Parents as Teachers puts on a Truck Night each year. Last year we were sad that we were unable to attend, due to another commitment, because we knew MJ would just love it, so this year we were definitely looking forward to going! MJ loves all things truck related! He constantly asks to drive on the highway to look for macs, runs to the window to look out anytime he hears sirens (our new house is just a block away from the fire house), and is great at spotting any kind of tractor, dump truck, trash truck, school bus, etc. Clearly, Truck Night was sure to be a huge hit! It did not disappoint. :)
I just loooooove these couple pictures I took while getting my two little ones ready for Truck Night. It was a cool night, and I was excited to dress the kids in some new duds (well, new to them at least) that I'd been holding onto. This outfit Charlee is in is a hand me down from my friend, Meg. It's gotta be my favorite outfit, and I've been hoping I could squeeze Charlee into it before she'd grown past this size. Lucky for me the weather cooperated! :)
I kept trying to get both kids to look at me and smile, but they just kept giggling at each other instead. I'm so glad though, because this is my favorite picture of them, and one that I know I'll treasure forever. I love how Charlotte's hand is on MJ's leg and how they're not just smiling at each other but in pure giggle mode!
Finally managed to get one of them both looking at me...they can be serious, even if only for a second. ;)
MJ was so excited to check out a real school bus at the Truck Night. He got a school bus magnet when get got off. Given that we live right across the street from the elementary school, he won't be riding a school bus anytime soon, but he will be riding on a trolley in just a couple weeks for his first ever field trip. I think he'll be in heaven!!
My little John Deere boy in control of the levers! He fits in well in Iowa, huh?
Feeling might big and important sitting up in the fire truck. He's hot stuff!
Such a fun night with my little ones at PAT's Truck Night!
MJ's last car to check out was the police car. He even got to turn on the flashing lights and sit in the driver's seat. Let's just hope we never see him in the back of a police car again!
I wish I could capture each funny, innocent thing MJ says lately. It's a daily occurrence, and I already value these sweet moments. I just had to share a few, but mostly selfishly so I could document for my own treasure...
In Charlotte's room there is an ultrasound picture of her in a frame. MJ is always very curious about it and asks if that's when Charlotte was in mommy's tummy. Of course this leads to him commenting about also being in mommy's tummy at one time. The other night as we were doing our bedtime routine, we were all in Charlotte's room together. MJ proceeded to tell Mat and I a very elaborate and serious story about how when he was in mommy's tummy he was scared because there was a dinosaur in there! Yikes! :)
Again, at bedtime, a few nights ago we were saying our normal prayer that we say each night..."Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Guard me Jesus through the night, and wake me with the morning light." MJ continued to pray out loud when we finished saying "I pray for Jesus." Then, he asked me where Jesus was. Hmmm....tough one, kid. I should have been prepared for a great answer I suppose, but on the fly did my best to explain that Jesus is not someone that we can see right now, but He watches over us and lives in our heart. Not so sure that was the best route though because then MJ lifted his shirt and looked at his chest and with his most serious face replied with, "I no see Jesus in my heart."
Today we pulled out all the Halloween and fall decorations. We also went yesterday to the first Halloween themed event of the year, we've tried on his Halloween costume, and talked a bit about reminding him what trick-or-treating is. Needless to say, Halloween must be on the brain after today. Tonight after putting him to bed, I was in the bathroom washing my face. I hear his door creak open and him come tip toeing in the bathroom. "Mommy, is it Halloween yet?" he says. "No, baby Halloween's still a month away." "One more sleep?" "No, lots more sleeps." "One more quiet time?" No, lots more quiet times." "Go to bed, I'll tell you when it's Halloween." Off he went back to his room, closed his door, and back to bed. Somehow I have a feeling, we'll be getting the "Is it Halloween yet" question a lot in the month to come!
MJ was all ready for his first day of preschool on August 21st. He returned to Dubuque Montessori School again this year, but moved upstairs to one of the 3-5 age rooms. It's a mixed age class that he attends each afternoon for 2 1/2 hours. He is just crazy about his teachers, and he has the only male teacher in the school. I love anytime I see men working in the early education field and was thrilled that MJ got him as his teacher. It has been a great fit! MJ did not shed a single tear on his first day. We all drove him to school that afternoon, and then I walked him into his classroom. After a quick hug and kiss, I was off, and he was all smiles. It's such a wonderful feeling to see your child so excited about school. He's happy when we drop him off and happy when we pick him up, and that means A LOT! It was a really tough decision for me deciding whether to send him mornings or afternoons and how many days per week. It's really hard to give up some of that time with him, yet I know my own limitations due to my work schedule, and I know how much he loves the time to play and learn, so after lots of thought we gave this schedule a try. So far, so good! It's been a bit tough as he no longer naps much, but we've been having "quiet time" in his room when he gets home from school, and most days that works pretty well.
