Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Almost Here!

Well the excitement never seems to end around here! Mack's 2nd birthday was on August 7th and she loves the presents we got her. A Little People Animal Farm and a Look-and-Find Go Diego, Go book. She has been playing with them all week and takes her animals everywhere she goes. Nuggs has also enjoyed Mack's new toy and has actually started crawling towards that instead of to mom! Crazy! In fact, she not only crawled to the toy, but actually pulled herself onto the coffee table by using the farm house! I was so proud of her. She's only been crawling for a week and is already pulling up. I think we better watch out for her; she'll be walking before we know it!
I have been keeping myself busy for the past week frantically trying to get things accomplished for MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) before we leave. There is still more to be done, but I have gotten the bulk of things finished which is definitely a load off my mind.
Brian has been kept EXTREMELY busy at work. He looked at his schedule over the last 45 days and has had a total of 2 complete days off. Needless to say, we are both looking forward to a well-deserved vacation! It's almost here!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Pee Pee in the Potty!

Exciting news!
It has been such an exciting week with these babies! Mack has actually started to acknowledge the fact that there is another baby in the house and has been so sweet to her lately. She shared a toy with her without being asked (or forced) and then when the baby was hungry Mack attempted to feed her a bottle! Unfortunately I did not have the camera nearby but hopefully I'll get it next time. And the biggest news is that Mack used the potty!!! I had just finished brushing her teeth when she said "Pee pee! Potty!" Now mind you, she has said these words many times before and it has never resulted in any pee pee in the potty. But this time I put her on the toilet and sure enough! Success! I was so proud of her! She however, didn't seem that excited about what she had done. She acted like it was any old thing. Nothing new. Crazy kid! Anyway, that's it for the Myers household.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Piece Of Home



Things in our neck of the woods have been exciting! We had an extra special visit from a very old family friend (not that she's old, just that I've known her my whole life) and her family. Cindy's husband is part of the Border Patrol and was moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota about 3 months after we moved here. We have been wanting to get together since then; of course with winters, a pregnancy, and then a new baby, it just hadn't worked out until last weekend. It was so much fun to have them here for the day, though! It was like having a little piece of home and familiarity, which is always nice when you feel like you are stuck up in the middle of nowhere. Of course we are getting ready to go down to Texas for a couple weeks and we couldn't be more excited! Our tentative schedule is as follows:
Aug 16 & 17 Driving to Texas
18 Arrive in Belton
19 Kyle
20 Celebrate Carlos' Birthday
21 Elizabeth's Bachelorette Party! (Austin)
22 Celebrate Kayla's Birthday (Pflugerville)
23 Dallas
24-26 Belton
27-28 Kyle
29 Elizabeth's Wedding (Pflugerville)
30 Mack's Birthday Party (Pflugerville)
31 Belton
Sep 1 Ranger Game (Dallas)
2 Leave Texas :-(
We decided that instead of driving back south to visit for another couple days that we would just head north and vacation in South Dakota for a couple days before getting back to Minot on Sep. 7th.
So the biggest news that we have had in our house hold this week is we finally got baby Nuggs on a bottle! Mack was the type of baby who didn't care where food came from, as long as she got some, so bottle-feeding for her was no big deal. Kaitlyn has been putting up a fight for months, but I had decided since she was born that I would start to wean her the month before we left for Texas. We basically had to dig our heels in and only offer her a bottle for an entire day. She refused it all day, so basically didn't eat. By the next morning she was finally hungry enough and eagerly grabbed the bottle, held it herself and chugged down 4 ounces! Since then she has taken (and held) the bottle without any problems!




Friday, July 3, 2009

Passionate Little Girls

So one of the best things about children learning to talk is that they can really start to tell you what they like and don't like. And having a child that only seems interested in learning words that are really worthwhile to her makes the whole process even more special. Mack's obsessions used to be limited to milk (mit), bears, Bun-Bun (Buh Buh), and Blue's Clue's (Doo's Doo's). They have increased dramatically in number and in their importance to her daily life. At least once a day she wakes up asking for "boots" which actually means books, more specifically her "Gah boot!" (God Book) which is her devotional book that she reads every night before bed. She constantly goes to her high chair during the day asking for "go dish" also known as goldfish. She stands in front of the tv begging for "Digo!" (Go Diego, Go!). She bangs on the front door asking for "cowos" (colors=chalk) and "fowers" (flowers) which we keep in a pretty pink sand bucket on the front porch. She of course still loves bears, bunnies, and milk and definitely reminds us on a regular basis if those items are not at her constant disposal.

It has been amazing to hear all of the words that she is learning. Not too many months ago I was truly worried about her speech and was ready to start setting her up for speech therapy when she turned two. Now I know that she really did just want to say the words that are truly important to her. I should have known when her most used word became "Hi!" in order to get attention from anyone and everyone! We are truly blessed to have such a passionate little girl!

