Fantastic Four

Mac is 4 months old today. He is such a joy and nothing brings me more happiness than him laughing or coo-ing, which he does a lot during the day. He has his 4 month well-child appt next week, so his stats will be coming then. They say that by month 4, babies usually have doubled their birth weight. If that is true, Mac weighs 17lbs 10oz. I bet he is close but we'll have to wait to see for sure. Finn weighed EXACTLY that the day he turned ONE YEAR OLD! Ha, I'll take a big, healthy baby any day.

Fourth Month Baby Milestones:

PHYSICAL AND MOTOR SKILLS

• Slow in weight gain to about 20 grams per day
• Double the birth weight (we will see next week!)
• Have almost no head droop while in a sitting position (He still has some, but his head is HUGE)
• Be able to sit straight if propped up (if supported, yes)
• Raise head 90 degrees when placed on stomach (Yes, but hard to hold it there)
• Be able to roll from front to back (he has but it was accidental, not even close)
• Hold and let go of an object (yes, mainly lets it go right away)
• Play with rattle when it's placed in the hands, but won't be able to pick it up if dropped (doesn't hold on for very long, though)
• Be able to grasp rattle with both hands (I don't know, but I don't think so)
• Be able to place objects in mouth (his hands, yes, but I don't know about anything else)
• Sleep 9 to 10 hours at night with two naps (total of 14 - 16 hours per day) (definitely sleeps that much at night, but doesn't have a "nap" schedule yet. He kind of cat naps all day)

SENSORY AND COGNITIVE SKILLS

A 4-month-old baby is expected to:

• Have well-established close vision (I feel like he can see so much more now)
• Increase eye contact with parents and others (yes, I was slightly worried because he wasn't making much eye contact but that has increased recently)
• Have beginning hand-eye coordination (he can get his hand in his mouth and occasionally connects with toys when swatting at them)
• Be able to coo (yes, does it a lot during the day and I LOVE it!)
• Be able to laugh out loud (yes, so cute)
• Anticipate feeding when able to see a bottle (if bottle-fed) (he isn't bottle-fed but he does start licking his lips when I get ready to feed him.)
• Begin to show memory (hmmm...not sure how this would manifest)
• Demand attention by fussing (yes, but is usually easily calmed if attention is paid!)
• Recognize parent voice or touch (yes, for sure)

He started teething about a week or two ago. We give him low doses of Tylenol when needed (or when we anticipate they are going to bother him) and the Orajel gel swabs. The evenings seem to be the worst for him, but it might be exacerbated by the fact that he is tired. His plugged tear duct cleared up on its own a few weeks ago. So happy not to have to constantly clean eye goop any more.

We don't do a lot of tummy time but he tolerates it pretty well when we do. While he has rolled over from front to back at least twice, he isn't really interested yet. He loves to lay on his back and play with his jungle gym play mat. He also loves to play in his jumper, which I like because he is completely upright in there (don't have to worry about the flat head!). The other two kids didn't really like the jumper very much, so I'm glad he does, even if his feet still can't reach the ground! That is what boxes are for. The bouncy seat continues to be a life saver. He will almost always go in there if I need my hands free for something. And he has figured out how to move the toys so they go (there is a setting where the music turns off if the baby doesn't move the toys). I use the high chair in the kitchen a lot. He doesn't eat food yet so it is just used as a holding place for him but he likes to be in the center of the action instead of stuck in the living room by himself.

He will start smiling just by me looking at him and smiling. He doesn't work up to a full belly laugh often but he often looks like he is trying to. He says what sounds like "hi" a lot and likes when we repeat it to him. Finn SWEARS Mac said "Momma" the other day (I'm sure he didn't but I'll take it!). The Bigs like to play the repeat game with him on sounds he is making, which is great for him to hear.

Nicknames: Baby, Bubsy, Bubsy Boo, Mac-a-doodle, Mac Attack, MJT-pronounced "midget" (that's all I can think of now)

He still loves his pacifier. He doesn't need it all the time (thankfully) but the second he gets it, he calms down and usually goes to sleep. My other two never could keep it in their mouths (too weak of suck), so this is fabulous. And since we have the clip to keep it attached to what he is wearing, we don't lose it! He is breast-feeding about 5 times per day. The length for each feeding varies greatly (which always worries me with all my insecurities) but he seems to be growing just fine (again, will find out more next week).

He goes to sleep for the night usually around 9 or 9:30 (depending on the night, sometimes closer to 11 or 11:30!). He then sleeps soundly for 8-11 hours! If he wakes up before 7 to eat, he goes immediately back to sleep and sleeps for another 3-4 hours. Sometimes, if it is after 7, he thinks he needs to stay awake but he is pretty tired and usually goes back to sleep within the hour. I'm looking forward to when he has a nap schedule as he just naps on and off all day. BUT he will still sleep anywhere, which is super convenient if we are out and about. He sleeps in his swing at night for his reflux but also because I'm scared to try the crib now, especially since the swing works so well. I mean, why fix what isn't broke?!?! We will discuss with the doctor I'm sure at his well-child, since at his two month well-child, she mentioned something about him needing to sleep in his crib eventually.

Monthly pics:

G to the B in '14

Ha, I stole the title from Stacey, but I don't think she will sue me over it! On Friday night, DeAnn, Stacey and I went to the Garth Brooks concert at the Target Center...and it was phenomenal. I saw him last time he was in town in 1998 and it was everything I remembered and more. I didn't pull out my CDs before going, at the beginning of almost every song, we were like, "Oh, THIS is my favorite!"

