I'm thinking I want to give this another go. I kind of gave up blogging for a few months, because I couldn't get my brain to function the way I wanted it to and I felt like nothing I was writing was worth anything. But, I have finally convinced myself that I'm not writing for anyone's entertainment. It's absolutely great if you still decide to follow me, but the main reason I want to start writing again is for ME. I love to look back at the times when the twins were little and discover little milestones that I would have otherwise forgotten. It makes me sad that I don't have the same memories documented for Paxton. When I forget something, I can't just go back and look, because I didn't put it anywhere. That's what I want to change.
So, here we go, back in the saddle.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
the mom whose kids are always sick
not sure why, but that seems to be the case. everyone keeps telling me "it will get better-the older they get, it will get better."
the last 9 days have been full of snot, coughs, fevers, diarrhea, dr. appointments, prescriptions, and sleepless nights. for everyone.
this winter we've dealt with strep, sinus infections, several bouts of croup, the stomach flu and ear infections (including a second surgery for kaden to replace his pe tubes and removal of his adenoids). we've had colds and viruses filling the house with snot and coughing spells.
but in the last 6 weeks, kenley has had the stomach flu twice, croup, strep throat, and walking pneumonia.
i'm hoping one day I won't feel so guilty when the kids are sick, but right now I beat myself up every single time.
am I doing something wrong? why does it seem like everyone else's children are healthy? i often feel that those whose children are healthy are judging.
trust me, i'm beyond grateful that the junk we've been dealing isn't anything serious. but still, it's hard. and it gets old. and frustrating.
"we can do certain things to help prevent sickness, but ultimately, we cannot control whether or not our children become ill" ------ this here, is a statement i'll be sure to keep tucked in the back of my brain the next time im sitting at home filling out a sick leave request for work :(
the last 9 days have been full of snot, coughs, fevers, diarrhea, dr. appointments, prescriptions, and sleepless nights. for everyone.
this winter we've dealt with strep, sinus infections, several bouts of croup, the stomach flu and ear infections (including a second surgery for kaden to replace his pe tubes and removal of his adenoids). we've had colds and viruses filling the house with snot and coughing spells.
but in the last 6 weeks, kenley has had the stomach flu twice, croup, strep throat, and walking pneumonia.
i'm hoping one day I won't feel so guilty when the kids are sick, but right now I beat myself up every single time.
am I doing something wrong? why does it seem like everyone else's children are healthy? i often feel that those whose children are healthy are judging.
trust me, i'm beyond grateful that the junk we've been dealing isn't anything serious. but still, it's hard. and it gets old. and frustrating.
"we can do certain things to help prevent sickness, but ultimately, we cannot control whether or not our children become ill" ------ this here, is a statement i'll be sure to keep tucked in the back of my brain the next time im sitting at home filling out a sick leave request for work :(
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
child star?
I don't know, but I think we may have found some pretty special talent right here.......
{please excuse the homeless-looking child at the end of the video. haircuts never seem to be high on my priority list}
Sing from Holli Finke on Vimeo.
{please excuse the homeless-looking child at the end of the video. haircuts never seem to be high on my priority list}
Sing from Holli Finke on Vimeo.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
getting some answers
{{this post has been a long time in the making. only because i keep changing my mind on whether or not i want to share. but then i thought to myself...that's what this blog is for. a place to throw it all out there. the good, the bad, and the ugly. plus, then I came across the following article and i couldn't help but post it}}
“When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip --to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
“When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip --to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things …about Holland.”
-Emily Perl Kingsley
This one hit a chord with me.
We've been struggling for a long time.
But we're hoping we've found some sort of answers
as Kenley has recently been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder.
as Kenley has recently been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder.
What is SPD?
We all receive and perceive sensory input through our senses (sight, sounds, touch, tastes, smells, movement and balance, body position and muscle control.) Sensory Processing is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Sensory Processing Disorder is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through their senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks.
All children can seem quirky or particular about their likes and dislikes, but children with Sensory Processing Disorder will be so severely affected by their sensory preferences that it interferes with their normal, everyday functioning. A child is prone to anxiety, distractibility, impulsivity, and frustration. A child with SPD might act out or tantrum when overstimulated. The need for sensory input such as movement or touch can be so overpowering that the child truly can't control their need to seek it out.
Through my own research, I have found some *pieces* of information that couldn't ring truer for our Kenley-girl...(you know, the kinds of things you read that sparks that "a-ha, lightbulb moment"?)
*most kids with SPD are a mixture of both over- and under- sensitive, which explains why inconsistent behavior is a hallmark of the disorder
*a child might appear to be excessively clumsy or aggressive
*these kids' tantrums are so intense, so prolonged, and so impossible to stop
*when a child's behavior is due to sensory processing disorder, punishment and reward do not work as motivators
*special needs doesn't always look special. children with spd can misinterpret sensory input and may get overwhelmed by everyday sights, sounds, smells, and touch. (this is HUGE for me. kenley doesn't look any different to people around us. but when she is tantrumming or having a freak-out-sensory-moment, that's when I feel others are looking at us differently. when i feel like a failure as a parent and when i feel she is being viewed as naughty or out of control)
I brought my concerns up at the kids' 3 year-well baby checks. So with referrals, waiting, appointments, evaluations, follow-ups, etc. it has taken 6 months to get to where we are now.
(I may share more on that process in a future post. But don't get too excited, we all know what an awful blogger I am.)
So where are we now?
Kenley was referred to Children's Care Hospital & School to receive Occupational Therapy. We take her to Sioux Falls one time a week for OT services. She absolutely loves it!! And between them and my amazing team at work, I have gained a lot of tools, knowledge, and support to help while at home, which is where she struggles the most.
This is a new adventure in our life and we are learning as we go. We are learning to pay closer attention to Kenley and trying to identify her triggers. We're learning how to counteract those triggers and help with more effective ways to work through her anxiety the environment places on her. We're learning how to be better parents. We're learning more about Kenley. As we gain a better understanding of sensory processing disorder itself, we are learning to better understand her. We have to learn how to advocate for her and help others understand. Because in the end, that's what it comes down to. Is understanding.
I brought my concerns up at the kids' 3 year-well baby checks. So with referrals, waiting, appointments, evaluations, follow-ups, etc. it has taken 6 months to get to where we are now.
(I may share more on that process in a future post. But don't get too excited, we all know what an awful blogger I am.)
So where are we now?
Kenley was referred to Children's Care Hospital & School to receive Occupational Therapy. We take her to Sioux Falls one time a week for OT services. She absolutely loves it!! And between them and my amazing team at work, I have gained a lot of tools, knowledge, and support to help while at home, which is where she struggles the most.
This is a new adventure in our life and we are learning as we go. We are learning to pay closer attention to Kenley and trying to identify her triggers. We're learning how to counteract those triggers and help with more effective ways to work through her anxiety the environment places on her. We're learning how to be better parents. We're learning more about Kenley. As we gain a better understanding of sensory processing disorder itself, we are learning to better understand her. We have to learn how to advocate for her and help others understand. Because in the end, that's what it comes down to. Is understanding.
Friday, November 15, 2013
on the road again...
i can't even tell you how excited i am to stay home tonight and do nothing. this last week we've been on the road, a lot. here's what this last week looked like:
friday night: drove to brandon for bunco (by myself!)
saturday morning: drove to brewster to pick up a babe and then to owatonna for a baby shower
saturday night: drove back to brandon
sunday night: drove back to brewster
monday night: kids and i drove back to brandon because kenley had appointments on tuesday
tuesday morning: drove into sioux falls for appts
tuesday night: i drove back to brewster, leaving the kids in brandon because daycare was closed
wednesday night: drove back out to brandon to pick the kids up
wednesday night: drove back to brewster
tomorrow we are driving back to sioux falls for a birthday party and driving back home tomorrow evening. because sunday i will be driving to fulda for a baby shower.
