tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14778570245815100842024-02-06T20:43:56.730-08:00.Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.comBlogger814125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-22499880142659227942017-03-15T20:37:00.001-07:002017-06-16T21:45:21.264-07:00I think about writing in here often. There is so many things I want to keep so close to me, so many memories, that I feel like the only way to keep them is to write them. And the only way to write them and not lose them is to put them here. My children are growing bigger and smarter and funnier all the same. We measure each child weekly, it seems, and often at least one has grown. Teeth are being lost by what seems like the week and new teeth are quick to grow in. New words are being learned by all and I am often frozen still in time at what is going on around me. Much of my life is out of control. And I don't mean that in a stressful sort of way. But more of a factual comment. I can't control tantrums or attitudes (only mine, and that is hard as it is!). I can't control who will eat dinner or how many times I will have to ask a certain child to put their shoes/jacket/pants on. Or change their socks (SILAS!). And what is most striking is that I cannot control time. It just goes on. It happens. The sun sets and rises and an alarmingly fast rate. I can't will my children to stay put in any moment. I can't stop time and enjoy it longer than time allows. I can't keep Rocco at two or Ivy as a baby. Some days I am easily okay with the fact, and other days I force myself to be okay with it all.<br />
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In the past eight years of parenting I have been through hard seasons and sweet spots. This blog has been a blessing to this sentimental soul and I have so enjoyed remembering each season documented as I read through. I keep on meaning to keep up as much as I can because years from now I will want pictures and stories of the right now.<br />
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And right now I feel like I am living in a memory. I can look back and remember what it was like having only two kids and both of them were home full time. No rushing out the door in the morning, no place to be, just time on our hands. I never looked forward on those days wondering what it would be like never having those days back. From now on I will always have a child that needs to get to school during the week (until my last one graduates (tear!) ) and I never realized how sweet it was just being home with the two. Stressful and lonely days, yes, but also it was so lovely just being. That is a sweet memory I would not mind slipping back in for at least a moment.<br />
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The right now memory is having our au pair Quezia. This season of our life is so rich and overflowing with life and love and moments that are going to be so unique to this year. I am soaking it all up. I am trying to remember it all as it unfolds. Veda LOVES Quezia almost to a fault. She likes to be by her and be with her and do everything in her company. Quezia is so sweet and genuine and makes Veda feel so special. Veda will yell down the stairs "QUEEEEZZZIIIIIAAAA!!!!" She will ask to rest with her in her bed, color with her, play outside or bake. Quezia has been the sweetest addition to our family. Rocco used to blame his stinky diaper on Ivy, now he just tells me that Quezia already changed him. Hilarious! Quezia takes the kids outside to play in the snow while I make dinner and then helps with the dishes. She makes it so I can practice some self care (go to the gym and take a shower by myself!), she makes it possible for me to get to school on time for drop off and pick up and makes it so I don't feel like I just ran a marathon by 9am. She has only been here 6 weeks and I don't know what I will do without her. She is sweet and kind and smart and oh so loving. She is confident and explores, she easily makes friends and has the happiest disposition about her. My prayer is that my daughters grow up to be like her. I am so thankful for her presence in our lives. We are fuller and richer and so much better with her in our family. We are living in a dream. We are living THE dream. We are living in what might be one of our most precious memories.Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-13377697089263804022016-04-23T21:32:00.001-07:002018-08-31T18:34:06.030-07:00Ivy's Birth Story<div style="text-align: center;">
Due date was March 5th. February crawled by and I never felt that I-need-to-get-this-baby-out-of-me feeling. I desperately wanted to meet him/her, but I never hit that extremely uncomfortable stage. Because of that I was pretty convinced that this baby was going to be late. Really late. I was prepared to wait. Almost too prepared as I had nothing ready until a few days before delivery. Still (7wks postpartum) she doesn't have a nursery. And her clothes remain scattered all over the desk in our loft area. But it works (for now!). </div>
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Also, as excited as I was to meet this new miracle, I was also sort of dreading it. New babies equal stress (to me at least). I was enjoying my full nights sleep and was pretty nervous to bring home a new baby to our already chaotic house. And not knowing the gender created a bit of a disconnect for me. I'm guessing that was what I was feeling. Maybe it was the anticipated stress, or that I really didn't have time to daydream about this new life in me. Whatever the case, I felt very disconnected to baby. It was odd feeling so ho-hum about it all while she was baking away. I prayed for her often and was confident that the moment I laid eyes on this child I would fall in love. And I was right!</div>
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Her arrival:</div>
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It was a Monday. February 29th. Leap Day! I was due in five days. All that day I was having mild contractions. I'd say they were more exciting than braxton hicks, but I wouldn't have been surprised if I was still pregnant in a week. I had my 39 week appointment that day, but ended up cancelling it because I didn't have childcare for Rocco. The last time I brought him with me I ended up in tears by the end of the day. I just wasn't willing to over do it being so pregnant. And my last appointment I had both Rocco and Veda with me so I opted to not have my cervix checked. So at this point I had no idea if I was dilated or effaced at all.</div>
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By late afternoon I noticed an every slight bloody show. I vividly remember my midwife telling me that there's no false labor after you see the bloody show. So that was in the back of my head.</div>
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We went to bed around 10:30pm and I remember thinking -oh good, I for sure won't have a Leap Day baby since I'm still pregnant and it's 10:30 at night. </div>
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12:30am I have a painful contraction. I could surely talk through it, but definitely could not sleep through it. I took note of the time. Ten minutes later I had another contraction. Eight minutes later another. I woke up Joe and explained my situation. I was vacillating back and forth if I should call the hospital yet. A few minutes later I had another. We decided to get things rolling since Rocco came so fast. </div>
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I called the hospital and told them that we were probably going to be coming in soon. I texted my midwife (she gave me her cell number because she was going to try to deliver my baby even if she wasn't on call. Freakin LOVE HER!). I texted the photographer. And then Joe called the neighbor, Jennifer, to stay at the house until Joe's dad got here. By this time it was around 1:15am</div>
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On the way to the hospital we got pulled over for speeding. The friendly cop let us off the hook and told us to 'drive safe and watch for deer.' Then as we exited the highway the car got a flat tire. Thankfully the hospital was literally across the street from the exit so we just kept on driving. </div>
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Joe wheeled me to maternity from the ER and my midwife, Liz, and a nurse, Andrea, were waiting for me on the other side of the double doors. The plan was to do a water birth so I got wheeled to the delivery room with the tub.</div>
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They had to monitor baby's heart rate for a while before I could get in the tub. While I was hooked up to the monitor I labored on the bed for about twenty minutes. </div>
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Squeezing Joe's hand through every contraction. Liz was amazing as she coached me every step of the way reminding me to not fight each contraction, but to let my body do the work to get the baby down. I would tend to tense up and lift my shoulders to my ears. She would gently lower them and help me relax. </div>
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Once the tub was filled and they knew baby's heartbeat was steady I asked if they could check how far I was dilated. I was at seven centimeters. OK, I thought, I can do this, I am almost done. I wobbled over to the tub between contractions and right as my body hit the warm water I felt relief. Being weightless and in warm water was almost like a drug.</div>
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I closed my eyes and squeezed Joe's hand through every contraction. Joe was calm and relaxed. I just continued to ask him to pray (in his head). I felt very peaceful and each person in the room was so calm and comforting. Including my photographer who was also praying. </div>
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Liz continued to remind me that each contraction was helping the baby come down. </div>
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Some contractions were more intense than others. I could feel the baby moving lower and I was hanging on my midwives every word. I vividly remember the two contractions before my water broke. The first was extremely intense, I wondered how many of those I could survive. And the next was very mild. I thought it was strange, but was thankful for the small break. </div>
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I remember asking Liz if I had hit transition yet. And how long she thought it would be until I could push. Neither question she could really answer with certainty, but she was affirming and encouraging nonetheless. All I wanted to know was how much longer I had to labor so I could mentally prepare myself. But that's the thing with labor; you just don't know. I couldn't see any finish line. There was no mile markers. All I knew was that I was past seven cemtementers dilated and that I could feel the baby getting lower. I wanted more info!</div>
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After the one very mild contraction my water burst open and my body was forced to push. I pushed one hard push and remember saying, "OH MY GOSH THIS HURTS SO BAD!!" I may have even cussed, not sure. But out came our sweet baby. 2:26am </div>
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No time for the midwife to put her gloves on. I was so glad it was only one push because I wasn't sure I could handle much more.</div>
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I saw the baby and she reminded me so much of Silas that I thought it was a boy. And I also remember thinking how small this baby was. So tiny.</div>
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It's a GIRL! It's a healthy, screaming girl. There's my face when we saw it was a girl. I was surprised. Although I had more thoughts of this baby being a girl, if anyone asked me what I thought I was having I would sincerely say boy. Joe was even more surprised a he was pretty convinced it was a boy.</div>
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She laid on my chest for quite some time. This is my favorite picture from the night. I was wrapping my arms and head around another girl. How exciting! What a blessing! Veda gets a sister and we get to do the girl thing again. </div>
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Here's daddy cutting the cord.</div>
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Here is Liz handing Ivy to Joe for the first time. Beautiful!</div>
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We finally got her weighed because I couldn't stand not knowing her sats. I knew she was smaller than my other babies, but would have never guess just under 7lb. She was 6lb 14oz. That explains why I wasn't as uncomfortable at the end of the pregnancy.</div>
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The photographer left not long after this. Since her time was so short at the hospital she said she would come back in the morning and get photos of our other kids meeting Ivy for the first time. </div>
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In the mean time we had to figure out what to do with Joe and our car with the flat tire. It was about 3:30am when I suggested Joe go back home since there was no way his dad could get the kids ready in the morning and bring them to the hospital by himself. And because the makeshift hospital guest beds are never very comfortable. He tried to get a cab, but nothing was available in Hudson, Wisconsin until 5am. So he settled in the pull-out couch/chair/bed in the hospital room for the night. The nurse got him all set up and by the time they moved me to that room he was passed out in his boxers. </div>
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Thankfully, Joe's mom ended up helping Grandpa get the kids to the hospital that morning. </div>
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Here they are walking in the room meeting Ivy for the first time. They we so excited, but in a bashful kind of way. All smiles.</div>
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Ivy had a pink ball on her hat. But I still had them guess if it was a boy or a girl.</div>
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Even Rocco was smitten. And he still is. </div>
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Love these first pictures of my baby girl and me. So special. </div>
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Our first family photo with ALL of us! </div>
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Note: I didn't not dress my children. Rocco's polka dot pants, cowboy boots and iron on checker tie. Not to mention his skid mark scabs from taking a dive on the concrete. Just keeping it real!</div>
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Ivy Priscilla Antonello</div>
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6lb 14oz 19 1/4in</div>
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March 1, 2016</div>
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2:26am</div>
Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-23900059679398065942015-12-30T20:14:00.001-08:002015-12-30T20:14:06.431-08:00#4: Thirty WeeksI'm thirty weeks pregnant and I've done nothing to document this pregnancy. Sorry kid! I don't have a picture but I thought I should at least jot down a few words.<br />
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First trimester was rough. I can't even explain. I never threw up and was functional, but the fatigue was unexplainable. I kept on thinking that this baby better hang on tight because if (God forbid) I had a miscarriage I would not plan another pregnancy. Dunzo. Cannot. But I plugged through. I plugged through a horrible cabin experience at Big Sandy where I'm certain we all got parasites and no one slept. Where the boat rides were torture for me and my one year old never stopped moving.<br />
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First trimester I craved Thai food. We ordered from a Thai restaurant near by weekly and my orders would be close to $20. A-because they arent' cheap and B-because everything sounded so good. I also craved coffee. I am not a coffee drinker. Mainly because it gives me the shakes. Even decaf can have an effect on me. But the sound of ice coffee was heavenly to me. I'd drink it sparangly, and it was oh so good.<br />
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Second trimester was but a mist. Felt great, minial complaints. Got the kids adjusted to the school schedule, finally figured out Rocco's allergy/eczema and he's SO much happier and survived moving the two older kids into one bedroom. I craved beer and wine. Like coffee, I don't care for beer or wine normally. Occasionally in my secont trimester I would crack open one of Joe's Bud Light Lime beers and have a few sips after lunch. Good gravey, each sip was so amazing. And wine, too. I never opened at bottle at home, but at a dinner party or some event I'd say yes to a few sips in my glass. Wowza!<br />
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Now I'm in my third trimester. I have two months left. I'm starting to get uncomfortable and if I'm on me feet too much I swell right up. I crave carbonation. I've been indluging myself with La Croix water. Growing up my mom always had carbonated drinks through the day and I never understood. Gross, I hate carbonation. Until now. I totally get it. It's like this pregnancy has flip flopped everything I ever identified myself as!<br />
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The larger I get the harder it is to get comfortable at night (naturally). Thankfully Rocco sleeps like a champ at night 94% of the time. And if one of the big kids come in to our bed in the middle of the night they go straight to Joe. So I'm usually uninterruped at night. Besidese the occasonal full bladder now and again.<br />
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My stomach gets full fast, which is always a bummer. And staying true to pregnancy in general, if I don't eat on time I almost pass out.<br />
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I can't really tell how baby is positioned. Sometimes I think he/she is head down because of where I feel the limbs moving, and other times I wonder if he/she is sideways as I think I feel a head or butt on my sides. I suppose baby is still moving around quit a bit in there.<br />
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I passed my glucose test. Booya! Barely, though. I was right on the line.<br />
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I have waves of anxiety as the due date is rounding the corner. Like, how is this possible. I JUST found out I was pregnant. And how am I going to care for four kids? I'm already at my max. And Rocco is still a baby, he's MY baby that I rock to sleep every night and I am not ready to give that up with him. And everybody needs me all the time. Logically I know it's possible because people have four or more kids all the time, but I am not sure I can emotionally handle the guilt of not physically and emotionally be there for all of them as much as they may need. I already feel like I constantly ping pong between three kids, how can I juggle a fourth?<br />
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And I have yet to even see the maternity ward at the hospital (I switched hospitals to follow my favorite midwife). And why do I still have so many questions when I've done this three time already?I find myself googling "things to bring to the hospital".<br />
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Since we are not finding out the gender things look a little different on the prearation end this time. And maybe that's because it's our fourth and I know that if I don't have a nursery perfectly ready before the baby comes WE ALL WILL STILL SURVIVE! Veda's old room will be baby's new room. The transitioning her out of her room was emotioanl for me in a werid and subtle way. It's not longer HER room. Gah! But Silas welcomed her to his room with open arms and with the first few rough nights out of the way they are doing great sharing. Veda actually sleeps better in her new room.<br />
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Anyway, so a room will not be ready. At all. Granted baby will sleep with us for a while so there is no rush to get the nursery set up. And we don't have a name. I mean, we have a girl and a boy name that we will probably use, but we both aren't in love with either name. Of all the people I talked to (surveyed) only one mom said she preferred finding out the gender as to being suprrised. ALL of the other moms rave about the surprise. But the one mom who liked finding out the gender better said it was becaue she felt more of a connection to the baby while she was carrying it. TOTALLY get that! I feel less of a connection not knowing the gender. Maybe it's because I am not imagining the baby since I don't know the gender or name. If it's a boy our life will look one way and a girl it will look another. So it's hard for me to do any forward thinking. Not that it's necesary. And of course once the baby gets here I will bond right away, I have no worries there. But I'm banking on the surprise being worth the wait.<br />
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I am having minor anxiety about this baby coming too fast. Veda was fast, Rocco was super fast and if things progress with each child I hope I make it across the boarder to Wisconson still pregnant! We plan on asking a neighbor to pop over and be with the kids while we head to the hospital as opposed to waiting thirty minutes for either my parents or Joe's parents to get here. And also I am hiring a friend to take photos of the birth and I need to make sure she is able to get there in time, too. Now after I just wrote this on the internet I'm sure this will be a long drawn out labor and delivery. Ha! Please, no! I much perfer and speedy one, even if it's more intense. And a water birth is on my 'birth plan', but what really is in my birth plan is SURVIVAL! Hit me up with narcotics and an epidural if I beg, please!<br />
