We have been having problems with our blog site but glad to say we are back up and running! And for anyone looking for other cute kiddos to follow, my sisters blog is thecoppertops.blogspot.com.
So things have been going great here. B had his last day of school last week with a performance that made me cry, we watched a friends kid for 3days so it was a big slumber party here. Rob and I celebrated our 5yr with a great dinner and night out (I am a lucky lady of 5+ years now :) ) Memorial day was great with good friends and good food. We brought a "crawfish boil" to AZ and it was a hit.
Boys Boys Boys....or at least that is how my house feels. Between my three and the constant influx of their friends I am VERY out numbered. Our latest "Boy" issue has been the wrestling....ugghhhh.... Is that all the male sex likes to do? Tackle each other to the ground, pull shirts and jump on each other? really? I mean, for the most part I am ok with this and until recently have felt like if you are wrestling and you get hurt...too bad. But Caleb took 2 too many spills this past week both of which were way to close to taking us to the hospital. So it was a whole new evaluation of "wrestling in the house". So the new rule is OUTSIDE. I dont care what happens but it happens in the front yard and here is my reasoning: If they all decide to take it out front than they are all in agreement that they want to wrestle and therefore if they get hurt it was their decision. Second, it is HOT out there so they are clearly committed and lets be honest...it wont last that long. The third and final thought is that there is really nothing to break out there and far less sharp corners for them to impale themselves on. I dont know if that is the right answer but it is the answer for now...keep you posted
Each of the boys is presenting their own challenge right now and I have been turning to friends and parenting books for the answers that are not there.
B is LOVING growing up, but there are growing pains! He does almost everything on his own (by choice), gets dressed, pours cereal and milk (a whole gallon ended up on the floor today...growing pain), he helps Caleb get dressed and he helps Austin with blankets, feedings, when he is crying etc. He loves doing everything on his own. This not only means messes but attitude! Since he can do a lot on his own he feels that he has a right to tell you how to do things and what you are doing wrong. (Not Cool) he has been talking back to every adult he comes in contact with telling them "how to do things".... Ugghhh. To his credit, he is a HUGE help and with his independence has emerged a really great swimmer! He wears a vest in the pool but can go all over the place, he goes fully under water, down the slide, in the deep end etc, he has the confidence he needs to keep doing great and by the end of the summer he will be swimming with no vest!
Caleb too is growing up and trying to express independence he really wants to try everything by himself. EXP. He starts getting out of the car (Tahoe) and say "I do myself" great................10 minutes later he has undone his seat belt gotten over the mess on the floor and is approaching the door. Just to call for help at the last minute so heaven forbid I go inside and put the melting ice cream away. He also gets very frustrated with his lack of language skills. He is talking like crazy but does not have all the words he wants so when he can not get his message across he pouts, and this is how his Pouting goes. First he does a fist shaking cry then he drops to his knees, slumps the rest of his body to the grown and casts his eyes down and to the far corner so that he can make eye contact with nothing but his own misery. It is quite a scene and he will keep himself on the ground for anywhere from 5minutes to 45. The thing that stands out the most with Caleb when he is not pouting his how much he loves people! He gets so genuinely excited to see people he cares about it is wonderful! You can top the feeling of seeing his face when he lights up at you coming down the hall!
Austin...they say they grow out of reflux anytime within the first year! Wow...we have a long way to go. But he is growing!!! He now wears 9mo clothing and smiles all the time (except when skyping..sorry people). He is also a very chill kid. Just like the other two he rarely cries and is always happy. we are so lucky and we know it. :)
Cant wait for you all to spend more time with these cute kids. Love and miss you all.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Best weekend...maybe ever!
Hey guys, we had one of the best weekends ever. Sunday was the day to end all days...we got up, got some excersize on our new bike equitment, then we hit the pool for some cooldown and relaxation. After nap we had a great dinner then we went to a free music night at the park where the kids danced until 9 while Rob and I had a glass of wine on the picnic blanket watching the kids go nuts! It was great!
The kids are hilarious and so cool.
