Flashback Friday

We're kinda missing the sunny skies of California these days....

3 months

Lincoln hit the 3 month mark today. It's a bittersweet moment, as it meant I headed back to work and he to daycare. He's did marvelous on his first day and was his happy-smiley self when I picked him up this afternoon. Technology has changed the way our daycare does things; and we now get updated via an app at each feeding, nap, diaper, play time, pictures and more! Unfortunately, he didn't sleep much at all today (there's a lot to acclimate to) and so he's pretty wiped out this evening. I don't mind the snoozing baby in my arms as I type though. 

So what is he up to at 3 months....

He's our A.M.A.Z.I.N.G baby. Simply put, he's easy. 

He eats like a champ, sleeps when he's tired, and just takes in the world around him. We "play" toys with him (aka: hold it in front of him to watch), and he adores anything with lights. Most often, the holder of the toy grows bored long before Lincoln does. He also enjoys being read to; we read the same 6 books over and over again and he is mesmerized by them. 

He has started laughing and this sound is heavenly! He's ticklish and will giggle and laugh with us for a long time. Sometimes Sidney gets carried away trying to tickle him and he gets upset....can't blame him. He loves to watch her, most often from afar, as she dances and runs and plays. 

As far as stats, nothing official this month. He's pushing 20 lbs and his length amazes us. He is one BIG baby! He's getting stronger so it's becoming easier to hold him (less flimsy head); although I commented today that it's strange to walk the halls of the hospital without 20 extra pounds in my arms. I feel so light! Carrying him in the car seat is quite the sight, I have to arch way back as we race from the car to the door in these frigid temps.

He wears 6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. Bath time remains a favorite and it wont be long before I'll be wet from his splashing!

He fits right into our family and we adore him so very much.

We love you sweet baby Lincoln! 

Regan's winter show

Regan has been working very hard on learning her dance recital dances. This weekend she finally got to show off all that hard work with her performances on stage. That girl loves being on stage, never has had an ounce of stage-fright. She smiles and truly enjoys herself; and for this we are grateful! It will take her far in life to have the confidence to get up in front of an audience. 

She performed in two recitals Saturday, and participated in one VERY long dress rehersal Friday night. This year was a bit different for us, I was tied up with Lincoln (literally) so Ryan had his first experience with all that dance business. He told me that he's had enough dance to last him many years :) We were able to gather up the troops to take in one of the recitals, yes, even Lincoln. He sat quietly on my lap for 3 entire hours as we watched dance after dance! Never made a peep and slept for only 30 minutes. He is, by far, the best baby ever! A friend next to me commented that Lincoln was less-antsy than her date! Sidney sits on the edge of her seat at these recitals, really getting into the dances. This show has a Black Swan villian theme and she is in awe at the performances. I think I had just as much fun watching her as I did the dances. We keep asking her if she wants to dance and she keeps repeating that she's afraid, and so we wait. This year her two BFF's were in the show though, and that has really made her think about joining. 

Here's a video of one of Regan's dances, she was on the wrong side of the stage and you can tell she's a bit confused (and then races to the right side towards the end). 

ENJOY! 

Cheeks

Lincoln has the most scrumptious cheeks. No one can control themselves when they see him; it's the first thing out of their mouth! And yes, mom and Cindy, you are correct in your guesses on the prior post....I'm on top, and Ryan on the bottom (clearly I had some big cheeks too!). 

Last week, it dawned on me that Lincoln would probably be able to use the Bumbo now. This is a piece of gear we didn't have for either of the girls, but we are borrowing from Ashley (THANKS!). I tried to put him in the bumbo, but clearly his chubby thighs match his cheeks because he didn't fit! Ash text me and said "shove him in there and snap a picture", so here you have it. Poor kid is shoved in the Bumbo, and in complete shock of this new view of his world! 

Don't worry, we figured out a better way to put him in there, and he now enjoys spending a few minutes in this chair....until we try to get him out. His thighs prevent him from being just picked up, instead the whole chair comes with him. This causes hysterical laughing from the girls as I try to pluck the chair off his rear end :) 

Love you Lincoln! 

Flashback Friday

Can you guess which parent is which baby? I'll give you a hint, Lincoln is in the middle. 

