A Few Things About Laws

Lots of exciting things have been happening with my little man.  I thought it was time for an update.

First, Lawson is now a walker.  I know, it only took 16 months, but still.  The day we celebrated my birthday with family, he decided to stand up and start walking.  He still crawls a little, but mostly he is walking.  Pretty exciting stuff!

Next, he got his first tooth.  And now his second, third and fourth are all trying to make an appearance at the same time.  He is beyond cranky, having a hard time sleeping, has a constant runny nose and is producing nice and disgusting diapers.  All hallmarks of teething for my kiddos.  Fun times.

Also, he is climbing up into things.  He started climbing up on the ottoman in the living room, but quickly progressed to the rocking chair in his room.  I tried to get a good pic, but he wouldn't stop rocking!  He was quite proud of himself.

Another change coming our way is speech therapy.  Lawson isn't much of a talker.  I have been a little concerned with his speech so I took him for an evaluation today.  We will start sometime this week or next and I am looking forward to it.  I think (as do the therapists) that a large part of the problem is from when he had fluid in his ears and wasn't hearing all that well.

Lastly, for today, Lawson is finally big enough for his car seat that we bought back when he turned one.  My girls both hit the weight limit on the infant car seat right at their first birthday, so we assumed Lawson would also.  Not the case.  But, we have been working very hard to get him to put on some weight and I am proud to report that he is over 20 lbs now and if my scale is correct, close to 22 lbs.   We still have some work to do but he is making progress and I am happy.

I love my sweet little guy.   

Friday Five: Updates

Time for a few updates on the fam!  There have been lots of new developments going on and I don't think I have documented any of them!

First, one of the greatest things ever in all of time......MOLLY IS POTTY TRAINED.  Of course, now that I put it on the blog I am basically asking for an accident, but oh well.  We have been working for what seems like an eternity with Molly to get her out of diapers.  I hate having two in diapers.  It makes it seem like all I do all day long is change diapers.  So, we have been working overtime with Moll to get her out of the stupid diapers.  We tried candy and sticker charts and new princess undies and peer pressure and nothing was working.  And then we went out of town.  I just knew that throwing a wrench into our schedule and sticking her in the car for hours on end was going to erase any progress we had made, however, it had the opposite effect.  Cuh-razy.  I don't know why or how it happened, but while we were at the lake Molly stopped having accidents and started going in the toilet all. the. time.  And we are still accident free since being home.  We do still have to use diapers at nap and bedtime, but hopefully that will be over with soon also.  I used to hate it when people said their kids were potty trained when they were still in diapers at night, but I get it now.  She is potty trained.  She knows to go in the bathroom when she has to go and that is a MAJOR success.

photo from our recent playdate at chick-fil-a

Second, Lawson has done a few major things lately.  He is sitting up now, though he won't do it unless it's his idea, he is almost crawling (just needs to get one more arm in the mix) and he has been saying dada for like a month.  But the biggest Lawson news of all is his sleeping all the way through the night without waking up at all even for a paci replacement!!!!  Yes, yes, I know.  Kids much younger than Lawson sleep through the night, but well, I just couldn't find it inside myself to sleep train my little guy.  I have been tired, yes, but I have really enjoyed my middle of the night, quiet, nursing time with him.  And once again, by putting it on the blog I am practically ensuring that tonight he will be up a dozen times! 

Lawson being his regular smiley self.

Next up, Isabelle.  That girl is a hoot.  She is getting so big and so smart.  I have learned that for her when she says she wants to do school what she really means is that she wants to color pictures, read books and sing songs.  She does NOT want to practice writing, practice cutting or work on patterns.  Since she is already so far ahead in those areas I am going to give her a rest and try to get a little more creative in my schooling approach. 

Isabelle at CFA.

As for me, things are going well.  I joined a local MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group and l.o.v.e.d. it.  I don't want to sound to nerdy or cheesy or anything, but for a long time I have been trying all kinds of different things to meet people and get connected with other moms and each time have come up short.  While I have gotten something out of everything I have tried I always come away with the feeling that I haven't quite found a place to fit in or to belong. Because of that, I almost didn't go to MOPS.  I was apprehensive to say the least.  I was worried that I would be odd man out or that people wouldn't like me, or that I wouldn't like any of them, and I was worried my kids wouldn't like going.  Thankfully I went ahead and went and it was so great.  Like so great.  The girls had a great time, Lawson did great, I was not odd man out, in fact everyone almost everyone I met was new to the group this year, and they were all so incredibly nice.  Not fake nice, but like actually nice.  In case any of them are reading this I will stop now so I don't seem weird, but just between you and me, it was such an answer to prayer!

Lastly, J man.  Well, I bet you can guess what kind of updates I have on Jason.  He is busy.  Betcha didn't see that one coming!!!  That man stays busy.  I laugh when he says something about how he is "super busy this week" as if he wasn't "super busy" last week.  I am grateful that his company has work and that he is staying busy but there are times when I wish he wasn't so busy all the time. 

So there you go, some updates on our little fam.  I am almost done with all the laundry that we dirtied up while on our lake adventure.  This weekend is a busy one so I need to get it all finished today!  Hooray for laundry!

Around Here

Here's what's been going on around our house (and some pics of the kiddos)!

Last week we went in for some blood work for Molly to figure out if she has any food allergies.  We have been dealing with her "sensitivities" for awhile now and it feels like we are perpetually figuring out foods that don't agree with her and her stomach.  The blood work came back today and just as I suspected, no allergies came up.  SO frustrating.  I knew she probably didn't have any true allergies, but rather is just sensitive to some foods, but I wish I could know in advance which foods so that I didn't have to keep discovering new ones on my own.  Plus, poor Molly....who wants to feel sick to their stomach all the time, not to mention that she has non stop diaper rash from all the poop.  (sorry for the tmi)  So we will continue to keep a food log and watch for foods that don't agree, but really I am just sick of it all!

totes adorbs

In other news, Isabelle has a fun new saying!  Just kidding.  It really drives me crazy.  Whenever she wants something and is being told she can't have it, but then continues to ask and gets in trouble for asking over and over she will shout, "Never mind!"  Doesn't that sound just precious? 

from our recent trip to the zoo

Lawson is good, getting big.  Tomorrow he will be five months so I will do a five month post for him.  When we were at the doctor today I saw two newborn babies.  It made me realize just how fast they get big.  Lawson is only five months and he looks huge compared to a little baby.  It also made me slightly want another one.  Slightly.

moo with uncle dan at the zoo

My girls have been swimming like crazy.  Both are becoming expert swimmers.  Isabelle likes to have on water wings and swim all over the pool.  Molly on the other hand likes to go down the steps, get to the bottom step and then push off and swim underwater to either Jason or me.  They are both like little fishes.

also at the zoo

The summer bucket list is still in progress, but might need to be revised for Molly's diet!  Hoping to get the sidewalk paint project in this week! 
As for Jason, he is working like crazy.  Not as crazy as a month ago, but still pretty busy.

the cutest

And me, well, I am wrapped up in a current obsession...prek home school.  I would really like to find a curriculum (which I think I have at www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com) and start working with Isabelle this fall.  Technically, she could not start a prek program until next year, but I think she is beyond ready.  She already knows so much and is interested in learning more. 
Happy Monday.

Monday Updates on Tuesday

I obviously didn't get this posted yesterday, but better late than never, right?

Lawson chillin in the swing....and yes, it is a pink swing, but he doesn't mind.  He is secure in his manhood!

Lawson's first week came and went and we all made it just fine!  Jason went back to work on Thursday after coming home early Monday-Wednesday and even though I thought I was going to lose my mind, I didn't.  Overall we are all doing just fine.  Here are a few more updates from our family.
Isabelle's surgery is scheduled for a week from Tuesday.  I am both happy and not so happy.  I will be glad when the dark circles she has had under her eyes for more than a year are gone.  I will be happy when she can sleep through the night without waking up and eats like a regular child.  Mostly, I will be happy when it is all over.  I am not looking forward to the actual day of surgery.

As predicted, my precious Molly girl is having the most difficulty adjusting to little brother.  She is very sweet to her brother and hasn't done any crazy business like hit him or try to pick him up or anything, but she is having some problems in the obeying department.  I know that it is just a phase, but I am ready for it to be over!

Lawson had another check up today and is doing great.  He is having some difficulty gaining weight which is not super awesome.  We go back on Friday for another weight check at which point they pretty much said he HAS to be back at his birth weight.  I don't know what exactly will happen if he isn't, but I know it won't be good.  So from today until Friday, I am going a little overboard on the feedings to try and make sure the little guy gains some oz's. 
I have officially started weight watchers.  Don't be too jealous.  Seriously though, it isn't quite as bad as I thought it would be.  The hard part for me will be figuring out how many points all the recipes I make add up to.  And it won't really be hard, just time consuming.  Wish me luck.  I won't be sharing my weight on this here blog, but I will tell you that I want to lose 28 lbs and I will keep you up to date on how many pounds I lose each week.

We aren't doing too terrible for the first week of being home.  I have overdone it a bit, but am trying to be more careful in what I do.  It is hard to take it easy with two toddlers at home!  And yes, I am tired and yes, my house is a mess, but overall those things will get better with time.  Well, maybe not the house.  I can say with complete honesty that it isn't as hard as I thought it would be.  Not to say that it is easy, but I was pretty worried that I would be going absolutely nuts at this point and I'm not......I'm only slightly nuts!!!!  

Updates

It's been awhile since I have done and updates post and truthfully that is because there haven't been any real updates for a couple of months.  Sure, the girls are doing new cute things and we have done some fun, family things, but for the most part the last couple of months have been staying inside to avoid the heat, and me being sick as a dog from this current pregnancy.

Well, I am happy to report that all that puking is (mostly) over and sad to report that we are still hunkered down inside our air conditioned house trying to escape the sweltering temperatures here in T-Town.  This week, in case you were curious, temperatures are expected to be over ONE HUNDRED AND TEN DEGREES.  Over, not under.  That means it will be hotter than one ten.  HOTTER.  Have I mentioned how much I hate hot.  Anyway, moving on.

Soooo...the girls.  It is hard not to go on and on about how incredibly presh they are.  I am sure all moms think that about their kiddos.  But in order to keep it real, I will share some non-presh things!!!  Jason may kill me for sharing this...we'll see.  The other day when J got home from work, he needed to use the restroom.  A longer visit as opposed to a shorter one.  You know, #2.  Anyway, I thought it would be funny to give J the nickname poops-a-lot.  Turns out, Isabelle did think it was funny.  So funny that for three full days she called him Poops-a-lot Dickinson.  Luckily we were able to put a stop to it before Sunday morning church.

Molly has been quite the little cutie pie lately.  She is getting more daring, more vocal and is testing her limits more and more everyday.  She is climbing everything, including J's subwoofer in the living room, and is not a fan of being told no.  She is so different from Isabelle in that just telling her "no" in a stern voice is sure to produce a hysterical crying fit, where as Isabelle is hardly phased.  Molly takes after her father and it gets more and more obvious the older she gets.  We caught her with her tongue out when she was concentrating on something, which is SO Jason.

J's dad is coming for a visit.  The girls are excited to see their Paw-Paw.  I think he is excited also.  He might not be so excited when he sees the weather forecast for while he is here.  I think he may melt.  At the least, he will remember why he loves Seattle more than Oklahoma.

I hope the snow pictures helped you feel a little cooler while reading my blog.  Did I mention I hate hot?  Anyway, the last and final update is this.......drum roll please......Friday is the day we can find out the sex of this little baby.  I think that it is safe to assume we won't make our decision until Friday morning at the appointment.  So, I may or may not have a BIG update for you next Monday.  Of course, if you are on f/b you may know sooner than that!!! 

Have a great Monday.