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Ok, I have to throw my orange La Croix can in the recycling and rinse out the empty brownie pan I just poished off before bed. Hopefully next post will include a belly picture. I average a shower every four days so I only have so many 'clean' and 'cute' days to take that photo ;)Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-46375853084637085872015-11-11T20:02:00.001-08:002015-11-11T20:02:44.389-08:00Rocco: 18 monthsHappy year and a half to The Baby. I took him to his Well Child Check today and he's 27.5 lbs (that's including his Binky) and 30 something inches. Both 85%. He is following his brother in the 90% for head! We are so grateful for a healthy little rascal. <div>
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Says:</div>
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He is saying some words now. Super fun. Momma, hi, oh-uh, all done, hot, sat (what's that?), he also points to the light and says 'sat'...so who knows what 'sat' really means, no, woof (when he sees a dog), yuck, more (he signs that one), sometimes it sounds like he says "sys" for Silas, Dada, ball. He understands a lot of commands too which is super helpful when he's screaming in the car and I say, "Where is your binky?" and he searches around for it and shoves it in his mouth once he's found it at the end of the clip. Our first binky kid and I'm totally obsessed.</div>
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Does:</div>
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I think he can do just about every thing he isn't supposed to do. Open doors, flush toilets, push buttons in the car, steal toothbrushes, throw toilet paper in toilets, color on and in toilets, hide shoes, rip book pages, dump out the recycling, take the garbage bag out of the garbage, take pants and diaper off, hold breath until he passes out, you name it! The fun things he does are snuggle the stuffed animal (a personal fave), feed himself with utensils (he isn't saying much, but his hand-eye coordination makes up for it), throws away dirty diapers, gives hugs and kisses, pages through his favorite animal books, dances to music, plays peek-a-boo and wrestles. </div>
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Eats:</div>
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This child's eczema is my biggest nemesis. I've been battling it for several months and in the process have pulled wheat, dairy, peanuts and eggs from his diet. It has help a ton, but he still has minor flare ups and it's not cured yet. I have heard differing opinions so I'm just kind of trying everything. So with that, he eats a lot of gluten free bread and sunbutter. He loves those baby food pouches. Lara Bars are usually a hit. Cereal, oatmeal, most all fruits, some veggies (cucumbers, and an occasional green smoothie if Dad shares his), he was loving those gluten and dairy free burritos, but then I got wind that if I cut out peanuts I should also cut out all legumes, so bye bye beans too. He does like meat. Loves rice and spaghetti. Sometimes I feel like I feed him the same foods over and over, but as I type this up I don't feel as trapped. He is picky though. One day he'll chow down cucumbers, the next they'll end up on the floor. It's fun!</div>
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Sleeps:</div>
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Most days he takes one long nap. 2-3hrs. Some days he's a mess by 10am and knowing I have to pick up Veda by 11:30 and wanting to avoid a car nap I put him down for an hour in the morning and then another hour later in the afternoon. He goes to bed somewhere between 7 and 8pm and sleeps 10.5 to 12 hours. I'd say more often than not he's up in the middle of the night. I was just telling his pediatrician that we have to sleep train him like every six weeks. It's ridiculous. We go out of town, or he gets sick, or I get lazy and let him sleep with me at 2am when I hear him cry and BAM he thinks he owns the night. Overall he is fully capable of sleeping 12 hours overnight. Those are my favorite nights! I still rock him to sleep and I love every second of it!</div>
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Dislikes:</div>
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Getting in the car seat. Once he's in he's usually golden (unless he's hungry), but getting him to bend his body and sit in the car seat is a battle 99% of the time. Sometimes giving him a toy or food works to distract him so I can get him to sit, but it's never a guarantee. On the weekends it's Joe's job to get Rocco in his car seat when he go places. It's a welcomed break for me. He hates being held or in a stroller/cart when he needs to be contained (swimming lessons, grocery store, Target) and loves to be held while I'm making a meal or getting the kids ready for school in the morning. It's comical! Cartoons do nothing or him. Not even Elmo. And if Veda smothers him he will let it be known that he is not having it. I'm happy he's got himself a back bone and limits!</div>
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Loves:</div>
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Gum (you have no idea how many times he's gotten into my gum and eaten a few pieces including the wrappers), music (sometimes it's the only thing that soothes/distracts him), wrestling, animals (books or the real things. He has no fear no matter the size of the animal. He stuck his hand in a sheep's mouth at the petting zoo.), his binky, my phone and of course his family! He lights up when he sees the kids each morning.</div>
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We love you Boo! You are our stinker-doo! </div>
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Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-15598460806038850742015-10-19T14:30:00.001-07:002015-10-19T14:30:52.151-07:00Last and FirstThe last day of school. What a wonderful (and fast) year. Silas' teacher gave me a big hug as she dismissed him from her class for the last time. We both cried. She was such a wonderful and nuturing guide to him over the last two years. Although he strugged with some academic concepts, she saw his sweet nature and encouraged his strengths. We feel so blessed to have had her as Silas' teacher.<br />
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Veda did awesome as well. She did 5 half days of school and I'd occasionally let her stay for for a full day. She made a lot of great friends and excelled in her school work.<br />
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Some kids feeding the Alpac's at the end of the year picnic. It's always entertaining when the kids come home from school and tell me the got to walk the donkey. ;)<br />
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First day of school this year. Same shirt for Silas!</div>
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This guy is now in first grade (Lower Elementary class 1st-3rd graders). And as you can see, he's thrilled to be in elementary. It's a big deal to be a big kid!<br />
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Veda is back in Ms Molly's class for year two of her three year cycle. She loves her teachers and her friends, but "mom when do I get to go to a new classroom???" She is envious of Silas' big kid status. Veda started out five half days at school again, but I quickly added two full days. She gets bored at home with me in the afternoons. Having her two full days cuts down on my driving AND it gives me to afternoons where I get some down time (assuming Rocco takes a good nap). She also thrives off the socail aspect of school and it's such a great outlet for her. Veda contiues to blow us away with her reading and writing skills. The two kids could not be more opposite in just about everything. And it is so cool to see their strengths shine through and their passions being encouraged at school.<br />
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One, Two, Three....JUMP!<br />
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Rocco is kickin' at home with me all day. I've finally wised up and realized that the kid just doesn't like to be at home. Or in our living room. If I take him upstairs to play in the bedrooms he does much better. But I've been trying to go somewhere each morning to keep in occupied. And if all goes as planned, he takes a long afternoon nap. I have to find the balance because sometimes I wear him out too much and he falls asleep on the way to pick up Veda at 11:30am. And then his nap is dunzo. It's an always changing, ever evolving cycle with kids. Just when you think you're in a good rhythm, BAM, something changes.<br />
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So here we are plugging through the school year. I feel like, beacuse of the deep rooted routine, the days and weeks go by so fast. It makes the weekends that much sweeter, though. We are much more intentional with our time on the weekends and have enjoyed doing big kid things with the big kids. It's a whole new world having school aged kids. The humor, the activities, the special moments, I am loving it more than I imagined. But, don't grow up too fast little ones, this momma still loves her snuggles!</div>
<span id="goog_197881283"></span><span id="goog_197881284"></span><br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-35318250401420664962015-05-18T09:05:00.001-07:002015-05-18T09:05:50.144-07:00Veda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Most afternoons I get to hang out with this girl, just us two. Baby naps, Silas is at school. I always tell her that we are the only girls so we gotta stick together. </div>
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The lighting was great while we were sitting at the table the other day so I grabbed my camera.<br />
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She had let me pull some of her hair back for school that morning, and with the humidity her curls were amazing.<br />
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I let them play in the rain for a few minutes. I imagined way cooler photo opportunities with the bright green grass, playing-in-water excitement and the ringlets. This was the best I got!Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-72723197443181128302015-05-04T09:03:00.000-07:002015-05-04T09:03:13.387-07:00Rocco's One!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This handsome guy is one today! I won a photo session at a silent auction so we had a fun cake smash session Saturday morning. She gave me one sneak peek right away and I love it!<br />