As I look at these pictures that I took right before we left for school, I am amazed at this energetic, sweet, mischievous, curious, and loving little boy. It seems like only days ago that he was lying in that little bassinet in the NICU looking so helpless, and now he's so strong and full of life. He challenges us daily, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love you, sweet preschooler!
Oh, and don't ya love his Target sticker he insisted on keeping on his shirt for school?! :)
MJ singing "Jesus Loves Me'' to Charlotte. She was sick here, but he loves walking around with this singing Christmas dog, that he received from Aunt Brenda his first Xmas, and singing this song to her.
The kids got to attend their very first wedding at the beginning of September. Kelly began babysitting for us last fall. She watched MJ during nearly all our OB appointments while I was pregnant with Charlotte, and was Charlotte's very first babysitter. She was a student of Mat's previously, and I only wish we'd begun using her sooner. She was great!!
Fortunate for her, but unfortunate for us, just like our last amazing babysitter, she had to graduate and move on. It was so sweet of her to invite us to her wedding! I wasn't so sure how the kids were going to do at a wedding, but if there was ever a time it seemed appropriate to take them, to their babysitter's wedding was definitely the occasion.
We prepped MJ over and over and about how he'd be seeing Kelly in a very pretty dress, and how he'd get to wear a tie, just like daddy, for the first time, and how he had to be very quiet at the wedding. For the most part he did great! We lost the battle on the dress shoes though, and he ended up wearing none other than his beloved Cars Crocs. Oh well, it seemed so in character for him that it was almost cute!
MJ and Daddy, in their ties, at Miss Kelly's wedding
How else do you entertain a 3 year old while waiting for the receiving line but let them stand on the air vent and watch their tie fly up! Great entertainment!
A whole lot of snack on hand to munch on in the very back row to keep kiddos quiet during the ceremony.
This skinny little boy ate a Nutri Grain bar, fruit snacks, rice puffs, and crackers...no joke!
My sweet babies ready to celebrate their babysitter. MJ was all smiles when Miss Kelly came down the aisle!
Waiting at the reception with my Charlee girl! She sat in her high chair for almost 2 hours without ever fussing a bit. Such a good baby!
MJ did really well being patient at the reception, too! Of course we brought some cars along to help with that, and he also got to spend lots of time playing outside. Brilliant idea of the bride and groom...serving a kids meal (chicken fingers, applesauce, and fries) for the little ones that came out before the adults were served. How thoughtful!
Kiddos were pooped, but gave Kelly lots of loving before heading home for the evening. Charlotte slept the entire way home...a 2 hour drive, while MJ watched a movie. We all slept well that night!
How can it be that my baby girl is 8 months old? Actually, by now she's just a couple days shy of 9 months old! I'm still lagging behind big time with my posts, but had to share some of my favorite moments and pictures from this month.
Charlee Noelle on August 23, 2012. Happy 8 months!
Life has calmed down a tiny bit, and I feel like I'm now back to enjoying the sweet moments with my children rather than just feeling in survival mode. This also means that I'm back to taking pictures again! :)
Charlotte continues to be such a laid back baby! She just goes with the flow and almost always does so with a smile. Poor thing still isn't really on much of a schedule. Maybe it's part of being a second child, or maybe it's her personality, but as much as I try to figure a schedule out, it just doesn't happen. She seems to consistently take a morning nap, but the time just varies. I wish I could say that we were home each morning for her to nap at the same time as soon as she gets tired, but it just doesn't seem to work that way. She doesn't seem to sleep on the go much anymore, just like her big brother, but seems to go down for a nap rather easily once we get home from our various morning activities. Afternoon naps are a whole other story. I thought I had this ALL figured out that MJ would be going to preschool in the afternoons, and Charlotte would nap during that time and I could finally count on some quiet time for myself to do all my schoolwork and not be stuck doing it late into the evenings. Apparently Charlee is not on board with that schedule though and would much rather spend some one on one time with mommy. It's pretty hard to be upset with that, but it continues to make my work load quite challenging. I'm desperate for a solution! Anyhow, this baby seems to be just fine with only one nap a day already...a not even a very long one at that. Man, MJ had us spoiled with 4 hour long naps!! An hour and half a day makes for a good nap for Charlotte and then she's pretty good to go for the day. Amazing! Good thing is though that she seems happy for the remainder of the day.
