I have a blog?

Is it really October?  Do I really have 4 kids?  Am I really about to turn 34?  It's amazing how some days seem so incredibly slow and yet, here it is, almost the end of another year.

I don't know if I can recount the last 4 months in one blog, actually I'm not even sure I fully remember the last 4 months as they happened.  I do know, that we survived the summer and we are all loving the cooler weather.  Emma and Josh have already been in school for one quarter and parent teacher conferences are this week.  I can't wait to hear what their teachers have to say about them, all good things I'm sure.

Before school got going again, the kids and I (minus Lizzie) got a chance to spend some time in California with my grandparents.  It has become the highlight of the kids whole summer to stay with grandma and grandpa and be around their other cousins.  We had a great time and Jonathan was the perfect baby the entire trip.  After our trip, Emma and Josh participated in Vacation Bible School and had a wonderful week learning more about their Catholic faith.

As school started again, we were given the opportunity to change Josh's preschool so that he'd attend the same school Emma does.  I was very nervous about making the change but it has been a huge blessing and I'm so glad we did move him.  Emma started off her school year in one classroom but the classes were so large that the grade level split the first week of school and by the second week, she was in a new classroom.  I was worried about the switch for her too because the week the classes ended up splitting, she broke her foot jumping on the trampoline with her much older/bigger cousin (totally my fault for letting them jump at the same time).  She missed a week of school but returned to her new classroom with ease (especially thanks to the school nurse).  She was a definite trooper with the cast on for 3 weeks and got around on a rolling scooter.

Both Emma and Josh have started catechesis classes again and this year they are in different levels which means different classrooms.  This has proven to be a good thing for both of them and I love watching their relationship with God deepen all the time.  Emma got a guitar for her birthday and has begun lessons.  Right now, she has a lesson every other week and she seems to love it.  We're not really sure what sparked her interest in guitar but she kept asking and talking about it.  I'm excited she wants to play an instrument, I have always regretted never taking up anything other than the piano.  Josh really wants to do karate which is no surprise since he loves the Power Ranger (ugh, gag) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  We have decided to wait until Spring to get him started in anything because I honestly don't think I can keep up with another activity right now.

Lizzie is still Lizzie.  She is the sweetest most loving little girl one minute and the biggest terror, screaming her head off the next.  The girl seriously has split personalities.  She is pretty predictable now and I know exactly what's going to bring the beast out but unfortunately hearing no and not always getting your way is part of growing up.  She loves taking Emma and Josh to school every morning and saying goodbye to them (I think she loves the one on one time we get while they're gone) but she is equally excited when we pick Josh up and always begs for us to get Emma too.  She loves her baby brother and is great with him.  She loves telling me exactly what he is doing and what he needs, "baby hungee" or "baby seep" and her favorite "baby poopy". We are still working on getting her to eat more and it has been a huge pain in the rear.  She is doing better but I have decided that having a Josh sized eater before a Lizzie sized eater was not a bonus, I was definitely spoiled by him eating anything and everything.  Oh well, one of the joys.

Jonathan is the happiest baby much like Lizzie was.  We are a bit worried that he'll turn into a loon (said with love) like she has but, time will tell.  We had him baptized in August and had a small family gathering afterward, it was a beautiful day.  We are still battling him to be a good sleeper but he has proven to be a stinker.  His favorite place to sleep is mine and Eric's bed (which if you really know us, is not something we have ever allowed).  I don't know if I've gotten lazy or I've gotten soft but for awhile, the kid was in between us every morning.  Last night we made the switch to his crib in his own room (that he shares with Josh) and he did great.  Tonight is the second night and hopefully he'll keep trending upward.           

