Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Big Boy

So Ewan is indeed still our BIG BOY!!!  He had his 18 month checkup this morning and he is 34.75 inches (tippy top of the growth chart) and weighs 27lb. 9oz. (50-75%).  That's our "little" guy!!  We'll see if D3 continues the family tradition of being HUGE!!!

We barely survived our visit to the doctor...not so much because of shots but more so from temper tantrums.  Ewan would cry anytime a nurse or doctor came in the room and Jack pitched a fit for no reason...  Nothing like two screaming kids in an exam room!!  Didn't help that it was lunch/early nap time, I'm sure that's why they were so MOODY.  Luckily they are napping now, maybe I'll get some peace and quiet for a while!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Going Green With D3

No, that does not refer to redoing the nursery in gender neutral green or anything else green colored.  We're referring to our new car choice.  Many people expect us to get a minivan or huge SUV now that we're having baby number 3.  Well let me be the first to inform ya'll that we're going SMALLER.  That's right, SMALLER.  We've decided to get a Toyota Prius.  We test drove it yesterday and really liked it. 

It's got everything we wanted:   fuel efficiency, room for three car seats and a hatch-back.  Josh was pushing a Ford hybrid, however I was not willing to give up a hatch-back.  It's just too essential for emergency diaper changes, taking the dog around town etc.  So we compromised on the Prius, which we both really liked.

So why go smaller....the question should be more like why go bigger!  It's just not necessary, especially for my needs.  About 90% of my driving is running errands here in town, therefore less fuel efficient.  There really is no need for something HUGE and INEFFICIENT.  I can fit all I need in the Prius.   It's far more logical (both environmentally and financially) to get a car that fits our lifestyle best.  It may mean buying new carseats (our's are too wide) and a new stroller (mine is too big), but it's the best thing to do.  Should we go on a long haul road trip and need something bigger we can just use a cargo carrier or rent something bigger.

So D3 won't be getting all hand-me-downs!!!  He or she may get a new car seat and definitely a new stroller.  I hate to depart with my Valco stroller....a baby shower present from Oma and Opa for Jack.  It's a great top of the line stroller that we LOVE...but it just doesn't fold down small enough.  But that's OK, I've already found the next stroller.  It actually isn't even out yet; it's due to hit the market in early June.  It's another top of the line stroller and I can't wait to check it out!

So that's how we're going green.  And we all benefit, as does our Mother Earth.

Hey, and D3 will benefit with some new stuff too.  Everyone seems to think the third baby gets a little neglected.  That could be true, but certainly not by us!!  Ewan got fewer presents and less visitors after he was born, but he still had a shower and was spoiled by his immediate family.  D3 probably won't get a shower (do we really need anymore gender neutral stuff?!), but he or she will get some of the best hand-me-downs ever.  My favorites are of course the family items...the dresser that my brother, sister and I all had, the rocker the three of us had, the crib Josh built for our babies (assuming Ewan doesn't break out of it soon!) and the star blankie Oma knit for Jack (thanks for all the pain and suffering you went through to make that for all my babies).  Plus of course the new car and stroller D3 will have, and a new chair in the nursery.  And of course presents from friends and family...I know Oma is already working on D3's needs.

That's about all the news we have now.  Can't wait to get my new car...not sure how soon we'll do it, but definitely before late September!!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Travel Bug

Oma's been traveling out west and I've enjoyed her journey on the blog...but now I've got the travel bug.  Ah, to go out West again.  She's driving Miss Jasmine (her convertible) out to Seattle to give to my brother.  She got a new car a few weeks ago.  She's even managed to go 767 miles one of the days...something I could never do with my little guys.  I remember fondly the day when travel was different!

Life was great as a kid.  We always had at least one big family vacation a year...not visiting family.  As we all know, visiting family just isn't vacation....we used to go to Ohio and would visit both sets of grandparents, multiple aunts, uncles, cousins, friends...it was draining.  At least we don't have it so bad now, Josh and I each only have one sibling and my parents live here so we don't need to visit them.

We had so many fun trips growing up....several out West, New England.  They are all memorable for so many reasons.  One of the more memorable was to Texas.  We were due to leave the day after Christmas only I was very sick.  So Christmas Day I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with Asian Flu...sick, but well enough to travel.  Needless to say I slept most of the drive down to Corpus Christi.  Then on the way home we stopped at a doc in the box for my mom...she was diagnosed with bronchitis!!  What adventures!!!

Anyway I'm learning now that travel as an adult with kids is different.  I recently heard a great quote on Modern Family from a stay at home mom regarding travel with her kids, "I'm not on  vacation, it's a business trip"!!  That is indeed true!!  You need to child proof everything and watch the kids even closer than at home.  Hopefully it will get better as they get a little older....and thank heaven my parents didn't let that stop them from taking us all on vacations!  Needless to say they endured their share of kids bickering in the back seat!!