Life with 3 kiddos

One might think that life with 3 kids would have us looking like Regan in the picture below. Fortunately for us, my lack of blogging is only due to my desires to spend every second with those 3 beautiful faces. So what have we all been up to.....

Regan: She's about to turn 8 years old. Eight. Years. Old. Where oh where has that time gone? She is doing wonderfully in school, although continues to be a bit chatty. As for her activities, she really likes to try it all. She stays busy with dance (tap/jazz/ballet), ice skating lessons, gymnastics and most recently, is on the swim team. Those activities have us running all across the metro, but man alive, is it fun to watch. She will perform in a winter dance recital at the end of the month and it's one of my most favorite recitals to watch (it's the same show each year, but as the kids get older, the dances they perform change). She's really worried about not knowing her dances, so she's taking these classes seriously. Her skating ability has grown tenfold and she truly enjoys lacing up her skates. She's working on front handsprings in gymnastics and as I help her practice, I'm getting lessons in this skill too! As for swimming, it might be the most impressive sport. Maybe it's because Ryan and I can't do the butterfly, but watching her perfect this difficult stroke is incredible. When we have the chance to lounge around at home, she likes to watch movies, the Disney Channel, play on the iPad and create masterpieces on her rainbow loom. Ryan most recently taught her to scoot around the house using not one, but TWO scooters simultaneously. This is quite the sight and I secretly tried it today when no one else was around!  

Sidney: What can I say about this little spit-fire? She is just that, a full of energy, ball of fun, spit-fire. Shane said it best when he visited, the things that come out of her mouth are down-right funny, gut-busting hilarious at times....but someday it's going to get her in trouble! The other day we played a game together and I lost. She stood up, danced around (even whipped out a lasso dance) singing "I won, I won, I won.....you lost!" So much for lessons on being a good sport! 

Sid keeps us busy with gymnastics and swimming also. She is working on handstand bridge kick-overs and her little body is incredibly strong and flexible. She's a ball of muscle that girl. During swimming, she works on front crawls and side breaths. It's a must for her to be a confident swimmer this summer and she's well on her way. She is our active child, with endless energy and an attitude that has us asking "where did she get that from?".  She has an amazing imagination; so much that even Regan begs to play with her during imaginative play. Her favorite toys currently are fairies (Tinkerbell and friends) and Barbies...or better yet, combining these two loves of hers.  

 Lincoln: he's what we have been told is called "the take-along baby". You know, the kid that you 'take along' to all those activities for the above children. And he is quite the sport. He rarely fusses and is just a happy, easy-going baby. I've said it a hundred times, he is our easy-button. When we have the chance, one of us is snuggling him on the couch. I have logged hours on end just cuddling him. I don't ever want to look back and be sad that I didn't take enough time to snuggle or cuddle. He will fall asleep in my arms any chance he has and I simply love it. At swimming, at gymnastics or wherever we are, he's in my arms. Eventually he wears tired of the action in front of him and gently falls asleep. He's busy working on tummy time (pictured below) and is our shining star at this skill. He also smiles and laughs and coos like nobody's business. I honestly hold conversations with him of back and forth cooing. Ryan thinks this is beyond hilarious, listening to Lincoln coo and talk for a very long time. 

so there you have it. An update on the kiddos. We are happy, we are healthy and we are enjoying every second of life with our newest member who seems to fit right in around here. 

2 month stats

Lincoln saw our lovely pediatrician yesterday for his 2 month appointment (he's actually 2 mo 10 days). I had hoped to bring only him to this appointment, but with the recent cold snap, Regan didn't have school and had to join us. Turned out to be a good experience for her, she really has a motherly nature to her. As the nurse gave him shots, Regan held one hand and sincerely said "I wish I could take the shots for him". Melted our hearts. He screamed his lungs out and took a while to calm down, but was his happy, usual self the rest of the day. 

Doc says he's doing great, right on track developmentally and is one good baby. She had to do a double take at his stats though, no lie. She actually said "is that right?!" when she rattled off his weight...drumroll please....17 lbs 5 oz!! That puts him in the 99th percentile! It's no wonder my back aches daily :) (The girls were both under 12 lbs at this age). Length is 24.9 inches, putting him in the 94th percentile! 

He's wearing mostly 6 mo clothes, no wonder! 

Lastly, he started giggling this week! Most adorable sound ever!!