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Rocco is just a sweet loving boy who never stops moving. He is walking now. Still crawling too, but take lots of steps and seems to enjoy it. He loves playing with things he can't play with: my phone, the computer, the gate, condiments in the fridge, the broom. And he throws a good fit when those things are taken away from him.<br />
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He loves loves loves to dance and move to music. And will happily bang on the drum for a good amount of time.<br />
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Rocco eats lots of foods and has an opinion about them as well. Loves clementines, raisins, bananas, oatmeal, cheese, yogurt, some meats (when he feels like it), sweet potatoes, carrots, puree foods (when he feels like it), apple sauce, toast and pasta. Weird baby doesn't care for Cheerios or puffs.<br />
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He naps twice a day, and those naps are pretty steady so I don't see him dropping that morning nap any time real soon. He goes to bed around 7pm, depending on when his afternoon nap was and how long it lasted. He gets up once a night, and as annoyed as I get I still feed him because then I know he'll go back to sleep and sleep soundly until morning.<br />
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Rocco loves to push around cars and chase balls. He still enjoys eating paper scraps and he has a hay day if he gets into the marker bin.<br />
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Stroller rides are hit or miss, but he does pretty well in the car. Sometimes I worry that I forgot him at home when we're driving to school in the morning because he's so quiet.<br />
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He does well in the Ergo if need be (swimming lessons!) and speaking of, he still loves water. I can't take a shower without him protesting!<br />
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Rocco give sweet hugs and kisses and loves to snuggle before bed or nap. He will let just about anyone hold him and is very attached to his binky. One binky in his mouth, and one in his hand.<br />
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We love you Rocco-bear, Boopy, Boo Boo, Boo, Lover Boy, Stink Man, Rocky.....more than you will ever know!<br />
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<br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-43300742231366468852015-04-06T19:07:00.000-07:002015-04-06T19:07:30.870-07:0011 monthsHere we are rounding the corner to the one year mark and I'm getting a little emotional. It's like I spent most of this year treading water and, in some senses, just waiting for time to pass and for things (Rocco) to get easier. And now that we're at the eleven month mark I can't believe how fast time has gone. I vividly remember sitting in the hospital bed holding a brand new baby and telling myself to remember this moment because his first year will go by so fast. On the one hand I really couldn't imagine that sweet tiny baby being one whole year, but on the other hand I knew that time would speed by.<br />
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And now we're here. Woah!<br />
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Rocco is in the early phases of walking. A few weeks ago he took his first step (IN THE BATH TUB!). He's a bath tub stander like his older sister. After that one step we didn't see much walking action until yesterday. He took another step. And this morning he took three. I'm looking forward to a stable walker, especially with the nice weather ahead. Playing outside upright is a lot easier than crawling in the mud and grass.<br />
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He says 'hi' and waves. And we think he says 'hi dadda' (or his version of it) when Joe leaves for work in the morning. Whatever he says, he repeats it. He will raise his hands over his head for 'so big' and 'all done'. I love how their arms are barely long enough to go over their heads at this age! Rocco will play a form of peek-a-boo. Hands on head or ears (instead of over eyes). :)<br />
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Rocco is talking a lot (baby gibberish) and has a lot of expression is his 'words'. He copies us. If I am snapping gum he will click his tongue. And he'll clap if we are all clapping. And he dances. He loves it when I put toddler music on Pandora. It's a good distraction on crabby days!<br />
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Four teeth on top, two on bottom. I feel like most of this month has been spent teething. Not a favorite milestone of mine.<br />
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I can't forget to mention that Rocco can go down the stairs backwards now. He seems to have some depth perception as he hasn't tried to go down the stairs head first yet. And he can sense the edge of a bed. But I don't trust him enough to leave him upstairs alone for long.<br />
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Easter pictures in the front yard were a tad bit stressful this year. Baby was tired and just plain old not having it. Thankfully the two big kids were enjoying the camera. And while Veda insisted on wearing that yellow flower in her hair, I was able to talk her out of her Frozen jewelry.<br />
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This is what eleven months looks like on Rocco. He's still excited about his Christmas Jammies and is a sweet as honey!<br />
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<br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-25099897272993265372015-03-29T19:58:00.001-07:002015-03-29T19:58:58.089-07:00My life in iPhone photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44EWAHZ4SPIMV9XRFTfI0LYcNSdYl0uogrcKFzxt-_RkUoMbhEH6xChCwJqHDD4teylrgbRBpHGdbhJ_hXTwWotBAH91NcDKXspdB05jF5g6BzLQGuxE4vWFSgwsvcUi7HiK5DXMv2Tw/s640/blogger-image-2028357485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44EWAHZ4SPIMV9XRFTfI0LYcNSdYl0uogrcKFzxt-_RkUoMbhEH6xChCwJqHDD4teylrgbRBpHGdbhJ_hXTwWotBAH91NcDKXspdB05jF5g6BzLQGuxE4vWFSgwsvcUi7HiK5DXMv2Tw/s640/blogger-image-2028357485.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sure you can turn on the jets in the bath tub, just play nice while I clean my closet. Seriously, bubbles everywhere!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitInGaTi1IM6ykv9CMAlXpXVj6XVmzTzpz3NtpMFPOAewFr5Wo1_-giCqCqqqLwjiDPHQQrTKlwa5FOenBz88xpTA-DGiz7njpij53OTFfOYbQ2Jo3z-Nd-TvzbHZlNvOriKW72tFwuVs/s640/blogger-image--345097536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitInGaTi1IM6ykv9CMAlXpXVj6XVmzTzpz3NtpMFPOAewFr5Wo1_-giCqCqqqLwjiDPHQQrTKlwa5FOenBz88xpTA-DGiz7njpij53OTFfOYbQ2Jo3z-Nd-TvzbHZlNvOriKW72tFwuVs/s640/blogger-image--345097536.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Another cute bath experience. I walked in to see this happening. Cutest big brother on the planet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX-5UvPPQT9AP2v1hJPiACq_NGH7hrExEF2eVvfkA1hVfskHKEa7TKS9JXEMtCsFyLdC2N_1x-vJcJCi05bOG30VJdvIx2iBJPWK8K24NkvP44eICV-U-D10Vh5RBoTmXTlcNTEnugK4/s640/blogger-image-719735450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX-5UvPPQT9AP2v1hJPiACq_NGH7hrExEF2eVvfkA1hVfskHKEa7TKS9JXEMtCsFyLdC2N_1x-vJcJCi05bOG30VJdvIx2iBJPWK8K24NkvP44eICV-U-D10Vh5RBoTmXTlcNTEnugK4/s640/blogger-image-719735450.jpg"></a></div>Grocery shopping with all three and someone always has to go potty mid-shopping.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWCP9uPJ6rgljCyx_d6Ya8pY3Nn_P9aLZKEWKalH0cFfq8ZhMF7sR7CN77qIMIjsHLajCpuFFMGbuMw3CXD8TCLS7n-ZKlsl9MXdOfY6sdri8Mg60FinckaAGhFqAHlmjxySrmL-E8pQ/s640/blogger-image--1355315723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWCP9uPJ6rgljCyx_d6Ya8pY3Nn_P9aLZKEWKalH0cFfq8ZhMF7sR7CN77qIMIjsHLajCpuFFMGbuMw3CXD8TCLS7n-ZKlsl9MXdOfY6sdri8Mg60FinckaAGhFqAHlmjxySrmL-E8pQ/s640/blogger-image--1355315723.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Go Silas!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UfHH4SKJHjpMreTx5Uw1Vl2F4TqTHzkEkx9Vmff94-6sdo0HV7-oLYq12g4i9R5przQSPJgXIYjZJ6sanOVUbBA8W12qJpwpbQsiToVwc_QlQWYWu0O2Jm_G9JiZb8y8P-dzzZtnexo/s640/blogger-image--2026776343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UfHH4SKJHjpMreTx5Uw1Vl2F4TqTHzkEkx9Vmff94-6sdo0HV7-oLYq12g4i9R5przQSPJgXIYjZJ6sanOVUbBA8W12qJpwpbQsiToVwc_QlQWYWu0O2Jm_G9JiZb8y8P-dzzZtnexo/s640/blogger-image--2026776343.jpg"></a></div>Sixty degrees in early March equals picking up Silas from school in her swim suit and winter boots. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoh9JKvK5Wb4bc3WUnJtrQZbzSSE7pZfbBhSITOwCFC5sz4fq_DA2ewrvpdvD579OqLQmZNPHlTZdnfJhpESLvYios85TCYBMZ4ov1BHBF8mlvqx_ksD8Mb1DjTGUGgHixTSjTKkIPAQ/s640/blogger-image-2014685117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoh9JKvK5Wb4bc3WUnJtrQZbzSSE7pZfbBhSITOwCFC5sz4fq_DA2ewrvpdvD579OqLQmZNPHlTZdnfJhpESLvYios85TCYBMZ4ov1BHBF8mlvqx_ksD8Mb1DjTGUGgHixTSjTKkIPAQ/s640/blogger-image-2014685117.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The hair cut plus the basket ball shorts. He looks 10!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii483a9LPj4IyfInLSIHDk9An8Xh4j3dHLaGFW_gheLruQqcKI2G-_GLKIp9R6azgBF4XmKEO1R_nRbY4i1p0RG1bL6q4ZRgbLM1OfWMnUw4vHuGSJpIXkWD0hDMXc59z2bubM6YR3Rg/s640/blogger-image--656646365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii483a9LPj4IyfInLSIHDk9An8Xh4j3dHLaGFW_gheLruQqcKI2G-_GLKIp9R6azgBF4XmKEO1R_nRbY4i1p0RG1bL6q4ZRgbLM1OfWMnUw4vHuGSJpIXkWD0hDMXc59z2bubM6YR3Rg/s640/blogger-image--656646365.jpg"></a></div></div>Giddy up Daddy!</div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-72907215323597871532015-03-13T20:25:00.000-07:002015-03-13T20:25:02.437-07:00SIXMy baby boy is six. And it's fantastic. He is growing to be a fine young boy. This year he started his first year of hockey. He likes it and seems to be doing well. It's been fun to watch him skate in full hockey gear. He's a total stud!<br />
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He was always easy to spot because he is the one with the white helmet. </div>
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Silas is loving school and has made a handful of friends. He comes home each Friday with a folder full of 'work', and each week I am excited to see what he had been working on all week. </div>
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(he's super into flags)</div>
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(He's got the writing thing down. Now we just need to master the reading part)<br />
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(this makes me giggle!)<br />
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(I love his art)</div>
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As for his actually Birthday. We decorated his room so he woke up to streamers. Veda is way more into that than he is! And Joe and I went to his school celebration. It's a small little thing they do, fifteen minutes, but it's SUCH a big deal to the kids. And Silas was pretty insistent that Dad come, too. It was sweet to see him so excited and to see all his friends excited for him. </div>
