing, because we've actually checked on him, thought he was asleep, and then left him in there!  And then we find out he was actually awake.  The big kids have been known to talk constantly, scream for us, or attempt to break loose.  Not Hudson!
• When Wyatt and Reese were about 17 months old they started sleeping with something.  A blanket.  A stuffed animal (in Wyatt's case, it's like 45 stuffed animals).  Anything.  Hudson doesn't want anything in his crib.  He won't even  take a regular blanket!  We tried to put a stuffed Buzz or Elmo in and he says, "No!" and then throws it out!
• He currently wants to sit in Wyatt's car seat all the time.  This isn't a problem because they all have the same car seat, and it's easily adjustable for their heights - the headrest moves up and down.  But he gets in the van and shouts "Wy Wy!," and then heads for Wyatt's seat.  Surprisingly, Wyatt has been very easy going about this.  I have to move their seats around this week anyway to accommodate our new addition, so I just hope he doesn't get comfortable.  Especially since the back of my van is currently spacious without the captain's seat behind the driver, and it has to go back in!
• He wants to do everything by himself.  Trying to get dressed.  Putting shoes on.  Getting in his seat.  It's all met with cries of "Self!  Self!"  And since his brother and sister sit at the table with their plates, he won't tolerate food on his high chair tray.  Nope.  He'll say "plaaaate!"
• Hudson will start to count with us, and he'll also start singing his ABC's with us. 
• He has a really good arm,and he will throw anything at you, whether you're looking or not.  I have to pay constant attention.  Especially since he has a reputation for destroying television sets.
• He has started sitting on the potty some.  I think he just does it to be like everyone else, but he understands what he's supposed to do there, which is exciting.  I have no intention of starting to potty train him now, though!
• He is my baby boy.  He loves me very much, and that's probably what I'm worried about most about adding a new baby.  The other kids were used to having our moms with them while I worked, and I was gone from them for at least 23 hours a week.  That's not the case anymore, and I think Hudson is a little clingy.  Hopefully he will get over that, because I'm going to have my hands full with his sister soon.  And he can be a little aggressive!
• Even though he is mine when I'm around, he will bail on me in a second to go to his Daddy.  Bed time with him was all mine.  But Brian's been doing it more and more, and now Hudson will choose Daddy in a second over me.  It kind of hurts my feelings, but I'm also glad I don't have to walk up and down the stairs to do it right now!  Ha! 

We love our Huddoo so much!  He is such a fun, happy, good spirited little boy with an opinion of his own.  It is so fun to watch  him grow and learn new things every day.  I was always worried that since Wyatt is learning new things it wouldn't be as exciting to watch the little kids learn things, too, but that's not the case!  Every time he does something by himself, I get so excited for him!

Baby Minnie: 37 Weeks!

This baby girl will be here before we know it.  In two weeks we will have a kindergartner, and 4 year old, and Hudson will be adding "Big Brother" to his list of accomplishments.  Unbelievable! I can't wait to snuggle this baby girl!

• How far along: 37 weeks
• Size of baby: 20 inches and 6 and a half pounds?
• Total weight gain/loss: I gained 2 pounds this week, so I'm up a total of 4 pounds from my first appointment.  The midwife today told me that it seemed appropriate and that she was very happy with my weight gain (or lack there of).  Measuring right at 37 weeks!
• Cravings: Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers.  Chocolate Frosty's.  Firehouse Subs, so I got one for lunch.  Ice cream cones, so I picked some up at Wal Mart.  I think I figured out where the weight gain is coming from!  But I also reeeeally wanted apples, so I got some of those, too!
• Maternity clothes: Yes.
• Gender: Girl!
• Movement: She moves a lot!  Sometimes I would swear that she's low, but today the midwife said that she's really high!
• What I miss: Still just sleep. Maybe sushi?
• Sleep: Not happening.  I can't get comfortable, and when I finally do it's temporary, or I end up needing to get up to go to the bathroom!  I think I'm getting about 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night.
• Symptoms: Hip pain. I'm tired. Since she's high it gets difficult to breathe.  And I kind of feel like I've lost control of my balance.  I prefer not to carry Hudson right now.
• Best Moment this week:  Kisses on the belly from the big kids.  We got to hear her precious little heart beat at the doctor's appointment today.  I am a centimeter dilated, but no one seems worried that my body will spontaneously decide to go into labor on it's own this time.  She also is really responding to the sound of Brian's voice.  She kicks like crazy when she hears him.  And she has had the hiccups a lot, too.  Reese actually kept her hand on my stomach for 5 minutes yesterday while she had a little fit.
• What I am looking forward to: We get another ultrasound next week at our pre-op appointment.  No one seems exceptionally worried about it being my 4th C Section, they just want to check my scar tissue one more time before the surgery.  The appointment is also with my favorite doctor, so that will be fun.  I'm also hoping that maybe getting another peek at her will help us settle on a name - because she STILL doesn't have one!

Our Cloth Diapering Adventure. So Far.