enough "driving" for ya? yeah, me too. and with our 12-miles-to-the-gallon-gas-guzzling-beast, it gets a little spendy too :(
happy friday all!!
friday night: drove to brandon for bunco (by myself!)
saturday morning: drove to brewster to pick up a babe and then to owatonna for a baby shower
saturday night: drove back to brandon
sunday night: drove back to brewster
monday night: kids and i drove back to brandon because kenley had appointments on tuesday
tuesday morning: drove into sioux falls for appts
tuesday night: i drove back to brewster, leaving the kids in brandon because daycare was closed
wednesday night: drove back out to brandon to pick the kids up
wednesday night: drove back to brewster
tomorrow we are driving back to sioux falls for a birthday party and driving back home tomorrow evening. because sunday i will be driving to fulda for a baby shower.
enough "driving" for ya? yeah, me too. and with our 12-miles-to-the-gallon-gas-guzzling-beast, it gets a little spendy too :(
happy friday all!!
Monday, October 14, 2013
just throwing it all out there...
Someone made the comment to me the other day saying that reading my blog made her feel like she was reading my diary.
And I'm ok with that.
I find this blog a place where I can open up and I've made the decision to open up to the world while doing it.
So here's where I'm at right now. As you all know, we've had our fair shair of difficulties thrown at us in our young life. I've always had a relationship with God and it has only strengthened over the years while climbing over various road blocks. But this summer, something changed for me. I'm not exactly sure what it was or why it changed, but it did. I immersed myself into the Lord and having a much more meaningful relationship with Him.
A quick story: This summer, while changing one of Kenley's diapers, she was kicking me. I continued to tell her to stop and she continued kicking me. There really wasn't anything that I was saying that was going to make her stop kicking. Finally I grabbed her legs, looked her right in the eyes and said "Jesus would not be happy knowing you were kicking your mom." (and unless you were there to hear it, you really won't get the full effect) but she looked back at me, with a wrinkled up forehead and a large amount of sass, and said "WHO JESUS?!?" I felt like I was failing my kids. I broke down in tears and at that moment I made a promise to myself that my children will know Christ. I think I felt that, at the age of 2, almost 3, that they were too young and wouldn't get it anyway. But, boy was I wrong!!
We continue to have struggles in our family. Some are struggles that I'm sure every family has and some are maybe not quite so common. And to be honest, I find being a faithful follower of Christ the most difficult when I'm at home with my family. I am often praying for guidance and most importantly PATIENCE!!!! But one thing I do know, is that I'm finding a lot more peace knowing that God is ALWAYS at the center of it all. Even if there are days that I feel like I'm failing as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, employee, friend, etc....
And I'm ok with that.
I find this blog a place where I can open up and I've made the decision to open up to the world while doing it.
So here's where I'm at right now. As you all know, we've had our fair shair of difficulties thrown at us in our young life. I've always had a relationship with God and it has only strengthened over the years while climbing over various road blocks. But this summer, something changed for me. I'm not exactly sure what it was or why it changed, but it did. I immersed myself into the Lord and having a much more meaningful relationship with Him.
A quick story: This summer, while changing one of Kenley's diapers, she was kicking me. I continued to tell her to stop and she continued kicking me. There really wasn't anything that I was saying that was going to make her stop kicking. Finally I grabbed her legs, looked her right in the eyes and said "Jesus would not be happy knowing you were kicking your mom." (and unless you were there to hear it, you really won't get the full effect) but she looked back at me, with a wrinkled up forehead and a large amount of sass, and said "WHO JESUS?!?" I felt like I was failing my kids. I broke down in tears and at that moment I made a promise to myself that my children will know Christ. I think I felt that, at the age of 2, almost 3, that they were too young and wouldn't get it anyway. But, boy was I wrong!!
