The problem with not documenting something right after it happens, is I quickly forget the details. I have a long list of things I keep meaning to blog about, but just can't seem to keep up. Luckily, Mother's Day is still pretty fresh in my memory as it was truly a fabulous weekend!! It's amazing to me, when I think back, how this holiday has evolved over the years. I've experienced everything from longing for a child, experiencing my first Mother's Day as a brand new mom, experiencing a miscarriage, cautiously enjoying a new pregnancy, and this year-soaking up the love of my two precious children while also loving and appreciating my own mother.
What a great weekend it was! Except for all the grading/school work I had to squeeze in, it was such a memorable time. Besides celebrating Mother's Day, we also had MJ's final soccer game and Charlotte's baby dedication. My parents were able to come into town to be a part of these events and spend Mother's Day with us. It was one of our best visits ever! The weather was amazing, we had lots of great time with the kids, and everyone was nice and healthy at the time, and great memories were made.
MJ is at the age where he just LOVES having company, especially any of his grandparents. He was waiting on the porch for Gigi and PopPop to arrive and was sure to invite PopPop up to his room to play within about two minutes of walking in the door. Anyone who visits us certainly doesn't get to rest much. ;) He was so excited to have them come watch him play soccer the following morning.
That same evening we had Charlotte's baby dedication at church. MJ joined us in "big church" for the ceremony and stood up on stage like such a good little boy. Charlottte was a perfect little baby and let the pastor hold her and pray over her and never made a peep. It was such a special evening! MJ's baby dedication was on Father's Day weekend a couple years ago, and now to have Charlotte's on Mother's Day was quite symbolic. Last Mother's Day, I was newly pregnant and so excited, but yet so nervous. To be holding my beautiful, healthy daughter a year later is a huge blessing that I most certainly do not take for granted! Oh, and mom was even recognized during the church service as the mother who traveled the farthest for Mother's Day.
All dressed and ready for church
My heart is smiling just as big as my mouth is. What a great night!
The proud grandparents with their grandbabies after Charlee's dedication.
On Mother's Day, mom and dad treated us to an amazing brunch at Hotel Julien. It has to be the best food I have eaten in a looong time! Uh-may-zing! MJ was so well behaved and there were extra hands to take turns holding Charlotte, so not only was the food great, but it was our nicest and easiest meal out since having two children. Everything from champagne to an omelet station to a huge spread of desserts, and flowers for the mama's-we were spoiled. The rest of the day was spent shopping for flowers for my yard, and just hanging out with the kiddos and playing in the yard.
Okay, well "success" might be stating it a tad strongly. hehe The kid loves to run though, and he ended up having a blast, so all in all, I'd call it a success! MJ just wrapped up his first soccer season. It was a fun learning experience for him I think and something we'll look forward to doing again next year. They run a summer league, but due to travel plans, we're going to sit this one out. MJ has gotten to enjoy lots of special visitors for his soccer games. The Backes family watched him a few weeks back, Aunt Kelly was here just a couple weeks ago, and then Gigi and PopPop were here for his final game. He loves to run by and wave to his adoring fans! Such a ham! At one point as he was running back onto the field after a much needed drink break, I yelled to him, "Kick the ball, MJ!" His response? ..... "I no like to kick the ball." Well, gee....
Receiving his medal for the season after the final game from coach, AKA daddy!
Posing for mommy...love this face that he gave me when I said to give a big smile :)
Our baby boy is growing up!
Proud Pop Pop
We'll see what the future holds. Who knows if MJ will develop a love for soccer down the road, a different sport, maybe even a musical instrument, gymnastics, etc. For now though it's fun exposing him to different activities and watching him learn and develop new skills.....or just run around waving to his family and friends! :)
Miss Charlotte Noelle turned 4 months old on April 23, 2012. Yep, I'm a bit late with this post. Wanted to wait until her pediatrician appointment though for her latest stats. Isn't she the cutest?
This was Charlee headed to her pediatrician appointment for her 4 month check up. She looks a little nervous, huh? Poor baby! Mama hates seeing her get those shots! Charlotte checked out wonderfully. She's meeting all her milestones (smiling at us, recognizing voices, turning head to sounds and people, raising up on her elbows, etc.) If you've seen these thighs lately, then you're not surprised to know that she's in the 98th percentile for her weight...