Stacey dropped D off at our house (yes, Daddy Daycare was full with FOUR kids for the night!) and then we met DeAnn in SLP before heading downtown. Traffic was awful, but we didn't have too far to go. Once there, the walk from the parking ramp was frigid but I barely noticed because I was SO excited.

I can not believe how many people were there and this was only one of ELEVEN shows he did! There is nobody else like him. Can you imagine another artist taking a FIFTEEN year break from music, announce a comeback tour and sell out ELEVEN shows in one venue? Crazy. They said he sold over 200,000 tickets, which was a record for him and the Target Center, smashing his previous record of 162,000, which happened to be the last time he was in town. Again, crazy!

It was so good to get out and just have fun. I always worry about leaving baby for so long (I think it was right around 6 hours), but he takes a bottle without any problems, so I need not worry. I even had a drink while there and it was fabulous! Oh and the cup was in the shape of a guitar, so I had to bring that home for the Bigs.

If you didn't go, I highly recommend it next time he is in town. And hopefully it won't be another 15 years before he comes back...but with those numbers, I don't think that will be a problem! Thank you DeAnn and Stacey for making it such a great night. I loved spending girl time with you and sharing one of my favorite artists together. And for the record, The River is my favorite Garth song, but there are about 10 tied for second!

Some pics from the night:

DeAnn gave me these boots and I FINALLY got to wear them to a concert. I had happy feet the whole time!

Happy Halloween from Spidey, Princess and Viking

We had a blast on Halloween! I lost my camera, which is why I'm just posting this now (and back-dating to Halloween!). I had gotten Finn's Spiderman costume last year, but at the last minute, he decided to go as a Vikings football player, which turned out well because the costume was still too big this year! Oops. Toddler costumes were too small and "Boys" sizes were too big. So, what 'er ya gonna do?!?! Maybe he will wear it next year again! After months of convincing, Korri went as a Flower Girl Princess. What is a Flower Girl Princess you ask? A princess dressed up in her flower girl dress from her auntie's wedding last spring!! I figured why should I buy her a costume, when she has this gorgeous dress that still fits her (even with enough room to put a sweater underneath!). But we added accessories and a crown, so she was a princess, too! She looks adorbs, so that's all that matters. I randomly found Baby's costume online and while I would have been fine using one of the many baby costumes we have, it was too perfect: A Viking! His, too, was too big, but I knew I'd need to put layers underneath and I didn't know if it would run small or not. Oh, well. He, too, was a adorbs!

Stacey and Dillon (aka an Outsider, I think!) came over to go trick-or-treating with us. I'm so glad they did. Jim was able to stay home and do his favorite part of Halloween: hand out candy (which happens to be my least favorite part of Halloween!). We handed out glow sticks and full-sized candy bars this year because otherwise Jim gives handfuls of the "fun size" to each kid and we go through WAY more that way. We stopped and picked up Max and his dad on our way by so we were one big happy trick-or-treating gang. After three houses, Korri asked if we could be done because she already got some candy! Oh, I wish, baby girl, but the boys wanted to go to a lot of houses. Last year we just went up and down our street but this year, we even ventured to the other neighborhood. Thankfully, the weather wasn't too cold. It was a great Halloween.

Lots of pictures on our picture website, but here are some highlights;

Son of God

Mac was baptized on Sunday. What a wonderful day and event. I've always thought there is something special about baptism, so innocent, so refreshing, rebirth. I wish we could all stay so pure and close to God. Mac was a rock star. I kind of like it when babies cry a little when the water is poured over them, but nope, Mac just laid there patiently. Mac is so lucky to have Stacey and Mike be his godparents. They are both amazing people who will have a great influence in his life. Thank you to them for taking on this significant responsibility! Also, thank you to everybody who helped us celebrate Mac's big day. It really means the world to us to be surrounded by such good family and friends. Here are a few pictures:

Just as our other two did, Mac wore the same baptismal gown that Jim wore for his baptism. I just LOVE the symbolism and significance of that. For Mac's baptism cake, I wanted to try some new techniques and flavors (since I could do whatever I wanted!). So I made peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting filling. And I decided to do a two tiered cake and cover it with homemade fondant! Luckily, my friend Andrea had just made a cake this summer so she gave me lots of tips (and I always ask my expert cake maker, Becky, a ton of questions!). 

The top tier has a negative impression of a cross, surrounded by flowers. The bottom tier has a quilt pattern, edible pearls and Mac's name. Anyway, it was labor intensive, but I think it turned out pretty good (very close to my vision, anyway).

Oh, and Mac received a blanket made by a lady from the parish and an incredible wood chest made by a man from the church! Both are beautiful and so thoughtful.

My favorite picture from the service (courtesy of Kelsie):

Just an incredible day.

She's done it again!

I know I sound like a broken record, but yet again, Jess has worked miracles! Mac pretty much refused to smile at his 3 month pictures. I wasn't overly concerned about it because I knew his pictures would still be cute (I mean, how COULDN'T they be?!?!) and he hadn't been really smilely yet in general, so I didn't know any of his "tricks" to get him to smile. Oh, well. Jess clicked away and we left it at that. I was pretty sure she got ONE pic of him smiling or semi-smiling.