SO many changes for Miss C this month. I had begged and pleaded with her to not start crawling until our move, and she listened, good girl! It was almost like perfect clockwork. As soon as the boxes were up and the house was starting to come together, she became mobile. Charlotte is now scooting and dragging (army crawling) herself all over the place! She officially began crawling just a couple days ago, too. As of now, she just takes a few crawls and then resorts to her belly and moves much quicker that way. She's got some upper body strength, that's for sure. She's pulling up to her knees now, too and tries to get a foot under her but can't quite figure out what to do next. If you prop her up at the ottoman or the couch she'll stand for a minute or two before letting go. She also started saying "mama' this week. I'm not so sure it's directed at me, in fact, I'm pretty sure its' not, but it's still cute to hear her babble it. She says it over and over like "mamamama". Melt my heart! She loves to smile, tickle, flirt, and be talked to. Oh, and she still LOVES to eat! She prefers finger foods and wants to eat whatever we're eating. I can try to feed her baby food and she'll just eye my food and make grunting noises, so I usually end up caving in and feeding her little pieces of our food as well. She has four teeth-two on top and two on bottom. She had a few instances of biting...once on her brother's cheek (left a big mark, poor guy) and a few times on me while nursing (Ouch!!), but seems to be past that now, so I'm guessing the teeth are feeling better for now until some more decide to pop through. She's still solely nursing, and that is going well at the moment, so I plan to continue for now. It's some of my favorite moments of the day actually because it forces me to just sit down, be still, and enjoy some cuddling with her.
Here are a few cute moments captured throughout month 8:
There's not much that's more precious than a peaceful sleeping baby. I loved how Charlee was snuggled up with her "Cuddle Bunny". Mema and Papa bought this as a Xmas gift for her last year when she was born and we've put it in her crib every night. She's become quite attached to and lights up with a huge smile when you hand it to her. MJ also his "Cuddle Bear" that he's had since a baby and affectionately sleeps with him, too.
Charlotte asleep on my lap after nursing. She looks pretty laid back like she's living the life, doesn't she?
Out to breakfast with the family. She tried her first pancakes...mmm!
Soooo big! I'd been dying to put her in this dress all summer, but it was too big on her. She finally fits in it, so I had to take advantage of one of our last hot days.
Looking so big and standing for us~ She was even sick here, fighting a bad cold. Sure looks happy though, doesn't she?
My poor baby then woke up screaming in pain for nearly 2 hours in the middle of the night. I could not figure out what was bothering her, but suspected it might be her ears or tummy. That morning I took her in to the pediatrician (thankful for a pediatrician open on Saturdays), and sure enough she had her first ear infection. After some antibiotics and a round of Tylenol, I finally got her to sleep in my arms. I couldn't bear to put her down, she was so peaceful. She's not much of a sleeper in my arms, so I must admit I enjoyed this moment. ;)
My sweet girl all dressed and ready to attend Truck Night, a Parents as Teachers event. I have been in love with this hand-me-down outfit from Meg (thank you!!) since I received it when I was still pregnant. I'd been hoping for a cool enough day to dress her in it before she was too big for it. I finally got my wish. She looked so stinkin' adorable. I love having a little girl I can dress up, and I know I must enjoy these times before she's adamant on picking out her own clothes.
Since we first began even looking at our new home, MJ referred to it as "red,white,blue sign house". He's like a little walking advertisement for Remax and readily spots red, white and blue signs all over town now. Anytime we'd be out and about he'd always want to drive by "red,white, blue sign house". I think our house will always have that association. :)
We closed on the house shortly after returning from our St. Louis trip, and the work began that very same day. We could see the vision for this house (well, maybe Mat even better than I), but knew it was going to take some work...some major elbow grease and a few projects, but luckily no gutting of any rooms or removing any walls. We've been in the house almost 3 weeks now and that combined with the couple weeks leading up to it that Mat was here at the new house working mostly while I was at home with the kiddos and packing up our house all myself have lead to one TIRED mama! Luckily things have calmed down a bit now, but it has definitely been a hard move. We've moved a lot in our 11 years of marriage, but this one has been the hardest, and I definitely wasn't expecting that to be the case. Lesson learned: moving with kids, especially two little ones, and with no family in town, is not for the weak!
