growing up mastbrook

And then there were three

2009-07-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't guessed, Andrew is finally here. Well, he arrived about 5 months ago but who's keeping score? He has been such a joy in our family. He is always in a good mood unless he needs something or something is wrong such as a growth spurt or a tooth (which I think the first one is about to come in as we speak). His smile is infectious and he loves to stick his tongue out whenever he gives you one. He's not sitting up yet, but I'm guessing it will come in the next month or two. Three boys, who would have thunk it? :)

Summer is going better than I expected. I had thought we would be bored and hot, but that's not the case at all. The weather's been decent, compared to Dallas anyway, and we've been busy with playgroups, swim lessons, and various trips and visits to see friends and family and vice versa. For Memorial Day weekend we took a trip up to the mountains with my parents and had a great time. We visited Gatlinburg, went to the nature center in Asheville, and visited the arboretum. The kids loved the aquarium; especially the touch tank and the sharks! A few weeks later we headed out on a 10 day excursion to Delaware where we spent 5 days with my friend Camilla and 5 days with Scott's parents at their new home in Delaware. It was just the boys and me and I thought it might be a bit overwhelming, but the drive wasn't as bad as I thought and the days with friends and family were wonderful! We visited the potato chip factory, went to a pick your own farm and spent time at a playdate while with camilla. Grandma and grandpa's house entailed a trip to the beach and lots of playtime at the new home. The lakehouse is wonderful; the fishing and the yard took the top spots for favorite things to do. I also enjoyed nightly walks sans kids to get a little fresh air. Next week were expecting Camilla and the kids to visit for a week of fun in Charlotte and then back up to Delaware in August for some more fun with the grandparents; this time with Scott. It's definitely been a fun summer so far!

ANDREW

Andrew is four months old now. I still can't figure out who he's going to look like. I'm leaning towards Nicholas but I'm sure it will change as he gets bigger. He loves to ride in the carrier and falls to sleep easily in the evenings. We've officially transitioned to the crib and it's been good all around. He gets up twice in the night around 1 and 5. I'm looking forward to him sleeping through the night but am happy with where we're at for now. Andrew loves his thumb, being tickled and being held. His first tooth is coming in and he's been grumpy lately because of it.

ALEXANDER

Alex is every bit of three right now. We are still working on the potty training; some days are better than others. He's got the front end down pretty well as long as you remind him or he's nude, but the back end still needs a little work. I'm hoping that he'll figure it out in time for preschool in the fall. We tried to put the boys together in the same room for sleeping but they play more than they sleep so now Alex is sleeping in the sewing room until further notice. Alex is an eater. He loves to help me cook dinner at night and will put just about anything into his mouth while I'm cooking. He's eaten handfuls of raw spinach, carrots, peppers, and even tried to eat a raw egg the other day which I had to stop him from doing. I hope that he keeps his love of food as he grows up. I love how good of friends the boys have become. Alex and Nicholas do everything together. They really do enjoy one another's company.

NICHOLAS

I can't believe that Nicholas is already five years old! he will be heading to kindergarten in the fall and I'm anxious, nervous, and excited all in one! I think the biggest challenge for him will be getting up early enough to not be late to school. The tardy bell rings at 7:30! Nick is a pretty late sleeper so I'm sure it will be an adjustment. Other than that he is a happy smart five year old. He is very competitive with his brother and likes to take charge. He loves to build things and figure out how things work best.

We have recently gotten a bird feeder and a hummingbird feeder and the boys have really enjoyed watching the birds eat from them and learning what type of birds are in our neighborhood.

Time to sign off... swim lessons beckon!

Contest to win carriers!

2008-06-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

I just entered a contest to win an essential babywearing collection! If you'd like to enter as well, feel free to click the link below and try your luck. :)

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Summer is moving slowly but surely here. Nick had a parade that he marched in today at summer school. He made his own fourth of July shirt and it was so cute. I'll have to take a picture of it later this week and add it to the blog. He has started swimming lessons and seems to be enjoying it as well. Alex is finally starting to talk a bit more and has many more words although most of them are still fairly difficult to understand. For the fourth we're planning to head to Fossil Rim and visit the wild animals. I'm hoping the boys will have a blast!

Is it time for school to start back up yet?