So I digress....the point is I've got the travel bug and really want to go somewhere on VACATION!!  Oh well, I'll have to wait until September.  Even though I'll be HUGE by then and we'll have the kids it still should be a nice vacation.  With 8 adults there are plenty of people to watch the kids and pamper me!!  We've got a trip to Ohio in early June, but again, it's visiting family so it's not a vacation.  Besides, I'll be driving up with the boys by myself....definitely WORK!!!!

Anyway, I guess I should give some kind of update on the boys I suppose.  Actually they are looking forward to vacation too...they talk about Uncle Nick Nick ALL the time.  It's kind of odd since they only see him once or twice a year, but they definitely remember him and liked him A LOT!  Jack also can't wait to see his cousins in June and really can't wait to see Mary Kate at the wedding (his second cousin whom he ADORES)!

Ewan is getting his eye teeth and is thus fussy.  Jack is pretty much the same.  So in other words not much new news here.  Maybe soon!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Photo Shoot

This morning was D3's first photo shoot...and like all my other kids this little tike was also uncooperative!!!  They couldn't get any good photos of the face and heart so it's back in another two weeks for my pictures.  They took various measurements (spine, brain, skin thickness, arms, legs etc) and D3 is still measuring big, by about 6-7 days.  I'm pretty much expecting another BIG baby!!!

Sneaky Little Devil....

No, it wasn't Jack this time!!  Yesterday I was checking Ewan for his eye teeth...he's been fussy and whiny and it's that time.  I've been checking and of course he doesn't like me looking in his mouth.  Well this time he cooperated better and I actually saw further back in his mouth....he already has a 2 year molar in!!  And I mean ALL THE WAY in!!!!  He snuck that one past all of us!!!!!!!!  Not quite one and half years old and already has one of his two year molars!  Jack got all his around two years so I hadn't even bothered to check Ewan for them.  He still only has one eye tooth (which he's had since around his first birthday).  The others are right below the gums though so we're due for some fun times now!  That's my sneaky little guy, doing things at his own pace.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Random Updates

Life has been busy as always.  Where to begin....Josh and I enjoyed our 6th anniversary, I celebrated my birthday with the family....

Last week I finally started getting back to the gym.  The first day the boys had runny noses so Oma came and watched them.  Then Friday they went to the babysitting room at the gym.  Jack did better this time...he didn't panic until we knocked on the door!  I stayed with them for a while and they were both still crying when I left.  After about 5 minutes I called the room and they had calmed down.  I managed to get a full workout in...of course it's shorter than it used to be since my endurance has gone down!  We'll try to get there two days again this week and build it all back up!

What else....Jack is my fashionista these days.  He is rather particular about what he wears.  He has his favorite shirts and given his way, he would wear only them.  He also has a favorite pair of underwear, frog boxers.  Sometimes at night after he's been put to bed he'll take off his pj bottoms and put on his boxers (of course sometimes they are backwards, but he's happy)!!!  Other times he'll change his pjs after he has been put to bed, even though HE picked out the first pair of pjs.  And then other times he'll just strip down to nothing and run around naked!!  He's quite entertaining!!!!

Ewan is getting bigger and more independent every day.  He copies everything his big brother does and gets very upset when he doesn't get his way.  He is quite the chatter-box, more talkative than Jack was at the same age.

This past weekend we went to an airshow nearby.  The boys enjoyed seeing the airplanes, especially Jack.  Ewan sometimes got startled when they were extremely loud and he didn't see them coming.  Ewan also managed to fall asleep in the wagon walking back to the car....it was a very long day!!!

And of course yesterday I had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day.  We were blessed with unusually cool weather so it was a sunny 74 here!!!   I got breakfast in bed (let's just say the boys weren't in charge of that)!!  Then we went for a picnic and "hike" at Sesqui State Park.  And best of all my dear sweet hubby made lobster and bacon wrapped filet mignon for dinner.  Jack was all exicited about the lobster at first...until he saw it and then the expression on his face changed dramatically and he ran away!!!   It was a live lobster....once it was prepared and on the table he kept saying "it's going to get me"....maybe because I teased him about that before he even saw it!!  He touched it to his lip and claimed he didn't like it.  Ewan on the other hand ate it and they both chowed down on the filet.

What else....I'm getting bigger which means the boys are getting heavier for me.  They seem the weigh a ton and strain my back easily.  This week is the big OB checkup with 60 pictures of D3....and NO, WE STILL AREN'T GOING TO FIND OUT THE GENDER!!!

I think that about does it for now.  I'm sure I'm forgetting plenty, but that's just the way it is now!!!  Wait, I already forgot...last week I got my new chair and footstool for the nursery.  I'm so excited!!  The chair I had wasn't very comfortable for much longer than ready a story or two so I decided I better FINALLY get a new one, now that baby three is on the way.  It is so incredibly comfortable....important since I'm convinced this baby will be a bad sleeper, we got spoiled by the first two!!

Enjoy the airshow pics.  The boys just had a photo shoot and the pics were ADORABLE...some of you have seen a sneak peek.  The family shoot is coming up Memorial Weekend, can't wait.  Jack really enjoys posing for Miss Karen!!!