Make that two passionate little girls. Kaitlyn is passionate about attention as well. She wants physical contact pretty much every second she is awake. This is probably the biggest difference I have seen in my girls. Mack couldn't have cared less if I held her, carried her, rocked her. Nuggs, on the other hand, doesn't usually last more than 5 minutes sitting alone before she explodes into tears. And as much as I wish I could use two hands for most things these days, I know that in all too short a time, she will be on the move and won't care if Mom is around to hold her. So I will remember to appreciate her desperate need for physical attention now while she is so happy to have it!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Disaster Strikes

So when Brian got his schedule for the month and I found out that he would be going on alert on Father's Day, I was bummed.  I love holidays and even though he doesn't consider Father's Day a very big deal, I do and was looking forward to spending the day together as a family. Turns out that Brian being at work on this particular Father's Day was actually a present in itself.
The morning couldn't have gone better for me. The girls were sleeping wonderfully. In fact, Kait slept straight from 8-5:30, ate, and fell back asleep. I got to leisurely wake up at 7:45, shower, get ready for the day and talk on the phone all before the girls had even started to wake up. I was having the best morning! In fact, I was on the phone with my friend, Liz, telling her just how great my day was already. Pretty much bragging about all the sleep I had gotten. Then around 8:30, both girls start to wake up so I stay on the phone while I get Nuggs out of her crib. Then take the baby and the phone with me to Mack's room. This is when disaster strikes! I open the door, turn on the light, and there it is: my half-naked child, pants and diaper off, and the very distinct smell of poop. As my eyes start to focus in on the scene, I realize the gravity of this situation. There is poops everywhere I am looking! On her face, her legs, her hands, her Bun-Buns, her sheets, the crib railings! Everywhere but...the diaper! Of course! I don't even know what to do. I'm still in the doorway, holding the baby, listening to my friend saying something that I wasn't even listening to anymore, and the first reaction I could manage was to laugh. Yes, I started laughing at the sight of a poop-covered baby. I quickly tell Liz that I have to go because my child has covered her crib in poop and have to figure out some way to deal with it, then I put Nuggs down on the play-mat, still unsure of what needs to happen next. The first thing I try is baby wipes on her face and hands. This pretty much gets me nowhere. Then I decide that what I actually need to do first is empty her crib so that the poop doesn't get on any more of her things. After I have accomplished that I resort back to the baby wipes. Again, nothing. This stuff is staying put! So after some more laughing, and some more of Mack looking at me like, "What, Mom? I don't see what the problem is." I decide that the only way to effectively clean her is to stick her in the shower.  She hates showers! But I manage to carry her (a very long arm-length's away) to the shower and stick her in there. She screamed the whole time I scrubbed off the poo, but by that point it was starting to be a little less funny, especially since I could hear Kait crying, so I scrubbed away at her until every last bit of poop was washed away. It was quite the dramatic experience for all of us. But, like I said, at least Brian didn't have to clean up poop on Father's Day. I do believe it was the best present I could have gotten for him. 

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Lifted Spirits

Well, the weather has actually started to heat up. We have been able to play outside on our new-used swing set (Thank you Missy Ewing!) and take a lot of walks. It has really lifted all of our spirits after such a cold, snowy, miserable winter. Mack loves being outside so much that she stands in front of the door, banging on it for me to take her out. Of course she doesn't always get to go out because even though it is "warmer" it is still pretty cold in the mornings. The coldest of which was on my birthday! We woke up to snow! I couldn't believe it. Snow in May. Totally absurd. Despite the snow, I had a wonderful birthday. Brian and the girls made sure that it was a special day for me, and it really was. I feel so blessed to have the family that I have. Of course Mother's Day was the day after my birthday but unfortunately Brian went out on alert that day, so Mother's day was just another day of watching the girls, doing a LOT of laundry, and dishes. That's ok though. The day before more than made up for a lack of celebration. 
We are all very excited about this weekend! On Saturday we will go to the zoo for the first time this season and we will be getting season passes! I think Mack is going to have a blast! And although Kait won't really know what's going on, I'm sure she'll have fun too. Then on Sunday Brian and I will drop the girls off at a family friend's house and drive to Bismarck for the day. Brian has never gone and I've only been once so it will definitely be a good trip. We will be celebrating our first anniversary, so we are going to treat ourselves to dinner and a movie and anything else we want to do while we are there! So needless to say we have had a busy month so far, but it has been great! I just love the month of May! 
The girls have been doing very well. Mack has finally started to pick up new words. Everyday it seems like she is trying to say something new! Her funniest one is "Whoa babies"! It cracks me up every time! Especially because she says babies and not just baby. Silly girl! And Nuggies is just about to be on the move. She can roll over. She doesn't do it often, but I can tell she is about ready to be a rolling machine. She adores Mack and usually stops crying when Mack gives her attention. It is so sweet to watch them together! I love it. I think I have rambled enough for this session. I'm sure I'll have more to say after our fun-filled weekend! 