Fast forward to yesterday. Jess sent me his pictures yesterday morning...right before baptism! LOL, so I didn't get to really look at them until later. But low and behold; he is smiling or at least happy in most of them! I think she has a magic camera. Or maybe photoshopped another kid's smile on Mac's face! Anyway, let's get to it.

Here are Mac's 3 month pictures:

www.jessicahislop.com/mac3months
password: 3monthsold

Sneak peek (two of my favorites):

Mac is three!

Mac turned 3 months old yesterday! So crazy how fast it is going. I was thinking about it yesterday and with Finn each day and each month went by so slowly (especially in the beginning). He was our only, he had special needs and we could devote all of our breath and energy to just him. Then with Korri, who had severe colic, each day drug by so slowly but each month zipped by (she was two before I even blinked). But with Mac, each day AND each month is going WAY too quickly. I want to savor every single second but then I look up and there he is...three months old already!! And so quickly outgrowing those newborn/infant tendencies. I want to remember each and every second.

Anyway, here are some milestones for the "average" 3 month old and my comments on them regarding Mac's development.

Movement Milestones

• Raises head and chest when lying on stomach (To be perfectly honest, I don't put him on his tummy much, shame on me! But he has been able to hold his head up almost since birth. Not sure about his chest.) 
• Supports upper body with arms when lying on stomach (He can if you put his arms under him) 
• Stretches legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back (Yes, stretches and kicks a lot) 
• Opens and shuts hands (Yes) 
• Pushes down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface (Yes, did this at his two month well-child appt and Dr was impressed) 
• Brings hand to mouth (He does but not as often as he used to now that he prefers the pacifier) 
• Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands (Yes! He LOVES playing on his play mat and swatting at the purple parrot above him) 
• Grasps and shakes hand toys (Not independently, but can for a short time if object is put in his hand) 

Visual and Hearing Milestones

• Watches faces intently (Not really, he still doesn't like to look directly at people very often) 
• Follows moving objects (yes) 
• Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance (I don't think so, but how can you tell?) 
• Starts using hands and eyes in coordination (Starting to, he was trying to touch a toy in front of him and couldn't reach but kept trying!) 
• Smiles at the sound of your voice (Not very often, but he is very stingy with the smiles...unless you are the ceiling fan or Goldy Gopher or you catch him in a really good mood) 
• Begins to babble (Yes and I LOVE it so much) 
• Begins to imitate some sounds (I find us imitating him more than he imitates us, but then we just go back and forth copying each other) 
• Turns head toward direction of sound (Not always. He gets pretty focused on certain things and can't be bothered) 

Social and Emotional Milestones

• Begins to develop a social smile (Yes, but like I said, a little stingy with showing it) 
• Enjoys playing with other people and may cry when playing stops (I haven't noticed crying when play stops but just recently started liking to "play" on his mat or when Korri plays with him) 
• Becomes more communicative and expressive with face and body (I think so. He now has a pouty lip when he is mad or about to cry...LOVE it.) 
• Imitates some movements and facial expressions (Haven't noticed this yet) 

For the most part, Mac is a GREAT sleeper. He often sleeps for 7-8 hour stretches at night (once even NINE!), although not for the last week or so since he's had a little stuffy nose. Hopefully we get back to that. He also has started not wanting to go to bed for the night. I used to be able to just feed him at 8:30pm and he'd go to sleep for the night. Not any more. Again, I hope it is a phase and we'll get back to easy bedtime. And he still sleeps in his swing (not swinging or vibrating) but for now, it works best with his acid reflux. I think his doctor will want to transition him to his crib soon. [cringe!]

We had Mac's 3 month pictures with Jess on Thursday and they went really well. Except Mac didn't want to smile at all! I think we got at least one full smile and maybe a half smile too. Oh, well. Good thing he is so cute with or without a smile. Can't wait to get them back.

Mac likes his jumper! I don't remember either of the other two liking it but he will sit in it for 10-15 minutes at a time (which I think is a long time for this age). I like that it changes his position and sits him upright and still supports him. He doesn't really play with it or jump in it yet but looks around and talks to the parrot hanging over him.

He is still a good eater, although since he got his stuffy nose, he thinks eating for 6-7 minutes is a full feeding when before it was closer to 20-25 minutes! Makes me frustrated but I think he is getting enough (he looks like it anyway!) and it seems to be getting better over the last day or so. Still...best eater out of my three by FAR! I think Jim is looking forward to starting solids so he can participate more with feedings. We will discuss with the Dr. at Mac's next well-child appt in Nov. He stills get reflux medicine three times per day and it seems to help.

He has already out grown his 3 month clothes! I seriously think he was wearing that size for MAYBE two weeks! Man, he is a fast growing boy. I refused to put him in 6 month clothes when he was 2 months old, so I'm glad most brands have a 3-6 month size, which seems to fit him fairly well right now...today anyway! Who knows about tomorrow.

I don't have his three month picture ready yet but here is a recent one of his new favorite pastime...drooling (we call him Drool Beard; the most feared pirate of the seven seas):

What's a square?

We had our first parent/teacher conference on Thursday night. And overall, it went really well. I didn't have many expectations since this was a first for us but knew Finn was doing well. Finn was not there (thanks Memere for coming to watch the kiddos!). I liked that so we could talk freely and not worry about what Finn hears. For the winter/spring conference, Finn will be there and he will be telling us his strengths and weakness. Interesting.

She started out by telling us how much she enjoys and gets a kick of our Finn. Awww...that made me happy. She also said that several other teachers stop her and say that they notice Finn (in a good way!) and that he cracks them up! Good, as long as it isn't disrupting. Apparently, Finn wearing tights under his shorts is a huge hit!