This week B rode his bike all the way to his school (3.5 miles) which is really impressive for a 3yr old. He was so proud of himself! He and his brother were a hoot to watch dancing. For the most part they didn't really dance they just played crack the whip (Caleb was the whip) and Caleb always ended up on the ground and they would break out in hysterics! Then to break up the rough housing, Caleb would loose a croc (shoe) every once in a while and in great Big Brother fashion B would sit on the ground, grab his foot and wrestle the shoe back on. Caleb would be holding onto Braydon's head for dear life as he got jerked around on one leg. Once the shoe was back on they were back on the dance floor! It was SOOOO sweet to watch.
Caleb and the boots.....he has offically started to cry every time he walks in the cowboy boots. So as you can imagine I recommend that he doesn't wear them because they will hurt his toes. He then asks "walking hurt my toes?" "Yes" I say "walking in those boots will hurt your toes cause they are too small". "ok!!!" he replies. (What happens next is Hilarious!) he takes his boots off, wipes off the tear, Picks up the boots and runs to his barn full of horsies. He sits in front of the barn, puts his boots back on, smiles and says "no hurt, no walking!!!!" So now....he carries the boots to his activity of choice, sits in front of whatever he is going to do for the next few minutes and puts his boots back on. :)
Austin is great, he is such a "chill" kid and if it were not for all the extra laundry his spit up causes I may even say he is my easiest baby (which is really remarkable since they have all been so easy). He is gaining weight and growing like crazy! He had his 2month check up today and he is in the 75th percentile (quite a jump from the 10th percentile he was at 4weeks) He is smiling more and more and since he is only 9 weeks there is little more to report.
Miss you all and wish you all lived close enough to partake in our fun weekends!
The kids are hilarious and so cool.
This week B rode his bike all the way to his school (3.5 miles) which is really impressive for a 3yr old. He was so proud of himself! He and his brother were a hoot to watch dancing. For the most part they didn't really dance they just played crack the whip (Caleb was the whip) and Caleb always ended up on the ground and they would break out in hysterics! Then to break up the rough housing, Caleb would loose a croc (shoe) every once in a while and in great Big Brother fashion B would sit on the ground, grab his foot and wrestle the shoe back on. Caleb would be holding onto Braydon's head for dear life as he got jerked around on one leg. Once the shoe was back on they were back on the dance floor! It was SOOOO sweet to watch.
Caleb and the boots.....he has offically started to cry every time he walks in the cowboy boots. So as you can imagine I recommend that he doesn't wear them because they will hurt his toes. He then asks "walking hurt my toes?" "Yes" I say "walking in those boots will hurt your toes cause they are too small". "ok!!!" he replies. (What happens next is Hilarious!) he takes his boots off, wipes off the tear, Picks up the boots and runs to his barn full of horsies. He sits in front of the barn, puts his boots back on, smiles and says "no hurt, no walking!!!!" So now....he carries the boots to his activity of choice, sits in front of whatever he is going to do for the next few minutes and puts his boots back on. :)
Austin is great, he is such a "chill" kid and if it were not for all the extra laundry his spit up causes I may even say he is my easiest baby (which is really remarkable since they have all been so easy). He is gaining weight and growing like crazy! He had his 2month check up today and he is in the 75th percentile (quite a jump from the 10th percentile he was at 4weeks) He is smiling more and more and since he is only 9 weeks there is little more to report.
Miss you all and wish you all lived close enough to partake in our fun weekends!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mothers Day Weekend
Hey moms out there! Happy Mothers Day!!!! I had a wonderful Mothers Day. Friends of mine from College came in town and stayed with us and there is nothing better than to share/show off your kids on Mothers Day! They made a wonderful Mothers day brunch and we relaxed by the pool, went out Saturday evening and really just had a great time. I got a MAJOR response from the last blog so I am sticking closer to what yall wanna hear about and will give an update on all the men in my life. This week I will start with the smallest of men....Austin.
AJ is a small version of Braydon. Their baby pictures look almost identical and I gave you one of B at 2mos for a point of comparison... it is crazy how similar they are. He is still throwing up all the time so the laundry is off the charts but in BIG news we got our first smile from him this week! Talk about rewarding!
