Easter prep

In true family fashion, we headed down to a nearby lake for the annual Easter egg hunt. This year, Regan was too old for the stated ages, and although we saw many kids who were older than her participate, she was happy to instead help Lincoln. Sidney's age division moved her up to the "big kid" area and her hunt was a real hunt....like in the woods sort of hunt! (More about those woods later).  She was pretty excited, and even though she walked away with just a fe in her basket, she said it was a fabulous day and can't wait for next year.
Score! 

Lincoln was surrounded by fellow 1 year olds in his area. Less of a hunt, and more of a 'just try to stand on the grass, bend over and pick up an egg', sort of deal. 

He was super cute, not really sure what to expect, and just staring at all of those colorful-jelly bean-filled eggs. 

Regan was a great helper to him, and it allowed me to catch some pretty cute shots of the 2 of them, working together to fill his basket. 

We got a good laugh out of a boy nearby (older than Lincoln), who choose to stomp on the eggs and crack them open letting the contents explode instead of picking them up. He ran faster than his dad could catch him and made for quite the sight! 

While we waited for the countdown, I was able to catch a few fun pictures of the kids in the woods. These woods would later prove deadly as we trampled through them to find Sidney/Ryan, me carrying Lincoln, tripping on a branch, and tumbling to the ground.
Yes, I bit the dust in front of probably 200 people. With Lincoln in my arms. 

Awesome. 

Looking back, I'm a bit surprised that no one offered help, seeing as though I had just fallen while holding a 1 year old! Evidently, I make falling look graceful and his lack of a real cry meant he was fine.  

Lincoln is one independent little boy. He walked a good 3/4 of a mile back around the lake to the parking lot, all while dragging his filled basket. We pleaded to let us carry him (again, there were 200+ people around us), but he was having none of that. And so, we let him walk. 

On the bright side, at least the parking lot was fairly empty by the time we were ready to leave. His bunny basket on the other hand....the thing was filthy!

Later in the day we colored eggs. Of course, Lincoln had to stand on his own chair, without help, while coloring his egg. That boy was content and happy to play in his orange food colored water for as long as we let him. 

Both of the girls love coloring eggs. We got creative this year and opted out of kit buying. Instead, we ventured into Pinterest land and found that we could use food coloring to create our own colors (their favorite...TEAL!) and later made a second batch of eggs and used crayons on the hot eggs which then melted into some fun colors. Cool!! 

Sweet Sidney continues to be our little animated child. She was so excited to be coloring eggs with her siblings and loved our Easter prep day! 

Tubes-round 2

Friday morning, before the sun rose, we headed to the Day Surgery center for Lincoln's second round of ear tubes. The girls had gone on a sleep-over, at a dear friend's house to avoid having a 5:30am wake up call. Not that what they got was much different....apparently they could be heard at about 6am chatting away. I was relieved to hear they did well, and enjoyed their sleepover (Sidney's very first night away from home without a parent!). 

I can't say enough about how grateful I am for good friends. You know, the kind you can trust your kids' lives with. The kind that offers to take your kids for a sleepover. The kind that treat your kids as their own, complete with 11pm tuck ins and hugs when you  "miss my  mommy". It takes a village, and we are forever thankful for our village. 

Ok, back to the tubes. We arrived at 6:20am (only 5 minutes late), and were able to keep Lincoln happy despite his completely empty stomach. The poor baby hadn't eaten anything since about 9pm the night prior. He let us know that he was unhappy, and that he, above anyone else, would be in charge. As if that is different any other day of the week!

After a quick wait in the lobby where he played catch with a friendly family nearby, we headed back to the pre-op room where our lovely nurse tried her darndest to convince Lincoln for a weigh-in. He wasn't having any of it, and so we did the next best thing. I held him and got weighed, and then got weighed without him and we did the math. Thank goodness it measured in grams ;) We tried getting him into those cute purple PJ's, but he fussed and whinned and we quickly removed them. Again, our dear nurse tried her best, offering white pants (shorter) but he politely shook his head in disagreement. She offered to let us get him dressed in just his own PJ's, but by then, he preferred to run around with nothing. And so, we obliged. I think what was really making him mad (other than being in a strange room with strangers coming in constantly and no one bringing food), was the fact that his ankle bracelet was uncomfortable. 