2008-06-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

So here we are on day two of summer break and I am already ready for school to be back in session. Today consisted of a toy room in complete disarray, a tub full of everything except water (think books, makeup, shampoo, toys...), a kitchen that looked like a tornado blew through, half a bottle of shampoo on the carpet (rubbed in for good measure) and a half a tube of blue toothpaste rubbed into large areas of the upstairs carpet in addition to Alex's hair and mouth. *sigh* I'm just glad the day is about over. It's 5:15 and I'm finally sitting still long enough to write this before I have to get back off and start cooking dinner. The day never ends.

Needless to say, after all the events of today, I immediately went on a manhunt to find every vacation bible school and summer school available and I think we are just about filled up for the summer now starting next week. That in itself makes the pastures look a whole lot greener for the upcoming weeks. ;)

Here's a picture to share of Alex after his toothpaste debacle today:

Nicholas turns 4

2008-05-14T19:51:00.001-07:00

So today Nicholas officially turned 4! Where does the time go? It feels like only yesterday he entered into our world. He's such a bright, caring, intelligent, caring young boy and I feel blessed to be able to be his mom. His party was on Saturday and we went to Sandy Lake Amusement Park. Nicholas rode pretty much every ride there and then asked for more! It's such a neat little park, I'm sure we'll be going back there again soon. Keep checking in for pictures, I should be getting them up soon!

Alex is really starting to get a personality as he matures into his second year. He's definitely perfected the art of the word "NO". Everything these days is no, even if he means yes. As frustrating as it can be, he's so stinkin' cute it just doesn't matter. :)

Hello again!

2007-07-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

So, I figured it was time to get back on and blog a bit since big things have been happening at the Mastbrook house. First off, Alex is finally walking! We were beginning to think it would never happen, but around 16 months, he took his first few steps and by a little after 17 months he's pretty much given up crawling for good. It's amazing how fast they grow up! He's really developing his personality and can say a few words and uses a few signs as well. We definitely think that he will have some form of blonde hair if it ever starts really growing!

Next up, Nicholas. As of last Sunday, the 22nd, Nicholas is potty trained! Ok, well half potty trained. He's figured out the pee part, which is half the battle. We're still working on number two, but I'm hoping to get that taught before school starts in September. I'll take the progress that we've made any day though! It's so nice to have one out of diapers! Nicholas is also taking swim lessons this summer and is doing really well. He actually went underwater for 8 seconds today! I'm hoping his newfound skills will come in handy at the beach next month!

I have been busy with a new endeavour that I'm taking on with a friend making baby carriers. We finally finished developing our prototype and are passing it out to testers as of next week. We have high hopes for this business and can't wait for it to get moving! We hope to go live around Mid September if all goes well.

Scott is doing great at his job. He learns a bit more every day and loves the challenge of his work. We just love that he comes home every night and has time to spend with us in the evenings and on the weekends!

We recently made a trip to Minnesota to visit my brother and his fiance and to give the kids a chance to meet their great grandma. I'm really glad we had the opportunity to let the kids meet her while there was still time. Our trip was wonderful and we have a picture to remember it for posterity's sake. :) (See picture above)

All in all everyone is doing well. I hope this update finds everyone doing good as well and we're looking forward to seeing the grandparents next month!

Here I am!

2007-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

I know I've been MIA for a few months now. Things have been crazy! I've been taking a writing class that has kept me very busy as well as doing some part time work for my aunt.

The boys are doing great. Alex is still not walking, but he's starting to threaten. He loves to stand up from a sitting position. He just smiles and looks so proud of himself every time he does it. He, like Nicholas at that age, has all his teeth now. Nicholas is growing like a weed. We're getting ready for his 3rd birthday party. He'll be celebrating at Science Place this year - we're looking forward to being scientists! Nick will be starting preschool in the fall three days a week. Both boys will be taking swim lessons this summer.

Not too much else to report. We're looking forward to seeing everyone this summer!

Alex is a year!

2007-02-20T09:52:00.001-08:00

I don't know where the time goes. Alex just had his one year birthday and I feel like just yesterday he was born. Just like his brother he has all his teeth as well. I was thinking he might not get the last one, but the day before his birthday it poked through. I had predicted he'd walk by now as well, but I guess I was a bit off. No walking yet, but I feel like it's on the horizon. He loves to stand and has started to do some cruising on furniture, although I wouldn't exactly say he's skilled at it yet. :) We also have finally gotten him to sleep through the night, much to my relief.