The short of it is that Finn earned a positive mark for all of her 8-10 expectations/goals (they either receive a positive mark or "needs to improve"). He is doing amazing with literacy (in the top third of all kindergartners at HLWW). He, however, is borderline needing extra help with math because...he didn't identify a square or triangle! This is what frustrates us about Finn is he thinks it is, I don't know...funny, to not answer correctly. He didn't identify any 3D images (like cone, sphere, etc.) but he isn't expected to at this point...but he's known what a square is since he was two! Argh. So we are going to work with him at home so he answers correctly next time he is tested.

Otherwise, no surprises other than that fact that I don't know how she gets everything done! Based on what she told us, it seems they are there 24 hours a day. They are learning far more than I remember learning in kindergarten but still have time for fun time. She said this is an interesting group for her because they all want to learn all the time (more so than any other class she's taught...which is a good thing, I think!). We get report cards at the beginning of November, so we'll see how he is doing then.

Oh and she was surprised to hear our concerns about Finn's behavior at home because she hasn't seen ANY of it at school. I guess we are his soft place to land...lucky us?!?! Seriously, I was glad to hear that, though.

Already trained?

Korri is an enigma. She has been daytime potty trained since right after her second birthday. She has been about 90% night time trained for about 9 months (right around her third birthday). I'll give her that she has had a LOT of changes in the last 6 months. But for the last month, she has been wet EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, even when we wake her up to go potty, sometimes even twice! It has been beyond frustrating, not to mention doing all the laundry is exhausting.

We'd been throwing in words like "pulls-ups" and "diapers" here and there and finally I decided I had enough. She isn't being "naughty" but she also just doesn't seem to care. Well, except when she is soaking wet in the middle of the night and says she is sorry over and over (which, of course, tears my heart apart). The most frustrating thing is I KNOW she can do it. She could stay dry all night well before Finn did. She can hold it and if she can't, she is 100% capable for getting up to go potty (even though she still wakes me up to do so, which is fine with me!). So I gave her one more chance. If she was wet Wednesday night, I was going to buy Pull-Ups Thursday at the store and once she started wearing them, she had to wear them at night until she is dry for one full week. And she was wet, so I bought the darn Pull-Ups.

She wore it for the first time last night. Baby slept from 11:30pm until 6:00am (holla!), so I didn't wake her up to go potty like I normally do when he wakes up to eat. And she was DRY this morning! What?!?! She said she got up and went potty by herself when I asked her this morning, but I'm not sure I believe her (she ALWAYS wakes me up when she gets up). While I'm very glad for her being dry, it is beyond frustrating, too. Here's hoping that in 7 days, we'll be back to wearing unders and NOT wetting the bed. Kids: they always keep you on your toes, if nothing else!

And because I like a post with pictures, we went to Fall Harvest Orchard on Wednesday with Pam and Levi. It is super close to home but we'd never been there. We all LOVED it. Sadly, they are selling it so this might be the last year (anybody want to pool $550,000 to buy it together?), but we enjoyed it while we could! And we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.

And, a super big happy birthday to Big Ben who turns TWO today!! Where does the time go?

Seven year itch?

Happy 7th Anniversary to my wonderful husband. Wow, the last 7 years have been a whirlwind. We bought our first house. We got married (obviously). We had our first child who was born early and had a rough two year journey (but is thankfully perfectly healthy now!). We underwent a remodel project that completely finished our basement and created a master ensuite upstairs. We had our second child who had severe colic and would NOT sleep for the first year...and she still doesn't like to sleep. I went back to work after being a SAHM for three and a half years and the kids went to daycare for the first time (it was VERY traumatic for me at least). We sold our beloved home in NE, and while that is a simple sentence, it was NOT easy doing so with two small children! We then found, bought and moved into our dream home out in the western frontier in Waverly. We had our third (and final!) child and a week later, Jim resigned from his job of 15 years! And finally we all started a new venture when we sent our oldest to Kindergarten this fall.

And these are just the highlights! Crazy. But there is nobody else I'd rather experience all these things with than you, Jim! We love fiercely, we disagree loudly, we bicker constantly...but we fit together perfectly. I never knew how crazy wonderful these last 7 years would or could be. That being said, I think we've earned a few "quiet" years...or at least different than the first 7 have been! Probably won't be "quiet" until they all move out. I love you so much.

For our anniversary, Jim and I went out alone for the first time since before Mac was born! Thank you to DeAnn for coming over and watching all three kids! We went to Birch's in Long Lake and it was wonderful. Jim even liked it and he can be hard to please when it comes to food. I think we will be back. Jim got me seven presents, one for each year, with the last one being tickets to go see A Christmas Carol the weekend after Thanksgiving! So thoughtful and I can't wait. For all the ups and downs; laughs and tears; smiles and frowns...I am one lucky lady and I wouldn't trade my life for anything. And I think that "seven year itch" has been scratched! We are good with how and where we are in life. What will the next seven bring?

Dance at dance?

So, they WILL dance at dance class right? Last night was Korris first night of dance class. But because all the girls ordered shoes, it was pretty much just for trying on shoes to make sure they fit. Korri was not a fan, as the only thing they did was stretch, I think. Oh, well. I told her next week they will actually dance. She is super excited about that (even if she HAS to stretch first). We got a little backpack to put her ballet and tap shoes in so they will be ready every week (and we can find them). The teacher said that after a few classes, they will let the parents in for the last few minutes to watch a little bit. I can't wait for that!!

