Kisses

I decided to teach Katie a new craft today ... potato stamping. So, the table had to be cleared, spuds had to be cut, and paint had to be EVERYWHERE! That girl can get messier in 5 minutes than you could believe. And she tries so hard to stay clean, for about 2 minutes and then she just starts to have a good time. I should just be thankful that she loves doing crafty stuff as much as her Mommy. If I could just keep her out of "my room" and all my supplies I would be a lot happier.
Her homework today was to count backwards from 10. This was not going all that well until I pulled up some videos on YouTube of shuttle launches. What is more fun than counting down to lift off?!?! Apparently counting down to tickles, but that is probably just Katie.

Connor is "talking" up a storm. And he has just the sweetest smile, and he loves kisses! Well, when he is not screaming at the top of his lungs. He has entered the "fight sleep" phase. I was hoping we could hold off on that a little longer, but that is obviously one of those developmental things that preemies aren't behind on. And he is TEETHING .. and I swear I can already feel the little bugger trying to pop through.

Chunkier Monkey!!

We finally took Connor in to the pediatrician for his follow-up on the RSV last Friday. We were running behind so I had to leave Chip and Connor so that I could drive across town to pick up Katie, barely made it. Totally forgot to ask how much Connor weighed in at until a few days later ... 15 POUNDS!! Now, this was before his diaper change, and by all accounts it was quite full. BUT STILL!! 15 POUNDS!! He is such a cute little chunker though :) Today we had his follow-up at the urologist. Everything looks great, still mildly enlarged but the doc seems to think it is nothing to worry about.
Katie was so excited when I picked her up from school on Friday. She had gotten her first party invitation from a school buddy. Oh, you would have thought she had been invited to the royal ball. Little girls really are just the sweetest things!! Its not enough that they hug each other goodbye, but they just are so nice to each other. I am sure they have their disagreements during the day, but by the time I pick her up they are all friends again. Oh, and it was also the 100th day of school!! Katie's sugar was low so we got a little cake to celebrate ... hey, there wasn't really much in the house with sugar ... we had to go to the store :)

Saturday night I decided that Katie needed her hair cut. They are just so many times that I can listen to her cry at each stroke of the comb. And the "layers" that she got from the "professional" stopped looking good about three days after the fact. So, I gave her the shortie special. It is not as bad as it sounds, and on Katie it is the most adorable haircut ever.
Sunday ... oh what a day!! We had to make the trip to Target for the present, then to the party. And of course all this was done with Connor in tow. FREEZING COLD! We were the first to arrive at the party. And Katie was the only one from their class. I felt so bad for Seyerra. True her mom forgot to give her the invitations at the beginning of the day, but I am sure a few people got them. Birthdays are just such big deals at that age. And as excited as Katie was about going to a party ... I would not have wanted to disappoint either of them. Katie had a blast! She picked out all the things she would have wanted herself, the true sign of a good gift. She got Seyerra a purse, a makeup kit, and a huge lollipop. Although I think Katie really hated parting with that makeup kit. The girls ran around, did makeup, ate cake, and even braved the cold to jump on the trampoline.

And, of course, Katie threw a fit when it was time to go home. We had to promise to have a sleepover soon for the girls. Our house first, until Seyerra's parents can learn to check blood sugar.
Monday we had a wonderful trip to Walmart. About halfway through there came an announcement that there was a lost little girl about 5 years old, wearing a red shirt and jeans, with blonde hair. And here I am walking around with a 5 year old girl in a red shirt with blonde hair ... luckily I let her have her way and wear her purple skirt. That did not stop the sideways glances and the double takes. One woman I even felt the need to reassure that she was mine. And, like all shopping trips to Walmart, Katie cleaned up! She got two little crafting kits. One to make suncatchers and another to make bracelets. She got a new long sleeve leotard and v-front pants. And her favorite purchase, a Hannah Montana t-shirt. After all that, her patience was wearing thin and we only made it through half of the grocery section. Okay, so MY patience was wearing more than thin, too. Shopping with two is definitely an event.

My daughter is crazy and my son is 3 months old!

Katie is doing her best to send me to the nuthouse!! I know, it is so hard for her to adjust to sharing me with her brother, but she has had some super breakdowns lately. Early in the week I had to turn the tv off for the rest of the night because Katie thought it would be fun to stick her fingers in her ears while I was trying to tell her something. Then tried to tell me it was not because of me, but because she did not want to see the cat ... yes, she said see. She was crying and hiding under a towel in the bathroom floor. I am such a horrible mommy for actually expecting her to listen to me! Thursday night she completely freaked out when I turned off the tv when she was doingher homework. She had made some rude little noise when I tried to help her, and it seems that taking away the tv is the only real punishment I have. So Katie starts crying, and I mean absolutely bawling. To the point she is hyperventilating and actually throws up!! Over the television!!! So, I took it away from her for a day. Yeah, that did not help matters. I finally had to hold her still and talk to her for a long while, telling her how much I love her and how unimportant the tv should be. I think she is starting to understand about being rude, though. Eventually she calmed down, I got her fed and bathed and in bed. Not an experience I want to repeat anytime soon. The thing is, there was no tv on Friday ... and she played and crafted and had fun. I showed her how you can draw with a crayon and when you do watercolor paints over the top it will resist the crayon. We did that for an hour, at least. She does not even watch the tv when it is on. She likes the background noise. She likes to look up and see it. I think partly it is that she likes to be in control by having "cartoons" on instead of us being able to watch an adult program.
Connor turned 3 months old on Saturday. Not that anything big happened. I tried giving him a taste of rice cereal on Friday, but he hated it. He is healing pretty well, but it still looks so pitiful. He is staying awake more, and smiling more. He loves when Katie is silly!

Poor little bugger!

Connor had his circumcision appointment today. There is nothing more heartbreaking ... okay, that is a lie, but it is pretty bad. Totally not what I expected. I thought it would be a little snip-snip and voila, done. OH NO, they put this "bell" on the tip and you have to wait 8-10 days for it to come off. Who in the world came up with this barbaric thing?? I guess there is less of a chance that the doctor might accidentally cut too much, but it just looks so painful. In two weeks, when it is all over I know it will be worth it ... but until then my poor little bugger gets even MORE cuddle time that usual. I think the exact estimate is 23.5 hours a day. Oh, and did I mention that my chunky monkey is up to 13 lbs 10 oz!!

And I am not so cruel as to take pictures of that even if they had let me in the room ... so here are a few pictures of my smiling baby boy BEFORE we left for his appointment. And to be fair, here is pics of Katie, too.






And look who discovered the toybar on his bouncey!! We are still playing catch-up from being 6 weeks early, but he is moving right along. He is really starting to "talk" a good bit, too.

My Big Baby

Here are some pics of Katie in her brother's bassinet.

Happy New Year!!!

So, I rang in the new year folding clothes. Sounds exciting, huh?!?! In a way it is, since we have not seen our entire bed (and part of the floor) since before Connor was born. Oh sure, I am just using my infant as an excuse as to why the clothes weren't folded. There would have still been a pile of clean clothes waiting to be put away, just hopefully not as BIG of a pile. Regardless, the new year at least started with clothes folded ... except for the ones in the machine :)
Tried to send Chip a video message of Katie and I saying "Happy New Year", but for some reason his phone is not receiving some of the messages. Wish he could have been home with us ... he could have helped fold clothes, ya know! It would have been nice to get my first kiss of the year from my hubby, but almost as good (and in some ways better) to get kisses from Katie and Connor.
Yes, the five year old was still awake at midnight. She was actually in the shower, screaming repeatedly "I can't see, I can't see" and before that she kept asking me to tell her Marilyn Manson's name!! We were in Hot Topic at the mall and she saw this book about Marilyn Manson with his picture ont he cover. Ever since then she wants to go in Hot Topic to see the book if we are at the mall. She will beg to go see the "freaky guy". Lucky for us they changed where the books were and I think we may have convinced her that the book is gone. Regardless, she can never remember his name. You would think that would not be a big deal, but at least once a week I have to tell her his name. I guess it is a good sign that she can remember Zac Efron ... or is that a bad sign?!?!? Maybe by the end of 2008 she will not remember Marilyn Manson at all. We all have our dreams.
Connor was actually sleeping. He was even in the bassinet where he is supposed to be sleeping. Now I just need to convince him of that. (as I type this Katie is in the bassinet - I will put up pictures when I upload them)
Well, here is to a year full of cheer, a house free of clutter, and a healthy family full of love! Happy New Year!!