Scott's in week three of his job now and really enjoying it as am I. It's so nice to have him home at night now! Even if he doesn't always make it home for dinner, he's home in time to catch up with me before bed and talk or watch a show. I really feel like this is going to have a positive affect on our family to have him here more. He's really enjoying the work as well. It's very challenging and he has a lot of potential for growth - perfect for him. :)

We've decided that we're heading to Disney World for Thanksgiving this year. Everyone's excited but I think Nicholas is particularly excited to ride the rides and meet some of his favorite characters. He saw a picture of lightening McQueen there an now he's completely sold. lol

Nicholas is doing Soccertots again and loves it. We're still on the hunt for a school for him as well. We're hoping to get him into St. Ann's, but we're not sure if he'll get a spot or not, so we're looking at St. Phillips as well as a few other christian but non-catholic schools.

Alex is a year!

2007-02-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

I love you mommy!

2007-01-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Are there any sweeter words to hear from your child? Nicholas told me for the first time tonight that he loved me. :) It's amazing how those 3 words just melt you no matter what your mood is. Today we headed down to Fort Worth to the Fort Worth Stock Show. Nicholas and Alex loved seeing all the animals. We saw cows, horses, rabbits, and sheep. Nicholas also rode a few of the midway rides and had a ball. We're really enjoying having Scott home before he starts his new job. We find ourselves asking each other what day it is. I'm guessing this is somewhat what it's like to be retired - minus the toddlers and babies of course. ;)

We have a job!

2007-01-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

I thought the time would never come, but we finally accepted a job! Scott has accepted a job with Capital One here in the Dallas area. Here are some interesting stats that lead us to this point:

# of companies considered 85
# of companies sent resumes 66
# of headhunters worked with 8
# of phone interviews/discussions 45
# of on-site interview days 19
# of offers 5

Scott will be starting on February 5th so we're enjoying a few weeks off as a family before he gets started on his new position.

Alex is teething like a madman these days. He officially has 14 teeth now - 2 more teeth and he'll have all his teeth (minus his 2 year molars). I didn't think he'd catch up to his brother in the teething department, but I'm starting to think now that maybe he will.

This morning at MOPS we had a speaker who talked a bit about what motherhood was like for her. It was really interesting to get another perspective and she reminded us that we need to live in the moment and remember the days when our children are young - and she's right. The time goes so fast; blink and you'll miss it. So many times we spend so much time just trying to get through the day, that we forget to look at everything that's happening around us. This past year with Alex hasn't been the easiest year, but I would hate to think that when my children are grown and I think back to the time when my children are little, all I can remember is what a challenge I thought it was. I guess that's part of the reason I've started this blog- to try to remember a few more of the little things. Because as the speaker told us today, we are very good at celebrating the firsts, but you never know when something that your child does could be the last time he does it - we need to cherish it these moments with our children.

On that note, I'm going to add a few disjointed thoughts of "isms" I want to remember about this time for Nicholas and Alex. I still can't believe that Alex is going to be one in just a few short weeks. I feel like he just made his way into our family. And while he can be a bit more spirited than his brother, we wouldn't have him any other way. He's crawling like a speed crawler lately and his new thing that he loves to do is play peek a boo with his blue blanket. Every time you bring him in his room to change a diaper or get ready for bed, he crawls over to his crib, stands up and pulls the blanket through the crib. He then proceeds to completely amuse himself playing peek a boo. It's too cute for words! He's starting to become more like a little boy too. I always find that such an amazing transformation. I almost had tears in my eyes today when I turned around on the couch and saw Alex and Nicholas playing trains together at the train table. I really hope for them that they are the best of friends. It seems as though every day we get a little bit closer to that point. Alex also tried his first sippy of Milk today. He is such a character when he drinks. He is like a fountain - he has to sprinkle half of whatever he drinks all over himself and his surroundings. Nicholas is such an amazing little boy. His favorite toys right now are his Leap Bus, his train from his grandma Jane and of course his sheep and penguin, with the Dolphin from Grandma Christine and the tiger from Great Aunt Nancy coming in a close second place. He likes to do everything himself. He gets his own cereal and his own bowl and spoon in the morning for breakfast. We are starting to work on potty training as well. I think it's going to be a slow go, but that's ok. He's very big into his stools as well which he calls "skools". He love to watch me cook and always has his stool on hand so that he can get a better view. The stool also comes in handy for him to turn the kitchen lights on and off.

