Caption It Sunday - Target Trip

This picture definitely needs a cute caption. Any ideas? Write a caption for the picture and lave your suggestions in the comments below.

10 extra credit points (and bragging rights) to the best one!

Jason, Daddy, and Shawn at Target earlier this afternoon.

I just love how this picture seems to capture Shawn's sweet little smile at the exact right moment. :-)

---

Last week's winner is... Grandma (my mom) with "I think it needs a little more sugar!" and "Oh yeah.....much better!"

20 extra credit points (10 for each caption) heading your way, Grandma! :-)

 

I think it needs a little more sugar!




Oh yeah.....much better!

 

Cute Baby Saturday

4 calendar months today! (17.5 weeks) Wooohooo!

Hugging Sophie

Hamming it up for the camera

Big Boy!



Chillin' on the exam table...
waiting for shots.

 Jack had his 4 month well baby visit today. According to the pediatrician's official opinion, "He's a big boy!" lol.

Height: 27.5 inches (I measured him at 28 inches, and their measuring technique is not the most accurate, so I am not sure if that is right.)
Weight: 18.10 pounds!
Head size: 17 3/4 inches

He's above the 95th percentile all the way around.

Thankfully, he is doing just what he's supposed to be doing, and there is nothing to be concerned about at this point. The pediatrician gave me the food introduction chart so I can start feeding him real food once he masters his rice cereal eating. Yeah! He's going to LOVE that!

So, all in all, it was a nice appointment. The only downside was that he got some shots and an oral vaccine. He had a rough night when we got shots the last time, so I am making sure to dose him with Tylenol regularly to try to ward that off.
---

I went back to check on the big boys' weights. Jack is measuring about like they did at 8 months old (5 months adjusted).

Num Num

Jack got himself a new friend...

Meet Sophie the Giraffe.

I heart Sophie.

She likes hanging out with Jack.

Sophie is so cool.

She likes to chat.

What's that you say, Sophie? I am having trouble hearing you.

She loves Jack, too.

Num, num, num. Boy you taste good, Sophie!

It's a good thing. I'd hate to see what Jack would do to her if she didn't!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday - The Way Back Edition

In honor of Mr. Tank's new love of food, here is the dynamic duo and their fun time with speghetti. :-) My little guys are too cute!

Shawn - July 2009

Jason - July 2009

Silly Boys

Silly boys in plastic tubs...



Don't be deceived by this cute little face.



Or this one, for that matter.


That's the shoebox sized tub, by the way. Lol.

These boys are always getting into something. Literally. :-)

Perfect Moment Monday - I Spy

I spy, with my little eye, a door with two boys so neat...

I spy, with my little eye, kisses that are oh so sweet...

 

I spy, with my little eye, giggles, and laughter, and fun...

I spy, with my little eye, hugs for everyone!

Caption It Sunday - Rice Cereal Day 2

These pictures definitely need cute captions. Any ideas? Write a caption for picture 1 or picture 2...or both if you're feeling inspired. Leave your suggestions in the comments below.

10 extra credit points (and bragging rights) to the best ones!




Picture 1



Picture 2

 As you can see, the boy had a much better experience today. He managed to eat three tablespoons of rice cereal today and didn't cry once! In fact, I think he downright enjoyed himself! :-)

---

Last week's winner is... Eva with "I ate a Smurf!" and "Look at my bright Smile!"

20 extra credit points (10 for each caption) heading your way, Eva! :-)



I ate a Smurf!




Look at my bright Smile!



Cute Baby Saturday - Not a Fan

I tried to hold out until his 4 month appointment on the 29th, but I decided it was time to give Mr. Tank some chow, or as it's known in the baby scene, rice cereal.

He was getting to the point of not being satisfied with a mere 32 ounces of milk...he wanted more, more, MORE!

Who am I trying to kid? He's been at the point of not being satisfied for a few weeks now.