We brought Mac to the doctor this week. He had a low grade fever for 4 days and was lethargic (i.e. was sleeping a LOT). So the nurse said to bring him in, even though I was sure it was nothing. The doctor did a thorough exam and took his temperature twice and couldn't really find anything wrong. Then she looked at his weight gain and said, "oh, he is probably going through a growth spurt!" She said to come back in today if he wasn't better, but he seems fine to me (I stopped taking his temperature since it wasn't a big deal). So my "little" buddy is growing...AGAIN! I just switched his clothes out to 3 month MAYBE two weeks ago and now I already feel like I should move up to the next size. While at dinner this week, there were twins next to us who I heard were 2 months old. I said I wasn't going to tell that mom that Mac was 2 months old, too! I'm sure the twins were early but holy small, especially compared to Mac!! I don't mind. My big baby is eating great and sleeping even better. I'll take it over my first two who didn't.

Because I can't have a post without a picture, here is Korri trying on her snow gear:

She said, "I'm going to go outside and wait for the snow." However, here is Korri 3 minutes later practicing her Gopher cheering:

Use the fitting room!

We were so lucky to have Auntie NaeNae come visit today! She starts her new job on Wednesday, so today was her last day to be able to just "pop" in. We LOVE visits from her and I don't think she minds them either (even if she misses out on seeing Finn).

Thanks to her visit, I was able to complete a project I've been wanting to do for a while: make some crock pot freezer meals! That way when Jim is traveling, I can just grab a bag out of the freezer in the morning, plop it in the crock pot and have a yummy dinner ready for the kids. Otherwise my meals are kind of lame. Since Renae was here to hold Baby and keep him company, I was able to do it all at one time...maybe took an hour?!?! It felt so good. I can't wait to try them and if they work out, to venture into other recipes, too.

We had a new experience this afternoon: I had to take Finn shopping for pants! We've been very lucky to have lots of Austin's clothes, but to say Austin isn't kind to his pants is being generous. Which means Finn gets fewer of them. Plus, Finn is between sizes; too tall for a 4T, too short for a 5T, too "little" for a 4/5 in boys. Prior to this, I've always just bought things he needs and brought them home but I knew I needed to have him try things one. So all five of us headed to Children's Place (my FAVORITE store to buy kids clothes...and I had a coupon!). Daddy kept Mac and Korri busy while Finn and I picked some out (in several sizes!) and headed to the dressing room.

I realized when I told him we needed to try them on and he started to take his pants off in the middle of the store that this was new for him, too! He LOVED everything about trying on the clothes. We walked into the fitting room and I think he would have stayed all day. He said to me, "Mommy, this is like when you were trying on dresses for us to see." Ha, yes it is, buddy. We were able to get two cargo pants, one pair of tailored sweat pants and a pair of sports pants, which I think should be good in addition to what he already has. I wish we'd had more time because I always want to look at every rack, but that doesn't happen when you have three children with you!

Tomorrow is picture day and because we got home late from shopping, I wasn't able to pick out either of their clothes tonight. Since that is stressing me out, I think I'll get up a little early to make sure we have time in the morning. Plus, we need to actually "do" Korri's hair and say a little prayer that it lasts until picture time! School pictures will be a new experience for us, too and I can't wait. I just pray that Finn does a good smile and not his weird, fake one.

Mac has been a little under the weather the last couple of days with a low grade fever but not too many other symptoms. Today the fever seemed to be gone but he seemed sleeping and a little more clingy than normal (which auntie didn't mind!). He is handling it amazingly well, but still, hopefully tomorrow he is feeling better.

Mac's first visit to El Loro:

He didn't seem all that impressed. Maybe he will be when he can actually eat the food! My texas jumbo margarita was FABULOUS (gotta love not being pregnant any more!!).

Ren Fest

Jim, Korri, Mac and I went to the Renaissance Festival yesterday. Shhhh...don't tell Finn! Actually, we did tell him after he got home from school. I have to say, planning around when Finn leaves and gets home from school has been the hardest transition. Since I've been home with the kids, I'm used to going where we want, when we want, for however long we want! We thought we left in plenty of time to beat the bus home...but with unexpected traffic, I think we ended up with a five minute cushion! Yikes.

Anyway, I digress. Jim and I love the Ren Fest but the tickets are expensive and it seems that our fall weekends are always full before we put it on the calendar. But they had a special "Festival Friday" yesterday (normally only open Saturday and Sunday), so we thought, why not? The tickets we cheaper and there were fewer people there, but a lot of the venders were closed. So a trade off I guess.

Before we left, I told Korri about the "festival" that we were going to and said people dress up there. It took very little convincing to get her to wear one of her princess outfits, including her crown.

Once there, she got glitter sprinkled all over her, her face painted and a wreath of flowers (I don't have a picture with the wreath on)!

It was fun to go here with just Korri. We could do all the things that she thought would be fun. Like Mermaid Cove (although she was upset that none were swimming!), Fairy Wing Forest and a fire show!

While Jim and I shared a giant turkey leg (when in Rome!), Korri had...yup, pizza! She is predictable, if nothing else. The weather was absolutely beautiful, if not even a little bit hot at times. Mac was a good boy and once I put him in the carrier and carried him, he slept like, well...a baby! Ha. Korri also got to feed some animals and saw elephants and camels (I told her they weren't doing rides...we didn't have time for that). But she did get to ride a double ended horse.