I volunteered to bring him back to the operating room when the time came. Let's be honest, we knew Lincoln would prefer it this way and we didn't want to make him more upset. The time came, and I gowned up, scooped him in my arms, and walked to the OR with yet another nurse. The team in the OR was fantastic, sensing his attitude when we walked in (keep in mind, Lincoln was still just wearing a diaper at this point). He clung to my arms and the entire room tried to help him relax and sang Itsy Bitsy Spider and Pat-A-Cake....the entire room! It was so cute. I had been warned that he wouldn't like the anesthesia mask, and Lincoln proved that. He screamed as I had to hold his arms until his body started to relax and he was taken from my arms and laid on the table. There was a brief moment where I heard his shallow breathing and got alarmed, questioning the anesthesiologist  who assured me he was fine and in good hands. I trusted him. I had to. Our ENT was ready to work and I was ushered out to the waiting room with Ryan. 

In less than 15 minutes, Dr. H appeared and we breathed a sigh of relief. He was finished and Lincoln had been moved to recovery. In another 15 minutes we were back to see him and helped him come out of his anesthesia. He was crabby and out of it and really really mad. As long as I held him while standing, he was happy. Within about 45 minutes, we dressed him and had our discharge paperwork in hand. Happy to have that behind us, we headed home to spend the day snuggling! Here's hoping these tubes do the trick and we can avoid more infections, keep fluid out of his ears, and start talking more! (on that note, he spent the entire afternoon saying "mama, mama, mama"!!). 

Spring Break!....Sea Life

 With spring break this week, we opted to stay close to home for many of reasons (mostly because it's impossible for Ryan to take this particular week of the month off from work). And as we are working towards saving up for a "trip of a lifetime", I searched high and low for fun things to do close to home without breaking the bank. 

I felt like I won the lottery when I discovered some deep discounts to Sea Life through work. Yea for a fun morning!! 

Lincoln clung to me as we ventured through the tubes with the sharks/fish swimming around us. I think he loved it, but only if he was glued to my hip. He made a fishy face for most of our time there and when we later got home, he was telling Ryan all about our morning by doing his best shark impression (he stiffens his body with arms out straight in front of him and makes sort of a growly mean looking face!). 

We all love the jelly fish tanks. It's pitch black but simply breath-taking. Those fish are quite the creatures and watching them float about their tanks is almost calming. 

I love that the lighting changes in this room, because it keeps it entertaining for the little ones and allows for some pretty neat pictures. 

I let the girls bring along their iPods so they could take their own pictures (don't be fooled, Sidney looks like she's playing a game, but she's really just trying to figure out her camera/close ups). 

I'm so happy that we were able to see this awesome place! Can't wait to come back again soon. 

family time

Last weekend, we headed over to Como to take in the animals and spring flower display. We had heard about the newest zoo baby, a tiny orangutan baby girl and couldn't wait to lay eyes on her. 

Oh my, the monkeys (all of them), did not disappoint! It happened to be feeding time and so they were all so very active, coming up to the glass, showing us the new baby and gobbling up their lunch. 

I loved seeing Lincoln get so excited over all of the animals. He gave us his best monkey impression, "ohh, ahh, ahh, ohh". He loved it!!

And what trip to Como is complete without a quick visit to the sunken gardens. Both girls have developed a sincere love for the gardens and will eagerly pose for me. I should really do a time line collage of all of our pictures from here. 

