Three Month Photo Shoot!!

Unlike us typically, Christian and I haven't taken as many pictures of Gemma as we had hoped, so we wanted to make sure to capture a photo shoot at least every 3 months for the first year.  And how is it that we're already here???  I can't believe my baby...my last baby...is already 3 months old!  I need your help here - I'm trying to decide which picture I should use for our photo wall, as we have pics of both boys at 3 months and would like to follow suit.  If you're reading this, could you please leave a comment on your preference?  There are a few to choose from, and I like them all :)

Her favorite pastime right now...sucking her hand.  

And right after she rolled over for the first time!!

3 months!!

It's already here.  3 months.  And what an amazing month it's been...because this month has become so much easier in the world of 3 children.  Gemma has made big strides in her ability to be content while awake as well as her ability to put herself to sleep and/or get herself back to sleep after that darn 45 minute intruder.  We also traveled to Glen Arbor, Michigan this month and Gemma did amazing in the car!  I was so pleasantly surprised, because our Wichita vacation did not have the same results.  Thankfully we're making great progress and I'm feeling more confident.  Gemma's seeming more like a human being than just a newborn and is giving lots and lots of smiles.  

Dr. Stats - 12.4 pounds

Things to remember:

• How much you love sucking on your hands...so much so that I'm wondering if you're going to become a thumb sucker after all.
• How much you love your hands tucked under you when sleeping, with your little butt up in the air, just like your brother Reid!
• How well you've adjusted to sleep...you're super easy to put down (most of the time) and have done pretty well about learning how to put yourself back to sleep when you wake from an intruder
• How awesome of a night sleeper you are - you're only waking up around 4, sometimes 5 every morning.  Very rarely do you wake more than once, and before 4am.  Impressive Gemma baby, very impressive.
• How smiley you've become this month, and I love it. You smile with your whole body and it almost causes you to roll when you're on your tummy! I've even been able to get just a few giggles out of you towards the end of the month.
• How you are not living in the Ergo anymore!  If we're home, you go to sleep in your crib most of the time, with the exception of the last nap of the day before bedtime at times.
• How you have made the transition to your crib during naps and potentially very soon at night if you keep up the 4am only awakening.
• How well you traveled in the car to Glen Arbor!  You are still not a huge fan of the car, but you are making small gains of contentedness.
• How you are able to stay awake for longer periods of time without fussing or needing to eat.  The fan captivates you, as does (unfortunately) the TV...something to watch out for in the future!
• How nursing has had improvements from last month, but we still have progress to make.
• How much your brothers, both of them, love you!!  They are always around you, going crazy, giving you kisses and hugs.  I can't wait to watch you guys grow as siblings!

We love you so much baby girl.  We're so blessed to have you as part of our family!

Reid-isms at 28 months

Reid's 28 months and his vocabulary has really taken off!  His vernacular is quite adorable, and while it takes the gift of interpretation sometimes to understand it, I'm really quite impressed with all that he can say and do. 

• Re-re do it.
• Oh, that hurts. or Oh, that's Micah.  or Oh, that's red.  Pretty much anything he wants to point out starts with "Oh, that/that's..."  In the cutest little voice you ever did hear!
• Mama sit riiiight here
• Mommy come back
• Don't like this (to whatever - food, covers, blankets, a show...)

Other things to remember at 28 months with Reid:

• LOVES doing puzzles
• Become a big mama's boy, particularly after nap time
• Happy, happy boy.  Laughs and has a smile on his face most of the time.  A complete goofball too...  EXCEPT when he's a (see next bullet point)...
• Little instigator with Micah.  Will just run up and destroy his stuff just to get a reaction, which Micah gives!  Typical big brother/little brother stuff I'm sure.
• Loves Micah, even amidst all the fighting.  I can not keep the two separated!  And in the last two weeks they've really begun playing more with each other too without as much fighting...it's glorious!
• Become much more stable on his balance bike recently
• Loves loving on Gemma
• Started counting up to 11 or 12.  He doesn't always do it correctly, but he's learning.
• Knows all of his colors
• No paci as of 27.5 months!  Yay!
• Ability to sing some songs such as Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace, and Father Abraham
• Loves playing choo-choo trains.  

Pre-K baby!

It's officially happened.  My baby boy has started what will be his life for the next 13 years+.  It's crazy how excited one can be over the excitement of starting school, and how unexcited one can be as it becomes something that's done over and over and over as the years go by.  Micah was beyond ready to start and I think this will be a really good year for him!  And while I know that kids HAVE to start school, it was still bittersweet for Christian and I to send him off this past Monday.  It will be fun for me to hear all about it, and spend some quality time with Reid as Gemma will be napping most of the time while Micah's gone, but the reality of it also hit...others can influence my child.  He will be listening and watching teachers and fellow students and allowing those to impact his decision making and it's not just mom and dad anymore.  Not that it always has been - he's had plenty of classes via park district and church as well as many, many play dates.  But still, this is the first time it's been this structured of an environment for this length of time.  It's a natural and normal part of parenting, but our first time experiencing it at this depth.  Fun times in store for all!

We started the special day with buttermilk pancakes - and forgot to get the picture until they were almost all gone!

Enter photo shoot!  Micah with a backpack and without.  Micah with a sign and without.  Micah with his siblings.  Micah with Mommy and Daddy.  What do you expect?  He's our first and we're picture takers, lol.

Love this shot... LOVE THIS KID!

Cool Dude :)

Love my big boy.

Outside his school.

Walking to class...something awesome about little kids and big backpacks :)  And check out Reid too - looks so big!

Micah wanted to bring an apple for each of his teachers, so we did.  So cute!!

Mrs. Mangers

And Mrs. Goldstein

Last kisses before going.

And wise words that I'm sure he was listening to, haha.  Never mind his hands on the toy bin...he's very anxious to begin playing.  Enough mom - let me go :)

Reid was all too interested in the toys too...all in due time baby boy.  Stay small for as long as you can!

Ok Reid - time to go...

AND alone.  Bye Micah!  We love you!!

Micah's gone 3 days now - M, W and F - from 9-11:30.  He seems to be adjusting well, and loves it. Here's my one email from his teachers:

We have enjoyed getting to know Micah

He is an awesome kid and very detail oriented and he remembers EVERYTHING! So cute.

You're telling me, Mrs. Goldstein, you're telling me :)  This kid's memory continues to amaze me, almost daily!  Looks like we're off to a good start!

Smiles :)

 

Ice Bucket Challenge

While I will not get in to the argument about the pros and cons of the ice bucket challenge (and I have thoughts, of course!) I wanted to post my sweet boys who wanted to be a part of the dumping ice on your head :)  Micah's mister serious, and Reid's mister smiley.  Love these two!

Half-Marathon, Baby!

While it's not a marathon, and I'm not sure when my next marathon will be at this point, it's a half-marathon.  13.1 miles, 10.5 weeks post baby #3.

It was an incredibly hot and humid day, and I had only trained for 4.5 weeks.  I was hoping for a 2 hour, but feeling that was super ambitious given the above conditions.  My time?  2:00:00.  On.the.dot.  I have never had a race time quite as accurate as that one!  I'll take it!!

My friend Kate ran it too, and this is our pre-race pic.  Not sweaty, yet.

Post-race, baby!

Half of my cheering crew at mile 11.  Almost cost me my 2 hour time because I had to stop and give them all kisses, of course.  Worth every second!!