Cold days

It's not snow days we are having lately (those would actually be FUN). It's 'cold' days. Downright freeze your butt off cold. So cold that we haven't been outside in 48 hours. And to say we are going crazy is putting it lightly. Neither of the girls have been to school since before Christmas. 

To pass the time, we are playing with toys, jumping rope, creating with play dou, making cards, baking bread, cleaning the house, emptying closets, having dance parties and singing karoke (on a side note, I'm not sure if I could ever again listen to Demi Lovato sing "Let It Go" without cringing....). 

Ryan and I really strive hard to limit the girls to the recommended "no more than 2 hours/day of screen time"; but when we've been inside for 48 hours, with a newborn who needs to nurse every 3 hours, we caved. 

 Because I needed a break from the whining, fighting and screams. 

But today I got the crazy idea to do some cold weather experiments. First up: the boiling water tossed into the cold air. Now this one was mighty cool in the girls' eyes; and I rank right up there on the cool mom scale now, but I have a pretty burn on my wrist for my efforts. Dang! I dropped the pot after tossing the water into the air, watching it evaporate (except for the cup that splashed up onto my wrist).

Next up: how long does it take to freeze a wet t-shirt. Regan grabbed her iPod and timed this one. We could literally watch the wet t-shirt flapping in the wind get stiffer and stiffer until I was sure it was no longer moving. Regan read aloud the time: 2 minutes and 3 seconds. Holy that is cold!

Our last experiment idea was given to us by my brother and we'll have to wait for the results until tomorrow. We currently have a sealed bottle of water sitting on our deck, which I would assume will freeze, but he tells me otherwise. I guess we'll find out in the morning. Until then, I need to go find some burn cream for my wrist....

Baby smiles!!

Isn't it the most adorable sight!? Even the girls are snapping pictures of him left and right at these lovely grins :) Our handsome happy boy!

Lincoln's baptism

In the presence of family and friends and with the grace of two wonderful Godparents, Lincoln was baptized last weekend. It was a lovely celebration in a church we couldn't be more proud to be a part of. 

He didn't cry at all while blessed with the water, but as you can tell, I needed a little help holding him up. Our big boy! 

Here are a few extra pictures from our wonderful (yet very cold!) day: 

With Fr. Dale

Lincoln wasn't happy when we tried getting a picture of him next to his cake...but the kids were ready to dig in and eat! 

Lincoln's Godparents: Shane and Kari

Papa and Grandma Jan

Grandpa Arnie (recently renamed "Uncle Arnie" by Sid but I don't think he really likes that name!) and Grandma Sheri

2 months old

Lincoln is now 2 months old and becoming much more interactive. Just in the last couple of days, his smile has blossomed into a full blown toothless smile that melts our hearts. It catches the attention of everyone around and we are all so in love.

As for everything else: 

Lincoln continues to be our champion all around. He has been sleeping through the night since 4 weeks old, going to bed about 10pm and waking around 6 or 7am to eat. During the day he will nurse every 3 hours, almost like clock-work. He is spending more time awake between feedings and will listen to stories being read, watch the action of the girls, or look at toys put in front of him. He is the typical baby that you read about in books, in that when over-stimulated, he will look away (towards a blank wall for example). This happens mostly when Sidney comes around :) He has a love/hate for that girl. Just tonight he loved listening/watching to her sing Itsy-Bitsy Spider with the hand movements, but then later wiggled in despair when she tried to give him a tight squeeze. Regan is another story, he seems to be pretty happy whenever she is around. He will watch her in awe as she reads stories to him and doesn't (usually) become upset when she holds him. 

As for his newborn noises, they all still present. And often loud! We love listening to his little snores or grunts. He recently has started going for his hand to suck on, and prefers this over a pacifier (and we have tried several different styles). We really are discouraging this because I'm hearing it is incredibly difficult to break a thumb-sucker! Thankfully he'll take the pacifier (for the most part). 

Unfortunately, he still is a spitter-upper, but most of the time it doesn't seem to bother him. On most days I am spit up on countless times, and the smell makes me smile as I think of how lucky I am to have him. I have however thought about how I could go into business designing a burp cloth with a pouch in the back to catch the spit as it falls down my back and before it splatters onto the floor! 