We continue to have struggles in our family. Some are struggles that I'm sure every family has and some are maybe not quite so common. And to be honest, I find being a faithful follower of Christ the most difficult when I'm at home with my family. I am often praying for guidance and most importantly PATIENCE!!!! But one thing I do know, is that I'm finding a lot more peace knowing that God is ALWAYS at the center of it all. Even if there are days that I feel like I'm failing as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, employee, friend, etc....
Thursday, September 26, 2013
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Friday, September 20, 2013
Bummer
I wish I was a better blogger, I really do. It just seems that these days I have nothing exciting to talk about. We live the day to day and nothing seems "blog worthy."
Because really, does anyone want to hear about the fact that....
*we can't keep up on laundry. for some reason laundry is the most hated job at our house
*our house is too small for 5 people. we don't have enough storage and clutter has overtaken
*i go to bed early because i literally can't keep my eyes open
*our mornings are either wonderful or a nightmare. and it's all dependent on small thing...a 3 year old named kenley
*after being potty trained for a couple months now, kenley has regressed and is now doing a lot of pooping and peeing in her big-girl undies. that girl is a mystery to us
*the side effects to my medication have really declined and i'm feeling a lot better. it only took 6 weeks!
*i'm thrilled fall weather is starting to set in. i'm all about jeans and sweatshirts
*my 3 year old daughter is taking a vacation with grandma deb in a week to virginia to visit auntie jamie and uncle joey. i have such mixed emotions....i'm excited for her, i'm jealous i don't get to go, i'm sad because i know i'll miss her, i'm nervous about her going on an airplane, i'm thrilled that she gets to have this experience. (**** but i know auntie jamie is going to take lots of pictures to remember her first trip to virginia, right jamie? wink wink)
*i have a new office this year at work. our school continues to grow and the building is getting smaller and smaller. i'm not located with the rest of the early childhood team and i strongly dislike that
*we haven't been to brandon for the last two weekends and it's driving me crazy. we are going back this weekend, and i can't wait
*people might think we're crazy that we're grown adults with our own family and we still have to go back to our hometown every weekend (including my husband), but honestly i don't really care. i miss hanging out with my mom and sister
*since going back to daycare, all three kids have had non-stop coughs and snotty noses
*i was sick last week and missed two days of school. that was honestly the sickest i have ever been. fever, chills, muscle aches, a headache that could have killed a cow, and a throat that could have started a forest fire. it's amazing how fast a z-pak works
*i have great ambition for things i'm going to get done at home while i'm at work, and the second i get home the couch just reaches out and grabs me before i have a chance to get away
*i am addicted to coke (coca~cola that is)
*i desperately miss my sister-in-law (and brother-in-law) since they moved to virginia in july. even though when they were in st.paul we didn't see them very often, but i think it's the fact that we can't see them even if we wanted to. it's different and i don't like it very much.
*i'm going to go crazy when my new niece/nephew comes and i won't get all the snuggles i want
see, who really wants to know about all of that?
Happy Friday :)
Because really, does anyone want to hear about the fact that....
*we can't keep up on laundry. for some reason laundry is the most hated job at our house
*our house is too small for 5 people. we don't have enough storage and clutter has overtaken
*i go to bed early because i literally can't keep my eyes open
*our mornings are either wonderful or a nightmare. and it's all dependent on small thing...a 3 year old named kenley
*after being potty trained for a couple months now, kenley has regressed and is now doing a lot of pooping and peeing in her big-girl undies. that girl is a mystery to us
*the side effects to my medication have really declined and i'm feeling a lot better. it only took 6 weeks!