Caleb is teetering on weather or not wearing the cowboy boots is worth the discomfort. This week we left them at home 3 days and 2 other days took them off saying "no mommy, boots off, hurt me". As you can see in the pic of what I call his "den" he is quite and animal lover. Every night he sleeps with 2 stuffed horses, a bunny rabbit, a lady bug and a dog. Maybe being a vet is in his future? He also likes to dress the part for the pool but he has no interest in getting in. He is always on the side playing at the water table and using water torture on the dogs.
Braydon LOVES the water and gets in almost everyday even though it is all by himself. He is at such a cool stage that he can play for hours by himself in the pretend world he is creating with his cars or other figures. He had a great week at school they did May Crowing and talked all about the Virgin Mary and he gave me a detailed report on Caterpillars turning into Butterflies and he made a cocoon at school.
Rob is doing great and had a really good time with our Friends also. We have found some "Favorite" spots in Scottsdale and with AJ getting older we are going out more and more. He is off to Seattle for work this week and will be living out a packed schedule from Monday to late Thursday night when we get him back. Work seems to be going fairly well and he really made Mother's day special by interviewing the boys and making me cards with their quotes on them. I love them!!
B's card said "Good Job making us dinner and playing with us" and he asked for a Christmas tree to be drawn on the front to color.
Caleb's card said "Thank you for my milk, my horsies and hugs" and he asked for a horse to be drawn on the front for coloring.
I am such a lucky mom!
AJ is a small version of Braydon. Their baby pictures look almost identical and I gave you one of B at 2mos for a point of comparison... it is crazy how similar they are. He is still throwing up all the time so the laundry is off the charts but in BIG news we got our first smile from him this week! Talk about rewarding!
Caleb is teetering on weather or not wearing the cowboy boots is worth the discomfort. This week we left them at home 3 days and 2 other days took them off saying "no mommy, boots off, hurt me". As you can see in the pic of what I call his "den" he is quite and animal lover. Every night he sleeps with 2 stuffed horses, a bunny rabbit, a lady bug and a dog. Maybe being a vet is in his future? He also likes to dress the part for the pool but he has no interest in getting in. He is always on the side playing at the water table and using water torture on the dogs.
Braydon LOVES the water and gets in almost everyday even though it is all by himself. He is at such a cool stage that he can play for hours by himself in the pretend world he is creating with his cars or other figures. He had a great week at school they did May Crowing and talked all about the Virgin Mary and he gave me a detailed report on Caterpillars turning into Butterflies and he made a cocoon at school.
Rob is doing great and had a really good time with our Friends also. We have found some "Favorite" spots in Scottsdale and with AJ getting older we are going out more and more. He is off to Seattle for work this week and will be living out a packed schedule from Monday to late Thursday night when we get him back. Work seems to be going fairly well and he really made Mother's day special by interviewing the boys and making me cards with their quotes on them. I love them!!
B's card said "Good Job making us dinner and playing with us" and he asked for a Christmas tree to be drawn on the front to color.
Caleb's card said "Thank you for my milk, my horsies and hugs" and he asked for a horse to be drawn on the front for coloring.
I am such a lucky mom!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Lets get to the good stuff
So this blog is gonna just be about the good stuff.... the boys!
Braydon:
B is a great big bro to the other two boys! He helps get Caleb dressed in the mornings (Zonie doesn't want moms help), he gets sooooo excited for his brothers when they get something new. He was genuinley thrilled for Caleb when he got a horse in his Easter basket! He told him how cool it was and he asked if he could show him how to brush his tail. It was so sweet, he took the horse just long enough to show Caleb how to do it and then he handed it back to him and said "There Caleb, that is how you do it, that is a neat one." Such a great big brother moment! Another of my recent favorites was this week we were in the car driving to the store and B exclaims "Hey! Mom, he let go of my finger." "What" I say. "Austin let go of my finger and I didnt want him to". :) Turns out that he tries to hold Austin's little finger every time we are in the car. I love that stuff!!!
What more can I tell you about B right now? He dresses himself every morning, he got is first Rosary this Easter, he has a couple really good friends here that he talks about all the time. His favorite game with Caleb is wrestling, his favorite thing to do alone is play "cars" (the cars from Cars movie to be specific) He recently got one of the characters...Mack..and he can not stop playing with it!! Great gift Cathy and Tim!! Thanks!!