As for stats, those will have to wait until next week for his 2 month appointment. We know he's a big boy, as he's already into many 6 month outfits! I have no doubt that he will outgrow his infant carrier much sooner than we expected!

We love you Lincoln Ryan! 

2013: A year in review

As I look back at the thousands of pictures taken in 2013, I'm caught thinking about how we've all grown over the last year in the fun we had as a family. There were countless adventures, parties and experiences and I can't help but think how lucky we are to have three precious children that make our days full. 

Oh we have our moments, of course. But at the end of the day, as we tuck everyone into bed, we thank our lucky stars to be a family. So, here is a glimpse of our 2013 A year in Review:

January: ice castles. 

This was a unique experience for me and the girls, something they have never seen before. It was cold and awesome all wrapped up into 20 minutes of awe. 

February: Regan's 7th birthday. 

We hosted a slew of Regan's fellow first grade friends for a hair/nails/candy bar/pinata party, during a snow storm nonetheless! I can't tell you how much of a wonderful experience it was. She has some amazing friends, as do I. If it weren't for some great parents' help, I wouldn't have pulled this one off.  

February was also the month we found out we were pregnant with Lincoln. It was a month of secrets and so much fun to share that experience with each other. 

March: Our first picture of Lincoln, at just 9 weeks. Seeing the heartbeat pitter patter away is an experience to remember. Tears of joy were sure flowing between both of us and the u/s tech. She's been with us through some painful days and the joy in her voice is one I will never forget as she announced our healthy baby. 

April: Regan with her amazing teacher and student teacher. 

Holy buckets these two teachers are wonderful. Words cannot describe their patience and love for children. Regan had her music program in April and these two were so proud of their class and all they had accomplished over the school year. 

May: from sunny California we sent our love back to Minnesota. 

A week in California for our family vacation was something the girls will remember forever. From beaches to Disney and pools to zoos; vacations are just never long enough. The girls keep asking when we can go back to Cali. 

June: Hope's graduation. 

I am beyond-words-proud of my oldest Godchild, Hope on her graduation from high school. She is now an adult and enjoying her time in college. She is an amazing role model for our girls and they sure enjoy spending any time they can with her. She held her party at Herman in New Ulm and what kid doesn't like scaling the sides of Herman the German, that view is spectacular!

July: we made a babysitter out of Shane!

Shane spent the summer with us and got to spend an entire day babysitting the girls in July, something I'm sure they will all remember forever. What babysitter lets you throw pancakes in the street?!...or better yet, pancakes at his beloved TRUCK! The bond between him and the girls grew exponentially this summer and the cheers I would hear ("Shane's home!") got louder and louder as summer went on. 

August: another trip to the cabin. 

To put it bluntly, the girls LIVE for this trip. Year after year we have been going to the cabin at the end of August/beginning of September with the Wallner family. They get to play with extended cousins, fish and be kids outdoors. I love the laid back feeling of this trip. There is no cleaning to be done, no laundry to fold and no yard work to do. We spend our days chatting in the sunshine, playing lawn games, swimming and fishing. There really is nothing better!

September: Sidney turned 5

Among pumpkin patches and the start of fall colors, we celebrated Sidney's 5th birthday with a pool party. She invited some of her friends to swim on the hottest day of the summer, I swear. She had so much fun celebrating her birthday with her friends splashing away in the pool. She is one sweet, spunky 5 year old. 

October: Lincoln is born

After a long-awaited 9 months, we were finally given the green light to meet this adorable bundle of joy. Lincoln Ryan was born on 10/28 at 3:28 pm weighing a whopping 9 lbs 6 oz. My water broke at 2pm in the afternoon but thankfully we were already at the hospital, because let's just say that my doctor informed me we would not have made it to the hospital in time! He came quick. I think I'll have to do a blog post on his birth story just to remember. 

He was welcomed with squeals of love to our family. A BOY! 

November: more Vikings losses

Although the Vikings continued to lose, game after game, we continued to support them and tune in week after week; only to be disappointed. 

But having 3 kids decked out in Vikings gear sure makes for a fun picture!

December: our first Christmas as a family of 5

December was filled with school programs, family celebrations and holiday preparations. We enjoyed sitting in front of our fireplace and snuggling up with a movie, all while arguing over who got the best blanket of all....Lincoln :) 

We wish you all health and happiness in the New Year and look forward to new adventures!