*i'm thrilled fall weather is starting to set in. i'm all about jeans and sweatshirts
*my 3 year old daughter is taking a vacation with grandma deb in a week to virginia to visit auntie jamie and uncle joey. i have such mixed emotions....i'm excited for her, i'm jealous i don't get to go, i'm sad because i know i'll miss her, i'm nervous about her going on an airplane, i'm thrilled that she gets to have this experience. (**** but i know auntie jamie is going to take lots of pictures to remember her first trip to virginia, right jamie? wink wink)
*i have a new office this year at work. our school continues to grow and the building is getting smaller and smaller. i'm not located with the rest of the early childhood team and i strongly dislike that
*we haven't been to brandon for the last two weekends and it's driving me crazy. we are going back this weekend, and i can't wait
*people might think we're crazy that we're grown adults with our own family and we still have to go back to our hometown every weekend (including my husband), but honestly i don't really care. i miss hanging out with my mom and sister
*since going back to daycare, all three kids have had non-stop coughs and snotty noses
*i was sick last week and missed two days of school. that was honestly the sickest i have ever been. fever, chills, muscle aches, a headache that could have killed a cow, and a throat that could have started a forest fire. it's amazing how fast a z-pak works
*i have great ambition for things i'm going to get done at home while i'm at work, and the second i get home the couch just reaches out and grabs me before i have a chance to get away
*i am addicted to coke (coca~cola that is)
*i desperately miss my sister-in-law (and brother-in-law) since they moved to virginia in july. even though when they were in st.paul we didn't see them very often, but i think it's the fact that we can't see them even if we wanted to. it's different and i don't like it very much.
*i'm going to go crazy when my new niece/nephew comes and i won't get all the snuggles i want
see, who really wants to know about all of that?
Happy Friday :)
Friday, September 6, 2013
struggling
I seem to be struggling with a lot of things lately. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. Things don't make sense in my head, so I'm sure it won't make sense on the blog. Sorry for that.
After Paxton was born, my emotional well-being kind of fell apart. The crying and anxiety was out of control. My doctor and family all agreed. I started an anti-depressant and things changed, for the better, in a quick way. However, over time, I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy with how things were going. And in "things" I mean, my life, my feelings, my emotions, my anxiety. I was on this medication for almost a year but decided to wean myself off. When I initially started, my doctor felt it might be something I needed only short term. So, I decided to stop taking it and see where I was at. Wow! I was not in a good place. This summer was horrible for me (emotionally). I was crying over E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!! I didn't even know what I was crying for, I was just always crying. And my anxiety, again, out of control. I (and my family) knew I needed to be put back on some sort of medication. Not necessarily what I took the first time around, but something. I know there are numerous options out there for anti-depressants, and I knew we could find something that worked for me, and we had to find it before I started back to school. Because let's face it, I'm still depressed and still have anxiety. I wasn't able to see my doctor as soon as I was hoping, so the nurse gave me another option and scheduled me an appointment with a psychologist at Sanford Women's. Great! She could get me in in 2 days. I was excited about the plan. So there I sat, on her oversized, plush, leather couch, blubbering my eyes out for an hour. I liked it though. Everything she said made sense to me. We discussed different medication options and she made the recommendation to my doctor. I am now on a new medication, however I can't say I'm overly pleased, yet, bummer! It's something that I've been increasing the dosage, and I've only been on the full dose for about 2 weeks. I am experiencing somepretty unpleasant horrible side effects though. Now I understand that all medications have side effects, that's why I'm willing to continue with it. I'm just hoping they don't last a whole lot longer. But I still struggle with how I'm feeling. And I can't decide why.
But let me tell you people, struggling with mental health is exhausting! What I've come to realize though after the past several months is, that being depressed is not the result of personal weakness and it is not caused by something you did "wrong." It is treatable. And boy am I ready to get back to being "myself."