It has been about a month since we decided to make the switch to cloth diapers.  I figured that I should give a little but of an update about how we've liked them so far!

We LOVE them. In case anyone is legitimately concerned, these are my personal opinions based on my experience.  No one is giving me diapers or anything based on what I say.  I just thought this might be helpful for people who are also thinking about it, or are new to cloth diapering!  

Anyway, I started out with 6 Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers, basically just to "give it a go."  I figured that if we hated them I could keep them on stand by for days that I knew we were just going to be home, or I could sell them or something.

So unnecessary!  We got them, and I have literally just kind of fallen in love.  Cleaning them is a snap.  Once they've been soiled I just throw them in the pail and wait for more to dirty up.  Which is guaranteed.  Ha!  I haven't broken down and ordered a sprayer for my toilet (yet), but I think it's probably something that I might do, just to clean them up first.

We have had one bout of diaper rash, and I switched him to disposables because Desitin Max Force is really the only thing that will clear his rashes up (I might try coconut oil next time so we can stick with cloth).  I think that he might have had a little stomach bug at the time, so that was a mess, and I was also trying to get some Vitamin C in his system, and his little bottom did not react well to the citrus at all.  After about 2 days of Desitin he was okay again, and back in cloth!

And when it comes to his opinion, he is totally pro-cloth.  When his bottom was broken out, he actually threw a temper tantrum because he could see clean cloth diapers and I put him in disposable!  He cracks me up!

When I originally ordered my first 6 diapers, Cotton Babies was having a July Special where you could buy five, and get the sixth for free.  So that's where I ordered my first 6.  Fuzzi Bunz was having a 10% off sale at the beginning of August, and I got free shipping, so I decided to order 6 more.  I'm washing them just about every two nights, and it's working out well.  It took me a little bit of time to get the elastic sized just right, but that was more user error.

I think that we're pretty good with 12 for now, I don't feel like we have an excess of diapers, but I do have to keep up with demand.  Honestly, I would probably wash them every two days anyway because I think they would get a little too stinky if I let them sit longer.  I'm not sure what we're going to do when the baby comes (well, I do know that I'm going to put her in disposables for a bit), but we may need to order a few more! 

The switch to cloth has also seemed to benefit Hudson on the potty training front.  While I'm not even attempting to train him right now (Wyatt was 3 and a half before he was completely trained, Reese was 2 and a half), it would be nice if he at least recognized when he was going!  It might make it easier when the time comes.  It's actually pretty similar to what worked for the big kids anyway - they trained much easier and faster in regular underpants than they did in pull ups!

That's really all I've got for now.  I am really happy that we made the decision to switch.  The last time that I bought disposables was over a month ago!  We still have a big package, but I'm setting them to the side so that our moms can use them when I'm in the hospital.  I'll give an update again after the baby is here and we're settled more into a routine!

iPurge

I've taken a lot more pictures with my phone this week.  Still not overly thrilled with the quality (seriously, it's like night and day compared to Brian's phone), but I am waiting very patiently for my upgrade in October!

On the very rare occasion, Hudson doesn't mind cuddling with his big sister.  She was very excited!

Another load of baby clothes in the washer!  I have loved every minute of hanging up her clothes and folding them.  I can't wait to meet her and get her dressed.

Like I said last week, we moved the armoire out of Reese's room, which gave her more space to move around.  I was able to move her bed out from the middle of the wall and into the corner.  Her curtains and the mobile both came from Pottery Barn Kids (I ordered the blackout curtains about 18 months ago when she stopped napping, and it fixed it.  The mobile was in her original nursery).  Her bedding and rug came from Target!

Hudson is so into Sesame Street right now, so I went up into the attic to find some of Wyatt's old toys.  This tickle me Cookie Monster used to scare Wyatt to death, so it didn't stay out for very long, but H loves it.  He also apparently likes Herm Edwards.  It's actually funny sometimes the things my kids learn from watching Mike & Mike in the Morning with Brian!

Settling down to watch their last show!  Every night they have to agree on one last show before bed.

I found this blog on Pinterest, and decided that the kitchen command center idea was genius.  While I don't have the space to dedicate an entire cabinet to it, I was able to commit my bottom shelf.  It's perfect.  The blue bin on the left has my life planner, address book, and assorted other items.  The small blue plastic bin next to it holds chargers.  There's a mail sorter so Brian can take a look at the bills (if he wants!  Ha!).  The blue bin on the right holds Brian's random stuff - legal pads with notes from work, etc.  And the black organizer next to it holds his wallet, keys and other small items.  His stuff used to be relegated to a drawer, but this is so much easier!  I was also able to install a cork board inside the cabinet for invitations, reimbursement checks from Brian's work, etc.  I am loving it so far!

My parents dropped Katie off at college on Thursday, so Brian and I took turns letting their dogs out.  I just ran in to let them out quickly, and Hudson was sad that he didn't get to go in.  This was the look on his face when I pulled out of the garage.  He was screaming, "Pop Pop!  Pop Pop!"  Poor fella!

