Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who are readers of this blog.  I hope you all had a safe and happy day and ate more than you should.  We're home this year, just the 4 of us and while we miss our family, we are happy just the same to spend it alone with our new family of 4.  We are thankful for our new addition, as well as our big boy.  Speaking of, we are actually thankful today we didn't make any plans for the day since Gage spent the night last night puking up everything in his little belly, poor guy.  Kids are so resilient though and although tired and feverish, he was happy as a clam today!  Hope you all are healthier than us and enjoyed your day!

2 months with Ezra

Dear Ezzy


Has it been two months already? Sometimes it seems just like yesterday and other times it feels like we never existed without you. All I know is that I'm 3 days late with this letter and I have to go back to work on Monday. My, how it pains me to leave you. The only bright side is that you get to stay home with your Daddy for another 5 weeks. I think I'll really be sad when I have to take you to daycare. However, we are lucky enough to have found a day care we love and trust, and we better, since it cost so much!

So in the last month you took your 1st trip to the Outer Banks, attended your big brother’s 3rd birthday party and celebrated your 1st Halloween. Today we are celebrating your 1st Thanksgiving, just the four of us, our little family. Lately you have been going almost 6 hours at night after your last feeding, this will be welcomed if you can do the same when I go back to work. You still don’t love going to bed too early and often have us up ‘til midnight- much like your brother did. On Monday you have to start having bottles for almost half of your feedings a day and your Daddy thinks you’re going to starve to death since you don’t really like taking bottles from him- but you’ll learn, you’ll have to.

The last month has been one of challenges and successes. You are getting somewhat easier to soothe when you’re upset, but man, you still LOVE and NEED to be held. You would sleep all.day.long if we let you lay on us- must be nice to have a warm pillow and while I am thankful that you go right back to sleep at night after eating and rarely wake up to fuss, you are pretty fussy during the day. It makes it near impossible sometimes to get anything done. In saying this, I wouldn’t trade you for the world. You are so special to us and have started to grace us with big huge smiles in the mornings and your coos are ever so cute. You coo much more than I remember Gage doing and OMG, you crack up in your sleep! I can’t wait to hear your laughs directed at us or your brother in the near future. Currently you LOVE your car seat and are comforted the most there, we even put you in there sometimes when we’re eating or cooking. You like your bouncer pretty well too. Unfortunately, you have started to dislike your swing because the mobile on top broke and you just sit and scream at the fishies. And Ezra, I have to admit something- your baby book? Is almost nonexistent. I wanted the same one that I had with Gage, I loved it but I couldn’t find it and yours, just isn’t the same. Instead you might have to rely on these letters that at least start right away to get the same info. I will try to write the same kind of things I wrote in Gage’s book in these letters for you.

At 2 months: You are 12lbs, 11oz and 22.5 inches. This is 75%ile, but don’t worry, it probably won’t last long. I think you’ll be a peanut, just like Gage. Again, you’re sleeping better, you’re still beside our bed at night and now you enjoy being swaddled. Although, I’m not sure how much longer it will last since you have attempted to bust out recently. You still love to eat but are much more efficient now and don’t eat quite as often. You like tummy time a bit more, you enjoy your play mat for a few minutes, but your favorite position is sitting on Mommy and Daddy’s knees looking at us and cooing. Ezra, you are an awesome little blessing and Gage likes you more day by day. I can’t wait to see you grow more and am excited about your time with Daddy in the next month. I’m excited to take you to meet Santa for the 1st time and to go Christmas shopping for not my one, but my two precious gifts. Happy Thanksgiving my little munchkin! Too bad you can’t enjoy turkey this year! We love you and are so lucky to have you in our lives.

Love, Mommy

Happy Birthday Camden!

Taking a break from Wordless Wednesday to wish Camden over at Chronicles of a Carolina Mama a very Happy 3rd Birthday.  Camden is just a week younger than Gage and they have been Internet friends for years!  Camden's mommy has an awesome blog that always has good insight and gives you a glimpse of their daily lives.  I have been reading it for years and am always excited to see when it's been updated.  Can't wait to see what Camden gets for his bday- he and Gage always seem to have so much in common!  Happy Birthday Camden!