After Paxton was born, my emotional well-being kind of fell apart. The crying and anxiety was out of control. My doctor and family all agreed. I started an anti-depressant and things changed, for the better, in a quick way. However, over time, I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy with how things were going. And in "things" I mean, my life, my feelings, my emotions, my anxiety. I was on this medication for almost a year but decided to wean myself off. When I initially started, my doctor felt it might be something I needed only short term. So, I decided to stop taking it and see where I was at. Wow! I was not in a good place. This summer was horrible for me (emotionally). I was crying over E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!! I didn't even know what I was crying for, I was just always crying. And my anxiety, again, out of control. I (and my family) knew I needed to be put back on some sort of medication. Not necessarily what I took the first time around, but something. I know there are numerous options out there for anti-depressants, and I knew we could find something that worked for me, and we had to find it before I started back to school. Because let's face it, I'm still depressed and still have anxiety. I wasn't able to see my doctor as soon as I was hoping, so the nurse gave me another option and scheduled me an appointment with a psychologist at Sanford Women's. Great! She could get me in in 2 days. I was excited about the plan. So there I sat, on her oversized, plush, leather couch, blubbering my eyes out for an hour. I liked it though. Everything she said made sense to me. We discussed different medication options and she made the recommendation to my doctor. I am now on a new medication, however I can't say I'm overly pleased, yet, bummer! It's something that I've been increasing the dosage, and I've only been on the full dose for about 2 weeks. I am experiencing some
But let me tell you people, struggling with mental health is exhausting! What I've come to realize though after the past several months is, that being depressed is not the result of personal weakness and it is not caused by something you did "wrong." It is treatable. And boy am I ready to get back to being "myself."
Thursday, August 15, 2013
back to school
Well, the day came. As much as I begged it not to, it reared it's ugly head. I can't say that it came as a surprise but it certainly was not welcome. I started back to work on Monday. My alarm went off at 5:30am and the kids' lights were flipped on at 6:10. A huge reality check for all of us :( Now don't get me wrong, I totally get that I am blessed to be able to spend my summers at home with my kids. And I'm blessed to have a job to go back to. But I'm pretty sure I could be a stay-at-home mom.
It feels good to be back into a routine. We had lost all sense of normalcy around here. It might change as our bodies adjust, but this week we have been putting the kids in the bathtub shortly after dinner. Paxton struggles from the time we get home until bedtime, the poor kid is just so tired. He has been in bed before 7:00 every night. In fact, last night he was in bed by 6:30 and he slept the entire night! The twins have been in bed around 7:30/8:00. And let me tell you....it feels good!
Both kids went back to daycare completely potty-trained! That was my goal this summer and Kenley finally nailed it the last week before going back, whew! The other goal I had this summer was go get Kaden out of our bed at night. See, I don't do well being home by myself without Cody. Ok, really, I'm a huge chicken. I'm afraid of the dark and terrified of any little sound that I normally wouldn't think twice about if the hubs was here with me. Well last year, when Cody was out of town for the week, I let Kaden stay up with me after the other two went to bed (he's a night owl anyway). And when it was time for bed, I thought it would be easier for ME if he just slept with me :) After that, that's where he thought he belonged. Every night. At first it started with him waking up in the night and making his way into our bed and then it just became easier for us (again, I emphasize US) to start out the night by putting him in our bed, and that's where he slept the whole night. But I am happy to say, Kaden now sleeps in his own bed. He doesn't always sleep through the night, but when he wakes up and comes to our room he now gets walked back and put into his own bed (and sometimes this is very frequent) ugh! All the kids though have done awesome this week sleeping through the night. Waking up early and playing hard at daycare wears the tikes out.
As hard as it is to make the adjustment, it doesn't take long. And when back at work, it feels as though we've never left.
Here's to another year!!!
It feels good to be back into a routine. We had lost all sense of normalcy around here. It might change as our bodies adjust, but this week we have been putting the kids in the bathtub shortly after dinner. Paxton struggles from the time we get home until bedtime, the poor kid is just so tired. He has been in bed before 7:00 every night. In fact, last night he was in bed by 6:30 and he slept the entire night! The twins have been in bed around 7:30/8:00. And let me tell you....it feels good!