He started her out slowly, but by the end, she was going higher than I thought possible! She loved it. There was a ton of stuff we didn't get to do, but it is a huge place and we had to be mindful of getting back to the van in time to get home to pick up Finn. Korri had a hard time walking "all the way" back to the van, but she was NOT tired, and don't make the mistake of suggesting such a thing. Once we got in the van, I told her she should sleep for a bit. Her reply: I'm not tired! Okay, then why don't you just rest? Her reply: I'm NOT going to even rest, mommy! Hmmm...I think it took her four minutes to fall asleep, but do NOT be so audacious to suggest she was tired!

We had a really good time. We probably wouldn't go back on a Friday again, even with the reduced pricing and the "no-line" crowds because so many of the venders were closed, including Jim's favorite treat (florentine ice), which was a pretty big disappointment. Other than that, we had a really fun family adventure!

We have a lion cub

On Monday night, Finn had his first pack meeting for Boy Scouts. Since he is in Kindergarten, he is a lion cub. I think Finn had a good time. It was a little boring in that it was very informational and the boys had to just sit there for a while. But then they got to go play games while the Cub Master spoke to just the parents. I really hope that Finn likes it and sticks with it for a few years, at least.

That being said, holy unorganized! I know I am new to the whole thing but I felt like nobody knew what was going on. The Cub Master didn't have a single thing he needed. At one point, he left to go home and get some stuff during the middle of the meeting! We got the notice to register the DAY BEFORE registration! Nobody came and talked to the classes, so there are only two boys Finn's age, which is disappointing. Especially since the pack expects the two "brand new to boy scout" parents to run the den. I was hoping for more experience and for it to be more official. I told Finn to invite his friends to join, so we will see (he keeps forgetting!). The good thing (if we do end up running it ourselves) is the Lion Cubs don't earn badges so the monthly meetings are more about going over a theme at the den meeting and should be "easy." We will see, I guess.

The being said, since Finn is now a Cub Scout...he is selling wreaths and popcorn! If you feel your front door needs some Christmas cheer or your tummy needs some yummy popcorn, Finn would appreciate your order. The cool thing is that a portion of what he sells actually goes into an "account" in his name that he can draw from to buy things like his uniforms, badges, trips, etc. So in theory, he can "pay" for his own way! I thought that was cool and you know you are helping Finn directly.

Here is a picture of the popcorn order form:

I, personally, LOVE the Chocolatey Caramel Crunch. It is like crack (in that it is totally addicting). Jim loves the Classic Caramel Corn. Whatever you pick, it will be super yummy. Oh, they had the Jalapeno Cheddar to sample at the meeting and Finn will tell you that it was a little too spicy for him!

Here is the wreath information:

Finn will tell you that the cross wreath is the best. He told Katie it was the fanciest! I think they are all beautiful, so good luck figuring out which one(s) you need! If you can't read the images, let me know and I can email it to you.

Orders are due Oct 25 and payment is due at the time of order. You can mail me a check made payable to "Pack 494." The product will arrive the Saturday before Thanksgiving and Finn will personally deliver it, for those who live somewhat locally. If you live far away, but would still like to order, let me know, as there are shipping options so it can be shipped directly to you!

A huge thank you to anybody who places an order. Finn (and I) really does appreciate it.

All is good

Mac's 2 month well-child appointment could not have gone better. He weighed 13 lbs 3 oz, which is the 76% and was 23" long, which is the 52%. His head was the 92%...which you can tell by looking at him that he has a big head!

The doctor said that he should be eating between 5 and 8 times a day. He eats between 8 and 10, which probably explains his weight gain! At least it reassures me that he is getting enough and that he doesn't need to eat every time he fusses. She was 100% happy with his stats.

She was happy to hear that upping his reflux meds seems to be helping. So she gave me refills and let me know how often to keep upping it to stay on top of it. Glad she is so proactive and trusts that I can follow instructions (instead of requiring me to come in for a visit and spend another copay every three weeks!).

We talked about Mac's tendency to look to the right and tilt his head to the left. She examined him and while he showed right rotation preference, he could fairly easily look to the left without help. So she wasn't concerned about that. His tilt is much more prominent but she was able to stretch out his neck muscles against the tilt, so she isn't overly concerned and thinks he will out grow it without getting Torticollis. She is very happy with the shape of his head, which is usually one of the first indicators there is a problem.

Mac has two "stork bites;" one on his forehead between his eyes and one on the back of his head, near the base of his neck. A stork bite has to do with the dilation of certain blood vessels and appears reddish/pink. She assured me that they are usually temporary and will slowly fade. I feel like the one on his forehead is already lighter than it was.

Poor little buddy had THREE vaccine shots today and one oral one. He did well, but it broke my heart to hear him crying in pain. I fed him right after and that calmed him down. The best part of the visit for me? Finding out he can now have Tylenol! Don't get me wrong, I'm not a crazy Tylenol wielding parent or anything, but it sure is nice to be able to give it, if nothing else works. It definitely helped this afternoon. The doctor also recommended a warm bath to soak his legs in, so I guess tonight is bath night for Baby! I read through all the vaccine handouts and it looks like his 4 month well-child will have about just as many. Maybe daddy can come to that appointment...it seems he usually misses the ones with the shots. Hmmm...