Yesterday I was thankful that we finally have a new computer in the mail and I don't have to bitch about the two that we have already and how much they suck.  My old laptop is going out the window!

Today I am thankful for 4 days with my family before I return to work on Monday- supposed to be nice weather, so hoping to soak it up!

To Gage: 3 year edition

Dearest Gage,


Geez, I don’t even know where to begin. I do know that I should be writing these letters to you every 6 months instead of a year since there is just SO much I want to write. I can’t imagine this won’t take me days. In fact, I just read your 2 year letter and said I’d write you another in six months. I have no excuse, in fact, I even thought about it, but I guess time got away from me. Such is life. I do have to tell you, though, just how proud we are of the little preschooler you have become. You are SO smart, Gage, and I know how all Mommys say that, but I really believe you’re ahead ‘academically’ of most kids your age. I’m a teacher, I know a smart kid when I see one.:) I’ll be the first to admit you’re probably not as ‘mature’ or independent as others, but you definitely have the brains, so we’ll work on the rest.

You are such a little peanut, Gage, you only weigh 26lbs and are not quite 3 feet tall yet. You have become a better eater though in the last 6 months or so and the doctor’s not worried, so I guess you are just born to be little. It is so darn hard to find you pants though and we can only buy you the kind with an adjustable waist- you still wear nothing bigger than 2T top or bottom.

You are officially a preschooler now and started yesterday. Hopefully it won’t be a difficult transition this time since you know over half the class, plus the teacher. I just can’t believe you are this old….and this smart. You know all your letters and their sounds, I think you’ll be reading by 4, for sure. You are still so interested in books and you understand the meaning of the written word. You ask me to read signs to you when we’re in restaurants and labels on food. You still need to work on counting to 20, you still leave out a few numbers. I just don’t think we work on it enough with you, since last year this time, I claimed to be working on it, too. You don’t forget a SINGLE thing and when we try to talk around subjects, you are too smart for us and know exactly what we’re talking about.

In the last year Gage you have grown and developed so much. Looking back it’s just amazing that you’re my little man now. You are struggling for some independence but at the same time, you are happy to snuggle with your Momma anytime. You tell me you love me and Daddy ALL the time and that we’re your best friends. You won’t always feel this way I’m sure, but right now it’s music to our ears! Your fit pitching is minimal but when you are naughty, boy are you naughty, and you can’t seem to shake it for a few hours…you just have some bad days. Of course, they are better or worse depending on whether or not you nap. You still get around 10 hours of sleep a night and nap about 5 days a week. At home you take pretty awesome long naps that we have to wake you from, but at school, you don’t nap as long….but who can nap with 20 of their friends in the room, right?

The biggest change in the last year for you by far was welcoming your new baby brother into your house. You ‘did not like him’ at first but you slowly warmed up after about a month. You still don’t see much use for him (who can blame you?) but you do love talking to him and before long you will LOVE it when he thinks you are hilarious. Speaking of, you say some darn funny stuff, Gage. You have Daddy and I cracking up on a daily basis. It’s too bad my brain is so sleep deprived right now that I can’t remember half of the funny stuff you say- I’ll have to start writing it down. You did tell me the other day when you were mad at me for something or pitching a fit that you were ‘gonna eat all that candy [Halloween] until you choked!’ You said it like you were sticking it to me and I just laughed at you.

Just this past Sunday we had your birthday party and you LOVED it. You LOVE singing Happy Birthday to people, including yourself, and you had a blast at the bounce house! You also can.not.wait for Christmas, you have been talking about it since September and it’s now finally right around the corner. You love to see people’s ‘decorations’, whether it is Halloween or Christmas. Speaking of- you had the best time trick or treating this year and soaked up every minute of it.

Some of your absolute favorite things right now are superheroes of course! You have a whole wall of them and can name each and every one. You got a Spiderman house for your bday and you LOVE it. You also love cars (Hot Wheels/Matchbox) and any and all musical instruments. Like I said, you still love to read and could spend hours in the bookstore. Your favorite right now is your High Five magazine though that you get every month in the mail and look forward to so much. You love the hidden pictures section. Your favorite TV shows are Tickety Tock, Yo Gabba Gabba (still), Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Diego. Your favorite movie is probably Nemo. Some of your favorite places to go are the park, Nana’s beachhouse, the book and toy store and the mall to look at clocks. (Thank God this obsession has become a little less severe lately.)