Both kids went back to daycare completely potty-trained! That was my goal this summer and Kenley finally nailed it the last week before going back, whew! The other goal I had this summer was go get Kaden out of our bed at night. See, I don't do well being home by myself without Cody. Ok, really, I'm a huge chicken. I'm afraid of the dark and terrified of any little sound that I normally wouldn't think twice about if the hubs was here with me. Well last year, when Cody was out of town for the week, I let Kaden stay up with me after the other two went to bed (he's a night owl anyway). And when it was time for bed, I thought it would be easier for ME if he just slept with me :) After that, that's where he thought he belonged. Every night. At first it started with him waking up in the night and making his way into our bed and then it just became easier for us (again, I emphasize US) to start out the night by putting him in our bed, and that's where he slept the whole night. But I am happy to say, Kaden now sleeps in his own bed. He doesn't always sleep through the night, but when he wakes up and comes to our room he now gets walked back and put into his own bed (and sometimes this is very frequent) ugh! All the kids though have done awesome this week sleeping through the night. Waking up early and playing hard at daycare wears the tikes out.
As hard as it is to make the adjustment, it doesn't take long. And when back at work, it feels as though we've never left.
Here's to another year!!!
Sunday, August 4, 2013
July...
Whew, what a busy month! Even though it's been busy, we've enjoyed it and we're sad to see it go.
*Paxton officially became a "walker." He had been doing a lot of practicing, but his main mode of transportation was still crawling. At 13 months, he figured out he can get around a lot quicker on his feet!
*We always spend the week of July 4th at Lake Herman, camping with friends. What a great time!
*July 8th we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. Actually, we didn't really "celebrate", it was like any other day at our crazy house :)
*We spent lazy days by the pool:
*Brewster Fun Days. What can I say? ....it was fun :)
*July 21st we celebrated Kaden and Kenley's birthday with a party at our house. We were so thankful for those who were able to make their day a special one.
*July 22nd...Kaden and Kenley turned **3**!!
I had some pretty hefty concerns, so our visit seemed as if it took forever. The dr. goes over each child individually. He starts and ends with one and then moves on to the other. So we are literally sitting through two individual appointments, so it really does get long. And it always seems so hot!
Things are at a stand still right now with some of my concerns, so I will save that for another post :)
*The last two weeks of July, my parents went on vacation. They left for Florida the day of the twins' birthday party. Some months ago, (I still can't figure out why), but my sister and I agreed to work for her and watch the daycare kids. So the kids and I packed up and spent the next two weeks in Brandon. Actually, the days weren't too bad, it was the single parenting in the evenings that I didn't care for. Cody and I have such a team routine, that when I'm by myself things tend to get a little out of control. It felt good to finally be back home and have our daddy back :)
*Larsonfest: a good time always spent the last weekend in July with friends, close to home on some farm land. Words (even pictures) don't do this "camping trip" justice.
So there ya have it, our July wrapped up in one long post. Of course I wasn't looking forward to August, because that only means a few short days until we have to enter the real world again....back to school, aggghhhh :(
*Paxton officially became a "walker." He had been doing a lot of practicing, but his main mode of transportation was still crawling. At 13 months, he figured out he can get around a lot quicker on his feet!
*We always spend the week of July 4th at Lake Herman, camping with friends. What a great time!
*July 8th we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. Actually, we didn't really "celebrate", it was like any other day at our crazy house :)
*We spent lazy days by the pool:
*Brewster Fun Days. What can I say? ....it was fun :)
{here the kids are waiting for the parade to start}
*July 21st we celebrated Kaden and Kenley's birthday with a party at our house. We were so thankful for those who were able to make their day a special one.
{Kenley got some new make-up, thanks to auntie Kris :) She pressed that tube of lipstick to her lips and round and round she went. This, I think, was her favorite}
{The day was perfect!!}
*July 22nd...Kaden and Kenley turned **3**!!