Hehe! Almost looks painful doesn't it? I loooooove to nibble on these little thighs though, and her neck, and her cheeks, and so on. :) On May 4th, Charlotte was 18 lbs (98%), 26 in. long (93%), and her head circumference was 43 cm. (90%). Charlotte was super sleepy for a few days after her vaccines, but didn't seem to run a fever or act overly fussy. Her next appointment will be at 6 months.
Charlee is now upright enough to sit in her jumperoo. She's been playing in it the last week or so and seems to really enjoy it for about 10 minutes at a time. She's discovering the little toys along the sides and learning how to reach and grab for them.
She also has been able to get outside more and more now that the weather is turning warmer. Last week we spent some time outside in the grass for the first time. She was grabbing handfuls of grass and exploring. I love this look on her face!! Love to see her learn and explore new things for the first time.
Her personality is developing more and more each day. She is just full of smiles! She loves to stick out her tongue and wiggle it around as if she's discovering it for the very first time each time. She just recently discovered her feet and is quite enamored by those as well. She babbles and makes all kinds of sounds, loves to suck on her hands and fingers, and is beginning to drool quite a bit.
Charlotte continues to be blessed by so many who love her, including her big brother MJ. He is always excited to greet her each and every morning and is sure to shower her with kisses and knuckles throughout the day. All she can reciprocate with are big smiles, but she definitely seems to love his attention! These two are my world, and I'm so blessed by their lives!
It was just a little over a year ago that I was requesting prayer requests for my mom as she underwent radiation and a lumpectomy to fight against breast cancer. I'm so thrilled to share that today when she had a follow up mammogram and appointment with the surgeon, she received a clean bill of health. All things look well and mom doesn't have to return for another year. Nothing makes me happier than a healthy family and especially a cancer-free Gigi! We're all so happy for her!!!
MJ reads I Love You Through and Through to me-April 2012
One of the sweetest things MJ does is gather up lots of books and sit in his bed and just read to himself after nap times or when he wakes up in the morning. He often does this quitely until we come into the room to get him. On this particular day it was after nap time and he was reading one of our favorite books.
Charlotte rolls at 3 months-April 2012
Charlee rolled from belly to back a handful of times between 2 and 3 weeks old and then stopped doing it. She began doing this again at 3 months and Mat was able to catch it on video the second time. Not the best quality, but watch her roll. She then starts crying immediately. :(
MJ learned his address, although Chestnut St. sounds a lot more like "Doughnut Street".
Our sweet little boy is now playing soccer. We'll use that term loosely, as I'm not so sure how much a just-turned-3 year old can grasp soccer, but I must tell you that it's stinkin' adorable!!!
First off, I can.not.believe. that I am the stage in my life that I am standing along the sidelines watching my son play a sport. Ummm, wasn't I just standing along the sidelines for my big brother's soccer games, or going to watch Mat's little cousins play in a league? Surely, I'm not old enough to have my own son be playing! Ahhh, where does time go?! Surreal!
We found out about this developmental league through a friend. It's perfect, and we were so excited to be able to join in. It's just for 6 Saturdays in a row-1 hour total. A 25 minute practice, a little break, and then 25 min. game. It's coached by parents (Yup, Mat's a coach) and supported by one of the local universities. So, some college soccer players come out and lead the practice while the coaches just help out, and then the coaches are on the field encouraging and helping throughout the game. It's 3 year olds only and only 5-6 kiddos per team. During practice every kid has a ball, so they all get a chance to practice the skills at the same time. Then, during the game all kids play so no one is left out.
A couple weeks ago, I went to pick up MJ's soccer shirt. It comes down to his knees! Bought his first pair of shin guards and soccer socks, too. Cuuuute! No cleats for this kid yet. I refuse to spend that much money on shoes that he'll outgrow before next season. We'll see if he even likes it first.