I am enjoying my time at home and have come to realize both the positive and the negatives to being a stay at home mom and not a working mom. My days are honestly less stressful than they were when I was working.  No more rushing out the door in the mornings and having to kiss my kids goodbye.  I have time to workout and catch up on a tv show or a book while the kids are napping (thank God for naps!).  We have gotten into a good groove now that school has begun and we are doing well.  It is hard not having a paycheck and living on a budget.  It is also hard to not get out of the house (even though we go places) or be without my children ever (sounds strange but when you work, you're separated from your kids so much that it is an adjustment to be with them all the time).  Don't get me wrong, I do love the I am home to be with my kids all the time and that I don't have to worry about what I'll do when they get sick.  It turned out to be a huge blessing when Emma broke her foot because if I was working, I have no idea what we would have done.   I am enjoying this time and am excited to volunteer in Emma and Josh's classrooms this year.

So there you have it, a snapshot of what we're all up to.  Well, at least myself and the kids.  I guess Eric isn't really that exciting. Just kidding, really he has been working a lot.  He's gone on a few hunting trips and has shot clay pigeons with a friend a few times in the evening.  He's playing Fantasy Football again (which I totally love) and hoping to go camping with the kids next month. We are busy and our life is crazy and loud.  There are some Sundays when Eric and I just shake our heads at each other.  We are also blessed and though we dream about the quiet, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Life

Today Jonathan is six weeks old and I have my appointment with my doctor.  I'm excited to be cleared to start working out again! I'm not sure exactly when I will have time to exercise, maybe we'll institute fitness time at our house and the kids can join in.  :o)

Life is still a bit nutty around here and the mornings are the most hectic.  I still haven't figured out how to feed Jonathan, get myself ready (hair, make-up, dressed), feed the kids, feed myself, get the kids ready (though Emma and Josh do a great job getting themselves dressed), and get Jonathan down for his first nap.  Unfortunately, his first nap tends to be a crummy one and it doesn't give me the time to accomplish all these things.  He generally wakes up and wants to be held, which makes life a little impossible.  Emma and Josh have been great other than their love/hate relationship for one and another.  They play fabulously for an hour then are beating each other up and running to tattle the next hour.  Oh the joys of siblings!  Elizabeth is still a hot mess.  She's so clever and seems to know exactly when I can't get to her, the little monkey can now climb on the couches.  The girl is going to be a gymnast, she has an amazing sense of balance and agility.  Even still, all I can envision is her falling and really injuring herself.  She does love playing with Emma and Josh and will follow them around to no end but sometimes they want to play and it doesn't include her, those times are hard.

Despite the challenging times, we have been plugging along.  Emma got her ears pierced a few weeks ago.  Both she and Josh were fascinated with the tattoo shop and Emma was quite the trooper, not moving a muscle while the piercer stuck her with the needle.  She been taking very good care of her ears and is excited to wear BIG earrings, too bad that day won't be coming for awhile.  Eric is working the Life Teen convention Sunday-Wednesday this week in Scottsdale and is taking Emma and Josh camping for a few days along with his dad, brother in law, and niece after convention.  On Monday I start a new bible study with some other moms and am excited for this opportunity.  Josh has become quite the kung-fu man and his new life long dream is to be a Power Ranger.  Elizabeth is all about water and loves the swimming pool.  Jonathan is growing so fast and even Emma said the other day, he's not so little anymore.  We were blessed with a good baby and despite the challenges I've had with nursing again, I can't complain.

We have a full line up of activities the rest of June and beginning of July and maybe just maybe, I'll find some time to blog about them.

Jonathan Robert

Jonathan was born on April 30, 2013 after being persuaded to come out.  The day before, I went to the doc to have my 40+ week check up.  I was now dilated to a 4 and though I had prayed to not be induced this pregnancy, when my doctor asked if I was ready to have a baby my response was promptly YES.  After a quick call to the hospital, he told me that I was schedule for 8 am the next morning.

I didn't sleep very well that night, and was ready to go by 5am the next morning.  Once Eric's parents arrived at our house, we left for the hospital and got checked in quickly.  At 9 am my doctor arrived to break my water (that was all the induction it took) and by 9:30 I was watching a movie.  After begin monitored for 2 hours, my labor and delivery nurse gave us permission to walk around for a bit.  About 15 minutes into the walk, I knew I needed to head back to the room.  By 11:50, my contractions were getting extremely hard and I was no longer a happy camper.  Knowing it wouldn't be much longer my doctor was back in room by 12:05 and at 12:32, Jonathan was born.