Here he is last night after his bath.  If there is a chair at the kitchen table, he will climb it as fast as he can. The problem is that it's a tall table, so he needs to be supervised!  His big brother left his toys out though, so there was no stopping him!

I'm currently working on one more load of clothes that had stubborn protein stains.  I was able to get them out with Oxyclean and hot water, but I still wanted to let them get some sunshine.  It looked like it was starting to rain, so I grabbed the laundry basket.  Wyatt took it and said that he was going to get the clothes because I am "so big, and would probably get tired and sweaty," if I had to do it.

Swim Lessons: Week 5!

We had a great time at our final week of swim lessons.  I couldn't find Reese's Swim America sheet anywhere, so I finally broke down and ask for another.  Here she is with her stickers after she passed Station 2!  She worked very hard to learn how to float on her back, but she's not there yet.  She actually told me that it hurts her stomach when she has to float because she has to keep all the air in!  She is sooooo silly.

Wyatt has been working so hard all summer to master the crawl and backstroke.  I honestly thought he was going to finish the summer with no gold stickers because he was going to have to swim the length of the pool for each stroke and master the breaststroke before he could pass Station 6.  Of course his instructor left for college this week, so he was switched to a new one.  He's a big fan of consistency, so he wasn't too happy about losing Miss Ally! Ha!

At the end of his lesson on Wednesday he ran up to me and told me that he got his gold sticker!  He was so excited to pass Station 6!  I can't believe how big he's gotten since last summer!

When it was time for the last class of the summer on Thursday, we were all really just looking forward to candy day!  Wyatt told me he thought he was going to pass Station 7 in a day, and I kind of pretended I didn't hear him.  I figured he would just go in and work on the beginnings of the station and be done with it.  Not so much!

To pass Station 7, this kid learned the butterfly and swam 20 meters of it - in half an hour.  I was seriously dumbfounded while I was sitting there watching him.  They started by teaching him the kick, and his teacher was amazed.  So she passed him off to another instructor to teach him the arm movement.  At first he wasn't doing the complete rotation with his arms, so he worked on that for awhile.  They kept him in the pool to test him after everyone else was finished, and he got his sticker! 

I usually try to downplay how impressed I am when he masters something.  Not because I'm cold and heartless, but because this kid pretty much already thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread.  While I think there is a genetic basis for this on both sides of his family (cough, Brian, cough, cough, Uncle Marc), I think it's also First Born Syndrome.  We were (and continue to be) kind of awestruck by everything he's done since he was baby - Yay walking!  Yay talking!  Yay swinging the baseball bat! And on and on and on.  I think you can only tell your kid how great something he did is for so long before it goes to his head!  I do want to raise a modest kid, and I want him to continue to work hard for things, so I usually tell him that I'm proud of him for trying so hard to accomplish something, or for showing good sportsmanship, or for helping a friend. 

But...this was pretty cool, so I kind of ended up telling him how awesome he is :).

Our Wednesday

I am trying to make sure that we fit in a lot of fun with the kids this summer before school starts after Labor Day.  In the morning we had swim lessons (can not believe that their last day of lessons for the summer is today), and then we went to the Children's Museum with Derek and Sophie.

The girls wanted to stick together and go to the grocery store and the veterinarian section, so I stayed on the boat with the boys while Mendee took the girls!

They made the trip to Yankee Stadium a few weeks ago, and they were giving out these hats.  Derek and Sophie brought two back for Wyatt and Reese! 

I let Hudson out of the stroller for a little bit, and he was a toddler on a mission!  This kid is lightning fast and wants to keep up with the big boys.  I let him play for a bit, but then I couldn't keep up with all of them, so he went back in the stroller.  I have never, ever in my life considered getting a leash for one of the kids, but I'm actually thinking about it now.  I am just incredibly paranoid, and I know that losing one of them is my worst nightmare!

The boys climbed up into one of the train observation areas to watch an electric train pass by!

The kids had a blast, and after doing every else at the museum, they spent another 45 minutes playing in the stage/dress up section.  I think that there was a play about animals fighting each other?  I was actually really pleased because I talked to Wyatt about not teasing the girls, and he took it in and behaved beautifully! That's what makes me want to take them places!  Ha!

After the museum we came home for lunch and a late quiet time.  The little kids fell asleep,  but Wyatt stayed awake.  I fell asleep on the couch (I am exhausted all the time), and I know that he came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek while I was sleeping!  So sweet.

We went over to my parents house after every one was up so that we could have dinner with Katie. She's leaving for college today!   I can't believe it!  The kids have been "preparing" for her to leave for awhile (it's a constant question), but it's crazy that the time is finally here.  We are going to miss her so much, but at least we know we'll see her again after the baby comes!  Wyatt asked me on the way home if this meant that she wasn't going to be able to come to his baseball games anymore.  I told him that she will miss some this fall, but that she'll be home in May to see the end of his spring season!  So, you might want to plan for that, little sister.  Have a great Move In Day, Katie!!!