Alright, I suppose that's enough babbling for now. Off to bed! :)

2007-01-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

Ok. As promised, here are the finished pictures of the quilt:

Teeth, Teeth Everywhere!

2007-01-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

So where to begin? How about Alex. He is busting out teeth left and right! He's just popped two new molars and has at least one more tooth that's about a week away at best from popping. After that he only has three teeth left (with the exception of his two year molars) before all his teeth are in. Meanwhile my friends baby who is 2 weeks younger than Alex has no teeth yet! It's really amazing to me how different babies can be. Continuing with the teeth theme, we're getting ready to set up a first appointment for Nicholas to head to the dentist. It will probably be within the next month or two. That should definately be interesting!

One more note to add for Alex is that he slept ALL the way through the night on Tuesday night. That is the first time he's done that since his first night out of the womb! He slept from 8pm to 8am. It's just too bad I was wide awake at 3:30am completely ready for him to be awake and not able to get back to sleep. *sigh* such is life. Last night he was back up again one time, so alas it was temporary.

Finally, onto the eternal search for the perfect job. The Seattle job is out so it's down to the two Dallas jobs. I do have to say, I'm definately relieved to not have to be moving - it's just so much work and we both really like Dallas so I think this will be a good decision in the end. Scott is having a terribly difficult time deciding between the two positions he's been offered. I don't think he can go wrong with either one though, so whatever he chooses we'll be excited. He's expected to make a decision by tomorrow so stay tuned for the big decision!! I've started working part time from home too. It's been really nice to have a little something to do that challenges my mind more than a challenging dinner recipe or remembering who needs to be driven where and when. ;)

Oh, and for Connie - I did finish the quilt and I have to say that I am quite proud of it; despite the fact that I messed up the edging. I am going to attempt to place a couple pictures of the finished product up on the blog later this afternoon once everyone's down for naps. I can't wait to share it! :)

Welcome back to the blog

2006-12-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yay! So my blog was rediscovered. It looks like eblogger finally got the glitch fixed and I was able to retrieve my old blog. So be sure to check the original blog from here on out for updates. :)

So the holidays have been busy and fun as usual. We started off with an impromptu trip back East as we missed our Thanksgiving trip out due to sickness. Everyone was able to make it up to see us which was a gift in itself. :) It was great catching up with the family and Nora is growing like a weed! A special thanks to Bill and Patsy is in order too for providing us with such a wonderful thanksgiving/christmas dinner! After returning home we basically turned around and headed out West to Phoenix to visit the other end of the family. We really enjoyed getting a chance to visit with all the family and had a wonderful family dinner out at Lons on the Hermosa Inn on Christmas. The boys loved getting ready for santa- we put out cookies and milk for santa and sprinkled magic dust so santa would know where to go. He definately found our house too... The tree was littered with gifts on christmas morning! We also made it out to the train park in Scottsdale. Nick loved the Holiday Express train that was decorated from head to toe with lights. We were also able to ride the childrens train which adults and kids both enjoyed. Our holiday is almost over - we head home tomorrow, but we definately had a memborable time and can't wait to see everyone again soon!

Scott also received another offer over the holiday for a position in Dallas which he is really excited about. We are hoping to finally make a decision around mid january, so be on the lookout for some exciting news!

2006-12-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, first let me say that I've somehow lost access to my old blog during the beta changeover at eblogger (the reason it's taken so long to get another post up), so I'm now being forced to start a new one. You can still access the old blog at: http://growingupmastbrook.blogspot.com but the new blog will be posted here until I can figure out the problem, if ever. So on to the blog. :)

So I had to post this because I thought it was so cute. Nick, Alex and I were eating dinner the other night together and I asked Nick what his favorite vegetable was. His answer? Chocolate Milk!! I guess I didn't realize this was a vegetable, but now that I do, I think I have a new favorite too! ;) Things are busy here. We've been getting ready for christmas and Scott's been doing several interviews. He recently received a second job offer which is really exciting. I'm starting to get excited that this job search is almost over. I'm just ready to move on with the next step. We start our christmas travel the day after tomorrow. It just seems as though it snuck up on us so quickly! I haven't even gotten gifts for the boys yet as I've been so busy making gifts for everyone else. I'm thinking I will have some time though once we get to phoenix. Alex is doing well... growing like a weed. He pulls up on everything now and I'm still guessing he'll be walking by the time he turns a year old. He's still waking 2-3 times in the night which is starting to get old, but hopefully this christmas trip will shake up the sleeping a bit and we'll end up on a better schedule when we get back. It definately worked when we visited in the summer. Alex is eating more food these days as well - well sort of. He basically takes a piece of food, sucks the life out of it, and then spits it out. So every meal ends up being an absolute disaster of a mess. He can eat an entire burrito like this in one sitting and come back for more. I really need to find some disposable floor mats to put under his high chair to make clean up easier.