Tuckered out after his shots:

I was happy to see on the handout that while they stated it is required to be rear-facing in a car seat until 20 pounds and 1 year of age, it also stated that the AAP strongly recommends until the age of 2! Nothing about extended rear-facing, but I was happy to see the new recommendations in print.

After the appointment, the three of us went to Dairy Queen. Korri wanted a root beer float but when I said I was having a pumpkin pie blizzard, she quickly changed her mind. For somebody who doesn't like pumpkin pie, I sure do LOVE the pumpkin pie blizzard. Go figure! Do you think Korri liked it too?

Yesterday was a crazy busy day. It was cleaning day in the AM, which is a HUGE blessing, but does require a lot of work to get the house ready for cleaning (ironically). Mac and I had our first Baby ECFE class in the AM. Korri had Open House for her Dance Class in Winsted at 5:30 and Finn had Cub Scout registration in Waverly at 7pm. Nothing like feeling like you accomplished a lot!

He turns two!

Mac was 2 months old yesterday! It is so weird because I can't believe two months has already gone by but on the other hand, it feels like he has been part of our family forever. I guess that is a good thing. Here is a list of developmental milestones that most children can do by the end of 2 months (so Mac might be working on them this month).

Social and Emotional:
Begins to smile at people (Mac smiles a lot, sometimes at people but usually at the ceiling fan and his Goldy mobile)
Can briefly calm himself - may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand (maybe, easily calmed when picked up, though)
Tries to look at parent (he has started looking at mommy when I talk to him, even if not right next to him)

Language/Communication:
Coos, makes gurgling sounds (Yes, and I LOVE listening to him)
Turns head toward sounds (I think so, unless he is having a "conversation" with the ceiling fan!)

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving):
Pays attention to faces (sometimes does and sometime doesn't)
Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance (follows things, yes; recognize people, I don't think so)
Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn't change (I don't think so, he usually fusses when he is tired or hungry)

Movement/Physical Development:
Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy (Yes, doctor impressed with his head strength!)
Makes smoother movements with arms and legs (still pretty jerky)

Mac slept six consecutive hours last night for the first time! You better believe momma was ready for him to wake up, if you know what I mean! As a whole, he is a pretty good sleeper. He typically sleeps between 3 and 4 hours at a time at night, which I think is pretty good considering how young he is. He sleeps on and off all day, too...no "napping" schedule yet.

We took Mac into the doctor last Friday. All week he was extra fussy, was spitting up a lot, seemed to be in pain and was hard to console. He was a whopping 12 lbs 10 ounces!! The doctor upped his reflux medicine, since she thinks he out grew the amount we had been giving him. She said if that didn't help, so call her on Monday and she would switch his meds to a different kind. But he really did seem better, so I figured I'd just wait to talk to her at his well child tomorrow. I also am giving the meds to him more often throughout the day, so I think that is helping to (so they don't wear off). The amount of spit up has dropped drastically as well. Oh, and he is eating closer to every 3 hours during the day, which is WAY better than every hour and a half to two hours he had been doing! He is still a super gassy baby and strains often but I'm hoping he out grows that (and soon!).

Mac has started smiling, laughing and coo-ing. I joke that his best friend is the ceiling fan because he can smile and laugh at that thing for a long time! I caught him having a hilarious conversation with Goldy (his mobile on his crib) the other day. I don't know what they were "talking" about, but Mac sure thought it was funny! If you can get his attention, he will smile at you, but he is usually too busy looking around.

Jim has been gone this week...the first time for a long stretch since Mac was born. I've been very lucky that he hasn't had to travel much up to this point, but I was still nervous for him to leave. Overall, it hasn't been too bad. We've been busy, which actually make it easier, I think (the kids have less time to get bored and fight!). The kids also got used to him always being around so him being gone has been hard on them, especially Finn. Jim gets back tomorrow and all four of us can't wait!

Oh and we had to get a pacifier clip; something I've never had to buy or use before! Both Finn and Korri were serious thumb suckers but other than a couple accidental incidences, Mac hasn't really found his thumb or fingers...or he just isn't going to be a thumb sucker, which is what I think is the case. So weird!! He doesn't always want or like his pacifier either, but usually calms down right away if he will take it. Here's to a new experience, even though he's the third child!!

I'll have more information after his 2 month well-child appointment tomorrow. I can't believe how much he has already grown:

 

Korri's going too!

Yesterday morning, the four of us headed to Korri's pre-admission conference for preschool. Her preschool is in Finn's school...two doors down! Love that. And Mrs. Pam, her teacher, facilitated Art, Craft and Story time this summer, so Korri already knew her, which was fabulous. We had a little scavenger hunt when we got there (find your cubby, find the bathroom, give Mrs. Pam your forms, etc.) and then Korri and the other kids got to play while Mrs. Pam went over the details of this preschool. Korri has preschool Tues and Thurs from 8:15 to 10:50 and there will be 13 kids in Korri's class (seemed like a lot to me but Mrs. Pam said it was a nice break to have lower admission...okay then!).

It is WAY more organized and structured (in a good way) than preschool was this spring that we did in Howard Lake. Korri played really well beside two other girls (they weren't friends yet so they didn't actually interact much) which was fun to see. Korri WILL be riding the regular elementary bus to school but a preschool bus on the way home. I would be more worried about this if Finn weren't with her on the bus in the mornings. They made is very clear the steps they go through to ensure the preschoolers safety and make sure nobody is forgotten. There was SO much information during the meeting but I think at the end of the day, it is all common sense.