You are completely potty trained!! Yay! You did this yourself about 6 months ago, but it took this last 6 to really solidify it and to poop on the potty regularly, but we are soo proud of you and thankful it really wasn’t much of a struggle. Your favorite restaurants to eat at are Panera (mac and cheese/broccoli and cheese soup), Cracker Barrel (grilled cheese/bacon and chocolate milk) and you have recently started to like Chik-Fil-A (praise Jesus). You still won’t touch a vegetable and ate your very first piece of pizza at your birthday party just 2 nights ago. Your favorite foods are strawberries, turkey and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, oranges and fish sticks and you LOVE treats (what kid doesn’t?). You do get them quite often now though since you eat most of your dinner most nights. Some of your best friends are Logan M., Sawyer P., the girls next door (Alyssa and Jessica), Xander and Adam B. You also love your AJ and Nana and Grandiddy and Ms. Sarah (Sawyer’s mom).

Wow, Gage, I cannot believe my baby is three. And you are so so special to your Daddy and me. You are a bit of a Momma’s boy right now, although I think the older you get and the more ‘bonding’ you do with Daddy, that will change. Part of me was a little sad when Ezra came into our lives, because I thought that the special bond that you and I share would never be the same. However, I’m certain at this point, little can come in between you and I. You are one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It is so amazing to watch you grow each and every day and I have said to you more than once in the last month ‘how did you know that?’ or ‘OMG, what a big boy’, when you’ve done things that are just so grown up. We love you more and more each and every day and are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what the next year brings. I’m excited to see you learn and grow more in every way. Hopefully I’ll write you another letter in May, instead of waiting this long again. We love you so much, big boy!

Love Mommy

So happy to be sitting in the birthday chair

Well Checks

Friday I took both boys to the doctor for their well checks.  Most people laughed at me when I said I was taking both of them, but it actually was not as bad as it could've been.  Don't get me wrong, I was apprehensive too and really if you think about it, this'll be the last time I will take both, because it just so happened that Ezra was 8 weeks old on Gage's 3rd birthday.  The appointment schedule won't line up after that.  We were there forever, however and I'm very proud of my big bad 3 year old for hanging in there through both appointments and Ezra's shots. 

Ezra at 2 months seems exactly like Gage, as far as size.  Everyone has been telling me he's such a big boy but he actually weighs almost exactly what Gage did, 12lbs. 11oz- this puts him in the 75 percentile.  See where that got us with Gage, ha.  Ezra is actually much shorter than Gage, measuring 22.5 inches.  Gage was 24ins.  Although all of us Moms know that measuring length is almost a big  fat joke when you watch them do it.  The nurse even made the comment- he's so wiggly, I'm not sure this is right.  In any case, Ezra checked out good.  We talked a little about his sleeping habits, his lack of routine, she cheked his hydrocell and his head.  We got a referral for an ENT that speaking of, I really need to call and she checked his tracking, head control, etc.  All in all, a pretty standard appointment being that Ezra has already decided he's our high maintenance baby.  Ezra did get 3 shots, plus an oral vaccine and did pretty well.  Of course he screamed but settled down way quicker than I remember Gage doing so.

Gage at 3 years is of course still the smallest kid around.  He weighed more than we thought however, weighing in at 26lbs!  ha...notice how this is only sightly more than twice his 2 month old brothers weight.  That's right, he has only doubled his weight since he was 2 months old.  That sounds crazy!  He isn't even quite 3 feet yet so as you know, we will have a permanent peanut it seems at this age.  Luke still wants to pretend he's going to be taller than him, but you never know.  We talked about potty training with Gage, which is mastered!  woohoo!  We talked a little about discipline and how he doesn't love his little brother.  We talked a little about sleep but Gage seems to get enough.  I really didn't have too many concerns with him since he's in general become a better eater in the last six months and seems to be great developmentally.  I have a feeling that something will pop up in the next year I'll want to call her about, but at this point, I'll take a healthy, although skinny, little boy.

After the hour plus long appointment we even went out to lunch and Gage was on his best behavior.  He is becoming such a little man it shocks me sometimes!