{because their birthday was on a Monday night (and we had already celebrated with their party the day before), it was only Kaden, Kenley, Paxton, myself, and Kris and Khloe. We were in Brandon (more on that later). But we decided to order pizza and have more cupcakes :)
*3-year well child checks:
I still can't believe my babies are three years old. I know I will forever be saying that, but my eyes well up with tears every time I think about it. Here are their stats at age 3:
Kaden: weight: 33lbs. (65th percentile)
height: 37.5 inches (45th percentile)
Kenley: weight: 39lbs. (97th percentile)
height: 37.5 inches (56th percentile)
I had some pretty hefty concerns, so our visit seemed as if it took forever. The dr. goes over each child individually. He starts and ends with one and then moves on to the other. So we are literally sitting through two individual appointments, so it really does get long. And it always seems so hot!
Things are at a stand still right now with some of my concerns, so I will save that for another post :)
*The last two weeks of July, my parents went on vacation. They left for Florida the day of the twins' birthday party. Some months ago, (I still can't figure out why), but my sister and I agreed to work for her and watch the daycare kids. So the kids and I packed up and spent the next two weeks in Brandon. Actually, the days weren't too bad, it was the single parenting in the evenings that I didn't care for. Cody and I have such a team routine, that when I'm by myself things tend to get a little out of control. It felt good to finally be back home and have our daddy back :)
*Larsonfest: a good time always spent the last weekend in July with friends, close to home on some farm land. Words (even pictures) don't do this "camping trip" justice.
{this picture shows Kenley on the ground throwing a tantrum....and Marcus joined her}
*July 30th....we celebrated Cody's 32nd birthday. Grandma Deb was so gracious to take the kids that day and even kept them over night. I was still in Brandon, so Cody came out after work and we were able to go out for dinner and run a few errands - kid free. And it was awesome!
*July 30th...also the day that we said goodbye to Cody's sister and her husband. They apparently decided they needed to move across the country, to Virginia. We knew the day was coming, but to have to actually say goodbye was rough. They are fulfilling dreams of their own. And although we wish them nothing but the best, it doesn't make it any easier to have them so far away :( Ok, I'm not going to lie, it literally makes me sick to my stomach to think about it. Plus, she's going to be having my new niece/nephew in a few short months, and that's really going to kill me!
So there ya have it, our July wrapped up in one long post. Of course I wasn't looking forward to August, because that only means a few short days until we have to enter the real world again....back to school, aggghhhh :(
Monday, July 1, 2013
haircut
Ok, so technically Paxton had already gotten his "first" haircut. But as I mentioned previously, they trimmed a teeeeny bit around his ears and neck line. Honestly, you couldn't really even tell he had anything cut.
So we decided last week that he needed to really get it cut. Actually, let me clarify. Everyone ELSE decided that it needed to be cut. They kept telling me he looked like an old man, or a homeless child. I, on the other hand, thought he looked like my baby. And that's kind of how I wanted him to stay. I mean, don't get me wrong, it did need to be cut, but I don't think I was ready to make that transition from baby to big boy.
I actually did start crying as we were trying to decide how short to cut it :(
Here is little man "before"..........
he did an AWESOME job!
So we decided last week that he needed to really get it cut. Actually, let me clarify. Everyone ELSE decided that it needed to be cut. They kept telling me he looked like an old man, or a homeless child. I, on the other hand, thought he looked like my baby. And that's kind of how I wanted him to stay. I mean, don't get me wrong, it did need to be cut, but I don't think I was ready to make that transition from baby to big boy.
I actually did start crying as we were trying to decide how short to cut it :(
Here is little man "before"..........
he did an AWESOME job!
and here he is "after"......
Such a big boy. I can't believe how different he looks. He looks so good cleaned up, but he's definitely not my little baby anymore :(
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