When he was given to me, all I could think was how much he looked like Josh.  He settled down once in my arms and they allowed Eric and I to have over an hour alone with him before they cleaned him up.  A short while later Eric's parents brought the kids to meet their new little brother.  Emma and Josh were immediatley in love and Elizabeth didn't seem to care very much at all.  Eric took the kids home that night and I was on my own at the hospital.  Over the next 2 days, Eric was able to bounce between being with me and Jonathan and being at home thanks to both of our parents.  On May 2, we got to bring the little guy home.  It was nice to leave the hospital and finally start trying to figure life out.  Thanks to many of our friends and our families, we haven't cooked since that first night home.  The kids are doing well adjusting and we have even survived Eric's first week back at work.  This Thursday is the last day of school so it will interesting to see how we all do over the summer.  Wish us luck!

T-ball

Emma and Josh started t-ball this year.  Josh, who wanted to play in the worst way is an absolute terror when it comes time to actually play and Emma who has no grace or coordination (like her mother) is surprisingly good.

Right now, we are half way through the season.  They have a great little team named the Sharks and two really nice coaches.  They practice about 1-2 times a week and have 1-2 games a week.  Both kids are great batters and Emma does really great in the outfield.  Josh struggles with the outfield and you can tell by watching him that he is bored out of his mind.  I've decided that he is just too young to understand the concept of standing around waiting to see if a ball ever comes to him.  With each game, he's lasted a bit longer before the tantrums, throwing the glove, and folding his arms and turning his back on the game begin.  Maybe next year will be a bit better for him. 

After trying soccer, karate, and dance, Emma seems to have found her groove.  Though she loves to dance, she wasn't so sad when we took her out of the dance studio she'd been attending.  She gets excited for both practice and games.  I hope for her, that this continues and that she is ready to play again next year.  Even though I have no idea how we'll make this baseball season thing work when the kids play on different teams next year and we have two small ones.  Thank God it's still a year away!

 

Master of Disaster

Elizabeth is into everything!  I mean everything, the girl drives me nuts!  I always wondered why people would need locks on their toilets, I now know why.  I'm not sure if I was more watchful when Emma and Josh were babies but whatever it is, Elizabeth moves at the speed of lightening and before I know it, she's in something.  Here's the rundown of things she can do at this point in her little 16 month life, 

* climb in and out of the bathtub (thank God, only when it's not filled with water, she's too slippery when wet)
* climb the bunk bed stairs, getting into the top bunk
* pull everything off the bottom 2 shelves of the pantry
* climb the first 3 pantry shelves.
* climb up chairs and pull herself to stand
* climb up step stools
* understands pushing any object to the couch and climbing it to get on the couch
* has flipped herself out of the crib twice
* throws everything out of my bottom cabinets (which are all baby friendly items) and sits inside
* flushes the toilets
* unrolls the toilet paper
* lifts the lids to the toilets and then lets them drop down, laughing at the loud boom they makes
* pulls every sheet from the tissue box or diaper wipes box (if left where she can grab them)
* opens clothing drawers and pulls out every piece of clothing inside
* pushes the button on the water dispenser
* opens the trash can and pulls out trash to either eat or disperse around the house
* can pull the top tray off her high chair

Seriously, I think I could keep going, the girl is a disaster!  We've officially resorted to shutting every door in the house and giving her the iPad when I'm making dinner or I can't give her 100% attention.  Should be interesting when the new baby comes, God help us!

2012

I realized today that 2012 is the only full year that we will be a family of five, in a few short months we will be a family of six!  This year has blown by and the kids are growing so fast, I can't believe another year is already here.  Being pregnant and having three little ones sure does drain you, hopefully I can capture the year in one post.

