Adelyn: 7 and 8 months

Well yes, Addy has turned 7 months old and then 8 months old over the past two months. I always take the pictures relatively close to the actual day, but I have been a bit behind on the blogging part.  Now if I were really at the top of my game, I also would have written down all of her little monthly milestones somewhere...anywhere. But, I am so not at the top of my game, so sadly (sorry Addy) I have not. A few big things have happened for her though....

-Four teeth

-Full-fledged crawler

-Standing up in crib 

-Standing up to the furniture, toys, brothers, Mommy, Daddy, dogs, etc.

-Eating more and more whole foods (carrots, green beans, black beans, corn, avocado, broccoli..to name a few) 

-Babbling and babbling and babbling

-Repeating a few phrases, such as, "uh-oh" and "all-done".

-Giggling more and more at Jack and Owen

-Waking up once per night to eat

7 months old!

8 months old!

Addy is on the move and she is fast. For these pictures, I would sit her down and as I was backing up to take her picture, she would immediately go into the crawl position and bolt straight to me.

Like this..

and then look up to give me a big smile and grab the camera.

 Poor babe, lately her nose is constantly running and her mouth is constantly drooling. And here, the night prior, she scraped her face with one of her fingernails. Life of a babe ;)

Only their dad can make them laugh this hard.

 and

after months of trying to establish a morning routine with Jack, it's January and we are finally there. Jack has a list of about 5 or 6 things he needs to do before he leaves for school. He knows what they are and rarely needs heavy reminders. One of his to-do's is to make his bed, which he had gotten really good at. Makes me proud!

This Year...Last Year.

This Year.

 Last Year.

 

Two Years Ago.

 

Three Years Ago.

Four Years Ago.

Five Years Ago

Learning to Skate.

Jack and Owen are taking ice skating lessons. Living in Minnesota (hockey central), it's a must that they know how to ice skate.  Plus, it's just a really fun winter activity. Pat and I had been talking constantly about taking them or getting them into lessons and then Jack came home from school one day with the news that they would be ice skating in Phy. Ed. That was the kick in the pants we needed to get Jack and Owen started. The very next day, Pat took them to a second hand sports store for ice skates and helmets and we went to open skate that night. One week later, they both began lessons.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous for them to get started. Skating is super fun, but in the beginning it can be frustrating. Oh and the falls...so many falls in the beginning...ouch!  I didn't want them to lose confidence too quickly and want to give up. Well, one of my munchkins tends to let that happen to him when trying out new things while the other is very much the opposite.

Anyway, there was no need for my silly worry because both boys did GREAT! Jack and Owen are happy, brave and excited while they are ice skating. If they should fall, they pop right back up onto their skates and keep-on-a-going! And there have been no tears...zero. But most importantly, they both are truly having fun while they ice skate! That's the best.

I am one proud Momma!

So much catching up to do...

A lot has happened in the past 1.5 months. Holidays, birthdays, trips, projects, new teeth and so many other little, everyday things. I went through some of my pictures tonight and these three made me smile!

Just Cause

He is loving his new hat, he turns 4 years-old in 4 days and he can be heard constantly singing the song, Last Christmas.

Jack is 6!

Jack turned 6 years-old. Whaaaattt?? Yep, it's true and it's simply crazy that my first born is already a 6 year-old. It seems just like yesterday that Pat and I were nervously taking him home from the hospital without a clue as to what to do or what our future would hold with this little cutie. Well, Jack taught us what to do and how to be parents. He changed our lives in the best way possible. Jack taught me how to love unconditionally with every part of my being. He taught me patience (and continues to teach me), something I had never been good at. Jack taught me how to not take everything so serious and in turn, laugh more. We laugh a lot in this house. He taught me how to be more present in the moment and enjoy the little things, like reading stories or playing board games. The messy kitchen can wait. I love this little boy with a love I never knew I had. 

Jack,

 you are sweet,

you are a thinker, 

you are kind, 

you are smart,  

you are sensitive, 

you are goofy,

you are energetic,

you are a lover of life

you are one awesome big brother

and you are mine.

You are the only Jack (insert full name) in the whole world and I am so lucky that you chose me to be your mom! 

I love you!

Jack turns 3 years-old.

Jack turns 4 and birth story.

Jack turns 5.

What are the chances?

That's what I first thought when I saw Jack's cute little face on the cover of our school district's Kindergarten First Steps booklet. Then we got the community education booklet in the mail and there his picture was again. It was Jack along with a handful of his classmates. It was such surprise that he never told me a thing about the experience. Kidding. Actually, it was no surprise at all as he tells me very little about his time at school unless heavily prompted. 

Anyway, we think it's pretty neat-o and so does he!!

A Closet Purge

A lazy girl's iPhone pics.

1. Owen had a closet and dresser bursting with clothes (the culprit: older brother's hand-me-downs) And I desperately needed to do something about it.

2. Day 1 of The Great Purge 2013 had Owen's closet and dresser at the top of the list. This before picture was actually taken after about 15 minutes of work, so it was worse..much worse. 

3. All of the clothes and jammies that need to go. I might give consignment a try. Have you ever done this? Any tips?

4. Mission Complete. His closet is actually an L shape, so around the corner is another rack plus we hung a few cute hooks (at Owen's height) for Owen's bathrobe and all of his costumes. On the top shelf, I put a couple of baskets and filled them with his shorts and summer jammies. It still looks like we have a t-shirt hoarding problem (hmm? maybe).

Ahhhh, feels good!

Happy 2013!

Cheers to you and yours on this first day of the New Year...2013!!

(minus Addy, she was already asleep for the night)

We cooked up a feast last night to celebrate New Year's Eve. We had steak filets with Gorgonzola butter and Garlic Butter Baked King Crab Legs (btw..this recipe was amazing!). We toasted our Sparkling Apple Cider and talked about what we thought we did good at in 2012 and what we want to get better at in 2013. Jack..basketball, Owen...riding his new green bike, Pat..prioritization, Nicole..organization. We let the boys stay up as long as they as they wanted and they could decide when it was bedtime. Owen made it until about 10:00 pm when he then actually asked to go to bed and Jack stayed up to watch the ball drop in NYC at 11:00 pm when we then all went to bed. We snuggled on the couch, played games and watched a few NYE specials (and what I hope is the last of Psy..ugh!). It was perfect!

During the day, Pat and I went on a day date to Chipotle and to the movie, Les Miserables. I was a complete newbie to this story as I had never seen the musical production. Wow, it was such a great movie...I loved it!