Anyway, just wanted to get one more post done before the holidays are upon us. We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Home for the holidays

2006-11-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Well, after all the dust settled, it looks like we're going to be home for Thanksgiving this year. Alex was just too sick to travel. top if off with the fact that Scott and Nick are sick too and this is what's best for the family. One of our friends has graciously invited us to dinner on Thursday so I think we'll be doing that. would you believe the poor kid developed an ear infection on top of everything else? I feel like I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel though. He's finally starting to get back to his old self and Scott and Nick seem to be doing better as well. Hopefully we'll all be 100% for christmas - Scott's booking the tickets today. :)

We have a diagnosis

2006-11-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

Well, we were told at the Dr.'s office today that Alex has RSV and bronchiolitis. I feel so bad for the poor guy. I guess it's good that we know what the problem is though. The ped doesn't think that this is in any way related to what he had last week. He's guessing he caught Nicholas' cold and it progressed from there. So we're on breathing treatments now and just watching him closely. Hopefully he won't have to be hospitalized. :( He will most likely not be over it by next week so alas, the breathing treatments will probably come with us to DC. Also, on a sidenote, Scott didn't get one of the jobs in Dallas that he was excited about, so all in all not a great day so far.

Sick kiddos

2006-11-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

So both boys are sick now. Nicholas is struggling through a typical weather changing cold. He had a hard night on Friday and I'm thinking maybe his throat was just really sore as that's what happens to me when I first come down with a cold. Now he just has a very runny nose and a cough. Alex is still struggling with fevers. he had yet another fever this morning when he woke up and he refused to nurse or eat solids the first few hours up. he finally did nurse, but I still have to say I'm a bit worried about him. I gave him motrin but his fever hasn't dropped yet and he's only nursed about 3 times today and hasn't touched any solids. :( He's also been sleeping pretty much all day. We have his 9 month well visit appt. tomorrow so hopefully we'll find out more then. I just feel so bad for him and a little anxious as well as we still don't know what's causing all this. Hopefully we'll get more answers soon. In the meantime I just hope he starts feeling better soon. Scott had his first official offer come in yesterday and we're hoping to get a few more job offers in the next couple weeks. Hopefully we'll be able to finish this process up before christmas, but if not, he will still have about 6 weeks of paid time to continue the search after the holidays. We're looking forward to Thanksgiving next week - hopefully everyone will be healthy by then! :)

Alex and the ER

2006-11-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

Ugh. So yesterday we ended up spending 6 hours between the urgent care and the ER with Alex. He woke up from his nap with a 103.7 degree temperature. That was a little high for my comfort level so off we went to the urgent care. Well, they poked and prodded him trying to find out what was wrong with him. I felt so bad. The poor guy had nose swabs, throat swabs, and blood sticks. They analized the blood and determined that he had elevated white blood counts so they told us we needed to head to the ER. So off we went to the ER where they proceeded to all the tests over that they did at the Care Now and then some. The poor kid was swabbed, rectal temped, catherterized, xray'ed, given shots, and more. He was so tired by the end of it that he fell asleep in my arms (and of course had to be woken up to have another rectal temperature 15 minutes later *sigh*). They gave him a shot of antibiotics and then he had to see the ped today (where they gave him another shot) and again tomorrow to make sure he's ok. It was diagnosed as an "unknown viral infection" so we don't know what caused it. Hopefully all is well now though. the poor guy's had a rough 2 weeks. :(

On a side note, I can't remember if I mentioned this or not but Alex has had both his 7th and 8th tooth come through as well. Alot going on for such a small guy. He seems to be taking it better than I would though.