Emma turned six in October and is definitely little mother.  She is constantly telling Josh what to do and what not to do, she can be quite bossy sometimes and has a flair for overreaction.  She started Kindergarten in August and though she struggles with being very advanced compared to her classmates, she is doing well and has made a good deal of new friends.  She is reading so well now and does a great job sounding out words she doesn't know, she is constantly asking to read to me and I hear her reading to Josh at night after they've been tucked in.  Being very smart can be a wonderful thing but it also can be a challenge.  Emma likes to be right and gets very upset when she thinks she is and you try to challenge that.  She and I knock heads often when I'm trying to teach her something new and even though I probably say the same thing her teacher says (who's never wrong in Emma's eyes), I can't possibly know more than a smarty pants 6 year old.  Emma has always been one to do things in her own time and right now our battle is her bike riding.  The training wheels came off months ago but now she has decided she wants them back on and absolutely refuses to ride without them.  Eric tries to take her out so she feels more secure again (in AZ there is not much bike riding over the summer) but the second she starts wobbling, she gives up.  The girl drives me nuts but I know when she's ready, she will start riding her bike again with no problem.  Emma has lost 5 teeth this year and has another 3 loose in her mouth, the tooth fairy is going broke!  She is still in dance class and seems to really like it, I'm not such a fan of the studio or the cost we are paying but she wants to continue, so for now, she will.  After a year in the child care center at church, Emma began coming to mass with us every week and is doing great.  I can see that her catechesis classes are making an impact on her and that she is beginning to have a genuine love for Jesus.  She loves singing at mass and really loves our pastors last name and runs around saying it often.  Emma is a beautiful little girl and though she really does make my eyes twitch most days, I know these days are few and that she is growing to be such a wonderful young lady.

Josh will be four soon and is a great helper around the house.  He is still a cuddler and will snuggle any chance he gets.  He is still very much attached to his stuffed friends Dog Dog and B and though they are disgustingly ratty, I'm not sure when he'll part with them.  Lately Josh has become whiny and throws a fit about almost everything.  For such a sweet little boy, it seems so abnormal coming from him.  I truly feel he's feeling his place out in our family and isn't sure where he belongs right now.  I'm hoping having another little boy in the house will help, but for now, we are trying to spend some quality time with him so that he knows how important he is too.  Josh started preschool in August and though he puts up a fight every morning that he has school, he gets upset on the weekends when he doesn't have school and talks about it all the time when he's not there.  Josh has a great imagination and when he and Emma are playing, he tends to come up with all the ideas.  He has a soft heart and his feelings get hurt very easily when Emma is nasty to him (which is often) or when he gets left out.  He loves catechesis class and is very excited to go each week.  He has a great time in the child care center on Sunday while we attend mass and as soon as he can sit through mass without needing to get up every five minutes, whining about being bored or wanting a snack, we will start bringing him with us.  Josh has a genuine love for others and will pray for almost everyone he knows during his nightly prayers.  It is heartwarming to hear his prayers that need no prompting, that are from his heart and are so easily said.  Josh is obsessed with Superheros right now specifically the Avengers and Spiderman.  He loves ASU, the AZ Cardinals (we're not really sure where that one came from), movies, tv, riding his bike, and being outside.  He is so excited to have a baby brother and even more excited to start playing sports in the spring.