17 months

Every month, when the day flips to the 28th and Lincoln turns another month older, I'm reminded just how quickly he is growing up. This past weekend I got to lay my eyes on a tiny 2 month old and I was re-wound to our past. Lincoln sure has grown and developed over these past 17 months. He's our precious-destructive-sweet baby boy and we love him so very much. 

It's been a busy month for him, as I look back. Another ear infection, a trip to the audiologist and another to our beloved ENT, then back to the pediatrician for pre-op all to prep for his upcoming surgery later this week. 

In between all the racing around town, he spent as much time as possible playing outside. He has a love for fresh air like none other. He also still loves books and balls. He is my little helper and often follows me around with his pint sized Swiffer or mini vacuum; and sits perched beside me in the kitchen as I cook. I will make a good husband out of him someday! 

Other tidbits of life at 17 months: 

*he's lacking a lot of talking, though we have been assured this is most likely due to fluid build-up. His mama/dada is often "ya-ya". He can say "hot" and "cuck" (aka: truck) which pretty much refers to anything that moves. Despite this, he gets his needs wants. He does a lot of pointing, a lot of grunting and even a lot of whining. He's got a pretty obvious head shake "no" and uses it constantly!
*he's a terrible sleeper, many nights we see every hour on the clock because he's rolling around and fussing. Again, I'm pretty hopeful this will improve after the next surgery. We haven't let him sleep a full night in his crib because I'm certain he would wake up the entire house at 1 hour intervals. No thank you.
* he can throw a pretty good temper tantrum and responds pretty well if we prepare a transition with warnings (ie: 1 more time), distraction (snacks work well) or a lot of laughing/giggling.
* he is sweet and snuggly and loves to tease us. He will run towards us for a hug and then just before he gets to our arms, he will quickly turn around and laugh as he runs the other direction.
* he is in LOVE with being outside. I cannot say it enough. He loves the sandbox, the slide, the swing, balls, the neighbors dogs, ride on trikes, his red car and just letting the sun hit his face. He could live every waking hour outside. And I am in love with the way his sun-kissed cheeks smell after hours in the fresh air.
* he eats what he wants and is constantly demanding jelly bread (thanks Grandma Jan for that one!). I fondly remember my own grandmother serving me jelly bread so it makes me smile to know my mom introduced him to the same yummy treat. Unfortunately, it's often what he wants at meal times too.
* motor skills-wise he can climb stairs (and down just a few going on his bottom), move the giddy-up horse back and forth, dance by spinning in circles and just recently shaking his hips sideways, and move a ride-on toy backwards (not forwards yet). His short chunky legs haven't allowed for him to climb up onto the couches or chairs yet and for this we are thankful because if given the chance, he opts to stand on this furniture and would for sure tumble off.

We love you messy face! 

Happy 17 months! 

belly belly belly

Our pediatrician has done this thing with our kids for as long as I can remember (over 9 years now!). Whenever she has to check out their bellies, she will say "belly belly belly", in a silly quick voice. It always makes them giggle and she can finish her check-list of their head to toe assessment. Now, as Lincoln is working towards learning his body parts and he was really gaining interest in his "belly belly belly". The other night, he darted off when I was trying to get his jammies on so we let him run for a bit in just his diaper. Soon, he came around the corner, trying to look over his big belly to find that belly button. 

And boy was he curious! He stood with his finger in there for a very long time, going back and forth from looking at his belly to smiling back at me. I love watching his face as he discovers something new, even if it is something so everyday like his "belly belly belly". 

Ice show debut

Regan and Sidney have been taking ice skating lessons for a few sessions now. Last year they came in on the tail end and when the ice show time came, we opted out because of over-scheduling. Fast forward to this year, when both girls got wind of the show again and just had to give it a try. And so, we obliged, paid the outrageous fee for 3 extra classes (only THREE to learn an entire song) and a couple of adorable costumes. 