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Silas asked for a surprise party this year. I know, it's so funny. So I threw one together. Just family and church family. Joe took Silas to get his skates sharpened and when they came home the house was full of people and everyone said SURPRISE! The best. He loved it.</div>
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Joe's parents got him an electric train set to go with his bandanna and conductor hat. It's a pretty neat train set. The kids have been having fun with it, and Rocco has been having fun destroying it. </div>
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The following weekend Silas had a party at Pinz (bowling alley) with this friends at school. All of the children that we invited were able to come, so that was fun. 9 total, including Veda. 6 boys, 3 girls. During pizza and cake the boys spent most of the time shooting each other with imaginary guns. And the girls spent most of the time covering their ears.</div>
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It was way more chaotic than I imagined it would be!</div>
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All of the kids got to sign the bowling pin, and now it sits in Silas' room. A cool memory that will probably be kept forever because he's stuck with me for a mom and I am the queen of keeping memorable things (like the three boxes of notes sitting in storage I can't seem to part with from high school!)</div>
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And then they bowled. And everyone was overstimulated. What you don't see are the strobe lights and the neon lights and the flashing TV screens and OMG! </div>
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But the kids totally understood the game and between us breaking up the boys from wrestling and corralling the few that wanted to run off and play tag, I think everyone had a great time. </div>
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Silas and his bestie Drew. Could they get any cuter?! </div>
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Veda loved it, too.</div>
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Audrey was my little buddy. The boys were too wild for her and she must be used to hanging out with adults, because she was genuinely fun to talk to. Great group of kids!</div>
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I die. This is so cute. And Rocco (to the left), not a great place to hang out with a 10 month old who doesn't walk, but crawls super fast. Stress!</div>
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Water break!</div>
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Everyone was watching for their name to pop us when it was their turn. </div>
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So the parties were successful and Silas got a good amount of time where we celebrated HIM. I love making birthdays a big deal for the kids. Now as an parent, I get more excited for their birthdays than my own. And more stressed too, but all worth it!</div>
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Silas is still into peanut butter sandwiches and is on an oranges kick. He loves Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and has recently gotten into dinosaur stuff. He is capable of sitting and building Legos for hours (days?). He got several different Lego sets for his birthday from his friend and he has completed most of them already.</div>
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He has imaginary sword fights with something imaginary (the air? himself?) almost daily. And now that it's warmer out I know I will start seeing sticks tied up to toys and hanging over the deck. His trademark. Silas' teacher and I joke about how Silas is so poky. I think it drives us both nuts. Nuts in nothing but a loving way, of course! He still strips down to his undies the minute he gets home. Clothes scattered all over my house. Always! I know some day my kids will no longer be running around in their underwear, so I'm making myself enjoy the innocence. It is so dear! He and Veda usually get along and play well together. They have their moments. One moment that I can count on is the car ride home from school. Silas will be singing loud in Spanish (not really Spanish, but his impression of Spanish) and Veda will get so irritated. Thankfully it's only a 12 minute drive. </div>
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Silas often changes his mind about what he wants to be when he grows up. One thing that that never changes is that he does not want to get married. He does not want to have to kiss anyone! We'll see how he feels about that when he's 16 ;)</div>
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His recent occupational interests: race car driver, scientist and builder. I hear those three pretty often. </div>
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And, my favorite, he still calls Veda "Wayda". And it might never change. And I hope it doesn't. </div>
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Seriously, Silas is one of a kind. We love that boy to smithereens and wouldn't change a thing about him. It's fun to look back at baby photos and remember those days and that time. I can close my eyes and remember each moment of those photos. Where I would kiss him when I rocked him to sleep and how he would kick and scream when it was time to come inside. Now, at six, I get to see his passions and his sense of self shine through. He is growing so tall and strong and once in a while, when he has his hands in his pockets and a certain look on his face, I see him at 15, and it scares me. I can control how I invest in him and how I parent him, but I cannot control how fast time will go. So I do what I can. I study his sweet face and memorize his little boy voice. I stare at his mannerisms and talk with him before bed. These are the days I'll remember. They truly are. </div>
Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-18181274738003266562015-03-13T12:27:00.001-07:002015-03-13T12:27:48.976-07:00Ten MonthsTen months, this boy!<br />
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Not a whole lot has changed in the last month.<br />
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Rocco can now stand on his own and I feel like he's just days (weeks) away from taking a step. He likes to push things around the house while walking. Since we don't have any push toys he sticks to pushing chairs.<br />
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Rocco also is eating better. He doesn't scream and throw his head back two bites into a meal. He does have an opinion about food and sometimes I need to sneak spoon fulls of puree food in while he's plucking up finger foods. But overall he is trying new foods and eating on his own.<br />
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Naps have also improved. He is napping longer (especially on the weekends) and sleeping better at night (I think). We still have our rough nights now and again, but those nights are usually my fault to some degree (didn't put a night diaper on him and he's soaked...)<br />
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We are enjoying his sweet face and loving personality every day. Lots of smiles and hugs for me and lots of hair pulling and tackles for the kids. And when Joe walks in the door after work Rocco usually perks up to his voice and bolts to him. Sweetest baby we know!<br />
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<br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-8599987100725739342015-02-05T15:42:00.001-08:002015-02-05T15:42:46.028-08:00Nine Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silas at 9 months, same outfit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silas at 9 months. I tired to get Rocco to do the same pose, but you can only control so much at a 9 month photo session. :)</td></tr>
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We have a nine month old now. Things are so fun! He has cut a top tooth making for three teeth in his mouth. It's odd because it's not a top center tooth, but a side one. Weird! He's not a very fun teether, but that's pretty much expected.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my grocery shopping partner</td></tr>
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Rocco can climb up (and fall down) stairs. We have barriers up, but no real gates yet. That's on my list of things to do! </div>
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He loves to eat paper. We don't promote it, but with the other two kids and their "work" all over the place Rocco gets his fair share of paper in his mouth. And paper is about the only constant thing he likes to eat. This whole baby food or finger food stuff is not his thing. Drives me nuts! And I think he drives himself nuts too. Once in a while he'll suck down a squeeze packet of baby food or he will take a few bites of banana. I think once he tolerated avocado. Steamed broccoli was a hit for a day. He likes baby oatmeal, but doesn't like to be spoon fed. Black beans are fun for him to play with. Bread can be a winner, but not always. He usually ends up getting so frustrated in his high chair that he throws his head back and screams. Meals are not my favorite events of each day. I don't know what his deal is, but I'm not too concerned since his is growing just fine. He will figure it out eventually, right? He still drinks plenty if milk, but only in a dark quiet place. He is so distracted otherwise. And my sweet friend is still on a mad pump and donates her extra milk to Rocco (can we all give her a round of applause because she's pretty much amazing!) Huge blessing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my helper</td></tr>
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Water has become Rocco's obsession. He loves drinking water. From a sippy cup or regular cup. Even a straw. He will suck the water out of a washcloth at bath time. And splashing water while sitting in water takes him straight over the edge of excitement. Dude loves bath time in the big tub. He kicks and splashes and slides all around. It's the best! </div>
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Rocco is very much into exploring. Taste testing toys and spinning wheels on trucks. He also oves the marker/crayon/pencil/ tub. He will dump it over and essentially swim in the markers. When Joe wrestles with the kids, Rocco wants in on the play. He will squeal and crawl towards them to get in on the action.</div>
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He's a ham times ten and flashes his smile to anyone looking his way. He loves a good snuggle and whenever he buries his sweet face in my neck to fall asleep I literally make myself etch each moment in my memory because I know how quickly they grow and how much I will miss it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His face in my neck. My favorite</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet baby sleeps</td></tr>
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He's doing so much better at sleeping. We have only had one full night where he has slept from 8pm to 6am....but getting up once a night is so doable compared to four times. I'm finally getting some REM sleep once in a while.</div>
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Stats: 21lb 7oz (80%) 29.5in (94%)<br />
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I am keeping close tabs on this baby each month because, I confess, this blog is his baby book! I do have one for him, but not long after he was born I actually looked in it and realized that it has no place for monthly updates. No pictures. No stats. Nothing. So I vowed to put words and photos on the blog documenting each month so I can remember. So he can see. Because time just keeps on whizzing by. So fast. And sometimes I feel like there has GOT to be a pause button. Or at least a slow-motion one. But there isn't. So I try to remember to soak in every fleeting moment with my sweet children. I try not to wish for anything. Not for spring or summer or a vacation. Not for the weekend or even for bedtime, because days turn into weeks turn into months and before I know it a year has passed and I can hardly breathe if I think about it too long or too hard. I'm typing this and it's almost 10pm. Joe doesn't allow me to talk about anything 'important' after 9pm because I become all weepy and irrational. So I guess updating the blog with my baby's nine month update after 9pm was only asking for some deep, sappy talk about children growing up to fast. Sorry friends! Thanks for bearing with me :)<br />
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Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-51571139470080862282015-01-13T21:11:00.001-08:002015-01-13T21:11:48.768-08:008 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItQAqMSNVZlH9WLn4WfoPEmpNiPPkNGRcrLyi5ATyB8VYaAESuCGwlOEzEueRghr6m0UfvLsq43EQPWVJveol1mHgOV5_xjHaYuc4eoaIGVTiTbRsZ3q_OtxyzqAJfs97Jg8yKO9rMyk/s640/blogger-image--20310181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItQAqMSNVZlH9WLn4WfoPEmpNiPPkNGRcrLyi5ATyB8VYaAESuCGwlOEzEueRghr6m0UfvLsq43EQPWVJveol1mHgOV5_xjHaYuc4eoaIGVTiTbRsZ3q_OtxyzqAJfs97Jg8yKO9rMyk/s640/blogger-image--20310181.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">8 months!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Right over Christmas Rocco learned how to crawl and pull himself up. He has been much more content during the day now that he has more freedom to explore. And this picture pretty much sums him up ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Rocco is into everything and I hear a lot of "Moooom, get him away!" from the big kids ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We also tried sleep training again and this time it's working. He's no longer consuming 12-16 ounces of milk over night and I'm finally feeling a sense of freedom. You see, he was relying on me to sleep. So I was going to bed with him and waking with him and I about lost my mind from never having any down time during the day. Anyway, he is sleeping in his crib and almost through the night. But of course, one of the big kids has ended<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> in our bed at some point every night since we kicked Rocco out. Ha! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">He has been eating lots more during the day now that he spends more time sleeping at night and not eating. A lot of solids, although he's moody about what he eats and when. He does ok with flavor, but prefers baby oatmeal. Or teething biscuits. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">I wish I could say he has a schedule, but driving kids to and from school kind of rules our days. He does well being transferred from a nap to his car seat, so that helps. He's super heavy in his infant seat, but he sleeps well in there so I'm hesitant to move him to a convertible car seat. Giving my arms a workout in the meantime!</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">I'd say he's my friendliest baby! Loves people and is super quick to smile. Like I always tell him, he's my favorite baby of all the babies in the land ;)</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cuFmwQgJZAmgGqh3f7saq-7i_fH-6SVEMbOiQ35zkb5649YMhKT7Wa14Fpx_D0plaDEfm6_iBvn73kxfbfikIRvElQNPAdnKrU6FaRG36tV6GudeO1p0mZUQUy6Hi8K13WQGre60tMw/s640/blogger-image--845556623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cuFmwQgJZAmgGqh3f7saq-7i_fH-6SVEMbOiQ35zkb5649YMhKT7Wa14Fpx_D0plaDEfm6_iBvn73kxfbfikIRvElQNPAdnKrU6FaRG36tV6GudeO1p0mZUQUy6Hi8K13WQGre60tMw/s640/blogger-image--845556623.jpg"></a></div><br></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">Love you Boops!! </font></div>Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-63024342243915712062015-01-07T17:08:00.001-08:002015-01-07T17:08:38.336-08:00These two!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvlsbUzxcz0y9GzgvEHdM9o9InPzU0qL40co9mig2Yr2jQ_zS5SpkwnzbUfSUM7IkDPOQ6jDtaMRihI7jRjk46a71GmSIZBTYaBa30rd92Awf3_0s8kDJhIfTvLHO6fQ5ZxkCIkUyA5E/s640/blogger-image-486605050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvlsbUzxcz0y9GzgvEHdM9o9InPzU0qL40co9mig2Yr2jQ_zS5SpkwnzbUfSUM7IkDPOQ6jDtaMRihI7jRjk46a71GmSIZBTYaBa30rd92Awf3_0s8kDJhIfTvLHO6fQ5ZxkCIkUyA5E/s640/blogger-image-486605050.jpg"></a></div>Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-11685576175698740212014-12-22T12:40:00.001-08:002014-12-22T12:40:56.049-08:007 month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He is seven and a half months here. But close enough to seven month documentation. </div>
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He doesn't sit still much. He's mobile, but slow. Mostly he does the army crawl and fusses that he can't crawl fast enough. Last night (12/21) he did some real crawling, up on all fours. It's this pull between me wanting him to just be fast and mobile so he's not so fussy and also not wanting him to be fast and mobile because he will get into everything. And gates. We will be a house with gates again.<br />
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He's eating solids (has been for a while). Mostly baby oatmeal. He prefers plain food and locks his mouth shut after a bite or two of any veggie or fruit/veggie mix. I've offered him Mums, but he didn't get it. Ha! And Joe informed me that he has given Rocco the top to his hamburger bun at a restaurant before. Not sure how I feel about that ;) Rocco also had mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. Loved them! He still isn't that into the bottle. It's odd to me. But he's growing and that's a good thing. He eats a ton over night because he doesn't get enough during the day. Stinker! His Dr told me to shove his face with solids so he gets enough calories and sleeps all night. Isn't as easy as she made it seem!<br />
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He adores Veda. She'll just be playing and doing her thing, usually bouncing around and making noise. Rocco will watch her and start cracking up. If I have to leave the room I always ask Veda to 'babysit' him. She finds great pride in that!<br />
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I think, maybe, he's getting more content? He'll putz around with big Lego Duplo blocks or his new favorite thing is to play with wrapping bows.<br />
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He takes two or three naps a day and is an early sleeper. He's usually asleep by 7 if not before. He has been fussing himself to sleep lately. I offer to rock him, but he is all over the place, crawling all over me as I sit in that rocking chair. Clearly not interested!<br />
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I still find Rocco my most finicky baby. He just is. How and when he wants to eat and sleep. I thought the third child was supposed to just go with the flow...<br />
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My all time favorite is his he hugs my neck to tight and nuzzles his head in there. It's so dear. He is our lover, that's for sure.<br />
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<br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-60480332822690385252014-12-14T19:21:00.001-08:002014-12-14T19:21:43.956-08:00Birthdays and Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This blog is getting put on the back burner. I can't keep up! Here is a small recap of the last month. Joe and I celebrated our birthdays together at Solera with some friends. </div>
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Me and some girls. I have been blessed with great friends and couldn't be more thankful!</div>
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The one photo of us on that night.</div>
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And Veda's family party at home. We ate pizza and cake, she blew out four candles and opened presents. I think celebrating the kids' birthdays is more exciting for me than my own. We decorate their room so they wake up to balloons and streamers. It's the best hearing their reaction in the morning. My little naked hippie birthday girl. :)</div>
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And her friend party at a gymnastics gym (again!). I threw the same party for her two years in a row. I am no Martha, that's for sure, but the kids loved it!</div>
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And then there was Thanksgiving smashed between a few birthdays. Family games and everyone is beyond excited. Wink wink!</div>
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<br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-28682576260602616692014-12-02T20:15:00.000-08:002014-12-02T20:15:46.318-08:00Veda turns 4Veda woke up this morning a four year old! The birthday fairy did not disappoint and left her room filled with pink streamers and balloons. She was literally shaking with excitement.<div>
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Lots of her classmates were surprised she was only turning four (she's one of the mature ones at school!) and I kind of agree with them sometimes. I feel like she can be a wise little soul at times with mature mannerisms. Blows me away. She spent the majority of the last year telling people, "I'm three now!" It will be a little sad not hearing those words come out of her mouth anymore. Weird. She will never be three again. For whatever reason I am having a hard time with this age jump. Maybe it's just my lack of sleep, but I don't remember being so sentimental with any other birthday for the kids.</div>
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Today in the car she announced that since she is four no longer needs daddy to rock her before bed. I told her daddy would be sad and that she in fact did need him to rock her before bed. He agreed with me! She can grow up, but not that fast. </div>
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In the last several months I feel like Veda has turned really girly. It's so much fun. She has really gotten into princess everything and loves pink, ruffles and anything sparkly. She likes to put on my lipstick or sparkle lotion and usually likes me to do her hair pretty for school. She is even into wearing dresses and skirts. As a little toddler she was so rough and tumble (and still is) that I wondered if she would be a tomboy all the way. I wouldn't mind either way, but it's fun to have the girly side in common with her. </div>
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She is not into dolls much. She will take the Barbie out once in a while and just try to layer her clothes. But that's about it for dolls. She mainly does whatever Silas does. He will draw a machine on a paper and then so will she. I doubt she would be so into drawing machines and maps had it not be for Silas. But she is venturing more into the typical girl drawings of flowers, suns and rainbows. It's super sweet!</div>
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Veda loves to play with people and rarely plays alone (unless she is doing a craft). I often find her and Silas playing imaginary games (pirates, dogs, house, sleepover), building forts or chasing each other around the kitchen. Her favorite thing is to play duck duck gray duck and ring around the rosie with Joe in the basement. </div>
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She likes school a lot and has a bundle (BUNDLE) of energy. The girl never walks anywhere, it's always running. No wonder she consumes more calories than I do in a day! I feel like she will be the kid that will really benefit from organized sports. It will be a good outlet for her energy in an organized (she needs organization!) way. She is very coordinated and pretty competitive so we'll see where that takes her. And neither of those qualities did she get from me!</div>
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Veda is just as sweet as she is sassy. We will get a surprise hug or kiss ("Close your eyes") or often a special craft made just for one of us. We also get lots of demands and meltdowns. Take the good with the bad ;)</div>
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And one thing that is of late is her ability to maker her own sandwich. It's pretty amazing. It's also pretty messy. But if she's hungry she will grab the bread, peanut butter and jelly and go to town. I'm totally fine with the mess because I just am and also because it's a double whammy....she entertains herself as she makes the sandwich and I also don't have to make the sandwich. Winning!</div>
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This girl is great. She is amazingly unique and I wouldn't change a thing. As she matures a little I see glimpses of her older self and I get excited for the older years. I don't want to rush a thing as time flies too fast as it is, but it's always nice to have something to look forward to. </div>
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Love you sweet sweet Wayda Wayda! God gave you special to me!</div>
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Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-29752505836113231522014-11-23T14:27:00.001-08:002014-11-23T14:27:23.663-08:00SIX months<div style="text-align: center;">
We will call this six and a half months. I had drafted up half of a six month post and accidentally posted it a few weeks ago. This will be the real one. Some photos were taken right at six months, others more like six and a half.</div>
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Serious face, neck rolls, pouty lips, dimply butt. This is a fun age. Rocco is super interactive now and it's the best. We can easily make him giggle (usually the kids do!) and he flashes us a big smile when one of us walks into the room he is in.</div>
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He likes to hang out on his tummy with his arms flailing around. Or on his back in a V sit. He doesn't seem to relax much unless he's being held. But he does give the best hugs and kisses!</div>
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He was 19lb 2oz and 28 inches at his 6 months well child check. We have him back on his reflux meds so we can all stay sane. They don't seem to upset his stomach anymore. So glad about that. </div>
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He is a horrible sleeper. I got him in a bad habit of sleeping next to me. No wait....in my arms! And while he will start the night in his crib, if he gets up and I feed him late night (11 or midnight) he won't go back in his crib without a fight. Exhausted me takes the path of least resistance and carts him in bed with me. It's sweet to snuggle your baby all night, but when he wiggles half the night and/or wants to eat it gets to be a long and exhausting night. And then day. And then night again. And then I lose my cool and am a hot mess. I have been planning to sleep train him for a month. And then I realize I'm so tired that I can't emotionally handle listening to my baby cry at night. And the cycle continues. </div>
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Anywho, moving on to more exciting things. Rocco sits up on his own now. It was maybe at six months one week that he figured out how to do it for more than a few seconds. He can balance well now and I can sit him on the floor with toys and walk away. He is pretty content playing that way. He is not crawling yet. but he will pull himself with his arms across the room. I don't need gates up quite yet.</div>
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Thankfully he does pretty well in the car, because I drive the same roads with him 30 times a week as I haul the big kids to and from school. I have to rip him from a nap to pick one of them up more often than I'd like, but overall he is doing well with the 'on the go' lifestyle. </div>
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I feel like Rocco is still pretty finicky or else Joe has a hard time reading his needs, because Joe is not his favorite person. I mean, he loves his dad and lights up when he comes home from work, but the two of them don't get along real well for an extended period of time. Before I know it Rocco will be wanting to spend more time with Joe than myself so I'm not to upset about being the preferred parent! </div>
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Well, that was a fast six months. I know the next six will fly by even faster. I'm holding on tight this first year with our baby Rocco-Bear and loving every second with his sweet face. Like I always tell him, God gave him special to me and I couldn't be happier! </div>
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Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-3379338808232333662014-11-18T12:09:00.000-08:002014-11-18T12:09:37.345-08:00SchoolSchool is in full swing now. We had fall conferences last week and I walked with a happy heart. Each student gets a hard copy of their progress and the teachers add comments, which I love. I always wish I could be a fly on the wall at the kids' school, so this is the closest I get. This is Silas' conference form. It literally brought me to tears. Then I called Joe and read it to him and cried again! Gah! I mean, I am excited about the academic things at school, but Silas' character and his social interactions are what I mainly care about.<br />
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After I read this I asked him if he helped the younger kids at lunch time open their containers. He got all shy and nodded. It was really sweet. Anyway, I'm thrilled with his progress. I was hesitant about sending him all day, but after conferences I was reassured that was the right choice. Academically he is blossoming as well. For the kid who was so behind last year. He often forgot the letters in his name and although he would willingly do writing or letter work, not much really clicked. This year he is writing in cursive and understanding the sounds of letters. I wish I could take some credit for working with him on this stuff over the summer, but with a new baby that never happened. I think now he's just ready and developmentally things are starting to make sense to him.</div>
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Veda. Oh Veda. My school lover and social butterfly. I couldn't get Veda's conference sheet on the blog, but my favorite quote from her teacher was, "Veda is a quite and reserved girl who keeps a low profile." What? Veda? Ha! I'm glad she is respectful at school, because goodness knows she can push my buttons at home. But I will say she does find pride in being polite and sweet, so it swings both ways at home. The biggest take away I got from conferences was that Veda is focused on her tasks and prefers to be around her close friends. That wasn't surprising. She, too, is doing great and I haven't had any complaining about going to school. I think she feels pretty cool going to the same school as Silas now!<br />
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To cheers for good reports!</div>
Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-48762526413682169382014-10-13T08:31:00.001-07:002014-10-13T08:31:53.978-07:00Bouwens' Family Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-76651488547283713332014-10-08T14:30:00.000-07:002014-10-08T14:32:59.423-07:005 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And we still aren't sure if he's a Rocco or a Rocky. I guess we'll see what sticks as time goes on. </div>
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He is a handsome little guy. His eyes are so charming to me. He's doing all of the regular five month things. Which we are so grateful for a healthy and happy baby. I fed him rice cereal today. It went alright. He has been so interested in my food lately; eyeing it up, reaching for it, that I decided that it was time. And I am also hoping that it might aid in his night time sleep. I think it's just an old wives tail. About feeding the baby rice so he sleeps through the night. But I'm desperate!</div>
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He is rolling all over and blabbing. He is definitely napping better. On a perfect day he'll take a morning, afternoon and late afternoon nap. Preferably each nap would be 2 hours, but a perfect day has yet to happen. It's touch especially when I have to pick up Veda at 11:30 and Silas at 3 and he likes to fall asleep about 15 minutes before I have to leave. Not ideal, but he's still small enough to take a long nap in his car seat.<br />