Elizabeth turned 1 year in October and has been the biggest joy.  She was so quiet for the first seven months of her life and then she found her voice.  She is SO dramatic it's hysterical to watch, she will literally throw herself to the ground when she doesn't get what she wants and flop all around making sure she is getting attention.  We've found the less attention you give her when she's doing this, the sooner it stops.  Lizzie is still a terrible eater (compared to the other two) but has developed a love for milk.  Unfortunately the milk comes to her in bottles and I am still struggling to get her to drink it from a sippy cup.  The girl downs juice and water in a cup but that's not the case with milk.  It was the doctor who suggested I give it to her in bottles and I resisted but finally caved when she just wouldn't sleep (her belly was never full enough).  Lizzie still takes two naps a day except for Sunday when she misses her morning nap because we are at church.  She does great in the child care center and has undivided attention in the baby room since she's the only one in there most weeks.  On Christmas Eve, she took her first real steps and by New Years Day, she was cruising around the house.  We took her to get her first pair of shoes and it is adorable to watch her toddle around.  Lizzie loves being outside and is content in her stroller as long as we are moving and she has things to look at.  She loves playing with toys and loves pushing anything with buttons that cause something to light up.  Like Emma and Josh, she already has about 10 words.  Our favorite and hers is Emma, said more like Emmmbaa.  I'm pretty sure both Josh and Emma are Emmmbaa to her and she calls out to them whenever they aren't near to her.  It will be interesting seeing her when the new baby comes, she definitely has baby of the family syndrome and wasn't to sure what to do when I was holding our new niece on Christmas day.  Despite her flair for drama and craziness, she has been a wonderful baby and I am excited to watch her continue developing her personality in this next year.

Eric moved branches again at the end of the summer and seems much busier at work now.  He went out dove hunting a few times and even took the kids once (they still talk about it).  He cracks me up because he can't see a dove now without making some sort of comment or shooting noise.  He hasn't been doing much photography lately but helped a few times with Life Teen events over the year.  A few months ago he and my dad started the tile in our bathroom.  So far, it looks great and I can't wait until it's finished.  He played Fantasy Football again this football season and did really great in both of his leagues.  I don't mind football but having it on all day, every Sunday gets a little old (okay, alot old).  Eric was excited to hear we are having another boy but I know he would have been just as happy to have another girl.  Eric is a great father and one of the only dads I know who spends his midweek days off with his kids.  The kids all love their dad and love spending their time with him too.

As for me, I am almost 24 weeks along now and this pregnancy has been great.  When I was pregnant with Elizabeth, I didn't feel as good as I did with Emma and Josh and really thought she might be our last.  It's funny how things happen and though I'm nervous to be that mother with 4 small children, I am excited for this new little guy to come into our family soon.  I don't feel like I have done much over this past year but somehow I've been really busy.  I guess with working, running kids to different activities, having an infant, being pregnant (again), trying to maintain relationships, have me time, and all the other good stuff that comes along with life, I have been busy.  I'm ready for life to slow down a bit but does that ever really happen? 

I didn't make any resolutions this year, I pray that 2013 will be a healthy, happy year for our family.  I'm sure the year will not be perfect but I trust that we can learn from all that isn't perfect.  I look forward to where God will take us in this new year and for all that He has planned for us.

        

October

I love the month of October!  I'm not sure if it's because our weather is finally getting a little nicer, because the house is decorated for fall and all the holidays are coming soon, or because Emma was born in October and I have so many memories of the last week of being pregnant with her and the first month of her life (not that I don't have the memories of the other 2, the first is just a bit different).

We have been plenty busy since school started this year and once again I feel like life is moving too fast.  Thankfully, I've been on October Break for the past week with Josh and Elizabeth and am taking a few days off from work over this next week to spend time with Emma at the Happiest Place on Earth.

All 3 kids are growing like weeds (literally like weeds).  I busted out the winter clothes from last year to see if anything still fit, perfect in the waste line but not so much in the length.  Guess we'll all be shopping for new clothes this winter.  Today, I hit 12 weeks pregnant with number #4 and unfortunately I've hit that in-between phase, my clothes are no longer buttoning and maternity clothes are still too big.  This is my least favorite part of being pregnant and you'd think by now, I'd have figured it out but, sadly I have not.  Other than being pregnant, not much new is going on with me.  I'm still working, doing bible study with girlfriends, trying to keep the house in order, and reading a few new books.  Eric and I have been able to sneak about one date night in a week and are so blessed to have the babysitters we have.

Eric was promoted at the end of August to a new branch and made the switch from his old branch after Labor Day.  He's been really busy so far and doesn't have much time to think but it seems like he's been home more with the different hours that this branch has.  In September, he was able to get out dove hunting a few times and even took Emma and Josh once.  I thought they wouldn't like it, I was wrong and they had a great time.  Eric has already decided they are going to be competitive shooters by the age of 10 but I'm still not sure I want them having their own gun before age 10.  Eric has also started shooting clays and tries to make it out with a friend but not nearly as often as he'd like.  He's all pumped for bigger game but with the lottery drawings on those, who knows when his time will come. 