Dino Days

2006-11-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

We headed down to Dino Days at the Nature and Science Museum today. I think Nick really had a fun time. He had a fish painted on his face and got to design his own brontosaurus and have dinosaur tatoos put on his hands. Even Alex got a tatoo on his leg. Nick was scared of the big dinosaurs they had there but loved all the little versions of them. He had a ball in the science area of the museum as well. His very favorite display was the marble rollercoaster. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It's about 9 feet tall and has balls running up and down and all around from high to low. We could barely drag him away from it! All the lights were being turned off in the museum and he still wouldn't step away. I'm think I have an idea of a future christmas gift when he's a few years older. ;) Just watching him I'm almost sure he's going to be some sort of engineer when he grows up. You can just see him processing how it all works.

Alex, on top of finishing up his stint of roseola has popped his 7th tooth as well. No wonder the poor kid's been having such a rough go of it. Between his cold, the roseola, and new teeth, it's amazing he manages to smile at all. I'm hoping we're starting to come out of the fog though, because I could definately use a break (and some sleep!).

We're starting to think a little bit more about schools for Nicholas. We really have no idea where we want him to go yet, we're just pretty sure public school won't be an option as of right now. We're leaning towards montessori and will be making a visit to Coppell Montessori this week (http://www.coppellmontessori.com/home/default.asp). I'm thinking he will more than likely start next fall and we will most likely just start him two days a week (not sure if it will be half day or full day yet) and then if he likes it, he can do an additional day the following semester. I don't think we'll start him full time though until he's four years old. We will also be going to an open house at a catholic school (http://www.thehighlandsschool.org/) and a UMS school (http://www.coramdeoacademy.org/) so that we can cover our bases, so to speak, and learn about a few different teaching options. Hopefully this will help us better determine what type of curriculum will work best for Nick in the future. It's absolutely amazing to me how many choices there are for school these days. I love that we have so many options, but it definately makes it challenging to figure out which one is the best for your family!

Roseola anyone?

2006-11-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Well, we figured out that Alex had Roseola. I had never even heard of this before, but after noticing him break out in a rash after his fever I noticed another mom had posted the exact same symptoms on my mom's group. I guess it's extremely common this time of year for children Alex's age. The good news is that once the rash comes, the hard part is pretty much past. I'm hoping that's the case because it's never fun when your kiddos are sick. :(

So today I wanted to post a few reminders for myself on some of the "isms" that my children do to help me remember as they grow up so fast! Nick is talking up a storm these days. He's very into the "skool" aka stool and takes it everywhere so that he can get a better view on the world. It's just so cute to hear him learning words and sentences. He's becoming clearer everyday, but we still have sentences that we have to listen more than once to. Nick's always been picky, but the past few days he's been surprising me with trying cajun fried catfish (aka fishsticks) and broccoli (aka trees) which he's been offered multiple times but never actually ate before. And yet, when I'm cooking he'll take his skool and grab the butt end of a raw onion off the table and take a big ol' bite. lol Go figure. Alex's personality is really starting to show lately. He does this thing with his eyebrows where he raises them and gives you a big old cheesy grin. It's so adorable and just warms my heart everytime. He's also into having his back rubbed to help him sleep. If he's cranky in the crib, all it usually takes is a couple swirl of the hands to help get him back to calm again. What else.... Alex loves to eat food. He's so different from Nick in this manner. Nick didn't have any interest really in solid food until he was closer to 9 months, but Alex has been scarfing it down since 6 months and will eat almost anything you give him. While I'm holding off on the major allergens like peanuts and seafood, for the most part, he's eating what we're eating. Oh, and how could I forget - Alex LOVES to be on his stomach. Trying to get him to lay on his back for more than about a second is next to impossible. It definately makes for interesting diaper changing. ;)

This is just a food for thought comment - today at MOPS we discussed christmas (it's only 52 days away, can you believe it?!) and there were some great ideas passed around that we may do at our house. It was suggested that instead of the kids making a list of what they want, they make a list of what they're going to give everyone instead. What a great idea to get kids focused on giving rather than receiving. Another thought presented was that each child receive three gifts because this is what the baby Jesus received. I know that as a child, christmas was definately about the gifts, so that last one may be hard for me, but on the other hand, it's important to remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place, so it maybe a good tradition to instill. Maybe in our house the parents can give 3 gifts and then Santa can give one or two more. ;)

Halloween, sick kiddos, and other adventures in motherhood

2006-11-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well, halloween was last night and Nicholas had a blast trick or treating. It was actually brisk last night and I had to layer his costume, but I loved it! He really brought home a big stash of candy which he will definately be sharing with mom and dad. Today we're pretty much in recovery mode. Poor Alex isn't feeling well. He's been a bit off for the past week, but the past two days he's been really unhappy. I may seen if I can get him in to see a doctor today just to make sure it's nothing too serious. Nothing new on the job front yet. Scott's just plugging along, interviewing and searching out new opportunities. We did find out that he has one official offer which is good news. He would ideally like to be done with this whole process by the end of November, but we're prepared to go through December as well. I really really want it to be over by January though, so I guess we just need to cross our fingers and say a prayer that he gets a great job that he loves. Anyway, I thought I'd share a few pictures from trick or treating last night. :) I'll post these up on the website as well.