Today I am thankful for 2 healthy little men and although it's sometimes crazy in this house, I know it's all worth it and I can't wait to continue to watch them grow.

Yesterday I was thankful for all the people (30+) that came out to celebrate our little boy's birthday yesterday at the bounce house.  It was definitely a hit and complete chaos but everyone seemed to have fun.  Gage got far too many presents that we don't have room for, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Day 17:  Although I love spending time with my children each and every day, I am also thankful for the wonderful (yet expensive) daycare that we've found for them.  It makes days like these (when Gage pitches fits ALL day and is super naughty) a little easier.  Plus because he is such a sponge, he learns SO much on a daily basis that I couldn't possibly teach him from home.  He loves his school and we hope Ezra feels the same in a few months.

Poop

I know that all of you have been anxiously awaiting an update on Gage pooping in the potty.  It's been a couple of months since I let you all in on our potty training world.

Now that I have attempted this post 3 different times, I'm officially annoyed.  It's a shame I can't write a quality post and just write as little as possible on Round 3 just to get the point across.  Then again, maybe you can't write a quality post about poop.  In short, Gage poops on the potty all by himself and if you remember just a few short months ago, he was withholding or going just in his Pull Up at night or at naptime.  The doctor suggested a reward system, we found wall decals to match his superhero room and he was sold.  For a while we were at a 5 super hero standstill- he would randomly go on the potty when we would sit him there long enough or catch the right expression on his face.  Then one day- much like peeing in the potty- he decided it was time and he wanted a whole wall of superheroes.  Now his wall looks like this....

Sorry for the crappy picture but Blogger is telling me I'm out of space again and so it wouldn't let me download a better edit.

and he poops in the potty and on his 3rd birthday, he pooped for the 1st time at school! We are so proud of our big boy!

Again, this post was supposed to be much more detailed; however, I think you got the gist of it.

Yesterday, I was thankful for my hairdresser who after meeting her in my first year teaching gave me the 'student' rate for haircuts and highlights for 6+ years.  She's been doing my hair ever since I moved here and she's great with Gage too.  He does so well getting his haircut-never once has he been scared, nervous, etc.  I usually get my hair coated darker, but this time I let her do what she wanted and ended up going lighter.  Here it is- definitley different than what I'm used to.

Today I am thankful for getting 2 kids to the doctor for well check ups without either of them having major meltdowns.  Lots of people laughed at me for trying to take them both at once....but we survived.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 14/Wordless Wednesday

 Today I am thankful for  3 years with this little dude!


November 14, 2009



November 14, 2010

November 14, 2011



November 14, 2012.  So proud of his shirt.

A close up.



Don't even get me started on the letter I have to draft for Gage.  I will try to have it done w/in a week but man, this one's going to be LONG.  Happy Birthday to my little man!

A thankful weekend

I realize I haven't been keeping up my thankful posts, but we've been in a better place this weekend- OBX.  So today, I have lots to be thankful for.

Today I am thankful for my parents' beach house and their letting us visit it often, so that my boys can grow up with the same traditions that I did as a kid.

Day 8- I am thankful for sleeping children who let us get to my parents' house with only one stop, making traveling with a toddler and infant not so bad after all.

Day 9- I am thankful for our electricity and that we didn't lose it due to Hurricane Sandy.  We were without for about 3 hours tonight and we just about lost our minds.

Day 10- I am thankful for the sunshine and beautiful weather.  Mid 60's in the middle of November at the beach, are you kidding?!?

Day 11- I am thankful for all the men and women who are veterans of the military as well as active duty who risk their lives every day for our country.

Day 12-  I am thankful I have 2 weeks left of maternity leave to spend with my sweet baby.  The time goes too fast.

Day 7

Today I am thankful for my loving husband who is not only a wonderful Dad to our two sons, but who left work early yesterday so that I could stand in the hour long line (in the cold) to vote and not have to take Ezra with me.  It was really important that we voted and not much was going to stop us. Thankfully it paid off...Luke is also staying home with Ezra for 4 weeks after I go back to work to delay daycare as much as possible.  He did the same with Gage and we are thankful that his job allows that. 