In true MJ fashion, he took awhile to warm up to the idea. He was all pepped up on the way to his first practice/game, and then as soon as it was time to actually start he wanted nothing to do with it. He spent the first 10 or so minutes either crying or being held on the sidelines by me while Mat was trying to help the other kids out. Also, one of his little buddies was playing on the field right next to us and he surely didn't understand why he couldn't just go play on that field! After being a spectator for a little bit though and seeing how fun it looked he was ready to give it a try, and from then on had an absolute blast! He mostly just loved running all over the place I think. :) Watching a swarm of three year olds follow a ball around is quite entertaining. There were one or two kids on each team that actually semi-cared about kicking the ball into the goal, but for the most part it was just silly run around time following a ball. MJ told me he scored 5 goals. Hey, at least he's confident in his abilities! ;)
Those were MJ's words on Easter morning, and really, what's more precious than that?! Something I'll always remember. Some Easter highlights to share...
Mat was out of town the weekend before Easter, but there was a local Easter egg hunt and pictures with the Easter Bunny. Totally free, so how could I pass that up?! Anytime I have to get the kids ready completely by myself and out the door feels like quite a feat! I'm not sure if other mamas feel this way or I just make things way too complicated, but I stress big time. I hate that I do that because I feel like it takes away from my joy or "being in the moment", so it's something I'm working on! Anyways, I digress... I got the kiddos up and ready that Saturday morning and headed to Ace Hardware. Yup, who would think the hardware store is the Easter spot?! Seriously, it's one amazingly nice family-friendly hardware store! They had a cute Easter egg hunt that was perfectly designed for little ones and free pics with the bunny. Luckily MJ was all smiles as he met the Easter bunny and little Charlotte was too naive to have a clue who I was handing her over to. I must admit, I didn't think a thing of this bunny when I saw him. I was probably too focused on keeping track of MJ, waiting in line, and then snapping a picture to give it much though, but once I really looked at this photo and then got all the feedback on FB, I'm even more impressed that MJ didn't cry! This is one freaky looking bunny!! Doesn't it look like something out of a horror flick?! Ha! Well, it will always be something to remember. My kid's first pic ever with the Easter Bunny-
MJ with his loot at the Dubuque Easter Egg hunt...proud boy! We text this picture to Mat, who was in Iowa City for the weekend. We missed him, but created some wonderful memories that morning!
The week of Easter we headed to St. Louis, which was Charlotte's first road trip. I'd really been looking forward to the trip. Last year when we were home for Easter was when I found out I was pregnant with Charlotte, so it seemed so fitting that we were now traveling back with her for the very first time. Couldn't wait to show off my new baby girl and have her meet many family members for the first time, and I couldn't wait to see MJ experience Easter at an age when I felt like he'd really begin to enjoy it. The trip didn't disappoint. I think it was one of our best road trips yet, actually. Everyone was fairly healthy, traveled pretty well, and slept pretty well. Yes, it was still a little too rushed and busy for my liking, but overall a great time spent with family and happy kiddos which makes for a happy mama!
One of the things I was most looking forward to was meeting my friend Stephanie's little baby boy, Bennett. Stephanie and I have been friends for a long time, and she had her baby just four days after Charlotte was born. So special to think our little ones are so close in age. I wish we lived closer so that they could grow up playing together, but it will be fun to get them together at least a couple times a year when we visit.
We were also able to get together with Mat's two step sisters and Grandma and Grandpa Immekus at Creve Couer park. It was their first time to meet Charlotte, and our first time to meet Jessica's newest addition, our niece Molly. MJ enjoyed playing with his little cousins, Brian Jr. and Joseph. It's fun seeing them reach an age where they can play together now!
I celebrated my 33rd birthday while in St. Louis as well. I think both Mat and my mom had thought maybe I'd want to go out, get together with people, have a date, etc. but when my mom asked what I wanted to do, I said what sounded the best really was to do nothing! :) Just staying in, not have to go anywhere, and spending time with my family sounded the best. So, mom made a wonderful meal and tried so hard to find a dairy-free dessert to make for my birthday! I was spoiled with flowers, balloons, sweet gifts and cards, and the company of my parents, grandpa and Elzena, my brother, husband, and children. What more could I ask for? It has been years since I've celebrated my birthday at home! Now that I have children and know how much I treasure their birthdays, I can imagine one day I'll be sad to be apart from them on that day, so trying to see it from my parent's perspective, I imagine it felt special to be together on that day.