Emma has been having a love/hate relationship with Kindergarten.  One day, she loves school and can't wait to go.  The next day, she'll tell you she's bored and knows everything that they are doing in class (which she really does).  I've been in plenty of contact with her teacher about challenging her, knowing her and what she's capable of, I know she needs a challenge and can't just be left alone to be average.  Does that make sense?  Emma started dance in August and goes every Monday night, she loves what she is doing, I hate it.  I feel like I'm paying a fortune for a giant class and my daughter is coming home showing me somersaults.  I keep asking if she still wants to dance to which she always replies yes, secretly I'm praying that when we get Josh going in sports in the spring, she wants to try that instead.  Emma is still our little cling-on.  She will draw and write by herself at times but still wants someone to play with constantly.  She gets so upset if Josh won't come outside with her and if I don't drop everything when she wants to play dolls, she melts down.  She's been going through a bit of a nasty streak lately and thinks it's funny to tell me NO.  Tonight I turned it back around on her and began keeping track of her No's and for each one she gave me, I gave her one back on what she wanted.  I may have found the answer to this one, we'll see.  Emma loves reading and has been reading every night from the old school Dick and Jane books her Ya-Ya got her.  Pretty soon she's going to be reading chapter books and I can't wait for all my old favorites to come off the shelves!   

Josh has been having a ball in preschool and all October Break he has been begging to go back to school.  We are working really hard on him writing his name.  He does a great job tracing it but really he could care less if it looked nice.  He's so opposite of Emma in that manner that it makes me laugh.  Josh still loves to snuggle and will lay with you forever, he plays independently and has such an imagination.  He's rotten whiny sometimes and it drives me nuts, he can also be a bully to his big sister but knows how to turn on the water works making things seem liker her fault always.  Josh is happy being alone and will watch a show, play on the iPad, or play with his cars.  He's not a loner though and loves being around others and is a friend to any stranger on the street.  Josh will talk your ear off about anything and everything and isn't shy when it comes to being around anyone. 

Both Emma and Josh started Catechesis of the Good Shepard a few weeks ago and they both instantly liked it.  I love watching their relationship with Jesus Christ come alive and am excited for them to grow deeper in their Catholic faith through these classes.

Elizabeth turns 1 year old in a week.  She's finally pulled her belly off the ground this week and began the real crawl but, if she realizes she's going too slow, right back to the belly and off she goes.  She's into everything, she loves pulling the tupperware from the cabinets, will get in the toilets if they aren't closed, has flipped herself in the bathtub a number of times, and is starting to cruise the couches.  Her eating is finally turning around a bit and she is excepting new table foods.  She still drinks multiple bottles through the day but only because she will only drink 4oz at a time and three hours later, she's starving.  I've tried so hard to make it different, it hasn't work.  The doctor tells me she's just that kind of eater, little bits all through the day.  Makes sense, not everyone is made to pack all their food into 3 meals and be happy.  She is still napping twice a day and goes to bed at 6pm. She sleeps until 5 when I shove a bottle in her mouth while she's still asleep and then she wakes up happily at about 6:30.  I have learned that if I don't feed her then, she's up for the day at 5:15 and that is torture!  She's still a terrible teether and I can't wait for those darn things to all come in, she is so happy when they aren't bothering her and such a wreck when they are. All in good time I suppose!

All in all, we are good, maybe October can be the month of more than one post!  Who knows, it could happen. 

Emma's first day of Kindergarten

All summer long Emma had been asking when Kindergarten would start.  Finally her day arrived!  After all the obligatory school shopping for clothes, supplies, and shoes she was ready.  Until she decided the day before school she needed a dramatic haircut.  Goodbye long locks, hello short.  Emma is definitely my child when it comes to her hair, grow it out then chop it off and repeat. 