Overall, I'd do it all again, and hopefully I'm still signing that tune in another few months once most of the projects are all complete, but it has definitely kicked my butt, made me feel old, and taken it's toll on all of us!! So glad the hardest part is behind us. With that being said, here's a glimpse of the "before" or our new (to us) home and our vision for what it will soon become:
Welcome to our new home! To come: new sod, paver sidewalk, and paver flower bed
It's move in day! August 18, 2012-So thankful for some friends who loaned us their trailer and 7 college guys who moved us and did an outstanding job! Not one thing was broken or nicked and they were cheap labor, too. :)
Mat was happy he could sit back a bit and watch the guys do the heavy lifting. The night before he'd been up until 2AM painting and I'd been up until 2AM packing. Nothing like pushing it to the very last minute, huh?
I've always dreamed of a big front porch and am so excited to now have one. Can't wait to complete our vision of cleaning and painting the porch and adding some pretty outdoor furniture. All my pinterest pins for wreaths and decorating will soon becoming in handy! :)
Stairwell leading from the foyer to the upstairs. Hideous carpet ad pretty bad wallpaper. All carpet has already been removed and foyer and hallway to be painted this weekend. "After" pics to come in a couple months when it's all said and done.
Basement bedroom which will become the guest room. Vision includes: removing this awful floor that had water damage (Mat's already removed floor and sub floor, and put in a new sub floor), added carpeting, and new paint
Basement/guest bath and laundry room. To be done: paint
Basement rec room which is now the playroom. Vision includes: new paint (already done) and lots of kid friendly decor
Backyard AKA lots of weeds: Vision includes a playground and mulch here
tearing all of this area out and having a paver patio installed,
lots of powerwashing, removing this deck, tearing out all sidewalk and weeds, and buidling a paver patio (oh, and that's our garage there in the back...yayyyyy, a garage!!).
Mater bedroom-I know, you're probably gasping at this God awful Oregon trail wallpaper and blue carpet. Trust me, it was really hard to see past this. The vision includes: buh bye wall paper, hello paint, removal of carpet, refinish hardwoods, new window seat cushions, window treatments (paint and floors completed)
Main bath-Can you tell blue was the popular color in this house?! Even the mini blinds match the vanities! Luckily we have two vanities at least and do love all this cabinet space! The vision includes: restaining the cabinets a dark espresso color, new granite top vanities and new sinks and fixtures, smaller mirrors ,and new lighting
Other view of the bathroom-envisioning a new toilet and new window treatments
Charlotte's room: Vision includes removing carpet, refinishing hardwoods, removing wallpaper, drywalling in this glass wall area, paint (all complete)
Kitchen: Lots and lots of thinking and contemplating has went into this area, but we're pretty confident our new kitchen coming this fall will include: restained cabinets in a dark espresso color, new stainless steel appliances, granite countertops,new sink, subway style backsplash, new ceramic tile floor, new paint
Office/family room: This is an open concept floor plan connecting to the kitchen, therefore we'd like to restain these to match the new kitchen color
Powder room: Remove vanity and replace with pedestal sink, new ceramic tile floor, paint
Family Room: Pretty much the one room we're not changing much. We had the carpet cleaned and repainted it.
Dining Room: Refinished wood floors, needs new paint
Living room: Remove carpet and refinish hardwoods (done), and new paint
Geez, just typing all this makes me realize why I've been so tired lately! We're making some pretty major transformations in a short amount of time. I'm thankful for a hubby that doesn't mind painting (lots) and is able to create a vision when I struggle to find the silver lining at times. We make a pretty good duo when we can muster up enough energy to get things done! Our goal is to have all major projects complete before the holidays. Then, I can begin doing some decorating slowly over the next 6 months or so. Man, do I struggle with patience. I like to blame Pinterest for making me want to have my home look like it stepped out of Better Homes and Gardens. I'm coming to terms with the fact that I need to practice patience, budget control, and knowing my own personal limitations. Over time, this will become the perfect home for our family.
I can't believe how much it's already changed since we first laid eyes on it! I can't wait to see our children grow and play in this home. One of our favorite things is walking right out our front door and taking walks together, and of course stopping by the big playground at our neighborhood school. "After" pics to come later this fall!
