Easter Egg Hunting

We took Charlie and Jackson to an Easter Egg Hunt the weekend before Easter. The weather was less than desirable. It was chilly and very windy. Charlie was not a big fan and cried for the first 45 minutes. His attitude turned around when it was finally time to hunt for the eggs. We had been practicing in the family room, and Charlie was ready to get some eggs. He loved toting his basket around and was reluctant to stop after the hunt was over. He kept going back out onto the field to get one last look for candy.

For the second year in a row, my camera battery has died during our Easter egg hunt...weird!?! So, here are some of the pictures that our friend took on her camera. Thanks, Diana!

Playgroup Turns Two

All of the kiddos in playgroup have their 2nd birthdays in February, March, and April. So we celebrated at playgroup last week. Patti, one of the mommies, made yummy cupcakes for everyone. Charlie picked a cupcake with blue frosting and made the biggest mess of the group - no surprise to this momma. We were missing two of our little friends. Here are the pictures of Charlie's three buddies: Collin, Mackenzie, and Chloe.

Range of Emotions

It's hard work being a baby!

Our Growing Boys

My mom and I took Charlie and Jackson for their two year and two month well check-ups today. I made the appointment when Jackson was only a few days old. As the date approached, I began to think that it was a mistake to bring both of the boys in at the same time. After talking to my friend, Stacey, who took both of her girls in at the same time, I knew it would be a bad idea. I called to try to change Charlie's appointment, but I would have had to wait until May. Not wanting to wait that long, I decided to go ahead and bring them both in at the same time. My mom was there for back up.

The appointment was not as horrible as I had imagined, but I will NEVER do it again. Charlie started crying the second we walked into the exam room and was pretty unhappy the entire time. My mom took care of him while I cared for Jackson. I definitely would have had a breakdown if I had been alone. Grandma to the rescue again!

Despite the craziness, I got the hear that I am the momma of two healthy boys. That is always music to my ears. Here are the boys' stats:

Charlie:

Height - 34.25 inches (50th percentile)

Weight - 30.4 pounds (75th percentile)

Jackson:

Height - 23.25 inches (65th percentile)

Weight - 12 pounds (65 th percentile)

2 Months

Jackson is two months old today, and I am amazed at how quickly the time has flown by. It really does go by much faster the second time. He seems so big, and I wish I could freeze time and just keep him a baby forever. I love looking at him and holding him and am trying to soak up every second. It has been such a blessing having my mom here to help, because I feel like I have gotten the chance to really enjoy this special time with Jackson.

He is really beginning to talk more lately. He says "Ah goo" a lot and smiles all the time if you talk to him. His little smile is just the sweetest thing. It is the first thing I see in the morning, and it really does make all of the late night feedings totally worth it. He continues to be a happy little guy, but he has started to have some serious meltdowns, especially around dinner time. Between 5-8:00 pm we are pretty much guaranteed to see Jackson totally freak out for no apparent reason. Nothing seems to calm him down, and he does not like to be held. Most nights, he ends up swaddled tightly, in his swing, with the hair dryer blasting next to him until he falls asleep. When he wakes up, it is as if the incident never happened. According to the doctor, it is probably colic. Most babies outgrow colic by 12-14 weeks.

Jackson's health has really taken a turn for the better. His new reflux medicine is wonderful and has helped with his congestion. He is much more comfortable during feedings and afterward. His sleep has improved greatly, which makes both of us feel better. The one area of Jackson's health that has not gotten better is the Thrush. We both still have it after 3 weeks of treatment. He is starting a new medicine tomorrow, and I have to speak with my doctor to discuss my treatment. I really hoped that we would get this under control, but it is proving to be quite tricky to get rid of.

We are beginning to develop a bit of a schedule around here. Now that he is able to sleep better, Jackson can go 3 hours between feedings during the day. He pretty much eats, is awake for about an hour, and then naps for 30 minutes, with one long nap towards the middle of the day. At night, he has one long stretch of sleep that typically lasts 4-5 hours. We even had a 6.5 hour stretch the other night!

Happy Two Months, Baby Jack! We all love you very much!

Charlie at Age Two

-Charlie is a people person. He really does not want to play by himself yet and does not have many toys that he enjoys. The little guy would much rather do whatever the grownups are doing - cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc. He can be the best helper. He loves the new grill that he got for his birthday because he can pretend to cook. He has become a very good pretender, and it is so fun to watch his little imagination growing.

-Music, singing, and dancing are a big part of Charlie's day. You will often see him bopping around the house and singing a song. One of our favorite family activities is a dance party. Charlie insists that everyone dance with him. He loves to listen to music in the car, and starts asking for it to be turned on as soon as we start buckling him in his car seat.

-He still loves to read. Every night, he goes to bed with a handful of books. We will often hear him reading to himself at night and walk into his room to find him reading in the morning or after a nap. He does not allow me to read to him. Instead, he wants us to read together. He reads his book while I read my own. Nick has much better luck actually reading to him. We can't quite figure that one out.

-If you want a good laugh, hang around our house for the day. Charlie is hilarious. He is just plain, old silly. He knows it, too. Once he gets a laugh out of you, he will keep going and going and going to get more attention. His belly laugh is still one of the best sounds I have ever heard.

-Charlie has officially entered the terrible twos. He screams, hits, throws things, and tests the boundaries all day long. Nick and I are trying all sorts of strategies to help him through this tough emotional time, but it is hard to remain patient at times. It is especially hard when Charlie looks us straight in the eye, smiles, and then does exactly what he is not supposed to be doing. Right now, we are doing time outs and ignoring him when he whines. He has started to ask nicely for things, but still needs frequent reminders. The next thing we need to work on is using an inside voice. The boy is LOUD!

-Playing outside is by far one of Charlie's favorite things to do. We built a retaining wall in the backyard last fall, but all of the rain slowed the progress. So we really have not had a chance to enjoy it. We are having sod put down this week, and we will soon have a swing set. I know Charlie will be in heaven once we can get out there and play.

-Communicating with Charlie has become so much easier. He is talking up a storm, and adds new words to his vocabulary every day. He loves to repeat new words that he hears and is proud of himself when he does. I am constantly amazed by how much he understands. The other day, as I was changing his diaper, I told him that his lovey was above his head without pointing. He looked up and found Lovey quickly. I was so surprised because we don't really spend a lot of time emphasizing where things are ( behind, under, etc.). The rest of the day, I made a conscious effort to point items out using these words, and I found that Charlie understood most of the directions I gave. Nick and I have been blown away by his mental development and growth over the past few months.

-Despite the recent increase in tantrums, Charlie really is a sweet, cuddly, loving little boy. He still loves to be held, and he is quick to give out hugs and kisses. His affection for me, in particular, has grown since Jackson's birth. He asks me to hold him a lot and gives me big bear hugs whenever we have alone time. He has started grabbing our hands and holding them close to his chest. I hope that he will always be willing to give me a hug like he does now.

I Love You, Dadda!

Nick was the first one to hear the three magic words that every parent can't for their child to say. Nick asked Charlie for a kiss yesterday, and after giving his Dadda a kiss, Charlie said, "I love you, Dadda." It is a phrase that both Nick and I have been longing to hear for two years, and it was so special because Charlie said it without any prompting. It was a heart-felt I love you moment for him, and I am so happy that Nick got to experience that with his son. I have to admit, I am a little envious that I have yet to hear Charlie say the same to me. Nick was very sweet, and tried to get Charlie to say it to me too. Of course Charlie would not perform on command, and that's fine. I will wait for my sincere I love you moment with Charlie. It will be a day to remember forever.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We honored our Irish roots today by wearing green. Thanks to Auntie M, the boys looked adorable.

It's Love

I am head over heals in love with these two beautiful boys! Things are crazy around here most days. Despite the craziness, I get to kiss and hug these boys every day. That makes me the luckiest mommy on the planet!!!

You Know You're Tired When...

Your husband wakes you up to let you know that the baby is crying. You sleepily reassure your hubby that you know the baby is crying and that you are taking care of it. Hubby taps you again and tells you that the baby is in the other room. You open your eyes to realize that you are patting the air and holding an imaginary baby. Oh goodness!

I now understand why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture.