Maylee Rose

She is walking, talking, and getting too big too fast! She is quickly approaching her 18 month old mark...but not quite yet. She is about 16 1/2 months now and is changing so quickly. She is now pretty steady on her feet and hardly ever crawls. It is so cute to watch her toddle around.

She can say a couple words like - mom, dad, ball, duck, meow, ruff, hiss (like a snake), moo, and book. She can sign please and more.

She love love loves to read books. Cuddle up with her silky blanket and a book and you are golden!

She is still a picky eater and her diet mainly consists of fruit and cheese mingled with some toast, chicken fries, crackers, pizza, and chocolate covered raisins (definite favorite!)

She has a ton of teeth now. I think I have counted at least 13. Eight in front top and bottom, four premolars, and one in between. She has been a trooper with the teething and sleeps great through the night still.

She finally has enough hair to get in a pebbles pigtail right on the top of her head and it is just the cutest thing ever!

She sleeps about 8 pm until 9-10 am and then naps for 2-3 hours in the afternoon. I can't complain. She is such a sweetheart and I just love her! She is getting really good at her cheesy face and will do it on cue if you ask her to say "cheese" or if you mimic the face first!

Hall of Flame

We have so enjoyed getting out and spending time as a family on the weekends. A while back we headed to the Hall of Flame (clever, I know) where saw we fire engines...old, new and all kinds in between! The staff was a bit grumpy and not too fond of children, but hey - we still had fun!

There were a couple of trucks that looked like carriages so we had to get pictures of our princess by her "cinderella" carriages!

  

Not sure I would be a fan of my babies being firefighters, but they sure do take some cute pictures pretending!

Daily Dabble 8/29 and 8/30

Yesterday was a good start to the week. I actually made it to the gym - yay! It still counts that I only got to run for 11 minutes before they called me to the kids area because Carter was inconsolable, right? I am thinkin we need some calming essential oils for that boy.....that or a super cool toy he only gets when he plays in the kids place at the gym! Thanks for watching the kids last night so Shell and I could go to our class. I am SO feeling it today. Today has been good. I went down to see Bring for my filling that came out...ya, it didn't come out. It was just extra filling that chipped off of a tooth right next to the one that was filled...nice. Carter and Ming had fun at Lu's. They each had a cookie for lunch along with some fruit and chese (super star mom award for me today!) Carter was insistent on painting today and enjoyed every minute of it. I went to put Maylee down and came out and he had decided to finger paint too. Love that boy. Drew had a good day at school and Ming is still napping. I am going to try and squeeze in a bit more work before things get busy around here. Remember to come home on time today - we have to be at Drew's school no later than 5:30. xoxoxox

Daily Dabble 8/24, 8/25, and 8/26

8/24
Drew weighed in at 36.0 lbs!!!! He has never been so big or gained so much weight so fast. That is over 3 lbs in two months! I guess adding olive oil and coconut oil to his full fat yogurt in the morning has paid off! Maylee did great too. They got a fasting blood sugar test from her and it was normal so that was a relief. She weighed in at 16 lbs 13 oz. She gained 13 oz in six weeks which is the best she has done in a long time. The doc said we could count this as a "good visit"! I am super excited that the kids are doing so well. He checked her development and she is right on track for her age! Carter was a trooper the whole appointment and kept asking for the doctor to check him too. Funny kid.

8/25
Drew woke up at 5:30. He loved school. We ran errands in the heat....not my favorite, but I made it to Sprouts and Costco with all three kids.

8/26
What is better than Drew waking up at 5:30? Drew AND Carter up at 5:30.....sigh. We made it to Drew's doc appt on time and besides having to wait over an hour to be seen all went well. I dropped Drew off at school and met his new aid. Maylee went down for a nap when we got home, but there was no convincing Carter to nap. I even laid with him for over an hour. Arg. I am not feeling camping tonight...I am feeling stressed.

On a funny note - while we were driving the boys were watching Little Mermaid and Carter starts to freak out and says "I don't like the Grandma.....turn it off" Apparently he was not fond of Ursula. I had to laugh. Then he said "I like the little yellow fish. Let's put him in our pool." When we got home he saw Maylee walking around in her little skirt and he said "Oh - YAY Mingy's a girl. Look at her pants!" Apparently he was excited she was a girl and wearing a skirt. Good thing he gives me some comic relief with the way this month has gone.

Love love love you xoxoxo

Daily Dabble 8/22 and 8/23

Monday was much better than Sunday! Drew had a good day at school and the little ones and I got lots done at home. We had a great class about essential oils and I am super excited to get started with them. Drew had PT and did swimming which he always loves. He is getting better and better and we are working on bringing his head up to take a breath.

Yesterday was good, but man I am SO done with this heat. It is SO hot to even be out in our pool which feels like bath water! I did get Carter to take a nap yesterday. We both layed on our bed until he fell asleep. We have missed you these past couple nights with you working so late....thanks for working so hard for our little family! We love you! xoxoxo  (Carter was the photographer for yesterday's picture!)

Family Vacation (Part II)

This post is long over due. I have had the pictures all loaded, but never got around to putting captions to all the pictures....so here it goes!

On the way home we first stopped at Temple Square to see the sites, take pictures, and eat at the Lion House. The kids loved the temple and spending more time outside. 

The kids were SO tired and napped whenever they got the chance in the car...Is it any wonder why Carter has so many cavities already?! He would NOT let me take the sucker out of his mouth. He would wake up, put it back in his mouth and go back to sleep. Oh that stubborn child - I wonder where he gets it from?!

The boys LOVED staying in a hotel on the way up and back from our trip. They thought it was so fun to sleep in a big bed together. Dad made it fun too with a tickle torture before bed time!

We made a stop at the Grand Canyon and wow, what a site! We went to the North Rim so it was less touristy than the South. I definitely will wear better shoes next time! The boys did great and were troopers consider how stinkin hot it was. I was a bit nervous with the narrow pathway and the little rock barrier on the side to keep people from falling. We kept the boys close and Maylee in our arms. 

 

 

Carter was being a stinker and didn't want to take a picture with the rest of the family. Drew decided to do some cool moves for the camera!

We ate a very expensive lunch and ice cream followed by a stop at the gift shop to get some rubber knives for the boys and a little spoon for our collection.

And with that we were on the road again anxious to get home and settled. The kids were all asleep when we got home. We transferred them all to bed and got some much needed sleep!

Daily Dabble 8/19/11

Carter up with Drew at 6:15 so we had some quality time together after Drew went to school and before Ming got up. He is so funny about "playing games". We went and got the pool cleaner fixed - yay. Carter refused to nap. I would say Maylee officially started walking. She would just stand up and go - SO CUTE! I wanted to get a picture of her walking, but I suppose putting her down when she was ready for a nap was not the smartest thing to do. Drew had a good day at school and I am making progress on getting things situated for him there. So many things to do! Excited for the weekend - love you!

Daily Dabble 8/17 and 8/18

Yesterday was a fun filled, busy day. We spent the morning and afternoon with my mom running errands and enjoying being together. Carter and Maylee were great! We got home in time to get Drew from school. I am picking him up on Wednesdays so we can get home in time for OT...I didn't prep him for it...he was a bit out of sorts seeing us there and not going on the bus. I am working on his daily schedule so he can visually see what he has going on each day - super excited for it! We took all the kids to McDonalds after school to eat and play. They had a blast! **I was once again reminded why I do not love that place...oh the germs** Maylee thoroughly enjoyed her fries with sweet and sour sauce though! Activity days went well and thank you for letting me visit with my mom and sisters last night. It was SO nice.

Today has gone well so far. Drew got off to school on time. Carter woke up just before it was time to go and I had to wake Maylee up. I dropped them off at Shell's and headed to the dentist (yay) It was fast and I got them home and fed. Maylee is napping and Carter are napping. Carter played some games and then I decided he neeeeeeded some sleep. We layed on our bed and after about 45 minutes he fell asleep. He will get a power nap before we have to head to the dentist for Drew at 2:30.

Fingers crossed you get off work on time tonight....I miss you xoxoxox

Daily Dabble 8/16/11

You should see my to do list for Monday and Tuesday. I have been fairly productive! Maylee had her blood drawn again today and did not cry one little bit! She just sat there and watched...we decided she was going to be a doctor or a nurse. We finished some errands and I got to visit with my mom and sisters for a while which was SO nice. Ming took and nap and the boys have been fighting all afternoon. Please say you are going to be home on time.....

No picture today....yet....

Daily Dabble 8/15/11

We are back in business for the daily dabble. Drew was off to school with a skip in his step and came home just as happy. I did get a phone call saying he didn't drink his pediasure...I am working on a plan to make sure he eats enough at school. Shelley and I loaded the little ones up and headed to get Ming shoes and to make a Walmart run. Of course Maylee fell asleep on the way home and thus has not taken a nap all day...and neither has Carter...or Drew....I will let you envision how our afternoon is going. I got a fair amount of work done this morning, but still need to work tonight and tomorrow morning to get caught up. Let's make this week a good one - I miss you! xoxoxo

Drew was so sweet reading a book with Maylee....

First day report

He survived and so did I. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the bus turn the corner to bring my boy home! He was a bit grumpy when he got home, but came out of it once he had time to settle in. All I know is that he played with a boy wearing a green shirt with black hair. They "trapped" a boy in blue and were spiderman. He played outside three times and went down the slide. He didn't write his name, but colored. He played on the computer and read books. He ate everything in his lunch except what I told him he had to eat first (his half a zone bar and crackers). He ate his cookies, chocolate raisins, juice box, and pediasure. I still have some situating to do with the whole school routine for him and the teachers, but all in all I think his first day was a success! He is super excited to go again tomorrow. I hope the excitement lasts....and I hope I can get some sleep soon.

 We all missed him...including Carter who cried when he got out of bed in the morning and learned Drew had already left for school. 

Off to School

He's off to kindergarten and SO excited. Of course on any normal day he wakes up between 5:45 and 6:30, but on his first day of school when he needs to be ready by 7:20 I had to wake him up at 7:55. Little stinker! I got him all ready, read, and photographed. We waited outside for the bus and he just couldn't stand it! He hopped right on, picked a seat and settled in. Of course he picked a seat on the side of the bus with a window facing away from me, but maybe that was better so I couldn't see his little face drive away. We had a nice hug and talk before he left. He knows I will miss him and I think he will miss me too. He is getting so big. Now to count down the hours to hear how his very first day of kindergarten went!!!!

Pause

It is late and I am delaying going to bed. I figure if I stay awake it will take longer for the morning to come. I am not ready for tomorrow morning. My baby is going to kindergarten and I am SO not ready to let him go. He is ready and is so excited, but I am not. I know my days are busy and the little ones make me crazy more times than I care to admit, but oh my goodness the time has gone by too fast and I can't believe tomorrow is coming. I put off school shopping thinking it would make it less real. I kept thinking it was farther off than it was, possibly trying to psych myself out. I have had a hard time falling asleep at night. I can feel the anxiety level increasing by the hour. Have I prepped him enough? Have I done enough to send him out to school all day by himself? Are the other kids going to like him? Are they going to be nice to him? Is HE going to be nice to them? I have so many concerns and anxieties about it all....but I think the biggest thing is I am losing the mother hen wing I have been able to hold over him for so long. I am not going to know what he is doing every minute of every day. I am not going to be able to help him when he needs it or remind him to make good choices. I know, I know...it is just kindergarten, but I have never done this before and it seems so much bigger than preschool.