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I swear he gets most of his calories between 11pm and 6am. I know, send help! He is a reflux kid and I think that eating isn't high on his priority list during the day so he makes up for it at night. I've tried offering him food more often and all the like, but nothing helps much. Meds seem to make him more fussy as they irritate his tummy. I keep reminding myself that this is just a phase. A tired phase, but a phase. </div>
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Thankfully he is happy. He is super ticklish and giggles at the slightest grazing of a finger on his back. It's the best! He gets excited and kicks his feet when he sees a bottle or someone he likes. He still wiggles and wiggles most of his awake time. I'm really looking forward to him being able to sit on his own. He will hang out in the jump-a-roo for a little while. The Bumbo is not his favorite and he's getting too big for the bouncy seat. He is grabbing for toys and playing (eating) them. It's fun to see him make the connection. And he got a tooth! Bottom right. He has a love/hate relationship with Sophie the giraffe and those teething necklace beads. He will gnaw on them and rub them across his gums to the point of tears and frustration. So those toys get played with in moderation. </div>
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I feel like all of a sudden he went from being a little infant to being a hip baby. I carry him on my hip. It's a fun stage. And if he could figure out how to make it at least 6 hours at night it would be even more fun!</div>
Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-40373285265058247812014-09-14T19:01:00.002-07:002014-09-14T19:01:12.933-07:00Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This might be our first family photo with all five of us. </div>
Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-45227976767560933342014-09-08T19:25:00.003-07:002014-09-08T19:25:55.619-07:00Movin on up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My baby. Look at him. What a handsome little guy. He is four months already and I think we have turned a corner. He's not in that itty bitty newborn stage anymore, which is bittersweet. He is interactive and a handful (literally, like his body fills my hands). My favorite stage is when they can sit on their own and play with toys. We are not there yet, but getting close. Today he pulled a fast-one on me and took about four 10 minute naps, was fussy when I set him down and was finicky about eating. I'm hoping it was just an "off" day because over the weekend I had this huge sense of 'we are so there' as he took long naps (I got stuff done!) and enjoyed his awake time. Each day we gain ground on a routine for this kid and that means each day I get a little bit of my sanity back. But for real, I can hardly handle those dimpled cheeks. He smiles and I'm a goner!<br />
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This kid is off to kindergarten. He's also so handsome, despite the fake smile. He's owning his new kindergarten status and seems to do fine being at school 6.5 hours a day. Last week, his first week, he was falling asleep between 5:45 and 6:30pm and I'd have to wake him up at 7am to get ready for school. Tonight (Monday) he rocked it until 8pm. He's excited in the mornings and also excited when I pick him up from school. He has reunited with his friends and that has been really fun for him. I saw him on his first day of school coming in from playing outside as I was picking up Veda at 11:30. He looked at me, smiled, and then through his teeth said, "Mom, I'm staying for lunch!!" I took that as a good sign that this whole Kindergarten thing was working out for him.<br />
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And this girl. Isn't she a doll face. She is rocking out five mornings a week at school. I thought I'd have a harder time with her being gone so much, but the girl was made for school. She eats it up. The cubbies, the shoe mat, the work stations, the painting, the lines, the circle time, the teachers and the kids. She's doing a great job of going with the flow. Her teacher left me a long note last Friday telling me how Veda did her first week of school. According to Ms Molly Veda was very observant and would repeat each presentation as it was presented to her. She is a hard worker, very focused. And she loves spends time polishing, working on buttons, buckles and painting. Veda has yet to be sad or complain about school. That makes it much easier on this mamma.<br />
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My days do fly by with this new schedule. I get a few hours with just Rocco and me. The goal is for him to nap during that time. We are working on that. After I pick up Veda, we have lunch and play. Then before I know it it's time to pick up Silas from school. Again, a long afternoon nap from Rocco would be ideal, but I take what I can get. And some days that means he only naps during car rides.<br />
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I always feel like the few weeks leading up to the fall/school year I always dread. I feel sad that the kids will be gone and that summer is winding down. Then, and this happens every year, the week before school comes around and I am somehow ready. Ready for a new routine and for some new beginnings. This year was no different. We welcome the 2014-2015 school year with a prayer of thanksgiving for healthy and happy kids and for the opportunity to be educated.Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-80190477602593963322014-08-24T20:58:00.000-07:002014-08-24T21:00:08.756-07:00Kindergarten RamblingsKindergarten is right around the corner for Silas, and if you asked me how I was feeling about it a month ago I would have been near tears. Today, I feel a lot more ready. Maybe it's because I am craving some sort of routine in my life. This loosey-goosey summer has been fun and goodness knows how much I love me a slow morning, but this momma is ready for a break from all three all day long.<br />
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Joe had such a negative experience with school through his whole school career (both public and private) that we are really looking to avoid that with Silas (who seems to also not learn best in the traditional way). With all of the options out there (public, private, Christian, charter, magnet, prep, Montessori, homeschool) we loved what I found while researching the Montessori school program. Loved. So with all that to say, Silas will be back at St Croix Montessori next week for his kinder-year. Same class, same teacher, a lot of the same students. The only difference is that he'll be at school a full day (a full day? Someone hold me!). As sentimental as I am and as much as I would love for him to be with me all day every day for the rest of my life, it's time. And while I feel a little sad and empty knowing he'll be away for so many hours, I am also so excited. I'm excited for him to feel like a part of his classroom (and school's) community. I'm excited for him to be one of the older kids in class this year and build confidence as he leads and helps and guides the younger students. I'm excited for his passions to be recognized as he learns. I'm excited for him to simply play outside with these kids daily and build relationship through play. I'm really looking forward to seeing how his sweet little self will blossom. And maybe, just maybe he'll learn how to identify all of the letters of the alphabet before the end of the year :)<br />
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Silas says he's excited about Kindergarten, but there isn't much he's not excited about. He misses his school friends and I know he'll be excited to see them. And, of course, his (ugly) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunchbox will come out of storage and he's pretty thrilled about that, too.<br />
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One more week with a house full of kids 24 hours a day. Veda will be at St Croix Montessori as well. Only half days. I will get some good momma/Rocco time each morning. It's going to be different, but a good different!<br />
<br />Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477857024581510084.post-86904489965099010522014-08-05T19:15:00.001-07:002014-08-05T20:15:47.623-07:003 monthsThe baby is three months. That's huge! He is getting and looking bigger to me lately. Rocky rolls both ways, he giggles and babbles, he's ticklish and hates when I pick his cradle cap!<div><br></div><div>He's a pretty good night sleeper. I get up once or twice to feed him and he goes right back to bed. Usually he ends up in bed with me after his early morning feeding. Last night was his first night in his room and crib. It was a last minute decision (he is growing out of the rock n play ) so we had to get creative with a fan (used a humidifier for noise) and darkening curtains (dark sheet). He did well last night. Woke up once and then I ended up in Veda's bed with him as Veda crawled in our bed at some point.</div><div><br></div><div>Rocky is easy to please and he doesn't get mad often, but when he does he is hard to settle down. I've had to distract him by giving him a bath a few times to settle him down. Speaking of, he rarely gets bathed. It's been at least two weeks since his last one. ;)</div><div><br></div><div>He is unlike my other two as he is not obsessed with food. I remember S and V both were hungry all the time and would suck down their bottles. Sometimes I need to remind Rocky to eat. But I notice he will do make-up feedings if he was too distracted to eat over a long period. Less scheduled, but it works. And a shout out to Lindsey B for providing milk for the little guy. Her milk producing skills are impeccable so she gives me her extras. We are so thankful!!</div><div><br></div><div>Rocky might sleep decent at night, but his naps are lame. Unless I'm holding him, of course. And we are still driving with all the windows down so the baby doesn't scream.</div><div><br></div><div>The bouncy seat is his favorite he's drooling and chewing on his fists like crazy. I'm guessing I'll see teeth soon.</div><div><br></div><div>He is still working on liking dad to hold him for more than 5 minutes. He does flash a lot of dimple-y grins to his kin, tho.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUgdCoChSgHwqZaa8ZrBu4JGdvDdsvD97_wl2BK2f7VeFY6eRf69Nre2BNAYD8WVn6SQMrTo0HXMERlCdQ3Tc8lmWAdcK5HhNxp94pRzgb_ZCcAjhTFp1q5iWD8MiE1SyNGakiktLfr8/s640/blogger-image--1738654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUgdCoChSgHwqZaa8ZrBu4JGdvDdsvD97_wl2BK2f7VeFY6eRf69Nre2BNAYD8WVn6SQMrTo0HXMERlCdQ3Tc8lmWAdcK5HhNxp94pRzgb_ZCcAjhTFp1q5iWD8MiE1SyNGakiktLfr8/s640/blogger-image--1738654.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>We love you big guy! </div>Joe, Angel, Silas and Vedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00885246432749682304noreply@blogger.com1