Sidney was in the "Frozen" number and Regan in "Aladdin". They were most adorable and skated their best. Unfortunately, Sidney and her class couldn't get Olaf to stay built and spent the bulk of the song arguing over what to do with him. Watch it, and I'm sure you'll get a sweet chuckle. Sid on the other hand did NOT think it was funny and insisted I talk with her coach afterwards or she wasn't going to finish out the rest of the shows. 

Click HERE to watch Sidney.
Click HERE to watch Regan.

When dad is away....

...the rest of us shall play!

Ryan had to take a week long trip to Atlanta for work last week. When I told my friend at work about his trip, she had this secret idea. And so we started making plans for a BIG surprise for the kids. The only people that knew were her, me and my mom (had to let her in on it because she was spending the week with us). My friend has an incredible service dog and she was going to trust us with him on a sleepover!!! 

Oh my, if I could have figured out how to capture the kids' faces when I walked in, you would have heard the loudest screams imaginable! Regan was on the couch and leaped off to greet us and then screamed for Sidney to come see. Oh boy was it the best scene ever. Lincoln quickly woke from his nap and all three of them raced around the house chasing Baylor as he got acquainted with his surroundings. 

Click HERE for a quick video as they went round and round in circles.

We spent the evening going for short walks outside (it was cold I'll tell you), playing catch in the back yard and eventually moved our play indoors. Baylor spent his evening following Lincoln around, catching fallen snacks and licking his fingers after dinner was done. If only he didn't shed so much, he would be our house keeper! I am so thankful that Angie trusted us to have her precious-most well behaved service dog for a sleepover. You can't ask for a more well-behaved dog!

Now why did this all happen when Ryan was out of town you ask? Well....if he was writing this post, you would get a whole different perspective. Let's just say he's not quite the dog-lover that the rest of us are :) His reaction when we sent him selfies with Baylor? Not blog appropriate. Good thing he had 4 days to get over it before we saw him in person! 

For the love of outdoors

Our little guy just loves to be outside! And good thing too because we are kind of an outdoor living kind of family. But seriously, he takes it to another level. While daddy was in Atlanta last week for work (another post), he gave Grandma Jan a run for her money begging and pleading to spend hours outside. 

The girls have asked to take him in their pink car for a few days now and we finally gave in....the verdict, he LOVES it! I think he prefers Regan behind the wheel...let's face it, Sidney is a wild driver. She and a friend crashed into the fire hydrant just down the sidewalk; a fire hydrant that hasn't moved in the 5 years we lived in this house!

Oh I can't even get over this cute-ness! 

And when he's finished in the front yard, he moves to the back yard and it's more of the same. Pointing and begging to be placed in the play set (we do not have a climber on our hands) so that he can take a slide down our super-ultra-crazy-fast slide. 

His laugh is contagious and the smile across his face is simply the BEST! He's eaten sand, dug in dirt and kicked balls around. I'm patiently waiting for him to pick up the rabbit turds spewed around the lawn and offer them as a treat! 

Yea for spring time! 

Minihaha Falls--frozen edition

Among the chaos of life, we are really trying to find the balance between moments with electronics and moments with each other. I realize that we can't go days without computers, iPods, iPhones or iPads. (well we could, but it's not very practical). And so lately, I've tried very hard at deliberately putting down my phone during family time. If I take it out, it's usually for a quick picture and then it goes back away again. 

Last weekend ,we put down all of our gadgets and headed over to Minihaha to see the frozen falls before the big melt came our way. And the falls did not disappoint! Gosh almighty it was a sight to be seen.

Regan had a friend tagging along for the afternoon and she was impressed, having never seen them flowing or frozen. The girls had a great time exploring the muddy mess. 

They tried to convince us to let them step across the ice, claiming "it's frozen!"  Not so fast girls. We could just see their shoes pushing through the ice and turning into a wet mess. 

Instead, they were content jumping from rock to rock. 

And Lincoln had oodles of fun pointing out the plethora of dogs walking the park. We love the falls and are eager to see them flowing again and head over for a picnic. 

Yea for family time!