Ahhhh... Sleep (and other sidenotes)

2006-10-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid to even type this out for fear I might jinx it. Alex has slept the past three nights and only gotten up once! For Alex, this is really good. It's amazing how good your mood is when you're actually well rested. I'm thinking we might finally be coming out of the newborn/infant fog. And speaking of newborns, Camilla had her baby today. A girl; Juliette weighing in at 8.8. She had her in under 2 hours! I sure wish I had babies as easy as that. Congratulations Camilla and welcome baby Juliette! Tonight we're off to a halloween party for Scott's work. I'm thinking Nicholas will be old enough this year to really get a lot out of it. We're looking forward to bouncy houses, stamps and witches brew. Nick is going to be a train engineer this year and Alex is going to be either a hand me down elephant (Nick's costume from 2 years ago) or a dragon. Happy Halloween everyone!

The Job Search

2006-10-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

So Scott is officially on the hunt for a new job. Well, he has actually been on the hunt part time since late July but just started looking full time in September. I have to admit, while I'm really excited for him to find something new, it's been really stressful as well. He's looking for jobs all over the US, including here in Dallas, so we have no idea where we'll end up. One day we're excited about a job in Colorado, the next day its a job in Connecticut and the day after that it's Dallas, or Charlotte, or New York - you get the picture. It's just so hard to not have any idea where we'll end up or when it will happen. I feel like I can't commit to anything until I know where we'll be. The nice thing though, is that his company is being very generous and giving him lots of time to look for a new job. He's been off travel for about a month now and his transition time still hasn't begun. We're expecting it to begin next week and he will have between 12 and 16 weeks before we officially get the boot, so to speak. This should put us through the holidays which was important to me as I definately do NOT want to be moving at that time. I do feel like this move is best for all of us though and I am really looking forward to seeing where we end up. It should be less travel than he was doing before and I'm thinking the position will be less stressful, so everyone should win. :) Sorry I can't add specifics, but if you need an update, feel free to contact us and we'll let you know the current happenings.

My first blog post

2006-10-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is. I've finally gotten around to starting up a blog. I've always said I wanted to do it to remember what it's like being a mom. Heck, I can barely remember my name most days so if I want to remember this experience, I know I'll need to write it down. :)~

I have two wonderful boys, Alexander and Nicholas. Alex is 9 months a week from Monday and Nicholas is 2.5 years. We hope to have a third, although I'll admit at this point I'm still a bit conflicted about going through the whole process all over again of pregnancy and baby. It's definately a lot of work and not alot of sleep or me time. The me time part definately gets to me sometimes. there are days where I wish I could just head off to a spa somewhere, and not have any responsiblity for a few days. I'm sure we'll eventually go through with it though. Right now I'm hoping I'll be more ready next summer/fall. I love my boys and would love another, although I will admit a small part of me really wants a girl. Either way we'll be happy though, of course. :)

A little about my boys: Nicholas is and active, gentle natured, independent little boy. He loves to just go off and play by himself. When he's in the right frame of mind, he can keep himself entertained for well over an hour. He's really into Thomas the Tank engine right now and is going to be a train engineer for Halloween. It's just amazing how fast they grow - I feel like he was just my baby yesterday and today he's already singing the alphabet song and starting to speak in sentences. Alex is a very social baby. He loves to be around mama and is happy being held by pretty much anyone with open arms. He's definately not as deep a sleeper as Nick was and it takes him longer to fall asleep at night and he wakes up more. but he is such a happy baby and that makes up for my lack of sleep. lol Just seeing him smile at me makes it worth it. He's always been a stomach baby and as a result was crawling a full 3 months earlier than his brother. He's already pulled up once and I anticipate him taking his first steps by the time his one year birthday rolls around.