Braydon has also taken to the cat across the street, Neo. Neo is a black long haired cat that is really friendly dispite the boys thinking they can play with him like a dog. B is starting to get that cats are less for "playing" with and more for petting and snuggling. He actually really likes this. he sits on the grass, puts his arm out and calls Neo over. He loves when Neo rubs around his legs and nudges him with his head, he will squeal with delight "Mom, Neo is snuggling me!".....now he wants a cat. So between the two dogs we already have, Calebs horse obsession and now B's cat interest we are going to have to move to a farm!!
Caleb:
Zonie, lets see...Zonie...he is talking all the time! He tells stories and communicates with B all day long (and this is what I mean by communicate). Exp: Caleb: "Bray, outside?" Braydon: "No, I dont want to go outside right now I am playing cars." Caleb: "Horsies?" Braydon: "No, I am gonna play with my cars" Caleb: "Me too?" Braydon: "Yeah, you can play too, here is Charlie Checker, you can be him."
It may not seem like much, but Caleb only needs a word or two at time to have full interaction with his fav playmate, Bray.
Zonie is completely obsessed with Horses, Cowboy boots and Cowboy hats. He can spot a horse ANYWHERE! and I assure you, you have never realized how many horses there are in your day to day world until you hang out with him. Did you know Tillamock cheese has a horses on it? Polo shirts (of course, but they don't even really look like horses), Wells Fargo bank....horses, street signs in OldTown Scottsdale...horses, Texas license plate...horse, They are everywhere!! and he loves them all equally. He has recently been exposed to Indians riding horses (the movie Spirit) and now he asks to go shirtless when he rides his horses.
And the boots/ wardrobe.....We are about two weeks into wearing boots exclusively!! The boots don't even fit anymore so he can not wear socks and he has blisters on the back of his heals. Don't think the blisters discourage the wearing of the boots...there is nothing that can discourage the boots! (Did I mention that his feet stink all the time) he even wears the boots during his nap. I make him take them off for night time and bath time but the rest is up to him. At least 3days a week he picks out his one and only Polo shirt to wear and calls it his "Horsie" shirt, it was originally a bright yellow with Navy Polo emblem but now it is a pale yellow with a light blue/purple emblem. Cowboy hat....often but not as often as the boots and he has to leave it in the car on most occasions.
I will admit that everyone who sees the boots thinks it is adorable and he has fans all over Arizona!
Austin:
Itty Bitty is doing great! Growing like a little tumble weed, he is in 3month clothing now. He has fat on his checks and legs! He is adorable. He is awake now for hours on end which is allowing his brothers to get some good quality time in. They play with him in his excersaucer, Bumbo and blankets. They set books up for him to look at, they bring him toys, etc. The other day he was in his swing and I went to check on him and you couldn't even see him. He had a doll, plastic keys, stuffed horse and two crackers on top of him. I took it as a sign that they really like him. Caleb giving him the horse was huge and knowing that Braydon was willing to part with two Teddy Grams was also monumental.
:) They are amazing and I probably don't give ya'll enough of an insight to how cool their little personalities are...so there you go!
Braydon:
B is a great big bro to the other two boys! He helps get Caleb dressed in the mornings (Zonie doesn't want moms help), he gets sooooo excited for his brothers when they get something new. He was genuinley thrilled for Caleb when he got a horse in his Easter basket! He told him how cool it was and he asked if he could show him how to brush his tail. It was so sweet, he took the horse just long enough to show Caleb how to do it and then he handed it back to him and said "There Caleb, that is how you do it, that is a neat one." Such a great big brother moment! Another of my recent favorites was this week we were in the car driving to the store and B exclaims "Hey! Mom, he let go of my finger." "What" I say. "Austin let go of my finger and I didnt want him to". :) Turns out that he tries to hold Austin's little finger every time we are in the car. I love that stuff!!!
What more can I tell you about B right now? He dresses himself every morning, he got is first Rosary this Easter, he has a couple really good friends here that he talks about all the time. His favorite game with Caleb is wrestling, his favorite thing to do alone is play "cars" (the cars from Cars movie to be specific) He recently got one of the characters...Mack..and he can not stop playing with it!! Great gift Cathy and Tim!! Thanks!!