Korri's first day is Tuesday, Sept 9. The sad thing is that by the time Korri goes to Kindergarten, the school and the bus will be old hat, so it won't be nearly as emotional or impactful as it was to send Finn. Here's to sending another baby off to school! Good thing we have Mac!

And for those of you whom Korri has talked incessantly about this to for the last year...I submitted her Dance Class forms today, too! Based on the description, it will be ballet and tap. I honestly can't wait and hope she loves it even half as much as she has talked about it since last fall! It doesn't start until the beginning of Oct.

First crash

Finn's second and third days of Kindergarten have gone well. He said he learned to raise his hand, which is a good one to learn! I feel like he also needs to learn to speak up a little more to be heard (he comes home saying teacher didn't answer him or respond to him; sad), but I'm sure that will come. He is very concerned that he hasn't gotten to play with the trains in his classroom. Oh and he loves that he gets to drink THREE cartons of chocolate milk a day (breakfast, lunch and snack). That seems like a lot to me. Anybody else?

Yesterday after school, he and Korri went outside to ride bikes. Within minutes, Finn was back in the house crying heavily. He had fallen off his bike! A first...and he did a pretty good job, too. His knee was pretty scraped up but nothing else seemed to be worse for the wear. He even got to have two band-aids because one didn't cover it. It was important to Jim and me that he get back on his bike before he went to bed, so we all went outside so he could reenact the "crash" for us. We still aren't sure if he hit the curb or was turning to avoid hitting the curb but regardless, he said he was looking backward to see where Korri was...and he now understands why daddy keeps telling him to look where he is going! He did get back on to go for a little bike ride with daddy and Korri and all was fine. A little scary for a short time but he handled it fairly well and recovered faster than I expected. I guess he IS a big boy now. I told him to show me his knee and give me a pouty face:

Our first day

I was going to title this Finn's first day...but it really was all of Team Thomas' first day of Kindergarten. It ushered in a new era for our household.

Leading up to the first day, we talked about it a bit but I didn't want to overwhelm Finn either. He kept asking if "today" was Kindergarten day. I told him we would let him know the night before at bed time! The night before, he said he had a tummy ache, and I think it was nerves. Who wouldn't have them?!?! There were a ton of forms that had to be filled out and returned. Finn completed his first "homework" which was cutting out, decorating and naming a bear. He went with "Crazy Bear." Finn needed to bring a stuffed bear to go along with the theme, I think. And a blanket for rest time. His supplies were already there and daddy had put the extra items for the classroom in his locker. I lost the bus card for his backpack, so Jim made one and attached it. I filled out his hot lunch card for the week (thankfully, we only have to do this for a couple of weeks until the kids know if they are eating or not). We picked out his clothes (and by that I mean I told him which outfit I wanted him to wear...and he shockingly agreed!). He normally wears sports shorts, so I thought a little dressier the first day would be nice. He put his backpack, sweatshirt and shoes by the front door. He took a bath and went to bed by 8pm! That was a miracle. The ONE thing I forgot was that he was supposed to wear a name tag sticker the first day. Oh, well. He survived and said that nobody else had one anyway (who knows if that is true, but it made me feel better!).

The morning of, we planned on getting him up around 7 but when I got up at 6:30 to feed Baby, both kiddos were already up! Excited, I guess. Korri wanted to come with to the bus stop, so we had to get them both ready. Brush teeth, get dressed, have a muffin for breakfast (all Kindergartners at our school get breakfast at school, so we don't HAVE to feed him if he isn't hungry, which is super nice!), get shoes and sweatshirt on, make sure backpack is ready...and time for pictures! We were ready and outside by 7:15, I think and the bus was scheduled to come at 7:37!

NeNe came over to wish Finn a good first day and helped by watching Mac so I could enjoy the morning. We took pictures (LOTS!) and then walked to the corner. Finn and Jim played Frisbee. We talked with Max and his mom because the bus stop is on their corner. The bus was late, I'm sure because of it being the first day. I think it finally picked him up about 15 minutes late. And then when the bus stopped, the driver said he will pick Finn up at our driveway because he turns around in the cul de sac anyway. Sweet!! Finn hopped right up, turned around and gave me a look that showed that he was a little scared. My heart officially broke. I was okay until that point. Then the doors shut and I lost it. My baby was gone and I couldn't protect or help him. All day long, I kept wondering what they were doing and if he was doing okay (which I knew he was, but I kept thinking about it). Right when we walked back into the house, Korri said she missed Finn and asked when he was coming home!

The bus is scheduled to drop him off at 3:25 and it was super late the first day (like 20 minutes or more!). Just when we started wondering if we had to call somebody, it turned the corner. Thank God! He hopped off and ran up the driveway. He was happy until he saw that Korri had a special treat. Then he said that nothing was fun at school (because he wanted a treat, too!). Bad planning. We went inside and looked through his folder. He had to fill out a mad lib kind of thing and he said that he was sad at the end of the school day because he wanted to come back! Oh, again, thank God! He didn't have a ton to say, but we slowly got information out of him throughout the evening. I think it was all overwhelming, to say the least.

Side note: in the last couple of days, Baby has started being entertained (at least for a little bit!) by his play mat and bouncy seat! Praise the Lord. It gives me some time to put him down and try to get something done. And it is so cute to see him hitting the toys and cooing. He is getting so big...he IS seven weeks old tomorrow, after all!

Pictures from Finn's first day are on our picture website (link to the right) but here are a couple: