3!!! Three. THREE?!?!?

My sweet David,

Oh, my dear son, how you have taught me the meaning of the word sweetheart! When I think about the past year, I just can't believe how many huge changes you have navigated with relative ease. You've become a big brother, learned to use the potty, started sleeping in a bed, and are able to speak your mind like a big kid. But through all of that, you have remained the same kind and sensitive little boy that you have been since birth.

I never expected how much I could enjoy an obsessed with cars. Specifically Disney Cars. It is so endearing, your love for the movie and the characters in it. We've all seen the show so many times that some of the quotes are part of our daily dialogue. I know all their names, their lines, and which stores carry which characters. When your dad and I discovered a clearance on the Cars die casts a few weeks before your birthday, we were like kids in a candy store. Although you would have been 100% satisfied with your cake, a balloon, and "Peterbilt". (You spotted him at Big Lots and haven't stopped talking about him since).

You were sweet about the cake, too, insisting that you just wanted another Thomas cake like last year. But once you saw the cake and realized that you would get to play with King and Chick when we were done, you forgot about Thomas. I really enjoyed making this cake for you.

It's no doubt that Katy is your best friend in this world at the moment. You miss her when she's at school, and look for her when she's not in the room. You bicker like crazy, of course, but you love each other. Even now that you have your own bed, you nap in her bed, like she's a rock star that you idolize.

You've adjusted well to having a baby brother. At first you really just ignored him, going about your business. But as Luke has gotten older, you are more interested in playing with him. You even try to drag him around and wrestle with him (too hard!). I hope and pray that you two will be good buddies in years to come.

You are such a sensitive boy, even to the point of causing some challenges. When you are hurt, it often seems as if your little world is coming to an end, and it can be difficult to get you to calm down. But on the other hand, you are concerned about others when they are hurting, and you will offer to share something of yours when someone is sad.

Although you are certainly active, you are more interested in playing games with your sister and acting out Cars scenes than riding bikes or playing ball games. You guys are always making up pretend scenarios, playing store, restaurant, and doctor. You are such a good sport, because your sister likes to call the shots. 

This year promises to be a big one, too. You will enter preschool in the fall, and you can't wait. You are so excited to go to the pool and the zoo this summer. I can't wait to get to know you even better as you mature into a little boy. You make me proud and break my heart all at once. 

I love you buddy. Hugga hugga. 

Happy Birthday!

Mommy 

Dress for a cause!

See this dress? When Katy opened it today, she said, "I love it!!" I am certain that we will see a lot of it this summer because it's just her style.

The best part is: the $20 that I paid for this dress is going to support my friend Kelsey in her March of Dimes walk coming up. Kelsey has participated since her son (turning 3 this month along with David!) was born prematurely at 31 weeks.  Her friend is making these dresses and giving all the proceeds to Kelsey's walk!

All I did was open up the Facebook link, (you don't have to have an account), look at the 2 dress options, click "contact me" and tell Liz which dress I wanted in what size. (The dresses are available newborn to 4T, bigger sizes can made as tops) She sent me an invoice via Paypal, which took 2 minutes to pay (there's $3 shipping, by the way). Then 4 days later - the dress is in my mailbox. How's that for service?

I just thought I'd share it in case you were interested. She's taking orders until April 1st!

Coming Up for Air

When I look back at my archives and there is a long break in posting, for some reason I assume that not much was going on during that period. But in reality, it's likely the opposite: that SO much is going on that I can't find the time to update.

March has been Sicky Month for us. The kids each had a nasty, long, feverish respiratory virus, in turn, so as to drag out being home bound for as long as possible. It led to an ear infection in one. And then most recently, we've had a bout of stomach flu. In the midst of that, life has continued to be full. Thankfully, it's mostly good things.

An update, Christmas letter style:

--David: I would say he's potty trained. He wears pull ups to church and for long car rides, but accidents are the exception rather than the rule. After that one setback, he seemed to get it. He's signed up to go two mornings a week to preschool in the fall (the same place Katy goes now). He had his first swimming lesson, but was scared and only lasted a few minutes. He also moved to a big boy bed, which required a major rearrangement. Katy got a day bed (thanks, Kristen!) that is high off the ground and girly, David moved to Katy's mattress-on-the-floor, and Luke got David's crib, because I like it better than the one Luke was in. We gave away Luke's crib. (Assumptions based on that info to be discussed at a later date)



It's so high off the ground, we had to put a railing up!



But she LOVES it.

In case you can't tell, he is sobbing, due to a miscommunication. He thought he was going to sleep in the tall bed with Katy. Not the greatest start to sleeping in a big boy bed.

Big sister tries to comfort him.

But this is the only way to calm him. (Freakishly bright flash - this was taken in the pitch dark)

As I feared, this new set up has led to new challenges at bedtime, and the kids seem to be staying up until 9:30 or 10 many nights. But I'm hoping that as the novelty wears off, we'll settle in. He's sleeping fine once he goes to sleep.

Luke: Holy cow! This kid is growing too quickly! He'll be 9 months tomorrow, and he is fast crawling, pulling up to stand, cruising, walking behind push toys, and climbing stairs. And he is SO stinking sweet and cute that I want to freeze time. He chases balls and laughs hysterically when Brian tosses him in the air. He wants to play with the big kids, but if you sit him in the grass, he is frozen because he hates the feel. His appetite has decreased quite a bit, and I feel like he isn't gaining weight as quickly, but I think that happened to Katy at this age, too. I'm only nursing him once or twice a day (really at night) because it got to be impossible. He's been sleeping almost-through-the-night, but then waking up at 5:30 for the day. Which just...ugh. But oh, well. His smiling face is a nice greeting at any hour.

Katy: She's getting to be so mature, and I think 5 is going to be a really fun age. I can have conversations with her that are so interesting. And she makes jokes that are actually funny! She's riding a two wheeled scooter and begging to take the training wheels off of her bike. We're working through some learn-to-read books because she is frustrated that she can't read signs/instructions, so she's really motivated to learn it. We spent the last month reading through her Beginner's Bible, which prompted a lot of discussions. (The other day when she had the stomach flu, I heard her praying several times for God to help her stomach feel better). She loves to play Skip Bo and Monopoly Jr. and create projects with fuse beads.

Brian: If you know my husband, you know that he likes college sports, and that he follows both OSU and University of Kentucky with great loyalty. Ever since I have known him, the question has occasionally come up, "What would you ever do if OSU played Kentucky?" Well this Friday at 9:45pm, we'll find out what he will do as the Buckeyes and the Wildcats meet each other in the Sweet Sixteen. If you ask him who he is rooting for, his answer is, "Whoever wins that game better win the whole tournament. Because if one of them ruins the chance for the championship and then loses in the next round, I'll be pissed." So there you go, teams, that's your mission.

Me: This is really about Katy, but our lives as moms are so intertwined with our kids' that it's hard to tell where one stops and the other begins. This month has been a big one for us, as it was time to enroll Katy for kindergarten. I could write a book about my deliberation on the decision. I assumed when we moved into this district that we would go to the neighborhood public school, but then I heard several negative things, specifically about kindergarten, that made me want to consider other options. But we debated and considered and went to meet with the principal this month, and the short story is that she is enrolled at our neighborhood school. I really like the principal, and after our meeting, I feel optimistic that he will place her in the spot where he thinks she should be. And now I am just praying that it will go well. I'm praying that we will love it, and that I wasted a lot of time worrying about nothing (wouldn't be the first time). But it feels like a huge step, letting her step into the unforgiving world like that. And we all know that schools are in turmoil right now, that people have lost faith in the educational system, and that budgets are only getting tighter. But this August, in what feels like a step of faith, we will see how it goes. (I know I'm a spaz, it will likely be fine.)

Next up...David's birthday! Spring! Fun plans! Family visits! We really made it.

Bros.

Luke's "big" Christmas gift this year was Thomas and Friends Early Engineers Roundabout Station (which I got for less than $5 thanks to Money Saving Mom). It's a wooden Thomas station, compatible with the rest of David's wooden Thomas stuff, but made for 18 months and up with bigger pieces and parts that go easily together. I knew Luke was too young for it at Christmas, but I figured that he'd be able to play with it by spring.

This weekend we opened it up. It just so happens that the train table also Luke's favorite place to pull up, stand, and play. So before I knew it - the boys were playing trains together!!! *angels singing*

Of course, after 2 seconds of bliss, David was screaming, "NOOOO!!!! LUKE! He's grabbing it, Mommy! Put this where Lukey can't reach it! Stop, Lukey!!"  Oh, look! They're having their first fight, too! It's a morning of firsts!

So after several minutes of gently encouraging them to share and play together and be kind (*ahem*), Luke was getting tired, so I picked him up and carried him into the kitchen, saying, "Okay, David, it's all yours. You can have all the trains to yourself now."

About  90 seconds later, David came into the kitchen and asked quietly, "Where's Luke, Mommy? I want to play trains with him!"

I've got a lot to learn about being a mom to brothers.

Spoke Too Soon

So in all seriousness, I don't think that I really believe in jinxing. Do I? No, I don't think so. But GOSH. Sometimes it really seems like you say something and then just as SOON as you say it...

Recently I said that the weather was nicer, that David was an easy-going and laid back kid, that potty training was going just swimmingly, and that we had been healthy all winter.

As it turns out, it's been cold and yucky this week.

And all the sudden, it's apparent that David is turning three. He is exponentially more whiny, demanding, and dramatic than he was just a couple of months ago.

And after a really super start to potty training, we had a serious set back. Like so many accidents in one day that I'm not proud of how I reacted. (I am planning to talk to the doctor about testing for his GI system, because that is just not normal. And it's really really gross to clean out of underpants.) Gradually, though, over the past week, I think we have identified the problem and regained our progress. Potty training is one of my least favorite tasks of parenting.

And finally, we've been sick this week. Not terrible, still. The boys have had fevers and nasty coughs and faucet-noses. I've debated about taking them to the doctor, but haven't. I think David is on the mend and hopefully Luke will be soon. He sounds so pitiful.

So what's the solution - don't report positive statements for fear of a change in direction? I don't think so...hopefully this is just a bump in the road that is moving forward.

Poor baby

We discovered that this baby spent the winter outside in the playhouse - without a coat!!

Fortunately THIS baby has more responsible parents. (just try not to notice the leaves in his mouth)

What?

You mean your 4 year old doesn't clip and organize coupons for fun?