We set out her favorite dress the night before and packed her a special lunch in her new Hello Kitty lunchbox.  I'm pretty sure she was up at 6:00 or earlier because when I got up, she was already dressed and ready to go.  Waiting 2 hours for school to start was like torture for her.  At her school, they ask all kindergarteners to go to their classrooms the first day and luckily Eric and I were both able to take her.  Emma did great until it was time to say goodbye, I'm pretty sure the few kids crying hysterically in her classroom may have given her some anxiety.  When we bent down to give her a kiss and hug goodbye, I could see she was fighting back tears and as we walked away, I could see her wiping tears from her face.  Of course this caused me to cry as Eric and I walked back to the car and then I proceeded to cry the whole way to work.  I'm such a wimp!

Thankfully when she got home that afternoon,  she was all smiles and had a great day.  She even told me about all the kids crying that day and when I asked her if she cried she quickly replied "no way" and when she asked me if I cried, I replied with the same.  ;O)

 

Josh's first day of preschool

Josh has had a crush on Miss Carrie since Emma began preschool two years ago and now that it's time for him to go to school with her, he's ecstatic.

When Emma went to preschool, we bought a backpack for her but not new clothes or other school supplies.  Josh, seeing that his big sis was getting goodies for school needed to have his too.  We bought him a few outfits and a box of crayons but what he really wanted was a Spider Man lunch box to match his Spider Man backpack.  I tried explaining a thousand times that he doesn't eat lunch at school but he wouldn't hear it.  Hopefully Spider Man will still be cool two years from now when that boy starts Kindergarten because his lunchbox hasn't been used once.

I'm so excited for Josh to start school, he is definitely different than Emma when it comes to academics.  Josh is our story teller, class clown, ham, social butterfly.  To this point hasn't cared at all about spelling or writing his name, he'd rather smack himself in the head to get a couple of laughs.  I'm eager to see if this changes over his two years of preschool or if I will need to start practicing my apology speech to his grade school teachers now.

  

New beginnings

Next Tuesday, Josh starts preschool and next Wednesday, Emma starts Kindergarten.  I'm am so excited for them to start school and at the same time sad.  Where has the time gone?  When did they get old enough to both be in school?  I remember my mom always saying that when you get older, times goes so quickly.  I didn't understand that statement when I was a teenager but I get it now.  Part of me would REALLY like time to slow down but I am also ready (and the kids are too) for this new journey we are about to begin.  I've been chanting to myself all week, "I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry" hoping that it gets me ready to not be a mess next week as I drop them off.  Seeing as I'm already crying while typing this, I don't think it's going to work. :o) Oh well, here's to next week and our new beginnings!  

9 months

Elizabeth is 9 months!  She is still a doll of a baby and surely God's way of suckering us into a fourth (I'm sure He works that way, right?).  At this age Lizzie Bits....

*army crawls all over the place (she's decently fast)
*is getting on all fours as rocking back and fourth
*loves her daddy and gets very upset when he leaves a room without taking her along
*babbles to any item she loves chewing on
*has switched her sibling preference from Josh to Emma
*love, love, loves the pool
*pretty much hates any form of nutrition that isn't regular table food
*weighs 18lbs, putting her in the 50%
*is 29.25 inches, putting her in the 95%
*is surprising light when you pick her up. Her height gives a false sense of size
*has been sleeping like a pill since she starting teething and had her last ear infection
*has her bottom 2 teeth
*sits up independently for about 3 minutes before toppling over
*is such a cuddler
*loves being sung to, especially Itsy Bitsy Bizzie
*still has a clogged tear duct in her left eye
*screeches SO loudly when she's tired
*is a true testament to God's goodness

California 12

The kids and I had a great time in California! It was the first vacation I've taken since having children when I felt like I didn't need a vacation from my vacation. We left early on a Wednesday morning and I was a little nervous to be flying with both kiddos. Emma is a pro on a plane but Josh (who is a bit whinny and temper tantrumish lately) had never been. Thankfully both did a great job flying and since the flight to Orange County is so quick, we were descending right after we ate our snack and drank our soda. Both kids were very excited to see my grandparents and I absolutely love that they are both so fond of them. We spent the rest of that day catching up and helping Grandpa with the garden. The next day we went to Disneyland along with my mom. The morning was extremely rough and Josh had two MAJOR tantrums at the park. I was so caught off guard by the first because he'd never had one in public and never one of that magnitude. I ended up facing him in toward a trash can and walked a good 10 feet away from him while he got it out of his system, I knew if I got anywhere within reach of him, I might be escorted out of the park childless. :o) After his second tantrum we had a nice trip to the bathroom for discipline (I was very calm this time) and a long talk, we decided it was time to head back to my grandparents for naps. So thankful the park is about 10-15 minutes from their house! Josh and Emma both slept almost 4 hours, no wonder he was in such a mood! We headed back and the evening was wonderful, both kids plus me, loved our time there together. I had originally planned on taking Josh back to my grandparents for bed at 7:30 but, he was so good the rest of the day, that he ended up staying the entire night with us. We were all exhausted when we got home and the kids even slept until 8:30 the next morning, unheard of for the Hildwine children!

On Friday, more of my family came over and Emma and Josh had a great time playing with their cousins. Saturday and Sunday were spent at two different beaches. On Saturday we visited my Uncle Don and Aunt Karen at Seal Beach. The water was a little cold and the kids didn't get in but played in the sand and had fun running away from the waves as they broke on the shore.

 

Sunday we went to Doheny Beach with more family and thanks to my cousins Katie and Ryan, got an awesome picnic spot to hang out in. Doheny has a little beach called Baby Beach that was perfect for the kids. Giant rocks out in the ocean keep the beach from getting waves so the water was nice and still. Both jumped right in the water to play and were sad when they finally had to get out to eat. After dinner, the weather turned awfully cold so we headed to my Aunt Cindy's house who lives not more than 5 minutes from the beach. The kids played with the cousins on the golf course behind my aunt house (once it was closed) and we roasted marshmallows and made smores (yum!) before leaving.

Monday and Tuesday we didn't have much going on so we spent time at the park and playing outside. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I was really sad to come back to the heat of AZ.

Our trip was perfect!  The kids were SO good (other than Josh's morning at Disney, which I'll take most of the blame for, he was obviously tired).  They went to bed late every night, slept in every morning, took 3+ hours naps each day, played without fighting, and were genuine sweethearts.  I know they missed Eric and Elizabeth and I did too, but,  I am really glad that we took this trip together.  I'm already looking forward to next summer's trip, I even told Grandma that the kids and I are coming for the whole month of June!  Well, in my head, that's the plan!

Almost here

Summer break is almost here, my last day of work is on Thursday! I'm so ready to have a long break with the kids and the calendar for June is already filling up. The summer movie program starts on Monday and I'm excited to hit the theater every week with Emma and Josh. It was fun last year but having a 4 and 2 year old at the movies while being 5-6 months pregnant in the AZ heat, wasn't always fun. We leave for California on 6/6 and the kids are super excited to spend a week with my grandparents. My mom and I are taking them to Disney one day and the kids and I have already mapped out our whole day at the park (never step foot in that park without a game plan). We have parties to attend when we get back, a wedding, and Emma is all set up for Vacation Bible School. I think swim lessons will need to wait until July, which I'm absolutely fine with because I HATE cold pool water. Unfortunately, the kids keep begging to hit their favorite public pool so I know it's only a matter of time before the cold water and I meet. Hopefully, my time off during the summer will give me a chance to keep up on the blog, but, no promises. :o)

Camera

For our anniversary, Eric got me a really nice camera. So nice, I'm still figuring out how to use it properly. I have no desire to be a photographer but feel confident in some of my skills after watching Eric for a number of years. Here are my Elizabeth 6 month pictures I took in our backyard, I'm a little bias but I think they are adorable. I also got some really nice shots of Emma and Josh.