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Family of Sickos

Well it's only a matter of time when you have two young children that they catch some kind of bug and pass it on to the rest of the family. And I must say I am grateful that the bug we have caught is more of the cold/sore body type of sick and not the horrible stomach flu that has been going around Minot AFB. But being sick with two young children is in fact terrible. Luckily both the girls have been feeling better, but Brian was sick all day Thursday, didn't go to work and slept the whole day. We just lounged around the house all day Friday to continue his recovery and by Saturday he was feeling good enough to go out into town. And so we did! Little did I know that even though it appeared I had escaped, I spent the last part of Saturday night feeling terrible and stressing myself out about today, Sunday. Brian is on alert, I've had a fever off and on all day, and I've got both girls to take care of. If I wasn't worried about getting another family sick, I would have sent Mack to someone's house to play for the day and just kept Kait here, but who knows what germs Mack has clinging on to her. But thankfully Brian will be home tomorrow (hopefully early) and I will be able to relax a little bit more. 

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Stolen Pants


Well Easter in our neck of the woods was a fun, relaxing day. It started with two Easter baskets. One for each girl however Kaitlyn can barely even move from one spot, so Mack got to open both of them. I was behind her with the camera so I missed her face, but according to Brian she had her mouth wide open with surprise when she saw them. Of course the first thing she grabbed off the table that the baskets were on was her Bun-Bun. After Mack got all the goods out of the baskets we went to church and then back home. Brian ended up grilling a roast and making mashed potatoes and vegetables. It was a delicious dinner! While Brian was grilling I decided to take the girls outside since it was such a beautiful day (in the 50's). Mack walked up and down the sidewalk picking up little "treasures" along the way. She took a big spill on some loose gravel but didn't get any scrapes so that's good. After our fun in the sun we went back inside and I put Kaitlyn down on a blanket on the floor and got all of our jackets and shoes to put them in the closet. By the time I got back from the closet Mack had pulled Kaitlyn's pants off of her and was working on her socks! After she stole the pants she tried to put them on herself. This of course didn't work but it was quite hilarious to see her try. I think from now on I should put Kaitlyn in sleepers when she's around Mack. We don't want anymore stolen pants!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Accomplishments

My babies latest accomplishments. I think you will enjoy these!

Kaitlyn (almost 4 months old)...
... sleeps from 10pm-3am, eats, then sleeps again from 3:15-7:30
... takes a long afternoon nap at the same time as Mack (which I LOVE)
... laughs while looking at the fan in our room
... is finally in her own room
... is now wearing size 2 diapers
... is actually wearing the size of clothes she's supposed to be
... has a big bald spot on the back of her head
... "stork bite" has gotten significantly lighter on her forehead 
... has blue eyes with flecks of gold
... coos during diaper changes
... holds her legs tightly together during diaper changes making it near impossible to put it on
... doesn't scream when Brian holds her anymore 
... sometimes gets hit by Mack (and sometimes its on purpose)
... can sit in a bumbo
... can roll over both directions
... is already trying to sit up 

Mackenzie (20 months)...
... can feed herself (but makes a huge mess doing so)
... is obsessed with drinking milk
... LOVES stuffed animals (especially bunnies and bears)
... can growl like a lion, bark like a dog, and baa like a sheep.
... learned how to say baby 
... will repeatedly say "hi" to someone until they say it back
... goes around the house saying "Da Da" when she can't find her daddy
... sleeps a ridiculous amount 
... tries to carry Kaitlyn around the house
... wishes Kasuka would chase her 
... likes to play dress up
... happily plays in her crib when she wakes up 
... "reads" books by herself for long periods of time
... laughs more than any other toddler I know
... didn't cry once yesterday
.... just woke up and I can hear her asking for Da Da... sadly he's on alert and won't be home until tomorrow

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Crazy Cold Day

Well today started off as yet another crazy cold day! Negatives, snow, and lots of wind. But Mack, Nugget, and I had plans to go to MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) so I managed to make banana nut muffins, get the girls bundled up, and get us across a snow covered parking lot without dropping either baby. Let me tell you, when Mack's jacket starts slipping against my own, I seriously worry I will drop her! I managed to get them both inside and down a HUGE flight of stairs and got to enjoy a couple hours talking and joking around with other women that know exactly how crazy life can be with kids.  It's nice to be around a room full of women who are in the same place in their lives as I am. Especially since we are all stuck like hermits inside our homes most of the time because of the aforementioned weather conditions. It was especially nice since Brian ended up getting called on alert when he was supposed to have the day off. I suppose I shouldn't complain too much since he did only have 4 alerts this month, but I was looking forward to spending time together. Also, Mack tends to get very sensitive whenever Brian is gone overnight, which makes entertaining her that much more difficult. We'll see how she does today and tomorrow. Maybe she'll be her happy-go-lucky self!