Wordless Wednesday- Tummy Time

Tummy time with Ezra (7 weeks)

...and with Gage! (3 years)

30 Days of Thanks: Day 6

Today I am thankful for having the right to choose who I want my President to be.  I'm also thankful for the right to choose and for the state of our country today as opposed to 4 years ago.*  I'm thankful that my children will never know a country without a non-white President.  I'm also thankful that because the last inaugaration was such a big deal that now our school system lets us have it off of work once every four years;)

*That is the only remotely political statement you will hear from me.

Day 5

Today I am thankful for blog giveaways!  And one less thing on my Christmas list.  I won this totally awesome camera bag from sixsistersstuff.com!  Don't forget to get out and vote tomorrow.  I have to say,  I won't be sad to see all the campaigning end.

30 days of thanks: Day 4

Today I am thankful that Luke and I both have steady, reliable jobs that we love, that pay decent and have security. We know not everyone is so lucky!

And by the way, here's something to ponder....Gage loves brown M&M the best- he thinks they are the only ones with chocolate.... Today when he was eating a mini bag from Halloween he saved those for last. No one has ever taught him that- do you think saving the best for last is innate? I would've never thought so, until today....

Happy Birthday AJ and Day 3

Today I want to wish one of my best friends and one of Gage's most favorite people, AJ a very Happy Birthday.  I don't think I have any recent pictures of her to post, but I definitely wanted to give her a shout out....

...which leads me to Day 3 of my 30 Days.  Today I am thankful for friends like AJ, who I have been by my side for over a decade.  There are too many to name, but I am so thankful that I have stayed in touch with friends from middle school, high school and college and can still call them friends today.

30 Days of Thanks...

Two years ago, I did a series that I would mention something I was thankful for each day in November.  Now, while I got somewhat behind on certain days, I think I did hit the 30 mark.  I had planned to do it again this year and had since forgotten, with my 2 kids and all. But since it's only the 2nd of the month, I figured I could still start now.  We have a lot to be thankful for this year, as I'm sure you all do as well.  If you'd like to join me in giving Thanks for something every day of November, let me know in a comment....I'd love to read your posts.

November 1:  This Holiday season I am definitely thankful for my perfect little family, which includes my new favorite little man, Ezra.  I am thankful for his health and happiness and probably will be more so when he starts to sleep more;).

Today I am also thankful that when I go to Toys R Us to buy a birthday present for one of Gage's friends, that I can also pick up diapers and wipes to send to victims of Hurricane Sandy.  We thank God we weren't affected like those in the North and we are thankful to be able to help out.

Wordless Wednesday on a Friday

Figured since Halloween was actually on a Wednesday but I didn't get the pictures uploaded 'til the next day, I'd still do a WW.  I wanted one more picture on this post, but apparently I ran out of space for pictures on  Blogger.  Who knew?  I sure didn't.  Meanwhile I have to figure out some alternatives of how to post pictures, so for now Gage won't get a picture by himself. 

A Quick Story...

Because Tuesday's post was so long and because this story is pretty awesome, it gets a post all to itself. 

In preparation for the chance of losing power for multiple days, we filled up our bathtub with water.  This, 32 years later, I have just learned you are supposed to do if you are without power for an extended period of time.  Anyway....luckily it was the one in our Master bath...  If you are a long time reader of mine, you may have read this post, which is actually one of my very favorites, written over 2 years ago. 

Last night as we were heading to bed and Luke was rocking Ezra to sleep, we heard a splash, as if something had fallen into our bathtub.  We both looked at each other, puzzled, until we heard another few splashes and all of a sudden, I realized and shouted, 'Oh my God, Ace!'.  We both leapt up as quickly as we could as a soaked cat came galloping through the door leaving puddles everywhere.  Ace had either, a) fallen in the tub, as only a kitten should or b) and even a funnier scenario, jumped in the tub just as happy as could be not realizing we had filled it up because there's no reason it would be filled up with noone in it.  Whatever the reason, it was pretty damn funny.  Poor Ace is always the brunt of our jokes, but he is just SO dumb for a cat.  C'mon, cats are supposed to be smart and coordinated.  Ours is not.  Please read other post if you have not already and have a good Thursday.  Thankfully it was the bathtub in our room and it was not in the middle of the night.  Poor thing could've drowned.