As much as I tried to get him to listen to reason, he just wouldn't accept that he could not drink 7 ounces from the bottle every three hours like he wanted to. I tried showing him the chart that says to give no more than 32 ounces a day. It was right there in plain sight, but nope. I tried to convince him that his doctor visit was coming up, so he needed to just relax for another week.

He wasn't buying it.

He's a stubborn one, my Tank. He gets that from his father. Ahem.

Of course I did not have anything at home, so I loaded everyone up and headed off to Target. (I just want to add here that I took them all BY MYSELF. As in ALONE. With a headache! During the time they are usually sleeping napping having quiet time in bed. Thankfully, we all came out of the experience alive. It could have been very, very bad.)


Bless the person who invented these carts.
Jack is in a carrier on my chest.

Once home, I gave the big boys their lunch and made Jack his first bowl of food.

Surprisingly, it didn't go too badly... (the big boys' commentary through this video cracks me up, too)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Having trouble viewing the video? Click here.

He managed to take maybe five or six bites before he decided that he was going to give in and cry. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

But then I got cocky. I thought I'd get him to finish the bowl. It took three more bites before I decided it was time to stop.


Not happy.




Definitely not happy.




"NOT HAPPY!" he says.
Is it wrong that I LOVE this picture?


It is clear that he isn't exactly a fan of the new food...yet.

But he will be. My guess is that it will be sooner rather than later, too.

The best part is that when he was done, my boy slept! And didn't eat for 5 hours! (Do you know how freeing it is to have 5 hours in a row without holding a bottle?!?) And he managed to not beg for more when he hit 32 ounces of milk today.

Woooowhoooo!

I Love You

Back in the NICU days, Isaac and I used to sit and hold the boys for hours. For months we would rock them, talk to them about whatever we could think of, and just plain sing.

There is one song from those days that we still sing. It's a simple song, with only a few lines, but it has remained part of the boys' nightly ritual, especially Shawn's. Now it is his lullaby and I always sing it to him every night before he goes to sleep.

Here he is singing the song just for you.*

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

If you're having trouble seeing the video, click here.

Wasn't that the sweetest thing? It makes my heart get all mushy and everything!

Who'd have thought that something made up late one night would be the one thing that survived from that time? I sure wouldn't have. But what can I say? They love this song, and I love singing it to them. I love hearing them singing it themselves even more. Maybe, this silly song will be something they sing to their own children one day. :-)


*Ok. I'll admit that he wasn't singing the song for you per say...he was mostly singing it so he could watch himself on the camera. Ahem.

Art

Or alternately known as "It's A Man, Just Like Daddy."


The picture*...

and now the explanation...

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

If you're having trouble viewing this video, click here.

*This artwork is composed entirely out of play food. The boy has quite the imagination, that's for sure!

16 Weeks Old!

My big boy!

4 months old already??!! Nooooooooooooo......!

Weight:  18 pounds and 8 ounces by my scale (between the 90-95th percentile)

Length:  28 inches! long! (above 95th percentile)

Wearing: size 2 Huggies diapers and 6-9 month clothes

Feedings: Jack 5-7 ounces of formula a feeding (every 3-4 hours) for a total of approximately 32ish ounces a day. He'd drink more if he can get away with it. Someone is SO ready for solids, it isn't even funny.

Favorites: Jack is in love with his brothers. He watches them and laughs at them. My guess is that he learning lots of awesomeness from them too. Now Jack is a fan of bath time and kicking/splashing water at mommy and daddy. Lastly, Jack loves to chew on my fingers.

Least Favorites: Jack does not like to be away from the action. He must at the very least be in the same room with everyone (unless he's asleep) but prefers to be held and down in the thick of things.

Issues: I am happy to report that there don't seem to be any issues at the moment except the possibility of a tooth coming in. Please don't let that mean I've jinxed us the second this is posted!

Personality: Jack loves to be a part of the action, especially when that means he is snuggled and loved on. He still does lots of talking. He is very determined and gets super frustrated when things don't go as he expects them to.

Areas to work on: Same as last month...Jack is getting so close to rolling over. Jack also needs to work on bearing weight on his legs.

New Things: Jack continues to sleep through the night. We know he is definitely ticklish and laughs when he gets slurberts under his arms. He is starting to maneuver his bottle to and away from his mouth.

Randomness: Jack has his 4 month well baby visit at the end of the month. Don't tell him, but he will also get another set of shots.

---

Some things Jack does: (milestones for four month olds)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

• Smiles, laughs (yes)
• Can bear weight on legs (I'd say this is emerging. He can, but doesn't do it a lot--must work on this I guess. Maybe this is hard for him because he's so big?)
• Coos when you talk to him (yes)

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

• Can grasp a toy (yes)
• Rolls over, from tummy to back (No, but he's so close to rolling from back to tummy! He likes to hang out on his sides more often than not.)

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

• Imitates sounds: "baba," "dada" (maybe)
• Cuts first tooth (maybe.)
• May be ready for solid foods (yes-just waiting for the pediatrician to give us the all clear when we go next week)

Jack's two month stats are here.
Jack's three month stats are here.

Kidbits: Our Life in a Series of Face Book Updates... Part 7

Shawn just came and confessed that he threw his glasses (a big no no)...and put himself on the naughty chair! It is hard to be serious when they crack you up!

July 18 at 6:43pm
 
---

I bought Mater Tales for the big boys. Not a peep out of them since I turned it on. Best $ I've spent in a while! ;-)


July 17 at 1:53pm
 
---

Shawn spent the evening saying Isaac instead of daddy. By the end of the night, Isaac was just answering him and stopped fighting it. It's wrong that I find that funny, right? Heh heh


July 13 at 9:58pm

---

Jason SWEARS this is Jack. It cracks me up...
FYI- NO, he has never peed all over everything in the room!



July 12 at 10:39pm

---

Shawn out of the blue: mommy, I am very, very upset.
Me: why are you upset?
Shawn: Nah...I'm happy!

Okie dokie.

July 12 at 6:57pm

---

Rough day yesterday and already a rough morning. Oh how I miss the terrible two's. For us, the three's have been no bueno!

July 7 at 10:34am

---

The boys got called Harry Potter by another little kid at the park yesterday.

July 5 at 5:46pm

---

We all spent a lazy morning and afternoon. Went to the park and had a good time (even those among us who beefed it in the wood chips at the base of he slide...twice!). This evening we spent a few minutes watching the fireworks before littlest called us in. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. Happy 4th, everyone.

July 4 at 10:06pm

---

He has two little white marks right where bottom teeth will be...tell me it isn't so! He's growing too fast!

July 3 at 10:32pm

---

Tonight the topic of lights came up. Shawn toothbrush flashes red. They talked about what that meant, and both knew "stop." While Shawn was finishing, they discussed yellow and green. Then we got to Jason's turn. His toothbrush flashes blue. There was some discussion between the two of them as to what a blue light meant, but before we could answer, Jason said, "Oh I know! It means pull over!"

June 30 at 9:43pm

---

Been trying to get this boy to laugh again since he did it a few days ago with zero luck. Today, Jason throws a box full of cars and Jack cracked up like it was the funniest thing ev-er. I so don't get the male sense of humor. You can bet it won't be long until he's laughing at burps and farts like the rest of them. Lol.

June 29 at 6:36pm

---

Why does he think EVERY time I eat is perfect for him to wake up? I hate trying to eat and not bathe him in food at the same time.

Shhh...let's pretend we don't hear him...

June 29 at 3:02pm

---

Listening to my boys NOT SLEEP and totally crack each other up. :-)

June 27 at 4:33pm

---

Yay! Someone just belly laughed for the first time!!! Of course he wouldn't do it for the camera though. :-)

June 26 at 9:09pm

Getting Ready

So.

So you know I have two 3 year olds, right? Well, I suppose it's time for me to start schooling 'em. For reals, and not just what Nick Jr. does on television.

But in our home, because I am not too keen on the whole bringing home buckets of germs and spreading them around so that I get sick everyone gets sick.

I had put this structured learning off for a bit because I do think there is value in being a toddler and just being able to play. I've given them more time because I think they needed it, only now they've shown me that they are ready.

And, and, and...I am a teacher! With a multiple subjects credential, so you'd think I can do something like this...

quit laughing.

Yesterday, I bought us some books.

Our first workbooks!

Today we opened them up and did things.

I discovered that my boys are smart, yo! I mean, I know they are smart. I do hear them talk. But, now I have real, live, actual proof. They know things that I didn't know they know. Wow. (I am sure this points to the fact that I am such a good teacher that I am TEACHING them without even KNOWING it! Right? Ahem. Just agree with me here.)

They can rhyme! (There were kids in my kindergarten class who couldn't rhyme.)

Done all by themselves!

They can write their letters! (Well, we're working on it. What we lack in motor skills, we make up for with gusto.)

They can follow directions like circling things, and drawing things, and coloring things in!

All this adds up to some mad skillz all around. :-)

I was blown away.

Caption It Sunday - It's A 2Fer!

The boys totally dig their new light up toothbrushes. :-)

These pictures definitely need a cute caption (you can write one caption for both, or two captions if you are an overachiever). Any ideas? Leave your suggestions in the comments below. 10 extra credit points (and bragging rights) to the best one!

----

Last week's winner is... Carol with "So Jack thinks he's all that in his fancy rocker...look what I built!"

10 extra credit points heading your way, Carol! :-)



So Jack thinks he's all that in his fancy rocker...look what I built!



Cute Baby Saturday - Working It

This boy?

He likes the camera.

Better than that, though, is that the camera LOVES him!

Look at him working it like a little professional. Too cute!

I'm going to be in some big trouble when these boys of mine hit their teenage years...

Priorities

His hands still don't work the way he wants them to, especially when it comes to playing with his toys. But, he's almost figured out how to hold his bottle. In fact, he's pretty darn good and getting it to his mouth and moving it away when he's done. All I have to do is hold the weight.

Gotta have priorities, right?

For him, it's ALL about the food!

Shoot. All he's going to need me for in a few weeks is to make the bottles. He's going to be one who does the rest early. (That is SO unlike his older brothers. I thought they'd NEVER hold their own bottles!)

Self Portraits

One of the little people discovered the camera the other day. He loves to try to take his own picture. He loves even more to admire his own picture.

(What is it about my boys admiring their reflections? I think they get that from their father. Ahem.)

At first, his pictures looked a lot like this.

He'd be annoyed with me when I'd show him what he took. It was as if he thought I did something to ruin what he KNEW must have been an amazing picture.

But he's practiced. The blurs have become more recognizeable as you know, actual pictures. We still get a lot of pictures like this...

but you can totally tell that it is a picture of Shawn now. :-) (Hm. Note to self: must get that boy some chap stick.)

He's managed to even take a few pretty good self portraits, like this one from his "Serious Collection"...



and this one where he is exploring one of his happier sides...

Not too shabby, right?

Now if I can only train him to take pictures of everyone else, I think we'd be in business!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday - Surprise

Tank is getting so very close to rolling over. He can get himself on to his side, but then hits the wall and doesn't go any further. And oh does that make him MAD! (Don't tell him, but the whole thing is pretty funny to watch.)

I tried to get pictures of him in the act...

Gearing up...



Getting the arms into the action...

Now pulling the arms in for momentum...

Well, that didn't work. Here is a second attempt...

Now he's getting the legs involved...

Wait a minute...what is that?

Hey, that's a Jason distracting me!

Come here, Jason. I want to tell you something!

Surprise!

There ends today's training session. :-)