Braydon has also taken to the cat across the street, Neo. Neo is a black long haired cat that is really friendly dispite the boys thinking they can play with him like a dog. B is starting to get that cats are less for "playing" with and more for petting and snuggling. He actually really likes this. he sits on the grass, puts his arm out and calls Neo over. He loves when Neo rubs around his legs and nudges him with his head, he will squeal with delight "Mom, Neo is snuggling me!".....now he wants a cat. So between the two dogs we already have, Calebs horse obsession and now B's cat interest we are going to have to move to a farm!!
Caleb:
Zonie, lets see...Zonie...he is talking all the time! He tells stories and communicates with B all day long (and this is what I mean by communicate). Exp: Caleb: "Bray, outside?" Braydon: "No, I dont want to go outside right now I am playing cars." Caleb: "Horsies?" Braydon: "No, I am gonna play with my cars" Caleb: "Me too?" Braydon: "Yeah, you can play too, here is Charlie Checker, you can be him."
It may not seem like much, but Caleb only needs a word or two at time to have full interaction with his fav playmate, Bray.
Zonie is completely obsessed with Horses, Cowboy boots and Cowboy hats. He can spot a horse ANYWHERE! and I assure you, you have never realized how many horses there are in your day to day world until you hang out with him. Did you know Tillamock cheese has a horses on it? Polo shirts (of course, but they don't even really look like horses), Wells Fargo bank....horses, street signs in OldTown Scottsdale...horses, Texas license plate...horse, They are everywhere!! and he loves them all equally. He has recently been exposed to Indians riding horses (the movie Spirit) and now he asks to go shirtless when he rides his horses.
And the boots/ wardrobe.....We are about two weeks into wearing boots exclusively!! The boots don't even fit anymore so he can not wear socks and he has blisters on the back of his heals. Don't think the blisters discourage the wearing of the boots...there is nothing that can discourage the boots! (Did I mention that his feet stink all the time) he even wears the boots during his nap. I make him take them off for night time and bath time but the rest is up to him. At least 3days a week he picks out his one and only Polo shirt to wear and calls it his "Horsie" shirt, it was originally a bright yellow with Navy Polo emblem but now it is a pale yellow with a light blue/purple emblem. Cowboy hat....often but not as often as the boots and he has to leave it in the car on most occasions.
I will admit that everyone who sees the boots thinks it is adorable and he has fans all over Arizona!
Austin:
Itty Bitty is doing great! Growing like a little tumble weed, he is in 3month clothing now. He has fat on his checks and legs! He is adorable. He is awake now for hours on end which is allowing his brothers to get some good quality time in. They play with him in his excersaucer, Bumbo and blankets. They set books up for him to look at, they bring him toys, etc. The other day he was in his swing and I went to check on him and you couldn't even see him. He had a doll, plastic keys, stuffed horse and two crackers on top of him. I took it as a sign that they really like him. Caleb giving him the horse was huge and knowing that Braydon was willing to part with two Teddy Grams was also monumental.
:) They are amazing and I probably don't give ya'll enough of an insight to how cool their little personalities are...so there you go!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
album 04\24\2011 (61 photos), by maureen jenkins
I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos
Funcle and Easter
Hey guys, Happy Easter! Hope you guys all had as great of a weekend as we did! Jonny came in town this past Thursday and was here through Easter so he got to experience all the "kid" activities he could handle. Egg dying, Egg hunt and party, pics with the Easter Bunny, basket hiding and more. We had a blast and the kids loved sharing the fun activities but I think he is looking forward to the piece and quite of his own place.
The Easter party was possibly the best yet, there were only about 6 families but everyone had a blast (the Sangria was great!) and everyone stayed way past when we thought they would. The kids all found a ton of eggs as you will see in the photos and how no one ended up sick between that day and today is beyond me. Just like at Halloween we allowed the kids to eat until they could not eat anymore...so they ate....and ate....and ate! Robbie has refused all diaper duty since the candy intake has begun and I have to say it was a good call on his part.
We have been in the pool the last few days so that has been really great for the kids. I am a bathwater kind of girl so I have been on the side watching the fun with Austin. They have their water table set up right out by the pool with an umbrella in it, the slide pulled to the pool edge and floats everywhere. It is a regular party out there. They each have swimsuits with floats built into the chest and they love them! They get to be very independent in the water. Speaking of independent the kids swim lessons start Tomorrow so hopefully by the end of the summer they will be "independent" without the float suits.
Easter morning was magic today!!! This is the kind of stuff that I LOVE about being a parent. We hid buckets of candy for each of the kids and Calebs had a little horse (with removable saddle and a horse brush!) he is hooked. Braydons had a dirt biker and motorcycle in it...he has also not let his new little goodies out of his sight! The "hunt" for the buckets was great! and I tried to capture their little faces on camera so enjoy!!
We miss you guys!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Hey from Cousin Camp!
Hey every body! Hope you are all doing great. We are having so much fun with the Burke family! The kids get along so well and they have all changed a ton just since Christmas so I am glad there has not been too much of a time gap. Caleb and Sammy are playing together more and more as they both grow out of that "individual play" stage and to be honest I think Sammy likes having a little "boys club" to be a part of here at the Doane house. Jess and I sit back and watch during the week at how they all kinda puff up at each other with little shoves, mean looks and grunts. Not much comes of it but all the same it seems pretty innate to them and it is fun to watch.
We made an effort to take pics of all the kids together and what you see before you on the blog is the only 2 good pictures of the 50 or so taken....so enjoy!
So now for a little recap... Jess has continued to be a huge help each and every day even going so far as to let Rob and I have a few Date Nights. Not having the cost of a sitter has been great! Braydon went to school and soccer this week and had a lot of fun! He is getting really good at soccer and I think he is feeling more and more confident at school....so much so that I had to stay after and talk to his teacher on Thursday about some "behavioral concerns". Awesome,....having a teacher request you stay to discuss a topic like this is the last thing any parent wants to hear. Turns out his "behaivor" needs to be adjusted during school hours so Rob and I are on his @$$ like you can only imagine.
On another Braydon note, he is HUGE! I just can not believe how tall he is. In all the pics I am struck by how old and big he looks! I just cant believe this is my first baby...and he is so old and independent.
He and Grace have had a great time together and talk about INDEPENDENT! They don't need us for anything! Jess and I are constantly commenting on what they can do on their own now and the really cool thing is that they talk to each other all day long. We are not really clear on what it is they discuss all day but at any time you can hear them chatting, laughing and negotiating about life. You got me on what they are talking about...but apparently 3yr old conversation is very stimulating.
I would also like to make the announcement that the Burkes have found a House (probably not my announcement to make)!! I am not quite clear on which of the many we have discussed that has become the winner but I know they are excited and they will be in Denver in June! Congrats, Burke fam!! The pics look fabulous and since it will be where my family spends much of their Colorado time I am thrilled to say, "I approve and it is gorgeous" :) .
Caleb..poor litte guy...went to the Doctor again this week and turns out he has yet another ear infection, Strep and muluscum. I have to tell you that hearing all of that really took the wind out of my sail. I feel like I have just gotten Ausitn healthy and here we are fighting another health battle. He is on a new medication for 2 weeks and if that does not do the trick we will be making an appointment with an ENT for tubes.....keep your fingers crossed it clears up!
Austin was the reason for the Dr. Appointment and I am thrilled to announce that he is doing great. He weighed 8.11 as of last Thursday so we are packing on the pounds and looking more and more healthy! He is doing great at night sleeping 3-4 hours at a time so going to bed at midnight means only one wake up a night! You dont hear me complaining!! He is also on formula exclusively now and though you would have been hard pressed to convince me, it has turned out to be the best thing for him.
Robs work is still taking up a crazy amount of his time but there have been some major break throughs that will prove more time at home in the long run. The hiring freeze he had has been partially lifted, "survey season" is over and his last survey went really well. The Holidays are obviously over and best of all he has learned all the new systems and feels he has a fairly strong grasp on Pheonix, its market, his roll and how he is going to make his impact! For what it is worth he seems less stressed and we look forward to having him around more.
We have had a great time with Friends here this last week and with each month that passes Rob an I are feeling more and more at home.
Look forward to all of your up coming visits and most of all THANK YOU all for the help with Austin, Calebs birthday gifts, baby gifts and care packages!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU , THANK YOU!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)