I find myself wanting to make more of the moments I have with my kids. I know and say all the time that time goes by fast, but goodness - I just can't keep up. I was trying to think of words to best describe my time with my kids.....I want to cherish, soak, enjoy, savor, remember, and capture as much as I can before my days, hours, and minutes dwindle that I have to spend with their cute little faces.

I guess I better get to bed....and at least try to get some sleep before tomorrow. I can feel it in the pit of my stomach....you would think I was the one going to school, but no, my brave, outgoing, energetic, charming, adorable little boy is going and he is SO excited! Oh I am going to miss him......

I could really use a pause button right about now -

Daily Dabble 8/8/11

I had intentions of running errands this morning, but after seeing Carter's happiness level I changed my mind. He got up with Drew before 6:30 and was GRUMPY. We went swimming instead. The kids had fun. Carter let me throw him and Drew jumps off the big wall. Maylee let me dunk her. After lunch all kids took a nap. I was all caught up on work and office stuff so I took a nap too!!!! Maylee woke up in a great mood and was happy to destoyed the recently cleaned playroom. Love her. Miss you. xoxoxo

Pretty pretty please come with me to find shoes for Drew??

Daily Dabble 8/6/11

You have been gone for four days now and oh boy we are missing you...good thing you are driving home right now! We have had a pretty eventful and good couple days. I think you will think the kids grew up super fast in the time you were gone...I do and I was even here for all of it! Maylee popped her first molar on the top left and the rest of her gums are bulging so we will see how many more teeth are on their way in. She can now say "up" which sounds more like "ubb" ADORABLE. Drew was doing some painting today and instead of just crazy painting he painted pictures and traced words. I was SO impressed. Carter can now swim with his floaties and is not scared to death to do it. He swims all over now and it is so cute. He jumped off the stairs once and went under which scared him a little bit, but after he was rubbing his eyes to get the water out and he says to me..as he got really close to me face..."you want to touch my eyes?" Oh he makes me laugh! The kids overall have been really good. We miss you terribly and are counting down the hours...well, I know I am! I love you and miss you! xoxox

First Crush???

We were at the doctor's office...just me and Maylee. We were looking through a magazine with hopes of a picture of a dog with every turn of the page. Maylee loves dogs. We flipped through almost the entire magazine and were towards the end when I turned the page and there was an ad for a "healthy" cereal being promoted by Curtis Stone. Maylee looked at his picture and leaned over and planted one on him! She pulled back, looked again, and gave him another smooch! The child did this three times! We had seen lots of pictures in that magazine of different people and she only did this to him. Ummm....how young is too young to have a crush? Crazy little lady!

Daily Dabble 8/3/11

You left this morning....and for some reason I could feel it down to my bones. I was a bit high strung and anxious all morning (poor Amanda). I was frazzled and a bit overwhelmed. I hate when you leave. But I am better now. I have a better handle on things. I have decided I am going to try and get Carter to stop using his yelling voice for everyday conversation and use a normal voice. Hopefully you will come home for a home with the volume turned out....at least a little bit. We hung out here all morning. We had chili for lunch with fritos and let me tell you - the boys ate CHILI! I was so excited. I pushed them both a bit and they ate it. They ate different beans and a bit of meat. Hopefully we can add this into their rotation of foods they tolerate and introduce new foods through it! I was pretty excited.

The boys took naps and Maylee took forever to fall asleep for her second nap. Poor baby is getting more teeth. I felt her top left molar has popped through and I can feel her gums bulging in more than one spot. *sigh* As for now, I am working and the day is not yet over. I have Activity Days (pool party - yay!) and then a trip to Sprouts with our little people. I am hoping to squeeze in some "So You Think You Can Dance" tonight and relax. I hope you are having fun and being safe. I miss you and love you so much..... xoxoxo

Drew woke up from his nap and came in the office and fell back asleep while I was working! Reminded of this picture.....just about 4 years ago....sweet baby boy!