That Saturday we celebrated Easter with my family by going to my parent's church and then out to dinner....Chick Fila, baby!! Hey, it's yummy, kid friendly, and quick. Poor MJ was so tired and had a bit of a meltdown before he got in much good playtime and Charlotte slept through the whole thing, but the rest of us enjoyed ourselves. :) Church service was wonderful too! I spent the majority of it in the nursing mother's room, but it was so quiet and peaceful that I honestly enjoyed that quite a bit! MJ played in the nursery and enjoyed himself which was wonderful as well. He must have learned some pretty valuable lessons while in the nursery because the next morning is when he told us "Jesus is my best friend," and when asked where he learned that he said at "GiGi and PopPop's church.
Charlotte Noelle in her Easter dress and ready for church
Our first Easter as a family of 4-Yes, I even color coordinated us :)
Here we were in the exact same spot just one year earlier. We'd found out we were pregnant just 2 days earlier, on Good Friday. Who knew what God had in store for us. Blessed!!!
One happy mother
Uncle Jeff with his little buddy
Everyone ready for church!
Of course that evening the Easter Bunny made a visit. I absolutely LOVE this stage of preparing little goodies for the kiddos. Of course Charlotte doesn't get it, but MJ is at such a great stage where he now gets excited about it, doesn't question any of it, and just purely enjoys it!
Baskets all made up for Charlotte and MJ
Here's MJ waking up on Easter morning and coming downstairs to find eggs and his basket. Then, he was happy to help find Charlee's basket, too...
After Easter goodies, we got ready to spend Easter Day with Mat's family. First, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Keyes' house. We got there earlier than everyone else so we could have a little special time with them and they could meet Charlotte before everyone else arrived. Then, we enjoyed another one of grandma's well cooked meals (she works hard!!) and some good ole crazy family time! MJ was eating crazy amounts of candy. Every time I saw that boy he had chocolate in his hand....even a can of orange soda at one point. I kinda just had to give into the fact that his diet that day would be 99% sugar! :)
Grandma Keyes' newest great grandchild
Our niece, Lily, with MJ and "Uncle Mat"
Mema getting some much needed cuddles from Charlotte
Checking out the loot from the Keyes Easter Egg hunt
After that it was one more stop-time to visit the Immekus Easter over at Aunt Lorrie's house. We arrived just in time for their Easter egg hunt. It was funny because it was about a 15-20 minute drive from one place to another and MJ crashed almost as soon as the car started moving. As soon as we pulled into Lorrie's driveway though we woke right up and said, "I need to see more people!" Boy, how things have changed in a matter of a year. Easter last year for this little guy?...Disaster! Easter this year? Pure fun!
Yep, he was all changed into a grass-stain and orange soda free outfit and ready for another egg hunt!
One tired baby by this point!
We headed back to my parent's house that evening and put both kiddos straight in the bath! Needless to say they both knocked out and slept hard. Mat and I, too! :)
Before leaving town, I wanted to get one special pic of my Dad with Charlotte. I've gotta find the copy of this picture of my dad and me as a baby, but when I was just a small baby my dad held me (Father's day maybe?) on the front porch of our house as my mom took a picture. I was wearing this green and yellow hat and poncho that Grandma Dorsie had crocheted. My mom kept that outfit all these years and when I found out I was having a baby girl, I knew I'd be putting her in it at some point this spring! How special to now have my dad holding my daughter in this outfit. I hope that Grandma was looking down with love.
Then, the car was packed and there was one last stop out at Mark and Bobi's house. Unfortunately, Mark had to work, but Bobi had taken the day off and was quite glad to spend a good chunk of it with her grandbabies, I think. We were able to play for awhile with cousin Lily and Mema prepared a yummy lunch for us before we hit the road and headed home. She looks like one happy Mema, doesn't she?
About an hour into the ride, MJ started whining a bit that he wanted to be hommmme! I think we're embarking on the "Are we there yet?" stage. Fun times! Let's just say he let him eat an ice cream dinner on the way home just to make him happy and keep ourselves sane. Both kiddos were happy to be back home and out of the car!
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